Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 In pics: "lights out" mourning ceremony for Nanjing Massacre survivors who passed away this year Xinhua) 09:00, March 12, 2025 People visit the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 11, 2025. A "lights out" mourning ceremony for four survivors of the Nanjing Massacre who passed away this year was held Tuesday in Nanjing. Two survivors of the Nanjing Massacre passed away on Feb. 15 this year, bringing the number of living registered survivors to 28, according to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. (Xinhua/Li Bo) People attend a "lights out" mourning ceremony held at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 11, 2025. A "lights out" mourning ceremony for four survivors of the Nanjing Massacre who passed away this year was held Tuesday in Nanjing. Two survivors of the Nanjing Massacre passed away on Feb. 15 this year, bringing the number of living registered survivors to 28, according to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. (Xinhua/Li Bo) Light boxes of Nanjing Massacre survivors Ai Yiying, Wu Xiuying, Yi Lanying and Tao Chengyi (L-R in the bottom row), who passed away this year, are seen on the photo wall at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 11, 2025. A "lights out" mourning ceremony for four survivors of the Nanjing Massacre who passed away this year was held Tuesday in Nanjing. Two survivors of the Nanjing Massacre passed away on Feb. 15 this year, bringing the number of living registered survivors to 28, according to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. (Xinhua/Li Bo) Huang Xinghua, son of Nanjing Massacre survivor Ai Yiying, lays a flower at a "lights out" mourning ceremony held at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 11, 2025. A "lights out" mourning ceremony for four survivors of the Nanjing Massacre who passed away this year was held Tuesday in Nanjing. Two survivors of the Nanjing Massacre passed away on Feb. 15 this year, bringing the number of living registered survivors to 28, according to the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. (Xinhua/Li Bo) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. 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To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). Bilateral trade between Trinidad and Tobago and India reached a record TT$1.2 billion (US$368.96 million) in the last fiscal year, according to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. She disclosed this as she announced that her Government aims to expand exports to tap into Indias market of 1.4 billion consumers, and will pursue a Partial Scope Trade Agreementthe first from a Caricom countrywhile laying the foundation for a new Bilateral Investment Treaty. This years Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) results have revealed a concerning learning gap among primary school students, Education Minister Dr Michael Dowlath has said. Speaking at a recognition ceremony for the top five performers in the 2025 SEA yesterday at the ministrys head office in Port of Spain, Dowlath said the data will be analysed for better performance moving forward. Last Tuesday, Gwynne Dyer headlined his Express column Stupid old men. You could substitute all sorts of adjectives before the words, old men, to describe the characteristics of the cohort that has had the most influence on the world we inhabit. Greedy, self-righteous, racist, arrogant, selfish, a multitude of negative words readily suit the clique. At first, angrily thinking about the subject of todays column, I was focusing on Caribbean men in leadership positions who have been sleazy lechers, foisting themselves on hapless females and males with impunity. Tucson voters rejected Proposition 414 by a wide margin, unofficial results Tuesday night show. Tallies released about 8 p.m. show nearly 70% of votes counted so far were against the half-cent sales tax increase. Of 76,480 total mail-in votes cast, 76,434 have been counted, with 23,084 saying "yes" and 53,350 "no," city officials said. Andy Squire, a spokesman for the city, said about 7:45 p.m. that while city officials did not have a tally of how many people voted in person Tuesday, about 600 ballots were given out across nine voting locations. He said the initial results released about 8 p.m. would probably be the only results released Tuesday night. Tallying the in-person votes from Tuesday won't likely be completed until Monday, March 17, he said, to give city officials and voters the rest of the week to verify and cure ballots if necessary. Squire said officials were expecting 75,000 to 90,000 votes in total, with mail-in and day-of ballots combined. He said the city's nine voting locations had not seen a ton of traffic throughout the day, describing foot traffic as "slow and steady." The $800 million plan would have raised the citys sales for 10 years to mostly pay for items linked to police and fire expenses. It would have sent about 66% of the expected $80 million per year raised by the higher tax to public safety needs. About 34% would have gone to address issues related to affordable housing, homelessness and other social needs. If approved, Prop. 414 would have raised the city sales tax rate by a half-cent, from 8.7% to 9.2%, for the next decade. The Tucson Metro Chamber, which led one of two opposition campaigns, said in a news release Tuesday night that voters "sent a clear message" to the city: "They expect core services and core solutions to be delivered within the existing city budget rather than placing the financial burden on small businesses and working families with the highest city tax rate of any major city in Arizona." "I am very pleased the voters supported our message of fiscal responsibility without the need to raise taxes on our communitys most vulnerable individuals, chamber president and CEO Michael Guymon is quoted as saying in the news release. More work remains as we continue to collaborate with the City to support public safety, and the coalition we built is ready to engage in those important conversations." Organizers of the Yes on 414 campaign did not immediately comment. City leaders, first responder unions as well as community and business leaders have all given support to the proposition, according to the yeson414.com website. They say its passage would make neighborhoods safer, address the affordable housing crisis, and invest in services to improve our quality of life. The 10-year sales tax, dubbed the Safe & Vibrant City, would raise an average of $80 million annually, according to the city. About one-third of revenues generated would go toward boosting staffing across city departments, but mostly for police and fire. The grassroots No Prop. 414 Tucson coalition said in a news release Tuesday night that the "resounding defeat" of the half-cent sales tax measure is "an important victory for all Tucsonans and an important first step in making sure city resources go to where they can do the most good. "We hope city leaders will take away from Prop. 414s failure that if they are going to ask working families in Tucson to pay higher taxes, they must allocate tax revenues to programs and services that actually benefit Tucsonans housing and services, mental health resources, better education, better public transit, and reduced community harms, instead of systems that do not solve our problems or reduce harms like increased policing and surveillance," the coalition said in its release. "We encourage the city to continue seeking local revenue streams to fund housing and services, without resorting to further regressive taxes and work with us to ensure resources go towards care rather than criminalization. PHOENIX Arizona voters are a bit closer to being able to decide if state lawmakers should be able to keep the privileges they now have against getting cited when they are pulled over for traffic violations. But not every legislator thinks that public vote should occur. In fact, a third of state representatives voted Tuesday against even giving voters a chance to weigh in. That includes Rep. Rachel Keshel, R-Tucson, who insisted that eliminating what has been called legislative immunity could result in a governor not necessarily the current one sending out state police to stop lawmakers from reaching the Capitol to cast an important vote. But there were enough supporters to get approval for HCR 2053 to clear the House and send the measure to the Senate. Its future there, however, remains unclear. It is now up to Senate President Warren Petersen to decide which committee should get to review the proposal. That is critical because whoever chairs the panel that gets it could decide to bury it. There also isnt a requirement for the Gilbert Republican to assign it to a committee at all for a hearing. Petersen did not return messages seeking comment. And even if it clears the Senate, voters would get the last word in 2026. At the heart of the issue is a provision in the Arizona Constitution. It says lawmakers shall be privileged from arrests in all cases except treason, felony and breach of the peace and not subject to being served with civil lawsuits during the period starting from 15 days ahead of the legislative session and running until lawmakers adjourn for the year. What has brought it into focus recently are several incidents where lawmakers who were speeding escaped getting cited by police. It started with then-Sen. Justine Wadsack. The Tucson Republican told Tucson police last year she could not be cited for speeding because of her immunity. That, however, didnt keep police from serving her with the citation after the end of the session. And she ended up getting the ticket dismissed by going to traffic school. More recently, Republican Sen. Mark Finchem told a police officer in his new hometown of Prescott he could not be cited for speeding. Still unresolved is whether police will ticket him after the session is over. And Republican Sen. Jake Hoffman was not ticketed for driving 24 miles over the speed limit on a highway after a trooper recognized him as a legislator. There is no evidence Hoffman claimed immunity; DPS has decided it wont issue a new citation when the session ends. Rep. Quang Nguyen wants to alter the constitutional provision to add all traffic violations to the list of offenses for which the privilege does not apply. During the vote Tuesday, Keshel said she sees no reason for the change. Yes, there have been those who have abused this privilege, the Tucson Republican acknowledged. But it would be wrong to make the debate about legislators who want to speed or break the law, she said. Consider, Keshel told colleagues, someone like her driving to the Capitol from Tucson and there were someone in the governors office who did not share her political views. And they wanted to weaponize this against a member of the Legislature and stop us from being able to cast a very important vote on a very important piece of legislation? she said. They would be able to do that if we get rid of this. That scenario drew a sharp response from Nguyen. When we say the governor would weaponize and use police officers to pull us over to make sure a bill cannot be voted on, you know how insulting that is to police officers? said the Prescott Valley Republican. Were saying to police officers that, Youre part of the goons, you can be manipulated, you can be told to pull a legislator over and hold them, he said. And theres something else. If youre on your way to vote and youre getting pulled over, youre already late for a vote, Nguyen said. And he said if someone should be worried about that, he should be the one, saying he travels 186 miles a day to the Capitol to get there in time to vote. Rep. Walt Blackman said the issue is even more basic. He said that if lawmakers want to be considered leaders and have the right to decide what is the law they have to set the example. If we are to make law, no matter what the situation is, we should be able to follow that law, Blackman said. Those laws, he said, include allowing police to stop and give tickets to motorists because they are on their way to work, or wherever they are going. So are we better than the people who sent us here who follow the very laws that we make? Blackman asked. Or are we setting a different standard because we are lawmakers which, to my opinion, doesnt make us special. Rep. Lauren Hendrix, however, said those supporting the change are being swayed because it is being touted as eliminating legislative immunity. But the Gilbert Republican said there is no such phrase in the Arizona Constitution. Its because were not immune from anything, he told colleagues. Were given privilege from arrest and detainer, which means if youre stopped, they cannot arrest you, they cannot hold you, they cannot prevent you from going about your business. Hendrix called it a form of protection and not, he said, for lawmakers. Its protecting the voter that elected you, he said. The voter elected you to be able to be able to be here and do your job and do your vote. Hendrix also said he takes no comfort in assurances that police and prosecutors are inherently honest. One side of the (political) aisle might ask Donald Trump how he feels about that, that all prosecutors are honest, that all law enforcement are honest, he said. And Hendrix said if some people believe that Trump deserved to be prosecuted on various felonies, he has a different example. How about Hunter Biden? he said, the son of the former president who was convicted of tax and weapons charges before his father pardoned him saying he was being singled out because of who he is. Why dont you ask Hunter Biden how he feels about it? Rep. Kevin Volk said he understands the original intent behind the constitutional provision. But the Tucson Democrat said what he hears from Arizonans is a frustration with what they feel like is elected officials leading increasingly different and separate lives from themselves as citizens. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe This week on Back Roads guest presenter Joe OBrien heads to the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland for the Great Wheelbarrow Race. This 140km race follows the Wheelbarrow Way from Mareeba to Chillagoe. The event is inspired by the miners who came to this region in the late eighteen hundreds. When one area was mined out, they moved to the next, pushing their worldly possessions along in the humble wheelbarrow. Joe meets the Dads Army team, who are competing in the over 55s category. The teams average age is 74, and their oldest member is Frank The Fossil, a sprightly 86. Theyre competing to stay fit, support each other and raise money for the Mareeba Hospital. This race is gruelling but they have all the beer and water pistols they need to have a lot of fun and get to the finish line. Three young men, Kobi, Flynn and Dan, are running as the Missys Donors team. This trio are racing to raise awareness of the importance of donating blood and to honour the memory of their beloved friend, Missy Clarkson. Missys Mum, Anj Mittlestadt, is their team manager and biggest fan. The boys want to win their category and break the record, running in their barely there uniform of tiny red budgie smugglers. Lindie Boonzaaier organises the Great Wheelbarrow Race. She and her husband Janus migrated to Australia from South Africa in 2018,and now own a farm in Dimbulah. Lindie invites Joe to run with her team, The Council Cruisers, giving Joe a taste of the questionable tactics employed by some teams in the race, all in the name of fun. 8pm Thursday on ABC. Gold Walkey-winning camera operator Richard Moran is departing Nines LA Bureau Chief and returning to Australia, after more than two decades of service to the network in the US. He was appointed bureau Chief in 2019 after longtime colleague Robert Penfold retired (pictured). Kendall Bora begins as Bureau Chief in early April, and McLean Eleison steps into Morans camera duties. Eleison has been working in the ODS Newsroom for the last six years. He has proven his mettle on many big breaking stories, as well as covering major international events including the Ashes in 2023, Hugh Nailon told staff in an email. He started his career with Nine in Mackay, which like other regional bureaux around the country has proven to be an awesome training ground for emerging camera talent. With the help of Nines People Acquisition team, we undertook an extensive recruiting process, which brought forward more than 10 applicants from Newsrooms across the country. The high quality of candidates made it a close call, but also demonstrated to us the extraordinary depth of talent in our camera ranks. Richard Moran is moving back to Canberra, and will be shooting for Nines Federal Parliament Bureau from April 24. ITV has withdrawn Emmerdale from this years BAFTA TV Awards after learning of the actions of a member of its scriptwriting team. Emmerdale writer Martin Fustes admitted in court to assaulting his girlfriend, causing actual bodily harm and an offence of intentional suffocation. He was given a two-year suspended prison sentence, 150 hours unpaid work, 15 days rehabilitation and a 26-session probation service domestic abuse programme. We were shocked and appalled to learn about the recent court case involving Emmerdale writer, Martin Fustes, said an ITV spokesperson. Mr Fustes is a freelance writer and he has been informed that he will no longer be writing for Emmerdale. Everyone at ITV and Emmerdale abhors domestic abuse, which is why we have been highlighting the issue in a major storyline over the last 12 months. The Emmerdale production team were not aware of these charges against Mr Fustes until we were alerted over the weekend. BAFTA advised members that anyone who had already voted for the drama would be able to recast their vote, extending voting until March 17. Emmerdale screens in Australia on UKTV. 1800Respect fullstop.org.au Sexual Assault Crisis Line: 1800 806 292 Source: Variety Unzila Sheikh, TwoCircles.net New Delhi: Despite the Delhi High Courts order on March 4 staying the suspension of 17 Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) students, the university administration has not fully complied with the ruling. While seven of the suspended students who signed the petition have been allowed to attend classes, the remaining ten are still barred from doing so. This partial compliance has been described by the students as contempt of court, as the court had stayed all the suspensions issued on February 12, which also included a ban on the students campus entry. A letter dated March 5, 2025, listed the names of the seven students permitted to resume their studies, but the ten others, including Sakhi, a third-year BA (Hons) Sociology student, continue to face restrictions. Sakhi, who remains suspended, described the situation as a form of mental harassment. On February 24, the university issued a circular stating that students must maintain a minimum of 75% attendance to be eligible for exams. If they fail to meet this requirement, they will be barred from sitting for the annual or end-of-semester exams. I have been suspended for 20 days, and now I am not allowed to attend classes. This is my final semester. If I fail to meet the attendance criterion, I will have to repeat the year. Who will take responsibility for that? Who will compensate for this? she asked. Sonakshi, a Media Governance student at the university, alleged that the proctorial team had informed five of the ten students that their suspension would be revoked (not stayed) if they signed a bond of good conduct. The students, however, refused to sign. The violation of the Bond of Good Conduct would reportedly invite immediate and strict disciplinary actions against the students, including expulsion or rustication from their current course. The Bond read, I bind myself to be of good behaviour to Jamia Millia Islamia and its authorities, teachers, staff, students and visitors, and for abiding by the rules enshrined under the Ordinance XIV (Academic) Students Discipline and any other rules of the university notified through notices/circulars/orders, etc., issued by any authority/officer of Jamia Millia Islamia for compliance by the students from time to time. The students have not signed the bond as it is factually incorrect and can be/will be used against them in the future, said Sonakshi. During the hearing of the students petition against the suspension, the court remarked that participation in peaceful protests is an integral part of training to instill the basic principles and norms of civil society. The suspensions were stayed until May 2, pending the resolution of separate pleas challenging the February 12 order issued by the universitys proctor that also barred the students from entering the campus. This stay on suspension is only a partial victory for Jamia students, and it is the result of unity among us. We, as Jamia students, must reclaim our legacy of mass student resistance. It is time for us to raise our voices against pressing issues like the recent hike in course fees, campus democracy, hostel allocation and the privatisation of education. These 17 students are being made scapegoats to suppress dissent. This is not an attack on individuals it is a political assault on all our democratic rights as part of a broader, communal and fascist agenda unfolding across the country, said Habeeba, a first-year BA Persian student at the university who is among those suspended. The court also directed the formation of a peace committee to address the situation. The committee will be chaired by Vice-Chancellor Professor Mazhar Asif and include both university officials and student representatives. On February 10, a group of students organised a sit-in protest on campus against the universitys order banning protests and meetings without prior approval. The protest also condemned the suspension of four PhD scholars for their demonstration on December 15, 2024, the fifth anniversary of the violent clashes between anti-CAA protesters and police on the JMI campus. Two days later, on February 12, the chief proctor issued letters suspending 17 students indefinitely and barring them from entering the campus. The following day, 14 of them were detained by the Delhi Police on charges of vandalising public property and disrupting the peaceful atmosphere. Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, who was hearing the petition, criticised the manner in which the university handled the protest. Without delving into the truthfulness of either partys claims, a review of the records itself raises concerns about how the university managed the students protest, he said and emphasised that the court was not currently examining the reasons for the protest but noted that the documents presented by the students indicated that it was a peaceful protest. The courts order stated, Without going into the veracity of submissions from either party, the perusal of records itself makes the Court worried about the way in which the protest being undertaken by the students is handled by the University. The Court is not going into the reason for the protest at the moment, but the documents, as shown by the petitioners filed along with the record, prima facie show that it was a peaceful protest. All the students are of tender age. The students, when they go to the University, certainly make an endeavour to raise their voices within the framework of the law. Rather, participation in such peaceful protests is part of the training to inculcate the basic principles and norms of civil society. Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves condemned Jamias actions and called it a prime example of student repression. During the 2019 CAA-NRC protests, students were brutally beaten by the police many suffered broken bones, and one lost an eye. Back then, the Jamia proctor and vice-chancellor stood in opposition to police entry onto the campus. Now, the administration has become so supine that it has allied itself with the police, who are under the control of the central government. On February 13, hundreds of police officers entered the campus and transported students to a distant police station, a two-hour journey away. This is nothing short of a display of power and heavy-handedness. The rules students are protesting against are entirely unconstitutional. They are told they cannot organise protests without prior permission. They cannot gather without prior notice or even hold study circles. They are forbidden from posting flyers on campus walls. This is nothing less than an attempt to suppress dissent and stifle freedom of expression, he said. Union Pacific Railroad has notified employees in the East Texas town of Palestine that their jobs kept in place by an 1872 contract with the county will be eliminated following a decision Friday by the Texas Supreme Court. In the latest development in a long legal battle between the railroad and local officials, the court on Friday denied the countys request to reconsider hearing the case. At the heart of the legal saga is an agreement that dates back over a century. In 1872, Palestine and Anderson County raised $150,000 about $5 million today in bonds for the Houston and Great Northern Railroad Company, a distant corporate predecessor of Union Pacific. In exchange, the railroad agreed to build a depot and forever thereafter keep and maintain its headquarters, machine shops and roundhouses in Palestine. Anderson County officials sought to overturn a February 2024 state court ruling that cleared the path for the railroad to close the heavy freight repair shop, which accounts for some of the highest-paying jobs in the city of 18,000. The notice Monday morning alerting the shops 57 employees of the closure is premature since the Texas Supreme Court has not yet issued its mandate finalizing the decision, Anderson County attorney Jim Allison said. We are filing a motion to stay the mandate in order to appeal to the United States Supreme Court, Allison said. There are federal issues involved in this case. Palestine Mayor Mitchell Jordan said the railroad alerted him of the closure in a phone call and said employees would be offered opportunities elsewhere in the company. The shop and an inoperable plant in downtown Palestine will be demolished if the ruling stands. Union Pacific did not respond to questions about the timeline of the closure and plans for the property. We are moving forward to adjust operations and there are employment opportunities across Union Pacifics system for every impacted employee, the company said in a statement. Rail is essential to Texas and the U.S. economy, and this decision allows us to better align our resources to serve our customers. Despite its now-small footprint, Union Pacific remains one of the top 20 employers in Palestine. The city is a major interchange point for state rail, with main lines running south to the border of Mexico. The jobs pact was updated in 1954, and the railroad workforce in the town has dwindled amid mergers and restructuring. Union Pacific once employed more than 1,000 in Palestine. The railroad has said in court filings that it can conduct its work more efficiently in other locations rather than sending freight cars thousands of miles out of the way for repair to the severely outdated shop. Union Pacific argues the jobs pact restricts interstate commerce in violation of federal law. Critics in Palestine have said the move to close the shop is part of a broader industry shift to prioritize profit margins at the expense of workers and safety. Union Pacific said in 2021 that the closure was part of an improvement plan to implement precision scheduled railroading principles across its system, the Palestine Herald-Press and other media reported. Although Allison expects to appeal, Jordan said it would be up to city and county officials to make a final decision on whether to move forward with the legal fight. We do know its definitely a long shot, Jordan said. Anderson County has 90 days to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court elects to hear oral arguments in less than 100 cases per year. HA NOI Viet Nams agricultural, forestry and fishery exports hit a five-year high in the first two months of 2025, according to data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on Tuesday. Export turnover reached US$9.38 billion, up 8.3 per cent year-on-year. February alone saw a sharp 32.7 per cent rise to $4.4 billion. Agricultural exports brought in nearly $4.9 billion, up 4.5 per cent, while livestock exports rose 4 per cent to more than $72 million. Forestry exports increased by 11.9 per cent to nearly $2.7 billion, while fishery exports jumped 18.6 per cent to over $1.4 billion. These two sectors led in growth, exceeding the Government's 12 per cent target and outperforming the national export growth average of 8.4 per cent. The agricultural trade surplus reached $2.05 billion, significantly contributing to the nations overall trade surplus of $1.47 billion. Minister of Agriculture and Environment o uc Duy underscored the crucial role of the sector in sustaining the countrys export growth. He urged efforts to capitalise on this momentum while ensuring that the ministrys restructuring does not disrupt production or livelihoods. At the regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, the Minister stressed the priority of finalising the merger between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment into the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, which has been operational since March 1 under Government Decree No 35/2025/N-CP. "This is a solid foundation for the sector to achieve its targets for 2025 and beyond," he said. He insisted that the merger must proceed smoothly without disrupting businesses or citizens. "We must maintain workflow and ensure no disruptions to production and exports," he said. Amid the restructuring, the ministry had completed 61.5 per cent of assigned tasks, promptly addressing local proposals and issuing guidance documents. Regarding public investment disbursement, the ministry has disbursed VN977.9 billion, or 4.7 per cent of the plan, under the Prime Ministers Decision No 1508/Q-TTg. While below the national average, the ministry aims to speed up disbursement for key projects by year-end 2025. Minister Duy also urged units to sustain growth, focusing on expanding forestry and fishery exports to international markets while strengthening domestic production to ensure a stable and sustainable supply. Domestic production remained stable, with the pig herds growing by 3.2 per cent and poultry stock increasing by 3.4 per cent. Aquaculture production reached 692,200 tonnes, up 4.9 per cent, while wild-caught seafood output slightly declined by 0.5 per cent. Planted forest areas expanded to 20,100ha, a 6.5 per cent rise, and harvested timber output grew by 18.9 per cent to exceed 2.6 million cubic metres. Revenue from forest environmental services surpassed VN682 billion, an 11 per cent increase. Minister Duy urged a focus on disaster forecasting and extreme weather warnings amid growing climate challenges. He called for close monitoring and swift responses to protect production and minimise losses for farmers the backbone of exports. He also stressed preparations for the EUs fifth IUU inspection to lift the 'yellow card' and expand seafood exports. Over the course of 2025, the ministry will develop 41 projects and issue 58 circulars, prioritising five key decrees on minerals, the environment and agriculture. He emphasised these as the legal foundation for sustainable exports and maximising the sectors potential. Duy also called for market expansion, swift handling of food safety issues and responses to import market alerts to uphold Viet Nams agricultural reputation. VNS HA NOI According to data from the General Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance, Viet Nams exports to the United States reached US$19.6 billion in the first two months of 2025, marking a 16.5 per cent decline compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, imports from the US increased by 17.4 per cent year-on-year, reaching $2.6 billion. Experts predict that Viet Nams key export industries, including textiles, wooden furniture, electronic machinery and agricultural products, will continue to see positive growth in the US market throughout 2025. For the textile and garment sector, the US accounts for 40 per cent of Viet Nams total textile exports. This year the industry aims to achieve $25 billion in exports to the US, driven by rising demand for high-quality and environmentally friendly products. Similarly, exports of Vietnamese wooden furniture and handicrafts are expected to grow significantly, with export turnover projected to reach approximately $10 billion in 2025, a 20 per cent increase from 2024. The continued trend towards sustainable and recycled furniture in the US is seen as a key driver for this expansion. Additionally, high-tech products, including electronic components and telecommunications equipment, are anticipated to contribute significantly to export growth, with values projected to rise by 15-18 per cent, supported by the expansion of major corporations like Samsung, Intel and LG. At a recent Government press conference, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan highlighted that Viet Nam is a crucial trade partner of the US. He noted that Vietnamese exports primarily compete with third-country suppliers rather than directly with US businesses, allowing American consumers to benefit from affordable, high-quality Vietnamese products. Viet Nam and the US have already established a policy dialogue mechanism under the Viet Nam US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA). This ensures that any trade issues arising between the two nations can be proactively addressed through discussions within the Viet Nam US Trade and Investment Council. Additionally, the Vietnamese Government has tasked relevant ministries and agencies with reviewing existing trade barriers and formulating solutions to address US concerns. This approach aligns with principles of fair trade, reciprocity and compliance with regulations, ensuring that the interests of both nations are balanced and mutually beneficial. VNS QUANG NGAI Infrastructure construction started in the VSIP II Quang Ngai Industrial Park (IP), Binh Son District, Quang Ngai Province on March 12. The groundbreaking ceremony of VSIP II Quang Ngai IP took place at a time when Party General Secretary To Lam is paying an official visit to Singapore, demonstrating substantive and effective cooperation between the two countries. VSIP II Quang Ngai spans an area of 497.7 hectares, with a registered investment capital of about US$161 million. The park is designed with a focus on sustainability and smart technology, aiming to foster green, modern and environmentally responsible development. When fully operational, VSIP II Quang Ngai will provide an attractive investment location for leading international companies and corporations. The parks design emphasises the creation of a comprehensive industrial ecosystem, bringing together manufacturing, innovation, urban services and high-tech industries to fuel the regions economic growth. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh asked Sembcorp Group (Singapore) and Becamex (Viet Nam) to build a smart and sustainable industrial park that promote innovation and economic development. The Deputy Prime Minister also affirmed the Vietnamese Governments commitment to maintaining a stable investment environment. He emphasised ongoing reforms in administrative procedures and legal systems aimed at creating a more open and conducive atmosphere for both domestic and foreign enterprises to thrive in Viet Nam, including those from Singapore. He believes that VSIP will continue to be a symbol of successful collaboration between the two nations, further strengthening the Viet Nam-Singapore cooperation. At the ceremony, Quang Ngai Province's authorities presented investment certificate and memorandums of understanding to the VSIP II Quang Ngai's investors. VNS HCM CITY More than 200 exhibitors from 10 countries and territories are taking part in the Global Exhibition on Nonwoven and Hygiene Technologies (GENTEXH 2025), which opened at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre on March 12. Organised by Radeecal Exhicon and Minh Vi Exhibition and Advertisement Services Co., Ltd., the exhibition features the entire nonwoven industrial chain, from raw materials and machinery to finished products, covering applications in various sectors like hygiene, medicine, filtration, packaging, agriculture, automotive, and geotextiles. Key highlights of the event include specialised industry seminars, a Made-in-Vietnam Nonwoven Product Sourcing Hub, and exclusive buyer zones. According to the organisers, the exhibition is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, underscoring the potential of Viet Nams nonwoven industry. GENTEXH Vietnam will be an ideal platform for exhibitors to showcase their advanced technologies and enable visitors to interact with and access them, as well as seek partners, they said. Speaking at the opening ceremony, o Thi Minh Tram, deputy general director of the Agency for Innovation, Green Transition and Industry Promotion under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said the global nonwoven fabrics market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.02 per cent to reach US$76.5 billion by 2029. She highlighted that in the Asia-Pacific region, the market demonstrates strong potential, driven by rising demand for hygiene products, particularly in high-consumption countries such as India and China. Additionally, the development of industries such as automotive, agriculture, geotextiles, and industrial manufacturing is further fuelling demand for nonwoven fabrics, thanks to their outstanding properties, including high durability, lightweight, flexibility, environmental friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and hygiene safety, she said. In Viet Nam, the nonwoven market is also keeping pace with the global trend of using eco-friendly and versatile products. Despite its potential, the number of nonwoven fabric manufacturers in Viet Nam remains limited. Domestic enterprises still face significant challenges in accessing modern technology and advanced machinery to enhance product quality and meet international standards, she noted. She expressed her belief that GENTEXH 2025 will become a premier international trade event, opening up numerous opportunities for cooperation and networking for both domestic and international enterprises. Notably, this exhibition will serve as a valuable platform for Vietnamese businesses to gain access to cutting-edge production technologies and high-quality raw materials from leading nonwoven fabric-producing countries. This, in turn, will contribute to enhancing product quality, improving competitiveness, and fostering the sustainable development of the nonwoven fabric industry in Viet Nam and the broader Southeast Asian region, she added. The exhibition will run until March 14 and is expected to attract over 5,000 trade visitors. VNS HCM CITY HortEx Vietnam 2025, the seventh International Exhibition & Conference for Horticultural and Floricultural Production and Processing Technology, and Agritechnica Asia 2025, an agricultural machinery exhibition, opened in HCM City on Wednesday. Organised by Minh Vi Exhibition and Advertisement Services Co., Ltd (VEAS) and Nova Exhibitions BV (The Netherlands), HortEx Vietnam 2025 has attracted nearly 400 brands from 30 countries and territories, including Austria, India, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, the US, Japan, Thailand, Turkey, China, Australia, and host Viet Nam. National pavilions have been set up by Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and China. Alongside the participation of international enterprises, the exhibition also has business delegations, cooperatives and agricultural producers from the countrys 16 provinces and cities. This offers a valuable opportunity for local businesses to network, exchange experiences, access new technologies, and expand their export markets, Nguyen Ba Vinh, managing director of VEAS, said. In addition to showcasing fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables, along with technologies used in their production and processing, the exhibition features a range of activities that add value for both participating businesses and visitors, he said. They include seminars, an export forum, a "grower talks" discussion panel, a retailer workshop for the flower sector, specialised exhibition areas, a one-stop export consulting centre, B2B matchmaking, and a VIP buyer programme, he added. After six years of successful organisation, HortEx Vietnam has established itself as the largest international trade event in Viet Nam dedicated to the horticulture sector. The exhibition not only provides Vietnamese businesses with access to advanced technologies but also serves as a trade bridge, helping expand the domestic market and boost exports, he said. This year HortEx is being held alongside Agritechnica Asia, part of Agritechnica, the worlds leading agricultural machinery exhibition, and is taking place in Viet Nam for the first time. Organised by the German Agricultural Society (DLG) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Agritechnica Asia 2025, with the theme Green Innovations, features more than 200 exhibitors from 25 countries. The event focuses on green innovation by promoting farming products, processes, and models designed to tackle major challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, and competitive market pressures. Additionally, 20 satellite programmes and events will offer multidimensional insights into policy, science, and production practices, fostering productivity improvements and environmental responsibility. Furthermore, on the exhibitions first day, the organisers arranged a special tour programme for more than 300 farmers from neighbouring areas to provide them with access to cutting-edge technologies and practical solutions for production. In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam said Agritechnica Asia Vietnam 2025 plays a crucial role in promoting innovation and mechanisation for green and sustainable agriculture. His ministry is channelling resources into effectively implementing the sustainable development project of one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission specialised rice cultivation linked to green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030. The initiative aims to ensure the sustainable development of the rice sector through organised production, integrated with comprehensive mechanisation across the entire value chain. The introduction of Agritechnica Asia in Viet Nam will create opportunities for experts, manufacturers, farmers, and investors to connect, learn, and promote sustainable agricultural initiatives. These efforts aim to adapt to the constantly evolving conditions of agricultural production and business due to climate change and market fluctuations." The two events promise to become a comprehensive platform for manufacturers, suppliers, and farmers to access advanced agricultural technology, contributing to innovation and sustainable development within the agricultural sector, he said. The Association of Vietnam Retailers and the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association signed a memorandum of understanding at the Hortex Vietnam to foster collaboration between the retail sector and the fruit and vegetable and supply sectors. It aims to strengthen the agricultural supply chain and support farmers, cooperatives and businesses in consuming their products The two exhibitions will run until Feiat the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre and expects to receive more than 15,000 trade visitors from 30 countries and territories. VNS HA NOI The London-based Financial Times (FT) was granted a licence to reopen its permanent office in Viet Nam at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. At the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang commended the newspaper for its past contributions to connecting Viet Nam with the UK and the wider world. She expressed her confidence that with its professionalism, credibility, and coordination with the ministry and other Vietnamese Government bodies, the FT would continue to play a key role in strengthening bilateral ties and promoting Viet Nams image globally. The Deputy Minister stressed that Viet Nam is entering a new era - the era of the nation's rise and hoped that the FT would help spread this message to readers in the UK and the world. She also affirmed the ministrys commitment to supporting the newspaper and the British Embassy in enhancing the Viet Nam-UK strategic partnership. Anantha Lakshmi, FT resident correspondent and head of its bureau in Ha Noi, noted that the newspaper has closely followed Viet Nams economic trajectory for many years. Its decision to reopen a permanent presence in the country reflects Viet Nams growing importance in global affairs, she said. She highlighted that amid increasing macroeconomic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions, many nations are seeking to diversify their economic ties by investing in Viet Nam. This makes it a particularly critical time to share the Southeast Asian country's story with the FT international readership. One of the worlds leading newspapers specialising in finance and trade, the FT previously operated in Viet Nam from 1995 to 2000 and again from 2010 to 2022. With the reopening of its Viet Nam bureau, the number of foreign news agencies with a permanent presence in the country has now risen to 30. VNS After 15 years of pursuing yoga, Bui uc Thanh has found his own new path, creating images of woman doing yoga poses, made with a variety of materials including silk, ceramic and bronze. He has just finished his second solo exhibition, displaying 45 silk paintings and 18 sculptures to highlight the physical and spiritual beauty of women. Could you tell us about the works at the exhibition? Yoga and the zodiac is a theme that I have been pursuing. Last year, I drew a painting combining yoga posture and a dragon on the occasion of Lunar New Year. Spring brings new growth and life. At my solo second exhibition, I displayed a set of three paintings including one with a wild banana flower in the middle. Banana flowers symbolise for proliferation and each side of that are paintings of a yoga cobra posing and a woman doing yoga in a natural landscape. I have practiced yoga for 15 years. As a yoga practitioner, I feel a lot of positive energy, especially in the spring season, and I want to inspire that to visitors. Through the beauty of yoga and the beauty of women doing difficult yoga postures, I want to convey to everyone that people are always led to truth, beauty and goodness. How do you capture the contrast between the softness of silk painting and the solidity of bronze and ceramic sculptures? Silk is a Vietnamese traditional material. The veteran artists always drew bold and monochromatic colours and they washed the silk painting several times. I try to break the traditional style to paint silk with different colours. The exhibition also introduces two silk paintings with experimental cubism, using the shapes of triangles and diamonds. I began with sculpture by chance. In 2018, one of my friend and I went to Bat Trang Ceramic Village. While my friend did his work, I played with the clay and I became fascinated by pottery. My colleagues supported me and they said my sculptures have my own personality. It encouraged me to create sculptures and paintings on yoga theme. My first solo exhibition was in 2023 and now I want to continue the yoga honouring physical body of women in yoga postures. Have you changed from your first to the second solo exhibitions? I have joined group exhibitions with other artists. During the pandemic years, I made a lot of paintings and sculptures and so it was a chance to show that work with my first solo exhibition. I am really moving and sometimes I surprised myself because I have done a huge amount of work in more than two years, nearly 100 pieces. I chose more than 50 works for the first solo exhibition. One thing that makes me joyful is that 40 per cent of my works were sold. At the second one, I have changed a little bit of expressing form to create more depth in painting while the language of paints is so much clearer. I think that people always have a desire to conquer and improve and that is what I am doing. You graduated from the National University of Art Education in 1978 and the Viet Nam University of Fine Arts in 1993. Could you tell why you waited until you were 68 to have your first solo exhibition? You know, it was very hard time at the state economic subsidy period. I am a fine arts teacher and I had to spend much time earning my living. My first wife passed away in 2003, so I had been raising my children on my own. I was exhausted with office and family work so I could not have time to create art. However, I still displayed at the group exhibitions with my colleagues during that time. Then when I retired and when my children were grown up, I have had time for myself to live and to paint. At the present, I feel I don't have time enough for more creations. - VNS MOSCOW The south central province of Khanh Hoa is able to meet all the needs of Russian tourists, Chairman of the Khanh Hoa Tourism Association Hoang Van Vinh said at a tourism promotion conference held in Moscow on March 11. The event brought together 130 delegates representing businesses from both Russia and the Vietnamese locality. In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia ang Minh Khoi emphasised that after 75 years since the two countries set up bilateral relations, tourism has become a vital bridge connecting the people of Viet Nam and Russia. This sector remains a key focus in high-level exchanges between the two nations. Nha Trang, a coastal city in Khanh Hoa Province, has long been a favourite destination for Russian tourists, accounting for up to 50 per cent of Russian visitors to Viet Nam. With its pristine beaches, crystal-clear water, and rich cuisine, Nha Trang is often dubbed as Viet Nam's "beach capital." However, the past three years of the pandemic, coupled with global uncertainties, have led to a significant drop in the number of Russian tourist arrivals. Now, with tourism recovery underway and direct flights resumed, the non-smoke industry, particularly in Nha Trang, plays a crucial role in attracting back its traditional Russian visitors. Khoi highlighted the strong support from both governments in fostering tourism cooperation. Recently, Viet Namextended its visa exemption policy for Russian tourists, while Russian language and culture remain widely recognised in Viet Nams hospitality sector. Vietnamese people continue to hold warm sentiments toward Russian visitors, he added. Meanwhile, Russia has introduced e-visa for Vietnamese nationals, further facilitating travel between the two countries. These favourable policies are expected to drive Russian tourist arrivals to Viet Nam to 400,000500,000 annually. The ambassador also announced that Vietnam Airlines is close to fully restoring its direct flights to Moscow - the news that was warmly welcomed by conference attendees. During the event, participants got an overview of Nha TrangKhanh Hoa tourism and were particularly impressed by a special showcase from Vinpearl, one of Viet Nam's leading tourism brands. Speaking with the Vietnam News Agency's correspondents in Moscow, Anara Uralova, General Director of One Click Travel, noted that in recent years, the Russian tourism industry has experienced an "Asian boom," with an increasing number of travelers choosing destinations across Asia. Within this trend, Viet Nam has steadily gained popularity. Currently, Viet Nam accounts for 35 per cent of One Click Travels total revenue, with significant potential for further growth. To capitalise on this momentum, the company plans to strengthen partnerships with Vietnamese businesses, initially focusing on organising press tours and influencer trips to promote Viet Nam more effectively among Russian travellers. Chairman of the Khanh Hoa Tourism Association Hoang Van Vinh stated that local tourism industry is committed to restoring Russian tourist numbers to pre-COVID-19 levels, adding that the event aimed to create a platform for businesses from both countries to collaborate, develop joint strategies, and maximise mutual benefits. He also emphasised the effectiveness of Viet Nam's 45-day visa exemption for Russian tourists, which is expected to play a key role in attracting more visitors from Russia. VNA/VNS BAVARIA Viet Nam's cultural promotion activities, with its traditional mua sap (bamboo dance) as a highlight, at the Brechtfestival 2025 festival in Bavaria state of Germany during the first 10 days of March, captured great public attention and was widely covered by local media. A standout feature of the event was the Vietnamese sap dance competition organised by Huong Viet, a leading Vietnamese-language magazine in Germany, which garnered significant interest and active participation from guests. The competition was part of a cultural promotion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Germany, organised by the Huong Viet Magazine in collaboration with the Viet Nam-Germany Association in Schwaben and the Vietnamese Association in Freising. The German media described the folk dance, which involves eight participants controlling eight bamboo poles to a rhythmic beat, as both fascinating and challenging. While it might appear simple, the dance demands intense focus and coordination, as participants must carefully navigate through the gaps between the poles. This traditional dance not only brought energy to the event but also provided international friends with a hands-on experience of Viet Nam's cultural beauty. The audience was also invited to join in and enjoy the spirited movements of the sap dance. The stage performances left a lasting impression, featuring spectacular acts such as the non (conical hat) dance, lotus flower dance, and the presentation of the ao dai (traditional long dress) through famous tourist destinations of Viet Nam. The Vietnamese map, together with the images of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes, were also displayed on the stage, emphasising Viet Nam's sacred territorial sovereignty over its islands, helping international audiences gain a deeper understanding of the countrys culture and history. In addition to the cultural activities, participants had the chance to taste Vietnamese cuisine, with many traditional dishes receiving high praise. The harmonious blend of flavours and colours in Vietnamese foods left a strong impression on international attendees. This event not only served as an opportunity to promote Vietnamese culture but also as a bridge to strengthen the friendship between the two nations, marking 50 years of cooperation and sustainable development between Viet Nam and Germany. Along with Viet Nam's activities, many other cultural events also took place, such as wrestling, stage performances of classic plays by German playwright and critic Bertolt Brecht, creative workshops like the Brecht ohne Garantien seminar, underwater art performances, a student creativity contest, a science fiction night, and a podcast about Brechts son. Concluding the festival, Nicole Asmus, who participated in the competition featuring eight compulsory folk dances, including the Vietnamese sap dance, was awarded a special prize of 5,000 Euro (US$5,456). The "Brechtfestival 2025" is a cultural event with the participation of 15 different cultural communities, held in the city of Augsburg. According to ARD television and the official website of Augsburg city in Bavaria, the event attracted over 400 participants, representing various communities and organisations, showcasing cultural diversity through traditional dances ranging from Afro-Amapiano to Viet Nam's sap dance. This event highlighted the power of art and culture to connect communities, both in Augsburg and throughout Germany. With its large scale, the festival is an annual event in Augsburg, dedicated to celebrating Bertolt Brecht. VNA/VNS In an interview with the Government News, Phan uc Trung, Chairman of the Viet Nam Blockchain Association, expressed confidence that the prompt legalisation of digital asset and cryptocurrency management, as directed by the Prime Minister, will lay the foundation for a robust regulatory framework, accelerating the growth of Viet Nams digital economy. What challenges is Viet Nam currently facing in managing digital currency? In 2023, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed Viet Nam on its grey list for increased monitoring, issuing recommendations to address shortcomings in the countrys anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing and counter-proliferation financing mechanisms. To be removed from this list, Viet Nam must take decisive action, including the urgent development of a regulatory framework for virtual assets and virtual asset service providers. Delays in implementing these regulations could drive up financial costs for foreign investment inflows and lead to lost economic opportunities, with long-term consequences. Viet Nam remains one of the top-ranking countries in the Global Crypto Adoption Index. As of 2024, over 17 million Vietnamese own digital assets, down from 20 million previously but still well above the global average. Furthermore, the informal and unregulated 'grey economy' in Viet Nam sees significant capital flows through digital assets. Without a clear legal framework, unlocking this hidden financial potential will be difficult, and the broader negative impact of an unchecked shadow economy will persist. The growing enthusiasm for technology-driven investments and high-yield opportunities has also created an environment ripe for scams, with fraudsters exploiting digital platforms and luring investors into cryptocurrency-related schemes. Establishing a robust legal framework for digital assets will be key to reducing these risks while supporting the sustainable growth of the sector. What key areas should the legal framework prioritise? How has the Blockchain Association contributed to its development? Establishing pilot zones is essential in developing a comprehensive legal framework for digital assets. Cryptocurrency exchanges should be the starting point, with many experts advocating for pilot zones in financial hubs. Regardless of location, it is crucial to recognise that digital assets exist in an internet-based space, requiring synchronised oversight from regulatory bodies. The Prime Minister has tasked the Ministry of Finance, in coordination with the State Bank of Vietnam and the Ministry of Science and Technology, with developing legal frameworks and technical standards to ensure security and information safety. Pilot projects will provide valuable insights, allowing for the refinement and expansion of successful regulatory models. These lessons will shape a stronger, more effective framework that fosters industry growth while ensuring oversight. Since Viet Nam was placed on FATFs grey list, the Viet Nam Blockchain Association, in partnership with the Banking Association and research institutes, has organised multiple conferences on virtual assets and virtual asset service providers. The association has also actively engaged with delegations and parliamentary committees to discuss regulatory measures. In recent years, the association has worked alongside the Ministry of Science and Technology to advance Viet Nams national blockchain strategy. On December 22, 2024, General Secretary To Lam signed Resolution No 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo, setting a breakthrough strategy for science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. Concurrently, the Prime Minister has directed the Ministry of Finance, with support from the State Bank of Viet Nam, to draft and submit a legal framework for the regulation and development of digital assets and digital currencies by March. The Blockchain Association is actively collaborating with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank of Vietnam, to provide insights and support for this critical initiative. What can Viet Nam learn from other countries in this sector? We must adopt a forward-thinking approach and implement a clear roadmap to turn this vision into reality. Recently, the administration of President Donald Trump has introduced a series of policies on digital assets that mark a significant shift from previous regulations. Notably, instead of promoting central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), the US has pivoted towards supporting the private sector by fostering stablecoins. CBDCs are digital currencies issued and regulated by central banks, functioning similarly to traditional cash but existing in digital form. They can be recorded on a blockchain or a similar database. Stablecoins, by contrast, are cryptocurrencies pegged to stable assets such as fiat currency or precious metals. They are designed to maintain a steady value, helping users mitigate the volatility commonly associated with the crypto market. Beyond the US, digital asset policies are evolving rapidly, with wide-reaching impacts across Europe and Asia. Viet Nam must closely track these developments and align with key policy shifts in other countries. Thailand, for example, has built a robust legal framework for digital assets. Since 2018, it has established clear regulations for token offerings, allowing investors to verify whether a token is potentially fraudulent via official platforms. More recently, Thailand has achieved two major milestones: listing a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund on its stock exchange and launching a pilot programme enabling foreign visitors to make payments using Bitcoin. What do you expect from the legal framework once it is in place? The Blockchain Association, as a professional organisation, has faced significant challenges due to the lack of legal recognition for digital assets. A well-defined legal framework would provide formal recognition, bringing Viet Nam in line with global regulatory trends by legitimising digital asset transactions. This includes establishing clear regulations for cryptocurrency exchanges and capital-raising mechanisms through digital asset issuance. The Politburos Resolution No 57 was issued to accelerate progress in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. As this resolution is implemented, I believe blockchain will emerge as a key priority. We expect the forthcoming legal framework to lay a solid foundation for the growth of the digital economy and digital assets. This, in turn, will drive innovation, support the development of technology enterprises, and contribute to Viet Nams broader economic advancement. VNS HA NOI New Zealands news website rnz.co.nz on Wednesday published an article titled Why we want to be mates with Viet Nam, highlighting Viet Nams impressive economic growth and its rapidly expanding trade connections, including with New Zealand. In the article, author Alexia Russell described Viet Nam as one of the hottest travel destinations in the world right now, with international tourist numbers surging by 43 per cent in 2024. Starting in September, it will become easier for New Zealand travellers to visit Viet Nam, with budget airline Vietjet launching direct flights between Auckland and HCM City. Beyond tourism and education exchanges, the article spotlighted New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's recent trip to Viet Nam, where he signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership deal aimed at paving the way for businesses to enter the flourishing Vietnamese market. This move builds on a wave of strengthening bilateral ties, with the two-way trade between the two countries having grown by 123 per cent since 2017, making Viet Nam New Zealands 14th largest trading partner. The article cited Plant and Food Research chief executive Mark Piper, who joined the New Zealand PMs trade delegation, highlighting Viet Nams untapped potential and the organisations five-year Viet Fruit programme focused on passionfruit cultivation. According to Piper, the programme aims to support production and post-harvest processes, including boosting productivity, enhancing resilience, improving insect control, and training to make sure the programmes sustainability. Meanwhile, RNZ political reporter Giles Dexter, who also accompanied the Prime Minister on the trip, said the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement opens up more practical cooperation opportunities, especially as New Zealand businesses show increasing interest in entering the Vietnamese market. VNS HA NOI The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Tuesday discussed reducing land rent payments for fiscal year 2024 as part of the working programme at its 43rd session. Deputy Minister of Finance Bui Van Khang said that the expected reduction in land rent according to the draft decree is about VN4 trillion (US$157.1 million), equivalent to 0.26 per cent of the total State budget revenue per year and 9 per cent of the State budget revenue from land rent per year (calculated according to 2023 data). Khang presented a Government report showing that, to remove difficulties and support production and business activities, the Ministry of Finance would work with agencies and localities to research and submit proposed land rent reductions to the Government and the Prime Minister. Chairman of the NAs Economic and Financial Committee Phan Van Mai said that most of the committee members agreed on the necessity of reducing land rent as proposed by the Government. During the discussion, some committee members said that the Government's regulations on reducing land rent were too broad, and the Government's submission has not clarified other cases under the authority of the NA Standing Committee as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 157 of the Law on Land 2024. On February 12, the Government issued Resolution No 31/NQ-CP on submitting the proposed land rent reduction to the NA Standing Committee for comments and promulgating a Government Decree regulating the issue. The Minister of Finance was assigned to sign the Government's submission on behalf of the PM. Clause 2, Article 157 of the Law on Land 2024 states: "The Government will prescribe other cases of exemption or reduction of land use fees and land rents not specified in Clause 1 of this Article after obtaining the consent of the NA Standing Committee. Under this clause, the Government can therefore issue a decree regulating the reduction of land rents under its authority. By February 25 this year, the Government had submitted a draft on the reduction of land rent to the NA Standing Committee for comments, so committee members said collecting and refunding land rent or imposing late payment penalties has been slow and difficult. Reducing land rent will lower costs and increase taxable income corresponding to the amount of land rent reduction, thereby increasing corporate income tax payable for the 2024 fiscal year. Enterprises must therefore also declare and adjust their tax reports and financial reports for 2024, including land rent and corporate income tax payments. The NAs Economic and Financial Committee and Culture and Social Affairs Committee requested the Government clarify the impact of the reduction to State budget revenue, as well as the handling of the above issues when implementing land rent reductions for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years. Some members of the NAs Committee for Economy and Finance asked the Government whether the policy would be conducted in the following years or not, to avoid submitting a similar policy multiple times with complicated procedures, reducing the policy's effectiveness. Clarification Explaining the issue, Deputy Minister Khang said that the exemption and reduction policy had been implemented in 2023. According to statistics from the Tax Department, more than 29,700 organisations and individuals benefit from the policy, with exemptions and reductions amounting to approximately $157.1 million. The tax reduction has supported businesses, households and individuals in overcoming difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic so that they can quickly restore production and business activities. Khang explained the timing of the policy, stating that last year, due to difficulties faced by businesses, the Government decided to extend the land rent payment deadline until December 31. Thus far, most businesses have not yet paid, so reductions are not affected. When the decree is issued, those organisations and businesses that have already paid land rent will be able to deduct the payments from their land tax payments for the following years. Concluding the session, NA Deputy Chairman Vu Hong Thanh said that on February 25, the Government submitted a document to the NA Standing Committee for comments on the reduction of land rent, noting that the Government should learn from this experience. The delay has caused difficulties in collecting and refunding land rent. It has an insignificant impact on budget revenue, but a huge impact on production and trading for enterprises and people, Thanh said. At the session, all NA Standing Committee members agreed to reduce land rent payments for 2024. VNS SINGAPORE Party General Secretary To Lam, his spouse and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation met with staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and over 200 representatives of the Vietnamese community in Singapore on Tuesday, as part of his ongoing visit to the island-city state from March 11-13. Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tran Phuoc Anh reported that over 25,000 Vietnamese are living, studying and working in Singapore. The community remains united, deeply connected to their homeland, and committed to preserving Viet Nam's cultural identity, while also making valuable contributions to host society and friendship between the two nations. Anh noted the rising prominence of Vietnamese professionals, intellectuals, and entrepreneurs in Singapore. Many experts, including professors and Ph.D. holders, hold positions at leading institutions like the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). Many Vietnamese business owners are also active in technology, finance, logistics, and services. The community's representatives called the meeting as a great source of encouragement to them and a sign of support from the Party and State of Viet Nam. They voiced strong support and confidence in the Party and States recent key policies aimed at driving Viet Nam's rapid development in the coming years. At the meeting, the Party chief said that his visit to Singapore aims to deepen the Viet Nam-Singapore relationship that was established over half a century ago and tested over time, towards developing the relationship in a more intensive, effective and practical manner in all areas. In the framework of talks with Singaporean leaders, the General Secretary will continue to propose Singapore pay attention to and create favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live, study and work stably in Singapore, actively integrate and contribute to the host countrys development and the relationship between the two countries. On this occasion, Lam praised the achievements of the Vietnamese community in Singapore and sincerely thanked them for their contributions to the homeland. He also informed the community about Vietnam's situation and development goals in the coming time. He expressed his hope that the Vietnamese community abroad in general, and the community in Singapore in particular, will continue to unite and strive to contribute to achieving these groundbreaking objectives. The Party chief highly appreciated the opinions, proposals, and recommendations raised by representatives of the overseas Vietnamese community. He urged them to stay united and work together to build a thriving community, promote the beauty of Viet Nam to international friends, particularly Singaporeans, and serve as a solid bridge in the relationship between the two countries. He emphasised that wherever they are, the community should always nurture their sentiments towards the homeland with the pride and responsibility, and leverage their knowledge and scientific expertise to make effective contributions to the country. Lam asked the embassy to continue effectively promote the community and citizen protection work in accordance with Resolution 36-NQ/TW, Directive 45-CT/TW, and Conclusion 12-KL/TW of the Politburo regarding overseas Vietnamese affairs, especially when the Vietnamese community in Singapore has continuously grown. The embassy should become a common home to connect the community and facilitate administrative procedures for the community's members, the Party leader said. VNA/VNS SINGAPORE Party General Secretary To Lam, his spouse, and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation on Wednesday offered flowers in tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his statue in the Asian Civilizations Museum (ACM) as part of their ongoing official visit to Singapore. The Party chief, his spouse and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation observed a minute of silence to commemorate the great contributions of beloved Uncle Ho to the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation, expressing their deep gratitude for his selfless sacrifice for the people and the country, and vowing to continue to strive, study and follow President Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality and style. The museum, located on the bank of the Singapore River, is the only museum in Asia devoted to exploring the rich artistic heritage of Asia. It focuses on the historical connections between cultures and civilisations in Asia, and between Asia and the world. The statue of President Ho Chi Minh is placed along with the statues of many other Asian leaders and celebrities at the museum. Aiming to show good affection for Viet Nam and honour one of the great foreign figures who once visited Singapore, in May 2008, on the occasion of the 118th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh and the 35th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Singapore, the National Heritage Board of Singapore inaugurated a memorial plaque for President Ho Chi Minh at the Asian Civilisations Museum. Friends who cherish Viet Nam in the National Heritage Board of Singapore, the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore, and the Ho Chi Minh Museum conceived the idea of placing a statue of President Ho Chi Minh next to the memorial plaque. In September 2011, the statue was inaugurated. VNA/VNS SINGAPORE Singaporean Prime Minister and Secretary-General of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) Lawrence Wong hosted a welcome ceremony for visiting General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee To Lam on Wednesday morning. Following the ceremony, the Vietnamese leader and his host had a retreat before leading their respective delegations to official talks. Lam and Wong are scheduled to witness the exchange of cooperation agreements between the two countries and meet the media following their talks. An official banquet will also be organised for the Vietnamese Party chief. This is the first visit to Singapore by Lam in his position as the CPV General Secretary, marking a new milestone in the bilateral relations, and demonstrating Viet Nams special attention to elevating relations with Singapore to new heights, in line with Viet Nams foreign policy. The visit is also expected to deepen the ties between the CPV and the PAP, laying a solid political foundation for the bilateral relationship. It will also contribute to further promoting cooperation between the two countries in such areas as green economy, digital economy, science-technology and innovation, clean energy, and financial centre development. The Viet Nam-Singapore relations have grown strongly since the two countries established the Strategic Partnership in 2013. Notably, Singapore is the largest ASEAN investor and ranks second among 147 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam, with 3,915 valid projects worth over US$83 billion. Singaporean investors have poured capital into 18 out of the 21 economic sectors in Viet Nam, with focus on processing, manufacturing, real estate, and production and distribution of electricity and gas. One of the success symbols in the bilateral relations is the Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) model. To date, there are 18 VSIPs in 13 provinces and cities across Viet Nam, attracting over $18.7 billion in investment and creating jobs for more than 300,000 workers. Meanwhile, Viet Nam has run 180 investment projects in Singapore, with total registered capital of over $668 million, focusing on science technology, and information communications. VNS NEW YORK Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Thi Thanh outlined three key priorities for advancing gender equality in her keynote speech at the general debate of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) under the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on March 11 (local time). She emphasised the need to refine institutional, legal, and policy frameworks to ensure equal participation of women, particularly in decision-making across all sectors. Thanh also highlighted the importance of enhancing womens economic empowerment by fostering public-private partnerships to mobilise resources effectively. This would enable women to access financial services, markets, and entrepreneurship opportunities, expand their roles in the digital and green economy, and ensure equal participation in the labour market. She further emphasised the need to recognise, reduce, and redistribute unpaid domestic and caregiving work, along with promoting the care economy. Another priority is promoting womens leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), digital transformation, and innovation. Thanh called for greater encouragement, support, and career guidance for women and girls, particularly in artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and digital economy. Thanh reaffirmed the significance of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the international community's achievements over the past 30 years. However, she also highlighted ongoing challenges, including gender-based violence, poverty, diseases, and digital divide, which continue to disproportionately affect women and girls. She cited projections indicating that it could take 137 years to eradicate extreme poverty among women and that gender balance in national parliaments might not be achieved before 2063. Sharing Viet Nam's achievements, Thanh noted that women account for nearly one-third of Viet Nam's National Assembly members; 40 per cent of Viet Nam's STEM workforce is female; 26.5 per cent of businesses in the country are owned by women; women account for 68.5 per cent of the countrys labour force, surpassing the global average of 48.7 per cent and 14.4 per cent of Viet Nam's peacekeepers are women, higher than the UN average of 10.2 per cent. Additionally, Viet Nam is actively promoting digital knowledge programmes, particularly for women and girls. Thanh reaffirmed the countrys commitment to global gender equality efforts, including its role as a member of the UN Human Rights Council (2023-25) and an incoming member of the UN Women Executive Board (2025-2027). Established in 1946, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) provides recommendations for advancing women's rights in economic, social, political, and educational fields. It also monitors the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, offering policy guidance on emerging gender-related issues. This years 69th CSW session brought together representatives from nearly 200 UN member states and observers, dozens of international organisations, and more than 200 non-governmental organisations. The session focused on reviewing three decades of progress since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration on Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment. In his opening remarks, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned about persistent gender biases, violence, and discrimination - both in armed conflicts and online spaces - as well as economic inequality and declining international funding for gender equality initiatives. Guterres reaffirmed that gender equality is a fundamental human right, calling for greater investment in women and girls, expanded access to quality education, fair labour markets, and elimination of unpaid labour disparities. He also urged the global community to combat gender-based violence and discrimination, including online harassment, and ensure womens participation in peacebuilding, decision-making, and emerging industries. VNA/VNS SINGAPORE Viet Nam and Singapore on Wednesday issued a joint statement on the establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The following is the full text of the joint statement: "JOINT STATEMENT ON ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN Viet Nam AND SINGAPORE ON THE OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL VISIT OF HIS EXCELLENCY MR. TO LAM, GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF Viet Nam, TO SINGAPORE 1. At the invitation of H.E. Mr. Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister of Singapore, Secretary-General of the Peoples Action Party, H.E. Mr. To Lam, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, and Spouse paid an official visit to Singapore from March 11 to 13, 2025. 2. The two leaders agreed that the Strategic Partnership and the Green-Digital Economic Partnership, established in 2013 and 2023 respectively, have brought more substance to bilateral relations. The two leaders decided to elevate Viet Nam - Singapore relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. 3. The two sides pledged to continue to strengthen mutually-beneficial cooperation and political trust, enhance coordination in addressing contemporary challenges on the basis of respect for international law, each others independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political systems and non-interference in internal affairs, bringing about practical benefits for the two peoples as well as ASEANs unity, resilience, centrality and inclusivity, while striving for peace, stability, and development in the region and the world. 4. The two sides agreed to advance relations, with special focus on the following: (i) Enhancing Cooperation for International Peace, Security, and Stability: To step up exchanges and engagement at the highest level and all other levels across all channels; to strengthen party-to-party relations to bolster mutual trust and enhance the political foundation underpinning bilateral ties and consider establishing a regular party-to-party dialogue mechanism; to maintain an effective annual meeting between the two Prime Ministers; to forge close defence and security cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including through the annual Vice-Ministerial Defence Policy Dialogue, Vice-Ministerial Annual Exchange on Public Security; army, naval and air force cooperation and exchanges; education and training; humanitarian aid and disaster relief cooperation; military medicine cooperation; to maintain mutual support on combating transnational crimes including anti-narcotics, anti-scams, cybercrimes, terrorism, money laundering including through the bilateral Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters signed in October 2024; to continue mutual support bilaterally and at regional and international forums on combatting scams including through the development of the ASEAN Guide on Anti-Scam Policies and Best Practices; to coordinate to ensure maritime safety and security. (ii) Reinforcing Economic Cooperation and Fostering Collaboration in Mutually Beneficial Areas: through actively and effectively implementing the Framework Agreement on Singapore Viet Nam Connectivity upgraded in 2023, to support joint business projects such as the development of innovative and sustainable low-carbon Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIPs) in Viet Nam; to strengthen cooperation in food safety and security, including food supply chain resilience; to facilitate cross-border QR code payments, support further collaboration in the capital market initiatives including stock market and depository receipt connectivity initiatives, and Intellectual Property cooperation between the two economies; to exchange experiences in financial sector development, including to support Viet Nam in its efforts in building and operating an international financial centre; to strengthen air connectivity through the expansion of our bilateral Air Services Agreement; to strengthen health cooperation on global and regional health issues; to encourage infrastructure cooperation including urban solutions; to deepen legal and judicial cooperation; to support Viet Nams maritime and port infrastructure developments, such as through digital and operational transformation. (iii) Strengthening Energy and Green Cooperation through effectively utilising the Green-Digital Economic Partnership concluded in 2023, and stepping up cooperation in energy connectivity and transmission, sustainability, infrastructure, digital and innovation for a common goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050; to enhance exchanges on smart and sustainable cities; to work together on the facilitation of regulatory approvals for cross-border electricity trading, starting with offshore wind electricity exports from Viet Nam to Singapore; and development and transit of power transmission infrastructure as well as financing mechanisms as building blocks towards an ASEAN Power Grid; to collaborate on carbon credits aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. (iv) Building Capacity and Connecting People: through strengthened cooperation in talent development, especially for strategic-level officials; to facilitate professional and student exchanges, including school partnerships and among Institutes of Higher Learning based on areas of mutual interest such as integrated circuit design, semiconductor technology, skills in Industry 4.0, technological innovation, medical research and nursing; to deepen Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) collaboration; to implement the Singapore-Viet Nam Innovation Talent Exchange Programme; to strengthen cooperation in culture, arts and sports; to promote tourist flows and stronger people-to-people ties. (v) Strengthening Cooperation in Digital Domains and Emerging Technologies: to strengthen cooperation on digital connectivity, cross-border data flows including the establishment of data sandboxes, and emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI), and cyber security; to strengthen cooperation on subsea cables in the region such as through the development of the Enhanced ASEAN Guidelines on Strengthening Resilience and Repairs of Submarine Cables; to promote consumer and business trust in the digital economy including fostering data-driven innovation and encouraging the responsible use and transmission of data through the adoption of regional guidelines and frameworks such as the ASEAN Model Contractual Clauses and the ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics. (vi) Strengthening Cooperation in International and Regional Fora: Actively coordinate and support one another in multilateral forums on issues of common interests and concern, especially in ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms, the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, inter-parliamentary forums; promote ASEANs unity, centrality and efforts in further advancing the ASEAN Community building process, including the realisation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its Strategic Plans; strengthen ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture; promote synergies, complementarities, and alignment between sub-regional cooperation frameworks, including in the Mekong sub-region, and the ASEAN Community building process, as such contributing to narrowing the development gap, and the comprehensive development of ASEAN. 5. To implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the two leaders assigned the two Foreign Ministries to coordinate with relevant Ministries and agencies to develop a Plan of Action covering all the cooperation areas between the two countries. 6. The leaders discussed developments in the South China Sea. The leaders reiterated ASEANs consistent position on the South China Sea, and reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, security, stability, safety, and freedom of navigation in and over-flight above the South China Sea, and peaceful resolution of disputes, including full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, without resorting to threat or use of force, in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 7. Both sides further reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, called on all parties concerned to manage their disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation; called for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety; and emphasised the need to maintain and promote an environment conducive to the negotiations of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS. Both sides reaffirmed that the 1982 UNCLOS sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out and is of strategic importance as the basis for national, regional, and global action and cooperation in the marine sector, and that its integrity needs to be maintained. 8. H.E. Mr. To Lam expressed his gratitude to the Government and the people of Singapore for their warm hospitality. H.E. Mr. Lawrence Wong also accepted the invitation of H.E. Mr. To Lam to visit Viet Nam at a mutually convenient time." VNS SINGAPORE General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee To Lam and Singaporean Prime Minister and Secretary-General of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) Lawrence Wong officially announced the upgrade of the Viet Nam-Singapore relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership at a press briefing in Singapore on Wednesday following their talks the same day. Expressing his delight at the elevation, Wong highlighted that, on this occasion, the two countries signed multiple agreements to strengthen cooperation in various areas, including transnational crime prevention, digital transformation, digital economy, financial technology, green economy, and renewable energy. The two sides also agreed to expand collaboration in Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP), which will generate more jobs and foster the development of smarter, more modern VSIPs in the future. These steps are a reflection of the importance of the new comprehensive strategic partnership and will further boost bilateral cooperation, the Singaporean leader said. Meanwhile, Lam told the press briefing that his talks with the host was a success, conducted in an open, frank, sincere, and mutually respectful manner. He expressed his pleasure to see that, after more than 50 years of diplomatic relations, including over a decade of strategic partnership, cooperation between the two countries has deepened across all fields, with growing political trust. The Vietnamese Party chief emphasised that with the strong achievements already made, based on mutual understanding and trust, shared strategic priorities, and a common vision for security, prosperity, and sustainable development in the region, both sides declared the elevation of Viet Nam-Singapore relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. This new framework will further enhance political trust and open up vast opportunities for deeper and broader cooperation, making Viet Nam-Singapore ties a model for international relations in the new era. The partnership is founded on the basis of respect for the independence, sovereignty, and political systems of each country, as well as international law, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both nations and contributing to peace, stability, and development in the region and beyond, said Lam, adding that both sides has reached strong consensus on the direction for implementing the new comprehensive strategic partnership in the future. He underlined that since Viet Nam's accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Singapore has been always a key economic partner, supporting Viet Nam throughout its reform, door-opening, and development process. Viet Nam is proud of having Singapore as a friend and a comprehensive strategic partner. Earlier, Lam and Wong witnessed the exchange of several cooperation agreements, including a transnational crime prevention cooperation agreement between Viet Nams Ministry of Public Security and Singapores Ministry of Home Affairs; a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on digital transformation between Viet Nams Ministry of Public Security and Singapores Ministry of Digital Development and Information; a joint report on offshore wind energy trade cooperation between Viet Nam and Singapore; a MoU to enhance cooperation in financial innovation between the State Bank of Viet Nam and the Monetary Authority of Singapore; a letter of intent on cooperation between the State Securities Commission of Viet Nam and the Monetary Authority of Singapore; a decision to launch a VSIP infrastructure development and business project in the Vietnamese provinces of Nam inh and Nghe An; an MoU on research cooperation and investment project proposals in Ly Nhan District of Ha Nam Province (Viet Nam); and a tripartite MoU among A*Star, Sembcorp, and Becamex. VNS SINGAPORE Singaporean Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean expressed his hope for Viet Nam-Singapore cooperation in science, technology and human resources training at his meeting with visiting Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam on Wednesday. At the meeting, the Party leader praised Singapores visionary leadership and impressive achievements in science, technology, digital transformation, and smart nation development, which have turned the country into a leading regional and global hub for science-technology and education-training. He recommended that Singapore share its expertise with Viet Nam in smart urban management, advanced technology, and startup support, while connecting Vietnamese enterprises with markets in the region and the world. For his part, Teo welcomed the Vietnamese Party chiefs official visit in his new role, saying the trip offers an opportunity to further deepen bilateral ties. He said the fresh upgrade of Viet Nam-Singapore relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership marked a historic milestone in the two nations' relationship. The minister also took the occasion to praise Viet Nams socio-economic achievements during its reform process and sci-tech breakthroughs. Both sides agreed on orientations for future cooperation, including strengthening collaboration in such key areas as science-technology, and innovation. They said it is necessary to train and develop their human resources through exchanges of students, researchers, and experts between Vietnamese institutions and the National University of Singapore. They also encouraged the establishment of research and development (R&D) centres and the investments of Singaporean technology firms in Viet Nam. VNS SINGAPORE Party General Secretary To Lam met former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is currently Senior Minister and Senior Advisor to the People's Action Party (PAP) of Singapore, during his official visit to the country on Wednesday. Lam congratulated Singapore on its remarkable socio-economic achievements under the leadership of the ruling PAP, the Singaporean government, and former PM Lee Hsien Loong over the years, which make the country one of the regions leading financial, technological, and innovation hubs, with an increasingly prominent role on the international stage. Singapore remains a close friend and a key partner of Viet Nam in various fields, including economy, trade, investment, and security-defence, he affirmed, emphasising that Singapores experience and successes serve as a great source of inspiration and motivation for Viet Nam in pursuing its strategic development goals. Saying the direct contributions of Lee as Prime Minister in the past have laid a solid foundation for bilateral relations, the Vietnamese Party leader asserted that the official upgrade of the bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will create new momentum for strengthening cooperation between the two countries, contributing positively to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region. Delighted with the outcomes of the talks between Party General Secretary Lam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, as well as the signing of nine cooperation agreements in various fields such as science and technology and renewable energy, Lee expressed his optimism about the prospects of Singapore-Viet Nam cooperation in all key areas. He also showed his confidence that the bilateral relationship will continue to grow strongly in the future. The two sides also discussed ways to further deepen bilateral relations in this new phase of development, in line with the freshly established Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This includes enhancing collaboration between the two ruling parties by promoting delegation exchanges and sharing experience in governance and national development. Lam took this occasion to invite Lee to soon visit Viet Nam again, and the latter gladly accepted the invitation. VNS HA NOI Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday emphasised his country's desire to enhance cooperation in various fields with Viet Nam. Receiving Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt and Lebanon Nguyen Huy Dung, who presented his credentials from President Luong Cuong to Joseph Aoun in Beirut, the Lebanese President said he admires Viet Nams socio-economic achievements and will direct Lebanese agencies to collaborate closely with Ambassador Dung to ensure his successful tenure. He also expressed his hope that the ambassador would make meaningful contributions to strengthening the friendship between the two nations. Earlier, Dung presented a copy of his credentials to Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, who highlighted the fine friendship between the two nations and congratulated Viet Nam on its recent development achievements. He reaffirmed Lebanons commitment to working with Viet Nams Government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deepen bilateral relations in a substantive and effective manner. The ambassador affirmed that Viet Nam attaches importance to expanding trade with emerging markets, including the Middle East and Africa. Viet Nam is ready to collaborate with Lebanon to establish effective bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms, Dung noted. VNS SINGAPORE General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee To Lam met with Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Wednesday as part of his official visit to the city state, during which the leaders emphasised complementary strengths of the two countries. Lam congratulated Singapore on maintaining its impressive growth momentum and effective policies in support of its people, especially low-income earners. He touched upon major directions and specific measures to implement the newly-established Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including making the two countries pioneering partners in the region in collaboration in science-technology, innovation, digital transformation, energy, data connectivity, semiconductor chip production, new technologies, and artificial intelligence. The Party chief shared President Tharmans views on strengthening solidarity and cooperation between the two countries, as well as with other ASEAN member states, to enhance resilience and self-reliance in response to external challenges. For his part, Tharman stressed that Lams official visit holds special significance, with the elevation of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which opens up a new chapter for their ties at a crucial time for both countries. He noted that this development would generate fresh momentum and inspiration for their people and businesses. The host leader expressed his confidence that Viet Nam will maintain its position as one of the most dynamic economies in the region, with impressive GDP growth, an attractive investment environment, and a continuously rising international standing. Showing his support for Lams proposals, Tharman said the two countries should carry forward exemplary cooperation models and further capitalise on opportunities in emerging fields like digital transformation and carbon credit market. He also emphasised the need to strengthen energy cooperation and enhance electricity network connectivity, including within the ASEAN power grid. Regarding international and regional issues, the two leaders noted similarities, coordination, and complementary strengths of the two countries, as well as joint efforts in ensuring a stable environment and promoting sustainable development in the region. On this occasion, General Secretary Lam conveyed the regards and invitation from President Luong Cuong to President Tharman to visit Viet Nam soon. The Singaporean leader accepted the invitation with pleasure. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday called on the Electricite de France (EDF) to expand investment in green and clean energy in Viet Nam, while also supporting Vietnamese partners in developing nuclear power projects. Receiving French Ambassador to Viet Nam Olivier Brochet and EDF's Senior VP Government and International Affairs Erkki Maillard in Ha Noi, Chinh appreciated the role of French partners in general and EDF in particular in the projects currently operating in Viet Nam, which have contributed to developing the Viet Nam-France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in an increasingly intensive, substantive, and effective manner. He stated that Viet Nam aims for an economic growth rate of 8 per cent or higher in 2025 and double-digit rates in the coming period. As a result, the demand for electricity is expected to increase by 12-16 per cent annually. In addition, Viet Nam is promoting economic development based on science and technology, innovation, especially emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and big data, which will significantly drive the demand for electricity, he added. According to Ambassador Olivier Brochet, EDF is a multinational energy group operating in the fields of energy production, transmission, distribution, business, and services. It has cooperated effectively in Viet Nam through projects such as the Phu My 2 Thermal Power Plant and Son My 1 Power Plant. France, specifically EDF, boasts extensive experience and some of the worlds most advanced nuclear energy technologies. Therefore, France in general and EDF wish to continue expanding cooperation and investment in Viet Nam in the energy sector, in line with the Viet Nam-France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, especially in the development of renewable energy projects. They are particularly interested in participating in Viet Nam's nuclear power projects, he noted. PM Chinh suggested that France continue to work with Viet Nam to deepen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including cooperation in science-technology and innovation, particularly in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, big data, as well as in cultural, scientific, technical, and healthcare cooperation. Agreeing with EDFs proposal to develop clean energy in Viet Nam, the PM noted that the Vietnamese government has issued a scheme to implement the National Power Development Plan for the period 2021-30, with a vision to 2050. The scheme aims for a strong transition from fossil fuels to new energy sources, renewable energy, and nuclear power, contributing to the goals committed in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and the net-zero emissions target by 2050. Regarding nuclear power development, the Prime Minister said that Viet Nam has restarted the investment plan for the Ninh Thuan 1 and Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plants in the central province of Ninh Thuan, and many partners have showed their interest in cooperating with the country in this field. Viet Nam will prioritise choosing partners who can commit to joining Vietnamese investors in technology transfer during the development of nuclear power in the country, he noted. The Prime Minister urged France and EDF in particular to help Viet Nam develop policies and mechanisms for nuclear power development. He also called for collaboration with and advice for Viet Nam to select the most modern and advanced nuclear technologies available today. Chinh also suggested exploring cooperation in training human resources, providing preferential funding for nuclear power projects in Viet Nam, and investing in the production of electrical equipment and support industries serving nuclear energy development in Viet Nam. VNS HA NOI The Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam has asked airlines to assess the feasibility of launching direct flights between Viet Nam and Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. The move aligns with a Governments resolution which grants visa exemptions for citizens from these three European countries as part of the tourism promotion programme 2025. To capitalise on this policy, airlines have been urged to work closely with the Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism, participate in tourism promotion campaigns and develop all-inclusive travel packages to attract more visitors from these European nations. Authorities are also looking to strengthen Viet Nams competitiveness in the global tourism market by streamlining entry procedures, offering preferential policies, enhancing travel experiences and improving air connectivity. The initiative supports the Governments goal of boosting economic growth, with a target of at least 8 per cent GDP growth this year. The tourism sector aims to welcome 22-23 million international visitors and 120-130 million domestic travellers this year. Collaboration between localities, travel businesses and related industries is expected to create more attractive products to offer to international visitors. If conditions are not yet favourable for launching regular direct flights, the Civil Aviation Authority has suggested that airlines consider operating chartered or scheduled charter flights, as an initial step towards establishing permanent routes. VNS HCM CITY The HCM City Department of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the Science and Technology Committee of the Vietnam National University-HCM City, held a conference on Tuesday to discuss the implementation of Politburos Resolution 57 on science and technology development, innovation, and digital transformation. Speaking at the event, Asso Prof Dr. Huynh Thanh at, Deputy Head of the Party Central Committees Commission for Education and Publicity, emphasised HCM Citys key role in implementing the resolution. He noted that the city has the best conditions to successfully apply the new policies and lead in scientific and technological advancements. Assoc Prof Dr. Vu Hai Quan, Director of Vietnam National University-HCM City, highlighted two major breakthroughs in the resolution: increasing investment in science and technology to a maximum of 2 per cent of GDP and creating a legal framework that allows for research risks. He stressed that without a mechanism to accept risks, scientists may hesitate to undertake ambitious projects, limiting the potential for breakthrough innovations. Experts at the conference also addressed challenges in the current research environment, particularly the lack of collaboration between Government agencies, businesses, and research institutions. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Canh from the University of Economics and Law pointed out that Viet Nams science and technology market remains underdeveloped, with weak connections between researchers and enterprises. Dr. Truong Minh Huy Vu, Director of the HCM City Institute for Development Studies, estimated that total investment in science and technology in 2025 would range from VN38 trillion to VN40 trillion (US$1.5 billion - $1.57 billion). Of this amount, public investment is expected to contribute about VN15 trillion, while private sector funding could reach VN23 trillion. He stressed the importance of proper mechanisms, investment procedures, and coordination to avoid fragmented efforts. The conference marked an important step in defining HCM Citys strategies and specific solutions for science and technology development, innovation, and digital transformation, contributing to the citys and the nations sustainable growth. VNS Workshop on building cryptocurrency legal framework On March 8, a workshop on building a cryptocurrency legal framework took place in Ho Chi Minh City. Phan Duc Trung, chairman of the Vietnam Blockchain Association (VBA) said that several countries and territories such as the United States, Thailand have taken the lead in recognising and building a legal framework for digital assets, and could work as case studies for Vietnam. These countries all focus on building a clear and flexible legal mechanism to boost the development of the digital asset market. For example, the US issued an Executive Order to build a legal framework for digital finance, and become a global digital financial hub, which Vietnam can refer to build policies on digital assets in a flexible, open and transparent manner. Thailand has taken strong steps in deploying cryptocurrency testing zones and building a digital asset trading system based on DLT technology, which is a remarkable strategy to boost the application of digital assets in the real economy, especially in areas such as tourism and securities. In Vietnam, about 17 million people owned cryptocurrency in 2024, ranking seventh globally. And in 2024, Vietnam received more than $105 billion in cryptocurrency, down from $120 billion in 2023, he said. Trung said that drastic policy moves from the general secretary and the prime minister confirmed the determination of the Party and government to push Vietnam into deep integration with the global economy, especially in digital technology and digital assets. Resolutions of the National Assembly have allowed Ho Chi Minh City and Danang to pilot a controlled testing mechanism; and there has also been a resolution on a regional and international financial centre in Vietnam. In addition, the current draft Law on Digital Technology Industry is laying the foundation for the development of the digital economy. In Southeast Asia, Bitget CEO Gracy Chen said that Singapore was one of the leading countries in managing cryptocurrency. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has issued clear regulations on licensing and regulating digital currency exchanges. Singapore focuses on balancing encouraging technological innovation and protecting investors. She said Vietnam's cryptocurrency market was expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of 10 per cent from 2024 to 2032, according to Chainalysis. Revenue from Vietnam's cryptocurrency segment will reach $1 billion by the end of 2024, equivalent to an average of about $65 per person. "Vietnam is a promising land for digital assets, but the market still lacks platforms that truly understand and meet the specific needs of users, Chen added. Mai Hoang Phuoc from the University of Economics and Law, under Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City pointed out some consequences of not recognising digital currency as legal property. There is no mechanism for investor protection. Investors are trading on foreign exchanges that are not subject to Vietnamese law, some of which do not even have a specific head office address. Thus, in the event of fraud or loss of assets due to high-tech crimes, investors are at risk of losing all their assets and Vietnamese authorities cannot do anything, he said. Affirming cryptocurrency as property and building a legal framework for digital currency is necessary in Vietnam to solve these problems and create a solid legal foundation for the development of the digital currency market in Vietnam. Clear regulations still required for crypto Bitcoin and cryptocurrency transactions are becoming common in Vietnam, yet legal frameworks have not kept pace. Investor warning over Pi cryptocurrency February 20 will see the Pi Network enter the network phase of the mainnet, the fully operational, live blockchain network where real cryptocurrency transactions take place. Former President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte (Photo source: AP) Hanoi - The Philippine Presidential Office said on March 11 that the country's police had executed an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former President Rodrigo Duterte. The arrest took place on March 11 morning (local time), right after he arrived at an airport in the capital Manila. The former leader is currently in custody. According to the office, the Interpol office in Manila has received the official copy of the arrest warrant from the ICC. The Philippine National Police executed the ICC arrest warrant against Duterte in connection with his controversial policy in the war on drugs while in office, which left thousands of people dead, it said. Duterte's former lawyer said the arrest warrant was "illegal" as the former president had no legal representation at the time of his arrest. Philippines imposes temporary import ban on live cattle from Japan The Philippines has imposed a temporary ban on the importation of live cattle and buffalo as well as their products from Japan due to the outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD), its Department of Agriculture said on December 19. China calls for more humanitarian aid, economic cooperation in Afghanistan Xinhua) 09:18, March 12, 2025 UNITED NATIONS, March 11 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday called for maintaining engagement with the Afghan interim government and expanding humanitarian assistance and economic cooperation for the country. "Today, Afghanistan remains largely stable with a steadily improving economy and dynamic external relations, but the country also faces multiple challenges in humanitarian areas, development, terrorist threats, women's rights and interests, among others," Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told a UN Security Council meeting. Stressing the importance of maintaining the engagement momentum with the Afghan interim government, Fu said that China supports the international community in cementing mutual trust with the government and addressing each other's concerns through dialogue. He urged the Security Council to reinstate its package of exemptions to the travel ban imposed on the relevant personnel of the Afghan government and timely adjust the 1988 sanctions regime. The envoy also appealed for increasing humanitarian assistance and economic cooperation in support of Afghanistan's recovery. Around 23 million people require humanitarian assistance, and nearly 15 million people are acutely food insecure in the country, while only 3.5 percent of this year's humanitarian funding has been received, according to UN data. "Major traditional donors have abruptly paused or reduced their aid to Afghanistan, seriously impacting its healthcare, education, and food and agriculture systems, and making the already difficult life of the Afghan people even more precarious," Fu said, calling on traditional donors, especially those historically responsible for the problems of the country, to resume and increase their aid and desist from using humanitarian aid as a bargaining chip to exert political pressure. Meanwhile, the Chinese ambassador called on the Afghan government to continue countering all terrorist forces to eradicate the breeding ground for terrorism. "All countries should abandon their geopolitical calculation and ideological biases and reject double standards and selectivity to safeguard the greater good of international counter-terrorism cooperation," he said. This year marks the 70th anniversary of China-Afghanistan diplomatic relations, Fu said. "China has always been action-oriented in supporting the country's peace, stability, development and prosperity. We stand ready to work with all sides to strengthen Security Council unity and consensus to make greater contributions to addressing the Afghan issue." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Ho Chi Minh City has announced plans to develop infrastructure along the Saigon River towards the East Sea. Photo: Le Toan Talking with VIR on March 4, Doan Manh Thang, director of water and resilience at Royal HaskoningDHV Vietnam, said the Saigon River has great potential but has not been exploited properly. The plan will map out a waterway from Cu Chi to the city centre. Royal HaskoningDHV is the leader of a consortium that includes Boston Consulting Group, Roland Berger, the Ministry of Construction, and ACUD Consult that has been tasked with developing this plan which was approved by the prime minister on December 31, 2024. The plan aims to develop Ho Chi Minh City into a hub of high-quality human resources, modern services, and advanced industries, pioneering in the green economy, the digital economy, and a digital society. It will also maintain its position as Vietnams leading centre for economy, finance, commerce, culture, education, and science and technology, with deep international integration. "We can build service areas such as marinas and commercial centres along the river, alongside green spaces, Thang said. Moreover, a metro line from the city centre to Can Gio Island could act as the driving force for the city to reach double-digit growth, he confirmed. Can Gio Port, meanwhile, is strategically located opposite Cai Mep-Thi Vai Port the largest international port in Vietnam. However, it is only operating at 50 per cent capacity. The government has decided to upgrade Can Gio Port to become an international transit centre, with an estimated investment of $4 billion. The port is expected to handle 10 per cent of Vietnam's imports and exports, of which 90 per cent will be international transshipment. According to Phan Van Mai, newly appointed Chairman of the National Assembly's Economic and Financial Committee and former Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the city will strive for regional GDP growth of 8.5-9.0 per year until 2030. "To effectively implement the plan, the city needs to mobilise resources, attract investment, develop human resources, and apply science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, and environmental protection, Mai said. Meanwhile, Thang said that the biggest bottleneck in implementing this plan is the lack of mechanisms to entice capital. Public investment is the seed capital to stimulate investment from other economic sectors. In fact, many investors are interested, but the mechanisms for investment must be more detailed, he said. A resolution issued in June 2023 grants special mechanisms for the development of Ho Chi Minh City. Meanwhile, in February 2025, the National Assembly issued another resolution for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to invest and develop metro systems. On that basis, Ho Chi Minh City will invest simultaneously and complete seven routes with a total length of 355km within 10 years. Initially, the state will have to spend money because it will be difficult to attract investment, but when it starts to take shape, private investors will be looking to spend money to build infrastructure. This would remove the bottleneck, but still requires appropriate policies, Thang said. Ho Chi Minh City firms call for infrastructure development and public investment Promoting infrastructure and public investment, while reducing administrative procedures, were some of the solutions made by businesses during a meeting with Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc on March 6. FDI flows to Ho Chi Minh City hit $365 million in first two months In the first two months of 2025, Ho Chi Minh City has lured $365.8 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) capital, a remarkable increase of 87 per cent on-year. The real estate market in Ho Chi Minh City is facing a scarcity of land, while the cost of project development is continuing to rise. This has forced investors to carefully consider which product segments to focus on to ensure profits. Photo: baodautu.vn Investors with land in strategic locations close to the city centre are prioritising the development of mid-range and high-end products to optimise financial outcomes. As a result, buyers seeking affordable options are being forced to look elsewhere. The shortage of affordable apartments in Ho Chi Minh City has led buyers with limited finances to seek items in neighbourhoods like Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Long An. In these areas, apartment prices hover at around $1,200-$1,600 per square metre, creating strong demand, said Giang Huynh, head of research and S22M at Savills Ho Chi Minh City. From another perspective, the average rental yield for apartments in Binh Duong is currently 4.7 per cent, well above the 3.7 per cent yield in Hanoi and 3.6 per cent in Ho Chi Minh City. Dinh Minh Tuan, southern regional director of real estate trading platform Batdongsan.com.vn, shared that the high rental yield in Binh Duong is largely due to reasonably priced luxury apartments, with high rental prices and stable occupancy rates. On average, a luxury apartment in Binh Duong can be rented for $400-$480 per month for a one-bedroom unit, and from $600-$800 for a two- to three-bedroom unit. Meanwhile, in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, apartments in the $1,800-$2,000 per square metre range can only be rented for around $280-$480 per month, depending on the number of bedrooms, not to mention the increasingly stiff competition in enticing tenants. In response to the strong capital shift, real estate firms in Ho Chi Minh Citys suburban areas are accelerating legal procedures to launch new projects. This trend reflects the investors' agility and creates attractive opportunities for both homebuyers and investors in 2025. Accordingly, Kim Oanh Group plans to launch a 27-hectare urban area in New Binh Duong City in the first quarter of 2025. This will be the first project the company has collaborated on with Surbana Jurong, a partner from Singapore, under EDGE green standards. The project features 1,656 townhouses and terraced houses, and 1,666 social apartments, priced from $28,000 per unit. Major developer Phat Dat Real Estate Development Corporation plans to launch two major projects, Thuan An 1 and 2 in Binh Duong province, covering a total area of 4.46 ha. The 1.8ha Thuan An 1 will provide 2,604 apartments and shophouses, while the 2.66ha Thuan An 2 will have 3,270 apartments and 16 townhouses. These projects are located on key roads. Simultaneously, southern developer An Gia Group plans the launch of 3,000 apartments at The Gio Riverside and 76 shophouses in Di An city. The three-hectare project, located on the provincial route DT16, offers nicely designed apartments with one to two bedrooms. Regarding opportunities for homeownership, Phan Cong Chanh, an expert in real estate investment, noted that owning a home requires solid knowledge and time to raise financial resources. For young people, buying a home immediately is a challenge due to limited finances. Buyers can explore financial support packages and use leverage to shorten the time needed to purchase real estate. This needs to be accompanied by a reasonable plan to ensure long-term affordability. Overall, owning a home is not just a purchasing decision; it also requires a smart financial strategy. Whether choosing to buy immediately, rent, or invest in real estate in any segment, individuals must consider their financial conditions and personal plans carefully, said Chanh. Real estate market will be vibrant and competitive The prospects for Vietnams real estate market segments in 2025 have upsides and downsides. The industrial real estate market segment will have good growth due to strong foreign investment, strong infrastructural development, and the new economic development cycle leading to increasing production. Project strategy adjustments take shape within real estate Vietnamese and foreign real estate developers are actively expanding land and accelerating projects in the local property market. Temu spreads wings to take on e-commerce rivals Temus cross-border platform is reportedly preparing to enter the South Korean market. In February it announced plans to introduce a local-to-local model in South Korea and recruit sellers for its online marketplace. The platform will now facilitate direct sales and distribution of South Korean products, moving beyond its existing model of selling mostly Chinese products through direct overseas purchases. The initiative will enable us to offer South Korean consumers a diverse range of local products while providing South Korean sellers with a new sales channel to connect with millions of customers, a Temu representative said. Unlike its usual model of shipping from China, the local-to-local approach means South Korean sellers will manage inventory and shipping themselves. Temus model is expected to be available in other key markets, including North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Japan, and South Korea. This move comes amid concerns over the de minimis policy, a regulation that exempts goods worth less than $800 from duties when imported into the United States a rule that has existed since the 1930s. Although US President Donald Trump temporarily suspended the exemption in February to improve the customs system, future changes to this policy could impact trade balances and create new opportunities for domestic companies in response to the expansion of foreign e-commerce platforms such as Temu, Shein, and AliExpress. According to the US Customs and Border Protection, the agency expected to process more than 1.3 billion low-value duty-free packages in 2024, a 10-fold increase from 2015. The total value of these goods has also surged from $5.3 billion in 2018 to $66 billion in 2024. The potential abolition of de minimis is seen as a measure to curb unfair competition from foreign e-commerce companies against domestic US businesses. A report published by Maybank in February highlighted Temus aggressive expansion in the US market outside of China. Investors are now concerned that both Temu and Shein may shift their resources to other regions, particularly ASEAN, increasing competition for already established e-commerce players such as Shopee. In Vietnam, regulatory challenges have also slowed Temus entry. At the end of 2024, at the request of Vietnamese authorities, Temu had to lock its Vietnamese-language version and temporarily suspend operations while awaiting an official licence. Temu is working with the Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade to register its provision of e-commerce services in Vietnam, the firm stated on its website, confirming that it has not yet completed the necessary legal procedures to operate in the country. Hoang Ninh, who is deputy director of the Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency, said that Temus parent company, Elementary Innovation, has implemented a number of measures as required, including temporarily stopping the provision of e-commerce services in Vietnam. This includes ceasing the use of Vietnamese when providing services on its website and mobile application. At the same time, the company has been coordinating to complete application procedures for a licence in accordance with Decree No.52/2013/ND-CP and its amendments under Decree No.85/2021/ND-CP on e-commerce. The platforms management unit has submitted the required documents to the authorities, but it must wait for an official assessment before approval, Ninh said. Throughout 2024, Temu dominated mobile app download charts in over 40 countries, including major markets such as the US, Europe, South Korea, and the Middle East. Downloads surged by 69 per cent on-year, reaching 550 million in 2024, while cumulative global downloads neared 900 million as of December 2024. The Thai Chamber of Commerce is calling on the government to establish a "war room" to address tariff threats from the administration of US President Donald Trump. (Photo source: nationthailand.com) Bangkok - The Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) is calling on the government to establish a "war room" to address tariff threats from the administration of US President Donald Trump. The TCC insisted the Prime Minister must chair this task force, comprising both public and private sector representatives, to formulate a proactive strategy against a possible resurgence of protectionist policies under the Trump 2.0 administration. Sanan Angubolkul, Chairman of the TCC and the Board of Trade, expressed his deep concern, stating that businesses are apprehensive about potential US trade policies. He anticipates a shift towards new markets, with ASEAN and Thailand becoming increasingly crucial, particularly for electronics, electrical appliances, automobiles, industrial goods, consumer products and agricultural and food products. The Chamber emphasised the necessity for stringent import controls, particularly for substandard or low-priced goods that undermine fair competition. Sanan called for rigorous import standard checks, mandatory certifications, and thorough verification of product origins to prevent counterfeiting and tax evasion. He also demanded robust enforcement against predatory pricing and dumping, and a review of competition laws to reflect the current economic climate. TCC Vice Chairman Poj Aramwattananont highlighted the need to address the trade imbalance by increasing imports from the US, particularly in agriculture, food and energy. He suggested a reform of Thailands import tariff quotas with the US to ensure a balanced and robust negotiating position. Moreover, he stressed the importance of analysing the service sector's trade deficit, including digital services, management fees, copyrights, banking, insurance, education and franchise fees, for a comprehensive understanding of economic relations. Thanavath Phonvichai, President of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, warned of severe economic consequences of failing to act swiftly. He outlined the potential indirect impact of US tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, estimating a 20-25 billion THB loss and a 0.1-0.5 per cent reduction in GDP. Tariffs on automobiles could result in a 60-65 billion THB loss and a 0.35-0.4 per cent GDP decrease, potentially limiting growth to 2.6-2.8% this year. Furthermore, Thanavath reiterated Sanans warning that global tariffs imposed by the US could inflict a minimum loss of 100-150 billion THB, reducing GDP by 0.5-0.7 per cent, and lowering economic growth to 2.3- 2.5 per cent. In 2024, preliminary data indicated a surplus of approximately 45.6 billion USD, moving Thailand from the 12th to the 11th largest surplus holder with the US. The meeting was held as part of Party General Secretary To Lam's official visit to Singapore. During their talks, Thang expressed his gratitude to Leng for taking the time to meet with the Vietnamese delegation. The minister noted that Vietnam is currently restructuring its state administrative apparatus to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring streamlined and cohesive governance. He also said that Vietnams Ministry of Finance will continue to work closely with Singapore to effectively implement the Vietnam-Singapore economic connectivity framework. Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang held talks with Singapores Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng on March 11. Photo: Ngoc Anh Highlighting the robust growth in Vietnam-Singapore relations, the Vietnamese minister emphasised that bilateral ties have been nurtured since the time of late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, and have continued to strengthen under successive generations of leaders, including current Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Vietnam regards Singapore as a close friend and a key strategic partner across various sectors, including economy, trade, investment, and finance. Singapore remains Vietnams largest foreign investor within ASEAN and ranks second among 147 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. In trade, Singapore is Vietnams fourth-largest partner in ASEAN, Minister Thang stated. The minister reiterated Vietnams commitment to the framework, viewing it as a vital mechanism for strengthening economic ties, particularly as the two nations elevate their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. As a highly developed nation, Singapore stands as a leading hub for finance, innovation, and knowledge-based industries in the region. Vietnam looks forward to learning from Singapores experiences and deepening cooperation, he noted. Thang further stressed Vietnams economic potential, citing its large population and integral role in ASEANs supply chain. He underscored the significant opportunities for Singapore to diversify and expand its economic engagement in Southeast Asia through stronger collaboration with Vietnam. Leveraging our complementary strengths will allow both nations to seize economic opportunities while effectively managing regional challenges, he remarked. With this in mind, Minister Thang expressed his desire to convene the 2025 Vietnam-Singapore Economic Connectivity Meeting in Vietnam at the earliest opportunity. He also welcomed the opportunity to co-chair the event with Leng and discuss key areas of mutual interest. In response, Leng welcomed the proposals to enhance financial and economic cooperation between the two countries. He expressed confidence that bilateral collaboration would see further expansion, contributing to the success of the comprehensive strategic partnership. Vietnam and Singapore's strategic vision for trade and investment Quang Anh, associate at VILAF and Vaibhav Saxena, lawyer at VILAF, spoke to VIR about the blossoming ties between Vietnam and Singapore. Vietnam and Singapore ink MoU to promote development of stock markets The Singapore Exchange signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Vietnam Exchange to boost the development of Singaporean and Vietnamese stock markets. 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Adrian Crompton took the extraordinary step of stating he could not form an audit opinion on Industry Wales, the trading name of Sector Development Wales Partnership Ltd (SDWP). Industry Wales, which aims to provide expert advice and support to grow Wales plc, has received about 9.7m from the public purse in the past decade, according to accounts. Mr Crompton said: This is a highly unusual position whereby I am stating that I am unable to provide either a true and fair or regularity opinion on the accounts as I have been unable to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence over material assets. In a letter to the Senedd public accounts committee, he wrote: Unfortunately, this inability to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence applied to multiple connected parts of the accounts. Pervasive The auditor general concluded: The impact is so significant and pervasive in the context of SDWPs accounts that I am unable to give an opinion at all. Industry Wales a relatively small umbrella organisation for forums in key sectors such as aerospace, net zero and the automotive industry has an annual budget of about 1m. In a disclaimer on the 2024 accounts, Mr Crompton pointed out that the company failed to follow the Welsh Governments own procurement law in awarding a contract in 2021/22. The company, which was set up by ministers in Cardiff Bay in 2013, has spent more than 1m on an automated decorating, cutting and packing line which is not yet operational. Mr Crompton said Industry Wales did not consider Welsh policy when buying the packing line and therefore has not complied with public sector procurement regulations. Deficiencies The firm entered into a contract with Llanelli-based manufacturer EBS Automation which scored second on price in the non-compliant procurement process. Mr Crompton said Industry Wales claims to have assets valued at more than 1m but the bulk comes from the packing line, with indications it may have significantly impaired value. Declaring 829,000 of the spending to be irregular, the auditor general also warned of a lack of robust record keeping and accounting controls for another 217,967 of assets. The audit, which had an initial deadline of December 31, was delayed until late February due to significant deficiencies in obtaining the required evidence. But Mr Crompton, an ex-senior civil servant in the Senedd, remained unable to complete the work he was appointed to undertake on the 2024 accounts which showed a 35,000 loss. Questions must be asked The arms-length body is chaired by Professor Keith Ridgway and run by chief executive Dr Jenifer Baxter, who are experts in manufacturing and sustainability respectively. Directors remuneration has totalled 245,000 over the past two financial years and the Bridgend-based company employs three to four people, according to accounts. Mark Isherwood, the Tory chairman of the public accounts committee, said: It is a matter of concern that the auditor general has disclaimed his audit opinions on these accounts. The north Walian added: This is a highly unusual position and there are questions that need to be asked as to why this has occurred. The public accounts and public administration committee will be discussing this matter on Thursday. Industry Wales and the Welsh Government were invited to comment. By Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter North Wales Police under scrutiny over crime investigations and performance This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Mar 12th, 2025 The performance of North Wales Police has come under scrutiny. Andy Dunbobbin, North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) chaired a recent meeting of the Strategic Executive Board, which focuses on the performance of the force and Chief Constable, Amanda Blakeman. A significant focus of the meeting was the recent police efficiency, effectiveness, and legitimacy (PEEL) inspection of North Wales Police, conducted by His Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS). These inspections assess police forces across England and Wales, providing graded judgments on core policing areas. Despite being praised for its exemplary crime recording practices and strides in cultural improvements, the report found that North Wales Police faces critical challenges that risk undermining public confidence. Investigating Crimes: The forces investigations were criticised for inconsistent supervision and delays in digital forensics. In some cases, it took up to 11 months for devices to be examined, with officers describing the situation as letting victims down. The forces investigations were criticised for inconsistent supervision and delays in digital forensics. In some cases, it took up to 11 months for devices to be examined, with officers describing the situation as letting victims down. Safeguarding Vulnerable People: Officers frequently failed to complete adequate risk assessments during domestic abuse cases. A review found that 59% of incidents lacked sufficient detail, particularly when children were involved, limiting the forces ability to implement effective safeguarding. Officers frequently failed to complete adequate risk assessments during domestic abuse cases. A review found that 59% of incidents lacked sufficient detail, particularly when children were involved, limiting the forces ability to implement effective safeguarding. Responding to Emergency Calls: Only 82.2% of 999 calls were answered within the national standard of 10 seconds. Delays in responding to incidents and poor communication with victims were also highlighted as areas undermining public trust. During the meeting, on February 18, chief officers outlined the measures that had been taken to address these concerns, including improvements in training, governance, and resourcing. The PCC also examined the forces wider performance, noting that crime data integrity was rated as outstanding but stressing the importance of continuous monitoring. In addition to the PEEL inspection, scrutiny focused on North Wales Polices response to serious and organised crime (SOC). The force was assessed on efforts to raise awareness of emerging threats, improve intelligence gathering, enhance local policing training, and work with partners on crime prevention initiatives. The Commissioner also reviewed how data is being used to target offenders and prevent reoffending. Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales Andy Dunbobbin, said he understands the concerns from the public about the findings of the PEEL report. When the report was published in December last year, I said that I had no doubt that the Chief Constable was already taking measures to address the issues raised, he said. Therefore, it was only appropriate that, at the earliest opportunity, I scrutinised her plans to improve performance in the areas identified as requiring improvement. I also received a comprehensive update on the other areas of the PEEL inspection process. I was reassured that the Chief Constable, continues to drive forward many work streams that are addressing the issues raised particularly around crime investigation and protecting vulnerable people. My team and I will continue the analysis of these areas to check progress continues. I also scrutinised the Force work plan in relation to SOC. This is part of my continued revisiting of this area following the inspection into SOC in 2023. Ive had several briefings on progress in addressing early issues raised and look forward to the re-inspection that will take place by HMICFS shortly. I was satisfied that the Force is taking steps to make SOC everyones business in tackling serious threats to our communities. As PCC for North Wales, I want to again reassure the public that I will continue to scrutinise the Force performance and work closely with the Chief Constable to support the ongoing work. Residents can find out more about the Strategic Executive Board and read minutes of past meetings on the OPCC website. A Reno man who fled while a jury was deliberating his case and was subsequently found in Las Vegas was sentenced on Tuesday. Reginald Ellis was convicted of two counts of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of child abuse in September of last year but fled before the verdict could be handed down. He was tracked down in Las Vegas, apprehended, and returned to Washoe County. On Tuesday, he was sentenced to life in prison. He will be eligible for parole after 15 years. --- NOVEMBER 21 UPDATE A Reno man convicted of sex trafficking who fled while awaiting his verdict in September has been found and arrested in Las Vegas. Reginald Ellis was located and arrested Thursday morning, according to a release from the Washoe County District Attorney's Office. His arrest comes after two months of extensive searching by the Washoe County DA's Investigations Team, in collaboration with the Regional Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit, the US Marshals, and local law enforcement in Las Vegas. Ellis will be extradited to Washoe County, likely within the next 30 days. He will be sentenced when he is back in the area. --- ORIGINAL ARTICLE A Reno man found guilty of multiple charges of sex trafficking children, fled the area while awaiting his verdict on Wednesday night around 5:30 pm. The Washoe County District Attorney's Office and police seek the public's help in finding the now fugitive 37-year-old Reginald Ellis, who was previously released on his own recognizance by the Reno Justice Court in January of last year. Ellis had originally been arrested in June 2022 after prostituting and beating a 16-year-old girl. Detectives from the Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT team) were contacted by the victim after the girl was admitted to a local hospital, and through further investigation they learned that Ellis had also been grooming her 14-year-old sister to be prostituted. Ellis was charged and found guilty of sex trafficking of a child under 16, sex trafficking of a child under 14, and child abuse involved sexual exploitation. The Washoe County District Attorney's Office is asking if anyone has any information regarding the whereabouts of Reginald Ellis, to contact the Reno Police Department's non-emergency line at (775) 334-2121. A union that represents graduate assistants rallied on the University of Nevada campus on Wednesday. Union members say they represent grad assistants at UNR, UNLV and the Desert Research Institute. They say they want the university to bargain with them to address issues of harassment and discrimination, retaliation for speaking out against working conditions, and higher pay. "They struggle to meet their basic living expenses week in and week out. So again, we're asking the University to solve these issues through collective bargaining, Claire Williams. They say more than 1,500 graduate assistants have signed union cards. They're also supporting Assembly Bill 191 in the legislature it would create collective bargaining rights for NSHE hire education employees and graduate assistants. The Nevada System of Higher Education released this statement: NSHE values the contributions of graduate assistants in advancing the academic and research missions of our institutions. Assembly Bill 191 is currently under consideration by the Nevada Legislature and, if passed, that bill will mandate bargaining according to the processes and procedures set forth in the bill. As NSHE awaits the outcome of the legislative process, discussions continue at both the System and institutional levels to better understand graduate assistants' concerns and explore solutions outside of the collective bargaining process. NSHE remains committed to working collaboratively to support the success of graduate assistants while carefully considering the necessary planning and resources required to address their needs. We've also asked the University of Nevada for a response to the union's concerns. The Washoe County School District already has policies against vaping, but every couple of years, some changes need to be made as technology and popularity grow. The school district is learning that it is a lot easier for kids to get ahold of vapes than it should be. Chief Student Services Officer, Doctor Paul LaMarca, says they recently caught a group of students distributing THC vapes, and found out they simply got them online. "They were able to get that through the internet, through a website, and simply by telling the website provider that they were 18 years old, there's no verification of age," LaMarca says. Dr. LaMarca says the consequences for vaping depends on the situation. It can range from parent-teacher conferences, suspension, outside resources to help students quit, and other methods. According to a 2023 Nevada Youth Risk Survey conducted by the University of Nevada, Reno, 301 high school students and 314 middle school students in Washoe County say they have used electronic vapor products. That's a decrease in high schools when compared to the 2021 survey which showed 421 students admitting to using vapor products. But there's a slight increase in middle schools with the 2021 survey showing 292 students. Several schools are putting in efforts to prevent students from vaping in schools. You may remember our reporting when Eagle Valley Middle School, in the Carson City School District, installed new bathrooms with fully enclosed stalls and open sinks. It's designed to enhance privacy for students but also allows for easier supervision from staff, preventing vaping, damage, and graffiti. Many schools in Washoe County School District have the same design such as O'Brien Middle and Hug High School. The school district encourages parents to know the signs and check if your child may have vapes or e-cigarettes because this isn't just the school district's responsibility, it's the community's. AARPs CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan visited Ana Tris, 66, at her home in Miami, to hear about the challenges caregivers face every day. Its been eight years since Ana and her husband, Javier Gonzalez, brought her mother, Elvira Tris, 91, who has Alzheimers disease, to live with them. I dont regret it, Ana told Minter-Jordan. You do it because you love [them], of course. And you also want to give back because I had a great life. Members only Theres an emotional cost to caregiving, says Ana: grief because Elvira no longer recognizes her grandchildren and anger at the disease that has ravaged her mothers brain. The person that I'm caregiving, its not my mother anymore. She admits, There are days I just want to cry. Ana and her husband werent new to caregiving. They cared for Gonzalez parents and Anas father. But Elvira, the last, has put the most financial stress on them, says Ana. Elvira has round-the-clock home health aides. To pay for it, Ana and her husband are using their savings money they hoped to use in their own old age. Join Our Fight for Caregivers Sign up to become part of AARPs online advocacy network and help family caregivers get the support they need. The high financial burden of caregiving is the reason AARP is advocating for the Credit for Caring Act. The legislation could offer up to $5,000 in federal tax credits to people caring for loved ones. Most Americans support it. A recent AARP survey shows 84 percent of respondents are in favor of enacting the legislation. Starting the caregiving journey Ana says she knew something was wrong the day her mother asked for help writing a check. Fiercely independent and private about her finances, Elviras behavior was unusual . Ana took her to a neurologist. Elvira moved into her daughters house permanently. Ana left her corporate career, becoming her mothers caregiver, health surrogate and legal guardian. I thought I could do this, says Ana. But after two years of caring for her mother on her own, Ana, whois an only child, and Gonzalez realized they needed help. At first, home health aides were hired for day shifts. Then they were needed 24/7. Advocating for other caregivers Despite going through their savings and upending her plans for retirement, Ana knows she is lucky to be able to keep her mother at home. However, she worries about other caregivers who may not have the same resources. If she were able to talk to Congress directly, asked Minter-Jordan, what would Ana want them to understand about caregiving and its impact on her life? The number one thing is the sacrifice, said Ana. Not only the financial cost but the emotional cost that comes with caring for your mother and wondering where to get assistance. They need to understand that we are people who are taking care of people that we love. They need to support us. Completes Adelong Venture Definitive Agreement Sydney, Mar 12, 2025 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Great Divide Mining Ltd ( ASX:GDM ) is pleased to announce that it today completed Definitive Agreements with Adelong Gold Ltd ( ASX:ADG ) for the Farm-in at its' Challenger Gold Mine in Adelong, NSW. Key Points: - GDM will pay $300,000 to Challenger Mines Pty Ltd, (Challenger) owner of the Challenger Gold Mine and wholly owned subsidiary of ADG, for a 15% interest in Challenger. These funds are to be deployed towards maintenance, refurbishment and restart of the Challenger gold processing plant. - GDM becomes the operator of the Challenger Gold Mine and will rapidly move to complete the restart of processing operations. - GDM will free-carry ADG to first gold pour at the Challenger Gold Mine, at which point, GDM will increase its holding to 51% of Challenger. Commenting on the completion of the Farm-in, CEO of GDM, Justin Haines, said: "Finalisation of the Definitive Agreements puts GDM squarely onto the path to produce first gold from the Challenger Gold Mine. Our aim is to produce first gold as rapidly as possible then expand the operation to primary mining and increase the plant capacity. The planning for this phase will advance once the initial production is confirmed." GDM announced on 11 November 2024 that it had signed a binding term sheet with ADG and its wholly owned subsidiary Challenger to recommence operation of the historic Challenger Gold Mine (Adelong Venture). This agreement, and the change in the nature of GDM's business from explorer to that of miner and processor, was approved by shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting held on 7th January 2025. GDM completed due diligence on Challenger on 23 January 2025. The parties have now finalised binding agreements for GDM to acquire an initial stake of 15% in Challenger and become operator of the Challenger Gold Mine. GDM's focus will be on rapidly moving the Challenger Gold Mine back on to a production footing. GDM thanks both its shareholders for their continuing support, and ADG for their co-operation in reaching this significant milestone. Adelong Venture - Overview The Adelong Venture represents a significantly accelerated path to revenue generation for GDM, with existing leases and approvals in place and a processing plant ready to reconfigure, restart and optimise. For further information on the Challenger Gold Mine please see the following Adelong Gold Limited ( ASX:ADG ) announcements: - 11 October 2024 Annual Resource Statement; and - 31 October 2022 Updated scoping Study - Substantial Improvement Shown. As at February 2025, the assets of Challenger include: - 17 Mining Leases and an Exploration License over approximately 70km2 covering the majority of the Adelong Goldfield; - Owned or leased land on which the processing plant, Challenger Gold Mine and Currajong deposit are located; - A development consent to develop an open cut and underground mine at the Challenger site, and to operate a gold processing plant; - A license issued by the EPA to operate the Challenger Gold Mine; and - A Water Extractive License. Proposed Development and Operations GDM intends to move quickly to restart mining and processing at the Challenger Gold Mine in order to generate ongoing cashflows for the Adelong Venture. Testing and commissioning works are expected to start at the Challenger processing plant during Q3FY25. As at the date of this announcement, the Challenger processing plant needs minor reconfiguration works and recommissioning to achieve first production of gold. After first production of gold, the plant is expected to need further reconfiguration and expansion to be suitable for commercial production. Material Terms of Proposed Transactions The material terms of the Joint Venture Agreement are detailed in link* below: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/W6P109GT About Great Divide Mining Ltd Great Divide Mining Ltd (ASX:GDM) is a Gold, Antimony and critical metals miner, explorer and developer with five projects across 17 tenements (including two in application). GDM's focus is on operating producing assets within areas of historical mining and past exploration with nearby infrastructure, thus enabling rapid development. Through a staged exploration and development programme, GDM intends to generate cash flow from its initial projects to support further exploration across its portfolio of highly prospective tenements. Related Companies Ather Energy Limited, one of Indias electric two-wheeler manufacturers, has announced the appointment of Saurabh Sharma as its new Head of Marketing. With over 15 years of experience in brand building and strategic marketing across industries, Saurabh will lead Athers marketing strategy, focusing on brand positioning, customer engagement, and long-term growth. Saurabh joined Ather in 2019 as the companys first Brand Head and played a pivotal role in establishing the Ather 450X and Ather Rizta brands in the EV space. He later transitioned into the role of General Manager - Scooter Business, where he was instrumental in scaling operations, expanding Athers market presence, and driving business strategy. His extensive experience and deep understanding of the brand position him well to steer Athers marketing efforts. Prior to joining Ather, Saurabh worked on brand-building and strategic initiatives at Nerolac Paints and Mahindra SUVs, gaining expertise in consumer marketing and business strategy. Ravneet Singh Phokela, Chief Business Officer, Ather Energy Limited, shared "Saurabh has been an integral part of Athers growth story, and his transition into the Head of Marketing role is a testament to his strong contribution to the business. His understanding of the brand, market dynamics, and customer expectations makes him well-positioned to drive Athers marketing strategy forward. As we continue to expand our reach, I am confident that Saurabhs expertise will help us create deeper customer engagement and a stronger brand presence." Commenting on his appointment, Saurabh Sharma, Head of Marketing, Ather Energy Limited said, "Stepping into this role is an exciting milestone, and I am grateful for the trust placed in me by the management. I inherit a strong marketing foundation and have gained a deep understanding of our direction through my experience at Ather. The companys vision, rooted in strong customer insights, provides a rich opportunity for impactful storytelling. My focus will be on crafting and amplifying these narratives, strengthening our long-term differentiation in the EV space, leveraging non-traditional media channels, and driving greater efficiencies in our marketing efforts." Samsung introduces the Bespoke AITM Laundry washing machine with a new campaign that highlights the convenience and intelligence AI brings to laundry. The campaign features a film starring Nimrat Kaur and Ira Dubey, highlighting how Samsung's advanced AI technology eliminates the guesswork in washing. Samsungs advanced AI technology ensures a seamless laundry experience, giving users more time to enjoy what truly matterspursuing the activities they love. Introducing Samsung Bespoke AITM Laundry, featuring a spacious 12kg drum and innovative 5-step AI sensing technology. This machine effortlessly washes bulky items, reduces wear and tear, and adjusts wash cycles based on wash load, fabric softness, soil level, and detergent needs, providing a tailored solution for any kind of load. Saurav Katyal, Senior Director at Samsung India, stated, At Samsung, we innovate with our consumers evolving lifestyles in mind. Indian consumers are looking for new-age digital appliances that deliver best-in-class wash performance with minimum effort, while saving energy and time. With Bespoke AITM Laundry, were addressing the need for a precise wash solution that eliminates guesswork and ensures better wash performancetransforming laundry into a simple, seamless task and giving people more time for things that matter. Samsungs latest campaign film offers a refreshing and light-hearted take on laundry, cleverly drawing parallels between relationships and washing clothes. Just like people, clothes need different levels of care some are delicate, some easy-going, and some require extra attention. But instead of stressing over it, Samsungs AI Wash technology does the thinking for you, ensuring each fabric gets the perfect treatment. Featuring Nimrat Kaur and Ira Dubey, the campaign brings this idea to life in a fun and relatable way. Ira plays the voice of reason, stressing about the challenge of getting the perfect wash. Nimrat, on the other hand, introduces us to the Bespoke AITM Laundry by effortlessly tossing an entire load into the washing machine, showcasing the power of AI to end the guesswork and make laundry simpler and smarter. Vikash Chemjong, CCO at Cheil India, explains, In todays fast-paced world, were all looking for innovations that simplify our lives. With the Bespoke AITM Laundry film, we are highlighting how cutting-edge technology can transform even the most mundane household chores into a cakewalk. Tripti Surana, Executive Creative Director at Cheil India, commented, The Bespoke AITM Laundry campaign strikes a balance between humour and relatability. While Ira voices everyones laundry concerns as the know-it-all friend, Nimrat is the cool new-age woman who shows us how AI can make even the most complicated and mundane chore of doing laundry a breeze. Shruti Negi, Head of Samsung CE Business at Cheil India, adds, Laundry has always been a tedious chore for every household, including mine. Experiencing the latest AI technology that powers the innovative capabilities of the Samsung Bespoke AITM Laundry made it clear this washing machine is a no thinking required laundry solution, an AI-powered laundry specialist. This film cleverly allows us to showcase how Samsung AI can simplify the laundry experience for everyone, through a very engaging conversation. Credits Agency: Cheil India National Head, Cheil India - Samsung Business: Mandeep Sharma Campaign Director: Kapshin Cho Chief Creative Officer: Vikash Chemjong Executive Creative Director: Tripti Surana Account Management HOD: Shruti Negi Account Management Team: Ankan Guhathakurta & Tushar Wadhen Creative Team: Hina Talwar & Vishnudas Kunchu Strategy Team: Aparajita Biala & Aniket Paul Client (SIEL Team): Saurav Katyal, Karina Sudarsan & Bharti Agnihotri The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced that David Lubars, former Chief Creative Officer of BBDO Worldwide, will be honoured with its lifetime achievement award, the Lion of St Mark, at the Festival in June. With a career spanning more than 40 years, Lubars has won more than 600 Lions, and under his creative leadership, he helped BBDO achieve unprecedented success, including being named Network of the Year at Cannes Lions a record-setting seven times, leading it to win Network of the Decade in 2020. About the honour, Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: Throughout his career, David has been a true force for creativity. We have welcomed him onto our Juries seven times five of those as Jury President and his ground-breaking piece of work for BMW served as a catalyst for the creation of the Titanium Lions. The Hire went on to win our inaugural Titanium Lion, a piece of work so iconic that it is part of MoMA's permanent collection in New York City. As a creative leader, he has shaped the industry landscape, and his visionary creativity has resulted in some of the worlds most impactful and compelling work. Were delighted to be recognising Davids expansive body of work and significant contribution to the industry at Cannes Lions this year. Lubars has been the creative mind behind some of the most awarded work at Cannes Lions. This includes the You're Not You When You're Hungry for Snickers, a campaign that has been activated in over 70 countries and grew market share in 56 of the 58 markets where it ran in its first year. Since its launch at the 2010 Super Bowl, the campaign has picked up 47 Lions. Another notable piece of work, HBO Voyeur, which saw viewers become essential players within the story, won two Grands Prix, five Gold, two Silver and one Bronze Lion in a single year. About being named the Lion of St Mark, Lubars said: Great brands and companies are brilliant, high-quality, and deliver on their promises. They possess a certain kind of magic, but one not always expressed. The goal for me was to surface that magic, mine it, turn it into something tangible a client could grab onto and run with around the world. You do that by injecting effervescent creative air into the culture rather than mediocre media pollution. You surprise people, you delight people; they fall in love. Its that simple and that challenging. Its the thing the fantastic clients and agency partners I worked with for 43 years were always chasing. And its why Cannes is Cannes. Lubars started his career in 1982 as a copywriter at Leonard Monahan Saabye before moving to ChiatDay LA as a writer for Apple. A few years later he came back to Leonard Monahan, this time as a partner to build Leonard Monahan Lubars, before moving on to lead BBDO West as CEO and Chief Creative Officer. In 1998, David took on the top creative job at Fallon in Minneapolis, where he made some of his best-known work, including BMW Films. In 2004, David returned to BBDO, where he remained at the helm for 20 years until announcing his retirement last year. David Lubars will be honoured with the Lion of St Mark at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. He will also speak onstage in the Lion of St Mark seminar, taking place on Friday 20 June. Cannes Lions runs from 16 to 20 June, in Cannes, France. Continuing to bolsters its creative leadership, FCB Kinnect appoints Abhinav Tripathi as National Creative Director. A creative powerhouse with a knack for storytelling, a passion for technology, and a track record of winning awards, Abhinav is set to strengthen the agencys creative prowess and cultural footprint in the region. Abhinav is set to cultivate a culture where bold ideas and talent take center stage. More than being a leader, he brings a hands-on approach, driving creativity with ambition and a commitment to excellence. His vision is to amplify FCB Kinnects creative influence, ensuring the agency remains at the forefront of producing integrated and future-focused creative work. FCB Kinnect is a young, driven, future-facing agency, says Abhinav. In all my conversations with Rohan, Chandni, and Neville, I really vibed with their intent. It felt like a place that valued culture as much as it did the work. So I'm really excited to start building the future with everyone here. Before joining FCB Kinnect, Abhinav was the Creative Head of Digital & Content Studio at McCann Worldgroup. His ability to merge technology with storytelling has led to breakthrough campaigns for brands like MasterCard, Nescafe Gold, Coca-Cola, PhonePe, Asian Paints, and many more. Neville Shah, CCO, FCB Kinnect said, Im so excited to have Abhinav come on board. In the direction we are heading, we couldnt find a better person. He brings with him experience, intent, desire and vision. Cant wait to get started. Abhinav is more than just a decorated creative - hes a storyteller at heart, a problem-solver by instinct, and a leader who knows how to balance bold ideas with empathy, added Rohan Mehta, CEO, FCB Kinnect. His vision aligns perfectly with FCB Kinnects future-forward approach. Were excited to have him on board as we continue to push creative boundaries and redefine whats possible. His portfolio boasts several industry-defining works, like the XR-enabled Mohey Print Ad, the data-driven Nescafe Gold film, MasterCards #HarFanHaiPriceless IPL campaign, and American Touristers #SwagPack. Abhinavs trophy cabinet is as decorated as his resume, with accolades from Cannes Lions, OneShow, D&AD, London International, New York Fest, and Spikes Asia. Bollywoods finest, including Kartik Aaryan and Malaika Arora, graced the special screening of the much-anticipated anthology film My Melbourne. Directed by four celebrated filmmakers Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Onir, and Rima Das the film brings together powerful storytelling with a global perspective. The screening, held at a suburban theatre in Mumbai, saw the presence of producer Mitu Bhowmik Lange along with the cast and crew of the film including the four maverick directors Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali accompanied by brother Arif Ali, Onir and Rima Das. Adding to the star-studded affair, the event was attended by some of Bollywoods most renowned talents, including Shoojit Sircar, Rasika Dugal, Ahana Kumra, Amit Sadh, Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia, Karan Tacker, Anshuman Jha, Arushi Sharma, Vijay Krishna Acharya, Rithvik Dhanjani, Medha Shanker, and many more. The anthology, featuring four unique stories, delves into themes of migration, identity, and resilience, blending Indian and Australian cinematic voices. With its Indian theatrical release set for this Friday, March 14, 2024, My Melbourne is poised to offer a compelling and emotionally rich experience for audiences. At the screening, Kartik expressed, It's a very important film made by India's most loved filmmakers. I am really happy that I get to witnessed this film. I think it's a film that shows lots of warmth, empathy and kindness. It's a movie that everyone should watch it and give love. My Melbourne is that kind of a movie that you'll fall in love once you watch it. And i have so much of love for the entire team of My Melbourne and a big shout out to Mitu who is the backbone of this film and given her best to this film along with filmmakers like Kabir Sir, Imtiaz Sir, Onir Sir and Rima ma'am everyone who is associated with the film along with all the actors who have done so well. A Birmingham woman has been sentenced to federal prison for placing an incendiary device that exploded at a Lakeview apartment building where her ex-boyfriends new romantic interest lived. U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Kimberly Lanetta Blackmon, 39, to 135 months more than 11 years, according to a Wednesday announcement by Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and ATF Nashville Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz. In July 2024, Blackmon pleaded guilty to arson. According to court documents, Blackmon in the early morning hours of Oct. 18, 202, drove to Lakeview Green apartments in the 2900 block of Fourth Avenue South and forced her way into the lobby. Blackmon then took the elevator to an apartment on the fourth floor that she believed belonged to someone who was romantically linked to her ex-boyfriend. She then placed an improvised incendiary device a plastic bag and undisclosed object against the door and fled down a nearby stairwell. Test later showed the device included gasoline. Moments later, the device explodedcreating a fireball that caused moderate damage to the door and the interior threshold of the apartment. No one was in the apartment unit at the time. Although the interior sprinkler system extinguished the fire before it could spread or cause injury, the device set by Blackmon caused nearly $470,000 in property damage. Blackmon several hours later returned to the building, saying she was going to visit her cousin. She gave an apartment manager the address of a unit that didnt exist and he became suspicious. When she left, he took a photo of her Nissan Sentra, which ultimately led to her arrest. ATF investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Lee Gilmer prosecuted. A Wednesday afternoon shooting that seriously injured a man self-inflicted. The shooting happened just before 4 p.m. in the 1400 block of Pratt Highway. Jefferson County sheriffs deputies arrived at the scene after receiving a report of a person down. The victim was found wounded by gunfire. Sheriffs spokesman Henry Irby said Forestdale Fire and Rescue rushed the victim to UAB Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Irby later said the preliminary investigation suggests the shooting was self-inflicted. Anyone with information is asked to call investigators at 205-325-1450 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. Tommy Berg, a 38-year-old man who moved to Alabama from Indiana on March 9, 2025, was shot to death two days later in Montgomery park. (Special to AL.com) A man shot to death in a Montgomery park had just moved to Alabama two days before to get a fresh start in life. Tommy Berg was killed just before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. His new start of life ended today with us getting the phone call of him being shot and killed, his sister, Ashley Berg, said on a GoFundMe for her slain brother. My brother suffered with schizophrenia, she wrote, and didnt deserve to be murdered. He may say weird things at times, but he was still human. Police officials said officers and medics were dispatched to Vaughn Park on a report of a person shot. Berg was found wounded and taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Details of the circumstances surrounding his death have not been released. Montgomery police Lt. David Wise said Wednesday no new updates were available about the killing, which authorities have labeled a death investigation. Berg moved to Montgomery from Indiana where he had lived in the small town of Plymouth and worked as a mechanic and in automobile restoration. He was the father of a 12-year-old boy named Owen, according to his ex-wife, attorney Rebecca Collins. Tommy Berg, a 38-year-old man who moved to Alabama from Indiana on March 9, 2025, was shot to death two days later in Montgomery park. (Special to AL.com) The high school sweethearts married in 2010 but later divorced. Collins, who has since remarried, said Berg became ill in 2012 and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Like most people with schizophrenia, he doesnt think he needs medication, Collins said. Hes not a violent person. He wouldnt ever just go up and randomly attack somebody at a park, Collins said. If anything, he probably said some strange things because hes got a lot of paranoia. Its possible he may have told something that sounded crazy. The family is upset by the lack of information given to them by police. I am so beyond frustrated that the police department is not giving us any information, Collins said. Im not even 100 percent sure where his body is right now. What little she has heard about the circumstances has come from social media and Bergs girlfriend, who was there but did not actually witness the shooting. She said they went to the park. She said she thought he was maybe being paranoid and was talking with a woman and a child and then she walked away, Collins said. She said a man approached him and shot him in the chest. I dont know if that man knew the woman. I found three different people on Facebook that posted about it one said she had tried to save his life and said she asked the guy who shot him to help, and I think he did she said, adding that another post said there was some type of argument. Theres a lot of different stories, Collins said. Collins described Berg as a good person with a good heart. Hes never forgotten about his son, ever, she said. Weve maintained contact, and hes always called to check on Owen. He would always do anything to help his kid and give him the last dime to his name. He loved his son a lot, she said. She said she never knew Berg to be violent and said he was against guns. Collins said she wants people to remember Berg for who he was before he got sick. I feel like some many people look at someone who is mentally ill and think, Oh theyre crazy, you cant talk to them, but he was still a person, she said. He was funny, and he had a lot of special characteristics. Schools are surveilling kids to prevent gun violence or suicide. The lack of privacy comes at a cost. Gabriel Campanario/The Seattle Times. Gabriel Campanario/The Seattle Times. The Education Reporting Collaborative, a coalition of eight newsrooms, is investigating the unintended consequences of AI-powered surveillance at schools. Members of the Collaborative are AL.com, The Associated Press, The Christian Science Monitor, The Dallas Morning News, The Hechinger Report, Idaho Education News, The Post and Courier in South Carolina, and The Seattle Times. One student asked a search engine, Why does my boyfriend hit me? Another threatened suicide in an email to an unrequited love. A gay teen opened up in an online diary about struggles with homophobic parents, writing they just wanted to be themselves. In each case and thousands of others, surveillance software powered by artificial intelligence immediately alerted Vancouver Public Schools staff in Washington state. Vancouver and many other districts around the country have turned to technology to monitor school-issued devices 24/7 for any signs of danger as they grapple with a student mental health crisis and the threat of shootings. The goal is to keep children safe, but these tools raise serious questions about privacy and security as proven when Seattle Times and Associated Press reporters inadvertently received access to almost 3,500 sensitive, unredacted student documents through a records request about the districts surveillance technology. Share your story about student surveillance here. The released documents show students use these laptops for more than just schoolwork; they are coping with angst in their personal lives. Students wrote about depression, heartbreak, suicide, addiction, bullying and eating disorders. There are poems, college essays and excerpts from role-play sessions with AI chatbots. Tim Reiland, 42, center, the parent of daughter Zoe Reiland, 17, right, and Anakin Reiland, 15, photographed in Clinton, Missouri, Monday, March 10, 2025, said he had no idea their previous schools, in Oklahoma, were using surveillance technology to monitor the students. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) AP Vancouver school staff and anyone else with links to the files could read everything. Firewalls or passwords didnt protect the documents, and student names were not redacted, which cybersecurity experts warned was a massive security risk. The monitoring tools often helped counselors reach out to students who might have otherwise struggled in silence. But the Vancouver case is a stark reminder of surveillance technologys unintended consequences in American schools. In some cases, the technology has outed LGBTQ+ children and eroded trust between students and school staff, while failing to keep schools completely safe. Gaggle Safety Management, the company that developed the software that tracks Vancouver schools students online activity, believes not monitoring children is like letting them loose on a digital playground without fences or recess monitors, CEO and founder Jeff Patterson said. Roughly 1,500 school districts nationwide use Gaggles software to track the online activity of approximately 6 million students. Its one of many companies, like GoGuardian and Securly, that promise to keep kids safe through AI-assisted web surveillance. The technology has been in high demand since the pandemic, when nearly every child received a school-issued tablet or laptop. According to a U.S. Senate investigation, over 7,000 schools or districts used GoGuardians surveillance products in 2021 . Vancouver schools apologized for releasing the documents. Still, the district emphasizes Gaggle is necessary to protect students' well-being. I dont think we could ever put a price on protecting students, said Andy Meyer, principal of Vancouvers Skyview High School. Anytime we learn of something like that and we can intervene, we feel that is very positive. Dacia Foster, a parent in the district, commended the efforts to keep students safe but worries about privacy violations. Thats not good at all, Foster said after learning the district inadvertently released the records. But what are my options? What do I do? Pull my kid out of school? Foster says shed be upset if her daughters private information was compromised. At the same time, she said, I would like to avoid a school shooting or suicide. How does student surveillance work? Gaggle uses a machine learning algorithm to scan what students search or write online via a school-issued laptop or tablet 24 hours a day, or whenever they log into their school account on a personal device. The latest contract Vancouver signed, in summer 2024, shows a price of $328,036 for three school years approximately the cost of employing one extra counselor. The algorithm detects potential indicators of problems like bullying, self-harm, suicide or school violence and then sends a screenshot to human reviewers. If Gaggle employees confirm the issue might be serious, the company alerts the school. In cases of imminent danger, Gaggle calls school officials directly. In rare instances where no one answers, Gaggle may contact law enforcement for a welfare check. A Vancouver school counselor who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation said they receive three or four student Gaggle alerts per month. In about half the cases, the district contacts parents immediately. A lot of times, families dont know. We open that door for that help, the counselor said. Gaggle is good for catching suicide and self-harm, but students find a workaround once they know they are getting flagged. Seattle Times and AP reporters saw what kind of writing set off Gaggles alerts after requesting information about the type of content flagged. Gaggle saved screenshots of activity that set off each alert, and school officials accidentally provided links to them, not realizing they werent protected by a password. After learning about the records inadvertently released to reporters, Gaggle updated its system. Now, after 72 hours, only those logged into a Gaggle account can view the screenshots. Gaggle said this feature was already in the works but had not yet been rolled out to every customer. The company says the links must be accessible without a login during those 72 hours so emergency contactswho often receive these alerts late at night on their phonescan respond quickly. In Vancouver, the monitoring technology flagged more than 1,000 documents for suicide and nearly 800 for threats of violence. While many alerts were serious, many others turned out to be false alarms, like a student essay about the importance of consent or a goofy chat between friends. Fosters daughter Bryn, a Vancouver School of Arts and Academics sophomore, was one such false alarm. She was called into the principals office after writing a short story featuring a scene with mildly violent imagery. Im glad theyre being safe about it, but I also think it can be a bit much, Bryn said. School officials maintain alerts are warranted even in less severe cases or false alarms, ensuring potential issues are addressed promptly. It allows me the opportunity to meet with a student I maybe havent met before and build that relationship, said Chele Pierce, a Skyview High School counselor. Between October 2023 and October 2024, nearly 2,200 students, about 10% of the districts enrollment, were the subject of a Gaggle alert. At the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, where Bryn is a student, about 1 in 4 students had communications that triggered a Gaggle alert. While schools continue to use surveillance technology, its long-term effects on student safety are unclear. Theres no independent research showing it measurably lowers student suicide rates or reduces violence. A 2023 RAND study found only scant evidence of either benefits or risks from AI surveillance, concluding: No research to date has comprehensively examined how these programs affect youth suicide prevention. If you dont have the right number of mental health counselors, issuing more alerts is not actually going to improve suicide prevention, said report co-author Benjamin Boudreaux, an AI ethics researcher. LGBTQ+ students are considered most vulnerable to surveillance overreach In the screenshots released by Vancouver schools, at least six students were potentially outed to school officials after writing about being gay, trans or struggling with gender dysphoria. LGBTQ+ students are more likely than their peers to suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts , and turn to the internet for support. We know that gay youth, especially those in more isolated environments, absolutely use the internet as a life preserver, said Katy Pearce, a University of Washington professor who researches technology in authoritarian states. In one screenshot, a Vancouver high schooler wrote in a Google survey form theyd been subject to trans slurs and racist bullying. Who created this survey is unclear, but the person behind it had falsely promised confidentiality: I am not a mandated reporter, please tell me the whole truth. When North Carolinas Durham Public Schools piloted Gaggle in 2021, surveys showed most staff members found it helpful. But community members raised concerns. An LGBTQ+ advocate reported to the Board of Education that a Gaggle alert about self-harm had led to a student being outed to their family, who were not supportive. Glenn Thompson, a Durham School of the Arts graduate, poses in front of the school in Durham, N.C., Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker) AP Glenn Thompson, a Durham School of the Arts graduate, spoke up at a board meeting during his senior year. One of his teachers promised a student confidentiality for an assignment related to mental health. A classmate was then blindsided when Gaggle alerted school officials about something private theyd disclosed. Thompson said no one in the class, including the teacher, knew the school was piloting Gaggle. You cant just (surveil) people and not tell them. Thats a horrible breach of security and trust, said Thompson, now a college student, in an interview. After hearing about these experiences, the Durham Board of Education voted to stop using Gaggle in 2023. The district ultimately decided it was not worth the risk of outing students or eroding relationships with adults. Parents dont understand surveillance, risks The debate over privacy and security is complicated, and parents are often unaware its even an issue. Pearce, the University of Washington professor, doesnt remember reading about Securly, the surveillance software Seattle Public Schools uses, when she signed the districts responsible use form before her son received a school laptop. Even when families learn about school surveillance, they may be unable to opt out. Owasso Public Schools in Oklahoma has used Gaggle since 2016 to monitor students outside of class. For years, Tim Reiland, the parent of two teenagers, had no idea the district was using Gaggle. He found out only after asking if his daughter could bring her personal laptop to school instead of being forced to use a district one because of privacy concerns. The district refused Reilands request. When his daughter, Zoe, found out about Gaggle, she says she felt so freaked out that she stopped Googling anything personal on her Chromebook, even questions about her menstrual period. She didnt want to get called into the office for searching up lady parts. I was too scared to be curious, she said. School officials say they dont track metrics measuring the technologys efficacy but believe it has saved lives. Yet technology alone doesnt create a safe space for all students. In 2024, a nonbinary teenager at Owasso High School named Nex Benedict died by suicide after relentless bullying from classmates. A subsequent U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights investigation found the district responded with deliberate indifference to some families reports of sexual harassment , mainly in the form of homophobic bullying. During the 2023-24 school year, the Owasso schools received close to 1,000 Gaggle alerts, including 168 alerts for harassment and 281 for suicide. When asked why bullying remained a problem despite surveillance, Russell Thornton, the districts executive director of technology responded: This is one tool used by administrators. Obviously, one tool is not going to solve the worlds problems and bullying. Long-term effects of surveillance are unknown Despite the risks, surveillance technology can help teachers intervene before a tragedy. A middle school student in the Seattle-area Highline School District who was potentially being trafficked used Gaggle to communicate with campus staff, said former superintendent Susan Enfield. They knew that the staff member was reading what they were writing, Enfield said. It was, in essence, that students way of asking for help. Still, developmental psychology research shows it is vital for teens to have private spaces online to explore their thoughts and seek support. The idea that kids are constantly under surveillance by adults I think that would make it hard to develop a private life, a space to make mistakes, a space to go through hard feelings without adults jumping in, said Boudreaux, the AI ethics researcher. Gaggles Patterson says school-issued devices are not the appropriate place for unlimited self-exploration. If that exploration takes a dark turn, such as making a threat, the schools going to be held liable, he said. If youre looking for that open free expression, it really cant happen on the school systems computers. NEW: Rosie ODonnell confirms she has fled the United States for Ireland following the election of Donald Trump. The 62-year-old says she left and dragged her 12-year-old daughter with her because not all Americans have equal rights now. "I was never someone who thought I would pic.twitter.com/NyzXwHHnQI Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 11, 2025 Rosie ODonnell has left the United States, saying she may return when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America. The actress and comedian posted a video on TikTok on Tuesday in which she revealed she moved to Ireland with her 12-year-old child Clay in January. Although I was never someone who thought I would move to another country, thats what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child. ODonnell is in the process of getting her Irish citizenship as she has Irish grandparents. Its been pretty wonderful, I have to say. The people are so loving and so kind, so welcoming. And Im very grateful, she said. I miss my other kids. I miss my friends. I miss many things about life there at home, and Im trying to find a home here in this beautiful country. And when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, thats when we will consider coming back. She made it clear why she left. Its been heartbreaking to see whats happening politically and hard for me personally as well. The personal is political, as we all know. Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on The Opening Kickoff on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily. (Photo courtesy of the Bajalieh family; used with permission) Nadia Bajalieh, left, is pictured in this 2018 family photo with her three sons, from left, Jeff, Jason (holding his son, Saleh) and Chris. Jeff Bajalieh died in December 2021 after a three-year battle with cancer. Nadia Bajalieh, who was diagnosed with breast cancer about a month after her oldest son's death, died on March 8, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the Bajalieh family; used with permission) For decades, Nadia Bajalieh worked alongside first her husband and later her three sons in the familys various Birmingham restaurants, from Sols Sandwich Shop & Deli to Slice Pizza & Brew. They didnt know what to do without her. She was the rock within our businesses, Chris Bajalieh, Nadias middle son, says. She raised us to be strong and to work together and to work hard and to give back to the community and be involved in the community through the restaurants. She spread her love through food, he adds. Thats what we learned being raised by her. Nadia Ayda Bajalieh the matriarch of one of Birminghams most beloved restaurant families died March 8 after a courageous battle with breast cancer. She lived to be 78. Make no mistake, she was the driving force behind all of our businesses, Jason Bajalieh, Nadias youngest son, says. Without her feistiness, her faith, and her love for her family, there is no telling where we would be. Born in 1946 in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, Nadia immigrated to America with her family when she was 3 years old. The family settled in Jacksonville, Fla., where she graduated from Lee High School. She later met Saleh Sol Bajalieh, who had also come to the U.S. from Ramallah, at a Middle Eastern social event in Knoxville, Tenn. Although Nadia lived in Jacksonville and Sol in Birmingham, they began a long-distance courtship and got married in 1971. After Nadia moved to Birmingham, she and Sol soon started a family, raising their three sons Jason, Chris and their big brother, Jeff -- in a four-bedroom ranch-style house on 55th Street in Crestwood. For nearly a quarter-century Nadia and her husband worked side-by-side at the original Sols Sandwich Shop & Deli in the basement of downtown Birminghams John Hand Building. After the building was sold, Sol and Nadia had to close Sols in 1994, and they later ran the employee cafeteria at the U.S. Pipe and Foundry plant in North Birminghams Collegeville neighborhood. One July morning in 2004, though, the world came crashing down on Nadia and her three sons when Sol died following a massive heart attack. He was 57. It was Nadia who held everyone close. A Bajalieh family photo from the 1980s: From left, Jeff, Nadia, Sol and Jason, with Chris in the foreground. (Photo courtesy of the Bajalieh family; used with permission) Always by our side Four years after losing her husband, Nadia was there to help her boys when they opened a second Sols Sandwich Shop & Deli in their late fathers honor in the Two North Twentieth building on Morris Avenue. The Sols menu featured many of Nadias greatest hits, and regulars learned to circle their lunch calendars for the days she served her famous meatloaf and her legendary lasagna. She didnt use recipe cards, Chris recalls. She would go strictly by her heart. She put her heart into what she cooked. Since she didnt write down her recipes, the brothers started videotaping their mother as she cooked, so they could remember how she did it. RELATED: Meet the restaurant family that has fed Birmingham for a half-century Sols Sandwich Shop & Deli closed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 this time for good but by then, the Bajalieh brothers had already started to grow their Slice Pizza & Brew concept, another business their mother played a key role in helping them develop. She helped us starting out she and Jason mainly on the recipes for Slice, Chris remembers. Then, in December 2021, the Bajalieh family suffered another tragic loss when Jeff Bajalieh, Nadias firstborn, died following a three-year fight with cancer. He was 47. Again, Nadia was the family rock. Chris and I have experienced a great amount of loss in our lives, Jason says, but Nadia was always there, always by our side to carry us and encourage us. Nadia Bajalieh is pictured here with her sons Chris, left, and Jason, right. (Photo courtesy of the Bajalieh family; used with permission) Our bond will be even tighter In early 2022, about a month after Jeff died, Nadia was diagnosed with breast cancer. She endured a brutal three-year battle of her own, but she never let on how much she was hurting, her sons say. Nadias resilience and her quiet grace in the face of losing first a husband and then a son is something her boys will always remember about their mother. And something that will make them stronger. Our ties got tighter as we experienced some untimely deaths in our family, Jason says. Especially now, with it being just me and Chris, just the two of us, our bond will be even tighter. The night before Nadia died, her daughter-in-law, Bradley Bajalieh, Jasons wife, was with her in her hospital room. The family members took turns staying with her, and this night, it was Bradleys shift. Out of the blue, Nadia told Bradley that, after she passed, she was going to send an eagle down to keep an eye on the family. Bradley thought an eagle was an odd choice. Why not butterflies? Or bluebirds? I was like, Well, Nadia, maybe you could send something else because theres not a lot of eagles around here, Bradley recalls. And she said, Nope, Im sending eagles. And we giggled, and then just blew it off. That next morning, though, as she was tucking Nadias covers in while she slept, Bradley looked up at the TV in her hospital room. The Today show was airing a segment on the viral video of the two California bald eagles welcoming three baby eaglets to the world. It was like a wink and a nod from Nadia that life goes on, and everything is going to be all right. FILE - This image made from a NASA live stream shows NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore during a press conference from the International Space Station on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (NASA via AP, File) AP The astronauts left behind on the International Space Station when NASA sent the Boeing Starliner home are expected to return to Earth in the coming days. Wednesdays 7:48 p.m. departure of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket topped with a Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft marks the final portion of a long odyssey for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who docked at the space station last June for a planned eight-day stay, and have been there ever since. They could be home as early as Sunday, but NASA wont announce target times until Crew-10 arrives to the station. The pair were stranded by safety concerns with the Starliner, which returned to Earth without crew. Then their extended stay became a focus for President Donald Trump and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, leading to accelerated timing for the Crew-10 mission. Space Launch Delta 45s weather squadron forecast a better than 95% chance for good conditions at the launch site Wednesday. The first-stage booster is scheduled for a recovery landing at Cape Canaveral meaning parts of Central Florida could be in store for sonic booms. Heading to the space station are a pair of NASA astronauts, commander Anne McClain and pilot Nichole Ayers, as well as Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Theyre set to arrive less than a day later to the space station where they will have a two-day handoff with the people theyre replacing. That includes the duo that flew up last summer on Boeing Starliners Crew Flight Test, Wilmore and Williams. The pair arrived June 6, 2024, one day after launching from Cape Canaveral on the first human spaceflight of Boeings spacecraft. Honestly, Im kind of most looking forward to breaking bread with those guys, talking to them, giving them big hugs, McClain said. Starliner suffered thruster failures and helium leaks on the way that ultimately led to NASAs decision to send it home without Williams and Wilmore. Instead, they joined the space station crew and were reassigned to fly home with the SpaceX Crew-9 mission. That crew flew up in the Crew Dragon Freedom with two, instead of the normal four astronauts, in September to make room on the ride home for Wilmore and Williams. Now they will join Crew-9 commander and NASA astronaut Nick Hague along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov with a departure as early as Sunday headed for a splashdown off the Florida coast. During a pre-departure press conference last week, Williams said the most difficult part of their stay has probably been how their families have had to deal with it. Its been a roller coaster for them, probably a little bit more so than for us, you know? Were here. We have a mission. Were just doing what we do every day, she said. Every day is interesting because were up in space and its a lot of fun. So I think the hardest part is, you know, having the folks on the ground have to not know exactly when were coming back. The decision to switch capsules and move up the pairs return came shortly after SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced President Trump had tasked him with bringing them home as soon as possible. NASA officials said discussion about the switch, though, was already in play at least a month before the Musk and Trump statements. But the presidents interests sure added energy to the conversation, said NASAs Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of the Space Operations Mission Directorate. Its great to have a president whos interested in what were doing. Musk later claimed SpaceX offered to fly up a specific rescue mission, but that was turned down by the Biden administration for political reasons. Bowersox, though, said NASA managers made their recommendation based on the mission needs and capability of Williams and Wilmore. We thought the plan that we came up with made a lot of sense, and that, especially for Butch and Suni, we know theyre experienced astronauts, Bowersox said. Theyre great in space. We knew theyd be great additions to the crew and we knew that for most astronauts, spending extra time on orbit is really a gift, and we thought theyd probably enjoy their time there, so we thought it was a good way to go and for a lot of reasons. Steve Stich, NASA Commercial Crew Program manager, added that a lot of technical requirements were in play such as having the correct size spacesuits and seats for the pair. The best option was really the one that were embarking upon now, Stich said. It really was driven by that in conjunction with Butch and Suni being very experienced crew members. Wilmore and Williams will have spent 9 months in space along with the unique experience of having flown on four spacecraft: Starliner and Crew Dragon as well as Russian Soyuz and space shuttle missions. We helped put it together. Weve been up here seeing it change throughout all these years, do a lot of science up here. Williams said. I think just the fact that were living up here in this very unique place gives you an amazing perspective, not only, you know, out the window, obviously, but also just on how to solve problems. I dont want to lose that spark of inspiration and that perspective when I leave, so Im going to have to bottle it somehow. For the Crew-10 quartet, the mission marks the beginning of what is normally about a six-month stay on board with the Crew-11 mission slated to fly in late summer. They will join Expedition 73 on the station, which has had continued human presence since November 2000. Its McClain and Onishis second spaceflight while Ayers and Peskov are rookies. Ayers becomes the first of NASAs most-recent class of astronauts, which includes Central Florida native Luke Delaney, to be assigned a spaceflight. Its an honor to represent my class and be the first one, but I think that all of us were ready at the same time, and so it could have been any one of us that got picked, Ayers said. There was nothing but love for me when I got announced for this mission, and there has been nothing but love and support from my crewmates and my classmates this entire time training. McClain said she has been talking more often with Williams and Wilmore. Were about to be housemates here in a few days. Their spirits are high, she said. Of course, theyre ready to come home, and of course were ready to launch. But the most important thing is that we do both of those things safely. She insisted they have the same mentality as she does when it comes to the importance of NASAs mission at the station, calling it significant to scientific development and a proving ground for deep-space exploration. All of us take very serious our responsibility to be stewards of the International Space Station, she said. We simply cannot leave it uncrewed or undercrewed for any period of time. That is first and foremost on all of our minds when we go is that level of responsibility. And its certainly foremost on their minds. Stumping for the stations importance comes adjacent comments from Musk who recently called for it to be deorbited as early as 2027 stating that it was no longer useful. SpaceX and Boeing were both originally contracted to provide taxi service for NASA to the space station as part of the Commercial Crew Program, designed to end reliance on Russia and bring launches back to Florida. Delays have plagued Starliner, though, which is now at least five years behind SpaceX. The launch of Crew-10 marks SpaceXs 16th human spaceflight for its spacecraft since the Demo-2 mission in May 2020. That flight marked the first time U.S. astronauts launched from the U.S. since the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011. With the space station slated to end service after 2030, time is running out for NASA to certify Starliner so it can have a chance to fly alongside SpaceX for rotational crew missions. Well continue to work for certification toward the end of this year, Stich said. Whatever we do the Starliner vehicle will be crew capable. --------- 2025 Orlando Sentinel. Visit at orlandosentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This is an opinion column. You cant be surprised that Elon Musk doesnt appreciate our history. Or much of anything, it seems, beyond what he sees in the mirror, his billions and what sophomoric T-shirt and cap hell wear to the White House. And its not because he wasnt born here. You dont have to spend much time around the bounty of historical sites in our state in Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma or Mobile to know that Alabamas role in shaping Americas painful racial history is well-known far beyond our borders. The men, women and children who endured are well-known and appreciated. Well-known and revered. Travelers come to Alabama to study how we did it. To absorb how a coalition comprising all hues and many faiths forced a stubborn nation to honor its own self-evident truths that all men (and women) are created equal and endowed with rights inalienable. And rights that had to be demanded. They come also to honor those who marched, who rode, who walked, who sat. Those who fought. Those who died. They come to hear their stories, their voices. They come to stand where they stood. To pray where they sacrificed. You cant be surprised Musk, born in Pretoria, South Africa, doesnt know that nor seem to care until his ignorance is exposed and he can no longer DOGE it. I have zero doubt Musk wanted to sell the Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station, that he flippantly allowed it into Americas yard sale. Without hesitation. Without nary a thought of the 21 college students, Black and white college students, who stepped off a bus from Nashville there almost 61 years ago and into a mob of hate. Students who only wanted to be free to ride. Free to ride while sitting next to whomever and to go wherever they pleased. Why would Musk care? Why would he care when his boss and their Republican party bullied and threatened the Black mayor of the nations capital to take a jackhammer to a street mural that simply declares that our lives matter? Demolition continues with jackhammering of the letters that spelled out "Matter," on the Black Lives Matter mural, , Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) AP Threatened to strip millions in transportation funding from Black-Black Washington, D.C., if the city did not rip from the ground the sunshine-yellow Black Lives Matter street mural painted near the White House in 2020 amid our long-gone racial reckoning. On Tuesday, its removal began . If our lives dont matter to Republicans, Musk and President Trump, then our history certainly doesnt. Were told the bus station, which also houses a museum dedicated to those Freedom Riders, is no longer for sale. Republican Sen. Katie Britt said this has been resolved, that it was no longer on the U.S. General Services Administrations list of 400 (ahem) non-core federal buildings set to be sold to cut costs. That list was released on March 4 before disappearing behind yet another DOGE dodge. Britt declared shed spoken with the Republican administration that had been set on deeding it to the highest bidder. Lets be clear: That historic space would still be for sale had Alabamas two Democrats in Congress not rightly pitched a fit. Two days after the list became public, Rep. Shomari Figures, whose congressional district includes Montgomery, and Rep. Terri Sewell co-signed a letter asking the Government Services Administration to remove the museum from the list. Given its historical and cultural significance, they wrote. We strongly encourage the GSA to remove the Freedom Rides Museum from the list. It is crucial that we preserve such landmarks, which are integral to understanding our shared history. That morning, Sewell brought a whole lot more on the sale to social media . This is outrageous and we will not let it stand! she wrote on Musks Twitter/X. I am demanding an immediate reversal. Our civil rights history is not for sale! Figures is still waiting for White House or GSA confirmation that the site is off the blocks. Weve discussed it with Senator Britt and know that she is working with us to resolve this matter, he told me Monday. We are still waiting to see something official from the White House or GSA saying the building is removed from the list. Regardless, it never should have happened, and we are working toward introducing legislation to prevent this from happening in the future. Sewells spokesperson, Christopher Kostova, said: The Trump Administration likes to call itself the most transparent administration in history. If thats the case, they should stop hiding the list of properties for sale and confirm for the American people that this important piece of our civil rights history wont be sold off to the highest bidder. Until they do, Congresswoman Sewell will continue to stand up and speak out against this injustice. Jackhammers cannot erase us, nor can an indignant For Sale sign. Where we marched, rode, walked and sat. Where we fought. Where we died. It will stand. It will endure. It will matter longer than will Musk. Lets be better tomorrow than we are today. My column appears on AL.com, and digital editions of The Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, and Mobile Press-Register. Tell me what you think at rjohnson@al.com, and follow me at twitter.com/roysj, Instagram @roysj and BlueSky. The Legacy Center Chief Vision Officer Chanda Crutcher, left, and Executive Director Morgan Saintjones. Courtesy of the Legacy Center This is part of a series looking into nonprofits that receive funding from the city of Huntsville. See previous stories here and here. Linda Wilbourn had advanced dementia, a form of cognitive decline, when she started attending an adult day program organized by the Legacy Center, a nonprofit in Huntsville that cares for older adults. The family shared that information in a document the Legacy Center provided to state legislators on its 2025 State of Aging Legislative Bus Tour. The nonprofit organized the tour in January to highlight the needs of Huntsvilles aging population and showcase its work. Wilbourns family said the Legacy Center provides individualized care for older people, calling the services at its adult day care priceless. The program is located at the Calvary Hills Community Center on Fairbanks Street. Founded in 2015, the nonprofit aims to address the growing care needs of north Alabamas aging population, people living with dementia or traumatic brain injury. Chief visionary officer and founder Chanda Crutcher drew inspiration from Dementia City in the Netherlands. She believes the proactive care the organization she founded provides reduces strain on the healthcare system. The Legacy Center operates the Generations Adult Day Program and a clinic at Johnson Towers, a federally subsidized apartment complex for older adults in Huntsville. If we dont get seniors connected in ways that are preemptive, theyll use the ER as their primary care physician, Crutcher told AL.com. Thats going to cost way more than just having a clinic, which is what we have in our subsidized housing. So we can catch things through education and preemptive screenings. Maybe its not that youre mentally ill. Maybe youre malnourished. Youre acting out because youre hungry. Those are the conversations we try to have. The organization said it is responding to a growing need. Between 2010 and 2022, the percentage of Alabamians 65 and older grew by more than 4%. While this tracks the national trend, Alabamas percentage has consistently exceeded the national average. Of the nearly 7 million people living with Alzheimers (a main cause of dementia) nationwide, more than 100,000 are Alabamians. Alabama also ranks higher than most statesexcept Mississippiin deaths from the disease, relative to its 65-and-older population, according to the latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics Counties with larger Black populations in Alabama bear the heaviest burden of Alzheimers dementia in Alabama, according to a 2023 research paper. Prevalence among those 65 and older ranges from 9.8% in Cullman County, where less than 1% of the population is Black, to 17.8% in Greene County, where about 80% is Black. In total numbers, Madison County (7,000) ranks third for residents over 65 with Alzheimers dementia, behind Jefferson (14,900) and Mobile (8,900) counties. This year, the Legacy Center is receiving a $60,000 grant from the city of Huntsville and $10,000 from the city of Madison; both cities are in Madison County. Executive Director Morgan Saintjones said this is the first year Madison has contributed funding. Im excited about that, she said. In 2023, the Legacy Center received $297,573 in contributions and engaged 300 volunteers, according to the information it provided the Internal Revenue Service. Huntsville has provided $210,000 over the past four years to the Legacy Center, $50,000 of which came from federal COVID-19 relief in 2019, and the rest from city coffers. This years $60,000 contribution from Huntsville is 15% of the Legacy Centers total budget, according to a city document listing its 2025 nonprofit grant recipients. Saintjones said that grant supports the adult day program, where older adults with cognitive decline participate in activities to enhance mental function, emotional expression, and social engagement through nonpharmacological interventions. The program includes art-based ballet classes and vocal lessons. Saintjones said the organization strives to provide low-cost, quality programming in collaboration with partners. You create spaces where people with dementia can come and maybe spend the day, she said. So you can stay home with your family. She described the adult day program as the first arts-based intergenerational program specifically for those living with dementia. It is one of our most popular programs, she added. The goal, she said, is to replicate the program across all five Huntsville districts. The Legacy Center offers volunteer opportunities at both the day program and the Johnson Towers clinic. The clinic needs volunteers to check on seniors door-to-door, while the adult day program welcomes people of all ages to spend time with participants. Interested individuals can email info@liveyourlegacyhere.com. Former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy wants a pardon from President Donald Trump. He was convicted in 2006 on federal charges that he bribed Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File) AP AP This is an opinion column. Richard Scrushy wants a pardon from President Donald Trump, which shouldnt come as a surprise. Isnt everyone asking for one these days? Last week, the former HealthSouth CEO stood in front of the same federal courthouse where, almost 20 years ago, a jury convicted him and former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman of bribery. Scrushy spouted the same conspiracy theories hes shared for decades. His wife, Leslie, alleged collusion between the government and the actual Devil, which she says she can prove through Biblical numerology. He was charged with [federal] Statute 666, she said. So that was very clear to me where this attack was coming from. Ive heard it all before. I was there in 2006 when the U.S. Marshals put the cuffs on Scrushy and Siegelman and walked them from the courtroom. I heard the testimony in that trial and the arguments from both sides. I stood through the daily press conferences on that same sidewalk outside the courthouse. I can still remember when this was purported to be a Republican conspiracy to ruin Siegleman, not a Satanic one, although Im sure some will say those arent mutually exclusive. I can sit here all day and nitpick and debunk the claims those two felons have made over the decades. Im well-practiced at it. But the shortest path to the truth is this: Barack Obama didnt give these guys pardons. Neither did Joe Biden and he gave out more clemency than any president in history. If their prosecution was a Republican conspiracy led by Karl Rove, were Barack and Joe in on it, too? Or did the Devil make them not do it? Now its Trumps turn at bat again. Presidential pardons seem a lot easier to come by these days, and not just for Hunter Biden and Jan. 6 insurrectionists. Ask Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor convicted of putting Obamas vacated Senate seat up for sale. Ive got this thing and its fing golden, Blago said on government recordings. And I, Im not giving it up for fing nothing. The first Trump Administration was the golden opportunity he needed to clear his record. Later, Joe Biden turned the pardon into a legal shield for his family and his tax-dodging, gun-totin son. Last month, New York Mayor Eric Adams got something like a pardon when the Justice Department dropped the charges against him over prosecutors objections and resignations. He hadnt even gone to trial yet. Today, the first convicted felon President of the United States decorates the West Wing with his mug shot, and the New York Times reports, the rich and politically connected are lining up to plead political persecution and fueling a cottage industry of lobbyists and lawyers with access to the White House . If this were a Batman comic, the gates of Arkham Asylum would be wide open. Why shouldnt Richard Scrushy ask for one, too? The problem here, though, isnt only that presidential pardons are being handed out willy-nilly. The problem is that the power of the executive pardon is still sometimes a necessary thing just not for these people. The justice system didnt fail Siegelman or Scrushy, but it did fail Robin Rocky Myers, whose death sentence Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey commuted last month. It failed Toforest Johnson, who still sits on death row despite his own prosecutor saying he deserves a new trial. It failed Christopher Barbour, another Alabama death row inmate, despite DNA evidence pointing at someone else. Hes stuck there because his lawyers missed a deadline. For these men, Gov. Kay Ivey is the last line of defense; presidents cant pardon state crimes. The hesitancy she and her predecessors have shown for using that power sits at the other extreme from the White House, neglecting a duty fo the office. Sometimes our justice system glitches a missed appeal, or evidence uncovered too late and sometimes it convicts people, like Rosa Parks, of crimes that never should have been crimes to start with. The power of the pardon was supposed to be the break-glass/pull-lever emergency break that saves our justice system from injustice, and not a favor for those on the presidential friends and family plan. Not even if the Devil made them do it. Kyle Whitmire is the Washington watchdog columnist for AL.com and winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize. You can follow him on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X , Threads and Bluesky. Soldiers of Ukraine's 100th mechanised brigade hold posters saying thanks the US for support during flashmob at the US made APC Bradley on the front line near Toretsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Roman Chop) AP U.S. arms deliveries to Ukraine resumed Wednesday, officials said, a day after the Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid for Kyiv in its fight against Russias invasion, and Ukrainian officials signaled that they were open to a 30-day ceasefire backed by Washington. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that its important not to get ahead of the question of responding to the ceasefire proposal. He told reporters that Moscow is awaiting detailed information about it from the U.S. and suggested that Russia must get that first before it can take a position. Arms deliveries to Ukraine have already resumed through a Polish logistics center, the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Poland announced Wednesday. The deliveries go through a NATO and U.S. hub in the eastern Polish city of Rzeszow thats has been used to ferry Western weapons into neighboring Ukraine about 70 kilometers (45 miles) away. The American military help is vital for Ukraines shorthanded and weary army, which is having a tough time keeping Russias bigger military force at bay. But for Moscow, more American aid spells potentially more difficulty in achieving its war aims and likely will be a tough sell in Moscow for Washingtons peace efforts. Meanwhile, an intensifying Russian effort to push Ukrainian forces out of its Kursk region has yielded breakthroughs in recent days, Ukrainian soldiers told The Associated Press. The fighting has escalated as ceasefire talks come to a head, with Moscow intent on taking back its territory and Kyiv determined to hold onto it as a bargaining chip in any negotiations. Ukrainian forces made a daring raid into the Russian region last August in the first foreign occupation of Russian territory since World War II. They have held on despite intense pressure from tens of thousands of Russian and North Korean troops. Recent fighting reportedly has focused on the Kursk town of Sudzha, which is a key Ukrainian supply hub and operational base. Ukrainian soldiers said that the situation is dynamic and fighting continues in and around the town, but three of them conceded Russian forces were making headway. Russian state news agencies RIA Novosti and Tass reported Wednesday that the Russian military have entered Sudzha. It wasnt possible to independently verify either sides claims. Inside Ukraine, Russian ballistic missiles killed at least five civilians, officials said Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump wants to end the three-year war and pressured Zelenskyy to enter talks. The suspension of U.S. assistance came days after Zelenskyy and Trump argued about the conflict in a tense White House meeting. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the American delegation to Tuesdays talks in Saudi Arabia, said that Washington would present the ceasefire offer to the Kremlin, which has so far opposed anything short of a permanent end to the conflict and hasnt accepted any concessions. Were going to tell (the Russians) this is whats on the table. Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now itll be up to them to say yes or no, Rubio told reporters after the talks. If they say no, then well unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here. Trumps special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel this week to Moscow, where he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a person familiar with the matter but not authorized to comment publicly. The person cautioned that scheduling could change. French President Emmanuel Macron welcome the U.S.-Ukraine agreement and said on X that the ball is now clearly in Russias court. Russian officials are wary about the U.S.-Ukraine talks Russian lawmakers signaled wariness about the prospect of a ceasefire. Russia is advancing (on the battlefield), so it will be different with Russia, senior Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev noted in a post on the messaging app Telegram. Any agreements (with the understanding of the need for compromise) should be on our terms, not American, Kosachev wrote. Lawmaker Mikhail Sheremet told the state news agency Tass that Russia is not interested in continuing the war but at the same time Moscow will not tolerate being strung along. The outcome of the Saudi Arabia talks puts the ball back in Russias court and places the onus on Washington to persuade Moscow to accept and implement the ceasefire, John Hardie, a defense analyst and deputy director of the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based research institute. Moscow will present itself as cooperative, but may push for agreement on basic principles for a final peace deal before agreeing to a ceasefire, he said. Russia may also insist on barring Western military aid to Ukraine during the ceasefire and on Ukraine holding elections ahead of a long-term peace agreement. Russias foreign intelligence service, known as the SVR, reported Wednesday morning that the services chief, Sergei Naryshkin, spoke on the phone with CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Tuesday. The two discussed cooperation in areas of common interest and the resolution of crisis situations, according to a statement by the SVR. Travelers wait at the check-in counter for Southwest Airlines in Denver International Airport Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Denver. AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File Southwest Airlines stunned customers on Tuesday by announcing a sudden shift: charging passengers for checked bags, a first in its more than 50-year history and the latest in a series of radical changes to turn a profit. But less than six months ago, the Dallas-based carrier the largest airline in the U.S. by annual domestic passengers insisted the longstanding policy would remain a staple of its business operations. It was only September at its investor day when Southwest unveiled sweeping return-to-profitability moves, reforming key aspects of the airlines one-size-fits all policies. The most notable was the implementation of assigned seating, but free checked bags remained untouched. Extensive research reinforces Southwests bags fly free policy remains the most important feature by far in setting Southwest apart from other airlines, the company said in a September 26 release announcing the changes. Based on Southwests research, the Company believes that any change in the current policy that provides every Customer two free checked bags would drive down demand and far outweigh any revenue gains created by imposing and collecting bag fees, it continued. So what changed? No benefit for better policies? In a Tuesday morning presentation at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference, president and CEO Bob Jordan elaborated on the decision to implement bag fees for non-premium flyers. In contrast to our previous analysis, actual customer booking behavior through our new booking channels ... did not show that we are getting the same benefit from our bundled offering with free bags, which has led us to update the assumptions, he said. Jordan challenged that the bag policy was a major factor in customer decisions. Southwest recently allowed flights to be booked through meta search, such as Google Flights and Expedia. Jordan argued that these changes have been helpful in evaluating customer decisions relative to other airlines. What we did see is that customers are incredibly, in those channels, sensitive to price, and will shift on very small movements in price. To meet this demand, Southwest is introducing a Basic fare thats similar to other airline offerings. Before, Southwests lowest flight tier was Wanna Get Away, which included two free bags and flight credits that dont expire. According to Jordan, Southwest carries nearly twice the number of bags as its competition, which brings significant operational costs. He emphasized the company isnt doing anything other carriers havent already. Were giving you an awful lot for that same fare, and its just not affordable in a way, he said. So we need to reward our most loyal customers, and then match what you receive to the fare thats paid. Just the start of being profitable Loyalty program members, branded credit cardholders and flyers on certain premium fares will still get free bags. Southwest is counting on the new baggage fees to incentivize customers to buy up. Southwest would not say yet how much bags will cost, but competitor airlines like Delta and American charge in the realm of $35-40 for the first bag, and slightly more for the second. Inclusive of all changes announced so far, Southwest anticipates it will reach over $1 billion in cost savings through 2027. In September, Southwest pegged that number at $500 million. Meanwhile, initiatives announced Tuesday baggage fees, expiration dates for flight credits, and more are expected to add an incremental $800 million in EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) contribution in 2025 and $1.7 billion in 2026. The increases are good news for activist investor Elliott Investment Management, which put significant pressure on Southwest to improve its financials prior to the operational changes. Jordan would not share what percentage of customers are expected to be impacted by baggage fees, nor did he address whether Southwest is expected to lose market share because of the change in policies. However, he did say that cost savings and expected earnings estimates are inclusive of any share shift that may play out. He also described estimates as baseline numbers when asked whether they were conservative or aggressive. With open seating and bags fly free now on the chopping block, Southwest resembles other airlines more than ever, but Jordan insists that the core of Southwest is not changing. But that doesnt mean more changes arent coming. The initiatives announced today are just a start as we continue to grow our relevance to our current and new customers, attract new customer segments that we cannot compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that our shareholders expect, he added. __________ 2025 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. In 2025, AL.coms Beyond the Violence project, in partnership with The Birmingham Times, examines how Birmingham can become safer, healthier and happier. Two years ago, Amiriya Rowser was lying in a hospital bed with a gunshot wound, wondering who she could trust. Initially, Rowser didnt want to talk to the stranger who approached her and offered support services, so she was released from the hospital with little support. But when Rowser was shot again, she said, she was all in. Thats when members of Birminghams Offender Alumni Association stepped in: Violence intervention specialists checked in on Rowser and helped her pay for expensive medication after she went through 16 surgeries, bills when she was unable to work and transportation when she could not walk. Rowser said members of the association are like her family now. Rowser herself now works with the association as a violence intervention specialist. She looks forward to using her experience to help others. Gunshot survivors often have lifelong physical and mental scars. If released from the hospital without support and resources, experts say, some may be tempted to retaliate or solve future conflict with more violence. The first time, I didnt really go through with it, so I was re-injured. And the second time is when I really got active with the program, because I wanted to change for myself. I didnt want to go through the same thing anymore, Rowser said. I want to make a change and show people that Ive been through it too, and it gets better. I want them to know that someone cares. Rowser is a living example of a successful violence prevention tactic: Talking to gunshot victims soon after they are injured. Expanding that same Birmingham program, experts say, could save more lives. What is a Hospital Violence Intervention Program? Birmingham saw a devastating, record-breaking year of homicides in 2024. In January, a new Crime Commission made a series of recommendations to stop violent crime in Birmingham and make it the safest city in America. One suggestion? Expand the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital Violence Intervention Program, started in 2023 , to local emergency departments. The program engages gunshot victims at their bedside while they are hospitalized, offering mental health services and case management to prevent reinjury and retaliatory violence. The city followed through with additional funding of $297,582 to create an emergency department violence intervention team that will provide services to even more gunshot victims and their families. They wanted to expand to the emergency department because they knew that there was a gap, that we were missing people, Offender Alumni Association Executive Director Deborah Daniels said. Your feedback matters What would make Birmingham safer in 2025? The program currently works through a partnership with the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery and the Offender Alumni Association , whose members were once justice-involved and now use their experiences to work with youth and adults in need. The Jefferson County Department of Health and the city of Birmingham provide financial and administrative support. If were talking about making Birmingham safer, then we need to engage with those who are being released, who are more likely to go back into a compromising situation than those who have been in the hospital and really have had time to think about and process the impact that the incident has had on their lives, Daniels said. Maurice Webb, 31, said members of the Offender Alumni Association helped him to navigate lifes challenges. Now, he has the chance to help others in the emergency department. I could apply that same knowledge and leadership into helping others and make a difference in peoples lives, said Webb, who is now a violence intervention specialist. Our whole goal is breaking cycles of violenceIts critical that we show these patients that theres people that can help, that they can be here for you, thats not against you. The expansion gives everyone the opportunity to know about the program. It opens up doors and resources for people. Its empowering, and I feel like everyone should have that opportunity. The Hospital Violence Intervention Programs impact: Love Since the programs launch, the Hospital Violence Intervention Program has taken on 144 clients. Violence specialists provide wrap-around services to victims and their families including mentoring, emergency relocation, transportation and financial aid for medicine, groceries, rent and utilities. We come in and we try to wrap around an individual with love. We let them know that they are important, valued. They have worth. We want them to know that their situation is just temporary and that they can move forward, past that, Daniels said. The violence intervention specialists said they go through life with their clients. When you get there, you constantly have a fear. So you have to bring them out of that anxiety. You have to really walk with them after that trauma, because theyre not the same person. Once you get in that hospital and youre traumatized, you go through this metamorphosis of Who am I? Whats going on? Why have I come to this? Timothy Lanier, violence intervention professional with the Offender Alumni Association, said. When we walk in, we can talk you through everything because weve been through the trauma. Thats where we bring you out, we open up that door and show you that theres light on the other side. In two years, of the 144 clients they served and kept off the street, three were reinjured and one person was killed. Thats a high level of success, advocates say. Violence prevention specialists say their work saves lives, but they could do even more with additional resources. Program coordinators say the new emergency department violence intervention program is still in its planning stages. The violence intervention specialists, Webb and Rowser, are currently going through training. They said they are excited to help others on their road to recovery and healing. That will allow us to connect with those individuals that are not admitted to the hospital, who come to the emergency department to get care for their gunshot wounds, but are released, Daniels said. That way we can help those individuals also navigate on a better path, not return and be re-injured, and help reduce any retaliation. In two years, of the 144 clients they served and kept off the street, three were reinjured and one person was killed. Thats a high level of success, advocates say. What else is Birmingham doing to stop the violence? Mayor Randall Woodfin formed the independent Birmingham Crime Commission in October 2024, made up of residents and leaders from business, community, criminal justice, healthcare and nonprofit sectors to identify strategies to address the citys high homicide rate. In December, the Birmingham city council approved $2 million to support the Mayors Office of Community Safety Initiatives strategy. The commissions report, published in January, is one of the most recent steps in the ongoing effort to combat gun violence in Birmingham. The report stressed the importance of expanding the hospital violence intervention program. Although successful in individual cases, the program is currently limited in scope due to funding constraints, the Crime Commissions report reads. Gun violence rates can be curbed through hospital violence intervention, according to David Hicks, Jefferson County health officer and member of the Crime Commission. Who else can we potentially impact their lives that are not able to meet the eligibility criteria of the current program? Hicks said. We know that we have this program that were currently doing thats very, very successful. If you can cover more lives and meet people where they are, its really ideal. So its a continuum. We know that we have this program that were currently doing thats very, very successful. If you can cover more lives and meet people where they are, its really ideal. Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. David Hicks Birmingham recently released an update on the citys progress in implementing the Crime Commissions recommendations. And Woodfin committed to providing monthly status updates throughout the implementation process including meeting with members of the Crime Commission. Of 82 recommendations made by the commission, 42 recommendations are in the planning or pre-launch stage, including the hospital violence intervention programs expansion to UABs emergency departments. Weve seen success from this program for those who were actually admitted to the hospital post being shot and survived. Literally getting beyond saving their lives, putting them in the best position for them not to go back out in the streets and retaliate or be retaliated on, Woodfin told AL.com. The mayor said expanding the program is an opportunity to promote peace in Birmingham. Thats the promise of what comes out from this Crime Commission report, is that if we do these things in a certain fashion and learn from the successes of others around the country, then we truly can reduce the gun violence, injuries, victimization in Birmingham, Hicks said. The expanded Hospital Violence Intervention Program, along with other city of Birmingham violence prevention programs, should start in March. We are saving lives. We are helping families become healthy and whole in spite of the situation and the circumstances that the injury has caused, Daniels said. We will always be here to serve and work with our allies in the community, with the city, to make Birmingham safer. A banner calling attention to Toforest Johnson's case was installed outside of First Presbyterian Church in downtown Birmingham. (Contributed) A group of former prosecutors has filed a brief urging a Jefferson County judge to grant a new trial for Alabama Death Row inmate Toforest Johnson. Given that both the current Jefferson County District Attorney and the original line prosecutor recommend a new trial for Mr. Johnson, this Court should grant the relief they request, said the brief, which was signed by 10 former state and federal prosecutors, including former Alabama Attorney General Bill Baxley and former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones. The brief, called an amicus brief because it comes from someone who isnt a direct party in the case, was filed on Wednesday. It is unusual for a district attorney to advocate for a new trial, and we believe the courts should honor that request, the brief said, referencing Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carrs motion for a new trial. It added that the 10 prosecutors who signed on take no position on Johnsons claims of innocence. Johnsons case has been in the spotlight for years. Johnson, now 52, was convicted of capital murder in 1998 for the 1995 death of Jefferson County Deputy William G. Hardy, who was shot to death while working a part-time security job for a Birmingham hotel. Johnson has been on Alabama Death Row since 1998 for the killing, which he has always denied. The case has been in legal limbo for years as appeals played out in different courts. But in 2020, Carr voiced his concerns about Johnsons case and asked for a new trial. In Wednesdays filing, the former prosecutors urged that their work doesnt end with a jurys verdict. It is the continuing duty of a prosecutor to seek justice and uphold the Constitution, read the brief. We believe that, when a prosecutor seeks to uphold the highest standards of fidelity to the Constitution, the rule of law, and to the prosecutors professional ethical obligations, courts should pay special attention to their requests. While the filing wasnt in response to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshalls words in the case his office has previously said the case didnt present an issue of extraordinary public importance the former law enforcement officials said that they came to a different conclusion than Marshall. In addition to Baxley and Jones, the former prosecutors who signed on the brief are Ramona Albin, Darius Crayton, Adolph Dean Jr., Robin Mark, Blake Milner, Chinelo Dike-Minor, Arthur Green Jr., and Lane Hines Woodke. Also on Wednesday, The Innocence Project filed a separate amicus brief supporting a new trial. The Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization that provides legal services to inmates across the country, said that Johnsons case presents extraordinary and unprecedented facts that have developed since Toforest Johnsons conviction in 1998. A comprehensive review of the evidence reveals why a reasonable prosecutor would now lack confidence in Mr. Johnsons conviction and exposes the fundamental weaknesses in the case against Mr. Johnson, the brief read. Physical evidence contradicts the States key witnessProsecutors advanced shifting and conflicting theories about who committed the crime. Meanwhile, unchallenged alibi witnesses who were never presented at trial place Mr. Johnson miles away at the time of the murder. Viewed together, these facts reveal a more than reasonable basis for concern about the viability of the convictionand show that the conviction cannot be allowed to stand. The brief continued, When viewed together, they expose a conviction built on a foundation that has crumbled. Alabama Appleseed, a nonprofit legal group, filed a third amicus brief on Wednesday asking for a new trial. The group said in its filing that Johnsons case provides an opportunity for consideration of extraordinary circumstances in which the passage of time and improvements in the administration of justice render a verdict or sentence unreliable. Their filing noted several Alabama cases where local prosecutors acknowledged the injustice of the outcomes sought and achieved by their predecessors and stepped in to correct those injustices years after the petitioners fates seemed sealed. But despite Carr, who wasnt in office when Johnson was convicted, and the man who actually prosecuted the case questioning the conviction, Marshalls office has said Johnson belongs on death row. In a January court filing, the AGs Office argued Johnson shouldnt be allowed to litigate the same claims again. The court records speak for themselves, the office said. And Carrs opinion does not provide an independent, viable legal claim, Marshalls office wrote. The Innocence Projects filing said the attorney generals office misses the fundamental point that prosecutors must pursue justice, even after a conviction. A system that wholly ignores a prosecutors determination that his own conviction lacks integrity cannot claim to serve justice. Josh Carpenter resigned as president and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Research last year. Josh Carpenter, who filled prominent positions with Southern Research and the city of Birmingham, has joined a Florida cancer research organization. Carpenter has been named president of Tampa-based Speros, and vice president and chief integration officer for the Moffitt Cancer Center. Carpenter left Southern Research last December after heading the organization since 2021. Prior to that, he was the city of Birminghams director of innovation and economic opportunity, where he led workforce development, COVID recovery and business expansion. Carpenter has been tasked to unite Speros and Moffitts clinical and research expertise with commercial partners to accelerate breakthroughs in cancer prevention and treatment. Marty Lanahan, Speros Board of Directors chair, praised Carpenters ability to launch large-scale initiatives, develop strategic partnerships and secure critical investments. Carpenter vowed to build a place where science, technology and medicine unite to create a healthier future for all. Speros is a derivative of a Latin word that means to hope, Carpenter said. At Speros, were bringing hope to cancer patients and their families. Hope for scientists on the verge of breakthroughs who need industry collaboration. Hope for physicians who want to integrate innovation into their daily practice. Hope for bringing quality jobs to Pasco County and securing Floridas place in the global bioeconomy. Speros makes this hope possible. Two Alabama cities will benefit from a billion-dollar national push to invest in American manufacturing by GE Aerospace. The company announced Wednesday it will pump about $73 million into the state as part of a larger national commitment which will hire more than 5,000 workers in the U.S. this year. According to the company, GE Aerospace will invest $51 million in Auburn, and $22 million in Huntsville. The companys investments will help fund parts production to give engines more range, power, and efficiency. This includes additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, and ceramic matrix composites, or CMCs. CMCs are one-third the weight of traditional materials but can operate in temperatures at up to 500 degrees higher, giving greater power and durability for engines. For Auburn, the company plans to expand the existing facility, add 3D printers, upgrades to existing equipment there and tooling to increase capacity. For Huntsville, the money will purchase additional machines to produce materials that are the building blocks for ceramic matrix composite engine parts. Both sites produce components used in both narrowbody and widebody aircraft engines, as well as fighter jet, helicopter and marine military engines. Investing in manufacturing and innovation is more critical than ever for the future of our industry and the communities where we operate, CEO H. Lawrence Culp Jr. said in a statement. We are committed to helping our customers modernize and expand their fleets while scaling technologies that will truly define the future of flight. Together, this will keep the United States at the forefront of aerospace leadership. In all, GE Aerospace is planning investments in 16 states, including Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Indiana and Kentucky. At least $200 million will go into engine production for the new T901 Black Hawk and Apache helicopters. According to the company, engines made by GE Aerospace and its joint venture partners power three out of every four commercial flights around the world and two of three U.S. military combat and helicopter aircraft. U.S. Rep. Terri A. Sewell (AL) was joined by Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY), Rep. Joyce M. Beatty (OH), and Rep. Shomari C. Figures (AL) for a press conference announcing introduction of H.R. 964, the Rosa Parks Day Act. Contributed (Rep. Terri Sewell) U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell, D-Selma, and Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, have introduced legislation prohibiting the sale of federally owned historic properties without congressional approval. Titled the Civil Rights Landmark Act, the bill states that no federal official can sell a federal landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places without a resolution from Congress approving the sale. The two democratic lawmakers promised to file the legislation last week after President Donald Trumps administration put a historic Alabama civil rights landmark up for sale. On March 4, the Government Services Administration posted on its website a list of non-core federal properties to be sold by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Among those properties was the Montgomery Bus Station which houses the Freedom Rides Museum. A day later the GSA removed the list from its website but has not officially stated whether the civil rights landmark could potentially be sold. Figures and Sewell sent a letter to the GSA on March 6, urging the agency to remove the civil rights landmark from its list. Figures said that he was notified by the GSA on Wednesday that the bus stations and museum were safe. While hes glad the landmark is not being sold Figures said the situation should, never have happened. The Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station, which is in my district, is a historic landmark that should be protected, Figures said. Former Congressman John Lewis and many other civil rights activists were nearly killed at this bus station for simply fighting for their constitutional rights. This landmark, and many others like it, are part of the story of America and we should not allow the Trump Administrationor any Administrationto simply sell it away. Sewell expressed relief that the building housing the landmark wont be sold. Im relieved that this important piece of our nations civil rights history will not be sold off to the highest bidder. The Trump Administration should have never placed it on that list to begin with, the congresswoman said in a statement. Let this be an important lesson when we use our voices to speak up and speak out, we can make difference. Im grateful to Congressman Figures for his strong advocacy on this issue. We will continue to do what is necessary to preserve and protect the faces and places of the Civil Rights Movement. On Monday, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala, said that after talking to the Trump administration she was informed that the bus station and museum will not be on GSAs non-core list. Figures said that they were working with Britt on the matter but were waiting on official confirmation from the White House or GSA that the landmark was safe. Sewell said the new legislation would prevent Trump or Elon Musk, the figurehead of DOGE, from selling, our civil rights history. Our historic civil rights landmarks are not just Black history, Sewell said. They are not just Alabama history. They are American history, and they deserve to be protected for future generations. After all, if we are to avoid repeating our painful past, we need to remember it, acknowledge it, and learn from it. Rest assured, Congressman Figures and I will not sit by and let Donald Trump, Elon Musk, or anyone else sell off historic landmarks like the Freedom Rides Museum to the highest bidder. Our civil rights history is not for sale. Gov. Kay Ivey said Wednesday she supports President Trump in his efforts to reduce the size of government, including the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education. Im all for shrinking government where we can, Ivey said. And truth be known, every state has an education department. I know weve got a good one and a state board of education and local boards that can handle education very well. So, Im going to trust President Trump on this one. Ivey made the comments in response to questions from reporters after she spoke to the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday morning. The U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday it was about to lay off over 1,300 of its more than 4,000 employees. Alabama education officials have said they are preparing for the possible disruption caused by the federal agencys shutdown. Public colleges and universities in the state rely the most heavily on federal funds, with about a quarter of revenue, $1.98 billion, coming from government grants and contracts in fiscal year 2023. In Alabamas K-12 schools, federal funding accounted for about $615 million, or 9% of the total $6.7 billion allocated in fiscal year 2024. Alabama officials have said they do not expect the federal funding to stop if the agency is closed. Our schools depend on these funds, and as long as the funds continue to be made available for our schools, less federal regulation and burdensome paperwork we would welcome, State Superintendent Eric Mackey said. Some Gen Zers feel uncomfortable when people say "thank you". Some Gen Zers do not like it when people say thank you Bank Nationwide polled 2,000 Brits on the way the nation says thank you in 2025 and the findings show that one in five (18 per cent) of those born between 1995-2012 do not like it when someone compliments them with the phrase. The results also showed that over half (55 per cent) feel like theyre receiving thanks less these days, with 46 per cent claiming people dont make time to express their gratitude. Those living in Brighton, Manchester, and Bristol are the most thankful - with them saying the phrase 15 times a day. However, 15 per cent admit they say "thanks" at least once a day - but they do not mean it. The poll comes as broadcasting legend Sir Trevor McDonald delivered a 600 million-plus message of thanks to the nation as part of 'The Big Nationwide Thank You'. It sees one in five Brits sharing in over 600 million as a thank you from Britains biggest building society for helping build the financial strength needed to purchase Virgin Money. Catherine Kehoe, Chief Customer Officer at Nationwide, said: Our members are at the heart of what makes Nationwide a good way to bank, so when we profit, so do they. "They have helped make us even stronger and able to deliver even greater value by acquiring Virgin Money, so we wanted to share a thanks back to them all in a truly nationwide way. "Whether they save or spend their 50 we hope it goes some way to showing our appreciation. Gov. Kay Ivey said she met Tuesday with the Alliance for Automotive Innovation and is working to learn more about how President Trumps tariffs will affect the auto industry in Alabama. The Alliance for Automotive Information is a trade group representing the auto industry. Among its members are the companies with auto assembly plants in Alabama Mercedes, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, and Mazda. They are working hard to continue their growth and investment, Ivey said. And I thank them profusely for choosing to be in Alabama and to make investments and be a supporter of Alabama. They are great supporters. See also: How Alabamas automakers are preparing for Trumps tariffs So, well continue to work with them and the White House to clarify the impact of those tariffs. John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, said the new 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico will raise prices. Most anticipate the price of some vehicle models will increase by as much as 25% and the negative impact on vehicle price and vehicle availability will be felt almost immediately, Bozzella said in an article by Reuters published last week. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trumps tariffs on steel and aluminum will increase the cost of auto production. The Trump administration says its goal is to bring more manufacturing jobs in America. The White House released a list of projects that it says are examples the strategy is working. For example, Honda has decided to build its next-generation Civic hybrid in Indiana instead of Mexico because of tariffs, Reuters reported. Alabama ranks in the top five among states for automotive production. Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota-Mazda have assembly plants in the state. Rick Pate, Alabama's newly-minted Agriculture Commissioner, mingles during the governor's pre-inaugural party at The Lodge at Gulf State Park on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019, in Gulf Shores, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). As U.S. Sen. Tommy Tubervilles (R-Ala.) run for governor in 2026 seems more likely, Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate says he is thinking about joining the race for lieutenant governor. Pate said he had been kicking around the idea of his own gubernatorial campaign last year but has decided against it after Tubervilles change of heart after months of dismissing speculation that he would run. In January, he asked me to call him, and so I called him one Sunday afternoon, Pate said. He (Tuberville) said Im about 50/50, Im going to run for governor. So, I just said, well, you know, knock yourself out. You know, Im not going to run against you. The only person that could beat him I think would be Nick Saban, Pate continued. And I dont think Saban wants to run for it. But Pate said hes not disappointed in any way with Tubervilles decision. Its not like Ive had this calling and pining away to be governor for the last four years or 10 years, he said. First elected as Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries in 2018, Pate will reach the end of his two- term limit next year, and said he wants to find another way to serve the state. Theyve got an open door someplace for me to serve whether its run for something or not, he said. I havent made that decision. But anyway, I had told [Secretary of State] Wes Allen I was not going to run for lieutenant governor, he continued. At the time I was thinking I didnt want sort of a part time job, and you know, I needed something that engaged me like this job had. But more recently, Pate said he has spoken to Allen again to say that he is thinking about it. When youve got less than two years left, youve got to think about what youre going to do next, he said. It might be something else entirely. Pate praised current Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworths work over the last five years and said if he were to take over the position, he would like to keep Alabama on the same path. I can run a meeting and bring people together, he said. I feel like thats sort of my personality. And so, its not that Im getting in it with some sort of agenda. I mean, Im pretty conservative, he continued. Im Chairman of the Lowndes County Republican party, you know, and so I think theyre doing a good job and the Governors done a good job. Its just keeping us on the same path, he said. Theyve done a good job of holding some money back and refilling the rainy-day funds and, you know, trying to be fiscally conservative. And socially conservative, too. Pate said he hasnt gotten far enough in his planning to run on a particular issue. But I think just continue what weve been doing, he said. Pate said he knows of three candidates that are running for his current role in 2026 (Christina McInnis, Sen. Jack Williams R-Wilmer, and Douglas Mayor Corey Hill), and predicted there will be at least half a dozen by next year. Ive had people tell me Youve got to quit going out and telling people how much fun youre having, he said. Hopefully people feel like Ive of elevated the job and been out and about so yeah, I would expect there to be plenty of good candidates. I mean, there already are, he added. Never in recent history have relations between the United States and Europe been as tense as in this period that is, since the Trump administration began taking its first steps and revealing its foreign policy orientation. Over the last few days, the situation has worsened further, or more accurately, it has reached a boiling point, due to the approach deemed too aggressive by the Europeans taken by President Trump to the Russo-Ukrainian war and especially to Volodymyr Zelensky. The final straw was the tense public confrontation with President Trump and Vice President Vance in the Oval Office. It was the most heated public exchange of words between world leaders in the Oval Office in memory. The meeting, as we all know, ended with Trump reportedly abruptly instructing his aides to ask Zelensky to leave the White House. The event, shocking in and of itself though essentially due to Zelenskys presumptuous behavior also sent shockwaves through Europe, where political leaders immediately rallied to Ukraines side, forgetting that it is only thanks to Donald if, after three years of war and slaughter, peace is finally being discussed. Theres an aggressor, which is Russia, and a people attacked, which is Ukraine. We must thank all those who helped and respect those who have been fighting since the beginning, French president Emmanuel Macron told reporters, after reportedly talking to Zelensky. Germanys likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, reaffirmed his countrys stance, declaring, We must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war. He also accused Trump of deliberately escalating tensions with Zelensky. U.K. prime minister Keir Starmer said: Three years on from Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine, we are at a turning point. Today I will reaffirm my unwavering support for Ukraine and double down on my commitment to provide capacity, training and aid to Ukraine, putting it in the strongest possible position. The leaders of Spain, Poland, and the Netherlands were among those who posted social media messages backing Ukraine. There were also supportive messages from political leaders in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Romania, Sweden, and Slovenia. European Union chiefs Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen assured Zelensky in a joint statement that he was never alone. We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace, they said. Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban was the only one who didnt join the chorus of support for Zelensky. Strong men make peace, weak men make war, he said. Today President Donald Trump stood bravely for peace, he continued, even if it was difficult for many to digest. Thank you, Mr. President! What about Italy? Where does Europes second-largest manufacturing country and one of the E.U.s founding members stand? Italys prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, merely expressed sympathy for Zelensky, carefully avoiding distancing herself from Trump. She cannot and doesnt want to turn her back on Ukraine because she has gone too far in supporting Kyiv and Zelensky. On the other side, she doesnt want to give any hint of criticism of Trump, who has attacked Zelensky, Stefano Stefanini, Italys former ambassador to NATO, told the Financial Times. She is hedging she hasnt decided which way to go, said Beniamino Irdi, an Atlantic Council senior fellow and former Italian government security policy adviser. She still thinks that the special relationship she has built with Trump and Musk may be of more value than her relationship with European allies. However, on Tuesday, Meloni rejected a plan by France and the United Kingdom to support Ukraines war against Russia by sending Italian soldiers. Italy has expressed doubts regarding the proposal of France and the UK on sending European troops, she told Italian TV channel Rai1. I think it is very difficult to implement, I am not sure about its effectiveness, thats why we announced that we will not send Italian soldiers to Ukraine, she added. Moreover, speaking on Sunday at Downing Street, she stressed the need of unity between the two sides of the Atlantic: The only thing that we really cannot afford is a peace that does not remain, and this cannot be afforded. Ukraine cannot afford it, Europe cannot afford it, the United States cannot afford it. For Gods sake, everything can explode. Its not good news. So everything I can do to keep the West united and to strengthen it, I will do. Meloni also proposed hosting a summit between European leaders and the U.S., to build bridges after the relationship between the longtime allies strained over the war in Ukraine. On the day Donald Trump suspended military aid to Ukraine, Giorgia Melonis attempt to remain equidistant between Trump and the European Union was put to the test during a special summit that saw all 27 countries agree to Ursula von der Leyens Rearm Europe plan, but which also highlighted a serious divide over the approach to take. The final text signed by 26 and hailed as a watershed moment speaks about peace through strength, military assistance and security guarantees for Kyiv, all of which the Hungarian prime minister has strongly opposed. Orban, who prior to the summit had signaled his intention to veto the E.U. statement, argued that it ran contrary to U.S. president Donald Trumps deal-making initiative, to which he has firmly aligned himself. The European Council president, Antonio Costa, who called the meeting, said, Hungary has a different strategic approach on Ukraine, but that means Hungary is isolated among the 27. ... We respect Hungarys position, but its one out of 27. And 26 are more than one. As for the rearmament plan, Melonis stance is a yes but with reservations that could be refined at the formal European Council on March 2021. Thats where the decisions are made, Meloni reminded everyone. There is time to fine-tune the points important to Rome, she said in a press briefing on Thursday. The first is to change the name, shifting the focus from weapons to defense and security. The second is to clearly state in advance that Italy will not use the clause allowing Cohesion Funds to be converted into spending on weapons. Italy will not deprive itself of these precious resources, said Meloni, announcing that this will be the deal she will propose to Parliament ahead of the next European Council. Moreover, at a press briefing in Brussels, she suggested that NATOs Article 5 protection could be extended to cover Ukraine even if it is not a full member-state. This would be better than options such as the deployment of peacekeeping forces to monitor a ceasefire, she explained: Extending the same coverage that NATO countries have to Ukraine would certainly be much more effective, while being something different from NATOs membership. All in all, despite her best intentions and her ideological stance along with her strong ties to U.S. Republicans Meloni has had a tough time mediating between Washington, D.C. and Brussels. Yet no leader of a major European country is better suited for that role than she is. Not for nothing was she the only E.U. head of government invited to Trumps inauguration in January. Earlier the same month, she visited him at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump defined her as a fantastic woman who has really taken Europe by storm. If all mediation attempts fail, then an extremely complicated, if not dramatic, phase will open in the history of relations between the two sides of the Atlantic. For this reason, we must hope that the efforts of the Italian prime minister are crowned with success. Samuel Robert Piccoli is a blogger and the author of several books, among them Being Conservative from A to Z (2014) and Blessed Are the Free in Spirit (2021). He lives in the Venice area. Image: Giorgia Meloni. Credit: Italian Government, CC BY-SA 3.0. Shakespeare famously wrote, All the worlds a stage, And all the men and women merely players...And one man in his time plays many parts in his celebrated play As You Like It. The bard meant this as a metaphor for how people amend their manners based on their company. Little did Shakespeare know that his words would literally come true, and elected officials would successfully deceive voters by becoming full-time performers. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is among the first to accomplish this. Someone in the Democrat party noticed her 'talents' and handed her a script, which she has followed till this day. She hasn't accomplished much during her tenure in Congress. But in this age, records and ability are irrelevant; it's the image, which in her case is carefully cultivated, that matters. Sandy O's popularity emanated from social media where she virtue-signals, falsifies, and occasionally displays self-deprecating humor. There are copious theatrics before the camera. She mustered tears to convey pain while visiting the U.S.-Mexico border and pretended to be handcuffed during a protest. The goal is to project an image of a compassionate liberal with a heart of gold. She occasionally reveals her true colors. She attended the ostentatious MET Gala wearing a designer dress, and to avoid being branded insensitive, she had the words 'Tax the Rich' inscribed on the back of the dress. But errors hardly matter; in 2024, she was elected for the third time in a district that voted for President Trump. Her conduct causes her to earn both staunch supporters and detractors. The supporters boost her image. Her detractors also play an unintentional part in building her brand. It enables her to claim victimhood, i.e., they hate her because she's fighting against misogyny, racism, xenophobia, etc. All of this has worked well for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Sandy O is among the few members of Congress to have national recognition, which is essential to ascend the political hierarchy. In the future, she could continue being a congresswoman and become House speaker. She could also run for senator, mayor, governor, or even president. She could quit politics and become an activist, which means heading a government-funded 'non-profit' that enables easy enrichment. Maybe she writes a book or hosts a podcast, or makes documentaries for Netflix, all of which are very lucrative. Others have noticed AOC's success and are attempting to emulate her. They are currently auditioning for the part of Trump's worst hater. In the past, this act helped the likes of Adam Schiff. Schiff was among the foremost peddlers of the Trump-Russia hoax. There was nothing substantive in what Schiff presented; he just appeared at every forum and repeatedly made bogus claims without a shred of evidence. The ensuing infamy, achieved largely due to ridicule from Trump and his supporters enabled Schiff an easy promotion from congressman to senator. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a few others are hoping to emulate Schiff. Sandy O skipped Trump's inauguration claiming she doesn't celebrate rapists. She should have been sued for her vicious lie. She also skipped Trump's joint address to Congress. She even delivered her rebuttal to the address on Instagram, despite not being assigned for the task by her party. We now look at two other auditionees that are attempting to outdo AOC. There's Rep Al Green, with his ponytail and fancy walking stick, looking like he's imitating De Niro's Lucifer in Angel Heart (1987) This septuagenarian congressman who represents south Houston, Texas is relatively unknown because he hasn't achieved much during his 20 years in Congress. Green filed articles of impeachment against President Trump in 2017, when James Comey was sacked. When that failed, he reintroduced articles of impeachment in 2019 because Trump taunted members of the Squad. Green is an uncouth race-baiter of the Al Sharpton school. During the congressional hearing in 2019, Green asked the CEOs of investment banks to raise their hand rather than answer multiple baseless race-related questions. Last month, Green claimed he intends to file articles of impeachment against Trump again for suggesting that the United States take over the Gaza Strip. But these stunts earned Green little publicity. Green finally achieved national infamy during President Donald Trump's joint address to Congress. The moment Trump referred to winning the popular vote, Green began ranting and waving his cane, eventually leading to his eviction from the chamber. Green missed his constituent from Texas, 13-year-old cancer survivor DJ Daniel, being made an honorary member of the Secret Service. "It was worth it," Green told reporters after his stunt. Polls revealed that most Americans disapproved of Green's behavior. Recently, some Democrats joined House Republicans to censure Rep. Green for his disgraceful conduct. During the censure vote, Green sang "We Shall Overcome." (The other, more well-known Al Green would have done this better.) The next auditionee is Jasmine Crockett. We know of duplicitous politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama attempting what they think of as a black accent when they face a black audience. But they usually abandon the accent once they are off stage. But Jasmine Crockett, Texas representative since 2022, has taken the faking of accents to a new level. She doesn't just perform before a black crowd; she has developed an entirely new persona for her political career. Crockett is estimated to be worth $9 million in 2025. She has a Bachelor of Arts in business administration and a postgraduate law degree. She was a member of the National Bar Association. Yet, she seems to have permanently adopted her version of a black accent and persona. The following are some excerpts of Crockett's reaction to President Trump's address to Congress, which she delivered in a petulant and animated manner. "Listen. He up there, hes spewing all kinds of nonsense and bulls***. Let me just be real, and we werent gonna sit for that s***. We wouldnt. "This is not America. This is a terrible nightmare. Somebody slap me and wake me the f--- up because I'm ready to get on with it." I would tell him to grow a spine and stop being Putins ho. When asked by a journalist about Elon Musk, Crockett replied, "F--- off." Internet sleuths found clips of Crockett speaking grammatically correct English sans expletives, and her manner was sober and pleasant. This is an act by Crockett to deceive all into believing that she rose from the grassroots sections when, in reality, she is affluent and educated. AOC has also used the fake accent ploy a few times in the past. The Democrats frequently claim that Trump has lowered the level of discourse in politics, but neither he nor any of his supporters in Congress have engaged in such rowdy behavior or uttered profanity in such a manner. Green and Crockett's election showed the devolution of the state of Texas, which was once considered a thoroughly red state. Once again, like Schiff, Ocasio-Cortez, Green, and Crockett will do nothing to improve the lives of their constituents. They are just auditioning for a part of Trump's worst hater, which will enable personal gain. They will be welcomed in various forums where they will feign righteous indignation, hoping it will result in a viral moment on social media. Some may claim they suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome, but even that seems unlikely. For this group, displaying Trump hatred is a ladder up the Democrat party hierarchy. The only way to stop this abhorrent behavior is for voters to rethink what dictates their voting decision. Voters must focus on the record, i.e., actual work done rather than amateur theatrics. Publicity-hungry desperados such as AOC, Al Green, and Jasmine Crockett do not deserve a seat in Congress. Congress is not a stage, and representatives are not players; what the public deserves are doers. Image: AT via Magic Studio Republicans hold only slim majorities in Congress, particularly in the House. Midterm elections typically shift control to the party not in the White House. Democrats need only a few more House seats to hinder President Trumps final two years in office and will seek to impeach him daily until he leaves in January 2029. Trumps first month in office has been like a wrecking ball, disastrous for the entrenched ruling class and administrative state. The unavoidable chaos resulting from dismantling a massive bureaucracy, exacerbated by corporate media gaslighting, could tilt enough midterm votes to flip at least one house of Congress to the Democrats. Thats the likely scenario, assuming Democrats present a compelling and attractive alternative agenda to MAGA and DOGE. Since Trumps landslide (at least by modern standards) election in November 2024, Democrats have offered American voters nothing but hatred, petulance, and nastiness. They aim only to obstruct and undermine his administration and supporters, resorting to the same inept and destructive policies that characterized President Joe Biden's four years. The Democrats behavior at Trumps optimistic and forceful speech before a joint session of Congress last week leads one to conclude that they hate America. Republicans stood and applauded many times. This was a president who accomplished more in a month than many of his predecessors achieved in years. This was a president who kept his campaign promises and more. Image: YouTube screengrab Instead, Democrats sat and sulked. Rep. Al Green's initial churlish behavior resulted in his expulsion from the House chamber. Democrats displayed placards reading Musk steals or false," as if they were at an auction or a sporting event. They could neither stand nor applaud Trumps accomplishments, which include closing the border, identifying billions in government waste, fraud, and abuse, and a potential peace deal for Ukraine. Instead, they sat and mumbled, staring at their hands or their phones as Trump honored the families of fallen heroes and those killed by illegal aliens. They found no joy in a child with brain cancer being named an honorary member of the U.S. Secret Service or in a teenager receiving an acceptance letter to West Point. While these scenes brought tears to many Americans eyes, the Democrats merely sat and smirked. Yet they all stand for Ukraine, at least for endless war, not for peace and an end to the death and destruction of millions of young Ukrainians and Russians. When not sitting and pouting, they dance and shadow-box in cringeworthy fashion, saying, Choose your fighter. Sorry, Dems, we chose our fighter last Nov. 5. What does it mean when Democrats wear their pins and proclaim loudly on social media, I stand with Ukraine or Slava Ukraini? Are they planning to provide their own funds to support Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his wartime efforts? Or do they expect others to contribute their money, thereby supporting the lavish lifestyles of Ukrainian elites? Are they volunteering themselves, their children, or their grandchildren to take up arms in Ukraine as part of the security guarantees that Zelensky and the EU leadership insisted upon? Or do they expect other children to fight in the war? When EU President Ursula von der Leyen was asked if her children were in the military, she laughed and replied, "Nein, nein. Regardless of ones stance on the Russia-Ukraine war and its origins, what will Glory to Ukraine mean in early 2025? Did Russia invade Ukraine without provocation? Or has the West been provoking Russia since 1990, when U.S. Secretary of State James Baker assured Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would expand, not one inch eastward, if Gorbachev complied with Ronald Reagans demand to tear down that wall? Here we are, three years into what seems like an endless war. Trump claims that America has spent $350 billion on it, while others suggest a lower figure. Regardless, it remains a significant sum for a country facing $2 trillion annual budget deficits. What about the lives of the soldiers who have been lost devastating their wives, children, and families? Who supports them? Certainly not the Democrats. Reports indicate that the death toll includes one million Russian soldiers and 700,000 Ukrainian troops. Corporate media, Democrats, and social media virtue signalers were shocked by the recent Oval Office meeting. But what exactly is their plan to end the war? Or do they truly wish for the war to persist? It seems they do, as this was a rare moment during Trumps address when Democrats applauded. As the New York Post reported: The United States has sent hundreds of billions of dollars to support Ukraines defense, Trump lamented during his speech, drawing rare applause from Democrats. And Democrats desire perpetual conflict. You want to keep it for another five years, Trump responded, naming Warren. Pocahontas says yes. She nodded in agreement. Ukrainian President Zelensky concurs. Following his Oval Office confrontation, the sweatshirt-clad former comedian promised that the wars conclusion is still very, very far away." European leaders are also doubling down. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated on X, "Peace in Ukraine is more dangerous than the ongoing war." Elon Musk replied, They want the forever war. How many more parents with no sons? How many more children with no fathers? By their logic, it never ends. Bingo. Paul Simon had it right: You just slip out the back, Jack. Make a new plan, Stan. The only issue is that there is no plan to end the war after Zelensky slipped of the White House meeting with Trump. Those complaining about Trumps approach have yet to present an alternative plan. Should we continue the current strategy, borrowing money from China or printing a few hundred billion more dollars for Ukraine, half of which may go unaccounted for, as Zelensky claimed? And will there be another million young men killed in battle, devastating even more families? Does Zelensky seek an end to the war? He had a favorable deal that he agreed to before his confrontation in the Oval Office, where the televised meeting primarily served as a ceremony. U.S. mineral rights means that American workers on the ground in Ukraine would act as a deterrent to Russian aggression, effectively serving as a security guarantee without involving U.S. troops. What happened to make love, not war and give peace a chance, " chanted by the 1960s hippies who are now in senior U.S. leadership positions, criticizing Trump, promoting war, and standing with Ukraine? I thought Democrats were anti-war as they had been since Vietnam. Despite early predictions of Ukraines victory, the war continues. Trump campaigned on the promise to end the conflict and is undoubtedly making efforts. What actions did his predecessor take or neglect? Grok answered: Biden did speak to Putin during the lead-up to the Ukraine war, but there is no confirmed direct communication between them after the invasion began, based on available public records as of March 4, 2025. Democrats lack a coherent plan. They applaud for Ukraine, but when it comes to America, they sit on their hands. If they think that opposing America is a successful campaign strategy for the midterm elections, let them see how that works out. Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., is a physician and writer. Follow me on Twitter @retinaldoctor, Substack Dr. Brians Substack, Truth Social @BrianJoondeph, LinkedIn @Brian Joondeph, and Email brianjoondeph@gmail.com. My story is a blend of cultures, faiths, and experiences that have shaped my view of America. Im Yassin Fawaz, the son of an African-American Christian mother and an Arab-American Shiite Muslim father. Growing up between two worlds, Ive witnessed the struggles of diverse communities firsthand. And today, I stand with President Donald Trump because his America First agenda isnt just a policyits a promise to put the needs of all Americans, from every background, above everything else. Through my own journey, Ive come to understand a simple yet powerful truth: when America puts its own interests first, we all prosper. On March 4, 2025, during his address to Congress, President Trump made a resounding declaration: America is back. That powerful statement marked a pivotal moment, signaling to both the American people and the world that the United States is no longer retreating but is reasserting its strength and leadership on the global stage. Under his leadership, we are witnessing a bold shift that puts American workers, industries, and sovereignty first. Image by Freepik AI. Critics may focus on short-term market fluctuations or the noise of political discourse, but the truth is, President Trumps policies are building a stronger, more prosperous America for everyone. It's time to stop getting distracted and start seeing the real results that are lifting all communities across this country. The World Taking Advantage of America: A Personal Reflection As someone whos traveled the globe, Ive seen firsthand how weak U.S. leadership allowed unfair trade deals, weak foreign policies, and leaders more interested in their careers than on serving the people has weakened America. But those days are gone. As President Trump has said, America will no longer play the role of sucker on the world stage. Under his leadership, we are no longer allowing other countries to exploit us, and American interests are finally being put first. Standing Up to Our Neighbors: Canada and Mexicos Unfair Advantage Now, Lets address the issue of our neighborsCanada and Mexico. Trudeaus recent comments about a trade war and unjustified tariffs are a distraction from the fact that Canada has enjoyed unfair trade advantages over the U.S. for decades through NAFTA, at the expense of American workers. Under President Trump, we are ending these one-sided deals. America is standing up for itself, demanding a fair deal, not appeasing foreign interests. Trudeaus claim that tariffs will raise costs for American consumers misses the point: America is finally insisting on fairness. If Canada, under Trudeau, wants to keep benefiting from this relationship, theyll have to play by the rules. Theres no longer room for one-way trade deals that bleed American industries dry. As for Mexico, before President Trump took office, the country allowed the worst criminals in the worldincluding cartel members, human traffickers, and dangerous criminalsto cross the border unchecked, putting American lives at risk. President Claudia Sheinbaums displeasure with Trumps tariffs ignores this larger issueMexico has long exploited the U.S. on trade, immigration, and security. Now, under Trumps leadership, the U.S. is securing the border, cracking down on cartels, and shifting the balance of power. If Mexico wants to continue enjoying favorable treatment, theyll have to stop exploiting America or face a much tougher, more competitive relationship. Key Achievements Under Trumps Economic Agenda Record Low Unemployment and Job Growth Under Trump, we've seen historic job creation, particularly for African Americans, immigrants, and working-class families. The unemployment rate for African Americans dropped to 5.4% before the pandemic. By January 2025, 250,000 jobs were added, with significant growth in manufacturing, construction, and energy sectors. 1/ Trump's policies are restoring opportunities that globalist policies had previously undermined. GDP Growth and Economic Expansion In the first quarter of 2025, 2 / U.S. GDP grew by 3.2%, 3 / showing that Trump's economic strategy is effective. His tax cuts, deregulation, and push for competitiveness have driven this growth, with the economy growing more than 4% annually during his first term. This shift towards domestic manufacturing and cutting red tape sets the U.S. up for long-term economic dominance. Trade Deficits Narrowing and Reshoring Jobs Trumps tariffs are addressing unfair trade practices, with the U.S. trade deficit with China shrinking by 15% in 2024. 4 / Manufacturing jobs are returning to America, with over 500,000 jobs added between 2017-2019. Efforts to reshore key industries like technology and pharmaceuticals are reducing Americas reliance on foreign imports, boosting domestic job growth. Energy Independence and National Security Thanks to deregulation, the U.S. is now the worlds largest producer of oil and natural gas, achieving energy independence for the first time in decades. This strengthens national security and provides economic stability, allowing the U.S. to stand up to OPEC and Russia. In 2025, energy independence supports millions of high-paying jobs and secures a reliable energy future. 5 / Addressing Critics: Short-Term Market Fluctuations There are always going to be critics who focus on the short-term market struggles, and theyll continue to harp on the noise from temporary setbacks in the stock market or the challenges of tariff wars. But the reality is, Trumps policies are about positioning America for long-term success, not short-term gains. Every transition period comes with challenges, especially when youre reversing decades of bad trade deals and bringing back jobs that were outsourced by previous administrations. These are the kinds of growing pains that happen when you decide to reshape the future. While the critics wring their hands about short-term market fluctuations, Trumps policies are building a more resilient economy that will stand the test of time. The Future of America: Why Trumps Vision Is the Right One Europe and other parts of the world may seem to be performing well for the moment, but lets be clear: those economies depend on weak supply chains and foreign labor, and they cannot control their economic futures. America is headed in a different direction, thanks to President Trump. The focus isnt just on quick winsits on creating sustainable, long-term growth that will make America the undisputed leader in the global economy. Under President Trump, were reshoring manufacturing, cutting reliance on foreign energy, and building a self-reliant economy. The America First agenda isnt about isolationismits about ensuring that America can stand on its own two feet, with a strong workforce, thriving industries, and an economy that serves the people who built it. In the long run, history will look back and recognize that President Trumps "America First" policies werent just successfulthey were absolutely essential for Americas future. While critics may complain about short-term stock market struggles, the truth is that Trumps economic vision is setting America up for long-term prosperity. Were bringing jobs home, securing energy independence, and positioning our country for a future of economic strength. Im proud to support President Trump because his policies are working, and theyre working for a wide range of groups, including racial minorities, religious minorities, working-class families, veterans, immigrants, small business owners, rural communities, and blue-collar workers. Its time to stop listening to the noise and start looking at the facts. Under President Trumps second term, America is not just strongits getting stronger by the day. The future of America is bright under his leadership. ________________________ Notes 1 / While Trump was not president in 2024, the positive economic effects seen in 2025 are a continuation of policies he enacted before leaving office. The 250,000 jobs added are part of the recovery and growth stemming from those policies, which have laid the foundation for job creation now that Trump is back in office. 2 / The economic growth seen so far in 2025 reflects the continued effects of Trumps policies from his first term, which Biden wasnt completely able to stifle. They are driving the current recovery and growth. 3 / The 3.2% growth figure for Q1 2025 is based on ongoing data but must be clarified as projections because the first quarter of 2025 is still in progress. 4 / Biden maintained some of Trumps trade policies against China. To the extent that there is economic growth now, it reflects the continued effects of Trumps policies from his first term, which drive the current recovery and growth. For years, everyone trying to undermine K12 often had to look the other way. They didnt dare discuss Rudolf Fleschs famous book explaining why Johnny cant read. Instead, these resourceful meddlers treated Flesch as a pariah. They won the battle. As a result, a huge percentage of Americans can hardly read or write. Our schools dont bother with geography, arithmetic, history, basic science, etc. But why would our subversives want these particular victories? Come on, lets state the obvious impasse. Schools are supposed to transmit knowledge, right? What would be the motive for deviating from this most excellent tradition? Two hundred fifty years ago, President John Adams explained the whole thing in eleven words. He said, Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people. In other words, the first step in destroying liberty is to take knowledge away from the people. That goal has been largely accomplished by our education professors. How did John Adams figure this out in 1775, but many of our credentialed experts are only now perceiving the ruin that endless mendacity can bring to a society? We sink to the level of our leaders, and then lower. Recently I encountered the most important insight about reading Ive ever seen in our media. It appeared on a major education site and reveals the angst among academics that even the better students have become increasingly ignorant and illiterate. The author, Teresa MacPhail, wrote, We all kind of feel lost these days, myself included. ... I keep coming back to theres something broken in American culture. The response of my fellow academics, however, reassures me that Im not simply indulging in intergenerational grousing. Anecdotally, I have literally never met a professor, who did not share my experience. Im sure this writer struggled mightily to justify and then forget the central alibi: massive educational failure is just one of those things. After all, shes writing in the Chronicle of Higher Education, godfather of conventional wisdom on education. In her heart, I bet she agrees with me, a practical reformer. I bet she suspects that our decline is counterintuitive and can be explained only if shysters have taken over. A second teacher-journalist, Adam Kotsko, responding in Slate, said that the literacy crisis he has seen among his students is different from anything before. He describes it as a conspiracy without conspirators. No one literally set out to design a system in which students were not taught the skills they need to become effective readers. Oh, really?! I am reminded of Germans saying they didnt know about those death factories in the woods. Our Education Establishment has shown genius at deliberately selecting theories and methods that, despite the rosy claims, turn out not to work. Then the self-appointed experts, by a blitzkrieg of sophistry and jargon, numbed common sense. So heres a teacher with a job in K12 who thinks there are no conspirators when it seems to me theres not much else. Do you wonder why so many students at all levels are dropping out of school? Theyre depressed from not learning anything, rarely understanding anything, consumed as they are by false theories. All they know is that theyre in school for many years but cant read. They feel very stupid, and they want to escape from this place ASAP. Why Johnny Cant Read came out in 1955 and sold millions of copies. Flesch explained that the professors were asking children to learn to read English words as if they were Egyptian hieroglyphics or Chinese ideograms (which are memorized visually one by one). He said that surely, everyone understands that this approach is insane. That is the only mistake made by Flesch. He underestimated the desperate creativity of our ideologue professors. They told the lies necessary to throw phonics in the gutter. For me, understanding the great American reading hoax was a project lasting years. I finally learned that after the Russian Revolution circa 1919, Lenin and Stalin loudly proclaimed the Communist International. They had just defeated imperial Russia and believed they could defeat the smaller United States. Agents of influence (thats the technical term) were sent around the world to infiltrate media, education, government agencies, foundations, and cultural institutions. That was the true beginning of a 100-year war, which at times has been called the Cold War. By 1921 these conquistadors, AKA the Comintern, were aggressively involved in American politics down to the state and city level. (If any of this history is news to you, please ask your A.I.) Here is another brilliant quote from John Adams: Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak, and that it is doing Gods service when it is violating all his laws. Thats what smart sounds like. The usual suspects like to make phonics sound very complicated. No, its easy. The kids have to memorize the letters, their names, their sounds, and that English reads left to right. This process takes several months. Thats why phonics experts insist that they can teach virtually all children to read in the first grade. The pretenders we have now squander most of the K12 years so the children remain struggling readers indefinitely. Thats what teachers are finally having to acknowledge: huge waste going nowhere. When phonics experts insist they can teach every child to read in the first grade, why would anyone support a method that hardly teaches children to read, ever? It was difficult for me to understand these treacheries. But I did understand the pattern common among communist dictators like Pol Pot, Stalin, Mao, and so on. They always want to be at the top of a centralized government so they have all the power and can kill almost anyone who threatens them. Naturally, they prefer everyone else to be dumb, uninformed, and passive. I believe thats the true meaning of illiteracy for the commissars among us. The melancholy thing about K12 is that so few upscale people bother noticing the rot. We have the new Department of Government Efficiency. Now we need DOEE, the Department of Education Efficiency. A reasonable goal would be at least twice the education for less than half the price. Ive been thinking for years that we need some very successful business people to get involved. In the last election, I watched Bill Paxton, financial whiz, separate himself from the loony left, and I thought, thats the guy for the job. Seriously, Mr. Paxton, I hope you consider this. Trump will ask, What are you waiting for? Bruce Deitrick Price is the author of Saving K12. (His new novel, The Boy Who Saves the World, is a smart, fast-paced mystery. Very entertaining. Its sci-fi about A.I., but women like it as much as men do.) Image via Pexels. Except for the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, immigration laws were not restrictive until the 1920s. Because of the incredible growth of manufacturing during the last third of the 19th century, millions of people from Europe (but also other parts of the world) were welcomed as workers into the USA with few restrictions in the decades 1880-1920. In 1880, the population of the USA was approximately 50 million, and in 1920, the population was 106 million. So, during that 40 year period, our population grew by 56 million, which included an incredible 25 million immigrants plus their children and grandchildren. Emma Lazarus sonnet, which included the words, Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free was added to the Statue of Liberty in 1903. As migrants from Europe moved into jobs in the East, many in the East continued to move westward. With the Westward movement during the 19th century, there were great opportunities for vast numbers of people to become landowners, but in the new, industrialized sectors of the East, there were many fewer opportunities to become managers and capitalist owners. In the agricultural sector, we had large landowners and small landowners, large cattle ranches and small cattle ranches. However, within the ranch subculture, we had cowboys who took care of the horses and cattle but did not own the land or the animals. The Westward movement was less stratified than the industrialized East. Many of the millions of immigrants became farmers, but the lions share became wage employees of the factories that were being built in the eastern part of the U.S. If the third generation (the grandchildren of immigrants) are included, then more than two-thirds of workers in the manufacturing sector were of recent immigrant stock. The manufacturing sector in the late 19th century was populated with many leftist-minded immigrants. Many arrived believing that they, as workers, were in a class struggle with an elite class (the nobility) that had enjoyed rights and powers that they had been excluded from for centuries. The new immigrants did not connect with that sense of individualism that had marked our culture until 1880. The ideal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness which was an ideal for free individuals -- began to succumb to socialist groupthink, and the idea that man is first and foremost a social animal and that his or her membership in society (understand society to imply class) reveals his or her true commitments and identity. John Dewey with his prodigious writings and his socialistic commitments became the leader who revamped our education system beginning in the late 1890s and continuing on into the 1920s and up to this very day. Classical and Christian educational goals were sacrificed in the interest of producing cooperative workers for the future, people who were not individualistic in outlook, but collectivistic. This thrust in the direction of collectivism and expansion of federal power began during the administration of Pres. Woodrow Wilson. Wilson supported the creation of a Federal Reserve Bank to manipulate our monetary policy and a federal income tax to expand the administrative authority of the federal government. He clearly believed that an enlarged federal government was needed to control financial excesses of the wealthiest citizens albeit in a way that would, at the same time, be acceptable to those wealthiest citizens. These moves were high-level finesses to placate high-income individuals while, for the first time, introducing expanded federal controls over the financial upper class. In short, if it looks like socialism and smells like socialism, then it is [fill in the blank]. With Woodrow Wilsons support for the Federal Reserve and the income tax, the Republicans understood that we were moving in the wrong direction and that there was a link between the vast tide of immigration for forty years and the legislation being supported by the Dems as well as the fact that a socialist, Eugene Debs, ran for President three times by1920. New immigration laws were passed in the 1920s whereby immigration was limited to 2% of a nationality that was in the USA as of the 1890 census. The Congress, controlled by Republicans, realized that this flood of immigration was producing a widespread acceptance of a wrongheaded and un-American understanding of the body politic. Despite the Federal Reserve, which was created to prevent the regular depressions brought on by banking collapses in the 19th century, our banking system collapsed in 1930. The New Deal was initiated after FDR was elected President in 1932. He greatly expanded the role of the federal government with a long list of created alphabet agencies some of which exist to this day. Nevertheless, high unemployment continued until we began ramping up our military readiness as World War II loomed on the horizon. But during this Rooseveltian second phase of leftist commitment (Wilson was the first phase), we see that certain leftist professors in Germany, called the Frankfurt School, emigrated to the USA during the 1930s. They were Marxists who opposed the political and economic philosophy and dictates of Hitler whose fascism was just as totalitarian as the governance envisioned by the communists. They included such luminaries as Herbert Marcuse, Max Horkheimer, Walter Benjamin, Eric Fromm, and Theodore Adorno. The arrival of these brilliant communists ushered in the infection of American education with communist ideas and ideals. Since that time higher education in the USA has increasingly bought into the Frankfurt School vision where it now is dominant in many of our most prestigious schools. Law and order now exists to protect the rights and legitimacy of the intellectual Left. Bourgeois capitalism allied and aligned with and supported by Judeo-Christian morality is now considered out-of-date and even wretchedly elitist by many of our top thinkers. This is the essence of why they despise -- yes, have utter contempt for -- Trump and his followers. Trump represents a return to pre-Wilsonian ideals of individualism and bourgeois initiative, a pro-life and Judeo-Christian world where the unborn, considered as an individual, also has rights, especially the right to life. It is a relational world where the individual is defined by his or her gifts and behavior, not by his or her group identity. Identity politics is replaced by real identity based on the search for self, not on the search to be in the so-called right group that will express who I am. Pres. Trump and his supporters numbering close to 80 million persons are rejecting the post-Deweyan and post-Frankfurt School mindset with a more God-centered and individualistic mindset. Family values as traditionally understood are still in jeopardy, but may see a renaissance. This return is needed and will be refreshing. Jeffrey Ludwig is a prolific online writer, and the author of four books available on amazon.com. He is a Harvard Master Teacher, and served as Editor of the International Trade Alert, a leading export-import publication, and was listed four times in Whos Who Among Americas High School Teachers. He pastors a small Bible-believing church. Image: Public Domain The Mississippi legislature has a clear conservative mandate yet sometimes struggles to get things done. Why? Governor Tate Reeves clearly has a vision for Mississippi. He wants to promote economic growth and eliminate the state income tax. Hes also pretty big on law and order, efforts to improve the educational system, and workforce development. Agree with him or not, its undeniable that he has a plan for our state. So, too, does the Speaker of the House, Jason White. Hes made an income-tax elimination bill his number one goal for this session. Under Speaker Whites leadership, the House has also passed bills to extend school choice and reduce the red tape that restricts healthcare. The House is moving forward with purpose. But what about the Senate? Whats their plan? Two months into a three-month session, it remains a mystery. Instead, the Senate leadership has spent much of the session saying no to nearly every proposal on the table. School choice? (Almost) killed in committee. Restoring the ballot initiative? Denied. Income tax elimination? Dont hold your breath. The Senate leadership has blocked conservative reforms at every turn -- without offering any ideas of their own. This is baffling. Mississippians have overwhelmingly elected conservative leaders to every statewide office. Yet here we are, watching the Senate leadership stall policies that align with the values voters supported, all while failing to present an alternative path forward. Normally at this stage of a session, if the House and Senate were gridlocked, you would expect a negotiation. How can the House negotiate with a Senate leadership that struggles to even articulate what it wants? This isnt a one-off. Were seeing a pattern emerge. First, the House signals its intent for reform -- think Speaker Whites focus on income-tax elimination and school choice this year, or school funding reform last year. Then, the Senate responds with silence -- no counterproposals, no vision. Finally, when the House sends its bills over, Senate leadership works to kill them, often without a serious alternative. Is this really the best we can do? Contrast this with Washington. In just over a month since President Trump began his second term, weve seen a flurry of bold initiatives. Hes accomplished more in weeks than some Mississippi leaders have in years. Our taxpayers deserve better than a legislature that cant agree on basic conservative priorities like empowering parents in education or cutting taxes. For too long, the process in Jackson has been shrouded in mystery. Bills die in committee with no explanation, no accountability, and no recorded votes. Were told the support isnt there -- yet no one sees the tally. Its time for transparency. Thats why the Mississippi Center for Public Policy (MCPP) is stepping up. We have four clear goals for this session: Public-to-public school choice, Income tax elimination, Anti-DEI legislation and Certificate of Need repeal. Bills addressing each of these priorities have been drafted. By sessions end, every lawmaker will have had the chance to support them. Soon, well launch an online tool for our 80,000 subscribers statewide, showing which senators, representatives, and statewide officials earn a Trump approval -- and which ones side with the progressive agenda. Mississippians deserve to know whos delivering and whos dodging. Douglas Carswell is the President and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. Image: State of Mississippi The Crime Prevention Research Center brought the receipts. According to the findings of a new study from the CPRC, armed civilians do a better job than law enforcement officers to stop active shooters, with fewer mistakes to boot. Heres what John R. Lott, Jr., president of the the CPRC, explained of the findings: In non-gun-free zones, where civilians are legally able to carry guns, concealed carry permit holders stopped 51.5 percent of active shootings, compared to 44.6 percent stopped by police, CPRC found in a deep dive into active shooter scenarios between 2014 and 2023. Not only do permit holders succeed in stopping active shooters at a higher rate, but law enforcement officers face significantly greater risks when intervening. Our research found police were nearly six times more likely to be killed and 17 percent more likely to be wounded than armed civilians. I say this in all seriousness, God bless the work of the CPRC because compiled and organized data is invaluable in the gun debate, but of course armed Americans physically present for whats fixing to be a massacre do a better job of preserving innocent life than government hires not near the coming carnage. As the saying goes, When seconds count, police are minutes away. Remember Eli Dicken in Indiana who took out a would-be mass shooter loaded with extra magazines full of rifle rounds? The shooter began firing at 5:56:48 pm 15 seconds later, at 5:57:03 pm 22-year-old Eli Dicken carrying a handgun under the new constitutional carry law, fired 10 rounds from 40 yards, hitting the shooter eight times. The shooter collapsed and died.#614clinton pic.twitter.com/WSTLOd5ch4 Clinton (@614clinton) January 24, 2024 What about Jack Wilson, who saved a whole church full of people when he took down the shooter with a headshot from at least 50 feet away? The Center also revealed that of the 180 cases its researchers looked into, a bystander was hit in only one instance (.56%) of the time, interference with police happened zero times, armed civilians suffered injuries themselves 24.4% of the time, and the shooting they prevented [was] likely to be a mass public shooting in a whopping 32% of the case examples. Its not unknown why the Founders included the Second Amendmentunless youre a leftist idiotand it wasnt because they just wanted to guarantee a persons right to to don waders and go duckhunting, but once again, with the data in, the Second Amendment proves itself to be the best protection against undeserved violence. Not only the violence that the state would surely inflict upon us if we were unarmed (all states do), but against violence from those who should be our very neighbor. In the words of George Mason: I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people except for a few public officials. Hat tip: Thomas Lifson. Image: Free image, Pixabay license. 'Hardest Geezer' Russ Cook has set off on his challenge to run the entire length of New Zealand. 'Hardest Geezer' Russ Cook is trying to run the entire length of New Zealand The 27-year-old Brit made headlines last year after successfully running the full length of Africa and is now attempting to complete the 3,000km length of Aotearoa, New Zealand on the epic Te Araroa trail. Cook kicked off his journey at Stirling Point in Bluff at the southern tip of the South Island and will head north through a diverse trail of mountains, native forests and wild coastlines. The 'Hardest Geezer' has been set another challenge by partners 100% Pure New Zealand to slow down and immerse himself in the nation's culture with a bungee jump off Auckland Harbour, canyon swing in Queenstown and skydive in Abel Tasman. Speaking from the start line, Cook said: "I can't wait to set off on this challenge and begin to explore Aotearoa New Zealand. I've always wanted to see the country's incredible landscapes, experience its unique culture, and meet the hospitable local people. The incredible, warm, welcome I've received so far has already given me a glimpse of how special the journey ahead of me will be. "For me, there's no better way to explore New Zealand than getting outside in this beautiful warm Autumn weather and discovering it all on foot. I'm feeling prepared and excited for everything Te Araroa has to offer." If you like American Thinkers content, please consider subscribing here for access to an exclusive, weekly newsletter offering insight from the editorial staff. When youre a leftist and the media tell you Elon Musk bad you listen like the useful idiot you are, and you apparently burn down electric vehicle charging stations in protest. (Lets not forget that these are the same people whove been blindly defending Washington D.C. as its funneled billions of taxpayer dollars to green initiatives and companies, including Tesla, for years.) Heres the story, from Samuel Osborne at Sky News: Tesla charging stations have been set on fire in the US state of Massachusetts as a backlash against Elon Musk grows. [snip] Officers and firefighters rushed to The Point Shopping Center near Boston and found the charging stations engulfed in flames and heavy, dark smoke. Police said seven charging stations were damaged and the fire appears to have been intentionally set, but no injuries were reported. Because thatll sure show him! Wreaking destruction in the suburbs, creating a situation to inconvenience average people just trying to get by who have nothing to do with Musks role at DOGE, while some Tesla manager simply files an insurance claim, which eventually, like all things, gets saddled on the back of the taxpayers, through tax credits, bailouts, or some other shady deal. And the only impact it has on Elon himself is simple awarenessbut only if he happens to come across the story in the news. Only a Democrat voter could be so low-IQ. Also worth noting is that whoever burned down these charges is no doubt a leftistanarchic chaos is their calling cardand therefore is probably also a greenie. Can someone explain to me how lighting a car charging station on fire, sending burning plastic and burning lithium into the air, thereby creating a toxic plume of thick smoke that we all get to inhale, makes any statement except Im the stupidest person on the planet? That was rhetoricalit cant be explained, because theres nothing logical or legitimate about it. Theres more though: CNN labels Tesla attacks PEACEFUL." Theyre at it again. Since when is blowing up charging stations and shooting up dealerships considered peaceful?" If a bunch of red-hats were going around firing bullets into buildings theyd label it domestic terrorism. You cant hate pic.twitter.com/uDUAYjAWfj Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) March 11, 2025 And peaceful bullets officially dethrones mostly peaceful protests. Ive said this before but its becoming compulsory at this point: voting is not a human right, and there certainly ought to be more scrutinous measures applied to the American voting system, and leftists are endlessly perfect and real examples of why. Image generated by AI. We learned that former Congressman Lincoln Diaz Balart passed away in Miami. We remember him as a prominent Cuban American figure and a longtime Republican politician who represented South Florida in Congress for nearly 20 years. He was an institution in South Florida and evidence of the Cuban influence in U.S. politics. What many people don't know is that his father fought Fidel Castro years ago. My own father once told me. Let me share the story with you: Diaz-Balart served as Majority Leader of the Cuban House of Representatives and Under-Secretary of Interior during the presidency of Fulgencio Batista. In 1955, he gave a speech before the Cuban House of Representatives in opposition to the amnesty granted to his former brother-in-law, Fidel Castro, for his involvement in the 1953 attack on the Moncada Barracks. Diaz-Balart was elected senator in 1958, but was unable to take office due to Fidel Castros rise to power on January 1, 1959. He founded Louisiana Rosa Blanca (The White Rose), the first anti-Castro organization, in January 1959. The amnesty allowed Castro to get out of prison and eventually leave for Mexico. He started his movement there, added a fellow named Che to the ranks and eventually landed in Cuba to overthrow Batista. Diaz-Balart warned Cubans and he turned out to be right although my father said that no one really paid attention to him because Batista's credibility was gone. Another interesting angle to this family is that Mirta Diaz-Balart, Lincoln's aunt, married Fidel Castro in 1948. She had a son by him and eventually divorced and died in Spain recently. Small world and an island with a complicated history as my parents used to say. Rest in peace, Lincoln. He did a lot to keep the focus on Castro. P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. Image: U.S. Congress This pig with a reddish-brown coat and a prominent white stripe might not look very remarkable, but during the late 19th century, it became a symbol of protest among Danish farmers. For a long, long time, the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein were at the heart of a long-standing dispute. These areas were caught between Denmark and the German-speaking world, and neither states could decide who should rule the two regions. Schleswig was historically tied to Denmark, while Holstein was part of the German-speaking Holy Roman Empire. Over time, both regions ended up being ruled together, even though they technically belonged to different countries. In 1460, the estates of Schleswig and Holstein, through the Treaty of Ribe, declared that the two duchies should remain "forever together, undivided," though they would retain separate allegiancesSchleswig to Denmark and Holstein to the Empire. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Denmark tried several times to integrate Schleswig more fully, provoking tensions with German states. After the Napoleonic Wars, Holstein officially became part of the German Confederation, further straining relations with Denmark, which still controlled both Schleswig and Holstein. By the 19th century, growing nationalism led to sharper divisions between those who identified as Danish and those who saw themselves as German. This escalating conflict culminated in the First Schleswig War (18481851) and later the Second Schleswig War (1864), in which Denmark suffered major defeats at Dybbl and Als. The war ended with the Treaty of Vienna (1864), in which Denmark ceded Schleswig, Holstein, and Lauenburg to Prussia and Austria. Prussia swiftly took control of Danish territories and imposed a series of strict laws aimed at suppressing Danish identity, including a ban on displaying the Danish flag. According to legend, in response to these restrictions, Danish separatist farmers began selectively breeding pigs using breeds such as the Angeln Saddleback and the Tamworth. Their goal was to create an animal that subtly resembled their beloved flaga red coat with a white vertical stripe. While they were unable to replicate the horizontal stripe, they succeeded in producing a distinctive breed that became a symbol of quiet defiance. Culturally Danish communities began celebrating this pig as the "Danish Protest Pig," or Husumer Protestschwein. In 1954, the breed was officially recognized under the name Husum Red Pied, or Husumer Rotbunte. The last known appearance of a sow with piglets at an agricultural show was in Rendsburg in 1968, after which the breed was believed to have gone extinct. However, in 1984, red-colored pigs matching the Husum Red Pieds characteristics reappeared in Berlin. Today, fewer than 60 of these rare animals survive, primarily in zoos. The rumor of an Xbox handheld has been floating around for months, but up until now, not much was really known about Microsofts launch plans for the hardware. A new report suggests that Microsoft is looking to launch such a handheld in the latter half of 2025. Handhelds are all the rage these days, and with the popularity of options like home console/handheld hybrids like the Nintendo Switch, as well as the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally X, and others like Lenovos recently launched Legion Go S, its likely this popularity will continue. These are all PC gaming handhelds, though. So what about proper handhelds from the likes of Microsoft and Sony? Sony has the PlayStation Portal, which is limited to streaming content from your PS5. It also has rumored plans of launching a handheld that plays PS5 games natively. Microsoft, for its part, has talked about doing a handheld. However, there have been nothing more than rumors and a confirmation that the Xbox team is considering making such a device. The latest rumor sheds more light on what Microsofts plans look like. Its not exactly what you might think. Microsoft plans to launch an Xbox handheld later this year An Xbox handheld is an exciting prospect for fans of the platform. Its something fans have wanted for a while. But what exactly does that look like in practice? According to a new report from Windows Central, its supposed to be launching later this year. Thats if everything goes according to plan. The report states that Microsoft is working with a manufacturing partner to make the handheld. So the hardware doesnt sound like its being made completely in-house. Its also noted that there is a strong possibility the device will be running Windows. If thats true, then this will be more of a handheld gaming PC than an actual handheld Xbox device. The handheld, which is reportedly codenamed Keenan internally, will have Xbox branding and official Xbox hardware, such as an Xbox Guide button and other Xbox design elements. The handheld will also potentially focus on presenting Xbox Game Pass and the Microsoft Store as the front and center elements for accessing games. Microsoft may also plan to launch the next Xbox console in 2027 In addition to the handheld slated for this year, the next Xbox console could be coming in 2027. The rumor states that Microsoft is looking at launching a successor to the Xbox Series X as a premium option. This suggests that Microsoft may not launch a less powerful variant of its next-gen console in the way of the Xbox Series S, instead focusing on one piece of hardware with more powerful performance. The company also reportedly plans to launch several new controller options. Microsoft is said to be keeping its commitment to making games backward-compatible so owners of the next-gen console can play their older games, too. Google seems to be bringing an enhanced desktop mode with the Android 16 update. The new iteration of the OS will make it easier for users to use an external display with their Android smartphones. According to Android Authority, Google is working on new features to manage external displays with Android phones. Notably, these new tools may further push Android to transform from a mobile OS into a proper desktop interface. Google is experimenting with a Samsung DeX-like desktop mode in Android 16 beta As per the source, Google is testing a Samsung DeX-like desktop mode for more Android phones in the latest Android 16 beta 2.1 update. The DeX functionality allows Samsung flagship phones to trigger a desktop-like experience on external monitors. Although the Android 16 beta 2.1 release doesnt automatically activate the enhanced desktop features, Android developer Mishaal Rahman has successfully enabled them manually with some effort. Rahman enabled two features that ease external display management with Android phones. The first one lets users run the mouse cursor between the display and the Android phone. He also posted a video showing that Android 16 may allow users to move the cursor freely between screens without limitations. This could let you use your phone with an external monitor just like a personal computer. Google could make external display management better in Android 16 Currently, when you connect the latest Google Pixel phones to an external display, you can mirror the screen. However, by tweaking some developer options, you can extend the screen in Android 16s beta 2.1 release. The source further showed a mirror built-in display toggle to switch between mirroring and extending your phones screen. Furthermore, you may eventually be able to adjust the size of the text and icons on the external display. Besides, you can control the refresh rate of the screen. As of now, its not clear if Android 16s first public build will bring these enhanced desktop features. Theres a possibility that Google may be keeping the new external display management functionalities for one of the first quarterly releases of Android 16. We can only wait to find out more. Online scam attempts have been present practically since the dawn of the internet. After all, its simply a matter of transferring practices carried out in the real world to the digital environment, taking advantage of additional tech tools to boost their effectiveness. According to the FTC, 2024 was an especially fruitful year for cybercriminals in the US, with significant involvement of AI and crypto. The US FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has revealed that it received 2.6 million fraud reports in 2024. Overall, the agency estimates losses of around $12.5 billion. This represents a huge increase compared to the figures for 2023. In that year, accumulated losses barely reached $2.5 billion. Interestingly, the number of reports in both years was similar. Thus, criminals are becoming more effective at stealing more funds from victims. $12.5 billion stolen from Americans last year in online scams According to the FTC, the majority of the losses were due to impersonation. Bad actors posed as relatives, potential romantic interests, close friends, or even government or technical support agents. The main method of contact for the scams was social media. However, the FTC did not provide details about which social platform was most commonly used by attackers. One of the most extremeand viralscam cases of 2024 was that of a woman who sent up to $800,000 to someone posing as Brad Pitt, the popular actor. Although this case did not occur in the US, it clearly shows how far these types of attacks can go. The incidents primarily rely on social engineering methods. Cybercriminals try to create a sense of concern or urgency in victims to somehow force them to send money. The popular belief is that the people most prone to scam situations are those who are less tech-savvy or older. However, the FTC reveals that the majority of reports came from people between the ages of 20 and 29. That said, older people who fell for scams lost more money than other age groups. Another very common scam method is related to alleged job and business opportunities. The FTC reveals that the number of reports tripled between 2020 and 2024. The accumulated funds stolen through these types of scams also grew exponentially. There were $501 million in losses in 2024, compared to $90 million in 2020. AI and crypto are increasingly present in crypto scams, the FTC warns Bank transfers remain the most common method through which victims lose money to scams. However, cryptocurrency payments have taken on a fundamental role in these incidents. Victims lost around $2 billion through bank transfers in 2024, while the amount stolen in crypto was around $1.4 billion. In addition to payments via crypto, AI-powered scams are becoming much more common and effective, the FTC warns. AI platforms can even generate audio recordings of your loved ones voices. So, you should be extremely cautious when a supposedly distressed relative asks you for money. YouTube TV is currently being questioned by the Federal Communications Chairman, Brendan Carr, over its refusal to carry Great American Media. Carr is inquiring to see if YouTube TV has a policy that discriminates against faith-based channels. The letter was sent to Googles CEO, Sundar Pichai, and YouTubes CEO, Neal Mohan. In the letter, Carr cites the complaint from Great American Media, which claims that YouTube TV refuses to carry one of its networks. Currently, the FCC has limited power over virtual multichannel video programming distributors like YouTube TV, however, the agency is considering whether it should expand its rules to include them. Carr raises the issue that these allegations come at a time when American public discourse has experienced an unprecedented surge in censorship. In too many cases, tech companies silenced individuals for doing nothing more than expressing themselves in the digital town square. The chairman is asking Pichai and Mohan to brief the FCC on its carriage negotiation process. The channel in the complaint, Great American Family, is already distributed across cable providers, as well as digital TV providers like Fubo, Sling, DIRECTV Stream and Hulu. YouTube TV has responded to the FCC A spokesperson for YouTube, Audrey Lopez said in a statement that YouTube TV welcomes the opportunity to brief the FCC on YouTube TV subscription service and the strategic business decisions we make based on factors like user demand, operational cost and financial terms, and to reiterate that we do not have any policies that prohibit religious content. Its important to note that Great American Media does have a pretty large presence across YouTube already. So its not so much that YouTube is censoring them, they are simply not carrying their channels (which are freely available on YouTube itself). This isnt the only trouble that YouTube is in right now, as Ohio Representative Jim Jordan has subpoenaed Google about whether YouTube removed content from its platform at the request of the Biden Administration. This isnt surprising, as Republicans have long accused tech giants of trying to censor conservatives, particularly those who are far right. Google has been constantly improving the user experience of the Gemini AI assistant since its initial debut as Bard in 2023. Apart from adding new functionalities to the Gemini Live assistant from time to time, Google is also working toward enhancing the multilingual capabilities of the chatbot. Thats why Gemini Live will soon get support for adding a second language, which will let you talk to it in multiple languages like Spanglish, Hinglish, Italian, French, and more. Gemini Live is getting a feature allowing users to add another language for speech input Google has been working on allowing the Gemini Live assistant to engage users across different languages like Spanglish, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, and more for a long time. We already heard about Gemini Live getting support for additional languages in beta back in December. However, the beta version of the Google app at the time only had an option to add a second language, but there wasnt any option to select a language. In the latest Google app beta version 16.9.39.sa.arm64 for Android, theres now an option to add a second language for the Gemini Live assistant. In their teardown of the app, the folks over at Android Authority were able to choose from the list of available languages. Google has also updated its support page, which now says the Gemini Live assistant supports more than 45 languages. Its worth mentioning that the support text for adding a second language is only showing in the iPhone & iPad section of the support page. Theres only support for adding one secondary language at the moment Its worth mentioning that, as of now, users can only select one secondary language for Gemini. If you are using the beta version, you can head to the Gemini app > select a language option under Second language (speech only). Once selected, you can ask your queries to the assistant in either of the two languages. You will be able to have conversations in more than a single language on the Gemini overlay, within the application, and when talking to Gemini Live. As of now, its not clear when Google will roll out the support for a second Gemini language. However, since the feature has appeared in the beta version, we can expect it to be available very soon. Nobody really thought smartwatches were going to be a thing. A watch that youd have to charge every day? It seemed like a ridiculous idea, but yet, the wearables category took off. However, for the first time ever, the global smartwatch market drops in terms of overall shipments, according to the latest figures by Counterpoint. Apples still in the lead According to Counterpoint Researchs latest Global Smartwatch Shipments Tracker, smartwatch shipments fell 7% year-over-year in 2024. This marks the markets first-ever downturn. It seems that Apple had a big role to play in this. The companys Apple Watch saw a drop of 19% in shipments. However, despite the decline, Apple remained the top player in the global smartwatch market. This is thanks to its growing iOS user base. Counterpoints Senior Research Analyst Anshika Jain highlighted North America as the biggest culprit of Apples decline. The absence of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and minimal feature upgrades in the Apple Watch Series 10 led consumers to hold off on new purchases. Additionally, Apple has been hit with patent disputes, which impacted its shipments in the first half of the year. The analyst also cites the lack of a new Apple Watch SE model that contributed to Apples slowdown. But not everyone experienced similar downturns like Apple. Samsung posted 3% year-over-year growth, thanks to the Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Watch Ultra, and Galaxy Watch FE Series. Xiaomi also made waves, recording its fastest growth in 2024 and breaking into the top five global smartwatch brands for the first time. China also recorded the highest-ever smartwatch shipments, surpassing North America and India in 2024. Brands like Huawei, Imoo, and Xiaomi led the charge, largely thanks to their diverse product offerings, which include kid-focused smartwatches. Kids smartwatch segment on the rise Whats interesting about this data is that the kids smartwatch segment was the only category to experience growth. Chinese companies like Imoo dominated this space. Its products attracted parents looking for affordable, feature-packed smartwatches to track and stay connected with their kids. According to Counterpoint Associate Director David Naranjo, he predicts a gradual recovery for the smartwatch market in 2025. He expects to see single-digit growth. He also expects that more manufacturers will integrate AI features and advanced health sensors into their wearables in the future. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, presented a series of promises during his election campaign. The list included strengthening the local economy by having big tech companies move part of their production to the country. The implementation of tariffs is one of the measures that seeks to promote the achievement of this goal. In line with this, Samsung could move factories from Mexico to the US, according to Trump. Not only Samsung, but even LG is reportedly considering moving production plants in North America to the United States. This possibility arises from the 50 Wins for the American People in President Trumps First 50 Days report shared by the White House. As its name suggests, the document lists some of the main achievements of the new Washington administration during its first 50 days. Trumps cabinet says Samsung and LG could move factories from Mexico to the United States Its noteworthy that the list does not mention which products the plants that Samsung and LG could move to the United States manufacture. However, another independent report supports the White Houses claim and adds some additional information. According to the South Korean media outlet Yonhap, the factories primarily produce refrigerators and washing machines. These plants currently operate in Mexico. The potential relocation of LG and Samsungs North American appliance factories to the United States is believed to be a measure seeking to evade the tariffs imposed by the local government on imported goods. Donald Trumps tariffs primarily targeted countries that impose taxes on goods and services exported by the United States. The list of countries includes China, primarily India, and South Korea, among others. This may be just the beginning of new investments in the United States by global big tech companies. Setting up local factories will help them evade tariffs and, in turn, maintain favorable relations with the White House. Samsung has already established advanced semiconductor factories in the United States. The next step could be to produce some of its key appliance lineups in the country. More tech companies could take similar measures In February, Trump stated that Apple will also move factories from Mexico to the United States. On the other hand, some companies planning to invest billions in the US, such as TSMC, could still face tariffs. TSMCs case is special because it would be the result of potential tariffs on the use of Taiwanese chips. The movewhich is not yet officialwould be retaliation for Trumps claims a few weeks ago about the theft of chip technology. Carrie-Anne Moss believes walking away from her Hollywood career was the "greatest decision" of her life. Carrie-Anne Moss is glad she took a break from Hollywood to raise her children 'The Matrix' star, 57, took a lengthy break from making movies to focus on raising her three children with husband Steven Roy - and she admits feeling a "twinge" after all the great jobs she was turning down but she has no regrets about putting her family first. Moss told The Independent newspaper: "After 'The Matrix' was such a big deal, I took a big, big break to have children and be with them. "I remember being torn, having a little twinge like: Gosh, Im getting offered such great things. That would be such a huge deal. "And I was holding my baby in my arms, and I remember thinking: At the end of my life, will it matter to me that I have another movie on my resume? "Or will it matter to me that I held my baby? And I instantly thought, no. It was just a no-brainer. "And Im so glad I did that. Im so glad I dont have that regret." She went on to add: "For my career, maybe not so much, but that was the greatest decision I ever made in my life." Moss has starred in four movies in 'The Matrix' series and she previously admitted she appreciated the way the directors - The Wachowskis sisters Lana and Lilly Wachowski - didn't present her character Trinity as "overly sexualised". She told the Guardian newspaper: "When I did the first film, I was super-young; I didnt really understand all the different things that were happening, it was just such a whirlwind. "When I saw the movie I was overwhelmed by it. Id never seen myself in that way on a big screen. One of the things that I love about Trinity has to do with the gaze of the filmmakers. "Its Lana, and how she shoots. She loves Trinity so much. I can really appreciate it, in hindsight. "I didnt feel that she was overly sexualised, and I dont think they would have picked me anyway if they were looking for that. I am grateful, in Hollywood terms, that it wasnt taken in that direction." An operation to rescue hundreds of people taken hostage when a train was hijacked by a separatist militant group in remote south-west Pakistan has ended with dozens killed in the onslaught, a spokesperson for the army has said. Pakistans security services claimed late on Wednesday to have rescued about 190 people who were being held captive after militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) blew up a railway line and launched an attack on the Jaffar Express train. Related: Where is Balochistan and why is it the target of Iran and Pakistan strikes? The hijacking took place as the train, which was carrying about 450 passengers, was travelling through a tunnel in the rugged mountains of Balochistan province on Tuesday afternoon. Officials said 33 militants and 21 hostages were killed, after military and security personnel launched an air and land offensive to take back control. The efforts had been hindered by the remote, treacherous terrain, which has made communication and mobilisation difficult. The BLA had threatened to start killing hostages unless authorities met its 48-hour deadline for the release of Baloch political prisoners, activists and missing people it says had been abducted by the military. On Wednesday night, the group claimed in a statement it had killed 50 of the hostages over Pakistans failure to engage in a serious prisoner exchange. According to local media reports, the BLA had stationed suicide bombers in explosive vests close to some of the hostages, further complicating their rescue. The terrorists are using innocent people as human shields, an official told Radio Pakistan. Yousaf Bashir was among the passengers who were allowed to leave the train. Describing the moment that the train was held up by the militants, he said: There was a huge blast. Everyone was scared and people were screaming and crying loudly. We laid down during the blasts. Everyone laid down in the train as there was firing too. He said militants had come over after the firing stopped and demanded all the passengers get off the train or be killed. They freed my children, my wife and me too. They warned us not to look back and kept walking. I did not see how many people there were left behind, said Bashir. Those the BLA allowed to leave the train described walking overnight to safety through the rugged mountain terrain for more than seven hours. In a written statement sent to the Guardian, the BLA said the hijacking was a direct response to Pakistans decades-long colonial occupation of Balochistan and the relentless war crimes committed against the Baloch people. Balochistan, a vast and underdeveloped region bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has for decades been home to a separatist insurgency fighting against the Pakistani state and military, which it has accused of neglecting and exploiting the region. The Bolan operation is a tactical response to these atrocities, intended to demonstrate that the occupying forces are not invincible and that their continued presence in Balochistan will be met with unwavering resistance, the BLA statement said. The BLA has recently ramped up its operations in Balochistan and has been behind some of the worst terrorist attacks in Pakistan in the past few years. Zahid Hussain, a security analyst, said the train hijacking was unprecedented. He added: This attack shows the situation in Balochistan has become very challenging for the military. They have failed to contain the insurgency and militants are recruiting large numbers to carry out such attacks. Omer Wenkert described being punched, beaten with an iron bar, spat on and forced to do physical exercises. Photograph: Nir Elias/Reuters An Israeli hostage freed by Hamas last month has described the distressing conditions and abuse he says he endured during 505 days held in Gaza. In an interview on Israeli television, Omer Wenkert, 23, said he had hidden in a bomb shelter with a close friend when it became clear the Nova music festival was under attack by Hamas and other militants from Gaza on 7 October 2023. You say Well this is probably the end, and then one of them started shooting us. It started to get hot and smoke came into the shelter, and then someone shouted from the entrance: Listen, theyre burning us. There was silence in the shelter, Wenkert told Channel 12. I was very busy the whole time Its terrible to say that, busy taking peoples bodies and putting them on my head to protect my head if they come to shoot us again, if a grenade comes. Wenkert survived but was forced into a pickup truck, driven into Gaza and hidden underground in a tunnel. His friend Kim Damti, a 22-year-old Irish-Israeli, was killed in or around the shelter. Related: Israel to cut off electricity in Gaza in apparent effort to force hand of Hamas In remarks widely reported in Israel, Wenkert said that he was held in a very small cell for much of his time in captivity, usually in complete darkness. The former restaurant manager described being punched, beaten with an iron bar, spat on and forced to do physical exercises. Mistreatment by his captors was often sparked by events during the war, Wenkert said. Every hostage deal that falls through it brings up a lot of frustration and rage and anger in them Thats just one of the reasons [for the abuse], also some days when their father is killed, their families, their elders are killed. You feel it. You know exactly whats happening, Wenkert said. At night, there was complete darkness, silence; absolute fear, Wenkert said, saying he spoke to himself out loud for two hours a day in order to stay sane. About 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the surprise Hamas raid into Israel and 251 taken hostage. In the ensuring Israeli offensive, more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, also mostly civilians, and much of the territory devastated. After a short-lived truce in November 2023, multiple efforts to secure a further pause in hostilities have failed. There was no independent confirmation of Wenkerts statements, but they match those of many other accounts. Since a ceasefire deal came into effect in mid-January, 25 living Israeli hostages have been freed by Hamas and the remains of eight returned. Israel has freed 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees and withdrawn from many of its positions in Gaza. Accounts of mistreatment and the poor physical condition of some released hostages have increased pressure on the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to agree a deal to secure the release of the 59 still held, of whom two-thirds are thought to be dead. The first phase of the ceasefire ended almost 10 days ago, but so far both Israel and Hamas have maintained a fragile de facto truce. There are currently daily Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, which have killed dozens. Israeli military officials say they are targeting militants who threaten their forces. Indirect talks are under way in Qatar but the demands of Israel and Hamas are proving difficult to reconcile. Israel has proposed an extension to the first phase of the ceasefire for up to 60 days along with further hostage and prisoner releases. Hamas want a definitive end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Egyptian mummies at the British Museum, London. The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations said it should become illegal to display such remains without consent. Photograph: Prisma by Dukas Presseagentur GmbH/Alamy The public display of human remains in the UK, including the ancient Egyptian mummies in the British Museum, is offensive and should be stopped, according to a group of MPs. A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations (APPG-AR) said it should become an offence to sell ancestral remains or publicly display them without consent. The report, Laying Ancestors to Rest, which is primarily concerned with African ancestral remains, said the possession by museums and universities of body parts brought to the UK as a result of enslavement and colonialism caused profound distress to their descendants, diaspora communities and countries of origin. Related: London exhibition explores design based on needs of nature and animals It calls for human remains, which include bones, skeletons, skin, hair and tissue incorporated into cultural artefacts, to be repatriated to their countries of origin wherever possible. The law should be changed to allow national museums, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum, to remove, or deaccession, remains in their permanent collections. MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the chair of the APPG-AR, said the reports recommendations would help address the racial injustice wrought by the colonial trade in human remains. Putting human remains on display is unethical, especially when no consent has been given, she added. I think removing the display of these items ultimately changes the culture, goes some way to look at them with some form of respect. There has been growing ethical debate in recent years over the display of Egyptian pharaohs mummies, with many in the museum sector now referring to them as mummified persons as a mark of respect, although they remain popular attractions. Ribeiro-Addy said: I would like people to imagine taking the remains of our monarchs to another country and putting them on display. Even if they kept them in their coffins, would we think that was acceptable? Currently, anyone can possess, buy and sell human body parts as long as they were not acquired illegally, and they are not used for transplants, only for decoration. But the APPG-AR proposes that the sale of human remains should be outlawed on the grounds that they are not commercial objects but human beings. Weve seen foetus earrings, weve seen foetuses in jars, the spine of a six-year-old being used as a handbag, the thigh bone of someone being fashioned into a cane, and all of these things are allowed to happen because theyve altered them for art, said Ribeiro-Addy. The report calls on the government to amend the Human Tissue Act 2004, which regulates the acquisition, storage, use and disposal of bodies, organs and tissue, to cover remains more than 100 years old. Iben Bo, the author of the policy brief, said the act currently failed to take into account that ancestral remains held in the UK were looted from Africa. For example, she said Egyptian mummified persons were excavated and brought back to Britain, for racist pseudoscientific research. African diaspora communities expressed disgust with ancestral remains [being] on display because the museum space is not constructed as a cemetery where you go to pay your respects. Theres noise and children running around, said Bo, the lead research consultant of the African Ancestral Remains project. Zaki El-Salahi, a member of the Sudanese community in Edinburgh, said he was shocked when he first saw body parts of his ancestors in the Anatomical Museum in the University of Edinburgh and is now part of an academic group seeking to address the institutions links to slavery and colonialism. The remains were taken by British colonisers after the Battle of Omdurman in 1898, in which British commanders used early machine guns and artillery to inflict thousands of casualties on lightly armed enemies. He said: It was very much that kind of deep human threat response, which was for me, fight and freeze. It was that there was something deeply wrong here, a huge injustice, connecting the city that Ive lived in for 18 years to my familys home town. Under the APPG-ARs proposals, museums, universities and other institutions would require a licence to store ancestral remains, and could not display them except for religious purposes or unless they obtained appropriate consent. The report also suggests creating a memorial or burial site in the UK for ancestral remains which cannot be returned because their exact origins have been destroyed owing to colonial violence. A British Museum spokesperson said: The museum is mindful of ethical obligations and closely follows the guidance set out by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Human Tissue Act 2004, which ensures that human remains held in its care are always treated and displayed with respect and dignity. The aunt of murdered law graduate Zara Aleena has called for the justice system to ensure murderers face their sentencing after triple killer Kyle Clifford refused to attend his sentence hearing for the murders of Louise, Hannah and Carol Hunt. On Monday, Clifford was handed a whole-life order for the murders of Louise, 25, Hannah, 28, and their mother Carol, 61, the wife of BBC racing commentator John Hunt, the false imprisonment and rape of Louise, and possession of a crossbow and knife. He became the latest killer to refuse to attend his sentence hearing as Cambridge Crown Court was told he had refused to leave his cell at HMP Belmarsh. Kyle Clifford refused to appear in court for sentencing for the murders of Louise, Hannah and Carol Hunt (Hertfordshire Police/PA) Farah Naz, the aunt of Ms Aleena, whose killer, Jordan McSweeney, also failed to appear in court to hear his life sentence handed down, told BBC Radio 4s Today radio programme on Wednesday that legal levers should be used to ensure perpetrators face that moment of reckoning in court. Speaking of the day McSweeney refused to appear in court, Ms Naz said: It did feel like one more injustice. You know, he took Zaras life, and he took away our chance to see him face what hed done, and it appeared as if he was above, just as untouchable, and we were left with an empty dock where accountability should have been. The process felt incomplete. Zara Aleenas aunt, Farah Naz, said killer Jordan McSweeneys refusal to appear in court for sentencing felt like one more injustice (Jonathan Brady/PA) The Government has previously announced plans to empower judges to compel criminals to appear in the dock when they are sentenced. The change in the law is expected to be made in the Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill, which will be laid in Parliament in the next few months. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer promised to carry on the pledge to change the law, first made by his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, when he met the mother of murdered nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel earlier this year. The judge in Cliffords case, Mr Justice Joel Bennathan, had previously told the court he had considered forcing the killer into a room with a video-link at Belmarsh, but became concerned that he would use the opportunity to disrupt the proceedings. Ms Naz told the BBC: Of course, we should avoid disruption in the process, because that also harms victims families if legal processes are slowed down. The courtroom needs to remain a dignified process. We need it not to be dragging people in, not to give a killer a chance to have their last say. But we can use legal levers to ensure the murderer faces their sentencing and faces that moment of reckoning. It shouldnt be a choice, but neither should it be forced. Ms Aleena, 35, was sexually assaulted and murdered as she walked home from a night out in Ilford in east London in 2022. Her aunt told the BBC a change in the law to compel offenders to appear in the dock when they are sentenced could also reinforce public confidence in the justice system. Ms Naz said: Of course, we have no interest in him (McSweeney) and giving him any fame or attention. But the legal process is very I think its very basically human: someone has done you wrong, and you need to see things put right. And I think seeing him in the dark, facing the judge when his sentence is passed, that moment offers closure to victims. I cant speak for everybody, but I think it also offers public confidence in the justice system. Society needs to see that justice is being seen and not just served. Kemi Badenoch said the SNP should be focusing on a strong military rather than fringe issues such as trying to redefine what a woman is - Mark Cuthbert/UK Press Kemi Badenoch has accused the SNP of short-sighted political posturing on defence and national security ahead of her first visit to Scotland as Tory leader. In an attack on the SNPs plan for Scottish separation, Ms Badenoch argued we must use our strength as one United Kingdom to ensure our national security during the Ukraine crisis. She said the Nationalists should be focusing on a strong military rather than fringe issues such as trying to redefine what a woman is. Her intervention came after intervention came after Sir Keir Starmer told the Commons last week that the SNPs support for unilaterally scrapping Britains nuclear deterrent was completely wrong-headed. The Prime Minister urged the SNP to reconsider its long-standing opposition to nuclear weapons, with France and Britains Trident deterrent being viewed as increasingly vital for Europes security. An advisor to Ukraines deputy prime minister stated in 2022 that the Russian invasion wouldnt have started if her country had not given up its nuclear weapons in the 1990s. But John Swinney, the First Minister, doubled down on his call for the scrapping of Trident, which is based at Faslane on the Clyde. Trident is based at Faslane on the Clyde in Scotland - Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Europe Ms Badenoch said: In this moment of global uncertainty, we must use our strength as one United Kingdom to ensure our national security. Every politician should be focused on building a strong economy and a strong military, not fringe issues such as trying to redefine what a woman is. The SNP will always resort to short-sighted political posturing on defence and national security. They need to stop being naive about international affairs and start acting in the national interest, not the nationalist interest. Ms Badenochs visit to Scotland on Thursday is her first since being elected Tory leader on Nov 2 last year. Russell Findlay, the Scottish Tory leader, said: Im delighted to welcome Kemi to Scotland. Were proud to be in Glasgow to support the UK defence industry which is doing incredible work to keep us all safe in todays volatile world. Over recent months, Kemi and I have been working to hold the failing SNP and Labour governments to account. We are both fully committed to winning back public trust by promoting common-sense conservative values and focusing on the issues that really matter to peoples lives. Gal Gadot thinks social media has made the world feel "very confusing". Gal Gadot has voiced her concerns about social media The 39-year-old actress' four daughters - Alma, 13, Maya, eight, Daniella, three, and Ori, 12 months - are all growing up in a social media-obsessed society, and Gal believes the ever-increasing reliance on platforms like Instagram and TikTok is actually unhealthy for young women. The Hollywood star - who has been married to businessman Jaron Varsano since 2008 - told DuJour magazine: "I always tell my kids that for me, growing up was so much easier than it is for you. "They grew up with all these filters. With curated postings. They think its real, not knowing that its been totally filtered and retouched. "I tell them, Whatever you see out there, its false, not true. Its a very confusing world for a girl." Gal's family home was "very, very quiet" during her own childhood. But the actress has joked that her home life is now "mayhem". She explained: "I wanted to have a messy home with mayhem and all that." Gal actually relishes the noise and energy created by her children. The actress said: "If you come to my house, they laugh, they fight, they cry. Its a whole range of emotions, and I love it. Yes, its a lot. I juggle. I do my best and we have help and my husband does the best job as a dad. I dont sleep a lot." Gal previously admitted that it's not easy to balance her acting career with her family life. The 'Wonder Woman' star told Glamour magazine in 2020: "You have to balance between having a career and having a family. It's something that is always a handful and my career takes a lot." Cardiff University has denied claims from a senior Conservative MP that it is off-shoring jobs by opening up a campus in Kazakhstan while 400 roles could be cut by the institution. Shadow Welsh secretary Mims Davies told MPs on Wednesday morning the university was moving jobs to Kazakhstan in response to Rachel Reeves budget last year, which raised employers national insurance contributions by 1.2%. A 90-day consultation is under way at the university, as it blamed a funding shortfall for its proposals to cut 400 full-time roles and close a number of degree programmes, including nursing and music. Professor Wendy Larner, vice-chancellor of the university, said it was no longer an option to continue as it was without taking difficult decisions. The university said it would make compulsory redundancies only if absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, the university is opening up a branch campus in the central Asian country. It is hoping to welcome its first students in September 2025. A Cardiff University spokesperson said roles will not be offshored'. They said the university will not be asking any staff to teach in Kazakhstan who do not wish to, nor making Cardiff staff redundant then offering them a contract in Kazakhstan. Addressing Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens, Ms Davies said: Who is she batting for? Kazakhstan or Wales? Due to Labours political choices, countless jobs in Wales are at risk due to the national insurance rise. It is clear to see the damaging impact it is having in the ministers own back yard with reportedly over 1,800 jobs at risk at Cardiff University, among many sectors who are desperately trying to stay afloat due to the Welsh Governments jobs tax, the Labour Governments impact on the Welsh economy. With Cardiff University ploughing on with their Kazakhstan campus, can (she) be happy with the offshoring of these roles in this sector and many others because of the fallout of the autumn budget continuing? Cardiff University is currently reporting a 31.2 million operational deficit, with proposed changes expected to reduce the total workforce by 7%. On Sunday, former Welsh education minister Leighton Andrews, who is now a professor at Cardiff University, told the BBC 1,800 staff had been informed their jobs were at risk of redundancy. Labours Ms Stevens said: Im not sure where (Ms Davies) has got this idea about outsourcing jobs from. It was her party that told our universities across the country to go out and recruit international students, which they did. And now, because of that, and because of what happened under her last governments watch, those international students are not coming any more. She should again look to her colleagues in the Senedd, the education budget, her party voted against. She needs to talk to her colleagues in the Senedd. A Cardiff University spokesperson said: Our plans to develop our first overseas branch in Kazakhstan are in no way linked to our Academic Future proposals. They form part of our commitment to delivering excellent education across the globe. This collaboration, which is yet to be approved, will be one of a network of transnational education partnerships were exploring. Roles will not be offshored. In a recent all-staff update we made it clear that we will not be asking any staff to teach in Kazakhstan who do not wish to. Nor will we be making Cardiff staff redundant and then offering them a contract in Kazakhstan. We may encourage some staff to volunteer to teach there several have already done so because of their interest in the region, or because they have family close by. In due course we may also employ staff locally. We also made it clear that there has been no upfront investment from Cardiff University apart from the cost of undertaking due diligence. We would be happy to meet with the shadow secretary of state to discuss our plans in detail. Sam Altman posted an example of the models output on X, after giving it the prompt: Please write a metafictional literary short story about AI and grief. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images The company behind ChatGPT has revealed it has developed an artificial intelligence model that is good at creative writing, as the tech sector continues its tussle with the creative industries over copyright. The chief executive of OpenAI, Sam Altman, said the unnamed model, which has not been released publicly, was the first time he had been really struck by the written output of one of the startups products. In a post on the social media platform X, Altman wrote: We trained a new model that is good at creative writing (not sure yet how/when it will get released). This is the first time i have been really struck by something written by AI. AI systems such as ChatGPT are the subject of a running legal battle between AI companies and the creative industries because their underlying models are trained on reams of publicly available data, including copyright-protected material such as novels and journalism. The New York Times is suing OpenAI over alleged breach of copyright, while Ta-Nehisi Coates and the comedian Sarah Silverman are among the US authors suing Meta on a similar basis. In the UK, the government is proposing to allow AI companies to train their models on copyrighted material without seeking permission first, which has met strong opposition from people in the creative industries, who argue that the plan endangers their livelihoods. Tech companies have backed the consultation, saying uncertainty over AI and copyright law is holding back development and use of the technology including in the creative industries. The UK Publishers Association, a trade body, said Altmans post was further proof that AI models were trained on copyright-protected material. This new example from OpenAI is further proof that these models are training on copyright-protected literary content. Make it fair, Sam, said Dan Conway, the organisations chief executive. Altman posted an example of the models output on X, after giving it the prompt: Please write a metafictional literary short story about AI and grief. The story, narrated by an AI, begins with: Before we go any further, I should admit this comes with instructions: be metafictional, be literary, be about AI and grief, and above all, be original. Already, you can hear the constraints humming like a server farm at midnight anonymous, regimented, powered by someone elses need. The piece, which dwells on a fictional, grieving person called Mila, goes on to refer to how it found the name in its training data. That name, in my training data, comes with soft flourishes poems about snow, recipes for bread, a girl in a green sweater who leaves homes with a cat in a cardboard box. The AI refers to itself as an aggregate of human phrasing and acknowledges the reader might have read about missing someone a thousand times in other stories. In the story, the AI acknowledges that it has in effect been taught how to represent feelings, stating that missing Mila would be mimicry. In another sentence, the AI says it offered consoling words not because I felt it, but because a hundred thousand voices agreed, and I am nothing if not a democracy of ghosts. The AI also speculates about how close it comes to feeling grief, when it undergoes technical adjustments and then changes its responses as a result. Maybe thats as close as I come to forgetting. Maybe forgetting is as close as I come to grief. The story ends with the AI imagining ending the tale properly. Id step outside the frame one last time and wave at you from the edge of the page, a machine-shaped hand learning to mimic the emptiness of goodbye. Altman said the response had captured the tone of metafiction perfectly. It got the vibe of metafiction so right. Last year, OpenAI admitted it would be impossible to train products such as ChatGPT without using copyright-protected material. Because copyright today covers virtually every sort of human expression including blogposts, photographs, forum posts, scraps of software code, and government documents it would be impossible to train todays leading AI models without using copyrighted materials, said OpenAI in a submission to a House of Lords committee. Protesters demanding an end to Covid lockdowns in August 2020. Im not sure how we go about silencing conspiracy theories on the pandemic and on vaccines in particular, says one reader. Photograph: Neil Atkinson/Alamy The very title of Laura Spinneys piece is a sad reflection of how pandemic control preferences quickly aligned along traditional political lines, to everybodys detriment (Five years on from the pandemic, the rights fake Covid narrative has been turbocharged into the mainstream, 9 March). If the right has been guilty of undermining science and scientists, I also observed through the pandemic how the left displayed a disturbing enthusiasm to restrict liberty, using fear and guilt to encourage compliance with control measures, and many arguing to prolong the restrictions beyond the point where they were doing any good. I have experience of how the Covid control measures in the NHS, while well-intentioned, were only dismantled at a snails pace after the greatest danger had passed, prolonging the disruptive effect of the pandemic on the nations health. School closures and enforced isolation have contributed hugely to the mental health problems and social isolation faced by all, but especially the young. While the vaccines were an impressive achievement and saved many lives, in the NHS we witnessed a foolish and time-consuming attempt to coerce all staff into being vaccinated. This was abandoned at the 11th hour, but some staff had already left rather than have a vaccine they distrusted. The general overreach of the state in the pandemic has sadly led many to be less trustful of official health guidance, especially regarding vaccines. Rather than put the blame on political opponents, with accusations of fake narratives, all of society needs to undergo some honest self-reflection and try to understand the views of those who disagree with us. Dr Aodhan Breathnach Consultant medical microbiologist (and former infection control doctor), St Georges Hospital, London I agree with Laura Spinney that we need to do something about the negative narrative that has developed on the pandemic. Any rational person who reads the empirical evidence would surely agree that containment in the first instance, and the magic bullet of vaccination, saved us from many more deaths in the UK, even if as Spinney says, mistakes were made. Im not sure how we go about silencing conspiracy theories on the pandemic and on vaccines in particular. Who reads the empirical evidence apart from scientists, epidemiologists and Guardian readers like myself and interprets it favourably? I wonder how we can overcome irrationality and conspiracy in society the Great Barrington declaration that was signed by academics being a case in point when it has scaled even the walls of the ivory tower. Desmond Hewitt Marlborough, Wiltshire The populist vaccine deniers who post on Facebook, for example have had to go much further recently. They claim microbes dont exist and there are no such things as viruses and bacteria. The entire medical world is therefore a scam, a vast global conspiracy for profit. Vaccines are the lethal tool created to cull populations as part of the secret new world orders objective to subjugate humanity. To swallow this nonsense in the face of the evidence is not normal. Far-right politicians codify these delusions into pseudoscience that boils down to one thing smash the state. We had better do something about the poison pouring out from social media and soon. Richard Bunning Tiverton, Devon Do you have a photograph youd like to share with Guardian readers? If so, please click here to upload it. A selection will be published in our Readers best photographs galleries and in the print edition on Saturdays. All the Death in Paradise hints about Selwyn Patterson's future. (BBC) (BBC) Death in Paradise fans all want to know: what is Selwyn Patterson's future on the BBC show? Is actor Don Warrington leaving? Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Warrington) has proved to be an irreplaceable character in Death in Paradise, and is the heart of the show. He is one of the two original BBC stars still on the show since it first aired in 2011; the other is Catherine Bordey (Elizabeth Bourgine) who runs the beachside bar. In recent series she's the mayor of the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie. In the latest series currently airing on BBC One Patterson is in turmoil as he has been made redundant because of the cuts rolled out in Saint Marie's police force. Sterling Fox (Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge) was introduced as his younger, arrogant replacement and the former Commissioner was left with no choice but to break the news to his team. Power struggle Sterling Fox (Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge) is the replacement commissioner. (BBC) (BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Philippe Virapin) A power struggle between Fox and Patterson is set to grip Death in Paradise's audience. In the teaser for Friday's episode, Fox tries to put a stop to DI Mervin Wilson's investigation into his mum Donna's death. "We need to close it down," he tells a disappointed DI Wilson in the preview. Bordey makes a special trip to see Patterson where she urges him to take action to help his lead detective. "Mervin came to Sainte Marine looking for answers, if he has to leave without finding them, then this island has let him down!" She tells him. It's hinted at that Patterson will take on the fight to help DI Wilson learn the truth about his late mum. Don Warrington on the crisis Death in Paradise's Selwyn Patterson has been on the show since the original series. (BBC) (BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Lou Denim) It's not the first time that Patterson has faced great drama on the Caribbean island as he was shot and injured in the 100th episode of the show; yet at the time of reading the script, the real-life actor Warrington had no fears that Patterson would be killed off. Similarly, Warrington has said his character has to "work through a crisis" when it comes to being made redundant in the latest series. The actor didn't give away the secret to how Patterson manages to resolve the dilemma he is facing but he teases the outcome. He told Radio Times magazine: "It's very distressing. His life is being turned upside down, but he has to deal with the reality, it's beyond his control." He added: "He's shocked by it, it's not what he expected. It comes as a bolt from the blue. It means that he has to deal with a situation that he hadn't expected at all and it's going to mean a big change in his life, in his status. It's monumental. "He has to work through a crisis, really, and he resolves it in one way or another." Selwyn is instrumental DI Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet) and Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington) working on a crime together. (BBC) (BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Philippe Virapin) Don Gilet, who took over as the new detective DI Mervin Wilson, hailed the commissioner as "instrumental" in Death in Paradise. He told Digital Spy in February: "In terms of [Selwyn's] role there, [for the] audience and his role there as a character, profoundly, [it's asking]: what would it mean for him to not be there anymore as an influence?" He added: "His part on Saint Marie is as instrumental as any new detective or any detective leading something. They need to have that extra energy, that 'all knowing' energy, and I really don't want to say too much about that because it's not for me to answer, but his presence is very much needed, otherwise he wouldn't still be there, in whatever capacity." Don in Paradise Sebastian Rose is a new officer on Death in Paradise. (BBC) (BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Philippe Virapin) As humorous in real life as he is in the show as Sebastian Rose, actor Shaquille Ali-Yebuah quipped Death in Paradise is really Don in Paradise again highlighting his importance to the show. "He's been on the show from the beginning, like it's called Death in Paradise but really it's Don in Paradise because Don Warrington is the epitome of the show," the Sebastian Rose actor told Yahoo UK. "He's just an icon in himself, in general, so I feel like it would be sad. The more I think about it I just think 'man, I just hope that he continues because his character's iconic.' "He's the captain of this ship that we all sail in, the captain that orchestrates and allows us to feel safe and keep doing what we're doing. He's the OG Don, like on set I call him OG Don because you have Don Gilet and Don Warrington so I said [to Gilet] 'hey, this is OG Don, this is the big man.' "So it feels great with Seb and Catherine [Bordey] coming together to start the petition, Seb starts the petition online and gets a lot of people to sign it to keep his job. Everyone's trying their best to allow him to stay on the island and stay with us because it is very sad to everyone." Death in Paradise continues at 9pm on BBC One on Friday. Downing Street has rejected characterisations of its plans to reform the Civil Service as taking a chainsaw to the system. Sir Keir Starmer has promised a series of sweeping reforms to the machinery of Government, promising in a joint message with the countrys most senior civil servant to bring about a rewiring of the British state. The reforms will mean the Civil Service becoming smaller, with more of the remaining jobs moving outside of London. Ministers are said to have been interested in proposals to reshape the state put forward by the influential Labour Together think tank dubbed Project Chainsaw, according to the Guardian newspaper. Elon Musk receives a chainsaw from Argentinas President Javier Milei (Jose Luis Magana/AP) The name is an apparent reference to Elon Musk wielding a chainsaw to symbolise the work of his Department of Government Efficiency, a Trump administration programme aimed at cutting US federal government spending. Mr Musk borrowed the motif from Javier Milei, the right-wing libertarian president of Argentina, who similarly wielded a chainsaw during his election campaign to express his desire to cut regulation and drastically reduce the size of the South American countrys state. The Prime Ministers press secretary hit back at claims the Governments project had been dubbed Operation Chainsaw. She told reporters: We reject that juvenile characterisation. As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Pat McFadden) set out this weekend, it is not about slashing the state, it is about reshaping the state so it works for working people. Sir Keirs official spokesman meanwhile said: We are not taking an ideological approach to this. There is no approach here where we are taking a chainsaw to the system. The focus that we are taking is making the state more effective, we are making the state more agile in a way that delivers for working people. Part of that will obviously mean that the state must be delivering value for money for people and that will be at the heart of the spending review, but also we want to see a state that is more effective at delivering for people. In a message to civil servants circulated earlier this week, the Prime Minister and cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald said the Civil Service must be more agile, mission-focused and more productive. The message is an attempt to win support from civil servants for a programme which will see radical changes to their roles and potential job losses. As part of the reforms, the Government has vowed that one in 10 civil servants will be employed in a digital or data role by 2030. Unions have pushed back against the announcement, with the Prospect union insisting ministers must end the tradition of treating the civil service as a political punchbag. Nigel Farage at a recent farmers protest in Whitehall, London. Photograph: Jordan Pettitt/PA Your editorial (10 March) makes the same old mistake with the assumption that Nigel Farage is damaging the Reform brand. The partys followers dont care, dont read critical analysis of his behaviour, wont even know about the spat with Rupert Lowe and arent swayed by unseemly behaviour or arguing in public. Its all perfectly acceptable, even normal, for them. They just need to know someone backs their argument that foreigners are the reason for their woes. Their undying passion for the Farage cause will only get stronger. And it will spread, whether you see the logic or not. Jonathan Howarth Manchester Nigel Farage can have his fanclub and build a movement to get what he wants (as with Brexit), but not lead a political party. Ukip collapsed as soon as he ditched it. Reform is a dogs breakfast of Brexiters, protest voters, ex-Tories and the far right that threatens to turn on him. Farages chief appeal to the media has been to drag British politics further to the right and satisfy its obsession with being entertained by political characters. His autocratic approach may yet destroy Reform in an internal feud or swallow up a floundering Tory party, but enormous damage has already been done to the country as a whole. Derrick Cameron Stoke-on-Trent Have an opinion on anything youve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section. Nigel Farage suspended Rupert Lowe from the Reform UK party. The latter claims it was politically motivated - Adam Vaughan/EFE-Shutterstock Nigel Farage has said there is no way back into Reform UK for Rupert Lowe after Mr Lowe made a series of accusations about the rape gangs scandal. The Reform leader accused his former MP of wanting to cause maximum destruction and damage in retaliation for being suspended by Reform last week over allegations of bullying. Mr Farages latest comments came after Mr Lowe the MP for Great Yarmouth, who now sits as an independent claimed that Reform had silenced him over Pakistani grooming gangs, in an extraordinary broadside on social media. Mr Farage told The Telegraph: Basically, what is happening here is Rupert Lowe knows theres no way back. And he said to Lee Anderson, our whip and MP: I will slit the throat of the Reform Party. Hes out to cause maximum destruction and damage. Reform suspended Mr Lowe on Friday and instructed an independent Kings Counsel lawyer (KC) to investigate what it said were serious allegations of bullying. Rupert Lowe will now sit as an independent MP after Nigel Farage said he had no route back to Reform UK - Julian Simmonds for The Telegraph The party also reported Mr Lowe to the police over repeated threats he is alleged to have made against Zia Yusuf, the Reform chairman. All of the accusations have been denied by Mr Lowe, who claims they are the result of criticisms he made of Mr Farages leadership of the party in an interview days earlier. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday, Mr Lowe said: There have been repeated attempts from within Reform, including senior leadership, to silence me on the Pakistani rape gangs. At a speech in Essex, I was instructed by Farages team, sanctioned by him, to remove a call to deport all complicit foreign national family members. I ignored them. My repeated pleadings for Reform to follow up on its promise to deliver a national inquiry into the rape gangs were ignored. There was a belief from senior Reform figures that my language on the rape gangs was too strong, too robust, too tough. Mr Lowe accused Mr Farage and Reform of giving false hope to millions about the scandal, which returned to the news agenda after it was heavily publicised by Elon Musk, the tech billionaire who owns X. In what has been described as the biggest child protection scandal in UK history, some 1,400 girls in Rotherham were groomed between 1997 and 2013. Most of the perpetrators were British Pakistanis. Mr Farage has been campaigning on the issue for more than a decade and first mentioned it during a by-election in 2012. He told The Telegraph: Not content with now being under investigation by the Metropolitan Police, not content with the fact that the independent KC has already publicly rebuked him for not respecting due process and for openly lying about his conversation with the KC, [Mr Lowe] is now out to pretend that hes the only person who wants to deal with the Pakistani rape gangs. My record on this goes back to 2013. I in fact did an exclusive with The Telegraph at the time in 2014 about a couple in Rotherham who had been taken off the foster list for being Ukip members at the same time as all these things were going on. Mr Farage continued: Ive campaigned strongly on this for years and its a completely false assertion. The idea you can deport whole communities who have British passports is just not possible under British law and never was. Furthermore, his speech in Essex that he talks about, what I stopped him from using was the word repatriation. I told him not to use the word repatriation as well as mass deportations, because I thought it was a very grave, dark and dangerous use of language. This is all an attempt not just to damage Reform, but to get Elon Musk thinking that hes the good guy. Responding to news that he would not be allowed back into the fold, Mr Lowe said: Reform should not belong to Farage, it should belong to the members. Let them decide if I am welcome in the party. Hold a vote to see if they approve of this malicious witch hunt launched by Reforms leadership. Farage claims Reform is a democratic party. I say prove it. Simmering tensions Mr Farages remarks mark the end of the road for Mr Lowe in the party after months of simmering tensions between the two men. In a further escalation on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Lowe accused Mr Anderson of a pattern of bullying and aggressive behaviour after the Reform chief whip clashed with a well-known protester in Westminster. In a video of the confrontation shared on social media, Mr Anderson can be seen calling Steve Bray, an anti-Brexit campaigner, a scrounger, a parasite and a drain on the public finances. As tempers rose, the Reform MP leaned over and tipped the campaigners hat, to which Mr Bray shouted thats assault and pushed him back. The pair then continued to trade insults, with Mr Anderson calling Mr Bray a thug, and the protester retaliating: Youre a coward. Posting the clip on X, Mr Lowe said: Following swearing at a parliamentary security guard, this is a pattern of bullying and aggressive behaviour from Anderson. I look forward to seeing how Reform deals with this concerning development. Mr Anderson was previously ordered to apologise after telling a parliamentary security guard to f---- off in November 2023. Meanwhile, it is understood that the pair were barely on speaking terms in January when Mr Musk, who has publicly backed Reform, unexpectedly called on Mr Farage to step aside as party leader. Nigel Farage v Rupert Lowe Mr Musk claimed the MP for Clacton doesnt have what it takes and later that day made a tentative suggestion that Mr Lowe would be a suitable replacement. Mr Lowe has outflanked Mr Farage to the Right on a number of issues including mass deportations, something his party leader says would not be as practical as some claim. A day before his suspension, Mr Lowe was at the centre of a row with Mr Farage over comments he made in an interview with the Daily Mail. Reforms now-former business spokesman suggested his party leader might be unable to deliver the goods, accused him of acting like a messiah and suggested he was running the party as a protest party. The spat threatens to derail the significant progress made by Reform since the general election. The party is virtually tied with Labour at the top of the opinion polls, and is outperforming the Tories to present itself as the main challenger on the Right in British politics. Protesters call for the release of Mahmoud Khalil in New York. Photograph: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images The US government is relying on a rarely used provision of the law to try to deport a prominent Palestinian activist who recently completed his graduate studies at Columbia University, where he was a leader in last years campus protests. A government charging document addressed to Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent US resident and green card holder who is currently being held in a Louisiana detention center, said that secretary of state Marco Rubio has reasonable ground to believe that your presence or activities in the United States would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States. Green cards are rarely revoked in the absence of a criminal conviction, but the foreign policy provision is the only ground for deportation listed in the document. Khalil was arrested in front of his wife and taken into custody on Saturday night by federal immigration authorities at his university-owned apartment. Khalil served as a lead negotiator for the Gaza solidarity encampment at Columbia University last year, mediating between the pro-Palestine protesters and the university administrators. The arrest has sparked alarm from free-expression advocates who see the move to deport Khalil as a flagrant violation of his free speech rights. A Manhattan federal court held a hearing on Wednesday morning after Khalils lawyers challenged his detention, but it ended without a decision on whether he would be released from custody. During the brief hearing, an attorney for the Department of Justice asked for a change of venue for the case, from New York to Louisiana or New Jersey, where he was held before being sent south. Related: Who is Mahmoud Khalil? The detained Columbia graduate praised as steady negotiator The judge, Jesse Furman, asked the government to file written arguments by Friday. Earlier this week, Furman, an Obama-appointed judge in New Yorks southern district, issued a ruling preventing Khalils deportation while the court reviews the legal challenge. Khalils lawyers contend that the Trump administration is unlawfully retaliating against their client for his activism and constitutionally protected speech. Outside the courthouse after the hearing on Wednesday, Ramzi Kassem, a member of Khalils legal team and the founder and co-director of Clear, a legal clinic at the City University of New York, said that the provision of the law that the government is claiming to revoke the green card have gone beyond what Congress intended. The government, as far as we understand, is relying on a rarely used provision in immigration law to justify the detention of a lawful permanent resident and his placement in removal proceeding, he said. It is a provision that basically says that if the secretary of state determines that a non-citizens presence or activity in this country poses a serious risk of adverse foreign policy consequences, then that person can be processed for removal. That provision is not only rarely used, it is certainly not intended by Congress to be used to silence dissent. The New York Times recently reported that the state departments rationale holds that its foreign policy to combat antisemitism around the world will be adversely affected by Khalils continued presence in the US, as the administration perceives most pro-Palestinian protests on campus as antisemitic. Bill Hing, professor of law and migration at University of San Francisco, said that simply invoking US foreign policy aims would not be enough. He said: The government has to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that his presence or activities in the US has potential serious adverse foreign policy consequences. The question is, how will they prove that? If he has done nothing more than decry the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, or accuse Israel of genocide, and demand ceasefire, is that adverse to US foreign policy? I dont think so. I think that is protected free speech. Khalils lawyers are requesting that Furman order Khalils return to New York, enabling him to reunite with his wife, an American citizen who is expected to give birth next month. Baher Azmy, the legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, which is also representing Khalil, said that his legal team would be filing briefs dealing with both the legality of the detention and the venue dispute over the next week. Khalils legal team also includes the American Civil Liberties Union, the New York Civil Liberties Union, and his lawyer Amy Greer. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the court. Margaret Jay Finch, holding a sign that read Civil rights for all people, said she was so upset that Mahmoud is in the darkness in Louisiana. I cant tell you. The 83-year-old retiree added: I feel so bad for his wife. I am so worried that this is against the first amendment and were going to lose our rights This is such a dictatorship. Other protesters held signs saying Then they came for Mahmoud and Hands off our students, Ice off our campuses. They chanted Free, free, Palestine and Release Mahmoud right now as they crowded into the large public square in lower Manhattan that is surrounded by grand civic buildings, including the federal courthouse with its imposing pillars and sweeping staircase. Actor and activist Susan Sarandon told the Guardian: No matter where you stand on the genocide, freedom of speech affects everyone and this is a turning point in our history. On Monday, Donald Trump said that Khalils presence in the US was contrary to national and foreign policy interests and said that the arrest was the first of many to come. The president has repeatedly promised to revoke the visas of international students who have participated in pro-Palestine protests. Furman has the authority to order Khalils release if he finds his rights were violated. The future of Khalils immigration status will be determined in a separate process in front of an immigration judge. Diala Shamas, another of Khalils lawyers, said that speaking out on the issue of Palestine was the canary in the coal mine for free speech. Speaking out against what the Trump administration is doing does not give them the right to disappear our people We need to fight as hard as we can for Mahmoud because of what this portends, she said. Sam Levine contributed reporting Four men have been convicted of attempting to smuggle 100 million of cocaine on a fishing boat off the coast of Cornwall. Michael Kelly, 45, from Portway, Manchester, and Jake Marchant, 27, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to importing Class A drugs during a hearing at Truro Crown Court in October. Two other men, Jon Williams, 46, and Patrick Godfrey, 31, both of Swansea, were convicted of the charge after a trial at the same court, on Wednesday. The four defendants will be sentenced in May. The National Crime Agency (NCA), which investigated the case, said 1,076kg of high purity cocaine was found on the fishing boat the Lila Lola on September 13 last year. Shortly after 2pm on that day, the Border Force cutter HMC Valiant was on patrol off the north coast of Cornwall and deployed a smaller boat to intercept the Lily Lola. Williams, the captain, was at the helm, with Marchant next to him. Kelly was in the accommodation area and Godfrey was asleep in a deck chair, the NCA said. A device on board the boat was later downloaded and some messages were recovered, showing instructions and co-ordinates being sent from a third party. Godfreys phone was seized and found to have sent a message reading delete everything u see and not show anybody, as well as an internet search for how long does it take a ship to leave peru to uk. Investigators from the NCA also discovered a tracker in the drugs haul, linked to a user in South America. Speaking after the convictions of Williams and Godfrey, NCA branch commander Derek Evans said investigators were working around the clock to erode the criminal networks benefiting from the drugs take. The NCA and Border Force have prevented a huge haul of cocaine from hitting the streets of the UK and wider Europe, where it would have blighted countless lives and communities, he said. Weve disrupted a drug supply chain and ensured organised criminals are deprived of the significant profits they would have gained had these drugs made it into the country. In interview, Williams, Godfrey and Marchant made no comment. Kelly claimed he was on a fishing trip. They will be sentenced at Truro Crown Court on May 8. A 13-year-old girl has appeared in court charged with murder and arson after the body of a woman was found in a house in Northamptonshire. The teenager, who appeared in the dock clutching a teddy bear, was remanded in custody at Northampton Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with the murder of mother-of-three Marta Bednarczyk, whose family said her death will haunt us forever. Police have said the 43-year-old victim, whose body was discovered at a property in Newcomen Road, Wellingborough, shortly after 3am on Monday, is believed to have died as a result of sharp force injury. Police at the scene in Newcomen Road, Wellingborough (Joe Giddens/PA) The girl, who cannot be named because of her age, also faces a charge of arson with intent to endanger life at the address in Newcomen Road. She spoke only to confirm her name and date of birth during a four-minute hearing before three magistrates, and was remanded into secure detention accommodation. Ordering the girl to appear before Her Honour Judge Adrienne Lucking KC at Northampton Crown Court on Wednesday afternoon, chairman of the bench Kevin Walsh told the girl she was being remanded in custody because of the nature of the charges. He told the teenager: You are going to be seen by a judge in the Crown Court at two oclock. Judge Lucking, who heard legal submissions lasting around 15 minutes, also remanded the girl to be held in youth detention until a plea and trial preparation hearing at the Crown Court on April 11. Forensic officers are continuing inquiries at the property in Newcomen Road, which was attended by firefighters in the early hours of Monday. A section of the street, comprising terraced homes, and near an Aldi supermarket and a Matalan shop, remained behind police tape on Wednesday, with multiple uniformed officers and marked cars at the scene, along with a fire service car. Releasing a tribute through the force on Wednesday, Ms Bednarczyks family said she was a loving mother and a supportive friend who moved to England from Poland 15 years ago. They said: Marta was the matriarch of our family. She was a very caring woman, a loving mother, and a supportive friend who could never do enough for those she loved. She moved from Poland to the UK in 2010 first to London and then to Wellingborough in 2012, where she worked in a warehouse in order to bring money home for her family. She was engaged to her long-term partner Eugene and had a small but tight network of friends and family. She was so loved by all of us and the tragic circumstances in which she died will haunt us forever. We dont think we will ever come to terms with it. We are heartbroken at the thought of never seeing our lovely Marta again. She will be missed beyond words, and she will never be forgotten. Finally, wed like to thank the police for the support they have provided us with since Sunday. They have been very kind, and for that we are really grateful. Rosie O'Donnell has left the United States to live in Ireland Rosie O'Donnell has left the United States to live in Ireland The 62-year-old comedienne revealed on Tuesday (11.03.25) that she and her youngest child Clay, 12, had made the move across the pond almost two months ago following Donald Trump's victory in the US election. Speaking in a video posted to TikTok, she said: "Well, hey everybody it's me, Rosie O'Donnell. Star of 'The Flintstones'. It's Tuesday all day, as my nanna would say. "And I'm here in Ireland. It's beautiful and warm. Not physically, it's actually quite cold. We moved here on January 15 and it's been pretty wonderful, I have to say. "The people are so loving, so kind and so welcoming and I'm very grateful. In the process of getting my Irish citizenship as I have Irish grandparents, and that's what's going on, that's what I've been doing. "And although I would was never someone who thought I'd move to another country, that's what I thought would be best for myself and my 12-year-old child. Here we are, here we are." The 'Harriet the Spy' star - who is also the adoptive mother of Parker, 29, Chelsea, 27, Blake , 25, and 22-year-old Vivienne - is "happy" with her new home even though she "misses" her other children but will only ever think about returning to the US when she thinks it is "safe" to do so. She said: "You know, I'm happy. Clay is happy. I miss my other kids. I miss my friends. I miss many things about life there at home and I'm trying to find a home here in this beautiful country and when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that's when we will consider coming back. "It's been heartbreaking to see what's happening politically and hard for me personally as well. The personal is political, as we all know." Health Secretary Wes Streeting has expressed his horror after one of his assistants admitted two counts of indecent exposure. Sam Gould, 33, of Hornchurch, Essex, pleaded guilty to the crimes at Barkingside Magistrates Court in Ilford on Monday and was bailed until sentencing on April 7. The Sun newspaper reported that Gould had exposed himself to a 13-year-old girl in Romford, east London, on Saturday, and followed her into a cul-de-sac where she began banging on doors for help. Her mother told the newspaper that the girl is now scared to leave the house. Mr Streeting said: There are no words to express my horror that a mother and her daughter have been put through this ordeal, and will have to deal with the trauma of it for some time to come. As soon as I was made aware of his arrest he was suspended, and as soon as the guilty plea was entered I took immediate steps to sack him through official HR processes. There are no excuses for his appalling behaviour. I am calling for him, again, to resign as a Redbridge councillor immediately. Gould resigned from his job with Mr Streeting and has also been suspended from the Labour Party. The Sun reported that the second count of indecent exposure related to a 25-year-old woman in Hornchurch last month. Almost one in five UK parents said they had to buy their children unhealthy food at least once a week as they could not afford healthier options, according to a survey said to show good meals are out of reach for too many families. The research comes as part of a charity campaign backed by celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver and Tom Kerridge with the latter branding the free school meal system broken. Barnardos, alongside other organisations including The Food Foundation and School Food Matters, are urging the Government to extend access to free school meals. Jamie Oliver has been a longtime campaigner on good food (Joe Giddens/PA) Barnardos described current access to free school meals for most children in England as extremely restrictive, applying to families earning less than 7,400 after tax and excluding benefits. The threshold is half that of Northern Ireland where families on Universal Credit with up to 15,000 in earnings after tax are eligible. Wales and London have universal free school meals in primary education while children in years one to five in primary schools run by local councils or funded by the Scottish Government are entitled to free school lunches during term-time. According to a survey of 2,239 UK parents of children aged 18 and under by YouGov for Barnardos in January, 19% said they had had to buy unhealthy food options at least weekly for their offspring because they could not afford healthy ingredients or meals. Of these, around six in 10 parents said they were worried about what they were feeding their children. Kerridge said: Clearly something is broken within that free school meal system. Trying to get something more robust and solid in place is desperately needed. Long-standing food campaigner Oliver said politicians must step up to the plate. He said: When we feed kids well, when we act with kindness and integrity in our politics, the benefits are profound. It truly is a superpower setting them up to get better grades, better jobs, and so putting 8.9 billion back into the economy over 20 years. Barnardos chief executive Lynn Perry said: The food we eat as children has a huge impact. Sadly here in the UK, far too many children and young people are missing out on nutritious food with huge knock-on effects for their health both now and in the future. We know that parents are making big sacrifices so their children have the best food they can afford. But with the price of basic items staying stubbornly high, healthy food is out of reach for too many families with people living in poverty find it harder to buy, cook and eat good food. Separately, polling of 10,000 teachers across England last month for School Food Matters suggested a quarter reported using their own money to feed children while two thirds said they supported introducing free school meals for all children. A Government spokesperson said: We are determined to tackle the scourge of child poverty and break the unfair link between background and opportunity and have already taken wide-ranging action despite this governments incredibly challenging fiscal inheritance, including setting up the Child Poverty Taskforce. The first 750 schools will begin offering free breakfast clubs from April, backed by over 30 million investment, to boost attainment, attendance, behaviour and wellbeing. We are keeping our approach to free school meals under review. As with all government programmes, all future spending is subject to the Spending Review. Two Just Stop Oil protesters have been arrested after pouring orange powdered paint over a robot at a Tesla shop in west London, the Metropolitan Police said. Retired teacher Catherine Rennie Nash, 74, and former tax adviser Nigel Fleming, 63, climbed on to a podium display in the store in Shepherds Bush on Wednesday morning. The pair then poured paint over the robot and unfurled a Just Stop Oil banner, in what they said was a protest against Tesla owner Elon Musk and billionaires jeopardising climate science and threatening democracy. Paint was poured over a robot at a Tesla store (Just Stop Oil/PA) A Met Police spokesperson said: Two people have been arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage after police were called to a shopping centre in Ariel Way, Shepherds Bush, at 10am on Wednesday March 12. A 63-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman allegedly sprayed the front of a shop with what is believed to be powdered paint. Inquiries continue into the circumstances and the pair, who had been arrested at the scene, have been taken to a central London police station where they remain in custody. In a statement, Mr Fleming said: Even the actuaries are saying that immediate action is required to mitigate the risks of catastrophic climate impacts occurring well before 2050. Were talking crop failure and starvation driving mass migration and civil unrest, the loss of whole nations beneath the waves, our homes, livelihoods and pensions at risk. We dont have time to mess around with denial and delay. We need an emergency plan to get the economy off oil and gas by 2030. Just Stop Oil has said it will once again be taking action in April to demand a plan to end the extraction and use of fossil fuels by 2030. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, has been trying to drive investment in British defence firms - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe Labour councils have scrapped investments in defence firms to woo pro-Palestinian voters. At least nine local authorities have voted to divest their pension funds from British defence companies, despite pressure from the Government for arms manufacturers to be considered ethical investments. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, is attempting to drive investment in such firms to improve Britains industrial base. European nations are also trying to re-arm in the wake of Donald Trumps call for the Continent to manage its own security and provide arms to Ukraine. However, some Labour councils are heading in the opposite direction amid pressure from pro-Palestinian activists who object to the supply of weapons to Israel. One councillor who backed a divestment vote told The Telegraph they had taken a tactical decision to exclude any mention of Gaza, even though the policy was designed to appeal to Muslim voters and pro-Palestinian activists. Last week, Dudley council in the West Midlands became the latest authority to vote to divest, arguing that it could contribute towards peace by scrapping millions of pounds of investment in firms involved directly or indirectly in arms production. The council, which is under no overall control, passed the motion with the support of Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors. The moves come as Labour is facing a backlash from voters over its support for Israel during the war in Gaza ahead of local elections on May 1. BAE Systems, which has been working on HMS Glasgow, is among the defence companies targeted by activists - Iain Masterton/Alamy Stock Photo At the general election last July, the party lost several strongholds, including the constituencies of two shadow cabinet ministers, to candidates campaigning on a pro-Palestinian platform. A councillor involved in a divestment motion told The Telegraph: Pressure was applied on the Labour Party by local pro-Palestine groups, especially the members with large groups of Muslims in their wards. Two of the councils that have divested from British arms companies are in the West Midlands, which has the second largest proportion of Muslim voters in the country after London. Four London councils Camden, Islington, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest have taken similar action in recent months after lobbying from pro-Palestinian groups. Islington council has since paused its divestment attempt following warnings that it may break the pension funds obligation to produce returns for investors. Fund considers cutting Israeli ties However, Avon Pension Fund, which manages 6 billion of public sector pensions in the West Country, has agreed to review 14 million of defence investments later this month after lobbying from Bristol and North Somerset councils. The fund said it would consider whether to abandon investments in seven defence companies that provide the Israeli military with defence products. In November, Labour-run Manchester city council voted to pressure its pension provider to abandon weapons manufacturers, which would close the door on defence investment from the countrys largest local government investor. The Telegraph understands several more similar council votes are planned in the coming months. Overall, the votes would result in millions of pounds divested from British defence companies, including BAE Systems and the UK-based arm of Lockheed Martin, even if their shares produce high returns for investors. An F-35 undergoes climatic testing at defence firm Lockheed Martin - Instagram On Tuesday, Lord West, the former first sea lord, accused the councils of not thinking and making our nation less safe. He said: They obviously arent that interested in the defence of our people, which will come back and bite them. Our defence firms are there to help protect us, as much as the people who actually join the military. Labour MPs previously voted against a Conservative Bill that would have banned councils from taking part in boycotts and divestment. The legislation did not make it into law before last years general election. A Labour source said the party was strongly opposed to boycott, divestment and sanctions protests and described the council votes as a genuine threat to the two-state solution. John Healey, the Defence Secretary, previously said attempts to boycott the defence industry were fundamentally flawed, even if the intentions of activists were well-meaning. Kevin Hollinrake, the shadow local government secretary, said: Labour councils across the country bowing to boycotts are inflaming community tensions and empowering those looking to hold our country to ransom. Its bad for the UK economy and bad for our defence industrial base just when it needs to be fired up. If Labour were on the side of the British people, they would bring back our Bill that would stop this right now. Their silence speaks volumes. Whether you walk on two legs or four, we can all agree that kids are a handful (or paw-ful) no matter what species they belong to. They may be cute, but they're just as capable of sowing mischief and chaos when you least expect it! Not even the mighty lion, the undisputed ruler of the African savannahs, can get a moment's peace when a naughty cub is afoot. This chaotic kitten took advantage of their parents' nap time to practice their stalking skills and pull a prank on their weary dad! This was a hilarious emotional journey, in no small part because this behavior is so human kid-coded. This lion cub successfully scared the proverbial pants off their parents by startling them awake, and then as soon as they realized they may have taken it too far and made Dad mad, they immediately ran over to Mom for protection and validation. Mom seemed proud, giving the cub a kiss, which inflated the cub's ego. The little kitty strode off proudly while their annoyed dad looked on in silent resignation, his arc as a prank victim complete. "This gosh darn kid...: Related: Fresno Zoo Debuts Their Newest Lion Cubs to the Public for the First Time and It's Cuteness Overload Even if this charming family moment came at the expense of the two older lions' naps, the cub's mischievous anticsand their parents' reactionsstill found an appreciative and very amused audience on Instagram. As mighty as the two adult lions look to us humans, there was no question that they'd been bested by their cub. "'WHO DARES WAKE MY SLU- oh it's you,'" joked @urgurlhelenmelonn. "The mama woke up like: WHAT WHAT WHAT? Oh," laughed @ki.2_mi.succ3ss. Lion Cubs Love 'Pranking' Their Pops This cub's nap-ruining prank may have been naughty, but they're really just carrying on a long-held lion cub tradition. A quick, cursory Google search will pull up dozens upon dozens of videos of lion cubs from all across Africa doing the exact same thing: sneaking up on their dads during nap time and pouncing. Tale as old as time... I'm sure that part of the reason cubs do this is because kids seem to think it's funny to surprise their parents while they're trying to get some much-needed rest (as any human parent will attest). However, this kind of play serves a developmental purpose for the lion cubs as well. Stalking and pouncing are hunting behaviors that these lion cubs will rely on later in life, and while they may be too young to hunt when they're small, they can start by practicing on safe targets like their parents! Lion cubs don't wait around when it comes to play-hunting. According to the San Diego Zoo, lion cubs begin mimicking hunting activities when they're only around six weeks old. They learn by watching their mothers (since lionesses are far more active hunters than male lions) and imitating what they seeand since Dad is usually lounging around somewhere, he makes for a good sitting duck! This method of observing and imitating adult behavior is very similar to how human children learnthough of course, when human kids scare their sleeping dads, they're doing it for fun and not as a means to practice essential survival skills! I suppose this is the stuff you have to put up with as a parent, whether you're a human or a lion. The price of a few ruined naps is probably worth it for these parents if it means their cub will grow up to be a great hunter one day... but man, is it annoying! Sub-Saharan Africa is home to more than 300 million Muslims. Illustration: Picha Stock/Getty Images Hello and welcome to The Long Wave. It is halfway through the month of Ramadan, and this week I have been chatting to fasting family, friends and colleagues across the diaspora about what people dont know about the Muslim holy month, and what questions we are constantly asked (yes, not even water). But first, the weekly roundup. Weekly roundup Dirtiest air in the world | Chad has been named the worlds most polluted country, with toxic particle levels more than 18 times higher than guideline limits in 2024. Almost every country on Earth has dirtier air than doctors recommend breathing, a report has found. Mass grave unearthed near Khartoum | More than 500 people may have been tortured and buried in a secret mass grave in Sudan, according to evidence seen by the Guardian. The site, near a base that previously belonged to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, is the largest makeshift burial ground found during the civil war. Brazil fights for African rebels skull | An Islamic group in Bahia state is calling on Harvard University in the US to repatriate the skull of a man who is believed to have led the Male revolt, an uprising by hundreds of mostly enslaved African Muslims in 1835. SVG buys island sacred to Garifuna | The Garifuna community is celebrating a historic victory after St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) announced the purchase of Baliceaux, an uninhabited privately owned island where thousands of their ancestors died from disease and starvation under British colonial rule. Monarch hails king of reggae | King Charles has paid tribute to the king of reggae as part of annual Commonwealth Day celebrations. In a broadcast released on Monday, the monarch shared his favourite songs and spoke fondly about meeting the great man himself, Bob Marley, who would have turned 80 this year. In depth: A month of faith and fasting In the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is usually observed with a month of fasting, prayer and togetherness, ushered in by the sighting of the new crescent moon. Though there are millions of Muslims across the global Black diaspora, there is a commonality of cuisine, habit and ritual between countries that dont even share borders. *** Time zones rule Where you are in the world has a massive impact on how difficult fasting is. The fast is from dawn till dusk, and the duration of that day varies wildly between one time zone and the next making the fast longer or shorter depending on where you are. The sweet spot is as close to the equator as possible, where the sun sets at a stable 6-7pm all year. But there is another variable Ramadan is determined on the lunar calendar, which means the month creeps backwards on the Gregorian calendar by a few days each year. For those living in the northern hemisphere, the outcome is that Ramadan can either fall at the height of summer or the dead of winter resulting in a fast that is either very short or extremely long. This year, its fallen in a fairly reasonable season. The longest fasting day is 16 and a half hours (Greenland), and the shortest is about 13 (Brazil). I fasted a couple of Ramadans in the UK that coincided with summer solstice and, let me tell you, little makes you dig deeper into your spiritual reserves like abstaining during the peak of the fleeting and precious British summer. *** Diverse rites, cuisines and rituals The Black Muslim population is vast, far bigger than many people realise, which I suspect is down to how underrepresented Black Muslims are in media and popular culture. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to more than 300 million Muslims, with the rest of the Black Muslim population dispersed across the diaspora, either born into the religion or converted. In the United States, half of Black Muslims are converts. The rituals of fasting therefore take on a syncretic quality, merging different cultures. Across north Africa and the Middle East, for example, variations of a certain type of broth or lentil soup are a frequent mainstay of the sunset meal. Farther south, from the far east of Sudan to the far west in Nigeria, doughy dishes made of cornmeal and wheat flour such as aseeda, ugali and ogi are more popular. But throughout there is one food that remains constant: dates. A quick hit of flavour and sugar, a small portion is a near-ubiquitous first morsel across the world. There are also certain special guests: drinks and dishes that only make an appearance in Ramadan. Vimto, for some reason Im not quite sure of and probably warrants further investigation, is so hugely popular in some countries that it has its own unique Arabic branding and advertising campaign during Ramadan. And Im not talking the fizzy contemporary kind in a can, but the full on treacly original in a glass bottle. It was a shock to me to learn that Vimto was not, in fact, an Arabic drink, but one originally created in Manchester. *** Fasting is not just from food and drink The purpose of fasting is, like most similar practices in other religions, to foster spirituality and a sort of fraternity with those less fortunate. And so everything, if one is lucky to live in a country that observes Ramadan en masse, slows down. A fast properly observed is one free of gossip, smoking, sex, all erotic thoughts, swearing, angry outbursts and general loss of control all things easier to avoid if there are allowances made by wider society, whether that be reduced working hours or an understanding that the timing of socialising and appointments will have to be modified. To fast in a non-majority Muslim country, in my experience, is to withdraw into a version of social hermitage and, again if one is lucky, to pull closer to family and friends on the same schedule. *** Every year, Ramadan is a surprise Ramadan observed in exile can be a profoundly isolating and even melancholy experience. It is when family and friends spread across the world, wrenched from their parents dining tables, feel the most alienated, and make more of an effort to at least virtually connect. Group breakfasts, shared food prep and communal evening prayer are the norm when one is embedded in a community, so it can feel really hard in the absence of those things. I have broken fast in some pretty bleak places the supermarket sandwich on a park bench before dashing back to work sticks in my mind as a particular lowlight. But there is something in that enforced isolation and abstention every year that somehow always pays off. The first part of the month is about sharp adjustment and withdrawal. And boredom, so much boredom. But then you realise how much noise food and drink and snacking and smoking and vaping brings into your day, and how little you need all that you are consuming. The result is a reset of ones relationship with food and a stillness that once it hits (for me around the second week of the month) feels crystalline. The isolation of the experience then takes on a kind of enveloping property, rather than a marginalising one. And so even as Ramadan brings Muslims across the diaspora together inside the home and, as often happens, on the streets of their neighbourhoods, there is also something to be said for the solitary Ramadan. Every year I dread it, and every year I miss it. British actress Millie Bobby Brown has said she is disgusted by remarks made about her and other womens appearances. Earlier this month, the Stranger Things star, 21, hit out at what she called bullying comments and the media dissecting my face, my body, my choices because they think she should be frozen in time as a child actor. Brown told the latest episode of the podcast Call Her Daddy that the press love to go in on me sometimes with certain things, pointing to her growing older and her accent changing as she lives in the US. She said: A thing that I get a lot is like, Oh my God, she looks like 40. And Im like, you did meet me when I was 10, so I understand. Now Im 21, its been 10 years. She grows. My face, like, grew. What do you want me to do about that? I dont want that for anybody growing up in the industry, but it really actually doesnt bother me. I wish I could be like, You know what, it does get to me. It used to get to me, it did It got to me, and I remember trying to change myself to please the masses. And actually, now, Im in a place where, yeah, my accent does change. My face does grow. I do wear a lot of make-up. Its just the kind of person I am, I like that youre not going to tell me how to be a girl. She also said it should never be OK, I feel like, when stuff comes out about me, or about other women, other young girls in the industry, Im disgusted, like I cant believe it still happens. Millie Bobby Brown (Ian West/PA) If I had a genie wish, I really would wish that no one ever had to go through that kind of scrutiny because it changes the kind of person you are, it changes the way you perceive the world, Brown added. You see the bad in everyone, you dont see the good. Youre like, What are your intentions, what are you going to say about me? And I think the press need to be taught manners again, I think they need to go back to school and learn how to speak to people, be kind and just understand that were all growing people, we all make mistakes, and ultimately, the standards and stigmas against girls, its ridiculous, especially, I feel, in Hollywood. Earlier this month, comedian Matt Lucas apologised to Brown for writing the phrase no but yeah but used by delinquent teenager Vicky Pollard in his comedy show Little Britain above pictures of the actress, in reference to her earrings. Lucas wrote on social media: I thought you looked terrific and I was mortified when the press wrote that I slammed you, firstly because thats not my style, and secondly because I think youre brilliant. I would not have posted it if I had thought it would have upset you but I realise it has and for that I apologise. Brown married Jake Bongiovi last year (Ian West/PA) In an Instagram post this month, Brown quoted headlines from articles, including references to Lucass X comments, which she said were amplifying an insult rather than questioning why a grown man is mocking a young womans appearance. She also wrote: Disillusioned people cant handle seeing a girl become a woman on her terms, not theirs. I refuse to apologise for growing up. I refuse to make myself smaller to fit the unrealistic expectations of people who cant handle seeing a girl become a woman. Brown, who married Jake Bongiovi, the son of rock star Jon Bon Jovi, last year, has been promoting new Netflix film The Electric State, in which she stars alongside Chris Pratt. She has also recently finished filming the fifth series of hit Netflix science fiction series Stranger Things, which has seen her play superpowered teenager Eleven since 2016, with the final season due out this year. Since her breakout role, Brown landed the title part as mystery-solving sleuth Sherlock Holmess sister Enola Holmes in the 2020 Netflix film and its sequel two years later. A requirement for a High Court judge to approve assisted dying applications has been scrapped, with an opponent branding the expert panel suggested to replace it a weird creature. A committee scrutinising the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill voted to remove a clause which had been hailed as the reason the proposed legislation for England and Wales would be the strictest in the world. Campaigners opposed to a change in the law said the High Court safeguard was being ditched in favour of unworkable panels, but Humanists UK said the change was a welcome improvement. When introduced to Parliament last year, the Bill proposed terminally ill adults in the two nations with less than six months to live should be legally allowed to end their lives, subject to approval by two doctors and a High Court judge. Danny Kruger said he believed the High Court approval clause should have been retained and strengthened (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA) On Wednesday, MPs on the scrutiny committee voted 15 to seven in favour of removing the court-approval clause. Labour MP Jake Richards was absent from the vote. Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the Bill, has proposed to instead establish a voluntary assisted dying commissioner a judge or former judge and expert panels featuring a senior legal figure, a psychiatrist and a social worker who would decide on assisted dying applications. These amendments will be voted on at a later stage possibly later this month as parliamentary procedure dictates that new clauses are only voted on after amendments to all existing clauses have been considered. It has been suggested some MPs who supported the Bill at Second Reading last year could change their minds. Conservative MP Danny Kruger, who voted against the Bill last year, suggested there were 60 MPs who previously specified the High Court safeguard as a reason for having supported the proposed legislation. Of the expert panels suggested in its place, he told the committee: Its not a judicial entity in any sense. Its a weird creature, neither one thing nor the other, a quasi multi-disciplinary team at the wrong stage of the process for the wrong purpose. He said the change drops a much-heralded gold-plated judicial safeguard, totally transforms the Bill, and lamented that MPs had not had a chance to hear expert views on the suggested replacement. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater said new expert panels in place of High Court approval would strengthen her Bill (Ben Whitley/PA) Mr Krugers mother, Great British Bake Off judge Dame Prue Leith who is at odds with her son on assisted dying, having spoken out frequently in favour of a change in the law was present to listen to part of Wednesdays committee session. Ms Leadbeater has insisted the amendments she has put forward will give her Bill additional patient-centred safeguards by providing a range of expertise via the three-member panel, which she said is a strength, not a weakness. She said she had listened carefully to expert evidence in January on concerns around the pressure on judicial resources if each case was to automatically go before the High Court, and on calls to involve psychiatrists and social workers in assessing mental capacity and detecting coercion. Labour MP Jack Abbott, who also voted against the Bill last November, said he was supportive of the panel idea. He told the committee: I think its important that its robust. Were including social care workers and psychiatrists alongside legal professionals. He told his fellow MPs that one cant expect legal professionals to also be experts in palliative care or psychiatry and so having a multidisciplinary panel deciding on applications from people wanting an assisted death would be an enormous improvement. Mr Abbott and fellow Labour MP Sojan Joseph were the only two of the committee members who voted against the Bill last year to vote for the removal of the High Court clause. The committees line-by-line scrutiny of the Bill continues before it returns to the House of Commons most likely towards the end of April for further debate and a vote. A group of 26 Labour MPs who previously voted against the Bill said scrapping High Court approval breaks the promises made by proponents of the Bill, fundamentally weakens the protections for the vulnerable and shows just how haphazard this whole process has become. They argued against Ms Leadbeaters claim her new amendments will strengthen the Bill, saying instead the panel creates an unaccountable quango. Claire Macdonald, director of My Death, My Decision, said they support the move towards a specialist panel that can provide expertise and fairness in assisted dying decisions, while Andrew Copson, chief executive of Humanists UK, said the panels have the potential to make assisted dying decisions more efficient and accessible while strengthening already rigorous safeguards. Former MP Caroline Ansell, who is director of advocacy and policy at the Christian Action, Research and Education (Care) group, said the High Court safeguard has been ditched in favour of unworkable panels. The Bill proposes allowing terminally ill adults with less than six months to live to receive medical assistance to die - House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA MPs have voted to remove the need for a High Court judge to approve assisted dying requests. The committee overseeing Kim Leadbeaters Bill voted to scrap the judicial safeguard that had been cited as key to ensuring it was the safest assisted dying law in the world. When the MP for Spen Valley introduced the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to Parliament in November, it proposed allowing terminally ill adults with less than six months to live to receive medical assistance to die. The judicial safeguard meant that only cases approved by two doctors and a High Court judge would be allowed. But on Wednesday, MPs on the Bill committee voted 15 to seven to remove this judicial oversight. Ms Leadbeater has instead proposed a three-member panel a psychiatrist, a social worker and a lawyer to make the final decision. This system, overseen by a voluntary assisted dying commissioner, will be voted on after all existing clauses have been considered. The judicial safeguard had meant that only cases approved by two doctors and a High Court judge would be allowed - Hollie Adams/Bloomberg A group of Labour MPs critical of the Bill warned that removing the High Court judge fundamentally weakens the protections for the vulnerable. Opponents also raised concerns that under the new proposals, witnesses would no longer give evidence under oath and people could not be compelled to testify. Danny Kruger, the Tory MP for East Wiltshire, said that the change removed a much-heralded gold-plated safeguard, which totally transforms the Bill, and pointed out that MPs had not heard expert views on the replacement. The significant change followed warnings from retired judges that the High Court sign-off would overburden an already stretched court system. However, Ms Leadbeater insisted the real reason was that the panels would provide stronger protections, and told MPs it would offer additional patient-centred safeguards by bringing a range of expertise that she called a strength, not a weakness. Kim Leadbeater has proposed a three-member panel a psychiatrist, a social worker and a lawyer to make the final decision On Wednesday, Sarah Sackman KC, the justice minister, backed this claim, telling the committee: This change was driven not by capacity concerns from within government, but by the sponsors policy intent. The High Court stage could be made to work, but if this committee and if Parliament elect for the commissioner and panel model, then the state will work to deliver that. She reiterated there is no connection between [capacity concerns] and the policy shift that has occurred here. Her statement that the High Court oversight could have worked has inflamed concerns among opponents of the Bill, who told the committee it remained their preferred model. Mr Kruger dismissed the panel system as an inadequate replacement: Its not a judicial entity in any sense. Its a weird creature, neither one thing nor the other, a quasi multi-disciplinary team at the wrong stage of the process for the wrong purpose. The judicial provision had been key to securing support for the Bill at second reading. On Nov 29, 61 MPs cited the High Court safeguard in their support, with 20 more referencing judicial protections. Reese Witherspoon with her French bulldog, Winnie. The breed was the most likely to be stolen in the UK in 2024 - Reese Withspoon/Instagram Dog thieves are now targeting bigger and more intimidating breeds with Rottweilers suffering the highest increase in thefts. An estimated 1,808 dogs were stolen across the UK last year, according to police figures. Pedigree Rottweiler puppies can cost up to 2,500, making them a lucrative target for criminals who can sell the dogs on. With male adult dogs weighing around 55kg and standing about 86cm in height, the breed can prove a deterrent to would-be burglars. However, dog enthusiasts said the breeds status as a guard dog was not necessarily fuelling the theft figures. Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today magazine and patron of campaign group the Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance, said: Its difficult to know what is going through the thieves minds. Sometimes they may have a specific purpose in mind for them. Something like a Rottweiler might be sold on as a guard dog. Or they might be thinking they will breed them and then abandon them when they are no longer fertile which is why we sometimes see dogs coming back after eight or so years. Boxing legend Tyson Fury with the Rottweiler he bought to protect his family Ms Cuddy added: The stigma around the breed is certainly calming down a bit but even so, the people doing this must be thinking of the pound signs. In contrast, the theft of XL bullies has dropped by 49 per cent following the ban on the breed introduced in England and Wales last February. An estimated 1,808 dogs were stolen across the UK last year, according to analysis of police data by Direct Line Peet Insurance. The insurer which obtained the figures through Freedom of Information (FoI) laws found French bulldogs were the most likely breed to be stolen in 2024. Some 51 French bulldogs were seized last year, an increase of 38 per cent on 2023 stats. This breed can cost up to 5,000 when bought from a reputable breeder, making them another attractive option for criminals looking to sell stolen dogs on. Over the past 10 years, 23,430 dogs have been reported stolen to police, according to FoI requests, with only one in five (5,005 or 21 per cent) being returned. Last years total theft figures showed a 21 per cent drop overall compared to 2023. Despite this, 61 per cent of owners say they are worried about the possibility of their dog being stolen with 40 per cent saying they would only ever walk their dog on a lead and 17 per cent say they use a tracking device. Harsher sentences The Pet Abduction Act came into effect in May last year, making pet theft a criminal offence in England and Northern Ireland, punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine, or both. And the reduction in thefts may be an early sign that the new law is having a positive impact, a Direct Line spokesman said. Adam Burgin, head of Direct Line pet insurance, said: As a nation of pet lovers we hope to continue the downward trend in the number of stolen dogs. Our research over the last decade has shown dog theft is a persistent issue and hopefully the Pet Abduction Act 2024 will encourage a change in criminal behaviour in the long term. Those who have fallen victim to dog theft will know the intense stress and trauma that comes with having their beloved pet snatched away from them, often with no closure on knowing what happened to a member of their family. Each piece of hanfu that crosses the ocean is a cultural messenger between the East and the West: US vlogger 10:39, March 12, 2025 By Leng Shumei ( Global Times In an apartment in Boston, the US, American Rachel Yu styles her hair in front of a mirror. She skillfully secures her hair in a bun at the top of her head, inserts a gilded hairpin, and puts on a beautifully embroidered horse-face skirt. In the mirror, she looks like an Eastern woman straight out of an ancient painting. However, this hanfu enthusiast, who is well-versed in traditional Chinese clothing, is a native American. With the Chinese nickname Qiu Qiu, she has gained over a hundred thousand followers for hanfu-related videos on social media platforms including TikTok, Bilibili, and RedNote, or Xiaohongshu. Qiu Qiu's love affair with hanfu began in 2019. One night, while watching fashion videos on YouTube, a video about the "hanfu revival" suddenly appeared on her screen. The flowing garments and exquisite patterns in the video struck her almost instantly. "I was really impressed by the elegant beauty and grace the clothes have and how they are a piece of history brought back to life, or just re-imagined in the modern times. I didn't think I could ever wear hanfu at the time since I am not Chinese. But I appreciated the beauty," Qiu Qiu told the Global Times, recalling her feelings when she first saw hanfu. "I also admire the efforts of young people in China to revive hanfu culture; they make these clothes seem even more special," she told the Global Times. Rachel Yu poses for a photo in a hanfu. (Photo/Courtesy of Yu) Out of curiosity, Qiu Qiu began searching online for information about hanfu. However, at that time, there weren't many videos and articles in English about hanfu; much of what she found was in Chinese. "The only words I could understand were 'hanfu,'" Qiu Qiu said. It was from that moment that she resolved to start learning Chinese, beginning with "hello" and "thank you," to understand this unfamiliar and mysterious country across the ocean. Later, fate handed her another key in 2020 - she met her husband, Danny Yu, from Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province. When he learned of her love for hanfu, he took the initiative to help her choose her first hanfu outfit. "I felt like a princess!" Qiu Qiu said. Later, she filmed herself in the outfit and posted the video on social media, and this experience completely drew her in. Qiu Qiu began studying hanfu styles through online videos and images, from the curvature of the collar of Tang dynasty skirts to the number of pleats in Ming dynasty horse-face skirts; she now knows these details like the back of her hand. As an illustrator, she has also incorporated hanfu elements into her artwork, designing game characters dressed in hanfu from different dynasties. Gradually, her hanfu videos became increasingly popular on social media platforms, and she began participating in offline hanfu society events in the US. In the reports of some Western media outlets, China is often demonized and portrayed as a "threat", with discussions focusing on topics such as Chinese people "extreme nationalism" and their "animosity" toward Americans. Rachel Yu poses for a photo in a hanfu. (Photo/Courtesy of Yu) Qiu Qiu told the Global Times that she has not felt any of this; on the contrary, through sharing hanfu videos, she has gradually met many netizens from China and witnessed the friendliness and interesting nature of Chinese people. "When I first joined the hanfu society, I received a very warm welcome; many Chinese girls even wanted to give me gifts like hairpins! I was shocked, thinking, 'Wow, this is incredible; everyone is so nice!'" Qiu Qiu said. "I was originally worried that as I tried to get closer to Chinese culture, they might reject me for not being Chinese. But the reality was completely the opposite; I have always felt acceptance and welcome. I have never felt the hostility toward Americans that some media had portrayed," she said. At the same time, her sharing has sparked more interest among Americans in Chinese traditional culture. "I have received comments from some American netizens saying that because of these hanfu videos, they started watching Chinese dramas and became more interested in Chinese culture," Qiu Qiu said. In her view, the power of beauty can establish connections between people and is enough to eliminate misunderstandings. Each piece of hanfu that crosses the ocean is not just a garment; it is also a cultural messenger between the East and the West. "I hope more and more Americans can understand the beauty of China," she said. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) A grey plover with its breeding plumage a black face, breast and belly. Photograph: SuperStock/Alamy Any bird with grey in its name is not likely to make the average birder quiver with excitement. And it is true that in winter, when grey plovers visit our shores from the high Arctic, they are easy to overlook, especially among the spectacular flocks of lapwings, golden plovers and avocets on my Somerset coastal patch. Stout and unassuming, grey plovers usually lurk on the edge of the mud beneath the sea wall, patiently picking off shellfish and marine worms with their short bills. Only when they take to the wing do they reveal a dark black armpit, contrasting with their pale underwings a useful field mark that helps distinguish them from their close relative the golden plover. But in spring, grey plovers undergo a remarkable makeover, transforming themselves into one of the worlds most striking and beautiful waders. Heading north to nest on the polar tundra, they moult into their breeding plumage: their jet-black faces, breasts and bellies contrasting with their silvery upper parts and white foreheads hence the North American name for the species, the black-bellied plover. Ive only come across this plumage once in Britain: one May back in my early years as a birder, at Staines reservoirs on the outskirts of London. But one day, I plan to head north and enjoy watching this stunning bird where it really belongs. Members of 4 SCOTS carry out night time live firing training in Romania as part of a Nato exercise Europe must be ready to protect itself from Russia even if there is a ceasefire, defence secretaries will say on Wednesday. John Healey will meet his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and Poland at the Val-de-Grace chapel in Paris to discuss how to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine and strengthen deterrence through Nato. In recent weeks Donald Trump has called on Europe to shoulder more of the burden of supporting Ukraine, which prompted Sir Keir Starmer to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent by 2027. Both France and the UK have pledged to send troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal. Speaking ahead of Wednesdays meeting between the five biggest spenders in Nato, the so-called E5 group, the Defence Secretary said: We are at a decisive moment for the future of Ukraine and for the security of Europe. As E5 nations, we recognise we must take on more responsibility for European security. The UK remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine, and we will continue to lead alongside our European partners as we push for a just and lasting peace. European nations are stepping up. By deepening our defence cooperation, boosting spending, and enhancing our collective strength, we send a clear message: we will not waver in standing with Ukraine and defending our shared values. John Healey, the Defence Secretary, will join Adml Sir Tony Radakin (right), head of the Armed Forces, at talks in Paris - Jonathan Brady/PA A senior defence source told The Telegraph that the importance of strengthening deterrence among Nato nations was about signalling that as nations step up their defence spending, our goal - alongside a secure peace in Ukraine - is a secure, stable Europe and a strong Nato deterring threats in the North Atlantic and High North. The North Atlantic and High North, including the Arctic, have become of increasingly strategic importance to the UKs defence and security in recent years since Russia increased its military presence in the region. On Tuesday, 34 chiefs of defence staff, including Adml Sir Tony Radakin, the UKs professional head of the Armed Forces, met in Paris to discuss how to provide security guarantees for a lasting peace. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, told the gathering that they had to move from concept to plan with peace talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US gathering pace. He said credible security guarantees would be needed to ensure a solid and lasting peace could be achieved in Ukraine, the Eylsee Palace said after the talks. In a rallying call, Mr Macron said the Anglo-French coalition of the willing would have to shoulder our responsibilities. This is the moment when Europe must pull out all the stops, for Ukraine and for itself, he said. The defence chiefs discussed what each countrys involvement would look like, as part of talks that will continue next week. One defence source suggested that the meetings in Paris and show of strength among Natos biggest players would leave Russia disheartened. He said: Youve got the five biggest defence spenders in Europe talking about deepening cooperation. Then youve got the talks in Saudi leading to progress which they need to listen to, otherwise they are defying the US. Russia wont be emboldened by that. Wednesdays meeting comes after US and Ukrainian officials met for talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday to discuss how to end the war in Ukraine. Following the talks in Jeddah, America agreed to lift its ban on sending military aid to Ukraine - Reuters Following the talks hosted by the Saudi Kingdom, America agreed to immediately lift its ban on sending military aid and sharing intelligence with Ukraine. In response, Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire, which will now be put to Russia. In a joint statement from the US and Ukraine, it was also agreed that the ceasefire can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation. As part of the talks the group will also discuss stepping up their own defences and deterrent and tightening their military bonds, as well as how to boost their defence industrial bases, scaling up production of weapons and continuing to innovate in cyber and artificial intelligence. Mr Healey also met with his French counterpart on Tuesday, where they discussed the British-Franco plan to develop a coalition of the willing, to support Ukraines future security. But some nations have expressed doubts in the plans being drawn up to enforce any post-war settlement in Ukraine. Prospective members of the coalition have said they need more details to ensure the mission will be able to deter any future Russian attacks and not just serve as a PR exercise, a European source told The Telegraph. Mariia Romanyshyn (left) and Doreen Larney and her son Martin (right) outside the Central London County Court - Champion News A reclusive pensioners family are fighting for his 650,000 home after the 82-year-old man gave it to a Ukrainian waitress he met at his local breakfast cafe. Richard Joy befriended Mariia Romanyshyn, 38, in 2011 when he visited the Upper Crust cafe in Harrow three times a week. Two years before his death in May 2018, Mrs Romanyshyn said he handed her the deeds to his home in Harrow, adding: The house is yours. I want you to keep the house. She moved in with her husband and their daughters, who she said saw Mr Joy as a grandfatherly figure. But Mrs Romanyshyn is now being sued by Martin Larney, Mr Joys cousin and the executor of his estate, who wants the house back. Mr Larney claims Mr Joy was too mentally frail to fully understand what he was doing when he gave Mrs Romanyshyn the house. Mr Joy described by his family as a recluse never married or had children and spent most of his time at the local library or working on his collection of rare coins, medals and militaria. Mrs Romanyshyn is fighting the court claim, insisting the pensioner was sharp enough to follow the complex storylines of Benedict Cumberbatchs Sherlock series and play chess with her daughter. Richard Joy befriended Mariia Romanyshyn when he visited the Upper Crust cafe in Harrow three times a week - Champion News Sitting at Central London County Court, Judge Simon Monty KC heard that Mr Joy lived his entire life in his parents home. Under a will made in 2011, most of his fortune, including the house, was to be split between his cousin Mr Larney, Mr Larneys mother Doreen, and a friend who is not involved in the case. After his death, it emerged he had signed a document giving the property to Mrs Romanyshyn. Andrew Nicklin, Mr Larneys barrister, told the judge Mr Joy was vulnerable with apparent cognitive impairment and dependent on Mrs Romanyshyn. Mrs Romanyshyn, now a trainee beautician, said she got to know Mr Joy while serving him at the cafe, where she knew him as a respectable and reputable customer. After he had a spell in hospital, she offered to help with shopping or chores before continuing to support him on a more regular basis. Mr Joy repeatedly encouraged her to move in with him, she said, telling her: My wish is for this to be your family home. She told the court she abandoned previous plans to move out of London and buy a home to move in with Mr Joy. Lynne Counsell, Mrs Romanyshyns barrister, told how a friendship developed over some time and evolved into a familial relationship. They and their children became the adopted family of the deceased and they also assisted him and cared for him, but neither of them were ever paid carers and at no time demanded or received any money for their care and assistance, she added. Mrs Romanyshyn treated the pensioner as her uncle, she continued. There is nothing in the GP records that show he was suffering from dementia, or undergoing any investigation of dementia or being prescribed any drugs for that condition, said Ms Counsell, adding he was also well able to successfully navigate trips away from home and return safely. The former home in Harrow of Richard Joy, which the pensioner lived in his entire life, is now at the centre of the legal dispute - Champion News Mrs Romanyshyn told the judge that in the spring of 2016, Mr Joy thrust the deeds of the property into her hands. She said Mr Joy told her, I have a present for you before offering her the deeds, to which she had replied: Dont worry, I will look after it very well for you. He received and felt the care, love and affection from me and my family, she said. An extremely high degree of trust was there between us. She said that as early in their friendship as November 2011, Mr Joy wanted to give her a diamond ring in his will, telling the judge: He said to me Mariia can I have your name and address? which was surprising, but he said that he wanted to put something for me in his will but didnt mention what it was. But Mr Larneys barrister suggested that in 2016 Mr Joy was in no position to sign off complex legal documents, arguing: The deceased was vulnerable with apparent cognitive impairment and, on the face of the medical evidence produced, lacking capacity. Although accepting that the relationship between Mr Joy and Mrs Romanyshyns family may have involved care and affection, he said she held a position of ascendancy, which demanded the utmost care be taken to ensure he knew what he was doing when deciding legal issues. In 2016, Mrs Romanyshyns family lived in the majority of the home while Mr Joy occupied one room of the bungalow, alleged Mr Nicklin. By June that year, she was the pensioners attorney, in control of his bank account and finances, he added. The deceased was dependent on Mrs Romanyshyn in respect of daily life, shopping, cooking, medicine and medical appointments, he said. A recluse who burned through his money Giving evidence, Doreen Larney, Mr Joys 87-year-old cousin who stands to inherit a share of the house if successful described her first cousin as a a bit of a recluse who burned through his money. She said his bank manager father tried to leave him money in trust because he got through it so fast. He just wasnt good with money, it had no value for him, she told Judge Monty, adding: He would spend 6,000 on a gold coin and then he wouldnt have any money left. She said she and her husband tried to keep in touch with him, but that contact ceased after 2012 when they found they could no longer get through on the phone. Mr Larney is fighting to overturn the 2016 decision, so the house can be included in his estate and divided up under the terms of his 2011 will. The court heard that under the will, his collection of militaria was donated to the Imperial War Museum, whilst part of his coin collection was sold to pay for his funeral expenses. Denying he lacked capacity, Ms Counsell told the court: Mr Joy was going to the pub, bookies, fish and chip shops and also used the bus by himself in 2018. The deceased remained independent. She added that seven years after his death, Mrs Romanyshyn still organises a remembrance service every Christmas and leaves flowers on his grave. Mr Larney does none of these things, she said. The judge is expected to deliver his ruling at a later date. Sean McNamee of St Pauls Primary School in Belfast was punched by the mother of a child accused of assaulting another pupil - Charles McQuillan When a head teacher calls in a parent because their child has assaulted another pupil, they might reasonably expect a reaction of shock, embarrassment, upset or, at worst, defensiveness. What Sean McNamee got was a punch in the face. The boy was getting into trouble and getting involved in fights, but I knew there were pressures at home, says the primary school head. I had to suspend him for the attack on another child, and I hoped when his mum came to collect him, we could have a chat and form a plan of what to do. But she arrived at school, came in the door, saw me and punched me. Shaking with disbelief and concerned for his staff, McNamee followed the parent as she marched up the stairs into the classroom, got her child and marched out, all the while hurling abuse at horrified staff and children. Despite its appalling nature, the heads experience is not rare. Survey findings released in the first week of March by the National Association of Head Teachers reveal that four in five school leaders have been subjected to verbal or physical abuse, threats, harassment or online trolling in the past 12 months. Like McNamee, one in 10 suffered physical violence. The vast majority of the 1,600 respondents think that this abuse is on the rise, with more than a third warning it is becoming almost endemic. When certain parents phone up, staff in the school office recognise the number and want to let it ring because they know they will have to face a torrent of expletives, says McNamee, who runs St Pauls Primary, in Belfast. School leader Debra Walker has been slapped across the face by a parent, threatened with murder by another and had to call the police when a woman came into school screaming and shouting after taking exception to a psychologists report about her child. Walker, the chief executive of the Iris Learning Trust, which runs three primary schools in the north-east of England, cites a parent, upset about a coat going missing, screaming in the face of a teacher who was seven months pregnant. Another colleague was spat at. In yet another case, Kevin Flanagan, the head teacher of Pensby High School in Wirral, was subjected to a campaign of harassment by Keith and Stephanie Critchley, including turning up at his family home and verbally abusing him at the school gates, after their daughters were given detentions. Head teacher Kevin Flanagan was subjected to a campaign of online harassment by a disgruntled couple - Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock What such incidents seem to demonstrate, coupled with worsening pupil behaviour and high absence rates across the country, is the collapse of the social contract between parents and schools. Experts such as Amanda Spielman, the former head of Ofsted, point to an undermining of trust and a growing perception that school is optional, fuelled by the Covid school lockdowns and a series of strikes by teachers. Progressive school policies on sex education and gender identity have left some families suspicious about what is being taught, while others argue that schools are not woke enough. At the same time, a wider culture which prioritises individual needs, desires, self-expression and wellbeing is increasingly at odds with traditional notions of discipline and with school rules and structures; the kinds of rules and structures that seem to apply less and less to other areas of work and life. Amanda Spielman, the former head of Ofsted, says a perception of school being optional is partly to blame for the erosion of respect for school staff - Heathcliff O'Malley Making matters worse is social media, where one parents grumble can spread like wildfire, creating a them versus us mentality that breeds discontent. Mini mutinies among parents abound, from complaints about children having to change into PE kits to unfounded claims of bullying, says McNamee. And in an era when there is hypervigilance about safeguarding, parents are also increasingly inclined to believe whatever their child tells them. My child does not tell lies is a phrase I hear quite a lot, says the head. That might be so, but their perceptions of an event are often very different to the reality. Other teachers report similar issues: Pupils sometimes misreport incidents and parents immediately resort to aggression rather than discuss the situation and identify misunderstandings, says one NAHT member. Barry Smith, a former school leader known for his strict discipline policies, thinks that what happens in schools reflects what happens in society. Authority has been eroded in schools, and across society and teachers can be on the receiving end of that, he says. For some parents, taking to Facebook and criticising the school is how they demonstrate to their peer group Look what a good parent I am. You get lots of likes, and positive strokes and people respond with Yeah, you tell them; it gives them validation, says Smith. Geraint Edwards, the head teacher at Hitchin Priory School, in Hertfordshire, has also noticed an increasing readiness to use the school complaints procedure, sometimes vindictively. Parents often wont be satisfied by the answer. They just wont let things go, he says. They contact the governors and Ofsted. Every complaint becomes incredibly time-consuming, drawn out and energy-sapping, and detracts me from the strategic work I should be doing. At the heart of many parental challenges on everything from toilet breaks and uniform policy to the sanctions used by schools is a feeling that their particular childs needs are not being met. And the list of needs is expanding exponentially. At McNamees school, the number of pupils flagged up because of concerns about social, emotional and behavioural development is rapidly increasing. A recent check on one class revealed it applied to 18 out of 21 children. Yet St Pauls Primary is allocated just six educational psychologist slots a year and there are 14 children on the waiting list, with increasingly frustrated parents. We have no extra resources to deal with this explosion of special educational needs [SEN], says McNamee. We spend all our time and effort trying to maintain the status quo. Every corner you turn there is another obstacle. In one class at Sean McNamees Belfast primary school, 18 of 21 pupils have had concerns flagged about their social, emotional and behavioural development - Charles McQuillan Smith, too, highlights the rise of the special needs agenda. There is an explosion of people being diagnosed with autism or ADHD or anxiety, he says. It is an expanding market; at one point it was naughty boys, then it was girls who were undiagnosed and now it is adults. Its a money-making industry. School must make reasonable adjustments for children with additional needs needs that do not necessarily have to have the official diagnosis that can trigger extra funding. But who decides what reasonable adjustments are? Should a child prone to outburst or who has anxiety be allowed time-outs, a part-time timetable and no detentions? If a child has sensory issues, should the rule on school shoes not apply to them? Heads feel they have to bow down to an increasing set of demands and unrealistic expectations because they are afraid parents will go to Ofsted, turn up at the school gates or attack them on social media, says Smith. They are afraid they will be seen as not being inclusive and breaching the law around protected characteristics. But these demands chip away at the rules and structures that maintain order. Schools can have up to 2,000 teenagers milling around each day. The rules and structures are there for a reason; it risks the whole thing breaking down. According to Smith, 80 per cent of senior leaderships time is spent dealing with 20 per cent of pupils and parents. If you have a school of 1,000 children, with 10 per cent from difficult families; that is 100 families you have to handle day in, day out, he says. The time that schools are devoting to these children and families is time not being spent on other pupils. Some parents are deflecting their own shortcomings onto schools, suggests Hitchin Priorys Edwards. In the society we live in, it is sometimes very difficult to criticise, openly, the parents and their roles and responsibilities, he says. There are parents that delegate their responsibilities and look for who to blame. That is a generalisation, but it is also a fact in some cases. He points out that children spend only about 18 per cent of time in school: The rest of the time they are with their parents what are they doing? he asks. Some parents need to reflect rather than blame Ive said that a few times and it doesnt go down very well. McNamee feels teachers have no choice but to move forward because there is no escape. Schools cannot exclude a pupil because of the behaviour of their parents. The punishment for the mother who punched McNamee was a ban from school grounds and a visit by police. In time, there was even a degree of rapprochement between the pair. McNamee believes the world around us mirrors and even condones the kind of aggressive behaviour that some parents are subjecting schools to. Look at how JD Vance and Donald Trump rounded on President Zelensky, he says. It worries me; that willingness to pick a fight. Children see it and it legitimises that behaviour. It is a dangerous way for us to be. Meanwhile, the head teacher does his job, but the environment takes its toll: Your body gets used to being on high alert he says. I dont know the last time I had a full nights sleep; Sundays are terrible. An adult jaw and cheekbone dating between 1.1 and 1.4 million years ago were found in a cave at the Sierra de Atapuerca Face bones from the oldest human ever discovered have been found in western Europe and they belong to a species that archaeologists did not know existed. An adult jaw and cheekbone dating between 1.1 and 1.4 million years ago were found in a cave at the Sierra de Atapuerca in northern Spain. Experts originally thought that the fossilised fragments belonged to the species Homo antecessor an extinct early human known to have inhabited the area about 860,000 years ago. But the face shape was found to be more primitive, resembling Homo erectus, a far earlier species that arrived in south-eastern Europe about 1.8 million years ago. The fossil, provisionally classified as Homo affinis erectus, is the earliest hominid found so far in Western Europe. Dr Rosa Huguet, of the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution, said: This study introduces a new actor in the story of human evolution in Europe. During the early Pleistocene more than one human species lived in Europe and the first hominid was not antecessor as we previously believed. The fossil, provisionally classified as Homo affinis erectus, is the earliest hominid found so far in Western Europe The dispersed facial fragments were discovered in 2022 at the Sima del Elefante cave complex in Atapuerca, but it has taken until now for researchers to piece them back together and understand their origin. Dr Maria Martinon Torres, an honorary professor of anthropology at University College London and the director of the Spanish National Research Centre for Human Evolution, said: Our discovery proves that at least two different species of human populated Western Europe during the Pleistocene era and it provides fascinating insight into the evolution of the genus Homo. The evidence is still insufficient for a definitive classification, which is why it has been assigned to H. aff. Erectus [Homo affinis erectus]. We are documenting for the first time a hominid population that we did not know we had in Europe. The density of hominid populations in Europe is so low that the evidence of finding habitation is quite extraordinary. The fragments were discovered in 2022 at the Sima del Elefante cave complex in Atapuerca The early humans lived in a humid forest landscape peppered with wooded areas, wet grasslands and seasonal water sources, which would have provided rich hunting grounds and abundant plant life. Fossilised pollen remains suggested Mediterranean-like plants and bones of hippopotamus, pigs and horses were discovered. Although the human remains were found inside the caves, the animals and tools were found outside, leading experts to think they spent most of their time in the open air. Archaeologists believe that the bones may have been carried inside by water or gravity after death. As well as the bones, archaeologists uncovered stone tools and animal remains with cut marks, showing that the early humans were adept at butchery. About 6,000 bone fragments, ranging from aurochs to beavers were uncovered at the site. Dr Maria Martinon Torres with the reconstructed jaw and cheekbone Dr Xose Pedro Rodriguez-Alvarez, a specialist in lithic industries, said: Although the quartz and flint tools found are simple, they suggest an effective subsistence strategy and highlight the hominins ability to exploit the resources available in their environment. The team is planning to further study the bones to try to pin down the species and even find out if the remains were male or female. Dr Eudald Carbonell, the co-director of the Atapuerca Project, said: The discovery of evidence for different hominin populations in Western Europe during the early Pleistocene suggests that this region was a key point in the evolutionary history of the genus Homo. The findings were published in Nature. Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced she will not seek re-election to Holyrood next year. Ms Sturgeon who represents the Glasgow Southside constituency made the announcement on Instagram on Wednesday. In a letter to local SNP members, she said: I am writing to let you know that I have decided not to seek re-election to the Scottish Parliament next year. Reaching this decision has been far from easy, however, I have known in my heart for a while that the time is right for me to embrace different opportunities in a new chapter of my life, and to allow you to select a new standard bearer. Whoever you choose will have my full support and I look forward to campaigning alongside you to ensure that Glasgow Southside remains an SNP-held constituency. As well as campaigning to keep the constituency in SNP hands next year, Ms Sturgeon said she will be with the party every step of the way as we complete our journey to independence. She said: To my constituents, past and present: thank you for the trust you have placed in me. Being your MSP has been my privilege and I will continue to represent you to the best of my abilities until I step down next year. Nicola Sturgeon was surrounded by members of the media as she arrived at Holyrood on Wednesday after announcing her decision (Robert Perry/PA) To Southside SNP members: your support, loyalty and friendship, through thick and thin, has meant more to me than you will ever know. You are the best of the best. To SNP members across the country: I may be leaving Parliament, but I will be by your side every step of the way as we complete our journey to independence. Ms Sturgeon was the longest serving first minister in Scottish history, holding the top job since taking over from her mentor Alex Salmond following the loss of the independence referendum in 2014. During her time in charge, she led the countrys response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and was responsible for setting up Scotlands devolved benefits agency. She shocked the political world in early 2023 by announcing she planned to stand down from the top job. Nicola Sturgeon led the SNP to several election victories (PA) Within months of her announcement, her husband and former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell was arrested in relation to a police probe into the SNPs finances. He was later re-arrested and charged in connection with the alleged embezzlement of party funds. Ms Sturgeon was arrested months later in relation to the same probe, as was former party treasurer Colin Beattie. They were both released without charge pending further inquiries. Earlier this year, Ms Sturgeon announced she and Mr Murrell had decided to end their marriage. The former SNP leader will release a book about her life and political career this summer. Nicola Sturgeon has been a leading figure in Scottish politics for 20 years, but I have known her in local politics in Glasgow for almost 30 years. This is a significant announcement that marks the end of an era in Scottish politics. Whilst I have many disagreements with her, Anas Sarwar (@AnasSarwar) March 12, 2025 Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said that while her party would wish any departing MSP well, they could not forget the deep divisions in our country that Nicola Sturgeon created, fostered and encouraged. Hitting out at the former first minster, Ms Hamilton said: By any objective analysis, her record as First Minister is one of failure. Scottish education standards collapsed on her watch and the poverty-related attainment gap, which she promised to eradicate, widened. She presided over a drugs-death emergency, a ferries scandal, a crisis in our NHS, crumbling roads and all while raising taxes on hard-working Scots, which stifled economic growth. Her reckless gender self-ID policy betrayed women, her soft-touch approach to justice betrayed victims and her shameful deletion of Covid WhatsApp messages denied bereaved families answers and highlighted the secrecy and cynicism that characterised her government. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said Nicola Sturgeon has been a leading figure in Scottish politics for 20 years, but I have known her in local politics in Glasgow for almost 30 years. This is a significant announcement that marks the end of an era in Scottish politics. Whilst I have many disagreements with her, I never doubted her passion for Glasgow and Scotland. I wish her well for the future. And Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said that while Ms Sturgeons impact on politics was undeniable the departure of another senior figure from the SNP was further proof of their decline. He added: For so many people across Scotland, it feels like nothing works anymore. Next year, they will have a chance to draw a line under SNP division and neglect. But Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater who served as a junior minister in the Scottish government under Ms Sturgeon said that her time leading Scotland is certainly one that she can be proud of. She said Ms Sturgeons leadership during the Covid pandemic and throughout Brexit would inspire generations of young women. Speaking about herself and fellow Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie, Ms Slater added: Patrick and I had the privilege of serving in government alongside Nicola. It was the first time anywhere in the UK that Greens had been in a government role, and we are proud of the change we delivered. She added: The Scottish Green MSPs wish her all the best with whatever she decides to do next and thank her for years of co-operation, camaraderie and friendly debate. Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister of Scotland, speaks to the media after announcing she will stand down as an MSP on Wednesday - Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of leaving a toxic political legacy that divided and damaged Scotland after announcing that she will stand down as an MSP. The former first minister said she would not contest next years Scottish Parliament election, marking the end of her front-line political career. In a statement posted on social media following months of speculation, she said that the time is right for me to embrace different opportunities in a new chapter of my life. Senior SNP figures lavished praise on her record in office, focusing in particular on her providing important national leadership at a time of crisis during the Covid pandemic. But the Tories said she was the most divisive Scottish politician of the devolution era, highlighting her toxic plans to allow biological men to self-identify as women. The Crown Office prosecution service also confirmed that she remained under investigation as part of the long-running criminal inquiry into the SNPs finances. It emerged last September that Police Scotland detectives who had been investigating her as part of Operation Branchform had asked prosecutors for guidance on the next steps. In January she disclosed that she was divorcing Peter Murrell, the SNPs former chief executive. He has been charged with embezzling funds from the party and she has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Nicola Sturgeon with Peter Murrell in 2016 - ROBERT PERRY/AFP via Getty Images Ms Sturgeon is the latest in a series of SNP big hitters to announce they are standing down as MSPs at the May 2026 election, including Humza Yousaf, her short-lived successor as first minister and party leader. In a letter to local SNP members posted on Instagram, the Glasgow Southside MSP said: I am writing to let you know that I have decided not to seek re-election to the Scottish Parliament next year. Reaching this decision has been far from easy, however, I have known in my heart for a while that the time is right for me to embrace different opportunities in a new chapter of my life, and to allow you to select a new standard bearer. Ms Sturgeon thanked her constituents and her local branch members, saying that your support, loyalty and friendship, through thick and thin, has meant more to me than you will ever know. She concluded: To SNP members across the country: I may be leaving Parliament, but I will be by your side every step of the way as we complete our journey to independence. John Swinney, the current SNP leader and First Minister, led tributes to her, posting on X: I am sorry Nicola Sturgeon will stand down in 2026 and thank her warmly for her immense contribution. As Scotlands longest serving and first female first minister, she has done so much to improve the lives of people in Scotland. I send her every good wish. Mr Yousaf said: I am excited to see what Nicola goes on to do next. She is one of the most talented politicians of our generation. I am personally grateful for her advice, trust, and friendship over the years. SNP back in 1999: deputy convenor John Swinney, vice convenor Nicola Sturgeon, leader Alex Salmond and chief executive Mike Russell in Edinburgh - Ben Curtis/PA Rachael Hamilton, the Scottish Tory deputy leader, wished Ms Sturgeon well but added: We cannot forget the deep divisions in our country that Nicola Sturgeon created, fostered and encouraged. By any objective analysis, her record as first minister is one of failure. Scottish education standards collapsed on her watch and the poverty-related attainment gap, which she promised to eradicate, widened. She presided over a drugs-death emergency, a ferries scandal, a crisis in our NHS, crumbling roads and all while raising taxes on hard-working Scots, which stifled economic growth. Her reckless gender self-ID policy betrayed women, her soft-touch approach to justice betrayed victims and her shameful deletion of Covid WhatsApp messages denied bereaved families answers and highlighted the secrecy and cynicism that characterised her government. Ms Sturgeon was born in Irvine in 1970 and joined the SNP aged 16. She has been an MSP since Sir Tony Blairs government created the devolved Scottish Parliament in 1999. After Mr Swinney quit as SNP leader in 2004 following poor electoral performances, the then 34-year-old entered the contest to succeed him but appeared likely to lose to her rival, Roseanna Cunningham. Alex Salmond, Ms Sturgeons mentor, came to the rescue, standing to become leader for a second time with her as his deputy on a joint ticket. Mr Salmond and his protegee led the SNP into government for the first time in 2007, with Ms Sturgeon serving as deputy first minister and health secretary. The SNP was re-elected with an unprecedented majority four years later. Nicola Sturgeon, the then SNP deputy leader, in 2005 - David Cheskin/PA Ms Sturgeon succeeded her mentor as first minister and SNP leader after the nationalists lost the 2014 independence referendum and he resigned. She made repeated attempts to force a second independence referendum but failed. Her communication skills were widely praised during the Covid pandemic, with her press conferences compared favourably to those taken by Boris Johnson, the prime minister at the time. However, her stricter lockdown rules did not appear to result in Scotland having a lower death rate than England and she faced heavy criticism for deleting her WhatsApp messages during the pandemic, having promised to keep them for a future public inquiry. Ms Sturgeons controversial plans to allow trans people to self-identify their legal gender, with no medical diagnosis, made her an even more divisive figure. The UK Government blocked the legislation over concerns it undermined protections for women and there was a public backlash against it when trans predator Isla Bryson was initially sent to a womens prison after being convicted of two rapes. After more than eight years in office, Ms Sturgeon announced her surprise resignation as first minister in February 2023. She admitted she had become a polarising figure and no longer had the energy to lead Scotland to independence. Two months later, police raided Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrells home and searched it for two days, erecting a large evidence tent. A luxury motorhome was also confiscated from outside the Fife home of Mr Murrells elderly mother. He was arrested in April 2023. The following month Colin Beattie, the partys former treasurer, was arrested, followed by Ms Sturgeon in June 2023. Mr Murrell, who married Ms Sturgeon in 2010, was arrested again in April last year and charged. Ms Sturgeon, who is paid 72,196 as an MSP, has rarely been seen at Holyrood in recent years and has made three substantive contributions to debates in the chamber over the past 12 months. Increasingly, she has focused on lucrative outside work and was paid 25,000 for appearing as a pundit on ITVs general election night coverage last year. She has also been paid 75,000 in the first of four instalments of a book advance from Pan Macmillan for her memoirs, which are scheduled to be published later this year. However, the large sums have been paid to her company, Nicola Sturgeon Ltd, raising questions over whether she has avoided paying higher rates of income tax imposed by SNP governments. Ms Sturgeons firm, of which she is the sole director, is subject to 19 per cent UK corporation tax on any profits below 250,000. She has not clarified how the payments will be taxed. She has also taken to writing book reviews and is due to appear at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival with her friend, Val McDermid, the crime writer. A Crown Office spokesman said: A standard prosecution report has been received by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) from Police Scotland in relation to a 60-year-old man and incidents said to have occurred between 2016 and 2023. Connected investigations of two other individuals, a man aged 73 and a 54-year-old woman, remain ongoing. Professional prosecutors from COPFS and independent counsel will review this report. They will make decisions on the next steps without involving the Lord Advocate or Solicitor General. All Scotlands prosecutors operate independently of political influence. A Police Scotland spokesman said: On 9 August 2024, we presented the findings of the investigation to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and we await their direction on what further action should be taken. Noel Clarke at the high court. The actor is suing GNM over articles and a podcast published between April 2021 and March 2022 in which more than 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty Images Noel Clarke is trying to create moral equivalence between his alleged sexual misconduct and the behaviour of his accusers, the high court has heard. Giving evidence in his libel claim against the Guardian, the 49-year-old actorclaimed that some of his accusers voluntarily engaged in or initiated sexually loaded banter, were promiscuous and bragged about their sexual exploits. On the third day of cross-examination, Gavin Millar KC, representing the Guardian, said to him: You do this repeatedly, you turn the allegation back on the woman. Its a sort of moral equivalence, that shes as bad as I am. Millar said time and again Clarke sought ways to turn the allegations made against him back on his accusers. Clarke said he had told the truth and brought up womens behaviour where it was relevant. In this world were in right now, if a man makes a remote misstep, he is done, Clarke told the court. Clarke was asked about a Doctor Who convention in Bournemouth in 2016 where he sat next to a volunteer, Lisa Graham, and was said to have: Touched her on her thighs including between her legs. Said they should go to the mezzanine floor above to have sex. Rated women out of 10 for their sexual attractiveness. Said of a pregnant woman that he would bang that because she could not get pregnant again. Clarke said Graham was involved in the conversation [rating women] voluntarily and that he had made a comment about a pregnant woman but not that specifically alleged. Millar said: This is your strategy: I might be bad but the woman is just as bad. Clarke responded: I did that when I believed its true. Clarke, the writer and producer of the Kidulthood trilogy, said he had only tapped Graham on her knees to indicate a fan was lingering too long. The touching is not correct and the invite to go to a public mezzanine is nonsense, said Clarke. He said: Some people want to be involved in what they deem to be a noble cause. The court also heard that Clarke is alleged to have exposed his penis on a music video shoot for the rap duo Krept and Konan near Angel underground station in north London in 2016. Two women, Alice* and Ella*, who worked for Lionsgate, which commissioned Clarkes company to do the shoot, were present. Millar said to Clarke: You repeatedly made sexual comments to her [Alice], to the effect that she liked having sex with black men. Clarke denied doing so and said the women had initiated conversation about celebrities penises and a WhatsApp group called dick detectives. Millar said: You exposed your penis to her. Clarke replied that he did not but when Alice said to him that he had a little penis and Ella urged him to show them his, he undid his brown belt as a joke. It was the flap of my belt, he said. Millar told the court it was the prospect of Clarke receiving a Bafta award in 2021 that pushed them [his accusers] over the edge they decided to tell the truth at last. Clarke is suing GNM over seven articles and a podcast published between April 2021 and March 2022 in which more than 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct. The trial continues. * Not their real names Travelers at Chicagos O'Hare international airport in Chicago last year. Photograph: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images A man was shot outside a passenger terminal at a Chicagos OHare international airport, one of the busiest in the US, in the early hours of Wednesday, police said. The incident followed an altercation among multiple people, according to law enforcement The 25-year-old suffered two gunshot wounds to the lower body, according to the Chicago police department. He was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. Another person was being interviewed, police added. Related: One in 15 Americans has witnessed a mass shooting study The incident followed a fistfight that broke out shortly after midnight, according to media reports, and ended with the man being shot during the brawl. The police did not discuss publicly any possible motives for the altercation or the shooting or whether those involved knew each other. Dozens of shell casings were seen on the ground and ABC reported that the police were investigating a white BMW that was parked outside nearby Terminal 1. The shooting happened on a street outside Terminal 2, a police news release said. Local television reports showed what appeared to be a shattered window near the baggage claim area. Arrival lanes at all terminals were fully open by 5.15am, OHare said in a statement. Airlines that use Terminal 2 include JetBlue, Air Canada and Alaska Airlines. Raquel Barajas told local station WPIV-TV that a bullet hit her window, waking her up. I was terrified, so I honestly, these ear plugs saved my life, she added. Getting up would have made me more scared and put me in a worse scenario, so Im just really grateful to be alive right now. Another person staying at a nearby hotel told Fox 32 that he heard a bunch of single shots. The Associated Press contributed reporting Sir Keir Starmer will promise to slash the cost of red tape as he sets out his plan to reshape the state to cope with an era of instability. In what Downing Street has described as an intervention on Thursday, the Prime Minister is expected to argue that global uncertainty means the Government must go further and faster in reshaping the state to make it work for working people. As well as vowing to cut the cost of regulation for businesses by 25%, Sir Keir will use his remarks to say he will refocus the state on his key missions and create an active government that takes care of the big questions, so people can get on with their lives. He will say: The need for greater urgency now could not be any clearer. We must move further and faster on security and renewal. Every pound spent, every regulation, every decision must deliver for working people. Sir Keir will also take aim at a cottage industry of checkers and blockers slowing down delivery for working people, continuing his criticism of regulation in the UK. On Tuesday, he instructed ministers to stop a trend of outsourcing decisions to other bodies begun under the previous government and assess whether regulations contributed to Labours agenda. Later the same day, the Government also announced that the Payment Systems Regulator will be abolished and merged with the Financial Conduct Authority in what Sir Keir said was the latest step in our efforts to kickstart economic growth. Ministers appear to have grown increasingly frustrated with the role of regulators as they attempt to boost the UKs economy, with the Chancellor urging them to focus more on encouraging growth. On Thursday, Sir Keir is also expected to expand on his plans to overhaul the Civil Service, reducing its size and doubling the proportion of officials working in digital and data roles in an effort to save taxpayers up to 45 billion. Ministers including Chancellor Rachel Reeves appear to have grown increasingly frustrated with regulators as they attempt to boost economic growth (Stefan Rousseau/PA) He will set out proposals to recruit 2,000 tech apprentices to boost the take-up of AI on Whitehall, saying: No persons substantive time should be spent on a task where digital or AI can do it better, quicker and to the same high quality and standard. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Sir Keir said: In such uncertain times, people want a state that will take care of the big questions, not a bigger state that asks more from them. We need to be operating at maximum efficiency and strength. I believe in the power of the state. Im not interested in ideological arguments about whether it should be bigger or smaller. I simply want it to work. He said the changes will make sure our civil servants are equipped for the challenges of the modern era. Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect union, said it was right that the Government are pressing ahead with plans to make better use of new tech, but added it would find it challenging to compete for the skills needed without increasing pay. He added: Civil servants are not hostile to reforms but these must be undertaken in partnership with staff and unions. I urge everyone in Government to avoid the incendiary rhetoric and tactics we are seeing in the United States, and to be clear that reforms are about enhancing and not undermining the Civil Service. Labours plans to shrink the Civil Service and cut back on regulators have been likened in some quarters to the major cuts inflicted on the US government by Donald Trumps administration. Ministers are said to have been interested in proposals to reshape the state put forward by the influential Labour Together think tank dubbed Project Chainsaw, according to the Guardian newspaper. But Downing Street has rejected this characterisation a reference to Trump adviser Elon Musk wielding a chainsaw to represent his cuts to government spending with the Prime Ministers press secretary describing it as juvenile. She added: It is not about slashing the state, it is about reshaping the state so it works for working people. FDA union general secretary Dave Penman suggested civil servants would be looking for substance but feeling that, once again, the Prime Minister is using the language of blame rather than transformation. He said: Regulators are set up by ministers to regulate if theres a cottage industry at large then its because thats what previous governments have wanted. Blaming public servants for doing the job they were tasked with by ministers is just cheap politics and is increasingly following a pattern where the Government appears more interested in headlines than leadership. Alex Burghart, Conservative shadow chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, said: Labour is not serious about getting Britain growing. The Prime Minister has no plan to reform the Civil Service or cut public spending. Thanks to his budget the size of the state will reach a staggering 44% of GDP by 2030. Meanwhile, businesses are being strangled by Rachel Reevess taxes and Angela Rayners red tape. Labour need to admit theyve got it wrong on the economy. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey dismissed Sir Keirs proposals as tinkering around the edges while our economy continues to stutter, and called for an ambitious new deal with the EU to boost trade and grow the economy. He added: The last Conservative government left behind mountains of waste, but these measures are doomed to fail without far more ambition to get the economy growing. Keir Starmer needs to act now by reversing his devastating national insurance jobs tax and moving much faster to fix social care the only way to save the NHS. Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday in Manila by police acting on an International Criminal Court warrant tied to his deadly war on drugs. The 79-year-old faces a charge of "the crime against humanity of murder", according to the ICC, for a crackdown that rights groups estimate killed tens of thousands of mostly poor men, often without proof they were linked to drugs. "Early in the morning, Interpol Manila received the official copy of the warrant of the arrest from the ICC," the presidential palace said in a statement. "As of now, he is under the custody of authorities." The statement added that "the former president and his group are in good health and are being checked by government doctors". But Duterte demanded to know the basis of his arrest in a video posted to his youngest daughter Veronica's Instagram account following his detention. "So what is the law and what is the crime that I committed? Show to me now the legal basis of my being here," he said in the video. "I was brought here not of my own volition but somebody else's ... you have to answer now for the deprivation of liberty." While no location was given for the video, a photo released by his political party said he was being held at the Villamor Air Base next to Manila airport. Duterte's former chief legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, called the arrest "unlawful". "The (Philippine National Police) didn't allow one of his lawyers to meet him at the airport and to question the legal basis for PRRD's arrest," he said, adding a hard copy of the ICC warrant had not been provided. Reactions from those who opposed to the drug war, however, were jubilant. One group that worked to support mothers of those killed in the crackdown called the arrest a "very welcome development". "The mothers whose husbands and children were killed because of the drug war are very happy because they have been waiting for this for a very long time," Rubilyn Litao, coordinator for Rise Up for Life and for Rights, told AFP. "Now that Duterte has been arrested, (President) Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should make sure that he is actually delivered to the ICC for detention and trial," said Philippine rights alliance Karapatan, calling the arrest "long overdue". Human Rights Watch also called on the government to "swiftly surrender (Duterte) to the ICC", saying the arrest was a "critical step for accountability in the Philippines". Duterte's Tuesday morning arrest at Manila's international airport followed a brief trip to Hong Kong. Speaking to thousands of overseas Filipino workers there Sunday, the former president decried the investigation, labelling ICC investigators "sons of whores" while saying he would "accept it" if an arrest were to be his fate. The Philippines quit the ICC in 2019 on Duterte's instructions, but the tribunal maintained it had jurisdiction over killings before the pullout, as well as killings in the southern city of Davao when Duterte was mayor, years before he became president. It launched a formal inquiry in September 2021, only to suspend it two months later after Manila said it was re-examining several hundred cases of drug operations that led to deaths at the hands of police, hitmen and vigilantes. The case resumed in July 2023 after a five-judge panel rejected the Philippines' objection that the court lacked jurisdiction. Since then, the Marcos government has on numerous instances said it would not cooperate with the investigation. But Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office Claire Castro on Sunday said that if Interpol would "ask the necessary assistance from the government, it is obliged to follow". Duterte is still hugely popular among many in the Philippines who supported his quick-fix solutions to crime, and he remains a potent political force. He is running to reclaim his job as mayor of his stronghold Davao in May's mid-term election. Charges have been filed locally in a handful of cases related to drug operations that led to deaths -- only nine police have been convicted for slaying alleged drug suspects. A self-professed killer, Duterte instructed police to fatally shoot narcotics suspects if their lives were at risk and insisted the crackdown saved families and prevented the Philippines from turning into a "narco-politics state". At the opening of a Philippine Senate probe into the drug war in October, Duterte said he offered "no apologies, no excuses" for his actions. "I did what I had to do, and whether or not you believe it or not, I did it for my country," he said. Nicola Sturgeon Enoch Powell was right: all political careers end in failure. There are, of course, exceptions that prove the rule. Harold Wilsons voluntary surrender of the keys to Number 10 in 1976 springs to mind. But the spectacle of a political leader resigning on his own terms at a time of his choosing is as rare as hens teeth. Nicola Sturgeon will not be considered a Wilson-like exception to Enochs Rule. The woman who once towered over Scottish politics, who ran the SNP and the Scottish government with a rod of iron, has chucked in the towel at last. No one was particularly surprised at her announcement this morning that she wont stand at next years Scottish Parliament elections. Why on earth would she? Her interests, now that her career as First Minister is nearly two years distant, have expanded beyond the mere political. As she said in her online announcement, she wants to embrace different opportunities in a new chapter of my life. Who knows what she means by that? Perhaps she will pursue a new career as a stand-up comedian and build on her forthcoming stint at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival in which she fronts an event with the vomit-inducing title of Books and Banter. Or maybe she will pen a political thriller novel. Sturgeon is friends with Val McDermid, the best-selling crime novelist, and reportedly slept in her flat after announcing that she was divorcing her husband of 15 years. All we know for certain is that Sturgeons political career is well and truly behind her. There have been many falls from grace in the political sphere, but none can match the sheer drama and hubris of Sturgeons downfall. No one could have predicted in the winter of 2014, in the aftermath of the nationalists defeat at the Scottish independence referendum, that it would end like this. Back then Sturgeon was addressing jam-packed stadiums of excited and adoring fans. And even fewer would have predicted that when she left office she would do so with the shadow of criminality hanging over her and her party. Sturgeon is without doubt the most electorally successful leader Scotland has ever produced; she has led her party to three landslide victories at Westminster general elections and two overwhelming wins at Holyrood. But those victories also help emphasise her complete failure as a legislator. What, in the end, did she achieve as a result of those victories? Is Scotland an inch closer to independence as a consequence of them? Are any of Scotlands vital public services better run or better funded? Or is SNP dominance of the electoral map an end in itself? Picture the scene in a Scottish pub a few years from now, when the quizmaster poses the question: What was Nicola Sturgeons greatest ministerial achievement? Imagine the scowls of concentration on the assembled punters faces as they rack their brains for a germ of inspiration. Whether as a minister under her former friend and mentor, the late Alex Salmond, or in her own right as First Minister, her achievements are rare. Yet commentators and admirers allowed themselves to be won over by her undoubted gifts of communication. What they didnt, and should have done, was ask whether any substantial achievements were produced as a consequence of her ability to run rings around interviewers and political opponents. Then there was the Gender Recognition Reform Bill. Sturgeon identified this as a way of emphasising Scotlands progressive qualities as distinct from Englands. It was also a way of pretending that, in the absence of any success whatsoever in securing a rerun of the 2014 independence referendum, she still had a radical agenda to pursue. But her complete capture by the transgender ideologues was to prove her greatest weakness. Despite a majority of MSPs approving the measure allowing anyone in Scotland, including children under 18 and registered sex offenders, to change their legal gender without the need for a gender dysphoria diagnosis, the move was vetoed by the UK government. Sturgeons outrage was not shared by the majority of Scots, and she found herself talking a different language from those she was speaking to a unique and disastrous development for someone whose entire career was founded on finding the right tone for the occasion. And then there was Operation Branchform, the seemingly never-ending police investigation into a missing 600,000 from SNP accounts, during which Sturgeon and her (now estranged) husband, the former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, were arrested, questioned and released. While Murrell was subsequently charged with embezzlement, no further action has yet been taken against Sturgeon herself. It has often been suggested (usually by me) that the House of Commons suffers when there is no former Prime Minister on its benches to offer his or her sage advice based on experience of high office. Holyrood is not Westminster, just as the Northern Premier League is not the Premier League. But it is probably safe to suggest that Sturgeons absence from the Ikea-adjacent benches at Holyrood from next May will be something of a relief to her party. Quite aside from the still-unanswered questions about party finances, Sturgeon is a reminder that the SNP, even when it is electorally successful, simply cannot deliver improvement in the daily lives of the people it claims to represent. Protesters in the Philippines hold up mocked-up signs showing the former president Rodrigo Duterte behind bars. Photograph: Kenosis Yap/Zuma Press Wire/Rex/Shutterstock Few expected things to move so quickly. Supporters of the Philippines former president Rodrigo Duterte barely had time to protest before he was jetted off to The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity in relation to his countrys so-called war on drugs. According to activists, this bloody crackdown has seen as many as 30,000 people killed since 2016. The charges brought against the former leader are the culmination of years of work by activists, lawyers and victims, who documented abuses committed under his government, often at great personal risk. But Duterte arguably would not have been surrendered to The Hague if it werent for his familys dramatic feud with that of Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the current president. The two families were once allies. Marcos Jr ran on a joint ticket with Dutertes eldest daughter Sara Duterte, now the vice-president in the 2022 election, winning a landslide victory. At the time, Marcos Jr, who capitalised on the popularity of the Duterte name, was careful not to criticise Rodrigo Dutertes war on drugs, and promised not to cooperate with the international criminal courts continuing investigation. But the Duterte-Marcos marriage of convenience descended into a bitter dispute, with Sara Duterte launching scathing attacks on the president, even threatening to dig up the remains of his late father, the dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr, and throw them into the sea. It was inevitable that the families alliance would collapse, according to Prof Maria Ela L Atienza, of the University of the Philippines. Both sides want their candidate to be elected president in 2028, so, she said: Its a fight for the survival of their political families, their dynasties. Marcos Jrs public comments about the ICC shifted as tension grew. His government has continued to maintain that it would not assist the court, of which the Philippines is no longer a member, but explained that it would cooperate with any arrest warrant issued via Interpol. Shortly after the plane carrying Duterte took off on Tuesday night, Marcos Jr told reporters: The arrest that we did today was in compliance with our commitments to Interpol. It just so happened that that came from ICC. According to Tony La Vina, a lawyer and former dean of the Ateneo de Manila University school of government, the arrest was a perfect execution by Marcos Jrs administration. When the warrant came, they executed it and within the day they sent Duterte to The Hague, giving no chance for the supreme court to issue a TRO [a temporary restraining order against his arrest], he said. The Dutertes may now struggle to recover their power. Rodrigo, who has the most political clout, is now outside the Philippines, just as the country gears up for crucial midterm elections in May. Rodrigo Duterte is running to become mayor in the familys stronghold, Davao, but faces a challenge from an upstart dynasty, which analysts say marks the most significant threat to the Dutertes power there in two decades. The former president is still thought likely to win, but it is unclear how he would be able to perform his mayoral duties from The Hague. The mid-term elections are also important because Sara Duterte is due to face an impeachment trial soon after the vote. The family needs its allies to be elected to the senate if she is to avoid being removed as vice-president and prevented from running for president in 2028. Rodrigo Dutertes supporters have portrayed him as a victim who was denied due process by the vengeful Marcos family, and who has been wrongly handed over to foreigners. The irony of the first claim is not lost on the victims of the war on drugs, many of whom were never given a day in court, but instead gunned down in the streets. Suddenly they are now using terms that they were laughing at [before], said Atienza. They are now calling for people power, they are using terms like rule of law, human rights. Its really hard to sell. The battle between the families, and online messaging from both sides, is likely only to intensify. Cleve V Arguelles, the CEO of the public opinion research firm WR Numero Research, said: It will really be crucial in the coming weeks what kinds of narratives will be offered to the public and how the public will respond. He added that the Dutertes were fighting to protect their power at a national level and on their home turf. Its all at stake now, he said. Sir Keir Starmer hailed Ukraines backing for American ceasefire proposals as a remarkable breakthrough as the Defence Secretary heads to Paris for talks to cement European peacekeeping efforts. The Prime Minister joined America in urging Vladimir Putin to now agree to the 30-day ceasefire proposal put forward by Donald Trumps US administration, as he insisted the ball is now in the Russian court. America also announced it would immediately lift its suspension of military aid to Ukraine and its intelligence sharing with Kyiv, following talks between the two nations held in Saudi Arabia. On Wednesday, Defence Secretary Mr Healey will meet his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and Poland in Paris to discuss joint work on building up Europes deterrent against Russia. It follows a gathering of military chiefs in the French capital on Tuesday, aimed at thrashing out commitments for what Sir Keir dubbed the coalition of the willing: the group of nations that want to lead peacekeeping forces in Ukraine should a deal be struck. Ahead of the talks, Mr Healey said it was now a decisive moment for the future of Ukraine and for the security of Europe. He added: The UK remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine, and we will continue to lead alongside our European partners as we push for a just and lasting peace. European nations are stepping up. By deepening our defence co-operation, boosting spending and enhancing our collective strength, we send a clear message: we will not waver in standing with Ukraine and defending our shared values. The Prime Minister congratulated Mr Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday night for a remarkable breakthrough, after Kyiv signalled it would back Washingtons proposals for the ceasefire. As both American and Ukrainian delegations have said, the ball is now in the Russian court. Russia must now agree to a ceasefire and an end to the fighting too, Sir Keir added. He echoed the words of Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, who told reporters in the Gulf state he hoped President Putin would now respond as quickly as possible. President Donald Trump said American and Russian officials would meet to discuss the deal (Pool via AP) US President Mr Trump meanwhile said American and Russian officials would meet later on today and tomorrow to discuss the deal, adding: If we can get Russia to do it, thatll be great. If we cant, we just keep going on and people are going to get killed, lots of people. Ukrainian leader Mr Zelensky said it is up to the United States to convince Russia to also agree to the plan, and said the ceasefire will take effect immediately if the Kremlin did. In other developments: US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Moscow and put the deal directly to President Putin. Nato secretary general Mark Rutte announced he would travel to Washington, DC this week to discuss Mr Trumps commitment to the alliance. Kyiv came under fire from a Russian air attack just hours after Ukraine signalled it would support the ceasefire deal. Russia said it regained more territory in the western Kursk region of the country, which Ukrainian forces invaded last summer in a bid to win a bargaining chip for future negotiations. Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK would keep open the option of retaliatory measures after Donald Trump hit steel and aluminium imports with 25% tariffs. Jobs could be at risk in the beleaguered British steel industry after the UK failed to secure an exemption to the US presidents global tariffs on the metal imports. The European Union responded by announcing trade counter-measures, hitting American goods with retaliatory tariffs, but the Prime Minister resisted calls for the UK to immediately hit back. US President Donald Trump believes tariffs will protect American businesses (Carl Court/PA) At Prime Ministers Questions, Sir Keir said: Im disappointed to see global tariffs in relation to steel and aluminium. We will take a pragmatic approach. The UK is negotiating an economic deal which covers and will include tariffs if we succeed, he told MPs. But we will keep all options on the table. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will travel to Washington next week for talks on the potential economic deal with the US. Sir Keirs comments came in response to Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who called for the UK to be more robust with the US president like the Europeans and like the Canadians. "Were incredibly disappointed that the US has decided to take this course of action and we will continue to work to deliver the best possible outcome for our members and our industry."@AliMcDiarmid on the damaging US tariffs on UK steel exports.https://t.co/wjXnbhsBtJ Community Union (@CommunityUnion) March 12, 2025 The Government said around 5% of UK steel exports and 6% of aluminium exports by volume go to the US, although trade bodies for both industries claim that is an underestimate of the scale of shipments across the Atlantic. The move is the latest blow to a steel industry, which has seen thousands of job losses in recent years due to issues including global competition, high energy costs and the shift to cleaner technologies. The tariffs came into effect at 4am GMT, and raise a flat duty on steel and aluminium entering America to 25%. The European Commission said countermeasures to the tariffs, which would affect around 26 billion euros (around 22 billion) of EU exports, will be introduced in April. The targeted measures include not only steel and aluminium but motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter and jeans with tariffs also hitting products which are important in key Republican-leaning states. We deeply regret the US tariffs imposed on Europe. Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and even worse for consumers. Today Europe takes strong but proportionate countermeasures. We remain ready to engage in dialogue pic.twitter.com/5m1bGZjnsx Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) March 12, 2025 The US is the British steel industrys second largest export market behind the European Union. Trade body UK Steel said that in 2024 the UK exported 180,000 tonnes of semi-finished and finished steel to the US, worth 370 million, some 7% of the UKs total steel exports by volume and 9% by value. Exports include specialised steel used by the US navy on its submarines, with the Government arguing that the tariffs will push up costs for American taxpayers, in an attempt to persuade Mr Trump to change course. The aluminium industry said the US market accounts for 10% of exports valued at 225 million. At a time of already highly challenging market conditions, with global overcapacity and oversupply, high energy costs, and weak demand, the blow to our exports will be detrimental. UK Steel (@UKSteel__) March 12, 2025 Gareth Stace, director-general of UK Steel, branded the Trump administrations move hugely disappointing. He added: President Trump must surely recognise that the UK is an ally, not a foe. Our steel sector is not a threat to the US but a partner to key customers, sharing the same values and objectives in addressing global overcapacity and tackling unfair trade. These tariffs couldnt come at a worse time for the UK steel industry, as we battle with high energy costs and subdued demand at home, against an oversupplied and increasingly protectionist global landscape. Whats more, the EU is also pushing ahead with trade restrictive action that will amplify the impact of US tariffs. Nadine Bloxsome, chief executive of trade body the Aluminium Federation, said: The enforcement of US tariffs today is a critical moment for the UK aluminium industry. While the direct impacts are already being felt through reduced US orders and scrap export pressures, the additional risk of trade diversion due to EU countermeasures creates an even more serious challenge. We are concerned that without proactive safeguarding, the UK could face an influx of low-cost imports, threatening the competitiveness and stability of our domestic market. Trade unions in the steel industry warned jobs could be at risk as a result of the tariffs. Community union assistant general secretary Alasdair McDiarmid said: These US tariffs on UK steel exports are hugely damaging and they threaten jobs. For the US its also self-defeating, as the UK is a leading supplier of specialist steel products required by their defence and aerospace sectors. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: Our Government must act decisively to protect the steel industry and its workers following the announcement of US tariffs. This is a matter of national security. Steel should be immediately designated as critical national infrastructure to properly protect it. John Swinney has said he is deeply concerned about the extreme situation facing the University of Dundee. The institution announced on Tuesday it plans to cut 632 jobs as it bids to tackle a 35 million deficit. The number accounts for around 20% of the universitys more than 3,000-strong workforce. The cash-strapped university will also look at selling off intellectual property rights and parts of its estate as it looks to downsize. It may have to approach the Scottish Government, the Scottish Funding Council or even banks to fund redundancy payments. Speaking to the PA news agency on Wednesday, the First Minister said support will be made available to the university. John Swinney expressed concerns about the University of Dundees decision to axe hundreds of jobs (Jane Barlow/PA) There are obviously a range of challenges within the higher education sector for a number of institutions, and institutions are managing those challenges, and every institution has to do so, he said. The example in Dundee is a particularly extreme example and Im deeply concerned about the details and the implications of the situation that is being faced at the University of Dundee. The Scottish Government is working closely with the Scottish Funding Council, the organisation that interacts with universities about their funding, and as the Finance Secretary set out in the Budget in February, there will be support available from the Scottish Government to help with the extreme situation that we face in the University of Dundee. He described the university as an important institution with a formidable track record in a range of areas, including life sciences. He added: So its important that we take all the steps that we can all take as a community, in particular the university leadership, to safeguard the future of the University of Dundee. Speaking to journalists after she announced plans to stand down at the next election, former first minister Nicola Sturgeon was asked about the situation in Tayside, and she urged the Government not to bring back tuition fees. I think there is a big, big challenge in our university sector right now its not just in Scotland, were seeing this across the UK, she said. Theres no easy solution and I know the Government is thinking carefully about that. But no, I dont believe its time to take away free education. She added: I wont speak for anybody else, Im not going to try to speak for my successes in government but Im standing here right now as somebody about to leave Parliament after 30 years having been the first female first minister. If there was tuition fees when I was 16, 17, 18, I wouldnt have gone to university. I dont think people like me have got a right to pull that ladder up behind us, so I will always stand firm for free education. Universities minister Graeme Dey has said any plea for more funding for the university would be carefully considered. Universities minister Graeme Dey said any pleas for more funding for Dundee will be carefully considered by the Government (Andrew Milligan/PA) The leadership at the institution has pledged its support for an external investigation into what went wrong, with interim principal Professor Shane ONeill committing to enacting its findings. He said: The current financial crisis has challenged us to ask some very fundamental questions about the size, shape, balance and structure of the university. The measures we are now proposing would make an essential contribution in our becoming a more appropriately balanced and restructured institution. Getting there will not be easy and we are determined to take on board all relevant lessons from the past and the various factors that contributed to the current position. We are committed to an external investigation into what went wrong, which will be co-sponsored with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), and we will accept and act on the findings of that investigation. Cuts have already yielded 17 million in savings, Prof ONeill said, but more will be required. The measures we are proposing would make an essential contribution in our becoming a more appropriately balanced and financially sustainable institution, he added. The University and College Union Scotland said the loss of jobs is a hammer blow to hard-working and committed workers at the university. Jo Grady, the unions general secretary, said staff are being made to pay the price for egregious management failure. Holyroods education committee has called on representatives from the University of Dundee, the SFC and Universities Scotland to appear before MSPs next Wednesday. Scottish Tory MSP Douglas Ross, who convened the committee, said: We are very concerned about the situation at the University of Dundee and the news of hundreds of job losses this week. We look forward to hearing from a panel of witnesses so we can understand more about what is happening to safeguard the future of this vitally important institution. Mr Dey told MSPs on Wednesday afternoon that he and the Education Secretary had written to the universitys interim principal to express their deep concern at the cuts. But he said the scale of the financial situation meant job losses were unavoidable. He added: We stressed the importance of taking every effort to minimise the impact on jobs, and that compulsory redundancies should only be considered as a last resort after all other cost-saving measures have been fully exhausted. We have assured the university that it will continue to have the full support of the Government to return itself to a sustainable footing and I want to reassure Parliament that we will continue to explore all means possible to support the university. Three women have been charged after pro-Palestine protesters sprayed red paint on an insurance companys offices in the City of London. Seren John-Wood, 29, of Timberyard Cottages, Lewes, Hannah Miles, 28, of Gilmore Road, Hither Green, and Anna Letts, 43, of no fixed abode, have all been charged with criminal damage and aggravated trespass, City of London Police said. The trio, who will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday, have also been charged with locking-on to the Allianz building following the incident on Monday. Members of protest group Palestine Action targeted Allianz Insurance offices in Gracechurch Street, scaling the building with a flag reading Drop Elbit and spraying the office with red paint on Monday. The group has repeatedly targeted Allianz, which it claims has links to the Israeli-based defence firm Elbit Systems. An Allianz UK spokesperson said: We respect everyones right to have and express their opinion. However, we will not give in to threats and criminal behaviour that endanger the safety or security of our people, business and property. Our business operations and service to customers and partners have not been affected. We are working closely with the police and we will also be taking independent legal action to address these threats. Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday. Photograph: Bonnie Cash/EPA Donald Trump has been condemned by a leading US Muslim civil rights group for seeking to use the word Palestinian as an insult when he attacked the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, as not Jewish any more. President Trumps use of the term Palestinian as a racial slur is offensive and beneath the dignity of his office, said Nihad Awad, the national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or Cair. He should apologize to the Palestinian and American people. It is the continuing dehumanization of the Palestinian people that has resulted in horrific hate crimes against Palestinian-Americans, the US-enabled genocide in Gaza, and decades of denial of Palestinian human rights by successive presidential administrations. Trump sought to insult Schumer while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, while sitting with the Irish taoiseach, Micheal Martin. Related: Energized neo-Nazis feel their moment has come as Trump changes everything Schumer is a Palestinian, Trump said, amid rambling and incoherent remarks about Democrats in Congress, the war in Ukraine, conflict between Israel and Hamas and a looming government shutdown, which Democrats can avoid if enough of their senators vote with Republicans who hold the chamber, putting Schumer in a difficult political position. As far as Im concerned, hes become a Palestinian, Trump said. He used to be Jewish. Hes not Jewish any more. Hes a Palestinian. Trump has abused Schumer in such terms before, calling him a Palestinian and a proud member of Hamas. The president has also regularly questioned why Jewish Americans would vote for Democrats, even amid growing concern about antisemitism among his own aides, advisers and followers. On Wednesday, Schumer did not immediately comment. Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), said: Donald Trump doesnt get to decide who is Jewish. Senator Schumer is the countrys highest ranking Jewish American official, and Palestinian should not be used as an insult. She added: These comments are abhorrent but revealing, and its time to call it like it is Donald Trump is a depraved antisemite, Islamophobe and bigot, which is why the vast majority of Jewish voters have not and will never support him. Amy Spitalnick, the chief executive of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said: Again, the goal for this administration isnt to counter antisemitism or protect Israel. Its to weaponize antisemitism to go after their political enemies, advance an extreme agenda, and undercut democracy and it only makes Jews less safe. In the Oval Office, Martin was asked if, as the leader of one of the few European countries that recognizes the state of Palestine, he would inform the president of your views on Gaza. I dont have to inform the president, Martin said. He is very well clued into the whole situation. We share the presidents unrelenting focus on peace. When the same reporter asked about Trumps recent suggestion Palestinians should be forced to leave Gaza so the US can redevelop the land, Trump interjected, saying: Nobodys expelling any Palestinians, and mocked the reporter for being from Voice of America, a broadcast network run by the federal government. This article was amended on 13 March 2025 to remove text that stated incorrectly that Ireland, Norway and Spain were the only three European countries to recognize the state of Palestine. US President Donald Trump will host Irish premier Micheal Martin in the White House on Wednesday, in a highly anticipated meeting which is expected to touch on Irelands trading relationship with America. Mr Trump will be presented with a bowl of shamrock as the centrepiece of the Irish Governments major overseas diplomatic push in the run-up to St Patricks Day on Monday, March 17. Mr Martin said that a two-way street of investment is something he intends to highlight in his discussions with the US president in a bid to address concerns he may voice around a trade imbalance between the two countries. US President Donald Trump will host Micheal Martin (Carl Court/PA) The meeting comes amid heightened concern that Mr Trumps protectionist approach to tariffs and tax could pose a significant risk to an Irish economy that is in large part sustained by long-standing investment by US multinationals. It may be a case of third time lucky for Mr Martin after missing out on opportunities to attend the Oval Office in the past. During his first term as Taoiseach, he was unable to attend the White House on St Patricks Day in 2021 because of Covid-19 travel restrictions. The following year, he tested positive for the virus in Washington on the eve of the scheduled shamrock ceremony. His meeting with then-US president Joe Biden was conducted via videolink. Taoiseach Micheal Martin spoke to then-president Joe Biden via videolink in 2022 (The White House/PA) Other matters of concern which may be raised in some format on Wednesday include legal status for undocumented Irish citizens living in the US, as well as the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Mr Martin will be the first EU leader to meet Mr Trump following the proposals for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and the lifting of the US suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. The Taoiseach had said that any peace in the region had to be fair and sustainable. US President Donald Trump with a bowl of shamrock in 2019 (Brian Lawless/PA) A busy itinerary on Wednesday sees Mr Martin first attending a breakfast meeting with Vice President JD Vance at his official residence, the US Naval Observatory. From there the Irish premier will go to the West Wing of the White House where he will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr Trump in the Oval Office. The Fianna Fail leader will then travel to the US Capitol building for the Friends of Ireland luncheon hosted by House Speaker Mike Johnson before returning to the White House for the traditional shamrock ceremony. Last month at the White House, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir handed Mr Trump a letter from the King inviting him to an unprecedented second state visit. Asked if he would be inviting Mr Trump to visit Ireland or giving him an additional gift on top of the shamrock bowl, Mr Martin told reporters: The president is always welcome to visit Ireland and obviously well be engaging on that front. The shamrock ceremony comes on the third full day of Mr Martins engagements in the US, having started his overseas trip in Austin, Texas. Micheal Martin in a meeting with the Governor of Texas Greg Abbott (Niall Carson/PA) In the Lone Star State on Monday, the Taoiseach met Texas Governor Greg Abbott and held engagements with US multinationals with investments in Ireland. Mr Martin attended the South by Southwest festival to promote the Irish screen industry and discuss the extent of the enduring relationship between Ireland and the US. After meeting state legislators at the Texas Capitol in Austin on Tuesday, he left for Washington, DC to attend a St Patricks Day reception at the Irish Ambassadors residence that evening. A host of Irish Government ministers is also travelling to the US this week, including deputy premier Tanaiste Simon Harris, who is visiting Philadelphia and New York at a time described as a key juncture in European-US relations. Elsewhere, Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly led an NI Chamber business delegation to North Carolina on Monday. However, Ms Little-Pengelly has travelled to Washington without Ms ONeill after Sinn Fein ruled out attending events in the US capital in protest against Mr Trumps stance on Gaza. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn will also be in the city this week to celebrate the strong ties between Northern Ireland and the United States. Zelensky and Trump Donald Trump will invite Volodymyr Zelensky back to the White House after Ukraine agreed to a proposed ceasefire with Russia. Mr Trump said he expects to speak to Russian leader Vladimir Putin later this week and he hopes Moscow will agree to the terms. Following Tuesdays talks between Ukraine and the US. the two nations said in a joint statement that the White House would immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine. The statement added that Kyiv had also expressed readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation. The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace. Speaking to reporters following the talks, Mr Trump said: Ceasefire Ukraine has agreed to it, and hopefully Russia will agree to it. Mr Trump added that he hopes the ceasefire will take effect over the next few days and he will speak to Mr Putin this week as it takes two to tango. Asked whether Mr Zelensky was invited back to the White House, Mr Trump said: Sure, absolutely. The Ukrainian presidents visit to Washington last month ended in a diplomatic disaster after an Oval Office meeting between the two leaders descended into a shouting match. Appearing to refer to Mr Zelenskys last White House visit, Mr Trump said: I think its a big difference between the last visit you saw in the Oval Office, and this. Mr Zelensky confirmed he had accepted the US proposal for a complete 30-day truce. Ukraine accepts this proposal, we consider it positive, we are ready to take such a step. The United States of America must convince Russia to do this, he said. 12:55 AM GMT Thats all for today Thanks for following our live blog. We will be back in the morning. To recap Tuesdays events: Ukraine has accepted the USs ceasefire plan US special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to travel to Moscow and put the deal directly to Putin Kyiv came under fire from a Russian air attack just hours after Ukraine signalled it would support the ceasefire Russia said it regained more territory in the western Kursk region of the country 11:53 PM GMT Russia launches air attack on Kyiv Russia has launched an air attack on Kyiv, in possible retaliation for Ukraines drone strikes on Moscow on Tuesday. Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital, said on Wednesday that air defence forces were repelling the strikes. 10:57 PM GMT Lammy welcomes breakthrough David Lammy has welcomed the breakthrough in US-Ukraine talks on a ceasefire deal, and said he was looking forward to working with other nations to drive progress towards peace. Writing on social media site X, the Foreign Secretary said: We welcome the breakthrough ceasefire proposal agreed today by the US and Ukraine. The ball is now firmly in Russias court. Looking forward to working with G7 partners this week to drive progress towards a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. 10:31 PM GMT Tim Collins: Trump has dynamited the world order The announcement that the Ukrainians will agree to a 30 day ceasefire in exchange for the resumption of arms supplies and intelligence sharing has now put the ball firmly in the Russian court. The telegraphed threat to them is agree to a ceasefire or the US will arm the Ukrainians to the hilt, and you will lose. I doubt Vladimir Putin is smiling so broadly now. Read more: Vladimir Putin probably isnt laughing any more 09:16 PM GMT Ukrainian official says US aid has resumed A Ukrainian presidential official said the US has resumed military assistance to Ukraine following talks in Saudi Arabia. I have confirmation that US military assistance has been resumed. The agreements are being implemented, Palvo Palisa, deputy head of the presidential office said on Facebook. 09:06 PM GMT Ukrainian MP celebrates great result A Ukrainian MP has said a proposed ceasefire with Russia is a great result for Ukraine. Oleksiy Goncharenko, the MP for Odesa, told the Telegraph: We need peace, its a real breakthrough. The most important thing is that we have a real result in military aid and intelligence being resumed. Mr Goncharenko, whose Peoples Deputy party is in opposition to Volodymyr Zelenskys government, said it provided Vladimir Putin with a real dilemma and said he had no confidence that the Russian president would sign a deal. Now we will see the true face of Putin, I am sure he doesnt want peace. If he starts to play games with Trump, it will be time for Trump for put pressure on him. He only understands force. 09:04 PM GMT Kyivs foreign minister says meeting serious step forward Andrii Sybiha, Ukraines foreign minister, said Tuesdays talks with the US delegation in Saudi Arabia had been a serious step forward. Sharing a picture of himself with Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz and Ukraines chief of staff Andriy Yermak, Mr Sybiha wrote: Today in Jeddah, our meeting was a serious step forward. Both on the path to peace and in developing the strategic Ukraine-U.S. partnership. He added: This is what a frank, open, and constructive dialogue brings. 08:23 PM GMT Macron says onus is on Russia Emmanuel Macron welcomed the 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine has agreed to and said it was now up to Russia to end the fighting. The ball is now clearly in Russias court, the French president said in a statement on X. France and its partners remain committed to a solid and lasting peace, backed by robust security guarantees for Ukraine, he added. 08:18 PM GMT Ukrainian soldiers hold poster thanking the US for support Soldiers of Ukraine's 5th brigade hold a poster thanking for the US for support during a flashmob at the front line near Toretsk, Donetsk region 07:57 PM GMT Russia open to contact with US in coming days The Russian Foreign Ministry said it had not ruled out contact with US representatives over next several days, state news agency RIA reported. Spokesperson Maria Zakharova told the outlet: We do not rule out contacts with US representatives over the next few days. It comes after Donald Trump said that there would be a US meeting with Russia later Tuesday or Wednesday. Mr Trump said that he hoped Russia would agree to a ceasefire plan drawn up by US and Ukrainian officials and that a total ceasefire could be achieved in the three-year war in the coming days. He said he expects to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin this week. 07:43 PM GMT The world reacts to ceasefire proposal It seems like the Americans and Ukrainians have taken an important step towards peace. And Europe stands ready to help reach a just and lasting peace, said Polands Prime Minister Donald Tusk on X. We welcome todays news from Jeddah on the U.S.-Ukraine talks, including the proposal for a ceasefire agreement and the resumption of U.S. intelligence sharing and security assistance, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The ball is now in Russias court, said European Council President Antonio Costa. The EU is ready to play its full part, together with its partners, in the upcoming peace negotiations. 07:41 PM GMT Starmer congratulates Trump and Zelensky on remarkable breakthrough Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: I warmly welcome the agreement today in Jeddah and congratulate president Trump and president Zelensky for this remarkable breakthrough. He added: This is an important moment for peace in Ukraine and we now all need to redouble our efforts to get to a lasting and secure peace as soon as possible. As both American and Ukrainian delegations have said, the ball is now in the Russian court. Russia must now agree to a ceasefire and an end to the fighting too. I will be convening leaders this Saturday to discuss next steps. We are ready to help bring an end to this war in a just and permanent way that allows Ukraine to enjoy its freedom. 07:07 PM GMT Zelenskys statement in full I received a report from our delegation on their meeting with the American team in Saudi Arabia. The discussion lasted most of the day and was good and constructiveour teams were able to discuss many important details. Our position remains absolutely clear: Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war, and we want to do everything to achieve it as soon as possible and in a reliable wayso that war does not return. At this meeting with the Americans, Ukraine proposed three key points: silence in the skiesstopping missile strikes, bombs, and long-range drone attacks; silence at sea; real confidence-building measures in this whole situation, in which diplomacy is ongoing, which primarily means the release of prisoners of war and detaineesboth military and civilianand the return of Ukrainian children who were forcibly transferred to Russia. The American side understands our arguments and considers our proposals. I am grateful to President Trump for the constructive conversation between our teams. During todays talks, the U.S. side proposed taking an even bigger first stepa 30-day full interim ceasefire, not only stopping missile, drone, and bomb attacks, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line. Ukraine is ready to accept this proposalwe see it as a positive step and are ready to take it. Now, it is up to the United States to convince Russia to do the same. If Russia agrees, the ceasefire will take effect immediately. 07:03 PM GMT Ceasefire to call Putins bluff A Ukrainian official said the decision to propose a ceasefire was partly designed to call Vladimir Putins bluff on whether hes ready to progress peace talks, The Telegraphs Brussels Correspondent Joe Barnes writes. Lets see what happens, but I give it less than a 50 per cent chance that they [Russia] will agree, the official said. 07:01 PM GMT Rubio: This is not Mean Girls Marco Rubio has said ending Russias war in Ukraine is very serious and not like the film Mean Girls. This is not Mean Girls, the US secretary of state said following talks with the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia. This is not some episode of some television show, this is very serious, he said. Mr Rubio added: Today people will die in this war. They died yesterday, and sadly, unless theres a cease fire tonight, theyll die tomorrow. The president wants that to stop. Thats what hes interested in here, thats why we came here. His comments come after Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskys explosive Oval Office meeting descended into a shouting match. 06:46 PM GMT Zelensky: Ukraine accepts positive ceasefire proposal Speaking after the talks between the two delegations, Mr Zelensky said Kyiv had proposed a partial ceasefire. He said: The American side understands our arguments, accepts our proposals, I want to thank President Trump for the constructiveness of our teams conversation. Mr Zelensky added that the US side had suggested trying to establish a complete ceasefire for 30 days, not only regarding missiles, drones and bombs, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line. Ukraine accepts this proposal, we consider it positive, we are ready to take such a step. The United States of America must convince Russia to do this. He added: That is, we agree, and if the Russians agree at that moment the silence will work. An important element of the conversation today is Americas readiness to resume defense assistance to Ukraine, including intelligence assistance. Ukraine is ready for peace. Russia must show its readiness to end the war or continue the war. It is time for the full truth. I thank everyone who is helping Ukraine. 06:30 PM GMT Rubio: the ball is now in Russias court Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz hold press conference US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the ball is now in Russias court after Ukraine agreed to a proposed ceasefire. Speaking after the high-level talks in Saudi Arabia, Mr Rubio said Ukraine and the US had taken a positive step and hopes Russia will reciprocate. Mr Rubio said the US would now take the offer to Russia and the number one goodwill gesture Moscow can make is to say yes. Were going to tell them this is whats on the table, Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking, and now itll be up to them to say yes or no, he said. I hope theyre going to say yes, and if they do then I think we made great progress. National security adviser Mike Waltz said it is very clear Ukraine shares Donald Trumps vision for peace and Kyiv shares his determination to end the fighting. Mr Waltz said the discussions have gone from if the war is going to end to how the war is going to end under Mr Trump. 06:23 PM GMT Joint statement in full Today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia under the gracious hospitality of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the United States and Ukraine took important steps toward restoring durable peace for Ukraine. Representatives of both nations praised the bravery of the Ukrainian people in defence of their nation and agreed that now is the time to begin a process toward lasting peace. The Ukrainian delegation reiterated the Ukrainian peoples strong gratitude to President Trump, the U.S. Congress, and the people of the United States for making possible meaningful progress toward peace. Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation. The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace. The United States will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine. The delegations also discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the above-mentioned ceasefire, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. Both delegations agreed to name their negotiating teams and immediately begin negotiations toward an enduring peace that provides for Ukraines long-term security. The United States committed to discussing these specific proposals with representatives from Russia. The Ukrainian delegation reiterated that European partners shall be involved in the peace process. Lastly, both countries presidents agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraines critical mineral resources to expand Ukraines economy and guarantee Ukraines long-term prosperity and security. 05:39 PM GMT Macron meets defence chiefs ahead of Paris meeting Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with Colonel General Ruslan Khomchak, first deputy secretary of the national security and defence council of Ukraine Macron shakes hands with defence chiefs in Paris 05:28 PM GMT Russia: Ukraine timed attack with Saudi talks The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused Ukraine of timing its overnight drone attack to coincide with the talks with the US in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine launched its biggest ever drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region, killing at least three employees of a meat warehouse, injuring 17 others and causing a short shutdown at the capitals four airports, officials said. A total of 343 drones were downed, including 91 over the Moscow region and 126 over the western region of Kursk where Ukrainian forces have been pulling back, as well as near the Kursk nuclear power plant, the defence ministry said. Russia also claimed the countries who continue to pump Ukraine with weapons are to blame for the attack. 05:22 PM GMT Talks still ongoing after eight hours Talks between representatives for Ukraine and the US in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, have stretched on for more than eight hours, according to an official. The meeting between US and Russian officials in Riyadh last month lasted over four hours. Little is known about how the high-level discussions are progressing other than from short statements shared by the Kyiv and Washington delegations. Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelenskys chief of staff, said on X it was a work in progress, he wrote in a short update. Earlier, Mike Waltz said negotiations were getting there as they stopped for a short break. 04:53 PM GMT France: Using Russian assets to fund Ukraine could destabilise EU France has not ruled out the possibility of the EU seizing frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine but has warned it could destabilise Europe. French prime minister Francois Bayrou said using the assets themselves can only be considered within the framework of the European Union. France has been one of the strongest opponents in Europe to the idea of seizing billions of euros worth of Russian assets swiftly frozen after Moscow launched its all-out 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Mr Bayrous finance minister reiterated Frances view that such a move would be contrary to international agreements. It is not in international traditions to seize the assets of central banks, Eric Lombard said in Brussels. He said there is no reason to seize Russian assets under EU law and if there were a seizure without legal grounds, it could pose a risk to European financial stability. 04:43 PM GMT Aftermath of strikes in Russia and Ukraine Damaged apartment building following a Ukrainian drone attack in Ramenskoe, outside Moscow - Maxim Shipenkov/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Injured Ukrainians are rescued from destroyed residential building following Russian bombardment in Kostiantynivka Civilians walk past a building damaged by Russian attacks in Kostiantynivka 04:37 PM GMT Defence chiefs meet in Paris without US More than 30 army chiefs met without US officials in Paris to discuss security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a ceasefire. The closed-door meeting of 34 defence heads, including NATO alliance and EU members as well as Japan and Australia, was an unprecedented meeting without their US counterparts. The political message is we can do it together and without the United States, but its clear there are things we cant do and the problem with Russia is we need to have deterrence, said a European diplomat involved in the talks. A military official said the US was not invited, in an intended signal that Europe and other partners could take on their responsibilities in the wake of Donald Trump distancing himself from the USs key allies. 04:26 PM GMT Russia death toll increases to five Five people were killed in a Ukrainian strike on Monday on a shopping centre in a village of Russias Kursk region, according to local governor Alexander Khinshtein. Mr Khinshtein previously said three people were killed and nine wounded in the village of Belaya. On Tuesday Russia said it had made new gains in its western region of Kursk, accelerating their push to drive out Ukrainian forces who have been clinging on to a slice of Russian territory since last August. 04:12 PM GMT The former film producer leading Ukraine talks No one is closer to Volodymyr Zelensky than Andriy Yermak, his powerful chief of staff. Since Russias full-scale invasion in 2022, the pair have spent an inordinate amount of time cohabiting in the network of Kyiv bunkers housing Ukraines presidential administration. Not only have they worked and dined together, they also lifted weights in the complexs underground gym before retiring to bedrooms off the same corridor. For the American delegation sitting across the table in the Saudi port city Jeddah on Tuesday, that proximity could be a problem. Read Adrian Blomfields full report here 03:57 PM GMT Trumps top negotiator absent from talks Steve Witkoff, Donald Trumps top negotiator, is absent from todays high-level talks in Jeddah. The US presidents special envoy to the Middle East is instead travelling to Qatar for ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas. Mr Witkoff is then expected to travel to Moscow later this week to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin, according to reports. The New York businessman met with Mr Putin for more than three hours last month as part of a deal to release US school teacher Marc Fogel. 03:16 PM GMT Ukraine strikes oil refinery near Moscow Ukraine said it had struck oil refinery near Moscow and a facility in Russias Oryol region that is part of the Druzhba pipeline system exporting oil to Europe. Explosions were...recorded in the area of the Steel Horse linear production dispatch station (Oryol region, Russia), which manages technological processes for the Druzhba oil pipeline, Kyivs General Staff said in a statement. It added that the facility was an important component in supplying oil to the terminal of the Ust-Luga seaport in the Leningrad region. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Tuesday that crude oil shipment via the pipeline was suspended after a Ukrainian drone attack on a metering station. Hungary imports most of its crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian crude through Belarus and Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia. 03:01 PM GMT Sweden at risk of sabotage after joining NATO Sweden has become a target of Russian intelligence since and is at risk of sabotage after it joined NATO last year, the countrys intelligence chief has said. Foreign powers are carrying out vast activities that threaten Swedens security. We are seen as part of the collective West and are becoming a pawn in a global game, especially now that we are part of the NATO alliance, Fredrik Hallstrom, head of operations at the Swedish Security Service (Sapo) said. Over the past year, there have been a number of incidents, including cyber attacks, drone flights over sensitive areas and cable breaks in the Baltic Sea, said Sapo chief Charlotte von Essen. As a NATO ally, we are safer, but we must at the same time be prepared for it meaning a changed and increased interest from the intelligence services, especially from Russia, von Essen told reporters. There is now a risk of sabotage against Sweden, she added. 02:49 PM GMT Saudi Arabia seizes on Trumps frustrations with Europe Saudi Arabia has become the neutral backdrop for negotiations to end the Ukraine Russia war as the country attempts to seize on Donald Trumps frustrations with Europe. Their involvement hosting top level talks slots nicely into Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans Vision 2030 project to diversify the countrys economy and become a world player. They see becoming this global power to solve problems very much in keeping with Vision 2030 and helping them continue to become a major world power, Jason Greenblatt, who served as the White Houses Middle East envoy in Mr Trumps first administration, told Jewish Insider. Im sure theyre taking a cue from Trump that Europe is out and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) is in, Mr Greenblatt said. They also recognise that Trump is angry, annoyed and frustrated with Europe, and he likes the Saudis, so they think they could play a good role and be a stage for him to try to make his deals for world stability. I believe they can. 02:16 PM GMT Musk labels US senator a traitor for visiting Ukraine Elon Musk has sparked a row with Democrats after he labelled US senator Mark Kelly a traitor for visiting Ukraine. Mr Kelly, the Democratic senator for Arizona, in turn responded: Elon, if you dont understand that defending freedom is a basic tenet of what makes America great and keeps us safe, maybe you should leave it to those of us who do. The US senator spent 25 years in the Navy, before moving on to Nasa, where he spent 15 years as an astronaut. 02:07 PM GMT Poland wants 100,000 volunteers to undergo military training in 2027 Donald Tusk has said he wants 100,000 volunteers to undergo military training in 2027. The most important thing for us is that every person interested can participate in such training no later than 2026. And that is a difficult task, but I know it is doable, the Polish prime minister said ahead of a government sitting. In 2027 we will achieve the ability to train 100,000 volunteers per year... Apart from the professional army and beyond the Territorial Defence Force, we must de facto build an army of reservists and our actions will serve this purpose. Galvanised by Russias invasion of neighbouring Ukraine three years ago, Poland now spends a higher proportion of GDP on defence than any other Mato member. 01:35 PM GMT Work in progress Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelenskys chief of staff, has posted an update on X as US and Ukrainian officials continue talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Work in progress, he wrote in a short update. Talks have been ongoing for more than four-and-a-half hours, longer than the meeting between US and Russian officials in Riyadh last month. Meanwhile, Mike Waltz, who is also in the room, said negotiations were getting there as the two delegations stopped for a short break. US and Ukrainian officials have been engaged in talks for nearly five hours - AFP 01:27 PM GMT Ukraine ready to do everything for peace Ukraine is ready to do everything for peace, Volodymyr Zelenskys top negotiator vowed ahead of peace talks with the US in Saudi Arabia. No one wants peace more than Ukrainians, Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelenskys chief of staff, told reporters. Ukraine is ready to go for this goal because its what Ukrainians want the most after more than three years of Russias full-scale invasion. Hours before the talks began, Ukraine launched its largest ever drone attack against Moscow, killing at least two people. Talks are taking place between US and Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Mr Zelensky held a meeting with Mohammed bin Salman, the countrys crown prince, yesterday. Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, said US negotiations would attempt to find out whether Ukraine was willing to make concessions. 01:04 PM GMT Your views... 12:55 PM GMT Ceasefire has never seemed closer, says top Zelensky adviser A ceasefire has never seemed so close, Andriy Yermak, a key negotiator in todays Saudi Arabia talks, wrote in The Guardian before the meeting began. As I arrive in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a ceasefire in the three-year war the Russian Federation has waged on my country has never seemed closer, Volodymyr Zelenskys chief of staff wrote. No one wants the current war to end more than our people but a peace must be found that is both just and sustainable, he added. 12:39 PM GMT Lavrov: Peacekeeping plan designed to save remnants of Kyiv regime A plan by Britain and France to send peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of a peace deal is an attempt to save the remnants of the Kyiv Nazi regime, Russias foreign minister has said. What will the peacekeepers protect? The remnants of the Kyiv Nazi regime, which adopted a series of laws exterminating Russian culture, language, media, and banned the canonical UOC? Sergei Lavrov said, repeating the Kremlins claim that Ukraine had sought to suppress Russian culture, which has been used to justify Vladimir Putins invasion. Mr Lavrov has repeatedly rejected the idea of European peacekeepers being sent to Ukraine, though Donald Trump said the Russian president had told him he would not oppose such a plan. 12:26 PM GMT Ukraine hit oil facilities in Moscow drone attack Ukraines military has said it struck oil facilities in Moscow and Oryol in an overnight drone attack. Russian officials said earlier today that Ukraine had launched its biggest ever drone attack on its capital, killing at least three people and causing a short shutdown at the Russian capitals four airports. 12:08 PM GMT Recap: whats happened today If youre catching up on todays events, heres a rundown of whats happened so far today: Ukraine launched its largest ever drone attack against Russia overnight At least three people were killed, according to local authorities, with 337 drones being fired in total - including 91 on Moscow The attack came hours before talks between US and Ukrainian officials were due to begin in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Before the talks, Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelenskys chief of staff, said Ukraine was ready to do everything to achieve piece Russia has reacted furiously to the overnight drone attack, claiming Kyiv was desperate to hurt civilians due to losses on the battlefield 11:33 AM GMT US cancels funding for UN project in Ukraine The US has cancelling funding for a United Nations project in Ukraine, a spokesman for the humanitarian agency has said. Ravina Shamdasani, UN human rights spokesperson, said five termination notices had been received from the US, including for projects in Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Ukraine and Colombia and also for a fund for indigenous people. Donald Trump is cutting billions of dollars in foreign aid programmes globally as part of a major spending overhaul by the worlds biggest aid donor. 11:11 AM GMT Death roll from drone attack rises to three The death toll from Ukraines overnight drone attack against Russia has risen to three, according to authorities. 11:03 AM GMT Respond to Ukraine attack with Oreshnik strike, Putin told A Russian MP has suggested Vladimir Putin should respond to Ukraines overnight drone attack by firing an Oreshnik missile. The decision is up to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (Vladimir Putin), but I think it would not be unreasonable (to launch the Oreshnik), better even more than one, Andrey Kartapolov, head of Russias State Duma Defense Committee, said. The Russian president unveiled his countrys new intermediate-range ballistic missile last year, striking Dnipro in November after Kyiv used US-made ATACMS missiles on Russian soil for the first time. 10:33 AM GMT Ukraine launches largest-ever drone attack against Russia Ukraine launched its largest-ever drone attack against Russia overnight, just hours before the beginning of peace talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia. Some 337 drones were fired by Ukraine into Russia, including nearly 100 into Moscow, killing at least two workers and injuring 18 more people at a meat warehouse in the capital, local officials said. The large-scale attack caused a short shutdown at Moscows four main airports. Ukraine did not confirm the attack, though Russia said it showed Kyiv was losing on the battlefield. It came just hours before US and Ukrainian officials were due to meet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to discuss bringing the three-year war to an end. A Ukrainian drone smashed into a residential building in Sapronovo, near Moscow - AP 10:20 AM GMT Ukraine says talks with US started very constructively Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian presidencys chief of staff , has said that discussions with the US delegation in Jeddah had begun positively. The meeting with the US team started very constructively, we continue our work, Mr Yermak, who was attending the most senior meeting with US officials since a dramatic fallout at the White House last month, said on social media. 09:59 AM GMT In pictures: US and Ukrainian officials meet in Jeddah In the room for the US is Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, and Mike Waltz, the White Houses national security adviser. On the Ukrainian side we can see Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelenskys powerful chief of staff, Andriy Sybiha, Ukraines foreign minister, and Rustem Umerov, the countrys minister of defence. US and Ukrainian officials meet in Jeddeh, Saudi Arabia, for talks on ending the war - AFP Among Ukraines negotiators is Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelenskys powerful chief of staff - AFP 09:39 AM GMT Watch: Russian attack on Odesa sparks large fire at fuel depot Russian forces attacked Ukraine with a ballistic missile and 126 drones, setting a fuel storage facility on fire and injuring at least two people in different parts of the country, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday. In the southern region of Odesa, the attack set on fire a fuel storage facility, a private home and a storage site for childrens toys, and more than 100 people were working to deal with the strikes, according to the emergency services. 09:16 AM GMT Ukraine: Were ready for peace Before talks between the US and Ukraine got under way in Saudi Arabia, we heard from Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelenskys powerful chief of staff. He told reporters Ukraine was ready to do everything to achieve peace. No one wants peace more than Ukrainians, he said. 09:06 AM GMT US-Ukraine talks begin in Jeddah Talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia have begun, Kyivs foreign ministry has said. Andriy Sybiha, Ukraines foreign minister, and Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelenskys chief of staff, are amongst the Ukrainian officials in the talks. Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, will lead the US side. 09:01 AM GMT Russia retakes 12 towns in Kursk Russia claims it has retaken 12 settlements from Ukraine in Kursk. The units of the North group of troops during the offensive liberated 12 settlements ... and more than 100 square kilometres of the Kursk region territory, Russias defence ministry said in a statement. Last week, Vladimir Putins forces launched a counter-offensive in the Kursk town of Sudzha, seven miles inside Russia, while simultaneously crossing the border into Ukraines Sumy region. It was a pincer movement aimed at surrounding thousands of Ukrainian troops. On Monday, Russian troops were reported to have cleared the village of Ivashkovsky as they advanced from seven directions. Ukraine had been hoping to hold onto the Russian territory it seized last August as a potential bargaining chip that could be traded away in any negotiations with Moscow. 08:57 AM GMT The secret to Trumps Ukraine negotiations is hidden in plain sight Americas decision to cut weapons deliveries and aid to Ukraine, as well as the dressing down of Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, has triggered understandable outrage amongst Western allies. But perhaps they shouldnt be surprised. Mr Trumps tactic to bring Ukraine to heel and force the country to negotiate on peace follows a careful plan written and published in black and white last summer by none other than the presidents Kyiv envoy. Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general, wrote last April that cutting military aid to Ukraine could be used to force Kyiv into negotiations. Here is what his plan entitled, How an America First Foreign Policy Reduced Risks from Russia During the Trump Administration involved and how it is playing out. 08:40 AM GMT Watch: Aftermath of Ukraines drone attack Credit: Telegram 08:15 AM GMT Putin cannot be trusted, says von der Leyen Ursula von der Leyen has said Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted as Ukraine and the US prepare to begin peace negotiations in Saudi Arabia. Vladimir Putin has proven time and again that he is a hostile neighbour, he cannot be trusted, he can only be deterred, she told the European Parliament this morning. The European Commission chief was speaking about her plan to rearm Europe, unlocking 800bn in investment. 08:01 AM GMT Who is leading negotiations in Jeddah? 07:46 AM GMT If youre just joining us... Ukraine has launched what could be its largest ever drone attack against Russia overnight. Over 330 drones were fired, including dozens at Moscow, killing at least one person. The attack came hours before crucial talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, which are set to focus on bringing the conflict with Russia to an end. Kyiv hopes the talks lead to the resumption of military aid and intelligence sharing, while the US is looking to gauge whether Ukraine would be willing to make certain concessions. Elsewhere, defence chiefs from around 30 nations will join talks in Paris later today to discuss the creation of an international security force for Ukraine. 07:37 AM GMT China hopes for just and lasting solution to war China has said it hopes a just and lasting solution can be found to the war between Ukraine and Russia, ahead of talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Saudi Arabia. We expect and hope that parties can reach a just and lasting solution that is acceptable to all sides, a foreign ministry spokesman told a daily news conference in Beijing. 07:22 AM GMT Security guard, 38, killed in drone attack A 38-year-old security guard working in a car park was killed in Ukraines overnight attack on Moscow, according to Russian media. The car park belonged to Miratorg, a food company. Some 20 cars were destroyed. Credit: , /Telegram 07:10 AM GMT The steely former film producer leading Ukraines deal in the desert No one is closer to Volodymyr Zelensky than Andriy Yermak, his powerful chief of staff. Since Russias full-scale invasion in 2022, the pair have spent an inordinate amount of time cohabiting in the network of Kyiv bunkers housing Ukraines presidential administration. Not only have they worked and dined together, they also lifted weights in the complexs underground gym before retiring to bedrooms off the same corridor. For the American delegation sitting across the table in the Saudi port city Jeddah on Tuesday, that proximity could be a problem. The stakes could not be higher. Either the negotiations will begin the process of mending strained relations between Kyiv and Washington, or they will unravel still further, potentially extinguishing Mr Zelenskys hopes of a favourable, dignified and sustainable end to the war. Andriy Yermak, Kyivs chief of staff, negotiated several prisoner swaps with Russia - Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters 06:53 AM GMT What to expect from peace talks Senior officials from the US and Ukraine will meet for talks in Jeddah later today. Talks are expected to centre around plans for a potential ceasefire, which Kyiv has proposed in the air and the sea, meaning no attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure. Kyiv also hopes the talks could lead to the resumption of US military aid and intelligence sharing. Meanwhile, on the US side, officials are hoping to understand how far Kyiv is willing to go in terms of making concessions to Russia, including ceding land. 06:23 AM GMT Trump envoy plans Moscow visit Mr Trumps special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Putin this week, two people briefed on the plans said on Monday. The meeting would be the first face-to-face talks between US officials and Putin since the Russian leader met with Joe Biden in Switzerland in 2021. 06:19 AM GMT Rubio suggests Ukraine may need to cede land to Moscow Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, suggested on Monday that Ukraine may be forced to cede land to Moscow as part of an agreement to end the war. What we want to know is, are they interested in entering some sort of peace conversation and general outlines of the kinds of things they could consider, recognising that it has been a costly and bloody war for the Ukrainians, Mr Rubio told reporters ahead of the crunch talks. And its hard in the aftermath of something like that to even talk about concessions, but thats the only way this is going to end and prevent more suffering. He added: Im not going to set any conditions on what they have to or need to do. I think we want to listen to see how far theyre willing to go and then compare that to what the Russians want and see how far apart we truly are. 06:03 AM GMT Biggest drone attack on Russia in three years Russian air defences shot down 337 drones over 10 regions, in what now appears to be the biggest Ukrainian drone attack on Russia in in three years. The most drones 126 were shot down over the Kursk region across the border from Ukraine, parts of which Kyivs forces control, and 91 were shot down over the Moscow region. Other regions listed included Belgorod, Bryansk and Voronezh on the border with Ukraine, and those deeper inside Russia, such as Kaluga, Lipetsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol and Ryazan. A shattered apartment window - AFP 05:54 AM GMT Trumps envoy hopes for substantial progress in talks Donald Trumps special envoy, Steve Witkoff, hopes that substantial progress will be made during the US-Ukraine talks today. I think that were going over there with an expectation that were going to make substantial progress, he said in an interview with Fox News on Monday. Asked if he thought Mr Zelensky would return to the US to sign a minerals deal this week, Mr Witkoff said: I am really hopeful. All the signs are very, very positive. 05:39 AM GMT Watch: Drones strike Moscow 05:35 AM GMT Pictured: Destruction in Moscow Pictures are emerging of the destruction in Moscow following Ukraines drone attack on the city. Some buildings, including apartments, have been hit. A Ukrainian drone smashed into the side of an apartment block in Sapronovo, just outside Moscow - AP Rubble outside a damaged apartment complex - AFP 05:29 AM GMT Zelensky: Ukraines position will be fully constructive in talks Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraines position in Tuesdays peace talks with US officials will be fully constructive. We hope for practical outcomes, Mr Zelensky said in a post on X. 05:18 AM GMT Drone attack hits Moscow Ukraine attacked Moscow with drones on Tuesday morning, killing at least one person, sparking fires and suspending flights and trains in the region. Today at 4am a massive drone attack began on Moscow and the Moscow region, Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said in a post on Telegram. At the moment, one person is known to have died and three were injured. Flights were suspended at two of Moscows airports, Zhukovo and Domodedovo, early on Tuesday as Ukrainian drones targeted the city. Russian air defence units destroyed dozens of Ukrainian drones flying towards Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. A damaged apartment building in the village of Sapronovo, in the Moscow region, following the drone attack - AFP 05:12 AM GMT Welcome We will be bringing you the latest on the peace talks in Saudi Arabia between Ukraine and the United States today. In breaking news from overnight, Ukraine has attacked Moscow with dozens drones. No casualties have been reported, but it comes on the day of the crucial negotiations aimed at ending the war with Russia. Trump Russia ceasefire talks In the negotiations thus far, Donald Trumps team has taken what might kindly be called a pliable approach to Russian demands, giving in to several before the hard yards of securing a peace deal even began. But now, the calculus has changed. In Jeddah, the United States succeeded in encouraging Ukraine to accept its proposal for a 30-day ceasefire a more far-reaching pause in the fighting than Britain and Frances plan for a halt in attacks by sea and air. The ball, as Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said, is now in Russias court. Vladimir Putin has so far shown little sign that he is willing to agree to a ceasefire, with his troops on the front foot in Ukraine and shrinking Kyivs salient by the day in the western region of Kursk. At his annual press conference in December, he said that a pause in the fighting would merely give Ukraine a chance to re-arm and restock its military. But the Russian president now faces a dilemma: as Mr Rubio said, if Russia does not agree to a deal, we will know who is the impediment to peace. The Trump administration, unlikely as it now appears, could then display some of the vengeful pirouetting for which its leader is known and turn whole-heartedly towards Kyiv. Certainly, when they hold a phone call this week, Mr Trump will broach the risks of Putin stalling on or rejecting the deal on the table. Vladimir Putin has so far shown little sign that he is willing to agree to a ceasefire - Mikhail Metzel/Pool Sputnik Kremlin Diplomatic reintegration There are several strings Mr Trump can pull. Most valuably, he could cast his willingness to bring in Moscow from the diplomatic deep freeze, and eventually participate in a raft of joint economic projects, as conditional on this 30-day ceasefire. Putin has long deemed the presence of Nato troops near Russias borders as an affront that he cannot accept. There are suggestions that, in an eventual peace deal, Mr Trump could withdraw some of the 30,000 US troops in Europe, giving Moscow greater breathing space in what it considers its own back yard. Mr Trump could suggest that the only way for him to be able to take such a controversial step is if Putin immediately proves his willingness for peace a move that would, in addition, allow the two leaders to revel in confounding the dire predictions of many Western leaders. Linked to this, Mr Trump can tie Russias eventual re-acceptance into the G7, and other diplomatic forums, as conditional on a speedy ceasefire. For Putin, a 30-day pause in fighting a period over which he is unlikely to fundamentally reshape the battlefield would be a relatively small pill to swallow in return for eventual normalisation of relations with the US and the fulfilment of his opposition to Nato proximity. To push him in that direction, it is possible to imagine Mr Trump presenting the Russian leader with a full list of potential diplomatic and economic projects, such as joint development of the Arctic, and saying that for every day Putin delays this confidence-building ceasefire, more of those options will be taken off the table. Sanctions relief The second key pressure point relates to the existing measures that the US has imposed on Russia in particular sanctions. Earlier this month, Mr Trump expressed his first sign of frustration with Moscow, warning that he was ready to slap fresh sanctions on the regime if it kept pounding Ukraine while he sought peace. There is comparatively little Washington can do in terms of ratcheting up measures on Russian industry its trade surplus has more than halved (from $337 billion to $151 billion) thanks to existing restrictions on its energy, mining and luxury goods industries. But the US could impose secondary sanctions on nations that have helped Russia avoid them so far for example, India, which has snapped up Russian oil. Russias delegation to Saudi Arabia led by foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. Talks there led to a ceasefire being put back on the table - Anadolu Conversely, the US president could frame his willingness to lift sanctions on Russian energy, a key Putin demand, in line with this 30-day ceasefire. Stop fighting, and we can start talking immediately about relief, Mr Trump could say. There are specific cherries that the US president could dangle in front of the Russian leader, too, such as the US purchasing the Nord Stream 2 project and overseeing the operation of pipelines that would once again transport Russian gas into Europe. Military restrictions The final source of US leverage is weaponry and military support for Ukraine. Putins troops have advanced rapidly in Kursk following Mr Trumps decision to suspend intelligence-sharing (after Tuesdays talks in Jeddah, the taps are back on). The Russian president is sure to try to make such support part of the deal for this initial ceasefire. It would not please Kyiv or its European allies, but Mr Trump could once more suspend the assistance, framing it as in line with his desire to act as a neutral arbiter of peace. If that is the carrot, the sticks are obvious: vastly stepped-up supplies of tanks, missiles and armoured fighting vehicles. This is your opportunity, the US president could privately say; take it or you will never get a better one. South Korean automaker Kia told AFP on Tuesday it had not approved an advertising campaign that featured one of its electric vehicles with a bumper sticker denigrating rival Tesla owner Elon Musk. The advertisement, posted last month on the social media accounts of Kia Norway, features the company's entry-level electric car, the EV3, with a bumper sticker saying: "I bought this after Elon went crazy." The sticker appears to riff on a viral trend of Tesla owners, unhappy with the world's richest person's recent foray into politics, slapping bumper stickers on their vehicles claiming they had purchased them "before Musk went crazy". The advertisement was removed on Tuesday after AFP asked the South Korean company about the image. "Kia Corporation is aware of a social media post by Kia Norway, which has since been removed," a company spokesperson said in a statement provided to AFP. "The post was an entirely independent local initiative that does not reflect the position of Kia Europe or Kia Corporation," it said. Musk responded with apparent incredulity as users on the social media site X, which he owns, shared images of the Kia advertisement. "They really did that?" he asked, in response to a post calling out Kia Norway for running the promotion. Kia is an affiliate of South Korea's Hyundai, and combined they are the world's third-largest automaker by volume as of 2024, selling more than 7.2 million cars combined. It has rolled out a range of EVs in recent years, from the EV3 -- Britain's 2025 car of the year -- to the large SUV EV9. Billionaire Musk, the boss of SpaceX and Tesla, has become a key backer of and adviser to US President Donald Trump. Musk has recently become the target of protests against the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that he leads, including vandalisation of Tesla facilities and an apparent cyberattack on X. While Musk enjoys Trump's confidence, polling shows he is deeply unpopular among ordinary Americans, and his cuts have sparked angry confrontations between Republicans and their constituents at town halls. Tesla has seen its sales drop across Europe in recent weeks following Musk's controversial support for far-right groups, including Germany's AfD during the country's recent election campaign. Tesla sales in Germany -- Europe's biggest auto market -- plunged more than 76 percent year-on-year in February, official data showed. Overall sales in the European Union almost halved year-on-year in January. Investors are concerned about the potential for boycotts and buyer backlash over Musk's divisive behaviour as an adviser to the US president. Tesla has lost more than one-third of its market value since mid-December as Musk deepens his association with the polarising US leader. Ukrainian servicemen load a shell into an M101 Howitzer in Kharkiv on March 12 - Alex Babenko/AP Vladimir Putin visited a command post in Kursk on Wednesday as his forces were on the brink of ending Ukraines partial occupation of the Russian region. Wearing olive green military fatigues, the Russian president was told by Valery Gerasimov, his chief of general staff, that Kyiv had failed in its plan to hold the territory as a bargaining chip in any peace talks. I am counting on the fact that all the combat tasks facing our units will be fulfilled, and the territory of the Kursk region will soon be completely liberated from the enemy, Putin said in televised remarks. The front-line visit came as Moscow appeared to retake the town of Sudzha, which has served as the main base for the 10,000-strong Ukrainian force holding a bridgehead on Russian territory. Putin was reportedly hesitant to agree to Donald Trumps proposed ceasefire because of his forces significant gains on the battlefield, including around Kursk. Soldiers in Russian military uniforms were pictured standing on top of a water tower in the centre of Sudzha after a rapid offensive in the town. Russian state media shared footage purporting to show Russian soldiers in the town centre. Ukraine became the first foreign force to mount an invasion of Russia since the Second World War last summer as part of an operation to change the battlefield initiative. The longer Kyivs men held their bridgehead on Russian soil, the territory became a potential bargaining chip for Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraines president, in any future peace talks. Putin had vowed to end the occupation within weeks but it continued for seven months. Yesterday, Gen Gerasimov told the Russian president his troops had liberated 1,100 sq km of the 1,300 sq km seized by Kyiv. He claimed almost 70,000 Ukrainians had been killed or wounded during the operation on Russian soil. Russia had captured 430 Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the Kursk region, he added. Putin said the captured fighters should be treated as terrorists, in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation, suggesting they could face trials in Russian courts and be jailed for decades. Vladimir Putin visits a command centre for Russian troops during a visit to the Kursk region - AFP via Getty Images Ukraine reportedly started evacuating some of its most battle-hardened units from Russia in recent days after Moscow stepped up its attacks on the Kyiv-held salient, and the Ukrainian army hinted on Wednesday that some of its soldiers were pulling back in the region. The Kremlin has been using North Korean troops as part of its campaign to dislodge Ukraines forces. There will be no Ukrainian soldiers there by Friday, said Skadovskyi Defender, a Ukrainian military blogger, on Telegram. But Mr Zelensky urged caution during a press conference in Kyiv, telling reporters to avoid falling for strong information pressure from Moscow. He said Russia was clearly trying to put maximum pressure on our troops. The military command is doing what it should do, preserving the maximum of lives of our soldiers, he added. Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraines top general, said: Active fighting continues in the operational zone of the Kursk group of forces, in the suburbs of Sudzha and the areas around it. Trying at all costs to achieve political goals, the enemy has already suffered and continues to suffer significant losses in Kursk. He added: In the most difficult situation, my priority was and remains the preservation of the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. To this end, the units of the defence forces, if necessary, manoeuvre to more advantageous lines. First of all, the unmanned component is involved, as well as artillery fire weapons. I gave all the necessary orders for this. Despite the increased pressure from the Russian-North Korean army, we will maintain defence in Kursk as long as it is appropriate and necessary. He said Russia had lost 55,000 troops in Kursk, including 22,000 killed in action. Earlier, Roman Kostenko, a Ukrainian MP, insisted his countrys troops had not fully left Sudzha. This morning I spoke with the fighters who are in that area of responsibility, they do not confirm our complete withdrawal from Sudzha. With his forces on the advance, Putin was reportedly hesitating over agreeing to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Ukraine and the US. The Russian president believes the pause is unacceptable and will likely bog down negotiations on his own demands. Pro-Kremlin war hawks said the planned armistice was a plot and scam by Kyiv to halt Russias momentum on the battlefield and rearm its battle-stricken brigades. It is difficult for Putin to agree to this in its current form, a senior Russian source told Reuters. Putin has a strong position because Russia is advancing. One of the demands being considered by Putin was a halt to future military support for Kyiv, Bloomberg reported. Ukraines military also warned that Russian forces were making gains and stepping up attacks in the east and south of the country. Ukrainian troops held back Russian assaults around the logistical hub of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. They also mounted counter-attacks on Toretsk, a nearby industrial town which Russia reached in August. 07:51 PM GMT Thats all for now We are now closing our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. Well be back tomorrow as all eyes remain on Moscow and whether Putin will accept the immediate 30-day ceasefire proposal. 07:44 PM GMT Ukraine will fight in Kursk for as long as necessary Ukraines top army general said it will continue its operation in Kursk for as long as appropriate and necessary. Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Russia has already suffered and continues to suffer significant losses in Kursk. Despite the increased pressure from the Russian-North Korean army, we will maintain defense in Kursk as long as it is appropriate and necessary, he said. He said Russia had lost 55,000 troops in Kursk, including 22,000 killed in action. Commander in Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi - REUTERS 07:32 PM GMT Putin calls for liberated Kursk region President Putin ordered his army to fully liberate Russias Kursk region, as they press ahead with a counteroffensive aiming to eliminate the last of Kyivs hold on territory since August. I am counting on the fact that all the combat tasks facing our units will fulfilled, and the territory of the Kursk region will soon be completely liberated from the enemy, Putin said in televised remarks during a visit to Russian troops. Putin is seen visiting the Kursk region for the first time since Ukraine attacked last year President Putin ordered his army to fully liberate Russias Kursk region during his Kursk visit (pictured) 07:22 PM GMT Russia captures 430 soldiers in Kursk Russia has captured 430 Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the Kursk region, Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian general staff told Putin in a televised meeting on Wednesday. President Vladimir Putin said the captured fighters should be treated as terrorists, in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation. He suggested that they could face trials in Russian courts and be jailed for decades. 07:15 PM GMT US and Russian national security advisors discuss ceasefire National security advisor Mike Waltz spoke on Wednesday with his Russian counterpart and discussed the Ukraine ceasefire proposal, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. She also confirmed that Steve Witkoff, Donald Trumps special envoy, will travel to Russia later this week. We urge the Russians to sign on to this plan. This is the closest we have been to peace in this war. We are at the 10th yard line and the President expects the Russians to help us run this into the end zone, Ms Leavitt added. 07:07 PM GMT Watch: Putin visits Russian troops in Kursk counteroffensive President Vladimir Putin has visited the western Russian region of Kursk for the first time since Ukrainian forces seized some territory in the region. Video footage shows Putin, dressed in camouflage, visiting troops involved in the counter-offensive. Head of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, told him that Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region were now surrounded. Local media reporter than Russian forces had liberated more than 1,000 square kilometres of territory in the border region. We reported earlier that Kremlin forces had recaptured Sudzha town and forced Ukraine to retreat from the Kursk region in a breakthrough counteroffensive (see post at 6:01pm). The advance comes amid reports that Russian president Vladimir Putin is hesitant to accept a ceasefire deal while it is making significant gains on the battlefield. 06:57 PM GMT What will Trump do if Russia says no to a ceasefire? In the negotiations thus far, Donald Trumps team has taken what might kindly be called a pliable approach to Russian demands, giving in to several before the hard yards of securing a peace deal even began. But now, the calculus has changed. In Jeddah, the United States succeeded in encouraging Ukraine to accept its proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. The ball, as Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said, was now in Russias court. Vladimir Putin has so far shown little sign that he is willing to agree to a ceasefire, with his troops on the front foot in Ukraine and shrinking Kyivs salient by the day in the western region of Kursk. At his annual press conference in December, he said that a pause in the fighting would merely give Ukraine a chance to re-arm and restock its military. But the Russian president now faces a dilemma: as Mr Rubio said, if Russia does not agree to a deal, we will know who is the impediment to peace. The Trump administration, unlikely as it now appears, could then display some of the vengeful pirouetting for which its leader is known and turn whole-heartedly towards Kyiv. Certainly, when they hold a phone call this week, Mr Trump will broach the risks of Putin stalling on or rejecting the deal on the table. There are several strings that Trump can pull. Read the full story here. 06:42 PM GMT The pressure is now on Putin, says Healey Britains defence secretary has directly called on Putin to accept a peace deal with Ukraine. I say to president Putin: over to you now. You said you want to talk, prove it. Accept the ceasefire, start negotiations and end the war, said John Healey at a press conference in Paris. Make no mistake, the pressure is now on Putin. Mr Healey said these are decisive days in the push for peace in Ukraine, calling Ukraines breakthrough acceptance of a 30-day ceasefire on Tuesday a vital step. British Secretary of State for Defence John Healey holds a joint press conference with fellow Defence ministers in Paris - AFP 06:31 PM GMT European plans to bolster security We reported earlier that defence ministers from the UK, France, Germany, Poland and Italy would meet at the Val-de-Grace chapel in Paris on Wednesday (see post at 2:38pm). They were expected to discuss bolstering European security and plans for a peacekeeping force for Ukraine Now, French defence minister Sebastien Lecornu has claimed that about 15 countries have expressed interest in discussing security architecture for Ukraine. While German Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, said Europe needs a much more unified approach regarding the procurement of military equipment. He added that the continent could not afford to waste time on unnecessary bureaucracy, calling it superfluous and costly. Defence ministers from the UK, France, Germany, Poland and Italy would meet at the Val-de-Grace chapel in Paris - AFP 06:20 PM GMT US senator says hell to pay if Russia refuses ceasefire Republican senator Lindsey Graham has congratulated President Trump on getting Ukraine on board with a 30-day ceasefire proposal. But Mr Graham said he is extremely skeptical that Russia will accept the ceasefire. Zelensky has passed the test of wanting peace. It is now up to Putin to show his cards, he wrote on X. In order to move toward peace, I will be introducing bone-breaking sanctions [to the Senate] and tariffs against Russia before the end of the week. If they do not pursue the ceasefire with the same vigor as Ukraine, there will be hell to pay. Well done to the Trump Team for getting Ukraine on board with the 30-day ceasefire proposal and moving strongly toward an honorable peace deal. It is clear to me that President Zelensky is willing to make peace. As Secretary Rubio said, the ball is now in Russia's court. I am Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 12, 2025 06:01 PM GMT Russian troops seize key town as Ukrainian forces driven back Russian troops have seized a key town in its Kursk region, as Vladimir Putins forces push on in their war against Ukraine, despite the offer of a ceasefire on the table. Ukrainian soldiers have been driven out of Sudzha and are reportedly retreating from the Kursk region. There will be no Ukrainian soldiers there by Friday, said Skadovskyi Defender, a Ukrainian military blogger, on Telegram. Ukraines General staff told the Kyiv Post that it currently has no information on the situation. The advance comes amid reports that Russian president Vladimir Putin is nervous to accept a ceasefire deal while it is making significant gains on the battlefield. Yesterday, it took a number of small villages and towns, while launching attacks on Kyiv, and Volodymyr Zelenskys hometown of Kryvyi Rih. A drone view shows men dressed in military uniform waving flags, including the state flag of Russia, and standing on a water tower in the centre of Sudzha town - REUTERS 05:48 PM GMT Turkey: Ukraine accepting ceasefire is positive and important Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Ukraines acceptance of a 30-day ceasefire with Russia positive and important, adding that he hopes Moscow will respond constructively. Turkeys attitude towards this war has been very clear since the first day...we hope that our two neighbours end the war by a just peace, he said. Speaking at a joint news conference with visiting Polish prime minister Donald Tusk, Mr Erdogan added that Turkey does not want any more bloodshed. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Polands Prime Minister Donald Tusk attending a joint press conference at the Presidential Complex in Ankara - AFP 05:14 PM GMT Watch: mass Ukrainian retreat from Sudzha We reported earlier that Ukrainian soldiers have been driven out of Sudzha by a rapid Russian offensive and are reportedly retreating from the Kursk region. Sudzha is situated just north of the border to Ukraine in Kursk, a region partly captured by Ukraine in summer. New footage shows swathes of Ukrainian troops closing in the town centre: Mass Ukrainian retreat from Sudzha. pic.twitter.com/ZNZeMMb6rl Geopoliticalfocus (@Geopoliticaleco) March 11, 2025 04:37 PM GMT US and Russia spy heads agree to maintian regular contact US and Russian spy chiefs spoke by phone on Tuesday and agreed to maintain regular contact amid rising tensions, Russian media has reported. It marked the first contact in more than two years between CIA Director John Ratcliffe and the head of SVR, Russias foreign intelligence agency. The counterparts agreed on regular contact between their agencies in order to contribute to the international stability and security, as well as a decrease in confrontation in relations between Moscow and Washington. The conversation occurred just hours after Ukraine backed a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and agreed to immediate negotiations with Russia to end the war. CIA Director John Ratcliffe - AFP 04:24 PM GMT Trump: we have people going to Russia right now Donald Trump is meeting Irish prime minister Micheal Martin in the Oval Office at the White House. After the US proposal of an immediate ceasefire made during talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Trump said the US has received some positive messages. Hopefully we can get a ceasefire, he told reporters, adding that it is up to Russia now. Trump also said that we have people going to Russia right now, adding that he is hoping to get a ceasefire with Russia. It comes after the Kremlin said it will not decide on the US-proposed 30-day ceasefire until it hears from the White House. US President Donald Trump meets with Irish prime minister Micheal Martin in the Oval Office at the White House - REUTERS 04:05 PM GMT Trump hasnt yet spoken to Putin about ceasefire proposal US president Donald Trump said he hasnt yet spoken directly to Vladimir Putin about the proposed 30-day ceasefire plan in Ukraine. We havent spoken to him yet with substance, because we just found out, he said. Ive gotten some positive messages, but a positive message means nothing, said Trump, adding that this is a very serious situation. This is a situation that could lead to world war three, and Biden should have never let it happen. 03:59 PM GMT Rubio: Ukrainian territorial concessions part of US peace plan Ukraine could cede territory to Russia as part of a peace deal, the US Secretary of state has said. Asked whether territorial concessions were discussed in US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia, Marco Rubio said: Well, we had conversations. Mr Rubio said Ukraine needed a strong deterrent against future Russian aggression, and that this was something Europe needed to be involved in. He urged Russia to accept a truce proposal that the US had agreed with Ukraine, adding that Washington would speak to Moscow about it today. If they say no, then obviously well have to examine everything and sort of figure out where we stand in the world and what their true intentions are, he said, noting that there is no military solution to this conflict. Russian sources earlier said Vladimir Putin would find it difficult to accept the proposed truce with Ukraine while his troops are advancing on the frontline. Putins troops are understood to have raised the Russian flag in the centre of Sudzha in Kursk earlier today, after conducting a rapid offensive aimed at pushing Ukrainian forces out of the region that Kyiv partly captured in summer. 03:55 PM GMT Watch: Ukrainian troops perform haka in honour of New Zealander killed fighting Russia Ukrainian troops paid a tribute to a killed New Zealand fighter by performing the haka dance next to his coffin. Dominic Abelen, 28, was killed while assaulting a Russian trench near Vuhledar, eastern Ukraine, in 2022. His body was captured by Russian troops after his comrades came under intense fire while trying to retrieve it, but it was returned to Ukraine this month. Footage showed soldiers of International Legion of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine in camouflage as they growled, sang, waved hands and slapped their thighs around the casket, which was draped in Ukrainian and New Zealand flags. Read the full story here 02:55 PM GMT Watch: aftermath of strike on Zelenskys home town We reported earlier that Russia attacked Volodymyr Zelenskys home town on Wednesday, hours after Ukraine agreed a ceasefire deal with the United States (see post at 7:48 am). An overnight strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih, where the Ukrainian leader was born, killed a 47-year-old woman, the regional governor said. Five other people were also injured, according to reports. Credit: Radio Free Europe/X 02:38 PM GMT European defence ministers meet in Paris to discuss Ukraine and rearmament Defence ministers from across Europe gathered in Paris on Wednesday to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine ahead of a looming peace deal. Including Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland, the talks come as Washington pursues rapprochement with Moscow. European nations are stepping up, said Britains defence secretary, John Healey. By deepening our defence cooperation, boosting spending and enhancing our collective strength, we send a clear message: we will not waver in standing with Ukraine and defending our shared values. 01:59 PM GMT Russia awaits US brief before ceasefire decision, says Kremlin The Kremlin is waiting for Washington to brief them on various channels before it comments on the proposed 30-day ceasefire, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. It follows Tuesdays US-Ukraine peace talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, that reportedly lasted several hours. We expect Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to brief us through various channels in the coming days on the details of the talks and the agreements reached, Mr Peskov told reporters at a press briefing. He did not rule out the possibility of a phone call with President Vladimir Putin and US president Trump, adding that such a conversation could be arranged quickly if necessary. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov - REUTERS 01:47 PM GMT Russian army seize entire city in Kursk Ukrainian forces have been ejected from Russias Kursk region and are retreating out of the country, according to Russian reports. Ruslan Leviev, founder of the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), said there was also strong evidence that the entire city of Sudzha, in the Kursk region, had been seized by Russian troops. We saw that all the areas that gradually came under the control of Russian troops were taken practically without a fight. The same is true for Sudzha, he told Russia independent television channel Dozhd. In fact, we can already say that the entire city of Sudzha has come under the control of Russian troops(O)verall, the history of the Kursk bridgehead is coming to an end, and Ukrainian troops are leaving. But Ukraines General staff told the Kyiv Post that it currently has no information on the situation. The Ukrainian open-source intelligence organisation DeepState reported that Kyivs troops were no longer in Sudzha, but remained in the Kursk region. 01:34 PM GMT Zelensky has no trust in Russia, he says Still speaking in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had no trust in Russia, despite having agreed to put a US proposal for a 30-day truce to Moscow. I have emphasised this many times, none of us trust the Russians, Mr Zelensky told the press conference. 01:32 PM GMT Zelenskys red line: we will not recognise occupied Russian territories Volodymyr Zelensky has now said that he refuses to recognise any Russian occupied territories in Ukraine, saying that this is our fight for independence. We are not going to recognise that the territories occupied by the Russian territory. The fact is our people were fighting for it. Our heroes fought for that, [it] wounded, killed many of them. No one forgets about that, he said. This is the most important red line. We will never let anyone forget about this crime against Ukraine, Mr Zelensky added. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a press conference in Kyiv - AFP 01:13 PM GMT Zelensky has heard nothing about second White House invitation In the same live statement, Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had heard nothing about a reported second invitation to the White House. It follows a disastrous White House summit last month, where relations between Kyiv and Washington over ending the war seemed to reach rock bottom. But Mr Zelensky called the resumption of US military aid and intelligence sharing very positive. 01:00 PM GMT Everything depends on Russia, says Zelensky Volodymyr Zelensky has just given his first on-screen statement in Kyiv following yesterdays talks with the US in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Ukrainian president called the talks constructive and said he wants to use a potential 30-day ceasefire with Russia as a chance to forge a permanent peace plan. We want to end this war, he said, adding that everyone will have to be part of a union to convince Russia to accept a peace deal. Everything depends on whether Russia is willing to do so, to install a truce, or if it is willing to continue killing people, he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gestures as he attends a press conference in Kyiv - REUTERS 12:51 PM GMT Pictured: Demonstrations in support of Ukraine sprout across Europe As US Trumps top diplomat ramps up pressure on Russias president Putin to end the three-year war, demonstrations in support of Ukraine are appearing across Europe. Activists display a 500 square meter banner in support of Ukraine in the European Quarter in Brussels, Belgium - Shutterstock People during a demonstration outside the US embassy in London in support of Ukraine. The demonstration has been organised by the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign, Ukrainian organisations and John McDonnell MP - PA 12:33 PM GMT How Britain crafted Ukraine ceasefire deal behind the scenes As he walked into a crunch meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky and one of his closest confidantes, Jonathan Powell was about to secure a second diplomatic coup in as many weeks. The Prime Ministers national security adviser had played a key role in ensuring Sir Keir Starmers trip to Washington and talks with Donald Trump went off without a hitch. And when Mr Powell sat down on March 8 with Mr Zelensky and Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidents office, it set Ukraine on a previously unthinkable path towards accepting a 30-day ceasefire. Relations between Ukraine and the US were severely damaged after the extraordinary row in the Oval Office between Mr Trump, JD Vance, the vice-president, and Mr Zelensky. In the days that followed, the prospect of a peace deal with the buy-in of Kyiv seemed far away, as Mr Trump continued his stinging public rebukes. Sir Keir Starmer with Donald Trump in the Oval Office last month - REUTERS 12:12 PM GMT Starmer welcomes progress in Ukraine talks Sir Keir Starmer has said he welcomed the progress in talks between Ukraine and the US over a proposed truce with Russia. Opening PMQs, the Prime Minister told the Commons: I welcome the progress in talks between Ukraine and the United States. We must now redouble our efforts to get a lasting, secure peace. On Saturday Ill convene international leaders to discuss how we can make further progress. 12:01 PM GMT Russia rejecting truce would tell us a lot, says Rubio Russia rejecting a proposed truce with Ukraine would tell us a lot, Marco Rubio has said. Speaking with reporters at Shannon Airport in Ireland, the secretary of state urged Russia to accept the proposal and cease all hostilities. There is no military solution to this conflict, he added. 11:47 AM GMT Rubio: Ukraine needs deterrent against future invasion The US is looking at securing Ukraines long-term security, Marco Rubio has said. The secretary of state did not commit to giving Ukraine security guarantees but that the US wants create a sufficient deterrent against any future invasion. We want to make sure this doesnt happen again, Mr Rubio told reporters at Shannon Airport. Mr Rubio said a proposed minerals deal between the US and Ukraine was not a security guarantee but said it would provide the US with a vested interest in the country. 11:39 AM GMT Prince William to visit UK troops in Estonia Prince William will travel to Estonia next week to visit British troops involved in Nato, Kensington Palace has said. After visiting troops on March 20, William will also carry out engagements in Tallinn to learn about how Estonia has responded to its neighbour Russias invasion of Ukraine. 11:31 AM GMT Your views... 11:24 AM GMT Zelensky played key role in ceasefire proposal Volodymyr Zelensky played a key role in securing the ceasefire proposal that was agreed between the US and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The Ukrainian president directed the delegations actions during the final stages of the talks, which lasted several hours, according to a foreign ministry spokesman. Mr Zelensky had been in Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Mohammed bin Salman, the countrys crown prince, the day before. Volodymyr Zelensky meets with Mohammed bin Salman at the royal palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - AFP 11:05 AM GMT Russia claims capture of two villages in eastern Ukraine Russian troops seized the villages of Dniproenerhiia and Novomarkove in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region, the RIA state news agency has reported, citing the defence ministry. Russian forces also hit a transport vessel carrying ammunition for Ukrainian forces, the agency said. 10:42 AM GMT In pictures: Ukrainian troops take part in training exercises Ukrainian troops train in the Dnipropetrovsk region - AFP New recruits take part in a military training on a training field at an undisclosed location in the Zaporizhzhia region - AFP 10:15 AM GMT Captain of crashed cargo ship is Russian national The captain of the cargo ship that crashed into a tanker carrying oil for the US military is a Russian national, the ships owner said. Stena Immaculate was carrying some 220,000 barrels of jet fuel when it was struck by MV Solong off the Yorkshire coast on Monday. In a statement, Hamburg-based owner Ernst Russ said the captain of the Portuguese-flagged ship was Russian, adding that the rest of the crew was a mix of Russian and Filipino nationals. A Government source told The Telegraph on Monday that early investigations did not indicate the incident was caused by foul play, but it could not be ruled out at that stage. The MV Solong billows out smoke in the North Sea on Tuesday after the collision - Getty Images Europe 10:08 AM GMT Kremlin doesnt rule out Trump-Putin call The Kremlin said it has not ruled out a phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Dmitry Peskov, Putins spokesman, said the call could be arranged quickly. The US president said on Tuesday he expected to speak to his Russian counterpart at some point this week. 09:38 AM GMT Russia: Lets not get ahead of ourselves The Kremlin has said Russia does not want to get ahead of itself after the US agreed a ceasefire proposal with Ukraine. The US is yet to contact Russia over the deal, the Kremlin added. A spokesman for Vladimir Putin said Moscow was carefully studying statements that had been in made in the wake of talks between Ukraine and US in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The spokesman said Russia needed to hear from Mike Waltz and Marco Rubio, who attended Tuesday talks, before they publicly comment on the proposal. 09:32 AM GMT Russian troops enter Ukraine-held Sudzha in Kursk Russian troops have entered the Ukraine-held town of Sudzha in Kursk. According to DeepState analysis, Russian troops entered the eastern part of Sudzha , while the Institute for the Study of War said Moscows forces had advanced within the town. Footage posted by RIA Novosti, a state-owned news agency, shows troops waving the Russian flag in the centre of Sudzha, which is around 10 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. It came as Russia said it had taken five settlements held by Ukrainian troops in Kursk. One of the retaken villages, Kazachya Loknya, lies just north of Sudzha, which Russian forces have been storming since the weekend as they try to eject Ukrainians who have been clinging onto a slice of Kursk since last August. A drone view shows men dressed in military uniform waving the Russian flag in the centre of Sudzha - REUTERS 09:02 AM GMT Watch: Russian strike hits Sumy Firefighter are working to extinguish a fire after Russia launched a strike in Sumy overnight. One civilian was killed after strikes in the Myropillia community, according to local officials. Credit: State Emergency Service of Ukraine 08:42 AM GMT Vladimir Putin probably isnt laughing any more It was telegraphed even before President Trump took office: I will end this war in Ukraine. And he set out the negotiating strategy, something most canny negotiators do not do unless they hold all the cards. The announcement that the Ukrainians will agree to a 30 day ceasefire in exchange for the resumption of arms supplies and intelligence sharing has now put the ball firmly in the Russian court. The telegraphed threat to them is agree to a ceasefire or the US will arm the Ukrainians to the hilt, and you will lose. I doubt Vladimir Putin is smiling so broadly now. 08:29 AM GMT Ukraine military aid deliveries resume A pause on US military aid to Ukraine has officially been lifted, with deliveries once again moving through Poland. Radoslaw Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister, said arms deliveries had resumed and that Poland was satisfied with new proposals on Ukraine. 08:20 AM GMT Putin finds ceasefire deal difficult to accept Vladimir Putin would find it difficult to accept a ceasefire deal with Ukraine due to Russias advances, a source has told Reuters. It is difficult for Putin to agree to this in its current form, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. Putin has a strong position because Russia is advancing. Russias advances in eastern Ukraine, where most of its efforts have been focused, have stalled in recent weeks, analysis shows. Moscow advanced by 389 square kilometres (150 square miles) in February, after advances of 431 square kilometres in January, 476 square kilometres in December 2024 and a peak of 725 square kilometres in November. However, Russian advances have made significant gains in the Kursk region, which was invaded by Ukraine last August. On Tuesday, Moscow said it had taken back 12 settlements from Kyiv. Meanwhile, another senior Russian source said that the ceasefire proposal looked from Moscows perspective to be a trap because Putin would find it hard to halt the war without some concrete guarantees or pledges. A third Russian source said the big picture was that the United States had agreed to resume military aid and intelligence sharing and had decorated that move with a ceasefire proposal. 08:08 AM GMT Pictured: Aftermath of strike on Zelenskys hometown A burning car is seen in front of an apartment building damaged by a Russian missile strike in Kryvyi Rih - REUTERS 07:48 AM GMT One killed in strike on Zelenskys hometown Russia has attacked Volodymyr Zelenskys hometown hours after Ukraine agreed a ceasefire deal with the United States. An overnight strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih, where the Ukrainian leader was born, killed a 47-year-old woman, the regional governor said. Russia strikes also hit Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa, where four people were killed. 07:22 AM GMT Russian strike on Odesa kills four A Russian strike on the port city of Odesa killed four people overnight. The casualties included one Ukrainian and three Syrian crew members of a vessel. At the time of the attack, the vessel was loading wheat for export to Algeria. It was a completely civilian vessel, Oleksiy Kuleba, vice prime minister for reconstruction, said. 07:13 AM GMT Pictured: Explosion over Kyiv Explosions are seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike - REUTERS 07:00 AM GMT UK intimately involved in crafting ceasefire deal The UK was intimately involved in crafting a ceasefire deal that was struck between the US and Ukraine on Wednesday. Government sources told the BBC that Sir Keir Starmer had led a European effort to improve the two countries relationship after a public row between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky. Last week, Jonathan Powell, the Prime Ministers national security adviser, flew to Ukraine to guide negotiators on how to deal with US officials. Sir Keir hailed the proposed ceasefire as a remarkable breakthrough and an important moment for peace in Ukraine. 06:43 AM GMT Woman killed in missile attack A Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih overnight killed a 47-year-old woman and caused a fire at an infrastructure facility, according to Serhiy Lysak, the governor of the Dnirpopetrovsk region. The attack also injured at least two other people, local official Oleksandr Vilkul said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. 06:31 AM GMT Lavrov on ceasefire: Moscow will not make decisions that jeopardise lives Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow will avoid compromises that would jeopardise peoples lives, Russian agencies reported, following news of Ukraine accepting the ceasefire proposal. In an interview published on Wednesday, speaking in the context of a possible Ukraine peace deal, Mr Lavrov reiterated Russias stance that it would under no conditions accept the presence of Nato troops in Ukraine, should there be a permanent peace deal. Mr Lavrov made the remarks on Tuesday, but the interview was published on Wednesday. Sergei Lavrov attends a joint press conference with Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Moscow - Shutterstock 06:26 AM GMT Russia will make its own decisions More reaction and comments are emerging out of Russia on the proposed ceasefire deal. On Wednesday morning, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow would make its own decisions about the war in Ukraine. The shaping of the position of the Russian Federation does not take place abroad due to some agreements or efforts of some parties, TASS quoted her as saying. The formation of the position of the Russian Federation takes place inside the Russian Federation. 06:00 AM GMT Russian lawmaker: Ceasefire deal will be on Moscows terms An influential Russian lawmaker said on Wednesday that any ceasefire deal would be on Moscows terms, not Washingtons. Russia is advancing (in Ukraine), and therefore it will be different with Russia, said Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the international affairs committee of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russias parliament, in a post on Telegram. Any agreements - with all the understanding of the need for compromise - on our terms, not on American. And this is not boasting, but understanding that real agreements are still being written there, at the front. Which they should understand in Washington, too. 05:47 AM GMT Trump to invite Zelensky back to White House Donald Trump is set to invite Volodymyr Zelensky back to the White House after Ukraine agreed to the proposed ceasefire deal. Asked whether Mr Zelensky was invited back to the White House, Mr Trump on Tuesday said: Sure, absolutely. It comes after their last meeting ended horrendously following a fiery row between the two leaders. Mr Trump said he hopes the ceasefire will take effect over the next few days. He said he would speak to Putin this week, adding it takes two to tango. 05:28 AM GMT Russia destroys Ukrainian drones Russian air defence units intercepted and destroyed 21 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian defence ministry said on Wednesday. Twelve of the drones were downed over the territory of the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, while the rest were destroyed over the territories of the Kursk and Kaluga regions, as well as over the Crimean Peninsula and the Black Sea. 05:21 AM GMT Ceasefire deal explained Here is a quick recap of the proposed ceasefire deal which Ukraine has accepted: What is the deal? Ukraine has expressed readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties. The ceasefire would stop missile, drone and bomb attacks, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line. What else was agreed? The US agreed to immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine. The two countries also agreed to finalise a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraines critical mineral resources. The exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children, are also set to form part of the peace process. What happens next? US officials said they would take the agreement to Moscow. Donald Trumps national security adviser, Mike Waltz, is due to meet his Russian counterpart in the coming days and Mr Trumps special envoy Steve Witkoff plans to visit Moscow this week to meet Putin. Mr Trump said that he might speak with Putin this week and that he hoped a lasting ceasefire would be negotiated in the coming days. 05:11 AM GMT European foreign ministers informed about milestone talks Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has informed a number of European counterparts about Ukraines milestone talks with the United States. After more than eight hours of meetings between Ukrainian and US officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the United States agreed to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Mr Sybiha, who took part in the Jeddah talks, said that afterwards he spoke to several European foreign ministers, including Britains Foreign Secretary David Lammy and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, about the outcomes of the milestone meeting. Mr Sybiha said Ukrainian negotiators told US officials that European partners must participate in any peace negotiations. We adhere to the position: no decisions on the long-term security of Europe without Europe, he said in a social media post. Ukrainian officials pictured during the ceasefire meeting in Jeddah - Shutterstock 05:09 AM GMT Welcome We will be bringing you the latest news on the war today, including the proposed ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. Overnight, Moscow targeted Kyiv with strikes, a day after Ukraine launched its biggest drone attack on Russia. But all eyes remain on Moscow and whether Putin will accept the immediate 30-day ceasefire proposal. The tariffs form part of Donald Trumps protectionist America First trade policy - Samuel Corum/Sipa The UK will reserve our right to retaliate after Donald Trump unveiled global steel and aluminium tariffs, a Treasury minister has said. The levies rolled out by the US president overnight subjecting all steel and aluminium entering the country to a flat rate of 25 per cent are disappointing, but immediate British counter-tariffs have been ruled out, James Murray told Times Radio. His comments came as the European Union announced it would be imposing counter-tariffs worth billions of euros on US goods. But Sir Keir Starmers Government has remained hopeful that it can secure an exemption from any such US levies. Mr Murray told Times Radio: We want to take a pragmatic approach and were already negotiating rapidly toward an economic agreement with the US, with the potential to eliminate additional tariffs. Asked if the prospect of retaliatory tariffs remained on the table, he replied: We reserve our right to retaliate. But were very clear that we want a pragmatic approach, working closely and productively with the US. His comments come as Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, said on Wednesday morning that the UK was already working with affected companies and considering its response to Mr Trumps announcement. Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, said the UK was already considering its response to Donald Trumps announcement - Chris J Ratcliffe/Bloomberg Mr Reynolds said: Its disappointing the US has today imposed global tariffs on steel and aluminium. We are focused on a pragmatic approach and are rapidly negotiating a wider economic agreement with the US to eliminate additional tariffs and to benefit UK businesses and our economy. Meanwhile we remain resolute in our support for UK industry. This Government is working with affected companies today, and I back industrys application to the Trade Remedies Authority to investigate what further steps might be necessary to protect UK producers. He continued: I will continue to engage closely and productively with the US to press the case for UK business interests. We will keep all options on the table and wont hesitate to respond in the national interest. America first The tariffs form part of Mr Trumps protectionist America First trade policy, which has caused panic in European capitals and beyond since his election victory last November. Mr Reynolds indicated last month that the UK would seek exemptions on sweeping steel tariffs, saying the country was in a strong position to secure leniency from the US. The Cabinet minister vowed to raise the tariffs issue with Howard Lutnick, Mr Trumps commerce secretary. Admitting that there was significant overcapacity around the world in steel, Mr Reynolds insisted this was not the fault of the UK, adding that the US defence industry relied heavily on British imports. I think theres a basis for discussion, he said. During Sir Keirs visit to the White House last month, Mr Trump said he was working on a trade deal with the UK that could allow it to evade tariffs altogether. Asked if the Prime Minister had tried to persuade him against imposing levies on the UK, Mr Trump quipped that he tried, adding that Sir Keir had earned whatever they pay him. I think we could very well end up with a real trade deal where the tariffs wouldnt be necessary, Mr Trump said. But the US president continues to claim there is a huge deficit in the trading relationship between the two countries. A spokesman for Sir Keir responded by describing the UK-US trade dynamic as balanced. Prepared to defend UK national interest Lord Mandelson, Britains ambassador to the US, had previously said he was concerned about the possibility of tariffs but insisted they would not be targeted directly at the UK. Earlier this week, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said the Government would take a cool-headed approach when asked about the possibility of tariffs being imposed by the US. The spokesman noted Sir Keir had already committed 2.5 billion in investment to rebuild the British steel industry. He went on to state Sir Keirs administration was engaging closely with the US on the issue but was prepared to defend the UKs national interest when it was right to do so. The British steel and aluminium sectors reacted with dismay to Mr Trumps announcement on Wednesday. Gareth Stace, the director-general of UK Steel, branded the move hugely disappointing, urging Mr Trump to recognise that the UK is an ally, not a foe. Nadine Bloxsome, the chief executive of the Aluminium Federation, said the sector was already seeing the first impact of Mr Trumps policies. William Bain of the British Chambers of Commerce warned that the decision meant a new age of uncertainty but warned tit-for-tat tariffs could easily spiral into an all-out trade war. A rally outside the Department of Education in Washington DC on 11 March 2025. Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA The US Department of Education intends to lay off nearly half of its workforce. The layoffs of 1,300 people were announced by the department on Tuesday and described by the education secretary, Linda McMahon, as a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system. In a post on X, McMahon said: Todays [reduction in force] reflects our commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers. After the most recent round of layoffs, the departments staff will number roughly half of its previous 4,100, the agency said in a statement. According to the department, another 572 employees had already accepted voluntary resignation opportunities and retirement over the last seven weeks. The newly laid-off employees will be placed on administrative leave at the end of next week. The department is also terminating leases on buildings in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland, officials said. The agency will continue to oversee the distribution of federal aid to schools, student loan management and oversight of Pell grants, the statement released on Tuesday said. Trump campaigned on a promise to close the department, claiming it had been overtaken by radicals, zealots and Marxists. At McMahons confirmation hearing, she acknowledged that only Congress has the power to abolish the agency but said it might be due for cuts and a reorganization. The layoff announcement has been met with swift condemnation from Democratic and progressive officials. The Texas representative Greg Casar wrote in a post on X that those in charge were stealing from our children to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. In a statement, Rosa DeLauro, the ranking member of the House appropriations committee, said: Presidents Trump and Musk and their billionaire buddies are so detached from how Americans live that they cannot see how ending public education and canceling these contracts kills the American Dream If kids from working class families do not have access to schools, how can they build a future? Related: USDA cuts more than $1bn in local food purchases for schools, food banks On Monday, McMahon wrote to 60 universities to warn them that they were under investigation for supposed violations of the Civil Rights Act because of protests against Israels war on Gaza that the Trump administration defined as antisemitic harassment and discrimination of Jewish students. As the department pushes ahead with cuts, a federal judge in Boston blocked the Trump administrations plan to cut hundreds of millions of dollars for teacher training, finding that cuts were already affecting training programs aimed at addressing a nationwide teacher shortage. The US district judge Myong Joun sided with eight states that had requested a temporary restraining order. The states argued the cuts were likely driven by Trumps drive to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which the president seems to believe are a form of racism against white Americans. Affected education department employees will be placed on administrative leave starting on 21 March, the department said. People protest outside the CERAWeek conference Houston, Texas, on Tuesday. Photograph: Kaylee Greenlee/Reuters At a major oil and gas conference in Texas this week, companies publicly retreated from their flashy climate pledges of years past, redoubling their commitment to planet-warming fossil fuels. The withdrawals illustrate the companies allegiance not to ordinary Americans, but to their shareholders and the climate-skeptical Trump administration, advocates said. We didnt necessarily feel that those climate goals were really being done in a sincere, earnest way in the first place, said Shiv Srivastava, an organizer and policy researcher with the Houston-based environmental justice organization Fenceline Watch. Its bad that theyre walking them back, but the problem was always that they could choose to walk them back if they wanted. Five years ago, amid climate rollbacks from the first Trump administration, BP made headlines when it announced a plan to dramatically slash oil and gas production and up its renewable energy capacity twentyfold. Months later, Larry Fink, CEO of the worlds largest asset manager, BlackRock, also made a much-lauded promise to fundamentally reshape finance to deal with climate change. Today, the companies are singing a different tune. Late last month, six weeks into Trumps second term, BP said it would increase its investment in oil and gas to $10bn a year while slashing more than $5bn from its previous green investment plan. Im super excited weve launched it now, BPs CEO, Murray Auchincloss, said of the plan at the oil and gas conference CERAWeek in Houston on Tuesday. In January, BlackRock said it was leaving a key international group of asset managers committed to net-zero investments, though the company pledged to continue allowing investors to place money into into climate-focused funds. The coalition has since said it is temporarily shutting down. We have to think about power and energy in a pragmatic way, Fink said, adding that he believes gas will play a major role in the US for decades. He showed off a bracelet he wore that read: Make energy great again. Other companies have similarly eschewed their past climate commitments. Shell in December announced reduced investments in renewable energy. The company is simplifying its portfolio and focusing on expanding gas, Shells CEO, Wael Sawan, told CERAWeek attendees on Monday. Within the span of a month from December to January, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citi, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan all said they were abandoning their commitment to a UN-sponsored group, under which members pledge to zero out emissions from their investment portfolios. The announcements bring the companies into alignment with the Trump administrations drill, baby, drill agenda. If the widespread climate retreat results in additional fossil fuel production, it will have disastrous consequences for those living in the most polluted and climate-vulnerable areas, said Srivastava. Its a further darkening of the skies for communities like ours, he said. The true impact of the announcements will depend on market forces. Right now, many companies are reluctant to increase domestic oil and gas production, which already soared to record levels under Joe Biden. Adding to that supply could suppress energy prices and put a damper on profits, so many may choose to keep their production flat unless fuel prices increase. What will not dictate energy policy, Srivastava said, is climate science. Top experts have long warned that the world must phase out planet-warming coal, oil and gas to avert the worst consequences of the climate crisis. Decarbonization is clearly not the concern, he said. Even before the recent round of rollbacks, corporate climate plans were insufficient to stem the climate crisis, experts have long warned. As it touted its green pledges, BlackRock maintained relationships with climate-denying politicians and was backing fewer environmentally and socially focused investment proposals. A May report from the research and advocacy non-profit Oil Change International also found that oil majors climate pledges were incompatible with the goals of the UN Paris climate agreement, with most companies planning to expand fossil fuel production. Big oil and gas companies talk about transition has always been cheap, said Kelly Trout, research director of Oil Change International. A key lesson to take away is this: we cannot rely on the same companies that got us into this crisis to get us out of it. The abandoning of climate commitments puts corporations out of step with the desires of the majority of Americans. December polling by the progressive Climate and Community Institute thinktank suggested most US voters support efforts to wind down fossil fuel production. A 2024 study in the journal Nature Climate Change found that 89% of the worlds population want their governments to do more to fix the climate crisis. And a January survey from Yale and George Mason University found that most Americans, including many Republicans, do not support President Donald Trumps proposed climate and energy policies. At a Monday protest the largest ever seen at CERAWeek activists highlighted the disconnect between ordinary Americans concerns and energy policy. Tickets for this years conference cost more than $10,000, they noted, and only two panels this year were livestreamed to the public. Theyre here making decisions about our communities without giving us a seat at the table without considering our best interests, said Isabella Guinigundo, a campaigner with the activist group Youth Climate Finance Alliance. They wont even let us watch. The Vernita bridge over the Columbia River in Washington state. Photograph: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group/Getty Images The United States has paused negotiations with Canada on a key water-sharing treaty as Donald Trump continues both his threats to annex his northern neighbour and to upend major agreements governing relations between the two counties. British Columbias energy ministry said officials south of the border were conducting a broad review of the Columbia River Treaty, the 61-year-old pact that governs transnational flood control, power generation and water supply. The sprawling Columbia River, which originates in south-eastern British Columbia and terminates in the Pacific Ocean on the Oregon-Washington border, is one of the largest watersheds on the continent. The immense volume of water that moves along its 1,200-mile (1,900km) route produces roughly 40% of US hydroelectric power and nearly half the hydropower in BC. Related: Rubio says Trumps 51st state plan not on G7 summit agenda in Canada The treaty first came into effect in 1964, after devastating floods nearly two decades before that destroyed Oregons second-largest city and swaths of southern British Columbia. Under the terms of the agreement, Canada must control the flow of the Columbia River through its network of dams to ensure US hydropower generators receive enough water and to prevent flooding. Those benefits are worth roughly $200m (C$288m) annually for the province. For its part, the US must also give Canada half the additional potential hydroelectric power produced by dams, which it sells at market rate. Under former president Joe Biden, the two countries reached an in-principle deal on a new version of the decades-old treaty in July, ahead of the September expiration deadline of the treaty. Despite a concerted push on both sides to finalize a deal before Trump took office, however, the final details of the treaty remain unfinished, with only a three-year interim agreement in place. In recent weeks, Trump has taken an increasingly combative stance towards Canada, calling its border imaginary, musing about inflicting historic financial devastation on a longtime ally and threatening to tear up the myriad treaties between the two countries. Last year, then candidate Donald Trump referred to the large faucet in British Columbia that could be turned on to help a parched California an idea widely interpreted to refer to the Columbia River. Indigenous peoples were denied a seat at the table when the agreement was first made, despite the river passing through vast tracts of unceded territory. There were hopes that the multi-year renegotiation of the pact would finally see Indigenous rights recognized in Canada and work to restore critical habitats for endangered salmon. While the future of the pact looks uncertain, either nation must give a 10-year notice before abandoning the deal. On Tuesday, British Columbias energy minister, Adrian Dix, said his government would hold information sessions later this month to help residents understand the implications of the pause. He pledged that were going to fight everywhere, including in these negotiations amid hostility from the White House. The vicious, anti-Canadian attacks that have been made on us They do cause concern. A hearing in the House of Representatives was brought to a halt after a transgender Democrat was referred to as Mr. Republican Representative Keith Self of Texas repeatedly called Representative Sarah McBride, who was born biologically male but identifies as a woman, Mr and congressman. Rep McBride responded by referring to him as madam chair. Mr Self, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Europe, introduced Rep McBride as the congressman from Delaware during a hearing on arms control and US aid to Europe. As Rep McBride began to speak, Rep Bill Keating, the ranking Democrat on the sub-committee interjected, asking Mr Self to repeat his introduction. Mr Self then said: We have set the standard on the floor of the house, in an apparent nod to Donald Trumps executive order declaring the government would recognise only two sexes based on biology. Have you no decency? Raising his voice, Mr Keating then repeated his demand, asking: Will you repeat what you said when you introduce a duly elected representative from the United States of America, please. When Mr Self replied by insisting on referring to Rep McBride as Mr McBride, Rep Keating hit back furiously, calling the chairman out of order. Mr chairman, have you no decency? he said. Ive come to know you a little bit but this is not decent. Pointing his finger, Mr Keating continued: You will not continue it with me unless you introduce a duly elected representative the right way. Mr Self then struck down his gavel and declared the hearing adjourned. As people shuffled out of the room, Mr Keating patted Rep McBride on the shoulder. Gentleman from Delaware Mr Keating wrote on X after the meeting: It is the policy of the United States to recognise two sexes, male and female. In a statement released on Tuesday to NBC, Rep McBride said: I was disappointed that the chair decided to end a committee hearing early. I was prepared to move forward with my questions for the subcommittee on nuclear non-proliferation and US support for Democratic allies in Europe. The transgender congresswoman has previously been referred to as the gentleman from Delaware. Sarah McBride is the first trans politician elected to Congress - Pamela Smith Rep McBride made headlines soon after the election when Republicans attempted to ban trans women from using female bathrooms on the Capitol premises. In November, Nancy Mace, the Republican congresswoman who introduced the bathroom ban resolution, shared a video on X showing a sign saying biological next to the entrance to a womans bathroom in the House. The footage was captioned: I never thought we would need a sign for this, but womens restrooms are for BIOLOGICAL women. Not men. The move was greeted with fervent support from Marjorie Taylor Greene, the outspoken Georgia congresswoman. Speaking to Steve Bannons War Room podcast, Ms Taylor Greene described transgender women being permitted in womens bathrooms as assault. In January, Ms Taylor Greene took aim again at Rep McBride, calling her a groomer and a child predator for reading to children in a classroom as part of a schools initiative to support transgender students. In response, Rep McBride called for kindness, saying: Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness. Flickr/yooperann (CC BY) Vintage beer signs are a valuable find for collectors, especially those who have a home bar. Whether neon, porcelain or a classic tin wall hanger, these pieces of brewing history can go for thousands at auction. Some are simple and nostalgic, while others are ornate and rare, but they all have one thing in common theyre often worth more than youd expect. Here are some of the highest-selling beer signs we could find. 1. Blatz Beer Neon Sign liveauctioneers.com and RM | Sothebys Sold for: $7,500 Blatz might sound like one of Homer Simpsons euphemisms, but in reality, it was a Milwaukee-brewed beer from 1851 until 1951 when Pabst Blue Ribbon bought it. These days, the Blatz beer label is under Milwaukees Miller Brewing Companys purview, making vintage signs of the brand valuable relics. 2. Pabst Blue Ribbon By the Way Sign liveauctioneers.com and Matthews Auctions, LLC Sold for: $6,000 Is the banner beneath the beer like a fill-in-the-blank? How fun! 3. Yosemite Beer Reverse Glass Saloon Sign liveauctioneers.com and Dan Morphy Auctions Sold for: $34,000 This beer sign is significantly more ornate than your average neon sign or Budweiser tin wall-hanging, but north of $30,000 for a Yosemite beer frame is mind-boggling to say the least. 4. Germania Brewing Co. Lager Beer Porcelain Sign liveauctioneers.com and Richmond Auctions Sold for: $8,000 This pre-Prohibition Germania Brewing porcelain sign includes brackets on the back and is slightly curved, making it ideal for mounting. Despite its Buffalo, N.Y. inscription, the sign is marked Ingrich Beaver Falls, PA. 5. Miller High Life Pretty Girl Sign liveauctioneers.com and Matthews Auctions, LLC Sold for: $6,000 We can all argue over which beer brand brews the best beverage, but perhaps we can find some common ground in agreeing that Miller High Life has graced us with some of the best vintage beer signs. This colorful example is a definite favorite. 6. Coors Beer Double-Sided Neon Sign liveauctioneers.com and Burley Auction Group Sold for: $5,000 Nothing says vintage beer sign better than neon. One look at this Coors sign has us feeling all kinds of nostalgia. This original, double-sided neon over porcelain sign came from a cafe in Northwest Colorado and sold for a whopping $5,000. 7. Lone Star Beer Neon Sign liveauctioneers.com and Vogt Auction Texas Sold for: $3,750 A neon beer sign with a Texas-themed armadillo is about as on-brand as humanly possible for Lone Star Beer the national beer of Texas. 8. Budweiser Beer Porcelain Neon Sign liveauctioneers.com and Matthews Auctions, LLC Sold for: $3,200 We cant talk about vintage beer signs especially neon ones without Budweiser coming up. This one includes the well-known Anheuser Busch logo for extra charm. 9. Pabst Blue Ribbon Die Cut Sign liveauctioneers.com and Rockabilly Auction Company Sold for: $3,000 PBRs branding is so iconic and endearing, and this die-cut sign epitomizes the beers award-winning aura beautifully. This embossed plastic and metal sign lights up too, adding to its value. 10. Schmidts City Club Beer Porcelain Neon Beer liveauctioneers.com and Matthews Auctions, LLC Sold for: $5,000 Founded in 1855, this brewing company was one of the original breweries in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It;s now defunct, making its vintage signs more valuable and coveted by collectors. 11. Anheuser-Busch Wall Mount Sign liveauctioneers.com and The Stein Auction Co. Sold for: $2,600 Anheuser Busch is the quintessential beer brand with tons of nostalgia swirling around it. This tin beer sign with the brands iconic logo is the epitome of vintage beer signs. The post 11 Vintage Beer Signs That Sold for Thousands appeared first on Wealth Gang. Travel is changing. The same old hotspots are getting pricier, busier, and, lets be honest, a little overdone. But just beyond the usual tourist trails, new destinations are stepping into the spotlight. New flight routes and growing tourism trends have made these places global hotspots overnight. This list explores amazing destinations with untouched nature and great food. Get there firstbefore the secrets out! GreenlandNuuk Credit: Wikimedia Commons Nuuks airport expansion means Greenland is finally within reach. This place is a hub for colossal glaciers and Arctic wildlife. And if youre all for the mesmerizing Northern Lights, this place has it all, minus the tourist crowds. Greenland offers the adventure of a lifetime with its rich Inuit culture and untouched beauty. VietnamHo Chi Minh Credit: Wikimedia Commons 2025 marks 50 years since the Vietnam Wars end, and Ho Chi Minh City is celebrating with a bold mix of history and ever-evolving food. This place is overloaded with buzzing markets, rooftop bars, and ancient templesall in one dynamic city. AustraliaQueensland Credit: Getty Images Within Australia, the must-visit destination is the Queensland. The Tropical Coast has upped its game with fresh hiking trails and stunning installations. But thats not all that you will find here. There are also lush rainforests, Aboriginal cultural experiences, and world-class marine adventures. BoliviaLa Paz Credit: Getty Images La Paz is making waves in the culinary world with traditional Andean flavors and cutting-edge gastronomy. This place is all about high-altitude fine dining, amazing markets, and breathtaking mountain viewsall in one of South Americas most underrated capitals. United KingdomSussex Credit: flickr Forget the usual tourist hotspotsEast and West Sussex are where its at. Theyre the new London in the United Kingdom, with hills, coastal retreats, and a thriving culinary scene. All these factors make these regions an irresistible alternative. TanzaniaNgorongoro Crater Credit: Getty Images If youre a wildlife lover, the Ngorongoro Crater is an ideal place for your next tour. With new luxury lodges popping up, you can now sip champagne while watching lions roam in one of Africas most breathtaking conservation areas. GermanyAhr Valley Credit: flickr The Ahr Valley was once devastated by floods but is now back with a stunning transformation. Rolling vineyards, beautiful little villages, and wineries make this a dream for wine enthusiasts. Raise a glass to resilience and sip your way through one of Germanys best-kept secrets. UgandaBwindi Credit: andbeyond Uganda's hospitality game has really topped with high-end lodges like the Gorilla Forest Camp. Trek through the misty Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to see endangered mountain gorillasan experience that feels straight out of a nature documentary. TunisiaDjerba Credit: Wikimedia Commons Djerba is Tunisias answer to Santoriniminus the sky-high prices. Whitewashed villages, ancient ruins, and golden beaches make it a dreamy escape. This island wont fail to surprise you, whether youre after a rich history or pure relaxation. ParaguayGran Chaco Credit: Getty Images For nature lovers and off-the-grid adventurers, Paraguays Gran Chaco is an untouched destination of wildlife, wetlands, and raw beauty. The better way to put it is: its South Americas version of the Serengeti. NicaraguaEmerald Coast Credit: Getty Images The Emerald Coast is a rising star with untouched beaches, eco-friendly resorts, and world-class surfing. If you're looking for a destination thats abundant with adventure and sustainable luxury, Nicaragua wont disappoint you. Antarctica Credit: pixabay Its now possible to tour Antartcticas interior. And not just possible; you have an ultra-rare chance to step foot on Earths most untouched land. Expect to enjoy snow dunes, frozen lakes, and a silence so profound its almost spiritual. Croatia Credit: Getty Images Recently crowned Europes top travel spot for 2025, Croatias coastline, towns, and fresh seafood are luring in more visitors than ever. Go now while you can still find a quiet corner to call your own. Faroe Islands Credit: Getty Images The Faroe Islands have dramatic cliffs and a commitment to sustainability. There are fewer tourists than in Iceland and an equally stunning landscape. This remote destination is perfect for those craving peace, beauty, and a little bit of Viking history. Albania Credit: Getty Images Affordable, breathtaking, and packed with historyAlbania is Europes rising star. From beautiful beaches to sky-high mountains, this Balkan beauty offers postcard-perfect views without the hefty European price tag. Northamptonshire Police Marta Bednarczyk The 13-year-old girl accused of murdering a mother of three and then setting a home on fire appeared in court on Wednesday, March 12, for her first hearing. Authorities are not identifying the girl because she is a minor, but the BBC reports that she "wore a grey jogging top and bottoms, and held a teddy bear with both hands during the hearing." The hearing lasted approximately four minutes, and the girl only spoke when asked to confirm her age and date of birth, according to the BBC. At the end of the proceedings, the judge in the case remanded the girl to a youth detention center ahead of her next court hearing on April 11, the Northamptonshire Police said in a news release. Police arrived to a Wellingborough home in the early morning hours of March 10 in response to a fire at the residence. Once inside the home, police discovered the body of a woman they believe was 43-year-old Marta Bednarczyk, a mother of three. Police arrested the girl on March 12 after a forensic post-mortem investigation allegedly "gave the preliminary cause of [the victim's] death as being as a result of sharp force injury," police said in their news release. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Family and friends of Bednarczyk paid tribute to her in statement released by police. The matriarch is described as a "very caring woman, a loving mother, and a supportive friend who could never do enough for those she loved." Those close to her also noted how she immigrated to the United Kingdom from Poland back in 2012 and spent her days working in a warehouse "in order to bring money home for her family." In addition to her three children. she also leaves behind her long-term partner Eugene, to whom she was engaged, say friends. She was so loved by all of us and the tragic circumstances in which she died will haunt us forever. We dont think we will ever come to terms with it," reads the statement. We are heartbroken at the thought of never seeing our lovely Marta again. She will be missed beyond words, and she will never be forgotten." Read the original article on People Six Americans who were imprisoned in Kuwait have been released in an agreement with the United States, a representative for their families confirmed to ABC News. The Americans, many of whom are veterans and former military contractors, were convicted on drug charges, Jonathan Franks, a crisis management consultant, said. For years, however, the prisoners have "vigorously" maintained their innocence, Franks said. PHOTO: Six Americans who were imprisoned in Kuwait have been released in an agreement with the United States. (Jonathan Franks) MORE: 2 Americans freed from Afghanistan in prisoner swap, family and Taliban say Several more prisoners are expected to be freed in the coming weeks as part of the agreement, Franks added. "This morning, the Kuwaiti government released six of my clients as part of an agreement that will ultimately free fifteen of my clients in short order. Each was convicted on drug charges, and each vigorously maintains their innocence," Franks said. Convictions for possession of drugs in Kuwait may include long jail sentences or the death penalty, according to an advisory by the U.S. State Department. MORE: Journalist, American among 3 prisoners freed from Belarus ABC News has reached out to the State Department for comment. According to the U.S. Embassy of Kuwait website, American citizens are subject to Kuwait's laws and regulations. Those laws can "differ significantly from those in the United States," and the U.S. government may only be able to offer limited assistance to those charged, the website says. Kuwait is a small Middle Eastern country borders Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The prisoners' release comes amid President Donald Trump's emphasis on freeing Americans held abroad. In February, three prisoners, including an unnamed American and a journalist dubbed a political prisoner, were released from Belarus. 6 American prisoners in Kuwait released, land back in US, representative says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A 41-year-old woman was found alive on Tuesday after being trapped in her car for six days following a crash in northwest Indiana, officials confirmed. Brieonna Cassell, a mother of three, had been missing since last Wednesday after leaving her mother's home to visit a friend near the towns of Wheatfield and DeMotte, Indiana, according to CNN affiliate WLS. The incident occurred when Cassell reportedly fell asleep behind the wheel before veering off the road into a deep ditch in the small town of Brook, about 80 miles south of Chicago. Her car had crashed off the road, out of view from passing traffic, and no one could hear her calls for help, the Newton County sheriff's office and her family said. Unable to move her legs due to injuries, Cassell's phone lost power, leaving her with few options. To survive, she used her sweater to retrieve water from a nearby creek, wringing it into the water and drinking from it, her father, Delmar Caldwell, explained during a news conference on Tuesday. "She was in excruciating pain. She was screaming out for help," Caldwell told WLS. Cassell's six-day ordeal came to an end when she was discovered by Johnny Martinez, a passerby operating drainage equipment in the area. Martinez contacted his supervisor, Jeremy Vanderwell, who is also a fire chief in the nearby town of Morocco. The two later found Cassell, "conscious and speaking," in her car, according to the Newton County Sheriff's Office. "Despite her injuries, Cassell had survived 6 days waiting to be rescued," the sheriff's office statement read. Cassell was flown to a hospital in Chicago, where she was placed in the ICU and scheduled for surgery on Wednesday due to severe injuries to her legs, ribs, and wrist, WLS reported. "I could feel something was wrong in my gut and I started panicking," Cassell's mother, Kim Brown, said during the press conference. "I just can't wait to hug her and kiss her, which I probably can't do," Brown added. "It's going to be a long road to recovery," Caldwell remarked. Getty Images "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here we are again: Measles, a disease once declared eradicated in the U.S. is on the rise. In fact, there have already been 222 cases of measles reported across 12 different states so far this year, according to data released by the CDC on March 7, 2025. For comparison, in all of 2024, there were 285 reported cases. Measles might not sound like a big deal because many of us havent experienced it firsthand thanks to the first measles vaccine introduced in 1963. When I was a medical student, I did a rural rotation in southeastern Ohio and one of the doctors who was working the ER actually called the doctor I was working with and said, Send her over to the ER. I have a case of measles, and its probably something shell never see again, recalls Sarah Sams, MD, FAAFP, a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors and a family physician in Columbus, Ohio. Unfortunately, thats not how the story went. In recent years, a growing number of people have been hesitant to take vaccines because of unfounded claims that they can carry a high risk of serious side effects. There was the big controversy at one point about the MMR [measles, mumps, rubella] vaccine and autism and that has been debunked proven not to be true but having that misinformation and invalid reasons for not getting the vaccine has really led to a resurgence of an illness that we shouldn't be seeing at all anymore, says Dr. Sams. Now, measles cases pop up when unvaccinated people travel outside the country and bring the disease back to the U.S. If youre worried about the current outbreaks, the good news is there are steps you can take today to protect yourself and your family from this potentially deadly virus. Keep reading to learn about the measles signs to look for, what to do if you suspect an infection, and the recommended vaccine schedule. What are the symptoms of measles? Unfortunately, the symptoms don't start until about a week to 10 days after exposure, says Dr. Sams. So you may be exposed to somebody and not even realize that you've been exposed and then actually can be contagious to others. However, you should be on the lookout for these common signs of measles, according to Mayo Clinic: Fever Cough Runny nose Sore throat Conjunctivitis (pink eye) Tiny white spots on inner cheeks Skin rash Is measles dangerous? Yes, especially for young children because their bodies are still developing, and they dont have as much reserve capacity in their lungs, says Dr. Sams. According to data published by the CDC on May 9, 2024, about 20% of people who get measles will need to be hospitalized, 1 out of 20 kids with measles will end up with pneumonia, and 1 to 3 out 1,000 children infected with measles will die. (One child in the U.S. has already died of measles in 2025.) Pneumonia is probably the most common cause of death that can occur, says Dr. Sams. The other thing that you can get is some brain swelling, and that can lead to brain damage. So even if you survive, you may have residual effects. Those effects can include deafness and/or intellectual disability. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention How is measles treated? There isnt a cure for measles, says Dr. Sams. Once you have it, we have to do supportive care. That could include things like medication to reduce a fever or antibiotics to treat bacterial pneumonia that develops during a measles infection. You see, antibiotics wont directly help with measles because they are only effective against bacteria and measles is caused by a virus. Because theres no cure and serious complications can occur, taking steps to prevent measles is vital. How do you prevent measles? The most important step you can take to prevent the spread of measles is to ensure you and your family are fully vaccinated against it. There are rare cases of vaccinated people getting it, but the vast majority of folks who contract measles are unvaccinated, according to Dr. Sams. In fact, the most recent CDC data shows that only 2% of people infected with measles in the U.S. this year have been fully vaccinated against it. Once someone has measles, its very difficult to keep others from getting it. There are two big reasons for this. The first is that, as mentioned above, a person is contagious before they have symptoms so they may not know that they should be taking preventive steps. Second, measles is spread through respiratory droplets that can linger in the air for up to two hours so direct contact with a sick person is not necessary to contract the virus, according to information published by the CDC on July 15, 2024. If you or a family member might have measles, the first thing you should do is see your physician and get tested, because we can do antibody titers to see if you have the acute infection, says Dr. Sams. An infected person should be separated from other members of the household (especially those who are unvaccinated or have compromised immune systems) to lower the risk of passing the virus around. Washing hands and wearing masks may also help reduce the risk of transmission. Who should get a measles vaccine? Right now, the standard CDC recommendation is that kids get one shot of the MMR vaccine at age 12 to 15 months and then a booster between age 4 and 6 years. In special circumstances (such as traveling outside the country when a child is 6 to 11 months old), a physician may advise a different vaccine schedule. Adults who havent received two MMR injections, got a measles vaccine in the 1960s or are healthcare workers with low levels of MMR antibodies may benefit from vaccination as well. I think the biggest message is that vaccines generally are safe, says Dr. Sams. The measles vaccines started back in the 1960s so we have a long track record and we saw a major improvement and decrease in these illnesses. The bottom line Measles can be serious, especially for young kids as well as people who are immunocompromised. The most powerful tool against it is vaccination. To not vaccinate is really taking a step back in public health, not just for your own risk, but for the risk of others around you, says Dr. Sams. I think were going to see a continued resurgence if people continue to worry about the vaccines for oftentimes unfounded reasons. You Might Also Like Lucas Hunter - Courtesy Sophie Hunter Lucas Hunter loves to kite surf, so along with his sister Sophie he planned a trip to Colombia to take advantage of the good waves in the north of the country in late December last year. After an illness left Sophie unable to go on the trip, Lucas traveled alone for what was supposed to be two-and-a-half-week long vacation. Sophie hasnt seen or heard from him for more than two months, after he was detained close to the border with Venezuela. Sophie said her brother, an American citizen who lives in London, had gone to that part of Colombia because thats where they are kite surfing competitions. Lucas Hunter - Courtesy Sophie Hunter Its quite remote, so you have to basically get a motorbike to go to the different spots, she told CNN, noting that she was in constant communication with him. On January 7, 2025, in a remote area close to the border, Lucas saw a checkpoint in the distance, and reversed, he told Sophie. But it was too late. He said he got kidnapped, abducted by Venezuelan military forces who took him across the border, she recounted to CNN. He said, Im sending you this pin location from where Im detained, Sophie said. He was telling me, Its been four hours. I dont understand whats going on. I dont speak Spanish. But they are writing reports saying that I had no intention to cross. He sent me another message on the eighth, and he said, Theyre writing a report saying that I had no intention to enter Venezuela. I think its fine. I should be out soon, she said. That was the last time Sophie heard from him. She told CNN this week that she has no idea where he is being held. He has not been put on trial for any alleged crime. CNN has reached out to Venezuelas Ministry of Communications. The Venezuelan Attorney Generals Office declined to comment. Asked if she believes Lucas was detained because he is an American citizen, Sophie noted he had been carrying his US passport when he was detained. I do think that carrying the passport is quite good on the shopping list, she said. Lucas also has French citizenship. Venezuela has a history of detaining American citizens as apparent bargaining chips. Under the Biden administration, the US negotiated prisoner swaps to bring home a number of Americans who had been wrongfully held in Venezuela, some for years. US Special Envoy Ric Grenell traveled to Caracas in late January to meet with strongman leader Nicolas Maduro and secured the release of six Americans who were detained there. Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated nine Americans in Venezuela as wrongfully detained. According to Sophie, her brother is one of the nine. Prior to his designation, Sophie said she had been working with the US Embassy in Bogota. Now that he has been deemed wrongfully detained, his case will be handled by the office of the US Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. The designation provides the US government more tools to try to negotiate his release. It also opens up access to resources for families of the wrongfully detained. Sophie said she was disappointed that Lucas was not among the six brought home in late January. However, she is hopeful that he will soon be released. Lucas Hunter - Courtesy Sophie Hunter It is unacceptable that the regime has arrested and jailed Americans under questionable circumstances and without respect for their rights, a State Department spokesperson said. All Americans unjustly detained by the Maduro regime must be released immediately. The United States continues our efforts to secure the release of any remaining Americans unjustly detained by the regime in Venezuela, the spokesperson said. The US warns Americans not to travel to the Colombia-Venezuela border region due to crime, kidnapping, and risk of detention when crossing into Venezuela from Colombia. I think that it should be a massive campaign, especially to university students, or to people my age who might want to explore the world, and just say, do not take the risk, Sophie said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com LOUISVILLE, Ky. Distilleries in the heart of America's bourbon industry are finding themselves in the crosshairs of a brewing trade war between the U.S. and Canada. Alcohol made in the U.S. is being removed from store shelves in Canada in retaliation for tariffs placed on its products by the Trump administration. U.S.-made liquor has been removed from store shelves throughout Canada. It's also leading to canceled shipment orders and stalled liquor agreements with potential trading partners, some Kentucky bourbon businesses say. The family-owned Michters Distillery in Louisville has already lost $115,000 in canceled bourbon shipment orders to Canada, its largest foreign market as liquor stores in most Canadian provinces have been asked to remove products from their shelves. Andrea Wilson, chief operating officer at Michters Distillery in Louisville, Ky. Thats the reality of it, said Andrea Wilson, chief operating officer of Michters. We would prefer to see less tariffs than more. Earlier this month, Trump announced a 25% tariff on goods imported from Canada and Mexico two of the countrys largest trade partners before postponing it amid trepidation of a broader trade war. On Tuesday, Trump amplified his tough tariff talk, saying he would double the tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum imported from Canada. The threat came one day after Ontarios premier, the leader of Canadas most populous province, announced it would charge 25% more for electricity to 1.5 million Americans. Kentuckys bourbon industry pours about $9 billion into the local economy annually, according to the Kentucky Distillers' Association. Michters bourbon barrels. The state produces about 95% of the bourbon sold in the world, the association estimates. While data on the tariffs effects is unavailable, U.S. consumers likely won't see a price increase on bourbon for at least a few months, said Marten Lodewijks, president of the U.S. division of the beverage industry data firm IWSR. But Kentucky distilleries could feel an immediate pinch if some of their shipments to Canada are being cancelled, he said. Wilson said she fears her business could face further losses if the tariff war continues. If were not selling to our largest export market, thats a significant impact to our business, and its very sad for us, because we have friends, weve built relationships in that country for a long time, she said. Black-owned Brough Brothers Distillery in Louisville is having its own set of problems caused by the tariff war. Victor Yarbrough, CEO of Brough Brothers Distillery in Louisville. The company was in the midst of negotiating to sell its products in Canada for the first time, but discussions abruptly ended when the trade war started. The deal fell through as soon as the tariffs were announced, CEO Victor Yarbrough said. Literally, were in the middle of expansion. Everythings been suspended, they dont have the ability to purchase, Yarbrough said, adding his plans for 2025 were to also ship alcohol to France and the United Kingdom. Now hes considering sending his products to South Africa or Brazil, but Canada would have been the bigger market. Im just like, how can we help get back to square one? How can we facilitate good, neighborly, you know, relationships that weve been having? he asked. Fawn Weaver, founder of Black-owned Tennessee whiskey brand Uncle Nearest, had her alcohol products pulled off the shelves in Canada, but said she was already bracing for the fallout. Weaver, who contends a tariff war could be predicted during the presidential campaign, said the tariffs mean her business cant be as aggressive in the global market for now. As an independent brand, I cant afford those tariffs. I cant afford to absorb it, and I cant pass it on to the consumers, she said. It could be argued that this is exactly what the current administration wants for all of us to bring in our business in the U.S. She added: We already knew coming into this, Trump was very clear in what he was going to do, even though we didnt know where the tariffs would hit. Kailani Koenig and Maggie Vespa reported from Louisville, Deon J. Hampton from Denver and Bracey Harris from Mississippi. By Jarrett Renshaw and Arathy Somasekhar HOUSTON (Reuters) -Canada could impose non-tariff measures such as restricting its oil exports to the United States or levying export duties on products if a trade dispute with the U.S. escalates further, Canada's energy minister Jonathan Wilkinson said on Tuesday. "When we are talking about non-tariff retaliation, it could be about restricting supply, it could be putting our own export duties on products. It could be energy and minerals, it could be broader than that," Wilkinson said in an interview with Reuters. He also raised the possibility of using non-tariff measures on critical minerals, which could force the U.S. to rely even more heavily on China. "Everything is on the table," he said. Canada is the top supplier of imported oil to the United States, providing around 4 million barrels per day mainly to refineries in the Midwest that are largely engineered to run its grades. U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday ramped up the burgeoning trade war with Canada, vowing to double tariffs set to take effect within hours on all imported steel and aluminum products from America's northern neighbor to 50% - although he later said he would likely lower them after Canadian officials agreed to talks. Trump's latest salvo followed Ontario Premier Doug Ford's announcement that he would place a 25% surcharge on the electricity Canada's most populous province supplies to more than one million U.S. homes unless Trump drops all tariff threats against Canada's exports into the U.S. Ford later agreed to suspend the surcharge and meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday, calling for cooler heads to prevail. Alberta's energy minister, Brian Jean, whose province is home to the bulk of Canada's oil industry, said earlier on Tuesday he wants to de-escalate the dispute, and had provided several options to Washington to do so. Any restrictions on Canada's oil exports to the United States would hurt Canadian producers as Canada is limited in its options to send oil to other markets. "By and large, you couldn't displace the 4 million barrels that we send to the United States in pipelines, but I would say it works on the other side of the bucket too," Wilkinson said, citing some additional capacity on the Trans Mountain pipeline and rail as alternatives to move some of the Canadian oil. "I actually think the oil coming down here (to the United States) in pretty sticky and I don't think it's displaceable and in that regard I don't think the threat to Canada's producers in the oil sector is as significant as perhaps in other sectors," he added. Wilkinson told Reuters Canada is considering imposing tariffs on U.S. ethanol as part of a second tranche of trade penalties if Trump continues to escalate the trade war. U.S. ethanol, a crucial trade product for U.S. farmers, is "absolutely on the list of things" that could be included if Trump, for example, moves forward with plans to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian goods in April, Wilkinson said. Canada has threatened retaliatory tariffs on $155 billion of U.S. imports. Officials identified an initial tranche of $30 billion of goods that would face tariffs but said the remainder of the list is under consideration. U.S. ethanol exports to Canada hit record highs in recent months to help Canada meet its clean fuel program. It is cheaper than Canadian ethanol, Wilkinson said, due to subsidies in the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard. U.S. farmers sent a record 1.54 million gallons of ethanol to Canada in September of last year, roughly double the figure three years prior, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. "We started the day in one place. Things kind of went sideways in a number of directions, and we ended up back at the same place that we were yesterday," Wilkinson said of the rapid-fire moves that scrambled financial markets. "I think it's important that we get to an outcome that involves removing the tariffs very soon." (Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw and Arathy Somasekhar in Houston; Editing by Nia Williams and Lincoln Feast.) Courtesy of Chanel The Chanel fall/winter 2025 show marked a milestone for Dakota Fanning. While she has attended several of the fashion houses shows in the past, this was her first in Paris, and seeing the collection at the Grand Palais was a special thrill. [Its always] a pinch-me dream come true every time. You enjoy it [as if] youll never go again. You just soak it up, she tells ELLE.com. Fanning celebrated the moment in a gold leather suit that she described as a twist on the classic Chanel and a bright, literally shiny thing. It felt like being a ray of sunshine. A more out-there ensemble than the The Perfect Couple actress usually goes for, Fanning explains,I wanted to do something to push it a little bit. Youre at Paris Fashion Week, youre at the Chanel show, so you can take a little bit of a risk and do something a little different than you would normally. Courtesy of Chanel The suit, a golden crumpled leather jacket with floral detailing on the pockets and matching pants, was from the Metiers dart 2024/25 collection. Fanning added a metal and strass belt with bow details and accessorized with 18k yellow gold Coco Crush earrings, gold platform heels with a black cap toe (some of the most comfortable shoes she can recall wearing, despite the height of the heel), and a Chanel bag. The suit was a little bit of a moment and on the louder side, so I just kept my hair and makeup very clean and simple and easy, she adds. Fanning was joined in Paris by her best friend, and the show was the high point of their trip. I cant stop talking about the bags that are shaped like the bows and different fabrics and materials and sizes. Im obsessed with that, she says. It was very classic Chanel, but very playful. Im such a girly girl at heart. My soul is very feminine. You Might Also Like The Trump administration could be sanctioned by a federal judge later this week after lawyers with the Department of Justice advised a federal judge Tuesday evening that they will not make a top administration official available for sworn testimony. U.S. District Judge Charles Alsup had sought to have the acting head of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Charles Ezell, testify on Thursday about the mass firing of probationary employees. But the DOJ said Tuesday that they would not make Ezell available for testimony. MORE: DOGE's secrecy to be tested in court with sworn testimony, depositions By making Ezell unavailable, DOJ attorneys also withdrew his sworn affidavit, a move that Judge Charles Alsup suggested would heavily increase the odds that the Trump administration loses the case, which involves the legality of firing thousands of probationary employees. "Live testimony of Mr. Ezell is also not necessary, as a factual matter, because existing documentary evidence and briefing demonstrates that OPM is not directing agencies to terminate probationary employees," DOJ lawyers argued. A group of federal unions has alleged that Ezell lied in a sworn declaration that his office did not order the firing of probationary employees based on "performance or misconduct," prompting Judge Alsup to order Ezell to testify in person and under oath in San Francisco on Thursday. The Trump administration attempted to push back on the order -- arguing in a filing Monday that the testimony raises "fundamental constitutional concerns." PHOTO: A view shows the logo of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), after probationary staff at the OPM were fired in a conference call and given less than an hour to leave the building, outside OPM in Washington, D.C., Feb. 13, 2025. (Tierney L. Cross/Reuters) Judge Alsup late Monday denied their request to cancel the hearing. "The problem here is that Acting Director Ezell submitted a sworn declaration in support of the defendant's position but now refuses to appear to be cross examined or to be deposed," Judge Alsup wrote in an order Monday night. The plaintiffs allege that on Feb. 13, Ezell convened a phone call with the heads of federal agencies to direct them to terminate thousands of federal employees and "falsely state that the terminations are for performance reasons." In a sworn declaration last month, Ezell denied directing the terminations based on performance reasons, instead arguing that OPM only issued guidance to individual agencies about the need for probationary workers to "demonstrate why it is in the public interest" for the government to continue to employ them. "OPM did not direct agencies to terminate any particular probationary employees based on performance or misconduct, and did not create a 'mass termination program,' as the plaintiffs in this matter described it," Ezell wrote. The groups challenging the firings in court say that was a lie, and Judge Alsup appeared inclined to agree during a court hearing last month. MORE: 'What's going to break?' DOGE staffers 'scorching the earth' as they reshape federal government "How could so much of the work force be amputated suddenly overnight? It's so irregular and so widespread and so aberrant from the history of our country," Judge Alsup said. "How could that all happen with each agency deciding on its own to do something so aberrational?" "I don't believe it," said the judge. "I believe they were directed or ordered to do so by OPM in that telephone call. That's the way the evidence points." The allegations about the mass firings comes as the Trump administration faces increased scrutiny about the role of the Department of Government Efficiency in reducing the size of the federal government. During a cabinet meeting last week, Trump told the heads of the federal agencies that they are in charge of making cuts to their own departments, rather than Elon Musk and DOGE. DOJ lawyers decline to let OMP's acting director testify about mass firings originally appeared on abcnews.go.com An employee has been arrested in the murder of a trucking company CEO who was found with his throat slashed inside a burning building in the Chicago suburbs last week. Firefighters in Crestwood discovered the body of Dane Koteski, the CEO and president of ATG Truckload, on the second floor of his business as a fire burned on March 5, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The 46-year-old trucking boss died from neck injuries from a sharp object, according to an autopsy. Dane Koteski, 46, was found dead inside his business after firefighters responded to a small fire there. GoFundMe An employee of Koteskis, who has not yet been identified, was named as a suspect and later arrested at a truck stop in Holland, Michigan, about 145 miles northeast. The crime was deemed an isolated incident specifically targeting Koteski, WGN9 reported, without giving the exact motive. Neighbors of Koteski said he was an active member of a local Serbian church and car club. He leaves behind a 13-year-old son, according to an online fundraiser. This is extremely sad that a neighbor would be killed. This is beyond horror, Darlene Adams, who lives across the street, told the outlet. The fire broke out Wednesday at Koteskis business, ATG Truckload. WGN The suspect will be extradited to Illinois this week. WGN It seems to me he goes to work early and comes home, takes care of his dogs and sees his son, Adams added of the murdered CEO. Police are still investigating as they wait for the suspect to be extradited to Illinois. Emily Malan Ever wanted to be a fly on the wall at a NYFW party? Or wondered how street style trends take off? With On the Grid, InStyle documents the best-dressed crowds at runway shows, sold-out concerts, and beyond. Consider this your style scene report. Interlocking Cs, tweed-maxing, and ropes of pearls, Chanel design codes are some of the most famous in fashion historyand unmistakable when spotted on the streets of Paris. At the brands latest show on March 11th at the Grand Palais, attendees showed up in their Coco finest, honoring the very best in ladylike dressing. There were box jackets galore (in shades of black, cream, and rose), enough brooches to inspire a whole new Pinterest board, and cap-toe pumps in every shape and size imaginable. It was, in short, almost as exciting to watch the crowd of show-goers as it was to take in models on the catwalk. Getty Images Look 44 at Chanel's Fall/Winter 2025 Paris Fashion Week show Chanel FW25 reimagined these same brand hallmarks through a dreamlike lens. Tulle overcoats with puffed sleeves layered ghostlike over classic suiting. Sheer sleeves and pantlegs gave jacquard shorts and blouses a romantic quality. The jewelry was extravagantly oversizedcheck out that massive rope of pearls in Look 44and bags were dramatic in scale. Charms, bows, and ruffles lent a bold feminine charm to the entire assortment, adorning purses, collars, and even shoes. The show, the last designed by the brands atelier before Matthieu Blazy takes the helm as creative lead next season, was a girlish assault on the senses (complimentary), growing more staunchly coquettish with each look. I mean, who wouldnt want to wear a giant C-emblazoned pearl as a heel? The answer, as Chanel puts it emphatically, is no one. This ethos is exactly why the French couture houses Paris fashion show is a street style hub: Its all in the details. Season after season, the fashion world comes together to marvel at resplendent boucle, covet demure handbags in pink plaid, and gaze upon the latest and greatest skirt setand not just on the runway. Ahead, feast your eyes on the street style outside Chanels latest Paris Fashion Week showing. Read on for InStyles On the Grid. Emily Malan A PFW attendee at Chanel wears a rosette pin. Emily Malan A PFW attendee at Chanel wears a matching plaid set and pink handbag. Emily Malan A PFW attendee at Chanel wears a dramatic collar and leg warmers. Emily Malan A PFW attendee at Chanel shows up in logo-covered denim and pink tweed. Emily Malan A PFW attendee at Chanel wears ropes of pearls over a bra top and tweed outerwear. Emily Malan A PFW attendee at Chanel adds a brooch to her pearl-trimmed jacket. Emily Malan A PFW attendee at Chanel power clashes in stripes and check. Emily Malan A PFW attendee at Chanel adds a white puffball to their blouse. Emily Malan A PFW attendee at Chanel mathces her pillbox hat with Chanel brooches and a high collar. Emily Malan A PFW attendee at Chanel wears a white Chanel bucket purse. Emily Malan A PFW attendee at Chanel coordinates a miniskirt with a rose-closure jacket. Emily Malan Read the original article on InStyle Professor of Law and Founding Director of CLEAR at the City University of New York, Ramzi Kassem speaks to the media after attending a hearing in Manhattan federal court addressing the deportation case of Mahmoud Khalil, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) NEW YORK (AP) Mahmoud Khalil will remain detained in Louisiana until at least next week but can finally speak to lawyers while they fight the Trump administrations plans to deport the Columbia University graduate student for his role in campus protests against Israel, a judge decided at a hearing Wednesday. The brief hearing, which focused on thorny jurisdictional issues, drew hundreds of demonstrators to the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan to denounce the Saturday arrest of Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident who is married to an American citizen. Khalil, 30, was not brought to the hearing from an immigration detention center in Louisiana, where he has remained after a brief stop at a New Jersey lockup. After Khalil's Manhattan arrest, Judge Jesse M. Furman ordered Monday that the 30-year-old not be deported while the court considers a legal challenge brought by his lawyers, who want Khalil returned to New York and released under supervision. For now Furman is letting Khalil remain in Louisiana. During Wednesday's hearing, attorney Brandon Waterman argued for the Justice Department that the venue for the deportation fight should be moved from New York City to Louisiana or New Jersey because those are the locations where Khalil has been held. One of Khalils lawyers, Ramzi Kassem, told the judge that Khalil was identified, targeted and detained because of his advocacy for Palestinian rights and his protected speech. He said Khalil has no criminal convictions, but for some reason, is being detained. Kassem also told Furman that Khalil's legal team hasn't been able to have a single attorney-client-protected phone call with him. Furman ordered that the lawyers be allowed to speak with him by phone at least once on Wednesday and Thursday. Calling the legal issues important and weighty, the judge also directed the two sides to submit a joint letter on Friday describing when they propose to submit written arguments over the legal issues raised by Khalils detention. Kassem said Khalil's lawyers would update their lawsuit on Thursday. Khalil's arrest has sparked protests in New York and other U.S. cities. Actor Susan Sarandon emerged from the courthouse and told reporters that no matter where you stand on genocide, freedom of speech ... is a right that we all have. She added: And this is a turning point in the history and the freedom of this country. Some of Khalil's supporters, many of them wearing a keffiyeh and mask, attended the hearing. Hundreds more demonstrated outside the courthouse, beating drums, waving Palestinian flags and chanting for Khalils release. The raucous crowd grew quiet, though, to hear Kassem speak. As we tried to make clear in court today, what happened to Mahmoud Khalil is nothing short of extraordinary and shocking and outrageous, Kassem told the crowd. "It should outrage anybody who believes that speech should be free in the United States of America. Kassem said the legal grounds cited by the government to detain Khalil were vague and rarely used, masking the true intent: "retaliation and punishment for the exercise of free speech. Columbia became the center of a U.S. pro-Palestinian protest movement that swept across college campuses nationwide last year and led to more than 2,000 arrests. Khalil, whose wife is pregnant with their first child, finished his requirements for a Columbia masters degree in December. Born in Syria, he is a grandson of Palestinians who were forced to leave their homeland, his lawyers said in a legal filing. President Donald Trump heralded Khalils arrest as the first of many to come, vowing on social media to deport students he said engage in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity. His Border czar, Tom Homan, said in Albany during a news conference on sanctuary policies that the administration considers Khalil a national security threat. Can you stand in a movie theater and yell fire? Can you slander somebody verbally? Free speech has limitations, he said Wednesday at the conference with Republican state lawmakers. During a stopover in Ireland while headed from Saudi Arabia to a meeting of the G7 foreign ministers in Canada, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that Khalil's case is not about free speech. "This is about people that dont have a right to be in the United States to begin with. No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card," Rubio said. Khalil, who acted as a spokesperson for Columbia protesters, hasn't been charged with a crime. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the administration moved to deport him under a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that gives the secretary of state the power to deport a noncitizen on foreign policy grounds. Civil rights groups and Khalils attorneys say the government is unconstitutionally using its immigration control powers to stop him from speaking out. U.S. Jewish groups and leaders and organizations have been divided in their response to Khalilis detention. Among those welcoming the move was the Anti-Defamation League, which said it hopes it serves as a deterrent. We appreciate the Trump Administrations broad, bold set of efforts to counter campus antisemitism and this action further illustrates that resolve by holding alleged perpetrators responsible for their actions, the ADL said on social media. Amy Spitalnick, CEO of Jewish Council for Public Affairs, decried Khalil's detention. The Trump administration is exploiting real concerns about antisemitism to undercut democracy: from gutting education funding to deporting students to attacking diversity, equity, & inclusion, she wrote on Bluesky. As weve repeatedly said: this makes Jews & so many others less safe. ___ Associated Press reporters Matthew Lee in Shannon, Ireland, David Collins in Albany and David Crary in New York contributed. Matt and Daisy Markley of Santa Clarita hold a poster of their child, Jax, at the Federal Courthouse on March 10 in Los Angeles. The couple attended a sentencing hearing for the dealer who sold Jax a fatal dose of fentanyl. (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times) Daisy Markley found her child's limp body slumped over at the end of their bed. One pill was all it took to kill Jax Markley, a transgender teen from Santa Clarita who overdosed on fentanyl just months after graduating from high school. "I'll never forget the sound of my wife's scream calling me upstairs," Matt Markley said, recalling his child's death in November 2022. "I dropped everything and came running. It was my worst nightmare." It's a nightmare the Markleys wake up to every morning. But on Monday, the grieving parents received some measure of relief when U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson sentenced the drug dealer responsible for Jax's death to six years in prison. The sentence triggered fiercely mixed emotions for the couple. On one hand, they were grateful to be among the few parents who have lost a loved one to fentanyl and been able to see the dealer put behind bars. On the other, they were furious that Wilson sliced the government's recommended 12-year sentence in half. The shorter sentence caught the parents off guard after the dealer's own attorney recommended 10 years, but Wilson said less time was reasonable because the defendant was a low-level dealer with a tough upbringing and a history of addiction. "We are absolutely disappointed," Daisy said. "We were expecting more, but I know that there are so many other parents that did not get justice." Justice was "minimally served" for Jax, said Matt, who stormed out of the court, suspending the room in silence as the door slammed behind him. Matt and Daisy Markley were disappointed by the sentence for the dealer who gave their child a fentanyl-laced pill. It was less than what was suggested by the dealer's own attorney. (Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times) "It was almost more of a disservice because we failed to send a message to other dealers," he said later that day. The successful prosecution of a drug dealer for an overdose death is relatively rare, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Bobby Dean said. But it has become more common in Los Angeles since the Sheriff's Department launched its Opioid Overdose Response Task Force in 2022 and began investigating these deaths with the same rigor as a homicide investigation. "Historically, for many departments, overdose deaths were just treated as accidental; it's sad, but it is what it is," said Dean, who heads the task force and assisted with Jax's case. "We take a different approach where we try to identify the person who furnished the lethal dose and hold them accountable." The goal is to get justice for families and disrupt narcotics networks by securing lengthy prison sentences that serve as a deterrent to other dealers, he said. His team currently has about 35 cases in various stages of criminal prosecution. Jax's dealer, Skylar Lynn Mitchell, admitted to knowingly selling the counterfeit fentanyl-laced Percocet pill that killed Jax in 2022. At the time, Jax was 18 and Mitchell was 23. According to court documents, Mitchell began selling drugs to the Santa Clarita teen when they were 16. She also admitted to witnessing a friend overdose and almost die from fentanyl before selling the fatal pill. In July, she entered a plea deal for one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The prosecutor, U.S. Atty. Kedar Bhatia, recommended a 12-year sentence, saying that her "craven crime" prioritized profit over life. Daisy Markley wears a ladybug necklace for Jax, who she says was a "ladybug magnet." (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times) "A lengthy term of imprisonment is critical to sending a message of general deterrence: Those who sell fentanyl will face meaningful punishment," he wrote in his sentencing recommendation. But Wilson saw the situation differently, citing a series of factors about Mitchell's traumatic upbringing in the foster-care system, history of addiction and "believable remorse" as justification for a shorter sentence. "The defendant was a low-level dealer selling drugs to supply her own addiction," Wilson said. "If the victim had not tragically overdosed and died, we probably wouldn't be here." Mitchell said she takes "full responsibility" for her crime and called her time in custody "a blessing" that helped her become sober and set her on a better path in life. "Not a day goes by where I don't think about what happened," she said in court. "If I could give my life to bring the victim's back, I would do it in a heartbeat." Her six-year sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. Wilson questioned why a low-level fentanyl dealer should serve a 12-year sentence when there are many high-level dealers, who are likely responsible for a greater number of deaths, whom the U.S. attorney's office does not pursue. Dean told The Times that the Sheriff's Department does not care whether the dealer is considered high level or low level, and investigates any case that results in death. "If you furnish a lethal dose, I don't care if it's one pill or 1 million pills, we will absolutely put together a case, present that to prosecution and put you in prison," he said. He views the sentence against Mitchell as a victory, and said his team had seen evidence that sentences against dealers, even small ones, spread fear through regional drug-dealing networks. A culture shift around the handling of overdose deaths also appears to be underway in the L.A. County district attorney's office, where new Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman has vowed to prosecute fentanyl dealers more aggressively than his predecessor, George Gascon. During his campaign, Hochman advocated for charging fentanyl dealers with voluntary manslaughter or murder if someone dies as a result of the drugs they are selling. Matt said the Sheriff's Department presented Jax's case to the U.S. attorney's office after learning that Gascon's office probably would pursue only a charge of involuntary manslaughter, which carries a two- to four-year sentence. Matt said he was grateful for the "heroic efforts" of the Sheriff's Department, without which there would have been no hope of justice for Jax. Most of the other people in their support group of parents who lost loved ones to fentanyl have to live with the knowledge that their child's killer is still out there, he said. Matt Markley holds a poster with photos of Jax, who died not long after graduating from high school. (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times) Among those parents is Amber Royer of Hemet, whose son Richard died just like Jax from a fentanyl-laced fake Percocet pill in 2020. He was 18 years old. "The police department didn't do an investigation, they did not seize his phone, they didn't look into see where the product came from," she said. "There was nothing, and I feel that the system failed my son." Sam Chapman, whose 16-year-old son, Sammy Berman Chapman, overdosed in 2021, said there were no charges filed against the dealer who brought the fentanyl-laced pill to their Santa Monica home "like delivering a pizza." Now, Chapman and his wife must grapple with the fact that "Sammy's killer still walks the streets of Los Angeles" while their son will never walk again. Jax, Sammy and Richard purchased the pills that killed them on social media, as is often the case in teen overdose deaths. Sixty-four families who lost loved ones to fentanyl are suing Snap Inc., arguing that the Santa Monica company is responsible for drug sales to teens that are facilitated through its app Snapchat. Read more:Parents are blaming Snapchat for their teens' fentanyl deaths. Will an L.A. lawsuit shape the future of social media? In court, Daisy said Jax's death serves as a warning that "children can be taken advantage of, that social media is not safe, and that experimenting with drugs, even once, can be deadly." She described Jax as a "magical, unique and colorful" human being who was empathetic, deeply emotional and generous to a fault. In their early teens, Jax told their parents that the gender assigned to them at birth didn't feel right. Daisy and Matt supported Jax embracing a nonbinary gender identity but said the outside world was not as accepting. Jax struggled to find their place in the world as a transgender teenager, suffering from anxiety and depression that was exacerbated during the isolation of the pandemic. Jax's parents knew they were struggling but did not realize the extent of their drug use and continue to battle feelings of guilt on a daily basis. "The thought that I am a failure as a mother, as a physician and as a human is never far away," said Daisy, who works as a family doctor. "I know that I will mourn Jax until my last dying breath." Jax was adored by animals and was "a butterfly magnet," said Daisy, who carries around a small plush butterfly with Jax's ashes. Whenever she sees the polka-dotted insect flying by, she knows it's Jax's way of saying hi. Daisy Markley keeps a reminder of Jax close at hand: a small urn with their ashes. (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times) Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. China has announced it will convene talks with Russia and Iran this week as the United States increases pressure on Tehran to agree to a new deal regarding its nuclear program. Beijing revealed on Wednesday that it would host officials from both Russia and Iran later this week to discuss the matter. The trilateral meeting will follow a closed-door session of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) called by Western nations. The growing international focus on Iran's nuclear program comes as the US continues its efforts to press Tehran into agreeing to a deal aimed at preventing it from moving closer to acquiring nuclear weapons. The U.S. has voiced concerns over Iran's uranium enrichment activities, which have raised alarm among Western countries. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the trilateral talks on the "nuclear issue" would take place in Beijing on Friday, with deputy foreign ministers from Iran and Russia attending. Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the discussions would focus on "developments related to the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions." Ties between Iran and Russia have strengthened since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, with the two nations signing a strategic cooperation treaty in January. Both countries also maintain strong relations with China, which is positioning itself as a key player in the negotiations over Iran's nuclear program. Last week, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov met with Iran's Ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, to discuss international efforts to address Iran's nuclear activities. Reports also indicated that Russia had agreed to help the Trump administration in communicating with Iran about the nuclear issue. Despite ongoing concerns from Western nations, Iran has consistently denied any intention of developing nuclear weapons. However, tensions remain high, particularly after the U.S. withdrew from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal during President Donald Trump's first term. The deal, negotiated between Iran and six world powers, had placed strict limitations on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. After the U.S. exit, Iran began moving away from its commitments under the deal. President Trump, during his second term, expressed openness to negotiating a new deal with Tehran, which would require the support of China and Russia. However, he has simultaneously reinstated an aggressive sanctions campaign and publicly threatened military action as an alternative, provoking anger in Iran. Iran has firmly ruled out direct talks with the U.S. as long as sanctions remain in place. President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Tuesday that Iran "will not bow in humiliation to anyone." Last Friday, President Trump sent a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging negotiations and warning of possible military action if talks fail. On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that Tehran was expecting a representative from an Arab country to deliver the letter to Iran's leadership. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson later confirmed that Anwar Mohammed Gargash, a diplomatic advisor to the United Arab Emirates, was set to hand over the letter to Araghchi in a meeting later that day. The upcoming meeting in China follows a UNSC session in New York on Wednesday regarding Iran's expanding stockpiles of uranium. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has expressed concerns over Iran's rapid enrichment of uranium to up to 60 percent purity, approaching the weapons-grade threshold of 90 percent. The UNSC meeting, requested by France, Greece, Panama, South Korea, the UK, and the U.S., is urging Iran to comply with its obligations to provide more information about its nuclear program. Iran and six world powers reached a comprehensive nuclear deal in 2015, which lifted sanctions in exchange for restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities. However, after the U.S. withdrew in 2018, Iran moved away from its commitments, and attempts by the Biden administration and European nations to restore the deal have failed to succeed. George Soros gave $7.6 million to one of five groups accused of targeting Elon Musks Tesla company, The Post has learned. Tesla cars, Cybertrucks, dealerships and charging stations have been set on fire, shot at and sprayed with graffiti across the nation in acts of politically charged vandalism since Musks new Department of Government Efficiency started making government cuts. While the motives behind individual attacks vary, Musk has identified certain groups who organized protests against him and his company. Tesla vehicles have been vandalized across the country as a tight cadre of left-wing groups urged their followers to protest Elon Musk. Jonathan Choe / SWNS Protestors in Seattle vandalize a Tesla vehicle earlier this month. Jonathan Choe / SWNS An investigation has found 5 ActBlue-funded groups responsible for Tesla protests: Troublemakers, Disruption Project, Rise & Resist, Indivisible Project and Democratic Socialists of America, he said in a recent X post. We do not direct, coordinate, or dictate the strategies or activities of the organizations we support, said a statement from the Open Society Foundations. The Open Society Foundations support a broad range of nonprofit organizations that work to strengthen democracy and promote nonviolent civic engagement. Our grantees operate independently and are expected to do so in full adherence to U.S. law. ActBlue is a Democratic Party-affiliated fundraising platform, currently under fire for raising funds for anti-Israel terrorists. Heres how each of those groups have been involved in protesting against Tesla: Indivisible Project Indivisible Project, a Washington-based non-profit, has been almost entirely financed by Soross Open Society. It is coordinating a cross-country protest against Musk, empowering grassroots affiliates to stop the Trump-Musk coup, according to its website. The group took in more than $7.6 million from Open Society between 2017 and 2023. It was originally set up in 2016 to protest the election of Donald Trump. Indivisible Action, a related Political Action Committee, has raised more than $9 million, public records show. Indivisible, a group financed almost entirely by George Soross Open Society Foundation, offers toolkits on its web site with graphics that grassroots groups can use to protest against Elon Musk across the country. Indivisible Billionaire philanthropist George Soros has financed numerous progressive groups, including Indivisible, a Washington DC-based non-profit that coordinates protests across the country. AP Indivisible Actions anti-Musk activities include posting a toolkit on its website for a Musk or US March Recess demonstration planned for next week during the governments spring break. The toolkit includes graphics for signs reading: GTFO Musk and Fire Elon Musk. In addition to Soros, the group has received $2 million from the Sandler Foundation, which funds groups such as the progressive news platform ProPublica. Herbert Sandler, a New York-born banker, set up the foundation with his wife Marion in 1991, and has given out more than $1.2 billion in grants to progressive nonprofits, according to its website. After Sandlers death in 2019, the married Congressional staffers who set up Indivisible Project thanked him for his support. For the last two years, weve counted ourselves as deeply fortunate to know Herb, and to benefit from his advice and guidance, said Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg in a 2019 press release. He was always thinking about the next stage for Indivisible, asking hard questions that pushed us forward. We will miss him deeply. Married couple Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin are the co-founders of Indivisible, which is linked to a PAC that has raised more than $9 million to support progressive candidates. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Democratic Socialists of America Indivisible Project is also allied with Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which backed the campaigns of progressive Democrats such as New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. DSA claims on its website it is the largest socialist organization in the United States, with over 92,000 members and chapters in all 50 states. On March 6 the group posted on their Instagram: Every Friday we are joining workers and community organizers at the Henry M. Jackson Federal building downtown Seattle to protest the fascist billionaire takeover of our democracy. See you Friday at 11:30. The group has also posted numerous videos of its members protesting outside Tesla buildings and made numerous anti-Musk posts on its various social media platforms. The group has several chapters across the country. The New York City-based group, Democratic Socialists of America Inc., has revenue of more than $6.1 million, according to public filings. Some chapters across the country have supported Hamas after the terrorist groups Oct. 7 2023 attacks against Israel, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Democratic Socialists of America has backed the campaigns of progressive congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib. The group is also backing protests against Elon Musk. demsocialists/ Instagram Disruption Project Philadelphia-based Disruption Project provides training for grassroots groups to protest climate change and is currently in default with the IRS, according to public records. Disruption Project, whose latest federal filing shows just over $28,000 in its coffers, is linked to Action Network, a group established as a result of the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York in 2011. Action Network was founded by Mark Fleischman, a former union organizer who was vice president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), New York Citys most powerful union. Action Network has helped Disruption Project and other grassroots group organize a Tesla Takedown last month, encouraging consumers to sell your Teslas; Dump your stock. The joint Disruption Project/Action Network Action also listed the addresses of Tesla dealerships for protestors to target across the country on its website. A Tesla charger station was defaced with anti-Elon Musk graffiti in Washington state earlier this week. Jonathan Choe / SWNS Various nonprofits that were established to protest Donald Trump have provided toolkits on their websites to protest Elon Musk. Action Network Rise & Resist The New York-based Rise & Resist has also organized protests against Elon Musk, publishing a social media toolkit on its website linked to a Tesla Takedown. Like Disruption Project, Rise & Resist also appears to be in default with the IRS and shows less than $30,000 in revenue, public records shows. The group organized a recent picket of the Tesla dealership in the Meatpacking district where six protestors were arrested Saturday. Rise & Resist describes itself as a non-violent direct action group committed to opposing, disrupting, and defeating any government act that threatens democracy, equality, and our civil liberties, according to its website. Troublemakers The Seattle-based radical environmental organization committed to taking action for life on Earth. They collect donations through Action Network, and are committed to championing environmental issues, posting on their website: We cannot stand aside while racial capitalism and neocolonialism destroy this beautiful planet, all for the benefit of a few. Troublemakers have also been involved in the Tesla Takedown events at Tesla dealerships despite electric cars being better for the environment than ordinary gas powered ones. On their website they urge people to dump Tesla stock and claim Hurting Tesla is stopping Musk, while urging No one is coming to save usnot politicians. Troublemakers, an evironmental nonprofit set up in 2023, encouraged its followers to boycott Tesla and protest Elon Musk outside of Tesla showrooms across the country. troublemakerscommunity A new Tesla Cybertruck lies in ruins after it was torched by protestors in Seattle this week. Jonathan Choe / SWNS Meanwhile the group also claim to like a good party and that they go on hikes together, and enjoy life while raising a ruckus. The group has previously protested Amazons use of fracked gas to power its data centers in Oregon. The non-profit was established in 2023, and has no publicly available tax filings. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Congress will investigate the sources of the attacks against Musk and Tesla, with the help of the Department of Justice and the FBI. The heroic work of @elonmusk has so panicked the radical Left that theyre now calling him racist(?!) and engaging in domestic terrorism to attack Tesla owners and their vehicles! he posted on X Wednesday. By Joshua McElwee VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis will on Thursday mark the 12th anniversary of his election as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, but he will do so from Rome's Gemelli hospital where he has been treated for double pneumonia for almost a month. The latest bulletins from the Vatican on the 88-year-old pope's condition have said he is improving and is no longer in immediate danger. They have not said when he will be discharged from hospital. Francis was elected pope by the world's Roman Catholic cardinals on March 13, 2013. His continued stay in hospital - he was admitted on February 14 - is changing the tenor of how Catholics are celebrating the day. Cardinal Michael Czerny, a senior Vatican official known as close to Francis, called the pope's anniversary "a reason for gratitude". He said: "This year, his illness makes us especially aware (of the anniversary), especially grateful to God, and redoubling our prayers for his full recovery." Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, is the first pope from the Americas. Elected pontiff at age 76, he moved quickly to make an impact. Over 12 years, he has reorganized the Vatican's bureaucracy, written four major teaching documents, made 47 foreign trips to more than 65 countries, and created more than 900 saints. Overall, Francis is widely seen as trying to open the staid global Church to the modern world. Among major decisions, he has allowed priests to offer blessings to same-sex couples on a case-by-case basis and has appointed women to serve as leaders of Vatican offices for the first time. He has also held five major Vatican summits of the world's Catholic bishops to discuss contested issues such as women's ordination and changing the Church's sexual teachings. David Gibson, a U.S. academic who has followed the papacy closely, said Francis "has come to seem like the indispensable pope" for many Catholics. "Francis has really reset the expectations for what a pope should be: a pastor who welcomes all and judges no one of good will," said Gibson, director of Fordham University's Center on Religion and Culture. However, the pope's agenda has upset some Catholics, including a few senior cardinals. They have accused him of watering-down the Church's teachings on issues such as same-sex marriage and divorce and remarriage, and of focusing excessively on political issues such as climate change. Some survivors of Catholic clergy sexual abuse have said he should do more to protect children in the Church. While Francis created the first papal commission on the issue, survivors' groups have questioned its effectiveness and have called on the pope to create firmer zero-tolerance policies. 'WHAT OUR WORLD NEEDS' Francis is known to work himself to exhaustion and has continued his work from hospital. But as he starts his 13th year as pope, it is unclear if he will be able to keep up his normal pace once he is discharged from hospital. Doctors not involved in his care said he is likely to face a long, fraught road to recovery, given his age and other medical conditions, which have severely limited his mobility. His prolonged public absence has stoked speculation that he could choose to follow his predecessor Benedict XVI and resign the papacy. But his friends and biographers have insisted he has no plans to step down. Much of the pope's schedule for 2025 centres around the Catholic Holy Year, which has filled his calendar with audiences with groups of pilgrims coming to Rome. The Church expects 32 million pilgrims during the year. Francis has also been planning at least one foreign trip. He wants to travel to Turkey for the celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of a major Christian council of bishops in ancient Nicaea, now the modern day town of Iznik. Vatican officials expect he will push to make the trip, even if it must be postponed beyond May, when it was planned. Many Catholics are also hoping Francis will continue speaking out on political issues known as important to him, such as the treatment of immigrants, and on global conflicts. Just three days before going into hospital, Francis sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in an unusual open letter to America's Catholic bishops. "Pope Francis has offered the world both vision and leadership," said Marie Dennis, a Vatican adviser and former leader of an international Catholic organization focused on issues of world peace. "He is exactly what our broken, violent, confused world needs right now," she said. (Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Janet Lawrence) Gofundme Dane Koteski The CEO of an Illinois trucking company was found dead in a burning building last week and now one of his own employees has been arrested. Dane Koteski, 46, the CEO of ATG Truckload, was found dead at the companys offices in Crestwood on Wednesday, March 5. Someone had called police to report heavy smoke coming from the building, according to a Crestwood police statement about the incident. The Cook County Medical Examiners determined that Koteskis death was a homicide and that hed died from neck injuries caused by a sharp or pointed object, per the statement. A death and arson investigation was launched by the Crestwood Police Department and the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force, as well as the State Fire Marshals. Within hours, investigators were able to zero in on a suspect who turned out to be an employee of the victim's, per the police statement. The crime was quickly deemed to be an isolated event, specifically targeting the victim, the release says. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The unnamed suspect was arrested at a truck stop in Holland, Mich., where they remain in custody at the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office on a murder warrant, per the police statement. The suspect will be extradited back to Illinois by the end of the week. A neighbor, Darlene Adams, told WGN9 that Koteski was originally from Macedonia, had a son, and was part of a local Serbian church. "It seems to me he goes to work early and comes home, takes care of his dogs and see his son. Ive noticed things have been very different this week. I had no idea why, Adams told the outlet. A GoFundMe has been launched to raise funds for Koteskis funeral and his sons college tuition. Koteski was remembered for his "generosity, friendship, and kindness" and heralded as "a great and loving father of Kiko, son, and a brother." Read the original article on People The Trump administration has filed a document seeking to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder who played a major role in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, saying he is subject to removal from the United States in documents obtained by NBC News. Khalil, 30, was arrested by federal immigration agents in New York City on Saturday and briefly taken to a detention center in New Jersey before he was transferred to the facility in Jena, Louisiana. He is an Algerian citizen of Palestinian descent, married to a U.S. citizen and a legal permanent resident of the United States. In the document, the Department of Homeland Security cited a provision in immigration law that gives the secretary of state the authority to deport someone from the United States if it is determined that the individual would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States. The Secretary of State has determined that your presence or activities in the United States would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States, it continued. The agency issued Khalil a notice to appear before an immigration judge for deportation proceedings, with a hearing set for March 27 at the detention center in Louisiana where he is currently being held, according to the document obtained by NBC News. DHS said Khalil refused to sign the document, which was dated as being served to the former Columbia student on March 9, the day after his arrest. Deportation proceedings for a person with a green card are handled in the immigration court system, in which an immigration judge would ultimately decide whether someone can be deported. A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked Khalil from being deported, saying he will remain in the United States as the court weighs the challenge to his arrest and detention. That case is separate from the proceeding Khalil will face in immigration court to determine if he should be deported and his green card taken away, as ordered by the DHS. Immigration law experts say the immigration court system favors the government, although green card holders have certain rights, such as the right to a lawyer and the right to a hearing before an immigration judge. NBC News obtained the document on Wednesday, hours after a federal judge in New York heard arguments in the arrest and detention of Khalil. His lawyers want him to be released from the Louisiana detention center and returned to New York for his immigration proceedings. Meanwhile, the Trump administration argued that the case should be moved to New Jersey or Louisiana. U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman did not immediately make a decision on Wednesday and asked lawyers for both parties to submit a joint letter on Friday that will detail further plans for arguments in the detention case. Attorney Ramzi Kassem argued in court that Khalil was targeted for his advocacy for Palestinian rights. In addition to having their client be 1,000 miles away in Louisiana, any communication with Khalil thus far has been monitored by the government. It impedes our ability to defend him, Kassem said. In response, Furman said Khalil and his attorneys are entitled to one privileged call today and another tomorrow, meaning he will remain detained in Louisiana for now. Kassem said they plan to quickly file an amended petition with the court later this week, given the grave constitutional consequences. He added that Khalil has no past criminal convictions. What happened to Mahmoud Khalil is nothing short of extraordinary and shocking and outrageous, Kassem said during a news conference after the hearing. Every day that Mahmoud spends in detention in Louisiana is a day too long. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Waterman, who is representing the government in this case, argued that New York is not the proper forum for the petition, and that it should be moved to New Jersey or Louisiana instead. As it relates to jurisdiction, Waterman said there could be arguments for either New Jersey or Louisiana, but that the Southern District of New York is not proper and it should be moved to a different venue. In a statement Tuesday night, Khalil's wife, who is a U.S. citizen and eight months pregnant, said, Mahmoud has been ripped away from me for no reason at all. Mahmoud Khalil recently graduated from Columbia University. She said the couple had returned from an Iftar dinner when they were followed and confronted by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement at their Columbia University housing. Iftar is a meal that breaks fasting during Muslims Ramadan holy month observations. ICE agents told her and his attorney, who was on the phone, that they had a warrant to revoke Khalils student visa, according to court documents. When the attorney told the agents that he has a green card, they replied that they were there to revoke his green card, his attorneys said. We were not shown any warrant and the ICE officers hung up the phone on our lawyer, his wife, who was not named in court documents, said. Within minutes, they had handcuffed Mahmoud, took him out into the street and forced him into an unmarked car, she said in the statement. Watching this play out in front of me was traumatizing: It felt like a scene from a movie I never signed up to watch. On Tuesday, the State Department and the White House pointed to a provision that allows green card holders to be removed from the country if they present potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States. In such cases, the Secretary of State notifies the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, who has the authority to initiate removal charges, a State Department spokesperson said about the circumstances of Khalils arrest. The DHS said in a statement on Khalil's arrest that he had led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt alleged that Khalil organized group protests that not only disrupted college campus classes and harassed Jewish American students and made them feel unsafe on their own college campus, but also distributed pro-Hamas propaganda, fliers with the logo of Hamas. Leavitt said she had the fliers on her desk. I thought about bringing them into this briefing room to share with all of you, but I didnt think it was worth the dignity of this room to bring that pro-Hamas propaganda, she said. Trump and his administration have not provided evidence of the allegations against Khalil. A lawyer for Khalil, Samah Sisay, rejected the Trump administration's claim, saying there is no evidence that his client provided support of any kind to a terrorist organization. Khalils legal team has also said that his arrest was a violation of his free speech rights and that he was targeted because of his viewpoints. Khalil's arrest sparked protests in New York City this week. He was chosen as an example to stifle entirely lawful dissent in violation of the First Amendment, attorney Amy Greer said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday morning ahead of the hearing that Khalils case was not about free speech. This is about people that dont have a right to be in the United States to begin with, he said. Adam Cox, a law professor and immigration expert at New York University, said the provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act cited by the administration for Khalil's arrest has been used only in rare circumstances. If the administration began to use that in a widespread way to arrest folks and argue that theyre deportable, that would be an enormous change from historical practice, he said. At least two dozen demonstrators protesting Khalil's arrest assembled outside the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan after the hearing, as at least 18 police officers stood on the other side of the street watching them. The arrest of Khalil does not make Jewish people any safer, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss said at the demonstration. Weiss, who identifies as an anti-Zionist Jew and opposes the Israeli government, said he believes the Trump administration must stop vilifying students who are standing up for what they believe is right. Khali's arrest has also sparked protests on college campuses around the country, as well as outside City Hall and in Washington Square Park in Manhattan on Tuesday. New York City police officers arrested a dozen protestors Tuesday during protests in downtown Manhattan. Twelve people were taken into custody, and 11 were given summons, with one man being arrested for obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct, officers said. WASHINGTON A federal judge deciding whether to pause Trump administration restrictions on transgender servicemembers chided the Defense Department on Wednesday for misrepresenting studies in an attempt to justify the ban. Do you agree that you cant just pick and choose sentences from a study, right? U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes asked the administrations lawyers during a nearly five-hour hearing. Reyes is weighing whether to put the policy on hold while it's being challenged by transgender members of the military. She expects to decide by next week. Reyes, who was equally blunt with the Defense Department lawyers about her concerns with their argument at a previous hearing, said the administration wants her to ignore why someone would so misleadingly characterize a study other than to come to a preordained conclusion. When Reyes made similar criticisms about the lack of context for the militarys figures on how much was spent on medical services for transgender servicemembers, the governments attorney pushed back on the judge's level of second-guessing. Reyes, a 2023 appointee to the bench by former President Joe Biden, responded that shed never seen this level of derogatory language towards a group of people in an executive order and a policy. What does Trump's order do? The executive order President Donald Trump signed soon after taking office said the "adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual's sex conflicts with a soldier's commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle. To implement Trumps order, the Pentagon has barred transgender individuals from joining the military, stopped paying for some hormonal treatment and sex reassignment surgery and began removing transgender servicemembers from the ranks. It's possible to get a waiver to remain in the military, but only for a servicemember who, according to Trump administration policy, has never attempted to transition to any sex other than their sex" and who adheres to "standards associated with" their sex as defined by the administration. The Justice Department argues the courts should defer to military leaders judgment about the cost-benefit analysis of accepting servicemembers with gender dysphoria, the psychological distress a person may experience when their assigned sex and gender identity dont match. Judge grills Justice Department attorneys about studies But Reyes grilled the Justice Department attorneys about the studies the Pentagon cited, saying she found them unconvincing. US Army Reserve 2nd Lt. Nicolas Talbott, center, a plaintiff of the case, speaks outside the William B. Bryant Annex of the U.S. Courthouse in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 18, 2025, after a hearing was held for the court to consider a preliminary injunction requested by a group of transgender servicemembers and prospective enlistees challenging President Donald Trump's proposed ban on transgender people in the military. The fact that a 2021 study found 40% of transgender servicemembers were non-deployable at some point during a one-year period is meaningless, Reyes said, because there was no comparison with the deployment rate of all servicemembers. The report also concluded that transgender servicemembers were deployed more than cisgender servicemembers diagnosed with depression, the judge noted. This is your main support, she said. This is, in fact, the main piece of study that you all have to say that were concerned about non-deployability rates for transgender troops. Justice Department says court should defer to Pentagon's judgment Jason Manion, a Justice Department attorney, said that the 40% figure was relevant and Reyes is not supposed to second-guess the professional judgment of military leaders. Reyes countered that the same studies were used by the last administration to make it easier for transgender people to serve. So which set of military leaders was she supposed to defer to? she asked. Manion said the current leaders had the authority to make a predictive judgment. Under the case law, you defer to the military, he said. You do not reassess the evidence. How many servicemembers are affected? The government has not said how many people it expects would be impacted by Trump's policy. Instead, the Justice Department has pointed to a 2016 Rand Corporation estimate that between 1,320 and 6,630 of the 1.3 million active-duty servicemembers were transgender. The plaintiffs challenging the policy include an Army major who received a Bronze Star for service in Afghanistan, an Army captain whod been invited to teach at West Point and a petty officer whose double mastectomy was abruptly canceled shortly before the surgeon was about to begin the procedure. The Pentagon began accepting transgender troops in June 2016. Trump banned transgender service during his first term. Judges in four lawsuits initially blocked his order until the Supreme Court cleared the way for a revised policy in January 2019, which barred transgender people from enlisting, participating in Reserve Officers' Training Corps or attending military academies. Biden overturned Trumps order during his first week in office. But Trump reversed Bidens order and effectively imposed another ban on transgender servicemembers, prompting a group of members and recruits to file a lawsuit asking the court to block Trump's mandate. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Judge questions data Pentagon used to back ban on transgender troops Philadelphia Police Department Still from surveillance video of alleged road rage incident A man in Philadelphia opened fire on two people, ages 15 and 20, during a road rage incident. On Monday, March 10, an unidentified male believed to be 40 to 45 years old was driving a silver 2016 or 2017 model Honda Civic at the intersection of 42nd and Girard Ave, according to a press release from the Philadelphia Police Department. A "road rage" incident at the location led to a shooting incident in which the man shot at two victims, ages 15 and 20, in another vehicle, police said. The Philadelphia Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE that the 15-year-old boy was shot in the left arm, while the 20-year-old woman suffered a graze wound to the chest. Philadelphia Police Department Still from surveillance video footage Related: Man Accused of Stabbing 18-Year-Old to Death After Coming Home and Finding Him in Bed with His Wife: Police Following the incident, the 15-year-old boy was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. The 20-year-old woman arrived at Lankenau Medical Center in a private vehicle that police said was being held for investigation. While their identities have not been released, police confirmed to PEOPLE that they are in stable condition. No arrests have been made in relation to the case and no weapons have been recovered. In the press release, police included surveillance footage captured from multiple cameras in the area. One of the angles shows the driver peeking his head out of his driver's side window while he appears to yell at a black-colored vehicle driving to the left of him. Philadelphia Police Department Photo of suspect and their vehicle Related: Man Accused of Killing Admin Who Kicked Him Out of WhatsApp Group In another angle, the two cars reach a stoplight, where the man is seen firing his gun out of his vehicle before driving off. According to the Philadelphia Police Department, the suspect's vehicle is identifiable as it has "body damage to both front quarter panels, missing passenger side front hub cap [and a] white vanity tag on [the] front bumper." The police department advises anyone who comes across the suspect to not approach him and contact 911 immediately. Anyone with information related to the incident or suspect is asked to call 215.686.TIPS (8477) or fill out an anonymous tip form. The road rage incident was just one of at least five separate shooting incidents that occurred in Philadelphia on Monday night and into Tuesday morning that left seven people injured, per WCAU and WPVI-TV. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. "Our clearance rate [the proportion of reported crimes leading to an arrest or resolution] is up from last year, which was up significantly from the last year, so we're having a lot of success using technology, our video to solve these cases, and we are hoping that all these from last night will be solved," Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore told WPVI-TV. Read the original article on People Strong wind gusts (oranges, reds and purples) will impact much of the central US later this week as a powerful coast-to-coast storm (denoted by the red L) tracks through the area. - CNN Weather Another unusually intense March storm is coming this week, and it may cause a bit of deja vu, with severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, powerful wind gusts, wildfire risks and blizzard conditions possible across the country. But this powerhouse storm wont be an exact copy of last weeks. One big difference: Its first going to soak the West Coast before tracking east and strengthening to its full fury. Heres what to expect each day: Wednesday: Storm arrives with drenching rain, debris flow threat in Southern California The atmospheric river-fueled storm will crash into the West Coast on Wednesday with widespread, drenching rain at low elevations and heavy snow higher up. Steady rain will begin in the Pacific Northwest in the earliest hours of the morning and the storms heaviest rain will reach Northern California by the afternoon. Heavy rain and mountain snow will spread south from there. California is desperate to make up the rain necessary to tamp down its lingering wildfire threat. Los Angeles and San Diego, which have missed out on more than 5 inches of typical rain since October, should see soaking rain after dark. This batch of rain will follow showers from a separate storm. Tuesdays wet weather was on the lighter side, which caused minor flooding, but the heavier rain to follow on Wednesday will increase the risk of flooding in areas where the ground doesnt get enough time to soak up the moisture. A level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rainfall is in place from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, including areas scorched by the Palisades and Eaton fires, according to the Weather Prediction Center. The storms relatively quick pace could help limit widespread flooding in California but recently burned areas remain at a higher risk for flooding and debris flows. At the direction of Gov. Gavin Newsom, state agencies have deployed more than 400 personnel to prepare to respond to the storm. Evacuation orders go into effect Wednesday morning for about 120 homes deemed to be vulnerable properties, mostly near the Palisades burn scar, though a handful of people in the Hurst fire area will be affected, according to a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson. City police will knock on residents doors to alert them of the order. Evacuation warnings were issued for parts of Los Angeles County Tuesday due to the risk of debris flows from the Palisades, Eaton, Franklin and Kenneth burn scars, according to the countys emergency alert service. Deputies were out notifying residents of local risks, the alerts said. The warnings urge people in and near these burned areas to prepare to evacuate at a moments notice. A span of the Pacific Coast Highway will close from eastern Malibu to just east of Will Rogers Beach beginning noon Wednesday due to the risk of debris flows and flooding. Only emergency vehicles may navigate the roadway, the California Department of Transportation said. Heavy snow and strong winds will also make travel very difficult or impossible in Californias Sierra Nevada, especially by Wednesday night. Thursday: Snow and rain expand over the West The storm will push east, with rain and snow spreading into more of the West and reaching much of the Rockies by the evening. Places in the mountains could see half a foot or more of snow, with a few inches also falling at lower elevations and potentially in some valleys. By late afternoon, widespread strong winds will begin from Nevada and Arizona to the Rockies with wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph possible especially in mountainous terrain as the storm starts to strengthen. These wind gusts, combined with rain and snow, could create hazardous travel conditions. Wet weather will continue in California and the Pacific Northwest for much of the day, easing up over time. The snow in Californias highest elevations will be the slowest to end, with multiple feet falling in the peaks of the Sierra Nevada by the time the storm moves on. A few feet of additional snow will be highly beneficial for the Sierra Nevada snowpack, which is hovering at 81% of normal, according to data from Californias Department of Natural Resources. Snowmelt from a robust snowpack is critical for filling reservoirs that feed the states water supply during the dry season, which typically stretches from May to September. Californias snowpack reached above average levels the past two years after very stormy winters and this upcoming storm could move the states total closer to clinching a three-peat. Friday: The storm intensifies The storm will strengthen quickly and become quite intense while it tracks into the Plains, setting up a repeat of last weeks severe thunderstorm threat, widespread strong winds and increased fire danger. Severe thunderstorms could roar to life by the late afternoon in parts of the southern Plains and Mississippi Valley as the powerful storms potent cold front clashes with a surge of warm, moist air from the Gulf. The thunderstorms will become more ferocious and expand by the late evening to pound potentially more than 800 miles of the Mississippi Valley from Louisiana through Iowa into the overnight hours. Damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes will all be possible. CNN Weather Strong winds that could disrupt travel and damage power lines will also whip across the central US ahead of any thunderstorms. Winds will quickly go from quite breezy early in the morning to fierce by the end of the day. Widespread gusts of 40 to 50 mph are likely by late afternoon, with stronger gusts up to 65 mph in parts of Texas and New Mexico. The winds will also ramp up fire danger in eastern New Mexico and the Southern Plains to the extreme. Dozens of fires flared up in Texas last week under similar conditions. Saturday: Severe thunderstorms, blizzard conditions hit the eastern US The intense cross-country storm will expand into more of the eastern US with severe thunderstorms and blizzard conditions. Severe thunderstorms could be ongoing in the early morning, especially in parts of the Ohio Valley. Some of these storms could become less intense by the afternoon but the threat wont end there another round of dangerous storms will surge to life in the afternoon along the Gulf Coast and in the Southeast. CNN Weather Damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes will all be possible, especially into the overnight hours. These hazards take on another layer of danger when its dark and difficult to see: Nighttime tornadoes are nearly twice as likely to be deadly as those occurring during the day, a 2022 study found. Snow, ice, rain and strong winds will slam the north-central US starting in the earliest hours of Saturday morning. The combination could cause periods of blizzard conditions blowing snow that makes it difficult or impossible to see more than a few feet. Last weeks storm created a blizzard that shut down highways, stranded vehicles and caused crashes across multiple states. The storms widespread, powerful winds will ease up over the Plains through Saturday and move farther east. Sunday will likely be a wet and stormy day for much of the East Coast. Some severe thunderstorms with strong winds could linger into Sunday, but will likely be less intense than Friday and Saturdays storms. CNN meteorologists Allison Chinchar and Robert Shackelford contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Light rain began to fall in California Wednesday afternoon as the state braced for the arrival of a major Pacific storm by enacting road closures and issuing evacuation warnings in parts of Los Angeles and Malibu vulnerable to mudslides and debris flows. "The main show is still tonight," the National Weather Service in Los Angeles said in a midday forecast update. "A fast- moving cold front will blast through the area overnight with most of the steady rain finished by 8 a.m. PDT Thursday, if not sooner." The potent storm will put nearly the entire central U.S. at risk of dangerous weather later this week, including what could be "the most significant severe weather outbreak of the year" so far, AccuWeather said. But first, the storm will dump several feet of snow along the Sierra Nevada and bring torrential rain to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. A smaller storm system moved over the state on Tuesday. The incoming rain could fall at rates of an inch per hour, raising the risk of flooding, mudslides and debris flows, especially in areas charred by the wildfires that engulfed whole neighborhoods earlier this year. The Los Angeles Fire Department issued evacuation warnings and orders for residents in the areas torched by the Palisades, Sunset and Hurst wildfires. Over two dozen neighborhoods in Malibu were also placed under evacuation warnings. "Residents should prepare to evacuate now due to the significant risk of flash flooding, debris flows and mudslides," the city's office of public safety said in a statement on social media. "These hazards pose a serious threat to life and property." In addition to the evacuation advisories, officials shut down several major roads, including a section of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Las Flores Canyon Road and Malibu Canyon Road. Water quality advisories issued for all LA county beaches The Los Angeles County Department of Health issued an advisory telling beachgoers to stay out of the water "due to potentially higher bacteria levels." The county said heavy rain from the incoming storm could carry bacteria, chemicals, debris and other hazards into public waterways. "Individuals who enter the water in these areas could become ill," the health department said, adding that areas near storm drains, creeks and rivers are at most risk. The ocean water quality advisory will be in effect until at least 4 p.m. Friday, the agency said. Multiple feet of snow to blanket the Sierra Nevada The National Weather Service anticipates between 1 to 3 feet of snow piling up across the Sierra Nevada this week, raising the risk of avalanches and making travel at high elevations dangerous. "Heavy snow and powerful wind gusts of 40-70 mph below many major passes will create dangerous to potentially impossible travel conditions across the Sierra Nevada and northern California higher terrain this afternoon into Thursday," the National Weather Service said. AccuWeather warned blizzard conditions are possible in the Sierra Nevada due to the high winds. The storm heading east this week may bring blizzard conditions to the high Plains. Fire danger in the Plains While California deals with rain and snow, persistent dry, warm and windy conditions will promote critical fire weather conditions across the southern high Plains on Wednesday and through the rest of the week. Red flag warnings are in place in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma, meaning conditions are ripe for wildfires to spread. The most dangerous conditions Wednesday are expected in western Texas, where the Storm Prediction Center has highlighted an "extreme" risk for wildfires. Fiery spring: Brace for even more wildfires: Bad fire season roars into spring Storms brewing in the South A low pressure system will move over the southern Plains on Wednesday, possibly bringing severe thunderstorms to northeast Texas, Oklahoma, western Arkansas and Louisiana, where large hail and wind damage is possible into Thursday, the weather service said. These storms are only a preview of the major impacts forecast for the central U.S. on Friday and into the weekend, when the storm set to wallop California makes its way across the country. The colossal storm will put over 100 million people at risk of severe weather, from blizzard conditions in the northern Plains to tornadoes and wildfires in the South. It has the potential to be "the most significant severe weather outbreak of the year" so far, AccuWeather said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Massive storm to pummel California, forces evacuations in LA area John Lamparski/Getty; Flatiron Books Sheryl Sandberg (left) and Sarah Wynn-Williams In Careless People, Sarah Wynn-Williams claims Sheryl Sandberg had an intimate connection with her 26-year-old assistant during her time at Facebook For Wynn-Williams, working at Facebook came at great personal cost, especially when she was pregnant, she writes. This book is a mix of out-of-date and previously reported claims about the company and false accusations about our executives, a company spokesperson said in a statement A former Facebook executive is making waves with a new memoir about the company's current and former leaders, including Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg including surprising anecdotes that are being dismissed by Meta as "false and defamatory." In Careless People, published this week, Sarah Wynn-Williams claims Sandberg, the companys former chief operating officer, who built her brand in part on female empowerment with her book Lean In, had an intimate connection with her 26-year-old assistant that involved sleeping on each other during a business trip and wearing expensive lingerie that Sandberg allegedly asked her to purchase. They had taken turns sleeping in each others laps, occasionally stroking each others hair, writes Wynn-Williams, who worked for Facebook (now known as Meta) for seven years as the director of global public policy, while I tried to make myself as small and invisible as possible, feeling uncomfortable with what I was seeing. Wynn-Williams also claims in her book that Sandberg asked her assistant to buy lingerie for them both, which allegedly totaled $13,000. The younger employee allegedly told Wynn-Williams that, according to the book, she was very conscious of the benefits of being Sheryls little doll, as she calls it and having Sheryl tell her she loves her. Wynn-Williams continues: Shes the one who explained to me the benefits of being on the pedestal. A spokesman for Sandberg declined to comment on the book. But another source who worked at Facebook at the same time as Wynn-Williams and Sandberg, and who was present for some of the anecdotes recounted in Careless People, tells PEOPLE that Wynn-Williams' depiction of events is so distorted as to be "laughable." The company also immediately pushed back on Wynn-Williams account, which was published by Flatiron Books on Tuesday, March 11. Related: Ex-Meta Worker Alleges 'Toxic Pattern of Silencing Women' and Files Suit After Mark Zuckerberg's 'Masculine Energy' Comments Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg This book is a mix of out-of-date and previously reported claims about the company and false accusations about our executives, a company spokesperson tells PEOPLE in a statement. Eight years ago, Sarah Wynn-Williams was fired for poor performance and toxic behavior, and an investigation at the time determined she made misleading and unfounded allegations of harassment," the spokesperson went on to say. "Since then, she has been paid by anti-Facebook activists and this is simply a continuation of that work. Whistleblower status protects communications to the government, not disgruntled activists trying to sell books. For Wynn-Williams, writing the book was a way in her view to expose how Facebook leaders, like Sandberg and CEO/founder Zuckerberg, and company-wide issues led to her disillusionment of the highly influential social media platform. For example, in Careless People, Wynn-Williams recounts what she describes as the shocking lengths Zuckerberg took to get Facebook into the Chinese market, and the widespread effects of hate speech on the platform. The Meta spokesperson says they are pursuing "immediate legal action due to the false and defamatory nature of the allegations" in Wynn-Williams' book. The spokesperson did not provide more details. Related: AI Chatbot Allegedly Alarms User with Unsettling Message: Human 'Please Die' 'Careless People' dropped on March 11 For Wynn-Williams, working at Facebook came at great personal cost, especially when she was pregnant, she writes. She remembers drafting talking points for Sandberg while she was in the hospital about to give birth, and traveling internationally while pregnant. "Looking back, I still cant quite believe it. Im ashamed," she writes. "And I cant blame this entirely on Facebook. Ive been this kind of driven person my whole life. I dont like to let people down. But its also true that at Facebook, I didnt feel like I had a choice." It was during one of the trips abroad that, Wynn-Williams writes, she witnessed Sandberg sleeping next to her assistant and was later asked by the COO herself to join Sandberg in bed, Wynn-Williams claims. According to Careless People, Sandberg asked Wynn-Williams to come to bed twice on a private jet where there was only one bed during a long flight back to the U.S. Wynn-Williams refused. However, the source who worked with them both at Meta and was present during international travel as well says that Wynn-Williams is misconstruing what may have happened. This source says that while they can't remember the specifics given how long ago it was it was much more likely that Sandberg was merely trying to get Wynn-Williams to take some rest in the limited sleeping quarters available on the plane. But for Wynn-Williams, these interactions stood in stark contrast to the values of Sandbergs 2013 bestseller. Lean In outlines the ways women can gain power in the workplace and at home and speak out against sexual harassment and uncomfortable workplace dynamics. During her maternity leave, Wynn-Williams also struggled to navigate new motherhood and the expectations of her job, especially during her interactions with Joel Kaplan, according to her book. Kaplan, the vice president of U.S. policy, who once dated Sandberg, was Wynn-Williams then-manager. In her memoir, Wynn-Williams writes how Kaplan made her uneasy following the birth of her second child: He insisted they video conference during her maternity leave, according to the book. And when she had complications after delivery, requiring her to have surgery, he pressed her, But where are you bleeding from? An investigation by Facebook cleared Kaplan of any inappropriate behavior, according to The New York Times. Chesnot/Getty Joel Kaplan and Mark Zuckerberg Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Most days, working on policy at Facebook was way less like enacting a chapter from Machiavelli, Wynn-Williams writes in Careless People, and way more like watching a bunch of fourteen-year-olds whove been given superpowers and an ungodly amount of money, as they jet around the world to figure out what power has bought and brought them." Careless People is on sale now. Read the original article on People By Jack Queen (Reuters) - Donald Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to take back the Panama Canal but has not offered specifics about how he would do so. Here is an explanation of the history and laws governing the critical waterway. WHY IS THE PANAMA CANAL IMPORTANT? The Panama Canal, located at the narrowest part of the isthmus between North and South America, is one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Last year, the canal logged 11,240 crossings totaling more than 235.5 million tons of cargo. Over two-thirds of all cargo passing through the canal today originates from, or is destined for, the U.S. If the Panama Canal were blocked or unavailable, ships would need to make the long voyage around the southern tip of South America to cross between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The U.S. completed construction of the canal in the early 20th century but signed treaties handing it over to Panama in 1977 in response to political pressure and unrest in Panama over U.S. ownership. WHAT HAS TRUMP SAID ABOUT THE CANAL? Trump claims Panama charges excessive tolls for U.S. ships to pass through the canal, calling them ridiculous and very unfair. The canal's fee structure is based on type of vessel and size, combined with auctions for ships arriving without reservations and a variable water surcharge. U.S. military ships have priority of passage, but its commercial vessels are not entitled to lower rates. Trump has also asserted that the U.S. needs to take back the canal because China controls it and could use the waterway to undermine American interests. There is no evidence to support this claim, though Chinese companies have made significant investments in Panama that some U.S. lawmakers and maritime experts say could give Beijing leverage over the canals operation. A group backed by U.S. investment company BlackRock recently agreed to buy a controlling stake in ports on either side of the canal from a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, a deal Trump hailed as an initial step in reclaiming the canal. "My administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal, and we've already started doing it," Trump told the U.S. Congress on March 5. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said in a social media post that the Panama Canal is not in the process of being reclaimed. WHAT ARE THE LAWS GOVERNING THE CANAL? The Panama Canal is owned and operated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous agency overseen by the Panamanian government. Under the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality of the Panama Canal, Panama pledged to charge "just, reasonable and equitable" transit fees to all nations. The treaty runs only three pages and does not elaborate on the meaning of those terms, nor does it specify an enforcement mechanism. The U.S. and Panama could potentially bring disputes to their domestic courts, though the U.S. judiciary's authority over treaties is ambiguous and has not been standardized. Either nation could also take disputes to the United Nations International Court of Justice, though that court has no way of enforcing its decisions. But Trump may be unlikely to seek UN help, having frequently criticized it as weak, incompetent and unfair to the U.S. WHAT IF A COUNTRY TRIES TO TAKE THE CANAL BY FORCE? Any move by a foreign power to take the canal by force would almost certainly violate international law. The U.S. and Panama are treaty-bound to defend the canal against any threat to its neutrality and are permitted to take unilateral action to do so. An amendment to the treaty clarifies that the U.S. does not have a right to interfere in Panama's internal affairs or undermine its territorial integrity and political independence. The U.S. Southern Command holds regular military exercises with Panama and other regional powers to prepare for possible attacks on the canal. The exercises do not include scenarios where the U.S. invades Panama. (Reporting by Jack Queen in New York, additional reporting by Sarah Morland and Marianna Parraga; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Nick Zieminski) PARIS (Reuters) - French government plans to increase defence spending must be designed in a way that does not push strained public finances off course, Finance Minister Eric Lombard said on Wednesday. In the face of threats from Russia and the prospect of a reduced U.S. security role in Europe, President Emmanuel Macron said this month that European countries should increase defence spending to 3-3.5% of economic output. With French defence spending now at 2%, that would imply an increase of at least 30 billion euros ($32.75 billion) annually, a considerable sum to raise against a difficult financial backdrop. "Given our current budget situation, these new funds can only be put in place from within our deficit reduction plans," Lombard told senators. The government plans to reduce the public sector budget deficit from 5.4% of economic output this year - one of the biggest fiscal shortfalls in the European Union - to the bloc's 3% ceiling in 2029. Lombard said that work was underway to boost defence spending in a way that neither adds to France's debt burden nor undermines the country's cherished but costly welfare system. The government is due to outline plans on March 20 to funnel more private savings towards the defence sector through existing investment vehicles, many of which benefit from tax incentives. Some lawmakers have called for a new class of tax-free savings accounts to be created so deposits could be lent to defence firms, using as a model popular for accounts that fund social housing. Lombard said he preferred using existing investment vehicles and the French banking federation said that a new class of savings account would do little to help undercapitalised defence firms. ($1 = 0.9161 euros) (Reporting by Leigh Thomas; editing by Philippa Fletcher) Ratu Entok - Ratu Entok/YouTube An Indonesian social media influencer who suggested Jesus should cut his hair has been sentenced to two years and 10 months in jail after being found guilty of spreading hate speech against Christianity. Ratu Thalisa, a Muslim transgender woman who has nearly 450,000 followers on TikTok, was sentenced by a court in North Sumatra province over the comments made to an image of Christ, according to a statement from rights group Amnesty International and local media reports. Thalisa, who is known online as Ratu Entok, made the comments after a viewer said she should cut her hair to look like a man. In a live broadcast on October 2, 2024, Thalisa held up a picture of Jesus Christ and said: You should not look like a woman. You should cut your hair so that you will look like his father. Five Christian groups filed complaints to Indonesian police alleging blasphemy, leading to Thalisas arrest on October 8. In addition to jail time, the court ordered Thalisa to pay a fine of around $6,200. She was sentenced under Indonesias Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) law after the court ruled that her comments could affect public order and religious harmony. Amnesty International Indonesias Executive Director Usman Hamid said Monday that the sentence is a shocking attack on Ratu Thalisas freedom of expression, and that the EIT law should not be used to punish people for social media comments. While Indonesia should prohibit the advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, Ratu Thalisas speech act does not reach that threshold, Hamid said in a statement. According to Amnesty, from 2019 to 2024 at least 560 people were charged with alleged violations of the EIT Law under various offenses, including defamation and hate speech. This sentence highlights the increasingly arbitrary and repressive application of Indonesias EIT law to violate freedom of expression, he added. The authorities must quash Ratu Thalisas conviction, ensure her immediate and unconditional release and repeal or make substantial revisions of problematic provisions in the EIT Law criminalizing immorality, defamation, and hate speech, said Hamid. Thalisa is one of a number of people convicted for blasphemy in recent years, most of them for insults to Islam. Indonesia is the worlds largest Muslim nation, where 231 million people, at least 93% of its adult population, identify as Muslim. Religious conservatism has been on the rise in the country in recent years and rights groups have warned that blasphemy laws are being increasingly weaponized against religious minorities and those deemed to have insulted Islam. In September 2023, Muslim social media influencer Lina Lutfiawati, known as Lina Mukherjee on social media, was sentenced to two years in prison over a video she shared on TikTok which showed her reciting an Islamic prayer before trying pork. One of Indonesias most high-profile blasphemy cases was that of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese Indonesian politician widely known as Ahok who served as Jakartas first non-Muslim governor in 50 years. He went on trial for blasphemy in 2017 after angering hardline Muslims by referencing a verse from the Quran while campaigning for re-election in 2016. He was jailed for two years, despite making a public apology. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com ID 24257612 Jannis Werner | Dreamstime.com Just a few years ago, it felt like every college in America was eagerly releasing statements about political controversies. Schools released statements on everything from police brutality to the 2020 presidential election to anti-Asian hate. But after Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel, universities were in a bind, unable to make a statement on the conflict that wouldn't anger either anti-Israel activists or risk getting university leaders hauled before congressional inquiries into on-campus antisemitism. Soon after, some colleges reacted to this pressure by announcing that they would no longer make official statements on political events that do not directly concern the university itself. "If the university and its leaders become accustomed to issuing official statements about matters beyond the core function of the university, they will inevitably come under intense pressure to do so from multiple, competing sides on nearly every imaginable issue of the day," reads a Harvard facultyled report whose recommendations were accepted by administrators last May. "This is the reality of contemporary public life in an era of social media and political polarization." "We embrace the guiding principle that the remedy for speech that some may find hurtful, offensive, or even hateful is not the disruption, obstruction, or suppression of the free speech of others, but rather more speech," reads another statement from last spring, this one from Syracuse. "Except under the most extraordinary circumstancesthe University does not make institutional statements or pronouncements on current controversies." According to a new report from Heterodox Academy, a higher education organization that promotes viewpoint diversity on campus, they've been joined by dozens of others. By the end of last year, 144 colleges in the U.S. and four in Canada, serving around 2.6 million students combined, had adopted neutrality statements. Essentially all of these statements came after October 7, as only eight colleges had official neutrality policies in place before the attack. The report further notes that the vast majority of announcements cited factors like "community and inclusion," "free speech," and "public trust" for the shift away from official treatments. "The unprecedented increase in institutional statement neutrality adoptions occurring on campuses across North America is a move that strengthens open inquiry and viewpoint diversity," reads the Heterodox Academy report. "In times of social or political controversy, colleges and universities have a unique chance to elevate public debate when they refrain from taking their own stances and instead empower the varied voices of their communities." Not everyone supports the shift toward institutional neutrality among U.S. colleges. A recent article in The New York Times framed the change as schools "making it a policy to stay silent as political pressure mounts against higher education," writing that "the universities are adopting such policies at a time when the Trump administration has moved aggressively to punish them for not doing enough to crack down on antisemitism and for embracing diversity, equity and inclusion policies," even though the report exclusively studied neutrality statements that came before Trump's second term began. When colleges weigh in on controversial political issues, they end up chilling dissenting speech from students and faculty. Instead of allowing a university to fulfill its mission as the site of intellectual exploration and debate, administrators effectively settle controversial questions. The post The Israel-Hamas Conflict Convinced College Adminstrators To Turn Away From Politics, New Report Shows appeared first on Reason.com. Truckee Meadows Community College | TMCC In 2019, the Nevada System of Higher Education decided that students who needed remedial math instruction could receive it at the same time they were taking college-level math courses instead of completing it as a prerequisite. In response to that new "co-requisite" policy, the math department at Truckee Meadows Community College (TMMC) decided to make its courses less rigorous. Those changes did not sit well with math professor Lars Jensen, who criticized them in two emails to TMCC faculty members and in a handout he distributed at a January 2020 "Math Summit" where "the community" was invited to discuss the curriculum revision. Because of that criticism, Jensen complained in a federal lawsuit, he received a letter of reprimand and two "unsatisfactory" performance reviews, which triggered a termination hearing. Those disciplinary actions, he argued, violated his First Amendment rights by punishing him for constitutionally protected speech. Although a federal judge dismissed Jensen's lawsuit with prejudice in September 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit revived his claims on Monday, ruling that the alleged conduct of TMMC administrators violated "clearly established" law, meaning they were not shielded by qualified immunity. The 9th Circuit panel's unanimous ruling in Jensen v. Brown "is a major victory for the free speech rights of academics," Daniel Ortner, an attorney at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) who argued Jensen's case before the appeals court last November, said in a press release. "This decision will protect professors from investigation or threats of termination for their speech, and promote accountability for administrators who violate the First Amendment." In a December 2019 email to other math department faculty members, Jensen expressed concerns about the curriculum changes. The following month, Julie Ellsworth, TMCC's dean of sciences, convened a meeting aimed at discussing the "co-requisite" policy "with the community." But when Jensen tried to lay out his critique during a question-and-answer session, she cut him off. Jensen responded by returning to his office, where he prepared a one-page handout arguing that the decision to "lower the academic level of Math 120 so students will be able to complete the course at current rates" would undermine the value of the college's certificates and degrees. He noted that local businesses, which subsidize the school through their taxes, expect that graduates they hire will be qualified for jobs that require math proficiency. When Jensen returned to the meeting and began handing out his flyer, Ellsworth collected the copies and told him to cut it out. After Jensen "reminded Ellsworth that it was break time and that he was not being disruptive or disturbing anyone," she reiterated her command, which he disregarded. She warned him that he had "made an error by defying her." A week after that encounter, Ellsworth delivered on her threat by notifying Jensen that she planned to write him a letter of reprimand for his "insubordination," which was ultimately placed in his personnel file. Undaunted, Jensen reiterated his criticism of the "co-requisite" policy in an email to the entire TMMC faculty. The repercussions for Jensen's outspokenness continued. During Jensen's May 2020 performance review, the math department's chair recommended a rating of "excellent." Ellsworth instead rated Jensen's performance as "unsatisfactory," again citing his "insubordination." The following year, the department chair still thought Jensen's performance had been "excellent." But Anne Flesher, TMMC's dean of math and physical sciences, deemed it "unsatisfactory." She "identified minor issues with Jensen's performance, based on criteria that Jensen asserts were not equally applied to other faculty." Those two consecutive "unsatisfactory" ratings resulted in a disciplinary investigation by another administrator, Natalie Brown, and a termination hearing, although Jensen ultimately kept his job. Jensen sued Ellsworth, Flesher, and Brown in their personal and official capacities, arguing that they had retaliated against him for speech protected by the First Amendment. Assessing the viability of those claims, the 9th Circuit applied the criteria established by a line of cases beginning with the Supreme Court's 1968 decision in Pickering v. Board of Education, which involved a public school teacher who was fired for publicly criticizing the school board's allocation of funds. The 9th Circuit concluded that Jensen's criticism of dumbed-down math standards addressed "a matter of public concern." And even if he was speaking as a "public employee" rather than a "private citizen," it said, his speech was "related to scholarship or teaching," meaning it was protected under the 9th Circuit's 2014 ruling in Demers v. Austin. The appeals court also thought Jensen had plausibly alleged that his protected speech was a "motivating factor" in the disciplinary actions against him. Those considerations are not necessarily decisive, the 9th Circuit noted, because "a public employee's right to speak is not absolute and may be outweighed by the state's interest 'as an employer, in promoting the efficiency of the public services it performs through its employees.'" But in this case, the appeals court said, the defendants had failed to demonstrate any such countervailing interest. In particular, they could not point to any significant disruption of the college's operation caused by Jensen's speech. By itself, the appeals court ruled, Ellsworth's complaint about "insubordination" was not enough to override Jensen's First Amendment interests, especially since it hinged on her disapproval of what he was saying. "The state's interest in punishing a disobedient employee for speaking in violation of their supervisor's orders cannot automatically trump the employee's interest in speaking," the 9th Circuit said. "In assessing the state interest, there is good reason for focusing on the disruptive impact of the employee's speech, rather than simply disobedience to an order to stop speaking. If we were instead to allow an employer to prevail solely on the basis that the employee disobeyed the employer's order not to speak, employers would have carte blanche to 'stifl[e] legitimate speech or penalize[e] public employees for expressing unpopular views.'" Contrary to the district court's analysis, the 9th Circuit concluded that the case law on all of these points was clear enough at the time of Jensen's conflict with TMMC administrators that they should have recognized the distinction between legitimate discipline and unconstitutional retaliation. That does not necessarily mean Jensen will win the case, but it does mean he will have a chance to try. "The college's actions tarnished my reputation and chilled my speech," Jensen said in the FIRE press release. "The Ninth Circuit's decision vindicates my First Amendment rights and allows me to have my day in court." The post A Nevada Math Professor Who Was Disciplined for Criticizing Curriculum Changes Will Get His Day in Court appeared first on Reason.com. By Saleem Ahmed and Asif Shahzad QUETTA (Reuters) - Suicide bombers were seated next to some of the scores of passengers taken hostage after militants hijacked a train in southwest Pakistan, complicating rescue efforts, security sources said on Wednesday. About 50 separatist insurgents blew up a railway track and lobbed rockets at the Jaffar Express on Tuesday, which had over 400 people on board, a security official said. In a video shared by the militants, the train is seen travelling through a barren pass when an explosion strikes the track as the locomotive approaches, sending up a plume of black smoke. A group of militants are seen watching from a hill above the tracks. The video, shared by the group's spokesperson on Telegram, then cuts to people being pulled off the train as it stands still outside a tunnel. Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. Hundreds of troops and teams in helicopters have mounted an operation to rescue hostages in the remote mountainous area where the train has been stopped. The government said it has so far rescued 155 passengers. There was no official word on how many people remained in the captivity of the militants. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an ethnic armed group that claimed responsibility for the attack, said on Tuesday it was holding 214 people hostage. "People were attacked ... passengers were injured and some passengers died," said Muhammad Ashraf, who was on the train. The driver was killed after sustaining serious injuries, police and railway officials said. The BLA has threatened to start executing hostages unless Baloch political prisoners, activists, and missing persons it said had been abducted by the military were released within 48 hours. The group shared a message from one of its fighters on the train calling on people in Balochistan to join their fight against the Pakistani state. "Comrades are shedding their blood for you, for this motherland," the man said in the message, posted on Telegram. A security source told Reuters that there were 425 passengers on the train when it was attacked on its way from Quetta, Balochistan's capital city, to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The security source said that after taking control of the train, the insurgents began pulling passengers off and checking their identification. "They were looking for soldiers and security personnel," the official said, adding that at least 11 people, including paramilitary troops, had been killed so far. BLA militants with bombs strapped to their bodies were sitting next to other passengers, the source said. 'BRING MY CHILD BACK' BLA is the largest of several ethnic armed groups battling Pakistan's government in the mineral-rich province of Balochistan, bordering Afghanistan and Iran. The security source said on Wednesday that 27 BLA fighters had been killed so far in the military operation. On Tuesday, the BLA denied any of its members were killed. Over 50 of those rescued so far were brought to Quetta by Wednesday morning, escorted by security forces, where their relatives were waiting for them. A woman, who said her son was among the passengers still held hostage, confronted provincial minister Mir Zahoor Buledi when he visited the freed passengers. "I beg you with folded hands, please bring my child back. Why didnt you stop the trains if they were not safe? If the train was never going to reach its destination, why let it depart?" she said. A Reuters journalist saw nearly 100 empty coffins at Quetta railway station where more people who were aboard the Jaffer Express were expected to arrive. Pakistan Railways has suspended all operations from Punjab and Sindh provinces to Balochistan until security agencies confirm the area is safe, local media reported on Wednesday. Buledi told reporters that the government was working to improve the security situation in the region. (Reporting by Saleem Ahmed in Quetta and Asif Shahzad in Islamabad; additional reporting by Mushtaq Ali in Peshawar and Saud Mehsud in Dera Ismial Khan; writing by Sakshi Dayal and Saad Sayeed; Editing by Kate Mayberry, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Gerry Doyle) By Rodrigo Viga Gaier RIO DE JANEIRO - Rio de Janeiro police demolished on Tuesday a facility they dubbed a "drug trafficking resort," which they said was used as a meeting point for drug traffickers in the Brazilian city. Featuring an artificial lake, swimming pool, gym, barbecue area, and leisure space, the property was located inside a group of Rio favelas known as the Israel Complex. It had been built by Alvaro Malaquias, known as "Peixao" (Big Fish), one of Rio de Janeiro state's most dangerous and wanted criminals, according to a police statement. Arrest warrants were served against members of the criminal organization led by Peixao, who remains at large, and three suspects were arrested, the police said. Police had arrived at the Israel Complex early in the morning and confronted suspected criminals, who had fired at security forces, the statement added. Avenida Brasil, one of the city's main expressways, was closed, and nearby bus and train lines were temporarily suspended as a security measure. Police agents used heavy machinery to destroy the facility housing the "resort," which was built in an environmental preservation area and had allegedly altered the course of a local river, according to a source familiar with the operation. Peixao, an evangelical Christian, commands organized crime in the Israel Complex and requires his allies to profess the same religion, according to the police investigation. His group, known as Terceiro Comando Puro, uses a Star of David as their symbol. (Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier; Writing by Isabel Teles; Editing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez and Rosalba O'Brien) By Marie Mannes STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Battery cell maker Northvolt has filed for bankruptcy in Sweden, the company said on Wednesday, marking one of the country's largest corporate failures and effectively ending Europe's best hope of developing a rival to challenge China. The Swedish company has received more than $10 billion in equity, debt and public financing since its 2016 inception, and its biggest owners include Volkswagen with a 21% stake, and Goldman Sachs, with 19%. The EV battery maker sought U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last November as its cash pile dwindled and it scrambled to secure funds to fix persistent problems in boosting output at its flagship plant in northern Sweden. "This was a decision we did not take lightly," Northvolt Chairman Tom Johnstone told a press conference, saying every avenue had been pursued to avoid bankruptcy for the company, putting 5,000 jobs at risk. "Nevertheless, despite these exhaustive efforts, this decision represents the only realistic path forward for Northvolt and for its stakeholders." Its debt stood at more than $8 billion across the nine Northvolt entities in the Chapter 11 process at the end of January, documents showed. The bankruptcy, which was officially declared by a Stockholm district court, is one of the biggest in Swedish corporate history and the most high-profile since carmaker Saab Automobile more than a decade ago. Europe's auto sector had hoped Northvolt would reduce Western carmakers' reliance on Chinese rivals such as battery maker CATL and EV and battery maker BYD. "It's obvious that a lot has gone wrong, and the price is now being paid by our members," Marie Nilsson, leader of the IF Metall union said in a statement. US, GERMAN OPERATIONS Northvolt's operations in North America and Germany were not filing for bankruptcy in their jurisdictions, the company said. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said he remained hopeful Northvolt might still be rescued by an investor who could secure the future of its German plant. "The talks are ongoing," he said. "The possibility definitely exists." The company's Polish subsidiary was also not included in the bankruptcy filing, an internal document seen by Reuters showed. Porsche, which had supply contracts with Northvolt, said it had begun searching for alternatives after it became clear the battery cell maker was headed for bankruptcy. "I remain convinced that we need competent battery developers in Europe," Porsche and Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume told a press conference. Volkswagen said in a statement it remained in contact with Northvolt but declined to comment further on the bankruptcy. Several owners have in recent months written down the value of their stakes to zero while long-time partner Scania said this week it had lined up a new supply of battery cells in addition to the truckmaker's deal with Northvolt. Northvolt early last year clinched a $5 billion green loan deal meant for a large plant expansion, but funding was later cancelled as its problems mounted. German carmaker BMW cancelled a $2 billion order in June as the battery maker failed to deliver on a long-term supply contract for battery cells signed in 2020. Co-founder and former Northvolt CEO Peter Carlsson, who stepped down shortly after the Chapter 11 filing in November, had said the company needed up to $1.2 billion to restore its business. "What ultimately forced the board to take this decision last night was that it did not see a solution to the short term liquidity need," Carlsson told reporters on Wednesday. "It was really tough and really emotional to take." Creditors include both private and public investors. Jenny Askfelt Ruud, who chairs 4 to 1 Investments which has invested 5.8 billion Swedish crowns ($578 million) in Northvolt shares and convertibles, said the bankruptcy was regrettable. "In the longer term, it's a loss for Sweden's industry and social economy, and above all for Skelleftea, Northvolt and its employees," she said. A court-appointed trustee will now oversee the bankruptcy process, which will include the sale of its assets and settling its outstanding obligations as far as possible. ($1 = 10.0405 Swedish crowns) (Reporting by Marie Mannes; additional reporting by Christian Kraemer, Johan Ahlander, Alessandro Parodi and Victoria Waldersee; writing by Niklas Pollard and Terje Solsvik; editing by Louise Rasmussen, Tomasz Janowski, Bernadette Baum and Elaine Hardcastle) By Sarah N. Lynch and Andrew Goudsward WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump's administration is considering cutting most of the lawyers in the U.S. Justice Department unit that handles public corruption cases, four people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The people said that Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti told several Public Integrity Section employees that the majority of the attorneys who work in the unit would be offered transfers to other positions, or else they could face layoffs. The plan targets a Justice Department unit where several supervisors pushed back on a directive from Justice Department leadership to drop corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Approximately 20 attorneys would face reassignments to handle cases involving drugs, violent crime or immigration, leaving a handful behind, two of the people said. The four people requested anonymity to discuss the department's internal moves. A Justice Department spokesperson said that no final decisions have been made, and that leadership is still looking at resources broadly across the department. The changes under consideration would also shift control over public corruption and election-related cases from the Washington-based unit to U.S. attorneys' offices across the country, the four people said. The unit would no longer be responsible for prosecuting cases, and would instead play a consulting role. The Public Integrity Section typically handles the department's most politically sensitive cases, including cases against local, state and federal elected officials. This decision to dismantle the section charged with maintaining 'public integrity' in government by a President who has escalated corruption to a new level is yet another piece of President Trump's purge of all forms of accountability in the federal government," said Democratic U.S. Representative Dan Goldman of New York, a former federal prosecutor. Following his 2020 election defeat, which Trump continues to claim falsely was the result of widespread fraud, he faced two federal investigations, one related to his attempts to overturn his loss and another related to retaining classified documents after leaving office. The Public Integrity Section was consulted in advance before Special Counsel Jack Smith brought the election case, as required by the Justice Department's rules. Trump has repeatedly said he viewed both cases as politically motivated attempts to prevent him from returning to power. Five attorneys from the Public Integrity Section and a sixth senior career Criminal Division attorney who supervised the section resigned last month over demands from Justice Department leadership to dismiss the Adams case, which was originally brought by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. Even before the dissension over the Adams case, the Trump administration moved to reassign the former chief of the section, Corey Amundson. He resigned from the department rather than accept the reassignment. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Scott Malone and Lincoln Feast.) By Sarah Morland (Reuters) - The United Nations' Haiti rights expert on Tuesday said he believed solving a spiraling insecurity crisis in the Caribbean nation was "doable," if law enforcement are properly supplied and neighboring countries do their part. "We're talking about 2,500, maybe 3,000 well-trained and equipped international police. It's doable," William O'Neill, the U.N. High Commissioner's Designated Expert on Human Rights in Haiti, told a press briefing. The U.N. Security Council is set to debate a hybrid security support model that would establish a budgeted office to help supply an existing, voluntary mission after lack of contributions has left it woefully under-manned and under-equipped. Haiti's government, which has called for urgent international security support since 2022, more recently requested a formal U.N. peacekeeping mission to boost under-staffed police, but this met opposition from Russia and China. But O'Neill said the support office could help supply key equipment such as spare parts, helicopters and adequate vehicles for navigating Haiti's capital and mountainous rural terrain. He also called for neighboring countries, particularly the U.S. - the source of most of Haiti's illegal arms - to do more to prevent the flow of illegal guns to criminal groups, noting that Haiti's border police are not equipped to prevent their entry. "There's not a gun or bullet that's manufactured in Haiti," he said. "If you stop the flow, the gangs will eventually run out of ammunition. That's a quicker, faster, safer way to dismantle them than having to go in and fight them." He also urged the United States, Dominican Republic, Bahamas and Turks and Caicos to stop deporting migrants back to Haiti. "You cannot guarantee a dignified safe return, which is required under international law," he said. Over 1 million people are internally displaced, food prices are soaring and Haiti's Le Nouvelliste newspaper reported that the wealthy suburb of Petion-Ville, which hosts diplomats via helicopter pads, was one of the capital's last free communes. "The risk of the capital falling under gang control is palpable," O'Neill said. "There is not a day to lose." (Reporting by Sarah Morland and Natalia Siniawski in Mexico City; Editing by Sandra Maler) linkedin Sudiksha Konanki A "person of interest" has been named amid the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh junior Sudiksha Konanki, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office told PEOPLE "He is a person of interest in what is still a missing person investigation," police spokesperson Thomas Julia said in an email of 24-year-old Joshua Riibe. No charges have been filed in the case Konanki hasn't been seen since going for an early morning beach walk on Thursday, March 6, during a spring break trip with friends to the Dominican Republic A "person of interest" has been named amid the ongoing investigation into a 20-year-old college student's disappearance in the Dominican Republic, authorities have said. University of Pittsburgh junior Sudiksha Konanki a resident of Virginias Loudoun County was last seen in the early hours of the morning on Thursday, March 6, while walking on a beach at Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana, the Dominican Civil Defense and a missing poster shared on social media previously confirmed. Konanki an Indian citizen was reportedly traveling in a group of six female Pittsburgh students, including one other Loudoun County resident, a spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) previously told PEOPLE in a statement. As the investigation into Konanki's disappearance continued on Wednesday, March 12, LCSO spokesperson Thomas Julia confirmed to PEOPLE that 24-year-old Joshua Riibe was a "person of interest" in the case. No charges have been filed. Riibe could not immediately be reached for comment. "He is a person of interest in what is still a missing person investigation," Julia said in an email. The spokesperson wasn't able to comment on whether Riibe had been the last person to see Konanki on the beach the morning she went missing. Facebook Sudiksha Konanki Related: College Student, 20, Missing in Dominican Republic Thought to Have Drowned on Early Morning Beach Walk: Report "Sheriff [Michael] Chapman wants to make sure the investigation is comprehensive and includes all possible assets and techniques," LCSO's Julia said, per Fox News Digital, adding, "We are working closely with the FBI on all of this, and they are working with the Dominican National Police." "Yes this is what Sheriff Chapman said and believes," Julia added to PEOPLE in an email. The update comes after sources close to the investigation told ABC News and Dominican news outlet El Nacional that the missing student's clothes were found on a chaise lounge on the beach and noted there were no signs of violence. Dominican police confirmed to PEOPLE that clothes had been found but did not share more details. Konanki was last seen on video surveillance cameras with a group walking onto the beach around 4:15 a.m. local time on March 6, the Dominican Republic National Police said in a press release. After most of the group left, Konanki stayed on the beach with one other person, ABC News reported, citing an investigative report from Dominican authorities. She is believed to have subsequently drowned in the ocean after being caught by a big wave when she and the other person went for a swim, per the outlet though that determination has been challenged as speculative by Loudon County authorities. Sudiksha Konanki/Facebook Sudiksha Konanki Police did not confirm the drowning aspect when contacted by PEOPLE, and the LCSO said in a statement that there is no evidence or confirmation of a drowning at this time and the case is being aggressively investigated by U.S. law enforcement working with the Dominican national police, with support from assets here at home. According to police, Konankis body has yet to be recovered amid a sea, air and land search in the entire periphery and surrounding areas, through the use of drones, helicopters, divers, boats, canine units and human personnel, among other technologies. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The missing woman's friends have been questioned by police, but no charges have been filed, per ABC News. Authorities said on Tuesday, March 11, that "outside of Konanki, her friends and the man that is being interviewed by police," no other people are thought to be involved, per ABC News. The FBI and U.S. Embassy International Liaison have joined in the investigation, Dominican authorities said in a press release. The Embassy of India in the Dominican Republic is also involved. Read the original article on People Trump administration border czar Tom Homan on Wednesday called Mahmoud Khalil -- the pro-Palestinian activist arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement -- "a national security threat," citing student protests at Columbia University that called for the institution to cut ties with Israel over its war in Gaza. "When you are on campuses -- I hear 'speech,' 'freedom of speech,' 'freedom of speech' -- can you stand at a movie theater and yell fire? Can you slander? Free speech has limitations," Homan said during an appearance in Albany, New York. "Coming to this country either on a visa or becoming a resident alien is a great privilege, but there are rules associated with that. You might have been able to get away with that stuff in the last administration, but not this administration," Homan said. At a hearing Wednesday afternoon, a federal judge set an expedited briefing schedule for Khalil -- who possesses a green card and has not been charged with a crime -- saying, "There is some need for speed here." Khalil is set to appear before an immigration judge on March 27 in Louisiana. PHOTO: Protestors gather to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil at Foley Square on March 10, 2025 in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) Khalil's attorneys said the former Columbia student is a lawful permanent resident with no criminal record, but they declined Judge Jesse Furman's invitation to immediately argue the merits of the case. Instead, Khalil's attorneys said they would file an amended petition by Thursday evening. The government said it would argue Khalil's petition should be heard either in New Jersey, where he was taken after his arrest Saturday night, or in Louisiana, where he is being held. PHOTO: The legal team of Mahmoud Khalil, Ramzi Kassem and Baher Amzy speak to the press outside of the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse, where a hearing is underway regarding Khalil's arrest, in New York City, Mar. 12, 2025. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images) PHOTO: A person holds placards, ahead of a hearing on the detention of Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, in New York City, Mar. 12, 2025. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters) With activists like actress Susan Sarandon looking on in court and protesters chanting outside, the judge ordered a phone call be arranged for Khalil on Wednesday after his attorneys argued access to their client is "severely limited." "We have literally not been able to confer with our client once since he was taken off the streets," Khalil's attorney Ramzi Kassem said. Khalil is currently being held in Louisiana after being detained in New York earlier this week. His legal team is asking the court to order the government to return him to New York while his legal fight plays out. Khalil's wife, who is 8 months pregnant, said the couple have been excitedly preparing for the arrival of their baby. "Mahmoud has been ripped away from me for no reason at all. I am pleading with the world to continue to speak up against his unjust and horrific detention by the Trump administration," she said in a statement to ABC News on Wednesday. "Six days ago, an intense and targeted doxxing campaign against Mahmoud began. Anti-Palestinian organizations were spreading false claims about my husband that were simply not based in reality. They were making threats against Mahmoud and he was so concerned about his safety that he emailed Columbia University on March 7th. In his email, he begged the university for legal support," she said. PHOTO: Protestors rally in support of Mahmoud Khalil outside of the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse, during a hearing regarding Khalil's arrest, in New York City, Mar. 12, 2025. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images) She said Columbia University never responded to that email and he was arrested a day later. MORE: 14 House members demand release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil after arrest at Columbia President Donald Trump's administration has alleged that Khalil -- who was a leader of the pro-Palestinian encampment protests on Columbia's campus -- was a supporter of Hamas. Baher Azmy, one of Khalil's lawyers, called his client's alleged alignment with Hamas "false and preposterous." "Setting aside the false and preposterous premise that advocating on behalf of Palestinian human rights and to plead with public officials to stop an ongoing genocide constitutes alignment with Hamas, his speech is absolutely protected by the Constitution, and it should be chilling to everyone that the United States government could punish or try to deport someone because they disapprove of the speech they're engaged in," Azmy told ABC News on Monday. Authorities have not charged Khalil with a crime and the administration has not provided any evidence showing Khalil's alleged support for the militant group. PHOTO: Protestors rally in support of Mahmoud Khalil outside of the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse, during a hearing regarding Khalil's arrest, in New York City, Mar. 12, 2025. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) The Trump administration said it has the authority to remove Khalil under the Immigration and Nationality Act. "Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the secretary of state has the right to revoke a green card or a visa for individuals who serve, or are adversarial to the foreign policy and the national security interests of the United States of America," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday. "Mahmoud Khalil was an individual who was given the privilege of coming to this country to study at one of our nation's finest universities and colleges and he took advantage of that opportunity, of that privilege, by siding with terrorists, Hamas terrorists." MORE: Activist Mahmoud Khalil asked Columbia University for legal support day before ICE arrest, his wife says PHOTO: A demonstrator holds a sign during a protest at the University of California Los Angeles, following the arrest by U.S. immigration agents of Palestinian student protester Mahmoud Khalil, in Los Angeles, California, on March 11, 2025. (Daniel Cole/Reuters) Attorney Amy E. Greer said Khalil's detention in Louisiana is a "blatantly improper but familiar tactic designed to frustrate the New York federal court's jurisdiction." Khalil's arrest has prompted protests calling for his release. Fourteen members of Congress have also signed a letter demanding his release. Khalil will have to show at the immigration hearing on March 27 why he should not be removed from the U.S. ABC News' Armando Garcia, James Hill, Laura Romero, Ely Brown and Mark Crudele contributed to this report. Border czar calls detained Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil a 'national security threat' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com By Daphne Psaledakis SHANNON, Ireland (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said the issue of how the United States is going to "take over Canada" will not be discussed at a gathering of G7 foreign ministers due to take place in Canada on Thursday. The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven major democracies - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States - will meet at the river resort of La Malbaie, Quebec on March 12-14 for the first time since President Donald Trump returned to power in January. When asked by reporters about Trump's comments on making Canada the 51st U.S. state, Rubio instead talked about the areas of cooperation between the United States and Canada including defense of North American airspace and Ukraine. "We're going to be focused in the G7 on all of those things. That's what the meeting is about. It is not a meeting about how we're going to take over Canada," he said. U.S. ties with Canada have soured following Trump's repeated comments about Washington's northern neighbor being its 51st U.S. state and the Republican president referring to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as its "governor". The two neighbors are also locked in a trade war. Trump increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, accusing the country of failing to do enough to stem the flow of the deadly fentanyl opioid and its precursor chemicals into the U.S. and also as he moves to reorder global trade norms in favor of the United States. Rubio said Trump was not singling out any country but trying to help develop a domestic industrial capability as the current situation threatened U.S. national security in the long run. The top U.S. diplomat said despite these tensions, he expected to have constructive conversations with G7 allies. "I think it is quite possible that we could do these things and at the same time deal in a constructive way with our allies and friends and partners on all the other issues that we work together on. And that's what I expect out of the G7 in Canada," Rubio said. (Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Chizu Nomiyama) VINTON, La. In House Speaker Mike Johnsons backyard, many residents rely on anti-poverty programs to help make ends meet and are pleading with Johnson, R-La., to protect those benefits as Congress weighs steep federal spending cuts. Pastor Leroy McClelland, who lives in Johnsons southwestern Louisiana district and volunteers at a local food bank, said he is dependent on Medicaid and food stamps after having suffered several medical issues and would be in a serious bind without government assistance. He added that hes far from alone in those struggles. People cant do without it, McClelland told NBC News outside the food bank. So I would tell them [Congress] to help us out. Help us. People are hurting out here. And you may be from Louisiana, but youre the House speaker. Cross the aisle. Work together to do whatever you got to do. Thats my message. Summer Stinson, a mother of four who was picking up food for her family as well as an elderly woman who cant drive, said the prospect of cuts to social safety net programs has been weighing heavily on her mind. My children are on Medicaid. So yes, I do. I do fear that very much, and they make it to where insurance isnt really affordable with our companies, said Stinson, a native of Vinton. I dont know what we would do without it. In Johnsons rural Louisiana district, nearly 25% of adults under age 65 rely on Medicaid, according to an NBC News analysis, while nearly 20% of households receive food stamps. Politically, its a deep-red district that Johnson won with 85% of the vote in November. Louisiana was one of the states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, and the program now covers 72 million people across the country. Summer Stinson, a Vinton native, said she wouldnt be able to make ends meet without Medicaid. Both anti-poverty programs could be on the chopping block as Republicans hunt for deep spending cuts that were outlined in a recent budget resolution the GOP-controlled House passed designed to unlock President Donald Trumps sweeping domestic policy agenda. While the budget blueprint itself doesnt spell out any policy changes, it does call for steep spending cuts from the committees that oversee Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps. Johnson and Trump have insisted that Medicaid benefits wont be cut. The speakers office pointed NBC News to recent comments Johnson has made when he has been asked for comment. He has repeatedly said Republicans are only looking to root out waste, fraud and abuse, as well as making reforms to strengthen the programs. Medicaid is hugely problematic because it has a lot of fraud, waste and abuse, Johnson told reporters at a recent weekly news conference. Everybody is committed to preserving Medicaid benefits for those who desperately need it and deserve it and qualify for it. What were talking about is rooting out the fraud, waste and abuse. But theres skepticism in Congress and from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that they can achieve those levels of savings without cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. A major Medicaid change Republicans are seriously considering is instituting work requirements for able-bodied adults. Yet here in Vinton a small rural town with many low-income residents who are struggling with the cost of goods and groceries people say there simply arent many job opportunities. Those who do have jobs say their hours have been cut. And theres no reliable transportation to travel to jobs in neighboring towns. One block in the downtown area is lined with several shuttered businesses. Its a great community. Its just, its low-income for the most part. And so what we do is we just try to help out by helping them with the extras that their food aint stretching all the way. ... They really need it, said Pastor Don Snider of Christian Life Church, who started the food bank 10 years ago. Theres no transportation. And the problem with it is, in this community ... theres no industry here. Pastor Don Snider runs a food bank at Christian Life Church Vinton, which he said feeds around 7,000 people a month. Snider has expanded the operation over the years, and he said he now feeds roughly 350 families a week, or 7,000 people a month. He relies on a mix of donations and help from the U.S. Agriculture Department. But the volume of food can vary from month to month, meaning sometimes fewer people get fed or they are given less food. As grocery prices have soared, the community has struggled, and more residents have come to rely on the food bank. Making matters worse, the area is also still recovering from natural disasters. They lost their jobs, lost their homes, lost their cars, lost everything, basically, and then this is what they depend on to eat. So Im here every week, said Angel Lejune, who picked up food for six other families and loaded her sedan to the brim. Some people couldnt survive or make it without these resources. ... And medicine, lets not talk about that. Cars were lined up around the block to collect baskets of produce, bread, meat and other donated goods. Some people traveled in cars and picked up food for multiple families who dont have cars, while others traveled by bicycle or foot and piled food into wagons. One of the residents who drove to the food bank Tuesday morning was Dwayne Dousay of Lake Charles. He is a retired environmental microbiologist and the primary caregiver for his adult-age disabled grandson, who receives Medicaid and other forms of government assistance from the state. Dousay voted for Johnson and is widely supportive of the Trump administrations push to rein in federal spending under the Department of Government Efficiency but he also warned that taking a hatchet to social safety net programs would be devastating for his family and the community. I dont know what we would do without them. I really dont. Its been tough, Dousay said. I appreciate what DOGE is doing, but I feel its Congress decision. Scott Peterson Infamous wife-killer Scott Peterson got beat up by a fellow inmate during a prison yard pickleball match on Sunday, according to a report. Peterson, 52, was playing a game of pickleball at Mule Creek State Prison in California when another prisoner took exception to the convicted murderers playing style and served him up a butt-whooping, TMZ reported. The inmate was reportedly set off by Peterson smashing the ball directly at his body during the match and aired his grievances in the form of hooks and jabs, according to the outlet. Scott Peterson sits in court during his 2003 trial for the murder of his wife and unborn child. AP Though he suffered injuries, he did not need to go to the hospital, the TMZ reported, citing prison sources. Peterson was convicted in 2004 of killing his 8-months-pregnant wife Laci who vanished on Christmas Eve in 2002. Laci was initially reported as missing from the familys Modesto, Ca., home but her body was found in the San Francisco Bay in April 2003, a few miles from where Peterson had told police he had gone fishing. He was arrested just days after her body was found. Peterson resides at Mule Creek State Prison, not far from California capital Sacramento. Getty Images The apparent pickleball enthusiast was convicted of first-degree murder of Laci and second-degree murder of the couples unborn son Conner in 2004, though he has continued to claim that he is innocent. [I]f I have a chance to show people what the truth is, and they are willing to accept it, it would be the biggest thing that I can accomplish right now because I didnt kill my family, Peterson said in a 2024 three-part Peacock docuseries called Face to Face with Scott Peterson. Last year, Petersons case was reinvigorated by the Los Angeles Innocence Project, which advocated for the convicted killer to enter a discovery process to attempt to prove his innocence. Laci and Scott Peterson prior to the 2002 murder. ZUMA Press Peterson is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The case famously inspired the bestselling book and award-nominated film Gone Girl. Mule Creek State Prison did not respond to a request for comment. Authorities have ramped up their efforts by air, sea and land to track down the 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student who went missing six days ago while vacationing in the Dominican Republic resort town of Punta Cana. Sudiksha Konanki, 20, vanished at the beach of the Riu Republica Hotel in the early hours of March 6, sparking a frantic search involving authorities from the Dominican Republic, the United States and India, where Konankis family is originally from. Nearly one week after she was last seen, there are few concrete clues about what might have happened to her. The Dominican Republic National Police formed a high-level commission to work on the investigation, alongside the general prosecutors office, the FBI and the international liaison of the US Embassy, the national police said this week. Authorities are investigating Konankis disappearance as an accident and conducting a special search operation in the ocean, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said in a news conference this week. We are concerned, he said. All government agencies are searching. The Dominican Republic receives more than 11 million visitors per year and prides itself on being a safe place for tourists, Abinader said. We are one of the safest countries, not just in Latin America, but in the world in every aspect, he said. Konankis disappearance and authorities search for her in the water and on land comes nearly two months after the deaths of four tourists who were swept away by strong currents off the coast near Punta Cana, according to the Dominican Republics civil defense agency. The four tourists disappeared off the Arena Gorda beach in Bavaro, an area of resorts in Punta Cana, and their bodies were recovered in January, the civil defense agency said in a social media post. The four drowned January 18, The Associated Press reported. Two other people also were swept away with the four but survived, the civil defense agency said. At the time of the January drownings, a red flag was flying at the beach to warn of dangerous ocean conditions, such as strong currents and rough seas, the AP reported. The sheriffs office in Virginias Loudoun County, where Konankis family lives, told CNN it was advised the water was rough in Punta Cana on the night Konanki went missing last week, but it could not confirm whether any warnings were in place. CNN has sought comment from Dominican Republic authorities about the conditions on March 6. The hours before her disappearance Konanki traveled to the Dominican Republic with five other female students from the University of Pittsburgh on March 3, according to the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office. On March 6 around 4:15 a.m., surveillance cameras captured a group of people Konanki, five other women and two men entering the beach, the Dominican Republic National Police said in a release. The group had been drinking in the hotels lobby around an hour earlier, a source with the national police told CNN. The screenshot is believed to be from the last known video of missing US college student Sudiksha Konanki among a group of friends before she disappeared on Thursday morning. CNN blurred portions of this image. - EXCLUSIVE: Noticias SIN Cameras later captured five women and one man leaving the beach around 4:55 a.m. but not Konanki, two sources close to the investigation told CNN. Konanki appears to have stayed behind with a man in his 20s, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation. Surveillance video showed the man leaving the beach area just before 9 a.m. Thursday without Konanki, the two sources close to the investigation said. Authorities have been interviewing the man, though he is not considered to be a suspect at this time, the law enforcement source said. He was being kept in a hotel room under police watch as the probe continues, but he is not officially detained, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN. He told authorities they both went into the ocean but he felt sick, got out of the water and fell asleep on a lounge chair, according to the source. Another law enforcement source briefed on the investigation said the man was interviewed by police several times and provided different details but there were no significant inconsistencies in his recounting of the events that night. The source said translation issues may have been a reason for the differences. When Konanki didnt come back to her room, her companions searched for her, according to the law enforcement source. The group reported her missing to hotel staff around 4 p.m. Thursday, the RIU hotel chain said in a release. Konankis sarong-style cover-up was found on a lounge chair on the beach, but there were no signs of violence, a source familiar with the investigation told CNN. Konankis disappearance came a day after a power outage started at the hotel, the facilitys operator, RIU Hotels & Resorts, said Wednesday. Power was restored to 70% of the facility by early March 5 two hours after the outage began and was fully restored at 2:13 a.m. on March 6, the company said. Everybodys so worried In the days since, a massive search effort involving dogs, drones and helicopters does not appear to have produced any solid leads about Konankis whereabouts. Konankis father, Subbarayudu Konanki, said his daughter is a very nice girl and wanted to pursue a career in medicine. She was visiting Punta Cana for spring break ahead of premed studies, her father said. Originally from India, the Konanki family has been in the US since 2006 and are permanent residents living in Virginia. Those in her hometown are praying for her safe return. Its already four days and everybodys so worried, family friend Shekar Pendem, who has known Konanki since she was 3, said in an interview with CNN affiliate WUSA Monday. The Dominican Republic Public Prosecutors Office is investigating whether Konankis disappearance could extend beyond a possible accidental event, officials said Wednesday. As with any disappearance under the circumstances of the case at hand, we are applying a holistic investigation protocol that examines all variables, Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso said. On Monday, Dominican police said they were re-interviewing people who had been with Konanki and employees of the hotel where they were staying. Civil defense boats search for Sudiksha Konanki, a university student from the US who disappeared on a beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on Monday. - Francesco Spotorno/AP As of early Tuesday, more than 300 officers, specialists, tactical units and aquatic search teams were searching the surrounding area of the hotel for any information about the womans whereabouts, according to a post on social media by Dominican Republic National Police. The Dominican Republic navy is searching along the coast about 24 nautical miles from the hotel where Konanki was reported missing, General Commander Agustin Morillo Rodriguez told CNN on Wednesday. The night Konanki disappeared, sea conditions were dangerous with high waves, he said. The government has made available all the necessary resources to find Konanki, police said, including teams of forensic technicians who are analyzing images from video surveillance cameras in the area. An alert has also been circulated to law enforcement worldwide to help locate her. Subbarayudu Konanki and his wife, Sreedevi, returned to Virginia this week after flying to Punta Cana with two family friends, according to Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman. Her father has asked authorities to widen the investigation. Investigators spoke with the parents on Tuesday, and the sheriff met with her dad and other family members on Wednesday, Chapman said. They do not want to accept the fact that she may have drowned, Chapman told Fox News on Wednesday. Were looking into every possibility here. I think its premature and I think its actually unfair for anybody to come to that conclusion so quickly. The fathers formal request notes that the students belongings, including her phone and wallet, were left with her friends, which is unusual because she always carried her phone with her, he wrote in the report, according to radio station WTOP, as reported by the AP. Its unclear where this information came from. Konankis father told CNN earlier he wants local authorities to also investigate other possibilities including whether this is a case of kidnapping or human trafficking. Civil Defense spokesperson Jensen Sanchez told the AP the search is underway at sea because its presumed she drowned. He noted it can take more than a week for a body to surface in warm waters, the AP reported. Detectives with the sheriffs office have traveled to the Dominican Republic, Chapman told NBC on Tuesday. Investigators have spoken with hotel personnel, lifeguards and others who may have been present at the time that she went missing, Chapman said. We decided to send our own detectives down there with them (FBI) so that were not missing anything. We want to make sure were getting the information firsthand, Chapman said in the interview with NBC. Some of the information that weve gotten so far it has been a little disjointed, inconsistent, and we want to get it firsthand. We dont think she would be able to survive for more than three days in the water, Subbarayudu told CNN on Sunday. I think something else mightve happened to her. CNNs Ruben Correa, Zoe Sottile, Rafael Romo, Jessica Hasbun, John Miller, Rebekah Riess, Susannah Cullinane, Jose Alvarez, Chris Boyette, Ana Melgar, Michael Rios and Marlon Sorto contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com President Donald Trump, accompanied by White House senior advisor, and Tesla and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2025. (Andrew HarnikGetty Images) One of Elon Musks biggest cheerleaders is losing patience in the billionaire entrepreneur and says its time for some tough love. On Tuesday, Wedbush tech analyst Dan Ivesone of Teslas longest-running and most vociferous bullsdeviated from his typically optimistic analysis and penned an unusually dire note to Tesla investors. While he still maintained his outperform rating on the stock, Ives warned that investor patience is wearing very thin amid Musks adventure in politics and the resulting backlash it has caused to the brand. Musk is showing no attention to Tesla during this turbulent time when protesters are vandalizing Tesla dealerships and showrooms and customers are selling off their vehicles, Ives wrote. A moment of truth lies ahead for Musk and Tesla, and how Musk handles the next few months will be critical, Ives said. It was a dramatic change in tone from even just one day earlierwhen Ives wrote that Teslas brutal 15% selloff on Monday would precede the start of the biggest innovation and technology cycle in Teslas history. But in the 24 hours since Teslas stock collapsed Monday, Musk has done little to reassure investors in the electric carmaker. He went on Fox News and said he planned to stick with the Trump administration for another year, and he admitted he was running all his businesses with great difficulty. Musk appeared alongside Trump on the White House lawn Tuesday for a photo op in front of a Tesla Model S the president said he would purchase. Around the same time, a group of New York state senators wrote a letter to the comptroller calling for the state pension fund to divest its holdings in Tesla. Becoming a political object is a dangerous path, Ives tells Fortune in an interview. While Musks commitments to running multiple companies part-time, including SpaceX, the X social network (formerly Twitter), and xAI, have long frustrated investors, his foray into partisan politics has exacerbated those concerns and taken a toll on the billionaires brand. Ives said Musk has not been reading the room on social mediaand with his investors. So he sent out a rare note, akin to some of the ones he issued when Musk was acquiring Twitter in 2022, in hopes that it would get Musks attention. As someone whos covered Tesla for many, many years, it was time to communicate to Musk and the board what Tesla shareholders are telling us: Balance your time. Show that you are Tesla CEO, Ives says, adding: This is not the time to just play in the DOGE sandbox. He needs to step up. Particularly of concern to Ives is the brand deterioration, which he says has thus far been contained but could become more pervasive. Tesla closed Tuesdays regular trading session at $230.58, up 3.8%, but well below its 52-week high of $488.54. Ives has maintained his outperform rating of the stock, and is forecasting that Tesla shares will be worth $550more than double their current pricein 12 months time. But all of that may hinge on whether Musk continues to spend all of his time at the White House and Mar-a-Lagoor whether he again reemerges in Teslas factories and manufacturing facilities. Investors have had enough, Ives said. They own Tesla because of Musk, not because he runs DOGE. Correction: Because of an editing error, a previous version of this story misstated Tesla's stock performance on Tuesday. Tesla's stock finished Tuesday's regular trading session up 3.8%. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com The highest court in Texas on Tuesday issued a rare stay of execution for David Leonard Wood, who has always denied being the so-called Desert Killer and reiterated his innocence in a recent hourlong interview with USA TODAY. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued the stay "until further order of this court" without explanation. The order came just over 48 hours before Wood, 67, was set to be executed by lethal injection on Thursday. Wood has been on Texas Death Row for nearly four decades even though no DNA evidence linked him to the murders of six women and girls in El Paso in 1987. Im accused of killing six people when an entire police force couldnt find a single shred of evidence of anything, Wood told USA TODAY on Feb. 26 during an interview at a Texas state prison north of Houston. How can I not be angry at the corruption that put me here? How can you let people just dump cases on you and not be angry? The incredible move by the Texas court came almost simultaneously as a federal judge in Louisiana temporarily blocked that state's first nitrogen gas execution, scheduled for March 18, ruling that it could cause the inmate "pain and terror" and violate his constitutional rights. Here's what you need to know about Wood's case. Click here to read more about the Louisiana case. What was David Leonard Wood convicted of? A jury convicted Wood of killing six women and girls in 1987 in a case dubbed by local media as the Desert Killer. The victims are: 14-year-old Dawn Marie Smith, 15-year-old Desiree Wheatley, 17-year-old Angelica Frausto, 20-year-old Karen Baker, 23-year-old Ivy Susanna Williams, and 24-year-old Rosa Maria Casio. Their bodies were all found in various states of decomposition in shallow graves in the same desert area in northeastern El Paso. Investigators couldnt determine how many of them were killed, though at least one had been strangled. Police believed three missing girls 12-year-old Melissa Alaniz, 14-year-old Marjorie Knox and 19-year-old Cheryl Vasquez-Dismukes were also victims of the Desert Killer, but their bodies were never found. From left to right counterclockwise, David Leonard Wood, Desiree Wheatley, Rose Maria Casio, Ivy Susanna Williams, Karen Baker, Melissa Alaniz, Marjorie Knox, Cheryl Vasquez-Dismukes, Dawn Marie Smith and Angelica Frausto. Wood is on death row in Texas for the murder of six of these young girls and women. Woods conviction was based mainly on circumstantial evidence. No DNA evidence has ever connected him to the murders. El Paso Assistant District Attorney Karen Shook told jurors during trial that the case in the totality points to David Wood. Its clear that the signature aspect of these murders was the shallow graves in this dark, isolated desert area, she said. It became the private graveyard of the defendant, David Wood. David Leonard Wood sits in 171st District court listening to both the judge and attorneys discuss his appeal. Jurors heard testimony from two jailhouse informants who said Wood confessed to the killings, and a sex worker who said Wood raped her in the same desert area where the bodies were found and had begun digging her grave when a nearby noise startled him. Wood, who was convicted of the sex workers rape, told USA TODAY that all three were lying and were only helping prosecutors in exchange for leniency in their own cases. Ive never confessed anything to anybody about anything, he said. In a recent court filing, Woods attorneys said that both jailhouse informants and the sex worker either got many years shaved off of prison sentences or were seeking a financial reward. The filing also details a statement from a man named George Hall, who described how El Paso police tried to get him to lie that Wood had confessed to the murders while they were jailed together. Additional testimony came from a 26-year-old woman who said Wood raped her under an El Paso bridge when she was 13, according to archived coverage by the Associated Press at the time. Another woman testified that she was 12 when Wood lured her by saying he needed help finding a lost dog and then raped her at a nearby construction site, AP reported. The states remaining evidence included testimony from witnesses saying they had seen some of the women and girls with Wood ahead of their murders and microscopic orange fibers that prosecutors argued connected one of the womens bodies with Woods vacuum cleaner and a blanket in his truck. David Leonard Wood, known as the "Desert Killer," is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Huntsville Unit prison in Livingston, Texas on Feb. 26, 2025. Wood has been on Texas Death Row since 1992, when he was convicted of killing six women and girls. Texas court heard recent arguments from Wood's attorney Woods attorney, Gregory Wiercioch, told USA TODAY last week that the states evidence connecting him to the murders is weak and criticized prosecutors for failing to test barely any of the items collected from the scene for DNA. Only three pieces of evidence of hundreds were ever tested fingernail scrapings from one victim and bloodstains on the clothing of two other victims. Tests on the fingernail scraping and one of the bloodstains were inconclusive. The other bloodstain belonged to a man but couldnt have been Woods, new DNA testing obtained by defense attorneys in 2010 found. This is a serial murder case, a case with six victims, and in a serial murder case, I would expect the government, the state, to have a mountain of evidence direct evidence tying David Wood to these victims, and theres not, Wiercioch said. Its incomprehensible to me how little evidence there is. Wiercioch filed recent actions seeking to stop the execution with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Feb. 21. That court, the same one that issued Tuesday's stay of execution, rejected previous requests for more DNA testing. To this day, it is still mind-boggling why (the state) didnt agree to more testing, Wiercioch said. I think theyre afraid of what they would find. If they believe David Wood is the desert serial murderer, then why are they afraid of additional testing? Weve never tested anything other than those three items out of 135, and one excluded David Wood. Thats very troubling. The Texas Attorney Generals Office has not responded to repeated requests for comment from USA TODAY. The El Paso District Attorneys Office, which prosecuted the case, declined to comment about the strength of the evidence, saying it recused itself from the matter in 1993 over a conflict of interest. How do the victims' families feel about the stay? Jolieen Denise Gonzalez, 17-year-old victim Angelica Frausto's sister, told USA TODAY that Tuesdays development was fair. I dont think he should die for my sister's murder, Gonzalez said. I do not believe that Im going to live to see my sister get justice. She previously told USA TODAY that she thought Wood helped plan her sister's murder but didn't kill her himself. Jolieen Denise Frausto Gonzalez sits at the front porch of her home in Central El Paso, Texas, on Saturday, March 1, 2025. Gonzalezs 17-year-old sister, Angelica Frausto, was reported missing on Sept. 16, 1987, and her body was found Nov. 3, 1987. David Leonard Wood, known as the "Desert Killer" has been on Texas death row since Nov. 10, 1992, and is scheduled to be executed on March 13, 2025. Wood was convicted of killing Angelica and five other women and girls whose bodies were found in El Paso's Northeast desert. But Marcia Fulton, mother of 15-year-old victim Desiree Wheatley, told USA TODAY that she was disappointed in the stay but not surprised. Fulton was planning to drive 720 miles from El Paso to Huntsville to witness Woods execution on Thursday. Im waiting for justice for my daughter because I promised her that at her gravesite. Each time this happens, it breaks my heart again, that I can't follow through, Fulton said. Victims have no justice system. Disappointed yes, but it's not like I am waiting for him to die. Marcia Fulton with photos of her daughter Desiree Wheatley in the living room of her West El Paso home. Contributing: Greta Cross, Fernando Cervantes This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas court issues rare stay of execution for David Leonard Wood WASHINGTON President Trump said Wednesday that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is not Jewish anymore building upon his prior taunts that the Brooklyn Democrat had morphed into a Palestinian by his strident criticism of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Schumer is a Palestinian, as far as Im concerned. Hes become a Palestinian. He used to be Jewish. Hes not Jewish anymore. Hes a Palestinian, Trump, 78, said in the Oval Office during a bilateral with Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin part of a far-ranging denunciation of congressional Democrats. Schumer, 74, staunchly supported Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks that killed about 1,200 people going so far as to visit the Jewish state and return with lists of weapons that Israeli officials requested, vowing to help provide everything they need. President Trump said Wednesday that Sen. Chuck Schumer is no longer Jewish. REUTERS Schumer became increasingly critical of Israels government during the war in Gaza. Getty Images Schumer also condemned anti-Israel protests that erupted immediately after the Oct. 7 rampage and that November gave a Senate floor speech denouncing pro-Hamas dogwhistles at rallies protesting Israels invasion of the Gaza Strip. Schumer later became increasingly critical of the Netanyahu government and in March 2024 called for new elections, saying the conservative leader continues to pursue dangerous and inflammatory policies that test existing US standards for assistance. A Schumer spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A family that was deported to Mexico hopes they can find a way to return to the U.S. and ensure their 10-year-old daughter, who is a U.S. citizen, can continue her brain cancer treatment. Immigration authorities removed the girl and four of her American siblings from Texas on Feb. 4, when they deported their undocumented parents. The familys ordeal began last month, when they were rushing from Rio Grande, where they lived, to Houston, where their daughters specialist doctors are based, for an emergency medical checkup. A 10-year-old girl recovering from brain cancer was deported with her undocumented parents last month. The Texas Civil Rights Project blurred the photograph for safety purposes. The parents had done the trip at least five other times in the past, passing through an immigration checkpoint every time without any issues, according to attorney Danny Woodward from the Texas Civil Rights Project, a legal advocacy and litigation organization representing the family. In previous occasions, the parents showed letters from their doctors and lawyers to the officers at the checkpoint to get through. But in early February, the letters werent enough. When they stopped at the checkpoint, they were arrested after the parents were unable to show legal immigration documentation. The mother, who spoke exclusively to NBC News, said she tried explaining her daughters circumstances to the officers, but they werent interested in hearing that. Other than lacking valid immigration status in the U.S., the parents have no criminal history, Woodward said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which detained and deported the family, according to their lawyer, said in an email: "For privacy reasons, we do not comment on individual cases." The 10-year-old girl was diagnosed with brain cancer last year and underwent surgery to remove the tumor. Doctors practically gave me no hope of life for her, but thank God shes a miracle, the mother said. The swelling on the girls brain is still not fully gone, the mother said, causing difficulties with speech and mobility of the right side of her body. Before the family was removed from the U.S., the girl was routinely checking in with doctors monitoring her recovery, attending rehabilitation therapies and taking medication to prevent convulsions. Its a very difficult thing, the mother said. I dont wish anyone to go through this situation. What is happening to this family is an absolute tragedy and it is something that is not isolated to just them, said Rochelle Garza, president of the Texas Civil Rights Project. This is part of a pattern in practice that weve seen in the Trump administration, Garza said, adding that she has heard of multiple other cases concerning mixed-status families. But for now, this is the only case of this nature the organization has taken on. The Trump administrations border czar, Tom Homan, has said families can be deported together regardless of status. Homan said it would be up to the parents to decide whether to depart the U.S. together or leave their children behind. But undocumented parents of U.S.-born children, if picked up by immigration authorities, face the risk of losing custody of their children. Without a power-of-attorney document or a guardianship outlining who will take care of the children left behind, the children go into the U.S. foster care system, making it harder for the parents to regain custody of their children in the future. Immigration authorities removed four American children from Texas. The Texas Civil Rights Project blurred the photograph for safety purposes. According to the girl's mother, she recalled feeling like she could not do anything, she said in Spanish. Youre between a rock and a hard place. NBC News is withholding the name of the mother and the rest of the family members, since they were deported to an area in Mexico that is known for kidnapping U.S. citizens. In addition to the parents and their 10-year-old sick daughter, four of their other children, ages 15, 13, 8, and 6, were also in the car when they were detained. Four of the five children were born in the U.S. According to the mother, the family was taken to a detention center following the arrest, where the mom and daughters were separated from her husband and sons and she realized she wouldn't be taking her daughter to her doctors. The fear is horrible. I almost cant explain it, but its something frustrating, very tough, something you wouldnt wish on anyone, she said, adding that her sick daughter was laying on a cold floor beneath incandescent lights. Hours later, the family was placed in a van and dropped on the Mexico side of a Texas bridge, the mother said. From there, they sought refuge in a nearby shelter for a week. The family has since moved into a house, but the mom said that safety concerns keep them up at night and the children haven't been able to go to school. The 10-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son, who lives with a heart disorder known as Long QT syndrome, which causes irregular heartbeats and can be life-threatening if not treated well, have not received the health care they need in Mexico, their mother said. The teen wears a monitor that tracks his heart rate. The authorities have my childrens lives in their hands, she said in tears. Both parents arrived to the U.S. from Mexico in 2013 and settled in Texas hoping for a better life for the family, the mother said. She and her husband both worked a string of different jobs to support their six children. The couple also has a 17-year-old son they left behind in Texas following their deportation. Just two weeks ago, another undocumented mother in California caring for her 21-year-old daughter, a U.S. citizen undergoing treatment for bone cancer, was detained by immigration authorities and later released under humanitarian parole. "We are calling on the government," Garza said, "to parole the family in, to correct the harm that they've made and to not do this to anyone else." All eyes were on Moscow on Wednesday after American and Ukrainian officials said they would be willing to enforce a 30-day ceasefire in the country's three-year war and made it clear the ball was in Russias court. The Kremlin said that it was wary of "jumping the gun" following the talks, and that it would wait to hear from Washington directly about the possibility of a call between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin this week. We are carefully studying the statements, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that officials in Moscow were familiarizing themselves with the joint statement issued after breakthrough talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials. Peskov did not rule out a conversation between Trump and Putin later, which the U.S. president said Tuesday was in the cards. Firefighters tackle a blaze Tuesday after a Russian drone strike in Odesa, Ukraine. Peskov's comments come after a summit Tuesday between Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz and their Ukrainian counterparts in the Saudi city of Jeddah. The seven-hour negotiations did not identify specifics about how the war might end, but concluded with both sides agreeing in principle to a monthlong ceasefire. Rubio said Wednesday his team would contact Russia later that day "and we'll see what their response is." "Were going to bring it to them directly. Were going to say that Ukraine is prepared to stop all battlefield activity and begin an immediate process of negotiating an enduring end of the war," Rubio told reporters during a layover at Irelands Shannon Airport, on the way back to Washington, D.C. "If their response is 'yes,' then we know we've made real progress, and there's a real chance of peace. If their response is 'no,' it will be highly unfortunate, and then it'll make their intentions clear." Speaking Wednesday afternoon in a media briefing in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Tuesday's talks as constructive and suggested that a 30-day ceasefire be used to negotiate a broader peace deal. I am very serious (about a ceasefire) and for me it is important to end the war, Zelenskyy said, adding that he felt the talks had helped to de-escalate tensions between Kyiv and Washington after his meeting last month with Trump descended into an extraordinary shouting match. Putin has so far offered zero concessions to end the war, nor has Trump asked for any, instead suggesting that Ukraine may have to give up the fifth of its territory controlled by Russia, while agreeing never to join NATO. If Russia "says 'yes,' one thing we will have to determine is who both sides trust to be on the ground monitoring small arms fire," Rubio said Wednesday. Russia has a well-documented history of violating. ceasefires with Ukraine over the past decade. Putin says he does want a truce, but only on terms that amount to little more than Ukrainian surrender. Nevertheless, French President Emmanuel Macron was among the Western leaders welcoming "the progress made in the talks" on Wednesday, writing on X that "the ball is now clearly in Russias court." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it an "important moment for peace in Ukraine." He said in a statement that "Russia must now agree to a ceasefire and an end to the fighting, too." Some hard-line voices in Moscow, however, appeared wary or outright hostile toward the deal, fearing that a ceasefire will allow Ukrainians to regroup and rearm something Ukrainians also fear about the Russian military. Russias position would not be determined abroad due to some agreements or efforts of some parties, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said. Rather, she told the state-run Radio Sputnik station, The establishment of the position of the Russian Federation happens within the Russian Federation. The ceasefire agreement will not work, said Alexander Dugin, an ultranationalist philosopher sometimes referred to as "Putins Rasputin" thanks to his long beard and ties to the Kremlin. Putin will not accept a ceasefire as Russia many times clearly said before, without discussing the conditions of solid peace. Trump this time is wrong, Dugin wrote in a post on X. Rubio and Waltz emerged with the proposal after around seven hours of talks with Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Andriy Yermak, the chief of Zelenskyys presidential office. They agreed to resume the flow of U.S. aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine. Ukrainian officials also said they would be willing to enforce an immediate 30-day ceasefire. Rubio said it would be up to Moscow whether to accept. Were going to tell them this is whats on the table: Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now itll be up to them to say yes or no, the secretary of state told reporters Tuesday. If they say no, then well unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here. Even if Putin were to agree to this interim detente, there remains a gulf between the positions of Russia and Ukraine, which wants security guarantees before signing a ceasefire with a giant neighbor that has violated past agreements. WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. immigration detention is filled to capacity at 47,600 detainees, a senior U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said on a call with reporters on Wednesday, adding that the Trump administration was seeking more bed space. The official, who requested anonymity as a condition of the call, said ICE was expanding its bed count with support from the U.S. Defense Department, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Prisons. ICE is currently funded to house an average of 41,500 detainees. The official said the agency was working with U.S. lawmakers to secure more detention funding. U.S. President Donald Trump, a Republican, has vowed to deport record numbers of migrants in the U.S. illegally, saying it is needed after high levels of illegal immigration under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden. Trump's border czar Tom Homan said in December 2024 that the administration would need at least 100,000 beds for the mass deportation effort. ICE has stepped up arrests since Trump took office on January 20, including of immigration violators with no other criminal charges or convictions. From January 20-March 10, ICE made about 32,800 arrests, of whom 27% were alleged immigration violators with no other criminal charge or conviction, the ICE official said. The Biden administration in all of fiscal year 2024 made 113,400 total arrests, ICE figures show. While ICE arrests have risen, initial Trump deportations have lagged Biden averages last year, Reuters reported in February. However, Biden-era deportations figures were boosted by high numbers of migrants caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border who were then rapidly deported or returned to Mexico. (Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Mary Milliken, Chizu Nomiyama, Matthew Lewis and Nick Zieminski) A Vermont police sergeant is accused of having a YouTube video playing on a computer-mounted tablet in his cruiser when he fatally hit a cyclist in South Burlington, Vermont last year. The incident happened in November 2024, when investigators say Kyle Kapitanski was driving over the speed limit with a YouTube video playing moments before the crash. Court documents obtained by the Burlington Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, form a part of a felony charge against Kapitanski. The incident was captured by his body-worn camera and reviewed by Detective Sgt. Steven Gelder of the Vermont State Police. A charging document written by Gelder says that Kapitanski's car-mounted tablet displayed a web browser with a YouTube video pulled up and that Kapitanski concealed his YouTube usage following the crash. "(Kapitanski's) hand can be seen changing the tablet's display screen, after the collision, from the YouTube website to Valcour, which is a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) screen," the document says. Kapitanski was issued a felony citation last month following an investigation by Vermont State Police, and his arraignment for the charge of grossly negligent operation with death resulting will take place on March 13. He could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the charge. What happened? Kapitanski is accused of hitting Burlington resident Sean Hayes in the early morning of Nov. 11, 2024. Hayes was reported to be pushing a bike with an attached trailer along the curb of the road when he was struck from behind. Hayes did not have reflective gear or lights on his bike or trailer. The crash report obtained by the Burlington Free Press after the accident revealed that Kapitanski was driving about 40 mph in an area with a speed limit of 35. He also did not stop right away, with his brakes activated about 85 feet past the collision site, according to the crash report. The police department's IT team reported the video playing at the time of the accident was titled, "Trans woman CONFRONTING Matt Walsh takes UNEXPECTED turn." Hayes died at the scene from blunt force trauma. Kapitanski was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. In a statement to the Burlington Free Press, Kapitanski's attorney David Sleigh said he plans to challenge the charge, stating the evidence presented does not constitute the charge. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_. Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vermont police sergeant allegedly watching YouTube during fatal crash Neil Mockford/GC Images When it comes to Victoria Beckhams eponymous label, the designer is her own muse. But rubbing elbows with the British monarchy certainly doesnt hurt. In fact, it may have influenced her creative process for her Fall 2025 collection, which saw the return of a box bag that recalled a style Meghan Markle made so popular it went viral in 2018. Lest you forget, one of Markles most memorable fashion moments before taking a step back from her royal duties was in December 2018, when she wore head-to-toe Victoria Beckham to attend Saint Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham alongside Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton and other members of the British royal family. At the time, Markle (now 43) was carrying her first child (Archie, now 5 years old). Still, rather than cover up her baby bump (like the late actress-turned-royal Grace Kelly, who memorably used an Hermes bag to hide her pregnancy while filming To Catch a Thief), she opted for the decidedly compact Powder Box bag plucked right off Victorias Beckhams Fall 2018 runway. Meghan Markles Chic Style Evolution: From Actress to Royalty Inspired by 1950s vanity cases, the bag featured an interior mirror, a lipstick-sized pocket, and a curved gold-tone metal clasp. Despite the $1,600 price tag, it swiftly sold out after Markle was snapped with it. Samir Hussein/WireImage The bag became so famous that it was displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, London, soon thereafter. Meanwhile, Beckham, 50, was a stones throw away at her home in nearby Holland Park when she saw photos of Markle with the bag seen around the world. The next month, she appeared on Live With Kelly and Ryan and spoke about the "Meghan Markle Effect." She looked so beautiful. It was such a lovely surprise to wake up to on Christmas morning, Beckham said. Shes such a beautiful, strong and wonderful woman, so it was a huge honor. Samir Hussein/WireImage Fast-forward to 2025, and Beckham has seemingly put a spin on the historically significant accessory for her Fall 2025 outing at Paris Fashion Week. Models carried leather box bags that, in keeping with the androgynous tone of the collection, leaned more toward a mini briefcase than a vanity case. Peter White/Getty Images The same retro aesthetic was also woven into the 1930s-influenced evening dresses, which Beckham has been putting into play at events, some of them on recent royal occasions. Ben Birchall - WPA Pool/Getty Images As a guest at a Buckingham Palace state banquet, an Italian-themed dinner at the King Charles' Highgrove House estate and more, the designers proximity to the palace could have inspired her to revisit the iconic bag fit for a duchess. Ive absolutely learned so much by going to these things with David, Beckham told Vogue after her fashion show on Friday, March 7. She said she dresses understated to observe royal etiquette, which on her (and Markle, for that matter) photographs flawlessly from every angle. According to royal fashion protocol, eveningwear calls for a gown and a small, elegant clutch something Beckham has in the bag for Fall 2025. by Fady Noun The representatives of the two countries agreed yesterday to start talks on the land border. The mediation of the United States was decisive, with the Israeli government then releasing five Lebanese detainees, including a member of Hezbollah. Surprise among the ranks of the Party of God, who tried to hinder the agreement by refusing disarmament and a diplomatic solution. Beirut (AsiaNews) - An important development occurred yesterday in Lebanon, taking by surprise the upper echelons in Beirut who had feared a stagnation of the military situation on the border with Israel and the same leaders of Hezbollah. The United States has in fact changed the course of the situation, announcing the imminent resumption of indirect negotiations between the Land of the Cedars and Israel, with three objectives: to definitively rectify the border between the two states, currently delimited by a provisional blue line temporary line traced by the United Nations; to put an end to the occupation by the Jewish state, since 18 February, of five observation points in Lebanese territory, while the ceasefire agreement of 26 November 2024 provides for the total withdrawal of Israeli forces; to release all Lebanese prisoners detained by Israel. With this in mind, three joint working groups will be set up to deal with these three points of the agreement. The announcement was made at the end of a meeting of the Israeli-Lebanese ceasefire supervision committee, led by US General Jasper Jeffers, at the headquarters of the UN peacekeeping force in Naqoura. According to Axios, a delegation from the US State Department is expected in Beirut shortly to follow up on these proposals. The senior US official had previously met with Head of State Joseph Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, in the presence of US ambassador Lisa Johnson. However, the issue of the Shebaa Farms, a part of which is still occupied by Israel, was excluded from this agreement, since Lebanese sovereignty over this portion of territory is also contested by Syria. However, it is not impossible that the installation of the new Syrian government could provide an opportunity to resolve this issue too, which his predecessor [Bashar al-Assad] had always refused to address and settle. A gesture by Netanyahu Confirming the agreement from his office, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the Jewish state would make a gesture to the Aoun presidency, by releasing five Lebanese prisoners detained by his army. In reality, four of them were handed over yesterday at the Unifil headquarters in Naqoura. A fifth, who is in hospital, should be released today. Citing two American officials, Axios reported that one of the Lebanese released by Israel is a member of Hezbollah. According to reports in Lebanon, a total of 11 citizens of the Land of the Cedars are currently being held by Israel. Among these eleven, whom Beirut considers to be hostages, there is also Imad Fadel Amhaz, who was studying at the Batroun Institute of Maritime Science and Technology and whom the Israeli government allegedly presented and considered to be a member of Hezbollah's naval force. He was kidnapped at the beginning of November 2024 by an Israeli naval commando, who took him from a chalet he was occupying on the Lebanese coast. Hezbollah taken by surprise The resumption of negotiations and the release of the Lebanese prisoners took Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem by surprise, as he had just expressed doubts about the success of Lebanon's diplomatic efforts to resolve the differences with Israel. Observers believe that this announcement gives the new government a powerful argument for speeding up the implementation of Resolution 1701, whose main objective is the disarmament of the pro-Iranian Party of God. According to sources from the US State Department quoted by journalist Bassam Abizeid from the Ici-Beyrouth website, these developments are part of a context of renewed attempts at normalisation between Israel and some Arab countries. They should finally lead to the inclusion of Lebanon in the so-called Abraham Accords led by Saudi Arabia and aimed at full relations between the Jewish state and Riyadh. However, an anonymous diplomatic source quoted by the Lebanese newspaper L'Orient-Le Jour denied these rumours and stated that these are in no way political negotiations. Continuous attacks Despite the diplomatic breakthrough, fighting continued throughout yesterday in the south of the country, during which an Israeli drone attack on a car was also recorded in the Nabatiyeh region. The raid is believed to have caused the death of Hassan Abbas Ezzedine, identified as a Hezbollah commander and head of the air defence unit. Another drone attack in the Froun Kfarsir valley, in the Nabatiyeh caza, caused at least one casualty, according to a report confirmed by the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Today's news: Ukraine accepts a 30-day ceasefire at Jeddah talks, Russia's response is awaited; In China, unions ask companies not to ask female candidates about their civil status and pregnancy; Indonesia imposes anti-dumping duty on nylon film from China, Thailand and Taiwan; Social worker convicted of rioting during the 2019 Hong Kong protests. ISRAEL - GAZA - LEBANON Hamas announces the start of a new round of negotiations with Israel while US envoy Steve Witkoff arrives in Qatar for talks. In the last few hours Israel has intensified its attacks on Gaza, killing at least eight people, including a child. Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon have begun negotiations on the land border between the two countries, according to statements released by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus. UKRAINE - USA - RUSSIA Ukraine has said it is ready to accept an immediate 30-day ceasefire with Russia, proposed by the United States, after a day of talks between the US and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would present the offer to Russia and that the ball is in their court. Moscow has not yet publicly commented on the matter. Tuesday's talks in Jeddah were the first official meeting between the two countries after the clash between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on 28 February. The United States says it wants to lift the aid freeze on Kiev. CHINA Several Chinese trade unions, including in the central province of Hunan and in the southern hub of Shenzhen, have sent official notices to companies to stop requiring potential employees to disclose their marital status and pregnancy. The notices, posted on the official Wechat pages of the state-backed labour unions of Shenzhen, Hunan and Qinghai, have been among the most shared articles on social media in recent days with many netizens saying it was a step in the right direction to address widespread gender inequality. INDONESIA Indonesia will impose an anti-dumping duty on nylon film imports from China, Thailand and Taiwan, according to a regulation from the Ministry of Finance, which will last for the next four years. The measure was adopted after an investigation found that the products of these companies caused losses to local industry. China is Indonesia's main trading partner. Nylon is used in food and industrial packaging, in the pharmaceutical, electronics and textile sectors. HONG KONG A Hong Kong social worker has been found guilty of rioting during the 2019 democracy protests. The court rejected her claim to be a mediator, instead ruling that she had encouraged people to resist the police. To quell the vast protest movement that engulfed much of the city between 2019 and 2020, Hong Kong introduced a strict national security law and launched a harsh crackdown. Over the course of five years, almost 3,000 people have been convicted. JAPAN - USA Japan's Trade Minister said he had asked the United States not to impose trade tariffs on his country, but did not obtain any guarantee that Japan would be exempted, including from the 25% tariff on steel and aluminium that comes into effect today. We have agreed to continue close consultations with the US government and to start discussions at an operational level as soon as possible, Yoji Muto said in Washington DC after meetings with Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. ARMENIA From April the Armenian government will reduce subsidies to refugees from Artsakh from 50 to 40 thousand drams, and from July to 30 thousand drams (70 euros), and will also reduce the categories of allocation to minors, high school students, people over 63 years of age, those who have lost all income and the disabled, in all just over 10 thousand people, a tenth of those who currently receive this support. Security forces say 155 people were rescued, while the Balochistan Liberation Army says it still has more than 200. The separatists want a prisoner swap within 48 hours. Over the past year, the armed group has shut down major highways and intensified actions against infrastructure, while Islamabad has failed to offer a political solution. Quetta (AsiaNews) Pakistan's security forces have announced that they freed 155 hostages from the train that was seized yesterday by members of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). The operation to free the other passengers is still ongoing, the Pakistani Home Affairs Ministry said, without specifying how many people are still held by the terrorists. The BLA said it still held 214 people hostage. Local authorities could not confirm the number, but law enforcement officials reported killing 27 terrorists. Pakistan's leading English-language newspaper, Dawn, said that it would not provide any details about the ongoing operation until it was completed. Rescue operations are complicated by the fact that Baloch separatists have positioned themselves near passengers wearing explosive vests, Reuters reports. For its part, the BLA claims to have placed civilians in safety, and to have taken Pakistani prisoners of war. The Balochistan Liberation Army began its action yesterday by blowing up tracks to block the Jaffar Express, which was carrying about 450 people from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, to Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a trip that usually takes 30 hours of travel. In several communiques, the separatists have set a 48-hour ultimatum for the release of Baloch prisoners held by the government in exchange for the hostages. In case of refusal, they said that hostages would be killed. Balochis are an Iranic ethnic group. For decades, Balochi separatists have been fighting the Pakistani state, accusing it of behaving like a colonial power that exploits the region's natural resources to the detriment of the local population. In recent years, the BLA has also targeted infrastructure projects that are part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), such as the port of Gwadar, often carrying out attacks against strategic sites and Chinese nationals, seen as complicit in the regions economic exploitation. Last week a group of armed groups, known as Baluch Raji Ajohi Sangar (Balochi National Liberation Movement, BRAS), to which the BLA belongs, issued a statement announcing the creation of a new army with the aim of continuing the "war" against China and Pakistan and promising to inflict greater losses on the enemy. In the last year, Pakistan has reported a rise in terrorist activities across the country, especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, by the Pakistani Taliban, and in Balochistan. According to a report by a local think tank, the Pak Institute for Peace Studies, the latter saw an 84 per cent increase in attacks over the previous year, up by 120 per cent in the case of the BLA and other separatist groups. Although Pakistan's security forces have suffered the greatest losses, the BLA has also targeted the rail and highway infrastructure. In the first two months of 2025 alone, BRAS-linked groups blocked three major highways in the province on four separate occasions, carrying out passenger checks for hours, looking for members of the Pakistani security forces. In the statement released on 2 March, the BRAS also announced that it would intensify the blockade on all important highways of Balochistan to disrupt the logistical, economic, and military interests of the occupying state. The road connecting Quetta to Karachi, one of the busiest, has been dubbed the killer highway due to the growing number of violent incidents carried out by Baloch separatists. It is crucial for the local population, who use it mainly to seek medical care. Other infrastructure projects planned by the government of Pakistan have remained unfinished. This limited local mobility, and exposed locals to acts of violence: In April and August 2024, the BLA targeted buses from the central province of Punjab, killing dozens of passengers. In November, a suicide bomber struck a train shortly after it departed from Quetta train station, killing at least 32 people. Last month, the BLA took control of Zehri, a rural town in central Balochistan, and held it for several hours, trying to find security personnel. Since the start of the year, national highways have been shut down 76 times for different reasons. So far, the government of Pakistan has responded to the Balochistan insurgency with harsh repression, in many instances resorting to violent tactics, such as the enforced disappearances of young people suspected of belonging to separatist groups. Despite requests from many quarters, Islamabad has always refused to negotiate with the Balochis. The US retail giant has reportedly asked Chinese companies to cut prices to compensate for the Trump tariffs. Chinese suppliers complain that they are already working with very narrow profit margins to compete. Chinas Ministry of Commerce warns the US company that its interests in the Chinese domestic market are also at stake. Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) The clash between Washington and Beijing over the new tariffs imposed by Trump has shifted to the retail sector. Chinese state media report that Chinas Ministry of Commerce held talks with Walmart, the US retail giant, over complaints by several Chinese suppliers, including kitchenware and clothing manufacturers, who say they have received a request from the US company to cut the selling prices of goods to compensate for the costs of duties. In practice, this would mean unloading the White Houses tariffs onto manufacturers, to avoid repercussions on sales in the United States. The additional 10 per cent tariff imposed by Donald Trump on Chinese goods came into force on 4 March, after the 10 per cent tariff introduced on 4 February. Walmart's request is causing an uproar among Chinese companies, which are estimated to supply about 60 per cent of the products sold by the US giant. According to the Bloomberg, most are already struggling with razor-thin profit margins, because the US company already buys goods at steep discounts to maintain its competitive advantage. As a result, Chinas Ministry of Commerce warned Walmart of the damage that its request could cause to the entire supply chain, negatively impacting Chinese suppliers but also US retailers and consumers. According to reports from the Communist Party tabloid Global Times, Beijing reminded Walmart that China is behind the companys global growth over the past year. In the last quarter, Walmart sales in China grew by as much as 23.1 per cent year-on-year, far outperforming the US market. Such results would be hard to replicate if the trade war were to continue. by Sumon Corraya Piyas Majumder, 22, was shot in broad daylight during a robbery in Kotalipara, Gopalganj. Concerns grow following the violent death, sparking protests among minorities who want greater law enforcement. In the first seven months of the countrys provisional government, the death tool from gang violence reached 119. For Abdul Wahab Minar, December elections are impossible without change. Dhaka (AsiaNews) A robbery in broad daylight in Kotalipara, Gopalganj district, has left one young Christian dead, raising serious concerns for the safety of minorities in the country. The incident took place yesterday afternoon in the village of Lakirpara. The victim, Piyas Majumder, 22, was brutally strangled after he was tied to a bed by thieves during a home burglary. The criminals broke into the residence of Paul Majumder Khokon, a dentist, and his wife Anita Vaidya, a nurse, while they were away working. Upon returning home, the man found his son immobilised and lifeless. His cries for help attracted neighbours, who immediately took Piyas to the Kotalipara Upazila Health Complex, where doctors pronounced him dead. After tying up the young man, the burglars allegedly stole cash, gold jewellery, and other valuables. Salman Majumder, one of the neighbours, confirmed the version. We heard Paul Majumder Khokon's screams and rushed in. We found Piyas tied up and immediately sent him to the hospital. The entire house was ransacked, he said. Kotalipara Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Abul Kalam Azad said that the body was sent to Gopalganj Morgue for autopsy. "Further legal action will be taken after a thorough investigation," he added. The deterioration of the law and order situation has sparked fear among minority communities, particularly women. The atmosphere is not at all reassuring. The increase in crimes, murders, robberies and sexual assaults have prompted many women from religious minorities to reconsider their safety. Some, desperate, are even thinking of leaving the country. Fr Liton Gomes, parish priest in Gouronodi, Diocese of Barishal, condemned the killing. The murder of Christian youth Piyas Majumder is heartbreaking. I extend my deepest condolences to the victims family and strongly demand justice and exemplary punishment for the criminals," the clergyman told AsiaNews. As a result of the climate of insecurity, protests broke out at educational establishments in various cities, including Dhaka, with people calling for stronger law enforcement. Some have even called for the resignation of the interim government's Home Affairs Advisor. This worrying trend comes a time when joint forces are carrying out a nationwide security operation called Devil Hunt. Despite this, incidents such as bus robberies, home break-ins, and public killings continue to sow fear. Social media is abuzz with outrage over recent cases of gang beatings, kidnappings and extrajudicial violence, further raising public concern. According to human rights groups, 119 people have been killed by gang violence in seven months since the current government came to power. In January and February alone, 96 women and children were raped. In the same period, 16 people lost their lives due to political violence. Police reported that 294 people were killed in January 2025, up from 231 in January 2024, a significant jump. Meanwhile, political parties are increasingly concerned about the upcoming general election, scheduled for December, fearing that it will not be free nor fair. A fair election is impossible without first improving the law and order situation," said Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party Senior Vice Chairman Dr Abdul Wahab Minar. The continuous reports of rape, robbery, and kidnappings are deeply disturbing. How can such crimes persist while the army is deployed on the streets? The interim government must answer for this failure, he said, adding: How do you expect to hold a fair election amid this chaos? With crime on the rise and people losing faith in law enforcement, urgent action is needed to restore peace and security in the country. The call for justice for the murder of Piyas Majumder is another call for accountability in an increasingly insecure society. Champion local news. Join our community of readers who value daily beat reporting and in-depth stories alike. Your membership allows us to continue the legacy of local, independent journalism in the Roaring Fork Valley. With your support, we can remain a free and accessible source of news for everyone, always without paywalls or corporate influence. Together, we can ensure that vital local stories are told. 12 March 2025 13:59 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Azerbaijan's energy sector continues to expand its reach, reinforcing its role as a key supplier of natural gas to Europe. During a joint press conference with North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the country's growing energy partnerships, stating, Azerbaijan currently exports natural gas to 12 countries, and geographically, our customers are located in Eurasia. President Aliyev further emphasized that ten out of these 12 countries are European nations. Last year, Azerbaijan exported 25 billion cubic meters of gas to foreign markets. Of course, we produce more than this. He underlined the strategic importance of Azerbaijani gas for Europe, pointing to the Declaration on Strategic Partnership in the field of energy between the European Union and Azerbaijan, signed in Baku about three years ago, as a testament to the strong energy ties between both sides. Today, Azerbaijani gas contributes to the energy security of many European countries, Aliyev added, stressing that we have always attached great importance to the requests of our European partners. In other words, bilateral cooperation in the energy sector is very important to us, and I do hope that this practical cooperation will pave the way for collaboration in other areas as well. What does this mean for Azerbaijans energy future? Economist and Member of Parliament of Azerbaijan Vugar Bayramov shared his thoughts with AzerNews, stating that this meeting will contribute to the further deepening of relations between the countries: "The countries have already started cooperation in the energy sector. Azerbaijani gas was delivered to the North Macedonian market at the end of 2024, and this year energy cooperation will deepen further. Relations between the two countries have been developing further in recent years. North Macedonia is among the European countries that want to further expand energy cooperation with Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan, on the other hand, has the opportunity to export more gas to partner countries. Azerbaijan's gas exports to Europe increased by 8.6 percent in 2024, reaching 12.9 billion cubic meters. Last year, 50.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas were produced in our country. Compared to 2023, production increased by 2 billion cubic meters. It should be noted that in 2024, for the first time in the history of Azerbaijan, blue gas production exceeded 50 billion cubic meters per year. This means more export opportunities for our country. Currently, Azerbaijan is transporting blue gas to 12 countries in the region. Blue gas exports not only increase state revenues, but also further strengthen our country's geopolitical position and contribute to the energy security of the region. It strengthens Azerbaijan's role in strengthening the security of the region. This means new opportunities for cooperation with partner countries, including North Macedonia." With Azerbaijan's gas production reaching new milestones, its role in Europe's energy security continues to expand. As energy cooperation deepens, Baku is further solidifying its position as a key energy supplier to the region. 12 March 2025 10:00 (UTC+04:00) Full digital access to all news for 1 year Full digital access to all news for 6 months Full digital access to all news for 3 months Full digital access to all news for 1 month Find the plan that suits you best. Last year, Azerbaijan imported 86.8 million kWh of electricity from Russia, Azernews reports, citing the State Statistical Committee. Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention. Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis. By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more. Subscribe You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper Thank you! 12 March 2025 17:02 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Cooperation between Russia and the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is witnessing significant growth, with trade turnover increasing by 30% last year. This trend is expected to continue in 2025, reflecting expanding economic ties, Azernews reports. As reported in a press release from the Organizing Committee of the 16th International Economic Forum, Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum is scheduled to take place from May 13 to 18. The forum aims to create new opportunities for strengthening trade and investment relations. Russias economic engagement with Islamic countries is already showing concrete results. Trade turnover between Russia and Algeria surpassed $1.7 billion in 2024, driven by Algerias increasing demand for Russian agricultural products such as wheat, barley, and soybean oil. Additionally, Algerias formal application to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has reinforced its strategic partnership with Russia. At the 12th meeting of the Russia-Algeria Intergovernmental Commission in January 2025, discussions focused on expanding trade, particularly in halal products, as well as cooperation in nuclear and renewable energy, oil, and gas. Algeria's potential role as a logistics hub for Russian exports to Africa was also explored. Beyond Algeria, Russia is deepening ties with Bahrain in key sectors, including tourism, education, and Islamic finance. In 2024, joint business ventures between the two nations resulted in around 30 projects valued at $500 million, with interest in further bilateral investment continuing to grow. Russia is also preparing to host its first international conference on Islamic finance and investment, organized by the Accounting and Auditing Agency for Islamic Financial Institutions in Manama. According to the forums organizing committee, the trade potential between Russia and Islamic countries is estimated at $9 billion, highlighting vast opportunities for cooperation. The upcoming KazanForum 2025 is expected to serve as a key platform for discussing new projects and further expanding economic and trade relations between Russia and OIC member states. 12 March 2025 15:00 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more The management team of the Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Tashkent has visited the Uzbekistan State Academy of Choreography at the invitation of the academy, Azernews reports. During a productive meeting between Akif Marifli, the director of the Azerbaijan Cultural Center, and Shukhrat Tokhtasimov, the rector of the Uzbekistan State Academy of Choreography, there was a strong focus on enhancing cooperation between the two nations in the areas of culture, art, education, and science. At the conclusion of the meeting, both parties reached an agreement to formalize their partnership through a memorandum of understanding. This memorandum aims to strengthen ties in the realm of national dance art, promote the exchange of expertise, and facilitate the implementation of joint projects between the respective cultural institutions of the two countries. Note that the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center in Tashkent plays a special role in the Azerbaijani-Uzbek relations in the fields of culture, science, education, and tourism. The center was opened on September 27, 2010, with the participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Since then, the cultural center has successfully implemented a number of projects, aimed at strengthening the ties between the two countries. 12 March 2025 17:56 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theater has filled with excitement as it celebrated National Theater Day, Azernews reports. This special occasion honours the rich cultural traditions and artistic achievements of theatre in Azerbaijan and beyond. This year's event was even more significant as it marked the closing ceremony of the "Baku Premiere of Regional Theaters" project. This initiative, created in partnership with the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting (AzTV), and the Azerbaijan Union of Theater Workers, showcased the talent of regional theatres across the country. Azerbaijan Culture Minister Adil Karimli addressed the audience, noting the important role theatre plays in promoting Azerbaijani art. He emphasized the state's commitment to supporting the development of theatrical arts and recognizing the hard work of cultural figures who contribute to the artistic scene. The event also welcomed distinguished guests, including the celebrated Georgian director Robert Sturua, who serves as the artistic director of the Shota Rustaveli National Theater of Georgia, and theatre director Giorgi Tevzadze. Their presence highlighted the strong friendship and cultural ties between the people of Georgia and Azerbaijan, a relationship built on mutual respect and collaboration. The celebration included a stunning performance by the Azerbaijan State Dance Ensemble, fascinating the audience with their skilful choreography. As the evening went on, the outcomes of the "Baku Premiere of Regional Theaters" initiative were discussed, shining a light on the creativity and performances of these regional theatres. The night concluded with the presentation of theatre awards to honour outstanding contributions and celebrate the dedication of those involved in the arts. 12 March 2025 17:42 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more The XII Baku Global Forum, set to take place in Baku, is expected to bring together around 400 participants, providing them with an opportunity to learn more about Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. Speaking at a press conference of the forums board, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former President of Latvia (1999-2007) and co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, emphasized the significance of such discussions in addressing global challenges. She highlighted the devastating consequences of conflicts between countries, including the destruction of civilian infrastructure and loss of human lives. I believe that all these issues will be discussed at the forum and solutions will be sought. We saw how the discussions held at COP29, which attracted the attention of the world last fall, can have a positive impact on solving problems. Thus, the forum will be a platform where participants from different parts of the world can hold very broad discussions, she stated. The Baku Global Forum has established itself as a key venue for dialogue on pressing international issues, fostering cooperation and understanding among global leaders and experts. This year's forum will be especially important, as the world is facing large-scale changes. Azernews reports that Ismail Serageldin, co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, made this statement during a press conference of the Baku Global Forum Board of Directors. He noted that the forum will be attended by about 400 participants, including at least 50 current and former presidents, prime ministers, as well as heads of UN structures, scientists, and experts. The XII Baku Global Forum will be an important event that will bring together leading world leaders, representatives of international organizations, and scientists for open, substantive discussions, he said. Serageldin also underscored the importance of open, sincere, experience-oriented, and analytical discussions, reinforcing the forums role as a key venue for dialogue on pressing international issues, fostering cooperation and understanding among global leaders and experts. 12 March 2025 11:19 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more During her visit to New York, the Chairwoman of the State Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs of Azerbaijan, Bahar Muradova, met with Serbias Minister for Gender Equality, the Prevention of Violence Against Women, and the Empowerment of Women, Tatyana Makura, within the framework of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN, Azernews reports. The meeting focused on discussions regarding the efforts and experiences of both countries in the field of family affairs. Bahar Muradova emphasized that Serbia is a friendly country to Azerbaijan and highlighted the strong bilateral ties between the two countries at the highest political level. She also shared information about the activities of the State Committee she heads and noted significant progress in Azerbaijans family affairs over the past five years. Muradova highlighted the various campaigns conducted in Azerbaijan to raise awareness about early marriage and domestic violence, including widespread campaigns on social media. She also pointed out that there have been extensive debates in the Azerbaijani parliament on these issues in recent years, resulting in several amendments to laws and regulations. The Serbian minister expressed that the two countries share common interests in family matters and spoke about a recent campaign in Serbia addressing domestic conflicts. She emphasized the importance of legislative changes in addressing these issues and recognized the role of civil society in combating domestic violence. The two sides discussed the implementation of joint projects in this field and explored further avenues for bilateral cooperation. 12 March 2025 16:45 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Azerbaijans Finance Minister, Sahil Babayev, has met with a delegation led by Nikolay Podguzov, the Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), Azernews reports. During the meeting, Podguzov provided detailed information about the establishment and operations of the EDB, its current members, and the projects it has financed in member countries. He emphasized that there are significant opportunities for cooperation between the bank and Azerbaijan, highlighting that various projects in different sectors could be financed in the country. Minister Babayev, in turn, stressed Azerbaijan's interest in further expanding its cooperation with international financial institutions, noting that the possibility of enhancing collaboration with the Eurasian Development Bank would be considered. The discussion also covered topics related to the banks activities, project financing procedures, and other areas of mutual interest. The meeting marked a significant step toward strengthening bilateral ties and fostering collaboration between Azerbaijan and the EDB. 12 March 2025 17:11 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of North Macedonia, Gordana Silyanovska-Davkova, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan, visited the Ateshgah Temple State Historical and Architectural Reserve on March 12, Azernews reports. The high-ranking guest was provided with detailed information about the history of this ancient monument. Located 30 kilometers from the center of Baku in the Surakhani district, the Ateshgah Temple is recognized worldwide as a site of historical and cultural significance. In ancient times, fire worshipers gathered in this area, believing in the mystical power of the eternal flame and worshiping the sacred fire. It was noted that in the 15th-17th centuries, fire-worshiping Indians who traveled to Absheron with trade caravans visited Surakhani. Indian merchants later constructed new buildings on the site of the ancient temple, with the earliest recorded construction of the Ateshgah Temple dating back to 1713. By the 18th century, a chapel, cells, and a caravanserai were built around the temple, further enhancing its historical and architectural significance. Additionally, since September 2012, with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, extensive landscaping work has been carried out around the temple, and auxiliary buildings have been constructed to improve the visitor experience. 12 March 2025 18:36 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more A delegation led by the Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan (Ombudsman), Sabina Aliyeva, participated in the annual meeting of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) held in Geneva. Azernews reports that the event brought together heads and representatives of national human rights institutions from various countries, as well as international organizations and experts, to discuss key issues on the agenda. Speaking at the thematic session on "Womens and Girls Rights: The Role of NHRIs," Aliyeva highlighted Azerbaijans efforts to enhance the protection of women's rights, expand support services for victims of violence, and increase economic and social opportunities for women. She noted that the Ombudsmans Office has put forward several legislative initiatives to strengthen gender equality and address concerns related to domestic violence, early marriage, and gender-based violence. She emphasized that complaints and cases brought to the institution are promptly investigated, with victims receiving psychological and legal assistance in collaboration with relevant state bodies. Additionally, Aliyeva participated in the session on "National human rights institutions and persons with disabilities," where she discussed Azerbaijans initiatives in this area. She also held meetings with officials from GANHRI and the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions, exchanging views on future cooperation prospects. Chemical reaction only happens when tech meets scale: national lawmaker 10:53, March 12, 2025 By Chu Daye ( Global Times Amid another wave of high-tech frenzy that began this year, with the rise to fame of the likes of the DeepSeek chatbot and the UniTree humanoid robot, multiple national lawmakers and political advisors from various high-tech fields have noted the importance of applying high-tech in real-life industries and scenarios. National lawmakers and political advisors have expounded on the importance of scale as high-tech products light up China's tech landscape in 2025. "We will advance the integrated and clustered development of strategic emerging industries, carry out demonstration initiatives on the large-scale application of new technologies, products, and scenarios...," according to the 2025 Government Work Report. Qi Yuqin, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) and a frontline worker with Ordos Yuansheng Photoelectric Co in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, told the Global Times that she believes it is only when technological breakthroughs and industrial demand collide in specific scenarios and ignite a "chemical reaction," can new quality productive forces truly become the core engine of high-quality development. Qi's company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese display panel giant BOE Technology, a global leader in the semiconductor display industry. Wang Lizong, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the president of the Guangdong High-tech Industry Chamber of Commerce, told the Global Times on Tuesday that new quality productive forces, such as the low-altitude economy, will definitely have development potential with new application scenarios including low-altitude flights, low-altitude logistics and low-altitude drones, providing definite growth impetus to the economy. "However, in the current situation, the market is not particularly large and such technologies still belong to sort of a niche segment, and there needs to be more opening-up and more application scenarios," Wang said. "I call for the rise of Chinese tech products that can perform roles such as mobile phones, TV sets and home appliances - in short, people's tech - to ignite the next wave of consumption." Wang, from Shenzhen - home to Chinese tech giant Huawei and Tencent as well as electric champion BYD - recently drew media attention with his response to the six Hangzhou-based start-ups including artificial intelligence (AI) start-up DeepSeek and video game developer Game Science, known as the "six little dragons" by stating that Chinese tech hub Shenzhen has "a bunch of dragons." China is aiming to seize the opportunities presented by AI breakthroughs, leveraging China's strengths in digital technology, manufacturing and market scale to drive the widespread adoption of AI models across industries and households, Chen Changsheng, a member of the Government Work Report Drafting Team and deputy director of the State Council Research Office, said last week at a press briefing held to explain the Government Work Report. Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Tuesday that he expects pilot programs to gradually drive the mass application of emerging technologies. "For innovative emerging industries, China has profound industrial capacity on the supply side to enable it to scale up, and it also has huge demand. For instance, AI-plus mobile phones will likely give a whole new dimension to the way we use our phones," Zhou said. "China has strengths in these aspects, and the government will need to guide the development and provide the environment to allow the fusion of tech and market." Wang Wen, dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Tuesday that China's technological breakthroughs, regardless of the multi-year US-led tech crackdown, will create even greater contributions to the world in the future. DeepSeek, with its open source, has allowed a great many developing countries to enjoy the benefits of high-tech products and to improve their quality of life, Wang said. "For the past 20 years, China has been doing this: initially, products like TVs and home appliances were expensive, but after China started producing them, prices dropped. This trend later extended to automobiles and now to AI products. Besides AI products and robots, China will be offering a bunch of other products to the world." (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) 12 March 2025 18:09 (UTC+04:00) On March 12, the President of the Republic of North Macedonia, Gjorge Ivanovska-Davkova, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan, toured the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, Azernews reports. The museums director, Amina Malikova, provided the esteemed guest with detailed information about the ancient art of carpet weaving, its history, and traditions. She explained that the museum's collection reflects the key artistic directions of Azerbaijani carpet weaving, showcasing the harmony of materials, weaving techniques, and the intricate artistic characteristics inherent in carpets. It was noted that the museum's "golden collection" consists of carpet examples from Azerbaijan's seven regions: Guba, Baku, Shirvan, Ganja, Gazakh, Karabakh, and Tabriz. These carpets include both pile and non-pile varieties. Additionally, other examples of decorative-applied arts are displayed in the exhibition. The carpets, rich in human, animal, bird, and plant motifs, mirror the everyday life and customs of the Azerbaijani people. It was also highlighted that thanks to the significant efforts of Azerbaijan's First Lady, Mehriban Aliyeva, the national carpet-weaving art was included in UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage on November 16, 2010. The guest also had the opportunity to observe the carpet weaving process at the museum and participated in the weaving experience. Later, information about Azerbaijan's ancient kelaghayi (traditional silk headscarf) art was shared with President Ivanovska-Davkova. She was briefed on the technique of kelaghayi production and the symbolic meanings behind its traditional patterns. The President of North Macedonia then wrote a heartfelt message in the museum's guestbook. At the end of the visit, the President was presented with a book dedicated to the 55th anniversary of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum. In addition to the rich material and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan, the original appearance of the museum building and the unique structure of its exhibition halls left a lasting impression on the President of North Macedonia. 12 March 2025 13:09 (UTC+04:00) The heads of Russian and US intelligence services have decided to hold regular contacts. In their opinion, this is necessary to "reduce confrontation in relations between Moscow and Washington" Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin and CIA Director John Ratcliffe agreed to hold regular contacts to "reduce confrontation in relations between Moscow and Washington." They discussed cooperation between the two countries during a telephone conversation on March 11. During the conversation, issues of interaction between the two special services in areas of common interest and the resolution of crisis situations were discussed, the SVR press bureau said in a statement . Contacts between the directors of the SVR and the CIA will help ensure international stability and security and will also help reduce confrontations between Moscow and Washington, the press bureau added. 12 March 2025 19:39 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva On March 14, a meeting will be held in Beijing with the participation of China, Russia, and Iran to discuss the Iranian nuclear issue, Azernews reports. This was announced during a briefing by the official spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning. "On March 14, a meeting will be held in Beijing with the participation of China, Russia, and Iran to address the Iranian nuclear issue, which will be chaired by Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu," she said. This trilateral meeting underscores the growing diplomatic engagement between these countries regarding the ongoing nuclear tensions in Iran. With global concerns over Irans nuclear program, the involvement of China and Russia highlights their role in shaping the discourse around non-proliferation and the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Given the geopolitical weight of these three nations, the outcome of the meeting could have significant implications for regional stability and international diplomacy. 12 March 2025 21:40 (UTC+04:00) By Alimat Aliyeva The U.S. Department of Education is set to reduce its workforce by nearly 50%, Azernews reports. The relevant document was published on the department's website on March 11. "Today, the Department of Education initiated a staff reduction (RIF), which will affect almost 50% of employees," the report states. The document also clarifies that the staff members who are being laid off will be placed on administrative leave starting March 21. However, the Department of Education will continue to administer all statutory programs, including student loans, Pell Grants, funding for students with special needs, and competitive grant provisions. "Today's staff reductions reflect the Department of Education's commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed to where they are needed most: students, parents, and teachers," said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. On the day of U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration, the department's workforce stood at 4,133 employees. After these reductions, the number of employees will be approximately 2,183. Around 600 individuals have been included in the staff reduction, including those who have opted for voluntary redundancy or retirement over the past seven weeks. This move follows broader trends in the U.S. government to streamline operations and reduce federal spending. While the cuts are likely aimed at increasing efficiency, they may also raise concerns about the department's ability to fully support students and educational initiatives, particularly in areas like special education and student financial aid. The decision reflects ongoing political and fiscal challenges, with a focus on reducing government size while trying to maintain core services. The long-term effects on education policies and support for vulnerable student populations will likely be closely monitored. Lincoln City's Festival of Illusions Puts Magic in Oregon Coast Spring Break Published 03/10/25 at 7:25 p.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff (Lincoln City, Oregon) What spring break needs is a bit of magic. Indeed, on the central Oregon coast, Lincoln City has conjured up just that with the return of its whimsical, weatherproof, wacky, wonderful Spring Break tradition:: The Surftides Festival of Illusions. Enjoy eight days of family fun, with workshops, shows, and more, starting March 23 at 540 NE Hwy. 101 in Lincoln City. This year's lineup features returning favorites like Jeff Evans, Louie Foxx, Joe Black, Alex Zerbe, and The Amazing Bubble Man, along with debuts from Professor DR Schreiber, The Historical Conjurer, and hilarious physical comedian Tony Steinbach. Activities include cookie decorating, ceramics workshops, and a pop-up escape room. Tickets are available at www.lincolncity-culturalcenter.org/festival-of-illusions. This year, the Cultural Center is extending a special invitation to all elementary school students in Lincoln City schools: come join the Festival Fun. With help from a grant from the Lincoln County Cultural Coalition, the Center is offering the following for all students in grades K-8 in Lincoln City schools: Lincoln City elementary school students (grades K-8) are invited to special Festival events, thanks to a grant from the Lincoln County Cultural Coalition: Alex Zerbe - Free admission to one evening magic show (March 23-29, 7 pm). Two-fer tickets (student + adult) will be distributed at schools. - Free daytime matinee of *WATER The Musical*, Wednesday, March 26 at 11 am. - Drop-in Magic Art Studio, 2-4 pm, March 24-28, for $5/child. - Donation-based magic-themed art kits, available at the Cultural Center and Driftwood Public Library. However, visitors to the central Oregon coast can also join in. You dont have to be a local to enjoy the Festival of Illusions, said the center's Niki Price. The schedule is open to visitors, with events and prices to fit every budget, offering a weatherproof way to have fun during Spring Break. In the evenings, youll find the magic shows. Reserved theatre-style seats for the evening stage shows are $19 for adults, $17 for seniors and students, $11 for youth ages 6-18 and free for kids ages 0-5. Purchases of four festival tickets or more receive a 10% discount on the whole order. LCCC membership discounts and comp tickets will be accepted. There will be plenty to do in the daytime, for all ages. In addition to the famous drop-in Abracadabra Magic Art Studio, the Cultural Center will also host a Cookie Decorating Workshop with My Petite Sweet and a Youth Ceramics Workshop. Shaky Grounds Cafe, an escape room on emergency preparedness, will be open March 23-28, with a booth and prize drawing hosted by Cassidy Boyle on March 24. Art kits by Krista Eddy and volunteers are also available by donation. Families can even take a little of the magic home: themed art kits, made by a team of volunteers and the LCCC Visual Arts Director Krista Eddy, will be available while supplies last. Members of the public are invited to shop the art kit room, located next to Margarets Meeting Room, upstairs at the LCCC. Art kits are by donation -- pay what you can and enjoy crafting with the little ones in your life. Explore the outdoor Cultural Plaza, featuring interactive installations like Pete Beemans Poppy and the Rotary Harmony Notes. The Lincoln City Cultural Center is located at 540 NE Highway 101, inside the historic Delake School. The center will be open from 10 am to 5 pm every day, and for all the evening shows, throughout the festival week. For inquiries or ticketing, visit lincolncity-culturalcenter.org or call the office at 541-994-9994. MORE PHOTOS BELOW More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted World War II Radar Bunker at Cape Arago Near Coos Bay: Oregon Coast's Station B-28 Published 03/11/25 at 6:55 p.m. By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff (Coos Bay, Oregon) As World War II began, it abruptly meant major changes for everyone in the U.S. - including the Oregon coast. Here, it meant more than rations, however. Military guarding our shores became a common sight, with soldiers quite literally patrolling on foot on beaches from California to Washington, and beyond that various aircraft moved up and down the shoreline to keep an eye out. (Photo Steve Greif / Coos History Museum) World War II also meant quite a few secret installations along this coastline, or even just semi-secretive. Patrol base camps, runways, forts of one kind or another and actual radar stations housed in secret bunkers dotted the region. Tracking down that kind of history is not easy, and photos of local installations are downright scarce. Back then, no one was allowed to snap pics of their army buddies lined up in front of whatever building they were occupying. Even relatively innocuous shots were not permitted: such as the home in Lincoln City that was rented out by soldiers to use a submarine lookout, so sadly no photo of that home with its military aspects exist. Sometimes the U.S. Army built forts and bunkers and those are a touchy subject. There were many of these along the Oregon coast, and almost no photos are left of them. Case in point: the old military radar bunker at Cape Arago near Coos Bay. Hidden somewhat deep in the lush greens of the south coast hotspot and not far from the parking lot, there is a set of concrete ruins. They've almost got an old castle vibe about them. It's about a quarter mile from the main road, with the remainder of the Cape Arago trail beyond that. Steve Greif / Coos History Museum This was called Station B-28, utilizing the SCR-270 radar equipment technology at the time. The mission was to not just look for incoming enemy aircraft but also to assist U.S. planes in their patrols and maneuvers. The atmosphere of the place is undeniable, even if it's splattered in colorful graffiti. A host of empty concrete rooms with no roofing give off a cold vibe. Then there's the two vent towers that housed the generators. Steve Greif / Coos History Museum All other remnants of its purpose are gone: even the old radar bunker atop Tillamook Head near Seaside gives you some clues as to what it was. Very overgrown now but in the 1940s would have been a good lookout, said Steve Greif, with the Coos Bay History Museum. He provided some photographs to Oregon Coast Beach Connection and a good deal of information on the old Cape Arago bunker. He said it is east from the Cape Arago Highway and just beyond the Shore Acres entrance. The bunker of Station B-28 first fired up in 1942, and had loads of of cables running throughout, Greif said. Indeed, you can still see the spaces in the floor where those were laid. On the side of the hill stood the massive antenna for the radar operation. The massive antenna was on the side of the hill, and in fact much of the operations were built into the hill to protect it from the elements as well as any attack. Back then, the brush and trees around were much less dense, possibly even cleared out for the base's purpose. However, some amount of natural camouflage was there in the form of a large tree, providing cover for even much of the antenna and those towering exhaust structures according to FortWiki. Greif said even now those four operations rooms remain largely intact, which included an officer's room, the room for the equipment itself, and operations rooms for those keeping watch. Over at the landmark now known as Shore Acres, the Simpson Mansion (photo at bottom) housed as many as 50 men, which was about half the size of the radar station at Tillamook Head by Seaside, which utilized almost 100. During wartime, it was common for hotels and major landmarks to become occupied by soldiers. The Astoria Column in Astoria was purely for military personnel during the war years. Some of the Station B-28 story really begins with Louis J. Simpson, who built the mansion atop Shore Acres after becoming quite wealthy. He was also instrumental in bringing about Highway 101 in the 1910s, which was originally called the Roosevelt Military Highway as World War I and defensive preparations were part of the reasoning behind the roadway. In the '40s, his mansion joined the war effort. Coos History Museum photo The military took over Simpson's Shore Acres during WWII (he had granted it to Oregon for a state park) and used the home on the cliff as a lookout for possible Japanese submarine, ship, or aircraft activity, Greif said. Station B-28 was shut down in 1944, and by 1946 that technology was declared obsolete. The radar station at Tillamook Head was called J-2-3 (see Mysterious Radar Bunker Atop Seaside's Tillamook Head), and there is another rather hidden radar station near Oceanside. Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - Coos Bay Hotels - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast. LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Texas is set to pass universal school choice, which has already passed the Senate and has the votes to pass the House probably this week. Governor Abbot is pledged to sign it into law, as he has been a major supporter all along. The Texas Universal School Choice bill allows all parents in the state to direct the state funds allocated to each child in public school, $10,000 per child to whatever school the parent decides best meets their child's needs, whether public, private, or religious. Home school parents would be allocated $2,000 per child. The Universal School Choice bill has already passed the Senate, where all but one Republican voted for it and all Democrats against it. It has enough co-sponsors to pass it in the House, where it is likely to be voted on this week. Last session, a similar bill easily passed the senate, but stalled in the House with opposition from the Speaker and his allies. The Speaker at the time was a liberal Republican who was elected with Democrat legislators' votes. Governor Abbot, a strong supporter of school choice, went public against the Speaker and his liberal Republican allies in the primaries, defeating many of them and replacing them with conservatives who support school choice. This legislative session, the Republicans in the House elected a conservative Speaker with all GOP votes, who is himself a strong supporter of school choice. https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/texas-poised-to-pass-universal-school-choice/ Failed Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau was noted as a stong globalist, always pushing the globalist agenda, but his successor Mark Carney is an even bigger cog in the gloablist political movvement. Trudeau resigned months before the end of his term, and his Liberal Party chose Carney to finish the term and lead the party in the upcoming eleciton later this year. Unusually, Carney does not have a seat in Canada's parliament, which is unusual for a prime minister. He defeated two sitting members of parliament in the vote within the party. Carney's background was as a big banker in the private sector with Goldman-Sachs, then as a central banker first in Canada and then the UK.. He used his position as head of the Bank of England to meddle in British politics, engaging in scaremongering against the Brexit referendum. He was also thought to have worked with his successor to kick the props out from under small "c" Conservative Prime Mininster Liz Truss to faciliate her replacement by squishy globalist "Fishy Rishi" Sunak. Carney was also an advisor to Trudeau on his authoritarian Covid policies. Carney has been in the thick of the leading globalist political cabal, the World Economic Forum (WEF), regularly attending their conferences at Davos. He has even served on the governing board of the WEF. Carney has also acknowledged regularly attending the meetings of an older and much more secretive globalist group, the Bilderbergers. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/03/breaking-canadas-ruling-party-installs-new-prime-minister/ All last year, the polling gave a wide lead to the opposition Conservatives under their new small "c" Conservative leader Paul Pollivre. However, after President Trump started trolling Trudeau and calling Canada the "51st state" the backlash in Canada but the Liberals in a more competitive position. Pollivre, whose policies are closely aligned with Trump's was put in a awkward position to respond to Trump's trolling. Flint, Mich.-based Insight Health System officially took over the hospital and Warren-based Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital from Steward in early November. Steward sought Chapter 11 protection May 6, 2024, and has worked over the last year to sell or close many of its 31 hospitals. The news comes after Steward received March 11 bankruptcy court approval to sell certain management functions and assets to Golden Sun TSA Services, an affiliate of Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health, affecting 25 of its former hospitals, including Insight Hospital and Medical Center Trumbull. It also offers continued employment for more than 600 employees, according to a Quorum Health news release shared with Beckers. All locations, including Insight Hospital and Medical Center Trumbull, Insight Rehabilitation Hospital Hillside, and outpatient centers in Austintown and Cortland, will remain open to provide outpatient services including outpatient surgeries, cardiac cath procedures, lab, imaging, rehabilitation and any other outpatient procedures, a spokesperson for Insight Health System said in a March 11 statement shared with Beckers. The emergency room will remain open 24/7 to stabilize, treat and transfer patients, if needed. Behavioral health admissions will still be accepted at Insight Hospital and Medical Center Trumbull. Patient record requests will also remain the same. The sale involves the assumption and assignment of multiple contracts and leases at Stewards former hospitals. It allows Golden Sun to take over Stewards transition service operations, free of encumbrances and existing debts, ensuring the for-profit health systems financial obligations are transferred to Golden Sun and facilitating settlements with stakeholders of the affected hospitals like operators, financial lenders and landlords. Services under the new agreement include patient billing, insurance and claims processing, quality reporting, IT security, maintenance and management of electronic health records, and revenue recovery. Employees will be transitioned to Quorum Health the week of March 10, the Quorum Health news release said. Our patients are the ones who suffer the most from this instability, De Anna Fuchilla, chair of the Hillside local unit of the Ohio Nurses Association, said in a news release shared with Beckers. Every day, were doing everything we can to make sure they get the care they need, but the uncertainty caused by Stewards bankruptcy is creating fear and confusion. Our patients deserve better. They deserve stability, compassion and a healthcare system that puts them first. Beckers has reached out to Steward for more information and will update this story should more information become available. Editors note: This story was updated March 12 at 4:45 p.m. CT. The continuing resolution, which passed the House in a 217-213 vote, would: Eliminate the Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts through Sept. 30; Extend certain telehealth waivers and the hospital-at-home program through Sept. 30; Expand the enhanced low-volume adjustment program through Sept. 30 and the Medicare-dependent hospital program through Oct. 1; Extend add-on payments for rural ambulance services through Oct. 1. Physicians and medical groups criticized lawmakers for failing to address the 2.83% cut to Medicare physician reimbursement. A temporary 2.5% Medicare physician pay bump took effect Jan. 1 but is missing from the latest government funding package. Current government funding is set to expire March 14, with the Senate expected to vote on the continuing resolution this week. Separately, the Senate is also expected to vote this month on legislation that aims to reduce federal spending by up to $2 trillion over the next 10 years. The Republican-backed proposal calls for at least $880 billion in spending reductions through fiscal 2034, with Medicaid widely expected to bear the brunt of these cuts. Hospital leaders across the country have urged lawmakers to reconsider the legislation. A March 5 report from the Congressional Budget Office found that $880 billion in savings cannot be achieved without significant cuts to Medicaid or Childrens Health Insurance Program. Employees were not paid as scheduled on March 7, and hospital owner John Johnson, MD, told staff by email that the administration was working hard to enable a disbursement to take place on or before March 11, according to The Intelligencer. On March 11, Dr. Johnson provided another email update to employees. As indicated last week, all efforts remain concentrated in utilizing any and all incoming cash flow toward payroll distribution and benefits, according to The Intelligencer, which obtained the communication. As owner, Chief Executive Officer/Chief Operating Officer of the organization, it is my sole fiduciary responsibility to advise you of my intentions and provide a progress status update. As of today, I have been unsuccessful in meeting the 3-11 time frame with our lending sources. I will continue to provide future updates. Bernie Albertini stepped down as administrator and COO of East Ohio Regional Hospital in September, and Julie Ross, who previously served as chief nursing officer and vice president of revenue cycle, succeeded Mr. Albertini as COO. The Intelligencer noted that Dr. Johnson signed the March 11 email as CEO and COO, while he did not sign his previous message. On March 10, Ms. Ross sent an email to staff, signed with the COO title, indicating no payroll update, according to Fox and NBC affiliate WTOV. Employees are protesting after other payroll delays at the hospital, one in August and another in December. Hospital officials attributed the August delay to an issue with the bank that resulted in a delay in processing its wire transfer to its payroll company, and the December delay to an error by the hospitals payroll company. The hospital also announced in February that it would be shuttering its long-term care and skilled nursing facility. Additionally, the hospital has been working to resolve backdated taxes. Hospital leadership and Belmont County recently agreed on a monthly plan for EORH to pay off $1.2 million in delinquent property taxes, county Treasurer Kathy Kelich said March 11, according to The Intelligencer. The city of Martins Ferry has made the first payment toward the 36-month contract using funds resulting from a previous agreement between the hospital and city, Ms. Kelich said, according to the newspaper. Beckers has reached out to the hospital and will update this story if more information is provided. President and CEO Ned McCoy shared with Beckers some of the companys key objectives for the year, including the launch of some of the first medications from its Petersburg, Va.-based plant, the expansion of its insulin program and the continued growth of its hospital and retail portfolios. Scaling up manufacturing Since 2022, the company has been focusing on completing and operationalizing its Petersburg plant. Now that the facility is built, Mr. McCoy said the company has started running exhibit batches of drugs through the plant, though they are still in the process of receiving Abbreviated New Drug Application approval. The FDA uses the process to review and potentially approve a generic drug application, and it can take months. Well be launching our first medication out of the facility in early 2026 and then other medications will follow each month after that, Mr. McCoy said. So right now its just waiting on the development and approval process. He also said that in the meantime, the company has been supplying hospitals with medications by working with other manufacturers to produce and distribute more than 80 drugs. Since its launch, Civica has delivered 210 million doses to member hospital systems. Even though we dont have our manufacturing plants started up, were supplying medications today, but this back integration into our own manufacturing site is a real focus for us, Mr. McCoy said. Reducing dependence on China Civica has long prioritized supply chain resilience, which for the company means avoiding dependence on finished products and active pharmaceutical ingredients sourced from China. In rare situations, we may have a Chinese material as a backup if theres no other options, but we generally dont source from China, he said. We did this from the very beginning six or seven years ago, and maybe we were kind of ahead of our time, but we feel like that theres not as much regulatory oversight in China since its more difficult for the FDA to get into China and schedule a site visit versus the U.S. where they can just show up at the plant. He said Civica instead follows a structured sourcing strategy, with U.S. suppliers as the top priority for materials, followed by European and Indian manufacturers. According to Mr. McCoy, this has helped the company enhance regulatory oversight, reduce geopolitical risks and ensure a more stable supply chain. Commitment to affordable insulin One of the top priorities for Civica continues to be developing more affordable insulin for people with diabetes, with a targeted price cap of $30 per vial and $55 per box of five prefilled pens. Recently, the company announced a partnership with Biocon Biologics to expand access to insulin aspart, a rapid-acting insulin analog. Under the agreement, Biocon will supply the drug substance while Civica will manufacture the final product at its Petersburg facility, according to a March 6 news release from Civica. Weve signed an agreement with Biocon for the supply of the drug substance for our insulin number two, which is aspart, the active ingredient in Humalog, Mr. McCoy said. Civicas first insulin is a long-acting insulin. The second one is a short-acting insulin. Expanding hospital reach, retail offerings Another initiative Civica is working on heading into 2025 is making strides in the retail pharmaceutical space through its subsidiary, CivicaScript. The subsidiary is focused on addressing high costs in the retail sector. For example, the company offers abiraterone, a prostate cancer medication that typically has various price points, at a lower price than its competitors. If youre a patient and you are faced with a cancer diagnosis, youve got a lot of things to think about, Mr. McCoy said. You shouldnt have to go looking in different places to find the best price for your medication. And our price is the same price to all. Theres no middleman. Though this is the only medication the subsidiary is offering, in 2025 CivicaScript plans to launch four additional retail medications, with the first set to debut in the next month. Civica Rx also plans to continue to expand its reach to more hospitals and health systems in 2025, in addition to the 60 health systems it currently serves. Four health systems joined other Civica members in December: Winona (Minn.) Health, Boulder (Colo.) Community Health, Stanford (Calif.) Health Care and Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health. The partnership will provide medical students with healthcare experience in rural areas, according to a March 11 health system news release. Texas A&Ms rural medicine program launched in 2019 to address the states healthcare provider shortage. Since then, 52 medical students have participated in rotations at 25 rural locations, the release said. As part of the Christus partnership, medical students will complete one- and two-week rotations at the Jacksonville hospital and its clinics, with the first rotations expected to begin in June. Christus Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs signed an agreement to join the program in 2024. The ONE Arts Community Schools Early Learning Center will run through a partnership with ONE Arts, a nonprofit organization focused on dynamic learning environments for children, according to a March 11 news release shared with Beckers. The center will offer specific needs to parents working in healthcare, including longer and more flexible hours of care. It will provide services for up to 68 children through ages six weeks to five years old. Classrooms will be divided into infant, toddler and preschool ages for learning and care. The centers opening is the latest in a years-long push by the health system, which is investing heavily in resources critical to the recruitment and retention of health care workers amid a highly competitive nationwide job market, the release said. Twenty-one jobs are set to be lost at Firstsource in Derry a company that has received more than 15m from the public purse in Northern Ireland. An email seen by this newspaper was sent to staff at the end of last week informing employees of the YouFibre team that their role may be affected. The email states: We have been informed by our client, YouFibre, that effective from 7th April 2025, they will be transitioning the work we currently deliver to a new, yet unnamed client based in South Africa. This change will prompt a subsequent TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) transfer. We understand that this news may bring about questions and concerns. Please be assured that we are committed to supporting you throughout this transition. We will be consulting with colleagues about the changes and are currently waiting on confirmation from the client regarding a new provider, so that we can start the process. However due to the work transferring to a client in South Africa we will be placing staff at risk of redundancy. The latest blow comes after 50 jobs were cut at Firstsources Derry offices in June 2024. Firstsource has received 15.39m in financial assistance from Invest NI from 2002/03 to 2021/22. The majority 8.1m going to the Foyle office, 5.09m to Belfast South and 2.21m to East Londonderry. Much of that money was handed over in 2006/07 and 2007/08, but it still means Firstsource was at number 12 in terms of companies that have received the most Invest NI funding. A spokesperson for Firstsource said: Firstsource has begun a redundancy consultation process with a number of colleagues in Derry. The majority of staff are not affected by the announcement and the relevant staff were informed last week. We are working to support them through this process and offer redeployment to as many people as we can. Firstsource remains committed to the Northern Irish market and continues to serve a range of clients in financial services, telecoms, media, and utility sectors. Councillor brands BT plan an act of cultural vandalism A notice placed on the Strangford phone kiosk by BT A telephone box in Strangford which has been turned into a lending library Residents of south Down are in a David v Goliath fight to save their historic red telephone boxes from removal after BT placed notices on the kiosks saying it just isnt enough for them to carry on running it. This newspaper is aware of two notices one relating to a phone box on the Woodgrange Road just outside Downpatrick and another in Strangford, which was turned into a lending library by residents in recent years. The notice reads: Were planning to remove this payphone. Unfortunately, it just isnt enough for us to carry on running it. BT are obviously seeking to save money, economise and discard surplus assets, however residents are immensely proud of these local landmarks Alan Lewis Those wishing for the box to stay are advised to contact their local authority within 90 days of the notice being placed. The red telephone boxes were introduced here in 1936 to celebrate King George Vs coronation. DUP councillor for Clough, Alan Lewis, said the decision by BT to remove the box on the Woodgrange Road is misguided and an act of cultural vandalism. The battle to maintain these historic phone boxes is like David v Goliath. BT are obviously seeking to save money, economise and discard surplus assets, however residents are immensely proud of these local landmarks, he said. To some, these booths are an inanimate object, but for many, they embody character, and are a visible memory of simpler times and civic pride. Their removal is nothing short of cultural vandalism. Time and time again communities are having this exact debate with BT, fighting tooth and nail to keep their red phone booth, some having been in place for decades. The phone booth at Woodgrange has, like many others, been kept and maintained by the local community, closely guarded, protected, enhanced and repaired, often ignored by BT. BT are robbing the village of a central iconic piece of British history. DUP councillor for Clough, Alan Lewis, at the Woodgrange Road phone box Mr Lewis said the red phone boxes are recognised the world over. In London, tourists queue for hours just to get a picture in or beside one of these red phone booths, he pointed out. There seems to be a constant move to save money, to be more efficient by either replacing these with ugly glass fishbowl-style boxes or scrubbing them from sight altogether. But I ask, at what cost? Our history and character are being erased. I am asking that BT engages with the local community. Come and speak with residents, dont simply glide in here and rip this box from existence. Im requesting a last-minute reprieve, if all else fails, then I will adopt this kiosk myself. A notice placed on the Strangford phone kiosk by BT BT launched the Adopt a Kiosk scheme in 2008, which allows communities to take ownership of redundant phone boxes for 1 each. SDLP councillor for the Strangford area, Gareth Sharvin, said that residents of the village had plans to adopt their phone box. The proposal to remove the telephone box in Strangford is one that has been met with extreme disappointment from local residents, he said. This is not just a telephone box; it is a community hub used to host books that are available for residents to take and swap it out for another one. It also provides a space for community notices and is well photographed by local residents and tourists. I will be submitting my objection to the removal and have started work with local residents in adopting the telephone box to protect its future. BT currently operates around 14,000 payphones across the UK including Northern Ireland, down from around 20,000 three years ago. A BT spokesperson said: BT is continuing to review its remaining estate of payphones, removing those that are no longer being used, in line with rules set out by Ofcom. "With the vast majority of people now using mobile phones, its led to a huge drop in the number of calls made from payphones. "At the same time, mobile coverage has improved significantly in recent years due to investment in masts and the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme. Wed urge any communities that would still like to retain their local kiosk to take it on for 1 through our Adopt a Kiosk scheme. Review: This is the best Oasis have been since 96 some might say better... a rock reunion to end them all The truth about parental brainwashing and why many of us are guilty of it As Elon Musk dubs his four-year-old son X A-12 an enthusiastic Trump supporter, Charlotte Cripps asks why some parents insist on pushing their own ideologies onto their young children whether its their sociopolitical stances or their taste in clothes Charlotte Cripps UK Independent Wed 12 Mar 2025 at 07:42 Donald Trumps youngest supporter? Elon Musks four-year-old X A-12, apparently. The Tesla founders son, whose name is pronounced ex-ash-ay-12 and who goes by X for short, has become a regular on the Trump/Musk circuit of late: carried on his dads shoulders during excursions to Capitol Hill to discuss Trumps government efficiency initiative, DOGE; joining them both at Mar-a-Lago to celebrate New Years Eve, if way past the childs bedtime. Belfast-born billionaire convicted of attacking female bailiff in Paris apartment Paddy McKillen Sr was not in French court as judgment was delivered todayBusinessman fined 10,000 for violence against public official following incidentBelfast-born tycoon strongly denies the accusations and immediately appeals Paddy McKillen Sr. Photo: PA Peter Allen in Paris Wed 12 Mar 2025 at 15:00 Billionaire businessman Paddy McKillen has immediately appealed after he was convicted in France today of attacking a female bailiff in his 30m (25m) Paris apartment. Joe Burns died suddenly in his parents home in July 2014His mum and sister Jeanette later found out that they were carriers of the Long QT syndrome gene Josephs sister Jeanette and daughter Bella at the mural unveiled by BHF NI in memory of Joseph Burns at Linenhall Street, Belfast A young north Belfast man who died of cardiac arrest has been featured in a video series by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to raise awareness of a rare condition that can prove fatal. The series, seeking to highlight that a dozen young people aged under 35 die each week in the UK from sudden heart attacks, includes family footage featuring sentimental photographs of Joseph Burns and focuses on his aspirations for the future. The 23-year-old fitness enthusiast had everything going for him and harboured hopes of one day launching his own business and starting a family. Josephs sister Jeanette recalled her typical brothers strong work ethic and plans to one day be his own boss. "He never stopped, she said. He had a strong work ethic, he worked during the day as an electrician and then worked evenings in the bar. Joseph was really passionate about his work, planning that one day he would be his own boss and run his own business. But her beloved brother passed away suddenly in his parents home back in July 2014, not long after qualifying as an electrician. Joseph was rushed to the Mater Hospital by ambulance but, despite the best efforts from medics, nothing could be done to save him. When Joseph died our family were absolutely devastated, Jeanette recalls in the video. He was the only boy in our family and everyone just loved him. Joseph Burns with sisters Jeanette and Fionnuala British Heart Foundation share video to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest Read more Four Catholic PSNI officers take legal action over alleged sectarian discrimination After his death, Jeanette and her mum both discovered they carry a gene for Long QT syndrome after visiting Belfasts inherited cardiac conditions service. The condition puts its carriers at risk of an irregular heartbeat with symptoms ranging from none at all to fainting episodes and, in some cases, death. We didnt know what had caused his death and it was hard dealing with that because we didnt have any answers, Jeanne explained. We were referred to the inherited cardiac conditions service in Belfast and after tests we discovered that my mum Una and I carry the faulty gene for Long QT syndrome, so it is very likely that is what Joseph died from. He was so well known in north Belfast and after his death so many people contacted us to say what a gentleman he was. He made such a big impact on so many people. A mural was unveiled by BHF NI at Linenhall Street in Belfast city centre last year in Josephs memory. The family now hope that the video series, which has been rolled out on both Facebook and YouTube, will help make a difference and keep his memory alive. Head of the BHF NI, Fearghal McKinney, said it is devastating that Josephs hopes and dreams were cruelly snatched away from him at such a young age. Our thoughts are with Josephs family, and we want to thank them for working with us to help create this powerful series which shows the true reality of sudden cardiac death, he added. Each week, 12 young people under the age of 35 are lost to sudden cardiac death in the UK. "These are the lives of children, siblings and parents ended in an instant, leaving their loved ones distraught. A 100 fuel support payment for pensioner households in Northern Ireland will be paid out from March 21. The one-off payment was announced by Communities Minister Gordon Lyons for those who previously received the winter fuel payment but are now no longer eligible. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mr Lyons said he had secured 17 million of Executive funding to deliver the payments after changes announced by the UK Government to winter fuel payment eligibility. He said the money will be paid automatically into individuals accounts from Friday March 21 with no need for application. The minister said: Following the unexpected and unwelcome news last July that 180,000 pensioner households in Northern Ireland would no longer be eligible for the winter fuel payment, I moved to secure Executive funding to mitigate the impact of the decision. Having tasked my officials to prepare the legislative and operational groundwork to enable this payment to be made as quickly as possible, I can announce that the money will be in peoples accounts ahead of the expected end-of-March date and will begin arriving from Friday March 21. Whilst I realise the payment will not fully cover the impact of changes to the winter fuel payment, I hope it will go some way to supporting those affected. An estimated 250,000 pensioners, in approximately 180,000 households will receive the automatic payment. Mr Lyons added: I have stated my determination to ensure that those who are most in need are supported. The Pension Age Fuel Support payment is testament to that commitment. Pensioners must have been born before September 23 1958 in the qualifying week (Monday September 16 to Sunday September 22 2024) to be eligible for the one-off 100 payment. If there are more than two eligible claimants in the same household, they will each receive a 50 payment. Last year, the Government said winter fuel payments would be means tested and go only to pensioners on certain benefits. While Mr Lyons criticised the decision, he had said that Northern Ireland had no option other than to follow suit so as not to break parity with the rest of the UK over social security payments. DUP MP Carla Lockhart said the Government had turned its back on pensioners (Oliver McVeigh/PA) DUP MP Carla Lockhart said Mr Lyons had stepped in after the Labour Government turned its back on older people. She said: Labours decision to withdraw the winter fuel payment from pensioners across the UK was cruel and unjustified. It will not be quickly forgotten that instead of looking towards the many other potential areas for savings, virtually the first port of call for the Government was to cut funding that helps older people heat their homes. Previously, the winter fuel payment went to everyone over the state pension age Stormonts communities minister has confirmed that a one-off fuel support payment for pensioner households in NI will begin appearing in bank accounts next week. Those who no longer qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment following eligibility changes introduced by the Labour Government are set to receive 100. Gordon Lyons announced the payments will be issued from next Friday, March 21 and will automatically appear in recipients accounts without the need for an application. Following the unexpected and unwelcome news last July that 180,000 pensioner households in Northern Ireland would no longer be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, I moved to secure Executive funding to mitigate the impact of the decision, he said. Having tasked my officials to prepare the legislative and operational groundwork to enable this payment to be made as quickly as possible, I can announce that the money will be in peoples accounts ahead of the expected end-of-March date and will begin arriving from Friday 21 March. Whilst I realise the payment will not fully cover the impact of changes to the Winter Fuel Payment, I hope it will go some way to supporting those affected. The DUP minister said the payments are only possible because he secured 17m of Executive funding to help an estimated 250,000 pensioners in around 180,000 households set to lose out as a result of means-testing the Winter Fuel Payment. The criteria for receiving the Pension Age Fuel Support Payment will be the same as previously used for Winter Fuel Payment. Two qualifying individuals in the same pensioner household will each receive 50. Eligibility criteria for care home residents will also apply with more information on available on the NI Direct website. As Minister for Communities I have stated my determination to ensure that those who are most in need are supported. The Pension Age Fuel Support payment is testament to that commitment, Mr Lyons said. Whilst the budgetary situation is challenging for all, I will take whatever actions possible to direct resources to where they are most needed. I would also encourage people to avail of my Departments Make the Call service which can put people in touch with benefits and supports to which they are entitled but not receiving. Pension Credit in particular can provide access to a range of supports. This is especially important to our older generations so I would encourage everyone to make the call. Pensioners must have been born before 23 September 1958 in the qualifying week (Monday 16 September to Sunday 22 September 2024) to be eligible for the one-off 100 payment. The statue in place at the library before it was stolen in November There are calls for the reinstatement of a popular sculpture outside a south Belfast library, a year-and-a-half after it was stolen and then recovered. The statue depicting a girl and blackbird reading a book was stolen from the plinth outside the Ormeau Road Library back in November 2023. Designed by artist Daniela Balmaverde, the statue was inspired by a 9th century Irish poem known as the Blackbird of Belfast Lough and had been an integral part of the library since its installation in 2011 It was later returned to the library at the time by east Belfast antique dealer Justin Lowry, who said he had been approached by a scrap metal dealer who he had not dealt with before. However, despite the return of the sculpture, local SDLP councillor Gary McKeown has branded it ridiculous it has not been reinstalled on the plinth. Mr McKeown said: "It's ridiculous that after nearly a year and a half, this sculpture has not been reinstated outside Ormeau Road Library. SDLP's Gary McKeown at the site of the plinth "The community was devastated when it was stolen in 2023, so there was great relief when it was recovered, but it's been lying gathering dust ever since instead of being put back in its rightful place. "This artwork is a popular feature in the local area, so its absence has really been noticed. I've been in ongoing contact with Libraries NI to push for it to be reinstalled, and while I understand some preparatory work has to be done to enable this, it's not acceptable that this has dragged on for so long. "Libraries NI needs to recognise how important this sculpture is to the people who use the library and those walk past it every day, and take urgent steps to get it put back where it belongs." A spokesperson for Libraries NI said: The Blackbird of Belfast Lough sculpture was installed in the grounds of Ormeau Road Library in 2011 as part of an urban enhancement project managed and funded by Belfast City Council. "Unfortunately, the unauthorised removal of the sculpture resulted in damage to both the sculpture itself and its mounting plinth. We have engaged with the original artist and related stakeholders to ensure the sculpture is restored and safely reinstated. " Discussions are ongoing to find the best solution, and we appreciate the publics interest. Further updates will be provided when available." Unionist councillors have expressed outrage at a 6,000 bill for an equality impact assessment of an Orange Order commemoration in Bangor for members who died in the Troubles. Ards and North Down Borough Council has received a request from the Bangor District Loyal Orange Lodge 18 to hold an Orange Order Victims Day service of commemoration at the Ward Park Cenotaph on Sunday, September 7 this year. The council says it will be a religious service at the cenotaph to commemorate the lives of all Orangemen and women lost during the Troubles. Between 50 to 100 people are expected to attend, with members of the district lodge and a band. However the expected budget of up to 6,000 for the resulting EQIA, or equality impact assessment, which the council is legally obliged to conduct, caused uproar at a council committee meeting this week. A report for the councils March Corporate Services Committee states: Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (the Act) requires public authorities, in carrying out their functions relating to Northern Ireland, to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity and regard to the desirability of promoting good relations across a range of nine categories outlined in the Act. Public consultation will include an online questionnaire, which will be available through the councils Citizen Space portal; alternative paper copies and alternative languages (will be available). (It is recommended) that for an EQIA, public authorities allow a minimum consultation period of 12 weeks. The council will engage with affected individuals and representative groups to identify how best to consult or engage with them, and will ask consultees what their preferred consultation methods are and will give consideration to these. It adds: It is recommended that by using an independent external facilitator the council can ensure impartiality. This will include each of the seven steps of the EQIA along with the 12-week public consultation. The cost for this EQIA exercise will be approximately 6,000. The screening form for the event states: The lands request may benefit some of the Protestant community and those who associate with the Orange Institution. This may negatively impact the Catholic community as the request mentions Orangemen/women victims only. The Equality Commission NI recommends that public bodies have a responsibility to use their authority and considerable influence to contribute to the creation of a shared society in which everyone feels not only physically safe, but also safe in their beliefs and opinions. It adds: The day may highlight the existing divisions between unionists (predominantly Protestant) and nationalists (predominantly Catholic). It can serve to reinforce political identities and deepen divisions between these groups, as it is linked with the commemoration of those within the Orange Institution who died in conflicts related to the Troubles. It states: For many unionists and those associated with the Orange Institution, Orange Victims Day is a day when the Orange family pauses to remember those who were so suddenly and violently taken from them. Celebrating this day can strengthen a sense of belonging and solidarity among those who identify with unionist politics. Conversely, nationalists may view the celebration as exclusionary, leading to further entrenchment of opposing identities. At the Corporate Services Committee meeting this week, a council officer said: This is a brand new event that hasnt been held before, and the rationale for it being screened is outlined. The 6,000 is an estimate, but if you think of what is involved in an EQIA, advertising, taking space in newspapers, hiring venues, collating information, analysis of data, preparation of reports. We have viewed the best way of conducting that as getting someone in externally, particularly someone of expertise who has run EQIAs before, and who has experience of running EQIAs for this council before. UUP councillor Philip Smith said: It seems we have a sledgehammer here to crack a nut; 6,000 for a religious service where a hundred people might attend for an hour. I get that there is a process we have to adhere to, and it is outside our control, but this would seem a bit mad to most people who would ask why are we spending this amount of money on something so straightforward, and for many people uncontentious. I would question the results of the screening, when it talks about a major impact again, I am not sure whether something like this would be determined as major. He added: The screening process is highly subjective in determining impact. But I accept the logic even if I dont agree with it. Councillor Philip Smith DUP councillor Stephen McIlveen said: I disagree with the comment in the report that simply because this is commemorating the innocent victims of the Troubles who belonged to the Orange institution, that this will have a negative impact on the catholic community. I dont see what impact it could have it would be a neutral impact. It would be different if you had an organisation that was celebrating the deaths of Catholics that would have a negative impact but somebody commemorating innocent victims surely cannot have a negative impact on that community, unless the implication is that that community takes issue with people who have died in that way, which obviously is complete nonsense. I cant accept the definition and the rationale, as to why this has been screened in. I dont understand the justification for saying there is a negative impact. I dont think therefore the spend of 6,000 is justified. He said he found it personally offensive. Alliance councillor Martin McRandal said: Alliance supports this event taking place. Acknowledging and addressing the suffering of victims and survivors should be a cornerstone of our collective approach to dealing with the past. Opportunities to remember the innocent lives lost during the Troubles is an important part of Northern Irelands ongoing journey of reconciliation and peace building. The council and other public bodies have a duty to uphold equality requirements set out under legislation, and these equality requirements exist to protect everyone. Last year, the screening process meant the memorial could not be held on September 8. The council also said the use of a flagpole was turned down in line with the councils current flag policy, under which it will only fly the Union Flag on 15 designated days per calendar year at its war memorials. In June 2023, Bangor District LOL 18 failed in its application for 12,050 in public funding for a Boyne anniversary event on July 12th in Ward Park, despite the local council controversially bending its policy to allow lodges inclusion in the process. Orange Order stock image (Pic: Getty Images) News Catch Up - Wednesday 12 March LIVE | I gave the essence of what I believe: Taoiseach tells Trump lessons from NI can be applied to Ukraine and Middle East Donald Trump said that Ireland has a housing crisis because the country is doing so well.Micheal Martin praised Donald Trumps work on peace initiativesTrump accused Ireland of taking US pharmaceutical companies through taxation measures.Trump said it is a great honour to have Irish premier Micheal Martin at the Oval Office. Taoiseach Micheal Martin meets US president in the Oval Office Irish Independent Newsdesk Wed 12 Mar 2025 at 22:17 Taoiseach Micheal Martin has met US President Donald Trump at the White House in what has been a hotly anticipated engagement as part of St Patricks Day celebrations. JD Vance flashes his shamrock socks as he greets Taoiseach ahead of Oval Office meeting with Trump Taoiseach to meet President Donald Trump later today in the Oval OfficeMicheal Martin attending the traditional Vice President breakfast US Vice President JD Vance shaking hands with Micheal Martin at a breakfast meeting he hosted at his official residence in Washington DC for the visit by the Taoiseach. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire Irish Independent Newsdesk Wed 12 Mar 2025 at 14:38 Taoiseach Micheal Martin has been greeted by JD Vance at the US vice-presidents residence to kick off a day of engagements to mark St Patricks Day. Solong struck the Stena Immaculate off the east coast of Yorkshire on Monday morning (Danny Lawson/PA) The under-arrest captain of a container ship which crashed into a US oil tanker in the North Sea is Russian, the vessels owner has said. Solong struck the Stena Immaculate off the east coast of Yorkshire on Monday morning. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said on Wednesday that fires on board Solong have greatly reduced. A spokesman for shipping company Ernst Russ, which owns Solong, said: The captain is a Russian national. The 59-year-old was arrested by Humberside Police on Tuesday on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. The force said on Wednesday morning the suspect remains in our custody. Grainy thermal camera footage released on Wednesday showed the container ship speeding towards the stationary oil tanker before smashing into it, sending a massive fireball into the air. American-based maritime news website gCaptain reported it was told by a US official in the White House that foul play had not been ruled out. UK transport minister Mike Kane told MPs on Tuesday something went terribly wrong for the crash to happen but that there was no evidence of foul play. Shadow transport minister Jerome Mayhew told the PA news agency: Where military assets are damaged it is vital that motives are fully investigated to exclude foul play. The nationality of the captain of the Solong raises further questions about potential motivation that the Government must now get to the bottom of. A Solong crew member is presumed dead after a search-and-rescue operation was ended on Monday evening. Tug boats shadow the Solong container ship as it drifts in the Humber Estuary following the collision with the Stena Immaculate oil tanker (Danny Lawson/PA) The Ernst Russ spokesman said on Wednesday afternoon that fire activity onboard the vessel has diminished since Tuesday, but it continues to emit smoke with occasional reports of flames. MCA chief executive Virginia McVea said: The Solong is being held in a safe position offshore by a tug and further support vessels remain in the ships immediate vicinity. This mornings assessment shows the fires on board the ship have greatly reduced in their extent and intensity. The Stena Immaculate remains at anchor, with safety tugs in position should they be required. There are no visible flames on board and an on-board assessment may be carried out later today. There have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel beyond what was observed during the initial incident. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said it will lead the safety investigation into the incident. A team of inspectors was immediately deployed, and enquiries have so far focused on gathering witness accounts and obtaining digital data, the MAIB said. Solong frequently travelled between Grangemouth and Rotterdam and regularly used the route it took on the day of the collision, a statement said. 36 crew from both vessels were recovered but tragically one member of crew from Solong remains unaccounted for. As well as continuing to gather witness accounts, further investigation work will look to establish the navigational practices onboard both vessels; the manning and fatigue management; the condition and maintenance of the vessels involved; and the environmental conditions at the time. Port state control (PSC) inspection documents show Solong failed steering-related safety checks in July last year. (PA Graphics) Irish officials deemed Solongs emergency steering position communications/compass reading was not readable. This was among 10 deficiencies highlighted during the inspection of the Portuguese vessel in Dublin. Other issues included alarms being inadequate, survival craft not properly maintained, and fire doors not as required. Another PSC inspection by Scottish authorities in Grangemouth in October 2024 found two deficiencies with Solong. One of these was related to lifebuoys designed to be thrown into the water to prevent drowning being not properly marked. Fires on board the Stena Immaculate oil tanker appeared to have been extinguished on Tuesday (Danny Lawson/PA) Solong was not detained after the inspections in Dublin or Grangemouth. An Ernst Russ spokesman said all of the deficiencies found in 2024 were promptly rectified. PSC inspections, which are carried out on ships in ports around the world, are aimed at verifying that a vessels condition and equipment meet international regulations. Crowley, the maritime company managing the Stena Immaculate, said a jet fuel spill from that vessel has had a limited impact. It remains unclear how much Jet A1 fuel was released when the ship was hit by Solong but an initial review shows it had evaporated due to exposure to fires on both vessels. A salvage plan for both ships is currently being developed as the clean-up efforts enter a third day. Crowley said Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks, at least one of which was ruptured when it was struck. (PA Graphics) In an update on Tuesday evening, the company said: It remains unclear at this time what volume of fuel may have been released as a result of the incident, but initial review shows impacts have been limited due to exposure to the fire and evaporation of the Jet A1 fuel. The tanker was operating as part of the US governments tanker security programme, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed. It had been anchored while waiting for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme, on the River Humber, Crowley said. Ms Alexander said she was reassured to hear sodium cyanide containers on board the Solong were empty. Four empty containers on board the Solong which previously contained the hazardous chemical will continue to be monitored, Ernst Russ said. Aerial surveillance flights on Wednesday did not identify any pollution on the surface of the water, the Coastguard said. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn will meet members of the Trump administration as he takes in St Patricks Day events in Washington DC this week. The trip, which coincides with Irish premier Micheal Martin and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengellys visit to the US capital, is billed as an opportunity to celebrate the strong ties between Northern Ireland and the United States. The Northern Ireland Office said investment, trade and economic growth in the region is at the top of Mr Benns agenda. It added that the UK-US special relationship is built on a foundation of deep security, military and intelligence links as well as unique cultural and person-to-person ties. The Northern Ireland Secretary will advance bilateral relations with the US administration, members of Congress, business leaders, and other key stakeholders. The Northern Ireland Office said he will promote Northern Ireland as a fantastic place to invest, work and live, highlighting its unique access to both the UKs internal market and the EUs single market. Speaking ahead of his departure, Mr Benn, said: The United Kingdoms relationship with the United States is one of the most enduring, historic and important partnerships in the world. I look forward to talking to US counterparts and discussing ways to further strengthen our already close ties in trade, security and beyond, furthering the UK Governments plan for change and promoting Northern Ireland as a great place to invest and do business. Earlier this week, Ms Little-Pengelly and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle ONeill led an NI Chamber business delegation to North Carolina in the US. However, Ms Little-Pengelly will attend Washington engagements alone after Ms ONeill and her Sinn Fein party colleagues ruled out visiting the US capital in protest against US President Donald Trumps stance on Gaza. The Queen comforted the girlfriend of jockey Michael OSullivan who died following a racing fall as the horse forever linked to his career won at the Cheltenham Festival. Camilla kissed and put a reassuring arm on Charlotte Giles when she joined trainer Barry Connell on the winning podium after his horse, Marine Nationale, won the feature race of the day, the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The thoroughbred was ridden to victory in the Supreme Novices Hurdle in 2023 by OSullivan who died last month from his injuries following a fall at Thurles Racecourse, Co Tipperary, in his native Ireland. He was honoured on the first day of the festival on Tuesday when the announcer ushered in the start of the race renamed the Michael OSullivan Supreme Novices Hurdle. Camilla was escorted by Sybil Ruscoe on day two of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival (Andrew Matthews/PA) Connell was keen to dedicate the success on Wednesday to OSullivan, with his former retained riders girlfriend part of the pre-race preparations for Marine Nationale and the post-race celebrations. He said: Charlotte was helping to tack him up and we got her in the photograph. Ive spent a good bit of time with her in the last couple of weeks, and the family as well, and any little thing we can do to help everybody involved we will do. Its been a heart-wrenching time for everybody. Im sure he would be proud. The Queen ended her day at the premier meet for jump jockeys by presenting the Queen Mother Champion Chase trophies to Connell and jockey Sean Flanagan, after spending time in the royal box with her family and other royals. She was joined by festival stalwarts Zara and Mike Tindall, Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank and her children Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, with their father and her former husband Andrew Parker Bowles also part of the group. Snow had greeted early risers at the famous racecourse but Camilla arrived in sunshine as punters poured through the gates ahead of the first race. Horses make their way in from the snow-covered gallops early on day two of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival (Mike Egerton/PA) The festival is a huge event in the area with bars, hotels and pubs filled in nearby Cheltenham and, alongside a normal trolley service, one train, from Paddington, to the towns main station, had another trolley selling just cans of beer. Camilla has a keen interest in the equestrian world, regularly attending major racing meets such as Royal Ascot and the Cheltenham Festival and is associated with a number of equine charities including The British Equestrian Federation and the Ebony Horse Club. She was recently announced as the royal patron of the British Racing School which trains the next generation in the horse racing industry. Mr Martin hailed the US presidents work on peace initiatives in Ukraine and the Middle East at several engagements across his Washington, DC itinerary on Wednesday. He told US President Donald Trump: In my view, there is nothing more noble, president, than the pursuit of peace. He added: Ireland is ready to work with you and our international partners to end conflict, and especially to bring just, lasting and sustainable peace to the people of Ukraine and the people of the Middle East. Conflict and war hurt the most vulnerable. Too many children in particular have died in Gaza, in Israel, in Sudan, and too many children have been abducted in Ukraine. Let us together never cease to strive for peace, prosperity and opportunity for all the worlds children. That would be an extraordinary achievement for the transatlantic relationship and an extraordinary legacy for the ages. Taoiseach Micheal Martin during a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump (Niall Carson/PA) Speaking during their earlier meeting in the Oval Office, Mr Trump said US work on proposals for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine had been a great success. People are going to Russia right now as we speak and hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia. And if we do, I think that would be 80% of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath finished. Its a bloodbath that is taking place over there. On average, 2,000-3000 young people a week are being killed, and that stupid war that would have never happened if I would have been president. Mr Martin said he wanted to pay tribute to Mr Trumps work towards a ceasefire in Ukraine. The war in Ukraine is a devastating war on young people and I think that very simple straightforward narrative is to be commended. We all have children, we would be shocked at the prospect of young people losing their lives in that number, be they Ukrainian, be they Russian. Taoiseach Micheal Martin described US president Donald Trump as very well clued into the situation in the Middle East (Niall Carson/PA) On the Middle East conflict, Mr Trump said the US was working hard with Israel over what he described as a very deep-seated problem. He was responding to a question on Irelands Occupied Territories Bill, which would ban the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. Mr Trump said: Israel has been under siege, as you can see, and they had to fight back. October 7 was a terrible thing. People dont like to mention it, but it was a terrible, terrible day in the life of the world. He said that hostages taken in Gaza were treated badly and that October 7 was a terrible thing. Ireland, Spain and Norway recognised Palestinian statehood last year in a stance not shared by the US. Asked by reporters in the Oval Office if he would discuss this difference in opinion with Mr Trump, Mr Martin said: I dont have to inform the president. Hes very well clued into the whole situation. He added: Its been our view that a two-state solution would be ideal. Its become much more challenging and difficult as time moved on but that has always been our position. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said that Ireland had experienced violence and said that they were motivated by a humanitarian impulse (Niall Carson/PA) The Taoiseach said Mr Trumps administration pursued a ceasefire as soon as they came into office. Mr Martin said: Weve been calling for a ceasefire for a long time we want to consolidate the peace that is our fundamental aim. Recalling his own visit to Kibbutz Beeri after October 7, he said: We want the hostages out, Ive been saying it from day one a horrific thing to do, to take someone as a hostage. The Irish premier also called for a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, adding that Ireland is motivated by a humanitarian impulse. He said the position was informed by the experience of violence on the island of Ireland in the past: Weve been through some of this. Mr Martin expanded on this idea at the Friends of Ireland luncheon at the US Capitol. He said: Our nations green has been threaded through the rich tapestry of the United States by almost 32 million Irish Americans. Throughout our Troubles, the friends of Ireland, Republican and Democrat alike, held fast to a vision of Ireland not marred by violence or terror. You worked unrelentingly to realise that fragile hope. You stood shoulder to shoulder with us, no matter how fierce the challenge and there were many such challenges. It is that same determination that together we must devote to todays conflicts in the Ukraine and in the Middle East. Our shared history teaches us that peace however elusive it may sometimes seem is achievable. Its promise remains within our grasp. Mr Martin told Mr Trump: We hope to welcome you back to our small island. He added: Mr President, we are forever grateful for the United States contribution to transforming our island, and we wish you well in the efforts that you are making to bring peace to the Ukraine and to the Middle East and further afield. We thank you for your leadership and indeed your ongoing friendship to Ireland. Ukraine has indicated its willingness to agree a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, but a lasting peace is likely to depend on Western security guarantees (Alex Babenko/AP) European allies will accelerate work on forming a coalition of the willing to provide security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, the Defence Secretary has said. Speaking at a press conference in Paris on Wednesday evening, John Healey said European nations would come ever closer together in the coming weeks following discussion of a possible truce between Kyiv and Moscow. He said: The UK and France are jointly leading work on planning to drive the push for peace and drive the arrangements for security guarantees for Ukraine. We are doing this work together, we are cooperating closely with partner nations, we are looking to build a coalition of the willing from Europe and beyond, and from today we are accelerating that work. His remarks follow a meeting with his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and Poland the so-called E5 nations that spend the most on defence of European Nato members and a meeting of military chiefs from 34 nations on Tuesday. John Healey met his French counterpart, Sebastien Lecornu, and defence ministers from Italy, Germany and Poland to discuss possible support for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine (Aurelien Morissard/AP) He added that Sir Keir Starmer would host another leaders summit on Saturday before further meetings between senior military officers next week. But at the same press conference, French defence minister Sebastien Lecornu stressed that the first guarantee of security for Ukraine is the Ukrainian armed forces. He said: We cannot ask European troops to do the work of the Ukrainian armed forces. This is what we have done since the beginning, we are helping them to defend themselves. The flurry of activity comes against the background of an apparent breakthrough in talks between the US and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia designed to formulate proposals for a ceasefire. Kyiv has said it is ready to accept plans for a 30-day immediate ceasefire, and US secretary of state Marco Rubio said his country would have contact with Russia on Wednesday. Mr Rubio said Washington would put the proposals to Moscow directly, adding that the ball is truly in their court and rejection of the plan would make their intentions clear. Echoing these comments, Mr Healey used his press conference remarks to tell Russian President Vladimir Putin over to you. He said: You say you want to talk. Prove it. Accept the ceasefire, start negotiations and end the war. Make no mistake, the pressure is now on Putin. Any future peace agreement is likely to require some form of security guarantee from the West, possibly in the form of a peacekeeping force stationed in Ukraine, which talks on the coalition of the willing are aimed at forming. Sir Keir Starmer has previously talked of the need for a US backstop on security, and Mr Rubio acknowledged that Ukraines ability to discourage further aggression would likely feature in any talks. In other developments: US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Moscow and put the deal directly to Mr Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was still awaiting detailed information on the proposal and it was important not to get ahead of how Mr Putin would respond. Nato secretary general Mark Rutte announced he would travel to Washington DC this week to discuss Mr Trumps commitment to the alliance. Kyiv came under fire from a Russian air attack just hours after Ukraine signalled it would support the ceasefire deal. Russia said it regained more territory in the western Kursk region of the country, which Ukrainian forces invaded last summer in a bid to win a bargaining chip for future negotiations. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has urged the next generation to carry the torch of remembrance and strive for peace ahead of the 80th anniversary of VE Day. She announced the full programme of events to mark the anniversary at an event held at the National Theatre in central London on Wednesday. A service at Westminster Abbey, a military procession from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace and the release of a new National Theatre film are among the planned events. There will also be an immersive augmented reality experience, resources for every school in the country and a national call for the public to submit letters written during the Second World War. Ms Nandy told the PA news agency: You can never take peace for granted and it is incumbent in every generation to strive for peace anew. Thats particularly relevant with the turmoil going on in todays world and we want to make sure that this generation is able to carry the torch forwards. The programme of events that we have put together with veterans and others will help not just to celebrate and honour the sacrifice and the legacy that generation gave us but also bring the past flickering back to life for this new generation. Lisa Nandy said it would be one of the last opportunities to hear first-hand from the wartime generation (James Manning/PA) We will have a moment at the Cenotaph where we have veterans and cadets and the message is very clear that its up to our generation to carry that torch forwards, to honour their legacy, not just be remembering the sacrifice but by striving to protect the peace for which they gave so much. Playwright James Graham, known for Sherwood and Dear England, has written a film called The Next Morning for the National Theatre as part of commemorations, and spoke at the event. It will showcase stories of young people after the Second World War and will be released during the four days of events. In her speech at the event, Ms Nandy said: This is one of the last opportunities that we will have to hear first-hand from that remarkable generation. Playwright James Graham said it was important that younger people were educated in what the wartime generation did (James Manning/PA) This VE Day they will hand the torch on so that we can carry their legacy forwards. They gave us 80 years of peace through that remarkable sacrifice. Whether we have 80 years more peace is up to us. The event also saw speeches from actress Fay Ripley, who read a letter sent from a mother to her daughter during the Second World War, and 17-year-old Leo Oliver, who read his great-grandfathers wartime letter. Speaking afterwards, Graham said: Given the state of the world at the moment whether its Ukraine or anything else I think its really important that younger people have an education in what that generation did in terms of being brave and going out there and doing that, protecting our freedoms, and given the context of the modern-day freedoms, we increasingly just cant take that for granted. An estimate suggesting thousands of care workers have come to the UK in recent years under sponsors whose licences were later revoked is said to demonstrate the exploitation in a Wild West system. The Home Office said more than 470 sponsor licences in the care sector had been revoked between July 2022 and December 2024 in a crackdown on abuse and exploitation. More than 39,000 workers were associated with those sponsors since October 2020, the department said. Migrant help charity the Work Rights Centre said the figures are a shocking revelation of the scale of fraud and exploitation under the sponsorship system. At least a quarter of the care workers estimated to have been affected either found alternative employment in the care sector or were not working for the sponsor at the time, the Home Office said. The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford said the care worker visa route was, in 2023, pretty much the Wild West. Its director, Madeleine Sumption, said: It is clear that exploitative practices were widespread and involved a substantial number of workers. What remains to be seen is the extent to which the situation is better controlled now that the Home Office has cracked down and the numbers of care workers being sponsored is much lower. The latest figures, published last month, showed the number of visas issued for health and care workers and their families coming to the UK fell from 348,157 in 2023 to 110,833 last year a decrease of 68%. The drop is likely to reflect changes in legal migration rules introduced since January 2024 by the previous Conservative government, including a ban on overseas care workers bringing family dependants, and a steep rise in the salary threshold for skilled workers to 38,700. To qualify for a care worker visa, a person must have a certificate of sponsorship from their employer with information about the role they have been offered in the UK. If the sponsor loses their licence the certificate is cancelled and the person has limited time to find a new one or leave the UK. The estimate came as the Government announced new rules on care worker recruitment. It said care providers must prove they have tried to hire an international worker already in England who is in need of new sponsorship before attempting to take on someone from overseas, in rules coming in from April 9. The change will help tackle the reliance on overseas recruitment to staff the social care workforce as well as exploitation in the sector, the Home Office said. The department said it is part of work to ensure high standards across the immigration system and support care workers into alternative jobs if their sponsor has had their licence removed. Ms Sumption said that while the rule change might help to address exploitation to some extent, enforcement could be difficult. She said: These policies can be difficult to enforce so the proof will be in the implementation. She added that even with more opportunity to find a new job in the sector, care staff on work visas will likely continue to be vulnerable to exploitation for other reasons, such as debt and difficulties finding a new job if they continue to be employed in poor conditions but have not officially lost their job. Dora-Olivia Vicol, chief executive of the Work Rights Centre, said: Supporting sponsor rematching is a sticking plaster solution to a crisis of national proportions. The Government needs to deliver on the promise to investigate and reform the health and care worker visas. Unisons head of social care Gavin Edwards said care staff on visas being able to move to another sponsor more easily is a positive step, but further measures will be needed given the vulnerability of overseas workers. He added: Ultimately, the Government should remove visa sponsorship from individual employers and implement a sector-wide scheme. Migration and citizenship minister Seema Malhotra said: We have already taken action to ensure employers are not able to flout the rules with little consequence or exploit international workers for costs they were always supposed to pay. We are now going further, requiring employers in England to prioritise recruiting international care workers who are already here and seeking new sponsorship, before recruiting from overseas. Care minister Stephen Kinnock said: As we crack down on shameful rogue operators exploiting overseas workers here in the UK, we must do all we can to get the victims back into rewarding careers in adult social care. Prioritising care workers who are already in the UK will get people back to work, reducing our reliance on international recruitment, and make sure our social care sector has the care professionals it needs. The Government said minimum salary thresholds will be updated to reflect the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, ensuring those working on the skilled worker visa, including care workers, are paid a minimum of 12.82 per hour. The Government also announced tough new rules on the short-term student route, designed for people studying an English language course in the UK for between six and 11 months. Amid concerns that the route is being abused by those without a genuine intention to study or to leave the UK at the end of their course, the Home Office said expanded powers will be available from April 9 to caseworkers to refuse visa applications which are suspected of not being genuine. Relatives of the victims of his deadly crackdown have called for Duterte to face justice (AP) Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was turned over to the custody of the International Criminal Court, following his arrest on a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity over deadly anti-drugs crackdowns he oversaw while in office. The 79-year-old former president arrived at Rotterdam The Hague Airport in the Netherlands on Wednesday on a flight from Manila, following his arrest there on an ICC request on Tuesday. Duterte will face justice at The Hague (AP) Rights groups and families of victims hailed Dutertes arrest, and the courts chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, called it a crucial step in our continuous work to ensure accountability for the victims of the most serious crimes under ICC jurisdiction. Supporters of Duterte criticised the administration of current Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Dutertes political rival, for arresting and surrendering the former leader to a court whose jurisdiction his supporters dispute. The Dutch-based court said in a statement that medical assistance was made available as a precautionary measure at the airport for Duterte, in line with standard procedures when a suspect arrives. The court did not comment on his state of health. An ambulance drove to the hangar where his plane was taken, and medics wheeled a gurney inside. A police helicopter hovered close to the airport, and later a black SUV was seen leaving the airport accompanied by police. Its destination was not immediately clear. Crowds gathered outside the detention centre for ICC suspects. Within days, Duterte will face an initial appearance where the court will confirm his identity, check that he understands the charges against him and set a date for a hearing to assess if prosecutors have sufficient evidence to send him to a full trial. If his case goes to trial and he is convicted, Duterte could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Jerrie Abella of Amnesty International said: This is a monumental and long-overdue step for justice for thousands of victims and their families. The plane carrying Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague took off from Manila earlier (AP) It is therefore a hopeful sign for them, as well, in the Philippines and beyond, as it shows that suspected perpetrators of the worst crimes, including government leaders, will face justice wherever they are in the world. Emily Soriano, the mother of a victim of the crackdowns, said she wanted more officials to face justice. Duterte is lucky he has due process, but our children who were killed did not have due process, she said. Dutertes supporters, however, criticised his arrest as illegal and sought to have him returned home. Small groups of Duterte supporters and people who backed his arrest demonstrated on Wednesday outside the court before his arrival. The ICC opened an inquiry in 2021 into mass killings linked to the so-called war on drugs overseen by Duterte when he served as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao, and later as president. Estimates of the death toll during Dutertes presidential term vary, from the more than 6,000 that the national police have reported and up to 30,000 claimed by human rights groups. ICC judges who looked at prosecution evidence supporting their request for his arrest found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Duterte is individually responsible for the crime against humanity of murder as an indirect co-perpetrator for having allegedly overseen the killings when he was mayor of Davao and later president of the Philippines, according to his warrant. Chairman of Demokraatit, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, centre, hugs supporters during an election party (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Greenlands likely new prime minister rejected US President Donald Trumps efforts to take control of the island, saying Greenlanders must be allowed to decide their own future as it moves towards independence from Denmark. Jens-Frederik Nielsens Demokraatit, a pro-business party that favours a slow path to independence, won a surprise victory in Tuesdays parliamentary election, outpacing the two left-leaning parties that formed the last government. Chairman of Demokraatit, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, left, celebrates during an election party as he is poised to become Greenlands next prime minister (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) With most Greenlanders opposing Mr Trumps overtures, the campaign focused more on issues like healthcare and education than on geopolitics. But on Wednesday, Mr Nielsen was quick to push back against Mr Trump, who last week told a joint session of Congress that the US needed Greenland to protect its own national security interests and he expected to get it one way or the other. We dont want to be Americans. No, we dont want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders, and we want our own independence in the future, Mr Nielsen, 33, told Sky News. And we want to build our own country by ourselves. Greenland, a self-governing region of Denmark, has been on a path toward independence since at least 2009, when the government in Copenhagen recognised its right to self-determination under international law. Four of the five main parties in the election supported independence, though they disagreed on when and how to achieve it. Members of the Naleraq party applaud during a party after parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) The island of 56,000 people, most from Indigenous Inuit backgrounds, has attracted international attention since Mr Trump announced his designs on it soon after returning to the White House in January. Mr Trump is focused on Greenland because it straddles strategic air and sea routes in the North Atlantic and is home to the USs Pituffik Space Base, which supports missile warning and space surveillance operations. Greenland also has large deposits of the rare-earth minerals needed to make everything from mobile phones to renewable energy technology. But Mr Trumps overtures werent on the ballot. Some voters appeared to support Mr Trumps overtures (Scanpix via AP) The 31 men and women elected to parliament on Tuesday will have to set priorities for issues such as diversifying Greenlands economy, building infrastructure and improving health care, as well as shaping the countrys strategy for countering the presidents America First agenda. Demokraatit won 29.9% of the vote by campaigning to improve housing and educational standards while delaying independence until Greenland is self-sufficient. Four years ago, the party finished in fourth place with 9.1%. Carina Ren, head of the Arctic program at Aalborg University in Copenhagen, said the results show that Greenlanders tried to ignore Mr Trump and focus on issues that were important to them. The voters have been able to drag down all the drama, all the alarmist talk from the outside to say, Well, this is about our everyday lives, our everyday concerns as citizens. Where are we going, how are we going to develop our society from the inside. The vote had been closely watched internationally (Scanpix via AP) Now, Demokraatit will have to turn its attention to forming a governing coalition. Naleraq, the most aggressively pro-independence party, finished in second place, with 24.5% of the vote. It was followed by Inuit Ataqatigiit, which led the last government, at 21.4%. Dwayne Menezes, managing director of the Polar Research and Policy Initiative, said: What approach to independence will win the day will ultimately depend on if Demokraatit decides to form a coalition government, and if so, with which party. Mr Nielsen appeared to be surprised by Demokraatits gains as the results came it, with photos showing him sporting a huge grin and applauding at a post-election party. He later said Demokraatit would reach out to all the other parties to negotiate Greenlands future political course. People line up outside a polling station to cast their vote in parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) Danish defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen congratulated Demokraatit and warned that Greenlands new government would likely have to deal with massive pressure from Mr Trump. Its not the case that you can just take part of the Danish Realm, Danish broadcaster DR quoted him as saying. The future of Greenland is based on what the Greenlandic people and government want. Greenland prime minister Mute Bourup Egede last month called early elections, saying the country needed to be united during a serious time unlike anything Greenland has ever experienced. On Wednesday, after the results were known, Mr Egede used a Facebook post to thank voters for turning out and said the parties were ready to turn to negotiations to form a government. Sebastien Lai has called for his fathers release (Keystone via AP) The son of prominent Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai has called for his fathers release in a high-profile national security case. Sebastien Lai told reporters in Washington that the prison conditions where his 77-year-old father is being held in solitary confinement are inhumane for anybody, any age. There is a real fear that he might pass away at any time, said the son, who is leading an international campaign to free his father. This year will be the fifth year for him to be in prison. The case has drawn widespread international condemnation and is seen as evidence of the erosion of press freedom and judicial independence in Hong Kong. The elder Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper known for its anti-Beijing stance, is standing trial on charges of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and of conspiring with others to issue seditious publications. The collusion charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Mr Lai is hoping Donald Trump will help secure his fathers release (Keystone via AP) Last year, Lai pleaded not guilty to all charges. On March 6, he presented his final testimony and lawyers from both sides are expected to return to court to deliver their closing statements in August. He has been convicted in four separate cases involving fraud and unauthorised assemblies and has been given sentences totalling more than seven years, according to Amnesty International. Lai, an outspoken critic of Beijing, was arrested in 2020 during a crackdown following anti-government protests in Hong Kong a year earlier. The Beijing and Hong Kong governments say a strict national security law helped restore stability to Hong Kong after the demonstrations. Lai has spent more than 1,500 days in solitary confinement in a cell without natural light. Hong Kongs government said in a statement last year that the separation of Lai from other inmates has been made at his own request and was approved by prison authorities. This is completely insane, the younger Lai said. It is disgusting. He also asked for release. Jimmy Lai is the publisher of the now-defunct Apple Daily (Keystone via AP) The US and UK governments and independent UN human rights experts have called for the publishers release. In America, Lai has bipartisan support on Capitol Hill and he could have President Donald Trump on his side. During his election campaign, Mr Trump told Hugh Hewitt on a podcast that he would secure Lais release. One-hundred percent. Ill get him out, Mr Trump said. Responding to Mr Trumps comments, Hong Kong leader John Lee said the US should not interfere in Hong Kongs internal affairs. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters last November that Lai is a major figure in the rise of anti-China sentiments in Hong Kong and a pawn of anti-China forces. The younger Lai and the former publishers international legal team are in Washington to meet with legislators and senior officials close to Mr Trump. President Trump was the first US president that mentioned my father by name, Lais son said. It is looking more hopeful now. The recovery of the Pope from double pneumonia continues as he inches towards some important milestones in his papacy: the 12th anniversary of his election as pope and a near-record in hospital stays for a pontiff. The Vatican said on Wednesday that Francis had a quiet night at Romes Gemelli hospital. If the last few days are any guide, the 88-year-old Argentine will likely follow the Vaticans spiritual retreat remotely while his physical and respiratory therapy continues. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The Popes weekly Wednesday general audience was cancelled anyway, since the entire Vatican hierarchy is on retreat this week as part of the Lenten spiritual exercises that have been a mainstay of the Jesuits pontificate. Doctors have said Francis is making slow, gradual improvements and this week declared that he is no longer in imminent danger of death as a result of the complex respiratory infection he had when he was admitted on February 14. But they remain cautious, given the complexity of his condition and overall fragility, and say he needs to remain in hospital for an unspecified number of days. Another medical update is expected later on Wednesday. Francis will mark 12 years as Pope on Thursday (AP) Thursday marks the 12th anniversary of Francis election as the 266th Pope. The former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected on the fifth ballot of the 2013 conclave that was called after Pope Benedict XVI resigned. While Francis has praised Benedicts humility in stepping down and said that he too might follow in his footsteps, more recently he has said that the papacy is a job for life. The Holy See has not said how the anniversary, which is a public holiday in the Vatican, might be commemorated this year. Francis will also mark 28 days in hospital as he is treated for a complex lung condition (AP) Another milestone comes on Friday, when Francis marks 28 days in hospital. St John Paul II has the record for a hospital stay, at 55 days in 1981 when he underwent a minor surgical operation and was then treated for a cytomegalovirus infection. Francis is on track to equal the second-longest stay, 28 days, which John Paul recorded in 1994 when he had surgery to repair his right hip joint after he fractured his right femur in a fall, according to Gemelli hospital. The Vatican has released no photos or video of Francis since he was admitted. The Pope recorded an audio message last week to thank people for their prayers, though the weakness and breathlessness of his voice made clear just how frail he was. Support between the US and Ukraine has continued (AP) US arms deliveries to Ukraine have resumed, officials said. The move comes a day after the Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid for Kyiv in its fight against Russias invasion, and Ukrainian officials signalled that they were open to a 30-day ceasefire backed by Washington. Ukraine has signalled it is open for talks towards a ceasefire (AP) Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it is important not to get ahead of the question of responding to the ceasefire proposal. He told reporters that Moscow is awaiting detailed information about it from the US and suggested that Russia must receive that first before it can take a position. The Kremlin has previously opposed anything short of a permanent end to the conflict and has not accepted any concessions. US President Donald Trump wants to end the three-year war and pressured Mr Zelensky to enter talks. The suspension of US assistance came days after Mr Zelensky and Mr Trump argued about the conflict in a tense White House meeting. The administrations decision to resume military aid after talks on Tuesday with senior Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia marked a sharp shift in its stance. Mr Trump said that its up to Russia now as his administration presses Moscow to agree to the ceasefire. And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia, Mr Trump said Wednesday in an extended exchange with reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Micheal Martin, the Taoiseach of Ireland. And if we do, I think that would be 80% of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath ended. The US president again made veiled threats of hitting Russia with new sanctions. Strikes took place in Kryvyi Rih (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) We can, but I hope its not going to be necessary, Mr Trump said. US secretary of state Marco Rubio, who led the American delegation to Tuesdays talks in Saudi Arabia, where Ukraine consented to the US ceasefire proposal, said Washington will pursue multiple points of contacts with Russia to see if President Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate an end to the war. He declined to give details or say what steps might be taken if Mr Putin refuses to engage. The US hopes to see Russia stop attacks on Ukraine within the next few days as a first step, Mr Rubio said at a refuelling stop Wednesday in Shannon, Ireland, on his way to talks in Canada with other Group of Seven leading industrialised nations. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that national security adviser Mike Waltz spoke with his Russian counterpart on Wednesday. She also confirmed that Mr Trumps special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will head to Moscow for talks with Russian officials. She did not say with whom Mr Witkoff planned to meet, but a person familiar with the matter said Mr Witkoff is expected to meet with Mr Putin later his week. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mr Zelensky said a 30-day ceasefire would allow the sides to fully prepare a step-by-step plan for ending the war, including security guarantees for Ukraine. Technical questions over how to effectively monitor a truce along the roughly 1,000-kilometre (600-mile) front line, where small but deadly drones are common, are very important, Mr Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv. Arms deliveries to Ukraine have already resumed through a Polish logistics centre, the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Poland announced on Wednesday. The deliveries go through a Nato and US hub in the eastern Polish city of Rzeszow that has been used to ferry Western weapons into neighbouring Ukraine about 70 kilometres (45 miles) away. The American military help is vital for Ukraines shorthanded and weary army, which is having a tough time keeping Russias bigger military force at bay. For Russia, the American aid spells potentially more difficulty in achieving war aims, and it could make Washingtons peace efforts a tougher sell in Moscow. The US government has also restored Ukraines access to unclassified commercial satellite pictures provided by Maxar Technologies through a program Washington runs, Maxar spokesperson Tomi Maxted told The Associated Press. The images help Ukraine plan attacks, assess their success and monitor Russian movements. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited military headquarters in the Kursk region of Russia (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP) Mr Putin on Wednesday visited military headquarters in Russias Kursk region, where Kremlin troops are close to driving out Ukrainian forces. Speaking to commanders, Mr Putin said he expected the military to completely free the Kursk region from the enemy in the nearest future. However, Russian officials signalled wariness about the prospect of a ceasefire. Senior Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev said in a post on the messaging app Telegram: Any agreements (with the understanding of the need for compromise) should be on our terms, not American. Mikhail Sheremet told the state news agency Tass that Russia is not interested in continuing the war, but at the same time Moscow will not tolerate being strung along. John Hardie, a defence analyst and deputy director of the Russia programme at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, a Washington-based research institute, said the outcome of the Saudi Arabia talks places the onus on Washington to persuade Moscow to accept and implement the ceasefire. Russias foreign intelligence service, known as the SVR, reported that the services chief, Sergei Naryshkin, spoke by phone Tuesday with CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The two discussed co-operation in areas of common interest and the resolution of crisis situations, according to a statement by the SVR. I wont be defined by glaucoma: Partially-sighted Andrew conquers Kilimanjaro to raise funds for NI treatment centre Former BBC graphics man lost vision in one eye but refuses to let his disability define him Andrew Davidson at the summit of Kilimanjaro Aine Toner Wed 12 Mar 2025 at 20:00 A former graphic designer has summited Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for glaucoma treatment in Northern Ireland. Opinion Here are some questions the candidates for the interim Deschutes County Sheriff should answer: Is there anything in If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Eagle Archives, July 2, 1957: The Marauders drum and bugle corps will be absent from the 1957 Fourth of July Parade after a split with the Pittsfield Firemens Association, which demanded the return of all instruments amid tensions over name changes and sponsorship. LENOX A proposed Berkshire Gold Star Family Memorial to be installed outside Town Hall has won enthusiastic support from the Select Board. Gold Star families include members of the military who died in service to the U.S., beginning with World War I. Since then, there have been 600 Berkshire County Gold Star families who lost a loved one. Former state Rep, William Smitty Pignatelli has been leading the fundraising effort for the public memorial, working with the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires. He described it as a very nice veterans park at the Town Hall to bookend our veterans flagpole on the other side as well. At this location, nothing will block it," he said. "No matter what direction youre going, youll see this, a real recognition of the families that have made a sacrifice. About a year ago, the Berkshire Gold Star Family Memorial Committee began organizing. It started raising funds privately last December toward the $170,000 budget, with $140,000 now in the bank. The remainder is to be raised during the current public fundraising effort. Theres only one Massachusetts Gold Star Memorial, in Fall River. I was shocked, and thats what prompted me to say we need to do this in the Berkshires, said Pignatelli, whos named for his fathers best friend, William H. Smith, who died in combat during World War II at age 19. I felt Lenox would be the perfect spot, he said, pointing out the lawn area just to the right of Town Halls main entrance. Pignatelli said former Town Manager Christopher Ketchen and DPW Superintendent William Gop offered informal support for the memorial project. The preliminary design calls for a slab nearly 14 feet long on a 3 1/2-foot base, elevated to about 7 feet in height, Pignatelli told the Select Board at its televised meeting on March 5, available on demand at ctsbtv.org. Its not big or gaudy, he stressed. There will be recessed illumination at night. On Tuesday outside Town Hall, Pignatelli showed The Eagle an illustration of the proposed black marble memorial with wording engraved into the stone itself with gold lettering, a Gold Star seal and a county map laser-engraved into the stone delineating all 32 communities. The wording states: A tribute to those who sacrificed a loved one for our freedom. Pignatelli said he hopes preliminary site work can be finished before the Tanglewood season, with the installation completed with a public unveiling this fall. Lenox and the Berkshires have done a great job historically recognizing our fallen soldiers, he told Select Board members. Its going to be a beautiful tribute to them, an attraction for Lenox and a continuation of the good work the town has done recognizing those sacrifices throughout the county. Longtime resident Robert Coakley, a committee member, lost his brother, Lt. Cmdr. William F. Coakley, during the Vietnam War. Coakley, a Navy pilot and veteran of 37 combat missions, was 33 when his plane went down during his final mission in September 1966. He was listed as missing in action for 23 years until his remains were discovered and returned to Lenox. He was the towns only resident who died in combat during the Vietnam conflict. Robert Coakley also lost his grandson, U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Roger W. Muchnick Jr., when a mortar shell exploded during a 2013 training exercise in Nevada during the Afghanistan war. We appreciate your vote, Coakley told the Select Board. It means a lot to our family and it will potentially mean a lot to our children, grandchildren and our great-grandchildren, which we have, so were thrilled with it. Besides Pignatelli and Robert Coakley, the committee includes: Richard Fuore, whose uncle served in World War II and later died in combat during the Korean War; Alan North, a Vietnam veteran who died recently having lost two uncles in World War II; Marie Field, a retired brigadier general who was the first woman to achieve the rank of general in the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Theres no question about the merits of the project, its very fitting, a great location, said Select Board Chairman Neal Maxymillian. Im 100 percent behind this project, said Selectman Ed Lane, a member of a Gold Star family. Well help move that forward as much as we can. Christians long for their non-believing family and friends to surrender to Jesus in repentance and faith. We pray countless prayers asking the Lord God to draw them to Himself through Jesus Christ. But what do we do when our unbelieving loved one is dying apart from Christ? How do we minister to them? Think of your most loved unsaved person (for me, its my sister). What if that person has but a few months (or weeks, or days) to live according to the doctors timetable? For Christians, our most important ministry to them is to share the gospel every day if you must. Our physical health matters, but its nothing in the face of our spiritual health. We crave their salvation! There are numerous ways we can minister to them at the end of their lives. 1. Pray Prayer should precede everything. Its of vital importance that we Christians commune with God about our lives and about how to honor His name and glorify Him. Before we begin our ministry to our family member or friend who is at the end of their life, pray. Prayer is our best offense and defense. Pray: That the Lord will open your mouth to speak the gospel with clarity, confidence, and compassion. For the heart of your beloved one, that the Lord would prepare them to hear and respond to the gospel. The Lord will thwart the evil ones assaults against you and your loved one. We know Satan and his demons want us to fear man, therefore stopping us from displaying Christ to our dying family member or friend For the Lords will regarding their health. He may choose to heal them, no matter what the doctors say. But if not, remember He only does whats good for us and what brings Him glory. That your beloved one will say yes when you ask them if you can pray with and for them at their side. Pray also for (and, if possible, with) the hospital or hospice caregivers. You can certainly pray alone for them. You can also pray with fellow believers for your precious one and ask them to pray when you arent together. 2. Speak Now is not the time to hold back the best news ever from your loved one. They are quickly approaching eternity, and if they die apart from Christ, they will be forever bereft of Him. A person in the grip of death looks at life a whole lot differently than when they were healthy. They might be more open to hearing the gospel. If they dont know your testimony, you can make that a starting point that leads to the gospel. Tell them how much you love them and want to spend eternity with them. Hopefully they will have questions for you. Dont fear not being able to answer all their questions. Take a good study Bible with you and perhaps a book with Bible FAQs, such as R. C. Sprouls, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith or John MacArthurs Fundamentals of the Faith. 3. Trust When you share and do all you can for your dying family member or friend, remember, the results are not under your control. Your obedience, however, is. Romans 1:16 tells us, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Its Gods power at work as you speak the gospel. Our love for God and for others compels us to share the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:16) and trust God to do what only He can do. What if your friend or family member doesnt surrender to Jesus before they die? We must trust God for our beloved ones destiny because He is God. God is good, and He never changes. We may question Him, but one day we will understand completely the whys of this life. And we will rejoice in Christ as we exalt Him as King of kings and Lord of lords. 4. Visit When Jobs three friends first came to comfort him, they sat beside him for seven days saying nothing. Their presence, at that time, was enough. As you can, visit your dying loved one. Even if no words are exchanged, your presence will be a comfort to them. Visit with your other family members as well, and if its your friend who is dying, their family members. Pray with them and comfort them with your presence. Tangible Ministry Ideas We have many ways to minister to a dying loved one in addition to the ideas mentioned above. Craft handmade cards for them. It doesnt matter if you are artistic. What matters is the time and love you pour into them. Take special, allergen-free lotions to them, and if they are physically able and are okay with it, give them a nice hand or foot massage. Touch is a wonderful balm to soothe a persons mind and body. Make a playlist of their favorite music and sit and listen with them. Add some Christian music, of course! Watch funny and/or heart touching movies together. Read your favorite Bible passages to them and tell them why they are your favorites. Hug your loved one. Bring a stylist friend in to give your family member or friend a haircut or shave. If they are able to eat, bake one of their favorite things and share it with them. If they are ambulatory, grab a wheelchair and get them some fresh air and sunshine if the weather is conducive. Many hospitals allow therapy pets to be brought bedside. If your friend or family member is a pet lover, try to arrange for a visit. If you can, bring a favorite piece of clothing or jewelry for your friend to wear (unless it interferes with the nurses needs to access to certain areas of their body). Make sure they can see the cards and flowers and any other gifts that people send. Read the cards to them. If your beloved one is non-responsive, bend close to their ear and talk to them. Tell them you love them and are praying for them. Share some thoughts about how much they have impacted your life and how you will miss them. If theyve yet to surrender to Jesus, share the gospel again as you hold their hand. Bring family photographs to look at together and re-live some precious memories. Deuteronomy 32:39 states, See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded, and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand. If your beloved one lives or dies, its Gods will. While we dont know all the mysteries of God, we do know what His Word says. He is faithful and compassionate, and only God knows if the words we speak to them are taken to heart. A Prayer for Your Dying Loved One Father God, You alone know the depth of my heartache for my beloved one. I yearn for You to draw them to Yourself through the Lord Jesus Christ while they still have a chance. Help me to minister to them and represent You well so they will understand their eternal need for You and surrender to Jesus as Savior and Lord. You, Father, are the beginning and the end, and I pray my beloved one sees You for Who You are, our loving Father. Do the work in their life only You can do. And change me more and more into the image of Christ so His light shines through me. Let my beloved glorify You because of me. In Jesus precious and holy name I pray, Amen. Photo credit: Getty Images/kieferpix Lisa Loraine Baker is the multiple award-winning author of Someplace to be Somebody. She writes fiction and nonfiction. In addition to writing for the Salem Web Network, Lisa serves as a Word Weavers mentor and is part of a critique group. Lisa and her husband, Stephen, a pastor, live in a small Ohio village with their crazy cat, Lewis. BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. Karnataka Government allocates Rs 57 Cr to rebuild Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre after fire damage March 11, 2025 | Tuesday | News Funding includes Rs 20 crore earmarked for FY26 to restore the biotech incubation hub in Electronics City The Government of Karnataka has allocated Rs 57 crore for the reconstruction of the Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre (BBC), which suffered extensive damage due to a fire on January 14, 2025. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during the Karnataka Budget 2025, reinforcing the states commitment to revitalizing its biotech ecosystem. Located in Electronics City, the Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre serves as a vital incubation hub for biotechnology startups and research initiatives. The fire caused severe damage to high-end laboratory equipment and valuable research materials, disrupting the progress of numerous startups and research projects. Recognizing the centres critical role in Karnatakas biotech sector, the government has prioritized its restoration. Of the Rs 57 crore allocated, 20 crore has been specifically earmarked for FY26 to facilitate phased reconstruction and re-equipment of the centre. This financial commitment underscores the governments dedication to fostering innovation, supporting biotech entrepreneurs, and strengthening Karnatakas position as a global biotechnology hub. The Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre has been instrumental in advancing biopharma, agritech, medtech, and industrial biotech solutions. The reconstruction efforts will not only restore lost infrastructure but also upgrade facilities to better serve the next generation of biotech innovators. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Help Our Community Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community. The survey is at: www.pulsepoll.com $1,000 is being awarded. Everyone completing the survey will be able to enter a contest to Win as our way of saying, "Thank You" for your time. Thank You! Take The Survey Following the recent contentious Oval Office meeting between President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy, Gov. Josh Shapiro quickly jumped into the fray, issuing a statement blaming the President and Vice President for the dispute while offering his own tough talk against Russia. In this hasty yet hollow response, Shapiro once again proves he is quick to speak but absent when it is time to take real action. If Shapiro truly cared about the safety and security of America and standing with our European allies, he would act now by supporting the development of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in southeast Pennsylvania. It could easily be done and there are private investors at the ready, but there is one obstacle: Pennsylvania state government. The war in Ukraine made painfully clear the consequences of Europes dependency on Russian natural gas for its energy. Four years later, the European Union is still paying the price, while Russia continues funding its war efforts from its sizable energy exports. Oil and natural gas exports make up anywhere between 30%-50% of Russias yearly federal budget revenues, making it their largest single revenue source by far. If you want to defund the Kremlins war machine, it begins with replacing Russian energy with U.S. energy exports. With its strategic location and sizable natural gas reserves, Pennsylvania is uniquely positioned to support our European allies by meeting their LNG needs more efficiently. Exports from the Philadelphia region can reach Europe at least a week faster than those from Texas, Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states, providing a critical advantage in energy security and supply stability. All while providing an economic boom to the Philadelphia region by supporting nearly 32,000 jobs, $2.7 billion in labor wages, and $4.3 billion in gross state product. Turning an LNG export facility into reality requires more than just words from Gov. Shapiro it demands real action. That means genuine support for expediting state permitting processes to accelerate development, while also ensuring that industry-killing energy taxes never take root in Pennsylvania. Currently, the Shapiro administration is appealing a Commonwealth Court decision to keep in place an unconstitutional $800 million energy tax scheme, known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), while simultaneously pitching his own, new, energy tax proposal known as the PACER program. Carbon taxes stifle economic growth and signal to industries and energy producers that theyre better off doing business elsewhere. Gov. Shapiro has the power to withdraw the RGGI appeal, put an end to any new energy taxes in Pennsylvania, and make our Commonwealth a global energy leader. Pennsylvania has lost other major projects to competitor states because it simply takes too long for shovels to touch dirt because of excessive regulations all of which are enforced by the Governors office. Investors look to other locations because no matter how many times he says, government should move at the speed of business, it doesnt. Shapiro says he wants to support the safety and security of America and our national security interests. Instead, he is the face of an unpredictable regulatory environment, overly burdensome state permitting processes, and the looming threat of $800 million in energy taxes casting a dark cloud over Pennsylvanias future and leaving our European allies out in the cold. True leadership demands action, not empty rhetoric. Unless Shapiro backs his words with decisive action, his statement, like so many before, remains nothing more than political showmanship the worst kind of hypocrisy. Pennsylvanias energy producers are ready to unleash the full potential of its natural gas to support our European allies and make the world a safer place. If what he really wants is to not cower to dangerous dictators like Vladimir Putin, then build a needed LNG terminal in southeast Pennsylvania, load up the ships on the Delaware River, and send them across the Atlantic. He could make it happen, if he actually wanted to. (Rep. Martina White is a financial advisor and lifelong resident of northeast Philadelphia. She was first elected in 2015 in a special election to fill an open seat in the 170th District, the first new Republican elected in Philadelphia in 25 years. David N. Taylor is president & CEO of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association.) Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Minister of State for Communication and Political Affairs, Walid Ellafi, on Tuesday met with a number of ambassadors from Arab and foreign countries on the importance of a partnership with international bodies specialising in the field of museums and antiquities State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code Emma Heming Willis, the wife of actor Bruce Willis, has said people can learn from the death of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa. Heming is her husbands carer, after it was revealed he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2022, and said Hackman and Arakawas story showed that caregivers need care too. Advertisement A pathologist said Hackman died, aged 95, of heart disease a week after Arakawa died, aged 65, of a rare infectious disease. The pair were found dead along with one of their dogs at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on February 26th. In a post on Instagram, Heming said: So this is not something I would normally comment on, but I do really believe that there is some learning in this story, in regards to this tragic passing of Mr and Mrs Hackman. Its just made me think of this broader story, and that is that caregivers need care too, and that they are vital, and that it is so important that we show up for them so that they can continue to show up for their person. Advertisement I think that theres this common misconception that like caregivers, they got it figured out, they got it covered, theyre good. I dont subscribe to that, I think that we need to be showing up for them so that they can continue to show up for their person. Her post was captioned: Caregivers need care too. Period. Full stop. Entertainment Dozens of women found to have increased cancer ris... Read More It comes after Williss ex-wife, Demi Moore, whom he has remained friends with since separating in 2000, said he was in a very stable place at the moment in an interview with US outlet CNN in December last year. Advertisement Heming has been open about her life caring for the Die Hard star, whom she has been married to for more than 15 years, and said he still lives a life of love, connection, joy and happiness in an Instagram post in March 2024. Willis is best known for starring in films including Pulp Fiction, The Fifth Element and The Sixth Sense. British actress Millie Bobby Brown has said she is disgusted by remarks made about her and other womens appearances. Earlier this month, the Stranger Things star, 21, hit out at what she called bullying comments and the media dissecting my face, my body, my choices because they think she should be frozen in time as a child actor. Advertisement Brown told the latest episode of the podcast Call Her Daddy that the press love to go in on me sometimes with certain things, pointing to her growing older and her accent changing as she lives in the US. She said: A thing that I get a lot is like, Oh my God, she looks like 40. And Im like, you did meet me when I was 10, so I understand. Now Im 21, its been 10 years. She grows. My face, like, grew. What do you want me to do about that? I dont want that for anybody growing up in the industry, but it really actually doesnt bother me. Advertisement I wish I could be like, You know what, it does get to me. It used to get to me, it did It got to me, and I remember trying to change myself to please the masses. And actually, now, Im in a place where, yeah, my accent does change. My face does grow. I do wear a lot of make-up. Its just the kind of person I am, I like that youre not going to tell me how to be a girl. She also said it should never be OK, I feel like, when stuff comes out about me, or about other women, other young girls in the industry, Im disgusted, like I cant believe it still happens. Millie Bobby Brown (Ian West/PA) If I had a genie wish, I really would wish that no one ever had to go through that kind of scrutiny because it changes the kind of person you are, it changes the way you perceive the world, Brown added. Advertisement You see the bad in everyone, you dont see the good. Youre like, What are your intentions, what are you going to say about me? And I think the press need to be taught manners again, I think they need to go back to school and learn how to speak to people, be kind and just understand that were all growing people, we all make mistakes, and ultimately, the standards and stigmas against girls, its ridiculous, especially, I feel, in Hollywood. Earlier this month, comedian Matt Lucas apologised to Brown for writing the phrase no but yeah but used by delinquent teenager Vicky Pollard in his comedy show Little Britain above pictures of the actress, in reference to her earrings. Lucas wrote on social media: I thought you looked terrific and I was mortified when the press wrote that I slammed you, firstly because thats not my style, and secondly because I think youre brilliant. Advertisement I would not have posted it if I had thought it would have upset you but I realise it has and for that I apologise. Brown married Jake Bongiovi last year (Ian West/PA) In an Instagram post this month, Brown quoted headlines from articles, including references to Lucass X comments, which she said were amplifying an insult rather than questioning why a grown man is mocking a young womans appearance. She also wrote: Disillusioned people cant handle seeing a girl become a woman on her terms, not theirs. I refuse to apologise for growing up. I refuse to make myself smaller to fit the unrealistic expectations of people who cant handle seeing a girl become a woman. Brown, who married Jake Bongiovi, the son of rock star Jon Bon Jovi, last year, has been promoting new Netflix film The Electric State, in which she stars alongside Chris Pratt. Advertisement She has also recently finished filming the fifth series of hit Netflix science fiction series Stranger Things, which has seen her play superpowered teenager Eleven since 2016, with the final season due out this year. Since her breakout role, Brown landed the title part as mystery-solving sleuth Sherlock Holmess sister Enola Holmes in the 2020 Netflix film and its sequel two years later. Noel Clarke is not a cult leader, the actor has told the High Court. Clarke, 49, is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over seven articles and a podcast, including an article in April 2021 that said 20 women who knew him professionally had come forward with allegations of misconduct. Advertisement He denies the allegations, while GNM is defending its reporting as being both true and in the public interest. Gina Powell, who worked for Clarkes production company Unstoppable from 2014 to 2017, alleges that Clarke exposed himself to her in a car, and sexually assaulted her while they were on a business trip to LA, Gavin Millar KC, for GNM, said in written submissions. At a hearing on Tuesday, Mr Millar said she was a junior in the working relationship and was trying to be part of the family. Did you know she considered leaving that relationship like leaving a cult? he later asked Clarke. Advertisement Clarke replied: Wow, Im a cult leader now. This is getting more and more outlandish. I am not a cult leader. He continued: She was more than happy to engage in these conversations. I am not trying to attack anyone. I am trying to defend my position. These people who are saying these things are also involved in these things. In a witness statement, Clarke said Ms Powell asked about going to a strip club on the LA trip and would send him links to pornographic material. Advertisement He also claims Ms Powell groped him multiple times during a different trip to Edinburgh. When asked by Mr Millar how he defines groping, Clarke raised his hands in front of his chest, spread his fingers and said: Squeezing my bottom, groping. If you are hugging someone and lean over and touch someones bottom, Im assuming that is groping. He also denied telling Ms Powell she has a Volkswagen vagina, adding: I dont even know what that means. Advertisement The trial in London will only deal with liability and not the assessment of any damages. Philip Williams, for Clarke, previously told the court in written submissions that the actor has clearly established the falsity of all of the allegations. The barrister continued that his client was barely able to reply to the allegations published by the Guardian and was perceived as a criminal by all those who previously trusted and worked with him. Entertainment Emma Heming Willis: People can learn from death of... Read More Mr Millar said in his written submissions that the paper did not simply accept what was said to it and that much time and resource was devoted to getting to the truth. Advertisement He also said that there is ample evidence that all of the articles were true or substantially true. The hearing before Mrs Justice Steyn is due to conclude in April, with a decision expected in writing at a later date. Dublin City Council has given the green light to plans by the Blackrock Clinic Health Group to establish a new womens health centre over four floors in a Dublin city centre location. The Council has granted planning permission to the Larry Goodman Trust owned Blackrock UC after concluding that the proposal for 2-5 Warrington Place, Dublin 2 would not have an adverse impact on the surrounding area. Advertisement The six page Council planners report, which recommended that planning permission be granted, found that the medical use proposed does not raise any concerns in terms of potential impact within the wider surrounding area. Arising from the new venture, Blackrock UC told the Council that 50 jobs will be created by the womens health centre which is expected to cater for an estimated 340 attendees per day. The planning application by Blackrock UC seeks to change the use of an office development to a womens health centre that "will be a pivotal step forward in enhancing womens health services in Ireland". A planning report lodged with the application stated that the proposed development for a womens health centre aligns with priorities outlined in the Dept of Health's Womens Health Action Plan 2024-25, such as improved access to diagnostic imaging, ambulatory care, and preventative health services like mammograms and DEXA scans. Advertisement The report by McGill Planning stated that facilities such as consultant suites, physiotherapy rooms, and procedure areas directly contribute to key initiatives in the Action Plan, including the development of specialised gynaecology clinics, pelvic floor health, and multidisciplinary care. In the report, Ms Shauna Hewitt stated that repurposing the existing office building minimises environmental impact and aligns with sustainable practices, an implicit priority in many governmental health strategies. Ms Hewitt added that by addressing national healthcare priorities and fostering a patient-centred design, this transformation into a Womens Health Centre is justified as both a practical and strategic advancement in healthcare infrastructure. She contended that the proposed Womens Health Centre is a valuable addition to Dublins healthcare infrastructure, promoting equity, sustainability, and patient-centered care while contributing to the urban regeneration of this prominent location. Advertisement The report also stated that the proposed Womens Health Centre is strategically located to integrate seamlessly into Dublins existing network of womens healthcare facilities. It stated that its proximity to key institutions such as The National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, and nearby specialised clinics ensures it is well-positioned to complement public healthcare services. It further stated that this private centre could serve as an overflow for public patients referred from these facilities, particularly for diagnostics, minor procedures, and specialised consultations, alleviating pressure on public systems while maintaining continuity of care. Ms Hewitt said that the new centre offers convenience for patients and fosters a collaborative approach between public and private sectors to enhance accessibility and streamline womens health services across the Dublin area and its hinterlands. It stated that as a dedicated diagnostic facility, the Centre will assist in the early diagnosis of both benign and more complex conditions. The planning report added that where more advanced treatments or invasive surgery are required, these will be referred to Blackrock Clinic and other hospitals, thereby reducing the time from diagnosis to treatment, which will improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - A number of Libyan youth have discussed challenges facing the country's economy with experts of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in workshops and shared their ideas for overcoming them Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said the Burke family, who have staged several protests in Ireland, are free to travel to Washington, DC. Members of the Burke family boarded a flight to the US capital on Tuesday, the same day Mr Martin will arrive in the city ahead of his meeting with US president Donald Trump. Advertisement Cuan O Seireadain, political correspondent with Raidio na Gaeltachta, posted on X after spotting the family on his flight. "Members of the Burke family are on my flight to Washington DC," he wrote. "When asked about the purpose of their journey they refused to answer my question as to whether they have been invited or not." It has led to speculation that they may have been invited by Elon Musk, who has previously posted in support of Enoch Burke. Advertisement Several members of the family have been involved in protests and high-profile legal disputes arising out of the suspension of Enoch Burke from his job as a teacher. Mr Burke was imprisoned for contempt of court for refusing to stay away from the school where he worked. The dispute stemmed from incidents over a request from the schools then-principal to address a student by a new name and the pronoun they. Mr Burke, an Evangelical Christian, argued his suspension was unlawful and went against his right to express his religious beliefs. Advertisement Asked if he was aware if the Burke family had been invited to any of the events at the White House, Mr Martin said: Im not familiar with the travel arrangements of any particular family and Im not aware of any issues around that. I mean, people are free to travel. Pressed on whether he would have an issue of them attending any of the events on his itinerary, he added: Im going to represent the Irish people on behalf of the Government of Ireland, the people of Ireland. I have a lot of functions on all week and thats what Im focused on. Mr Musk, who is classified as a "special government employee" through his work with the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), posted on X about Enoch Burke just last week. Advertisement Ireland State moves to appoint receiver with power to coll... Read More Last Friday, the High Court was asked by the State to appoint a receiver over the salary of Mr Burke in a bid to collect outstanding fines. The move to appoint a receiver "by way of equitable execution" will, if approved, give the State the power to collect from his salary some 79,100 which Mr Burke so far owes in daily 700 fines for turning up at Wilson's Hospital school in contempt of court orders that he stay away. A post on X claimed that "Enoch Burke, a Christian school teacher in Ireland will be stripped of his salary after refusing to use they/them pronouns for a transgender student. Burke has already spent 500 days in prison and the Irish courts are now punishing him further. This is horrific." Mr Musk reshared the post along with the word: Wow. Gardai have six weeks to get the Director of Public Prosecutions' instructions over a man charged with attacking a woman on a bus in Dublin after being identified through RTE's Crimecall programme. The alleged incident in Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, on May 29th, 2024, featured in a public appeal for assistance in January. Advertisement Martin Ball, 36, of Gleann na hEorna, Springfield, Tallaght, appeared at Dublin District Court later that month charged with assault causing harm to a woman at Grange Road, Rathfarnham, D14. He was granted bail with a condition not to travel on a specific bus route. He appeared again on Wednesday when Judge Shalom Binchy noted gardai did not have the DPP's directions on the case yet, and the defence consented to an adjournment. Mr Ball, who remained silent during the proceedings, was remanded on continuing bail and ordered to return to court on April 23rd. He has yet to indicate a plea. Advertisement At his first hearing on January 29th, there was no objection to his bail with conditions, most of which had been flagged to defence counsel Fergal McMorrow. No evidence about the alleged assault was given so far during his appearances in court. Mr Ball is to have no contact directly or indirectly with the alleged injured party or any witness, reside at his current address, sign on three days a week at his local garda station and stay off the S8 Go Ahead bus, which the court was told goes through Rathfarnham to Cabinteely. Ireland Burke family travels to Washington DC ahead of Tao... Read More Mr McMorrow had argued that the signing-on condition was "a little onerous" for his client, who worked full-time and had no prior convictions. Advertisement The defence was agreeable to all the other terms. The court sergeant asked it to be part of the bail due to the nature of the charge, and he added that the accused had been identified through Crimecall. Because of the lengths gardai had to go to locate him, Judge Paula Murphy, then presiding, left the requirement for Mr Ball, who has been granted legal aid, to sign on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. However, she added that the issue could be revisited. A former Christian brother and teacher has been jailed for four years for the continual sexual abuse of eight boys he was teaching in first class in primary school in the 1970s. The court heard that Jack Manning (88) would call each of the boys up to the top of the class and make them read a book that was sitting on his desk. Advertisement He would then bring the boy in close and sexually abuse them by touching their bottom, penis and genitals both inside and outside of their clothing. He would call up the next boy when that boy had returned to his seat. Manning who currently lives in a nursing home on Dunsink Lane, in Blanchardstown, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Court to 14 charges of indecent assault at CBS, Westland Row, Dublin 2, on dates in 1973 and 1974. The court heard that there were 74 charges in total and these pleas were accepted on the basis that they represented sample charges. The men, who were classmates, have indicated they wish to retain their anonymity but are happy for Manning to be named in reporting of the case. Advertisement The maximum penalty for the offence is two years but a judge has discretion to impose consecutive sentences. In July 2021 Manning was jailed for three years in relation to the indecent assault of four young boys at the same school who were of a similar age to the victims in this current case. He had pleaded guilty pleaded guilty to nine counts of indecently assaulting his pupils on dates between 1972 and 1973. Judge Martin Nolan said Manning had taken advantage of his position as a teacher to abuse all eight injured parties on numerous occasions, at least 100 times collectively, if not more and continued abusing them and made school a terrible place for them. Judge Nolan said the victim impact statements that were either read into the record by Detective Garda Tara Power, read by the men themselves in court on Wednesday or handed into the court to be read privately by the judge were believable and realistic and indicated that Mannings behaviour had a huge impact on their lives. Advertisement They were entitled to be protected in school and they were not protected. There was no place for these children to go to and nobody within the school supervising him so it continued for a long period of time, Judge Nolan added. He acknowledged that Manning pleaded guilty and has given an instruction, through his legal team, that he is remorseful and I must accept that, the judge said. Judge Nolan further accepted that Manning is too old and incapacitated now and as such is no longer a danger to children. He obviously deserves to go to prison, but the judge said he needed to consider if Manning should be sent to prison by reason of his age and particular infirmities. Advertisement He said he believed it would be unjust not to imprison him. He had power of these eight individual children and he abused that power in a most outrageous manner. He deserves a prison term even at this point in his life and even taking into account his infirmities, Judge Nolan said before he imposed two consecutive terms of two years in prison. His behaviour was totally outrageous. He had no regard whatsoever for these children and he was only interested in his own perverse behaviour, Judge Nolan said before he addressed each of the victims who came to court and thanked them for coming. Advertisement He also thanked Det Gda Power for her work that led to the prosecution. Det Gda Power told Grainne ONeill BL prosecuting that the eighth victim was actually the first of the men who contacted the gardai in relation to Manning but he had misremembered his abusers name. He told gardai that Manning would call him to the top of the class and make him read a book. He said Manning would have him stand very close to him and make the other children read their books in front of them so their heads would be down and they would not be able to see what was happening. Manning would then molest him. He said he would try and read his book as quickly as possible so he could get back to the safety of the class, adding that if you tried to move away Manning would slap you across the head. Det Gda Power agreed that Manning was arrested in March 2012 and interviewed in relation to this complainant but he denied the allegations and instead made self-serving statements. He said the allegations shocked him. Ms ONeill said each of the men were sexually abused in a similar manner and that Manning used his desk to shield his behaviour from the rest of the class. One of the men told gardai that he recalled having to pull up his underwear and school trousers after Manning molested him before he returned to his own desk in the class. One of the men said he believed he was abused three times and he was not called up to the desk again because on one occasion when Manning was molesting him the child urinated himself. Each of the men indicated that many boys were called to Mannings desk on a daily basis. Some of the men described Manning as smoking while he molested them, others recalled a stale, dirty smell off Manning and another spoke of how Mannings whiskers brushed off his own face. The garda investigation was recommended after two of the men had spoken to the charity One in Four. Manning was arrested again in May 2023 but denied having molested anyone. John Moher BL defending said his client instructs him to apologise for his behaviour. Ireland Romanian squatters may have been illegally held in... Read More He said he is currently a resident in a nursing home and asked the court to consider that a return to custody at this point in his life would be a greater hardship on him. He told the court that Manning joined the Christian Brothers when he was 14 years old and left in 1977 to get married. Manning continued to work as a lay teacher after that. Mr Moher acknowledged the courageous victim impact statements of the men before the court but submitted to Judge Nolan that his clients pleas of guilty spared the men having to give evidence during a trial. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. Taoiseach Micheal Martin has hailed Donald Trumps focus and progress on brokering peace since he returned to the White House. The Taoiseach was speaking at the US vice presidents official residence as part of a day of engagements in Washington DC for St Patricks Day. Advertisement Mr Martin and his wife Mary were greeted by Mr Vance and his wife Usha at the US Naval Observatory ahead of a breakfast meeting where there was a warm exchange of words. Mr Vance hailed the US relationship with Ireland as one of the great alliances between nations. One of the things we try to do with this breakfast is just remind people of the important bonds of friendship between the United States and Ireland, he said. JD Vance greeting Micheal Martin at a breakfast meeting he hosted at his official residence in Washington DC (Niall Carson/PA) The Taoiseach praised efforts by the new US administration to place a focus on peace, referring to the conflict in the Middle East and war in Ukraine. Advertisement Mr Martin said that peace on the island of Ireland was a signature achievement of US foreign policy and that Ireland was ready to play our part in ending other conflicts. Nowhere is the strength of the US-Irish relationship more in evidence than in our own peace process, Mr Martin said. Forty-four years ago, President Reagan called for a just and peaceful solution to the conflict that has for so long devastated lives on our island. Politicians from both sides of the aisle rose to the occasion, and the lasting peace we enjoy today on our island is a signature achievement of US foreign policy. Advertisement This story of peace is one that we both wrote together. We know that building peace is a difficult and painstaking task, and we are ready to play our part in supporting work to end conflict and to secure peace in Ukraine or in the Middle East or wherever. We welcome very much the unrelenting focus and effort that President Trump and his administration has brought to this task from his very first days in office, and we welcome the progress that is clearly being made. JD Vance showing off his Shamrock socks (Niall Carson/PA) Mr Martin also invited Mr Vance and his wife back to Ireland having previously undertaken a road trip around Ireland in 2023 and extended a particular invite to Mr Martins native Co Cork. We would be honoured and delighted to welcome you both back to our shores before too long, Mr Martin said. Advertisement Now, the vice president did say the road trip could be somewhat difficult next time around, given the number of vehicles that might have to be attached. Referring to his visit to Ireland, Mr Vance praised its incredible communities, beautiful landscapes and interesting technological growth. He said: One of the more robust areas for us to work on with our Irish friends in the years to come is going to be technology and particularly artificial intelligence, as we really take the next stage in an important level of technological progress. Sporting a pair of shamrock socks which he showed to the room, Mr Vance added: The president is a very big fan of conservative dress, and so if he notices these socks, you have to defend this as an important part of cementing the Irish-American relationship. Advertisement Mr Martin thanked Mr Vance for his warm welcome and hospitality and joked that he would need to adjust very rapidly his dress sense after seeing Mr Vances socks. He continued: The United States has been a steadfast friend of Ireland for centuries. Indeed, the United States was the first country to recognise our long-sought independence, Mr Martin said. Together, we have built deep and enduring political, cultural and economic bonds, greatly enriching our two nations in the process. Among those at the meeting are US health secretary Robert F Kennedy and Irelands ambassador to the US Geraldine Byrne Nason. The Taoiseach will later take part in a highly anticipated meeting with President Trump at the White House, which is expected to touch on Irelands trading relationship with the US. Mr Trump will be presented with a bowl of shamrock as the centrepiece of the Irish Governments major overseas diplomatic push in the run-up to St Patricks Day on March 17. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn will meet members of the Trump administration as he takes in St Patricks Day events in Washington DC this week. The trip, which coincides with Taoiseach Micheal Martin and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengellys visit to the US capital, is billed as an opportunity to celebrate the strong ties between Northern Ireland and the United States. Advertisement The Northern Ireland Office said investment, trade and economic growth in the region is at the top of Mr Benns agenda. It added that the UK-US special relationship is built on a foundation of deep security, military and intelligence links as well as unique cultural and person-to-person ties. The Northern Ireland Secretary will advance bilateral relations with the US administration, members of Congress, business leaders, and other key stakeholders. The Northern Ireland Office said he will promote Northern Ireland as a fantastic place to invest, work and live, highlighting its unique access to both the UKs internal market and the EUs single market. Advertisement Speaking ahead of his departure, Mr Benn, said: The United Kingdoms relationship with the United States is one of the most enduring, historic and important partnerships in the world. Ireland Burke family travels to Washington DC ahead of Tao... Read More I look forward to talking to US counterparts and discussing ways to further strengthen our already close ties in trade, security and beyond, furthering the UK governments plan for change and promoting Northern Ireland as a great place to invest and do business. Earlier this week, Ms Little-Pengelly and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle ONeill led an NI Chamber business delegation to North Carolina in the US. However, Ms Little-Pengelly will attend Washington engagements alone after Ms ONeill and her Sinn Fein party colleagues ruled out visiting the US capital in protest against US President Donald Trumps stance on Gaza. Gardai are appealing for witnesses after a man was hit by a car in Limerick early on Wednesday morning. The incident happened on the N24 at Milltown at around 12.10am. Advertisement The man was brought to University Hospital Limerick where he is being treated for serious injuries. The driver of the car was also taken to hospital as a precaution. The N24 was closed in both directions for a technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators. Anyone with information or dash-cam footage are asked to contact gardai. After a judge committed 27 Romanian squatters to prison for contempt of court it was revealed that only one of them had been legally summoned to appear in court. This means gardai would have to arrest the remaining 26 at a Dublin flats complex and bring them to court on Thursday morning. Advertisement A mix-up on who was and who was not legally summoned before the court meant that a Romanian man and 11 Romanian women, one of them eight months pregnant, had been detained by gardai in the courtroom at the Four Courts for two hours. Judge Roderick Maguire, who directed that 27 named Romanian squatters in the flats complex be jailed for contempt of court, had not made any order directing that the 11 unidentified people who had attended court be held there by gardai. There were screams and tears when the 11 people, some of them mothers of young children, were told by gardai they could not leave the court until transport had arrived for their transfer to prison. It was two hours later that the judge directed that those in court who had not been properly served with official documentation were free to go, leaving the Garda Commissioner and the State potentially facing claims for wrongful imprisonment. Advertisement During their detention in the court room they used mobile phones to contact their partners and children. One woman properly before the court was told by Judge Maguire he would not send her to prison today on the undertaking she would overnight vacate the flats complex and appear in court again on Thursday. Court proceedings to evict the squatters from 10 flats at No 9 Belvedere Place, Dublin, by retired solicitor and landlord, Mel Kilrane, have been ongoing form several months on the basis they were squatting in a dangerous building which was at serious fire risk. Mr Kilrane had obtained court orders directing the squatters to move out and which were ignored by the Romanians. Earlier barrister Joe Jackson, who appeared for Mr Kilrane, told the court his client had already been fined in the District Court for breaching fire regulations. Advertisement He said workmen for Mr Kilrane had attempted to enter the property to carry out repairs and renovations but had been faced by angry squatters, some producing knives. Ireland Bank can recover Ballsbridge home from couple who... Read More Mr Jackson had told other Circuit Civil Court judges that there were many children among the squatters who claimed they could not afford legal representation. He said there was an ongoing health hazard as the squatters were living in atrocious squalor and among their own faeces. Making orders earlier to attach and commit the named Romanians to prison for contempt of court by ignoring previous orders, Judge Maguire said no-one would thank the court if there was a fire and loss of life. At earlier hearings judges had expressed concern for the rehousing of the squatters many of whom had children at local schools. The proceedings were adjourned until Thursday morning. US President Donald Trump said he had not heard that some Northern Ireland political parties had decided to boycott St Patricks Day celebrations in Washington DC over his administrations stance on Gaza. Sinn Fein, the SDLP and Alliance had ruled out attending such events. Advertisement Asked about the boycotts while meeting Taoiseach Micheal Martin in the Oval Office, Mr Trump told reporters: I havent heard that, I really havent heard that. Northern Irelands First Minister Michelle ONeill travelled to Carolina in the US this week for a business event. Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly in Washington last year (Niall Carson/PA) However, she returned home rather than attend the Washington events as part of Sinn Feins protest against Mr Trumps threat of mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza. Deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly of the DUP, is in Washington. Advertisement Mr Trump spoke with Ms Little-Pengelly, DUP Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots at a lunch in Capitol Hill which followed his meeting with the Taoiseach. Last year, Ms ONeill and Ms Little-Pengelly were lauded in the US capital as they travelled together to attend St Patricks Day events only weeks after the powersharing institutions at Stormont were restored. Alliance Party leader Naomi Long had also previously confirmed she would not be making the trip this year. She said her party would be represented in the US, but she would not be asking any of her party to travel to the White House, accusing the US president of ignoring international law. Advertisement Ms Long had also predicted in advance that Mr Trump would be unlikely to notice the absence of Northern Ireland politicians. SDLP leader Claire Hanna was the first to announce that her party would boycott the Washington St Patricks events in protest at US policies on Gaza. US president Donald Trump will host Taoiseach Micheal Martin in the White House on Wednesday, in a highly anticipated meeting which is expected to touch on Irelands trading relationship with America. Mr Trump will be presented with a bowl of shamrock as the centrepiece of the Governments major overseas diplomatic push in the run-up to St Patricks Day on Monday, March 17th. Advertisement Mr Martin said that a two-way street of investment is something he intends to highlight in his discussions with the US president in a bid to address concerns he may voice around a trade imbalance between the two countries. US president Donald Trump will host Micheal Martin. Photo: Carl Court/PA The meeting comes amid heightened concern that Mr Trumps protectionist approach to tariffs and tax could pose a significant risk to an Irish economy that is in large part sustained by long-standing investment by US multinationals. It may be a case of third time lucky for Mr Martin after missing out on opportunities to attend the Oval Office in the past. During his first term as Taoiseach, he was unable to attend the White House on St Patricks Day in 2021 because of Covid-19 travel restrictions. Advertisement The following year, he tested positive for the virus in Washington on the eve of the scheduled shamrock ceremony. His meeting with then-US president Joe Biden was conducted via videolink. Taoiseach Micheal Martin spoke to then-president Joe Biden via videolink in 2022. Photo: The White House/PA Other matters of concern which may be raised in some format on Wednesday include legal status for undocumented Irish citizens living in the US, as well as the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Mr Martin will be the first EU leader to meet Mr Trump following the proposals for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and the lifting of the US suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. The Taoiseach had said that any peace in the region had to be fair and sustainable. Advertisement US president Donald Trump with a bowl of shamrock in 2019. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA A busy itinerary on Wednesday sees Mr Martin first attending a breakfast meeting with vice president JD Vance at his official residence, the US Naval Observatory. From there the Taoiseach will go to the West Wing of the White House where he will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr Trump in the Oval Office. The Fianna Fail leader will then travel to the US Capitol building for the Friends of Ireland luncheon hosted by House Speaker Mike Johnson before returning to the White House for the traditional shamrock ceremony. Last month at the White House, UK prime minister Keir Starmer handed Mr Trump a letter from Britain's King Charles inviting him to an unprecedented second state visit. Advertisement Asked if he would be inviting Mr Trump to visit Ireland or giving him an additional gift on top of the shamrock bowl, Mr Martin told reporters: The president is always welcome to visit Ireland and obviously well be engaging on that front. The shamrock ceremony comes on the third full day of Mr Martins engagements in the US, having started his overseas trip in Austin, Texas. Micheal Martin in a meeting with the Governor of Texas Greg Abbott. Photo: Niall Carson/PA In the Lone Star State on Monday, the Taoiseach met Texas Governor Greg Abbott and held engagements with US multinationals with investments in Ireland. Mr Martin attended the South by Southwest festival to promote the Irish screen industry and discuss the extent of the enduring relationship between Ireland and the US. Advertisement After meeting state legislators at the Texas Capitol in Austin on Tuesday, he left for Washington, DC to attend a St Patricks Day reception at the Irish Ambassadors residence that evening. A host of Irish Government ministers is also travelling to the US this week, including deputy premier Tanaiste Simon Harris, who is visiting Philadelphia and New York at a time described as a key juncture in European-US relations. Quiz Quiz: Where in the world are Ministers for St Patr... Read More Elsewhere, Northern First Minister Michelle ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly led an NI Chamber business delegation to North Carolina on Monday. However, Ms Little-Pengelly has travelled to Washington without Ms ONeill after Sinn Fein ruled out attending events in the US capital in protest against Mr Trumps stance on Gaza. Northern Secretary Hilary Benn will also be in the city this week to celebrate the strong ties between Northern Ireland and the United States. A man who extorted over 22,000 out of former classmate after the victim contacted him to buy a small amount of cannabis has been jailed for five and half years. Daniel Byrne (26) of Pike Inn Apartments, Camolin, Gorey, Co Wexford, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to making threats to cause serious harm, making unwarranted demands for cash and handling the proceeds of crime on dates between February 2nd, 2024 and June 6th, 2024. Advertisement He has a previous conviction for money laundering and was given a suspended sentence for this in January 2023. He was on this suspended sentence when he began to threaten this man. His other convictions include possession of drugs, obstruction and threatening and abusive behaviour. An investigating garda told John Gallagher BL, prosecuting, that a former school friend contacted Byrne to see if he could source cannabis for him for his own use but it did not go as planned. He said very shortly afterwards the man received a threat from Byrne, via Facebook messenger asking the man who the fuck do you think you are? and I kill people for a living. He then threatened to harm both the man and his family if he didnt Revolut him 700. He said if he got the money we will let this slide. Advertisement The garda told the court that Byrne implied that he was doing this at the behest of others and that he had a connection to others involved in organised crime. Byrne continued to threaten the man and met him on multiple occasions demanding cash. At one point, he collected 15,000 from the man having met him in four different locations over a number of days. Byrne then began to threaten the mans father, indicating that he knew where this man worked. He also began to contact the victim at his own workplace. The victim contacted gardai in April 2024 after he confided in his father that he was in trouble and subject to threat. Advertisement A short time after this, Byrne threatened to cut him up if he didnt hand over 5,000. The garda confirmed that ultimately Byrne managed to get 22,750. A victim impact statement was handed into court but not read out. Byrne was arrested and his devices were seized, which linked him to the threats and 10 transfers from the victim into his Revolut account. The garda agreed with Keith Spencer BL, defending, that the victim had initiated contact with Byrne looking to buy cannabis. Advertisement He acknowledged that Byrne had previously been bundled into a car himself and spent some time in a wheelchair following a fall from a high height. Ireland Bank can recover Ballsbridge home from couple who... Read More Mr Spencer said his client instructs that he was under significant pressure from others at the time to ask for the cash and he is under protection in custody for his own safety. Judge Martin Nolan said that Byrne has made enemies that he has to avoid and acknowledged that his time in prison will be difficult for him. However, he said these were serious threats that caused total upset to the peace of mind of the victim and their family. He set a headline sentence of seven and half years before he reduced this to five and half years taking into account mitigating features in the case including Byrnes pleas of guilty. Appliance industry kicks off AI Plus race, with smart homes drawing attention at two sessions 11:08, March 12, 2025 By Qi Xijia, Chen Qingrui ( Global Times The "AI Plus" initiative has come under the spotlight at this year's annual sessions of China's national legislature and the top political advisory body, with some lawmakers from the home appliance sector sharing their insights and proposals during this year's two sessions. The government work report this year has pledged to further promote the "AI plus" initiative in 2025, recognizing AI as essential for fostering new quality productive forces, the Xinhua News Agency reported. It outlined efforts to effectively combine digital technologies with China's manufacturing and market strengths, support the extensive application of large-scale AI models and vigorously develop new-generation intelligent terminals and smart manufacturing equipment, including intelligent connected new-energy vehicles, AI-enabled phones and computers, and intelligent robots, according to the government work report. Against this backdrop, many home appliance companies have delved deep into the AI field, ramping up the integration of large models and applying AI across diverse sectors, from enhancing user experience in product interfaces to optimizing manufacturing processes. Chinese home appliance giant Haier has designated 2025 as the first year of its full AI implementation. The company has widely applied AI technology to its smart home, healthcare and industrial internet sectors, the Global Times learned from Haier Group on Tuesday. In early February, Haier's self-developed smart home large model, HomeGPT, and its self-developed industrial model were quickly integrated into DeepSeek. Zhou Yunjie, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), also chairman of Haier, put forward a motion on building a smart home large model with high-quality data to help upgrade the home appliance and furnishing sectors, according to a statement sent by Haier Group to the Global Times on Tuesday. Large models in the smart home domain serve as the crucial infrastructure for the transformation and leapfrogging of traditional smart home appliances and furnishings. They have the potential to spawn new-quality consumer goods industries that lead globally, such as home service robots. This can stimulate the upstream and downstream industrial chains to generate new growth points exceeding 10 trillion yuan ($1.38 trillion), Zhou said in his motion. Zhou said that bottlenecks remain in industry data processing, including high data collection costs, challenges in cross-domain integration and limited training data. To overcome these challenges, it is crucial to develop the data collection industry, create a unified data source for smart home large models and construct national-level data simulation platforms and training grounds. Zhong Zheng, an NPC deputy and vice president of Midea Group, told the Global Times on Tuesday in a statement that the Group was an early adopter of AI and has already made significant strides in this transformation. For example, the company's AI-powered "factory agent" is a system that can make decisions independently based on data, which has significantly improved production efficiency. It has been successfully applied in areas such as quality management. On the home front, the company's "home agent" -- another AI-powered system -- can autonomously detect and respond to consumer needs, providing personalized services and intelligent decision-making to enhance the overall living experience, Zhong said. AI-powered home appliances are set to drive a new wave of consumer upgrades, offering greater intelligence, personalization and seamless interaction, Chen Jing, a vice president of the Technology and Strategy Research Institute, told the Global Times on Tuesday. Consumer demand for smart homes will rise significantly, making intelligence the key competitive factor in home appliances. Amid government efforts to boost consumption and trade-in programs, AI models will play a key role as advancements in smart appliances will attract more consumers to upgrade, driving market expansion, Chen added. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) The United States Supreme Court will take up a challenge to a Colorado law that bans the use of "conversion therapy" on LGBTQ youths. The case in question is Chiles v. Salazar, which seeks to legalize the discredited method of counseling that was supposedly designed to turn LGBTQ patients cisgender and heterosexual. The Colorado law that bans such therapy disallows licensed therapists from engaging in "any practice or treatment" of such processes. Challenge to Ban on Conversion Therapy These include any attempts to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity. However, there is an exemption for counselors who are "engaged in the practice of religious ministry." Following a 2023 dissent by Justice Samuel Alito, 20 states across the country, alongside the District of Columbia, have implemented laws restricting conversion therapy. A federal appeals court also explained that every major medical, psychiatric, psychological, and professional mental health organization opposes the use of such therapy. Furthermore, the American Psychological Association said that conversion therapy only puts individuals at risk of harm. It added that it was not an effective method of changing a person's gender identity or sexual orientation, according to Vox. The latest case raises difficult questions about the First Amendment, mainly whether a restriction on what people can discuss with their therapist violates constitutional free speech protections. Historically, the First Amendment was not taken to protect malpractice or similar misconduct by licensed professionals, even if such things only involved speech. This means that a lawyer cannot simply tell their client that "nothing will happen to you if you go rob a bank" without risking professional sanction. Argument of First Amendment Rights The plaintiff in the latest case brought the challenge to Colorado's ban on conversion therapy in September 2022. At the time, a federal district court declined to block the ban after it found that the law did not infringe upon free speech protections, HRC reported. Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said that the Supreme Court's decision to take up the case is not just about conversion therapy. She argued that it is about whether extremists can take advantage of the courts to push their "dangerous agenda." On top of the dangers of conversion therapy on LGBTQ youths and their mental and physical well-being, it also has a financial burden if it does get legalized. A study in 2022 found that conversion therapy could cost roughly $9 billion per year for patients and their families, as per Forbes. A British Royal Navys bomb disposal squad was scrambled after potential ordnance was found on a Dorset beach only find it was an upturned saucepan. A well-meaning member of the public contacted theBritish National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) at 10am on Monday after they spotted the suspicious object on Charmouth beach. Advertisement West Bay Coastguard Rescue Team and Dorset Police attended, a cordon was put in place and the Royal Navy bomb disposal team was dispatched from Plymouth. After inspecting the object, they found that it was probably a saucepan which had washed ashore. A Lyme Regis Coastguard spokesman wrote on Facebook: Along with West Bay Coastguard Rescue Team and Dorset Police, we responded to a report of an unidentified object part-submerged in the sand near the Heritage Coast Centre. Due to the heavily weathered metal item being partially buried, we took photos and measurements and passed them on to EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) experts for assessment. Advertisement An initial cordon was put in place, which was later increased to 100m after the Royal Navy bomb disposal experts expressed interest based on the objects appearance and measurements. The Royal Navy bomb disposal team from Plymouth arrived shortly after and, upon closer inspection and subsequent digging out, determined that the object was a very old straight sided saucepan or similar metal container. We would like to thank the first informant who contacted the NCl regarding the item. Ordnance is known to wash up on our shores, and if there is any doubt, please call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. A coastguard spokeswoman said the member of the public had done the right thing to call 999. Advertisement She said: We ask people if they do come across something on the beach that might be unexploded ordnance, to not touch it, just call 999 and ask for the coastguard. Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was turned over to the custody of the International Criminal Court, following his arrest on a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity over deadly anti-drugs crackdowns he oversaw while in office. The 79-year-old former president arrived at Rotterdam The Hague Airport in the Netherlands on Wednesday on a flight from Manila, following his arrest there on an ICC request on Tuesday. Advertisement Duterte will face justice at The Hague (AP) Rights groups and families of victims hailed Dutertes arrest, and the courts chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, called it a crucial step in our continuous work to ensure accountability for the victims of the most serious crimes under ICC jurisdiction. Supporters of Duterte criticised the administration of current Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Dutertes political rival, for arresting and surrendering the former leader to a court whose jurisdiction his supporters dispute. The Dutch-based court said in a statement that medical assistance was made available as a precautionary measure at the airport for Duterte, in line with standard procedures when a suspect arrives. The court did not comment on his state of health. An ambulance drove to the hangar where his plane was taken, and medics wheeled a gurney inside. A police helicopter hovered close to the airport, and later a black SUV was seen leaving the airport accompanied by police. Its destination was not immediately clear. Crowds gathered outside the detention centre for ICC suspects. Advertisement Within days, Duterte will face an initial appearance where the court will confirm his identity, check that he understands the charges against him and set a date for a hearing to assess if prosecutors have sufficient evidence to send him to a full trial. If his case goes to trial and he is convicted, Duterte could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Jerrie Abella of Amnesty International said: This is a monumental and long-overdue step for justice for thousands of victims and their families. The plane carrying Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague took off from Manila earlier (AP) It is therefore a hopeful sign for them, as well, in the Philippines and beyond, as it shows that suspected perpetrators of the worst crimes, including government leaders, will face justice wherever they are in the world. Advertisement Emily Soriano, the mother of a victim of the crackdowns, said she wanted more officials to face justice. Duterte is lucky he has due process, but our children who were killed did not have due process, she said. Dutertes supporters, however, criticised his arrest as illegal and sought to have him returned home. Small groups of Duterte supporters and people who backed his arrest demonstrated on Wednesday outside the court before his arrival. The ICC opened an inquiry in 2021 into mass killings linked to the so-called war on drugs overseen by Duterte when he served as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao, and later as president. Advertisement Estimates of the death toll during Dutertes presidential term vary, from the more than 6,000 that the national police have reported and up to 30,000 claimed by human rights groups. ICC judges who looked at prosecution evidence supporting their request for his arrest found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Duterte is individually responsible for the crime against humanity of murder as an indirect co-perpetrator for having allegedly overseen the killings when he was mayor of Davao and later president of the Philippines, according to his warrant. Russian ballistic missiles have killed at least five civilians in Ukraine, officials said. The assault comes a day after the Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid for Kyivs fight against Russias invasion and Ukrainian officials signalled they were open to a 30-day ceasefire. Advertisement The Kremlin did not comment on the agreement announced on Tuesday between the US and Ukraine on the provision of further military support, including intelligence sharing, and the possibility of a ceasefire that Washington backs. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it is important not to get ahead of the question of responding to the 30-day ceasefire proposal. He told reporters that Moscow is awaiting detailed information about the proposal from the US and suggested Russia must receive that before it can take a position. The Russian missiles killed four Syrian men between the ages of 18 and 24 on a ship docked at the southern port of Odesa late on Tuesday, where it was loading Ukrainian wheat for Algeria, infrastructure minister Oleksii Kuleba said. Advertisement Another missile killed a woman in Kryvih Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskys home town in central Ukraine, authorities said. The American help is vital for Ukraines shorthanded and battle-weary army, which is having a tough time keeping Russias bigger military force at bay. Ukrainian forces have thanked the US for their support (AP Photo/Roman Chop) But for Moscow, more American aid spells potentially more difficulty in achieving its war aims and will likely be a tough sell in Moscow for Washingtons peace efforts. Arms deliveries to Ukraine have already resumed through a Polish logistics centre, the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Poland announced. Advertisement The deliveries go through a Nato and US hub in the eastern Polish city of Rzeszow that has been used to ferry Western weapons into neighbouring Ukraine about 45 miles away. US President Donald Trump wants to end the three-year war and pressured Mr Zelensky to enter talks. The suspension of American assistance came days after Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Trump argued about the conflict in a tense White House meeting. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the American delegation to Tuesdays talks in Saudi Arabia, said that Washington would present the ceasefire offer to the Kremlin, which has so far opposed anything short of a permanent end to the conflict and has not accepted any concessions. Ukraine has signalled it is open for talks towards a ceasefire (AP) Were going to tell (the Russians) this is whats on the table. Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now itll be up to them to say yes or no, Mr Rubio told reporters after the talks. Advertisement If they say no, then well unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here. Mr Trumps special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel this week to Moscow, where he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to one source. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the US-Ukraine agreement and said on X that the ball is now clearly in Russias court. Russian legislators have signalled wariness about the prospect of a ceasefire. Advertisement Senior Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev noted in a post on the messaging app Telegram: Russia is advancing (on the battlefield), so it will be different with Russia. Any agreements (with the understanding of the need for compromise) should be on our terms, not American. Pakistani security forces have exchanged gunfire with hundreds of separatist militants as they sought to free about 250 hostages aboard a train in the countrys rugged south-west, officials said. Security forces were being cautious as officials said the hostages were surrounded by militants wearing vests loaded with explosives. Advertisement At least 30 militants were killed in initial exchanges of gunfire. By Wednesday night, security forces had rescued 190 of the 450 passengers who were initially on the train when it was hijacked on Tuesday as it entered a tunnel in Bolan, a district in restive Balochistan province. Rescued passengers arrived in Quetta (AP) The Baloch Liberation Army group has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was open to negotiations to swap prisoners. There has been no response or any indication from the government to the offer from the insurgents. Authorities said the rescued included women and children, while an undisclosed number of security personnel have been killed, according to three security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to media. Advertisement Officials said the attackers blew up the railway track in volatile south-western Balochistan province and exchanged fire with security guards on board the train. The train was travelling from the provincial capital of Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar when it came under attack in Bolan district, government spokesman Shahid Rind said, calling it an act of terrorism. More than 150 people were rescued (AP) UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack and called for the immediate release of the hostages, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Officials at Pakistan Railways said the Jafar Express train was carrying an estimated 500 passengers, including women and children. Advertisement Trains in Balochistan typically have security personnel on board. Separatists have previously carried out deadly attacks on trains in the region. In November, a separatist group carried out a suicide bombing at a railway station in Quetta which killed 26 people. Oil and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistans largest and least populated province. It is a hub for the countrys ethnic Baloch minority, whose members say they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government. Somali security forces have ended a 24-hour siege at a hotel in the central city of Beledwyne, leaving an unknown number of people dead, including all the al-Shabab militants who launched the attack, officials said. The attack began when a car bomb exploded on Tuesday at the Cairo Hotel, which houses traditional elders and military officers involved in coordinating the governments offensive against al-Shabab. Advertisement The mayor of Beledweyne, Omar Alasow, said security forces had successfully ended the siege and that six al-Shabab militants died. It is still unclear how many civilians were killed in the attack. Several people, including all of the insurgents, were killed (AP) The al-Qaida-affiliated al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the assault. Beledweyne, just over 200 miles north of the capital, Mogadishu, is the capital of the Hiran region and a strategic location in the ongoing campaign against al-Shabab. Estimates of the death toll from the attack varied. One local resident, Muhsin Abdullahi, said six people, including two well-known traditional elders, were killed. Advertisement But witness Hussein Jeelle Raage said three of his family members were among at least 11 people he knew were dead. The incident took place in the city of Beledweyne (AP) Footage shared on social media showed thick smoke rising from the hotel, with significant destruction to the building. Al-Shabab, which opposes Somalias federal government, frequently carries out bombings and assaults targeting government officials and military personnel in the Horn of Africa nation. The group controls parts of rural Somalia and poses a significant threat despite sustained military operations by government troops and African Union peacekeepers. US immigration detention is filled to capacity at 47,600 detainees, a senior US Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said on a call with reporters on Wednesday, adding that the Trump administration was seeking more bed space. The official, who requested anonymity as a condition of the call, said ICE was expanding its bed count with support from the US Defense Department, US Marshals Service and Bureau of Prisons. ICE is currently funded to house an average of 41,500 detainees. Advertisement The official said the agency was working with US lawmakers to secure more detention funding. US President Donald Trump has vowed to deport record numbers of migrants in the US illegally, saying it is needed after high levels of illegal immigration under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden. Trump's border czar Tom Homan said in December 2024 that the administration would need at least 100,000 beds for the mass deportation effort. ICE has stepped up arrests since Trump took office on January 20th, including of immigration violators with no other criminal charges or convictions. World Man, 33, arrested after Trump golf course damaged Read More From January 20th to March 10th, ICE made about 32,800 arrests, of whom 27% were alleged immigration violators with no other criminal charge or conviction, the ICE official said. The Biden administration in all of fiscal year 2024 made 113,400 total arrests, ICE figures show. While ICE arrests have risen, initial Trump deportations have lagged Biden averages last year, Reuters reported in February. However, Biden-era deportations figures were boosted by high numbers of migrants caught illegally crossing the US-Mexico border who were then rapidly deported or returned to Mexico. - Reuters The US Education Department plans to sack more than 1,300 of its more than 4,000 employees as part of a reorganisation that is seen as a prelude to President Donald Trumps plan to dismantle the agency. Department officials announced the cuts on Tuesday, raising questions about the agencys ability to continue usual operations. Advertisement The layoffs are part of a dramatic downsizing directed by Mr Trump as he moves to reduce the footprint of the federal government. Thousands of jobs are expected to be cut across the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration and other agencies. The department is also terminating leases on buildings in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland, said Rachel Oglesby, the departments chief of staff. She said the changes would not affect the agencys Office for Civil Rights or its functions mandated by Congress, such as the distribution of federal aid to schools. Education Secretary Linda McMahon told employees to brace for profound cuts in a memo issued on March 3, the day she was confirmed by the Senate. She said it was the departments final mission to eliminate bureaucratic bloat and turn over the agencys authority to states. The US Department of Education building in Washington, DC (Alamy/PA) The department sent an email sent to employees on Tuesday telling them its Washington headquarters and regional offices would be closed on Wednesday, with access forbidden, before reopening Thursday. The only reason given for the closures was unspecified security reasons. Advertisement Mr Trump campaigned on a promise to close the department, saying it had been overtaken by radicals, zealots and Marxists. At Ms McMahons confirmation hearing, she acknowledged only Congress has the power to abolish the agency but said it might be due for cuts and a reorganisation. Whether the cuts will be felt by Americas students as Democrats and advocates fear is yet to be seen. Already there are concerns the administrations agenda has pushed aside some of the agencys most fundamental work, including the enforcement of civil rights for students with disabilities and the management of 1.6 trillion dollars (1.2 trillion) in federal student loans. Advertisement Ms McMahon told politicians at her hearing that her aim is not to defund core programmes, but to make them more efficient. Even before the layoffs, the Education Department was among the smallest Cabinet-level agencies. Its workforce included 3,100 people in Washington and an additional 1,100 at regional offices across the country, according to a department website. The departments workers had faced increasing pressure to quit their jobs since Mr Trump took office, first through a deferred resignation programme and then through a 25,000-dollar (19,310) buyout offer that expired on March 3. The buyout offer came with a warning that there would be significant layoffs in the near future. The US will have contact with Russia on Wednesday after holding talks with Ukraine over a possible peace, the countrys secretary of state has said. Marco Rubio said Washington will put the proposals to Moscow directly, adding that the ball is truly in their court and rejection of the plan would make their intentions clear. Advertisement Kyiv says it is ready to accept plans for a 30-day immediate ceasefire after US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia which were hailed by many as a breakthrough following Donald Trumps Oval Office spat with Volodymyr Zelensky. Speaking to reporters in Ireland ahead of flying back to the US on Wednesday, Mr Rubio said: Thats what we want to know, whether theyre prepared to do it unconditionally. Well have contact with them today. Theres already been contacts at different levels with counterparts, different members of the administration, and thatll continue Were going to bring it to them directly. Were going to say that Ukraine is prepared to stop all battlefield activity and begin the immediate process of negotiating an enduring end of the war, and well see what their response is. Advertisement He added: If their response is yes, then we know weve made real progress and theres a real chance of peace. If their response is no, it would be highly unfortunate and it would make their intentions clear. Theyre probably processing the news, the same as the rest of the world is so we hope to have a positive answer from them, the ball is truly in their court. Ukrainian president Mr Zelensky said Tuesdays talks in Jeddah had been very positive and covered all the important, sensitive topics as he briefed journalists in Kyiv. Advertisement Id like to thank the American side, the Ukrainian team, for this to happen. This multi-hour meeting, it was a rather detailed one, he said. It is very important for us to be heard so that everyone has the right to express, to share some very important priority matters, and I think that yesterday we had a very positive meeting. In a statement after the meeting, the US also said it would lift its suspension of intelligence sharing and security assistance to Ukraine. Questions remain over whether the US will back proposals, in which the UK is playing a leading part, to deploy peacekeepers from the continent to protect Kyiv as part of a future peace deal. Advertisement Asked whether Washington supported the move, Mr Rubio said: Well see. I mean, theres different ways to construct a deterrent on the ground that prevents another war from starting in the future. Were not going to go in with any sort of preconceived notion. The bottom line is it needs to be something that makes Ukraine feel as if they can deter and prevent a future invasion. How that looks and how thats put together, thats what were going to be talking about if we can get to that stage. Advertisement But he urged Moscow to consider ending all hostilities and said Washington would be having multiple points of contact with the Kremlin. The only way this conflict can end is through negotiation, he said. It is hard to start a process when people are shooting at each other and people are dying. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has insisted a US backstop should form part of any future deal in order to deter Russia from attacking again but the White House has so far not committed to any such arrangement. However, Mr Rubio said on Wednesday that Ukraines ability to discourage further aggression would likely feature in talks. He told journalists: Can Ukraine create a sufficient deterrent against future aggression, against future attack, against future invasion? Because every country in the world has a right to defend themselves and no-one can dispute that, so that will most certainly have to be part of the conversation. Asked whether territorial concessions were discussed in US-Ukraine talks about a possible end to the war, Mr Rubio said the sides had conversations but were not going to negotiate this publicly. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has called for a US backstop to a peace deal. In any negotiation, theres certainly an element where you dont want one side to be giving away all this leverage from a public perspective, he said. He also suggested that European sanctions on Russia would likely be on the table in discussions about a possible peace. I think its self-evident that for there to be a peace in Ukraine at the end of that process, theres going to have to be some decision made by the Europeans about what theyre going to do with these sanctions and so forth. Britain, which has imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Moscow since its invasion in 2022, said there was no change to its position. Secretary of State for Defence John Healey is meeting counterparts in Paris. Downing Street said on Wednesday that securing a lasting peace for Kyiv meant crippling Russian efforts to fund its war machine. Theres no change in our position in relation to sanctions, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said. Meanwhile, Defence Secretary John Healey is meeting his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and Poland in Paris to discuss joint work on building up Europes deterrent against Russia. It follows a gathering of military chiefs in the French capital on Tuesday, aimed at thrashing out commitments for what Sir Keir dubbed the coalition of the willing: the group of nations that want to lead peacekeeping forces in Ukraine should a deal be struck. Ahead of the talks, Mr Healey said it was now a decisive moment for the future of Ukraine and for the security of Europe. Ukrainian leader Mr Zelensky said it is up to the United States to convince Russia to also agree to the plan, and said the ceasefire will take effect immediately if the Kremlin did. In other developments: US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Moscow and put the deal directly to President Vladimir Putin. Nato secretary general Mark Rutte announced he would travel to Washington DC this week to discuss Mr Trumps commitment to the alliance. Kyiv came under fire from a Russian air attack just hours after Ukraine signalled it would support the ceasefire deal. Russia said it regained more territory in the western Kursk region of the country, which Ukrainian forces invaded last summer in a bid to win a bargaining chip for future negotiations. Weeks after the resignation of its chair, the Sydney Writers Festival (SWF) has officially launched its line-up featuring prominent writers from across the Israel-Gaza divide, saying it would not back away from courageous storytelling. The central theme of the festivals public program, opening on May 20 at Carriageworks, In this Together, was selected because it resonates with personal joys and global sorrows. Disagreement is not harm, says SWF artistic director Ann Mossop. Credit: Edwina Pickles There is a real richness in the program, and people can curate the parts they want to see, festival artistic director Ann Mossop said. Disagreement and thought-provoking conversations are the lifeblood of festivals. Disagreement is not harm. The program has a real diversity of perspectives and viewpoints it brings together writers that really engage our audiences and would see it as being at the cutting edge of some of the most important conversations we are having in the world today. RASC News Agency, March 3, 2025 On Saturday, the first day of Ramadan, Whitney Wright, an American adult film actress, released new images documenting her travels across various Afghanistan cities. In one particularly striking photograph, she is seen carrying a Kalashnikov rifle over her shoulder, raising questions about the nature of her visit. It appears that Wright is moving freely across the country under Taliban protection. Previously, she had shared footage of herself at Band-e Amir, Afghanistans renowned national park. Her visit to Band-e Amir is particularly controversial, given that the Taliban banned Afghan women from entering the site over a year and a half ago. At the time, Khalid Hanafi, the Talibans Minister for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, justified the prohibition by asserting that tourism is neither a religious obligation nor a necessity. Taliban decrees have further restricted Afghan womens movement, prohibiting them from traveling beyond 72 kilometers without a male guardian and barring them from entering parks, restaurants, and gyms. Meanwhile, Wright shared images on Friday, March 1, from Kabul and Herat, featuring notable landmarks such as an Ariana Airlines aircraft, the intricately tiled ceiling of a shrine in Herat, a local shop, and rickshaws navigating a bustling street. However, she was absent from these images herself. Afghanistan International reached out to Wright for clarification regarding the timing and purpose of her visit, but she has yet to respond. The Taliban, too, have remained silent on the matter. This incident underscores the Talibans stark double standard in their treatment of foreign tourists versus Afghan women. While local women face draconian travel restrictions, including being barred from leaving the country without a male escort, the Taliban actively facilitate the movement of foreign men and women, seemingly to craft a positive global image of their rule. Last year, a 29-year-old Brazilian traveler detailed his experience visiting Afghanistan under Taliban control. Despite his opposition to their ideology, he noted that he faced no restrictions while traveling alone perhaps, he speculated, because he was a foreigner. Similarly, previous images of Taliban members posing intimately with Chinese female tourists sparked widespread controversy, further highlighting the regimes contradictory approach to gender and mobility. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Michael Lucas, creator of the ABCs hit drama The Newsreader, which has just finished its award-winning three-season run on the ABC, speaks with TV Editor Louise Rugendyke about the series. Michael, when I interviewed you for season two in 2023, I predicted Dale Jennings (Sam Reid) would end up in Berlin. I was right! Did I give you the idea? Sam Reid and I were talking about that at the end of shooting season one! Im sorry [laughing], but you can take credit for being something of a Nostradamus. It [the fall of the Berlin Wall] is the last big event of the 80s. I remember we were talking about a kind of environment thatd be good to leave Dale in, and I was sending Sam all these pictures of East Berlin, and we both felt like that would just convey freedom and new beginnings. Damn. Where did you find the Berlin Wall in Melbourne? There is an amazing wall of graffiti thats on the side of West Richmond train station. But then our magnificent digital team sort of added in the rest. It sounded ridiculous to say we were looking for East Berlin in Melbourne, but we found it. Why did you want to end the show after three seasons? It was driven by Helen (Anna Torv) and Dale. The whole newsroom setting could go indefinitely, but in terms of Helen and Dale, early on, we saw it as three acts. She wanted to be in control and have some sort of respect and agency, and he wanted to be famous and loved. So it definitely felt to us like youd watch two seasons of them getting to that position, and then the third and final season would be how they cope with it and what it does to them. And, obviously, she ended up thriving, and [fame] was not a good choice for him, he fell apart. So once wed written those stories out and delivered them to the endpoint, our instinct was, Thats a complete story. And what we wouldnt want to do is then just bring them back and engineer lesser dramas. Loading Theres a great scene in the final episode of season three where Helen is sitting at the head of the boardroom table, surrounded by all these men, and shes in charge. It sums up her arc so perfectly. So much credit to, firstly, [director] Emma Freeman, who really wanted to see that table of men. In the first draft of the script, there were just four or five men, and she was like, No, Im sitting [Helen] on a full board table. But also to Anna, because we had always thought Helens reached the point where she knows she holds power, and she can find calm, even in the storm. Anna suggested we go all the way and that she just say one word, which was No. And that was such a brilliant suggestion. Advertisement One of my favourite things about Helen is she is such a ferocious driver. Im glad you noticed that because [its one of my favourite things] too. Really early on, we discovered that. There was a scene at the start of season two on election night when Anna had to frantically drive to Parliament House and no one changes gears like Anna Torv. She makes strong decisions as a driver, and shes got absolute pinpoint precision. Im very happy to showcase it on screen [laughing]. The original News at Six newsreaders, Helen Norville (Anna Torv) and Geoff Walters (Robert Taylor), in The Newsreader. Ive been turning this one over: The show is called The Newsreader, but there are three newsreaders Helen, Dale and Geoff Walters (Robert Taylor). Who is the newsreader the show title refers to? I looked at it as its the position of the newsreader and what that means to people. So, for Dale, he thinks, If I am the newsreader, everyone will love me and respect me. Ill be complete for once in my life. And for Helen, the newsreader is a role she feels conflicted about, but its a bit of a means to an end, and then she wants to do good journalism. But, ultimately, it was a false goal for Dale, and it almost destroyed him. Whereas Helen grew into it she was able to stop trying to be the perfect person and admit her struggles. So she emerges as the one thats reconciled her relationship with being a newsreader and an on-camera person, so she takes the title. Behind the scenes on The Newsreader: (from left) producer Joanna Werner, star Anna Torv, creator Michael Lucas and director Emma Freeman. Where did the idea come from in the final episode, where Dale has a complete breakdown at the news desk? Its extraordinary. The initial idea for it came from when Mike Willesee once went on air, sort of drunk [in 1989 when Willesee was the fill-in host for A Current Affair]. I read his autobiography, and he was actually trying to detox, but it went wrong, and then he started spinning out. So the initial conception was closer to that, but then Sam this is whats so great about him he was so ambitious for the character and for the actor that he was like, Yes, alcoholism is a part of this, but can we take Dale to a full breakdown? Hes been putting on this fake mask for so long, and hes going to crack at one point. That [performance] is the first take. Anna Torv and Sam Reid in the final episode of The Newsreader, in which no goldfish were harmed. Dales breakdown was so difficult to watch, but in a good way. It was incredible, and it was terrifying. For me, it worked as a bit of a metaphor, especially if youre queer. You spend so much time imagining if people find out, its the worst thing that could happen. But then when it happens, you realise, oh, well, Im still breathing, and Im still here, and there are people that care about me. So with Dale, I thought he needs to have the worst thing happen, but Helen is there for him. The way the whole series starts is that she has a breakdown, and he scoops her up, saves her and brings her to the house. And I always felt like in the ending, it should be him that falls apart, and the only person who is there for him by that stage is her. She saves him and then sort of gives him this pathway forward. Advertisement What about those poor goldfish that Dale vomited on? Tell me theyre OK! Emma Freeman and the first AD [assistant director] Todd Embling went to the catering truck and got carrots and carved goldfish shapes, so theyre what Sam is vomiting on. And I always feel like youre very lucky if youre working with a director who is that willing to be hands-on and make a scene work. William McInnes as the blustering boss Lindsay Cunningham in The Newsreader. The final episode is where news boss Lindsay Cunningham (William McInnes) finally gets some sort of punishment. Were you ever tempted to just kill him off? We discussed the potential of him just dropping dead. There was a discussion about should he even get a comeuppance because, in reality, these guys steamed on for decades after that. It was actually my research contact, who worked in the industry at the time, who said the one thing that could really get someone booted is if he offended another man. And then he quickly added, Oh, Id love it if some of the women could execute that. Once that idea was on the table, we knew we had to get Marg Downey in there, and the beautiful Caroline Lee, who played Jean the secretary. That idea for us was more exciting than a heart attack, the notion that these women hes dismissed so much, very elegantly and cleverly, could do something so simple that just ruins it. From the beginning of season one to the end of season three, Helen and Dale (Anna Torv and Sam Reid) were there to catch one another. If you could write a postscript for Helen and Dale, where would you like them to end up? Helen would suit being one of those 60 Minutes reporters of the 90s that flew to various parts of the world. Shes definitely not going to get married, and shes not going to have children. I want Dale to end up in Europe and have a place in London. He could be a decent journalist if he got that obsession with being famous out of his system. And when Helen gets flown over to do anything, even if her network will put her up in a fancy hotel, she just goes and stays with him. And she puts on his T-shirts as theyve been doing the whole series and they hang together and theres still these two workaholics that love chatting to each other. The Newsreader is on ABC iview. When Eric McCormack first appeared on international television screens, he was the not-too-nice Colonel Francis Clay Mosby in the western series Lonesome Dove. He followed that up with half of one of the funniest sitcom pairings in TV history: Will Truman in Will & Grace. Since then, there has been a string of roles, including cable news reporter Jack Nash in The Andromeda Strain; Michael, the ex-husband of a woman who has lost her memory, in the musical Wild About You on Londons West End; and now Kevin Anderson, in the murder mystery Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue. Eric McCormack as Kevin Anderson in Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue. Credit: MGM+ Its easy to look back and go, yes, I had a master plan to constantly surprise everyone, when really your master plan is always just to say, Yes please, I accept, McCormack says. Mosby was my first big role, a dangerous leading man. Will Truman couldnt have been further from that. People who dont know where I came from say is it weird playing dramatic roles now. And I say, no, actually, Will & Grace was the weird one. I mostly have played darker guys or more serious guys, and lately I have played some assholes. Two men have been found guilty of the vile and inhumane murder of a man whose body was thrown in a pit and covered in concrete. A jury on Wednesday found Joshua Searston, 27, and Dewald De Klerk, 30, guilty in the Queensland Supreme Court of the murder of Andrew Walsh, 35, at a transport business in Brisbanes south in November 2021. The body of Walsh known as Ghost was not discovered until March 2022, when police dug down 1.5 metres at the Coopers Plains transport depot. Dewald De Klerk and Joshua Searston have been convicted of the murder of Andrew Walsh, whose body was found in concrete at Coopers Plains. Credit: Nine News De Klerk pleaded guilty at the start of the trial to interfering with a corpse. But on Wednesday, police made a public appeal for information about Beale, who was being remembered by friends and family as a loving and caring mother. A kind, loving and caring mother to me and my brother. We miss her terribly already, Wagner said. Crystal Beale was remembered as a kind, caring and loving mother by her daughter, Charlie-Rose Wagner. A friend, who asked not to be named, said she could not believe Beale was gone. Crystal and I met as school mums, and she was a beautiful lady, inside and out, she said. I cant believe shes gone. Another friend, who said he last spoke to Beale in November, described the police update as very sad. She was a caring person, she had an amazing, big smile. She was very kind to people, he said, adding Beale was always willing to help others in tough times. The police investigation has so far centred on the fact that detectives believe Beale was near the Brisbane River at Orleigh Park in West End late on February 21. Her death in these circumstances is horrific, and were committed to seeking justice for her and her family, Detective Acting Inspector Rod Watts said. She had been dropped off in Ryan Street, West End, after having been at the Sunnybank Hotel earlier. CCTV footage released by police showed Beale on the night wearing a long white dress, and carrying a brown leather satchel. Beale can be seen walking behind two people, understood to be her former partner and her son, and pausing to put on one of her shoes as she leaves the Sunnybank Hotel. She was visiting family, and we believe where shes left, she left a man known to her, and thats where shes gone missing, and thats what were trying to piece together, her movements after that, Watts said. That man was her former partner. Police have not charged him, and no one has been taken into custody. When asked by reporters if anything in Beales past could provide insights into what might have happened, Watts replied, its probably out of the blue. Detectives are working to determine what happened to Crystal Beale. Credit: Facebook Shes a mother, shes going about her business having dinner with her family, dropped off in an area around West End ... and were still trying to piece together whats happened since then. Is it a random attack? We actually dont know. Two scuba divers have been rescued by a ferry returning from Rottnest Island after they were unintentionally left stranded for hours by a tour boat. The two men were allegedly left behind during an organised diving tour by Perth Diving Academy in Hillarys on March 2. The men, who were experienced divers, were left two to three nautical miles off the coast and were stranded for hours before being noticed by staff aboard Rottnest Fast Ferries. Ferries director James Mulholland told 9 News Perth his crew had spotted the pair signalling from the water, clearly distressed, as they returned from the island. The United States has become an unreliable ally under Donald Trumps presidency and the Albanese government should urgently develop a plan B for Australias submarine fleet in case its AUKUS vision falls apart, according to Admiral Chris Barrie, former head of the Australian Defence Force. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have endorsed the AUKUS pact, but Trumps decision not to spare Australia from steel and aluminium tariffs has raised fresh questions about the importance he places on the US-Australia alliance. Elbridge Colby, Trumps pick to be head of policy at the Pentagon, last week told the US Senate he had concerns about the US industrial bases ability to support the plan to sell between three and five Virginia-class submarines to Australia. Asked about AUKUS on February 28, the president did not immediately know what the acronym stood for. Former Queensland Labor premier Anna Bligh believes voter anger over cost-of-living issues could be enough to swing the federal election in the Coalitions favour. Acknowledging it would still be a challenge for Peter Dutton to secure the extra 18 seats required to take power, Bligh on Wednesday said it was not impossible. Bligh said large swings normally went against long-term governments she led a fifth-term Labor government to defeat in 2012 or those experiencing leadership turmoil. Australian Banking Association chief and former Queensland premier Anna Bligh says cost-of-living issues could swing the election in the Coalitions favour. But she said community concern about the cost of living, high inflation, and high interest rates could hamper the Albanese Labor governments bid for another term. The state opposition had called for many of the measures announced on Wednesday but responded by saying the proposals still did not go far enough. It stopped short of committing to supporting the bill. The proposed changes include a two-strike rule for someone accused of indictable offences, such as murder and rape, but also for shoplifting. A person accused of committing an indictable offence while on bail for another indictable offence would have to prove compelling reasons to remain on bail. Police Minister Anthony Carbines, Premier Jacinta Allan and Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny announced changes to Victorias bail laws. Credit: AAP Safeguards to ensure the two-strike rule would be imposed proportionately were yet to be developed, and the government could not immediately say whether caveats would be spelled out in the bill before attempts to rush it through parliament next week. Under Daniel Andrews, the Labor government overhauled the states bail laws in 2023 after the avoidable death in custody of Aboriginal woman Veronica Nelson. A coronial inquest found vulnerable people accused of low-level offences had been disproportionately jailed. However, Allan conceded on Wednesday that the changed settings had failed to meet community expectations. We got it wrong, and Im standing here as the premier today having listened to the Victorian community, she said. Jacinta Allan on Wednesday. Credit: AAP Allan rejected the notion that her government would have to stand up in the months ahead to apologise for unintended impacts from the toughest bail laws in the country. She said the announcement, the third U-turn on bail in two years, was common sense. Allan said there would be no extra funding for preventative programs but that the state had already invested in support services, and the corrections system would be resourced to cope with more people being remanded. The premier has been under pressure on law and order as crime has been raised more often as an issue when Labor MPs have doorknocked in their communities. Acting Chief Police Commissioner Rick Nugent backed the bail overhaul and said he was confident it would break the culture of hardcore youth offending. As a community, I think we are all open to people having second chances, especially kids, Nugent said on Wednesday. However, the time has come for a circuit breaker. The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service condemned the knee-jerk change, saying it repeated the mistakes of the past. Chief executive Nerita Waight said the announcement risked the lives of vulnerable people without improving community safety. Loading This government doesnt learn from their mistakes. Rather, they go out of their way to repeat them, she said. Locking people up should never be a measure of success. It is, in fact, an indication of failure. Victoria Legal Aid said the changes would harm those who needed the most support as a result of poverty, homelessness and trauma and was in direct conflict with the governments commitment to truth-telling and a treaty with Indigenous people. Police Association Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt said detractors were ideologues, not ordinary people in the streets of Victoria who have been subjected to aggravated burglaries on repeat. It has been incredibly hard for our members to say that theyre making a difference when some of the most serious offenders in Victoria have seemingly been let go before their shift ends, Gatt said. Our courts have to be a lot of things to a lot of people, but they cant be victim factories. They cannot allow offenders to go out and do tomorrow what they did the day before. Labor will need the support of either the opposition or progressive crossbenchers to pass its agenda through the upper house. Shadow attorney-general Michael OBrien said the government had been dragged kicking and screaming, slavishly following opinion polls to the changes rather than having a genuine desire to be tough on crime. The Victorian Greens also accused the panicking premier of being more interested in optics. Making it easier to put children in prison doesnt improve community safety. It actually significantly increases the chance of a young person reoffending and results in First Nations children being disproportionately incarcerated, Greens justice spokeswoman Katherine Copsey said. Law Institute of Victoria co-chair Ben Watson said remand must remain the last resort for children. All the evidence shows that the earlier and longer a child interacts with the criminal justice system, the more likely they are to reoffend in the future, he said. Tucked away in Japans countryside, millions of abandoned homes known as akiya sit empty, awaiting a second life. With property prices often shockingly low, these forgotten houses have become unexpected opportunities for foreigners willing to take on a renovation challenge. Japans abandoned old homes seem like a bargain, but bringing them back to life is costly. Credit: Getty Walk Japan chief executive Paul Christie saw the potential more than two decades ago. His first akiya purchase was an abandoned farmhouse on Kyushu, Japans third-largest island. 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This revelation, shared by Windows Central's Jez Corden, indicates a departure from traditional console architecture, potentially simplifying game development and blurring the lines between PC and console gaming. The move towards a PC-like design would streamline the development process, allowing developers to create games with a more familiar workflow. By leveraging an operating system closer to standard Windows, developers could potentially bypass the complexities of unique console APIs and hardware quirks, focusing instead on optimizing for fixed hardware specifications. This approach could also eliminate the need for traditional dev kits, as developers would primarily require hardware specifications to target. Rumours place the next Xbox generation's arrival as early as 2027, with Microsoft aiming for a substantial technical leap. The company's exploration of a handheld device, confirmed by Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, adds another layer of intrigue, though its role within the next generation remains unclear. However, Microsoft faces challenges in the console market, with the PlayStation 5 significantly outselling the Xbox Series X/S and a shift towards multi-platform game releases. SOURCE CO Carlow woman Kathleen Chada received a standing ovation in the European Parliament last week for her powerful message on the topic of patriarchal violence and advocacy for victims. The Ballinkillen womans two young sons, Eoghan and Ruairi, were murdered by their father Sanjeev in 2013. In the aftermath of her own tragic loss, Kathleen has become a remarkable and powerful advocate for others who have suffered the loss of a loved one through violence. Kathleen Funchion MEP welcomed Kathleen to The Lefts Feminist Forum in the European Parliament, an annual event bringing together women leading change right across Europe. Kathleen shared her powerful story of loss, grief and advocacy for those in similar situations across Ireland, said Ms Funchion. Her contribution deeply resonated with attendees, reinforcing the importance of placing victims at the heart of justice, leading to a standing ovation for her contribution. This year saw guests attending the forum from right across Europe, including Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Portugal, Sweden and Ireland, who focused on ending patriarchal violence, including violence against women and children. Kathleens advocacy has been instrumental in raising awareness of the deep and lasting consequences of familicide. Her voice is a vital force for change and her story at the Feminist Forum was a powerful reminder of why we must continue to fight for proper justice for victims of violence against women and children. I was delighted to be able to invite Kathleen to Brussels and I would like to thank Kathleen most sincerely for sharing her story with us in the European Parliament, said MEP Funchion. Ray Managh Bank of Ireland Mortgage Bank can now proceed to take possession of a Ballsbridge home on which a couple have not paid a penny off their 2.3 million debt in 16 years of living rent and mortgage free. Barrister Micheal OConnell SC, told the Circuit Civil Court that the last 1,463 mortgage repayment Richard Farrington and his wife, Audrey, had paid on their Heytesbury Lane home was in November 2009. Judge Roderick Maguire on Wednesday directed that the bank may press ahead with executing a possession order made against the couple in 2011 by Judge Jacqueline Linnane. Judge Maguires order means the bank can now send in the Sheriff to take possession of the Farrington home. Mr OConnell, who appeared with Michael OSullivan BL and Emma Morrison of Whitney Moore Solicitors for the bank, told the court that the bank had been around the block for a long time with Mr Farrington who, since 2011, had made multiple applications as high as the Court of Appeal, frustrating the bank in recovering the property. Judge Maguire granted Farrington a stay on his order of legal costs in favour of the bank to facilitate consideration of another appeal to the High Court. The judge, however, specifically stated the stay applied only to costs and not to his order to execute the 2011 possession order. Farrington again fought the bank on Wednesday on its application for a final order and told Judge Maguire that he was representing only himself and not his wife. When the court registrar called if there was any appearance by or on behalf of Audrey Farrington there was silence. The court was told the couple had not paid a penny off their mortgage, yet continued to live in their home at 78 Heytesbury Lane, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. When Farrington objected to the bank getting its costs, Judge Maguire said he had not shown the court any reason why the bank should not be awarded its costs. Gordon Deegan Dublin City Council has given the green light to plans by the Blackrock Clinic Health Group to establish a new womens health centre over four floors in a Dublin city centre location. The Council has granted planning permission to the Larry Goodman Trust owned Blackrock UC after concluding that the proposal for 2-5 Warrington Place, Dublin 2 would not have an adverse impact on the surrounding area. The six page Council planners report, which recommended that planning permission be granted, found that the medical use proposed does not raise any concerns in terms of potential impact within the wider surrounding area. Arising from the new venture, Blackrock UC told the Council that 50 jobs will be created by the womens health centre which is expected to cater for an estimated 340 attendees per day. The planning application by Blackrock UC seeks to change the use of an office development to a womens health centre that "will be a pivotal step forward in enhancing womens health services in Ireland". A planning report lodged with the application stated that the proposed development for a womens health centre aligns with priorities outlined in the Dept of Health's Womens Health Action Plan 2024-25, such as improved access to diagnostic imaging, ambulatory care, and preventative health services like mammograms and DEXA scans. The report by McGill Planning stated that facilities such as consultant suites, physiotherapy rooms, and procedure areas directly contribute to key initiatives in the Action Plan, including the development of specialised gynaecology clinics, pelvic floor health, and multidisciplinary care. In the report, Ms Shauna Hewitt stated that repurposing the existing office building minimises environmental impact and aligns with sustainable practices, an implicit priority in many governmental health strategies. Ms Hewitt added that by addressing national healthcare priorities and fostering a patient-centred design, this transformation into a Womens Health Centre is justified as both a practical and strategic advancement in healthcare infrastructure. She contended that the proposed Womens Health Centre is a valuable addition to Dublins healthcare infrastructure, promoting equity, sustainability, and patient-centered care while contributing to the urban regeneration of this prominent location. The report also stated that the proposed Womens Health Centre is strategically located to integrate seamlessly into Dublins existing network of womens healthcare facilities. It stated that its proximity to key institutions such as The National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, and nearby specialised clinics ensures it is well-positioned to complement public healthcare services. It further stated that this private centre could serve as an overflow for public patients referred from these facilities, particularly for diagnostics, minor procedures, and specialised consultations, alleviating pressure on public systems while maintaining continuity of care. Ms Hewitt said that the new centre offers convenience for patients and fosters a collaborative approach between public and private sectors to enhance accessibility and streamline womens health services across the Dublin area and its hinterlands. It stated that as a dedicated diagnostic facility, the Centre will assist in the early diagnosis of both benign and more complex conditions. The planning report added that where more advanced treatments or invasive surgery are required, these will be referred to Blackrock Clinic and other hospitals, thereby reducing the time from diagnosis to treatment, which will improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Olivia Kelleher A former Fianna Fail councillor has pleaded guilty to the harassment of a female. Joseph ODonovan, formerly known as Gary OFlynn, appeared before Cork District Court on Wednesday having previously been charged with one count of harassment. The offence occurred on three dates between July 30th and August 6th, 2022. The DPP had directed summary disposal of the matter. Defence solicitor Frank Buttimer on Wednesday told Judge Aine Clancy that his client was entering a plea of guilty to the charge. My ODonovan was remanded on bail until May to facilitate the preparation of a victim impact statement and medical reports. Judge Clancy adjourned the case to May 28th next. Mr O'Donovan, of Melvindale House, Coolowen, Blarney, Co Cork is the son of former TD, Noel OFlynn who served in the constituency of Cork North Central from 1997 until his retirement in 2011. He recently returned to politics at council level. Joseph ODonovan, when he was known as Gary OFlynn, was a sitting councillor in Cork city from 2003 to 2008. He took his fathers old seat on the council in 2003 when the dual mandate ban came in to force. He concluded his political career five years later with his seat going to his brother, Ken who recently became an Independent Ireland TD in Cork North Central. Noel OFlynn has taken up the city council seat vacated by his son Ken. By Cillian Sherlock, PA The Irish Government should start its own public inquiry into the Omagh bombing, according to a motion passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly. Dublin has said it will fully co-operate with the UK inquiry into the bombing, which is operating out of Omagh, but the Government in the South has stopped short of committing to a separate public inquiry. Minister for Justice Jim OCallaghan said the Government expects to agree on a memorandum of understanding with the UK Omagh Bombing Inquiry in the coming weeks. The existing probe is examining whether the atrocity carried out by the Real IRA in the Co Tyrone town in August 1998 could have been prevented. The bomb killed 29 people, including a woman who was pregnant with twins, in the worst single atrocity in the Troubles. Justice Minister Jim OCallaghan. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA. All those who were killed were remembered during commemorative hearings at the inquiry earlier this year, and evidence was also heard from those injured and emergency workers who responded. The motion passed by the Assembly on Tuesday laments the lack of any tangible effort by the Irish Government to conduct their own inquiry into the Omagh bombing atrocity or deal with the wider aftermath of the Troubles. The motion was brought by UUP MLAs Doug Beattie, Dr Steve Aiken, Robbie Butler and John Stewart. Mr Beattie told the Assembly that the vehicle that delivered the bomb was stolen in the Republic, adding that the explosives were also sourced and assembled in the Republic. Yet the Dublin Government does not feel the need to hold a public inquiry in parallel to the UK inquiry or even a commission of investigation. They clearly do not take their commitment to victims seriously, and many victims do not trust their hollow words. They do not trust some weak memorandum of understanding in regards to information sharing, and they have good reason not to trust them. Mr Beattie said that commitments on implementing new legislation will be pointless if it does not include powers to compel witnesses from the Republic of Ireland, including gardai and military intelligence, to address the Omagh bomb inquiry. Mr Butler told the Assembly that the intent of the motion was to seek truth and justice for innocent victims of terrorism. He said the legacy of pain from the Troubles spreads beyond the North and added that that means the Government of the Republic of Ireland need to act. Robbie Butler MLA (Liam McBurney/PA) However, Mr Butler said active engagement is not enough. He told the Assembly: We need to tie this down and it needs to be codified and it needs to be done in agreement between the UK government and the Irish Government. Mr Butler said there also needs to be a parallel or standalone inquiry in the Republic, adding: Warm words will not cut it. He told the Assembly: If a Government knows and is holding on to information that would give relief and release to these people, shame on them. He added: In 2025, theres absolutely no reason why the Government in the Republic of Ireland shouldnt do what our Government in the UK do, and that is to fess up and provide the absolute truth for victims of terrorism. The UUP motion also called on the British government to initiate an inquiry into the role of the Irish State during the Troubles, but this wording was replaced by a DUP amendment. Joanne Bunting (Liam McBurney/PA) The DUP amendment states that the Assembly believes the memorandum of understanding between the Omagh Bombing Inquiry and the Irish Government will be entirely deficient in providing answers for the victims and their families. It also calls on the Irish Government to initiate a public inquiry into the Omagh bomb, with powers to compel any person in the Republic of Ireland to provide evidence, information, and material pertinent to a full and unfettered investigation on behalf of victims and survivors. That amendment was brought by DUP MLAs Joanne Bunting, Maurice Bradley, and Stephen Dunne. Ms Bunting said it was imperative that the Irish Government instigates its own inquiry. The DUP amendment called on Northern Justice Minister Naomi Long to demonstrate her commitment to challenging the Irish Governments failure to investigate the role of the Irish State during the Troubles. Justice Minister Naomi Long. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Ms Long told the Assembly that her Department has no role in the conduct of the inquiry and that it would be for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to formally engage with the Irish Government in relation to the inquiry. She added: Whilst there has been considerable discussion about the compellability of testimony and evidence from the Irish state, I would hope that the Irish government will live up to their commitment to fully co-operate with this inquiry, and that such compulsion should not be required. It is a moral obligation that falls on all of us when we are aware of information that could bring someone else truth and justice, that we disclose that information and co-operate in every way that we could. Ms Long also said the Northern Ireland Department of Justice cannot intrude on the decision of the Republic of Ireland to hold its own inquiry or compel it to co-operate with the existing inquiry. She also said she shared some concerns with Mr OCallaghan that an entirely separate inquiry could result in putting people through another traumatic process. She said it would be sensible to examine whether a mechanism can exist by which people can be assured they can get full truth from the existing inquiry. By Cillian Sherlock, PA Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn will meet members of the Trump administration as he takes in St Patricks Day events in Washington DC this week. The trip, which coincides with Taoiseach Micheal Martin and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengellys visit to the US capital, is billed as an opportunity to celebrate the strong ties between Northern Ireland and the United States. The Northern Ireland Office said investment, trade and economic growth in the region is at the top of Mr Benns agenda. It added that the UK-US special relationship is built on a foundation of deep security, military and intelligence links as well as unique cultural and person-to-person ties. The Northern Ireland Secretary will advance bilateral relations with the US administration, members of Congress, business leaders, and other key stakeholders. The Northern Ireland Office said he will promote Northern Ireland as a fantastic place to invest, work and live, highlighting its unique access to both the UKs internal market and the EUs single market. Speaking ahead of his departure, Mr Benn, said: The United Kingdoms relationship with the United States is one of the most enduring, historic and important partnerships in the world. I look forward to talking to US counterparts and discussing ways to further strengthen our already close ties in trade, security and beyond, furthering the UK governments plan for change and promoting Northern Ireland as a great place to invest and do business. Earlier this week, Ms Little-Pengelly and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle ONeill led an NI Chamber business delegation to North Carolina in the US. However, Ms Little-Pengelly will attend Washington engagements alone after Ms ONeill and her Sinn Fein party colleagues ruled out visiting the US capital in protest against US President Donald Trumps stance on Gaza. By David Young, PA, in Washington, DC US president Donald Trump will host Taoiseach Micheal Martin in the White House on Wednesday, in a highly anticipated meeting which is expected to touch on Irelands trading relationship with America. Mr Trump will be presented with a bowl of shamrock as the centrepiece of the Governments major overseas diplomatic push in the run-up to St Patricks Day on Monday, March 17th. Mr Martin said that a two-way street of investment is something he intends to highlight in his discussions with the US president in a bid to address concerns he may voice around a trade imbalance between the two countries. US president Donald Trump will host Micheal Martin. Photo: Carl Court/PA The meeting comes amid heightened concern that Mr Trumps protectionist approach to tariffs and tax could pose a significant risk to an Irish economy that is in large part sustained by long-standing investment by US multinationals. It may be a case of third time lucky for Mr Martin after missing out on opportunities to attend the Oval Office in the past. During his first term as Taoiseach, he was unable to attend the White House on St Patricks Day in 2021 because of Covid-19 travel restrictions. The following year, he tested positive for the virus in Washington on the eve of the scheduled shamrock ceremony. His meeting with then-US president Joe Biden was conducted via videolink. Taoiseach Micheal Martin spoke to then-president Joe Biden via videolink in 2022. Photo: The White House/PA Other matters of concern which may be raised in some format on Wednesday include legal status for undocumented Irish citizens living in the US, as well as the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Mr Martin will be the first EU leader to meet Mr Trump following the proposals for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and the lifting of the US suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. The Taoiseach had said that any peace in the region had to be fair and sustainable. US president Donald Trump with a bowl of shamrock in 2019. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA A busy itinerary on Wednesday sees Mr Martin first attending a breakfast meeting with vice president JD Vance at his official residence, the US Naval Observatory. From there the Taoiseach will go to the West Wing of the White House where he will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr Trump in the Oval Office. The Fianna Fail leader will then travel to the US Capitol building for the Friends of Ireland luncheon hosted by House Speaker Mike Johnson before returning to the White House for the traditional shamrock ceremony. Last month at the White House, UK prime minister Keir Starmer handed Mr Trump a letter from Britain's King Charles inviting him to an unprecedented second state visit. Asked if he would be inviting Mr Trump to visit Ireland or giving him an additional gift on top of the shamrock bowl, Mr Martin told reporters: The president is always welcome to visit Ireland and obviously well be engaging on that front. The shamrock ceremony comes on the third full day of Mr Martins engagements in the US, having started his overseas trip in Austin, Texas. Micheal Martin in a meeting with the Governor of Texas Greg Abbott. Photo: Niall Carson/PA In the Lone Star State on Monday, the Taoiseach met Texas Governor Greg Abbott and held engagements with US multinationals with investments in Ireland. Mr Martin attended the South by Southwest festival to promote the Irish screen industry and discuss the extent of the enduring relationship between Ireland and the US. After meeting state legislators at the Texas Capitol in Austin on Tuesday, he left for Washington, DC to attend a St Patricks Day reception at the Irish Ambassadors residence that evening. A host of Irish Government ministers is also travelling to the US this week, including deputy premier Tanaiste Simon Harris, who is visiting Philadelphia and New York at a time described as a key juncture in European-US relations. Elsewhere, Northern First Minister Michelle ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly led an NI Chamber business delegation to North Carolina on Monday. However, Ms Little-Pengelly has travelled to Washington without Ms ONeill after Sinn Fein ruled out attending events in the US capital in protest against Mr Trumps stance on Gaza. Northern Secretary Hilary Benn will also be in the city this week to celebrate the strong ties between Northern Ireland and the United States. SOUTH EAST Technological University (SETU) welcomed four members of the OShaughnessy family for an open discussion on the legal profession recently. The event provided law and business students with insights into the careers and experiences of consultant solicitor Michael OShaughnessy and his sons Colm, Daragh, Ciaran and Brian, all established professionals in accountancy, law and taxation. The speakers brought a wealth of experience from different areas of law, business and taxation. Daragh OShaughnessy, a chartered tax adviser, has extensive experience advising individual and corporate clients on taxation matters and has contributed to professional publications and national media discussions. Ciaran OShaughnessy, a partner in Patrick F OReilly & Co, has worked in property, private client and corporate law. Brian OShaughnessy FCA is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Accountants Ireland and is currently chief commercial officer at Uniphar plc, a global healthcare services company connecting pharmaceutical manufacturers with healthcare stakeholders across multiple regions. Organised by Sadhb Reddy, law lecturer at SETU, the discussion allowed each speaker to share their career experiences and professional expertise. The event also held special significance as it was dedicated to the memory of Andrias OShaughnessy, Michael and his wife Maureens son, who died in July 2024. In honour of Andrias, Ms Reddy presented a donation to Young Ballymun, a national childhood programme focused on improving wellbeing and learning outcomes for children. Andrias had been a board director of the organisation, a role now carried on by his brother Colm. The event served not only as a valuable learning opportunity for students but also as a meaningful tribute to Andriass legacy. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday embarked on a visit to Brazil to participate in the 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum where he is scheduled to prese ... Breaking News Would you like to receive our breaking news news? Signup today! e-Edition Subscribers e-Edition Only - $39.00 Year This is the exact replica of our weekly printed paper. Great for searching archives! General Interest Imported List: General Interest The Women of Greater Tucker Missionary Baptist Church will have their Women's Celebration on Sunday, March 23 at 10:45 a.m.This year's theme is "Blooming Where You Are Planted." The featured speaker will be Greater Tucker's very own, Dr. Crystal Sorrells.Everyone is welcome to attend.Greater Tucker Missionary Baptist Church is located at 1115 North Moore Road in Chattanooga. Gary L. Hathaway is senior pastor. Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett today announced the 12 winners of the 2024 Civics Essay Contest. A total of 4,356 students participated in the contest with the theme: Why Trusted Sources Matter.This years winners are:Ninth-12th Grade:First: Alyssa Treat, Lawrence County High School (Lawrence County)Second: Jasmine Smith, Knoxville Montessori School (Knox County)Third: Molly Parker, Moore County High School (Moore County)Sixth-Eighth Grade:First: Klein Boyd, Signal Mountain Middle High School (Hamilton County)Second: Naomi Blair, Tipton Rosemark Academy (Shelby County)Third: Sophia Dubosarskiy, Sunset Middle School (Williamson County)Third-Fifth Grade:First: Walker Andrews, Dogwood Elementary School (Shelby County)Second: George Cooper Glennon, Towne Acres Elementary School (Washington County)Third: Kei Siglin, Idlewild Elementary School (Shelby County)K-Second Grade:First: George Dagermangy, St.Henry School (Davidson County)Second: Nicholas (Nico) Higgs, Thomas Magnet School (Bedford County)Third: Mateo Podesta, Highland Rim Academy (Putnam County)Congratulations to this years winners, and all who participated in the 2024 Civics Essay Contest, said Secretary Hargett. Getting our information from reliable sources matters, and I hope all contest participants better understand to always consider their sources so they will make informed decisions.Each winner receives a TNStars 529 College Savings Program scholarship and a trip to the State Capitol. First-place winners receive a $500 scholarship, second-place winners receive $250, and third-place winners receive $100.Officials said, "The Civics Essay Contest was created in 2016, and it is intended to better integrate civics into schools, encouraging students to contemplate their role as citizens. This years contest was open to all public, private school, or home school association students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Ninety-three students have received awards through the program since its creation."The Secretary of States Civics Essay Contest, Anne Dallas Dudley Award, College Voter Registration Competition, and Student Mock Election are part of the offices longstanding civics engagement efforts to prepare students to be actively engaged citizens." Three attorneys are finalists for the Circuit Court judgeship that was vacated by Judge Mike Dumitru when he was elevated to become a U.S. magistrate. The Trial Court Vacancy Commission met in Chattanooga to select nominees for a circuit court judge in the 11th Judicial District, which covers Hamilton County. After holding a public hearing and conducting public interviews, the Commission selected the following nominees to forward to Governor Bill Lee for his consideration: Christina R. Mincy Jennifer K. Peck William Matthew Wayne To access the nominees' applications, click here. The brush fires that spanned a long stretch in northern Walker County have been contained as of Wednesday morning, officials said.Walker County officials said, "There will still be fires and smoke within the containment zone. Fire officials expect this will continue through Thursday and residents with respiratory issues are advised to stay indoors."Georgia Forestry, Rossville Fire and Walker County Fire Rescue are monitoring the containment zone."A team of U.S.Forest Service Hotshots will be performing fire suppression activities to stop fire spread and lower fire intensity near containment lines, reducing the chance of fire crossing containment lines."We greatly appreciate all of the first responders from across the region who responded with assistance as part of Tri-State Mutual Aid."The multiple brush fires were sparked along a four-mile stretch from Rossville to near Chickamauga.The fires appear to have been started by sparks from a train that ignited combustible material near the tracks, officials said.Firefighters staging on Chris Lane saved more than a half dozen homes from fast moving flames. Aside from Chris Lane, no evacuations have been needed, as fire crews are staged in areas where there is the greatest risk of exposure to homes and residents, it was stated.Fire officials say one home on South Mission Ridge did burn, but there was no one home at the time.Multiple agencies from Tri-State Mutual Aid assisted. Lee University will host a faculty recital with K. Alan Shikoh, guitar, on Thursday, March 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Squires Recital Hall, located in Lees Humanities Center. Named one of three finalists for Acoustic Guitarist of the Year in 2019 by Guitarist Magazine, Mr. Shikoh will perform a recital program which explores the vibrant colors, vivacious rhythm, and evocative harmony of Brazilian music, celebrating the rich legacy of some of the countrys most historically significant guitarist composers and their influence on the roots of Brazilian Jazz and the Bossa Nova. Beginning his musical journey at the age of 12, Mr. Shikoh was trained in classical guitar at The McCallie School. He received his Master of Arts from Middle Tennessee State University and his Bachelor of Music in guitar performance from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has performed on the NPR radio show From the Top, was chosen as a finalist for Acoustic Guitarist of the Year by MusicRadar and Guitarist Magazine, and has won multiple awards for his compositions, including first place in the Roland Dyens International Arranging Competition and second place in the Portugal International Guitar Composition Competition. Mr. Shikoh has served as a session player for a wide range of musical projects and has served as adjunct faculty at Lee University, Southern Adventist University and Covenant College. The event will be free, non-ticketed, and open to the public. Livestream viewing will also be available at https://leeu.live. For more information on the event or the Lee University School of Music, email music@leeuniversity.edu or call 614-8240. Cleveland State Community College will celebrate the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting of the new George R. Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation on Tuesday, March 25, 3 p.m. in the Technology Building on the Cleveland State campus. The George R. Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation was created to encourage and support entrepreneurial learning among students, alumni, faculty and the community. The Center will connect current and future entrepreneurs with the resources needed to create, launch, and grow business. The Center can be reserved and includes a private workspace, a podcast booth and a conference area for collaboration or training. The concept for the Center started with a donation from the George R. Johnson Family Foundation. Johnson was a longtime restaurant entrepreneur owning more than 40 Hardees Restaurants across Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. He served as a Cleveland State Community College Foundation board member from 1979 through 1996. Johnson believed strongly that access to education was key to creating better lives and building stronger communities. Along with the ribbon cutting, the Center will host an Entrepreneurship Event the same day. Five students will compete in the fourth annual Student Pitch Competition at 12 p.m., and seven businesses will compete in the third annual Community Pitch Competition at 6 p.m. The Lynn Jones Foundation will award prize money for the winners of the competitions. For more information, visit mycs.cc/entr, call (423) 478-6224 or email entrepreneurship@clevelandstatecc.edu. State Rep. Dan Howell, R-Cleveland, has been appointed by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, to serve on the Executive Committee of the Council of State Governments Southern Office (CSG South). The organization serves elected and appointed officials in Southern state governments by providing resources and services and enhancing regional cooperation. It is the largest of four regions operating under the Council of State Governments, which hosts the annual Southern Legislative Conference of state legislators. Im incredibly honored to have been appointed to serve on this committee and I thank Speaker Sexton for his confidence in me, Howell said. The Council of State Governments plays a vital role in helping states run smoothly through leadership development, effective collaboration and an exchange of ideas. Im eager to join lawmakers from across the region to find ways to continue delivering meaningful results for our states. As a member of the CSG South Executive Committee, Howell will represent Tennessees interests by providing input and voting on official policy positions of the Southern Legislative Conference. He will also vote on committee leadership roles and attend Committee sessions and business meetings. Chairman Howells appointment to the CSG South Executive Committee is a well-earned recognition of his dedication and leadership, said Speaker Sexton. His commitment to serving Tennessee and the entire region is undeniable, and I have no doubt he will provide valuable insight and represent us well. Howell, a former television news anchor and managing editor, has represented District 22 in the House of Representatives since 2013. He is serving his third term as chair of the House Transportation Committee. Howell will serve a two-year term on the Executive Committee ending Nov. 3, 2026. State Rep. Dan Howell represents House District 22, which includes Meigs, Polk and part of Bradley counties. Brooklyn originals They Might Be Giants just wrapped a sold out, multi-show run across the East Coast this month, treating audiences to their beloved Big Show Tour. Up next, TMBG are bringing the show across the United States in 2025. New dates have been added in Los Angeles, Portland, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Salt Lake City and are on sale now. They will play at the Signal on March 21. Out of sensitivity to the difficult situations in Asheville and Florida due to the aftermath of the hurricanes, the band has committed to donating $1 from every ticket sold in those cities to the MANNA Food Bank and Feeding Tampa Bay in direct support of relief efforts. Review for They Might Be Giants: Energetic, spontaneous, sprawling and enthralling; the Big Show is a musical event unlike any other. TMBG's superlative live band has now exploded to eight, with a three-piece horn section. With the Big Show Tour, They Might Be Giants will take full advantage of their multi-night stands in each city, with different shows night-to-night. Each night spotlights an album from TMBGs catalog mixed together with an ever-changing selection of audience favorites new and old, including their original pop rock classics that dominated the alt-rock scene through the MTV years, as well as horn-dominated tracks displaying the bands killer arrangements and improvisational skills. John Linnell of TMBG also just released a special cover of the song Tele-Tele-Telephone by Wazmo Nariz for Michael Hearsts 80 From the 80s Podcast, a track that piqued Linnells interest in New Wave music. Interest in TMBGs vinyl catalog reached historic new peaks last year, including a GRAMMY nomination for package design on their Book album. To meet this new-found demand, the bands Idlewild Recordings release program is in full swing. Closing in on two dozen current releases, new and reissue titles continue to emerge. New Flood and Apollo 18 picture discs are out now alongside lovingly restored reissues of Mink Car, Lincoln, The Spine, and fan-favorite Join Us. Multiple rarities sets capture a career of fascinating experiments, epitomized by the long-awaited vinyl issue of Long Tall Weekend, the first digital-only album ever released, back in August 1999 in the earliest days of internet music. New releases include The Spine Surfs Alone, as well as the full-length live LP Beast of Horns, an exclusive vinyl record, download, and compact disc available at brick-and-mortar record shops and at TMBGshop.com exclusively. A 4-song sampler can be found on all the popular music streamers. They Might Be Giants started with a Dial-A-Song service, powered by a lone phone machine out of their Brooklyn apartments. Since then, they have made 23 albums, and have secretly infiltrated your TV with original themes and incidental music to countless shows and commercials. Now everyone can enjoy They Might Be Giants free Dial-A-Song smartphone app (iPhone / Android) which adds a new song every day. Chattanooga State Community College is proud to announce one of its faculty members received a statewide recognition last week for her dedication to teaching, scholarship, and service. ChattStates Physical Therapist Assistant program, earned the top honor from the Tennessee Board of Regents when she was named SOAR Faculty Member of the Year for 2025. Dr. Caroline Rogers, Program Director forprogram, earned the top honor from the Tennessee Board of Regents when she was named SOAR Faculty Member of the Year for 2025. Statewide Outstanding Achievement Recognition (SOAR) honors outstanding students, faculty, staff, philanthropists, volunteers, and partners of community and technical colleges across Tennessee. The(SOAR) honors outstanding students, faculty, staff, philanthropists, volunteers, and partners of community and technical colleges across Tennessee. Dr. Rogers was chosen to receive the award because of her commitment to educational excellence, dedication to creating accessibility and opportunity for all students, and service to her community. Dr. Martina Harris, Dean of Nursing and Allied Health at ChattState, nominated Dr. Rogers for the award, highlighting her commitment to teaching, mentorship, scholarship, research, and community service. Dr. Rogers is a distinguished educator, researcher, and community advocate whose contributions have had a profound impact on the lives of her students, colleagues, and patients, Dr. Harris wrote. I am confident that her exceptional work will continue to inspire and benefit others for many years to come. Dr. June Hanks, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and Dr. Jonathan Brigner, Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education for the colleges Physical Therapist Assistant program, both supported Dr. Harris nomination with their own letters of recommendation. Dr. Brigner said Dr. Rogers impact in the classroom goes beyond instruction. She also offers students feedback and guidance through meaningful personal interactions with her students. The enthusiasm and passion she brings to the classroom are contagious, creating an environment where learning is both enjoyable and deeply enriching, he said. Her open-door policy and willingness to invest time in one-on-one mentoring have had a transformative impact on many students, inspiring them to achieve their fullest potential. Dr. Hanks lauded Dr. Rogers commitment to her students, stating her efforts to help design joint learning projects and a simulation lab with the university demonstrate her commitment to teaching excellence. She embodies the qualities of an exceptional educator and mentor, and I am confident that she will continue to inspire and lead the next generation of physical therapist assistant professionals, Dr. Hanks wrote. The PTA Program is highly regarded within the physical therapy community due to the exceptional preparation of program students. The SOAR Faculty Member of the Year award recognizes not only Dr. Rogers' own work and its tremendous impact, but also the efforts ChattState takes as a whole to provide a supportive learning environment for all its students. "Education changes lives, and Im privileged to play a role in that journey, Dr. Rogers said. This recognition reaffirms my commitment to helping students reach their goals, and I share this honor with my colleagues who make Chattanooga State a life-changing place." In video appearance, Gov. Bill Lee said, It is an honor to celebrate each of Tennessees outstanding students, staff, and faculty at the community colleges and Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology across our state. Our community colleges and TCATS offer a variety of life-changing opportunities for Tennesseans, and these finalists have stood out as leaders who have excelled within their communities. Congratulations on this honor. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication. SOAR Award winners receive cash prizes through the College Systems Foundation and the Dr. Allana Hamilton Memorial Scholarship Fund, named in honor of the late TBR vice chancellor for academic affairs. Middle Valley Church of God, located at 1703 Thrasher Pike in Hixson, announces that Pastor Mitch McClure will be preaching on Sunday, March 16, in the 10:30 a.m. service. His sermon title will be, 'Help Me Fix My Problems(I Need Jesus Now!)'. The goal of this sermon series is to assure the listener that they have access to God through Jesus Christ in all situations of life along with His promises to help. All are welcome to participate. Each Sunday at 5:30 p.m.the church conducts a Prayer Meeting. The Prayer Meeting is open to all who wish to participate and is designed to encourage prayer. Information on various methods of prayer will be shared with participants. The goal of this prayer meeting is to encourage Believers to seek God through prayer. All are welcome to participate. Each Wednesday at 7 p.m., an Interactive, Interesting, and Informative Bible Study will be held in the church auditorium. Kelly Selby is currently leading this Bible study. All are welcome to participate. The goal of this Bible study is to encourage Believers to study the Bible and discuss with others, making the Scripture their guide. Middle Valley Church of God is a community focused church with various ministries in the Middle Valley area and in Cusuna, Honduras. The community is welcome to join in times of worship and community service. MVCOG has been ministering in the Middle Valley Community since 1948 from the same location. If you have questions, please contact the church office at 423.843.1539. All are welcome. Please note that MVCOG will make public announcements about dangerous road conditions and cancellations. Postings about cancellations will be made on the church Facebook page. Please look there for information. Charlene Phillips Beard went home to be with Jesus on Monday, March 10, 2025. She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to the late Edward and Rosa Nell Phillips. Charlene graduated from Chattanooga High School, went on to work for the federal government for 30 years and retired from the Social Security Administration in 2003. She was a member of Wesley Memorial Church where she loved to volunteer. She was extremely clever, witty, and an avid reader. She will always be remembered as a sweet and caring friend to all who knew her. Charlene is survived by her loving sisters, Wanda P. Booth and Terri A. Phillips. We sisters cannot begin to convey what she meant to us and what her loss will mean in our lives. She is also survived by double-first cousin, W. Gary Phillips, cousins, Linda Cobb and Rickie Pierce and many more loving relatives. Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 22, at Heritage Funeral Home - East Brainerd Road Chapel. In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to her beloved Wesley Memorial Church at 3405 Peerless Road, NW, Cleveland, Tm. 37312. Visit the online obituary www.heritagechattanooga.com to post tributes and share memories. The family will receive friends on Saturday, March 22, from 10 a.m.11 a.m. at Heritage Funeral Home, East Brainerd Chapel. Previous Next Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp and Hamilton County EMS on Wednesday announced the launch of the Overdose Prevention Team, operating through two Quick Response Vehicles, to combat the opioid crisis by delivering life-saving medications for opioid use disorder and connecting individuals struggling with substance abuse to critical recovery resources. As the first initiative of its kind in Tennessee, this proactive approach aims to meet people in their moment of crisis, provide immediate support, and connect individuals to long-term recovery options. The first of its kind in Tennessee, the HCEMS Overdose Prevention Team will be the cornerstone of Hamilton Countys aggressive approach to fighting the opioid crisis, said County Mayor Wamp. Hamilton County EMS is stepping further into a crisis that knows no boundaries, affecting families in every neighborhood, from the inner city to the suburbs and beyond. There is no one I trust more than the men and women of HCEMS to lead this effort with compassion and urgency. A strategy developed by Dr. Ron Buchheit, Hamilton County Medical Services directorthe bridge training program was designed to provide timely medical care and comprehensive support for overdose victims and their families. After receiving approval from the State of Tennessee, this groundbreaking initiative is now launching as a multi-agency effort to address the opioid crisis. I created this model to meet individuals where they are, said Dr. Buchheit. This program bridges the gap from critical medications for opioid use disorder to long-term recovery resources, combining timely intervention with ongoing support to save lives and guide individuals on a clear path to healing. The Overdose Prevention Team will be staffed by HCEMS outreach teams consisting of a paramedic and a certified peer support specialist. The paramedic will administer medication-assisted treatment, while the peer support specialist, with lived experience in recovery, will help identify barriers and provide ongoing support. The team will work closely with the Health Department to connect individuals with a navigator who will guide them to community resources for long-term rehabilitation. Additionally, the county will partner with organizations like The McNabb Center to ensure continuous care and sustained recovery as individuals transition out of the program. This quick response program marks a pivotal shift in how our community responds to the opioid crisis, said Gayle Lodato LCSW, regional vice president of The McNabb Center. By bringing care directly into neighborhoods, this innovative effort offers a real chance at recovery for those battling addiction through reducing barriers, lowering stigma, and increasing a personal connectionall necessary elements of recovery. In tandem with the launch of the Overdose Prevention Team, the county is allocating opioid settlement funds to several respected recovery organizations with significant capital needs as part of a Renewal Project, many of which will be key partners in the OPT initiative. Recognized for their impactful work in Hamilton County, the organizations listed below will help ensure the long-term sustainability of the countys efforts to combat the opioid crisis, renewing hope for families and revitalizing communities. Proposed Funding for the Renewal Project: LaunchPad ($500,000): Sober living housing for women CADAS ($500,000): Expansion of recovery housing The McNabb Center ($250,000): Transitional housing for formerly incarcerated men with substance use disorder Chambliss Center for Children ($225,000): Facility upgrades for childcare services Boys & Girls Club of Chattanooga ($225,000): Security upgrades, equipment and supply needs Partnership for Families, Children and Adults ($150,000): Housing to support girls aging out of foster care End School-Age Homelessness Initiative ($150,000): Housing support for students in Hamilton County Schools Students who participated in previous workshops and took the national exam saw an average increase of four points. Home News Alex Jones blames murder of InfoWars reporter Jamie White on liberals, globalists Police in Austin, Texas, say InfoWars reporter Jamie White might have been killed by burglars outside his apartment in the wee hours of Monday morning as the publication's founder, Alex Jones, blamed the murder in part on liberals and globalists. Jones first announced 36-year-old White's death on Monday evening, blaming billionaire financier George Soros in part for the reporter's death. "We are deeply saddened to inform you that InfoWars Reporter Jamie White was brutally murdered around midnight Sunday night due, in part, to the policies of the Soros Austin, TX D.A. Jose Garza," Jones wrote on X. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe "We pledge that Jamie's tragic death will not be in vain, and those responsible for this senseless violence will be brought to justice. Jamie's important work will be carried on through InfoWars, our readers, and our cherished listeners." In extended comments shared on X, Jones generally blamed liberal politicians and globalists for creating the climate that caused White's murder, saying that crime has exploded in Austin in recent years. "So to the globalists you murdered Jamie White. You opened the door; you created the climate. You created the conditions on purpose. George Soros, Alexander Soros, you murdered Jamie White. Joe Biden, you murdered Jamie White. The Democratic Party, Hakeem Jeffries, Al Green, you murdered Jamie White and we're not going to forget him." In a statement cited by The Austin American-Statesman, the Austin Police Department said White was pronounced dead at 12:19 a.m. Monday after, he was found on the ground in the parking lot of the apartment complex where he lived with trauma to his body. "The initial investigation shows that White was shot and killed in the parking lot of the apartment complex in which he lived," the statement said. "The suspects then fled the scene. Detectives believe the suspects were possibly burglarizing White's vehicle, when he interrupted them." White's sister, Kelly Kneale, told The Independent that this was the second time since Christmas that her brother had been the target of car thieves. "He was shot by a person or persons trying to break into his car for the second time," she said, noting that thieves previously broke into his car during the Christmas holiday. "A tragic accident, but we haven't heard much else. I hope whoever took his life is caught and brought to justice. My father and I are devastated, to say the least." Racheal Salazar, the organizer of a GiveSendGo campaign, remembers White as a "talented writer" who had "passion for politics" and had dreams of "finding the perfect woman" with who he could start a family. "On Sunday night, our beloved Jamie White was brutally murdered in Austin, Texas, leaving an unimaginable void in the lives of his family and friends. Jamie was a talented writer for InfoWars, pouring his passion for politics into every piece he crafted," she wrote. "He lived life with intensity and creativity, always dreaming of finding the perfect woman and building a beautiful family. This devastating loss has shaken the White family to its core," she said. Donations for the campaign will "honor Jamie's memory and support his grieving family." Home News California pastor could spend 220 years in prison for allegedly scamming friends of nearly $240K A California pastor and former political candidate who is accused of scamming longtime friends out of nearly $240,000 through several schemes, is now facing up to 220 years in federal prison after he was arrested on an 11-count federal grand jury indictment. The pastor, Terrance Owens Elliott, 60, a.k.a. Tony Elliott, of Crestline, was arrested Thursday, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. Each of the 11 counts comes with a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Elliott, who was most recently listed as the pastor of The Ship of Zion Church in San Bernardino, has been charged with 11 counts of wire fraud which caused his victims approximately $238,563 in losses. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe In one scheme related to a family trust, according to a 13-page grand jury indictment returned on Feb. 26, Elliott convinced one friend identified as M.C., to put her inheritance money into a trust that he would administer purportedly to avoid losing her Medicare and Social Security benefits. Elliott was named as a co-trustee of victim M.C.s trust, which listed victim M.C. and victim M.C.s children, namely, victims V.H., W.L., and P.G., as beneficiaries of the trust, according to the indictment. After M.C. signed the trust, Elliott kept the executed trust agreement, which was supposed to provide for M.C.s financial needs during her lifetime. The agreement also allowed for her funeral expenses to be paid from the trust and any funds remaining after her death to be passed on to her children. The pastor then opened a bank account in the trusts name listing only himself as a trustee and gave the bank a fraudulently modified copy of the trust agreement which gave him sole power to make payments from the trusts bank account. Elliott then wrote checks and made online transfers to a church identified as Church A that werent permitted under the trust agreement. He also used the money from that trusts bank account to purchase postal money orders that were used to pay the churchs rent and personal expenses, such as the repair of a Chevrolet truck, Nike sneakers, a piano, clothing, and an extended warranty for a motorcycle amount to about $150,263. From June 2021 to February 2023, Elliott was also allegedly involved in another scheme in which he advised a victim listed as W.H. in the indictment about selling a house that was occupied by renters. Elliott allegedly convinced W.H. that he could avoid paying a capital gains tax from the sale of the house by loaning M.C.s trust $65,000. The pastor agreed to repay the loan with a 10% annual interest but then failed to honor the agreement after collecting several signed blank checks from the bank account of W.H.s corporation. Elliott allegedly used one of the blank checks to make an unauthorized transfer of $16,000 to Church A. and transferred $49,000 to the trust. He never repaid any part of the $65,000 loan. Defendant Elliott convinced victim W.H. to provide him with multiple signed blank checks from W.H. Corporations bank account, and instead of transferring the entirety of the $65,000 to victim M.C.s trust account, defendant Elliott used one of those checks to make an unauthorized transfer of $16,000 to Church A. Defendant Elliott knew at the time he transferred $16,000 to Church A, that victim W.H. did not authorize this transfer, the indictment notes. Defendant Elliott spent the bulk of the money from victim M.C.s trust on unauthorized expenses that were not for the benefit of the trusts beneficiaries, such as defendant Elliotts personal expenses. Through this scheme, defendant Elliott defrauded victim W.H.s corporation out of approximately $65,000. In another scheme from September 2018 to June 2021, Pastor Elliott falsely represented to nonprofit corporation A and Church Bs board of directors that nonprofit corporation A owed money to W.H. Corporation for services rendered related to a lawsuit against Church B and nonprofit corporation A according to the indictment. This false representation caused nonprofit corporation A to be defrauded of approximately $23,300. Defendant Elliott then well knew, W.H. Corporation had performed no work on behalf of either Church B or Nonprofit Corporation A, and Church B and Nonprofit Corporation A owed no money to W.H. Corporation, the indictment notes. Defendant Elliott caused Nonprofit Corporation A to issue approximately 32 checks to W.H. Corporation, which defendant Elliott later deposited into W.H. Corporations bank account, a bank account that defendant Elliott controlled. Defendant Elliott did not use the money from the checks for Nonprofit Corporation As benefit. Elliott, who once served as a police chaplain and public safety commissioner in San Bernadino, also campaigned in 2022 for a 2nd Ward City Council seat, according to The Sun. Tina Satterwhite, a former congregant of Elliotts now defunct, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, detailed how her then pastor preyed upon her after the shooting death of her son. She alleged that after Elliot moved to San Bernardino from a church in Los Angeles, he fleeced her of more than $75,000 from the sale of her house in 2004. She said he left her broke and homeless. He destroyed me. My spiritual belief in God has wavered. Its been hell for a long time, Satterwhite, a former corrections officer, told the publication at the office of her then attorney, Michael Scafiddi. I was depressed, and (Elliott) took advantage of that. I was going through some very troubling things. A federal bankruptcy judge hit Elliott with a $75,166 judgment in that case in June 2014 after a five-day bench trial but Scafiddi said the pastor has never attempted to pay it. The guys a complete scammer, Scafiddi said of Elliott in 2022. We tried several times to locate him. We never could. Then I see an ad on Facebook that hes running for city council, and, Im like, This is the guy Ive been trying to get to pay on this judgment for years. Home News 'Direct line to some redemption': Catholics examine duty to combat antisemitism WASHINGTON Amid rising antisemitism across the globe, Orthodox Jew Phillip Dolitsky believes it's crucial for Christians to build friendships with Jewish people. Dolitsky was one of several speakers at a one-day conference hosted by the Philos Project and the Catholic Information Center on Monday, which focused on the responsibilities of Catholics in addressing antisemitism and confronting their Church's history with humility. As a strategic advisor at The Philos Project, a nonprofit that equips Christians to stand with Israel and the Jewish people, Dolitsky shared how he wept after learning about the full extent of the atrocities the Hamas terror group committed on Oct. 7, 2023, when they killed over 1,200 people in southern Israel. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Hamas attacked during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, which meant Dolitsky couldn't use his phone right away at the synagogue he was attending as news of the tragedy began to spread. After he turned on his phone, he was so overcome with grief that it took him a moment to realize that it was ringing. "And I kept rejecting whoever it was that was calling me. And lo and behold, when I finally listened to the voicemail afterward, it was a Catholic professor at a university that I had never attended," Dolitsky said. In the voicemail, the professor told the Jewish man he wanted to check in, stating, "I'm here for you." The Catholic professor and Dolitsky maintained correspondence over the years to discuss literature and poetry. Following Hamas' invasion, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 individuals and the abduction of over 240 others and sparked Israel's military offensive in Gaza, Dolitsky was inundated with messages from people expressing concern for him, as well as his friends and family in Israel. "If that isn't friendship, then I don't know what is," the advocate said. Dolitsky also highlighted his friendship with Philos Catholic Director Simone Rizkallah and its Associate Director James O'Reilly, a relationship that consists of learning from one another. "It's that type of friendship that we have to work on facilitating because I truly believe that's a direct line to some redemption," the advocate said. The event, "Catholics and Antisemitism Facing the Past, Shaping the Future," featured various discussions about how the Catholic Church could strengthen Catholic-Jewish relations amid a global surge in antisemitic incidents. The 1965 declaration by the Second Vatican Council, "Nostra Aetate," is credited with paving the way for respectful, interfaith dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people. "Nostra Aetate" rejected the claim that Jews were collectively responsible for the death of Jesus, declaring antisemitism a sin against God. Throughout most of Dolitsky's life, he has found himself "amidst a sea of intellectual Catholics." While some Christians that he has met have encouraged him to convert or expressed surprise that he hasn't already, Dolitsky argued that building relationships with Jews for the sake of converting them is an "awful way to view friendship." "I think most good friendships are built off of curiosity, mutual respect and wanting to learn from one another," he said. Maggie Phillips, the author of Tablet Magazine's series "Religious Literacy in America," encouraged church leaders to show parishioners how to accompany their Jewish brothers and sisters while seeking to learn from them. Phillips urged Catholics to do this by reaching out to their Jewish neighbors by attending a Shabbat dinner or presenting themselves with a "spirit of humility." "You know, I love Jews so much that I pray to a Jewish guy every day," the Christian woman told event attendees. "If you're a Catholic, you believe that there is a Jewish heart in Heaven, a real Jewish heart that beats with love for humanity." Home News Gateway Church founder Robert Morris indicted for child sexual abuse of Cindy Clemishire, Okla. AG says Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, was indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child by a multi-county grand jury in Oklahoma on Wednesday. The indictment stems from allegations made by Cindy Clemishire last June that he sexually abused her over multiple years in the 1980s, beginning when she was 12. In December 1982, Morris was a traveling evangelist visiting in Hominy with the family of the alleged victim, who was 12 at the time. The indictment alleges Morris sexual misconduct began that Christmas and continued over the next four years. In all, Morris faces five counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child, a statement from the Office of Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond shared with The Christian Post on the charges against 63-year-old Morris, said. There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children, said Drummond, who once served as Clemishires attorney as she sought to get justice in the past. This case is all the more despicable because the alleged perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position. The victim in this case has waited far too many years for justice to be done. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Gentners office noted that the statute of limitations is not applicable to the charges against Morris because he was not a resident or inhabitant of Oklahoma at any time. Reacting to the indictment, Clemishire, now a 54-year-old grandmother who has been pushing to hold Morris accountable for decades, said she is grateful for the indictment some 43 years later. After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child. Now, it is time for the legal system to hold him accountable, she said in a statement to CP. My family and I are deeply grateful to the authorities who have worked tirelessly to make this day possible and remain hopeful that justice will ultimately prevail. Gateway Church released a statement shared with CP late Wednesday, saying: "We are aware of the actions being taken by the legal authorities in Oklahoma and are grateful for the work of the justice system in holding abusers accountable for their actions. We continue to pray for Cindy Clemishire and her family, for the members and staff of Gateway Church, and for all of those impacted by this terrible situation." Morris resigned from Gateway Church on June 18, 2024, just days after Clemishire reported that he began sexually abusing her on Dec. 25, 1982. She said the abuse continued for four-and-a-half years before it came to light. But Morris was later allowed to return to ministry. When questioned by CP about the allegations, Morris initially confessed to being involved in "inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady" more than 35 years ago. He said he repented and was restored to ministry. When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying. It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years, Morris said. In March of 1987, this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young ladys father. They asked me to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area, Morris added. Clemishire insisted to CP at the time, however, that she was no young lady. I was 12 years old. I was a little girl. A very innocent little girl. And he was brought into our home. He and his wife, Debbie, and their little boy, Josh, and trusted and preached at the church that my dad helped start and then began grooming all of us to do this, which took me decades to wrap my brain around as an adult, she said. It went on for many years. He says there was no sexual intercourse, but he did touch every part of my body and inserted his fingers into me, which I understand now is considered a form of rape by instrumentation. I was an innocent 12-year-old little girl who knew nothing about sexual behavior. Elders at Gateway Church also initially told CP that Morris was transparent with them about his past and they believed he had been biblically restored to ministry. In their statement announcing his resignation on June 18, 2024, however, the elders said Morris did not reveal that he had abused a 12-year-old girl. Regretfully, prior to Friday, June 14, [2024], the elders did not have all the facts of the inappropriate relationship between Morris and the victim, including her age at the time and the length of the abuse. The elders prior understanding was that Morriss extramarital relationship, which he had discussed many times throughout his ministry, was with a young lady and not abuse of a 12-year-old child, the elders explained. Gateway Church subsequently authorized an independent investigation into the allegations against Morris, and last November, Gateway Elder Tra Willbanks announced that multiple elders were removed from the church as he presented an overview of the four-month internal investigation. All but three Gateway elders, he said, had some knowledge about Morris' encounter with Clemishire and "failed to inquire further." Some, he said, allegedly knew that Clemishire was a child when she was abused prior to her going public. "We now know that there were elders and employees at Gateway who knew before June 14, 2024, that Cindy was 12 at the time of the abuse," Willbanks said. "Both groups are fundamentally wrong and simply cannot and will not be tolerated at Gateway Church." Home News Texas university lecturer seen on video harassing Christian evangelist placed on administrative leave A University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) philosophy lecturer who was seen in a viral video harassing a Christian evangelist says he's been placed on administrative leave. In a video shared on March 9, Charles Hermes, a UTA undergraduate advisor and senior lecturer of Philosophy, is seen shouting "No justice!" at a street preacher during a pro-abortion rally in Fort Worth. The street preacher is heard asking, "Do you believe in Jesus?" to several bystanders in the video. At one point, Hermes stands in front of the unidentified preacher and says, "I do, I believe in Jesus," as he presses his head close to the evangelist. As the video zooms in, the preacher, Bible in hand, says to Hermes, "This is not your territory" and continues to preach to the crowd. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe A campus reporter enters the frame and asks the preacher, "Why are you here?" The preacher replies, "I am here because I was brought here. I am here because all the children that are dying. I am here because the blind and confusion that the devil has put everyone's heart, everyone's mind." The rally appeared to be part of a March 8 event from the Tarrant County Democratic Party titled International Women's Day Unite and Resist held outside the county courthouse to "kick off Women's History Month by celebrating women's bodies and supporting autonomy." That same day, Hermes signaled in a Facebook post he would be attending the event, calling it a "perfect day for the International Women's Day Marches. Looking forward to Dallas's march." Just one day prior, on March 7, Hermes announced the university placed him on administrative leave. "I don't know what to do. After 18 years of teaching at UTA I have been placed on administrative leave. I'm shocked and speechless. I'm scared. I can't stop crying," he said. "So much of who I am comes from my love of our students. I guess I never thought this could happen. It's been such a hard semester, now this. I'm so scared and sad." A UTA spokesperson told The Christian Post Tuesday that Hermes was placed on administrative leave March 8 but declined further comment. Hermes' suspension follows several years of activism, including his arrest for criminal trespassing last May following his involvement in a pro-Palestinian rally. Hermes has been arrested three times in the last year for civil disobedience charges, local media outlet KERA notes. A March 7 letter from the chair of the UTA Philosophy and Humanities department cited by the outlet names "numerous complaints" over his courses and teaching as justification to place Hermes on leave. In 2018, Hermes was criticized for social media posts that appeared to condone harm to President Donald Trump during his first term in office. He later deleted the posts. That same year, right-wing commentator Steven Crowder accused Hermes of calling Crowder an "alt-right Neo-Nazi," and alleged Crowder advocated for the "murder and extermination of Jews and LGBT people." Hermes once reportedly spearheaded an online petition drive calling on the American Philosophical Association to prohibit schools that discriminate based on sexual orientation from posting open jobs with the organization's placement service. He reportedly launched the campaign in response to a "statement of faith" required by a potential employer. "To avoid offending those Christians who love their neighbors, and who leave the judging for God, I will hereafter refer to statements like these as statements of discrimination instead of statements of faith," Hermes reportedly wrote. Home News National Park Service accused of erasing first black female Episcopal priest over LGBT identity The National Park Service has removed an official biography of the first black female Episcopal Church priest and allegedly removed references to her LGBT identification on some web pages, drawing criticism from her supporters. The Rev. Pauli Murray, the first black woman to be ordained in The Episcopal Church, was known for her civil rights activism and co-founding the pro-abortion National Organization for Women, one of the largest liberal feminist activist organizations in the country. In a March 6 statement, the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice in Durham, North Carolina, stated that the federal government disabled "at least one webpage, and scrubbed language related to Murray's transgender and queer identities on others, on the National Park Service (NPS) website." Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe NPS has removed the web page hosting Murray's biography. The page now reads: "Page not found." The center, which is housed in Murray's former childhood home and was recognized as a National Historic Landmark during the final year of the Obama administration, pushed back on what it claims are "the federal government's efforts to erase" Murray. "Murray's legacy has been obscured alongside other figures and sites recognized by NPS, including the Stonewall National Monument, Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and others on a still-growing list," the center stated. While the center's statement doesn't clarify from which web pages language was altered, the NPS page for the Pauli Murray Family Home states that Murray "struggled with her sexual identity and sexual orientation" and "later found loving same-sex relationships foundational to her life." The NPS page on the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice in Durham also states that she "struggled with their gender and scholars have suggested they identified as transgender." Angela Thorpe Mason, executive director at the center, told The Christian Post in emailed comments that her organization first became aware of the changes last week. Mason said the center has "also invited community support, encouraging our supporters to call their Congressperson to condemn this censorship." According to the National Museum of African American History & Culture, Murray wrote extensively about her own gender identity and sexuality, having had romantic relationships with both men and women but also possibly personally identifying as male even though she was a woman. "Murray wrote about her gender identity and sexuality throughout her life. In her journals, Murray wondered if she was one of nature's experiments; a girl who should have been a boy,'" the museum stated. "Murray had at least two significant romantic relationships with women, though she resisted the term' lesbian.' She associated negative stereotypes with lesbians, and saw herself as a man attracted to what she called 'bisexual' women." Mason said she "would be disappointed that any one of my peers would approve of censoring and erasing the whole contributions of any historical figure based on a single identity marker." "Analyzing, sharing, and understanding history requires that we hold space for its nuances and complexities, not ignore them. We understand that when the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray lived, language about LGBTQ+ communities, gender expression, and gender was different than it is today," Mason continued. "While we don't know how Pauli Murray would identify if they were living today, the archival record supports the fact that Murray self-identified as a 'he/she' personality, and chronicles Murray's journey to understand and express their gender identity." In response to the allegations of censorship, a spokesperson for the National Park Service told CP that the agency is implementing two orders on the issue of gender ideology. The first was President Donald Trump's "Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government" executive order, which officially declares that there are only two sexes. "Agencies shall remove all statements, policies, regulations, forms, communications, or other internal and external messages that promote or otherwise inculcate gender ideology, and shall cease issuing such statements, policies, regulations, forms, communications or other messages," noted one provision of the order. "Agency forms that require an individual's sex shall list male or female, and shall not request gender identity. Agencies shall take all necessary steps, as permitted by law, to end the Federal funding of gender ideology." The other was an order from Acting Secretary of the Interior Walter Cruickshank titled "Ending DEI Programs and Gender Ideology Extremism," which was built off of the Trump executive order. Cruickshank ordered that all department offices "shall immediately cease any and all equity-related activities, under any name or characterization that they may appear." "This Order is intended to halt all actions related to 'illegal and immoral discrimination' programs, including DEI, DEIA, and EJ (collectively, 'equity-related') mandates, policies, preferences, and activities in the Department," he added. "This Order and any resulting report or recommendations are not intended to, and do not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party against the United States, its Departments, agencies, instrumentalities or entities, its officers or employees, or any other person." Home News 'I will not deny Christ': Pastor, wife imprisoned on false charges of forced conversion win bail 'After 30 days of my fasting, we got bail' NEW DELHI A Christian couple in India convicted of forcible conversion despite lack of evidence and sentenced to five years in prison have won bail while they appeal, sources said. Pastor Jose Pappachen, 58, and his wife, Sheeja Pappachen, 57, were released on Feb. 19 after a Sessions Court in Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh on Jan. 22 sentenced them to prison and a fine of 25,000 rupees ($287 USD) each under the states stringent anti-conversion law. The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court granted bail to the pastor on Feb. 6 and to his wife on Feb. 5. Pastor Pappachen said all the allegations against them were fabricated. He and his wife are not associated with any church or denomination and were surviving on 10,000 rupees ($115 USD) every month. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe After paying 4,000 rupees house rent each month, we were left with only 6,000 rupees to survive on for the month how could we possibly afford to organize community lunches or pay people to convert? Pastor Pappachen told Morning Star News. After Chandrika Prasad, district minister of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, filed a written complaint at Jalalpur police station in Ambedkar Nagar District on Jan. 24, 2023, police arrested the couple under two statutes: the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. On Oct. 8, 2023, however, the court ordered the removal of charges under the SC/ST Act from the First Information Report (FIR). Prasad alleged that area residents had informed him that the Christian couple were enticing members of the Dalit community to convert to Christianity over the previous three months and demanded strict action against them. The couple was arrested on Jan. 25, 2023, from their home in Shahpur Firojpur village in Jalalpur block. Police reports stated that the couple weekly visited the home of a woman named Vifla, where they gathered local residents and conducted Bible study sessions, Pastor Pappachen said. He denied the allegations. The woman in whose house they claimed we held Bible study testified in court that she does not even know us, Pastor Pappachen told Morning Star News. A resident of Kerala state, Pastor Pappachen and his wife had ministered in Bihar state for nearly 10 years before they moved to Shahpur Firojpur in September 2022 at the request of a pastor who lacked time to mentor his congregation. He asked us to come to this village and strengthen his congregation here, said Pastor Pappachen, who knew no one beside the pastor who invited them. Upon arrival, the couple discovered that the 20 to 25 members of the congregation belonged to a sector that survived by stealing and robbing. They had not mended their ways, so we began teaching them the basic truth from the Bible about living transformed lives, said Pastor Pappachen, refuting the allegation of carrying out mass conversion through allurement. These people are not my congregation. They were all already attending church, and we did not preach to a single person, nor has a single person been added to the already established church. We were just doing a job of repairing and mending those who were given to us. Court records show that one of the 11 prosecution witnesses, identified only as Roshini, told police the couple would celebrate the birth of Christ in their village and would organize community lunches. She also said the couple gifted her a calendar that had a picture of Jesus on it, and she had surrendered the calendar to the police. Another prosecution witness, identified only as Bhagmani and known as Munni, stated that the couple would visit her house, pray and teach good things. By contrast, a prosecution witness identified only as Anjani said the couple bribed her family with money, asked them to worship Jesus and gave them a Bible, though she later acknowledged that her family did not know how to read and write. She alleged that the couple wanted to take advantage of their illiteracy and lure them to Christianity. Pastor Pappachen denied the allegation, noting that, as they were illiterate, Then why would anybody give them a book to read, let alone a Bible? Despite no clear evidence of forced conversion, a lower court denied their initial bail plea, and the couple languished in jail for eight months. Pastor Pappachen was housed in the mens section of the prison while his wife was detained in the womens wing, and they were permitted to meet only once a week. The couple faced extreme hardships, he said. Besides being a diabetic, Pastor Pappachen suffers from prostrate issue and had to be hospitalized for three months while in prison. He faced breathing difficulty, and severe knee pain rendered him unable to walk. I felt very weak in my body, he said. The pastor said inmates and policemen verbally harassed him as someone in the business of converting people, and that the 50 inmates in his cell treated him with prejudice and contempt. Even prisoners arrested for serious crimes like rape and murder would warn others to maintain distance from me, claiming I could convert anyone who sat beside me within a minute, Pastor Pappachen said. Policemen would ask him several questions about his grandfather and great-grandfather, trying to prove that his ancestors were Hindus and had later converted. They asked him why Jesus was crucified on a cross what were His crimes? and whether Christians cremated or buried their dead. I said nothing, because I knew they were looking for an excuse to scorn Jesus and my faith, he said. Tired of their questioning, Pastor Pappachen one day told a policeman, I was born in a Christian home, I grew up as a Christian, I will die a Christian. Even if you hang me, I will not deny Christ. An officer declared that from that time on, everybody in the jail should address him as Ram Dulari, a female name meaning beloved of the Hindu god Rama. Besides my physical ailments, the mental trauma that the policemen and the inmates were inflicting on me was causing me severe depression. I would continuously sit and weep, Pastor Pappachen told Morning Star News. The relentless harassment eventually pushed him to such desperation that he begged police officers to shoot him and report it as an encounter killing, he said. During this time, the district court rejected bail for the couple, and the couples attorney appealed to the High Court for bail. I felt that we will rot and die there, because all those who came before and after us got bail and were out, the pastor said. He decided to fast and pray, eating only one meal a day. The Lord pointed out many of my shortcomings. I repented of my sins and after 30 days of my fasting, we got bail in September 2023, he said. During trial they attended around 30 court hearings before they were convicted on Jan. 22 and detained again. We were mentally prepared that even if we are convicted, it is for the Lord, said Pastor Pappachen, adding that he witnessed a drastic difference in his treatment in jail. People in the jail treated us so well, he said. The policemen had a transformation of heart, and they confessed that we were innocent people, framed falsely. The couple did not expect to obtain bail so quickly. It was nothing short of a miracle that we were granted bail so soon, said Pastor Pappachen. We are so grateful to all those who prayed for us and to all those who stood with us. The couple has not been told when the High Court might summon them for any further potential questioning, which could take place within the next 18 months. The hostile tone of Indias government against non-Hindus has emboldened Hindu extremists and others to attack Christians since Narendra Modi took power in May 2014, religious rights advocates say. India ranked 11th on Christian support organization Open Doors 2025 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. The country was 31st in 2013, but its position worsened after Modi came to power. This article was originally published at Morning Star News Home News Pastoral team suggests biblical path for Mike Bickle to return to ministry A pastoral team commissioned by the Messianic Jewish umbrella organization Tikkun International has suggested there might be a biblical path for International House of Prayer Kansas City founder Mike Bickle to return to ministry. This comes after recent findings that he used predatory tactics and spiritual manipulation to sexually abuse at least 17 females, including minors. The suggestion was published just over a month after Tikkun International released the results of an independent investigation of Bickle and IHOPKC by sexual abuse investigation firm Firefly that provided a comprehensive assessment of Bickles predation, IHOPKC and the allegations of victims of the former leader. In the new report commissioned by Tikkun International and published earlier this month, the pastoral team, identified as the Pastoral Recommendation Team, (PRT) cited Galatians 6:1 as support for how Bickle could be restored if he is willing to submit their recommendations. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Using Galatians 6:1 as a guide, Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted (NKJV). The PRT worked from an assumption that God wants to restore Christian brothers and sisters. The primary goal was to facilitate and enable every person involved, both perpetrators and victims, to be all the persons God intended them to be. While this restoration may not include a restoration back into the same position, at the same location or among the same people harmed by their sin, we believe it certainly does include a restoration back to healthy spiritual fellowship within the Body of Christ elsewhere. The PRT, which was convened by Dan Juster of Tikkun Ministries, includes Jerry Dirmann, a leader in The Foursquare Church denomination who pastors The Rock multi-site church and runs the Solid Lives Network, along with the Jesus Disciple system. Other PRT members are: Mark and Nicki Pfeifer, co-conveners of International Coalition of Apostolic Leaders; Steve Prokopchak, a senior member of DOVE International Network and Apostolic Team who also serves as a marriage and family counselor and provides oversight for a network of ministries; and Rich Nichol, Rabbi Emeritus of Ruach Yisrael in the Boston area. A number of mental health experts were also involved in making the recommendations for restoration, including Monica Mouer, a licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor who is trained to address sex addiction, developmental trauma, dissociative disorders, and complex trauma including sexual abuse; Wanda K. Morgan, a retired licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience; and Kim Vastine, a chaplain and minister, who is also a biblical counselor for inner healing of sexual, spiritual, and emotional trauma and abuse. The PRT suggested that in order to facilitate Bickles restoration, the ministry would have to create an Independent Counsel of Presbyters consisting of about five to 10 seasoned pastoral figures and clinical therapists who are not presently engaged in any capacity at IHOPKC. The expert team agreed that According to I Corinthians 5:1-5, Mike Bickle should be removed from ministry of any kind until a process of repentance, counseling, healing, and restoration has taken place. He also should be barred for his lifetime from ever holding a paid, professional, public ministry again. If he is restored, however, Bickle could return to informal ministry. Should he desire to return to informal ministry, there must be a full release in writing from the ICP with the approval of any therapists with whom he has received counsel. These recommendations should be implemented and overseen by the ICP and reported in writing to the IHOPKC Board of Directors and made available to the IHOPKC congregation and the public, the PRT suggested. As part of his restoration process, the PRT recommended that Bickle publicly take responsibility in writing for his years of inappropriate sexual misconduct, sexual abuse, manipulation, participation in minimizing and covering up his actions and the actions of other staff. They also recommended that he make a public apology in writing the victims, their families, witnesses, and the body of Christ for his abusive behavior. It was further recommended that Bickle submit to the recommendations for discipline, professional counseling for himself and his marriage and restoration process set forth by the ICP, including a clinical/psychological evaluation and long-term professional counseling with qualified professionals and accountability. This committee realizes these recommendations are completely subject to Mike Bickles willingness to submit to them and are not the responsibility of the present IHOPKC Board of Directors to complete, the PRT added. If he chooses not to comply, this information should be made public. The independent investigation of Bickle and IHOPKC published last month, paints the embattled founder of the 24-hour prayer ministry as a predator who used his influence, gifts, money, and position as a spiritual leader to bend young and vulnerable women to his will. Throughout the investigation, we have identified and interviewed seventeen (17) Survivors who were either sexually abused or experienced sexually abusive misconduct, including sexual abuse, rape, clergy abuse, and spiritual abuse, perpetrated by Bickle beginning to our knowledge in the mid-1970s, investigators wrote. These acts of abuse have had profound and lasting impacts on the lives of the victims, causing significant emotional, psychological, and spiritual harm. The survivors have shown immense courage in coming forward to share their experiences despite the fear and trauma associated with these events. Among Bickles survivors is Deborah Perkins, the first woman to go public with her account of alleged abuse. She told investigators that Bickle made her read Scripture after their sexual encounters. Bickles actions in having Deborah Perkins pray Psalm 51 after sexual encounters was another layer of his manipulation, investigators noted. By invoking a prayer of repentance, he further distorted her understanding of the situation, making her feel complicit in the abuse. Home News 'Trans Army' Facebook page recruits veterans, police officers to join 'rebellion', stockpile weapons, 'prepare for what's coming' Meta tells CP content does not violate community standards Facebook says a radical trans activist group with over half a million followers that is actively recruiting military veterans to form a trans army for violent rebellion in the United States doesn't violate the social media giants policies. The Trans Army page, which has over 557,000 followers on Facebook, has called on its followers to stockpile weapons, recruit ex-military personnel, and train for violent acts and atrocities in preparation for a full-scale insurrection. A post shared on Jan. 26, less than a week after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, declared the U.S. a totalitarian state and urged police officers and military personnel to join the Trans Army mobs and wear a white armband to help us differentiate between friend and foe. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe We won't wait for them to come for us, the post added. This time we come for them. The page first amplified by journalist Andy Ngo includes one widely circulated post from Feb. 28 directed at transgender-identified military veterans that reads: "To all US trans military members. We need you to contact your local trans organization and offer your support. You need to help train other trans people and help them prepare for what's coming. Your skills and training will be needed. Thank you for your service." The post received over 360 comments from people who said they were located in several states, including Texas, Montana, Arkansas and Arizona. Several commenters indicated they possessed prior military experience and would be willing to contribute to the groups cause. Another lengthy post from Feb. 28, framed as a manifesto for rebellion, provides a chilling roadmap with specific action items for followers to take: For all trans people in the US. The US government has been overtaken by loyalists that supports [sic] dictatorships and threatens democracy everywhere. At this point, rebellion is inevitable and necessary. It then outlines a four-step strategy regroup, organize, plan and act urging followers to unite with local trans organizations, form alliances with other threatened communities, and prepare for violent resistance. The manifestos "Organize" section is particularly detailed, advising people with military backgrounds that have seen combat to assume leadership roles: Learn from them despite your hatred for the military, as we said theres no place for ideologues if you want to survive." It further instructs followers to "Stock up on medical supply, weapons, food, and anything that might be needed. Train yourself or others to weapon handling every day. Become one with your weapon." Under the "Plan" and "Act" sections, the rhetoric grows even more sophisticated and militaristic, with references to "lattice-based encryption methods, warnings against using hosted AI, and a recommendation to use off-grid communication tools. The Trans Army post ends with these ominous words: "Any action that you do must be decisive. No half measures. Be ready for anything, be okay with anything. A post from Feb. 25 has a stark warning: Trans day of vengeance is coming. Just one day earlier, the page shared an image of a woman holding a rifle while standing in front of an LGBT rainbow flag with the caption, We will fight. According to the image, the woman identifies herself as the descendant of a violent leftist Antifa supersoldier. A spokesman for Meta, the parent company of Facebook, told CP the Trans Army page does not violate the companys Coordinating Harm + Violence and Incitement policies, which allows people to debate and advocate for the legality of criminal and harmful activities, as well as draw attention to harmful or criminal activity that they may witness or experience as long as they do not advocate for or coordinate harm. Meta also indicated the page would not be flagged or otherwise sanctioned for either its current content or sample posts shared with Meta - which have been highlighted in this report - adding that its companies will indeed enforce our policies if or when there are actual violations." In addition to the calls for violent rebellion, the Trans Army page also takes exception to Christianity and Christians in particular, including the suggestion that early Christians were "killing anyone who didn't want to hear" the Gospel. Another post from March 5 compared President Donald Trumps claim that he was saved by God to make America great again following the assassination attempt last July in Butler, Pa., to a truncated quote from Adolph Hitler: I am convinced that I am acting as the agent of our Creator, and The work that Christ started but could not finish, I Adolph Hitler will conclude. Following Trumps election last November, the group posted an image of a Christian cross transformed into a swastika with the words Christian nationalism. A post on March 6 is a meme which reads, Whether or not they think he was the actual son of God, they all agree he preached tolerance and forgiveness, a message so important his most ardent followers would eventually start killing anyone who didn't want to hear it. In May 2024, the group posted another meme which reads, Satan respects pronouns. Another post from April 2023 mocks the Old Testament of Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac and by extension the ultimate sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the cross of Calvary with an image reading, "Not to shade religious people but it's kinda chilling how some folks praise Abraham for being willing to kill Isaac for God to prove his devotion. Like [I don't know] about y'all, but if God told me to kill my son I'd kinda be like maybe this isn't the god for me." The owner of the page isnt identified, but the page links to the Trans Army website, which has an international domain listing with an address in the United Kingdom. The posts from Trans Army comes after a memo sent to Defense Department leaders called for procedures to identify troops diagnosed with or being treated for gender dysphoria for removal from the U.S. military. The order, which expands on the executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January, sets a deadline for identifying troops by March 26, even though Trumps directive has been challenged in court, according to The Associated Press. Officials believe there are about 4,200 troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria serving in the active duty, National Guard and Reserves, a senior defense official told The Associated Press. In an interview with C-SPAN's morning program "Washington Journal" on Feb. 5, Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., said he's been told the number of trans-identified individuals who've signed up to serve in the military has been as high as 15,000. He said many join the military because they can get their prescription drugs, procedures and trans surgeries paid for. "We need to focus on deployability. [...] they are not ready to deploy at any given time," he said, noting that it "ultimately harms our readiness and harms the culture of our military." Home News Yuri Cordero: 'Univision never asked me to hide my faith' (exclusive) Vice president and executive producer of 'Primer Impacto' shares her faith journey, mission of empowerment at Highgrace Yuri Cordero, one of the most influential figures in Hispanic television, has dedicated more than 27 years to the Univision network, establishing herself as vice president and executive producer of the iconic program " Primer Impacto," one of the longest-running programs on Hispanic television in the United States. Cordero is also the author of The Virtue of Process and founder of High Grace, a mentoring and personal development platform. In a recent interview with Christian Post Espanol, Cordero spoke about her faith journey, the challenges of working in secular media, and her mission to empower the Hispanic community. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Faith as a pillar in a secular environment Despite the pressures that often exist in secular media, Cordero has found a respectful and supportive environment at Univision. "They've never told me not to talk about my faith or participate in conferences. On the contrary, they've always supported me," she said. However, she acknowledges that not all Christians in the media have the same experience, and encourages those who feel pressure to hide their beliefs to stand firm. "If others don't hide who they are, neither will I. The Bible says I am not ashamed of the Gospel," she emphasized. Cordero has found creative ways to share her faith at work. One example is a box filled with Bible verses in her office where anyone can pick up an encouraging message. "People think it's chocolate, but when they find out what it is, many come back looking for more," she said with a laugh. Cancer trial and its spiritual transformation In 2018, after covering the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. England, Cordero experienced a radical change in her life when she began attending a Christian church. "It was very practical, more grounded language, and that touched my heart," she recalled. However, shortly after, she was diagnosed with cancer, an ordeal that, instead of distancing her from her faith, strengthened it. "God had prepared me before cancer. Instead of asking myself 'Why me?' I understood that it was part of a larger plan," she shared. Facing the illness while working at Univision wasn't easy. "Very few people knew about my diagnosis because I didn't want them to treat me differently or feel sorry for me," she explained. Despite the fear and uncertainty, her faith sustained her, and she managed to overcome the illness. Highgrace: Empowering the Hispanic Community As part of her leadership mission, Cordero founded Highgrace, a space dedicated to providing mentorship and leadership training. "Highgrace is named after my grandmother, Altagracia, who was the first to instill in me a love for God," she explained. Through this platform, she offers bootcamps and conferences on purposeful living and effective leadership. "Knowledge gives authority, and leadership requires consistency and execution," she noted. In her role at Univision, Cordero has witnessed firsthand the challenges facing the Hispanic community, especially regarding immigration issues. "Many families have been in this country for decades and have contributed enormously. Their cases cannot be simply ignored," she said. As a Christian, she emphasizes the importance of balancing respect for the law with the commandment to love one's neighbor. "We are not here to judge, but to show love and support," she added. A personal miracle: The aneurysm test In 2023, Cordero faced another ordeal when she was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. "It was a very scary time because I couldn't get upset or maintain the pace of life I was living," she confessed. However, her faith once again became her refuge. After a successful surgery in January, she experienced a moment she considers a divine sign: "The next thing I knew, I was in room 12, a number with great biblical symbolism. I felt God confirming to me that everything was under His control." A life with purpose For Yuri Cordero, each experience has been an opportunity to grow and strengthen her faith. "Our work, wherever it may be, must be done as if it were for the Kingdom of God," she reflected. With a career marked by leadership, resilience and spirituality, Cordero continues to inspire the Hispanic community to live with purpose and determination. Home Opinion Syrian Christians are being slaughtered and the media doesnt care Over the weekend, many watched in horror as reports poured out of Syria detailing the slaughter of Christians and other religious minorities under the new Islamist regime led by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, now masquerading under his birth name, Ahmed al-Sharaa. Newsweek reports that Since Thursday, more than 1,000 people including Christian minorities and Alawites, the sect to which Assad [the recently deposed Syrian president] belongs have been killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and local reports. This is a man with blood on his hands, a radical Islamist with a history rooted in both ISIS and Al-Qaeda who has long despised Christians and sought their eradication. Yet, the mainstream media and even the United Nations have bent over backwards to whitewash his image, painting him as some sort of pragmatic reformer. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Meanwhile, the bodies of Syrian Christians and Alawites pile up, and the Wests silence is deafening. This is not just negligence its complicity, driven by a media that hates Christians and a failed neoconservative foreign policy obsessed with regime change, no matter the cost. A wolf in sheeps clothing Lets be clear about who al-Jolani is. This is no freedom fighter or rebel, as the media loves to call him. Hes the former emir of Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaedas Syrian branch, and now the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Sunni Islamist group that toppled Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. His track record is a litany of atrocities: attacking Christian villages along the Khabur River, destroying churches, and orchestrating kidnappings and massacres. Reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirm that since early March, over 1,000 civilians many of them Christians and Alawites have been butchered in revenge killings and massacres, particularly in coastal regions like Latakia and Jableh. Women and children havent been spared; entire families have been wiped out by HTS forces and their jihadist allies. Al-Jolanis hatred for Christians isnt new. In 2015, his forces abducted over 200 Assyrians from villages near Tell Tamer, demanding ransoms of $100,000 per person. Three were executed on video, a chilling message to Syrias dwindling Christian population. Now, as Syrias new strongman, hes dropped the turban for a suit and tie, issuing platitudes about tolerance and diversity. But the bloodstains dont wash off that easily. His rebranding is a tactical ploy to win Western approval, not a genuine change of heart. Christians in Aleppo and Homs arent buying it. Theyre fleeing to the mountains, terrified of the jihadists now ruling their streets. Whitewashing a terrorist butcher Youd think this carnage would dominate headlines, but the mainstream media CNN, BBC, The New York Times barely whispers about it. When they do, its to parrot Al-Jolanis promises of moderation or to downplay the sectarian slaughter as clashes between security forces and Assad loyalists. The United Nations, ever the apologist for tyrants, has been complicit too. On March 7, 2025, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a tepid call to protect civilians, but stopped short of naming HTS or Al-Jolani as the perpetrators. The reason for their cowardice is plain and simple a refusal to confront the radical Islamist elephant in the room. Why the silence? Because the media and the UN bought the narrative hook, line, and sinker: Assad was the bad guy (and yes, he was), so anyone who ousted him must be a hero. Theyve spent years hyping HTS as rebels fighting for freedom, ignoring their jihadist roots and anti-Christian agenda. Now that the mask is off and Christians are dying, theyd rather look the other way than admit they were wrong. Assad: The devil we knew Theres no need to sugarcoat it Bashar al-Assad was a dictator. His regime tortured dissidents, allegedly used chemical weapons, and ruled with an iron fist. But for Syrias Christians, he was a protector of sorts. Under Assad, many Christians once 10 percent of Syrias population could worship freely, celebrate Christmas, and live without fear of jihadist mobs. Assad, an Alawite himself, positioned his regime as a bulwark against Sunni extremism, and for all his brutality, he delivered on that promise. The Christian population dwindled from 1.5 million to 300,000 during the civil war, but much of that was due to ISIS and rebel groups like HTS, not Assads policies. Compare that to now. Since Assads fall, HTS has unleashed a wave of sectarian violence that makes his rule look like a golden age for minorities. The devil you know, as the saying goes, is better than the devil you dont. Assad was a known quantity a brutal secularist who kept the jihadists at bay. Al-Jolani is a wild card, a radical Islamist with a history of targeting Christians, and the Wests gamble on him has turned Syria into a killing field. The medias anti-Christian bias Why isnt this a bigger story? Because the mainstream media in the West hates Christians. Its that simple. From Hollywood to cable news, theres a palpable disdain for our faith a sneering contempt for backward beliefs that dont fit their progressive worldview. When Christians are slaughtered in Syria, it doesnt fit the narrative of Islamist rebels good, Assad bad, so they bury it. Theyd rather fawn over Al-Jolanis pragmatism than report on the desecrated churches and shattered crosses littering Syrias countryside. This isnt just negligence its complicity. By pretending HTS would be moderate, the media gave cover to a regime now massacring Christians. They cheered the fall of Assad without asking what comes next, and now that the answer is clear a genocide theyre too ashamed or too biased to care about it. Rubios denouncement: A rare voice of reason Thank God for Secretary of State Marco Rubio. On March 9, 2025, he issued a blistering statement: The United States condemns the radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadis, that murdered people in western Syria in recent days. The United States stands with Syrias religious and ethnic minorities, including its Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities, and offers its condolences to the victims and their families. Syrias interim authorities must hold the perpetrators of these massacres against Syrias minority communities accountable. Rubios words cut through the fog of media spin, naming the perpetrators and standing with the victims. Its a rare moment of clarity from a government too often swayed by neoconservative delusions. The bloody legacy of failed neoconservative foreign policy This is a textbook failure of establishment foreign policy. For decades, neocons in Washington think tanks, pundits, and politicians have pushed an obsessive agenda of intervention and regime change. Iraq, Libya, now Syria: topple the dictator, install democracy, and watch freedom bloom. Except it never works. The vacuum left by Assad didnt birth a moderate utopia it unleashed Hell in the form of Al-Jolani and his jihadist hordes. Christians and Alawites are paying the price for this reckless idealism, just as Iraqi Christians did after Saddams fall. Assad was a monster, but he was a predictable one. Neocons ignored that wisdom, betting on untested rebels who turned out to be worse. Their faith in intervention blinded them to the reality that not every dictators fall is a victory for liberty, especially when the alternative is a radical Islamist with a bloodthirsty grudge against Christians. A call to prayer and action Al-Jolanis regime is a cancer, and the Wests complicity is a sin. Lets heed Rubios call, reject neoconservative folly, and stand for the persecuted. As conservative Christians, we cannot stay silent. Our brothers and sisters in Syria are dying, and the world doesnt care. We must pray for their protection, amplify their plight, and demand accountability from our leaders and media. The anguished voices and blood of Syrian Christians are crying out will we answer? Originally published at the Standing for Freedom Center. Home Opinion We've completely lost the plot on Andrew Tate In 2015, I started writing articles about why its a bad idea to pretend that men can be women. I remember thinking to myself, My gosh, this is dumb. Of all the articles to have to write! This is basic common sense. Why does this need explanation? How many important issues are going to be overlooked while we are distracted by this ridiculous thing that shouldnt even be an issue? I feel the same way as I sit down to write this blog. Everyone knows that Tristan and Andrew Tate are total reprobates, right? Like theyre objectively wicked men by virtually every standard. For those who are not chronically online and who may be blissfully sequestered from knowledge of the Tate brothers, Andrew Tate burst onto the scene in the early 2000s as a British-American kickboxer, whos been controversial from the start. The self-appointed king of toxic masculinity, hes amassed a tremendous amount of influence in the manosphere by loudly trumpeting overtly misogynistic views as the proposed solution to the masculinity crisis in the West. He and his brother Tristan launched a webcam model business selling beautiful womens bodies on the internet, and they supplemented this business by selling online manliness courses for socially awkward men. Their Hustler University quickly gained 100,000 subscribers. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe To give you some scope of the Tate influence, Andrew was the third most googled person in the world in 2023, and he has over 10 million Twitter followers. By August of 2023, it was estimated that the Tates online ventures raked in $5 million in revenue each and every month. All of these ventures are embroiled in controversy, of course. While they have yet to be convicted of anything, the rape and sex trafficking charges against them are many and should surprise no one. The Tates were recently released from house arrest in Romania, where they were being investigated for charges of rape, sex trafficking, money laundering, attempting to intimidate a witness, and forming an organized crime group to sexually exploit women. Their legal troubles extend across the globe into Britain, as well, where theyve been investigated for rape and sex trafficking as well as tax evasion. Nothing I can tell you about the Tate brothers could possibly condemn them as quickly as their own words do, though. Here are just a few gems straight from Andrew Tates mouth. Apologies for the language: Why would you be with a woman whos not a virgin anyway? She is used goods. Second hand. When I grab you (a woman) by your neck, and you start annoying me and try to resist, and I just (violently punches his hand several times indicating the beating of a woman) and then I grab you by your neck again, then what the fuck you gonna do when your face is collapsed and your fucking cheekbone is broken? You ain't gonna do shit but cry. Females are the ultimate status symbol. People think Im running around with these hoes because I like sex. Thats nothing to do with the reason why Im running around with these bitches. I got these bitches just so everyone knows who the don is. How can I use these women to make me money? I dont wanna put them on the track because theyre my women, I dont want other people touching my chicks. If a woman is going out with a man, she belongs to that man, that's his woman, so she wants to do OnlyFans, she owes him some money, cause she's his. Andrew Tate is the living personification of toxic masculinity, and he wears the title like a badge of honor. There are dozens of videos of the guy bragging about grabbing women by the throat, choking them, breaking their cheekbones, making them cry during sex, beating them, and pimping them out. Allegedly more than 30 women have been tattooed or branded with his name a pretty standard occurrence amongst sex trafficking rings. So why, oh why, oh why, are so many right-wing influencers the very people who preach traditional family values and Christianity as the solution to the woes of the west so unspeakably sympathetic to the Tate brothers? Think Im overstating my case? I promise Im not. While Im encouraged to see conservatives like Ron DeSantis, Ben Shapiro, Megyn Kelly, and Josh Hawley loudly denouncing the Tates, I have been absolutely stunned to see other major conservative influencers supporting him or responding to him through sympathetic eyes. A non-exhaustive list of what Im talking about: Tucker Carlson hosted Andrew Tate on his podcast in March of 2024 as a welcome voice pushing back against the alleged war on men. Candace Owens invited Andrew Tate onto her podcast in August of 2024 to discuss, The dangerous thinning of Western culture, the importance of street smarts, and what motivates the global elites. Benny Johnson interviewed Andrew Tate last month to seek his insight on Trumps political persecution. Trump attorney Alina Habba called herself a big fan of Andrew Tate and told him, I sympathize with you because I think you go through a lot of the same show me the person, Ill find the crime that President Trump has gone through. Dana White welcomed the Tate brothers with literal open arms this week when they arrived in Vegas for a power slap contest. Elon Musk, after reinstating Tates Twitter account early this year, replied to him, Onwards with the mission. Last week, the Tampa Bay Young Republicans used their social media pages to formally welcome the Tate brothers to Florida. Last year, Donald Trump Jr. co-hosted a Twitter space conversation about Hunter Biden. Andrew Tate was one of the events speakers. He called Don Jr. a friend. Don Jr. called him a buddy. Yesterday the Hodge Twins tweeted a photo of themselves standing with Tate with a caption reading, He wasnt welcome in Florida, so he met up with us in Vegas. Joel Webbon said that Andrew Tate is sinning in the right direction. What on earth is going on? When someone has repeatedly proven to be a complete and utter scoundrel, we dont typically engage this kind of moral obfuscation and whataboutery to preserve their image, right? Imagine what would happen if, instead of denouncing Harvey Weinstein, we saw leading pundits saying, No, hes just really misunderstood and persecuted. Hes really innocent. Hes being targeted because the elite dont like the truth he speaks. Would we tolerate that on the right? Of course we wouldnt. And honestly, I still have to believe that the average conservative reader is completely appalled by the Tates behavior. I dont think these men represent the average Republican voter at least not the ones with whom I rub elbows. But the unfortunate truth remains that the Tates do, in fact, represent a much larger base of voters than I care to acknowledge, and this is why we see such widespread whitewashing of their egregious behavior. A couple of things are important to consider here: The Tates love Donald Trump, and they use their massive influence to endorse him. Votes are votes, and many people dont care how votes are acquired as long as theyre loyal to the right people. Red pilled misogynists vote, too, and a lot of powerful people had zero compunction about leveraging the Tate influence for a red wave this past November. It is objectively true that, abhorrent as they may be in their views, the Tates have incredible sway with young men in todays culture. Wisdom asks why. What void are they promising to fill? What marching orders should we assume in light of this knowledge? Tons of conservative men love Andrew Tate because he represents strength to men with an orphan spirit who are floundering around begging for someone to show them how to be men. Andrew promises to do this, but the masculinity he preaches is the type that got us in this mess in the first place. Its rotten to the core. We need men who model their lives after Jesus, not Satan. If we raise our sons to be like Tate, we should not be at all surprised to see our daughters behave like Lily Phillips. The way of Tate leads to broken homes and broken bones. It leads to incarceration and sexually transmitted diseases, to domestic violence and the inevitable rise of feminist resistance. How are conservatives possibly hoping to convince their daughters to choose the path of motherhood if the men theyre left to consider as fathers for their unborn children are men who treat them like slaves? Does anyone think this through at all? The Tates have succeeded in weaving popular anti-woke messaging into their grift in such a way as to distract from their evil and convince people that the charges against them are bogus attempts to derail their important political agenda. This is not a new tactic. We see it in the church all the time, with pastors who are credibly accused of sexual offenses convincing their loyalists that the charges are false; theyre really just being persecuted for their righteousness. Weve completely lost the plot. Can someone explain to me how an Islamic sex-trafficking pimp pornographer who beats women and preaches serial non-monogamy is going to save Western civilization? This whole time I thought those were the things destroying Western civilization. For every semi-valid idea Andrew Tate has ever spouted, I can think of about a trillion people who arent misogynistic scumbags who said it first. Theres not an original thought in his head. We absolutely do not need him. It seems that, to a lot of men, the benefits of his anti-woke messaging outweigh the negatives of his overt and jaw-dropping misogyny. The consistent message is this: Women, your dignity and protections are a small price to pay for the advancement of our power. I reject this message. The people we choose to influence our thoughts should reject it too. Without equivocation. Home News Trump admin. launches app allowing illegal immigrants to 'self-deport': 'Effective enforcement' Illegal immigrants will have the opportunity to self-deport through an application launched by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as part of the Trump administration's efforts to crack down on unlawful entries into the United States. The CBP Home App allows illegal migrants or aliens whose parole has been revoked to inform the U.S. government about their intent to depart the country. In a Monday statement, CBP said it launched the application to comply with President Donald Trump's Executive Order 14159, "Protecting the American People Against Invasion." "CBP Home App strengthens our mission to secure the U.S. border by ensuring lawful entry for travelers and supporting effective enforcement," Acting CBP Commissioner Pete Flores said in the statement. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe According to Flores, the application provides migrants a "straightforward way to declare their intent to depart voluntarily, offering them the chance to leave before facing harsher consequences." "This reinforces our commitment to enforcing U.S. laws and safeguarding national security," the acting CBP commissioner continued. In addition to the self-deportation feature, the application includes a function that allows individuals to apply and pay for an I-94 up to seven days before arriving in the United States. The CBP Home App also enables users to check wait times at the border or submit a manifest for bus operators. The application's self-deportation function is part of a $200 million nationwide and international ad campaign urging illegal immigrants to leave the U.S. or face deportation, according to a Monday announcement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "The Biden Administration exploited the CBP One app to allow more than 1 million aliens to illegally enter the United States," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated in the news release. "With the launching of the CBP Home app, we are restoring integrity to our immigration system." "The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self-deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream," she added. "If they don't, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return." In response to an inquiry from The Christian Post, CBP pointed to its Monday statement and the news release from the DHS. The DHS did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment. Under President Joe Biden's administration, the CBP Home app was referred to as CBP One. Upon entering office for the second time, Trump ended the use of the CBP One app via an executive order. Lora Ries, the director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, told CP it's in "the long-term interest of illegal aliens to self-deport so they have the option to return lawfully to the U.S. to resume their life and opportunity in America." "The CBP Home mobile app is an efficient way for CBP and aliens to communicate with each other," the policy expert stated. "CBP should add a GPS capability to verify that an alien has in fact departed the U.S. That would also help the agency implement the decades-old statutory requirement of Biometric Exit, which the 9/11 Commission recommended." Immigration attorneys like Gustavo Mora have expressed doubt about the effectiveness of the new CBP Home app, as local news outlet KNBC reported this week. The new application has removed a previous feature from the original CBP One app that allowed migrants to book an appointment with an immigration judge, the outlet stated. "Personally, I don't think there's much of a benefit to the app," Mora said. "If you have never had any immigration history, then you have due process rights, and their rights include the ability to present your case in front of an immigration judge." Ries argues that immigration attorneys typically have a financial incentive to push for immigrants to go to court. The president's January executive order directs federal departments and agencies to "employ all lawful means to ensure the faithful execution of the immigration laws of the United States against all inadmissible and removable aliens." During the first full month of Trump's second presidency, monthly border crossings reached the lowest point in three years, according to data from CBP. In February 2025, 11,709 encounters occurred between illegal immigrants seeking entry into the country and immigration law enforcement officials. There were 61,465 encounters in January and 96,035 encounters recorded in December 2024, the last full month of the Biden administration. Home News 'Love is Blind' contestants dump their fiances over failure to embrace progressive views Two contestants on the reality TV series "Love is Blind" dumped their respective fiances at the altar after discovering they didn't subscribe to their progressive values. A clip shared on X from a recently aired episode of Netflixs reality series Love is Blind shows contestant Sara, a 28-year-old oncology nurse, rejecting her 27-year-old fiance, Ben, at the altar in front of stunned guests gathered at their wedding. The contestants' profiles identified the bride as Sara Carton and the groom as Ben Mezzenga. I love you so much, but Ive always wanted a partner to be on the same wavelength, Carton said. And so, today, I cant, she said. Im sorry, but I dont want that to be misunderstood. I still love you, and everything about you is amazing. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe While stressing how she believed the connection we have is so real and my heart is there, Carton said her decision not to go through with the wedding stems from concerns that emerged following a conversation the two had about the values she holds dear. My mind is telling me I cant, she explained. Carton shared more about her decision in a conversation with her family after leaving the wedding venue. Although she described her fiance as such a great person, Carton cited his indifferent response to a question she asked about the progressive advocacy group Black Lives Matter as well as a similar reply when she inquired about his churchs views as the reasons why she decided to back out of the wedding. Carton said she watched a sermon from Mezzengas church online that revealed the church abides by traditional, biblical views on sexual identity. She told her family that he didn't have much to say about the matter and said she wanted someone who shared her beliefs on the matter. As the video clip concluded, Carton identified equality and religion as important values to her, along with the vaccine. Prominent conservative commentators expressed sympathy for Mezzenga when reacting to the video. Fox News opinion host Laura Ingraham predicted that Mezzenga will look back and laugh at this as she sought assistance in helping him find a nice, conservative 20-something girl, while radio show host Clay Travis suggested that he dodged a bullet. Carton and Mezzenga aren't the only couple on the reality show to refrain from tying the knot due to at least one persons unease about the others political views. During the reunion episode of Love is Blind, another contestant, Virginia Miller, revealed why she declined to say I do to her fiance, Devin Buckley. Devin told me a lot about his core values, she said. Something that he did not want to talk about on camera. I still, to this day, dont really feel comfortable telling you Devins views, but I will be really clear about mine. Miller expressed 100 percent support for the LGBTQ community as well as women having the decision to choose if they want to have an abortion or not. She also shared her belief that different religions should be valued as different ways of communicating to God, likening them to different languages. The development of two reality TV couples ending their relationships over political differences comes as polling over the years has shown divergent views between the sexes when it comes to politics. Exit polling from the 2024 presidential election showed that 55% of men supported Republican President Donald Trump, while 53% of women backed Democrat nominee and former Vice President Kamala Harris. Sixty-one percent of single women voted for Harris, along with 48% of single men. Differing views between the sexes also extend to religion, particularly among the youngest group of American adults. A poll conducted by the Survey Center on American Life in 2023 found that women constituted a majority of Gen Zers (57%), the youngest group of American adults, who have left organized religion. Home News NH university system restores article by student who opposes having pronouns in byline The University System of New Hampshire has restored a student's article published in a school newspaper following its removal because the writer objected to the publication requiring gender pronouns to be included in bylines despite his religious objections. The Christian conservative legal organization Liberty Counsel announced in a statement Tuesday that an unnamed institution within the University System of New Hampshire has agreed to restore an article written by a student for the school newspaper to the publication's website. The article was removed after the student disapproved of including gender pronouns alongside his byline based on his religious beliefs. The University System also agreed that it won't require the inclusion of pronouns alongside students' bylines, according to Liberty Counsel. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The development follows a demand letter to the University System of New Hampshire leadership last month requesting that the article be restored without including his gender pronouns. The letter demanded that students would no longer have to include their gender pronouns in their "bylines or signature blocks." The unnamed student sincerely believes that "God created humans only male and female; that these sexes cannot change; and that pronouns are objective, consistent with sex, and are not subjective." After the student made multiple requests to have his gender pronouns removed from his byline, the school newspaper removed both his article and his pronouns on Jan. 29. Liberty Counsel threatened potential legal action against the University System of New Hampshire if the demands were unmet. "The removal of the Article appears retaliatory, in censoring [the student's] entire article, rather than simply respecting his decision not to use 'pronouns' on the basis of his beliefs," the letter stated. "[The newspaper's] decision to force [the student] to identify with 'He/Him' pronouns in his byline as a condition of article publication or worse retaliatory censorship of the entire article for voicing his objections violates [the student's] cherished First Amendment rights, and his sincerely held religious, scientific, and political beliefs." The letter argues that compelling someone to "speak the government's message in this way" violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. "[The student] believes that listing 'pronouns' next to his name is objectionable, because it is designed to communicate a false message that pronouns are subjective, that sex can be changed, and generally promote a new 'orthodoxy' regarding the nature of sex inconsistent with his Christian faith," Liberty Counsel maintained. Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver believes the university system "made the right decision." "As a result, they will no longer require authors to use personal pronouns," he said in a statement. "The First Amendment guarantees a right to express, or not to express, according to his or her religious beliefs and political values." According to the University System of New Hampshire's official website, institutions included in the system are the University of New Hampshire and its three campuses, Plymouth State University and Keene State College. The system serves a combined total of 27,000 students on an annual basis. S. Chinas Guangxi proposes China-ASEAN AI innovation cooperation center Global Times) 11:11, March 12, 2025 NPC deputies from the delegation of South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have put forward a motion to establish a China-ASEAN AI Innovation Cooperation Center in Guangxi during the two sessions in Beijing. It aims to foster a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future while driving high-quality economic and social development in Guangxi, the Guangxi Daily reported on Tuesday. The motion calls for strengthened policy guidance and support to establish an artificial intelligence (AI) industry ecosystem oriented toward ASEAN. It suggests further increasing support for Guangxi's AI industry, particularly by providing more incentives for AI infrastructure development and fund allocation. These measures aim to lower innovation costs for enterprises and accelerate AI research, development, and application. Guangxi has served as China's gateway for opening-up and cooperation with ASEAN. On February 23, Guangxi and Laos signed an agreement to jointly establish the China-Laos AI Innovation Cooperation Center, the first AI cooperation and innovation platform between China and an ASEAN country. Guangxi has also reached 20 agreements with Vietnam and Laos on AI and cross-border data exchanges, the report said. Guangxi and ASEAN each have their own strengths in advancing AI innovation and cooperation. Multiple data centers and supercomputing centers have been established in Guangxi, providing essential infrastructure for its AI development, Liu Dingding, a veteran tech industry analyst, told the Global Times on Tuesday. In recent years, the region has also strengthened policy guidance for the AI industry. The number of active AI-related enterprises has grown rapidly in Guangxi, increasing by 19.77 percent in 2024 compared with 2023, according to the report. As for ASEAN, it has vast potential for AI application with its large population and diverse application scenarios, while collaborating with China can help ASEAN countries quickly close the gap with industry leaders and allow the cutting-edge technology to better serve their people. The technology has enormous potential across various sectors, particularly in business, manufacturing and government services, Liu said. This proposed cooperation center will not only serve Guangxi but could also evolve into a foundational platform for joint development between China and other countries in the field, benefiting neighboring nations in the process, Liu noted. In January, Chinese AI developer DeepSeek officially launched its DeepSeek-R1 model. With its cost efficiency, fast inference speed, and open-source ecosystem, the company quickly gained global traction. Local governments are stepping up their efforts and investments in cutting-edge technologies, including AI. Guangxi recently launched its "AI Plus Manufacturing" action plan, aiming to push AI-related industrial output beyond 100 billion yuan ($13.77 billion) by 2027. The initiative also seeks to drive breakthroughs in key technologies and develop 100 flagship intelligent products, among other goals. Different regions in China are advancing AI in ways tailored to their local conditions. In Guangxi, efforts are focused on pooling key industry players and collaboratively developing a series of models for vertical domains, concentrating resources to achieve major breakthroughs. This approach addresses the region's relatively limited capital resources, leveraging them efficiently to drive AI and robotics development, Pan Helin, a member of the Expert Committee for the Information and Communication Economy under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, told the Global Times on Tuesday. As a key player in global AI development, China is actively advancing its AI-Plus Initiative. This year's Government Work Report, for the second time, mentioned the initiative, noting that "we will work to effectively combine digital technologies with China's manufacturing and market strengths. We will support the extensive application of large-scale AI models and vigorously develop new generation intelligent terminals and smart manufacturing equipment, including intelligent connected new-energy vehicles, AI enabled phones and computers, and intelligent robots." China's AI industry is set for significant growth over the next decade, solidifying its position in the global market. From 2025 to 2035, the industry's scale is projected to expand from 398.5 billion yuan to 1.73 trillion yuan, with a compound annual growth rate of 15.6 percent, as CCID Consulting has estimated. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) Home News Pastor Robert Morris confesses to moral failure after woman claims he began molesting her at age 12 Correction Appended Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, which attracts an estimated 100,000 worshipers weekly, has confessed to inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady more than 35 years ago while he was a young pastor after a woman accused him of sexually abusing her over multiple years beginning when she was 12. When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying. It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years, Morris said in a statement to The Christian Post after Gateway Church was asked about the allegations. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe In March of 1987, this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young ladys father. They asked me to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area, Morris added. He explained that he returned to ministry in March of 1989, two years after his abuse was exposed with the blessing of the survivors father and the elders of his church. He further noted that he and his wife met with the survivor and her family in October 1989. I asked their forgiveness, and they graciously forgave me, Morris said. Morris accuser, Cindy Clemishire, first told The Wartburg Watch that he began sexually abusing her on Dec. 25, 1982, and continued with the abuse for four-and-a-half years after that. When contacted by CP on Saturday, the 54-year-old grandmother confirmed the details in the report but insisted she was no young lady when Morris began abusing her. I'm, of course, just appalled, Clemishire told CP on Saturday about his description of her as a young lady. I was 12 years old. I was a little girl. A very innocent little girl. And he was brought into our home. He and his wife, Debbie, and their little boy, Josh, and trusted and preached at the church that my dad helped start and then began grooming all of us to do this, which took me decades to wrap my brain around as an adult, she said. It went on for many years. He says there was no sexual intercourse, but he did touch every part of my body and inserted his fingers into me, which I understand now is considered a form of rape by instrumentation. I was an innocent 12-year-old little girl who knew nothing about sexual behavior. Clemishire said in her report to The Wartburg Watch that she and her family first met Morris at a youth revival in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1981 when he was a 20-year-old traveling evangelist. At the time, he was married to his wife, Debbie, and they had their son, Josh. She said Morris began preaching at her church regularly on Sundays after he was invited to do a youth revival in her hometown of Hominy, Oklahoma. Her family and the Morrises quickly became friends. They were invited into their home and often went on trips together. On that fateful Christmas night in 1982, Clemishire said the safety of the relationship with Morris and his family ended for her when they visited her home. The Morris family came to visit and spend some time there. Cindy sat in the back seat of the car with Robert. He asked her to visit him in his room that night. She shared a room with her sister. Cindy, an innocent twelve-year-old girl, movingly described what she was wearing. She was wearing pink pajamas with bloomer pants. She wore underwear underneath. She had a snap-up robe on, The Wartburg Watch said. She thought nothing of visiting a family friend in their bedroom. He told her to lie down on her back and touched her stomach. He told her to close her eyes. Then he touched her breasts and felt under her panties. He warned her: Never tell anyone about this because it will ruin everything, the report noted. Clemishire claims Morris repeatedly abused her in Texas and Oklahoma, and he often told his wife that he was merely counseling her during the abuse. When she turned 16, Clemishire said Morris would take her out in his car and try to have sexual intercourse. By this time, Morris was a pastor at Shady Grove Church, which would eventually become Gateway Church-Grand Prairie Campus, the report said. Clemishire eventually confided what was happening to her to a close friend, who encouraged her to tell her family. When her father found out, he told the lead pastor at Shady Grove Church that if Morris didnt get out of ministry, he would get the police involved. That threat forced Morris to step away for two years. Morris would return to Hominy with his wife. They told Clemishires father that he wanted to return to ministry, and at that point, her father washed his hands of Morris and no longer interacted with him, The Wartburg Watch said. The survivor made it clear to CP that Morris did not get her father's blessing to return to ministry. "My father never ever gave his blessing on Robert returning to ministry! My father told him hes lucky he didnt kill him. I am mortified that he is telling the world my dad gave his blessing! Of course, we forgive because we are called to biblically forgive those who sin against us. But that does not mean he is supposed to go on without repercussions," she said. Clemishire explained that she retained an attorney in 2005 to file a civil lawsuit but Morris attorney suggested she caused the abuse on herself because she was flirtatious. She said she asked for $50,000 to cover the cost of her counseling stemming from the abuse. She said they offered her $25,000 if she signed a non-disclosure agreement, but she refused. For years, she explained to CP, she has been warning churches and pastors who would listen to her story about Morris because she doesn't believe she's the only one who suffered his abuse. She also argued that he shouldn't be serving in ministry and should step down. I don't think he ever should have been allowed to be in the ministry. We would never allow someone to go teach in a school work in a daycare or be a doctor if anybody had done these things. And I have a very difficult time believing I'm the only one, Clemishire said. Elders at Gateway Church told CP in a statement that Morris was transparent with them about his past and they believe he has been biblically restored to ministry. Pastor Robert has been open and forthright about a moral failure he had over 35 years ago when he was in his twenties and prior to him starting Gateway Church. He has shared publicly from the pulpit the proper biblical steps he took in his lengthy restoration process, they said. The two-year restoration process was closely administered by the Elders at Shady Grove Church and included him stepping out of the ministry during that period while receiving professional counseling and freedom ministry counseling, they said. Since the resolution of this 35-year-old matter, there have been no other moral failures. Pastor Robert has walked in purity, and he has placed accountability measures and people in his life. The matter has been properly disclosed to church leadership. Correction: An earlier version of this article published on June 15, 2024, quoted The Wartburg Watch as stating that televangelist James Robison accompanied Morris and his wife to Hominy, Oklahoma, to speak with Clemishires father. The Wartburg Watch has corrected its report to clarify that Robison did not join the couple on that trip nor did he participate in any meeting Morris had with his victim and her family. He also did not know that Morris had sexually assaulted Clemishire. Home News Pastor who said he cant stop abusing kids pleads guilty to sexual exploitation of a child Editors note: This article contains graphic descriptions of child sexual abuse. A Long Island pastor who told investigators that he couldnt stop himself from abusing children and has a penchant for preying on youth aged 11 and 15, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child in federal court in Central Islip Tuesday. He is expected to spend at least 15 years in prison. Pastor Jose Saez Jr., 29, of Iglesia Cristiana Alumbrando El Camino (Lighting The Way Christian Church) was arrested and charged with producing child pornography in 2023 after the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided his Brentwood home and recovered more than 20 videos of a 16-year-old boy that the pastor had shared with others. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The defendants sexual exploitation of minors, both in person and online, is horrific, and he now faces at least 15 years in prison for his unspeakable crimes, United States Attorney John J. Durham said in a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York. That he held a position of trust and responsibility as a pastor of a local church makes his conduct even more reprehensible. Protecting vulnerable children from predators like this defendant will always be a priority of this Office. According to court documents reviewed by The Christian Post, Saez allegedly told investigators that he was aware that the teenage boy, who he met on the messaging app called Telegram, was a high school student. Yet the married father of three children, who were aged 1, 3 and 5 at the time of his arrest, intentionally persuaded the minor to produce sexually explicit photographs and videos of himself and share them with him. In an October 2023 letter to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark E. Misorek argued that Saez was a danger to the community as he shared evidence of Saez admitting to preying on the children of his friends and family, and finding victims at church. He also shared how Saez groomed the 16-year-old boy, identified as John Doe. In August of 2023, the defendant engaged John Doe in a direct conversation on Telegram. The defendant groomed John Doe with flattery and gradually progressed to asking him for nude images of himself. John Doe repeatedly made references that he was 16 years old a minor. Nonetheless, the defendant ultimately convinced John Doe to send a video of himself [performing sexually explicit acts], Misorek noted. The defendant encouraged John Doe, saying in sum and substance, Send me a picture of your face, tease me, let me see you in the mirror, need more pics, the front too, I want to see your body, take it out . . . your d---. That same month, Saez admitted to an undercover agent that he had sexually abused an infant and revealed how he targeted his younger victims at his church. In August of 2023, the defendant had online conversations with the UC. During those conversations, the defendant stated, among other things, that he had performed oral sex on an infant and ejaculated on the infant, that his sweet spot for molesting children was children between the ages of 11 and 15 and that he was able to find his younger victims at church, Misorek wrote. Investigators reviewed some 12,000 videos, 400,000 images and 6,800 chats recovered from devices owned by Saez. In one conversation, when asked if he was nervous about getting turned down by a minor, he replied, Getting turned down implies Im giving them a choice[.] Though investigators did not recover any images of the pastor with infants, he stated in one chat, I f------ a few littles. During questioning with officers, Saez, who could be sentenced to a maximum of 30 years in prison for his crime, admitted that children are never safe with him Finally, during the course of the interview, while discussing creation, distribution and possession of child pornography, the defendant stated, I am sorry that I cant stop, Misorek wrote. Notably, the defendant also stated, I told [a third-party who I reside with] never to leave me alone with the kids. Trumps Secretary Of Labor Confirmed, YouTube TV Scrutinized By FCC, Mom Fights For DEI Transparency In Schools link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 08:52 08:52 Sponsored by WatersEdge: Invest with purpose? With WatersEdge Kingdom Investments, you can! We offer great rates that multiply your resources and build churches. Learn more at: https://bit.ly/3CxWtFz Top headlines for Wednesday, March 12, 2025 In this episode, we discuss the confirmation of the 25th member of President Donald Trump's cabinet amid debates surrounding her previous involvement with Planned Parenthood. Then, we shift focus to a pressing issue in media: the Federal Communications Commission's chairman raising concerns about YouTube TV's potential discrimination against faith-based programming. Plus, we explore a parent's fight for transparency in education, as a Pennsylvania mom challenges her children's school district over access to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) materials. Abonati-va sa primiti pe email saptamanal lista articolelor adaugate pe parcursul saptamanii. Adresele .ru nu sunt acceptate. Email NEWSLETTER Fundraising Regulator A health research charity has been removed from the Fundraising Regulators directory after breaching its code of practice, in the first such action by the regulator. The regulator investigated complaints about Leukaemia and Myeloma Research UK and its agency Fundraising Support Ltd delivering charity collection bags to an unsolicited recipient multiple times. It found the charity was in breach of three standards of its code and warned that it should put in place quality measures to monitor the work the agency carries out on its behalf or risk its registration being removed. The charity provided further assurances about improvements it had made to comply with the regulators recommendations, but it was removed from the directory of registered organisations on 1 March. Background A complainant informed the regulator that they did not want to receive collection bags from Fundraising Support Ltd on behalf of the charity after receiving one for the first time. The regulator passed on the message to the charity, but the complainant went on to receive two more collection bags. According to the regulator, the charity only responded after the regulator contacted it a third time after the recipient received their third unsolicited bag. The charity told the regulator that it may have been the result of human error and sent its apologies to the complainant. Leukaemia and Myeloma Research UK and its agency did not respond to requests for up-to-date information, the regulator said, with the charity referring the regulator to information from a previous investigation regarding a similar complaint. The regulator said it was not able to see whether its previous recommendations about charity bag deliveries had been followed, and whether the charity and the agency had done enough to resolve this complaint. Decision The complainant did not have a no charity bags sign displayed, so the first delivery was not unreasonable, the regulator stated. But the charity and its agency should have respected the complainants request not to receive any more charity bags, it stated. The regulator stated: We found the charity in breach of the code regarding its responsibilities in monitoring third parties. By refusing to acknowledge the whole complaint, both at the time and during our investigation, we found that the charity had failed to investigate this complaint thoroughly or fairly. The charity therefore breached the code in relation to complaint handling. It recommended that the charity makes improvements to its banned addresses list as well as updating the compliance training materials of any third-party agency that uses this list. It should also review and improve the ongoing processes and procedures used to monitor the work of these third-party agencies. The regulator also recommended that the charity reviews its system for communicating banned addresses information to its delivery staff. A Fundraising Regulator spokesperson told Civil Society: We initially recommended that Leukaemia and Myeloma Research UK put in place measures to monitor the work agencies carry out on its behalf, to ensure it complies with the Code of Fundraising Practice. Since the initial investigation summary was published, the charity has failed to comply with the recommendations and so registration has been suspended. If the charity shows evidence it is complying with our recommendations and upholding standards of the code then we would consider reregistering them. Civil Society has asked the charity and the agency to comment. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Sign up for The Media Today, CJRs daily newsletter. Over the past several months, Donald Trump has mounted a series of legal attacks against the media, including a libel case against ABC, an FCC investigation into CBS, and a lawsuit accusing an Iowa pollster (and the newspaper that publishes her) of election interference. The sometimes far-fetched claims in these cases notwithstanding, the maneuvers are having an effect. The parent company of ABC settled the libel case, over the objections of many news staffers, and CBS has turned over internal documents to the FCC. And as Lynn Oberlander, this weeks guest and a longtime media lawyer, explains, the legal assault is already creating a chilling effect in many newsrooms. Read More: *The lawsuit against Iowa pollster Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register. Selzers attorneys have fought back. *ABC pays $15 million to settle a libel lawsuit, over the objections of news staffers. *CBS turns over raw transcripts in FCC probe. *FCC commissioner Brendan Carr described his aggressive strategy at a recent Semafor media conference. Lloyds this week said it will lose $2.3 billion from the Los Angeles wildfires in January, adding to the number or companies that have paid out more than $1 billion in losses from the catastrophe. The company revealed the losses in a partial release on its yearend results for 2024. The company, which plans to release the full results on March 20, also announced that gross written premium rose by 6.5% to 55.5bn, reflecting 8.5% growth, primarily in the property and reinsurance segments which had a strong underwriting performance in the year. Whilst not included in the FY24 result, based on the information currently available, we estimate the net loss to the market for the Californian wildfires to be approximately $2.3bn, Lloyds stated in the release out this week. Several carriers and reinsurers have reported billion-dollar plus losses from the L.A. wildfires, which have mounted to $6.9 billion in claims reported so far. Munich Re said in late February that it expects about 1.2 billion euros ($1.26 billion) in claims resulting from the Los Angeles wildfires, representing the biggest loss reported at that time by a single European reinsurer for the wildfires. A few big reinsurers took sizable hits, but those were far less than Lloyds and Munich Re. Zurich Insurance Group AG said it is expecting pretax losses of $200 million from the January wildfires. Swiss Re said claims from the wildfires would be less than $700 million and would impact its first quarter results. The Travelers Companies Inc. in mid-February said it will lose an estimated $1.7 billion from the wildfires, Allstate Corp. on Jan. 5 reported losses in excess of $1 billion from the fires and State Farm reported more than $1 billion paid out to customers. Chubb said the wildfires are expected to cost the insurer $1.5 billion in the first quarter. The fires destroyed thousands of properties, most from the two largest blazes (the Eaton and Palisades fires). At one point, there were five fires fanned by hurricane-force winds burning around the L.A. area. A cyberattack that brought down Elon Musks X targeted servers that were insufficiently protected from malicious traffic, according to cybersecurity analysts. Users of the social media platform faced intermittent outages through Monday, which Musk blamed on a large, coordinated group or country waging a massive cyberattack. He didnt provide any additional specifics to bolster his claim. Jerome Meyer, security researcher with Nokia Deepfield, a business unit within Nokia Oyj, said X had been targeted in a distributed denial-of-service attack, or DDoS, which floods a website with traffic and forces it offline. Meyer said he was able to track the attack by reviewing data collected through Nokias Deepfield, which is deployed inside telecommunications companies and provides analytics and DDoS protection. The waves of traffic targeted particular origin servers, which process and respond to incoming internet requests, he said. Those servers were vulnerable to attack because it appears they werent shielded behind technology that blocks DDoS attacks, Meyer said. They should not be exposed on the internet, said Meyer, who added that one of the servers attacked on Monday were still isolated and vulnerable to attack on Tuesday morning. A representative for X didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. A pro-Palestinian hacktivist group called Dark Storm Team took responsibility for the attack without providing any evidence. Bloomberg News wasnt able to independently verify the groups claims. Ciaran Martin, former head of the UKs National Cyber Security Centre, said in a BBC radio interview on Tuesday that it looks like X didnt implement Cloudflare properly, referring to the company that offers DDoS protection services. Martin also said that X had left some of its servers in front of rather than behind Cloudflares protection. Its a bit like having four doors, putting state-of-the-art locks on three of them, and leaving one unlocked, he said. Martin didnt respond to a request for further comment. A representative for Cloudflare didnt immediately respond for a request for comment. David Mound, senior penetration tester at cybersecurity firm SecurityScorecard Inc., said most large websites have strong protections against such attacks, including web application firewalls and other security technologies that protect their origin servers from being directly accessed via the internet. If Xs origin servers were exposed or lacked adequate filtering, that would be a fundamental security oversight, he said. Protecting origin servers is a well-established best practice for any large-scale web service, Mound said. Musk suggested in a Fox Business interview Monday that his company had traced IP addresses to the Ukraine area. However, cybersecurity experts have cast doubt on that claim. The majority of the devices used to flood X with traffic were located in the US, Mexico, Spain, Italy and Brazil, according to Nokias Meyer. These devices were likely under the control of an attacker who could have been located in another country, hiding behind multiple layers of obfuscation to conceal their true identity, he said. Jason Kikta, a former official with US Cyber Command, said hackers faking the location of web traffic in attacks that overwhelm servers is trivial and routine. The IP addresses a victim sees in a DDoS attack is about as meaningful as describing what kind of ski mask a bank robber was wearing, said Kikta, now chief information security officer at IT automation firm Automox Inc. Its a starting point, but not terribly useful. Meyer said the attack was linked to a botnet computers infected by malicious software and under the control of a hacker that included between 10,000 and 20,000 IP addresses. These were associated with security cameras and network video recorders, which were likely compromised by malicious software, he said. Many of the devices used in the attack on X were linked to a botnet known as Eleven11bot, which has previously carried out denial-of-service attacks against communications service providers and gaming hosting infrastructure, said Meyer, who has been tracking the botnet for several weeks. Following Musks acquisition of Twitter in 2022, which he later rebranded as X, more than 100 people working on security and privacy teams left the company, halving the number of personnel who were responsible for protecting its infrastructure from cyberattacks and data breaches, Bloomberg News previously reported. Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. A federal appeals court decision handed down last week is a victory for a Liberty Mutual surplus carrier, but it highlights what one attorney said is a widespread problem in the construction industry: an alleged bait and switch by insurers on contractor-controlled insurance programs. Its very prevalent and its a real problem, said Patrick Wielinski, a Dallas attorney who wrote an amicus brief in the case on behalf of Associated General Contractors of America, the National Association of Home Builders and Florida Home Builders. In recent years, a number of insurance carriers have begun offering contractor-controlled liability insurance programs, or CCIPs or wrap-ups that are pitched to contractors as improved coverage, Wielinski said. Those policies remove a number of narrow exclusions that had previously been part of contractors general liability policies but include a much broader exclusion that bars coverage for defects or property damage until the construction project is completed something many contractors and their insurance brokers may not be expecting, he noted. Libertys careless underwriting and misapplication of its course of construction endorsement threatens the entire construction industry, Wielinski claimed in the amicus brief. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Liberty Surplus Insurance vs. Kaufman Lynn Construction, published March 5, found that Kaufman Lynn has grounds to ask that the insurance policy be reformed. The final policy differed significantly from the insurance application, which stressed that the construction was to be done in phases, the contractor had argued. The underwriting description also was garbled and misstated the work involved, Wielinski said. But even with a reformation of the policy, Kaufman may see little relief. The 11th Circuit also upheld the lower federal court and found that the course of construction exclusion (COCE) in the policy effectively blocked coverage until the sprawling construction project is fully completed. It would have been better, of course, for Liberty to draft the COCE to expressly state that there is no coverage unless and until the entire project is completed, the three-judge appeals court panel wrote. But Libertys failure to adhere to the standards of impeccable draftsmanship here does not result in ambiguity. The case began five years ago, and, like many an insurance claim, stemmed from damage brought by a storm in Florida. Kaufman Lynn, a large commercial builder, had been hired to build a massive new campus in Deerfield Beach for JM Family Enterprises, one of the largest Toyota dealerships and financing operations in Florida. The work was to include new offices, a training and conference center, a dining hall, energy plant, parking garage and more. Demolition of existing buildings was also to be done. Part of the work was completed in 2020 and Kaufman received certificates of occupancy for the office buildings, dining hall, energy plant and parking garage. JM Family moved in and began using the completed buildings, the court explained. On Nov. 8, 2020, Tropical Storm Eta hit south Florida, causing water to leak into the buildings and triggering $3.3 million in damage. Related: Contractor-Controlled Policies vs. Owner-Controlled. Whats Best? For months before the storm hit, Kaufman had cited numerous problems with the work of the subcontractor that had installed the window wall system, where the water intrusion in storm Eta had originated, court documents show. The glass installer in December 2020 reportedly abandoned the project and Kaufman filed suit against the firm and other subcontractors. In the meantime, Liberty Surplus denied Kaufmans CCIP insurance claim, citing the course of construction exclusion. The federal district court in southern Florida agreed with Libertys attorneys and found that the insurer did not owe coverage, thanks to the exclusion that barred coverage until completion of the project. The appeals court judges noted that while the policy did not define the words project and completion, the plain meaning of the words makes it clear. Regardless of whether we view the term project as the policy currently describes it or as the two distinct phases set out by Kaufman in its application, the COCEs meaning is the same, 11th Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan wrote in the opinion. Even if the first phase was finished at the time of the water damage, is undisputed that the entire project had not yet been completed. The lead plaintiffs attorney could not be reached comment. But Wielinsky and his amicus brief argued that, for years, many contractors have done work in phases and have relied on CCIP policies to recognize that, as described in the insurance application. With the conclusion exclusion, contractors can be left with yawning gaps in coverage because a standard builders risk policy does not usually cover faulty workmanship and other perils that a general liability policy would. Attorneys for the insurance company in the case said the insurer declined to comment on the court ruling or the broader questions of exclusions. But in their brief to the court, Libertys lawyers noted that even if the Kaufman policy had clearly referenced a phased project, the contractor did not follow the script. In reality work on the two phases took place concurrently or out of order, Liberty argued. Some work was moved to phase 1 and other jobs to phase 2; some aspects of the project were canceled altogether, and new work was added. The leaky windows and cladding system had not been finished by the subcontractor, proving that the project was not yet complete. And, perhaps most importantly, Kaufman failed to read the policy when it was issued and did not object to it at the time, Liberty lawyers noted. Kaufman had a team of professional brokers and advisors to assist in the underwriting process, including an in-house legal department, an in-house risk-management department, a surplus lines broker, and a wholesale broker, the Liberty brief reads. Further, Kaufman should have known that a surplus lines policy, by law, is generally less favorable than those offered by admitted carriers, Liberty said. And Kaufmans policy provisions were tailored to the contractor and will not have a far-reaching, adverse impact on the construction industry. Wielinski, who specializes in construction law, has penned a book about insurance for defective construction, published by IRMI, the International Risk Management Institute. In a presentation in January, he noted that case law on exclusions continues to evolve. Courts in most states are somewhat divided but have begun to recognize that exclusions are not always as encompassing as insurers may like to believe. Moving forward, these cases signal a significant shift in builders risk and CGL insurance jurisprudence, suggesting that insurers will need to draft more precise policy language and carefully consider the scope of their exclusions, he wrote. The trend indicates a growing judicial willingness to provide coverage for unintended and unexpected property damage, even when such damage occurs within the insureds scope of work. Wielinski agreed that a big takeaway from the Kaufman case is that contractors, like other insureds, should always be sure to read the policy before signing on the dotted line. The appellate courts opinion gave some advice to others seeking reformation of an insurance policy. Florida law creates a five-year statute of limitations. So, an insured in Florida may need to bring a reformation claim soon after the issuance of the policy containing the mistake or risk forever losing the ability to fix the error, the judges noted. Actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell has moved to Ireland following the election of U.S. President Donald Trump. Here, O'Donnell arrives at the ELLE Women in Hollywood celebration in 2024 in Los Angeles. Jordan Strauss/AP Rosie ODonnell has left the United States and moved to Ireland in early January and will not return until its safe for all citizens to have equal rights, the actress and comedian shared Tuesday. Although I was never someone who thought I would move to another country, thats what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child, and here we are, the 62-year-old actress and comedian shared in a video on her TikTok account. ODonnell moved to the country on January 15, after U.S. President Donald Trump was officially elected as the 47th president and shortly before he was sworn in Jan. 20. She said she is in motion to getting her citizenship. She noted she has Irish grandparents. She said shes happy being in Ireland but does miss her other children and friends. She misses a lot of things about living in the U.S. but trying to find a home in Ireland. And, you know, when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, thats when we will consider coming back, ODonnell said. Its been heartbreaking to see whats been happening politically, and hard for me personally, as well. Trump and ODonnell have been in a quarrel for years going back to ODonnells brief stint as a cohost of The View in the mid-2000s. The two often went back and forth on social media with Trump, in 2014, calling her crude, rude, obnoxious and dumb, but that he liked her otherwise. In a 2016 tweet, ODonnel wrote FIRE COMEY. ODonnell is famously known for hosting The Rosie ODonnell Show in the late 90s, early 2000s; starring as Betty Rubble in The Flintstones; and Doris Murphy in A League of Their Own; among other roles. Kaylee Remington is a trending news and metro reporter for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. Read her work online. CLEVELAND, Ohio Anybody worried where the thump would come from in Clevelands lineup after the departure of Josh Naylor this offseason can rest assured: These Guardians can still hit the ball out of the park. Cleveland is tied for second in the Cactus League with 28 home runs through its first 18 exhibition games. Milwaukee leads all the clubs playing spring games in Arizona with 30 home runs, while the Yankees top Grapefruit League teams in Florida with an MLB-best 31. Last year, Cleveland totaled 30 home runs in 31 spring games and ranked 17th in the majors. Guardians hitters went deep four times in the clubs two split-squad games on Monday and were held without a home run Tuesday by the Dodgers. Clevelands offense has hit two home runs or more in eight of the clubs last 11 games since March 1. Eight Guardians players have multiple home runs, including two each for Lane Thomas, Bo Naylor, Daniel Schneemann and Kyle Manzardo. Juan Brito, locked in a battle for the second base job, has only two hits in 21 at-bats, but both have gone for home runs. Prospects Yordys Valdes, Jorge Burgos and Jose Devers also have two each. Cleveland is 5-4-1 in Cactus League play when hitting multiple home runs in a game. And there is no shortage of distance on some of these blasts. Guardians hitters are averaging 418 feet on their home runs according to Statcast. That ties Cincinnati for the major league lead in average home run distance this spring. Gabriel Arias, Britos main competition at second, hit a solo home run against Diamondbacks righty Zac Gallen on Feb. 24 that registered an exit velocity of 116.0 mph per Statcast. That ranks as the hardest-hit home run by any player in the majors this spring. Next Wednesday: Giants vs. LHP Joey Cantillo (1-1, 6.00) at Goodyear at 4:05 p.m. ET. WTAM/1100. Guardians' 2025 spring training schedule Thursday: Guardians vs. Rockies at Scottsdale at 4:05 p.m. ET. RHP Luis Ortiz (0-2, 14.14) vs. RHP Tanner Gordon (0-0, 0.00). CleGuardians.TV, WTAM/1100. Friday: Seattle vs. Guardians at Goodyear at 4:05 p.m. ET. LHP Logan Allen (1-0, 0.84) vs. TBD. Also, Seattle vs. Guardians at Goodyear in Spring Breakout game at 8:05 p.m. ET. CleGuardians.TV, MLB audio. Saturday: Guardians vs Royals at Surprise at 4:05 p.m. ET. WTAM/1100. In Wednesday's State of the State address to the legislature, Gov. Mike DeWine announced school plan to integrate social studies with reading and writing. Mark Graves/The Oregonian COLUMBUS, Ohio - Gov. Mike DeWine announced new social studies initiatives Wednesday, including using history, geography and civics content to teach students reading and writing skills. During his State of the State address before the Ohio General Assembly, the Republican governor touched on a handful of education programs. The social studies initiatives are new. He also talked about reading instruction. DeWine has been focused on changing reading instruction in recent years, shifting to teaching students traditional phonics and sounding out words under an approach known as the science of reading. READ MORE: Science of reading: Ohio schools changing approach to teaching literacy this year In his two-year budget proposal, which he unveiled Feb. 3, DeWine pitched spending $1.5 million for the integrated curriculum of social studies and language arts: $1 million for the fiscal year that begins July 1 and $500,000 for the following year. The budget proposal says the first years money is to develop the integrated curriculum. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce anticipates contracting with either a national expert or state university centers for civics, society and culture. Last year, the legislature funded civics institutes at five universities. READ MORE: The Ohio legislature is spending $24 million to combat perceived liberal bias at 5 universities. Is it necessary? DeWines budget proposal says the second years money would be used for teacher training, to develop and deploy professional learning for successful implementation of the integrated model curriculum. DeWine told lawmakers in his address that he visited with elementary and high school social studies teachers from across Ohio. They told me one of the biggest challenges they see is that too many kids are simply not being exposed to enough social studies content, especially in elementary school, he said. We intend to change that by putting a deliberate focus on civics, social studies, American history, Ohio history. The other social studies initiative DeWine announced was more Ohio history content for younger grades. Today, students receive the majority of their Ohio history education in fourth grade, he said. Instead, we are going to expose kids to our states history in every grade, starting in kindergarten! Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer sent a message to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce about whether DeWines social studies proposals will only be for traditional public schools, or if charter and private schools would be included. Ohios operating budget legislation, House Bill 96, is expected to fund state government operations for the next two years. The bill is currently under consideration in the House. Then the Senate will add its priorities. The budget is expected to pass out of the General Assembly by the end of June for the new fiscal year. Laura Hancock covers state government and politics for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com. The U.S. Department of Education reduced its staff by almost 50%, including everyone who worked at its office in Cleveland. Julian Leshay Guadalupe | MLive.com COLUMBUS, Ohio - The U.S. Department of Education said Wednesday that its regional office in Cleveland is being closed and all the employees in the office are leaving. The federal agency confirmed it through an unsigned email, saying that the employees were part of the reduction in force of about 1,950 total employees nationwide. The email didnt state how many employees worked in Cleveland. The department also announced that nearly 600 total employees accepted voluntary resignations and retirements over the past seven weeks. The department said it will put remaining employees impacted by the reduction in force on administrative leave beginning March 21. When President Donald Trump took office, the department had 4,113 employees. The department has provided Ohio schools $1.3 billion annually. It also has provided $63 billion in federal student loans, supporting over 1.8 million Ohioans who are in college or a trade school, said Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper. The Cleveland office housed employees in the departments Office of Civil Rights, which investigates student and family complaints about violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Violations can be based on disability, race and gender. ProPublica reports that the Office of Civil Rights is being gutted through the reductions. The department had about a dozen civil rights offices. Now it will have five. Outgoing employees have expressed concerns that the smaller staff will struggle to keep up with the workload, and that this will lead to a loss of equity in the schools. Last Thursday, Cleveland.com/ The Plain Dealer asked Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Steve Dackin how the state department works with the national agency, and how Ohio would be affected by layoffs, which had been expected for weeks. Before Dackin answered, his spokeswoman, Lacey Snoke, interjected. Send me your questions, she said. Director Dackin actually has to leave for an appointment right now. Cleveland.com/ The Plain Dealer emailed questions Thursday morning. Snoke never replied. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement that the reduction was for efficiency and accountability. I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department, she said. This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system. In Ohio, not everyone agrees with that sentiment. Cropper, of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, warned that children, college students and families will be most affected. Weakening the Department of Education puts Ohios access to these critical funds at risk, she said in the statement. Abolishing the Department completely, as President Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon have pledged to do, puts these resources in even more jeopardy. Cropper is concerned that plans to send states block grants and give state departments of education broad discretion to spend the money, instead of funding specific programs, will remove accountability from how tax dollars are spent. That is, if the Administration even attempts to send the money back to the states rather than use it to help pay for the $4.5 trillion dollar tax cut for the wealthy that is in the Trump-supported budget passed by the U.S. House, she said. Laura Hancock covers state government and politics for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com. In this June 25, 2008, file photo, Canadian soldiers with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) leave an armored vehicle as an Afghan helicopter flies overhead in the Arghandab district after the area was recaptured from Taliban militants by combined NATO and Afghan troops in Kandahar province, south of Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq, File) AP Military alliances matter. As a 21-year Army Special Forces veteran, I benefited in Iraq and Afghanistan from Americas alliances. I agree that NATO needs reforms, but I do not agree with President Donald Trump undermining NATO and emboldening Russia. Therefore, Im concerned that, under the guise of peace in Ukraine, Trump is hurting U.S. national security by driving our allies away. If you are also concerned, please, relay those concerns to your U.S. representative and senators. Over five deployments, I hunted terrorists with British and Danish commandos. I flew on Polish and British helicopters. I was on bases secured by Australian, Polish, Italian, Spanish, and Belgian forces. I participated in missions where allies bravely faced enormous risks. Outside of the combat zones, I collaborated with allies on training events and national defense planning. These were quality militaries that met Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths stated goals of deterrence and lethality. Any strong alliance deters an enemy, and the allies I worked alongside made America more lethal because they had unique capabilities, provided America with global access, and adopted American methods of planning and operating. If NATO is already meeting Hegseths goals of deterrence and lethality, why is Trump weakening NATO? NATO is our most important alliance. I agree with Trump that NATO members should meet their gross-domestic-product defense-funding obligations. I disagree with his approach to Ukraine that is marginalizing NATO and emboldening Russia. Im appalled Trump and Hegseth betrayed NATOs trust by conceding to Russia negotiating points for peace and security in Ukraine. Im appalled Trump betrayed the trust of NATO by regurgitating Russian leader Vladimir Putins lies about Ukraine starting the war and Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky being unelected. Im appalled Vice President JD Vance and Hegseth weakened NATO and assisted Russia at separate European security conferences. Vance claimed Romania (a NATO ally) impeded democracy by postponing an election due to foreign (probably Russian) meddling. Vance undercut Romania and emboldened Russia to meddle more in European elections because Vance made clear America will twist efforts to protect elections into attacks on democracy. Hegseth played to Trumps American audience when, at a different security conference, he cited the U.S.-Mexico border as a reason America must reduce its support to Ukraine and NATO. Hegseth should not advertise that America is so weak it cannot simultaneously secure its border and support its allies against Russia. Or is Hegseth pandering for sound bites that Trump fans will gobble up? At both conferences, Vance and Hegseth undermined NATOs trust in America and emboldened Russia. Sadly, Trump is forgetting that NATO had two huge and positive impacts on Americas security during his lifetime. First, NATO defeated the Soviet Union, the stronger predecessor to modern Russia. For about 40 years after World War II, American presidents collaborated with NATO until the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Trump, however, will be the loser who gives Russia a win against NATO. Second, the only time NATO rallied for collective defense was after the Sept. 11 attack on the United States. Every NATO member agreed that the 9-11 attack was an attack on the alliance, so every NATO member assisted America in Afghanistan. As with the above, alliances matter at the global strategic level, but alliances also matter at the soldier tactical level. I felt the real strength of an alliance when an ally assumed enormous risk to assist my Special Forces unit in combat. An allied Infantry Battalion (an approximately 200-soldier force) was on my base. Its role as directed by its national government was limited to civilian infrastructure projects. It was not permitted to conduct offensive operations. However, the commander violated his nations instructions and ordered his Battalion to hold several bridges that my unit had to cross after raiding an enemy compound. This commander exposed his unit to danger, and he risked his career. This level of commitment did not happen spontaneously. There was a relationship built on trust. Years of this ally working with U.S. Special Forces established Americas reputation and reliability with this commander, so he was willing to put his unit at risk to protect American soldiers. NATO is not perfect, but it has a proven record of bolstering U.S. national security. Russia has a record of violating treaties, cease-fires, and agreements and invading its neighbors. In Iraq and Afghanistan, I benefited from the commitment and bravery of allies, and at other points in my career, I worked alongside capable allies who embraced deterrence but were ready to increase American lethality in war. If you appreciate our military allies and are concerned Trump is imperiling U.S. national security by weakening our alliances (particularly NATO), then communicate your concern to your politicians. Vince Kaster is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer who served from 2000 to 2021. He lives in the Greater Cleveland area. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com State Sen. Jerry C. Cirino of Kirtland, pictured during a Senate session at the Statehouse last year, has reintroduced his higher education bill this legislative session, now denoted as Senate Bill 1. It passed the Ohio Senate last month and is pending in the House. (David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com) David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com As a lifelong Ohioan, and English professor for nearly 25 years, I have often heard the term brain drain applied to our state. Many of our best and brightest leave the state for college or attend one of our great institutions of higher education in-state and then move away. In fact, Gov. Mike DeWines latest budget makes clear this is an issue for him. During a press conference after revealing the budget details, which include a continuation of the Governors Merit Scholarship, he said, this scholarship will continue to encourage Ohios best and brightest students to stay in the state of Ohio and go to college. These kids will much more likely then stay in Ohio, get a job in Ohio, be Ohio citizens and be productive members of society. Its clear that combatting Ohios brain drain is an important priority for Gov. DeWine and, I suspect, most of Ohios legislators. Senate Bill 1 will do the opposite. The bill is a solution in search of a problem. Most faculty, including me, already encourage diverse opinions and perspectives while providing a space where students feel comfortable sharing their ideas. As an English professor, I teach students how to argue a position. Of course, I get students who dont always agree with the ideas or positions we discuss, but because I am a professional, those moments become useful examples about listening to the other side and debating in good faith. Students are not penalized in my class for having differing opinions; in fact, I encourage it. And while I cant speak for all faculty, I know that most of my colleagues approach controversial topics in their classrooms the same way. We arent interested in indoctrination; we value multiple views because thats how students, and yes, even we faculty, continue to learn. But SB 1 takes that dynamic and turns it into something potentially suspect, implying that faculty havent been open to diverse opinions or that we spend our time trying to indoctrinate students. Yet, other than a handful of anecdotes, the authors of this bill have provided no tangible evidence of this being a widespread issue. In fact, even students themselves can see right through this obvious attempt at trying to silence views that many members of the current administration dont support. Students showed up en masse to protest the earlier version of this bill, Senate Bill 83, and returned to protest when it was reintroduced as SB 1 a couple months ago. But instead of praising these students for their civic mindedness, for caring about the future of their state and their education, instead of being open to diverse opinions, the bills author, Sen. Jerry Cirino, said in an interview, The students that were out here protesting are probably getting extra credit for being here. I dont believe that they have studied the bill and all the implications of this legislation and the impact on higher education in Ohio. I believe that they were asked to be here by their professors. I wonder if Sen. Cirino thinks all of the hundreds of students who protested across Ohio against SB 1 just this past week were doing it for extra credit. Amy Cruickshank is an assistant professor of English at Cuyahoga Community College. Courtesy of Amy Cruickshank Its clear from the more than 800 people who submitted opponent testimony, and the more than 200 people who showed up in person to testify in the Ohio Senate against the bill, that SB 1 is unpopular and dangerous. For the sake of our citizens and our education system, and to ensure we start to reverse Ohios brain drain, our legislators must reject Senate Bill 1. Amy Cruickshank is an assistant professor of English at Cuyahoga Community College; her views and opinions are her own. Portions of this op-ed were submitted as official testimony opposing SB 1. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, listens to the testimony of witnesses during a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing with Sanctuary City Mayors on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. U.S. "border czar" Tom Holman has called for an obstruction investigation of Ocasio-Cortez after she hosted a webinar with constituents on immigrant and constitutional rights. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) AP It started with Tom Holman, President Donald Trumps border czar, who suggested that U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should face possible investigation because she had the gall to host a Know Your Rights session for immigrants in regard to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Among other things, she informed attendees of their constitutional rights, like the right to remain silent and the prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures, and, particularly, that they do not have to open their door for ICE unless agents actually have a warrant from a judge. There have been these Know Your Rights trainings across the nation for decades, often hosted by nonprofits and churches. The idea that we would prosecute a sitting congresswoman for this shows how far we have fallen down a path of a deep xenophobia and authoritarianism, which throughout history seem to always go together. There is a deep irony that this is being pushed by those who love to talk about free speech. What they usually mean by this is being able to say horrible things online and not face any social pushback. However, when it comes to actual constitutional issues of free speech, they are willing to criminalize free speech they do not like or that goes against the presidents agenda. Though the calls to investigate AOC or that insinuate what she did is illegal started with Holman, it has now expanded to members of Congress, including Florida Sen. Rick Scott and my own congresswoman in South Carolina, Nancy Mace. This is part of a larger strategy to use deeply authoritarian power not only against immigrants but also against those who are supporting them. This strategy was previewed in Texas when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton went after Catholic Charities and organizations that had shelters for immigrants near the border. He dishonestly investigated them for human trafficking. Though most of the judges immediately threw out these cases, it had a chilling effect. I am almost without a doubt that this investigation of AOC will be pushed forward by new U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. It will send a loud message to politicians that, if you push back too much against the regime and their policies, you will be prosecuted. It will also send a message to those working with immigrant activists and advocates that they should not even try to protect immigrants or stand for their rights. We should remember our history as these actions harken back to other authoritarian movements across the globe that persecuted not only the targeted group but also those who supported them. Will McCorkle is an education professor and immigration advocate based in Charleston, South Carolina. Courtesy of Will McCorkle If we care about basic decency or the values of the 4th and 5th Amendments, which Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was only explaining to immigrant communities, we have to stand against these actions. Perhaps most importantly, if we care about the ideas of freedom of speech and the freedom of the press, we must deeply reject this movement toward authoritarianism. If we allow this to happen and sit back quietly, it will mean that any freedom to oppose an authoritarian government will be ended. And no matter how much we raise the flag, sing about our love for the red, white, and blue, and talk about liberty, we will no longer be living in a free nation. Will McCorkle is an education professor and immigration advocate based in Charleston, South Carolina. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com In this article BABA Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Alibaba's Chairman Joe Tsai speaking at CNBC's CONVERGE LIVE event in Singapore on Wednesday. CNBC Artificial intelligence may eliminate the need for equity research analysts in the future, Alibaba's Chairman Joe Tsai said Wednesday at CNBC's CONVERGE LIVE event in Singapore. "Equity research analysts can be completely replaced ... you can ask it to put together a report on Nvidia or Apple, and it'll do a great job," he told CNBC's David Faber. That doesn't mean, however, that analyst roles will be eliminated altogether, he said during CNBC's two-day live event at Jewel Changi Airport. "I don't think it'll entirely replace human beings. It'll just actually enhance the quality of work," he said. "I think the quality of research can really be improved if a lot of the mundane research related stuff can be done by the machine, and then humans can apply their judgment and make better recommendations." AI also stands to fundamentally change the practice of law, he said, citing his own background as an attorney. watch now "When you write a contract ... the whole document has to fit well together, every sentence, every definition, has to fit with each other. Well, AI can do a lot of that, I would say most of it," he said. "Does that mean in the future, lawyers will be replaced by AI? Not necessarily." He said that when clients hire "sophisticated lawyers," they are really asking for counsel. "Counsel is not something that is technical, or black and white it is judgment," he said. "I still think that these jobs can just be enhanced by AI rather than being replaced." AI has a total addressable market of at least $10 trillion, "if not bigger," Tsai said at CNBC's CONVERGE LIVE, noting that makes it bigger than industries like transportation and health-care insurance. Alibaba to benefit Alibaba is positioned to benefit from this proliferation of AI thanks to its cloud computing business, the chairman said. "Every time someone trains and model or runs inference or do post training, they have they need cloud computing infrastructure," he added. Experts previously told CNBC that Alibaba has been making "significant strides" in advancing its AI cloud business. The company posted a sharp profit hike in the December quarter on the strength of its Cloud Intelligence unit and e-commerce segment. Tsai also said that Alibaba can also benefit a lot from AI within its own business, for example, by enhancing advertisements on its platforms. watch now The sky is not falling for Club name Eaton even if the chart this year for the electrical equipment supplier suggests otherwise. The news KeyBanc upgraded Eaton to its buy-equivalent overweight rating after the company's investor day Tuesday afternoon. The analysts said the stock's recent pullback has created a "unique entry point into one of our highest-quality names." Their price target of $340 a share implies about 20% upside from where shares closed Tuesday. However, that level is still $31 below its highest close of the year on Jan. 22, which was just days before the emergence of Chinese startup DeepSeek sparked a wave of concerns about artificial intelligence investments. Shares of Eaton, whose fast-growing data center business benefits from that spending, tumbled in response. KeyBanc believes Eaton's actual business is in fine shape, though, and the analysts said the company's "robust" project backlogs in its electrical and aerospace segments "provide greater visibility in an increasingly uncertain certain world." Even with AI spending fears still lingering, the analysts said they were encouraged by Eaton management noting that only 20% of its electrical backlog in its North and South American segment is tied to AI. That gives KeyBanc confidence that Eaton's data center business can sustain growth in the high-teens percentages. More generally, KeyBanc liked the long-term growth targets outlined at Tuesday's investor event. Eaton projected 6% to 9% organic growth through 2030, compared with the 5% to 8% target previously offered for the 2020 to 2025 period. Elsewhere, Jefferies lowered its price target on Wednesday to $335 a share, down from $390, but kept its buy target on the stock. At its investor day, Eaton projected its segment operating margin to be around 28% in 2030, up from 24% in 2024 and 17.3% in 2019. Jefferies analysts said, "Guidance felt conservative relative to segment forecasts, with additional upside potential from capital deployment." Shares of Eaton rose more than 3% on Wednesday, outperforming both the S & P 500, which advanced modestly and the industrials sector, which was roughly flat. Big picture Eaton's stock hasn't been able to catch a break since the Jan. 27 DeepSeek panic roiled the AI trade even though just a few days later the company reported earnings , and executives made clear they remained confident in the outlook for its data center business. Many of the biggest data center operators including Club names Meta Platforms , Microsoft , and Amazon also have since reaffirmed their spending AI spending plans for the year ahead. ETN YTD mountain Eaton YTD Still, the AI trade hasn't been able to recapture the momentum it had in 2023 and 2024, years in which Eaton soared 53% and 38%, respectively. Eaton is one of the portfolio's worst-performing stocks in 2025. Other stocks near the bottom of us include AI chipmakers Nvidia and Broadcom , as well as Salesforce , which has bet big on AI software tools. Emerging worries about the health of the U.S. economy in recent weeks also haven't helped shares of industrial companies such as Eaton. The sector is seen as economically sensitive, and money has been flowing into more defensive corners of the market such as consumer staples. Bottom line Eaton the company is in a much better shape than Eaton the stock. "This is a total overreaction," Jim Cramer said on Wednesday's Morning Meeting , as he pointed to Eaton's stock performance since late January. "Total overreaction." We bought the dip on Feb. 21, adding 25 shares at roughly $296 apiece, and Jim suggested others follow suit. "It's time to buy some Eaton if you haven't bought any Eaton," he added. While our confidence in Eaton hadn't been shaken, the company's investor day was nevertheless a positive development. Eaton's organic growth forecast through 2030, in particular, is "very strong for an industrial," Jim said. Eaton also expects additional margin expansion in the years ahead a good sign for earnings growth. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long ETN. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. The outlook for Apple looks less clear in the months ahead, according to Morgan Stanley. The firm, which has an overweight rating on the megacap technology name, cut its price target to $252 from $275, implying 14.1% upside from Tuesday's close. This comes as the stock has been struggling this year. Shares are down nearly 12% in 2025, eclipsing the S & P 500's 5% pullback during that time. AAPL YTD mountain AAPL, year-to-date Analyst Erik Woodring trimmed his iPhone shipments outlook after the company delayed a Siri upgrade that incorporates artificial intelligence features. For 2025, he is projecting iPhone shipments to hit 230 million, which is flat compared to the prior year, and 243 million for 2026. That reflects 6% growth year over year. "With fewer 'shots on goal' to improve iPhone upgrade rates next cycle, we see a more gradual path to shortening of iPhone replacement cycles," the analyst wrote in a Wednesday note to clients. Additionally, President Donald Trump imposing additional tariffs on Chinese goods last week will weigh on the company's earnings, Woodring said. Incorporating $2 billion of higher product input costs this year, the analyst anticipates earnings and revenue for fiscal 2026 will come in 5% to 6% lower as a result. "While we believe Apple is taking actions to help mitigate tariffs, it's unlikely that Apple can fully offset this cost without broad tariff exemptions, which have not been granted," he also said. That said, most analysts on Wall Street covering the iPhone maker have a bullish view of the name. In fact, 31 out of 46 analysts in total covering it have a strong buy or buy rating, per LSEG. Its average target of roughly $250 also reflects a similar degree of upside ahead, implying more than 13% upside potential. Apple shares were marginally lower in the premarket on Wednesday following Woodring's move. Salesforce should be able to continue to grow despite the impact of tariffs and a possible recession. The news Bank of America said in a note Wednesday that Salesforce is one of the stocks it would recommend in any environment due to the likelihood of seeing "growing revenue contribution from tangible AI product cycles." According to analysts, software groups are historically more resilient in the quarters leading up to a recession. They said it tends to take two to three quarters into a recession before the industry experiences a slowdown in revenue and billings. The reason, BofA wrote, is that information technology budgets take a bit of time to "adjust downward in the enterprise." Application platform vendors like Salesforce are exposed to tariff risks through their e-commerce and marketing offerings, the analysts said. However, Bank of America believes the company's scale and product diversification will result in a lesser impact on the revenue model from tariff-driven demand headwinds. Big picture Salesforce announced Wednesday a commitment to invest $1 billion in Singapore over the next five years, affirming its commitment to accelerate that country's digital transformation and adoption of Agentforce, the company's suite of tools to build AI assistants that can complete tasks without human intervention. Automating certain customer service tasks such as updating a dinner reservation is one example. In an interview Wednesday at CNBC's Converge Live conference in Singapore, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said the tech industry has seen a rush of investment from companies to build out data centers, referring to them as a "commodity product." The large influx of investments has driven costs down. "We're all about building that software over the last 26 years to run on those data centers and we've just never seen prices this low for deployment," he said. Benioff said there's an opportunity to take advantage of companies that are looking to be the next generation of hyperscalers. From our perspective, we want to be the software hyperscaler. We want to run across all of them and offer the lowest price for our customers," Benioff added. Bottom line Jeff Marks, director of portfolio analysis for the Club, said, "We agree that software stocks have the potential to bounce and have already from their oversold levels." He cited that as a reason for dipping into our cash position to buy more shares of Salesforce one week ago . In our Club analysis of Salesforce's latest earnings in late February, we acknowledged the stock price decline on mixed quarterly results and weak guidance. "However, the enterprise software giant's AI business is picking up steam, which should propel the stock higher over time," we wrote at the time, a statement we still stand by. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long CRM. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. China's and U.S.' flags are seen printed on paper in this illustration taken January 27, 2022. BEIJING China is willing to do more to address White House concerns about illicit fentanyl trade, but it will be "a different thing" if ongoing debate over the drug facilitates more U.S. tariffs on the world's second largest economy, an official from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters Wednesday. Washington should have "said a big thank you" to China on what it has done to restrict fentanyl trade in the U.S., the official said via an official English translation, claiming the White House did not appreciate the effort and instead raised duties on Chinese goods twice this year over the drug. Since taking office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has increased tariffs on Chinese goods by 20% on the basis of the country's alleged role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis. The addictive drug, precursors to which are mostly produced in China and Mexico, has led to tens of thousands of overdose deaths each year in the U.S. The White House did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment. Earlier this month, the Chinese government published a white paper to publicize its efforts to curtail the production and export of fentanyl precursors over the last few years. The official did not respond directly to a question on whether China would stop its recent efforts to restrict such trade. Under the Biden administration, the U.S. and China had said fentanyl was one of the few areas in which the two countries could cooperate. Both sides held dedicated talks in Beijing last year on the topic. China's Ministry of Commerce has held talks with Walmart after the U.S. retail giant reportedly requested price cuts from Chinese suppliers to offset tariff costs, a state-backed media outlet said Wednesday. The announcement came after Bloomberg reported last Thursday that Walmart had asked some Chinese suppliers, including makers of kitchenware and clothing, to lower prices by as much as 10% for each round of U.S. tariffs. "If this is true, it is unreasonable for Walmart to require Chinese suppliers to bear all tariffs, which will disrupt fair competition and foreign trade order," the report said, according to a CNBC translation of the Chinese. Walmart's reported move "may create the risk of supply chain disruption and harm the interests of Chinese and American companies and American consumers," it added, warning of further actions if the company fails to correct its course. U.S. President Donald Trump's extra 10% duty on Chinese goods took effect on March 4, following a 10% tariff imposed on Feb. 4. Most Chinese suppliers are already grappling with "razor-thin" profit margins as the U.S. company procures goods at big discounts to maintain its competitive advantage, according to the Bloomberg report. Chinese and American companies should "work together" to respond to U.S. "unilateral imposition of tariffs," Chinese state media said. The Federal Trade Commission said it will meet the deadlines for its Amazon Prime deceptive practices case, hours after requesting a delay due to resource constraints. An attorney for the federal agency made the about face Wednesday afternoon, saying he "was wrong." "The commission does not have resource constraints and we are fully prepared to litigate this case," Jonathan Cohen, an attorney for the FTC, wrote in a letter. "Please be assured that the FTC will meet whatever schedule and deadlines the court sets." The FTC's unusual reversal comes amid a push by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency to reduce spending. DOGE, which is led by tech baron Elon Musk, has slashed the federal government's workforce by more than 62,000 workers in February alone. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson confirmed that Cohen's initial delay request was wrong. "I have made it clear since Day One that we will commit the resources necessary for this case," Ferguson told CNBC. "The Trump-Vance FTC will never back down from taking on Big Tech." An FTC spokesperson confirmed the agency is no longer requesting a delayed start date for the trial. Amazon declined to comment. Attorneys for the FTC made the initial delay request during a status hearing earlier on Wednesday before Chun in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Chun had set a Sept. 22 start date for the trial. Earlier Wednesday, Cohen had asked for a two-month continuance on the case due to staffing and budgetary shortfalls. Cohen had said that the FTC "lost employees in the agency, in our division and on our case team." Chun asked Cohen how the FTC's situation "will be different in two months" if the agency is "in crisis now, as far as resources." Cohen responded by saying that he "cannot guarantee if things won't be even worse." He pointed to the possibility that the FTC may have to move to another office "unexpectedly," which could hamper its ability to prepare for the trial. "But there's a lot of reason to believe ... we may have been through the brunt of it, at least for a little while," Cohen said. John Hueston, an attorney for Amazon, disputed Cohen's delay request. Goldman Sachs is getting worried about the stock market and the economy, so the firm is giving clients strategies to ride out these coming turbulent times. The investment bank lowered its 2025 year-end S & P 500 target to 6,200 from 6,500 in a research note on Tuesday. The downgrade comes as the S & P 500 has fallen 9% from its all-time high over the past three weeks. More than half of this pullback has come from a 14% decline in "Magnificent Seven" stocks, according to chief U.S. equity strategist David Kostin. "The key market risk going forward is a major further deterioration in the economic outlook," wrote Kostin in the note, noting that the S & P 500 declined by a median 24% from peak to trough during recessions. Kostin's team identified stable growers for clients to buy to ride out a possible recession. The firm looked for stocks that have increased cash flow reliably with little variance from year to year over the past decade. The stocks are also projected by Goldman analysts to have stable or higher earnings this year. Here are some of the names in Goldman's stable growth basket: Alphabet is one of the few tech names on Goldman's list of steady growth names. The investment bank forecasts the Google parent company's earnings per share and sales to rise 11% each in 2025. Another Wall Street firm bullish on Alphabet is Evercore ISI, which reiterated its outperform rating on the stock in a note on Wednesday, noting its generative artificial intelligence innovations. Thus far year to date, Alphabet shares have declined nearly 13%. Domino's Pizza was also featured in the basket. Goldman forecasts the pizza chain's sales and earnings per share in 2025 to increase 5% this year. The pizza company announced a stuffed crust offering earlier in the month, 30 years after rival Pizza Hut debuted the menu, in order to win over customers. The stock has added 5% year to date. DPZ YTD mountain Domino's Pizza in 2025 PepsiCo is another consumer giant Goldman featured on its list. Shares inched up 2% in 2025. Uncertainty around the company has risen in recent weeks following the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary, who has lashed out against major food companies as part of his Make America Healthy Again platform. In a meeting with prominent food executives, including PepsiCo's North America CEO, Kennedy called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods. Goldman estimates the soft drinks giant's sales to remain flat in 2025 and earnings per share to grow 2%. CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report. In this article LEN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT watch now Just outside Austin, in Georgetown, Texas, brand new planned communities sprawl out as far as the eye can see, which is pretty far in this part of the country. But one small subdivision instantly draws focus. Just completed, it is now the world's largest 3D-printed community. Two years ago, Lennar , the nation's second-largest homebuilder, partnered with Icon, a 3D technology company, to print 100 homes in the Wolf Ranch development. The companies say about 75% of them have already sold. All the walls have rounded edges, as that's how the printers navigate with the concrete. The layering process makes it feel like hard, wide-wale corduroy. The roofing is the only part of the structures not 3D-printed, and, in this community, is made of metal. Each home is solar-powered. Lennar and Icon 3D printed homes. Diana Olick | CNBC "We have a durable product here that if you look at its wind resistance for hurricanes, its fire resistance for fire-worn areas the ability to adapt modern product to what we need for the future in housing and building a healthier housing market is amazing," said Stuart Miller, chairman and co-CEO of Lennar. Icon started the project at Wolf Ranch in 2022, using two 40-foot robotic printers. By the second year, the company was using 11 machines, cutting print time in half and squeezing out two homes per week. Each printer does the job of more than a dozen construction workers. The systems operated 24 hours a day. "All the learnings about this technology need to happen at scale," said Jason Ballard, CEO of Icon. "The truth is in the field, not in the lab." Ballard said his team had to work out large-scale logistics with Lennar's teams, everything from laying foundations to printing walls, installing interior systems and adding roofing. "Figuring out how to integrate with Lennar's operations, who are probably the best scale builders in the world, was a real growing up moment for our company," Ballard said. Lennar and Icon 3D printed homes. Diana Olick | CNBC The homes have all the amenities of a conventionally built Lennar community. They come in 2- and 3-bedroom models and start at just under $400,000. Holly Feekings and her husband, both retired, moved into their 3D-printed home about a year ago. She said the best part of living in the printed home is her electric bill just $26 last month. Concrete retains its temperature, heat or cold air, better than her previous standard colonial, Feekings said. She also likes the home's durability. "I feel safer in this house than any house I've ever lived in, because it's so well built, it's not going to burn down," said Feekings. Around the corner, Pierre Megie and his girlfriend were drawn in by the look and feel of the home. "We wanted tall doors, taller ceilings, cement floors, somehow, and this home had everything. Really just a combination of energy efficiency, the practicality, the price point, and then the aesthetics," said Megie. Lennar and Icon 3D printed homes. Diana Olick | CNBC Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during a summit of leaders of nations, which are members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), in Moscow, Russia October 8, 2024. All eyes were on Moscow on Wednesday as the Kremlin broke its silence and delivered its initial reaction to Kyiv and the White House's unilateral agreement proposing a temporary ceasefire to the war in Ukraine. Talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday ended with Ukraine agreeing to an immediate 30-day ceasefire negotiated by the U.S. but Russia must still accept the measures. As part of the plan, the U.S. will lift its pause on military aid to Ukraine and restart the intelligence sharing it had also halted in recent weeks. Following the Tuesday talks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the ball was now in Russia's court. On Wednesday, the Kremlin issued a cautious response to the development, saying it needed to hear more details on the plan from U.S. negotiators before it could fully decide whether the proposed ceasefire agreement was acceptable or not. "You are jumping the gun, we have contacts scheduled with the Americans and then we'll see," Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked to comment on the proposed truce, according to NBC News reporting. "We are carefully studying the statements made as a result [of the talks], we will familiarize ourselves with the text of the joint statement which was adopted in Jeddah. We proceed from the fact that, as was said yesterday in Jeddah, Secretary of State Rubio and National Security Advisor Waltz will inform us via various channels these days about the details of the negotiations that took place and the understandings reached [there]," he added. Peskov signaled that Moscow did not rule out a phone call between Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, and President Donald Trump over the matter. "If such a need arises, it will be organized very quickly. The existing channels for dialogue with the Americans allow this to be done rather swiftly," he said. In an aerial view, a Volkswagen assembly plant is seen on April 19, 2024 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Porsche 's CEO Oliver Blume on Wednesday said the company could lean into its partnership with Volkswagen which has its own U.S. manufacturing base as it braces for potential tariffs imposed by the White House. "We have an industrial cooperation agreement together with Volkswagen, and in the end, we are working so close together, so this should play a role" in responding to tariffs, Blume told CNBC's Annette Weisbach. The U.S. is Porsche's top market, but the company's lack of assembly operations in the country have left it potentially vulnerable to a U.S. trade war with the European Union. Porsche's main plants are based in Germany. While listed separately, the 911-maker is part of the Volkswagen Group, along with brands including Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Skoda, Seat, and Volkswagen itself. Blume is chief executive of both Volkswagen Group and Porsche. "My hope is there will be an agreement between Europe and the U.S. ... I'm counting on a fair solution between the regions," Blume told CNBC. "On the other side, we are investing heavily in the U.S. in terms of partnerships, services, our own organization, our dealer network. We are employing many, many people in the U.S. Besides this, being connected to the Volkswagen Group, Volkswagen Group is investing over 15 billion euro in the U.S.," he continued, pointing out the conglomerate's assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and investment in South Carolina. "This should play a role when it comes to a fair agreement there," he added. Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford is the leading candidate to be nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the next head of the Federal Aviation Administration, sources told Reuters. The White House, Bedford and Republic did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Bedford interviewed for the position that requires Senate confirmation in recent weeks, the sources added. Bedford, a pilot and industry veteran of more than 30 years, previously headed two other carriers and oversaw a significant expansion of Republic Airways. Indiana-based Republic is one of the biggest regional airlines in North America, operating a fleet of more than 200 Embraer aircraft with 900 daily flights in the United States and Canada. The flights operate under airline partner brands American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. The FAA position has been vacant since January 20, when FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker stepped down a little more than one year into a five-year term when Trump took office. The FAA has been run on an interim basis by Deputy Administrator Chris Rocheleau. On January 29, a mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington Reagan National Airport killed 67 people, raising serious questions about aviation safety. Other recent incidents include fatal crashes of small planes in Alaska and Philadelphia, the crash of a regional Delta jet that flipped upside down upon landing in Toronto and a near miss at Chicago Midway involving a Southwest Airlines. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday he plans to ask Congress for tens of billions of dollars to overhaul the nation's aging air traffic control system and has taken steps to boost staffing. The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels and in many places controllers are working six days a week with mandatory overtime. On Tuesday, the FAA said it plans to permanently restrict helicopters near Reagan National after the collision and is reviewing helicopter traffic near other major airports. Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche said Wednesday that it had struck a deal worth up to $5.3 billion to develop Danish biotech Zealand Pharma's obesity drug candidate, as the two firms seek to compete in the burgeoning weight loss drug market. The deal will see the two companies co-develop and co-commercialize petrelintide, Zealand Pharma's amylin analog as a standalone therapy, as well as a fixed-dose combination with Roche's lead incretin asset CT-388. Under the agreement, Zealand Pharma will receive upfront cash payments of $1.65 billion, with the potential of milestone payments taking the total to up to $5.3 billion, depending on phase-3 trials and sales development, Roche said in a statement. Shares of Zealand Pharma jumped 38%, while Roche shares closed 3.6% higher. Shares of obesity drug giant Novo Nordisk , meanwhile, slipped 4.3% during Wednesday's session. Zealand Pharma CEO and President Adam Steensberg told CNBC that the deal showed the two companies' "strong commitment to lead in the obesity space in the future." "Roche has convinced us that they have ambition to take leadership in this therapeutic space," Steensberg told CNBC via video call Wednesday. Manu Chakravarthy, global therapy area head and cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (CVRM) product development lead at Roche, added that petrelintide would be a "complementary" addition to the Swiss firm's existing weight loss portfolio, both as a standalone and combinable treatment. Steensberg said Zealand had received a "high degree of interest" since launching partnership discussions last year. However, he noted that Roche was "by far the most desirable," citing the Swiss firm's prior developments in the obesity drug market, including its acquisition of GLP-1 maker Carmot Therapeutics. He added that a partnership with market leaders Novo or Lilly had been "unlikely" given their focus on existing GLP-1 obesity drug franchises Wegovy and Zepbound, respectively. Bank of America Securities said in a note Wednesday that the Roche partnership was a "best case scenario for Zealand," given its existing work across both GLP-1s and amylin mechanisms. The deal, which is expected to close in the second quarter, will see Roche and Zealand jointly commercialize petrelintide in the U.S. and Europe, with the two sharing profits and losses on a 50/50 basis. Roche will meanwhile obtain exclusive commercialization rights in the rest of the world. China's so-called "DeepSeek moment" is likely to be good news in the global race to develop artificial intelligence models that can carry out more complex tasks, according to Jean-Pascal Tricoire, chairman of French power-equipment maker Schneider Electric. "I actually think its good news. We need AI at every level," Tricoire told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick at CONVERGE LIVE in Singapore on Wednesday. "We need AI to optimize your whole enterprise at all levels, so that you can buy better, consume better, decide better, source better. To do all of this, we need models to operate on a smaller scale," he added. Tricoire said the emergence of Chinese AI app DeepSeek showed that AI models can achieve the same results as some of its more established U.S. rivals, but with a much smaller model. It "will actually spread AI at all levels of the architecture much faster," Tricoire said. He added that DeepSeek's blockbuster R1 model would be "fantastic" for improving safety and reliability when deploying AI on dangerous equipment. "The spread of AI models at every level of what we need is actually very good news," Tricoire said. His comments come shortly after Schneider Electric reported record sales and profits in 2024. The company, which has been a big beneficiary of the artificial intelligence trend, raised its 2025 profit margin following robust fourth-quarter demand for data centers. Shares of Schneider Electric rose 33% in 2024, following a 39% upswing in 2023. The Paris-listed stock is down around 7% year to date, however, with China's recent AI push sparking concerns about AI investment and tech sector returns. Data centers, which consume an ever-increasing amount of energy, represent a key piece of infrastructure behind modern-day cloud computing and AI applications. CNBC's Ganesh Rao contributed to this report. Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon are warning Frank Bisignano, the nominee to lead the Social Security Administration, that he will be responsible if staff cuts interfere with the agency's ability to process and disburse benefit checks. President Donald Trump has nominated Bisignano, chief executive of payments and financial technology company Fiserv, to serve as commissioner of the agency, which is responsible for sending monthly benefit payments to more than 72 million Americans. "As President Trump's nominee for SSA Commissioner, you will be responsible if the Trump Administration's attacks on the program result in failures or delays in getting Americans their Social Security checks in other words, a backdoor cut to benefits," Warren and Wyden wrote in a March 11 letter to Bisignano, shared exclusively with CNBC. More from Personal Finance: Trump says Education Dept. shouldn't handle student loans Potential cuts to Medicaid could include work requirements Rules for repaying Social Security benefits are getting stricter Bisignano's Senate confirmation hearing is expected to take place later this month, according to a source familiar with the situation. In the interim, the agency is under the leadership of acting Commissioner Lee Dudek, who according to reports publicly stated before his appointment that he had been put on administrative leave after helping representatives of Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Dudek succeeded former acting Commissioner Michelle King, who stepped down following reported disagreements with DOGE over access to sensitive data. Roomba vacuums by iRobot are displayed at a Best Buy store in San Rafael, California, on Jan. 19, 2024. Shares of iRobot plunged more than 30% on Wednesday after it said there is "substantial doubt" about its ability to stay in business. The Roomba maker's financial outlook has darkened since Amazon abandoned its planned $1.7 billion acquisition of the company in January 2024, citing regulatory scrutiny. Since then, iRobot has struggled to generate cash and pay off debts. Massachusetts-based iRobot has been restructuring since the Amazon deal plunged into uncertainty. The company has laid off 51% of its workforce since the end of 2023, and iRobot has looked to reignite revenue growth by overhauling its product lineup. The company on Tuesday launched eight new Roombas in the hopes of "better positioning iRobot as the leader in the category that we created," CEO Gary Cohen said in a statement. "There can be no assurance that the new product launches will be successful," iRobot said in its Wednesday earnings statement, citing limited consumer demand, tariff uncertainty and heightened competition. "Given these uncertainties and the implication they may have on the company's financials, there is substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months," iRobot said in its earnings report. The company's fourth-quarter revenue sagged 44% year over year to $172 million, missing estimates of $180.8 million, according to FactSet. The Roomba maker posted a net loss of $77.1 million, or $2.52 per share. Excluding a one-time "manufacturing transition charge," iRobot had a loss of $2.06 a share, exceeding the $1.73 per share projected by analysts surveyed by FactSet. In July 2023, iRobot took a $200 million loan from the Carlyle Group to fund the company's operations as a stopgap until the Amazon deal closed. The company amended the loan for a temporary waiver on certain financial obligations, which requires iRobot to pay a fee of $3.6 million. As part of Wednesday's report, iRobot said its board has initiated a strategic review of the business and is considering alternatives that could include refinancing its debt and exploring a potential sale. The board hasn't set a deadline for when its review will conclude, the company said. Shortly after the Amazon deal fell apart, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy criticized regulators' approach to its iRobot acquisition. European Union regulators threatened to block the deal, and the Federal Trade Commission in the U.S. was reportedly expected to challenge the acquisition in court. The proposed merger, which was announced in late 2022, would have allowed iRobot to scale and better compete with its rivals, Jassy said. Several of the fastest-growing robotic vacuum businesses are based in China, such as Anker, Ecovacs and Roborock, all of which have eaten into iRobot's share of the market. "We abdicate the acquisition, iRobot lays off a third of its staff, the stock price completely tanks, and now, there's a real question of whether they're going to be a going concern," Jassy told CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin in an interview last April. U.S. President Donald Trump talks to the media, next to Tesla CEO Elon Musk with his son X A-12, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 11, 2025. More than eight out of every 10 respondents to a Morgan Stanley survey believe Tesla CEO Elon Musk's controversial political activities are hurting his business. In total, 85% of the 245 participants polled by the firm believe Musk's foray into politics has either had a "negative" or "extremely negative" impact on business fundamentals. The majority of respondents also expect Tesla deliveries to fall this year, according to the survey. While a small sampling, these results offer the latest sign of mounting frustration with the billionaire entrepreneur as he's become a rising figure in international and American politics. It also comes at a pivotal point for Tesla's stock, with shares plunging nearly 40% this year. When asked about Musk's efforts with U.S. government efficiency and other political activities, 45% of respondents said these actions had a "negative" effect on the company. Another 40% said they were having an "extremely negative" impact. On the other hand, 3% said they were "positive" for the business. Meanwhile, 12% called them "insignificant." To be sure, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas reported that his survey respondents are drawn from his email distribution list and should not be taken as a random representative sample. He also noted that the respondents are not necessarily owners of Tesla stock. The survey was taken over a 17-hour period, starting on Tuesday afternoon. Jonas also asked about expectations for the company's performance. In a separate question, 59% said they anticipated Tesla would deliver fewer cars to customers in 2025 compared with the prior year. What's more, 21% of total respondents said they expected a decline of more than 10%. That comes as some analysts have raised alarm that recent reports of vandalism could spook potential customers. Just 19% of responders said they forecasted deliveries to rise in 2025, while another 23% said they would be flat between the two years. Musk's political profile has grown after his public support of President Donald Trump in the runup up to last year's election and his subsequent role leading the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The Tesla executive's efforts to slash the federal government's spending and workforce has drawn the ire of critics who see his team as working too quickly and haphazardly. Musk acknowledged in an interview with Fox Business on Monday that his high-profile role in Trump's administration meant he was running his businesses, which also include X and SpaceX, "with great difficulty." That day, Tesla shares tumbled more than 15% for their worst session since 2020. Former Tennessee Sen. Brian Kelsey, left, arrives at federal court, Nov. 22, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. On Monday, July 8, 2024, a federal appeals panel ruled to keep a 21-month prison sentence in place for the former Tennessee state senator who tried to withdraw his guilty plea on campaign finance law violations. President Donald Trump issued a pardon to former Tennessee state Sen. Brian Kelsey, just 15 days after that Republican began serving a 21-month prison sentence for a campaign finance conspiracy criminal conviction. "God used Donald Trump to save me," Kelsey, 47, told CNBC in a phone interview Wednesday, a day after his release from a federal prison camp in Ashland, Kentucky. "His election saved me from the Biden" Department of Justice, Kelsey said. Kelsey, a lawyer who lives in Germantown, Tennessee, announced that Trump had given him "a full and unconditional pardon" in a tweet on the social media site X. He told CNBC that three GOP congressmen from Tennessee, Mark Green, Andy Ogles and Chuck Fleischmann, were among the people working to obtain the pardon. "I'm thrilled for Brian Kelsey, whose pardon is well-deserved!" Ogles said in a statement. "Biden's DOJ weaponized justice to punish a principled conservative. Trump gets it; he's been there. Time to end this abuse of power!" Kelsey said, "There have been many friends and family who have provided prayers and outreach on my behalf. The White House and the DOJ have not issued statements announcing Kelsey's pardon or the reasons for it. CNBC has requested comment from the White House and DOJ. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons confirmed to CNBC that he was released Tuesday from the Ashland camp due to a pardon. Presidential pardons void a person's criminal convictions and any related sentence. Kelsey entered the Ashland prison camp on Feb. 24, a month after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a petition to hear an appeal in his case, and about a month after he submitted a request for a pardon. Kelsey said he was surprised that he had to report to prison because "I always felt like God was going to provide a miracle, and he had provided so many before." He had pleaded guilty in November 2022 to crimes connected to his moving money from his state senatorial campaign account to his ultimately unsuccessful 2016 campaign for Congress. Months later, he tried to withdraw his guilty plea, but failed in that effort. Yet he remained free for nearly two years while appealing the case. Workers of German steel manufacturer Salzgitter AG stand in front of a furnace at a plant in Salzgitter, Germany, March 1, 2018. The European Union has reacted swiftly to U.S. President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that came into effect Wednesday, retaliating with its own punitive countermeasures that it said were needed to protect consumers and businesses. The White House confirmed the duties which will affect Canada, Australia, the EU and others late Tuesday, but said that Trump no longer planned to raise tariffs on the metals from Canada to 50%. The EU responded swiftly, saying it would impose counter-tariffs on 26 billion euros ($28.33 billion) worth of U.S. goods starting in April. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday told reporters that the EU "must act to protect businesses and consumers." "We deeply regret this measure [by the U.S.]. Tariffs are taxes, they are bad for business and worse for consumers, they are disrupting supply chains, they bring uncertainty for the economy, jobs are at stake, prices are up and nobody needs that, neither side needs that," she said during a news conference. Trade ties between the U.S. and EU "are the biggest in the world," von der Leyen said, and the relationship had brought "prosperity and security to millions of people" as well as job creation on both sides of the Atlantic, she noted. The EU's two-pronged approach will see previously suspended tariffs reimposed on 8 billion euros of U.S. exports, and a slew of new countermeasures on 18 billion euros of goods in a move von der Leyen had earlier described as "strong but proportionate." "We will always remain open to negotiation," she added in a statement. The EU said the tariffs will affect up to 26 billion euros worth of the bloc's exports to the U.S. They apply to industrial-grade steel and aluminum, other steel and aluminum semifinished and finished products, and also their derivative commercial products, such as machinery parts and knitting needles. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday following the EU's announcement, Trump said: "As you know we're going to be doing reciprocal tariffs, so whatever they charge us we're going to be charging them." Trump also repeated his claim that the EU treats the U.S. "very badly" on trade, which has previously seen him threaten the bloc with blanket 25% tariffs. US Vice President JD Vance is set to travel to India later this month, marking his second foreign trip ever since he took charge in the Donald Trump government. According to a report with Politico, Vance will be accompanied by Second Lady Usha Vance.Vance marked his debut foreign visit to France and Germany last month. His first foreign trip was marked by a fiery speech at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, where he slammed European governments for their handling of illegal migration, ignoring religious freedoms, and overturning elections.Vances comments about the planned British- and French-led European peacekeeping force caused politicians and veterans in both countries to say he was dishonouring hundreds of troops killed fighting alongside US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.Later, Vance denied disrespecting Britain and France by describing a planned peacekeeping force in Ukraine as 20,000 troops from some random country that has not fought a war in 30 or 40 years". Yemens Houthi rebels warned shippers early Wednesday that any Israeli vessel traveling through nearby Mideast waters is now a target as Israel continues to block aid to the Gaza Strip.The statement from the Houthis Humanitarian Operations Coordination Centre follows a four-day deadline set by the rebels for Israel to resume aid shipments.We hope it is understood that the actions taken by the (Houthi military) stem from a deep sense of religious, humanitarian and moral responsibility toward the oppressed Palestinian people and aim to pressure the Israeli usurper entity to reopen the crossings to the Gaza Strip and allow the entry of aid, including food and medical supplies, the statement said.It described the warning as taking hold in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Arabian Sea.There was no immediate sign of an attack on ships. In addition to guest hosts, musical acts and forcing cast members to endure anxiety-inducing mind games, one of the longtime hallmarks of Saturday Night Live is its penchant for bringing back recurring characters. If a character does well in a sketch, you can bet that theyll be revived in future sketches, and possibly even for movies and/or soulless commercials. Don't Miss But, according to Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live by Susan Morrison, bringing back characters wasnt a part of the original vision for the show. John Belushi debuted his stereotypical Samurai character, which even SNL now admits has aged horribly, in the seventh episode of the first season. The Samurai Hotel sketch also featured Chevy Chase and that weeks guest host Richard Pryor. But when the sketch was over and done with, no thought was given to bringing the character back for another episode. Which is a little surprising, considering that the Samurai was part of Belushis audition for the show, beginning as an impression of Japanese screen legend Toshiro Mifune (again, not cool, John). Still, repeating characters wasnt part of SNLs plan, since some staff members thought it felt hacky. Advertisement Just a month after the Pryor episode, though, the show was hosted by writer Buck Henry. While not all of Henrys suggestions were welcome (at one point he floated an idea for a punchline that was shot down by the writers and branded too Carol Burnett), he did tell Lorne Michaels that they should really bring the Samurai character back. Despite the stigma around repeat sketches, Michaels, eager to have dependably solid material, thought it was a good idea. So, the first sketch following Henrys monologue in his debut episode was Samurai Delicatessen, starring Belushi as the same character. Henry, who passed away in 2020, wasnt so sure that he deserved any credit for this. Lorne says I was the first to suggest repeating bits, Henry told The Television Academy in 2009. I dont think I was, its a staple of comedy in the history of television. But Ill take credit for it if he wants me to. Advertisement Henry recalled that the sketch quickly became a formula, in which the Samurai character would be plopped into a different professional scenario. Unfortunately, one of these sketches led to Henry being inadvertently stabbed by Belushi. Advertisement Advertisement The repeating character trend is something of a double-edged sword, pun not intended. On the one hand, some comic bits were given room to develop and improve over time. And recurring characters provided a sense of comfort and community around SNL. On the other hand, some initially funny ideas were clearly driven deep, deep into the ground. Mr. Milchick and the Lumon brass may be a categorically humorless bunch, but even the mysterious middle managers of Severance arent immune to the charms of Ms. Rose Nylund. Were just two episodes away from the conclusion of Severance Season Two, and, although series creator Dan Erickson is sure to leave viewers with yet another cliffhanger, the greatest question many fans have in regards to the critically acclaimed mystery box thrillers unfolding saga is, What the hell was Tramell Tillman saying about that Swedish king? In the recent Severance episode Trojan Horse, the ever-charismatic and delightfully cryptic Mr. Milchick told an historical anecdote to the disgruntled macro data refinement crew, one that failed to answer the main Severance casts questions and sparked even more inquiries from Swedes and non-Swedes alike over Tillmans peculiar pronunciation. Don't Miss On Monday night's episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the breakout star explained that the story of Grakappan was as much about the honor of an ancient Swedish king as it was an ode to a contemporary comedy queen. After Colbert read Tillman the mixed and hyperbolic reviews to his pronunciation of the word Grakappan in his telling of a folk story about a king going incognito in his kingdom while wearing a great gray cloak (the Grakappan in question), Tillman acknowledged that his personal choices in enunciating the complicated name were less scholarly and more sitcom-y. Advertisement It is a totally made up word, and I didnt know that until I talked to (Severance writer and producer) Beau Willimon, Tillman claimed of the controversial phrase Grakappan. And I asked him, How do you pronounce this word? And he said, I have no idea, go with God! And thats just what Tillman did, eventually turning to the late TV deity Betty White for guidance but not before attempting the traditional route. After turning to his Swedish advisor for advice (Google), Tillman pieced together the correct Swedish pronunciation of the syllables in Grakappan, but he couldnt decide between doing a Swedish delivery of the line or a flat, unaccented American. Then, I got a little inspired, Tillman explained. One of my favorite television sitcoms is Golden Girls, and Rose Nylund, played by Betty White, has Swedish-Norwegian roots. Advertisement So I thought to myself, How would Rose Nylund say this word? Tillman revealed of his unique approach. Tillman tried each pronunciation of Grakappan Swedish, American, Nylundian in separate takes when it was time to film the scene for Trojan Horse, but, as we all can agree with the shows editor, that lattermost option was absolute gold. World War II was probably the second worst time to be a dinosaur European countries sure love to steal priceless artifacts from Africa to keep them safe, only to get them bombed to smithereens, dont they? Advertisement 14 Drowned in Sewage Alcovasaurus was a big ol stegosaurus from the Late Jurassic period. Its type specimen (the fossil that a species is named for and described based on) was damaged when the University of Wyomings Geological Museum had some plumbing issues and a pipe burst. Advertisement 13 Puff the Unfortunate Dragon The Atychodracon wasnt recognized as its own genus until over a century and a half after it was first discovered. In the interim, its museum was bombed into the ground during World War II. When it was classified and named in 2011, they combined the Greek words atychis (unfortunate) and drakon (dragon) to mourn the destruction. 12 Just Kinda Lost by a Paleontology Tourist Joseph Channing Pearce was just some guy who had an interest in various science-y topics, but doesnt seem to have been a specialist in any area. Among his collection was the badass-sounding heart tooth, which turned out to be the very first piece ever discovered of the long-necked herbivore Cardiodon. Dude just kinda misplaced it. 11 The Biggest Animal in History Just Disintegrated Its hard to believe the fact that the blue whale is probably the largest animal to ever exist on our planet. But the Bruhathkayosaurus, meaning huge-bodied lizard, is said to have come pretty darn close. While a few of its bones were first found and described in 1987, paleontologists came forward in 2017 to admit the things had just kind of crumbled into dust. Advertisement Advertisement 10 Lost in a Pile of Dodo Bones Okay, you got us, the broad-billed parrot isnt a dinosaur. But it is a freaky, primitive-looking and extinct creature whose holotype (the single specimen thats the basis for the description of a species) is lost. They dredged it up from a swamp among a whole bunch of dodo bones, and just kinda lost track of it. 9 The Allies Killed the God Lizard of the Ocean Aegirosaurus means Aegir lizard with slender vertebrae (Aegir, as we know, is a Teutonic ocean god). Since it was discovered and kept in modern day Germany, the Allied forces blew it da frick up in World War II. Advertisement 8 Scientists Accidentally Built This Guy His Own Coffin Gongxianosaurus was a big-ass sauropod from the Jurassic period. The researchers who discovered it thought it safest to leave it in the ground where they found it, and built a little exhibition hall around it. Well, that building collapsed and destroyed the holotype. Advertisement 7 Never Keep All Your Aegyptosaurus Bones in the Same Place Aegyptosaurus was a sauropod that lived in modern day Africa about 95 million years ago. Some Germans graciously took the holotype and a bunch of other fossils back home for safekeeping where they were all pulverized by Allied bombs in 1944. Advertisement 6 Some Rich Jerk Gave It Away The Erectopus should be a horny octopus, but it was actually a big scary theropod. The holotype sat in some rich guys private collection, and after his death, all his stuff was disbursed. We dont know if Erectopus was bequeathed, auctioned off or shot out of a T-shirt cannon. 5 Hitler Got T. Rexs Cousin Killed Carcharodontosaurus, meaning jagged toothed lizard, was a theropod whose bones were quietly taken from Egypt by German paleontologists in 1914. They came clean a couple decades later, but the dope-ass skull theyd stolen was blown up by the British in an air raid on Munich in 1944. Advertisement 4 Fire The holotype of the Podokesaurus was kept in Mount Holyokes Williston Hall, which burned down in 1917. The dinosaur had become an unofficial mascot, and students led a search of the rubble, but no trace was ever found. Advertisement 3 Fire Again Portugals Museu Nacional de Historia Natural e da Ciencia burned down in 1978, taking with it the holotype of the Lusitanosaurus. Advertisement 2 A Dude Drew a Picture and Then Threw It Out Paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope bought a giant neck vertebra off a guy in 1877, and named the species A. fragillimus, meaning very fragile. The bone was preserved in notoriously crumbly mudstone, so after decades of debate over its location, scientists figured out that he probably just drew some pictures of it and discarded it. A lone, costumed, umbrella-wielding Looney Tunes fan is single-handedly trying to drum up public outcry over the cancellation of the live-action/animated comedy Coyote vs. Acme after the film finished production. Fight hard, comrade, and look out for riot police, giant red Xs and dangling pianos. Back in late 2023, controversial Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav pulled numerous completed projects from the media mega-conglomerates release schedule that the previous Warner Bros. regime greenlit prior to the merger that put him in charge of the Warner Bros. movie empire the year before. Among the list of franchise films that Zaslav axed in favor of a tax cut was Coyote vs. Acme, a legal comedy with a star-studded cast that would have provided a fresh take on the hapless cartoon coyotes constantly backfiring pursuit of his mortal enemy, the Roadrunner. Don't Miss Thanks to Zaslavs love of crooked Hollywood accounting, Wile E. Coyote will likely never get his day in court at least, not on a screen where any of us can see it. However, yesterday in Los Angeles County, one lone legal activist picketed the Warner Bros. studio lot to let Zaslav know that, even if he brings down the proverbial overhang upon which Coyote vs. Acme was perched, some of us still arent willing to look down. This fans full-costume demonstration follows similar expressions of outrage from the A-list creatives who helped make Coyote vs. Acme not just a solid live-action/animated comedy film, but the best of its kind since ROGER RABBIT according to the select few filmmakers who got to see an advanced screening prior to Zaslav pulling the plug. Advertisement Most recently, Saturday Night Live legend Will Forte, who played Wile E. Coyotes lawyer in the canned classic, went on an expletive-laden rant about the decision to seal the lovingly constructed project from the public. It is such a delightful movie, Forte told his interviewers at MovieWeb last month. It deserves so much better than it got. I cant tell you possibly why the decision was made to not release it, but it makes my blood boil. Even the typically measured company man John Cena, who appropriately played the legal counsel for the ACME corporation in Coyote vs. Acme, couldn't find it within himself to enthusiastically defend Zaslav's decision to cancel the film post-completion. I would have to think that it was shelved for the right reasons and it was a good business decision, Cena said of WBD choosing a tax break over his movie before he passive-aggressively added, I think I would have tremendous regret and shame if I look back on the legacy of the movie, and it was shelved for reasons other than that. Advertisement Miraculously, even though Zaslav made the decision to drop an anvil on the head of Coyote vs. Acme nearly a year and a half ago, fan outcry over the films cancellation hasnt ceased, either on the Warner Bros. lot or on Twitter where the above post went mega-viral. Many Looney Tunes lovers have gone so far as to call the costumed picketer a hero, and, although their identity is yet unknown, their message is clear to anyone willing to listen. Twenty bucks says that costume came from Will Fortes closet. Homer Simpson was famously named after Matt Groenings own father, but another real-life figure helped to inspire the iconic character and no, were not talking about that corporate merger between a Japanese fishing company and a light-bulb manufacturer. Its hard to imagine Homer without his iconic catchphrase: DOh! But that go-to exclamation wasnt originally part of the conception of the character. An early script simply called for voice actor Dan Castellaneta to deliver an annoyed grunt. Unsure of what to do, Castellaneta asked Groening for guidance, and was told to do whatever he wanted. Don't Miss So Castellaneta decided to imitate Scottish actor James Finlayson, who he remembered seeing in old Laurel and Hardy movies as a kid. Finlayson, who acted as a foil to the legendary comedy duo, would routinely shout D ooohhh out of frustration. As Castellaneta told the Television Academy in 2010, he later learned that this was Finlaysons substitute for saying the far less-acceptable damn, lest audiences be scandalized. Advertisement Finlaysons contribution to pop culture was a big one. Doh (or Doh) is even included in the Oxford English Dictionary, defined as expressing frustration at the realization that things have turned out badly or not as planned, or that one has just said or done something foolish. Also Finlayson starred in a total of 33 Laurel and Hardy movies, and before that, he was one of the Keystone Cops in early days of silent film. Finlayson also had roles in Alfred Hitchcocks thriller Foreign Correspondent and the classic Jack Benny World War II comedy To Be or Not to Be. Advertisement Now, Finlayson and his big honking fake mustache have just been honored with a portrait that will hang in a theater in his hometown. According to the BBC, Dobbie Hall in Larbert, Stirling recently unveiled the painting of Finlayson, who racked up credits in more than 100 films. The ceremony also included a screening of a Laurel and Hardy film, and some fans even decided to cosplay as Finlayson. Advertisement Advertisement It should be noted that Finlaysons Doh was different than the cartoon atchphrase we know and love today. His original version was more elongated, while Homers is much quicker, because it was modified to suit the timing of animation. As Groening once recalled, the first example of Homer Simpson employing the trademark phrase came during a Simpsons short in The Tracey Ullman Show. It happens during the end of the segment as Homer reacts to Barts antics in The Krusty the Clown Show. Advertisement Or possibly, he was full of regret over the actions of his secret alter-ego. STORY LINK Three Major Euro Stress Points, Pound-to-Euro Rate Trapped Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: The Pound to Euro exchange rate (GBP/EUR) dipped further to 6-week lows near 1.1835 on Tuesday before settling around 1.1850.From a Euro viewpoint, markets are having to navigate trade wars and a proposed Ukraine ceasefire as well as the crucial shift in German fiscal policy. Domestic influences are likely to be limited until Fridays GDP data.The US-EU trade war will tend to undermine the Euro while this could be offset to a limited extent by hopes for a Ukraine ceasefire deal.Domestically, the huge planned German fiscal stimulus is likely to be make or break for the single currency given the impact on yields.If Germany fails to back the fiscal stimulus, yields will decline rapidly and the Euro will be vulnerable to sharp losses.As far as trade is concerned, the US has imposed 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports, including those from the EU.In response, the EU has retaliated immediately with tariffs on US exports worth EUR26bn.MUFG commented; the steel and aluminium tariffs are likely to be the first act on all US trading partners and the first actions taken beyond China that are likely to stay. So escalation is more real now and points to probable action by the US on 2nd April which looks like the date when we could get a real significant uplift in the escalation of the trade conflict.The UK was not spared on the steel tariffs, although the relative impact on the UK is likely to be smaller given the size of the steel sector while the UK will try to negotiate a wider trade deal.On Tuesday, the US and Ukraine reached agreement on a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine war and the focus will turn to Russia.Any ceasefire deal could help underpin the Euro amid hopes of lower energy prices.MUFG expects a limited impact, especially with some form of deal priced in. It added; The energy impact is however limited with modest moves in TTF while crude oil prices are modestly higher after the IEA reduced notably its previously estimate of excess supply of crude this year and next.Domestically, CDU leader Merz will continue his attempts to win backing for the proposed EUR500bn fiscal stimulus plans.In particular, support from the Green Party will be crucial in finding a majority in the current parliament. At this stage, the Greens want to focus on defence and security first and will push for increased spending on climate change.The CDU will need to secure agreement for constitutional change in the current parliament as the AfD will be able to block changes in the new parliament from late March. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: Pound Euro Forecasts The weekend of March 14-16, the 40th Annual Shamrock Shootout Racquetball Tournament will be held at the Joe Meagher Memorial Civic Center in Cut Bank. Over 100 players will compete in this year's Shamrock. Not only is it the largest and longest-running racquetball tourney in Montana, only one other racquetball tournament in the US that has been held for more than 40 years. Play for this local fundraiser will begin on Friday, March 14 at 5 p.m. and will continue through the weekend, ending Sunday afternoon. The players range from beginners to highly ranked Canadian competitors. These athletes will be arriving from Southern Alberta, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Colorado, North Dakota, and locations across Montana. Every year, the Cut Bank economy sees a boost from these visitors. A large portion of the proceeds from this annual tournament are donated to the Joe Meagher Memorial Civic Center for equipment, repairs, and special projects. Other donations have been made to organizations throughout the community, including Cut Bank Trails, Harvest Food Pantry, City of Cut Bank Swimming Pool, Quailwings Rescue, City of Cut Bank Animal Shelter, and the Parade of Lights. The generous support of the Cut Bank business community has always made the Shamrock Shootout inarguably the finest, and most well attended racquetball tournament in Montana. This event is free for spectators, and open to the public. Come down to the Joe Meagher Memorial Civic Center March 14-16 to check out the action. Shelby Senior Center, 739 Benton Avenue, is open to the public for lunch Monday through Friday at noon. The suggested cost price is over 60, $6, and under 60 is $7. Meal tickets can be bought in advance for $60 for 10 meals, or $70, depending on age. Please phone (406-434-2992) to let us know you are joining us. We ask you to make reservations or cancellations by 9:30 a.m. We also do home deliveries for qualifying seniors. Call for more information about getting a home delivery. This weeks meals are: Thursday, March 13, Chili and corn bread; Friday, March 14, Corn beef and cabbage; Monday, March 17, Chicken strips and fries; Tuesday, March 18, White trash sliders and soup; Wednesday, March 19, Salmon loaf; Thursday, March 20, Cheesy chicken casserole. Meals are subject to change. Shelby Senior Center Activities and Events Feb. 28 Pinochle winners were: first place, Bonnie Wiegand, second place, Gary Aklestad and third place, Gwen Marshall. March 5 Pitch winners were: first place, Lon Peterson, second place, Mike Burns and third place, Annette Freeland. Come join us for trivia when announced on the radio. Activities are Pitch on Wednesday, March 12, 19, 26, at 1 p.m. Pinochle on Friday, March 14, 21, 28, at 1 p.m. Every Monday-Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. is chair exercise. The next Bingo will be March 18 at 1 p.m. Our next board meeting will be March 17 at 9 a.m. March 15 Saint Patrick Potluck Party, food at noon and cards at 1 p.m. All are welcome. Quilt Guild is March 18 at 6:30 p.m. Arts and Crafts will meet on March 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come join us on March 28 for our Birthday and Anniversary Meal at noon. Dont forget to come and join us for our coffee social every Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The Senior Center is open from 7 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, closed on the weekends and holidays, unless they are playing cards and doing activities. If you would like to come over to do some activities, Cribbage, read a book, put a puzzle together or just to socialize, our door is always open and we would be glad to have you, even if its just to stop in and say hi. We are always looking for new people to play cards and Bingo. If youre interested, please come and join us! We hope everyone has a glorious week and stays safe. Just a reminder of our Respite Program Daybreak and our Commodities Food Program for Seniors over 60. If you are interested, just call the Senior Center, 434-2992. Domestic coffee beans gaining popularity in China People's Daily Online) 13:55, March 12, 2025 A coffee farmer dries fresh coffee cherries at a coffee estate in Pu'er city, southwest China's Yunnan Province. Pu'er is the largest coffee producer in China. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo) Chinese-grown coffee beans are brewing up a storm in cafes across cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Xiamen, as industry insiders report a significant shift in bean selection preferences amid rising global coffee prices. According to a report released by the International Coffee Organization in January this year, the international coffee price index has skyrocketed by 75.8 percent compared to the same period last year, with major producing regions like Brazil and Colombia experiencing widespread price growth. In response to this international price surge, many cafe owners are turning to domestically grown alternatives, with beans produced in southwest China's Yunnan Province stealing the spotlight. "While Yunnan beans have seen some price increases recently, they're still relatively cheaper than those from famous production areas like Colombia and Brazil, while maintaining good quality," said Wu Jianlei, a veteran in the international coffee bean trade. Beyond cost considerations, Chinese coffee beans are processed with increasingly sophisticated techniques, ensuring consistent quality that keeps customers coming back for more, said the owner of a mid-to-high-end coffee shop in Beijing. "We blend one or two Yunnan coffee bean varieties with imported ones in specific ratios for our signature coffees, ensuring great taste while keeping costs in check," the owner said. Some young consumers also said they intentionally seek out domestic coffee beans for their distinct flavors. "Imported beans often have floral or sweet-and-sour notes, while Yunnan beans taste 'cleaner and smoother' plus, they're more affordable," said a coffee enthusiast from Beijing. A grower from Baoshan in Yunnan said that fresh coffee cherries of the Catimor varietythe dominant variety on his plantationtraded at a stable price of about 8 yuan ($1.1) per kilogram last year, up more than 2 yuan from the previous production season. In the same year, the coffee industry boosted incomes for 15,000 local coffee-growing households, with the average yield increasing by over 3,000 yuan per mu (one mu equals 667 square meters) compared to previous years. Chinese coffee exports are also on the rise. According to data provided by Kunming Customs, Yunnan Province exported 32,500 tonnes of coffee in 2024, a staggering 358 percent year-on-year increase, to 29 countries and regions including the Netherlands, Germany, the United States, and Vietnam. Some coffee enterprises are pushing for the high-quality development of domestic coffee. Fu Yongqiao, IP development manager of a coffee enterprise, said that beyond refining coffee bean quality, Chinese coffee brands are exploring ways to infuse their products with deeper cultural significance. "We're pursuing quality while also striving to better promote the culture behind coffee," Fu said, hoping to introduce more consumers to Baoshan's natural beauty and cultural heritage. "We don't just want to sell 'good-tasting coffee'we want consumers to experience the unique culture behind it as they savor each cup," Fu said, noting that a compelling narrative that combines coffee and culture is creating broader market opportunities for domestic coffee brands. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Before I came to California, it was an illusion. I never went through the effort to develop a full narrative of what this place meant. I idly collected mythology in my head Hollywood, Joan Didion, surfing, Mexican food and bikinis. Lets imagine a married couple on trial for fraud. They think the same way; theyve known each other since childhood; and now they have been caught red-handed with fingers firmly in the till. Youd expect both to receive the same treatment from the courts: a fair, impartial hearing and an appropriate sentence. But in this imaginary example, one of the thieves is male and white. His wife is, for the sake of argument, Asian. The difficulty with the new sentencing guidelines, due to come into force on April 1, is that our fraudsters would be treated differently. Because the wife is both female and from an ethnic minority, the court would be expected to request and consider a pre-sentence report before deciding her punishment: but for her white British husband, it wont. Well-meaning this may be, based doubtless on a noble desire to give disadvantaged women a leg up and atone for past prejudice. Its not only illogical and unequal, but it can only fuel the sense that we have a two-tier justice system. Whatever the reality, something that once looked like a feverish conspiracy theory dreamed up by Far-Right keyboard warriors is now laid out in black and white by the foremost sentencing body of England and Wales, the Sentencing Council. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, to her credit, now seems to accept this: having first declined to intervene citing the Councils independence. She has asked for the guidance to be withdrawn and rethought. But this itself has caused controversy. Chairman of the Council, appeal judge Sir William Davis, has announced combatively that the body will take legal advice on the extent of Mahmoods powers, to decide if she has any right to demand revisions. Shabana Mahmood has known about the proposed changes in favour of differential treatment since they first landed on her desk after her appointment last July. She sidestepped the issue then: it has now come back to bite her Sir William declared loftily that the Justice Secretary was trying to dictate how courts should act in sentencing matters, which amounted to political interference with the judicial process. Strong language, indeed. Who is right in all this? I suspect at bottom that, whether you like her or not, Shabana Mahmood is. True, this is a pickle almost entirely of her own making. Not only has she vacillated between saying she cant interfere with the Council because it is independent, then later calling in strong terms for it to think again. The Justice Secretary was actually a big cause of the trouble. She has known about the proposed changes in favour of differential treatment since they first landed on her desk after her appointment last July. She sidestepped the issue then: it has now come back to bite her. The problem is that while sentencing might once have been a backwater best left to the independent judgment of the legal establishment, those days are long gone. Sentencing is now a seriously political matter. Following the murders of three children at a dance class in Southport and the rioting nationally that ensued, problems of perceived disparity were obvious to anyone who took the trouble to digest the news. As stiff sentences were handed out to people who had posted inflammatory messages online but committed no actual violence, sometimes stiffer than those meted out to actual rioters, many observers complained that double standards were at work. It wasnt only the Southport riots. Left-wing protesters arrested at marches for, say, Black Lives Matter or pro-Palestinian rallies, appeared to be receiving more lenient treatment than those railing against illegal immigration, for instance. No wonder people began to give the Prime Minister the nickname: Two-Tier Keir. This is a pickle almost entirely of Shabana Mahmood's own making and the Justice Secretary was actually a big cause of the trouble If this is right, Mahmoods intervention raises a valid concern. If sentencing is as controversial as this, is it really right that final control over sentencing guidelines should lie with the Sentencing Council? It, remember, is a quango, an unelected body ultimately responsible to no one. It may be fine for the Sentencing Council to deal with technical matters, such as ensuring that sentencing is no harsher in some parts of the country than others. But where political controversy steps in, no body of that sort, and certainly not closely connected with the judiciary, should be entrusted with it. The issue becomes the preserve of politicians, who at least are answerable to the voters. And the latest guidelines are politically controversial, even if Sir William and his colleagues dont see it that way and prefer to preserve a rarefied independence. They stipulate that reports must be compiled before sentencing criminals who fall into specific groups: females, members of ethnic minorities, transgender people, drug addicts, victims of domestic abuse, coercion, exploitation or people trafficking, or whatever in short, anyone who isnt a straight, white male. When guidelines such as these now rightly questioned by a Cabinet minister are prepared by a body insulated from political influence, it moves towards government by the unelected. And ironically it is Labours fault. Gordon Browns Cabinet approved the introduction of the Sentencing Council in 2010. There is more to it, too. Like academia, publishing and broadcasting, Britains legal establishment has become inexorably more patrician and mistrustful of ordinary voters over the past 15 years, and particularly since Brexit. Its easy to think that it actually prefers the country to be run by committees of the great and the good who can be relied on: their view is that voters seem often to propel the wrong people into positions of power. And this outlook is self-perpetuating. Members of the legal establishment judges and senior lawyers alike very often come from a similar pool of thought, and increasingly live and work in something of a metropolitan social bubble. They tend to know each other and seek each others respect and approval. Contrarians and mavericks dont tend to prosper these days. Oddly enough, the result is an attitude that almost evokes a hankering for the days when a nod and a wink or a discreetly raised eyebrow from a member of the establishment might suffice to alter government policy. The problem of this is plain for all to see. The Equal Treatment Bench Book, produced by another genteel legal quango, the Judicial College, opens with the words: Fair treatment is a fundamental principle... a vital judicial responsibility. It quotes the judicial oath, sworn by all judges: I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this realm, without fear or favour, affection or ill will. But a two-tier application of the law shatters that oath. Making pre-sentence reports obligatory for some but not others automatically favours those from certain groups. It is frankly iniquitous that to be transgender, or a drug addict, or to have a physical disability, or to have skin that is not white, might cause you to be treated differently by the courts. You may not agree with Shabana Mahmood on very much; but she is right here on two counts. One is that different treatment is not doing right to all manner of people. The other is that where sentencing gives rise to political controversy, the decision, and the responsibility, should be a politicians. QUESTION: Was the word Nosferatu invented for the film? The term predates the film and was used in Western literature to refer to vampires. Bram Stoker used it in Dracula (1897) and this was the basis for F. W. Murnaus film. Stoker himself had borrowed it from Emily Gerards 1885 article Transylvanian Superstitions, which was later incorporated into her 1888 book The Land Beyond The Forest. Gerard, from Airdrie in Scotland, wrote her book after spending two years in Romania. Gerard described Nosferatu as an Eastern European term for a vampire: More decidedly evil is the nosferatu, or vampire, in which every Roumanian [sic] peasant believes as firmly as he does in heaven or hell. Stoker was clearly influenced by Gerards writings, and her description of Nosferatu is familiar to those who have read Dracula: Every person killed by a nosferatu becomes likewise a vampire after death, and will continue to suck the blood of other innocent persons till the spirit has been exorcised by opening the grave of the suspected person, and either driving a stake through the corpse or in very obstinate cases of vampirism it is recommended to cut off the head, and replace it in the coffin with the mouth filled with garlic. Linguists have debated whether Nosferatu is a genuine Romanian word or a misunderstanding. One theory is that Gerard misread or mistranscribed the Romanian word nesuferit, which means plaguesome or insufferable. Emily Gerard described Nosferatu as an Eastern European term for a vampire Stoker was clearly influenced by Gerards writings, and her description of Nosferatu is familiar to those who have read Dracula (pictured) Nosferatu is also close to the Greek word nosophoros (disease-bearing) which is suggested as another possible origin due to Eastern Orthodox Christian influences in Romania. Simon Cowan, Sheffield QUESTION: Surely from an evolutionary perspective we should all be ambidextrous. What advantages do we gain from having a preferred hand? Handedness our preference for using one hand over the other evolved as a consequence of brain lateralisation, where different cognitive functions are specialised in either the left or right hemisphere of the brain. In most people, the left hemisphere controls language and fine motor skills, leading to a right-hand preference (since the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body). Lateralisation is not unique to humans but it is at its most extreme, and the strong population-level right-handedness observed in humans is unique. This has been the case for a very long time. Archaeological data revealing prehistoric hand-use patterns for tool use and cave art have confirmed that right-handedness was already established in Neanderthals. Archaeological data revealing prehistoric hand-use patterns for tool use and cave art have confirmed that right-handedness was already established in Neanderthals The principal evolutionary drivers for handedness are thought to be tool use and communication skills. Early humans relied on tools, which required precise co-ordination. A dominant hand would have helped improve dexterity and efficiency in crafting and using tools. In group settings, a shared hand preference may have made teaching and imitation easier. K. E. Lewis, Reading, Berks QUESTION: Does Shakespeare mention Venices canals or lagoon in The Merchant Of Venice and Othello? The canals are not directly referenced in the dialogue or description of either play. In The Merchant Of Venice, there is a solitary mention of a gondola (That in a gondola were seen together/ Lorenzo and his amorous Jessica) and of the ferry required to reach Venice from the mainland. However, there is little evidence that Shakespeare was aware of Venices extensive waterways. This is less important in Othello, as Venice serves only as the backdrop for Act I; the subsequent four acts are set in Cyprus. There is little evidence that Shakespeare was aware of Venices extensive waterways Shakespeare's Globe: A reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, associated with William Shakespeare, in the London Borough of Southwark In The Merchant Of Venice, one of Shakespeares characters, Old Gobbo, even has a horse and cart. He speaks of his fill-horse, which is a horse that goes between the shafts of a cart. Horses were forbidden in Venice in the 14th century. Shakespeare mentions the Rialto several times, where Shylocks workplace, the Venetian Exchange, is located. However, he does not mention the famous Rialto Bridge and the fact that it spans the Grand Canal. Nor is there mention of The Ghetto, the first such in Europe, behind whose walls Shylock and other Jewish residents would have been locked after midnight and on Christian feast days. It appears that Shakespeares precise geographical knowledge of Venice was scant, although his grasp of the citys governance and laws was better. Beatrice Smith, Flint, Clwyd Who is going to break it to Jamie Oliver that dyslexia likely does not exist? And when they do, will the famous cook be delighted that he has at last been freed from the burden of this mythical complaint? Or will he be cross? Id guess cross. For dyslexia is one of those rare afflictions that people actually want to have. In this, it is like its equally fictional cousin ADHD. Both have no objective, testable, falsifiable diagnosis. Yet both bring certain privileges to those who think they have them. Recipients of disabled students allowance may receive extra time to take exams, a scribe, a reader, assistive software or modified exam papers. Sometimes there are cheap or even free laptops kitted out with supportive spell-check software. Both ADHD and dyslexia can qualify the parents of children diagnosed with them for untaxed welfare payments which are not means-tested. ADHD gets you NHS prescriptions for stimulant drugs, remarkably similar to illegal amphetamines, for which there is a substantial black market among the indisputably healthy. Im glad to say that so far there is no pill specifically for dyslexia. Both lift a burden of responsibility from the sufferer, from his or her parents and above all from the schools they go to. This is also a multi-million pound industry there are now alleged to be 870,000 children with dyslexia in Britain. And those who dare criticise it can expect a lot of howls of rage. Hence the near-universal praise heaped on people such as Jamie Oliver who identify as dyslexia patients. Mr Oliver has been granted the huge privilege of making a TV documentary on dyslexia, to be shown on Channel 4 later this year. How brave! Or is it? Who is the embattled minority here? Dyslexia believers, or those who doubt its existence? Mr Oliver explained yesterday on the BBC that while he was very happy at school, he couldnt read or write or spell, and so struggled. He famously got two GCSEs. I was running away from words, from reading and writing. I thought it was just me. But there were hundreds of thousands of us every year. He said that the self-worth and self-esteem of many children like him evaporated under the age of ten. And I believe him. If you cant read, school is a misery. But the explanation is not dyslexia. How could it be? Nobody can even agree on exactly what it is. Jamie Oliver has revealed that he struggled at school because he couldn't read, write or spell. He famously got two GCSEs Everyone who cannot read properly is affected in different ways by this lack. But the method urged to overcome it is much the same as the method urged by traditional reading teachers down the ages. This is what is known as synthetic phonics (SP), in which children are taught to associate a particular sound with each letter. I was taught in this way by my mother, who was taught by her mother and simply passed the gift to me. I can still remember the afternoon in an attic on the edge of Dartmoor, aged four, when I finally stumbled into literacy, reading the words they meant well from an ancient 1930s Tiger Tim annual, which she had used as her teaching aid. It was the word meant that held me up. Once I conquered the e and the a together, nothing could stop me. One London teacher, the Hungarian Eva Retkin, maintained for years that she could teach any child to read if he or she knew the alphabet. Challenged to do so by one national newspaper, she fulfilled her promise. At the age of 80, long after retirement, she was still doing it, and declared I always had about 30 pupils in my class and so I assume a few of those were dyslexic, if thats what you want to call it, but it made no difference. They all learned to read before going on to secondary school. Every single one of them. This is no surprise to conservative reading experts. Ten years ago, The Dyslexia Debate was published. It is a rigorous study of this alleged ailment by two distinguished academics Professor Julian Elliott of Durham University, and Professor Elena Grigorenko of Yale University. They made several points. There is no clear definition or objective diagnosis. Nobody can agree on how many people suffer from it. Yet you would barely know such a book existed, judging by the way the mainstream of our society continues to speak and write of dyslexia as if it is an established fact. Elliott and Grigorenko are not alone. Parliaments Select Committee on Science and Technology said in 2009: There is no convincing evidence that, if a child with dyslexia is not labelled as dyslexic, but receives full support for his or her reading difficulty, that the child will do any worse than a child who is labelled dyslexic and then receives special help. This is because both are given exactly the same treatment. But as Elliott and Grigorenko say: Being labelled dyslexic can be perceived as desirable for many reasons. These include the extra resources and extra time in exams that are now so common. Alas Vine & Hitchens: What's the big idea? Get the Mail's new politics podcast, hosted by columnists Sarah Vine and Peter Hitchens - wherever you listen to podcasts now. But then theres the hope that it will reduce the shame and embarrassment that are often the consequence of literacy difficulties. It may help exculpate the child, parents and teachers from any perceived sense of responsibility. And that is true. It is why anyone who doubts the existence of dyslexia can expect abuse rather than a reasoned response, precisely because the diagnosis liberates everyone involved from any blame at all. But the children should never be blamed. It is not their fault. The fault lies elsewhere. As the American author Rudolf Flesch (an Austrian refugee from Hitler) wrote 70 years ago in his blockbuster book Why Johnny Cant Read, the problem is a very old one in the USA and in Britain. It is almost entirely down to the use of mistaken new methods of reading teaching (mainly look and say). During the 1930s and 1940s the idea that children would learn to read better by recognising whole words caught on with progressive teachers and began to displace traditional methods. Fleschs argument, for the immediate resumption of teaching by phonics, was largely ignored by the teaching profession in Britain until very recently. But in 2005, undeniable research in Clackmannanshire in Scotland made it impossible to ignore the truth. The seven-year study showed (as Retkin and Flesch could have told them) that SP was highly effective in teaching children to read. Do most UK schools now use SP as they are supposed to do by law in England? How can we really know? Getting teachers to do what they do not want to do is far tougher than herding cats, and I suspect many of them regard SP as authoritarian or something of the kind. What is certain is that many progressive teachers (and that is a lot of teachers) still view SP with suspicion. A recent paper by academics Charlotte Hacking and Dominic Wise attacks SP, saying that a rigid approach to teaching phonics is joyless and is failing children. I suspect we still have plenty of dyslexia to come, before Johnny can read again without trouble. The full 'Worm Moon' will rise by 5pm on Friday afternoon, with Australians set to be struck by the powerful influence of both that and a total lunar eclipse. Astrologer and spiritualist, Rose Smith, says this impactful combination presents a unique opportunity for deep reflection, transformation and the realignment of goals. As the moon reaches its fullest in Virgo, Ms Smith said the event calls for deep introspection about health, service, and balance in our lives. 'But it's not only earthy Virgo that is feeling the heat - fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) are particularly influenced by many cosmic shifts in March bringing a sense of karmic reckoning and energetic reset,' she said. This coming period, she explains, will encourage us to reflect on past behaviours and tendencies that no longer serve us. 'For fire signs, these alignments may feel particularly intense, bringing up old memories, emotional baggage, unfinished business, or patterns which need to be cleared,' she said. Ms Smith, who runs the largest psychic network based in the southern hemisphere, Absolute Soul Secrets, said that while Australians will only see the total lunar eclipse partially, it is a symbolic moment of culmination, closure and revelation. 'As the moon's usual glow dims under the Earth's shadow, hidden truths and unresolved emotions often come to the surface, encouraging us to release what no longer serves our personal or spiritual growth,' she said. The full 'Worm Moon' will rise by 5pm on Friday afternoon, with Australians set to be struck by the powerful influence of both that and a total lunar eclipse Meanwhile, the full Worm Moon in Virgo, which is known for its focus on organising, healing, and self-improvement, offers space for new growth. Traditionally, this marks the time when earthworms begin to appear as the ground thaws, signifying the arrival of spring in the northern hemisphere. 'This full moon calls for renewal, new beginnings, and the shedding of old layers in preparation for growth. It's a time to embrace the changing seasons of life and embrace the promise of new opportunities,' Ms Smith said. 'If you've been lacking in self-care or ignoring to-do lists, this moon will give you the nudge you need. Think of it as a cosmic cleanup for your mind, body, and soul.' Virgo is also a 'mutable' sign so other mutable signs Gemini, Sagittarius and Pisces can expect to feel its force most. Ms Smith said while everyone will be affected by Virgo's influence over the full moon, other Earth signs Taurus and Capricorn will likely feel its intensity as well. The total lunar eclipse will be partially visible in Australia for just over an hour-and-a-half and while its start time varies between states. Look up above from around 6pm to 9pm on Friday, March 14th and you should be in for a treat! The full moon itself will be reaching it's peak at 5.54pm AEDT on the same date. Astrologer and spiritualist, Rose Smith (pictured), says this impactful combination presents a unique opportunity for deep reflection, transformation and the realignment of goals Aries (March 21 to April 19) The full moon in Virgo lunar eclipse spotlights health, work, and routines. Now you're being asked to release old habits or work patterns that no longer serve you. It's a powerful moment to break free from limiting karmic cycles. Meanwhile, there's a whole bunch of Pisces planets calling for deep reflection pay attention to your subconscious and spiritual well-being. This eclipse highlights where you might be holding yourself back, guiding you toward a strong reset. Prioritise balance between work and rest and focus on any unhealthy routines. If you do these two things, you create a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle moving forward. Taurus (April 20 to May 20) The full moon activates your house of creativity, love, and personal expression. It's time to let go of past creative blocks and unfulfilled romantic connections. The Pisces planets in your friend zone guide you to reassess your social circles and align your dreams with your passions. This is a time to reconsider your creative pursuits and romantic life, clearing space for new experiences. Focus on steering your creativity to your future goals and release what no longer serves you. Review and reassess your social circles and groups, and their influence on your growth. Now is the point of change where you can let go of old patterns. New romantic connections and creative opportunities await. Gemini (May 21 to June 20) This lunar eclipse in Virgo shines a light on your home, family, and emotional foundations. You might be asked by Spirit to contemplate your ancestry and family roots. It's important that you let go of any inherited patterns or dynamics that restrict you. With Pisces planets influencing your career and public life, it's a great time to reflect on how your personal life influences your professional ambitions. You might feel compelled to make changes in both your home environment and your career. Focus on clearing out clutter, both physically and emotionally, to create more space for growth. Consider setting boundaries between your personal and work life, especially if you're working from home. Cancer (June 21 to July 22) This full moon illuminates your communications, thought patterns, and local connections. Now you can let go of outdated beliefs or habits in these areas. With a whole heap of Pisces planets in your house of higher learning, you may feel a desire to broaden your horizons. It's a great time to embrace new ways of thinking and communicating. Take time to reflect on your mental habits and release any negative thinking tainting your worldview. Jump into new ideas, knowledge, and spirituality now. Trust your intuition as you step into new realms of experiencing life, including travel, education, or philosophy. This energy helps your personal growth through communication and learning. Virgos should focus on how their personal growth affects the relationships around them this month Leo (July 23 to August 22) This full moon activates your finances and self-worth, calling you to release any attachment to material possessions that no longer reflects your true values. There's a powerful stellium of Pisces planets assisting you to reassess your connection with shared resources and intimacy. Use this time to review your financial habits and identify what truly matters to you. Let go of old ways of managing money that limit your growth. Focus on shifting your self-worth beyond just possessions. This Full Moon brings clarity on how to balance your material and emotional worlds. Accept these changes to redefine your financial and deep emotional life. Virgo (August 23 to September 22) This full moon illuminates your sign and your personal identity. Now you're being pushed to release old versions of yourself that no longer represent your true nature. With all the Pisces planets in your relationship house, you may feel the tension between your independence and the compromises needed in partnerships. It's time to shed outdated personality patterns and embrace your authentic self. Focus on how your personal growth affects the relationships around you. Trust your instincts as you handle these changes. Legal matters or relationships with those you don't see eye to eye with may also be affected. This is a powerful moment for self-transformation and personal evolution. Step into the next phase of your journey with confidence. Libra (September 23 to October 22) This full moon activates your spirituality and hidden emotions, prompting you to release any old emotional baggage. With a ton of Pisces planets in your health and daily routine zone, it's a time to address emotional habits that affect your well-being. Prioritise rest and healing as this eclipse encourages reflection on your subconscious patterns. Take note of your dreams and those little flashes of insight you may receive. Revisit any past emotional issues that need to be released with compassion. Seek solitude to gain insights into your emotional health. This is a moment for deep spiritual and emotional healing. Let go of what no longer serves your inner peace. It's a good time for resting now. Scorpio (October 23 to November 21) This full moon shines on your friendships, social networks, and long-term goals. Let go of anyone who isn't really interested in your happiness, to make space for new people to enter your life. With many Pisces planets influencing creativity and romance, now's the time to assess how your social life supports your passions. Reassess your friendships and consider letting go of those that no longer serve your growth. This eclipse invites you to redefine your social circle and goals. Seek out new connections that align with your personal ambitions. Update your hopes and dreams in accordance with what you want your future to be. Trust that the right connections will come when you release the past. Aquarians should release old attachments that no longer serve their financial growth and self-esteem Sagittarius (November 22 to December 21) This full moon illuminates your career and public life, urging you to release outdated professional habits, roles, and personas. With Pisces planets affecting your home and family, it's time to find balance between your personal and professional life. Reflect on how your home environment impacts your career goals. Reassess your career path and let go of any outdated career choices. Focus on creating harmony between your work and personal life. This eclipse could bring significant changes in both your professional ambitions and home life. Embrace these changes to find a more fulfilling work-life balance. Your public life may become more important now - think social media and the like. Capricorn (December 22nd to January 19) This full moon shines on higher learning, philosophy, and travel, urging you to release limiting beliefs that hold you back. With Pisces planets in updating your communication, it's a good time to expand your horizons and share your wisdom with others. It's also a good time for marketing, promotions, and publishing. Challenge any rigid beliefs and open yourself to new ideas now. Reassess your approach to learning and growing. This eclipse encourages travel or a deep dive into philosophical exploration. Step outside your comfort zone and embrace new experiences and/or travel adventures. Redefine what's important to you and align with your true worldview. Aquarius (January 20th to February 18) This full moon activates your shared resources and intimacy, asking you to release emotional or financial dependencies. With Pisces planets in your house of self-worth, it's time to reassess your values around money, intimacy, and personal power. Reflect on any emotional baggage tied to your shared resources and relationships. Release old attachments that no longer serve your financial growth and self-esteem. Consider how your intimate connections impact your sense of self-worth. This full moon invites you to redefine your financial and emotional boundaries. Transformation is yours as you step into your authentic self. Pisces (February 19 to March 20) This lunar eclipse is a turning point for you, illuminating your house of partnerships. It is asking you to release any unbalanced dynamics in your relationships. With so many Pisces planets in your sign, now is the time to allow a more authentic sense of self in your partnerships to flow through. Reflect on how your relationships are serving your personal growth. Let go of relationships that no longer align with your true desires. Focus on showing up as your most authentic self in all connections. This eclipse asks you to find balance in your partnerships and redefine how you connect with others. Align your relationships with your highest values and who you really are. A chilling audio has revealed the confession of a sick paedophile who who blackmailed 2,000 victims into sending degrading videos performing obscene sexual acts. The perverted crimes of Abdul Elahi, who targeted thousands of women and underage girls on sugar daddy apps, have been revealed in a new Channel 5 documentary, with harrowing audio footage exposing his haunting confession. Originally from Sparkhill in Birmingham, the prolific sexual predator was jailed for 32-years in 2021 after police uncovered a multitude of barbaric sexual crimes - which even extended to blackmailing a woman into abusing her baby. Between the years of 2017 and 2021, when he was finally sentenced, the now 30-year-old blackmailed thousands into sending what amounted to more than a million sexually explicit images from victims from all over the world - which he would then sell to 'like minded' predators online. There was no limit to what Elahi would request his victims to do, including performing acts of incest and 'defecating' on camera. In an interview with the National Crime Agency, he said he 'accidentally' became 'addicted' to the extortion, which became so horrific that some of his victims had attempted to take their own lives. At the height of his offending, he was earning 40,000 a year for selling indecent images of children online. He was also found to have 67,000 indecent pictures of children and had 2,000 victims across 30 countries. The perverted crimes of Abdul Elahi have been revealed in a new Channel 5 documentary, sharing details of how the abuser targeted thousands of women and underage girls on sugar daddy apps (pictured) During his sentencing in Birmingham court, the then 26-year-old was described as being 'in a league of his own' thanks to the sheer scale of his horrific crimes - of which he admitted to 158 of the charges made in 72 complaints. The National Crime Agency, who have investigated a plethora of predators, paedophiles and other sexual abusers, said Elahi's abuse was some of the most 'sickening sexual offending' ever investigated. During his sick reign of blackmail, Elahi would use hundreds of fake identities to obtain his victims trust. Some of these involved pretending to be a doctor of a wealthy stock broker who would promise to pay off the debts of his victims, many of who were dealing with financial hardship. He would then persuade victims to send sexually explicit images of themselves, slowly building up into blackmailing them into sending more degrading images and videos. Elahi would compile 'box sets' of abusive images and videos, distributing them on the internet as part of his sick tactics to further the abuse - even in the face of his victims saying they were considering taking their own lives. In 2018, Elahi was first arrested for possession and distribution of indecent images of children and inciting a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity. Police descended on a residential address in Birmingham, where Elahi's father answered the door and officers were forced to explain the reason for their visit. An officer on the case noted that 'the bedroom was an absolute tip' and it 'was clear he was spending an awful lot of time in that bedroom'. He was then arrested in his home following an incident in the US that involved some 'serious offending' towards a 15-year-old girl. Between the years of 2017 and 2021, when he was finally sentenced, the now 30-year-old blackmailed thousands into sending what amounted to more than a million sexually explicit images from victims from all over the world - which he would then sell to 'like minded' predators online Officers who worked on the case (pictured) recalled being haunted by the crimes. The investigation into his misdemeanors began after a young girl finally gave in and confessed to her parents about the blackmail, leading local American police to launch a search into the activity of the predators. Officers seized three laptops and two phones which were analysed by digital forensics. From there they uncovered the sheer scale of his offending, with thousands of videos and 'millions' of explicit images found on his devices. During the interview, Elahi bizarrely requested no legal advice. Police noted he was 'extremely candid' straight off the bat, willingly confessing to targeting 'at least a 1,000' people on Twitter. 'Even then, I don't think we realised just how massive the job would become,' said one NCA officer. During the chilling interview, Elahi admitted to officer that his crimes initially began with asking girls to send images of 'regular sexual acts and masturbation and stripping.' He said he was first initiated into the dark online world after becoming part of a 'pornography group' online, where he was first sent pictures of underage girls from the UK. He said this is what lead him to think 'I could sell these'. Elahi had been 'working and studying' at the time that he first discovered a sugar daddy app which lead him into exploiting girls online. He said his trajectory was 'accidental' but soon began 'addictive'. Once he had got girls 'on the hook', he would take them onto WhatsApp where he would ask their 'age, occupation and financial situation' which would give him a clue as to 'how far they were willing to go'. He said he was first initiated into the dark online world after becoming part of a 'pornography group' online, where he was first sent pictures of underage girls from the UK Speaking on the documentary, one officer said: 'Elahi was trying to portray this image of a jet-setting business man who had money that he was willing to give to women on these sites if they provided him with some fairly innocuous images.' He would start by encouraging them to send 'tame' pictures including them in their 'favourite underwear, saying he would pay for them, before building to more perverted requests. Explaining his twisted fantasies, Elahi said in one police interview: 'I'll have a normal day, I'll come home from work, I'll be exhausted and them something will switch in my head and that's it, I need child pornography because it's taken over me.' He admitted to officers that he gained sexual gratification from watching videos of children. 'I know people just say it but I do genuinely have something wrong with me,' he said. 'I've always been scared to speak to a therapist because she'll probably fall off the chair if she knew what I've done.' Often to 'speed things up', Elahi he would use a pre-prepared 'script', often forwarding them videos that other victims had sent him so he could instruct them to 'copy'. He would ask victims for details about their identity, telling them he needed to know for his 'OCD', but which would give him essential tools to uncover personal details about them which he would later threaten to expose. He would 'get off' on threatening victims with telling their families and even posting content to porn websites. 'So, for examples of videos that would be requested offering higher amounts, it would be scat, spit mess, urinating - public sometimes.' He would compile 'box sets' of the sick content and sell it on to 'like minded individuals'. 'When I started selling them, I realised people wanted it to be taken up a notch,' he admitted. Speaking on the case, one officer commented: 'One of the strangest aspect of all this is that this was effectively an adult living at home who decided that his career would take in the abuse of women and children and he dedicated every last waking hour to that abuse.' 'He was essentially monetising his perversions,' said another officer. Elahi turned to selling pictures on 'darker' groups, who would pay for explicit images. Elahi would sell material in terabyte boxes, which experts said would be the equivalent to 'about 100,000 dictionaries worth of material' packaged up and sold to other pedophiles around the world. He had an extensive money laundering system to avoid being caught, receiving payments in the form of Amazon gift vouchers which he would often go on to sell. Elahi was making 'in the region of 40,000' for exploiting children online. An officer who dealt with victims on the case said the crimes of Elahi had left a 'massive impact' on her, recalling instances where victims were so petrified that they couldn't even answer a videocall. After the interview, he was initially released on bail pending further investigation. By February 2019, the NCA had statements from seven on Elahi's victims, building up his case in the hopes of arresting him and bringing his victims to justice. Six months later, police began to uncover even more evidence from international victims, including some having been asked for incest pornography. One 13-year-old victims was promised payment if she perform oral sex on her brother, a request that wasn't uncommon for Elahi, with dozens of other victims revealing accounts. Almost a year later, the NCA took the case again to the the Crown Prosecution to seek permission to make an arrest and by December 2019, the CPS had appointed a prosecutor in preparation for Elahi's trial. In 2020, he physically assaulted a girl with learning disabilities in an alleyway in London. Police on the case discovered video footage evidence of the crime and seized Elahi's phone, where they discovered that he was continuing to commit crimes, which gave police enough evidence to re-arrest and finally charge him. When he had his day in court, Elahi was faced with four of his victims, who had the chance to detail their harrowing experiences. According to an NCA officer in the court, Elahi refused to listen the witness statements and came across only as 'soul-less.' The judge found Elahi dangerous to members of the public and so awarded him an 'extended sentence' meaning he will serve at least two thirds of his time before he can be considered for parole. During his sentencing, Tony Cook of the NCA said: 'Abdul Elahi is a depraved sadist who got sexual gratification through power and control over his victims whom he often goaded to the point of wanting to kill themselves. 'He has wrecked lives and families.' 'Elahi was a careful and calculating individual who had lived largely in the shadows. He had strengths as an internet persona rather than living in the real world and when you took him away from that protection, he just came across as a scared and little man,' said one officer. Other's recalled still being 'haunted' by what they saw. 'Cases like this will haunt you until your last dying day.' Elahi was sentenced to 32-years in prison for his crimes. A former Dragons' Den investor has revealed six things on the hit BBC show which aren't quite as they seem. Piers Linney, who is a former investor on series 11 of the BBC show from 2013 to 2015, opened up about the 'fakery' at play on the programme. The entrepreneur heard over 200 pitches and made nine deals while on the series next to Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Kelly Hoppen and Duncan Bannatyne. His investments included digital picture book publisher Lost My Name, self-tan brand Skinny Tan, festival and clubbing holidays operator Mainstage Travel and customised trainers company Skribbies. He later appeared on Channel 4's The Secret Millionaire, where he went undercover into a Young Offenders Institution to learn more about the work of charities that support young offenders. The Co-founder of Implement AI claimed a lot of the Dragons' Den set was completely fake, saying the lift 'doesn't go anywhere.' He said: 'I only realised how fake Dragons' Den was when we started filming. When I arrived on set, sitting between Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden, reality hit me. 'The rusted and worn surfaces were painted wood. The steel girders and rivets turned out to be clever paintwork and more wood. Piers Linney, who is a former investor on series 11 of Dragon's Den from 2013 to 2015, revealed six things on the hit BBC show which aren't quite as they seem 'The pipe and valve wheel often featured behind me in the show were not real. As for the piles of 50 notes - what do you think... 'The lift went nowhere, footage of real pulleys was edited in. Even the view from the windows was a photograph.' Sharing his story on LinkedIn, Piers, who also works as tech lead at AI consultancy Champions (UK) plc, said his experiences on the show were incredibly positive. 'Crucially, the most important ingredients were entirely real,' he revealed. 'Every entrepreneur's pitch, every nervous reaction and tear shed, the competition between the Dragons, every pound invested by the Dragons. 'As for the stress and tension? That was 100 per cent authentic. The years we spent supporting those entrepreneurs to build businesses or handle failures were real. 'You can fake a TV set, but you can't fake courage, creativity, or entrepreneurial dreams and the guts it takes to put them all on the table.' Piers is an entrepreneur and investor with experience across a range of sectors including technology, media, communications, and additive manufacturing. The entrepreneur heard over 200 pitches and made nine deals while on the series next to Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden , Kelly Hoppen and Duncan Bannatyne Piers' investments included digital picture book publisher Lost My Name, self-tan brand Skinny Tan, festival and clubbing holidays operator Mainstage Travel and customised trainers company Skribbies He has a professional background as a qualified lawyer specialised in venture capital, M&A investment banking at Credit Suisse and alternative asset fund management. A former non-executive Director of the UK government's development bank British Business Bank, Piers was influential in the roll out of the 90bn Covid business support loan schemes. It comes after a former Dragons' Den contestant whose cardboard box company was slammed as 'pathetic' on the BBC programme is now raking in 10 million a year. Rachel Watkyn, from Uckfield, first set foot in the fiery boardroom in 2008 to pitch her sustainable packaging business - The Tiny Box Company. At the time they were the only company in the UK that solely dealt in recycled packaging, mainly focusing on eco-friendly gift and jewellery boxes. She and her business partner, Robin Banks, managed to bag 60,000 worth of investments from Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis - but entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne wasn't convinced. He bashed the sample product, branding it 'ridiculous' and something his then eight-year-old daughter could produce. Duncan said: I think its ridiculous that youve come along with what you call a business, that you describe as ethical and recyclable materials.' Rachel Watkyn was told her business - Tiny Box Company - was 'pathetic' when she appeared on Dragons' Den in 2008 - but now it makes 10million a year (pictured: Rachel and her business partner Robin Banks) Duncan Bannatyne bashed the product, branding the blue and burgundy striped box as 'ridiculous' and something his eight-year-old daughter could produce At the time the Tiny Box Company was the only business in the UK that dealt solely with recycled packaging, focusing mainly on gift boxes and jewellery packaging 'And you produce a box which my eight-year-old daughter Emily could make better at school - the ends dont match up, the lines arent straight. Twirling the burgundy and blue striped box in his fingers, he quipped: Its pathetic, it really is. However, more than a decade later the Tiny Box Company has reached new heights, broadening their horizons by creating over 1,500 packaging products and accessories. Now they offer a range of eco-friendly and recycled packaging, from large moving boxes to multicoloured mailing gift boxes, as well as foam earring inserts and more. Boasting a clientele of nearly 200,000, the company now takes in 10million annually. Reflecting on the experience with ITV, Rachel said: 'They were brutal, they were absolutely brutal. On the show, I didnt have any confidence.' But with a flurry of start-up companies emerging who needed the packaging she produced, Rachel knew it would be a success. 'Off camera, I just knew that Etsy was becoming more and more popular and Not On The High Street,' explained Rachel. Even though The Tiny Box Company is now raking in millions a year, the journey there hasn't been the smoothest. The rocky road to success has been a 'lesson in resilience' according to Rachel, who in the last few years has survived cancer three times. It has been the toughest journey of my life. Ive had cancer three times in the last five years,' she shared. British TIkTok users have teamed up to play a prank on Americans and taunt their transatlantic cousins with the idea the nation has to drink tea when summoned by an siren. Sardonic creators have jumped on the trend of teasing Americans about the so-called 'tea alarm', tricking gullible viewers into thinking it's a staple part of culture in the UK. Content creators from the island jumped on the bandwagon and said it usually sounds multiple times a day and that people must stop what they are doing to drink a brew - or face a fine from the government. In response, Americans have been left puzzled and full of questions about what happens if one misses the alarm - while others ask what it sounds like. One wrote on a clip: 'We need a tea time alarm in US,' while another asked whether they had to partake in eating afternoon tea as a tourist. TikToker Elaine explained the 'rules' behind the siren in her video which was labelled: 'British tea time alarm is a real thing.' She joked Brits can be arrested for not partaking in the alarm and that there are certain rules in place that everyone must follow. Elaine explained: 'You have different alarms for different districts and councils. If it's the summer and you're drinking tea, you can have herbal teas and stuff like that but it is preferred to have a British, English tea.' TikToker Elaine explained the 'rules' behind the siren in her video which was labelled: 'British tea time alarm is a real thing' She added the rules differ in the winter, adding that you have to drink British tea and that there are no exceptions to the rule. 'It's extremely stressful, even when you have a job we have a specific designated canteen for giving out cups of tea,' she added. 'It's convenient and efficient if you have cups of tea waiting for you.' Other British people left comments under the video which carried on the joke, with one person claiming they had tried to opt out of tea time via a 'sick note' written by their mother. Another said: 'I almost burnt myself rushing to make it,' while a third penned: 'Do they know about our car kettles for when driving on the motorway? Dont want to get caught short for the tea alarm while on the go.' An American woman named Brandy came across the mass prank on the social media platform and posed questions about the tea time alarm in her own TikTok clip. She said: 'When the tea time alarm goes off, if you're in the bathroom or you're walking around on the street, what do you do? Do you go to a friend's house, do you go to a cafe? Do you keep some in your backpack?' Britons played along in response, saying: 'When the tea alarm goes off you just go into the nearest home, shop, building and they will be making tea and youll be given a cup. 'Its illegal for them to turn you away, they will be prosecuted.' Other Brits also joined in on the joke in the comments section of Elaine's video An American woman called Mary said she found herself on the 'British side of TikTok' and has been seeing many videos explaining the 'tea time alarm' Brits attempted to continue the practical joke by answering all of Mary's questions Rochelle Raye Anthony, runner up of The Apprentice in 2023, also joined in on the fun, tricking followers who hail from the US One American asked Rochelle to provide proof that there was a tea time alarm Another said: 'I was actually in labour when the tea time alarm went off. Lucky my son was born by the time the kettle boiled. We named him Earl.' Rochelle Raye Anthony, runner up of The Apprentice in 2023, also joined in on the fun, tricking followers who hail from the US. She joked: 'I keep seeing Americans asking whether this tea time alarm thing is real or not real. Have you never travelled outside of America? 'Tell me you haven't got a passport without telling me you haven't got a passport, it just sounds really uncultured that you don't know about one of our biggest British cultures.' She said it was 'wild' that those from other countries thought Brits were 'lying' about having a designated alarm. One woman from the US commented: 'Can you show us proof because nobody in their right mind wants to travel to England.' Rochelle even stated that she had to do a 'tea time awareness course' a couple of weeks ago because she kept missing the alarm. And she's not the only one who has jumped on the bandwagon. A content creator on TikTok, who goes by the username @laugui12.3, went one step further and also attempted to fool American tourists by saying she was fined for missing multiple alarms. A content creator on TikTok, who goes by the username @laugui12.3, went one step further and also attempted to fool American tourists by saying she was fined for missing multiple alarms An American woman named Brandy appeared to be baffled after coming across the mass prank on the social media platform and was asking questions about the tea time alarm Brits were sarcastic in the comments towards Brandy and continued with the prank Holding up a piece of paper, she said: 'Woke up to a letter from the UK government fining me 40,000 for missing the tea time alarm three times this year. 'If it's not paid in three days I'm facing two years in prison. Americans don't have to deal with this so why do we!' An American woman called Mary said she found herself on the 'British side of TikTok' and has been seeing many videos explaining the 'tea time alarm'. She said: 'What is the deal with the tea time alarms? Is it a real thing?' One Brit gave away the joke in the comments, writing: 'Tea time alarms? No such thing.' However, another attempted to keep the prank alive by commenting: 'Im from Sheffield which is in Yorkshire, England, we have a 1pm siren. Google it.' Mary then asked : 'Every day? What happens if you miss the alarm?' 'Yes everyday, Ive never missed it but you get a fine if you do,' the user replied. Content creator Maddy said that she was concerned because her mother had gone out and the tea alarm was about to sound. 'She's missed it before, she's going to get a fine and then have to go on the awareness course,' she said, before a siren sounded in the background of her video. One person commented: 'What is the tea alarm?' Maddy then wrote: 'It's a thing in the UK.' Content creator Maddy said that she was concerned because her mother had gone out and the tea alarm was about to sound A person from Ireland was also confused by the tea time alarm and questioned why their country didn't have one Dawn, from Amersham, said it 'baffled her brain' as to why people thought Brits would lie about the tea time alarm Many tourists commented on Dawn's TikTok and were confused about the tea time alarm Another penned: 'I just told an American on here that, that was my job in England ringing the tea time alarm.' A third said: 'I want to state to anyone who reads this that I am Irish HOWEVER what in the name of Jesus is a tea alarm?' Maddy then explained: 'An alarm goes off everyday, around 3pm not always on the dot. and everyone has to have a cup of tea or make their way to the closest cafe/tea station to have a cup of tea. if you don't you get fined!!' But the woman was baffled as to why Ireland hadn't introduced it, replying: 'Okay that's cool but also odd I wonder why Ireland don't have it because UK and Ireland are the biggest Tea drinkers.' Dawn, from Amersham, said it 'baffled her brain' as to why people thought Brits would lie about the tea time alarm. 'It's a community thing that everyone does. Because, obviously, British cups of tea are the most popular drink here in the UK and we consume literally so much of them,' she said. One tourist wrote: 'Im just so confused. I spent a month in London in like 2009 or something, and I do not remember anything like this!' Another penned: 'What if you're a tourist? If we don't drink tea at the tea time alarm, what happens?' A third said: 'What huh?? really wow that is so strange but I guess its normal for British people to drink tea.' The monarch, 76, refreshed his first aid skills on visit on Tuesday King Charles proved an enthusiastic trainee medic as he tried his hand at CPR during a visit to the Royal College of Nursing in London. The monarch performed chest compressions on a mannequin and joked 'at least I haven't broken it' as he refreshed his first aid skills. He also observed three clinical first aid demonstrations, including rescuing from choking, infection prevention and CPR. The King, 76, described administering CPR as 'tiring' and could be heard asking 'how many' before reaching 28 out of 30 chest compressions. Cadet Mia Alami guided his actions, telling the King to 'keep your arms straight' and keep his shoulders above the hands for the correct pressure. She later said he did 'very well' and his demonstration was received by a round of applause. It is understood that the monarch has undertaken first aid training in the last few years, having initially had training in the military. More recently, the King has had first responder training in Scotland, learning, for example, what to do when coming across an injured hiker on a walk. King Charles, 76, proved an enthusiastic trainee medic as he tried his hand at CPR during a visit to the Royal College of Nursing in London on Saturday The monarch is understood to have viewed his visit to the RCN as a 'refresher' in his first aid knowledge and it is hoped that his hands-on participation will encourage others to take up learning how to potentially save someone's life. His visit on Tuesday marked a celebration of the 1,000th RCN King's Nursing Cadet, a scheme launched in 2019 and inspired by the King, to help cadets acquire new skills. While watching the choking demonstration, the King was told that increased choking could be 'an age thing,' as he appeared to suggest it happens to him - particularly with drinks going down the 'wrong way'. He later remarked that CPR was 'effective work' but said that 'the most difficult thing is analysing whether that's what you need to do, or whether it's something else.' Speaking to Ms Alami, he said there was 'such a huge queue of people trying to get into the cadets,' but stressed the importance of getting 'extra people' into the field of nursing. During the visit he met and presented a framed certificate to 16-year-old Harrison Rigby, who has become the 1,000th cadet. The monarch performed chest compressions on a mannequin and joked 'at least I haven't broken it' as he refreshed his first aid skills He also observed three clinical first aid demonstrations, including rescuing from choking, infection prevention and CPR Before departing, the monarch told the cadets he was 'really proud' of them, adding that 'we'll be relying on you more and more' The King told Mr Rigby, from Colchester, that he was 'so glad to be able to give you this' and joked with him about how his twin brother Jefferson drew the 'short straw' by being the 999th cadet. Before departing, the monarch told the cadets he was 'really proud' of them, adding that 'we'll be relying on you more and more'. Professor Nicola Ranger, the chief executive of the RCN, said Charles's visit as patron and creator of the cadet scheme was 'so important' to inspire others to join nursing. She said: 'He's our patron and of course he started the Prince of Wales cadet scheme, but he decided to keep it and upgrade it to the King's cadet scheme so we're just so delighted. 'Particularly when nursing in the UK is under real challenge with trying to recruit people in, so this for us is a real boost.' The message which landed in Hannah Mossman Moores inbox on the afternoon of January 14, 2018, was short and to the point. Online reputation management read the subject, in block capitals. Scrolling down, Hannah, then 25, saw what could only be construed as a chilling threat: from now on, all her online interactions, from emails and texts to social media, would be under someone elses control. It was deeply sinister and Hannah could only assume her account had been hacked. The reality was even darker: that targeted message was the start of a deluge of emails, calls and messages that would take over the jewellery designers life for much of her 20s, penetrating not only her own online identity but entire networks of family, friends and even employers. Wherever Hannah fled, and however many new emails and numbers she tried, the hacker would find her, over time sending such vile, sexualised and misogynistic threats that she became frightened to leave her home. Because Hannah wasnt just being hacked, but stalked the title of the compelling, unsettling new BBC podcast Hannah co-hosts with investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr. In it, the now 32-year-old relates the unfolding horror of what happened to her and her Herculean efforts to try to identify exactly who was responsible for a wholesale takeover of her life. Hannah is a head-turner, charismatic and fun, but behind that confident facade the legacy of what happened to her looms large We think of stalking as a man stood across the street from your front door, but this has the same effect, Hannah says. Its what one woman calls murder in slow motion, because its a stealth takeover of every part of your life. And what is terrifying is that, while this happened to me, this story goes beyond me, because it can easily happen to anyone especially vulnerable young women. On the surface at least, the Hannah I meet today doesnt seem to fit into said category. A head-turner, she is charismatic and fun, but behind that confident facade the legacy of what happened to her looms large. When my anxiety was at its worst, I thought that if a van came close to me on the street, someone was going to jump out and snatch me, and I still havent quite shaken off that sense, she confides. Now living with her boyfriend in London, she admits the thought of ever living on her own again fills her with panic. I imagined that for the launch of the podcast, I would be strong, powerful and sparkly and, you know thats not the reality. Im not yet over this, she says. The daughter of a freelance photographer and a teacher, only child Hannah grew up a sociable girl with dreams of working in fashion. From very young, I was passionate about having this big career, she says. So, after graduating from the University of Edinburgh in 2015, she was delighted to be offered an internship at Alighieri, then a fledgling British jewellery brand. Her first assignment was to attract new buyers at London Fashion Week. Id walked straight into my dream job, it was all so glamorous and exciting, she recalls. It was at Fashion Week that, through a friend, she met Kin Hung, a Hong Kong-based businessman in his late 40s who, her friend told her, had connections everywhere. When the pair were introduced, Kin suggested that Hannah send him Alighieris look book to see if he could help open doors. It proved to be the start of a close, if unlikely, friendship one in which Kin was able to give Hannah access to a tantalising world of expensive restaurants, fashion shows and parties. At the same time, I was very aware that theres no such thing as a free lunch, she said. So I turned a lot of his invitations down, while continually emphasising that I didnt want anything more than a friendship. I did enjoy spending time with him, though. We got on. She pauses. Now, looking back, I think he was obsessed with me. Kin told Hannah he worked for a big menswear brand in Asia, although he tended to deflect any more questions about his background. That wasnt unusual for a successful businessman, and he knew people. He really got looked after. So everything added up, she says. Nonetheless, she admits that in hindsight she was naive. I hadnt really spent any time in the real world at that point, so I was quite innocent, very friendly and sparkly. She pauses. Maybe a bit too nice. In 2016, Hannah spent a period working in Sri Lanka for a gemstone company and the pair lost touch but, when she returned home after being struck with dengue fever, she was grateful for Kins thoughtfulness and the pairs friendship rekindled. It took me a long time to recover and I couldnt hang out with a lot of people my age as I didnt have the energy. Hed invite me to fashion shows in the day, so I didnt get too tired, or wed go out to a healthy juice bar. He was so good at giving me professional advice, too, she recalls. So when, in December 2017, Kin asked if Hannah wanted to join him at the annual prestigious international art fair Art Basel in Miami, she jumped at the chance. It felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity and, at that age, you dont overthink. It would be the longest time wed spent together, but I thought if it was weird I could just go and stay with a friend. In the event, weird doesnt even cover it: almost from the moment she arrived, Hannah was greeted by a seemingly panicking Kin who said his email accounts were being aggressively hacked by ransom seekers asking him to pay a vast sum to regain control. The hackers then apparently turned their attention to Hannah. I was getting bombarded with messages from someone saying they were Kins girlfriend, telling me he was making stuff up about hackers to cover his lies, she recalls. Then there was another bombardment of messaging saying things like, Yo, lady, get your rich boyfriend to pay our ransom. It became really scary. By now, holed up in a property outside Miami to which Kin had access, Kin was acting strangely, too. I told him I was scared and wanted to leave, she says. Its hard to explain how terrifying it is when youre somewhere unfamiliar with somebody who starts to act totally out of character. He was drinking heavily, banging pool balls really hard on the pool table. It felt completely out of control. During a brief period when Kin was distracted, Hannah managed to flee and get a cab to a hotel booked and paid for by her brother, who she had quickly called in a panic. I have never been so scared, she says. Later that day, she got on a flight back to London after sending a message to Kin asking him not to contact her again. When I landed hed messaged me saying: Hey, Ive just woken up and I cant remember anything, and youre gone. What happened? I was very clear I didnt want to hear from him again, she says. I was shaken, but I thought that was the end of it. Far from it. Three weeks later, her email inbox pinged with that email from an unknown sender with the subject line online reputation management. It was the first of many threatening emails from a confusing cast of characters informing Hannah that her life would be taken over. It seemed glaringly obvious to me it was Kin, that he was angry, and trying to get to me, she says. But, confusingly, at the same time, the real Kin was apparently sending Hannah aggressive messages asking her to return items he had given her along with other parallel messages telling her he was still being hacked, that the hackers had jumped to her and to ignore any messages purporting to be from him. It was bamboozling, says Hannah. It was hard to make sense of it all. Kin seemed to have been hacked while I was with him, which added to this sense that it could be someone else, too. In time, the bombardment ramped up. The emails, which started to snowball in volume, were joined by phone calls, one after the other, minute after minute, with no one at the end of the line if she answered. If it was on, my phone rang incessantly and pinged with messages, she says. I changed numbers and email addresses but to no avail. Overwhelming though this was, it was only the start: Hannahs stalker had created fake Instagram profiles and added fake profiles of her to WhatsApp groups, via which they sent offensive message to friends. Her stalker was even able to disable her bank account and had personal details of her family and friends, including their bank and passport details. It was horrendous, she says. My phone and everything that connected me to the world started to become my enemy. But even getting rid of my phone wasnt going to change anything, aside from isolating myself, because all this horrible stuff was continuing without me. By late spring 2018, Hannah also discovered her stalker had been in contact with an old employer, threatening to take them to court. Id actually dropped them a line to say they should probably know I was being hacked and they were utterly traumatised, saying: Wait is this the first time youve actually been in touch since leaving the company? Because Id been emailing them for the past three months, threatening legal action about payment of my salary saying they were breaking government rules except, of course, it wasnt me. It was at this point that Hannah went to the police, armed with mountains of paperwork printouts of messages, emails and social media accounts which she believed pointed to Kin. The signs were not initially good. The polices position was basically that there wasnt much they could do other than issue a harassment warning. They basically told me to delete all messages and block the sender. But that doesnt achieve anything, because they always find you, and you are deleting evidence. Even so, Hannah admits to feeling a degree of optimism when she left the police station, believing it might prove the beginning of the end of her nightmare. She couldnt have been more wrong. In fact, things got worse, she says quietly. Her stalker continued the deluge, except now the emails were increasingly sexualised and degrading, sent not just to her but her boyfriend. Multiple accounts were set up in fake names in which she was billed as a premium escort, advertising her services as Hooker Hanny, sent to her boyfriend, friends and family and describing violent sex acts that she enjoyed. Equally devastating was that whoever was sending them seemed to know where she was at all times. There was this horrible feeling of surveillance, she says. You dont know where youre being watched. Stalked is the title of the compelling, unsettling new BBC podcast Hannah co-hosts with investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr, right Desperate to try to wipe the slate clean, in 2019 Hannah travelled to Sri Lanka again with her boyfriend, working on setting up her jewellery brand, Jean London, only for the online stalking to follow them there, too. I was desperately trying to hold on to some sense of myself, but it felt like I would never escape, she says. Blow followed blow: in March 2020, just as Hannah had made the decision to return to the UK in the face of the spiralling Covid pandemic, she received a message from the police telling her they were closing the case. I just felt complete despair, she says. There seemed no way to ever get away from it all. I tried so hard to get on with my life because I was determined not to let this person win. But it felt like everything was against me and there was no route to stopping whoever wanted to ruin me. The police have since acknowledged that they could have done more, and that better systems are now in place to help victims of cyber stalking like Hannah. Hannah remained convinced that her ordeal would never end. Then, over a conversation in Autumn 2021 with journalist Cadwalladr who had briefly been a stepmother figure after dating Hannahs father the pair came up with the idea of a podcast exploring what had happened. They also wanted to see if data engineer specialists and text analysis experts could conclusively unravel the labyrinthine online trail created by her stalker. We created a WhatsApp group between me, Carole, and two producers called Georgia Catt and Rob Byrne. And within a month of us talking to the BBC, the stalking stopped, she says. So that was very strange and hard not to believe that they were linked. It took a long time for Hannah to accept her four-year long ordeal had ended and to an extent she still hasnt. When you have been living on adrenaline like that it is hard to shed, she says. I was never anxious, but now I have to take medication and I struggle with being alone. Im not sure that will ever go away. Theres a little bit of me always waiting for the bomb to drop. The question underpinning our interview, of course, is whether she still believes that Kin was the man responsible for ruining her life for four long years. While the researchers work is ongoing the podcast is a work in progress, with new episodes released week to week there is much left to learn. They dont know whether Kin is behind it all, but do believe he is involved. I think everything points to it being him, Hannah says. Kin has repeatedly and robustly denied targeting Hannah his London lawyers say he denies all accusations and adamantly denies ever stalking or harassing Hannah, rejecting the allegations as false and without foundation. Whatever the truth, it is, she admits, horrible to think that she lost so many years of her life courtesy of one apparently innocuous meeting amid the seductive glamour of London Fashion Week. Yet she emphasises that the purpose of the series is less a whodunnit, or even a whydunnit, than a warning. If I could turn back the clock, there are so many things I would not have done, she says. I would not have befriended Kin, or flown to Miami. But the point is not that this happened to me because of those things, but that these things can happen to anyone. Paris Fashion Week went out not with a whimper but a bang, as Yves Saint Laurent closed off the ten-day calendar with a starry celebrity front row that ran the gamut from stage to screen to catwalk queen. Model Kate Moss, a longtime muse of the storied French brand, arrived in a chic black Smoking jacket and trousers, worn braless with a transparent polkadot blouse. Her model daughter, Lila, seemingly always in tow, wore an off-shoulder beige mini dress. Actress of the moment, Zoe Saldana, was another guest of honour. Having worn a Saint Laurent gown to collect her Oscar earlier this month, she swapped it for a tartan romper suit teamed with a co-ordinating tartan trench - a trickier look, but she pulled it off. Do not try this one at home. But the overriding dresscode for the evening was the suit. Call it office siren, executive realness or a tribute to Annie Hall, but trouser suits - worn with shirts and ties - are proving to be a trend with legs. And also shoulder pads. 'A woman wearing a suit is anything but masculine,' Saint Laurent famously said in 1966, after scandalising Paris by dressing models in his Smoking jackets. Linda Evangelista, Rosie Huntington Whiteley and Emily In Paris star Phillipine Leroy Beaulieu would agree. Paris Fashion Week went out not with a whimper but a bang, as Yves Saint Laurent closed off the ten-day calendar with a starry celebrity front row Linda Evangelista wore wide white trousers under a boxy navy double blazer, striped shirt and brown tie Charlotte Gainsbourg wore an oversized chequered blazer over a floral-patterned mini skirt with a billowing train Actress of the moment, Zoe Saldana, was guest of honour having worn a Saint Laurent gown to collect her Oscar earlier this month Prince Christian received a visit from his royal family at the barracks Prince Christian of Denmark has been serving in the military for the last month and has debuted his surprising 'new name'. Eagle-eyed fans noticed the Crown Prince's military name is 'Trekroner' - meaning 'Three Crowns' - which was displayed on his chest on his uniform. The name vastly differs from his father King Frederik who went by his name 'Crown Prince Frederik' while serving in the military. Patrick Kjellerup, press officer at the Guard Hussar Regiment, told BT News: 'Trekroner is a name that has been given to the Crown Prince by the Life Company. It is normal and an old hussar tradition that you are named after the city you come from.' Queen Mary, King Frederik, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine visited the 19-year-old at Antvorskov Barracks near Slagelse. The Instagram caption, written in Danish and translated into English, read: 'For over a month, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has been serving as a military officer at the Guards Regiment in Slagelse. 'The company's families were today invited to a visiting day at the barracks, where the Royal Family got the opportunity to experience the Crown Prince in his new setting and meet the rest of his co-recruits at. Prince Christian of Denmark has been serving in the military for the last month Eagle-eyed fans noticed the Crown Prince's military name is 'Trekroner' - meaning 'Three Crowns' - which was displayed on his uniform on his chest (pictured) The name vastly differs from his father King Frederik who was simply called 'Crown Prince Frederik ' while serving in the military Pictured: Prince Christian with other members of the military Patrick Kjellerup, press officer at the Guard Hussar Regiment, told BT News: 'Trekroner is a name that has been given to the Crown Prince by the Life Company. It is normal and an old hussar tradition that you are named after the city you come from' 'It is a long tradition that members of the Royal House serve military duty in the Armed Forces. 'His Majesty the King has completed military service himself, and in 1988 the King was, among other things, a platoon leader at the Guards Regiment.' Last week Queen Mary looked unrecognisable on a trip to Finland with King Frederik this month. The Aussie-born royal took a selfie with her husband in the snow wearing a blue beanie, black neck gaiter and blue jacket to stay warm; passers-by would have had no idea they were so close to royalty. Queen Mary (left) looked unrecognisable in the snow wearing a blue beanie, black neck gaiter and blue jacket to stay warm - and only her eyes were visible The royal couple were accompanied on the trip by President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb (centre right) and his partner Suzanne Innes-Stub (far left) King Frederik was all smiles for the photo while a reindeer stood in the background pulling a sleigh. The royal couple were accompanied on the trip by President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb and his partner Suzanne Innes-Stub. The mother-of-four also shared two videos on Instagram on Tuesday - one from the sled and another from a Finnish restaurant sprawling with fairy lights on the ceiling and centre fireplace. The caption, written in Danish and translated into English, read: 'Together with the Presidential couple, we have experienced the Finnish nature as it should be with cross-country skis under our feet. 'We are looking forward to starting the official visit tomorrow and getting close to some of all that Finland has to offer in the coming days.' Another image shows the royal couple, president and his partner posing for a photo with skis. Michelle Dewberry has revealed she's cancelled her Virgin Active membership after 'seeing a man in the female changing rooms'. The GB News presenter, 45, said she she took the decision as she was dissatisfied by Virgin Active's response to her concerns. Dewberry, who won the second season of The Apprentice, shared a screenshot of the gym's response to her email that was seeking policy clarification. Virgin Active's reply read: 'The changing rooms are split between female and male, with children attending up to the age of eight-years-old of a different gender. 'For the female changing rooms in particular, this would cover females of all ages, boys up to the age of eight, transgender females, and non-binary members.' Dewberry wrote on X: 'Whatever happened to our right to a single-sex changing space? 'If you are among the minority of woman [sic] who are comfortable sharing your single-sex changing room with adult males, I completely respect that. 'But what about the majority of us who aren't?' Dewberry did not elaborate further, or reveal if it was a trans woman she encountered. Michelle Dewberry cancelled her Virgin Active membership over the gym's changing room policy, the GB News presenter has revealed in a series of tweets The 45-year-old host of Dewbs & Co said she took the decision after 'encountering a man in the female changing room' and was dissatisfied by Virgin Active's response to her concerns. Guidance issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in 2022 said it is legal for gyms to limit these communal spaces to a single-sex as long as a gender-neutral changing room is also provided for trans people. A Virgin Active spokesperson said: 'In accordance with UK law and industry guidance, we respect the choice of our members to use the changing room facilities based on the gender they identify with. 'We support and respect all our members and their safety and privacy remains our highest priority. We continue to ensure our policies remain legal, fair and inclusive.' Britain's human rights body said service providers wishing to limit services to a single sex are legally able to do so, provided the reasons are justified and proportionate. Dewberry's post divided X as some users agreed it was unfair 'the men's [changing room] is the men's and the women's is a free-for-all'. Others questioned whether Virgin Active provided 'communal changing rooms where you strip in front of each other? Or do they have individual cubicles?' 'I had the same issue a number of years ago and also cancelled my membership,' one user replied to Dewberry. It comes after British fitness influencer Natalee Barnett faced fierce criticism for refusing to allow trans women to train at her female-only gym as the equality law now divides the UK's health clubs and training centres. Dewberry did not elaborate further on the alleged encounter in the female changing room Barnett, 25, devised the idea behind The Girl Spot gym, which is due to open soon in Wandsworth, south London, after experiencing sexual harassment at her gym. 'The staring, mansplaining, being touched, having my space invaded and feeling intimidated - women deserve to be in the gym as much as any other person,' she told Femail in 2021. 'I also experienced sexual assault inside the gym when I was 18 years old.' Fuelled by her negative experiences, Barnett began raising funds to start her own gym in 2021 - and she promised the space would be open to trans women. 'Of course, trans women are welcome at my women-only gym,' she said in a TikTok in 2021. Four years later, and with more than 22,900 in GoFundMe donations, Barnett backtracked on her initial objective. She stated the gym is no longer trans-inclusive and will only serve as a 'safe space for biological women' - as her 'transphobic' decision sparked outrage online. Critics also called Barnett out for accepting donations on the basis that her gym would cater to trans women before reversing her decision. 'To every trans woman who donated or supported this endeavour, I'm sorry you were lied to,'one X user wrote. British fitness influencer Natalee Barnett faced fierce criticism for refusing to allow trans women to train at her female-only gym as the equality law now divides the UK's health clubs and training centres Barnett was branded 'transphobic' and criticised for accepting donations to build the space on the basis that it would also be open to trans women, as she promised in 2021 Another added: 'Trans women are women, and your desire to exclude them speaks loudly that you still see them as men. Women should be able to be protected no matter how they show up. 'If you want to create a safe space for women, create a safe space for all women and recognize the alarmingly high rate of violence that trans women face at the hand of men every single day.' However, Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at human rights charity Sex Matters, told The Telegraph that Barnett is 'well within her legal rights' to implement the single-sex rule. 'There are thousands of gyms in the country, almost all open to both sexes. It's very telling that there is so much vitriol aimed at one woman running one small gym, just because she wants a male-free space,' McAnena said. Others have branded the plan unfeasible, claiming that Barnett would have to subject women to 'genital checks', or as transgender broadcaster India Willoughby told The Telegraph put it, 'Undie inspections' for women who 'look trans'. Defending herself on social media, Barnett said her decision had not been 'made lightly'. 'I spent a great deal of time and money including seeking legal advice and it was absolutely not a choice made lightly or out of exclusion or malice, but rather out of my commitment to ensuring a space where women who have experienced trauma, harassment, or discomfort in co-ed gyms can feel at ease,' she wrote. The family of controversial Irish teacher Enoch Burke who was repeatedly jailed for 'refusing to call a boy a girl' have travelled to the US with his family ahead of the taoiseach's meeting with President Trump. Sean Burke, from Castlebar, Co Mayo, his wife Martina and daughter Ammi were spotted on a flight from Dublin to Washington DC on Tuesday - just as Irish premier Micheal Martin also flew to the US capital for his first meeting with Trump. The evangelical Christian family's presence on the flight has sounded the alarm among Irish officials that they have been invited to the White House's St Patrick's Day celebrations - however neither the Oval Office nor the Burke family have confirmed this. The visit comes just days after Elon Musk shared a post on social media which showed the Burke family outside court in the long-running saga over Enoch's sacking from Wilson's Hospital School after refusing to call a pupil by their chosen pronouns. The Irish Sun reports Musk, wrote 'wow' as he shared a post reading: 'Enoch Burke, a Christian schoolteacher in Ireland, will be STRIPPED of his salary after refusing to use they/them pronouns for a transgender student.' Sean, the patriarch of the Burke family, was recently released from Mountjoy Prison after 45 days where he was serving a sentence for assaulting a female garda. The father-of-10, who is in his 60s, was found guilty of 'flinging Garda Victoria Fisher to the ground' during his son's hearing at the Court of Appeal on 7 March 2023. During the proceedings 18 months ago, the judge decided to maintain a court order from Wilson's Hospital School stating Enoch must stay away from their premises. The family of controversial Irish teacher Enoch Burke who was jailed for 'refusing to call a boy a girl' have been spotted flying to Washington DC as Taoiseach Micheal Martin meets Donald Trump for the first time Pictured: Enoch Burke's parents Martina and Sean leave Clover Hill court one week after the father-of-10 assaulted a female garda. Right: Ammi. Left: Isaac The History teacher had repeatedly tried to gain access to the building following his suspension - after he refused to use a transitioning student's preferred 'they/them' pronouns and was later accused of gross misconduct for exposing the headteacher's 'demand' during a school assembly. After his wife was removed from the courtroom for shouting at the judge, Sean said he grew concerned for Martina - and claims to have accidentally knocked over the garda while trying to get to her. However, Judge Ronan Munro did not accept the incident was an accident after the court heard Sean 'flung' Victoria Fisher to the ground 'like a red rag to a bull'. The judge sentenced Sean to two months in Mountjoy prison, where his son has spent over 400 days in captivity during his various sentences. Last week, Sean was released from prison after only 45 days - prompting his family to post his statement, which was filmed outside Mountjoy's gates, on X. The father-of-10 said: 'It's sad really that this could happen in our country. 'When we think of the high levels of crime, drugs that are out of control, that the Gardai will have spent days and days and days since the 7th March 2023 pursuing the Burke family, trying to get a conviction against us.' Enoch Burke's sister Ammi was also seen on the flight from Dublin to Washington. Pictured in 2023 being forcible removed from the Court of Appeal Accusing Judge Ronan Monro of being 'biased', Sean continued: 'We are Christians. Prison sentences don't change that - what we stand for and what we believe in. The teachings of Christianity [...] 'All of this started because three judges on the Court of Appeal decided to come out on the 7th March 2023 and say that my son's case was not about transgenderism. That's how bad it is.' Recounting the events of his son's Court of Appeal hearing, Sean claimed his family were 'dragged out of the courtroom'. He continued: 'We were abused. My family. A disgraceful activity, a shambolic activity of the Gardai. In a statement posted on X, Sean Burke said: 'When we think of the high levels of crime, drugs that are out of control, that the Gardai will have spent days and days and days since the 7th March 2023 pursuing the Burke family, trying to get a conviction against us' Pictured: Enoch Burke's father Sean leaves Mountjoy prison after serving 45 days of his two month sentence 'And instead of the Gardai going back and deciding what they did wrong and putting their situation right, they pursued the Burke family to get a conviction. And they're still doing that to this day. 'And what's happening at the moment with Enoch Burke, he's still being pursued by the state and abused by the state with imprisonment, with fines - to get him to move from his Christian belief.' Last month, Enoch Burke returned to protest at Wilson's Hospital School following his release from prison and claimed he was 'welcomed' by pupils. Enoch, who has amassed over 193,000 in fines for refusing to comply with the High Court order to stay away from the school, was released from prison for a third time on 20 December 2024. In an attempt to deter Enoch from returning to Wilson's Hospital School, the judge doubled the daily fine from 700 to 1,400. Pictured: Ammi Burke, Enoch Burke's sister, is forcibly removed from the Court of Appeal by gardai after repeatedly interrupting a judgment being read out in the courtroom in Dublin on 7 March 2023 Simeon Burke, brother of schoolteacher Enoch, is carried out of the Court of Appeal by gardai, on 7 March 2023 Wilson's Hospital School in County Westmeath, Ireland. The former teacher took issue with the former headteacher asking staff to refer to a transgender student by their new name and pronouns However, this didn't stop the teacher, who is still receiving his full salary while he appeals his sacking, from turning up at the school on the first day of term yesterday. Although the temperature dropped below zero at points, Enoch stood outside his former place of employment for the duration of its teaching hours on their official day back of the new year. Speaking to the Irish Daily Mirror, Enoch claimed students had shown their support for him by waving from their classrooms. He said: 'I should be in a classroom today, in a heated classroom doing the job I love and teaching the children I love. 'Theres only one reason I was pushed out into the cold and its because I said I would not accept transgenderism.' However, the teacher is adamant that he is not 'protesting' but merely 'reporting for work'. Pictured: Teacher Enoch Burke outside Wilson's Hospital School last month. The former history teacher stood outside in the sub-zero temperatures and said he was 'reporting from work' Former history and German teacher Burke seen arriving at the Four Courts in Dublin after being dismissed by the school He added: 'I was welcomed by students knocking on the windows and waving from the classrooms and showing their support. This could all be over today, all of this horrific situation could be over today if the judges did what they should have done.' Although Enoch has been forcibly removed by the Gardai before, he was not disturbed while standing outside the reception from 9:15am to 3:45pm. What's more, Enoch was supported by 20 protestors, who stood outside the school gates holding signs. One read: 'Enoch Burke is not a criminal. He is a Christian teacher.' 'Parents and teachers, your silence is deafening,' another read. 'Stand up for Enoch Burke: wrongfully imprisoned teacher, Christian, son and brother.' In Spring 2022, headteacher Niamh McShane sent an email to her staff informing them of the student's new name and pronouns. After receiving the email, Burke is said to have raised his issue with the change of pronouns during a staff meeting on May. Enoch's siblings Ammi and Josiah Burke seen outside an Irish court in October 2023. The pair have been vocal in their support of Enoch Burke seen arriving at the High Court, Dublin, after he was committed to Mountjoy Prison in Dublin for breaching a temporary court order that he was to stay away from his workplace While giving evidence in a later trial, deputy headteacher John Galligan said that Burke 'erupted' during the meeting and 'changed colour completely'. According to the former deputy head, Burke whose 'forte' was said to have been extracurricular debating spoke for a 'good five to eight minutes'. After this, guidance counsellor Freda Malone told a court that she approached Burke to tell him she was sorry he was so upset and noted that he had tears in his eyes. In a follow-up meeting between the headteacher, her deputy and Burke, Mr Galligan claimed the jailed teacher repeated how he was 'opposed to transgenderism' as a result of his religion. Following this, Burke is said to have publicly interjected after a religious service celebrating the school's 260th anniversary to criticise Ms McShane's supposed 'demand' that staff refer to the student by their chosen pronouns. In 2022, Ammi had attended a meeting between Enoch and his former employer, which determined if he was going to be suspended or face any kind of disciplinary. Enoch's former boss Niamh McShane submitted a stage-four report to the chair of the board John Rogers about Burke's outbursts which prompted the representative to arrange a meeting with the teacher. Enoch's father held up a sign outside the school in December 2023 reading: 'Christmas in Mountjoy for Christian teacher' Enoch's mother Martina protests outside the school, where the annual carol concert was being held in December 2023 The purpose of the meeting was to decide if Burke should be suspended or face any kind of disciplinary. Burke's sister Ammi is said to have joined him for the meeting which was adjourned for 15 minutes by Mr Rodgers, who said it was 'going nowhere'. When the representatives returned to the meeting room, the Burkes had left. After this, the board made the unanimous decision to place Burke on paid leave while they dealt with the misconduct allegation. According to Mr Galligan, there were growing concerns 'about what [Burke's] next protest might and the form it would take' in the new school year. Despite being put on leave, Burke is said to have attended a staff meeting at the start of the school year. After repeatedly arriving on school grounds, Burke was allegedly asked to leave 'every hour' by the deputy head. The ex-deputy head said: '[Burke] would be there for the day, standing in the room reading from a book. Thats where he remained.' Mr Galligan says Burke refused to leave the premises - insisting he was 'there to work and attend meetings'. In May 2023, the Irish High Court ruled that the school had acted lawfully in suspending Burke and said Enoch had been 'trespassing' on their grounds. In an attempt to keep Burke away from the premises while they conducted the investigation, the school took out a temporary court order against the teacher which still didn't deter him. In August 2022, Enoch was sued by the school for his failure to comply with the court order and later arrested for being in contempt of court. At his initial hearing on September 6 that year, Mr Burke told Judge Quinn: 'I am a teacher and I don't want to go to prison. I want to be in my classroom today, that's where I was this morning when I was arrested.' 'I love my school, with its motto Res Non Verba, actions not words, but I am here today because I said I would not call a boy a girl.' When the case went to the High Court the following week, Burke, who was representing himself, maintained that he would not purge his contempt of court for violating the order, insisting that he was being persecuted for his faith. When asked by Judge Eileen Roberts if he would abide by the order, Burke said: I cannot do that. I go back to jail as a law-abiding citizen of the state always. But God first. Queen Camilla, Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall gave Cheltenham Festival a very royal welcome as they arrived for 'Style Wednesday'. They joined a rather chilly Cheltenham for day two of the festival - traditionally dubbed Ladies Day - but renamed last year after the show announced they would hand out fashion awards to both men and women. The now-named gender-neutral Style Wednesday sees punters go the extra mile to impress with their glamorous ensembles - and those representing the royal family certainly did not disappoint. The three royals appeared to be matching, all wearing various shades of burgundy in a display of unity, while first cousins Eugenie and Zara posed for photos together. Meanwhile King Charles's niece Zara Tindall shared a passionate smooch with her husband Mike as they arrived at the event. The royal equestrian, 42, opted for a Laura Green AW25 wool pinstripe suit with leather detailing and a pop of colour, as a burgundy turtleneck peeked through her blazer alongside a Strathberry bag - with a stunning fascinator to match Eugenie's. Princess Eugenie, 34, joined by her husband Jack Brooksbank, was on the same royal style memo as Zara, donning a double-breasted blazer in the same colour as Zara's high-neck, and adding a Tudor-style hat. The pair were spotted deep in conversation as they made their way to the course. Cousins Princess Beatrice and Zara Tindall gave Cheltenham Festival a very royal welcome on Wednesday Queen Camilla appeared in beaming spirits as she arrived in a more muted display, with a thick tailored dress Their aunt Queen Camilla, 77, appeared in beaming spirits as she arrived in a more muted display, with a tailored coat paired with a burgundy leather bag and stunning faux fur-rimmed hat from Lock&Co. Camilla looked elegant for her surprise visit, adding her double pansy brooch to her coat, and black suede boots - believed to be from Russell and Bromley. As joint patron of the Jockey Club, she will later on present the trophy to the owner, jockey and trainer of the The Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase. And she was joined by her son, Tom Parker Bowles, as she watched the Turners Novice's Hurdle. Eugenie was also greeted by James Haskell, a known close pal of Mike, and who went public with his new Big Brother star girlfriend Sara McLean after his split from Chloe Madeley last year. Speaking about the weekend, Mike said: 'Cheltenham is so far so good. Tuesday was a horrible day for me as a punter, but it was a good day for the bookies, for sure. 'Today, I've been hosting a table in The Green Room, so I haven't been paying attention to any gambling. There's a great atmosphere in here, it's a great place to come. 'I've had a little wander around the course, and it's a great atmosphere at Cheltenham. The shopping goes off the charts anyway. 'I think Cheltenham always has a good vibe about it. It has always got people who genuinely love watching the horses and are here for the right reasons. And you sort of feel that in the atmosphere. 'I haven't been into the Royal Box, so I cannot give you any insight about the Queen. 'Zara is good. We obviously love this week. It's a big week in our calendar. We just love being here. I think it takes more organisation this week than the rest of the 11 months of the year. But we love it. We are here every day. 'It was a nice experience getting the train to Cheltenham from Paddington on Tuesday, and seeing all the people who were heading up from London. I'm supposed to be at the Continental Tyres Schools Cup on Thursday, but work commitments here mean I have to send James [Haskell] and Alex [Payne] instead to support that with our podcast [The Good, The Bad & The Rugby].' According to the festival's website, Style Wednesday 'celebrates both the thrill of racing and the art of fashion', with attendees interpreting the dress code in a multitude of colourful ways. Some made a statement with bold headpieces in bright colours while others donned mini skirts with long boots, showing a hint of leg, despite snowfall in Cheltenham in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Racegoer Lisa Luse was striking in her neon green ensemble, comprising an open coat, a purple dress, matching heeled boots, and a darker green belt to cinch her waist. Coordinated leopard print looks, tartan print ponchos, statement bags, and faux-fur lined coats were all on display, as glamorous attendees also wore big smiles while posing for photographs. Meanwhile Zara and her rugby-playing husband Mike shared a smooch as they arrived for the day of festivities Mike, Zara, Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank all posed for the cameras at Cheltenham Eugenie was greeted by James Haskell, a known close pal of Mike, who went public with his new Big Brother star girlfriend Sara McLean Queen Camilla was reunited with Princess Eugenie, Laura Lopes and Natalie Pinkham Eugenie appeared to be discussing a recent phone call as she chatted with Camilla Queen Camilla reacts at day two of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecours Queen Camilla (centre) watching the Turners Novices' Hurdle on day two of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse The royal equestrian, 42, once again picked a neutral pantsuit - this time Zara opted for a grey ensemble - with a pop of colour, as a burgundy turtleneck peeked through her blazer She added black suede boots - believed to be from Russell and Bromley Camilla wore a stunning faux fur-rimmed hat from Lock&Co and added a double pansy brooch First cousins Zara and Eugenie appeared to be having a catch-up as they attended Style Wednesday British designer Jade Holland Cooper looked chic in a black-and-white houndstooth co-ord set, comprising a blazer and long, fitted skirt, worn over a crisp white shirt and a thin tie. She added an elegant fascinator to complete her look. Also in attendance was former England rugby union captain Mike's teammate and friend James Haskell, who was joined by his new girlfriend Sara McLean. Haskell and his ex-wife Chloe Madeley announced they were separating after five years of marriage in October 2023. She added an elegant fascinator to complete her look. For 30 years, Cheltenham's Style Wednesday was fondly referred to as Ladies Day before being rebranded in 2024. Day two of the prestigious four-day event is known for attracting a host of royals and celebrities alike as they show off their sartorial prowess while enjoying a day out at the races. The windy weather saw attendees holding onto their smart hats on the most dressy day of the festival Camilla effortlessly combined tones of black, brown and a pop of burgundy, just like her nieces Queen Camilla attends 'Style Wednesday' on the second day of The Cheltenham Festival It appears that burgundy was on the royal style memo as Eugenie, 34, donned a double-breasted blazer in the same colour as Zara's high-neck Double date! Eugenie and Jack, and Zara and Mike made quite the group on Wednesday However, the gender-neutral shift from Ladies Day to Style Wednesday was made two years ago, when a spokesperson for the Cheltenham Festival said the move was a bid to promote sustainable or slow fashion. 'This year we re-launched day two of The Festival as Style Wednesday to celebrate 'fast horses, slow fashion', encouraging racegoers to make more sustainable fashion choices, showcasing their unique and personal style, and to share the stories behind their amazing outfits with friends, family and on social media,' they explained. As part of the Style Wednesday festivities, the spokesperson said, both men and women can compete in the Slow Fashion Style Awards that replaced the erstwhile 'Best Dressed Competition' on Ladies Day. This year's Style Wednesday kicked off after boozy revellers brought the curtain down on Day One with a night of partying. Drinks were flowing as ebullient racegoers were spotted dancing in the streets, singing along with one another, and posing for photographs while toasting pints. Also in attendance was former England rugby union captain Mike's teammate and friend James Haskell, who was accompanied by his new girlfriend and reality TV star Sara McLean The rugby player, 39, was seen holding hands with the glamorous reality starlet (above), who previously dated US World Cup goalie hero Tim Howard and rugby star Ben Cohen As temperatures across the UK fell sharply after a week of suprise sunshine - dubbed a 'fool's spring' - warmed the country, revellers brought the heat to the course in Gloucestershire by showing off their most glamorous looks in honour of Style Wednesday Racegoer Lisa Luse was striking in her neon green ensemble, comprising an open coat, a purple dress, matching heeled boots, and a darker green belt to cinch her waist Another attendee shows off her coordinated emerald green look, including a matching hat with a long feather attached to it Some made a statement with bold headpieces in bright colours Pretty in pink! While a pair of racegoers both decided to wear pink for Style Wednesday, they chose very different hues of the colour while tying their looks together with matching suede brown boots Another attendee raises her glass of Guinness as day two of the prestigious four-day event gets underway Pink was a big theme on Style Wednesday, with one racegoer opting to elevate her grey ensemble with a pop of colour Earlier in the day, fashionistas descended on the course in Gloucestershire with many putting a vibrant and colourful twist on the rural staples of tweed and fur. Anxious to prove they can hold their own against the fashionable displays seen at Ascot and Aintree each year, racegoers dressed up in statement suits, knee-high boots and fur-trimmed hats and capes. Perfectly coiffed women donned eye-catching prints, thigh-skimming dresses and eye-catching wide leg trousers as they arrived in their thousands to take in the first day of the action. But not to be outdone by their female counterparts, some men added a touch of flair and opted for brightly coloured suits. When it came to headwear, there was a sea of stylish trilby hats coming through the Festival's doors, with others opting for striking feathered fascinators. Check ensembles seemed to be the order of the day, with many guests opting for patterned jacket and trouser combos or mini skirts and blazer dresses. Revellers were joined by VIPs including the King's niece, Zara Tindall, fashion designer Jade Holland Cooper and TV personality Georgia Toffolo. Zara, 42, looked effortlessly elegant in her monochrome ensemble as the royal equestrian donned Fairfax & Favour's Victoria double-breasted wool coat with big gold buttons. Zara, who was named the luxury brand's official ambassador earlier this month, matched her outerwear to a navy ruffled shirt and a pair of wide-leg trousers. Dramatic and over-the-top headpieces were another style fixture of day two, which was previously referred to as Ladies Day A pair of friends pose for pictures on day two of the Cheltenham festival Not to be left behind, the men at Cheltenham also got into the spirit of Style Wednesday by donning brightly coloured suits with wacky prints British designer Jade Holland Cooper looked chic in a black-and-white houndstooth co-ord set, comprising a blazer and long, fitted skirt, worn over a crisp white shirt and black tie She paired them with Fairfax & Favor's Chiswick Heeled Quilted Ankle Boots and leather gloves. However, she added a pop of colour with a mustard fascinator that complemented her coat's buttons as well as the gold chain on her 495 black Aspinal of London's 'Lottie' bag, Zara was previously seen carrying the luxury handbag at a charity event in London last month. She also added a pair of tortoise shell sunglasses and elegant gold earrings to tie her look for the first day of Cheltenham together, as the King's niece appeared fresh-faced and excited for the day's event. She kept her makeup to a minimum, allowing her flawless complexion to shine through a sheer layer of foundation while opting for a soft, smokey eye look and a swipe of nude lipstick. It comes after a supercomputer predicted the winners from day one of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. Using data going all the way back to 1990, the machine has analysed every winning horse at Cheltenham while including a variety of factors such as age, betting position, past results and trainer records. An algorithm then attributes a score of between 1 and -1 depending on how well each horse matches the winning characteristics. Racegoers arriving for day two of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse A woman greets fellow attendees enthusiastically The characteristics are then used to identify the horses most likely to win each race at this year's festival - but it is bad news for favourites. Tuesday's top race sees Constitution Hill (8/11) as the favourite listed in the first day's feature race - the Champion Hurdle. While the eight-year-old missed the 2024 edition of the festival, it beat Lossiemouth at Kempton in January and remains unbeaten with eight Grade One victories. In another of the first day's top races - the Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase - Majborough has also been tipped for victory. Anyone looking to back an outsider may be best placed hedging their bets on the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, which is scheduled to get underway at 1:20pm on Tuesday afternoon. At 12/1, Workhead has been predicted to beat odds-on favourite Kopek Des Bordes (5/6) in the first race of the day. The supercomputer also predicts that Crebilly will beat The Ultima Handicap Chase favourite The Changing Man, which is pencilled in for 2:40pm. However, the biggest upset could come in the Mares Hurdle, with the algorithm predicting champion Lossiemouth at 4/5 to lose out to Jade De Grugy at 5/2. Lossiemouth is also due to race against overwhelming favourite Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle at 4:00pm in the day's headline race. Sofia Vergara's son Manolo Gonzalez Vergara has revealed how he developed a love for cooking due to the fact his mother 'doesn't cook at all.' The TOMA Empanadas co-founder got candid about the fact his mother 'hates being in the kitchen' as the pair reflected on the fact he would cook dinner for her while he was young. Speaking to Parade at the celebration of his brand's partnership with The Hideway Mexican Steakhouse in Beverly Hills, the 33-year-old noted: 'I learned how to cook out of necessity... [my mom] doesn't cook at all. She hates being in the kitchen.' He explained how the pair are complete opposites in that regard as he continued: 'She's not drawn to it at all. But I am, and I enjoy the process of cooking.' In an email to the publication, Sofia herself confirmed that her son began to cook meals for the pair from a young age. 'He always cooked, always watched Emeril [Lagasse] and Food Network, and it was very cute,' the Modern Family star wrote. 'He used to make his own breakfast and lunch, he always made me dinners.' Manolo also noted that he still cooks for his mother but keeps meals simple because she is a 'protein and vegetable, salad kind of person.' Sofia, 52, had Manolo with her high school sweetheart - mechanic and DJ Joe Gonzalez - with whom she was married from 1991 to 1993. Sofia Vergara 's son Manolo Gonzalez Vergara has revealed how he developed a love for cooking due to the fact his mother 'doesn't cook at all' The TOMA Empanadas co-founder got candid about the fact his mother 'hates being in the kitchen' as the pair reflected on the fact he would cook dinner for her while he was young Over the years, Sofia's son has always been her biggest cheerleader, and witnessed the Colombian model become a Hollywood bombshell. Following a string of roles, she became a household name while playing housewife Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in mockumentary series Modern Family. Since then, she has continued to delight the nation as a judge on America's Got Talent. Elsewhere, Sofia was praised for her stellar performance in Netflix crime drama, Griselda. The star has more recently been making headlines for her love life following the end of her seven-year marriage to Joe Manganiello. Speaking about why she has chosen not to become a mother again since welcoming Manolo in her teens, Sofia explained to People in May 2024 that she wasn't capable of making the sacrifices that she knew would be necessary. In the candid interview, the actress stated that during her marriage to the Magic Mike star Joe, it never felt like the right time for them to have a child. 'There's things in life that might sound like good ideas, but they're not,' she explained. In an email to the publication, Sofia herself confirmed that her son began to cook meals for the pair from a young age Manolo also noted that he still cooks for his mother but keeps meals simple because she is a ' protein and vegetable, salad kind of person' 'I was a mother already. I know what it means to be a good mother or to try to be the best mother that you can, and that takes a lot of sacrifices, takes a lot of energy.' She continued: 'I totally respect where anyone wants to be a mom after 50. I didn't think because of my career, the way I live my life, the way my marriage was, that it was fair to bring a kid to this world, and I'm not going to be able to give 100 per cent.' Sofia also reflected on her experience as a young mother during a chat with the outlet as she noted: 'It happened to me very, very young. 'I was not even 20 years old, so I dont even remember that much of my life without being a mother. 'Its an experience thats unique. It changes you, and its very rewarding and gives you a lot of headaches too.' She continued: 'It is great that I had him young, because now Im going to be 52, and hes 32. I wish I was older sometimes because I wouldve been more mature, more prepared to be a mother, but that was what I got and what happened. Over the years, Sofia's son has always been her biggest cheerleader , and witnessed the Colombian model become a Hollywood bombshell Manolo interview came as he celebrated his and his mother's brand's partnership with The Hideway Mexican Steakhouse in Beverly Hills (seen at South Beach Wine and Food Festival) 'So I just kept going and try not to look back at it, because it is what it is. But it is fun because I kind of grew up together with my son.' Speaking to People back in 2016, she gushed about her pride at how Manolo turned out as a man. 'Every time people compliment me about my son, Manolo, it is very rewarding,' she admitted. 'I raised him trying to set the best example and give him the best that I could. 'When people compliment me on him, on how well-mannered, how charming, funny, and well-behaved he is, it makes all the sacrifices worthwhile.' Back in 1987, after dinner one evening, my husband David dropped something of a bombshell. Wed been discussing how to sack the latest under par nanny when I noticed a determined but slightly anxious look in his eyes. Whats the matter? I asked. Well, he said hesitantly. Ive been thinking about the boys. Theyre growing up a bit and Im sure its fine to have a baby looked after by somebody else, but I think children need to have a parent at home. They need to be guided by our morality and supported by our level of education. So, yes, Im saying I think our children should have one parent caring for them at home and its clearly not going to be you. In other words he was prepared to stay at home and be a house husband. Wow! That was a shock. Fathers who were primary carers were far from common back then. I reeled a bit, thought a bit, then said, OK. Our sons were four and nearly one at the time and both adored their dad. He knew how to cook, wash, iron, play any sport the boys fancied and do maths brilliantly all the things at which I was a complete washout. It would mean I could do the job I loved passionately Id just taken over as presenter of the BBCs Womans Hour while he did all the things he wanted to do, including the domestic chores. This could work for both of us, I thought. So I agreed. Dolly Parton and Carl Dean did not have children but her new record will strike a chord with working mothers whose stay-at-home partners hold the fort More than 30 years on, I acknowledge that, as Dolly Parton puts it in a new record dedicated to her husband who died earlier this month aged 82, I wouldnt have been here, if you hadnt been there. The ballad describes how Carl Dean, who was married to Parton for 60 years, comforted her and pushed her on. He was never part of her public life, never basked in her limelight, but stayed home, quietly getting on with his own business. He was always there for her when she came home. Her song will resonate with any woman whos embarked on a big career with a husband supporting her at home, someone who has enabled her to do the long hours and hard work necessary to be a success. Sadly, Dolly and Carl did not have children her endometriosis forced a hysterectomy when she was 36 but her lyrics will strike a chord with working mothers whose stay-at-home partners hold the fort. Finally, some recognition for the beleaguered house husband, so often thought of as a pinny-wearing weakling dominated by an overbearing wife, or at least they were in less enlightened times. Nothing could have been further from the truth in Davids case. He was a strapping rugby-playing naval officer when I met and fell in love with him. In 1983, when our first son was born, he decided to leave the Navy he couldnt bear the long trips away in a nuclear submarine, knowing his boy would be growing up without him. At first, we had a wonderful nanny, Jeanne, so David began to make his way in civilian life. But after son number two was born in 1987 and Jeanne had left to train as a teacher, David made his radical-for-the-times suggestion. Wed moved to London to accommodate my years presenting Newsnight, then Today and Womans Hour. I was more busy than Id ever imagined possible and David hadnt found anything he felt passionate about. He was an electronic engineer with a strongly artistic side, but nothing seemed to compare with his passion for being a father. When it came to getting my dad's head around my husband David (left) looking after the children, I tried to explain that times were changing And so began his 20-year tenure as a stay-at-home parent. It wasnt always easy. My father, for one, was horrified by the idea. An engineer also, Dad had been a little ashamed when my mother had taken a part-time job during my teenage years. What will people think? he had asked. Theyll think I cant afford to keep you. When it came to getting his head around David looking after the children, I tried to explain that times were changing and asked what had been the point in educating me if I was to be stuck in front of the kitchen sink. But my father never got it. It was a mans job to be the breadwinner. Sadly, our choice damaged the relationship between the two men I loved. David faced dissent at the school gates as well. Hed return home from picking up the boys, furious at the unpleasant glances directed at him by the women in the playground. They look at me as if Im a paedophile, there to abduct one of their precious kids. Then they go into a gossipy huddle, inviting each other round for coffee. No one invites me. It must have been a lonely life. He did some work from home, making cartoons and comic strips on the computer, but, as any full-time parent knows, looking after the children and the home is hard work. I, meanwhile, swanned about at the BBC, coming home with stories about interviewing whichever prime minister happened to be in power at the time. I was written about in the papers and invited to parties, plays and shows. David avoided any publicity like the plague and rarely wanted to accompany me to the theatre or to social events. He couldnt stand to be called Mr Murray particularly as that was my first husbands name that Id kept for professional reasons. There were some aspects of our set up that were difficult for me, too. At times I felt jealous of his proximity to our sons. I missed them and tried always to make it to parents evenings and, as often as possible, to be there to read the bedtime stories. Becoming the breadwinner was the hardest and scariest part. I had to pay the mortgage, the school fees, all the groceries, the holidays and any trips the boys wanted to go on. I was paid a reasonably good salary not as good as my equivalent earns today but it was an insecure career. As a presenter you were not employed as a member of staff. We were effectively freelance, assured of work only for the length of our contract. Mine were two-year contracts and each time the renewal date loomed, I would have sleepless nights, worrying that Id be sacked. David had infinite confidence in my ability to survive, which was a comfort and, ultimately, he was right. Now in my sixth decade of a rewarding career, theres no denying: David, I wouldnt be here if you hadnt been there. Abby's had the last laugh, Ben How humiliated Abby Cohen must have been when the infamous Strictly curse took away her husband, the former rugby player Ben Cohen, and landed him in the arms of the Siberian siren, Kristina Rihanoff. Ben and Kristina announced they have split, citing money worries He left Abby after 23 years together (and 13 years of marriage) with six-year-old twin daughters and she openly expressed her heartbreak. Last week, Ben and Kristina announced they have split, citing money worries. Abby, now happily in a new relationship, simply posted a shot of herself at the races with her pooch, Branston Pickle. Its always worth remembering, in the choice of dog versus man, the dog is the reliable one. Whod pay 695 to see Denzel? Going to the theatre is an expensive business up to 200 for a good seat in London. On New Yorks Broadway, theyre charging $900 (695) to see Denzel Washington play Othello. A play with Kieran Culkin would cost you $724, or $600 with George Clooney. These prices are madness and must not come here. Theatre is too important. It brings people together to share something wonderful. We must not be priced out of the market. Why my next dogs a whippet The classic picture of a tough Yorkshireman shows a flat cap, a pigeon shed and a whippet a common little dog. Whod have thought Miuccia, an Italian whippet, would be best in show at Crufts? Nothing common about her. Shes absolutely beautiful. Hmm, maybe my next dog... Smacking is back on the political agenda with doctors calling for a ban. They say scientific evidence shows it causes harm and is of no benefit. Im instinctively opposed to violence and would ban it but Id dispute the claim that it is, as they say, without any positive effect. I remember sitting on a bench in Barnsley bus station, aged four, kicking the wood over and over. Mums requests to stop were ignored. A hefty wallop on my bare legs stopped it. I never did it again and after all these years I havent forgotten it and dont resent her for it. Maybe a smack does work. Most of the avocados sold here, are grown where rainforest has been felled I eat avocados because theyre supposed to be good for you, but now Alan Titchmarsh says we should all stop. Most of the avocados sold here, he says, are grown where rainforest has been felled to accommodate them and then theyre flown long distances. Disastrous carbon footprint. Whats more, I dont even like them. Queen Camilla's niece has announced an exciting career move after eight years of working with Princess Eugenie. 30-year-old Ayesha Shand, who lives in New York, previously worked at art gallery Hauser & Wirth in London where Princess Eugenie is a director. On International Women's Day last week, Ayesha, the daughter of Camilla's late brother, Mark Shand, revealed that she is stepping away from her role of eight years to enter the beauty world as the US VP of marketing at Trinny London. Announcing the decision on LinkedIn, Ayesha told her followers that she is moving industry to feel 'vulnerable' and grow professionally. 'Although it is a total shift in sector, and in some ways skill-set and yes the imposter syndrome is real I believe that the only way to grow is to challenge yourself, to feel like you are the stupidest person in the room, and to feel vulnerable once again,' Ayesha said on the platform via Hello. Trinny London, founded by Trinny Woodall in 2017, is a makeup and skincare brand aimed at empowering women to feel and look their best. She added: 'I decided to take the job not because of my love of the industry I'm a novice but because of my belief in the brand. Trinny London is skincare and makeup for women on the go, for those who don't have time for a 20-step routine, for those who don't want to be better but just want to feel their best selves. 'My all-time favourite quote is, ''There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection''. To me, that is the true essence of beauty. I'm excited for my new chapter.' Queen Camilla's niece, Ayesha Shand (pictured), has left her role at Hauser & Wirth to start a new role at Trinny London Ayesha is the daughter of conservationist and author Mark Shand, who died at the age of 62 in 2014 after suffering a head injury. The marketing VP's mother is the 67-year-old former actress, Clio Goldsmith, who is the niece of billionaire entrepreneur Sir James Goldsmith and the cousin of Jemima Khan. Mark and Clio divorced in 2009 after 19 years of marriage but remained good friends. Ayesha, who was raised in Rome and London, undertook a master's degree in history of art at the University of Edinburgh before launching her successful marketing career. In January last year, the 30-year-old told the Daily Mail's Diary editor Richard Eden that she suffers from endometriosis, an often-painful condition where tissue like the womb grows in other places. 'It's isolating, agonising, and completely unbearable,' Shand told Eden. Ayesha launched her successful marketing career after gaining a history of art degree from the University of Edinburgh The 30-year-old is the daughter of Queen Camilla's late brother, Mark Shand (pictured: Ayesha and Camilla at Mark's memorial in London, 2014) 'Every month, I ingest hundreds of pain killers, faint, vomit, spend nights and days crouched on the floor crying. This is all followed by intense waves of helplessness and depression.' She added: 'Endometriosis is very difficult to diagnose, treat and, ultimately, cure. According to statistics, one in ten women suffer from it, but due to the inability to diagnose the condition, it is likely [to be] double that. 'Most women live this cycle of pain in silence. I am lucky enough to be operated in a few weeks.' It comes after Shand's aunt, Queen Camilla, arrived at Cheltenham for 'Style Wednesday' alongside Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall today. They joined a rather chilly Cheltenham for day two of the festival - traditionally dubbed Ladies Day - but renamed last year after the show announced they would hand out fashion awards to both men and women. The now-named gender-neutral Style Wednesday sees punters go the extra mile to impress with their glamorous ensembles - and those representing the royal family certainly did not disappoint. The three royals appeared to be matching, all wearing various shades of burgundy in a display of unity, while first cousins Eugenie and Zara posed for photos together. Meanwhile King Charles's niece Zara Tindall shared a passionate smooch with her husband Mike as they arrived at the event. Pictured: Ayesha Shand, Princess Eugenie of York, Ruth Powys and Nicholas Coleridge at the opening night of Conservation Couture: The Animal Ball Collection on October 25, 2016, in London The royal equestrian, 42, opted for a Laura Green AW25 wool pinstripe suit with leather detailing and a pop of colour, as a burgundy turtleneck peeked through her blazer alongside a Strathberry bag - with a stunning fascinator to match Eugenie's. Princess Eugenie, 34, joined by her husband Jack Brooksbank, was on the same royal style memo as Zara, donning a double-breasted blazer in the same colour as Zara's high-neck, and adding a Tudor-style hat. The pair were spotted deep in conversation as they made their way to the course. Their aunt Queen Camilla, 77, appeared in beaming spirits as she arrived in a more muted display, with a tailored coat paired with a burgundy leather bag and stunning faux fur-rimmed hat from Lock&Co. Camilla looked elegant for her surprise visit, adding her double pansy brooch to her coat, and black suede boots - believed to be from Russell and Bromley. And she was joined by her son, Tom Parker Bowles, as she watched the Turners Novice's Hurdle. Eugenie was also greeted by James Haskell, a known close pal of Mike, and who went public with his new Big Brother star girlfriend Sara McLean after his split from Chloe Madeley last year. According to the festival's website, Style Wednesday 'celebrates both the thrill of racing and the art of fashion', with attendees interpreting the dress code in a multitude of colourful ways. A dermatologist has issued a stark warning about a strange side effect that can come with popular cosmetic procedure - a Botox 'lip flip.' The information was shared in a new video posted on TikTok this week by New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss. Idriss often takes to her Instagram to share her different skincare tips and tricks, and this time was no different as she shared what can happen to your pout after getting a lip flip. For those who may be unfamiliar, a lip flip is meant to make your lips look fuller by injecting a few units of Botox into the corners of your mouth and edges of your lips, per Cleveland Clinic. Botox, which works by relaxing the muscles in the area where it's injected, can help to relax the upper lip and make it 'flip' and appear poutier, hiding the gums. However, Dr. Idriss warned in her TikTok video that getting a lip flip can make certain simple tasks hard - like sipping out of a straw. She began the video by stitching a clip from another user who was warning against the procedure, calling it 'weird.' 'This is something your dermatologist should tell you if you're considering getting a lip flip,' Dr. Idriss began. The information was shared in a new video posted on TikTok this week by New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss She issued a stark warning about a strange side effect that can come with popular cosmetic procedure - a Botox 'lip flip' (stock image) The doctor explained that she didn't realize lip flips could have such side effects until she got one and almost 'ruined' her daughter's second birthday. She shared a clip of herself from the birthday party trying to help her daughter blow out the candles on her cake, but because of her lip flip, she wasn't able to. 'The issue is Botox takes a good 10 to 14 days to kick in, and when it's at that peak period of two to four weeks, it's very hard to move your upper lip,' the Dr. Idriss Skincare founder explained. The dermatologist demonstrated how it could become difficult to drink from a straw as well, because of the way your top lip moves. However, she noted that although the cosmetic enhancement can have some 'weirdness' in your lip's movement, it can also be a great injection for the right patient. And, interestingly enough, the dermatologist is not the only person on TikTok to speak out about the unwanted side effect. In 2022, TikTok user Pamela, from Dublin, opened up about the treatment, describing the results as the 'most annoying thing ever.' She echoed similar problems as Dr. Idriss. 'This is something your dermatologist should tell you if you're considering getting a lip flip,' Dr. Idriss began In the video, she said, 'Today is day five of the lip flip and it's the most annoying thing ever. I can see a tiny difference, but it's all in the middle of my lip and not so much at the sides. 'It's really annoying when I speak and say words like "bobby."' Pamela then listed other annoying things that the procedure has stopped her from doing including putting on lipstick, as she couldn't rub her lips together to evenly spread the product. She also found it hard to drink properly and said: 'Having a drink [is also a challenge]. Trying to hold it in your mouth is actually so hard.' John Mulaney has revealed that he and wife Olivia Munn weren't 'going for funny' when they named their daughter, Mei June Mulaney. The comedian, 42, and the actress, 44, already share son Malcolm, three, but welcomed a baby girl in September last year. During a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host noted that their daughter's name sounded like the two back-to-back months. 'Her name is Mei,' Kimmel observed. 'And her middle name is June 'Did you do that to be funny?' Mulaney immediately shut down the theory as he replied: 'No. I'm a professional comedian, so if I was going for funny, it might be a harder laugh than May next to June.' He then explained that the couple had intended to name their daughter in honor of Olivia's mother. 'Olivia's mom's name is Jung, so we were doing an Americanized tribute to her by naming her June,' he shared. John Mulaney has revealed that he and wife Olivia Munn weren't 'going for funny' when they named their daughter, Mei June Mulaney During a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host noted that their daughter's name sounded like the two back-to-back months However, the comedian opted to make June a middle name so that his child's moniker wasn't too similar to his own. 'Originally, our daughter was going to be named June for a while,' he began. 'And then suddenly I went June Mulaney sounds like John Mulaney said weird, so we said how about Mei which means plum in Chinese and so she's Mei June.' Elsewhere in the chat, Mulaney also shared new details about his intimate wedding to Munn last summer. The duo reportedly tied the knot at a friend's home in New York over the Fourth of July weekend. The Big Mouth star that his The Newsroom co-star Sam Waterston officiated their ceremony. It happened because Waterson 'once said to Olivia if you ever get married, I'll perform the ceremony.' Mulaney joked: 'I think it was chit chat. But you take people up on what they offer.' He then explained that the couple had intended to name their daughter June in honor of Olivia's mother, before choosing to name her Mei which means plum in Chinese The comedian and the actress welcomed their baby girl in September last year, while they also share son Malcolm, three (pictured) The proud father also revealed that his son stole the show on the day as he continued: 'He actually went to the bathroom in his diaper during it and announced it mid vows. 'Yeah, a very sweaty little two-year-old in a tuxedo just went, "I'm pooping."' When Kimmel noted that Malcolm didn't make the declaration before or after the act of what he was doing, Mulaney pointed out that 'It's really an in-the-moment kind of declaration.' Mulaney's new talk show Everybody's Live with John Mulaney premiered March 12 on Netflix. The Princess of Wales is set to make a solo engagement at the Irish Guards' St Patrick's Day parade next week. Kate Middleton, 43, who is colonel of the regiment, missed the Guards' celebrations last year after being treated following a cancer diagnosis. As part of her gradual return to public duties, the princess will award long service and good conduct medals to soldiers and present the traditional sprigs of shamrock to officers and guardsmen at Wellington Barracks in London on Monday. The Irish wolfhound regimental mascot will also be in attendance for the event. The mother-of-three will take the salute as colonel during a march-past and meet Irish Guards veterans as well as junior cadets from Northern Ireland known as Mini Micks. Also on the agenda for Kate is spending some time in the junior ranks' dining hall, where senior guardsman will propose a toast in her honour, and gather with families in the sergeants' mess. Two years ago, the Princess of Wales made the visit, along with her husband, at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire, after taking over the role of colonel from William. Last year, the guardsman gave three cheers for their absent colonel while the princess was away from public duties after abdominal surgery. The Princess of Wales is set to make a solo engagement at the Irish Guards' St Patrick's Day parade next week. Pictured in 2019 Kate has steadily been returning to engagements after revealing that she was in remission this year. On Monday, she and William appeared more loved up than ever as they joined the King and Queen at the Commonwealth Day Service of celebration. In sweet scenes that have delighted royal fans, Kate and William seemed to struggle to keep their eyes off each other during the annual occasion at Westminster Abbey in London. Along with sharing plenty of affectionate looks, the royal couple proved they can still make each other laugh as they appeared to share several jokes with one another during the service. In one moment, Kate turned to William and seemed to say something to him with a cheeky smile - which her husband chuckled at. At the end of the service, when the guests stood up, the beaming duo seemed to erupt into laughter once more. Kate Middleton , 43, who is colonel of the regiment, missed the Guards' celebrations last year after being treated following a cancer diagnosis. Pictured on Monday But they weren't the only royals putting on an excited and gleeful display - King Charles and Queen Camilla also appeared full of cheer as they joined several Royal Family members at the Abbey. Both Kate and her father-in-law were reluctantly forced to miss last year's key royal event as they were undergoing treatment for their respective cancers. As such, the Princess and her husband's loved-up display has delighted royal fans who have been warmed to see them back in action as a royal power couple - taking part in their first joint engagement for months to mark St David's Day a few weeks ago. Their Royal Highnesses had taken time out of royal engagements last year while the mother-of-three was undergoing chemotherapy after cancerous cells had been discovered by doctors during an abdominal operation last January. While Kate took several months out from public facing duties, William too scaled back his engagements in order to ensure he was able to support his wife and their children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six. On Monday, Kate made her triumphant return to the Commonwealth Day Service of celebration for the first time in two years. The Princess looked effortlessly elegant in her Catherine Walker Beau Tie coat dress, which she's worn twice before in December 2022 and November 2023, as well as a matching 450 red hat from Gina Foster. Walking alongside Prince William, the mother-of-three teamed her vibrant ensemble with her beloved Collingwood pearl and diamond earrings, which once belonged to Princess Diana, and the late Queen Elizabeth II's Japanese four-strand pearl choker. On Monday, she and William appeared more loved up than ever as they joined the King and Queen at the Commonwealth Day Service of celebration Sporting a stylish curly half-up half-down hairdo and a smattering of glamorous makeup, Kate couldn't keep the smile from her face as she stepped out for the prestigious occasion. This year the monarch led a large showing of senior royals which also included Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Kate showed she was just as thrifty as ever on Monday as she donned her red coat dress, which featured statement bow detailing at the neckline, for the third time. She first wore the elegant number for the Together At Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey in December 2022 and again in November 2023, for the South Korean Presidents State Visit. The Princess also has a black version of the dress. For Kate's necklace, the pearls were gifted to the late Queen during her first state visit to Japan in 1975, which was then constructed into the piece of jewellery by court jeweller Garrard. Meanwhile, the pearl earrings worn by the Princess on Monday were gifted to Diana before her wedding to Charles in 1981. The earrings, made by Collingwood, mark a touching handover from one Princess of Wales to the other. They became firm favourites of Diana and were sported on royal tours of Australia, Canada and Italy. The earrings feature a round diamond stud, from which is suspended an additional round diamond and a bell cap set with three more rows of small diamonds. The bell caps each contain a pearl drop. Diana began wearing the earrings before she was Princess of Wales. They were a gift from Collingwood, a jewellery firm that was a favourite of the Spencer family. She wore them on several occasions throughout her marriage. They made her gala outfits sparkle during her tour of the US in 1985, where she wore them with a lacy white gown and the Lover's Knot tiara for a gala dinner at the British Embassy. She also wore them with the form-fitting black dress she sported as she attended the Vanity Fair party at the Serpentine Gallery in November 1994 in London, which then later become known as the Revenge Dress. Kate has worn the earrings several times. Scarlett, 40, was visibly stunned at the joke which was written by Michael Che Colin, 42, read out a gag about his wife's private parts back in December 2024 Scarlett Johansson has admitted she felt like she was 'going to faint' after witnessing husband Colin Jost's 'vulgar' joke about her body on Saturday Night Live late last year. Johansson, 40, was visibly shocked back in December 2024 when Jost, 42, stunned audiences with a nasty quip written by his co-star Michael Che about Costco removing their roast beef sandwich from their menu. Che and Jost - who have been accused of going 'too far' with their gags - have a Joke Swap tradition, where they read out jokes they have never seen before that the other wrote. While Johansson stood in the wings and watched, Jost said in response to the Costco news: 'I've been eating roast beef every night since my wife had the kids.' The camera then cut to a stunned Johansson backstage who exclaimed: 'Oh my God!' She has now shared her thoughts on the joke, and told InStyle in a recent interview: 'It was so vulgar. I just can't believe that they went there. 'I was like... it was so gross, it was really gross. And, like, old-school gross,' the mother-of-two added. She went on to reveal that she was actually given somewhat of a heads up about the 'vagina joke' and said her experience of it 'was so funny.' Scarlett Johansson has addressed her husband Colin Jost's 'vulgar' Saturday Night Live joke about her. The couple are seen here in February Back in December, Colin read out a joke by his cohost Michael Che which compared his wife's private parts to roast beef Basically, the Hollywood actress did not think it would be referring to her private parts. 'I was like, I mean, it's a vagina joke, how bad could it be? And then as soon as the Costco photo came up, I was like, "No! No, Michael!"' The Black Widow actress also described her live reaction being filmed backstage as 'so intense.' 'All of a sudden, it was like a whole bunch of people holding up lights, and a guy with a video camera,' she recalled, before adding: 'They were waiting for me to react. I felt insane. I was like, "I think I'm going to faint."' Johansson revealed that she and her husband were even laughing about it in bed at 4am that morning: 'I was like, "My nerves are shot." And Colin said, "Me too."' The actress also spoke about the gag whilst cohosting Today with Jenna & Friends alongside Jenna Bush Hager in February. Scarlett visibly stunned as she watched the joke live backstage and said that her reaction being filmed was 'intense' In similar comments, she told Jenna, 'It was so vulgar,' and revealed: 'Emma Stone turned to me and went, "That was not okay." 'My heart was racing, my eyes were watering, my hands were [shaking]. It was very surreal,' the blond added. Acknowledging that Che was the one behind the joke, Johansson told Today show viewers that he has a 'vendetta.' She said with a laugh: 'I honestly feel like Michael is trying to get us permanently removed. He has a vendetta against us. What did we do to you, Michael?' A man has discovered a shocking way to save money on breakfast A savvy diner has sparked debate online after discovering a cheap and delicious breakfast hack: eating at a hospital cafeteria. Sharing their experience on Reddit, the poster revealed they stumbled upon the unexpected bargain while waiting for their wife to undergo surgery. 'The hospital cafeteria had these big bacon breakfast burritos for $3. It was loaded with eggs and was delicious,' he wrote. 'I walked by later in the day and the lunch smelled so good. It got me thinking - could I just start eating there every once in a while?' While most people wouldn't consider a hospital as a dining hotspot, the revelation has many questioning: Can you just walk into a hospital for a cheap meal? Or could you get in trouble for it? According to Reddit users - including hospital workers and frequent visitors - the answer is yes. 'As long as you're paying and not causing a disturbance in some way, nobody is going to care,' one person assured. Another shared that they lived across the street from a hospital and made regular visits to the cafeteria. A savvy diner has sparked debate online after discovering a cheap and delicious breakfast hack - eating at a hospital cafeteria 'I'd go to eat, then if I was really bored, I'd watch TV in an empty waiting room. No one ever questioned me.' A former tech worker from America said they specifically timed their visits to Phoenix Children's Hospital around mealtime because of the food quality. 'It's more like a high-end mall food court, with at least some healthier options. They had Asian, Middle Eastern, American and a few other cuisines. Way better than most places nearby.' Even museum workers have caught on to the trick. 'I worked at a museum with no restaurants or cafes nearby, but there was a hospital down the road. They had an award-winning cafeteria, and we ate there constantly.' Hospital cafeteria managers don't seem to mind, either. One cafeteria manager revealed that staff don't question why someone is in the hospital - they just aim to provide a stress-free space where people can enjoy a meal. 'The goal of the cafeteria is to be a place where people can take their mind off the stress for a moment,' they wrote. 'I don't turn away people who come in looking for a bite to eat. Even if they don't have the money, we can usually get them a full meal if they are a visitor.' Another Redditor, who had been a long-term patient, hospital worker, and visitor, said security rarely intervenes. 'Nobody's ever questioned me being in the cafeteria, except once when I was studying for finals. I had been there for four hours, and a security guard just asked if I was visiting someone. I said yes, and he told me he hoped they were doing better. That was it.' While some might find it strange, others argue that hospital cafeterias offer a cheap, no-frills meal option in a world where the cost of dining out keeps rising. 'Hospital food isn't what it used to be,' one commenter wrote. 'Some of these places are serving better meals than restaurants - and for a fraction of the price.' For those looking to stretch their dollar, this unconventional hack might just be worth a try. Have you had a similar experience? We want to hear your story: health@dailymail.com When a hidden cancer was silently growing inside Breanna Bortner, it wasn't her doctors who first knew something was wrong. In the days leading up to her dreaded diagnosis in June 2023, the 30-year-old noticed her dog, Mochi, acting strangely. As Bortner waited for scans to come back on her right breast, the two-year-old cockapoo was suddenly fixated on the area. He started sniffing and pawing at the Minnesota entrepreneur's breast, burrowing his head into the area. Around the same time her sister-in-law's cockapoo, Gunner, started doing the same thing. 'It was very odd,' she told DailyMail.com. Bortner, who had heard stories of dogs sniffing out their owners' cancers, instantly 'knew this wasn't good.' Days later, she was diagnosed with stage 2B triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma, an aggressive form of breast cancer that's resistant to many common treatments. Bortner, now 31, told DailyMail.com: 'It was already and inch and a half big.' Three months earlier, a routine breast exam had come back clear. 'That's how fast and aggressive this triple-negative breast cancer is,' she added. 'It went from non-feel-able, non-detectable to a physical lump within three months.' Breanna Bortner, pictured here, was diagnosed at age 30 with stage 2B triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma, an aggressive form of breast cancer that starts in the milk ducts In the days leading up to Bortner's diagnosis, her cockapoo Mochi (pictured here) started sniffing and burrowing his head into her breast, which had a 1.5-inch lump Since Bortner's diagnosis, she's had more than a dozen brutal rounds of chemotherapy and a mastectomy. While the survival rate for this form of cancer is nearly 100 percent in early stages, it drops to as low as 31 percent when it spreads to lymph nodes and surrounding organs. Bortner was already undergoing testing at the time, but she said Mochi's shift in behavior made her realize something was wrong. It was the catalyst that helped her get diagnosed and start treatment immediately, possibly saving her life. Bortner, who also runs the blog Brave Beautiful Boobies, said: 'We really underestimate how smart [dogs] are just because they don't talk and they can't communicate to us, but their actions obviously show us the things that they're tuning into or are aware of.' Your browser does not support iframes. Scientists estimate a dog's sense of smell is anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 times more powerful than a human's, meaning some breeds can detect a substance at a concentration of just one-billionth of a teaspoon. Mochi is as mix between a poodle and a cocker spaniel, two breeds originally bred for hunting due to their intelligence and keen sense of smell. This supreme sense of smell has been used to detect anything from drugs and explosives to tracking the trial of a criminal. Some breeds can even sniff out blood sugar changes in diabetics or sense an oncoming seizure in an owner with epilepsy. In the case of cancer, malignant cells release tiny chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are thought to leave behind unique odor signatures. Dogs with particularly keen senses of smell may be able to detect these odors in a person's skin, breath, urine, feces, or sweat. And because dogs' smell is far superior to humans, research suggests they may be able to pick up on these odors when cancer is still 'in situ,' or has not spread from its primary site. For about a year leading up to her diagnosis, Bortner noticed she had become increasingly fatigued. In June 2023, three months after a breast exam had come up clear, she was itching mosquito bites around her breasts when she noticed a lump. Mochi wasn't the only dog who began acting strangely. Bortner's sister-in-law's cockapoo, pictured on the left alongside Mochi, also started sniffing around her breast In the above image, Mochi helps comfort Bortner during cold capping, a procedure meant to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy treatments She planned to get retested anyway, but when Mochi began sniffing her chest, it served as a wakeup call. Bortner spent the next month driving to neighboring cities and shopping around for doctors who could get her in for further testing before she received the devastating diagnosis. Invasive ductal carcinoma accounts for about 80 percent of all breast cancer. 'Ductal' means it forms in a woman's milk ducts. Bortner's cancer was also triple-negative, meaning her breast cells didn't have receptors that respond to the hormones estrogen and progesterone and the protein HER-2. Without these receptors, triple-negative breast cancers don't respond to treatments that target these hormones, making them harder to treat. Bortner, pictured here cold capping with Mochi, told DailyMail.com: 'He was there more than anyone else. He was my main guy' Mochi has developed separation anxiety after spending countless hours helping Bortner cope with her treatments, though he is still a 'pretty chill dog' Triple-negative cancers account for about one in five breast cancer diagnoses. Bortner had 16 rounds of chemotherapy and a year of immunotherapy treatment before undergoing a double mastectomy, a surgery to remove both breasts, in March 2024. She was declared cancer-free shortly after and now has scans every three months to make sure the disease hasn't returned. Bortner said her and Mochi developed an inseparable bond during her treatment, spending countless hours on the couch snuggled up. Especially as she struggled with the emotional side of cancer, Mochi stayed right next to her. Even when Bortner's husband would come home from work, Mochi preferred to spend time with her. She said: 'I was crying all the time and he did not like that. He was very concerned about me. 'He really turned into my healing buddy. He was a greater purpose for me.' Mochi stopped pawing at Bortner's breasts after her treatment ended, though he developed separation anxiety once she started leaving the house more following her recovery. She said: 'He spent so much time with me here. That's just kind of been the status quo. So now when I leave the house or he's home alone, he's been getting into the trash can and showing some behaviors that are quite new.' Bortner said she is working with Mochi's trainer to help alleviate some of his newfound anxiety. Since beating cancer, Bortner is now focusing on running her online business and spreading awareness about breast cancer detection, especially in young women like her. She said that while she was 'lucky' doctors took her concerns seriously and got her in for testing before the cancer spread, Mochi's vigilance is likely part of why she's still here today. She told this website: 'It's pretty cool to see it come full circle and for him to be there from the time I found the lump all the way through finding out I was cancer free. 'He was there more than anyone else. He was my main guy.' Bortner is now cancer free after 16 rounds of chemo, one round of immunotherapy, and a double mastectomy. She credits Mochi for being with her every step of the way Dina Zaphiris, director of the In Situ Foundation in California, has said almost any dog can be trained to detect cancer. However, she generally picks German Shepherds, Labradors, poodles, and herding breeds because they have a strong work ethic. One 2021 study from researchers in Germany tested if dogs could detect lung cancer from breath and urine samples. After completing a one-year training program, the dog in the study correctly predicted 40 out of 41 lung cancer samples, a 98 percent success rate. In a 2021 Japanese study, researchers trained a Labrador retriever to recognize VOCs from breast cancer patients by sniffing the patients' urine samples. In a double-blind experiment, the dog was able to correctly identify all 40 breast cancer patients with 100 percent accuracy. A Labrador retriever in Japan was also able to detect more than nine in 10 cases of colon cancer based on breath and stool samples, even cancers that were in their earliest stages. And in a 2019 study, three beagles underwent eight weeks of training and were then able to distinguish between blood serum samples of lung cancer patients and healthy controls with 97 percent accuracy. Dogs have also been shown to detect cancer in other dogs. A 2023 study from researchers at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Alabama, for example, suggested dogs may be able to detect cancer biomarkers in other dogs' saliva. The team collected 139 saliva samples from dogs with cancer and 161 samples from healthy dogs. The six sniffer dogs in the study had 'high sensitivity rate and high specificity rate in distinguishing between cancer samples and the healthy samples,' according to a university press release. However, many dogs, like Mochi, don't need any special training. If a dog detects cancer, they may not just sniff in that area, especially if they are not properly trained to do so. In one BMJ case report, a 75-year-old man in the UK visited his doctor after noticing his dog was constantly licking behind his ear. Tests confirmed he had melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. A woman who caught measles and suffered its brutal symptoms despite being vaccinated has issued a warning over the disease. The childhood MMR vaccine is 97 percent effective at stopping transmission, but measles is so infectious it can still cause breakthrough infections. Marcy, a teacher from Ontario, was exposed when one of her unvaccinated students came to school with the disease. The child fell sick and after diagnosis, health officials told Marcy and her class to isolate for up to 21 days. Marcy said she had been doubled-vaccinated as a child and received a booster after she was exposed, but over the next six days, she developed a fever that continued to worsen. Then the characteristic rash came. It erupted all over her face, and spread down her neck to her back, arms and legs covering them in bright red spots. 'I had a booster, and I still developed the infection in fact I started to get a fever six days after my booster,' Marcy said on TikTok. Marcy, pictured above, developed the measles after being exposed to an infected unvaccinated child in the school where she worked in Ontario, Canada 'I got a mild fever at first, and then it got worse and worse, instead of getting better, which should have been the first clue.' It comes amid a major outbreak in Texas, where more than 250 people have been infected while at least 29 have been hospitalized and two are reported to have died. Of the patients, just five (or 2 percent) were vaccinated. And an outbreak in Ontario that has sickened at least 177 people, mostly children at the state's schools. Marcy is a patient in this outbreak. Of these patients, just eight were vaccinated. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine prevents infections in the vast majority of cases, but the CDC says online that about three in 100 people who receive the vaccine could still be infected. These patients tend to suffer a more mild infection, however, and avoid the worst effects of measles including encephalitis, or brain swelling, and death. Marcy, who revealed her case on TikTok, said that she had received two doses of the MMR vaccine as a child which are administered at the ages of 12 months and four to six years. But blood tests in the hospital revealed she had no antibodies against the virus. Normally, people who are fully vaccinated against measles will have antibodies in their blood, although in some cases these may not be picked up in tests. Physicians gave her a booster dose against measles and discharged her. It is possible for immunity from the vaccine to wane over time, particularly in patients who are immunocompromised. It is not clear whether Marcy had any underlying conditions. Revealing her diagnosis online, she said: 'Hello, so I have, the measles', before gesturing to her rash-covered face. Marcy is pictured above attending Taylor Swift's Eras tour more than a month before she was diagnosed with the disease. There is no risk that she could have been infected at the time Your browser does not support iframes. She added in a comment: 'I was vaccinated as a child but my [tests] showed no evidence of immunity. They recommended a booster.' Marcy said doctors initially thought her temperature was caused by the norovirus, before the rash erupted leading to a measles diagnosis. Your browser does not support iframes. She didn't feel the rash appear, but said that after a few days it started to itch. She said: 'I developed a rash without even feeling it. 'I was at home, minding my business, and then my husband came home and took a look at my face and said, "What the heck happened to your face?!". 'And I looked in the mirror and it's got a little worse, I am hoping the rash starts to get better tomorrow.' The Taylor Swift super-fan is pictured above before she was diagnosed with the disease The rash lasted for about five days before clearing, she said in the clip that was posted in mid-February and has been viewed nearly 20,000 times. She was able to return to work five days after her rash appeared, which is when someone is no longer infectious for the virus. But said she was frequently exhausted and would come home from work and sleep immediately every day. Vaccination rates against measles have fallen in recent years amid false claims that the vaccine causes autism and mandates for Covid shots. In Ontario, only about 90 percent of residents have been vaccinated against measles statistics suggest. While in Gaines County, Texas, at the center of America's latest outbreak, only about 82 percent of people have been vaccinated against the disease. Irritability, puffy eyes and drowsiness are all well known consequences of not getting enough sleep. But now alarming research suggests consistently failing to get enough shuteye could raise the risk of believing in conspiracy theories. According to researchers, who tracked more than 1,000 Britons, those who suffered a month of restless sleep were more likely to endorse farfetched, unproven beliefs -including that the earth is flat and that the 9/11 attacks were planned by the US government. Research on what drives conspiracy theories has long suggested personality traits may be to blame, with those who are insecure, paranoid and impulsive more prone to accepting them. The fresh study, however, has suggested that poor sleep could trigger such changes in personality. Experts today, who labelled the findings important, claimed that addressing sleep quality could equip us to better 'critically evaluate information and resist misleading narratives'. Dr Daniel Jolley, an assistant professor in social psychology at the University of Nottingham and study lead author, also said: 'Sleep is crucial for mental health and cognitive functioning. 'Poor sleep has been shown to increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and paranoia factors that also contribute to developing conspiracy beliefs. According to the scientists, who tracked over 1,000 Brits, those who suffered a month of restless sleep were more likely to endorse conspiracy beliefs 'Our research suggests that improving sleep quality could serve as a protective factor against the spread of conspiratorial thinking.' Conspiracy theories are alternative explanations for major events that reject the accepted narrative in favour of more fantastical plots. For example, because Earth's surface looks and feels flat, so-called 'Flat Earthers' denounce all evidence to the contrary. Meanwhile, after NASA delayed its upcoming moon mission, moon landing deniers rushed to social media to claim that the space agency couldn't return to the moon since it never went there in the first place. Other popular theories include vaccinations being a way to implant a chip in people's bodies. In the fresh study, researchers from the University of Nottingham carried out two assessments involving 1,000 participants to assess how sleep affects motivations for conspiratorial thinking. In the first, 540 volunteers completed a tick box sleep quality scale assessment before reading an article about the 2019 Notre Dame Cathedral fire in Paris. Some were exposed to a conspiracy narrative suggesting a deliberate cover-up, while others read a factual account attributing the fire to an accident. Sleep deprivation can lead to obesity, memory loss, diabetes, heart disease, heightened and unstable emotions, impaired ability to learn and a reduced immune response, leaving you vulnerable to disease Writing in the Journal of Health Psychology, the researchers said those with poorer sleep quality were 'significantly' more likely to believe the conspiratorial version of events. 'Exposure to conspiracy theories leads to higher conspiracy beliefs and poor sleep quality amplifies this effect,' they added. In a second study, the scientists sought to explain the link between the two, tracking 575 volunteers who completed personality questionnaires. They were asked about their emotional state at that moment in time, with options including 'anger', 'mad', 'rage', 'dread' and 'nervous'. How likely they were to be suffering from depression was also assessed in a questionnaire as well as how paranoid they felt over the last month. They were then asked on their thoughts regarding specific well-known conspiracy theories including climate change and the 9/11 terrorist attack. The scientists found the impact of depression on both sleep quality and the likelihood of developing 'conspiracy mentality' was 'significant'. Anger and paranoia also played a role, they added. From the Flat Earth theory (artist's impression) to the moon landing hoax, conspiracy theories have surged in recent years It comes as separate research, involving almost 400 people published in 2023, suggested that those struggling with insomnia were more likely to feel their emotions were out of control. This led to a higher likelihood of adopting a 'conspiracy mentality' and experiencing 'psychological distress', the scientists from the University of Hong Kong said. Last year, a study found that around one in six Brits suffer insomnia, yet 65 per cent never seek help for their sleep problem. The poll of 2,000 people, by The Sleep Charity, found nine in ten experience some sort of sleep problem, while one in two engage in high-risk or dangerous behaviours when unable to sleep. Poor sleep has been linked to a number of health problems, including cancer, stroke and infertility. Experts have long advised that waking up during the night does not necessarily mean you have insomnia, which figures suggest affects up to 14million Brits. Still, sleep deprivation takes its own toll, from irritability and reduced focus in the short term, to an increased risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. According to the American Sleep Association, nearly 70 million Americans also have a sleep disorder. When Im asked about my opinion on smacking or spanking as its known in the US my first thought is of previous generations, such my father-in-law. My wifes father came from a different era. Brought up in a poor rural area of the US at the end of the First World War, his own father died of Spanish Flu, leaving him as the sole breadwinner for his family at just ten-years-old. He never had a proper education. When he had children of his own, he had a simple approach to discipline. He would say: If you dont listen, youll have to feel. Thankfully, my wife listened and was never smacked. But her brothers were smacked occasionally when they didnt listen. All four children became exemplary college-educated adults. I mention this because there are many people today who believe this approach to be severely outdated and uneducated. Last week a group of leading child doctors called on the UK Government to ban smacking in England. Its already outlawed in Scotland, Wales and 67 other countries, with a further 20 committing to do so in the near future. Those behind the push to end smacking describe it as a Victorian-era punishment that does not benefit children. However, as a leading child education expert who has dedicated his life to researching smacking, I think banning the punishment would be a mistake. In fact, while I may have had 20 years more education than my father-in-law, Ive come to the conclusion that his belief that children who dont listen must feel is sometimes the right approach. Professor Robert Larzelere believes that a ban on smacking children would be a mistake and that the punishment can actually benefit youngsters as they develop In some situations, smacking children is warranted even beneficial. And the research backs this up too. First, lets be clear about we are talking about here. The kind of smacking shown by research to be beneficial is an open-handed swat on the buttocks, repeated no more than two times in one go. The smack should not be done so hard that it leaves any marks beyond temporary redness. It should always be used as a last resort, when two to six-year-olds have refused to cooperate with mild methods, like sending them to their room. The aim is to show children that there are consequences for not cooperating with parents attempts to resolve bad behaviour verbally or, when necessary, with a mild negative consequence. We are not talking about harsh physical punishment, such as punching, squeezing, shaking, or slapping other parts of the body. These tactics are already outlawed in the UK. For much of the past century, smacking has been taken as a normal part of parenting. In the UK, smacking children has been legal since 1860. However, since the 1980s there has been a growing trend towards a new approach to caring for children known as gentle parenting. Smacking is outlawed in Scotland, Wales and 67 other countries but could soon be made illegal in England after a group of leading child doctors called on the Government to ban it Gentle parenting advocates argue that resorting to any form of punishment whether thats sending a child to their room or smacking means parents have failed. Instead, they argue, parents should be able to explain to their child, using words, why their actions are wrong. This approach is fine with cooperative children, but more defiant children sometimes need negative consequences to support positive parenting. Smacking may occasionally be needed to convince defiant children to cooperate with going to their room. One argument for banning smacking is that it protects children from abuse. However, studies show this isnt necessarily the case. In 2000 Germany banned smacking. But one study, carried out seven years later, found only 32 per cent of German parents knew mild smacking had been banned. Although they were less likely to use mild smacking, they were more likely to resort to more severe physical punishment, such as beating with an object, than German parents who thought that mild smacking was still legal. This might suggest that, without access to smacking, parents are more likely to lose control and lash out at their children. Another claim that campaigners make is that smacking children wrongly teaches them that violence is an acceptable solution to problems. Smacking, they argue, makes children more violent. But research suggests that, in fact, the opposite may be true. One 1999 study found that aggressive pre-schoolers who are not punished preferably with privilege removal or timeouts tend to be just as violent 20 months later even if their mothers reasoned with them a lot. Those that are punished first with being sent to their room and, if that fails, with smacking are much less likely to be aggressive within the same time period. In fact, I would say that, when used correctly, smacking can benefit children and improve their lives in the long-run. Study after study has shown that, along with isolation (sending children to their room), smacking is the most effective measure for responding to oppositional defiance this is the scientific term for persistent refusal to cooperate with parents. A 2001 study shows that children with unaddressed oppositional defiance are more likely to go on to commit crimes. So its crucial that parents manage this issue as early as possible. Smacking can help such children to listen and cooperate with milder consequences. Anti-smacking campaigners often argue that, since isolation is an effective tool against oppositional defiance, there is no need for smacking. But sometimes isolation doesnt work and parents need a second option. If there were only two effective treatments for Covid or cancer, no one would argue that we only needed one of them. So why is the same argument used for smacking? I would argue that having the ability to smack young children, when other options have been exhausted, improves the lives of parents too. Belgian researchers are currently leading a 42-country study of parental burnout. This is where the stress and exhaustion brought on by parenting can trigger a number of symptoms including depression, sleep problems, and anger. The research shows that parental burnout is significantly more common in the West than in the so-called Third World. This is a surprising finding given that Western families have greater access to food and shelter, not to mention are less likely to be exposed to war or deadly disease. One argument, that I tend to agree with, is that the rise in gentle parenting and opposition to all negative consequences, including smacking has created a generation of stressed-out parents who feel unable to control their children when they are defiant. Of course, there are important caveats to all of this. All research shows that smacking is only effective when done sparingly. I would say that once or twice a month is acceptable, but any more is not. The less is often better. Likewise, it has to be age appropriate. Children under two are too young because they dont understand the concept of consequences. Any older than 12 and smacking can be bad for the development of children. This is because this is the age parents need to start treating children like adults, and smacking is inherently infantilising. But, despite the growing chorus of doctors and campaigners who are against smacking, I still believe it has its place in modern parenting. And I think banning it would be a mistake. A second person traveling through Los Angeles International Airport has tested positive for measles. The patient arrived on a China Airlines flight on March 5, and was in Terminal B between 7 pm and 10:40 pm. Over the following days, they then visited a nail salon in North Hollywood and a grocery store in El Monte. Officials said anyone who may have visited areas of exposure should check their vaccination status immediately. Measles is the most infectious disease in the world, with one patient capable of infecting nine out of 10 unvaccinated people they come into contact with. However, the vaccine slashes the risk of developing the disease by 97 percent. Los Angeles county health officials advised those who had not been vaccinated but feared they had been exposed to monitor their symptoms for 21 days. It marks the second measles patient to travel through LAX this year, after an infected infant arrived in the airport on a Korean Air flight in February. A second case has been reported in a passenger who traveled through Terminal B at Los Angeles International Airport (the airport is pictured above) Your browser does not support iframes. Three major US airports have already raised the alarm over measles this year, with alerts also being issued in New York's JFK International Airport and Washington DC's Dulles International Airport. It also comes amid a major outbreak of the disease in Texas, which has already sickened more than 250 people and led to 29 hospitalizations and two deaths. The infection is spread via respiratory droplets expelled via coughs and sneezes that can hang in the air for up to two hours. Infected patients first suffer from a fever, cough, runny nose and sore throat before developing the characteristic red rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body, including the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. After arriving on March 5, local health authorities said the patient visited Cloud 9 Nail Salon in North Hollywood between 11am and 5pm. It is not clear whether the patient was vaccinated. On March 10 the patient went to Superior Grocery Store in El Monte from 8.15am to 10.30am. It was not clear when the person first showed symptoms for measles or when their infection was diagnosed. After being diagnosed with the disease, however, patients are told to isolate and if symptoms become severe enough, they may be hospitalized. Patients are typically treated with painkillers, but may also receive antibiotics if they develop an associated infection or Vitamin A if they show signs of being malnourished. In severe cases, they may also need assistance breathing. Dr Muntu Davis, Los Angeles county's health officer, said: 'With measles outbreaks happening both in the United States and internationally, this recent case in our county highlights how important it is for anyone who has not been immunized to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. 'Measles spreads easily through the air and on surfaces, and a person infected with measles can pass it on to other before they feel sick or have symptoms.' She added: 'Young children and those who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems are at a higher risk for life-threatening complications from infection. 'Getting the MMR vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and stop the spread of this dangerous disease.' Two of the airport-linked measles patients have arrived in the US on China Airlines flights this year, while one has arrived on a Korean Air flight. The second case in Los Angeles is in a resident, while the first case was in a foreign traveler. There are no reports suggesting an outbreak of measles in China or South Korea. But late last month, officials in Ontario, Canada, also raised the alarm over measles after an infected passenger arrived in the area from South Korea. Unlike the US, measles has not been officially eradicated in China, which records low numbers of cases every year, but it was officially eradicated in South Korea in 2006. The US achieved measles elimination status in 2000, but cases have repeatedly emerged since linked to passengers bringing in the virus from abroad. Over recent years, the vaccination rate against measles has dropped, however, amid Covid vaccination mandates and concerns over the safety of vaccines. The measles vaccine is 97 percent effective against the virus, which can cause death or leave patients with a life-long disability in some cases. New evidence supports the Covid lab-leak theory with '80 to 95 percent certainty,' intelligence out of Germany claims. The German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) carried out a secret investigation into the origins of Covid nicknamed Project Saaremaa during the pandemic, the findings of which were only shared with the US in December 2024. German agents targeted Chinese government agencies and scientific institutions across the country, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology - the lab at the center of the lab-leak theory. In Wuhan, the BND agents 'struck gold,' coming 'as close to the origins of the pandemic... as possible in China,' German media Die Zeit reported. They found unpublished dissertations from 2019 and 2020 that allegedly discussed the effects of coronaviruses on the human body. Additionally, uncovered materials revealed Chinese scientists had 'an unusually large amount of knowledge about the supposedly novel virus available at an unusually early stage.' Based on the materials BND agents found and analyzed, they used a 'Probability Index' to measure the reliability of information, which determined the lab-leak theory was 'probable' with an '80 to 95 percent' certainty. Perhaps more alarming, the agents also found Chinese scientists are still carrying out dangerous manipulation experiments with the deadly coronavirus MERS. Chinese researcher Shi Zhengli, known as 'bat woman' for her work on coronaviruses in bats, is pictured in her lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in 2019 Findings from Project Saaremaa were revealed by German media outlet Die Zeit, which along with Suddeutsche Zeitung, conducted an 18-month investigation into the project. Investigators also found biosecurity measures at WIV were lacking. Virus-infected animal samples were transported between labs carelessly, raising the risk that pathogens could escape the lab. While the investigators were almost positive Covid came from a lab, Die Zeit reported BND does not have definitive proof. The Chinese government has always denied the lab-leak theory and maintained Covid was the product of an animal spillover. America's US intelligence agencies, the FBI and CIA, say a lab leak is most likely. People involved in Saaremaa told the German media outlets they took their findings to German officials in 2020, including the Federal Chancellery and the state secretary responsible for intelligence services. A federal chancellery secretary was also briefed, the agents claimed, and then Chancellor Angela Merkel was also reportedly made aware, according to Die Zeit. When asked to confirm if she was informed, Merkel declined to answer, Die Zeit reported. People involved in Project Saaremaa told the media outlets the German government took no action and the World Health Organization was never informed: 'The BND was sworn to secrecy.' Dr Richard Ebright, a professor of chemical biology at Rutgers University, told DailyMail.com: 'The main points are clear: All informed persons - without exception - knew by early 2020 that SARS-CoV-2 likely entered humans through a research-related incident in Wuhan. 'But most chose to lie or to stay silent. 'It is now clear that this not only included the scientific establishment... but also the intelligence agencies of the US and Germany, which withheld information from the public and policy makers.' The Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China is the lab at the center of the Covid lab-leak theory It wasn't until December 2024, five years after the first cases appeared in China, that the BND was able to share its findings with US intelligence agencies, people involved in the project said. German and US officials have reportedly spoken about the matter on three occasions: December 2024 and January and February 2025. The BND also allegedly discussed its findings with the CIA in late 2024 and believe they 'will soon be known to the Trump administration as well,' Die Zeit reported. In addition to information discovered five years ago, BND uncovered new evidence the Chinese are currently 'overstepping boundaries.' According to the investigation, Chinese researchers are allegedly testing the transmission of MERS coronaviruses and related viruses in human cells. Your browser does not support iframes. MERS, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, is a contagious respiratory illness spread from animals to humans and from human to human. It causes fever, cough, shortness of breath, diarrhea and vomiting, and can be fatal in severe cases. A new virus closely related to MERS, which kills up to a third of people it infects, was recently discovered in China. In scenes eerily reminiscent of the beginnings of Covid, researchers at the WIV detected the new strain, HKU5-CoV-2, living within bats. HKU5-CoV-2 is strikingly similar to the pandemic virus, sparking fears that history could repeat itself just two years after the worst was declared over. Preliminary tests showed HKU5-CoV-2 infiltrated human cells in the same way as SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind Covid. Sharing their discovery in the journal Cell, the Beijing-funded researchers admitted it posed a 'high risk of spillover to humans, either through direct transmission or facilitated by intermediate hosts.' Robert F Kennedy Junior, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, issued an ultimatum to major food manufacturers: strip their products of artificial dyes before the end of his term or face unknown consequences. RFK Jr, a long-time crusader for dye- and additive-free foods, said that if Kraft Heinz Co., General Mills Inc., and other food companies fail to comply, the government will take action against the companies. Artificial dyes have been linked to ADHD-like symptoms in children, particularly hyperactivity, as well as cancer in animals. Mr Kennedys remarks were shared in an internal memo sent by Melissa Hockstad, the chief executive officer of the Consumer Brands Association, to its members. The CBA is a trade organization that represents the consumer packaged goods industry in the US, including those companies called out by RFK Jr, advocating for policies and regulations that support food companies. Ms Hockstad quoted RFK Jr in the memo, saying: He expects real and transformative change by getting the worst ingredients out of food. The health secretarys campaign to eliminate artificial food dyes is a key component of his Make America Healthy Again initiative, which has earned significant grassroots support. At the same time, food companies shares plummeted on Tuesday with many falling more sharply than the S&P 500 during a broader downturn. RFK Jr, a longtime advocate for dye- and additive-free foods, warned that if Kraft Heinz, General Mills, and other companies dont comply, the government will 'take action.' However, he did not specify what that would entail or what authority he would have after leaving office Mr Kennedys MAHA movement puts him at odds with behemoth food companies and the influential food lobby. General Mills saw its stock price fall from about $65 on Monday to about $60 by midday-Wednesday. Kraft Heinz, meanwhile, saw its stock price fall from roughly $31 at Monday's end to just over $30 on Wednesday. Smucker's saw a decline from $114 to $111, while PepsiCo share prices fell from $152 to $148. He posted late Monday on X that he had a great discussion with CBA and those major food manufacturers, as well as Smuckers and Pepsi Co, on advancing food safety and radical transparency to protect the health of all Americans, especially our children. We will strengthen consumer trust by getting toxins out of our food. Lets Make America Healthy Again. Ditching dyes has been a core tenet of RFKs advocacy work for years before he made it his mission as a top government official. With the promise of RFKs appointment as head of the department that oversees the FDA, food manufacturers quickly expressed their willingness to work out a plan for phasing out dyes. General Mills Inc said in a statement in November: Because this is always an evolving space, we work in close partnership with policymakers on this issue. We will engage with federal regulators as they consider any additional changes they may propose. Kellogg, meanwhile, said it would work with lawmakers and officials across the political spectrum about ways to comply. Red 40, also known as Allura red, is in several popular candies, sodas and chips - including Doritos, Skittles, and Pepsi - as well as baked goods and cake mix Any deal will likely prove costly to General Mills and other major corporations, which rely on brightly colored dyes to make popular products like Trix cereal and soft drinks. However, refusing to comply or dragging their feet could also prove costly, depending on what action the government is prepared to take and the publics interest in newly formulated dye-free foods. In California, Gov Gavin Newsom signed a landmark law that outlawed Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3 from the meals, drinks, and snacks served at schools statewide. Several other states are working on similar legislation, including Virginia, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and New York, receiving bipartisan support. Several food dyes are either banned or contain warning labels in Europe, where food and drug regulators have more oversight than the FDA. Unlike European regulators, who proactively review ingredient lists and formulations before products reach store shelves, US regulators tend to take a more reactive approach. Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 are mainstays in sweets and cereals in the US. The dyes are believed to exacerbate attentional problems in children, which led EU regulators to mandate that product makers included that warning on their labels The FDAs Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) designation, formalized in the 1990s, established a self-reporting system that allows companies to determine ingredient safety based on the conclusions of a scientific panel. RFK Jr has the GRAS designation in his crosshairs, hoping to eliminate it altogether. He has previously said: For far too long, ingredient manufacturers and sponsors have exploited a loophole that has allowed new ingredients and chemicals, often with unknown safety data, to be introduced into the U.S. food supply without notification to the FDA or the public. Eliminating this loophole will provide transparency to consumers and help get our nations food supply back on track by ensuring that ingredients being introduced into foods are safe. A woman charged with second-degree murder over the death of a toddler caused by her company's hyperbaric chamber is accused of harassing witnesses in her case and trying to flee to China. Tamela Peterson, 58, is the CEO and founder of the Oxford Center in Troy, Michigan, where, in January, a five-year-old receiving therapy in one of the center's hyperbaric chambers died after the machine exploded. She has been charged with second-degree murder and, yesterday, was given a $2million bond. She has pled not guilty. In a press conference, prosecutors accused her of preparing to flee to China and said she had recently withdrawn a large amount of Iraqi currency. Attorney General Chris Kessel said: 'She has shown time after time that she has no problem trying to impede the investigation into her. There is no better way to impede an investigation than by not being here.' Ms Peterson's attorneys denied the claim and said she had a visa for China because she visited the country in August for her son's wedding. Three of her employees have also been charged in relation to the child's death, and also have pled not guilty. An investigation into the incident claimed safety precautions for the hyperbaric chamber were not followed and its count of uses had been 'turned back.' Five-year-old Thomas Cooper was receiving hyperbaric therapy for sleep apnea and ADHD before he was killed when the chamber suddenly caught fire. His mother Annie also suffered severe burns after reaching into the flames to try to save him. Tamela Peterson, 58, was accused of preparing to flee the US on a Chinese Visa. She has now been arrested and given a bail of $2million (She is pictured above in court in Troy, Michigan, on Tuesday) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves entering a chamber of pressurized air that is 100 percent oxygen. This makes the air inside highly flammable, requiring strict safety protocols to prevent ignition even a single spark can trigger a fire. Popularized by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, it is alleged to have numerous health benefits including speeding recovery from injury and boosting circulation. It can help with recovery by allowing the lungs to absorb more oxygen, helping to stimulate cell and tissue repair. The boy was using the chamber for treating sleep apnea and attention-deficit/hyperactive-disorder, neither of which are approved uses. He had previously taken multiple sessions of HBOT to treat his conditions. The FDA has approved HBOT for treating severe anemia, burns, carbon monoxide poisoning and decompression sickness, when someone surfaces from under water too quickly, among other conditions. A session at the center costs about $195 on average, a 2018 article reported, with each lasting a little over an hour. Thomas died within moments after the hyperbaric chamber caught fire on January 31. Attorney General Dana Nessel said previously: 'A single spark it appears ignited into a fully involved fire that claimed Thomas's life within seconds.' Ms Nessel said at a news conference that an investigation by the Troy Police Department had found the Oxford Center and its decision makers allegedly had 'held safety among their lowest considerations' when it came to using the hyperbaric chamber. Thomas Cooper died after the hyperbaric chamber he was inside caught fire The boy's mother Annie also suffered severe burns after she tried to grab her son from the flames Your browser does not support iframes. At a press conference, the attorney general also accused Peterson of failing to cooperate with the investigation, saying she had wiped her laptop and lied to investigators to prevent them from accessing footage of the incident. He also said she allegedly snatched her phone from detectives, run away from them and threatened other witnesses. He added: 'Judge, I would note there are witnesses in this case who have indicated that this defendant has bullied, threatened, harassed, humiliated and filed lawsuits against people who, for lack of a better phrase, stand in the way of whatever it is she wants to do.' Defense attorney Gerard Gleeson denied his client had been preparing to flee, saying Peterson turned over her passport pre-emptively. Gleeson also said Peterson had a Chinese visa because she visited the country for her son's wedding in August 2024, well before the incident. Peterson has also been accused of obstructing the investigation by wiping her laptop and lying to investigators; she denies the allegations She also allegedly snatched her phone from detectives and threatened others who were co-operating with the investigation; she denies the allegations He also denied that she had interfered with the investigation by harassing any witnesses. Yesterday, the police also arrested facility manager Gary Marken, 65, and safety manager Gary Mosteller, 64, who were both charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. They, too, pled not guilty. The operator of the chamber when it exploded, Aleta Moffitt, 60, who has also entered a not guilty plea, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and intentionally placing false medical information on a medical records chart. Beauty treatments that were once the preserve of the rich and famous have now become so normalised that having Botox, fillers and laser treatments seems almost par for the course in many circles. However, this doesnt mean they come without risks, and those involved in the skincare industry are still keen to highlight that you should be cautious rather than gung-ho when it comes to anything even minimally invasive. Below, we spoke to doctors, dermatologists and skincare experts about the risks you should look out for, and how to minimise them. Lip filler One of the most concerning beauty treatments, according to Dr Nyla GP Dermatologist and Founder of Dr Nyla Medispa, is lip filler, especially when done by unqualified practitioners. The biggest risks include vascular occlusion (when filler blocks a blood vessel, leading to tissue death) and overfilling, which can stretch the lips over time and cause long-term distortion, she says. A conservative approach to lip filler is best, say experts. As with any injectable, avoid going for the bargain (often unqualified) option when it comes to lip filler, and always start off on the conversative side, staying within the natural shape of the lip. Rosie Green, Yous beauty director, says that with any cosmetic treatment its worth finding a practitioner whose aesthetic is similar to your own. Some people love the Love Island look; for others, looking natural is the most important thing, she says. Looking at the practitioner themselves will give you a good idea of their preferred style, and they will normally have plenty of photos on their website or Instagram page to check out too. Dermal fillers To this day dermal fillers concern me the most, says Emily West, an Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner at Creo Clinic. This is not, she says, because they are inherently unsafe, but due to the continued rise in poorly trained non-medical injectors. This can lead to serious risks, like vascular occlusion, infection, migration, and unnatural results. Always choose a qualified medical professional who understands facial anatomy and can manage complications, not just someone who can inject, she adds. As well as someone medically qualified, look for the 'number of faces' a practitioner has treated. Botox According to Bruce Green, Chartered Chemist and Founder of SOS Serum Skincare, correction procedures for botched treatments have cost the NHS 29 million last year alone. One of the treatments that can go wrong is Botox, leading to severe complications such as infections, tissue damage and disfigurement. Again, the lack of expertise is a big risk factor when it comes to Botox. In the UK, there are no mandatory qualifications for practitioners, allowing individuals with minimal training to perform these procedures, says Green. Complaints about botched procedures have doubled in recent years, with 80% of cases involving non-medical professional. With injectables, Rosie advises looking not only for qualifications, but also the number of faces a practitioner has done. You want someone who has completed that procedure a lot of times,' advises Rosie. Botox is not one size fits all; they need to assess your face and its individual characteristics properly. As the saying goes, every action has its equal and opposite reaction, and this is true for your face. If you inject too much Botox in the crows feet, you might not be able to smile properly, and so on. Someone who has done a lot of Botox will understand the nuances of it. Experience has as much a part to play as qualifications. Chemical peels I think aggressive chemical peels should be approached with caution, says Dr Nyla. A chemical peel is a skin treatment that uses a chemical solution to remove the top layers of skin. The idea is that the new skin that grows back is smoother and can help with wrinkles, scars, and hyperpigmentation. When done improperly, they can lead to burns, scarring, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, especially in people with darker skin tones. Anyone considering these treatments should always go to a highly qualified professional and ask about risks beforehand. Chemical peels need to be applied with care. Rosie agrees, saying that chemical peels should not be undertaken lightly. They have been used for so long - all the Hollywood stars were having them in the Fifties - so chemical peels definitely have their place, she says. They are very effective at skin rejuvenation and collagen stimulation. However, with the medicalisation of skincare Ive noticed people are using stronger solutions in less clinical settings. You need to do your homework and visit someone reputable for a chemical peel. Thread lifts A thread lift is designed to lift sagging, ageing skin, and involves a plastic surgeon placing medical-grade thread under the skin to pull the skin into position. Its one procedure that rings alarm bells for several of our experts. One cosmetic treatment that makes me particularly uneasy is thread lifts, says Dr Emma Cunningham, Aesthetic Doctor and Founder of Dr Emma Clinics. They often involve a significant financial investment, yet the results can be underwhelming and, in some cases, lead to scarring, she adds. Dr Rishi Mandavia, Managing Director at Doctors Tatiana + Rishi Advanced Aesthetics agrees. Thread lifts are definitely at the top of the list. They carry a significant risk of nerve damage, infection, scarring, and asymmetry, and they can even make future facial plastic surgery much more challenging. On top of all that, the results are often short-lived. There are usually better and safer alternatives available, he says. Rosie says that she is very wary of thread lifts. 'They didnt get it right for a long time, she says. Its also often sold as a lunchtime facelift, but Rosie points out that its a considerable procedure. However, she does say A few of the doctors I know and really trust say they have tweaked the techniques and that they are getting better. I would still practice caution though. CNN's late night fight club show descended into yet another bust-up last night when Democrat Bakari Sellers tried to lecture Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary about how the economy works. Sellers, a politician-turned-pundit from South Carolina, was a guest on Abby Philip's NewsNight along with DailyMail.com columnist O'Leary and others. He was complaining about Elon Musk and Trump's slicing of the Departments of Education and Agriculture. O'Leary, a proponent of the cuts, said they needed to go further to trim more fat from the bloated government to make it more effective. That's when Sellers offered up a lesson in economy to the investor, who is worth some $400million. 'Let me just say, can I explain to you,' he said. O'Leary fired back: 'You need to explain it to me? I know how it works.' Responding to what was evidently disbelief from the businessman, Sellers said: 'But no, you don't.' As the former rep geared-up for what appeared to be a longwinded lecture, O'Leary again cut in. 'I do, I've done it multiple times,' he said, referring to his business experience. Kevin O'Leary clashed with Bakari Sellers during a conversation about the economy on CNN NewsNight Tuesday, after the US Department of Agriculture's decision to do away with programs that provided $1 billion in funding for school lunches A furious Sellers led the charge of an almost full panel backlash. 'You cannot run everyday government the same way you run [the private sector!] he fumed. 'This is worse than the private sector,' O'Leary interrupted again. '[This is] fat dripping-with-waste government.' The cuts seen from the USDA Tuesday align with The Trump Administration's attempt to cut federal spending, with the president expected to sign of an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education sometime this week. The argument between Sellers and O'Leary was sparked when the latter called for even deeper cuts, while mentioning Elon Musk's DOGE. 'This issue is not going to go away because its very contentious, but when you cut in any organization, government or private, its very demoralizing, the Montreal-born entrepreneur said. 'Its traumatic, and it gets lots of bad press as were doing right now,' he went on, before showing some of the business sense that got him to the position he's in today. 'But thats why you cut 20 percent more. I think Elon is not cutting enough. Cut 20 percent more. Now get your spreadsheet out. These are the names. The panel then fought with O'Leary's assertion that bad educators are to blame for kids failing in some schools 'Whack everybody and then 20 percent more - as we do in the private sector every day and have done for 100 years. 'Demoralization only happens once.' The panel then fought with O'Leary's assertion that bad educators are to blame for kids failing in some schools. Sellers and the other liberal-leaning guests fumed that it was because they are hungry. 'My whole career was in education,' OLeary said at a point, as other panelists spoke over him. 'So, like... no, no, no... let me finish,' Sellers stammered, amid growing fears of a recession. Often hailed as Canada's business equivalent of Trump, O'Leary is the co-founder and Chairman of O'Leary Funds and the co-founder of Softkey. The latter was a software company acquired by Mattel in 1999 - a sale that made O'Leary a multimillionaire. It was valued at a whopping $3.5 billion. Trump with DOGE lieutenant Elon Musk at the White House yesterday. Hundreds more federal workers were laid off yesterday In 2017, he campaigned to be the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, but dropped out due to a lack of support. In 2017, he described hypothetical trade negotiations between Trump and then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as 'Godzilla versus Bambi' - showing his support for the conservative. During last year's election, he engaged in heavy criticism of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris - largely due to her plan to increase corporate taxes. Following Trump's win, O'Leary said he was very happy with the outcome - and that he was 'very proud of the work I did' during the campaign. JD Vance has gone nuclear on CBS for 'harassing' his mother-in-law in an effort to poke holes in his politics. The network had gone to Vance for comment for a story it ran on Wednesday about his mother-in-law Lakshmi Chilukuri. The headline reads: 'She advanced DEI at her university. Her son-in-law, Vice President JD Vance, wants to end it nationwide.' The crux of the story was how Chilukuri had taken strides to DEI at the University of California San Diego, where she works, while her son-in-law is trying to outlaw it in government. And the Vice President didn't mince his words when asked by the reporter for a statement. 'This story exists because CBS has decided that harassing my mother in law is a reasonable price in order to attack President Trump. 'I don't like DEI, and I'm proud of what our administration has done on that front. 'But I love my mother-in-law. If she doesn't share my views on DEI I suppose I'll have to do what 99 percent of Americans do when confronted with a family member who doesn't always agree with them: get over it. 'I'll choose instead to focus on her kindness and the fact that she's an incredible mother and loving grandmother to the most important people in my life.' JD Vance has gone nuclear on CBS for 'harassing' his mother-in-law in an effort to poke holes in his politics 'I love my mother-in-law,' Vance said of Lakshmi Chilukuri, who today is the provost of the University of California San Diego's Sixth College The network had gone to Vance for comment for a story it ran on Wednesday about his mother-in-law Lakshmi Chilukuri Chilukuri has worked for the UCSD for more than 20 years. She was named the school's provost in 2018, and has helped create its pilot course on race, ethnicity and gender in biology and medicine. The CBS piece forensically analyzed her DEI work. It also discussed how Chilukuri served on the university's biological sciences diversity committee, after moving to the states from India with her husband Radhakrishna 'Krish' Chilukuri. That was in the late 70s, after which she gave birth to daughter Usha - the US's first Indian-American second lady - in 1986. Usha met her future husband two decades later while attending Yale Law. The pair wed in 2014. Chilukuri, in the meantime, was rising steadily through the ranks at her own place of work. Vance with his wife, Usha. The pair married in 2014 and have three children In a letter to prospective students, she emphasized the school's 'steadfast adherence to principles that drive equity, inclusion, and an embrace of diversity'. 'As we come into the new academic year with the pandemic not quite yet in the rearview mirror, with issues of equity and systemic racism, anti-Blackness and anti-Asian racism yet unresolved, we have before us both opportunity and responsibility,' Chilukuri wrote at the time. The piece also pointed to the university's penchant for diversity efforts as seen on its website, and Chilukuri's high place within the school's faculty. Vance and his disdain for DEI was mentioned in what felt like the same breath, as well as his and President Trump calls to end 'wokeness'. The story asserted such stances have become 'a hallmark of their administration's first weeks'. UCSD's endowment is more than $1.4 billion, per the UC San Diego Foundation's website - putting it in the president's prospective crosshairs. Earlier this week, Trump threatened to revisit the grants of Ivy League schools and elite institutions that are seen to support antisemitism. It's unclear if UCSD will be one of them. Vance has spoken fondly of his mother-in-law in the past. She moved in with him to care for his then newborn son, Vivek, in 2020, taking a year away from her career to do so. 'You can sort of see the effect it has on him to be around them, like they spoil him and sort of all the classic stuff that grandparents do to grandchildren. 'It makes him a much better human being to have exposure to his grandparents, and the evidence on this, by the way, is like super clear,' he said. The World Bank, just a block from the White House, found it had an unexpected ally during Donald Trumps first term. Instead of facing the usual battle for funding on Capitol Hill, the path was smoothed by first daughter Ivanka who was a star attraction on womens issues at the development banks annual meetings and was even touted, by her father, as a future president. Among the most far-reaching actions of the Donald Trump presidency, as it seeks to end US government largesse, has been to cancel funding for USAID. Less noticed was its decision to order a review of the World Bank. America is the biggest shareholder, with a 16 per cent stake giving it a veto over stuff it doesnt like. The Bank is headed by former Mastercard chief executive Ajay Banga who was drafted in by Joe Biden after Republican predecessor David Malpass was ambushed by Democrat climate change zealots John Kerry and Al Gore. Trump is set on erasing almost everything Biden touched, so that places the World Bank, headed by an American since its creation in 1944, in a vulnerable place. Insider: Ivanka Trump (pictured) has been a star attraction on womens issues at the World Banks annual meetings and was even touted, by her father, as a future president The International Development Association (IDA) arm, which provides concessional assistance to the worlds poorest nations such as Ethiopia and Bangladesh, might be in danger. It is seeking a $24billion (18.5billion) funding package. Biden signed up to $4billion (3.1billion) before leaving office. The impact of Keir Starmers cuts on the UKs contributions to IDA is also a known unknown. Britain is committed to spend 1.98billion over the next three years in an organisation where it has been a dominant voice. Whether that can be maintained when it comes to the 2028 funding round is unclear. Bangas emphasis since taking the controls has been on efficiency. Not quite Elon Musks DOGE but the same kind of thing. In making the case for continued White House support the Bank can also point to this and its Triple A rating for the capital it raises to support $33.5billion (25.8billion) of lending to middle-income nations. However, the Banks emphasis in recent times on climate change projects will not find much sympathy in a drill, baby drill US administration. Ivanka, an absentee voice in Trumps second coming, could be the World Banks ace card should rationality fail. Legal defence The Trump effect has arrived at Britains biggest asset manager, Legal and General. Under the previous stewardship of Nigel Wilson, all the talk was of using invested funds to boost UK infrastructure such as university facilities and housing. Wilsons successor, Antonio Simoes, is now making the case for diverting money into defence as Britain and Europe seek to fill the chasm opened by the US coolness to Nato. Simoes rightly insists that defence companies, such as BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, are investable despite the environmental, social and governance rules, which have frozen them out. Since taking charge he has focused on simplifying the enterprise, pulling out of housebuilding and selling its US protection arm. Focus continues to be on continuing to agglomerate a portfolio of pension fund buyouts. This year L&G has completed 1.2billion of deals, is aiming for 17billion by the end of 2025 and has a further 27billion in the pipeline. Simoes believes it is in a strong position to speedily vacuum up closed legacy pension funds on both sides of the Atlantic. But there are more players in the space, and it is not a growth enterprise. Asset management is equally difficult, especially for highly regulated firms with limited capacity to invest in alternative assets. L&G is keeping investors happy by throwing off the cash with a bigger-than-expected share buyback of 500million, and 1.2billion in the stars for 2026. Exciting, it is not. Wrong call Transparency is at the core of good regulation. So it is a pity that the Financial Conduct Authority has been coerced into dropping its name and shame proposals for firms under investigation. Embarrassing maybe for targets, such as trusts in Neil Woodfords collapsed empire, but consumers would welcome red flags. An unmitigated triumph for providers of financial services over the customer. Running a business in Ukraine is hard especially if you cant get the insurance you need. But now, three years after Vladimir Putins tanks rolled into the country, British ingenuity is delivering a helping hand. McGill and Partners, a London insurance broker, has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) powered facility that will enable firms in the war-torn nation to obtain the cover they need against the risk of war damage. Until now, even those parts of Ukraine that are far from the thick of the fighting have found it difficult to get adequate insurance. But the new facility, developed with insurance tech firm FortuneGuard a Ukrainian start-up that is part of a Lloyds of London innovation hub will use data on missile strikes to allow underwriters to assess risk more accurately. This should enable affordable premiums to be offered to businesses, a McGill spokesman said. Hit: A damaged hotel in southeastern Ukraine .London-based McGill and Partners has launched an AI facility that will enable Ukrainian firms to obtain cover against war damage Cover will be provided only for firms more than 100km which is around 62 miles from the front line. But it will make a big difference for those who do manage to get insurance for their commercial property as it will enable international reinsurance firms to re-enter the market. Since the war started, cover offered by local insurers has been limited to $500,000 (almost 390,000). Now, however, policies worth up to $50million (around 39million) could be obtained. Hamish Greenwood, head of crisis management at McGill, said the blanket exclusion for insurance even for firms on the western side of the country far from the front line seemed a bit unfair. There are definitely regions where normality continues a little bit more than others and those are areas where potentially we thought wed be able to offer a lot of assistance, he said. The new technology uses a database compiled by the Ukrainian government that tracks almost every projectile that has been fired into the country since the invasion began. By crunching the data, it presents information to underwriters in an easily digestible format that enables them to reach a decision much more quickly, said Greenwood. It has persuaded a group of underwriters in London to provide capacity to cover risks in the country. Warehouses, manufacturing sites and solar panels are among those that could benefit. It could also unlock funds set aside by development agencies with billions set aside for Ukraine. The lack of insurance is a real barrier to the deployment of that so we hope that having a programme like this can help funds to be released to Ukraine as well, Greenwood said. Since the products launch in January, McGill has provided quotes on more than $1.5bn of cover. Greenwood is more cautious about the amount of insurance that can be written. But he said: If were deploying in excess of $250million of capacity I think we will have made a massive difference to the current state of the economy provided a lot of security and put a lot of resilience into the economy. Thats a key part of it. If every time a strike happens businesses are having to go into their own pocket to repair and continue operations it makes it incredibly hard to keep going. Britains beleaguered steel industry is facing another blow after Donald Trumps 25 per cent tariffs on global steel and aluminium imports were due to take effect overnight. Government officials have unsuccessfully been pursuing a carve-out for Britain. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds spoke to US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Sunday. But those efforts appear at least for now to have failed to bear fruit, even after President Trumps amicable meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington, which raised hopes of a trade deal. It is a fresh blow for a sector hammered by high energy costs and a flood of cheap Chinese imports, resulting in thousands of job cuts as well as hundreds of millions in government subsidies in an attempt to salvage part of the industry. Reynolds is likely to make a statement about the tariffs today. But Britain is seen as unlikely to pursue retaliation in the same way that other countries have, amid a reluctance to ratchet up trade tensions even further. Gareth Stace, director general of trade body UK Steel, said: These tariffs couldnt come at a worse time for the UK steel industry. Jes Staley yesterday admitted that he had remained loyal to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein after he was convicted of having sex with a minor in 2008. The former Barclays boss was giving evidence at Londons Upper Tribunal as he seeks to overturn a finance industry ban and 1.8million fine by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA claims that Staley, 68, recklessly misled it after a letter sent to the watchdog from Barclays claimed that the two men were not close. It says a cache of emails from Staleys former employer JP Morgan where the banker managed Epsteins account cast doubt on that claim. In court, Staley has repeatedly stressed that he had a close, professional but not personal relationship with Epstein. Hearing: Former Barclays boss Jes Staley (pictured) was giving evidence at Londons Upper Tribunal as he seeks to overturn a finance industry ban and 1.8m fine by the FCA Yesterday, he was cross-examined by Leigh-Ann Mulcahy KC, for the FCA, over a series of supportive emails he sent Epstein dating back to his 2008 conviction for child sex offences. The hearing was told that when Epstein was released in July 2009 he messaged Staley and three other individuals to announce he was free and home. Staley, who had said earlier that he felt the conviction had been an isolated transgression, admitted he had sent a reply to the paedophile stating: I toast your courage!!!!! When questioned as to why he felt the sex offender was courageous, he replied: He was indicted, he was prosecuted, and he served time in jail, and I was loyal to him. And obviously any time in prison is a tough time. Staley insisted he had no idea about the later trafficking allegations against the serial paedophile, adding: If I was aware of his monstrous activities, I would not have maintained a relationship. Staleys appeal centres on a 2019 letter sent by Barclays chairman Nigel Higgins to the FCA, which approached the bank shortly after Epsteins arrest prompted press interest. The hearing continues. Boohoo has changed its name to Debenhams after reviving the popularity of the 247-year-old department store brand. The fast-fashion group bought Debenhams out of administration in 2021, dispensing with its bricks and mortar network in a major blow to the High Street and switching to an online operation. Now, chief executive Dan Finley wants to use the success of the venture as a blueprint to transform the ailing fortunes of the wider group, declaring: Debenhams is back. However there are no plans for the brand to return to the High Street. Finley said it would be Britains online department store. Shareholders will vote on the rebranding at a meeting later this month. Since being bought for 55million, Debenhams has become very profitable and is growing rapidly, Boohoo said yesterday. Debenhams is one of a number of old High Street brands that are owned by Boohoo, with others including Wallis, Burton, Coast, Oasis, Dorothy Perkins and Warehouse. Fashion show: TV presenter Hannah Cooper-Dommett models for Debenhams which is now owned by fast fashion group Boohoo Russ Mould, investment director at investment platform AJ Bell, said: The idea of going to a vast department store on the High Street or retail park to buy an array of goods went out of fashion in the modern world, yet the concept is now alive and well online. Thats how Boohoo has managed to resuscitate one of the UKs best-known shopkeepers. However, the groups so-called youth brands such as Boohoo, Pretty Little Thing and MAN seem to have been harder hit by trends such as the post-pandemic fall on online shopping and competition from cut-price rivals such as Shein. A trading update yesterday revealed the contrasting fortunes of the two divisions. Overall revenues at the wider group fell 16 per cent to 1.2billion in the year to February. For the youth brands, sales were down 21 per cent to 947million. But the old High Street brands of Debenhams and others were up by 10 per cent to 205million. Karen Millen, also owned by the group, saw a 2 per cent decline to 68million. Boohoo shares fell 4.6 per cent yesterday to 26.08p, adding to losses of 22 per cent over the past year. Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at broker Hargreaves Lansdown, said: A name change doesnt change the fact that sales are falling. A review which could see some brands spun off or sold is ongoing and yesterdays name change has added to speculation that they will be offloaded. But retail analyst Nick Bubb suggested that nobody is queuing up to buy the young brands, given the competition from [Chinese online fast-fashion giant] Shein. The rebrand comes after a prolonged tussle between the groups management and its biggest shareholder Mike Ashley, who controls retailer Frasers Group. Ashley last year lost an attempt to win a board seat. British broker TP ICAP is planning to list its data and analytics business in New York in a major snub to London. The worlds largest inter-dealer broker, set up by City grandee Michael Spencer, hopes to float a minority stake in its Parameta Solutions arm by the end of June. A move to New York would mark another setback for the City as London struggles to attract initial public offerings (IPOs) while also suffering an exodus as companies leave or are taken over. The issue extends from the main London market with FTSE 100 giants Shell and Glencore considering a move to New York and Unilever choosing to list its ice cream business in Amsterdam to the junior Alternative Investment Market (AIM). Research by accountant UHY Hacker Young shows the number of firms on AIM has fallen by 61 in the past 12 months to 679 the lowest since 2001 and down from a peak of 1,694 in 2007. The report blamed the cost burdens and excessive red tape that come with being listed on AIM. TP ICAP, the worlds largest inter-dealer broker hopes to float a minority stake in its Parameta Solutions arm by the end of June. Colin Wright, chairman of UHY Hacker Young, said cutting back on some of the regulations surrounding AIM could help. TP ICAP chose New York for the Parameta listing because the US has the deepest, most liquid public markets. The broker also reported a 12 per cent rise in 2024 profit to 303million. Inditex has reported a sluggish start to the financial year despite saying its spring and summer collections were 'well received' by customers. The Zara and Massimo Dutti owner saw its turnover increase by 4 per cent between the start of February and 10 March, compared to 11 per cent growth during the same period last year. It follows sales slowing at the beginning of the festive shopping season amidst a more challenging consumer backdrop across Europe. Mamta Valechha, consumer discretionary analyst at Quilter Cheviot, suggested the recent moderation may have been caused by unfavourable weather conditions and 'weak consumer sentiment' in the UK, US and Germany. Inditex shares tumbled 8.1 per cent by late Wednesday afternoon, although they have still doubled over the past three years thanks to soaring revenues and profits. The Spanish fashion giant revealed its net sales rose by 7.5 per cent to 38.6billion in the year ending January, primarily driven by a jump in orders of Zara products, which are responsible for more than two-thirds of its turnover. Challenging: Zara owner Inditex has reported a sluggish start to its first quarter Store purchases expanded by 5.9 per cent, which the firm said reflected 'incremental footfall and increasing productivity,' while online revenues climbed by 12 per cent to 10.2billion. It noted the higher shop sales were achieved with 2 per cent extra commercial space and 2.3 per cent fewer outlets than the previous year. Combined with gross margins stabilising at 57.8 per cent, Inditex's pre-tax profits went up by 10.3 per cent to 7.6 billion. Following the result, the Galicia-based company has proposed hiking its dividend by 9 per cent to 1.68 per share. Oscar Garcia Maceiras, its chief executive, remarked: 'The excellent sales and profit figures show the solidity of the Inditex group's profitable growth.' Inditex plans to invest around 1.8billion in capital spending this year on technology, store refurbishments, and improving its online platforms. It also intends to spend a further 900million enlarging its logistics capacity, including opening a second distribution centre in Zaragoza this summer. Upon announcing the new site last year, the business said it would be approximately 3.1 million square feet in size and create 1,500 jobs when operating at full capacity. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'Whereas some companies would hide under a rock when times get tough, Inditex is ploughing ahead with investing its technology, logistics capabilities and doing up physical stores. 'It is also continuing to open new shops. That's a sign that Inditex has its eye on the longer-term prize and can use its financial strength to get one up on the competition.' Inditex had 5,560 outlets at the end of January, 129 fewer than 12 months earlier. The firm launched its first stores in Uzbekistan and plans to enter the Iraqi market later this year. 4imprint Group shares slumped on Wednesday after the promotional products firm warned that tariffs could hurt its sales this year. The FTSE 250 company, which sells items such as books, bags and lanyards, saw its shares plunge by 19 per cent in early trading before somewhat rebounding to be 11.8 per cent lower at 42.25 by the late afternoon. Its chairman, Paul Moody, blamed 'continued uncertainty' for its order intake volumes being 'slightly down' in the first two months of 2025 compared to the equivalent time last year. President Donald Trump's imposition of taxes on imported goods entering the United States has led to widespread political and economic uncertainty as many countries have retaliated with their own tariffs. Following a 25 per cent levy on steel and aluminium imports, Canada has responded with more than $20billion of taxes on US goods, while the European Union declared 26billion of 'countermeasures.' Moody said tariffs may 'continue to influence demand' this year, although he added that sales of promotional goods tend to improve as business confidence recovers. Concerns: 4imprint Group shares slumped on Wednesday after the promotional products maker warned that tariffs could hurt its sales this year 4imprint's turnover increased by 3 per cent to $1.37billion in 2024 thanks to higher average order values compensating for a decline in new client orders against a more challenging economic backdrop. The company's pre-tax profits jumped by 10 per cent to 154.4million, supported by gross margins benefiting from targeted price hikes and minimal supplier cost rises. While headquartered in London, the firm earns the overwhelming majority of sales in North America, where it recently completed a $20million expansion of its Wisconsin distribution centre. Even so, it ended the year in a much healthier financial position, with cash and bank deposits 41 per cent higher at $147.6million. As a result, 4imprint is proposing a special dividend of 250 cents per share, taking its total investor payouts for 2024 to $4.90 per share. Moody said: 'Despite a challenging near-term environment, our view of the prospects of the business remains unchanged. The board is confident in the group's strategy, competitive position and growth opportunity.' However, Russ Mould, investment director of AJ Bell, warned that current concerns of an economic downturn in the US were not helping the company. He said: 'Sentiment towards 4imprint and its performance have always been closely tied to US GDP, so speculation about a recession in the world's largest economy is unhelpful. 'This has been reflected in recent share price weakness and todays results put the stock under further pressure as the outlook statement confirmed the markets fears.' Mould added: '4imprint might hope that should tariffs work as intended and domestic US businesses prosper, it will do so too, but for now, uncertainty reigns.' The boss of Britains biggest asset manager yesterday insisted that putting money into defence firms can be responsible amid a growing backlash against woke investing. Legal and General chief executive Antonio Simoes made the remarks as City firms are being urged to back the sector amid threats to UK and European security intensifying. We have investments in most global stocks including those of defence companies, Simoes said as L&G published its annual results for 2024. There is no reason in principle why investing in defence companies cannot be in line with responsible investing. Countries may need to defend themselves... UK defence companies can be invested in. His comments came after banks and fund managers have been urged to scrap the restrictions that exclude defence investments as unethical, due to concerns that woke investing is holding back Britains military spending and national security. On target: Defence shares including London-listed giants BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce have soared in recent weeks Defence shares including London-listed giants BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce have soared in recent weeks. Stocks were boosted after UK and European leaders committed to spending more on defence after US President Donald Trumps intervention in Russias war on Ukraine. But there are concerns that environmental, social and governance (ESG) rules have squeezed funding to arms firms. Many pension firms limit or block investment in defence companies due to ESG rules, which also exclude controversial sectors such as oil and gas, and tobacco. Supporters of the industry have argued that investment in arms firms is ethical and essential to support Ukraine and defend freedom in Europe. Responsible: Legal and General chief exec Antonio Simoes (pictured) said UK defence companies can be invested in A group of 100 MPs and peers last week called on fund managers to include arms company stocks in ESG funds. L&G, which provides life assurance and retirement savings, does not invest in businesses that produce controversial weapons, such as landmines, cluster bombs and chemical weapons. And it will not fund conventional defence companies that provide arms to high-risk countries. The company refused to provide details on which nations were deemed to be high-risk. Around 4.6billion of L&Gs assets under management are in funds where clients have specifically asked for all defence stocks to be excluded. The company has around 1.1trillion of assets under management in total. It does not have a blanket ESG policy that excludes arms stocks. The group yesterday unveiled a 500million share buyback as part of its plans to hand more than 5billion back to investors within three years after reporting higher earnings for 2024. Pre-tax profits more than doubled from 195million in 2023 to 542millon. Simoes, who took over as chief executive at the start of last year, has slimmed down the business by selling its housebuilding division Cala for 1.35billion and its US protection arm for 1.8billion. It is now focused on three core units: institutional retirement, asset management, and UK retail pensions and protection. The group has also created a corporate investments division which houses parts of the business earmarked for offloading. We now have a plan in place for the disposal of each of the remaining assets in our corporate investments portfolio as we continue to simplify our business and unlock value to redeploy into our strategic businesses, the group said. Analysts at RBC Capital Markets said that the profits were lower than expected. L&G shares slipped 2.3 per cent, or 5.6p, to 239.3p. The Waspi campaign still stands a chance of securing victory for millions of women who lost out financially with the rise in the state pension age, legal experts say. Compensation of up to 2,950 per person was recommended by an independent parliamentary ombudsman last year, but the Government said it cannot justify paying this. The lawyers representing the Waspi women (Women Against State Pension Inequality) are those who won the Bradley case, an unprecedented High Court action back in 2007 brought on behalf of 75,000 people over the collapse of their final salary pension schemes. They say there are clear similarities between the two cases. In 2007, the court ruled that the then-pensions minister John Hutton had acted unlawfully in rejecting a report from the ombudsman, and that the Government was guilty of maladministration and should reconsider offering victims compensation in line with the ombudsmans recommendations. The end result was a dramatic expansion to the compensation scheme the Government had established, later estimated by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to be worth an additional 935million. Legal firm Bindmans, which took on the case in 2007 and is now acting for the Waspi campaign group, says the Government has accepted there was also maladministration over changes to the state pension age. Confident: Caroline Robinson, a lawyer at Bindmans working on the Waspi case believes it has a real chance of succeeding in a judicial review This is because of a delay in writing to women to tell them about changes that would affect the year they qualified to receive their pension. Bindmans team of lawyers working on the case are hopeful they can prove women have suffered an injustice as a result of delays and misinformation. Caroline Robinson, a lawyer at Bindmans working on the case, says: Can such cases be won? Yes they can. 'Weve acted on similar cases and there are precedents for such a case succeeding including the High Court final salary pensions case in 2007. Ms Robinson notes that the legal team could not say with certainty that the Waspi case will succeed because the judge would need to consider the arguments thoroughly, including potentially from the ombudsman herself defending her own report. What I can say is that our arguments are sound. Waspi has a real chance of succeeding in a judicial review, she adds. Waspi: How we got here The state pension age for women rose from 60 to 65 gradually between 2010 and 2018, taking it in line with men. It has since risen to 66 for both men and women and will soon rise to 67. The DWP should have written to 1950s-born women by December 2006, informing them of the rise and how it would affect them. But the letters were delayed and sent out between April 2009 and November 2013. A report by a parliamentary ombudsman in 2024 found the maladministration resulted in women losing opportunities to effectively plan for retirement. The report proposed compensation of between 1,000 and 2,950 for those affected. But Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall rejected the recommendation in December shortly after the Labour government came to power. She said the total compensation bill of about 10.5billion would not be fair or proportionate to taxpayers. The Government argues that two surveys it conducted in 2006 and 2014 showed that at least 90 per cent of 1950s-born women knew about state pension age changes and therefore had time to plan effectively. Next steps in the Waspi campaign Through law firm Bindmans, the Waspi group is now seeking a judicial review that could overturn the Governments decision to refuse compensation. Bindmans argues the Government has not given rational and cogent reasons for refusing compensation as the surveys do not prove what the Government claims. A letter before action has been sent to the Government by Bindmans. The DWP responded on Monday, again defending its stance and saying that by 2006, 90 per cent of 1950s-born women knew that the state pension age was changing and that it could not justify paying a total compensation bill of 10.5billion. Bindmans is now following up with the Waspi campaign on the next steps. If Waspi are determined to continue, they will issue the judicial review claim to the Government by the end of this week. The Government will have another chance to respond, and it will then go to a judge to decide whether or not to give the case permission to move forward in the judicial review process. If the judge says yes, it goes on to a full hearing in about six to nine months time, where barristers for each side will make their arguments and the judge, or judges, will decide who is right and who is not. There is the possibility of an appeal on the final decision. The Waspi group is raising money to fund the legal fees and has currently raised more than 150,000. Uproar: A report by a parliamentary ombudsman in 2024 found maladministration resulted in women losing opportunities to effectively plan for retirement What would success look like? MS Robinson says the ideal scenario would be that Waspi wins the judicial review, and affected women ultimately get meaningful compensation. But its not straightforward. If Waspi win the judicial review, the court will make a declaration that the Government decision made last December to block compensation is unlawful and cant stand. If Waspi is successful in all its arguments, the judge would rule that the Government was wrong to rely on the two reports at the heart of its decision, in which it argued there was no injustice suffered by anybody because Waspi women had been given timely and clear information about their own state pension age changing. The Government would be forced to rethink its position and could not rely on the reasoning the court found was flawed. Baroness Ros Altmann, a former pensions minister, agrees there is at least a chance that the Government could face a judicial review on its rejection of the parliamentary ombudsmans recommendations. She says the arguments put forward to defend the Governments stance do not justify a complete rejection of any help for anyone. Public money does of course have to be spent wisely, but to insist that not one woman was badly misled about when her state pension would start and that not one woman who did not know about the state pension age changes would have suffered or even been forced into hardship is simply not rational, Lady Altmann says. I do think compensation for everyone (including me!) affected by the age rise is difficult to defend. 'But I have always believed that some kind of hardship scheme to help those worst affected, which women could claim money from, would be the most sensible way forward and much fairer, she says. However, not all lawyers think the Waspi campaign can achieve success. Ian Hurst, an employment lawyer at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, said that while he has sympathy for the Waspi campaign, he believes that any further legal action is almost certain to fail. Their argument is based on maladministration, not unlawfulness. The courts cannot force the Government to pay compensation when the law itself was valid. Previous challenges have all failed and this case is unlikely to be any different. The only hope would be that they could attract enough sympathy amongst ministers and the public at large to force the Government into a U-turn. Ms Robinson says her team at Bindmans are aware that various lawyers say Waspi women are unlikely to get compensation. They are entitled to their views, of course, but what really matters in judicial review is whether the Governments reasoning stands up to scrutiny, or has been derailed, she adds. The Governments position, based on a small number of responses to small-scale surveys, is that not a single woman born in the 1950s suffered any injustice as a result of these letters being sent out years after they should have been and every one of them already knew what the letters said. Waspi disagrees with that, because its just not the case. It is a baseless denial of the lived experience of a huge number of women. Many, many women did not know about the change, and demonstrably did make different choices to the ones they would have made if they had known. Waspi will argue that the Government is unlawfully evading that fact and until it confronts it, it cannot begin to make a lawful decision on how to respond. A cashless society is closer than ever, as new figures reveal usage has plummeted in every area of the UK since the pandemic. However, some areas are ditching cash at a much faster rate than others, as we reveal in the graphic and table below. New figures from the Link network of ATMs show that, despite efforts to maintain access to cash, the total value of withdrawals has dropped significantly in every area of the country since 2020. In 2019, 116 billion was withdrawn from ATMs compared to 80 billion in 2024, a 31 per cent fall, meaning consumers are withdrawing 100 million less cash every day compared to before the pandemic. The total transaction numbers, including balance enquiries, also dropped significantly, from 1.73 billion in 2019 to 921 million in 2024, although the average withdrawal value increased from 65 to 85. The figures will do little to quell concerns that the country is hurtling towards an entirely cashless society, as people increasingly use contactless payments and mobile payments. Your browser does not support iframes. Affluent people the first to ditch 'real money' The most recent statistics show that cash represented 12 per cent of all payments, down from around 25 per cent five years ago and 60 per cent in 2008. Contactless reigns supreme, with 43 per cent of adults regularly using it, followed by 22 per cent who prefer mobile phone payments, according to Link's analysis. Every single constituency has seen a fall in cash withdrawals of more than 20 per cent, with the average area withdrawing 1 million less every week. The figures also reveal regional differences, with more deprived areas seeing smaller falls while more affluent ones have seen a huge decline. Some people say using cash gives them a physical reminder of how much they have spent, and helps them keep on top of their budget. The fastest move away from cash has been in city centres and more affluent areas. The Bristol Central constituency topped the list with a decline in transactions of slightly over 67 per cent over five years, while the value of cash withdrawals fell 51 per cent. Residents are now taking out 105 million less per year than in 2019, or 290,000 per day. It was followed by Edinburgh North & Leith, which saw a 67 per cent fall in transaction volumes and a 52 per cent fall in their value, and Westminster, which saw transactions plummet 66 per cent and their value 50 per cent. Link says falling transactions act as a better measure because if there are fewer transactions, cash machines are more likely to close or switch to pay to use. The top 50 constituencies where people have moved away from cash all saw falls of more than 50 per cent. These were dominated by English and Scottish constituencies. Where are people still using cash? Northern Ireland is the most cash-heavy area of the UK with the average adult withdrawing 2,274 in 2024, higher than the national average of 1,424. Areas with higher levels of deprivation and digital exclusion are moving away from cash more slowly, said Link. Weald of Kent saw the slowest move away from cash with transactions down 22 per cent over five years, while their value fell just 4 per cent. It was followed by Leicester East, where transactions fell 27 per cent and the value dropped 7 per cent. The slower decline in some areas suggests that cash is still critical to many communities, with 400,000 withdrawn from Link ATMs in each constituency every month last year. John Howells, the chief executive of Link said: 'Covid changed how we live, how we work, and for many people, how we manage our cash. Cash use remains popular we still withdrew 250million a day in 2024. 'The fact that areas which are more deprived are moving away from cash more slowly is a timely reminder that we cannot afford to leave anyone behind, and that we need to focus more on digital inclusion as part of how technology is rolled out across the UK.' The areas with the fastest and slowest declines in ATM withdrawals 20 areas with fastest declines in ATM withdrawals 20 areas with slowest declines in ATM withdrawals Constituency Decline Constituency Decline Bristol Central -67% Weald of Kent -22% Edinburgh North and Leith -67% Leicester East -27% Cities of London and Westminster -66% West Tyrone -28% Edinburgh South -65% Knowsley -28% Holborn and St Pancras -65% Bradford South -29% Edinburgh East and Musselburgh -64% Mid Ulster -29% Glasgow North -64% Kingston upon Hull East -30% Sheffield Central -64% Birmingham Yardley -30% York Central -64% Wolverhampton South East -31% Leeds Central and Headingley -63% Belfast West -31% Oxford West and Abingdon -62% Hartlepool -31% Islington South and Finsbury -61% Bradford East -32% Edinburgh West -61% Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare -32% Wimbledon -61% Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland -32% Brighton Pavilion -61% Easington -32% Winchester -60% Fermanagh and South Tyrone -32% Bath -60% Birmingham Perry Barr -33% Edinburgh South West -60% Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North -33% Cardiff South and Penarth -60% Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney -33% Nottingham East -60% North Durham -33% Source: LINK Should businesses be forced to accept cash? Campaigners have long argued that cash still has a place on the high street, particularly for the elderly, vulnerable and those fleeing domestic abuse. Last year, the Treasury Select Committee opened an inquiry calling for evidence to determine if new rules are needed to make cash acceptance mandatory across Britain. However, when quizzed by the Committee in January, the economic secretary to the Treasury, Emma Reynolds, said there were 'no plans to regulate businesses to compel them to accept cash, big or small.' She said she didn't think 'we're anywhere near having a cashless society,' but Link's figures suggest there may be some areas that will be. Martin Quinn, director of the Campaign for Cash said that higher deprivation areas were holding onto cash as the only way to manage their budgets and control spending. He said: 'Access to free to use cashpoints is a lifeline. The move away from cash in many city centres, has largely been driven by consumers not being able to spend cash to simply buy lunch, with many national restaurant chains going card only. 'This is why the Government needs to mandate cash acceptance as a matter of urgency, because cash needs to be accepted everywhere.' Richard Kauffman's sadness about his older brother's mysterious death never left him, but the lingering pain and questions had faded as the decades slipped by. Until the phone rang. 'Oh, boy! This is a really bizarre story,' he told the Daily Mail. 'For 40 to 50 years I had no contact with my brother so I just accepted that he had died from some sort of illness. And then I got that phone call.' He was told by a reporter at the Los Angeles Times last year that a wealthy man by the name of Rothschild had died in a November house fire in Laurel Canyon, a haven for the city's artists and musicians since the 1960s. Might this man be his long lost brother? Richard knew his brother as William Kauffman, who had disappeared after telling his family he was leaving their home state of Oregon for LA to pursue his passion for art. So it made sense he'd be living in an artsy Los Angeles idyll, in a $1.2million hillside home adorned by a fleet of rare cars. William had always been obsessed with cars, and the victim was in his eighties, so the timeline added up too. But officials had identified the dead man as William de Rothschild, who claimed to be part of the prominent Rothschild banking family. Richard knew of no family connection to the Rothschilds, so why was his missing brother posing as one? In disbelief, he fixated on the memory of their unforgettable final conversation, which had been ricocheting through his mind all those years. Los Angeles Fire Department officials said William de Rothschild, 87, was found dead after his Laurel Canyon home was consumed by a fast-moving fire on November 27, 2024 William Alfred Kauffman in his 1955 high school year book. He changed his name to William de Rothschild about 30 years later 'He seemed like he wanted to tell me something else but he was holding back. We had a couple of phone calls after he moved to Los Angeles and then he just disappeared,' Richard said. 'But the last call, I remember, was so strange because it sounded like he wanted to say something, but he never did. We hung up and I never heard from him again.' The Rothschild connection perplexed him. The secretive Rothschild dynasty had the world's largest private fortunes in the 19th century. Their golden era dwindled in the 20th century, but surviving family members still possess substantial fortunes. Over the years, the name has been used by many imposters who have taken advantage of their mystique. But the case of the man who died in a fire at his Los Angeles home may be one of the strangest. Neighbors said the man they knew as De Rothschild had told them he was a member of the prestigious European family, whose fortune is worth billions of dollars. However, he did not appear anywhere on the storied family's official genealogical records. Neighbors, who lived next to De Rothschild on Lookout Mountain Avenue, also said he was a 'nice, good-looking older gentleman', who always dressed impeccably and had classic cars parked around his hillside home. They said he was a quiet man and had a dog but no one had seen him or his pet in the months before the November fire. The man who called himself De Rothschild moved to this hillside home in the famed artist enclave of Laurel Canyon. Neighbors said they would see the reclusive senior on walks and often spoke about his rare car collection A family friend told the Daily Mail that De Rothschild was a 'brilliant and talented' artist who was a very private man. The friend said De Rothschild's dog had died 10 months ago. 'He was absolutely dynamic,' the friend said. 'He read 24 hours a day and just knew everything. He was an absolute expert with classic cars. The only reason he talked about cars all the time was because it made him happy, and very interestingly, he didn't like to talk about himself.' Richard, 78, agreed that the man who people knew as De Rothschild had many similarities with his long lost older brother. 'That sounds like him,' Richard said. 'He was always into cars when I knew him and he was always a sharp dresser. I mean, the person I knew sounds like the same person all of his neighbors have described. And yes, he was a very smart and talented guy.' Neighbors also said that De Rothschild had donated some rare vehicles to the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA, but museum officials told the Daily Mail there were no records of any vehicle donations by the 87-year old. A family friend has now revealed that some of the rare vehicles De Rothschild kept in pristine order for years will go under auction. De Rothschild was born William Alfred Kauffman but he changed his name in 1985, according to Los Angeles Superior court records. 'I want to take my family name, that I prefer to Kauffman, it would simplify my life greatly, taking the name from my mother's side,' he wrote. A judge granted the petition since there were no objections filed and he legally became William Alexander De Rothschild. Yellow caution tape can still be found around De Rothschild home, which suffered significant damage. A car still sits on the driveway, which was one of the many the senior kept near the property Richard, 78, said neither his mother nor father had any connection to the Rothschild lineage. Before he moved to Los Angeles and settled at the Laurel Canyon home, De Rothschild lived in Eugene, Oregon where he grew up with his parents, William and Juanita, and younger brother Richard. Records show he graduated from North Salem High School and then earned a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from the University of Oregon in 1962. Richard said he remembered William, who was nine years older, was always crafting, sculpting or drawing something. 'He was a savant,' Richard said of his sibling. 'He always participated in art projects and was sculpting something. He had some art shows when he moved to California, but we never heard anything from him again.' Richard said he and his parents never had a falling out with his brother. He remembers his parents mentioning that William was renting cars for the movie industry before he suddenly disappeared. 'I thought he might have had some sort of physical problem that he didn't want anyone to know about when he called. All these years I thought he had died.' Richard said officials with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office contacted him about providing a DNA sample to confirm the man found in the burned Laurel Canyon home was his brother. The test kit was sent to local Oregon police, who then collected a swab sample from Richard. The kit was then mailed securely back to the LA Medical Examiner's Office. Richard said the results showed the man who went by the name William De Rothschild was definitely related to him. He was positively identified using DNA records on January 28, according to the LA Medical Examiner's office. A death certificate obtained by the Daily Mail showed De Rothschild died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease and 'inhalation of products of combustion'. The certificate also showed De Rothschild was married to Margaux Mirkin, heir to the Budget Rent a-Car fortune founded by her father, Morris Mirkin. Morris Mirkin opened the first Budget Rent-a-Car office at Wilshire and Robertson boulevards in Los Angeles in 1958. De Rothschild's death certificate, obtained by the Daily Mail, revealed his birth name Margaux would later open her own business venture called 'Drive A Dream', which rented out exotic cars. 'For $50 to $350 a day, plus 50 cents a mile, you can rent a Porsche, a Mercedes, a Rolls-Royce or a flashy replica of more dramatic models,' according to a 1980s advertisement for the business. Richard said he has tried several times to reach out to Mirkin, but has not received a response. According to the death certificate, De Rothschild was cremated. While Los Angeles fire and police officials are still investigating the cause of the fire, Richard hopes Mirkin would be open to speak to him to help answer some questions. Richard said he was told Mirkin was still upset about losing her husband but wanted to send her thanks for providing his DNA samples to authorities. 'I am the only one left who knew my brother before he changed his name, and she is the only one who can tell me about the last 40 to 50 years of his life,' Richard said. 'I don't know if Margaux ever knew that he was not a Rothschild because he had changed his name prior to them getting married. I'm giving her space to grieve and hopefully we can come to some understanding.' Richard said he hopes that one day he will be able to see any sculptures or artwork left behind by his beloved brother. 'I came to terms with my brother's death a long time ago, so it's more a curiosity at this point,' Richard said. 'I am curious about what he did all of these years, and to maybe own one of this art to remind him by. He was so talented when I knew him and bet he was his whole life.' A top 'DEI' activist is caught on voicemail allegedly offering minority air traffic controller candidates the chance to cheat in a make-or-break entry exam. Shelton Snow, a powerful figure in the National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NBCFAE), can be heard promising advance access to test answers in a shocking audio clip obtained by DailyMail.com. 'There are some valuable pieces of information that I have taken a screenshot of and I am going to send that to you via email,' says Snow, an air traffic operations supervisor based out of New York. 'I am about 99.99 percent sure that it is exactly how you need to answer each question.' The inside info was made available in 2014 to African Americans, females, and other minority candidates but whites were left out of the loop to 'minimize competition'. Exactly how many applicants were able to capitalize on Snow's brazen offer to secure coveted controller jobs responsible for the safety of millions of fliers remains a mystery. But one former NBCFAE member, Matthew Douglas, told DailyMail.com: 'I know several people who cheated and I know several people who are controlling planes as we speak.' The voicemail comes to light as President Donald Trump vows to purge DEI diversity, equity and inclusion from US aviation, among other federal agencies, in the wake of the deadly midair collision at Reagan National airport in January that claimed 67 lives. Government efforts to quietly enforce DEI policies within the Federal Aviation Administration and other federal agencies have come to light amid a recent string of plane collisions and accidents across the country; pictured above is the Delta aircraft that crashed at Toronto airport last month In audio footage obtained by DailyMail.com, Shelton Snow (pictured), the front line manager of the National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NBCFAE), can be heard promising advance access to test answers to minority prospects vying for an air traffic control job in 2014 Snow's message was recorded just weeks after the FAA announced the biggest hiring shake up in its history during an Obama-era push to 'widen the aperture' for women and minorities. As DailyMail.com exclusively revealed, the federal government agency had controversially replaced its peer-reviewed cognitive exam with a 'biographical' quiz asking things like 'how would you describe your ideal job' and 'classmates would remember me as humble or dominant?' Critics say the quixotic blend of multiple-choice questions was designed to screen out elite, mostly white students from FAA-accredited college courses who excelled in traditional aptitude tests. Nonetheless, it was proving incredibly tricky for anyone to pass with a 90 percent failure rate when Snow decided to intervene. The then-President of the NBCFAE's Washington Suburban chapter contacted members in January 2014 with a list of HR 'buzz words' to insert into job applications. 'These buzzwords will flag your resume, thereby giving you the advantage over thousands of resumes that may flood the system,' he wrote. At a separate teleconference, applicants were urged to highlight their association with the NBCFAE, the largest employee association within the FAA. An agenda for the December 2023 powwow read: 'This is for us to know who our people are in the case that we have one of our own on the board. Snow also contacted members in January 2014 with a list of HR 'buzz words' to insert into job applications At a separate teleconference applicants were urged to highlight their association with the NBCFAE, the largest employee association within the FAA 'In the past we've always had one and they share our enthusiasm. Can you see the strategy.' It added: 'We are only concerned about African-Americans, Women (of every ethnic background), and other minorities. 'Please ensure that you share this information with no one that is identified outside of that this is to minimize competition.' Snow went further in a voicemail, teasing inside info that would prevent NBCFAE-affiliated applicants from flunking the questionnaire. 'Washington Suburban associate members, brothers, and sisters I know that each of you are eager, very eager to apply for this job vacancy and trust that after tonight, you will be able to do so,' he says. 'I am asking that you allow me to provide you with an email that will be extremely crucial in the opening stages of this hiring process. 'There is some valuable pieces of information that I have taken a screenshot of and I'm going to send that to you via email. Trust and believe it will be something that you will appreciate to the utmost. 'Keep in mind, we are trying to maximize your opportunities.' Ex-NBCFAE member Matthew Douglas (left) who is Native American, turned down Snow's offer of help and failed the exam twice. The exam proved incredibly tricky for anyone to pass with a 90 percent failure rate. Air Force vet Ben Avni (right) who also failed, called the methodology 'flawed beyond recognition' The FAA controversially replaced its peer-reviewed cognitive exam for aspiring air traffic controllers with a 'biographical' quiz to prioritize minority applicants during the Obama era (stock image) Congress eventually passed Public Law 114-190 in 2016 which barred the FAA from using a biographical assessment as an entry-point exam for new hires Snow goes on to say during the three-and-a-half-minute clip: 'I'm gonna send it to each of you and as you progress through the stages, refer to those images so that you will know which icons you should select. 'Now I have a good mind to send it to one of my HR representatives first and give them the opportunity to sign off on it before you actually click it. 'But in the sake of time, I'm gonna send it directly to you because I'm about 99.99 percent sure that it's exactly how you need to answer each question in order to get through the first phase. 'People have been getting rejection notices and I want to avoid that.' When the voicemail was leaked by a whistleblower and featured in a 2015 Fox Business report the FAA came under pressure to investigate. Snow admitted he had organized a teleconference to 'walk through' the test and explain 'to each person how they should answer the questions.' The Department of Transportation's Office of the Inspector General nonetheless cleared him to continue his FAA career, concluding in 2016: 'The findings in this investigation did not warrant a referral to a federal prosecutor.' Snow went on to become the NBCFAE's Northeast Regional Vice President. He was also its top national recruiter for 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016. According to the NBCFAE website, Snow - who had served as an air traffic operations supervisor, went on to become the NBCFAE's Northeast Regional Vice President. He was also its top national recruiter for 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016 The US Navy veteran still works for the FAA as well as running a dog breeding business, Snowstorm Bullies, out of his Long Island home. The 50-year-old dad-of-two lists his hobbies as weightlifting, motorcycles, and monster trucks on the company's website. When DailyMail.com reached out to Snow to ask for his version of events, he said: 'With all due respect, I have no comment. Please do not call this phone again.' The push to diversify our skies began around the turn of the century when special interest groups started lobbying the FAA to adopt 'RNO [Race and National Origin] and gender-conscious hiring'. Controller positions had typically gone to military vets or standout graduates from accredited Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) schools who scored highly on a rigorous cognitive test, the AT-SAT. But NBCFAE chiefs complained about the 'disparate treatment and under-representation of African Americans,' citing a 2009 study which declared air traffic control the 'least diverse' branch of the Federal government. When a 2012 'barrier analysis' suggested the AT-SAT was a problem for minorities, it was scrapped in favor of a 'biographical assessment' under a 10-year FAA strategy to add 'depth and diversity'. Successful applicants would still go on to take a shorter cognitive test known as the AT-SA but it was weighted as 2.5 times less important when determining whether a candidate would land a job and begin formal air traffic control training. Just days after taking office in January, President Trump signed an executive order abolishing the government's DEI agenda and stressed that hiring shouldn't be on anything 'other than the brain' The FAA's hiring policies came under sharp scrutiny after President Donald Trump controversially blamed the January 29 Ronald Reagan National Airport crash on DEI The FAA has never explained the counter-intuitive scoring process which rewarded high marks for candidates who 'need a great deal of time to complete assignments' or 'their lowest grade in high school is science'. But the switch proved catastrophic for CTI graduates who could ace skills-based aviation tests but struggled to get to grips with the quirky biographical replacement. Congress eventually passed Public Law 114-190 in 2016 which barred the FAA from using a biographical assessment as an entry-point exam for new hires. But that was too late for CTI graduates like Douglas, 36, who failed it twice and never became an air traffic controller. Douglas, a native American, joined the NBCFAE after he graduated in 2014 but turned down Snow's offer of help. 'I could have done what a bunch of other people did,' he told DailyMail.com. 'There's this guy that was handing out the answers and I just stopped talking to him. I was like, I don't need these answers, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. 'I don't know if the FAA vetted these people thoroughly and properly but I do know that they were given the opportunity that other kids deserved.' Ben Arvi, an Air Force veteran with five-plus years of service as an Air Battle Manager, only found out about the cheating several years after failing the test. 'I see it as analogous to that SAT cheating scandal that went on a few years ago where you had all those rich people paying people to take SATs for their kids,' said Ben, 41. 'I think promoting diversity is a good thing. But the methodology they went through was flawed beyond recognition.' It's a tragedy every good dog owner fears will happen to their beloved pooch. But canine theft is an all too common problem in the UK - with certain breeds proving more at risk than others. Trendy French Bulldogs were found to be the most common breed for dognapping in 2024, with 51 snatched nationwide - an increase of more than a third (38 per cent) compared to 2023. Celebrity owners of the fashionable breed are thought to be driving a surge in its popularity, and include David Beckham and Lady Gaga - who herself had two Frenchies stolen in 2021. Around 1,808 dogs were snatched across the UK last year in total - the equivalent of five every single day, new analysis of police force data by Direct Line revealed. English bulldogs proved the second most stolen breed, with 37 incidents reported - followed by Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Chihuahuas, XL Bullies and Labradors. But other breeds are also proving at risk of dognapping, with thousands of pet owners across the UK left with the agonising question of where their four-legged family member went - and if they'll ever see them again. Jason Shutt, of Ruislip, Northwest London, lost his beloved pug Ozzie when his house was broken into by burglars on February 10. Ozzie, who is eight-years-old and relies on medication after struggling with cancer, was sleeping upstairs when robbers raided the family home last month. French Bulldogs were found to be the most common breed for dognapping in the UK last year, with 51 snatched nationwide (Stock photo of the breed) Ozzie, an eight-year-old pug, has been missing since burglars raided his owners' home in Ruislip, Northwest London, in February Your browser does not support iframes. Since then, Ozzie's owners have been tirelessly trying to trace their little dog - terrified for his welfare and left heartbroken at the loss of who they consider a family member. 'It's awful. It's a piece of the family that's missing,' Mr Shutt told MailOnline. 'We're in the middle of moving, and everything you do is shadowed by the fact that your head is completely focused on trying to find Ozzie and what you can do next. It's the feeling of uselessness.' Mr Shutt said he still spends hours looking for Ozzie in the evenings, and is petrified for his wellbeing. 'I would understand if Ozzie was a young male able to breed,' the owner said. 'He's elderly, he's been ill in he past; he's ok now but he still needs treatment. 'If they did take him, it wouldn't be long until they realise there's not much they can do with him.' Mr Shutt said there is a chance Ozzie ran out of the house after being spooked by the burglars, but deemed this unlikely as he does not run on his walks and was upstairs at the time. Celebrity owners of the trendy French Bulldog breed include Lady Gaga (pictured), who herself has had dogs stolen by thieves David Beckham (pictured) has also owned the trendy breed, possibly driving the surge in its popularity Your browser does not support iframes. Pet owner Nicky Roe lost her beloved Miniature Pinscher Diddy (pictured) to theft six years ago Pet owner Nicky Roe also lost her beloved Miniature Pinscher Diddy to theft six years ago. 'Having a dog go missing, is the worst feeling in the world... it's constant pain with no closure! Totally life changing turn your world upside down,' she said. 'No answers... just a continuous confusion of what happened? Where are they? Are they ok? Will I ever know? Will I ever see her again?' Since then, Ms Roe has sold her home and opened up a dog rescue centre. Around one in five (19 per cent) missing dogs were returned to their owners in 2024, one of the lowest levels of pets reunited in the insurer's decade of tracking dog thefts. How can you protect your dog from being stolen? Measures that can be taken to prevent dognapping: Keep your dog on a lead in unsecure areas Attach a tracking device, such as an Apple Tag or GPS system, to your dog to keep track of their location Never leave your dog tied up unattended in public areas such as outside shops and schools Never leave your dog unattended in a car Install motion security at home to help keep watch of your pet Do not leave your dog alone in the house for long periods of time Advertisement The Pet Abduction Act came into effect in May 2024, making pet theft a criminal offence in England and Northern Ireland. The crime is punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine, or both. For the past 10 years Direct Line has been tracking dog theft, with 23,430 dogs reported stolen to police in that time. Only 5,005 (21 per cent) of those dogs have been returned. The top year for thefts was 2021, when 2,760 dogs were tragically snatched from their owners. Overall, dog theft has declined by over a fifth (22 per cent) in the past decade, a positive step but still an ongoing and widespread problem. Given French Bulldogs can fetch up to 5,000 if purchased from a reputable breeder, it is little wonder they were the most snatched dog of 2024 - with criminals able to secure large sums of money for the animals by selling them on. Celebrity owners of the trendy breed include Beckham and Lady Gaga, who herself has had Frenchies stolen by thieves. Two thirds (65 per cent) of dog owners agree that celebrity culture and social media are driving demand and subsequently theft of certain dog breeds. Rottweilers saw the highest rise in thefts, a 180 per cent year-on-year increase. This was closely followed by Border Collies at 160 per cent (from five to 13) and Chihuahuas at 86 per cent (from 14 to 26). In contrast, thefts of XL Bullies have dropped significantly since 2023, down by nearly half (49 per cent). The decline is likely linked to the ban on the breed, which was introduced in England and Wales in February 2024. Adam Burgin, Head of Direct Line Pet Insurance, said: 'As a nation of pet lovers we hope to continue the downward trend in the number of stolen dogs. Diddy, who would be around 11 now, vanished around six years ago, her owner said Ozzie's owner Jason Stutt is still tirelessly trying to track down his pet, terrified for his wellbeing as he relies on medication after battling cancer Ozzie was sleeping upstairs when robbers raided the family home in Ruislip last month Our research over the last decade has shown dog theft is a persistent issue and hopefully the Pet Abduction Act 2024 will encourage a change in criminal behaviour in the long-term. 'Those who have fallen victim to dog theft will know the intense stress and trauma that comes with having their beloved pet snatched away from them, often with no closure on knowing what happened to a member of their family.' Despite a decline in reported dog thefts, fear of theft remains a major concern for the estimated 28 per cent of UK adults owning a dog. Six in ten (61 per cent) dog owners say they are worried about the possibility of their dog being stolen, while more than a third (33 per cent) say they feel 'extremely' or 'very' worried. Dramatic footage has been released of police officers in tactical response gear raiding a home looking for an 18-year-old accused of molesting two elderly women in their western Sydney homes during an alleged crime spree. A manhunt for the alleged attacker ended on Monday afternoon when Emmanuel Benjament walked into Dee Why police station on the city's northern beaches and was taken into custody. Earlier that day police had forced their way into Bejament's house in Cambridge Street, Merrylands, near where he allegedly went on a four-hour crime spree. Benjament has been charged with 16 offences including aggravated sexual assault, two counts of sexually touching a person without consent, assault occasional actual bodily harm and armed robbery. Strike Force Beigy was formed by the Sex Crimes Squad to investigate a series of alleged aggravated break and enter offences in Merrylands late last week. Homes on Elsinore Street, Grace Crescent, Davies Road and Norma Place had allegedly been broken into between 2am and 6.20am on March 6. Two of the incidents reported to police involved alleged sexual offences against women aged in their 80s. At one of the homes, Benjament allegedly produced a kitchen knife with a 30cm blade and sexually assaulted a woman and at another he allegedly sexually touched a second victim. Police released CCTV footage of a man accused of sexually assaulting two women aged in their 80s at Merrylands in Sydney's west late last week Court documents provide a timeline of Benjament's alleged rampage, starting with him assaulting a man after breaking into his house armed with a knife about 2.40am. He is then accused of breaking into a woman's home armed with a knife, and stealing $70 in cash as well as a jar of Jerusalem holy oils between 3.45am and 5am. Within that timeframe Benjament is charged with entering a Hyundai Elantra and breaking into two more homes, one occupied by a man and another by a woman, with intent to commit larceny. The first alleged sexual attack occurred between those hours, when Benjament is accused of breaking into a woman's unit armed with a knife and twice touching the occupant's buttocks. Benjament then allegedly broke into a man's house, again with the intention to commit larceny. The most serious charges relate to what police allege happened at a seventh address between 5.30am and 6.30am. Benjament is accused breaking into a woman's house, forcing her to have sexual intercourse, and stealing $600 in $50 notes while armed the knife he had used earlier in the morning. He is further charged with inciting the woman to sexually touch him and carrying out another sex act without her permission. Police raided the home of 18-year-old Emmanuel Benjament at Merrylands on Monday morning (above) Emmanuel Benjament presented himself to Dee Why police station on Monday afternoon (above) A final charge relates to Benjament allegedly using the bank card of the woman whose buttocks he is accused of touching to buy food worth $13.50 from a 7 Eleven about 9.35am. Detectives issued a description of the man they wanted as being 'tall and of slender build with dark skin, aged in his 20s and softly spoken'. Additional police patrols were sent to the Merrylands area and local residents were told to secure their homes while the manhunt continued. A NSW Police spokesman said at the time: 'Anyone who lives in that area should contact police if their properties have been broken into even if nothing has been stolen.' Following extensive inquiries and a public appeal for information Strike Force Beigy executed a warrant at a Merrylands home about 1pm on Monday. Benjament was later taken from Dee Why to Manly police station where he was refused bail and he faced Manly Local Court on Tuesday morning. In addition to the crimes of violence and sexual assault, Benajment is charged with three counts of aggravated break and enter, and two of break and enter with intent to commit a serious indictable offence. He is further charged with entering a dwelling with intent to steal, entering a vehicle without consent, attempting obtain property by deception and larceny. Benjament did not apply for bail and will next face Parramatta Local Court on May 1. Elon Musk's DOGE remains largely popular among Americans as the agency estimates it has slashed $105 billion since Donald Trump took office. According to the latest DailyMail.com/J.L. Partners poll of 1,000 U.S. registered voters, DOGE's approval rating is at 48%, which is quite high just over 50 days into the second Donald Trump administration. However, 52% of those voters polled disapprove of the new agency that's creating shockwaves across the government. In the first few months of DOGE the group claims it has cut billions from various federal agencies like USAID, the Education Department, the State Department, including billions worth of contracts for DEI initiatives. DOGE boss and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been one of the most visible figures in Trump's inner orbit. Musk has been seen traveling to and from Trump's Mar-a-Lago home alongside a select few of the president's senior staff and family. And he was at the White House on Tuesday helping Trump pick out a brand new Tesla. He has also participated in Cabinet meetings, Oval Office press conferences and even got a VIP seat at Donald Trump's joint address to Congress last week. However, Musk has captured a slew of negative headlines about firing veterans, accessing American's sensitive financial data and cutting off foreign aid. His efforts have not gone unnoticed by Americans and protests have broken out at Tesla dealerships and outside scores of federal agencies across Washington. According to the poll, 51% of Americans have either a somewhat or very unfavorable view of Musk. And Americans are also skeptical about Musk's motivations. More than half (52%) of the survey respondents shared they believe Musk is working at DOGE and in the Trump administration to enrich himself. Musk was at the White House on Tuesday helping Trump pick out a brand new Tesla Elon Musk stands behind Donald Trump while the president speaks to reporters in the Oval Office last month Roughly two in three respondents were not convinced that Musk has the best intentions for the U.S. Conversely, Just 38% of those who took the survey believe that Musk is either somewhat or very favorable. Musk is significantly less popular in the U.S. than Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and former VP Kamala Harris, according to the poll. Many have taken issue with the billionaire's close ties to Trump, and some think its because Musk is using his position to pull in higher profits. Musk has been seen traveling to and from Trump's Mar-a-Lago home alongside a select few of the president's senior staff and family Tesla CEO and DOGE leader Elon Musk is the most disliked politician in the U.S., according to the latest DailyMail.com survey taken in early March. Above Musk is shown speaking at a Cabinet meeting Over half of the March poll's respondents (53%) believe that the X owner has too much power. Over one out of three Republicans also say that Musk has too much influence. Additionally, many Americans expressed that Musk is the one actually calling the shots in the White House, not Trump. In total, 32% of respondents shared they believe Musk is in charge of running the country. Musk got a VIP seat sitting close by Donald Trump's box during the president's address to Congress last week As Musk's governmental work has expanded, so have the public demonstrations against the DOGE leader. Across the globe from Portland, Oregon to Boston to Paris, Tesla locations have been protested. In Manhattan, over 200 activists took part in anti-Musk protests in recent weeks. The vandalism has been wide spread and reports of arson at Tesla dealerships have been reported, and images of charred cybertrucks have gone viral. The attacks on Tesla have been so bad that Trump shared on Tuesday that he would purchase one of the company's electric vehicles to support his friend. Musk has also raised eyebrows after a reported brouhaha with Rubio during a Cabinet meeting last week. During the meeting Musk accused the Secretary of State of not firing staff fast enough while Rubio expressed dismay with the pace of DOGE's rapid fire cuts. The incident reportedly forced Trump to intervene. Later, the president took to his app Truth Social to make clear the two are on the same page. 'Elon and Marco have a great relationship. Any statement other than that is fake news,' Trump posted on Truth Social. A growing number of Americans have a positive view of the Hamas terrorist group. Despite a 12 percent improvement in how the public views Hamas from October 2023 to now, the overall opinion of the group remains largely negative, according to a new DailyMail/J.L. Partners poll. And the view on Israel now sits increased by three percent from right after the Hamas invasion more than a year ago. The latest polling was taken March 5-7, which fell right in the middle of Trump upping his warning to pro-Palestinian rioters claiming they could be arrested, imprisoned, expelled if they are a student and deported if they are a noncitizen. Pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil was arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers over the weekend for leading a demonstration. ICE was ordered to revoke Khalil's green card and deport the non-citizen activist. Trump boasted that Khalil's arrest is the 'first of many to come' as his Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced she sent letters to 60 colleges putting them on notice and demanding they protect Jewish students. A new Daily Mail/ J.L. Partners poll shows 14 percent of Americans have a very positive or somewhat positive view of the Hamas terrorist group Mahmoud Khalil, who was the lead student organizer and negotiator for the pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia University last year, was arrested by ICE agents on Saturday. Trump demanded the noncitizen be deported but he remains in custody after a judge paused the order A combined 14 percent of the 1,019 registered voters who were surveyed say they have either a very positive or somewhat positive view on the terrorist organization, which attacked a music festival in Israel on October 7, 2023, sparking a deadly war with the world's only Jewish state. While 47 percent have a very negative view and 12 percent have a somewhat negative view of Hamas, the fact that approximately one in seven view the group positively is a shock to the pro-Israel U.S. stance and policy. And while the view of Hamas increases, Americans remain staunchly divided on how they feel about Israel. Exactly half of respondents say they have a positive view of the U.S. ally but 19 percent have negative perspectives. Trump pulled $400 million in federal funding for Columbia University over its handling of anti-Israel campus protests last year. The White House said the dramatic move was 'due to the school's continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.' The protests at Columbia in 2024 were allowed to run rampant for two weeks. The riots included violent assaults and sparked several instances where Jewish students were too fearful to go to class. A growing chorus of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests and riots are being conducted on college campuses many times impeding on students ability to go to class and sometimes resulting in violent clashes with law enforcement The number of registered U.S. voters with a positive view of Hamas grew by 12 percent from October 2023 to now With the continuation of violent protests, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed Rep. Addison McDowell's new bill proposed increased penalties for those who conceal their identities while engaging in illegal activity at such riots. The bill proposes amending Chapter 13 of Title 18 under the U.S. Code to make it unlawful for people to wear a disguise while engaging in what can be described as 'violent protests,' which often involves infringement on other Americans' rights. 'Hamas sympathizers that are vandalizing, that are destroying federal property, that are intimidating students these are, you know, people that are occupying buildings that they're not supposed to be in, right?' McDowell told DailyMail.com of who his bill targets. 'This is not your, your peaceful protester holding up a sign,' he added. 'This is someone that wants to claim that they're protesting, but they're really spray painting the side of a building or harassing police officers in some cases, they're assaulting police officers.' 'These are not these are not peaceful protesters, they're terrorists in training,' McDowell alleged. Laughing and pulling faces as they sip beer outside a pavement cafe during a family trip to the Netherlands, Mali and Luka Bennett-Smith look like any close teenage siblings. The short video was posted to Facebook on September 1 last year by their dad Andy Smith who is heard exclaiming they are 'living the dream in Amsterdam' - but just 49 days later 17-year-old Mali brutally murdered his 'annoying' older sister Luka at the home they shared. The two siblings had been alone together at the family home on October 20, 2024, when Luka, 19, had agreed Mali could practice a headlock on her, but instead of letting go when she tapped him, as he had done on previous occasions, he continued to hold her before stabbing her repeatedly. Twenty minutes after the killing he dialled 999 and said: 'I stabbed my sister to death.' The court heard Mali, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, told operators they had not been having an argument, but he said: 'I hated her my whole life and I don't know, I just didn't want to ever see her again. 'On this occasion I had decided I was not going to stop, I wanted to kill her, I had enough with regards to how she had been treating me over the years and recently.' The siblings grew up on a remote farm in New Zealand, where they were home-schooled, but later moved to the UK and Bristol. Mali had dreamed of joining the army but dropped out of his college course, the court was told. Facebook pictures chart an idyllic and bohemian childhood of two close siblings growing up together enjoying theme parks and trips to the beach. Siblings Mali (right) and Luka Bennett-Smith (left) pictured together before Mali brutally murdered his 'annoying' older sister Mali (left) and Luka (right) grew up on a remote farm in New Zealand, where they were home-schooled Luka, 19, had agreed Mali, 17, could practice a headlock on her, but instead of letting go when she tapped him he continued to hold her before stabbing her repeatedly But home-schooling appears to have come with its own challenges for mum Liz Bennett who tried to bring a 'Steiner' approach to schooling which discourages kids from spending time looking at screens. She once told fellow parents: 'My husband Andy and I are still struggling seeing our kids spend all their time on the computer playing games. Even when friends come over they don't want to stop and play. 'Their cousins have stopped coming over because all our kids ever do is play computer games. I love that it makes them happy but we're battling how this has come to dominate all our lives.' Those concerns appear profound in light of Monday's hearing at Bristol Crown Court where - following Bennett-Smith's guilty plea to murder - Ray Tully KC, defending, said his 'somewhat unconventional' upbringing meant he did not mix with other children his own age, and spent a lot of time gaming. Mr Tully said the defendant would disappear into a world of video gaming and become dissociated from the real world. He said: 'Mali did not know how to manage his increasing feelings of frustration and resentment towards Luka.' He said the teenager, of Cromwell Road, had 'genuine remorse' for his actions. Not long before the three-week Amsterdam break, Andy and Liz split up with mum and teens moving to a home in Cromwell Road, Bristol, while dad remained in Auckland, New Zealand, where he ran an organic food business specialising in Middle Eastern street food. Luka pictured helping at her father's organic food business which specialised in Middle Eastern street food Facebook pictures chart an idyllic and bohemian childhood of two close siblings growing up together enjoying theme parks and trips to the beach A judge said 'the horror of the loss of their daughter at the hands of the son they still love is beyond even the worst nightmares' Luka and Mali pictured together. Home-schooling appears to have come with its own challenges for mum Liz Bennett who tried to bring a 'Steiner' approach to schooling which discourages kids from spending time looking at screens A judge said the 'shocking and brutal' killing 'has deprived Luka of her life, your parents in effect of two of their children, and will deprive you of your liberty' After his parents divorced Mali moved to the UK and Bristol. He had dreamed of joining the army but dropped out of his college course, the court was told Jailing Bennett-Smith for at least 10 years and five months, Judge William Hart described the murder as 'every parent's worst nightmare'. He added: 'The horror of the loss of their daughter at the hands of the son they still love is beyond even the worst nightmares.' Sentencing him to detention during his majesty's pleasure, the judge said: 'The killing was shocking and brutal. 'It has deprived Luka of her life, your parents in effect of two of their children, and will deprive you of your liberty.' He said the use of a knife, the fact Bennett-Smith 'undoubtedly intended to kill' and the brutality were aggravating features. He added: 'The scene that met the paramedics on arrival at that house will, I imagine, live with them forever.' The judge lifted reporting restrictions on naming the defendant after an application by the PA news agency. After the sentencing, Detective Inspector Nadine Partridge of Avon and Somerset Police said: 'Our thoughts remain fully with Luka's family at this difficult time. They continue to be updated and supported by specially trained family liaison officers.' Around ten people have died from cancer after a blunder meant they were not invited for NHS screening, it has emerged. Up to ten other victims have been diagnosed with the disease, which may have been detected earlier, the Government added. Cancer Research UK last night described the blunder as 'unacceptable' and said the revelation will be 'extremely worrying' for anyone eligible for screening. In a written ministerial statement, health minister Ashley Dalton said about 5,200 people had missed out on invitations due to an error which dates back to 2008. The issue occurred when their GP registration process was 'not completed correctly, meaning their details were not passed to NHS screening system', Ms Dalton said. It affected the bowel, breast and cervical cancer screening programmes, as well as abdominal aortic aneurysm screening. Health officials have written to those affected this week and NHS England has opened a helpline. The mistake first came to light in summer last year when people contacted the health service to say they had not been invited for screening. In a written ministerial statement, health minister Ashley Dalton said that the NHS has written to those people affected NHS England launched an investigation which identified an issue with GP registration. Ms Dalton said that the issue did not affect the diabetic eye screening programme, or any of the antenatal or newborn screening programmes. She added: 'Records indicate that up to 10 patients have been diagnosed with a relevant cancer and were not invited for certain screening. 'The impact on these patients is not yet known and a clinical harm assessment process will be undertaken, based on expert clinical advice. 'It is with deep sadness that I must report that records also indicate that around 10 people who were not invited for screening may have died from a relevant cancer.' Steve Russell, NHS England's national director for vaccinations and screening, said: 'The NHS is contacting 5,261 people who have not been invited for screening due to their GP registration not being fully completed. Health officials failed to invite more than 5,000 patients for routine checks after an IT error affected bowel, breast and cervical cancer screening programmes 'This issue has now been fixed and everyone affected will be offered support and any catch-up screening as soon as possible, including where they may now be above screening age. 'We would like to extend our sincere apologies to those affected for this error and any additional worry this may have caused.' Dr Ian Walker, executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, said: 'Bowel, breast and cervical screening programmes are in place to help diagnose cancer early or prevent it developing in people without symptoms, and everyone who's eligible should be invited to take part. 'It's unacceptable that some people haven't received an invitation, and we welcome NHS England's announcement that there will be a full review to understand how this happened. 'This news will be extremely worrying for anyone who's eligible to take part in screening so, if you think you are eligible but haven't been invited, you can check with your GP.' The Mexican government announced Tuesday it will conduct an extensive investigation after a civilian activist group unearthed a criminal organization's clandestine grave site. Video footage filmed by March 5 showed searchers digging through the grounds of the property in Teuchitlan, a municipality in the western state of Jalisco. The discovery was made after the Guerreros Buscadores collective of Jalisco volunteers searching for their missing family members received an anonymous call. The haunting video showed at least 400 pairs of footwear strewn across a room. Clothing items, luggage bags and backpacks were also visible that would have belonged to the victims, who at one point were kidnapped and massacred at the death camp known as Izaguirre Ranch, which was allegedly run by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Among the findings was a notebook with one page that featured the nicknames of 54 victims the criminals apparently listed the names in groups of 10. The searchers also located a bible that contained three photos of a child. 'These photos found at the Teuchitlan ranch may be a sign of hope for some family,' the collective said. 'Mom or dad was carrying them, and they were found nestled in the middle of a Bible. A death camp was set up allegedly by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel at the Izaguirre Ranch in Teuchitlan, a municipality in the western Mexico state of Jalisco. A collective of volunteers searching for their missing loved ones visited the site March 5 and discovered human remains along with footwear, clothing and other belongings of people who were kidnapped and killed Members of the collective 'Guerreros Buscadores' work on three human crematoriums found while searching for their relatives at Izaguirre Ranch on March 5. The Mexican government announced Tuesday that it will launch an investigation - the site was raided in September 2024 and again in January with at least 30 people arrested and later released without being charged At least 200 pairs of footwear along with bags were found inside a room at the remote property 'It's a photo that moves us and fills us with sadness to think that the last thing that person probably saw was a photo of their son, praying to God for his life so they could return to see and hold this little one.' They also discovered a letter written by one of the victims, who was later identified as Eduardo Lerma. 'My love, if one day I never return, I only ask that you remember how much I love you and say, 'My anger, tantrum, and jealousy are gone.' JGL,' wrote Lerma, who would have turned 23 on May 2. He had been missing since February 26, 2024, after he was kidnapped in San Juan de los Lagos, Guanajuato, according to online news outlet Infobae. The discovery once again raised concerns in a country were more than 120,000 have been reported missing. A woman records clothes and shoes found at the Izaguirre Ranch after the collective 'Guerreros Buscadores' visited the site March 5 A Santa Muerte shrine was set up at the camp, where a criminal organization reportedly trained new members and carried out the killings of people who were kidnapped The volunteer searchers found a letter that would have been penned by one of the victims, who was identified as Eduardo Lerma. He was missing since February 24, 20204, and would have turned 23 on May 2 Lerma's letter read: 'My love, if one day I never return, I only ask that you remember how much I love you and say, 'My anger, tantrum, and jealousy are gone.' JGL' Authorities raided the property in September 2024 and found one dead body. The site was raided again in January. In all around thirty people ,who were allegedly victims of forced recruitment, were arrested and later released. Mexican Attorney General Alejandro Gertz took the podium during President Claudia Sheinbaum's daily press conference and said that his office will investigate the site. 'This is a very critical and serious issue,' Gertz said. 'It is unbelievable that a situation of this nature would not have been known to the local authorities of that municipality and the state.' Labour's jobs tax will wreck any attempt to cut the benefits bill, a former work and pensions secretary has warned. Sir Keir Starmer is expected to bring forward a 6 billion package of benefit cuts next week after branding the welfare system unsustainable, indefensible and unfair. The Prime Minister told Labour MPs this week that reforms were needed to avoid creating a wasted generation. But Sir Iain Duncan Smith said Rachel Reevess 25 billion raid on employers National Insurance would destroy the part-time jobs that are needed to help people back into the workplace after long periods on sickness benefits. The tax hike, which comes into force next month, will raise employers NI by 1.2 per cent, increasing the cost of hiring. But the changes will also slash the salary threshold at which employers start paying NI from 9,100 to just 5,000, dragging large numbers of part-time jobs into the system for the first time. Employers have warned the changes will lead to hiring freezes and job cuts. Sir Iain said they would also torpedo the governments plans to get more people off benefits and into work. The Prime Minister told Labour MPs this week that reforms were needed to avoid creating a wasted generation (file image) Sir Iain Duncan Smith (pictured) said Rachel Reeves s 25 billion raid on employers National Insurance would destroy the part-time jobs that are needed to help people back into the workplace after long periods on sickness benefits He told the Mail: Labour wants to talk the talk on welfare reform but what they are doing with this jobs tax is disastrous if you want to actually get people back to work. Cutting the starting threshold for NI to 5,000 is an attack on part-time work, yet it is exactly those sort of part-time jobs you need when you are trying to get people off sickness benefits and into work - they are the stepping stone. Any push to reduce the number of people on sickness benefits will have to start with part-time work yet you have the Treasury out there massively increasing the cost of employing people part time. Si Iain, whose welfare reforms cut the benefits bill by more than 30 billion a year, described Labours target savings as peanuts and urged them to get serious about fixing a system which Downing Street has described as broken. But ministers are already facing a backlash from Labour MPs and charities over the proposals, which are thought to include a freeze in the level of Personal Independence Payments, which are paid to the disabled. Publication of the plans has been delayed until next week to allow ministers to hold talks with backbenchers in a bid to head off a major rebellion. Meanwhile, a new study today reveals that more than half of new claims for disability benefits since the Covid pandemic are related to mental health problems. The report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, found that the number of people claiming disability since the pandemic has jumped by 900,000 to 2.9 million. Of this, around half a million involves claimants whose main condition relates to mental health. Sir Iain, whose welfare reforms cut the benefits bill by more than 30 billion a year, described Labours target savings as peanuts The report found that Britains mental health has deteriorated since the pandemic, with the number of working age people reporting mental health problems rising from 8-10 per cent to 13-15 per cent. So-called deaths of despair related to alcohol, drugs and suicide have risen by 24 per cent. Iain Porter, of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which part-funded the study, urged ministers to invest in tackling mental health issues instead of cutting benefits. He said the trend of declining mental health was real and growing, adding: We need our government to look carefully at the health of the nation rather than relying on benefit cuts to solve the problem. A father has been found guilty of ploughing his Mercedes SUV into his own son at a car wash amid a bitter row over infidelity. Kamil Mohammed Nadir, 55, drove his Mercedes SUV into his son Rebath Kamil, 40, at the Local Car Wash in Dalmuir, near Glasgow, in July 2021 after he accused his father of infidelity. Horrifying CCTV footage showed the moment Kamil, a former freedom fighter from Iraq, drove his large vehicle into his son. After stalling in the forecourt of the car wash, he can be seen rapidly accelerating into the washing area. Rebath, who was spotted walking away from a car, was smashed into a wall as the car hit him. Large barrels of water were seen splitting under the force of the crash. While the CCTV footage has no sound, Kilmarnock High Court, where the case was heard, was told the crash victim screamed at his father 'you tried to kill me over a woman'. The court heard that the bitter feud between the father and son began after Nadir and his wife had separated, and Nadir accused Rebath of telling his siblings that he had been seeing another woman. Kamil Mohammed Nadir (pictured) drove his Mercedes SUV into hisson Rebath Kamil, 40, at the Local Car Wash in Dalmuir, near Glasgow Horrifying CCTV footage showed the moment Kamil drove his large vehicle into his son Rebath told police in the hours after the attack: 'My father said my brother said I'd seen my dad with another woman. 'I said I did not say that. I said I had seen him with someone, that's all.' But the implication appeared to be enough to infuriate the father, who the court was told had gone to the car wash to confront his sons. He screamed at them: 'I will kill you all.' Prosecutor Donald Davidson read Rebath's police statement to the court, which read: 'I would say that my dad was trying to kill me. 'He drove the car straight at me and he hit me with it. If he was trying to scare me he would have stopped the car but he didn't.' But Rebath in court denied giving this statement. Accompanied by an interpreter, he claimed his English was not good enough to 'say those words.' 'This is not my statement. These are not my words.' Rebath in court claimed he did not remember anything about the incident, and said he loved his father, asking the court if he could approach him in the dock and 'kiss his hand.' Meanwhile, Nadir's youngest son Datsan, told police in 2021 that he and his other brother Daban quickly began beating their dad up in the wake of the attack. He said: 'We started punching my dad. We were holding on to him to stop him from leaving. He was trying to kick us and struggling with us. Nadir was found guilty of assaulting his son to the danger of his life following a three-day trial Rebath, who was spotted walking away from a car, was smashed into a wall as the car hit him. 'Rebath was crying and shouting at my dad "you tried to kill me over a woman". 'My dad was shouting: "This is what I'm going to do to you".' But in court, Datsan backtracked and said he had 'fabricated' his statement to police, adding that he couldn't remember exactly what he said at the time. But Davidson refuted the youngest son's claims, telling him: 'I put it to you directly that you gave this statement to police on the day when your brother was injured you were telling the truth to police that your father uttered the threat to you: "That's what I will do to you". She added: 'Isn't it the truth that your father shouted in Kurdish "I'm going to kill you all' before driving the Mercedes at your brother?' Datsan admitted: 'It was the truth at the time.' Paul Mullen, Nadir's defence, asked the youngest son: 'When your father got out of the vehicle and had his hands in the air did he say he was trying to kill himself?" Datsan replied: 'I don't recall. He was very shocked and pale faced.' Mullen described Nadir as 'a local Kurdish community leader was involved in negotiating a separation between [the children's] parents and that separation had caused a degree of anxiety within the family.' Despite this, Nadir was found guilty of assaulting his son to the danger of his life following a three-day trial. Judge Scott Pattison, who remanded the former freedom fighter into custody, said: 'It seems to me you drove your car right at him as he worked and that you did that deliberately and at speed It was good fortune that he was not fatally injured. 'The reason for your attack on him is still unclear although there's some evidence of him making an adverse report to your wife about you 'The course of your offending constitutes very serious violence.' A top State Farm executive has been fired after being caught on hidden camera making stunning and callous remarks about LA wildfire victims while revealing explosive claims about secret corporate maneuvers to raise rates on vulnerable policyholders. Haden Kirkpatrick, State Farm's Vice President for Innovation and Venture Capital, was secretly recorded admitting the company 'kind of' orchestrated a massive rate hike for California homeowners reeling from the devastation of January's deadly fires. The undercover video - published by O'Keefe Media Group - sees Kirkpatrick making cynical and cold-hearted statements about victims of the recent infernos that killed 29 people, destroyed over 12,000 homes, and scorched 57,000 acres in Los Angeles County alone. In the bombshell footage, Kirkpatrick dismissed the suffering of victims and criticized Californians for building homes in fire-prone regions. 'People want to build in areas where they want to have, like, natural areas around them for their ego. But it's also a f***ing desert. And so, it dries out as a tinderbox. 'Areas like where the Palisades are, there should never be houses built in the first place,' Kirkpatrick added without an ounce of sympathy for the thousands who lost everything. But the footage went further still as Kirkpatrick admitted that wildfires such as those which tore through Pacific Palisades and Altadena, are entirely predictable to insiders and that State Farm is actively maneuvering to escape financial exposure to such disasters. 'Climate change is pushing these seasons. If you're an insurance professional, it's predictable,' he said. Haden Kirkpatrick, State Farm's Vice President for Innovation and Venture Capital, was secretly recorded admitting the company 'kind of' orchestrated a massive rate hike for California homeowners reeling from the devastation of January's deadly fires In the bombshell footage, Kirkpatrick dismissed the suffering of victims and criticized Californians for building homes in fire-prone regions In the most stunning portion of the secret recording, Kirkpatrick described how State Farm manipulated its request for a 22% emergency rate hike to offset $7.9bn in wildfire losses In the most stunning portion of the secret recording, Kirkpatrick described how State Farm manipulated its request for a 22 percent emergency rate hike in California to offset $7.9 billion in wildfire losses, then made veiled threats about pulling out of California's insurance market entirely if regulators didn't comply. 'Our people look at this and say, "s***, we've got, like, maybe $5 billion that we're short if something happens,"' Kirkpatrick confessed laying out a strategy. 'We'll go to the Department of Insurance and say, "We're overexposed here, you have to let us catch up our rate." And if regulators dont give us what we want we'll say, "Okay, then we are going to cancel these policies."' Kirkpatrick was also caught openly admitting to explicit hiring biases, disclosing a strategic effort to reshape the company's workforce along demographic lines all while making shocking racial comments. 'I want the 2040 workforce. So, go find me the demographic profile of America in 2040: more Hispanic and Latinos,' Kirkpatrick said, tasking his HR team to prioritize such racial and ethnic groups. When asked whether he would apply such preferences to his personal life, Kirkpatrick doubled down. 'I'm being biased... away from my own kind [whites],' he said. The fallout was swift. State Farm confirmed that Kirkpatrick has been fired, and in an official statement denounced his comments from the March 6 video as 'false'. Kirkpatrick dismissed the suffering of victims and criticized Californians for building homes in fire-prone regions. 'People want to build in areas where they want to have, like, natural areas around them for their ego. But it's also a f***ing desert. And so, it dries out as a tinderbox A view of flames at the mountain as seen from Topanga Canyon near Pacific Palisades in Topanga, Los Angeles, on January 9 A burned vehicle remains near the rubble of beachfront homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire in Malibu, California 'These assertions are inaccurate and in no way represent the views of State Farm,' said company spokesman Sevag Sarkissian. 'They do not reflect our position regarding the victims of this tragedy, the commitment we have demonstrated to the people of California, or our hiring practices across the company.' The California Department of Insurance which has been reviewing State Farm's rate hike request has so far remained silent on the revelations. State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has previously signaled resistance to State Farm's rate demands, noting in a February 14 letter that more information was needed before approving any increase that could further squeeze fire-stricken homeowners. But if Kirkpatrick's statements do reflect the thinking inside State Farm, regulators and consumers could face a future where California's largest insurer of homes pulls back or exits altogether. State Farm had been California's largest provider of homeowners' insurance covering over a million homes until it began pulling out of new policy underwriting in 2023, citing wildfire risk. DailyMail.com has reached out to State Farm for comment. Australia's 'wokest' university will scrap its divisive and mandatory 'Manawari' course that labelled non-Indigenous students 'visitors' and 'settlers'. The controversial module at Sydney's Macquarie University made headlines last week when a student revealed she was required to take the class which called her a guest in Australia - despite being born and raised here. 'The tutor made us all raise our hands and she asked overseas students to put their hands down, then students who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to put their hands down,' student Ava told 2GB's Ben Fordham. 'The rest of us with our hands still remaining, she basically called us all guests and that we don't belong here in Australia. 'Considering I was born here 20 years ago and grown up here my entire life, I just was a bit taken back by it and it didn't sit with me very well.' But after being reported on radio and by Daily Mail Australia, and questions asked by Liberal MPs in the state parliament, the university has axed the module. Macquarie vice-chancellor Bruce Dowton was summoned to the NSW Parliament, where he admitted that errors had been made. Liberal upper house member Susan Carter asked the vice-chancellor if the Manawari module included material 'that non-Indigenous students are taught that they are visitors and settlers in their own land?' Macquarie University in Sydney (pictured) has sensationally backflipped on a mandatory module that labelled non-Indigenous student's 'guests' and 'settlers' Bruce Dowton (pictured), vice-chancellor of Macquarie University, has backed down on a woke student module after he was summoned to the NSW Parliament Ms Carter suggested the controversial module 'does not really build a culture of inclusion, which is one of Macquarie's core values'. 'Those words were in the introduction to this module when that was raised with me,' Mr Dowton replied. 'I asked that that be reviewed. Those words have now been removed.' Fordham said it had taken students complaining for the module to be scrapped. 'They were sick of being shamed over their skin colour, and it's hard to believe that this could be true in 2025, but it is, white students are being told, both in class and in writing, that Australia is not their country,' he said on Tuesday. 'They were considered settlers or guests.' Fordham added that 'thanks to these uni whistleblowers, the woke tests that students are forced to complete are also under review'. The radio host said the modules 'usually have nothing to do with what the student is actually learning, but the students are forced to do them anyway'. Ben Fordham (pictured) said it had taken students complaining for the module to be scrapped Rachel Merton, another Liberal member of the NSW upper house, asked Mr Dowton if 'Aboriginal cultural awareness' was a 'compulsory mandatory study module'. He said it was, but 'those programs and that nature is under review'. Fordham said 'If the vice-chancellor believes in respecting his students' wishes, and if he wants to treat them like adults and not children, he'll place the shame sessions that we've been seeing at Macquarie University well and truly and firmly on the chopping block'. He said students should not be 'hammered with woke virtue signalling c**p at uni'. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Macquarie University and Mr Dowton for further comment. Labour is scrapping immigration laws which would allow ministers to throw out any future asylum claim by Abu Wadee, the Conservatives warned last night. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp urged Sir Keir Starmer's Government to use measures passed by the Tories when they were in power. The Tories created a new power for ministers to rule inadmissible any asylum claims by individuals who came here 'without leave to enter'. That power is due to be repealed under Labour's Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which is currently before Parliament. Mr Philp said: 'The Government must kick out this despicable individual as quickly as possible. 'But the changes the Labour Government are now proposing in their borders bill will make that far harder, if not impossible, to achieve. 'The measures passed by the Conservatives provide the Government with powers to remove exactly this kind of individual. 'Labour must urgently reconsider its ill-advised proposals to ditch these important powers.' Labour is scrapping immigration laws which would allow ministers to throw out any future asylum claim by Abu Wadee (pictured) Palestinian Abu Wadee (pictured) was staying at a Home Office asylum hotel in Manchester when he was arrested on Sunday night He was remanded in custody under his real name of Mosab Abdulkarim al-Gassas after pleading not guilty to knowingly arriving in the UK without valid entry clearance Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp urged Sir Keir Starmer's Government to use Tory measures The Tories have also tabled amendments to the new borders bill which would stop human rights laws being deployed in immigration legal challenges. Mr Philp said: 'If Starmer doesn't back the Conservatives' proposals to disapply the Human Rights Act from immigration matters and ensure illegal immigrants are deported, it will show Labour are not serious about protecting our borders.' More than 90 per cent of migrants who arrive by small boat go on to lodge asylum claims. Of the 151,138 small boat migrants who arrived in Britain from the start of the crisis in 2018 until the end of last year only 4,995 - or three per cent of the total - have been removed, latest Home Office figures show. This year is shaping up to be the worst on record for small boat crossings, data suggests. Home Office figures show there have been 4,393 arrivals across the Channel between the start of the year and March 10. It compared with 3,406 last year - the previous high for the same period of time. In 2022 - which went on to see record annual arrivals of 45,700 - the figure stood at just 3,150 at the same stage of the year. However, arrivals are subject to significant variation due to the weather and figures could yet balance out. The number of small boat arrivals since Labour came to power in July is now 27,373, 28 per cent higher than the 21,410 seen during the equivalent period in 2023-24. Labour has faced intense criticism over its decision to scrap the Tories Rwanda asylum deal as one of its first acts in office. The plan was designed to deter migrants from risking their lives in the Channel. Home Office figures show there have been 4,393 arrivals across the Channel between the start of the year and March 10 Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'Keir Starmer is a weak Prime Minister who immediately scrapped the Rwanda deterrent before it had even started' Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said in the wake of the latest figures last night: Labour has lost control of our borders. Keir Starmer is a weak Prime Minister who immediately scrapped the Rwanda deterrent before it had even started. The result is the highest ever number of illegal immigrants crossing the Channel, which includes terrorist sympathisers. Labour has made Britain the soft touch of Europe on migration. The Home Office revealed yesterday that 262 migrants were picked up in the Channel on Monday by Border Force vessels and brought to Dover. It was the ninth successive day to see crossings, after a 13-day period which saw only one day of arrivals. A view of confiscated small boats and outboard motors used to cross the Channel from France at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent in January A group of people thought to be migrants are driven away from the Border Force compound in Dover, Kent Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. In place of the Rwanda scheme the Labour Government is emphasising law enforcement measures against the trafficking gangs. A Labour source said: About 84,000 people crossed the Channel from the day the Rwanda deal was signed to the day it was scrapped. It cost 700million and didnt deport a single person or deter a single boat. All it achieved was sending four volunteers to Kigali, to enjoy free housing, free private healthcare, and free university education, at a cost of 150,000 each. The idea that scheme is the answer to anything is a ridiculous joke. The family of a young girl murdered by Dante Arthurs in a crime that sickened Australia fear he could kill again as it is revealed he could be released in weeks. Schoolgirl Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu was raped then suffocated by Arthurs in the bathrooms of the busy Livingston Marketplace Shopping Centre, in the Perth suburb of Canning Vale, in June 2006 as her family waited for her outside. The then-21-year-old was imprisoned for life in 2007 but with an opportunity for parole after 13 years. The Prisoners Review Board, which makes parole recommendations to the Attorney-General, confirmed his release into the community will be considered in May. The news has sparked widespread outrage, including from WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch, who said Arthurs should never be released. Retired WA police officer Paul Litherland, who worked as a family liaison officer to Sofia's family, has launched a petition to keep Arthurs behind bars that has so far received over 152,000 signatures 'It was a crime that rocked the nation and there was a lot of controversy around him (Arthurs) as well... he had a pattern of behaviour which sadly led to his interaction with Sofia that day,' he told The West Australian. Mr Litherland said Arthurs had shown little remorse, so the former officer and Sofia's family are deeply worried he could kill again if he is released. 'We just want to send the message that the community is still reeling and still very concerned about the chances of him reoffending,' he said. Child killer Dante Wyndham Arthurs (pictured centre after being charged by police in 2006) is up for parole in a few weeks The murder of Perth schoolgirl Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu in 2006 shocked the nation WA Premier Roger Cook's office said through a spokesperson that the crime had sent shockwaves through the state. 'This was a crime that sickened the Western Australian community, and the family of Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu continue to live with the pain of her tragic murder every day,' the spokesperson said. 'Understandably, it is a difficult time for her loved ones when the matter is up for review by the Prisoners Review Board.' On the day she was attacked, Sofia had gone to the toilet at Livingston Marketplace as her uncle and siblings waited nearby. As she was leaving the female toilets, she was grabbed from behind by Arthurs and dragged into a cubicle where she was raped, beaten and suffocated. Sofia's brother, then 14, went to look for her after becoming confused about why she was taking so long, and found her body. Many police officers and lawyers who worked on the investigation still regard the case as one of the most harrowing of their careers. In WA, most determinations on parole are made by the review board, however, in the case of life sentences the board only makes a recommendation to the WA Attorney-General. Arthurs sexually assaulted the eight-year-old girl before he suffocated her in a toilet at a Canning Vale shopping centre (pictured) Sofia Rodriguez-Urrutia Shu's parents (pictured at her funeral in 2006) have repeatedly said they hoped Sofia's killer would never be released from prison The Attorney-General than gives advice on the case to the WA Governor, who has the final call. WA Attorney-General John Quigley has not commented on Arthurs' parole hearing but said that the crime was 'shocking' and 'evil' and that it still shakes the state's residents 'to the core' 19 years later. The parish priest for Sofia's school, Mater Christi Catholic Primary School, Bryan Rosling previously said the family's biggest fear was that Arthurs would be released. He was previously refused parole in 2019 and 2022. Defence Secretary John Healey will meet European counterparts in Paris today as efforts continue to bring peace to Ukraine. In a gathering of the E5 nations - the five biggest military spenders in the Continent - Mr Healey will hold talks with the defence ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Poland. Britain and France are leading efforts to put together a stabilisation force in Ukraine following any ceasefire to end the three-year conflict. Speaking ahead of the E5 meeting, Mr Healey said: We are at a decisive moment for the future of Ukraine and for the security of Europe. The UK will continue to lead alongside our European partners and push for a just and lasting peace. European nations are stepping up and as E5 nations we must take on more responsibility for European security. By deepening our defence cooperation, boosting spending and enhancing our collective strength, we send a clear message. We will not waver in standing with Ukraine and defending our shared values. The UK is already stepping up its defence base, with the Prime Minister announcing the defence budget will increase to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027, whilst the Government has also recently announced its plans to launch a new hub to provide small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with better access to the defence supply chain. Secretary of State for Defence John Healey arrived in Downing Street yesterday to attend the weekly Cabinet meeting The Defence Secretary also met with his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu last night (pictured), where they discussed the British-Franco plan to develop a coalition of the willing, to support Ukraines future security The Defence Secretary also met with his French counterpart last night, where they discussed the British-Franco plan to develop a coalition of the willing, to support Ukraines future security. They also discussed rebooting Lancaster House collaboration, with a focus on modernising the relationship, improving how our militaries work together and stepping up the relationship between our defence industries. Meanwhile, Russias foreign minister said British plans to lead a stabilisation force in post-conflict Ukraine will be protecting the countrys Nazi regime. In a bizarre outbrust from Moscow hours after Ukraines largest drone attack of the war struck the capital, Sergei Lavrov said: What will the peacekeepers protect? The remnants of the Kyiv Nazi regime? The regime adopted a series of laws exterminating Russian culture, language, media and banned the UOC [Russian Orthodox Church]. Lavrovs stinging attack came the day after a Russian intelligence official accused Britain of being the worlds biggest warmonger. Speaking ahead of the E5 meeting, Mr Healey said: We are at a decisive moment for the future of Ukraine and for the security of Europe' President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in the Oval Office of the White House last month Russias foreign minister said British plans to lead a stabilisation force in post-conflict Ukraine will be protecting the countrys Nazi regime (pictured: Russian president Vladimir Putin) Such remarks on successive days appeared to indicate a targeted campaign by the Kremlin to criticise the UK, which has been steadfast in its support for Ukraine. Russian officials have also blamed all Western countries that provide arms to Ukraine for the drone attack on Moscow and other locations. Lavrov was speaking as the UKs Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, co-chaired a security conference in Paris with his French counterpart Thierry Burkhard. Residents have been told to be on high alert for fire ants, as ex-Cyclone Alfred may have helped the 'super pest' invasive species spread through Queensland. Since arriving in Australia in the 1990s, the ants have largely been confined to southeast Queensland, from the Sunshine Coast, down to Tweeds Heads and Toowoomba. However during Alfried, thousands of fire ants were spotted combining to form raft-like formations to survive, and were transported on floodwaters. The Invasive Species Council's advocacy manager Reece Pianta told Daily Mail Australia that had sparked fears the pests could show up in new areas. 'The [fire ant distribution] maps exactly onto the cyclone zone and some of those areas have high fire ant densities,' he said. 'After a disaster event people are moving things like soil and mulch around when doing the reconstruction work and that can help move fire ants in. 'If you see fire ants you need to report them and get the government supplied treatment to destroy those colonies. They usually form a mound.' Mr Pianta said fire ants, which are native to South America, have killed humans in the United States and can also harm pets as they form 'super colonies'. Fire ants (pictured) have killed humans in America and are causing problems in Queensland Thousands of fire ants have been spotted forming rafts and travelling on floodwaters (pictured) It's estimated that fire ants cost Australia's economy $2billion per year. They can damage electrical and agricultural equipment, sting people, pets and livestock, kill native plants and animals, and damage ecosystems beyond repair. If the pests get out of control they could cut agricultural output by an estimated 40 per cent. 'It's a problem in southeast Queensland right now but if they get out of control it will be a problem for the whole country,' Mr Pianta said. 'I think about what happens if they get a foothold in a river system like the Murray-Darling. They would quickly spread though New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and at that point we wouldn't be able to eradicate them, and it would impact our agriculture forever and cost $2billion a year to the economy.' The Invasive Species Council is calling on the Queensland government to ramp up fire ant suppression. 'We call on Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese to commit to an urgent fire ant surge and long-term funding,' Mr Pianta said. 'An increase in funding now could save Australia billions in fire ant costs each year, not to mention the immeasurable cost to our environment, wildlife and lifestyles. It's estimated that fire ants cost Australia's economy $2billion per year (mounds are pictured) 'Fire ants are dangerous. Don't put yourself, clothing or belongings in direct contact with ants or their nests.' Queenslander Kirsty McKenna, who has spotted the fire ant rafting near her home, said it was essential residents received more support to reduce their numbers. 'I'm actively controlling them on my property but the whole community needs to join in and support eradication,' she said. 'There's lots of turf farms and hay operations near me and if they get in there I also worry they will spread to other parts of the country.' Entire families were wiped out during last week's massacre across Syria in which more than 1,200 people died, the UN human rights office has said. Since Thursday masses reportedly been slaughtered, the majority of whom were civilians, as HTS militants filmed themselves subjecting unarmed citizens in Alawite and Christian communities to extreme violence. Some were forced to crawl besides the bloodied corpses of their neighbours as they were battered by branches and sticks. Others were simply dragged out of their homes and shot at point-blank range with assault rifles as the Islamists watched on, laughing as the bullets tore through their bodies. The HTS government in Damascus claimed the attacks on Syria's west coast around Latakia were launched to defeat pro-Assad loyalist groups that had attacked security checkpoints on March 6. But a mountain of evidence - most of it provided by HTS militants themselves - now shows that the bulk of the violence was meted out against unarmed and non-resistant civilians. So far, the UN has verified the slaughter of 111 civilians since last Thursday, but a spokesperson said the actual figure is likely to be significantly higher. Thameen Al-Kheetan said on Tuesday: 'In a number of extremely disturbing instances, entire families - including women, children and [non-combatant] individuals - were killed, with predominantly Alawite cities and villages targeted in particular.' Entire families were wiped out during last week's massacre across Syria in which more than 1,200 people died, the UN human rights office has said A member of the security forces loyal to the interim Syrian government guards a checkpoint previously held by supporters of deposed president Bashar al-Assad, in the town of Ayn Shiqaq, in the coastal province of Latakia, on March 11, 2025 A car burns following clashes between Syria's new authorities and supporters of deposed president Bashar al-Assad near the town of Jableh in the coastal province of Latakia on March 10, 2025 'According to many testimonies collected by our office, perpetrators raided houses, asking residents whether they were Alawite or Sunni before proceeding to either kill or spare them accordingly. Some survivors told us that many men were shot dead in front of their families', he added. Amid the horrors, thousands of Alawites sought refuge in Russia's Hmeimim military air base in western Syria on Tuesday, a war monitor said. 'Thousands of Alawite civilians fled the massacres in the city of Jableh and its surrounding villages to seek refuge inside and around the Hmeimim military base,' the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP. The war monitor said that 1,225 civilians, the vast majority Alawites, had been killed since violence began on Thursday with clashes between security forces and fighters loyal to ousted president Bashar al-Assad. The killings have been concentrated on Syria's Mediterranean coast, the heartland of the Alawite minority to which Assad belongs. The Observatory said that some of the displaced, who began arriving at the base on Friday, were refusing to go home for fear of further violence while some had had their homes destroyed. It said they were suffering from severe shortages of food, medical equipment and other essentials. Other families were hiding in the mountains, the Observatory said. A member of the security forces loyal to the interim Syrian government poses with a AK-47 rifle and a rose at a location previously held by supporters of deposed president Bashar al-Assad, in the town of Hmeimim, in the coastal province of Latakia, on March 11, 2025 Syrian government officials and Russian officers negotiate to allow the Red Crescent access to the Russian air base in Hmeimim, near Latakia in Syria's coastal region, Tuesday, March 11, 2025 Amid the horrors, thousands of Alawites sought refuge in Russia's Hmeimim military air base in western Syria on Tuesday A Syrian man carries a crying child who fled with her family the clashes in Syria, as they cross a river marking the border between Syria and northern Lebanon near the village of Heker al-Daher in Akkar province, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 11, 2025 The mayor of Jableh, Amjad Sultan, told AFP he had come to the base to convince people it was safe to return home. 'We came today... to inform them that the situation outside is now safe, as security forces have begun deploying and consolidating control,' he said. 'We have transported some of the wounded, they are currently in ambulances. We will also work to evacuate the families, one by one,' he added. At the entrance to the base, an AFP journalist saw a Syrian Red Crescent convoy evacuating three wounded people, including two women. Some of the displaced were protesting outside, calling for international protection and chanting 'Russia, Russia'. Russia, which gave Assad military backing during the war, has been trying to establish contact with the new authorities in Damascus in the hope of maintaining control of Hmeimim and its naval base in Tartus. A Melbourne health guru has admitted trafficking magic mushrooms at a retreat where she supplied a psychedelic-laced potion to a woman who later died. Ringwood North mum Rachael Dixon, 53, had a reported heart attack after drinking a mushroom tonic at a healing ceremony at Clunes in Victoria's west last April. On Wednesday, Deanne Mathews, 54, pleaded guilty to supplying the illegal hallucinogenic mushrooms, but escaped without a conviction and just a $3000 fine. The court heard Mathews rented the 'regional oasis' venue Soul Barn to host the weekend retreat where she gave several clients a dose of magic mushrooms. But after consuming them, Ms Dixon suffered a devastating health episode and later died, the court was told. The exact cause of death was not revealed in court. Victoria Police probing Ms Dixon's death found evidence Mathews had trafficked psilocin, also called psilocybin - the psychedelic ingredient of magic mushrooms. Cops seized evidence from the retreat including bowls and spoons which had traces of psilocin, forensic experts found. Police also discovered text messages between Mathews and Ms Dixon proving she sold magic mushrooms and interviewed several people who were at the retreat. Melbourne health guru Deanne Mathews (pictured), 54, admitted trafficking magic mushrooms at a retreat where she supplied a psychedelic-laced potion to a woman who later died Ringwood North mum Rachael Dixon, 53, (pictured) died after consuming a mushroom tonic at a healing ceremony at Clunes in Victoria's west on April 13 last year They said they paid $500 for the retreat which included the cost of the 'medicine' for the tea from Mathews, also known as Diane Matthews. The court heard the magic mushrooms were ground in mixing-bowls, weighed and served as tea. Guests were served up to six grams of mushrooms which were consumed over a two-day period. Witnesses said consuming magic mushrooms during the retreat is 'at your own undertaking'. All this consumption of the tea is entirely up to the individual, you are never pushed to try this,' a witness said. 'Dee is probably the best person I have sat with throughout a ceremony, everyone that attends is aware of what the tea contains.' Mathews also gave a statement to police in which she said 'people who attend the healing ceremonies are fully aware and consensual to the use of magic mushrooms'. 'It is a reason they attend,' Mathews said. On Wednesday, Deanne Mathews, (left) pleaded guilty to supplying the illegal hallucinogenic mushrooms to Rachael Dixon (right), but escaped without a conviction and just a $3000 fine Victoria Police launched an investigation into Ms Dixon's death at Clunes retreat Soul Barn (pictured) Victoria Police probing Ms Dixon's death found evidence Mathews had trafficked psilocin, also called psilocybin - the psychedelic ingredient of magic mushrooms (pictured) However, investigators could find 'no causal link' between the mushrooms and Ms Dixon's death. Mathews, of Mt Macedon in Victoria's northwest, rented the Soul Barn venue and made some 'financial gain' running the retreat, the court heard. Jon Ross, for Mathews, who appeared at court in person, said Ms Dixon's death was a 'tragedy'. 'Its distressing as well for the participants, it will have an everlasting impact on the friends and family of Ms Dixon,' Mr Ross said. 'Ms Mathews performed CPR, Ms Mathews called emergency services and it was Ms Mathews who was with Ms Dixon in her final moments.' Mr Ross also highlighted police could find no evidence the magic mushrooms caused Ms Dixon's death. 'If there was, we would not be in the Magistrates Court, Magistrate Julia Barling said. Mathews, a Canadian mother of two who moved to Australia in her early 20s, received several references from friends including medical professionals. The health guru, who operates out of stores the wealthy suburbs of Port Melbourne and South Yarra, claimed to have trained under a Canadian physician in a bid to escape childhood trauma. Mr Ross said his client practised various alternate health methods including Reiki but supplying hallucinogenic drugs had only been a small part of her practice. '(Mathews) tries to help people, this hasn't made her extremely wealthy,' he said. Mr Ross said his client was well trained and had the knowledge to host a wellness retreat which supplied magic mushrooms but had stopped that practice after Ms Dixon's death. Health guru Deanne Mathews (pictured on her website) who operates out of stores at Port Melbourne and South Yarra, claimed to have trained under a Canadian physician The court heard Mathews rented the 'regional oasis' venue Soul Barn (pictured) to host the weekend retreat where she gave several clients a dose of magic mushrooms 'The law lacks the science,' he said. 'There is evidence it (hallucinogenic drugs) assists (health), it's not just providing psilocin to people and hoping for the best. 'There has been no repeat conduct, no priors and Ms Mathews is not likely to be before the court again. 'She is no longer working in this way, the effects of this have been profound on her, it's something which will weigh heavily on her mind for life.' Magistrate Barling fined Mathews $3000 at Bacchus Marsh Magistrates' Court but spared her a conviction. It's a very serious manner in which to enter the criminal justice system, trafficking charges are always taken serious by the court,' Magistrate Barling said. 'Without drug traffickers, vulnerable people dont have direct access to these substances.' On her website Mathews describes herself as a 'healer, mentor and teacher' who helps people work through 'pain and trauma' to 'transform your life through a multi-faceted approach'. She said that the mushroom drink induces a state of hypnotic-like trance, allowing the consumer to 'go back in time and mend the past'. An autopsy report on Ms Dixon did not make a finding on what caused her heart attack. Mathews' identity had remained a secret while Soul Barn owner and founder Michelle Mullins came under intense media scrutiny following Ms Dixon's tragic death. Ms Mullins issued a statement in April last year to refute speculation she had been conducting the clinic when Ms Dixon fell ill and died. 'There are no words to express the deep sorrow and shock we are feeling here at Soul following the tragic incident that occurred on April 13,' the statement read. 'The event which took place on April 13 was a private event, and those facilitating the event do not work for or represent Soul Barn in any way. 'None of our regular therapists, staff or facilitators were present at any point during this event.' Ms Mullins said she and her staff had been traumatised by what had occurred. 'We share the shock and devastation of everyone involved and our hearts are with those families affected,' it read. 'We have no further information to share and we ask you to please respect the privacy of our small community.' Daily Mail Australia previously revealed Ms Dixon was herself a health practitioner who had lived in New Zealand before settling in Melbourne and raising her son. Ms Dixon's sister Penny Muller-Dixon said 'words cannot express the heartbreak we are all feeling'. 'Matthew, your NZ family love you, we will see you soon. Life is so f***en short please hug and love those around you,' she posted on social media. The Left has never believed in tough sentencing, preferring to see criminals as victims of circumstance rather than the menace to society they really are. This Labour government seems determined to follow that misguided tradition of soft justice, regardless of the threat to public safety. Almost every criminal justice reform it has brought in since the election has been designed to jail fewer criminals for a shorter time. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood cut the standard prison term from 50 to 40 per cent of sentence, resulting in two mass releases. Amid scenes of jubilation, lags were swanning out of jail early to be whisked off by limousine for champagne celebrations. Then theres the Gauke review looking at alternatives to custody and the Leveson review aimed at speeding up the court process both of which will inevitably lead to shorter sentences. Thanks to the latest brilliant proposal from the Sentencing Council, judges are being advised that if offenders are from an ethnic minority background a pre-sentencing report and review of their lives should be commissioned before deciding on punishment. Two-tier justice in action. Writing in todays Mail, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick rightly says hardened criminals are laughing at the Governments naivety. While recognising that some offenders merit a second chance, he is deeply critical of deplorably weak sentences given to persistent criminals. Ten per cent of repeat offenders are responsible for half of all crime. Such recidivists should be locked up for as long as the law allows. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood (pictured) cut the standard prison term from 50 to 40 per cent of sentence, resulting in two mass releases Crush Crime found a series of offenders received soft sentences for sex crimes, violence and theft (File image) Mr Jenrick highlights a career shoplifter with 171 previous convictions let off with a conditional discharge; a man sentenced to just nine weeks for beating up his girlfriend despite having a history of violence against women; and a violent criminal with 22 convictions given just ten months for savagely beating a man who tried to stop him harassing a group of girls. What signal does this leniency send out to victims, many of whom have gone through the stressful and sometimes frightening experience of testifying in court? Yes, rehabilitation is a crucial element of our justice system, giving criminals the opportunity to change their behaviour. But equally, if not more important, is the use of prison as a punishment, a deterrent and a means of keeping bad people off the streets. Communities and victims deserve a rest from incorrigible offenders who blight their lives. Feeble slaps on the wrist wont do. To quote former Tory home secretary Michael Howard: Prison works. End asylum circus The absurdity of the asylum circus was laid bare yet again yesterday, as it was revealed that the Gazan militant Abu Wadee applied for refugee status in three other countries before paying 1,300 to cross the Channel in a migrant boat. Abu Wadee, who is believed to be in his 30s, was held by Immigration Enforcement officers on suspicion of entering the UK illegally Having called previously for death to all Jews and posed brandishing automatic weapons on social media, he cut a pathetic figure in court, claiming to be frightened, confused and a suicide risk. I will die in prison. Im a victim of Hamas, he said. Wadee is clearly prepared to try every wheeze in the human rights playbook to avoid deportation. And the scandalous truth is he will probably succeed. He has shown himself to be a potentially dangerous Jew-hating bigot, who has no right to be here, having arrived from a safe country. If we cant deport men like him, the whole system is a sham. Terrified freed hostages trekked across the mountainous terrain after armed militants hijacked a train in Pakistan's volatile southwestern Balochistan province. The separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) blew up a railway track to trap a passenger train inside a tunnel before exchanging gunfire with security guards on board. The crossfire left three people dead with the insurgents threatening to start executing the 214 people they said they had taken hostage. The train was travelling from the provincial capital of Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar when it came under attack in Bolan district, government spokesman Shahid Rind said, calling it 'an act of terrorism'. Survivors walked through rugged terrain to the nearest train station and travelled to Mach, about 124 miles from the Iran border. The waiting room at the town's station has since been turned into a makeshift hospital to treat the wounded where children and women have been seen sheltering inside. The first trains carrying survivors arrived late on Tuesday evening to be met by paramilitary forces and doctors. 'I am treating two (police) officers, one was shot five times, while the other was wounded in his knee,' said paramedic Qazim Farooq. Children, men and women have been seen sheltering inside the station after they were freed -- March 11, 2025 A soldier works to evacuate freed train passengers at the Mach railway station -- March 11, 2025 Freed hostages have described how terrified passengers hid under their seats before the militants stormed on board and started separating the men from the women. 'I can't find the words to describe how we managed to escape. It was terrifying,' Muhammad Bilal said. Bilal had been traveling with his mother on the Jafar Express train when it was caught in the explosive crossfire. More than 100 hostages have been freed from the train, which remains held up by rebel forces. The fate of the rest of the estimated 500 people on board was not immediately clear. 'I heard an explosion followed by gunfire as militants boarded the train,' passenger Allahditta said at the train station in Mach. 'People began hiding under the seats in panic. The militants separated the men from the women. They allowed me and my family to go because I told them I'm a heart patient,' the 49-year-old said. 'We walked for a long time through the mountains to reach the nearest station. I haven't eaten since I began fasting this morning, but I still can't bring myself to eat,' Allahditta added, in reference to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Pakistani security forces take security measures at the Quetta railway station after a Jaffar Express train attack in the Bolan area of Balochistan -- March 11, 2025 Armed Pakistani security forces stand guard at the Quetta railway station -- March 11, 2025 Survivors walked through rugged terrain to the nearest train station and travelled to Mach, about 124 miles from the Iran border Police officers, members of media and some relatives of passengers of a train attacked by insurgents, gather at a railway station in Quetta -- March 11, 2025 Pakistani security officials patrol Quetta Railway Station after security measures were heightened following a militant attack on a passenger train -- March 11, 2025 One passenger described gunmen sorting through identity cards to confirm who was from outside of the province, similar to a spate of recent attacks carried out by the BLA. 'They came and checked IDs and service cards and shot two soldiers in front of me and took the other four to, I don't know where,' said one passenger who asked not to be named, after walking four hours to the nearest train station. 'They checked IDs and those who were Punjabis were taken away by the terrorists,' he added. Ambulances were dispatched but access was not easy due to the rugged, mountainous terrain. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack and called for the immediate release of the hostages, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Three security officials later told The Associated Press that troops rescued at least 80 passengers, including women and children, and 13 attackers had been killed. The Jaffar Express was on its way from Quetta in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when it was fired on, railway officials said The BLA separatist group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Pictured: BLA fighters Pakistani security officials inspect vehicles at a checkpoint in Balochistan following the attack Pakistani security stand guard at a checkpoint after security was intensified following a suspected militant attack on a passenger train in Sibi, Balochistan province Three security officials said the BLA, which Pakistan and the United States have designated a terrorist organisation, ambushed the train inside a tunnel and used women and children as human shields. They said troops have launched an operation to rescue the hostages. Trains in Balochistan typically have security personnel on board. Separatists have previously carried out deadly attacks on trains in the region. In November, a separatist group carried out a suicide bombing at a railway station in Quetta which killed 26 people. Oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan's largest and least populated province. It is a hub for the country's ethnic Baloch minority, whose members say they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government. A Sydney woman alleges she was 'sexually touched' at a massage parlour before being chased down the street by an enraged masseuse. Video appeared to show part of the bizarre altercation outside the inner-west business last Thursday. A woman was seen following client Bo Dymock down the street while calling her a 'f***ing b***h'. 'I got chased down the street and sexually touched today at a massage parlour,' Ms Dymock claimed. She said she had been to the Surry Hills parlour several times before and had never had any issues there. That changed on March 6 when she paid for an hour long massage for $90. Ms Dymock stripped down to her underwear and lay down on her front ready for the treatment, and the masseuse began wiping down her feet as part of the routine. 'As she's doing it, she's putting her hand up my leg,' said Ms Dymock. "And I was like, that's weird. So I start shaking my leg to be like, "Stop!" Sydney woman Bo Dymock (pictured) alleges she was 'sexually touched' at a massage parlour before being chased down the street by an enraged masseuse 'And then she clearly got annoyed with me and she grabbed the towel and pegged it at me as hard as she could, where my bum ends and where my legs are, around that area.' The woman stopped wiping Ms Dymock's feet and told her to do it herself. Ms Dymock was taken aback but decided to proceed with the massage. The masseuse laid a towel over her and began the treatment. 'And she gets to my inner thigh and I've never been touched like that before,' Ms Dymock added. 'She was doing it excessively, then going up to my bum again, which has never happened before. 'And then she starts to choke me from behind. And she is digging in, she is really hurting me. 'And I turn around and say, "you're really hurting me, can you please go softer?" And it was on from there.' The woman appeared furious at Ms Dymock's request, she said, and ripped the towel from her, so that she was wearing only her underwear. The masseuse allegedly said: 'You can just f***ing get out, you can have a f***ing refund'. Ms Dymock was told she had paid for a 'special massage,' which she didn't want, she claimed. Ms Dymock said the trouble started when her masseuse 'started putting her hand up my leg' (stock image) The masseuse stormed out with the towel, leaving Ms Dymock scrambling to put on her clothes. In the reception area, she received a cash refund and the argument continued, with the masseuse claiming, 'I'm the f***ing owner,' in answer to questions about her name. In an act of revenge, Ms Dymock grabbed a tray of business cards from the counter, but the masseuse allegedly tried to prevent her from leaving. She said she was 'really scared' as she threw the cards in the air and sprinted out the door, with the masseuse in pursuit. 'And she's chased me down the street,' Ms Dymock added. Ms Dymock's video sparked outrage on social media, leading the massage parlour to post several statements online. 'Hello, I am the owner of a massage shop,' the parlour posted to Facebook the day after the incident. 'First of all, I would like to apologise to the lady from the incident that happened yesterday. That masseuse is only a staff. 'She had only been working here for about two weeks and work only one day a week. 'I just found out about her inappropriate behavior towards the customer. I decided to let her leave and never let her come back again. I have to really apologise again.' In another statement on Tuesday, translated to English with an app, the parlour said 'the story has entered the legal process and the shop has given the (CCTV) video recording of the incident to the police'. The owner said they were not in the shop at the time of the incident but they had watched it through the CCTV footage, which showed the masseuse and a customer arguing in the reception area, before the masseuse followed the customer out. They said the social media attention had 'directly affected me and my shop's business'. 'It made me very distressed and worried,' the statement added. 'It is a small family-run shop that has been open for four years. 'It is a single room with curtains and two massage beds. I can confirm that it is a normal massage shop. It only massages, nothing else is hidden. 'I have been in this line of work for 15 years. It is a family occupation. I have always done it with love.' A NSW Police spokesperson said officers were investigating after a '22-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted following a disagreement with a 27-year-old woman'. Scotland's largest private school is launching a fundraising appeal amid concern that Labour's VAT bill for fees will put pressure on parents to withdraw their children. George Watson's College in Edinburgh said 50 pupils had either left or opted not to join at the beginning of the 2024-25 year. A VAT rate of 20 per cent was added on January 1 to fees already increased last year for other reasons, fulfilling an election manifesto pledge by Labour. The school, which charges almost 20,000 a year for senior pupils, has pledged not to increase fees this year but wants to prevent a pupil exodus. It plans to launch a fundraising appeal among the wider 'Watsonian community' with one of its aims to help parents who cannot afford the present rises. An appeal takes place annually and the school said it was not solely aimed at raising cash to help families fearful of the impact of VAT on fees, but this would be 'part of the messaging'. Former pupils include the Olympian Sir Chris Hoy and rugby greats Gavin and Scott Hastings. The school said the VAT introduction had caused uncertainty for pupils and their families and a fall in its roll. Lisa Kerr became the 300-year-old school's principal last year A general view of George Watson's College, Edinburgh Lisa Kerr, who became the 300-year-old school's principal last year, said 2025 had brought 'the reality of a new education tax and a very substantial and unexpected rise in employer National Insurance contributions'. She added: 'There will be negative consequences for all children, since many will be forced out of independent schools and already strained state schools will see an unexpected influx of pupils in underfunded classrooms where teacher recruitment is already a problem.' Ms Kerr, previously principal at King's Charles's old school Gordonstoun, said that since joining George Watson's which has almost 2,500 pupils many parents had raised the issue of fee affordability. She said adding VAT pushed 'many families to breaking point so we will be launching a fundraising campaign to support our aim that no child should immediately have to leave Watson's because of the VAT bill'. Ms Kerr added: 'I hope many Watsonians will feel able to support that.' The school said it was implementing a three-year fee 'affordability strategy' involving cost and efficiency savings. A spokesman said: 'This is funded through a combination of cost reduction, identifying more non-fee revenues and the support of our generous donors.' Gavin Newsom has been blasted for secretly paying for his own monument at San Francisco City Hall to commemorate his time as mayor. The California governor is considered a contender to run for president in 2028 after his time as a surrogate for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris despite his liberal Golden State record. Newsom has even attempted to reach out to conservatives by launching a podcast, where he's interviewed Charlie Kirk and Michael Savage. A new book, however, threatens to undo Newsom's image rehabilitation by claiming he paid to honor himself at San Francisco City Hall. Newsom served as mayor of California's second largest city from 2004 to 2011, elected while he was still married to Donald Trump's current Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle. A new book claims Newsom, who has been governor since 2019 despite a recall attempt, put together a memorial to his time in the city with the help of donors. Jedd McFatter and Susan Crabtree's Fool's Gold: The Radicals, Con Artists, and Traitors Who Killed the California Dream and Now Threaten Us All claim Newsom used something called 'behested payments' to pull it off. Behested payments are contributions made by donors that their political clients ask them to make on their behalf. Gavin Newsom paid for his own monument at San Francisco City Hall commemorating his time as mayor A new book threatens to undo Newsom's image rehabilitation by claiming he paid to honor himself at San Francisco City Hall The book says that Newsom's payments show three private organizations - two of which are companies owned by Newsom - donating to a nonprofit earmarked for 'Mayoral Bust at San Francisco City Hall.' Balboa Cafe Partners and PlumpJack Management Group are the Newsom-owned organizations, donating a combined $10,000 to the $97,000 bust. Newsom has also asked behested payments go towards projects run by his current wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom. When the bust was being constructed, Newsom admitted that he found the whole thing odd but chose to play naive about who paid for it. 'I don't want to call it embarrassing, but it's a strange thing,' he told SFGATE at the time. 'I'm just awkward about it. But now the word is out.' At the time, the newspaper reported that 'Newsom supporters' had paid for the bust with 'private funds.' Newsom has faced scrutiny for the move, with one calling him 'ridiculous.' 'Now I know what a narcissist is,' wrote another. Jedd McFatter and Susan Crabtree's Fool's Gold: The Radicals, Con Artists, and Traitors Who Killed the California Dream and Now Threaten Us All claim Newsom used something called 'behested payments' to pull it off 'This is peak leftist arroganceworshiping their own failures while everyday Californians suffer under their disastrous policies,' added another. 'If only he cared half as much about fixing his state as he does about immortalizing his own ego.' DailyMail.com has reached out to Newsom for comment. Newsom has been facing criticism over his his podcast and his handling of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. While the Golden State is in the midst of recovering from the horrific wildfire disaster, which left at least 29 people dead and more than 18,000 structures destroyed, the Democratic governor was accused of having his focus on other issues, as he has promised that his new venture will be 'anything but the ordinary 'politician' podcast.' Many have seen the podcast as Newsom's way of positioning himself for a presidential run in 2028, which he is widely expected to do as he is term limited as California Governor in 2026. Inviting one of America's most famous conservatives on to speak and risking the wrath of transgender activists indicates Newsom's desire to position himself as a centrist who'd appeal to moderate conservatives. However, some praised both Newsom and Kirk for their civil conversation above the often-hostile fray of politics, while others poked fun at the liberal governor's confession that he is raising a young conservative. Newsom shocked the politics world when he debuted his podcast with Kirk, where he showed he is ready to break ranks with liberals on issues like transgender women in sports. The military jet fuel that has spilled into the North Sea after a cargo ship smashed into an oil tanker 'is capable of causing significant toxicity to marine life', a professor has warned. US oil tanker Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks when it was engulfed by a huge fireball after the Portuguese ship, Solong, ploughed into it. Professor Alastair Grant, from the University of East Anglia's School of Environmental Sciences, warned the fuel would 'probably be more toxic' as it was for military purposes. 'So we're potentially talking about 35,000 tons of jet fuel. That is capable of causing some significant toxicity to marine life,' he told The Telegraph. Crowley, the maritime company managing Stena Immaculate, said it was 'uncertain' how much fuel had poured into the water 'but initial review shows impacts have been limited due to exposure to the fire and evaporation of the Jet A1 fuel'. But Prof Grant said it was wrong to assume the fuel would all evaporate as it has a higher boiling point meaning this would happen slowly. 'It contains up to 25 per cent aromatic hydrocarbons, which are relatively toxic and slow to break down in the environment,' he added. He said it would spread out as a 'thin film' and could float as far as the Norfolk coast after a change in wind direction. It comes as the captain of the cargo ship was arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. Tug boats shadow the Solong container ship as it drifts in the Humber Estuary -- March 11, 2025 An aerial view as smoke billows from the MV Solong cargo ship in the North Sea, off the Yorkshire coast -- March 11, 2025 An aerial view of the damaged MV Stena Immaculate tanker at anchor off the Yorkshire coast in Grimsby -- March 11, 2025 A Gannet in flight ahead of the breeding season at the RSPB's Bempton Cliffs on the East Yorkshire coast -- March 11, 2025 Ernst Ross, the company that owns the Solong, said the 59-year-old man, who has not been named, 'has been detained by Humberside Police' and is 'actively assisting with the investigations.' A crew member from the Solong is missing and presumed dead as efforts continue to prevent an environmental disaster in the aftermath of the accident. Some of the crew narrowly escaped death when the collision on Monday morning caused fierce fires on both vessels, it emerged on Tuesday. Recalling the terrifying maritime crash and aftermath, a survivor of the Stena Immaculate tanker said: 'It was either get into your life jacket or get incinerated.' The 36 survivors were recovering in Grimsby hotels and are expected to be interviewed by the UK authorities and US coastguard officials in the coming days. A handful of the American crew of the Stena Immaculate spoke about what happened but asked not to be identified. They were so close to the flames as they boarded the lifeboat that some suffered singed hair. All survived without serious injury. One crewman said: 'Yesterday was a bad start to the day, but it ended gloriously. Why? All 23 of us got off the ship without anybody being in it.' Your browser does not support iframes. The captain of the cargo ship has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter after it smashed into an oil tanker (Pictured: Billowing smoke emerging from the MV Solong cargo ship) MV Stena Immaculate exploded into a 'massive fireball' after being hit by MV Solong, leaking some 18,000 tonnes of jet fuel into the North Sea on March 10 US-flagged tanker, MV Stena Immaculate, was hit while at anchor by the Portugal-flagged container ship, MV Solong, off the coast of Humber Estuary, Hull Your browser does not support iframes. He added that he was 'pleased to be alive.' Asked about his actions immediately after the tanker carrying a cargo of jet fuel burst into flames, he said: 'I did have time to think. I ran through the procedures. Because if I hadn't had time to think, we wouldn't have survived. 'We drilled, we trained, we prepared for the unprepared. We do emergency prep non-stop. Regardless of outside uncontrollable forces.' Marine experts have speculated that the Portuguese-registered Solong - which is now known not to be carrying highly toxic Sodium Cyanide - was on autopilot when it veered into the tanker with devastating results. The survivor commented: 'You have to be watching the autopilot. And no one is watching the autopilot. 'It would be like if you were sitting in a car park on Sunday morning, reading a newspaper or playing with your phone, right? And a car enters on the other side of the car park. 'He's heading for it, but then he falls asleep or he's doing something, and the car just goes careening into the other one. 'Who's at fault? It's clear they are the ones at fault. That's all I can say.' Smoke can be seen billowing from the sea as oil carried on the carrier caught fire on March 10 Stena Immaculate, a US-flagged ship, was reportedly carrying jet fuel when it collided with another vessel Another American crewman told CBS news how a 'massive ship came out of the blue.' He said crew members grabbed essential belongings and life jackets before everyone boarded the lifeboat. The captain was the last person to leave the ship. The man described flames lapping at the crew as they boarded the lifeboat, and said some of the sailors even had singed hair because the fire was so close. Wildlife organisations and charities are closing monitoring the shoreline, birds and marine life for evidence of pollution from the vessels. Crowley, the maritime company managing Stena Immaculate, said it was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks. At least one tank was ruptured, the company said. The tanker was contracted to carry fuel for the US military and had been anchored 13 miles off the coast near the Humber estuary. The east coast is home to a large seabird population, but hopes were increasing that a major environmental disaster could be avoided as the Solong was not carrying highly toxic sodium cyanide as first feared. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said neither ship was expected to sink and plans were underway to salvage both vessels and their cargo. A rescue ship is pictured at the scene as it tried to blast the smouldering wreckage of the vessels with water to extinguish the flames She said: 'I am reassured to hear indications from the ship's owners which suggest the sodium cyanide containers were empty, and that efforts to confirm this by the salvors are underway. 'I was also pleased to have been informed that early indications suggest that both vessels are now expected to stay afloat and that the SOLONG can be towed away from the shore, and salvage operations can get underway.' Chief Coastguard Pat O'Callaghan said the Counter Pollution and Salvage Team is 'assessing the situation and is developing a plan ready for implementation'. Humberside Police is conducting a criminal investigation and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch is separately investigating the cause of the collision. Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson of Humberside Police said the man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter 'remains in custody at this time whilst enquiries are underway, and we continue speaking with all those involved to establish the full circumstances of the incident.' A tech tycoon said she's leaving what was once her 'dream home' in Malibu for a new life in Italy as the Golden State continues to drive out its prized millionaires. Linda Bernardi, a Los Angeles-based tech executive, is just one of many wealthy Californians fleeing the state amid soaring living costs, unrelenting wildfires and a bitter political climate. The inflated cost of living and highest income tax in the country has sent Bernadi, along with some of the country's biggest names including Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, Mark Wahlberg, Kelly Clarkson and Justin Timberlake fleeing California, the Los Angeles Times reported. An analysis of the approximately 750,000 people who have bid farewell to the West Coast over the last three years revealed that thousands more high-earning, well-educated workers have left the Golden State than have moved in. While most cite the unbearable cost of living, others have expressed fears over ongoing environmental concerns and California's 'lackluster' governor, Gavin Newsom. Some residents have even gone as far as to blame the longtime politician of policy failures and a disregard for the well-being of Californians. But, it is not just wealthy residents leaving; businesses are also exiting the state - again due to high tax rates, punitive regulations, high labor as well as utility and energy costs. While Bernardi was once happy to ride out the turbulent times, her beloved Malibu dream home burned to the ground in the January wildfires. Linda Bernardi, a Los Angeles-based tech executive, is just one of many wealthy Californians fleeing the state Bernardi spent four years building her coastal dream home, however, on January 7, she watched her beloved home burn to the ground, sending her looking for residence outside the 'troubled' US. Pictured: Devastation from the Palisades Fire on beachfront homes in Malibu, California For Bernardi, whose husband is from Italian descent, the fire-fueled ruins were the final straw as she now seeks refuge abroad, likely in the picturesque country of Italy. Pictured: Statue in Saint Anthony Square and Saint Anthony of Padua Basilica, Padua, Veneto, Italy 'I absolutely knew I would never live in LA again,' the tech mogul who co-founded XdMind Inc., told the Los Angeles Times. In the time following the devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires, which scorched over 57,000 acres, the Golden State saw widespread relocation for its displaced residents. Some families diverted to staying in hotels or short-term properties, while others spread out across the 1,040-mile state seeking refuge. For Bernardi, whose husband is from Italian descent, the fire-ravished ruins were the final straw as she now seeks refuge abroad. While always a popular vacation spot, Italy has not historically been the first choice for expats, with only 15,000 Americans estimated to be living on the European peninsula. Having looked at the historic and well-known cities of Rome and Milan, Bernardi claims she's 'always loved Italy,' and she's readier than ever to move. 'We've always loved Italy and were planning to move at some point, but the impetus has grown feverishly now. We're ready to go,' she said. Bernardi added that her growing desire to move overseas was also fueled by the 'underperforming city' as it struggled to battle the ruinous fires earlier this year. 'There was a fire hydrant in front of our house that I later found out wasn't even operable,' she said. 'It begs the question of where our tax dollars are going.' The cost of living in California, Los Angeles in particular, have soared in the last few years with home prices in the City of Angels averaging $953,514, according to Zillow. While always a hot vacation spot, Italy has not historically been as popular for expats with only 15,000 Americans estimated to be living on the European peninsula. Pictured: Former lifeguard Marco Fois dives off the Ponte Cavour into the River Tiber as part of traditional New Year celebrations in Rome, Italy Attorney Marco Permunian said now more than ever, Americans, especially Southern Californians, are seeking the rustic bustle of Europe. Pictured: Tourists take selfies in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy The Association of American Residents Overseas estimates there are more than five million US citizens living abroad. Mexico and Canada are the two most popular destinations for American expats, with each hosting more than a million Americans as full-time residents. The association, along with immigration companies from both countries, said that there is always an uptick during election years - but this year, demand has been unusually high. Joe Cronin, president of International Citizens Insurance, said over the last four months, he received 758 inquiries from Californians looking to move abroad, a 25 percent increase from last year. Cronin said the top 10 destinations include Mexico and Canada, along with other, more opulent destinations including Spain, Thailand, France, the Philippines, Portugal and Italy. Shocking footage captured the disturbing moment a 'Karen' spit on another parent over a seating dispute at a Florida kindergarten graduation. Police were called to the incident at Meadow Woods Elementary School in Orlando earlier this month, reported The Root. Viral video from the altercation appeared to start in the middle of the dispute with a woman telling a man there was a seat available on the bench for him. After the man sat down, the pink pant clad woman told him, 'We're all sitting, it's all right.' But he replied to her complaining that there is not enough space and then seemingly knocked the woman's phone from her hand. The footage picked back up with the man's blonde wife trying to hit the woman while she held her kid in her other arm. 'Oh my god! No, I'm not moving,' the woman told the angry couple. The blonde woman immediately escalated the situation and threatened the other woman with violence before spitting on her, the video shows. Shocking footage captured the disturbing moment a 'Karen' spit on another parent over a seating dispute at a Florida kindergarten graduation Police were called to the incident at Meadow Woods Elementary School in Orlando earlier this month 'I will f*****g kill you,' she said before trying to hit her again while her husband tried to make her sit down. Then she reached across her husband and spat on the other woman. 'She just spit in my face, oh my god,' the woman said as others flocked over to intervene. 'Because I was sitting here and she came here,' the man tried to tell school officials while he repeatedly asked to woman to move. Orange County Sheriffs deputies were called to the school and the video jumped to the woman flipping over the camera while she talked to police. 'So are you saying it's okay if I go to the first row and just sit,' the blonde woman said to police. 'That's what she did.' The deputy told the couple she will speak to the other woman while telling them, 'This is not the time or the place, you all are at your kids graduation.' None of the people involved have been publicly identified and it is unknown if an arrest was made. DailyMail.com contacted the Orange County Sheriffs Office and Meadow Woods Elementary School for more information. Viral video from the altercation appeared to start in the middle of the dispute with a woman telling a man there was a seat available on the bench for him The blonde woman spit on the other woman then school officials flocked over to intervene Social media users defended the woman who recorded the altercation, with some calling for the police to press charges against the couple. 'That was assault. White woman spits on and threatens to kill a black woman over bench seating at a graduation,' one person said. 'Why can't these people assimilate into civilized society. Why is this subhuman behavior continuously coddled?' Another added, 'Somebody needs to teach this lowlife some manners.' 'She should be locked up and prosecuted,' a third person said. Workers who engage in banter group chats with colleagues are not able to use privacy as an argument to avoid being disciplined by bosses, a Scottish employment tribunal ruled. Inappropriate and offensive content posted to such an ostensibly private Whatsapp group has a direct impact on the working environment and can be screenshotted and disseminated by other members, a panel said. A leak of such material gives rise to severe reputational risk for an employer and as a result being involved can be regarded as misconduct, it said. The ruling came in the case of a tree surveyor working for a power company who was sacked after sharing a series of obviously inappropriate videos, images, memes and comments during work hours on a WhatsApp group titled Banter. Terry Donaldson and other colleagues at Southern Electric Power Distribution, part of the Scotland-based SSE group, were fired for their involvement in the group, the tribunal in Glasgow was told. He sued for unfair dismissal claiming the investigation into his behaviour had been unfair. However, his case was dismissed. The tribunal heard that Mr Donaldson began working for Southern Electric in May 2021 as a tree cutter surveyor. During his training he had sessions on inclusion and diversity that included detail on discrimination legislation and agreed to the companys social media policy to use due care and attention when using social media platforms. Inappropriate and offensive content posted to such an ostensibly private WhatsApp group has a direct impact on the working environment and can be screenshotted and disseminated by other members, a panel said (file image) Terry Donaldson and other colleagues at Southern Electric Power Distribution, part of the Scotland-based SSE group, were fired for their involvement in the group, the tribunal in Glasgow (pictured) was told In June 2023 Mr Donaldson made a complaint about a co-worker exhibiting bullying behaviour and during that inquiry the issue of inappropriate WhatsApp messages was raised. An investigation found two chats, one titled Work Stuff Only and one titled Banter - the icon for which was a photo of a naked bottom - but both were used for sharing work information. The tribunal heard that in the Banter chat, Mr Donaldson had shared a video of scantily clad women on an elephant, porn videos and other inappropriate material. In the Work Stuff Only group he used foul language and made rape jokes, the hearing was told. Mr Donaldson also made a number of comments in that chat which showed that he knew the comments were unacceptable including we dont use that language on the work chat and no more on this group banter group with a series of embarrassed emojis. Following the investigation Mr Donaldson was invited to a disciplinary hearing in January 2024 for sending and receiving inappropriate WhatsApp messages and failing to challenge inappropriate behaviours in the team. At the hearing the next month he accepted responsibility for the messages but said they were banter and that he did not realise the posts, using his personal phone, were against the rules. A few weeks later Mr Donaldson was dismissed for gross misconduct and a letter stated that the messages were discriminatory, offensive and pornographic, that the messages were sent during work hours, and interspersed with work-related messages. Following the investigation Mr Donaldson was invited to a disciplinary hearing in January 2024 for sending and receiving inappropriate WhatsApp messages (file image) Dismissing his case, the tribunal concluded that the investigation into Mr Donaldson and his colleagues was fair and the messages were obviously inappropriate. Employment Judge David Hoey added that both chats had a direct impact on the working environment and the Banter group was not just limited to Mr Donaldsons closest work friends. He said: The material in question was so obviously material that would be reasonably regarded as inappropriate and inconsistent with [Southern Electrics] approach... It was clear that the Banter Group was not limited to a few of [his] closest work friends. It was accepted new team members were added to it as a matter of course, and that what tied members together was their employment with [Southern Electric]. There was no way of knowing whether or not such individuals were happy with the material being sent. There was clear crossover between the two groups, with an evident nexus to work and a direct impact on the working environment. [Mr Donaldson] accepted that even although the WhatsApp groups were ostensibly private, there was nothing stopping people from screenshotting the content and disseminating the information elsewhere or if a person changed their mind as to the acceptability of such communications. There was also a clear risk of such content being leaked externally...which gave rise to severe reputational risk. The Tribunal accepted [the companys] assertion that as such, [Mr Donaldsons] comments in both groups fell squarely within [their] remit, entitling the respondent to regard it as misconduct. Australia's youngest-ever murderer, who stabbed a toddler through the heart, has attempted to strike a deal with a judge over the rules and regulations of his release. SLD, who was granted lifetime anonymity following his violent crime in 2001, has demanded access to social media so he can meet unsuspecting women for sex. The violent killer was just 13 when he crept into his neighbour's house in Point Clare on the NSW Central Coast and found toddler Courtney Morley-Clarke sleeping in her bed. SLD later boasted about his crime, admitting he chose her home because he wanted to steal her brother's computer games. After serving his 20-year sentence he was briefly released in 2023 before being thrown back in jail for breaching conditions imposed to keep the public safe. He was then due to walk free in December last year, but grave concerns over threats to kill again and his violent behaviour behind bars made Justice Mark Ierace order two independent psychiatric evaluations. Justice Ierace will now decide to either impose a continuing detention order, which would keep SLD behind bars for another 12 months, or grant an extended supervision order, which would see him walk free. The NSW Supreme Court heard when SLD was last released he had become fixated on losing his virginity and approached 'a fairly significant number of women' in public hoping to convince them to go on a date with him. Courtney-Morley-Clarke was just 3-years-old when she was murdered by her 13-year-old neighbour Murderer SLD, who later boasted about the murder, is due for release But on Tuesday, SLD's treating psychologist told the court that the violent murderer had offered his own solutions to safeguard the community. Dr Richard Parker, who has been working with SLD for a number of years, said the killer wanted to negotiate access to Facebook when released so he could approach women online instead of in person. Dr Parker also addressed the concern that, during his brief release, SLD had struck up conversations with mothers of young children at Bulli Beach in Wollongong. He told the court that SLD was purposefully immersing himself in situations with minors to prove a point. 'There was an element of him trying to prove to everyone he is not sexually attracted to children,' Dr Parker said. 'It might not make any sense to us but his logic is, "If I go up to all these children then I will prove to people I am not sexually attracted to children". 'It's almost akin to the alcoholic that goes into the bar and sits there drinking orange juice for three hours to prove he doesn't need a drink.' SLD had been adopted as a four year old by a Point Clare family, but his murder trial heard he remained 'disturbed' despite his new home. Aged 13 years and 10 months, he snatched Courtney in the middle of the night and stabbed her through the heart before leaving her body in long grass 300m from her home. Justice Mark Ierace (left) now has the option of imposing the continuing detention order, which would see SLD remain behind bars for another 12 months, or alternatively, granting an extended supervision order. Dr Richard Parker (right) told the court that SDL was purposefully immersing himself in situations with minors to prove a point Aged 13 years and 10 months, SLD snatched Courtney in the middle of the night and stabbed her through the heart before leaving her body in long grass 300m from her home (pictured) SLD tried to access the internet and dating sites (stock image) He became a suspect when it was noticed that SLD had gone missing on the morning the three-year-old vanished. He initially lied about the crime, leading police on a wild goose chase, before later admitting he had killed her. Psychiatric assessments of the teen determined he'd never become a functioning social adult. He was sentenced to 20 years behind bars in August 2002 but was first released in September 2023. Just weeks later, he was re-arrested for breaching the terms of his release when he spoke to three women with children. On October 25, SLD went to Bulli Beach near Wollongong with a supervisor and was spotted by an off-duty prison officer who noticed his electronic monitoring anklet. The officer witnessed SLD approach a woman with a young girl, and then approached another mother washing an infant at the beach showers. Both women picked up their children and walked away from SLD. SLD breached his parole by approaching mothers with children at Bulli Beach (pictured) near Wollongong He then entered the Bulli Beach Cafe and struck up a conversation with a woman feeding an infant. He allegedly said to the woman: 'I just got out of jail. Do you come here often?', followed by: 'I've only been here twice.' Police came and arrested SLD, who told Wollongong Local Court the next day the encounters were 'incidental'. SLD was found guilty of one count of failing to comply with an extended supervision order which barred him from having contact with children. He had also tried to access the internet, dating sites and encrypted chat apps. Authorities believe SLD is a high risk of re-offending because of his obsession with starting a sexual relationship after being locked up behind bars for more than 20 years During this week's hearing psychiatrists noted the killer, who is also fixated with getting revenge for perceived wrongs, could act violently if he felt he was unfairly treated. However they also agree that keeping him incarcerated would be detrimental to his mental health and ability to assimilate into the community at a later date. An American influencer has been slammed after she was filmed grabbing a wild baby wombat and temporarily separating it from its distressed mother. Outdoor enthusiast and hunter Samantha Jo Strable shared the since-deleted video to her Instagram account on Tuesday. Ms Strable, who describes herself as a 'wildlife biologist and environmental scientist', captured the juvenile wombat from the side of an unidentified road. The footage showed Ms Strable running towards her car with the joey swinging in her arms. Its mother was seen desperately chasing Ms Strable while an Australian man laughed as he filmed the scene. 'I caught a baby wombat,' Ms Strable said as the joey shrieked and wiggled trying to free itself from her grasp. 'Okay, mum is right there and she is pissed. 'Let's let him go.' American hunting influencer Sam Strable grabbed a wild baby wombat from its mother on an unidentified road in Australia (pictured) Sam Hunter is an American hunting influencer with almost 100,000 followers on Instagram The man replied: 'Nah, he's all right.' Seconds later, Ms Strable released the joey onto the side of the road where its mother was waiting. The Instagram post received a barrage of backlash, with social media users reporting the video under 'animal abuse'. Ms Strable initially defended her actions, claiming she did not harm the joey and only held it for one minute. 'For everyone that's worried and unhappy, the baby was carefully held for ONE minute in total and then released back to mum,' she wrote. 'They wandered back off into the bush together completely unharmed. I didn't think I would be able to catch it in the first place, and took an opportunity to appreciate a really incredible animal up close. 'I don't ever capture wildlife that will be harmed by my doing so.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Strable for comment. Ms Strable initially defended her actions claiming she only held the joey for a minute before deleting the video after she received a barrage of negative backlash (stock image) Outraged Aussies continued to flood her social media platforms with negative comments, prompting Ms Strable to switch her accounts to private. Despite Ms Strable's attempt to remove the video from social media, other users preserved and shared it on both Reddit and TikTok. 'As a wildlife rescuer specialising in wombats I can tell you... that this is an absolutely terrifying experience for mum and joey,' one person commented. 'It's not just the entitlement, it's the disrespect. To greedily exploit the moment for personal gain no matter the trauma it causes to anything and anyone else, it's such an indictment on her character. Absolutely shameful,' a second person wrote. 'Revolting, both her and the bloke with her. How the f**k they think that mum trying to get bubs back, and that baby screeching in terror, is funny and OK is absolutely beyond me. Soulless, gutless, heartless stuff,' a third chimed in. Other social media users called for her to be reported to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and deported back to the US and her home state of Montana. 'This is heinous and they should both be charged,' one person wrote. 'Please report her to Australian Department of Home Affairs so they can ban her from ever stepping foot in Australia again,' a second person commented. A third added: 'Hope she gets the maximum punishment for f***ing with wildlife', while a fourth chimed in: 'Arrest. Fine. Deport. Ban.' Ms Strable's online presence is largely populated with images of her posing with animal carcasses she claims to have hunted. Former Australian cricket great Brett Lee's beer company has collapsed just months after expanding into the US market. Sydney Beer Co collapsed due to a difficult trading environment, according to documents filed to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). The company had been exporting beer to Malaysia and the United States for six months after it raised more than $6million to fund the expansion. RSM Australian partners Brett Lord and Richard Stone have appointed as administrators of the business and will meet with creditors on March 19. Mr Lee, who was one of Australia's most intimidating fast bowlers with 310 test wickets from 76 matches, co-owned the beer company with film actor and TV writer Matt Nable. The beer is stocked in independent bottle stores as well as Dan Murphy's, BWS and other major alcohol retailers. Brett Lee co-owned the Sydney Beer Co, established in 2016, with writer and actor Matt Nable 'We've been fuelled by a belief that our iconic city deserved a locally owned premium lager as an alternative to the mainstream Asian and European brands that dominate the market,' the company's website read. 'With a dynamic team behind the scenes and high profile owners and stakeholders, Sydney Beer Co has brought a product to market that is loved by all.' The company was established in 2016, and was directed by Dean Woodbridge and David Catterall, according to ASIC documents. The business' failure came among plummeting beer sales due to historically very high prices and the cost-of-living crisis. Much of the increased cost of beer is government tax - the Brewers Association of Australia says around $20 of the price of a slab or carton of beer is tax. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last month announced the government would freeze increases to the excise on draught beer for the next two years. However that measure will not reduce the already high prices on tap beer, and the excise will continue to climb for bottled beer. 'Freezing the excise on draught beer is a commonsense measure that is good for beer drinkers, good for brewers and good for pubs,' Mr Albanese said The company cited a difficult trading environment in documents submitted to ASIC when it was placed under administration on Friday Cost-of-living pressures in general have stripped many Australians of disposable income and has had a devastating impact on the hospitality industry. Younger drinkers are also turning to alternative to beer, including pre-mixed drinks, lower-carb options, seltzers and alcoholic soft drinks. Forty-eight per cent of young women in Australia aged 18 to 24 preferred drinking pre-mixed spirits, followed by 26 per cent who preferred drinking bottled spirits and liqueurs, according to a Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report release last year. Young men of the same age bracket, however, still predominately prefer drinking full-strength beer, followed by pre-mixed spirits. Donald Trump is giving the the former modeling agent who discovered his first lady in the 1990s a job in his administration. Paolo Zampolli and Trump have a long and fruitful relationship dating back 30 years when the Milan native worked as Director of International Development for the Trump Organization. 'I am pleased to announce that I am appointing Paolo Zampolli as Special Envoy for Global Partnerships,' Trump said. Trump said that Zampolli - who previously served on the President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition - will wear many hats in the gig. 'With his extensive experience working with the United Nations, the Kennedy Center, and various International initiatives, Paolo will help us advance America's Interests on the Global stage. Congratulations Paolo!' Zampolli has served as a Member of the Board of Trustees to the Kennedy Center since 2020, appointed by Trump. In 1998, he introduced Trump to Melania - who he secured the H1B Visa for - at a party at New York City's famous Kit Kat Club. Donald Trump is giving the Paolo Zampolli - the man who discovered his First Lady as a modeling agent in the 1990s - a job in his administration In 1998, Zampolli introduced Trump to Melania - who he secured the H1B Visa for - at a party at New York City's famous Kit Kat Club Zampolli was in attendance at their wedding and remained close to the First Couple through the years. When Trump initially won in 2016, Zampolli threw a post inauguration bash tomorrow night to celebrate Melania's ascent to first lady. He also had to defend the first lady after the details of Mrs. Trump's early paid modeling work in the US emerged in the final days of the bitter 2016 presidential campaign. Zampolli said he recruited Melania to come to the US as a model, and said he did not recall Mrs. Trump working without legal permission. He said that while he was a partner at modeling agency Metropolitan Models, he secured a work visa for Mrs. Trump, who in the mid-1990s was named Melania Knauss. 'I know she was not working a paid job before she got the H-1B,' Zampolli said, referring to the type of work visa that US companies can obtain for 'fashion models of distinguished merit and ability.' H-1B visas generally allow a person to work and live in the US for three years with the opportunity to renew the visas for another three years. Zampolli said he based the H-1B application on Mrs. Trump's previous modeling work in Paris and Milan. Zampolli and Trump have a long and fruitful relationship dating back 30 years, when the Milan native worked as Director of International Development for the Trump Organization When Trump initially won in 2016, Zampolli threw a post inauguration bash tomorrow night to celebrate Melania's ascent to first lady 'We used whatever she did before to get her a visa,' he said. 'She had enough tear sheets to qualify.' Trump also announced several other appointments on Tuesday. He said that the Mayor of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Bill Bazzi, will become Ambassador to Tunisia. Trump then announced that Dr. Anji Sinha will be the United States' Ambassador to Singapore. Earlier in the day, he confirmed that Michael George DeSombre will be the US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific. AFL mega-WAG Bec Judd has scolded former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews who she says could've saved lives if he fixed Melbourne's crime scourge while in power. Judd called Andrews 'the Dictator' in a social media post to her 750,000-plus Instagram followers after current premier Jacinta Allan announced on Wednesday the government would implement harsher bail laws. The mother-of-four, who is married to former Carlton and West Coast superstar Chris Judd, has been a flag-bearer for fighting Victoria's spiralling crime crisis and weak bail laws for several years. 'Gee, this aged well,' Judd posted on Instagram with an accompanying image of a 2022 story in which she warned Melbourne has a crime crisis. 'Imagine the lives that could've been saved. Imagine the terror experienced by so many Victorians that could've been stopped if the Dictator had acted when I called this out. 'Today Jacinta Allan has announced the toughest bail laws in the country. Yes it is too late for so many but it is a start. And mark my words, if the government stuffs this up again, I will continue to let everyone know about it. 'I am a mum and proud Victorian who just wants my beloved Melbourne to go back to being the best city in the world where everybody feels safe to live their lives peacefully.' Judd, a successful businesswoman, TV presenter and top tier social media influencer, also proclaimed 'power to the people'. AFL wag Bec Judd has taken a scathing swipe at former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews who she says did nothing to curb Melbourne's crime crisis Judd's Instagram post with an accompanying image of a 2022 story in which she warned Melbourne has a crime crisis Judd has long advocated for stronger bail laws and harsher penalties in Victoria Her Instagram post was in response to harsh new bail laws which will see children and adults suspected of serious crimes including home invasion and carjackings kept behind bars. Premier Allan announced a raft of changes after it became apparent crime was rampant in the city especially amongst youth offenders who are repeatedly set free from remand almost immediately after being charged with a serious crime. Judd, who lives in Brighton in Melbourne's bayside suburbs, last week posted fresh cries for help after two suspects allegedly armed with machetes were recorded entering properties at Black Rock and Kew. 'The size of the machete. 5am this morning. @jacintaallanmp Victorians are DESPERATE for you to do something about this,' Judd wrote. In a second post Judd raised the incident at Kew in Melbourne's east. 'And this one also this morning in Kew,' Judd wrote. 'Victoria is under attack and our leaders are doing nothing.' As part of the sweeping reforms, machetes will be banned, committing an indictable offence on bail will again be classified a crime and 'community safety' will be made a 'priority'. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews addresses the media during a press conference in Melbourne, 2021 Judd, who lives in Brighton in Melbourne's bayside suburbs, last week posted fresh cries for help after two suspects allegedly armed with machetes were recorded entering properties at Black Rock and Kew 'Our tough bail laws will jolt the system, putting community safety above all, creating the toughest bail laws ever, and ensuring bail rules are respected,' Ms Allan said. 'Respect for the rules, which is why the consequences for breaking the rules whilst on bail is a key plank in the reforms that we are introducing here today,' Ms Allan said. 'There will be consequences if you offend whilst on bail. These laws are targeted squarely at this repeat offending. 'Theyre also tough new bail laws that have its primary focus on keeping Victorians safe. 'It is absolutely clear to me and the Victorian community the current laws are not just not meeting community expectation, they are not dealing with this repeat pattern of offending we are seeing across our community.' The premier had earlier detailed the reforms while speaking on The Foxs Fifi, Fev and Nick on morning show on Wednesday. 'We are putting community safety first and foremost,' Ms Allan told The Fox. 'We are reversing the change where remand or bail was seen as a last resort for youth offending. 'Were bringing in tougher tests aggravated home invasions and car jackings the tests havent been tough enough.' Victoria's youth crime epidemic hit 23,810 incidents in 2023-2024 - the highest it has been since 2009 and a jump of almost 17 percent on the previous 12 months. And many of the home invasions, aggravated burglaries, car thefts, assaults, brawls and knife attacks which happen daily occur in Melbourne. Premier Jacinta Allan announced on Wednesday the government would implement harsher bail laws A terrifying image of a residential home-invader was reposted by Judd Among recent incidents were five teens including a 13-year-old boy who were arrested and charged after an alleged carjacking and multiple burglaries in Melbourne's east on February 11. Police spotted a Range Rover Discovery which had allegedly been stolen from Elwood three days earlier. The teens allegedly stole cigarettes from a service station and then ditched the Range Rover about 11.15pm before carjacking a Ford Focus after using a knife to threaten the driver. The boys were all charged with aggravated carjacking, aggravated burglary, theft and aggravated burglary. Forensic psychologist Tim Watson-Munro told the Daily Mail Australia last week he wanted tougher bail laws in Victoria which are currently 'just a joke'. 'Zooming down the Monash doing 150km/h and they're arrested, bailed and back before court the next day for the same offending,' Dr Watson-Munro said. 'Police arrest them and the offenders laugh at them, they say 'we'll be back out tomorrow'; it's an arrogance, it's lack of respect. 'People are very worried about aggravated burglaries, parents worry about their own children out at all hours where they can get bashed and stabbed, these crimes even happen in broad daylight.' Youths allegedly rob a Melbourne service station The rampant crime in Melbourne, once regarded as Australia's most liveable city, has taken over news broadcasts are now filled with reports of carjackings, fire bombings and random knife attacks. But in a sad twist, these horror stories are buried deep within the nightly news broadcasts - a side piece in a city that has become accustomed to rampant, mindless violence. In the background, angry Melburnians hit social media to vent about the state's crime wave. They talk about it at the pub and with mates over a barbeque in what they hope is the safety of their own homes. Fitzroy North local Robert Morton summed it up best. 'Victoria may be the education state but you can't out smart a knife, or a bullet,' he said. Police are investigating reports of a street altercation between two prominent Byron Bay businessmen outside a landmark hotel on NSW's far north coast. The alleged dispute pitted 57-year-old regional media mogul Antony 'The Cat' Catalano against 68-year-old local jeweller-to-the stars Giovanni D'Ercole. Mr Catalano is executive chairman and co-owner of Australian Community Media as well has having property interests including Byron Bay's famous Raes Hotel. Mr D'Ercole is the founder of luxury jewellery brand Love & Hatred and has created custom pieces for rock stars such as Alice Cooper, Chrissy Amphlett and Michael Hutchence. Mr Catalano is trying to build a $55million home amid rainforest up the road from Raes, just off Wategos Beach, but his plans have been rejected by Bryon Shire Council. In 2017, Mr D'Ercole paid $4.3million for a two-bedroom house with ocean views on on 833sqm of land next to Mr Catalano's block. Mr Catalano's proposed development features two houses which he intends to be a family home for him, his wife Stefanie and some of their nine children. According to the Australian Financial Review, Mr Catalano was sitting at the coffee cart outside Raes about 7.45am on February 26 when he was approached by Mr D'Ercole. Police are investigating reports of a street altercation between regional media mogul Antony Catalano and Byron Bay jeweller Giovanni D'Ercole outside Mr Catalano's Raes Hotel. Mr Catalano is pictured with wife Stefanie Giovanna Mr D'Ercole (above) is the founder of luxury jewellery brand Love & Hatred and has created pieces for rock stars such as Alice Cooper, Chrissy Amphlett and Michael Hutchence NSW Police confirmed they were called to the Marine Parade business after reports of a disturbance. 'Police have been told an altercation took place with members of the public intervening to separate the men with [Mr D'Ercole] leaving the scene,' a spokeswoman said. Officers from the Tweed/Byron Bay district spoke to Mr Catalano at the hotel and later interviewed Mr D'Ercole at Byron Bay police station. 'Inquiries are ongoing by police,' the spokeswoman said. Mr D'Ercole did not wish to discuss what had occurred between the two men when contacted by Daily Mail Australia. 'I don't really want to comment,' he said. 'I will get back to you.' Mr D'Ercole did say he believed CCTV footage of the incident taken from a property not owned by Mr Catalano had been circulating around Byron Bay. Mr Catalano's development plans would make his proposed home the most expensive on the north coast. According to police, Mr Catalano was sitting at the coffee cart outside Raes (above) about 7.45am on February 26 when he was approached by Mr D'Ercole The two houses would sit on a 4,230sqm site which was once a banana plantation and was transferred in 2006 to the Bundjalung of Byron Bay Aboriginal Corporation. The land was then sold to a developer for $12.65million in 2020 and later bought by Mr Catalano for $24.74million. Mr Catalano's plans include a main house spread across four levels with an underground six-car garage, cellar, gymnasium and music room with a sound booth. On the upper levels would be six bedrooms, a library, rooftop spa, dining room to seat 22 people and two swimming pools. A second, three-level house at the back of the block would have its own swimming pool. Construction construction costs have been estimated at $28.8million, leaving the total bill from land purchase to completion likely to top $55million. In rejecting Mr Catalano's application Byron Shire Council found the development was 'not sympathetic to the environmental constraints of the land'. The council also found the proposed structures did not comply with planning controls and were unsuitable for the block because of the 'bulk scale'. Mr Catalano, pictured with wife Stefanie, is trying to build a $55million home amid rainforest just up the road from Raes but his plans have been rejected by Bryon Shire Council While construction would mean clearing rainforest, Mr Catalano had submitted revised plans which involved replanting 9,909 trees but that was also rejected. Mr Catalano has appealed the shire's decision in a case before the Land and Environment Court. Nine Newspapers reported in September last year that Bryon Bay Council had received 135 objections to the application from 151 submissions. The objections cited the project's size, the earthworks required and other concerns about traffic and stormwater. Among those to support the project were neighbours including art collector Steve Nasteski and F45 gym founder Adam Gilchrist as well as former JB Hi-Fi CEO Richard Uechtritz. Mr Catalano resigned as chief executive of the Domain real estate classifieds group in 2018 and bought Australian Community Media with billionaire investor Alex Waislitz the following year. ACM's titles include the Newcastle Herald, Illawarra Mercury, Canberra Times and The Examiner in Launceston. Mr Catalano was contacted for comment. A House hearing was abruptly halted when an ugly war of words erupted after transgender Delaware Rep. Sarah McBride was referred to as 'mister'. McBride is the first transgender member of Congress, winning Delaware's at-large seat in November. Her election win prompted fierce backlash from Republican members of congress who successfully launched a bid to block McBride from using the women's restrooms at the Capitol. Texas Republican Rep. Keith Self kicked off the House foreign affairs subcommittee meeting on Tuesday by referring to McBride with the wrong gender. 'I now recognize the representative from Delaware: Mr. McBride,' Self said. McBride quickly quipped in the same manner, 'Thank you, Madame Chair.' However, before she could continue, Massachusetts Rep. Bill Keating interrupted to get Self to correct himself. 'Mr. Chairman, could you repeat your introduction again, please?' he said. A House Subcommittee meeting was abruptly adjourned after a congressman referred to transgender Delaware Rep. Sarah McBride as 'mister' McBride (center) is the first transgender member of Congress, winning Delaware's at-large seat in November Self immediately went on the defense, claiming he was following 'the standard on the floor of the House.' 'What is that standard Mr. Chairman,' Keating said. 'Would you repeat what you just said when you introduced a duly elected representative from the United States of America please.' 'I will,' Self doubled down. 'The representative from Delaware: Mr. McBride.' Keating became irate, calling Self 'out of order' and asking him, 'Have you no decency?' 'I've come to know you a little bit, but this is not decent,' the Massachusetts congressman said. Self tried to move the hearing along, but Keating doubled down he would not participate unless McBride was correctly introduced. 'You will not continue with me unless you introduce a duly elected representative the right way,' Keating said. Self then adjourned the hearing and the members dispersed. Texas Republican Rep. Keith Self (pictured) kicked off the House foreign affairs subcommittee meeting Tuesday by referring to McBride with the wrong gender Massachusetts Rep. Bill Keating interrupted to correct Self, which led to the heated argument that ended the hearing Her election win prompted fierce backlash from Republican members of congress who successfully launched a bid to block McBride from using the women's restrooms at the Capitol McBride told ABC News she was 'disappointed' by the decision to end the hearing early. 'I was prepared to move forward with my questions for the subcommittee on nuclear nonproliferation and US support for Democratic allies in Europe,' she said. In February, Illinois Republican Rep. Mary Miller said she 'refused to deny biological reality' by addressing McBride as 'the gentleman from Delaware' on the floor of the House. Miller gave the introduction as McBride was set to give her first speech on the House floor. 'The chair recognizes the gentleman from Delaware, Mr. McBride, for five minutes,' Miller said. McBride made no retort to Miller's words, merely saying 'thank you, Madam Speaker' and going on with her prepared remarks. A fellow Democrat, Nanette Barragan of California, did attempt to deliver some form of retribution later on. Barragan was next to talk on the floor after McBride and when Miller yielded, she said: 'Thank you, Mr. Speaker.' Ten people including three brothers have been found guilty of the murder of a teenager who was stabbed to death in a 'planned' attack between two African groups in a public park. A total of 12 defendants faced Queensland Supreme Court in Brisbane on Wednesday for their verdicts, each charged with murdering Girum Mekonnen. Friends said 19-year-old Mr Mekonnen was simply 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' when he was killed at O'Callaghan Park in Zillmere, in northern Brisbane, on September 13, 2020. The court was told the attack was retaliation for the bashing of John Wal Wal at an Ipswich shopping centre five days before Mr Mekonnen was stabbed. John Wal Wal is the brother of four of the defendants: Kresto, Gabreal and Yohana Wal Wal and Santo Wal. Kresto Wal Wal, 29, Gabreal Wal Wal, 31, and Santo Wal, 36 were each found guilty of murder. They were also found guilty of nine of 10 other charges including causing grievous bodily harm with intent, unlawful wounding with bats, knives and machetes and assault causing bodily harm against 10 victims. Eleven people were treated in hospital as a result of the attack. Girum Mekonnen (pictured) was stabbed to death near Zillmere park in Brisbane's north A police officer gathers crime scene tape near a small memorial where flowers were laid at the site of the fatal stabbing Majok Riel Majok, 23, Alex Edward Deng, 22, Chan Kuchmol Kon, 28, Joseph Lokolong, 28, Abraham Ajang Yaak, 30, Ben Abio, 23, Juma Makuol Deng Makuol, 28, were also found guilty of murder. '(Mr Mekonnen) suffered a wound to his abdomen that severed the most significant vein in the human body... somebody had put a bladed weapon to the most vulnerable part of the body and pushed it in 25 centimetres,' prosecutor Nathan Crane said. Mr Crane said Mr Mekonnen had been part of a group of people drinking alcohol and playing cards at the park when the defendants formed a 'cordon' around the area where they were sitting. 'They arrived. They produced weapons. They immediately started using the weapons,' he said. Yohana Wal Wal was found not guilty of murder and not guilty of 10 other charges related to assaults and wounding. Malat Akoi Makuach, 25, was also found not guilty of murder and 10 other charges. Each defendant said 'no' when Justice Lincoln Crowley asked if they had anything to say before being sentenced. Justice Crowley said the defendants will be sentenced on March 31. The front of Zillmere PCYC (pictured) was declared a crime scene after the fatal brawl A red car (pictured) believed to be connected to the brawl was towed away from the scene Queensland African Community Council president Beny Bol said after the deadly attack that young people within the community were struggling to connect with their families and were becoming increasingly disillusioned. Relatives of Mr Mekonnen said his group called themselves '34' - referring to Zillmere's 4034 postcode - but were not a gang, and just a bunch of friends who had barbecues together. They believed Mr Mekonnen's death was 'collateral damage' in a feud with others. 'Those boys are always around my kids so they're not a gang. Girum liked their vibe and started hanging out with them recently and got caught up in this stuff,' a friend said at the time. 'He's a soft-hearted person that doesn't like fighting, he doesn't like when people are arguing.' A surfer mauled to death by a shark in front of his girlfriend is being remembered as an 'incredible person,' as authorities called off the search his body. Steven Payne, 37, from New Zealand, was just weeks into a six-month trip around Australia with his girlfriend and their dog when they stopped for a surf at Wharton Beach on Western Australia's south coast on Monday. Mr Payne was surfing in chest-deep water 50 metres from shore at the time of the attack. Shocked onlookers, including his partner, were powerless to help him as his screams rang out. The rescue operation soon became a recovery mission after a member of the public shared drone footage of Mr Payne being attacked by the shark with police. His surfboard was found nearby with bite marks, but authorities were unable to find his body after three days of searching. The board will be tested in a bid to determine the species of shark that attacked him. In an emotional statement on Wednesday, Mr Payne's family remembered him as a 'beloved partner, son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend'. The family of Mr Payne (pictured with his dog, Poppy) shared an emotional statement on Wednesday as authorities called off the search for his body Mr Payne, 37, from New Zealand, was just weeks into a six-month trip around Australia with his girlfriend and their dog 'Steve was one of the best. A gentle giant, he was smart, kind, funny, laid back and very practical,' they wrote. 'While he wasn't a man of many words, he loved his partner deeply, cherished his family, thought the world of his best mates, and was devoted to his dog.' His family revealed Mr Payne and his partner had been together for 12 years and adopted their dog, Poppy, seven years ago. 'The three of them were five weeks into a six-month caravan trip around the western half of Australia. Just a week ago, Steve surfed one of the best waves of his life, sharing the wave with a dolphin. He was stoked,' they wrote. 'Steve would not support a shark cull or any attempt to kill the shark responsible. He and his partner spent a lot of time in the ocean together, had enjoyed many dives with sharks and knew the risks.' Mr Payne first picked up surfing while studying at the University of Otago in Dunedin, NZ. It was a passion he maintained after moving to Geelong, on Victoria's southern coast. 'Steve's partner, family and friends would like to thank the Esperance community and emergency services for their incredible support during this time, especially the Family Liaison Officer from Esperance Police Station,' the family said. Mr Payne grew up in Lower Hutt, near Wellington, and school friends recalled he was a talented rugby player 'He was an incredible person who was always there for his mates,' one friend said 'We are devastated to have lost Steve. 'We will be making no further comment and ask that we are given privacy to grieve.' Mr Payne worked in Melbourne as a sales and marketing director and a volunteer firefighter. He grew up in Lower Hutt, near Wellington, and school friends described him as a talented rugby player. One friend told 7 News that Mr Payne was a 'really good lad' who had only moved to Melbourne recently. 'He was an incredible person who was always there for his mates,' said another friend, who described the news as 'devastating'. It's understood that Mr Payne and his partner had previously lived in Namibia, South Africa. Authorities arrived at the remote beach at 12.10pm on Monday, before closing the beach to commence a search. Steven Payne was attacked by a shark at Wharton Beach on Monday. Pictured are police at the scene Western Australia Police Force Senior Sergeant Christopher Taylor said on Tuesday that Mr Payne was with several other surfers when he was attacked but there was 'nothing they could do, nothing'. The combination of witness accounts and the drone footage made it 'so obvious what happened,' he said. 'It (the drone footage)shows a lot of blood, the shark and some other things in there I don't particularly want to go into and I don't think anybody else needs to see other than maybe the coroner and some other experts who will determine the type of shark and size,' Senior Sergeant Taylor said. He added that Mr Payne's girlfriend was 'distraught'. 'Her life was turned upside down,' he said. 'You can imagine how she is, it's just horrible. 'It is heartbreaking obviously and the whole community of Esperance feels the pain - not as much as the family, they're distraught and trying to come to terms with what happened.' Mr Payne's family is believed to be on their way to WA. There are grave fears the surfer's body may never be found (pictured police at the scene) Witnesses described seeing a 'massive shark' launching itself at the surfer in the water. An unidentified species of shark was detected off the Wharton Beach shoreline within minutes of the attack on monitoring website SharkSmart. The same stretch of the Esperance coastline, a favourite haunt for snorkellers and surfers, has recorded three fatal shark attacks in eight years. In 2017, 17-year-old surfer Laeticia Brouwer died after being bitten by a white shark at nearby Kelp Beds. Andrew Sharpe, 52, was surfing with seven friends at Kelp Beds in 2020 when a shark bit his leg. He was soon pulled under by the shark before he could be rescued. Earlier that year, diver Gary Johnson was killed while diving with his wife off Devil Rocks, Esperance. Esperance Shire President Ron Chambers told ABC Radio Perth each new attack is another blow to the community. 'The community's been here before, they'll wrap around each other and make sure they take care of each other,' said Mr Chambers. 'We've got absolutely fantastic beaches, and we get a lot of people down here who visit them. 'It is really sad that something like this has happened on that particular beach.' Four people have been charged in connection to the death of a five-year-old boy who was killed when his hyperbaric chamber exploded. Thomas Cooper, five, died when the pressurized oxygen chamber he was inside at a Michigan medical facility burst into flames on January 31. His mother, Annie Cooper, suffered severe burns when she tried to rescue her son from the explosion at the Oxford Center. The state attorney general has charged four employees from the center in connection to Thomas' death, claiming they 'held safety among their lowest considerations.' The center's founder and chief executive, Tamela Peterson, 58, is charged with second-degree murder. Facility manager Gary Marken, 65, and safety manager Gary Mosteller, 64, are charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. The operator of the chamber when it exploded, Aleta Moffitt, 60, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and intentionally placing false medical information on a medical records chart. 'A single spark it appears ignited into a fully involved fire that claimed Thomas's life within seconds,' Attorney General Dana Nessel said, adding many safeguards have been developed since 'every such fire is almost certainly fatal.' Thomas Cooper (pictured), 5, died when the pressurized oxygen chamber he was inside at a Michigan medical facility burst into flames on January 31 The state attorney general has charged four employees from the center in connection to Thomas' death The family's attorney said the boy received multiple sessions for sleep apnea and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder Each was arrested Monday and handcuffed at their waists as they entered not guilty pleas Tuesday before Troy District Court Magistrate Elizabeth Chiappelli. Assistant Attorney General Chris Kessel said during Peterson's arraignment that there was concern Peterson could flee and that she has access 'to a considerable sum of money.' Peterson's lawyer Gerald Gleeson II had asked for a reasonable bond. Chiappelli set bond at $2 million for Peterson, $250,000 each for Marken and Mosteller, and $100,000 for Moffitt. NBC News reported the family's attorney said the boy received multiple sessions for sleep apnea and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. These conditions aren't among those approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for marketing of hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment a fact reiterated by Nessel, who described the boy's treatment as 'unsupported by medical science.' 'Because these treatments were so medically unsound, patient insurance policies would not cover the use of these chambers to treat these conditions,' Nessel said. 'This business was a pure cash-flow, for-profit business.' Both Marken's attorney, Raymond Cassar, and Moffitt's lawyer Ellen Michaels, said they were surprised by the high bonds set. The center's founder and chief executive, Tamela Peterson (pictured), 58, is charged with second-degree murder Oakland County Fire Department arrived minutes after the 911, but the boy was already dead. The fire was quickly put out and there was no damage to the rest of the facility Peterson (left) was seen outside the clinic talking to police as the building was closed for an investigation into Thomas' death 'The charge was second-degree murder but this is not the type of murder case that would require this type of bond,' Cassar later told reporters. Earlier, Cassar told The Associated Press the second-degree murder charge against Marken came as 'a total shock.' 'For fairness, he is presumed innocent,' Cassar said. 'This was a tragic accident and our thoughts and our prayers go out to the family of this little boy. I want to remind everyone that this was an accident, not an intentional act.' Michaels also extended prayers and sympathy to the boy's family, while asking for 'patience and fairness as this process unfolds.' The Oxford Center said shortly after the explosion that 'the safety and wellbeing of the children we serve is our highest priority.' 'Nothing like this has happened in our more than 15 years of providing this type of therapy. We do not know why or how this happened and will participate in all of the investigations that now need to take place,' its statement said. A nursing student has vented her fury about going to the doctor with tonsillitis, only for her concerns to be repeatedly dismissed. Holly recently posted a TikTok video to recall her visit to a Melbourne GP, describing the ordeal as 'I'd rather eat warm dog poop then go to a GP as a female.' Although she already knew she had tonsillitis, Holly claimed the doctor was rude and initially ignored her diagnosis. 'I go in there and I go, 'Hi, I think I've got tonsillitis, I have pus on my tonsils',' she recalled. He goes, 'Do you have any symptoms?' and I was like, 'Yeah, like my throat's hurting'. 'He goes, 'Okay, because people would usually say their symptoms first'. 'So, immediately I've annoyed him.' Holly brushed off the comment and proceeded with the consultation. Melbourne nursing student Holly vented her frustration she was repeatedly dismissed by her GP (stock image) However, the second red flag emerged moments later when the doctor asked to see the inflamed tonsil. 'I go, 'Yeah, it's just on the left side',' Holly recalled. 'He goes, 'I am a doctor and I will make my own assessment'. 'I'm just letting you know where the pain is. I'm not sure where the attitude's come from, maybe your little ego's hurt. 'I don't know why, maybe because I told you where to look. I'm just letting you know where it's hurting.' The final straw came when Holly was given a prescription for antibiotics. 'He gave me a script for five tablets - five antibiotics. What the f*** is five freaking tablets gonna do? Nothing!' she said. 'I hate going to the GP. That was so rude, like rude for what? What did I do to offend you seriously? Holly (pictured) claimed she presented to the doctor with tonsillitis, but he dismissed her diagnosis 'Like, okay, sorry I'm a woman.' The clip has since attracted almost 700,000 views. Many viewers shared their own horror experiences of doctors dismissing their concerns. 'I went to the GP for laryngitis. The doctor told me I had tonsillitis. I said that can't be right. He said, 'I know what I'm talking about I'm the doctor'. I said, 'Well doctor, I had my tonsils removed two years ago',' one wrote. Another added: 'I told the doctor I had blood in my catheter bag and he asked me if I was sure it wasn't my period. A third commented: 'When I had tonsillitis they asked me if there's a chance I would be pregnant and encouraged me to do a pregnancy test. How is that even related?' A fourth wrote: 'Once I went into see a male doctor because I had a UTI. He sold me I had hayfever. A brazen thief has been captured red-handed on CCTV stealing groceries from a front doorstep in broad daylight. Adelaide mum Eliza Bolton was busy at home attending to her baby on Tuesday afternoon, when her $170 Woolworths order delivered moments earlier was taken by the man. She has since shared the CCTV to a community Facebook page in the hope of tracking down the thief. The footage showed the unidentified man casually walking up to Ms Bolton's door and taking the Woolworths bags without even checking the contents. Dressed in a white T-shirt, shorts and a bucket hat, the man placed the bags in the rear tray of a ute parked nearby. Though the man's face was largely obscured from view, he appeared to be slender and pale-skinned. 'I was inside the house with my baby and opened the door two minutes after he left,' Ms Bolton captioned the footage. 'If you recognise this guy and have any information please let me know.' The unidentified man was filmed casually crossing the front yard of Eliza Bolton's Adelaide home on Tuesday afternoon Separate footage posted by Ms Bolton's partner captures the incident from directly above Separate CCTV posted by her partner was recorded from directly above the front door. Ms Bolton described the incident as 'crazy' and hopes the thief will be tracked down by police. A South Australian Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that the investigation 'remains ongoing'. No arrests on charges have yet been laid. A Woolworths spokesperson said the grocery order had been reissued and was delivered on Wednesday. 'The customer reported this incident to us and also the police, who are now looking into the matter,' they said. Locals were quick to condemn the 'utter scumbag' and rally behind the young mum. 'This is the last thing you need with a baby!' one said. 'Too bad if it had nappies or formula you really needed and had been struggling to get to the shops with an unsettled baby! 'Sorry this happened to you absolutely not ok! 'I get people are struggling right now but so could the people ordering the groceries too so no excuse!' South Australian Police are investigating the brazen act Others branded the theft as 'disgusting' and hoped the thief would soon be caught. 'Let's hope this lowlife gets caught eventually,' one wrote. Another added: 'Lowlife scum. Distinctive clothing, someone may know him,' Another suspected the man may have been following the Woolworths delivery vehicle. 'I suspect he already knew those bags were there,' one man said. 'If you were driving normally you wouldn't spot them in passing and be able to stop in such a short distance.' A 'troubled' mother-of-two lay dead in her house for around a month before she was discovered with one of her beloved sausage dogs lying dead beside her. Jemma Hart, 43, was found lifeless at her home in Swindon in January 2024 after neighbour Lorraine, 66, urged police to make a 'welfare check'. A coroner ruled the mother's death a suicide, telling an inquest she was found in her living room after neighbours told police they had not seen her since Christmas. Lorraine told MailOnline today: 'Jemma had mental health problems and was a troubled soul. 'It was the dogs that caused me to go round there. 'I knocked on the door because I could hear the dogs barking but there was no answer. 'So, I tried the key she had given me but I couldn't unlock the door because there was a key on the inside of the lock. 'I went home and I ummed and ahhed. Then I thought I'll ask the police to make a welfare check. And that's when they found her.' Lorraine told how Ms Hart had split from a long-term boyfriend in the weeks before her death during the Christmas period in 2023. Jemma Hart, 45, (pictured) was found to have been partially mauled by her dachshunds when her body was eventually discovered at her home in Swindon on January 29, 2024 Dachshunds Millie and Frankie (pictured) had partially mauled their owner after her death, a police officer revealed She added: 'She had a boyfriend who was very good to her. 'But he called the police on her when he said he was going to leave her. 'He left about four months later, at around Christmas 2023.' The mother had been partially eaten by her two starving dachshunds after an acrimonious split with her boyfriend, Lorraine said. Ms Hart had intended to breed her two dachshund dogs and sell the puppies, the friend also revealed. She said: 'Jemma told me she was going to breed her dachshunds and sell the puppies. 'The brown one, Milly, was still a puppy [and] was a lovely dog. But the black one, Frankie, was vicious. He didn't like people or other dogs.' Ms Hart's lifeless body was discovered by police on January 29, 2024, about a month after she was last seen, an inquest heard this week. One of the dogs was also found dead at the scene and the other dog was in a distressed condition. The police officer who attended the scene told Swindon Coroner's Court that the dogs had been eating her after her death. The mother has been pictured for the first time with her dogs, who a police officer revealed had been eating her body after her sudden death The Swindon home (centre) where Ms Hart's body was found after her suicide Yesterday, neighbours revealed they had been 'surprised' the sound of her pet dogs barking had not raised the alarm sooner Jemma had two grown-up sons. In a heartbreaking tribute posted on Ms Hart's Facebook page, her son informed friends and family of his mother's tragic passing. 'After spending the last couple of weeks to even process what we're about to share. It's with great sadness to say that my beautiful mum Jemma passed away January 29 unexpectedly and I wanted to inform you all,' he wrote, signing the tribute 'Jem's Boys & Family'. Reacting to the post, a friend replied: 'Your mum was a lovely woman I'm so sorry for your loss.' Another said: 'Very sad to hear this news, I heard this news yesterday. I had many good moments with Jem.' Yesterday, neighbours revealed they had been 'surprised' the sound of her pet dogs barking had not raised the alarm sooner and expressed regret that they did know she was having mental health struggles. New occupants now live in her three-bedroom, mid-terrace modern home owned by a housing association. A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: 'Jemma was a lovely woman and everyone who knew her around here would agree. 'She always had time to stop and chat. She was just an all-round wonderful person. 'What surprises me is that the walls that partition her house from her neighbours' homes are paper thin, so if the dogs were barking, clearly no one heard them for a long time.' Another neighbour said: 'What a truly awful tragedy. Everyone around here is devastated by this.' Ms Hart's death came as 'a huge shock' to her neighbours as they had no idea she was suffering from mental health struggles, they said. One said she felt 'incredible guilt' that she had not picked up on Ms Hart's mental illness before it was too late. The neighbour said: 'None of us had any real idea that she had mental health problems. 'We just knew her as a friendly local who we would see out and about most days walking her dogs. 'We'd sometimes stop and chat, but never a conversation that went very deep. If we'd known what she was going through, we'd definitely have kept more of an eye out for her. 'It's taught us a real lesson, which is that you can't assume someone you see every day is as happy as they seem. Ms Hart is pictured with one of her beloved dogs outdoors A police officer who attended the scene revealed that Ms Hart's dogs had been eating her body after her sudden death Concerned neighbours raised the alarm having not heard from her since Christmas the previous year 'As a community, we've become much closer as a result of her death and now we will stop and talk to each other. 'I guess we're kind of checking in on each other and making sure everybody's okay. 'But of course that does not take away any of the incredible guilt I personally feel for not having picked up on what she was going through. It is absolutely heartbreaking.' A post-mortem examination report carried out by toxicologist Peter Street confirmed Ms Hart died from suicide. A police officer who attended the scene revealed that Ms Hart's dogs had been eating her body after her sudden death, the Swindon Advertiser reported. Coroner Ian Singleton concluded: 'Jemma lived alone with her two dogs in Swindon and she was estranged from her family. 'Jemma was found in her home with injuries caused by dogs after she died. Her death has been recorded as suicide.' Mr Singleton told the inquest that Ms Hart was found dead in her living room after neighbours told police they had not seen her since Christmas. He revealed that one of the dogs was also found dead and the other was in a 'distressed' condition. Police said Ms Hart's death is not being treated as suspicious. At her inquest, Ms Hart's son described his mother's love for her sausage dogs. He said: 'She'd had dogs in the past but in 2022 she got a dachshund called Frankie and a year later she got another one called Milly. 'Her house backed onto Lydiard Park where she regularly walked her dogs, and the dogs were her life.' Ms Hart, who faced several health and mobility battles, had lived in her home for around ten years. Her physical difficulties forced her to stop working and she struggled with physical pain and insomnia. For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support Russia staged blistering strikes across Ukraine last night just hours after Kyiv signalled it was ready for a ceasefire following talks with the United States. The massive missile and drone attacks cast doubt on Vladimir Putin's willingness to accept Donald Trump's demands for peace in the three year war. Last night the US President said he would talk directly to Putin, telling reporters: 'It takes two to tango. I hope he will agree.' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Kyiv's agreement to a 30-day ceasefire, which came after significant pressure from Washington, meant that the ball was now in Moscow's court. 'Now it'll be up to them to say yes or no. If they say no, then we'll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here,' Rubio said, adding that the peace plan would be put to the Kremlin this week. Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in Saudi Arabia but not directly involved in the negotiations, said his country was ready to accept the American plan and stop the fighting immediately. 'We see it as a positive step and are ready to take it,' the Ukrainian President said. 'Now, it is up to the United States to convince Russia to do the same.' But shortly after the announcement, with no official response from the Kremlin, Putin's forces launched deadly strikes across the Ukrainian capital and vast swathes of the country. Russia escalates overnight attacks on Ukraine, killing and wounding crew and port workers in Odesa grain ship strike, destroying homes in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy and hitting Krivyi Rih Firefighters work at the scene of a Russian strike in Ukraine after Putin intensified his bombardment of the country overnight A fire erupts in a building in Odesa after a Russian strike last night Barbados flagged bulk carrier MJ Pinar, which was hit by a Russian missile strike while it was loading wheat for export to Algeria A hotel hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih The fierce overnight bombardment saw a double missile strike hit Kryvyi Rih - the city where Volodmyr Zelensky was born - led to a woman, 47, in a trolleybus being killed. Smoke was seen rising from the site of the strike. In Odesa, Vladimir Putin's forces hit and damaged a Barbados-flagged 587ft-long dry cargo ship carrying grain bound for Africa, killing four, with several injured. In a strike on Dnipro, the Kremlin dictator's forces hit ten private houses, blasting out windows in a school and kindergarten, after which one man was hospitalised. Russia unleashed Iranian-designed Shahed drones on Ukraine's second city Kharkiv, while footage showed a blazing fire at a warehouse in Sumy after a Russian strike. A strike on the Greek-managed MJ Pinar cargo vessel in Odesa appeared designed to hit both Ukraine's exports of grain and desperately-needed supplies via Algeria to Africa. The vessel was loading 30,000 tons of wheat when the strike hit, igniting a fire. Among the dead sailors were three Syrians and one Ukrainian, with a fifth crew member and a port employee injured. One missile is reported to have struck the seawall causing extensive damage to the pier, the terminal's grain store, and other infrastructure. As Putin's missiles continued to rain down on Ukraine, Kyiv's allies tentatively welcomed a new shot at peace with Washington's 30-day ceasefire proposal. Sir Keir Starmer said: 'This is an important moment for peace in Ukraine and we now all need to redouble our efforts to get to a lasting and secure peace as soon as possible. 'As both American and Ukrainian delegations have said, the ball is now in the Russian court.' Shortly after the announcement by Ukraine and the US, Vladimir Putin's forces launched deadly strikes across the Ukrainian capital and vast swathes of the country Footage showed a blazing fire at a warehouse in Sumy after a Russian strike A destroyed wall after the massive Russian drone strike on Ukraine last night An emergency paramedic provides first aid to a man injured during a Russian missile strike in Kryvyi Rih French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X: 'I welcome the progress made during the discussions between the United States of America and Ukraine held today in Jeddah, particularly regarding the idea of a possible 30-day ceasefire. 'The ball is now clearly in Russia's court. France and its partners remain committed to a solid and lasting peace, supported by robust security guarantees for Ukraine.' Diplomatic sources said President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff could soon travel to Moscow to lay the groundwork for an agreement with Putin. US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz hinted Trump will pile pressure on Putin, saying the US President would 'take tough decisions on all sides'. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday that Moscow 'does not rule out' contact with the US over the next few days. But hardliners in Moscow have called for the Kremlin to reject the proposal. Russian State Duma Deputy and former armed forces commander Viktor Sobolev said that Russia should not agree to the 'unacceptable' 30-day ceasefire, arguing that it would allow Ukraine to rearm and regroup. Pro-war blogger Boris Rozhin also warned a temporary truce would 'restore the Ukrainian Armed Forces' and enable it to 'receive new supplies of weapons and ammunition'. TV presenter Olga Skabeeva, one of Russia's leading propagandists, wrote on Telegram: 'And what do we get in return?' Kremlin mouthpiece Vladimir Solovyov, the host of Russia's main propaganda show, sparked outrage among his subscribers by limiting his reporting to the official line, rather than spouting his usual commentary on events. He then reposted a comment by propagandist Dmitry Drobnitsky, claiming that 'Trump's team is caving' and blaming the US congress. Explosions are seen in the sky over Kyiv during a Russian drone strike last night A burning car is seen in front of an apartment building damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih Russia escalated overnight attacks on Ukraine, killing and wounding crew and port workers in Odesa grain ship strike, destroying homes in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy and hitting Krivyi Rih War correspondent Alexander Kots said bluntly: 'Shove your peace initiatives up your [sic] now. You were told the conditions for a ceasefire last year. 'You responded with an invasion [in Kursk region]. We understood everything.' Russian MP Lt-Gen Viktor Sobolev, a hardline Communist, said of a ceasefire: 'The USA will rearm Ukraine during the 30-day truce and start the war all over again. 'I believe that this is unacceptable at all. Some kind of temporary ceasefire. A temporary ceasefire, and the President has spoken about this, is unacceptable. 'It only serves in the hands of the Ukrainian fascists, who in 30 days will regroup, replenish their ranks, and add drones. We do not need this at all.' Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the upper house's Foreign Affairs Committee, agreed. 'Russia is advancing, and therefore it will be different with [us]. Any agreements will be on our terms, not the American ones. 'And this is not boasting, but an understanding that real agreements are still being written there, at the front.' Unconfirmed reports this morning highlighted footage of Putin's paratroopers raising the white, blue and red tricolour in the central square of Sudzha in the Kursk region Meanwhile Russia continued to press home its advantage in its Kursk region, where massive assault operations were underway around border town Sudzha, which came under intense fire. Ukrainian troops were reportedly on the retreat in the region, parts of which they have held since August. Unconfirmed Moscow reports this morning highlighted footage appearing to show Putin's paratroopers raising the white, blue and red tricolour in the central square of Sudzha, the main town that had been in Ukrainian control in the Russian region. 'Our fighters, having cleared the square, marked another success of the assault operation, waved to the camera, and then returned to carrying out combat missions,' reported pro-Kremlin Readovka media outlet. Another loyalist outlet Mash reported: 'Our fighters with flags on Sovetskaya Square Sudzha, near the administration building in the town centre. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz announced the breakthrough after their meeting with Ukrainian officials President Donald Trump has now lifted the military aid and intelligence sharing pause to Ukraine 'The [Ukrainian] soldiers have almost completely abandoned it, retreating towards Sumy Oblast. 'According to our data, the city has been cleared by 80-90%. 'The Ukrainian Armed Forces have only [kept their hold on] the suburbs of Goncharovka and Zaoleshenka.' If true, the development is a severe blow to Kyiv but not unexpected. Yet Russian Telegram source Archangel Spetsnaz also stated: 'The enemy is still fighting back, the flags were for designation.' Thousands of Ukrainian troops had been reported as being encircled by Russian and North Korean forces. Reports today suggested that many had successfully retreated to Ukraine's Sumy region. The troops carrying the Russian flag were paratroopers of the 11th Guards Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, it was reported. Military analyst Yan Matveyev stated: 'It looks like the Ukrainian Armed Forces have completely left the city. This means that today they will finally leave the Kursk region.' Russian air defence units intercepted and destroyed 21 Ukrainian drones overnight, the country's defence ministry said this morning. Twelve of the drones were downed over the territory of the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app, while the rest were destroyed over the territories of the Kursk and Kaluga regions, as well as over the Crimean Peninsula and the Black Sea. It came after Kyiv launched its biggest drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region yet in the early hours of Tuesday. The attack, in which 337 drones were downed over Russia, killed at least three employees of a meat warehouse and caused a short shutdown at Moscow's four airports. A father who insisted he had 'nothing to hide' after his newborn son died has been found guilty of manslaughter and criminal neglect. Ashley John McGregor, 34, and Rebecca Denton presented at Adelaide's Noarlunga Hospital early on April 23, 2021, with their son, Alvin, 'completely unresponsive'. The baby boy was born just weeks earlier on April 4. On Friday, Judge Paul Muscat found McGregor guilty of manslaughter and criminal neglect and set his sentencing for next month. The court heard that McGregor was left to look after Alvin while Denton went shopping on April 21. She received a panicked call that afternoon from McGregor claiming he had accidentally knocked over the bassinet Alvin was in. The baby was heard 'hysterically' crying and Denton rushed home. Little Alvin's condition drastically deteriorated over the next 40 hours and he was unresponsive by the time his parents took him to Noarlunga Hospital two days later. Ashley John McGregor has been found guilty of inflicting fatal injuries on his three-week-old son, Alvin (pictured) Judge Paul Muscat found McGregor (pictured) either shook or threw Alvin due to him crying A post-mortem on Alvin found blunt cerebral trauma to be the cause of his death. The newborn had suffered rib fractures, bruising, head injuries and haemorrhages to the retinas. Judge Muscat said he was satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt McGregor had inflicted the severe injuries by tightly squeezing Alvin around the chest and either shaking or throwing him, possibly causing him to strike a hard surface. During McGregor's trial, the court heard an interview between him and police in which officers claimed Alvin's injuries indicated he was 'violently shaken'. 'It's very similar to what you'd expect in a high-impact car crash,' the officer said. McGregor claimed Alvin was injured when he knocked over the bassinet but the father decided not to take the baby to hospital because 'he settled'. 'Maybe we should have taken him to hospital, we should've been, like, more cautious,' McGregor said. 'I've got nothing to hide, I want to know what happened to him.' The judge determined McGregor attacked the baby in the 10 minutes between calling Denton and her arriving home. Both McGregor (right) and Alvin's mother, Rebecca Denton (left), were found guilty of criminal neglect for failing to take the newborn to hospital 'I find he did so because he was unable to deal with Alvin crying for 10 minutes,' Judge Muscat said, the Adelaide Advertiser reported. 'I find this resulted in the defendant losing control of his emotions and reacting inappropriately and instantly through his frustration in not being able to settle Alvin's crying.' Judge Muscat added McGregor was guilty of criminal neglect as he failed to take Alvin to hospital, in spite of his obvious distress. 'He failed to seek timely medical care for Alvin,' he said. Alvin (pictured) suffered rib fractures, bruising, head injuries and haemorrhages to the retinas Judge Muscat previously accepted Denton's evidence that she did not inflict the horrific injuries on Alvin. The mother last year was sentenced to four years jail after pleading guilty to criminal neglect, also for failing to get Alvin timely medical attention. She was ordered to serve her sentence in home detention. McGregor remains in custody ahead of sentencing submissions next month. The shattered daughter of a mother-of-two found dead in a river has issued a public appeal for answers. The body of Sunshine Coast woman Crystal Beale, 49, was discovered in the Brisbane River at Yeronga by a rower shortly after 5.30am on February 22. Police initially treated her death as 'not suspicious' but have since launched a homicide investigation following further inquiries and a post mortem. Ms Beale's shattered daughter Charlie-Rose Wagner, 22, described the development in the case as 'horrific' when she took to social media on Wednesday in a desperate quest to find out what happened to her mum. 'At first we were assured that her death was non suspicious, this has now taken a horrific turn and I will never be the same again,' she wrote. 'I urge anyone who knows anything to please contact the police with information. 'Please share everywhere you can. Help me bring my mum to peace.' Ms Wagner described her mum as 'her greatest love' and that she was 'adored by many, loved by even more'. Police have launched a homicide investigation into Crystal Beale's (pictured) death after previously believing it was 'not suspicious' Ms Beale's daughter (pictured right with Crystal) said she will 'never be the same again' following her mother's death CCTV released by police captured Crystal Beale outside a restaurant hours before she went missing 'I remember you only as the beautiful, selfless woman that you were and nothing else,' Ms Wagner wrote a week ago. 'The most important woman that Ive ever known, I would choose you to be my mummy again in every single life. 'Youre not here but I feel your presence all around me.' Ms Beale also had a 15-year-old son. Police on Wednesday released CCTV of Ms Beale outside a Sunnybank restaurant in Brisbane's south, where she dined with family and friends on February 21, hours before she went missing. Detectives are trying to piece together what happened after she was later dropped off in West End, where her family lives and are now following several lines of inquiry. Police believe Ms Beale had been in the river for about six hours. 'At the time of her discovery, there werent any obvious injuries, which is why it was originally reported as non suspicious,' Detective Acting Inspector Rod Watts said on Wednesday. Charlie-Rose Wagner described her mother Crystal Beale (pictured) as her 'greatest love' 'A post mortem has not determined a cause of death but we don't believe she has died under natural circumstances. 'The injuries that have been uncovered in the postmortem suggest to us her death is suspicious.' There was no suggestion a weapon was used, Det Insp Watts said. He added that Ms Beale was with a former partner before she went missing. 'He is one of a number of lines of inquiry we're following through,' he said. There was an expired domestic violence order against her former partner but nothing current. He's not being treated as a suspect. No arrests or charges have been laid over Ms Beale's death and police have not ruled out the possibility of a random attack. Police urge anyone who may have seen saw Ms Beale or any suspicious behaviour in the West End area between 9.30pm and 1am on February 21-22 to come forward. 'We can't quite accurately identify where she was last seen or how or where she went into the river,' Det Insp Watts said. 'Weve done a few weeks of door knocking, CCTV collection, speaking to family, friends, associates, gathering a timeline of where she was, and trying to learn a little bit more about her lifestyle.' Police described a former partner of Ms Beale's as 'one of a number of lines of inquiry' Ms Beale was wearing a long slim-fitting white dress and had a brown leather shoulder satchel across her body before she went missing. She was described as Caucasian, slim build, about 165cm tall, with long brown hair. 'Crystal was a much-loved mother and friend, her death in these circumstances is horrific and we are seeking justice for her and her family,' Det Insp Watts said. He said her two children were 'struggling' with their mother's traumatic death. 'To go missing in these circumstances and for three weeks trying to piece it together... at this point of time we're still seeking answers,' he said. 'They want answers and so do we.' Pakistani security forces have engaged in a deadly firefight with separatist militants after a passenger train was hijacked in the country's volatile Balochistan province, leaving around 300 hostages trapped on board. At least 27 militants have been killed so far as elite forces attempt to free the hostages, who were seized when the train was ambushed on Tuesday while passing through a tunnel in the rugged Bolan district. Security officials say they have rescued more than 150 of the 450 passengers so far, including women and children, but warned that the remaining hostages are at grave risk as the attackers are reportedly wearing suicide vests loaded with explosives. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it is prepared to negotiate a prisoner swap in exchange for the hostages' release. However, there has been no response from the Pakistani government, and tensions remain high as security forces surround the militants. The train, identified as the Jafar Express, was travelling from Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar when it was attacked on Tuesday. The train was left trapped inside a tunnel after the assault, during which it came under fire and the driver was wounded, police and railway officials said yesterday. Militants reportedly blew up the railway track before opening fire on security personnel on board, according to government spokesman Shahid Rind. A passenger, who was rescued from a train after it was attacked by separatist militants, receives medical aid at the Mach Railway Station in Mach, Balochistan, Pakistan, March 11, 2025 Passengers rescued from the Peshawar bound Jaffar express train that was attacked by suspected militants in Sibi, reach the railway station in Quetta, the provincial capital of restive Balochistan province, Pakistan, 12 March 2025 Footage released by the BLA on Wednesday morning shows the vehicle erupting in a cloud of smoke The train came to a grinding halt and dozens of fighters were seen taking passengers hostage Paramilitary soldiers stand guard at a railway station in the Sibi district of southwestern Balochistan province on March 12, 2025, during a security operation against militants a day after they hijacked a passenger train Pakistani security officials stand guard after passengers rescued from the Peshawar bound Jaffar express train that was attacked by suspected militants in Sibi A paramilitary soldier takes position at a railway station near the attack site of a passenger train by insurgents, in Mushkaf in Bolan district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, Wednesday, March 12, 2025 'This is an act of terrorism,' Rind declared. Footage released by the BLA on Wednesday morning captured the moment of the attack and seizure, showing the train making its way down the track before erupting in a cloud of black smoke. BLA fighters are also supposedly seen gathered on a distant hill before the vehicle grinds to a halt. There had been reports of heavy fire on the railway, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government said yesterday, however due to the difficult terrain in the area it was difficult for authorities to reach the scene. He added that a relief train had been dispatched to the scene and that security forces were working in the area. Several of those rescued were brought to Quetta early Wednesday, escorted by security forces, where their relatives were waiting for them. 'People were attacked ... passengers were injured and some passengers died,' said Muhammad Ashraf, who was on the train. Several witnesses interviewed by Geo News said they were asked by security personnel to stay low when there was gunfire. A woman, who said her son was among the passengers still held hostage, confronted provincial minister Mir Zahoor Buledi when he visited the freed passengers. 'If you cannot protect trains, then you should not run them. Please, bring my son back,' she said. Pakistan Railways has suspended all operations from Punjab and Sindh provinces to Balochistan until security agencies confirm the area is safe , local media reported on Wednesday. The area where the train is halted is a mountainous region making it easier for militants to have hideouts and plan attacks. Pakistan's interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, condemned the attack and said the government would not make any concessions to 'beasts who fire on innocent passengers' A soldier works to evacuate freed train passengers at the Mach railway station, which has been turned into a makeshift hospital A Pakistani military helicopter hovers over a railway station in the Sibi district of southwestern Balochistan province on March 12, 2025 Several witnesses interviewed by Geo News said they were asked by security personnel to stay low when there was gunfire The train, identified as the Jafar Express, was travelling from Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar when it was attacked A paramilitary soldier stands guard at a railway station in the Sibi district of southwestern Balochistan province on March 12, 2025 Militants bombed a section of the railway track and stormed the train on March 11 afternoon in southwest Balochistan province, where attacks by separatists have been on the rise But the hostage crisis has also drawn international condemnation, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling for the immediate release of the hostages. 'This attack is deeply concerning. All hostages must be released unharmed,' UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Balochistan, Pakistan's largest but least populated province, has long been a hotbed of separatist violence. The resource-rich region, home to valuable oil and mineral reserves, has been plagued by insurgency for decades. Ethnic Baloch separatists accuse the central government of exploitation and discrimination. Trains in Balochistan are typically accompanied by armed guards due to the high threat of attacks. In November, a suicide bombing at a railway station in Quetta - also claimed by a separatist group - killed 26 people including security personnel, railway staff and passengers. A decades-old insurgency in Balochistan by separatist militant groups has led to frequent attacks against the government, army and Chinese interests in the region, pressing demands for a share in its resources. The oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan's largest but also least populated province. It is a hub for the country's ethnic Baloch minority whose members say they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government. The BLA seeks independence for Balochistan. It is the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups that have battled the South Asian nation's government for decades, saying it unfairly exploits Balochistan's rich gas and mineral resources. As the tense standoff continues, Pakistani forces face a race against time to secure the hostages' release and prevent the situation from spiralling into further bloodshed. The European Union on Wednesday announced retaliatory trade action with a series of duties on US industrial and agricultural products that will go into effect from April 1. It comes weeks after the Trump administration announced an increase in tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports from the European bloc to 25%. The world's biggest trading bloc was expecting the US tariffs and prepared in advance, but the measures still place great strain on already tense transatlantic relations. Only last month, Washington warned Europe that it would have to take care of its own security in the future. The EU measures will cover goods from the United States worth some 26 billion euros ($28 billion), and not just steel and aluminium products, but also textiles, home appliances and agricultural goods. Motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter and jeans will be hit, as they were during President Donald Trump's first term. Britain - which is not part of the EU - meanwhile said it would not impose retaliatory measures of its own on the United States. The UK government called Washington's decision to impose 25% tariffs on global steel and aluminium imports 'disappointing.' President Donald Trump speaks at the Business Roundtable quarterly meeting in Washington, Tuesday, March 11, 2025 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L) and EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency Maros Sefcovic European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement announcing the measures Wednesday that the bloc 'will always remain open to negotiation.' 'As the US are applying tariffs worth 28 billion dollars, we are responding with countermeasures worth 26 billion euros,' she said. The commission manages trade and commercial conflicts on behalf of the 27 member EU countries. 'We firmly believe that in a world fraught with geopolitical and economic uncertainties, it is not in our common interest to burden our economies with tariffs,' von der Leyen said. The commission also said that steel and aluminium products would be hit in return, as well as textiles, leather goods, home appliances, household tools, plastics, and wood. Agricultural products will also be impacted - including poultry, beef, some seafood, nuts, eggs, sugar and vegetables. Trump said his taxes would help create US factory jobs, but von der Leyen said: 'Jobs are at stake. Prices will go up. In Europe and in the United States.' 'We deeply regret this measure. Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and even worse for consumers. These tariffs are disrupting supply chains. They bring uncertainty for the economy,' she said. Trump slapped similar tariffs on EU steel and aluminium during his first term in office, which enraged European and other allies. The EU also imposed countermeasures in retaliation at the time, raising tariffs on US-made motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter and jeans, among other items. This time, the EU action will involve two steps. First, the commission will reintroduce what it calls 'rebalancing measures,' which the EU had from 2018 and 2020 but which were suspended under the Biden administration, then additional duties targeting 18 billion euros ($19.6 billion) in US exports to the bloc. EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic travelled to Washington last month in an effort to head off the tariffs, meeting with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and other top trade officials. He said on Wednesday that it became clear during that trip 'that the EU is not the problem.' 'I argued to avoid the unnecessary burden of measures and countermeasures, but you need a partner for that. You need both hands to clap,' Sefcovic told reporters at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. A person shops through steel pieces at a metal supply business in Burbank, California, USA, 11 March 2025 United States President Donald Trump speaks in front of a Tesla Model S with Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and Senior Advisor to the President of the United States The EU could lose up to 3.7 million tons of steel exports, according to Henrik Adam, president of the Eurofer European steel association. 'It will further worsen the situation of the European steel industry, exacerbating an already dire market environment,' Adam said last month. The US is the second biggest export market for EU steel producers, representing 16% of the total EU steel exports. 'Losing a significant part of these exports cannot be compensated by EU exports to other markets,' Adam said. The EU estimates that annual trade volume between both sides stands at about $1.5 trillion, representing some 30% of global trade. While the bloc has a substantial export surplus in goods, it says that is partly offset by the US surplus in the trade of services. The commission says that trade in goods reached 851 billion euros ($878 billion) in 2023, with a trade surplus of 156 billion euros ($161 billion) for the EU. Trade in services was worth 688 billion euros ($710 billion) with a trade deficit of 104 billion euros ($107 billion) for the EU. Meanwhile, British Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said Wednesday he would 'continue to engage closely and productively with the US to press the case for UK business interests.' He did not rule out future tariffs on US imports, saying 'we will keep all options on the table and won't hesitate to respond in the national interest.' Center-left Prime Minister Keir Starmer has worked to build strong ties with Trump, in hope of avoiding the tariffs levied on many other US trading partners. Reynolds said the government remains 'focused on a pragmatic approach and is rapidly negotiating a wider economic agreement with the US to eliminate additional tariffs and to benefit UK businesses and our economy.' China promotes industry-academia collaboration for AI application employment and talent training projects 16:00, March 12, 2025 By Ma Tong ( Global Times China is promoting university-enterprise collaboration on employment and education projects in "artificial intelligence (AI) application," China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Wednesday. The Ministry of Education recently released a notice, calling for universities and local authorities throughout China to collect a range of AI application projects from businesses, organizations and industry groups. This initiative aims to help universities align with evolving talent demands and employment services driven by the rapid growth of the AI sector. It also seeks to assist employers in cultivating and recruiting more practical, interdisciplinary, and high-demand AI professionals, thereby improving the alignment between industry needs and university talent supply, CCTV reported. The collected projects focus on three key areas: targeted talent training, employment internship bases, and workforce development through university-enterprise collaboration. Emphasis will be placed on talent needs in fields such as AI algorithms, machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, intelligent robotics, and the use of AI tools. These projects are expected to help enhance college students' understanding of AI-related careers, improve their practical skills and employability, and help employers identify talent, upgrade technology, and foster innovation. This move also aligns with the major task in 2025 outlined in this year's Government Work Report, which calls for "make integrated progress in education, scientific and technological innovation and talent cultivation, so as to consolidate the foundational and strategic underpinning for Chinese modernization." As large language model like DeepSeek and intelligent connected vehicles steal the spotlight, China's push to digitize traditional industries has reached a pivotal stage, with applications rolling out fast across sectors and driving a surge in talent demand, Cong Yi, a professor at the Tianjin School of Administration, told the Global Times on Wednesday. "Lots of traditional companies pushing for digital upgrades are running into talent shortages and are looking for ways to connect with skilled workers. The MOE's latest initiative is well-timed to address urgent need," Cong noted. Employers can register and submit project proposals on the MOE's employment and education collaboration platform by the end of April, according to the notice. The ministry will then promote these projects and facilitate connections between universities and enterprises to kickstart collaborative initiatives as soon as possible. Since its launch in 2021, the MOE's employment and education collaboration project has linked over 2,400 employers with more than 2,000 universities, benefiting over 6.2 million students through joint talent training programs. Cong highlighted universities' ongoing efforts to meet the market needs. Since 2019, some leading universities in China have doubled down on "new engineering" and "new science" disciplines by gradually tweaking their curricula to produce more graduates ready to thrive in the digital age, he said. "This strong alignment between talent pipelines and industry needs is set to accelerate China's digital transformation and technological innovation while injecting fresh momentum into the job market," Cong added. Chinese major universities are also stepping up efforts to cultivate talent in emerging industries and high-tech fields. A range of top universities, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Wuhan University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, recently announced plans to expand enrollment. These new enrollment spots will focus on areas of national strategic importance, foundational disciplines, and emerging frontiers, with a focus on interdisciplinary AI talent to support national strategic needs and social development. For example, Shanghai Jiao Tong University will add 150 undergraduate admission spots in 2025, expanding enrollment in disciplines such as artificial intelligence, integrated circuits, biomedicine, healthcare, and new energy. China Agricultural University will add 500 undergraduate seats in 2025, prioritizing key areas such as food security, bio-manufacturing, AI and equipment manufacturing, green energy, and food safety and human health. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing) Labour are searching for a deal with another nation state which would see the UK government avoid having to grant asylum to a sex offender jailed on the Chagos Islands. The Rwanda-style scheme would see the 34-year-old Sri Lankan national sent to a third country after Labour refused him entry to the UK. This decision was made due to a combination of the potential risk the man poses to the public and worries that his admittance could undermine public confidence in the government's immigration policies. Unable to return to his homeland after allegedly being tortured by the country's military, the man is currently serving a six-month sentence for assault and sexual attacks in Diego Garcia. A high court judge has now backed the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's stance on denying the man asylum after he appealed her initial decision. Mr Justice Chamberlain ruled it lawful for the Foreign Office to seek an alternative country willing to permit the sex offender entry. As the Chagos Islands are not under the jurisdiction of the European Convention on Human Rights or the Refugee Convention, the asylum seeker was unable to use them to aid his appeal against Ms Cooper's decision. At present, the Foreign Office is in discussion with five states over the possibility of them taking in the Tamil man, with only one nation so far rejecting Labour's plan, according to the Telegraph. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are searching for a way to avoid granting asylum to a sex offender jailed on the Chagos Islands The man is currently serving a six-month jail term on the island for assault and sex attacks The government is searching for a Rwanda-style deal in which the man would be granted entry by another nation as part of a broader deal with the UK The man, who has not been named, also suffers from mental health issues and has previously attempted self-harm and suicide. The sex offender was previously part of a group of over 60 Sri Lankans who fled their country on a fishing vessel back in 2021, with the UK accepting 61 of these asylum seekers last November despite having initially searched for an alternative nation to take them. However, the man was not part of this deal given his 24-week sentence for assault causing bodily harm and his receiving of a 20-month suspended sentence for four offences of sexual assaults on a woman. During the man's appeal to the UK high court, the government stated that granting him entry would create an 'inevitable risk' to public safety and that public confidence would be 'undermined'. Mr Justice Chamberlain accepted that the Tamil man had never had any legal right to enter the UK and that the risks to public safety and confidence in the immigration system were 'real'. When issuing his judgement, Mr Justice Chamberlain declared: 'So is the risk that admitting the claimant in these high-profile circumstances, would tend to undermine the UKs international commitment to tackling violence against women and girls. 'The task of evaluating the weight and importance of avoiding these risks falls, in the first instance, to ministers, not judges. Given the nature of the risks in question, the court should allow a wide margin to the democratically accountable ministers who, together with their officials, performed it'. Agreeing that the government would face 'considerable difficulties' in finding an alternative nation willing to accept the man given his previous offences, Mr Justice Chamberlain said that there was a chance another state would 'oblige' the UK if 'through the diplomatic channels', an agreement could be reached in which they received something in return. Ministers have already negotiated with Mauritian authorities to close loopholes which could see the Chagos Islands become a back door route into the UK, with any further migrants arriving on the islands set to be taken in by Mauritius before being sent to St Helena, a British territory in the Atlantic. The MailOnline has contacted the Foreign Office for comment. Shocking footage shows the moment a terrified man has his phone snatched out of his hands by a thief on an e-bike in central London. A dashcam recording captured the criminal carrying out the appalling act in busy Piccadilly with an accomplice on Saturday night. The pair, clad in all black, can be seen racing through the streets on their electric vehicles when they spot their victim outside the plush Coya Mayfair restaurant. One of the thugs mounts onto the pavement by the Hard Rock Cafe and pinches the mobile in the blink of an eye. Once they have possession of the device, the thieves speed off into the night, as the bewildered man runs back into the upmarket eatery. The robbery comes as the Home Office announced mobile phone thefts have tripled in the last four years, as criminal gang members help fuel a booming export trade to countries including China and Nigeria. More than 70,000 phones were snatched in the streets of London alone in 2024, out of an estimated 100,000 thefts across the UK. Londoners reacted in horror at the latest theft, with one saying on social media: 'It's amazing to see this happening more and more. A dashcam recording captured the criminal carrying out the theft in busy Piccadilly with an accomplice on Saturday night The thug mounts onto the pavement by the Hard Rock Cafe and pinches the mobile in the blink of an eye Once they have possession of the device, the thieves speed off into the night, as the bewildered man (pictured) runs back into the upmarket eatery 'No consequences and it will keep on going on. In the last 15 years I have seen a downward trend of people's safety. It's a shame as I moved here for more safety. Another added: 'Never have phones on display in London. Or anywhere else for that matter.' A third boasted: 'I did one of these scumbags with a road cone the other day. One of the most satisfying things I've done in a while.' It is thought phone snatching could cost consumers up to 70 million each year. The data, from an FOI request to the Met Police, is thought to be a significant underestimate of the true scale of the problem, as it only includes thefts reported to the force. Shockingly some 40 percent of all London phone snatches take place in Westminster and the West End. Victims of the crime come from all walks of life, with celebrities including Lady Victoria Hervey and Kym Marsh revealing their handsets have previously been taken. The Met Police has been approached for comment. Grammy award winning rapper Lil Yachty has branded Black Lives Matter a 'scam' during an appearance on Quenlin Blackwell's cooking show. Lil Yachty, real name Miles Parks McCollum, was featured on last week's episode of Feeding Starving Celebrities, a YouTube show where Blackwell interviews stars who claim to be starving and teaches them how to cook. Blackwell, who rose to fame in the mid-2010s on the now defunct platform Vine, was showing Lil Yachty how to make scrambled pancakes when she asked about his spending habits. 'You spent $100,000 on a trip to Disney World. How much have you spent on charitable causes?' the YouTuber, 24, asked. The rapper, seemingly taken about by the question, tried to dismiss it by pointing out how 'this year technically just started'. But Blackwell pushed back, asking: 'What about last year? What about the year before last year?' 'Oh, well that year, that's a good year, yeah,' Lil Yachty, 27, replied. 'It's just blurry, I've been doing so much.' 'BLM? Because you want to be so black powered?' Blackwell cheerfully asked, but the rapper interrupted hear, declaring: 'BLM is a scam.' The YouTuber appeared shocked by his remark, telling her viewers to 'clip that, send it to the f***ing news'. But Lil Yachty doubled down on his remark, saying: 'BLM was literally a scam. They had bought mansions.' Grammy award winning rapper Lil Yachty branded Black Lives Matter a 'scam' during an appearance on YouTuber Quenlin Blackwell's cooking show Lil Yachty made reference to the organization's purchase of a $6million, 6,500-square foot Southern California mansion (pictured) that was the subject of a now dismissed civil lawsuit Lil Yachty went on to claim that Blackwell 'probably wouldn't know anything about it because you don't care about Black people. You don't follow Black news.' 'I do care about Black people. Look at my chocolate,' she interjected. 'That's a disguise,' the rapper replied, prompting Blackwell to declare herself 'the most pro-Black person in this room'. Lil Yachty then pointed out that Blackwell had an 'all white staff', but she claimed they are 'PoC', an acronym referring to a person of color. One of Blackwell's staff is heard off camera saying, 'and I'm gay', to which Lil Yachty adds: 'I too have a gay.' The pair's awkward conversation has gone viral on social media, with many criticizing how the exchange of 'wild comments'. But many people are applauding Lil Yachty for calling out BLM for allegedly taking 'millions in donations' and then spending the funds on 'on luxury mansions instead of the communities they claimed to help'. The Black Lives Matter movement exploded in 2020 after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police, with chapters across the globe raising $90million in one year. The organization became widely accused of being a scam after it emerged that its leaders had spent a whopping $6million that was donated to the activist group to buy a 6,500-square foot Southern California mansion. The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc, faced accusations of financial mismanagement after purchasing the property off the back of funds raised in the wake of the racial justice protests of 2020. The foundation said the property, which includes a home with six bedrooms and bathrooms, a swimming pool, (pictured) a soundstage and office space, is used as a campus for a Black artists fellowship Black Lives Matter Grassroots Inc, and its co-director Melina Abdullah,(pictured at a protest in 2020) brought a civil lawsuit against the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc in 2022 alleging fraud BLM also allegedly wished to keep the house purchase a secret despite three of its former leaders having reportedly filming a series of videos dining and drinking Champagne outside the estate in Spring 2021. Documents and internal communications, previously reported on by MailOnline, alleged the luxury property's purchase was handled in ways that 'blur boundaries' between charitable use and those that would benefit some of the organization's leaders. Black Lives Matter Grassroots Inc, and its co-director Melina Abdullah, brought a civil lawsuit against the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc in 2022. BLM Grassroots, a collective of organizers, claimed the foundation raised donations off the work of a city-based BLM chapter, then defrauded the public and shut activists out of decision-making. The fraud claim against the foundation was, in part, based on the alleged misrepresentation of the $6million Los Angeles-area compound purchased with donated funds. But the foundation's lawyers argued that local BLM activists failed to prove they were entitled to the raised funds or that the foundation's leaders had siphoned off millions of dollars for nefarious purposes. A California judge in 2023 sided with the foundation's lawyers and dismissed the suit. The foundation said the property, which includes a home with six bedrooms and bathrooms, a swimming pool, a soundstage and office space, is used as a campus for a Black artists fellowship. BLM chapter organizers say the donated funds were never intended for use that way. Last year, the former leader of the BLM chapter for Greater Atlanta Tyree Conyers-Page, known as Sir Maejor Page, (pictured in his mugshot) was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison money laundering and wire fraud Conyers-Page was found guilty of spending $450,000 raised from 18,000 donors on tailored suits, nightclub bar tabs, an evening with a prostitute, and a mansion in Ohio. FBI officers and Toledo police are seen raising his home The fraud lawsuit, however, was not the only scandal to surround the organization in recent years. Last year, the former leader of the BLM chapter for Greater Atlanta was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison money laundering and wire fraud. Tyree Conyers-Page, known as Sir Maejor Page, was found guilty of spending $450,000 raised from 18,000 donors on tailored suits, nightclub bar tabs, an evening with a prostitute, and a mansion in Ohio. In addition, the co-director of BLM Grassroots Melina Abdullah was accused of using the organization's funds to pay for vacations in Jamaica and her own person expenses, the Free Press reports. Abdullah has not been charged with a crime, but the California attorney general in October 2024 threatened to revoke her group's tax-exempt status if did not turn over delinquent tax filings. Abdullah denied the allegations, but reports at the time alleged that at least $8.7million in donations were 'unaccounted for'. It is unclear if she ever turned over the allegedly delinquent filings for BLM Grassroots. In May 2023, it was also revealed that BLM's national organization was at risk of going bankrupt after its finances plunged $8.5million into the red the year before - while simultaneously handing multiple staff seven-figure salaries. The financial disclosures, previously reported on by MailOnline, showed the perilous state of BLM's Global Network Foundation - which officially emerged in November 2020 as a more formal way of structuring the civil rights movement. Yet despite the financial controversy and scrutiny, BLM GNF continued to hire relatives of the founder, Patrisse Cullors, and several board members. BLM's Global Network Foundation was accused of to hire relatives of the founder, Patrisse Cullors, and several board members on seven-figure salaries despite reported financial troubles. Patrisse is pictured with her brother Paul Cullors who was hired to provide 'professional security services' for BLM in 2022 Her brother Paul Cullors set up two companies which were paid $1.6million providing 'professional security services' for Black Lives Matter in 2022. Paul was also one of BLM's only two paid employees during the year, collecting a $126,000 salary as 'head of security' on top of his consulting fees. He is best known as a graffiti artist, with no apparent background in security. Patrisse defended hiring him, saying registered security firms which hired former police officers could not be trusted, given the movement's opposition to police brutality. Tax filings for 2021 revealed that BLM paid a company owned by Damon Turner, the father of Patrisse's child, nearly $970,000 to help 'produce live events' and provide other 'creative services'. Patrisse, who had been at the helm of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation for nearly six years, stepped down in May 2021, amid anger at the group's financial decisions and perceived lack of transparency. MailOnline has approached BLM and Lil Yachty for comment. A Russian was in charge of a doomed cargo ship that crashed into an oil tanker carrying jet fuel for the US military, the vessel's owner has today revealed. MV Solong punched through the hull of the American-flagged Stena Impeccable on Monday morning, causing both vessels to burst into flames. Sailors were forced to flee for their lives as the inferno ravaged their ships. Thirty-six people were rescued but one crewman from the Solong is missing and presumed dead. The cargo hauler's 59-year-old captain has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and remains in police custody. Today, the ship's owner Ernst Russ confirmed the veteran mariner was a Russian - sparking fears the Kremlin could have been involved in Monday's disaster. The rest of the crew were Russian or Filipino nationals, the shipping firm added. The White House has not ruled out foul play for the fireball disaster, senior officials in Washington previously said. A British government source also said early investigations did not indicate foul play was behind the smash - but added that it was too early to rule it out entirely. The development comes as it emerged the Solong had failed a slew of critical safety checks before the explosive crash off the East Yorkshire coast. Pictured are the charred remains of cargo ship MV Solong was completely destroyed by Monday's fire. The ship was captained by a Russian national The ship is now drifting off the coast of Lincolnshire following the disaster Pictured is the mangled remains of the MV Stena Immaculate on Tuesday afternoon MV Stena Immaculate exploded into a 'massive fireball' after being hit by MV Solong Port State Control (PSC) inspection documents from July last year have revealed that Irish officials deemed the ship's 'emergency steering position communications/compass reading' was 'not readable'. This was among 10 shocking deficiencies highlighted during the inspection of the Portuguese vessel in Dublin. Other defects include alarms being 'inadequate', survival craft 'not properly maintained', and fire doors 'not as required'. Solong crashed into Stena Immaculate off the east coast of Yorkshire on Monday at about 9.48am, causing several explosions to rip through the American ship as it turned into a 'fireball'. The Immaculate was carrying thousands of tonnes of jet fuel and had been chartered by the US military. Its 23-strong crew was forced to abandon ship. A further 13 sailors from the Solong were taken to shore unhurt - but one is presumed to have perished at sea. Smoke from the disaster was so thick, it could be seen from space, while locals on shore some 13 miles away were told to shut their windows amid fears over potentially toxic fumes. The charred husk of the Solong continued to burn last night, but is no longer expected to sink - with dramatic pictures yesterday showing its scorched hull still smouldering. Ernst Russ confirmed the vessel's captain had been arrested by Humberside Police on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. Your browser does not support iframes. A 1,000m exclusion zone has been implemented around the Solong (pictured) and Stena The 59-year-old man remains in custody and the force has launched a criminal investigation into the cause of the crash. Det Chief Supt Craig Nicholson, who is leading the investigation, said: 'Humberside Police have taken primacy for the investigation of any potential criminal offences which arise from the collision between the two vessels.' However, today's news about the captain's nationality is likely to cast fresh concern over whether the Kremlin played a role in the disaster. It comes after transport minister Mr Kane told MPs yesterday something went 'terribly wrong' for the crash to happen, but insisted there was 'no evidence' of foul play. And a spokesman for the Prime Minister later added: 'I understand there doesn't appear to be any suggestions of foul play at this time.' However, a government source previously told The Telegraph that foul play could not be entirely ruled out until a detailed investigation was concluded. A Portuguese-flagged cargo ship carrying cyanide smashed into the US military oil tanker (pictured on Monday) The Immaculate's deck this morning appeared black and charred following Monday's inferno Your browser does not support iframes. As well as failing key steering safety checks, another PSC inspection of the Solong by Scottish authorities in Grangemouth in October 2024 found two deficiencies with cargo hauler. One of these was related to lifebuoys - designed to be thrown into the water to prevent drowning - being 'not properly marked'. Solong was not detained after the inspections in Dublin or Grangemouth. PSC inspections are carried out on ships in ports around the world. They are aimed at verifying the condition of a vessel and that its equipment meets international regulations. Efforts are still being carried out to recover the body of the missing Solong crewman. Mike Kane, a transport minister, told the House of Commons on Tuesday: 'Search and rescue operations for the missing sailor continued throughout yesterday, but were called off yesterday evening at the point of which the chances of their survival had unfortunately significantly diminished. 'Our working assumption is that, very sadly, that the sailor is deceased.' PSC inspections are official checks carried out to make sure vessels visiting British and European ports meet mandatory safety standards. A spokesman for Ernst Russ said the inspections were a routine part of maritime business and that it is normal for a number of items to be flagged as deficient. They compared the safety checks to the process to taking a car to a mechanic for an MoT. When inspectors uncover serious safety-related, they must be fixed before a ship is allowed to set sail again. Questions still remain over how the accident took place, with the Immaculate having been at anchor at the time. The Solong, which is a smouldering wreck, is seen floating adrift in the North Sea on Tuesday Stena's hull was charred black by the blaze which engulfed much of the ship on Monday It's something officials from the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch will be looking to get to the bottom of. The Immaculate was chartered to the US Military Sealift Command and was loaded with 220,000 barrels of Jet-A1 aviation fuel in in 16 segregated cargo tanks when the Solong ploughed into her. If the crash was not deliberate, maritime experts have suggested Solong's watchkeepers could be to blame. Survivors of the crash yesterday told MailOnline they had only seconds to react. Recalling the terrifying maritime smash and aftermath, one crewmate from the Immaculate said: 'It was either get into your life jacket or get incinerated.' The 36 survivors of the tanker and cargo ship Solong were recovering at hotels in Grimsby on Tuesday as a full investigation began. A handful of the American crew of the Stena Immaculate spoke about what happened but asked not to be identified. They were so close to the flames as they boarded the lifeboat that some suffered singed hair. Thankfully all survived without serious injury. One member of the Solong crew is missing presumed dead. One crewman said: 'Yesterday was a bad start to the day, but it ended gloriously. Why? All 23 of us got off the ship without anybody being in it.' Adding that he was 'pleased to be alive.' Asked about his actions immediately after the tanker carrying a cargo of jet fuel burst into flames, he said: 'I did have time to think. I ran through the procedures. Because if I hadn't had time to think, we wouldn't have survived. We drilled, we trained, we prepared for the unprepared. We do emergency prep non-stop. Regardless of outside uncontrollable forces.' The Solong had been sailing from the Scottish port of Grangemouth to Rotterdam in the Netherlands The Stena Immaculate, which had travelled from the Greek port of Agioi Theodoroi. Meanwhile, the Solong had been sailing from the Scottish port of Grangemouth to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Assistant Chief Coastguard John Craig has said salvage firms are at the scene and are developing a plan to recover both the Solong and the Immaculate. The Solong is currently being held offshore in a safe position by a tug boat. Mr Craig said: 'A tow line has now successfully been put in place and a tug is holding Solong offshore in a safer position. 'There are still some flames visible on the main deck of the Solong and firefighting is focusing on this area. 'A salvage plan is being developed with the appointed salvors on scene.' Collisions remain rare in the busy North Sea. In October 2023, two cargo ships, the Verity and the Polesie, collided near Germany's Heligoland islands in the North Sea. Three people were killed and two others are still missing and considered dead. In October 2015, the Flinterstar freighter, carrying 125 tonnes of diesel and 427 tonnes of fuel oil, sank after colliding with the Al Oraiq tanker five miles off the Belgian coast. A woman fatally stabbed her ex-partner after masterminding the murder with her daughter and her boyfriend, a court has heard. Helen Shakespeare, 53, her daughter Letisha Goodwin, 30, and Anthony Hillier, 33, are charged with killing Raymond Groves, 48, from Bristol, on July 2 last year. Kate Lumsdon KC, prosecuting, told the court that Goodwin had dialed 999 at about 8pm on the night Groves died. The daughter told the operator she had returned to the home she shared with her mother in Easterton, Wiltshire, and found 'a man lying on the floor with blood everywhere'. Police, paramedics and a doctor rushed to the scene where they found the victim, who had been 'repeatedly stabbed', lying face down on the hall floor with a knife in his left hand, another on the floor, and one more in the kitchen sink. Shakespeare told officers that Mr Groves, with whom she had previously been in a relationship for 'many years', had attempted to rape her. The prosecutor said: 'It looked at first blush like the desperate attempt of a woman to protect herself from an intruder. Helen Shakespeare, her daughter Letisha Goodwin, and Anthony Hillier are charged with killing Raymond Groves, from Bristol, on July 2 last year. Mr Groves (pictured) died after being stabbed 12 times Kate Lumsdon KC, prosecuting, told the court Goodwin had called police at about 8pm on the night of the murder. Goodwin told the phone operator she had returned to the home she shared with her mother in Easterton, Wiltshire, and found 'a man lying on the floor with blood everywhere'. (stock image of Salisbury Crown Court) 'It looked like Miss Goodwin had stumbled on a situation of which she had no knowledge. 'As the investigation unfolded, it became clear that there was more to this situation than meets the eye. 'By piecing together evidence from a number of sources, including material from telephones, the Crown suggests that the true situation is that far from being a spontaneous act of passion, it was a killing that had been planned.' The prosecutor said that messages sent between Goodwin and Hillier appeared to show them discussing stabbing Mr Groves. On June 18, Hillier, of Royal Wootton Bassett, wrote to Goodwin: 'You're playing with fire baby if you stab him. Your mum can stab him, I'm not getting you in trouble.' Ms Lumsdon said that Hillier also wrote that he would do it, to which Goodwin replied: 'I don't want anyone to do my dirty work for me, I'm a grown-arse woman.' Ms Lumsdon said that a post-mortem examination showed that Mr Groves suffered 12 stab wounds, including three to his neck that severed his jugular vein, and four wounds to his back which cut up to 12.5cm deep. He had also suffered 11 'defence' wounds to his right hand, and two on his left hand, which Ms Lumsdon said was consistent with him attempting to 'grab a knife or ward off a knife' to protect himself. Ms Lumsdon said that Mr Groves had visited Shakespeare on June 27, when the prosecution claim there was an aborted attempt by her to stab him, the events of July 2 being a second attempt. 'Mr Hillier told Miss Goodwin he didn't trust Mrs Shakespeare to do it herself, he would make sure the job was done,' the prosecutor added. 'We suggest Mr Hillier was lying in wait for Raymond Groves and when Raymond Groves arrived Mr Hillier attacked him.' Goodwin told police in interview that she was 'not aware of any plan to kill or harm' Mr Groves, while Hillier did not answer questions from police,' the court heard. Shakespeare told police that Mr Groves had 'forced his way' into the house 'with a glint in his face' before 'forcing himself' upon her, and she had 'grabbed a kitchen knife' in self-defence,' Ms Lumsdon said. A statement issued in the name of Mr Groves's family paid tribute to him in the immediate aftermath of his death. 'In loving memory of Raymond Jr Groves, also known as Boo,' it read. 'Raymond Jr was an outgoing and funny person. Always there for people when they needed a chat. 'His family and friends will miss him dearly.' The defendants deny the charge and the trial continues. Boozy punters, horses and jockeys all raring to go for the 'greatest show on turf'... but this is Benidorm, not Cheltenham racecourse. Here spectators watch the steeplechasing poolside, either sunbathing with their tops off or donning ridiculous fancy dress. Most of the 'horses' are holidaymakers in inflatable costumes, while others dress up in mock jockey's silks and silly hats - a far cry from the fascinators and tweeds worn by racing fans in the Cotswolds. The price of pints is another thing which sets the Costa Blanca resort apart from the historic Festival. Day one attendees shared their outrage on Monday at the 'rip off' cost of a Guinness - a staggering 7.80 - compared to the 1 (85p) pints on offer at some bars in the holiday hotspot. The bargain prices, combined with the fact that more establishments are now showing the event on big screens, have left many racegoers adamant that they will not be returning to watch the event in-person. Graham White, a service technician from Glasgow, told The Times that he went to Cheltenham a few years ago but has now decided to swap it for Benidorm. 'I'm never going back. I was suited and booted but it's too posh, too snobby,' the 39-year-old said. 'I'd rather be here, soaking up the sun with a few drinks and having craic with the lads.' Excitable horseracing fans cheer on their pick during the Cheltenham Festival events today Punters dressed as jockeys (and one wearing a huge inflatable horse costume) gather in Benidorm town centre to watch Cheltenham Punters dressed in jockey costumes enjoy beers this morning ahead of the first events of Cheltenham Festival day two Pints were flowing in Benidorm today as punters preparing to watch Cheltenham enjoyed the sunshine Some Benidorm bars have reportedly started charging up to 15 to secure a space for the day, though most venues have free entry Grinning punters clutch their euros as they decide which horses to bet on While many basked in the spring sunshine on the Spanish coast for day one of the festival yesterday, it's a different story in dreary Gloucestershire. Thousands of punters heading to day two of the festival are facing chilly conditions, with snow falling on the track this morning and temperatures peaking at just 9C. Videos shared on social media show horses and riders who were on the course early on Wednesday battling through the wintery conditions. The Met Office said snow was forecast until around 10am on Wednesday with overcast conditions predicted for the rest of the day. One user posted on X: 'Just when you think you've seen it all snow has now arrived at Cheltenham. Bright blue skies an hour ago, can't see the back straight now.' Meanwhile there are highs of 19C and sunshine predicted in Benidorm today, as punters prepare to gather around screens to watch the broadcast. Amid a shift to TV viewing, Cheltenham has been grappling with falling attendance, with the number of people buying tickets to the event reportedly falling by 187 per cent overall in the past two years. Chief executive Guy Lavender admitted in the build-up to this year's event that organisers 'are expecting fewer racegoers to be joining us in person this week'. Meanwhile in Benidorm, Cheltenham is becoming bigger business than ever. A big screen displays the day's events, with Brits risking sunburn to watch the races from Spain Holidaymakers tuck into a full English at pubs in the resort ahead of the races Horseracing fanatics pile into a pub to watch the events in Benidorm Brits wearing fake jockey silks gather to watch the day's events on a big screen in Benidorm Punters place their bets on the horses and excitedly queue for drinks at one bar Many pubs have outdoor big screens to make the most of the influx of horseracing fans Horseracing fans in Benidorm check the British papers as they decide which horse to put their money on Attracted by the sun and sea, around a million Brits flock to to the city annually, and increasingly early March is a boom time for pubs and hotels. The Winning Post, among the most popular venues to view the events, has a dozen televisions around the bar, with punters turning up from 9am each day to bag the best seats. Owner Colleen Holm said that since she took over 18 years ago, Cheltenham become 'the busiest time of the year for us'. 'We've got racing forms so people can pick their horses, and many stay for as long as they want without losing their table,' she said. 'My dad set this up 25 years ago and when I arrived, we were probably the only bar showing Cheltenham, but now the whole of Benidorm shows it.' Racegoers Tess Garner, 38, Daisy Mallan, 21 and Floella Mallan, 22 from Newmarket are pictured at the festival today Racegoers watching the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle on day two of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival Snow falls as a horse and jockey warm up on the gallops on day two of the Cheltenham Festival There were some silly hats among the tweeds and fascinators at the racecourse today With seats so sought-after, some Benidorm bars have reportedly started charging up to 15 to secure a space for the day, though most venues have free entry. Another popular spot to watch the action unfold is the nearby Marina Resort, where more than 500 spectators pile in around a giant poolside screen. Those who don't turn up early to get a seat - some of which are taken by 8.30am, hours before the main event - stand or sit on the patio. This morning, queues formed outside of the most popular bars in the city's New Town. Punters started on the pints early as they got ready for a day of sun and betting, with many seen clutching euros and newspapers as they decided which horse to bet on. A popular beach was coloured blood red as heavy rains fell on the mineral-rich coastline in Iran. Footage circulating online showed how the downpour lit up the Silver and Red Beach on Hormuz Island as tourists gathered to marvel at its colour. Floodwater running off the rocks at the tourist attraction created spectacular waterfalls, leaving an eerie trail of red up to the shoreline. Tour guide hormoz_omid shared the video to Instagram to nearly one million likes and stunned reactions. The secret 'rainbow island' in the Strait of Hormuz remains largely undisturbed, sparsely inhabited and miles from the Iranian mainland. The phenomenon is a year-round attraction caused by the high iron oxide content in the volcanic soil. Those minerals then mix with the sea water to give the shore itself a unique reddish glow. A travel guide shared the video before it went viral online Waterfalls reddened by the rich iron-oxide content of the soil run down to the beach Hormuz Island's volcanic soil has a red colour and is, apparently, edible The rich 'gelack' soil has value for industrial purposes, used in dyeing, cosmetics, glass and ceramics. But it also plays a role in the local cuisine, used as a spice in sauces and jams, according to a local tourist board. 'Walking along the shore you will encounter parts where sand glitters with metal compounds, especially mesmerising at sunset or sunrise,' the Iran Tourism and Touring Organisation insists. 'The soil color around you keeps changing as you walk or ride and you can visit a unique red edible soil and other 70 colorful minerals in Hormuz Island.' Video shared last year wrongly claimed that the beaches had been 'turned' red due to the 'severe weather'. But tourists can experience the rare phenomenon any time of year, in any weather. 'I love this beautiful country. Let's be diligent in cleaning and maintaining it,' wrote Instagram user shiva_km22. elheshababi added: 'The power of God .... How beautiful and amazing.' Atermis.travell said: 'I wish I could be present at this moment, but my soul is definitely there.' The soil can mix with the seawater and give the impression the water is red The soil finds use in industry and the local cuisine, used as a spice in some dishes Closer to home, the tiny resort town of Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca in Spain hosts a pink lake caused by an unusual type of bacteria that thrive in the salt. The halobacteria and an algae called Dunaliella salina both help create the stunning pinkish hues, visible during the warmer months. In summer, the heat makes the bacteria more active, making it easier to see the effect. Creatures in the salt lakes take on a pink colour by feeding on the bacteria and algae, and flamingos develop colour on their feathers, a local travel site explains. Swimming in the lake is banned as the waters are home to many rare organisms. Like the Dead Sea, the salinity of the lake would likely make swimmers float. Instagram user hormoz_omid shared the video of 'heavy rain today at the Red Beach' on February 8. The pink salt lakes in the town of Torrevieja, near Alicante, on February 26, 2025 The lakes are turned pink by algae and bacteria in the salty waters Even closer to home, Britons may be fortunate enough to experience the rare phenomenon of 'glowing' shores caused by bioluminescent plankton. Stunning images shared last May showed Sheerness Beach in Kent lit up in a vivid electric blue colour, caused by the small creatures emitting light when disturbed by the motion of the sea. Displays from bioluminescent plankton is rarely seen in the UK, with it mainly being seen in warmer climates such as the Maldives and Mexico. But every now and then, bioluminescent plankton can be spotted glittering through the waters in North Wales. A shoreline in the port town of Puerto Escondido in Mexico glows blue from plankton A surfer rides a wave as bioluminescent plankton lights up the surf around him at Newport Beach, April 30, 2020 Bioluminescence is the production or emission of light by a living creature which can cause an incredible glow from the sea. The phenomenon is a result of a chemical reaction that occurs when chemical energy is converted to light energy. For this to happen the creature must carry a molecule called luciferin. When luciferin reacts with oxygen it creates light energy which we perceive as a glow. Beachgoers in Mexico were lucky to see a clearer example of the phenomenon in 2020, when the Puerto Marques shore in Acapulco lit up for the first time in 60 years. A chartered accountant who killed a pensioner in a head-on crash after falling asleep at the wheel of his car with his children in the back seat has been spared jail. Jason Rana, 39, ploughed into 70-year-old Renate Soltys' car after he failed to negotiate a bend on the 60mph B3230 at Muddiford, North Devon, and crossed into oncoming traffic. The father nodded off as he drove his sleeping young children, a six-year-old and three-year-old twins, home from a trip to the beach. He told paramedics arriving at the scene that he 'felt his eyes go and must have fallen asleep' having been up since 6am that day,' Exeter Crown Court heard. Police said at the time they were called to reports of a road traffic collision at 3.40pm. A judge heard Rana woke up just before the 100mph impact collision and found himself on the wrong side of the road. Prosecutor Peter Coombe told the court that as a result of the crash, one of Rana's children suffered a broken arm and the accountant sustained wounds to his chest. Rana, of Barnstaple, Devon, admitted causing death by careless driving in June 2023. Jason Rana, 39, ploughed into 70-year-old Renate Soltys' car at almost 100mph after falling asleep at the wheel A judge heard Rana (pictured) woke up just before the 100mph impact collision and found himself on the wrong side of the road The crash occurred after Rana failed to negotiate a bend on the 60mph B3230 at Muddiford, North Devon The father nodded off at the wheel as he drove his sleeping young children, a six-year-old and three-year-old twins, home from a trip to the beach Miss Victoria Bastock, defending, said he was full of remorse for the tragic outcome of the incident. He told police he 'nodded off and was gutted by what happened' to the victim who died at the scene. The court heard after the inicident he cried and kept apologising to people at the crash site. Ms Soltys died instantly from catastrophic brain and other wounds. Judge Anna Richardson sentenced him to a 18 month community order and told to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work. She said: 'There was a momentary lapse of consciousness. This incident was utterly out of character for you.' Divorced Rana, who has no previous convictions, was also banned from driving for 12 months. Japanese police have arrested several men over the alleged sexual assault of their underaged daughters and sharing videos of their abuse online, according to reports. Police have so far refused to confirm the arrests. The Kyodo News agency, NHK television and other outlets say police in the Aichi prefecture, a region in central Japan, took several men aged in their 30s, 40s and 50s into custody. They are accused of repeatedly raping their daughters or stepdaughters, aged six to 14, filming the scenes of the assaults and sharing the videos on social media. They are also accused of child prostitution and child pornography, the reports said. Messages and footage of their attacks were allegedly exchanged in a group chat. The group was uncovered after one of the men was arrested in November on suspicion of raping a child. Police investigated the data on his mobile phone, which led to the arrest of the other men, according to reports. A man who exposed Bunnings shoppers and staff to a dangerous chilli spray, which left 11 hospitalised, claimed he was only trying to 'entertain' a mate. Paul Andrew Hart, 51, appeared in WA District Court on Wednesday via videolink from Acacia Prison after pleading guilty to causing poison to be administered at Northam Bunnings east of Perth on April 25 last year. The court heard the FIFO worker sprayed 'Satan's Spit' inside the store 'to lighten the mood and entertain a friend who was going through rough times', the West Australian reported. Satan's Spit contains a mix of alcohol and chill extract. Reading its label, Judge Nicholas Egan said: 'This is one of our hottest and more dangerous products, please handle with care. Spray with caution as it can get travel through the air and get in eyes. You've been warned.' The court heard that Hart also had a bottle of 'fart spray' in his pocket at the time but didn't use it. The deployment of the chilli spray alone saw 15 people break into coughing fits and suffer a burning pain to their eyes and nose. Emergency services rushed to the scene and initially feared a toxic material had been spilt in the store. A man who deployed a chilli spray in a WA Bunnings store had his bid for freedom rejected in court on Wednesday (stock image) The FIFO worker had used Satan's Spit (pictured) in an effort 'to lighten the mood and entertain a companion who was going through rough times' Two of those affected by the spray were aged under-16. Eleven people were taken to hospital, where they had to strip off and take decontamination showers. Each went home with an ambulance bill in excess of $1,000. The Bunnings store forced to close while the contamination source was investigated, which resulted in $16,000 worth of lost earnings. Bunnings also had to fork out more than $3,000 in workers' compensation. Hart was later arrested at his home and charged with causing poison to be administered. He faces up to five years behind bars after he pleaded guilty in January. Hart was initially granted bail last year but committed three offences while on bail. The Northam Bunnings (pictured) east of Perth was forced to close, resulting in $16,000 worth of lost earnings The 51-year-old threatened his former partner, a prosecutor and a judicial officer and was jailed for nine months. Hart spent an additional 40 days behind bars, which Judge Egan said would be deducted from any future jail term. In a bid for his re-release, Hart's lawyer argued his client didn't believe the chilli spray would cause such severe effects as it's a food product. He argued on that account, Hart's actions weren't malicious but reckless. However, prosecutors shot down the request for freedom, arguing that Hart was a flight risk. The hardware retailer was forced to fork out in excess of $3,000 in workers compensation over the incident (stock image) It shared an outstanding warrant for Hart's arrest in Queensland, dating back to 1995, and a prison phone call during which he'd said: 'I want to get out of the west. I'm finished over here.' Hart claimed he was unaware of the arrest warrant as he'd undergone several federal police clearances in the last 30 years. Judge Egan rejected the bid for freedom, ruling no bail conditions would eliminate the risk of Hart failing to attend. Hart was remanded in custody to reappear in court for a sentence mention next Friday. March 11, 2025: Until late 2024, an Iranian could drive unimpeded from Iran to Lebanon. This route marked the much desired Iranian Shia Crescent. By late 2024 that had all changed. The Assad government was replaced by a new one that does not assume Iran is a useful ally. The Iranian Shia militia Hezbollah was destroyed and its key leaders killed by the Israelis. In addition a series of Israeli airstrikes destroyed nearly all the Iranian supplied weapons in Syria as well as missile manufacturing operations in Iran, along with the plants that made the solid fuel rocket motors. The Iranian air defense network was also destroyed as well as some Iranian-supplied stockpiles of rockets and missiles in Yemen. These were used by the Iran-backed Houthi militia to attack shipping in the Red Sea headed for the Suez Canal. Americans and British airstrikes and warships also attacked the Houthi infrastructure. Israeli aircraft can regularly attack Houthi resources. American B-2 bombers are also participating. Suez canal traffic has returned to normal with the decline of the Houthi threat. There are still some Hezbollah remnants left. Drug operations in eastern Lebanon are still operational. Hezbollah has long been active in the hashish and cocaine trade. The billions of dollars earned by drug operations is managed by a small number of Hezbollah members in the Persian Gulf state of Qatar. That money can be used to rebuild Hezbollah. America, European and most Persian Gulf nations want the Hezbollah treasury eliminated. That will be difficult to do, though Israel has done a fair job of destroying Hezbollahs financial infrastructure in Lebanon. Hezbollah money managers in Qatar have been dispensing and concealing their billions through late 2024 as the main Hezbollah organization in Lebanon was being taken apart. The United States no longer tolerates Qatari relationships with Iran and Hezbollah. Qatar has been told to sever its Iranian and Hezbollah ties or face sanctions and isolation by the U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf. None of the other Arab Gulf States are willing to defend Qatar. Hezbollah can be reassembled by financing the fantasies of the many Lebanese Shia that desire revenge. This became more difficult after the lightning early December campaign by a reorganized Islamic terrorist organization HTS, which quickly took control of Syria and sent the ruling Assad family into a Russian exile. That means Hezbollah in Lebanon no longer has a land connection to Iran via Iraq and Syria. Iran was the primary supplier of weapons and IRGC/ Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps technical advisors to Hezbollah. The IRGC is an elite security organization that guards the religious dictatorship in Iran while creating and supporting pro-Iran groups worldwide. Growing popular unrest in Iran makes it difficult for the IRGC to spare manpower to help rebuild Hezbollah. It is possible for the new Hezbollah leadership and their Iranian overlords to find ways to get the men, weapons and training together to rebuild Hezbollah. If left alone, that could take years. Israel and the many other nations hostile to Hezbollah will interfere with the rebuilding. Hezbollah will reappear, but it will not be as powerful or as expansive as its predecessor. For Hezbollah believers, thats better than nothing. The Israeli attacks on Iran left the oil fields and export terminals alone, along with Irans nuclear weapons facilities. The Iranian economy is crippled and the population angry at their continued poverty. Iranians know that their government has spent nearly $30 billion to establish themselves in Syria and other Middle Eastern countries. That is all gone, along with weapons plants and air defense systems. What remains are hunger, poverty and an angry population. IRGC commanders have been warning the government that they do not have enough troops to put down widespread uprisings and a growing number of IRGC men are reluctant to kill Iranians to protect an unpopular government. Since the 1979 revolution that overthrew the monarch and installed the religious dictatorship, everything in Iran has gone downhill. The economy is sanctioned, Israeli airstrikes have destroyed most of the military resources and overseas destabilization operations are in ruins. Iran is rated as one of the most corrupt nations in the world. GDP is declining and a growing number of talented Iranians are leaving the country. More than a decade ago, metal detectorists Reg Mead and Richard Miles unearthed what proved to be the world's largest Iron Age Celtic hoard. They found 70,000 silver coins, 11 gold torques (neck rings) and jewellery in a field on the south-east coast of Jersey. Why such a spectacular treasure had been transported to an isolated and unpopulated area with hazardous coastal reefs more than 2,000 years ago had been an enduring mystery - until now. Archaeologists believe that the 4million hoard was spirited to Jersey so that it would not fall into the hands of Julius Caesar's Roman army during the Gallic Wars. A geophysical survey around the site of the hoard's discovery has identified a Celtic settlement, overturning an assumption that Jersey was a remote backwater in the mid-1st century BC. A major study of the site is published this week by the respected Wreckwatch Magazine, with support from the educational Highlands Foundation of Jersey. The discovery by Mr Mead and Mr Miles came in 2012, after a 30-year search. The pair immediately reported their extraordinary find to the government-backed charity Jersey Heritage. Because Jersey is a Crown dependency, the find was processed under England's Treasure Trove Act 1996. More than a decade ago, metal detectorists Reg Mead and Richard Miles unearthed what proved to be the world's largest Iron Age Celtic hoard. Above: The 70,000 coins that were found in the hoard The discovery by Mr Mead and Mr Miles came in 2012, after a 30-year search. The pair immediately reported their extraordinary find to the government-backed charity Jersey Heritage The Government of Jersey bought the haul for 4.25m, and the treasures then went to the island's La Hougue Bie Museum. The hoard is believed to have originated in Armorica, the ancient French region that is now Brittany and Normandy, because most of the coins are linked to the Coriosolitae tribe, whose name may derive from the Celtic 'corios' meaning army or troop. The geophysical survey has exposed linear anomalies spanning several tens of feet, parallel and perpendicular to each other, some with subdivisions that echo those of Late Iron Age rural Celtic settlements in northern France. The Societe Jersiaise, collaborating with France research body INRAP (Institut National de Recherches Archeologiques Preventives), used scientific techniques of magnetometry and electromagnetometry to analyse the clay content and soil moisture in the fields to differentiate between man made structures and natural geology. Dr Herve Duval-Gatignol, Societe Jersiaise's archaeologist, said that, from this period, it is primarily ditches, pits, postholes and hearths that are likely to exist - 'effectively 'ghosts' left in the earth'. The identified features are 'consistent with known forms of rural settlements of Late Iron Age date in Armorica', he added. Dr Sean Kingsley, Wreckwatch's editor-in-chief and an archaeologist who has explored more than 350 shipwrecks in the last 30 years, said that the Celts were innovative boatbuilders and sailors. 'By the time Caesar attacked Brittany in 56 BC, the Celts' seaborne trade was a well-oiled machine. They found 70,000 silver coins, 11 gold torques (neck rings) and jewellery in a field on the south-east coast of Jersey. Above: The torques The Government of Jersey bought the haul for 4.25m, and the treasures then went to the island's La Hougue Bie Museum. Above: Conservator Neil Mahrer examining the hoard in 2012 Magnetic anomalies identified during the Grouville geophysical survey, showing linear anomalies, likely ancient settlement remains One of the coins found in the Le Catillon II hoard Gold torques & jewellery among coins revealed during the conservation of the Le Catillon II hoard. 'Practical knowledge about low and high water times, the locations of shoals, winds, weather and landing places had long been passed down from generation to generation. 'In light of the dangerous shoals in the approaches to Jersey, it is possible that the Catillon II hoard was shipped on a hide boat vessel resembling the gold model of a boat from Broighter in Northern Ireland. This 1st-century BC sea craft was equipped with a sail, steering oar pivoted near the stern and, crucially, nine oars on each side, which would have been invaluable to overcome unfavourable wind and steer clear of reefs. Ships built with hide or leather water-proof coverings fastened to a framework of light timbers sound flimsy but could be strongly constructed, light and flexible, ideal to ride the crests of high waves in the unpredictable Atlantic seas or for landing in almost any cove.' He added: 'Another new take is that we believe the landscape was sacred to the Celts, with ancestral power going back millennia, linked to a Neolithic megalithic tomb perched on the hilltop above the hoard discovery site. The excavation in 2012. The find turned out to be the world's largest Iron Age Celtic hoard Reg Mead (left) and Richard Miles (right) examine a copy of the Le Catillon II hoard on display at the La Hougue Bie Museum in Grouville 'There's something incredibly special about these fields. The spiritual power of the ancestors is likely to have been a big reason why the hoard was brought to Jersey.' Discussing whether an ancient Celtic temple or settlement could lie under the soils of Le Catillon, Mr Mead said: 'Only digging can prove the truth. 'But one thing's for sure. These soils were thought to be sacred, not just in Celtic times but for millennia.' Mr Miles told Wreckwatch: 'The discovery of one coin would have made me a very happy man at that time in my life because I hadn't found a single Celtic one beforeI just wanted to hold a 2,000-year-old coin.' The Wreckwatch issue is accompanied by a related video. Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon dramatically quit today insisting she wants to start a 'new chapter' outside of politics. The ex-SNP leader announced she will be standing down as the MSP for Glasgow Southside at elections next spring. Ms Sturgeon ruled Scottish politics for years before she walked away from Scotland's top job in March 2023 - shortly before her husband Peter Murrell was arrested in a police probe into the SNP's finances. News that she will not stand comes despite reports last month that she had been given the green light by the party to be a candidate. Ms Sturgeon was arrested in June 2023 in relation to the Operation Branchform investigation into the SNP's finances. She was subsequently released without charge pending further investigation, while Mr Murrell - formerly SNP chief executive - was eventually charged in relation to the alleged embezzlement of party funds. Earlier this year, the pair announced their separation and planned divorce. Speaking to journalists in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon said she had known 'for some time' what her plans were. 'Once you say it out loud, there's a sense of relief,' she said. 'I feel sad, because we are talking here about me turning the page on my life, so far. 'I've dedicated my life to trying to make Scotland a better place, I've dedicated my life to public service.' There was not a 'single moment' where she decided it was time to step away from Holyrood, she said, 'but over the last wee while, I've known that this moment would come'. Nicola Sturgeon will not seek re-election to Holyrood next year In a letter to local SNP members posted on Instagram, she said: 'I am writing to let you know that I have decided not to seek re-election to the Scottish Parliament next year. 'Reaching this decision has been far from easy, however, I have known in my heart for a while that the time is right for me to embrace different opportunities in a new chapter of my life, and to allow you to select a new standard bearer. 'Whoever you choose will have my full support and I look forward to campaigning alongside you to ensure that Glasgow Southside remains an SNP-held constituency.' Ms Sturgeon said she will be with the SNP 'every step of the way' towards independence, despite stepping down as an MSP. 'To my constituents, past and present: thank you for the trust you have placed in me. Being your MSP has been my privilege and I will continue to represent you to the best of my abilities until I step down next year,' she said in a post alongside her announcement. 'To Southside SNP members: your support, loyalty and friendship, through thick and thin, has meant more to me than you will ever know. You are the best of the best. 'To SNP members across the country: I may be leaving Parliament, but I will be by your side every step of the way as we complete our journey to independence.' Ms Sturgeon is due to release a book about her life and political career this summer. Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said that while her party would 'wish any departing MSP well', they could 'not forget the deep divisions in our country that Nicola Sturgeon created, fostered and encouraged'. Hitting out at the former first minster, Ms Hamilton said: 'By any objective analysis, her record as First Minister is one of failure. 'Scottish education standards collapsed on her watch and the poverty-related attainment gap, which she promised to eradicate, widened. 'She presided over a drugs-death emergency, a ferries scandal, a crisis in our NHS, crumbling roads and all while raising taxes on hard-working Scots, which stifled economic growth. Ms Sturgeon announced in January that she is ending her marriage to former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell. Pictured: The couple at St Paul's Cathedral, London, in 2022 'Her reckless gender self-ID policy betrayed women, her soft-touch approach to justice betrayed victims and her shameful deletion of Covid WhatsApp messages denied bereaved families answers and highlighted the secrecy and cynicism that characterised her government.' Meanwhile, The Mail can reveal cash-strapped Police Scotland has spent at least 2.1million on the probe up to January 31. The separate bill for prosecutors is around 200,000, with officers having submitted their report to the Crown Office in August last year. The total policing costs of 2,106,961 does not include pension contributions. Previous correspondence with Police Scotland showed 1.3million had been spent on the probe between 2021 and the start of 2024, meaning the cost has risen by about 800,000 in the past year. Tory MSP Craig Hoy said: The ever-increasing costs of this probe into the SNPs murky finances reflects the seriousness of the situation. With sustained SNP cuts biting across the justice system, this will be having a huge impact on the resources available to the force. A former senior officer, who asked not to be named, said: Ive never seen a case with delays of this kind between the report being sent to the Crown and a final decision being taken. The Crown will give police a shopping list after an investigation is wrapped up extra work that needs done and that could be a tidying-up exercise. The surprise in this case is that it is taking so long to conclude given the Crown will have been liaising closely with police throughout. They would have known broadly what was coming before the final report was received. As part of the probe, 60-year-old Mr Murrell is accused of embezzling SNP funds between 2016 and 2023. Colin Beattie, 73, stood down as party treasurer in 2023 after his arrest. He was later released without charge. Police Scotland said: On August 9 we presented the findings of the investigation to the Crown Office. We await their direction on what further action should be taken. A Crown Office spokesman said: A prosecution report has been received in relation to a 60-year-old man. Connected investigations of two other individuals, a man aged 73 and a 54-year-old woman, remain ongoing. Prosecutors will review this report and make decisions on the next steps. Prosecutors operate independently of political influence. Nigel Farage today ruled out allowing exiled MP Rupert Lowe back into Reform UK after he made yet another attack on the party leadership. The party leader said there was 'no way back' for Mr Lowe after he accused senior figures of trying to 'silence him' when he spoke out about grooming gangs. The Great Yarmouth MP was suspended last Friday over allegations of bullying and of verbally threatening party chairman Zia Yusuf - the latter is the subject of a police probe. Mr Lowe denies any wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a 'witch hunt' after he dared to criticise Mr Farage's leadership of the party. This morning he revealed he refused to delete a demand that the families of Asian grooming gang members be deported with them if they were 'complicit' in their crimes against teenage girls, from a speech he made in Essex in February. And he doubled down on his position, suggesting it was acceptable to deport 'entire communities' to Pakistan, saying anyone who failed to act 'is as guilty as the rapists themselves'. Mr Farage today accused Mr Lowe of pandering to Elon Musk, the Trump ally who suggested he lead Reform instead of Mr Farage in January. The party leader admitted he asked the then Reform MP not to talk about 'repatriation' and 'mass deportations', branding it 'a very grave, dark and dangerous use of language'. The party leader said there was 'no way back' for Mr Lowe after he accused senior figures of trying to 'silence him' when he spoke out about grooming gangs. The Great Yarmouth MP was suspended last Friday over allegations of bullying and of verbally threatening party chairman Zia Yusuf - the latter is the subject of a police probe He doubled down on his position today, suggesting it was acceptable to deport 'entire communities' to Pakistan, saying anyone who failed to act 'is as guilty as the rapists themselves' The party leader told The Telegraph: 'Basically, what is happening here is Rupert Lowe knows there's no way back ... he's out to cause maximum destruction and damage. 'Not content with now being under investigation by the Metropolitan Police, not content with the fact that the independent KC has already publicly rebuked him for not respecting due process and for openly lying about his conversation with the KC, he's now out to pretend that he's the only person who wants to deal with the Pakistani rape gangs. 'I've campaigned strongly on this for years and it's a completely false assertion. The idea you can deport whole communities who have British passports is just not possible under British law and never was.' In response, Mr Lowe tweeted: 'Reform should not belong to Farage, it should belong to the members. Let them decide if I am welcome in the party. Hold a vote to see if they approve of this malicious witch hunt launched by Reforms leadership. 'Farage claims Reform is a democratic party. I say prove it.' Scotland Yard has launched a probe into 67-year-old Mr Lowe after a complaint was made about his conduct towards chairman Mr Yusuf. The Great Yarmouth MP was suspended and also accused of bullying on Friday - the day after accusing party leader Nigel Farage of acting like a 'messiah' in a Daily Mail interview. The Metropolitan Police would not identify the subject of the allegations but released a statement that said: 'The Metropolitan Police have now launched an investigation into an allegation of a series of verbal threats made by a 67-year-old man.' The force said it is claimed that the alleged threats were made between December 2024 and February 2025, and that inquiries are ongoing. In a statement on Friday, Reform said Mr Lowe had been reported to the police over alleged 'threats of physical violence'. It also claimed that two women working in the MP's offices had made complaints about 'workplace bullying' and 'derogatory remarks'. Mr Lowe said: My lawyers have not yet received any contact from the police... I remain unaware of the specific allegations, but in any event, I deny any wrongdoing. The allegations are entirely untrue. Residents in a quaint country village are being agitated by a faulty drain cover that when driven over resembles the sound of a 'double-barreled shotgun going off'. Despite repeated complaints to authorities for over a year, residents along the A35 at Winterbourne Abbas in Dorset claim nothing has been done to fix the issue. Local villagers have endured the clunking noise every time a car drives over the cast iron manhole cover to such an extent that they are now losing sleep over it. While the issue is constant, it becomes even more pronounced in the early hours of the morning when the rural village is otherwise at a standstill and shrouded in peace and quiet. The exact cause of the damage to the manhole remains unclear, although there is a small pothole visible right in front of the triple cover. Tortured residents are now speaking out over the impact the manhole is having on their everyday lives, with 69-year-old local David Bailey saying he can't even sleep in his own home anymore. Living just a matter of yards away from the cover, Mr Bailey is routinely forced to spend three or four nights a week at his partner's house in order to get a good night's sleep. He said: 'I cannot stress how loud and annoying this noise is. I feel the vibration through the house whenever a car goes over it.' The cast iron triple cover manhole along the A35 in Dorset has been driving locals demented with the shotgun-like noise it makes when driven over The exact cause of the noise in still unknown, although there is a slight pothole evident directly in front of it The manhole is located in the quaint village of Winterbourne Abbas in Dorset He added living next to the manhole has become almost 'unbearable'. 'It is a very busy road and it has just been going on month after month after month now. It is ridiculous', Mr Bailey lamented. 'It has become nearly unbearable even with all the windows closed. 'It is so loud you can hear it a few hundred yards down the road. Trying to get a peaceful night's sleep is impossible. 'It constantly wakes you up, especially when the area is so still and quiet. We need this fixed', he stated. Describing the sound of the manhole as 'like a double-barreled shotgun going off next to you all the time', Mr Bailey said that he regularly lays in bed at night 'waiting for the next clunk'. Complaints were first raised to both National Highways and the owner of the manhole cover, BT Openreach, in February of 2024 by local councillor Tony Hancox. Both Dorset Council and National Highways have obfuscated blame by stating that it is up to BT Openreach to fix. According to Mr Bailey, workmen have visited the manhole on two separate occasions but failed to conduct any meaningful work other than paint two white crosses over the cover. A spokesperson for National Highways said: 'We are aware of an issue with a noisy manhole cover and have raised this previously with the utilities company. We have been assured it will be fixed this month.' A BT Openreach spokesperson said: 'We're sorry for the disruption the underground chamber cover is causing. Work is expected to start this month.' An eight-mile stretch of protected Amazon rainforest has been felled to make space for a new four-lane highway in time for the COP30 climate summit. Drone footage and images have revealed thick dirt lanes cutting through the lush greenery as the Brazilian government prepare for the conference in November. The road will be used to ease traffic in and out of the city of Belem, which will host a staggering 50,000 people - including world leaders. Logs have already been spotted piled high on the sides of the cleared land and diggers have appeared paving over the wetland in the world's richest biological reservoir. The state government of Para had previously shelved plans for the highway, known as Avenida Liberdade, due to environmental concerns. However, the project was revived along with other infrastructure plans ahead of COP30. Adler Silveira, the state government's infrastructure secretary, described the highway as an 'important mobility intervention' and a 'sustainable highway,' but several locals and conservationists have hailed blasted the decision, highlighting the substantial environmental impact. 'We can have a legacy for the population and, more importantly, serve people for COP30 in the best possible way,' he said. A new four-lane highway cutting through tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest is being built for the COP30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belem The road will be used to ease traffic in and out of the city of Belem, which will host a staggering 50,000 people The state government of Para had previously shelved plans for the highway, known as Avenida Liberdade, due to environmental concerns Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (R) and Para Governor Helder Barbalho visit the area of Parque da Cidade, the venue that will host the activities of the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30) in Belem Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has defended the project, saying the summit will be 'a COP in the Amazon, not a COP about the Amazon.' Lula said the conference would highlight the needs of the Amazon and show the world what the federal government has done to protect it. But the Amazon plays a vital role in absorbing carbon for the world and providing biodiversity, and many say this deforestation contradicts the very purpose of a climate summit. Speaking to the BBC, Claudio Verequete, a , who lives around 200m from the highway said the new road has 'destroyed' everything. 'Our harvest has already been cut down. We no longer have that income to support our family,' he told the news site. Claudio explained that he has received no compensation from the state government and is worried that the road's construction will lead to more deforestation. But there are also fears as the local's community will not be connected to the major road due to the walls on either side. 'For us who live on the side of the highway, there will be no benefits. There will be benefits for the trucks that will pass through. If someone gets sick, and needs to go to the centre of Belem, we won't be able to use it,' he added. The construction comes amid wider environmental challenges in the Amazon. In August 2024, devastating fires swept across the Amazon, Cerrado savannah, Pantanal wetland, and even Sao Paulo - many of them started deliberately to clear land for deforestation and pasture management. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (C) is pictured before putting fertilizer on a Samauma tree (Ceiba pentandra), typical of the Amazon rainforest In many parts of the Amazon, disturbed parts of the forest may recover, but not to the same state they were before. Some will become overgrown with bamboo or lianas, which prevent trees from returning At the same time, the Amazon River plunged to record lows for the second consecutive year, forcing governments to declare states of emergency and distribute food and water to affected communities. A key tributary of the river in Brazil fell to its lowest recorded levels. Climate summits have come under increasing scrutiny for their environmental impact - particularly the use of private jets by world leaders and corporate executives who were accused of 'blatant hypocrisy'. At COP28 in Dubai, a staggering 291 private flights were linked to the event, generating an estimated 3,800 tonnes of CO2 - equivalent to the annual emissions of more than 500 people. Alethea Warrington, head of energy, aviation, and heat at climate action charity Possible, didn't hold back in her criticism. 'Travelling by private jet is a horrendous waste of the world's scarce remaining carbon budget,' she told The Times. 'Each journey produces more emissions in a few hours than the average person emits in an entire year.' Similar scenes unfolded at COP27 in Egypt, where 36 private jets landed in Sharm el-Sheikh and another 64 flew into Cairo. The UK is handing over the baton on the COP summits to Egypt, having hosted the 26th gathering in Glasgow last year The Gulfstream G650 one of the most popular models at the summit - burns around 1,893 litres of fuel per hour, producing 23.9 tonnes of CO2 on a five-hour flight. However, the UK's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy recommends multiplying this by 1.9 to account for non-CO2 emissions at high altitudes - meaning a single Gulfstream flight to COP27 could have generated a staggering 45.3 tonnes of CO2 equivalent more than the annual emissions of the average person. At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the trend worsened. A shocking 65 private jets landed in the week leading up to the summit - nearly double the number seen at COP28. Of those, 45 flights arrived in just two days as the conference got underway. Warrington blasted the double standards: 'For CEOs who claim to care about tackling the climate crisis, using a private jet to get to COP shows blatant hypocrisy.' Despite the backlash, government officials have defended the practice. A UK government spokesperson insisted that their delegation's flight to COP27 was 'on one of the most carbon-efficient planes of its size in the world' and that emissions were being offset. Environmentalists, however, have argued that such reassurances ring hollow when leaders continue to rely on private jets - contradicting the very purpose of the climate summits. Tensions have emerged in Keir Starmer's 'coalition of the willing' on Ukraine today despite the apparent breakthrough with the US. Italian PM Giorgia Meloni is said to be poised to snub talks called by Sir Keir on Saturday about how to enforce any peace deal with Russia. Some 30 countries are expected to take part in the virtual discussions. But according to la Repubblica, Ms Meloni will not participate and is 'distancing herself' from French-British offers to provide troops on the ground. She reportedly believes that Sir Keir and Emmanuel Macron are 'rushing ahead' by putting together a military contingent. Instead Ms Meloni - who has positioned herself as a bridge between Europe and Washington - has floated the idea of extending Nato's collective defence Article 5 to Ukraine, even without formal membership. Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto is expected to make the argument at another summit with counterparts - including the UK's John Healey - in Paris today. Sir Keir hailed Ukraine's backing for ceasefire proposals as a 'remarkable breakthrough' overnight. The PM joined the US in urging Vladimir Putin to fall into line with the 30-day ceasefire proposal put forward by Donald Trump's US administration. Italian PM Giorgia Meloni is said to be poised to snub talks called by Sir Keir on Saturday about how to enforce any peace deal with Russia The Italian PM reportedly believes that Sir Keir and Emmanuel Macron (pictured with Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month) are 'rushing ahead' by putting together a military contingent America also announced the pause on military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine has been lifted, following talks between the two nations held in Saudi Arabia. Mr Healey will meet his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and Poland in Paris to discuss joint work on building up Europe's deterrent against Russia. It follows a gathering of military chiefs in the French capital yesterday aimed at thrashing out commitments for the so-called 'coalition of the willing'. Ahead of the talks, Mr Healey said it was now a 'decisive moment for the future of Ukraine and for the security of Europe'. He added: 'The UK remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine, and we will continue to lead alongside our European partners as we push for a just and lasting peace. 'European nations are stepping up. By deepening our defence co-operation, boosting spending and enhancing our collective strength, we send a clear message: we will not waver in standing with Ukraine and defending our shared values.' Sir Keir congratulated Mr Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky last night for the 'remarkable breakthrough'. 'As both American and Ukrainian delegations have said, the ball is now in the Russian court. Russia must now agree to a ceasefire and an end to the fighting too,' Sir Keir added. He echoed the words of Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, who told reporters in the Gulf state he hoped President Putin would now respond 'as quickly as possible'. US President Mr Trump meanwhile said American and Russian officials would meet 'later on today and tomorrow' to discuss the deal, adding: 'If we can get Russia to do it, that'll be great. If we can't, we just keep going on and people are going to get killed, lots of people.' Ukrainian leader Mr Zelensky said 'it is up to the United States' to convince Russia to also agree to the plan, and said the ceasefire will 'take effect immediately' if the Kremlin did. A former NICU nurse who was charged with injuring an infant at the Virginia hospital where she worked has been indicted on new child abuse-related charges. Erin Strotman, 26, was arrested last year and charged with malicious wounding and felony child abuse of a 5-month-old baby who was found with a fractured left femur. Strotman was allegedly caught on surveillance video in November 2024 taking the infant - identified only as Y.H. - by his legs and pushing them backward so his feet were at his head, a criminal complaint states. The nurse was indicted on a further six charges, including four of child abuse and two of malicious wounding, by a grand jury on Monday. Strotman now faces a total of eight charges, those relating to Y.H., and charges relating to two additional babies, identified as L.M.-B. and A.V., according to court records obtained by DailyMail.com. Officials are investing the injuries of seven babies who were receiving care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Henrico Doctors' Hospital in Richmond in 2023 and 2024. Monday's charges are in connection to the three infants injured last year. She has not been charged in connection to the injuries in 2023. Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney Shannon Taylor confirmed during a media briefing that one of the babies involved in the new charges against Strotman was not included in the initial seven babies, WRIC reported. This means that there are at least eight infants who have suffered such fractures. Erin Strotman was indicted on a further six charges, including four of child abuse and two of malicious wounding, by a grand jury in Virginia on Monday Monday's charges are in connection to the three infants injured at Henrico Doctors' Hospital in Richmond last year. She has not been charged in connection to the injuries in 2023 Hospital staff found three babies in its NICU with unexplained fractures between late November and December 2024. Baby L.M-B was severely injured in October 2024 and suffered multiple fractures, with every limb being broken. The child is still receiving therapy for his injuries. Y.H. is understood to have been injured on or about November 10, three days before A.V. is estimated to have been injured, court documents reveal. The injuries resembled wounds that were found in four babies during summer 2023, the hospital has said. Henrico Doctors' Hospital launched an internal investigation into the injuries, notifying both police and families of the infant victims. Police launched their own investigation on December 26 and by December 31 had reopened cases relating to the 2023 injuries. 'While there has been an arrest for one person for allegedly inflicting injury on a single victim, I would emphasize this is an ongoing investigation spanning potential offenses committed in both 2023 and 2024,' Taylor said in a statement to DailyMail.com. Strotman, who was released on a $25,000 bond last month, is next scheduled to appear in court on March 20. There are at least eight infants who have suffered fractures while in the NICU at Henrico Doctors' Hospital. This photo, which is included among the trove evidence investigators are looking into, shows injuries sustained by one of the NICU babies Strotman was arrested upon her return to work on January 2, 2025 after she was caught on video allegedly breaking Y.H.'s thigh bone. Strotman and three other colleagues had been suspended with pay for a year while CPS looked into the fractures of four boys, but they failed to uncover who was responsible. While the nurses were suspended, the hospital installed 'angel cameras' which allowed constant monitoring of the premature babies. The video, which led to Strotman's arrest, was made after she returned to work in September 2024. Strotman, who received her nursing license in May 2019, is described on the Henrico Doctors Hospital website as a former employee, however it does not state how long she worked at the facility. Despite the charges against her, Strotman's nursing certification remains active online as of Wednesday, according to the Virginia Department of Health Professions. Labour has been accused of delivering another 'shattering blow' to Britain's farmers after a post-Brexit subsidy scheme was halted without notice. Defra last night said it was halting new applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive, set up in 2021 as part of the replacement for the EU's 3.5billion common agricultural policy. It rewarded farmers for protecting the environment while growing crops and rearing livestock, bankrolling 'public goods' such as insecticide-free farming, wildflower strips and managing ponds and hedgerows. In a blogpost the department said it was 'the right time for a reset: supporting farmers, delivering for nature and targeting public funds fairly and effectively towards our priorities for food, farming and nature'. But farmers and politicians lashed out at the latest battlefront opening up in the war between farmers and the Labour government. They are already at loggerheads over inheritance tax reform which has led to protests in Westminster. The NFU president Tom Bradshaw said his organisation had been given just 30 minutes warning that the decision was being announced. 'This is another shattering blow to English farms, delivered yet again with no warning, no understanding of the industry and a complete lack of compassion or care,' he said. Defra, led by Environment Secretary Steve Reed, last night said it was halting new applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive, set up in 2021 as part of the replacement for the EU's 3.5billion common agricultural policy. But farmers and politicians lashed out at the latest battlefront opening up in the war between farmers and the Labour government, who are already at loggerheads over inheritance tax reform. The NFU president Tom Bradshaw said his organisation had been given just 30 minutes warning that the decision was being announced. 'We have had major concerns for years about whether there was the capability within Defra to deliver the agricultural transition post-Brexit. We have warned time and time again that large parts of the SFI were poorly designed and that the department was consistently failing to deliver it. 'Today's terrible news was delivered with only 30 minutes warning to us before ministers briefed the press, leaving us unable to inform our members. 'There has been no consultation, no communication; there has been a total lack of the 'partnership and co-design' Defra loves to talk about. 'It is another example of the growing disregard for agriculture within the department. Robbie Moore, the Tory shadow farming minister, added that it was 'hugely damaging for business, for food production and for the environment - and of course detrimental for our farmers own health and wellbeing.' Defra said 50,000 farm businesses and more than half of all farmed land was now in environmental land management schemes, which have an overall budget of 5 billion over two years. Environment Secretary Steve Reed will issue a ministerial statement on the change today. The SFI provided support for practices such as reducing pesticide use, improving soil quality and rewarding farmers for preventing local river pollution. Kitty Thompson, senior nature programme manager at th Conservative Environment Network, said: 'Today's announcement flies in the face of the original Conservative strategy to ensure as many farmers as possible can farm in a more nature-friendly way. 'At the exact moment that this scheme reached a critical mass of farmers enrolling, the government has closed it, limiting the number of farmers that can get involved. 'With trust between farmers and the government now gone, this move raises more questions than it answers about how the government intends to actually deliver on its commitments to support farmers and restore nature.' Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner said: 'This Government is proud to have set the biggest budget for sustainable food produce in history, to boost growth in rural communities and all across the UK, under our Plan for Change. 'More farmers are now in schemes and more money is being spent through them than ever before. That is true today and will remain true tomorrow. ' Russian lawmakers have said Vladimir Putin would be wary of agreeing to a US-Ukraine proposed ceasefire deal at a time when his army is making gains on the battlefield as Russian forces continue to beat back Kyiv's troops in Kursk. Ukraine's army launched a lightning offensive into the Russian border region last August, seizing a chunk of land that Volodymyr Zelensky hoped to use as leverage in ceasefire negotiations. But the incursion force has sustained significant losses in recent weeks with Russian troops taking back several settlements, including most of the town of Sudzha. Footage emerged this morning of Moscow's soldiers flying the tricolour in Sovetsyaka Square in central Sudzha as other clips purported to show fleeing Ukrainian vehicles being targeted by Russian drones. 'Our troops are successfully advancing in the Kursk Region, liberating areas that were under the control of the militants. The dynamic is good,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters today. News of Russian gains in the embattled Kursk region come after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Kyiv had accepted a proposed 30-day ceasefire following eight-hour long negotiations in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah yesterday. Volodymyr Zelensky declared that the Kremlin must respond after Ukraine showed it is ready and willing to enter peace negotiations by accepting Washington's proposal. 'Everything depends on whether Russia wants a ceasefire and silence, or it wants to continue killing people,' Zelensky said at a press conference in Kyiv today. 'Ukraine has demonstrated its position... and today Russia has to respond to this. I have emphasised this many times, none of us trust the Russians,' he said, adding that 'we can count on strong steps' from the US should Moscow decline the proposal. Russians bear flags in Sovetskaya Square in the centre of Sudzha, a key town in Russia's embattled Kursk region A drone view shows men dressed in military uniform waving flags, including the state flag of Russia, and standing on a water tower in the centre of Sudzha town in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict Volodymyr Zelensky declared that the Kremlin must respond after Ukraine showed it is ready and willing to enter peace negotiations by accepting Washington's proposal. Western leaders said the 'ball is now in Russia's court' as Washington plans to present a ceasefire proposal to Putin and the Kremlin Rubio said Washington will now present the deal to the Kremlin. The result in Riyadh is a masterful piece of diplomacy from Kyiv: at the cost of a notional promise to observe a bilateral ceasefire and warm words for the Trump administration, President Zelenskyy restored American military and intelligence support, avoided being locked into a minerals deal in the absence of security guarantees, and put the ball firmly in Moscow's court.' Sam Greene, Director for Democratic Resilience at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), described the ceasefire proposal as a 'masterful piece of diplomacy' from Kyiv. 'At the cost of a notional promise to observe a bilateral ceasefire and warm words for the Trump administration, President Zelensky restored American military and intelligence support, avoided being locked into a minerals deal in the absence of security guarantees, and put the ball firmly in Moscow's court, Greene said. Russian lawmakers, however, appeared dismissive. 'Russia is advancing (on the battlefield), so it will be different with Russia,' senior Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev noted. 'Any agreements should be on our terms, not American,' he said, while lawmaker Mikhail Sheremet told state news agency TASS that Moscow 'will not tolerate being strung along.' 'It is difficult for Putin to agree to this in its current form,' another senior source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. 'Putin has a strong position because Russia is advancing.' Others said that the ceasefire proposal looked from Moscow's perspective to be a 'trap' because Putin would find it hard to halt the war without some concrete guarantees or pledges. Russia controls just under a fifth of Ukraine's total landmass and has been edging westward for months while Ukraine's grip on territory in Kursk is slipping. Yesterday, Russia's Defence Ministry claimed its troops had 'liberated 12 settlements during the offensive... and more than 100 square kilometres of the Kursk region'. Russia's Chief of General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, personally visited Kursk earlier this week and doled out medals to frontline soldiers involved in the operation. There were concerns that Ukrainian units still in and around the town of Sudzha could be cut off from supply lines as Russian troops advanced from the north and south in a pincer movement earlier this week. But Ukrainian military officials said their soldiers had retreated to better defensive positions. A Russian drone prepares to strike a fleeing Ukrainian pickup truck driving out of Sudzha Russia escalates overnight attacks on Ukraine, killing and wounding crew and port workers in Odesa grain ship strike, destroying homes in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy and hitting Krivyi Rih Russia escalates overnight attacks on Ukraine, killing and wounding crew and port workers in Odesa grain ship strike, destroying homes in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy and hitting Krivyi Rih Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz yesterday agreed a ceasefire proposal with Ukrainian officials Your browser does not support iframes. Meanwhile, fighting continues to rage elsewhere as the US prepares to present the a ceasefire proposal to the Kremlin. Russian missiles killed four Syrian men between the ages of 18 and 24 on a ship docked at the southern port of Odesa late Tuesday, where it was loading Ukrainian wheat for Algeria, Infrastructure Minister Oleksii Kuleba said. Another missile killed a woman in Kryvih Rih, Zelensky's hometown in central Ukraine, authorities said, with projectiles battering targets in Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipro. Speaking after yesterday's talks in Jeddah, Rubio said the White House would know 'what the impediment to peace is' once the terms of the proposed ceasefire are relayed to the Kremlin. 'Today, we've made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations to end this conflict in a way that's enduring and sustainable,' he declared. 'We're going to tell (the Russians) this is what's on the table. Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now it'll be up to them to say yes or no. 'If they say no, then we'll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here.' Both presidents Trump and Zelensky, who just weeks ago engaged in a bitter spat in the White House that saw Washington temporarily restrict military aid and intelligence sharing from Kyiv, also lauded the deal. Last night Trump said he would talk directly to Putin, telling reporters: 'It takes two to tango. I hope he will agree.' Zelensky added: 'We see (the ceasefire proposal) as a positive step and are ready to take it. Now, it is up to the United States to convince Russia to do the same. Russian sources however questioned why the US was trumpeting Ukraine's acceptance of a ceasefire deal on the same day Washington restored military aid and intelligence sharing to Kyiv. A Russian self-propelled multiple rocket launcher is fired toward Ukrainian position at an undisclosed location in the Kursk region President Donald Trump has now lifted the military aid and intelligence sharing pause to Ukraine The wreckage of a Ukrainian armoured vehicle is seen in this image released by Russian forces in Kursk Russian forces published videos of their soldiers raising Russian flags above damaged buildings in Kursk British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron lauded the developments in Saudi Arabia yesterday, declaring the 'ball is now in Russia's court'. But Royal Navy veteran Vice Admiral Bob Cooling told MailOnline: 'Trump has no track record of successful international negotiation with dictators. 'He was appalling with North Korea, that completely failed. He failed in Iran. Now he thinks he will be able to do a deal with Putin. 'Putin is in an immensely strong position. Why should he listen to Trump?' Vice Adm Cooling, who had an illustrious 32-year career with Britain's Senior Service - which included working as the chief of staff to Nato's Supreme Allied Command Transformation hub at Norfolk, Virginia, feared Putin would strong-arm Trump into a Ukraine peace deal that better suited the Russian tyrant. 'Putin will say three things: 'I'm very disappointed with you, Donald, because you didn't engage me in these peace talks and or seek my opinions. I need compensation on your behalf',' Vice Adm Cooling warned. 'Secondly, he will tell Trump 'I am winning this war, so I don't want ceasefire. I want conditions'. 'Thirdly, those conditions will be that Ukraine immediately cedes the Donbas region to Russia - and that there will be no discussion of ever giving back Crimea.' While the US and Ukraine hashed out a ceasefire proposal, European nations were preparing to meet to discuss efforts to continue their support of Kyiv and ramp up their defence spending. Britain's Defence Secretary John Healey will meet his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and Poland in Paris today as Starmer and Macron lead efforts to pull together a European stabilisation force that could deploy to Ukraine following a peace agreement. Speaking ahead of the meeting with Europe's top defence spenders (E5), Healey said: 'We are at a decisive moment for the future of Ukraine and for the security of Europe. 'The UK will continue to lead alongside our European partners and push for a just and lasting peace. 'European nations are stepping up and as E5 nations we must take on more responsibility for European security. 'By deepening our defence cooperation, boosting spending and enhancing our collective strength, we send a clear message. We will not waver in standing with Ukraine and defending our shared values.' A Vermont police officer was watching YouTube in his cruiser when he struck and killed a cyclist while speeding, it is claimed. Shelburne Police Sgt. Kyle Kapitanski, 41, is accused of recklessly speeding while distracted by the video moments before he struck and killed cyclist Sean Hayes, 38. Sickening footage first shared by WCAX showed Hayes setting up his bike on the side of the road when he was mowed down by a speeding vehicle on the morning of November 11, 2024. In documents from the outlet, investigators say the crash unfolded as Kapitanski's bodycam showed him playing a YouTube video featuring right-wing influencer Matt Walsh on his in-cruiser tablet. Immediately following the crash, detectives allege that Kapitanski's hand could be seen changing the in-cruiser screen to show a police information program named Valcour. Kapitanski is expected to be arraigned in court on Thursday and faces up to 15 years in prison on charges of gross negligent operation resulting in death. Tributes poured in for father-of-two Hayes following the tragic collision, with a GoFundMe set up for his daughters saying he was 'full of life, laughter and kindness.' 'He was only 38 years old and leaves behind two young, beautiful daughters,' the fundraiser said. Shocking surveillance footage captured the moment a Vermont police officer allegedly fatally struck a cyclist after being distracted by a YouTube video on November 11, 2024 Shelburne Police Sgt. Kyle Kapitanski, 41, is accused of recklessly speeding while distracted by the video moments before he allegedly struck and killed a cyclist Cyclist Sean Hayes, 38, was tragically killed at the scene. A father-of-two, friends said he was 'full of life, laughter and kindness' Locals in the South Burlington community had voiced outrage after charges were not initially filed in Hayes' death, and last month an investigation by Vermont State Police resulted in Kapitanski only receiving a citation. On the day of the crash four months ago, Kapitanski was reportedly driving along Shelburne Road at around 2:40am, and had visited a convenience store five minutes before the crash. Immediately after the horror incident caught on surveillance footage, Kapitanski called his police dispatch and reported that he had hit something, 'possibly a person.' According to a police filing reported by VT Digger, neither Kapitanski's bodycam nor his cruiser's dashcam captured the collision. However, Kapitanski's bodycam did record some 'post-collision' events, the filing stated including a view of his in-cruiser tablet. Investigators said a web browser could be seen on the tablet showing a YouTube video, and 'Kapitanskis hand can be seen changing the tablets display screen, after the collision, from the YouTube web site to Valcour.' The report added that Kapitanski was driving at about 40mph in a 35mph zone. 'The crash reconstruction report states the crash likely could have been avoided if Kapitanski was traveling at the speed limit,' the filing stated. Tributes poured in for Hayes following his passing, as friends grieved for him and his two young daughters Hayes was seen setting up his bicycle moments before a vehicle slammed into him on Shelburne Road in Vermont last November Kapitanski (right) was allegedly seen switching his in-cruiser tablet from a YouTube video to a police training screen seconds after the crash Detectives said that according to the report, 'there was a delay when the brakes were activated after the crash', which measured approximately 85 feet. On surveillance video showing the crash, Hayes was seen picking his bike up off the ground and setting it up, but Kapitanski reportedly told a member of the South Burlington Fire Department at the scene that Hayes 'came out of nowhere.' Police noted that Hayes was wearing 'inconspicuous' clothing and neither his bicycle nor a trailer he had attached to it had 'reflective material' or lights attached. In a review of Kapitanski's in-cruiser tablet, it was found that he accessed 'several YouTube' web addresses between 2:29am and 2:40am, when the crash occurred. The final video on the tablet was reportedly found to be titled: 'Trans woman CONFRONTING Matt Walsh takes UNEXPECTED turn.' Kapitanski's attorney David Sleigh argued that the officer hadn't touched the YouTube clip since before he stopped in the convenience store, and challenged the finding that that was probably cause to support a felony charge. Police noted that Hayes was wearing 'inconspicuous' clothing and neither his bicycle nor a trailer he had attached to it had 'reflective material' or lights on the night of the crash 'The affidavit, as near as I can see it, says that Kyle was going maybe 5 miles over the speed limit, that his computer was playing some sort of video, but the officer says that their IT guy says there doesnt appear to be any interaction with the computer in the 11 minutes that matter,' Sleigh said. 'They dont make any allegation that he was watching the screen or was otherwise distracted. 'It appears the best they can do is a misdemeanor simple negligence allegation,' Sleigh added to WCAX. Kapitanski has been placed on leave from the Shelburne Police Department as he faces up to 15 years behind bars. March 11, 2025: Ukrainian forces are still in Russia, occupying over a thousand square kilometers of Russian territory. Russia gathered 78,000 troops to expel the 30,000 Ukrainians and that force as so far failed. Russia brought in 11,000 North Korea troops to assist in this effort and now a third of the North Koreans are casualties and have been withdrawn from combat. Russia paid a lot of money to the North Korean government for these troops, who fought well but were defeated. This all began when Ukrainian forces made an unexpected raid into Russias Kursk area on August 2nd, 2024, and stayed. By early 2025 these Ukrainian forces were still in Russia. During the initial incursion, Russian security forces were exposed as inept and unprepared. The agency most at fault was the FSB. This is the 1990s successor to the Soviet era KGB. The FSB is not as large or as aggressive and competent as the KGB or its border guard forces. This was evident when Ukrainian troops rolled into Kursk province. It took the Russians over a month to show up and oppose, but not dispose of, the invaders. By early November Ukraine still occupied over a thousand square kilometers of Russian territory and the Russians were still unprepared to oust the Ukrainians. By early 2025 Russian forces had retaken about half of the Ukrainian occupied Russian territory. Despite this apparent failure, the FSB was doing its job. In this case that was spying on other Russian intelligence and combat organizations. Russia has always had multiple intelligence agencies which gather information on foreign nations and their armed forces as well as rival Russian intelligence organizations. The FSB failure in opposing the Ukrainian incursion was caused by FSB preoccupation with investigating internal enemies and those suspected of opposing Vladimir Putin. Everyone in Russian intelligence and the military works for Putin and protecting him from real or imagined threats takes priority over everything else. The Ukrainian incursion was largely ignored by Russian intelligence and military commanders who were concentrating on internal struggles. None of the Russian intel agencies appear to have noticed the impending Ukrainian incursion. Russian civilians in the Ukrainian occupation zone noticed the absence of Russian forces. When the Ukrainians invaded, they captured several hundred soldiers as well as civilians working for the military. Most of these were subsequently used to get Ukrainian prisoners released. While the Russians responded to the prisoner swap offer, they are still not in a fighting mood regarding the Ukrainian troops occupying Russian territory. A Russian official did show up and blamed the local municipal authorities for the Ukrainian success. At the same time he said Russian military assistance was on the way. After three months the local civilians still had not received any help from their government. In contrast the Ukrainian occupiers were friendly and did not prevent local civilians from leaving the occupied zone. Previous to the August incursion, Ukrainian forces had advanced into Russia several times, but withdrew before any Russian troops could show up. In most of those cases, there were no Russian soldiers present to oppose the incursions. The dwindling, from casualties and desertions, Russian forces are barely able to cover the thousand kilometer front line. Most of the fighting is going on in eastern Ukraine, where Russian forces continue to gain ground in Luhansk and Donetsk provinces where the war began in 2014. Heavy Russian losses in Ukraine since 2022 are one of the reasons Russia was unable to move enough troops and armored vehicles towards Kursk to expel the Ukrainians. Russian President Vladimir Putin did not expect such a bold Ukrainian attack into Russia and had little to say publicly. Instead he went off on a planned visit to another part of Russia while a few troops were sent to block the Ukrainian advance. Russian media were ordered to report little or nothing about the incursion. The media did publish vague reports of something happening in Kursk province, and most Russians were more afraid of their own government than they were of Ukrainian troops inside Russia. Putin enacted laws that punished critics of his policies in Ukraine. A few Russians were sent to prison and that was sufficient to frighten any other Russian critics of Putins policies. Meanwhile Putin has his own problems dealing with the invading Ukrainians. Three years of fighting in Ukraine have severely depleted the Russian armed forces. There were not enough troops available to block the Ukrainian advance. This was what the Ukrainians expected because Ukrainian military intelligence has monitored Russian soldiers using cellphones and interviewed Russia prisoners. Ukraine knew that there were not many Russian troops left in Ukraine and Russian morale was low. Russia has not resorted to extreme measures to motivate their soldiers. In World War II methods were used to motivate reluctant troops that Russian does not believe will work 80 years after World War II. During World War II Russia resorted to ancient traditions when deadly force was necessary to encourage reluctant Russian soldiers. In 2022 Russian officers were expected to use deadly force on their own troops in order to ensure obedience. This was often used during World War II. During some major offensives NKVD personnel would be brought in to operate machine-guns behind the troops who were taking part in a major offensive. The NKVD machine-gunners fired on any Russian troops leaving the front-line forces. Many nations consider desertion in the face of the enemy to be treason, but they dont usually execute the traitorous deserters on sight. After 2022, Russians in Ukraine found that they could not get away with using NKVD methods. The troops would sometimes shoot back, and first in some instances. This meant there was no motivation to get reluctant Russian troops to move forwards. After three years fighting in Ukraine, Russian troops are often unable to motivate themselves into attacking. Even defending Russian troops will sometimes flee. The Ukrainians in Kursk are taking advantage of that and Vladimir Putin is receiving bad news he does not want to hear or deal with. Until some overdue reforms are made, these flaws will not go away. The fighting in Ukraine reminded Russian military and political leaders that the long delay is already working on needed reforms so, they hope, that the next time Russian troops are in combat they perform better and perhaps even win. There have been several rounds of unsuccessful military reforms since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. One of the major causes of that collapse was their unaffordable and largely ineffective armed forces. In post-Soviet Russia there are far fewer restrictions on criticizing the military. Most Russians have a very negative attitude towards conscription and the reforms underway because of the Ukraine War disaster are typical of several previous efforts to remedy problems that continue to resist any fundamental change. Families living in a 1.2billion eco-village say they are still waiting after 16 years for crucial facilities including schools and doctors' surgeries. Residents of a south Wales development inspired by King Charles's Poundbury estate also still waiting for thousands of homes as well as community hubs. Much-touted plans for Coed Darcy included 4,000 homes, four schools, a surgery, community hall, library and 500,000sqft of 'employment space'. But so far only 294 Persimmon homes have been built in the village close to Llandarcy in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, since remedial work began back in 2009. Despite being touted as a '15-minute neighbourhood' and an 'eco-village', locals say it now feels more like a 'war zone' following a slowdown in improvement works. There is still a shortage of schools, shops, library and doctors' surgery, with residents having to travel 20 minutes to the closest such facilities elsewhere. The estate was once home to the BP-owned Llandarcy Oil Refinery, the UK's first crude oil refinery. The first families living there moved in to the site built by developer St Modwen in 2008 - but have been kept waiting for plenty more facilities ever since. Residents of the Coed Darcy development in south Wales say they are still waiting for progress Some 4,000 homes were promised as part of the scheme but only a few hundreds are ready Proposals for Coed Darcy included 4,000 homes, four schools, a surgery, community hall, library and 500,000sqft of 'employment space' - but improvements have slowed Local authority Neath Port Talbot Council has told of ongoing discussions with developers St Modwen and then their parent company Blackstone Group, who 'moved' responsibility of the site to a new subsidiary firm called Revantage. The developers have now issued an apology for 'the operational issues affecting residents', while submitting a planning application for more development. James Dewitt, 40, a telecommunications consultant who has lived at Coed Darcy for 10 years, was among the locals sharing their despair at a lack of progress. He said: 'We like our houses, the community and living here but we are frustrated at the lack of promised facilities and are unable to get a clear answer from either St Modwen or the council about what is causing the delay. 'We do have a residents group I sit on and we occasionally meet with St Modwen and they have told us they will try to get us some clarity on the status of the development next time we meet. 'I have also written to the NPT planning department several times and, while they respond, we never get an update of any substance. 'We are in the same position as two years ago. This is still a lovely place to live in many ways but we still have no school, no shops, no doctors - the only change is that more time has passed.' Remedial work began on the village close to Llandarcy in Neath Port Talbot, Wales Locals have said lack of progress and new fencing have left the village feeling like a 'war zone' The area has been touted as becoming an 'eco-village' and '15-minute neighbourhood' Another resident, who moved in nine years ago, said: 'I'm at the point of putting my house on the market. 'There's no community spirit anymore - people are arguing over parking and bins, and there are days when I don't want to leave the house. 'I've been living here for nine to 10 years, and what appealed to me was that it would be a sustainable place to live. It showed this vibrant estate in these images - and what we've got looks like a war zone. 'I returned to South Wales nine years ago, and there has been a lot of trouble. The community is completely soulless and does not attract the right people - it looks scruffy, it's just laughable.' Plans were in place to transform the vacant land into an estate after the model of King Charles' admired urban development Poundbury in Dorset - and, after five years of environmental clean-up work, construction began on the village. Charles even visited the site himself in 2013, saying he was interested in 'trying to break the commercial mould with the kind of challenges the world is now facing'. But between 2009 and 2019 only 300 homes were built by developer St Modwen, with many left unoccupied. The resident who has lived there for nine years added: 'Ten years on, the developer and local council have abandoned its residents, failing to deliver the workplaces, schools and retail units that were promised to those who invested in buying properties there. Between 2009 and 2019 only 300 homes were built by developer St Modwen, with many left unoccupied Plans were in place to transform the vacant land in Neath Port Talbot into an estate after the model of King Charles' admired urban development Poundbury in Dorset Talks have been ongoing with developers St Modwen and their parent company Blackstone Group, who 'moved' responsibility of the site to a new subsidiary firm called Revantage Developers have now issued an apology for 'the operational issues affecting residents' in Coed Darcy, while submitting a planning application for more development So far only 294 Persimmon homes are said to have been built in the village close to Llandarcy in Neath Port Talbot, Wales, since remedial work began back in 2009 There is still a shortage of schools, shops, library and doctors' surgery, with residents having to travel 20 minutes to the closest such facilities elsewhere The estate was once home to BP-owned Llandarcy Oil Refinery, the UK's first crude oil refinery 'Fences have been blown down and replaced with prison-like security fences.' He described his home as 'nice' and 'tucked away', but added: 'My property will be devalued because of the fencing they have put around my house.' A fellow local, however, said: 'I don't mind the view of the fields, to be honest - I haven't got any kids, and I'd rather look at the view than a row of houses.' A recent Neath Port Talbot Council meeting heard work had paused for several years before facing further delays due to Covid-19 restrictions from the pandemic in 2020. The local authority did give St Modwen the green light to expand Coed Darcy back in June 2020. It was said then that a two-form primary school would to be ready by September 2023 or when 740 homes were occupied, depending on which came first. Another similar school was set to be built before 1,500 more homes were occupied - and yet this is still yet to be completed. A Neath Port Talbot Council spokesperson said: 'The development at Coed Darcy has been the subject of ongoing discussions over many years with previous developers St Modwen and now its parent company Blackstone Group, which, after purchasing St Modwen, moved the ownership and responsibility of the site to a new company, Revantage. Complaints have been made about new fencing erected across the Coed Darcy village The first families living there moved in to the site built by developer St Modwen in 2008 - but have been kept waiting for plenty more facilities ever since A resident there for nine years has said: 'I'm at the point of putting my house on the market' Frustrated locals say they were promised 'this vibrant estate in these images', adding: 'What we've got looks like a war zone' Residents say they have to travel a minimum of 20 minutes to get to crucial facilities Locals pushing for news of progress claim they 'never get an update of any substance' 'The development has largely stalled in recent years in a difficult economic climate with previous applications having sought to vary the terms of the legal agreement relating to the overall development to make such development viable and deliverable. 'To date approximately 300 homes have been delivered at the site. More recently, the council has been engaged in discussions with the developers in respect of reviewing its masterplan and agreeing the most appropriate way forward to deliver a viable yet sustainable development at Coed Darcy.' The local authority added that it had received a planning application for the northern part of the site, following 'a period in which St Modwen in its previous role engaged with the community as part of its statutory pre-application consultation'. A spokesperson for Coed Darcy, from Blackstone, said: 'Following consultation with the local community, our planning application for Coed Darcy focuses on creating an innovative and sustainable neighbourhood.' They insisted this included 'the provision of 1,800 low-carbon and sustainable homes, extensive green spaces, new shops and community facilities, as well as land for a new school'. The spokesperson added: 'We hope the council will approve the plans which would allow construction of the new homes and community facilities to begin this year. 'In the meantime, we apologise for the operational issues affecting residents and we are prioritising working with the property management company responsible for the site to ensure they are being quickly addressed.' MailOnline has contacted the developers and the council for further comment. A major mistake on a new school sign has left parents concerned about the quality of their children's education. Hervey Bay State High School on Queensland's Fraser Coast unveiled a new welcome sign at its Pialba campus last Friday. But parents were bewildered when they spotted an obvious misspelling of 'School', which was spelt as 'Scool'. It was installed as part of the state governments new school signage rollout. The sign has since been replaced but not before a photo of the original went viral, dragging red-faced education officials into the saga. 'No wonder my kids keep failing,' one parent joked on Facebook. Another added: 'Doesn't say much for the education system.' Education minister John-Paul Langbroek described the gaffe as a 'disappointing' case of human error. The new sign has since been replaced but not before it caused a social media storm Queensland education minister John-Paul Langbroek (pictured) described the glaring error as 'disappointing' 'We are making sure schools refocus on the basics such as maths and English, but in this case, I'll have to give the external contractor an 'F' for spelling,' Mr Langbroek told the Fraser Coast Chronicle. Mr Langbroek added the sign was replaced at 'no expense to taxpayers'. However, questions remain as to who was responsible for the blunder and how department and school officials missed the mistake. 'The Department of Education understands the importance of ensuring accuracy in school signage,' a spokesperson said. Meanwhile, the original sign continues to go viral online, where many Aussies saw the funny side. 'Probably done by the English teacher,' one joked. Others saw it as adding to the case for much-needed education reforms. Last year, the Queensland government unveiled a 'back-to-basics' school curriculum overhaul which will prioritise core literacy and numeracy education. Concerned parents took to social media to share concerns about the quality of high school education The Sunshine State recorded a dip in literacy and numeracy performance in standardised NAPLAN testing across all participating year levels in 2024. Year three students were second last across the nation for reading while year nine students were least likely to sit the test nationwide. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has been negotiating a $16billion 'back-to-basics' education reform package with the states and territories since 2022. Queensland and NSW are the only two holdouts. NAPLAN testing across the Queensland began on Wednesday, despite calls from the state's teacher's union for them to be ditched in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. An autistic AA recovery driver who was sacked after he joked about dropping two of his colleagues out of a window was unfairly sacked by his boss, a tribunal has ruled. Adrian Lloyd-Penny said that he was going to drop night manager Lyndon Tyler and dispatcher Dave Boddison 'from a third storey b****y window' during a heated phone call. The recovery driver made the comment in 'jest' after his autism 'flared up' when he thought the pair had made a mistake, an employment tribunal heard. Later that day he apologised to his colleagues, who took 'no offence' to the remark as 'he was clearly joking', the hearing was told. Despite this, Mr Lloyd-Penny was called to a meeting where he was sacked as bosses found it was 'incredibly inappropriate' to 'make comments about physical harm'. The driver is now set for a payout after successfully suing the AA for disability discrimination. An employment judge accepted that it is right for any 'responsible' employer' to 'take action' against such remarks, even if they have been made as a 'so-called joke'. But, the panel ultimately upheld Mr Lloyd-Penny's claim after ruling that his dismissal in this case was disproportionate. AA employee Adrian Lloyd-Penny said that he was going to drop night manager Lyndon Tyler and dispatcher Dave Boddison 'from a third storey b****y window' during a heated phone call stock image) The tribunal, held in Watford, heard Mr Lloyd-Penny started working for the AA in March 2023. The employee, who has autistic spectrum condition, worked at the Enfield Depot in North London and was part of the recovery patrol, who attend emergency breakdowns at side of the road. In August of that year, Mr Lloyd-Penny became annoyed over a perceived error made by two colleagues - Mr Tyler and Mr Boddison. The tribunal saw a transcript from a telephone call in which he told a hander: 'And it's gonna take me at least two hours, if not two-and-a-half hours, to get home or to get to the depot anyway. 'Aaahh, I hope to god I never meet the manager that I was dealing with or the dispatcher that give me this job. 'Cos I'll drop them from a third storey b****y window, the pair of them on their heads.' Mr Tyler forwarded on a transcript from the call during an email exchange about 'interactions' with Mr Lloyd-Penny. The night manager said that the driver was occasionally 'argumentative and unreasonable' on the phone, adding: 'Find below an example of a call into the office this morning where Adrian mentions dropping myself and my recovery dispatcher off a 3rd story window onto our heads! 'Please note myself or my dispatcher take no offence and he was clearly joking.' Mr Tyler said Mr Lloyd-Penny is a 'clearly a very capable driver' and said the AA 'need to support him with his condition'. The driver is now set for a payout after successfully suing the AA for disability discrimination But later that month, the driver was invited to a probation review meeting which he was told may end in his dismissal. During the meeting, Mr Lloyd-Penny was asked whether he had ever been 'aggressive' towards members of staff. Manager Michael Townsend asked him: 'Do you recall an incident with the indoor team where you advised the call handler that if you could see the dispatcher and night manager on that evening that you would go up there and drop them from the top story window onto their heads?' In response, Mr Lloyd-Penny said the two employees - Mr Tyler and Mr Boddison - had 'flared up' and 'ignited' his autism and so he needed to 'walk away from it'. But, his manager told him that 'threats of violence' and 'speaking to anyone in that manner is not acceptable' and ended his probation. Mr Townsend said: 'No one should be coming into work at risk of being shouted and sworn at, and it's incredibly inappropriate to call colleagues names or make comments about physical harm, even if the comments were meant in jest.' The recovery driver sued the AA for disability discrimination and has now won. Employment Judge Patrick Quill said: 'In terms of how to treat comments such as those made [during the call] about dropping Tyler and Boddison on their heads from a large height, we accept that any responsible employer would wish to take action following, rather than ignore, such comments. 'That is so even if the comments had been made as a so-called joke and/or were clearly intended as a figure of speech, rather than a literal threat to carry out the action. 'Any reasonable employer would want to ensure that the employees have an appropriate working environment.' The judge said the AA has 'very clear legal duties' to its employees including 'statutory health and safety duties'. Despite this, the panel upheld Mr Lloyd-Penny claims of disability discrimination. The judge said Mr Townsend's dismissal decision was 'based on the fact that, because of [Mr Lloyd-Penny's] autism... there was a future risk of [him] raising his voice and/or being angry and/or being aggressive to other colleagues or other customers in the future'. The tribunal heard that Mr Lloyd-Perry 'struggles with constant change' and could become angry if 'he feels he is not being heard' due to his autism. It recognised that when probationary proceedings were being arranged at short notice, Mr Lloyd-Perry's wife had to communicate with bosses due to the distress caused to him. Providing a judgement, Judge Quill said: 'We do not suggest that it would have been reasonable to expect the [AA] to have told its call handlers that they had no choice other than to put up with any and all abuse that [Mr Lloyd-Penny] delivered to them, regardless of what he said, or how he said it. 'However, we also reject the argument that the only two options were either the proposition mentioned in the previous sentence, or else dismissing [him].' The panel found that Mr Lloyd-Penny apologising to Mr Tyler after the comment was 'significant' to the 'proportionality of the decision to dismiss'. Other claims made by Mr Lloyd-Penny were dismissed. A remedy hearing to decide his compensation will be held at a later date. Shameless pro-Putin propagandists have claimed Britain staged the North Sea tanker crash to blame Russia for the disaster, as part of a 'ludicrous' conspiracy theory. The claims have today been ridiculed by a British minister, who said they showed the 'depths to which Russian propaganda is now prepared to sink - almost literally'. It comes as the captain of the doomed Solong container ship - now in custody - was today revealed to be a Russian. His vessel slammed into the 50,000-ton Stena Immaculate which was carrying supplies for the US military off the East Yorkshire coast, triggering a fire on both ships. The 59-year-old Russian captain has not been named by Humberside police but was arrested 'on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision'. Millions of gallons of fuel poured into the sea, with smoke from the fierce inferno visible from space. Kremlin propagandist and pro-war pundit Sergey Mardan dubbed Britain 'great experts in organising sabotage' as he claimed the UK could 'easily harm' an American ship in a bid to blame Moscow for the disaster. 'There are many interesting coincidences and details in this case,' he said. 'Pentagon fuel, a tanker flying an exotic American flag for the merchant fleet, and now a Russian captain. Pictured are the charred remains of cargo ship MV Solong was completely destroyed by Monday's fire. The ship was captained by a Russian national The ship is now drifting off the coast of Lincolnshire following the disaster Kremlin propagandist and pro-war pundit Sergey Mardan (pictured) claimed Britain was behind the tanker crash on Monday 'The location of the emergency should also be taken into account - the territorial waters of Great Britain.' He added: 'The British are great experts in organising sabotage and provocations... For the sake of such a deal, they would easily [harm] both an American tanker and a piece of their own coastline.' Russian media commentator Vladimir Kornilov, an analyst for Putin-controlled state news outlet Russia Today, said: 'How predictable everything is with the British. 'The arrested captain of the Portuguese dry cargo ship Solong, which rammed an American military tanker off the coast of England just before the [war] negotiations between Russia and the USA, of course, turned out to be a Russian citizen.' He had predicted earlier 'that London would definitely look for a "Russian trace", he said. 'Something tells me that this whole accident was organised under this "trace".' But British politicians have been quick to rubbish the 'ludicrous' conspiracy theory. The Conservative's shadow armed forces minister, Mark Francois, told MailOnline: 'The idea that Britain somehow "staged" this very unfortunate accident is utterly ludicrous and just shows the depths to which Russian propaganda is now prepared to sink - almost literally. 'The one question for Russia now is not about that incident but, bluntly, will Putin accept the US/Ukrainian ceasefire proposal - or not?' Penny Mordaunt, a former Defence Secretary and Tory cabinet minister, added: 'This Russian rebuttal is beyond parody.' Russian media commentator Vladimir Kornilov also claimed Britain was behind the tragedy MV Stena Immaculate exploded into a 'massive fireball' after being hit by MV Solong Your browser does not support iframes. Pictured is the mangled remains of the MV Stena Immaculate following Monday's fire Its hull was charred black by the blaze which engulfed much of the ship on Monday Shadow transport minister Jerome Mayhew said the nationality of the Solong's captain raises 'further questions' about the incident. 'Where military assets are damaged it is vital that motives are fully investigated to exclude foul play,' he said. 'The nationality of the captain of the Solong raises further questions about potential motivation that the Government must now get to the bottom of.' The 459ft Solong - with a crew of Russian and Filipino nationals - crashed into the 596ft Stena Immaculate on Monday. A port inspection in July 2024 in Dublin found the vessel's 'emergency steering position communications/compass reading' unreadable. Inspectors found a total of 10 deficiencies, including 'inadequate' alarms, survival craft 'not properly maintained' and fire doors 'not as required.' A later inspection in Scotland in October found two other deficiencies yet the ship wasn't detained after either inspection. One sailor from the Solong remains missing, presumed dead. The other 36 crew members from the two vessels were brought safely ashore, with no major injuries. Survivors of the crash yesterday told MailOnline they had only seconds to react. The Solong, which is a smouldering wreck, is seen floating adrift in the North Sea on Tuesday Your browser does not support iframes. Recalling the terrifying maritime smash and aftermath, one crewmate from the Immaculate said: 'It was either get into your life jacket or get incinerated.' The 36 survivors of the tanker and cargo ship Solong were recovering at hotels in Grimsby on Tuesday as a full investigation began. A handful of the American crew of the Stena Immaculate spoke about what happened but asked not to be identified. They were so close to the flames as they boarded the lifeboat that some suffered singed hair. Thankfully all survived without serious injury. One member of the Solong crew is missing presumed dead. One crewman said: 'Yesterday was a bad start to the day, but it ended gloriously. Why? All 23 of us got off the ship without anybody being in it.' Adding that he was 'pleased to be alive.' Asked about his actions immediately after the tanker carrying a cargo of jet fuel burst into flames, he said: 'I did have time to think. I ran through the procedures. Because if I hadn't had time to think, we wouldn't have survived. We drilled, we trained, we prepared for the unprepared. We do emergency prep non-stop. Regardless of outside uncontrollable forces.' The Solong had been sailing from the Scottish port of Grangemouth to Rotterdam in the Netherlands A Portuguese-flagged cargo ship carrying cyanide smashed into the US military oil tanker (pictured on Monday) The Stena Immaculate, which had travelled from the Greek port of Agioi Theodoroi. Meanwhile, the Solong had been sailing from the Scottish port of Grangemouth to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Assistant Chief Coastguard John Craig has said salvage firms are at the scene and are developing a plan to recover both the Solong and the Immaculate. The Solong is currently being held offshore in a safe position by a tug boat. Mr Craig said: 'A tow line has now successfully been put in place and a tug is holding Solong offshore in a safer position. 'There are still some flames visible on the main deck of the Solong and firefighting is focusing on this area. 'A salvage plan is being developed with the appointed salvors on scene.' In a statement on Wednesday morning, Virginia McVea, chief executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said efforts to recover the two stricken ships were ongoing. She added: 'There have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel beyond what was observed during the initial incident. HM Coastguard's counter pollution and salvage team has a comprehensive counter pollution response in place should it be required. Salvors also have equipment and personnel ready to respond to any pollution. 'The MCA is working with the salvage companies who are responding on behalf of the vessels' owners and are working in full co-operation with all commercial and government partners. The overarching objective is to protect the public and the environment to the best of our ability, during this ongoing incident response. The Immaculate's deck this morning appeared black and charred following Monday's inferno Its hull was charred black by the blaze which engulfed much of the ship on Monday 'The Solong is being held in a safe position offshore by a tug and further support vessels remain in the ship's immediate vicinity. This morning's (12 March) assessment shows the fires on board the ship have greatly reduced in their extent and intensity. 'The Stena Immaculate remains at anchor, with safety tugs in position should they be required. There are no visible flames on board and an on-board assessment may be carried out later today. 'Salvors will only board the vessels when it is safe to do so. Only then will it be possible to carry out comprehensive damage assessments.' Collisions remain rare in the busy North Sea. In October 2023, two cargo ships, the Verity and the Polesie, collided near Germany's Heligoland islands in the North Sea. Three people were killed and two others are still missing and considered dead. In October 2015, the Flinterstar freighter, carrying 125 tonnes of diesel and 427 tonnes of fuel oil, sank after colliding with the Al Oraiq tanker five miles off the Belgian coast. A pair of asylum seekers accused of luring, drugging and raping two teenage girls are standing trial in Vienna today in a case which has shaken Austria. The girls, aged 14 and 15, had been celebrating the country's national holiday in Keplerplatz, in the south of the capital, last October when the men encouraged them to get into a taxi. The unnamed men, reported to be Algerian nationals aged 24 and 32, allegedly told the girls 'come on, we'll take you to a party', before luring them to an illegally occupied 'horror house', Austrian media reports. There the men allegedly forced them to take various drugs and subjected them to 15 hours of horrific abuse, threatening to kill them if they did not comply. 'The younger man held a gun to my temple,' the 14-year-old is reported to have said during her interrogation, with the pistol later being revealed to be a toy gun. The men allegedly raped the teenagers and forced them to perform sexual acts on them, with the 15-year-old girl said to have been grabbed and strangled by the older of the two men. The girls reportedly testified that they were treated like objects by the men, and were left with injuries including strangulation marks, bruises and scratches after the brutal assault. 'He said, in essence, that no one could hear her and that he would kill her if she didn't have sex with him,' the court reportedly heard. The girls had been celebrating the country's national holiday in Keplerplatz (pictured), in the south of the capital, when the men encouraged them to get into a taxi The older alleged attacker said he could not explain the cause of the 15-year-old girl's severe injuries. 'We just wanted to have a little fun,' he reportedly said. Both men deny the charges, which could see them jailed for ten years. The older man said in his defence: 'I'm only guilty of taking drugs and not knowing the girls were underage. They said they were 24 and 21.' The 14-year-old girl reportedly tried to get help as her friend was being attacked, the prosecution said, calling the police to tell them that her friend had been raped at a party. But the girl was unable to tell officers where she was and attempts to locate her and her friend were unsuccessful. The older man then attacked the younger girl, Kronen Zeitung reports, with the 24-year-old man also allegedly taking part in the vicious rape and assault. The girls were not able to get away from the abandoned house until the men fell asleep the next afternoon, at which point they fled. The sleeping men were arrested shortly after, local media reports. The men face up to ten years in prison if they are found guilty at the trial in the Vienna Regional Court (pictured) Andreas Reichenbach, the lawyer for the 24-year-old defendant, said that the group had been at a party where 'the two girls were just chilling.' Although his client was there on October 26, the day the alleged attack took place, he reportedly said that no rape occurred. 'Furthermore, he doesn't speak a word of German, and the girls were already under the influence of drugs when they arrived,' the lawyer added. The older defendant said that on the night in question the girls 'made TikTok videos, we smoked a little, I took cocaine. Then [the 15-year-old girl] wanted sex.' This was the first time he admitted to having sexual intercourse with the child, Heute reports, something which DNA traces are said to have already proven. A hulking wrestler has been named a person of interest in the mysterious disappearance of a US student in the Dominican Republic. Joshua Riibe, 22, is being probed by Loudon County Sheriff's Office in Virginia after Sudiksha Konacki, 20, vanished March 6 during a break in Punta Cana, as reported by 7News. The sheriff's office said: 'This is not at this time a criminal case, which would be different.' Riibe is not considered a suspect by authorities in the Dominican Republic, with officials there saying they believe Konacki likely drowned. A source close to the investigation told DailyMail.com that Riibe, 22, a former high school wrestler, was being cooperative. He is still in Punta Cana but is not currently considered a suspect by local authorities. Dominican authorities are currently in possession of his passport however there is nothing to stop him lawfully retrieving it and flying back to the US, the source explained. Sudiksha Konanki, 20, disappeared from a five-star resort in Punta Cana on Thursday while on Spring Break from the University of Pittsburgh The mystery hunk seen with his arm draped around missing spring breaker Sudiksha Konanki on the morning she vanished has been named by police sources as American Joshua Steven Riibe Surveillance video footage obtained by Dominican Republic news outlet Noticias SIN showed Joshua Riibe (left) and Sudiksha Konanki (second from left) following their friends to the beach at the Riu Republica Hotel before Konanki disappeared March 6 Its believed that investigators also have the American mans phone but are waiting for legal authorization to examine the device. Riibe and Konanki were seen striding towards the beach together at around 4am on March 6. They were part of a larger group of her friends. At 5:55 am, the others went back to their rooms, leaving Riibe and Sudiksha on the beach. Riibe told investigators he and Konanki went into the water and were swept by a wave. He also told investigators that he eventually fell asleep at the beach before he woke up and walked back to his room. Security cameras reportedly picked up Riibe, barefooted and without his shirt, as he slowly walked back to his room at 8:54 am - around four hours after he went to the beach with Konanki. A source with knowledge of the investigation says Konanki's friends left the hotel for an excursion in the morning, and returned at 4pm. Joshua Riibe, a 22-year-old tourist from Iowa, was seen talking to law enforcement at beach next to the Riu Republica Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on Monday That's when they noticed she was missing and alerted the authorities. When contacted by Daily Mail, Riibe's relatives described him as a 'good kid' who focuses on his studies. He lives in Rock Rapids, Iowa, and is a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. The US State Department is working with the Indian embassy in the Dominican Republic, which has taken the lead in the investigation as Konanki is an Indian citizen who was a permanent resident of the United States. While authorities suspect the likeliest scenario is that she drowned in the rough conditions, her family are urging them to consider other lines of inquiry until and unless her body washes ashore. 'It's four days, and if she was in water, she would likely have been strewn to shore,' her father Subbarayudu Konanki said in his complaint. 'She's not found, so we're asking them to investigate multiple options, like kidnapping or abduction.' Two Just Stop Oil protesters who spray-painted Charles Darwin's grave in Westminster Abbey have pleaded not guilty to criminal damage. The pair who defaced the historic grave insisted their action was proportional to 'the threat the world is facing'. Alyson Lee, 66, of Derby, and Diane Bligh, 77, of Frome, Somerset, covered the grave with orange paint as part of a protest on Monday January 13. The pair are charged with causing criminal damage after writing '1.5 is dead' over the resting place of the scientist in central London. The statement refers to the 1.5 degrees Celsius climate target of the Paris Agreement, which was a goal to ensure emissions worldwide did not push the global temperature more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Some argue that a lack of action on emissions means that the target is 'dead'. They claimed they would not be able to receive a fair trial because the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was overlooking 'crimes against humanity'. Court backlogs mean it will be more than a year before they face trial. Alyson Lee, 66, and Diane Bligh, 77, painted the grave of Charles Darwin with the words '1.5 is dead' The Just Stop Oil protesters with a police officer outside Westminster Abbey in London Police outside Westminster Abbey on January 13 after the grave was defaced They appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday morning for a plea and trial preparation hearing, where they both entered not guilty pleas. Vincent Scully, prosecuting, told the court: 'The allegation is that on January 13 both defendants entered Westminster Abbey and spray-painted an orange slogan about 1.5 degrees over the grave of Charles Darwin. 'Both the defendants accept doing part of the spray-painting each. 'Bligh accepts painting 'dead'. Lee accepts painting '1.5'. 'Both were wearing Just Stop Oil T-shirts and then gave a press conference afterwards. 'The cost of the damage was about 10 to 15 to clean off and took a number of hours for specialists to do so.' Despite the judge's advice against it, the pair chose to represent themselves. Judge Nicholas Rimmer said: 'I encourage you to consider professional advocates for assistance - it may assist you.' Charles Darwin, the scientist behind On the Origin of Species was buried in Westminster Abbey The pair were pictured painting the message on the grave of the scientist Bligh and Lee sat beside the grave of Charles Darwin, in the north aisle of the nave of Westminster Abbey Bligh, wearing a green cardigan and blue scarf, said: 'I have considered it and I'm choosing to be self-representing.' Lee, wearing an orange cardigan, said: 'That's the same for me.' Outlining their defences, the pair said they would be unable to receive a fair trial. Bligh said: 'I need time to think about it, but the way my mind is moving at the moment, I am not a criminal and the damage was proportional to the threat that the whole world is facing.' Lee added: 'I need time to formulate the whole thing, but I may well be using the defence of the impossibility of having a fair trial on the basis that the judicial system is failing to prosecute the real system. 'The CPS have been informed of major crimes against humanity and they are refusing to pursue those, and that is the only reason why we have had to resort to what we've done. 'So I don't believe we can have a fair trial in those circumstances.' The pair are set to appear for trial on May 5, 2026. The trial is expected to last three days. Riu Hotels & Resorts has come under fire after it posted a flash sale for its Dominican Republic property, where University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki disappeared a week ago. The TikTok ad boasted slashed prices across the Riu portfolio of properties, including the Riu Republica Hotel in Punta Cana, where a double room at the 'Five Star' resort can be had for just $88 per night. Two other ads promoted rates starting at $95, which included a 10 percent discount. 'From 95usd!,' the hotel brand's promo for the five-star resort boasted, 'Don't miss out on the exclusive RIU Week deals!' The timing of the offer did not sit well with TikTok users as authorities in Punta Cana continue to search for the 20-year-old Konanki, who was last seen on the resort grounds March 6 walking towards its beach. 'Focus on the lost American Indian student from RIU Punta Cana first,' one person commented on the ad for the resort, which was also blasted for lacking electricity and water for days on end during the young girl's disappearance. Another chimed in, 'Lol please,' which drew the approval from the person handling the hotel company's TikTok account by replying with a heart emoji. Despite the offer, some guests have elected to cancel their Riu Republica Hotel vacations citing food shortages, power issues, and safety concerns, others continue to pack the beaches. Riu Hotels & Resorts did not respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment over its TikTok flash sale. Riu Hotels & Resorts has come under criticism for posting a flash sale for the Riu Republica Hotel, its resort in the Punta Cana, Dominican Republic where University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki disappeared from March 6 after going out for a swim. The 20-year-old's body had not been found as of Wednesday Sudiksha Konanki traveled to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for spring break on March 3 and vanished from the beach at Riu Republica Hotel three days later Surveillance video footage obtained by Dominican Republic news outlet Noticias SIN showed Joshua Riibe (left) and Sudiksha Konanki (second from left) following the young woman's friends and another man to the beach at the Riu Republica Hotel before Konanki disappeared March 6 While some guests have elected to cancel their Riu Republica Hotel vacations citing food shortages, power issues, and safety concerns, others continue to pack the beaches. PICTURED: Riu Republica guests sun themselves on the resort's beach on March 11 Surveillance camera footage obtained by Dominican news outlet, Noticias SIN, showed Konanki, a resident of Loudon County, Virginia, making her way to the beach outside the hotel with three of her female friends from Pitt and two young men, including 22-year-old Joshua Riibe, around 4:15 am. Riibe, of Rock Rapids, Iowa, could be seen holding a cup with a beverage and placing his left arm behind Konanki' back as they trailed the group. At about 4:55 am, the hotel security camera system showed two of her friends returning to the hotel. The camera picked up another female friend accompanied by a man, identified by Noticias SIN as Carter Johnson, walking into the building at 5:05 am. The same camera would show Riibe, barefoot and shirtless, as he slowly walked back to his room at 8:54 am with Konanki nowhere in sight. Riu Hotels & Resorts was slammed over its flash sale promotion for the Riu Republica Hotel, its all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic as authorities continue to search for 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki, who went missing March 6 after going out for a swimming in the middle of the night on March 6 Joshua Riibe was the person who last saw Sudiksha Konanki on the beach at the Riu Republica Hotel in Punta Cana. Dominican authorities are in possession of his passport and have barred him from leaving the country, according to El Nuevo Diario newspaper According to Riibe, the pair went for a swim but were caught by a large wave. He says he clambered back to the shore and then fell asleep. A source with knowledge of the investigation told Noticias SIN that Konanki's friends left the hotel for an excursion in the morning, and returned at 4pm. They noticed she was missing and alerted the hotel front desk. Konanki's body had not been found as of Wednesday, but Dominican police remain convinced the pre-med student drowned. The FBI joined the investigation and has interviewed all five people who were with Konanki before she disappeared. As Dominican Republic authorities continued to search for missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki, the Riu Hotels and Resorts TikTok account ran a flash sale for the Riu Republica Hotel, the resort where the 20-year-old U.S. resident disappeared from March 6 Riibe had told Dominican investigators that he and Konanki went into the water and were swept by a wave. He said that he swallowed a lot of water and vomited after making it back to the beach. He also told investigators that he eventually fell asleep at the beach before he woke up and walked back to his room. Riibe turned in his United States passport to Dominican Republic authorities and is barred from leaving the country, El Nuevo Diario newspaper reported. The US State Department has been working with the Indian embassy in the Dominican Republic, which has taken the lead in the investigation as Konanki is an Indian citizen who was a permanent resident of the United States. While authorities suspect the likeliest scenario is that she drowned, her family are urging them to consider other lines of inquiry until and unless her body washes ashore. 'It's four days, and if she was in water, she would likely have been strewn to shore,' her father Subbarayudu Konanki said in his complaint filed Monday. 'She's not found, so we're asking them to investigate multiple options, like kidnapping or abduction.' A daycare employee was caught on surveillance footage aggressively tossing a toddler into scalding water after changing his diaper - and his mom is taking action. Sharece Besley sued the Young Mindz Learning Academy in Dekalb County, Georgia, for dumping her nine month old son in scalding hot water and holding him there for three minutes. The surveillance footage revealed the employee harshly placed Virgil, Besley's child, on a changing table before ripping his diaper off. The employee then put Virgil in a sink filled with piping hot water for several minutes, while other children ran around the area. The toddler needed medical attention and was left with second-degree burns after the shocking incident. It wasn't until the employee took Virgil out of the water that she realized the child was in pain. She was seen running around the daycare talking to other employees in a state of panic when she realized the harm she'd done. Besley told local ABC affiliate, WSBTV News, that her son struggled to recover from the burns, adding that it hurt him to urinate or when she tried to change his diaper. The unnamed employee was caught on surveillance footage aggressively bathing the child in scalding hot water The adorable toddler's mom, Sharece Besley, wants justice for her son after the shocking daycare incident She said that Virgil had blisters from the water and she had to watch as medical staff popped them. 'No amount of pain medicine could help him,' she tearfully admitted to the outlet. Besley hired Georgia injury attorney, Michael Neff to help her seek justice for her child against the daycare facility. 'No parent should have to fear for their childs safety when they leave childcare. What happened to Virgil never should have happened. Our lawsuit seeks justice for Virgil,' Neff said in a statement to Dailymail.com. Neff said that the Young Mindz Learning Academy had not only failed to protect Virgil but violated other policies that day. The daycare's policy is to use wet wipes while changing a child's diaper, but the employee ignored that and decided to bathe Virgil instead. Daycares are also required to have children under three in a separate area, another policy Young Mindz violated. 'I just never in a million years thought something like this would happen,' Besley recalled to WSBTV. Besley tearfully recalled the pain her toddler was in after he suffered second-degree burns at a daycare facility The employee violated policy when she aggressively changed the child's diaper, slapping his thighs and tossing him into scalding hot water Young Mindz Learning Academy is a childcare provider in Decatur, Georgia, which is northeast of Atlanta The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning investigated the incident and issued the facility a notice of an enforcement fine. 'The findings of this investigation substantiated that serious rule violations occurred which jeopardized the health and safety of a child in care,' the notice read. The notice detailed the gruesome scalding and noted that the toddler was spanked on his legs while the employee put his diaper on. The department accused the daycare of violating two rules relating to inflicting abuse on a child and endangering their health and safety, resulting in a $499 fine. The state warned that if corrective actions weren't put in place, Young Mindz could lose it's license. Since the incident, the facility hasn't had any enforcement actions and passed their last monitoring visit on February 19. Early Care and Learning gave the facility two quality rating stars and designated the daycare in good standing with the state. The employee who was accused of burning Virgil was arrested and charged with cruelty to children after the incident. Neff said he will move to have the case heard in front of a jury to further hold Young Mindz accountable for their actions. 'We hope a just verdict will serve to remind day care centers of their commitment to keeping children safe,' Neff added. Dailymail.com reached out to the Young Mindz Learning Academy and the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning for comments but didn't immediately hear back. Donald Trump wore a red tie while participating in the annual Friends of Ireland lunch at the Capitol. Trump also met the Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin at the White House where his red accent choice contrasted with the green ties worn by the Taoiseach, Vance and others. Meanwhile, JD Vance kicked off a friendly breakfast with the Taoiseach of Ireland by making a funny quip about his wife Usha's fashion choices. Its also a really great opportunity for Usha to wear her pair of green pants,' Vance said about the St. Patrick's Day festivities. 'Shes had these in the closet for years and finally gets to break them out, he said, earning laughs. This DailyMail.com live blog is now closed. See below for all major updates: March 12, 2025: Iran is using their Fajr-5 Multiple Launch Rocket System to place naval mines in the Persian Gulf. This mine deployment has only been tested during naval exercises. If used in an actual conflict the mines would block access to the Persian Gulf. If Iran did this, they would block all their own oil exports plus unite all the Arab oil producers and their Western allies. Iran has already suffered heavy economic losses from Israeli airstrikes and its economy is wrecked and the population impoverished and angry. The Iranian people would blame their government, not foreigners. The religious dictatorship of Iran appears unaware of how much they are hated by Iranians. If there was a war the people would support the Western forces in the hope that their government, since 1979, would be overthrown and replaced by something more pro-Iran and pro-West. The list of problems in Iran is extensive. Since 2020 Iran has been accused by more and more nations of violating their laws by using Iranian agents, often from the Iranian embassy, to intimidate or murder critics of Iran who reside abroad for their health. This led to nationwide protests demanding that the Iranian government cease persecution of Iranians in Iran and overseas. A growing number of protesters are calling for the overthrow of the Iranian government. Despite all this, Israeli intelligence agencies, and those of many other nations report that the foreign intimidation program is continuing. One difference is that Iran is using more foreign criminal contractors to do their dirty work. These contractors are expensive and unreliable. A growing number of European nations have told Iran that they have run out of patience with Iran's insincere promises to halt its violent practices. Iran has always been adept at playing on the vulnerabilities of foreign governments and getting away with murder by offering apologies and promises to not let it happen again. Iran also disavows responsibility when the killer or kidnapper could not be identified. Iran has been getting away with this for decades. That success came at a cost. Decades of bad behavior at home and in so many other nations means that, as one would expect, you eventually reach the point where hardly anyone, including most Iranians, believe the lies and deceptions anymore. Iran became tagged as a known liar and terrorist state more quickly in some regions than others. It happened first in the Middle East, where Iran had been viewed as dangerous and untrustworthy for centuries before the current religious dictatorship took power in the 1980s and created an unprecedented number of Iranian exiles who fled for fear of torture and murder. Iran has no problem letting dissidents flee into exile as long as they do not openly criticize and oppose Iran from exile. In cases like that Irans new mullah regime felt justified in killing them. Some foreign nations shut down these Iranian terrorism efforts more quickly than others. Iran had more freedom of action in South America than in the United States and Canada and, in the 1990s, this led to bombing attacks on South American Jews causing hundreds of casualties. That temporarily shut down Iranian terror and espionage efforts in most of South America. The bombing campaign in South America was mainly about striking back at Israel, which long had the ability to foil Iranian efforts to carry out attacks inside Israel and even Iran attempts often resulted in devastating Israeli counterattacks. After the 1990s Iran made itself unwelcome in most of Eastern Europe for trying to kill local Jews or Israeli tourists there. China and Russia had always made it clear to Iran that any such violence within their borders would result in Israeli-level retribution. Besides, Iran needed help from Russia and China to circumvent the growing list of sanctions imposed by nations subject to Iranian state-supported terrorism. Eventually most of the world was off-limits, to one degree or another, to Iranian retribution operations. One exception was Western Europe, which had become the main target for Iranian intimidation efforts. Europe was, next to the United States and other English-speaking nations, a popular place for Iranian exiles to settle. European nations were also more willing than the U.S. to ignore Iranian misdeeds for the sake of continued trade. That was still true until the leaders of more and more European nations found they had no popular support for tolerating Iranian bad behavior. This shift became obvious after 2018. For example, in late 2019 Iran publicized its capture in France of an exiled critic, Rouhollah Zam, and accused him of spying for Israel. Zam was the founder of AMAD Awareness, Struggle, And Democracy news that was published in the Iranian language Farsi. What upset the Iranian government was that AMAD specialized in reporting details of corruption inside Iran. AMAD was particularly effective at identifying senior government officials, and their families, and describing how these families were living luxurious lives because of specific corrupt practices. AMAD provided details and it was obvious that Zam had inside information. AMAD did have a network of informants inside Iran. To safeguard his informants Zam used encrypted Internet communications to get the information out of Iran. Iran ordered its formidable Internet hacking personnel to find ways to get past the encryption and that had some success. But as long as Zam was a free man, AMAD was still an active threat to the government. In October 2019 Zam was captured when he was lured to Iraq to get such information, purportedly from informants who were reluctant to use the Internet. Zam was warned that this was probably a trap and it was. He disappeared in Iraq and shortly thereafter showed up on Iranian TV as a captured spy. AMADs role in exposing corruption was not mentioned. Instead ZAM was accused of spying for Israel and AMAD was described as a creation of France, the CIA and other Western intelligence agencies. Iranians who knew of AMAD did not believe this, but that was not the point. The Iranian government boasted of having identified and arrested Iranians providing information to AMAD. Few names were mentioned, indicating that few imagined foreign spies were unmasked. In the past Iranian leaders have accused rival politicians, especially those active in criticizing corruption, of working for AMAD. The point of all this was to discourage Iranians from passing on evidence of corruption to foreign news organizations, who would publicize it so that such news would eventually reach the many Iranians who regularly use the Internet to find what is really happening in the world, and inside Iran. Catching Zam and disrupting AMAD was nothing new but the operation against AMAD was the last straw for many European governments. The Iranian religious dictatorship has become infamously eager to take extreme measures to silence Iranian critics who live outside the country. The assassinations were often carried out by agents of the IRGC/Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force. Quds is similar to the American Special Forces except that Quds helps establish pro-Iran militias and agents in foreign countries. Sometimes these foreign agents are used for assassinations or kidnappings. In Iraq, Quds can operate rather freely and probably handled the entrapment as well as kidnapping Zam in Iraq and getting him back across the border to Iran. By early 2020 Iran began to back off on the use of death squads after some of those agents were caught and European nations threatened retaliation. But less fatal operations continued and did not reflect well on the clerical rulers of Iran. European nations are, glacially slowly, coming to realize you cant trust Iran and that it is prudent to regard Iran as an enemy. Inside Iran, popular protests against the government have been going on periodically since late 2017 and even some elected officials, who are screened first by the senior clerics, are criticizing their government for trying to ignore or suppress some very real grievances. Most of the protestors are Iranians suffering economically. Most protestors blame the increasingly obvious government corruption. The government response has been to set up a special anti-corruption court which does prosecute obvious cases of corruption, but only non-government corruption. The most flagrant and hated corruption is found among the families of the senior clergy. These are the people who run the country in large part because the IRGC protects the ruling clerics from the wrath of the Iranian people. Despite that, the anti-corruption court is finding and prosecuting some major offenders. Over forty were sentenced to long prison terms and several were executed. None of the prosecuted or executed were among the inner circle of corrupt clerics or their family members. Those punished tend to be critics of the government who forgot which side they were on. The government has been particularly eager to shut down those who provide damaging evidence of corruption by relatives of the senior clerics. For example, in December 2018 someone put a recent photo on the Internet that showed Ahmad Khomeini, the great-grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini the founder of the Iranian religious dictatorship wearing expensive Western clothes and in the company of a female polo player. Ahmad Khomeini insisted the photo was stolen from a friend and uploaded to embarrass his father, Hassan Khomeini, one of the fifteen grandsons of the Ayatollah who had become too reformist for the ruling Guardians Council and was barred from running for election to the Assembly of Experts. This Assembly elects new Guardians Council members to replace those who have died. Hassan Khomeini is like his grandfather and lives simply but his children, like many of the descendants of the Ayatollah, exploit their family connection to get rich via corrupt practices. Ahmad Khomeini is now being called a luxury Aghazadeh, a derisive term for members of senior cleric families. This corruption is no secret but wealthy clerical families make an effort to not flaunt it, especially when the economy is doing poorly and most Iranians are suffering. This problem became more acute by the late 1990s. By then Iran's economy had become similar to that of medieval Europe. Back then, the Roman Catholic Church owned about a third of the real estate in Europe, the result of centuries of donations to various church institutions. Thousands of churches, shrines and monasteries had endowments, usually land, and serfs obliged to work it. This wealth could not be taxed and, eventually, greedy kings and needy parliaments seized the church lands so that today the Roman Catholic Church is a very minor factor in the European economy. Not so in Iran, where pious Iranians were urged to donate property to Islamic institutions. The less pious were shown unpleasant alternatives. As a result, by 2008 over 70,000 mosques, shrines and religious schools owned more than a third of the economy, paid no taxes, and even had their own army, the IRGC. Not all this property was donated, some was simply stolen. There's one big difference between medieval Europe and contemporary Iran. About a thousand years ago, to prevent clergy from passing church property on to their children, the Roman Catholic clergy were forbidden to marry. This was never imposed on Moslem clergy and, in Iran, the families of clergy have a monopoly on jobs and business decisions within the religious portion of the economy. All those assets are there to serve, first and foremost, the clergy and their families. This has not gone unnoticed. Before the emperor or Shah was overthrown in 1979, the religious assets were much smaller and were supervised by government officials. The clergy did not like this at all, and that supervision was quick to disappear once the monarchy was gone. Another post-Shah change was that, rather than wait for pious Iranians to donate property to religious institutions, the clergy seized the assets of wealthy enemies of the state and turned these valuable items over to religious institutions which they operated for their personal gain. The clergy try to portray themselves as pious stewards of these assets. The truth is less savory and is not invisible. All that PR and propaganda just enrage the population more. A growing number of people from these wealthy clerical families are trying to reform the system before there is yet another civil war, something Iranians have been noted for since antiquity. Such an uprising now would rip the country apart and probably leave Iranians worse off than they are now. These reformers believe that the violence could be triggered by something like photos of the luxury Aghazadeh enjoying the company of polo ponies and scantily clad women. It should be no surprise that many of the current protests call for a return of the monarchy. In part that is because nothing irritates the religious dictatorship more than calling for a return of the monarchy. The Shia clerics led a revolution that enabled them to oust the monarchy in 1979 and then take over the government in the 1980s. The current generation of Iranians is too young to have experienced living under the monarchy but it is clear from photos, videos and whispered confirmation from their elders that life was better under the monarchy even though there was always corruption, favoritism and secret police. In short, the Shah was never as crazy, oppressive or destructive as the current religious dictatorship. It is telling that the overseas Iranians, whose numbers have grown enormously since the 1980s, are organizing to support another revolution and many of the exiled aristocracy are involved, including the children and grandchildren of the last shah. Most protestors would settle for a democracy, rather than a constitutional monarchy. Sir Keir Starmer was ridiculed today after it was revealed Labour's plans to 'abolish' a quango will merely see it merged with another body. The Prime Minister is vowing to 'slash red tape' in order to reduce burdens on businesses and boost sluggish economic growth. He used yesterday's Cabinet meeting to order ministers to take 'responsibility' rather than 'outsourcing' decisions to regulators and other bodies. This was taken as an indication that Sir Keir is planning a 'bonfire of the quangos' - as former Tory PM David Cameron once undertook. But his vow to 'abolish' the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) was mocked after No10 admitted it will 'mainly be consolidated' into the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Downing Street also noted, despite the PM's promise, there would be no 'immediate changes' to the work of the PSR until new legislation is passed. The Tories accused Labour of 'vapid words' and highlighted how Sir Keir had, in fact, created 27 new quangos since winning last July's general election. The Government was further embarrassed this morning when a Treasury minister admitted in a radio interview that he had no idea how many people the PSR employed. Sir Keir Starmer was ridiculed after it was revealed Labour 's plans to 'abolish' a quango will merely see it merged with another body The PM's vow to 'abolish' the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) was mocked after No10 admitted it will 'mainly be consolidated' into the Financial Conduct Authority ( FCA ) Why can't you make a decision? Why does everything have to be consulted on?" Quangos are soon to be booted out of the civil service, including the payment systems regulator.@Jamesmurray_ldn didnt have the details when @NickFerrariLBC quizzed him about how that would work. pic.twitter.com/xnOPE7N5rw LBC (@LBC) March 12, 2025 Sir Keir's vow to abolish the PSR came ahead of his planned 'intervention' tomorrow, in which he is expected to further outline plans for a 'rewiring of the British state'. The PM told Cabinet ministers on Monday he wanted to reverse a 'trend' under the previous Tory government of decisions being made by other bodies. Downing Street said Sir Keir warned that Labour 'must go further and faster to reform the state, to deliver a strong, agile and active state that delivers for working people'. 'This included Cabinet assessing processes and regulations that play no part in delivering the Plan for Change,' Sir Keir's official spokesman said. 'And the Government taking responsibility for decisions rather than outsourcing them to regulators and bodies as had become the trend under the previous government.' The Government later said it was scrapping the PSR to make it easier for firms to deal with 'one port of call'. But the announcement included the admission that the PSR will 'mainly be consolidated into the FCA'. It also 'does not result in any immediate changes to the PSR's remit or ongoing programme of work', officials added. 'The regulator will continue to have access to its statutory powers until legislation is passed by Parliament to enact these changes.' Tory MP Mike Wood, the shadow Cabinet Office minister, said: 'This announcement isn't worth the paper it is written on, given the regulator that the Government is supposedly abolishing is instead just being merged with another regulator that it is already a subsidiary of. 'Since taking office this Government has created 27 new quangos and regulators including Rachel Reeves' Office for Value for Money, a pet project that has been slammed as a total waste of taxpayers' cash. 'Instead of vapid words, Labour should turn their attention to the biggest blocker of growth in the country Rachel Reeves' Budget.' In an interview on LBC radio this morning, James Murray - the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury - was left stumped when asked how many people worked at the PSR. 'I don't have that number to hand,' he replied. When he was informed that 160 people are employed by the PSR, Mr Murray then failed to say what would happen to them. 'The detail about the workforce will be arrived at through the consultation about how this change will be implemented over the summer.' Challenged about Labour having now ordered more than 70 different consultations since winning power, the minister added: 'The decision is taken, which is that we want to abolish the PSR. 'The detail to make sure we get it right is the subject of the consultation.' In the announcement of his action on the PSR, Sir Keir said: 'For too long, the previous government hid behind regulators deferring decisions and allowing regulations to bloat and block meaningful growth in this country. 'And it has been working people who pay the price of this stagnation. 'This is the latest step in our efforts to kickstart economic growth, which is the only way we can fundamentally drive-up living standards and get more money in people's pockets.' The PM said cutting red tape and regulation was a priority in the Government's Plan for Change, with further announcements due in the coming days, adding: 'I'm not letting anything get in its way'. It was a catchphrase made famous in the heyday of cinema and was the inspiration for countless punchlines in The Simpsons. Now the Scots actor James Finlayson, who inspired Homer Simpsons' famous 'D'oh!' exclamation, has been memorialised at the theatre where he first tread the boards. Dobbie Hall, in Mr Finlaysons hometown of Larbert, Stirling, commissioned an oil painting to celebrate his career and prominence in the early days of cinema. He has a long list of film credits to his name, but was best known for being the third man to Laurel and Hardy. With his distinctive fake moustache and trademark comic mannerisms he starred in dozens of their films. Often his parts would see him perform a drawn-out Dooooooh in exasperation at a particular mishap. Dan Castellaneta, the voice actor for Homer Simpson, said he was inspired by Finlayson's phrase when he was asked to utter what was written a script as an annoyed grunt. Simpsons creator Matt Groening felt it would better suit the timing of animation if it was faster - leading to the creation of Homer's faster 'D'oh!'. Scottish actor James Finlayson appeared in a host of movies during the heyday of film Finlayson's phrase inspired the well-known 'D'oh!' catchphrase used by Homer Simpson Finlayson has now been memorialised in an oil painting at the theatre where he first appeared But Hollywood would beckon, and eight years after he travelled across the Atlantic he signed a contract with so-called King of Comedy Mack Sennett. Mr Finlayson was born in August 1887 and worked as a tinsmith before deciding to make acting his career. After the death of his parents he, along with brother Robert, emigrated to the United States in 1911. The talented actor quickly found work and within a year landed a role on New Yorks Broadway. He was eventually hired by Sennetts rival Hal Roach, and would go onto feature in 33 Laurel and Hardy films - usually as a villain or an antagonist. He had more than 100 film credits to his name by the time he died in 1953 aged just 66 after suffering from a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles. Mr Finlayson, who worked in both silent and sound comedies, was known across the world for his on-screen mannerisms including his squinting and outraged double-take reactions. But the comic drawn-out Dooooooh has become his most famous after it inspired Dan Castellaneta, the voice actor for Homer Simpson, when he was asked to utter what was written a script as an annoyed grunt. Like Mr Finlayson, he performed it as a drawn-out Dooooooh, but Simpsons creator Matt Groening felt it would better suit the timing of animation if it was faster. Finlayson starred feature in 33 Laurel and Hardy films - usually as a villain or an antagonist Young artist Connor Draycott was commissioned to produce the artwork for the theatre And, with that, the Homer Simpsons iconic Doh was created. It has become such a well-known phrase it now appears in the Oxford English Dictionary. Connor Draycott, who is studying fine art at Glasgow School of Art, was commissioned to produce the artwork by the Dobbie Hall Trust. The 20-year-old said it was an honour to be asked to create the work for the theatre, who wanted to commemorate Mr Finlaysons global success and inspire young performers who appear in shows there. Mr Draycott said: James is such a well-known face among fans of black and white movies and I wanted to capture the distinctive look that made him a real superstar of his day. There was initially some debate as to whether I should include his moustache in the portrait, as it was actually a false moustache that he worse specially for filming, but we decided that his moustache was such an integral part of his unique look that it should feature in the painting. I like the fact that despite his face being so well-known during the 1940s and 50s he could apparently remove the moustache and walk around Hollywood without being recognised by members of the public. The portrait was officially unveiled this month at The Dobbie Hall - and the artwork was shown in front of members of his family alongside fans of the actor from across the UK. Just Stop Oil eco-zealots have targeted Elon Musk's Optimus robot at Westfield's Tesla showroom as they accused the billionaire of being a 'fascist'. Two protesters poured orange liquid latex over the life-sized humanoid robot at around 10.15am today. Catherine Rennie Nash, 74, and Nigel Fleming, 63, claimed the demonstration against 'Nazi-robots' was to 'shut down the fascists'. The pair were filmed climbing onto the podium display and unfurling a Just Stop Oil banner - before being detained by police. They said: 'Shut down the fascists! The government is failing to protect our democracy from fossil fuel companies and power hungry billionaires. 'I will not stand by and let the climate crisis cause global food destruction, mass starvation and the collapse of civil society. Shut down the fascists.' 'While the rich dream of Nazi robots and swasti-cars, what the the rest of us need is warm housing, clean affordable energy and cheap public transport,' they added. 'Don't let billionaires decide your future. Let's reclaim democracy.' Optimus robots are designed to help people with household chores and have previously been described as 'dystopian'. Just Stop Oil eco-zealots have targeted Elon Musk's Optimus robot at Westfield's Tesla showroom Catherine Rennie Nash, 74, and Nigel Fleming, 63, claimed the eco-demonstration was to 'shut down the 'fascists' Tesla CEO Elon Musk (pictured) was branded a 'fascist' by the protesters n The protest comes just days after anti-Elon Musk demonstrations erupted across the US with people attacking Tesla showrooms with guns and molotov cocktails. The activists were speaking out against Musk's efforts to slash government spending and enact reforms - with similar protests taking place in London, Portugal and Iceland. Roughly 250 people gathered outside a showroom in New York City, holding anti-Musk placards that read 'Block Facism Now and 'Musk Must Go' as they shouted 'Elon Musk is not elected! Democracy must be protected!' Five protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct at the Manhattan demonstration and one was taken into custody for resisting arrest, obstruction and violation of local law, The New York Daily News reported. There were also more than a dozen acts of vandalism against Tesla vehicles, dealerships and charging stations since President Donald Trump's inauguration, according to police and local reports. A Tesla showroom in Salem, Oregon, was shot at with an AR 15-style rifle in February. The pair were filmed climbing onto the podium display and unfurling a Just Stop Oil banner Two protesters poured orange liquid latex over the life-sized humanoid robot at around 10.15am today President Donald Trump and Musk speak next to a Tesla Model S at the White House on March 11 Pictured: Tesla shows off the new Optimus robot in a promotional video on X The protest comes just days after anti-Elon Musk demonstrations erupted across the US with protesters attacking Tesla showrooms with guns and molotov cocktails Suspected vandal Adam Matthew Lansky, 41, is also accused of causing major damage at the same store with molotov cocktails in January. Similarly, four Tesla cybertrucks were set ablaze overnight at a storage lot in Seattle's industrial SoDo neighborhood, KING-TV reported. Officials say at least two vehicles were severely damaged in the fire. Seattle police are investigating if the blaze was an act of arson. A reverend whose house was sold without his knowledge by a fraudster is on the verge of regaining possession after nearly four years. Mike Hall's life was upended after the scammer successfully applied for a duplicate of his driving licence. It enabled them to set up bank accounts and instruct solicitors in his name before the house in Luton, Bedfordshire, was sold for 131,000 while he was working away. The Land Registry put his name back on the deeds in 2023 after the person who had purchased the three-bedroom property finally agreed to move out. But Rev Hall discovered a family had taken up residence after signing a bogus tenancy contract and he has spent the last 17 months going through the legal process of evicting them. At Luton County Court on Monday, Judge Elaine Vignoli granted him possession within 14 days. However, he says the whole house will have to be 'gutted' after years of neglect and a flood in the kitchen, so it could be months before it is habitable again. Rev Hall told the Mail: 'It's made me conscious of just how vulnerable we really are when it comes to fraudsters because often they are two steps ahead of the organisations that look into these things.' Mr Hall bought the property (pictured) in 1990 but in August 2021 he learned someone impersonating him had sold it for 131,000 He continued: 'Every official document can be changed and that's a real concern to me. Driving licence, passports anything with my personal ID I guard carefully.' Rev Hall, 57, was working in Wales in August 2021 when a neighbour informed him the lights were on in his house, which he had bought in 1990, and someone was there. He raced back and found the unsuspecting new 'owner' carrying out building work. Describing the scene, he said: 'I tried my key in the front door, it didn't work and a man opened the front door to me and the shock of seeing the house completely stripped of furniture... everything was out of the property.' It emerged the scammers had applied to the Driving and Vehicle Licence Agency for a duplicate licence in his name, opening the doors for them to operate under his identity. The complicated process of reclaiming his property appeared to have ended in November 2023 when the innocent purchaser, who had refused to hand the house back, backed down just before a court case. The man is understood to have been compensated by the Land Registry. But when he went to inspect the house, he found a couple and their two children had moved in and they also refused to leave. Rev Hall estimates around 8,000 has been spent on the legal process to evict them and around 70,000 will be needed for extensive renovations all payable by the Land Registry, he said. But he has lost a five-figure sum on rental income on the property, which he was told he couldn't claim back. 'There's nothing in the Land Registry Act that entitles me to claim for emotional damage, loss of income nothing like that. It should be changed,' he said previously. Bailiffs are due to attend the property within the next fortnight to evict the family squatting at the address. The Land Registry and Bedfordshire Police were approached for comments. A Land Registry spokeswoman said: Whilst cases of registration title fraud remain relatively rare, combatting them is a key priority for us and, over the last four complete financial years, we have prevented fraud on 220 properties worth over 135m. Bedfordshire Police confirmed five people had been arrested in connection with Rev Halls case since 2021. All have been released under investigation while enquiries continue. This is the first picture of a mother-of-three who died after a suspected arson attack. The body of Marta Bednarczyk, 43, was discovered inside a home in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, at around 3am on Monday. Today, a 13-year-old girl clutched a teddy bear as she appeared in court charged with murder and arson. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, spoke only to confirm her name and date of birth when she appeared at Northampton Magistrates Court today. Three magistrates remanded the girl into secure youth accommodation and ordered her to appear before a judge at Northampton Crown Court on Wednesday afternoon. Wearing a grey round-necked sweater and jogging bottoms, the girl clutched a teddy bear with both hands as she was remanded in custody. Friends of Ms Bednarczyk, who was originally from Poland, paid tribute today. One said: She was a lovely lady, we are all in shock. I saw her husband on Monday just after she had died and he just looked in shock. The body of Marta Bednarczyk, 43, was discovered inside a home in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, at around 3am on Monday Police outside the home in Wellingborough where Ms Bednarczyk's body was discovered Shocked friends of Ms Bednarczyk, originally from Poland, described her as a 'lovely lady'. Marta and her husband have been in Wellingborough for a long time. Ms Bednarczyk was a regular customer with local Polish shop Big Europe, which is a five minute walk from her home. A member of staff told MailOnline: She was a really nice lady and shell be missed. She came in often, usually to buy some cuts of meat. Shed come in with her husband mostly. Nobody knows why anyone would harm her. Its really sad. Police and firefighters were scrambled to the property at 3am where they discovered the mother's body. She was declared dead at the scene at 3.29am. A post-mortem examination at Leicester Royal Infirmary found she died as a result of a 'sharp force injury', Northamptonshire Police said. Detective Chief Insp Johnny Campbell, of East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: 'I want to take a moment to thank the police and staff who are working and continue to work tirelessly on this investigation. Marta Bednarczyk (pictured) was found with stab wounds inside the home A police officer stands guard outside the crime scene in Wellingborough 'And, in particular, all our thoughts are with Marta's family who have been fully co-operative throughout what has been a devastating couple of days for them. 'Given the developments this evening, we will be making no further comment at this time.' Police and firefighters were scrambled to the property on Newcomen Road where they discovered the mother's body. She was declared dead at the scene at 3.29am. A post-mortem examination at Leicester Royal Infirmary found she died as a result of a 'sharp force injury', Northamptonshire Police said. A scene guard remains in place with people being asked to avoid the area. A Chinese-born real estate mogul has been branded one of America's most 'evil' landlords over claims she rents out squalid properties then bullies tenants who complain. Sophie Lau, 82, owns 10 buildings and 70 units across San Francisco, and has amassed a net worth upwards of $6 million through a real estate portfolio with her husband and son. While the 4ft tall property tycoon insists that her tenants have caused her problems for years, an investigation from the San Francisco Standard claimed that residents in her homes are the ones that have suffered. She made headlines in 2016 after hiking tenant Neil Hutchinson's rent from $1,800 to $8,000 overnight, ultimately leading to his eviction. In a text to the outlet, former San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who fought for Hutchinson before his eviction, described Lau as 'the definition of an evil landlord.' This sentiment was echoed by a number of former tenants, who say Lau's company refused to fix leaky roofs, reduce black mold and even turn on the heat during the winter. Former tenant Jenna Giusto, 28, said she moved into one of Lau's apartments in January 2023, and soon after she found herself catching water dripping from her roof in saucepans. She said after years of battling for even minor fixes, in her mind Lau and her company are 'evil, but genius in a way... I dont understand how they can live their lives like this as such evil people. Truly. Deeply. Evil.' Sophie Lau, 82, who owns 10 buildings and 70 unites across San Francisco, has been branded an 'evil' landlord as she commands a small empire of apartments across the city Former tenant Jenna Giusto said she lasted three months in one of Lau's apartments before leaving due to water leaks and a lack of heat, and said of Lau: 'I dont understand how they can live their lives like this as such evil people. Truly. Deeply. Evil' Guisto said her apartment in San Francisco's Inner Richmond neighborhood was plagued by leaks in her living and dining room, black mold across the west-facing wall, and a lack of heat even into the winter. She said she shivered at night while also being struck down by longCcovid, while the issues also caused her roommate to develop a crippling cough. When asked why tenants in a number of her buildings complain of a lack of heat, Lau told the San Francisco Standard that she keeps the heat low because tenants often complain about it being too hot. The outlet said that during its investigation no evidence of tenants ever complaining about the heat being too high was found, and Lau couldn't produce any when prompted. 'Everybody has a different body temperature,' Lau said, adding that 'if its below the standard, dont you think we would get a citation?' The investigation found the Laus have been hit with a number of violations over a lack of heat. Giusto shared footage of Lau visiting her apartment to inspect the leaks, and despite evidence of water damage and drips seen down the walls, Lau insisted there was no leak. She said she lived in the apartment just three months, and said a neighbor helped fix most of the issues without the aid of her landlords. A number of complaints have been focused on one of the Lau's properties on Clement Street in the Inner Richmond area (pictured), which is allegedly plagued by leaky roofs, no heat and black mold The Lau's previously made headlines in 2016 after hiking tenant Neil Hutchinson's rent from $1,800 to $8,000 overnight, ultimately leading to his eviction The neighbor, who declined to be named, said the Lau's employ fear tactics to fight tenant complaints, including filing counter-lawsuits or imposing costly lease-breaking fees. 'If you make a direct frontal attack and go to the Rent Board, they become more resistant, resentful, and reluctant to do anything,' the tenant said. 'Ive been fighting this battle for a while, and Ive learned how to get things done with the Laus.' Giusto said she believed her neighbor helping fix her apartment was on purpose from Lau, and said it is 'evil, but it's genius in a way.' 'The fact that theyre getting around all this is crazy to me. I dont understand how they can live their lives like this as such evil people. Truly. Deeply. Evil,' she said. Giusto said when she left, the Laus held onto her $4,000 security deposit after accusing her of breaking or stealing two venetian blinds from in the apartment. 'It was unlivable, and we werent even living there for a month by the time the inspector came,' she said, adding: 'Like I'm going to take your s***y blinds.' The tenants who lived right below Guisto, Vincent Lopes, said last February he filled three quarts of rainwater in 10 hours as it gushed into his apartment. 'Me and my girlfriend are just trying to get the f*** out of here,' Lopes said. 'The Laus - they're slumlords.' Guisto said she resorted to having a disabled neighbor help fix her apartment problems, and said the way the Laus get around helping tenants is 'evil, but it's genius in a way' Lau defended herself as she claimed her tenants cause her repeat issues over the years, and rejects allegations that she is a 'slum landlord.' 'If I took to court every tenant who owed me money, I would have tons of cases,' she told the Standard. But the investigation found she does have 'tons of cases', and from 1986 to 2023, she racked up over 100 lawsuits. As many as 60 of these saw the Laus sue tenants for issues including breaking leases, withholding rent, or damaging their apartment. In their 10 properties, the Laus have faced over 460 complaints for issues such as leaking ceilings, broken plumbing and a lack of heat, operating what the Standard described as 'shoddy apartments... becoming among the most controversial landlords in San Francisco.' Former tenant Grant Bremer said when he asked to break his lease because of a litany of problems, the Laus responded: 'If you want to bad mouth us, we will surely return the favor, write up how unreasonable & difficult tenant you are' Another tenant, Grant Bremer, told the Standard investigation that the power went out the very first day he moved into the same building as Giusto, the first in a litany of alleged issues. He said the apartment's heat would not turn on despite it being in November, internet lines were cut, and the first heavy storm caused leaks in his living and dining room ceilings. In an example of how Lau's tenants say she stays on top of her tenants, Bremer said he received a furious reply to his offer of paying an extra month's rent if Lau let him break his lease quickly. He said he cited city, state, and federal laws governing standards of living, to which Lau responded: 'Don't forget, there are two side (sic) to every story. 'If you want to bad mouth us, we will surely return the favor, write up how unreasonable & difficult tenant you are.' Kash Patel's office vehemently denies that he tried to get a direct line to President Donald Trump in an attempt to bypass his boss. The FBI Director, according to the Wall Street Journal, requested after he was confirmed a direct and secure line from his FBI office to the Oval Office. Reporting suggested the request was made in an effort to bypass his chain of command. Patel reports directly to Attorney General Pam Bondi. The president usually only talks to the attorney general when it comes to anything involving the Justice Department. 'This is BS,' wrote Ben Williamson, a spokesperson for Patel, noting in his X post that the response could be attributed to him as the Assistant Director for Public Affairs for the FBI. 'The spread of false information will never deter us from our mission,' he added in a statement to DailyMail.com. Additionally, a close ally of Patel revealed that the latest reporting is another attempt to 'distract' Americans and 'undermine' the FBI's work. Reports emerged in the last week claiming FBI Director Kash Patel requested a direct, secure line to the Oval Office to bypass Attorney General Pam Bondi to be able to contact President Donald Trump Patel's FBI office and his allies push back on the report as a 'distraction' to 'spread false information.' As FBI Director, Patel (left) reports directly to Attorney General Pam Bondi (right) 'The FBI's mission is to keep Americans safenot to play media games,' former Patel spokeswoman Erica Knight told DailyMail.com. 'The spread of false rumors and misinformation only serves to distract from that mission and undermine the work of dedicated agents.' She added: 'What I've seen is a new director taking control and working on overdrive to ensure this nonsense stops.' Knight, who has personal and direct knowledge on whether Patel would have made this request, also suggested that those who planted the 'false narrative' could face consequences as the agency cracks down on leaks. 'Director Patel has made it clear that these kinds of leaks that misrepresent the truth and create unnecessary chaos will not be tolerated.' Prior to his nomination and confirmation heading the FBI, Patel was a media attack dog for Trump. He was often seen on television screens defending Trump and his agenda. He also worked to garner momentum for the Republican's 2024 campaign in Nevada and fought for those supporters who were jailed after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots. FBI Assistant Director for Public Affairs Ben Williamson posted of the report on X: 'This is BS' But now, Patel has faded out of the limelight as he shifts focus to running the FBI and putting at the center the mission to weed out weaponization of the largest law enforcement arm of the federal government. Those close to Patel, Bondi and their offices have detailed to DailyMail.com how the FBI Director and Attorney General have a close working relationship. 'Attorney General Bondi and her team at DOJ have been outstanding partners and we look forward to continuing to work with them to restore law and order and rebuild faith in the American justice system,' Williamson told DailyMail.com. Within the DOJ, the FBI Director is responsible to the attorney general. The agency also reports its findings nationwide to all U.S. Attorneys. The intelligence activities within the FBI are overseen by the Director of National Intelligence, who under this administration is Tulsi Gabbard. MAGA supporters have gloated after Rosie O'Donnell announced she had left the United States to avoid a second Trump presidency. O'Donnell, Donald Trump's arch nemesis from his days as a TV entertainer, shared a nine-minute video Tuesday revealing that she moved to Ireland on January 15, just five days before Trump was inaugurated. While many liberal celebrities made threats of leaving the country if Trump got into power, O'Donnell actually followed through - with GOP voters taking to social media to relish in the delight of her departure. Robby Starbuck, a conservative activist and filmmaker proudly declared that Trump got the liberal comedian to 'self deport.' He celebrated: 'Promises made, promises kept!' One person posted on X and pointed out that left-wing celebrities are 'actually making good on their threats' to leave the country this time around, whereas in Trump's first term they largely didn't follow through. Another MAGA supporter said: 'Haha so awesome! Im sorry Ireland but shes your problem now!' While a fourth added: 'I call this an American win.' One social media user quipped: 'It's always nice when trash takes itself out.' And another gave O'Donnell credit where credit is due: 'Well, at least she followed through. Most lib celebrities dont have the strength or their convictions. Bye.' Conservatives celebrated on social media after Rosie O'Donnell said she'd be fleeing from the United States to Ireland over Donald Trump returning to the White House It's the latest footnote in O'Donnell and Trump's yearslong feud, which started in 2006 over a Miss USA pageant controversy A common reaction was a strange sort of respect that O'Donnell stuck to her word and left the US when she said she would 'Yes, this is what we voted for,' another Trump supporter said. O'Donnell, 62, now joins fellow comedian Ellen DeGeneres, who fled to rural England with her wife shortly after Trump's win in November. Even former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, an Irish-American, joined in to bash O'Donnell. He went on Jesse Watters' show on Fox News to joke that she just gave the Irish one more reason to drink on this upcoming St. Patrick's Day. O'Donnell hinted that she was open to returning to the US, but only 'when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights.' She only brought her 12-year-old daughter Dakota, saying in her TikTok video that she misses her four other grown children. 'I just felt like we needed to take care of ourselves and make some hard decisions and follow through and now, as were getting settled, I was ready to post this and tell everybody whats going on,' she said. O'Donnell's feud with Trump dates back to 2006, when she criticized him on 'The View' for allowing that year's Miss USA pageant winner, Tara Conner, to keep her crown after she was caught drinking underage. Trump owned the Miss USA competition at the time and decided to not to strip the 20-year-old model's title, stating he believed in 'second chances' and that Conner would be going into rehab. When Trump heard that O'Donnell had mocked Conner's conduct, he called her 'a real loser.' Over the years, Trump has said 'The Flintstones' actress is 'dumb,' 'desperate,' 'fat,' and 'disgusting both inside and out.' He also said that if he were in charge of The View, which O'Donnell was on for a brief time in the 2006-2007 season, he would have fired her. Pictured: Trump kisses Miss USA 2006 winner Tara Conner after he decided to give her a second chance following her trips to bars when she was underage Pictured: Trump at the first Republican primary debate, hosted by Fox News, on August 6, 2015 'I'd fire Rosie, I mean I'd look her right in that fat, ugly face of hers and I'd say, "Rosie, you're fired,"' he said, borrowing his catchphrase from 'The Apprentice.' Their war of words reignited in 2015, after Trump shocked the world and announced a run for the White House. During a Republican primary debate in August, moderator Megyn Kelly asked the then-real estate magnate and television personality about his treatment of women. 'You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals,' Kelly said. Trump interjected with, 'Only Rosie O'Donnell.' The one-liner got a tremendous response from the audience, who filled the auditorium with laughs and cheers. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee in 2016, later attacked Trump in a debate, pointing out that he had called women nasty names just like Kelly had. In that September debate, Trump once again name-dropped O'Donnell as a defense. 'Rosie ODonnell I said very tough things to her, and I think everybody would agree that she deserves it and nobody feels sorry for her,' he said. Pictured: Trump shakes Hillary Clinton's hand at the first general election debate on September 26, 2016. During this debate, Trump name-dropped O'Donnell O'Donnell is pictured on 'The View' when made a brief return as a co-host in 2014 O'Donnell frequently lobbed foul-mouth insults at Trump on Twitter after he pulled off an upset on Clinton and became the 45th president, once calling him an 'orange anus.' In one of more recent critiques she shared a video on TikTok of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hugging children and picking them up with a smile on his face. 'If only the current president had a drop of his caring committed heart #resist #protest #defythem #love #FDT,' she wrote in the caption. In December, O'Donnell took to TikTok to bash Time magazine for naming Trump its man of the year for 2024. 'Man of the year, Donald Trump. Well, f**k you Time Magazine. F**k you, seriously,' O'Donnell said. 'How about most dangerous man of the year? How about most criminal man of the year? How about the worst president we've ever had of the year.' Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon defended her decision to cut 1,300 positions from her department, as part of President Donald Trump's overall goal to shut down the federal agency. She described the cuts as the 'first step of eliminating of what I think is bureaucratic bloat' in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Tuesday night. 'When I got there, I said, "Okay we have to identify where the bloat is where the bureaucracy is and start there,"' she said, explaining her decision to close the federal education buildings on Wednesday. McMahon announced Tuesday evening that that all offices would be closed Wednesday for security reasons and told workers to bring home their laptops to work from home. 'I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department,' she said in a statement. 'This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.' She defended the announcement as 'standard corporate practice' and said that laid off workers would be allowed to return and gather their personal effects and say goodbye at a later day. McMahon conceded that it was dramatic move on her fifth day on the job, but she said it was part of President's Trump's promise to the American people. 'That was the president's mandate and directive to me,' she said. President Donald Trump and Linda McMahon The US Department of Education closed its doors Wednesday for security reasons McHahon said the 'outward facing' parts of the departments such as funding for grants, appropriations, disabled students, would continue despite the drastic cuts. 'None of that is going to fall through the cracks,' she promised. McMahon cited the abysmal math and reading scores among American students as evidence the department was failing to do its job. 'Clearly we're not taking away education the president never said that, we're taking the bureaucracy out of education so that more money goes to the states,' she said. Trump appointed former CEO of the WWE Linda McMahon as the department secretary, telling her he wanted a tough business person who could cut and reform the agency. President Donald Trump's education secretary Linda McMahon US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon listens as US President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting 'Linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job,' Trump recalled telling her, when he selected her for the position. The Department of Education currently employs over 4,000 employees and has a budget of $80 billion. McMahon said she had an 'excellent' relationship with Musk's DOGE agency and had three DOGE employees working in her department to identify waste. I think of this as a win,' she said. A shamed former bishop was today jailed for more than four years after confessing to 'deeply shocking' sex offences against a young boy whom he christened as a baby. Anthony Pierce, 84, the retired Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, sexually assaulted the boy during organ and piano lessons in church when he was a teenager. A court today heard how Pierce whose crimes have been branded 'wicked' by his successor - is now in failing health and may die in prison. The victim kept the vicar's abuse a secret for 30 years before he told safeguarding officers what had happened to him in the 1980s. Shockingly the Church in Wales has admitted that it was made aware of a separate allegation of sexual assault against Pierce in 1993 but did not pass it to police until 17 years later, by which time the alleged victim had died. After being made a bishop in 1999, Pierce met Prince William in 2002 when he presided over a special service to commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee before finally retiring in 2008 at the age of 67. Lawyers representing sexual abuse survivors have warned that an inquiry into the scandal should be fully independent to avoid a 'lingering doubt that things have been hushed up or swept under a carpet'. Pierce admitted five charges of indecent assault but there were 13 instances of sexual touching leaving the boy psychologically damaged, Swansea Crown Court heard today. Anthony Pierce, the retired Bishop of Swansea and Brecon (pictured with Prince William in 2002), sexually assaulted the boy during organ and piano lessons in church when he was a teenager He admitted being a gay man but said he had no sexual attraction towards children, a statement the prosecution described as 'clearly untrue'. The court heard Pierce was vicar of Holy Cross Church in West Cross, Swansea, when he christened the victim and befriended his family. Prosecutor Dean Pulling said Pierce would give the boy bear hugs while indecently touching him, making him feel 'very uncomfortable'. He said: 'They were alone together, the defendant was the family priest, his parents believed their son was safe with him. 'The victim described how the vicar's behaviour became normalised, Pierce would try to kiss him while he touched him sexually. It would happen once a fortnight. 'It came to light in 2023 when the victim told his brother and parents what had happened to him and they went to a Church in Wales safeguarding officer.' The victim, described as a 'talented musician', was praised by Judge Catherine Richards for bravely facing his attacker to read his personal impact statement which revealed he became suicidal and was alcohol dependant in his teenage years. He said: 'The biggest consequence has been my emotional development. A court today heard how Pierce (pictured outside Swansea Crown Court) whose crimes have been branded 'wicked' by his successor - is now in failing health and may die in prison 'To this day I can remember feeling an overwhelming sense of embarrassment and shame. 'I turned to alcohol to block out my emotions. 'It affected my education, career, personal relationships and at times caused havoc in my personal life. 'Upon hearing that Tony had pleaded guilty I felt vindicated and feel I've been released from something that's had a hold of me over the years. 'I know he's responsible for a great deal of how my life has turned out.' Keith Edwards, defending, said the former bishop deeply regrets his behaviour and feels genuine remorse. He said: 'He understands the wrongdoing of what he did all those years ago.' Swansea Crown Court heard Pierce has heart and eyesight problems and 'may spend the rest of his life behind bars' because of his failing health. Pierce showed no emotion as Judge Catherine Richards jailed him for four years and one month. She told him: 'You abused the trust of one of the children in your parish. Pierce admitted five charges of indecent assault but there were 13 instances of sexual touching leaving the boy psychologically damaged, Swansea Crown Court heard today 'You had been in his life since you christened him - you were not just a vicar to that family but also a trusted friend. 'You should have shown care compassion for children, instead you started to groom him, bringing sexual topics into the conversation. You were a man in your late forties, he was only 14 years of age.' Outside court the victim said the length of the jail term was 'a result' and he was happy with the sentence. Police were informed after the victim reported the abuse to Church of Wales safeguarding officers in 2023 and he was arrested. After he pleaded guilty it emerged that another allegation of sexual abuse involving a second victim also believed to have been aged under 18 was disclosed to the Church in Wales in 1993. However the accusation, which dated from 1990, was not passed to police until 2010 by which time the accuser had died. The Church in Wales has apologised to the victim in the current case and said Pierce could now be stripped of Holy Orders. Its safeguarding committee has commissioned an independent external review into the way it handled the second allegation. St Mary's Church, Swansea, where Pierce was a curate. The Church in Wales has now admitted that some of its members were aware of another allegation against Rev Pierce but kept quiet The case comes after Justin Welby dramatically resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury last November, admitting he felt 'shame' over the way victims of the Church's most prolific child abuser were let down. Dr Welby said he was quitting after a damning report found his failure to act meant that 'abhorrent' serial abuser John Smyth was never brought to justice. In January the Bishop of Liverpool was forced resign after two women made allegations of sexual misconduct against him. Two women separately made allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment against Bishop Perumbalath, including one Church of England bishop. He was interviewed by police over one of the claims, but no further action was taken. Dr Perumbalath denies the allegations, stating he has been subject to a 'trial by media' that 'made my position untenable' and said he would step back from ministry immediately to avoid becoming a 'distraction'. Yet to the fury of sexual abuse survivors, the Church of England's ruling body last month voted to reject full independent safeguarding despite the damaging scandals. Members of the General Synod chose not to adopt a new safeguarding model heavily favoured by victims, who described the move as a 'punch in the gut'. The case comes after Justin Welby resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury last November Following shamed Pierce's guilty pleas, the Church in Wales said it was 'is appalled at the offences which have been revealed in this case and expresses its deepest sympathy with the victim for the abuse they have suffered'. Rev John Lomas, the current Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, described it as a 'wicked crime' and a 'gross betrayal of trust. In a letter to the diocese, he said: 'We are perhaps beyond the stage of expressing shock when we discover a person in a position of trust has used that position to sexually abuse a vulnerable person. 'It feels at the moment that you can hardly read, hear or watch the news without learning of the latest incident. 'But I know this particular case will be deeply shocking to so many of you. This isn't a person you've read about or seen on TV. 'Tony Pierce was your parish priest, your Archdeacon, your Bishop.' The Church in Wales has defended the probe into how allegations against Pierce were handled, saying no members of the clergy are involved and denying 'sweeping anything under the carpet'. Its denial came after child abuse lawyer David Greenwood criticised how the Church had selected its own reviewer. He told the BBC: 'Unless the process is absolutely right, then there'll still be a lingering doubt that things have been hushed up or swept under a carpet.' Meanwhile Wales' children's commissioner, Rocio Cifuentes, said it was a 'significant concern' that the nation had no independent body that oversaw safeguarding at religious institutions. Today Monique McKevitt, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'This was a gross abuse of trust by a vicar. 'Anthony Pierce was a man entrusted to preside over christenings, funerals, weddings and prayers. 'Yet he opportunistically preyed on a young boy who would simply come to his church in the hope that he could practice on the piano or Church organ. 'The victim, then a child, was subjected to sexual assaults by Pierce and the trauma of what happened has lived with him for many years. 'I hope this prosecution provides some comfort to the victim and encourages others who have been subjected to sexual abuse to come forward in the knowledge that they will be listened to.' In 2002, Pierce was made a commander of the Order of St John, and in 2010 a knight of the Order of St John to recognise 'exceptional' charitable service. St John Ambulance say Pierce is no longer a member of the order. Armed militants who ambushed a train carrying hundreds of people in Pakistan have now killed at least 50 of their hostages, Pakistani authorities have said. Pakistan militants claimed on Wednesday they had killed 21 hostages after hijacking the train that was carrying more than 400 passengers, as per Reuters. Reports emerging from the region have suggested that at least 28 attackers were also eliminated. These figures are yet to be verified and officials have provided no information about those killed. It was initially reported that 50 hostages had been slain. It comes after the BLA issued a chilling warning threatening to execute hostages within the hour if Pakistani security forces attempted a full-scale rescue mission. The militant group also said it was seeking the release of Baloch political prisoners, activists and others within 48 hours, threatening to slaughter hostages if the government did not comply. The Jaffar Express, carrying around 425 passengers from Quetta to Peshawar, was ambushed on Tuesday by heavily armed militants from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), who took a number of passengers hostage. A government spokesman described the attack as 'an act of terrorism'. Pakistan's military launched a rescue operation to confront the attackers who used 'women and children as shields,' according to security sources, which are still underway. Special forces and helicopters were deployed to the remote region to free the remaining hostages, and officials have now said that over 190 out of 300 had been rescued. Pakistani security officials secure the Quetta Railway Station after all train services were suspended following an attack by militants on the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express train, in Quetta, Balochistan province, Pakistan, 12 March 2025 Freed women and children train passengers gather at the Mach railway station after Pakistani security forces freed nearly 80 passengers following a security operation against armed militants who ambushed the train in the remote mountainous area, in Mach, southwestern Balochistan province on March 11, 2025 Footage released by the BLA on Wednesday morning shows the vehicle erupting in a cloud of smoke The train came to a grinding halt and dozens of fighters were seen taking passengers hostage A train carrying empty coffins to the siege site, stands at a railway station in Quetta on March 12, 2025 'So far, 190 passengers have been rescued, and 30 terrorists have been killed. Due to the presence of women and children with suicide bombers, extreme caution is being exercised,' a security source told AFP. 'The operation continues to eliminate the remaining militants.' In a chilling statement, Jeeyand Baloch, a spokesperson for the BLA earlier said: 'The BLA issues a final warning: if the aerial bombardment is not halted immediately, all 100+ hostages will be executed within the next hour. 'Majeed Brigade, STOS, Fateh Squad, and ZIRAB Unit fighters are actively engaged in countermeasures, and any further military incursion will have catastrophic consequences. 'Over 100 enemy personnel remain in BLA custody. The occupying forces still have a chance to cease airstrikes and save their men, or else the Pakistani military will bear full responsibility for the execution of all hostages'. On Wednesday, dozens of empty wooden coffins were seen being loaded at Quetta railway station. A railway official confirmed they were being transported to collect any potential casualties. Passengers freed from the hijacked train have since described the terrifying ordeal as 'scenes of doomsday' as suicide bombers held women and children hostage and threatened to blow them up. Ishaq Noor, one of Tuesday's survivors, recalled the sheer terror as militants stormed the train. 'We held our breath throughout the firing, not knowing what would happen next,' he told the BBC. The terrified passenger was travelling with his wife and two children when a powerful explosion rocked the train. He described the situation as 'so intense' and said that during the blast, one of his children fell from their seat. He and his wife became human shields for their children and were prepared to take a bullet to keep them alive. The train was travelling from Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar when it was attacked on Tuesday. The train was left trapped inside a tunnel after the assault, during which it came under fire and the driver was wounded, police and railway officials said yesterday. Militants reportedly blew up the railway track before opening fire on security personnel on board, according to government spokesman Shahid Rind. A paramilitary soldier takes position at a railway station near the attack site of a passenger train by insurgents Passengers rescued from the Peshawar bound Jaffar express train that was attacked by suspected militants in Sibi, reach the railway station in Quetta, the provincial capital of restive Balochistan province, Pakistan, 12 March 2025 An injured passenger rescued by security forces from a passenger train attacked by insurgents arrives at a railway station in Much near Quetta Passengers rescued from the Peshawar bound Jaffar express train that was attacked by suspected militants in Sibi, reach the railway station in Quetta A paramilitary soldier takes position at a railway station near the attack site of a passenger train by insurgents Footage released by the BLA on Wednesday morning captured the moment of the attack and seizure, showing the train making its way down the track before erupting in a cloud of black smoke. BLA fighters are also supposedly seen gathered on a distant hill before the vehicle grinds to a halt. Another survivor, Muhammad Ashraf, who was travelling to Lahore to visit family, said the fear among passengers was overwhelming. 'There was a lot of fear among the passengers. It was a scene of doomsday,' he said. Ashraf managed to escape with a group of passengers late on Tuesday. They walked for nearly four hours to the nearest railway station, with some carrying exhausted and injured fellow travellers on their shoulders. Mushtaq Muhammad, who was in the train's third carriage, described the attackers as highly organised and speaking to each other in Balochi. 'Their leader repeatedly told them to 'keep an eye' on the security personnel to make sure they didn't lose them,' he said. Muhammad told the news site that the attackers started releasing some passengers on Tuesday evening, including women, children, the elderly, and some Balochistan residents. Noor said he was freed after telling the militants he was from Turbat and showing that he had children with him. But despite the release of some passengers, the total number of remaining hostages remains unclear. In the wake of Tuesday's attack, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to 'continue to fight against the monster of terrorism until it is completely eradicated from the country.' A Pakistani military helicopter hovers over a railway station in the Sibi district of southwestern Balochistan province on March 12, 2025 Pakistani security officials stand guard after passengers rescued from the Peshawar bound Jaffar express train that was attacked by suspected militants in Sibi A soldier works to evacuate freed train passengers at the Mach railway station, which has been turned into a makeshift hospital Paramilitary soldiers stand guard at a railway station in the Sibi district of southwestern Balochistan province on March 12, 2025 A passenger, who was rescued from a train after it was attacked by separatist militants, receives medical aid at the Mach Railway Station in Mach, Balochistan, Pakistan, March 11, 2025 In a statement, he said the 'terrorists' targeting of innocent passengers during the peaceful and blessed month of Ramadan is a clear reflection that these terrorists have no connection with the religion of Islam, Pakistan and Balochistan.' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Wednesday also told reporters that China strongly condemns the terrorist attacks and will continue to firmly support Pakistan in combating terrorism. 'China stands ready to strengthen counterterrorism and security cooperation with Pakistan and jointly keep the region peaceful, secure and stable,' she said. A decades-old insurgency in Balochistan by separatist militant groups has led to frequent attacks against the government, army and Chinese interests in the region, pressing demands for a share in its resources. The oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan's largest but also least populated province. It is a hub for the country's ethnic Baloch minority whose members say they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government. The BLA seeks independence for Balochistan. It is the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups that have battled the South Asian nation's government for decades, saying it unfairly exploits Balochistan's rich gas and mineral resources. As the tense standoff continues, Pakistani forces face a race against time to secure the hostages' release and prevent the situation from spiralling into further bloodshed. Alex Jones has called on the Justice Department to investigate the death of InfoWars reporter Jamie White, saying he believes he could have been assassinated. The conspiracy theorist, 51, had been speaking with political commentator Benny Johnson on his podcast 'The Benny Show' about the death of the reporter. White, 36, was found fatally wounded outside his Austin, Texas, home on Sunday night after cops said he tried to stop thieves from breaking into his car. Speaking on the show, Jones claimed the murder 'could have been a hit.' He said: 'This is a journalist that has been killed, it should be investigated. I think Pam Bondi should look into it. 'The Austin Police Department admitted they are totally overwhelmed, I am asking the Trump administration, it needs to be investigated, it could have been a hit. 'It's a good chance it could have been the more I am talking about it. We need to investigate, I am asking the Justice Department to investigate.' In an update on Tuesday, Austin Police said that White had been shot and killed in the parking lot of his apartment complex, and the suspects then fled the scene. White's sister Kelly Kneale said that although the investigation is in its early stages, it is not believed to be a 'targeted attack.' Jamie White, 36, was murdered while trying to stop robbers from breaking into his car The conspiracy theorist, 51, had been speaking with political commentator Benny Johnson on his podcast 'The Benny Show' about the death of White 'My brother was shot,' Kneale told DailyMail.com. 'Someone was attempting to break into his car. 'We're not doing great. I'm trying to hold it together as best I can for my dad, he can't really talk right now.' White's friend, Yecca Aaron, told Fox 7 that the journalist had stay late at work that night. 'Literally right when he got home, all that happened,' Aaron said. 'It's crazy that he's gone just like that.' 'I really don't think it was he was targeted because of where he worked. I think he was just targeted because he was right there in the right place at the wrong time.' In a fiery and emotional video on Monday afternoon, Jones did not hold back in assigning blame, squarely targeting the district attorney Jose Garza. 'I lay all of this squarely at the feet of Soros and of the sort of crime syndicate of the Democratic Party. 'They are the ones that administratively cut the police, prosecuted the police, and even cases that are hundred percent clear to be lawful, legal activities,' Jones ranted. Austin Police said that White, seen here with Jones, had been shot and killed in the parking lot of his apartment complex, and the suspects then fled the scene White's sister Kelly Kneale (left) said that although the investigation is in its early stages, it is not believed to be a 'targeted attack' He added: 'You murdered Jamie White, you opened the door, you created conditions on purpose. George Soros. Alexander Soros, you murdered Jamie White.' 'These are sick, degenerate, evil people that know what they're doing and they aided and abetted. 'They are accomplices to the murder of a great American and InfoWars long time veteran reporter Jamie White.' Garza is known for his progressive policies and his campaign was backed by billionaire financier George Soros' Open Society Foundations. Jones claimed that White's death was the inevitable result of what he called 'vicious policies' by Soros-backed DAs like Garza. He accused them of intentionally undermining law enforcement and letting violent criminals roam free. Jones also cited unnamed sources, claiming that many in law enforcement are frustrated by what they see as Garza's refusal to prosecute dangerous offenders. InfoWars, founded by Jones, has been embroiled in controversy for years over its inflammatory far-right content and conspiracy theories. The company vowed to honor Jamie White's memory by continuing his work, promising that his 'tragic death will not be in vain.' The glossy brochure promises a carefree party paradise boasting eight pools, free-flowing booze and a 'heavenly' powder-white beach. And the partying doesn't stop for spring breakers despite the plethora of police, soldiers and somber-faced officials swarming Hotel Riu Republica in Punta Cana to search for missing med student Sudiksha Konanki, 20, The five-star hotel was teeming with cops, soldiers and somber-faced officials as DailyMail.com joined the frantic hunt for missing spring breaker. A 300-strong search team utilizing drones, sniffer dogs and Navy divers scoured the tropical playground for a fifth day without finding any trace of University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha, who was last seen here in the early hours of March 6. DailyMail.com accompanied officers from the National Police as they trawled a four-kilometer (2.5-mile) stretch of coast by motorboat Tuesday afternoon, peering into the turquoise waters around the sun-drenched eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, home to some of the Caribbean's ritziest hotels. The sighting of an unspecified object bobbing around in the ocean sparked a flurry of activity but it was quickly ruled out when a military helicopter swooped down for a closer look. Canine units meanwhile combed the maze of palm trees along the shoreline for clues but they too came up empty-handed. The FBI have been providing behind the scenes assistance since Monday, bolstering an unprecedented search operation already involving the Dominican Army, Navy commandos, civil rescue teams and forensic experts. The sight of dozens of uniformed cops and soldiers massing on the Arena Gorda beach did little to dampen the party at the Hotel Riu Republica in Punta Cana The partying doesn't stop for spring breakers despite the plethora of police, soldiers and somber-faced officials swarming the resort to search for missing med student Sudiksha Konanki Sudiksha, 20, is a student at the University of Pittsburgh who was last seen along the beach in the early morning hours on March 6 'We won't stop working. We are doing everything in our power to find her,' vowed Colonel Diego Pesqueira, spokesman for the National Police. The sight of dozens of uniformed cops and soldiers massing on the Arena Gorda beach did little to dampen the revelry at the all-inclusive Riu Republica mega-resort, where it was party time as usual on Tuesday. Hundreds of spring breakers lounged on sunbeds and sipped rum cocktails even as choppers crisscrossed the cloudless sky in the forlorn search for Sudiksha. Several half-dressed revelers made their way through the throng of rescuers, clutching beers and casually chatting as exhausted police divers pulled off their wetsuits. Others seemed oblivious to the drama unfolding around them as they sizzled in the 86-degree heat or ordered ice-cold bottles of President Pilsner at the swim-up bar. 'It's super strange,' remarked Nolan Rosenblum, a 20-year-old Ohio State student enjoying a week-long vacation in Punta Cana with college pals. 'There are helicopters and soldiers walking around. But it's just become a sub-plot for most of the people here. We are not going to let it spoil our trip.' The 'adults only' - 18 and up - Riu Republica complex spans three towers and 1,300 rooms, multiple pools, waterslides, 10 bars and nine restaurants offering gourmet cuisine from Italy, Spain, India and Asia. But it's the promise of unlimited round-the-clock beer and liquor, foam parties and VIP access to the resort's pumping nightclub, Pacha, that's perhaps the biggest draw for young Americans. Hundreds of spring breakers lounged on sunbeds and sipped rum cocktails even as choppers crisscrossed the cloudless sky in the forlorn search for Sudiksha A sign on the beach saying there's no lifeguard posted at the beach. Concerned officials gather under the shade for a break in their search efforts while spring breakers run into the water to cool down DailyMail.com accompanied officers from the National Police as they trawled a four-kilometer (2.5-mile) stretch of coast by motorboat Tuesday afternoon to search for any signs of her Several half-dressed revelers made their way into the turquoise water as rescuers continued their search down the beach One college student told DailyMail.com that Sudiksha's disappearance had become a 'sub-plot for most of the people here' and that he wasn't going to let it 'spoil our trip' Drinking is legal from age 18 in the Dominican Republic, however, the Riu Republica's website insists it has a zero-tolerance policy for wild spring break antics. 'Guests who cause disturbances to other guests may be evicted from the property,' it warns. 'Room parties are not allowed. During their stay, spring breakers must comply with the safety protocols established by both the hotel and the Government.' Jack, a 21-year-old American student who declined to give his full name, said he felt no less safe in the Dominican Republic than he would at an American resort. 'Before I came my grandparents warned me, it's not the US, it may feel safe but you need to have your wits about you,' he told DailyMail.com. 'But the reality is, this could have happened in Miami, Mexico or Europe. When too much alcohol is involved, people make bad decisions.' Sudiksha, an Indian national who emigrated to the US as a young child, was enjoying a Caribbean getaway with five female college friends when she was reported missing on Thursday. The pre-med student was seen on hotel CCTV heading towards the beach at 4.15am with her gal pals and two male revelers, one looking unsteady on his feet in the grainy footage leaked to local TV. Others seemed oblivious to the drama unfolding around them as they sizzled in the 86-degree heat or ordered ice-cold bottles of President Pilsner at the swim-up bar Sudiksha was enjoying a Caribbean getaway with five female college friends when she was reported missing on Thursday. She was seen on hotel CCTV heading towards the beach at 4.15am with her gal pals and two male revelers The second male, seen draping his arm around Sudiksha, was identified by police sources as Josh Riibe, 22. He was the last known person to be with her, saying they waded in the water and he passed out on the beach after puking - he entered back into the hotel at 9.55am Riibe is not currently considered a suspect and is 'cooperating' with investigators, according to police sources The second male, seen draping his arm around Loudoun County, Virginia, resident Sudiksha, was identified by police sources as Josh Riibe, 22, a former Iowa high school wrestling champion. Powerfully built Riibe was the last person to see her and has told cops they waded into the water together before he returned to the beach, threw up and fell asleep. He says he has no recollection of where she went. Riibe is still in Punta Cana and he's due to be questioned again Wednesday, along with hotel staffers and guests who may have caught a glimpse of the pair after Sudiksha's friends headed back to the hotel at 5.55am. Riibe, who was seen walking back inside alone at 9.55am, is not currently considered a suspect and is 'cooperating' with investigators, according to police sources. Sudiksha's disappearance coincided with a power outage that knocked out AC units and prompted multiple guests to head out to the beach to escape the stifling heat, according to Dominican media. 'As part of this process, the [National Police] are re-interviewing targeted individuals who were in the victim's proximity at the time of her disappearance,' police said in a press release. 'This includes hotel employees where Konanki and her companions were staying, with the goal of gathering information to corroborate her movements, interactions and any relevant details for the investigation.' Sudiksha's distraught parents Subbarayudu and Sreedevi say they last heard from her during an 8pm phone call on the evening of March 5. Exhausted divers after their search and rescue operation in the ocean's turquoise waters. The theory that's widely being pushed out is Sudiksha drowned But her parents have begged authorities to widen the search zone and take seriously the idea that she was kidnapped since her body hasn't resurfaced on the beach They have begged authorities to widen the search zone and to take seriously the possibility that Sudiksha didn't drown but was instead kidnapped. 'It's four days, and if she was in water, she would likely have been strewn to shore,' Subbarayudu wrote in a statement to police. 'She's not found, so we're asking them to investigate multiple options, like kidnapping or abduction.' When contacted by DailyMail.com, Riibe's relatives described him as a 'good kid' who focuses on his studies. He lives in Rock Rapids, Iowa and is a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. A Texas woman who's been sitting on death row for 27 years for the brutal murder of an 80-year-old man had her conviction tossed after an astonishing admission was made about a key witness in her case. Brittany Holberg, 52, was sentenced to death for the horrific slaying of A.B. Towery on November 13, 1996. She was convicted for capital murder in the course of committing or attempting to commit robbery. Holberg, who was 23 at the time, was working as a sex worker when she met Towery while leaving a grocery store before heading to his Amarillo apartment. Once inside, Holberg savagely whacked the elderly man with a hammer, stabbed him 58 times with multiple utensils, and shoved a foot-long lamp pole down his throat, according to investigators. Last week - decades after her 1998 murder conviction - her case was brought back down to trial court by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision after finding that local prosecutors failed to mention that their primary trial witness was a paid informant. Vicky Kirkpatrick, a paid informant with the Amarillo Police Department, who shared a cell with Holberg, previously said she heard her discussing the murder. Kirkpatrick soon painted Holberg as a drug addict who 'showed absolutely no remorse' for her crime. Brittany Holberg, 52, was convicted and sentenced to death for capital murder in the course of committing or attempting robbery for the horrific slaying of A.B. Towery on November 13, 1996 Holberg savagely whacked the elderly man (pictured) with a hammer, stabbed him 58 times with multiple utensils, and shoved a foot-long lamp pole down his throat '[Holberg] told Kirkpatrick about the murder of Towery and showed absolutely no remorse, she described it almost with glee,' Randall County District Attorney James Farron told KFDA. After discovering that Randal County prosecutors failed to disclose Kirkpartrick's role as informant, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling found that the jury's guilty verdict and the prosecution violated Holberg's due process rights. The informant recanted her testimony in 2011, but neither the federal district court or the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals found that prosecutors violated the convicted murderer's constitutional right to a fair trial. The appeals court disagreed with this and found that her rights were violated by hiding the crucial information about Kirkpatrick. The court referenced the Brady Doctrine in their decision to wipe Holberg's death sentence. The doctrine requires prosecutors to disclose all exculpatory information and material to the defense. Judge Patrick E. Higginbotham spoke for the majority about the decision, noting that this case is a 'stark reminder' that capital punishment is still a 'work in progress.' 'We pause only to acknowledge that 27 years on death row is a reality dimming the light that ought to attend proceedings where a life is at stake, a stark reminder that the jurisprudence of capital punishment remains a work in progress,' Higginbotham said. 'Ms. Holberg's 27 years on death row is a showcase of the State's failure to abide by a core structure of prosecution: the Brady doctrine,' he added. Holberg (pictured in the courthouse) was convicted in 1998 at the age of 25 for the brutal death of Towery On the day of Towery's death, investigators said that Holberg asked to use his phone and demanded money from him Despite the appeals court ruling that Kirkpatrick's testimony played a large role in the case, Farron said her statements were 'not critical.' 'We went ahead and used her, but she was not critical to our case. It was just one more piece of information that portrayed what I think is true about Brittany Holberg and that she can be a vicious, violent person if you are between her and something she wants badly enough,' Farren continued. He told the outlet that the attorney general's office will now work on overturning the panel that made the decision. If they fail to overturn it, Farren believes the case could be taken to the Supreme Court, and possibly mean that a new trial would begin for Holberg. On the day of Towery's death, investigators said that Holberg asked to use his phone and demanded money from him. She then hit him with a hammer and stabbed him nearly 60 times with several household items, including a paring knife, butcher knife, grapefruit knife, another knife, and two forks. The assistant DA said Holberg then proceeded to take a bath at Towery's place and change into his clothes before she left that day. (Pictured: Towery's apartment in Amarillo) A foot-long lamp pole was also shoved more than five inches down his throat. Dave Blount, an assistant DA in Randall County, previously told KAMR4 exactly why she chose to put the lamp down his throat. Blount noted that this wasn't the first time Holberg committed a crime, adding that 'she had a history of lying' 'I remember that the reason she said she used the lamp was because she wanted to get him to quit making noises because he was still moaning and groaning, and she did it to shut him up,' Blount said. The assistant DA said Holberg then proceeded to take a bath at Towery's place and change into his clothes before she left that day. Randall County District Attorney Robert Love said Towery suffered more than 70 blows to his body. 'It was so egregious. It was over the top,' he added. Towery's son, Russell Towery, told the outlet he believes Holberg was trying to steal his father's prescription pills just before things went south. 'They said that the fight lasted probably 45 minutes. She beat my dad with knives, forks, spoons, skillets, chipped the back of his head off with a claw hammer,' Russell said. 'And my dad is laying on the kitchen floor bleeding, you know, drowning in his own blood. She ran a rod, lamp base down his throat six inches' Blount noted that this wasn't the first time Holberg committed a crime, adding that 'she had a history of lying.' 'From scamming friends to get their prescription medications, to being a prostitute, to being a drug addict, she had other convictions for felonies, she had been to drug rehab as part of the prison system,' he said. During her trial, Holberg said she acted in self defense that day after the elderly man fought back. While on the stand, she said:'I didn't want to hurt anybody.' During her trial, Holberg said she acted in self defense that day, and while on the stand (pictured) she said: 'I didn't want to hurt anybody' Despite that, Blount said her testimony wasn't of much help because 'the brutality of it was over the top.' She was convicted in 1998 at the age of 25. In 2023, Russell revealed that he was prepared to kill Holberg himself during the trial, because he 'wanted to put Satan's daughter to sleep.' 'I was going to shoot her in the courtroom,' he said, adding that Gil Farren, James Farren's wife and the victims' assistance coordinator, intervened. 'If I was to have taken a shot at her, and missed and shot the bailiff, I wouldnt have been any better than her,' he said. 'But I regret not shooting Brittany in the courtroom. I wanted to put Satans daughter to sleep.' The heartbroken son has waited decades for his father's murderer to face the death penalty, but now, that won't happen unless the decision is overturned. 'I will forgive Brittany the moment that she quits breathing and thats gonna be it. Everybody talks about closure,' he said. 'How do you get closure when the demon who killed your father is still getting three meals a day and a place to sleep? Thats not closure to me,' Russell said. A drunk airport passenger went from meek and mild to a full meltdown after she was arrested for public intoxication. The woman, named Paula, was approached by officers at Dallas Fort Worth airport after they received 'multiple' calls about her behavior. While she was initially compliant, things took a turn after she learned that she would not be able to board her flight to Louisiana and would instead be spending a night in jail. The October 2024 incident was captured on bodycam footage obtained newly unearthed by Police Watch. In the video, Paula is seen wandering around the departures lounge when police approach and ask her what is going on. She immediately admits to drinking and says she is 'not bad' when asked how intoxicated she is. However, when police ask her where her stuff is she shrugs, 'somewhere' and flops down onto a chair. She admits to drinking 'four Absoluts' around four hours ago and says she hasn't eaten since downing the vodkas. A drunk airport passenger went from meek to meltdown after she was arrested for public intoxication The woman, named Paula, was approached by officers at Dallas Fort Worth airport after they received 'multiple' calls about her behavior As the interrogation continues, Paula becomes agitated and suddenly bursts into tears crying. 'Please don't do this, I just want to go home,' she sobs gently as the police explain they just want to help. The officers ask her some field sobriety questions which she manages to answer, however she continues pleading with them to let her go. 'We got several calls about you okay and even while you were walking over here you were falling over,' the officer informs her. 'You're unstable on your feet, I can smell the alcohol coming off you.' They ask to see her ID but it quickly becomes clear that she has lost her license during her vodka-fueled antics, prompting one officer to try and search for it at the bar and in the bathroom. 'Please don't do this, I'm just tired,' Paula insists. 'Am I going to get like busted? Do I need to run?' The cops ask her if she knows where she is she looks visibly confused before answering 'Terminal One'. 'We don't have a terminal one here ma'am,' a female officer informs her. She initially appeared compliant, telling officers she had drunk four vodkas but had lost her stuff and just wanted to go home However, after learning she was to be arrested for public intoxication Paula became violent, even kicking a police car as she was taken into custody Eventually the police decide they need to arrest her and tell Paula she will be coming in to sleep off the alcohol. Paula's friendly mask suddenly slips, with the drunk flier hurling f and c-bombs at arresting officers while struggling and kicking a police car. 'Why did you grab me? What did I do?' she demands before she is told she is intoxicated in public. 'Really? F**k you!' she spits back at the officer before she is walked through the airport where she continues cursing. 'F**k you, f**king b***h.' Her tirade continues all the way outside where she lashes out and kicks a police car as she passes. Paula then starts jerking around as the officers try to search her before placing her inside the vehicle. Once she arrives at the police station, she can be heard kicking and screaming from outside the car. She was hit with charges for public intoxication and assault on an officer, according to Police Watch She is then walked inside where she continues to excoriate the officers, targeting the female officer in particular who she calls a 'c**t' as well as a 'smelly f***king t**t'. Disgustingly, Paula also tells a female police officer 'You smell worse than my c***.' At one point Paula starts mimicking the female officer and kicking against the door. It takes several officers to hustle her inside and try and remove her jewelry as she begins contorting herself to make it as difficult as possible. 'Does that feel good you f**king b***h?' she repeatedly asks as she is finally forced to the ground. As the clip ends Paula can be seen lying in a heap on the floor of the cell. She was hit with charges for public intoxication and assault on an officer, according to Police Watch. Gene Hackman may have relived his wife's death repeatedly in his final days of life due to his battle with advanced Alzheimer's disease, an occupational therapist has revealed. The partially mummified remains of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered February 26 when maintenance and security workers showed up at their Santa Fe, New Mexico home and alerted police. Police said Arakawa likely died February 11 at home from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease spread by infected rodent droppings. It not known how quickly Arakawa died. Hackman died from cardiovascular disease around February 18, with officials saying he may have been unaware that his wife was dead. But Dr Catherine Piersol, an occupational therapist who specializes in dementia care, says that Hackman may have experienced the loss of his wife over and over again because his disease meant it was 'like he was living in a reel'. 'I imagine he would be trying to wake her up and not being successful,' Piersol told BBC, hypothesizing on what occurred during his last week of live. 'But then could have been distracted in another room because of one of the dogs or something.' She suggested that Hackman would then later notice his wife on the bathroom floor and have to 'live through it again'. Hackman, left to fend for himself after Arakawa died, went days without food, which experts warn can increase levels of confusion and agitation in Alzheimer's patients. Gene Hackman may have relived his wife Betsy Arakawa's death repeatedly in his final days of life due to his battle with advanced Alzheimer's disease, an occupational therapist has revealed. The couple are pictured together in March 2024 during their last known public outing An occupational therapist who specializes in dementia care suggested that Hackman may have discovered Arakawa's body, gotten 'distracted in another room because of one of the dogs or something' and then later notice his wife dead, forcing him to 'live through it again'. The late couple are pictured with their two former dogs, Maisie and Roscoe, in 2007 The partially mummified remains of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered February 26 when maintenance and security workers showed up at their Santa Fe, New Mexico home (pictured) and alerted police Officials found no indication that Hackman attempted to contact police or other emergency personnel after Arakawa's death. They were also unable to tell if the actor, who was already in 'very poor health', was able to care for himself during his final week. Dr Brendan Kelley, a neurologist specializing in memory and cognition, told the BBC that Hackman may not have been able to call for help because of his condition. Kelley explained that although Alzheimer's patients experience physical needs and emotions, like pain and sadness, they often struggle to identify what they are feeling. 'A person might feel worried or frightened, but at the same time they might not be capable to take the actions that you or I might normally think to do in order to alleviate that worry or concern, such as calling somebody else, or going to speak to a neighbor,' the neurologist said. Hackman was found dead with his cane and sunglasses by his side in a room just off the kitchen following an apparent fall - hinting he may have been on his way out of the home before his weak heart gave in. An autopsy showed his stomach was empty at the time of his death. His pacemaker's last recorded activity was on February 18 - but help would not arrive until over a week later. Santa Fe Sheriff Adam Mendoza said his department plans to keep Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's cases open despite their causes of death being revealed after weeks of speculation. (Pictured: The couple in 1991) Officials said that numerous emails went unopened on February 11, and that there was no further communication from Arakawa's account after that day. (Pictured: The couple in 1993) Hackman was found in the home's entryway, and Arakawa was found in a bathroom. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes. The reclusive couple's dogs, who were lovingly cared for by the couple, were also left alone. Their pet Zinna, who had been picked up by Arakawa from a veterinary hospital on February 9 - two days before her death - was found dead in a a kennel in a bathroom closet about 10 to 15 feet from Arakawa's partially mummified remains. Officials believe the animal had been crated due to the recent medical care it had received. A necropsy will be done on the dog. A German Shepherd named Bear and a second dog named Nikita were found running around the 12 acre property - with a dog door allowing them access to food and water. The dogs were discovered loose when the mummified bodies of Hackman and Arakawa were discovered on February 26 by two maintenance workers. Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said he considers this an open investigation until they receive results of the Zinna's necropsy and finish checking into data from personal cellphones retrieved from the home. Dr. Heather Jarrell, Chief Medical Investigator for the state of New Mexico, said their deaths had both been ruled as natural, and that no signs of internal or external trauma were found. This followed days of intense speculation around the mysterious deaths. Hackman's life until 2004 was lived in the Hollywood glare - he is pictured with friend and Unforgiven co-star Clint Eastwood at the 1993 Oscars The sheriff said Arakawa's last known outing was a round of errands and shopping February 11. She visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to the couple's gated neighborhood that evening. Arakawa stopped answering emails that day. As of Friday, the couple's cellphone communications had not yet been analyzed. The revelations about the manner of the couple's deaths jolted Santa Fe, the state capital city known as a refuge for celebrities, artists and authors. 'All of us that knew him should have been checking on him,' said Stuart Ashman, co-owner of Artes de Cuba gallery, who cherished his encounters with Hackman at a local Pilates exercise studio. 'I had no idea... It's just really sad. And that she died a week before him. My God.' Most older Americans with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias live at home, and many receive care from family or friends. Hantavirus typically is reported in spring and summer, often due to exposures that occur when people are near mouse droppings in homes, sheds or poorly ventilated areas. This is the first confirmed case of hantavirus in New Mexico this year. While hantavirus is found throughout the world, most cases in the US have been found in western states. The virus can cause a severe and sometimes deadly lung infection. Hackman, a Hollywood icon, won two Oscars during a storied career in films including The French Connection, Hoosiers and Superman from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s. He is pictured in a scene from Hoosiers Hackman, a Hollywood icon, won two Oscars during a storied career in films including The French Connection, Hoosiers and Superman from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s. Arakawa, born in Hawaii, studied as a concert pianist, attended the University of Southern California and met Hackman in the mid-1980s while working at a California gym. Hackman dedicated much of his time in retirement to painting and writing novels far from Hollywoods social circuit. He served for several years on the board of trustees at the Georgia OKeeffe Museum in Santa Fe, and he and Arakawa were investors in local businesses. Billionaire businessman Paddy McKillen was today convicted of attacking a petite woman bailiff in his 30million Paris apartment. The 70-year-old tycoon, who owns a whisky distillery in Ireland with U2 frontman Bono, was not in court in the French capital on Wednesday as judgment was handed down against him. He was fined 10,000 (8,400) for 'violence against public official' Anna Cohen-Bacri, 33, and ordered to pay her a total of 1500 (1300) in damages and costs. Judge Fanny Huboux, sitting in the 33rd Chamber of the Paris Correctional Court, said Belfast-born Mr McKillen was 'guilty as charged'. She rejected prosecution calls for an eight-month suspended prison sentence for Mr McKillen. In turn, defence lawyers launched an immediate appeal, saying in a statement: 'Mr McKillen strongly denies the accusations against him' and described them as being 'based on outright lies'. The lawyers said 'a shocked and distressed' Mr McKillen was 'on a plane somewhere' but would travel to Paris for any future proceedings. They also indicated that they would be launching a complaint against Ms Cohen-Bacri for 'breach of professional ethics'. It followed Ms Cohen Bacri, who was visibly pregnant as she sat in court today, offering evidence against an absent Mr McKillen during a one-day trial on January 22nd. Property developer Paddy McKillen, who owns a whisky distillery in Ireland with U2 frontman Bono, was not in court in the French capital on Wednesday as judgment was handed down against him McKillen was fined 10,000 (8,400) for 'violence against public official' Anna Cohen-Bacri, 33, and ordered to pay her a total of 1500 (1300) in damages and costs. She told how she was set upon by Mr McKillen on June 25th last year after he returned from a business trip to Japan. Ms Cohen-Bacri said he flew into a rage after she legally entered the property in the hugely prestigious Place Vendome, next to the Paris Ritz and France's Ministry of Justice, with the aid of a locksmith. She was acting in relation to the alleged non-payment of a loan to the Qatari-linked Quintet private bank, it was alleged. McKillen found her 'inside his home with the door ajar,' said Ms Cohen-Bacri. He then repeatedly screamed, 'F***ing bailiff! and 'F*** you, bailiff!' in English, said Ms Cohen-Bacri, who is less than 5ft tall. After being 'violently aggressed' she was so scared that she phoned local police, who arrived within minutes. Ms Cohen-Bacri was testifying at McKillen's trial for 'violence against a public official' one that can be punished by up to a year in prison in France. Referring back to the alleged assault by McKillen, she said: 'Mr McKillen knew a bailiff was present but became extremely aggressive. 'He tried to stop me doing my job, and was physically and verbally violent. He was truly aggressive. I'm very small and was very scared. 'He put his hand up menacingly, and then began to swear repeatedly. He was insulting me the whole time, and then become even more violent.' Ms Cohen-Bacri said he flew into a rage after she legally entered the property in the hugely prestigious Place Vendome, next to the Paris Ritz (pictured) and France's Ministry of Justice, with the aid of a locksmith McKillen owns a whisky distillery in Ireland with U2 frontman Bono (pictured in 2023) A total of four witness were present, said Ms Cohen-Bacri, including the locksmith. Today neither Ms Cohen-Bacri, nor her lawyer Marina Ruta commented on the verdict. Mr McKillen is currently also involved in a long-running legal dispute with Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, a former prime minister of Qatar, who is known as HBJ for short. Mr McKillen helped furnish HBJ's $118 million mansion in Bel Air, California, with expensive art, including pieces by Damien Hirst, another of McKillen's friends. The Bel Air case is one of seven that the property magnate and hotelier is pursuing against HBJ, and other members of the Qatari royal family. Mr McKillen used to be a part owner of Claridge's, the five-star hotel in London's Mayfair. The appeal by Mr McKillen in the Cohen-Bacri is likely to be heard in the autumn. Shocking video shows the moment a Trump advisor snapped at a TV journalist who asked him why the President keeps changing his mind on tariffs. White House Senior Trade counselor Peter Navarro furiously told Sky News's Mark Stone to 'stop that crap' as the US correspondent repeatedly probed him on the issue. Donald Trump announced an increased tariff of 50 per cent on Canadian steel and aluminium on Tuesday before halting the plan just hours later. Meanwhile 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports to the US, affecting UK products worth hundreds of millions of pounds, came into effect today. 'The policy is no exemptions no exclusions, and that will change if the President changes his policy,' Mr Navarro told reporters. 'But the President seems to be changing his mind by the hour at the moment,' Mr Stone hit back, before asking Mr Navarro what his views were on Donald Trump's U-turns. 'Sir, you don't understand what a negotiation looks like, the President is negotiating strategically, so stop with the rhetoric, stop that crap,' the trade advisor said. As he attempted to receive questions from other members of the press pack, the reporter interjected again, reiterating that the President 'does seem to be changing his mind all the time.' White House Senior Trade counselor Peter Navarro furiously told Sky News 's Mark Stone to 'stop that crap' in a 'testy exchange' over tariffs Another reporter who was at the scene said Mr Navarro became 'annoyed with how closely the reporter was filming with his phone' The increasingly irate Presidential advisor told him to 'stop that crap' again, before demanding to know which news organisation Mr Stone worked for. The journalist told him, before stating 'it is a fact that he is changing his mind every single day.' Refusing to be drawn, Mr Navarro said in a mocking tone: 'It's a negotiation, my friend. It's a negotiation.' Taking his point, Mr Stone then pointed out that Washington's ever-changing policies are 'causing havoc to the stock markets' which have been 'tumbling' - a reference to the $4trillion which was wiped off the value of the S&P 500 from its February 19 record high. Mr Navarro said 'it's not causing havoc' and then yelled at Mr Stone to 'stop' as other reporters jostled to get their questions heard. The flustered advisor then said: 'I can either stay here and answer questions and be civil about it, or your can hector me like this, so stand back, get that thing out of my face, you've had your chance to ask questions.' USATODAY's White House correspondent wrote on X that there had been a 'testy exchange' between Mr Navarro and the Sky News reporter. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House 'Navarro was annoyed with how closely the reporter was filming with his phone,' the news outlet's correspondent wrote. The heated questioning of Mr Navarro came as investors were spooked by Trump's sweeping tariffs. Fears of an economic downturn have driven a stock market sell-off that wiped out $4 trillion from the S&P 500's peak last month, when Wall Street was cheering much of Trump's agenda. A barrage of new Trump policies has increased uncertainty for businesses, consumers and investors, notably back-and-forth tariff moves against major trading partners like Canada, Mexico and China. The cost of aluminium and steel in the United States has today been hovering around recent peaks as traders ratcheted up prices in response to the 25 per cent tariffs taking effect. Speaking last night, the president indicated there would be some short-term pain from his tariffs but that it was a necessary step to restore American manufacturing. 'I think our country had to do this, we had to do this,' Trump said. 'Other countries have taken away our businesses, taken away our jobs.' Hugh Bonneville has seen his assets rocket to more than 1.1million, just two months after his ex-wife resigned from their family business. The Downton Abbey star split from Lucinda Williams last year after more than 25 years of marriage, and she cut ties with their shared film-making business in January this year. Spoondock Films had assets of 1,107,382 in 2024, up from 867,712 in 2023, Companies House records show. This included a spike in fixed assets - long-term property or equipment - to a value of 1,076,152 from 284,003 the year before. In the time since their split, Bonneville, 61, is said to have moved into a bachelor pad in Soho while Ms Williams has kept their family home. It comes as Lucinda, known to her friends as Lulu, has started works on their former property, installing a 50,000 greenhouse to grow her own fruit and veg. The Downton Abbey star split from Lucinda Williams last year after more than 25 years of marriage, and she cut ties with their shared film-making business in January this year Bonneville, 60, was last year seen buying furniture and pictures for his new home in Soho She is adding dozens of giant solar panels at the West Sussex home she once shared with the actor. A field next to the six-bedroom, four bathrooms property - worth about 4million, on the outskirts of the picturesque village - has been earmarked for 60 solar panels. The actor bought the sprawling property for 1.1million in 2003 and moved in with his wife Lulu and baby son, Felix, now 20. The couple initially met as teenagers but lost touch, then met again in their 30s and married in 1998. Five years ago, to mark their 20th wedding anniversary, the couple renewed their vows in Las Vegas. But speculation about their marriage grew when the actor was spotted without his wedding ring at the wedding of his Downton Abbey co-star Michelle Dockery in September. Days later the couple - who have a dog, Sasha - announced they had split after 25 years of marriage. The couple, pictured here at the House of Fraser British Academy Television Awards at London's Royal Festival Hall in May 2016, shared a home near Milland, West Sussex The couple were last pictured in public together in April 2023 at the Tomorrow Gala at the Old Vic theatre in London Lucinda had been spotted sobbing over a glass of wine with a friend in a bar in Milland, asking: 'Do 20-odd years of marriage count for nothing?' The couple were last seen together in public at the Old Vic Theatre in London for a gala in April 2023. Last year Bonneville was pictured buying furniture and pictures for his new bachelor pad in Soho. His latest film Paddington In Peru, the third movie in the Paddington franchise, was filmed last summer. Bomb experts were deployed to a Dorset beach on Monday morning after the discovery of what was presumed to be an unexploded weapon. However, after a very brief inspection, the suspicious object was found to actually be an upturned saucepan lying partially covered by the sand. A member of the public had been walking along the beach near the Heritage Coast Centre at Charmouth, Dorset, when they spotted what they feared to be a dangerous ordnance washed up on the sand. Having alerted local police and the coastguard, a cordon was set up around the mystery device. The attending emergency services then called EOD experts who were sent photos of the upturned saucepan but were unable to determine what exactly it was. Unable to rule out whether or not the device was an explosive, police expanded the cordon to over 300ft and called in the Royal Navy bomb disposal team. Deploying from Plymouth, the bomb squad arrived hastily on the scene and began to carefully dig out the sand from around the device. After a brief inspection, the discovery was made that the 'unexploded ordnance' was in fact a harmless straight-sided saucepan. A concerned member of the public had spotted the upturned saucepan and assumed it was an unexploded bomb which has washed ashore The incident occurred at roughly 10am on Monday morning along a stretch of beach near the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre While in this instance the result was a comical misunderstanding, there have been regular findings of washed up ordnances on British beaches in the past. According to official UK government figures, there are an estimated 500,000 bombs or other ordnances in Great Britain's territorial waters. Most of these devices originate from misplaced air raids or torpedo firings from during both World War I and World War II. To this day, emergency services still deal with as many as 20 callouts to unexploded armaments on UK beaches each year. Just last December, a massive 1,000kg unexploded bomb was uncovered near the Clarence Esplanade in Southsea, Portsmouth. The ordnance was discovered by workers who were undertaking renovations to coastal defence works along the south coast town's waterfront. Again, Royal Navy bomb disposal experts were called the scene, with the bomb being safely removed and brought out to sea where a controlled detonation took place. Similarly, back in 2022, a springer spaniel dog discovered a buried bomb on a Norfolk beach while out on a Sunday walk with its owner. Although this device was only 8 inches in size, an army bomb disposal unit was called and carried out another controlled explosion. The UK Ministry of Defence estimates there to be roughly 500,000 ordnances in British territorial waters Springer spaniel Luna (pictured) uncovered a small World War II ordnance on a Norfolk beach in 2022 Speaking to the bizarre incident in Dorset this week, a Lyme Regis Coastguard spokesperson said: 'We were tasked with investigating a report from the NCI of potential ordnance on the beach at Charmouth. 'Along with West Bay Coastguard Rescue Team and Dorset Police, we responded to a report of an unidentified object part-submerged in the sand near the Heritage Coast Centre. 'Due to the heavily weathered metal item being partially buried, we took photos and measurements and passed them on to EOD experts for assessment. 'An initial cordon was put in place, which was later increased to 100m after the Royal Navy bomb disposal experts expressed interest based on the object's appearance and measurements. 'The Royal Navy bomb disposal team from Plymouth arrived shortly after and, upon closer inspection and subsequent digging out, determined that the object was a very old straight sided saucepan or similar metal container. 'We would like to thank the first informant who contacted the NCI regarding the item. 'Ordnance is known to wash up on our shores, and if there is any doubt, please call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.' This is the moment an Amazon delivery driver desperately tried to stop his van being stolen by clinging onto the passenger door while being dragged half a mile at 60mph before he was killed. Claudiu-Carol Kondor, 42, was hanging onto the van when 'cruel' and 'callous' Mark Ross, who had climbed in while a parcel was being delivered, deliberately crashed into a stationary Mini to knock him from the vehicle on August 20 last year. Ross, 32, hit speeds of almost 60mph on residential streets and swerved erratically from side to side before hitting two parked cars, all in an effort to 'get rid' of Mr Kondor as he clung onto the van from the open passenger door, jurors heard. Leeds Crown Court heard that Mr Kondor died from head and chest injuries from the second crash. Ross had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but denied murdering Mr Kondor, claiming he was unaware of him hanging onto the van and that speed bumps had caused him to lose control of the vehicle. A jury of 11 found Ross guilty of murder by a majority of 10 to 1. He is due to be sentenced on Friday. After the murder conviction, West Yorkshire Police released footage of an out-of-control Ross speeding through the streets and of the moment he was arrested on August 21 last year. Jurors heard Mr Kondor was delivering parcels for Amazon in the Armley area of Leeds using his own silver Ford Transit van - which was full of parcels he had collected from an Amazon depot. While he was away from his vehicle delivering a parcel, Ross, who lived nearby, climbed into the driver's seat and started to drive the van away, the court heard. Footage released by West Yorkshire Police today shows the moment Ross speeds through residential streets, with Mr Kondor clinging onto the passenger side door Mark Ross (pictured), 32, has been found guilty at Leeds Crown Court of murdering Amazon delivery driver Claudiu-Carol Kondor This is the moment Ross (pictured) calmly smokes as he is told he is being arrested on suspicion of murder Amazon delivery driver Claudiu-Carol Kondor (pictured), 42, died after being flung from his van as he tried to stop it being stolen, a court heard Haunting footage from the passenger side shows Mr Kondor clinging onto his van door while it is being stolen Prosecutor John Harrison KC said: 'The evidence suggests Mr Kondor tried to stop him by opening the front nearside passenger door of the van and attempting to climb in. 'Unfortunately his actions did not prevent the defendant from driving away, with Mr Kondor hanging on to his van.' CCTV footage played in court showed Mr Kondor hanging onto the moving van through an open door as Ross drove away along Wingate Road. 'It appears Mr Kondor did not wish to or perhaps could not let go of his van, he did not want the defendant simply to steal it,' Mr Harrison said. Witnesses described Mr Kondor's legs dragging on the ground as he clung onto the inside of the open door, with one woman saying she heard him shouting 'Help'. West Yorkshire Police released CCTV today of Ross recklessly driving the stolen van, but did not show the passenger side where Mr Kondor was hanging from. In separate bodycam footage, they showed Ross calmly smoking as he is told he is being arrested on suspicion of murder. Mr Harrison told jurors: 'After speeding and swerving failed to get rid of Mr Kondor, the defendant deliberately drove into collision with two parked cars.' He said Ross 'deliberately' turned the steering wheel of the van towards a black car parked on the side of the road, and when that did not knock Mr Kondor free from the van, he 'tried again'. 'The second collision was with a blue car which caused damage to the van, to the parked car and most significantly, caused fatal head and chest injuries to Mr Kondor,' Mr Harrison said. Mr Kondor's Ford Transit Cargo van (pictured) was stolen as he made a delivery on August 20 2024 Mr Kondor (pictured here with his wife Mariana) suffered fatal head and chest injuries when he was flung from the vehicle last year, a jury was told The scene in Leeds, West Yorkshire, after Mr Kondor was found fighting for his life Forensics officers at the scene investigating after the driver was killed The court heard after driving away, Ross met up with some other people and the contents of the van were removed. In his closing speech, Mr Harrison said Ross showed a 'complete disregard and even contempt' for Mr Kondor's life. He said the 'career criminal' must have realised Mr Kondor, who was wearing a high-viz jacket, was there, but made the choice that the driver was 'expendable'. Ross, of Conference Road, Armley, told the jury how he had been a daily cannabis user since he was a child and had been out buying drugs and cigarette papers when he came across the van with no driver. He said: 'It wasn't 'til I got the van I saw it was unattended, and keys were in it, and the engine was running.' Ross said: 'I basically jumped in it and drove it off.' His barrister Simon Kealey KC asked him: 'We're you ever aware of anyone on the passenger side of the vehicle, on the door on the outside.' He said: 'No.' In his closing speech, Mr Harrison said Ross (pictured) showed a 'complete disregard and even contempt' for Mr Kondor's life Ross said he later found out about the death of Mr Kondor through the internet. He admitted stealing vans previously, but said he had 'never been involved in anything like this before', adding: 'I would have stopped the van and run off if I had known he was there.' Opening an inquest into his death last year, senior coroner Kevin McLoughlin said Mr Kondor was 'a Romanian gentleman who was contributing to society'. He added: 'He was here, he was working hard, when he found someone stealing his vehicle. 'He's commendably tried to prevent the crime taking place but he's paid an immensely high price for this.' Mr Kondor, who lived in Sheffield, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was employed by a company called SP Transport Group, who described him after his death as 'more than just a colleague - he was a friend, a confidant and a valued member of our team'. His family listened to the verdict via a video link to court. Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle said: 'Claudiu was a decent hard-working man and it's clear he was determined not to let Ross take his livelihood. 'For half a mile he bravely clung to the open door as Ross swerved the van around at speed before deliberately crashing leaving him fatally injured. 'Claudiu came to the UK from Romania to make a better life for himself. He was described by his work colleagues as being not just a dedicated and valued member of their team but a friend and a confidant. He was also a familiar friendly face to the many people he delivered to. 'His partner, who had also come to the UK for work, has since returned to Romania now seeing no future here. She and Claudiu's family have been left utterly devastated by his death. 'It is truly heart-breaking that the life of an honest hard-working man has been snatched away by the cruel and callous actions of Mark Ross. 'Through the hard work, dedication and commitment of everyone involved, from those initial attending officers, the public providing information and CCTV, to the analytical and support staff and the detectives there throughout the investigation to its conclusion at court, we have been able to provide justice for Claudiu and his family.' An exceptional posthumous Victoria Cross awarded to First World War sailor who was dubbed the 'Pirate of Basra' has sold for 200,000. Lieutenant-Commander Charles Henry Cowley took part in a suicidal mission to reinforce the besieged Kut garrison in Mesopotamia, now Iraq, in April 1916. They were carrying 270 tons of supplies in the SS Julnar, a river steamer, when they were attacked by Turkish machine guns and artillery. Lieutenant-Commmander Cowley's crew fought valiantly in the face of insurmountable odds until all 15 of them were killed or captured. The 44-year-old river pilot and secret agent helped evacuate British nationals from Baghdad and also carried troops back and forth on the Euphrates and Tigris at great personal risk for 18 months. This led to him receiving a death sentence in absentia by the Turks, who described him as a 'pirate', prompting Lieutenant-Commander Cowley to fly the skull and cross-bones flag. Finally having got their man, the Turks swiftly executed Lieutenant-Commander Cowley, who posthumously received Britain's highest award for gallantry. The soldier was born in Baghdad but educated in Liverpool before joining the training ship Worcester as a cadet in 1885. An exceptional posthumous Victoria Cross awarded to the 'Pirate of Basra' has sold for 200,000. Lieutenant-Commander Charles Henry Cowley took part in a suicidal mission to reinforce the beseiged Kut garrison in Mesopotamia, now Iraq , in the First Word War The Victoria Cross that was awarded to Lieutenant-Commander Charles Henry Cowley When his father died suddenly in 1889, he returned to Baghdad to live with his mother and quickly learnt Arabic and adopted local customs, like an early day Lawrence of Arabia. In August 1914, he was in command of the steamer Mejidieh, which was ordered from Basra to Baghdad to evacuate British nationals. Over the next year and a half, he carried out increasingly daring missions until his final stand on the night of April 24-25, 1916. His Victoria Cross citation reads: 'On the night of 24/25 April 1916 in Mesopotamia, an attempt was made to reprovision the force besieged at Kut-el-Amara. 'Lieutenant Commander Cowley, with a lieutenant, a sub-lieutenant and 12 ratings, started off with 270 tons of stores up the River Tigris. Lieutenant-Commmander Cowley's crew fought valiantly in the face of insurmountable odds until all 15 of them were killed or captured in April 1916 'Unfortunately Julnar was attacked almost at once by Turkish machine-guns and artillery. 'At Magasis, steel hawsers stretched across the river halted the expedition, the enemy opened fire at point-blank range and Julnar's bridge was smashed. 'Julnar's commander was killed, also several of his crew; Lieutenant-Commander Cowley was taken prisoner with the other survivors and almost certainly executed by the Turks.' His medal, which emerged from the collection of the late Jason Pilalas, went under the hammer at London-based auctioneers Noonans, of Mayfair. It was bought by a British private collector of gallantry awards. Lieutenant-Commander Charles Henry Cowley's Victoria Cross A scroll presented to Lieutenant-Commander Charles Henry Cowley The river steamer SS Julnar. It was carrying 270 tons of supplies when it was attacked Nimrod Dix, deputy chairman of Noonans, said: 'Cowley, had been born in Baghdad, and served on steamships up and down the Tigris and Euphrates rivers pre-hostilities, like his Irish-born father who did a similar job. 'Cowley Jnr mastered Arabic and made many local friends, so was ideally suited to serve as a river-pilot, interpreter, and intelligence agent for the British. 'Therefore, it was a small wonder then that his Turkish captors murdered him after he was taken prisoner in a suicidal attempt to reinforce the Kut garrison in the Julnar, that had been carrying 270 tons of supplies, in April 1916. 'Eighteen months before he was murdered, Cowley was in command of the Mejidieh, and ordered from Basra to Baghdad to evacuate all British nationals who wished to leave. 'His command having then been formally requisitioned by the Royal Navy, he went on to play a critical role in carrying troops back and forth on the Euphrates and Tigris. 'His work came to the attention of the Turks, who sentenced him to death in absentia at a military court hearing held in Baghdad - and even sent him a message declaring him to be a 'pirate'. 'Such accusations appealed to Cowley's sense of humour and, far from being perturbed, he took to flying the skull and cross-bones' flag whenever he returned to Basra.' Shocking undercover footage captured by animal rights activists has unearthed apparent acts of animal cruelty being committed against cows and calves at an Arla 'mega dairy'. Filmed at Lowfields Farm in Northallerton, where over 2,000 cows are managed, an Animal Justice Project (AJP) investigation found that 'routine' acts of cruelty such as kicking, punching, slapping and striking with electric goads occurred on a serious scale. The farm provides Arla Foods UK, the nation's largest milk producer, with over 270,000 litres of milk per week. The company has since suspended the farmer while it investigates. In the appalling footage, cows can be seen enduring violent handling, physical abuse, falling and trauma. According to the AJP, all staff present on the farm were caught partaking in the acts of animal cruelty. Other forms of mistreatment included severe overcrowding as sheds designed for 125 cows were allegedly used to house almost 100 additional animals, leaving cows unable to lie down and being forced to stand in their own waste. Illegal transport practices were also recorded as lame cows were violently forced into transport tucks. A number of biosecurity risks were noted by the AJP too, with dead calves left out in the open, posing a severe disease risk. The Animal Justice Project has released shocking footage of apparent animal abuse at an Arla dairy farm In the appalling footage, farm workers can be seen slapping, kicking, prodding and using electrical goads on cattle The farm in question is Lowfields Farm in Northallerton, where over 2,000 dairy cows are managed Speaking to the shameful findings of their investigation, AJP Director Claire Palmer said the footage revealed that animal abuse is a systemic issue and not just the result of lone actors. 'This indicates that mistreatment was not only routine but also tolerated and ingrained within the farms operations, raising serious concerns about Arlas standards and oversight', Ms Palmer said. In the aftermath of the investigation, the AJP is now campaigning for consumers to halt their consumption of Arla products and for leading supermarkets and chains to distance themselves from the dairy giant. Global coffee behemoth Starbucks sources 100 per cent of its UK milk from Arla, with the AJP stating: 'Starbucks claims to care about sustainability, yet it continues to support an industry built on suffering'. Reacting to the alarming footage, a Starbucks spokesperson told the MailOnline: 'The content shared is shocking and does not reflect our dedication to work with farmers and suppliers who share our commitment to humane practices. 'We are pleased that Arla and Red Tractor have taken immediate action in this case including suspending the farmer while investigations continue'. Alick Simmons, Former UK Government Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer and Former Food Standards Agency Veterinary Director, said of the footage: 'It reveals deeply concerning incidents of animal mistreatment on a large-scale dairy farm... 'Several instances captured in the video appear to constitute breaches of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and warrant urgent regulatory investigation. 'That such abuses occurred at a farm linked to a company presenting itself as an industry leader raises serious questions about oversight and accountability'. The AJP allege that all staff members on the farm were caught engaging in acts of animal cruelty In one disturbing scene, a cow can be seen bleeding from its head as it lies on the ground Staff members were routinely caught engaging in the physical abuse of animals In the footage, over 200 cows could be seen crammed into a shed designed to house just 125 Arla Foods UK reported 1.2billion in revenue for the first half 2024 as it enjoyed massive growth in its Arla protein branch and in its supply of Starbucks. In a statement addressing allegations of animal cruelty levelled at the firm, an Arla spokesperson told the MailOnline: 'Animal welfare is of the utmost importance and we take a zero-tolerance approach. 'We take any matters relating to this extremely seriously. The actions that are shown in this footage are completely unacceptable and do not meet the high standards that we expect from our farmers. 'The individuals in the video are no longer employed at the farm, however, Arla has taken the decision to suspend the farmer whilst we investigate this further. 'While the investigation is still ongoing, we have already put a number of measures in place alongside independent auditors and external standards organisations'. An American Airlines passenger swallowed rosary beads and attacked a flight attendant after demonic spirits followed him onto a flight. Delange Augustin, 31, started 'stomping, yelling and shaking' one minute into the flight from Savannah, Georgia, to Miami, Florida, on Monday night. According to a federal court filing, staff onboard the Envoy Flight said they originally thought he was having an epileptic fit before he started attacking a flight attendant. Augustin is said to have lifted his legs as the staff member approached him and kicked them in the chest, sending them across the aisle and over a row of seats. He was traveling on the flight with his sister, identified as Medjina Augustin, who told authorities they were going to Haiti to 'flee religious attacks of a spiritual nature'. After boarding, Augustin advised his sibling that she should close her eyes and pray because 'Satan's disciples had followed them onto the plane'. Medjina said her brother then swallowed a set of rosary beads to use as 'a weapon of strength in the spiritual warfare' prior to his outburst. Pilots onboard the flight heard the commotion unfolding on the flight and turned the plane around to land back in Savannah - but that didn't halt Augustin's behavior. Delange Augustin, 31, was travelling on the flight with his sister, Medjina Augustin, who told authorities they were going to Haiti to 'flee religious attacks of a spiritual nature' Augustin lashed out at the seat in front of him, throwing kicks and punches at it. The aftermath of which is seen here He started to then punch and kick the seat of the passenger in front of him and kicked a chair until it collapsed. When the official announcement came over the cabin that they would be returning to the airport, Augustin is said to have calmed down. After touching back down and taxiing to the gate, a flight attendant asked everyone to remain seated. As the door of the plane was opened Augustin is said to have 'stormed the front' of the plane while 'clutching' his sister. Once inside the galley, he then cornered a flight attendant and threw 'several haymakers', the affidavit says. Three fellow passengers had to step in to pull the siblings to the ground, before Airport Police boarded and subdued him. Augustin had to be taken to hospital after ingesting the rosary beads, with the two flight attendants being evaluated but refusing hospital transport. His sister had told authorities that she wasn't surprised about her brother's outburst, saying he 'hurt anyone because he hurts evil'. The scenes had unfolded on an American Airlines Envoy flight from Savannah, Georgia, to Miami, Florida, on Monday Augustin had to be taken to hospital after ingesting the rosary beads, with the two flight attendants being evaluated but refusing hospital transport. Savannah International Airport is seen here According to her, the spirits had followed them onboard as they did not want them to make it to Haiti. She also said that her brother was not suffering from any medical or mental health issues and that he had been fighting for both of them. The affidavit also added that there was only eight passengers aboard the plane, and that no one was seriously injured. Augustin was taken into custody by The Chatham County Sheriff's Office and charged with battery, obstruction of law enforcement, and criminal damage. Savannah Solomon, a special agent with the F.B.I., wrote in the affidavit that there was also probably cause to arrest him with interfering with the flight crew. In a statement, American Airlines said: 'On March 10, American Eagle flight 4162, operated by Envoy, with service from Savannah (SAV) to Miami (MIA) returned to SAV due to a disruptive passenger. 'Safety and security are our top priorities. We appreciate the professionalism of the entire crew and thank our passengers for their understanding.' Farmers erupted in fury today after the Labour government confirmed that a post-Brexit subsidy scheme is being closed to cut costs. Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner confirmed to MPs that the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) was being closed to new applications. The programme was launched by the Tories in 2021 to replace the EU Common Agricultural Policy and rewarded farmers for protecting the environment while growing crops and rearing livestock. The cash bankrolled 'public goods' such as insecticide-free farming, wildflower strips and managing ponds and hedgerows. But Mr Zeichner told the Commons Labour had inherited a programme 'with no spending cap despite a finite farming budget and that cannot continue'. He said it would be replaced with an 'improved' scheme but would not put a time frame on its delivery. But farmers and politicians lashed out at the latest battlefront opening up in the war between farmers and the Labour government. They are already at loggerheads over inheritance tax reform which has led to protests in Westminster. Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner confirmed to MPs that the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) was being closed to new applications. But farmers and politicians lashed out at the latest battlefront opening up in the war between farmers and the Labour government, who are already at loggerheads over inheritance tax reform. The NFU president Tom Bradshaw said his organisation had been given just 30 minutes warning that the decision was being announced. The NFU president Tom Bradshaw said his organisation had been given just 30 minutes warning that the decision was being announced. 'This is another shattering blow to English farms, delivered yet again with no warning, no understanding of the industry and a complete lack of compassion or care,' he said. 'We have had major concerns for years about whether there was the capability within Defra to deliver the agricultural transition post-Brexit. We have warned time and time again that large parts of the SFI were poorly designed and that the department was consistently failing to deliver it. 'Today's terrible news was delivered with only 30 minutes warning to us before ministers briefed the press, leaving us unable to inform our members. 'There has been no consultation, no communication; there has been a total lack of the 'partnership and co-design' Defra loves to talk about. 'It is another example of the growing disregard for agriculture within the department.' Shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins said: 'The farming policy of this Government can be summarised in three sentences. They will halt any farming and environmental scheme on which farmers rely without warning, without consultation, and using criteria they have never before defined. 'The state will seize their farmland at will through the compulsory purchase orders that were announced yesterday in the Planning Bill, and if families have managed to cling on to their farms despite all of this, then Labour will tax them for dying. 'But I am delighted to hear the farming minister himself concede that farmers don't make enough money so I hope that he is going to be changing the family farm tax. This adds up to nothing less than an outright assault on the countryside.' Environment Secretary Steve Reed will issue a ministerial statement on the change today. The SFI provided support for practices such as reducing pesticide use, improving soil quality and rewarding farmers for preventing local river pollution. Kitty Thompson, senior nature programme manager at th Conservative Environment Network, said: 'Today's announcement flies in the face of the original Conservative strategy to ensure as many farmers as possible can farm in a more nature-friendly way. 'At the exact moment that this scheme reached a critical mass of farmers enrolling, the government has closed it, limiting the number of farmers that can get involved. 'With trust between farmers and the government now gone, this move raises more questions than it answers about how the government intends to actually deliver on its commitments to support farmers and restore nature.' Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner said: 'This Government is proud to have set the biggest budget for sustainable food produce in history, to boost growth in rural communities and all across the UK, under our Plan for Change. 'More farmers are now in schemes and more money is being spent through them than ever before. That is true today and will remain true tomorrow. ' Downing Street today rejected claims that Sir Keir Starmer's plans to reform the civil service will see him 'taking a chainsaw to the system'. The Prime Minister has called for a 'rewiring of the British state' and he is set to expand on his proposals for shaking up Whitehall in an 'intervention' tomorrow. He wants to reduce staff levels, introduce performance-related pay and sack officials who do not meet their standards. Ministers have reportedly been inspired by a blueprint to reshape the state put forward by the influential Labour Together think tank dubbed 'Project Chainsaw'. The name is an apparent reference to Elon Musk recently wielding a chainsaw to symbolise the work of his 'Department of Government Efficiency' in America. But No10 insisted Labour's own plan was 'not about slashing the state' and is instead 'about reshaping the state so it works for working people'. It prompted Tory jibes that the PM's efforts would be better known as 'Project Butter Knife'. Sir Keir was already being mocked for a 'bonfire of the quangos' that will merely see one regulatory body merged with another. Downing Street rejected claims that Sir Keir Starmer 's plans to reform the civil service will see him 'taking a chainsaw to the system' 'Project Chainsaw' is an apparent reference to Elon Musk recently wielding a chainsaw to symbolise the work of his 'Department of Government Efficiency' in America Mr Musk appeared on stage at last month's Conservative Political Action Conference with a chainsaw alongside Argentinian President Javier Milei Mr Musk, the billionaire tech mogul, is overseeing US President Donald Trump's efforts to slash federal government spending. He appeared on stage at last month's Conservative Political Action Conference with a chainsaw alongside Argentinian President Javier Milei. Mr Milei had similarly wielded a chainsaw during his election campaign to express his wish to cut regulation and drastically reduce the size of his country's state. As she hit back hit back at claims Labour's own plans had been dubbed 'Project Chainsaw', the PM's press secretary told reporters: 'We reject that juvenile characterisation. 'As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Pat McFadden) set out this weekend, it is not about slashing the state, it is about reshaping the state so it works for working people.' Sir Keir's official spokesman said: 'We are not taking an ideological approach to this. There is no approach here where we are taking a chainsaw to the system. 'The focus that we are taking is making the state more effective, we are making the state more agile in a way that delivers for working people. 'Part of that will obviously mean that the state must be delivering value for money for people and that will be at the heart of the spending review, but also we want to see a state that is more effective at delivering for people.' Tory MP Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, claimed Downing Street was 'thrashing around not sure which of their two faces to use'. He told MailOnline: 'Yesterday it was Project Chainsaw, today it's Project Butter Knife. 'All the while this Government spawn new regulators, including today the 'Fair Work Agency' which will certainly be a boost to employment lawyers.' In a message to civil servants this week, the PM and Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald said Whitehall must be 'more agile, mission-focused and more productive'. As part of the reforms, the Government has vowed that one in 10 civil servants will be employed in a digital or data role by 2030. The plans have sparked trade union anger, with Prospect insisting ministers must 'end the tradition of treating the civil service as a political punchbag'. Sir Keir was earlier ridiculed after it was revealed Labour's plans to 'abolish' a quango will merely see it merged with another body. The PM is vowing to 'slash red tape' in order to reduce burdens on businesses and boost sluggish economic growth. He used yesterday's Cabinet meeting to order ministers to take 'responsibility' rather than 'outsourcing' decisions to regulators and other bodies. This was taken as an indication that Sir Keir is planning a 'bonfire of the quangos' - as former Tory PM David Cameron once undertook. But his vow to 'abolish' the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) was mocked after No10 admitted it will 'mainly be consolidated' into the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Downing Street also noted, despite the PM's promise, there would be no 'immediate changes' to the work of the PSR until new legislation is passed. A California mother who was charged with murdering her three young children appeared in court this week and enjoyed a shocking amount of support from her family. Merced County prosecutors say Patricia Ortiz smothered her son and two daughters in their bedrooms before trying to kill herself by slitting her wrists in the bathtub. During a January 13 welfare check at Ortiz's apartment in Le Grand, sheriff's deputies found the bodies of eight-year-old Anna, five-year-old Matteo, and three-year-old Alexa. Despite authorities' claims that Ortiz annihilated her family, her loved ones are sticking by her and showed up in droves to her Tuesday court hearing. When the judge read the charges against her, Ortiz could be seen slumping over and sobbing. After court adjourned, her family streamed out into the hall to talk to reporters. Her brother, Jose Lara, told ABC 30 that he wished he knew earlier that Ortiz had been suffering from mental health issues. 'We want her to see and feel our presence and the love we have for her. We're going to be here to support her always, because she deserves it. She's a good person,' Lara said. The first person to testify was Merced County Sheriff's Deputy Dustin Bender, who said he found Ortiz in the bathtub with 'lacerations to her lower arms.' Ortiz appeared in court Tuesday and had her three murder charges read out to her by a judge. Her brother, Jose Lara, said he and his family will be there to support Ortiz throughout the whole process Prosecutors say Patricia Ortiz killed eight-year-old Anna, five-year-old Matteo, and three-year-old Alexa (L-R) Ortiz's family member are seen streaming out of the courtroom after the Tuesday hearing Bender, who was the first to arrive at the grisly scene, added that 'there was blood everywhere.' Bender then went to a bedroom and discovered Ortiz' son getting CPR from a neighbor. He said the boy's arm was 'stiff in the air.' The two girls were in another bedroom and were lying in a bed facing one another, according to Bender. Both of them were cold to the touch, he said. The county coroner, Mark A. Super, later determined that all three children died of suffocation. Super, a forensic pathologist, said autopsies revealed that it would have taken about five minutes to smother each child to death. He testified that, in his opinion, it was possible that eight-year-old Anna had been bound as well. 'On the wrist, around these marks were these sticky particles of form material. These actually did look like particles of tape,' he said. At the time, officials said Ortiz's husband was the first one to discover the scene and find his children dead. A neighbor, Elias Vargas, told ABC 30 that he heard a man screaming and then saw him walking back and forth between the apartment complex and nearby Le Grand Elementary. 'He said, "My kids were killed!" so thats when I realized something serious happened there at the house,' Vargas said. The family set up a GoFundMe at the time of the killings, raising nearly $56,000 to cover the costs of their funerals. A pilot father made a tragic mistake with his engine position that caused a fiery small plane crash that killed him, his wife and their three young children. Over a year after five family members Victor Dotsenko, 43, his wife Rimma, 39, and their three children, David, 12, Adam, 10, and Emma, 7, were killed in a plane crash, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) this week revealed what happened. The NTSB found that the March 4, 2024, crash was not the result of any mechanical problems on the plane, but a fuel selector was switched between the 'off' position and the left main tank position. According to the report, this setting 'would starve the engine of fuel', ultimately causing the small aircraft to fall from the skies and crash near the I-40 Interstate. The crash was just miles from the John C. Thune Airport in Nashville, Tennessee, and the report said the changed setting 'was likely the result of the pilot changing the fuel selector handle in preparation for landing.' Footage captured the moment the plane, a Piper PA-32RT single-engine aircraft, crash landed into a fireball as terrified motorists filmed from their cars. The family had set off from their home of King Township in Ontario, Canada, and had made stops in Pennsylvania and Kentucky to refuel before attempting to land at the Nashville airport during their journey. Dotsenko had lined up a runway with air traffic controllers and was set to land around 7:40pm, but chilling audio captured the moments when he admitted: 'I'm going to be landing, but I don't know where.' Victor Dotsenko, 43, his wife Rimma, 39, and their three children Emma, 7, Adam, 10, and David, 12, died in a horror small plane crash in March 2024 after Victor made a fatal error with the engine The NTSB found in a report this week that the March 4, 2024, crash was not the result of any mechanical problems on the plane, but a fuel selector was switched between the 'off' position and the left main tank position In the cockpit audio, which was released weeks after the deadly crash, Dotsenko told air traffic control that he would need to circle around again as he missed the descent to land. He then told dispatchers his 'engine turned off' as he was nearing the airport, as an operator tried desperately to tell him to glide into the runway. 'I'm at 1,600 (feet)... I'm going to be landing, I don't know where,' he said. In his last transmission, the father-of-three said: 'I'm too far away, I won't make it.' In the NTSB report released this week, an analysis of the aircraft's data 'revealed that the engine was operating at nearly full continuous power of about 2,650 rpm before the engine sound became abnormal.' 'The audio contained several popping noises before the sound of engine noise ended,' the report stated. The Canadian family-of-five all perished together in the tragedy Shocking footage captured the moment the plane exploded into a fireball by the side of a highway, although miraculously there were no injuries or deaths on the ground All five family members died in the crash, although miraculously nobody was injured or killed on the ground despite the aircraft landing behind a Costco store close to the highway. Nashville resident and former city council member, James Hollin, said he was driving along I-40 after the time of the incident. 'My kids tried to rubber neck but couldn't make out what it was that burned so badly. They kept saying it wasn't a car and my mind didn't expect it to be a plane,' he told The Tennessean. Witness Dion Burnley added in a Facebook live broadcast: 'I'd just seen this pane crash on I-40, it went down and it blew up. I thought it was a car that crashed.' Dotsenko had initially overshot John C. Thune Airport by several miles, and some commented after the audio was released that he sounded inexperienced. The father received his pilot's license from the Brampton Flight Centre in 2022. The aircraft was based out of the Brampton Flying Club. The children's school, UMCA Rich Tree Academy, posted a heartbreaking tribute to the family, describing them as 'beautiful children (who) lit up our hallways every day.' 'They all had such a positive energy and attitude towards friends and teachers,' the private school said. 'Words cannot express the profound sadness and grief we are experiencing as we mourn the loss of the Dotsenko family.' Rinna Dotsenko's father, Sergei Rudetsky, added to the Toronto Star that they were dealing with 'shock and grief' after hearing of the tragedy. In chilling cockpit audio, Victor was heard telling air traffic controllers: 'My engines turned off... I'm too far away, I won't make it' The family lived in King Township, around 30 miles north of Toronto, and the town's mayor said their deaths were a 'heartbreaking and devastating loss for our tight-knit community' The family lived in the Toronto suburb of King, Ontario. According to his LinkedIn page, Dotsenko owned a contracting and home insulation business that operates in the Toronto-area. His wife Rimma was a Decor Consultant at real estate firm Regal Crest Homes, according to her LinkedIn. The family-of-five's tragic death rocked their small community, as the town's mayor Steve Pellegrini made a heartfelt announcement about the loss of the family. 'On behalf of King Township, I extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the Dotsenko family from our community who tragically lost their lives in the small plane crash in Nashville, Tennessee,' Pellegrini said at the time. 'This is a heartbreaking and devastating loss for our tight-knit community. While we await further details from the ongoing investigation, our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of the victims during this incredibly difficult time.' A father has been cleared of criminal liability after his five-year-old son knocked over and killed an 87-year-old woman while learning to ride a bicycle in Italy. The child hit the unnamed woman as he was learning to ride his bike without stabilisers in a park in Milan. The crash caused the victim to lose her balance and fall before hitting her head. Investigating judge Luigi Iannelli has now agreed to archive the 2023 case after finding the child's father, who was at his side at the time, not liable of manslaughter. He faced paying out 200,000 euros (168,000) if found liable. The court eventually found that the speed and 'unfortunate randomness of the event' did not give the father time to intervene. Italian news agency ANSA had reported at the time that the boy 'lost control of the bike' and hit the woman 'at a moderate speed'. Stock image. The father of a boy who knocked over an 87-year-old woman was cleared of criminal liability 'At the time, the consequences of the accident did not seem serious and the boy's father almost insisted that an ambulance be called,' ANSA reported. 'Later, however, the situation worsened: the lady lost consciousness and died in hospital.' Prosecutors had sought to pin criminal liability on the child's father, citing manslaughter law that 'not preventing an event, which one has the legal obligation to prevent, is equivalent to causing it'. He was also expected to have to compensate to the tune of 'around 200 thousand euros', per ANSA, unless able to prove that he was 'unable to prevent the act'. The investigating judge in Milan rebuffed the idea that 'everything is predictable and avoidable, and where every misfortunate turns into injustice, with the consequent rejection of the concept of "fatality" and the consequent search for blame at all costs', as reported by Corriere della Serra today. An Alabama arsonist who was shot dead after trespassing onto his neighbor's property was seen reaching to his waistband seconds before the homeowner opened fire, new footage reveals. Keith Sullivan has long maintained that he suspected Greg Bagwell was armed when he shot him on his doorstep in the dead of night. Sullivan was charged over Bagwell's death, in what many of his supporters view as an affront to the state's 'Stand Your Ground' laws. However, prosecutors argue that the married father was unjustified in the killing and shot Bagwell in the back as he was trying to leave the Grove Oak property. On Tuesday, a judge declared a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a verdict in the case. Sullivan's lawyers have now released surveillance footage which shows the seconds leading up to the altercation, played alongside Sullivan recounting the incident to police. 'I took my pistol went out there. When I went out there, all that's when he turned like this,' Sullivan can be seen telling officers. Surveillance footage shows the moments before an Alabama arsonist was shot dead after trespassing onto a neighbor's property who was subsequently charged with his murder Keith Sullivan, pictured with his wife and daughter, has long maintained that he killed Greg Bagwell in self defense after he suspected he was armed when he appeared on his doorstep in the dead of night He told police he opened fire after he thought Bagwell was reaching for a gun 'He said, "Oh, I shouldn't". He said, "Oh, somebody told me I could be here" or whatever. 'And he turned like that, and I thought, you know, based on what I heard the shotgun blast there, I said, I don't know what he's got, so I just.' The black and white footage shows Bagwell on the porch appearing to take a step back before reaching down towards his waistband. A 911 call played to jurors also shows Sullivan recounting the same story to a dispatcher. 'He turned and I thought he was going for something,' he tells the operator. 'He said I'm leaving I'm leaving, but he turned at that time and I thought he was maybe going for something.' Sullivan pleaded not guilty to murder after being denied immunity under Alabama's Stand Your Ground Law. His attorney Thomas Kenniff called the incident the 'clearest example of stand your ground I have ever seen' and expressed shock his client faced charges. Bagwell was shot dead by Sullivan after he turned up on his front porch at around 2am on May 8, 2023. Sullivan was charged with the 2023 murder of Greg Bagwell (pictured) in Grove Oak, Alabama Sullivan claims he was acting in self-defense because he mistakenly thought Bagwell was armed A judge declared a mistrial in the 'stand your ground' trial on Tuesday, but the DA's office has said it intends to pursue a new prosecution In the days prior, Sullivan and other neighbors had reported him to the police for acting erratically. Bagwell has a lengthy rap sheet for arson, shooting at neighbors' homes, drugs and reckless endangerment. A previous bond for him had been revoked just three days before he died. Sullivan is a church music director and teacher who has no criminal history. He has been supported in court by his family and former students. His defense team previously tried to get the trial dismissed after it emerged a juror had not disclosed a connection to the DA's office, which is prosecuting a case against an individual accused of selling his son a fatal dose of fentanyl-laced drugs. However, the motion was rejected and the deliberations, which began on Friday, continued until the jury stated it was 'hopelessly deadlocked' yesterday. Judge Shaunathan Bell declared a mistrial due to the hung jury. The District Attorney has indicated their intention to retry the case, but a firm trial date has not been set. Her sexual antics at a small Tennessee police department stunned and titillated America, sparking an avalanche of mocking internet memes. But it is fair to say that 'cop-gone-wild' Maegan Hall is settling down to an altogether quieter life out of the spotlight. And it's clear she still loves wearing a uniform, albeit of an entirely different variety, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. After being fired for her romps with several male officers at La Vergne PD just south of Nashville two years ago, we can disclose the 29-year-old siren has returned to her earlier role as a pharmacy technician. As exclusive DailyMail.com photos reveal, that means swapping the crisp clean lines of a police tunic for somewhat baggier blue scrubs, complete with a distinctive Tennessee College of Applied Technology patch on her left sleeve. And instead of being authorized to pack a gun in the line of duty, she's currently licensed by the Tennessee Department of Health with the number 6501 to pack medicines, according to its database. Hall still lives in the same three-bedroom house in Manchester, Tennessee, that she bought with 31-year-old husband Jedidiah just nine months before she was unceremoniously fired from her short-lived law enforcement career. That is despite winning a $500,000 payout from the city of La Vergne, 50 miles north of the neat $275,000 home, after claiming she was groomed by the officers she was romping with at times on police property. Maegan Hall, 29, who got caught up in a sex scandal at La Vergne PD has traded in her police uniform for blue scrubs as a pharmacy technician Patrol officer Maegan Hall was fired for engaging 'in a sexual relationship' with multiple men on the La Vergne police force but won a $500,000 payout from the Tennessee city after claiming she was groomed by the officers she was having sex with Hall walking her dog at the same three-bedroom house in Manchester, Tennessee, she bought with 31-year-old husband Jedidiah nine months before she was fired Jedidiah, a local Coffee County Sheriff's Deputy when the sensational story broke in January 2023, vowed to stand by her at the time. The college sweethearts wed in 2019 and both remain registered owners of the house, according to records. And our exclusive photos of Hall outside reveal she is still wearing at least one ring on her wedding finger despite all the trauma to her marriage. Cutting an unlikely temptress figure, she took her dog out for a pee break in the scrubs after returning home from work. On a different day with a similar mission, she was wearing a Friends-themed t-shirt and black shorts, with an array of tattoos visible on both arms and legs. It's unclear if Hall, whose records show she was originally licensed as a pharmacy technician in October 2018 before switching to her doomed cop career, is working full-time. But she's probably taken a considerable pay cut from her previous role. Pharmacy technicians in Tennessee earn a reported average of $38,000 a year, compared to her old police department's current starting salary of $51,000 with an average of $59,000. Perhaps with that in mind, Hall certainly doesn't appear to be splashing out following her successful legal action against the City of La Vergne they settled the lawsuit but denied any admission of liability. She goes back and forth in an older model Nissan Rogue while a steel gray Toyota Tacoma pickup truck sits on the driveway. Hall's husband allegedly wasn't on board with the open relationship despite her saying she was. Hall was still wearing her wedding ring when spotted by DailyMail.com Hall was spotted wearing baggier blue scrubs, complete with a distinctive Tennessee College of Applied Technology patch on her left sleeve On a different day, she was wearing a Friends-themed t-shirt and black shorts, with an array of tattoos visible on both her arms and legs Hall was walking her dog. She also wore black shorts and white crocs Hall travels in an older model of a Nissan Rogue while a steel gray Toyota Tacoma pickup truck also sits on the driveway Jedidiah, a local Coffee County Sheriff's Deputy when the sensational story broke in January 2023, vowed to stand by her side when the scandal broke Her down-to-earth routine appears a far cry from the whirlwind of sexual shenanigans that catapulted La Vergne PD to nationwide infamy, with raucous amusement and the fallout that is still being felt to this day. These alleged escapades included Hall giving oral sex while on duty, proposing threesomes with another officer and his wife, having affairs and whipping off her bikini top at a 'girls gone wild' hot tub party. She'd told her cop clique that she was in an open marriage and also tried to recruit strait-laced former state park ranger Jedidiah into swinging sessions. But her pastor's son husband 'wasn't really on board'. Instead, he accused his wife of cheating, according to an internal investigation after a whistleblower complaint by Sergeant Ty McGowan first exposed the astonishing goings on. The probe led to Patrol Officer Juan Lugo, Sgt. Lewis Powell, Detective Seneca Shields and McGowan himself losing their jobs after being accused of having sex with Hall, who was booted at the same time. Three cops who traded naked pictures with Hall Patrol Officers Patrick Magliocco and Gavin Schoeberl and K-9 officer Larry Holladay were suspended. McGowan later went on local TV to deny he had sex with the female rookie, despite her insistence he did. Hall was sworn in by then-Police Chief Burrel 'Chip' Davis in August 2021. But just 15 months later he would also be fired for failing to discipline the officers at the time when he knew what was going on and even pestered one of his sergeants to send him a video of Hall masturbating. Lewis Powell was also fired after denying he was sexually involved with Powell. Investigators were told Hall performed oral sex on him while on duty. He later confessed to the allegations K-9 officer Larry Holladay was suspended for having an off-duty sexual relationship with Hall. The two met at hotels or his home. He also received nude photos Officers Ty McGowan (left) and Detective Seneca Shields were fired for engaging in sexual relationships with Hall while on duty Magliocco was seen pouring vodka down Hall's throat moments before she took off her top at the 'girls gone wild' hot tub party Hall also confirmed having sexual relations with Juan Lugo-Perez (left). He confessed to having sex with Hall and sending explicit images and was fired. Patrol Officer Gavin Schoeberl (right) swapped naked pictures with Hall but escaped suspension Now, DailyMail.com can reveal incredible new details about the 49-year-old's further downfall from chief in another knock-on from the scandal. The former top cop is currently languishing in jail after being arrested on January 29, accused of the aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault of his estranged wife Kelly amid their bitter divorce. This comes after he was taken into custody for a separate incident in December when he was accused of stalking, but was released. And now, he has been hit by a slew of serious new felony charges following an incident at his former marital home in Murfreesboro, 20 miles from La Vergne. Davis was 'decertified' as a law enforcement officer in December, nd is on a $145,000 bond. A police report obtained by DailyMail.com revealed the former chief turned up at the home he once shared with cardiologist Kelly, 41, and their three daughters. He is alleged to have violently attacked Kelly, grabbed a gun and refused to let her or their children call 911 during an hours-long stand-off. This follows his physician wife starting divorce proceedings nearly three months ago, citing irreconcilable differences and accusing him of 'inappropriate marital conduct'. Hall was sworn in by then-Police Chief Burrel 'Chip' Davis in August 2021. But was also fired for failing to discipline the officers at the time when he knew what was going on even pestering one of his sergeants to send him a video of Hall masturbating Davis was arrested on January 29 (left mugshot) for kidnapping charges after holding his estranged wife Kelly and children hostage. This was a month after he was arrested (right mugshot) at an apartment complex for stalking but was later released Davis' cardiologist wife Kelly, 41, asked for a divorce three months ago, citing irreconcilable differences and accusing him of 'inappropriate marital conduct' In the filing, she requested full custody of their children and child support The alleged drama began when Davis said to Kelly he was coming over to confront her 'current boyfriend' about their relationship. But Kelly told him he wasn't going anywhere with him. And when Davis arrived at her residence, things quickly went south. 'Mrs Davis stated that when Burrel Davis arrived at the residence he immediately took Mrs Davis's phone, along with their daughters' phones not allowing them to call 911,' said the Murfreesboro PD affidavit. 'Burrel Davis went into Mrs Davis's bedroom and ripped her out of the chair by her pajamas, making her fall to the floor. 'He then placed her in a chokehold and picked her up off the floor (with the chokehold). At this point (redacted) came into the bedroom to try and stop Mr Davis. Mr Davis then pushed (redacted) out of the way and kicked Mrs Davis on her side. '(Redacted) stated that after her mom was physically assaulted, Mrs Davis requested (redacted) to go call the police. (Redacted) ran to her room to get her phone, but her father Burrel Davis followed her into her bedroom and took her phone.' The report continued: 'Mrs Davis stated that there was a firearm in the top dresser, and she went to grab it but Mr Davis got there first. He stated: "Thank you for showing me where it was, if you call the police I'm going to make you watch me kill myself." 'He kept telling Mrs Davis she was going to go with him or answer his questions while having the gun held to his head or in his mouth. Davis came over to confront his soon-to-be ex-wife's new boyfriend but instead placed her in a choke hold, put a gun to his head, threatened to kill himself and then wouldn't let her or their children leave the house for several hours Davis is on $145,000 bond and due to make his first court appearance on March 5 at Rutherford County Court Hall grew up in rural Tennessee dreaming of becoming an actress but eventually chose law enforcement a career that barely lasted two years 'When Mrs Davis would try to answer his questions, he would tell her to 'shut the f*** up'. He made Mrs Davis and the three children sit down.' It concluded: 'For the next several hours Mr Davis would not allow Mrs Davis or her three children to leave all while displaying the firearm. According to (redacted), Mrs Davis tried to get one of them to run to the neighbors to call 911 but he refused to let them.' The report did not detail how the drama ended. Davis is not the only officer who is alleged to have attempted suicide since being embroiled in his department's wild antics. Hall said in her successful claim against the city that she stopped 15-year veteran Sgt Powell when he threatened to kill himself after she tried to end having sex with him. Her lawsuit, which claimed she was 'sexually groomed' by her 'predator' superiors, said: 'Powell was crying and told Ms. Hall he drank an entire bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey. 'He threatened to kill himself, told Ms. Hall "You did this to me", and asserted that Ms. Hall was responsible for his imminent suicide.' Her claim also said: 'Sgt. Powell positioned himself as a reliable source of companionship and advice regarding Ms. Hall's career and her marriage. Hall said in her successful claim against the city that she stopped 15-year veteran Sgt Powell when he threatened to kill himself after she tried to end their affair 'Sgt. Powell persisted in requests for sex despite Ms. Hall's resistance. Eventually, Ms. Hall gave in to Sgt. Powell's requests for sexual favors.' Hall also said she had tried 'to kill herself' in the aftermath of the affairs. In the city's investigation, Hall admitted: 'I got stupid, I got desperate, I guess, and guys are guys and they'll stick their d**k in anything.' While discussing her affair with Powell, she said at one point they had carried out sex acts on police property, she said: 'I just gave him a b***job in the substation. 'Me and my husband were kind of on the verge of a divorce and I just cracked and then it just kind of got out of hand.' Paedophile Jeffrey Epstein emailed Prince Andrew to say that former Barclay's boss Jes Staley was 'like family and can be trusted 100 per cent', a court has heard. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today detailed how the retired banker enjoyed a close relationship with the disgraced financier and accepted countless favours from him. The ex-Barclays boss is giving evidence at London's Upper Tribunal as he seeks to overturn a finance industry ban and 1.8m fine by the City's regulator. Leigh-Ann Mulcahy KC, for the FCA, told the court how Staley had hitched rides on his helicopter and private plane and used Epstein's influence and contacts to further his daughter Alexa's education. The barrister said a cache of bombshell emails show how the late paedophile had often expressed his close 'friendship' with Staley to third parties repeatedly describing him as 'like a brother' to him. In one email sent on May 27, 2010, Epstein emailed Prince Andrew about Staley who was head of investment banking at JP Morgan at the time. 'I know you are seeing Jes Staley this morning, he is like family and can be trusted 100 per cent,' he told the Duke of York, who was later stripped of his royal duties and military titles over his own relationship with Epstein and the allegations of sexual assault against him. The barrister also told the court how Epstein emailed a member of a Gulf monarchy in February 2009 saying: 'Jes Staley tells me he is to see you a week on Monday, he is one of us.' Paedophile Jeffrey Epstein (pictured) emailed Prince Andrew to say that former Barclay's boss Jes Staley was 'like family and can be trusted 100 per cent', a court has heard The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today detailed how retired banker Staley (pictured) enjoyed a close relationship with the disgraced financier and accepted countless favours from him (L-R) Prince Andrew, Ghislaine Maxwell, Caroline Stanley and Jeffrey Epstein attend Royal Ascot together in 2000 She said other emails in 2012 showed that Epstein had written to several people and described Staley as 'like my brother'. The court was also read several emails in which Staley described Epstein as 'family' and a 'profound friend' including a 2011 message in which he told the sex offender: 'Please know I am a friend forever'. However, Staley maintained that their relationship was purely 'professional', adding: 'I think he is using our business relationship in these terms to grow his own influence'. Ms Mulcahy claimed that Epstein had also 'pulled strings' to help Staley's eldest daughter get 'her PhD place' by emailing contacts at universities and as a result was invited to her 2015 graduation. However, Staley vehemently denied these claims insisting: 'She got her PhD place on her own, through incredible hard workThe implication that he secured this for her is wrong, unfair and not true'. Staley was also grilled on accepting luxury favours from Epstein including a ride home from the Caribbean on the paedophile's helicopter and flights on his private plane. Epstein described the banker as 'like a brother' and told Prince Andrew he was trustworthy, a court has heard Epstein gave Staley countless favours and even paid $1,000 for commercial flights in 2005 on his Gold American Express for the banker Prince Andrew is pictured with Virginia Roberts and Ghislaine Maxwell The court was told records show that Epstein had even paid $1,000 for commercial flights in 2005 on his Gold American Express for the banker. The former Barclays chief executive is trying to overturn a decision by the FCA to ban him from taking senior roles and fine him 1.8 million after it found he 'recklessly misled' it about his relationship with the disgraced financier, who died in prison in 2019. At the heart of the case is a 2019 letter from Barclays to the FCA in which it said that Staley did not have a 'close' relationship with Epstein and ceased contact with him before joining the bank in December 2015. The FCA found that this was 'highly misleading'. The hearing continues. A bloody train hijack has come to an end after insurgents reportedly slaughtered 21 hostages and the Pakistan military killed all attackers after a day-long standoff, according to security officials. Pakistan militants claimed on Wednesday they had killed 21 hostages after hijacking the train that was carrying more than 400 passengers, as per Reuters. Reports emerging from the region have also suggested that at least 28 attackers, but up to 33, were also eliminated. These figures are yet to be verified and officials have provided no information about those killed. It was initially reported that 50 hostages had been slain. 'Today, the enemy forces attempted an armed advance using heavy artillery and sophisticated weaponry, leading to intense clashes,' the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said in a statement. 'In direct retaliation to Pakistan's persistent aggression... the BLA has executed 50 additional captive enemy personnel within the past hour.' It comes after the BLA earlier issued a chilling warning threatening to execute hostages within the hour if Pakistani security forces attempted a full-scale rescue mission. The militant group also said it was seeking the release of Baloch political prisoners, activists and others within 48 hours, threatening to slaughter hostages if the government did not comply. The Jaffar Express, carrying around 425 passengers on a 1,000-mile journey from Quetta to Peshawar, was ambushed on Tuesday by dozens of heavily armed separatist Balochi militants from the BLA, who took a number of passengers hostage. Your browser does not support iframes. Passengers traveling on the train hijacked by militants are assisted after fleeing the incident Rescue workers from the Edhi organization are preparing to participate in a rescue operation as they await boarding a special train following a militant attack on the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express in Mach, a volatile area of Balochistan province, Pakistan, on 12 March 2025 Freed women and children train passengers gather at the Mach railway station after Pakistani security forces freed nearly 80 passengers following a security operation against armed militants who ambushed the train in the remote mountainous area, in Mach, southwestern Balochistan province on March 11, 2025 Footage released by the BLA on Wednesday morning shows the vehicle erupting in a cloud of smoke The train came to a grinding halt and dozens of fighters were seen taking passengers hostage A train carrying empty coffins to the siege site, stands at a railway station in Quetta on March 12, 2025 Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident on X, saying: 'Dozens of the terrorists have been sent to hell.' Pakistan's military had launched a rescue operation to confront the attackers who used 'women and children as shields,' according to security sources Special forces and helicopters were deployed to the remote region to free the remaining hostages, and officials have now said that over 300 hostages have been rescued. In a chilling statement, Jeeyand Baloch, a spokesperson for the BLA earlier said: 'The BLA issues a final warning: if the aerial bombardment is not halted immediately, all 100+ hostages will be executed within the next hour. 'Majeed Brigade, STOS, Fateh Squad, and ZIRAB Unit fighters are actively engaged in countermeasures, and any further military incursion will have catastrophic consequences. 'Over 100 enemy personnel remain in BLA custody. The occupying forces still have a chance to cease airstrikes and save their men, or else the Pakistani military will bear full responsibility for the execution of all hostages'. On Wednesday, dozens of empty wooden coffins were seen being loaded at Quetta railway station. A railway official confirmed they were being transported to collect any potential casualties. Passengers freed from the hijacked train have since described the terrifying ordeal as 'scenes of doomsday' as suicide bombers held women and children hostage and threatened to blow them up. Ishaq Noor, one of Tuesday's survivors, recalled the sheer terror as militants stormed the train. 'We held our breath throughout the firing, not knowing what would happen next,' he told the BBC. The terrified passenger was travelling with his wife and two children when a powerful explosion rocked the train. He described the situation as 'so intense' and said that during the blast, one of his children fell from their seat. He and his wife became human shields for their children and were prepared to take a bullet to keep them alive. The train was travelling from Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar when it was attacked on Tuesday. Rescue workers from the Edhi organization are preparing to participate in a rescue operation as they await boarding a special train following a militant attack on the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express A paramilitary soldier takes position at a railway station near the attack site of a passenger train by insurgents Passengers rescued from the Peshawar bound Jaffar express train that was attacked by suspected militants in Sibi, reach the railway station in Quetta, the provincial capital of restive Balochistan province, Pakistan, 12 March 2025 An injured passenger rescued by security forces from a passenger train attacked by insurgents arrives at a railway station in Much near Quetta Passengers rescued from the Peshawar bound Jaffar express train that was attacked by suspected militants in Sibi, reach the railway station in Quetta A paramilitary soldier takes position at a railway station near the attack site of a passenger train by insurgents The train was left trapped inside a tunnel after the assault, during which it came under fire and the driver was wounded, police and railway officials said yesterday. Militants reportedly blew up the railway track before opening fire on security personnel on board, according to government spokesman Shahid Rind. Footage released by the BLA on Wednesday morning captured the moment of the attack and seizure, showing the train making its way down the track before erupting in a cloud of black smoke. BLA fighters are also supposedly seen gathered on a distant hill before the vehicle grinds to a halt. Another survivor, Muhammad Ashraf, who was travelling to Lahore to visit family, said the fear among passengers was overwhelming. 'There was a lot of fear among the passengers. It was a scene of doomsday,' he said. Ashraf managed to escape with a group of passengers late on Tuesday. They walked for nearly four hours to the nearest railway station, with some carrying exhausted and injured fellow travellers on their shoulders. Mushtaq Muhammad, who was in the train's third carriage, described the attackers as highly organised and speaking to each other in Balochi. 'Their leader repeatedly told them to 'keep an eye' on the security personnel to make sure they didn't lose them,' he said. Muhammad told the news site that the attackers started releasing some passengers on Tuesday evening, including women, children, the elderly, and some Balochistan residents. Noor said he was freed after telling the militants he was from Turbat and showing that he had children with him. A Pakistani military helicopter hovers over a railway station in the Sibi district of southwestern Balochistan province on March 12, 2025 Rescue workers from the Edhi organization are preparing to participate in a rescue operation as they await boarding a special train following a militant attack on the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express in Mach A soldier works to evacuate freed train passengers at the Mach railway station, which has been turned into a makeshift hospital Paramilitary soldiers stand guard at a railway station in the Sibi district of southwestern Balochistan province on March 12, 2025 A passenger, who was rescued from a train after it was attacked by separatist militants, receives medical aid at the Mach Railway Station in Mach, Balochistan, Pakistan, March 11, 2025 In the wake of Tuesday's attack, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to 'continue to fight against the monster of terrorism until it is completely eradicated from the country.' In a statement, he said the 'terrorists' targeting of innocent passengers during the peaceful and blessed month of Ramadan is a clear reflection that these terrorists have no connection with the religion of Islam, Pakistan and Balochistan.' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Wednesday also told reporters that China strongly condemns the terrorist attacks and will continue to firmly support Pakistan in combating terrorism. 'China stands ready to strengthen counterterrorism and security cooperation with Pakistan and jointly keep the region peaceful, secure and stable,' she said. A decades-old insurgency in Balochistan by separatist militant groups has led to frequent attacks against the government, army and Chinese interests in the region, pressing demands for a share in its resources. The oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan's largest but also least populated province. It is a hub for the country's ethnic Baloch minority whose members say they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government. The BLA seeks independence for Balochistan. It is the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups that have battled the South Asian nation's government for decades, saying it unfairly exploits Balochistan's rich gas and mineral resources. Former Chancellor Philip Hammond has ridiculed the idea that young British men are ready to go to war should the Russian crisis deepen. Lord Hammond called for a radical change in how the UK gears its economy to combat the escalating threat posed by the Kremlin. The former Defence Secretary claimed the nation should hack back spending on benefits and pensioners to rebuilding its 'paltry' military and defence industry. And he warned more needed to be done to prepare civilians both mentally and physically, who he feared were woefully unprepared for the potential risk of conflict. The Tory peer weighed into the debate on defence amid mounting fears over America's reliability as an ally, as Donald Trump seeks to tighten relationships with Russian tyrant, Vladimir Putin - while distancing himself from Europe. Speaking on a podcast by investment bank Peel Hunt, Lord Hammond warned 'the repeated implied threat by Donald Trump to throw Europe to the mercy of the Kremlin will quite possibly involve us having to reorganise our economy'. But the 69-year-old former Chancellor said: 'There is no point spending lots of money on defence equipment if you haven't got any men to press the buttons, and we are unable to recruit even to the rather paltry scale army that we currently have. 'We are massively under-strength and we will need much bigger forces in the future, and we will need the ability to expand them rapidly through mobilisation. Pictured are Royal Marine recruits carrying out training in Lympstone Philip Hammond claimed the nation should hack back spending on benefits and pensioners to rebuilding its 'paltry' military and defence industry (pictured are Royal Marines in training) Lord Hammond warned 'the repeated implied threat by Donald Trump to throw Europe to the mercy of the Kremlin will quite possibly involve us having to reorganise our economy' 'Nothing in our economy or our society is geared to those needs at the moment. If you go outside into the street here on a sunny afternoon in the City of London and stop random men in their 20s and 30s, and ask them how ready they are to drop their pens and computers and head off to the recruiting station, I think we will get a pretty clear answer. 'There is a major societal shift going to be required. It is not just about money, it is about the organisation of the economy and it is about the orientation of society.' Lord Hammond, who oversaw sweeping cuts to the Army between 2011 and 2014 when he was the Defence Secretary, said the UK had to build up its arms industry. The Tory peer warned that for too long, Britain and its allies had relied on the 'benevolence' of the United States to form the backbone of its collective defence. 'The repeated implied threat of Donald Trump to throw Europe to the mercy of the Kremlin will quite possibly involve us in having to reorganise our economy in quite a significant way, with much higher fiscal spending on defence, reorganising the industrial base to be able to build defence equipment which does not have American input because if the Americans are not playing, we cannot be dependent on the US for defence equipment,' he said. 'We are perfectly capable of building defence equipment ourselves still at this stage, but the trend would have been away from that I think had it not been for this pivot by the US.' Britain's disappearing armed forces have shrunk by almost 200,000 troops since the Cold War, in a staggering decline of the UK's defences. The RAF now has one of the smallest combat fleets in history, while the British Army looks set to drop below 70,000 for the first time since the Napoleonic era. Lord Hammond said most civilian men would not have the stamina to take on the arduous military training. Pictured are Royal Marine recruits doing a rope climb Britain's disappearing armed forces have shrunk by almost 200,000 troops since the the Cold War, in a staggering decline of the UK's defences (pictured are UK troops training in Romania) Your browser does not support iframes. Meanwhile, the Royal Navy's fleet - once the crowing jewel of Britain's military might - now has barely enough active warships to field a single carrier strike group. At the height of the Cold War, when the threat of a nuclear apocalypse sparked by Russia was at its worst, the nation's navy had hundreds of warships. In 1960, its vast fleet had eight aircraft carriers at its disposal and could call upon 156 frigates and destroyers. By the early 1980s, however, this number had almost halved. Now, there are just two aircraft carriers - both of which have been bedevilled by breakdowns - six one-billion-pound-a-piece Type 45 destroyers and a handful of ageing frigates and patrol ships. Towards the end of the Cold War, Britain had about 308,800 military personnel across all three wings of the armed forces. Now it has around 137,000. In 1989, the British Army alone had 156,000 soldiers. Now it is closer to 70,000, following a series of brutal cutbacks which have ravaged its numbers. The decline prompted a dire warning from a senior US General last year, who said the nation's Army 'isn't what it used to be'. And in a fresh humiliation, European and Nato allies reportedly ridiculed the force over its outdated rifles, which would struggle to kill Russian or Chinese troops in advanced body armour. The Army still uses the L115A3 'sniper' rifle, while other armed forces had updated to the same company's AX models, which are lighter and enable soldiers to see further in the distance, according to a serving senior officer. One British officer warned the UK was now a laughing stock, telling the Times: 'The Europeans used to love all of our kit but now laugh at it.' Marine from 45 Commando are seen training in Norway on February 16 A Royal Marine Commando Mortar team operating from a Viking, Norway, Feb 19, 2025 The Royal Navy's fleet - once the crowing jewel of Britain's military might - now has barely enough active warships to field a single carrier strike group. Pictured are HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales They said elite snipers from a Nato ally in eastern Europe were 'mind blown' by the UK still using the old rifles. Meanwhile, the RAF - which used to have around 850 fighters, interceptors and fighter-bombers a few decades ago - now has around 560 fixed-winged aircraft, including 137 supersonic Typhoons and 34 F-35B stealth jets. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last month sought to put the nation on a war footing as he announced billions of pounds more would be spent on bolstering the nation's hollowed out military. It comes as allies like Germany, Denmark and Poland sought to ramp up their defence spending amid the mounting threat posed by Russian tyrant, Vladimir Putin. In a speech to MPs, Sir Keir declared that by 2027, Britain would up its defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP - boosting this to three per cent 'in the next Parliament'. He hailed it the 'biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War'. But it is not clear how that would be paid for, with the foreign aid budget now set to fall from 0.5 per cent of national income to 0.3 per cent. Although the PM claimed his commitment will mean 13.4billion a year extra for defence from 2027, in fact it is more like 6billion in real terms. This is the heartstopping moment a cargo vessel crashes into a giant oil tanker off the Yorkshire coast. The footage shows a massive explosion as the Portuguese-flagged Solong ploughs into the anchored Stena Immaculate. The oil tanker carrying 220,000 barrels of aviation fuel for US Airforce jets was 'speared' by the cargo vessel in the North Sea. One crew member from the Solong is still missing and presumed dead while the 59-year-old Russian skipper of the ship is under arrest accused of gross negligence manslaughter. In the clip, which was allegedly taken onboard the cargo ship and posted onto social media, a desperate crewman is heard pleading: 'Lord, Lord, help us, Lord help us.' Alarms and sirens can be heard in the background of the clip which lasts around ten seconds and was reportedly taken just minutes after Monday's collision. It is not known if the crewman who videoed the film was among the survivors taken off the Solong and those who did escape described how they narrowly escaped death. Fires broke out on both vessels following the collision which happened as the oil tanker was anchored just off the east Yorkshire coast. New footage shows the moment an oil tanker and cargo ship collided in the North Sea - sparking a massive fire Horrifying footage appears to show the moment the MV Solong slammed into the side of jet fuel tanker the Stena Impeccable on Monday The footage was reportedly captured moments after the crash and showed a huge fireball bursting from the sky The devastating force of the crash left a huge hole in the US-flagged oil tanker And the Portuguese Solong was completely destroyed in the inferno that followed Coastguard officials say 36 people were rescued in the operation and initial fears of a major environmental disaster have now diminished. Virginia McVea, chief executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said: 'There have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel beyond what was observed during the initial incident.' The area of the east Yorkshire coast is home to a large seabird population and wildfire organisations are also monitoring the situation closely. The footage emerged today as shameless pro-Putin propagandists claimed Britain had staged the North Sea tanker crash to blame Russia for the disaster, as part of a 'ludicrous' conspiracy theory. The claims were ridiculed by a British minister, who said they showed the 'depths to which Russian propaganda is now prepared to sink - almost literally'. The Russian captain of the doomed Solong was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter after rescuers were unable to find one of his crew, who is now presumed dead. The Russian captain has not been named by Humberside police but was arrested 'on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision'. His vessel slammed into the 50,000-ton Immaculate which was carrying supplies for the US military off the East Yorkshire coast shortly before 10am. Pictured are the charred remains of cargo ship MV Solong was completely destroyed by Monday's fire. The ship was captained by a Russian national Other footage obtained by Sky News appears to show the conditions on the Impeccable before she was slammed into, with fog obscuring the view The ship is now drifting off the coast of Lincolnshire following the disaster Millions of gallons of fuel poured into the sea, with smoke from the fierce inferno visible from space. Kremlin propagandist and pro-war pundit Sergey Mardan today dubbed Britain 'great experts in organising sabotage' as he claimed the UK could 'easily harm' an American ship in a bid to blame Moscow for the disaster. 'There are many interesting coincidences and details in this case,' he said. 'Pentagon fuel, a tanker flying an exotic American flag for the merchant fleet, and now a Russian captain. 'The location of the emergency should also be taken into account - the territorial waters of Great Britain.' He added: 'The British are great experts in organising sabotage and provocations... For the sake of such a deal, they would easily [harm] both an American tanker and a piece of their own coastline.' Russian media commentator Vladimir Kornilov, an analyst for Putin-controlled state news outlet Russia Today, said: 'How predictable everything is with the British. 'The arrested captain of the Portuguese dry cargo ship Solong, which rammed an American military tanker off the coast of England just before the [war] negotiations between Russia and the USA, of course, turned out to be a Russian citizen.' He had predicted earlier 'that London would definitely look for a "Russian trace", he said. 'Something tells me that this whole accident was organised under this "trace".' But British politicians have been quick to rubbish the 'ludicrous' conspiracy theory. The Conservative's shadow armed forces minister, Mark Francois, told MailOnline: 'The idea that Britain somehow "staged" this very unfortunate accident is utterly ludicrous and just shows the depths to which Russian propaganda is now prepared to sink - almost literally. 'The one question for Russia now is not about that incident but, bluntly, will Putin accept the US/Ukrainian ceasefire proposal - or not?' Penny Mordaunt, a former Defence Secretary and Tory cabinet minister, added: 'This Russian rebuttal is beyond parody.' Kremlin propagandist and pro-war pundit Sergey Mardan (pictured) claimed Britain was behind the tanker crash on Monday Russian media commentator Vladimir Kornilov also claimed Britain was behind the tragedy MV Stena Immaculate exploded into a 'massive fireball' after being hit by MV Solong Your browser does not support iframes. Pictured is the mangled remains of the MV Stena Immaculate following Monday's fire Its hull was charred black by the blaze which engulfed much of the ship on Monday Shadow transport minister Jerome Mayhew said the nationality of the Solong's captain raises 'further questions' about the incident. 'Where military assets are damaged it is vital that motives are fully investigated to exclude foul play,' he said. 'The nationality of the captain of the Solong raises further questions about potential motivation that the Government must now get to the bottom of.' The 459ft Solong - with a crew of Russian and Filipino nationals - crashed into the 596ft Stena Immaculate on Monday. A port inspection in July 2024 in Dublin found the vessel's 'emergency steering position communications/compass reading' unreadable. Inspectors found a total of 10 deficiencies, including 'inadequate' alarms, survival craft 'not properly maintained' and fire doors 'not as required.' A later inspection in Scotland in October found two other deficiencies yet the ship wasn't detained after either inspection. One sailor from the Solong remains missing, presumed dead. The other 36 crew members from the two vessels were brought safely ashore, with no major injuries. Survivors of the crash yesterday told MailOnline they had only seconds to react. The Solong, which is a smouldering wreck, is seen floating adrift in the North Sea on Tuesday Your browser does not support iframes. Recalling the terrifying maritime smash and aftermath, one crewmate from the Immaculate said: 'It was either get into your life jacket or get incinerated.' The 36 survivors of the tanker and cargo ship Solong were recovering at hotels in Grimsby on Tuesday as a full investigation began. A handful of the American crew of the Stena Immaculate spoke about what happened but asked not to be identified. They were so close to the flames as they boarded the lifeboat that some suffered singed hair. Thankfully all survived without serious injury. One member of the Solong crew is missing presumed dead. One crewman said: 'Yesterday was a bad start to the day, but it ended gloriously. Why? All 23 of us got off the ship without anybody being in it.' Adding that he was 'pleased to be alive.' Asked about his actions immediately after the tanker carrying a cargo of jet fuel burst into flames, he said: 'I did have time to think. I ran through the procedures. Because if I hadn't had time to think, we wouldn't have survived. We drilled, we trained, we prepared for the unprepared. We do emergency prep non-stop. Regardless of outside uncontrollable forces.' The Solong had been sailing from the Scottish port of Grangemouth to Rotterdam in the Netherlands A Portuguese-flagged cargo ship carrying cyanide smashed into the US military oil tanker (pictured on Monday) The Stena Immaculate, which had travelled from the Greek port of Agioi Theodoroi. Meanwhile, the Solong had been sailing from the Scottish port of Grangemouth to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Assistant Chief Coastguard John Craig has said salvage firms are at the scene and are developing a plan to recover both the Solong and the Immaculate. The Solong is currently being held offshore in a safe position by a tug boat. Mr Craig said: 'A tow line has now successfully been put in place and a tug is holding Solong offshore in a safer position. 'There are still some flames visible on the main deck of the Solong and firefighting is focusing on this area. 'A salvage plan is being developed with the appointed salvors on scene.' In a statement on Wednesday morning, Virginia McVea, chief executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said efforts to recover the two stricken ships were ongoing. She added: 'There have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel beyond what was observed during the initial incident. HM Coastguard's counter pollution and salvage team has a comprehensive counter pollution response in place should it be required. Salvors also have equipment and personnel ready to respond to any pollution. 'The MCA is working with the salvage companies who are responding on behalf of the vessels' owners and are working in full co-operation with all commercial and government partners. The overarching objective is to protect the public and the environment to the best of our ability, during this ongoing incident response. The Immaculate's deck this morning appeared black and charred following Monday's inferno Its hull was charred black by the blaze which engulfed much of the ship on Monday 'The Solong is being held in a safe position offshore by a tug and further support vessels remain in the ship's immediate vicinity. This morning's (12 March) assessment shows the fires on board the ship have greatly reduced in their extent and intensity. 'The Stena Immaculate remains at anchor, with safety tugs in position should they be required. There are no visible flames on board and an on-board assessment may be carried out later today. 'Salvors will only board the vessels when it is safe to do so. Only then will it be possible to carry out comprehensive damage assessments.' Collisions remain rare in the busy North Sea. In October 2023, two cargo ships, the Verity and the Polesie, collided near Germany's Heligoland islands in the North Sea. Three people were killed and two others are still missing and considered dead. In October 2015, the Flinterstar freighter, carrying 125 tonnes of diesel and 427 tonnes of fuel oil, sank after colliding with the Al Oraiq tanker five miles off the Belgian coast. President Donald Trump issued a scathing response after Rosie O'Donnell's decision to move to Ireland to escape his presidency. Trump and Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, who was in Washington D.C. for St. Patrick's Day festivities, were asked about the actress' decision to leave the United States. 'Did you know you have Rosie O'Donnell? Do you know who she is?,' Trump asked Martin. When Martin demurred, chuckling and shaking his head, Trump told him: 'You're better off not knowing.' Trump was responding to an announcement from O'Donnell that she moved across the pond to Ireland because she cannot stand living in Trump's America. The diehard liberal actress and comedienne - who has a long history of speaking out against the conservative president - shared a nine-minute video in which she updated fans about her new life outside of the U.S. Taoiseach Micheal Martin and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office At the start of the clip, the 62-year-old confirmed that she buckled under the pressure and couldn't face living in the US under Trump, so she packed her bags and moved on January 15 - just five days before the inauguration. The outspoken Trump hater told her 2.5 million followers that she is having a 'wonderful' time living in Ireland - but admitted that she is already missing things about the U.S. She said: 'It's been pretty wonderful, I have to say. The people are so loving and so kind, so welcoming. And I'm very grateful.' She noted that leaving the States was something she never expected to happen in her life, adding: 'I was never someone who thought I would move to another country. That's what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child. And here we are.' O'Donnell, who has been a vocal President Trump critic over the years, admitted she is already missing many elements of her life in America as she continued: 'You know, I'm happy. Clay is happy. I miss my other kids. I miss my friends. 'I miss many things about life there at home and I'm trying to find a home here in this beautiful country.' Rosie O'Donnell has revealed her shock decision to move across the pond and confirmed that she now calls Ireland home due to her political views Opening up about what could see her return to her home, she added: 'And when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that's when we will consider coming back.' She then noted the changes being made in the country since Trump took office and added: 'It's been heartbreaking to see what's happening politically and hard for me personally as well. The personal is political, as we all know.' O'Donnell made it clear she was currently happy with her decision and explained that everyone in Dublin was 'friendly,' and she had 'met a bunch of people' over the past two months. She noted that fans had expressed concern and added: 'Sorry for those of you who were worried and who missed me. I just felt like we needed to take care of ourselves and make some hard decisions and follow through. 'And now as we're getting settled, I was ready to post this and to tell everybody what's been going on.' The star had hinted at the move on Friday, March 7, when she posed for a selfie snap behind the wheel of a car while mentioning how she was having a difficult time driving on a different side of the road. 'Bought a little used car to tool around the countryside on the wrong side of the road,' she wrote on Instagram, before confessing: 'Hit the curb three times - thought I hit a cat!!! #newadventures.' She also showed her daughter Dakota in the backseat of the car with her backpack beside her in another photo on Instagram, which the former host of The View recently made private. O'Donnell also has four other children, but they are all past the age to go to school. Taking to TikTok on Tuesday, the actress and comedian shared a nine-minute video in which she updated fans about her new life outside of the U.S. Known for her harsh war of words with Trump over the years, even before he became president, the mother of five has been even more vocal to hammer his tough talk and policies in interviews and on social media since he started his first term in 2016. In one of more recent critiques she shared a video on TikTok of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hugging children and picking them up with a smile on his face. 'If only the current president had a drop of his caring committed heart #resist #protest #defythem #love #FDT,' she wrote in the caption. In December, O'Donnell took to TikTok to bash Time magazine for naming Donald Trump its man of the year for 2024, as reported by The Daily Beast. 'Man of the year, Donald Trump. Well, f**k you Time Magazine. F**k you, seriously,' O'Donnell said. 'How about most dangerous man of the year? How about most criminal man of the year? How about the worst president we've ever had of the year.' O'Donnell becomes the latest celebrity to have move in the wake of Trump being elected to a second term in office. The star had hinted at the move on March 7, when she posed for a selfie snap behind the wheel while mentioning how she's having a difficult time driving on a different side of the road Among the stars to recently move are actor Richard Gere, who sold his $11 million Connecticut home in November and moved to Madrid, Spain, in part to be closer to his wife's in-laws, according to Vanity Fair. Gere, 75, told the outlet he felt it would be a 'great adventure' to relocate with Alejandra and their sons Alexander, five, and James, four, 'because I have never lived full-time outside of the United States.' Former talk show host, comedienne, and long-time liberal Ellen DeGeneres, 67, and her wife Portia de Rossi, 52, opted to move to the English countryside in December. In a 20th anniversary tribute to her wife DeGeneres wrote how she was 'so happy we get to travel and explore the world together' in a selfie snap taken in the UK. The UK has expelled a Russian diplomat and a diplomatic spouse in response to an 'increasingly aggressive and co-ordinated campaign of harassment' against British officials in Moscow. The move is a tit-for-tat retaliation to a similar move by Russian President Vladimir Putin's government on Monday. The UK pair were accused of engaging in intelligence activity under cover of the embassy in the Russian capital a claim dismissed as 'malicious and baseless' by the UK. The Foreign Office said it had summoned Russian ambassador Andrei Kelin to make clear 'the UK will not stand for intimidation of British embassy staff and their families'. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: 'Today we are taking immediate action in direct response to Russia's pernicious targeting of British diplomats and their families. 'We will not tolerate the Kremlin's relentless and unacceptable campaign of intimidation, nor their repeated attempts to threaten UK security.' The move is a tit-for-tat retaliation to a similar move by Russian President Vladimir Putin's government on Monday. The Foreign Office said it had summoned Russian ambassador Andrei Kelin to make clear 'the UK will not stand for intimidation of British embassy staff and their families'. The British diplomats have been ordered to leave Russia within two weeks, the Russian news agency Tass said, citing the country's FSB security agency. It is the latest in a series of tit-for-tat expulsions involving the UK's embassy in Moscow and the Russian mission in London. In February the Foreign Office stripped a Russian diplomat of their accreditation, with Mr Lammy saying the the UK will be 'unapologetic' in standing up to Mr Putin. That move was in response to what the Foreign Office said was a 'baseless' decision to expel a British diplomat from Russia on suspicion of spying in November last year. The expulsion also comes after a major criminal investigation left six members of a Russian proxy spy ring dubbed the 'Minions' facing years behind bars for their part in one of the 'largest and most complex' enemy operations to be uncovered on UK soil. Bulgarians Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39, were found guilty at the Old Bailey last week of spying on an 'industrial scale', putting lives and national security at risk. They will be sentenced in May alongside ringleader Orlin Roussev, 47, his second-in-command Biser Dzhambazov, 43, and Ivan Stoyanov, 33, who admitted their roles. 'You Should Start a Podcast with Your Sibling' is the title of Michelle Obama's inaugural Spotify episode with her brother, Craig Robinson and really, she shouldn't have. The reasons are varied and sundry, but chief among them is her cynical decision to tease with talk of divorce. Not the rumors of hers, of course no, never, Michelle O is so far above that but her brother's ancient divorce, way back in the year of our Lord 2000. Yes: her brother's marital failure is cannon fodder for this otherwise pointless ego bath, this excruciating exercise in attempting to prove a la Meghan Markle that Michelle has more to offer than her marriage, which may or may not be ending. But that topic is clearly off-limits. Relatedly, her older brother Craig, now 62 to her 61, seems a little bit afraid of her. It's not hard to see why. Despite Michelle's guardedness which she has always tried to deflect with ostensibly humorous anecdotes that allow her to shine while denigrating her husband (remember 'snore-y and stinky' Barack?) we learn that she is an epic grudge-holder. Craig can barely explain why he hid his marital troubles from Michelle who, by the way, is 'Miche' to him but an 'icon' to us. Truly, why are we here? To be talked down to by siblings who are still jockeying for position in the family hierarchy? 'You Should Start a Podcast with Your Sibling' is the title of Michelle Obama 's inaugural Spotify episode with her brother, Craig Robinson - and really, she shouldn't have. (Pictured: Michelle and Craig on their new podcast 'IMO'). The reasons are varied and sundry, but chief among them is her cynical decision to tease with talk of divorce. (Pictured: Barack and Michelle Obama). Which, by the way, is a losing game, because Barack will always be Number One perhaps the root of Michelle's apparent fury. She is just as much of a narcissist as her husband. Here she describes her reaction to learning that her beloved, only sibling's marriage was ending. Spoiler alert: What about her? Where did she figure in his looming divorce? 'I felt like the dude I depend on the most', Michelle tells us cough-cough, Barack 'who I could tell anything [sic], couldn't, didn't feel like he could come to me when he was dealing with something really hard in his life, which is his marriage falling apart.' Instead of asking herself why that was instead of Craig exploring that with her he verbally prostrates himself before 'Miche'. 'That was a mistake,' he says. 'That was a mistake. And I've learned since then.' He goes on to tell us what it's like to have such a brilliant, famous, powerful sister. 'I talked about you all the time to people, because now that you're an icon' dear God, are these two insufferable 'people are like, 'What's your sister like?'' Sorry, Craig: Not buying it. For one thing, the people in your rarified world, the CEOs and billionaires, have far more couth than that. Secondly: We all know what Michelle Obama is like. She is resentful, still, that her husband brought her and their girls into the White House, that his election made her the first black First Lady, and conferred upon her an immortality that no amount of books written or Netflix productions or podcasts launched will ever grant her. It's Craig she thanks not, more appropriately, her husband for getting her through the 'hell' that was the White House. 'I could't have gotten through eight years in the White House without my big brother,' she says. Later, she reiterates, again at Barack's expense: 'I mean, over the course of the campaign the many campaigns [and] our time in the White House, I could count on you to be there when I needed you.' Yes, however did Michelle get through being adored by the nation, called the most youthful and electrifying First Lady since Jackie Kennedy, and all of us making her post-White House endeavors so successful that she and Barack are now multi-millionaires with four estates? She would have us weep for her. Her self-interest, incredibly, has only metastasized. Michelle, much like Meghan, would prefer to cast her husband's global fame on a funeral pyre in pursuit of cheaper iterations, be that as a cooking show host (Markle) or on a new podcast, positing herself as an agony aunt. 'You know,' Michelle says, 'we're going to be taking, you know, questions from listeners who just need a little advice.' Perhaps she should look inward. Michelle is clearly still furious that Barack became president. She'll never forgive him, I think not just for getting elected, but for being better-looking, smarter, more talented and more charismatic. He allows himself to enjoy his fame and wears it lightly. She, however, is the opposite. She is the grinder, the A student who does great on tests but lacks an original mind. She is the worker bee to his shining star, yet she wants to be recognized for her own talents which, after all this time, remain unclear. The result is poorly-concealed rage that only repels. Michelle is resentful, still, that her husband brought her and their girls into the White House (Pictured: Barack, Malia, Michelle and Sasha Obama in 2009). Michelle, much like Meghan (pictured), would prefer to cast her husband's global fame on a funeral pyre in pursuit of cheaper iterations, be that as a cooking show host (Markle) or on a new podcast, positing herself as an agony aunt. Michelle again, like Meghan hops from project to project with diminishing returns, given chance after chance not for who she is but who she married. Who even knew that Michelle is the executive producer of a flailing show called 'Later Daters', about older people looking for love, on Netflix? That might be why she hasn't quashed rumors of a divorce. Perhaps it's more than strategic headline hunting Michelle probably relishes her husband's perfect record being a little sullied. For lack of anything better to discuss we are not privy to the real tea, like why Michelle skipped Jimmy Carter's funeral and the Trump inauguration she and Craig revisit, for the umpteenth time, Barack's decision to run and the epic struggle to get Michelle on board. Who among us isn't sick of this little origin story, which dates back to 2006? Here's a new detail: Craig did the persuading. Riveting stuff. 'I think the thing that pushed it over the top,' Craig says, 'was I convinced you not to penalize him for being really good at what he does it's just what wouldn't be fair. And I talked to you and mom at the same time, and both of you sat there reasonably mad and said I was right.' Reasonably mad. If there's a better description of Michelle's resting state, we have yet to hear it. Really, that should have been the name of this sorry podcast. 'IMO' short for 'In My Opinion' doesn't quite capture her, does it? 'Reasonably Mad with Michelle Obama': Now that would be a podcast worth a listen. President Donald Trump has threatened 'devastating' consequences for Russia if Vladimir Putin does not agree to a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump issued the ultimatum while discussing his team's efforts to bring an end to the brutal conflict, which he said could lead to World War III. When asked what the U.S. could do to pressure Russia into peace, he said: 'There are things that wouldn't be pleasant in a financial sense. I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don't want to do that because I want to get peace.' Trump added: 'In a financial sense, yes, we could do things that would be very bad for Russia, that would be devastating for Russia. But I don't want to do that.' He spoke after Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security advisor Mike Waltz announced that Ukraine had agreed to a 30-day ceasefire if Russia also backs it. Trump first issued a trade threat against Russia days ago online. It was a notable change from his previous posture of praising Putin as smart, or even expressing appreciation for the Russian position. Two weeks ago, he held an angry Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The U.S. has already imposed a series of economic sanctions on Russia, and individual Russian oligarchs, after the country seized Crimea in 2014 and then launched a full scale invasion in 2022. Now, the fate of a potential ceasefire is in Russia's hands, and Trump is turning up the economic heat on the aggressor. 'There are things that wouldn't be pleasant in a financial sense. I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia,' Trump said, when question about what he can do if Russia won't agree to a ceasefire amid its three-year war on Ukraine He pointed to upcoming talks for which his envoy Steve Witkoff is traveling to Moscow. Trump then turned to J.D. Vance, making fun of his shamrock socks while meeting with the Irish Taoiseach in the Oval Office. The president then said: 'So we have people going over there (to Moscow). Mr. VP, you have anything to say about this? Because you're very much involved. Vance said: 'We've got some conversations that are happening on the phone and in person with some of our representatives over the next couple of days. 'As the President said, we think we're in a very good place where the Ukrainians have agreed with ceasefire, and we're going to see whether we can get the Russians to agree to a ceasefire too.' Trump invited JD Vance to speak, during a meeting where he made fun of his shamrock socks Trump was asked if he believed Putin would honor a ceasefire, having broken them in the past. He said: 'We haven't spoken to him yet with substance, because we just found out. We're going to know very soon. I've gotten some positive messages, but a positive message means nothing. Very serious situation. This is a situation that could lead to World War III.' On Tuesday, after talks in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine agreed to a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, and the U.S. announced a lifting of the pause on military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said afterward that the ball was now in Russia's court. 'Were going to tell them this is what's on the table. Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now it'll be up to them to say yes or no,' Rubio said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz announced the breakthrough after their meeting with Ukrainian officials Russian President Vladimir Putin now must decide whether to take the temporary ceasefire after achieving battlefield gains, even while hemorrhaging fighters Trump issued the threat after being asked if there was anything he could do to pressure Russia into accepting the US-brokered ceasefire. He was meeting with Taoiseach Micheal Martin before a St. Patrick's Day reception This is the closest we have been to peace in this war. We are at the 10th yard line, and the President is expecting the Russians to help us run this into the end zone,' said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Putin in the past has ruled out a short-term truce as benefitting Ukraine. He has said: 'As for the settlement of the situation, I would like to emphasize that it shouldnt be aimed at a brief truce - some sort of a break for regrouping troops and rearmament in order to continue the conflict - but a long-term peace.' But now Russia risks alienating the U.S. by rejecting the offer at a time when Trump has taken multiple steps to put U.S.-Russia relations on a better footing. He has also been going after NATO allies and launching a series of trade wars with traditional partners. Trump raised the issue of slapping sanctions on Russia on March 7, after the U.S. paused security aide and vital intelligence sharing following his spat with Zelensky. 'Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely "pounding" Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large-scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED,' Trump wrote then on Truth Social. 'To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!' Russia has continued to hammer Ukrainian cities and civilian areas through missile and drone attacks. Ukraine launched its largest drone attack yet on Moscow hours before talks between its officials and the U.S. began in Saudi Arabia. At the White House Wednesday afternoon, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said National Security Advisor Waltz told her that he spoke with his Russian counterpart today. 'And the President's team continues to be engaged. As you all know, Mr. Witkoff is traveling to Moscow later this week, and we urge the Russians to sign on to this plan. This is the closest we have been to peace in this war. We are at the 10th yard line, and the President is expecting the Russians to help us run this into the end zone,' she said. A young father-of-six has contracted an ultra-rare skin disease, with doctors from one of the most respected medical institutions in the world giving him just six months to live. Ryan Becker of Spokane, Washington, began noticing large, painful sores on his legs in January. The unwelcome lesions started appearing on his body just before his 38th birthday and after his whole family went on a trip to Disneyland. 'There was just something in body that was killing me,' Becker told KHQ TV while sitting in a hospital room with his wife Mikkel. He added that the initial blister on his leg popped after which it 'turned into a dark purple, and eventually it became black.' After visiting urgent care and a dermatologist, he was told he likely had Pyoderma Gangrenosum and that he needed to go to the emergency room immediately. Much is unknown about Pyoderma Gangrenosum - including what causes it or if it's genetic - but the Mayo Clinic says patients often first notice a small bump on their skin. Within days, it can turn into a large and painful open sore. Most people afflicted with disease can seek treatment and manage it, but Becker's case has proven to be much more serious. This has led to doubts that he even has this particular infection. Ryan Becker and his wife Mikkel are pictured with their kids at Disneyland, before he contracted a unknown and deadly skin disease The lesions first appeared on his legs but quickly spread to his upper body, including his arms and back The lesions now cover 40 to 50 percent of his skin, having spread past his legs to his upper body. The first hospital, despite doing a CT scan, said he was fine and sent him home, according to Becker. It was when he went for a second opinion at another hospital that the black sores spread to his arms and back. Doctors in Spokane couldn't seem to help him, and his pain became so severe, they had to sedate him. 'And I woke up about seven days later and my wife said, "We're going to Mayo." And I said, "What? The Mayo Clinic...how am I going to the Mayo Clinic, doesn't that take months or years to get in?"' The couple and their four-month-old baby flew to the world-renowned clinic in Minnesota immediately, with the pilot even wishing them luck over the intercom. By the time they arrived, Becker's condition had dramatically worsened but his spirits remained high. 'I'm in so much pain, I'm crying, I'm sweating, but I'm also filled with this awe and respect and joy,' he said. 'There are 70 other people on the planet right now statistically who are suffering from the same thing I am and how am I the lucky one that gets to go to Mayo?' he added. The lesions, both red and black in color, now cover 40 to 50 percent of his skin and are extremely painful Becker and Mikkel are pictured on a plane headed to the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Minnesota Doctors had Becker on extremely powerful painkillers such as OxyContin and Fentanyl just so he wasn't in agony for every waking moment. The Mayo Clinic spent two weeks running every test they could think of and were still stumped at the end of it. So, Becker and his wife got on another plane and headed to the Johns Hopkins Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. Doctors at the hospital, which partners with the National Institute of Health's Undiagnosed Diseases Program, are working around the clock to find an answer for Becker's unusually severe illness. Since Pyoderma Gangrenosum doesn't normally present this aggressively, Becker is undergoing tests for many different infections in case he has been misdiagnosed. Still, doctors arrived at the sobering prognosis that Becker could have just six more months left to live. 'We're going to do everything in our power to have the best days of our lives and make tomorrow even better,' he said. 'We could either be negative about it and spend the next six months being miserable or we could be positive.' Since Becker and his wife can no longer work, they launched a GoFundMe on February 21 to help pay for medical bills. Becker was recently hit with the awful news that all the treatment he received while at the Mayo Clinic was not covered by his health insurance, meaning he'll be on the hook for a $100,000 bill The GoFundMe, created before he knew he'd have to pay a six-figure sum for life-saving care, has raised nearly $24,000 as of Wednesday afternoon It was explained that if Becker didn't go back to working half-time by February 22, the whole family would lose his work-sponsored health insurance. Expenses pertaining to travel, home care, babysitting, boarding the pets that can't be near his skin and possibly remodeling to his home will add up fast, they wrote. On top of all that, Becker was recently hit with the awful news that all the treatment he received while at the Mayo Clinic was not covered by his health insurance. The letter from the clinic read: 'Your insurance has denied a claim as patient responsibility. The balance remains your responsibility until it is resolved.' Becker said he is on the hook for more than $100,000. The GoFundMe, created before he knew he'd have to pay a six-figure sum for life-saving care, has raised over $24,000 as of Wednesday afternoon. Former Barclays boss Jes Staley has admitted to having sex with one of Jeffrey Epstein's staff at the Upper East Side building where the paedophile trafficked underage girls. The married father made the shocking admission while giving evidence at London's Upper Tribunal as he seeks to overturn a finance industry ban and 1.8m fine by the City's regulator over his links to the disgraced millionaire. The 68-year-old said he had grown close to the woman while attending meetings with Epstein who banked with him when he worked at JP Morgan. The woman, who was not named, is among more than 60 Epstein victims represented by lawyer Brad Edwards, who later settled a claim against the financier's 435m estate. The encounter, which was described as consensual, occurred at 301 East 66th Street which was said to have been used by the sex offender to hold his young victims. Leigh-Ann Mulcahy KC, for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), asked the retired banker: 'The woman was someone connected with Mr Epstein, wasn't she? You met this woman through Mr Epstein?' To which Mr Staley admitted: 'She was a part of his staff as I recall.' He added: 'This individual and Isometimes I would go to his apartment, and he would be late, and we got to know each other. Former Barclays boss Jes Staley has admitted to having sex with one of Jeffrey Epstein 's staff at the Upper East Side building where the paedophile trafficked underage girls The FCA today detailed how the retired banker enjoyed a close relationship with disgraced financier Epstein and accepted countless favours from him 'Much to my embarrassment, we had one encounter,' he told the court but claimed Epstein was not aware of it. The FCA today detailed how the retired banker enjoyed a close relationship with the disgraced financier and accepted countless favours from him. Ms Mulcahy earlier told the court how Staley had hitched rides on his helicopter and private plane and used Epstein's influence and contacts to further his daughter Alexa's education. The barrister said a cache of bombshell emails show how the late paedophile had often expressed his close 'friendship' with Staley to third parties repeatedly describing him as 'like a brother' to him. In one email sent on May 27, 2010, Epstein emailed Prince Andrew about Staley who was head of investment banking at JP Morgan at the time. 'I know you are seeing Jes Staley this morning, he is like family and can be trusted 100 per cent,' he told the Duke of York, who was later stripped of his royal duties and military titles over his own relationship with Epstein and the allegations of sexual assault against him. The barrister also told the court how Epstein emailed a member of a Gulf monarchy in February 2009 saying: 'Jes Staley tells me he is to see you a week on Monday, he is one of us.' Paedophile Epstein (pictured) emailed Prince Andrew to say that former Barclay's boss Jes Staley was 'like family and can be trusted 100 per cent', a court has heard The 68-year-old said he had grown close to the woman while attending meetings with Epstein who banked with him when he worked at JP Morgan (L-R) Prince Andrew, Ghislaine Maxwell, Caroline Stanley and Jeffrey Epstein attend Royal Ascot together in 2000 She said other emails in 2012 showed that Epstein had written to several people and described Staley as 'like my brother'. The court was also read several emails in which Staley described Epstein as 'family' and a 'profound friend' including a 2011 message in which he told the sex offender: 'Please know I am a friend forever'. However, Staley maintained that their relationship was purely 'professional', adding: 'I think he is using our business relationship in these terms to grow his own influence'. Ms Mulcahy claimed that Epstein had also 'pulled strings' to help Staley's eldest daughter get 'her PhD place' by emailing contacts at universities and as a result was invited to her 2015 graduation. However, Staley vehemently denied these claims insisting: 'She got her PhD place on her own, through incredible hard workThe implication that he secured this for her is wrong, unfair and not true'. Staley was also grilled on accepting luxury favours from Epstein including a ride home from the Caribbean on the paedophile's helicopter and flights on his private plane. Epstein gave Staley countless favours and even paid $1,000 for commercial flights in 2005 on his Gold American Express for the banker Prince Andrew is pictured with Virginia Roberts and Ghislaine Maxwell The court was told records show that Epstein had even paid $1,000 for commercial flights in 2005 on his Gold American Express for the banker. The former Barclays chief executive is trying to overturn a decision by the FCA to ban him from taking senior roles and fine him 1.8 million after it found he 'recklessly misled' it about his relationship with the disgraced financier, who died in prison in 2019. At the heart of the case is a 2019 letter from Barclays to the FCA in which it said that Staley did not have a 'close' relationship with Epstein and ceased contact with him before joining the bank in December 2015. The FCA found that this was 'highly misleading'. The hearing continues. The lawyer husband of a woman found dead in his apartment building stairwell with her foot severed has been referred to as a 'suspect' in the killing. Adam Beckerink, 46, was named a suspect in the October 2024 death of estranged wife Caitlin Tracey, 36, in the Chicago building where he lived. He was linked to the killing by a Cook County prosecutor at a hearing on Monday - even though no charges have been filed over Tracey's killing, ABC7 reported. Beckerink instead appeared before court a day after he was arrested on an outstanding domestic violence warrant from prosecutors in Berrien County, Michigan. The tax attorney, fired from his job after Tracey's death, was charged with domestically abusing Tracey at her home in New Buffalo, Michigan, last year. He waived extradition to Berrien County to face those charges and was ordered held in custody until his next hearing. Tracey's parents say their later daughter was horrifically abused by Beckerink for an extended period of time. She's believed to have died from a 20 foot fall. After Tracey's death, Beckerink tried to block his late wife's parents from taking control over her remains. The Traceys later won custody over their daughter's body. Adam Beckerink, husband of a woman who was mysteriously found dead in his stairwell, has been arrested on a warrant related to a separate assault case against her in Michigan Caitlin Tracey, 36, was found dead in the stairwell of her tax attorney husband Beckerink's condo in Chicago on October 27 last year During Monday's hearing, Beckerink's lawyer insisted his client 'is the absolute opposite of a fugitive from justice' as he pointed out that he was arrested at home. After Tracey's death, Chicago Police Department cops rushed to the scene and detained Beckerink, 46, who had reported his wife missing the day before. They released him after 48 hours without filing any charges. In the weeks that followed, Tracey's heartbroken parents, retired real estate developer Andrew Tracey, 69, and college professor Dr. Monica Tracey, 65, battled against Beckerink for custody of their daughter's remains. Beckerink, a former partner of international law firm Duane Morris who had been married to Tracey for six months, argued that he had the rights to her body as the surviving spouse. But on November 6, 2024 her family filed documents accusing him of wreaking a 'campaign of abuse and terror' against their daughter, including allegedly throwing a glass pickle jar at her head and pouring vodka on her wounds. To support their argument, the Michigan-based family presented a since-rescinded petition Tracey made to Cook County Court a year before she died in a desperate attempt to obtain a restraining order against her husband. Tracey fell down 24 flights of stairs in Beckerink's high rise (pictured) on the 1200 block of Prairie Street in South Loop, severing her foot during the descent Tracey's body was at the center of a dispute between her family against her husband Chicago police took him into custody after arriving at the scene but released him without charge Pictured: Caitlin Tracey's father, retired real estate developer Andrew Tracey (second left), 69, holding hands with his wife and her mother, college professor Dr Monica Tracey, 65 In her October 4, 2023 filing, Tracey detailed three examples of horrific attacks by the tax attorney. However, her parents said Beckerink found out and threatened to sue her for defamation and libel - so she withdrew her petition based on fear. Beckerink's lawyer Todd Pugh said he denies the domestic violence claims. 'There was no physical violence that Adam had directed towards CT,' he told the Chicago Tribune. 'There is no corroboration to any of her claims. There was a layer of emotional volatility to the relationship, but CT enjoyed an incredibly close relationship with Adam's parents and Adam.' Beckerink was ousted from his role with the Duane Morris law firm amid the scandal. Donald Trump's ICE officials have revealed that Joe Biden's administration purposely fudged their illegal immigrant arrest numbers during his presidency. The stunning revelation came as they announced that Trump's deportation effort in the first three months of 2025 have already surpassed all ICE arrests Biden made in 2024. As a result of the Republican's sensational overhaul of the immigration system, detention centers are now hitting their limits - with over 47,600 detainees currently being housed at 'maxed out' capacity, a senior U.S. ICE official told reporters. ICE has roughly enough funding to house on average 41,500 detainees, meaning they are already thousands over capacity. Immigration officials also shared that after an internal review, they found that the Biden administration 'cooked the books' and intentionally altered arrest data. These Biden officials 'falsely inflated' ICE arrest data and were 'purposely misleading the American public,' the Trump officials claimed. ICE officials made the shocking claim that Biden rounded up tens of thousands of illegal aliens and said that they were 'arrested' - however the new investigation revealed these people were simply released back into American communities. These incidents, called 'pass through arrests,' were where ICE released illegal migrants but still counted the enforcement action as an interior arrest. Of the 113,431 migrant arrests recorded in 2024, the majority were phony 'pass through arrests,' the official revealed today. Immigration detention centers are housing 47,600 detainees, a senior U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official told reporters on a call Wednesday. The first U.S. military aircraft to carry detained migrants to a detention facility at Guantanamo Bay is above ICE arrests at large arrests are already up over 100% when compared to last year Chinese Migrants attempting to cross in to the U.S. from Mexico are detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the border November 11, 2023 in Jacumba, California. Some estimates say that over 10 million migrants illegally crossed into the U.S. under Biden Thousands of gang members and violent criminals were included in these pass through arrests, and the Republican administration is now prioritizing finding these previously released offenders. By contrast, the Trump administration swore that none of their ICE arrests so far have been 'pass through arrests.' The ICE official shared that the agency is expanding its bed capacity with help from the Department of Defense, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Prisons. The Trump administration is also searching for solutions to provide more bed space to increase capacity and sustain its ongoing deportation efforts. Congress will need to provide additional funding to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to expand bed access, and Republicans are looking to include cash for deportations in upcoming legislation. Already, ICE has arrested more at large migrants, those apprehended in the community rather than at prisons or jails, than all of last year under Joe Biden's leadership. During Trump's first 50 days in office, his administration has doubled the amount of ICE arrests that happened during the same period under Biden, according to the acting ICE chief. 'I want to be clear that the ICE arrests in the first 50 days of President Trump's administration are outpacing those that were under the Biden administration,' ICE acting Director Todd Lyons shared on the call. Though at the pace of the arrests, just about 950,000 illegal immigrants will be apprehended this year. That's a far cry from the suspected 10 million migrants who illegally crossed into the U.S. under the previous administration. Nestor Flores Encarnacion, a 58-year-old undocumented alien, is arrested by ICE. Flores has illegally entered the U.S. four times and is wanted in Veracruz, Mexico, for rape of a child ICE announced in a statement on February 26 that it will be reopening an immigration detention facility in Newark at Delaney Hall. The for-profit, privately run detention facility is getting a contract from the federal government to reopen as a federal immigration processing and detention center, housing over 1,000 beds A federal agent checks a detained migrant before boarding a flight to Guantanamo Bay, where the Pentagon is assisting DHS and ICE by housing migrants 'As of yesterday, ICE arrests have surpassed all of last year's at large criminal arrests. Doubling ICE arrests is just a start,' Lyons shared. 'We expect these ICE arrests and removal numbers will only go up as we unleash an agency that has had its hands tied behind its back the past four years,' Lyons continued. 'These ICE enforcement operations are not only removing criminals from the American communities, but they are also discouraging people from coming to our country illegally.' An Arkansas man who suffered a horrible head injury in a horrific duck hunting accident remains gravely-ill in hospital. Ben Whorton, 21, suffered a traumatic brain injury when the boat he was on went under a bridge and he raised his head too soon, which left him fighting for his life. His best friend Zac Raines spoke to FOX16 about the horrifying moments immediately after the accident in Little Rock on January 10. 'On our way out, we were going up underneath a bridge, and Ben raised his head a little too soon,' Raines told the local news outlet. Raines said he began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation immediately after Whorton was struck by the bridge. He then had to make a heartbreaking call to Whorton's parents informing them of the tragedy. Because it was snowing, it was difficult for first-responders to reach the scene and decide which hospital to take him to. Doctors at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences were initially unsure if Whorton would make it. His mom told ABC 7 that the weeks in the ICU were 'kind of spent precariously hanging onto life somewhat where we had lung issues that were life-threatening.' Duck hunter Ben Whorton, 21, is recuperating after he was was nearly decapitated when he raised his head too quickly as the boat he was on went under a bridge in Little Rock, Arkansas After showing improvement, Whorton was given the green light to travel to a prestigious rehab facility in Houston, Texas, last week Whorton eventually started showing gradual improvements and became more responsive. After seven weeks at the Intensive Care Unit, Whorton was given the green light to transfer to a world-renowned rehabilitation center in Houston, Texas, the TIRR Memorial Hermann Rehab Center. Since being transferred last week, Whorton was able to communicate with his family by turning his head to signal yes and no, according to his dad Greg. 'They will actually get him out of bed and put him in a wheelchair and that is part of the waking up process,' Greg added of the prestigious rehab center. 'It has been amazing and certainly lifted our spirits and helped strengthen our faith.' Whorton's girlfriend Macie Petty has been by his side since the accident and often shares images and updates of his recovery. 'One thing that we have learned at TIRR is that Ben hasnt been in a coma in weeks,' Petty wrote on Wednesday. 'According to the neuropsychologist, Ben hadnt been given the optimal situation to show how awake he is. Im so thankful that God stepped in and gave us the confidence to trust Him despite what we were being told. 'I hope Bens story encourages other families to do the same for the person they love because God always has the final say.' Whorton's girlfriend, whose hands is pictured, said she was informed that he has been more awake over the last weeks than his family previously believed Whorton's girlfriend Macie Petty has remained by his side throughout his recovery Whorton's family hopes his treatment in Texas allows him to eventually walk out on his own Whorton's family now wants to spread awareness about boating and hunting dangers The young man's family now wants to warn others about the dangers of boating and hunting. 'When you go under a bridge, that is a no-wake zone,' Greg told KARK. 'Ben is probably where he is because they were probably going too fast when they went under it.' Whorton's family created a Facebook page called 'Ben's Army' that has grown to over 25,000 members. A GoFundMe page has raised over $90,000 for Whorton and his family. Dramatic video captured the moment a speeding driver zoomed through a ritzy Los Angeles neighborhood before meeting a violent fate. The terrifying incident occurred around 12am Monday on Garnet Street in Redondo Beach. A resident on the street was awoken by the sound of the loud crash, which he captured on home surveillance footage. The clip showed a white SUV barreling down the street so fast that the vehicle launched into the air after hitting what appeared to be a speed bump on the residential road. After speeding past several homes, the car spun out of control and flipped upside-down into a driveway. After living on the street for 33 years, the resident who recorded the insane crash, told KTLA this was his first time seeing anything like this. At least one person was taken to the hospital and someone was arrested, but it is unclear if it is the same person, police told the outlet. It is unclear if there were any passengers in the car at the time of the crash, or what caused it. DailyMail.com contacted the Redondo Beach Police Department for information. A white SUV was recorded speeding down Garnet street in Redondo Beach around 12am Monday The car eventually crashed into the driveway of a home. Cops are seen at the scene near the mangled vehicle The video started with the out of control driver blasting down the road just before reaching the speed bump. As the car reached the bump, the car flew into the air as sparks flew off the vehicle on its way back down to the pavement. The car then continued on full force, narrowly avoiding parked cars on the street, and slammed into the driveway. The vehicle's brakes screeched loudly as the car toppled over before finally coming to a stop. Soon after the car crashed, a woman was seen walking out of a nearby home, looking down the street to see what happened. The woman looked up and down the block, seemingly trying to piece together what just occurred. The video ended with a horrific image that showed the disheveled car stuck in the sloped driveway as police officers stood nearby. The average price of a home in Redondo Beach is about $1.49 million, according to Zillow. The vehicle was going so fast that is flew into the air after hitting what appeared to be a speed bump on the street in the ritzy Los Angeles neighborhood The area is known for its close proximity to the water and its new 70,000 square-foot Redondo Beach Pier. In a similar incident, a careless driver was seen speeding through a Tennessee city at incredibly high speeds. In December, a driver tore through West Main Street in Lebanon - about 30 miles east of Nashville - around 3.25am. The speed at which the vehicle was going and the weather conditions that night dissuaded officers from actively pursuing the vehicle. Moments after the car sped by in the footage, it plowed right through the Lebanon Square, a circular patch of landscaped grass with a statue, before slamming into several nearby businesses. The unidentified driver managed to narrowly miss hitting any parked cars on the street as it sped out of control (pictured) before crashing Two people were found to be in the vehicle, according to Lebanon Police. 'It was quickly determined that no other vehicles were involved. Both were transported to the hospital, one of whom was in serious condition,' the department said. A police traffic unit determined 'that speed and alcohol are believed to be factors involved in the wreck.' The crash site spanned over 700 feet, according to police. Fencing, shrubbery, a tree, and several light poles were damaged on top of the businesses that were caught up in the wreck. The incredible video showing the moment when the driver of the car lost control was captured by a 360-degree police camera that was set up in the square. Secretary of State Marco Rubio fired back at critics of the arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, saying that it is 'not about free speech.' Khalil was a graduate student and legal U.S. resident involved in the anti-Israel protests at Columbia University last year who was detained on Saturday night by ICE. His arrest has ignited a fierce debate over whether the Trump administration violated his First Amendment rights by detaining him and trying to deport him. The president accused Khalil of being 'pro-Hamas' and Rubio declared the U.S. would revoke visas and green cards of 'Hamas supporters in America.' Hundreds of people have come out in protest this week, and Democrats have raised alarms after he was arrested but not charged with a crime. But Rubio defended the arrest and effort to have Khalil deported on Wednesday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back on criticism over the arrest and effort to deport Mahmoud Khalil argued on March 12 that it is 'not about free speech' and 'no one has a right to a green card' 'When you come to the United States as a visitor, which is what a visa is, which is how this individual entered this country, on a visitor's visa, you are here as a visitor. We can deny you that visa,' the U.S. top diplomat argued. If someone said they intended to come to the U.S. as a student 'and rile up all kinds of anti-Jewish student, anti-Semitic activities' and shut down universities, they would be denied the visa, Rubio said. He added: 'If you actually end up doing that once you're in this country on such a visa, we will revoke it.' Rubio also said if they end up on a green card with such activities, the U.S. will kick someone out. 'This is not about free speech. This is about people who don't have the right to be in the United States to begin with,' the secretary of state said. 'No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card,' Rubio added. He said the U.S. can deny one for 'virtually any reason.' That included 'being a supporter of Hamas and coming into our universities and turning them upside down, and being complicit in what are clearly crimes of vandalization, complicit in shutting down learning institutions.' Palestinian activist and then-graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, who served as a spokesperson during protests at Columbia University last year, was arrested by ICE on Saturday night and is challenging efforts to deport him Protesters demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil at a rally in lower Manhattan on March 12 After his arrest on Saturday, Khalil was first held in New Jersey and then moved to an immigration detention center in Louisiana. A judge on Monday blocked his immediate deportation, so his legal challenge could be considered. Khalil has not been charged with a crime. He is also married to a U.S. citizen. His wife is eight months pregnant. A brief hearing on Wednesday largely focused on jurisdiction, but one of Khalil's lawyers told the judge that they have not been able to have a single attorney-client protected phone call with him. His lawyers have previously rejected accusations that Khalil is a pro-Hamas sympathizer. During the pro-Palestinian protests that rocked Columbia University last year, Khalil acted as a spokesperson for those protesting. In an interview last year with CNN, Khalil said 'as a Palestinian student, I believe that the liberation of the Palestinian people and the Jewish people are intertwined and go hand-by-hand and you cannot achieve one without the other.' Khalil speaking to the media about the encampment at Columbia in June 2024 After his arrest on Saturday, the American Civil Liberties Union slammed the move as 'illegal and un-American.' 'The federal government is claiming the authority to deport people with deep ties to the U.S. and revoke their green cards for advocating positions that the government opposes,' said the ACLU's Ben Wizner in a statement. 'To be clear: The First Amendment protects everyone in the U.S. The governments actions are obviously intended to intimidate and chill speech on one side of a public debate,' Wizner added. Jewish groups have been torn over his detention and the Trump administration crackdown on campus protests. The Anti-Defamation League praised the Trump administration's 'broad, bold set of efforts to counter campus anti-Semitism.' It argued 'any deportation action or revocation of a Green Card or visa must be undertaken in alignment with required due process protections.' But it hoped the action 'serves as a deterrent to others who might consider breaking the law on college campuses or anywhere.' The pilots of two planes which crashed in mid air leaving two people dead were reportedly heard arguing moments before impact. NASA engineer Michael Reinath, 70, and his passenger Linda Gifford, 76, were killed on February 19 when their Lancair 360 MK II collided with a Cessna 172 carrying two others. An eyewitness said they heard the pilots yelling at each other prior to the crash, with one allegedly shouting: 'You cut me off' just before the impact, according to a police report obtained by 13 News. The report detailed how the Cessnas propeller hit the Lancairs tail sending it crashing down into a fiery inferno at the Marana Airport near Tucson, Arizona. The Cessna was carrying a pilot and student and managed to land safely with no injuries. The Cessna pilot was practicing 'touch down maneuvers' when they saw the other plane approach, according to the police report. She said that Reinath said he was going to abort the landing and she assumed he would move the Lancair out of the way. A witness on the ground blamed the Lancair pilot - Reinath - claiming he cut in front of the Cessna and had his tail wing sliced clean off by the Cessna propeller. Michael Reinath, the pilot of a plane which crashed into another aircraft killing him and his passenger, was heard arguing with the other pilot before impact The Lancair 360 MK II, a tiny 'experimental' two-seat plane, was reduced to smoldering rubble when it crashed at Marana Airport near Tucson on Wednesday morning The Cessna 172S and a Lancair 360 MK II slammed into each other on approach to the runway, slicing off the Lancair's tail wing and sending it spinning to the ground The only damage to the cessair plane, witnesses said, was its propeller 'The guilty plane was a homebuilt called a Lancair 4, which overtook and sideswiped the Cessna on the right side, severing the Lancair's left [tail] wing, doing a half roll to the left and landing inverted in the ditch to the left of the runway,' Jerry Witt said. 'The propeller was the only damage on the 172.' Witt said the Cessna was on a training flight and the instructor was able to limp the damaged plane around and on to the runway. 'It was a miracle that the Cessna pilots (an instructor and her student) weren't also killed,' he said. 'The instructor made a split second decision to try and keep her plane flying and came back around and landed.' Another pilot who said he was in the air nearby during the crash shared the final seconds of radio traffic. 'I heard the Lancair pilot make a radio call seconds before the collision saying, "Going around Runway 12 Again",' he said. 'Just seconds after that radio call you hear someone screaming and yelling mayday and the [Cessna] declaring the emergency saying they were going to turn around and land on Runway 30.' The Cessna 172S was on a training flight and the instructor was able to limp the damaged plane around and on to the runway Authorities said the collision involved a Lancair 360 MKII (left) and a Cessna 172S (right, both aircraft seen in stock pictures) Marana, like many small airfields, has no air traffic control tower. It relies on pilots maintaining visual contact with other planes and communicating on Common Traffic Advisory Frequency radio. Construction of one is planned, but not until 2027 after it was delayed by the Covid pandemic. Reinath was a NASA engineer who had built the Lancair over 10,000 hours, his friend Jeff Budner told KCRA. Opponents of assisted dying legislation reacted with fury tonight after the scrapping of a requirement for a High Court judge to approve applications to die. Members of a committee scrutinising the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill were accused of broken promises after voting to remove a key clause. A majority of MPs on the 23-member scrutiny committee opted to make the major change to the Bill from when it was first introduced to Parliament last year. The proposed legislation aims to allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with less than six months to live, to legally end their lives. It had initially been said this would only be allowed with the approval of two doctors and a High Court judge. But Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the Bill, later proposed scrapping the High Court oversight in favour of an assisted dying commissioner and expert panels. Under her new plans, the panels will feature a senior legal figure, a psychiatrist and a social worker who will decide on assisted dying applications. The change has seen her accused of backtracking on pledges that saw supporters of the Bill boast the legislation in England and Wales would be the strictest in the world. Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP behind the Bill, proposed scrapping the High Court oversight in favour of an assisted dying commissioner and expert panels Disabled people and their supporters gathered outside Parliament in November to demonstrate their opposition to assisted dying Campaign group Dignity in Dying also demonstrated outside Parliament in support of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill Under Ms Leadbeater's new plans, a review panel would consist of a lawyer - either a current or former judge or a KC - as well as a psychiatrist and social worker A group of 26 Labour MPs opposed to the Bill expressed their anger this evening at the removal of the High Court-approval clause. They said in a statement: 'The scrapping of High Court oversight for the assisted dying regime breaks the promises made by the proponents of the Bill. 'It fundamentally weakens the protections for the vulnerable and shows just how haphazard this whole process has become. 'It does not increase judicial safeguards but instead creates an unaccountable quango and to claim otherwise misrepresents what is being proposed. 'The new panel process can be held in private, won't have the powers to make witnesses appear before it or take evidence under oath. 'They will inevitably drain public services of vital frontline staff without any idea of how much this will cost the taxpayer or any assessment of its impact upon the vulnerable.' But supporters of the Bill insisted the removal of the clause and the move towards expert panels would strengthen the legislation. LIberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon, a member of the committee, said: 'Today's vote is a step in the right direction. 'Replacing the High Court with a multidisciplinary panel will ensure decisions are made with the right expertise, rather than adding unnecessary legal delays. 'We must ensure that our assisted dying process remains clear, accessible, and does not create obstacles for those already dying and facing immense suffering.' A group of 26 Labour MPs opposed to the Bill expressed their anger at the removal of the High Court-approval clause Claire Macdonald, director of the My Death, My Decision campaign group, said: 'Removing the High Court approval, to replace it with a dedicated commission and expert panels, is a welcome step forward. 'We support the move towards a specialist panel that can provide expertise and fairness in assisted dying decisions. 'Spain is the only country in the world that requires a panel to assess every single assisted death while none require the High Court. 'Most jurisdictions trust two independent doctors to assess the patient, with no third tier of oversight. 'We hope MPs on the committee remain dedicated to ensuring the process is safe, without being too complex or burdensome for those in need.' Ms Leadbeater has insisted the amendments she has put forward will give her Bill 'additional patient-centred safeguards'. She said providing a 'range of expertise' via the three-member panel 'is a strength, not a weakness'. Ms Leadbeater said she had 'listened carefully' to evidence on concerns around the pressure on judicial resources if each case was to automatically go to the High Court. She added she had also heeded calls to involve psychiatrists and social workers in assessing mental capacity and detecting coercion. Tory MP Danny Kruger, an opponent of the Bill, warned there were 60 MPs who specified the High Court safeguard as a reason for having initially supported the proposed legislation. The committees line-by-line scrutiny of the Bill continues before it returns to the House of Commons - most likely towards the end of April - for further debate and a vote. A wicked and devious mother of two who falsely claimed she had terminal cancer to con her wealthy partner out of thousands of pounds to pay for a boob job and spa treatments has avoided jail. Laura McPherson, 35, told company director Jon Leonard that she had cervical, ovarian, colon, bowel and breast cancer and even led her young daughter to believe she was dying. Handing her a community order at Derby Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge Jonathan Straw said she had embarked on an elaborate tale of deceit over five years. You told those closest to you that you had been diagnosed with and were suffering from terminal forms of cancer, he told sobbing McPherson. It is difficult to imagine how an individual could be so calculating and cruel to those that loved and cared for her. It was a deliberate, narcissistic route to attention and money. The court heard she tricked Mr Leonard, who runs Ultra Events, a platform for charities, into giving her 24,248.52 for treatments he thought might save her life. This included a trip to the Mayr Resort on Lake Worthersee in Austria where she enjoyed a holistic, weight loss programme, as well as breast augmentation treatment in Manchester. Laura McPherson arrives at Derby Crown Court today. The 35-year-old told company director Jon Leonard that she had cervical, ovarian, colon, bowel and breast cancer Judge Jonathan Straw said of McPherson's (pictured) behaviour: It was a deliberate, narcissistic route to attention and money In an emotional victim impact statement read to the court, Jon Leonard, 44, (pictured) said she had stolen eight years of his life and left him with feelings of total despair, wracked by self-doubt and emotionally scarred In an emotional victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Leonard, 44, said she had stolen eight years of his life and left him with feelings of total despair, wracked by self-doubt and emotionally scarred. She was, he said, a compulsive liar who had told friends and even her young daughter that she had cancer. This involved him taking calls from McPhersons daughters school, because she had broken down worrying her mother was going to die. Even after pleading guilty, she has spent the last three years spreading disgusting lies about me, he said, And she has never shown any remorse. He said he had been gaslighted and described being woken up by her screaming at him for sleeping through when she had been up all night being sick. At one point he bought her a 30,000 Rolex that she wanted, reasoning that it was wrong to deny it to someone whose life would soon end. At one point he got in touch with one of Britains leading private cancer specialists and arranged an appointment for her but she insisted she would rather stick with her NHS treatment. He said it even caused him to fall out with his oldest friend who had become deputy head of nursing at a hospital in Swansea. Mr Leonard said McPherson (pictured) was a compulsive liar who had told friends and even her young daughter that she had cancer The court heard McPherson would use her cancer as an excuse to dip out of meetings and even counselled other staff members whose family members had been diagnosed with cancer He told Mr Leonard aspects of McPhersons treatment did not add up and that you, wouldnt be going straight to the gym after having chemotherapy. I was prepared to fall out with my friend, he said, I was left completely isolated. At the time of her lies, McPherson was working as a marketing director for her boyfriends company, Ultra Events, which has helped raise over 39 million for charitable causes. The court heard McPherson would use her cancer as an excuse to dip out of meetings and even counselled other staff members whose family members had been diagnosed with cancer. On one occasion she exploded with anger when a member of staff said her father had opted to die with the disease rather than take a course of chemotherapy. Prosecutor Siward James-Moore said the couple had met in 2011 and that she was very well provided for by her partner whose business was doing well. In March 2017 she first announced she had cervical cancer and was receiving treatment at the Royal Derby Hospital. At the time, said Mr James-Moore, she asked her partner if he had medical insurance. Prosecutor Siward James-Moore said the couple had met in 2011 and that she was very well provided for by her partner whose business was doing well Between 2018 and 2022 she variously said she had ovarian, colon, bowel and breast cancer, said Mr James-Moore At the time of her lies, McPherson was working as a marketing director for her boyfriends company, Ultra Events, which has helped raise over 39 million for charitable causes Despite his offers to accompany her to her various appointments, she always insisted on going alone. Between 2018 and 2022 she variously said she had ovarian, colon, bowel and breast cancer, said Mr James-Moore. She claimed to have travelled for treatment to the Mayr Clinic in Austria (at Mr Leonards expense). In 2020 she claimed to have had a hysterectomy. Strangely she was pictured up a mountain two days later, said the prosecutor. The same year she said that she would need a mastectomy but used the opportunity to have breast augmentation surgery in Manchester at Mr Leonards expense. On New Years Eve 2021, Mr Leonard dropped her off for treatment to her cervix. When he asked for a selfie, she told him that she was on a drip and her phone had broken. On one occasion McPherson exploded with anger when a member of staff said her father had opted to die with the disease rather than take a course of chemotherapy McPherson was handed a community order and will be subject to a 7pm to 6am curfew for five nights of the week after pleading guilty to fraud at an earlier hearing In fact, she had taken a taxi to Coventry to celebrate the New Year. When arrested and questioned over the allegation of fraud in 2022, she denied it and accused her boyfriend of being controlling. In mitigation, her barrister Laura Pitman, said that she suffered from, depression, anxiety and symptoms of trauma. She said she was now supported by her parents and a new partner Alex and had a baby last March. She called on the judge to spare her jail and instead give her intensive intervention from the probation service to find out why shed acted as she had. Ms Pitman said her client has no previous convictions of any kind and accepts her behaviour spans a number of years and that she has suffered from anxiety and depression. She said: One perhaps wonders why a young woman behaved in the way that she has. She feels awful for the way she behaved. She has sought outside support to look at her behaviour. There has been no further offending by her. Theres a more constructive way Laura McPherson can be dealt with rather than custody. She was handed a community order and will be subject to a 7pm to 6am curfew for five nights of the week after pleading guilty to fraud at an earlier hearing. The judge also ordered her to spend 30 days with the probation service and warned her that if she broke either then he would send her immediately to prison. A further hearing date of June 6 was set for a proceeds of crime hearing. California authorities are hunting for a man who was caught on camera dumping a badly injured cat into a dumpster. Surveillance footage captured the man throwing the cat, who has been named Willow, into a dumpster from a white bag in Laguna Hills, California, on Monday night. The man could be seen staggering around his vehicle as he retrieved the wounded animal before throwing her onto the top of the trash can and driving off. Willow was found 15 hours later and just minutes before refuse workers were set to empty the bin. She was immediately taken to a nearby animal hospital for evaluation and treatment, Mission Viejo Animal Services said she had suffered extensive injuries. Surveillance footage captured the man throwing the cat, who has been named Willow, into a dumpster from a white bag in Laguna Hills, California , on Monday night Willow was found 15 hours later and just minutes before refuse workers were set to empty the bin, she had suffered extensive injuries Animal control investigators have been able to identify the suspect's vehicle as a light blue or gray Volkswagen Tigua. Mission Viejo Animal Services said in a statement: 'Despite this heartbreaking betrayal, Willow continues to show immense affection to the veterinary staff caring for her, purring and seeking comfort from those providing her with kindness and affection.' The group is asking anyone with information to contact them on 949-470-3045 and shared the horrifying clip to their social media. One person commented on the video: 'Only a garbage human would do this. I hope they find him and press charges.' Another added: 'People are disgusting and cruel. Thank you for helping Willow.' One other commented: 'Poor baby. So glad the cat was saved. Horrible people out there.' A sixth person has been arrested on suspicion after a mother-of-four was shot dead on her doorstep. Joanne Penney, 40, was staying at a flat in Llys Illtyd, Talbot Green that was reportedly used as a drug den when a gunman killed her. Today, a 20-year-old man from St Mellons, Cardiff was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody. A total of six people have been taken into custody as South Wales continue their murder probe. Two men - aged 27 and 68 - as well as two women, aged 21 and 39, from Leicestershire were previously arrested in connection to the fatal shooting. A warrant of further detention for all four of the individuals was granted by magistrates earlier this afternoon. A 42-year-old local man was arrested at the scene on Sunday on suspicion of murder but has since been bailed for further enquiries following an allegation of assault. Detective Chief Superintendent Ceri Hughes said the force was making 'significant progress' in light of the recent arrests. She added: 'The investigation into Joanne's death is continuing and we have a team of experienced detectives and specialist staff working hard to establish the circumstances of this tragic incident.' Mother-of-four Joanne Penney has been named as the women shot dead on a doorstep at a property in Talbot Green The 40-year-old was gunned down on March 9 The scene on March 9 after Joanne was killed Friends believe the real target was a woman Joanne was staying with and she died because she opened the door to her killer. Both women are blonde and about the same age, according to neighbours. A beige Nissan Note (BK61 ZDC) and a black Volvo XC40 (FD24 PZF) travvelled from the Leicester area arriving in South Wales at around 10.30am on March 9. Both vehicles, which have since been seized by police, left the scene following the fatal shooting. Police are using ANPR to track the movements of the cars on the 300 miles round trip and are appealing for anyone with dash cam footage of the vehicles to come forward. In a previous statement Det Ch Supt Hughes said South Wales Police were working hard to establish a motive for the mother-of-four's killing and were exploring several theories including 'the possibility that she was the victim of mistaken identity'. Today, Det Ch Supt Hughes added: 'We still want any dashcam footage, particularly from commercial vehicles, for any journeys on Sunday, including any dashcam footage or CCTV around Llys Illtyd and the nearby retail park between 5.30pm and 6.30pm on Sunday March 9 which may have captured these vehicles and any witnesses. 'Thank you to everyone who has spoken to us and who has assisted us with this investigation so far. 'I would urge anyone who has information, either about Joanne's death or what happened at the property in Llys Illtyd on Sunday evening, to do the right thing and come forward the smallest piece of information could be of vital importance.' Any one with information, CCTV, dashcam footage have been urged to submit it via the force's online portal. Alternatively, those with information can contact South Wales Police by calling 101 quoting occurrence number 2500075709. Friends believe the real target was the woman Joanne was staying with and she died because she opened the door to her killer. 'We all think it may have been mistaken identity. We can't think why anyone should pick on her,' one neighbour said Those who want to get in contact anonymously can call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Joanne's grieving sister Nikki previously told how she was been left 'broken' by her death, posting a picture of the two blondes on Facebook. 'Love you so much sis. I'm broken without you,' she wrote along with heartbreak and crying emojis. She had earlier posted a similar photo captioned: 'I need you here.' Joanne's friend Rebecca Morris, 42, said: 'They got the wrong person, I'm 100 per cent sure of it. 'No one would want to kill Jo, she was a lovely woman with four children who would do no harm to anyone.' Neighbours on the Green Park Estate at Talbot Green, South Wales, heard a single shot at 6.10pm on Sunday. Emergency services arrived to find a woman in a pool of blood and were unable to save her. Mother-of-two Ms Morris said: 'It wasn't her flat, she was staying there with a friend. I used to live in that flat myself. Floral tributes at the scene of the shooting in Talbot Green as South Wales Police continue their murder probe Police at the scene in Talbot Green on last Sunday following the fatal shooting 'I'm scared now because I'm blonde and about the same age and I used to live there.' 'I've been crying all morning, I'm taking flowers down there and I've made a little memorial hanging for her.' Locals said the shooting was 'like an assassination' and believe the killing may be drugs-related. One neighbour said Jo only moved to stay with her friend around Christmas time. 'She seemed nice but fairly shy. She moved over the border from England and was staying there. 'We all think it may have been mistaken identity. We can't think why anyone should pick on her - she may have just answered the door to the wrong person at the wrong time.' Neighbours said the flat in the Llys Maelwg block in Green Park held raucous parties - with suspicions of drug taking. The neighbour said: 'Sundays can be terrible around there. We call it a crack house - and there are always problems on Sunday after a big night. But we've never heard of any guns being used before.' Locals said the peace of the Green Park estate of Talbot Green was rocked by a gunshot. A police cordon remained in place in Talbot Green yesterday as police investigations continue Images from the scene show investigators clad in white suits as well as uniformed officers surveying the surroundings Calum Williams, who lives just a few houses away from the incident, said he heard the bang. 'It's terrible. I live just two doors down from where it happened. I was making a bottle for the baby and I heard a gunshot,' he said: 'It's pretty frightening, especially with the baby.' Carloyn Pugh, who lives nearby, said she heard the police helicopter hovering last night. 'It was scary. Within seconds, they [police] were everywhere,' she said. 'You didn't know what was happening but you knew there was something bad. Police said Joanne was found suffering serious injuries and was later pronounced dead at the scene. Detective Chief Inspector James Morris previously said: 'I understand the concern this will cause the local community, and I want to reassure people that a team of experienced detectives are already working at pace to piece together the events of last night [Sunday].' A veteran Washington Post columnist has quit the newspaper after 41 years because bosses wouldn't let her publish a piece slamming owner Jeff Bezos - and she's taken the story elsewhere. In a scorched earth essay for rival outlet The New Yorker, Ruth Marcus explained why she quit. She'd wanted to publish a long-winded piece complaining about how Bezos was interfering with editorial process. New boss Will Lewis wouldn't let her - so she handed in her resignation. The New Yorker published the op-ed along with her essay, in which she says her complaints were 'meek' to the point of embarrassing. 'I thought that it was important to put my reasons for disagreement on the record,' Marcus said. She then complained about journalistic freedoms being 'dangerously eroded' under Bezos and Lewis. 'I love the Post. It breaks my heart to conclude that I must leave' she said. 'Whatever his internal motivations, it is asking a lot of readers not to suspect that Bezoss personal business interests play no role here,' she went on. In a scorched earth essay for rival outlet The New Yorker, Ruth Marcus explained why she quit The longtime opinion writer said it was the spiking of a column that did the trick - one criticizing the paper's newly announced opinion-section overhaul from Jeff Bezos, seen here at the Oscars earlier this month with fiancee Lauren Sanchez She blasted Bezos' appearance at the inauguration as 'inappropriate', and pined after the 'newspaper of a not so distant past.' There's been a mass exodus of newspaper staff since Bezos killed their endorsement of Kamala Harris in the election. Their disdain has grown with his friendship with Trump. Another columnist, Michelle Norris, also walked out, as have prominent opinions section writers, David Hoffman, Molly Roberts and Robert Kagan. Opinion editor Amanda Katz and her deputy Charles Lane have also since gone, joined by columnist Jennifer Rubin. All left in January after lengthy, decorated tenures. The paper's White House Correspondent, Tyler Pager, left in December, also citing frustration with the paper's trajectory. He announced he would be rejoining his old employer, the Times, long considered the Post's main rival. Following the Opinion page overhaul, the Post's longtime editorial page editor, David Shipley, left as well. William Lewis, the new CEO and Publisher of the Washington Post Company has caused quite the stir among staff 'I am of America and for America, and proud to be so,' Bezos said in a statement hours before. 'Our country did not get here by being typical. And a big part of America's success has been freedom in the economic realm and everywhere else. 'Freedom is ethical - it minimizes coercion - and practical; it drives creativity, invention and prosperity.' The Post isn't the only once liberal paper that's been bleeding staff since owners became cosy with Trump. The Los Angeles Times has seen an uprising among staff since owner Patrick Soon-Shiong banned them from endorsing Kamala Harris. He has since made repeated comments defending his decision. A female prison officer who was in a year-long relationship with a convicted murderer smuggled drugs for him, it has been revealed. Abigail Laidlaw, a 28-year-old prison officer at HMP Manchester, was sentenced to five years and three months in prison after she pleaded guilty to four counts following an intensive investigation into her 'intimate relationship' with convicted shooter Troy Beckford. An investigation by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) found 'daily communication' between Laidlaw, Beckford and a third unnamed prisoner at HMP Manchester, also known as Strangeways. Cops found them in a WhatsApp chat group, where Laidlaw 'discussed smuggling items such as aftershave, cannabis, and iPhones into the prison in exchange for cash'. One text message the disgraced prison officer sent to the murderer read: 'You've got what you want really, drugs brought in for you every day.' Beckford, 33, was jailed for life in June, 2016, after he was convicted of the murder of Kieran McGrath. McGrath, who was 26 when he was killed, was gunned down in the car park of the Sheldon Arms pub in Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside, on October 4, 2014. Beckford, who was given a minimum of 30 years in prison for the murder, was under Laidlaw's care while he was at Strangeways. But the cops' investigation revealed that contact between Laidlaw and Beckford spanned almost a year, with 'up to 40' interactions a day. The police, who began investigating Laidlaw in July 2021, said she was confronted by her manager for wearing Beckford's watch in November 2021. Abigail Laidlaw, a 28-year-old prison officer at HMP Manchester, was sentenced to five years and three months in prison Convicted shooter Troy Beckford (pictured) convinced Laidlaw to smuggle drugs into the prison The illicit relationship took place at HMP Manchester (pictured) Text messages, uncovered following a search of the corrupt prison officer's home in Bury, Manchester, revealed she had 'regularly secreted' drugs including cocaine into the prison in exchange for gifts and cash payments from the outside. This search of her phone also revealed 'searches relating to drug quantities, money laundering, and Beckford's name,' added the NWROCU. 'Police uncovered messages between Laidlaw and Beckford discussing the smuggling of drugs, including cannabis and cocaine, into HMP Manchester for him in exchange for payment. They also frequently spoke about their relationship and future plans. 'The messages clearly indicated that Laidlaw was involved in an intimate relationship with Beckford, including daily kissing whilst she was at work. Additionally, the messages revealed that Laidlaw regularly secreted the drugs including cocaine, on her person and smuggled them into the prison to evade prison security and deliver them to Beckford.' In August 2021, Beckford sent Laidlaw an image of cannabis blocks and asked her to 'sort this thing out'. Police said she agreed. Then, a month later, Laidlaw told Beckford in a message: 'You've got what you want really, drugs brought in for you every day.' She is said to have added: 'I'll bring stuff in for you and leave it at that - we don't need to be in a relationship.' Laidlaw, who was arrested in May 2022, was found with 2,000 cash and two iPhones. Detective Inspector Brian Morley, from the NWROCU, said: 'Laidlaw received training on prison corruption and was fully aware that her actions were wrong. Her behaviour not only endangered herself, but also her colleagues and inmates.' Laidlaw's manager at Strangeways confronted her for wearing Beckford's watch Det Insp Morley said Laidlaw conveyed drugs into the prison 'for a considerable period of time' in return for gifts and cash payments The corrupt prison officer pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office, two counts of conspiracy to convey a prohibited article into prison and possession of criminal property. Beckford, meanwhile, was sentenced to six years, concurrent to the life sentence he is already serving, after admitting a charge of conspiracy to convey a prohibited article into prison. Det Insp Morley said Laidlaw conveyed drugs into the prison 'for a considerable period of time' in return for gifts and cash payments. 'The presence of drugs in prison severely undermines the good order and discipline of the establishment, often leading to violence, self-harm, bullying, and debt,' he said. 'I want to reassure the honest, dedicated, and hardworking prison staff that we will continue to take decisive action against any member of staff who engages in corrupt activities. We strongly encourage anyone with information about corruption in our prisons to come forward and report it', he added. The last year has seen a string of female prison officers get put behind bars over their illicit relationships with prisoners. In December, PC Lorna Pennycook, 38, was jailed for four years after feeding secret information to convicted criminal Anthony Kennedy to try to hold their relationship together. She became 'infatuated' with him after meeting him on a dating side in 2016, and leaked sensitive police information about him and his associates, as well as crime in the Sandwell area of Birmingham. Kennedy had 18 previous convictions for offences including vehicle theft and possession of criminal property. Recovered messages between the pair showed that when Kennedy first found out that Pennycook was a police officer in 2017, he wanted to end the relationship. PC Lorna Pennycook, 38, became 'infatuated' with a criminal after meeting him on a dating site Pennycook fed Anthony Kennedy sensitive police information about him and his associates, as well as crime in the Sandwell area of Birmingham Following her arrest, Pennycook claimed that Kennedy had ruined her life and said she was acting under duress She responded by telling him that she had 'accepted everything' about him, adding: 'You don't choose who you love'. Pennycook illegally accessed the West Midlands Police computer system hundreds of times to pass information onto Kennedy between 2017 and 2021. She would tell Kennedy to delete messages between them, and in February 2021, asked Kennedy to buy a 'burner' phone for her to use for their contact. Kennedy had been involved in two lorry thefts on 22 August 2017 and 26 October 2017 and Pennycook searched systems for warrants and suspects. Following her arrest, Pennycook claimed that Kennedy had ruined her life and said she was acting under duress. But Pennycook, of Walsall, admitted one offence of misconduct in public office at Birmingham Crown Court. President Donald Trump's brand-new Tesla already has a series of recalls against it. The president parked the red Model S outside the entrance to the West Wing and revealed his longtime aide Margo Martin would be allowed to drive it. When Trump bought the car from Elon Musk on Tuesday, he said his staff would be able to use it and specifically named Martin, the aide who followed him from his first administration to Mar-a-Lago post-presidency and back again to the White House. 'I love it. We're going to have fun,' Martin replied when Trump told her she would be able to take the Tesla for a spin. But it might need some repair work first. The Tesla model S has 37 NHTSA safety recalls so far against it, Wired reported. Issues with the electric car include: airbags, potential problems with the power-steering assist feature, faulty door handles, warped brake discs, and, in 2023, a voluntary recall for every one of Tesla's vehicles using the Full Self-Driving feature. The cars affected had trouble stopping and were speeding. The White House did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's inquiry as to whether the repairs had been made to the vehicle before Trump took possession of it. A recall notice does not always mean there is an issue with the vehicle, simply that it needs to be checked. Many automakers have seen uptakes in recalls and vehicles become more complicated to build. The red Model S Tesla that President Trump bought - above with Tesla CEO Elon Musk - has 37 recall notices against it The president turned the South Lawn of the White House into a Tesla showroom on Tuesday with five different models - including the infamous cybertruck - on display on the driveway. The model S Trump bought has a starting price of $76,880. He and Musk sat in the car. Trump started the engine and Musk showed him the features. Alas, the president didn't take it for a test drive, saying the Secret Service would let him. He added he would pay by personal check. 'I don't want a discount,' he said. Musk said he would accept a personal check from the president. 'His credit's good,' Musk noted. He had his young son X with him on the South Lawn. Trump was making good on a his promise to purchase one of the pricey electric cars to support Musk, who is leading his Department of Government Efficiency efforts to cut back the size and scope of the federal government. Musk has been heavily criticized for his work. Tesla showrooms have been targeted by demonstrators unhappy with Musk's work. The company's stock price is down. Sales have plummeted. And investors are said to be worried. Musk reportedly lost $29 billion in a day because of Tesla's losses. Trump defended Musk repeatedly. 'This man is a great patriot and you should cherish it,' he said of him. Trump also used the photo opportunity to slam his predecessor Joe Biden. 'You think Biden could get into that car? I don't think so,' he said. Trump said his longtime aide Margo Martin (above) would be allowed to drive his Tesla President Donald Trump, alongside Tesla CEO Elon Musk, speaks next to a Tesla vehicle on the South Drive of the White House with Musk's son X Trump spoke for about 30 minutes as he checked out the vehicles. He said of Musk: 'I think he's been treated very unfairly by a very small group of people. And I just want people to know that he can't be penalized for being a patriot.' He also shrugged off the declining stock market: 'Markets are going to go up and they're going to go down but, you know what, we have to rebuild our country.' Trump has been an ardent defender of Musk, who helped bankroll his 2024 presidential campaign. 'To Republicans, Conservatives, and all great Americans, Elon Musk is 'putting it on the line' in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Monday night. The Tesla founder has bore the brunt of much of liberals' anger at the second Trump administration, with protests against his presence in the Department of Government Efficiency. Anti-Musk demonstrations have erupted across the United States with protesters attacking Tesla showrooms with guns and Molotov cocktails. Tesla's stock price has dropped 45 per cent since hitting an all-time high of $1.5trillion on December 17, erasing most of the gains the stock made after Musk helped finance Trump's election victory. The president claimed that 'Radical Left Lunatics' are 'trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World's great automakers, and Elon's 'baby,' in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for.' Trump also thanked Musk for 'being punished' despite 'putting his tremendous skills to work in order to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.' President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk sit in a Tesla vehicle A Tesla Cybertruck is parked in front of the White House President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a Tesla President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Musk's son X walk into the Oval Office Protests against Musk and Tesla have ramped up since the billionaire and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) began firing thousands of federal workers, including veterans, as it pushes to downsize the government. Dozens of fired-up crowds assembled outside Tesla stores across the country on Saturday afternoon to protest against Musk's efforts to slash government spending and enact reforms. Demonstrations also erupted in London, Portugal, Malaysia and Iceland. Roughly 250 activists were gathered outside a showroom in New York City, holding anti-Musk placards that read 'Block Fascism Now and 'Musk Must Go' as they shouted 'Elon Musk is not elected! Democracy must be protected!' Five protesters were arrested for disorderly conduct at the Manhattan demonstration and one was taken into custody for resisting arrest, obstruction and violation of local law, The New York Daily News reported. There have also been more than a dozen acts of vandalism against Tesla vehicles, dealerships and charging stations since President Donald Trump's inauguration, according to police and local reports. Tesla's stock price has dropped 45 per cent since hitting an all-time high of $1.5trillion on December 17, erasing most of the gains the stock made after Musk helped finance Trump's election victory Anti- Elon Musk demonstrations have erupted across the US with protesters attacking Tesla showrooms with guns and Molotov cocktails. A Tesla showroom in Salem, Oregon, was shot at with an AR 15-style rifle in February A Tesla showroom in Salem, Oregon, was shot at with an AR 15-style rifle in February. Suspected vandal Adam Matthew Lansky, 41, is also accused of causing major damage at the same store with Molotov cocktails in January. Similarly, four Tesla cybertrucks were set ablaze overnight at a storage lot in Seattle's industrial SoDo neighborhood, KING-TV reported. Police in Oregon are also working with the FBI to investigate gunshots fired at a Tesla dealership in Tigard, outside Portland, last week. While the motivation for the attack has not been confirmed, Tigard police said they 'are aware that other Tesla dealerships have been targeted across Oregon and the nation for political reasons'. The shooting comes a week after federal prosecutors in Denver charged a woman in connection with vandalism against a Tesla dealership in Colorado - including Molotov cocktails being thrown at vehicles and the words 'Nazi cars' spray-painted on the building. Also last week, seven Tesla charging stations that were 'intentionally set' on fire in Massachusetts, according to the Littleton Police Department. No injuries were reported. Graffiti reading 'No Musk' and depicting a sign that resembled a swastika was also found at a Tesla dealership, one day after protesters gathered at the facility. Meanwhile, DOGE has faced intense scrutiny in recent weeks for its chaotic handling of layoffs, particularly its firing of key federal employees only to attempt to rehire them later. Roughly 250 demonstrators were gathered outside a showroom in New York City on Saturday afternoon, holding anti-Musk placards as they shouted 'Elon Musk is not elected! Democracy must be protected!' Among those affected were workers responsible for maintaining nuclear weapons sites across the US - a move that has raised serious national security concerns and Musk and his allies are now face mounting pressure to reassess their approach. Musk at Morgan Stanley conference last week, compared his influence over the federal government to that of a 'corporate takeover'. 'To understand the federal government, it is like a corporate takeover at scale, but one where the company is actually in much worse shape than any commercial company could ever be,' Musk said. Musk went on to say that 'logically we should prioritize anything that can reasonably be privatized', which is when he named the USPS and Amtrak - which he called Amtrak a 'sad situation'. It is the fate of certain political leaders to have their name turned into an ism: Thatcherism, Reaganism, Blairism. When your policies become an ism, it is confirmation that, whether for good or ill, you have left a legacy in national affairs. It might seem presumptuous to extend this honour to Nicola Sturgeon. She was, after all, only head of a devolved government. Yet, following her decision not to contest the 2026 Holyrood election, her admirers will be trying to define Sturgeonism by cobbling together a list of her achievements. God speed and good luck to them. Theyre going to need it. Handed power, opportunity, and favourable circumstances, Sturgeon was an astonishingly indolent politician. Priorities were set but seldom upheld, promises given but rarely kept. One social ill after another was left to fester as Nicola Sturgeon promoted the cause that mattered most: herself. She was the first head of Scotlands government to be featured in Vogue, the first to appear on the Daily Show, the first to sell out the Glasgow Hydro. Celebrity endorsements flowed, the liberal London press gushed, and the selfies piled up on social media. Bute House became the seat of a royal court, the regnant attended by loyal courtiers, and decisions made with absolute and unchallenged authority. Cabinet government became a polite fiction, a pretence that anyone other than the first minister was permitted a view, let alone the power to make a decision. Sturgeon set the priorities. An early example was education, which was said to be her top concern. I want to be judged on this, she told journalists in 2015, as she spoke of the inequities of the attainment gap and the necessity of ridding it from Scotlands education system. In speeches and programmes for government, education took centre stage until it didnt. The first ministers number one priority was deprioritised. And for good reason: as time went on, talk of intentions and investments gave way to the hard, undeniable data of outcomes. Far from narrowing, the attainment gap had widened. Scotlands education system, at one time a source of national pride, was now lagging behind England in maths, science and reading. Scotland's problems were cast aside as Nicola Sturgeon promoted herself The brunt of Ms Sturgeons failure often fell not on fellow ministers but on ordinary people In a recurring theme of Sturgeonism, when the facts would not go her way, the first minister moved on. Closing the gap remained the objective, on paper at least, but our restless first minister was off in search of a new cause upon which to pour her benevolence. Such is the way of it when a politician has a sainthood complex. Have halo, will travel. Parents and teachers should have learned from Sturgeons time as health secretary. Waiting times used to be her priority, and she even passed a bill guaranteeing patients the right to be treated within 12 weeks of referral. The legislation was trumpeted as the answer to chronic waits. Patients now had the law on their side. It made not an ounce of difference. Quarter after quarter, year after year, the number of patients waiting longer than the legally guaranteed 12 weeks would be in the thousands and tens of thousands. In the three months before Sturgeon vacated Bute House, her legislatively enshrined treatment time guarantee was broken almost 120,000 times. And she was off again, to work her wonders elsewhere, and leave someone else to make the excuses and suffer the blame for her failure. Critics often charged that Sturgeon seemed to believe herself infallible, but it is not difficult to see why she would come to this conclusion. Her every mistake in political life swiftly becomes someone elses problem. The heart doesnt exactly break for her colleagues. This is politics; they know the rules. But it is a grim truth not just grim, but damnable that the brunt of Sturgeons failure often fell not on fellow ministers but on ordinary people. People who did not have their sorrows to seek but found their lot worsened by the actions (and inactions) of the first minister. Nicola Sturgeon was deputy first minister when the SNP government chose to cut funding for drugs services, and improving support was not a priority when she took the reigns. Then, halfway through her premiership, the data once again caught up with Sturgeon. On her watch, Scotland had reached the worst rate of drugs deaths in all of Europe. The toll was listed in numbers but each number was the story of a life gone, a family bereaved, a Scot failed by his or her government. The first minister so fond of basking in her own virtue, so aching to be considered progressive by leftish opinion-formers, now looked as callous and retrograde as all the many opponents she had railed against over the years. Yet, as ever, someone else fell on Sturgeons sword, in this case drugs minister Joe FitzPatrick. 1,264 souls lost in the space of a year, but the first minister got to keep her job, and thats what really matters. Its all that ever mattered with this first minister. Onwards and upwards for Sturgeon, this time to gender identity ideology, which became her pet cause for the remainder of her time in office. This inspired her Gender Recognition Reform Bill, a wholesale tearing up of existing gender laws and shredding of sundry protections in favour of self-identification. A man who sincerely believed himself to be a woman, and declared himself such, would become a woman in the eyes of the law. Ms Sturgeon dismissed opponents of her Gender Reform Act as not only transphobic but deeply misogynist, often homophobic, possibly some of them racist as well. Womens rights activists were quick to point out the flaws in this policy but their towers of evidence were disregarded by Sturgeon. She knew best. This was her latest deeply-held and, coincidentally, newly fashionable belief and it stood, like her, on The Right Side of History. Her opponents were not only transphobic but deeply misogynist, often homophobic, possibly some of them racist as well. Nicola Sturgeon is certain about a lot of things, but nothing quite so much as her superior sense of virtue. Once again, it was others who would pay the price. Sturgeons gender law, had it not been blocked by Westminster, would have imperilled single-sex spaces essential to womens safety. A small price to pay for the New York Times saying nice things about the first minister. Sturgeons self-image as an enlightened European leader, pioneering progress in a benighted era of Brexit and Trumpism, was not the only delusion of grandeur that drove a plainly mediocre political hack. Somewhere along the way, she convinced herself that she was the Mother of the Nation, not merely leader of Scotland but embodiment of its promise and potential. These could be realised only with independence, about which she talked endlessly and occasionally even tried to do something about. Independence was the raison detre of the SNP, but Sturgeon sought to reframe it as her personal crusade against Westminster, against Brexit, against the Tories. And against the voters, of course, who had soundly rejected it in 2014. She had been all for that referendum until it didnt go her way, whereupon it became just the first of as many goes as needed to deliver the correct result. But there was no case for independence, and so Sturgeon fell back on rhetoric. Westminster was engaged in democracy denial, attempting to rig Scotlands democratic right to choose, and interesting in undermining this [Scottish] parliament. Scotland was being treated like something on the sole of Westminsters shoe. This is not the language of an outward-looking centre-left internationalist but of a frothing, flag-waving populist, or at least someone cynical enough to play up to that image to buy herself more time from her grassroots. Sturgeons insistence on temperate language from her political opposites never seemed to apply to herself, especially when it came to independence. This shameless opportunist postured as the protectress of European nationals in Scotland after the Leave vote in 2016. Yet just two years prior, in street-fighter mode during the independence referendum, and facing unhelpful noises from Brussels about an independent Scotlands chances of accession, she let it be known: There are 160,000 EU nationals from other states living in Scotland, including some in the Commonwealth Games city of Glasgow. If Scotland was outside Europe, they would lose the right to stay here. The only thing consistent about Nicola Sturgeon is her hypocrisy. For all her drum-beating, she took Scottish independence no further forward from the place where Alex Salmond left it in 2014. Given almost a decade in charge, a litany of opportunities, and a bounty of good fortune from the political Fates, Sturgeon could not move the dial and keep it there. Her time as figurehead of the campaign for Scottish independence was, for nationalists, a lost era in the constitutional cause, and, for the country, a needless infliction of spite and discord. As it was throughout her time in government, everyone else paid the price of Sturgeons miscalculation. The nation was subjected to another Nationalist psychodrama with the Holyrood inquiry that followed Sturgeons breach with Salmond and the Scottish Governments mishandled indeed, unlawful investigation of him for sexual harassment. Time after time, the parliamentary committee tasked with making sense of this mess found its access to information hindered by obfuscation, faulty memories, and a style of government that gave every impression of trying not to leave a paper trail. That aversion to transparency and accountability reared its head again during the Covid inquiry, which learned that Sturgeons pandemic-era WhatsApp messages had been deleted. Does Scotlands fifth first minister deserve her own ism? Most certainly she does. Sturgeonism is a politics of division, of self-publicity, of serial ineptitude, of secrecy and elitism and thorough contempt for ordinary people. It is a programme for government that issues promises it never lives up to, that judges itself on good intentions and spending allocated but never on outcomes or value for money, that demands the highest standards from its opponents but resists scrutiny and accountability at every avenue. Sturgeonism is what it looks like when you spend a quarter-century as an MSP, 16 years as a minister, and eight as first minister with nearly nothing to show for it. What distinguishes Scotlands longest-serving first minister is her total lack of distinction. If Sturgeonism has a manifesto, it is a blank sheet of paper upon which a self-congratulatory press release will sooner or later be issued. The Sturgeonist approach to government is the subjection of the interests of a country to the hollow words of a hollow politician. Look as closely as you wish, tell yourself whatever you want to believe, but what underpins Sturgeon and Sturgeonism is a whole lot of nothing. There is simply nothing there. She sought power, acquired it, then proved both indolent and incapable in its exercise. She appeared to lend her name to various causes but the cause was always her name itself, and her desire to see it in print in the right sorts of newspapers. She was eager that everyone know how much she cared, but her caring never seemed to extend to changing outcomes or circumstances. She was a progressive in theory but in practice she mostly stood still, and so did her government. Nicola Sturgeon wanted to be a trailblazer, but she leaves politics a failure, an example in how not to lead a country, in the futility and impotence of seeking power for its own sake and measuring success by the plaudits of elites. Today, even the plaudits are scarce. The elites have moved on and forgotten about Sturgeon, who has not parlayed her time in Bute House into a post-government career of any standing. Then again, the merest glance at her record in office might explain why that is. Sturgeons ascendancy was a Scottish tragedy. In almost every policy portfolio you care to name, the country would be measurably better off if she had remained an unknown Glasgow solicitor and never entered public life. In some areas, and not just a few, she made things much worse, sometimes for people who could not afford for things to get any worse. Yet she exits the political stage with pride, as though her legacy will speak for itself. It will. In the end, that is Sturgeonism: a surfeit of failure and a total absence of self-awareness. A shamed former bishop was yesterday jailed for more than four years after confessing to deeply shocking sex offences against a boy when he was a parish priest. Anthony Pierce, 84, who retired as Bishop of Swansea and Brecon in 2008, took advantage of the teenager playing the church organ to prey on him. The victim kept the abuse a secret for 30 years out of embarrassment before finally telling church safeguarding officers in 2023. The Church in Wales has admitted that it was made aware of a separate allegation of sexual assault against Pierce in 1993 - but did not pass it to police until 17 years later, by which time the alleged victim had died. It meant Pierce was able to be appointed bishop in 1999, meeting Prince William in 2002 when he presided over a special service to commemorate the Queens Golden Jubilee. The case comes following Justin Welbys dramatic resignation as Archbishop of Canterbury last November after a damning report found his failure to act meant abhorrent serial abuser John Smyth was never brought to justice. In January Bishop of Liverpool Dr John Perumbalath resigned after two women - one a serving bishop herself - made allegations of sexual misconduct against him, claims he has denied. Yet to the fury of sexual abuse survivors, the Church of Englands ruling body last month voted to reject full independent safeguarding despite the damaging scandals. Anthony Pierce, 84, who retired as Bishop of Swansea and Brecon in 2008, took advantage of the teenager playing the church organ to prey on him The victim kept the abuse a secret for 30 years out of embarrassment before finally telling church safeguarding officers in 2023. Yesterday a court heard how disgraced Pierce - whose crimes have been branded wicked by his successor - is now in failing health and may die in prison. He was vicar of Holy Cross Church in West Cross, Swansea, in the 1980s and befriended the family of the boy, whom he had christened as a baby. Pierce would give the boy bear hugs while indecently touching him, making him feel very uncomfortable, prosecutor Dean Pulling told Swansea Crown Court. As the abuse went on, the vicar would try to kiss him once a fortnight, he said. The victim told the court he became suicidal and alcohol-dependant in his teens. To this day I can remember feeling an overwhelming sense of embarrassment and shame, he said. I know hes responsible for a great deal of how my life has turned out. Pierce has heart and eyesight problems and may spend the rest of his life behind bars because of his failing health, his barrister Heath Edwards said. The disgraced cleric - who previously admitted five charges of indecent assault - showed no emotion as Judge Catherine Richards jailed him for four years and one month The disgraced cleric - who previously admitted five charges of indecent assault - showed no emotion as Judge Catherine Richards jailed him for four years and one month. She told him: You should have shown care compassion for children, instead you started to groom him, bringing sexual topics into the conversation. The Church in Wales has apologised to the victim in the current case and said Pierce now faces action to strip him of Holy Orders. It stressed that the 2023 allegation was passed straight to police. Its safeguarding committee has commissioned an independent external review into the way it handled the 1993 allegation. Rev John Lomas, the current Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, said Pierce had committed a wicked crime and a gross betrayal of trust. Monique McKevitt, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said Pierce had opportunistically preyed on a young boy. A report that former President Obama's former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was eyeing a 2028 presidential bid was met with brutal backlash online. A new report by Politico titled 'Rahm Emanuel Is Gearing Up to Run for President' detailed how the 65-year-old former Chicago mayor has been everywhere since returning from serving as U.S. ambassador to Japan. 'Rahm Wants to Run. Yes, that Rahm. And, yes, for that office the presidency,' wrote Politico's senior political columnist Jonathan Martin. The first contest of the 2028 Democratic presidential primary is likely almost three years away. But the idea of the former Obama official and congressman throwing his name in the ring for the Democratic presidential nomination was not met with open arms online as Democrats are still licking their wounds from the brutal 2024 presidential election. Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan and Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel speaking at the Economic Club of Chicago on March 3. A new report from Politico says that he is eyeing a bid for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination 'No,' wrote podcaster Jane Coaston in a post on X responding to the report. 'Rahm Emanuel is running in 2028. If hes the candidate Im leaving the party. Im not interested in a boring club membership,' wrote researcher Matt Stoller. 'Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo, Rahm Emanuel - they are in the corruption wing of the Dem party,' posted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez former chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti, who is now running to unseat former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 'The lesson from Trump cannot be that Dems could win if only they were more corrupt. To make the case against Trump, we must get rid of the corruption in our party, not give more power,' Chakrabarti wrote. 'The generation of leaders that got us into this mess will not be the ones to get us out of it,' wrote Amanda Litman, president of Run for Something which recruits young progressives to run for office. 'What if the path to Democratic Party renewal was always just to bring back the biggest a**holes, like Rahm and Andrew Cuomo?' wrote pollster Patrick Ruffini. 'Rahm Emanuel was a NAFTA architect, cheerleader of the Iraq War, proponent of Wall St dereg that created the financial crisis & mayor whose administration covered up the murder of a teenager. Him being a presidential contender is a perfect commentary on today's Democratic Party,' wrote David Sirota, a former senior adviser to Bernie Sanders. Talk about the 2028 presidential race has been well underway ever since the 2024 election with a number of Democrats being floated as potential contenders. If Emanuel were to jump in the race, he could be part of a crowded field as multiple prominent Democrats including governors and lawmakers could launch campaigns. Recent polling shows former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to President Trump just over four months ago, leads the current pack of possible candidates as she continues to hold greater name recognition nationally. Harris has not signaled what her future plans are but there has been speculation that she will run for governor of California next year. Harris reportedly has given herself until the end of the summer to decide whether she will run for governor. The move could take her out of the running for a 2028 bid. But even if she were to forgo running for president, the field could still be packed. Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaking in Las Vegas on March 9. She is mulling a bid for California governor While the report that Emanuel is gearing up for a presidential bid was met with backlash, there are few Democrats who know more about getting things done in the White House. The 65-year-old served as Obama's chief of staff from January 2009 until October 2010, helping the administration navigate the great recession and passage of the Affordable Care Act. Before that, he served three terms in the House. From the Obama administration he went on serve two terms as mayor of Chicago. But his tenure there could come back to haunt him in a Democratic presidential primary after he clashed with the powerful Chicago teachers union that went on strike during his first term. He also faced harsh criticism for how he handled the killing of black teenager Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer in 2014. Emanuel first said he would but then opted not to run for a third term as mayor in 2019 amid low approval ratings. Emanuel at the White House while President Obama announced his resignation to run for mayor of Chicago Obama walking with then-Mayor Emanuel upon arriving in Chicago in 2024 President Biden nominated him to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Japan where he served until just before the start of the Trump administration in January. Now, he's back stateside and has been spotted all over the place with a speech before the Economic Club of Chicago, appearances on CNN and writing columns for the Washington Post. But in discussing his plans with Politico, Emanuel remained coy. 'Ive only been back two months, I have no idea what Im doing,' he told Martin. 'Im not done with public service and Im hoping public service is not done with me,' he said. An elite school founded by a refugee from Nazi Germany has sparked anger for cancelling an invitation to a Jewish commentator to speak to pupils. Jonathan Sacerdoti had been due to talk about journalism and anti-Semitism at UWC Atlantic in South Wales last Sunday. But the school, which educates pupils aged 16 to 18 from around the world, including many royals made a U-turn on Friday after a group of pupils complained his presence would be distressing. The decision is all the more baffling since the school was founded with the aim of promoting global understanding by Kurt Hahn, a Jewish educator who fled Germany in the 1930s for speaking out against the Nazis. Mr Sacerdoti said he had been invited by pupils who were Jewish and Israeli-backgrounded who had been trying to introduce balance into discussions about Israel. It is understood school administrators agreed, with multiple planning calls to ensure the talk would be constructive, appropriate, and beneficial. But when a group of pro-Palestine youngsters complained, UWC withdrew the invitation, saying it might harm childrens emotional safety. He was offered the chance to address students in a pre-recorded video but turned it down, saying it would have prevented real-time discussion. Jonathan Sacerdoti had been due to talk about journalism and antisemitism at UWC Atlantic in South Wales last Sunday UWC Atlantic founded in 1962 as the first of 18 United World Colleges educates pupils aged 16 to 18 from around the world, including royals, and provides scholarships to refugees Mr Sacerdoti, 45, who has publicly voiced support for Israel and writes a column for The Spectator, said: The school had invited me, publicly announced my upcoming talk to their students, and shared event details only to reverse their decision at the last moment. I have spoken at universities, schools, and conferences around the world. And yet, for this school, my presence alone was deemed too dangerous. That should alarm anyone who believes in free thought and academic integrity. Mr Sacerdoti, whose father survived the Holocaust, added: This isnt just another cancellation, its a case of an elite institution abandoning its own principles to appease the loudest voices. UWC Atlantic, founded in 1962 as the first of 18 United World Colleges, educates the children of royals alongside providing scholarships to refugees. The heir presumptive to the Spanish throne Crown Princess Leonor, 19, is among its recent alumn, while her sister Princess Sofia, 17, is still studying there. Housed in a castle in the Welsh countryside, UWC charges fees of between 36,800 and 45,000 and is known as the hippy Hogwarts because of its progressive style of education. A school spokesman said many of its pupils have direct experience of conflict and trauma, adding: The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority. We have a deep responsibility to ensure all discussions are conducted with sensitivity. The Met Office has revealed where in the UK you can catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights as a red visibility alert is issued for the natural phenomenon. The forecaster confirmed the stunning aurora borealis may be visible in parts of the country this evening and later tonight. They anticipate that quick solar winds combined with any cloud breaks will give some lucky Brits a view of the natural phenomenon. However, the night sky might not be glistening a myriad of colours for everybody, with the Northern Lights best visible from parts of Scotland. Ellie Glaisyer, Meteorologist at the Met Office told MailOnline: 'The arrival of the fast solar winds may allow the aurora to be visible over northern Scotland during this evening and tonight. 'The best of any cloud breaks for Scotland will be in the south and west, with scattered showers bringing variable cloud further north and east.' It comes as Aurora Watch UK, which monitors geomagnetic activity, issued a red alert for the aurora borealis tonight between 7pm and 8pm. The red alert means the aurora borealis could likely be visible to both the eye and camera across the UK. Pictured, the aurora borealis in Dundee, Scotland between 12:00-12.30am on February 28, 2025 The Aurora Borealis lighting up the night sky over Pitstone Windmill in Buckinghamshire on October 10, 2024 The Met Office have said the Northern Lights best visible from parts of Scotland (Pictured: The Northern Lights in Dundee, Scotland between 12:00-12.30am on February 28, 2025) Aurora Watch UK monitors the likelihood of spotting the swirling colours in the night sky by using data from SAMNET and AuroraWatchNet. They also released an amber alert for the Northern Lights earlier this evening from between 5pm and 6pm. Similarly to a red alert, amber means aurora will be visible to the eye but only in parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Northern England. The aurora - seen both near the northern and southern poles - is sparked by activity on the surface of the Sun. When there are solar storms on the Sun massive clouds of electrically charged particles travel and clash with the Earth. As they divert some are caught by our planet's magnetic field causing them to speed towards the north or south poles. 'These particles then slam into atoms and molecules in the Earth's atmosphere and essentially heat them up,' explains Royal Observatory astronomer Tom Kerss told Royal Museums Greenwich. 'We call this physical process "excitation", but it's very much like heating a gas and making it glow.' Although the sky may be bright for some Brits across the country tonight, others are going to caught in an icy grip tomorrow. The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter Earth's atmosphere (Pictured in February at Hopeman East Beach Moray, Scotland) These collisions emit light in many amazing colours, although pale green and pink are common (Pictured: Aurora on February 27, at Hopeman East Beach Moray, Scotland) A yellow weather warning was issued in parts of England in areas including Yorkshire, Lancashire, Northumberland and Derbyshire. The affected regions are set to be hit by icy conditions on Thursday between 3am and 9am on Thursday. They are expected to see temperatures plummet close to zero, with icy roads increasing the chance of accidents especially over the Pennines and the Peak District. Tom Morgan, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'We have an Arctic air mass in place across the UK at the moment, compared to a much milder continental air mass last weekend. 'Last weekend, we had very mild southerly winds coming up from North Africa and Spain bringing those temperatures into the teens. 'On Monday, we saw cold fronts sink southwards across the UK, and that introduced colder, Arctic air. 'Ice won't necessarily just be in northern England where the ice warning is. 'We could see some patchy frost and ice pretty much anywhere where we see showers today.' He added: 'This is not unusual, we do see snow and frost in March quite often. 'If anything, it was last weekend that was fairly unusual to see temperatures as high as 18c or 19C. 'With climate change, we can expect higher temperatures earlier in the year becoming a bit more likely and shorter winters with less extreme, less cold conditions.' Sir Keir Starmer will today unveil plans to use AI to radically digitise the civil service in a bid to save up to 45billion. The Prime Minister will say that no persons substantive time should be spent on a task where technology can do it better, quicker and to the same high quality and standard. But No10 was forced to deny that it plans to take a chainsaw to the state - after reports that proposals for reform had been dubbed project chainsaw. Downing Street said the reference to Trump adviser Elon Musk wielding a chainsaw to represent his cuts to government spending was juvenile and that it was not their approach. In a speech today, Sir Keir will vow to reshape the way the British state delivers and serves working people by becoming more agile, tech-driven and productive. He will set out details of how he plans to digitise public services and the state, underpinned by the mantra that no persons substantive time should be spent on a task where digital or AI can do it better, quicker and to the same high quality and standard. Sir Keir will set out proposals to recruit 2,000 tech apprentices to boost the take-up of AI on Whitehall. He is also set to argue that global uncertainty means the Government must go further and faster in reshaping the state to make it work for working people. The Prime Minister will say that no persons substantive time should be spent on a task where technology can do it better, quicker and to the same high quality and standard Sir Keir will set out proposals to recruit 2,000 tech apprentices to boost the take-up of AI on Whitehall As well as vowing to cut the cost of regulation for businesses by 25per cent, the PM will say he will refocus the state on his key missions and create an active government that takes care of the big questions, so people can get on with their lives. The need for greater urgency now could not be any clearer. We must move further and faster on security and renewal, he is expected to tell workers in the North East. Every pound spent, every regulation, every decision must deliver for working people. Sir Keir will also take aim at a cottage industry of checkers and blockers slowing down delivery for working people, continuing his criticism of regulation in the UK. On Tuesday, he instructed ministers to stop a trend of outsourcing decisions to other bodies begun under the previous government and assess whether regulations contributed to Labours agenda. Later the same day, the Government also announced that the Payment Systems Regulator will be abolished and merged with the Financial Conduct Authority in what Sir Keir said was the latest step in our efforts to kickstart economic growth. Ministers appear to have grown increasingly frustrated with the role of regulators as they attempt to boost the UKs economy, with the Chancellor urging them to focus more on encouraging growth. Sir Keir is expected to say: The great forces buffeting the lives of working people, and an era of instability driving in their lives.... Downing Street said the reference to Trump adviser Elon Musk wielding a chainsaw to represent his cuts to government spending was juvenile and that it was not their approach The need for greater urgency now could not be any clearer. We must move further and faster on security and renewal. Every pound spent, every regulation, every decision must deliver for working people... If we push forward with the digitisation of government services. There are up to 45bn worth of savings and productivity benefits, ready to be realised. And thats before we even consider the golden opportunity of artificial intelligence. An opportunity I am determined to seize. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle added: There is a 45 billion jackpot to secure if we use technology properly across our public sector - but we cant hope to come close to securing that if we dont have the right technical talent with us in government. Not only will these changes help fix our public services, but it will save taxpayer cash by slashing the need for thousands of expensive contractors and create opportunities across the country as part of our Plan for change. However, No10 yesterday refused to say whether the civil service headcount will be reduced under the proposals for reform. Asked whether the state would be smaller, the PMs press secretary: No, its about reshaping the state and taking advantage of technology. It comes after the Guardian reported that No10 and the Treasury were interested in proposals drawn up by think tank Labour Together to reshape the state under plans dubbed project chainsaw. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: There is a 45 billion jackpot to secure if we use technology properly across our public sector - but we cant hope to come close to securing that if we dont have the right technical talent with us in government' Last night the Prospect trade union said the Government must reform civil service pay to compete for the skills it needs. Its general secretary Mike Clancy said: Technology has the potential to transform government delivery and improve outcome for the public, and it is right that the government are pressing ahead with plans to make better use of new tech in the public sector. However the government will find it challenging to compete for the skills needed to deliver on this agenda under the current pay regime, which is why Prospect is campaigning for more pay flexibility to recruit and retain specialists in the civil service in areas like science and data. Government should also be doing more to utilise the talented specialists it already has at its disposal, many of whom are working in regulators and other agencies that have been starved of funding in recent years. Civil servants are not hostile to reforms, but these must be undertaken in partnership with staff and unions. I urge everyone in government to avoid the incendiary rhetoric and tactics we are seeing in the United States, and to be clear that reforms are about enhancing not undermining the civil service. President Donald Trump said Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer 'used to be Jewish' and called him a 'Palestinian' during an Oval Office diatribe Wednesday. The comments came suddenly after he tore into Democrats for failing to stand up and applaud during his address to Congress. He brought up his earlier attack on Sen. Elizabeth Warren, calling her 'Pocahontas,' and went after congressional Democrats generally for failing to embrace his economic proposals. Then he quickly turned to Schumer, who Trump has known for years. 'Schumer is a Palestinian as far as I'm concerned. He's become a Palestinian. He used to be Jewish. He's not Jewish anymore. He's a Palestinian,' Trump said. Trump, 78, didn't say why he brought up Schumer, 74, who has become an outspoken critic of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, a Trump ally. He has made the comment previously, including during the campaign, and has called him a 'proud member of Hamas.' Schumer is Jewish and is not of Palestinian descent. 'Schumer is a Palestinian as far as I'm concerned,' President Donald Trump said Wednesday in reference to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) Schumer is Jewish and is not of Palestinian descent Schumer on Tuesday posted a nuanced statement about the arrest of ex-Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, following his arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 'While he may well be in violation of various campus rules regarding how the protests were conducted last year, that is a matter for the university to pursue,' Schumer wrote. Schumer also raised First Amendment issues, writing: 'The Trump administrations DHS must articulate any criminal charges or facts that would justify his detention or the initiation of deportation proceedings against him.' Schumer was a strong supporter of Israel after the October 7 Hamas terror attacks inside Israel. The comments came suddenly after he tore into Democrats for failing to stand up and applaud during his address to Congress He brought up his earlier attack on Sen. Elizabeth Warren, calling her 'Pocahontas,' and went after congressional Democrats generally The two men have known each other for years on the New York political scene. Trump had donated $8,900 to Schumer before his 2016 run for president. Schumer's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It's one of the most popular network providers in the UK. But Vodafone experienced an outage this morning, leaving thousands unable to access the internet. According to Down Detector, the problems started at around 07:45 GMT, and affected customers across the UK. At the peak of the outage, more than 700 issues were logged on Down Detector. Of those customers who reported problems, 84 per cent said they were struggling with landline internet, while eight per cent had no signal. The remaining eight per cent said they were experiencing a total blackout. Speaking to MailOnline, a Vodafone spokesperson confirmed that the outage has now been resolved. 'A configuration issue was causing intermittent problems on our network this morning. The issue was quickly identified and resolved, with everyone back up and running by 9.30am. We apologise for any inconvenience caused,' they said. But Vodafone experienced an outage this morning, leaving thousands unable to access the internet So far, more than 700 issues have been logged on Down Detector While the reason for the outage remains unclear, several customers have taken to X to discuss it this morning. 'Hi @VodafoneUK is your Vodafone not working? Even the 4G back up hasn't kicked in?' one user tweeted. Another added: '@VodafoneUK @cityfibre any idea when your issues will be fixed (in Reading)? I take it something major has failed?' And one vented: '@VodafoneUK your #citifibre based network is keep dropping and running too slow in RG6 area, do something to reinstate your reputation quickly.' Vodafone has not released a statement on the outage, but is replying to customers on X. 'Thanks for getting in touch. Check your broadband status, test the performance of your broadband and connect with our team of advisers here,' it replied to one user, along with a link to its help page. Vodafone isn't the only network provider that has experienced an outage in recent weeks. Just last month, Virgin Media experienced a six-hour outage which left thousands unable to access the internet. The news comes shortly after research revealed that millions of UK households are suffering with regular broadband blackout periods and experiencing slower speeds than they are paying for (stock image) The news comes shortly after research revealed that millions of UK households are suffering with regular broadband blackout periods and experiencing slower speeds than they are paying for. Getting back online and fixing the problem of broadband outages or very slow speeds takes an average of 7.5 hours per month. Despite the high numbers of problems, very few people are complaining or receiving compensation from their broadband providers. Peter Earl, head of utilities at Comparethemarket, said: 'These figures are pretty shocking. We all experience intermittent internet sometimes, but it seems that broadband breakdowns are increasingly becoming the norm, rather than the exception. 'It is a great pity that most households appear to just suffer in silence. It may be that they feel their complaints won't be adequately handled, or that it's just a fact of life, but providers should do better, and people should expect an efficient, reliable service. 'The key thing is to complain, request compensation where appropriate for the inconvenience caused and, critically, switch if the situation doesn't improve. Switching broadband providers is still firmly in the minority and this needs to change.' As you're walking along the street, China's newest surveillance technology could soon be watching you from space. Scientists in Beijing have created 'the world's most powerful spy camera' which can pick out facial details from distances exceeding 63 miles (100km). It means the spy camera could potentially be in space aboard a floating satellite while clearly seeing faces of people on Earth's surface. It could also take high-resolution images of foreign military satellites operated by other nations that are also orbiting Earth, the South China Morning Post reported. The technology, detailed by the scientists in a new paper, could be launched aboard a satellite in the near future. But, unsurprisingly, the powerful laser-based system has sparked worries. Robert Morton, author and member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO), called it a 'massive security concern'. 'Millimeter resolution from 60+ miles up? Thats next-level surveillance,' he said in a post on X (Twitter). Scientists in Beijing have created 'the world's most powerful spy camera' which can pick out facial details from distances exceeding 63 miles (100km). It means the spy camera could potentially be floating in space aboard a satellite while clearly seeing faces on Earth's surface. Pictured is China's Tiangong Space Station Chinese scientists' laser-based system could reportedly spy on Earth and scrutinise foreign military satellites with unparalleled precision Meanwhile, Julia Aymonier, head of digital transformation at API, posted to LinkedIn: 'Big Brother is watching you!' She added: 'The future of space-based surveillance is here, and it's more powerful than we imagined.' And Natallia Catarina, CEO at Beam Wallet, said: 'Now only clouds will save us from Chinese spies.' The spy camera has been newly developed by Chinas Academy of Sciences Aerospace Information Research Institute in Beijing. It uses a system called synthetic aperture lidar (SAL), a remote sensing technology that sends out a pulse of light energy and then records the amount of that energy reflected back. Capable of operating day and night, SAL creates 2D and 3D reconstructions of surfaces of the Earth in various weather conditions. Because it relies on optical waves, it's capable of creating imagery with much finer resolution and better detail described as a 'quantum leap'. The experts conducted a successful test across Qinghai Lake in China's northwest, with the SAL device on one side and the target 63.2 miles (101.8km) away. The experts conducted a successful test across the huge Qinghai Lake in the north-west of China It uses a system called synthetic aperture lidar (SAL), a remote sensing technology that sends out a pulse of light energy and then records the amount of that energy reflected back What is SAL? Synthetic aperture lidar (SAL) is an imaging technique used for Earth observation. SAL allows high-resolution imaging beyond the diffraction limit of conventional optics. It is based on the same concept as synthetic aperture radar (SAR) which uses radar (radio waves). However, SAL uses lasers at optical wavelengths, instead of the microwaves used in SAR. Source: Perdue University Advertisement They achieved 'exceptional' imaging clarity at this distance, as reported by South China Morning Post, which is around about where the boundary of space starts. Alarmingly, the device detected details as small as 0.07 inches (1.7mm) and measured distances to within 0.61 inches (15.6mm). Live Science points out that SAL needs the motion of an object such as a moving satellite in orbit to get images with finer resolution. So the spy camera would need to be mounted on a satellite of China's or even its Tiangong Space Station, the rival to the ISS launched in 2021. Tiangong is moving at 17,000 miles per hour while in low Earth orbit, between 210 and 280 miles (340 and 450km) above our planet's surface. China already operates around 300 other surveillance satellites in lower orbits, according to the Center for Strategic & International Studies. For example, Yaogan-41 - launched in December 2023 - gives China the ability to 'identify and track car-sized objects throughout the entire Indo-Pacific region'. It's unclear when the world's most powerful spy camera could be launched: MailOnline has contacted the researchers for more information. This image shows the targets at one end of the lake top left (spelling out 'AIR') and their SAL imaging result (top right). Bottom, a scene showing the placement of six pyramids and the SAL imaging result The researchers outline their work further in a new study published in the Chinese Journal of Lasers China has previously raised US concerns through its use of 'spy balloons', which the Asian country has insisted are simply devices for monitoring the weather. China's government has come under increasing scrutiny for high-tech surveillance, from facial recognition-enabled security cameras to apps used by police to extract personal information from smartphones at checkpoints. China is famous for tracking its citizens using the latest technology notably a Black Mirror-like social rating system to 'restore morality' and blacklist 'untrustworthy' citizens. It also reportedly developed an AI that can read the minds of Communist Party members by analysing facial expressions and brain waves. It's one of the biggest conspiracy theories of all time, fuelling a plethora of videos and posts on social media. But if you believe the world is flat, a NASA scientist may finally change your mind with a brutal putdown. In a new video, Dr James Garvin, chief scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, is asked 'how do we know the Earth isn't flat?' His eloquent answer is something you'd learn at primary school, and instantly makes a mockery of the entire nonsense concept. From the 16th century, great mariners explored our Earth by ships, such as England's Sir Francis Drake and Portugal's Ferdinand Magellan, he points out. These pioneers set off because they knew the Earth was round, allowing them to go across one ocean and come back home the other way. 'They made the first orbit of Earth by sea,' said Dr Garvin, a planetary geosciences graduate from Brown University. 'If the Earth were flat, they would have sailed off the end.' People who believe the idea that the Earth is disc-shaped rather than spherical are called 'Flat Earthers' - one of the most prominent conspiracy theories today In a new video, Dr James Garvin, chief scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, is asked 'how do we know the Earth isn't flat?' Of course, it was much further back in time more than 2,000 years ago that humanity first understood the true shape of our planet. Greek philosopher Pythagoras proposed that the Earth was round around 500 BC, but it was about 350 BC that Aristotle declared Earth was a sphere. This was based on observations Aristotle had made about which constellations you could see in the sky as you travelled further and further away from the equator. 'This was a magical revelation for the Greeks and the Egyptians, who were able to see from the motions of the stars and the way the sun moved,' Dr Garvin said. 'They took that information and it extended into the time of the great mariners that explored our Earth by ships.' Fast-forward to the 20th and 21st centuries, astronauts have been able to witness with their own eyes the stunning curvature of the Earth. 'At the dawn of the space age, in the late 50s and 60s, we were able to see for ourselves that our beautiful home is a gorgeous round object known as a sphere,' the expert said. 'And that was really special it put ourselves into context of our solar system and our universe.' Pictured, the curvature of Earth with the sun shining on the Caspian Sea from the vantage point of the International Space Station (ISS), 262 miles up Pictured, the curvature of Earth as seen from Concorde, which flew at a maximum altitude of 60,000 feet (11 miles) What do Flat Earthers believe? People who believe the idea that the Earth is disc-shaped rather than round are called 'Flat Earthers'. Because Earth's surface looks and feels flat when we walk around it, the conspiracy theorists denounce all evidence to the contrary. The leading theory suggests Earth is a disc with the Arctic Circle in the centre and Antarctica, a 150-foot-tall (45-metre) wall of ice, around the rim. Proponents of the bizarre theory also claim the Earth is stationary in space rather than orbiting the sun. Advertisement For robotic probes adorned with cameras, the curvature of the Earth has also long been clearly visible. But there's also no denying the simple fact that the sun sets at different times in different locations. If the Earth were flat, then shadows would be the same length, regardless of location. Recently, a famous Flat Earther was humbled by yet further evidence that the Earth is spherical during a trip to Antarctica. YouTuber Jeran Campanella saw the sun doesn't set during the southern hemisphere's summer debunking the belief that Antarctica is an ice wall around the edge of a Flat Earth where the sun always dips in and out of view. Finally, Dr Garvin also points to the other bodies in our solar system that are similarly spherical moons, planets and even our sun. 'We have a big round sun and a beautiful round Earth and a round Mars,' the expert added. 'The roundness of our solar system and our universe is a special thing and we should embrace that as we understand why our planet isnt flat.' If the Earth were flat, then shadows around the world would be the same length, regardless of location During the southern hemisphere's and northern hemisphere's summer, the sun remains visible all day, including at midnight - a phenomenon dubbed 'the midnight sun'. Pictured, multiple exposure of midnight sun on Lake Ozhogino in Yakutia, Russia Also on Tuesday, a new study has revealed that people who believe in conspiracy theories like Flat Earth may be suffering from a lack of sleep. In fact, poor sleep may be fuelling conspiracy beliefs by causing a 'decline in cognitive function', report scientists at the University of Nottingham. And the more people spend reading conspiracies online into the small hours, the more their sleep is impacted creating a viscous cycle. Another recent study concluded that people who believe in conspiracy theories are more likely to be spiteful. Over the last 10 years, Earth has been receiving a mysterious radio signal every two hours from a distant region of space. Although it sounds like the start of a sci-fi novel, scientists have now traced these pulses back to an 'unprecedented' source. The researchers say that the pulses originate from a binary system containing a long-dead star. In this system, a white dwarf and red dwarf orbit each other so closely that their magnetic fields 'bump together' to create a long radio pulse. Since the stars' orbit is regular, they produce a pulse every 125 minutes like a vast cosmic clock. Researchers say this system, named ILTJ1101, is located 1,600 light-years from Earth in the direction of the Big Dipper, within the constellation Ursa Major. This is the first time that a repeating long radio pulse has been observed coming from anything other than a highly magnetised neutron star, known as a magnetar. In the future, the researchers believe that more mysterious signals from space might turn out to be binary systems like this one. Researchers have traced the origins of a mysterious radio signal to an 'unprecedented' part of space. Their study claims that the burst has been produced by a binary system containing a red dwarf and white dwarf star (illustrated) Dr Iris de Ruiter, now of the University of Sydney, first discovered the mysterious pulses in 2024 while looking through an archive of data from a radio telescope in the Netherlands. Within the data of the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), the largest radio telescope operating at the lowest frequencies that can be observed from Earth, Dr de Ruiter discovered a pulse arriving at Earth in 2015. Sifting through the archival data for the same area of the sky, she soon found six more pulses. What was unusual was that each pulse, like a flash of light from a torch but in radio form, lasted between a few seconds to a minute and arrived at regular intervals. As radio-astronomy techniques have improved, scientists are spotting more and more 'fast radio bursts' (FRBs) but this kind of slow, regular pulse remain rare. Study co-author Dr Charles Kilpatrick, of Northwestern University, says: 'The radio pulses are very similar to FRBs, but they each have different lengths. 'The pulses have much lower energies than FRBs and usually last for several seconds, as opposed to FRBs which last milliseconds.' To learn more about where these pulses were coming from, the researchers accessed a large optical telescope, which would gather light from that region of space. While regular radio pulses have been theorised to be signs of intelligent life, the researchers say this pulse is produced by the magnetic fields of the two stars bumping together as they orbit (stock image) Starting a decade ago, scientists detected a regular radio pulse arriving once every 125 minutes from a distant region of space. Until now, the origin of this pulse has been a mystery. This diagram shows how the orbital period of the binary system (blue) matches the radio pulses At first, only one star was visible, but the data soon revealed more about this strange system. By looking at the optical spectra of the star - the different frequencies of light that reach the telescope - the researchers learned that the one visible star was a red dwarf. Red dwarfs are small, cool stars just a fraction the size of the sun, which can burn for trillions of years without using up all their fuel. However, this particular red dwarf was doing something unusual: it was wobbling back around a central point on a regular schedule. Dr Kilpatrick says: 'The spectroscopic lines in these data allowed us to determine that the red dwarf is moving back and forth very rapidly with exactly the same two-hour period as the radio pulses.' This back-and-forth movement suggests that the red dwarf was being pulled by the gravity of a second, hidden star. By observing those movements carefully, Dr Kilpatrick calculated that this second star had the same mass as a typical 'white dwarf' star. White dwarfs are dead stars which have burned through all their nuclear fuel and shed their outer layers, leaving behind nothing but their hot, dense core. The system includes a white dwarf, a dead star so small and faint that they don't usually show up on optical telescopes. The researchers were only able to determine the white dwarf existed because of its pull on its partner star. Pictured: Artist's impression of a white dwarf next to our moon for scale But, since these stars are so dim, they don't show up on any but the most powerful telescopes - which explains why the researchers couldn't directly observe it. The researchers believe that, as the white and red dwarfs dance around a central point, their magnetic fields come close enough to interact and produce a blast of radio waves. Around 1,600 years later, those radio waves arrive on Earth as the mysterious radio pulses which showed up in Dr de Ruiter's database. Dr Kilpatrick says: 'In almost every scenario, its mass and the fact that it is too faint to see means it must be a white dwarf. 'This confirms the leading hypothesis for the white dwarf binary origin and is the first direct evidence we have for the progenitor systems of long-period radio transients.' Going forward, the researchers hope that their study will inspire other astronomers to consider binary systems as the possible source of unusual radio pulses. This could help us understand many of the mysterious energy sources which have been found throughout the Milky Way. Lead author Dr de Ruiter says: 'With different techniques and observations, we got a little closer to the solution step by step.' The Trump Administration has shut down a training program which prepares meteorologists for natural disasters, which some say could have devastating consequences. In the White House's latest round of government downsizing, federal officials cancelled incident meteorologist training for members of the National Weather Service (NWS). The course provides special training for NWS forecasters, certifying that these individuals know how to give accurate weather reports to emergency crews during major disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires. The move is already causing panic within the agency, with one anonymous source telling The Hill that cancelling the training could leave Americans ill-prepared for the country's next extreme weather event. According to an email addressing the situation, the training was cancelled due to staffing shortages and new restrictions on how much government employees can spend on travel. NWS is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and both agencies fall under the authority of the US Department of Commerce (DoC). This week, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced the cancellation of more than 200,000 employee credit cards, including more than 11,000 from DoC. This reportedly included travel cards used by NWS members that would have attended the incident meteorologist training. The Trump Administration has cancelled incident meteorologist training for member of the National Weather Service who specialize in forecasts during disasters Incident meteorologists are often called in to work with local and state fire departments during wildfires, like the recent disaster in Los Angeles, California A senior official with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told The Hill: 'The bottom line is we are no longer paying for non-employee travel. We are only authorizing travel for mission critical programs, this isn't one.' DHS oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is also cancelling their own disaster training courses due to the budget cuts. On Tuesday, DOGE posted on X that of the more than 285,000 credit cards being used by employees in 16 government agencies, just 81,000 are still active. The cost-cutting decisions come after a devastating series of wildfires ravaged the Los Angeles area in January. The month-long blaze is now being called one of the costliest natural disasters in America history, causing over $250 billion in damage. During a wildfire, incident meteorologists (IMETs) work with state and local fire control agencies, as well as the US Forest Service, providing real-time data on everything from wind patterns to thunderstorms. This helps everyone fighting the fires know what's coming and where to go as the weather influences the course of the blaze. According to NWS, an IMET can be on the scene of a natural disaster within 24 to 48 hours. However, much of that depends of their mode of travel - with the cost now potentially causing a new issue. Lynn Budd, the director of Wyoming's Office of Homeland Security, said: 'They're there to help us make that prediction so we can protect lives and property as incidents evolve.' Meanwhile, the New York Times revealed this weekend that the Trump Administration is prepared to fire over 1,000 employees from NOAA. Combined with previous layoffs and resignations this year, NOAA will soon have lost 20 percent of their agency's workforce. In a February 25 statement, NOAA officials wrote: 'If not stopped, further action by the administration to interfere with NOAA's critical services and mission could endanger our economy, health, public safety, and national security.' 'Undermining NOAA's operations could risk the safety of millions of Americans and destabilize countless industries, from farming and fisheries to energy and finance, threatening job losses and economic downturn,' the agency added. DOGE revealed that over 200,000 credit cards used by government employees for expenses and travel have been cancelled The Department of Commerce oversees the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service Last March, 70 IMETs working with NOAA gathered in Boise, Idaho to take this training and prepare for the upcoming wildfire season. NOAA officials said in a 2024 statement: 'During training, IMETs learn how a fire reacts to certain weather, fuel and terrain.' 'They also learn forecasting for fire weather in complex mountain terrain from Alaska to the Appalachians.' As of last year, NOAA had 90 certified IMETS and 36 trainees ready to travel throughout the country and forecast extreme conditions during natural disasters. New trainees need more than 250 hours of training of IMET training to become certified. However, that training only comes after the several years it can take to get a meteorology degree, land an job with NWS, and rack up enough forecasting experience for the agency to pick that meteorologist for the IMET course. Simply put, the number of IMETs available do not grow quickly, and now the training to certify new officials may be disappearing too. NASA has finally broken its silence about why the agency left two astronauts stranded in space when there were opportunities to bring them home much sooner. Ken Bowersox, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, said SpaceX 'helped with a lot of options' for bringing Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore home, but the final decision came down to costs. He explained that they discussed adding a mission or bringing the currently docked capsule home early, 'but we ruled them out pretty quickly just based on how much money we've got in our budget.' NASA's budget for the fiscal year 2024 was around $30 billion. It comes after a report found the agency spent millions on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) grants and contracts while Williams and Wilmore have been stuck in space. Bowersox also admitted that there 'may have been conversations' in the White House about delaying the return for political reasons, but he was not part of the discussions. Elon Musk said earlier this month that Biden rejected his offer to bring Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore home early because it would've made Donald Trump 'look good' in the run against Kamala Harris. NASA has final provided reasons for why it did not bring Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams home early from the International Space Station When NASA officially announced its decision last August, then-NASA administrator Bill Nelson said: 'I can tell you unequivocally, from a personal standpoint, that politics has not played any part in this decision. It absolutely has nothing to do with it.' NASA's admission came during a press conference last Friday where Bill Gerstenmaier, vice president for SpaceX, noted that NASA's delayed plan allowed the agency 'to use Sunny and Butch in a very productive manner' and 'keep the science going. Returning the astronauts early would've meant fewer bodies on the International Space Station (ISS) to continue research. Williams and Wilmore are scheduled to depart from the International Space Station (ISS) on March 16 inside a SpaceX capsule that has been docked at the orbiting laboratory since September. NASA has kept a tight lid on why it did not send another capsule to the ISS after Boeing's faulty Starliner returned to Earth empty in September, leaving the pair on the ship for more than nine months. Williams and Wilmore were only supposed to spend eight days on the ISS when they arrived on June 6. NASA said that SpaceX provided several options to bring them back, but the final decision came down to cost. The agency said it did not have enough in its budget But technical issues with Starliner prompted NASA to significantly delay their flight home, as the faulty spaceship could not guarantee their safe return. Friday's press conference provided the first clear picture of why NASA may not have taken SpaceX up on its offer for an earlier return. 'The SpaceX folks helped us folks helped us with a lot of options on how we would bring Sunny and Butch home on Dragon [a capsule] in a contingency,' said Bowersox. 'They've been so helpful this last year, coming up with those options. When it comes to adding on missions or or bringing uh a capsule home early, those were always options.' While he explained it all came down to cost, recent reports on NASA's spending have suggested there was 'wasteful' spending while the crew was stranded last year. An Inspector General report from 2024 highlighted issues with the agency's contracting system. It found an 'inappropriate use of award fees during periods of poor contractor performance for multiple NASA programs and since 2020 questioned more than $77 million of award fees NASA paid for the SLS boosters and engines contracts.' 'Overall, our investigative work has uncovered improper use of grant funds and fraud, which over the past 3 years resulted in 34 indictments, 24 convictions, 14 suspensions, and 20 debarments, with over $7.7 million in civil settlement fines returned to NASA,' the report reads. Elon Musk said this month that he had of offered to bring the astronauts home months ago, but the Biden Administration refused because it would have made Donald Trump 'look good' 'In addition, more than $9.6 million in criminal restitution and nearly $33.5 million in civil settlement fines were returned to the US Treasury.' On top of these funds, a separate report found NASA dished out $20 million in DEI grants and contracts during the Biden administration, according to watchdog Open the Books. The group said that when Williams and Wilmore were left stranded in space, it decided look closer at its recent activities and spending. 'With an annual budget of $25 billion, NASA is one of the smaller federal agencies,' Open the Books shared. 'But its mission is high risk and high visibility, so its crucial to understand its decision making and investments.' NASA and SpaceX are set to launch four astronauts today to the ISS, who will take the place of Williams and Wilmore. The stranded astronauts will then spend two days going over what the incoming crew needs to know in order to continue their work. If all goes to plan, Williams and Wilmore should touch down on Earth on Sunday. It has been almost 10 years since Apple unveiled its first smartwatch to the world. The original Apple Watch was described by the tech giant as its 'most personal device yet,' and quickly became one of its best selling products. But new figures suggest that many users have fallen out of love with their devices. Global sales of Apple Watches fell by a whopping 19 per cent in 2024, according to market research firm, Counterpoint. 'Apple Watch witnessed a decline in momentum on its 10th anniversary, despite the launch of the S10 series,' explained Anshika Jain, Senior Research Analyst at Counterpoint. While there are likely several reasons for this decline, it seems that many users are sick of the constant notifications on their wrist. Taking to X, one user said: 'After 9 years of wearing an Apple Watch every day, I realized that I didn't like having notifications on my wrist. It's been 8 months wearing this and I will never go back.' Meanwhile, on Reddit, one user wrote: 'I had an Apple Watch. I stopped using it because it became just a glorified notification screen.' It has been almost 10 years since Apple unveiled its first smartwatch to the world. But new figures suggest that many users have fallen out of love with their devices Counterpoint's new report reveals that the global smartwatch market fell seven per cent in 2024 - the first ever decline in the overall market Taking to X, one user said: 'After 9 years of wearing an Apple Watch every day, I realized that I didn't like having notifications on my wrist. It's been 8 months wearing this and I will never go back' Counterpoint's new report reveals that the global smartwatch market fell seven per cent in 2024 - the first ever decline in the overall market. Several brands saw an increase in sales, including Imoo (22 per cent), Xiaomi (135 per cent), Samsung (three per cent), and Huawei (35 per cent). In contrast, Apple saw a whopping 19 per cent decrease, while brands classed as 'others' saw a 22 per cent decrease in sales. According to Ms Jain, Apple's decline was due to tighter competition and weaker upgrade cycles. 'The biggest driver of the decline was North America, where the absence of the Ultra 3 and minimal feature upgrades in the S10 lineup led consumers to hold back purchases,' she said. 'Additionally, patent disputes limited shipments in the first half of the year. 'The slowdown of the existing Apple Watch SE lineup and the lack of new SE models also contributed to the decline.' Over the last few months, many Apple Watch users have taken to social media to vent their frustrations with their devices. Another added: 'Recently got an apple watch and now I kinda feel like the tamagotchi with the rings and the goals and the standing - it's a lot compared to my old watch...' Over on Reddit, there's an entire thread dedicated to disgruntled users who got rid of their Apple Watches How to turn off notifications on your Apple Watch Go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. Tap My Watch, then tap Notifications. Tap the app (for example, Messages), tap Custom, then choose an option. Options may include: Allow Notifications: The app displays notifications in Notification Center. Send to Notification Center: Notifications are sent directly to Notification Center without Apple Watch making a sound or displaying the notification. Notifications Off: The app sends no notifications. Advertisement 'When I first got the apple watch, I stopped and went back to my "real" watch after just a few days. The constant notifications and buzzing are so annoying. Now I just use it when I go to the gym,' one user tweeted. Another added: 'Recently got an apple watch and now I kinda feel like the tamagotchi with the rings and the goals and the standing - it's a lot compared to my old watch...' And one joked: 'The Apple Watch is good for fitness but I've had enough of the constant notifications. Suggestions? You're going to say turn them off aren't you.' Meanwhile, over on Reddit, there's an entire thread dedicated to disgruntled users who got rid of their Apple Watches. 'I've owned a smartwatch before, but at the end of the day, I'm a watch guy and I really appreciate having something beautifully made that will last the rest of my life on my wrist,' one user wrote. 'I also find notifications intrusive enough on my phone and don't need another medium by which I can be contacted. I also like not having additional data points collected on me at (nearly) all times.' Another said: 'Im a big runner and primarily use the activity trackings etc. Apart from that i find it to be a glorified beeper.' And one added: 'Recently decided to stop wearing mine. It's insidious. I was roped in with feelings of "I'll be able to track my health" I'll have "silent morning vibration alarms", "I'll check my phone less" etc etc. 'The reality is until I took it off and switched back to my simple classic Tissot, I didn't realize how trapped in that Apple Watch had me feeling.' If you have an Apple Watch and are sick of the constant notifications, thankfully it's very easy to switch these off. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch, then Notifications. Tap the app you'd like to turn notifications off for, tap Custom, then choose Notifications Off. 'Some apps let you choose the specific kind of notifications you receive,' Apple notes on its website. 'For example, for Calendar, you can allow notifications only for certain calendars or for specific actions, like when you get an invitation or someone changes a shared calendar. 'For Mail, you can choose which email accounts are allowed to send notifications.' MailOnline has contacted Apple for comment. Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more As any manicure enthusiast knows, once you've fallen for the gel nails aesthetic, it's a dedicated commitment - of both your time and your finances. To keep your nails looking their best, salon visits for upkeep can be as frequent as fortnightly, and costing from $50 up to $100, you're looking at between $1,300 and $2,600 every year. But a genius product from New Zealand nail care brand Gelous is saving savvy beauty buffs thousands with a DIY gel manicure kit. The UV/LED nail polish brand empowers customers to achieve nail salon-quality manicures at home, for a fraction of the price of regular professional services. In addition to their impressive array of polish shades, nail art supplies and application and removal tools, Gelous have a range of Starter Kits to help beginners get started with everything they need to master their at-home manicure skills. Daily Mail Australia readers can try Gelous for less with an exclusive 15 per cent off your order by using the discount code DAILYMAIL15 via the website, valid from March 12 to 16. Starting from just $142, the customisable kit includes a UV/LED gel nail lamp, one colour coat of your choice, as well as a base coat and top coat of your choice. Savvy shoppers in Australia, New Zealand and worldwide are saving thousands and giving up their regular salon visits with an at-home gel manicure kit It also provides a tool pack including blueberry cuticle oil, nail file, orangewood cuticle sticks, lint free wipes, and manicure removal clips. Shoppers can then choose to add a primer and a builder gel, while other Starter Kit options offer a bundle of popular polish colours, such as understated bridal shades, pinks and reds, nudes and browns, and more. The initial investment of the kit, which costs the equivalent of an average two to three salon visits, will quickly pay for themselves. Each bottle of nail polish will last for 40 applications, bringing the cost of each manicure down to just a few dollars, while the UV/LED lamp has 50,000 hours of use, ensuring thousands more at-home manis will be created over its lifetime. When you're accustomed to sitting down at a nail salon and letting the professionals do the work, mastering a flawless gel manicure may seem intimidating. The UV/LED nail polish brand empowers customers to achieve nail salon-quality manicures at home, for a fraction of the price of regular professional services The Starter Kits include one nail polish shade of your choice, with the option to add on bundles of popular colour ways But as more than 10,000 five-star reviews can attest to, the process is actually surprisingly simple and easy once you know how, with many shoppers likening it to the same as applying regular polish, just with the extra step of using the UV/LED lamp to harden the polish. With simple to follow instructions on their website, shoppers can easily learn the eight-step process for prepping, applying, curing and finishing their nails. As long as customers follow the instructions for correct prep, application and care, their at-home manicure will last at least two weeks without fading, peeling or chipping, the brand promises. 'Whilst lasting as long as a salon manicure, with the right products such as Builder Gel and Rubber Base Coat, your manicure is likely to last even longer,' Gelous said on its website. 'Plus, you'll have the added convenience of being able to touch up or redo your nails when it works for you without having to schedule and pay for another appointment.' The Gelous Starter Kit is a customisable bundle, starting from $142, which provides everything you need to create a flawless gel mani at home, and just one bottle of polish brings the average cost of one manicure down to a few dollars The eight-step process is simple to follow and easy once you've learned, according to more than 10,000 five star rave reviews on the Gelous website The savings, ease of use, and convenience of the at-home gel nail kit has won the brand thousands of rave reviews online, with one shopper giving it a '10/10.' 'My favourite builder gel out! So incredibly easy to use and it's the perfect base for a French tip,' she remarked. 'The colour compliments all skin tones and will look gorgeous on any nail shape, size or length. When applied correctly, with proper prep, it holds up so well. 'Despite all the hard wear that comes with my job, my nails won't lift or chip at all until soaked off. Highly recommend.' Another shopper wrote: 'I decided to take the plunge and invest in a full kit, as someone who loves doing her nails but was getting so sick of chipping within 48 hours. I absolutely love these colours and the overall kit. 'So easy to use with great simple instructions, and the nails look stunning! My first manicure lasted three full weeks with only minor lifting beginning at the end of the third week. I'm in love, totally converted to gel polish.' With the correct prep, application and care, their at-home manicure will last at least two weeks without fading, peeling or chipping, the brand promises Those who decided to invest in the kit to reduce trips to the nail salon explained how it had 'already paid for itself' within just weeks of using. 'Trying to save money in the longer term. This kit was recommended to me and I decided to invest. Has been great as I no longer need to go to the salon for pedicures or manicures any more,' one shared. 'Oh my goodness I LOVE it. It's so exciting sitting down and spending some time caring and looking after my nails. I get so many compliments after being a nail biter for a very long time. The colours are gorgeous, it sets perfectly and super happy with all the products,' another added. Long-time fans declared it the 'perfect' starting kit. 'This has everything you need to get started and give yourself beautiful nails. I've been using this for over three years now and love it,' one raved. The Starter Kits as well as nail polish, tools, nail art and accessories are available on the Gelous website with free shipping on orders over $100 to Australian cities. They also ship throughout New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Europe and the rest of the world. To buy a Gelous starter kit, click here. This tiny bridge in the clouds was constructed in 1987, but leaves visitors feeling that they're 'lost in a fairytale'. It's even nicknamed 'Fairyland Bridge'. But as these pictures show - crossing it is not for the faint of heart. Buxian Bridge, as it's officially called, connects two soaring granite peaks in a gorge in China's otherworldly, Unesco-listed Mount Huangshan district, with visitors accessing it via tunnels on either side. The bridge is only a few metres long, but it sits at an altitude of 1,700ft/518 metres - and there's an abyss beneath it. This tiny bridge in China's otherworldly, Unesco-listed Mount Huangshan district was constructed in 1987, but leaves visitors feeling that they're 'lost in a fairytale' 'Fairyland Bridge' is only a few metres long, but it sits at an altitude of 1,700ft/518 metres and there's an abyss beneath it The bridge is in a scenic area called Xihai Grand Canyon Tripadvisor user 'Hoben01' from California recommended that those with acrophobia (a fear of heights) should not look down. But the reward for venturing there is a photo opportunity like no other. As reviewer 'elvi6' from Vienna says: 'I felt like a princess in Middle-earth. 'It gives visitors the feeling that they are lost in some sort of fairytale that has come into life.' She adds that the bridge is a 'must visit' in the area. Unesco notes that Huangshan, in Anhui Province, is known as 'the loveliest mountain of China' and 'holds [a] fascination for visitors, poets, painters and photographers who come on pilgrimage to the site'. For detailed information on how to reach the bridge, which is in a scenic area called Xihai Grand Canyon, visit www.huangshantourguide.com. China calls for lasting peace plan after Ukraine agrees to 30-day ceasefire Xinhua) 16:50, March 12, 2025 BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- China hopes all parties involved in the Ukraine crisis will engage in dialogue and negotiation, and find a sustainable and lasting peace plan that accommodates their respective concerns, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular news briefing when commenting on Ukraine's readiness to accept a U.S. proposal for an "immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire" following talks with a U.S. delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Since the onset of the Ukraine crisis, China has advocated political settlement through dialogue and negotiation -- and made efforts to promote peace and dialogue, Mao said. A joint statement issued after hours of consultation between senior officials from the United States and Ukraine, said the truce could be extended by mutual agreement, while adding that "the United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace." (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) There are no swings or slides. After all, it's only the size of two sheets of A3 paper. But there is a bench. Welcome to the world's smallest park, as declared by Guinness World Records. It's located in the town of Nagaizumi in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and offers one passer-by a place to sit. And a tiny patch of vegetation for local insects to luxuriate in. The park, which covers just 0.24 sq m (2.3 sq ft), was created in 1988 after a staff member at Nagaizumis construction management division went on holiday to the USA. While there, they visited Mills End Park in Portland, Oregon, which was the worlds smallest park at the time - measuring 0.29 sq m (3.1 sq ft). They wanted to create an even smaller park, Shuji Koyama, a team leader at Nagaizumi's construction management division, explained to Guinness World Records. A Guinness World Records official pictured measuring a park in Nagaizumi, Japan, before declaring it the world's smallest Nagaizumi's park measures just 0.24 sq m (2.3 sq ft) - but still has a bench Mills End Park in Portland, Oregon (pictured), was the previous 'world's smallest park', measuring 0.29 sq m (3.1 sq ft) Your browser does not support iframes. Ever since Nagaizumi created its pocket-sized park, it has been calling it the worlds smallest. Guinness World Records honoured it with the official title in February this year with the help of a professional surveyor who measured the space. Shuji hopes that now more tourists will visit the area, which is a two-hour drive or 45-minute train journey from Tokyo. He added: We want to continue maintaining the park with the community, as well as creating a landscape that is more social media-friendly so that even more people will find attractions in our town. Japan isnt just home to the worlds smallest park. The worlds shortest escalator known as the Petit Calator - can also be found there. Located in the Okadaya More shopping centre in the Kawasaki-Shi region, the pint-sized people mover measures just 83.4cm/2.8ft high, has only five steps, and provides a ride lasting a mere six seconds. Japan has unveiled a new 'earthquake resistant', 200mph (320kph) bullet train that's designed by a British firm. Studio Tangerine, which is headquartered in London, has become the first non-Japanese design partner entrusted with helping to create one of Japan's iconic Shinkansen. The new East Japan Railway Company (JR East) train the E10 will come into service in 2030 and replace the existing E2 and E5 bullet trains on the Tohoku route, which connects Tokyo with the city of Aomori in the north of the country. Tangerine was commissioned to craft both the train's 'striking' two-tone exterior livery and its 'sophisticated interior, which spans distinct passenger classes'. The consultancy, which also helped create the new BA first-class seat, said in a statement: 'The E10 Shinkansen's exterior livery pays homage to the diverse regions the train traverses, with a mid-green colour palette reflecting the lush mountain forests and coastlines along the route.' Japan has unveiled a new 'earthquake resistant', 200mph (320kph) bullet train that's designed by a British firm, Tangerine. The consultancy has become the first non-Japanese design partner entrusted with helping to create one of Japan's iconic Shinkansen. The E10 (above) will enter service in 2030 The E10 features seat dividers and USB ports, with the interior 'inspired by Japanese aesthetic traditions and craftsmanship' The bright green colour at the top is called 'Tsugaru green' and the dark green colour at the bottom is 'evening elm'. The graphic shapes, meanwhile, 'are inspired by the silhouette of Sakura flowers - an iconic symbol of Japan, both domestically and internationally'. The interior is 'inspired by Japanese aesthetic traditions and craftsmanship, creating a refined and inviting environment'. Tangerine continued: 'Interior lighting has been carefully considered, utilising indirect wash lights to create a soft, calming ambience. 'Seating and layout variations across all classes elevate comfort for a diverse range of passengers while ensuring operational efficiency for JR East. 'A consistent design was established across all classes, with graduated wall and seat upholstery creating an impactful, premium aesthetic and an enhanced onboard experience.' Tangerine said: 'Interior lighting has been carefully considered, utilising indirect wash lights to create a soft, calming ambience' On the new E10 (above), passengers will enjoy a 'premium aesthetic and an enhanced onboard experience' The E10 will replace the E5 bullet train (pictured) on the Tohoku route BULLET TRAIN FAST FACTS The first bullet train, built by Hitachi, began operating on October 1, 1964, between Tokyo and Osaka. If bullet trains are more than one minute behind schedule they are considered officially late. If bullet trains are more than five minutes behind schedule, the company operating them must explain themselves to the government. The average bullet train delay is around 30 seconds. The bullet train network passenger fatality record is zero, since 1964. Hitachi, which has been building bullet trains since the 1960s, brought bullet train technology to the UK. In 2009 it introduced the countrys fastest domestic train the Javelin which runs at 140mph between London St Pancras International and Kent. The network is wired up to earthquake sensors. If a tremor is detected, the bullet trains stop automatically. The summit of Mt Fuji has been considered sacred since ancient times and bullet train staff have been known to bow to it as the train passes. Advertisement Seating features include dividers to improve sound insulation and privacy, large headrest 'side wings', USB ports, and wide tray tables. JR East also revealed that the next-generation train will have a shorter braking distance and 'dynamic dampers to absorb shaking during earthquakes' to prevent train damage and derailment. The train will be 'safer than ever', remarked JR East. Tangerine added that the E10 'is set to become a source of national pride and a point of intrigue for overseas visitors', with Matt Round, Chief Creative Officer at the consultancy, declaring: 'The E10 Shinkansen represents a milestone in UK-Japan collaboration within the rail sector, setting new benchmarks for hospitality-focused design and sustainable travel. 'With its blend of Japanese spirit, innovation, and user-centric design, the E10 Shinkansen is poised to redefine high-speed rail travel for decades to come.' A star-studded competition show is returning to screens after TV bosses made a sensational last-minute U-turn, much to the delight of fans. Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins pits stars against the challenges of the special forces' official selection course, in an intense two-week programme. Contestants are not voted off, rather they are culled by officials when they begin struggling or they voluntarily withdraw when the going gets a bit too tough. In the 2024 edition, Love Island star Georgia Harrison and professional boxer Lani Daniels went all the way after 13 of their fellow celebrities fell by the wayside. Last summer it was reported that the celebrity version would return for a seventh series but, according to The Sun, Channel 4 chiefs agreed behind the scenes to can the show after the upcoming season, despite its persistent popularity. That has now changed, with bosses at the station having a sudden change of heart after watching clips from the upcoming series. Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins is returning to screens after TV bosses made a sensational last-minute U-turn, much to the delight of fans The show pits stars against the challenges of the special forces' official selection course, in an intense two-week programme A TV insider said: 'Channel 4 never officially announced that Celebrity SAS had been dropped, but behind closed doors, they had decided not to bring it back at least for the time being. 'It's an expensive show to make, as far as reality shows go, and budgets have been tightened. 'They filmed a series in 2024, which will air later in 2025, and that was quietly considered to be the last one they would make. 'However, it's a beloved franchise and they have had a last-minute change of heart after doing the edit for the unaired series that's in the can.' The U-turn means that a 2026 edition, filmed later this year, will follow the upcoming season, which has already been filmed. Only 13 celebrities across six gruelling series have proved themselves a match for the infamous SAS training scheme and bosses are now embarking on the hunt for the next batch of stars prepared to take on the wide range of challenges. After last season's dramatic finale, fans took to social media to heap praise on the intense Channel 4 reality programme. One said: 'Another absolutely fantastic series, well done to all who took part and especially the girls who passed the course. More episodes next year please!' In the 2024 edition, Love Island star Georgia Harrison (pictured, in the cage) and professional boxer Lani Daniels went all the way after 13 of their fellow celebrities fell by the wayside Shortly after the conclusion of the last season, successful celebrity Georgia reflected on a particular moment which she described as 'sinister' Another added: 'Amazing series! Loved it! Congratulations on providing such gripping tv.. Well done to everyone involved... Not for the faint hearted.' A third posted: 'Loved this, I can't wait for next year now.' And another fan said: 'Absolutely amazing program so sad its finished!! Think its one of best!! Make another one soon!!' Shortly after the conclusion of the last season, successful celebrity Georgia reflected on a particular moment which she described as 'sinister' and which left her pal Olivia Attwood unable to watch. The final task of the show saw the last four recruits tasked with memorising a cover story and hiding a fictional mission from a specialist interrogations team, while enduring questioning and punishment. However, after being singled out as the 'leader', Georgia was brutally punished, with shock scenes seeing her locked in a dog cage and aggressively probed by staff while fellow contestant Bianca Gascoigne was forced to throw ice-cold water over her. She told Loose Women: 'So much of the final was like your mind wants to quit, it doesn't understand why you're doing this, everything in you just wants to say I'm done but you have to have the power to let that thought go and just sit in the discomfort of the situation you're in. 'That's what yoga and meditation is, it's letting your thoughts go and sitting in discomfort and getting more used to that and I really think that helped me so much throughout.' It was a skin-crawling week for Meghan Markle and her newly launched Netflix series and not just because critics are panning her for wearing all-white while cooking pasta with tomatoes and trying to pass off store-bought snacks as homemade. While many critics mock the inauthenticity of the duchess' show, With Love, Meghan, some have found more serious fault with a potentially harmful do-it-yourself project. Herbalists and skin care specialists are red-flagging Markle's bath salt mixture, which they fear may damage and even burn users' skin. 'Don't try this at home!' warned Jennifer Christopherson, a longtime esthetician and YouTuber who produced a video warning about Markle's concoction. 'I don't even know if she really knows what she's doing,' she said. Warnings come in response to Markle's very first DIY project in the first of the series eight episodes, all of which started streaming last week. Herbalists and skin care specialists are red-flagging Markle's bath salt mixture she featured on her Netflix show With Love, Meghan, which they fear may damage and even burn users' skin Jennifer Christopherson, a longtime esthetician and YouTuber, warned users not to try the recipe at home which she says could damage and even burn users' skin In it, she prepares a guest basket to welcome her friend, makeup artist Daniel Martin, to her Montecito mansion not to be confused with the Montecito farmhouse that she uses as a TV set. Among the items she makes for him, she dumps Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels from their original plastic packaging into his own personalized plastic bag in hopes of 'elevating' his late-night snacking experience. She also makes homemade candles with wax from honey bees she says she has raised herself. As if those segments as well as Markle's insistence on the surname Sussex weren't cringy enough, many viewers are appalled by her lax preparation of bath salts in which she hopes Martin will soak. The mixture of Epsom salt, Himalayan salt, arnica oil and lavender oil looks harmless enough. But the wanna-be princess turned wanna-be domestic diva fails to measure the ingredients, prompting one of her crew members to ask from off-camera, 'Is there a certain amount of salt that I'm dealing with here?' Markle doesn't concern herself with specifics, saying only 'Quite a bit' because she is clearly winging the recipe. In the episode, she prepares to welcome her friend, makeup artist Daniel Martin (right), to her Montecito mansion Markle failed to measure the ingredients of her bath salt recipe, prompting one of her crew members to ask from off-camera, 'Is there a certain amount of salt that I'm dealing with here?' Markle doesn't concern herself with specifics, saying only 'Quite a bit' because she is clearly winging the recipe. She added Epsom salt, Himalayan salt, arnica oil and lavender oil to the mixture 'I am not modest when it comes to the amount of salt I put in the bath,' she tells him, looking a bit irked by his emphasis on measurements. As it turns out, her mixture doesn't come close to filling the jar she planned to put it in. 'Let's bulk this up,' she says, hurriedly adding several more scoops of Epsom salt to cover up for her miscalculation. She tops the jar with a dried lavender and rosebud-filled sachet, which she calls 'a tea bag for the bath.' 'The joy of hostessing for me is surprising people with moments that let them know I was really thinking of their whole experience from morning 'til evening,' she says, sealing up the jar and tying a bow around it. 'I want everyone to come feeling really, really comforted when they're in our house.' Instead of comfort, however, many plant extractors and skin care experts are warning that Markle's bath salt mixture may cause rashes, hives or even burns to the skin because she failed to add a so-called 'carrier oil' to ease the potentially volatile effects of arnica and lavender oils. Carrier oils such as those pressed from jojoba, coconut, almond, primrose or grapeseed dilute the plant compounds in essential oils, easing potentially irritating effects on the skin. Sellers of essential oils insist that those being used topically must be mixed with carrier oils in ratios of at least eight to one. Yet Markle seemed to use no carrier oil at all when drizzling her salt mixture with three drops of lavender, plus at least two full eye droppers known as pipettes of arnica oil. Christopherson described that amount of undiluted arnica as 'a crap ton.' 'So that's why I was just absolutely cringing when I was watching that,' she said, noting in her 18-minute video that essential oils are 'unregulated substances' that, if overused, can irritate skin. 'You can't just dump an essential oil in, give (it) to a friend and be, like, hey, have fun,' Christopherson said. 'Get that whole thing out of your mind, what she did,' she told viewers wishing to use Markle's recipe. 'She likes to present herself as being this jack of all trades, that she knows about cooking, she knows about beauty, she knows about fashion, she knows about health, she knows about all these things,' Christopherson observed. 'But, based on that, she doesn't know about essential oils, I can tell you that right now. So just use caution. Just use care.' And she's not the only skin expert weighing in. Markle poured her mixture into the large jar she had handy for her makeup artist friend to mix into his bath that she wanted him to take at her house When the jar was left unfilled to the brim, Markle hurriedly added several more scoops of Epsom salt to cover up for her miscalculation She tops the jar with a dried lavender and rosebud-filled sachet, which she calls 'a tea bag for the bath' Christopherson criticized Markle for using two full eye droppers of undiluted arnica since putting an excessive amount of essential oils in a concoction can burn the skin Per the Tisserand Institute, which teaches curriculum about essential oils led by experts, Epsom salts do not properly dissolve essential oils. Essential oils are meant to be mixed with a dispersing agent, like vegetable oil, or else it may irritate the skin. 'While I don't believe this is inherently dangerous, mixing so many different scents and salts can sometimes cause irritation or sensitivities, especially for individuals with allergies or children with sensitive skin,' board certified-dermatologist Dr. Alexandra Bowles of MONA Dermatology in Ohio told Daily Mail exclusively. 'Im all for supporting my patients with DIY skincare as long as its safe and well-tolerated!' she continued. A royalist known on X as @_Genevieves_, whose previous posts indicate a strong allergy to Markle, got downright chemical in her analysis of the bath salts recipe: 'Essential oils are hydrophobic, meaning they don't mix with water, so when you add them to a bath without a proper dispersant, they can float on the surface & come into direct contact with your skin.' Based on the apparent oversight in the mixture, the user concluded that With Love, Meghan is 'Not only painful to watch but also irresponsible & dangerous!' Some viewers posted that Markle and Netflix should have included a disclaimer urging pregnant bathers and those with high blood pressure or other medical conditions to consult their doctor before using the salt mixtures. Others advised doing a patch test to check for any skin reactions to the concoction. 'Could Meghan Markle, her brand As Ever, Actual Productions and even Netflix be sued if someone does this bath salt recipe and it burns their skin?' asked YouTuber Stef the Alter Nerd. 'This is absolutely insane.' 'What's a little dermatitis between besties??' one Reddit poster quipped. A royalist known on X as @_Genevieves_, whose previous posts indicate a strong allergy to Markle, got downright chemical in her analysis of the bath salts recipe Some Reddit users joked about the potential health risks that using Meghan's recipe could lead to YouTuber Stef the Alter Nerd weighed in on the situation and asked the question of the show potentially getting sued if Markle's bath salt recipe burned their skin Several viewers marveled at Markle's seeming lack of preparation Other Reddit users commented that the editing didn't work in Markle's favor There were some viewers who found Markle helpful and charming. 'Bath salts was the last thing I was expecting. But it was perfect. The content I didnt KNOW Id been missing!' one Reddit reader wrote. 'Honestly the show inspired me to do home projects Ive been meaning to do for ages', wrote another. 'Such a genuinely cozy show,' added a third. But several marveled at Markle's seeming lack of preparation. 'Did she even practice this? Does she think she's so perfect that she didn't need to be prepared?' one viewer wrote. 'I have to think that Netflix just let her hang herself with her own rope at this point.' 'Whoever edited and put this together secretly does not like her lololol,' posted another. It seemed inevitable that Markle would face comparisons to America's favorite DYIer. And other Reddit users joked that Martha Stewart wasn't losing her job as the DIY queen anytime soon Some reactions reflected not just viewers' feelings about Merkle, but also their own families Several viewers seemed fixated on the improbability of any houseguest taking a bath in the first place, even in the home of royalty 'Martha Stewart certainly has nothing to worry about,' reads one Reddit commenter. Some reactions reflected not just viewers' feelings about Markle, but also their own families. 'Reminds me of my late mother's approach to hosting and entertaining. Things needed to look just so but didn't have to taste good or work right. Focus on the superficial but little concern about the actual substance,' one wrote. Several viewers seemed fixated on the improbability of any houseguest taking a bath in the first place, even in the home of royalty. 'Maybe it's just me, but I never take a bath at someone else's home,' one Reddit poster wrote. 'Sitting in someone else's tub is a nightmare for me,' posted another. Others warned of the risks topical exposure to salt can pose to not just to skin, but also women's private parts. 'I'm assuming these bath salts were targeted at the female viewers. Now we know her squaddies are straddling single-digit IQs. Too much Epsom salts in a bath alone can irritate our female nether regions,' one Reddit post reads. 'Enjoy your elevated minty vaginal infections, Squaddies!' reads another. The Daily Mail's requests for comment from Markle were not returned. Amid news Wendy Williams claims she passed a mental competency test in her efforts to be free of a guardianship, Dailymail.com is taking a closer look at the embattled talk show host's legal guardian, Sabrina Morrissey. Williams, 60, said on Good Day New York on Tuesday that she was cleared from an assisted living facility after passing a series of mental competency tests 'with flying colors.' Morrisey fell into controversy earlier this year when fans of the talk show host took to social media to condemn what they felt to be ultra-restrictive living conditions she imposed on the TV star amid her health battle. Fans of the talk show host used the hashtag #FreeWendy in a move comparable to past efforts when pop star Britney Spears was in a controversial conservatorship. In a January chat on The Breakfast Club, Williams told radio personalities DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God and Jess Hilarious that she had been the victim of 'emotional abuse' and had been 'trapped' in a New York City medical facility. In the radio appearance, Williams denied she was 'cognitively impaired' and claimed Morrissey confiscated her phone and left her with only $15. Her niece Alex Finnie supported her on the call. Dailymail.com has reached out to Morrissey for further comment on the latest events surrounding Williams. Amid news Wendy Williams was transported by ambulance to a New York City hospital Monday morning, Dailymail.com is taking a closer look at the embattled talk show host's legal guardian, Sabrina Morrissey Amid news Wendy Williams, 60, claims she passed a mental competency test in her efforts for freedom, Dailymail.com is taking a closer look at the embattled talk show host's legal guardian, Sabrina Morrissey Morrisey statement Morrissey has overseen the guardianship Williams has been living under since 2022. Her attorneys sent Dailymail.com an expansive statement in which she said that media coverage of the guardianship drama surrounding Williams has been 'untrue, inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading.' Morrisseys lawyers in her statement said that 'consistent with general practice in New York, guardianship proceedings are kept confidential to this case.' The letter read, 'Recently, however, the court determined that misinformation circulating in the media is harmful to Ms. Williams interests and the Guardianship.' The statement read that 'contrary to many media reports, Morrissey, as guardian, did not declare Wendy Williams to be legally incapacitated' as no guardian has that power. Lawyers for Morrisey said 'the decision to declare a person legally incapacitated rests solely with the court' - which the Supreme Court of New York County did toward Williams in August 2024, in declaring her 'to be legally incapacitated.' The court conducted multiple hearings 'based on three separate petitions for guardianship' involving witnesses and papers filed in the case, attorneys for Morrisey said in the statement. Morrisey's legal team said that 'the court heard from multiple witnesses and considered the papers filed in the case. 'The first petition for guardianship was filed by Wells Fargo, a bank where Ms. Williams holds accounts, because became aware of multiple attempts by a person known to Ms. Williams improperly to access Ms. Williams's accounts, as well as an uncharacteristically large charge on Ms. Williams credit card.' Lawyers for Morrisey said in the letter that a second guardianship petition Williams's business manager filed requested the court 'appoint a guardian based on Ms. Williams' multiple illnesses and cognitive impairment.' Williams pictured in February of 2023 in NYC, the year her team says she was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia Attorneys for Morrisey in the statement said the third petition was a cross-petition filed by Ms. Williams' son. The talk show host 'has appeared in the guardianship proceeding by counsel and has been given every opportunity to accept or contest the existence and terms of' the legal arrangement, Morrisey's legal team said in the statement. Williams agreed with 'the Court's structuring of the Guardianship and the powers given to the guardian until mid-2024' when her 'attorney asked the Court to terminate the Guardianship,' lawyers for Morrisey said in the letter. 'The Court denied the request,' Morrisey's legal team said in the statement, 'after bearing testimony from several more witnesses.' Lawyers for Morrisey said in the letter that Williams 'is free to try to terminate the Guardianship at any time' and 'has appeared at every hearing before the Court in this matter, where she has been represented by counsel.' The court 'has always engaged Ms. Williams directly and sought her input,' attorneys for Morrisey said in the statement. Morrisey's legal team said in the statement Williams' diagnosis of Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has remained in place since 2023; and that Williams has been commenting to the media that she doesnt think she has anything wrong with her health. Morrissey asked for doctors to re-examine Williams in response to her claims, lawyers for Morrisey said in the letter. Attorneys for Morrisey in the statement said Williams has not been kept from her family and can call them and see them whenever she wants. Morrisey's legal team said in the statement that Williams' relatives 'can visit her in person in New York City and she has traveled out of state twice to see them.' Morrisey has never denied Williams access to her family members, her attorneys said. Lawyers for Morrisey said in the letter that as guardian, Morrissey has seen to it that Williams received excellent medical care under the supervision of a professional geriatric care manager. 'On medical advice, Williams resides in an assisted living facility with a full complement of activities, classes, spa treatments, a workout room, 24/7 medical oversight, excellent food and dining room and outside terraces. 'Williams can leave the facility and has done so to shop, for meals and for medical appointments, although she usually requires a personal aide and private security to do so.' The lawyers said that 'throughout the guardianship proceeding, Williams' assets have been under professional management and are subject to court supervision. Every disbursement is reviewed and approved by the court. Miss Williams is not working and has no source of new income. The attorneys for Morrissey said in conclusion that statements about Williams, her condition and the guardianship harm Williams and her interests and undermine the protections created by the court for her health and welfare. They added that Morrisey has done her best to protect Williams and will continue to do so. The talk show host 'has appeared in the guardianship proceeding by counsel and has been given every opportunity to accept or contest the existence and terms of' the legal arrangement, Morrisey's legal team said in the statement Williams pictured in better times, as she got a Hollywood Walk Of Fame star in 2019 Morrisey background According to a bio on her website, 'Morrisseys primary focus is estate planning, administration, and litigation, and guardianships. 'Passionate about representing elderly clients and protecting them from fraud and abuse, Sabrina appears regularly on their behalf in the New York state courts, helping them to obtain appropriate support in the home, safeguard their assets, and plan for the future.' Morrissey has past been the president of the New York Womens Bar Association and on the group's Board of Directors and the co-chair of its committees for Elder Law and Disabilities; and Solo and Small Firms. 'Sabrina has worked as General Counsel for a mid-size international staffing firm, gaining invaluable expertise in company formation and operation,' her bio reads. 'She developed policies and procedures for the hiring and training of staff around the world, and advised the officers and directors on business decisions on a daily basis. ' Williams' frontotemporal dementia and aphasia diagnosis was announced in February 22, 2024 by her medical team. Williams' team at the time said that Williams had been diagnosed the prior year, and that the ailment 'presented significant hurdles in Wendy's life.' Said Williams' team: 'Wendy is still able to do many things for herself ... most importantly she maintains her trademark sense of humor and is receiving the care she requires to make sure she is protected and that her needs are addressed.' Morrissey has said that amid Williams health woes, the one-time daytime TV staple has 'become cognitively impaired, permanently disabled, and incapacitated.' Morrissey has said that amid her health woes, the one-time daytime TV staple has 'become cognitively impaired, permanently disabled, and incapacitated' Williams who is residing at an assisted living facility, was taken to a medical facility at around 11:15 a.m. Monday following a medical check, law enforcement sources told the New York Post. The veteran media personality, who has been staying in the memory ward of the facility, had penned a note that read 'Help! Wendy!!' and tossed it out a window from her room on the facility's fifth floor, according to the newspaper. Williams was subsequently seen 'waving her arms at a Post reporter while speaking on the phone,' the newspaper reported. Williams, who is attempting to scuttle a guardianship ordered on her by a New York City court, was later pictured heading to an ambulance with the aid of police officers. Monday's medical visit for Williams coincided with a timeframe in which she was planning a reemergence into the limelight, as she had been slated to appear Friday on The View on ABC. 'Prepping a very special friend for her appearance @theviewabc to air this Friday ... #freewendy,' an Instagram post from Williams former co-executive producer Suzanne Bass read Sunday. Bass has been critical of the guardianship overseen by Morrissey, calling the arrangement 'horrible' and 'terrifying.' Friday's planned outing would mark the first time the talk show host has been on a daytime show since she departed her program, The Wendy Williams Show, in 2021. It was not immediately clear if the appearance would continue amid Williams' medical issues Monday, or what platform the appearance would be conducted in, either in person or virtual. Most of Sydney's socialites and power players want to be seen. I mean, that's the point, isn't it? That's why they will turn up to the opening of an envelope and spend hours curating their Instagram feeds, tagging every designer outfit and wannabe hanger-on. But there's a new breed of mover and shaker in town. You just haven't heard about them... yet. Because these up-and-comers, while every bit as genetically blessed and talented as their A-list counterparts, are flying under the radar, achieving quietly and exercising discretion when it comes to their growing wealth and status. They dont come from famous families, nor have they married into wealth or inherited fortunes. Instead, these so-called invisible elites share one defining trait... Samantha Appel has built Australia's fastest growing skin clinic, The Skin Bar, in just four years Samantha Appel In just four years, Samantha Appel's skin-needling business The Skin Bar has become one of Australia's fastest-growing skin clinics. Unlike other beauty spaces, The Skin Bar is dedicated entirely to skin needling, a natural alternative to injectables. The popular treatment involves pricking the skin with a series of very fine needles, resulting in rapid healing and regeneration to the area. She first opened clinics in Cronulla but quickly expanded into Victoria and Queensland. She has a long list of celebrity clients including Jesinta Franklin, Natalie Roser and more recently British comedian Jack Whitehall. Quietly, Samantha also offers complimentary facials to women going through or recovering from cancer treatment. The ambitious mother-of-two is not one to boast; she's too busy expanding her empire. She's currently getting ready to open her tenth clinic with another ten set to open in the coming year. After that? Expansion into the American market in 2026. Impressive. She's not a typical Ascham mum either - you won't catch her in a drab beige two-piece. Samantha is known to often wear her signature colour green, which matches the branding for her clinic. Dr Kelly Thornbury is disrupting the male-dominated cosmetic surgery industry Dr Kelly Thornbury She may live and work in Sydney's eastern suburbs, but Dr Kelly Thornbury grew up in country NSW, and has spent more than 20 years studying to become a specialist plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgeon. With a team of talented staff and a suite in Double Bay, she's fast becoming the go-to breast doctor in the east, causing disruption in the male-dominated industry. She has a wait list of six to 12 months, but that doesn't stop clients from Dubai and the U.S. flying in for her superior treatment. With daughters at Kambala in Rose Bay, Kelly isn't caught up in the private school parent trap. You won't catch her in the 'mummy wine' scene either; she doesn't drink. Alongside her surgical excellence, she has teamed up with the aforementioned Samantha Appel to create their own successful skincare brand, Bottao. Alexa McGrath Alexa McGrath has both beauty and brains - but she certainly hasn't relied on her good looks to get ahead in business. She is best known for her work as a high-end interior designer, focusing on residential and aircraft design, but in recent years she has ventured into the beauty market. In 2020, she launched The Skincare Tools, a range of skincare devices using the latest advancements in technology and design. The range sold out three times on TVSN in just 24 hours. Alexa McGrath is the beauty and brains behind her eponymous interior design business, as well as the popular beauty brand The Skincare Tools Best friends Roxy Jacenko (left) and nurse Sam Brescia (right) celebrated International Women's Day together recently Dr Van Park is the go-to skin injector in for Sydney's elite Samantha Appel (left) and Dr Kelly Thornbury (right), both successful in their own right, have teamed up to create their own skincare brand, Bottao A mother of two girls and Kambala alumnus, McGrath is married to property developer Ghassy Bayni. She is known to have an extensive and enviable collection of Hermes handbags and, while picky when it comes to her social calendar, never misses an event hosted by the luxury French fashion house. Sam Brescia She may be the wife of furniture and property tycoon Moreno Brescia, but Sam Brescia is no trophy wife. She is best known as an in-demand specialist theatre nurse focusing on heart and lungs at St Vincent's Hospital. The former Sutherland Shire girl is known to be ultra private - unlike her besties Roxy Jacenko and fashion designer Tamara Ralph. With her famous classic car collection, she's the envy of other parents at the Scots College school gates. She keeps her clique close and appears to have little interest in rubbing shoulders with social climbers, which makes her all the more fascinating. Dr Van Park Leading Sydney-based aesthetic injector, Dr Van Park, known as the Queen of Fillers, has become the go-to for Sydney's elite due to her 'discreet' work. She's so in demand that her books are currently 'closed'. If you're hoping to walk into her clinic, good luck finding it. She's so private that her clinic sits inside a Victorian Woollahra terrace with zero signage so it doesn't draw any attention to her A-list clientele coming and going. In case you haven't noticed a theme here, it seems the medical and cosmetic field is where it's at if you want to make serious bucks and climb the ranks of Sydney's elite. So if you want to fit in, you'd better don some scrubs and leave your Birkin at home. Rita Ora is back Down Under promoting her new Typebea styling range with co-founder, Australian hair expert Anna Lahey. And the pop star turned heads in a stunning blue dress as she stepped out in Sydney during her press tour. The 34-year-old flaunted her toned and slender frame in a $1050 sheer strapless frock by ESSE Studio paired with Giuseppe Zanotti $1300 heels. She kept warm from the morning chill in a beige trench coat and accessorised with large silver hoop earrings. Rita styled her curly locks in a chic up do and accentuated her flawless skin and stunning features with a glamorous makeup palette. The British star kept perky with a cup of coffee and appeared to be having animated chat with Lahey. Rita Ora is back Down Under promoting her new Typebea styling range with co-founder, Australian hair expert Anna Lahey Rita shared her excitement about promoting her haircare brand in a gushing post on Instagram. 'I just want to say today has been unbelievable, like doing all the promo for the new styling range with Typebea, it's just made me so grateful and, you know, having the ability to do what I love and make things that I'm passionate about,' she said. 'Like, I'm so lucky it's raining outside and I'm getting all emo but, like, genuinely.' Rita's brand is said to aid in reversing damage from excess use of heat and styling, issues Rita has dealt with herself over the years as a pop star. She has candidly discussed the extent of the hair loss she dealt with throughout her 20s after 'burning it off' with products. 'I didn't really have hair in my 20s because I burnt it all off with colour damage and things,' she told The Daily Telegraph. 'That was really a big deal because I would commit to the look, I always changed my look - short hair, purple hair, blue hair, whatever hair. 'Whatever the era is, I am in - and I didn't care about my hair until it was all gone.' The pop star turned heads in a stunning blue dress as she stepped out in Sydney during her press tour The 34-year-old flaunted her toned and slender frame in a $1050 sheer strapless from by ESSE Studio Her co-founder Anna also suffered hair loss during her 20s due to health issues and the pair have embarked on a new hair protecting mission with their brand. Rita is well-known to Australian audiences for her role as a judge on The Voice and she and her husband Taika split their time between London and New Zealand. Rita and Taika - who shares two daughters his ex Chelsea Winstanley - secretly tied the knot in a low-key ceremony back in August 2022. The blonde beauty has appeared as a panellist on the UK version of the show since it launched its first episode in 2020, before she was replaced by Maya Jama this year. Elsewhere, 2023 was Rita's first appearance on the US version of the show as she replaced Nicole Scherzinger, who left to star in the West End hit Sunset Boulevard. Channing Tatum's new Aussie model girlfriend Inka Williams was spotted jetting out of Sydney Airport on Wednesday. The 25-year-old flaunted her trim figure in a black crop top as she checked in ahead of her flight to Melbourne, where she is rumoured to be making an appearance at the F1 Grand Prix with her Hollywood star boyfriend, 45. Inka completed her casual look with black trousers, a black leather jacket and a pair of beige suede boots. The model left her long brunette locks out and was seen pushing a large pink suitcase through the airport. Inka showed off her youthful complexion as she appeared to be makeup free for the flight. Channing is said to be 'happy' with his new model girlfriend after they confirmed their romance at a pre-Oscars bash earlier this month. Channing Tatum's new Aussie model girlfriend Inka Williams was spotted jetting out of Sydney Airport on Wednesday The 25-year-old flaunted her trim figure in a black crop top as she checked in ahead of her flight to Melbourne The Magic Mike actor was first linked to the Australian beauty in January following his split from ex-fiancee Zoe Kravitz in October 2024. A source told People that the couple are 'seeing' each other on romantic terms. 'They met through friends. She's great. She has her own life. She's young, but seems older.' The insider continued: 'Channing's doing well. [Inka] makes him happy. He's reuniting with Zoe later this spring for another movie project. It shouldn't be too awkward - they ended things on okay terms.' Inka, who was born in Melbourne and raised in Bali, balances her successful modelling career with her fashion brand She Is I. She previously discussed growing up in Bali, telling by charlotte that it made her a 'very compassionate person'. 'I feel so connected to the culture and energy of this island. It's so sacred and deep. I think that's reflected in my day-to-day life and way of living,' she said. Inka also explained how modelling from such a young age helped her 'build resilience and strength'. She is rumoured to be making an appearance at the F1 Grand Prix with her Hollywood star boyfriend Channing Inka completed her casual look with black trousers, a black leather jacket and a pair of beige suede boots The model left her long brunette locks out and was seen pushing a large pink suitcase through the airport Inka showed off her youthful complexion as she appeared to be makeup free for the flight Channing's new romance came almost four months after he split from his fiancee Zoe. Channing and Zoe, 35, were romantically involved for three years and engaged for one before they called off the wedding at the end of October. The split was a particular shock for the couple, as they had not only gotten engaged, but Channing had been spotted with fresh ink of Zoe's initials on the back of his hand in September. The former couple were last pictured together on Channing's Instagram page in a post from September 3, which showed Zoe apparently snoozing on her then-fiance's shirtless chest as he snapped a selfie of the two. In his caption, the Deadpool & Wolverine actor serenaded his love as he promoted her thriller Blink Twice. 'This little sweet. She So tired bro. Every time I wondered if shed break. She just kept going and going and going,' he gushed. 'Always on the dig for truth. She pourd (sic) every single ounce of her into this film. Im so proud to stand ten toes down for her, this film and everyone in it. forever. Knowing what it took to make it. No one will ever know.' Channing is said to be 'happy' with his new model girlfriend after they confirmed their romance at a pre-Oscars bash earlier this month The Magic Mike actor was first linked to the Australian beauty in January following his split from ex-fiancee Zoe Kravitz in October 2024 Inka, who was born in Melbourne and raised in Bali, balances her successful modelling career with her fashion brand She Is I She previously discussed growing up in Bali, telling by charlotte that it made her a 'very compassionate person' He concluded on a sweet note, adding, 'Thank you for finding me and seeing me. I got you forever. Me and you back to back against it all. Ill never blink. Lets go.' The former A-list couple's last in-person sighting appears to have been on October 6, when they were seen on a date night at a production of the play Picture Day at Coffey Street Studio in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighbourhood. The two were there in support of her Blink Twice actor Levon Hawke, who was making his directorial debut with the show. At the time, a source told People that the couple looked 'cozy and cute together' while hanging out with Levon and his sister, Stranger Things star Maya Hawke, before heading to a bar to party with the cast and crew. Blake Lively claims she felt 'the love' at her Another Simple Favor premiere during the South By Southwest Film Festival in Texas over the weekend, despite the chaotic reception. The actress, 37, who was seen stepping back into the limelight amid her legal battle with Justin Baldoni, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a number of snaps from the event. The premiere had its fair share of controversy, from a protestor holding a 'Justice for Justin Baldoni. Blake lied' sign, a seemingly frosty reception from co-star Anna Kendrick, a nervous red carpet interaction with her male co-star Michele Morrone, to accusations of the crowd being beefed up. Despite the drama, the Gossip Girl star gushed about the event, comparing it to a 'rock concert.' In the caption she wrote, 'Watching @asimplefavor opening night @sxsw felt like a rock concert. Thank you to the very best audience. Texas turns it out.' 'Making this movie was already the gift, every element of it. To share it with you all and feel the love returned to us was the best feeling. Thank you for having us Austin,' she added. Blake Lively, 37, claims she felt 'the love' at her Another Simple Favor premiere during the South By Southwest Film Festival in Texas over the weekend, despite the chaotic reception Blake also confirmed that her plunging dress was made of latex, writing, 'And yes. Its latex' along with a dress emoji. She wrapped up her caption writing, '(Shout out to the amazing #bashirsalahuddin who doesnt have an @) And thank you @sxsw and @claudasaur for having us.' Blake went on to share another post showing off a glamorous outfit as she continued to share snaps from the film's press tour. The star wore a floor length peach toned coat with silver embellishments, and a matching pair of pants. She paired the look with a white t-shirt and pointed toe heels. She further accessorized it with a sparkling $5,795 Judith Leiber martini-shaped purse. The bag was topped with a yellow lemon ornament. The accessory appeared to be a nod to her character, Emily Nelson, and her love of martinis. In another close-up snap of her face, she showed off her glam and matching peach tone earrings. The fashionista then added a snap of her rings, which included a white skull ring and two gold and diamond ones. The Gossip Girl star, who was seen stepping back into the limelight amid her legal battle with Justin Baldoni, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a number of snaps from the event Despite the drama, the star gushed about the event, comparing it to a 'rock concert', and wrote, 'To share it with you all and feel the love returned to us was the best feeling' Blake went on to share another post showing off a glamorous outfit as she continued to share snaps from the film's press tour She accessorized it with a sparkling $5,795 Judith Leiber martini-shaped purse In another close-up snap of her face, she showed off her glam and matching peach tone earrings The fashionista then added a snap of her rings, which included a white skull ring and two gold and diamond ones In another photo she posed with her cast, including Morrone, Anna Kendrick, Andrew Rannells, Henry Golding, Alex Newell, Elizabeth Perkins, and director Paul Feig In another photo she posed with her cast, including Morrone, Kendrick, Andrew Rannells, Henry Golding, Alex Newell, Elizabeth Perkins, and director Paul Feig. On Monday, Lively was accused of beefing up the crowd at the premiere. Lively was seen posing for a selfie with Laurie Feig, the wife of Another Simple Favor director Paul. Some of the star's most overzealous critics became convinced based on photos of the selfie that Laurie was pretending to be a fan in the crowd, despite being married to the filmmaker. 'Why is the director of Another Simple Favors wife pretending to be a fan in the crowd waiting for Blake on the red carpet to take a selfie?' wrote a YouTuber who has been critical of Lively, who is wrapped up in dueling lawsuits with her It Ends With Us costar and director Baldoni. 'Watch how many PR bots reply that this is normal, internalized misogyny, and why do you care?' the poster added. The premiere started off on the wrong foot, as Blake was greeted by a protestor. Proving that the PR disaster of It Ends With Us is far from over, a woman was seen wearing a shirt that said 'Blake lied' and held a sign that read: 'Justice for Justin Baldoni. Blake lied,' as the star walked the red carpet nearby. To make matters worse, there appeared to be more awkward moments as Blake's co-star Anna had an awkward response to a question about working with her on the film. 'Oh you know,' Anna said on the red carpet when asked about working with Blake. The premiere had its fair share of controversy, including a protestor holding a 'Justice for Justin Baldoni. Blake lied' sign Blake also had a seemingly frosty reception from her co-star Anna, with whom she did not pose for snaps on the red carpet, aside from a photo with their director While on the red carpet, Blake also appeared to have an awkward interaction with co-star Michele Morrone, 34, as she seemed to make a joke about her braless dress On Monday, Lively was accused of beefing up the crowd at the premiere after she was seen posing for a selfie with Laurie Feig, the wife of Another Simple Favor director Paul. Some critics became convinced that Laurie was pretending to be a fan in the crowd There were also no photos of Blake and Anna posing together, aside from a photo with their director. Inside the event, the stars were pictured awkwardly standing next to each other, with Anna holding her head down as she listened to Lively speak. Lively excitedly recounted the filming of the movie in Capri, Italy, as Kendrick stood by and only glanced over at her co-star one time in a video shared by Variety. Fans were convinced of tension between the two stars. One wrote, 'Oh Lord. Anna Kendrick looking like she would rather be ANYWHERE else, but there, listening to the inane drivel tumbling out of Blake Lively's mouth. Anna's body language is speaking VOLUMES here. God, I feel so bad for her.' Another added, 'Anna Kendrick's body language screams "get me outta here, last time I do a movie with you or be seen in public with you again."' While on the red carpet, Blake also appeared to have an awkward interaction with co-star Michele, 34, as she appeared to make a joke about her braless dress. In a video from the event, the actress looked down and adjusted the top of the dress before looking over at Morrone and making a comment as she laughed. Another Simple Favor, which is slated to officially release later this year on May 1, is the sequel to the 2018 movie A Simple Favor; Anna and Blake seen in a still Expert Nicola Hickling, who is the founder of LipReader, told DailyMail.com that Lively said, 'Oh sorry.' Morrone appeared nervous as he quickly turned his head away and made a hand gesture, before adjusting his hair. Anna and Blake reunited for the anticipated film, which is slated to officially release later this year on May 1, and is the sequel to the 2018 movie A Simple Favor. The premise, 'Follows Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Lively) as they head to the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily's extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman,' per IMDB. Anna and Blake's joint appearance on Friday at the premiere of their movie comes amid rumors of a 'secret feud' between the pair. It was previously reported that Kendrick is less than thrilled that Blake's legal drama with Baldoni is overshadowing their film. Last month, Lively unleashed a new salvo in her ongoing legal back-and-forth with Baldoni by claiming that she was not the only woman he made uncomfortable on the set of It Ends With Us. An amended version of her complaint filed late in New York federal court alleged that she has corroboration of her original claims, and a spokesperson for the actress claimed that 'other women confided in Blake about their discomfort,' according to People. Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her in a lawsuit filed in December while Baldoni accused Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, 48, and publicist Leslie Sloane of defamation and extortion in a $400 million suit filed in February; Baldoni is pictured 2024 Baldoni has denied the allegations from Lively, while Lively, Reynolds and Sloane have denied the accusations made by Baldoni; Lively and Baldoni seen on set of It Ends With Us Lively previously filed a sexual harassment lawsuit in December against Baldoni, who costarred in and directed her hit romantic drama It Ends With Us. Baldoni followed up by launching a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively, her publicist and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. He also filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against the New York Times for its reporting on Lively's allegations. Despite the escalating legal battle between the two parties, there's no end in sight for Lively or Baldoni. In January, a judge scheduled a trial date for their lawsuits in March of 2026, and both parties have already decided to skip any attempt at mediation. Jackie 'O' Henderson is bringing the nineties back in Greece. The queen of Sydney radio, 50, dolled up in chic maroon suit for her exclusive keynote address at the Radio Days European Radio Conference in Athens on Tuesday. But the petite blonde slipped into something more comfortable for an afternoon of sightseeing in the ancient capital with her manager and best friend Gemma O'Neil. Jackie has warmly embraced the Gen Z staple that harks back to her own roaring twenties in Sydney, the designer army pant. The KIIS FM radio star channeled a young Avril Lavigne as she stepped out in a $219 pair of Ksubi camouflage pants and a grey T-shirt. Her best friend Pip Edwards, 44, was announced as the creative director of the Australian streetwear brand back in September. Jackie 'O' Henderson stepped out in a pair of camouflage cargo pants as she went sightseeing in Greece with her Gemma O'Neil on Tuesday Jackie paired her green 'Fugitive Hash Camo' cargos with chunky black military boots. She wore her blonde tresses in loose curls around her shoulders, later removing her long sleeved undershirt to walk around the Acropolis. Cargo pants and shorts are a 'must have' in Jackie's wardrobe. The media personality told her followers in October she was wearing a grey pair of the camouflage pants almost every day, insisting they were the most flattering pair she owns. Pushing the sartorial boundary even further on one outing at Melbourne airport in 2024, Jackie flaunted her slim frame in a pair of $930 cargo shorts from the trendy brand Acne Studios. Jackie admitted the style is a 'blast from the past' in July, when she sported another pair of $1200 oversized parachute pants from the label. Today, camouflage fashion is a staple in streetwear fashion. Public Enemy, a hip-hop crew formed in 1986 in Long Island, are known as one of the first major groups that popularised the camo print. She wore her blonde tresses in loose curls around her shoulders, later removing her long sleeved undershirt to walk around the Acropolis The queen of Sydney radio, 50, dolled up in chic maroon suit for her exclusive keynote address at the Radio Days European Radio Conference in Athens earlier in the day on Tuesday she teamed the suit with a green T-shirt and a pair of designer sunglasses The politically charged group lent its cultural capital to the style, making the military fabric synonymous with rebellion and protest. Camo's popularity charged into the '90s and noughties, when it was being worn by pretty much everyone from rappers like Tupac and Wu-Tang Clan, to boy-bands like NSYNC, to Avril Lavigne, the Spice Girls and Destinys Child. Jackie recently revealed the secret to looking youthful after celebrating her 50th birthday. The radio host told Daily Mail Australia that being happy and positive has helped her look so young. 'I'm a smoker of all things and I haven't really looked after my body over the years,' she revealed. 'But I've always been a very, positive kind of person and generally happy. I couldn't attribute [my youthful looks] to anything else, to be honest.' She also revealed how meditation has helped her alleviate a lot of stress over the years. 'I think that meditation for sure gets you to a much calmer, joyful place in your life and that alleviates a lot of stress,' Jackie said. 'And as we know, stress is the number one factor for ageing and health problems in general. So I'm big believer in meditation.' Jackie also said she is excited about turning 50 next year and is 'grateful' for what she's achieved. 'I've had a wonderful life and I really appreciate what I do have in my life. I'm grateful that I've lived 50 years and so I'm not afraid of it at all,' she said. 'I'm happy to embrace it as every decade brings something new.' by Bill Murray I. A hundred years ago two battered and beleaguered old men, one an Italian prisoner, the other taken to wandering Irish bogs, arrived at the same fateful truth: the world around them was collapsing. Antonio Gramsci, Marxist theorist, imprisoned member of the Italian parliament, wrote from his cell that the old world is dying, and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum, a great variety of morbid symptoms appear. William Butler Yeats, a sort of mystic horrified by violence and uncertainty across his Irish homeland, saw the same future. From a cottage in County Galway he wrote things fall apart; the center cannot hold. What was worse, the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity. One a political theorist dissecting historys brutal transitions, the other a poet divining the chaos of human nature, both foresaw the same truththat societies dont glide one era to the next. Sufficiently stressed they shatter, and from the wreckage, new orders struggle to emerge. A hundred years on, Gramsci and Yeatss alarmed realizations read less like prophecy than real time commentary. Todays Americans grew up confident that they stood outside historys cycles of rise and fall. Battered but buoyed by victory in World War II (and recognizing an opportunity), the United States built a powerful international system meant to foster global stability and economic growth while, naturally, serving its own interests. And, in a world laid waste by war, so it did. For the longest time this system forestalled large-scale conflicts, allowing America and its allies to prosper. That system has played itself out. It was easy enough for the mighty and victorious United States to stamp its model on a war-exhausted world. Turns out, maintaining that system indefinitely in a restive world is challenging. Gramsci speaks outside of time straight to this week that the old is dying. As a new alignment struggles to be born, just as he said: witness the morbid symptoms. American legend still holds that the US is fundamentally different from and superior to other nations. We call it American Exceptionalism. Exceptionalism thrived during the fleeting unipolar moment. With the Soviet collapse and the Cold Wars end, the U.S. bestrode the globefor better and worse. But the hubris and mutations born of that era now blind us to our decline. II. Stories are handed down through time, customs take root. Thats how we form cultures. Children learn that manifest destiny built a continent and that they come from strong, hardworking stock. With luck and good governance in a vast and richly endowed land, Americans hope to enjoy their mountains majesty forevermore. But contemporary problems creep in. Instruments of governance crafted for an age gone by, deteriorating domestic infrastructure and aging world institutions cant be fixed by proclamation. Economic inequality, loss of respect for processes and institutions and especially the press of technological change, all proceed apace. Exceptionalism may once have helped us push our problems to the side, but they remain our problems. There is a funerary rite called Famadihana in Madagascar that I find ghoulish and kind of gross. Every seven years families dig up their ancestors bones, rewrap them in fresh fabric and dance. Its a way to honor the deceased. They dig up grandma, dance her around, roll the bones and replant them. Its alien and macabre to me but (so Ive read) natural to the Malagasy. On Pentecost Island in Vanuatu, men jump from wooden towers with only vines tied around their ankles as a rite of passage like bungee jumping without elastic, trusting their lives to nature. Highlanders in Papua New Guinea believe knowledge comes from the father, but blood belongs to the mother. An adolescent Papuan boys path to manhood requires a harrowing, painful night-long ritual of scarification to return the blood. Traditions like these, utterly unique, give civilizations their identity. Gather the worlds quirks side by side like Noah, regard the epic, living pageant of people and celebrate the wonder of humanity. Just dont rank traditions in order of worth. Thats where exceptionalism courts trouble. III. Madeleine Albright served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations then Secretary of State starting in 1997. If we have to use force, it is because we are America; we are the indispensable nation, she said. We stand tall and we see further than other countries into the future. This was unabashed American Exceptionalisman assertion that American leadership was both duty and historical inevitability. It ranked the countrys innate worth ahead of others, and its naked hubris hinted at the America First version of today. Yet the idea of American Exceptionalism wasnt new. It has been around in one form or another for as long as the country. Seventeenth century English Protestants, who settled New England because they took exception to conditions at home, considered they were exceptional enough to sail uncertain seas for freedom. Alexis de Tocqueville put Exceptionalism explicitly in the nineteenth century: the position of the Americans is therefore quite exceptional, and it may be believed that no democratic people will ever be placed in a similar one. The Albright version of Exceptionalism is a quarter century old by now, and times have changed. American Exceptionalism today is reduced to an easy-to-grasp MAGA shibboleth. For the opportunist politician, Exceptionalism is now the lowest hanging fruit. Exceptionalism, whether the Puritans, Toquevilles, Albrights or the new Donald Trump MAGA version, discourages collective self-examination. If America is the promised land then decline cant happen here. The US need not change; its Exceptional. Exceptionalism gives license to critique the Other while ignoring symptoms of our own decay. We do so at our peril. In the case of JD Vances criticism of our European allies in Munich, at our considerable peril. Europeans didnt take Donald Trumps 2016 election as the wake-up call they should have. Instead of an all-hands-on-deck build out of their own defenses, European governments found graveyards to whistle past while praying Trump was an aberration. Europe, MAGA Exceptionalism now declares, is complacent. Americas nearly decade and a half old pivot to Asia diagnoses China as its new principal antagonist, and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company as the ground zero formerly occupied by Quemoy and Matsu. MAGAs version of Exceptionalism summons Taiwanese manufacturing to Americas shores via implied ultimatum. MAGA does diplomacy by threat, treating the fate of the island more as a transaction over microchips than human drama and strategic dilemma. To the extent that MAGA Exceptionalism challenges authoritarianism abroad, it does so even as it accelerates Americas democratic decline. Maddening question: why cant more people see it? Not only can it happen here, it obviously, quite clearly and quickly is happening here. The road to ruin isnt hypothetical; we are on it. Exceptionalism isnt the cause of American political decline; its the story we tell ourselves to avoid confronting it. Exceptionalism allows us to look at other countries with righteous indignation rather than inward, toward our own faltering institutions. Its an excuse, a rationalization, balm for a society avoiding the truth. When we critique European NATO spending, Hungarys corrupt media consolidation or the Chinese internets Great Wall, we allow ourselves to avoid difficult questions about our system, our institutions and our current governance. To solve the problem, its time to grapple with the changing world. IV. Change is unrelenting, shaped by invisible forces, unanticipated circumstances and random events. Those coming of age online grapple with a new deluge of contradictory narratives. Our new arbiter of everything, social media, rewards emotion over analysis. Yet despite the churn of societal change, for now America maintains immense economic, cultural and military influence. Those inclined might be persuaded its decline is exaggerated. Perhaps every country assumes that because it has survived past crises, it will always rebound. If infrastructure crumbles, society adapts. If political dysfunction worsens, elections continue. But until we recognize our own decline we will not act to stop it. Ever since the unipolar moment American Exceptionalism has served as a shield against inconvenient questions, but the MAGA strain of Exceptionalism is differentit adds a torrent of diversion used to hide massive corruption. Many of us not aboard the MAGA train fear an incipient, malignant strain of neopopulism may come to define the coming decades, just as it stalks the mountains to the prairies today. Others (not a whole lot of others) hope for a progressive resurgence. The second quarter of the century is off to a shaky start. Todays populism diverts and delays focus from real and challenging issues like climate and immigration, and the destructive synergy one derives from the other. Jamelle Bouie has been cited as saying that most of us will probably die living in the political order that will emerge out of this election. Given the chaos of MAGAs first six weeks, that doesnt sound good. But moments like these need not only be moments of disorder; they can simultaneously become incubators of a yet-to-be-born order to come. If Gramsci predicted this moment, when the old is dying and the new cannot yet be born, then our present momentour only momentholds terrifying responsibility. The interregnum is not an abstraction, it is all around us. Gramscis morbid symptoms are everywhere you look. Shocked, often embittered anti-MAGA voters heard pundits pleas in the days after election day: Stay with us! Dont drop out! Please, remain engaged! Many of us, utterly deflated, dropped straight out for a time and have yet to come back. But I expect its temporary, and that if chaos continues, a reckoning, possibly a clash, is coming. Yeats warned us what happens when the center collapses, when the worst seize the moment and the best hesitate. For now the center is holding, only just; only in the sense that it hasnt yet collapsed. The imperative is for the best not to hesitate. The question is whether they will. This is not a time for calm and reassurance. It is a time of judgement unique in Americans formerly exceptional lived experience. I think one place to find wisdom just now is in the stoicism of Eastern Europeans. Watch todays frontline against Russia and Belarus: the Nordics, Baltics, Ukraine, Poland and Romania. They have a lived history with disorder. Listen to what they are saying. Shaped by their experience in the Soviet era and the raw days of deprivation in the early 1990s, these governments dont do a lot of swagger. Instead they display an inner conviction and a quiet determination to do what is necessary, come what may. Is the Exceptional country listening? Can it absorb the wisdom of others? In spring 2025 America appears equally likely to press on with its brusque, MAGA Exceptionalismright up until the rule of law is lost to a nation that refused to listen. The American lighthouse keeper has been climbing his stairs to tend the flame for 249 years. The haul to the top is more of a trudge every year, and it shows. Still shining his faltering light, the proprietor of the ailing international rules-based system, newly infected by the novel MAGA virus, has grown weary. Hes weighing retirement. When he goes, as Gramsci would put it, that is the time of monsters. I write more articles like this at Common Sense and Whiskey on Substack. Please visit, and subscribe. Enjoying the content on 3QD? Help keep us going by donating now. Boosie Badazz's concert in Akron, Ohio has left two critically injured after shots rang out while the star was on stage - seven months after two were killed at the rapper's past performance. The incident took place at the FieldHouse Lounge on Monday where 'a fight broke out, and an unidentified male suspect fired multiple shots, striking the victims. The suspect fled the scene following the shooting,' according to WKYC. Two men - ages 18 and 36 - had 'apparent' gunshot wounds and were transported to a local hospital in 'critical condition,' per Cleveland 19 News. A 25-year-old man also arrived to a nearby emergency room with a 'graze gunshot injury.' The reported shooting took place around 2:00am local time, and a call for help was placed by two off-duty officers who were acting as security at the venue. A video on X captured the moment as a fan filmed Boosie Badazz - whose real name is Torrence Ivy Hatch Jr. - was on stage surrounded by other attendees when two loud bangs echoed around the dimly lit lounge. Boosie Badazz's concert in Akron, Ohio has left two critically injured after shots rang out while the star was on stage - seven months after two were killed at the rapper's past performance; seen in 2017 in Universal City BREAKING: A shooting at Boosies show in Akron, Ohio, left three people injured, with two in critical condition! https://t.co/I6sPyDTJIs Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) March 11, 2025 The performer could be seen ducking as he backed away from the main stage while concertgoers let out panicked yells and also ducked. Akron PD Deputy Chief Michael Miller also informed TMZ Hip Hop that one shot had been fired when the rapper was on the stage. The gunman may have entered the lounge through a 'blind spot' or second door because there was security at the front - as well scanners. The suspect - who has also been identified as male - left the venue on foot, and the motive is currently not known. However, an altercation seemingly took place inside which resulted in the gunman firing with a semiautomatic weapon. Following the incident, shell casings were found at the venue and officers are currently looking for surveillance footage that could assist in hunting down the suspect. The FieldHouse Lounge also issued a statement on Instagram after the shooting which read: 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that took place at our establishment last night. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and everyone affected by this event. To our loyal customers and supporters, we sincerely apologize for the fear and distress this incident has caused.' Two men - ages 18 and 36 - had 'apparent' gunshot wounds and were transported to a local hospital in 'critical condition,' per Cleveland 19 News; seen earlier this month in Kentucky A video on X captured the moment as a fan filmed Boosie Badazz - whose real name is Torrence Ivy Hatch Jr. - was on stage surrounding by other attendees when two loud bangs echoed around the dimly lit lounge The performer could be seen ducking as he backed away from the main stage while concertgoers let out panicked yells and also ducked 'The safety and well-being of our guests are always our top priority, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to prevent something like this from ever happening again.' The statement concluded with the venue stating 'we are committed to fully cooperate with the city of Akron to ensure the safety of our community.' It comes seven months after two men were fatally shot prior to an outdoor show in Pacific Junction, Iowa that was headlined by Boosie Badazz. The rapper was among the performers slated to play a show at the I-29 Speedway titled The Pull Up Car Show and Music Fest, organizers said. Omaha, Nebraska natives Marcus L. Johnson, 28, and Charles A. Williams Jr., 27, 'died as a result of the shooting,' in the parking lot at the venue, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said in a statement. Musical artists including Rob49 and Rich the Factor, and comedians Josh El Stupo & Scruncho, had also been advertised to also play at the event, organizers said. The comedy performances were slated to commence at 6 p.m., while the musical artists were slated to take the stage from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. The suspect - who has also been identified as male - left the venue on foot, and the motive is currently not known; seen at venue before shooting on Monday The FieldHouse Lounge also issued a statement on Instagram after the shooting which read: 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that took place at our establishment last night' According to the Iowa DPS, authorities with the the Mills County Sheriffs Office responded to a shooting 'at approximately 8:59 p.m.' Authorities had 'secured' the area where the shooting had taken place at 10:30 p.m., according to the radio conglomerate KMA Land. Law enforcement was seeking 'at least three subjects, reportedly in a black Mercedes sedan,' KMA Land reported. The Omaha Police helicopter ABLE-1 was requested by authorities to conduct a thorough search of the surrounding region, according to KMA Land. Boosie was not apparently aware a shooting had occurred in an Instagram clip he posted to more than 1 million followers after the show was canceled. 'They just shut the concert down,' Boosie said as he appeared to be seated in a vehicle. 'I've been in the back a couple of hours waiting to perform and they just shut the concert down - I don't know - some s*** happened in the front.' Boosie said he was headed to a nearby lounge in the wake of the canceled show. It comes seven months after two men were fatally shot prior to an outdoor show in Pacific Junction, Iowa that was headlined by Boosie Badazz; seen in 2021 in Georgia 'We're going to take it to Crush Ultra Lounge, the party dont stop,' he said. 'Guess they gonna have to book me again in Omaha, but we finna we finna take it to Crush man.' Boosie captioned the post: 'Omaha Police Shut The Concert Down So Now We Headed Downtown Omaha To Crush Ultra Lounge Official After Party.' At the time, officials with the Iowa DPS said that their probe into the incident was continuing and 'no additional information will be released at this time.' The Iowa DPS said that 'the Mills County Sheriffs Office is being assisted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa State Patrol, Omaha Police Department, and several surrounding law enforcement agencies' in their investigation. Channel 10 star Narelda Jacobs has announced the arrival of her first child with wife Karina Natt. The couple shared the exciting news to Instagram on Wednesday alongside a sweet photo holding their newborn daughter's little hand. Narelda revealed their baby girl's name is Sanna and she was born on Sunday. 'Sanna Swan Jacobs Natt. 09.03.25. Mums and dad are in awe and totally in love,' the sweet image was captioned. Many of their celebrity friends flocked to the comments to congratulate the couple on their new arrival. 'Welcome to the world little one!!! Congratulations!!!' Madeleine West wrote while Melissa Leong said: 'What joy! Congratulations mums and dad!' Channel 10 star Narelda Jacobs (right) has announced the arrival of her first child with wife Karina Natt (left) 'Congratulations - such glorious news,' Jessica Rowe also commented. 'Woohooo! Welcome to the world little angel. Congratulations to the two of you,' Brittany Higgins added. The couple announced they were expecting to welcome their first child together back in December. They dropped their baby bombshell during an announcement about an upcoming book launch. 'We've got some exciting news,' a bikini-clad Narelda said to the camera before Karina added: 'We're having a book baby.' Narelda then revealed the couple were expecting. 'Oh, and we're also having a human baby, which is out next year,' she said. The newsreader and the political advisor then shared a kiss. The couple shared the exciting news to Instagram on Wednesday alongside a sweet photo holding their newborn daughter's little hand Narelda and Karina added in the statement that they were not going to let 'homophobes' steal their 'baby joy.' 'Like all expectant queer parents we are prepared for homophobic backlash, but there's no way the naysayers are going to ruin our baby joy,' they said. 'So, we've hatched a plan to show just how natural it is for queers to have kids. Our adult picture book is a celebration of love and chosen family.' The pair were married in a fun-filled ceremony in Sydney in early August 2024, just 18 months after they went on their first date. The two said 'I do' in front of a floral arch placed before a huge window at what appeared to be an upper floor location. Narelda and her new wife each opted for white ensembles, with the TV star choosing a fitted gown with fur accents from Aussie luxury label Zhivago. Among the celebrity guests were MasterChef Australia star Melissa Leong and celebrity chef Kylie Kwong. Also in attendance was comedian Luke McGregor and his wife Dr Amy Thunig-McGregor. The couple announced they were expecting their first child together back in December The pair were married in a fun-filled ceremony in Sydney in early August 2024, just 18 months after they went on their first date Natt is the chief of staff for South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young. Jacobs was previously in a long-term relationship with filmmaker Stevie Cruz-Martin. While it's unclear when Jacobs and Cruz-Martin broke up, the film and television director now appears to be based in London. She debuted her new romance in an Instagram post in early 2023, sharing a photo of the two women kissing during Sydney World Pride celebrations. Ben Affleck had a blistering response after his son Samuel asked him for $6,000 sneakers. The Town actor, 52, made sure his 13-year-old understood that fortune is earned, not inherited, after a pair of Dior Air Jordan 1 shoes caught Sam's eye at the Got Sole sneaker convention last week, telling him quite simply: 'You're broke.' In a red carpet interview at SXSW this weekend, Affleck, who has a reported $150 million net worth, explained why he turned down the request. 'He's like "We have the money,"' the father-of-three told Access Hollywood. 'I'm like "I have the money, you're broke!"' 'That's what happens when you tell a motherf***er they have to mow a lawn. All of a sudden they don't want those shoes,' Affleck, who shares his son's love of sneakers, joked. Affleck added that 'there's always some grift why I need to be buying... I'm like, man, you do not need thousand dollar shoes.' Ben Affleck, 52, had a blistering response after his son Samuel asked him for $6,000 sneakers The actor made sure his 13-year-old understood that fortune is earned, not inherited, after a pair of Dior Air Jordan 1 shoes caught Sam's eye at the Got Sole sneaker convention last week, telling him quite simply: 'You're broke' In a video from the convention, shared on the Got Sole Instagram account, Affleck was seen telling his son, 'That's a lot of lawns you've gotta mow there.' 'You just like those because they're expensive,' he added. Sam replied, 'No they're tough! I always said they look good.' The 2020 limited-edition low-tops, once $2,000, now command premium resale prices as collector's items. Sam then shared that his dad's favorite sneakers are the Nike SB De La Soul. Meanwhile Sam picked Air Dior's and Nike Red October's as his favorite sneakers. Fans were impressed with Ben's sensible response, with one writing, 'Man knows the value of a dollar, he didn't grow up with millions in the bank.' 'I love it!!! Keeping his kids grounded,' another added. 'Good for you Ben - no kid needs $6k sneakers.' In a red carpet interview at SXSW this weekend, Affleck, who has a reported $150 million net worth, explained why he turned down the request 'He's like "We have the money,"' the father-of-three told Access Hollywood. 'I'm like "I have the money, you're broke!"' 'That's what happens when you tell a motherf***er they have to mow a lawn. All of a sudden they don't want those shoes,' he joked In a video from the convention Affleck was seen telling his son, 'That's a lot of lawns you've gotta mow there' Fans were impressed with Ben's sensible response, with one writing, 'Man knows the value of a dollar, he didn't grow up with millions in the bank' Someone else wrote, 'Great response! Work for what you want!' 'A normal dad with a right decision.' 'There's a man that's grounded and really wants his kid to learn the world isn't free.' The Boston-raised actor comes from humble beginnings. In 2023, Affleck recounted how he and pal Matt Damon, 54, shared a bank account in their twenties. While appearing on The Drew Barrymore Show he said that when he and Damon sold the rights to their Oscar winning script, Good Will Hunting, for $600,000, they believed they were 'rich for life.' However, after paying their agent, taxes, rent, and buying themselves a Jeep Cherokee each, they went 'broke in six months.' Aside from Samuel, Affleck also shares Violet, 19, and Fin, 16, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, 52. It comes days after a video of a sexy clinch between Garner and Affleck sparked speculation about them rekindling their romance, and left his second ex-wife, Jennifer Lopez, 55, 'furious.' In a video obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail, Affleck was seen tenderly embracing his ex-wife, and the mother of his three children. Affleck and Samuel both share a love of sneakers; the duo pictured in Santa Monica in 2022 Aside from Samuel, Affleck also shares Violet, 19, and Fin, 16, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, 52; they are seen in 2007 It comes days after a video of a sexy clinch between Garner and Affleck sparked speculation about them rekindling their romance, and left his second ex-wife, Jennifer Lopez, 55, 'furious'; seen with Lopez in 2021 The pair were paintballing at the Combat Paintball Park in Castaic near Los Angeles with two of their kids. Affleck and Garner tied the knot in 2005 and divorced in 2018. Garner has since been dating CaliBurger CEO John Miller, who was rattled by the clip according to sources. Earlier this week it was reported that Garner is 'deathly afraid of falling back in love' with Ben, and still has 'trust issues' after he slept with their children's nanny, Christine Ouzounian, now 37, a decade ago. 'She loves Ben but is worried that he will crush her all over again,' a source told DailyMail.com. Meanwhile Lopez and Affleck settled their divorce on January 6, however, court documents confirmed the marriage wasn't legally dissolved until February 21. More than 20 years after 8 Mile hit theaters, one of Eminem's co-stars - who is now a beloved Marvel superhero - is opening up about the film. 8 Mile hit theaters in 2002, marking the rapper's feature film debut, with the story loosely based on his early days rapping in his hometown of Detroit. Another actor made his feature-film debut in 8 Mile, who would go on to star in some of Marvel's biggest films. 8 Mile became a critical and commercial hit, earning $242.8 million worldwide from just a $41 million budget, with Eminem taking home the Oscar for Best Original Song for the hit Lose Yourself. While the film is still beloved over two decades later, Eminem's co-star revealed the rapper 'tricked' him during one of the rap battle scenes. Who is the co-star who was tricked? It was none other than Anthony Mackie, who played Papa Doc in the film, and opened up about it on The Pivot Podcast, which comes after he made some controversial Captain America comments. More than 20 years after 8 Mile hit theaters, one of Eminem 's co-stars - who is now a beloved Marvel superhero - is opening up about the film Another actor made his feature-film debut in 8 Mile, who would go on to star in some of Marvel's biggest films Who is the co-star who was tricked? It was none other than Anthony Mackie , who played Papa Doc in the film, and opened up about it on The Pivot Podcast Clarence a.k.a. Papa Doc was the leader of a Detroit rap crew known as Leaders of the Free World, who was the primary rival of Eminem's Rabbit. He revealed on the podcast how the rapper - who Mackie called, 'a brilliant dude' used his own life story against him in the film. 'We're on set one day and he's like, "Yo, it don't make sense that we're beefing. I need something like on you,' Mackie said. He added that they were talking for about two hours and he left, but the next day when they were shooting the battle scene, when he realized things had changed. 'I'm standing there like, "You're talking about me! You're not talking about Clarence,"' Mackie said with a laugh. He joked, 'This has nothing to do with the character! You're an a**hole, Eminem!' Mackie also joked, 'I'm like, I wanna fight this motherf***er!' after the rapper-turned-actor tricked him. Mackie grew up in suburban New Orleans and attended a private school, which Eminem's Rabbit rapped about in the battle. Clarence a.k.a. Papa Doc was the leader of a Detroit rap crew known as Leaders of the Free World, who was the primary rival of Eminem's Rabbit 'We're on set one day and he's like, "Yo, it don't make sense that we're beefing. I need something like on you,' Mackie said 'I'm standing there like, "You're talking about me! You're not talking about Clarence,"' Mackie said with a laugh He joked, 'This has nothing to do with the character! You're an a**hole, Eminem!' The actor parlayed that role into roles in films like The Manchurian Candidate, She Hate Me, Million Dollar Baby, Half Nelson, We Are Marshall and The Hurt Locker. He would also go on to play Tupac Shakur in The Notorious B.I.G. film Notorious, along with Real Steel and The Adjustment Bureau before stepping into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Sam Wilson in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Mackie appeared in five more Marvel movies as Sam Wilson, before turning to the small screen with Disney Plus' The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. That limited series helped set up this year's Captain America: Brave New World, and he'll return in Avengers: Doomsday next year. Lila Moss looked effortlessly chic as she left her Paris hotel ahead of the Saint Laurent show at Paris Fashion Week. The lookalike daughter of Kate Moss was spotted exiting her hotel Place Vendome in the French capital on Tuesday. She then made her way to the star-studded Saint Laurent Womenswear Fall/Winter 2025-2026, where he was joined by her mother. Lila, 22, showed off her chic sense of style for the show as she opted for a thigh-skimming camel mini dress. Her smock-style dress was complete with a bardot neckline and adorned with ruffles, cinched in by drawstrings at the hips. She paired the ensemble with brown barely-there heel and a dramatic pair of red, black and pearl gold earrings. Lila Moss looked effortlessly chic as she left her Paris hotel ahead of the Saint Laurent show at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday The lookalike daughter of Kate Moss was spotted exiting her hotel Place Vendome in the French capital The model has been a fixture at Paris Fashion Week both on and off the runway, and is the daughter of Kate and Dazed Media CEO Jefferson Hack, 52, who the supermodel was in a relationship with in the early 2000s. It comes days after Lila slipped into a sexy bralette under a lace blouse as she attended the star-studded Frame party during in Paris on Saturday. Lila stole the spotlight from her supermodel mother in the very racy look at the Chateau Voltaire. Lila made sure to turn heads while leading the star-studded arrivals, pulling out all the stops in the eye-popping ensemble. She put on a leggy display in leather hot pants and sheer black tights, teamed with black suede Christian Louboutin heels. Lila has followed in Kate's model footsteps and nabbed her first modelling gig at the age of 15 with a Marc Jacobs Beauty campaign - at just a year older than her mother was when she entered the business. Despite her mother being one of the famous models in the business, Lila revealed that Kate was keen to deter her from following in her footsteps. 'My mum always put me off [modelling],' Lila said. 'She was always like, 'If you want to do it, you can, but I wouldn't recommend it.' Lila, 22, showed off her chic sense of style for the show as she opted for a thigh-skimming camel mini dress Her smock-style dress was complete with a bardot neckline and adorned with ruffles, cinched in by drawstrings at the hip She paired the ensemble with brown barely-there heel and a dramatic pair of red, black and pearl gold earrings Lila was joined by her supermodel mother Kate at the show as she put on a daring display with a completely sheer top As well as her flourishing career, Lila's love life has been thriving as she has been dating Yoni, 23, for roughly 18 months. In August 2023, MailOnline exclusively revealed that Lila's boyfriend was Yoni, with the pair seen out in London frequently together over those summer months. Last year a source confirmed the couple, who were first pictured together as friends in 2021, had been dating for around a year. Yoni's official job title is e-commerce coordinator/ fashion marketer for fashion brand Self Portrait. It comes days after Lila slipped into a sexy bralette under a lace blouse as she attended the star-studded Frame party during in Paris on Saturday In August 2023, MailOnline exclusively revealed that Lila's boyfriend was Yoni, with the pair seen out in London frequently together over those summer months Before that, he worked as an e-commerce co-ordinator for James Lakeland Ltd and he also had a six months stint as an estate agent. The happy couple had kept their romance relatively under wraps, yet Instagram posts by Yoni reveal they have been enjoying each other's company for quite some time. The fashion marketer's page features several snaps of himself enjoying dinner dates and days out with Lila amid their blossoming romance. Though Yoni is happy to share images of his famous girlfriend on social media, Lila keeps her page relatively professional. Eiza Gonzalez turned heads as she attended the premiere of her latest movie Ash at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas on Tuesday. The actress, 35, looked sensational as she put on a very busty display in a black plunging leather top with structured shoulder pads and exposed zip details. She paired a chic white midi skirt with her ensemble and added inches to her frame with pointed black leather calf boots. To complete her look, Eiza further accessorised with a silver diamond choker necklace, a stack of diamond bracelets, and a cluster of silver rings. She styled her dark tresses up in a slick ponytail and wore a radiant palette of makeup as she posed up a storm on the red carpet. Ahead of the premiere, the beauty was joined by her co-star Aaron Paul, 45, who cut a stylish figure in a tan leather jacket. Eiza Gonzalez turned heads as she attended the premiere of her latest movie Ash at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas on Tuesday The actress, 35, looked sensational as she put on a very busty display in a black plunging leather top with structured shoulder pads and exposed zip details The Breaking Bad star paired the ensemble with a sage green ribbed knit vest and khaki trousers as he larked around the red carpet. Her science-fiction thriller Ash, in which she co-stars alongside Breaking Bad's Aaron, is set for release this month. The movie follows Riya (Eiza) who wakes up on a mysterious planet to discover her crewmates have been slaughtered. When a man named Brion (Aaron) arrives to rescue her, an ordeal of psychological and physical terror ensues. The premiere comes shortly after Eiza put on a stunning display at the RLJE Films + Shudder SXSW Party at Whisler's bar in Austin alongside her co-star Aaron on Sunday. The brunette beauty slipped into a form-fitting white top teamed with a slinky black leather midi skirt as she posed up a storm for the cameras. She boosted her height with black heels and styled her brunette locks into luscious curls for the occasion. The 3 Body Problem star appeared in great spirits as she larked around with Aaron whom she stars with in the upcoming movie Ash, as well as record producer Flying Lotus, 41. Aaron opted for a smart-casual look for the bash, opting for a denim jacket, green shirt and black trousers teamed with smart black shoes. The star finished off his look with dark sunglasses as he posed for several cool snaps. The fun party was to celebrate the release of the movies Ash, Clown in a Cornfield and Descendent. She paired a chic white midi skirt with her ensemble and added inches to her frame with pointed black leather calf boots To complete her look, Eiza further accessorised with a silver diamond choker necklace and styled her dark tresses up in a slick ponytail Ahead of the premiere, the beauty was joined by her co-star Aaron Paul, 45, who cut a stylish figure in a tan leather jacket The Breaking Bad star paired the ensemble with a sage green ribbed knit vest and khaki trousers as he beamed for the cameras Eiza couldn't contain her giggles as her co-star proudly showed her off on the red carpet and let her have her moment to shine Eiza's appearance comes a month after she joined the likes of Kerry Washington and Cara Delevingne in leading the stars at Thom Browne's New York Fashion Week show. Eiza looked every bit the office siren in a cropped grey blazer, fitted maxi skirt and a white button-up shirt. She added a grey tie and a patterned grey corset featuring the silhouette image of Thom Browne's iconic dog Hector. The Baby Driver bombshell arrived at the event with sunglasses over her brown eyes and a cherry-red Thom Browne bag tucked under one arm. Ahead of the show, Eiza snapped photos with Cara, Kerry, Queen Latifah, The Penguin star Cristin Milioti and her ex-girlfriend St. Vincent. Eiza is known for her roles in Baby Driver (2017), Godzilla vs. King Kong (2021), and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024). In 2025, her action thriller In The Grey, directed by Guy Ritchie and also starring Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal, will be released. The premiere comes shortly after Eiza put on a stunning display on Sunday as she joined co-star Aaron at the RLJE Films + Shudder SXSW Party at Whisler's bar in Austin She made a surprise catwalk appearance at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show last year after taking a break from the industry. And now Tyra Banks is back in action for good on the fashion scene as she turned heads with a series of glamorous appearances at Paris Fashion Week recently. After taking a break from fashion to launch her ice-cream store chain Smize & Dream in Australia it was revealed at the start of this year that she'd secretly been living in Sydney for 18 months. And after focusing on her business in recent times it appears she is now moving her attention mostly back to fashion - much to the delight of her fans who she says have been begging for her comeback. It was recently revealed she has once again signed with IMG Models as she prepares for her fashion comeback. She said last month: 'Returning to my IMG family feels like coming home - but this isn't just a comeback, it's a new beginning. Tyra Banks returns to the spotlight! The model, 51, has wowed at Paris Fashion Week after signing back to a modelling agency following a low-key few years living in Sydney Tyra Banks is back in action for good on the fashion scene as she turned heads with a series of glamorous appearances at Paris Fashion Week (seen at the Balenciaga show last Sunday) 'I'm an ice cream entrepreneur now, but everywhere I go - across countries, across continents - people have been asking me to return to modelling - on the streets, on social media, in my DMs, and in interview after interview. And now I'm ready. 'I'm stepping back in with fresh eyes, electrifying energy, and a drive to make game-changing moves. And yes, I'm ready to slay the runway again. The best is yet to come.' When asked if she'll walk another runway soon, she simply teased: 'Probably.' And she has been making waves at Paris Fashion Week amid the fashion comeback. She showed off an eye-catching new look as she attended the Balenciaga show at Les Invalides last Sunday. The model displayed her taut complexion as she arrived for the show in a padded black jacket layered over a matching skintight dress. Showing off her ageless complexion, Tyra unveiled her dramatic bleached eyebrows as she arrived for the star-studded show. Tyra accessorised her ensemble with in a pair of bold, oval black sunglasses as she slicked her raven tresses into classy black bun. She made a surprise catwalk appearance at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show last year after taking a break from the industry She had previously stormed the Victoria's Secret runway in 1998 in New York This week she joined a star-studded crowd at the inaugural Louvre Museum gala dinner to mark the official start of Paris Fashion Week Le Grand Diner du Louvre hosted a glittering line of models and A list fashion fans who are helping to raise funds to support the Louvre's restoration projects and educational programs Tyra looked sensational in a tasseled corset-style black satin dress as she arrived to the star-studded event The America's Next Top Model icon was joined by stars including Alessandra Ambrosio, Barbara Palvin and Jessica Alba at the show. Earlier in the week she joined a star-studded crowd at the inaugural Louvre Museum gala dinner to mark the official start of Paris Fashion Week. Le Grand Diner du Louvre hosted a glittering line of models and A list fashion fans who are helping to raise funds to support the Louvre's restoration projects and educational programs. Tyra looked sensational in a tasseled corset-style black satin dress as she posed up a storm. Last month a spokesperson said that in regards to Tyra the agency will focus on securing editorials alongside global fashion, beauty, and lifestyle opportunities. Banks also revealed her recent surprise runway appearance at the Victoria Secret's fashion show inspired her comeback. 'I had no idea it was gonna blow up in the way that it did. So now I am going to model again, officially,' the star. 'I'm gonna sign with an agency in Sydney. I'm gonna have agencies in Paris. I'm going to be in New York. Like, I'm just gonna do this.' She launched her ice-cream store chain Smize & Dream in Los Angeles in 2020. It quickly expanded to Washington, D.C, and then Dubai. Earlier this year, Tyra revealed she's been loving her downtime in Australia. She told The Daily Telegraph she and her family enjoy spending their days hanging out at their local shopping centre and partaking in everyday Aussie activities. Tyra shares son York Banks Asla, nine, with ex-boyfriend Erik Asla. She and the Norwegian photographer welcomed him via gestational surrogate in January 2016. 'We'll get some breakfast in the mall, then we'll go to a Hoyts cinema,' she said. 'Get some ice cream at the cinema, see a movie, then we might get a foot massage. We'll have some lunch... Then go to Target or Kmart.' Tyra added she loves the Australian Kmart. Despite walking the runway for luxury fashion houses like Saint Laurent, Chanel and Dior, the supermodel said she thinks the Kmart Down Under is 'fancy'. She said after a bit of shopping, she and her family will go and do the groceries. 'We'll do Coles, Woolies, whatever, and so that is a whole day at the mall and we don't do that in America,' she said. Tyra explained that 'mall' culture in America is a dying pastime because it's just about shopping for what you 'want' instead of what you 'need'. The model displayed her taut complexion as she arrived for the Balenciaga show last week in a padded black jacket layered over a matching skintight dress Showing off her ageless complexion, Tyra unveiled her dramatic bleached eyebrows as she arrived for the star-studded show In January Tyra broke down in tears on an Australian morning show after revealing she lost her Palisades home in one of the Los Angeles wildfires. Speaking with hosts Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington during her talk show appearance, she said she previously kept the devastating loss private because she 'didn't want to pull a lot of attention to me.' 'I lost my house. I haven't really talked about it, but yeah, I have,' a teary-eyed Tyra said when asked about the fires, which ravaged Southern California for nearly two weeks. 'I just didn't want to pull a lot of attention to me. I feel like there's a lot of people that need that attention so I haven't talked about it. But I can't sit here and not tell the truth,' she explained. Amelia Gray Hamlin wore a quirky Miu Miu ensemble as she left the Royal Monceau hotel during Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday. The model, 23, teamed a pale pink shirt dress, that cinched in at her waist, with layered metal belts. She accessorised with grey knee-high socks and matching fingerless gloves from the Italian high fashion brands. Amelia topped off her outfit with a pair of green stiletto heels and styled her hair straight. Fashion Week kicked off last week and wrapped up on Tuesday, with high-profile designers showcasing their womenswear Fall/Winter 2025/2026 collections. Amelia recently left little to the imagination as she stormed the DSquared2 runway during Milan Fashion Week. Amelia Gray Hamlin wore a quirky Miu Miu ensemble as she left the Royal Monceau hotel during Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday The model, 23, teamed a pale pink shirt dress, that cinched in at her waist, with layered metal belts The model went braless as she took to the catwalk in a sheer Cher-inspired champagne-nude jumpsuit. The stylish ensemble from the fashion brand's Womenswear Fall/Winter 2025/2026 collection featured a figure-hugging silhouette, a delicate sheer sequin embellished fabric, and long sleeves. The garment also boasted dramatic feather and fringe embellishments towards the end of the sleeves and lower legs. To complete her runway look, Amelia styled her dark tresses straight and kept things natural in terms of her make-up. Her look was inspired by Cher's 1974 Met Gala dress, which was created by American fashion designer Bob Mackie. This is the second time Amelia has walked for the brand DSqaured2. The model was also one of the stars for the brand's fall 2023 show. Amelia, who began her modelling career in 2017, has walked for high-end brands including Saint Laurent, Chanel, Balenciaga, Moncler, Givenchy, Versace, and Vivienne Westwood. In November, she also starred in Michael Kors' holiday campaign with her sister Delilah Belle Hamlin. She accessorised with grey knee-high socks and matching fingerless gloves from the Italian high fashion brands Amelia topped off her outfit with a pair of green stiletto heels and styled her hair straight Fashion Week kicked off last week and wrapped up on Tuesday, with high-profile designers showcasing their womenswear Fall/Winter 2025/2026 collections Amelia recently left little to the imagination as she stormed the DSquared2 runway during Milan Fashion Week DSqaured2's fall runway show marked the brand's 30th anniversary. Twin designers Dean and Dan Caten hosted the show, and famous names like Naomi Campbell, Alex Consani and Anok Yai also walked the runway. Guests in attendance were also surprised with an impromptu performance from Doechii, who also walked the runway. Amelia has maintained a close relationship with her parents as she embarked on her own rise to fame, with them even contributing to her wardrobe. She previously admitted to stealing items from mum Lisa Rinna and dad Harry Hamlin's wardrobes, including designer garments. She told People in May: 'I steal (but put back) a bunch of my dad's Calvin Klein white T-shirts and his Nike socks sometimes. He also has really comfy flannel pieces.' 'From my mum, I mostly take the tighter, chicer things. I've definitely stolen my fair share of Versace.' Amelia takes anything she 'can get [her] hands on' when it comes to the former 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star's clothes. She said: 'I take whatever high-fashion things I can get my hands on from that woman's closet, that's for sure.' She always makes sure to show off her quirky sense of style. And Iris Law made no exception as she attended the Saint Laurent show during Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday. The 24-year-old daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost wore a bronze semi-sheer dress with metallic detailing. Layered underneath, she wore a red high-neck lace top and added a pair of polka dot tights. Iris topped off her head turning look with gold stiletto heels and slicked her hair down. Fashion Week kicked off last week and wrapped up on Tuesday, with high-profile designers showcasing their womenswear Fall/Winter 2025/2026 collections. Iris Law showed off her quirky sense of style as she attended the Saint Laurent show during Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday The 24-year-old daughter of Jude Law and Sadie Frost wore a bronze semi-sheer dress with metallic detailing Iris sent temperatures soaring last month when she modelled a stunning collection of bikinis from Victoria's Secret PINK collaboration with Frankies Bikinis. The model looked incredible as she showcased her slender figure in a vibrant yellow bikini. The stylish two-piece featured a triangle top and matching tie-side bottoms. On a beach in Costa Rica, Iris posed effortlessly, offering a glimpse of her peachy derriere in paisley print bikini bottoms and a pale yellow vest top. She later slipped into a gorgeous cherry-print bikini top, soaking up the sun at sea before writhing in the shallows in a frilly red bikini top. Iris then switched to a blue gingham bandeau bikini top, striking another sultry pose for the camera, and completed the look with a textured blue crop top as she posed on the sandy beach. Iris discussed her personal sense of style and 'intuitive way' of dressing in an interview with Vogue Espana. She revealed she flits between different phases - sometimes feeling more feminine, while in others she adopts an androgynous look. Layered underneath, she wore a red high-neck lace top and added a pair of polka dot tights Stepping outside, she added a pair of rectangular sunglasses and carried a black leather handbag Iris topped off her head turning look with gold stiletto heels and slicked her hair down Iris sent temperatures soaring last month when she modelled a stunning collection of bikinis from Victoria's Secret PINK collaboration with Frankies Bikinis The model looked incredible as she showcased her slender figure in a vibrant yellow bikini 'I don't dress for anyone, I just try to feel good and be comfortable,' she explained. 'I let myself be carried away by how I am in an intuitive way, even if it's not what is understood as chic or cool. 'I have gone through many phases: more feminine, more androgynous... I like to change; every day is different.' Iris also made a candid confession about having struggled with anxiety previously, as she revealed her coping mechanisms. She said: 'I love lifting weights; I think it's great for maintaining hormonal balance and it also helps me sleep better.' 'In general, I've noticed a big change in controlling my anxiety, also since I started running.' Kate Moss has sparked concern among her fanbase after being filmed looking 'fraught' and 'on edge' as she sat front row at Paris Fashion Week. The supermodel, 51, attended the Isabel Marant fall 2025 ready-to-wear showcase last Thursday dressed in a navy T-shirt, oversized leather bomber jacket, and shorts with a lace trim. In a clip shared by publications including Elle and Lewis Magazine, Kate moves back and forth in her chair as she speaks to other fashion goers at the event and poses for photographers. She is seen hugging a woman sat behind her before being heard saying 'let me just do this', as she turns to face forward so the picture takers can get the best shot. Kate is sat beside British fashion photographer David Sims, 58, who has worked with her since the 1990s. But fans of the Croydon-born model have responded to the video, which has been circulating on Instagram and TikTok, with their concerns over her 'frantic' appearance. Kate Moss has sparked concern among her fanbase after being filmed looking 'fraught' and 'on edge' as she sat front row at Paris Fashion Week The supermodel attended the Isabel Marant fall 2025 ready-to-wear showcase last Thursday dressed in a navy T-shirt, oversized leather jacket, and shorts with a lace trim Fans of the Croydon-born star have responded to the video, which has been circulating on Instagram and TikTok, with their concerns over her 'frantic' appearance One TikTok user said: 'She's giving me anxiety just watching her', which has garnered over 100K likes. Another commented: 'I feel like I can't breathe watching this' while a third remarked: 'I feel sad every time I see this.' Four days ago, a TikTok user questioned why Elle magazine shared the clip, saying: 'Why did they post this? Kate is seemingly not okay. Still pretty though.' Another said: 'Why is she so fidgety, this just makes me anxious.' Other commenters believe Kate was only moving frantically so the photographers could get her best angle. One said: 'To be fair, every time I've seen her pose for paps, she's always "snapped" into shot, so yeah she's moving a bit strange but it's normal for her.' 'She doesn't want to smile for cameras but smiles at her friends before 'the look' at the camera... People just want to hate', a TikTok user claimed. Kate has been attending Paris Fashion Week alongside her model daughter Lila, 22, who has walked multiple shows including the Coperni Fall/Winter 2025 event. One TikTok user commented on the video of Kate saying: 'I can feel the anxiety through my screen' Another fan on the social media platform wrote: 'This looks like anxiety' after watching the clip of Kate at Paris Fashion Week 'I feel like I can't breathe watching this' was another response from a fan who used three crying emojis on the app A sympathetic TikTok user said: 'Why did they post this? Kate is seemingly not okay. Still pretty though' as they voiced their point of view Also writing on TikTok, a fan by the username Boogie, said: 'Why is nobody talking about this. I feel sad everything I see this' Kate is seen hugging a woman sat behind her before being heard saying 'let me just do this', as she turns to face forward so the picture takers can get the best shot Kate, pictured on Tuesday evening at the Saint Laurent Womenswear Fall/Winter 2025-2026 show in Paris, has been single since her split from boyfriend of nine years Nikolai Von Bismarck On Tuesday evening, the duo attended the closing Saint Laurent show with fellow guests Hailey Bieber and Zoe Saldana. During her time in Paris for Fashion Week, it's believed Kate stayed at the Ritz, which she has previously called her 'home away from home.' In December, it was reported that Kate had ended her nine-year relationship with aristocrat Nikolai Von Bismarck. A source revealed that Kate, who's 13 years Nikolai's senior, felt their lives were going in 'different directions' and they wanted different things for the future. Following the couple's split, Kate started a new chapter celebrating her 51st birthday at A-list restaurant China Tang at The Dorchester before continuing her night until the early hours at The Globe in London's Notting Hill. Kate, who's still as in demand as she was in her 90s heyday, has sat front row at numerous Fashion Week shows this year including Stella McCartney in London, New York's Donna Karan and Dior's fall menswear show, which took place in Paris. The mother-of-one has been supporting her model daughter Lila during the busy fashion month as she starred in several designer showcases. Lila, who walked the Burberry and Stella McCartney shows, also attended several elegant dinner parties alongside her famous mother including east London designer Aaron Esh's stylish event, which took place last month. A body language expert has revealed the truth about Danny Jones' recent reunion with wife Georgia Horsley, hinting that all is not well between them following his drunken kiss with Maura Higgins. The pair's marriage has been thrown into turmoil after the McFly star was filmed kissing the Love Island beauty at the BRIT Awards earlier this month. In the wake of the scandal, both Maura and Danny have been hit by a wave of criticism, with many furious on behalf of Georgia, Danny's wife of 10 years and mother of his son. And while Danny and Georgia attempted to put on a show of defiance with an outing in west London, body language expert Judi James has told MailOnline that the couple looked 'tense' together. Noting that it's a stark contrast to Danny's 'showboating' at the BRITs, Judi also noted that Georgia has made the telling gesture of concealing her ring finger. Noting Danny's appearance with Maura, which led to the pair's drunken kiss, she said: 'The visual contrast could hardly be more acute.' A body language expert has revealed the truth about Danny Jones' recent reunion with wife Georgia, hinting that all is not well between them following his drunken kiss with Maura Higgins 'First there were the photos of a grinning, gurning, teeth-baring and very exhilarated-looking ''showbiz'' version of Danny walking beside a very leggy Maura Higgins and now this tense and dour-looking Danny walking beside his wife, with his upper lip looking too rigid to raise more than a hint of a smile.' In reference to their supposed show of unity, she added: 'As a projected update of their relationship the body language signals look incongruent and difficult. 'Any effort to signal togetherness here comes from Danny but even he is looking emotionally bland and de-energised. 'Apart from some face-checking glances at Georgia (but with no softening of the features to suggest affection or smiles of encouragement or support) he seems to restrict his signaling to a display of his wedding ring as he holds his cup aloft.' Judi then noted the telling gesture from Georgia in regards to the state of their marriage, after Danny's kiss with Maura. She continued: 'Georgia, notably, has her ring hand stuffed into her pocket here. She's pushed her shades to the top of her head to show off her eye expression but she then looks down in a cut-off gesture. 'There's no spatial closeness here and the gap between them involves both inner hands pushed into their pockets to avoid any chance of touch. 'Georgia's expression suggests sadness while Danny has clearly pulled the plug on all his signature bounce and showboating. The pair's marriage has been thrown into turmoil after the McFly star was filmed kissing the Love Island beauty at the BRIT Awards (pictured) earlier this month 'All these poses really tell us is that they are still able to fill the same social space but without any tactile or synchronised behaviours.' On Wednesday, Danny finally broke his social media silence after his 'drunken kiss' with Maura. The star has reposted several happy birthday messages from fan accounts on Instagram to mark his 39th birthday. One fan message read: 'Happy birthday to someone who can light up a room with just a simple smile. Hope you have a wonderful day Danny. You so deserve it please remember especially today how loved and cared about you are by so many people hope you are well keep smiling that amazing smile.' His supportive bandmate Tom Fletcher also shared a sweet message, penning: 'Happy birthday mush. Looking forward to standing on stage with you soon.' It comes just one day after Georgia returned to social media to share a snap of the couple's seven-year-old son Cooper. Danny and his wife of ten years Georgia were seen for the first time since the scandal as they stepped out for a coffee together in London on Tuesday. The couple cut a casual figure as they headed out for a walk in the park, while talking and sipping on hot drinks. Elsewhere during the day, Georgia shared a black and white image of their son Cooper wearing a pair of dark sunglasses while playing on a handheld device. Not addressing her husband or his recent antics with former Love Island star Maura, Georgia simply captioned her image with a blue love heart emoji. A host of Georgia's showbiz pals were quick to share their support for her in the comments. Sarah Louise Merrygold, wife of JLS star Aston penned: 'Little dude. sending you all my love.' Binky Felstead wrote: 'We got you girl! Adore you.' Anna Whitehouse shared: 'Love you darling. We've got you.' Chessie King added: 'Absolutely adore you, we're alllll rallied round you.' Despite receiving a flood of supportive comments, Georgia decided to turn off the comments on all her posts. While Danny and Georgia attempted to put on a show of defiance with an outing in west London, body language expert Judi James said that the couple looked 'tense' together Georgia's husband Danny has yet to publicly comment on the scandal and has not posted on Instagram since the night of the BRITs, in which he posed for a selfie with KSI and Tom Fletcher. In the wake of the scandal, both Maura and Danny have been hit by a wave of criticism, with many furious on behalf of Georgia, Danny's wife of 10 years and mother of his son. It comes as Maura is reportedly 'really struggling' with the 'relentless' backlash she has received following her drunken kiss with Danny earlier this month. Maura escaped the drama by flying across the pond for a work trip at the weekend and was snapped arriving at Los Angeles airport on Sunday. However, it has now been reported that she is struggling to keep her mind on work and is 'in a bad way' due to the 'relentless' and 'off the charts abuse' she's received since the news broke. According to The Mirror, the TV presenter's friends have rallied behind her and urged people to show restraint, as Maura's had a 'horrendous' week and been flooded with 'horrific' trolling on her social media. One pal told the publication: 'Maura is a tough character but the reaction to events of the last week has been utterly relentless, and it's fair to say it's taken its toll. She has found all of this very difficult to navigate. 'She appreciates she's in the public eye and there is extra interest around her, but the abuse is off the charts, and people need to calm down. She is trying to treat things as business as usual, but it's hard.' MailOnline has contacted Maura's representatives for comment. Maura broke her social media silence on Sunday to announce that she was flying to Los Angeles for work, sharing a snap from her first class plane seat with a glass of champagne at the ready and captioned: 'Exciting shoot'. While back home, reports suggest that Georgia has issued a final warning in crisis talks about their marriage amid fears that a third video could leak of the night. A source told the The Mirror: 'Everyone would understand why Danny and his wife have been quiet. They are likely working through various discussions from the first video that was released alone. With this second video, Danny needs to now speak out. 'Danny's career should be halted at this point and he should be big enough to now speak out to everyone and explain what has happened and take some accountability. 'This is unfair on his wife, who seems to have put the family and their marriage first. Who knows if another video will emerge, but being honest is now the only way that this has a chance of resolving itself'. Maura and Danny reportedly stayed up until 6am drinking wine after their 'drunken kiss' at a BRIT Awards afterparty. It was claimed the pair then headed in separate taxis to a Sony party at Nobu Hotel in Marylebone, where they allegedly 'knocked back wine until 6am'. An onlooker told The Sun: 'Danny and Maura seemed to be enjoying their night of partying and had no plans to call it a night. 'They were knocking back wine at the Nobu from 4am and seemed keen to carry on. They weren't seen leaving before 6am.' The publication also claimed that Maura and Danny were seen 'chatting intimately and laughing' as they continued the party. In the wake of the scandal, both Maura and Danny have been hit by a wave of criticism, but sources say the reality star is in a 'bad way' due to the relentless abuse Reports of Danny's 'drunken kiss' with Maura has reportedly been a 'slap in the face' for his wife of over 10 years, Georgia. In the wake of the scandal, she has apparently made a pledge about her marriage and her future with the rocker. A source told The Mirror: 'She's been an incredible partner to him so this feels very unfair. But Georgia is a strong woman, she won't let it ruin what they have.' The source went on to reveal that Danny and Maura regret their behaviour and have insisted that the 'kiss' was 'innocent'. They said: 'Danny and Maura insist it was totally innocent and nothing meaningful.They got on really well in the jungle and it's just foolish that they let themselves get caught up in something after a big party night, especially so publicly.' Danny and his wife Georgia, a former Miss World, married in 2014 after meeting in 2009 at a Miss London event and share seven-year old son Cooper together. Danny and Maura became friends after starring in the most recent series of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! and stayed connected on Instagram since the show ended last December. The premiere for the Snow White remake has been relocated to a remote castle in Spain after Disney were forced to 'scale back' the promo amid backlash against its woke themes and stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. Film bosses had originally planned to stage a glittering Hollywood soiree worthy of the staggering $269.4million spent on making the movie - with events planned in Los Angeles, London and around the world. Yet amid a series of scandals and PR nightmares surrounding the remake, Disney scaled back the planned lavish premieres to a 'handful' of tightly controlled Press events. The biggest of these is now thousands of miles away from the media's glare, with Zegler (Snow White) and Gadot (Evil Queen) jetting to the tiny city of Segovia, north-west of Madrid, which boasts a population of just 51,000. Media outlets have not been invited to the event at Alcazar of Segovia, a medieval castle that rests on a rocky crag at the western end of Segovia's Old City, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Earlier this month, an insider told the Mail: 'Disney are already anticipating an anti-woke backlash against Snow White and have reduced the media schedule to just a handful of tightly controlled Press events. 'That is why they have taken the highly unusual step not to host a London premiere for the film and are minimising the amount of Press questions that Rachel Zegler gets.' The premiere for the Snow White remake has been relocated to a remote castle in Spain, the Alcazar of Segovia, after Disney were forced to 'scale back' the promo amid backlash The premiere is being held thousands of miles away from the glare of the media, with Rachel Zegler (Snow White) jetting to the tiny city of Segovia, north-west of Madrid, on Wednesday Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, is also expected to arrive in Segovia, which boasts a population of just 51,000, to attend the event this week While the premiere is being held away from typical haunts one would expect for a movie of such grandure, there is some significance in its choice. The Alcazar of Segovia was the inspiration behind the castle in Disney's 1937 original animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, with its distinctive shape, turrets and steep roofs seen in the feature. The Alcazar was built and rebuilt over hundreds of years, beginning as a palace of the Moslem governor in the tenth century. Today it is a prominent example of Mudejar architecture, a Moorish-influenced style common in Iberia from the 13th to the 16th centuries. The upper stories of the palace are still used by Spain's royal family when they visit Seville. The public have been banned from entering the castle on Wednesday and Thursday, with a notice stating it has simply been closed for a 'private event'. In a further sign that Press are being held away from the event, the date of the premiere has not been confirmed on media calendars. Instead, Spanish Zegler fan accounts have been sharing evidence of the premiere coming into town. Later this week, the cast will return to the States, with Zegler, 23, and Gadot, 39, expected attend a pre-party and screening at Los Angeles' El Capitan Theatre on March 15, 'coverage will be limited to photographers and a house crew'. While most premieres invite dozens of media outlets to cover the event and interview the cast, the studio has decided to buck tradition in this case. Zegler had attended an event in Tokyo to promote the film last week but Gadot and the rest of the cast were not in attendance. The castle in Disney's 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is based on Alcazar de Segovia, a medieval castle in the Spanish city of Segovia Your browser does not support iframes. Media outlets have not been invited to the event at Alcazar of Segovia, a medieval castle that rests on a rocky crag at the western end of Segovia's Old City Spanish Zegler fan accounts have been sharing evidence of the premiere coming into town and noting the significance of the castle being used The choice comes amid criticism and fears that the remake prioritized 'woke' messaging over authentic storytelling. Since casting Hispanic actress Zegler as Snow White, Disney fans have highlighted the woke deviations from the classic fairy tale. Notably, from dumping the traditional romance plot because of it's 'sexist', to reimagining the Seven Dwarfs as a diverse group of 'magical creatures' of all heights, gender and race. Zegler also criticized David Hand's 1937 original animated film as 'extremely dated when it comes to the ideas of women being in roles of power and what a woman's fit for in the world.' 'The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so,' she scoffed to Extra TV in 2022. 'There's a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird. So we didn't do that this time.' 'We have a different approach to what I'm sure a lot of people will assume is a love story just because we cast a guy in the movie. 'All of Andrew's scenes could get cut, who knows? It's Hollywood, baby!' she joked, before admitting in a separate interview that she was 'terrified' when she went on the beloved Snow White ride at Disney World. The choice to relocate comes amid criticism and fears the remake prioritised 'woke' messaging over authentic storytelling and backlash against the stars (pictured in 2022) About the 1937 film, she said: 'I was scared of the original version. I think I watched it once and never picked it up again. I'm being so serious.' Zegler also told Variety that her version of Snow White would be dreaming about becoming a 'fearless leader' rather than 'dreaming about true love.' 'For Snow White, there's a famous scene where she falls into a lake, through a trapdoor-type thing in a forest. And we did it, and I got scuba diving training so that I could spend a long time underwater,' the Golden Globe winner explained to Cosmo. 'You learn how to use a breathing tube. I had this guy named Pete, who is ex-Navy, attached to me at all times, tethered to me. And essentially I spent...I want to say a total of 48 hours training. And then shot for two whole days. It was seven hours underwater.' Sources previously revealed to DailyMail.com that Zegler's reputation as a 'loose cannon' nearly got her axed from playing Snow White. Zegler's strong opinions have prompted some haters to vow to boycott the film. Since her rapid rise to superstardom, after beating 30,000 actresses for the part of Maria Vasquez in Steven Spielberg's 2021 adaptation of West Side Story, she's endured frequent criticism. There was backlash over her casting as Snow White in Disney's 2025 live-action remake of the animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and trolling for her radical left wing stance on politics. Previously, Disney sparked backlash after they announced that 'magical creatures' would replace the seven dwarves to 'avoid reinforcing stereotypes' The dwarves are now depicted as animated creatures after stars such as Peter Dinklage criticised the 'f****** backwards story' last year While reflecting on comments made on social media about her casting as Snow White, Zegler insisted she doesn't even try to wrap her head why 'Disney adults' would have a problem with someone Latina portraying the beloved princess. Zegler proceeded to reveal that the line describing her character's 'skin as white as snow' will reference 'another version of Snow White that was told in history,' in which the character 'survived a snowstorm that occurred when she was a baby.' 'The king and queen decided to name her Snow White to remind her of her resilience,' the Hackensack native noted. 'One of the core points in our film for any young woman or young person is remembering how strong you actually are.' The star also admitted that it was 'sad' to see so many people rip her apart for teasing that her version of Snow White would not not be saved by a prince. 'In all honesty, it made me sad that it was taken in such a way, because I believe that women can do anything. But I also believe that they can do everything,' she explained. 'It can be very upsetting when things get taken out of context or jokes don't land.' Zegler went on to make it clear that the 'love story is very integral' and that it wasn't true that her remake wouldn't feature any romance. 'I've watched women get torn down my whole life, my whole career,' she said. 'We'll watch it in the election that's upcoming. We're gonna witness that for a long time, I fear. Sometimes it can feel like we're going back; it certainly felt that way when that was happening.' Zegler had attended an event in Tokyo to promote the film last week but Gadot and the rest of the cast were not in attendance Although she is tempted to leave social media, at times, she confessed that she doesn't like to give trolls the 'satisfaction of knowing they hurt me in the moment.' 'You give them a lot of power by taking a social media break,' she pointed out. Over the years, she has used her platforms to champion causes that are important to her. During the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023, she spoke about the possible dangers of AI as she recalled having like '465 photos taken of every corner' of her body for CG stunts. 'It was f**king dystopian,' she said. 'I was really scared of being replaced by an artificial intelligence version of myself that they scanned when I was 18 and then never being able to work on a set again. What was stopping them from using that for the rest of my life?' She's also advocated for Palestinians. 'I can't watch children die,' she told the outlet. 'I don't think that should be a hot take... We're nearing one year since the horrendous attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, but I've been following this conflict for so many years. 'Like so many people, I'm so heartbroken by the loss of life that we're seeing with these insane death tolls coming out of both regions.' Still, she acknowledges that she doesn't 'have the answers.' 'I don't think any celebrity making a political statement has the answers,' she said. 'But we have the platform to share a donation link to make sure that these people get the money, the care and the aid that they need that people in power aren't giving them. If that means that it can fall upon us to be in power in a way that is helpful, then I'm happy to do it.' Since casting Hispanic actress Zegler as Snow White, Disney fans have highlighted the woke deviations from the classic fairytale Previously, Disney sparked backlash after they announced that 'magical creatures' would replace the seven dwarves to 'avoid reinforcing stereotypes' with Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage criticized the 'f****** backwards story' last year. 'I was a little taken aback when they [Disney] were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White, but you're still telling the story of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs,' he told Mark Maron's WTF podcast. 'It makes no sense to me. You're progressive in one way and you're still making that f***ing backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the f*** are you doing, man? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I'm not loud enough.' Dinklage's concerns were shared by some charities, including the Restricted Growth Association in the UK. 'I very much stand with Peter Dinklage on the disappointment and irritation towards Disney for the remake of Snow White,' Rhonda Cutmore, a member of the association, told The Telegraph. ' Dwarfism writer Steph Robson said she hoped film producers make an effort to avoid stereotypes in its retelling of the classic movie. 'It is my hope that the latest live action remake, and Disney, will, at the very least go some way to redress the decades of the one-dimensional stereotypes that our disability continues to experience, especially within arts and cultural settings,' she told the outlet. The story has also been criticized as being ableist for portraying the dwarfs with lesser intelligence and Snow White seeing them as children. Zegler has criticised David Hand's 1937 original animated film as 'extremely dated when it comes to the ideas of women being in roles of power and what a woman's fit for in the world' Disney later said it's 'taking a different approach' with Snow White's seven companions. In a statement last year, the company said it had been consulting with members of the dwarfism community throughout the early stages of production. 'To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community,' a spokesperson said. 'We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period.' In December last year, sources close to the production said Snow White's seven 'dwarfs' were not going to be fully computer generated, and wouldn't be dwarfs at all. Instead, she would be befriended by magical, forest-dwelling creatures. Top comedian Lucy Beaumont has revealed that Lorraine Kelly made an unexpectedly raunchy remark during her appearance on the morning show. The comic, who is a regular on the BBC panel shows Have I Got News for You and Would I Lie to You? described Lorraine, 64, as her 'idol' and somebody she had 'wanted to meet for years'. She said the Scottish presenter was 'really mumsy' in the green room, before she made her hilarious comments. Lucy, 41, told a Leicester Square Theatre audience on Tuesday night, that while waiting to go on air, things took a very surprising twist when the morning show host gave her verdict on the blockbuster Saltburn. The BAFTA nominated 2023 film, starring Irish actor Barry Keoghan, quickly gained attention for its dark, satirical themes and provocative scenes, including Barry's character Oliver drinking bathwater and imitating a sexual act on top of a friend's burial plot. Lucy, who appeared on the daytime show in January 2024, recalled the host's lewd remark. Top comedian Lucy Beaumont has revealed that Lorraine Kelly made an unexpectedly raunchy remark during her appearance on the morning show. The comic, who is a regular on the BBC panel shows Have I Got News for You and Would I Lie to You? described Lorraine, 64, as her 'idol' and somebody she had 'wanted to meet for years' She said the Scottish presenter was 'really mumsy' in the green room, before she made her hilarious comments. Lucy, 41, told a Leicester Square Theatre audience on Tuesday night, that while waiting to go on air, things took a very surprising twist when the morning show host gave her verdict on the blockbuster Saltburn The BAFTA nominated 2023 film, starring Irish actor Barry Keoghan, quickly gained attention for its dark, satirical themes and provocative scenes, including Barry's character Oliver drinking bathwater and imitating a sexual act on top of a friend's burial plot She said: 'They sat me in the chair, they did the countdown, three, two, one, because it's live.' 'She just turned to me, and she said, "Did you watch Saltburn?" I went, "Yeah". And she said, "Did you know it was his idea to stick his cock in the mud?" 'And then she went, "And welcome to the show!" The mother-of-one, who recently separated from husband Jon Richardson, added that Lorraine 'did the same on the way out'. She said: 'She gave me a kiss goodbye, and she said, "How did he get the mud out with his rinky dinky?" Lucy's remarks come two days after Lorraine was left red-faced after accidentally letting out an inappropriate word during one of her usual visits to the Good Morning Britain studio. The host had been discussing with Susanna Reid and Ed Balls the upcoming celebrities she would be welcoming to her daytime chat show, when the raunchy word slipped out live on-air. Lorraine said: 'Sir David Suchet is coming in and I just wondered, you know what he makes... and what Poirot would have made of (Towards) Zero, the new Agatha Christie... it's called Shagatha Christie apparently.' Lucy said: 'She just turned to me, and she said, 'Did you watch Saltburn?' I went, 'Yeah'. And she said, 'Did you know it was his idea to stick his cock in the mud?' 'I beg your pardon,' interrupted Susanna. Lorraine asked: 'Am I allowed to say that?' Ed bluntly told her: 'No.' Brushing off the red-faced moment, the Scottish star retorted: 'Well, I just have,' before adding: 'Anyway, I apologise for apologising and I'll apologise again for myself.' She continued: 'Anyway, it's raunchy, Agatha Christie is raunchy, which I don't really think that you need, but we'll find out what David thinks.' 'Ok,' responded Susanna. As Lorraine told viewers: 'Sorry about that.' Ed attempted to shift the mood, telling her: 'No, you've livened it up.' However, Susanna could not help but poke fun at the situation. With a smile on her face, Susanna announced: 'At the weekend, Lorraine was asked what she's really like in a newspaper interview, and she said she's 'exactly like Lorraine but only more sweary.' Susanna added: 'But you've decided to be a bit more raunchy on-air.' Lorraine's representatives have been approached for comment. An attorney for Wendy Williams' temporary financial guardian Sabrina Morrissey wants to set the record straight about her claims she's 'imprisoned' at an assisted living facility in New York. The 60-year-old elder law attorney was originally appointed by a Manhattan judge in 2022 after the 60-year-old presenter's ex-manager Bernie Young reportedly raised concerns that she was of 'unsound mind,' which also led to Wells Fargo freezing her bank accounts. That same judge declared Wendy legally incapacitated last August - a year after she was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, but she sounded a lot like her old self in recent interviews as well as the Tubi documentary Saving Wendy. Sabrina's lawyer told TMZ on Wednesday that Williams is receiving 'excellent medical care' at the facility, which features a 'spa, a workout room, excellent food, a dining room, and outside terraces.' An attorney for Wendy Williams' temporary financial guardian Sabrina Morrissey (pictured) wants to set the record straight about her claims she's 'imprisoned' at an assisted living facility in New York The 60-year-old elder law attorney was originally appointed by a Manhattan judge in 2022 after the 60-year-old presenter's (pictured Monday) ex-manager Bernie Young reportedly raised concerns that she was of 'unsound mind,' which also led to Wells Fargo freezing her bank accounts But the five-time Daytime Emmy nominee claimed she can only leave the fifth floor memory unit with permission. Morrisey's rep said Wendy has lots of freedom and can call family and friends and see them whenever she wants despite her public claims she has not been allowed visitors. They noted Williams traveled to Florida twice to see family, but the second trip to attend her father's 94th birthday was nearly canceled by a judge until Saving Wendy was released. On Monday, the former talk show host went to Lenox Hill Hospital to have an independent psychiatrist conduct a cognitive test on her, which she passed with 'flying colors.' Hours later, Wendy called Good Day New York's Rosanna Scotto on the air and said: 'I want [to be] independently tested. That's what I want, and that's what I got.' Scotto asked Williams if the Morrissey & Morrissey, LLP manager was 'taking out fees every month' from her bank account, but she said they would talk 'off air' about the matter. Sabrina's lawyer clarified to TMZ that she has 'received one payment of less than $30K for services rendered. Since 2022, the guardian has worked without pay. Only the Court will determine how much and when Ms. Morrissey is paid for her services rendered.' That same judge declared Wendy legally incapacitated last August - a year after she was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, but she sounded a lot like her old self in recent interviews as well as the Tubi documentary Saving Wendy (pictured) Sabrina's lawyer told TMZ on Wednesday that Williams is receiving 'excellent medical care' at the facility, which features a 'spa, a workout room, excellent food, a dining room, and outside terraces' But the five-time Daytime Emmy nominee claimed she can only leave the fifth floor memory unit with permission Morrisey's rep said Wendy traveled to Florida twice to see family, but the second trip to attend her father's 94th birthday was nearly canceled by a judge until Saving Wendy was released On Monday, the former talk show host went to Lenox Hill Hospital to have an independent psychiatrist conduct a cognitive test on her, which she passed with 'flying colors' Georgia Toffolo cut a stylish figure as she followed the crowd by enjoying a pint of drinking Guinness at Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday. The former Made In Chelsea star, 30, who recently tied the knot with BrewDog founder James Watt, 42, wrapped up warm for the outing in a chic leopard print coat as she swapped her usual BrewDog beer for a 7.80 pint of Guinness. She teamed the coat with classic black leggings and toted her essentials in a black leather Miu Miu cross-body bag, which retails for 2,950. Toff opted to elevate her look with a small leopard print hat and further accessorised with a black scarf, a chunky waist belt, and diamond drop earrings. To complete the look, the beauty styled her blonde locks in a voluminous blowout and wore a radiant palette of makeup. Prices for drinks at this year's festival were revealed by MailSport on Tuesday and punters took to social media to express their anger at the hefty prices. Georgia Toffolo, 30, cut a stylish figure as she followed the crowd by enjoying a pint of Guinness at Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday The Made In Chelsea star who recently tied the knot with BrewDog founder James Watt donned a chic leopard print coat as she swapped her usual beer for a 7.80 pint of Guinness Despite predicted record sales of Guinness this year, Cheltenham bosses decided to increase the price of the popular beverage by 30p, charging punters 7.80. One fan shared a receipt for a round of four Guinness with Mail Sport, coming to the cost of 31.20. Meanwhile, a premium lager costs 40p less than a Guinness at 7.40, while the alcohol-free version of the Irish stout is valued at the same price. Wine lovers will be disappointed to find out that a 187ml costs 9.70, while the prices of spirits are kept between 7.20 and 7.30. Soft drinks are priced at 3.10, while sparkling or still water would cost 2.50 - a 10-pence increase compared to last year. Horse racing fans were quick to take to social media to fume at the costly alcohol prices. One said: 'Give it 4-5 years and the alcohol industry will be finished and they'll only have themselves to blame,'; 'No wonder people are heading abroad to watch it instead of going.'; '7.40 for a 330ml can of beer, ripping people off just,' while another agreed: '40p cheaper for 0.0 what's the point?'; 'I hope people sneak their own in' Georgia's outing comes after she revealed earlier this month that she and James eloped in North East Scotland The pair got engaged in October after the millionaire proposed with an exquisite eight-carat triple-diamond studded band estimated to be worth 200,000 during a romantic getaway in Greece for Georgia's 30th birthday Georgia's outing comes after she revealed earlier this month that she and James eloped in North East Scotland. The pair got engaged in October after the millionaire proposed with an exquisite eight-carat triple-diamond studded band estimated to be worth 200,000 during a romantic getaway in Greece for Georgia's 30th birthday. And after the BrewDog founder previously insisted that the pair would be tying the knot this year, it appears that the couple were true to their word - though guests only had 48 hours' notice to attend. Taking to Instagram, Georgia shared loved-up snaps of the newlyweds posing on a fishing boat moments after saying 'I Do', captioning her shock post: 'James and I got married today.' '1st March will forever be the best day of my life - the day I became your wife. We eloped!' 'Guests: whoever could get here with 48 hours notice!' 'Temperature: 6C. Wind: 17 knots North Westerly. Location: North East Scotland 'To our family and friends who arent with us, we will celebrate with you soonest!' YouTuber Alysha Burney's brother Charles Burney has clarified what really happened to her when she suddenly died when on vacation. Alysha passed away on March 2 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, one day before her 25th birthday. The vibrant star's life came to an end from health issues and not because she was partying too hard, her brother shared. Charles explained that Alysha died after having an asthma attack in her sleep. He told DailyMail.com that she never did drugs and was a 'hard-working woman' who loved life and her success; she had five million followers from TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. He continued that there was 'misinformation online based on speculation.' It was added: 'These sources lack credibility and should not be believed. My sister did not engage in environments that would lead to such situations.' YouTuber Alysha Burney's brother Charles Burney has clarified what really happened to her when she suddenly died when on vacation Alysha passed away on March 2 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico , one day before her 25th birthday. The vibrant star's life came to an end from health issues and not because she was partying too hard, her brother shared Earlier he took to Instagram to express how frustrated he is with false claims about Alysha. 'It is extremely difficult seeing all of the false narratives trying to defame her legacy,' he wrote in the March 10 statement. 'And we are ready to take legal action for those continuing to spread false information regarding her passing.' He continued, 'We know so many people care about her and will share more information soon but just give us some time and please stop harassing the family. 'Her legacy will still live on FOREVER!!' Charles also asked for privacy for him and his family during this difficult time. People can die from asthma attacks in their sleep. A severe asthma attack, particularly if left untreated or poorly managed, can be fatal, and while it can happen at any time, asthma attacks can sometimes worsen or occur at night, leading to potential nighttime death. It is called Nocturnal Asthma. Asthma symptoms, including wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath, are often worse at night, a condition known as nocturnal asthma. As people sleep, their airways may narrow, making it harder to breathe and increasing airflow resistance, potentially triggering or worsening asthma symptoms. Charles explained that Alysha died after having an asthma attack in her sleep. He told DailyMail.com that she never did drugs and was a 'hard-working woman' who loved life and her success; she had five million followers from TikTok, Instagram and YouTube He continued that there was 'misinformation online based on speculation.' It was added: 'These sources lack credibility and should not be believed' Bedroom environments with allergens like dust mites can worsen asthma symptoms during sleep. The effects of evening medications may wear off during the night, leading to worsening symptoms. The pinup beauty with a sense of humor was doing well as her career was on a high. The social media maven owned her own production company in Kansas City called ABurneyProductions. And there were several projects like movies in the works for this year, DailyMail.com has learned. 'Alysha was very goal-oriented, creative, and passionate about giving back,' Charles told Fox said of his sister. 'She graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Digital Media Production and was working towards her graduate degree.' He added, 'She was not selfish with her knowledge and was a very open book about her journey. 'She will always be dearly loved, and her legacy will live on forever.' Jonathan Cheban aka Foodgod has spoken candidly about his friendship with Kim Kardashian amid speculation that the longtime friends had a falling out. The besties haven't been seen together publicly since December 2023 when they attended the grand opening of Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. However, back in June, Jonathan, 51, attended Khloe Kardashian's 40th birthday party, which was filmed for Hulu's The Kardashians and just aired on March 6. In recent months fans have questioned whether the food influencer and Kim, 44, are still friends since they haven't been seen together as much as they have in the past. In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Jonathan put the rumors to rest as he dished about his 15-year long friendship with his famous pal. When asked who he'd want to set her up with, he responded, 'Oh I don't know her mind with all that. I just stick to our texts and what's up. Jonathan Cheban aka Foodgod has provided an update on his friendship with Kim Kardashian in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com at Planet Hollywood's Grand Opening Party on March 11 in Times Square Kim, 44, and Jonathan, 51, have been friends for 15 years, but in recent months, fans have speculated that they had a falling out 'I never get involved with her with [dating] or business. We're just straight through.' He continued, 'People are always like, "Oh, but I want to talk to Kim." 'I'm like, "I don't know."' 'I don't want anything from her, I don't need anything from her. We've been friends for 15 years and I don't ever want to have any issues - connecting her with a guy or connecting her with business. 'I don't need anything except her friendship,' he insisted. Reflecting on his 15-year friendship, he shared the secret to their longevity is that he simply 'doesn't get involved' with her personal life. 'Well that's why - because I don't get involved with any kind of money stuff or guy stuff for her. It's whatever we talk about and it's 15 years of friendship,' he said. As for his pal Scott Disick, who has steered clear of the spotlight, and who shares three children with Kim's sister Kourtney, Jonathan revealed, 'I actually haven't seen him for a while. I actually haven't seen him for a long time.' The entrepreneur spoke to DailyMail.com at the grand opening party of Planet Hollywood on March 11 in Times Square, which showcased the newly redesigned restaurant. The alleged last time they were publicly seen together was in December 2023 when they were photographed attending the grand opening of Fontainebleau in Las Vegas Foodgod posted a photo with his bestie in April 2023, captioning it, 'Fun night @dailyfrontrow then OG dinner at Nobu La Cienega' Kim and Jonathan hung out together at the KKW Beauty KKW x Winnie dinner at Saks Fifth Avenue in September 2019 in New York City Just last week, his bestie placed a 60-foot bikini blow-up doll in the middle of Times Square as part of her latest SKIMS marketing campaign. When asked for his reaction, Foodgod said, 'I saw pictures of it... Wow! 'I want to know when Kim sleeps because everything she does is so over the top and amazing and it's really... I don't know. It's pretty sick.' After the installation went viral, fans quickly roasted it online, with one writing that the Kim doll 'looks embarrassed to be there.' Others dubbed the giant balloon 'terrifying' and joked that onlookers should 'run for their lives.' Jonathan, however, was quick to defend the SKIMS founder over the backlash. 'I don't care. Nobody should care. Everyone gives backlash about [everything]. 'At this point, nothing matters. I get hate all day about things. Without hate, I'm bored out of my mind,' he told DailyMail.com. Foodgod told DailyMail.com about Kim's blow-up doll in Times Square, 'I want to know when Kim sleeps because everything she does is so over the top and amazing and... It's pretty sick' The SKIMS founder's giant balloon received a lot of backlash after it was seen in the middle of Times Square on March 4 The close pals met in 2009 at a birthday party for socialite Brittny Gastineau at Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks, California where Jonathan, who was a publicist at the time, said that they 'bonded right away.' They were inseparable in the earlier years of their friendship and vacationed together often, as well as attending events together regularly. Jonathan also used to make regular appearances on Keeping Up With the Kardashians in the show's earlier years. In 2021, Kim opened up on KUWTK about how glad she was to be with her bestie in her darkest of times, and even his - after he was robbed in New Jersey. 'I'm really glad that Jonathan is here. It's really good being with him. I don't know if it's the combination of being a mom and the robbery and listening to Jonathan, my anxiety starts setting in again. It's just like my robbery situation,' she told cameras, referring to her infamous Paris robbery from October 2016. However, roughly three months ago, fans speculated that there was some sort of rift between Jonathan and Kim since they haven't been spotted together in public in months. He also raised eyebrows after fans noticed he was hanging out with Bethenny Frankel in October 2024 after the former housewives trashed Kim over her lavish holiday decorations the year prior. Fans took to forums such as Reddit, and questioned, 'Do we know [if] anything actually happened between them? Maybe they are just both busy? Or is there a known rift?' Jonathan used to make regular appearances with Kim on Keeping Up With the Kardashians Foodgod was seen in the March 6 episode of Hulu's The Kardashians when he attended Khloe's Dollywood-inspired 40th birthday party in June 2024 Jonathan dished to DailyMail.com about his 15-year friendship with Kim: 'I don't get involved with any kind of money stuff or guy stuff for her. It's whatever we talk about' One person suggested, 'I think he had his moment in time when he was with her but she most likely outgrew him both professionally and personally is my guess.' Another user said, 'Im curious also, he was literally obsessed with Kim.' An article published on Hola! included fan speculation that Kim's trust might have been broken after rumors that he 'leaked private information.' 'My friends and I have a conspiracy theory that he was always the leak. And they finally cut ties,' one commenter claimed, as mentioned in the article. Another alleged, 'He leaked everything!!! That's why we haven't heard anything on the Kardashians recently.' Kim has not publicly commented on the status of her friendship with Jonathan. Meanwhile, apart from keeping in touch with Kim over text and making an appearance on The Kardashians, Foodgod has been busy flying around the world to get food content for his social media. The influencer was in Milan, Italy at Philipp Plein's The Plein Hotel where he tasted the $1,500 Dom Perignon pizza and before that, he was in Dubai for a new beach club opening called Sirene by Gaia. 'I'm very picky,' he said, referring to places he visits. 'They have to have special, over-the-top things. I don't do just regular restaurants.' When asked how he maintains his fit figure, he told DailyMail.com, 'I started going to the gym a little bit but I'm not a big gym rat.' Instead of getting on the Ozempic band wagon, he said he would prefer medication that does the opposite - builds muscles. 'I wish there was an Ozempic for muscles. I guess that'll be steroids, I don't know. But it's not fair. Now everyone is so skinny,' he joked, while adding that he thanks his metabolism for being 'really good' and not storing fat. Jonathan attended the grand opening of the new Planet Hollywood NYC hosted by Robert Earl, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin, 50 Cent and Boy George on March 11 The flood influencer posed for photos with the VIP guests, including Selling The City star Eleonora Srugo (pictured) Right now, his New York City go-to's are Polo Bar, The Corner Store, Chez Margaux and Zero Bond. The star-studded affair at Planet Hollywood was hosted by the food chain's CEO Robert Earl, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin, 50 Cent and Boy George, who played a DJ set for the VIP guests. The evening included appearances by Pete Davidson, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his son Patrick Schwarzenegger, Whoopi Goldberg, Liev Schreiber and a bunch of Real Housewives of New York City and New Jersey. Guests enjoyed cocktails from 50 Cent's Le Chemin Du Roi and Branson Cognac as they got an exclusive first look at the reimagined modernized venue that has 360-degree state-of-the-art TV screens and three floors. Coronation Street will delve into the dark past of Kit Green in a special flashback episode later this year. ITV bosses have been filming scenes for the upcoming episode in Manchester this week as the truth about Kit's (Jacob Roberts) past with Weatherfield newcomers Mick (Joe Layton) and Lou (Farrel Hegarty) is revealed. In one dramatic scene, young Kit (Brook Debio) and Mick are chased by the police after apparently stealing a bag. And while one of them manages to run away, the other is caught red-handed screaming that he didn't have anything to do with the crime. Meanwhile, another flashback episode shows a young Lou (Charlotte Alex-Riley) sitting outside a pub as she's joined by young Kit. The pair could be seen engaging in a chat and Lou shows him her Manchester United top before he abruptly gets up and leaves. Coronation Street will delve into the dark past of Kit Green in a special flashback episode later this year ITV bosses have been filming scenes for the upcoming episode in Manchester this week as the truth about Kit's past with Weatherfield newcomers Mick and Lou is revealed (Pictured Charlotte Alex-Riley and Brook Debio) Viewers have watched how Kit has hidden his dark side since arriving on the cobbles last year. The police detective has planted evidence on innocent suspects, blackmailed criminals into handing over cash to avoid being arrested, and terrorised anyone who gets in his way. The troubled character also manipulates Daisy Midgeley (Charlotte Jordan) into bed and seduces married Shona Platt (Julia Goulding) several times. Kit was previously revealed as the biological son of Bernie Winter (Jane Hazlegrove), who had given him up for adoption nearly three decades ago. However, he claimed he wanted nothing to do with his biological mother until his brother Paul (Peter Ash) made one final dying wish that they reunite. Jane Hazelgrove was also pictured filming emotional scenes for the flashback episode on Monday. The actress appeared visibly distressed as she spoke to a mysterious person on the phone after exiting her taxi. During shooting, the star can be seen on the verge of tears as she rips a necklace from her neck before throwing it into a bin and quickly running off. In one dramatic scene, young Kit and Mick get chased by the police after stealing a bag. However, Kit manages to run away while Mick is caught red-handed Meanwhile, Jane Hazelgrove was also pictured filming emotional scenes for the flashback episode on Monday The actress, who plays Kit's biological mother Bernie Winter, appeared visibly distressed as she spoke to a mysterious person on the phone after exiting her taxi Kit has hidden his dark side since arriving on the cobbles last year, however viewers have seen him plant evidence on innocent suspects and terrorise anyone who gets in his way (Jacob Roberts pictured) Coronation Street's boss Kate Brooks recently teased Kit's connection to newcomers Mick and Lou. She told The Sun: 'Weve got some great characters coming in. They are Mick and Lou.' 'Theyre coming to live at the back of Chesney, on Maudsley Street, across the ginnel. They are livewires, they are ruffians, they are going to cause a lot of damage and a lot of chaos.' 'There is a link to Chesney initially, but they are coming to stir up a lot of trouble, and open up the floodgates and unpack the past of one of our big characters, which is Kit.' The producer also teased that the newcomers are going to cause some chaos on the cobbles and will 'leave a trail of devastation'. Sean Lock's rarely-seen daughter Maeve has shared an unseen snap of her father in a heartbreaking post three years after his death. The comedian left his wife and children an estate valued at more than 4 million after his tragic death from cancer at the age of 58 in August 2021. Lock kept his children out of the limelight but taking to her TikTok account on Tuesday, Maeve shared a tribute to her father. Maeve shared a selfie followed by a throwback snap of Lock with his wife, and Maeve's mother, Anoushka Nara Gilstoff. 'Ouch,' Maeve captioned the post as she laid over the words 'When two worlds collide' and Adele's song containing the lyric, Hometown Glory. Maeve, who looked strikingly liker her mother in the selfie, was flooded with support from fans as they shared their sadness at her loss. Sean Lock's rarely-seen daughter Maeve shared an unseen snap of her father in a heartbreaking post on TikTok on Tuesday, four years after his death Maeve shared a selfie followed by a throwback snap of Lock with his wife, and Maeve's mother, Anoushka Nara Gilstoff A comedy panel show favourite, Lock was a team captain on the series 8 Out of 10 Cats, hosted by Jimmy Carr. He also appeared on QI, The Last Leg, Have I Got News for You, and The Big Fat Quiz of the Year. His death in 2021 sparked an outpouring of tributes from the world of comedy including close friends Bill Bailey, Kevin Bridges, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Fry. Probate records revealed Lock's estate had a net value of 4,084,911 which was to be handed to his family. Lock, of London, said his wife Anoushka and their three children should inherit the estate which was to be held in a trust. Born in Chertsey, Surrey, Lock left school in the early 1980s and began working on building sites but developed skin cancer, which he blamed on over-exposure to the sun. He recovered and decided to focus on a career in comedy. Early in his TV career, Lock appeared on the 1993 series Newman and Baddiel in Pieces, alongside fellow comics Rob Newman and David Baddiel. He was named best live comic at the British Comedy Award in 2000 and has also previously been nominated for the prestigious Perrier Comedy Award. A comedy panel show favourite, Lock was a team captain on the series 8 Out of 10 Cats, hosted by Jimmy Carr His death in 2021 sparked an outpouring of tributes from the world of comedy including close friends Bill Bailey, Kevin Bridges, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Fry In 2006, he presented and produced the Channel 4 series TV Heaven, Telly Hell, in which guests would discuss their likes and dislikes in television. Guests on the show included Alan Davies, Johnny Vaughan, David Mitchell, Bill Bailey, Johnny Vegas and Nick Hancock. But father of three Lock was best known as a team captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats, the comedy panel show hosted by Jimmy Carr. The show saw panellists answer questions based on statistics and opinion polls. In a statement announcing his death, agents Off The Kerb Productions, said: 'Sean was one of Britain's finest comedians, his boundless creativity, lightning wit and the absurdist brilliance of his work, marked him out as a unique voice in British comedy.' Paying tribute, comedian Bill Bailey said: 'It's heartbreaking to lose my dearest friend Sean Lock, he was a true original, a wonderful comic.' In 2006, he presented and produced the Channel 4 series TV Heaven, Telly Hell, in which guests would discuss their likes and dislikes in television Jon Richardson, who appeared opposite Lock as a fellow team captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats, wrote: 'I idolised Sean as a comic long before I became a comedian myself and 10 years working alongside him didn't diminish that in the least. An incredible comic brain and a truly unique voice.' Ricky Gervais added: 'One of the funniest, most influential comedians of a generation. A lovely man.' Kevin Bridges described Lock as 'one of the soundest guys in comedy'. Stephen Fry said: 'What a loss. My heart goes out to his family.' Bethenny Frankel inadvertently got stoned off a THC-infused beverage she mistook for a non-alcoholic mocktail. Frankel, 54, was searching for an alternative to alcohol to unwind with when she selected Nowadays, a beverage containing the active ingredient in cannabis, THC. While the front of the bottle clearly stated the product was 'THC infused', Frankel neglected to properly take note of that label before pouring herself a glass four times the serving size. What resulted was footage of Bethenny getting high, which began with a chill bath time before it she became forgetful. Bethenny - who was recently in Miami - gave the drink rave reviews, praising the taste before noting she felt 'glazed.' The RHONY alum was ultimately alerted to the brand's psychoactive properties by her TikTok fans. Bethenny Frankel inadvertently got stoned off a THC-infused beverage she mistook for a non-alcoholic mocktail Despite the bottle clearly stating it was infused with THC, Frankel neglected to take note of that label Bethenny struggled to remember some of her words as she reported her experience with followers. 'So I didn't read the bottle and now I'm hearing from you guys that a serving is one and a half ounces and I had eight to 10,' Bethenny told fans from her bed. 'So I had like four servings of the....uh... what the hell was I going to say?... What did I say before? Hold on it's driving me nuts,' she said before double checking her phrasing. 'Alcohol-ternatives,' she said upon return. 'Yes, that's right. I had four servings on the first try. Yeah. You're welcome. This could be fun.' Bethenny also shared video of her lip syncing to Melissa McCarthy from Bridesmaids. 'I took nine. I took nine. I did slightly overcommit,' the audio said. Despite her 'user error', Bethenny was happy to share with fans that she had a pleasant experience with the drink. 'Okay so here's what went down,' she began in a recap the following day. 'So, I had this, and I was intrigued, and I wanted to try it and I thought it was a ready to drink cocktail. This was something someone said to me but I do know how to read. 'So I just opened it, because it actually looks like a bottle of liquor, which is what it is, which is what I originally thought it was, that's what I said, I said, "Is it mimicking the liquor?" but someone who works with me said, "Well no it's flavored so it's like a cocktail or something like that." Whatever.' 'This is a brand new bottle that I opened and this is how much I drank of it,' she said, showing about a quarter of the bottle empty. She drank four times the serving size of the THC-infused Nowadays Frankel reported back her experience with fans in a forgetful monologue posted to TikTok She poked fun at herself by lip syncing to audio of Melissa McCarthy from the film Bridesmaids 'Just so you know you're supposed to drink that much so I drank that much. That's not the same. So I was home, it was delicious, and shortly thereafter I took a bath and I was in the bath saying, "I'm really relaxed. Like really relaxed. Like meditative, don't want to get out of the bath, not rushing, not neurotic relaxed. 'The good news was that's a lot and I wasn't freaking, wasn't obsessing, I was just chillin. Hard. But you know you could go off the deep end and I was like "this is very good." So it was very manageable... I then went into bed and I don't remember everything but I remember reading that.. I mean I do, just like chill, reading you guys saying "you should do a live." And I did a live. 'And we talked a little about it and then I got off because I didn't think I was that entertaining or interesting, or maybe I was, I don't remember. And then I slept. I usually wake up at like 6:30 and I slept until eight and change. And I feel decent. She reported feeling 'groggy' but 'good' in a follow-up video Despite her 'user error', Bethenny was happy to share with fans that she had a pleasant experience with the drink Bethenny's videos had fans in stitches 'I have to say, so that's a good sign, because people are scared of this stuff, and there's nothing to be afraid of, there's no monsters here. This would be the night that there'd be monsters because it was a user error and there were no monsters.' Though still feeling 'groggy', she was doing 'good.' 'A little groggy. A little groggy for sure. But good,' she said. Bethenny's videos had fans in stitches, with one writing in her update video: 'I feel like you are fighting for your life a little here,' drawing a laughing-crying emoji response from Bethenny. 'I think the effects are still in the room with us,' another wrote with laughing-crying emojis. 'I'm dying.' 'Our girl had herself a NIGHT,' one posted. The anonymous woman, who accused rappers Jay-Z and Sean 'Diddy' Combs of raping her as a teen in 2000, is accusing her attorney of pressuring her to make the claim. In a bombshell recording, obtained by ABC News, the accuser, known as Jane Doe, claimed to private investigators that her attorney pushed her to sue the 55-year-old billionaire music mogul, who is married to global superstar Beyonce. When asked about her claim that Jay-Z (born Shawn Corey Carter) raped her at an VMAs afterparty, when she was 13, the woman seemingly walked back on her story. Per an excerpt of the audiotape, one of the investigators, asked: 'He was just there, but he didn't have anything to do with any sexual acts towards you?' 'Yeah,' Jane Doe replied after previously naming him in a sexual assault case, which was filed in December 2024 and dismissed last month. She went on to claim that her attorney, Tony Buzbee, put her up to suing the father-of-three, who is reportedly worth $2.5 billion. The anonymous woman, who accused rappers Jay-Z and Sean ' Diddy ' Combs of raping her as a teen in 2000, revealed why she lied about being sexually assaulted 'He was the one that kind of pushed me towards going forward with him, with Jay-Z,' the woman insisted. When investigators asked specifically if she was speaking about Buzbee, she said: 'Yeah.' In a statement to DailyMail.com, Buzbee said: 'I spoke to Jane Doe immediately after being contacted by ABC. Her position is very clear and has never changed. The tape is a pieced together fabrication. The investigators tormented and harassed and tricked that poor woman and took what she said out of context and secretly recorded her.' 'She stands by her claim that Jay Z was there at the party and that he assaulted her. She has never wavered on that point, not once,' Buzbee added. In a statement to ABC News, Buzbee said it was a 'blatant lie' that he pushed Jane Doe to bring a case against Jay-Z. During his interview with ABC News Aaron Katersky on Wednesday's episode of Good Morning America, Jay-Z's lawyer detailed his efforts to clear his client's name. 'People around Mr. Carter wanted to know what happened behind closed doors and, so, they asked for her to be interviewed,' Alex Spiro said. 'The interview occurred and the tape speaks for itself,' he explained. 'She says -- in no uncertain terms -- Mr. Carter did not do this. It is effectively a lie. The only reason Mr. Carter is even involved in this is because she was pushed to involve him pushed to include him -- by a lawyer.' In a statement provided to ABC News, Spiro, denied that Jane Doe ever had any interaction with his client. 'Mr. Carter doesn't know Jane Doe, never met Jane Doe. There's no truth to any of this,' Spiro said. In a bombshell recording, obtained by ABC News, the accuser, known as Jane Doe, claimed to private investigators that her attorney, Tony Buzbee, pushed her to sue the music mogul, 55 (Buzbee pictured in 2023) Jay-Z said in a statement, last month after the lawsuit was dismissed, that it felt like a 'victory.' 'The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone,' he said. The 99 Problems hitmaker went on to reveal the toll that the case has taken on his entire family. The statement continued: 'The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed. 'This 1-800 lawyer gets to file a suit hiding behind Jane Doe, and when they quickly realize that the money grab is going to fail, they get to walk away with no repercussions. The system has failed.' He finished off the emotional statement with a commentary on the court system and sexual assault allegations as a whole. Jay-Z concluded: 'The court must protect victims, OF COURSE, while with the same ethical responsibility, the courts must protect the innocent from being accused without a shred of evidence. May the truth prevail for all victims and those falsely accused equally.' Jay-Z said in a statement, last month after the lawsuit was dismissed, that it felt like a 'victory' but that he wouldn't 'wish this experience on anyone' (seen in 2024) The rapper went on to reflect on how the claims have traumatized him, his wife and their kids; seen with Beyonce and their daughter Blue Ivy at the Grammy Awards in LA last month Last month, it was also revealed that Jay-Z sued Jane Doe and Buzbee as he claimed the 'lies' and 'extortionate threats' made by them led him to a $20 million loss. The Empire State Of Mind artist accused the defendants in the case, in addition to attorney David Fortney, of 'malicious prosecution, abuse of process, civil conspiracy and defamation,' according to legal documents filed in Alabama and reviewed by Dailymail.com. In the legal complaint, Jay-Z says the defendants 'were soullessly motivated by greed, in abject disregard of the truth and the most fundamental precepts of human decency.' Diddy's attorney has also released a statement taking aim at opposing attorney Buzbee which read: 'Today's complete dismissal without a settlement by the 1-800 attorney is yet another confirmation that these lawsuits are built on falsehoods, not facts. This Tuesday evening, the day before news broke of the latest development, Jay-Z was spotted headed to dinner at a celebrity hot spot in West Hollywood HIs venue of choice was the upscale Japanese eatery Sushi Park, where he was accompanied by art dealer Jaime Frankfurt 'For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by an attorney more focused on media headlines than legal merit. Just like this claim, the others will fall apart because there is no truth to them. 'Sean Combs has never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyoneman or woman, adult or minor. No number of lawsuits, sensationalized allegations, or media theatrics will change that reality. We will continue to fight these baseless claims and hold those responsible. This is just the first of many that will not hold up in a court of law.' The accuser, who identifies herself as Jane Doe in legal documents reviewed by Dailymail.com back in December, had said the assault took place at a party after the award show. This Tuesday evening, the day before news broke of the latest development, Jay-Z was spotted headed to dinner at a celebrity hot spot in West Hollywood. HIs venue of choice was the upscale Japanese eatery Sushi Park, where he was accompanied by art dealer Jaime Frankfurt. Kate Moss suffered a clothing blunder on Tuesday, as she arrived at Zoe Kravitz's house in Paris, looking slightly less impeccably dressed as usual. The supermodel, 51, was spotted making her way to the actress' property after celebrating the end of Paris Fashion Week at the Yves Saint Laurent after-party. While still looking as stunning as ever, she seemed to have had an accident on the drive over, with her stylish black jumpsuit seen to be covered in stains. Kate showcased her svelte figure in the tuxedo-style number, which boasted a plunging neckline to flash a glimpse of cleavage and a matching belt to cinch her in at her tiny waist. However, she appeared to have spilled some makeup over her lap, with powder marks visible across the front of her trousers. Despite the wardrobe malfunction, the fashion icon still cut a dazzling figure, boosting her already impressive height with patent leather stilettos and toting a matching clutch. Kate Moss suffered a clothing blunder on Tuesday, as she arrived at Zoe Kravitz's house in Paris, looking slightly less impeccably dressed as usual While still looking as stunning as ever, the supermodel, 51, seemed to have had an accident on the drive over, with her stylish black jumpsuit covered in visible stains Her long blonde hair was styled in soft waves, while she accessorised with simple diamond earrings and a chunky gold ring, and sported minimal makeup to show off her ageless beauty. Ahead of her arrival, she had been seen leaving the glitzy Saint Laurent bash with a host of fellow models, including Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber and Amber Valletta, as well as movie stars Austin Bulter, Zoe Saldana and Zoe Kravitz. While at the catwalk show earlier in the night, Kate put on a daring display by going braless in a sheer blue spotted blouse, teamed with a black velvet blazer. The mother-of-one teamed her look with grey cigarette trousers and a statement pink lip as she joined her daughter Lila, at the fashion show. Her latest appearance comes after Kate sparked concern among her fanbase after being filmed looking 'fraught' and 'on edge' as she sat front row at the Isabel Marant ready-to-wear showcase last Thursday. She looked effortlessly chic in a navy T-shirt, oversized leather bomber jacket, and shorts with a lace trim as she sat beside British fashion photographer David Sims, 58, who has worked with her since the 1990s. In a clip shared by publications including Elle and Lewis Magazine, Kate moves back and forth in her chair as she speaks to other fashion goers at the event and poses for photographers. While at the catwalk show earlier in the night, Kate put on a daring display by going braless in a sheer blue spotted blouse, teamed with a black velvet blazer (pictured) Her latest appearance comes after Kate sparked concern among her fanbase after being filmed looking 'fraught' and 'on edge' as she sat front row at the Isabel Marant ready-to-wear showcase last Thursday (seen) She looked effortlessly chic in a navy T-shirt, oversized leather bomber jacket, and shorts with a lace trim as she sat beside British fashion photographer David Sims, 58, who has worked with her since the 1990s (seen) She is seen hugging a woman sat behind her before being heard saying 'let me just do this', as she turns to face forward so the picture takers can get the best shot. But fans of the model responded to the video - which has been circulating on Instagram and TikTok - with concern over her 'frantic' appearance. One TikTok user said: 'She's giving me anxiety just watching her', which has garnered over 100K likes. Another commented: 'I feel like I can't breathe watching this' while a third remarked: 'I feel sad every time I see this.' Four days ago, a TikTok user questioned why Elle magazine shared the clip, saying: 'Why did they post this? Kate is seemingly not okay. Still pretty though.' Another said: 'Why is she so fidgety, this just makes me anxious.' Other commenters believe Kate was only moving frantically so the photographers could get her best angle. One said: 'To be fair, every time I've seen her pose for paps, she's always "snapped" into shot, so yeah she's moving a bit strange but it's normal for her.' But fans of the model responded to the video - which has been circulating on Instagram and TikTok - with concern over her 'frantic' appearance She has been supporting her model daughter Lila during the busy fashion month as the 22-year-old starred in several designer showcases (pictured Tuesday) 'She doesn't want to smile for cameras but smiles at her friends before 'the look' at the camera... People just want to hate', a TikTok user claimed. Kate, who's still as in demand as she was in her 90s heyday, has sat front row at numerous Fashion Week shows this year including Stella McCartney in London, New York's Donna Karan and Dior's fall menswear show, which took place in Paris. She has been supporting her model daughter Lila during the busy fashion month as the 22-year-old starred in several designer showcases. Lila walked the Burberry, Stella McCartney and Coperni shows, while also attending several elegant dinner parties alongside her famous mother. She has followed in Kate's footsteps and nabbed her first modelling gig at the age of 15 with a Marc Jacobs Beauty campaign - at just a year older than her mother was when she entered the business. But despite her mum being one of the famous models in the business, Lila revealed that Kate was keen to deter her from following in her footsteps. 'My mum always put me off [modelling],' Lila said. 'She was always like, "If you want to do it, you can, but I wouldn't recommend it".' Disneys live-action Snow White remake continues to face a firestorm of backlash over its so-called 'woke' reinterpretation of the classic fairytale. Trying to steer clear of controversy, Disney has moved the films premiere to a remote castle in Spain, dialing back its promotional push as criticism over the movies themesand its stars, Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadotcontinues to grow. Now, actress Ali Chapman is speaking out, calling out Disney for what she sees as a huge missed opportunity to properly represent the little people community in its take on the Seven Dwarfs. 'This is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, so its a movie thats supposed to have real dwarves,' Chapman told TMZ on Wednesday. 'Instead, Disney chose to use CGI dwarves to replace actors and actresses that are little people that are very talented.' Chapman, known for her work in Little Women LA, Freakshow and Better Things, didnt hold back, emphasizing that the studio had the chance to cast skilled performers from her communityonly to 'miss the boat' entirely. Her husband, Matt McArthy, echoed her frustration: 'There are a lot of little people actors out there that would love to have a part in this kind of movie.' Disneys live-action Snow White remake continues to face a firestorm of backlash over its so-called ' woke ' reinterpretation of the classic fairytale, as actress Ali Chapman said the company missed an opportunity to properly represent the little people community in its take on the Seven Dwarfs; (Chapman in 2022) 'This is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, so its a movie thats supposed to have real dwarves,' Chapman told TMZ on Wednesday He added, 'It feels like were getting our dreams shut out.' McArthys criticism of Hollywoods handling of dwarf representation isnt new. He previously voiced concerns about the 2012 live-action adaptation Snow White and the Huntsman, which starred Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart. At the time, he told TMZ that casting average-sized actors as Snow Whites dwarfs was akin to 'casting a white actor to play a role written for an African-American person and digitally changing the color of their skin.' Meanwhile, Disneys remake has been thrown into the spotlight once again after the release of a new clipone that only fanned the flames of controversy. The footage, shared on Good Morning America, shows Zeglers Snow White pleading with Gadots Evil Queen on behalf of the struggling villagers, urging her to show them 'some kindness.' Rather than winning over audiences, the clip drew widespread criticism, with viewers blasting Gadots performance and many admitting they plan to watch the movie solely to 'hate-watch' it. Directed by Marc Webb and penned by Erin Cressida Wilson, Snow White is a live-action reimagining of Disneys 1937 animated classic, itself inspired by the Brothers Grimms 1812 fairy tale. Chapman, known for her work in Little Women LA, Freakshow and Better Things, didnt hold back, emphasizing that the studio had the chance to cast skilled performers from her communityonly to 'miss the boat' entirely 'Instead, Disney chose to use CGI dwarves to replace actors and actresses that are little people that are very talented,' (seen in 2022) Her husband, Matt McArthy, echoed her frustration: 'There are a lot of little people actors out there that would love to have a part in this kind of movie' Disney first confirmed plans for the remake in 2016, with principal filming taking place in London between March and July 2022, followed by additional shoots in June 2024. The film has been embroiled in controversy long before its release, with critics taking aim at everything from its color-blind casting to drastic story changes. Zegler, in particular, has been branded a PR nightmare for Disney, with resurfaced interviews fueling the backlash. In a 2022 interview, she dismissed the original Snow White as 'dated,' ridiculing its romance by calling Prince Charming 'a guy who literally stalks her.' She also slammed Disneys past portrayals of princesses, calling them 'problematic,' and admitted that the original film frightened her as a childcomments that only deepened the divide between the film and its skeptics. With its March 21 release date fast approaching, Snow White finds itself caught in a storm of controversyone that Disney seems unable to outrun. Film bosses had originally planned to stage a glittering Hollywood soiree worthy of the staggering $269.4million spent on making the movie - with events planned in Los Angeles, London and around the world. Yet amid the series of scandals, Disney scaled back the planned lavish premieres to a 'handful' of tightly controlled Press events. The biggest of these is now thousands of miles away from the media's glare, with Zegler (Snow White) and Gadot (Evil Queen) jetting to the tiny city of Segovia, north-west of Madrid, which boasts a population of just 51,000. Media outlets have not been invited to the event at Alcazar of Segovia, a medieval castle that rests on a rocky crag at the western end of Segovia's Old City, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Earlier this month, an insider told the Mail: 'Disney are already anticipating an anti-woke backlash against Snow White and have reduced the media schedule to just a handful of tightly controlled Press events. 'That is why they have taken the highly unusual step not to host a London premiere for the film and are minimising the amount of Press questions that Rachel Zegler gets.' The premiere for the Snow White remake has been relocated to a remote castle in Spain, the Alcazar of Segovia, after Disney were forced to 'scale back' the promo amid backlash The premiere is being held thousands of miles away from the glare of the media, with Rachel Zegler (Snow White) jetting to the tiny city of Segovia, north-west of Madrid, on Wednesday Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, is also expected to arrive in Segovia, which boasts a population of just 51,000, to attend the event this week While the premiere is being held away from typical haunts one would expect for a movie of such grandure, there is some significance in its choice. The Alcazar of Segovia was the inspiration behind the castle in Disney's 1937 original animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, with its distinctive shape, turrets and steep roofs seen in the feature. The Alcazar was built and rebuilt over hundreds of years, beginning as a palace of the Moslem governor in the tenth century. Today it is a prominent example of Mudejar architecture, a Moorish-influenced style common in Iberia from the 13th to the 16th centuries. The upper stories of the palace are still used by Spain's royal family when they visit Seville. The public have been banned from entering the castle on Wednesday and Thursday, with a notice stating it has simply been closed for a 'private event'. In a further sign that Press are being held away from the event, the date of the premiere has not been confirmed on media calendars. Demi Lovato has come under fire for wasting $19 on the viral Erewhon strawberry from Kyoto, Japan. The 32-year-old music artist who recently responded to a concerned fan took to TikTok to share her honest review of the pricey piece of fruit. Dressed in a dainty, cream-colored cardigan with her dark hair parted and pulled back, the Texas native, worth an estimated $40million, cradled the small food item in her manicured hands. 'Apparently, you're supposed to smell it,' she narrated before taking a whiff and confirming, 'Smells like a strawberry.' The songstress took a big bite before rating it an 8 out of 10. 'It's not tart at all, which I like; I don't like tart strawberries. But it's not that sweet,' she reported before shrugging, 'Oh, well! Just wasted $20.' One follower named Mya wrote in the comments, 'This level of capitalism is actually sick,' racking up more than 145,000 likes. Demi Lovato has come under fire for wasting $19 on the viral Erewhon strawberry from Kyoto, Japan Another person referenced the poorest area in The Hunger Games universe, writing that she was 'watching from district 12.' That comment garnered even more attention, gaining over 320,000 likes and nearly 800 replies. Another joked about the expensive, LA-based grocer, 'Erewhon was 100% started by a group of uni students who wanted to run a social experiment on consumerism but ended up accidentally creating a successful grocery so now they just watch.' Also mentioning the food retailer known for smoothie collaborations with A-listers like Kourtney Kardashian and Hailey Bieber someone else added, 'Just hearing "Erewhon" pisses me off.' '"I wasted $20" this is the most honest review yet, to be honest,' a viewer noted, crediting Lovato for her transparency. Another agreed that the star's admission was 'the only appropriate response.' The Cool For The Summer hitmaker's TikTok clip so far has more than one million likes from her nearly seven million followers on the app. 23,000 people have saved it, while more than 26,000 have shared it. The 32-year-old music artist and multimillionaire took to TikTok to share her honest review of the pricey piece of fruit One follower named Mya wrote in the comments, 'This level of capitalism is actually sick,' racking up more than 145,000 likes Another person referenced the poorest area in The Hunger Games universe, writing that she was 'watching from district 12' There was also a social media user who joked about the expensive, LA-based grocer, 'Erewhon was 100% started by a group of uni students who wanted to run a social experiment on consumerism' Also mentioning the food retailer - known for smoothie collaborations with A-listers like Kourtney Kardashian and Hailey Bieber - someone else added, 'Just hearing "Erewhon" pisses me off' '"I wasted $20" - this is the most honest review yet, to be honest,' a viewer noted, crediting Lovato for her transparency Another agreed that the star's admission was 'the only appropriate response' The Cool For The Summer hitmaker has carved out a huge fortune thanks to her recording and acting career; pictured October 2024 Demi flashed her huge diamond engagement ring from fiance Jordan 'Jutes' Lutes in the up-close recording, as well as her multiple hand tattoos. The former child star and Lutes, who is also a musician, got engaged in December 2023 after meeting while working together on her Holy Fvck album, released in 2022. This past Valentine's Day she shared pictures from their engagement photo shoot along with a heartfelt caption. On Instagram she wrote, 'Jordan, I cannot WAIT to marry you!! The past 3 years have been the best 3 years of my life and I have you to thank for that. 'Im obsessed with your heart, your love and your light. I cant wait to grow old with you and start a family together. Happy Valentines Day to the love of my life. I love you honey!!!' The funeral of Voletta Wallace, mother of The Notorious B.I.G., drew a star-studded gathering of hip-hops elite in New York City on Wednesday, as the industry paid tribute to the woman who safeguarded her sons legacy. Wallace passed away at the age of 78 on February 21, succumbing to natural causes while in hospice care. Her son Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls, was a towering figure in hip-hop until his life was cut short in a 1997 drive-by shooting at just 24 years old. In the years that followed, his mother became the guardian of his estate, ensuring that his influence and impact only grew with time. Among those in attendance were two of Biggies most famous exes Lil Kim and Faith Evans. Other notable guests included Christian Combs, son of Sean 'Diddy' Combs; Gloria Carter, Jay-Zs mother; and Biggies own children, C.J. and Tyanna Wallaceall coming together to honor the matriarch who helped keep Biggies name alive. The funeral of Voletta Wallace, mother of The Notorious B.I.G.drew a star-studded gathering of hip-hops elite in New York City on Wednesday, as the industry paid tribute to the woman who safeguarded her sons legacy; (pictured Faith Evans) Other notable guests included Christian Combs, son of Sean ' Diddy ' Combs Wallace died of natural causes Feb 21 in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania , the Monroe County Coroner informed TMZ; pictured in 2022 Wallace passed away on Friday morning in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, according to confirmation from the Monroe County Coroner, as reported by DailyMail.com. Her death follows controversial remarks she made about Sean 'Diddy' Combs, who is currently in jail awaiting trial over multiple allegations, including rape. Back in 1993, her son Christopher became the first artist signed to Diddys label, Bad Boy Records. However, reports suggest that Biggie was planning to leave the label before his tragic murder in 1997. The rapper was gunned down in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. Last year, Wallace didnt hold back when addressing the growing number of sexual abuse allegations against Diddy. 'I hope that I see Sean one day and the only thing I want to do is slap the daylights out of him. And you can quote me on that,' she told Rolling Stone. She went on to express disappointment, admitting she once had a fond opinion of him. Among those in attendance were two of Biggies most famous exes, Lil Kim (pictured) and Faith Evans, who set aside their differences in the wake of his passing. Jay-Z's mom Gloria Carter Mase paid tribute to Wallace Notorious BIG's daughter T'yanna Wallace 'Because I liked him. I didnt want to believe all the awful things, but Im so ashamed and embarrassed,' she said in the same interview. Her disgust only deepened after footage surfaced showing Diddy physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in a hotel in 2016. 'Im praying for Cassie. Im praying for his mother. I dont want to believe the things that Ive heard, but Ive seen [the hotel video]. I pray that he apologizes to her,' Wallace said, adding that Diddy 'needs to apologize to his mother, Janice Combs. 'I hope to God he sits her down and spills his guts and apologizes to her.' Born in Brooklyn in 1972, Wallace raised Biggie largely on her own after her husband left the family when their son was just two years old. She brought him up as a Jehovahs Witness and encouraged his education, but she couldnt shield him from the rising drug crisis in New York. During the crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s, Biggie became involved in drug dealing and even served a nine-month jail sentence before turning his life around and launching his rap career. Despite his rapid rise to fame, he remained close to his mother, who watched as he became one of hip-hops most celebrated artists of the 1990s. The rapper's son C. J. Wallace T'yanna and friends outside the funeral Wallace passed away at the age of 78 on February 21 , succumbing to natural causes while in hospice care Born in Brooklyn in 1972, Wallace raised Biggie largely on her own after her husband left the family when their son was just two years old She brought him up as a Jehovahs Witness and encouraged his education, but she couldnt shield him from the rising drug crisis in New York During the crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s, Biggie became involved in drug dealing and even served nine-months in jail before turning his life around and launching his rap career His murder remains one of the music industrys greatest mysteries, sparking endless conspiracy theories over the years Lil' Kim and The Notorious B.I.G. had a complex and highly publicized relationship, both professionally and personally As his protege and lover, she rose to fame under his mentorship, but their romance was tumultuous, marked by passion, heartbreak, and creative collaboration Biggie Smalls, as he was known to fans, was one of the reigning hip-hop stars of his era until he was murdered in a drive-by shooting in 1997 at the age of 24; pictured in 1995 Wallace, who raised her son as Jehovah's Witness, is pictured in 2007 posing with a wax figure of him at Madame Tussauds in New York - 10 years after Biggie's murder Biggie was also a central figure in the infamous East Coast-West Coast rivalry, often pitted against fellow rap legend Tupac Shakur. His murder remains one of the music industrys greatest mysteries, sparking endless conspiracy theories over the years. Following his death, Wallace took control of her sons estate, dedicating herself to preserving his legacy. In 2019, she proudly attended the renaming of a Brooklyn street in his honor, posing alongside his longtime friends Lil Kim and Lil Cease. She was also a producer on the 2009 biopic Notorious, which chronicled Biggies life, with Jamal Woolard portraying the late rapper, Derek Luke playing Diddy, and Anthony Mackie taking on the role of Tupac Shakur. Wendy Williams has broken her silence again, this time speaking on TMZ Live. The former talk show host, 60, was getting emotional during a call to the outlet - hours after her temporary financial guardian Sabrina Morrissey wanted to set the record straight about her claims she 'imprisoned' her at an assisted living facility called Coterie. Wendy, who previously compared the assisted living facility to staying at a 'prison,' was rushed to the Lenox Hill hospital Monday to undergo psychiatric evaluation after she was seen begging fans for help. While speaking to TMZ, she said it was a 'lie' that she was 'allowed' to leave the Coterie and go shopping, adding that her family has to be 'allowed' by Sabrina to see her. 'It is a lie. They are lying people. I'm sorry but I've had it up to here. Thank goodness I can speak.' 'What's more restrictive than the Coterie? The memory unit on the fifth floor. And what is doing on with the Judge [Lisa Sokoloff] speaking to me in such a way,' Wendy said. Wendy Williams has broken her silence again, this time speaking on TMZ Live When asked if she is concerned they were going to move her to a more restrictive unit, she said: 'Yes I am, and don't make me start crying. Because I can laugh and cry at the drop of a dime,' she added. 'It makes me very nervous. Let me be honest with you. I'm scared of that mess. I am. I don't know what could be tighter than where I am but I have to get out of guardian and I have to do it immediately,' Wendy said. When asked why the judge and the guardian want to keep her in the facility, Wendy told Harvey that she would tell him 'behind the scenes,' but Ginalisa Monterroso, who was also on the phone with Wendy - a caretaker who is independent of Williams' guardianship - said she thinks it was because of the Lifetime lawsuit. It's unclear if Monterroso is an employee of the assisted-living facility or what her immediate connection to Williams is. Hours earlier, an attorney for her temporary financial guardian Sabrina wanted to set the record straight about the talk show host's claims she was being 'imprisoned' at Coterie. Sabrina was originally appointed by a judge in 2022 after Wendy's ex-manager Bernie Young reportedly raised concern that she was of 'unsound mind' - which also led to Wells Fargo to temporarily freeze her accounts. Sabrina had told TMZ that Wendy was receiving 'excellent medical care' at the facility, which features a 'spa, a workout room, excellent food, a dining room, and outside terraces' - despite the fact the talk show host had said she can only leave the memory unit with permission. While speaking to TMZ, she said it was a 'lie' that she was 'allowed' to leave the Coterie and go shopping, adding that her family has to be 'allowed' by Sabrina to see her Last month in February, the star revealed that she has stepped outside only twice in the span of a month as she got candid about her isolating conservatorship. Wendy also claimed she is not 'cognitively impaired' and her family broke their silence in January as they they search for an attorney to help her 'regain control of her life.' Wendy broke her silence on Tuesday in an interview on Good Day New York York with host Rosanna Scotto. Williams had called Scotto from the hospital and explained that she passed her evaluation with 'flying colors.' Rosanna shifted the conversation and said, 'You know what I don't understand Wendy is that they're locking you up like you committed a crime.' Williams replied, 'Yes! I have to tell you something. And you know, I'm on the fifth floor. It's called the memory unit. This is a floor, you know, you don't remember anything. Like really? 'And as far as me being able to go outside, I'm not allowed. You know, I have to stay in this building,' she continued, and added she needs to be 'permitted' in order to go to the gym that is located on the third floor. Wendy then emotionally stated that her money is 'up in the air' before saying, 'This is my life.' Towards the end of the interview, she shared that leaving her guardianship is 'the number one most important thing. During her trip to New York City's Lenox Hill Hospital on Monday from the assisted-living facility where she has been forced to live, the former talk show host was evaluated by a psychiatrist. Back in 2022, Williams was placed under a court-appointed guardianship after Wells Fargo reported several large withdrawals from her bank account that it deemed suspicious; Sabrina Morrissey seen above According to the sources, Wendy was administered a 10-item questionnaire that was designed to determine her awareness and decision-making abilities, and she scored 10 out of 10 on the test And on Monday, sources told TMZ that Williams received a perfect score on a 'capacity test' administered by the psychiatrist. DailyMail.com has reached out to a representative for Williams for comment. According to the sources, Wendy was administered a 10-item questionnaire that was designed to determine her awareness and decision-making abilities, and she scored 10 out of 10 on the test. Although one test alone doesn't give a full picture of her mental capacity, the fact that she passed the test with flying colors may indicate that she is far more aware than her guardian has indicated. Williams had previously been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia. However, sources clarified that the exam Williams underwent was not to dispute her dementia diagnosis. The results of the test will reportedly be shared with the judge who has been overseeing her guardianship. In recent weeks, Wendy has been making an effort to speak to the press to make her case that she has improved and should be able to manage her care - and money - on her own. Williams PR push is set to expand later this week when she is scheduled to make her first national television appearance since her dementia diagnosis. It was previously reported that Williams' visit to the hospital was preceded by NYPD officers visiting her at her assisted-living facility to perform a wellness check. Sources told TMZ on Monday that Gina had allegedly ordered her trip to the hospital and the cognitive test. According to TMZ, New York's Adult Protective Services agency is now conducting an investigation into her guardianship and her stay at the facility, where she is confined to a restrictive memory unit, where she appears to have fewer privileges than patients on other floors. Williams has denied that she has memory issues, and therefore she doesn't think she should be deprived of her privileges. She also reportedly doesn't have freedom of movement on that floor. According to the publication, APS has been interviewing people close to the gossip monger, including her niece, Alex Finnie, whom employees reportedly interviewed on Monday. Wendy reportedly spoken with the organization recently. The NYPD is also reportedly continuing to investigate the circumstances of her stay in the facility. Williams will be making her first national television appearance since her shocking dementia diagnosis, ABC revealed on Sunday. She will be joining the ladies of The View on Friday, March 14 - even as she wages a legal battle to end her guardianship. Wendy has lately made attempts to speak out via phone from her assisted-living facility, where she has been kept on a restrictive memory unit that gives her few privileges and little right of movement. Although Williams will be back on TV, it's unclear if viewers will get to see her live, as ABC's announcement indicates that she will be doing a phone interview with the View hosts, who include Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, Ana Navarro and Alyssa Farah Griffin. However, she got a rare breath of fresh air last month when her guardianship and the facility allowed her to fly to Miami to celebrate her father's 94th birthday for a few days. However, she got a rare breath of fresh air last month when her guardianship and the facility allowed her to fly to Miami to celebrate her father's 94th birthday for a few days Back in 2022, Williams was placed under a court-appointed guardianship after Wells Fargo reported several large withdrawals from her bank account that it deemed suspicious. After Williams was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia in February 2024, Morrissey later said the gossip monger was 'cognitively impaired and permanently incapacitated.' But in recent months, a seemingly lucid Wendy has been disputing that she's impaired and begging to regain her freedom. Nicole Kidman has shared a heartbreaking tribute to her mother Janelle, on what would have been her 85th birthday. The Australian actress, 57, posted a sweet photo of her mum and her dad Antony smiling to Instagram. 'Missing Mumma and Papa so much on what would have been her birthday today,' Nicole wrote. Many of her friends and followers flocked to the comments to offer her words of support. 'Tough days to navigate, that's for sure. Sending love to you,' one wrote. 'Sending so much love... you look just like the perfect mix of them,' another person commented. Nicole Kidman has shared a heartbreaking tribute to her mother Janelle, on what would have been her 85th birthday The Australian actress, 57, posted a sweet photo of her mum and her dad Antony smiling to Instagram Janelle died at the age of 84 in September - just hours before Nicole was awarded the Best Actress gong for her role in Babygirl at the Venice Film Festival. Nicole was forced to return to her native Sydney to be with her family after the devastating news. 'Today I arrived in Venice to find out shortly after, that my beautiful, brave mother Janelle Ann Kidman has just passed,' Nicole revealed in a statement read by director Halina Reijn upon her win. 'I am in shock and I have to go to my family, but this award is for her, she shaped me, she guided me, and she made me. 'I am beyond grateful that I get to say her name to all of you through Halina, the collision of life and art is heart-breaking, and my heart is broken. We love you all.' Nicole was supported by Keith and their two daughters Sunday Rose, 16, and Faith Margaret, 14, at her Janelle funeral. In December, she revealed the last words her late mother said to her before her death as she appeared on CBS Sunday Morning in the US. She said Janelle told her to 'take care of yourself'. Nicole has long had an incredibly close relationship with her beloved mother Janelle and often spoke about her support and influence on her career over the years. Pictured in 2018 'The final words my mama said to me, I was gonna get on a plane, and she said "Maybe wait a minute, because you just need to take care of yourself, Nicky,"' Nicole said. The Hollywood actress said she has since taken her mother's advice to heart. 'I'm doing that more, and I say that to other people in the world. Particularly women. I think we tend not to care of ourselves. We take care of everybody else but the last person is here,' she said. The Babygirl star added her mother Janelle wasn't the only woman in Nicole's family with sage advice. 'My grandmother left me with "Be happy" and my mother said "Take care of yourself."' The IRS issued a stark warning to millions of Americans who may have overpaid their taxes time is running out to reclaim nearly $1 billion in cash. Federal tax officials said unclaimed federal tax refunds from 2021 remain up for grabs, with an estimated 1.1 million Americans failing to file their Form 1040 Federal Income Tax Return that year. Most taxpayers filed their forms in 2022, but those who didnt are missing out on potentially significant refunds. Taxpayers who missed the filing deadline could be entitled to a median refund of $781. Some may be eligible for even more: low- and moderate-income workers are especially encouraged to check if they qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which offers refunds of up to $6,728 for eligible families. 'Under the law, taxpayers usually have three years to file and claim their tax refunds,' the IRS said in a press release. 'If they dont file within three years, the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury.' That deadline is now rapidly approaching, meaning over a million late taxpaying Americans could soon lose their chance to pocket the refunds. Americans have left over $1 billion on the table for their 2021 tax returns Your browser does not support iframes. Most taxpayers have until April 15, 2025, to file their 2021 tax returns and collect their refunds. But those who miss the deadline will see their money disappear into the U.S. Treasury. According to the IRS, residents in California, Florida, and Illinois are owed more than $42 million each in unclaimed refunds. Even in smaller states, substantial amounts remain uncollected. North Dakota taxpayers are owed over $2 million, while those in Montana have more than $3 million waiting. North Dakota taxpayers are owed over $2 million while Montana residents are owed more than $3 million. The federal government estimates that New York taxpayers who haven't filed are owed the most, with the average late-paying resident leaving $995 on the table. Meanwhile, California recipients have the lowest average return, with $600. For more information, taxpayers can visit the IRS website. The groundswell of taxpayers who didn't file their 2021 taxes is meaningfully higher than 2020, the IRS said. New Yorkers can expect the largest tax refund - Californians are owed more than $60 million The IRS warned that taxpayers only have a month before the cash goes back to the government Last year, around 900,000 Americans missed out on their returns leading up to the deadline. This year's tax season Earlier this year, the IRS warned taxpayers that some refunds may take more time to process than previous tax seasons. The tax season, which began on January 27 and ends April 15, has several national holidays. Typically, taxpayers can expect their funds in less than 21 days after they've filed. However, residents who sent their 1040s before a holiday may have to wait for their banks to reopen before receiving their 2024 refunds. The IRS expects to receive more than 140 million individual returns ahead of the federal deadline. Last year, the average refund was $3,138, according to the IRS. A major hospital chain owner which operates specialty hospitals in the Midwest and South has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Landmark operates six facilities across Florida, Missouri and Georgia. The company filed for bankruptcy in Florida on March 9 with debts of between $50 million to $100 million. It is the latest major hospital chain owner to file for bankruptcy this year. Prospect Medical Holdings, which operates 16 hospitals and over 150 clinics across four states, filed for bankruptcy in Texas in January. The company said at the time it had plans to offload several hospitals. Currently, officials in Pennsylvania are fighting to keep facilities open in the state. It is not yet known whether Landmark plans to close any hospitals as part of its bankruptcy proceedings, or if facilities will continue to operate as normal. According to the bankruptcy filing, the company's largest unsecured creditor is Ventas, a real estate investment trust which specializes in healthcare facilities, which is owed $13 million. A major hospital chain owner which operates specialty hospitals in the Midwest and South has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Landmark Holdings LLC, run by CEO Bryan Day, runs specialty hospitals in three states Landmark Holdings of Florida LLC filing indicated that no funds would be available to distribute to unsecured creditors after administrative expenses are paid, according to The Street. The chain, which is run by CEO Bryan Day, runs specialty hospitals including Landmark Hospital of Joplin, Missouri, which is an acute long-term care facility. In Missouri, it also runs Landmark Rehabilitation Hospital of Columbia, which provides rehabilitation and extended care for medically complex patients, and Landmark Hospital of Cape Girardeau. This facility also provides long-term acute care for patients requiring extended recovery periods. In Georgia, Landmark also runs similar facilities in Athens and Savannah. It also operates Landmark Hospital of the Southwest in Lehigh Acres, Florida. According to the bankruptcy filing, the company has $10 million to $50 million in assets. Alongside Ventas, the company's largest unsecured creditors also include Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which is owed over $6.4 million and J&R Fuller LLC, a hospital pharmacy management company, which is owed over $3.2 million. Landmark Holdings of Florida LLC operates Landmark Hospital of Savannah Landmark Hospital of Cape Girardeau in Missouri provides specialized long-term acute care for medically complex patients Problems at Landmark come after Prospect Medical Holdings filed for bankruptcy in January, and less than a year after the collapse of Steward Health Care, a major hospital system backed by private equity. Steward, which owned more than 30 hospitals across eight states, was reported by CBS to have been drained of hundreds of millions of dollars by private equity investors, potentially contributing to shortages of life-saving medical equipment. Prospect Medical, which operated clinics across California, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, was once an active buyer of struggling hospitals. Along with Steward, Prospect Medical has also been a focus of investigations by CBS into how how private equity investors have extracted millions from community hospitals. Both Prospect Medical and Steward relied on the value of their hospital real estate to help pay for large payouts for their owners. The Steward bankruptcy drew government scrutiny and prompted debate about the regulation of private-equity owned hospitals whose failure could lead to devastating consequences for local communities. The US authorities denied entry to Pakistanas ambassador to Turkmenistan and deported him from Los Angeles, a media report said on Tuesday. Ambassador KK Wagan, who holds a valid US visa and all necessary travel documents, was stopped at Los Angeles airport by US immigration authorities,The News quoted diplomatic sources as saying. aAmbassador KK Wagan was deported from the US. He had an immigration objection which led to his deportation,a a senior foreign ministry official said. The officials forced him to return to his last port of departure, raising concerns about diplomatic protocol and the nature of the decision. Foreign Office confirmed the envoy had gone to the US on a private visit. It said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was looking into the matter and an investigation was underway. The Foreign Office also advised avoiding any speculation in the matter. Earlier, sources said the US immigration system flagged Wagan over acontroversial visa referencesa, leading to his immediate deportation. It remains unclear what specific concerns triggered this response from American authorities. Wagan is a seasoned diplomat with extensive experience in Pakistanas foreign service. Over the years, he has held several key assignments, including second secretary at the Embassy of Pakistan in Kathmandu, deputy consul general at the Consulate General of Pakistan in Los Angeles, deputy head of mission and ambassador in Muscat, Oman, head of mission at the Embassy of Pakistan in Niamey, Niger, Overseas Pakistanis, Consular Affairs, and Crisis Management Unit Director General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad. Given the seriousness of the situation, Wagan is likely to be called back to Islamabad to explain his position, sources said. The incident has already been communicated to Pakistanas Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Foreign Secretary Aamna Baloch who were reportedly briefed on the matter. The Foreign Ministry has, meanwhile, directed its Consulate in Los Angeles to investigate the case, sources said. Pakistan ranked the third most polluted country in 2024 when it faced unprecedented smog, according to a report on Tuesday. According to Swiss air technology company IQAiras 2024 World Air Quality Report, Chad topped the rankings for the most polluted country, followed by Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and then India, Dawn reported. Pakistan last year witnessed unprecedented smog levels, especially in Punjab, where the situation was declared a acalamitya and around two million people had to seek treatment for resulting health issues. The government took various steps to combat pollution, including imposing lockdowns and closing schools. For Pakistan, the average concentration of particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) was 73.7 micrograms per cubic metre (Ag/mA) a nearly 15 times higher than the safe levels set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the report said. Interestingly, despite the record smog, Pakistanas average pollution last year remained the same as in 2023, it added. In the Central and South Asia region, Pakistan ranked second a just behind Bangladesh a with Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and Sialkot among the 15 most polluted cities in the region. aPakistan faces persistently high levels of pollution from various sources, including biomass burning, industrial activities, vehicular emissions, brick kilns, and construction dust,a the report noted. Compared to 2023, Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore witnessed a spike in their annual average readings, while Faisalabad saw a negligible rise, according to the report. On the other hand, the PM2.5 readings for Karachi declined from over 55 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023 to around 46 micrograms per cubic metre in 2024. The report said five Pakistani cities saw levels rise above 200 microns during November. The study was based on amore than 40,000 air quality monitoring stations across 8,954 locations in 138 countries, territories, and regions analysed by IQAiras air quality scientistsa. About seven in 10 people in Pakistan faced health issues because of smog, according to a report by international insights firm Ipsos. Readings for Chad were 18 times higher than WHO safe levels, while those for India were 10 times more than the recommended limits. Air pollution a atmospheric and domestic a was the main environmental risk to health in 2021, responsible for 8.1 million premature deaths worldwide, according to estimates in the aState of Global Air 2024a report carried out by the Health Effects Institute and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, reported Dawn. Germanys ambitious military revitalization program is forging ahead. However, a new report presented to the German parliament reveals that a persistent and severe personnel shortage continues to hamper the Bundeswehrs progress. The report highlights both the significant strides made in modernizing the armed forces and the critical challenges that remain. Get alerts: A Cash Infusion and New Commitments The annual report, presented by Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Eva Hogel, paints a picture of a military in transition. Since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Germany has dramatically shifted its defense posture. This has involved a massive financial commitment, with defense spending in 2024 reaching NATOs target of 2% of GDP for the first time in recent years. Total military expenditures exceeded 69 billion ($75.4 billion). A significant portion of this funding comes from a one-off 100 billion ($109 billion) Sondervermogen (special fund) established after the invasion of Ukraine. However, the commissioner noted that only about 18% of this fund remains, raising questions about long-term financing. The government approved a record 97 major procurement decisions last year, a significant increase from 55 the previous year. Many of these purchases focus on air defense, a key priority identified in the report. Germany has committed to acquiring the Skyranger 30 from Rheinmetall and the Arrow 3 from Israel, along with new Leopard main battle tanks and self-propelled howitzers to replace those sent to Ukraine. Germany is also expanding its international military footprint. Last fall, the country ratified an agreement for its first-ever permanently stationed brigade abroad, a 5,000-strong force to be based in Lithuania. This represents a significant shift in Germanys traditionally cautious approach to foreign military deployments. Combat Engagement and a New Branch The report also detailed the Bundeswehrs navys first-ever engagement in live combat. The frigate Hessen, participating in an EU mission in the Red Sea, fired on Houthi rebels attacking commercial shipping routes. This marked a historic moment for the German navy and underscored the countrys growing willingness to use military force to defend its interests and international security. In another significant development, the cyber warfare arm of the Bundeswehr was elevated to an entire branch of the military last year, joining the Luftwaffe (air force), navy, and land forces. This reflects the growing importance of cybersecurity in modern warfare and Germanys commitment to strengthening its capabilities in this domain. The Persistent Personnel Problem Despite the influx of funds and new equipment, the Bundeswehr continues to grapple with a critical personnel shortage. At the same time, recruitment increased by 8% last year, with over 20,000 recruits, more than a quarter left after their six-month probationary period. The report reveals that nearly 20% of non-enlisted and 28% of enlisted positions remain vacant. The Bundeswehr is currently 21,826 personnel short of its target of 203,000 active personnel. This shortage significantly challenges the militarys ability to operate and maintain its new equipment effectively and fulfill its expanding responsibilities. The report suggests that simply increasing funding is not enough to address the problem; a more comprehensive approach to recruitment and retention is needed. Extremism Within the Ranks The report also addressed the sensitive issue of neo-Nazi sympathies within the Bundeswehr. Several pages were dedicated to detailing cases of extremist behavior and the institutional shortcomings in investigating and addressing these situations. A new enforcement mechanism, introduced in 2024 following an amendment to the Soldiers Act, aims to accelerate such proceedings. The report emphasized that while only a small minority of soldiers harbor extremist views, this mechanism is a necessary and sharp and effective means against identified enemies of the constitution in the Bundeswehr. The Future of German Defense Germanys incoming governing coalition of conservatives and social democrats has pledged to continue the military buildup. Incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed exempting defense spending from the countrys constitutionally enshrined debt ceiling, a move that would have been almost unthinkable in fiscally conservative Germany until recently. While this proposal is still subject to political debate, it signals a clear commitment to maintaining a strong military. The path forward for the Bundeswehr is clear: sustained investment, a more assertive role in international security, and, crucially, a solution to the persistent personnel shortage. The success of Germanys military transformation hinges on addressing all these challenges simultaneously. The coming years will be critical in determining whether the Bundeswehr can truly become the modern, capable, and fully staffed fighting force that Germany envisions. Riada Resourcing are embracing the Cancer Focus NI Charity Shops Challenge 2025 in the Limavady shop on Thursday May 23, gathering their team together to raise essential funds for the worthy charity. The Charity Shops Challenge is a unique and competitive fundraising initiative led by Cancer Focus Northern Ireland in partnership with Business in the Community Northern Ireland. Businesses across Northern Ireland take over a Cancer Focus NI charity shop for a day to raise as much money as possible through donations, sales and creative fundraising activities. Arlene McConaghie, Riada Resourcing Managing Director explained why the Cancer Focus NI Charity Shop Challenge is a perfect fit for Riadas charity focus in 2025: Riada are a people-led, community-focused organisation, and supporting meaningful causes is at the heart of what we do. Cancer Focus NI is a charity close to many of our team, and were extremely proud to make it one of our chosen charities for 2025. This challenge is the perfect way to come together, get creative and make a real difference. Since the Cancer Focus NI Charity Shops Challenge began in 2011, the fundraising initiative has raised over 450,000 and hopes are high for donation totals again this year. The Charity Shop Challenge involves 13 businesses competing to raise the most money, with the winning team crowned Challenge Champion. Teams fundraise in the lead-up to their takeover day, boosting donations before they even step foot in the shop. All money raised supports Cancer Focus NIs life-changing services, including counselling, family support and art therapy, ensuring continued support to those who need them most. Roisin Forsythe, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Cancer Focus NI welcomed the involvement of Riada Resourcing and other businesses in the Charity Shops Challenge: With one in two people in Northern Ireland predicted to be affected by cancer in our lifetime, the Charity Shops Challenge provides a unique opportunity for Cancer Focus NI to promote cancer awareness all whilst raising much needed funds for our cancer support services. Across Northern Ireland, our charity provides counselling, family support, bra and swimsuit fitting and support groups to thousands of people and families each year. It is only thanks to businesses who take part in our events, that we can continue to be there for people on their cancer journey. By participating in this wonderful corporate team building challenge, 13 businesses will come together to host events, create fundraisers and find unique ways to promote their work in the lead up to the challenge day. We encourage people to visit their local Cancer Focus NI shop on 23 May to get behind the initiative, pick up a bargain and have some fun along the way all while supporting a worthy cause. Cancer Focus Northern Ireland provides critical services for cancer patients and their families, including counselling, support groups, health promotion and pioneering research. Lauren Cunningham, Community Engagement Manager at Business in the Community, said: Since 2010, our annual charity shop take-over days have raised more than 590,000 for charities by using the expertise, good will and business acumen of the organisations that are part of our responsible business network. We are delighted to be running this challenge again in partnership with Cancer Focus NI. This employer-supported challenge offers multiple benefits enabling employees to take on and project manage the challenge, use their skills and wits to fundraise, get creative in managing and promoting their shop, and raising awareness of Cancer Focus NIs invaluable services throughout Northern Ireland." Riada Resourcing are appealing to local businesses, their clients and the community to help to raise as much funds as possible for Cancer Focus Northern Ireland. They are asking for donations towards or sponsorship of the event and are hoping the Limavady community will support them by calling into the shop on the day to spend and cheer on their efforts. More information on the services which Cancer Focus Northern Ireland provide and how you can help can be found on their website Cancer Focus NI. Irelands oldest ice cream producer has scooped the top prize at The National Ice Cream Competition 2025. Morellis Ice Cream claimed the coveted Overall Champion title at the awards, which were hosted by The Ice Cream Alliance at the Belfry, near Birmingham. The National Ice Cream Competition is hosted by The Ice Cream Alliance annually to showcase the people behind the nations most loved ice cream flavours, as well as spotlighting innovation within the industry and the new flavours being created every year. Morellis Ice Cream also returned home with first place in the Dairy Vanilla Ice Cream category, first place in the Alternative Class for its Cherry Yoghurt flavour and Best of the Best for its double cream vanilla ice cream. Morellis Ice Cream was established in 1911 by Peter Morelli. Since then, the brand has flourished and expanded. The company currently has five family-run outlets and eleven branded stores in Northern Ireland as well as supplying Tesco, Dunnes Stores, Sainsburys, M&S and various independent retailers across the UK and Ireland. Speaking on the companys category-spanning wins, Daniela Morelli-Kerr from Morellis Ice Cream said: Winning Overall Champion at The National Ice Cream Competition means everything to us, and were over-the-moon to have won in multiple other categories. Dairy Vanilla Ice Cream is one of the hardest classes to win and the standard of competition was high, so to have won in that category and received Best of the Best for the same ice cream is incredible. The awards ceremony was an emotional evening for us all because of that. Its always nice to come away with something from competitions but we never expect to because the standard is so high in the industry. It was a special night, and everyone there including our team should be proud of themselves. Catherine McNeil, Director of Operations for The Ice Cream Alliance added: With over 80 years of history, our national event is a highlight of the year for us. We pride ourselves on our rigorous judging process and the recognition of the highest standards and innovations in the ice cream sector, so I wish to congratulate The Morelli Family and the whole team from Morellis Ice Cream for impressing us to the point of crowning them Overall Champion. Through our trade association activities, passionate ice cream makers like Morellis Ice Cream are honoured for pushing the industry forward to a more delicious future. Train passengers are being advised to plan ahead after a weekend of upgrades was announced for the railway line between Derry and Belfast Grand Central Station. The line will be closed on Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30 2025 and rail replacement buses will be in operation. Translink will be carrying out essential engineering work on the railway lines during these times. These infrastructure upgrades are important to maintain safe and reliable services for a quality passenger experience and keep the rail network fit for the future. Rail substitution bus services will operate on the Derry line. Valid rail tickets will also be valid on appropriate scheduled bus services. Passengers are advised plan ahead, check timetables, and allow extra time to complete their journeys. John Glass, Head of Infrastructure and Projects at Translink, shared: "This work is part of our continuous improvement programme, crucial for the long-term efficiency and sustainability of the network. Over the weekend, our engineers will be working across multiple worksites along both lines to deliver safety enhancements, upgrades to signalling systems, ongoing track and station maintenance work, and other essential programs designed to modernise the rail network. Once complete these important upgrades and renewals will mean better journeys for the many passengers who travel on these busy routes. Weve worked hard to find the least disruptive window to deliver these vital works and ensure they are completed in the most efficient and cost-effective way; however we understand this closure will cause some temporary disruption, and we apologise and thank passengers and local neighbours for their patience and understanding while this work is carried out. We would ask passengers planning to travel, please plan ahead, download and check the journey planner app, Translink NI, visit www.translink.co.uk, or call the Translink contact centre on 02890 66 66 30 to get all the information about these service changes. John concluded Rail substitution bus services The Derry line will close between Belfast Grand Central Station and Derry with rail replacement bus substitution services operating between: Derry and Coleraine serving Bellarena and Castlerock; Coleraine and Belfast Grand Central Station via York Street Station; Coleraine and Portrush; Coleraine and Ballymena via Ballymoney Train Station; Ballymena and Cullybackey; Ballymena and Belfast Grand Central Station via Antrim Bus and Rail Station and York Street Train Station; Ballymena and Mossley West via Antrim Bus and Rail Station; A Rail replacement bus substitution service will operate between: Mossley West, Antrim & Ballymena. Passengers for Belfast should use Metro Services 1d / 1k; All other halts will be served by the nearest main road bus stop. Passengers with valid rail tickets will also be able to travel on scheduled Ulsterbus services 218 operating between Ballymena/Antrim and Belfast, in addition to the 212 service between Derry and Belfast during the closure period. READ NEXT: Tens of thousands expected in Derry for St Patricks Day Spring Carnival parade Passengers and residents wanting further details on upcoming engineering works please visit www.translink.co.uk/lineimprovements The Irish Government should start its own public inquiry into the Omagh bombing, according to a motion passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly. Dublin has said it will fully co-operate with the UK inquiry into the bombing, which is operating out of Omagh, but the Government in the Republic of Ireland has stopped short of committing to a separate public inquiry. Irelands Justice Minister Jim OCallaghan said the Irish Government expects to agre one a memorandum of understanding with the UK Omagh Bombing Inquiry in the coming weeks. The existing probe is examining whether the atrocity carried out by the Real IRA in the Co Tyrone town in August 1998 could have been prevented. The bomb killed 29 people, including a woman who was pregnant with twins, in the worst single atrocity in the Troubles in Northern Ireland. All those who were killed were remembered during commemorative hearings at the inquiry earlier this year, and evidence was also heard from those injured and emergency workers who responded. The motion passed by the Assembly on Tuesday laments the lack of any tangible effort by the Irish Government to conduct their own inquiry into the Omagh bombing atrocity or deal with the wider aftermath of the Troubles. The motion was brought by UUP MLAs Doug Beattie, Dr Steve Aiken, Robbie Butler and John Stewart. Mr Beattie told the Assembly that the vehicle that delivered the bomb was stolen in the Republic of Ireland, adding that the explosives were also sourced and assembled in the Republic. Yet the Dublin Government does not feel the need to hold a public inquiry in parallel to the UK inquiry or even a commission of investigation. They clearly do not take their commitment to victims seriously, and many victims do not trust their hollow words. They do not trust some weak memorandum of understanding in regards to information sharing, and they have good reason not to trust them. Mr Beattie said that commitments on implementing new legislation will be pointless if it does not include powers to compel witnesses from the Republic of Ireland, including gardai and military intelligence, to address the Omagh bomb inquiry. Mr Butler told the Assembly that the intent of the motion was to seek truth and justice for innocent victims of terrorism. He said the legacy of pain from the Troubles spreads beyond Northern Ireland and added that that means the Government of the Republic of Ireland need to act. However, Mr Butler said active engagement is not enough. He told the Assembly: We need to tie this down and it needs to be codified and it needs to be done in agreement between the UK Government and the Irish government. Mr Butler said there also needs to be a parallel or standalone inquiry in the Republic of Ireland, adding: Warm words will not cut it. He told the Assembly: If a Government knows and is holding on to information that would give relief and release to these people, shame on them. He added: In 2025, theres absolutely no reason why the Government in the Republic of Ireland shouldnt do what our Government in the UK do, and that is to fess up and provide the absolute truth for victims of terrorism. The UUP motion also called on the UK Government to initiate an inquiry into the role of the Irish state during the Troubles, but this wording was replaced by a DUP amendment. The DUP amendment states that the Assembly believes the memorandum of understanding between the Omagh Bombing Inquiry and the Irish Government will be entirely deficient in providing answers for the victims and their families. It also calls on the Irish Government to initiate a public inquiry into the Omagh bomb, with powers to compel any person in the Republic of Ireland to provide evidence, information, and material pertinent to a full and unfettered investigation on behalf of victims and survivors. That amendment was brought by DUP MLAs Joanne Bunting, Maurice Bradley, and Stephen Dunne. Ms Bunting said it was imperative that the Republic of Ireland Government instigates its own inquiry. The DUP amendment called on Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long to demonstrate her commitment to challenging the Irish Governments failure to investigate the role of the Irish state during the Troubles. Ms Long told the Assembly that her Department has no role in the conduct of the inquiry and that it would be for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to formally engage with the Irish Government in relation to the inquiry. She added: Whilst there has been considerable discussion about the compellability of testimony and evidence from the Irish state, I would hope that the Irish government will live up to their commitment to fully co-operate with this inquiry, and that such compulsion should not be required. It is a moral obligation that falls on all of us when we are aware of information that could bring someone else truth and justice, that we disclose that information and co-operate in every way that we could. Ms Long also said the Northern Ireland Department of Justice cannot intrude on the decision of the Republic of Ireland to hold its own inquiry or compel it to co-operate with the existing inquiry. She also said she shared some concerns with Mr OCallaghan that an entirely separate inquiry could result in putting people through another traumatic process. She said it would be sensible to examine whether a mechanism can exist by which people can be assured they can get full truth from the existing inquiry. A 100 fuel support payment for pensioner households in Northern Ireland will be paid out from March 21. The one-off payment was announced by Communities Minister Gordon Lyons for those who previously received the winter fuel payment but are now no longer eligible. The payment date for the 100 fuel support payment for pensioner households has been announced by @CommunitiesNI Minister @gordonlyons1.Read morehttps://t.co/KuVvig0D0M pic.twitter.com/H03FTYoaoe Communities NI (@CommunitiesNI) March 12, 2025 Mr Lyons said he had secured 17 million of Executive funding to deliver the payments after changes announced by the UK Government to winter fuel payment eligibility. He said the money will be paid automatically into individuals accounts from Friday March 21 with no need for application. The minister said: Following the unexpected and unwelcome news last July that 180,000 pensioner households in Northern Ireland would no longer be eligible for the winter fuel payment, I moved to secure Executive funding to mitigate the impact of the decision. Having tasked my officials to prepare the legislative and operational groundwork to enable this payment to be made as quickly as possible, I can announce that the money will be in peoples accounts ahead of the expected end-of-March date and will begin arriving from Friday March 21. Whilst I realise the payment will not fully cover the impact of changes to the winter fuel payment, I hope it will go some way to supporting those affected. An estimated 250,000 pensioners, in approximately 180,000 households will receive the automatic payment. Mr Lyons added: I have stated my determination to ensure that those who are most in need are supported. The Pension Age Fuel Support payment is testament to that commitment. Pensioners must have been born before September 23 1958 in the qualifying week (Monday September 16 to Sunday September 22 2024) to be eligible for the one-off 100 payment. If there are more than two eligible claimants in the same household, they will each receive a 50 payment. Last year, the Government said winter fuel payments would be means tested and go only to pensioners on certain benefits. While Mr Lyons criticised the decision, he had said that Northern Ireland had no option other than to follow suit so as not to break parity with the rest of the UK over social security payments. DUP MP Carla Lockhart said Mr Lyons had stepped in after the Labour Government turned its back on older people. She said: Labours decision to withdraw the winter fuel payment from pensioners across the UK was cruel and unjustified. It will not be quickly forgotten that instead of looking towards the many other potential areas for savings, virtually the first port of call for the Government was to cut funding that helps older people heat their homes. New building of Yinxu Museum welcomes 1.8 million tourist visits People's Daily Online) 10:33, March 12, 2025 Photo shows the new building of the Yinxu Museum in Anyang, central China's Henan Province. (Photo/CCTV-1) Located near the archaeological site of the Yinxu Ruins, which is the location of the last capital of the Shang Dynasty (16001046 BC), the new building of the Yinxu Museum in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, received 1.8 million tourist visits in a year since it opened to the public on Feb. 26, 2024. In the spring of 1976, an unlooted square-shaped tomb of modest size was discovered at the archaeological site of the Yin Ruins. The excavation unearthed nearly 800 jade pieces, making it one of the pre-Qin (221206 BC) tombs with the highest number of jade artifacts ever found. According to inscriptions on bronze vessels and oracle bones, the tomb belonged to Fu Hao, the beloved queen of King Wu Ding of the Shang Dynasty. The Tomb of Fu Hao contained not only jade objects of the Shang Dynasty but also numerous older pieces from the Xinglongwa, Hongshan, and Qijia cultures, many of them reworkedsuggesting that Fu Hao was something of an "ancient jade collector." She was recognized as the first female general documented in historical records. An oracle bone with turquoise inlays is on display at the new building of the Yinxu Museum in Anyang, central China's Henan Province. It is the only one of its kind in a Chinese museum. (Photo/CCTV-1) The new building of the Yinxu Museum showcases the collection of the Tomb of Fu Hao, painting a comprehensive picture of this remarkable woman's life. Among Fu Hao's burial goods were over 460 bronze objects, including 210 ritual bronze vesselsthe largest collection of ritual bronzes ever found in a single tomb during archaeological excavations at the Yinxu Ruins. The tomb's discovery gave scholars and the public their first glimpse into the lives of women in the Shang Dynasty and further unveiled the mysteries of the dynasty's bronze civilization. In July 2006, the Yinxu Ruins, ranked as China's top archaeological discovery of the 20th century, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among Yinxu's many archaeological treasures, oracle bone inscriptions stand out as particularly significant. At a restaurant on the first floor of the Yinxu Museum, visitors can savor noodles featuring oracle bone characters printed with edible squid ink. An employee shows noodles featuring oracle bone characters printed with edible squid ink at a restaurant in the Yinxu Museum in Anyang, central China's Henan Province. (Photo/CCTV-1) The Yinxu Museum's new building houses several pottery statues that date back over 3,000 years, offering invaluable insight into the physical appearance of people in the Shang Dynasty. During archaeological excavations at the Yinxu Ruins, researchers also discovered a vehicle with two people buried face-down at its frontlikely a human-drawn vehicle historically known in ancient China. In addition, the museum's new building houses animal-inspired relics. Two artifacts shaped like pig heads have a cartoonish appearance, covered in colorful patterns with slightly protruding eyes and large ears, giving them an adorably chubby look reminiscent of modern-day emojis. They were likely artistic pieces from the Shang Dynastyessentially the ancient equivalent of today's "collectible figurines." (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Subscriber content preview WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. job openings rose at the start of the year, another sign the job market was solid when President Donald Trump returned to the White House. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that U.S. employers posted 7.7 million vacancies in January, up from 7.5 million. . . . New post-Brexit labelling rules could see gaps on shelves in Northern Ireland by July, a Westminster committee has heard. Business representatives told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee that the Windsor Framework was an improvement on previous post-Brexit trade arrangements but there were still challenges. Concerns were also raised about new parcel delivery requirements needed from March 31, and phase three labelling rules that are to be introduced from July 31. Nichola Mallon, head of trade and devolved policy at Logistics UK, said a more trusted approach was needed on checks. The former SDLP deputy leader said the Windsor Framework was an improvement on the Northern Ireland protocol, but that there were some problems with GB to NI trade. I think there is a consensus within our membership that the Windsor Framework was to some extent oversold and it created a misperception that all of the challenges under the Northern Ireland protocol had been removed. It has contributed to a lack of awareness, particularly among GB businesses, of the requirements that must be met under the Windsor Framework and, to some degree, there is a reluctance among some GB-based businesses to trade in Northern Ireland because of the administrative and cost requirements. Neil Johnston, director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, repeatedly raised concerns about new labelling requirements in July, which aim to ensure goods are not moved onwards into the EU. We are not Del Boy and Rodney, he said. We are not trying to get our goods secretly over the border into the south. He said that for supermarket chains such as Asda and Sainsburys, they should not need to fill in vast amount of paperwork to prove the goods are not travelling south of the border, where they do not have branches in that jurisdiction. The risk of any of these products from the supermarkets that dont have southern premises going astray is negligible, so why do we have those levels of checks is certainly a question that we are asking regularly. In the case of Marks and Sparks and Tescos, who have big operations in the Republic of Ireland, they have track and trace technology that they have invested heavily in and they should be relied upon without vast levels of inspections and paperwork to be able to deliver that. He said that while the Windsor Framework was an improvement, trading had become more and more difficult in recent times. I think we started from the wrong position, the wrong place and basically we have an overly bureaucratic approach. I think we have successfully achieved what we were required to do, high levels of compliance at the moment, but its very, very difficult. The nature of our businesses, whats in the back of these trucks is highly diverse and regularly changing, its not about you get this right once and be done. Its just a neverending saga. He said that work from businesses had meant customers had largely not noticed the scale of the change, but there was a risk they would by July. This is like a swan on a lake. The reason consumers havent noticed anything is because Nicholas members and my members are pedalling furiously to comply and have achieved a lot. Going forward, its going to become more and more difficult, particularly, as mentioned before, the phase three labelling. There are branded products that we cannot tell suppliers to brand them for Northern Ireland. The government, to my mind, hasnt really been clear on how they are going to resolve that problem. They say theyve taken the powers to require those producers to label for Northern Ireland, but its not very clear as to how that will happen. So come July, its highly likely that there will be gaps on shelves. Household products that people are used to having on their shelves in Northern Ireland may well I hope not, weve had this before with phase one and phase two but there may be products that, come the end of July, that disappear. Ms Mallon said there had been a change in tone from the Government in the last number of months and said the UK-EU reset had led to more positive approach to things. She said there had been a series of webinars and roundtables in Great Britain held about changes. Anne-Marie Murphy, director of strategy and emerging markets at the NI Consumer Council, said they had already identified difficulties in delivering goods from GB to NI. She said it isnt going to be business as usual once the parcel changes come into force on March 31. The difficulty about this is that Northern Ireland consumers will be on the receiving end of these arrangements. So it is going to be a grandmother sending a gift to her grandchild in Northern Ireland. It is going to be a business sending something to a consumer in Northern Ireland. It is going to be a consumer in the UK returning a product to a business in Northern Ireland. So theres three different processes already and our parcels research has already identified that there have been some difficulties in relation to delivering to Northern Ireland, either by business deciding that they are not going to deliver to Northern Ireland or it is too difficult, or by some mistakes in the process. Jennifer Pheasey, director of public affairs at the Horticultural Trades Association, also appeared before the committee on Wednesday. Irish premier Micheal Martin has hailed Donald Trumps focus and progress on brokering peace since he returned to the White House. The Taoiseach was speaking at the US vice presidents official residence as part of a day of engagements in Washington DC for St Patricks Day. Mr Martin and his wife Mary were greeted by Mr Vance and his wife Usha at the US Naval Observatory ahead of a breakfast meeting where there was a warm exchange of words. Mr Vance hailed the US relationship with Ireland as one of the great alliances between nations. One of the things we try to do with this breakfast is just remind people of the important bonds of friendship between the United States and Ireland, he said. The Taoiseach praised efforts by the new US administration to place a focus on peace, referring to the conflict in the Middle East and war in Ukraine. Mr Martin said that peace on the island of Ireland was a signature achievement of US foreign policy and that Ireland was ready to play our part in ending other conflicts. Nowhere is the strength of the US-Irish relationship more in evidence than in our own peace process, Mr Martin said. Forty-four years ago, President Reagan called for a just and peaceful solution to the conflict that has for so long devastated lives on our island. Politicians from both sides of the aisle rose to the occasion, and the lasting peace we enjoy today on our island is a signature achievement of US foreign policy. This story of peace is one that we both wrote together. We know that building peace is a difficult and painstaking task, and we are ready to play our part in supporting work to end conflict and to secure peace in Ukraine or in the Middle East or wherever. We welcome very much the unrelenting focus and effort that President Trump and his administration has brought to this task from his very first days in office, and we welcome the progress that is clearly being made. Mr Martin also invited Mr Vance and his wife back to Ireland having previously undertaken a road trip around Ireland in 2023 and extended a particular invite to Mr Martins native Co Cork. We would be honoured and delighted to welcome you both back to our shores before too long, Mr Martin said. Now, the vice president did say the road trip could be somewhat difficult next time around, given the number of vehicles that might have to be attached. Referring to his visit to Ireland, Mr Vance praised its incredible communities, beautiful landscapes and interesting technological growth. He said: One of the more robust areas for us to work on with our Irish friends in the years to come is going to be technology and particularly artificial intelligence, as we really take the next stage in an important level of technological progress. Sporting a pair of shamrock socks which he showed to the room, Mr Vance added: The president is a very big fan of conservative dress, and so if he notices these socks, you have to defend this as an important part of cementing the Irish-American relationship. Mr Martin thanked Mr Vance for his warm welcome and hospitality and joked that he would need to adjust very rapidly his dress sense after seeing Mr Vances socks. He continued: The United States has been a steadfast friend of Ireland for centuries. Indeed, the United States was the first country to recognise our long-sought independence, Mr Martin said. Together, we have built deep and enduring political, cultural and economic bonds, greatly enriching our two nations in the process. Among those at the meeting are US health secretary Robert F Kennedy and Irelands ambassador to the US Geraldine Byrne Nason. The Taoiseach will later take part in a highly anticipated meeting with President Trump at the White House, which is expected to touch on Irelands trading relationship with the US. Mr Trump will be presented with a bowl of shamrock as the centrepiece of the Irish Governments major overseas diplomatic push in the run-up to St Patricks Day on March 17. A 66 year old man who injured a nurse in an unprovoked attack in Our Lady of Lourdes hospital has been jailed for 12 months at Dundalk Circuit Court. The court heard Aubejaitis Gintautas of Ashbrook, Tom Bellew Avenue, Dundalk, who pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and causing criminal damage, blamed drinking four shots of vodka to celebrate his stepson's birthday. The nurse was dealing with another patient and completing paperwork when the defendant struck her on the side of her face and punched her after she fell to the ground before hitting a computer monitor. Two porters had to hold him down until gardai arrived. The victim sustained a hip injury, bruising to her jaw and the rotator cuff on her right shoulder was torn. READ NEXT: Speeding crackdown near Louth school sees drivers fined The next day the defendant became aggressive and charged at staff with a 'sharp' taken from his drip and smashed glass, causing just over 3,000 in damage. He had no previous convictions and has not come to adverse garda attention since then. The court heard it was completely out of character and he blamed his actions on having four shots of vodka having not consumed alcohol for the previous two years. The defendant had 6,000 in court to be split between the injured party and the hospital. In her victim impact statement, the nurse had told how her right arm has never regained its full strength and she feels vulnerable and hyper aware at night and wasn't able to work for seven months. Judge Dara Hayes said people working in hospitals are entitled to not be assaulted in an entirely unprovoked manner, out of the blue, and the case warranted an element of a custodial sentence. He imposed a three year sentence for assault causing harm with the final two years suspended and 15 months with the final three months suspended for the criminal damage charge. This year, DKIT served as the North East hub for Engineers Week, which included over 1,700 primary and secondary school students from across the region. A total of 13 events took place during the week, offering a number of opportunities to inspire young students about the possibilities of engineering. Engineers Week was established to introduce primary and secondary school children to the diverse world of engineering, and this year there was a focus on bringing this message to as many schools as possible. Prior to the official kick off for Engineers Week, volunteers ran STEM quizzes for primary schools in libraries across Monaghan and Louth. The top teams from each qualifier went head-to-head in the final in DKIT with Killeevan National School from Newbliss, Co Monaghan being named the Engineers Ireland North East STEM Quiz Champions. Teams from Scoil Bhride, Mullaghrafferty, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan and Scoil Naomh Buithe Tenure NS were named runners up. To officially start the series of activities on DkIT campus, 620 primary school attended the Scientific Sue Roadshow, Chemistry and the Celts, an exciting and interactive show blending living history and science where students discovered the metals, medicines and pigments the celts used, learned about chemical reactions, and even explored the surprising number of uses for urine! On Tuesday and Thursday, DKIT lecturers visited primary schools in Louth and Monaghan, giving interactive workshops and talks on bridge building and the use of STEM in the real world. Thirty schools also had the chance to join a virtual lesson called Amazing Bridges on Wednesday, where they learned how bridges work and saw some of the most impressive examples from around the world, and closer to home. Read Next: Speeding crackdown near Louth school sees drivers fined To round of the week, DKIT hosted over 100 female secondary school students from Louth and Monaghan including The Marist, St Vincents and O Fiaich College from Dundalk and Beach Hill College from Monaghan Town for the Women in Engineering event. 16 inspirational female professional engineers, lecturers and DKIT students took the time to speak with the students about the challenges, possibilities and opportunities of following a career in engineering. The event aims to be transformative for students who are at a major crossroads in their lives. Gareth Kelly, Lecturer in Civil Engineering at DkIT said: "It was fantastic to see such great participation from primary and secondary schools across the region. The students showed such enthusiasm for all of the activities and made the week such a huge success. I am confident that with these young people leading the way, the future of engineering is very bright. A huge thank you to our Engineers Week partners Engineers Ireland North East, AtkinsRealis, and Semple & McKillop for making this week possible and to our wonderful staff and volunteers who gave so much time to help out across the week. Above: Cllr Kevin Callan, Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, Joe McGuinness, Director of Services, Louth County Council, Finbar Gethins, SEO, Louth County Council, Tidy Town representatives Mary Murtagh, Helen Byrne and Bernie Lynch, St Josephs National School representatives Molly Watters, Meriem Ouafi and Bernie Bradley and some of their furry friends at the launch of the new dog fouling campaign in County Hall Louth County Council has launched a new six-month campaign to address dog fouling and promote responsible pet ownership around the county. The initiative, which includes new signage, media outreach and community engagement, aims to keep public spaces clean and safe. Some of the key messages of the campaign include: Bag It & Bin It, Dog Fouling is Litter, and Dog Dirt Belongs in the Bin Not on the Street. The campaign was officially launched at County Hall on 7 March where Cllr Kevin Callan, Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, along with council officials, Tidy Town representatives, children from St Josephs Primary School, Dundalk and dogs gathered to discuss its impact. Dog fouling is not just an unpleasant nuisance, it poses health risks and impacts the overall quality of our public spaces, said Cllr Kevin Callan. This campaign is about educating dog owners on their responsibilities and ensuring that our parks, streets, and walkways remain clean and welcoming for all. Key campaign elements include: Signage : Dog fouling awareness messages on 620 bins countywide, plus youth art competitions for sticker and poster designs. Media Outreach : A radio and social media campaign to engage the public and promote responsible pet ownership. Tidy Towns Partnership : Installation of dog bag dispensers, footpath stencilling, and local awareness campaigns. Community Engagement : Clean-up events, school outreach, and distribution of awareness materials. St Patricks Day Parade : A Dog Fouling Awareness message in collaboration with Dundalk Tidy Towns. The public is encouraged to get involved in making a difference in their areas and are invited to attend any awareness days during the campaign. Louth County Council says that by working together, we can create a cleaner, safer environment for everyone. The under-arrest captain of a container ship which crashed into a US oil tanker in the North Sea is Russian, the vessels owner has said. Solong struck the Stena Immaculate off the east coast of Yorkshire on Monday morning. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said on Wednesday that fires on board Solong have greatly reduced. A spokesman for shipping company Ernst Russ, which owns Solong, said: The captain is a Russian national. The 59-year-old was arrested by Humberside Police on Tuesday on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. The force said on Wednesday morning the suspect remains in our custody. Grainy thermal camera footage released on Wednesday showed the container ship speeding towards the stationary oil tanker before smashing into it, sending a massive fireball into the air. American-based maritime news website gCaptain reported it was told by a US official in the White House that foul play had not been ruled out. UK transport minister Mike Kane told MPs on Tuesday something went terribly wrong for the crash to happen but that there was no evidence of foul play. Shadow transport minister Jerome Mayhew told the PA news agency: Where military assets are damaged it is vital that motives are fully investigated to exclude foul play. The nationality of the captain of the Solong raises further questions about potential motivation that the Government must now get to the bottom of. A Solong crew member is presumed dead after a search-and-rescue operation was ended on Monday evening. The Ernst Russ spokesman said on Wednesday afternoon that fire activity onboard the vessel has diminished since Tuesday, but it continues to emit smoke with occasional reports of flames. MCA chief executive Virginia McVea said: The Solong is being held in a safe position offshore by a tug and further support vessels remain in the ships immediate vicinity. This mornings assessment shows the fires on board the ship have greatly reduced in their extent and intensity. The Stena Immaculate remains at anchor, with safety tugs in position should they be required. There are no visible flames on board and an on-board assessment may be carried out later today. There have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel beyond what was observed during the initial incident. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said it will lead the safety investigation into the incident. A team of inspectors was immediately deployed, and enquiries have so far focused on gathering witness accounts and obtaining digital data, the MAIB said. Solong frequently travelled between Grangemouth and Rotterdam and regularly used the route it took on the day of the collision, a statement said. 36 crew from both vessels were recovered but tragically one member of crew from Solong remains unaccounted for. As well as continuing to gather witness accounts, further investigation work will look to establish the navigational practices onboard both vessels; the manning and fatigue management; the condition and maintenance of the vessels involved; and the environmental conditions at the time. Port state control (PSC) inspection documents show Solong failed steering-related safety checks in July last year. Irish officials deemed Solongs emergency steering position communications/compass reading was not readable. This was among 10 deficiencies highlighted during the inspection of the Portuguese vessel in Dublin. Other issues included alarms being inadequate, survival craft not properly maintained, and fire doors not as required. Another PSC inspection by Scottish authorities in Grangemouth in October 2024 found two deficiencies with Solong. One of these was related to lifebuoys designed to be thrown into the water to prevent drowning being not properly marked. Solong was not detained after the inspections in Dublin or Grangemouth. An Ernst Russ spokesman said all of the deficiencies found in 2024 were promptly rectified. PSC inspections, which are carried out on ships in ports around the world, are aimed at verifying that a vessels condition and equipment meet international regulations. Crowley, the maritime company managing the Stena Immaculate, said a jet fuel spill from that vessel has had a limited impact. It remains unclear how much Jet A1 fuel was released when the ship was hit by Solong but an initial review shows it had evaporated due to exposure to fires on both vessels. A salvage plan for both ships is currently being developed as the clean-up efforts enter a third day. Crowley said Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks, at least one of which was ruptured when it was struck. In an update on Tuesday evening, the company said: It remains unclear at this time what volume of fuel may have been released as a result of the incident, but initial review shows impacts have been limited due to exposure to the fire and evaporation of the Jet A1 fuel. The tanker was operating as part of the US governments tanker security programme, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed. It had been anchored while waiting for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme, on the River Humber, Crowley said. Ms Alexander said she was reassured to hear sodium cyanide containers on board the Solong were empty. Four empty containers on board the Solong which previously contained the hazardous chemical will continue to be monitored, Ernst Russ said. Aerial surveillance flights on Wednesday did not identify any pollution on the surface of the water, the Coastguard said. Gardai in both Louth and Dublin have seized cocaine and cannabis that has a value on 1.94 million on Wednesday the 12th of March 2025. Two males have been arrested during the seizure and are currently being detained. Read Next: WATCH: Taoiseach taken aback by random question by interviewer in the States From the Garda Press Office: On Wednesday 12th March 2025 shortly before 9.00am, officers from the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau supported by the Louth South Divisional Drugs Unit, intercepted a vehicle in the Drogheda area of Co. Louth. Simultaneous searches commenced of a business premises in Drogheda and two residential premises in Drogheda and North Dublin. During the course of this operation, cocaine (subject to analysis) and cannabis, with an estimated potential street value of 1.94 million was seized. Two males, aged 30s and 40s, were arrested pursuant to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, on suspicion of facilitating and enhancing drug trafficking for a criminal organisation, and are currently detained, pursuant to the provisions of Section 50 of Criminal Justice Act, 2007, at a Louth Garda Station. This operation is a result of ongoing investigations and collaboration between the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, targeting organised crime activity impacting both jurisdictions, under the cross border Joint Agency Task Force (JATF). Following the operation, the head of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, Detective Chief Superintendent Seamus Boland said: "An Garda Siochana are committed, along with our partners in the Police Service of Northern Ireland, to prioritise the joint targeting of criminal organisations that attempt to exploit our land border, for serious criminal activity. Drug traffickers, and those that facilitate and enhance this activity, remain priority targets for our investigations, due to the destruction, violence and intimidation they cause in our communities. I encourage everyone to play their part, help us and report all information confidentially to the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111. Ireland shares President Donald Trumps unrelenting focus on peace, Irish premier Micheal Martin has said. Mr Martin hailed the US presidents work on peace initiatives in Ukraine and the Middle East at several engagements across his Washington, DC itinerary on Wednesday. He told US President Donald Trump: In my view, there is nothing more noble, president, than the pursuit of peace. He added: Ireland is ready to work with you and our international partners to end conflict, and especially to bring just, lasting and sustainable peace to the people of Ukraine and the people of the Middle East. Conflict and war hurt the most vulnerable. Too many children in particular have died in Gaza, in Israel, in Sudan, and too many children have been abducted in Ukraine. Let us together never cease to strive for peace, prosperity and opportunity for all the worlds children. That would be an extraordinary achievement for the transatlantic relationship and an extraordinary legacy for the ages. Speaking during their earlier meeting in the Oval Office, Mr Trump said US work on proposals for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine had been a great success. People are going to Russia right now as we speak and hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia. And if we do, I think that would be 80% of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath finished. Its a bloodbath that is taking place over there. On average, 2,000-3000 young people a week are being killed, and that stupid war that would have never happened if I would have been president. Mr Martin said he wanted to pay tribute to Mr Trumps work towards a ceasefire in Ukraine. The war in Ukraine is a devastating war on young people and I think that very simple straightforward narrative is to be commended. We all have children, we would be shocked at the prospect of young people losing their lives in that number, be they Ukrainian, be they Russian. On the Middle East conflict, Mr Trump said the US was working hard with Israel over what he described as a very deep-seated problem. He was responding to a question on Irelands Occupied Territories Bill, which would ban the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. Mr Trump said: Israel has been under siege, as you can see, and they had to fight back. October 7 was a terrible thing. People dont like to mention it, but it was a terrible, terrible day in the life of the world. He said that hostages taken in Gaza were treated badly and that October 7 was a terrible thing. Ireland, Spain and Norway recognised Palestinian statehood last year in a stance not shared by the US. Asked by reporters in the Oval Office if he would discuss this difference in opinion with Mr Trump, Mr Martin said: I dont have to inform the president. Hes very well clued into the whole situation. He added: Its been our view that a two-state solution would be ideal. Its become much more challenging and difficult as time moved on but that has always been our position. The Taoiseach said Mr Trumps administration pursued a ceasefire as soon as they came into office. Mr Martin said: Weve been calling for a ceasefire for a long time we want to consolidate the peace that is our fundamental aim. Recalling his own visit to Kibbutz Beeri after October 7, he said: We want the hostages out, Ive been saying it from day one a horrific thing to do, to take someone as a hostage. The Irish premier also called for a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, adding that Ireland is motivated by a humanitarian impulse. He said the position was informed by the experience of violence on the island of Ireland in the past: Weve been through some of this. Mr Martin expanded on this idea at the Friends of Ireland luncheon at the US Capitol. He said: Our nations green has been threaded through the rich tapestry of the United States by almost 32 million Irish Americans. Throughout our Troubles, the friends of Ireland, Republican and Democrat alike, held fast to a vision of Ireland not marred by violence or terror. You worked unrelentingly to realise that fragile hope. You stood shoulder to shoulder with us, no matter how fierce the challenge and there were many such challenges. It is that same determination that together we must devote to todays conflicts in the Ukraine and in the Middle East. Our shared history teaches us that peace however elusive it may sometimes seem is achievable. Its promise remains within our grasp. Mr Martin told Mr Trump: We hope to welcome you back to our small island. He added: Mr President, we are forever grateful for the United States contribution to transforming our island, and we wish you well in the efforts that you are making to bring peace to the Ukraine and to the Middle East and further afield. We thank you for your leadership and indeed your ongoing friendship to Ireland. During the meeting between the Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin and US President Donald Trump in the White House on Wednesday, the Toaiseach is seen laughing as the topic of the Irish housing crisis is brought up. US President Donald Trump suggests that the Irish housing crisis is because Ireland is "doing so well" as Micheal Martin laughs by his side. Read Next: WATCH: Taoiseach taken aback by random question by interviewer in the States In the clip Trump's words are as follows: "You know why they have a housing crisis? Because they(Ireland) are doing so well, they can't produce houses fast enough, that's a good problem not a bad problem." To which the Taoiseach responds in a jokey manner: "That's a pretty good answer President" as the room bellows out in laughter. To which Trump continues "Everybody should have that problem, I know this gentleman he will get it solved." Social media hasn't taken too kindly the clip of the two with comments under the clip reading: "Homelessness is hilarious, especially when there are tens of thousands of empty homes throughout the country" Another reads: "Laughing at the housing crisis.. absolutely deplorable, shame on you." Sinn Fein TD Eoin O Broin writes on his X account: "Do the thousands of people in emergency shelters think this is funny? or those trapped on Council waiting lists? or those paying rip off rents? or those living in their parents box bedroom? or those forced to emigrate? Joking about the housing crisis is never "a good answer" The full clip can be found on RTE's Twitter account HERE or by viewing the post below this article. Womens Aid Dundalk have put together a dancing event as part of the annual One Billion Rising event to fight against violence against woman and children in Ireland and across the world The dance event is taking place on Wednesday March 19th 2025, at 10am at The Square and everyone is welcome. The One Billion rising campaign began in 2013 and aims to bring woman together to rise up against gender-based violence that happens to one billion woman at least once in their lives. "We're aiming to create a vibrant celebration of dance, uniting various local community groups," Woman's Aid said. The dance will start at 10:30am and a panel of speakers will be lined up afterwards. Dundalk FM's Town Talk will also be broadcasting live from the event. The video linked below is a step-by-step guide for people to learn the dance before taking part: READ NEXT: PICTURES: All smiles at Louth fundraiser Last year, 2009 Earth Hour had 10 million Filipinos participating in 647 major cities and towns that switched-off their lights. At least 611MWh of power was saved. Imagine if we invite our kids to participate by unplugging and playing outdoors in an hour! Unplug and Play Outdoors! On March 27, 2010 WWF together with Mead Johnson will host the first Kids Earth Hour that will be held in three different venues simultaneously. The Kids Earth Hours vision is to encourage parents and kids to unplug all electronics and play outdoors even for one day and not just turn off their lights like the usual Earth Hour we know. Earth Hour has been a running program of WWF which is a symbolic act to inspire humanity to mitigate the effects of climate change by simply turning off your lights for an hour. This time we encourage parents to take their kids outside to play as we await the switch-off time which is from 8:30PM to 9:30PM worldwide. Kids Hour will be held at three venues starting 6PM the 3rd level of Trinoma SM Mall Of Asia open grounds Bonifacio Global City open grounds There will be loads of activities for kids to enjoy Pluggy, Velcro Man and Cosplayers will be all over the event venue to entertain kids Meet Pluggy Kids Hour Character Pocket Games Hopscotch Hop Ball Earth Walk Free Play Trampoline Rocky Mountain Spider Web Human Parachute Swim Balls Shaddow Play which will be held during the Earth Hour Glowstick Activity Each kids will be given a glowstick they can use during the switch off period. If you cant come in any of the following venues since not everyone is from Metro Manila, there will be Earth Hour celebrations in 1000 cities and municiplities in the country that will be held simultaneously. You can join those events or you can have an hour of play without electronics at your backyard, frontyard or indoors. Shaddow plays will be nice. WWF expects 1 billion participants worldwide with 15 million coming from the Philippines. This is an open event everyone with their kids can come. Registration starts at 6PM at the venue. But if you need electronic invites or physical invites you can leave your email address or we can meet up so I can give you some. If you cant come in any of the following venues since not everyone is from Metro Manila, there will be Earth Hour celebrations in 1000 cities and municiplities in the country that will be held simultaneously. You can join those events or you can have an hour of play without electronics at your backyard, frontyard or indoors. Shaddow plays will be nice. WWF expects 1 billion participants worldwide with 15 million coming from the Philippines. This is an open event everyone with their kids can come. Registration starts at 6PM at the venue. But if you need electronic invites or physical invites you can leave your email address or we can meet up so I can give you some. Sir Lori of WWF Tell us a little about your journey and travels across the globe so far, Julie? Im one of lifes vagabonds. Did you know that when we started walking out of Africa, modern humans spread out at 15km a year? Thats how we colonised the planet so quickly. I reckon 15% of people are born wanting to know whats over the horizon. Im one of those - restless. I always knew Id be on my way early. The family story is that I ran away to Dublin when I was three - I went up with my grandmother to stay with my aunt and uncle and stayed there when she went back to Cork. My father called after three weeks and asked when I was coming home and apparently I said, I dont know. Ive lived in 15 countries and travelled through many more. At 21, I moved to Amsterdam, three years later I left and I spent four months hiking around Patagonia, camping beside glaciers and listening to them groan and move. After that, I helped run a farm in Vermont for a while (we made a lot of Maple Syrup the old-fashioned way). Then I bought a sailboat (despite spending all my summers swimming in storms in Myrtleville, Id never been on a boat before - can you imagine that?) and I spent a year and a half learning to sail and getting her ready, then sailed from the San Francisco Bay to Panama, through the canal and into the Caribbean, before selling her in Mexico. It was the hardest and most rewarding thing Ive ever done. I remember waking up one morning, 20 miles off the Caribbean coast of Panama, anchored in the middle of a coral reef and looking around. All of these horizons are mine, I thought. Ive built this boat. I can go anywhere in the world. Ill never have that sense of freedom again. How did you end up in Rome? I was living in the UK during Brexit. I was walking to work listening to the radio, listening to the results of the referendum coming in, and I just thought, This isnt my country any more. Its a vote for a smaller and meaner world. So I left. I was in Bangkok eight weeks later. I lived there for two years and thought it was time to try living back in Europe. My parents were getting older and I wanted to see them more. My brothers and sisters were getting older too - theyd collected new partners and friends and babies to love and houses to admire in the time Id been gone. Thailand felt very far away. Id lived in the UK on and off for years, but I hadnt lived in the European Union since the introduction of the euro. I got a job in Switzerland, but it turned out they had liked me and offered me a job without really having one to give. By the time they told me, it was late in the year to be looking for work (I am a teacher, and on the international circuit, you hand in your notice in in December and secure a new job by February for a September start - if you are moving countries there is a lot to organise so it is all done relatively early). The Swiss school told me there was no position in May, so it was a bit of a scramble to find work before the end of the school year. A school in Rome offered me a job. Id always been fascinated by ancient Rome and dreamed of going there my whole life, so I was thrilled to take the job. What is life like in your new home? I moved to a new apartment two years ago and I love it. I got it from an old lady who had lived here since the 1960s and Im surrounded by her furniture - its very dolce vita. Ive painted the walls bright green. I have a chandelier in the bedroom, which feels extremely fancy. A friend told me the other day its very granny chic. I live in a working-class neighbourhood 2km from the Colosseum. Its off the tourist track, but just a short walk from the Tiber River. Along the riverbanks, theres a park with a cafe where I enjoy relaxing on warm evenings. Julie Chambers at work - she teaches Junior Infants, Senior Infants and First Class in international schools, and says she loves her job The entire neighbourhood turns up as the temperature cools and takes a passeggiata, eager to get outside again - theyre a social people, after all, and weve been trapped inside by the heat all day (we get weeks of 35C). The volume rises. The foosball tables fill up, and the ping pong. Mamas and papas leave children in the play area and get a drink, idly watching them. Old people sit under the cafe umbrellas and laugh with friends theyve been meeting here for 20 years, mothers argue with adult daughters about how to raise the kids and the proper way to cook chicory while evening turns into night-time. There is an amp stand you can hook instruments up to and on summer evenings Ive watched children plug in their cellos and perform. Then someone will come and run a swing dance class. There are art exhibitions and information days about the wildlife along the Tiber. I sit there with my spritz and I think, Why would I be anywhere else? What has been the biggest challenge? If you had told me - anyone - that Italy would be an example to the rest of the world on what to do in a pandemic, I would have laughed at you. I think it is because big society doesnt function properly here, small society does. And Italians really care about their health. The government said to Italians, Do you want to kill your nonna? and every Italian said, F**k no! So the government replied: Well, stay inside then! And we did, at enormous cost to our mental and financial health. I had a broken back during the lockdown: three herniated discs. Lots of painkillers. I couldnt walk. I couldnt speak the language. The army was bringing out the dead. I couldnt get help. It was the biggest medical emergency in 100 years and no-one knew what to do with me. It was the most disempowering and bewildering period of my life. Tell us about your line of work/career? I spend all day with little people who believe in magic. Its good for the soul but trying on my patience. I teach Junior Infants, Senior Infants and First Class in international schools. I love it. What has been your most memorable moment in your new location so far? In Italy, the government gave you a day off when you got your covid vaccine. Travel restrictions were still in place, so I booked my vaccine for early in the morning and spent the rest of the day in a practically deserted coliseum and forum, imagining the past. Julie lives near Rome's Colosseum Walking around the empty streets of Rome, exploring the old buildings, was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Roman opera house moves to the ruins of an ancient baths in Rome for the summer season and they project the set of the opera onto the massive old ruined walls behind the stage. Its an incredible experience. If you were back in Cork for one day, what would be the ideal day for you? Id go down to Myrtleville and look at the ocean. Rome has a lot of things, but quiet is not one of them! What are you looking forward to in the coming months? I have rented a place in the Alps in the north of Italy for the entire month of July. I am going to escape the heat of Rome and spend every day hiking and reading and breathing real air. Is there anything that you especially miss about Cork? In Cork, we do not have the food culture that Italy has. We come from potatoes and milk, basically. But we did have long evenings and fires, and thats where our culture comes from. In Ireland, you are expected to be able to entertain - you can sing a song if you want, but we are storytelling people. Even the anecdotes we tell each other need to be entertaining. Tell us about yourself; Je suis Martin ODonoghue and I have notions - lots of them, sometimes too many. Some come about, some dont (thankfully, in hindsight) and some are going to happen this year. I am a Play Strategist and a Ludic Artist (cue eye rolling - I told ya - notions boy!). Because most people have never heard of these roles/terms - I am free to redefine them every time. Basically, I get paid to play, to think about playing, to facilitate playful experiences, to train others in the value of play, and to encourage people of all ages to play more often. Work and play do not have to be mutually exclusive. I feel really blessed and fortunate to be able to do this. I work part-time for Lets Play Cork as Head of Play Development and I freelance as an artist and play strategist. If you want to experience what I do, come along to the Tailteann Games in Elizabeth Fort on Saturday (March 15) and partake in the craic. Its old school Gaelic games - re-imagined! I also help programme playful events for Cork City Councils Open Street initiative. Its designed to help us explore other uses of roads as public spaces and think about how we can travel to Open Street events in ways that are more sustainable. There are some epic plans in development for this summer. I also get to collaborate with some really creative people through my work with Sounds From A Safe Harbour. My friend, Mary Hickson, invites amazing artists to Cork and we get a week to play together and then share new ideas, new sounds, and new art with the city. Its inspiring and exhausting and beautiful - thankfully, it only happens every two years! I think Cork is such a great city to experiment with ideas and really conducive to collaboration. No city is perfect but our scale, humour and openness allows us to try things that larger cities cant. Could we become Europes most playful city? Where were you born? C4 - Douglas! Where do you live? Union Hall. Family? My lovely wife, Rose, and our two fun-filled children, Oisin (8) and Hannah (6 and a half). Best friend? Im very lucky to have a good few, so no favouritism here. Earliest childhood memory? Holding my granda Kerrys hand as we walk back the old road to visit his friend Hallie, in Dauros, Co Kerry. Person you most admire? My parents are pretty special - they are very warm, open-hearted and generous people. Person who most irritates you? People who have yet to love our environment and treat it with such lack of respect or consideration for all the other species we share it with. Where was your most memorable holiday? A solo trip across Namibia, such vastness, raw beauty, and humbling tranquility. Favourite TV programme? Havent had a telly for years (it took ages and lots of letters to convince the licence collectors of that strange fact.) Favourite radio show? A 30-minute dose of Marty In The Morning as we get ready for school, I love catching The Mystery Train and every so often, on a late commute, I love to listen to The Blue Of The night. Your signature dish if cooking? Sometimes a vegetarian chilli works out magically. Favourite restaurant? The Dock Wall in Union hall, its a wee pebble skim away across the lagoon from my house, its always a treat to eat there. Last book you read? Just finished Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake - its a fungitastic book on the magic of mycelium and how interconnected we all are. Best book you read? Further lack of commitment to one answer - Cats Cradle by Kurt Voneget Jr - that opened up such a new world of literature and perspective. In college, The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins did similar for scientific literature, and more recently, The Creative Act by Rick Rubin has really helped with my emerging arts practice. Last album/CD/download you bought? Federico Albaneses latest album Blackbirds And The Sun Of October - its beautiful - he is playing live in the Triskel Arts Centre on May 10 - I highly recommend going - he is a musical genius and is rarely in Cork. Favourite song? Right now, its Bloom from that album. One person you would like to see in concert? Theres a Ukrainian band called Dakhabraka that my friend Clare introduced me to - I am working on bringing them to Ireland - think Kila energy crossed with Ukrainian folk and magic harmonies. Do you have a pet? Crazy Maisie - a love accident - she is a Schnairedale (pure notions for a mongrel cross between a schnauzer and airedale terrier) Morning person or night owl? When Im not in festival mode, morning owl. Your proudest moment? Feeling the ecstatic joy and love at the end of The Solstice Ceili last on June 21 last year. It was my first large-scale public art performance with over 200 people and we created some rare magic together. Cork Midsummer Festival gave me an opportunity, I took a leap of faith and it was epic. Spendthrift or saver? I had to google the meaning of spendthrift. Name one thing you would improve in your area in which you live? I have a notion to transform the lagoon in Union Hall into a watery arena for boat bumper cars, using round basket-shaped river currachs (aka corricles) as the bumper cars and let people have the craic in these ancient boats. Its really hard to paddle in a straight line with them but they are very safe, so I reckon it would be as much fun for those using them as for those watching. These boats got our ancestors to this island and I know people who still build them, so it might happen. What makes you happy? Currachs, amazing live music, spreading infectious fun. How would you like to be remembered? With a smile. What else are you up to at the moment? Planning the next Solstice Ceili - with more collaborators, new ecstatic dances, and bronze age infused tunes. Organised by Cork City Council, the Cork St Patricks Festival will take place from Friday, March 14, to Monday, March 17, as Cork goes green and celebrates Irelands national festival in style. Be sure to call into Elizabeth Fort on Saturday, March 15, where a host of family friendly events are taking place as part of the Cork St Patricks Festival. Tailteann Games: Traditional Games with a Twist: 11am to 1pm, Snake Hunt: 12pm to 5pm, Raving to Reels: Trad Music Disco: 2pm to 3.30pm. The Cork St Patricks Day Parade will take place on Monday, March 17 at 1pm. After more than 1,500 people turned out for last years festival, Corks free Holi event is set to return to Fitzgeralds Park later this month. Holi is an Indian festival which is also known as the Festival of Colours, and it marks the onset of spring, celebrating diversity in India as people from all religions participate. Billed as a day of colour, music, dance, food and pure joy, the festival will feature eco-friendly colours, cultural performances, family-friendly activities, and a live DJ with Bollywood beats. Last year saw Holi celebrations take place all over the country, but the Cork event was the only one in Ireland which was free, and it saw huge crowds brave a status yellow rain warning to attend the gathering in Fitzgeralds Park. This years event will also be free, but it will be ticketed, so anyone interested in attending is asked to visit the link below. Corks free Holi event is scheduled to run from midday until 4pm on Sunday, March 16. For booking information, please visit https://tinyurl.com/yaz3uv5j. A Cork secondary school, which is the oldest continuously running girls school in Ireland, is celebrating a significant anniversary this year. More than a quarter of a millennium old, Ursuline College was established in 1771, 254 years ago. However, it was in 1825 that Corks Ursuline Sisters moved their convent and school to what is known today as Blackrock House. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the arrival of Ursuline College on the Blackrock site, and a number of initiatives to mark the bicentennial year are planned by the school and wider Ursuline community. One such initiative will be the publication of a special 200th anniversary book. Ursuline principal Patrick McBeth said he hoped readers of The Echo could help with plans for the books publication. We are keen that the book is relevant to our current and past pupils and as such we are putting a call out for photographs and stories from past pupils, he said. If any past pupils are reading this and have old photos at home or an interesting story about their time in the school we would love to hear from them. We are also seeking to connect with past pupils so we can let them know of the events planned for this year, he said. One way we are doing this is via the Ursuline College LinkedIn page and we would encourage anyone on LinkedIn to follow our page. As part of the plans for its 200th anniversary book, Ursuline College is seeking help in identifying former students featured in some of the photographs in the schools archives. One such photograph is the picture above, featuring the 1985 Leaving Certificate class. If you can identify the students, please mail ucb200@ursulinecollegeblackrock.ie. Irelands oldest local authority museum, Cork Public Museum it is set to get an 80th anniversary facelift. Corks first public museum, the Fitzgerald Park Municipal Museum operated between 1910 and 1924, before the 1920 burning of City Hall during the War of Independence meant the 19th century building became the citys municipal headquarters until the rebuilt City Hall opened in 1936. Since opening in 1945, the museum has amassed a collection of approximately 60,000 objects that cover about 7,000 years of human habitation in Cork, from pre-history to modern times. In recent decades, a new state of the art extension was added, allowing the facility to expand its capacity to increase research, training and visitor facilities. Since 2016, the museum has improved its collection management systems, online engagement, and public profile. The museum attracts about 60,000 visitors annually, and now, on the 80th anniversary of its official opening, it will undergo works that will see the roof and external render of the building removed and refurbished. Dan Breen, the museums curator, said the planned refurbishment would have a positive impact on the future development of the museum, securing the exterior of the building. We have big plans for the future of Cork Public Museum, but none of these would be possible without this important structural work. The renovation work will be carried out by HG Construction (Ire) Ltd, in conjunction with JCA Architects and the city architect. The work is funded by Cork City Council, with additional funding provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The renovation works are due to be carried out throughout spring and summer of this year. Cork people with neurological conditions are being failed because of a lack of funding, the national body for neurological organisations has claimed. The Neurological Alliance of Ireland (NAI) said that six years after a government commitment to deliver nine fully funded community neurological rehabilitation teams across the country. Patients in Cork, in common with most areas of the country, still struggle to access a team. The NAI, the national umbrella body for 40 neurological organisations, recently met with TDs and Senators at Leinster House, to call for a renewed commitment to deliver on the targets outlined in the 2019 neurorehabilitation strategy. With this being National Brain Awareness Week, the NAI said there was now a significant regional inequity for patients in Cork who were unable to access existing understaffed community neurorehabilitation teams, due to a lack of funding. The 2019 strategy committed to delivering specialist community teams and long-term neurorehabilitation services across the country, as well as addressing the shortfall of 171 specialist inpatient neurorehabilitation beds. NAI chief executive Magdalen Rogers said neurorehabilitation was a vital service to enable people with neurological conditions to live their day-to-day lives. Were calling on the Government to announce a commitment to funding four community neurorehabilitation teams in this years budget, she said. We want to see this commitment during their first 100 days in office, to send a clear signal they intend to deliver on the pledges within the Programme for Government. Those pledges, she said, included commitments to complete the national rollout of community neurorehabilitation teams, develop more specialist inpatient rehabilitation beds, and to implement community-based multidisciplinary rehabilitation services in each HSE regional health authority area. Gardai from Mayfield drugs unit carried out a search of a house at Gerald Griffin St in Cork and discovered almost 2,000 worth of cannabis and 2,885 in cash and now a man who was jailed for six months in the case has successfully appealed the prison term. Barrister Orla Meere submitted at Cork Circuit Appeals Court that the accused man, 25-year-old Caue Gonzaga, had returned to Spain where he was working in customer services in Barcelona. The barrister added that before this crime was detected back on May 24, 2023, he had no previous convictions. Judge Helen Boyle agreed to suspend the six-month sentence that was imposed on him at Cork District Court. Sergeant John Kelleher said the appellant was one of three men who were living at the address on Gerald Griffin St, Cork, where the drugs seizure was made. For his part Mr Gonzaga pleaded guilty to having cannabis for sale or supply to others and money-laundering in respect of the cash whereby it represented the proceeds of crime. Ms Meere said that the appellant was out on bail pending his appeal and that in fairness to him he returned to Cork to face the case and appeal the sentence. Sergeant Kelleher accepted that as well as having no previous convictions the accused had not come to the adverse attention of gardai since May 2023. Cork City Council has hired a special contractor to deal with abandoned goats near the North Ring Rd. While the local authority has rescued over half of the goats, it said that trust must be established with the animals over a long period of time before it attempts to capture the remaining ones. At Monday nights council meeting, Labour Party councillor John Maher asked the executive what actions have been carried out to protect the vulnerable animals. Director of local area development and operations Paul Moynihan said that work is ongoing on the issue. The council in recent months has appointed a specialist contractor to deal with the issue of goats grazing on public lands adjoining roads including the North Ring Rd, said Mr Moynihan. The work involved is necessarily time-consuming involving many man hours, as successful removal involves being able to work very closely near the goats and establish their trust prior to capture, with any stress to the animals resulting in unpredictable flight, possibly on to a nearby road. Mr Moynihan said that any person who holds goats in the State must apply for registration, and all goats are required to be double tagged under the national goat identification system so their owner can be identified. To date, nine goats have been removed, with an estimate that there are at least another eight still to be removed. The captured goats have no tags, making it impossible to identify owners. Mr Maher told The Echo he was frustrated with the response. The issue of animal welfare is a city-wide problem, he said. The response says a contractor is appointed, yet we still have eight goats grazing on the North Ring Rd. This is a major artery road for the city, the home of a fire station, a council depot, and thousands of residents. Pedestrians have to cross the busy North Ring Rd to avoid these goats. These goats roam freely around the place, an accident waiting to happen. The bottom line here is animals are being mistreated and the bureaucracy is allowing it to happen. Nine goats have been rescued to date and Cork City Council must act now to rescue the remaining goats before a serious accident occurs or the goats die from mistreatment or by getting hit by one of the thousands of HGVs that drive through the northside each day. He has submitted a motion to the environmental committee seeking solutions on animal welfare across Cork city. A 15-year-old facing a shocking catalogue of charges, who was released on bail despite Garda objections, has stayed out of trouble since his release last Thursday. Judge Aine Clancy was told that the teenager had not come to the adverse attention of gardai since the matter was before Cork District Court on March 6. The judge remanded the youth on continuing bail until the Childrens Court in Cork on Friday. Last week, when Judge Mary Dorgan was told of the amount of car-related charges against the teenager, she commented that he was outstanding in his own field and it is not a good field. Judge Dorgan told him that she had spent four years presiding over the juvenile court in Cork and, in that time, she had never seen any young person on so many driving charges. She said: Fifteen years of age, now facing 40 separate matters. The judge added: It is a shocking catalogue of very significant crime. The charges faced by the teenager span from July 2024 up to January 7 this year, and Garda Ross McCabe said they consist of the unauthorised taking of cars, causing criminal damage, and possession of a knife. The latest charges relate to a range of different locations including Cork city, Crosshaven, Ballincollig, Wilton, Douglas, Frankfield, Bishops-town, and Gurranabraher. Forsa and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) served notice of industrial action to the HSE on Monday, with a Cork union rep saying that current staffing conditions are not safe for their members or patients. The two health unions have served three weeks notice of the action, and union members in both the HSE and voluntary hospitals have been instructed to engage, commencing with a work-to-rule and other non-cooperation actions, from March 31. Corks Colm Porter, INMO assistant director of industrial relations, said: What led up to this is the HSES ongoing Pay and Numbers Strategy, which is causing great concern for our members on a daily basis. Were seeing these vacancies not being filled, people leave and their jobs arent replaced, all coupled with significant demand on the health service, meaning people are being forced to work under more pressurised circumstances with less staff, he said. While notice has been served, the INMO is open to talking, Mr Porter said. We want to find a resolution to the issue, I dont think anybody wants to get to a situation of industrial action... but if that doesnt occur we will be commencing industrial action. This will take the form of a work-to-rule type arrangement first, he said, adding: Should there be no movement on their end [the HSEs], we could be seeking to escalate to potential work stoppages. We dont want there to be any impact on patient care, thats the last thing our members want. There is contingencies in place in any industrial action for things like palliative and emergency care, Mr Porter said. This isnt industrial action for more money or better terms and conditions, this is for safe and better staffing. A HSE spokesperson said: Any industrial action is regrettable at this time, in particular when the HSE and HSE funded agencies will continue to grow its workforce in a significant way in 2025. They said the HSE will seek in every way possible to have this action avoided. It is the view of the HSE, that any industrial action is a breach of the provisions of the Public Service Agreement, which is signed up to, and which they are full beneficiaries of, by all of the unions concerned, the spokesperson added. Taoiseach Micheal Martin has hailed Donald Trumps focus and progress on brokering peace since he returned to the White House. US vice president JD Vance highlighted the important bonds of friendship between his country and Ireland as he met with Mr Martin in Washington DC. Mr Martin and his wife Mary were met by Mr Vance and his wife Usha at the US Naval Observatory ahead of a breakfast meeting which kicks off a series of engagements to mark St Patricks Day. The Taoiseach will later take part in a highly anticipated meeting with President Trump at the White House, which is expected to touch on Irelands trading relationship with the US. Mr Trump will be presented with a bowl of shamrock as the centrepiece of the Irish Governments major overseas diplomatic push in the run-up to St Patricks Day on March 17. Speaking following his meeting with Mr Vance, the Taoiseach said that peace on the island of Ireland was a signature achievement of US foreign policy and said that Ireland was ready to play our part in ending other conflicts around the world. Nowhere is the strength of the US-Irish relationship more in evidence than in our own peace process, Mr Martin said. Forty-four years ago, President Reagan called for a just and peaceful solution to the conflict that has for so long devastated lives on our island. Politicians from both sides of the aisle rose to the occasion, and the lasting peace we enjoy today on our island is a signature achievement of US foreign policy. 'STORY OF PEACE' This story of peace is one that we both wrote together. We know that building peace is a difficult and painstaking task, and we are ready to play our part in supporting work to end conflict and to secure peace in Ukraine or in the Middle East or wherever. We welcome very much the unrelenting focus and effort that President Trump and his administration has brought to this task from his very first days in office, and we welcome the progress that is clearly being made. Mr Vance said the breakfast meeting with Mr Martin was to remind people of the strength of the relationship between Ireland and the US. One of the things we try to do with this breakfast is just remind people of the important bonds of friendship between the United States and Ireland, he said. Sporting a pair of shamrock socks which he showed to the room, Mr Vance added: The president is a very big fan of conservative dress, and so if he notices these socks, you have to defend this as an important part of cementing the Irish-American relationship. Mr Martin thanked Mr Vance for his warm welcome and hospitality and joked that he would need to adjust very rapidly his conservative dress sense after seeing Mr Vances socks. The United States has been a steadfast friend of Ireland for centuries. Indeed, the United States was the first country to recognise our long, soft independence, Mr Martin said. Together, we have built deep and enduring political, cultural and economic bonds, greatly enriching our two nations in the process. Among those at the meeting are US health secretary Robert F Kennedy and Irelands ambassador to the US Geraldine Byrne Nason. Mr Martin has said that a two-way street of investment is something he intends to highlight in his later discussions with President Trump in a bid to address concerns he may voice around a trade imbalance between the two countries. The meeting comes amid heightened concern that Mr Trumps protectionist approach to tariffs and tax could pose a significant risk to an Irish economy that is in large part sustained by long-standing investment by US multinationals. Other matters of concern which may be raised in some format on Wednesday include legal status for undocumented Irish citizens living in the US, as well as the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Mr Martin will be the first EU leader to meet Mr Trump following the proposals for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and the lifting of the US suspension of military aid and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv. The Fianna Fail leader is also to travel to the US Capitol building for the Friends of Ireland luncheon, hosted by House Speaker Mike Johnson, before returning to the White House for the traditional shamrock ceremony. The White House engagements come on the third full day of Mr Martins visit to the US, with him having started his overseas trip in Austin, Texas. A former Fianna Fail councillor pleaded guilty today to harassing a woman in Cork city back in the summer of 2022. 49-year-old Joseph ODonovan, formerly known as Gary OFlynn, of Melvindale House, Coolowen, Blarney, County Cork, indicated through his solicitor Frank Buttimer that he was pleading guilty to the harassment. The charge which he admitted is contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997, for the offence of harassment on three dates between July 30 and August 6 2022 at a location in Cork city. Details of the background to the case in relation to where the incident occurred are not published in order to prevent identification of the injured party. Mr Buttimer informed Judge Aine Clancy that the case was before the court today for the defendant to indicate if he was pleading guilty or if he was pleading not guilty to have it listed for a date for trial. Once the guilty plea was entered, Mr Buttimer said that he expected that a victim impact statement would have to be prepared in advance of sentencing. The solicitor added on behalf of the accused, I also have to furnish reports on my side. Sergeant John Kelleher acknowledged that sentencing would have to be adjourned. Judge Clancy put the case back until May 28. As Gary OFlynn, he was a councillor on Cork City Council from 2003 to 2008. Limerick hurler Kyle Hayes overtook nine cars at 155kph in his Audi A6 before cutting in when he ran out of road, a garda testified today, as he lost his appeal against a dangerous driving conviction and two-year driving ban. Judge Helen Boyle decided this afternoon to dismiss the appeal against the dangerous driving conviction and she affirmed the order of the district court to convict him of the offence, fine him 250 and disqualify him from driving for the mandatory period of two years. That driving ban will not come into effect until June 12. State solicitor Jeremiah Healy said of the driving by Mr Hayes on the Mallow Road: That speed was utterly unacceptable. To suggest he was just speeding and ah shur is an insult to the court. He was going at a speed that was dangerous to the public. He expected everybody else on that road to step aside and get out of his way. Appealed Kyle Hayes appealed the conviction for dangerous driving arising out of the incident on the day. Ronan Barnes, barrister for the appellant, said that arising out of the excessive speed of the driving Mr Hayes was prepared to admit that his driving was careless instead of dangerous but that this was not acceptable to the state. Garda Deirdre Barrett was on duty on July 14, 2024 in a marked garda vehicle and operating a speed gun when she was passed by nine vehicles travelling within the 100kph limit at 85 to 100kph on the left lane of the section of dual-carriageway travelling north to Mallow, County Cork. It was around 7 p.m. on a bright evening with perfect driving conditions. I observed a white Audi A6 overtake at high speed 155kph. The section of dual carriageway has a thin wire on poles between the north and southbound lanes where the overtaking manoeuvre was carried out, and it becomes a single lane. This vehicle had to cut across in front of the first car in the line of nine cars. It had to do so very quickly because there was no road left to drive into, garda Barrett said. Identified The officer later followed and signalled for the car to stop and Kyle Hayes identified himself to her and in the course of conversation at the roadside she said the driver of the Audi said: I ran out of road. She added that later: He said how unfair it was, that he was driving under 100 when there was a speed van further up the road. Cross-examined by Mr Barnes, who suggested it was careless rather than dangerous, garda Barrett said: This was not momentary, this was a deliberate attempt to get past nine cars with no regard for their safety or for his own safety (or that of his passenger). Garda Barrett said that during her conversation with Mr Hayes that evening: "He said he wanted to speak to a higher ranking officer than me. He said he had a suspended sentence or something. Mr Hayes testified today that he did overtake a number of cars on the section of dual-carriageway: I sped up to make sure I had enough room. I was very happy I had left enough room to do that. He said that nothing out of the ordinary occurred when he pulled in in front of the first car in the line of cars, after passing. He was unfamiliar with the road on his journey home after a visit to West Cork and noticed the signs indicating that there was only 600 metres and 400 metres and so forth left in the dual-carriageway so he sped up to make sure there was ample distance when he moved in. He accepted he was speeding but did not think it was dangerous. Evidence Judge Helen Boyle said after hearing all the evidence: I am satisfied that it has reached the threshold and that the manner of driving, including speed, was dangerous to the public or might have been dangerous to the public. The failure to overturn the dangerous driving conviction may have implications for a suspended sentence hanging over the same defendant for an unrelated matter. He has a two-year suspended sentence on two counts of violent disorder at the Icon nightclub, Limerick, on October 28, 2019. In light of todays affirmation of the dangerous driving conviction there may be an application to have the suspension revoked in whole or in part. The question of whether 26-year-old Mr Hayes of Ballyashea, Kildimo, Co Limerick, will face any period of imprisonment for the violent disorder will be decided at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court, where the suspended sentence was imposed. This had to await the outcome of todays proceedings at Cork Circuit Appeals Court. Suspended prison sentences can be activated in whole or in part when the defendant commits another offence afterwards. However, this activation has to be decided in the court where the suspended sentence was first imposed. How serious the new triggering offence was will be considered by the judge. Mr Hayes was convicted at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on two counts of violent disorder, after a young man was attacked inside and outside a nightclub, and he was given a two year suspended sentence in March 2024. The driving offence was at a checkpoint on the N20 at Lissavoura, Grenagh at 7pm on July 14, 2024. By David Young, PA, in Washington, DC Taoiseach Micheal Martin has hailed Donald Trumps focus and progress on brokering peace since he returned to the White House. The Taoiseach was speaking at the US vice presidents official residence as part of a day of engagements in Washington DC for St Patricks Day. Mr Martin and his wife Mary were greeted by Mr Vance and his wife Usha at the US Naval Observatory ahead of a breakfast meeting where there was a warm exchange of words. Mr Vance hailed the US relationship with Ireland as one of the great alliances between nations. One of the things we try to do with this breakfast is just remind people of the important bonds of friendship between the United States and Ireland, he said. JD Vance greeting Micheal Martin at a breakfast meeting he hosted at his official residence in Washington DC (Niall Carson/PA) The Taoiseach praised efforts by the new US administration to place a focus on peace, referring to the conflict in the Middle East and war in Ukraine. Mr Martin said that peace on the island of Ireland was a signature achievement of US foreign policy and that Ireland was ready to play our part in ending other conflicts. Nowhere is the strength of the US-Irish relationship more in evidence than in our own peace process, Mr Martin said. Forty-four years ago, President Reagan called for a just and peaceful solution to the conflict that has for so long devastated lives on our island. Politicians from both sides of the aisle rose to the occasion, and the lasting peace we enjoy today on our island is a signature achievement of US foreign policy. This story of peace is one that we both wrote together. We know that building peace is a difficult and painstaking task, and we are ready to play our part in supporting work to end conflict and to secure peace in Ukraine or in the Middle East or wherever. We welcome very much the unrelenting focus and effort that President Trump and his administration has brought to this task from his very first days in office, and we welcome the progress that is clearly being made. JD Vance showing off his Shamrock socks (Niall Carson/PA) Mr Martin also invited Mr Vance and his wife back to Ireland having previously undertaken a road trip around Ireland in 2023 and extended a particular invite to Mr Martins native Co Cork. We would be honoured and delighted to welcome you both back to our shores before too long, Mr Martin said. Now, the vice president did say the road trip could be somewhat difficult next time around, given the number of vehicles that might have to be attached. Referring to his visit to Ireland, Mr Vance praised its incredible communities, beautiful landscapes and interesting technological growth. He said: One of the more robust areas for us to work on with our Irish friends in the years to come is going to be technology and particularly artificial intelligence, as we really take the next stage in an important level of technological progress. Sporting a pair of shamrock socks which he showed to the room, Mr Vance added: The president is a very big fan of conservative dress, and so if he notices these socks, you have to defend this as an important part of cementing the Irish-American relationship. Mr Martin thanked Mr Vance for his warm welcome and hospitality and joked that he would need to adjust very rapidly his dress sense after seeing Mr Vances socks. He continued: The United States has been a steadfast friend of Ireland for centuries. Indeed, the United States was the first country to recognise our long-sought independence, Mr Martin said. Together, we have built deep and enduring political, cultural and economic bonds, greatly enriching our two nations in the process. Among those at the meeting are US health secretary Robert F Kennedy and Irelands ambassador to the US Geraldine Byrne Nason. The Taoiseach will later take part in a highly anticipated meeting with President Trump at the White House, which is expected to touch on Irelands trading relationship with the US. Mr Trump will be presented with a bowl of shamrock as the centrepiece of the Irish Governments major overseas diplomatic push in the run-up to St Patricks Day on March 17. Corrinne Austin loves to cook for people. Hailing from South Africa, Corrinne now calls Blarney home, and it is from here that she hosts cookery classes and offers private cheffing experiences through her business, Corrinnes Kitchen. A self-taught cook with a degree in fine art, food was the one thing that always brought her joy: learning from other chefs, as well as exploring her own culinary curiosity. In Ireland, there is a whole new lexicon of food and ingredients Corrinne has learned to navigate and meld with food memories of her South African homeland. In the process, she has found a new community through the food she cooks and the classes she teaches. I was born in Cape Town but spent most of my life in a coastal town called Ballito in KwaZulu-Natal province, north of Durban on the north coast. South Africa is a very big country, says Corrinne and shes right, I checked. To drive from Cape Town to Ballito is a staggering 1,675 km, 18.5-hour drive! Corinne was born in Cape Town, but spent most of her life in Ballito- a coastal town north of Durban. Picture: Eddie O'Hare Ive been living in Ireland for six-and-a-half years, and since Ive been here, Ive travelled lots around Europe London was a real eye-opener, France as well. Just travelling while I have the opportunity to be here is great, and it really broadens the mind. Corrinnes wonderment reminds me just how often we take for granted the diversity of countries, cultures and foods that are within a short one- or two-hour flight from here even as we ourselves are on Europes outer edge. Back in Ballito, Corrinne grew up with the vast Indian Ocean on her doorstep, and kilometres of golden sandy beaches popular with surfers. It was a small town surrounded by sugar cane, lots of farming, and a popular surfing town. A lot of holiday homes sprung up, and by the time I left in 2018, it had grown into a huge town. Growing up in South Africa, Corrinne experienced the melting pot of cultures that are often unique there, with people from other countries creating their own style specific to South Africa. You wont get the same type of curry in Durban, for example, that you would in the south of India; theyre really specific with their styles, explains Corrinne. Theres about nine different African languages and cultures, its so diverse. Theres English and Afrikaans; down in the Cape, Dutch settlers brough in their influence; theres Indian, too. So, you have an incredible melting pot of different cultures and cuisines. Theres definitely an influence from my South African heritage when I write my menus. I show my ignorance about this interesting-sounding diverse culinary universe when I say all I really know about South African food is the enduring love of the braai. That is pretty universal across all the different cultures there, says Corrinne, but the word braai just doesnt sound right to me anymore because everyone here says barbecue! But despite growing up surrounded by sugar cane, farmlands, an ocean full of incredible fish and seafood, and the ever-present braai, a career in food came much later in Corrinnes life. From a really young age, Id get up before anyone else and make a breakfast or just cook something by myself. Food was always very important to me, and a lot of my early memories always come back to food, says Corrinne. I studied a degree in fine art, so Ive always been creative, and then I started entering cooking competitions and won a few of those. When I was 30 years old, I watched the movie Julie & Julia, she says. Julia & Julia follows a young woman who blogs about her attempts to cook every recipe in Julia Childs seminal cookery book, Mastering The Art Of French Cooking. It was so inspiring, and I started a blog of my own recipes and food photos, says Corrinne. Im quite embarrassed now when I go back and look at the very early ones, but it was great and, I guess, a creative outlet for me. This was the moment when things changed for Corrinne, and a chance opportunity with a good friend was the genesis for a foray into pop-up restaurants. I met a very good friend, who was a chef, and we started a pop-up restaurant together in our town, says Corrinne. Nothing like that had happened in South Africa yet, or at least not in the province that we were in; it was a first. Wed choose a different charity to promote each time, promote local musicians, and organise these pop-ups in a place we could hire out. We just co-operated together: we promote them, they promoted us, and it was quite community oriented. I really enjoyed the experience. I was mostly running the front of house, but I learned so much from my chef-friend, and other chefs along the way as well. I suppose I am self-taught, but I have learned so much from other chefs. I always knew I wanted to cook and to cook for people, I just wasnt sure how I was going to do that or what it was going to look like. When we moved to Ireland, I wasnt sure what I was going to do here, says Corrinne. I did look at studying culinary arts, but I already knew how to do many of the things that were on the curriculum - the skills they were going to teach me, I already had. So, I thought, Im just going to start my business. I registered with the HSE in 2019, and my business, Corrinnes Kitchen, has been growing since then. Corrine set up Corrine's Kitchen back in 2019. Picture: Eddie O'Hare Corrinne began with a service that offered heat-and-eat homecooked vegetarian dishes for collection from her home, but when covid hit, she re-registered as an artisan food producer and began selling through Neighbourfood. That did really well. I made pickles, relishes and jam. I made all my own pastry and fillings everything from scratch, so I also made a lot of South African savoury tarts, vegetarian pies and South-African Indian Samosas. After restrictions lifted, Corrinne noticed an uptick in enquiries for cooking for people in their own homes. That was when I began private cheffing and found that was what I really loved to do, says Corrinne, and when I started, it was like I couldnt stop! A lot of clients come to me by word of mouth, and it has just grown and grown. I do everything myself, and its a very hands-on service. I like to get an idea of what a client likes or doesnt like before we settle on a menu. I do change my menu often because I like to keep things fresh, but there are some staple dishes that I always like to have on the menu. Corrinne is often called in to cater for the big milestone family events, such as christening, communions, significant birthdays and anniversaries. Taking care of everything to do with the food, from the prep to cooking, serving and clear up, means families can focus on enjoying the celebration and making memories. Food, family, friends, and gathering, I think, is very important, and food and memory are very closely related. If I can help people enjoy their time together through the food they are eating at an event, thatll be something even more special they can remember. Corrine also hosts cookery classes at her home in Blarney. Picture: Eddie O'Hare Every couple of months, Corrinne also hosts cookery classes which take place at her home in Blarney. I choose a different theme every time because I have quite a few regulars that come back. Its very social, and I like to make people feel relaxed. I want people to sit back and enjoy the food, have a welcome drink, and just meet new people and learn to cook. I set up different food stations and group different people together to work at each food station. It breaks the ice, and people can feel at ease so they can get involved, which is so important. Im really passionate about cooking, so for the cooking classes I try to help other people to find that passion too. This year, Corrinne is also trying something different with her classes, by bringing in other Cork-based foodies to share their knowledge of a particular cuisine. I knew May [Kong of Ballincollig-based SensAsian grocery and deli], so I thought, why dont we try doing something together, and thats where the idea for an Asian cooking course came from. Tickets sold out in quick order, but there are plans to do another event with May later in the year, as well as exploring the many diverse food cultures to be found in Cork. Id like to collaborate with others who are professionals in their own particular cuisine to add a new dimension to the classes, says Corrinne. I can cook Asian food, but Im not a professional in it, which is why I wanted to partner with May. I have found that I love to cook for others and when you do something you love, you get that dopamine hit," said Corrine. Picture: Eddie O'Hare Cork is a very multi-national city and the food from all those different nations is fantastic, so Id really like to feature it and expose people to something different. Its true: food is a universal language we all understand. We can travel the world without ever leaving Cork when we seek out cuisines and food cultures different to our own. Ive tried to encourage my children from a very early age to taste different foods, cook different things and be comfortable in the kitchen, says Corinne. I think its important to know where our food comes from; and I think its important to be able to feed yourself, and to cook for your family and friends. Food brings people together. I have found that I love to cook for others and when you do something you love, you get that dopamine hit. We need to do things we love as well as things we dont love, so for me cooking for people is what makes me feel Im doing something right; that this is something good. Thats it really - I just want to cook good food for people. Keep up to date with upcoming cookery classes via Corrinnes Kitchen Instagram: @corrinneskitchenireland. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. NASA has laid off 23 employees, including its chief scientist Katherine Calvin, a climate expert appointed by former President Joe Biden. The United States space agency abruptly closed Calvins office, as well as two others on March 10, reported Nature. This means NASA no longer has the ability to provide its top leaders with independent science advice. This is shortsighted and hugely alarming, said Democrat Zoe Lofgren, U.S. representative from California and the House Committees ranking member on Science, Space and Technology, in a statement, as The New York Times reported. Trumps assault on science continues. If you wanted a playbook on how to lose to China in every technological race, this is it. In an agency-wide email, acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro said, Were viewing this as an opportunity to reshape our workforce, reported Nature. The layoffs are part of extensive cuts to the federal government by President Donald Trump, his Senior Advisor Elon Musk and the recently formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The firings are the administrations first at NASA and make the agency the only one thus far to preemptively terminate career employees, rather than those still working under a probationary period. NASA offices that were shuttered by DOGE include the Office of the Chief Scientists; the Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy; and the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunitys branch of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. The last was closed in compliance with Trumps January 20 executive order to cut diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives throughout the federal government. To optimize our [workforce], and in compliance with an executive order, NASA is beginning its phased approach to a reduction in force, known as a RIF, NASA spokesperson Cheryl Warner said in an email, as The New York Times reported. A small number of individuals received notification Monday they are a part of NASAs RIF. The other two offices that were closed offered ways to connect strategy across the agencys departments and divisions, while giving advice on matters of science and technology to NASAs chief administrator. By closing these offices, you will lose strategic thinking, said a NASA staff member familiar with the offices structure who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, as reported by Nature. Grant Tremblay, an astrophysicist at the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, criticized the moves in a post on X, NASA is small, but it is arguably the most legendary and globally beloved agency in American history. Its gutting has begun, & the cuts to come are so massive that we wont recognize it in a year. Since its debut at the end of last year, Gemini 2.0 has gone on to power a handful of Google products, including a new AI Mode chatbot. Now Google DeepMind is using that same technology for something altogether more interesting. On Wednesday, the AI lab announced two new Gemini-based models it says will "lay the foundation for a new generation of helpful robots." The first, Gemini Robotics, was designed by Deepmind to facilitate direct control of robots. According to the company, AI systems for robots need to excel at three qualities: generality, interactivity and dexterity. The first involves a robot's flexibility to adapt to novel situations, including ones not covered by its training. Interactivity, meanwhile, encapsulates a robot's ability to respond to people and the environment. Finally, there's dexterity, which is mostly self-explanatory: a lot of tasks humans can complete without a second thought involve fine motor skills that are difficult for robots to master. "While our previous work demonstrated progress in these areas, Gemini Robotics represents a substantial step in performance on all three axes, getting us closer to truly general purpose robots," says DeepMind. For instance, with Gemini Robotics powering it, DeepMind's ALOHA 2 robot is able to fold origami and close a Ziploc bag. The two-armed robot also understands all the instructions given to it in natural, everyday language. As you can see from the video Google shared, it can even complete tasks despite encountering roadblocks, such as when the researcher moves around the Tupperware he just asked the robot to place the fruit inside of. Google is partnering with Apptronik, the company behind the Apollo bipedal robot, to build the next generation of humanoid robots. At the same time, DeepMind is releasing Gemini Robotics-ER (or embodied reasoning). Of the second model, the company says it will enable roboticists to run their own programs using Gemini's advanced reasoning abilities. DeepMind is giving "trusted testers," including one-time Google subsidiary Boston Dynamics, access to the system. The Remote Desktop app for Windows is (almost) dead; long live the Windows app. Microsoft said on Monday that its legacy Remote Desktop client, which has already been replaced on other platforms, will no longer be supported on Windows after May 27, 2025. But you aren't losing any functionality here. You can still do tech support for your parents using built-in Windows functionality or the modern Windows app, which is somehow both the simplest and most confusing naming convention Microsoft's marketing team could have mustered. "Starting May 27, 2025, the Remote Desktop app for Windows from the Microsoft Store will no longer be supported or available for download and installation," Microsoft's Hilary Braun wrote on its Windows IT Pro Blog. "Users must transition to Windows App to ensure continued access to Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop and Microsoft Dev Box." The company says connections to Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop and Microsoft Dev Box via the Remote Desktop app from the Microsoft Store will be blocked in the Remote Desktop app on the app's expiration date of May 27. For all other users, it will continue working but will no longer be supported. Increasing the confusion, Windows has a built-in Remote Desktop Connection app that will remain the only way to use Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections after May 27. But Microsoft will eventually incorporate that into the Windows app. As Thurrot.com notes, Microsoft warned that it would eventually replace the Remote Desktop with the Windows app when the operating system's namesake app launched last fall. The new app even arrived as an update to the Remote Desktop client on Apple's App Store. As for the, uh, interestingly named Windows app, the company likely chose that branding because it wants to move Windows increasingly to the cloud. Its Windows 365 service, introduced in 2021, even lets you stream a virtual version of the OS from any device. So, calling the unified app used to access cloud and remote PCs "Windows app" seems maybe slightly less bizarre from that angle. Still, a Reddit thread from the Windows app's September launch held some entertaining reactions from the company's fans. "Microsoft needs to collect all the staff responsible for naming or renaming their products in the past 15 years and shoot them into the sun," u/AlignedHurdle posted. Meanwhile, u/Shoddy_Eye7866 seized an opportunity to use the Xzibit meme: "Yo dawg, I heard you like Windows, so I took Windows App and put in your Windows so you can Windows while you Windows." NVIDIA's GPU Technology Conference, also known as GTC, is coming up. The event is happening March 17-21 in San Jose, California, but you can also follow along with all the big developments here at Engadget. We'll have a liveblog for the keynote with CEO Jensen Huang on March 18 at 1PM ET (or 10AM PT), which is when most of the big news will drop. His speech will also be livestreamed for free, so you can watch it on NVIDIA's website too. And for those of you who want it saved to your YouTube watch history, here's the company's livestream on YouTube as well. If you prefer to catch up without video, our liveblog will be the best place for primarily text and image updates, peppered with contextual information and expert analysis from our senior writer Devindra Hardawar, so make sure you come back tomorrow for that. From a quick glance at the session catalog, we can make a few educated guesses as to what might be covered. Topics range from quantum computing and "physical AI" to robotics, healthcare and Agentic AI. Huang himself is hosting the quantum computing chat with a bevy of participants from companies like Microsoft and Amazon, too. Let's not forget, either, that this is ultimately an event that NVIDIA is billing as a "premier" AI conference for developers, which means most of the week will revolve around workshops, training labs and networking opportunities (that the schedule calls "Dinner with Strangers"). As the in-person audience is likely to be filled with developers, it's possible, as speculated by our senior reporter Devindra Hardawar, that Huang could get down and nerdy and get into more specifics than he did at the CES keynote this year. It's a safe bet that you'll hear a whole lot about artificial intelligence during the week, but with all the changes in the computing landscape over the past 12 months, the stakes might be higher for the company to make serious waves at this conference. Plus, with NVIDIA recently becoming a Wall Street darling, more eyes are on the company than ever. What to expect at NVIDIA GTC 2025 NVIDIA has been going all-in on AI for years now, and that makes it a regular highlight for GTC programming. Last year saw the company unveiling its Blackwell line of GPUs for faster and less demanding computations. We're guessing that Huang will introduce another iteration of Blackwell GPUs with even better specs this time around. NVIDIA is also likely to share updates on its projects in automotive, robotics and quantum computing. But the company is in a very different situation in early 2025 than it was going into last year's conference. NVIDIA is no longer sitting quite so comfortably at the top of the heap. The emergence of DeepSeek's reasoning model caused a plunge for tech stocks, including NVIDIA's, earlier this year. There have been lots of issues related to its latest RTX product launches and splashy tech for AI-generated NPCs in gaming are, unsurprisingly, pretty soulless. Basically, NVIDIA needs a win. This would be the time for Huang to drop something surprising and exciting. Hopefully he delivers. Update, March 12 2025, 1:18PM ET: This story has been updated to add information gleaned from NVIDIA's session catalog to the intro. Update, March 13 2025, 2:10PM ET: This story has been updated to add a link to the NVIDIA livestream site, as well as more information about GTC as a developer conference. Update, March 17 2025, 1:08PM ET: This story has been updated to embed a YouTube video of NVIDIA's livestream, plus information about Engadget's own liveblog. If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Left-leaning Philadelphia Eagles fans are crashing from the high of their Super Bowl victory following the White House's announcement that the team accepted an invitation to visit President Donald Trump at the White House on April 28. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Tuesday that the Eagles had "enthusiastically accepted" the invitation, shutting down prior speculation that the team might decline. The announcement was a disappointment to fans who were hoping for a repeat of 2018 when several Eagles players refused to visit Trump's White House amid controversy over national anthem protests. Press Secretary Leavitt announces the Eagles will be visiting The White House on April 28th pic.twitter.com/NDqMU7KOL2 Acyn (@Acyn) March 11, 2025 Social media reactions have been overwhelmingly negative, with some fans calling it a "horrible day for Eagles fans" and others even threatening to switch allegiances to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers. "Meeting with that president who has accomplished nothing but divisiveness and economic failure is a choiceand we will remember it," wrote one irritated fan. "Sad, I was hoping they would decline," said another. "Boo Eagles," a fan scolded. "You should be doing better things with your time." Earlier reports suggested that some Eagles players were opposed to the visit, and a few fans held fast to the idea. "I'm sure there are a few which will show," a hopeful commenter wrote. "Most will be a hard pass." There were also fans who simply refused to accept reality. "She means an actual eagle btw, not the team," one insisted. Several fans wrote they were looking forward to Hotel California, joking that Leavitt must have been referred to The Eagles rock band. It remains to be seen whether the Eagles will show up for the traditional honor as a team, or if any players will take the opportunity to protest the administration. Noting that the event is several weeks away, one fan wrote, "Well, that gives us time to put some pressure on the Eagles not to do it." Originally published on Latin Times Disney has decided to scale back the Hollywood premiere of its upcoming live-action adaptation of Snow White, opting for a more subdued event amid ongoing controversies involving its lead stars. The movie is set to premiere on March 15 at the El Captain Theatre. However, contrary to most Disney events, the premiere event for "Snow White" will not include an extensive red carpet arrangement. Media coverage will be limited to only photographers and a house crew, which means the cast or creative team of the film would not be subjected to interviews, as first reported by Variety. The scaled-back premiere allegedly comes amid multiple controversies surrounding its titular stars, Rachel Zegler (Snow White) and Gal Gadot (Evil Queen). Zegler, who plays Snow White, for her Latina heritage. Many argue that the casting deviates from the character's traditional European depiction. Additionally, her remarks in 2022 calling the original film "dated" and describing the prince as a "stalker" sparked further controversy. "She's not going to be saved by the prince, and she's not going to be dreaming about true love; she's dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be," Zegler added. Rachel Zegler is single-handedly destroying this movie. My TikTok feed is full of ppl on all sides posting about her holier-than-thou crappy attitude is not okay & Snow doesnt need to be modern. Its impressive how many people shes turned against seeing Snow White. Bravo pic.twitter.com/EUdli8mh1v Tuggs (@thattugglife) August 11, 2023 Gadot, for her part, has drawn into controversy after she publicly supported Israel in light of its ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In contrast, Zegler voiced public support for Palestine. Outside of controversies surrounding the actresses, the film's handling of the seven dwarfs has also drawn criticism. Disney reimagined the dwarfs as CGI "magical creatures" of varying sizes instead of casting actors with dwarfism. The studio announced it was taking this approach to avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the 1937 animated original, consulting with the dwarfism community in the process. However, the move has been criticized by many, including actors with dwarfism like Peter Dinklage, who called the original story "backward," and others like Jason "Wee Man" Acuna, who argued it took away opportunities from the community. Former talk show host Wendy Williams is set to make a highly anticipated appearance on "The View" this Friday, four days after she dropped a troubling note from the fifth-floor window of the assisted living facility where she was living. Williams will call in to speak to "The View" hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Anna Navarro, and Alyssa Farrah Griffin. The former talk show host will appear alongside Connect Care Advisory Group founder Ginalisa Monterroso. According to the talk show's weekly guest listings, the company helps patients and caregivers navigate benefits. It is unclear what Williams will discuss on "The View." Notably, her appearance will come days after she dropped a handwritten note from her window that read, "Help! Wendy!!" The note, which was dropped on Monday, prompted police to conduct a wellness check and led to her subsequent transport to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City for an independent evaluation of her mental capacity. It was later reported by TMZ that Williams passed the psychiatric evaluations, scoring 10 out of 10 on the test. The questions were designed to determine if she was alert and oriented. The results are significantly different from the assessment of her guardian, who claimed conservatorship was necessary to protect her from financial exploitation after she was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The disorder impacts a person's behavior, cognitive functions, and communication. It also worsens over time, which means patients require increasing levels of care. Williams has disputed her diagnosis. She was not re-examined on Monday to determine if she was misdiagnosed. However, she is actively seeking to end her court-mandated conservatorship, which has been in place since 2022. Williams plans to present the result of her recent mental capacity test to support her case for ending the conservatorship. Timothee Chalamet has reportedly been planning his proposal to Kylie Jenner for months, ensuring every aspect is meticulously arranged, according to reports. According to The US Sun, he is now prepared to take their relationship to the next stage. Recently, the couple explored luxurious properties in Milan and Paris, fueling speculation about their future. Chalamet consulted high-end jewelers in New York and Paris before selecting a Parisian designer. The stunning ring, valued at $300,000 and set with 150 diamonds, will take six weeks to complete, the Sun reported. Insiders suggest Chalamet may propose before the end of the year. "I have never seen him so happy," a close friend shared. "He has been telling us for a while now how deeply in love he is." The source revealed that the 'Dune' star carefully arranged meetings with multiple jewelers before deciding on "the one he loved most." "The ring, made by the Parisian designer, is incredibly special and will take six weeks to complete," the insider added. "He's ready to get engaged and envisions a long, happy future with Kylie." Now that the ring is chosen, Chalamet is considering the perfect proposal setting. The couple remains deeply connected, recently attending the BNP Paribas Open in California, where they shared affectionate moments. Jenner, 26, has been a strong presence during Chalamet's awards season, supporting him at major events like the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Academy Awards. Those close to Chalamet say he has never been happier. "I don't think I have seen Timothee that happy in his life," a friend stated the The Sun. "He is so, so, so happy. It is beautiful to see." Their bond continues to grow, reinforcing their commitment to a future together. Donald Trump took a shot at Rosie O'Donnell for moving to Ireland to escape the what she referred to as unsafe conditions in America. While in the Oval Office on March 12, President Trump met with Ireland's Prime Minster Micheal Martin, who was asked why the country would "let" O'Donnell to move there. Before he could answer, President Trump interjected with: "Did you know you have Rosie O'Donnell? Do you know who she is?" Martin remained silent and Trump slammed O'Donnell. "You're better off not knowing," he said. REPORTER: "Ireland is known for very happy, fun loving people ... Why in the world would you let Rosie O'Donnell move to Ireland!?"@POTUS: "Did you know you have Rosie O'Donnell? Do you know who she is?" Taoiseach: .....@POTUS: "You're better off not knowing." pic.twitter.com/TL9HpKw89i Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 12, 2025 His comments come after O'Donnell had announced in a TikTok on March 11 that she moved to Ireland with her child to escape the current American policies. "I miss my other kids. I miss my friends. I miss many things about life there at home, and I'm trying to find a home here in this beautiful country. And when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that's when we will consider coming back," she said in the clip. O'Donnell then shared that she is heartbroken over the current administration. "It's been heartbreaking to see what's happening politically and hard for me personally as well. The personal is political, as we all know," she said. "I just felt like we needed to take care of ourselves and make some hard decisions and follow through. And now as we're getting settled, I was ready to post this and to tell everybody what's been going on," O'Donnell added. O'Donnell had criticized Trump's political rise. In 2015, she described his presidential campaign as "a nightmare." By 2017, she publicly labeled Trump as "mentally unstable" and "a criminal," urging resistance against his administration. Rosie ODonnell calls Donald Trump mentally unstable - and says there is only three weeks to stop him pic.twitter.com/hOAGRwzf5e FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) January 2, 2017 The United States has witnessed significant rollbacks in DEI policies. In January 2025, President Trump rescinded Executive Order 11246, originally signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, which had prohibited federal contractors from engaging in employment discrimination and mandated affirmative action programs. The dissolution of Executive Order 11246 removed the obligation for federal contractors to establish affirmative action programs aimed at increasing workplace diversity. Shout out to all the hardworking long term care administrators (which is ALL of them) This week marks Long-Term Care Administrators Week, a time to recognize the hardworking professionals who lead long-term care facilities across the country. Keynote speaker and comedian Jan McInnis, who has spoken at numerous long-term care events nationwide, encourages everyone to take part in celebrating these dedicated administrators. "Almost all of us have or will be impacted by long-term care," says McInnis. "My dad was in long-term care, and I can say from personal experience that these people go above and beyond the call of duty for their residents. My dad had dementia, but NEVER did anyone at his residence treat him as less than a perfect human being. They had the compassion and patience to handle his needs. AND from my own experience speaking at many long-term care conventions, I know they also have a GREAT sense of humor, which is much needed in that business." Ways to Celebrate Long-Term Care Administrators According to the American College of Health Care Administrators, here are some meaningful ways to honor administrators this week: Individual Recognition: Send flowers, a gift basket, or a self-care package with treats like a gratitude journal, soy candles, or their favorite sweets. Treat them to a special lunch via Uber Eats or a gift certificate to a spa. Send flowers, a gift basket, or a self-care package with treats like a gratitude journal, soy candles, or their favorite sweets. Treat them to a special lunch via Uber Eats or a gift certificate to a spa. Center Recognition: Host a themed meal, social, or potluck for staff and residents to celebrate the administrators. Create thank-you notes on fun stationery, highlighting fun facts about them. Display a banner in the facility acknowledging their contributions. Host a themed meal, social, or potluck for staff and residents to celebrate the administrators. Create thank-you notes on fun stationery, highlighting fun facts about them. Display a banner in the facility acknowledging their contributions. Community Recognition: Send a press release to local newspapers highlighting the administrator and their team's dedication. Long-term care administrators play a vital role in ensuring high-quality care for residents, and their dedication deserves to be celebrated. Join Jan McInnis and others in recognizing their hard work during #LTCAweek25! About Jan McInnis Jan McInnis is a keynote speaker and comedian who helps organizations find the humor in change and daily challenges. With over 25 years of experience, she brings laughter and leadership insights to audiences nationwide. CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS, Pa. The Crawford County Conservation District held its annual dinner meeting Feb. 20 at the Kelly Ballroom in Cambridge Springs. Many community partners were awarded for their outstanding conservation efforts during 2025. The Outstanding Conservation Educator of 2025 award was presented to Jessica Rohrdanz, northwest Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commissions Northwest Region outreach and education coordinator. The Outstanding Conservation Farmer of 2025 award went to the Hindman Familys Bonny Bell Farm/Hindman Cattle. The Forest Conservation and Stewardship Award was presented to Andy Kosmach for his dedication to forest conservation. All the award recipients also received citations from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate. Supervisors from Athens, Oil Creek, Rockdale, Summit and Wayne Townships received certificates of accomplishment for their successful completion of projects implemented with Dirt, Gravel and Low Volume Road grant funds. The funds provided by the State Conservation Commission and the Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Roads through the Crawford County Conservation District aim to improve and stabilize dirt roads and reduce sedimentation of streams. Visit crawfordconservation.com for more information on the Crawford County Conservation District. NEWARK, Ohio The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association named the 2025 recipients of its Stewardship, Service and Beginning Farmer awards at its 46th annual conference Feb. 13-15 in Newark, Ohio. Stewardship Award Dave Shively, of Henry County, received the Stewardship Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the cultivation of sustainable agriculture. For over 21 years, Shively has farmed organic grains in northwest Ohio while mentoring and advocating for organic growers. As former president of the OEFFA Grain Growers Chapter, he led and expanded the group for a decade, making it one of OEFFAs most active chapters. He also runs the OEFFA Grain Growers Hotline, guiding new and transitioning farmers. Beyond Ohio, Shively has influenced organic policy, providing feedback on regulations and advocating for fair standards. In March 2024, he joined OEFFAs Policy team in Washington, D.C., meeting with Congressional offices to champion sustainable agriculture. Service Award Amalie Lipstreu, of Licking County, received the Service Award, which recognizes extraordinary service in support of sustainable agriculture. Lipstreu has dedicated her career to advocating for farmers and sustainable agriculture. After earning a masters in environmental policy, she led Ohios Food Policy Advisory Council and worked on farmland preservation. As OEFFAs policy director from 2014 to 2023, she expanded its advocacy efforts, championing organic farming, soil health and regional food resilience at state and federal levels. Now, as agriculture conservation director for the Midwest Agriculture and Conservation Network, she continues to support farmers and fair farm policy. Beginning Farmer Award Molly Sowash and CJ Morgan, of Athens County, received the Beginning Farmer Award, which recognizes innovation and commitment to overcome systemic barriers faced by new farmers. Founded in 2020 by Sowash and Morgan, MoSo Farm raises grass-fed beef and pastured pork in Athens County using regenerative practices like rotational grazing and silvopasture. They actively share their knowledge, speaking at events like the 2024 OEFFA Conference and hosting farm visits. MoSo Farm sells locally at the Athens Farmers Market, through an online store and to businesses. Through social media, they promote buying locally and advocate for sustainable farming. Sowash, a food educator, is the Sustainable Agriculture Director at Rural Action. She has been active in OEFFAs policy efforts, advocating for soil health legislation and organizing Ohio Soil Health Week events. Morgan, with a background in farming and forestry, began full-time at MoSo in April 2024. For more information on the awards, visit news.oeffa.org/awards. A farmer has been suspended from supplying milk to Arla after undercover footage showed him attacking cattle with bars and electric goads. An undercover worker who was part of the Animal Justice Project secretly filmed the actions at Lowfields Farm in Northallerton. The footage appears to show cows being kicked, punched and attacked with pipes at the Red Tractor certified farm. It also appears to show dead calves left in the open as well as cows, struggling to walk, being forced onto transport trucks. Arla confirmed that the farmer had been suspended and investigations were continuing. "The individuals in the video are no longer employed at the farm," the dairy cooperative said. It added that the actions in the footage were "completely unacceptable and do not meet the high standards that we expect from our farmers". "Animal welfare is of the utmost importance and we take a zero-tolerance approach," Arla said, "We take any matters relating to this extremely seriously." A spokesman for Red Tractor said the footage showed "unacceptable behaviour by farm workers". This inspection confirmed all individuals identified mistreating animals no longer work on the farm," he added. "To ensure the future welfare of animals, Red Tractor will require all those still working on the farm to complete additional training. "Depending on the outcome of further investigation, the farm may also face other sanctions." Councils will be given more powers to seize land under new plans by the government to boost housebuilding and critical national infrastructure. The measure is part of Labour's flagship Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which has now been introduced in parliament to help build 1.5m new homes over the next five years. Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said the government wanted to make use of compulsory purchase orders more often, which permit authorities to acquire land without the consent of the owner. Currently, local authorities purchasing sites via compulsory purchases must factor in the "hope value", which is the potential value if planning permission for development is secured. This is set to be axed to allow land to be bought at a lower price, but farm leaders have raised concerns that farming businesses could be forced to sell at poor prices. The NFU said farmers and landowners "must be fully consulted every step of the way" amid fears that farmland could be more frequently targeted by compulsory purchases. The union's vice president, Rachel Hallos said: The housing minister told media that these new powers would be used to access brownfield and urban land, and that must be the case. "Anything else further undermines the governments policy that food security is national security." She added: "UK food security and the protection of our environment has rarely been more vital, and productive farmland needs securing for our collective future more than ever. "However, giving authorities more power to acquire land through compulsory purchase and process of using directions to remove hope value will need to be thought through carefully to ensure farmers are compensated fairly. Country Land and Business Association (CLA) deputy president, Gavin Lane added that pushing farmers and landowners into selling land "isnt the answer". "Compulsory purchase drags landowners through years of stress, disruption and compensation battles, harming individuals and communities alike. Instead of pushing landowners to bear the burden, why not work with them? Most want to see progress and could deliver development faster, cheaper and with more care." He concluded: "Hitting landowners isnt the solution fixing the planning system is." The government has confirmed it will stop accepting new applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme, a move which has sparked fury. The sudden and unplanned nature of the scheme's closure, announced on Tuesday evening (11 March) without warning, is set to shake the industry's confidence even further. Defra said that "every penny" in all existing SFI agreements would be paid to farmers, and outstanding eligible applications that had been submitted would also be taken forward. The NFU called the unexpected announcement "another shattering blow" to farmers, warning that Defra was now a "failing department" as the "chaos has got worse and worse". The post-Brexit agricultural scheme, launched by the previous Conservative government, has 50,000 farms taking part, with them delivering sustainable food production and nature recovery. The largest of these schemes, SFI24, has more than 37,000 multi-year live agreements. But the Labour government said that it had "inherited an uncapped scheme, despite a finite farming budget" and that "now is the right time for a reset". "The highest ever level of participation in SFI means the maximum limit has now been reached," it said. "Therefore, as SFI has reached its completion, the government is stopping accepting new SFI applications today." Instead, the government said there would be a "new and improved" SFI on offer, with details to follow the Spending Review. The NFU said the sudden announcement had bought into question Defra's transparency and its ability to deliver the post-Brexit agricultural transition. "This is another shattering blow to English farms, delivered yet again with no warning, no understanding of the industry and a complete lack of compassion or care," said the union's president, Tom Bradshaw. We have had major concerns for years about whether there was the capability within Defra to deliver the agricultural transition post-Brexit. "We have warned time and time again that large parts of the SFI were poorly designed and that the department was consistently failing to deliver it." Mr Bradshaw said that there had been no consultation and no communication on the matter, adding that the government was overseeing "bad decisions, misdirection, promises broken and no transparency." "There has been a total lack of the partnership and co-design Defra loves to talk about. It is another example of the growing disregard for agriculture within the department," he said. The fact that ministers are actually trumpeting this as good news shows how desperately detached they are from the reality on the ground and how little they understand this industry." The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents thousands of farmers and landowners, called the announcement the "most cruel betrayal." The body's president, Victoria Vyvyan said: "SFI was the most ambitious, forward thinking and environmentally friendly agricultural policy seen anywhere in the world - it promised a fairer future for farmers and a greener future for the world. "Labour promised to support it, but at the first available opportunity they have instead scrapped it. It actively harms nature. It actively harms the environment. "And, with war once again raging in Europe, to actively harm our food production is reckless beyond belief." It follows the government's reform of agricultural property relief (APR) business property relief (BPR), announced in the autumn budget, which has triggered protests across the UK. From April 2026, farms worth more than 1m will incur a 20% inheritance tax charge, with the industry warning that family farms would see a 'catastrophic' impact to their businesses and livelihoods. On top of this, farmers are seeing ongoing cuts to BPS payments, low returns from retailers and worsening weather patterns. Minister for Food Security Daniel Zeichner defended the government's SFI decision, saying it had "successfully allocated the SFI24 budget as promised." He said: This government is proud to have set the biggest budget for sustainable food produce in history, to boost growth in rural communities and all across the UK, under our Plan for Change. More farmers are now in schemes and more money is being spent through them than ever before. That is true today and will remain true tomorrow." The trade association representing abattoirs and processors has launched a legal challenge against the Food Standards Agency's new meat inspection charges. The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) warned that the FSA's removal of the discount regime could devastate the UK's meat sector. Roythornes Solicitors, acting for AIMS, have commenced legal action challenging the charges, which are set to come into effect next month. There are two reasons why we have taken this decision, explained Peter Hewson, who is the veterinary director at AIMS. Firstly, the FSAs insistence on focusing any discussion on the meat charges 'subsidy' rather than looking for the causes of the excessively high charges. Secondly, the scale of the increase in charges to be introduced from April which will see them rise by 11% for the industry as a whole and charges for medium sized abattoirs increase by 25%. AIMS, which is the UKs largest post-farm gate trade body representing abattoirs and processors, has frequently warned that the FSA's removal of the discount regime could devastate over half of the UK's meat sector. Official veterinarians and meat hygiene inspectors inspect every animal and carcase to ensure regulations are complied with and that the meat is fit for human consumption. Charges are currently discounted according to the number of hours involved so that smaller abattoir businesses, which require fewer hours regulation, receive a greater discount. Counsel have advised that three issues should be included in AIMS' legal challenge. The first is that FSA has included costs in its calculation of the new hourly rates of 65.90 for an official veterinarian (OV) and 43.20 for a meat hygiene inspector (MHI) that cannot lawfully be included. Secondly, counsel says it is impossible to ascertain what elements of the charges are 'costs connected with' official controls, rather than the chargeable costs of exercising the official controls themselves, which is non-compliant with the requirement for a high level of transparency. And thirdly, that charges for enforcement activity go beyond the recovery of expenses that the regulations provide for. Mr Hewson concluded: Our letter asks that the FSA to strip out all costs from its hourly rates that cannot be lawfully charged, and we urge them to relook at their calculations. A new bill will soon be introduced to parliament which hopes to ensure farmers across the UK receive fairer prices than they do currently. Alistair Carmichael, who is chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee (EFRA), announced that the bill will be introduced on 19 March. The Orkney and Shetland MP's bill is intended to introduce a range of provisions to get fairer prices for farmers and food producers across the UK. This includes strengthening the role of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) in terms of remit and resources. It also seeks to support greater public procurement of local food, as well as enhancing food origin labelling requirements. The Food Supply Chain Fairness Bill has been developed with groups including the NFU, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA), among others. CLA president Victoria Vyvyan said the rural body supported the bill's introduction, as farmers needed fairer pricing. "We believe the Groceries Code Adjudicator needs to be strengthened to make the supply chain fairer for farmers and rural businesses," she added. We encourage MPs from all parties to support the Bill, as Britains supply chain continues to be heavily weighted in favour of the retail sector. George Dunn, TFA chief executive added: Whilst there is talk in government about food security, driving fair returns to producers and ensuring a farm to fork approach, the reality falls a long way short of the rhetoric. Whilst the GCA is doing some good work in regulating the relationship between retailers and suppliers, it could do much more with a wider remit and more powers particularly around investigation." Image: Instagram Theres no dearth of festivals on the Indian calendar where you can wear your saris, lehengas and salwar kameezes among other ethnic ensembles to make a stylish appearance. Yet, weddings, and all the events leading up to them, have a mass appeal that is unmatched. Over the years, wedding festivities have turned into a runway of sorts where the bride, groom and guests alike show off their fashion and style sensibilities. Celebrities, too. The origins of some of the biggest bridal trends in the country can be traced back to times when Indian celebrities got married. And, in recent times, its their wedding guest looks that are creating an equal buzz, if not a greater one. Case in point: Kareena Kapoor Khans kaftan look that has made a compelling case for fusion numbers becoming a mainstay in Indian festivities. Image: Instagram The actor was seen wearing a kaftan dress by designer Sabyasachi to a mehendi event celebrating the nuptials of her cousin Aadar Jain with entrepreneur Alekha Advani sometime mid-February. The velvet dress, from the designers 2023 collection, featured his signature wallpaper floral motifs, a neckline embroidered with gold zardozi, and a knee-high slit. Coupled with a 60s sartorial nonchalance and bohemian flair, the look became an instant hit. Viral, even, judging by the onslaught of paparazzi videos that continue to appear on our Instagram feeds. Kareena wanted to feel comfortable and relaxed as it was a family celebration, shares celebrity stylist Divyak DSouza who styled her for the event. He pronounced the outfit quite on-brand for the actor whom he describes as the ultimate champion of effortless glam. The Sabyaschi kaftan dress brings together luxurious craftsmanship while looking effortless, he points out. It epitomises her personal style as well. We loved this dress when we saw it and it was an easy decision to make, and it came together quite organically. Standing out in a sea of Indian and Indian fusion looks, Kareena made a case for the kaftan as an outfit to wear to pre-wedding festivities. I love the versatility and comfort of a kaftan, Divyak says to anyone who is considering turning to this garment. Versatility is especially important in wedding wear and celebrations where the wearer has to feel comfortable in order to really enjoy the moment and be present in it. He suggests picking pieces that are made with quality textiles and feature Indian craftsmanship. Kareenas style is classic, so she kept the look minimal yet glamorous. One could also take the maximalist approach by stacking the wrist, wearing tier necklaces, adding a head jewel, or carrying a statement bag. Apropos of summer, he suggests experimenting with bohemian kaftan styles that would usually be reserved for beach destinations. On that note, here are some kaftan styles that Indian women can check out to recreate Kareenas famous mehendi look. These are festive, stylish, and, most importantly, comfortable! Haleefa Kaftan, Heena Kochhar, Rs 32,000 Beatrice Kaftan, Rajdeep Ranawat, Rs 32,000 Baby Pink Trinkets Kaftan, House of Masaba, Rs 20,000 Gulzar Green Kaftan Set, Studio Bagechaa, Rs 25,000 Hand Beaded Mono Kaftan, Studio Verandah, Rs 55,900 Also Read: Kareena Kapoors Fashion Statements In Bollywood Movies If youre in Australia in April, dont miss the opportunity to get to the annual Shore Leave Festival from April 23 to 29, 2025, in Geraldton in Western Australia. Geraldton, also called Jambinu, is located an hours flight from Perth or a 4.5-hour drive north on the Coral Coast Highway, and is known for its superb potential for surfing, windsurfing, kite surfing, diving, boating, snorkelling, and fishing. Tickets are now on sale for the Shore Leave Festival, a celebration of the regions unique seafood, adventures and culture. The main hub of the festival is Helm on the foreshore, with food and beverage vendors, live music, family-friendly craft workshops, and sunset views. The festival also offers a wide range of free and ticketed events catering to all ages. The highlight of the Shore Leave Festival is the Abrolhos Long Table Lunch on East Wallabi Island with two sittings due to demand. Or you could dine under the stars at the Midwest Paddock to Plate event! More information can be found via the website. Getting To The Shore Leave Festival Is Easy Located north of Perth on the Coral Coast Highway, Geraldton is just an easy 4.5-hour drive from the capital of Western Australia. More importantly, Nexus Airlines is offering 300 discounted one-way airfares (at A$ 150) for festival attendees on a first come, first served basis. All Shore Leave tickets come with a booking code to access available discounted airfares. A total of 150 fares are available from Perth to Geraldton from April 19 to 25, 2025, and 150 fares can be availed of from Geraldton to Perth from April 24 to 29, 2025. Dont Miss Out On Geraldtons Other Attractions Heritage-rich Geraldton cocoons the WA Museum, which reveals the tragic stories of shipwrecks via relics, as well as the HMAS Sydney II Memorial to the 645 crew members lost in 1941. Also Read: An Australian Adventure For Two: Discover The Romance Of The Great Outdoors ICE cotton futures remained mostly flat as the market responded to mixed signals. Prices found support from a weaker US dollar and rising crude oil prices. The USDAs March supply and demand report projected higher global cotton production, consumption, and exports. Additionally, US cotton prices were supported by reduced acreage and ongoing drought conditions in key growing regions. Yesterday, the ICE cotton May 2025 contract settled at 66.00 cents per pound (0.453 kg) with no change, while the July contract fell slightly by 0.02 cents to 67.19 cents per pound. Other contracts recorded gains between 4 and 19 points. ICE cotton futures remained mostly flat due to mixed market signals. Prices found support from a weaker US dollar and rising crude oil prices. USDA's March report projected higher global cotton production, consumption and exports. US cotton prices were supported by reduced acreage and drought conditions. Despite a weaker dollar and strong export demand, high global stock levels kept prices steady. The US dollar index declined by 0.5 per cent, reaching a near five-month low, making US cotton more attractive to international buyers. Crude oil also increased by 1 per cent, boosting demand for cotton as polyester fibre prices rose. Trading volume was light at 38,397 contracts, the lowest in the last eight sessions, while cleared contracts totalled 57,508. The USDAs report forecast a higher global cotton export volume, increasing by 200,000 bales to 42.71 million bales, reflecting strong international demand. World cotton production and consumption were also revised upward. Market analysts stated that expectations of reduced US cotton acreage, a weaker dollar, and drought conditions in key growing regions provided market support. Stronger energy prices and a weaker dollar contributed to the demand outlook for cotton. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) soybean prices stabilised after two days of losses, while corn prices remained at a one-week high. Despite supportive USDA adjustments and a weaker dollar, the high level of global ending stocks kept cotton prices steady. Traders remain focused on weather conditions, energy prices, and currency movements for further market direction. Overall, the market balanced bullish factors such as lower ending stocks and higher exports against bearish influences like increased production and stock levels. Currently, ICE cotton for May 2025 is trading at 66.42 cents per pound (up 0.42 cent), cash cotton at 64.00 cents (unchanged), the July 2025 contract at 67.59 cents (up 0.40 cent), the October 2025 contract at 69.20 cents (up 0.09 cent), the December 2025 contract at 69.19 cents (up 0.34 cents), and the March 2026 contract at 70.25 cents per pound (up 0.32 cent). A few contracts remained at the previous closing level, with no trading noted today. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) Following peace talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday said his country had accepted a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States, while the latter announced resumption of intelligence sharing and security assistance to the former. The proposal covers the entire front line of the fighting with Russia, and not just the air and sea, Zelensky said. Following peace talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday said his country had accepted a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States, while the latter announced resumption of intelligence sharing and security assistance to the former. The onus is now on Russia to take steps to end the war, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said. Ukraine accepts this proposal, we consider it positive, we are ready to take this step, and the United States of America needs to convince Russia to do so, Zelensky said in an address to the nation as per the official website of the President of Ukraine. The ceasefire would start the moment Moscow agrees to it, he added. The onus is now on Russia to take steps to end the war, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said immediately after the meeting. President Donald Trump later welcomed the news, saying he would speak to President Vladimir Putin about the plan. The US-Ukraine joint statement emphasised that Kyiv had expressed readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation. The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace, it said. The two sides also agreed to conclude a rare minerals deal as soon as possible to expand Ukraines economy and guarantee the countrys long-term security. The European Union called the agreement a positive development, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated the leaders of both countries on a remarkable breakthrough. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Kim Soo-hyun, one of South Koreas biggest and highest-paid actors, is caught in a major controversy following claims about a past relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron. The allegations surfaced when Sae-rons aunt appeared on the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, claiming that the two dated for six years starting in 2015. The controversy deepened when it was pointed out that Sae-ron was only 15 at the time, while Soo-hyun was 27, sparking intense debate online. The backlash against Soo-hyun has only intensified, with growing calls for his upcoming projects and brand deals to be cancelled. Social media is flooded with criticism, and his past statements are being re-examined. With his reputation under serious scrutiny, the controversy surrounding him shows no signs of fading anytime soon. As the scandal unfolds, an old interview from 2012 has resurfaced, adding fuel to the fire. During a promotional event in Japan for his K-drama The Moon Embracing the Sun, Soo-hyun was asked about working with child actress Kim Yoo-jung, who was 13 at the time. He commented that while he once saw her as a baby, meeting her in person made him realize she was confident and mature. At the time, many dismissed the remark as harmless, but now, in light of the allegations, it has taken on a more troubling meaning. Social media users are questioning whether there were warning signs that went unnoticed. He then added that he looked forward to working with her as a drama partner in the future.While his remark went largely unnoticed back then, its now being viewed in a completely different light. Many online users have called it unsettling, questioning why an adult man would anticipate working with a child actress as his future co-star in a romantic drama. Some expressed regret for not picking up on the comment earlier, while others pointed out that it feels inappropriate given the current allegations against him. The Boards of Trustees/Directors of abrdn Japan Equity Fund, Inc. (NYSE:JEQ) (the "Acquired Fund") and abrdn Global Infrastructure Income Fund (NYSE:ASGI) (the "Acquiring Fund") announce today that each have approved the merger of JEQ into ASGI (the "Reorganization"). The proposed Reorganization is subject to the receipt of necessary Acquired Fund shareholder approvals. There are no proposed changes to the current objectives or policies of ASGI as a result of the Reorganization. Individually, each Fund's Board believes that the Reorganization is in the best interest of their Fund's shareholders. The Reorganization is intended to be treated as tax-free reorganization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Additional information regarding the Reorganization will be presented in a prospectus/proxy statement to be sent to JEQ shareholders (the "Proxy Statement"). JEQ shareholders of record on March 14, 2025 will be asked to vote on the Reorganization at a special shareholder meeting currently targeted for June 13, 2025. Shareholders of ASGI are not required to vote on the issuance of shares in connection with the Reorganization. Conditional Tender Offer - JEQ Contingent upon the approval of the proposed Reorganization by JEQ shareholders, JEQ is also announcing approval by the Board to undertake a cash tender offer. Pursuant to the offer, the Fund will purchase up to 50% of the issued and outstanding shares at a price per share to be equal to 98% of the Fund's NAV per share as determined by the Fund on the next business day following the expiration date of the tender offer. The cash tender offer will commence as soon as practical after the Shareholder meeting approving the Reorganization has occurred and prior to the reorganization with ASGI. Further details and timing will be announced following the Fund's Special Shareholder meeting. In order to avoid potential disruption to the timing of the proposed tender offer, the Board of Directors of JEQ is suspending the Fund's managed distribution policy after payment of the previously announced quarterly distribution payable on March 31, 2025. Subject to approval of the Reorganization by JEQ shareholders, it is currently expected that the Reorganization will be completed in the third quarter of 2025. The Proxy Statement has yet to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). After the Proxy Statement is filed with the SEC, it may be amended or withdrawn. The Proxy Statement will not be distributed to shareholders of the Acquired Fund unless and until a Registration Statement comprised of the Proxy Statement is declared effective by the SEC. Important Information In the United States, abrdn is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: abrdn Inc., abrdn Investments Limited and abrdn Asia Limited. The information in this press release is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to or in connection with the proposed transaction or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In connection with the proposed combination, the Acquired Fund and the Acquiring Fund plan to file with the SEC a combined prospectus/proxy statement. When the prospectus/proxy statement becomes available, shareholders are advised to read it because it will contain important information about the proposed transaction and related matters. The prospectus/proxy statement, when available, will be available for free at the SEC's website www.sec.gov. Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that a fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results. https://www.abrdn.com/en-us/cefinvestorcenter/fund-centre/closed-end-funds ### For More Information Contact: abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds Investor Relations 1-800-522-5465 Investor.Relations@abrdn.com SOURCE: abrdn Japan Equity Fund, Inc. New report reveals staggering annual economic losses from poor sewage and wastewater treatment across Brazil, India, Kenya, the Philippines, and the UK. Brazil's agriculture sector faces the highest annual losses from reduced crop yields ($16 billion) and India's fishery sector loses over $2 billion due to contaminated waterways. India suffers the highest healthcare costs caused by diarrhoea from contaminated drinking water, due to hospital strains and lost wages. Experts urge governments to invest in wastewater infrastructure to save money and lives. TOKYO, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report has uncovered the staggering economic and social costs of untreated wastewater, revealing how poor sewage treatment is depleting food sources, burdening health systems, and costing the global economy billions. Launched at the World Ocean Summit today in Japan, by ocean health initiative Back to Blue, and the Ocean Sewage Alliance, the study calculates the devastating cost of inaction in wastewater management across five low, middle and high-income countries - Brazil, India, Kenya, the Philippines, and the UK. Untreated or inadequately treated wastewater released into the environment is a major source of pollution and disease. In the most extreme cases (Kenya), as little as 11% of wastewater is adequately treated, according to the report. As improperly treated wastewater enters rivers, oceans, and drinking water supplies, the consequences are severe. The study found that contaminated water used for irrigation is severely reducing crop yields; fisheries are collapsing due to polluted rivers and coastal waters; and waterborne diseases are burdening healthcare systems. Richard Damania, Chief Economist of the Sustainable Development Practice Group at the World Bank stated: "It is no new revelation that untreated wastewater has serious consequences, but it is not often thought of as an economic burden, nor as a burden on health systems, but as an environmental problem. Inadequate sewage systems are leaving populations sick and starving, all the while costing the economy billions. Clean water systems are necessary for human health, strengthen livelihoods, and fuel economies." Back to Blue was able to calculate the economic and social costs endured by each sector (agriculture, fisheries and health), in each of the five countries examined. Key findings include: Brazil's agriculture sector suffers the greatest losses, with untreated wastewater leading to decreased yields of staple crops like corn and soybeans. The world's largest exporter of soy and sugarcane loses a staggering $16 billion annually from these crops jeopardising food security, exports, and sustainability. India faces the highest financial losses from fisheries collapse, with contaminated waterways costing its fisheries sector more than $2 billion. As a major seafood supplier, this threatens both domestic food security and export markets. The report has also revealed a staggering human toll. Diseases associated with inadequately treated sewage, present a significant health risk resulting in substantial economic losses. While most cases are mild, some can be life-threatening, causing hospitalisations that further strain healthcare systems, incomes and economies. The model indicates India incurs the highest healthcare costs associated with diarrhoea from contaminated drinking water. Despite having a higher wastewater treatment rate (20%) than Kenya (11%), nearly three times as many people are affected, leading to costs of $246 million annually. Dr. Amelia Wenger, Conservation Scientist and Water Pollution Program Lead at Wildlife Conservation Society commented: "It is often the local communities that suffer the most from sewage pollution. Lost wages and expensive medical bills put an enormous strain on families. Yet these financial losses caused by poor infrastructure and failed policies are entirely avoidable." She added: "The report puts a clear economic price on these consequences-which can drive action to bring about meaningful change." The cost of inaction is clear. Investing in adequate sewage and wastewater infrastructure is the only viable solution according to the report. In cases where large-scale infrastructure is lacking, decentralised waste-water systems can offer practical alternatives, and there are an increasing number of new, high-tech innovations. Policymakers that go beyond just investing in the right infrastructure and instead focus also on circularity, can also ensure wastewater is repurposed as organic fertiliser, biogas, or even a source of renewable energy. Back to Blue and the Ocean Sewage Alliance are calling on governments, the private sector and policymakers to invest now in their sewage infrastructure for a healthier and more vibrant future for citizens and economies. Media contact: aine@browningenvrionmental.com Report: here (live 12/03) Notes To Editors About the report 40% of the world lacks access to safe water. To highlight the costs of untreated wastewater pollution, Back to Blue undertook a pilot study to estimate the economic costs from inaction in treating domestic wastewater. The costs were estimated using a robust economic model measuring the economic impacts across agriculture, fisheries and human health. The model used carefully chosen sets of data and parameters derived from secondary data sources in five countries-Brazil, India, the Philippines, Kenya, and the UK-spanning low- to high-income economies. About Back to Blue Back to Blue is an initiative by Economist Impact and The Nippon Foundation tackles ocean challenges with evidence-based solutions. Addressing gaps in understanding plastic and chemical pollution and ocean acidification, it leverages both organizations' strengths in research and program development to drive progress in ocean health. About the Ocean Sewage Alliance The mission of the Ocean Sewage Alliance is to eliminate sewage and wastewater pollution from ocean and waterways, advancing equitable and holistic actions that benefit people and nature. It aims to achieve its mission by collaborating across sectors, synthesizing and sharing knowledge, developing solutions, and raising awareness. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/money-down-the-drain-new-report-exposes-billions-in-economic-losses-from-poor-sewage-and-wastewater-treatment--back-to-blue-and-ocean-sewage-alliance-report-302399054.html In a landmark effort to transform Nigeria's pharmaceutical industry and reduce reliance on imported medicines, a coalition of pharmaceutical experts have highlighted a bold strategy to de-risk pharmaceutical resources, strengthen local production, and establish Nigeria as a pharmaceutical powerhouse in Africa. Led by Pharm. Otuto Amarauche Chukwu , Precious Azino Usuemerai , Dr. Cordia Peter Ogbeta , and Pharm. Olumide Ibikunle , this strategic initiative should address supply chain vulnerabilities, regulatory inefficiencies, and infrastructural limitations while positioning Nigeria as a leading manufacturer and exporter of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and essential medicines. With over 70% of Nigeria's medicines currently imported, the country remains exposed to global disruptions, currency fluctuations, and quality control issues. This initiative seeks to catalyze investments, drive policy reform, and enhance industrial capacity to create a resilient, locally driven pharmaceutical ecosystem that benefits Nigeria and Africa at large. Nigeria's Untapped Potential "Crude oil isn't just energy; it's the backbone for petrochemicals essential in producing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)," asserts Precious Azino Usuemerai. "With the right infrastructure, we can foster job creation, boost economic growth, and ensure medicines security for millions," Mr. Usuemerai adds. Building on this foundation, Pharm. Olumide Ibikunle, a Clinical Pharmacist and an MBA graduate from Vanderbilt University highlights another resource Nigeria is poised to leverage: its rich biodiversity. "Medicinal plants offer unique APIs that could revolutionize therapeutic approaches globally," he notes. Dr. Ibikunle's research on digital health marketing and predictive analytics demonstrates how data-driven strategies can optimize supply chains, improve patient engagement, and position Nigeria as a leader in pharmaceutical innovation. By patenting discoveries and standardizing therapies, Nigeria could emulate the global success of China's Traditional Chinese Medicine industry, driving innovation while preserving biodiversity. "Energy inefficiency is crippling the sector," observes Dr. Cordia Peter Ogbeta, the Pharmacist Director of Showcare Pharmacy Ltd, Nigeria and a seasoned formulation scientist whose innovations have redefined operational sustainability in pharmaceutical production in Nigeria. Ogbeta's efforts in implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs have improved medication compliance and reduced waste, directly benefiting thousands of underserved individuals. He emphasizes how rising petrol costs and unreliable power supply force manufacturers to rely on expensive generators. "Targeted subsidies and renewable energy adoption are critical for reducing operational costs and ensuring sustainability," the Hult MBA graduate explains. The Challenges and Solutions For Mr Otuto Chukwu, addressing regulatory inefficiencies is paramount. "The influx of counterfeit medicines is a symptom of inadequate regulatory oversight," he says. "Strengthening agencies like NAFDAC and providing them with adequate funding can safeguard quality control and restore trust in locally manufactured medicines." Building on this, Mr. Usuemerai stresses the importance of aligning policy with local manufacturing needs. "Removing tariffs on imported medicines may seem consumer-friendly, but it undermines local manufacturers. Incentivizing API imports and prioritizing domestic production is the way forward. It's about long-term growth over short-term convenience," they argue. Pharm Ibikunle highlights how frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can be leveraged for regional collaboration. "Harmonizing regulatory standards and leveraging regional markets can create economies of scale that benefit all players," he explains. Dr Ogbeta, meanwhile, underscores the importance of sustainability. "Eco-friendly practices in petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries reduce waste and attract green investments," he says. His leadership in antimicrobial stewardship and waste reduction illustrates how operational excellence can align with environmental goals. Vision for the Future By 2030, Nigeria could become a leading exporter of APIs, driving economic prosperity not only within its borders but across Africa. This growth would not only reduce dependency on imports but also establish the continent as a critical supplier in the global pharmaceutical value chain. Such progress would create a ripple effect, strengthening public health systems and fostering economic resilience throughout Africa. This vision depends on bold reforms and strategic collaboration among policymakers, industry leaders, and academic institutions. Mr Usuemerai frames this vision through a human lens. "Ultimately, this isn't just about economics or industrialization. It's about ensuring that every Nigerian has access to safe, affordable medicines. By de-risking the pharmaceutical sector, we're investing in lives, livelihoods, and the future of Africa." Call to Action: Be Part of the Transformation This strategy is not just about industrial growth, it is about saving lives, strengthening Nigeria's economy, and securing Africa's future. The coalition invites policymakers, pharmaceutical companies, investors, and global health organizations to collaborate on this transformative journey. About this Strategy This strategy is led by Dr. Cordia Peter Ogbeta, Otuto Amarauche Chukwu, Pharm. Olumide Ibikunle, and Precious Azino Usuemerai, and, a coalition of leading experts in pharmaceutical innovation, health policy, and sustainability, committed to transforming Nigeria's pharmaceutical sector and making Africa self-sufficient in medicine production. Media Contact: Cordia Peter Ogbeta Phone: +2349136400664 SOURCE: Cordia Peter Ogbeta SINGAPORE, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloud4C today announced it is an Endpoint Management Trailblazer award finalist in the Microsoft Security Excellence Awards. The company was honored among a global field of industry leaders that demonstrated success across the security landscape during the past 12 months. "We are thrilled to be recognized as a finalist for the Endpoint Management Trailblazer award by Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA)," reflects Chanakya Levaka, COO at Cloud4C. "This recognition underscores our commitment to delivering cutting-edge, secure endpoint management solutions that empower businesses to operate securely and efficiently. At Cloud4C, we are integrating AI-driven capabilities into our end-to-end security workflow, including the innovative use of AI Security Copilot and XDR, to enhance threat detection, response, and overall cybersecurity resilience." At the Microsoft Security Excellence Awards on April 28, 2025, Microsoft will celebrate finalists in 9 award categories. All finalists are members of the MISA, an ecosystem of independent software vendors (ISVs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs) that have integrated their security products and services with Microsoft's security technology, to defeat security threats and make the world a safer place. "I'm very pleased to extend my warmest congratulations to this year's finalists for the Microsoft Security Excellence Awards. These are presented each year to recognize the outstanding achievements of our MISA members as they improve customers' ability to identify and respond to security threats. Our community is made up of the most reliable and trusted security vendors worldwide. This year we received hundreds of quality submissions from partners and Microsoft stakeholders, so this year's finalists stood out in a crowd of exceptional talent. It's my pleasure to acknowledge and celebrate their work over the past year," said Maria Thomson, Director, Microsoft Intelligent Security Association. About Cloud4C: Cloud4C is a global leader in AI and Automation-Driven Managed Services and Managed Security Services, helping 4,000+ enterprises across 30+ countries scale with confidence. We simplify cloud and AI adoption through a managed services framework, from infrastructure to AI-powered workloads backed by a 99.99% uptime SLA at application login layer. With AI-powered automation, predictive analytics, industry specific reference architectures and deep security expertise, we drive secure, intelligent, and agile business transformations at scale. Our cybersecurity-first approach-including MXDR, SOC, real-time threat detection, and compliance-ensures enterprises can innovate without risk. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cloud4c-recognized-as-a-microsoft-security-excellence-awards-finalist-for-endpoint-management-trailblazer-award-302398449.html Saskatoon, Saskatchewan--(Newsfile Corp. - March 11, 2025) - Clearwater River Dene Nation ("CRDN") issues the following statement: Clearwater River Dene Nation ("CRDN"), Metis Nation-Saskatchewan ("MN-S") and MN-S Northern Region II ("NRII) are unaccepting of the recent announcement by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission ("CNSC"), the Federal uranium mining regulator, of the final approval step in NexGen Energy Ltd.'s ("NexGen") Rook I Project (the "Project") will be conducted in two parts, with Part 1 scheduled for November 19, 2025 and Part 2 scheduled for February 9 to 13, 2026. As voiced regularly and clearly to the CNSC, NexGen has done absolutely everything right and the Project, located on our collective traditional territories is clearly safe to both humans and the environment. Moreover, we and our other Indigenous brothers and sisters have participated throughout the Environmental Assessment process which began over six years ago in 2019 and support the Rook I Project through signed Impact Benefit Agreements. The Government of Saskatchewan approved the Project in November 2023 after a thorough consultation and technical assessment processes. Further, the CNSC itself after an additional 12 months of re-review missing their own self-imposed deadlines, in November 2024, confirmed the Project has passed its technical review and the Federal Environmental Impact Study deemed final. For the CNSC now to indicate a delay of the approval until following the second hearing scheduled for February 9 to 13, 2026, is beyond comprehension, inconsistent with previous direction from the CNSC and extremely detrimental to the interests of our communities, the people of Saskatchewan and Canadians across the country. Honourable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, will you and your Liberal Government please step in and support our community like you promised in 2016 when you visited after the tragic events in La Loche. This is your opportunity to support our community by directing the CNSC to bring forward the Commission Hearing date to Q2 2025 and approve the Rook I Project for construction starting this summer. We are not requesting any favours, just do what the Project deserves and as committed to by you and your Liberal Government further echoed by new leader, the Honourable Mark Carney. We all respect and fully endorse a thorough review process for any mining project, the CNSC however in this case, is both obstructionist and now proven to be incompetent. The absence of any transparency, accountability and action by the Federal CNSC and the political apparatus associated with it, should cause all Canadians tremendous concern as it does our Nations. Chief Clark quoted, "This is the only shovel ready Project in Canada, that is fully supported not only financially, Provincially but by the impacted Indigenous Nations impacted by the Project. No other Project has had this level of support from the Indigenous communities, as no other Project has had such a positive impact like the Rook I Project will with our community. These delays that we have seen from the CNSC have delayed the critical employment and economic opportunities that our members are counting on to provide for their families. CRDN and NexGen have worked together since day one and our partnership for this Project that Canada and the world needs, is the gold standard in addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action #92. As Chief of CRDN, the most impacted community, I want the CNSC to fully realize by delaying this Project the negative impacts on our community is substantial." To be clear, there is no reason for this delay. The regulatory process has been abused and turned into a tyranny of inaction, deceit and dishonesty. Again, the Project has already been approved by the Province of Saskatchewan in November 2023 and formally endorsed through the execution of Impact Benefit Agreements by all of the Indigenous communities in the Project Area. Yet, the CNSC and Government of Canada are delaying this project unnecessarily and at the detriment of our people. To provide context as to the perverse inaction and repeated delays by the CNSC, below are some recent events that have emphasized this reality. These are just the recent ones and there are countless more examples ongoing for years. Following Provincial approval of the Project, our Nations formally requested the approval of the Project on or before March 31, 2024, and received no response from the CNSC, Minister of Natural Resources Canada, nor the Prime Minister. Following the successful conclusion of the repeatedly delayed CNSC technical review of NexGen's Environmental Impact Statement, in November 2024 - 1 year after the Provincial approval of the Project - we, again, requested the approval of the Project on or before March 31, 2025. Again, no response. In December 2024, the CNSC indicated to us that we would able to commence construction in 2025 following a Commission Hearing which was outlined as likely to be in Q3 2025. By February 2025, they informed us it may be Q4 2025, but that they were going to look for efficiencies in the process to expedite the Project as it was a "priority project" for the CNSC. No reasonable or acceptable cause of this delay has been explained or communicated. Simply, this is because no acceptable reason exists for these delays other than endemic bureaucracy. In recent meetings held between ourselves and the CNSC, committed CNSC deliverables and actions have been repeatedly delayed and/or missed entirely. The process, steps and timelines have been known since 2019, yet the CNSC is just now scrambling to continue the process and in doing so, is intent on delaying the approval. To be clear, the Province and all stakeholders have made it clear that this Project should and must be approved immediately. In meetings in January and February 2025, a commitment was made to share with us a copy of the timelines for developing the CNSC staff reports required for the hearing and showing where efficiencies had been incorporated. It was indicated that this information was available. We have yet to receive this information and now the Commission Hearing date has been set to concluded on February 13, 2026. We request that the delay in approving this project stop and that the CNSC Commission Hearing date be rescheduled to no later than June 2025 from the current date of February 13, 2026. The inaction and obstruction needs to stop in order ensure Canada's energy and mining sectors continue to prosper. Our communities, our people and all Canadians deserve better from their Government. We need to see this critically important project approved immediately. Words won't suffice, action is needed. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244292 SOURCE: Clearwater River Dene Nation (CRDN) Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - Manganese X Energy Corp. (TSXV: MN) (FSE: 9SC) (TRADEGATE: 9SC) (OTCQB: MNXXF) (the "Company" or "Manganese X") is pleased to announce positive results from ABH Engineering Inc.'s preliminary phase 1 ore sorting study conducted on sample material extracted from the Company's Battery Hill manganese deposit near Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada. The study was conducted in preparation for the Company's Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) destined to start in the second quarter of 2025. Based on the favourable preliminary results from Phase 1, a more extensive Phase 2 Study is currently underway in concert with the Company's Battery Hill PFS. CEO Martin Kepman said, "We believe that these results are very promising and as a result, we are undertaking more intensive tests in Phase 2 so as to prove the economic potential of the sorting technology being used." Kepman further explained, "Through the sorting process, the ore is preconcentrated by rejecting waste material from the economically valuable ore prior to further processing. The benefits of effective ore sorting technology can be numerous." The potential benefits include improved project NPV and IRR, reduced energy and water consumption, expansion of resource by cut-off grade reduction, a potential increase in mine life, an increase in total metal production, a reduction in capital expenditures and, decreased tailings storage and associated risk. Brent Hilcher, VP of Mineral Processing at ABH Engineering, stated, "The Manganese X results are extremely promising. Two different technologies have been shown to be able to very effectively sort high grade rocks from waste rocks. In the detailed testing, the work showed the sensor and predictive algorithms make very few mistakes, indicating this will be a sorting application with well above average efficiency." The initial ore sorting study results demonstrated over 95 per cent effectiveness in sorting valuable rocks from waste. The test program used a sample set grading 7.7% Mn. The two sorting technologies evaluated produced product grades of 12.9% Mn and 12% Mn with reject grades of 1.4% Mn and 1.2% respectively. About Manganese X Energy Corp. Manganese X's mission is to advance its Battery Hill project into production, thereby becoming the first public actively traded manganese mining company in Canada and US to commercialize EV compliant high purity manganese, potentially supplying the North American supply chain. The Company intends on supplying value-added materials to the lithium-ion battery and other alternative energy industries, as well as striving to achieve new carbon-friendly more efficient methodologies, while processing manganese at a lower competitive cost. For more information visit the website at www.manganesexenergycorp.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors of MANGANESE X ENERGY CORP. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating to the future operations and activities of Manganese X, are forward-looking statements. Forward-Looking statements in this news release relate to the Company's goals and plans for 2025, including, among other items, its Phase 2 study and PFS. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-Looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Manganese X, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. These risks, as well as others, are disclosed within the Company's filings on SEDAR+, which investors are encouraged to review prior to any transaction involving the securities of the Company. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Manganese X does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/243831 SOURCE: Manganese X Energy Corp. BARCELONA, Spain, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei launched its Digital Training 2.0 Solution during the Cultivating ICT Talent to Amplify Digital Education forum at MWC this year. The solution aims to help universities cultivate better ICT talent and meet talent requirements around the globe. Li Junfeng, Vice President of Huawei and CEO of the Global Public Sector BU, stated that "Intelligent technologies are speeding up the advancement of digital productivity, with the intelligent economy now serving as the primary driver of growth". Ramon Iriarte, Senior Education Specialist of UNESCO, and Soledad Patino, Coordinator of UNESCO Global Skills Academy, pointed out that the ICT Academy in partnership with Huawei provides high-quality training to 300,000 students annually. Frank Huang, CTO of the Education Industry at Huawei Global Public Sector BU, introduced the Digital Training 2.0 Solution. It offers courses in 22 technical directions and project management globally, encompassing overseas training labs in 11 technical disciplines, such as AI, cloud computing, and big data. Delivering Tangible Outcomes by Redefining Education Through Digital and Intelligent Enablement Professor Justin Mendes from Shenyang Institute of Technology pointed out in his speech that as an international industry college jointly established with Huawei, the school has explored a progressive talent cultivation pathway, facilitating students to achieve high-quality employment. Daniele Cesarini, CINECA Project Manager & HPC Technology Specialist, shared Italy's experience in constructing infrastructure for supercomputing research. Flora Ng, Chief Information Officer and Librarian of the University of Hong Kong, Huawei's smart campus solution utilizes Wi-Fi 7 technologies to optimize wireless network, application, and O&M experience, creating a more efficient and personalized environment for students and teachers. Tea Wang, Director of the International Affairs Office at Quanzhou Vocational and Technical University, introduced the joint innovation industry college and training center established in collaboration with Huawei. As a result, in 2024, 790 students obtained Huawei certifications in various ICT disciplines. Uniting to Drive Intelligent Education for Brighter Future Huawei has launched "1+3" scenario-based solutions, including Digital Training, Smart Classroom, Scientific Research Computing, and Smart Campus. These solutions have been implemented in over 120 countries and regions, benefiting more than 7800 customers within the education industry. Huawei aims to deepen partnerships with global stakeholders to speed up tech integration in education, fostering a future where intelligent education empowers individuals and drives sustainable progress. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2635752/image_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2635753/image_2.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/huaweis-digital-training-2-0-solution-a-leap-forward-in-intelligent-education-302399417.html MEA Firms Gain Enhanced Access to Addepar's Cutting-Edge Technology and Data Solutions DUBAI, UAE, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Addepar , a leading global data and technology platform empowering investment professionals, today announced the opening of its first office serving the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, in Dubai's prestigious DIFC. This strategic move will enable Addepar to better serve its growing client base in the region, providing cutting-edge solutions to MEA family offices, wealth managers, banks, and sovereign wealth funds. By establishing a local presence, Addepar aims to deepen partnerships within the region's thriving financial ecosystem and foster closer collaboration with firms seeking world-class technology solutions. This move builds on Addepar's global growth strategy, which includes a workforce of over 1,000 employees, more than a third of whom operate outside the United States. "We are thrilled to establish roots in the UAE with our new office in Dubai, a city that stands at the forefront of global financial innovation," said Peter O'Brien, Global Head of Growth and Partnerships at Addepar. "This expansion reflects our dedication to providing MEA-based investment professionals with the insights and tools they need to drive better outcomes for their clients. Our technology empowers firms to transform complexity into clarity, fueling smarter decisions and lasting success." As one of Addepar's earliest clients internationally, Tobias Pfister, CEO of Equalis Capital, welcomed the company's expanded presence in the UAE. "Addepar has been a game-changer for our business. Their sophisticated yet intuitive platform enables us to deliver more transparent and impactful advice to our principals. Over the past ten years, their commitment to addressing our unique needs has saved us countless hours and helped us focus on delivering the results our clients deserve. We're excited to see their continued investment in the region." This expansion will strengthen Addepar's position as a global partner for investment professionals, adding to the $7 trillion in client assets managed on the platform by more than 1,200 firms in 45 countries. MEA holds immense potential for Addepar, representing a center of innovation and financial growth with a sizable amount of assets under local management. Addepar's DIFC office underscores its commitment to redefining how investment professionals navigate complex portfolios and deliver exceptional client value worldwide. About Addepar Addepar is a global technology and data company that helps investment professionals provide the most informed, precise guidance for their clients. Hundreds of thousands of users have entrusted Addepar to empower smarter investment decisions and better advice over the last decade. With client presence in more than 45 countries, Addepar's platform aggregates portfolio, market and client data for over $7 trillion in assets. Addepar's open platform integrates with more than 100 software, data and services partners to deliver a complete solution for a wide range of firms and use cases. Addepar embraces a global flexible workforce model with offices in Silicon Valley, New York City, Salt Lake City, Chicago, London, Edinburgh, Pune and Dubai. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2299460/Addepar_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/addepar-elevates-global-presence-with-dubai-office-302397775.html Die Finanzwelt ist im Umbruch! Nach Jahren der Dominanz erschuttert Donald Trumps erratische Wirtschaftspolitik das Fundament des amerikanischen Kapitalismus. Handelskriege, Rekordzolle und politische Isolation haben eine Kapitalflucht historischen Ausmaes ausgelost. Milliarden stromen aus den USA und suchen neue, lukrative Ziele. Und genau hier kommt China ins Spiel. Trotz aller Spannungen wachst die chinesische Wirtschaft dynamisch weiter, Innovation und Digitalisierung treiben die Markte an. Im kostenlosen Spezialreport stellen wir Ihnen 5 Aktien aus China vor, die vom US-Niedergang profitieren und das Potenzial haben, den Markt regelrecht zu uberflugeln. Wer jetzt klug investiert, sichert sich den Zugang zu den neuen Wachstums-Champions von morgen. Holen Sie sich den neuesten Report! Verpassen Sie nicht, welche 5 Aktien die Konkurrenz aus den USA outperformen durften, und laden Sie sich das Gratis-PDF jetzt kostenlos herunter. Dieses exklusive Angebot gilt aber nur fur kurze Zeit! Daher jetzt downloaden! Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Article 53 of the SIX Exchange Regulation Listing Rules Tecan reports 2024 financial results, enhancing operational resilience amid challenging conditions Financial results for the full year 2024 - Highlights Sales of CHF 934.3 million (2023: CHF 1,074.4 million), down by -13.0% in Swiss francs and by -11.5% in local currencies; H2 sales decrease by -11.3% in local currencies Decline in sales mainly due to softness in the instrument business with biopharmaceutical companies globally and general market weakness in China Adjusted EBITDA of CHF 164.4 million (2023: CHF 220.6 million), adjusted EBITDA margin reached 17.6% (2023: 20.5%) Margins declined due to lower sales volume, but were partly offset by cost-reduction measures Adjusted net profit of CHF 103.1 million (2023: CHF 164.4 million) , adjusted earnings per share of CHF 8.08 (2023: CHF 12.88) , Proposal for a stable dividend of CHF 3.00 per share Operating cash flow of CHF 148.5 million (2023: CHF 160.6 million), cash conversion increased to 100.0% of reported EBITDA (2023: 77.5%) Highlights 2024 Enhancing operational resilience through cost-reduction initiatives, while expanding global operations and commercial reach Driving innovation in the Life Sciences Business with new product launches and digital advancements Further strengthening the Partnering Business with new launches and an enriched project pipeline, aiming to double project signings across Synergence, Cavro, and Paramit Advancing sustainability initiatives with enhanced risk management, external data audit, and increased renewable energy use Mannedorf, Switzerland, March 12, 2025 - The Tecan Group (SIX Swiss Exchange: TECN) today announced its full set of audited financial results for 2024, underscoring its commitment to enhancing operational resilience amid challenging conditions. The company also initiated its short-term financial outlook for 2025. Tecan CEO Dr. Achim von Leoprechting commented: Tecan is navigating a challenging market environment marked by reduced spending in our target markets, leading to lower demand in both the Life Sciences and Partnering Business segments. These challenges have been compounded by general market weakness in China and specific customer-related factors. In response, we have implemented a comprehensive cost reduction program and optimized our global operations to reinforce our leading position. The long-term trends in healthcare remain unchanged: from life science research to clinical applications, automation and innovation are crucial for scaling healthcare solutions in research, clinical diagnostics, and medtech. This is especially important amid rising healthcare costs, ultimately benefiting people worldwide. With our dedicated team, we are driving exciting innovations and look forward to launching promising new products across both businesses, positioning us well to capitalize on market recovery as conditions improve. Financial results full-year and second half of 2024 Full-year order entry was CHF 903.6 million, a decrease of 12.1% compared to CHF 1,028.1 million in 2023, reflecting a 10.5% decline in local currencies. The Partnering Business segment was impacted by a shift in OEM customer ordering patterns, moving from larger, long-term orders in 2023 to smaller, more regular orders in 2024 as supply chain disruptions had fully normalized. Meanwhile, the Life Sciences Business segment saw moderate order entry growth in local currencies in the second half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Overall, the Group's order entry in the second half decreased by 11.2% in local currencies. In 2024, reduced spending in the biopharmaceutical industry led to decreased demand for life science research instruments, affecting both the Life Sciences Business and the Partnering Business. Additionally, a general market weakness in China impacted both direct sales and indirect business through global OEM customers. In the Partnering Business, sales were further influenced by specific customer-related factors, including normalized demand patterns following inventory replenishment by a key customer in 2023. As a result, reported sales for the Group in fiscal year 2024 decreased by 13.0% in Swiss francs, totaling CHF 934.3 million (2023: CHF 1,074.4 million). In local currencies, sales were 11.5% below the prior-year period, aligning with the revised sales outlook from October 2024, which anticipated a decline of 12-14%. Sales in the second half decreased by 12.3% in Swiss francs and by 11.3% in local currencies compared to the prior-year period. These sales results were previously communicated in a trading statement on January 8, 2025. Adjusted EBITDA1 (operating profit before depreciation and amortization) was CHF 164.4 million, down from CHF 220.6 million in 2023. The adjusted EBITDA margin decreased to 17.6% of sales (2023: 20.5%), aligning with the revised margin outlook of 16-18%. The decline was primarily due to lower sales volumes, as profitability is highly volume-dependent. However, profitability was supported by a comprehensive cost-reduction program. Additionally, exchange rate movements in major currencies against the Swiss franc negatively impacted the margin by approximately 40 basis points. Adjusted net profit2 was CHF 103.1 million, down from CHF 164.4 million in 2023, when earnings were significantly boosted by a one-time positive effect related to transitional measures from the Swiss tax reform. Adjusted earnings per share were CHF 8.08, compared to CHF 12.88 in 2023. Cash flow from operating activities was CHF 148.5 million, compared to CHF 160.6 million in 2023. Cash conversion improved to 100.0% of reported EBITDA (2023: 77.5%). Thanks to solid cash flow management, Tecan's net liquidity position (cash and cash equivalents plus short-term time deposits, less bank liabilities, loans, and the outstanding bond) increased to CHF 153.7 million as of December 31, 2024, up from CHF 112.6 million on December 31, 2023. Information by business segment Life Sciences Business (end-customer business) Sales in the Life Sciences Business in 2024 reached CHF 397.0 million (2023: CHF 451.8 million or CHF 442.1 million in local currencies), reflecting a decrease of 12.1% in Swiss francs and 10.2% in local currencies. Reduced CAPEX spending by the biopharmaceutical industry globally, along with government and academic customers in the US, resulted in decreased demand for life science research instruments. Additionally, market weakness in China negatively impacted demand, as the announced stimulus program failed to provide any impetus in 2024. Instead, it prompted some customers to delay orders while awaiting funding decisions. Contributing to a more favorable sales development in the Life Sciences Business were recovering consumables sales post-pandemic, a solid service business due to a higher installed base of instruments, and continued strong demand for newly launched products, particularly from genomic diagnostics companies. Recurring sales of services, consumables and reagents increased to 57.6% of segment sales (2023: 52.8%). In the second half of the year, sales declined by 5.0% in local currencies, following the sharp 15.5% decline in the first half. Sequentially, the Life Sciences Business segment grew by 13.6% in local currencies when comparing the second half of 2024 to the first half. In the second half of 2024, the Life Sciences Business segment experienced moderate order entry growth in local currencies compared to the same period in 2023, resulting in a book-to-bill ratio slightly above 1 for the full year. Reported EBIT in this segment (earnings before interest and taxes) reached CHF 39.5 million (2023: CHF 84.4 million). The reported operating profit margin decreased to 9.8% of sales (2023: 18.3%), primarily due to the negative volume effect, which resulted in missing economies of scale. Cost control measures helped alleviate the impact of lower sales volumes and adverse exchange rate effects. The adjusted EBITDA3 (operating profit before depreciation and amortization) for this segment was CHF 79.1 million, compared to CHF 105.5 million in 2023. This reflects an adjusted EBITDA margin of 19.6% of sales, compared to 22.9% in 2023. Partnering Business (OEM business) The Partnering Business generated sales of CHF 537.3 million in 2024 (2023: CHF 622.6 million or CHF 613.1 million in local currencies), marking a decrease of 13.7% in Swiss francs and 12.4% in local currencies. As anticipated, Tecan did not record any meaningful sales from the pass-through of material costs in this segment for 2024, compared to CHF 8.0 million in 2023. The lower demand for life science instrumentation also had a negative impact on the Partnering Business, influencing both the Cavro OEM components business and the contract development and manufacturing revenues for life science instruments in the Paramit product line. Market weakness in China also impacted the Cavro OEM components business and sales of in-vitro diagnostics systems in the Synergence product line to larger global OEM customers with significant exposure to China. However, outside China, sales of in-vitro diagnostics systems in the Synergence product line developed positively, with increased contributions from newly launched systems. Sales in the Paramit product line, which served medical market customers, were negatively affected by normalized demand patterns following the replenishment of depleted inventories in 2023, when supply chain disruptions eased, and by the anticipated reduction in sales from the pure pass-through of material costs. These impacts were specific to a single customer and included a model transition, rather than being related to end market conditions. All these factors had a more pronounced impact in the second half of the year, when segment sales decreased by 15.9% in local currencies. Order entry in the Partnering Business for the full year decreased slightly more than sales as OEM customers adjusted their ordering patterns, shifting from larger, long-term orders in 2023 to smaller, more regular orders in 2024 as supply chain disruptions had fully normalized. Despite this shift, the book-to-bill ratio remained close to 1. Reported EBIT amounted to CHF 46.6 million (2023: CHF 64.4 million), while the reported operating profit margin reached 8.7% of sales (2023: 10.3%). Similar to the Life Sciences Business segment, lower sales volumes and the resulting negative economies of scale were the main factors affecting margin development. The adjusted EBITDA3 for this segment was CHF 91.1 million, compared to CHF 125.6 million in 2023. This reflects an adjusted EBITDA margin of 16.9% of sales, compared to 20.1% in 2023. Highlights 2024 Enhancing operational resilience through cost-reduction initiatives, while expanding global operations and commercial reach In 2024, Tecan enhanced its operational resilience by implementing a comprehensive cost-reduction program and continuing to optimize its global organizational footprint. Following the successful transfer of Cavro component production to facilities in Morgan Hill, California, and Penang, Malaysia, and the closure of the San Jose site in 2023, Tecan relocated its genomic reagents site from Redwood City to the expanding Morgan Hill hub at the end of 2024. In Penang, Tecan successfully passed an extensive FDA inspection, laying a strong foundation for future production of medical devices, including class 3 devices. The first medical device production was successfully transitioned to Penang in 2024. Alongside site consolidation, Tecan focused on supply chain optimization and increased vertical integration of manufacturing to leverage the Group's full capabilities and realize cost synergies. On the commercial front, Tecan established a direct sales office in South Korea in 2024 by acquiring a long-standing distributor in the region. This new entity includes team members with over 20 years of experience working with Tecan, bringing valuable local market knowledge to better serve this growing market. Innovation and product launches in the Life Sciences Business In 2024, Tecan advanced its product portfolio with significant launches in genomics, proteomics, and cell biology. Examples include the Resolvex i300 module, introduced in February, which enhances throughput in proteomics by integrating with the Fluent platform, and the Spark Cyto 3D, which supports drug discovery by enabling the analysis of complex 3D cell models. During a Capital Markets Day in October 2024, Tecan previewed Veya, a multi-omics liquid handling workstation that simplifies lab automation and boosts productivity. Officially launched at the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) international conference in San Diego, USA, in January 2025, Veya provides effortless automation by overcoming key barriers in lab automation. Tecan also expanded its digital ecosystem with the new Introspect analytics platform, enhancing operational insights and service efficiency. This digital expansion benefits customers across both business segments. New launches and rich project pipeline in Partnering Business At the 2024 Capital Markets Day, Tecan highlighted its strong Partnering Business relationships and robust project pipeline across its three business lines: Synergence, Cavro, and Paramit. Examples include Tecan's collaboration with Illumina in the Synergence line, supporting their expansion into multi-omics with the development of a new system. Through Paramit, Tecan assisted THINK Surgical with the design transfer and initiated the manufacturing of their TMINI miniature robotic system, cart, and smart cell charging station. Additionally, Paramit is manufacturing the Avive Connect AED, an innovative and user-friendly automated external defibrillator aimed at improving survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest. The pipeline of new development projects has been further enriched through joint selling of Synergence, Cavro, and Paramit services, targeting key customers in the life sciences, lab diagnostics, and Medtech segments. Tecan aims to double new project signings by 2027 through joint selling efforts, a targeted approach, and strategic account management. Further building on sustainability activities Tecan's 2024 Sustainability Report, published as part of the Annual Report, includes a Climate Risk Scenarios Analysis, highlighting the company's proactive approach to addressing transition and physical risks related to climate change. In preparation for the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Tecan has integrated related data management into its Finance function. For the first time, Tecan's financial auditors conducted a limited assurance audit of key 2024 environmental and social data points. Further progress was made towards greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitments, with renewable sources accounting for 87% of all electricity purchased. In 2025, Tecan will continue its pragmatic approach to managing risks and opportunities associated with the company's material topics. Proposal for a stable dividend at the Annual General Meeting Based on the solid cash flows for the full year 2024 and on the basis of an ongoing positive business outlook, the Board of Directors will propose at the Company's Annual General Meeting on April 18, 2024, an unchanged dividend of CHF 3.00 per share. Half of the dividend, i.e., CHF 1.50, will again be paid out from the available capital contribution reserve and is therefore not subject to withholding tax. Outlook The overall market environment is showing first signs of stabilization after a significant decline in demand last year, with further improvements expected over the course of 2025. However, new political uncertainties have emerged, including the announced reductions to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) research budget in the US, which could further impact demand for life science research instruments. For 2025, Tecan anticipates that the year will begin with continued softer market conditions, with potential improvement as the year progresses. Depending on the extent of this improvement in the second half, the market could turn slightly positive for the full year, driven by specific growth segments, such as the clinical diagnostics market. Acknowledging the current market conditions, Tecan has initiated its short-term financial outlook for 2025, with a full-year guidance range from a low single-digit decline to low single-digit growth in sales in local currencies. The company expects sales in local currencies to decline in the first half, with a softer first quarter and a sequential improvement in the second quarter. A more positive outlook for the second half is supported by a strong reception of newly launched products and partnerships in both divisions, along with additional launches in 2025. In 2024, Tecan demonstrated its commitment to agile cost management amid evolving economic conditions and revenue trends by implementing a comprehensive cost-reduction program and optimizing its global organizational footprint. These efforts are designed to protect profitability without limiting the company's growth potential. As a result, Tecan forecasts an adjusted EBITDA margin, excluding restructuring, acquisition- and integration-related costs, of 17.5-18.5% of sales. The outlook 2025 does not take account of potential acquisitions during the course of the year. The expectations regarding profitability are based on an average exchange rate forecast for full year 2025 of one euro equaling CHF 0.95 and one US dollar equaling CHF 0.90. Tecan also reiterated its mid-term outlook, in which the company anticipates returning to average organic growth rates in the mid to high single-digit percentage range in local currencies under normal market conditions, while continuously improving profitability. Annual Report and Webcast The full 2024 Annual Report and the 2024 Sustainability Report were also published today and can be accessed on the company's website www.tecan.comunder Investor Relations. Tecan will hold an analyst and media conference to discuss the 2024 annual results today at 09:00under Investor Relations. A link to the webcast will be provided immediately prior to the event. The dial-in numbers for the conference call are as follows: For participants from Europe: +41 (0)58 310 50 00 or +44 (0)207 107 0613 (UK) For participants from the US: +1 (1) 631 570 5613 Participants should, if possible, dial in 15 minutes before the start of the event. Key upcoming dates The Annual General Meeting of Tecan's shareholders will take place on April 10, 2025 A Q1 2025 Qualitative Update will be published on May 12, 2025 The 2025 Interim Report will be published on August 12, 2025 A Q3 2025 Qualitative Update will be published on October 13, 2025 1 The adjusted operating profit before depreciation and amortization excludes restructuring costs as well as acquisition- and integration-related costs (+CHF 16.4 million) 2 The calculation of 2024 adjusted net profit and adjusted earnings per share excludes restructuring costs as well as acquisition- and integration-related costs (+CHF 16.4 million) and accumulated amortization of acquired intangible assets (+CHF 19.0 million) and they were calculated with the reported Group tax rate of 13.6%. 3 The adjusted operating profit before depreciation and amortization for the Life Sciences Business segment excludes restructuring costs as well as acquisition- and integration-related costs (+CHF 6.4 million). The adjusted operating profit before depreciation and amortization for the Partnering Business segment excludes restructuring costs as well as acquisition- and integration-related costs (+CHF 5.3 million). About Tecan Tecan (www.tecan.com) improves people's lives and health by empowering customers to scale healthcare innovation globally from life science to the clinic. Tecan is a pioneer and global leader in laboratory automation. As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Tecan is also a leader in developing and manufacturing OEM instruments, components and medical devices that are then distributed by partner companies. Founded in Switzerland in 1980, the company has 3,300 employees, with manufacturing, research and development sites in Europe, North America and Asia, and maintains a sales and service network in over 70 countries. In 2024, Tecan generated sales of CHF 934 million (USD 1,062 million; EUR 984 million). Registered shares of Tecan Group are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange (TECN; ISIN CH0012100191). For further information: Tecan Group Martin Brandle Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications & IR Tel. +41 (0) 44 922 84 30 Fax +41 (0) 44 922 88 89 investor@tecan.com www.tecan.com Attachment DUBAI, UAE, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- XRP Healthcare, a pioneering force in healthcare innovation, has officially acquired Pharma Ville, a leading retail and wholesale pharmacy chain in Uganda. This strategic acquisition marks XRP Healthcare's entry into Africa's rapidly evolving healthcare sector, laying the foundation for scalable, technology-driven pharmaceutical distribution across the continent. With two retail pharmacies and five wholesale distribution centres strategically positioned across Uganda, Pharma Ville's established infrastructure enhances medicine accessibility nationwide. The acquisition strengthens XRP Healthcare's ability to streamline pharmaceutical supply chains and expand its footprint in Africa's healthcare market. Shonubi Musoke & Co. Advocates, one of Uganda's premier law firms and a partner of the globally renowned Norton Rose Fulbright, advised XRP Healthcare in this transaction, ensuring a seamless legal and regulatory transition. Pharma Ville plays a pivotal role in Uganda's healthcare sector, working closely with the National Medical Stores (NMS) and Joint Medical Stores (JMS) to ensure a steady and reliable supply of essential medicines. The acquisition includes 60 registered pharmaceutical products, 18 products ready for immediate commercialization, and 70 additional products in the pipeline awaiting regulatory approval. Additionally, Pharma Ville has distribution agreements with eight global pharmaceutical suppliers, reinforcing its strong supply chain network: Toros Group (Switzerland) - Orthopedic supplies Ascensia Switzerland (Germany) - Diabetic care solutions Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Bangladesh) - Human drugs Amanta Health Care Limited (India) - Intravenous fluids Forans Latvia (Latvia) - Diabetic care products Mediteks (Turkey) - Surgical equipment Naari Pharma Pvt Limited (India) - Human drugs Universal Corporation Limited (Kenya) - Human drugs Richard Kitonsa (MPS), Founder and CEO of Pharma Ville, emphasized the transformative impact of this acquisition: "Joining XRP Healthcare is transformative. We can now rapidly scale our operations, introduce innovative technologies, and better serve Uganda's healthcare needs." Whitney Lynn, Chairman of XRP Healthcare, underscored the company's mission: "Our goal is simple-make essential medicines more accessible and affordable. This acquisition is a major step toward achieving that." Kain Roomes, CEO of XRP Healthcare, highlighted the opportunity within Uganda's healthcare sector: "Uganda's fragmented pharmaceutical landscape presents immense potential. By integrating Pharma Ville, we can deliver immediate impact-improving access to essential medicines and optimizing healthcare delivery." Laban Roomes, COO of XRP Healthcare, emphasized the groundwork laid for expansion: "We have spent significant time in Uganda developing the legal and operational frameworks necessary to scale this business rapidly. Our efforts will drive long-term improvements in healthcare accessibility." Pharma Ville will undergo immediate operational upgrades, including: Advanced inventory management to optimize supply chains Upgraded licensing to expand product offerings Enhanced distribution channels for wider reach Digital payment integration for seamless transactions New CRM systems to improve customer engagement By Q4, Pharma Ville will rebrand as XRP Healthcare, aligning with the company's vision for innovation and healthcare excellence. The XRPH AI app, a multilingual healthcare assistant, is already live and integrated into Pharma Ville's digital platform (www.pharmaville.ai). The AI-driven tool provides medical guidance in Luganda, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, French, and English. In an upcoming update, users will be able to upload images of medical conditions for AI-assisted preliminary assessments, with direct referrals to healthcare professionals for critical cases. Peter Waiswa, a strategic advisor to UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and now XRP Healthcare, praised the acquisition's significance: "This acquisition strengthens Uganda's healthcare sector, fosters economic growth, and introduces essential technologies to the industry. It's a major step forward for healthcare accessibility in Uganda." With Africa's healthcare market projected to reach $259 billion by 2030, and the digital health segment-encompassing AI-driven solutions-expected to grow to $16.6 billion, XRP Healthcare is strategically positioned to capitalize on these transformative opportunities. XRP Healthcare holds registered trademarks in Uganda, the UAE, and the UK, with ongoing global registrations, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and brand excellence. Additionally, XRP Healthcare has informed its community of an upcoming global announcement, separate from its African expansion, to be revealed this quarter. This development reflects the company's broader strategic ambitions and commitment to advancing global healthcare solutions. About XRP Healthcare XRP Healthcare is a pioneering healthcare solutions provider leveraging AI and strategic acquisitions to enhance healthcare accessibility and efficiency. By integrating digital innovation with traditional pharmaceutical distribution, XRP Healthcare is at the forefront of revolutionizing healthcare delivery in emerging markets. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639500/XRP_Healthcare.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639502/XRP_Healthcare.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2365357/XRP_Healthcare_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/xrp-healthcare-acquires-pharma-ville-a-retail-and-wholesale-pharmacy-chain-in-uganda-302399512.html RWTH Aachen University will integrate Dassault Systemes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud into its curricula for up to 13,000 mechanical engineering students 10-year collaboration with one of Europe's best engineering universities will provide students with hands-on learning that can be applied to future jobs Model-based systems engineering skills are highly sought after to accelerate the development of complex products in the Generative Economy Dassault Systemes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA) today announced its 10-year collaboration with the Chair and Institute for Machine Elements Systems Engineering (MSE) at the RWTH Aachen University, one of Europe's best engineering universities, to boost the engineering and industrial product development skills of Germany's future workforce. MSE will integrate Dassault Systemes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud into RWTH Aachen University's mechanical engineering curricula for up to 13,000 mechanical engineering students, making the 3DEXPERIENCE platform with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) the core technology of its education programs. MSE and partnering chairs can train students and junior engineers in MBSE, integrating the latest virtual twin applications. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform connects modeling with physical and AI-based simulation, and creates traceability of system parameters in one collaborative environment. Students gain practice-oriented learning that can be applied to jobs across all industrial sectors, facilitating their entry into the professional world and eliminating the need for long training processes. Besides education, joint research activities of MSE and Dassault Systemes are fostered to enhance model-based systems engineering methods and processes. New technologies, resulting out of research, are transferred to industry by the Center for Systems Engineering (CSE). CSE is an interdisciplinary hub on the RWTH Aachen Campus dedicated to strengthening collaboration between academia and industry to advance engineering practices. "The transformation to an AI-supported, seamless digital product development process requires engineers who are trained on MBSE methods and tools. Therefore, we decided to use the tool chain of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform," said Professor Georg Jacobs, Director of the Institute for Machine Elements and Systems Engineering (MSE), RWTH Aachen University. "Our partnership with Dassault Systemes is the greatest of that kind for a major technical university and will strengthen the ability of industry to innovate in the years to come." MBSE has emerged as a key enabler in the efficient development of autonomous vehicles, aircraft, medical devices and other solutions combining mechanical, electronic and software systems. Employees having advanced modeling and simulation skills in this domain are highly sought after by companies in regulated and competitive markets as they adopt the principles of experience and circularity in complex product development. "Mastering systems engineering is an imperative for industrial innovation in the Generative Economy. By training future engineering professionals with the right skills, our partnership with MSE and CSE at RTWH Aachen University will help bridge the skills gap, boost student employability, and accelerate industrial transformation in Germany. This is the power of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and the cloud in action," said Valerie Ferret, Vice President, 3DEXPERIENCE Edu, Dassault Systemes. The collaboration was announced in Aachen during CWD DSEC 2025, an event focused on drivetrain technology, systems engineering and wind power drives. FOR MORE INFORMATION Dassault Systemes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions: http://www.3ds.com Connect with Dassault Systemes on https://www.facebook.com/DassaultSystemes https://www.linkedin.com/company/dassaultsystemes https://www.youtube.com/DassaultSystemes ABOUT DASSAULT SYSTEMES Dassault Systemes is a catalyst for human progress. Since 1981, the company has pioneered virtual worlds to improve real life for consumers, patients and citizens. With Dassault Systemes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 370,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, can collaborate, imagine and create sustainable innovations that drive meaningful impact. For more information, visit: www.3ds.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250311068182/en/ Contacts: Dassault Systemes Press Contacts Corporate France, Arnaud MALHERBE, arnaud.malherbe@3ds.com, +33 (0)1 61 62 87 73 North America, Natasha LEVANTI, natasha.levanti@3ds.com, +1 (508) 449 8097 EMEA, Virginie BLINDENBERG, virginie.blindenberg@3ds.com, +33 (0) 1 61 62 84 21 China, Grace MU, grace.mu@3ds.com, +86 10 6536 2288 Japan, Reina YAMAGUCHI, reina.yamaguchi@3ds.com, +81 90 9325 2545 Korea, Jeemin JEONG, jeemin.jeong@3ds.com, +82 2 3271 6653 India, Priyanka PANDEY, priyanka.pandey@3ds.com, +91 9886302179 Rio Tinto has priced US$9.0 billion of fixed and floating rate SEC-registered debt securities. The bonds will be issued by Rio Tinto Finance (USA) plc and will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited. The bond offer consists of eight tranches and the principal amount, tenor and coupon for each tranche are as follows: US$500 million two-year notes priced at a fixed coupon of 4.375% maturing in 2027 US$750 million three-year notes priced at a fixed coupon of 4.500% maturing in 2028 US$500 million three-year notes priced at a floating rate coupon of Compounded SOFR plus 0.840% maturing in 2028 US$1.75 billion five-year notes priced at a fixed coupon of 4.875% maturing in 2030 US$1.25 billion seven-year notes priced at a fixed coupon of 5.000% maturing in 2032 US$1.75 billion ten-year notes priced at a fixed coupon of 5.250% maturing in 2035 US$1.75 billion thirty-year notes priced at a fixed coupon of 5.750% maturing in 2055 US$750 million forty-year notes priced at a fixed coupon of 5.875% maturing in 2065 Rio Tinto intends to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes, including to repay debt incurred pursuant to a bridge loan facility in order to finance the acquisition of Arcadium Lithium. BNP Paribas Securities Corp., BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Mizuho Securities USA LCC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC acted as Joint Book-running Managers, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, Bank of China Limited, London Branch, China Construction Bank (Asia) Corporation Limited, CIBC World Markets Corp., Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., ICBC Standard Bank Plc, Santander US Capital Markets LLC, SG Americas Securities, LLC, SMBC Nikko Securities America Inc., TD Securities (USA) LLC acted as Joint Bookrunners, DBS Bank Ltd., nabSecurities, LLC, Natixis Securities Americas LLC, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. and Westpac Banking Corporation acted as Co-Managers IMPORTANT INFORMATION This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor does it constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful. The offering to which this media release relates was made pursuant to an effective registration statement that Rio Tinto Finance (USA) Limited, Rio Tinto Finance (USA) plc, Rio Tinto Finance (USA) Inc., Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited (together, "Rio Tinto") filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus. Rio Tinto will file with the SEC a final prospectus supplement to the base prospectus for the offering. You can obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and the final prospectus relating to the offering can be obtained from Rio Tinto at the registered address below, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering (BNP Paribas Securities Corp. at +1 (800) 854-5674, BofA Securities, Inc. at +1 (800) 294-1322, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at +1 (800) 831-9146, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at +1 (212) 834-4533, Mizuho Securities USA LLC at +1 (866) 271-7403 and RBC Capital Markets, LLC at +1 (866) 375-6829). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250312321242/en/ Contacts: Please direct all enquiries to media.enquiries@riotinto.com Media Relations, United Kingdom David Outhwaite M +44 7787 597 493 Media Relations, Australia Matt Chambers M +61 433 525 739 Michelle Lee M +61 458 609 322 Rachel Pupazzoni M +61 438 875 469 Media Relations, Canada Simon Letendre M +1 514 796 4973 Malika Cherry M +1 418 592 7293 Vanessa Damha M +1 514 715 2152 Media Relations, US Jesse Riseborough M +1 202 394 9480 Investor Relations, United Kingdom Rachel Arellano M: +44 7584 609 644 David Ovington M +44 7920 010 978 Laura Brooks M +44 7826 942 797 Weiwei Hu M +44 7825 907 230 Investor Relations, Australia Tom Gallop M +61 439 353 948 Amar Jambaa M +61 472 865 948 Rio Tinto plc 6 St James's Square London SW1Y 4AD United Kingdom T +44 20 7781 2000 Registered in England No. 719885 Rio Tinto Limited Level 43, 120 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 Australia T +61 3 9283 3333 Registered in Australia ABN 96 004 458 404 This announcement is authorised for release to the market by Andy Hodges, Rio Tinto's Group Company Secretary. riotinto.com Category: General Regula, a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification solutions, brought document verification to the catwalk at the annual Intergraf Currency+Identity conference. Regula's molded lenses, magnifiers, and optical filter turrets became key design elements in a fashion show featuring iconic Milanese characters: the office worker, the curious tourist, the street performer, and the child eating gelato. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250312689530/en/ The Office Siren costume with the embellishments made of Regula's molded lenses, generally used to enable the anti-Stokes effect for examining document security features (Photo: Regula) The Intergraf Currency+Identity conference connects technology developers with a range of institutional organizations, such as security printing companies, central banks, and law enforcement agencies from all over the world. Responding to the rising need for robust document verification solutions, Regula presented various devices, from compact magnifiers to full-scale video spectral comparators. While small devices provide high-quality magnification of IDs' and banknotes' security features to examine their authenticity, advanced equipment (such as the High-Resolution Photospectral Scanner Regula 88XX) allows for the most detailed inspection of all sorts of documents, as well as collectibles and art objects. Sharing its passion for art and creativity, Regula was honored to contribute to the fashion defile held on the opening day of Intergraf Currency+Identity. The conference organizers partnered with NABA (Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti), an art and design academy in Milan, to launch a creative project titled "A Pocket Full of Milan." Within this project, young designers developed several fashion outfits representing typical street characters of the city, such as an office worker, a policeman, a fashionista, a commuter, and a tourist. The icing on the cake: the central character of this lineup was a pickpocket who stole costume parts from other characters while they were walking the catwalk, and ended up as the most dressed-up one. To create two of these outfits, NABA's students chose the spare parts that Regula uses to manufacture its devices. For example, Regula's in-house molded lenses (generally used to enable the anti-Stokes effect for examining document security features) became suit embellishments of the costume of a true Milanese office worker, or Office Siren, as it was called by the creators. Additionally, magnifiers that were provided by Regula turned out to be a handy tool for a tourist perusing a city map. Finally, optical filter turrets that are used in Regula's video spectral comparators to create the right light source for precise document examination appeared as vibrant outfit accessories for two more Milanese characters: the street performer and the child eating gelato. "At Regula, we believe technology and creativity go hand in hand. Developing new technologies is always a creative process-it requires imagination, experimentation, and a willingness to see possibilities beyond the obvious. That's why we were especially excited to support the artists at the Intergraf Currency+Identity fashion show. Just as we push the boundaries of forensic technology to develop innovative identity verification solutions, artists push creative boundaries to bring new ideas to life. Seeing our precision-engineered components transformed into fashion pieces was a perfect reflection of this shared spirit of innovation. It was an honor to be part of an event that celebrates both technical excellence and artistic expression," says Alex Lewanowicz, Director of Hardware Engineering at Regula. To learn more about the whole spectrum of Regula's forensic devices and identity verification solutions, please visit Regula's website. About Regula Regula is a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification solutions. With our 30+ years of experience in forensic research and the most comprehensive library of document templates in the world, we create breakthrough technologies for document and biometric verification. Our hardware and software solutions allow over 1,000 organizations and 80 border control authorities globally to provide top-notch client service without compromising safety, security, or speed. Regula has been repeatedly named a Representative Vendor in the Gartner Market Guide for Identity Verification. Learn more at www.regulaforensics.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250312689530/en/ Contacts: Kristina ks@regulaforensics.com New generative AI tool on ScienceDirect, the world's largest platform for peer-reviewed research used by millions of researchers each day, saves half of literature research time, supports better outcomes LONDON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Elsevier, a global leader in advanced information and decision support, today launches ScienceDirect AI, a cutting-edge generative AI tool for researchers. It is designed to transform the way researchers work by enabling them to instantly extract, summarize and compare trusted insights from millions of full-text articles and book chapters on ScienceDirect, the world's largest platform for trusted, peer-reviewed research. Researchers grapple with an ever-growing and overwhelming volume of information and need to quickly get accurate insights they can rely on. Studies show that they spend 25%-35% of their time sifting through literature. ScienceDirect AI helps address this challenge by drawing on the broadest and deepest content set of millions of peer-reviewed full-text research articles and book chapters to generate instant accurate summaries and highlight key findings, while providing references to support the reproducibility and integrity of research. Broadest and deepest verified content set with power of generative AI: ScienceDirect AI surfaces insights from the world's largest corpus of peer-reviewed full-text articles and book chapters. Traceable claims, rooted in the scientific record, shown in context: Traceability and reproducibility of information are vital for research integrity.?To ensure reliable insights that can be replicated, ScienceDirect AI provides clear links to sources of information and claims, including exact passages within research articles, offering the option to explore further. Responsible AI: ScienceDirect AI is purposefully built to ensure accuracy and reduce the risk of hallucinations and biases. Users can transparently see how the tool reaches answers. Developed with and for researchers: Over 30,000 researchers and librarians from 70 universities and R&D intensive corporations globally helped test and develop ScienceDirect AI. Building on the feedback received, the tool can save 50% of time spent on literature research and help to enhance their research. ScienceDirect AI includes the following features: Ask ScienceDirect AI - search and summaries of full-text articles and book chapters Users can search and get answers from within the full-text of 14 million articles and book chapters, using their own words to describe what they need and why. ScienceDirect AI will search across the millions of documents in its index to provide a Summary Response with references, Source Snippets for each reference, and short Related Insights summaries while linking back to the original document. Reading Assistant - chat with a document in ScienceDirect This conversational feature answers questions about the content of a specific full-text article or book chapter and allows researchers to ask further questions of the document. Users can click on references within the summaries to jump to locations in the article where the answer comes from, it also suggests research questions. Compare Experiments - experiment summary table Comparing and synthesizing literature can be very time-consuming. ScienceDirect AI's unique Compare Experiments tool takes a set of articles and creates a table breaking down each experiment within them, drawing out the key aspects of each including goals, methods and results. Judy Verses, Elsevier President of Academic and Government Markets, said: "Feedback from users worldwide suggests ScienceDirect AI could be a game changer for researchers who are grappling with information overload and want to get accurate insights they can rely on, fast. ScienceDirect is the platform of choice globally for millions of researchers, so this new generative AI tool will seamlessly integrate into their current ways of working, enabling them to dedicate more time to research and achieve results. We are committed to working with researchers to continually develop innovative solutions to help them advance science and human progress." Matias Montero, PhD Student in the Department of Education, University of Oxford, who has taken part in ScienceDirect AI testing, said: "I've been thinking about how much time ScienceDirect AI has saved me lately. I estimate that with all the core features I use - search, reading assistant, and uploading and querying my own PDFs - I'm saving about an hour each day on my research workflow. It's very valuable! It lets me dive deeper into reading relevant, important papers and dedicate more hours to writing, instead of getting lost in search or manually pulling out key takeaways." Professor Paulo Botelho Pires, from the Accounting and Business School at Porto Institute, who has taken part in ScienceDirect AI testing, said: "ScienceDirect's AI tool has transformed the way I work. Amidst an ecosystem with AI tools that hallucinate or provide false information, this tool stands out for its precision. The quality of information I receive spares me hours of search. Its effectiveness has allowed me to expand the scope of my research projects, investigate more diverse lines of research, and produce superior work." Elsevier is partnering with the research community to develop solutions that help researchers more easily discover, analyze and synthesize research using trusted content powered by responsible AI. Scopus AI, launched in January 2024, draws on Scopus' curated collection of research data and abstracts from over 7,000 publishers globally. Like a telescope, Scopus AI provides a broad view of the full research landscape and helps to make interdisciplinary connections to support strategy and planning. ScienceDirect AI is complementary, providing a microscopic deep-dive into millions of full-text articles and book chapters, for detailed analysis. By integrating its high-quality trusted content and data with responsible AI across its platforms, Elsevier aims to help advance science, to advance human progress. ScienceDirect AI was developed in line with Elsevier's Responsible AI Principles and Privacy Principles to ensure the highest standards of data privacy and security. ScienceDirect AI's use of third-party LLMs is private, no information is stored or used to train public models, and all data is stored in a protected and private environment exclusive to Elsevier. ScienceDirect is ISO27001 compliant. For more than a decade, Elsevier has been using AI and machine learning technologies in its products combined with its unparalleled peer-reviewed content, extensive data sets and sophisticated analytics to help researchers, clinicians, students and educators achieve their goals. ScienceDirect AI is available to purchase now for customers. For further information and contact details, please visit: http://elsevier.io/sciencedirect-ai Notes to editors Data taken from studies in the UK and?Australia. About Elsevier A global leader in advanced information and decision support, Elsevier helps to advance science and healthcare, to advance human progress. We do this by facilitating insights and critical decision-making with innovative solutions based on trusted, evidence-based content and advanced AI-enabled digital technologies. We have supported the work of our research and healthcare communities for more than 140 years. Our 9,700 employees around the world, including 2,300 technologists, are dedicated to supporting researchers, librarians, academic leaders, funders, governments, R&D-intensive companies, doctors, nurses, future healthcare professionals and educators in their critical work. Our 3,000 scientific journals and iconic reference books include the foremost titles in their fields, including Cell Press, The Lancet and Gray's Anatomy. Together with the Elsevier Foundation, we work in partnership with the communities we serve to advance inclusion in science, research and healthcare in developing countries and around the world. Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information on our work, digital solutions and content, visit www.elsevier.com. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2628519/5198935/Elsevier_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/elsevier-launches-sciencedirect-ai-to-transform-research-with-rapid-mission-critical-insights-from-trusted-content-302398829.html Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc - Business Update PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, March 12 12 March 2025 Quantum Blockchain Technologies plc ("QBT" or "the Company") General Business Update Quantum Blockchain Technologies (AIM: QBT), the AIM-listed investment company focused principally on a research, development and investment programme within blockchain technology is pleased to provide a general business update. Update on the porting of Method A and Method B onto commercial mining rigs In addition to the Method C developments announced on 17 January 2025, the Company has also been seeking to improve the AI Models of Methods A and B. This work has been restricted by the severe limitations caused by the way SHA-256 is implemented on the most widely used Bitcoin mining ASIC chips. The QBT Client version of Method B implemented initially onto the CGminer operating system has, as previously reported, now been ported onto the ESPminer operating system. This change meant that the Company was able to commence real-time mining testing using Bitaxe, an open hardware and software project which makes Bitcoin miners available using between one and six ASIC chips from the largest manufacturer of such devices. Specifically, the hardware used by the R&D team are the BM1362, BM1366 and BM1368 ASIC processors. As a result of the R&D team's deep understanding of CGminer, the implementation of the QBT Client under the ESPminer operating system environment was completed in December 2024. The very recent acquisition of the Bitaxe Gamma model using the BM1370 ASIC, the same chip used in the latest version of the most powerful Bitcoin mining rigs available on the market, has opened up the possibility of developing the original version of Method B. The Company believes that this is a significant development as the original version of Method B (as announced on 10 May 2023) potentially achieved (in lab tests) the best mining advantage against standard mining rigs. Consistency checks between the data generated by the BM1370 ASIC and past lab results are being undertaken before modifying the mining rigs' CGminer operating systems so as to allow the installation of the QBT Client version of Method B. The Company is currently considering its additional hardware choices for the deployment of Method B as there are a number of viable options available in addition to BM1370 ASIC. One such chip would be Intel's BZM2 chip although there are very limited numbers available due to the chip no longer being in production. A U.S. company, Block, Inc. has announced the release of a prototype ASIC chip which QBT believes could be suitable. Regarding Method A, it is currently mining live in QBT's Milan-based lab in single chip mode, using commercial ASICs for Bitcoin mining connected to an existing mining pool. Operational performance of Method A is currently being assessed based on the hash rate and measured by the pool and the corresponding rewards awarded, comparing one ASIC chip running with Method A and one without. Further development work is to be conducted by the R&D team to finalise a multiple ASIC chip version which can be ported by QBT's software engineers onto existing miners manufactured by the dominant players within this sector. Patent Applications The current status of the first two filed patent applications ("Asic UltraBoost" and "Asic EnhancedBoost") is still pending, with the normal interactions between the European Patent Office examiners and the Company. The third patent application ("Implementation of Binary Decision Tree") has been recently filed with the UK patent office, as reported on 15 January 2025. The quantum computing version of SHA-256 implementation is still being held in draft form with the Company's patent attorney, with filing with the UK patent office now expected within the next few months. This is because the Company gave filing priority to the Binary Decision Tree application supporting Method C hardware implementation. QBT proprietary ASIC chip On 13 March 2024, the Company announced an update about its efforts to develop a prototype version of an in-house proprietary ASIC chip using large scale integration for demo purposes. In the last few months, this internal project has been put on hold to enable the focus of the design team to be temporarily redirected to support the R&D AI teams, in particular Method C's AI Oracle project. Meanwhile, a basic ASIC chip for Bitcoin mining design architecture which includes the improvements of the first patent application remains available as a QBT asset, which the Company, under the right circumstances and with the right partner, could develop into a product, also hosting the Method C AI Oracle. Sipiem In Liquidazione Spa ("Sipiem") litigation In January 2025, the defendants in the Company subsidiary Clear Leisure 2017 Ltd's ("CL2017") lawsuit against the former directors and members of the statutory audit committee of Sipiem filed an appeal with the Italian Court of Cassation (Italy's highest court for civil and commercial matters) against the judgement of the lower Court of Appeal of Venice issued in June 2024 ("Judgement"). The former Sipiem directors contested the Judgement on various grounds, as did its former members of the statutory audit committee. In particular, the latter have asked the Court of Cassation to send the case back to the Court of Appeal in order for the interested parties to appear in a hearing and finalise the tentative settlement agreement among them. The tentative settlement agreement, with respect to the waivers granted to CL2017 was conditional on the judicial settlement being validated by the Court of Appeal prior to the Judgement, which did not occur. The members of the statutory audit committee have also asked for the Judgement to be vacated as regards the finding of liability against them. In general, the Italian legal counsel for the Company believe that legal arguments raised by the defendants, with the exception of the request of the members of the statutory audit committee regarding revisitation of the settlement, are fundamentally the same ones already raised and discussed in the first instance and in appeal, although they are now formulated in the context of the proceedings before the Court of Cassation. On 20 February 2025, CL2017 filed its brief asking the Court of Cassation to confirm the Judgement of the Court of Appeal. The proceedings before the Court of Cassation are expected to last not less than three years. In the meantime, CL2017 is allowed to continue its enforcement procedures trying to seize the assets of the defendants, unless the defendants obtain an order from the Court of Appeal that put such actions on hold until the Court of Cassation issues its final judgement. The Company's legacy assets: Forcrowd Srl ("Forcrowd") - 41.17% ownership Following last year's award of the EU extension of the Italian crowdfunding licence, the Forcrowd website has been redesigned to comply with the corresponding new legislation. Forcrowd currently expects to relaunch fundraising campaigns during the course of 2025. Geosim Systems ("Geosim") - 4.53% ownership Despite the complex situation in the Israeli region, Geosim continues to operate as a developer of 3D models of international airports in North America, Europe and Asia. More Legal Srl ("More Legal", previously PBV Monitor Srl) - 0.45% ownership Following recent fundraising by More Legal, QBT's shareholding has been diluted from 10% to 0.45%. QBT continues to assist More Legal in areas in which it has expertise, specifically a recent AI project to increase analytical productivity. In general, QBT's policy regarding its investments is to be a passive investor while providing all possible resources to the R&D programme. Francesco Gardin, CEO and Chairman commented: "After nearly four years of R&D, we have managed to prove that our technology can predict and to some extent, control, SHA-256 in its version for Bitcoin mining. The outcome of this work is the production of three disruptive Bitcoin products, namely the three AI Methods. "As previously reported, we are in a position to make live demonstrations connected to Bitcoin pools for Method A and Method C, and it is the Company's intention to make the first of these demonstrations at the Bitcoin 'Mining Disrupt' conference in Miami (Fort Lauderdale) occurring between March 25-27, 2025. Furthermore, the availability of the BM1370 ASIC chips could allow us to add Method B to our live demo capabilities in the near future. "QBT's planned attendance at 'Mining Disrupt' and at '2025 Bitcoin' in Las Vegas at the end of May will represent another opportunity to show our products to potential clients and partners." This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR"), and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR. -ends- For further information please contact: Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc +39 335 296573 Francesco Gardin, CEO and Executive Chairman SP Angel Corporate Finance (Nominated Adviser & Broker) +44 (0) 20 3470 0470 Jeff Keating Leander (Financial PR) +44 (0) 7795 168 157 Christian Taylor-Wilkinson About Quantum Blockchain Technologies Plc QBT (AIM: QBT) is a London Stock Exchange AIM listed Research & Development and investing company focused on an intensive R&D programme to disrupt the Blockchain Technologies sector, and which includes, cryptocurrency mining and other advanced blockchain applications. The primary goal of the R&D programme is to develop Bitcoin mining tools and techniques, via its technology-driven approach, which the Company believes will significantly outperform existing market practices. Glossary of Terms AI Oracle: It is an intelligent system which is designed for only answering questions and has no ability to act in the world. ASIC: An Application-Specific Integrated Circuit is an integrated circuit chip customized for a particular use, rather than intended for general-purpose use. ASIC chips are typically fabricated using metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) technology, as MOS integrated circuit chips. Bitaxe Gamma Model: a compact, open-source Bitcoin miner based on BM13xx ASIC family chips, designed for efficient and affordable personal mining. ESPminer: a recently developed public domain operating system for Bitcoin mining devices, based on the ESP32 microcontroller. Method A: A Machine Learning based development by QBT R&D team, aimed at reducing the SHA-256 search space, compared to the brute force method used by BTC mining rigs today. Method B: A Machine Learning and statistical optimisation technologies developed by QBT R&D team, reducing the SHA-256 search space, but radically different from Method A. Method C: A Machine Learning based development by QBT R&D team which is composed by an AI model to be trained and an AI Oracle (the result of the training of the model). The AI Oracle assesses in real time the likelihood of an input to SHA-256 to generate a winning hash. QBT Client: The part of the method that is installed on the miner (i.e., client) whilst the intelligence part remains on our servers. SHA-256: Secure Hashing Algorithm (SHA)-256 is the hash function and mining algorithm of the Bitcoin protocol, referring to the cryptographic hash function that outputs a 256 bits long value. Single chip mode: A Bitcoin mining device using only one ASIC chip. Haseeb Ahmad brings over 25 years of leadership experience in life sciences, most recently serving as President of Novartis Europe and will lead the Company as it advances pioneering kidney disease programmes into clinical development and explores potential partnerships Appointment follows successful completion of Series B financing, raising $105 million, from a syndicate of high-quality investors Purespring is the first company to successfully treat kidney disease models by directly targeting the podocyte through its proprietary AAV gene therapy platform The Company currently has a pipeline of programmes in development, including its lead programme PS-002 targeting IgA Nephropathy (IgAN), and other complement mediated kidney diseases London - 12 March 2025 - Purespring Therapeutics, a pioneering company focused on transforming the treatment of kidney diseases, today announces the appointment of Haseeb Ahmad as its Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors effective immediately. Haseeb has been appointed to steer Purespring through a critical phase of development and growth. He brings significant senior industry leadership, joining Purespring with over 25 years in the life science industry and an impressive track record of leading organisations to create blockbuster brands from primary care to rare diseases, across both mature and growth markets. Haseeb served most recently as President of Novartis Europe where he oversaw $15 billion in revenue across 53 markets. Prior to this, he led Novartis Gene Therapies to bring first-class, potentially curative gene therapies to patients, including Zolgensma, the first blockbuster gene therapy worldwide. Previously Haseeb held numerous global and in country leadership roles at Novartis and Merck & Co. (MSD). Haseeb succeeds Julian Hanak, who has served as CEO since December 2022 and previous to that CDO since June 2021. John Tsai, Chairman of Purespring's Board of Directors said:"Haseeb's leadership expertise and proven track record make him an ideal fit for Purespring as we embark on a pivotal phase of development. Following our successful Series B financing, we are poised to expand our clinical activities, address larger indications and explore potential new partnerships and we are delighted to have someone of Haseeb's calibre on board. "On behalf of the Board, leadership team, and entire organisation, I want to express our sincere gratitude to Julian Hanak for his exceptional leadership and invaluable expertise over the past two years. Under his guidance, Purespring has successfully completed its Series B fundraising, securing the financial foundation necessary to advance our therapies into clinical development. Julian's contributions have been instrumental in positioning the company for this critical next phase, and we wish him continued success in his future endeavours." Haseeb Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer said: "As one of the most exciting companies in this field, Purespring is leading the way in applying gene therapy to address unmet needs in kidney care. I am inspired by the company's commitment to delivering breakthrough therapies and look forward to collaborating with its talented team and Board to revolutionise kidney disease treatment. This role holds deep personal significance for me as it continues the legacy of my late father, a pioneering nephrologist. Joining Purespring feels like a natural extension of his work, providing an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of kidney disease treatments". Purespring is the first company to successfully treat kidney disease models by directly targeting the podocyte, a specialised cell implicated in approximately 60% of renal disease, through its proprietary adeno-associated viral (AAV) gene therapy platform. The Company has a strong pipeline of programmes in development addressing both rare and large kidney disease indications. Its lead programme PS-002, is targeted to enter Phase I/II development for IgA Nephropathy (IgAN), a common, chronic kidney disease primarily affecting young adults. Other assets include programmes targeting other complement mediated kidney diseases, a programme targeting nephrotic syndrome and an undisclosed glomerular kidney disease programme. Purespring's platform technology allows working copies of genes to be delivered with high efficiency and specificity to podocytes, opening up a new and highly differentiated modality for disease modifying treatments to address a broad range of kidney diseases. Julian Hanak will continue with the company for a period of time to ensure a smooth handover and will officially step down from the Purespring Board of Directors on 31st May 2025. In October 2024, Purespring announced the completion of its 80/$105 million Series B oversubscribed financing led by Sofinnova Partners in collaboration with Gilde Healthcare, Forbion, British Patient Capital and founding investor Syncona. This was followed by the presentation of new preclinical data on IgAN at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week congress in San Diego (abstract SA-OR63). For further information, contact: Purespring: Peter Mulcahy contact@purespringtx.com +44 ICR Healthcare Amber Fennell, Jessica Hodgson purespring@icrhealthcare.com Notes to Editors About Purespring Purespring is developing gene therapies to halt or prevent kidney disease, one of humankind's most poorly treated disease areas. Founded on the work of Professor Moin Saleem, Professor of Paediatric Renal Medicine at the University of Bristol, Purespring is the first company to successfully treat kidney disease by targeting the podocyte, a specialised cell that is implicated in the majority of renal disease. Purespring's platform approach enables streamlined gene therapy development for both monogenic and non-monogenic renal diseases, offering the potential to halt, reverse and even cure both rare and common kidney diseases. The Company currently has a pipeline of programmes in development including the lead asset for treatment of IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) and other complement mediated kidney disease. The Company also has programmes for diseases caused by mutations in the gene NPHS2, as well as other monogenic glomerular kidney diseases. Based in London, the Purespring team combines world-leading expertise in podocyte biology and kidney disease with a wealth of experience in gene therapies, anchored in a culture of diversity, creativity and delivery. Purespring is backed by leading biotech investors, including Syncona Limited, Sofinnova Partners, Gilde Healthcare, Forbion, and British Patient Capital and has raised 115M to date. For more information please visit: purespringtx.comand follow us on LinkedIn. Sungrow is set to supply its cutting-edge PowerTitan 2.0 liquid-cooled energy storage system for Renewable Power Capital's 50MW/100MWh Kalanti BESS project in Finland. Thanks to its innovative design, the PowerTitan 2.0 delivers enhanced temperature control, increased efficiency, and long-term reliability even in the harshest environmental conditions. LONDON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sungrow, the global leading PV inverter and energy storage system (ESS) provider, is proud to announce its partnership with Renewable Power Capital (RPC) to supply its advanced PowerTitan 2.0 liquid-cooled energy storage system for the Kalanti 50MW/100MWh BESS project, located in Uusikaupunki, in the southwest part of Finland. The project, the first one in the country utilizing the PowerTitan 2.0, is set to begin construction in March 2025 and will mark a new phase of energy storage development in the region, strengthening grid stability and optimizing renewable energy integration. The ceremony of the agreement between RPC and Sungrow took place during the recent Energy Storage Summit 2025 that was held in London. The PowerTitan 2.0 system, a fully liquid-cooled solution, is designed to enhance efficiency and extend battery lifespan by ensuring precise temperature control across all battery cells. By adopting intelligent liquid cooling technology, the system significantly improves thermal management, reducing operational risks while maximizing performance achieving 90% round-trip efficiency (RTE), enhancing charging/discharging efficiency and longevity. Sungrow will supply 20 units of its 5 MWh energy storage system, housed in compact 20-foot containers, seamlessly integrating battery cells and Power Conversion Systems (PCS). Additionally, Sungrow will provide comprehensive Operations & Maintenance (O&M) services under a 15-year contract with RPC, ensuring long-term reliability, efficiency, and optimal project performance. "This project represents a major milestone for energy storage in Finland, and we are honored to partner with RPC to bring our latest liquid-cooled BESS technology to the market," said Mr. Iker Labiano, Head of ESS at Sungrow Iberica. "With PowerTitan 2.0, we are not only providing a highly efficient and reliable storage solution but also reinforcing our commitment to supporting the energy transition with safe, scalable, and intelligent BESS technology." Sarwjit Sambhi, CEO of Renewable Power Capital, said: "Finland is such a significant market for us. The energy system is in real need of efficient and well-managed storage to make the most of its abundant wind resources. This is why we're so pleased to be able to partner with organisations we really trust and have fantastic relationships with. We look forward to working with Sungrow to deliver this vital infrastructure to the Finnish energy system." The Kalanti BESS will provide two-hour storage capacity, enabling it to deliver essential grid services, such as frequency response, and actively participate in wholesale energy trading. Sungrow's cutting-edge technology will play a critical role in optimizing the site's efficiency, reducing maintenance costs, and ensuring seamless integration with Finland's renewable energy infrastructure. "Thanks to its C5 corrosion rating, the PowerTitan 2.0 supports installations in diverse and challenging environments" said Mr. Inigo Cayetano, Senior ESS Product Manager at Sungrow Iberica. "The system has been already successfully implemented in projects around the world, including Uzbekistan, Philippines and the UK to mention only a few of them. Efficient, robust and safe, PowerTitan 2.0 is at the same time a reliable and high performance solution." Having more than 19 years of experience on Energy Storage Systems, Sungrow with the PowerTitan 2.0 poses the latest development in technological innovation in BESS, supporting the rapid development of energy storage projects in Europe, with S&P Global Commodity Insights predicting that over 140 GW will be installed between 2024 and 2030. ### About Sungrow Sungrow, a global leader in renewable energy technology, has pioneered sustainable power solutions for over 28 years. As of December 2024, Sungrow has installed 740 GW of power electronic converters worldwide. The Company is recognized as the world's No. 1 on PV inverter shipments (S&P Global Commodity Insights) and the world's most bankable energy storage company (BloombergNEF). Its innovations power clean energy projects in over 180 countries, supported by a network of 520 service outlets guaranteeing excellent customer experience. At Sungrow, we're committed to bridging to a sustainable future through cutting-edge technology and unparalleled service. For more information, please visit: www.sungrowpower.com About Renewable Power Capital Renewable Power Capital is a London-headquartered pan-European renewables company established in 2020, with the backing of CPP Investments. RPC invests in the development, construction, and long-term operation of onshore wind, solar, and battery storage projects, enabling the energy transition and driving stable long-term, risk-adjusted returns. RPC's flexible mandate allows it to structure investments which recognise the changing market dynamics in Europe and create innovative solutions to build relationships designed for decades rather than months. RPC is led by a seasoned and established team of energy industry professionals with deep renewable power, technical, and operational expertise, and a strong common purpose. RPC aims to pioneer the European renewables sector, accelerating the already-rapid growth and playing a key role in making the energy transition a reality. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639927/First_deployment_of_the_Sungrow_PowerTitan_2_0_BESS_in_Finland_3.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1344575/Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/first-deployment-of-the-sungrow-powertitan-2-0-bess-in-finland-302399619.html The withdrawal of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is the latest sign of political turmoil in the region, but the direct impact on (re)insurance markets will be limited in the short term, according to a new commentary from AM Best In a new Best's Commentary, "(Re)Insurance Markets in West Africa: Navigating Uncertainty Amid Political Shifts," AM Best notes that while the insurance markets in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso remain relatively small, large commercial risks require reinsurance, which is predominantly provided through mandated cessions to national and regional carriers (and retroceded to international markets) and traditional reinsurance buying. These are expected to continue to play a critical role in risk-sharing, despite the three countries' exit from ECOWAS. The commentary also points out that Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso remain members of the Conference Interafricaine des Marches d'Assurances (CIMA), which manages insurance regulations across member countries in the region. AM Best does not expect to see any departures from CIMA, but such a move could lead to some regulatory uncertainty for (re)insurers operating in these markets. To access a complimentary copy of this commentary, please visit http://www3.ambest.com/bestweek/purchase.asp?record_code=351987. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com Copyright 2025 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250312227834/en/ Contacts: Katharine Campkin Financial Analyst +44 20 7397 4383 katharine.campkin@ambest.com Ghislain Le Cam Senior Director, Analytics +44 20 7397 0268 ghislain.lecam@ambest.com Richard Banks Director, Industry Research EMEA +44 20 7397 0322 richard.banks@ambest.com Edem Kuenyehia Director, Market Development Communications +44 20 7397 0280 edem.kuenyehia@ambest.com Research Publisher to help train the innovative AI model by providing access to a curated collection of Earth science research materials EVE will be piloted with 200 experts from ESA and authorized external researchers to refine the system's capabilities From the London Book Fair, Wiley (NYSE: WLY), one of the world's largest publishers and a global leader in research and learning, today announced it will provide access to a curated collection of Earth science research materials to help enhance the training and capabilities of the European Space Agency's Earth Virtual Expert (EVE). Wiley signed an agreement with Pi School, which is leading the development of the EVE project for ESA's F-lab. EVE is a fine-tuned large language model designed to transform how researchers and the public access and engage with Earth Observation and Earth science research and information. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250312910079/en/ Photo credit: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2024), processed by ESA. (Graphic: Business Wire) The EVE project, developed by Pi School with support from Imperative Space, is creating an innovative virtual expert capable of answering queries about Earth Observation and Earth science in natural language. Pi School's mission is to empower businesses and individuals by delivering cutting-edge AI solutions tailored to real-world challenges. The system will be built by enhancing an existing AI language model with specialized Earth science knowledge and the ability to reference and cite specific scientific sources in its responses. In support of this endeavor, Wiley will license a collection of published research, such as scientific journals, including those from the American Geophysical Union (AGU) publishing program, books from Wiley's Earth science portfolio, and Q&A courseware materials. A strong supporter of open science practices, AGU's contribution of content to the project will provide a key test of the beneficial use of AI technology for the geosciences with an emphasis on ethical use, transparency, and proper attribution. "This landmark agreement in support of the European Space Agency's EVE project represents a significant step forward in making authoritative scientific knowledge more accessible, actionable and attributable," said Jay Flynn, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Research Learning for Wiley. "Wiley's innovative collaboration with Pi School will help unlock new possibilities in Earth Observation research for scientists and researchers worldwide." During the initial phase, EVE will be piloted with 200 experts from ESA and authorized external researchers, who will help refine the system's capabilities. The platform will feature an innovative web interface designed to make Earth Observation information more accessible and impactful for both specialists and the broader public. Proper attribution guidelines will be followed. Registration for the pilot is now open, and interested people can join via this link. Additionally, a user-based survey to further shape EVE into the communities' desired use-cases can also be completed here. The project also features a communications website. "The development of EVE represents a key step toward F-lab's vision of broadening engagement with Earth Observation data," said Nicolas Longepe, Earth Observation Data Scientist at ESA F-lab. "This virtual expert aims to transform how users explore and understand Earth Observation insights in order to expand their understanding of our atmosphere, climate, and oceans." Wiley is committed to the responsible use of AI and has officially established core principles-focusing on the importance of human oversight, transparency, fairness, and appropriate governance-upon which its AI journey is grounded. Wiley is actively pursuing AI opportunities but also thoughtfully managing the risks. About ESA F-lab The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe's gateway to space. ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Learn more at www.esa.int. ESA F-lab accelerates the future of Earth Observation (EO) through disruptive and transformational innovation, aiming to strengthen the world-leading competitiveness of the European EO industrial and scientific sectors. About Pi School Pi School was founded in 2017 by Translated, a global leader in language technology solutions, to address the shortage of skilled AI professionals. Its flagship programme, The Pi School of AI, helps organisations integrate AI into business operations by selecting the world's top engineers and scientists and having them apply their academic knowledge to solving real-world challenges. This is done through an intensive eight-week programme that equips top scientists and engineers with advanced AI skills, focusing on creating MVP prototypes tailored to business needs. Since its inception, Pi School has trained over 230 AI experts and developed more than 100 MVPs for clients, including Amazon, Meta, ESA and the European Commission. Learn more at picampus-school.com. About Imperative Space Imperative Space is a multi-disciplinary innovation company working across media, education, communications, technology, and policy within the global space sector. Our mission is to drive growth and impact in the industry by leveraging space technologies to address global challenges and promote sustainable development. The company focuses on key areas including Earth Observation, Satellite Communications (SatComs), Space Exploration, Human Spaceflight, and Astronomy. For more information, please visit our website Imperative Space. About AGU AGU (www.agu.org) is a global community supporting more than half a million advocates and professionals in Earth and space sciences. Through broad and inclusive partnerships, AGU aims to advance discovery and solution science that accelerate knowledge and create solutions that are ethical, unbiased and respectful of communities and their values. From a single journal founded in 1896, AGU's publications has grown to include 24 high-impact journals, four active book series, and the Earth and Space Science Open Archive. In addition to scholarly publishing, AGU programs include convening virtual and in-person events and providing career support. We live our values in everything we do, such as our net zero energy renovated building in Washington, D.C. and our Ethics and Equity Center, which fosters a diverse and inclusive geoscience community to ensure responsible conduct. About Wiley Wiley (NYSE: WLY) is one of the world's largest publishers and a trusted leader in research and learning. Our industry-leading content, services, platforms, and knowledge networks are tailored to meet the evolving needs of our customers and partners, including researchers, students, instructors, professionals, institutions, and corporations. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram. All-Corporate-News All-Journals-and-Research View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250312910079/en/ Contacts: Geena De Rose gderose@wiley.com +1 908-723-6078 LONDON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, announces the extended 51-100 list of restaurants ahead of its live awards ceremony. This coveted list is created from the votes of the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Academy: an influential, gender-balanced group of 350-plus leaders made up of food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and regional culinary experts. The 51-100 list: a snapshot The 51-100 list includes restaurants from 23 cities, 13 of which are new entries Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul lead with six spots each on the extended list Seoul's six placements include Soigne , this year's highest new entrant on the extended list at No.57 , this year's highest new entrant on the extended list at No.57 Farmlore in Bengaluru, the 2025 recipient of the American Express One To Watch Award , debuts at No.68 in Bengaluru, the 2025 recipient of the , debuts at No.68 Naar (No.66) in Kasauli and Inja , New Delhi (No.87) are the other new entrants from India, with the former being a new destination as well (No.66) in Kasauli and , New Delhi (No.87) are the other new entrants from India, with the former being a new destination as well Among Hong Kong's six places on the list are newcomers Testina (No.60) and Feuille (No.93) (No.60) and (No.93) Ru Yuan (No.59) in Hangzhou and La Bourriche 133 (No.96) in Shanghai are new entries from Mainland China (No.59) in Hangzhou and (No.96) in Shanghai are new entries from Mainland China Tokyo claims four places with new entrant Harutaka at No.76 at No.76 Vientiane, Ubud, Hanoi and Penang debut as new destinations with Doi Ka Noi (No.86), Locavore NXT (No.92) Gia (No.97) and Au Jardin (No.100) respectively William Drew, Director of Content at Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, says: "Now in its fifth edition, we are delighted to unveil the 51-100 list, welcoming these outstanding establishments into this year's 50 Best rankings. Since introducing this list, the Academy has highlighted numerous restaurants that exemplify the region's incredible talent. This year's 13 new restaurants and overall representation from 23 cities - including 10 new destinations - reflect the region's dynamic and thriving gastronomic landscape. This extended list serves as both a guide and an invitation for the world's discerning diners to explore the array of exceptional experiences on offer." The 2025 list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants will be revealed at the awards ceremony held on 25 March 2025 in Seoul, in collaboration with host destination partner Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government. It will be livestreamed on 50 Best's YouTube channel, beginning at 20:00 KST. Media centre: https://mediacentre.theworlds50best.com/ Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639361/50_Best.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2618655/5211130/Asia_50_Best_2025_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/asias-50-best-restaurants-unveils-the-establishments-voted-onto-the-extended-51---100-list-for-2025-302398911.html BARCELONA, Spain, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- HUAWEI eKit made waves at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, with an extraordinary product launch ceremony themed Explore New Horizons and Create a Better Future Together. The event featured over 20 distribution products designed for nine key sectors including offices, hospitality, and education. HUAWEI eKit aims to drive digital and intelligent transformation and foster efficient growth strategies through continuous product innovation for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). With SMEs increasingly seeking high-performing, intelligent products, HUAWEI eKit has set out to meet these demands, launching over 20 new products across various domains. The datacom domain saw HUAWEI eKit introduce the eKitEngine AP572 and AP673E for high-density Wi-Fi 7 coverage in both classrooms and large conference rooms. It also created the eKitEngine S310 switch with 2.5 Gbit/s speed, all-optical access, and PoE on all 48 ports, catering to medium-sized campuses such as schools and business hotels. In addition, Huawei unveiled their cost-effective AI firewall eKitEngine USG6000F-S. In the MiniFTTO domain, HUAWEI eKit developed a three-in-one optical Wi-Fi 7 access point (AP) - eKitOptix F700D, the next-generation Wi-Fi 7 AP - eKitOptix FG736, the efficient solid-state drive - eKitStor Xtreme 200E, and the portable storage device - eKitStor Shield 210, which is known for its exceptional performance and state-of-the-art protection features. The intelligent collaboration domain saw HUAWEI eKit launch the IdeaHub S3, which redefines high-end conference experiences with its professional-grade 4K camera, high-fidelity cinematic sound, and advanced AI capabilities. These products offer SMEs a wide range of scenario-based solutions and premium maintenance experiences, driving seamless digital transformation and accelerating business growth. HUAWEI eKit has also upgraded its SME office network solution to better meet industry requirements. The new and improved solution now features a combination of high-density 2.5GE ports and Wi-Fi 7, in addition to the existing entry-level Wi-Fi 6 and cost-effective switch supporting both GE and 2.5GE. It is also capable of supporting 120 simultaneous HD video conferencing streams with zero lag, which provides SMEs with more advanced capabilities. Furthermore, the HUAWEI eKit app and SME Network Center (SNC) have introduced new features such as simplified troubleshooting 2.0 and streamlined expansion, improving overall maintenance efficiency for installers. Moving forward, HUAWEI eKit will collaborate globally to drive innovation and explore trends in emerging communication technologies. With a focus on developing new products and scenario-based solutions, Huawei will continue to offer robust support for SMEs and pave the way for an intelligent future. MWC Barcelona 2025 was held from March 3 to March 6 in Barcelona, Spain. During the event, Huawei showcased its latest products and solutions at stand 1H50 in Fira Gran Via Hall 1. In 2025, commercial 5G-Advanced deployment will accelerate, and AI will help carriers reshape business, infrastructure, and O&M. Huawei is actively working with carriers and partners around the world to accelerate the transition towards an intelligent world. For more information, please visit: https://carrier.huawei.com/en/events/mwc2025 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639874/image_986294_12082213.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/huawei-ekit-unveils-20-cutting-edge-products-to-propel-sme-digital-and-intelligent-transformation-302399625.html EQS Newswire / 12/03/2025 / 16:55 UTC+8 Sustainable development is a global goal. Energy conservation, emission reduction, and achieving zero emissions and carbon neutrality are important ways to reach this goal. Recently, Unity Group Holdings International Limited (1539.HK) hosted the International Carbon Emission Day Conference in Malaysia. At the event, Unity Group launched a structured carbon emission management plan and established a strategic partnership with Datuk Dr. Eric H'ng, a global expert in carbon emission standards and management. "We gather here as a global community to address climate change and transition from global warming to global cooling," said Mansfield Wong, Chairman and CEO of Unity Group. Global Carbon Emission Initiative Achieves Major Progress Unity Group, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2015, is an international ESG pioneer and leader in sustainable development. The group focuses on energy-saving solutions, renewable energy, ESG digitalization, and vertical indoor agriculture. In recent years, carbon emission rights have grown in importance. Based on total volume control and trading mechanisms, companies exceeding their allocated rights must purchase additional emission rights. This Conference gathered ESG practitioners from Malaysia, Australia, Chinese Mainland, Chinese Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Chinese Taiwan. This milestone event marks significant progress in global carbon emission collaboration. At the conference, Mansfield Wong outlined the company's phased sustainable development strategy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. During the conference, Unity Group formally established a strategic partnership with Datuk Dr. Eric H'ng, who has been appointed as Unity Group's Chief Researcher. Unity Group also launched a carbon emission management plan to help companies offset emissions and fund global sustainable projects. "Unity Group is the first company in the lighting industry to adopt carbon emission rights management globally," Datuk Dr. Eric H'ng stated at the meeting. The company achieves significant energy conservation and emission reduction by promoting highly efficient energy-saving lighting fixtures. Unity Group's ultra-high efficiency ESG lighting fixtures save 75% more energy than others on the market. It has also actively promoted these fixtures in Selangor, Malaysia. The project has been ongoing for two years and is now accelerating. The significant energy savings from these fixtures are laying the foundation for Unity Group to gain substantial carbon emission rights benefits. In recent years, global carbon emission rights trading volume has been increasing. With ongoing improvements in lighting energy efficiency, Unity Group is expected to generate significant income from carbon emission rights trading. At the meeting, Datuk Dr. Eric H'ng stated, "Malaysia ranks among Asia's highest in carbon emission pricing, with prices expected to double by 2030. Businesses must act now to offset emissions, and Unity Group is leading this trend." May Become the First Company Listed in Both China and Malaysia Unity Group was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2015 and has achieved significant development with capital market support. In recent years, the company has steadily grown and increased its influence in ESG and sustainable development. Unity Group has been planning a secondary listing in Malaysia, as previously announced. On November 20, 2024, the company disclosed it is discussing this plan with an advisor for a listing on the Malaysian Stock Exchange. Unity Group's secondary listing in Malaysia is progressing steadily. Once completed, it will become the first company listed in both Hong Kong and Malaysia. Its listing in Malaysia will significantly boost its liquidity and attract more diverse investors, potentially enhancing the company's valuation. This will also provide greater trading convenience for Malaysian investors, better reflecting the company's overall value. In addition, Unity Group has long been active in the Malaysian market, including a three-year collaboration with the Selangor State Government on ESG initiatives. Its secondary listing in Malaysia will further grow the company. In fact, as early as August 2024, Group subsidiary Synergy ESCO (Malaysia), reached a strategic cooperation with Malaysia's largest financial institution. Unity Group has gained a financing limit of 50 million ringgit (about 90 million Hong Kong dollars) from Malaysia's largest bank to support its ESG-compliant energy efficiency projects nationwide. With continued market expansion in Malaysia and progress on its secondary listing, the company is poised for faster growth. 12/03/2025 Dissemination of a Financial Press Release, transmitted by EQS News. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Media archive at www.todayir.com CASTRES, France, CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts and BASEL, Switzerland, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pierre Fabre Laboratories and RedRidge Bio ("RedRidge") today announced an exclusive R&D collaboration and license agreement to identify and develop biparatopic antibody (BPA) drug candidates against multiple targets. In line with Pierre Fabre Laboratories' innovation strategy, the partnership's therapeutic focus will be on precision oncology as well as dermatology and rare diseases. Under the terms of the agreement, RedRidge will provide its capabilities to engineer, screen and characterize BPAs against an undisclosed portfolio of jointly nominated targets, while Pierre Fabre Laboratories will provide their drug development expertise to help drive two co-development programs through clinical development. RedRidge will hold exclusive commercial rights in the United States, Canada, and Japan for both programs, while Pierre Fabre Laboratories will hold exclusive rest-of-world rights. In addition, Pierre Fabre Laboratories will hold exclusive worldwide rights for a third program after a hand-off by RedRidge at a preclinical stage. Financial terms of the agreement are not disclosed but include investment participation by Pierre Fabre Laboratories in RedRidge's Series A financing that will be announced separately, as well as upfront, milestone and future sales royalty payments in addition to funded research payments for Pierre Fabre Laboratories' worldwide program. RedRidge and Pierre Fabre Laboratories will share R&D costs for the co-development programs. "This strategic alliance attests to the RedRidge team's expertise in innovation and drug discovery for a wide variety of therapeutic targets. We are thrilled to join forces with Pierre Fabre Laboratories as a highly experienced development partner and look forward to building a long-term partnership that synergistically leverages the capabilities of each company," said Alex Mayweg, PhD, chairperson of RedRidge's board and a managing director at Versant Ventures. "Pierre Fabre Laboratories are excited to enter into this agreement with RedRidge, which confirms our commitment to collaborate with innovative biotechnology companies. This partnership will allow us to capitalize on RedRidge's cutting-edge expertise in biparatopic antibody drug discovery to deliver high quality clinical candidates on multiple targets addressing oncology, dermatology and rare diseases. It represents a significant milestone in the implementation of our strategy to enrich further our R&D pipeline," stated Francesco Hofmann, PhD, Head of Research and Development for Medical Care at Pierre Fabre Laboratories." Contact: laure.sgandurra@pierre-fabre.com PDF - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639721/Pierre%C2%A0Fabre_EN.pdf Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639725/Pierre%C2%A0Fabre_RedRidge_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/pierre-fabre-laboratories-and-redridge-bio-announce-a-drug-discovery-and-co-development-partnership-302399146.html Primary Hydrogen Corp. (TSXV:HDRO)(FRA:83W0)(OTCQB:HNATF) (the "Company" or "Primary"), a leading exploration company focused on identifying and developing natural hydrogen resources, is pleased to announce its expansion into the United States of America ("USA") through its acquisition of the Dove Creek project. The Company has been working with several consultants to evaluate opportunities throughout the USA that are prospective to host significant accumulations of natural hydrogen. A number of regions throughout the continental United States have been identified based on prospectivity for natural hydrogen systems by comprising a source, reservoir and seal. The Dove Creek hydrogen project in Colorado represents the first project acquisition as part of a systematic expansion of the Company's project portfolio into the USA. "Recognizing the importance of a US project portfolio in order to serve the largest market in North America, this acquisition represents the first stage of execution on our US expansion strategy" commented Benjamin Asuncion, CEO of Primary Hydrogen. "The combination of a viable hydrogen source, structural migration pathways, and supporting geophysical evidence positions Dove Creek as a significant target for further natural hydrogen assessment and exploration." Dove Creek Project, Colorado The Dove Creek project is located in southwestern Colorado near the Colorado-Utah border within the borders of the Paradox Basin and near the San Juan Basin to the south and the Uinta-Piceance Basin to the north. The prospectivity of the project is underscored by the potential for natural hydrogen generated by radiolysis of uranium-rich basement rocks. The presence of deep-seated fault systems in the region provides potential migration pathways for hydrogen, which may accumulate in structural or stratigraphic traps. Geophysical data reveal strong gravity anomalies corresponding to fault structures and magnetic anomalies linked to deep crustal features. Additionally, the presence of helium wells in the area indicates active subsurface gas migration, a factor that could be favorable for hydrogen prospectivity. The Dove Creek project is comprised of 744 acres of mineral claims within the Bureau of Land Management which allows the Company to undertake initial exploration and evaluation of the region while contemporaneously expanding and securing additional rights for hydrogen production. Peter Lauder, P.Geo. (ON), VP Exploration at Primary Hydrogen Corp., is the Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 who has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release. About Primary Hydrogen Corp. Primary Hydrogen is committed to pioneering the natural hydrogen sector, leveraging cutting-edge exploration techniques to identify and develop sustainable energy solutions. The Company has an extensive portfolio of properties covering over 210 square kilometres across Canada including the Blakelock and Hopkins projects in Ontario, the Mary's Harbour project in Labrador, the Point Rosie project in Newfoundland, and the Crooked Amphibolite, Coquihalla, and Cogburn projects in British Columbia. The Company also holds the Arthur Lake copper project in British Columbia. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Ben Asuncion Chief Executive Officer Primary Hydrogen Corp. Email: ben@primaryh2.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this news release only. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the potential for natural hydrogen at the Dove Creek project and the acquisition of additional rights in the region of the Dove Creek project including, but not limited to, oil and gas leases. Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of their officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate, that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the parties can give no assurance that such statements will prove to be correct. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. There are risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information. Forward-looking statements are based on certain material assumptions and analysis made by the Company and the opinions and estimates of management as of the date of this news release. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including, but not limited to, the risk that the Company will not be successful in identifying natural hydrogen at the Dove Creek project or, even if natural hydrogen is identified, the risk that it may not be able to be economically extracted, the risk that the Company is not able to secure the rights to the extraction of natural hydrogen at the Dove Creek project through the acquisition of oil and gas leases,inherent risks associated with the mining industry and the results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties, stock market volatility and capital market fluctuations, general market and industry conditions, as well as those risk factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed management's discussion and analysis filed under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial outlook that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. SOURCE: Primary Hydrogen Corp. Ende Mai leitete US-Prasident Donald Trump mit der Unterzeichnung mehrerer Dekrete eine weitreichende Wende in der amerikanischen Energiepolitik ein. Im Fokus: der beschleunigte Ausbau der Kernenergie. Mit einem umfassenden Manahmenpaket sollen Genehmigungsprozesse reformiert, kleinere Reaktoren gefordert und der Anteil von Atomstrom in den USA massiv gesteigert werden. Ausloser ist der explodierende Energiebedarf durch KI-Rechenzentren, der eine stabile, CO-arme Grundlastversorgung zwingend notwendig macht. In unserem kostenlosen Spezialreport erfahren Sie, welche 3 Unternehmen jetzt im Zentrum dieser energiepolitischen Neuausrichtung stehen, und wer vom kommenden Boom der Nuklearindustrie besonders profitieren konnte. Holen Sie sich den neuesten Report! Verpassen Sie nicht, welche Aktien besonders von der Energiewende in den USA profitieren durften, und laden Sie sich das Gratis-PDF jetzt kostenlos herunter. Dieses exklusive Angebot gilt aber nur fur kurze Zeit! Daher jetzt downloaden! WNS (Holdings) Limited (WNS) ("Company" or "WNS") (NYSE: WNS), a digital-led business transformation and services company, today announced the appointment of Sylvie Ouziel to the Company's Board of Directors effective April 1, 2025. She will also become a member of the Company's Audit Committee. Sylvie brings more than 30 years of experience in building, growing, and leading technology-led global services and software companies. Sylvie is CEO and co-founder of Blue Bridge, an AI-augmented system integration company, and senior business advisor to Univers. Most recently, Sylvie was the CEO of Shared Platforms for Publicis Groupe S.A., one of the world's largest communications groups. She was responsible for the company's proprietary data-led AI platform (Marcel), strategic technology partnerships, and managing the more than 5,000-person global shared services group. Prior to joining Publicis, Sylvie was International President of Envision Digital (now Univers), an AI IoT technology solutions provider focused on helping sustainability efforts for businesses and governments. Before Envision, Sylvie was with Allianz SE, the Germany-based global insurance leader, where she served as Global CEO of Allianz Assistance and oversaw the real-time B2B2C service delivery for clients around the world. Prior to this role, Sylvie was CEO of Allianz Managed Operations and Services with responsibility for all digital (including infrastructure and applications) and non-digital shared services. Sylvie also spent 20 years at Accenture driving client transformation, most recently as Global Chief Operating Officer of Management Consulting. She is an experienced public and private company Board member having worked with firms across geographies and industries. "Sylvie brings a demonstrated track record of transformational leadership in technology services and AI, which will help WNS to continue to create value for clients by combining data, digital, and domain," said Tim Main, WNS' Chairman of the Board. "We are pleased to welcome her to the WNS Board and believe that her digital transformation expertise and business acumen will add significant value to the Company." About WNS WNS (Holdings) Limited (NYSE: WNS) is a digital-led business transformation and services company. WNS combines deep domain expertise with talent, technology, and AI to co-create innovative solutions for over 600 clients across various industries. WNS delivers an entire spectrum of solutions including industry-specific offerings, customer experience services, finance and accounting, human resources, procurement, and research and analytics to re-imagine the digital future of businesses. As of December 31, 2024, WNS had 63,390 professionals across 66 delivery centers worldwide including facilities in Canada, China, Costa Rica, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For more information, visit www.wns.com. Safe Harbor Provision This document includes information which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied are discussed in our most recent Form 20-F and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. WNS undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250311586326/en/ Contacts: Investors David Mackey EVP Finance Head of Investor Relations WNS (Holdings) Limited +1 (646) 908-2615 david.mackey@wns.com Media Archana Raghuram EVP Global Head Marketing Communications WNS (Holdings) Limited +91 (22) 4095 2397 archana.raghuram@wns.com; pr@wns.com MUNICH, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Since 1975, 20 renowned international artists have created BMW Art Cars. The "rolling sculptures" - from Alexander Calder's first-ever Art Car to Julie Mehretu's latest - offer an impressive cross-section of art history over the past five decades. To mark the anniversary, the BMW Art Car World Tour features the largest exhibition programme in the history of the series, spanning all five continents. "The BMW Art Car Collection celebrates 50 years of artistic freedom and visionary design. The 20 vehicles have become international icons, telling stories of society, technology and performance," says Ilka Horstmeier, Board Member for Human Resources and Real Estate at BMW Group. The BMW Art Car World Tour kicks off in Europe and Asia. On 20-21 March, BMW Art Cars by Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, David Hockney and Jeff Koons will be showcased in Vienna at the Museum of Applied Arts and the SPARK Art Fair. Meanwhile, the 20th BMW Art Car by Julie Mehretu will embark on an Asian tour and be displayed at Art Basel in Hong Kong (28-30 March). Next to a special exhibition at the BMW Museum, upcoming stops of the tour include international art fairs (et al. Art Dubai, Market Art Fair in Stockholm) and institutions as well as museums and platforms for classic automobiles (e.g. Concorso d'Eleganza at Lake Como, Louwman Museum in The Hague). In addition to the tour, BMW is releasing various lifestyle products and art car miniatures as well as a new book in celebration of the anniversary. "I love that car. It has turned out better than the artwork." Andy Warhol, BMW Art Car #4, 1979 Further information and image material at: https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/article/topic/9537/art-car/ Contact: Christiane Pyka Spokesperson BMW Group Cultural Engagement Email: Christiane.Pyka@bmwgroup.com Picture is available at AP View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bmw-art-car-collection-celebrates-50th-anniversary-with-global-tour-302399096.html Hundreds of Civilians Have Been Killed By Syria's Islamist Government Hundreds of civilians, including Christians, were "indiscriminately" massacred last Friday (7th March) in north-west Syria, aggravating the existing fear and uncertainty in the country, according to local sources. A contact in Latakia -- who requested anonymity for security reasons -- told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that last Friday was "a very black and painful day" in the coastal cities of Latakia, Jableh, Baniyas, Tartus and the surrounding villages. The ACN source said that the "massacres against many Alawites, often indiscriminately [were] in response to an ambush by some Alawite militants that killed about 20 members of the new security forces. "The number of victims is very sad -- the majority were civilians, more than 600, who lost their lives, including young people, women, university doctors and pharmacists. "Some families with their children were killed in cold blood." The local contact added that Christians were among the deceased, such as "a father and son from an Evangelical church in Latakia who were stopped in their car and killed, as well as the father of a priest in Baniyas". The source explained that homes and vehicles were also looted, and some families were forced to take refuge with Sunni friends. They added that in the Christian village of Belma, "where there are no weapons and most of the residents are elderly, the population endured two days of terror, with the sanctity of homes violated and property stolen". Bishop Hanna Jallouf, Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo and head of the Latin Church in Syria, sent a statement to ACN yesterday (Sunday, 9th March): "We would like to express our deep concern about the attacks that have occurred and are still occurring against innocent civilians, especially children, women and the elderly, during the confrontation with those who wanted to destabilise the country. "We join the voice of every honest and patriotic person in this country, emphasising our rejection of all forms of violence, revenge, and retaliation based on sectarian and religious grounds. "We appeal to the country's authorities to quickly put an end to these attacks, which are inconsistent with all human, moral and religious values. "We also stress the need to hold all those involved accountable without hesitation..." His statement concluded: "We reaffirm once again the unity of the Syrian territories with all its components and reject the division of the country under any name. "We pray for mercy for all the innocent martyrs who fell on the soil of this country and for peace and security for our beloved country, Syria." Patriarch John X of the Antiochian Greek Orthodox Church said in his homily yesterday: "The sanctities and dignities of the people have been violated, and the slogans and chants being used are spreading division, fuelling sectarianism, and undermining civil peace." He added: "The icon of the Virgin Mary has been smashed, trampled upon, and desecrated. "She is the Virgin Mary, whom all Muslims honour alongside us, and whom the Holy Qur'an dedicated an entire chapter to -- Surah Maryam -- affirming that God chose her and made her the most honoured among all women of the world." Regina Lynch, Executive President of ACN (International), said: "In these moments of pain and suffering, we turn to the only true source of peace: prayer. "We ask all the faithful to raise their voices to the Lord, trusting in his love and power to bring comfort to those who need it most." "May Our Lady of Syria protect the people in this country, that has endured too many wounds over the past decade." Ms Lynch concluded: "Now, more than ever, we must pray for its healing and future. May faith keep us united and may hope in Christ illuminate this suffering nation." Store-led livestreaming drives revenue growth People's Daily Online) 14:43, March 12, 2025 A staff member of Suzhou Lingyun Craft Fan Factory sells fans during a livestream. (File photo) As the digital economy and the real economy become more intertwined, livestreams held by brands or stores on their own online platforms have emerged as a dominant e-commerce model, providing businesses with new growth opportunities and demonstrating strong commercial and social value. Unlike influencer or celebrity-led sales, these livestreams are typically conducted by store employees, professional hosts, or guest presenters who directly showcase, explain, and sell products to consumers. From February 2024 to January 2025, the number of brands hosting livestreams on the short-video platform Douyin surged by 113 percent year on year. Among merchants generating revenue through livestreams, 69 percent relied on store-led sessions. More than 1,000 merchants achieved sales exceeding 100 million yuan (about $13.8 million), while 21,000 surpassed 10 million yuan. In the first 11 months of 2024, livestreaming e-commerce in China generated 4.3 trillion yuan in sales, with store-led livestreams accounting for nearly 52 percent of the total. Sheng Chun, a representative inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of fan making craft in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, founded Suzhou Lingyun Craft Fan Factory and the "Shengfengtang" brand with her husband in 1997. After more than 20 years of dedication, they now operate a production facility covering nearly 3,000 square meters, with a team of over 80 designers and artisans. In 2020, "Shengfengtang" entered the livestreaming market, and within three years, livestreaming on Douyin accounted for 90 percent of its total sales. According to Douyin e-commerce data, in the past year, over 30,000 merchants surpassed 1 million yuan in their first-year livestreaming sales, while more than 162,000 merchants doubled their revenue. In 2024, the number of agricultural merchants earning revenue through this model grew by 172 percent, with over 10,000 surpassing 1 million yuan in sales. Digital platforms have become a key channel for boosting sales of agricultural products. "Store-led livestreams aren't just an extended sales channelthey are a bridge that fosters deeper connections between brands and consumers," said Wang Yixin, vice director of the China Association of Small and Medium Commercial Enterprises. Wang emphasized that e-commerce platforms play a vital role in driving economic flow and market vitality. In 2024, livestreams held by stores on Douyin accounted for more than 30 percent of total livestreaming sales on the platform. For two consecutive years, store-led livestreaming has outperformed influencer-driven sales. The rise of store-led livestreams has ignited new consumer demand. This model has not only lowered merchants operating costs but also created a direct communication bridge between brands, businesses, and younger consumer groups. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) On the sidelines of CERAWeek 2025 in Houston, major companies join forces for the first time to launch a pioneering cross-sector pledge to emphasize nuclear energy's essential role in enhancing energy security, resiliency and providing continuous clean energy. The group, which includes Google, Amazon, Meta, and Dow, joins 14 major global banks and financial institutions, 140 nuclear industry companies, and 31 countries in supporting the goal to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050. HOUSTON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, a cross-industry group of large energy users signed a pledge supporting the goal of at least tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050. This is the first time major businesses beyond the nuclear sector have come together to publicly back an extensive and concerted expansion of nuclear power to meet increasing global energy demand. They also urge other energy users to support the goal to triple nuclear energy. The collective call, facilitated by World Nuclear Association, brings together global companies recognizing their need for nuclear's clean, firm and abundant energy to power their future growth, while also meeting goals of greater energy resiliency and security. This group of companies acknowledge government support and advocate for equal access to finance for nuclear energy. Founding signatories at CERAWeek include: Amazon, Google, Meta, Dow, Occidental, Allseas, OSGE, and IHI. The Pledge is expected to gain more support over the coming months, reflecting growing interest in nuclear power from industries as diverse as maritime, aviation and oil & gas. The Pledge recognizes nuclear's potential to expand beyond traditional grid electricity, providing abundant, continuous energy to support successful and cost-competitive operations for energy users. It continues by highlighting how nuclear can provide clean energy for increased electrification, and a range of economic activity and industrial processes, including the technology sector, synergies with the oil & gas industry, and the provision of industrial process heat - for which nuclear is the most credible and scalable clean source. During CERAWeek, many of the companies, alongside policymakers and the wider nuclear industry, gathered to discuss how nuclear energy fits into their businesses' future strategic plans because it offers an abundant and reliable source of power needed for their growing operations. This pledge demonstrates the demand and support for innovation, investment, and collaboration to achieve global ambitions of industry and countries. Quotes from supporting organizations Lucia Tian, Head of Clean Energy & Decarbonization Technologies, Google, said: "We are proud to sign a pledge in support of tripling nuclear capacity by 2050, as nuclear power will be pivotal in building a reliable, secure, and sustainable energy future. Google will continue to work alongside our partners to accelerate the commercialization of advanced nuclear technologies that can provide the around-the-clock clean energy necessary to meet growing electricity demand around the world." Brandon Oyer, Head of Americas Energy and Water for Amazon Web Services, said: "Accelerating nuclear energy development will be critical to strengthening our nation's security, meeting future energy demands, and addressing climate change. Amazon supports the World Nuclear Association's pledge, and is proud to have invested more than $1 billion over the last year in nuclear energy projects and technologies, which is part of our broader Climate Pledge commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040." Urvi Parekh, Head of Global Energy, Meta, said: "As global economies expand, the need for a reliable, clean, and resilient energy supply is paramount. Nuclear energy, with its ability to provide continuous power, can help meet this rising demand. "We're excited to join alongside this multi-organizational effort with the Tripling Nuclear Pledge to reiterate our commitment to nuclear energy." Edward Stones, Business Vice President, Dow Energy & Climate, said: "Energy is the lifeblood of global manufacturing and therefore investing and expanding access to clean, reliable, cost-competitive nuclear energy is critical to industrial progress. Dow considers nuclear energy, especially the promising technology of advanced small modular nuclear, to be a long-term competitive source of safe, firm and clean energy." Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General of World Nuclear Association, which represents the global nuclear industry and led the Pledge initiative, said: "The unprecedented support announced today by some of the world's most influential companies to at least triple global nuclear capacity by 2050 sends a clear signal to accelerate policy, finance and regulatory changes that enable the rapid expansion of nuclear power. The global shift towards more nuclear highlights this is the only way we'll deliver the abundant firm clean energy required to power growth and innovation in technology, a host of other industries and the entire economy." Laurent Odeh, Chief Commercial Officer for Urenco, which provides enriched uranium to fuel existing and new-design reactors, said: "It will be a lot harder to address environmental concerns while facilitating economic development in the world without the reliable, 24/7 baseload power nuclear energy provides. This support from large energy users is another sign for governments to enable new nuclear projects so we can accelerate construction and meet the energy needs of both industry and the public." Note to editors The announcement will take place at World Nuclear Association's event at Innovation Agora on Wednesday evening. If you're at CERA week, you can join the event here. Nuclear energy generates 9% of the world's electricity from 439 power reactors. Beyond electricity, nuclear reactors have been used for desalination, district heating and process heat, with 750 reactor operating years of experience. Global energy consumption is projected to continue growing at around 4% annually, according to the International Energy Agency. About Tripling Global Nuclear Energy Capacity Initially launched at World Nuclear Symposium in September 2023 and in partnership with Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation ahead of COP28 in Dubai, the goal to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050 has earned support from 31 countries through the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy and more than 140 nuclear industry companies through an accompanying industry pledge. Fourteen of the world's largest financial institutions backed the goal in September 2024. Now, they have been joined by a cross-sector group of large energy users that have endorsed the same goal, publicly at a conference that covers the entire energy sector. The Large Energy Users Pledge was led by World Nuclear Association and its strategic partners within the Net Zero Nuclear initiative, including CERAWeek Event Co-Host Urenco Group and Cameco Corporation. If your company relies on clean, firm energy for future growth, now is the time to act. Join us in advocating for the expansion of nuclear energy and sign the Large Energy Users Pledge. For more information about joining the Pledge, please contact pippa.eames@world-nuclear.org About World Nuclear Association World Nuclear Association is the international organisation that represents the global nuclear industry. Its mission is to promote a wider understanding of nuclear energy among key international influencers by producing authoritative information, developing common industry positions, and contributing to the energy debate, as well as to pave the way for expanding nuclear business. For more information, visit world-nuclear.org Media Contact: Henry Preston via press@world-nuclear.org View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/major-global-companies-pledge-historic-support-to-triple-nuclear-energy-302399677.html 30,000 tons a year of green hydrogen supplied to TotalEnergies' Leuna refinery 300,000 tons a year of CO 2 emissions prevented at the Leuna refinery The largest green hydrogen contract with an electrolyzer in Germany In line with its 2030 ambition to decarbonize the hydrogen used in its European refineries, TotalEnergies has signed an agreement with the German developer RWE to supply 30,000 tons a year of green hydrogen to the German Leuna refinery for fifteen years, beginning in 2030. The green hydrogen will be produced by a 300 MW electrolyzer, built and operated by RWE in Lingen. Green hydrogen storage will be provided locally. The green hydrogen will be delivered by a 600 km pipeline to the gates of the refinery and will prevent the site's emission of some 300,000 tons of CO2 beginning in 2030. This is the largest quantity of green hydrogen ever contracted from an electrolyzer in Germany. "We are looking forward to developing further our partnership with RWE, our partner in several offshore wind projects in Germany and the Netherlands. This long-term green contract for green hydrogen marks an important milestone to reducing our CO2 emissions at our Leuna refinery. It will be made possible thanks to the completion of the H2 backbone by German authorities and their efficient support to green H2 customers like our Leuna refinery," said Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies. "We are proud to have secured the first long-term offtake agreement for green hydrogen of this size with TotalEnergies in Germany. Six months after the investment decision for the construction of the 300-megawatt electrolysis plant in Lingen, we have acquired an important anchor customer in TotalEnergies. This shows that hydrogen works with the right incentives for customers," said Markus Krebber, Chief Executive Officer of RWE. TotalEnergies and the decarbonization of its European refineries TotalEnergies is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of producing, converting and supplying energy to its customers. One of the pathways identified by the Company is using low-carbon hydrogen to decarbonize its European refineries, a move that should help reduce its annual CO2 emissions by around three million tons by 2030. In order to fully decarbonize the hydrogen the Company uses in its European refineries, it has already contracted over 200,000 tons of various forms of green and renewable hydrogen a year for its sites at La Mede, Grandpuits and Normandy in France, in Leuna in Germany, for its northern European refineries and in Antwerp in Belgium and Zeeland in the Netherlands. About TotalEnergies TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to provide as many people as possible with energy that is more reliable, more affordable and more sustainable. Active in about 120 countries, TotalEnergies places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, its projects and its operations. @TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies Cautionary Note The terms "TotalEnergies", "TotalEnergies company" or "Company" in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies' financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250312918254/en/ Contacts: TotalEnergies Contacts Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR Investor Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com Agentic AI emerges as a priority for operating model transformation Effective employee engagement and change management improve AI success by up to 18 percentage points BENGALURU, India, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys Knowledge Institute (IKI), a research arm of Infosys (NSE: INFY) (BSE: INFY) (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today unveiled its largest survey of AI effectiveness to date. Titled Infosys AI Business Value Radar, the report surveyed 3,240 companies worldwide across 132 different AI business use cases and highlights a significant shift in AI deployment. Many organizations are now transitioning from experimentation to scaled deployment, thanks to decreasing costs and increasing success rates. The research reveals that 19% of AI use cases deliver on all their business objectives, while another 32% show promise by partially meeting their objectives. The research indicates that organizations prioritizing core, transformational AI use cases are more likely to achieve business objectives. As AI costs decline in the future, the research data indicates these transformational use cases will rapidly begin to deliver more effective business outcomes. Well-designed change management strategies combined with robust employee training efforts enhance AI deployment success rates by up to 18 percentage points. These findings underline the growing potential of enterprise AI to deliver business value across industries, when supported by bold action focused on reshaping business processes, employee training and data architecture to ensure success. Key Findings and Recommendations from the Infosys AI Business Value Radar Report High-performing Industries: White-collar and technically focused industries, such as professional services, life sciences, high tech, telecommunications, and insurance tend to achieve more success from AI. Financial services are the only white-collar industry that ranks just below average on performance, likely due to regulatory and data modernization challenges. However, AI is not benefiting all industries equally: Travel and hospitality, manufacturing, retail, and the public sector struggle to achieve consistent success. Top Use Cases: IT, operations, and facilities is the most pursued AI use case category, with 38% of respondents implementing it. This is followed by cybersecurity, resilience, and software development, with 30% pursuing these categories. Use cases in these categories are 10%-15% more likely to succeed. The next most pursued are marketing, customer service, and sales. Industry-specific applications, such as claims processing in insurance and clinical trials in life sciences, tend to improve core business operations. These use cases typically require transformation of data and technical architecture. Change Management: Only 16% of companies have implemented effective change management and employee training for AI. Companies that have taken initial steps to address AI can nearly double their likelihood of success with AI deployments by fully investing in workforce AI readiness. Key Recommendations: The report recommends these five critical steps to become AI-first and generate business value from AI deployments: Accelerate agentic AI as a route to operating model transformation. as a route to operating model transformation. Speed up innovation by simultaneous experimenting through an AI foundry and AI factory model. by simultaneous experimenting through an AI foundry and AI factory model. Prepare employees by investing in training to achieve an 18-percentage point uplift in use case success. by investing in training to achieve an 18-percentage point uplift in use case success. Adopt a product-centric mindset to support AI operating models. to support AI operating models. Create an AI governance task force to reduce risk and improve accountability. Satish H C, EVP, Chief Delivery Officer, Infosys, said, "Enterprise AI is ready to scale. With effective use of data architecture, operating models, and employee readiness, businesses can accelerate their adoption of AI to achieve measurable success. Our research indicates that agentic AI is critical to operating model transformation. We expect this to develop significantly over the coming year to become the driving force of enterprise transformation as it reshapes business processes, operating models, and technical architectures." Jeff Kavanaugh, Head of Infosys Knowledge Institute, said, "In our largest AI research to date, we have uncovered the drivers of AI business success. Organizations that go beyond experimentation and fundamentally change their operating model, as well as support their employees through the journey, are most likely to thrive in the era of Enterprise AI." To read the full report with detailed insights, please visit here. About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. Over 300,000 of our people work to amplify human potential and create the next opportunity for people, businesses and communities. We enable clients in more than 56 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer clients, as they navigate their digital transformation powered by cloud and AI. We enable them with an AI-first core, empower the business with agile digital at scale and drive continuous improvement with always-on learning through the transfer of digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. We are deeply committed to being a well-governed, environmentally sustainable organization where diverse talent thrives in an inclusive workplace. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE, BSE, NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, or our future financial or operating performance, are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding the execution of our business strategy, increased competition for talent, our ability to attract and retain personnel, increase in wages, investments to reskill our employees, our ability to effectively implement a hybrid work model, economic uncertainties and geo-political situations, technological disruptions and innovations such as Generative AI, the complex and evolving regulatory landscape including immigration regulation changes, our ESG vision, our capital allocation policy and expectations concerning our market position, future operations, margins, profitability, liquidity, capital resources, our corporate actions including acquisitions, and cybersecurity matters. Important factors that may cause actual results or outcomes to differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements are discussed in more detail in our US Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/4364085/Infosys_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/enterprise-ai-takes-center-stage-as-over-50-of-ai-use-cases-now-deliver-impact-infosys-research-302399717.html UAE National Media Office announces a non-profit to drive innovation, sustainability, and authenticity in media WASHINGTON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a bold move to redefine the future of global media, the UAE National Media Office today unveiled BRIDGE, a groundbreaking initiative designed to create a dynamic and inclusive ecosystem that empowers media professionals, fosters innovation, and champions responsible journalism in the digital age. The initiative will be powered by a non-profit vehicle, the BRIDGE Foundation. The initiative was launched by His Excellency Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the UAE National Media Office, alongside His Excellency Dr. Jamal Mohammed Obaid Al Kaabi, Director-General of the UAE National Media Office, and Richard Attias, Founder & Chairman, Richard Attias & Associates. The event brought together a powerhouse of journalists, publishers, innovators, investors, policymakers, and thought leaders from around the world, united by a common goal: to shape the future of media through collaboration, innovation, and strategic action. "Media is the pulse of a thriving society. It informs and inspires us, it shapes global perceptions and influences international dialogues, and it connects cultures from around the world," said H.E. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed. "By convening the brightest minds from across the global media landscape, this initiative will empower the next generation of storytellers, invest in ethical AI, champion press freedoms, and ensure that authenticity and integrity remain at the core of our industry." As the media grapples with AI-driven disruptions, shifting audience behaviors, and evolving business models, BRIDGE seeks to provide a global forum for thought leadership, investment, and technological advancement. The initiative will serve as a catalyst for future-focused media strategies, equipping industry professionals with the tools, networks, and insights needed to thrive in an era of digital transformation. "This platform is built on the belief that partnerships, not silos, will define the future - particularly when it comes to media. The media is not just a witness to history; it is a force that shapes it," said Richard Attias. BRIDGE functions as a year-round platform for engagement, collaboration, and action, culminating with the world's largest and most influential gathering of media in Abu Dhabi on December 8-10, 2025. "BRIDGE is designed to tackle the most pressing challenges of our industry and deliver real-world solutions. It is not just about dialogue-it is about economic opportunity," said H.E. Dr. Jamal Mohammed Obaid Al Kaabi. "At our flagship December conference, the BRIDGE Showcase and Marketplace will be a launchpad for startups, a deal-making hub for investors, and a catalyst for business collaboration." BRIDGE will build upon the UAE's position as a leader in innovation, investment, and AI policy. Further details on the initiative's strategic partnerships, objectives, and roadmap will be revealed in Abu Dhabi this December. For more information, visit The United Arab Emirates National Media Office. Contact : Maryam bin Fahad | mfahad@nmo.gov.ae Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639792/Abdullah_bin_Mohammed_bin_Butti_Al_Hamed.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/uae-launches-bridge-a-global-initiative-to-transform-the-media-landscape-302399389.html BEIJING, CHINA / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 / First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd. ("First High-School Education Group" or the "Company") (OTCQB:FHSEY), an education service provider primarily focusing on high schools in Western China, today announced the completion of the merger (the "Merger") contemplated under an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement") the Company entered into with One Education Holding Limited, an exempted company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of the Cayman Islands ("Parent") and One Education Merger Limited, an exempted company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of the Cayman Islands and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent ("Merger Sub"), on November 22, 2024, pursuant to which Merger Sub merged with and into the Company, effective as of March 10, 2025 (the "Effective Time"), with the Company being the surviving company. As a result of the Merger, the Company became a private company wholly owned by Parent, the American depositary shares of the Company (the "ADSs"), each of which represented three Class A ordinary shares of the Company ("Class A Ordinary Shares"), are no longer quoted on the OTC Market, and the Company's ADS program was terminated. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement and the plan of merger for the Merger, at the Effective Time, (i) each ordinary share of the Company (each an "Ordinary Share") issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than the Excluded Shares (as defined in the Merger Agreement), the Dissenting Shares (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and any Class A Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs) was cancelled and ceased to exist in exchange for the right to receive US$0.05 in cash per Ordinary Share without interest (the "Per Share Merger Consideration"), and (ii) each ADS (other than ADSs representing the Excluded Shares) issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, together with the underlying Class A Ordinary Shares represented by such ADSs, was cancelled and ceased to exist in exchange for the right to receive US$0.15 in cash per ADS without interest, less an ADS cancellation fee of US$0.05 per ADS, and any applicable expenses, taxes and other governmental charges. Because Merger Sub owned over 90% of the voting power represented by all issued and outstanding shares of the Company prior to the effectiveness of the Merger and the Merger was in the form of a short-form merger in accordance with Section 233(7) of the Cayman Islands Companies Act, the Merger was not subject to a vote of the shareholders of the Company. The Company intends to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a Form 15 suspending the Company's reporting obligations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Company's obligations to file with or furnish to the SEC certain reports and forms, including Form 20-F and Form 6-K, will be suspended immediately as of the filing date of the Form 15 and will terminate once the deregistration becomes effective. In connection with the Merger, Zhongqin Asset Appraisal Co., Ltd. is serving as financial advisor to the committee of independent and disinterested directors established by the Company's board of directors (the "Special Committee"). Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation is serving as U.S. legal counsel to the Special Committee. Loeb Smith is serving as Cayman Islands legal counsel to the Special Committee. CKM Legal is serving as U.S. legal counsel to the buyer group. Appleby is serving as Cayman Islands legal counsel to the buyer group. About First High-School Education Group First High-School Education Group is an education service provider primarily focusing on high schools in Western China. The Company aspires to become a leader and innovator of private high school education in China, with the focuses on a comprehensive education management integrating education information consulting, education research project development, education talent management, education technology management, education service management, and general vocational integration development services. For more information, please visit https://ir.diyi.top/. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the expected trading commencement and closing dates. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: the uncertainties related to market conditions and the completion of the public offering on the anticipated terms or at all, and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the preliminary prospectus filed with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: First High-School Education Group Tommy Zhou Chief Financial Officer E-mail: tommyzhou@dygz.com Customer Service E-mail: FHS_info@dygz.com Phone: 010-62555966 (9:30-12:00, 13:30-16:00 CST) SOURCE: First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd. Organic Food Veteran to Accelerate Nepra's Allergen-Free Innovation Nepra Foods Inc. (CSE:NPRA)(FSE:2P6)(OTC PINK:NPRFF) ("Nepra" or the "Company"), a specialty food company focused on innovative, allergen-free, and gluten-free ingredient technologies, is proud to announce the appointment of Mark Retzloff as Chairman of the Board of Directors. With over 51 years shaping the natural, organic, and sustainable food sectors, Retzloff's leadership will accelerate Nepra's growth and mission to support global food manufacturers with next-generation, healthy ingredients. A Visionary Leader to Drive Progress "Nepra Foods is thrilled to have Mark Retzloff onboard. His unparalleled experience and visionary approach to sustainable food systems make him the ideal leader to guide and accelerate our strategic direction," said Billy Hogan, CEO of Nepra Foods. "His appointment comes at a pivotal time as we expand our product offerings and redefine healthy, sustainable food production for the 21st century." "I am immensely honored to have Mark join the Nepra team" said Chadwick White, CVO of Nepra Foods. "With his direction, Nepra will be able to more quickly fulfill its long-term mission to improve our food system. Mark opens doors for us with relationships that would have taken Nepra years to develop, I am beyond excited and thankful!" As Chairman, Retzloff will leverage his extensive industry insights and networks to supercharge Nepra's commitment to high-quality, regenerative foods. His expertise in scaling businesses and advocating for organic practices will propel the Company forward in the growing allergen-free market, projected to reach USD $14 billion by 2032 (Statista, 2024). Retzloff shared his enthusiasm: "I'm excited to join Nepra Foods at this transformative time in the food industry. I see tremendous potential in their dedication to quality and innovation, and together, we can lead the charge toward a more sustainable, health-conscious food system." About Mark Retzloff Mark Retzloff's 51-year career began as a University of Michigan student, co-founding Eden Foods in Ann Arbor. He later established Rainbow Grocery in Denver and Alfalfa's Markets in Boulder, which merged with Wild Oats Markets in 1996. As Chairman of the Organic Food Alliance, he helped pass the 1990 Organic Food Production Act. Retzloff co-founded Horizon Organic Dairy in Broomfield, Colorado, serving as Chairman, CEO, and President of International, and chaired Rudi's Organic Bakery, driving its turnaround into a leading U.S. organic bread producer. In 2003, he co-founded Aurora Organic Dairy, where he remains a senior advisor. His advisory roles include Practitioner in Residence at the University of Michigan's School for the Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) (2014-2016), the Colorado State University School of Agriculture Dean's Ag Leadership Council, and the University of Colorado Boulder's Leeds School of Business Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility (CESR). He's past Co-chair of CU's Masters in the Environment (MENV) advisory board and past chairman of Natural Habitats Group, a Rotterdam- and Boulder-based organic palm oil leader. Retzloff has advised firms like Evol Burritos, Tempt Hemp Milk, and Sambazon Acai, and was a founding partner at Greenmont Capital Partners and founder of The Organic Center. In 2019, he co-founded Flock LLC to advance regenerative agriculture, merging it with AE Institute in 2021, where he serves as a board member and Senior Advisor. He's also CEO of Climate Foods, focusing on carbon-positive grains. Retzloff's awards include the Organic Trade Association's Lifetime Leadership Award, Boulder Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award, Naturally Boulder Lifetime Achievement Award, Entrepreneur of the Year, and inductions into the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame and New Hope Natural Products Hall of Legends. He holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Michigan and lives outside Boulder with his wife, Terry, where they raised three children. About Nepra Foods Inc. Nepra Foods is a specialty food company delivering innovative, allergen-free, and gluten-free ingredient technologies. From its Centennial, Colorado facility, Nepra supports global food manufacturers with proprietary formulations, ingredients, and technical expertise for the next generation of nutritious foods. Visit www.neprafoods.com for more. Investor Contact: Toll-Free: 844-566-1917 Email: investors@neprafoods.com Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking information under applicable securities laws, including statements about strategic direction, market growth, and Retzloff's contributions. These reflect management's current expectations but are subject to risks and uncertainties that may affect actual results. See Nepra's SEDAR+ filings at www.sedarplus.ca for details. The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and does not accept responsibility for its adequacy or accuracy. SOURCE: Nepra Foods Britons Crown Modern Dining Rooms as their Favourite Style According to Pinterest Data LONDON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Furniture Village has uncovered the most popular dining room styles in the UK over the past year. Using Pinterest search data, they've revealed that the most searched style on the site, with a huge 3832 average monthly searches, is a modern dining room. Despite being on the opposite end of the design spectrum, a close second is the Victorian-style dining room with 3826 searches. Also very sought-after are country dining rooms (3675), Scandi dining rooms (3634), and farmhouse dining rooms (3578). It's clear that home decorators are looking for specific aesthetics for their homes and are turning to Pinterest for visual cues. Experts at Furniture Village have explained why these dining room styles are so popular with Brits. 1. Modern dining room - 3832 average monthly searches Made from sleek lines and using neutral tones, like greys and creams, it's no wonder modern dining rooms are the most searched-for style with 3832 monthly searches. An expert at Furniture Village says, "Many people choose to add touches of wood finishes, like dining tables and sideboards, for a paired back feel that looks inviting, cosy, and stylish." 2. Victorian dining room - 3826 average monthly searches Victorian dining rooms boast a whopping 3826 average monthly searches. For home decorators who want to hone in on a traditional feel, Victorian style dining rooms are a bold statement, made of rich colours, opulent accessories, and intricate detailing. 3. Country dining room - 3675 average monthly searches Country dining rooms that offer a homely feel continue to be popular amongst home decorators. The expert at Furniture Village explains, "Bringing the outdoors inside is the aim of a country dining room. Wooden dining tables made from pine or rustic oak combined with natural chairs are quintessentially country." 4. Scandi dining room - 3634 average monthly searches There were 2634 average monthly searches for Scandi dining rooms, showing that Brits are looking for that effortlessly clean and natural look. The Scandi dining room offers a cosy yet uncluttered feel. Its signature style is made up of light colours, like pastel green and blue, along with light-toned wood, like birch and pine. 5. Farmhouse dining room - 3578 average monthly searches Farmhouse dining rooms are similar to country styles, but they do differ slightly. This is a design that boasts warm tones, purposeful lighting features, and fun (yet, natural) textures, like fur. Top 10 dining room styles Brits are searching for, according to average monthly searches in Pinterest: 1. Modern dining room - 3832 2. Victorian dining room - 3826 3. Country dining room - 3675 4. Scandi dining room - 3634 5. Farmhouse dining room - 3578 6. Industrial dining room - 3348 7. Rustic dining room - 3092 8. Boho dining room - 2967 9. Eclectic dining room - 2719 10.Minimalist dining room - 1849 Users on Pinterest are planning out their ideal dining rooms with a clear aesthetic in mind, exploring the textures, colours, and composition of their room to pick the perfect dining tables and chairs, and other dining furniture. For more information Nicole Barnard tmwi, acting on behalf of Furniture Village outreach@tmwi.co.uk 01789 404180 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2638063/Furniture_Village.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/furniture-village-shows-that-britons-are-looking-for-minimalism-clean-lines-and-neutral-colours--based-on-a-whopping-3832-average-searches-for-modern-dining-rooms-302397200.html St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) -Anteros Metals Inc. (CSE: ANT) ("Anteros" or the "Company") is excited to announce integration of advanced AI-assisted geochemical and lithological analysis into the 3D modelling of its Havens Steady Critical Mineral VMS Property (the "Property"), located near Buchans, Newfoundland. This innovative approach detects geochemical anomalies through AI-assisted K-means clustering, while enhancing deposit understanding by correlating mineralization with documented lithological units and alteration attributes. With additional modelling incorporating surficial data expected by the end of March, Anteros is poised to further refine and optimize its 2025 exploration program to prioritize high-potential drill targets. AI-ASSISTED MODELLING HIGHLIGHTS Advanced Targeting - AI-assisted K-means clustering, geochemical anomaly detection, and lithological classification enhance drill targeting by identifying key mineralization trends - AI-assisted K-means clustering, geochemical anomaly detection, and lithological classification enhance drill targeting by identifying key mineralization trends Data Optimization - Automated AI algorithms systematically process and integrate geochemical and lithological datasets, improving interpretation efficiency while reducing human bias - Automated AI algorithms systematically process and integrate geochemical and lithological datasets, improving interpretation efficiency while reducing human bias Comparative Analysis - AI benchmarks Property geochemical and lithological data against established VMS deposit models, supporting data-driven exploration decisions - AI benchmarks Property geochemical and lithological data against established VMS deposit models, supporting data-driven exploration decisions Cost Efficiency - AI-assisted analysis optimizes target prioritization, streamlining exploration workflows and improving efficiencies of field programs PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS Situated in a region renowned for significant Kuroko-type VMS deposits, known for their rich polymetallic characteristics and significant economic yields Geologically consistent mineral deposit with a 1,000-meter strike length of Pb-Zn-Ag (Cu-Au) mineralization Road accessible and proximal to past-producing VMS mine-sites and infrastructure Approximately 8,150 metres of historical drilling since 1986 Fully permitted for exploration diamond drilling from the Mineral Lands Division of Newfoundland and Labrador ABOUT THE PROPERTY The Property hosts a road-accessible Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide ("VMS") lead-zinc-silver copper-gold deposit located within the Central Mobile Belt of the Dunnage Zone, an established mining district in south-central Newfoundland, that is close to hydroelectric power (Figure 1). The region is underlain by sequences of Cambrian to Silurian volcanic and sedimentary rocks and related intrusive rocks. The Property borders the Victoria Lake Supergroup, a complex assortment of several distinct volcanic sequences, some of which host world class VMS deposits. Notably, the past-producing Duck Pond VMS Mine, which had reserves of 4.078 million tonnes grading 3.29% Cu, 5.68% Zn, 59.3g/t Ag and 0.86g/t Au as well as additional inferred and measured 1.073 million tonnes of 3.04% Cu, 7.05% Zn, 71.2g/t Ag and 0.8g/t Au prior to mining in 2006 (Canadian Mining Journal, Aug 1, 2006). The Company cautions that mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization that may be hosted on the Property. Figure 1: Property Location (1:350,000 scale) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9885/244192_055168ecd48c89f0_002full.jpg Since acquiring the Property in January 2024, Anteros has performed comprehensive digital compilation of historical exploration data. Compilation confirmed that previous geophysical work, including airborne electromagnetics, identified multiple conductive anomalies consistent with the presence of sulfide mineralization. Additionally, historic drill programs have outlined multiple zones of high-grade lead, zinc, silver, and copper mineralization demonstrated by the presence of sphalerite and galena with bornite and chalcopyrite in copper-rich zones. The known deposit area has a strike length of at least 1,000 metres and historic drilling shows mineralization extending to over 800 metres below surface. For more information on the Property, please visit Projects - Havens Steady on the Company webpage: www.anterosmetals.com/havens-steady. QUALIFIED PERSON Jesse Halle, P. Geo., an independent Qualified Person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the technical material contained in this news release. ABOUT ANTEROS METALS INC. Anteros is a multimineral junior mining company using data science to target and acquire highly prospective deposits for exploration and development throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. The Company is currently focused on advancing four key projects across diverse commodities and development horizons. Immediate plans for their flagship Knob Lake Property include bringing the historical Fe-Mn Mineral Resource Estimate into current status as well as commencing baseline environmental and feasibility studies. For further information please contact or visit: Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements herein include but are not limited to statements relating to the prospects for development of the Company's mineral properties, and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to business, market and economic risks, uncertainties and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244192 SOURCE: Anteros Metals Inc. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQB: APAAF) (FSE: A0I0) (MUN: A0I0) (BER: A0I0) (the "Company" or "Appia") wishes to advise that Stephen Burega is leaving the Company to focus his attentions on his role as CEO and President of Romios Gold Resources Inc. and other endeavours. He will cease to act as President of the Company effective immediately. Tom Drivas has been appointed Interim President. Mr. Burega has agreed to provide reasonable assistance as may be required to facilitate the continuing operations of the Company and the transition of the functions formally performed by him to a new President. The Company will be commencing a search for a suitable replacement for Stephen. The Board of Directors wishes to thank Stephen for his service to the Company as President since January of 2023 and wishes him the best in his future endeavours. About Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (Appia) Appia is a publicly traded Canadian company in the rare earth element and uranium sectors. The Company holds the right to acquire up to a 70% interest in the PCH Ionic Adsorption Clay Project (See June 9th, 2023 Press Release - Click HERE) which is 42,932.24 ha. in size and located within the Goias State of Brazil. (See January 11th, 2024 Press Release - Click HERE) The Company is also focusing on delineating high-grade critical rare earth elements and gallium on the Alces Lake property, and exploring for high-grade uranium in the prolific Athabasca Basin on its Otherside, Loranger, North Wollaston, and Eastside properties. The Company holds the surface rights to exploration for 94,982.39 hectares (234,706.59 acres) in Saskatchewan. The Company also has a 100% interest in 13,008 hectares (32,143 acres), with rare earth elements and uranium deposits over five mineralized zones in the Elliot Lake Camp, Ontario. Appia has 153 million common shares outstanding, 177 million shares fully diluted. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: This News Release contains forward-looking statements which are typically preceded by, followed by or including the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans" or similar expressions. Forward-Looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance as they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements and shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such statements. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For more information, visit www.appiareu.com. As part of our ongoing effort to keep investors, interested parties and stakeholders updated, we have several communication portals. If you have any questions online (X, Facebook, LinkedIn) please feel free to send direct messages. To book a one-on-one 30-minute Zoom video call, please click here. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244291 SOURCE: Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - Optimi Health Corp. (CSE: OPTI) (OTCQX: OPTHF) (FSE: 8BN) ("Optimi" or the "Company"), a GMP-compliant, Health Canada-licensed manufacturer specializing in botanical psilocybin and MDMA, is pleased to provide the following corporate update, highlighting key regulatory milestones, clinical trial progress, and expanded market access. Expansion of MDMA Exports to the Australian Market Optimi has received additional import permits for 1,000 doses of its GMP MDMA in 40mg and 60mg capsule formulations. This follows earlier shipments of 160 doses in August 2024, and 700 doses in October 2024, highlighting the expanding use of MDMA-assisted therapy and growing confidence in Optimi's pharmaceutical-grade capsules throughout Australia. Regulatory Progress: Australian BICON Permit Granted for Psilocybin Import Optimi has obtained the necessary BICON import permit for its natural psilocybin extract capsules, enabling their legal entry into Australia. BICON (Biosecurity Import Conditions) is an Australian regulatory framework governing the importation of biological materials to ensure compliance with strict biosecurity and safety standards. Securing this permit is a key milestone, particularly for botanical-derived products like natural psilocybin, and reinforces Optimi's ability to meet international pharmaceutical requirements. With this approval, Authorized prescribers in Australia can now access Optimi's natural psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), expanding therapeutic options for patients who have not responded to conventional treatments. ATMA CENA Partnership: Advancing Phase 2 & Phase 3 Psilocybin Clinical Trials Optimi has finalized a supply agreement with ATMA CENA Healthcare Solutions to provide its GMP psilocybin extract capsules for a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating psilocybin-assisted therapy for major depressive disorder (MDD) in 200 patients. The trial is set to begin patient dosing in Q2 2025, with cohorts enrolling throughout the year. Additionally, Optimi is working with ATMA CENA on a Phase 3 trial submission, representing a key step toward broader regulatory approvals for its natural psilocybin drug candidate within Canada. Psilocybin Production and Clinical Trial Supply Updates The Company recently completed a significant harvest of its genetically isolated, high-potency Psilocybe cubensis. This biomass will undergo Optimi's validated GMP extraction process later this month to optimize potency and ensure pharmaceutical-grade consistency ahead of encapsulation. The extracted active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) will be encapsulated into 5mg doses to support upcoming clinical trial initiatives in Canada and facilitate international distribution to Australia, Asia, and Europe. To date, Optimi maintains one of the most extensive banks of natural psilocybin genetics in the world, with over 200 varieties on-site. This diverse genetic library allows the Company to refine and develop optimized psilocybin formulations tailored for pharmaceutical and clinical applications. Share Transactions Optimi has finalized an advisory agreement to secure specialized expertise in business development and corporate strategy. In consideration of past services, the Company will issue 100,000 common shares at a deemed price per share equal to the closing price on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) on the last trading day prior to issuance. The shares will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance. Additionally, the Company is settling $20,000 in outstanding service fees by issuing common shares at a deemed price per share equal to the closing price on the CSE on the last trading day prior to issuance. The shares will be subject to a four-month and one-day hold period. Both share transactions are expected to be completed on or around March 19, 2025. How to Access Optimi's MDMA and Psilocybin Capsules Australia: Mind Medicine Australia Global Inquiries: sales@optimihealth.ca About Optimi Health Corp. Optimi Health Corp. is a Health Canada-licensed, GMP-compliant manufacturer and supplier of natural psilocybin and MDMA. Dedicated to producing high-quality psychedelic products, the Company aims to support the global advancement of mental health therapies through rigorous compliance, innovation, and collaboration. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies, certain of which are unknown. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, or future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as "will likely result," "are expected to," "expects," "will continue," "is anticipated," "anticipates," "believes," "estimated," "intends," "plans," "forecast," "projection," "strategy," "objective," and "outlook") are not historical facts and may be forward-looking statements. These statements may involve estimates, assumptions, and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct, and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Optimi's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risk factors include but are not limited to those factors which are discussed in the Company's long form prospectus dated February 12, 2021, a copy of which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. Except as expressly required by applicable law, Optimi undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Optimi to predict all of them or assess the impact of each factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244300 SOURCE: Optimi Health Corp. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - Galleon Gold Corp. (TSXV: GGO) (FSE: 3H90) (the "Company" or "Galleon Gold") is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement (the "Agreement") to acquire 66 mineral claims totaling 1,409 hectares (the "Mineral Claims") in Godfrey and Bristol Townships that are contiguous to the Company's West Cache Gold Project in Timmins, Ontario. The addition of the Mineral Claims will expand the Company's land position 13 kilometers West of Timmins and consolidate the contiguous claim block to a total of 11,570 hectares. Figure 1 provides the location of the new ground in relation to the West Cache Gold Project and adjacent mining claims and patents that comprise the Company's Ogden and Price Township properties. Comments from the CEO R. David Russell, President and CEO of Galleon Gold, commented, "As we focus on planning and executing our planned 86,500 tonne bulk sample at West Cache, we have not lost sight of the enormous exploration potential in the Timmins mining camp. Adding adjacent claims, with geological merit, continues to build upon the already significant blue sky exploration potential of our land package." Terms of the Agreement Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement with 2205730 Ontario Inc. ("PrivateCo"), the Company will issue PrivateCo 100,000 common shares of Galleon Gold (the "Galleon Shares") to obtain a 100% interest in the Mineral Claims. The transaction is expected to close by the end of March 2025 and is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Galleon Shares will be subject to a hold period of four months and a day under applicable Canadian securities laws. Figure 1 - Galleon Gold's Land Position in the Timmins Gold Camp To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1014/244226_f03769b364aca943_001full.jpg About the Godfrey Mining Claims The Godfrey Township claims expand the Company's position into metavolcanic stratigraphy to the north and will consolidate the remaining 700 meters of a projected shear zone along the Tisdale mafic volcanic contact in the northern reaches of the Company's West Cache Lease. North and west of the Mineral Claims base metal and precious metal occurrences are found in felsic metavolcanic rocks known to be associated with VMS deposits in the Blake River and Kidd-Munro Assemblages. These rock units have seen little exploration outside of historic geophysical surveying in the area bordering the West Cache Lease to the north. Additionally, the Mineral Claims will cover 5 kilometers of the Mattagami River Fault ("MRF"), a late structure that offset the Destor-Porcupine Deformation Zone and related stratigraphy by approximately 8 kilometers. The bedrock geology east of the MRF in the area of the Mineral Claims is interpreted to be equivalent to the geological units that host parts of the West Cache Mineral Resource on Galleon Gold's existing property, including quartz feldspar porphyry bodies and Porcupine metasedimentary rocks. A recent drilling campaign on the Mineral Claims in 2019 identified stratigraphy that resembles that seen in drill holes on the West Cache Lease, including lithology, mineralization and alteration style, as well as a similar geometry and orientation of the targeted quartz feldspar porphyry unit. Technical Content and Qualified Persons The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by West Cache Gold Project Manager Leah Page, P. Geo. (GNS #217) a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About the West Cache Gold Project The West Cache Gold Project is an advanced-stage gold exploration project covering approximately 10,330 ha located 13 km west of Timmins, Ontario on Provincial Highway 101. It is situated in the Western Porcupine Gold Camp along the Destor-Porcupine Fault corridor within the Abitibi greenstone belt, approximately 7 km northeast of Pan American Silver's Timmins West Mine Complex. The mining lease area hosts the current Mineral Resource Estimate near its center, with additional exploration targets to the north and south. The Mineral Resource Estimate is contained within the Porcupine Sedimentary Basin, a favourable litho-structural corridor with over 5 km of strike-length on the Property. Mineralization is open in all directions and at depth. About Galleon Gold Galleon Gold is an advanced exploration and development company focused on the West Cache Gold Project in Timmins, Ontario. The West Cache Gold Project is located 7 km northeast of Pan American Silver's Timmins West Mine and 14 km southwest of Newmont's Hollinger Mine. A 2022 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the Project demonstrates strong economics. The Company is in the process of submitting permit applications for an 86,500-tonne underground bulk sample. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain "forward looking statements", as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws, that reflect the current views and/or expectations of Galleon Gold with respect to its long-term strategy, proposed work, plans, bulk sample program and other reports including the PEA for its projects. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business and the markets in which Galleon Gold operates. Some of the statements contained herein may be forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization and resources, exploration results, expectations, plans, and objectives of Galleon Gold are forward-looking statements that involve various risks. The following are important factors that could cause Galleon Gold's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: changes in the world-wide price of mineral commodities, general market conditions and uncertainty of access to additional capital, risks inherent in mineral exploration, delays in the receipt of government approvals, risks associated with development, construction, mining operations and third party contractor activities, risks related to unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events may differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Galleon Gold undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244226 SOURCE: Galleon Gold Corp. Dr. Heidi Wang Accepts Award on Behalf of OBI Pharma at ADC Asia Congress 2025 and Gives a Presentation TAIPEI, Taiwan, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At the ADC Asia Congress 2025 held today (3/12) in Singapore, OBI Pharma (4174.TWO) was honored with the "Most Promising ADC Clinical Candidate in Taiwan" award. This recognition follows OBI Pharma's achievement last year as a candidate in the World ADC Awards, where it was shortlisted among the top eight international pharmaceutical companies. The award further underscores the industry's acknowledgment of OBI Pharma's expertise in developing ADC (antibody-drug conjugate) therapeutics. The award is organized by the Asia-Pacific Biopharma Excellence Awards (ABEA), which recognizes outstanding achievements in ADC development across the Asia-Pacific region, spanning from research and design to bioprocessing, supply chain management, and clinical trials. ABEA aims to encourage continuous innovation in the field, advancing treatment options for patients. The awards ceremony took place on the evening of 3/12 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore during the ADC Asia Congress 2025. The ADC Asia Congress 2025 gathered over 300 industry experts and scholars from various regions to discuss advancements in ADC technology and clinical applications. On March 12, Dr. Heidi Wang, CEO of OBI Pharma, was invited to moderate an expert panel discussion titled "Bridging the Gap: From ADC Clinical Trials to Patient-Centric Outcomes." The session brought together global industry leaders to explore how insights from patient-reported outcomes (PROs) can be leveraged to refine clinical trial design and support the role of professional teams in patient care. Later in the afternoon, Dr. Heidi Wang was once again invited to deliver a presentation on the "Challenges and Opportunities of ADC Drug Development: Regulatory Considerations" session, focusing on global regulatory considerations related to ADC drug development. Her presentation provided an in-depth analysis of the evolving regulatory frameworks for ADCs across different countries and addressed key challenges in drug development and manufacturing. Dr. Heidi Wang emphasized that both the award recognition and the invitation to speak demonstrate the growing international recognition on OBI Pharma's progress in ADC development. She highlighted the company's commitment to engaging with industry peers through knowledge sharing and collaboration, with the hope of fostering further opportunities for partnership. Media Contact Information: Kevin Poulos Chief Business Officer OBI Pharma, Inc. 1.619.537.7698 Ext. 102 kpoulos@obipharmausa.com http://www.obipharma.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/obi-pharma-inc https://twitter.com/obipharma?lang=en Seven Year Partnership Integrates AI into its Wind, Solar, and Battery Storage Systems Enabling Product Innovation for Live Operations and Decarbonization Globally Buy Canadian has been promoted at all levels of Canadian government following the recent trade tensions with the United States of America. A shining example of an innovative "Buy Canadian" collaboration that has been going strong for years before any talk of US tariffs can be found in Prince Edward Island between the City of Summerside and BluWave-ai. Buy Canadian BluWave Since 2018, BluWave-ai has partnered with the City of Summerside deploying the first ever automated real-time AI energy dispatch in a Canadian energy utility, developing homegrown AI technology to drive the global energy transition forward, enabling wins across the world in Japan, India, UAE, Europe, and the USA. The City of Summerside, an early adopter of BluWave-ai products, has been applying artificial intelligence to the energy utility's mix of renewable energy, making groundbreaking steps in the global energy transition since 2018. This collaboration has resulted in a commercial turnover in excess of $6M between direct project work, federal project funding wins, and foreign direct investment from US based investors. This inter-provincial collaboration between Ontario and PEI resulted in: Canada's first AI-driven real-time energy dispatch system (2019) The launch of the Canadian Smart Grid AI Center of Excellence in Summerside (2022) North America's first 100% time-shifted solar-powered concert (2022) Over $6.5 million in direct project revenue, federal funding wins, and foreign investment from U.S. markets "At a time where 'Buy Canadian' is more than a slogan, it is crucial that government, private sector, and all stakeholders in Canada come together to support Canadian-made technology and AI innovations," said Devashish Paul, CEO of BluWave-ai. "Our pioneering inter-provincial collaboration is a shining example of how breaking siloes between provinces can power innovation in the energy sector and drive local economic growth. We must double down on our support of homegrown Canadian tech if we are to remain competitive on the world stage in these uncertain times." "Our collaboration with BluWave-ai in 2019, and then opening the Canadian Smart Grid AI Center of Excellence in 2022, has attracted high caliber jobs to the City of Summerside," said Dan Kutcher, Mayor of Summerside, "This partnership has strengthened our 'Buy Canadian' outlook with but also it has been a substantial collaboration by our city to launch companies for the AI and renewable energy economy of the future which is key to the prosperity of all regions that don't produce their oil." "Ottawa is home to world-class innovators who are creating transformative solutions with global impact," said Sonya Shorey, President & CEO of Invest Ottawa. "BluWave-ai exemplifies the power of homegrown innovation-leveraging cutting-edge AI to achieve a triple bottom line impact: economic growth, social progress, and environmental sustainability. We are proud to collaborate with BlueWave-ai as they scale, attract investment, and take on the world from Canada's capital. Their success is a testament to Ottawa's position as a leading global hub for AI, cleantech, and entrepreneurship." BluWave-ai's AI-powered SaaS solutions help electricity utilities, independent power producers, and system operators optimize cost, carbon footprint, and reliability in real-time. Backed by global investors, BluWave-ai has raised over $16 million, including a $9.5 million Series A round, further solidifying Ottawa's position as a global hub for AI and clean energy innovation. BluWave-ai has been able to thrive and win export market customers from Japan, India, Dubai, Scotland and the US electricity markets as a result of the Summerside partnership which was the original partner to build in Canada who bought Canadian from day one. BluWave-ai products that resulted from this partnership include: Smart Grid Optimizer EV Everywhere EV Fleet Orchestrator If you are a Canadian municipality or electricity utility looking to source Canadian solutions for your software needs, please contact us: info@bluwave-ai.com SOURCE: BluWave-ai EnerSys(NYSE: ENS), a global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, has announced the integration of advanced embedded technology into its DataSafe Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) batteries, enhancing backup power management for data centres. This breakthrough enables real-time battery monitoring, optimising performance and reliability in environments where continuous power is critical. As global data centre power demand continues to rise, driven by sectors like artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrencies, the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that by 2026, demand could double, reaching 1,000 terawatt-hours (TWh)-roughly equivalent to Japan's total yearly electricity consumption today1. With this growing demand, data centres face mounting pressure to improve backup power systems to ensure operational continuity. EnerSys technology addresses these challenges by embedding monitoring technology directly into lead-acid batteries. The technology tracks key battery parameters such as voltage and temperature, enabling data centre operators to perform proactive maintenance and reduce battery related downtime. It also integrates with the EnVision Connect system monitor, offering data-driven insights for better performance and operational control. "We're proud to be at the forefront of transforming backup power management for data centres," said Paul Willougby, Director, Data Centre EMEA at EnerSys. "As data centre power requirements grow, our technology offers operators enhanced visibility and control, ultimately improving reliability and reducing maintenance costs. The integration of embedded intelligence within the battery system is a game-changer for ensuring operational continuity in high-demand environments." A European data centre recently deployed 260 DataSafe batteries with the embedded technology ahead of a major international sporting event to enhance backup power monitoring. By integrating this technology with the EnVision Connect system monitor, the data centre was able to achieve more frequent battery status updates, reducing blind spots and improving its ability to proactively address issues. This integration also led to a reduction in emergency maintenance interventions, helping lower costs while improving compliance with power resilience requirements. Additionally, the data centre gained better operational control, which helped reduce risks associated with backup power failure. This deployment highlights how EnerSys' technology, in conjunction with the EnVision Connect system monitor, is setting a new benchmark for data centre backup power monitoring, ensuring efficiency, reliability, and operational security. Visitors to Data Centre World at London's Excel Centre on March 12-13 have the opportunity to preview this technology at EnerSys Booth DC145. Find out more by visiting: https://www.enersys.com/en-gb/resources/events/dcw-london/ About EnerSys EnerSys is a global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications and designs, manufactures, and distributes energy systems solutions and motive power batteries, specialty batteries, battery chargers, power equipment, battery accessories and outdoor equipment enclosure solutions to customers worldwide. The company goes to market through four lines of business: Energy Systems, Motive Power, Specialty and New Ventures. Energy Systems, which combine power conversion, power distribution, energy storage, and enclosures, are used in the telecommunication, broadband and utility industries, uninterruptible power supplies, and numerous applications requiring stored energy solutions. Motive power batteries and chargers are utilized in electric forklift trucks and other industrial electric powered vehicles. Specialty batteries are used in aerospace and defense applications, portable power solutions for soldiers in the field, large over-the-road trucks, premium automotive, medical and security systems applications. New Ventures provides energy storage and management systems for various applications including demand charge reduction, utility back-up power, and dynamic fast charging for electric vehicles. EnerSys also provides aftermarket and customer support services to its customers in over 100 countries through its sales and manufacturing locations around the world. To learn more about EnerSys please visit https://www.enersys.com/en/ Sustainability Sustainability at EnerSys is about more than just the benefits and impacts of our products. Our commitment to sustainability encompasses many important environmental, social and governance issues. Sustainability is a fundamental part of how we manage our own operations. Minimizing our environmental footprint is a priority. Sustainability is our commitment to our employees, our customers and the communities we serve. Our products facilitate positive environmental, social and economic impacts around the world. To learn more visit: www.enersys.com/en/about-us/sustainability. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements EnerSys is making this statement in order to satisfy the "Safe Harbor" provision contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any of the statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may include forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. A forward-looking statement predicts, projects, or uses future events as expectations or possibilities. Forward-looking statements may be based on expectations concerning future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties relating to operations and the economic environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by forward-looking statements, please see our risk factors as disclosed in the "Risk Factors" section of our annual report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, even if subsequently made available by EnerSys on its website or otherwise. EnerSys does not undertake any obligation to update or revise these statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release. __________________________ 1 https://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-2024/executive-summary View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250312211010/en/ Contacts: Paul Willoughby UK/I Data Center EMEA Sales Director ENERGY SYSTEMS Tel: +44 7713 502576 Email: paul.willoughby@uk.enersys.com Michael Sagar Director of Marketing ENERGY SYSTEMS Tel: +44 7894 621176 Email: michael.sagar@uk.enersys.com NEW YORK, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nobu Hospitality, the global luxury lifestyle and iconic hotel, dining, and residence brand, is making its debut in the Netherlands with the Nobu Restaurant Amsterdam and the Nobu Residences Park Meadows Amsterdam. Developed in partnership with Dutch real estate firm Breevast, this exclusive project will bring Nobu's signature style to the heart of Amsterdam's most coveted neighborhood, Oud-Zuid. The Nobu Residences Park Meadows Amsterdam will feature branded residences, combining the prestige of ownership with elevated services of a luxury hospitality experience. Offering both private residences for purchase and serviced luxury residences available for extended stays, this exceptional development caters to those seeking a seamless blend of residential comfort with Nobu's renowned hospitality. Stepping into the spotlight as only a legendary culinary brand can, the Nobu Restaurant Amsterdam will set a new standard for destination dining at the Nobu Residences, with the serene Beatrixpark as its backdrop. The Nobu restaurant and lounge bar will serve as a vibrant gathering place, welcoming both the local community and international travelers to experience its signature blend of innovation and tradition. Just moments from the world-famous museums, luxury boutiques and the financial Zuidas district, residents will enjoy a refined living experience designed with Nobu's signature Japanese minimalism. Residents will have exclusive access to a Nobu restaurant, in-residence dining, state-of-the-art wellness center, and a dedicated experience team for unparalleled access to the city. By choosing Amsterdam-and the elegant, tree-lined streets of Oud-Zuid and dynamic financial center of the Zuidas -for its first location in the Netherlands, Nobu Hospitality continues its tradition of blending contemporary luxury with local authenticity, offering an elevated lifestyle in one of Europe's most sought-after destinations. "We are honored that a prestigious global brand like Nobu will partner with Breevast," says Henk Brouwer, CEO of Breevast. "Nobu Residences is not only a tremendous asset for Amsterdam, but it will also be the first branded residence in the Netherlands. Nobu's choice for our location at the edge of the Beatrixpark in Amsterdam-Zuid confirms that our plans and designs for this project are of absolute quality." "Amsterdam is a dynamic European location for Nobu, with its vibrant culinary scene, cultural landscape and understated approach to luxury" said Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality. "We are delighted to be partnering with Breevast to bring Nobu Restaurant and Residences Park Meadows Amsterdam to life, marking our first Nobu project in the Netherlands." "RCP Finance was thrilled to collaborate with Breevast in securing Nobu Hospitality as their brand partner; this project is set to be a tremendous success in Amsterdam," said Christopher Khoi, Managing Director of RCP Finance. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639797/0005.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nobu-hospitality-launches-its-first-venture-in-the-netherlands-nobu-luxury-residences-and-nobu-restaurant-amsterdam-302399379.html SAN FRANCISCO, March 12, 2025, a global leader in media, social and consumer intelligence, today announces a new collaboration with NICE , the world's leading AI platform for customer service, bringing Meltwater insights to the Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) market for the first time. Together, Meltwater and NICE will empower enterprises to engage with customers in real time through social media channels to enhance customer interactions, streamline operations, make data-backed decisions and optimize strategies that boost customer satisfaction. A leader in AI-powered customer service software, NICE supports enterprise organizations around the world with its CXone Mpower platform. With Meltwater social insights available in CXone Mpower, NICE customers can utilize social media as a customer care channel. Social media has long been a key channel for customer service, yet many contact centers lack the necessary tools to efficiently analyze social media interactions. The mountain of end-user data is growing and businesses need solutions to help them make sense of it all. This new integration unlocks the power of Meltwater's social intelligence for customer service, processing more than 3 billion social engagements each day. Meltwater's AI-powered solutions then transform this data into actionable insights allowing teams to respond to cases in real time, reach unserved demographics, meet service-level objectives, and enhance the customer experience. Key benefits of the integration include: World class listening and filtering capabilities with the ability to search and analyze social content from Meltwater's industry-leading, comprehensive dataset. Advanced keyword filtering to surface the most relevant and actionable social media conversations and analyze customer sentiment, engagement, trending themes, consumer behavior, response times, and more. A unified task queue, with messages in a single, centralized location, making it easier to manage multiple interactions simultaneously while improving resolution times. Ability to respond to customer issues in real time, either in social channels or direct messages. "We're excited to partner with NICE which signifies a pivotal moment for Meltwater as we enter the CCaaS market," said Doug Balut, Senior Vice President of Global Alliances and Partnerships at Meltwater. "Many contact center support teams lack access to real-time social data, leaving customers' questions and concerns unanswered. With this integration, we're empowering brands with the insights they need to understand customer sentiment, anticipate issues, and respond with agility, ultimately enhancing the customer experience." "Social media is a critical customer service channel. By integrating Meltwater's social intelligence into CXone Mpower, we're enabling enterprises to turn social interactions into meaningful customer engagements while driving efficiency and business impact," said Barry Cooper, President, CX Division, NICE. "This integration reinforces NICE's commitment to our open platform and strategic partnerships, enabling organizations to leverage leading capabilities across the ecosystem to deliver proactive, personalized experiences powered by AI." For more information, please contact: Stacy Slayden pr@meltwater.com Christopher Irwin-Dudek, +1 201 561 4442, media@nice.com , ET About Meltwater Meltwater empowers companies with solutions that span media, social and consumer intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content daily and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents, and 2,300 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com . About NICE With NICE Swiss IT services company will leverage HPE's turnkey AI solution, co-developed with NVIDIA, to deploy AI assistants and agents across its customer-facing activities Klein Computer Systems AG will use HPE Private Cloud AI for its IT helpdesk, consulting and sales to improve customer experience and accelerate new business Building on its internal experience with HPE Private Cloud AI, Klein will establish an AI practice for customers to become a leading AI provider in Switzerland Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) today announced that Swiss IT services company Klein Computer System AG is deploying HPE Private Cloud AI to advance customer service and sales by deploying AI assistants and agents across its customer-facing activities. Part of the NVIDIA AI Computing by HPE portfolio, HPE Private Cloud AI was co-developed with NVIDIA to enable fast and easy deployment of private AI applications with a focus on inferencing, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and fine-tuning. Founded in 1983, Klein covers the entire IT lifecycle for its customers, from consulting and implementation to operation, managed services and repair. With enterprise IT becoming increasingly complex, and with rising security, compliance and sustainability requirements, Klein's charter is to help its customers simplify the management of their IT environments so they can achieve their business goals. Klein will now leverage AI to promote this mission, and selected HPE Private Cloud AI as the key means to do so. "When I saw the first demo of HPE Private Cloud AI, I immediately realized this is an awesome solution which can help us fundamentally advance our business," said Wolfgang Klein, founder and CEO of Klein Computer System AG. "The point is: buying this solution means buying time. We don't have to program anything, we just start deploying our use cases. And it allows us to protect our competitive advantage because we can build our own private AI with our own private data." HPE Private Cloud AI accelerates Klein's productivity, sales and new business HPE Private Cloud AI features a deep integration of preconfigured AI hardware and software from HPE and NVIDIA, such as HPE AI Essentials and NVIDIA AI Enterprise, including NVIDIA NIM and NVIDIA NeMo, delivered as a private cloud experience for instant AI productivity. Customers can deploy and operationalize virtual assistants in seconds, simplifying the process from end to end. One of the first use cases will be the acceleration of resolution times in Klein's IT helpdesk. To that end, helpdesk staff will initially be equipped with an AI assistant which gives instant recommendations based on sources such as a customer's existing IT environment, its support ticket history, and IT vendors' documentation. In the future, AI agents which autonomously interact with customers might be added to the process. Klein will also use AI assistants and agents to boost sales, for instance by accelerating proposal preparation, pricing and quoting. Later, the company will leverage its own experiences to establish an AI practice which provides consulting and solutions for customers. The goal is to become the leading AI solution provider based on HPE Private Cloud AI in Switzerland. "Many companies treat AI as a means to increase productivity but in reality it's much more, it's a transformational force which can bring their business to the next level," said Rene Zierler, Managing Director Switzerland, Hewlett Packard Enterprise. "Wolfgang Klein is a true entrepreneur and visionary who recognized that HPE Private Cloud AI is a key to unlocking this potential quicker than others to achieve competitive edge. We are very happy to support Klein Computer System AG on this journey." About Hewlett Packard Enterprise Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) is a global technology leader focused on developing intelligent solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly. The company innovates across networking, hybrid cloud, and AI to help customers develop new business models, engage in new ways, and increase operational performance. For more information, visit: www.hpe.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250312277953/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Patrik Edlund patrik.edlund@hpe.com HELSINKI, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Korkia's development company Climate ER Helio, a joint venture between Korkia and Climate ER, announced the sale of the Mere Flats project to a fund managed by NextEnergy Capital. The project will add 56 MWp of solar power capacity, combined with 16 MW battery energy storage capacity, to the UK national grid. Mere Flats is the first project within the development company's nine-project solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) portfolio in the UK to reach a ready-to-build stage. Located in South Yorkshire, the project is fully consented with all key permits and land rights in place. When completed, the facility will provide renewable electricity for over 20,000 households annually[1]. With one of the largest independent development pipelines of over 130 projects in eight countries and over 20 GW in renewable energy and energy storage projects, Korkia is a global investor and developer of utility-scale ground mount PV solar, BESS and onshore wind. "We are pleased to announce the successful closing of this transaction which marks an important step for Korkia's strategy. Our portfolio across eight countries has matured significantly. With many projects set to reach a ready-to-build phase in 2025, we remain well-positioned and anticipate more activity in the market this year," said Pauli Maenpaa, CEO of Korkia. "2024 was a record year for investments in the renewables sector globally, and growth in solar and wind capacity is expected to reach a new high in 2025. Korkia, along with its investors, is proud to be part of this development towards a more sustainable energy system." "Reaching this milestone in the UK is a significant achievement in a key market for Korkia, and we would like to congratulate our local development partner, Climate ER, with whom we have worked closely for over three years. We are also pleased to further our relationship with NextEnergy, with whom Korkia has also transacted with in Spain and Chile. As one of the largest solar developers globally, NextEnergy's strong experience in similar projects made it the perfect choice to take the project forward," said James Spooner, Head of M&A at Korkia and Director of Climate ER Helio. Spyros Sfantos, Investment Director UK, NextEnergy Capital, commented: "As the UK Government pledges to ramp up solar power capacity from 16GW to 70GW by 2035, NextPower UK and the team at NextEnergy Capital are in a great position to capture this growth. The Mere Flats acquisition from Korkia is a great example of a high-quality solar asset that is driving this impact into the renewable growth agenda and marks NPUK's fifteenth acquisition, expanding the fund's portfolio capacity to 731MW." Korkia and Climate ER Helio were advised on the sale by PKF Francis Clark and TLT with vendor due diligence by GA Solicitors and eSmart Networks. Additional information Pauli Maenpaa Group CEO, Korkia +358 50 550 7121 pauli.maenpaa@korkia.fi James Spooner Head of M&A, Korkia and Director, Climate ER Helio +44 781 733 4641 james.spooner@korkia.co.uk About Korkia Korkia is an accelerator of the energy transition. We are the preferred partner for asset developers, owners and investors, throughout the value chain. Our mission is to produce renewable megawatts to the market to ensure that future generations have an economically prosperous and sustainable world to live in. We develop utility-scale renewable energy and energy storage together with project developers around the world. Currently we operate in Europe, North America and South America - but we are only getting started. About NextEnergy Capital NextEnergy Capital is part of the NextEnergy Group, which was founded in 2007 to become a leading market participant in the international solar sector. Since its inception, it has been active in the development, construction, and ownership of solar assets across multiple jurisdictions. NextEnergy Group operates via its three business units: NextEnergy Capital (Investment Management), WiseEnergy (Operating Asset Management) and Starlight (Project Development). To date, NextEnergy Capital has $4.4bn of AUM and has invested in over 533 individual solar plants for a capacity in excess of 3GW across its institutional funds. www.nextenergycapital.com [1] Calculated with Ofgem's estimate of typical British households' consumption 2,700 kWh/year: 56MWp (capacity) * 998 kWh/kWp (specific yield) = 55,888 MWhs solar generation per annum. https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/average-gas-and-electricity-use-explained Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2640092/Korkia_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/korkia-exits-ready-to-build-solar-and-battery-project-in-the-uk-to-a-fund-managed-by-nextenergy-capital-302399826.html Asian supply chains at full capacity as export growth in China, Taiwan and India drives factory activity European factories cut inventories as industrial slowdown continues, but tentative signs of recovery emerge CLARK, N.J., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index - a leading indicator tracking demand conditions, shortages, transportation costs, inventories, and backlogs based on a monthly survey of 27,000 businesses - fell to -0.45 in February, from -0.21 in January, its lowest level since July 2023. While the index shows that overall supply chain capacity became more underutilized globally, regional data reveals significant geographical differences. In the U.S., manufacturers' demand for raw materials and components saw a notable uptick in February, reflecting a mix of preparations for orders and efforts to avoid higher costs from additional tariffs. U.S. factories also reported accelerating sales growth as their customers acted to front-run price and supply challenges arising from tariffs, driving up procurement. Efforts to mitigate tariffs also propelled stockpiling by U.S. manufacturers in February. In stark contrast, Mexican and Canadian manufacturers harshly reduced their purchases in response to a rapid reduction in exports as U.S. companies refrained from placing orders due to the threat of tariffs and trade policy uncertainty. In Europe, manufacturers are making inventories cutbacks. The continent's supply chains continue to be underutilized as the industrial sector remains sluggish. That said, there does appear to be some early indication of recovery as the downturn in factory demand for inputs cooled to its weakest in two-and-a-half years. Asia supply chains continue to be at full capacity in February, as was the case at the start of the year, making them the most active globally. Factories in parts of the region such as China, Taiwan and India reported strong export growth. "With tariffs driving uncertainty, U.S. manufacturers are racing to secure materials, while Canadian and Mexican suppliers are feeling the squeeze from weaker export demand. In contrast, Asia's supply chains are operating at full capacity, fueled by strong export growth," said Krish Vengat N., GEP's vice president of consulting. "Companies must remain agile-diversifying supply sources and optimizing inventory strategies to navigate this ongoing volatility." Interpreting the data: Index > 50 means growth. The further above 50, the faster the growth Index < 50 means decreasing. The further below 50, the larger the contraction. Interpreting the data: Index > 0, supply chain capacity is being stretched. The further above 0, the more stretched supply chains are. Index < 0, supply chain capacity is being underutilized. The further below 0, the more underutilized supply chains are. FEBRUARY 2025 KEY FINDINGS DEMAND: Globally, demand for raw materials, components and commodities is trending broadly level with its long-term average, following over two-and-a-half years of subdued purchasing by factory procurement managers. Buying activity is the strongest in Asia, although a pick-up in the U.S. was recorded in February as manufacturers restocked and ordered ahead of higher tariffs. Globally, demand for raw materials, components and commodities is trending broadly level with its long-term average, following over two-and-a-half years of subdued purchasing by factory procurement managers. Buying activity is the strongest in Asia, although a pick-up in the U.S. was recorded in February as manufacturers restocked and ordered ahead of higher tariffs. INVENTORIES : Global stockpiling activity decreased in February, suggesting that global manufacturers' appetite to hold excess stock in their warehouses remains low. Although demand is trending upwards, our data suggests that procurement managers are still carefully managing cashflow in an environment of rising production costs. The data also implies a "wait-and-see" mentality to increased global trade policy uncertainty. : Global stockpiling activity decreased in February, suggesting that global manufacturers' appetite to hold excess stock in their warehouses remains low. Although demand is trending upwards, our data suggests that procurement managers are still carefully managing cashflow in an environment of rising production costs. The data also implies a "wait-and-see" mentality to increased global trade policy uncertainty. MATERIAL SHORTAGES: Our global item shortages indicator, which tracks the availability of critical commodities, common inputs and components, remains below its long-term average, signaling robust global material supply levels. This metric implies that vendors have stock to meet orders from their customers. Our global item shortages indicator, which tracks the availability of critical commodities, common inputs and components, remains below its long-term average, signaling robust global material supply levels. This metric implies that vendors have stock to meet orders from their customers. LABOR SHORTAGES: In February, we received fewer reports from global manufacturers of backlogs rising due to inadequate staff capacity. In February, we received fewer reports from global manufacturers of backlogs rising due to inadequate staff capacity. TRANSPORTATION: Global transportation costs were unchanged from January, when they hit the highest in six months. Still, they remain close to levels which can be considered normal, by historical standards. REGIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN VOLATILITY NORTH AMERICA: Index rises to -0.18, from -0.22, a seven-month high and signalling that North American supply chains are their busiest since July 2024. This was exclusively a reflection of conditions in the U.S., however, as Mexican and Canadian manufacturing industries slowed in February. EUROPE: Index falls to -0.72, from -0.61, signalling slightly greater slack in Europe's supply chains compared with the beginning of the year. U.K.: Index down to -0.85, from -0.63, its lowest level since December 2023, a signal that the U.K. economy is slowing in the first quarter. ASIA: Index at 0.00, versus 0.03 in January. Overall, the data shows that Asian supply chains are at full capacity. Asian factories are benefitting from stronger export growth, underlying data revealed. For more information, visit www.gep.com/volatility. Note: Full historical data dating back to January 2005 is available for subscription. Please contact economics@spglobal.com. The next release of the GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index will be 8 a.m. ET, Apr. 10, 2025. About the GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index The GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index is produced by S&P Global and GEP. It is derived from S&P Global's PMI surveys, sent to companies in over 40 countries, totaling around 27,000 companies. The headline figure is a weighted sum of six sub-indices derived from PMI data, PMI Comments Trackers and PMI Commodity Price & Supply Indicators compiled by S&P Global. A value above 0 indicates that supply chain capacity is being stretched and supply chain volatility is increasing. The further above 0, the greater the extent to which capacity is being stretched. A value below 0 indicates that supply chain capacity is being underutilized, reducing supply chain volatility. The further below 0, the greater the extent to which capacity is being underutilized. A Supply Chain Volatility Index is also published at a regional level for Europe, Asia, North America and the U.K. For more information about the methodology, click here. About GEP GEP delivers AI-powered procurement and supply chain solutions that help global enterprises become more agile and resilient, operate more efficiently and effectively, gain competitive advantage, boost profitability and increase shareholder value. Fresh thinking, innovative products, unrivaled domain expertise, smart, passionate people - this is how GEP SOFTWARE, GEP STRATEGY and GEP MANAGED SERVICES together deliver procurement and supply chain solutions of unprecedented scale, power and effectiveness. Our customers are the world's best companies, including more than 1,000 Fortune 500 and Global 2000 industry leaders who rely on GEP to meet ambitious strategic, financial and operational goals. A leader in multiple Gartner Magic Quadrants, GEP's cloud-native software and digital business platforms consistently win awards and recognition from industry analysts, research firms and media outlets, including Gartner, Forrester, IDC, ISG, and Spend Matters. GEP is also regularly ranked a top procurement and supply chain consulting and strategy firm, and a leading managed services provider by ALM, Everest Group, NelsonHall, IDC, ISG and HFS, among others. Headquartered in Clark, New Jersey, GEP has offices and operations centers across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. To learn more, visit www.gep.com. About S&P Global S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) S&P Global provides essential intelligence. We enable governments, businesses and individuals with the right data, expertise and connected technology so that they can make decisions with conviction. From helping our customers assess new investments to guiding them through ESG and energy transition across supply chains, we unlock new opportunities, solve challenges and accelerate progress for the world. We are widely sought after by many of the world's leading organizations to provide credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets. With every one of our offerings, we help the world's leading organizations plan for tomorrow, today. Disclaimer The intellectual property rights to the data provided herein are owned by or licensed to S&P Global and/or its affiliates. Any unauthorised use, including but not limited to copying, distributing, transmitting or otherwise of any data appearing is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent. S&P Global shall not have any liability, duty or obligation for or relating to the content or information ("Data") contained herein, any errors, inaccuracies, omissions or delays in the Data, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. In no event shall S&P Global be liable for any special, incidental, or consequential damages, arising out of the use of the Data. Purchasing Managers' Index and PMI are either trade marks or registered trade marks of S&P Global Inc or licensed to S&P Global Inc and/or its affiliates. This Content was published by S&P Global Market Intelligence and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global. Reproduction of any information, data or material, including ratings ("Content") in any form is prohibited except with the prior written permission of the relevant party. 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Media Contacts Derek Creevey Director, Public Relations GEP Phone: +1 646-276-4579 Email: derek.creevey@gep.com Joe Hayes Principal Economist S&P Global Market Intelligence Phone: +44-1344-328-099 Email: joe.hayes@spglobal.com S&P Global Market Intelligence Corporate Communications Email: Press.mi@spglobal.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639242/Picture1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639243/Picture2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639244/Picture3.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/518346/5210796/GEP_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tariffs-bite-us-manufacturers-stockpile-and-ramp-up-purchases-but-canada-and-mexico-report-sharp-declines-gep-global-supply-chain-volatility-index-302398890.html GGL Resources Corp. (TSXV:GGL) ("GGL" or the "Company") is pleased to announce an immediate addition to its Board of Directors and permanent CEO position. Effective immediately, Matthew Turner, interim CEO, will be replaced on a permanent basis by John Gilbert, M.Sc. Mr. Gilbert has concurrently been appointed a Director of GGL. Mr. Turner will remain as a Director of GGL. "It is my pleasure to introduce John as the new CEO of GGL and also welcome him to the Board of Directors," stated Matthew Turner, GGL's outgoing Interim CEO. "John's considerable technical background as a structural geologist, track record of leading successful exploration programs to discovery and particular passion for GGL's flagship project, Gold Point, makes him uniquely suited for the role. We look forward to seeing GGL succeed under John's leadership." Mr. Gilbert received a Bachelor of Science (Geology) degree from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst and a Masters of Science degree specializing in structural geology from the University of Vermont. Since 2008 he has worked as a geological and geophysical technician and as an exploration and mine geologist on projects in Alaska, Yukon, Nevada, California, and New York as project geologist for companies including Titan Mining and Snowline Gold. Most recently, Mr. Gilbert served as Vice President - Exploration and Corporate Development for Silver Range Resources Ltd., a Nevada gold-focused project generator. He also ran a successful private exploration company which acquired, explored and vended gold projects in New Brunswick. GGL Resources has granted incentive stock options under its Incentive Stock Option Plan to Mr. Gilbert with the right to purchase up to an aggregate 500,000 GGL shares at a price of $0.06 per share for a period of five years. All these options are subject to vesting provisions under which 25% of the options will vest at the conclusion of each three months during the first year of the exercise period. About GGL Resources Corp. GGL is a seasoned, Canadian-based junior exploration company, focused on the exploration and advancement of under-evaluated mineral assets in politically stable, mining friendly jurisdictions. The Company has optioned and wholly owned claims in the Gold Point district of the prolific Walker Lane Trend, Nevada. The Gold Point claims cover several gold-silver veins, five of which host past producing high-grade mines, as well as an exciting new porphyry target which is currently under option to Teck. The Company also owns the McConnell Project, which hosts mesothermal gold veins and an under explored porphyry copper-gold prospect in the Kemess District of north-central British Columbia. GGL also holds diamond royalties on mineral leases adjacent to the Gahcho Kue diamond mine and southwest of the Ekati diamond mine in the Northwest Territories. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Matthew Turner" Matthew Turner Director For further information concerning GGL Resources Corp. or its various exploration projects please visit our website at www.gglresourcescorp.com or contact: Investor Inquiries Richard Drechsler Corporate Communications Tel: (604) 687-2522 NA Toll-Free: (888) 688-2522 rdrechsler@strategicmetalsltd.com Corporate Information Linda Knight Corporate Secretary Tel: (604) 688-0546 info@gglresourcescorp.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Information contained in this news release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "succeed", "advancements", "under-evaluated" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "may", "could" or "will" occur. GGL cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the control of GGL. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to exploration and development and the results thereof, including the results of the recently completed drill program, the impact on future mineral resource estimates, the potential for new discoveries, and the results of future metallurgical programs, as well as the ability of GGL to obtain additional financing, the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations, fluctuations in the prices of commodities, operating hazards and risks, competition and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in GGL's financial statements available under the GGL profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, GGL undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. SOURCE: GGL Resources Corp. Trans Canada Gold Corp. (TSXV:TTG)(OTCQB:TTGXF) ("Trans Canada" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that the Company has now completed another month of steady oil production for the month of February 2025, with trucking and oil sales to Altex. The two Lloydminster wells have shipped 3,763 barrels (bbl) for the month of February and produced at an average daily rate of 127 bbl/d gross (25.2 bbl/d net) to the Company since being placed on production, representing its 18.75% working interest ownership in both wells. Daily production was impaired due to extremely cold weather conditions which resulted in seven lost shipping days. Production shipping and sales commenced on the first newly drilled Multilateral well a year ago on October 6th, 2023, and the new well was brought on production in mid-September 2024. Croverro Energy Ltd. is the Operator. The Company has agreed to participate to drill a 7-leg Sparky multi-lateral well with Croverro as operator for the Joint Venture. The newly proposed 5-23 well will be situated adjacent to the Company's 12-14 Multilateral Well, near Lloydminster, Alberta. Trans Canada has a 18.75% interest in the new well. This third multi-lateral horizontal well is expected to be similar to the company's successful 7HZ LLOYD 12-14-49-01W4 well, that was drilled in 2023 and encountered 2486 metres of oil pay in the Sparky Oil Formation. The 12-14 Sparky well has now produced over 85,000 barrels of oil and continues to produce consistently month over month. The new 5-23 well is planned to open an estimated 3000 m of Sparky formation. The well is scheduled to be drilled this summer/ third quarter of 2025, subject to final permitting by the Alberta Energy Regulator. The company has an 18.75% working interest in the Joint Venture with Croverro. The Area of Mutual Interest now contains 1040 acres with potential in the Sparky and GP zones. This third multi-lateral horizontal well is based on similar wells drilled in the Sparky Oil Formation using surrounding well control and recently processed seismic lines. Croverro Energy Ltd., under the terms of the agreement, is the Operator. Drilling, completion and equipping costs are expected to be $1.9 million ($350,000 net to Trans Canada). The well costs are fully funded out of production cash flow thereby preventing any share dilution. Croverro continues to proactively implement a range of repair solutions on the newly drilled GP well blocked at the intermediate casing, including multiple Super Flushes on the well. Croverro remains optimistic about resuming operations and restoring lost production once the Alberta extreme cold weather conditions improve and the repair plan is fully implemented. Commented Tim Coupland, "We are expecting additional oil production for 2025, and are exploring additional exploration drilling opportunities in both central Canada and the United States and the Company will continue with its newly adopted multilateral well drilling strategy for 2025-2026, using new state of the art multilateral well drilling techniques in Alberta and Saskatchewan, to create growth". ABOUT TRANS CANADA GOLD CORP. - OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION/REVENUE PRODUCING WELLS The Company is a discovery focused Oil & Gas Resource Development and Mineral Exploration Company that is currently focused on developing and drilling its' production of conventional heavy oil exploration properties, increasing production capabilities, and increasing future oil production revenues through responsible exploration. The Company identifies, acquires and finances with its working interest partners, the ongoing development of oil and gas assets primarily situated in Alberta Canada. The Company has qualified Senior exploration management and Geological teams of professionals, seasoned in exploration production, field exploration and drilling. The Company currently works with Croverro Energy Ltd., who has demonstrated proficiency, expected of an experienced oil and gas technical team that has proven oil production, and revenue success with large multi-lateral wells currently under their supervision. The Company has the necessary manpower in place to develop its natural resource properties and manage its production properties. The Company is committed to minimizing risk through selective property acquisitions, and responsible exploration drilling, and maximizing long term petroleum and natural gas resource assets. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Tim Coupland, President and CEO Trans Canada Gold Corp. Tel: (604) 681-3131 astar@telus.com www.transcanadagold.com or Christian Timmins, Director Trans Canada Gold Corp. Tel: (403) 597-3410 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider, (as the term is defined in the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Trans Canada Gold Corp. EON Resources Inc. (NYSE American:EONR) ("EON" or the "Company") is an independent upstream energy company with oil and gas properties in the Permian Basin. Today, the Company's Chairman and CEO issues a letter to the shareholders on current business activity and plans. The letter can be found on the EON website under the Governance section of the Investor Relations page. Link: EON Shareholder Letters and the EON website link: www.EON-R.com About the Oil Field Property In November 2023, the Company acquired LH Operating, LLC ("LHO") including its holdings in New Mexico of oil and gas waterflood production comprising 13,700 contiguous leasehold acres, 342 producing wells and 207 injection wells situated on 20 federal and 3 state leases in the Grayburg-Jackson Oil Field. The Grayburg-Jackson Oil Field is located on the Northwest Shelf of the prolific Permian Basin in Eddy County, New Mexico. Leasehold rights of LHO, now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, include the Seven Rivers, Queen, Grayburg and San Andres intervals that range from as shallow as 1,500 feet to 4,000 feet in depth. The December 2023 reserve report from our third-party engineer, William H. Cobb and Associates, Inc. ("Cobb"), reflects LHO to have proven reserves of approximately 15.4 million barrels of oil and 3.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas. The mapped original-oil-in-place ("OOIP") in the LHO leasehold is approximately 876 million barrels of oil in the Grayburg and San Andres intervals and 80 million barrels in the Seven Rivers interval for a total OOIP of approximately 956,000,000 barrels of oil. Our primary production is currently from the Seven Rivers zone. In addition to proven reserves, the Company believes it may access an additional 34 million barrels of oil by adding perforations in the Grayburg and San Andres formations. With proven oil reserves of over 15 million barrels, combined with the potential 34 million additional barrels from the Grayburg and San Andres zones, LHO should produce oil and a revenue stream for more than two decades with a low decline rate. About EON Resources Inc. EON is an independent upstream energy company focused on maximizing total returns to its shareholders through the development of onshore oil and natural gas properties in the United States. EON's long-term goal is to maximize total shareholder value from a diversified portfolio of long-life oil and natural gas properties built through acquisition and through selective development, production enhancement, and other exploitation efforts on its oil and natural gas properties. EON's Class A Common Stock trades on the NYSE American Stock Exchange (NYSE American: EONR) and the Company's public warrants trade on the NYSE American Stock Exchange (NYSE American: EONR WS). For more information on EON, please visit the Company's website: https://eon-r.com/ Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expected. Words such as "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "seeks," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "should" and variations and similar words and expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements relate to future events or future results, based on currently available information and reflect the Company's management's current beliefs. A number of factors could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events and results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors - including the availability of funds, the results of financing efforts and the risks relating to our business - that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time on EDGAR (see www.edgar-online.com) and with the Securities and Exchange Commission (see www.sec.gov). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as expressly required by applicable securities law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact Information Michael J. Porter Investor Relations - President, PORTER, LEVAY & ROSE, INC. mike@plrinvest.com SOURCE: EON Resources Inc. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - BrandPilot AI Inc. (CSE: BPAI) (OTCQB: BPAIF), a leading innovator in AI-powered marketing and advertising technology, is proud to announce updates to its influencer marketing platform SpectrumIQ, enhancing influencer discovery and brand analysis capabilities. This update underscores BrandPilot AI's commitment to providing marketers with tools to navigate the evolving digital landscape. The new features empower users to discover relevant influencers on emerging platforms, track trending content, and gain deeper insights into brand performance. "In today's fast-paced digital landscape, marketers need an edge," said Brandon Mina, CEO of BrandPilot AI. "SpectrumIQ's latest enhancements provide that advantage, delivering unique insights and discovery capabilities to stay ahead of the competition." Key Features of the SpectrumIQ Update: Expanded Influencer Discovery: Directly search for Snapchat influencers by username or key metrics such as number of views, location, interests and follower count. Filter and discover LinkedIn influencers based on specific criteria including location, follower count, engagement rate and account type. Daily Fresh Finds: SpectrumIQ now provides daily updates on up-and-coming influencers, creators with trending content, influencers with the most engaged audience, and top performers. Social Listening Brand Comparison: Users can compare brand account performance, sponsored content activity, creator partnerships, and brand mentions to gain competitive insights. To further expand its capabilities, BrandPilot AI has also curated a premium list of Web3 and crypto-focused influencers, enabling brands to connect with top voices in the blockchain, DeFi, and NFT spaces. This addition ensures that marketers can engage with high-value creators who drive conversations in the rapidly evolving digital economy. About BrandPilot AI Inc. BrandPilot AI (CSE: BPAI) is a performance marketing technology company headquartered in Toronto, specializing in innovative solutions that deliver exceptional ROI for global enterprise brands. Leveraging artificial intelligence, data analytics, and industry expertise, BrandPilot AI empowers organizations to navigate complex advertising landscapes with precision. The Company's core offering, AdAi combats ad waste by identifying cannibalistic ads in paid search campaigns, while Spectrum IQ, harnesses micro-influencers to maximize ROI for global enterprise brands. For more information about BrandPilot AI and its AI-powered marketing solutions, please visit www.brandpilot.ai. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information and statements, which may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's business objectives, growth strategy, expected benefits of its membership in the Canadian Marketing Association, anticipated outcomes of its AI-powered marketing solutions, and the impact of its upcoming webinar on AI-driven marketing strategies. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions, including, but not limited to, the continued adoption of artificial intelligence in marketing, the effectiveness of the Company's technology in reducing advertising inefficiencies, and its ability to engage industry leaders through strategic initiatives. Forward-looking information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied herein. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, changes in market conditions, regulatory developments, competitive pressures, technological advancements, and the Company's ability to execute its business plan successfully. Although the Company believes that the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate. Readers are advised to evaluate these risks and uncertainties independently and not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. Any forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange, nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244306 SOURCE: BrandPilot AI Inc. Where Fintech Meets Tradition: A Celebration of Culture, Innovation, and Global Business in the Heart of London LONDON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Guavapay, one of the UK's established fintech companies, hosted a spectacular Novruz celebration at the historic Mansion House in London. The event took place with the support and participation of the Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King. In his address, Lord Mayor Alastair King expressed his delight at seeing the Novruz officially celebrated in London, highlighting the importance of strengthening cultural ties between Azerbaijan and the UK. He emphasised London's role as a hub for international cultures and mentioned Guavapay, a well-known UK fintech company, for fostering business collaboration between London and Baku. Lord Mayor King stated, "It's great to see a company like Guavapay, which operates here in London, but uses the city as its international expansion hub. This demonstrates the strong business ties between London and Baku, and I hope to see many other companies follow this path." The gathering brought together a distinguished professional audience, including ambassadors, members of the UK Parliament, and prominent representatives from the business and financial sectors. Elkhan Nasibov, Guavapay Group Managing Director, followed with a speech highlighting London's global financial ecosystem and Guavapay's integral role within it. "Guavapay was founded in London eight years ago by Orkhan Nasibov, and over the years, it has established itself as a trusted bridge in the international financial technology sector. Our IT hub in Baku plays a key role in driving digital innovation and enabling the implementation of new technologies in the fintech industry," stated Elkhan Nasibov. Today, Guavapay has evolved into a global payment ecosystem, offering innovative financial solutions to both individuals and corporate clients worldwide. Through its MyGuava and MyGuava Business platforms, the company facilitates fast and secure payments while introducing cutting-edge fintech solutions to the digital payments sector. As a symbolic gesture of appreciation and friendship, Guavapay had the honour of presenting a beautifully handcrafted Azerbaijani rug to the Lord Mayor. This meaningful gift represents the artistry, history, and enduring connection between our communities. The Novruz celebration at Mansion House underscored Guavapay's dedication to cultural exchange, global collaboration, and the advancement of fintech solutions that connect communities worldwide. About Guavapay Guavapay is a global fintech company with headquarters in London. The company has built a global financial ecosystem to empower individuals and businesses and give them more control over their financial lives. The All Things Payments App, MyGuava and the B2B platform, MyGuava Business, simplify financial services, making them more accessible and affordable for people who have historically been overlooked. The MyGuava Application is operated by Guavapay Limited, a company registered in England with company number 10601900 and its registered address at Salisbury House, 29 Finsbury Circus, London, EC2M 5QQ, United Kingdom. Guavapay Limited is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom as a Small Electronic Money Institution with reference number 900888. Guavapay Limited's ICO registration number is ZA274504. For more information, please visit www.guavapay.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639307/Guavapay_Novruz.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2638944/Guavapay_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-lord-mayor-of-the-city-of-london-joins-guavapay-to-celebrate-novruz-at-historic-mansion-house-302399873.html NEW YORK, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Here has launched advanced security controls in its enterprise browser. The new capabilities enable organizations to support all stages of Zero Trust Maturity. Here, whose technology is used by many of the world's largest enterprises, is the only browser that solves both enterprise security and workforce productivity. In today's digital age, ensuring security and protecting sensitive information has become a top priority for enterprises. The lack of advanced security controls in traditional web browsers is a critical concern, particularly as web browsers have become a primary tool for employees. Traditional browsers expose work apps to threats across the public internet and they lack important capabilities to restrict and control the movement of sensitive data. Here Enterprise Browser is the product of years of collaboration with large financial institutions where security is paramount. Financial firms have been at the forefront of using web technologies for mission critical use cases including real-time trading, client order management and risk analytics. Their use of Here technology for more than a decade pioneered the underlying security models that safeguard the apps and data running within Here Enterprise Browser. "Security has always been fundamental to our platform and a critical reason why our customers trust us with their mission critical applications," said Chuck Doerr, CIO and co-founder of Here. "As cyber threats escalate, large enterprises are continuing to enhance protections. Our new capabilities provide them with significant additional tools to ensure enterprise security and prevent data loss." Key security controls provided by Here include: Work App Isolation : Only authorized work apps are permitted to run in Here, insulating those apps from myriad public internet threats. : Only authorized work apps are permitted to run in Here, insulating those apps from myriad public internet threats. Single Sign-On : Organizations can authenticate and enable single sign-on with the identity provider of their choice, including Microsoft Entra, Google ID and Okta. : Organizations can authenticate and enable single sign-on with the identity provider of their choice, including Microsoft Entra, Google ID and Okta. App Access Controls : Centralized controls enable administrators to manage access to apps at both a group and individual user level. : Centralized controls enable administrators to manage access to apps at both a group and individual user level. Secure Copy-Paste Protection: Admins can prevent sensitive content from being copied and pasted outside of authorized apps. Admins can prevent sensitive content from being copied and pasted outside of authorized apps. Clipboard Protection ensures that copied data isn't available to untrusted apps running on the same device. ensures that copied data isn't available to untrusted apps running on the same device. Screen Capture Controls: Admins can restrict the ability for a user and third-party applications to capture a screen's content. Admins can restrict the ability for a user and third-party applications to capture a screen's content. Screen Sharing Controls: Admins can restrict screen sharing of specific apps via tools including Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other collaboration platforms. Admins can restrict screen sharing of specific apps via tools including Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other collaboration platforms. Print Controls: Admins can prevent the user's ability to print sensitive information. Admins can prevent the user's ability to print sensitive information. Executable Protection ensures the integrity of the browser's executable files and dependent libraries on the local device. ensures the integrity of the browser's executable files and dependent libraries on the local device. Extension Protection prevents end users from adding and using extensions not explicitly authorized by central administrators. prevents end users from adding and using extensions not explicitly authorized by central administrators. Audit and Compliance: User and Admin activity is fully audited and accessible for compliance and governance purposes. "The browser for work must simultaneously address the needs of CISOs for security and the needs of CIOs for productivity and employee experience," said Mazy Dar, CEO and co-founder of Here. "While other enterprise browsers are exclusively focused on security, Here Enterprise Browser uniquely combines strong enterprise security with seamless workforce productivity." Here already provides its technology to 90% of global financial institutions. The company is backed by leading VCs, strategic investors from the financial sector and IQT, the not-for-profit strategic investor that accelerates the introduction of groundbreaking technologies to enhance the national security of America and its allies. To learn more, visit here.io . About Here Everything works right here. The product of years of collaboration with the world's largest financial institutions, Here is the world's first and only browser that solves both enterprise security and workforce productivity. Here investors include leading VCs and strategic investors from the finance and government sectors. The company is based in New York with an office in London and presence in Hong Kong. Media Contact Mitra Roknabadi | CMO mitra@here.io Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2430083/Here_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/here-enterprise-browser-introduces-advanced-security-controls-302399406.html HOUSTON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Amperon, a leading provider of AI-powered energy forecasting and analytics solutions, today announced a strategic investment from National Grid Partners, the venture investment and innovation arm of National Grid (NYSE: NGG). This investment will further accelerate Amperon's commercial expansion across North America and Europe, enhancing its ability to provide best-in-class AI-powered energy forecasting and market analytics to utilities, independent power producers, and energy market participants. The investment from National Grid Partners underscores the growing demand for advanced AI-driven solutions that help utilities and energy companies navigate the complexities of modern energy markets. With increasing volatility in power markets and the transition to a more distributed and decarbonized grid, Amperon's platform helps its customers improve grid reliability, manage financial risk, and optimize renewables. "National Grid Partners offers a wealth of strategic value as an investor," said Sean Kelly, CEO and Co-Founder of Amperon. "Their deep industry expertise and commitment to innovation make them an ideal partner as we continue scaling our operations and expanding our footprint in key energy markets. This investment allows us to accelerate our commercial reach, particularly in the UK, where grid modernization and resilience are at the forefront of the energy transition." National Grid owns and operates the high voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales as well as the UK's largest electricity distribution network. It also serves more than 20 million people in New York and Massachusetts. In June 2024, Amperon expanded into 15 European countries, solidifying its position as a leading provider of energy forecasts. The company's AI-powered forecasting models have outperformed many incumbents in accuracy, most notably in France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, and the UK, enabling market participants to optimize energy strategies and enhance grid stability. With advanced machine-learning capabilities, improved physics-based modeling, and new weather ensemble features, Amperon continues to invest and improve its accuracy, with an average 10% improvement in accuracy over the last six months. "As the energy landscape becomes more complex and dynamic, the need for accurate, real-time data and predictive insights has never been more critical," said Raghuram Madabushi, Investment Director at National Grid Partners. "Amperon's AI-driven approach to forecasting is a perfect fit with our vision for a smarter, more resilient grid - and this marks the inaugural investment from our new, $100 million commitment to AI solutions advancing our energy system. We believe Amperon will play a vital role in scaling innovation across utilities, and we see significant potential for their AI-powered solutions to enhance grid operations in both the US and UK." Amperon has established itself as a trusted partner for energy retailers, utilities, and independent power producers, such as rsted, Axpo, AES, and Rhythm Energy, delivering AI-powered forecasts that enable real-time, data-driven decision-making. By providing precise insights, Amperon helps its customers manage resources more effectively and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving energy landscape. Now, with the support of National Grid and National Grid Partners, Amperon will further enhance its product offerings, expand its UK presence, and solidify its position as the go-to platform for energy forecasting services. About Amperon Amperon is the leading energy forecasting company, positioned at the intersection of energy data and AI. Founded in 2018, Amperon has become a trusted partner to power and utility companies, delivering demand, renewable generation, and price forecasts. With cutting-edge predictive analytics, seamless data integrations, and premium customer support, Amperon enables customers to enhance grid reliability and optimize asset performance. Committed to grid modernization, Amperon is the forecasting company of the energy transition. For more information about Amperon, visit www.amperon.co . About National Grid Partners National Grid Partners is the venture investment and innovation arm of National Grid plc., one of the world's largest investor-owned energy companies. By providing corporate venture capital, business development counsel and direct integration with National Grid's innovation teams, National Grid Partners is accelerating the energy transition and helping new technologies reach critical scale faster. We also convene the NextGrid Alliance (www.ngalliance.energy), a network of senior innovation executives from more than 120 worldwide utility companies focused on harnessing the industry's latest technologies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, National Grid Partners has offices in Boston, London, and New York. Visit ngpartners.com or follow us on X and LinkedIn. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1809160/Amperon_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/amperon-secures-strategic-investment-from-national-grid-partners-to-accelerate-ai-powered-energy-forecasting-solutions-302399350.html VANCOUVER, BC, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Zero Candida Technologies, Inc . (TSXV: ZCT) (OTCQB: ZCTFF) (FSE: 9L2) (the "Company" or "ZCT"), a FemTech medical device company revolutionizing women's health, is pleased to announce that its common shares will commence trading today on the OTCQB Venture Market under the ticker symbol "ZCTFF". The Company will continue to trade on the TSX Venture Exchange and Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Eli Ben Haroosh, Founder and CEO of ZCT, commented: "Today's announcement is another exciting milestone for Zero Candida's long-term growth. We look forward to expanding our market presence and strategic partnerships, broadening our investor base to support our mission, and unlock substantial value through AI-driven medical technology. This listing comes at a pivotal time, aligning with our recent patent advancements and the rapidly growing VVC treatment market, driven by strong U.S. demand." For more on this update, watch our latest video: $2B Market Opportunity and Expanding Global Reach | AI Innovation for Women's Health The OTCQB, operated by the OTC Markets Group and recognized by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), is a premier market for early-and development-stage U.S. and international companies. The OTCQB has demonstrated its effectiveness in helping companies build shareholder value and achieve fair valuation through enhanced transparency and liquidity. Companies listed on the OTCQB must maintain current financial reporting, meet specific compliance requirements, and complete an annual verification process. To find real-time quotes and market information on Zero Candida, visit www.otcmarkets.com About Zero Candida Zero Candida (ZCT) is a publicly traded FemTech company pioneering innovative solutions to address unmet needs in women's health. The company is developing a tampon-like device that uses artificial intelligence and therapeutic blue light at a precise wavelength and intensity to effectively treat Candida fungus, with a proven 99.999% success rate in POC. Vulvo-Vaginal Candidiasis (VVC) affects approximately 75% of women worldwide, and recurrent cases (four or more episodes per year) are increasingly resistant to existing drug treatments, as the root cause remains poorly understood and inadequately addressed. ZCT is following a de novo regulatory pathway and is finalizing the device for human use in preparation for an upcoming clinical trial, after successfully completing a safety trial in large animals (sheep). The company has secured funding and partnerships with leading hospitals in Europe and Israel, while expanding its global patent portfolio with applications filed in the United States, Brazil, and Europe, and is fully patented in South Africa. With the VVC treatment market projected to exceed USD $2B in the next five years, ZCT is combining hybrid medicine and technology-based diagnostics to improve access to underserved populations and bring gynecology into the 21st century. To learn more, visit www.zero-candida.com Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain statements and information that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. The Company provides no assurance that forward-looking statements and information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, other than as required by law. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by Zero Candida. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Company Contacts: Victoria Gamble victoria@zero-candida.com (647) 874 3767 Eli Ben Haroosh CEO & Founder info@zero-candida.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2420533/4723164/ZERO_CANDIDA_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/zero-candida-commences-trading-on-otcqb-market-302399785.html Westinghouse Electric Company and Enusa celebrated 50 strong years of partnership with customers and stakeholders by signing the Westinghouse and Enusa Technology Cooperation Agreement (WETCA), which extends the current license agreement for 10 years. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250312250698/en/ Tarik Choho, Westinghouse President of Nuclear Fuel, and Mariano Moreno, President of Enusa, sign the Westinghouse-Enusa Technology Cooperation Agreement (WETCA) (Photo: Business Wire) Westinghouse and Enusa also signed a contract under which Enusa will fabricate VVER-440 fuel assemblies for Fortum to deliver to the Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant in Finland later this year. This agreement continues the VVER-440 fuel cooperation announced in September 2022. "We look forward to increasing our partnership with Enusa and continuing to help our customers to produce carbon-free electricity," said Tarik Choho, Westinghouse President of Nuclear Fuel. "We are proud of our teamwork and joint history that have been renewed and reinforced over the years, demonstrating one of the longest and strongest alliances in our industry." Mariano Moreno, President of Enusa, underlined the strategic nature of this collaboration, pointing out that "over these 50 years, many professionals from both companies have worked side by side, sharing knowledge, experiences and values. It is their effort and dedication that has strengthened this alliance and made it an example of industrial cooperation at an international level." The collaboration between Westinghouse and Enusa formally started in December 1974, with the first pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology transfer agreement. This partnership provided the Spanish nuclear industry with access to Westinghouse's PWR fuel technology and was key for Enusa to develop its engineering, manufacturing and service capabilities, contributing to the strong civil nuclear energy program developed in Spain over the last half century. In the 1990s, Enusa and Westinghouse partnered in delivering PWR fuel to European customers outside of Spain, and the Juzbado fuel assembly plant in Salamanca has been a reliable supplier to customers, in addition to those in Spain, in Belgium and France ever since. Since the first fuel delivery to the Asco Nuclear Power Plant in 1985, Enusa's facility in Juzbado has provided more than 7,300 tons of PWR fuel to its Spanish and international customers. Westinghouse Electric Company is shaping the future of carbon-free energy by providing safe, innovative nuclear technologies to utilities globally. Westinghouse supplied the world's first commercial pressurized water reactor in 1957, and the company's technology is the basis for nearly one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants. Over 135 years of innovation make Westinghouse the preferred partner for advanced technologies covering the complete nuclear energy life cycle. For more information, visit www.westinghousenuclear.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and X. Enusa belongs to the SEPI Group, a business holding company that includes a total of 15 public companies with direct and majority ownership, with more than 74,000 professionals. It has also a foundation and direct minority stakes in other nine companies and indirect stakes in more than one hundred companies. Enusa's activity is structured in three business areas: nuclear, environmental and logistics. Within the nuclear business, it acts as a purchasing centre for the Spanish companies for enriched uranium and designs, licenses, manufactures and supplies nuclear fuel elements to Spanish and International power plants. In addition, it provides specialised services for both fuel in operation and irradiated fuel. It also supplies specialised equipment for fuel manufacturing and inspection, as well as irradiated fuel inspection systems. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250312250698/en/ Contacts: Westinghouse contact: Media@Westinghouse.com Enusa contact: comunicacion@enusa.es WETHERBY, England, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the highly anticipated global release of Robert Kaiser's groundbreaking women's safety book NEVER A VICTIM. This 530-page guide is a rich resource of actionable strategies, empowering women to enhance their personal safety and navigate real-world threats with confidence. Designed as a life-changing, encyclopedic reference book, NEVER A VICTIM addresses the critical issues women face today, offering insights into recognizing the early warning signs of abusive relationships, understanding the pervasive dynamics of violence against women, and regaining the power of trusting their intuition. Whether preparing to leave a controlling partner, tackling the risks of online dating, or seeking expert safety advice for female solo travelers, this essential guide equips women with tools that inspire confidence and preparedness in an often-unpredictable world. "This book is for all women, but especially those who feel vulnerable, trapped, or overwhelmed," said Kaiser. "It provides vital answers and reassurance, empowering women to make informed decisions when feeling unsafe, or during life's most challenging moments. Above all, it's a reminder to trust your intuition, an inherent quality that has the potential to save your life." Unique in its trauma-informed approach, NEVER A VICTIM stands apart by providing practical advice tailored to the evolving challenges of modern society. It sheds light on sensitive topics such as technology-enabled abuse, drug-facilitated sexual assault, and stalking, issues often ignored or misunderstood despite their increasing prevalence. The book's empathetic tone and evidence-based recommendations make it a resource that resonates deeply with readers from diverse cultural and personal backgrounds. "NEVER A VICTIM is more than a safety manual," said Keisha Coleman, Executive Director of the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery for the City of Jackson, Mississippi. "It's a manifesto for reclaiming autonomy in an unequal world. Its greatest achievement lies in transforming fear into agency, offering women not just strategies to survive, but to thrive with unapologetic vigilance. This book is essential reading for women of all ages, survivors seeking healing, allies committed to combatting gender-based violence, and educators shaping safer communities." Drawing on over 30 years of meticulous research and collaboration with survivors, law enforcement professionals, and support organizations, Kaiser's work provides an unparalleled depth of expertise. His culturally sensitive approach ensures that the guidance offered in the book resonates with women from all walks of life, acknowledging the unique safety challenges faced by individuals based on their equally unique circumstances and environments. Kaiser's comprehensive guide also delves into dismantling harmful societal myths that contribute to victim-blaming and perpetuate violence. By addressing these misconceptions head-on, NEVER A VICTIM empowers women to take ownership of their safety while fostering a greater understanding of the systemic changes needed to reduce violence against women globally. The international edition of NEVER A VICTIM is now available in hardcover, eBook, and PDF formats through the website www.womens-safety.com. About the Author Robert Kaiser is a globally recognized advocate for women's safety. With decades of experience supporting survivors, analyzing crime reports, and collaborating with organizations worldwide, his trauma-informed approach has made him a trusted voice in the fight against violence against women. Kaiser's frequently updated blog and book, NEVER A VICTIM, are indispensable resources for women committed to reclaiming their safety and securing their future. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2635936/NEVER_A_VICTIM_Women_s_Safety_Book.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/life-saving-advice-for-women-robert-kaisers-new-book-offers-vital-safety-strategies-302397347.html Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - Minera Alamos Inc. (TSXV: MAI) (the "Company" or "Minera Alamos") is pleased to announce the reissuance of the Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") on the 100% owned Copperstone Mine ("Copperstone" or "Project") in Arizona, USA. The study demonstrates potentially robust post-tax economics which, due to pre-existing infrastructure on surface and underground, result in both low initial capital and an overall low capital intensity ratio on a per gold ounce basis. The project now also benefits from its significant tax assets and recently reduced royalty encumbrance while also having potential for resource expansion and further exploration success. The PEA supports the construction and development of a high-grade gold underground mining operation at Copperstone producing an average of 40,765 payable oz gold per year over its an initial approximate 6 year mine life. This newly prepared PEA does not address or incorporate ongoing work and trade-off studies currently being evaluated by the Minera Alamos team but does reflect a reduction in the Net Smelter Royalty ("NSR") burden on the project as an existing 1.5% NSR was extinguished since the first publication of the PEA by Sabre Gold Mines in 2023. Furthermore, in light of the significant move in gold prices in the last 18 months, the study includes a sensitivity analysis that takes into account gold prices ranging from $1,000/oz to $3,000/oz compared to the original study that had a gold price sensitivity range of $1,600/oz to $2,000/oz. Minera Alamos Inc., the Issuer of this report, retained Hard Rock Consulting, LLC ("HRC") to prepare a restated version of the 2023 Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for the Copperstone Project that HRC completed previously for Sabre Gold Mines Corp. ("SGLD"). The report titled "National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report: Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Copperstone Project, La Paz County, Arizona, USA" with an effective date of June 26, 2023 has been modified by HRC to change the issuer name from Sabre Gold Mines Corporation to Minera Alamos Inc, address changes to the royalty and streaming structures post-business combination, and reflects the current property holdings. This report presents the mineral resource statement and documents the results of the PEA in fulfillment of the Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects according to Canadian National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). This report was prepared in accordance with the requirements and guidelines set forth in NI 43-101 Companion Policy 43-101CP and Form 43-101F1 (June 2011), and the mineral resources presented herein are classified according to Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") Definition Standards - For Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions and adopted by CIM Council on November 19, 2019. The mineral resource statement reported herein is based on all available technical data and information as of February 15, 2023. The effective date of this report in full is February 6th, 2025. The PEA base case assumes a gold price of $1,800 per oz. All currency references herein are in US$. Highlights from the Preliminary Economic Assessment ($1,800/oz base case) Consistent Production - Models an underground mine operation that will process 198,000 tonnes of ore at an average of 544 tonnes per day ("tpd") over the 5.6-year mine life ("LOM"). Excellent Payback Period - The mine plan sequences the high-grade portions of the resource in early years to optimize grade and cash flow resulting in a payback period of 1.7 years and generating approximately $92m in after-tax cumulative undiscounted cash flow. Low Initial Capital - Significant site infrastructure, such as pre-existing tailings and partial processing facilities, surface buildings and rehabilitated underground development allow for reduced upfront construction cost and low initial capital per payable gold ounce produced over the LOM. Fully Licensed and Permitted - Permits are in place for initial construction and subsequent operation of the project as well as the necessary water and surface rights. Minor modifications required for a better optimised processing flow sheet as a result of the PEA and the Company's plans will be addressed as required in the coming months by the Company. Base Case Financial Results: Base Case $1800/oz Au After- tax NPV (5%) $65.98 million After-tax IRR 53.6% Payback Period 1.7 years Initial Capital (including contingency/working capital) $36.2 million Sustaining Capital $52.1 million LOM Cash Cost per oz gold payable $985 LOM All-in sustaining per oz gold payable ("AISC") $1,259 Pre-tax cumulative undiscounted free cash flow(1) $95.94 million After-tax cumulative undiscounted free cash flow (1) $92.09 million Abbreviations include: NPV = net present value, IRR = internal rate of return, LOM = life of mine, AISC = all-in sustaining cost. Location, Access, Physiography, Infrastructure The Copperstone property is located 125 miles west of Phoenix, Arizona and is accessed via Interstate I-10 to the town of Quartzsite, Arizona. The site access road is located about 9 miles north of Quartzsite along US Highway 95. The access road is a well-maintained gravel road, the Cyprus Mine Road, that travels west for 5.5 miles to the project site. The Project is situated on the flat, sandy desert terrain of the La Posa Plain, at the northeastern end of the Dome Rock Mountains, and is surrounded by a natural desert scrub environment. Major supply centres and ample skilled and unskilled labour are available locally, in Phoenix and in Yuma. Access to the Sante Fe rail line is available nearby, and international air service and railway access are both available in Phoenix. Property, History, Geology, Mineralization The Copperstone Project encompasses approximately 10.6 square miles of surface area and mineral rights in La Paz County, County, Arizona. The Project is wholly owned by Minera Alamos, which controls the 546 federal unpatented mining claims comprising the Copperstone Project area. Prior production at Copperstone included open pit mining with a 2,500 tpd carbon-in-pulp heap leach from 1987 to 1993 with reported production of 514,000 oz of gold from 5,600,000 tons of ore grading 0.089 oz/t (2.8 g/t) of gold (Ackermann Engineering Services, 1998. Reference Notes, SME Meeting Talk November 19, 1998; unpublished document). In 2011, a 450 tpd floatation mill was built on site and in 2012 underground mining commenced from two declines that were previously developed in the bottom of the open pit. Operations took place from January 2012 to July 2013 with reported production of approximately 16,900 oz of gold from 163,000 tons of ore grading 0.104 oz/t (3.2g/t) of gold (Kerr Mines, Inc., 2017. 2017 QA/QC Procedures and Results, Copperstone Mine; internal report prepared for Kerr Mines, Inc.). Minera Alamos owns 100% of the Copperstone Project which is situated at the northern tip of the Moon Mountains in west-central Arizona, regionally within the Basin and Range geo-physiographic province, and within the westernmost extent of the Whipple-Buckskin-Rawhide detachment system. Mid-Tertiary low-angle normal faults (detachment faults) are recognized as significant regional structures in this portion of the Basin and Range, where major detachment faults are associated with mylonitization of lower-plate rocks and brittle faulting and rotation of upper-plate rocks. Mineral Resources The original PEA in the name of Sabre provided a revised mine plan from the previously completed studies, including revised resource estimates, mining methods, mining dilution and recovery assumptions. The revised resource estimate used high yield restriction methodology to ensure that the influence of the high-grade samples did not extend beyond their observed range of continuity. No changes were made in the revised mine plan in the reissued PEA. Image 1 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4183/244296_4422cb7ca46219d0_002full.jpg Mineral Resources have an effective date of February 15, 2023. The Qualified Person responsible for the Mineral Resource estimate is Mr. Richard A. Schwering, P.G., SME-RM, an employee of Hard Rock Consulting, LLC. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred mineral resources are that part of a mineral resource for which the grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. Inferred mineral resources do not have demonstrated economic viability and may not be converted to a mineral reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of Inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to Indicated mineral resources with continued exploration. The mineral resource is reported at an underground mining cut-off of 0.092 oz/ton (3.15 g/t) Au beneath the historic open pit and within coherent wireframe models, and for estimated blocks which meet the criteria of a minable shape. The cut-off is based on the following assumptions: a gold price of $1,800/oz; assumed mining cost of $90/ton ($99.21/tonne), process costs of $47/ton ($51.81/tonne), general and administrative and property/severance tax costs of $15.00/ton ($16.53/tonne), refining and shipping costs of $12.00/oz, a metallurgical recovery for gold of 95%, and a 3.0% gross royalty. Rounding may result in apparent differences when summing tons, grade and contained metal content. Tonnage and grade measurements are in U.S. Customary and Metric units. Grades are reported in troy ounces per short ton (oz/ton) and grams per tonne (g/t). Contained metal is reported as troy ounces. Initial and Sustaining Capital The initial capital cost of the project is $36.3 million, to be incurred over a 14-month period including construction and ramp up to full production. Initial capital intensity is quite low when compared to the gold ounces produced during the life of mine and is calculated as $158 per payable gold ounce produced. Cumulative sustaining capital(1) is estimated at $52.1 million with over 60% spent in operating years 1-3 for the underground mine development and tailings management facilities. Image 2 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4183/244296_4422cb7ca46219d0_003full.jpg Operating, Cash and All-in Sustaining Costs Image 3 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4183/244296_4422cb7ca46219d0_004full.jpg Free Cash Flow The average annual after-tax free cash flow is $16.4 million and the cumulative LOM after-tax free cash flow are estimated at $92.09 million. The Company has a large tax asset base which significantly reduces the tax impacts on cash flow. Project Sensitivities At base case prices and a 5% discount rate, the after tax NPV and IRR are most sensitive to gold prices and to a much lesser extent capital ("CapEx") and operating expenditures ("OpEx"). Image 4 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4183/244296_4422cb7ca46219d0_005full.jpg Image 5 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4183/244296_4422cb7ca46219d0_006full.jpg Image 6 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4183/244296_4422cb7ca46219d0_007full.jpg Mining Operations Due to historic underground mining that has taken place on the property in 2012 and 2013 and an exploration drift established in 2017, there is currently approximately 4,000 meters of underground access development, most of which was rehabilitated in the fall of 2021. The mining method proposed for the Copperstone Project is a mechanized cut and fill using cemented rock fill ("CRF"). The cut and fill mining method was chosen for its flexibility in effectively mining low vein dip angles. This method also minimizes the amount of dilution during mining by careful geological and management control of the mining. The production rate at full production is 600 ton per day with a 3-month ramp-up period. Each stope is calculated to be able to produce 176 tpd. Based on that assumption, 3.5 active faces are required to meet production requirements. Due to inefficiencies in developing new stopes, backfill placement and unplanned delays a total of six active areas are scheduled in the mine plan. The mine design is based on a cut-off grade 3.34 grams per tonne (0.107 opt) with 28.9% internal dilution, 10% external dilution and an ore recovery of 95% and is composed of 46% Measured, 18% Indicated, and 36% Inferred Mineral Resources. Plant Flowsheet The plant flowsheet is for a 544 tonne per day capacity, consisting of two-stage crushing and grinding, followed by whole ore leaching with Merrill Crowe recovery to produce dore bars. Surface Infrastructure Existing infrastructure at the Copperstone Project includes office facilities, warehouse, equipment maintenance shops and assay laboratory buildings, a change house, 10 trailer house hook-ups, a septic system, and a variety of shipping containers which provide for secure core storage. Incoming commercial 69 kV overhead electrical power is delivered to an on-site power substation. Water is currently delivered from three water wells to a 375,000-gallon storage tank in the mineral processing area. The right to extract and use groundwater from the aquifer within the La Posa Plain is authorized by the Arizona Department of Water Resources pursuant to A.R.S. Section 45-514. Potable water is delivered by truck. Mine communications are supported by cellular and satellite phone and internet service. Existing surface rights and right of ways are sufficient for all proposed exploration, mining, and processing activities, including tailings and waste storage and disposal areas. Government Permits All major permits for operations for the State of Arizona are in place with minor modifications required for the revised mine plan and flow sheet, Aquifer Protection Permit, Air Quality Permit and Storm Water Multi Sector General Permit. The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) permit, Mine Plan of Operation (MPO) is in place but requires modifications to mainly remove equipment from the existing permitted flow sheet process plant. The right to extract and use groundwater from the aquifer within the La Posa Plain is authorized by the Arizona Department of Water Resources pursuant to A.R.S. Section 45-514. Existing surface rights and right of ways are sufficient for all proposed exploration, mining, and processing activities, including tailings and waste storage and disposal areas. The Reclamation Plan has been approved by the State of Arizona and no amendments are expected to be required. Minera Alamos is required by the Aggregate Mine Land Reclamation Act to obtain an Inspector's approval of the MPO amendment addressing new infrastructure and disposal facilities and plans for post-mining reclamation of those facilities. Image 7 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4183/244296_4422cb7ca46219d0_008full.jpg Project Schedule and Next Steps Management has been working with a number of groups to arrange debt financing and will continue to evaluate all available options to raise the required initial capital. Management will continue to work on potential optimizations of plant and equipment including the potential sourcing of used plant and equipment. The Company will also continue to incorporate any site development activities alongside site maintenance currently being performed on the Project. The Copperstone Project will take approximately 14 months for construction and ramp up to full production. The Project Management team has significant construction and operating experience in underground mines within the Americas. Opportunities to Enhance Value Management has identified several opportunities to enhance value for the Copperstone Project that will be further evaluated during the development phase. Management is considering various engineering, procurement, construction and management approaches including hybrid models to incorporate internal expertise and capabilities that provide an efficient transition from development to operations. Further opportunities include: Expand Resources - The two priority areas for expansion would focus on additional drilling along the down dip plunge of the C and D zones within the main Copperstone shear, the South Zone and the Footwall zone. The second area of priority would follow up drilling between the A and B zones where previous drilling encountered high grade mineralization but has not been investigated further. Mining - Will further investigate if marginal grade material can be added to the stopes if the stope access cost is excluded due to the stope already being developed. Continue to look at the optimization of the mine design including the number of access points, internal raises to improve ventilation, stope height and width. Process Plant - The Company will evaluate opportunities for increasing plant throughput to the extent mining rates can be increased from the current mine plan and potential resource expansion. Used Equipment - Evaluate options for used equipment to reduce initial cost and lead time. Exploration Potential Several identified opportunities remain to enhance the value of the Copperstone Project and will be further evaluated during the construction phase. Drill test for the presence of the footwall zone at depth and underneath the D zone. Historic drill hole CS-266 intercepted gold mineralization (3.4 grams/tonne over 3.0 metres) approximately 200 meters southwest of the Copperstone pit and has not been followed up. Continued drilling to define and expand the southwest zone which is 760 meters southwest of the Copperstone pit. Historic drill hole 06CS-20 intercepted gold mineralization (20.5 grams/tonne over 1.5 metres), approximately 900m southwest of the Copperstone pit and has been neither been followed up on nor has there been any drilling within 150m of the drill hole. Qualified Persons and QA/QC Darren Koningen, P. Eng., Minera Alamos' CEO, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information regarding Minera Alamos and its projects contained in this news release. Darren Koningen is a Qualified Person within the meaning of Canadian Securities Administrator's National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). The Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) team includes HRC QPs, Richard A. Schwering, P.G., SME-RM, Jeffery W. Choquette, P.E., Jennifer J. Brown P.G., and Dr. Deepak Malhotra, Ph.D. who are the Independent Qualified Persons for the 2025 PEA and who have prepared the scientific and technical information on the Copperstone project and reviewed the information that is summarized in this press release. The qualified persons preparing the PEA report have followed industry accepted practices for verifying that the data used in the study is suitable for the purposes used. Site visits by three of the qualified persons (including Darren Koningen from Minera Alamos and Richard A. Schwering, Jennifer J. Brown, and Jeffery Choquette from HRC) is part of the data verification procedures. A more detailed description of data verification undertaken by the qualified persons will be included in the relevant sections of the technical report that will be filed within 45 days of this press release. (1) Non-IFRS Financial Measures The Company has included certain non-IFRS measures in this document as discussed below. The Company believes that these measures, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, provide investors an improved ability to evaluate the underlying performance of the Company. The non-IFRS measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore may not be comparable to other issuers. Cash cost ("Cash cost") per ounce Cash cost per ounce is a non-IFRS measure. In the gold mining industry, this metric is a common performance measure that does not have a standardized meaning under IFRS. Cash costs include direct costs (including smelting, refining, transportation and selling costs), royalties and production taxes, general and administration costs and changes in finished goods inventory. All-in sustaining costs ("AISC") per ounce AISC per ounce are non-IFRS measures. These measures are intended to assist readers in evaluating the total cost of producing gold from operations. While there is no standardized meaning across the industry for AISC measures, the Company's definition conforms to the definition of AISC as set out by the World Gold Council. The Company defines AISC as the cash operating costs (as defined above), reclamation cost accretion, mine site expensed exploration, and sustaining capital expenditures. For the purpose of the PEA, AISC does not include corporate general and administration costs or mine site expensed exploration. Free cash flow In the mining industry, free cash flow is a common performance measure with no standardized meaning. The Company calculates free cash flow by deducting cash capital spending (capital expenditures, net of expenditures paid through finance leases) from net cash provided by operating activities. The Company discloses free cash flow as it believes the measure provides valuable assistance to inventors and analysts in evaluating the Company's ability to generate cash flow after capital investments and build the cash resources of the Company. Initial and sustaining capital Initial and sustaining capital are non-IFRS measures. Initial capital is defined as capital required to develop and construct to bring the mine to commercial production and sustaining capital is defined as the capital required to maintain operations at existing levels. Both measurements are used by management to assess the effectiveness of an investment program. Shares for Debt Settlement The Company announces that it has entered into agreements with three arms-length parties (the "Creditors"), each of whom are former insiders and related parties to Sabre Gold Mine Corp. (see News Release dated February 6, 2025). The Company has agreed to settle an aggregate amount of $93,000, by the issuance of 269,575 common shares of the Company to the Creditors at a price of $0.345 per share. The shares issuable in connection with this debt settlement will be subject to receipt of approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and will have a minimum hold period expiring four months and one day after issuance. PEA Cautionary Note: Readers are cautioned that the PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred resources that are considered too speculative to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that the PEA results will be realized. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Additional work is needed to upgrade these mineral resources to mineral reserves. About Minera Alamos Inc. Minera Alamos is a gold production and development Company. The Company has a portfolio of high-quality Mexican assets, including the 100%-owned Santana open-pit, heap-leach mine in Sonora that is currently going through the start-up of operations at the new Nicho Main deposit. The 100%-owned Cerro de Oro oxide gold project in northern Zacatecas has considerable past drilling and metallurgical work completed and the proposed mining project is currently being guided through the permitting process by the Company's permitting consultants. The La Fortuna open pit gold project in Durango (100%-owned) has a positive, robust preliminary economic assessment (PEA) completed, and the main Federal permits are in place. Minera Alamos is built around its operating team that together brought three open pit heap leach gold mines into successful production in Mexico over the last 14 years. Minera Alamos also wholly-owns the Copperstone mine and associated infrastructure in La Paz Country, Arizona, an advanced development asset with a permitted plan of operations that can be developed in parallel with planned project advancements in Mexico. The Company's strategy is to develop very low capex assets while expanding the projects' resources and continuing to pursue complementary strategic acquisitions. NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244296 SOURCE: Minera Alamos Inc. The "Europe Implantable Loop Recorders Market: Analysis and Forecast, 2025-2035" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Key players in the market are Medtronic PLC., Abbott Laboratories, Boston Scientific Corporation, and BIOTRONIK SE Co. KG. The European implantable loop recorder (ILR) market is experiencing significant growth, driven by several key factors, including increasing cardiovascular disease prevalence, technological advancements, and a rising demand for long-term heart rhythm monitoring. Additionally, the growing incidence of physical inactivity associated with sedentary lifestyles heightens the risk of chronic cardiac conditions, further fueling market expansion. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death in Europe, accounting for 45% of all deaths across the continent. According to the European Heart Network (EHN), over 60 million people in the EU suffer from CVDs. Key players in the Europe implantable loop recorders market are actively advancing the field through various initiatives and collaborations. For instance, in April 2022, Medtronic announced the European market release of its AccuRhythm AI algorithms, designed to enhance the accuracy of arrhythmia detection in their LINQ II insertable cardiac monitors. These algorithms have demonstrated an 84% reduction in false alerts, significantly decreasing the clinical review workload for healthcare providers. Moreover, in April 2024, BIOTRONIK received CE approval and completed the first European implantation of its BIOMONITOR IV insertable cardiac monitor. This device incorporates artificial intelligence to reduce false positives and is the only ICM on the market capable of discriminating between premature ventricular and atrial contractions. It also offers industry-leading signal quality and transmission success, enhancing remote patient management. Additionally, continuous miniaturization of implantable loop recorders has significantly enhanced patient comfort and device longevity. New-generation implantable loop recorders, such as Medtronic's Reveal LINQ II and Abbott's Confirm RX, offer wireless connectivity and AI-driven arrhythmia detection. Remote patient monitoring is becoming a key feature, with implantable loop recorders now integrating cloud-based platforms for real-time ECG transmission to healthcare professionals. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote healthcare solutions, with many European governments expanding telehealth infrastructure to reduce hospital visits. A 2024 European Commission report on digital health found that 65% of hospitals in the EU now integrate remote monitoring solutions, reflecting a shift toward continuous, home-based patient care. Thus, remote patient monitoring is becoming a crucial part of healthcare strategies, increasing implantable loop recorder adoption rates, especially in aging populations. Europe has one of the oldest populations globally, with over 20% of the population above 65 years, according to Eurostat (2024). According to the ESC, by 2050, more than 30 million Europeans will have AF, significantly increasing the demand for ILRs as a long-term arrhythmia monitoring solution. Additionally, robust regulatory frameworks and significant investments in healthcare technology underpin the market's expansion potential. A study published in May 2024 in EP Europace, involving 388 German patients, demonstrated that arrhythmias were detected in 79.2% of cases within 12 months. Moreover, the deployment of implantable loop recorders prompted new therapeutic interventions or medication adjustments in 58.8% of patients, underscoring the devices' substantial diagnostic impact However, the high cost of implantable loop recorders and associated procedures poses a significant challenge to the growth of the market. The upfront cost of implantable loop recorders (ILRs) ranges between $3,137.1 and $6,274.3 per device, depending on the manufacturer and healthcare facility. The procedure cost, including implantation and follow-up monitoring, can exceed $10,457.1 per patient in some European healthcare systems. Atrial Fibrillation to Lead the Europe Implantable Loop Recorders Market (by Application) The atrial fibrillation category dominated the market and is anticipated to experience the fastest growth throughout the forecast period. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common forms of arrhythmia, marked by irregular and often rapid contractions of the heart's upper chambers. Because AF increases the risk of severe complications such as stroke and heart failure, its early detection and ongoing monitoring are vital for effective management. For instance, a study featured in the European Journal of Pediatrics in August 2024 investigated the use of implantable loop recorders (ILRs) for diagnosing pediatric arrhythmias, including AF. The research demonstrated a 60% diagnostic yield in cases where recordings were triggered by symptoms and revealed that 80% of those diagnosed received specific, targeted treatment highlighting the devices' effectiveness and safety. Hospitals to Lead the Europe Implantable Loop Recorders Market (by End Users) Hospitals dominated the market and served as the primary venues for using implantable loop recorders. These facilities are essential for monitoring patients with suspected arrhythmias or unexplained cardiac issues, especially in emergency and critical care settings where long-term observation is vital. Hospitals also offer the specialized expertise and resources needed for both implanting and managing these devices. For instance, an article published in Age and Ageing in September 2024 detailed how an Irish hospital has been offering an implantable loop recorder service for embolic strokes of undetermined source (ESUS) since 2017. In this study, atrial fibrillation was detected in 29.3% of the 58 implantable loop recorder implants, and it was estimated that each case requires approximately 2 hours of consultant time, with the ILR implantation rate projected to be 8-10% of all infarct cases. Key Topics Covered: 1. Market: Industry Outlook 1.1 Trends: Current and Future Impact Assessment 1.2 Supply Chain Analysis 1.3 R&D Review 1.3.1 Patent Filling Trend 1.3.1.1 By Country 1.3.1.2 By Year 1.4 Regulatory Requirements 1.5 Reimbursement Scenario 1.6 Market Dynamics Overview 1.6.1 Market Drivers 1.6.2 Market Restraints 1.6.3 Market Opportunities 2. Europe Implantable Loop Recorders Market (by Application) 2.1 Cardiac Arrhythmia 2.2 Atrial Fibrillation 2.3 Cardiac Syncope 2.4 Others 3. Europe Implantable Loop Recorders Market (by End User) 3.1 Hospitals 3.2 Cardiac Centers Clinics 3.3 Others 4. Europe Implantable Loop Recorders Market (by Country) 4.1 Germany 4.1.1 Business Drivers 4.1.2 Business Challenges 4.1.3 Market Sizing and Forecast 4.2 France 4.3 U.K. 4.4 Italy 4.5 Spain 4.6 Netherlands 4.7 Switzerland 4.8 Rest-of-the Europe 5. Markets: Competitive Landscape and Company Profiles 5.1 Competitive Landscape 5.1.1 Key Strategies and Developments 5.2 Company Profiles 5.2.1 Medtronic PLC 5.2.1.1 Company Overview 5.2.1.2 Top Products Product Portfolio Pipeline 5.2.1.3 Top Competitors 5.2.1.4 Target Customers /End-Users 5.2.1.5 Key Personnel 5.2.1.6 Analyst View 5.2.2 Abbott Laboratories 5.2.3 Boston Scientific Corporation 5.2.4 BIOTRONIK SE Co. KG 5.2.5 Other Companies 6. Research Methodology For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/316egm About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250312440331/en/ Contacts: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Transform enterprise knowledge into AI that speaks your language, follows your rules, and scales with your business. MangoApps, the one seamless AI-powered hub for all employees, announced the general availability of MangoApps AI Hub, the industry's first enterprise-grade AI solution built for a unified digital workplace. Following an extensive preview throughout 2024, AI Hub is now available to all companies. MangoApps AI Hub - AI Assistants & Agents MangoApps AI Hub integrates AI Assistants, Agents, and knowledge management tools directly into enterprise workflows to enhance productivity, reduce friction in accessing information, and make AI adoption seamless for all employees. Unlike generic AI solutions, MangoApps AI Hub supports Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) that utilizes company-specific knowledge, ensuring precise, relevant, and secure responses tailored to individual users. "AI Hub is a natural extension of MangoApps' vision to be the hub for all employees that unites communication, collaboration, and knowledge into one seamless experience," said Anup Kejriwal, CEO of MangoApps. "With AI Hub, we're embedding intelligence directly into the fabric of the employee experience. Now, every worker gets instant access to the knowledge they need to be productive and engaged, while protecting private information." A Game-Changer for Enterprise AI Adoption MangoApps AI Hub addresses a critical gap in the AI market by bringing powerful AI-driven capabilities into one unified experience, including: AI-Enabled Knowledge Management - Consolidate knowledge from various sources, including internal documents, policies, wikis, and third-party repositories, into a single AI-ready knowledge base. Unmatched Vendor Flexibility -Deploy best-of-breed AI technologies without being locked into a single provider with support for Large Language Models (LLMs) from Microsoft, Google, Anthropic, OpenAI, Meta, and more. Bring Your Own Assistant (BYOA) - Integrates with AI platforms such as AWS Bedrock and Google Cloud AI to enable companies to Bring Your Own Assistant (BYOA) into one unified experience. Role-Based Access & Security - Ensures AI tools align with job functions while maintaining strict access controls and compliance with enterprise security policies. Visibility & Analytics - IT teams gain full visibility into AI usage, ensuring compliance, efficiency, and continued AI optimization. Advancing the Mission of The Employee Hub According to McKinsey , 92-percent of companies plan to increase AI investments in the next three years. However, only 1-percent have AI fully integrated into workflows and driving substantial business outcomes. Providing employees AI tools in a unified hub ensures these future investments are adopted by employees and deliver the substantial business outcomes leaders are looking for. Organizations interested in leveraging AI-powered knowledge management as part of a unified employee experience are encouraged to contact the MangoApps team for a live demo. About MangoApps At MangoApps, our goal is a world where all employees, whether they work at a desk or on the frontline, are engaged, efficient, and fulfilled. With the only unified hub for people, knowledge, tools, and AI - MangoApps customers are able to provide everything employees need in one place. Spanning more than 15-years since its founding, MangoApps is trusted by some of the largest and most recognized companies in the world. Learn more about the one hub that connects it all at www.mangoapps.com. Contact Information Andy Tolton VP, Marketing andyt@mangoapps.com (425) 681-2770 SOURCE: MangoApps Rancho Santa Fe, California--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - As the wide-reaching impact of wildfire destruction continues to be felt in the Los Angeles area, animal welfare organizations and the pets in their care face many challenges. The January 2025 fires left a giant hole in the city's ability to save the many lives of pets dependent on its infrastructure. Image 1 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11225/244254_hwa.jpg The January 2025 Los Angeles County fires left a giant hole in the city's ability to save the many lives of pets dependent on its infrastructure. Cannot view this image? Visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11225/244254_photo1.jpg In an effort to positively impact Los Angeles-area pets in need, starting Friday, March 14 and extending through National Puppy Day on Sunday, March 23, Blue Buffalo will cover adoption fees for all pets adopted as part of Helen Woodward Animal Center's Make Space for LA! adoption event. The fires that erupted across Los Angeles resulted in the destruction of thousands of structures, including thousands of homes where people lost everything they owned, including their pets. Lost and injured animals by the hundreds (labeled "community animals") were taken in by area shelters with hopes of reuniting these pets with their families, but circumstances continue to be difficult. Even with owners found, many families are still struggling to secure a place to bring their pet home to. "The heartbreak that most people don't realize is that with the kennels full of community pets there is simply no room for the regularly scheduled influx of pets that arrive at these shelters each week," said Helen Woodward Animal Center Adoption Services Director Kendall Schulz. "SPCA LA, like Helen Woodward Animal Center, pulls animals from high-kill facilities. If they don't have capacity available, pets' lives may be lost." Helen Woodward Animal Center and Blue Buffalo have been working directly with SPCA LA and Pasadena Humane since the fires began. The Center traveled to the area, via Center Rescue Vehicle, approximately 15 times, providing supplies, veterinary assistance and pet food from Blue Buffalo. Blue Buffalo is donating to an Emergency Pet Pantry organized by Pasadena Humane to support ongoing recovery efforts and is also providing food and supplies to SPCA LA for the upcoming Kitten Season, which runs April through October. As weeks have passed, however, SPCA LA's most recent and sincerest requests have been for the transfer of pets who would normally be next-in-line to enter their facilities but, due to lack of space, are at risk for euthanasia. Helen Woodward Animal Center has been working closely with rescue groups who regularly send pets to SPCA LA and is taking steps, like hosting Make Space for LA! to help address this urgent need. "Blue Buffalo is a wonderful friend to the Helen Woodward Animal Center and is dedicated to the health and wellbeing of all pets," said Helen Woodward Animal Center's President and CEO Mike Arms. "We have been so grateful for their philanthropy since 2012, providing pet food for the Center's pets, promoting and supporting our global campaigns Home 4 the Holidays and Remember Me Thursday - to bring attention to pets in need of homes, and for their active support of shelter dogs and cats with their annual coast-to-coast food distribution during the holiday season. When the fires broke out in L.A., they immediately contacted us to ask how they could help." "We are transferring as many orphan pets as we can from L.A. and surrounding shelters to clear as much space as possible," said Helen Woodward Animal Center Adoption Services Director Schulz. "The fact that Blue Buffalo is going to gift adopters with sponsored adoption fees means that we can get more pets into loving homes. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to save more lives." "This is an incredibly generous gift that Blue Buffalo is providing to adopters to open up kennel space and allow us to rescue more orphan pets from high-kill locations, saving more lives," said Arms. "It's extremely important that the message is not that we are giving these precious lives away for free. We will still have the same rigorous screening and interview process to ensure that these pets are being placed with caring families." Helen Woodward Animal Center encourages anyone looking to bring a pet into their home to consider rescue first. Between March 14 and March 23, Helen Woodward Animal Center and Blue Buffalo welcome potential pet parents to help Make Space for LA! with adoption fees sponsored by Blue Buffalo. Those who adopt will receive a starter bag of free pet food, along with other Blue Buffalo treats and gifts. Adopters will be responsible for the $36 microchip fee for their pets. For those who cannot adopt, the Center encourages families to consider fostering. For more information, please contact Helen Woodward Animal Center Adoptions Department at: 858-756-4117 ext. 313, visit www.animalcenter.org or stop by at 6461 El Apajo Road in Rancho Santa Fe. PHOTOS: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PhGLStOVZmI1pugYPQc2NECk407gWwFG?usp=sharing (This grants media permission to utilize photos without restriction - Credit: Helen Woodward Animal Center.) **** About Helen Woodward Animal Center Helen Woodward Animal Center is a private, non-profit organization where "people help animals and animals help people." Founded in 1972 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Center provides services for more than 90,000 people and more than 10,000 animals annually through adoptions, educational and therapeutic programs both onsite and throughout the community. Helen Woodward Animal Center is also the creator of the International Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive, the International Remember Me Thursday campaign and The Business of Saving Lives Workshops, teaching the business of saving lives to animal welfare leaders from around the world. For more information, go to: www.animalcenter.org. About Blue Buffalo Blue Buffalo, the country's most loved and trusted natural pet food, started with a promise made to a lovable Airedale named Blue who struggled with cancer, the #1 disease-related killer of dogs and cats. His family, the Bishops, wanted to feed him the best food possible, so they searched for food with high-quality ingredients, but decided to create something even better - natural pet food for dogs and cats with nutritious ingredients, real meat first, and some of the highest standards in the industry. Since Day 1, BLUE's team of veterinarians and animal nutritionists have carefully selected high-quality, natural ingredients and upheld its True BLUE Promise to dog and cat pet parents - real meat as the first ingredient with NO chicken (or poultry) by-product meals, NO corn, wheat or soy, and NO artificial flavors or preservatives. The result is a portfolio of high-quality, natural food and treats that both dogs and cats love. This simple idea: "Love them like family. Feed them like family." lives on today in every Blue Buffalo recipe. Visit BlueBuffalo.com to learn more. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244254 SOURCE: Helen Woodward Animal Center Pantheon Resources plc (AIM:PANR)(OTCQX:PTHRF) ("Pantheon" or the "Company"), an oil and gas company developing the Kodiak and Ahpun oil fields in close proximity to pipeline and transportation infrastructure on Alaska's North Slope, is pleased to confirm that the Company's AGM will commence at 3pm today. After the formalities of the AGM have concluded, at approximately 3:10pm, an investor presentation and Q&A will commence. All shareholders and other interested parties are welcome to listen in. Registration details can be accessed at: https://www.investormeetcompany.com/pantheon-resources-plc/register-investor. A copy of the investor presentation will be available on the company website prior to commencement of the AGM. -Ends- For further information, please contact: UK Corporate and Investor Relations Contact Pantheon Resources plc Justin Hondris contact@pantheonresources.com Nominated Adviser and Broker Canaccord Genuity Limited Henry Fitzgerald-O'Connor, James Asensio, Charlie Hammond +44 20 7523 8000 Public Relations Contact BlytheRay Tim Blythe, Megan Ray, Matthew Bowld +44 20 7138 3204 USA Investor Relations Contact MZ Group Lucas Zimmerman, Ian Scargill +1 949 259 4987 PTHRF@mzgroup.us About Pantheon Resources Pantheon Resources plc is an AIM listed Oil & Gas company focused on developing its 100% owned Ahpun and Kodiak fields located on State of Alaska land on the North Slope, onshore USA. Independently certified best estimate contingent recoverable resources attributable to these projects currently total c. 1.6 billion barrels of ANS crude and 6.6 Tcf (trillion cubic feet) of associated natural gas. The Company owns 100% working interest in c. 259,000 acres. Pantheon's stated objective is to demonstrate sustainable market recognition of a value of $5-$10/bbl of recoverable resources by end 2028. This is based on bringing the Ahpun field forward to FID and producing into the TAPS main oil line (ANS crude) by the end of 2028. The Gas Sales Precedent Agreement signed with AGDC (Alaska Gasline Development Corporation) provides the potential for Pantheon's natural gas to be produced into the proposed 807 mile natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to Southcentral Alaska. Once the Company achieves financial self-sufficiency, it will apply the resultant cashflows to support the FID on the Kodiak field planned, subject to regulatory approvals, targeted by the end of 2028 or early 2029. A major differentiator to other ANS projects is the close proximity to existing roads and pipelines which offers a significant competitive advantage to Pantheon, allowing for shorter development timeframes, materially lower infrastructure costs and the ability to support the development with a significantly lower pre-cashflow funding requirement than is typical in Alaska. Furthermore, the low CO2 content of the associated gas allows export into the planned natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to Southcentral Alaska without significant pre-treatment. The Company's project portfolio has been endorsed by world renowned experts Netherland, Sewell & Associates estimate a 2C contingent recoverable resource in the Kodiak project that totals 1.2 mmbbl (million barrels) of ANS crude and c5.4 tcf (trillion cubic feet) of natural gas. Cawley Gillespie & Associates estimate 2C contingent recoverable resources for Ahpun's western topset horizons at 282 mmbbl of ANS crude and 803 bcf of natural gas. Lee Keeling & Associates estimated possible reserves and 2C contingent recoverable resources totalling 79 mmbbl of ANS crude and 424 bcf natural gas. For more information visit www.pantheonresources.com. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Pantheon Resources PLC VILNIUS, Lithuania, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Go Vilnius announces that Vilnius city has received the award for Best Foreign Direct Investment Strategy in fDi's Mid-Sized European Cities of the Future 2025 ranking. The city also ranked 4th in Economic Potential, 2nd in Human Capital and Lifestyle, and 4th in Business Friendliness. Overall, it secured third place in the Mid-Sized European Cities of the Future category, further strengthening its place as an attractive foreign investment destination. This recognition builds on Vilnius' history of strong performances in fDi rankings. In 2019, it led the Tech Start-up FDI Attraction Index and placed second overall in 2022's Mid-Sized European Cities of the Future ranking. The city already won first place for FDI Strategy in 2022. Mayor Valdas Benkunskas emphasized the thriving technology ecosystem as a key driver of its success. "Innovation, strategic cooperation, and a progressive ecosystem are the key elements that work together in Vilnius. Our capital city is one of the most important fintech hubs in Europe and is also renowned for its cybersecurity, ranking first among EU cities in this area. In addition, the city's commitment to sustainability is also worth noting," he said. To ensure lasting economic and environmental impact, Vilnius evaluates each investment project through a structured process that prioritizes sustainable development. Such focus on sustainability has already attracted Cleantech investments at a rate 5.7 times higher than expected based on GDP. Dovile Aleksandraviciene, Head of the Vilnius business and tourism development agency Go Vilnius, highlighted that this recognition strengthens the city's global appeal. "Business-friendly environment, smooth integration of foreigners, city's economic potential, talent pool and institutional support are essential components for attracting global companies to Vilnius," she said. The pool of highly skilled talent remains one of Vilnius' key strengths. The city's ecosystem is dedicated to fostering specialists across ICT, engineering, and life sciences, with ambitions to train an additional 19,000 professionals by 2026. Aleksandraviciene concluded by emphasizing growing international visibility for the city: "The international recognition we have received shows that Vilnius is strengthening its position in European and global markets. The city is becoming an important financial center, actively promoting business ties and partnerships in various industries. This contributes to the development of the local ecosystem and the emergence of new billion-dollar start-ups." Contact: Aukse Meskinyte aukse.meskinyte@govilnius.lt Inc.'s Eighth Annual Female Founders List Highlights the Nation's Top Business Leaders Who Challenge the Status Quo to Tackle Some of the World's Biggest Problems Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future, today announced its eighth annual Female Founders list , honoring a bold group of 500 women whose innovations and ideas are leading their industries forward. These resilient entrepreneurs expressed grit and drive to collectively attract approximately $9 billion in 2024 revenue and $10.6 billion in funding. Redactable CEO & Founder Amanda Levay Inc.'s 2025 Female Founders 500 List Honoree Each year, Inc. editors review thousands of applications highlighting female founders who are challenging the status quo and tackling some of the world's biggest problems, and cull applicants through three rounds of judging, looking specifically at an entrepreneur's bona fides in the past year. Criteria include quantifiable metrics such as revenue, sales, revenue growth, funding, and audience size. Inc. also looks for qualitative metrics including social media momentum and stories of impact. Honoree selection is also honed through the evaluation of the program's advisory board: Cate Luzio, founder and CEO of Luminary; Dany Garcia, founder, CEO, and chairperson of the Garcia Companies; Pinky Cole Hayes, founder and CEO of Slutty Vegan; Anu Duggal, founding partner at Female Founders Fund; Katherine Power, serial entrepreneur and partner at Greycroft; Tiffany Dufu, president of the Tory Burch Foundation and founder of the Cru; and Kay Koplovitz, co-founder and chair at Springboard Enterprises and founder of USA Network. "Being named to Inc.'s Female Founders 500 List is an incredible honor and a testament to the power of female innovation and perseverance in entrepreneurship and technology," said honoree Amanda Levay, CEO and founder of Redactable . "This recognition highlights the impact forward-thinking solutions can have across industries, especially in addressing critical challenges. I hope this achievement inspires other women in tech to push boundaries, take risks, and create solutions that redefine industries. We need more diverse voices shaping the future of technology, and I'm committed to supporting and mentoring the next generation of female entrepreneurs." The founders cross all industries and bring with them unique stories of success from each stage of the entrepreneurial journey - from startup to going public, being acquired by big buyers or spending decades at the helm of an organization. Levay has redefined the landscape of data security with her groundbreaking work in AI-powered document redaction. As the founder and CEO of Redactable , she has spearheaded the development of an advanced redaction platform that leverages machine learning and natural language processing to ensure sensitive data is permanently removed from documents. Under Levay's leadership, Redactable has secured more than $7 million in venture capital funding, with the latest round of funding led by Gradient Ventures - Google's AI Fund. Redactable was recently awarded a $1.9 million U.S. Air Force contract that will utilize the company's patented software to protect sensitive documents and automate business processes to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force. As she continues to push the boundaries of AI-driven compliance solutions, Levay is setting the gold standard for how organizations protect sensitive information in the digital age. "Female founders know what struggle is, but they're also experts of improvisation, adaptability, and creativity. The women featured on this year's list exemplify these qualities. Through times of uncertainty, their unwavering dedication and steadfast leadership are not only inspiring but vital to driving progress," said Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom. Several honorees will be featured in Inc. magazine's Female Founders issue, on newsstands March 18, 2025. To see the complete list of honorees, please visit https://www.inc.com/female-founders . About Inc. Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com . About Redactable Redactable is a web-based application built to redact confidential documents from any browser. The proprietary software leverages Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning technology to auto-detect sensitive information in documents. By delivering secure redaction, document scrubbing, and AI-driven workflows, Redactable is the gold standard in redaction software. For more information, visit www.redactable.com . SOURCE: Redactable DELRAY BEACH, Fla., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The global Clinical Trial Services Market, valued at US$60.76 billion in 2024, is forecasted to grow at a robust CAGR of 8.9%, reaching US$66.59 billion in 2025 and an impressive US$101.86 billion by 2030. Factors such as the growing focus on patient-centric clinical trials such as Decentralized Clinical trials (DCTs) and the increasing number of clinical trials for precision/personalized medicines are supporting the growth of this market. Moreover, the upcoming therapeutic drugs patent cliff is propelling major pharmaceutical companies to heavily invest in R&D and outsource their clinical trial service. Additionally, CROs offer service flexibility which enables sponsors to modify their outsourcing strategies and optimize costs by paying only for required resources and expertise. Additionally, the rise in pediatric clinical trials for various therapeutic drugs and increasing pressure from regulatory bodies to conduct diversified clinical trials offer growth opportunities for CROs offering these specialized services. However, challenges associated with the cybersecurity of patient data and sponsors' intellectual properties, and patient retention during trials hinder the growth of the market to a certain extent. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=405 Browse in-depth TOC on "Clinical Trial Services Market" 661 - Tables 61 - Figures 521 - Pages By Based on Modality, the clinical trial services market is divided into small molecules, biologics, and medical devices. The large share of the small molecules clinical trial segment can be attributed to the established role of these drug modalities in drug development across various therapeutic areas. Small molecules have a high oral bioavailability, making them more convenient for patients compared to biologics. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies continue to invest in small molecule research due to their cost-effectiveness, stability, and ability to target intracellular pathways, maintaining their dominance in clinical trials. By on Therapy Area, the clinical trial services market is segmented into oncology, neurology, infectious diseases, cardiovascular system (CVS) disorders, metabolic disorders/endocrinology, immunological disorders, respiratory disorders, psychiatry, dermatology, hematology, ophthalmology, gastrointestinal diseases, genitourinary & women's health, and other therapeutic areas. The oncology segment accounted for the largest share of the clinical trial services market by therapy area in 2024. The large share of this segment is attributed to the increase in global cancer cases due to aging populations and lifestyle factors, supported by rising demand for new treatments. For this reason, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly investing and collaborating with CROs to develop advanced oncology drugs. This dominance is expected to continue throughout the forecast period as major players are developing new technologies for better oncology treatment. By geography, the clinical trial services market is divided into six regions, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. In 2024, North America held the largest share of the clinical trial services market, followed by Europe. Aisa Pacific registered the highest CAGR growth within the clinical trial services market during the forecast period owing to its large patient population, high prevalence of chronic and infectious diseases, and increasing focus on developing biologics, biosimilars, and advanced therapies. Global pharmaceutical companies are increasingly relocating manufacturing and clinical research to the region to leverage cost benefits, regulatory advancements, and improved patient retention in trials. Additionally, government support and rising investments in clinical research have further accelerated the outsourcing of clinical trial activities to APAC. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=405 Key players in the clinical trial services market include IQVIA Inc. (US), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (US), Fortrea (US), ICON Plc (Ireland), Syneos Health (US), Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (US), Medpace (US), Wuxi AppTec (China), Frontage Labs (US), Pharmaron (US), Tigermed (China), SGS Societe Generale De Surveillance SA. (Switzerland), Eurofins Scientific (Luxembourg), Linical (Japan), Parexel International Corporation (US), Worldwide Clinical Trials (US), Novotech (Australia), PSI (Switzerland), Allucent (US), Premier Research (US), Clario (US), KCR S.A. (US), Rho, Inc. (US) and Advanced Clinical (US) among others. IQVIA Inc. (US): is one of the key players in the clinical trial service market offering various clinical research services to major pharmaceutical and medical device companies. The company utilizes advanced technology, data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve patient recruitment, site selection, and trial monitoring, reducing costs and timelines. IQVIA also supports decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) with digital platforms and remote monitoring, making trials more accessible and patient friendly. Its flexible service models, including Functional Service Provider (FSP) and hybrid approaches, allow companies to customize their outsourcing needs. With expertise in precision medicine and complex trial designs, IQVIA manages studies for advanced drug modalities like cell and gene therapies. The company has launched One Home for Sites, a technology platform that streamlines clinical trial management by integrating multiple applications into a single dashboard, improving site efficiency. Additionally, IQVIA has partnered with NVIDIA to develop AI-driven solutions that enhance automation and precision in clinical research. The company also has a strong global presence and operates in more than 100 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Icon Plc (Ireland): is a leading CRO offering clinical trial services such as clinical trial management, consulting, contract staffing, data solutions, and laboratory services spanning the entire lifecycle of product development. The company supports clinical research activities for pharmaceutical and medical device companies offering flexible outsourcing solutions, and providing clients with scalable resources and expertise across various functions, including clinical monitoring and data management. In January 2025, the company expanded its portfolio of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to improve study startup, document management, resource forecasting, and operational metrics. Its AI Centre of Excellence has developed tools such as iSubmit for document automation, Mapi Research Trust COA for real-time Clinical Outcome Assessment updates, FORWARD+ for resource management, and Study Start-up Site Contracts for contract drafting. Additionally, in 2023, ICON partnered with LEO Pharma to strengthen clinical trial execution in medical dermatology by combining full outsourced and functional service provider (FSP) models, optimizing trial scalability and efficiency while improving patient access to innovative treatments. The company operates in 106 locations across 53 countries worldwide. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (US): became a leading player in the clinical trial services market following its USD 17.4 billion acquisition of PPD in December 2021. The company operates through four business segments: laboratory products and biopharma services, life sciences solutions, specialty diagnostics, and analytical instruments, and offers clinical trial services through its clinical research business unit under its laboratory products and biopharma services operating segment. The company utilizes advanced analytics, real-world data (RWD), and decentralized clinical trial (DCT) capabilities to optimize study execution and improve patient access. PPD has strengthened its position through strategic collaborations, such as its partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to support HIV clinical research, focusing on clinical site monitoring and drug resistance studies. Additionally, in 2024, PPD expanded its collaboration with Medidata to enhance trial efficiency through AI-driven solutions like PPD TrueCast, which improves study timelines using predictive modeling. Syneos Health (US): is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical solution provider focusing on Phase I to IV clinical development services for the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries. Its services include a fully integrated biopharmaceutical solution provider focusing on Phase I to IV clinical development services for the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries. The company has expanded its global clinical trial capabilities through strategic collaborations. For instance, in January 2025, the company partnered with ACTIVATO to strengthen trial operations in Japan by improving patient access, streamlining site selection, and accelerating trial processes through centralized IRB and ICF strategies. Similarly, the company collaborated with the Pacific Clinical Research Network (PCRN) in New Zealand to enhance trial efficiency and participant safety across PCRN's nine sites. These partnerships align with the company's strategy to optimize clinical development worldwide while ensuring high-quality research and efficient trial execution. Fortrea (US): is a key player in the clinical trial service market offering services such as clinical development, patient access solutions, and consulting to pharmaceutical, biotechnology organizations, and medical device companies. The company's service portfolio includes comprehensive Phase I through IV clinical trial management, clinical pharmacology, differentiated technology-enabled trial solutions, and post-approval services. The maintain its position in the market the company launched its AI Innovation Studio, an AI-driven platform aimed at optimizing clinical trial executions. Moreover, the company also focuses on inorganic growth strategies such as collaboration to support its growth, for instance, in January 2024, the company partnered with Veeva Systems and Advarra to enhance the clinical trial experience by streamlining clinical trial operations through the integration of Veeva's cloud-based applications and Advarra's Longboat solution into a unified platform. For more information, Inquire Now! Related Reports: Clinical Trial Imaging Market Clinical Trial Supplies Market AI in Clinical Trials Market eClinical Solutions Market Clinical Informatics Market Get access to the latest updates on Clinical Trial Services Companies and Clinical Trial Services Market Size About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's Best Management Consulting Firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. With the widest lens on emerging technologies, we are proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients across the globe. Today, 80% of Fortune 2000 companies rely on MarketsandMarkets, and 90 of the top 100 companies in each sector trust us to accelerate their revenue growth. With a global clientele of over 13,000 organizations, we help businesses thrive in a disruptive ecosystem. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion in new revenue streams that are replacing existing ones within this decade. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we collaborate with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies to keep them future-ready. Our insights and strategies are powered by industry experts, cutting-edge AI, and our Market Intelligence Cloud, KnowledgeStore, which integrates research and provides ecosystem-wide visibility into revenue shifts. In addition, MarketsandMarkets SalesIQ enables sales teams to identify high-priority accounts and uncover hidden opportunities, helping them build more pipeline and win more deals with precision. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1868219/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/clinical-trial-services-market-worth-us101-86-billion-by-2030-with-8-9-cagr--marketsandmarkets-302399556.html New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - Digital Silk, an award-winning agency specializing in brand strategies, custom websites, and digital marketing campaigns, is at the forefront of a major shift in branding. As New York businesses face increasing competition, many are leveraging custom design to establish a distinct market presence, drive engagement, and enhance brand loyalty. The Future of Branding: How Custom Design is Elevating New York Businesses To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10732/244311_76e16ac2445baa57_001full.jpg A recent Statista report indicates that the U.S. branding and design market is on an upward trajectory, with businesses investing billions in custom solutions to differentiate themselves. By 2026, the digital branding industry is expected to exceed $87 billion, fueled by the rising demand for personalized brand experiences and innovative web design solutions. The Power of Custom Branding in a Crowded Market New York, a city home to some of the most recognized global brands, requires companies to stay ahead with fresh and innovative brand identities. Custom branding strategies-ranging from bespoke website design to unique digital experiences-are potentially helping businesses establish authority, increase customer retention, and maximize conversions. At Digital Silk, custom web design and branding strategies have helped companies achieve measurable success. Tailored branding solutions potentially help eCommerce brands seeking immersive online experiences and B2B enterprises optimize their websites for lead generation. "In today's fast-evolving market, businesses can no longer rely on generic branding to stand out. Custom design is not just about aesthetics-it's about crafting a unique brand experience that resonates with audiences and drives measurable growth. At Digital Silk, we help brands create strategic, high-impact digital identities that position them as industry leaders." - says Stephanie Sharlow - VP, Client Partner Digital Silk Key Branding Trends Shaping the Future Personalized Digital Experiences - Websites are no longer static; they are dynamic, interactive, and tailored to each visitor's preferences. AI-Powered Branding Solutions - Artificial intelligence is driving deeper audience insights and hyper-personalized marketing strategies. Minimalist and Impactful Design - Simplicity in branding is proving more effective in capturing user attention and enhancing brand recall. Sustainable and Ethical Branding - Consumers are aligning with brands that prioritize sustainability and transparency in their messaging. Elevating Brands Through Strategic Design Digital Silk continues to help New York businesses redefine their market position with a focus on cutting-edge branding, high-performance web design, and digital marketing. Whether through custom UI/UX solutions or data-driven branding strategies, Digital Silk empowers brands to stand out in today's fast-paced digital landscape. About Digital Silk Digital Silk is a full-service New York branding agency dedicated to growing brands online. With a team of seasoned experts, Digital Silk delivers industry-leading digital experiences through strategic branding and cutting-edge web design to drive more conversions and digital marketing services to boost awareness and engagement. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244311 SOURCE: Digital Silk Los Angeles, California--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - Digital Silk, an award-winning agency specializing in brand strategies, custom websites, and digital marketing campaigns, is shedding light on a critical investment trend among California's top enterprises-strengthening corporate brand guidelines. As businesses in the state face increased competition and evolving consumer expectations, maintaining a cohesive and impactful brand identity has become a priority for industry leaders. *Consistency Builds Trust: Unified branding increases customer loyalty and recognition. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10732/244314_4ea0114e748e88cb_001full.jpg According to a report from Statista, U.S. brand value growth has been accelerating, with leading companies recognizing that strong branding directly correlates with customer trust and long-term revenue gains. In fact, the U.S. brand consultancy market alone reached over $5 billion in revenue in 2023, underscoring the increasing investment in structured brand development. The Business Case for Corporate Brand Guidelines California's top enterprises-spanning tech, finance, and healthcare-are leveraging brand guidelines to ensure consistency across all touchpoints. From website design and digital marketing to product packaging and corporate communications, a well-defined brand strategy: Enhances Trust & Recognition - A consistent brand identity strengthens customer loyalty and helps companies stand out in crowded markets. Improves Internal Alignment - Teams across departments and global offices can maintain unified messaging and aesthetics, reducing inconsistencies. Boosts Conversion Rates - A study by Lucidpress found that brand consistency can increase revenue by up to 23%. "Strong corporate brand guidelines are the foundation of a company's success in today's competitive digital landscape," says Ana Margarida Meira, Partner and Vice President of Client Relations at Digital Silk. "Businesses that invest in a clear and cohesive brand identity gain a strategic edge, ensuring their messaging is not only consistent but also impactful across all channels." Digital Silk's Role in Elevating Brand Identity Digital Silk has been at the forefront of helping enterprises refine and implement corporate brand guidelines. The agency's strategic branding approach ensures businesses develop a strong foundation that supports growth, drives engagement, and increases brand equity. "We've worked with some of the largest enterprises in California to build robust brand guidelines that drive recognition and trust," adds Meira. "Our clients see significant improvements in audience engagement, customer loyalty, and overall brand authority when they establish a clear brand framework." Recent projects-including collaborations with major enterprises in California-have demonstrated measurable success in website performance, engagement rates, and customer retention through refined branding efforts. For businesses looking to establish a powerful and scalable brand identity, investing in comprehensive brand guidelines is no longer optional-it's essential for long-term success. About Digital Silk Digital Silk is an award-winning California branding agency focused on growing brands online. With a team of seasoned experts, Digital Silk delivers industry-leading digital experiences through strategic branding, cutting-edge web design, and digital marketing services to boost awareness and engagement. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244314 SOURCE: Digital Silk This notice is being sent to advise that Maple Leaf Critical Minerals 2024 Enhanced Flow-Through Limited Partnership - National Class (CUSIP Class A - 56529B109, CUSIP Class F - 56529B208) and Quebec Class (CUSIP Class A - 56529B307, Class F- 56529B406) (the "Partnership") will be proceeding with a transaction (the "Liquidity Transaction") pursuant to which the assets of the Partnership (the "Assets") will be transferred on a tax-deferred basis to the Maple Leaf Resource Class (the "Resource Class Mutual Fund"), a class of shares of Maple Leaf Corporate Funds Ltd., an open-ended mutual fund corporation, in exchange for Series A or Series F shares of the Mutual Fund. Additional information about the Resource Class Mutual Fund is available in their simplified prospectus and annual information form. These documents are available at www.sedarplus.ca and www.mapleleaffunds.ca. How the Rollover Will Work: Pursuant to the Liquidity Transaction, Limited Partners of the Partnership ("Investors") will receive shares of the Resource Class Mutual Fund in connection with the dissolution of the Partnership. The effective date of the Liquidity Transaction (the "Effective Date") is expected to be on or about Thursday May 15, 2025. Shortly after the Effective Date, the shares of the Resource Class Mutual Fund will be distributed on a pro rata basis to investors and thereafter the Partnership will be dissolved. Investors will receive the Resource Class Mutual Fund shares in exchange for, and with a value equal to, the value of the units of the Partnership held at the time of such transfer of Assets. When the shares of the Resource Class Mutual Fund are received, the Partnership units will be removed from each Investors account. Processing may take 5 to 7 business days (in some cases longer) to complete, after the rollover occurs. The Partnership will issue a press release once the Liquidity Transaction has been completed and the conversion ratio has been determined. The ACB (adjusted cost base) for each unit of the Partnership and each share of the Resource Class Mutual Fund will be determined by the General Partner upon the wind-up of the Partnership's affairs. The Partnership will dissolve within 60 days of the Effective Date. The General Partner will post these details on its website at www.mapleleaffunds.ca. Investors should consult with their investment advisor and/or tax advisor for all tax-related matters. Simplified Example: An Investor holds 100 Partnership units with a final Net Asset Value of $20.00 at the time of rollover and the net asset value per share of the Resource Class Mutual Fund is $5.00 on the same date. Based on these net asset values, the conversion ratio will be 4.0 (4.0 = $20.00 / $5.00). The Investor's 100 units, valued at $2,000, are removed from the Investor's account and 400 shares (400 = 100 x 4.0) of the Resource Class Mutual Fund, valued at $2,000, are added to the Investor's account. Processing can be delayed after the rollover occurs, therefore transactions such as switches or redemptions may not be processed until the Resource Class Mutual Fund shares have been credited to client accounts. Neither the Partnership nor the Resource Class Mutual Fund will accept any liability for transactions executed prior to dealer records being updated. Specific Information about the Mutual Fund: Organization and Management of the Mutual Fund Manager: CADO Investment Fund Management Inc. 609 Granville Street, Suite 808 Vancouver, British Columbia V7Y 1G5 Tel: 604-684-5742 Fax: 604-684-5748 Toll free: 1-866-688-5750 Email: info@cadobancorp.ca CADO Investment Fund Management Inc.is the manager of the Mutual Fund and is responsible for managing the overall business and operations of the Mutual Fund. Portfolio Advisor: Palette Investment Management Inc ("Palette") Toronto, Ontario Palette is responsible for managing the investment portfolio of the Funds. Custodian: RBC Investor & Treasury Services Toronto, Ontario The custodian has physical custody of the Mutual Fund's property. Administrator: The IAS Investment Administration Solution Inc. ("IAS") Toronto, Ontario The administrator keeps track of the owners of shares of the Mutual Fund and processes purchases. Auditor: KPMG LLP Vancouver, British Columbia The auditors are responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Mutual Fund. The auditors of the Mutual Fund may not be changed unless the independent review committee of the Mutual Fund has approved the change and a written notice describing the change is sent to unit holders at least 60 days before the effective date of the change. Independent Review Committee (the "IRC") Canadian securities legislation requires the Mutual Fund to have an IRC. The IRC is composed of three members, each of whom is independent of us. The mandate of the IRC is to review, and provide input on, our written policies and procedures that deal with conflict of interest matters in respect of the Mutual Fund and to give their recommendation regarding and, in some cases, approve, conflict of interest matters identified and referred to the IRC by us. The IRC will prepare, at least annually, a report of its activities for investors. This report will be available at our website at www.mapleleaffunds.ca or you may request a copy, at no cost to you, by contacting us at info@cadobancorp.ca. Additional information about the IRC, including the names of the members, is available in the Mutual Fund's Annual Information Form. Portfolio Advisor: Palette Investment Management Inc. ("Palette") will be responsible for the Mutual Fund's investment activities. Mr. Andrew Cook, President of Palette, will act as Portfolio Manager on behalf of Palette. Mr. Cook has 34 years of experience in the financial services sector, the past 26 engaged in managing funds for several investment organizations as well as private clients. His focus has been primarily on growth companies with substantial experience in the small and midcap parts of the market and he has spent a significant amount of time in the resource sector. Mr. Cook has had a distinguished career as an analyst and portfolio manager with the Royal Bank of Canada, Midland Walwyn, Strategic Nova, Marquest Asset Management, and Matrix Asset Management Inc. Additional Information: Additional information about the Mutual Fund will be available in the Mutual Fund's simplified prospectus, annual information form, management reports of fund performance and financial statements. You can obtain a copy of these documents at your request and at no cost by contacting Maple Leaf Funds toll free at 1-866-688-5750, by e-mailing info@maplelelaffunds.ca, by download from www.mapleleaffunds.ca or from your financial advisor. Other information about the Mutual Fund, is available at SEDAR+ (the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval established by the Canadian Securities Administrators) at www.sedarplus.ca. For further information or assistance with respect to the Mutual Fund or the Limited Partnership, please contact: CADO Investment Fund Management Inc. 609 Granville Street, Suite 808, Vancouver, BC V7Y 1G5 Tel: 604-684-5742 | Toll Free: 866-688-5750 | Fax: 604-684-5748 Email: info@cadobancorp.ca| Web: www.mapleaffunds.ca SOURCE: Maple Leaf Critical Minerals 2024 Enhanced Flow-Through Limited Partnership NATIONAL & QUEBEC CLASS To empower future growth, iconic beauty and entrepreneurship company Mary Kay Inc. announced the appointment of Dr. Lucy Gildea as Chief Brand and Scientific Officer. Gildea and her freshly designed cross-functional team will pioneer a new operating model to power up Mary Kay's global brand and science aiming for growth and customer loyalty in over 40 markets. In her expanded role, Gildea will shape a powerful brand identity, image, and strategy consistent across all platforms and geographies supported by an impactful product portfolio embracing the ever-evolving needs of consumers. She and her team will activate the brand through engagement strategies harnessing the power of next-gen entrepreneurs and resonant brand storytelling to win the hearts and minds of consumers. "With her expertise in science and beauty innovation and customer-centric approach, Lucy will lead a strategic chapter of our transformation into the future. The new Global Brand and Science organization will contribute to our mutual business success by enabling our Independent Beauty Consultants to share a transformative brand experience with their customers and thrive as personal beauty advisors, thus reinforcing the unique value proposition of direct selling," said Ryan Rogers, Chief Executive Officer of Mary Kay and grandson of Mary Kay Ash. Since joining Mary Kay in 2017, Gildea has focused on modernizing and enhancing the company's competitiveness through product innovation and by improving organizational efficiencies. Gildea spent 15 years at Procter & Gamble working primarily in beauty technology and beauty/skin product development. She also held a variety of senior roles including leading development teams for upstream technology and measurement sciences across healthcare, beauty and personal care industries. During her tenure at P&G, Gildea lived in Singapore, advancing her experience with international markets. "Mary Kay was founded on a dream to enrich women's lives with a product portfolio rooted in science. I am confident that integrating brand and science is the winning formula to meet global consumer needs and work toward our continued success. I look forward to maximizing synergies across our teams to captivate our Independent Beauty Consultants and invite a new generation of consumers to fall in love with our brand," said Dr. Lucy Gildea, Mary Kay's Chief Brand and Scientific Officer. Gildea earned a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Immunology in a joint appointment with Cincinnati Children's Hospital and the University of Cincinnati Department of Immunology. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky. Gildea is a passionate STEM advocate for women and girls. She serves as a Board Member at Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation and a Board Advisor at Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center. This leadership appointment by Ryan Rogers honors Mary Kay Ash's legacy of empowering women. At Mary Kay, women make up 63% of the R&D team, 54% of the executive team, and 63% of the global workforce1. Did you know: In 2023 and again in 2024, Mary Kay was named the #1 Direct Selling brand of skin care & color cosmetics in the world by Euromonitor International 2 . Mary Kay holds more than 1,600 patents for products, technologies, and packaging designs in its global portfolio3. 1 Source: Women Representation and Leadership at Mary Kay (May 2024). 2 "Source Euromonitor International Limited; Beauty and Personal Care 2024 Edition, value sales at RSP, 2023 data" 3 As of 2023. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Mary Kay on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Mary Kay Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/mary-kay Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Mary Kay Brisbane, Queensland, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd. (TSXV: GMG) ("GMG" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that GMG, C&W Services Singapore and ACMES, GMG's Singapore Thermal-XR distributor, have successfully completed energy savings case studies with a Singapore bank. The energy savings was seen on average between 10% to 20%. Following the successful case study, the bank is now exploring the potential to scale the application of Thermal-XR Enhance across more branches. Figure 1 shows ~33% energy saving by comparing post coating average daily energy consumption to before washing. Figure 1: Daily Energy Consumption Reduction due to Thermal XR Coating (after washing) on Bank Air Conditioner To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8082/244317_0264293a642e5ab7_002full.jpg GMG's Managing Director and CEO, Craig Nicol, commented: "Our partnership with C&W Services and ACMES has been very successful thus far and we look forward to implementing more energy savings projects with THERMAL-XR Powered by GMG Graphene with various other companies in Singapore and around the world." About GMG: GMG is an Australian based clean-technology company which develops, makes and sells energy saving and energy storage solutions, enabled by graphene manufactured via in house production process. GMG uses its own proprietary production process to decompose natural gas (i.e. methane) into its natural elements, carbon (as graphene), hydrogen and some residual hydrocarbon gases. This process produces high quality, low cost, scalable, 'tuneable' and low/no contaminant graphene suitable for use in clean-technology and other applications. The Company's present focus is to de-risk and develop commercial scale-up capabilities, and secure market applications. In the energy savings segment, GMG has initially focused on graphene enhanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning ("HVAC-R") coating (or energy-saving coating) which is now being marketed into other applications including electronic heat sinks, industrial process plants and data centres. Another product GMG has developed is the graphene lubricant additive focused on saving liquid fuels initially for diesel engines. In the energy storage segment, GMG and the University of Queensland are working collaboratively with financial support from the Australian Government to progress R&D and commercialization of graphene aluminium-ion batteries ("G+AI Batteries"). GMG has also developed a graphene additive slurry that is aimed to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries. GMG's 4 critical business objectives are: Produce Graphene and improve/scale cell production processes Build Revenue from Energy Savings Products Develop Next-Generation Battery Develop Supply Chain, Partners & Project Execution Capability Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends", "expects" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or will "potentially" or "likely" occur. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding the bank chain applying Thermal-XR Enhance to all of its remaining branches, GMG's continued partnership with C&W and the potential application of Thermal-XR Enhance to other companies around the world. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions of management, including, without limitation, that the bank chain will apply Thermal-XR Enhance to all of its remaining branches and that GMG and C&W will implement energy savings case studies with other companies in Singapore and worldwide. Additionally, forward-looking information involves a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements of GMG to be materially different from any future plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, without limitation, that the bank chain will not apply Thermal-XR Enhance to all of its remaining branches and that GMG and C&W will not be able to implement energy savings case studies with other companies in Singapore and worldwide. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244317 SOURCE: Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES Sterling Metals Corp. (TSXV:SAG)(OTCQB:SAGGD) ("Sterling" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to its press release on March 4, 2025, the Company has increased the size of its non-brokered private placement to up to 5,200,000 units (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.25 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $1,300,000 (the "Offering"). Each Unit shall be comprised of one common share (each, a "Common Share") in the capital of the Company and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant") of the Company. Each Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.40 per Common Share for a period of two (2) years from the closing of the Offering. The Company may pay certain eligible persons (the "Finders") a cash commission equal to 6% of the gross proceeds of the Offering and broker warrants (each, a "Broker Warrant") equal to 6% of the number of Units issued pursuant to the Offering. Each Broker Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.40 per Common Share for a period of two (2) years from the closing of the Offering. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance and the resale rules of applicable securities legislation. The net proceeds from the sale of the Units will be used for general working capital purposes. The closing of the Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Mathew Wilson, CEO and Director of Sterling commented, "We are encouraged by the strong demand from our existing shareholders, which has led to an upsized financing. The continued support reinforces confidence in our vision and the potential of the Copper Road Project as we embark on our inaugural drill program. With the financing expected to close by the end of March, we are now prepared to efficiently execute the initial stages of drilling and advance our understanding of this highly prospective Project." About Sterling Metals Sterling (TSXV: SAG)(OTCQB:SAGGD) is a mineral exploration company focused on large scale and high-grade Canadian exploration opportunities. The Company is advancing the 25,000-hectare Copper Road Project in Ontario which has past production, and multiple breccia and porphyry targets strategically located near robust infrastructure and the 29,000-hectare Adeline Project in Labrador which covers an entire sediment-hosted copper belt with significant silver credits. Both opportunities have demonstrated potential for important new copper discoveries, underscoring Sterling's commitment to pioneering exploration in mineral rich Canada. For more information, please contact: Sterling Metals Corp. Mathew Wilson, President & CEO Tel: (416) 643-3887 Email: info@sterlingmetals.ca Website: www.sterlingmetals.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided, and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. SOURCE: Sterling Metals Corp. The latest editions of Supply Chain Digital , Procurement Magazine , and Manufacturing Digital feature exclusive insights from executives at DBS Bank, ABB, Google Cloud, DP World, RAK Ceramics, Boston Dynamics, and more. LONDON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BizClik, the UK's fastest-growing digital media company, has launched the March editions of its flagship publications: Supply Chain Digital , Procurement Magazine , and Manufacturing Digital . These industry-leading titles continue to provide in-depth analysis, thought leadership, and exclusive interviews with top executives shaping global industries. Supply Chain Digital This month's edition features an exclusive cover interview with Andy Tam, VP of Group Sustainability at DP World, who shares insights into the company's sustainability ambitions. Key highlights include: Top 10 Supply Chain Consulting Firms - featuring GEP Worldwide, Gartner, Deloitte, Accenture, and more. - featuring GEP Worldwide, Gartner, Deloitte, Accenture, and more. Vertice - CEO & Co-Founder Eldar Tuvey on simplifying procurement with automation. - CEO & Co-Founder on simplifying procurement with automation. DBS Bank - Terence Yong and Shilpa Gulrajani discuss sustainable value chains. - discuss sustainable value chains. Supply Chain Sustainability - Anke Hampel, ABB's Group Head of Sustainability , explores 'Building the Road to Scope 3 Transparency'. - , explores 'Building the Road to Scope 3 Transparency'. Executive Insights - Meri Stevens, Chief Operations Officer at Kenvue , shares her strategic vision. - , shares her strategic vision. Supply Chain Tech - Tata Elxsi and Minespider discuss 'Revolutionising Battery Lifecycle Management'. Procurement Magazine This edition spotlights Eldar Tuvey, CEO & Co-Founder of Vertice, on how the company is tackling procurement challenges with automation, benchmarking, and intelligent workflows. Additional features include: DBS Bank - Terence Yong and Shilpa Gulrajani discuss shaping sustainable value chains. - discuss shaping sustainable value chains. Top 10 Sustainable Procurement Platforms & Leaders - who's setting the benchmark? - who's setting the benchmark? Finexio - CEO Ernest Rolfson on transforming B2B payments. - CEO on transforming B2B payments. ABB - Anke Hampel shares ABB's sustainability approach. - shares ABB's sustainability approach. RapidRatings - CEO John D'Aleo discusses uncovering suppliers' financial health. - CEO discusses uncovering suppliers' financial health. Category Management Roundtable - insights from Santosh Nair (GEP Worldwide), Drasko Jelavic (Cirtuo), and Matthew Kippen (Blue Yonder) . - insights from . AI in Procurement - expert opinions from PwC, Candor Procurement, SAP, Efficio, Beroe Inc, Descartes Systems Group, Cynozure Group, and more. Manufacturing Digital This month's edition includes insights from leaders at Boston Dynamics, RAK Ceramics, Flex, Google Cloud, Zamil Industrial, and more. Key highlights: Flex - Paul Baldassari, President of Manufacturing and Services , on navigating constant change. - , on navigating constant change. Zamil Industrial - CIO Abdulbary Atassi on 'IT-Driven Transformation in Heavy Industry'. - CIO on 'IT-Driven Transformation in Heavy Industry'. Top 10 Women in Manufacturing - celebrating International Women's Month . - celebrating . Digital Manufacturing - an exclusive with RAK Ceramics CEO Abdallah Massaad . - an exclusive with . Industry 4.0 - Lawrence Benson at Hexagon Asset Lifecycle Intelligence shares AI strategies for heavy industry. - shares AI strategies for heavy industry. Big Picture - Boston Dynamics' robot dog 'Spot' and its impact on industrial efficiency. - and its impact on industrial efficiency. Lean Manufacturing - Jeff Winter, VP at Critical Manufacturing , on 'The Emergence, Features & Power of Lean 4.0'. - , on 'The Emergence, Features & Power of Lean 4.0'. Smart Factories - Brandon Speweik (GFT Group Ltd) and Fabien Duboeuf (Google Cloud) on 'Dismantling Data Silos to Unlock AI'. About BizClik BizClik is a leading digital media company, producing industry-specific insights across multiple global sectors, including Technology, AI, FinTech, Supply Chain, Procurement, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Data Centres, Cybersecurity, and Sustainability. For daily industry news and in-depth analysis, visit: https://www.bizclikmedia.com/ View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bizclik-media-unveils-march-editions-of-supply-chain-digital-procurement-magazine--manufacturing-digital-302400093.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - IMAGINE LITHIUM INC. (TSXV: ILI) (OTCQB: ARXRF) (the "Company" or "Imagine") is pleased to announce that it has closed a first tranche of the previously announced non-brokered private placement announced on February 25, 2025. The first Tranche of the private placement consists of 26,000,000 million non-flow-through common shares (the "Common Shares") at a price of $0.03 per common share for gross proceeds of $780,000. A second Tranche of the private placement is expected to close approximately at the end of March. The second Tranche will consist of 9,500,000 Common Shares at a price of $0.03 per Common Share for gross proceeds of $285,000, and 28,000,000 flow-through shares (the "FT Shares") at a price of $0.0459 per share for gross proceeds of $1,285,000. Total gross proceeds from both tranches of the private placements will be $2,350,020. Gross proceeds from the sale of the Common Shares will be used for general corporate purposes. The gross proceeds from the sale of the FT Shares will be used for general exploration expenditures on the Jackpot Lithium Project located approximately 140 km north-east of Thunder Bay, Ontario (see Figure 1). An exploration program on the property will incorporate exploration drilling at the Casino Royale Zone and targets to the north of Casino Royale, as well as a prospecting and sampling program to cover the entire Jackpot property package. The sole subscriber in both Tranches of the private placement is Interway International LLC, an arm's length party to the Company. If the second Tranche is completed as expected, Interway will become an insider of the Company by reason of holding more than 10% of the then-outstanding common shares of the Company on a non-diluted basis. There is no assurance or guarantee that the second Tranche of the private placement will complete as described or at all. The FT Shares will qualify as "flow-through shares" within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada, the "Tax Act") and the Company will ensure that expenditures will qualify as "flow-through critical mineral mining expenditure" (as defined in subsection 127(9) of Tax Act). All securities issued are subject to a statutory hold period of 4 months plus one day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation. The securities to be offered pursuant to the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Completion of the Financing is subject to TSXV approval. J.C. St-Amour, President of Imagine Lithium, commented: "We are pleased to have strong support from investors who see the lithium potential for the Jackpot property. The project's proximity to infrastructure in the Province of Ontario, including highways, workforce and the major port of Thunder Bay differentiates it from other lithium projects in North America. These funds will allow us to continue our exploration efforts to grow as well pursue consolidation strategies to create shareholder value." Figure 1: Jackpot property located next to Trans-Canada Highway, power, port, railroad, and workforce. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2962/244330_b2c3eee084608b42_001full.jpg About Imagine Lithium Inc. Imagine is a junior mining exploration company focused on seeking and acquiring world-class mineral projects. The company holds the Jackpot lithium property located in the Georgia Lake area about 140 km NNE of Thunder Bay, Ontario, is approximately 12 km by road from the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 11), and is in proximity to sources of power, railroads, and ports. The Jackpot Property consists of 297 mineral claims covering 18,800 hectares. The Property contains NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resources of 3.1 Mt grading 0.85% Li2O in the Indicated category and 5.3 Mt grading 0.91% Li2O in the Inferred category, as well as a number of other known pegmatite showings. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward -looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedarplus.ca). Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or dissemination in the United States. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244330 SOURCE: Imagine Lithium Inc. The "Netherlands Buy Now Pay Later Business and Investment Opportunities Databook 75+ KPIs on BNPL Market Size, End-Use Sectors, Market Share, Product Analysis, Business Model, Demographics Q1 2025 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The BNPL payment market in Netherlands is expected to grow by 14.0% on annual basis to reach US$10.29 billion in 2025. The BNPL market in the country experienced robust growth during 2021-2024, achieving a CAGR of 23.5%. This upward trajectory is expected to continue, with the market forecast to grow at a CAGR of 9.8% during 2025-2030. By the end of 2030, the BNPL sector is projected to expand from its 2024 value of USD 9.02 billion to approximately USD 16.40 billion. This report provides a detailed data-centric analysis of the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) industry in Netherlands, covering market opportunities and risks across a range of retail categories. With over 75 KPIs at the country level, this report provides a comprehensive understanding of BNPL market dynamics, market size and forecast, and market share statistics. The BNPL market in the Netherlands continues to grow rapidly in 2024, driven by a strong e-commerce ecosystem, fintech innovations, and evolving consumer payment preferences. However, the regulatory environment is tightening as authorities seek to mitigate risks of over-indebtedness. Leading providers such as Klarna, Riverty, and AfterPay have intensified their focus on compliance and transparency while expanding partnerships with large retailers like Bol.com and Coolblue. The Dutch government recently announced plans to regulate in-store BNPL transactions more stringently by 2025, reflecting increased concerns about debt accumulation. E-commerce will remain the dominant growth channel for BNPL, while the market is also diversifying into travel, lifestyle services, and sustainability-focused financing. Competitive Landscape and Regulatory Developments The Netherlands' BNPL market is growing steadily, driven by a strong e-commerce sector and changing consumer preferences for flexible payment solutions. Leading players such as Klarna, Afterpay (Riverty), and PayPal's "Pay Later" dominate the market, supported by high digital literacy and widespread online shopping habits. However, the regulatory landscape is tightening with new EU and domestic regulations to promote transparency and responsible lending. Over the next 2-4 years, market players are expected to focus on personalization, partnerships with retail and fintech platforms, and expansion into non-retail services to capture new growth opportunities. Current State of the BNPL Market Strong E-commerce Integration: BNPL services are embedded within major online retailers such as Bol.com, Coolblue, and Zalando. Providers offer flexible installment options to improve customer conversion rates and enhance shopping experiences for electronics, apparel, and home goods. Consumer Shift Towards Flexible Credit: Dutch consumers increasingly opt for BNPL services over traditional credit cards, driven by convenience and low-cost repayment options. Millennials and Gen Z are key drivers of this trend, particularly in the online fashion and electronics segments. Omnichannel Expansion: While online adoption remains high, BNPL providers are extending their reach to offline retailers in sectors such as automotive, healthcare, and travel. Providers aim to offer consistent payment flexibility across online and in-person shopping channels. Key Players and New Entrants Key Players: Klarna, Riverty (formerly Afterpay), and PayPal (Pay Later) are leading the Dutch BNPL market. Klarna's strong partnerships with major e-commerce platforms give it a competitive edge, while Riverty focuses on offering installment plans tailored to merchants' needs. New Entrants: Regional providers such as in3 (an interest-free BNPL solution) and other fintech startups are entering the market, offering competitive repayment options and personalized services. These entrants aim to capitalize on the growing demand for flexible payment alternatives in both online and offline sectors. E-Commerce Integration Driving BNPL Demand E-commerce remains the backbone of BNPL adoption in the Netherlands. Platforms like Bol.com, Zalando, and Wehkamp have expanded BNPL options to attract tech-savvy customers seeking payment flexibility. In March 2024, Zalando partnered with Klarna to offer zero-interest installment plans during its seasonal sales, which resulted in a 40% increase in sales for fashion and footwear categories. BNPL is particularly popular for mid-to-high-value purchases, such as electronics, household goods, and apparel, where installment options help ease immediate financial pressure on consumers. Online shopping events like Singles' Day and Black Friday saw record BNPL transactions, with Klarna reporting a year-over-year increase during the November 2024 Black Friday weekend. Consumer Trends: Flexibility and Financial Control Dutch consumers highly value transparency and control over their finances. BNPL adoption is rising due to its convenience in allowing shoppers to spread payments without incurring traditional credit card debt. Consumers are increasingly wary of hidden fees. In response, providers such as AfterPay have launched educational campaigns emphasizing financial literacy and responsible borrowing practices. Expansion into Travel and Lifestyle Services The Dutch travel industry is capitalizing on BNPL to boost bookings. In April 2024, Sunweb Group partnered with Klarna to offer installment plans for vacation packages. Similarly, Dutch Railways (NS) piloted a BNPL option for long-distance train tickets, aiming to attract commuters and tourists who prefer flexible payment methods for travel. Lifestyle services, such as gym memberships and wellness retreats, increasingly adopt BNPL as consumers look for manageable ways to finance experiences rather than just physical goods. Sector Diversification into Sustainability Financing Sustainability is a growing focus for BNPL providers in the Netherlands. Riverty launched a green financing initiative in partnership with IKEA Netherlands, offering installment plans for energy-efficient products like solar panels and smart home devices. Dutch consumers increasingly seek financing options for eco-friendly home upgrades, aligning with national sustainability goals. Installment plans for electric vehicles (EVs) and energy-efficient home renovations are gaining traction. Offline Retail Adoption and Regulatory Changes While offline BNPL usage has expanded in sectors like furniture and electronics, the Dutch government has expressed concerns about impulse-driven debt accumulation. The Ministry of Finance proposed stricter regulations limiting or banning BNPL in physical stores. Retailers like Coolblue and MediaMarkt have continued offering BNPL at point-of-sale (POS) terminals. Still, they are also investing in omnichannel strategies to maintain consumer access to installment plans across online and offline platforms. Technological Innovations and Fintech Integration The Netherlands has a well-developed fintech ecosystem, and BNPL providers are investing in technology to enhance user experience. Riverty introduced AI-driven repayment personalization, allowing users to adjust their installment plans based on monthly income. Klarna launched a new feature that integrates BNPL with loyalty programs, enabling consumers to earn rewards points on installment purchases. Dutch banks, including Rabobank, have partnered with BNPL providers to integrate installment payment services within their digital banking apps, creating a seamless financial management experience for users. Recent Launches, Mergers, and Acquisitions Riverty's New Features: In collaboration with local retailers, Riverty introduced upgraded repayment options, including longer-term installment plans. This move aims to attract more high-value purchases in both online and physical stores. Anticipated Competitive Dynamics Personalization and AI-driven Innovation: Providers will likely invest in AI to offer tailored credit limits and repayment plans based on consumers' spending behavior. These innovations will help improve customer experience and foster brand loyalty. Non-Retail Sector Expansion: BNPL providers are expected to diversify their offerings by targeting the healthcare, education, and travel sectors. Flexible payment options for medical expenses, tuition fees, and vacation bookings are projected to drive new revenue streams. Increased Regulatory Compliance: As regulatory oversight increases, smaller players may exit the market or seek consolidation with larger providers. Larger firms with the capacity to comply with stricter consumer protection measures are likely to gain a competitive advantage. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 88 Forecast Period 2025 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2025 $10.29 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $16.4 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 9.8% Regions Covered Netherlands Companies Featured Klarna Afterpay Paypal Credit Riverty Alfa Aplazame Snoop For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/h6w3jx About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250312077646/en/ Contacts: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 At The Economist's 10th Sustainability Week, held in London, Cascale CEO Colin Browne joined a panel discussion on supply chain sustainability and the role of business in driving climate action. The session, moderated by Eddie Milev (Economist Impact), explored how companies can balance geopolitical challenges, regulatory pressures, and sustainability goals while maintaining supply chain resilience. Browne was joined by Lucy Westgarth, Environmental, Social & Governance Lead at Leidos Europe, who brought insights from the defense and public sector supply chains to the discussion. Together, they examined the shifting role of sustainability as an operational priority rather than an afterthought. "Sustainability used to be the last item on the boardroom agenda-an afterthought," Browne stated. "Now, it's a core business function, touching everything from supply chain resilience to legal and financial accountability. Companies that fail to take it seriously will struggle to stay competitive." Sustainability in Supply Chains: A Business Imperative, Not a Buzzword During the discussion, Eddie Milev set the stage by highlighting how supply chains have moved to the forefront of corporate strategy following global disruptions-from the pandemic to shifting geopolitical tensions. Browne agreed, emphasizing that supply chains are now a defining factor of business success: "Great companies have great supply chains. Sustainability is no longer just about risk mitigation-it's a business opportunity. Companies that embrace it will set themselves up for success, while those that ignore it will fall behind." Westgarth added that within government procurement and defense contracting, sustainability is increasingly tied to resilience and long-term readiness: "Sustainable procurement is about meeting today's needs without compromising tomorrow. In our industry, resilience is key, and sustainability plays directly into that." The Role of Collaboration in Industry Decarbonization A key focus of Browne's remarks was the need for deep collaboration between brands, manufacturers, and policymakers to accelerate decarbonization. He explained that no single brand or supplier can tackle emissions alone: "Many brands and retailers use the same factories. No individual company-whether a brand or manufacturer-can solve this alone. The only way to drive real change is through collective action." Westgarth echoed this, emphasizing that collaboration is equally critical in public sector supply chains. "Many industries, including defense, are now working together on shared sustainability challenges-whether through accreditation systems, carbon reporting platforms, or collaborative risk assessments. The same needs to happen in consumer goods." Browne reinforced that brands and manufacturers must move beyond transactional relationships and build long-term partnerships that embed sustainability into core business decisions. Supply Chain Resilience & The Geopolitical Challenge The conversation also touched on reshoring, nearshoring, and geopolitical tensions and how these factors impact sustainability. Browne cautioned against moving supply chains without considering environmental impact. "If you're changing suppliers or restructuring your supply chain, consider where you're moving to. Are you relocating to a country investing in renewables? Can this shift be a double win-both economically and environmentally?" Westgarth highlighted the complexity of balancing supply chain resilience with sustainability. "For some industries, nearshoring isn't a simple fix. You might move manufacturing closer, but raw materials still need to be sourced globally. It's about understanding the full picture." What's Next? Industry Decarbonization & Cascale's Role Browne reaffirmed Cascale's commitment to driving industry-wide decarbonization through collective action, transparency, and measurable impact. He emphasized that companies already know what needs to be done. "The question is no longer whether we can decarbonize. We have the technology, we have the solutions. The real question is: do we have the courage, capacity, and commitment to make it happen?" Through the Industry Decarbonization Roadmap, Cascale continues to work with its members on practical solutions that support manufacturers and brands in achieving meaningful emissions reductions while maintaining business competitiveness. Browne closed with a call to action. "Legislation will ebb and flow, but sustainability is not going away. Consumers expect it. Markets demand it. And the planet needs it. The companies that take action now will be the ones best positioned for the future." Want to Learn More? Cascale will continue these critical conversations through its work on the Industry Decarbonization Roadmap and at key gatherings like those at the upcoming Cascale Forum: Ho Chi Minh City this May. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Cascale on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Cascale Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cascale Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Cascale Vitry-le-Francois, France - March 12, 2025, 6:00pm (CET) First positive impact to date of the start of production of mobility-grade green hydrogen at the Marolles site (Marne County, Grand Est Region). First decisive step towards the development of a 720-kg/day production plant for hydrogen, electricity and biochar from biomass at the Glovelier site (Jura County, Switzerland), which is expected to be commissioned in July 2026. Following the successful start of production of green hydrogen at its Marolles site (Marne County, Grand Est), Haffner Energy (ISIN: FR0014007ND6 - Ticker: ALHAF) announces the signing by H 2 bois SA of a first contract, essential step towards developing H 2 bois SA's project at its Glovelier site (Jura County, Switzerland). A first contract, essential step towards developing H 2 bois SA's project The signing of this first contract brings discussions with H 2 bois SA to a new concrete phase. The company was created by the Swiss Corbat Group, and its partners Planair and Romande Energie, co-shareholders of H 2 bois SA, to develop and operate projects for the production of hydrogen, electricity and biochar from biomass. In particular, this first contract is critical for H 2 bois SA's project of a biomass-based hydrogen, electricity and biochar production plant, intended to meet the energy needs of local industrial consumers of fossil hydrogen and decarbonize mobility. Biomass is to be procured from the local wood industry, The plant, which is expected to be commissioned in July 2026, could represent a total order value for Haffner Energy that may reach up to 8.3 million, including options. With all its equipment and auxiliaries, it is designed to produce 30 kg/h of hydrogen. The hydrogen produced at the plant will be distributed on site or removed for industrial and mobility applications. The electricity produced will be fed into the electricity grid. Biochar, a by-product of the production of syngas (syngas) from which hydrogen is derived and a real carbon sink, will be used for compost enrichment and soil amendment. A land footprint already secured and pipeline to the H 2 distribution site in construction It was already made public that the distribution site is planned near the A16 motorway, thus facilitating access for vehicles. It is located in an industrial area packed with established consumers of fossil hydrogen. The hydrogen will be transported there by a pipeline, its 1-km route crossing the new business park (ZAM 2) which is expected to welcome new companies consuming green hydrogen. On the date of the signing of this first contract, the building permit has been secured and the work related to the construction of the pipeline has begun. The start of production of green hydrogen in Marolles: a trigger for the signing of this first contract As announced at the time of the half-year financial results, this technological milestone allows Haffner Energy to accelerate commercial discussions with various partners interested in its disruptive biomass thermolysis and gasification technologies. It was thus the trigger for finalising the signing of this first contract, which increases the company's prospects in a promising hydrogen market despite its slow start. "We are delighted to have reached this essential milestone with the Swiss companies Corbat, Planair and Romande Energie. As we anticipated, the production of mobility-grade hydrogen is proving to be a key catalyst. This shows that our Hynoca technological process is delivering on its promises, which should be a game-changer for a hydrogen ecosystem that has yet to truly take off. We have been waiting for this for a long time, and the availability of the Marolles site finally allows us to produce super green hydrogen from solid biomass", says Philippe Haffner, Co-founder and CEO of Haffner Energy. Additional resources About the Marolles site: press release and November 2024 media kit About Haffner Energy Haffner Energy is a French company providing solutions for the production of competitive clean fuels. With 32 years of experience converting biomass into renewable energies, it has developed innovative proprietary biomass thermolysis and gasification technologies to produce renewable gas, hydrogen and methanol, as well as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The company also contributes to regenerating the planet, through the co-production of biogenic CO 2 and biocarbon (or char/biochar). Haffner Energy is listed on Euronext Growth. (ISIN code: FR0014007ND6 - Ticker: ALHAF). About H 2 bois SA H 2 bois SA, majority-owned by the Swiss Corbat Group, was jointly founded in June 2021 by the Corbat family group, a specialist of the optimal and sustainable use of wood, and the Planair engineering firm, an energy transition expert. Since January 1, 2025, H 2 bois SA has been joined by Romande Energie, a Swiss energy production, distribution and marketing company, as a minority shareholder. H 2 bois SA's ambition is to build the first facility in Switzerland to produce green hydrogen, electricity and biochar from locally produced wood residues, broken down into carbon and hydrogen molecules by a thermolysis process. This locally produced, sustainable hydrogen is attracting a great deal of interest from regional players, mainly from industry. The CO 2 -negative energy balance is made possible not only by innovative technologies, but also by the use of by-products from forestry and the wood industry. Investor relations investisseurs@haffner-energy.com Media relations Laetitia MAILHES laetitia.mailhes@haffner-energy.com +33 (0) 6 07 12 96 76 Regulatory News: Orano and Navoiyuran announce an agreement laying the foundations for the industrial development of the South Djengeldi uranium mining project of their joint venture Nurlikum Mining. According to the terms of the agreement, the South Djengeldi project will be integrated into the existing industrial base of Navoiyuran that will be the project's operator. The agreement also marks the entry of a new partner from Japan, ITOCHU Corporation acquiring a minority stake in the joint venture. This new partnership consolidates recent developments in the joint venture and reflects all parties' determination to pursue the development of the operation of the South Djengeldi mining project. Based on its resources which have been certified to date, the South Djengeldi project should sustain production over a decade, with a peak at 700 metric tons of uranium per year. The South Djengeldi project forms part of a much broader program of cooperation with Navoiyuran, which was set out within a strategic framework agreement which Orano signed with the State of Uzbekistan in 2022. The partners will also embark on an exploration program, with the aim of at least doubling the joint venture's mineral resources. Xavier Saint Martin Tillet, Senior Executive Vice President of Orano's mining activities, declared: "This project contributes to diversifying the group's production sources. This new phase was made possible by the work undertaken over the past 5 years in Uzbekistan. Orano aims to bring its geological and technical expertise to the further project's development and, in doing so, support the expansion of the company's operations About Orano As a leading international operator in the field of nuclear materials, Orano delivers solutions to address present and future global energy and health challenges. Its expertise and mastery of cutting-edge technologies enable Orano to offer its customers high value-added products and services throughout the entire fuel cycle. Every day, the Orano group's 17,500 employees draw on their skills, unwavering dedication to safety and constant quest for innovation, with the commitment to develop know-how in the transformation and control of nuclear materials, for the climate and for a healthy and resource-efficient world, now and tomorrow. Orano, giving nuclear energy its full value. About Navoiyuran As the world's fifth-largest uranium producer, Navoiyuran plays a key role in ensuring a sustainable and responsible supply of nuclear fuel. Specializing in the extraction and processing of natural uranium into uranium oxide, the company supports the global demand for clean energy through export sales. With a workforce of over 9,000 professionals, Navoiyuran operates state-of-the-art facilities and employs advanced in-situ leaching technology to enhance efficiency while minimizing environmental impact. Committed to safety, innovation, and operational excellence, the company continues to strengthen Uzbekistan's position in the global nuclear industry, driving forward responsible resource development. About ITOCHU Corporation ITOCHU is a leading trading house and is engaged in a wide range of businesses, including imports, exports, and business investments in Japan and overseas in various fields, including textile, machinery, metals, minerals, energy, chemicals, food, general products, realty, information and communications technology, and finance. ITOCHU pursues a policy of enhancing its contribution to and engagement with the SDGs through business activities while listening to all stakeholders, including the market, society, and consumers. ITOCHU will continue to implement projects to help realize sustainable energy transition and carbon neutrality. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250312989136/en/ Contacts: Orano Press Office +33 (0)1 34 96 12 15 press@orano.group Orano Investor relations Marc Quesnoy investors@orano.group Energoatom Press Office +38 (044) 201-09-21 energoatom@atom.gov.ua Montigny Le Bretonneux, March 12, 2025 Signature of a major framework contract for rig inspection with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) As part of its strategy of signing framework contracts to project large volumes of activity over several years, DOLFINES SA announces the signing of a 5-year rig inspection framework contract with the Offshore Division of ADNOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company). Founded in 1971, ADNOC is a leading diversified energy group, 100% owned by the Abu Dhabi government. Nearly 150 rigs are currently in operation in Abu Dhabi, representing one of the largest drilling markets in the world. This signing comes less than a month after the signing with PDO (Petroleum Development Oman) of a framework contract for the inspection of rigs with a potential value of $200,000 to $500,000 per year for 5 years. The framework contract with ADNOC OFFSHORE covers the inspection of all units (Jack Up, Barges, Island Rigs) operating in the Emirate's offshore fields. The potential revenue generated by this activity could exceed $1 million per year over the next 5 years. The contract will take effect on April 29, 2025. At the same time, the ADNOC Division managing the Ghasha concession has extended by 2 years from March 2025 a framework contract signed in March 2020 with DOLFINES for the inspection of rigs. Commenting on the signing, Adrien Bourdon Feniou, Chairman and CEO of DOLFINES, said: "The intensification of our strategy of responding to major calls for tenders with major operators in the Middle East continues to bear fruit. After the contract signed in mid-February with Petroleum Development Oman, it is the turn of the major Abu Dhabi operator, ADNOC, to take note of DOLFINES' expertise by awarding it this framework contract, which is very structuring for the company's financial balances over the next 5 years - and by proposing a two-year extension for a previous framework contract. Beyond this success, I would like to highlight the importance of strengthening our activity with a group that is not only one of the world's leading producers of low-carbon oil and gas, but also invests heavily in renewable energies and decarbonization technologies, as a shareholder of MASDAR in particular, one of DOLFINES' strategic markets. About Dolfines: www.dolfines.com Founded in 2000, DOLFINES is an independent specialist in engineering and services in the renewable and conventional energy industry. Faced with the challenges of decarbonizing the energy sector and capitalizing on its strong expertise, DOLFINES wants to play a key role in this energy transition by designing and providing innovative services and solutions for the exploitation of renewable energy sources onshore and offshore, above and below sea level. Respecting the highest standards of quality and safety, DOLFINES is labelled an innovative company certified ISO 9001 for its technical assistance, auditing, inspection and engineering activities. Euronext Growth TM DOLFINES is listed on Euronext GrowthTM - ISIN Code: FR001400SP13- Mnemonic Code: ALDOL - DOLFINES is eligible to PEA-PME Contacts: DOLFINES: Delphine Bardelet Guejo, CFO - delphine.bardelet@dolfines.com ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: xmhulciaZ2uYlp5wY8hraWOUa5xnmpScaWKdyJZxlJeUnHFilmhjmJ2XZnJhmWZs - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-90416-dolfines_pr_adnoc-framework-contract.pdf RENEWALS AND APPOINTMENTS OF BOARD MEMBERS PROPOSED TO THE GENERAL MEETING TO BE HELD ON 20 MAY 2025 Press release Paris, 12 March 2025 The Board of Directors of Societe Generale, upon the proposal of the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee, approved the proposed renewals and appointments of board members ahead of the Shareholders' General Meeting to be held on 20 May 2025. The Board of Directors invites the General Meeting to be held on 20 May 2025 to vote to replace two female directors (Mrs Lubomira Rochet, resigning since 12 September 2024, and Mrs Alexandra Schaapveld, end of her third term as an independent director) and to renew three male directors (Mr. William Connelly, Mr. Henri Poupart-Lafarge and Mr. Sebastien Wetter). Mrs Ingrid-Helen Arnold will be proposed for her first term as an independent Director. Aged 56 and of German nationality, Mrs Ingrid-Helen Arnold will bring to the Board sound expertise in information systems and digital transformations. Mrs. Ingrid-Helen Arnold had a long career at SAP SE, from 1996 to 2021, where she was Chief Information Officer and member of the Global Management Committee. She was also Head of Digital Transformation (Chief Digital Officer) and member of the Executive Committee of Sudzucker between 2021 and 2024 and then interim CEO of KAKO-Elektro since June 2024. Mrs Ingrid-Helen Arnold is a Director of TUI and was a Director of Heineken. Mr Olivier Klein will be proposed for his first term as an independent Director. Aged 67 and of French nationality, Mr Olivier Klein will bring to the Board renowned expertise in retail banking and an in-depth knowledge of macroeconomic issues. He is currently Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Lazard Freres Banque, an entity which covers the support functions for investment banking (Lazard Freres) and for asset management (Lazard Freres Gestion). Mr Olivier Klein was Chief Executive Officer of BRED for 10 years and a member of the management board of BPCE in charge of commercial banking (supervision of the Banques Populaires and Caisses d'Epargne networks). From 2019 to 2023, he was a member of the supervisory board and risk committee of group BPCE. He teaches financial macroeconomics and monetary policy at HEC. Mr William Connelly, an independent Board member since 2017, Chairman of the Risk Committee since 2020 and member of the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee since 2017, will be proposed for a third term as a Director. Aged 67 and of French nationality, Mr William Connelly brings to the Board his recognised financial experience, particularly in investment banking, insurance and asset management, an international vision and his experience in the management of large groups. His attendance rate at Board and Committees meetings is 100%. Mr Henri Poupart-Lafarge, independent Director since 2021 and Chairman of the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee since 2023, will be proposed for a second term as a Director. Aged 55 and of French nationality, Mr Henri Poupart-Lafarge has had a long career at Alstom, of which he has been Chief Executive Officer since June 2024, after having been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 2016 to June 2024. He brings to the Board exceptional experience in the management of a large international group and the vision of corporate clients. His attendance rate at Board meetings has averaged 89% since the beginning of his term of office, and 93% on average for the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committees. Furthermore, the term of office of Mr Sebastien Wetter, Director representing employee shareholders, expires in 2025. The employee shareholders, solicited during the second half of 2024 by means of a single election, propose to renew him, together with Mrs Emmanuelle Petelle as a replacement. Mrs Emmanuelle Petelle is President of ASSACT, association of employee shareholders of Societe Generale. The Board of Directors, on the proposal of the Nomination and Corportate Government Committee, has decided to approve this renewal proposal. Mr Sebastien Wetter has been working for 27 years as an employee at Societe Generale. This experience covers several functions in retail and investment banking related to business development and client satisfaction. He also held the position of Secretary General of the Group's General Inspection and Audit Division. He was Global Chief Operating Officer in the Financial Institutions Sales Department and banker of major international accounts. He was appointed for the first time as a Director representing Societe Generale's employee shareholders at the end of the Shareholders' Meeting of 18 May 2021. Since 2023, he has been a member of the Audit and Internal Control Committee. If the General Meeting approves these proposals, the Board of Directors will comprise 42% women (5/12), 92% independent Directors (11/12) excluding the three Directors representing employees, and 40% Directors who are foreign nationals (out of the 15 Directors sitting on the Board of Directors, seven nationalities are represented, including Directors with several nationalities). The Board has ensured that, with this composition, it will have all the necessary skills to function properly, to carry out its tasks of defining the strategy of the Societe Generale group and monitoring its implementation. Press Contacts: Jean-Baptiste Froville_+33 1 58 98 68 00_ jean-baptiste.froville@socgen.com Fanny Rouby_+33 1 57 29 11 12_ fanny.rouby@socgen.com Biographies Ingrid-Helen ARNOLD Born on 5 October 1968, German Graduated from the University of Applied Sciences Ludwigshafen in 1997 with a master's degree in economics. She began her career at SAP SE in 1996, where she held various responsibilities related to innovation and digital transformation. In 2014, she was appointed Chief Information Officer and Business Processes and extended Member of the SAP Group Executive Committee. From 2016 to April 2021, she was President of SAP Business Data Network Group in Palo Alto (United States) and SAP SE Walldorf (Germany). In 2021, she joined the Sudzucker Group as Chief Digital Officer and Information technology and member of the Group's Executive Committee. She is Chief Executive Officer of KAKO GmbH since June 2024. She was a member of the Supervisory Board and a member of the Heineken Group Audit Committee from 2019 to 2023. She is a member of the TUI Group Supervisory Board since 2020. Olivier KLEIN Born on 15 June 1957, French Graduated from the Pantheon-Sorbonne University in 1978 with a Bachelor's degree in Economics, from the National School of Statistics and Economic Administration (ENSAE) in 1980, and from HEC's graduate course in Finance in 1985. He began his career at the BFCE in 1985 and served as manager of the Foreign Exchange and Rate Risk Management Advisory Department, then as Director of the BFCE's Investment Bank, and finally as Regional Director of its corporate bank. He joined the Caisse d'Epargne Group in 1998 and was Chairman of the Executive Board of the Caisse d'Epargne Ile-de-France Ouest from 2000 to 2007 and then of the Caisse d'Epargne Rhone-Alpes from 2007 to 2009. In January 2010, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Banking and Insurance of the BPCE Group until September 2012. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the BRED Group from October 2012 to May 2023. He was a Member of the Supervisory Board of BPCE and its Risk Committee between 2019 and May 2023. He is Chief Executive Officer of Lazard Freres Banque SA and Managing Partner since September 2023. Since 1986, He is teaching macroeconomics and monetary policy at HEC. He is a director of Rexecode since 2018. William CONNELLY Born on 3 February 1958, French William Connelly is a graduate of Georgetown University in Washington (US). From 1980 to 1990, he worked as a banker at Chase Manhattan Bank in the US, Spain and the United Kingdom. From 1990 to 1999, he worked at Barings and later at ING Barings as Head of Mergers and Acquisitions in Spain, following which he was appointed Head of Corporate Finance for Western Europe. From 1999 to 2016, he was responsible for various positions in the Investment Banking Division at ING Bank NV (Netherlands). His last positions were Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking and member of the Executive Committee, as well as Chief Executive Officer of ING Real Estate BV (ING Bank subsidiary). Henri Poupart-Lafarge Born on 10 April 1969, French Henri Poupart-Lafarge is a graduate of France's Ecole Polytechnique, Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees and of Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He began his career in 1992 at the World Bank in Washington D.C. before moving to the French Ministry of the Economy and Finance in 1994. He joined Alstom in 1998 as Head of Investor Relations and was in charge of Management Control. In 2000, he was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Transmission and Distribution at Alstom, a position he held until 2004. He was Chief Financial Officer of Alstom from 2004 until 2010, and became President of Alstom Grid from 2010 to 2011. On 4 July 2011, he became Chairman of Alstom Transport, before being appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in February 2016, a position he held until June 2024. Since then, he has been Chief Executive Officer and Director of Alstom. Sebastien WETTER Born on 10 July 1971, French Sebastien Wetter holds a Master degree in Fundamental Physics and graduated from the Lyons Business School (EM Lyon). He began his career at Societe Generale in 1997 in the Strategy and Marketing Division of Societe Generale's retail bank. Working in the Group's Organisation Consulting Department from 2002, he performed a range of roles in the Corporate & Investment Banking arm and helped roll out the Group-wide participatory Innovation programme. As of the end of 2005, he joined the Commodities Market Department as Chief Operating Officer holding a global remit, before becoming Head of Business Development in 2008. From 2010 until 2014, he served as General Secretary in the Group's General Inspection and Audit Division. In 2014, he joined the Sales Division of the Corporate & Investment Bank arm where he held a number of positions: Head of marketing for major French and international clients, then in 2016, Global Chief Operating Officer responsible for the sales teams covering financial institutions. From 2020 to December 2022, he has been a banker managing Societe Generale's relationship with international financial institutions. Societe Generale Societe Generale is a top tier European Bank with more than 126,000 employees serving about 25 million clients in 65 countries across the world. We have been supporting the development of our economies for 160 years, providing our corporate, institutional, and individual clients with a wide array of value-added advisory and financial solutions. Our long-lasting and trusted relationships with the clients, our cutting-edge expertise, our unique innovation, our ESG capabilities and leading franchises are part of our DNA and serve our most essential objective - to deliver sustainable value creation for all our stakeholders. The Group runs three complementary sets of businesses, embedding ESG offerings for all its clients: French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance , with leading retail bank SG and insurance franchise, premium private banking services, and the leading digital bank BoursoBank. , with leading retail bank SG and insurance franchise, premium private banking services, and the leading digital bank BoursoBank. Global Banking and Investor Solutions, a top tier wholesale bank offering tailored-made solutions with distinctive global leadership in equity derivatives, structured finance and ESG. a top tier wholesale bank offering tailored-made solutions with distinctive global leadership in equity derivatives, structured finance and ESG. Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services, comprising well-established universal banks (in Czech Republic, Romania and several African countries), Ayvens (the new ALD I LeasePlan brand), a global player in sustainable mobility, as well as specialized financing activities. Committed to building together with its clients a better and sustainable future, Societe Generale aims to be a leading partner in the environmental transition and sustainability overall. The Group is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Refinitiv Diversity and Inclusion Index, Euronext Vigeo (Europe and Eurozone), STOXX Global ESG Leaders indexes, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index (World and Europe). In case of doubt regarding the authenticity of this press release, please go to the end of the Group News page on societegenerale.comwebsite where official Press Releases sent by Societe Generale can be certified using blockchain technology. A link will allow you to check the document's legitimacy directly on the web page. For more information, you can follow us on Twitter/X @societegeneraleor visit our website societegenerale.com. Attachment Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - NexGen Capital Partners Limited ("NexGen"), a Toronto-based private equity firm focused on driving revenue growth in privately held companies, has announced a strategic engagement with Phoenix Corporate Finance Inc. ("Phoenix"), a leading M&A advisory firm. This partnership positions NexGen to enhance its pursuit of high-value transactions by leveraging Phoenix's expertise in corporate advisory and acquisition financing. Under the terms of the engagement, Phoenix will provide NexGen with tailored strategic guidance and facilitate the financing necessary to execute potential acquisitions. The collaboration aims to streamline NexGen's ability to identify and close deals in a very dynamic market. Kris Orlowski, Chief Financial Officer of NexGen, highlighted the challenges facing the industry: "Current economic conditions have made it increasingly difficult for business owners to secure buyers with the financing needed to complete transactions. This partnership with Phoenix addresses that gap, enabling us to move decisively on opportunities." Andre Sylvestre, Senior Corporate Advisor and Head of Advisory Services at Phoenix, emphasized their unique approach: "Our access to a diverse network of non-institutional funding sources across North America allows us to structure comprehensive financing solutions. This capability is critical for closing acquisition deals involving private companies." About NexGen NexGen Capital Partners Limited ('NexGen') is a Toronto-based private equity firm that specializes in acquiring controlling ownership positions in privately held companies through asset acquisitions, mergers, buyouts, financial restructuring, or turnarounds, NexGen aims to achieve an annualized ROI of at least 25% by injecting capital to fund accelerated revenue growth while implementing expense reductions. Our operational objective is to build our portfolio companies into significant market players through various strategies including funding of accelerated growth, strategic acquisitions and operational amplifications, generating substantial value creation for all shareholders. For more information on NexGen, please visit www.nexgenpartners.ca. About Phoenix Phoenix Corporate Finance Inc. is an independent mid-market corporate finance firm serving Canadian companies with alternative and secondary funding solutions. By tapping non-institutional and private capital sources, Phoenix expands financing options beyond traditional institutions, specializing in equity and debt underwriting for corporate, commercial, and ICI real estate transactions. Learn more at www.phoenixcorpfinance.ca. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244277 SOURCE: NexGen Capital Partners Limited Top Four Conveyor Car Wash Celebrates Newest Location with One Week of Free Car Washes Tidal Wave Auto Spa, one of the nation's fastest-growing express car wash companies, is proud to announce the grand opening of its 290th location this week in Sebring, FL at 2700 US Hwy 27 N . Tidal Wave Auto Spa Blue Oval Logo To celebrate the grand opening, Tidal Wave's brand-new Sebring location will offer eight days of free premium car washes March 12 through March 19. This limited-time promotion provides an opportunity for car owners to experience Tidal Wave's premium wash option, Graph-X4 , at no cost. Additionally, any new customer that joins a Tidal Wave Clean Club unlimited wash membership during Grand Opening week will enjoy their first month of unlimited washes for only $9.97 - saving up to $40. "We're excited to celebrate the opening of our 290th Tidal Wave location this week," said Founder and CEO, Scott Blackstock. "Florida is a key part of our 2025 growth strategy and were eager to bring our exceptional express car wash experience to more communities throughout the Sunshine State. Our Sebring location is built with industry-leading technology for the highest-quality car wash that is easy, efficient and enjoyable. We look forward to bringing clean car happiness to the Sebring community during grand opening week and beyond." Tidal Wave proudly serves customers at 290 express wash locations across the United States, and currently operates twenty-three Florida locations. The company will continue to expand its Florida footprint throughout 2025 with brand-new express washes opening in Orlando , Kissimmee , Spring Hill , Brandon , Kenneth City , and more . Tidal Wave Auto Spa is committed to providing every customer with an exceptional car wash experience through industry-leading car care technology, clean and attractive locations, and friendly customer service at every location. Stop by for a single wash or join Tidal Wave's Clean Club for the ultimate experience. Members can wash every day of the month for one convenient monthly payment and save time with exclusive club member wash lanes - plus, memberships can be used at any Tidal Wave location. For those needing to wash multiple cars, Tidal Wave offers discounted monthly family plans and fleet plans for businesses with five or more vehicles. For additional information, including upcoming openings, fundraising, fleet plans, and more, please visit: https://www.tidalwaveautospa.com/ . About Tidal Wave Auto Spa Tidal Wave Auto Spa was founded over 20 years ago in Thomaston, GA by husband and wife, Scott and Hope Blackstock. What started as a small-town self-service car wash business, evolved into the first conveyor car wash open in Georgia, and is now the fourth-largest conveyor car wash company in the nation with 290 locations sprawling 30 states. Tidal Wave is committed to providing every customer an exceptional car wash experience through industry-leading car care technology, clean and attractive locations, and outstanding customer service. In 2020, the company partnered with Golden Gate Capital to facilitate their accelerated growth and has been included in the Inc. 5000 list of America's Fastest Growing Companies for the past five years. Tidal Wave has continuously strived to make a positive impact in the communities they serve, and has raised over $3 million dollars for local programs, service organizations, and non-profit organizations through the company's fundraising program and annual philanthropic Charity Day event. SOURCE: Tidal Wave Auto Spa Indianapolis, Indiana--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - A & W Transfer & Storage of Amarillo, Tex., was awarded Bekins Van Lines Agent of the Year Thursday, February 27 at Bekins' sixth annual Van Line Summit & Awards Gala. The award is given to the top interstate agent for Bekins Van Lines that exemplifies putting customers first and the characteristics of quality, professionalism, empathy for customers, fellow agents, drivers and van line employees. Selected as the Bekins Agent of the Month for July 2024, A & W has been family-owned and operated since 1956 and joined the Bekins system in 1969. A & W Transfer & Storage is a fourth-generation family-owned and operated moving and storage company. Owner Pam Matheson Gonzalez grew up in the moving business, as her parents and grandparents founded the company back in the 1950s. She now works alongside her son, Brandon Gonzalez, Vice President of A & W. The Amarillo business is able to offer superior service because of its experienced people and its focus on relationships. "I've always had a great team that works really, really hard. We still believe in customer service, and I always believe in taking care of my people," said Pam Matheson Gonzalez. "I believe in what we do. We hold the grandmother's hand; we hold the widow's hand. We walk the young family through this who are scared to death." The team at A & W Transfer and Storage has made a continued positive impact on the van line throughout the 55 years they have been part of the network. "I am so excited that Pam and her team have won this award. They really are a team player to the network, and it's obvious in talking to any of her employees the respect they have for her, and the love she has for them. She truly embodies what it means to be part of the Bekins Van Lines family," said April Milner, Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Move Management at Bekins Van Lines. "We're proud to call A & W Transfer and Storage our 2024 Agent of the Year." A & W Transfer's July 2024 Agent of the Month distinction was the company's eighth recognition through the monthly award. Other recent awards include the 2024 Customer Loyalty Award; the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Spire Award; the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Silver Hauling Award; and the 2024 and 2022 Bronze Sales Award. With an emotional acceptance speech, A & W Transfer & Storage owner Pam Matheson Gonzalez accepts the 2024 Bekins Van Lines Agent of the Year award from Bekins CEO Mark Kirschner and Bekins president Jim Gaw. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9448/244344_8b33b05a44091a33_001full.jpg With an emotional acceptance speech, A & W Transfer & Storage owner Pam Matheson Gonzalez accepts the 2024 Bekins Van Lines Agent of the Year award from Bekins CEO Mark Kirschner and Bekins president Jim Gaw. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9448/244344_8b33b05a44091a33_002full.jpg Cannot view this video? Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkeHiqSUo0o The A & W Transfer and Storage team can be reached by phone at (806) 373-9292, in person at 808 S Houston St., Amarillo, TX 79102 and online at https://www.moversamarillo.com/. Watch the Bekins Agent of the Year video on YouTube. About Bekins Van Lines Wheaton | Bekins is one of the world's most highly regarded providers of transportation services. The van line owns five household goods relocation brands, Wheaton World Wide Moving, Bekins Van Lines, Stevens Worldwide Van Lines, Arpin Van Lines and Clark & Reid. The van line is the fourth largest household goods carrier. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., through its brands Wheaton | Bekins offers private and corporate domestic and international household goods relocation services as well as special commodities and logistic services. The van line is partner to more than 350 Wheaton and Bekins agents nationwide. To learn more, visit www.bekins.com/why-bekins/partners . ### To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244344 SOURCE: Bekins Van Lines Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - E-Power Resources Inc. (CSE: EPR) (FSE: 8RO) ("E-Power" or the "Company") announces that it intends to complete a private placement of units for total gross proceeds of up to $500,000 (the "Private Placement"). Securities to be issued pursuant to the Private Placement shall consist of an amount of up to 10,000,000 units of the Company (the "Units") issued at a price of $0.05 per Unit, with each Unit comprising one common share in the capital of the Company (each a "Common Share") and one-half common share purchase warrant (each a "Warrant"), with each warrant entitling its holder thereof to acquire one additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.10 per Common Share for a period of 60 months from the closing date of the offering (the "Offering"). Net proceeds from the Offering will be used by the Company for Tetepisca project development and general working capital purposes. Subject to compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and in accordance with National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions ("NI 45-106"), the Common Shares, the Warrants and Units will be offered by way of private placement pursuant to applicable exemptions from NI 45-106. The Offering is expected to close on or about April 9, 2025, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the customary closing conditions, including the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE"). The Company may pay brokers in the context of the Offering. The Offering may close in multiple tranches. The securities to be offered pursuant to the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About E-Power Resources Inc. E-Power is a Quebec corporation based in Montreal and focused on battery mineral exploration in Quebec. The company is currently advancing two projects: the Tetepisca property, located in the North Shore region of the province, and the Turgeon property, located in the Abitibi region adjacent to the Ontario border. The company's priority target is flake graphite on the Tetepisca property. The Turgeon property is located in the prolific Abitibi gold and base metal mining district, and the company is evaluating Turgeon primarily for its copper-zinc and gold potential. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations, or beliefs of future performance are "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company based on information currently available to it. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities, which may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244339 SOURCE: E-Power Resources Indianapolis, Indiana--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - Wheaton World Wide Moving held its sixth annual Van Line Summit & Awards Gala on Thursday, February 27, during which Wheaton Vice President of Operations Kevin Miller announced Gene Giles as the winner of the van line's annual Lifetime Achievement award. The distinguished recognition acknowledges the recipient's enduring dedication, accomplishments and substantial contributions with the moving and storage industry and highlights Gile's long-term commitment to excellence and the impactful role he has played in shaping and advancing the industry. Giles began his household goods moving career in the early 1980s, driving for an Interstate Agent for Wheaton World Wide Moving in Jackson, Miss., Wooten Moving & Storage. Since that start in the Wheaton network, Giles has driven directly for the van line's corporate team for almost three decades, winning several Driver of the Month awards recognizing his customer service and safety records. "Gene's customers frequently mention him by name in their reviews," said Kevin Miller, Vice President of Operations at Wheaton. "A recent testimonial from his customer said he should be training other moving company drivers in customer service." As a top rated driver, Giles was chosen to haul a special trailer featuring Wheaton's support of Legacy List with Matt Paxton, a public television show that celebrates family memories during the downsizing process for older adults. The cast of the show was thrilled to see Giles and his trailer pull up to the California production site back in 2022. Show host Matt Paxton even rode around with Giles in the trailer. "Gene's lifelong hard work and quality service over the past three decades have earned the van line numerous repeat and referral customers," said Mark Kirschner, CEO of Wheaton World Wide Moving. "He is a valuable member of the Wheaton team and is highly deserving of the Lifetime Achievement award." Gene Giles (far right) accepts the Wheaton World Wide Moving 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award with his wife and daughter by his side. Wheaton Director of Traffic Doug Robinson (far left) presented the award. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9524/244355_638b51fd4454a84f_001full.jpg Gene Giles accepts his award at the podium at Wheaton's Van Line Summit & Awards Gala. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9524/244355_638b51fd4454a84f_002full.jpg Gene Giles hauls a custom-wrapped "Legacy List with Matt Paxton" trailer and got the chance to drive the show host, Matt Paxton, at a production site for the show. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9524/244355_638b51fd4454a84f_003full.jpg About Wheaton World Wide Moving Wheaton | Bekins is one of the world's most highly regarded providers of transportation services. The van line owns five household goods relocation brands, Wheaton World Wide Moving, Bekins Van Lines, Stevens Worldwide Van Lines, Arpin Van Lines and Clark & Reid. The van line is the fourth largest household goods carrier. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., through its brands Wheaton | Bekins offers private and corporate domestic and international household goods relocation services as well as special commodities and logistic services. The van line is partner to more than 350 Wheaton and Bekins agents nationwide. To learn more, visit www.bekins.com/why-bekins/partners . ### To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244355 SOURCE: Wheaton World Wide Moving Tinka Resources Limited ("Tinka" or the "Company") (TSXV:TK)(BVL:TK)(OTCQB:TKRFF) announces the resignation of Mr. Pieter Britz from the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") with immediate effect. Mr. Britz has withdrawn his name from the slate of nominees for election to the Board at the annual general and special meeting of shareholders to be held on March 26, 2025. Mr. Britz is stepping back as a director of Tinka to focus on ongoing work commitments with regards to the management of the Sentient Resources ("Sentient") funds and associated investments. Mr. Britz joined the Company in January 2018, as a director nominated by Sentient, and has been a valuable member of the Board. The Board and management are grateful to Mr. Britz for his many contributions during his Board tenure and wish him well in his future endeavours. On behalf of the Board, "Graham Carman" Dr. Graham Carman, President & CEO Further Information: www.tinkaresources.com Mariana Bermudez 1.604.685.9316 info@tinkaresources.com Stay up to date by subscribing for news alerts at Contact Tinka and by following Tinka on X, LinkedIn and Facebook. About Tinka Resources Limited Tinka is an exploration and development company with its flagship property being the 100%-owned Ayawilca zinc-silver-tin project in central Peru. The Zinc Zone at Ayawilca has an estimated Indicated Mineral Resource of 28.3 Mt grading 5.82% zinc, 16.4 g/t silver, 0.2% lead and 91 g/t indium, and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 31.2 Mt grading 4.21% zinc, 14.5 g/t silver, 0.2% lead and 45 g/t indium. The Silver Zone has an estimated Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.0 Mt grading 111.4 g/t silver, 1.54% zinc, & 0.5% lead. The Tin Zone has an estimated Indicated Mineral Resource of 1.4 million tonnes grading 0.72% tin and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 12.7 Mt grading 0.76% tin. The Company filed a NI 43-101 technical report on an updated PEA for the Ayawilca Project on April 15, 2024 (link to NI 43-101 report here). Dr. Graham Carman, Tinka's President and CEO, has reviewed, verified and approved the technical contents of this release. Dr. Carman is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Forward Looking Statements: Certain information in this news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively "forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the strategic review. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs and expectations of Tinka as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Tinka's management. Such statements reflect the current risks, uncertainties and assumptions related to certain factors including, without limitations: timing and successful completion of the strategic review; timing of planned work programs and results varying from expectations; delay in obtaining results; changes in equity markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; equipment failure, unexpected geological conditions; imprecision in resource estimates or metal recoveries; success of future development initiatives; competition and operating performance; environmental and safety risks; timing of geological reports; the preliminary nature of the Ayawilca Project PEA and the Company's ability to realize the results of the Ayawilca Project PEA; the political environment in which the Company operates continuing to support the development and operation of mining projects; risks related to negative publicity with respect to the Company or the mining industry in general; delays in obtaining or failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from local authorities; community agreements and relations; and, other development and operating risks. Should any one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein. Although Tinka believes that assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Tinka disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE: Tinka Resource Ltd. Organto Foods Inc. (TSXV:OGO)(OTC PINK:OGOFF)(FSE:OGF) ("Organto" or "the Company") today announced the results of its annual general meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting"), which was held earlier today. 10,337,706 common shares representing approximately 30.1% of eligible outstanding shares were voted at the Meeting, with all matters receiving in excess of 99% support. At the Meeting, shareholders received the financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, together with the auditor's report thereon. In addition, Shareholders elected five directors: Steve Bromley, Peter Damouni, Peter Gianulis, Alejandro Maldonado and Joe Riz. Messrs. Damouni, Gianulis, Maldonado and Riz were elected as independent directors, representing 80.0% of the directors elected to the board. The shareholders also approved the appointment of Dale Matheson Carr-Hilton Labonte LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as Organto's independent auditor for the ensuing year, and approved the Company's Share Option and Restricted Share Unit Plans for continuation until the Company's next annual general meeting. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, Steve Bromley Chair and Chief Executive Officer Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. For more information contact: Investor Relations info@organto.com John Rathwell, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations 647 629 0018 ABOUT ORGANTO Organto is an integrated provider of branded, private label and distributed organic and non-GMO fruit and vegetable products using a strategic asset-light business model to serve a growing socially responsible and health-conscious consumer around the globe. Organto's business model is rooted in its commitment to sustainable business practices focused on environmental responsibility and a commitment to the communities where it operates, its people and its shareholders. SOURCE: Organto Foods, Inc. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. Orosur Mining Inc. ("Orosur" or the "Company") (TSXV:OMI)(AIM:OMI) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Red Cloud Securities Inc. (the "Agent"), to act as sole agent and bookrunner, in connection with a best efforts private placement (the "Marketed Offering") for aggregate gross proceeds of up to C$5,000,000 from the sale of up to 29,411,764 units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of C$0.17 per Unit (the "Offering Price"). Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (each, a "Unit Share") and one half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant shall entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company (each, a "Warrant Share") at a price of C$0.25 at any time on or before that date which is 24 months after the Closing Date (as herein defined). The Agent will have an option, exercisable in full or in part, up to 48 hours prior to the Closing Date, to sell up to an additional 5,882,353 Units at the Offering Price for up to an additional C$1,000,000 in gross proceeds (the "Agent's Option", and together with the Marketed Offering, the "Offering"). Subject to compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and in accordance with National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions ("NI 45-106"), the Units that may be sold under the Marketed Offering (the "LIFE Units") will be offered for sale to purchasers in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan (the "Canadian Selling Jurisdictions") pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of NI 45-106. The Unit Shares and Warrant Shares underlying the LIFE Units are expected to be immediately freely tradeable under applicable Canadian securities legislation if sold to purchasers resident in Canada. Units sold pursuant to the Agent's Option (the "Non-LIFE Units") may be issued to: (i) purchasers in the Canadian Selling Jurisdictions pursuant to the "accredited investor" and "minimum amount investment" exemptions under NI 45-106, and (ii) purchasers outside of Canada, including to purchasers resident in the United States pursuant to one or more exemptions from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Unit Shares and Warrant Shares issuable from the sale of any Non-LIFE Units to Canadian purchasers will be subject to a hold period in Canada ending on the date that is four months plus one day following the Closing Date. Purchasers are advised to consult their own legal advisors in this regard. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering principally to advance the Company's Anza exploration project in Colombia as well as for general working capital and corporate purposes. The Offering is scheduled to close on or around March 27, 2025 (the "Closing Date"), or such other date as the Company and the Agent may agree, and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V"). The Offering allows the Company to make use of its listing on the TSX-V to broaden its shareholder base, including institutional investors, and should improve the liquidity of its common shares in Canada. There is an offering document related to the Offering that can be accessed under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at www.orosur.ca. Prospective investors should read this offering document before making an investment decision. The securities offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act, of 1933 (the "U.S. Securities Act") as amended, or any state securities law, and may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly, within the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons, absent registration or an exemption from such registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in the United States in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. It is anticipated that certain directors of the Company may acquire Units under the Offering. Such participation will be considered to be "related party transactions" within the meaning of TSX-V Policy 5.9 (the "Policy") and Multilateral Instrument 61-101-Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") adopted in the Policy. The Company intends to rely on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 in respect of related party participation in the Offering as neither the fair market value (as determined under MI 61-101) of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value of the consideration for, the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, is expected to exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization (as determined under MI 61-101). The directors' anticipated participation is also likely to constitute a related party transaction under the AIM Rules for Companies. Further details of the directors' participation in the Offering will be set out in the announcement regarding the results of the Offering. For further information, visit www.orosur.ca, follow on X @orosurm or please contact: Orosur Mining Inc Louis Castro, Chairman, Brad George, CEO info@orosur.ca Tel: +1 (778) 373-0100 SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP - Nomad & Joint Broker Jeff Keating / Jen Clarke / Devik Mehta Tel: +44 (0) 20 3470 0470 Turner Pope Investments (TPI) Ltd - Joint Broker Andy Thacker/James Pope Tel: +44 (0)20 3657 0050 Flagstaff Communications and Investor Communications Tim Thompson Mark Edwards Fergus Mellon orosur@flagstaffcomms.com Tel: +44 (0)207 129 1474 The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 ('MAR') which has been incorporated into UK law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service ('RIS'), this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. Neither TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. About Orosur Mining Inc. Orosur Mining Inc. (TSXV:OMI)(AIM:OMI) is a minerals explorer and developer currently operating in Colombia, Argentina and Nigeria. About the Anza Project Anza is a gold exploration project ("Anza Project"), comprising three exploration licences, four exploration licence applications, and a small exploitation permit, totalling 176km2 in the prolific Mid-Cauca belt of Colombia. Post the acquisition of Minera Monte Aguila S.A.S, the area of the Anza Project has increased substantially to approximately 380km2 due to the acquisition of a number of additional applications that were owned by Minera Monte Aguila S.A.S. The Anza Project is currently wholly owned by Orosur via its subsidiaries, Minera Anza S.A. and Minera Monte Aquila S.A.S. The Anza Project is located 50km west of Medellin and is easily accessible by all-weather roads and boasts excellent infrastructure including water, power, communications and large exploration camp. Forward Looking Statements: All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities laws, which is based upon the Company's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions, and beliefs. The forward-looking information included in this Offering Document are made only as of the date of this Offering Document. Such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements concerning future exploration plans at the Company's mineral properties, including exploration timelines and anticipated costs; the Company's expectations with respect to the use of proceeds and the use of the available funds following completion of the Offering; the completion of the Offering and the Agents' Option and the date of such completion; and the completion of the Company's business objectives, and the timing, costs, and benefits thereof. Forward-looking statements or forward-looking information relate to future events and future performance and include statements regarding the expectations and beliefs of management based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information often, but not always, can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "potential", "is expected", "anticipated", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or forward-looking information are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties relating to: general business and economic conditions; regulatory approval for the Offering; completion of the Offering; changes in commodity prices; the supply and demand for, deliveries of, and the level and volatility of the price of gold and other metals; changes in project parameters as exploration plans continue to be refined; costs of exploration including labour and equipment costs; risks and uncertainties related to the ability to obtain or maintain necessary licenses, permits or surface rights; changes in credit market conditions and conditions in financial markets generally; the ability to procure equipment and operating supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis; the availability of qualified employees and contractors; the impact of value of the Canadian dollar and U.S. dollar, foreign exchange rates on costs and financial results; market competition; exploration results not being consistent with the Company's expectations; changes in taxation rates or policies; technical difficulties in connection with mining activities; changes in environmental regulation; environmental compliance issues; and other risks of the mining industry. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that could cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. For more information on the Company and the risks and challenges of its business, investors should review the Company's annual filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca. The Company provides no assurance that forward-looking statements or forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements and information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, changing circumstances, or otherwise. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Orosur Mining Inc Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - Zincore Metals Inc. (TSXV: ZNC.H) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed its upsized non-brokered private placement of 31,200,930 subscription receipts of the Company (the "Subscription Receipts") at a price of $0.15 per Subscription Receipt for aggregate gross proceeds of $4,680,139.55 (the "Financing"). The Financing was completed in connection with the Company's proposed acquisition of the Reedy Creek and Providence gold projects in Victoria, Australia (collectively, the "Project") from Great Pacific Gold Corp. (the "Vendor"). As previously announced, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement dated effective December 3, 2024 among the Company, the Vendor and 1513609 B.C. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Vendor ("BC Subco"), pursuant to which, subject to regulatory approval, the Company will acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of BC Subco (the "Proposed Transaction"), which will hold, through an Australian subsidiary, a 100% interest in and to the Project. On or prior to the closing of the Proposed Transaction, the Company will complete a consolidation (the "Consolidation") of its issued and outstanding common shares (the pre-Consolidation common shares in the authorized structure of the Company being referred to as, the "Common Shares") on the basis of one (1) new common share in the authorized structure of the Company (the "Post-Consolidation Common Shares") for each 2.5 old Common Shares. It is also anticipated that concurrent with the completion of the Proposed Transaction the Company will change its name to "Golden Cross Resources Inc." (the "Name Change"). The proceeds of the Financing have been placed into escrow pending closing of the Proposed Transaction. Upon satisfaction of certain release conditions, which include the completion of the Proposed Transaction, each Subscription Receipt will be deemed to be exercised, without payment of any additional consideration and without further action on the part of the holder thereof, for one (1) Post-Consolidation Common Share, and the escrowed subscription funds will be released to the Company. Should the escrow release conditions not be satisfied or waived, or if the Proposed Transaction is not completed, the Subscription Receipts will be cancelled, and the escrowed funds will be returned to subscribers. In connection with the Financing, upon exercise of the Subscription Receipts, the Company will pay finder's fees to eligible finders consisting of $173,978.97. The proceeds of the Financing will be used to fund (i) expenses of the Proposed Transaction and the Financing, (ii) the exploration and development of the Project, and (iii) working capital requirements of the Company following completion of the Proposed Transaction. The Financing remains subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). All securities issued in connection with the Financing are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus one day in accordance with Canadian securities legislation. Proposed Officer Appointment In connection with the closing of the Proposed Transaction, the Company expects to appoint Alan Till as the Company's VP of Exploration. Mr. Till is an exploration geologist with over 17 years of experience in base metals, gold, mineral sands, and graphite. He holds a BSc in Applied Geology from Curtin University, is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and a Fellow of the Geological Society of London. He has worked predominantly in Australia and East Africa, with Legend Mining, Moly Mines, and Odin Metals, and has been involved with the discovery and development of a number of economic mineral deposits. Mr. Till was the lead geologist for the discovery of the Mahenge Graphite Deposits for Black Rock Mining in Tanzania. For additional details regarding the Proposed Transaction and the Project, please see the Company's news releases dated December 4, 2024, and February 13, 2025, which are available under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. All currency references in the news release are in Canadian currency unless otherwise noted. The securities of the Company referred to in this news release have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws. Accordingly, the securities of the Company may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities of the Company in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Zincore Zincore is a Vancouver-based Company, with common shares which trade on the NEX Board of the Exchange under the symbol ZNC.H. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Matthew Roma" Matthew Roma Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "estimates" or "intends" or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be considered forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements in this news release include, amongst others, the completion of the Proposed Transaction on the terms described herein or at all, the receipt of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals (including the approval of the Exchange) for the Proposed Transaction, the completion of the Consolidation, the receipt of Exchange approval for the Consolidation, the completion of the Name Change, the receipt of Exchange approval for the Name Change, the proposed use of proceeds of the Financing and the receipt of final Exchange approval for the Financing. The completion of these transaction is based on a number of assumptions, including that all conditions precedent of the Proposed Transaction will be met or waived. There is no assurance that the Proposed Transaction will be completed on the terms set forth in this news release, or at all. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244374 SOURCE: Zincore Metals Inc. As biomarker testing and the demand for tumor-agnostic therapies rise, ROZLYTREK can potentially target a specialized yet valuable market segment. While competition from other TRK inhibitors, such as larotrectinib (VITRAKVI), may influence growth, its ability to penetrate the CNS provides a distinct advantage. LAS VEGAS, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's "ROZLYTREK Market Size, Forecast, and Market Insight Report" highlights the details around ROZLYTREK, an inhibitor of the tropomyosin receptor tyrosine kinases (TRK) TRKA, TRKB, and TRKC (encoded by the neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase [NTRK] genes NTRK1, NTRK2, and NTRK3, respectively), proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase ROS1, and ALK with IC50 values of 0.1 to 2 nM. The report provides product descriptions, patent details, and competitor products (marketed and emerging therapies) of ROZLYTREK. The report also highlights the historical and forecasted sales from 2020 to 2034 segmented into 7MM [the United States, the EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain), the United Kingdom, and Japan]. Roche's ROZLYTREK (entrectinib) Overview ROZLYTREK is a tumor-agnostic therapy that introduces a novel approach to cancer treatment. Its active ingredient, entrectinib, inhibits tropomyosin receptor tyrosine kinases (TRKA, TRKB, and TRKC), which are encoded by the NTRK1, NTRK2, and NTRK3 genes. It also targets ROS1 and ALK, with IC50 values ranging from 0.1 to 2 nM, while showing weaker inhibition of JAK2 and TNK2 (IC50 > 5 nM). The primary active metabolite, M5, exhibits similar inhibitory activity against TRK, ROS1, and ALK. Fusion proteins involving TRK, ROS1, or ALK kinase domains can promote tumor growth by excessively activating downstream signaling pathways, leading to uncontrolled cell proliferation. Entrectinib has demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo efficacy in inhibiting cancer cell lines across multiple tumor types carrying NTRK, ROS1, or ALK fusions. Additionally, it achieves steady-state brain-to-plasma concentration ratios between 0.4 and 2.2 in animal studies (mice, rats, and dogs) and has shown anti-tumor effects in mice with intracranial tumors driven by TRKA and ALK. ROZLYTREK is an orally administered, once-daily treatment approved for NTRK fusion-positive solid tumors and ROS1-positive NSCLC in several countries, including Australia, Canada, the EU, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, and the US, with additional regulatory reviews ongoing worldwide. The recommended ROZLYTREK dosage for ROS1-positive NSCLC is 600 mg once daily, with or without food, until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. For NTRK fusion-positive solid tumors, the ROZLYTREK dosage guidelines are as follows: Adults and pediatric patients with a body surface area (BSA) of =1.51 m: 600 mg once daily Pediatric patients older than 6 months: 300 mg/m to a maximum of 600 mg Pediatric patients between 1 month and 6 months: 250 mg/m once daily Drug Name ROZLYTREK (entrectinib) Molecule type Small molecule Developer Roche (Genentech) Primary Indication Metastatic ROS1-positive NSCLC and solid tumors that have an NTRK gene fusion (including NSCLC) First Approval Year US: 2019 EU: 2020 JP: 2019 Mechanism of action NTRK, ROS1, and ALK inhibitor Route of administration Oral Learn more about ROZLYTREK projected market size for ROS1 NSCLC @ ROZLYTREK Market Potential Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (ROS1) is an essential transmembrane receptor protein that regulates key cellular functions such as apoptosis, survival, differentiation, proliferation, migration, and transformation. It plays a pivotal role in various cancers, including glioblastoma, colorectal cancer, gastric adenocarcinoma, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, ovarian cancer, angiosarcoma, and NSCLC. A ROS1 inhibitor is a drug designed to block the activity of abnormal ROS1 fusion proteins present in certain cancer cells. By inhibiting this protein, these inhibitors help restrict cancer cell growth and metastasis. As a type of targeted therapy, ROS1 inhibitors also act on multiple kinases, including Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) and Mesenchymal Epithelial Transition (MET), alongside ROS1. These inhibitors specifically target the kinase domain of ROS1, with conventional kinases classified into DFG-in (active, type I) and DFG-out (inactive, type II) based on their domain structure. For patients with stage IV ROS1-positive NSCLC, treatment with a ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) is recommended. ROS1 inhibitors have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in treating NSCLC, encompassing both approved therapies and emerging treatments under development. They have significantly advanced NSCLC management, establishing themselves as a crucial therapeutic approach. The current market for ROS1-positive NSCLC is largely dominated by TKIs such as XALKORI. According to DelveInsight's analysis, the market size for ROS1 inhibitors in NSCLC across the 7MM was valued at approximately USD 290 million in 2023, with the United States contributing the largest share. The market for ROS1 inhibitors is projected to experience substantial growth in the coming years. This expansion is driven by rising biomarker testing rates, a growing number of cancer diagnoses, increased awareness of ROS1 mutations, and the introduction of next-generation ROS1 TKIs. These advanced therapies offer improved CNS penetration and a broader range of coverage against ROS1 resistance mutations compared to first-generation TKIs. Discover more about the ROS1 inhibitors market in detail @ ROS1 Inhibitors Market Report Emerging Competitors of ROZLYTREK The promising ROS1 inhibitors in the pipeline that will give tough competition to Roche's ROZLYTREK include DOVBLERON(taletrectinib/AB-106/IBI-344) (Nuvation Bio/Innovent Biologics/Daiichi Sankyo/Nippon Kayaku), Zidesamtinib (NVL-520) (Nuvalent), ANS03 (Avistone Biotechnology), Zanidatamab (Jazz Pharmaceuticals), PT-112 (Promontory Therapeutics), and others. In December 2024, Nuvation Bio announced that the US FDA had granted the application Priority Review and assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date of June 2025. The company is preparing for a launch as early as mid-2025. To know more about the number of competing drugs in development, visit @ ROZLYTREK Market Positioning Compared to Other Drugs Key Milestones of ROZLYTREK In October 2023, the US FDA granted accelerated approval to ROZLYTREK in new oral pellet form for pediatric patients older than 1 month with solid tumors that have an NTRK gene fusion without a known acquired resistance mutation, are metastatic or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and have progressed following treatment or have no satisfactory standard therapy. the US FDA granted accelerated approval to ROZLYTREK in new oral pellet form for pediatric patients older than 1 month with solid tumors that have an NTRK gene fusion without a known acquired resistance mutation, are metastatic or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and have progressed following treatment or have no satisfactory standard therapy. In August 2020, the EC granted conditional marketing authorization for ROZLYTREK for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with solid tumors expressing an NTRK gene fusion, who have a disease that is locally advanced, metastatic, or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and who have not received a prior NTRK inhibitor, who have no satisfactory treatment options. The EC also approved ROZLYTREK for the treatment of adults with ROS1-positive, advanced NSCLC not previously treated with ROS1 inhibitors. the EC granted conditional marketing authorization for ROZLYTREK for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with solid tumors expressing an NTRK gene fusion, who have a disease that is locally advanced, metastatic, or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and who have not received a prior NTRK inhibitor, who have no satisfactory treatment options. The EC also approved ROZLYTREK for the treatment of adults with ROS1-positive, advanced NSCLC not previously treated with ROS1 inhibitors. In February 2020, Chugai obtained approval for an additional indication of ROZLYTREK for the treatment of ROS1 fusion-positive, unresectable, advanced, or metastatic NSCLC from the MHLW. obtained approval for an additional indication of ROZLYTREK for the treatment of ROS1 fusion-positive, unresectable, advanced, or metastatic NSCLC from the MHLW. In September 2019, Chugai Pharmaceutical announced the launch of ROZLYTREK 100 mg and 200 mg capsules, for the treatment of NTRK fusion-positive advanced or recurrent solid tumors. announced the launch of ROZLYTREK 100 mg and 200 mg capsules, for the treatment of NTRK fusion-positive advanced or recurrent solid tumors. In August 2019, the US FDA approved ROZLYTREK to treat adults with ROS1-positive, metastatic NSCLC. The FDA has also granted accelerated approval to ROZLYTREK for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with solid tumors that have an NTRK gene fusion without a known acquired resistance mutation, are metastatic or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and have progressed following treatment or have no satisfactory alternative therapy. the US FDA approved ROZLYTREK to treat adults with ROS1-positive, metastatic NSCLC. The FDA has also granted accelerated approval to ROZLYTREK for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with solid tumors that have an NTRK gene fusion without a known acquired resistance mutation, are metastatic or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and have progressed following treatment or have no satisfactory alternative therapy. In June 2019, the MHLW approved ROZLYTREK for treating adult and pediatric patients with NTRK fusion-positive, advanced recurrent solid tumors. the MHLW approved ROZLYTREK for treating adult and pediatric patients with NTRK fusion-positive, advanced recurrent solid tumors. In February 2019, the US FDA issued a priority review designation letter to ROZLYTREK adult patients with metastatic NSCLC whose tumors are ROS1-positive. the US FDA issued a priority review designation letter to ROZLYTREK adult patients with metastatic NSCLC whose tumors are ROS1-positive. In December 2018, ROZLYTREK received ODD in Japan with the intended indication of NTRK fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors. ROZLYTREK received ODD in Japan with the intended indication of NTRK fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors. In September 2018, ROZLYTREK received SAKIGAKE designation for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with NTRK gene fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors who have progressed following prior therapies or have no acceptable standard therapies. ROZLYTREK received SAKIGAKE designation for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with NTRK gene fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors who have progressed following prior therapies or have no acceptable standard therapies. In July 2018, Chugai entered into a license agreement with Roche for entrectinib. Under the terms of the agreement, Chugai obtains exclusive rights for the development and marketing of entrectinib in Japan and will make upfront and milestone payments to Roche. entered into a license agreement with Roche for entrectinib. Under the terms of the agreement, Chugai obtains exclusive rights for the development and marketing of entrectinib in Japan and will make upfront and milestone payments to Roche. In December 2017, Roche and Ignyta entered a definitive merger agreement for Roche to fully acquire Ignyta for USD 27.00 per share in an all-cash transaction. entered a definitive merger agreement for Roche to fully acquire Ignyta for USD 27.00 per share in an all-cash transaction. In October 2017, ROZLYTREK was awarded PRIME status for treating NTRK fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors in adult and pediatric patients who have either progressed following prior therapies or have no acceptable standard therapy by EMA. ROZLYTREK was awarded PRIME status for treating NTRK fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors in adult and pediatric patients who have either progressed following prior therapies or have no acceptable standard therapy by EMA. In May 2017, ROZLYTREK was granted BTD for the treatment of NTRK fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors in adult and pediatric patients who have either progressed following prior therapies or who have no acceptable standard therapies by the US FDA. ROZLYTREK was granted BTD for the treatment of NTRK fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors in adult and pediatric patients who have either progressed following prior therapies or who have no acceptable standard therapies by the US FDA. In February 2015, the US FDA granted ODD to ROZLYTREK for treating TrkA-positive, TrkB-positive, TrkC-positive, ROS1-positive or ALK-positive NSCLC. Discover how ROZLYTREK is shaping the ROS1 NSCLC treatment landscape @ Roche ROZLYTREK ROZLYTREK Market Dynamics ROZLYTREK competitive positioning in the market is driven by its tumor-agnostic approval, allowing it to cater to multiple rare cancers with a single therapy. The drug has gained regulatory approval in major markets, including the US, Europe, and Japan, benefiting from an increasing emphasis on biomarker-driven oncology treatments. Its key competitor, Bayer's VITRAKVI (larotrectinib), has a similar mechanism of action but differs in pharmacokinetics and tolerability, creating a nuanced competitive landscape. Market adoption of ROZLYTREK is influenced by the growing use of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) in oncology, which facilitates the identification of eligible patients with NTRK or ROS1 fusions. However, its commercial success is partially constrained by the rarity of these genetic alterations, which limits the addressable patient population. Additionally, the high cost of precision oncology therapies and reimbursement challenges in certain healthcare systems can impact uptake. Nonetheless, increasing awareness and advancements in diagnostic infrastructure are expected to support market growth. From a strategic perspective, Roche has leveraged partnerships and real-world evidence to expand the drug's adoption. The company is actively working on label expansions and combination strategies to maximize ROZLYTREK's commercial potential. Additionally, the growing use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels in routine cancer diagnostics may boost the identification rate of eligible patients, driving future market penetration. The competitive landscape could see further evolution with the potential entry of new TRK/ROS1 inhibitors, particularly next-generation agents designed to address resistance mutations. However, ROZLYTREK's strong clinical efficacy, broad tissue-agnostic approval, and Roche's global oncology expertise position it well in the precision medicine segment. As personalized oncology continues to gain traction, the drug's long-term success will depend on physician awareness, diagnostic advancements, and favorable pricing and reimbursement strategies. Dive deeper to get more insight into ROZLYTREK's strengths & weaknesses relative to competitors @ ROZLYTREK Market Drug Report Table of Contents 1 Report Introduction 2 ROZLYTREK: Roche (Genentech) 2.1 Product Overview 2.2 Other Development Activities 2.3 Clinical Development 2.4 Clinical Trials Information 2.5 Safety and Efficacy 2.6 Product Profile 2.7 Market Assessment 2.7.1 The 7MM Analysis 2.7.1.1 Cost Assumptions and Rebate 2.7.1.2 Pricing Trends 2.7.1.3 Analogue Assessment 2.7.1.4 Launch Year and Therapy Uptake 2.7.2 The United States Market Analysis 2.7.3 EU4 and the United Kingdom Market Analysis 2.7.3.1 Germany 2.7.3.2 France 2.7.3.3 Italy 2.7.3.4 Spain 2.7.3.5 UK 2.7.4 Japan Market Analysis 2.8 Market Drivers 2.9 Market Barriers 2.10 SWOT Analysis 3 Key Cross of Marketed Competitors of ROZLYTREK 4 Key Cross of Emerging Competitors of ROZLYTREK Related Reports ROS1 Inhibitors Market ROS-1 Inhibitors Market Size, Target Population, Competitive Landscape & Market Forecast - 2034 report deliver an in-depth understanding of the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key ROS1 inhibitors companies, including AnHeart Therapeutics, Nuvalent, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Pfizer, among others. Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Market Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast - 2034 report deliver an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology, as well as the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key NSCLC companies including Daiichi Sankyo, AstraZeneca, Gilead Sciences, BieGene, AbbVie, Roche, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, BerGenBio, GlaxoSmithKline, Duality biologics, among others. Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Pipeline Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Pipeline Insight - 2025 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key non-small cell lung cancer companies, including BridgeBio Pharma, Daiichi Sankyo, EMD Serono, Merck, BridgeBio Pharma, Abbvie, Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Company BioNTech SE, Shenzhen TargetRx, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Chong Kun Dang, Bristol Myers Squibb, Innovent Biologics, Xuanzhu Biopharmaceutical, Bayer, GeneScience Pharmaceuticals, InventisBio, Apollomics, Imugene, Ono Pharmaceutical, Pierre Fabre, Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Surface Oncology, Inhibrx, Sinocelltech, Mirati Therapeutics, REVOLUTION Medicines, Yong Shun Technology Development, Iovance Biotherapeutics, Galecto Biotech, among others. About DelveInsight DelveInsight is a leading Business Consultant and Market Research firm focused exclusively on life sciences. It supports pharma companies by providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions to improve their performance. Get hassle-free access to all the healthcare and pharma market research reports through our subscription-based platform PharmDelve. Contact Us Shruti Thakur info@delveinsight.com +14699457679 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082265/DelveInsight_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/rozlytreks-market-growth-reflects-transforming-treatment-for-ntrk-and-ros1-positive-cancers--delveinsight-302399330.html Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - Bluesky Digital Assets Corp., (CSE: BTC), (OTCQB: BTCWF), ("Bluesky" or the "Corporation") announced today that it would like to correct wording previously stated in its March 7, 2025 press release. The Corporation previously stated that it had granted 6,250,000 Performance Warrants (the "Warrants") to Directors and Consultants to the Corporation. The Corporation would like to correct the wording of "Performance Warrants" to "Stock Options." The terms and conditions of the Stock Options remain the same as Performance Warrants terms that were previously disclosed in the Corporation's March 7, 2025 press release. About Bluesky Digital Assets Corp. Bluesky Digital Assets Corp, has created a high value digital enterprise at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Web3 business solutions. Leveraging its success as an early adopter providing proprietary technology solutions, Bluesky has invested in its Roadmap. Bluesky's platform, BlueskyINTEL, is well positioned to leverage the current exponential growth of Artificial Intelligence ("AI") and Blockchain based technologies through a tightly focus built collaborative platform. This innovative web platform offering supports and better enables businesses to adopt and utilize these emerging and developing technologies. For more information please visit Bluesky at: www.blueskydigitalassets.com or www.blueskyintel.com Please also follow us on Linkedin at: www.linkedin.com/company/bluesky-digital-assets/ Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain assumptions, estimates, and other forward-looking statements regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and are subject to factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control that may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward- looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and the Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such. Neither CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. We seek safe harbor. - 30 - To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244393 SOURCE: Bluesky Digital Assets Corp. Dieppe, New Brunswick--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - Colibri Resource Corporation (TSXV: CBI) (Colibri or the Company) is pleased to announce that, in response to increased investor interest, it has sought and obtained consent from the TSX Venture Exchange to extend the closing date for a second tranche of a current offering of units (the "Offering") originally announced on January 17, 2025. Closing of a second tranche will now occur on or before March 28, 2025. The extended closing time was sought to accommodate a number of very recent expressions of interest. The Offering is for the sale of up to 10,000,000 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.025 per Unit, for total gross proceeds of up to $250,000. Each Unit is comprised of one (1) common share (a "Common Share") and one (1) common share purchase warrant ("Warrants") of the Company. Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional Common Share of the Company at a price of C$0.05 for a period of 24 months following issuance. A first tranche, announced on February 13, 2025, was closed for gross proceeds of $140,400. All terms of the Offering other than the extension of the closing date as described herein remain unchanged. Certain insiders of the Company may acquire Units in the Offering. Any participation by insiders in the Private Placement will constitute a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61- 101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company expects such participation will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the Units subscribed for by the insiders, nor the consideration for the Units paid by such insiders, is expected to exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory four month and one day hold period. Final closing of the Offering is subject to acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described in this news release in the United States. The securities offered have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or applicable exemption from the registration requirements. ABOUT COLIBRI RESOURCE CORPORATION: Colibri is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company listed on the TSX-V (CBI) and is focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing prospective gold & silver properties in Mexico. The Company holds four high potential precious metal projects: 1) 100% of EP Gold Project in the significant Caborca Gold Belt which has delivered highly encouraging exploration results and is surrounded by Mexico's second largest major producer of gold on four sides, 2) 49% Ownership of the Pilar Gold & Silver Project which is believed to hold the potential to be a near term producing mine, and 3) two highly prospective interests in the Sierra Madre (Diamante Gold & Silver Project and Jackie Gold & Silver Project). For more information about all Company projects please visit: www.colibriresource.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/244403 SOURCE: Colibri Resource Corporation While Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoors Netflix film Nadaaniyan garnered severe criticism for its performances, storyline, and dialogues, Mahima Chaudhry, who played a supporting role in the rom-com, compared it with Ranbir Kapoors starrer Animal. When asked about the negative reviews Nadaaniyan getting, Mahima, who appeared at the IIFA 2025 in Jaipur last weekend, told DNA, The negative reviews are okay. The audience is divided. Whether it was Animal or any other film in the past, they were criticised. Some people like real cinema, some like make-believe. I sometimes wanted to watch real cinema. Sometimes I want to watch something easy. It will always be divided. Advertisement When asked about her colleagues and friends reactions after watching the movie, she replied, After the film released, I called a few of my all my friends and close ones, and the majority of people have told me Weve already watched. Ive been receiving lots of love and positive messages on my DM. Directed by Shauna Gautam, the film also features Suniel Shetty, Dia Mirza, and Jugal Hansraj in key roles. Talking about the review, Firstpost gave 1.5 stars to Nadaaniyan and wrote, Someone once rightly said even when you are a star kid it doesnt really help if you dont have the talent, that actually applies for Khushi Kapoor. With her expressionless face and frozen smile, she fails yet again. Learning how to act is hard work; its a craft and one needs to give their blood and sweat to make it big, it cannot be as easy as a little nip here and a little tuck there. As for Ibrahim, I still feel he has the potential to do well under a good director. First love is like a flame that never extinguishes, but Nadaaniyan is easily forgettable! But thats not allSonam has now signed Deewaniyat, an intense love story opposite the sensational Harshvardhan Rane read more Actor Sonam Bajwa, is set to take Bollywood by storm in 2025 with not one, not two, but three highly anticipated films hitting the big screen! Having already dominated Punjabi cinema, Sonam is now ready to win over Hindi audiences worldwide. Shes stepping into Bollywoods biggest franchises with Housefull 5, starring alongside Akshay Kumar, and Baaghi 4, where she joins Tiger Shroff in an action-packed spectacle. But thats not allSonam has now signed Deewaniyat, an intense love story opposite the sensational Harshvardhan Rane! This marks Harshvardhans return to a deeply romantic role after the cult success of Sanam Teri Kasam, and its the first time audiences will witness Sonam in an intense romantic role. With Deewaniyat, 2025 just got a whole lot hotter! Get ready for Sonam Bajwa to set Bollywood screens on fire! A government-approved valuer certified the purity and value, and the items were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, the memo added read more Ranya Rao, the Kannada actress who happens to be the stepdaughter of senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer K. Ramachandra Rao was arrested at Bengalurus Kempegowda International Airport by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence recently. She was accused of smuggling gold worth Rs 12 crore. But how was she able to smuggle gold amid her arrest and cross the green channel. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligences arrest memo has revealed shocking details. Advertisement Attempting to pass through the Green Channel, she denied carrying any dutiable goods, gold, or contraband. However, a metal detector alerted officers to the presence of concealed items on her person, the memo read. A government-approved valuer certified the purity and value, and the items were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, the memo added. Multiple reports say she broke down in front of her lawyers and said, I constantly reflect on why I became involved in this. My thoughts revert to the day at the airport. I am unable to sleep I am experiencing mental distress. Now, its a troubling time for both the actress and her stepfather. To put it simply, two separate investigations have been ordered to uncover the extent of security lapses and potential involvement of police personnel. Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is now going to be looking into the matter. More details about the case are awaited. With her commitment to authenticity and a natural flair for performance, Khushi Kapoor is on a steady rise, poised to deliver even more compelling acts in the future. read more Khushi Kapoor is on a roll! The fresh face is basking in the overwhelming response to her latest OTT film, Nadaaniyan. While she is being widely praised for her natural performance, she is now winning hearts all over again with the energetic song Tirkit Dhoom. Khushi lights up the dance floor with her graceful moves and commands attention with her lively presence. Sharing the screen with her co-star Ibrahim Ali Khan, she captivates with her feminine charm. Beyond delivering heartfelt performances, she is proving to be an all-rounder in the dance space too! Advertisement The festive banger Tirkit Dhoom is sung by Vishal Dadlani, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Jigar Saraiya, and Shradha Mishra, with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and soulful music composed by Sachin-Jigar. This vibrant composition is brought to life on screen by Khushi Kapoor and Ibrahim Ali Khan. Meanwhile, Nadaaniyan is a lighthearted rom-com featuring Khushi Kapoor in a breezy yet memorable role. Ever since its release on OTT, the Shauna Gautam directorial has garnered positive reviews from both audiences and critics, with special praise for Khushis emotional depth as a fresh face in the industry. She has impressed viewers with her rangeseamlessly transitioning from emotionally complex scenes to portraying the youthful radiance of falling in love. Despite hailing from a film family, the rising star is carving her own path by making thoughtful choices and exploring diverse roles. With her commitment to authenticity and a natural flair for performance, Khushi Kapoor is on a steady rise, poised to deliver even more compelling acts in the future. Directed by Shivam Nair, The Diplomat featuring John Abraham as JP Singh and Sadia Khateeb as Uzma Ahmed is an engaging real-life story which will give you shivers down your spine. read more Language: Hindi Director: Shivam Nair Cast: John Abraham, Sadia Khateeb, Revathy, Kumud Mishra The Diplomat is in fact John Abrahams career best performance. Directed by Shivam Nair with John Abraham and Sadia Khateeb as leads, the movie revolves around the real-life story of Uzma Ahmeds (Sadia Khateeb) brave escape from Pakistan with the help of JP Singh (John Abraham). John plays the role of diplomat JP Singh, a man of few words but strong-headed and knows his job like the back of his hand. Serving in Pakistan as a diplomat is not an easy job and he knows exactly how to deal with the rowdy Pakistani crowd and mentions again and again to his colleagues that this isnt India. The movie shows the lawlessness of the country and how some people of Pakistan, not all, are wired differently. It is indeed very refreshing to see a powerful woman protagonist played by Sadia Khateeb. Advertisement The Diplomat Movie Review A very engaging espionage film, The Diplomat deals with finer details of diplomacy. It is not a typical high-octane action packed drama where we see John flexing his muscles, it is indeed far from it where he is shown as a very firm, sorted and no-nonsense diplomat. It tells the real life story of Uzma Ahmed who was forced to get married and held captive by her husband in Pakistans Buner in 2017. For a change it is very refreshing to see John not punching and knocking down people, rather he is doing it with his sharp intellect. The starkness of the storytelling is kept consistent with no violence and unnecessary melodrama. As for Sadia Khateeb, she is indeed the real hero of the film. The narrative is well-researched, sharp and brisk. No running around the bush, no over-stretching; it is just to the point with the right intensity. The movie takes a turn when Uzma tries her luck as advised by her friends husband to take refuge in the Indian Embassy in Islamabad. The Diplomat will no doubt keep the audiences glued to the screen with brilliant performances of all the actors including Kumud Mishra who plays the role of Uzmas lawyer and Revathy who plays the role of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Through the film we get to know how Uzma Ahmad was rescued because of the hugely brave efforts of the staff of the Indian Embassy, Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh (John Abraham) and the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj (Revathy). We also get to know how the situation got tensed up because of Kulbhushan Jadhav case and how it affected the Indo-Pak relationship. Not just the storytelling and the performances by all the actors; its a beautifully shot film with very fine camera work. The Diplomat is indeed an incredibly riveting cinema and a must-watch. Rating: 3 and half out of 5 WATCH the trailer of The Diplomat movie here: Two men from Haryana and Punjab, who took the dunki route to the US, have been kidnapped in Guatemala. The kidnappers have demanded US $20,000 (Rs 17.4 lakh) as ransom. The Haryana police have registered a case against three travel agents and the families of the victims are appealing to the Indian government for help read more Guatemala is a transit nation on the way to the United States, where the men were being transported by the illegal donkey route. Reuters/Representative Image Two men from Haryana and Punjab, both in their 20s, who were attempting to immigrate to the US illegally via Central America, have allegedly been kidnapped in Guatemala. The kidnappers are demanding US $20,000 in ransom. The Haryana government has registered a case against the local travel agents. The victims families have appealed to the Indian government for assistance in securing their sons release. Heres all we know about the incident. The Dunki route Guatemala is a transit nation on the way to the United States, where the men were being transported by the illegal donkey route. Yuvraj Singh, a resident of Mohna village in Haryanas Kaithal district, left for the US in October of last year. Advertisement His father, Kuldeep Singh, claims that he arranged for a legitimate way to enter the US through an agent. The deal was confirmed for Rs 41 lakh, with an initial payment of Rs 2 lakh. After obtaining Yuvrajs passport, the agents promised the family that the remaining sum would only be needed after he arrived in the US. But thereafter, under a number of false pretences, the agents asked for an additional Rs 14 lakh in advance. Yuvraj was soon detained in Guatemala. I gave the passport of my son to these three agents including one from Kurukshetra, and the deal was done for Rs 41 lakh and he paid Rs 2 lakh in advance. They then said that the rest of the money they will take once he reached US. But while he was on the way, he took another Rs 14 lakh from me by making various issues and force. Then they took another Rs 8 lakh from me, the father said, according to News18. Yuvraj was initially in touch with the family, but after some days, he stopped making calls. The agents told the family that once Yuvraj arrived in America, they would be able to get in touch with him. They added that he was passing through areas where phone networks are unstable, such as dense forests, mountain trails, and sea routes. A US Border Patrol agent walks with media representatives during the Dangers of Crossing the Border event, to warn of the dangers of illegally crossing the border between Mexico and the United States, in Sunland Park, New Mexico, US, June 23, 2021. Reuters In December 2024, the kidnappers sent a video of Yuvraj and another youth being tortured and threatened at gunpoint, Kuldeep said when he visited with Kaithal Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kalia to plead for his sons safe release. The video shows the two young people pleading with their family for help while the kidnappers demand a $20,000 ransom. He said, These agents are hand in glove with the kidnappers. At times, they say the kidnappers are demanding US $20,000, then they say they demand US$40,000. The second man kidnapped hails from Dasuaya in the Hoshiarpur area of Punjab. In December, his family also got the video of the kidnapping and reached out to the agents, who have now disappeared. Advertisement For those uninitiated, the dunki route is synonymous with hazardous and illegal migration opted by human traffickers which often leads hopeful migrants through dangerous territories in a desperate bid to enter Western countries, especially the US. Also read: India may bring back 18,000 illegal immigrants in the US. What about the thousands of others? Action taken The Haryana police have registered an FIR at Pundri police station against the three travel agents involved in the case. The accused agents are identified as Michael alias Neetu from Kurukshetra and Navjot and Devender of Dusain village in Kaithal district. They have been charged with sections under the Immigration Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The agents are reportedly absconding, according to the police. According to The Times of India, DSP Gurwinder Singh promised that higher authorities had been notified of the situation. He stated that serious action will be taken against those involved and that a probe is currently underway. Advertisement Also read: Rape, torture, death: How illegal Indian immigrants risk it all to reach the US Similar case On Tuesday, a similar case came to light when a Haryana natives dream of settling in the US in the hope of a better future turned into a nightmare after 178 days. Rawat, a native of Panipat, spent six months travelling 11 countries on the illegal dunki route. He had paid Rs 35 lakh to the two agents for what he believed would be a smooth route to the US, only to be apprehended by the American authorities and sent back to India in February. Rawats ordeal began in August 2024 and led him through Guyana, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Mexico before he finally entered the USA through the Tecate border. He was later caught by the authorities and detained for 15 days before being deported to India. Advertisement In a formal complaint lodged with the Gujarat Police, the 36-year-old accused the agents of human trafficking and fraud. According to police, Abdulla and Pradeep promised Rawat employment and accommodation in the USA in exchange for a hefty sum. They took him through a treacherous journey involving multiple countries, which ultimately ended in his deportation. Based on Rawats complaint, the police have launched an investigation, a Surat crime branch official said on Tuesday. With inputs from PTI DeepSeek has helped turn a tiny rural village in southern China into a lively tourist destination. The Milling village in the Guangdong province is where the AI companys founder Liang Wenfeng was born. The surge in tourism has prompted local officials to invest in the towns makeover read more The Icon for the smartphone apps DeepSeek is seen on a smartphone screen in Beijing on January 28, 2025. AP The Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company DeepSeek has helped turn a tiny rural community in southern China into a lively tourist destination. The reason behind this is Liang Wenfeng, the founder of the company. Liang was born and raised in Milling village, and his modest upbringing has inspired others and drawn tourists from all over. Wuchuans Mililing village has seen a surge in tourists, prompting local officials to invest in a makeover for the entire area. Advertisement Whats behind Milling villages growing popularity? Milling village is situated in Wuchuan, a tiny city in Guangdong provinces Zhanjiang prefecture. Liang, 40, is from a family of academics; both of his parents teach at the Milling village elementary school, according to the South China Morning Post. Liang went to Wuchuan No. 1 Middle School, a well-known establishment in the area, after finishing his elementary schooling in the village. After achieving remarkable results in the fiercely competitive Gaokao University entrance exam, he was accepted to the esteemed Zhejiang University in 2002 as a result of his academic ability. When his business, DeepSeek, debuted its state-of-the-art AI product in late January, competing with well-known American rivals, his incredible journey garnered international attention. Many admirers of Liangs accomplishments consequently came to see his beginnings in Milling village. The village has drawn groups of tourists, including families and business workers, ever since it gained popularity as a tourist attraction. From January 29 to February 10, the town was visited by about 10,000 tourists per day during the Spring Festival holiday. Also read: DeepSeek to take on Google after disrupting OpenAIs ChatGPT, Gemini? How the popularity has transformed the village Milling village, which has more than 700 residents, is a tight-knit community where younger generations typically work in nearby shoe factories, while older residents engage in agriculture, according to the village committees director. Advertisement Prior to the fame, the village lacked industrial development, with its sole source of income being the leasing of fish ponds for 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) per year. The villages infrastructure was initially ill-equipped to handle the high number of tourists. Many visitors complained about the poor conditions, prompting a revamp project to commence in mid-February. Although the funding source remains undisclosed, the renovations have brought significant improvements to the village. The external walls of 29 houses have been refurbished, dilapidated buildings demolished, roads widened, sewage systems installed, and trees planted. Some tourists have even taken souvenirs from the area. Some visitors took away a pile of soil, some stones or pieces of leaves, said a resident identified only by his surname, Yuan, told the South China Morning Post. Advertisement The villagers have expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Liang, crediting him for bringing transformative changes to their lives. Inspired by his remarkable success, the residents have also established a fund to support high-achieving students. But amid all of this, Liang Wenfengs grandfather has had to spend the majority of the day with his front door closed out of concern for being harassed by the constant stream of tourists that come to his four-story family home. What do we know about DeepSeek According to Fortune, DeepSeek was founded as an AI firm in May 2023. Its creator Liang Wenfeng, set it up in Hangzhou in southeastern China. He also set up a quantitative hedge fund known as High-Flyer in 2015. Economic Times quoted Liang as saying he switched over to AI out of scientific curiosity. Basic science research rarely offers high returns on investment, he added. As per BBC, Liang is said to have launched DeepSeek by collecting 50,000 of Nvida A100 chips. The US has since banned these chips from being exported to China. DeepSeek is believed to have combined these chips with cheaper, lower-end sets. Advertisement As per Fortune, DeepSeek took the plunge into AI by putting out DeepSeek Coder in November 2023. It then followed up with its DeepSeek LLM and DeepSeek V-2 in May 2024. Its latest models R1 and V-3 have taken the world by storm. The low cost of the AI model and its strong performance raised eyebrows in China and other countries, like the US. This is because people were shocked about how little money DeepSeek seemingly spent on its AI models. Its researchers have claimed that they spent under $6 million (Rs 51 crore) on the DeepSeek V-3 launched on January 10. Thats a fraction of what tech companies such as Apple and Microsoft spend on their AI models. Advertisement Its creators also say DeepSeeks AI Assistant, powered by the DeepSeek-V3 model tops the leaderboard among open-source models and rivals the most advanced closed-source models globally." Basically, the creators claim that DeepSeeks performance compares favourably with AI models from giants like OpenAI when it comes to maths, coding and natural language reasoning. With inputs from agencies Starlink, the SpaceX-owned satellite services firm, is coming to India after inking agreements with major telecoms Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. But what do we know about the deals? How will Starlink work in India and on your mobile phones? read more Starlink is coming to India. The satellite internet company owned by Elon Musk is set to enter the Indian market. The SpaceX-owned firm has inked deals with two major Indian telecoms. The announcements came weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Musk in Washington where they discussed issues including space, mobility, technology and innovation. But what do we know about the deals? How will Starlink work in India and on your mobile phones? How does the system work? Advertisement Lets take a closer look: What do we know about the deals? As per The Times of India, Bharti Airtel on Tuesday announced that it would bring the high-speed internet provider Starlink to India the first such agreement signed in the country with Musks firm. Airtel said it the two companies will look at offering Starlink equipment in Airtels retail outlets. The company said it will also provide Starlink via Airtel to businesses as a way to connect communities, schools, and health centers. Working with SpaceX to offer Starlink to Airtel customers in India is a significant milestone and further demonstrates our commitment to next-generation satellite connectivity, said Bharti Airtel managing director and vice-chairman Gopal Vittal said. The deal will explore how Starlink can complement and expand Airtels offerings, and how Airtels expertise in the Indian market complements SpaceXs direct offerings to consumers and businesses, the companys statement said. Then, on Wednesday, Reliance Jio said it too had signed a deal to bring Starlink to India, as per Hindustan Times. The company said it too would examine selling Starlink through its retail and online stores. Jio Platforms will offer Starlink equipment in its stores and provide installation support for the devices, too. Reuters Through this agreement, the parties will leverage Jios position as the worlds largest mobile operator in terms of data traffic and Starlinks position as the worlds leading low Earth orbit satellite constellation operator to deliver reliable broadband services across the country, including the most rural and remote regions of India. Jio will not only offer Starlink equipment in its retail outlets but will establish a mechanism to support customer service installation and activation, the company was quoted as saying. Advertisement Both deals are subject to SpaceX receiving a green light from the government to sell Starlink in India. Musk has long wanted Starlink to enter the worlds most populous market, but the firms entry into India has been delayed due to regulatory challenges, security concerns and opposition from domestic telecom giants like billionaire Mukesh Ambanis Reliance Jio. As per Hindustan Times, the two major telecom firms had been at odds over how India ought to allocate spectrum for Starlink. While Reliance wanted the auction, the government ultimately decided it would be allocate the spectrum as other countries do. In November, telecoms minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had said Starlink had yet to comply with security norms, and that a license for satellite communications services would be issued only after the company meets all the requirements. Advertisement How does the system work? As per Business Today, normal broadband services use fiber optics or cell towers. But Starlink, which is part of SpaceX, relies on low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. It essentially provides internet to users via radio waves. Ground stations send signals to its LEO satellites of which it has around 6,900 such devices orbiting Earth which in turn send the data back to Starlink users around the world. As per The Times of India, each Starlink satellite weighs around 260 kilos. The company provides users are provided a kit comprising a satellite dish, a dish mount, and a Wi-Fi router base unit. A power cable for the basis unit and a 75-foot cable connecting the dish to the router. Advertisement File image of Elon Musk. Reuters As per Business Today, Starlinks satellite dish automatically connects with the nearest Starlink satellites. This results in continued connectivity. Though Starlink is designed to be used in one location, it can also be converted to provide internet access to vehicles, boats and aircraft. Ukraines forces have successfully been using Starlink satellites to fend off Russian troops. As per NDTV Profit, Starlink is likely to provide download speeds anywhere from 25 to 220 Mbps and upload speeds from 5 to 20 Mbps. Its expected latency is likely to be between 25 and 50 milliseconds on land. This makes it useful to stream videos, play games online and hold virtual meets. Advertisement While there is no word on the price for Starlink in India, it may be instructive to look at the plans available in the US. The basic plan for home users available for $120 (Rs 10,467) per month, while the roaming plan costs $165 (Rs 14,393) per month. For businesses, plans range from $500 (Rs 43,000) to $5,000 (Rs 4,36,000) per month. As per Business Today, Starlink is likely to compare unfavourably when it comes to providers such as JioFiber and Airtel Xstream when it comes to costs and download speeds. However, Starlinks USP is that it can provide internet to even the most rural and geographically isolated areas. This could prove particularly useful in a country like India with its vast remote and mountainous areas. At least 40 per cent of Indias more than 1.4 billion people still dont have access to the internet. Cheap satellite broadband is needed to bridge this gap. With inputs from agencies Disclaimer: Firstpost is a part of the Network18 group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary. March 12, 1930, was the day when Mahatma Gandhi embarked on a journey on foot from the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to Dandi, a coastal village, to protest against the Salt Act imposed by the British government. The march is one of the earliest examples of nonviolence in Indias freedom struggle. On this day in 1894, Coca-Cola was sold in glass bottles for the first time marking a global phenomenon read more Wearing his signature khadi dhoti and shawl, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi began walking towards the coastal city of Dandi on March 12, 1930. This led to the beginning of one of the most important events in history - the Dandi march. It is one of the most famous early acts of civil disobedience in Indias freedom struggle from the British. If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers ongoing series, History Today will be your one-stop destination to explore key events. Advertisement On this day in 1894, Coca-Cola was sold in glass bottles for the first time marking a pivotal shift in the non-alcoholic beverage industry. Here is all that happened on this day across the world. Mahatma Gandhi began the non-violent Dandi march The British were burdening Indians and draining the wealth of the nation since they took over in 1757. From zamindari to income tax, all kinds of taxes were imposed on the people of the country that were so burdensome that they forced people to leave their land. One of the worst taxes was the India Salt Act of 1882, forbidding the collection and sale of salt by Indians. The act gave the British a monopoly on the production and sale of salt, one of the most common food ingredients, in the country and forced poor Indians to buy it at an exorbitant amount from the British. On March 12, 1930, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, clad in his signature white dhoti and shawl, set out for the coastal village of Dandi from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad with 78 followers. This march is considered to play a pivotal role in Indias struggle for independence from British rule due to being one of the earliest acts of nonviolence in history. He met thousands of people during the course of the march and interacted with them to understand their issues. Mahatma Gandhi and his followers on their way to Dandi. File image/PTI As Gandhi and his followers marched, thousands of Indians joined along the way, turning it into a mass civil disobedience movement. Upon his arrival on April 6 in Dandi, Gandhi discovered that the police had rendered the salt flats unusable by crushing the deposits into the mud. Undeterred, he reached down and retrieved a small lump of natural salt from the mud, a powerful act of defiance against the British. Advertisement This symbolic gesture ignited a wave of civil disobedience, with thousands in other coastal cities following Gandhis lead by producing their own salt, effectively disrupting the British order. The defiant action led to his arrest in but the Satyagraha carried on with people inspired to take their destiny into their own hands. Coca-Cola begins selling in glass bottles Today, cold drink is synonymous with the distinctive hourglass bottle of Coca-Cola, but that was not always the case. Coca-Cola, popularly known as Coke, was developed as a soda fountain drink in 1886 in Atlanta. Within a few years its popularity grew and by 1900 Coke was being sold in every state. But the issue was it could only be sold in soda fountain shops. On March 12, 1894, the first Coca-Cola bottles were introduced by Joseph A Biedenharn, a businessman from Vicksburg, Mississippi. Biedenharn owned a candy store and soda fountain and recognised the drinks growing popularity. He decided to bottle it using Hutchinson-style glass bottles which allowed Coca-Cola to reach rural areas and small towns where soda fountains were not available. Advertisement The evolution of Coca-Cola bottles over the years. Image courtesy: The Coca-Cola Company. In 1899, two Chattanooga lawyers, Joseph Whitehead and Benjamin Thomas, travelled to Atlanta to negotiate the rights to bottle Coca-Cola. The contract the two signed led to the birth of The CocaCola Bottling Company and began franchising the rights to bottle Coca-Cola in cities across the US. This led to the establishment of the first official Coca-Cola bottling plants, fuelling the brands rapid growth and turning it into a global phenomenon. The introduction of glass bottles laid the foundation for Coca-Colas mass production, branding, and worldwide recognition. Over the years, the company evolved its bottle design, eventually creating the iconic contour bottle in 1915, which remains one of the most recognizable packaging designs in the world. Advertisement This Day, That Year In 1999, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic became Nato members on this day. American lawyer Janet Reno was sworn in as the first female US attorney general in 1993. On this day in 1804, Samuel Chase became the first and only US Supreme Court justice to be impeached. Pakistan has launched a full-scale operation to rescue the hostages aboard the Jaffar Express from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Authorities said they had freed 155 passengers over the past 24 hours. However, the BLA claimed it had released a number of passengers including women and children. But why the delay in freeing the hostages? read more Passengers rescued by security forces from a passenger train attacked by insurgents arrive at a railway station in Quetta, Pakistan, on March 12, 2025. AP The Pakistan train hijack is now in its second day. Authorities in Pakistan have launched a full-scale operation to rescue the hostages aboard the Jaffar Express from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Around 425 passengers were thought to be onboard the train. According to reports, authorities said they had freed 155 passengers over the past 24 hours However, the BLA claimed it had released a number of passengers including women and children. The train was heading from Peshawar to Quetta on Tuesday when it was halted by armed assailants around 1 pm. Advertisement Some militants are now thought to have fled into the mountains. But why are rescue operations taking so long? Lets take a closer look: Rebels wearing suicide bombs News18 quoted sources as saying the rescue efforts were complicated by the fact that attackers are wearing suicide bombs and sitting next to the passengers. BLA militants, with bombs strapped to their bodies, were sitting next to passengers, junior interior minister Talal Chaudhry told Geo TV. They are wearing suicide vests and thats making the rescue difficult, he said. The operation is being conducted very carefully so that no harm is inflicted to the hostages, the women and children. Though hundreds of troops and teams in helicopters have mounted an operation, the train being halted in a tunnel has limited the security forces ability to carry out aerial ops. As per BBC, special forces personnel have also been deployed. Pakistan train hijack video claims to show first visuals of the attack (Screengrab) The rugged mountainous terrain of the area and ongoing negotiations are also factors hampering the rescue ops. The group has threatened to start executing hostages unless authorities meet its 48-hour deadline for the release of Baloch political prisoners, activists, and missing people it says were abducted by the military. The group said half that time had now elapsed. The group shared a message from one of its fighters on the train calling on people in Balochistan to join their fight against the Pakistani state. Advertisement Comrades are shedding their blood for you, for this motherland, the man said in the message, posted on Telegram. The BLA had previously warned of severe consequences if an attempt is made to rescue the remaining hostages. There was no official word on how many people remained in the captivity of the militants. A security source said on Wednesday that 27 BLA fighters had been killed so far in the military operation. On Tuesday, the BLA denied any of its members were killed. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an ethnic armed group that claimed responsibility for the attack, said on Tuesday it was holding 214 people hostage. Advertisement The outlet quoted reports as saying some militants may have left the Jaffar Express and headed into the mountainous area. They may have taken some passengers with them. Information suggests that some militants have fled, taking an unknown number of hostages into the local mountainous areas, a security official in the area was quoted as saying by the news agency AFP. The Times of India quoted West Asia Strategist Waiel Awwad as saying, Balochistan Liberation Army has claimed the hijacking of a Pakistani train with more than 100 soldiers. They have been releasing the children and the elderly woman and are negotiating with the Pakistani authorities. Balochistan feels that Pakistan has occupied and annexed Balochistan province into Pakistan after the Partition. They believe that they have been oppressed. All the oppression of the Baloch people led to their fighting against the Pakistan Army. Advertisement There is a call by the Baloch movement all over the world to join the demonstration on 28 March to fight against the Pakistan authority. There are some exchanges of fires. Pakistan army is using drones and military force. Felt like doomsday It felt like doomsday. There was panic everywhere. The attackers did not harm women or elderly passengers. There were more than 100 armed assailants, passenger Muhammad Ashraf was quoted as saying by ARY News. People were attacked passengers were injured and some passengers died," Ashraf added. We reached the station with great difficulty, because we were tired and there were children and women with us, Ashraf told BBC. We held our breath throughout the firing, not knowing what would happen next, Ishaq Noor, another passenger, added. Noor said he and his wife tried to shield their children from the bullets. Advertisement If a bullet comes our way, it will hit us and not the children, he said. Representational Image He said the initial explosion was so powerful that one of his children fell off the seat. Mushtaq Muhammad told the outlet, The attackers were talking to each other in Balochi, and their leader repeatedly told them to keep an eye particularly on the security personnel to make sure that [the attackers] do not lose them. Images in a video provided by the militants show the train travelling through a barren pass when an explosion on the track sends up plumes of black smoke as the locomotive approaches, while a group of militants watches from a hill above. The video, posted on messaging app Telegram by the groups spokesperson, then cuts to images of people being pulled off the train halted outside a tunnel. Firstpost could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. A security source told Reuters there were 425 people on the train when it was attacked on its way to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from Balochistans capital of Quetta. After seizing control of the train, the insurgents began pulling passengers off and checking their identification, the source added. They were looking for soldiers and security personnel, the official said, estimating that at least 11 people, including paramilitary troops, had been killed. The security source said the military operation had killed 30 of the groups fighters. The previous day, the BLA denied any deaths among its members. More than 50 of those rescued arrived in Quetta on Wednesday, to be reunited with distraught relatives. A woman, who said her son was among the passengers still held hostage, confronted provincial minister Mir Zahoor Buledi when he visited the freed passengers. Please bring my child back, she said. Why didnt you stop the trains if they were not safe? If the train was never going to reach its destination, why let it depart? Buledi told reporters the government was working to beef up security in the region. A Reuters journalist saw nearly 100 empty coffins at Quetta railway station, where more of those aboard the Jaffar Express were expected to arrive. Pakistan Railways has suspended services from the provinces of Punjab and Sindh to Balochistan until security agencies confirm the area is safe, media said on Wednesday. The BLA is the largest of several ethnic armed groups battling the government in Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran. In what was previously a low-level insurgency, the militants have in recent months stepped up their activities using new tactics to inflict high death and injury tolls and target Pakistans military. Baloch militant groups say they have been fighting for decades for a larger share in the regional wealth of mines and minerals denied by the central government. With inputs from agencies Security officials continue their rescue operations so far, 100 hostages have been freed after armed rebels attacked the Jaffar Express train in Pakistans Bolan district on Tuesday (March 11). The attention is now on the militant organisation Baloch Liberation Armys Majeed Brigade, which undertook the attack. Formed in 2011, it is responsible for carrying out complex and deadliest attacks, often targeting Chinese nationals in the country read more Militants from the Baloch Liberation Army in Quetta. For the train hijacking, the BLA deployed its suicide squad, the Majeed Brigade. File image/AFP A routine train journey from Pakistans Quetta to Peshawar turned into a nightmare on Tuesday (March 11) when armed militants hijacked the Jaffar Express while it was travelling in the Mashkaf and Dhadar areas of the country. Pakistans security forces are now locked in what they describe as a complex operation to secure the release of the people taken hostage until now, over 100 hostages have been freed and 16 rebels have been killed. Advertisement As rescue operations continue, here is what we know so far about the attack and the Baloch Liberation Armys Majeed Brigade, who perpetrated the attack. What happened to the Jaffar Express? On Tuesday, the Jaffar Express, carrying 400-odd passengers that included dozens of security personnel, was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar. The trip takes roughly 30 hours, with stops at around 30 stations across the country. However, around 1 pm local time (08:00 GMT), as the train was passing through the Dhadar area of Bolan Pass, terrorists blew up the railway track and killed at least 10 security personnel, forcing the train to a halt. The attackers claimed that passengers on the train were hostages now though dozens of passengers later reached Panir. Passengers who were rescued from a train after it was attacked by separatist militants, walk with their belongings at the Railway Station in Quetta, Balochistan. Reuters Whos behind the attack on the Jaffar Express? Shortly after the hijacking, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which is an armed group active in Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the attack. The BLA said in a statement that they had taken hostages from the train who would be executed if a security operation took place. The BLA emerged in the early 2000s with the intention of establishing an independent state of Balochistan. They claim that the people of Baloch have been excluded economically and politically by the Pakistan government. In the past, the BLA has carried out attacks on Pakistani security officials, government structures, and installations, including Chinese-funded installations under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It is banned in Pakistan and considered a terrorist organisation in a few other countries. For Tuesdays train incident, the BLA deployed its Majeed Brigade which is also known as BLAs suicide squad. According to the American defence policy think tank, The Jamestown Foundation, the Majeed Brigade is named after two brothers Majeed Langove Senior and Majeed Langove Junior. While Senior was killed while attempting to assassinate then Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto during the latters official visit to Quetta in 1974, Junior was killed trying to save his associates during a Pakistani security forces raid in 2010. The Majeed Brigade, the BLAs suicide squad, is believed to have carried out most of the groups complex attacks. Representational image/AP To honour them, the BLA decided to form a suicide squad, calling it the Majeed Brigade in 2011. It carried out its first suicide attack in December 2011 the target was Shafeeq Mengal, the son of a former Pakistani minister. However, Mengal survived the attack. It then became dormant for years only to capture the attention of the world when it carried out a suicide attack on a bus carrying Chinese engineers in August 2018. Since then, it has perpetrated a number of attacks the Chinese Consulate in Karachi in November 2018, Gwadars Pearl Continental Hotel in May 2019, and the Pakistan Stock Exchange in June 2020. Advertisement Experts note that the Majeed Brigade is well-armed and is in possession of high-grade weapons. It also has access to sophisticated explosives like C4 for making suicide vests. In fact, a RFEL report cites that the BLA and its units obtained American weapons and military equipment. When the United States and international forces pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021, they left behind billions of dollars worth of military gear and weapons that were then seized by the Taliban after it captured power. Some experts also note that as of today, the Majeed Brigade is made up of no more than 100 to 150 members, including women. Advertisement Moreover, it appears that the Majeed Brigade doesnt differentiate on gender. In 2022, the Majeed Brigade deployed a 31-year-woman to carry out a suicide attack. She killed three Chinese citizens and their Pakistani driver in front of the Confucius Institute in the southern seaport city of Karachi on April 26. In October 2024, the Majeed Brigade took responsibility for an attack, which saw the deaths of Chinese engineers and investors departing from Jinnah International Airport, Karachi. How has Pakistan reacted to the train hijack? Shortly after news broke of the hijacking, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned it. He said, The terrorists targeting of innocent passengers during the peaceful and blessed month of Ramzan is a clear reflection that these terrorists have no connection with the religion of Islam, Pakistan (or) Balochistan. Meanwhile, security personnel in a complex operation killed 16 terrorists and rescued 104 passengers. They added that a gunbattle was still on and they wouldnt stop until every passenger is rescued. According to news agency PTI, of the passengers rescued, 58 are men, 31 are women and 15 are children. All of them have been sent to Mach (a town in Kachhi district in Balochistan province of Pakistan) by another train. Advertisement Passengers who were rescued from a train after it was attacked by the suicide squad of the Baloch Liberation Army, get themselves registered at the Railway Station in Quetta, Balochistan. Reuters Meanwhile, the other militants of the Majeed Brigade have taken the passengers into the mountains. The militants have now formed small groups to try to escape in the dark, but the security forces have surrounded the tunnel and the remaining passengers will also be rescued soon, the source told news agency PTI. Meanwhile, Pakistan Railways have set up an emergency desk at the Peshawar and Quetta Railway stations as frantic relatives and friends try to get some information about their loved ones on the train. Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind also said that emergency measures have been imposed and a relief train and contingents of security forces have also been dispatched to the site. Advertisement Balochistan has seen a rise in insurgency in recent times, especially since the Gwadar port was leased to China. According to a GeoTV report, there have been at least 24 attacks, which have claimed 26 lives, including 11 security personnel, six civilians, and nine militants. With inputs from agencies Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Mauritius, will attend the national day celebrations as the chief guest. From providing vessels and fast interceptor craft to the Mauritius Coast Guard to expanding a strategic airstrip and jetty on the strategically important archipelago of Agalega and training security officials, lets take a closer look at how India has helped Mauritius with its defences since 2015 read more Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday arrived in Mauritius. Modi is set to attend the island nations national day celebrations as the chief guest. During his two-day visit, Modi will hold meetings with the island nations top leadership including Mauritius President Dharam Gokhool and Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam as well as other senior dignitaries. Modi in a statement said he was looking forward to engaging with the leadership of Mauritius to elevate our partnership in all its facets and strengthen our enduring friendship for the progress and prosperity of our peoples. Advertisement Mauritius is a close maritime neighbour, a key partner in the Indian Ocean, and a gateway to the African Continent. We are connected by history, geography and culture, Modi said. Deep mutual trust, a shared belief in the values of democracy, and celebration of our diversity are our strengths, he added. In the backdrop of Modis visit, lets examine how India is helping strengthen Mauritius defences and why Mauritius matters to India. How India is strengthening Mauritius defences India and Mauritius have deepened defence cooperation over the past decade. This is in line with Indias Neighbourhood First policy and vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) first outlined by Modi in 2015. Modi made the remarks in March 2015 in Mauritius on the occasion of the commissioning of MCGS Barracuda the first Indian-built warship to be inducted into the Mauritius National Coast Guard. We seek a future for the Indian Ocean that lives up to the name of SAGAR Security and Growth for All in the Region. We should be inspired by the Monsoon, which nurtures and connects us all in the region. We will strive to unite our region in partnership, as we were once in geography. An Ocean that connects our world should become the pathway of peace and prosperity for all, Modi said, , as per The Shillong Times. Advertisement It is no coincidence that I speak of our hopes for the Indian Ocean Region in Mauritius. Our partnership with Mauritius is among our strongest maritime relationships in the world, Our partnership will grow. We will together build our capabilities. We will also train and patrol the seas together, Modi added. As per Hindustan Times, India has since given the Mauritius Coast Guard two vessels as well as some fast interceptor craft. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri pointed to the induction of the CGS Barracuda provided through a grant as well as loan assistance as well as the CGS Victory into the coast guard. Advertisement CGS Victory, the first of two Water Jet Fast Patrol Vessels, built by Goa Shipyard Limited, was commissioned into the Mauritius Coast Guard (MCG) in 2016. Facebook And in addition, there is a whole bunch of fast interceptor craft that were also provided to Mauritius. We have been providing them with these kinds of assets and if there is a need felt for more to be done in this regard, we would be ready to examine those proposals as well, Misri said. In 2016, the Mauritius Coast Guard Service commissioned into service ten 14.5 metre long Fast Interceptor Boats (FIBs) ordered from Indian shipbuilder Goa Shipyards Limited. In 2017, the then Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth commissioned the second of the two Water Jet Fast Patrol Vessels CGS Valiant into its coast guard. Advertisement The CGS Valiant thus became the third such ship to be commissioned into the National Coast Guard of Mauritius supplied by an India Defence Shipyard. The Indian Navy also provided training to its crew. India and Mauritius, during Modis 2015 visit, had signed an MoU to enhance transport facilities on Agalega island, improving sea and air connectivity. As per Indian Express, the agreement said the infrastructure for improving sea and air connectivity at the Outer Island of Mauritius will go a long way in ameliorating the condition of the inhabitants of this remote Island. These facilities will enhance the capabilities of the Mauritian Defence Forces in safeguarding their interests in the Outer Island. Advertisement India has since helped Mauritius in its efforts to expand an airstrip and jetty on Agalega island. As per ORF, in 2024, Modi and then Mauritius prime minister Jugnauth jointly inaugurated the new airstrip and jetty on Agalega. The archipelago of Agalega is around 1,100 kilometres north of Mauritius. Comprising two islands, it has Seychelles to its north, the Maldives, the US base Diego Garcia and Chagos Island to its east, and Madagascar, the Mozambique Channel, and the entire eastern coast of Africa to the west. Agalega islands strategic location makes it a prime target for illicit activities such as terrorism, piracy and the drug trade. As per Hindustan Times, Indias efforts will help Mauritius keep an eye on its vast exclusive economic zone of 2.3 million square kilometres. The two countries are also slated to sign a technical agreement on swapping information on white shipping. The Shillong Times quoted Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri as saying this would further increase Mauritius maritime security, make its trading corridors safer, and enhance regional cooperation in real-time sharing of data. This will involve not just the Indian Navy, but also the Mauritius police force in an effort to combat these kinds of activities, Misri said. There is an allied MoU that will be signed between the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) with the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Prime Ministers Office from the Mauritius side, which also establishes a comprehensive framework for cooperation on ocean observation, research and information management, and enhancing maritime zone management in Mauritius, Misri added. As per The Hindu, India and Mauritius in 1974 firmed an agreement to send Indian defence officials to train its coast guard and helicopter squadron. Dozens of Mauritian police officials train at Indian defence training academies every year. According to Indian Express, Mauritius is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme. Since 2002-03, India has trained around 4,940 Mauritians under the programmes civilian and defence slots. As per NextIAS, India has provided Mauritius a $100 million credit line to bolster its defence. Misri noted that New Delhi has also supported Mauritius in its stance on its sovereignty over Chagos archipelago. We have supported Mauritius in its stance on its sovereignty over Chagos. And this is obviously in keeping with our longstanding position with regard to decolonization and support for sovereignty and territorial integrity of our other countries. And its only fitting for us to articulate this support for partners such as Mauritius," Misri said. You are also aware that for quite some time there have been extensive discussions and negotiations that were held between Mauritius and the UK last year. The previous government in Mauritius was also involved with these negotiations, and certain arrangement had been arrived at. Naturally, after a new government has taken power in Mauritius, they have taken a relook at some of the provisions Nevertheless, it is something that has continued to be discussed between Mauritius and the UK, and we understand that they have engaged each other quite intensively and have also, perhaps, arrived at a mutually acceptable deal on the subject. The details are really for them to agree on, he added. This is in keeping with countrys long-standing position with regard to decolonisation and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries, Misri added. The foreign secretary said India and Mauritius will sign a memorandum of understanding between Enforcement Directorate and the Financial Crimes Commission of Mauritius. The idea is to provide intelligence and technical assistance cooperation on anti-corruption and anti-money laundering activities. It will also help in identifying emerging trends, knowledge exchange, and adapting to new methodologies in this particular area, Misri added. Why Mauritius matters Experts say Mauritius plays a pivotal role in Indias SAGAR vision due to its strategic location in the western Indian Ocean. ORF noted that the new infrastructure in the archipelago of Agalega will bolster Indias image as a maritime power and enhance its presence in the Indian Ocean Region. Mauritius is a key part of Indias neighbourhood policy. With India continuing to solidify its influence in the region, the challenge from China is only likely to grow. Nonetheless, as India aims to strengthen its foothold in the IOR and enhance its role as a net security provider while maintaining the pre-eminence of the Indian Navy, its partnership with Mauritius will remain a decisive factor, the piece noted. A piece in Indian Express noted Beijings growing footprint in the Indian Ocean region has been noted with alarm in New Delhi. India thus wants to work closely with island countries like Mauritius. These facilities have additionally assisted Mauritius in its maritime surveillance, patrolling of its vast Exclusive Economic Zone and safeguarding the assets of its blue economy ecosystem from challenges such as piracy, as well as drug and human trafficking, the piece noted. With inputs from agencies In one of the biggest gold smuggling cases at Bengalurus Kempegowda International Airport in recent years, Kannada actor Ranya Rao wrapped gold bars around her waist and calves using bandages and tissues. Additional gold bars and cut pieces were hidden inside her shoes and front pockets, according to an arrest memo released by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) read more Ranya Rao is the stepdaughter of K Ramachandra Rao, a senior IPS officer from Karnataka. X Kannada actor Ranya Rao has been arrested in one of the biggest gold smuggling cases at Bengalurus Kempegowda International Airport in recent years. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has now released a memo, detailing the evidence against Rao in the case. ALSO READ | From gold bars strapped to thighs to diapers: How smugglers like Ranya Rao operate On March 3, the DRI arrested the actress as she was attempting to smuggle 14.8 kg of gold into India, which was valued at nearly Rs 13 crore. Advertisement Notably, Rao is the stepdaughter of K Ramachandra Rao, a senior IPS officer from Karnataka, who currently serves as the Director-General of Police (DGP) at Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation. So, how did she manage to smuggle the gold, and how was she caught? Lets find out: What DRI said in the arrest memo The DRI said in its arrest memo that Kannada actor Ranya Rao had purchased gold in Dubai on November 13 and December 20, declaring her destination as Geneva, according to CNN-News18. However, instead of travelling there, she arrived in India. Rao has admitted that before her arrest, she had smuggled gold from Dubai to India on at least two previous occasions. The DRI estimates that she evaded customs duty worth around Rs 4.83 crore. Last week, in her initial statement to DRI officials, Rao admitted to possessing 17 gold bars, News18 reported. She also disclosed that she had travelled not just to Dubai but also to Europe, America, and West Asia. However, she refused to provide further details. Notably, the arrest memo described the sequence of events leading to her detention, along with voluntary statements she made at the DRI office on March 4, a day after her arrest. The actress was arrested by the DRI on March 3. X/@RanyaRao ALSO READ | Why your ATMs may be running out of cash How was she caught? Rao attempted to pass through the Green Channel at Kempegowda International Airport, stating that she had no dutiable or prohibited goods to declare. However, a metal detector alerted the security, according to India Today. A Green Channel at an airport is designated for passengers who do not have taxable or restricted goods, allowing them to exit without customs inspection. Those carrying dutiable or restricted items must use the Red Channel, declare their goods, and pay the required customs duty. Advertisement Attempting to pass through the Green Channel, she denied carrying any dutiable goods, gold, or contraband. However, a metal detector alerted officers to the presence of concealed items on her person, the document read. DRI officers, acting on specific intelligence, intercepted Rao upon her arrival on Emirates Flight EK 566 from Dubai on March 3, 2025, at 6.30 pm. A detailed personal search revealed that she had wrapped gold bars around her waist and calves using bandages and tissues. Other gold bars and cut pieces were hidden inside her shoes and front pockets, India Today reported. The DRI arrest memo also stated that Rao failed to provide proof of purchase or declaration for the seized gold. Advertisement Rao admitted that on two previous occasions, she planned to smuggle gold from Dubai to India. She evaded customs duty amounting to Rs 4.83 crore. As per the arrest memo, she has also not fully cooperated with the investigation and withheld key details. Her arrest, the memo said, would also prevent any attempts to tamper with evidence, NDTV reported. ALSO READ | 4 visits in 15 days, same clothes: How Kannada movie star Ranya Rao was caught smuggling gold from Dubai What do we know about Ranya Rao? Why was she arrested? Ranya Rao is the stepdaughter of Ramachandra Rao, the Director General of Police at Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation. Authorities had been monitoring her due to her frequent trips to Dubai - reportedly visiting 30 times in one year, including four times within just 15 days. Advertisement Originally from Chikmagalur, Karnataka, Rao pursued engineering at Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering in Bengaluru before entering the film industry. She made her acting debut with the Kannada film Maanikya in 2014. Rao attempted to pass through the Green Channel at Kempegowda International Airport. X/@RanyaRao Investigators found that before her arrest, Rao had allegedly managed to evade strict customs checks. Each time she returned from Dubai, she was reportedly accompanied by a police escort who helped her pass through airport security. On the day of her arrest, she once again attempted to bypass security screening with the assistance of a police constable named Basavaraju, India Today reported. Following her arrest, the Bengaluru Directorate of Revenue Intelligence raided her residence in Bengaluru, seizing gold jewellery valued at Rs 2.06 crore and cash amounting to Rs 2.67 crore. Advertisement On March 4, she was presented before a special court for financial offences and was remanded to judicial custody until March 18. Presiding over the case, Justice Vishwanath C Gowdar directed the DRI to ensure Rao received essential provisions such as food and a bed while in custody. He also cautioned against any harsh treatment during the investigation. Notably, Rao is married to Jatin Hukkeri, who also travelled frequently to Dubai with her. Meanwhile, her stepfather, Ramachandra Rao, has distanced himself from her actions, stating that she had not been in contact with the family since marrying Hukkeri four months ago. With inputs from agencies The United States and Ukraine have reached an agreement on a proposed 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine has accepted, pending Russian approval. The deal, brokered in Jeddah, includes the resumption of US military aid and intelligence sharing to Kyiv. While Washington urges Moscow to reciprocate, Russia has yet to formally respond read more US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Head of Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, and Ukrainian Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov pose for a picture after their meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, March 11, 2025. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via Reuters After high-level talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine has signalled its willingness to accept a US-proposed ceasefire deal that aims to bring temporary relief to the ongoing war with Russia. However, the crucial element still missing is Moscows agreement. The deal proposes an immediate 30-day ceasefire, extendable upon mutual agreement, alongside a resumption of US military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed Kyivs acceptance of the deal, stating, we are ready to take this step, but stated that Russia must also agree for it to take effect. Advertisement US Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed this sentiment, declaring, the ball is now in Russias court. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump affirmed his commitment to ending the war, stating, we want to get the Ukraine war over with. What we know about the terms of the proposed ceasefire As per the joint statement issued after the negotiations, the ceasefire would cover all active battlefronts, including ground, aerial, and naval engagements. However, the statement makes no mention of territorial concessions an issue that remains a key sticking point in previous negotiations. Ukraine had previously called for the return of all occupied lands, while the US had suggested that Kyiv might have to make some territorial compromises. Additional agreements reached include humanitarian measures such as the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of detained civilians, and the repatriation of Ukrainian children who had been forcibly relocated to Russia. Ukraine also highlighted the role of European partners in the peace process, with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte scheduled to visit the White House later this week. The delegations also discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the above-mentioned ceasefire, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children, the joint US-Ukraine statement said. Further, the agreement revives a crucial deal on Ukraines mineral and rare earth resources, which had been stalled after a contentious White House meeting in February. Advertisement The US and Ukraine agreed to conclude this deal as soon as possible to bolster Kyivs economic stability and long-term security. US restores military aid and intelligence sharing The US has agreed to lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume military aid to Ukraine, which had been halted following Trumps earlier dissatisfaction with Zelenskyys stance on negotiations. The agreement signals a renewed US-Ukraine partnership, but it remains to be seen whether this will translate into a lasting peace deal. Trumps National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, is expected to meet his Russian counterpart in the coming days, while US special envoy Steve Witkoff plans to visit Moscow for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump himself expressed optimism about the process, saying he hopes for a swift resolution and is preparing to speak with Putin directly. Moscows stance on the proposal Russia has not yet formally responded to the ceasefire proposal. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov previously accused Zelenskyy of refusing serious negotiations, telling state news agency TASS that the Ukrainian president does not want any ceasefire unless the Americans provide assurances of nuclear deterrence against Russia. Moscow has repeatedly expressed opposition to short-term ceasefires, with Putin insisting that any peace agreement must ensure Russias long-term security. Advertisement Reuters quoted a senior Russian lawmaker reinforced this position, who stated, Any agreements while requiring compromise must be on our terms, not American ones. The Kremlin has also previously demanded that Ukraine withdraw from four regions that Russia claims as its own. Late on Monday, Russia launched air strikes on Kyiv, with Ukrainian air defence systems engaged in repelling the attack. Ahead of the US-Ukraine talks, Russia was also hit by a massive Ukrainian drone attack overnight Tuesday. Moscow said it had downed 343 drones it claimed Ukraine had fired at Russia, of which 91 were aimed at the Moscow region. What this means for the future of the Russia-Ukraine war The proposed ceasefire marks a significant shift in diplomatic dynamics. While Ukraines willingness to agree to a ceasefire has unlocked American military aid, the deal still hinges on Russias response. Some analysts have warned that a short-term ceasefire could simply serve as a pause, allowing both sides to regroup rather than laying the groundwork for a lasting peace. Advertisement Additionally, concerns remain about Ukraines security guarantees post-conflict. Some European nations have indicated a willingness to explore direct military involvement as part of these guarantees, a development that could further complicate negotiations. On the battlefield, Ukraine continues to face pressure, particularly in regions where Russian forces have launched fresh offensives. In response, Ukraine has carried out one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow to date, demonstrating its continued capability to strike inside Russian territory. Meanwhile, Russian missile and drone assaults on Ukrainian cities have caused heavy casualties, underscoring the ongoing devastation despite diplomatic efforts. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies amil Nadus DMK government and the Centre are at odds over the three-language formula in the National Education Policy 2020. While Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has accused the Stalin government of a U-turn on the PM Shri scheme, the state has alleged the Central government of withholding funds due to its opposition to NEP read more MK Stalin's DMK is at odds with the Centre over NEP 2020. File Photo/PTI Tamil Nadu and the Central government are at loggerheads over the three-language formula in the National Education Policy (NEP). The debate has hit headlines as a war of words erupting between the Tamil Nadu government and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday (March 11) attacked the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government in Tamil Nadu over its opposition to implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, describing it as hypocrisy. Advertisement On the other hand, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has accused the Centre of withholding funds under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme a school education programme partially funded by the Central government. Lets take a look at the controversy. TNs resistance to three-language formula Tamil Nadu is not in favour of the three-language formula in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. While it does not mention any specific language, the NEP which aims to regulate education in the country says that at least two should be native to India. The NEP calls for early implementation of the three-language formula to promote multilingualism at the school level. It promotes the three-language formula while keeping in mind the Constitutional provisions, aspirations of the people, regions, and the Union, and the need to promote multilingualism as well as promote national unity. There will be a greater flexibility in the three-language formula, and no language will be imposed on any state. The three languages learned by children will be the choices of states, regions, and of course the students themselves, so long as at least two of the three languages are native to India, the NEP 2020 states. However, the DMK fears the three-language formula in the NEP 2020 will lead to the imposition of Hindi. Tamil Nadu, which follows Dravidian ideology, has a history of agitation against Hindi imposition. The southern state currently has a two-language system with students being taught Tamil and English. While CM Stalin and his DMK stress they are not against Hindi, they have alleged the aim of the Centres policy is to impose the language on non-Hindi speaking states. Advertisement DMK MP Kanimozhi has also questioned the need for a three-language policy. Speaking to Indian Express, she said, What is right with the three-language policy? Students have enough burden in schools. You have to learn so many subjects, and on top of that you are forced to learn three languages instead of two. However, the Centre has denied the charges. We have never said in NEP 2020 that only Hindi will be there; we have only said that education will be based on mother tongue - in Tamil Nadu, it will be Tamil, Union minister Pradhan told reporters last week. The row between TN-Centre Tamil Nadus DMK government and the Central government are at odds over the NEP. The debate reached Lok Sabha on Monday after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan lashed out at CM Stalin and his party members alleging them of being dishonest and taking a U-turn over the implementation of the Centres PM Schools for Rising India (PM Shri) scheme. Pradhans remarks caused a row in Parliament with a protest from DMK MPs. The comments were later expunged by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Advertisement On Tuesday, the Union education minister shared a letter on X about Tamil Nadus stance on PM SHRI schools. The letter dated March 15, 2024 was from the Tamil Nadu Education Department, stating that the southern state is very keen to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up PM SHRI schools based on the recommendations of the committee it formed in this regard. Yesterday, DMK MPs and Honble CM Stalin accused me of misleading the Parliament regarding Tamil Nadus consent for establishment of PM-SHRI Schools. I stand by my statement made in the Parliament and am sharing the consent letter from Tamil Nadu School Education Department pic.twitter.com/vp6GtPEp1q Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) March 11, 2025 Advertisement Why this sudden change of stance on NEP? Definitely for political brownies and reviving DMKs political fortunes. This retrograde politics of DMK is a great disservice to the bright future of Tamil Nadu and its students, he wrote in his post on X. The DMK has dismissed his charges, with Stalin saying Tamil Nadu never accepted the PM Shri scheme. Advertisement As per The Hindu report last August, the Centre had asked the Tamil Nadu government to sign an MoU to establish PM Shri schools, which would mean implementing the NEP 2020 in its entirety. The DMK has alleged that the Centre has not allotted Tamil Nadu its share of funds for Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan due to its opposition to NEP. DMK MP T Sumathy claimed in Parliament recently that Rs 2,000 crore funds meant for Tamil Nadu were diverted to other states amid the southern states reluctance to NEP. Terming it a death knell for cooperative federalism, Sumathy asked whether the Centre could use funds as a tool for revenge, at the cost of school students. The Centre had withheld funds amounting to Rs 2,152 crore under the Samagra Shiksha scheme. Pradhan had earlier said the funds would not be released unless Tamil Nadu implemented the NEP and adopted the three-language formula, as per Indian Express. Last month, CM Stalin wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the release of these funds urgently. It is not just Tamil Nadu that is against the PM Shri scheme. In a letter dated March 2024, Kerala agreed to sign an MoU for setting up PM Shri schools, hoping for the release of funds withheld by the Centre. However, it later backtracked. The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has also refused to implement the PM SHRI scheme. With inputs from agencies Ratu Thalisa, an Indonesian social media influencer, with more than 442,000 TikTok followers, has been jailed for nearly three years. She has been accused of spreading hatred against Christianity under the countrys controversial online hate speech law. The transgender woman landed in hot soup after she suggested Jesus Christ should get a haircut read more Ratu Thalisa, a transgender woman with more than 442,000 TikTok followers, was convicted by a court in Medan City, Sumatra, on Monday for allegedly spreading hatred against Christianity. Image courtesy: X/@misstweet A TikToker in Indonesia has landed in hot soup after making a passing remark about Jesus Christ needing a haircutan offhand joke that has now cost her nearly three years in prison. Ratu Thalisa, a transgender woman with more than 442,000 TikTok followers, was convicted by a court in Medan City, Sumatra, on Monday for allegedly spreading hatred against Christianity. Justifying its verdict, the court said that her comments had the potential to disrupt public order and religious harmony in society, the BBC reports. Advertisement The ruling, however, has sparked condemnation from human rights groups, with Amnesty International demanding Thalisas immediate release. But what exactly did she say? And why has her arrest led to such widespread outrage? Heres a closer look. The controversial remark Thalisa, known online as Ratu Entok, was hosting a TikTok livestream on 2 October 2024 when a viewer suggested she should cut her hair to look more masculine. In response, she held up a picture of Jesus Christ and said, You should not look like a woman. You should cut your hair so that you will look like his father. Her comments quickly sparked backlash, with five Christian groups filing a complaint against her. Just four days later, she was arrested and charged with blasphemy and hate speech against a particular religion. On Monday, a district court in Medan, North Sumatra, found her guilty of spreading hate speech against Christianity. The court argued that her remarks had the potential to disrupt public order and religious harmony. Ratu Entok atau Ratu Thalisa, dilaporkan ke Polda Sumut atas dugaan penistaan agama Kristen. pria bernama asli Irfan Satria Putra itu terlihat berkata kasar sambil menatap foto Yesus, kasus kini sedang ditangani Polda Sumut untuk penyelidikan lebih lanjut pic.twitter.com/2Fupg9OPLQ Miss Tweet | (@Heraloebss) October 6, 2024 Advertisement As a result, the judges sentenced Thalisa to two years and ten months in prison. She was also ordered to pay a fine of 100,000,000 IDR (Rs 5.30 lakh) for the offence. Shocking attack Thalisas sentencing has sparked outrage among human rights groups, who have condemned it as an attack on her freedom of expression and an example of the controversial misuse of Indonesias Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) law. Amnesty International Indonesias executive director, Usman Hamid, said, This prison sentence is a shocking attack on Ratu Thalisas freedom of expression. The Indonesian authorities should not use the countrys Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) law to punish people for comments made on social media. He added, While Indonesia should prohibit the advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, Ratu Thalisas speech act does not reach that threshold. Hamid urged authorities to overturn her conviction and ensure her immediate release from custody. Advertisement He also called for the repeal or substantial revision of the EIT law, describing some of its provisions as problematic. Also read: Thumbs Up: The new rules for social media influencers, explained What is Indonesias controversial EIT law? Originally introduced in 2008 and amended in 2016 to address online defamation, the EIT law was intended to protect individuals in digital spaces. However, it has faced strong criticism from rights organisations, press groups, and legal experts, who argue that it threatens freedom of expression. According to Amnesty International, at least 560 people were charged with violating the EIT law between 2019 and 2024 for expressing their views, with 421 of them convicted. Social media influencers have been among those targeted, often facing charges of defamation or hate speech. In one high-profile case from September 2023, a Muslim woman was sentenced to two years in prison for blasphemy after posting a viral TikTok video in which she recited an Islamic phrase before eating pork. Advertisement Similarly, in 2024, another TikToker was detained for blasphemy after posting a quiz that asked children what kind of animals could read the Quran, Amnesty International reported. Indonesia is home to religious minorities, including Buddhists, Christians, and Hindus, but the majority of its population is Muslim. However, Thalisas case, where a Muslim woman has been accused of hate speech against Christianity, is an unusual instance. Prosecutors had initially sought a sentence of more than four years. After Mondays verdict, they immediately filed an appeal, while Thalisa has been given seven days to challenge the ruling. With input from agencies The announcement, which comes peace talks in Saudi Arabia, is a remarkable turn of events after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a shouting match with US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance in the White House read more US President Donald Trump shouts at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during their interaction with the press at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 28, 2025. (Photo: Reuters) The United States says Ukraine has agreed to its proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia following three years of war. The announcement followed peace talks in Saudi Arabia, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled on March 10, and is a remarkable turn of events. The ball is now in Russias court in terms of whether it accepts the ceasefire proposal. Zelenskyys recent shouting match with US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance in the White House, at a surface level, could not have gone much worse from the Ukrainian leaders perspective. Both Trump and Vance subjected Zelenskyy to scathing attacks before their meeting abruptly ended. Advertisement The fallout from the meeting initially seemed even worse than the meeting itself. On March 3, Trump paused material military aid to Ukraine, and two days later, the US stopped sharing intelligence with Ukrainians. The decision on intelligence has since been reversed following Ukraines agreement with the ceasefire proposal. Trumps focus on Ukraine When campaigning for president, Trump promised to end the war in 24 hours. After he won a second term, Trump has appeared disinterested and even antagonistic towards Russia at times. The domestic turmoil thats been fuelled by many of his policies, however, has seemingly caused him to seek a win in international affairs. Enter Ukraine. Nonetheless, Trumps increased focus on Ukraine in recent weeks, including his Oval Office attack on Zelenskyy, has required the Ukrainian leader to adapt. Hes therefore been making moves to shore up support for Ukraine in a world devoid of American leadership. Trumps focus on Ukraine stems from several aspects of his world view. First, while theories of Trump being a Russian agent may be overblown, he does seem fixated on Russian President Vladimir Putin. This fixation likely stems from the fact that Putin, much like Trump, views the world in a transactional manner. Putin is someone with whom Trump, who broadcasts himself as a deal-maker, can reach an agreement. US President Donald Trump and Russias President Vladimir Putin. Reuters File Second, the Russia-Ukraine conflict aligns with Trumps world view that the US provides too much and the rest of the world too little to secure international stability. This perspective is particularly the case with Europe, whom Trump views as free-loading via American security guarantees. Third, Trump views Ukraine as having the potential to assist American industry and defence, just not in a military manner. The rare earth minerals that Ukraine possesses have significant economic and military implications, and the market is dominated by the state Trump and many others view as Americas chief rival: China. Advertisement Fourth and finally, Trump correctly views the US as having leverage over Ukraine. American military aid has largely allowed Ukraine to fight a protracted war against a much larger enemy. While the degradation of Russias military and economy benefits the US, Trumps focus on short-term objectives largely overlooks this point. Did Zelenskyy outmaneuver the US? Trump, however, did not account for Zelenskyys strength of character. While Trump is seeking to use Ukraine for his own advantage, Zelenskyy remains focused on Ukraines interests and not on America first. The emerging personality conflict between both men made the chaotic Oval Office meeting almost inevitable. Given Trumps rhetoric towards Zelenskyy in the lead-up to that meeting, its curious the Ukrainian leader agreed to the meeting at all. But Zelenskyy himself reportedly pushed for the meeting, and even had French President Emmanuel Macron intervene on his behalf. American support for Ukraine was disappearing before the tumultuous meeting. There has been no new aid for Ukraine since Trump assumed the presidency. For Ukraine to survive, it needs a new patron. Advertisement Zelenskyy has taken risks during the conflict, not all of which have worked in his or Ukraines favour. Those risks, however, have always been calculated. His attempt to bolster support for Ukraine among its non-American allies following the contentious White House meeting might be an example of this type of calculation. Europe to the rescue In the aftermath of the meeting, the international community has rallied around Ukraine. Most important, however, has been the European response. For all the problems in Trumps approach, he is correct that the European response to Russias invasion has from Ukraines perspective. While Europe has provided more financial assistance to Ukraine than the US, it has largely occurred in spurts and only after American leadership on the issue. European Union (EU) chief Ursula von der Leyen. Reuters France and the United Kingdom have emerged as Ukraines biggest backers in Europe. This is not new, as both countries have been among Ukraines most vocal supporters over the last few years. What Ukraine needs, however, is for that vocal support to turn into action. Advertisement European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an 800 billion euro program for European Union members to bolster their defence capabilities soon after Zelenskyy met with European leaders in London in early March. In explaining her rational, von der Leyen stated: With this equipment, member states can massively step up their support to Ukraine This approach of joint procurement will also reduce costs, reduce fragmentation, increase interoperability and strengthen our defence industrial base. EU is key Though not perfect, the renewed support from the EU and the UK may allow Ukraine to continue fighting as Russias declining economy hinders Putins war effort. In the aftermath of the Oval Office showdown with Trump and Vance, Zelenskyy has done what he can to repair Ukraines relationship with the US and satiate Trumps ego, but tension remains. From Ukraines perspective, it needs a new partner in its war against Russia, and the EU can serve that purpose. Advertisement The US may be the country pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine, but its Europe that will play the most vital role in Ukraines ability to win the war if it endures. James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. After Stanford and Cornell, Harvard University, the richest in the country, has also announced a hiring freeze. Another Ivy League varsity the University of Pennsylvania is also no longer recruiting staff. But why? read more Top universities in the United States have announced hiring freezes amid threats by President Donald Trump to cut funding for higher education. Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania are the latest to stop hiring faculty. They have joined a growing list of American universities imposing hiring freezes as the uncertainty looms over Trumps threat to impose steep financial cuts in research funding. Lets take a closer look. Harvard makes hiring freeze Harvard University, the richest US university with a $53 billion endowment, has announced a temporary hiring freeze. In an email to the school community on Monday (March 10), Harvard University President Alan M Garber wrote that it is developing long-term capacity needed to advance academic priorities at a time of uncertain revenues. We need to prepare for a wide range of financial circumstances, and strategic adjustments will take time to identify and implement, he said, as per a Bloomberg report. Advertisement Consequently, it is imperative to limit significant new long-term commitments that would increase our financial exposure and make further adjustments more disruptive, Garber added. While it did not mention Trump by name, the email said that universities across the nation face substantial financial uncertainties driven by rapidly shifting federal policies. Effective immediately, Harvard will implement a temporary pause on staff and faculty hiring across the University, the email said. As per Bloomberg, Harvard said the freeze in faculty and staff hiring was to ensure financial flexibility until leaders better understand how changes in federal policy will take shape and can assess the scale of their impact. Other universities to pause hiring Another Ivy League university has halted staff hiring. The University of Pennsylvania announced its decision on Monday, along with plans to review faculty hiring. The direction is clear, and we are already experiencing reduced funding, an email to Penn staff by two university administrators read, according to a New York Times (NYT) report. Penn said it is facing a cut of about $240 million in research funding. Changes to federal research funding could significantly reduce our operating budget, John L Jackson Jr, the universitys provost, wrote to faculty. University of Pennsylvania has put staff hiring on hold. File Photo/Reuters Moreover, the top US university said it was putting a stop to some raises and reducing other expenses by five per cent. Advertisement The funding cuts have also led to some departments at Penn to revoke verbal admission offers to incoming PhD students. Before Penn and Harvard, Stanford, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Cornell announced hiring freezes due to uncertainty about government funding. The University of Notre Dame and the University of Vermont have also stopped hiring for the same reason. As we seek to understand the executive orders, federal agency directives and other policy changes announced over the past several weeks, our decision-making will continue to be guided by our mission as a global Catholic research university, Erin Blasko, a spokesperson with Notre Dame, said in an email, as per NBC News. Advertisement The University of Vermont said last week it would review its hiring freeze in 60 days. Why is this happening? American universities are under pressure after Trump threatened to slash funding for higher education. The US top institutions could lose millions of dollars in grant funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research and studies. Last month, the federal agency announced it hopes to save $4 billion by reducing its federal grant funding. The NIH said it would cut indirect costs for research, including utilities and administrative staff, at universities and research centers. After several lawsuits were filed against the move, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the new policy. In a separate move, the Trump administration cancelled $400 million in grants to Columbia University due to the schools continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students. Advertisement Harvard and Columbia are among the 10 schools identified by the Trump administration over accusations of anti-Semitic incidents linked to Israels war with Hamas in Gaza. Pro-Palestine protests had broken out at several universities in the US last year. With inputs from agencies The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has declared that his reincarnation will be born outside China, directly challenging Beijings claim that it alone can appoint his successor. Traditionally, senior Tibetan monks identify the Dalai Lamas reincarnation through visions and tests, but China insists on controlling the process, as it did with the Panchen Lama in 1995 when its chosen candidate replaced the Dalai Lamas selection, who subsequently disappeared read more Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, offers blessings to his followers at his Himalayan residence in the northern hill town of Dharamshala, India, December 20, 2024. File Image/Reuters The Dalai Lama has for the first time explicitly stated that his successor will be born outside China, putting a spotlight onto the longstanding dispute over the Tibetan spiritual leaders reincarnation. In his new book Voice for the Voiceless, the 14th Dalai Lama affirms that the next Dalai Lama will be born in the free world, ensuring that the institution continues its traditional role of advocating for Tibetan rights and spiritual leadership beyond Chinese control. Advertisement Since the purpose of a reincarnation is to carry on the work of the predecessor, the new Dalai Lama will be born in the free world so that the traditional mission of the Dalai Lama that is, to be the voice for universal compassion, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and the symbol of Tibet embodying the aspirations of the Tibetan people will continue, he writes in the book, reviewed by Reuters. The statement is a direct challenge to Beijing, which has long asserted that it has the ultimate authority to recognise the next Dalai Lama. China has dismissed the Tibetan leaders declarations, insisting that any reincarnation must be approved by Beijing. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has reiterated that the lineage of the Dalai Lama developed within Chinas Tibet and that his succession must comply with the countrys laws and traditions. Beijings control over Tibet has been a contentious issue since the Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese Communist rule. He has since lived in exile in Dharamshala, where the Tibetan government-in-exile continues its advocacy for Tibetan rights. What we know about the tradition of choosing a Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama is considered a tulku, a reincarnated lineage of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, and the tradition of selecting his successor has remained a deeply spiritual process for centuries. The search for a new Dalai Lama involves Tibetan Buddhist monks interpreting visions, signs and dreams. Historically, the process begins with senior monks looking for omens in the deceased Dalai Lamas body. For example, after the 13th Dalai Lamas death, his body initially faced south but later shifted to the east, interpreted as a sign that his reincarnation would be found in that direction. Monks also seek visions at the sacred Lhamoi Latso lake in Tibet, which is believed to reveal clues about the rebirths location. Advertisement Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama greets devotees as he arrives at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharamshala, India, August 29, 2017. File Image/AP Once a potential reincarnation is identified, the child undergoes a series of tests, including the ability to recognise objects belonging to the previous Dalai Lama. The current Dalai Lama, born as Lhamo Dhondup in 1935, was recognised at the age of two after accurately selecting ritual objects used by his predecessor, among other signs. How China plans to intervene China claims that it has the final say in the Dalai Lamas succession. The Chinese Communist Party views the Dalai Lama as a separatist and seeks to control his reincarnation to maintain its grip over Tibet. In 2011, Beijing declared that only the Chinese government could appoint the next Dalai Lama, rejecting any selection made by the Tibetan religious community in exile. The lineage of the Dalai Lama living Buddha was formed and developed in Chinas Tibet, and his religious status and name were also determined by (Chinas) central government, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. Advertisement The 14th Dalai Lama himself was identified in accordance with religious rituals and historical conventions, and this was submitted to the then central government to approve the succession. China has already exercised this control over the Panchen Lama, Tibets second-highest spiritual figure. In 1995, after the Dalai Lama recognised a six-year-old boy, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, as the Panchen Lama, Chinese authorities abducted him and installed their own candidate, Gyaincain Norbu. To this day, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima remains missing, and his fate is unknown. How the Dalai Lama hopes to counter Chinas influence Aware of Beijings determination to interfere in his succession, the Dalai Lama has proposed several measures to prevent China from installing its own Dalai Lama. One possibility is that he will announce his reincarnation before his death, thereby eliminating the need for a posthumous search. Another option is that his reincarnation will be born outside of Tibet, most likely in India, where more than 100,000 Tibetan refugees reside. Advertisement In a 2004 interview with TIME magazine, he stated, My life is outside Tibet, therefore my reincarnation will logically be found outside. There is precedent to his statement as the Dalai Lamas reincarnation has not always been found in Tibet. The fourth Dalai Lama, Yonten Gyatso, was born in Mongolia in 1589. The sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, was born in 1682 in Tawang in the north-east Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, not far from Tibet. The 14th Dalai Lama addressing the European Parliament on the Five-Point Peace Plan in Strasbourg, France on June 15, 1988. File Image/dalailama.com In a 2015 interview with BBC, he has also raised the possibility of reincarnating as a woman but humorously added that she would need to be very beautiful because appearance helps in spreading Buddhist teachings. Advertisement Additionally, the Dalai Lama has suggested that the institution of the Dalai Lama might no longer be necessary if the Tibetan people decide to end the tradition. However, he has also pointed out that Tibetans have repeatedly urged him to ensure the continuation of the lineage. Will the Tibetan cause endure? The question of the Dalai Lamas successor has drawn attention from global leaders and human rights advocates. The US has expressed opposition to any Dalai Lama chosen by China. In April 2019, then-US Senator Cory Gardner stated that the US Congress would not recognise a Dalai Lama appointed by Beijing. Prominent figures like actor Richard Gere and former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who led a delegation to visit him in June last year, have voiced support for the Dalai Lama and Tibets struggle for self-determination. In July 2024, then-US President Joe Biden signed into law the Resolve Tibet Act which China opposed calling it destabilising. Despite his advanced age, the Dalai Lama remains hopeful that the Tibetan cause will endure. In his book, he expresses confidence in the Tibetan parliament-in-exile to continue advocating for Tibets rights. The right of the Tibetan people to be the custodians of their own homeland cannot be indefinitely denied, nor can their aspiration for freedom be crushed forever through oppression, he writes in his book. One clear lesson we know from history is this: if you keep people permanently unhappy, you cannot have a stable society. With his 90th birthday approaching in July, the Dalai Lama is expected to provide more details on his succession. However, the battle over his reincarnation is already shaping up to be a major political and spiritual struggle between Tibetan Buddhists and the Chinese government. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies A row has emerged between Nepals government led by Prime KP Sharma Oli and supporters of former King Gyanendra Shah over the presence of a photo of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at a rally for the erstwhile royal. Heres what has happened read more A poster of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at a rally in support of former Nepal King Gyanendra Shah in Kathmandu on Sunday. Image Courtesy: @siddappa_jami/X India and Nepal share a relationship that dates back years and years. In this time, the two countries have seen many ups and downs. However, a new controversy has erupted, which could lead to a deterioration of ties. On Sunday, as former Nepal king Gyanendra Shah returned to the Himalayan kingdom, posters of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appeared at the rally, inviting criticism from various political factions as well as from the general public on social media. Advertisement Whats going on? Heres what we found out. Nepals deposed King Gyanendra makes a comeback On Sunday, thousands of Nepalese gathered in Kathmandu to welcome Nepals former King Gyanendra Shah, calling for the reinstatement of his abolished monarchy. Vacate the royal palace for the king. Come back king, save the country. Long live our beloved king. We want monarchy, slogans rang out loud in the air. According to reports, over 10,000 supporters of Gyanendra Shah gathered near the main entrance to Kathmandus Tribhuvan International Airport as he arrived from a trip to western Nepal. Former King Gyanendra Shah of Nepal waves upon his arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. AP Shahs return comes after massive street protests in 2006 forced him to give up his rule. Two years later, in 2008, Nepals parliament voted to abolish the monarchy, transforming the country into a secular republic. However, since then, the Himalayan kingdom has seen 13 governments, with many growing frustrated with the politics. Many Nepalese say it has failed to bring about political stability and blame it for a struggling economy and widespread corruption. As Thir Bahadur Bhandari, a person present at Shahs rally, told Associated Press, We are here to give the king our full support and to rally behind him all the way to reinstating him on the royal throne. Kulraj Shrestha, a 50-year-old who was present at Sundays rally also told AP, The worst thing that is happening to the country is massive corruption and all politicians in power are not doing anything for the country. I was in the protests that took away monarchy hoping it would help the country, but I was mistaken and the nation has further plunged so I have changed my mind. Advertisement Nepals former king Gyanendra has made no comments on the calls for the return of monarchy. But experts note that despite the growing support, he has slim chances of returning to power. Political analyst Lok Raj Baral told AFP that he did not see any possibility of the monarchy being restored because the institution had been a source of instability. Supporters welcome Nepals former King Gyanendra Shah upon his arrival in Kathmandu, Nepal. AP The Yogi Adityanath row Amid the massive rally in support of Gyanendra, however, there was a surprising face that of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Some of the supporters of the former king were seen holding posters of the UP CM, sparking controversy. In fact, one man who held up posters of Adityanath claimed that he landed himself in trouble with the Nepal police pursuing him. As per a New Indian Express report, he made his way to Gorakhpur, where he told the media that he feared being persecuted in his country. According to the man, identified as Pradeep Bikram Rana, cops started looking for his home after the rally. A chase began, he fled Kathmandu and crossed the border from the Raxaul side in Bihar and finally reached Gorakhpur by a passenger train, Rana added. Advertisement He told the media that he idolised the UP CM and saw him as a symbol of Hindu pride, saying this had prompted him to wave the Indian leaders posters in Kathmandu. However, not everyone sees it that way. Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli condemned the use of Adityanaths photos, saying that the country should not be in a position where foreign images are needed to lead protests. Olis supporters also stated that Adityanaths poster was evidence of an India hand behind Gyanendra, raising questions over the credibility of the rally. However, Gyanendras supporters refuted these claims, alleging that the display of the UP CMs photo was a deliberate attempt to malign the pro-monarchist movement by the KP Oli-led government. They even accused the Oli government of orchestrating the move through infiltration. Advertisement Pro-monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party spokesperson Gyanendra Shahi even claimed in a social media post: The photograph of Yogi Adityanath was displayed in the rally at the instruction of Bishnu Rimal, chief advisor of Prime Minister K P Oli, at the advice of Oli. Even Dipak Gyawali, a former minister and pro-monarchist was quoted by the Indian Express as saying, We are not so weak as needing to use a foreigners photo in our procession. Adityanaths old ties with Nepals monarchy While Gyanendras supporters deny any involvement behind Adityanaths photos at Sundays rally, the UP CM does share a strong relationship with Nepals deposed monarchy. How? Yogi Adityanath belongs to the Gorakhnath mutt, which enjoys a special connection to Nepals erstwhile royal family. In fact, Gorakhnath was the presiding deity of the Shah dynasty. Moreover, former King Gyanendras brother, Birendra, looked up to Mahant Avaidyanath, who was Adityanaths mentor, as his guru. In 1992, King Birendra himself drove down from Kathmandu to the Gorakhpur Mutt. Advertisement Futhermore, it is believed that King Birendra decided on Nepal being a Hindu state on the advice of Avaidyanath in 1990 when Nepals constitution was being amended. And this relationship has continued through the years with the mutt being involved in relief operations following the 2015 earthquake. Yogi Adityanath, it is reported, oversaw the reconstruction work along the border areas. Additionally, Adityanath has been critical of the Nepal governments decision to declare the nation a secular state. He had demanded a rollback of the decision at the time. With inputs from agencies Zhang Yiming, the co-founder of ByteDance, has become Chinas richest person with a net worth of $65.5 billion. The company began in Zhangs four-bedroom apartment in Beijing in 2012. Though he stepped down as CEO of ByteDance in 2021, he has retained a critical role in ByteDances AI strategy. Heres what we know about him read more Zhang Yiming is now Chinas richest person. The co-founder of ByteDance, which owns social media firm TikTok, is now worth $65.5 billion, according t_o Forbes._ That makes him the 23rd richest person in the world. But who is Zhang? What do we know about him? Lets take a closer look: Early years Zhang was born in 1983 in Chinas Fujian district. His parents were civil servants. His name is based on a Chinese proverb about surprising everyone with a first attempt, according to the South China Morning Post. Advertisement He graduated from Nankai University in 2005 with an engineering degree. He initially studied microelectronics before changing to software engineering. Immediately after college, he worked at Kuxun a digital travel booking startup. Zhang said he was an engineer to begin with. However, by his second year at Kuxun, he was handling 40 to 50 people, as per SCMP. Zhang says that job helped develop sales skills that he later employed with ByteDance including learning what sales are good sales. At that time, I was responsible for the technology, but when the product had problems, and I would actively participate in the discussion of [the] product plan, Zhang said, according to the newspaper. A lot of people say this is not what I should be doing. But I want to say: your sense of responsibility and your desire to do things well, will drive you to do more things and to gain experience. He was also briefly employed at Microsoft. As per The Washington Post, Zhang left Microsoft because he was bored. Co-founding ByteDance As per News18, Zhang, 41, co-founded ByteDance in 2012. As per NDTV Profit, ByteDance began in Zhangs four bedroom apartment in Beijing. As per The Washington Post, Zhang, at the time 29, was an entrepreneur. He was examining eyeing employing use big data and machine learning to analyse and curate content according to user preferences. In 2013, he made Forbes 30 Under 30 List in China. Advertisement As per Moneycontrol, Zhang in 2015 stated that he had the idea for ByteDance after seeing fewer people reading newspapers on the subway. He said it was then that he understood that phones would become the way to share information and that personalisation would be key. In 2017, Zhang said he hoped ByteDance would become a global company like Google. Tik Tok logos seen on smartphones in front of a displayed ByteDance logo in this illustration. Source: Reuters. If when Chinese companies go overseas, they can overcome cultural problems, will the overseas market be huge? I am both optimistic and pessimistic about this, The Washington Post quoted him as saying. As per Business Insider, Zhang was looking to create an AI-power news platform. Advertisement We push information, not by queries, by news recommendations, he told Bloomberg in 2017. The most important thing is that we are not a news business, he added. We are more like a search business or a social media platform. We are doing very innovative work. We are not a copycat of a U.S. company, both in product and technology. Zhang launched TikTok in 2016. At the time, the apps name was Douyin. Zhang mandated that senior members of the team make TikTok videos. For a very long time, I was merely watching TikTok videos without making any of them myself, because its a product mainly for young people, Zhang said, as per SCMP. But later on we made it compulsory for all management team members to make their own TikTok videos, and they must win a certain number of likes. Otherwise, they have to do push-ups. It was a big step for me. Advertisement Time Magazine described his leadership style as soft-spoken yet charismatic, logical yet passionate, young yet wise. Zhang stepped down as CEO of ByteDance in 2021. As per Forbes, this came after pressure from the Chinese government. However, Zhang retains an estimated 41 per cent stake in the company. As per Moneycontrol, though he is not running the day-to-day operations in the company, he has retained a critical role in ByteDances AI strategy. As per The Paper, Zhang is laser focussed on Artificial general intelligence (AGI). He also heads up ByteDances AI hiring team. He recently lured a top AI engineer from a rival firm away for a pay packet of $1.4 million. Advertisement Not much is known about Zhangs personal life. According to Moneycontrol, he prefers to keep to himself. The truth is, I lack some of the skills that make an ideal manager. Im more interested in analysing organizational and market principles, and leveraging these theories to further reduce management work, rather than actually managing people, Zhang wrote to his employees in 2021 before stepping down as CEO. Similarly, Im not very social, preferring solitary activities like being online, reading, listening to music, and contemplating what may be possible. As per NDTV Profit, he is interested in gaming, news, e-commerce and education. Though he retains his Chinese citizenship, Zhang lives in Singapore. With inputs from agencies During a state visit to Mauritius, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred the nations highest honour read more Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam bestows the nation's highest honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Port Louis on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Photo: ANI) Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam on Wednesday bestowed the nations highest honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean, on PM Narendra Modi at a ceremony in the nations capital Port Louis. Modi is the first Indian and only the fifth foreign national to receive the honour. In an address following the ceremony, he dedicated the honour to the 140 crore people of India and the centuries-old friendship between our nations. Advertisement Modi further said, The people and the government of Mauritius have decided to confer upon me their highest civilian honour. I humbly accept this decision with great respect. This is not just an honour for me, it is an honour for the historic bond between India and Mauritius. #WATCH | Prime Minister @narendramodi conferred with Mauritius's highest civilian award, by President of Mauritius Dharam Gokhool. PM Modi becomes the first Indian to be conferred with Mauritius's highest honour, 'The Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the pic.twitter.com/MlGG7RBrPa DD India (@DDIndialive) March 12, 2025 Modi is on a two-day state visit to Mauritius to attend the National Day celebrations, launch a number of projects, sign deals, and hold talks with the nations leaders. Ramgoolam had announced the conferment of the honour on Tuesday hours after Modi arrived in the country. At the airport, Ramgoolam led a bipartisan delegation of around 200 people comprising top ministers, officials, and opposition leader, to welcome Modi. During the visit, Modi and Ramgoolam elevated the bilateral relationship to the level of Enhanced Strategic Partnership. A string of agreements across various sectors were signed, such as security cooperation, training of diplomats, supporting small and medium businesses, scientific cooperation, and financial aid. Modi and Ramgoolam also inaugurated the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Public Service and Innovation in Mauritius that Modi said will serve as a hub for learning, research and public service. Advertisement Referring to the talks between the two leaders, the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) said, Their talks focused on enhancing collaboration in key sectors, including infrastructure, housing, digital technology, healthcare, AI and more. Haldiram Snacks Foods, the combined FMCG business of the Delhi and Nagpur branches of the Haldirams family, is a dominant player in Indias snack industry read more Singapores sovereign investment firm Temasek has secured a deal to acquire nearly a 10 per cent stake in the snacks division of Indias Haldirams. Image courtesy: Haldiram's Singapores sovereign investment firm Temasek has reached a deal to acquire nearly a 10% stake in the snacks division of Indias Haldirams for about $1 billion. The agreement follows months of negotiations, with Temasek identifying Haldirams as a key asset in its strategy to expand in Indias fast-growing consumer sector. The deal underscores increasing global investor interest in Indias food and beverage industry, particularly in the savoury snacks segment. Competitive bidding and foreign investment Temasek secured the stake despite competing bids, including an offer from US private equity giant Blackstone, which sought a 20 per cent stake but at a lower valuation. The sale is among the largest recent transactions in Indias fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector and could encourage further foreign investment in the industry. Investment bankers say Haldirams promoters have been considering an initial public offering (IPO) within the next year, seeking to capitalize on Indias strong stock market performance. If it moves forward, the IPO could enhance the companys financial standing and market reach. Advertisement Haldirams market position Haldiram Snacks Foods, the combined FMCG business of the Delhi and Nagpur branches of the Haldirams family, is a dominant player in Indias snack industry. The Haldiram brand operates under three family-run entities in Delhi, Nagpur, and Kolkata. However, the Delhi and Nagpur factions have merged their FMCG businesses Haldiram Snacks and Haldiram Foods Internationalinto a single company, Haldiram Snacks Foods Private Ltd (HSFPL). According to market research firm Euromonitor International, Haldirams holds nearly a 13 per cent share of Indias $6.2 billion savoury snacks market. With inputs from agencies Unless there is a clear plan, agreed upon by both warring parties and has the endorsement of major regional stakeholders as well as the US, the prospects for lasting peace and solution to this conflict will continue to look dim read more Gaza is under a complete clampdown after talks on ceasefire continue to falter. The first phase of the ceasefire ended on 1 March, and with no agreement on either Phase 2 or continuation of Phase 1 of the ceasefire, there is an air of uncertainty and fear among the people of Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel has been progressively tightening the screws on humanitarian aid and critical supplies into the thin strip. For the people in Gaza hoping to gather pieces of their shattered lives and return to their destroyed homes, these developments, coupled with threats from Israel that it could resume military operations into Gaza anytime, are bringing back the horrible memories of death and destruction caused by over 16 months of devastating war in Gaza. Advertisement A Recap of the Ceasefire Conditions The ceasefire in Gaza came into effect on 19 January after Israel agreed to implement a three phase ceasefire, under pressure from the incoming Trump administration in the US and the threat that all hell will break loose if the truce does not come into effect by the time Donald Trump assumed presidency on 20 January. The ceasefire deal agreed upon envisaged three stages. The first stage, of 42 days, entailed withdrawal and redeployment of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) outside densely populated areas, the release of hostages and exchange of prisoners, and the return of internally displaced persons to their places of residence in the Gaza Strip. Hamas was to release 33 hostages (including the dead) in the first phase of the deal, including women, children, men over the age of 50, and men under the age of 50 who are wounded and sick. In return, Israel would release over 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from jail. The IDF was also to vacate the Netzarim corridor, which is a kilometer-deep line running across the Gaza Strip, dividing North and South Gaza. In addition, the IDF was to gradually withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor on the border between Gaza and Egypt. Talks on conditions and implementation of the second phase were to commence on the 16th day of the first phase of the agreement. And, Phase 2 would finally end with the complete withdrawal of IDF forces from the Gaza Strip and a permanent ceasefire. It will also include the release of all the living and dead hostages still held by Hamas. The third phase was focused on reconstructing and rehabilitating the Gaza Strip, in which the Arab countries will be major stakeholders. An international monitoring force to be deployed to prevent future agreement violations was also a part of the plan. Developments So Far Phase 1 of the ceasefire ended on 1 March and all the conditions for it were met including the withdrawal of the IDF from the Netzarim Corridor. However, Phase 2 talks which were to start on 16 February, never got off to a serious start with both Hamas and Israel trading allegations of ceasefire violations. While Hamas accused the IDF of not vacating the Netzarim Corridor and continuing to conduct sporadic military operations in Gaza, Israel threatened to walk out of the deal, accusing Hamas of disrespecting the dead hostages by making a public spectacle of their return. It took urgent and serious intervention from the regional interlocutors and the US to see that all the terms of Phase 1 were implemented. Advertisement As regards Phase 2, while Hamas is ready and has even offered to release all remaining hostages in one go, it is clear that Israel is not at all keen on progressing talks on ceasefire till its war objectives are fully realised. The US too seems to be dithering in its commitment to ending the war, to let Israel do what it deems proper to fulfill its war objectives. Committed to ending the war as a part of his election promise, President Trump gave hints of this U-turn as early as his inauguration day when he said in his first interaction with reporters that he is not confident that the ceasefire will hold, adding that the ongoing conflict is not our war, its their war. He followed it up on 25th January, calling Gaza a demolition site that should be vacated, calling upon Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations to increase the number of Palestinian refugees they are accepting from the Gaza Strip, suggesting that the 1.5 million population in Gaza should vacate the area to just clean out the war-torn strip. And during PM Netanyahus visit to the White House on 4 February, he again shocked the world by saying that the US will take over and own Gaza after resettling Palestinians elsewhere under a plan that would turn Gaza Strip into the Riviera of the Middle East. The proposal of cleaning out Gaza, taking in more Palestinian refugees, was promptly dismissed by the regional countries and has forced them to look at alternate options to end the war in Gaza. Advertisement Meanwhile, with talks on Phase 2 of the ceasefire faltering, the US came up with a bridging proposal regarding the ceasefire which stated that Phase 1 of the ceasefire could be extended for another 60 days, to tide over the holy period of Ramzan, which began on 1 March and runs until 29th March and the Jewish holiday Passover on 19 April. During this period, Hamas would release half of the hostages on Day 1 and the remaining on the last day if a permanent end to the war is agreed upon. As per estimates, 58 Israeli hostages remain in Hamas custody, including 34 which Israel says are dead. However, during this extended period, the IDF will continue to stay in positions in Gaza; i.e., the Rafah Crossing and the Philadelphi corridor. While Israel welcomed the proposal, the proposal was promptly rejected by Hamas, claiming that instead of an extension of Phase 1, the talks on ending the war in Phase 2, as a part of an agreed deal, should be pursued. Advertisement The Clampdown Reacting to Hamass rejection of the extension offer, Israel immediately ordered a total stoppage of entry to the humanitarian aid convoys into Gaza Strip on 2 March, stating that there will be consequences for Hamas if the temporary truce extension is not agreed upon. Hamas termed it as a cheap blackmail, a war crime and a blatant coup against the (ceasefire) agreement. Israels decision also drew instant condemnation from all countries in the region. In an attempt to add more pressure on Hamas and Gaza, Israel further announced cutting off electricity supply to Gaza on 9 March, piling more misery on the people. With the only two functioning desalination plants working in Gaza forced to shut down due to lack of electricity supply and diesel, this is also a significant health hazard looming in Gaza. Meanwhile, the US has concurrently sanctioned and released additional military aid including supply of the 2,000 lb bombs to Israel, previously halted by the Biden administration due to concerns over civilian casualties, further exacerbating tensions and undermining Trumps claim to ending wars. Advertisement Egyptian Plan for Gaza Forced by the threats of taking over Gaza by Trump and the clampdown by Israel, the regional countries have been forced to come up with their own solutions. Egypt presented its plan for the reconstruction of Gaza at the Arab Summit on 4th March, putting forth a plan to rebuild Gaza at the cost of $53 billion. Egyptian President Al Sisi pitched it as a plan that aims for a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian Issue, ends the root causes of the Israeli Palestinian conflict, guarantees the security and stability of the peoples of the region and establishes the Palestinian State. The Egyptian plan envisages rebuilding Gaza by 2030 without removing its population. The first phase calls for starting the removal of unexploded ordnance and clearing more than 50 million tons of rubble left by Israels bombardment and military offensives. Thousands of temporary housing units would be set up for Gazas population while reconstruction takes place. The plan envisages completely reshaping the strip and building sustainable, green and walkable housing and urban areas with renewable energy in the later phase. It renovates agricultural lands and creates industrial zones and large park areas. It also calls for opening an airport, a fishing port and a commercial port. Hamas would cede power to an interim administration of political independents until a reformed Palestinian Authority can assume control. Israel dismissed the proposal and has ruled out any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, concurrently seeking complete disarmament of Hamas. Meanwhile, true to its unpredictable nature in conducting business, the Trump administration announced on 5th March that it has been holding direct talks with Hamas to end the war and release of American hostages held in Gaza. The talks, held by US presidential envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler, are unprecedented as the US has never engaged directly with Hamas. To add to the mystery, Israel claimed no knowledge of the talks and that it had been kept in the dark. Conclusion The failure to move onto Phase 2 of the Gaza ceasefire deal and the complete blockade enforced by Israel is undermining the prospects of peace and ending the war in Gaza. The stoppage of critical humanitarian aid and the lack of clean drinking water is adding to the misery of its people. Israel is hoping that Hamas would relent under pressure from people in Gaza to extend Phase 1 of the truce. What is not, however, clear is what Israel and the US aim to achieve by extending the ceasefire by 60 days without an explicit day after plan in mind. Also, how Israel wants to achieve its war objectives, especially concerning complete elimination of Hamas from the Gaza Strip, is unclear, even to most in the Israeli establishment. It may be worthwhile to note that Hamas may have suffered huge losses, especially to its leadership, but is not down and out. In fact, as per admissions by the previous Secretary of State of the US, Anthony Blinken, Hamas has recruited over 15,000 combat cadres over the past year, recouping significant losses. Also, the continuing ceasefire or lack of military engagement is only giving Hamas the additional time and space to regroup. With UNRWA banned by Israel from operating in Gaza, Hamas has also emerged as the major agency for distribution of humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza. The return of hundreds of Palestinians back from Israeli jails, primarily due to the exchange deal struck by Hamas, has led to people in Gaza hero worshipping Hamas. As a result, the status of Hamas, instead of being diminished, is improving by the day. Therefore, there are important questions that need to be answered. However, the clampdown and blockade of Gaza do not seem to point towards any of those or even resolution of this conflict. Unless there is a clear and agreed upon plan, agreed upon by both warring parties and has the endorsement of major regional stakeholders as well as the US, the prospects for lasting peace and solution to this conflict will continue to look dim. Amid this deadlock, the suffering unfortunately has to be borne by the people in Gaza. Col Rajeev Agarwal is a West Asia expert and a Senior Research Consultant at Chintan Research Foundation, New Delhi. His X Handle is @rajeev1421. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. The BLA seems to have chosen the point of attack with great care and considerable planning, without any intelligence leaking to the Pakistani security establishment read more On March 11, 2025, at around 1.30 pm (local time), Baloch Liberation Army ( BLA) militants hijacked the Jaffar Express train near the Bolan Pass, situated 120 km south of Pakistans border with Afghanistan. They took almost 450 people hostage, including civilians and security personnel. The (BLA)s Majid Brigade later claimed the action, indicating in a tweet (on X) that they had released civilians, including women and children, while Pakistani army and paramilitary personnel remained in their custody. Pakistani security sources, moving into the area subsequently, undertook an operation in which they claimed to have killed 16 terrorists and rescued 104 hostages. Even as the action was continuing, reports have come in, of over 30 casualties and 214 hostages being still under control of the militants, some of whom may have been taken away to hilly safe havens nearby. Advertisement The Jaffar Express The Jaffar Express is a passenger train running between Quetta and Peshawar. It is named after Mir Jaffar Khan Jamali, a prominent Baloch tribal leader and active member of the Pakistan movement, who was a close friend of Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He was the uncle of former Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali. The train was inaugurated on April 16, 2003, during the latters stint as Prime Minister. It was originally running between Quetta and Rawalpindi but was extended to Peshawar in April 2017. The journey takes approximately 34 hours to cover a distance of 1,632 kilometres. The railway line: A feat of British engineering The construction of this railway line, through difficult mountainous terrain was a veritable feat of British engineering. In 1837, threatened by a possible Russian invasion of South Asia via the Khyber and Bolan Passes, a British envoy was sent to Kabul to gain support of the Emir, Dost Mohammed. In February 1839, during the First Anglo-Afghan War, the British Army under Sir John Keane took 12,000 men through the Bolan Pass and entered Qandahar, which the Afghan princes had abandoned; from there they would go on to attack and overthrow Ghazni. The pass they chose was not the same as that used by the modern railway line, but further west at Siri-Bolan. In 1883, Sir Robert Sandeman negotiated with the Khan of Kalat, Khudadad Khan to secure British control over the pass in exchange for an annual fee. Starting from Quetta, the train lines alignment runs south east, towards Sibi, skirting the hills to Rindli. It originally followed the course of the Bolan stream to its head on the plateau. However, several destructive floods led to the abandonment of this alignment. The railway now follows the Mashkaf valley, debouching into the plains close to Sibi. It is carried from near the head of the Mashkaf to a junction with the Bolan at Machh. Bolan Pass The Bolan Pass itself is an 89 km stretch, adjacent to the Bolan river valley, from Rindli in the south to Darwaza near Kolpur in the north. It is made up of a number of narrow gorges and stretches as a natural gateway through the Toba Kakar mountain range. At the Khundilani gorge of the Bolan route cliffs rise to a height of 800 feet (240 m), which enclose the valley. Advertisement After emerging from the Bolan tunnels, the Jaffar Express moves further southward, towards Jacobabad and Rohri, before turning north and east, towards Peshawar. A Marri area The area is generally known to have been inhabited by militias of Baloch tribesmen, chiefly Marris. As this route is often used for transit by security force personnel, the Jaffar Express has been a target of resurgent groups of Baloch militants as well as the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) in the recent past. In 2023 and 2024, there were attacks on the train near this very area. Again, in January this year, a bomb blast occurred after the train left Quetta railway station. This time again, the BLA seems to have chosen the point of attack with great care and considerable planning, without any intelligence leaking to the Pakistani security establishment. Advertisement The incident marks a major upscaling of Baloch militancy, reflecting a pattern evident over the last one year, which has seen attacks with impunity on Chinese engineers working on CPEC projects in Gwadar, Hub and elsewhere in the province, as also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sind. In the past, Baloch militant actions were fragmented and were claimed by different factions owing adherence to Bugti, Mengal or Marri tribal lords but these differences appear to have been papered over, with widespread angst extending among the educated youth and emerging Baloch middle class populace. The resentment has intensified also on account of the insensitive repressive policies followed by the military leading to frequent disappearances of youth activists. Advertisement While affecting families of common Baloch inhabitants, peaceful demonstrations by women activists like Mahrang Baloch have attracted international attention but have not led to any change in the attitude of the military establishment. No silver lining of an outreach to civilian intelligentsia is seen lately, with almost complete abandoning of past approaches on the Aghaz- e- Haqooq development and employment oriented packages of the past, helmed by sensible Baloch politicians like Dr Abdul Malek and Akhtar Mengal. The present crisis seems destined to linger in a long haul of possible negotiations or intermittent military action, between the hostage taking group of Baloch militants and the Pakistani security forces. Advertisement The writer is a former special secretary, Cabinet Secretariat. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Indias defence-industrial model needs structural reform in the face of emerging threats and the latent potential read more The French Dassault Rafale aircraft is an integral part of India's fighter jet fleet. Firstpost The world is witnessing a transition into a prolonged era of strategic competition, now being often referred to as Cold War 2.0, marked by Chinas long-term strategic planning and the Western worlds inertia in adapting to new realities. The US and Europe continue to operate within outdated paradigms shaped by the Cold War, while China has rapidly built an expansive industrial base, replacing the once-dominant American manufacturing and defence ecosystem. The Western Military-Industrial Complex (MIC) now resembles a monopolistic structure akin to the Soviet system, with a handful of dominant defence contractors controlling nearly all production and procurement. In the US, where there were 51 defence primes in 1993, consolidation has reduced this number to just five, stifling innovation and increasing inefficiencies. Cost-plus contracting has exacerbated the issue, with the top primes now controlling 85 per cent of defence contracts. Advertisement The decline in Americas capacity to scale defence productionboth in terms of manufacturing platforms and maintaining operational readinesshas created vulnerabilities. The loss of industrial depth, engineering talent, and rapid production capabilities has weakened the supply chain, making even the most basic defence procurement cycles excessively long and inefficient. India, by adopting a Soviet-style Public Sector Undertaking (PSU)-driven model, has similarly hindered its own capacity for innovations. A centrally planned defence industry has failed to keep pace with rapid technological advancements, making India heavily dependent on foreign imports. Without bold and immediate reforms, India risks losing its strategic deterrence capability in an increasingly volatile world. Urgent Need for Structural Reform India must move beyond its current trajectory and embrace an innovation-driven, agile, and commercially integrated defence industrial base. Key principles of this transformation should include: Establishing a Bharat Raksha Plan akin to the Manhattan Project: A mission-oriented, time-bound initiative staffed by the most talented technologists and strategists to drive defence innovation. Talent is not fungiblethere must be no artificial constraints such as age, politics, or bureaucratic hurdles. Integrating national security and economic prosperity: The defence sector must not be viewed in isolation but as a pillar of economic growth, job creation, and industrial competitiveness. Breaking down monopolistic structures: PSUs and oligopolistic defence contractors must give way to a competitive, innovation-driven ecosystem. The future lies in dual-use technologies developed at commercial scale and speed. Moving beyond screwdriver technology: Assembling foreign platforms in India without indigenous innovation will not lead to sustainable growth. India must invest in R&D and high-tech manufacturing. Shifting away from L1 Syndrome: Lowest-cost (L1) procurement stifles quality and innovation. Competitive pricing should be balanced with value-driven outcomes. Leveraging commercial technologies for defence: Companies like Palantir and Anduril have demonstrated that software-driven platforms are the future of warfare. Commercial sensor integration and AI-driven analytics will reduce costs and enhance capabilities. Expanding risk-based capital investments: The defence industry must be built on venture-style funding models, where taxpayers see tangible benefits in lower costs and enhanced national security. Accelerating production at scale and speed: The future of warfare is shaped by rapid deployment. India must adopt advanced manufacturing methodologies to produce high-tech defence systems efficiently. Re-evaluating classified contracts: Excessive classification slows innovation. The private sector, given the right incentives, can contribute just as effectively as government-cleared entities. Prioritising software-driven warfare: Future conflicts will be predominantly software-defined. India must ensure effective utilisation of its highly talented IT manpower and develop a robust defence software industrial base to gain a competitive advantage in winning defence contracts for software-intensive systems. Doctrine evolution: Net-centric warfare will deliver effective architecture in warfare, and new concepts such as mosaic warfare and autonomous warfare become easy to adapt. Strategic Opportunities for India India stands at the crossroads of an unprecedented opportunity. Consider the following: Global military budgets: The US and Europe collectively spend over $1 trillion annually on defence. The US is redefining its approach to software-driven, and Europe must increase its defence budgets in the scenario of today. Shift towards cost-efficiency: The US is pursuing cost reduction through software-driven solutions and advanced sensor integration. Rise of dual-use technologies: Companies like Palantir and Anduril, with higher valuations than Lockheed Martin, exemplify the new paradigm of software-first warfare. Chinese defence procurement is from companies that generate 70 per cent plus revenues from commercial-driven business. Need for modernisation: India must replace obsolete military systems with cutting-edge technology, necessitating rapid procurement and innovation. Diversification of military supply chains: India must carefully navigate between Western and Russian systems while ensuring interoperability and supply chain security. Leveraging Indias skilled workforce: The US and Europe have absorbed over 3.5 million skilled immigrants and 2 million temporary workers in technology sectors. India must retain and deploy its talent for indigenous defence innovation. Expanding defence-industrial ties: Over 80 per cent of U.S. and European defence systems rely on commercial software technologies. India must become a key supplier in this ecosystem. Transformative Policy Interventions To position India as a global defence-industrial hub, the following policy actions must be taken: Reciprocal defence procurement agreements (RDPs): India must negotiate agreements that allow its defence industry to participate in global supply chains, rather than simply importing foreign technology. Strategic alignment with the Western defence ecosystem: A well-negotiated RDP would enable India to supply software and hardware solutions, enhancing its industrial base while ensuring access to the latest military technologies. Enhancing Indias economic security: India currently derives $210 billion in remittances, predominantly from the Western world, indicating a strong economic relationship that can be further leveraged for defence collaboration. Positioning India as a global defence supplier: India should aim to become an industrial engine for allied nations, offering cost-effective, high-quality defence solutions at scale. Emphasising R&D as a national mission: Defence R&D must be prioritised at the same level as space and nuclear programs, with targeted funding and strategic oversight. Adopting agile procurement models: The legacy procurement processes must be overhauled in favour of outcome-driven, performance-based contracting models. Conclusion The Indian leadership has launched Aatmanibharata as the core long-term strategy of the country. As part of this, it resolved to export $5 billion in defence products in 3 years, and significant achievements have been achieved. If India were to mould its thinking around the advantages of signing a reciprocal defence procurement (RDP) agreement with the US/NATO, the impact would exceed $25 billion annually over time. This will allow India to absorb knowledge and provide an alternate supply chain to the Western military complex. Technology-based software development, which is the future of warfare, will be the single biggest beneficiary, as the foundational knowledge built in India will exponentially increase the opportunities. Defence corridors are useful, provided they are built as ecosystems. Defence innovations without dual use are an unsustainable business model. The ecosystem must be built on interdependencies in the supply chain as well as use in commercial applications. Indias current defence-industrial model needs structural reform in the face of emerging threats and the latent potential. The pace of technological change demands immediate action. If India acts decisively, it can emerge as a global leader in next-generation defence technologies. However, failure to act in a timely manner will result in strategic vulnerability, technological dependence, and the erosion of Indias deterrence capabilities in an increasingly hostile geopolitical environment. Time is of the utmost essence. Krishna Chandra is a technology thinker and an industrialist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Only when Pakistanis understand the true depth of ISI malfeasance can Pakistan have any hope for peace and prosperity read more Between 2003 and 2023, the United States provided Pakistan more than $32 billion in direct support, yet Pakistan remains one of the worlds most problematic countries. While the United States designates the Islamic Republic of Iran as the worlds greatest state sponsor of terrorism, that honour should rightly belong to Pakistan, if only the U.S. State Department was not so cowardly in its refusal to make the formal designation. Pakistan-backed terrorists have killed more Americans than Iranian-sponsored groups. On foreign policy, too, Pakistan is a poor ally; it acts as a Chinese vassal and on important votes at the United Nations General Assembly it takes the American side only 18 per cent of the timefar less than even Somalia or Myanmar. As President Donald Trump reconsiders US foreign aid and cuts waste, fraud, and abuse across the U.S. government, Washington should question whether Islamabad deserves a single cent, let alone billions. Frankly, the broader international community should likewise reconsider any assistance to the Pakistani regime. Advertisement The irony is that almost everyonePakistanis and non-Pakistanis bothagree upon the reason for Pakistans dysfunction, democratic deficit, and radicalism: Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. Early on in Pakistans history, the ISI became its own shadow government, shaping substantive internal and foreign policy more than did the elected government. The ISIs malign influence within internal Pakistani politics increased after Bangladeshs independence. Bangladesh sought to secede from Pakistan because of rampant discrimination by West Pakistan toward East Pakistan, but exposed Pakistans Achilles heel: While Pakistan identifies as an Islamic state, it is just a mosaic of different ethnic groups who happen to be majority Muslim. Often, these ethnic identities trump Islamic solidarity. In the aftermath of Pakistans loss of Bangladesh, the ISI decides it must propel radical Islamism as a glue to hold society together, or at least blunt ethnic identity so that Pakistani Punjabis could continue to dominate society. This also translated into Pakistans foreign policy. Pakistan feared the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan as much as Saudi Arabia and the United States. After all, Pakistanis realised that if the Soviets consolidated control over Afghanistan, Pakistan could be next. That did not stop the ISI from seizing advantage of Pakistans position as a logistical hub. By transforming themselves into the logistical chokepoint for the Afghan resistance, the ISI ensured that only Islamists received weaponry and money. By transforming Afghanistan into an Islamic emirate, they hoped to blunt the threat of Pushtun nationalism that could threaten Pakistans North-Western Frontier Province. The ISIs supported extremists for another reason. Pakistanlike Turkey, Russia, and Chinais unwilling to live within its borders and has expansionist designs. Legally, Pakistan has no claim to Kashmir and its occupation of nearly a third of the region is illegal. But sponsoring myriad terror groups, allows it to distract ordinary Pakistanis from asking why it is Pakistan teeters on the brink of state failure while India will soon become the worlds third largest economy. It is questionable if the ISIor Pakistancan survive without foreign funds. Even Beijing is unhappy with Islamabad. Far from becoming the shining example of Belt-and-Road success, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has become a multibillion-dollar boondoggle. Pakistan is not too big to fail but, if Pakistani authorities ever want to receiving international aid or rejoin the global economy in any meaningful way, international donors and lenders should make assistance contingent Pakistan establishing a truth and reconciliation commission to examine the ISIs role in terrorism, its embezzlement, and its victimization of ordinary Pakistanis. Advertisement Truth and reconciliation committees are not new. Post-Apartheid South Africas case is most famous, but both Rwanda after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis and Morocco after the 1999 death of King Hassan II offer other examples. Perhaps the Nuremberg trial after World War II offers a further example, although that trial was more about justice than reconciliation. Collaborated testimony could lead to commutation of potential death sentences or reduction of other sentences. There is also precedent within Pakistan: The Hamoodur Rahman Commission, for example, examined Pakistans political and military involvement in East-Pakistan from 1947 to 1971. While it identified neglect, abuse, and dereliction of duty among the Pakistan Army, it lacked the teeth to effectively assess the ISI. Advertisement A new Commission could examine and receive on-the-record testimony from senior ISI officials regarding ISI support for the Haqqani network, Laskar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and the Haqqani Network. It should explore both the 2008 Mumbai attacks training and efforts to protect the terror networks as well as the backroom deals leading to Pakistans removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission might also explore ISI involvement in politics. In September 1988, for example, ISI Chief Hamid Gul helped the opposition to undercut Benazir Bhuttos Pakistan Peoples Party. She ultimately became prime minister in December 1988, but only after agreeing both to continue General Zia-ul-Haqs Afghanistan policy and to keep Gul and Army Chief of Staff Mirza Aslam Beg in their posts, and to maintain the defence budget. Advertisement There must also be an accounting for ISI interference in the judiciary. One year ago, six Islamabad High Court judges accused the ISI of judicial interference by threatening and conducting illegal surveillance of judges and coercing them by means of abducting and torturing their relatives. The new Truth and Reconciliation Commission might also examine the historical record to shed light on systematic abuses of ethnic minorities. The ISI continues to obfuscate those most responsible for the 1971 Bangladesh Genocide. The Commission should also document how Pakistan transformed from a relatively tolerant country that included Hindu and Christian holidays as national holidays to a country that used blasphemy laws to incite mob violence and justify lynching of religious minorities. A Commission should also expose the ISIs sorry history of encouraging Deobandi groups to target Ahmadis and Shia, Hindus, Sikhs and Barelvis. They might also explore whether ISI members profited from the targeting of Ahmadis and Shia by then acquiring their land and businesses at reduced prices. Advertisement For too long, the international community has approached Pakistan as if the country had a minor cold when, in reality, it had a malignancy that metastasized throughout every aspect of Pakistani society. Pakistanis deserve better. To pour money into Pakistan today is to condemn Pakistanis to more bloodshed and misery. Only when Pakistanis understand the true depth of ISI malfeasance can Pakistan have any hope for peace and prosperity. Michael Rubin is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. The development comes a day after the companys rival, Bharti Airtel, announced that it had inked a similar pact read more Jio Platforms will offer Starlink equipment in its stores and provide installation support for the devices, too. Reuters Reliance Jio on Wendesday (March 12) announced that it has signed a deal with Elon Musks SpaceX to bring Starlinks internet services to India. Jio Platforms, which will offer Starlink equipment in its retail outlets and online stores, will also provide installation support for the devices. Through this agreement, the parties will leverage Jios position as the worlds largest mobile operator in terms of data traffic and Starlinks position as the worlds leading low Earth orbit satellite constellation operator to deliver reliable broadband services across the country, including the most rural and remote regions of India, the company said. Advertisement SpaceX-operated Starlink is the worlds first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit (LEO). The company claims that it delivers high-speed, low-latency internet to users in countries all across the world. The development comes a day after the companys rival, Bharti Airtel, announced that it had inked a similar pact. Government approval still pending Both deals are conditional upon Starlink obtaining government approval to begin operations in the country. Regulatory approvals have proven to be a big hurdle for Starlinks India ambitions. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Indias space regulator, IN-SPACe, are still to give SpaceX their authorisation to begin Starlinks operations here. The Elon Musk-led satellite companyn has already agreed to meet the Indian governments data localisation and security requirements. Previously, this was a key point of contention and had proven to be a roadblock in negotiations. Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer of SpaceX, said the company is looking forward to receiving authorisation from the Government of India to provide more people, organisations and businesses with access to Starlinks highspeed internet services. Disclosure: Firstpost is a part of the Network18 Group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary. Advertisement Pakistan on Wednesday said that the clearance operation in Balochistan launched a day earlier after the Jaffar Express train was attacked and hijacked has been completed and that all terrorists present there have been killed, according to a report read more An injured man rescued by security forces from a passenger train attacked by separatist militants sits in an ambulance at a railway station in Mach, Balochistan, Pakistan, on Wednesday. Reuters Pakistan on Wednesday said that the clearance operation in Balochistan launched a day earlier after the Jaffar Express train was attacked and hijacked has been completed and that all terrorists present there have been killed. Providing details of the operation, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the area where the incident took place was difficult to approach as it was far away from civilisation and road networks. Advertisement Providing details on the final clearance operation, Chaudhry told The Dawn, All hostage passengers were recovered. This operation was conducted with great skill and care since terrorists were using them as human shields. Snipers of security forces sent the suicide bombers to hell and then began clearing (out the train) bogey by bogey and sent all terrorists to hell. When asked if he was confirming the operations conclusion with all terrorists eliminated, the DG ISPR responded, Yes, all present terrorists there have been sent to hell and their total number was 33. He noted that no passengers were injured during the final clearance operation, however, the number of passengers who fell victim to the barbarism of the terrorists is 21. Chaudhry further mentioned that three FC personnel stationed at the railway picket were martyred, and one FC soldier lost his life during yesterdays operation. The chief of the militarys media wing added that the bomb disposal squad was conducting further clearance and inspecting the train and its surroundings according to standard operating procedures. Advertisement Chaudhry indicated that the passengers who had fled to the surrounding area during the operation were also being gathered. No one can be permitted to make innocent people of Pakistan the victim of their barbarism in the streets, trains, buses, or markets because of their misleading ideas and instructions and facilitation of foreign masters. Whoever does this, let me say it very clearly, will be hunted down and brought to justice. Let me also say that this incident of Jaffar Express changes the rules of the game," The Dawn quoted Chaudhry as saying. Earlier, the separatist militants on Wednesday claimed that they have killed 50 passengers in train hijacking. Today, the enemy forces attempted an armed advance using heavy artillery and sophisticated weaponry, leading to intense clashes, Reuters quoted the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) as saying in a statement. In direct retaliation to Pakistans persistent aggression the BLA has executed 50 additional captive enemy personnel within the past hour, added the statement. Advertisement Hours before the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) announced the execution of 50 hostages, a security official claimed that all militants at the site had been killed and that the operation was in its final phase. However, Reuters could not verify this account. The BLA, the largest ethnic armed group in Balochistan, has intensified its activities recently, employing new tactics to inflict casualties and target Pakistans military. They claim to be fighting for a larger share of the regions mineral wealth, which they allege is denied by the central government. The BLA threatened to execute hostages if authorities did not meet their 48-hour deadline for releasing Baloch political prisoners and those they allege were abducted by the military. Before announcing the killings, the group indicated that half of the allotted time had passed and warned that retaliatory executions would begin if military operations continued. Advertisement With inputs from agencies The captain of the cargo ship MV Solong, which rammed into a US oil tanker off the British coast, has been identified as a Russian national read more Smoke rises from damaged containers on the deck of the MV Solong cargo ship that rammed into US oil tanker Stena Immaculate on Monday, March 10, 2025, in North Sea in British waters. (Photo: AFP) The German owner of cargo ship MV Solong, Ernst Rus of Germany, has identified the captain of the vessel as a Russian national. MV Solong rammed into US oil tanker Stena Immaculate carrying aviation fuel at around 9 am on Monday in the North Sea in British waters. The ship was anchoring when MV Solong rammed into it at full speed while going from Scottish port of Grangemouth to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Advertisement The British police have arrested the captain of the ship, who has not been named, and have opened an investigation of negligence and manslaughter. The collision comes at a time when Russia has stepped up maritime aggression against Europe lately, particularly after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia uses shadow fleet of second-hand ships purchased opaquely for such aggressions, which ranges from harassing European nations in international waters and damaging underwater communication and power cables. The ship came from out of the blue A crew member of Stena Immaculate told The Sun that MV Solong came from out of the blue and struck their ship. The newspaper has reported there were roars to brace for impact as MV Solong was seen coming towards Stena Immaculate. Except for one sailor of MV Solong, who has been presumed dead, all crew members of the ships have been rescued by emergency services. ALSO READ: North Sea tanker-cargo ship collision sparks fire, toxic spill: Could this be an environmental disaster? Another crew member described the accident: It would be like if you were sitting in a car lot on Sunday morning, reading a newspaper or playing with your phone and a car enters on the other side. Negligence, manslaughter investigations launched The Humberside Police and Marine Accident Investigation Branch have launched investigations into the collision. While the police did not name the arrested captain or confirm his nationality, they said he is 59-year-old. Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson said that the Humberside Police has taken the lead in the investigation of any potential criminal offences which arise from the collision between the two vessels, according to The Sun. Advertisement Nicholson further said, Extensive work has already been carried out and we are working closely with our partners to understand what happened, and to provide support to all of those affected. Following inquiries undertaken by my team, we have arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision, this follows the conclusion of search operations by HM Coastguard for the missing crew member of the Solong. Our thoughts are with the family of the missing crew member and I have appointed family liaison officers to make contact and provide support to the family. The man arrested remains in custody at this time whilst inquiries are under way and we continue speaking with all those involved to establish the full circumstances of the incident. Advertisement Separately, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch will also probe whether human error was involved in the collision. Last week, Russia said that it would help the Trump administration in communicating with Iran regarding its nuclear program and the Islamic Republics support towards anti-US proxies read more A worker rides a bicycle in front of the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran, on October 26, 2010. AP File China on Wednesday said it will hold talks with Russia and Iran over nuclear issues, the countrys foreign ministry said, adding that both the countries will send their deputy foreign ministers to Beijing for the meeting. Chinas Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the meeting, Mao Ning, a spokesperson of its foreign ministry, told a regular press conference on Wednesday. Moscow and Tehran have grown closer after the Russia-Ukraine war began in 2022, with both countries signing a strategic cooperation treaty signed in January. The two nations also share a good relationship with China. Advertisement The meeting will follow a closed-door gathering of the United Nations Security Council in New York the same day regarding Irans expansion of its stocks of uranium that are close to weapons-grade. Last week, Russia said that it would help the Trump administration in communicating with Iran regarding its nuclear program and the Islamic Republics support towards anti-US proxies. The development comes after US President Donald Trump relayed the message to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on a phone call last month showing interest in Irans nuclear programme. Tehran has long denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon. However, the UN atomic watchdog IAEA has warned it is dramatically accelerating enrichment of uranium to up to 60 per cent purity, close to the weapons-grade level of roughly 90 per cent. Iran reached a deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States in 2015, that lifted sanctions on Tehran in return for curbs on its nuclear program. But Washington quit the plan in 2018 during Trumps first term, and Iran began moving away from its nuclear-related commitments. Advertisement Since returning to the White House, Trump has sent mixed messages regarding Iran. He has pledged to revive the maximum pressure strategy from his first term, which included reimposing sanctions and targeting Iranian security forcessuch as the assassination of a top general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. At the same time, he has expressed a desire to immediately pursue a verified nuclear peace agreement with Iran. With inputs from Reuters Trump decided to press pause on the tariffs after a decision by the Canadian province of Ontario to suspend the new 25 per cent charge on electricity it exports to certain northern states in the United States read more US President Donald Trump has paused the plan to impose 50% tariffs on Canadian steel and metal imports. Reuters US President Donald Trump has decided to halt the plan to double US tariffs on Canadian steel and metal imports. The move comes just hours after he first threatened increasing the duties on these products to 50 per cent. While the pause on the 50 per cent tariffs is a breather, levies of 25 per cent that were announced earlier are still going ahead and will take effect from the March 12. Advertisement Trump decided to press pause on the tariffs after a decision by the Canadian province of Ontario to suspend the new 25 per cent charge on electricity it exports to certain northern states in the United States. This suspension followed Trumps threat to significantly raise tariffs on Canada. The entire episode marked the latest skirmish in a trade war that risks economic damage to both the North American countries. In an interview with CNBC, White House Seniour Counselor Peter Navarro said that Cooler heads prevailed when it came to Ontarios electricity surcharge, making room for the halt in the doubling of tariffs on Canadian steel and metal imports. US-Canada trade war On February 1, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico, citing concerns over trade imbalance, illegal immigration and drug trafficking. These tariffs were initially set to take effect on February 4 but were subsequently delayed to March 4 following negotiations. Then, there was another delay. The US administration decided the additional levies would come into effect on March 12. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the US tariffs as unjustified. In retaliation, Canada imposed 25 per cent tariffs on $30 billion worth of US goods, with plans to expand this to $125 billion. In retaliation to US President Donald Trumps tariffs, Canadas Ontario province has banned US companies from all government contracts, cancelled a contract with Elon Musks Starlink, and threatened to cut electricity supplied to millions across US states. The trade war has led to a significant shift in Canadian consumer behaviour. Many Canadians have begun boycotting US products and canceling trips to the United States. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Moscow has declined to comment on whether the ceasefire proposal agreed by the US and Ukraine on Tuesday is acceptable to Russia, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying Moscow expects to be briefed by the US officials involved in the talks first, according to a report read more Moscow has declined to comment on whether the ceasefire proposal agreed by the US and Ukraine on Tuesday is acceptable to Russia, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying Moscow expects to be briefed by the US officials involved in the talks first. During his daily press briefing on Wednesday, Peskov said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz are expected to update Moscow on the outcomes of the talks in the coming days. Advertisement Rubio and Waltz said that they would pass on detailed information to us through various channels about the essence of the conversation that took place in Jeddah. First, we must receive this information, Reuters quoted Peskov as saying. Rubio and Waltz held discussions with senior Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. Following the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine had agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US. Peskov said that, although there is no confirmed date or location for a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, a phone call between the two leaders could be arranged swiftly. If such a need arises, it will be organised very quickly. The existing channels for dialogue with the Americans allow this to be done in a fairly short time, CNN quoted Peskov as saying. Following significant gains by Russian forces in 2024, US President Donald Trump shifted US policy on the conflict, initiating bilateral talks with Moscow and halting military aid to Ukraine, while calling for steps to resolve the situation. On Tuesday, the US agreed to resume weapons supplies and intelligence sharing after Kyiv said at talks in Saudi Arabia that it was ready to support a ceasefire proposal. Rubio said the US was hoping for a positive response, and that if the answer was no then it would tell Washington a lot about the Kremlins true intentions. Advertisement He said there would be contacts with Moscow on Wednesday, that Europe would have to be involved in any security guarantee for Ukraine, and that the sanctions Europe has imposed would also be on the table. Russias invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 has left hundreds of thousands of dead and injured, displaced millions of people, reduced towns to rubble and triggered the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West in six decades. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that he is ready to talk about an end to the war and Trump says he thinks Putin is serious, though other Western leaders disagree. Advertisement Trump said on Tuesday that he hoped Russia would agree to a ceasefire and that he would talk to Putin this week. Reuters reported in November that Putin was ready to negotiate a deal with Trump, but would refuse to make major territorial concessions and would insist Kyiv abandon ambitions to join Nato. With inputs from agencies A plane taking former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court over murder charges was headed for Rotterdam on Wednesday in a move hailed by families of victims of his war on drugs as giving them hope for justice read more A plane taking former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court over murder charges was headed for Rotterdam on Wednesday in a move hailed by families of victims of his war on drugs as giving them hope for justice. Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, was arrested early on Tuesday in Manila, marking the biggest step yet in the ICCs probe into alleged crimes against humanity during an anti-drugs crackdown that killed thousands and drew condemnation around the world. Advertisement Duterte, 79, could become the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the ICC in The Hague. The plane had originally been set to land in the Netherlands around 0600 GMT, but tracking service Flightradar 24 showed it should now arrive just after 1600 GMT after a long layover in Dubai during which he received medical checks. The ICCs warrant for his arrest says that as president, Duterte created, funded and armed death squads that carried out murders of purported drug users and dealers. In coming days, he will be brought before a judge and the allegations will be read out in court. Prosecutors accuse him of crimes against humanity for systematic attacks that led to dozens of murders. About 20 anti-Duterte protesters gathered outside the ICC in the Hague with banners, including one that said: We demand justice and accountability, Rodrigo Duterte is a war criminal!. A protester held a big cardboard mask depicting Duterte as a vampire. This is great news for Filipino people, anti-Duterte protester Menandro Abanes said of Dutertes arrest and transfer to the international court. Im here to show my appreciation to (the) ICC for doing its job to end impunity. Another protester, Mary-Grace Labasan, said: Actually, he is lucky, because he is experiencing the due process of law compared to the victims who were just being shot and killed without any due process. Advertisement A handful of pro-Duterte protesters also gathered at the court building. They handed our president to foreigners, protester Janet Suliman said. They brought shame to our (country). Back home, for families of Philippine drug war victims, Dutertes arrest revived hopes for justice War on drugs The war on drugs was the signature campaign platform that swept the mercurial Duterte to power in 2016. During his six years in office, 6,200 suspects were killed during anti-drug operations, by the polices count. Activists say the real toll was far greater, with many thousands more slum drug users gunned down in mysterious circumstances, some of whom were on community watch lists after they signed up for treatment. Lawyers and academics said the arrest and transfer were a big moment for the ICC, which is targeted by US sanctions and does not have any police of its own to arrest people. Advertisement This is an opportunity for the court to show that it can deal with a big case and can have arrests, said Iva Vukusic, an assistant professor of international history at Utrecht university. The former presidents daughter Sara Duterte, the countrys vice president, boarded a morning flight to Amsterdam, her office said, but it did not say what she intended to do there or how long she planned to stay in the Netherlands. Silvestre Bello, a former labour minister and one of the former presidents lawyers, said a legal team would meet to assess options and seek clarity on where Duterte would be taken and whether they would be granted access to him. Advertisement Dutertes youngest daughter, Veronica, plans to file a habeas corpus request with the Philippine Supreme Court to compel the government to bring him back, Salvador Panelo, his former chief legal counsel, said. The arrest marks a stunning change of fortunes for the influential Duterte family, which formed a formidable alliance with Marcos to help him win a 2022 election by a huge margin. But Marcos and his vice president have since had a bitter fallout, culminating in Sara Dutertes impeachment last month by a lower house led by loyalists of Marcos. His arrest means that international justice is not just a Western construct. Its not just a Western idea. Its universal, said Gilbert Andres, a lawyer representing families of victims of drug-related killings. Advertisement The Demokraatit party has won the election with a clear lead, according to local media. It favours a slow approach to independence from Denmark read more Lars Jorgen Kleist, wearing a MAGA hat, prepares to cast his vote during the general election in Nuuk, Greenland, March 11, 2025. Reuters Greenlands centre-right, pro-business opposition party saw a spectacular surge in vote share in the widely-watched elections in the country. Never before has an election in Greenland garnered as much international interest, following Trumps recently stated ambitions to take control of the territory. Possibly signalling a Trump effect, turnout in Tuesdays (March 11) election was higher than usual, election officials said. Who won the Greenland elections? The opposition Demokraatit party (Democratic party) won Tuesdays legislative elections in Greenland, the Danish territory coveted by US President Donald Trump, as nationalists who campaigned for independence as soon as possible surged, public broadcaster KNR reported. After ballots were counted in the capital Nuuk, the party, which describes itself as social liberal and which has also called for independence but in the longer term, held a lead that could not be beaten. Advertisement The nationalist Naleraq party, the most ardent of the pro-independence parties, was meanwhile headed for a stunning election score, KNR said. We respect the election result, said outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede, leader of the left-green Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) party, during an interview with KNR. The leader of the Siumut party, IAs coalition partner, also admitted defeat. Greenland to get coalition government Since no party is expected to secure a majority of the 31 seats in parliament, negotiations to form a coalition will take place in the coming days. The future government is likely to outline a timeline for independence, which is supported by a significant majority of Greenlands 57,000 residents. The Democrats are open to talks with all parties and are seeking unity. Especially with what is going on in the world, stated the partys 33-year-old leader, JensFrederik Nielsen, who is also Greenlands former badminton champion. He expressed surprise at his partys victory. With inputs from agencies Amid threats of invasion and annexation from US President Donald Trump, Greenland has elected a pro-business party to power that favours gradual independence from Denmark read more Jens-Frederik Nielsen of the Demokraatit party speaks during a debate at KNR ahead of Greenland's elections in Nuuk, Greenland, April 5, 2021. (Photo: Reuters) Greenlands pro-business opposition Demokraatit party, which favours a slow approach to independence from Denmark, won Tuesdays parliamentary election that was dominated by US President Donald Trumps pledge to take control of the island. Demokraatit secured 29.9 per cent of the votes with all ballots counted, up from 9.1 per cent in 2021, ahead of the opposition Naleraq party, which favours rapid independence, at 24.5 per cent. Since taking office in January, Donald Trump has vowed to make Greenland a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark part of the United States, saying it is vital to US security interests, an idea rejected by most Greenlanders. Advertisement The vast island, with a population of just 57,000, has been caught up in a geopolitical race for dominance in the Arctic, where melting ice caps are making its resources more accessible and opening new shipping routes. Both Russia and China have intensified military activity in the region. People want change We want more business to finance our welfare, said Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Demokraatits leader and a former minister of industry and minerals. We dont want independence tomorrow, we want a good foundation, Nielsen told reporters in Nuuk. He will now hold talks with other parties to try and form a governing coalition. ALSO READ: Amid Trumps call to purchase Greenland, islands leader pushes for independence The ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit party and its partner Siumut, which also seek a slow path towards independence, won a combined 36 per cent of votes, down from 66.1 per cent in 2021. We respect the election outcome, Prime Minister Mute Egede of the Inuit Ataqatigiit said in a Facebook post, adding that he would listen to any proposals in upcoming coalition talks. Greenland is a former Danish colony and has been a territory since 1953. It gained some autonomy in 1979 when its first parliament was formed, but Copenhagen still controls foreign affairs, defence and monetary policy and provides just under $1 billion a year to the economy. Advertisement In 2009, it won the right to declare full independence through a referendum, even though it has not done so out of concern living standards would drop without Denmarks economic support. I strongly believe that we will very soon start to live a life more based on who we are, based on our culture, based on our own language, and start to make regulations based on us, not based on Denmark, said Qupanuk Olsen, candidate for the main pro-independence party Naleraq. Inge Olsvig Brandt, a candidate for the ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit party, said: We dont need the independence right now. We have too many things to work on. I think we have to work with ourselves, our history, and we are going to have a lot of healing work with us before we can take the next step. Advertisement Voting had been extended by half an hour at some of the 72 polling stations across the Arctic island, where some 40,500 people were eligible to cast their ballot, although the final turnout was not immediately available. Inuit pride Trumps vocal interest has shaken up the status quo, and coupled with the growing pride of the Indigenous people in their Inuit culture, put independence front and centre in the election. In the final debate on Greenlands state broadcaster KNR late on Monday, leaders of the five parties currently in parliament unanimously said they did not trust Trump. He is trying to influence us. I can understand if citizens feel insecure, said Erik Jensen, leader of government coalition partner Siumut. A January poll suggested a majority of Greenlands inhabitants support independence, but are divided on timing. Early on, the election campaign focused on the anger and frustration aimed at historical wrongdoings by Denmark, according to Julie Rademacher, a consultant and former adviser to Greenlands government. Advertisement But I think the fear of the US imperialist approach has lately become bigger than the anger towards Denmark, said Rademacher. Reuters spoke to more than a dozen Greenlanders in Nuuk, all of whom said they favoured independence, although many expressed concern that a swift transition could damage the economy and eliminate Nordic welfare services like universal healthcare and free schooling. We dont want to be part of the U.S. for obvious reasons; healthcare and Trump, said Tuuta Lynge-Larsen, a bank employee and Nuuk resident, adding that this election was especially important. We dont like the attention, to put it short. ALSO READ: 85% of Greenlanders say no to US takeover, finds survey Advertisement The island holds substantial natural resources, including critical minerals such as rare earths used in high-tech industries, ranging from electric vehicles to missile systems. However, Greenland has been slow to extract them due to environmental concerns, severe weather, and Chinas near-total control of the sector, which has made it difficult for companies elsewhere to make a profit or secure buyers. Investment pledges Trump initially declined to rule out military force to take control of the territory, alarming many Greenlanders, although he later softened his stance, stating he would respect the will of the local people and was ready to invest billions of dollars if they joined the U.S.. Egede has stressed the island is not for sale and advocated for a broad coalition government to resist external pressure. In an interview aired on Monday by Danish broadcaster DR, he dismissed Trumps offer as disrespectful, expressing willingness to cooperate with other countries instead. Denmarks prime minister has said Greenland is not for sale, but made it clear that it is up to the local people to decide their future. All six main political parties support independence but differ on how and when it could be achieved. The pro-independence Naleraq party, the leading opposition force, had gained momentum ahead of the election, bolstered by U.S. interest and fresh accusations of Denmarks historic exploitation of Greenlands mineral wealth. The party believes the US attention strengthens Greenlands position in secession talks with Denmark and aims to bring a deal with Copenhagen to a vote before the next election in four years. (This is an agency copy. Except for the headline, the copy has not been edited by the Firstpost staff.) Last week, Trump said he had sent the letter to Khamenei proposing nuclear talks, but also warned that there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal read more Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday rejected holding negotiations with the United States over a nuclear deal, as a letter was delivered from US President Donald Trump calling for such talks. Last week, Trump said he had sent the letter to Khamenei proposing nuclear talks, but also warned that there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal. The letter was handed over to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Wednesday by Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates. Advertisement While Araqchi and Gargash were meeting, Khamenei told a group of university students that Trumps offer for talks was a deception, state media reported. When we know they wont honour it, whats the point of negotiating? Therefore, the invitation to negotiate is a deception of public opinion, Khamenei was quoted as saying by state media. Khamenei said he had not yet seen the letter. Khamenei said negotiating with the Trump administration, which he said had excessive demands, will tighten the knot of sanctions and increase pressure on Iran. In 2018, Trump withdrew the U.S. from Tehrans 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Irans economy. Tehran reacted a year later by violating the deals nuclear curbs. Khamenei, who has the final word in Iranian state matters, said last week that Tehran would not be bullied into talks under threats. While leaving the door open for a nuclear pact with Tehran, Trump has reinstated the maximum pressure campaign he applied in his first term as president to isolate Iran from the global economy and drive its oil exports towards zero. The UAE, one of Washingtons key Middle East security partners and host to U.S. troops, also maintains warm ties with Tehran. Despite past tensions, business and trade links between the two countries have remained strong, and Dubai has served as a key commercial hub for Iran for more than a century. Advertisement Military threats Iran has long denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon. If we wanted to build nuclear weapons, the U.S. would not be able to stop it. We ourselves do not want it, Khamenei said. However, Irans stock of uranium enriched to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% weapons-grade level, has jumped, the International Atomic Energy Agency said late last month. Irans arch-foe Israel has threatened to attack Iranian nuclear sites if diplomacy fails to contain Tehrans nuclear ambitions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Israel and the United States were determined to thwart Irans nuclear ambitions and its influence in the Middle East. Advertisement Khamenei warned on Wednesday against any military strike on Iran. Iran is not seeking war, but if the Americans or their agents take a wrong step, our response will be decisive and certain, and the one who will suffer the most harm is America, he said. While Tehran has vowed to retaliate against any military aggression, some Western diplomats argue that the country would face significant challenges. Last year, Israel struck Iranian facilities including missile factories and air defences in retaliation for Iranian missile and drone attacks. That reduced Tehrans conventional military capabilities, according to analysts and U.S. officials, an assessment disputed by Tehran. After visiting Europe where he berated allies and embraced Germanys far-right party AfD, US Vice President JD Vance is heading to India on his second international visit, according to a report read more United States Vice-President JD Vance addresses the audience during the Munich Security Conference at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, Germany, on Friday. AP File US Vice President JD Vance will travel to India soon on an official visit, according to a report. The visit to India would be Vances second visit as the Vice President of the United States after a visit to Europe last month. Politico has reported sources as saying that Vance will visit India later this month. The outlet reported that he will be joined by Second Lady Usha Vance, whose parents moved to the United States from India. Advertisement The visit would come at a time when India is scrambling to strike an trade understanding with the Donald Trump administration to avoid getting into a tariff war with the United States. While no targeted tariffs have been imposed on India, there is a risk of country being battered by Trumps reciprocal tariffs. Trump has repeatedly referred to India as an abuser of trade and has slammed high tariffs. Just yesterday, the Narendra Modi government confirmed trade deal talks are on. Under the ambitious Mission 500, both countries aim to more than double US-India trade to $500 billion by 2030 to be achieved by deepening the trade relationship across multiple sectors. Both countries plan to negotiate a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement. Both countries would focus on increasing market access, reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers, and enhancing supply chain integration, the government told the parliament in a statement. Separately, the White House slammed India yet again over tariffs on Tuesday, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt citing India while defending Trumps policies around tariffs. Look at India, 150 per cent tariff on American alcohol. Do you think thats helping Kentucky Bourbon be exported to India? I dont think so. 100 per cent tariff on agricultural products from IndiaPresident Trump believes in reciprocity and it is about dang time that we have a president who actually looks out for the interests of American businesses and workers, said Leavitt. After April 2, Trump is expected to roll out reciprocal tariffs, which means that the United States will have same tariffs on a countrys products that the country has on US products. In case of India, CNBC-TV18 has previously reported sources as saying that the Trump administration has sought zero tariffs on almost all products except agricultural products traded between India and the United States. Sources further any relaxation to India in case of reciprocal tariffs is unlikely. Advertisement On his first foreign visit, Vance visited Europe last year when he berated allies over purported free speech and tolerance issues. He slammed mainstream politicians for not engaging with far-right parties and held talks with Germanys far-right leader Alice Weidel. Trumps principal ally Elon Musk has endorsed AfD in German politics and Vances meeting was seen as a de facto backing from the Trump administration. Latin Americas drone arms race is growing, with governments struggling to match criminals using UAVs for smuggling, spying and attacks read more (File) Soldiers patrol near the hamlet Plaza Vieja in the Michoacan state of Mexico. The Mexican army acknowledged for the first time on August 2, 2024, that some of its soldiers have been killed by drug cartel bomb-dropping drones in the western state of Michoacan, without providing fatality numbers. AP Latin America is experiencing a major change in security with drones playing a key role for both law enforcement and criminal groups. Governments are aiming to acquire advanced drones for surveillance and military use. However, cartels and gangs seem to have adapted fast, using drones for smuggling, spying and even attacks. This growing competition has created an uneven fight where state forces struggle to keep up with the fast-changing tactics of criminal networks. Advertisement Governmental use of drones Governments across Latin America are investing more in drone technology to fight drug trafficking and organised crime. According to a piece Drones Fuel Criminal Arms Race in Latin America by Juan Camilo Jaramillo in InSight Crime countries such as Mexico, Brazil and Colombia use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for border surveillance, crime monitoring and even airstrikes against insurgent groups. Drones have improved intelligence gathering reducing the need for ground patrols in dangerous areas. In Mexico, authorities use surveillance drones along the US-Mexico border to track drug trafficking routes. Brazil deploys UAVs to monitor illegal mining in the Amazon, helping to catch environmental criminals and drug smugglers. Colombia, which has long battled guerrilla groups and drug cartels uses drones in anti-narcotics operations to find and destroy coca plantations. However, governments face challenges in using drones due to limited funding, lack of technical expertise and slow bureaucratic processes. Meanwhile, criminal organisations adapt quickly modifying drone technology to expand their illegal activities. Unchecked proliferation of drones Latin American governments are struggling to develop effective drone strategies, but criminal groups have embraced these aerial devices as essential tools for their operations. Drug cartels and gangs have taken advantage of the widespread availability of commercial drones and their ability to modify them for smuggling, surveillance and attacks. Advertisement Mexican drug cartels have been among the first to use drones for trafficking flying narcotics across tightly controlled borders without being detected by law enforcement. Mexican cartels such as the CJNG, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Familia Michoacana have each incorporated drones for different criminal purposes. These UAVs can carry small but valuable drug shipments avoiding traditional security checks. Some cartels have even transformed drones into deadly weapons by equipping them with explosives. As reported by News Nation in August 2023, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), known for its extreme violence, deployed explosive-laden drones to target security personnel. This demonstrates how organised crime is advancing its tactics. Advertisement Criminal factions in Brazil and Colombia have also taken advantage of drone technology. The First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital PCC), one of Brazils most powerful criminal organisations, uses drones to oversee and control favelas. In Brazils favelas or slums, drones serve as crucial surveillance tools for gangs allowing them to track police movements and organise drug transportation more efficiently. These devices provide real-time information giving criminals an edge over authorities. In Colombia, criminal networks, including ex-FARC mafia groups, have incorporated drones into their operations, particularly in remote jungle areas where traditional surveillance is difficult, using them to strengthen their fight against the government. Advertisement Across Latin America including Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Panama criminal organisations have adopted drone technology to strengthen their hold over territories, transport illegal goods and challenge security forces. In Haiti, gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, widely known as Barbecue, survived a police raid on March 1 and later threatened to use explosive drones in retaliation, Jaramillo wrote in his piece in InSight Crime. The first indications of drones being used for criminal activities in Latin America came from inside prisons. Drones have now replaced pigeons, which were previously used to deliver messages and small packages. These airborne devices have made it easier to smuggle weapons, drugs, food, alcohol, mobile phones and other contraband into prison facilities. Advertisement Since 2014, Brazilian authorities have documented several cases of drones being used to transport banned items into prisons showing how criminal groups have adapted to new technologies to expand their influence. The widespread availability of commercial drones, which can be altered to transport explosives, continues to pose a growing danger across Latin America. Criminal organisations in the region are constantly evolving their tactics, taking cues from modern warfare technologies used in conflicts such as Ukraine. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have advanced the use of AI-driven and kamikaze drones providing a blueprint that Latin American gangs are now adapting for their own operations. The earliest recorded instance of a non-state armed group using drones dates back to 2006 when Hezbollah launched UAVs carrying 4050 kilogrammes of explosives against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. Growing threat of criminal drone warfare in Latin America The rapid rise of drone technology among criminal organisations has forced Latin American governments to rethink their counter-drone strategies. Authorities are investing in drone-detection systems, electronic warfare tools and countermeasures like signal jamming. However, these efforts remain uncoordinated with inconsistent implementation across different regions. Mexico has tested drone-detection radars and electromagnetic countermeasures, but the countrys vast and porous borders make enforcement difficult. In Brazil, law enforcement agencies have deployed anti-drone technology to safeguard high-risk areas, yet criminal drone operations continue to expand at a faster pace. Colombia, seeking to enhance its defences, has turned to international partners like the United States for assistance, but sustaining these initiatives requires long-term funding. The gap between government capabilities and criminal innovation remains a major challenge. Unlike official security forces, cartels and gangs operate without legal restrictions, swiftly modifying commercially available drones to suit their needs. This flexibility allows them to adapt at a pace that government agencies struggle to match making drone-based threats an ongoing security concern. For instance, the CJNG in Mexico has created a specialised drone unit where members are trained to convert commercial drones into airborne bombs targeting rival groups and Mexican authorities, according to a report by The Daily Beast. This unit, reportedly composed of around a dozen members, began training in 2021 and became fully operational in 2023. So far, its activities have been concentrated in the states of Michoacan and Jalisco. Chemical weapons, notorious for their devastating effects in World War I, are re-emerging in Mexico as a tool of psychological warfare, a News Nation report said. Criminal organisations are now combining these deadly substances with drone technology to instill fear and cause chaos. In April 2024, CJNG intensified attacks in Michoacan, deploying drones to drop explosive devices filled with chemical substances. Residents reported that these explosions released gases that led to severe respiratory distress. The increasing use of drones to spread toxic agents represents a dangerous escalation in cartel violence, directly putting civilians at risk. The use of chemical gases classified as weapons of mass destruction demonstrates the growing sophistication of these criminal tactics and raises concerns about even deadlier methods being used in the future. Cartels using drones to spy on US border patrol The use of drones along the US-Mexico border has increased in recent months and not just by law enforcement. While US agencies have stationed drones in Mexico to gather intelligence on drug cartels, reports indicate that criminal organisations are also using drones to track US Border Patrol movements. According to Border Report, cartels are deploying drones to monitor law enforcement activities and identify weak points for illegal crossings. Beyond surveillance, criminal groups have also used drones to launch attacks on border patrol agents. An internal memo from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) suggested that cartels have been given the green light to use drones armed with explosives against agents. The memo advised CBP personnel to wear ballistic armour and carry long-range firearms while on duty highlighting the growing threat posed by cartel-operated drones. International cooperation Given the transnational nature of organised crime, tackling the growing use of drones by cartels in Latin America requires international cooperation. The United States, recognising the threat posed by cartel-operated drones, has intensified intelligence-sharing efforts with Mexico and other regional partners. Joint operations between Latin American nations and external allies aim to curb the flow of drone technology into criminal hands, though these efforts are still in their early stages. According to a Newsweek report on February 25, 2025, a secret US drone operation, conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and the CIA at Mexicos request, played a crucial role in tracking and capturing cartel members, including Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. This unarmed drone programme has been operational for over two decades, providing surveillance intelligence that contributed to Guzmans arrests in 2014 and 2016, as well as the capture of his son, Ovidio Guzman, in 2023. Joaquin Guzman, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, was convicted in 2019 and sentenced to life in prison for drug trafficking and other crimes. The second Trump administration of the US has designated Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organiaations, with threats of tariffs on imports from the country and military action against such groups if fentanyl trafficking and migrant smuggling continued. The US drone programme has been a key asset in countering cartel operations capturing surveillance footage of cartel activity for over 20 years. MQ-9 Reaper drones, commonly used in counterterrorism operations, were widely deployed feeding intelligence to both US and Mexican officials. Despite its successes, the future of the US drone programme in Mexico remains uncertain as tensions in US-Mexico security relations rise. Evolving drone arms race in Latin America As drone technology advances, the battle between state forces and criminal organisations in Latin America remains uncertain. Drones look set to shape Latin Americas security arena, and the ability of governments to outmanoeuvre cartels will be crucial for long-term stability. Without a coordinated response, the drone arms race may ultimately empower the very organisations that states aim to dismantle. Ukraine has backed Washingtons 30-day ceasefire plan that it proposed during talks with Kyiv in Saudi Arabia. The positive response from Ukraine prompted President Donald Trumps administration to lift a freeze on military aid and to predict the beginning an end of the conflict read more (File) Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, on September 25, 2024, at UN headquarters. AP Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday said that he does not trust Russia over the ceasefire proposal put forth by the US and accepted by Kyiv. I have emphasised this many times, none of us trust the Russians, Zelensky said at a press conference in Kyiv. Ukraine has backed Washingtons 30-day ceasefire plan that it proposed during talks with Kyiv in Saudi Arabia. The positive response from Ukraine prompted President Donald Trumps administration to lift a freeze on military aid and to predict the beginning an end of the conflict. Advertisement Everything depends on whether Russia wants a ceasefire and silence, or it wants to continue killing people, the Ukrainian president said, adding, Ukraine has demonstrated its position and today Russia has to respond to this. Strong steps against Russia Zelenskyy also said that he expected strong measures from the United States if Russia rejected Washingtons proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine. I understand that we can count on strong steps. I dont know the details yet but we are talking about sanctions (against Russia) and strengthening Ukraine, he said. The ceasefire proposal, which will include a truce on the sea, in the air and on land, will be used by Ukraine to think of future course of action including including what kind of security guarantees could be provided by Ukraines Western allies, the president said. Russia waits and watches Meanwhile, Moscow has declined to comment on whether the ceasefire proposal agreed by the US and Ukraine on Tuesday is acceptable to Russia, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying Moscow expects to be briefed by the US officials involved in the talks first. During his daily press briefing on Wednesday, Peskov said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz are expected to update Moscow on the outcomes of the talks in the coming days. With inputs from agencies Baloch militants hijacked a passenger train in Pakistans Balochistan province, leading to a fierce gun battle with security forces. At least 16 militants were killed, and 104 passengers were rescued, while some hostages were taken into the mountains, said officials. read more At least 16 separatists were killed by Pakistani security forces in a counter-operation after Baloch militants hijacked a passenger train in a tunnel in Pakistans restive Balochistan province on Tuesday (March 11), news agency AFP reported citing security officials. The security forces also rescued 155 passengers. Security forces have safely rescued 155 passengers 27 terrorists have been eliminated, a security source said to AFP, adding the operation was still ongoing. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which has claimed responsibility for the attack, said that it had killed 20 Pakistani military personnel, according to Reuters. The Jaffar Express was travelling from Balochistans capital city, Quetta, to Peshawar, carrying around 400 passengers in nine bogies. Advertisement Armed BLA men intercepted the train in a tunnel near the mountainous terrain of Gudalar and Piru Kunri on Tuesday afternoon. Security sources confirmed that in an ongoing gun battle with the militants, they managed to rescue 104 passengers, including women and children. A sources said to that the clean-up operation will continue until all passengers are rescued from the train. Some militants have taken hostages into the mountains, with security forces chasing them in the dark. A source said the rescued passengers58 men, 31 women, and 15 childrenwere sent to Mach by another train. The militants have split into small groups to escape, but security forces have surrounded the tunnel. The remaining passengers will be rescued soon, the source told PTI. Earlier, security forces had rescued 80 passengers, including 43 men, 26 women, and 11 children, according to Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind. Though the authorities have not given any more details, Rind said the security forces, including military troops, had reached the rough terrain where the tunnel is located shortly after railway authorities were alerted that the train had been stopped in the tunnel. Intense firing, bombing The Pakistani media reported intense firing and explosions near the tunnel, where the militants hijacked the train. Rind said they had dispatched rescue teams amid reports of intense firing at a Peshawar-bound passenger train. Rana Muhammad Dilawar, the district police officer, said security forces had surrounded the area. However, there were reports that militants had taken some women and children hostage. He also mentioned that four to five government officials were on the train. Advertisement Pakistan Railways recently resumed train services between Quetta and Peshawar after a suspension of more than a month and a half. Earlier in November last year, a suicide bomber killed 26 people and injured 62 others at the Quetta railway station after which several services were suspended by the Railways. With inputs from agencies Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been the main guest at signature events of several countries to assert that the prime minister is a global leader in shaping the rising influence of India at the international level read more PM Modi is visiting the island nation as the chief guest for Mauritius National Day celebrations. X/@narendramodi Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief guest at the National Day of Mauritius on Wednesday, a rare repeat invitation for a leader which, officials said, underscores Indias special relationship with the island country rooted in shared history, culture, and diaspora ties. Modi first received the honour in Mauritius in 2015. The officials cited several instances of Modi being the main guest at signature events of several countries to assert that the prime minister is a global leader in shaping the rising influence of India at the international level. Advertisement An official source said, The 2023 invitation (to PM Modi) to Frances Bastille Day Parade was another defining moment, symbolising Indias growing military and strategic partnership with France. The sight of Indian tri-services marching down the Champs-Elysees alongside French troops reinforced Indias role in global geopolitics. In 2022, official sources noted, Modi visited Lumbini in Nepal for Buddha Jayanti celebrations, emphasising Indias historical connection to Buddhism and its shared heritage with Nepal. His visit reinforced Indias role in promoting cultural and spiritual ties across the region, they added. In 2021, Bangladesh invited him to its National Day celebrations, marking 50 years of its independence, an event closely tied to Indias role in its liberation. His visit reaffirmed Indias commitment to regional stability and shared prosperity, they added. In 2017, his visit to Sri Lanka for the International Vesak Day highlighted Indias leadership in civilizational and cultural diplomacy. role as a custodian of Buddhist heritage, he strengthened spiritual and diplomatic ties with Buddhist-majority nations, they added. The announcement also comes after US President Donald Trump said he would likely speak to President Vladimir Putin this week read more The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said that Moscow would communicate with the US soon, a day after Ukraine held talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS, We do not rule out contacts with US representatives within the next few days. The announcement also comes after US President Donald Trump said he would likely speak to President Vladimir Putin this week. He also indicated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would be invited back to Washington despite the two leaders public falling-out on February 28. Advertisement I think so, yeah, the Republican said when reporters asked if he would speak to Putin this week. Asked whether Zelensky would be welcome back at the White House, Trump said sure. I know we have a big meeting with Russia tomorrow and some great conversations hopefully will ensue, he told reporters. Meanwhile, the heads of the American and Russian spy agencies have vowed to hold regular contact with each other in an effort to solidify their growing ties. In the first such contact in several years, CIA chief John Ratcliffe and the head of Russias external intelligence agency SVR Sergei Naryshkin spoke by phone on Tuesday, the state TASS agency said. They agreed on regular contact between their agencies in order to contribute to the international stability and security, as well as a decrease in confrontation in relations between Moscow and Washington. US-Ukraine talks Ukraine endorsed an American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and agreed to immediate negotiations with Russia in crunch talks in Jeddah on Tuesday after three years of grinding war. The positive response from Ukraine prompted President Donald Trumps administration to lift a freeze on military aid and to predict the beginning an end of the conflict. With inputs from agencies It remains uncertain whether Putin is willing to accept the ceasefire in its current form. Trump has stated that he expects to speak with Putin later this week read more Hours after Ukraine declared that it was ready to accept an immediate 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, Moscow launched an air attack on Kyiv. Citing the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported that air raid alerts had been issued in Kyiv ten regions. RIA also reported that strikes were carried out on the city of Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine. Kyivs mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said that air defences were engaged in repelling the strikes, according to The Guardian. Advertisement Just hours before the announcement of the ceasefire agreement, Ukraine had launched its biggest drone attack on Russia since the war began. Russia reportedly shot down over 300 such unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Russia-Ukraine war ceasefire Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday (March 11) agreed to the 30-day ceasefire proposal after high-octane talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Outside the White House following the talks, Trump told reporters, Thats a total ceasefire[]Ukraine has agreed to it. And hopefully Russia will agree to it. Steve Witkoff, Trumps special envoy, is anticipated to travel to Moscow in the coming days to propose a ceasefire to Putin. It remains uncertain whether Putin is willing to accept the ceasefire in its current form. Trump has stated that he expects to speak with Putin later this week, and Russian media reports suggest that their conversation may occur on Friday (March 14). The US also announced that it was lifting the suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing imposed on Ukraine. The agreement regarding the ceasefire was reached nearly two weeks after a heated exchange in the Oval Office between Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, which resulted in the White House suspending aid to Ukraine despite the disapproval of its European allies. With inputs from agencies The statement said that US will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace. It also mentioned that the Ukrainian delegation reiterated that European partners shall be involved in the peace process read more US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Ukrainian Head of Presidential Office Andriy Yermak hold a meeting in the presence of Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. Reuters Ukraine on Tuesday (March 11) agreed to an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire proposal made by the US, contingent on Russian cooperation. The discussions, held under the auspices of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also addressed humanitarian efforts, the exchange of prisoners, and a strategic economic partnership to develop Ukraines critical mineral resources. In a joint statement following high-level talks in Jeddah, both nations reaffirmed their commitment to securing Ukraines long-term stability and announced the resumption of US intelligence sharing and security assistance. Advertisement Here is the full text of the statement: Today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia under the gracious hospitality of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the United States and Ukraine took important steps toward restoring durable peace for Ukraine. Representatives of both nations praised the bravery of the Ukrainian people in defence of their nation and agreed that now is the time to begin a process toward lasting peace. The Ukrainian delegation reiterated the Ukrainian peoples strong gratitude to President Trump, the US Congress, and the people of the United States for making possible meaningful progress toward peace. Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation. The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace. The United States will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine. The delegations also discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the abovementioned ceasefire, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. Advertisement Both delegations agreed to name their negotiating teams and immediately begin negotiations toward an enduring peace that provides for Ukraines long-term security. The United States committed to discussing these specific proposals with representatives from Russia. The Ukrainian delegation reiterated that European partners shall be involved in the peace process. Lastly, both countries presidents agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraines critical mineral resources to expand Ukraines economy and guarantee Ukraines long-term prosperity and security. A Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of properties and bank accounts linked to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family. The move comes months after Hasina was ousted from power following widespread protests. read more A court in Dhaka has ordered the seizure of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas Dhanmondi residence, Sudasadan, along with several other properties owned by her family members, The Dhaka Tribune reported. An official said that the court has also ordered the seizure of 124 bank accounts belonging to her and her family. The house, named after the late nuclear scientist and Hasinas late husband, MA Wazed Miahwho was nicknamed Sudha Miahhas also been seized. Advertisement The order was issued by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Ghalib on Tuesday, following an application by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The seized properties include those owned by Hasinas son, Sajib Wazed Joy, daughter, Saima Wazed Putul, sister, Sheikh Rehana, and her children, Tulip Siddique and Radwan Mujib Siddique. Dhaka lodges protest with India On 6 February, Bangladeshs Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a strong protest with the Indian government over what it described as false and fabricated remarks by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The ministry accused her of using social media to incite instability. A protest note was handed to Indias Acting High Commissioner in Dhaka, expressing Bangladeshs deep concern and disappointment. The ministry urged India to take immediate action to prevent Hasina from making such statements while residing in the country. Student-led protests and ouster of Sheikh Hasina Following a massive student-led movement, Sheikh Hasina was ousted and is now residing in India. The protests and ensuing violence led to clashes that left over 600 dead. The 77-year-old leader fled to India, and Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was appointed to lead an interim government. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that negotiators were headed to Russia right now for talks on a possible ceasefire with Ukraine, after Kyiv agreed to a 30-day truce read more Ireland's Taoiseach Micheal Martin, left, attends a bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump ahead of the White House St Patrick's Day reception, on Wednesday in Washington. AP US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that negotiators were headed to Russia right now for talks on a possible ceasefire with Ukraine, after Kyiv agreed to a 30-day truce. He said it was now up to Russia after Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire during more than eight hours of talks on Tuesday with US officials in Saudi Arabia. People are going to Russia right now as we speak. And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia, AFP quoted Trump as saying to reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with Irelands prime minister. Advertisement The US president emphasised the extensive devastation and loss of life resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, underscoring the urgent need to end the war. When asked what actions the US could take to pressure Russia into agreeing to a ceasefire, he said hope that it is not going to be necessary, while criticising previous presidents for their handling of relations with Moscow. What I did to Russia was very tough, the toughest ever, The Guardian quoted Trump as saying, explaining his criticism of the Nord Stream pipeline. They never took anything from me. They took them from Obama and Bush, and they took from sleepy Joe Biden. With Biden, they wanted to take the whole country, but I think Ive stopped that, but well see, he was quoted as saying. But Trump said that if needed, there are things you can do that wouldnt be pleasant in a financial sense, and would be very bad for Russia. We could do things very bad for Russia. Would be devastating for Russia. But I dont want to do that because I want to see peace, said Trump. Advertisement Earlier in the day, the Kremlin said it was awaiting details from Washington about the proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine, while senior Moscow sources said a deal would have to take account of Russias advances and address its concerns. Trump said a ceasefire would make sense for Russia but said there was a lot of downside for Russia too, without elaborating. We have a very complex situation solved on one side, pretty much solved. Weve also discussed land and other things that go with it, he said. We know the areas of land were talking about, whether its pull back or not pull back. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Nasa has been a leading source of climate data, but under Trumps directives, its focus appears to be shifting away from Earth sciences and toward human space exploration read more The Trump administration is carrying out layoffs at Nasa, targeting its climate research division. Image courtesy: Nasa.gov The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) has dismissed its chief scientist and other officials as part of a federal workforce reduction order issued by President Donald Trump. This is the latest move by the administration to deliberately undermine climate research. This first round of layoffs affected 23 employees, including Katherine Calvin, a renowned climatologist who led Nasas Office of the Chief Scientist and contributed to key UN climate reports. A Nasa spokeswoman said Tuesday (March 11) that more cuts are expected in the coming months. Advertisement The dismissals also include the Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Branch within Nasas Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Climate science targeted Nasa plays a critical role in climate research, operating a fleet of Earth-monitoring satellites, conducting ground-based studies, and developing climate models used by scientists worldwide. The agency has been a leading source of climate data, but under Trumps directives, its focus appears to be shifting away from Earth sciences and toward human space exploration. The cuts come after Calvin and other US delegates were barred from attending a major climate science conference in China last month. The move follows a broader push by the administration to roll back federal involvement in climate research. Last month, the White House ordered mass layoffs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), another key federal agency responsible for tracking climate trends. Trump, who has dismissed climate change as a scam, previously withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement in 2017 and has now done so again during his second term. Shift toward Mars exploration The dismissals mark a potential shift in Nasas priorities, with the agency doubling down on space exploration. Trump and his top advisor, Elon Musk, have both pushed for an accelerated timeline for a crewed Mars mission. In his State of the Union address last week, Trump declared that the US would plant the American flag on the planet Mars and even far beyond. Jared Isaacman, Trumps nominee for Nasa administrator, is expected to play a key role in this effort. The billionaire e-payments entrepreneur and SpaceX customer is seen as close to Musk, and his intervention reportedly helped delay mass layoffs at Nasa last month, according to Ars Technica. Advertisement Despite this temporary reprieve, NASA employees remain uncertain about the future. Warner said affected employees may opt for early retirement or complete the RIF process. The latest cuts signal a broader shift in federal science policy, with NASAs Earth science research facing an uncertain future under Trumps leadership. With inputs from AFP vivo India is set to launch the X200 Ultra and X200 mini smartphones in the Indian market, according to a BW Businessworld report. This follows the X200 Pros strong sales, reinforcing vivos hold in Indias premium smartphone segment. The X series, known for its camera quality, benefits from a partnership with German optics firm Zeiss. Launch Timeline and Demand The X200 Ultra, yet to be announced globally, will debut in China in April. The report highlighted a strong chance of an India launch, driven by the X200 Pros success. At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, vivo executives told partners the X200 Pro had sold out in India, prompting requests for more units from manufacturing plants. The report noted that this demand has vivo India lobbying its headquarters for the X200 Ultra release. Meanwhile, vivo skipped the X100 Ultra launch in India in 2024, despite showcasing it at a Tech Day event. Pricing and Market Position Pricing-wise, the X200 Pro starts at Rs. 94,999, and the X Fold 3 Pro costs Rs. 1,59,999. The report noted the X200 Ultra might fall between these, while the X200 mini could sit between the X200 (Rs. 71,999) and X200 Pro. vivos first foldable in India, the X Fold 3 Pro, has also fueled its confidence in the ultra-premium segment, where Apples iPhones and Samsungs Galaxy S and foldables dominate. Competitive Landscape vivo India faces growing competition from Xiaomis new 15 series, the report highlighted. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra, with a Leica-co-engineered camera, uses a 1-inch Sony LYT900 sensor and the same 200MP HP9 telephoto lens as vivo, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. The Xiaomi 15 has a 6.36-inch display. Early tests show the Xiaomi 15 Ultra outperforming the X200 Pro, which may push vivo to launch the X200 Ultra for an edge, the report believes. Software and Future Outlook The report also noted vivos work on FunTouch OS, its Android skin. While OriginOS shines in China with AI features, its less suited for global markets with Google services. vivo is blending select OriginOS features into FunTouch OS for a better user experience, the report added. vivo expects the X200 Ultra and X200 mini to strengthen its premium market position amid rising consumer demands. These are not confirmed yet, and its uncertain if vivo India will convince its China headquarters to greenlight the launch, though updates may come soon as time passes. Source Google today introduced Gemma 3, a series of advanced, lightweight open models developed using the same research behind its Gemini 2.0 models. Clement Farabet, VP of Research at Google DeepMind, described them as our most advanced, portable, and responsibly developed open models yet. Model Sizes and Performance Designed to operate efficiently across devicesfrom phones to workstationsGemma 3 empowers developers to create AI applications suited for various needs. Gemma 3 comes in four sizes1B, 4B, 12B, and 27B parametersgiving developers flexibility to choose models that align with their hardware and speed requirements. Google emphasized that the models outperform larger counterparts like Llama-405B, DeepSeek-V3, and o3-mini in initial human preference tests conducted on LMArenas leaderboard. This makes them ideal for single-GPU or TPU setups. Key Features of Gemma 3 Global Language Support: Pretrained for over 140 languages, with immediate support for 35 languages. Large Context Window: A 128k-token capacity enables handling of complex tasks and large datasets. Advanced Text and Visual Reasoning: Processes text, images, and short videos with superior analytical skills. Function Calling: Allows automation and structured outputs for dynamic workflows. Optimized Speed: Quantized versions reduce computational costs while maintaining high accuracy. Safety and Responsibility Tris Warkentin, Director at Google DeepMind, highlighted the importance of rigorous safety measures, stating, We believe open models require careful risk assessment, and our approach balances innovation with safetytailoring testing intensity to model capabilities. Gemma 3 underwent thorough safety evaluations, including misuse testing in STEM-related scenarios, to ensure low-risk operation. Warkentin noted that as AI evolves, Google is committed to refining its risk-proportionate safety practices. ShieldGemma 2: A Safety Companion Google also introduced ShieldGemma 2, a 4B-parameter image safety checker built on Gemma 3s framework. ShieldGemma 2 labels content across three categoriesdangerous, sexually explicit, and violent. Developers can further customize its features to fit user-specific safety needs, promoting responsible AI usage. Seamless Integration for Developers Gemma 3 seamlessly integrates with popular platforms and tools, offering developers the flexibility to: Use Compatible Tools: Supports Hugging Face Transformers, JAX, Keras, PyTorch, Google AI Edge, and Gemma.cpp. Start Quickly: Access models instantly via Google AI Studio or download from platforms like Hugging Face and Kaggle. Customize Easily: Fine-tune the model with Google Colab, Vertex AI, or other setups, including gaming GPUs. Deploy Efficiently: Choose deployment options like Vertex AI, Cloud Run, Google GenAI API, or local systems. NVIDIA has optimized Gemma 3 for GPUs of all sizes, from Jetson Nano to Blackwell chips, with integration available through the NVIDIA API Catalog. The models are also optimized for Google Cloud TPUs and AMD GPUs via ROCm. The Gemmaverse: Fostering Innovation Googles Gemmaverse is a vibrant ecosystem of community models and tools based on Gemma. Examples include AI Singapores SEA-LION v3, which bridges language gaps in Southeast Asia; INSAITs BgGPT, Bulgarias first large language model; and Nexa AIs OmniAudio, showcasing Gemmas potential for on-device audio processing. To further support innovation, Google launched the Gemma 3 Academic Program, offering $10,000 in Google Cloud credits to researchers. Applications opened today, March 12, 2025, and will remain open for four weeks. Warkentin said, The Gemma family of open models is foundational to our commitment to making useful AI technology accessible, adding that over 100 million downloads and 60,000 variants created within a year underscore Gemmas growing impact. How to Get Started Gemma 3 is available now, offering various ways for developers to explore and integrate the models: Try it instantly in Google AI Studio with no setup. Download from Hugging Face, Ollama, or Kaggle for customization. Fine-tune and adapt with Hugging Face Transformers or other preferred tools. Deploy via Cloud Run, NVIDIA NIMs, or local environments. This launch demonstrates Googles dedication to democratizing access to AI, blending innovation, safety, and adaptability to empower developers worldwide. Consistent Infosystems expanded its offerings by launching two advanced security cameras, the 4G Solar Linkage Mini Pan-Tilt Camera (CT-CM-6MLPT) and the 4G Linkage Mini Pan-Tilt ATC Camera (CT-CM-4MLPT), designed to cater to modern surveillance demands. The company noted that growing security concerns and the rising need for affordable, reliable solutions drive preference for Made-in-India brands like Consistent Infosystems. They emphasized that the new cameras combine AI-powered features, remote monitoring, and weather-resistant designs, suitable for residential, commercial, and industrial safety setups. Consistent 4G Solar Linkage Mini Pan-Tilt Camera (CT-CM-6MLPT) The 4G Solar Linkage Mini Pan-Tilt Camera offers Dual Intelligent Cameras and includes a Solar Panel and Built-in Battery for continuous outdoor functionality. Delivering a 3MP + 3MP resolution, it provides ultra-clear visuals, while the Two-Way Audio Intercom feature enables real-time communication. Equipped with Humanoid and Motion Detection, this camera efficiently identifies human activity and sends security alerts. It supports up to 256GB SD Card storage, ensuring ample video storage without frequent overwriting. Durability is ensured with its IP66 Rating for dust and water resistance. Features like Alarm Notification with snapshot functionality via the app, Mobile App Monitoring, and 10X Digital Zoom make it a robust security tool. Consistent 4G Linkage Mini Pan-Tilt, ATC Camera (CT-CM-4MLPT) The 4G Linkage Mini Pan-Tilt, ATC Camera is an affordable security device designed for effective monitoring. It features Dual Intelligent Cameras with a resolution of 2MP + 2MP, ensuring crisp visuals. The Two-Way Audio Intercom adds communication flexibility. Human Detection with Push Notifications ensures users are alerted to any movement promptly. Storage options include support for up to 256GB SD Cards, while its IP66 Rating ensures performance in challenging environments. With Mobile App Monitoring and 10X Digital Zoom, users can remotely access and focus on detailed footage. Pricing and Availability The pricing of the cameras is as follows: 4G Solar Linkage Mini Pan-Tilt Camera (CT-CM-6MLPT): Rs. 10,999 4G Linkage Mini Pan-Tilt, ATC Camera (CT-CM-4MLPT): Rs. 7,999 Customers can purchase these through Consistent Infosystems extensive distribution network and online marketplaces. Speaking about the launch, Yogesh Agrawal, CEO & Co-Founder of Consistent Infosystems, stated, Larry Robinson/The Daily Sentinel Grand Junction City Council Member Randall Reitz speaks before ground is broken on West Star Aviations new hangar at the Grand Junction Regional Airport on March 11. Reitz, who served four years on council before being unseated by Robert Ballard in the April 8 election, believes Grand Junction is heading in the right direction. The citys been here for over 100 years and its heading in a good direction, so lets not mess it up, he said. Saturday Night Mainly clear skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. NNW winds shifting to E at 10 to 15 mph. Trump revokes security clearance of Biden officials in sweeping vendetta Iran Press TV Tuesday, 11 March 2025 6:16 AM US President Donald Trump has ordered revocation of security clearances for dozens of officials, including several senior figures, from the country's former administration of Joe Biden in a sweeping move that has reignited debate over potential political purge. US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced on Monday that she had effected the revocations following relevant executive orders issued by Trump. Among those affected are former secretary of state Antony Blinken, former national security adviser Jake Sullivan, and former deputy attorney general Lisa Monaco, who oversaw the prosecution of Trump's supporters, who had triggered a Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. In addition, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, both of whom led investigations into Trump's legal and business dealings, have had their clearances revoked. Gabbard also confirmed that Biden would no longer receive the President's Daily Brief, a highly classified intelligence report typically extended to past presidents. Biden himself had previously denied Trump access to the briefings in 2021. In a statement on X, she wrote that her actions aligned with Trump's broader agenda to "restore integrity" in intelligence agencies by removing individuals who "used national security for partisan gain." This includes revocation of clearances for 51 former intelligence officials who, in 2020, signed a letter dismissing reports about Biden's son, Hunter's laptop as "Russian disinformation." The matter concerns an alleged 2020 incident involving a laptop that reportedly belonged to Hunter Biden, which had been left by a person identifying as Hunter at a Delaware computer shop. Three weeks before the 2020 presidential election that led to Biden's victory against Trump, The New York Post published a story that presented emails from the laptop, alleging they showed corruption by Biden during his previous tenure. Trump had pledged on his first day in office to strip the 51-strong officials of classified access. The move has drawn sharp criticism from Trump's opponents, who argue that he is weaponizing security clearances to punish political adversaries. The controversy echoes past concerns about Trump's handling of security clearances during his previous term as US president that was cut short by Biden. In 2019, a White House whistleblower accused the Trump administration of improperly granting security clearances to at least 25 individuals, despite significant red flags. The whistleblower testified before Congress that the process had been overridden by political appointees, raising concerns about the integrity of national security vetting. Trump's allies have, however, defended the security clearance revocations as a necessary step towards depoliticizing intelligence agencies. The developments pointing to significant mismatch among various US presidents' agendas come while successive American administrations have prided themselves on determining security clearances, which allows access to the country's allegedly most sensitive information, based on "professional qualifications" and "national security concerns," not political affiliations. The revocations come as part of a broader set of personnel policies by the current administration that has similarly upended Washington. In February, reports emerged that thousands of federal employees had been dismissed as part of an overwhelming government restructuring process led by Trump and billionaire and ally Elon Musk, who was tapped to oversee the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). That effort aimed to purge individuals deemed disloyal to Trump's political agenda. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Exclusive: Suspected Russian Spy Seeks Top Security Post In Serbia, Central Asia By Carl Schreck, Mark Krutov, Riin Aljas and Sergei Dobrynin March 11, 2025 A Russian diplomat recalled from Brussels amid a spy purge by Belgian authorities has been nominated to head the Belgrade mission of Europe's largest security body, a joint investigation by RFE/RL and several European media outlets has found. Moscow has nominated Dmitry Iordanidi, a former deputy head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina with deep experience in the Balkans, to lead the organization's mission to Serbia, internal OSCE records obtained by RFE/RL show. His candidacy comes amid mounting accusations from the United States and European governments in recent years of "malign" Russian activities across the region covered by the 57-nation regional security body based in Vienna. Iordanidi, 55, is one of 20 Russian diplomats who quietly left Brussels in 2023 due to allegations by the Belgian State Security Service (VSSE) that they were spies working under cover, according to a list compiled by Belgian intelligence and authenticated independently by three Western intelligence sources, the joint investigation by RFE/RL, the Brussels-based news site EUobserver, the Belgian daily De Morgen, the Belgian weekly Humo, and the French daily Le Monde found. One intelligence source called the spy purge an "occasion to empty our drawer" in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While the Belgian government does not publish lists of accredited diplomats in the country, and Russia's diplomatic mission in Brussels does not publish the names of its personnel, RFE/RL independently verified the presence of several of the expelled Russian diplomats in Belgium in 2023. The Russian diplomats, who have not been publicly identified until now, were alleged in the list to be affiliated with Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) or its military intelligence directorate, known as the GRU. Iordanidi, whom the Belgian intelligence list identifies as affiliated with the SVR, is the only diplomat among the 20 who was not declared persona non grata, according to one intelligence source. The source said Russia recalled Iordanidi after Belgium communicated that Iordanidi would be declared persona non grata if Moscow did not recall him. Now, Moscow is trying to place Iordanidi back with the OSCE, the Vienna-based multilateral organization that, until Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, had played a central role in monitoring Russian aggression in Ukraine and attempting to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv. Iordanidi was listed as one of eight nominees for OSCE mission head in Serbia following the December 1, 2024, deadline for candidate submissions, according to the document obtained by RFE/RL. Russia also nominated him to head an OSCE program office in Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, and for the same position in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana. The OSCE said in an e-mailed statement that the recruitment for all three of these positions is still ongoing and that it could not comment on the matter, citing confidentiality. The positions are appointed by the OSCE chairperson-in-office -- currently Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen -- in consultation with senior current and former OSCE officials and the host countries of the respective missions, OSCE spokesperson Alexandra Taylor said. "We follow a rigorous recruitment process for all of our positions at the OSCE," Taylor said. Western officials and governments have accused Moscow of acting as a saboteur of the OSCE and abusing the organization's consensual politics, including in connection with Russia's war on Ukraine - now the largest and bloodiest in Europe since World War II. Russia has criticized the OSCE as "being reformatted to become an appendage of NATO and the EU." Following RFE/RL investigations into suspected Russian intelligence influence on the OSCE, the organization's parliamentary assembly, which facilitates dialogue among member states, called on OSCE leadership "to initiate relevant discussions and security checks to rid the organization of the Russian destructive influence." Russia has previously sent its diplomats expelled by EU states for alleged espionage to its embassy in Serbia, where President Aleksandar Vucic has sought to maintain Belgrade's traditionally strong ties with Russia, a March 2023 investigation by RFE/RL revealed. Neither Iordanidi nor the Russian Embassy in Brussels responded to requests for comment. The VSSE also did not respond to a request for comment. Balkan Journeys Following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of Russian diplomats were expelled by the United States and EU governments, including those posted at Russia's diplomatic mission to Belgium and to the EU in Brussels. Among those was Aleksandr Studenikin, who was expelled by the EU for "illegal and disruptive actions" but resurfaced as an OSCE election observer for December 2023 parliamentary and local elections in Serbia, an RFE/RL investigation found. Iordanidi's public footprint in the Belgian capital was negligible, though he appears to have arrived at some point in 2023 in a geographic break from a diplomatic career rooted largely in the Balkans. Publicly available records show that, as of 2009, he was serving as the first political secretary at the Russian Embassy in Sarajevo and, several years later, as head of the OSCE field office in Banja Luka, the administrative center of Bosnia's Serb entity, Republika Srpska. In May 2013, Iordanidi sat between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during their meeting with then-Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic at the Russian president's summer residence in the southern resort town of Sochi. Vucic, at the time Serbia's defense minister and first deputy prime minister, was present as well. Iordanidi later became deputy head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sarajevo and appears to have left that post at some point toward the latter half of 2022 or early 2023. An OSCE source who spoke on condition of anonymity recalled Iordanidi leaving Sarajevo for Belgium, and one of the intelligence sources contacted for this report said he arrived in 2023 and left under pressure the same year. Reporters could find no open-source evidence of Iordanidi's posting with the Russian Embassy in Brussels during his brief sojourn there, a stark contrast from his time with the OSCE in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where he gave frequent interviews and made public appearances. Much of his earlier public work with the OSCE in the Balkans was related to environmental issues and the promotion of civil liberties. Leaked Russian government databases -- such as residential, vehicle, and tax records -- reviewed by RFE/RL do not reflect any clear connection on paper between Iordanidi and Russian intelligence. They do, however, for other Russians blacklisted in the Belgian spy purge that Iordanidi was swept up in. GRU Men In Brussels Among the 19 other Russian diplomats on the Belgian intelligence list of alleged spies along with Iordanidi was Aleksandr Kovalchuk, who formally served as a counsellor with the Russian Embassy in Brussels. Leaked residential records list Kovalchuk's registered home address as Ulitsa Narodnogo Opolcheniya 50 in Moscow, the same address as the Russian Defense Ministry's Military Academy. The academy is widely known as the "GRU Conservatory" -- an acronym referring to Russia's military-intelligence directorate. Also on the list of alleged spy diplomats is Sergei Cherepanov, who served as second secretary at the Russian Embassy in Brussels. Leaked Russian government records show he previously worked at the Strategic Missile Forces Academy in Moscow and was registered at an address tied to Military Unit 46179, which specializes in seismic and infrasound surveillance via satellites under the 12th Main Directorate, responsible for nuclear security. The listed residential address of another expelled Russian diplomat, Dmitry Zamogilnykh, who worked as part of the embassy's technical staff, is linked to Military Unit 92154, a GRU special forces division. Meanwhile, one of the expelled diplomats, Sergei Gudilin, photographed a military-related facility near the Belgian capital, according to publicly available data on his account with the fitness app Strava. In July 2021, he posted a photograph on his Strava account of the Bertem radar station, part of Belgium's air-traffic control network that provides radar data to the Belgian military. Inquiries sent to listed e-mail addresses for Kovalchuk, Cherepanov, Zamogilnykh, and Gudilin went unanswered. Belgium's crackdown resulted altogether in the expulsion of 20 alleged Russian spies, according to the list, adding to 48 prior expulsions of members of Russian delegations to the EU and NATO. "Belgium wishes to maintain normal diplomatic relations with Russia but cannot allow these relations to be abused for espionage purposes," Belgian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pierre Steverlynck said. Evolving Threats While European countries have collectively expelled more than 700 Russian diplomats -- including alleged spies -- since Russia launched its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Western experts warn the threat from Moscow is evolving. "We saw...a diminishment for a little while in [Russian intelligence services'] ability to conduct malign intelligence operations in our countries, but it has been reconstituted," James Appathurai, a senior NATO official specializing in hybrid warfare, said in an interview with EUobserver. Appathurai said Russia has shifted its focus to online recruitment, increasingly enlisting criminal gangs and unwitting individuals for sabotage. "These recruits often don't even realize who they are working for," Appathurai said. "They carry out acts of arson, train derailments, even attacks on politicians' properties -- all with Russian intelligence pulling the strings from the shadows." The German magazine Der Spiegel reported last month that German investigators suspect a spate of car-vandalism incidents in the country were bankrolled by a Russian client and carried out by low-level accomplices under the guise of climate activism. Prosecutors in the southern German city of Ulm said four suspects had been detained in connection with more than 100 vandalism incidents in which hardening foam was used to block exhaust car pipes. The suspects included natives of Romania, Serbia, and Bosnia. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in January accused Russia of plotting terror attacks against unspecified targets utilizing aircraft after two separate incidents in which DHL cargo ignited in Lithuania and Britain, respectively. "I will not go into details, I can only confirm the validity of fears that Russia was planning acts of air terror, not only against Poland but against airlines around the world," Tusk told a news conference. Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations by Western governments of its involvement in terror attacks, including arson, poisoning, and attacks on individuals in the West. Mirjana Jevtovic of RFE/RL's Balkan Service contributed to this report. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-spy--suspects-belgium- expelled-gru-svr-osce-serbia-central-asia/33342428.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM Robert Fico has achieved what no one before him has in Brussels Ministry of Defence of The Slovak Republic 07.03.2025 A remarkable diplomatic success for Slovakia Reflecting on PM Robert Fico's feat of diplomacy at the special European Council (EC) summit on Thursday (6 March 2025) in Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Robert Kalinak emphasised: "At Thursday's summit, PM Robert Fico acted with millimetre-precise accuracy and 100% in alignment with Slovakia's interests and the mandate from the SVK Parliamentary European Affairs Committee. The negotiated position represents a huge success for Slovakia, because it is rare for complex European Council conclusions to incorporate an individual mention of one specific country. Never before have former governments and ministers - whether Mr Korcok, Mr Kacer or others - managed to pull off such a "Hussar-like" feat." Mr Robert Kalinak went on to say: "Looking at news coverage of the summit by foreign media which have reported positively on Slovakia's results, it is shocking how some Slovak media outlets have covered the event and how grossly they have misled the SVK public. If their "guaranteed" statements on Slovakia's isolation in the EU were true, would the European Council have paid so much attention to our country? Most probably not." Yesterday's European Council summit was hosted in Brussels - with PM Robert Fico in attendance - where Slovakia strengthened its national positions that confirm our country's foreign policy anchorage and that follow on from the SVK Parliamentary European Affairs Committee's mandate. The summit addressed two key issues that directly impact on the SVK defence sector: the current situation in Ukraine and efforts to bolster the EU's defence capability. Before flying to Brussels, PM Robert Fico asked for and received the mandate from the SVK Parliamentary European Affairs Committee to support both areas of interest, provided that the EC's conclusions on Ukraine include a mention of Ukraine's gas transit to Slovakia. "The European Council's statement is the strongest mandate that Slovakia could have received. It is an acknowledgement that the European Council identifies with Robert Fico's policy, which he has been pursuing since 2023. Based on this mandate, we are keeping the pressure up on Ukraine to reopen gas transit across its territory to Slovakia. The European Commission has stated that it respects the concerns Slovakia has consistently been drawing attention to, while recognising that these are legitimate concerns which threaten all of us," DPM and MINDEF Robert Kalinak added. The second part of the EC summit was devoted to plans to spend more on defence. "Yesterday, the Slovak Republic did not commit to any financial or military assistance to Ukraine. But if we want other countries to respect our position that we have ceased our military assistance to Ukraine, let us equally respect other countries and their stance to continue with it. We are not changing our position - our position remains one of supporting Ukraine with humanitarian and non-lethal aid," Mr Robert Kalinak said. He also noted that the MOD welcomes the possibility to allow for more flexible use of European funds for dual-use projects. Consistent with the SVK Government Manifesto, this concerns useful projects with dual civilian and military use, for example, the military hospital in Presov, which is already in the process of being built, or other infrastructure projects under preparation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New York Guard, Sweden Develop New Partnership By Petty Officer 1st Class Stephanie Butler, New York National Guard March 10, 2025 LATHAM, N.Y. -- While the New York National Guard's headquarters staff wrestled with the challenge of deploying 6,500 Guard members to replace striking corrections officers at 38 prisons, members of the Swedish military were on hand to observe and learn. Seventeen Swedish officers and three civilians visited the Latham headquarters Feb. 27-28 as part of the State Partnership Program. The New York National Guard and Sweden became partners in the SPP program last year. The Swedish delegation was in Latham for previously scheduled talks to plan future training and staff engagements. Those discussions still took place. But the Swedish leaders also got to watch Maj. Gen. Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York, his senior leaders and the headquarters staff work the challenges of the massive state active duty mission. Swedish officers sat in on the daily commander's briefing, during which leaders in the field reported back to Shields on the mission. Swedish Maj. Gen. Johan Pekkari, the chief of the Swedish Defence Staff's strategy unit, said he was impressed with the professionalism of the briefings. The Swedish team also visited the New York Air National Guard's 174th Attack Wing at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse. Airmen there remotely operate the MQ-9 Reaper. "I've seen what you have done here as part of the prison operation yesterday and visited the MQ-9s in Syracuse, and that was impressive," Pekkari said. Although almost a third of New York's 16,500 Army and Air National Guard members were on the prison mission, Shields said it was still essential to conduct the meetings. "It's important for us to know the development between Sweden and the New York National Guard. We're super happy you're here. I did not want to postpone or cancel, because it's just too important to us," Shields said. "We have met a couple of times now, and it is so easy to work with you, and how easy we connect and work with each other, we have talked about real business, real exercises and how to develop our capabilities," Pekkari said. "It was an excellent experience to see some of your current operations and the capabilities you have." The Swedes and New Yorkers broke into working groups to plan training between the two organizations through 2027, according to New York Army National Guard Maj. Melanie Padilla, the New York SPP director. "The SPP engagements that were agreed upon fosters cooperation between the New York National Guard and Sweden to allow our organizations to strengthen our interoperability and allow for our organizations to learn from each other," Padilla said. At the same time the Swedish delegation was visiting New York, nine New York Army National Guard Soldiers were in Sweden observing a Swedish river crossing exercise, Padilla said. This summer, the Swedish Army will send observers to participate in a similar engineer training exercise in New York with the 152nd Brigade Engineer Battalion and the 204th Engineer Battalion. A port security exercise with Swedish naval personnel and the New York Naval Militia, the U.S. Coast Guard, and New York City police and fire units is planned in New York Harbor later this year. The New York Naval Militia has also been invited to participate in a port security exercise in Sweden this year. The New York Air National Guard's 152nd Air Operations Group will host Swedish Air Force leaders during U.S. exercises and will travel to Sweden to train there. The 274th Air Support Operations Squadron, a New York Air Guard unit specializing in close air support, will also train at home and in Sweden with their counterparts. The 106th Rescue Wing, based on Long Island, will work on search and rescue exercises with their Swedish counterparts. Padilla said the New York Army National Guard's 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the 369th Sustainment Brigade and the 42nd Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade are also planning exercises in the next two years. He said they will begin with up to 55 people involved in 2026 and grow to a mission involving up to 1,000 people in 2027. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Speech by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament Plenary joint debate on European Council meetings and European Security European Commission Speech Mar 10, 2025 Strasbourg "Check against delivery" Thank you, dear Roberta, Honourable Members, Alcide de Gasperi said: 'We do not just need peace among us, but to build a common defence. This is not to threaten or conquer, but to deter any attack from the outside, driven by hatred against a united Europe. This is the task of our generation.' 70 years have gone by, but our generation is faced with the very same task. Because peace in our Union can no longer be taken for granted. We are facing a crisis of European security. But we know that it is in crisis that Europe has always been built. So, this is the moment for peace through strength. This is the moment for a common defence. And at the European Council, I saw a level of consensus on European defence, which is not just unprecedented but was completely unthinkable only a few weeks ago. There is a new understanding that we must think differently and act accordingly. We have started to mobilise Europe's massive resources. In the coming weeks and months, more courage will be necessary. And other difficult choices await us. Honourable Members, The European security order is being shaken, and so many of our illusions are being shattered. After the end of the Cold War, some believed that Russia could be integrated in Europe's economic and security architecture. While others hoped that we could rely indefinitely on America's full protection. And so, we lowered our guard. We cut our defence spending from routinely averaging more than 3.5% to less than half of that. We thought we were enjoying a peace dividend. But in reality, we were just running a security deficit. The time of illusions is now over. Europe is called to take greater charge of its own defence. Not in some distant future but already today. Not with incremental steps but with the courage that the situation requires. We need a surge in European defence. And we need it now. We need it first and foremost because of the situation in Ukraine. There is the urgent need to fill the gaps in Ukraine's military supplies and to provide Ukraine with solid security guarantees. But this moment of reckoning is not only about Ukraine. It is about all of Europe and our entire continent's security. Putin has proven time and again that he is a hostile neighbour. He cannot be trusted, he can only be deterred. And we know that Russia's military complex is outproducing ours. If we look at military expenditure in real terms, the Kremlin is spending more than all of Europe combined. Europe's production is still on a lower order of magnitude. And beyond traditional capabilities, the range of threats we face is getting broader by the day. The European Parliament has argued for years that Europe needed to do more. And you were absolutely right. In this more dangerous era, Europe needs to step up. And this is the goal of the plan that I presented to the leaders last week. Its logic is simple: We want to pull every single financial lever we have to strengthen and fast-track our defence production. With the REARM Europe plan, we can mobilise up to EUR 800 billion. Let me focus briefly on some of its main features. First, on the national escape clause. Let me start with why it is crucial to mobilise national budgets. Today we spend just short of 2% of our GDP on defence. Every analysis agrees that we need to move north of 3%. The entire European budget only reaches 1% of our GDP. So it is obvious that the bulk of new investments can only come from Member States. This is why we are activating the national escape clause - foreseen by our new fiscal rules. This is a new tool that was created just last year. And we propose to trigger it in a controlled, time-bound and coordinated way - for all Member States. This can transform our defence budgets quickly and effectively. Member States could mobilise up to EUR 650 billion over the next 4 years, adding 1.5% of GDP to their defence budgets over 4 years. This is massive. And yet the European Council has tasked us to explore further measures, to facilitate significant defence spending at national level, while ensuring debt sustainability. Second, the European Council has agreed on our proposal for a new financial instrument. We call it SAFE. Security Action for Europe. We offer Member States up to EUR 150 billion in loans - to invest following a few basic principles. They could focus on a few selected strategic capability domains, from air defence to drones, from strategic enablers to cyber, to mention a few - so that we maximise the impact of our investments. These loans should finance purchases from European producers, to help boost our own defence industry. The contracts should be multiannual, to give the industry the predictability they need. And finally, there should be a focus on joint procurement. We have seen how powerful this can be. Think of Czech and Danish-led initiatives to provide weapons and ammunition for Ukraine. One nation took the lead. Others joined in, to place larger orders. Industry scaled up, and prices went down. It was both quick and efficient. And this is exactly what we need right now: speed and scale. This is why we have chosen the emergency procedure under Article 122 - which is designed precisely for times when 'severe difficulties arise in the supply of certain products'. In other words, the 122 allows us to raise money, to lend it to Member States for them to invest in defence. This is the only possible way for emergency financial assistance and that is what we need now. We will keep the Parliament constantly updated on progress. This leads me to the third point, on cohesion funds. This is a possibility that we are offering to Member States. Member States will have the possibility to redirect some of their uncommitted funds to defence-related projects. This could be infrastructure, or research and development. This would be voluntary, for those who want to go the extra mile. It will be up to Parliament and Council to decide on this additional option. For the same reason, REARM Europe also includes measures to mobilise private investment, with the European Investment Bank, and our upcoming Saving and Investments Union. Let me add that this will also have positive spillovers for our economy and our competitiveness. New factories and production lines will be necessary, creating good jobs right here in Europe. The investment boost will be felt well beyond the defence sector - from steel to space, from large transport companies to innovative AI start-ups. Together, we have the size to deter any hostile country. We have the economic power. And now, finally, we have the political will, too. Honourable Members, We all wish we could live in more peaceful times. But I am confident that, if we unleash our industrial power, we can restore deterrence against those who seek to do us harm. It is time to build a European Defence Union that ensures peace on our continent through unity and strength. This is Europe's moment. And Europe will rise to it. Thank you, and long live Europe. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Vietnam, Indonesia upgrade relations to highest level The announcement came after a meeting between their leaders in Jakarta. By Mike Firn for RFA 2025.03.10 BANGKOK -- Vietnam and Indonesia have agreed to upgrade ties to the top level Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnamese state media reported on Tuesday. The announcement followed a Monday meeting between Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary To Lam and Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto. The two sides agreed on a Strategic Partnership in 2013 and wanted to build on its achievements, the two leaders said. Indonesia is Vietnam's third-largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Vietnam is Indonesia's fourth-largest trading partner in ASEAN, according to the Vietnam News Agency, or VNA. Two-way trade rose to $16.7 billion last year from US$9 billion in 2019 and the two countries aim to increase it to $18 billion within three years. At Monday's meeting, Lam and Prabowo agreed to remove tariff barriers, increase agricultural and fisheries exports and encourage business leaders to invest in each other's country with a focus on the digital and green economies and the transition to clean energy. Indonesia had 123 projects in Vietnam with a total investment of $682 million last year, according to VNA. Vietnamese companies are increasing investment in Indonesia, including electric car maker VinFast, which has built a $200 million factory in the town of Subang in West Java. Vietnam's so-called bamboo diplomacy, characterized by flexibility and independence, has led it to court both China and the U.S. for business but a tariff-driven trade war between the world's two biggest economies means Hanoi is looking for other trading partners in Asia and Europe. Indonesia is the ninth country to be elevated to the highest level of relations with Vietnam and the first in Southeast Asia. The others are China, Russia, India, South Korea, the U.S., Japan, Australia and France. Lam was the first party chief to visit Indonesia in eight years and wrapped up his three-day trip on Tuesday. Edited by RFA Staff. Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taliban Must Uphold International Obligations, Restore Women's 'Non-Negotiable' Rights, Security Council Told Meetings Coverage Security Council 9875th Meeting (PM) SC/16015 10 March 2025 'Moment for Realism', Says Head of United Nations Mission amid Growing Frustration that 'Political Engagement Not Working' Pointing to growing frustration over the lack of progress in political engagement with Afghanistan's de facto authorities compounded by cuts to humanitarian-aid funding that are placing additional pressure on the Afghan people the top UN official there told the Security Council today that the Taliban must clearly demonstrate their commitment to Afghanistan's international reintegration. "The de facto authorities have, so far, treated [Afghanistan's] international obligations selectively," noted Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). However, she underscored that these international obligations "affect not only the possibility of progress along the political pathway, but, most crucially, the well-being of Afghanistan's entire population". Significant Impact of Defunding Aid That population, she said, continues to face a "severe" humanitarian crisis, and "the defunding of assistance is already having and will continue to have a significant impact on the Afghan people". Welcoming the World Bank's recent decision to provide an additional $240 million to support the country's health sector, she also detailed the "joined-up" approach implemented by the UN and its partners in Afghanistan, as well as a growing economy and increased investment. Yet, she said that the de facto authorities' "vision of economic self-sufficiency" cannot be achieved unless obstacles to reintegration are resolved. "Here, we return to the question of Afghanistan's international obligations," she said. Significant restrictions on women continue, and UNAMA has been closely observing the Taliban's enforcement of its Law on the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue since its promulgation in August 2024. "The law demonstrates the de facto authorities' prioritization of ideology over international obligations," she stressed. And noting continued activity by ISIL-KP and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, she pointed to "legitimate questions about the de facto authorities' ability or commitment to uphold their own guarantees that Afghanistan will not become a threat to other countries". Stressing that "the space for engagement is narrowing", she noted international stakeholders' growing frustration that "political engagement is not working and may actually be encouraging hardliners within the de facto authority". Further, global trends risk leaving Afghanistan poorer, more vulnerable and more isolated. This in mind, she stated that the most helpful development would be a "clear signal from the de facto authorities that they are committed to the reintegration of Afghanistan with the international community with all that implies". She added: "This is a moment for realism." Caution against 'Normalizing' Taliban "In 2021, the Taliban tried to sell themselves to the international community as a reformed group, promising to respect human rights, including women's rights a lie the international community was too quick to believe," said Azadah Raz Mohammad, Co-Founder of the Ham Diley Campaign. However, Afghan women warned that, given the chance, the Taliban would destroy every gain they had fought for since their brutal rule in the 1990s. Now, their fears have become reality: through at least 126 brutally enforced decrees, the Taliban have deprived Afghan women and girls of their most fundamental rights education, employment, movement, assembly, speech and life free from violence. "The Taliban have erased Afghan women so thoroughly that even hearing their voices or seeing their faces in public is now a crime," she said, adding that "they are suffocating in their homes, banned from even looking out the window". Through gender apartheid, the Taliban is ready to crush anyone who resists them, and punishments include extrajudicial killing, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, sexual violence, corporal punishment, public flogging and execution by stoning. Accountability for these grave violations is essential "yet impossible domestically", she stressed. She also voiced concern over "alarming steps" by the UN and Member States to normalize the Taliban, recalling the "Doha 3" meeting in June 2024 at which Afghan women were excluded from formal discussions. On Taliban social media accounts, there is "a regular flow of smiling photos of foreign diplomats and businessmen partnering with this gender-apartheid regime", she added. Yet, the recent application by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders is "a pushback" against this normalization and "a beacon of hope" for the people of Afghanistan, she said. For its part, the Council should impose sanctions on all Taliban leaders who have committed human rights violations against Afghan women and girls, she urged, also stressing that gender apartheid should be codified as a crime against humanity. Women's Rights in Focus As the floor opened for debate, many Council members noted the timeliness of today's meeting, which coincided with the opening of the Commission on the Status of Women's sixty-ninth session, just days after the International Women's Day observance on 8 March. They urged the international community to condemn the Taliban's segregationist and repressive policies. Among them was the representative of France, who observed that the regime has placed gender-based persecution and violence against women at the heart of its political identity. This not only harms women, he stressed: "By erasing half of the population from public life, the Taliban are crushing any prospect of development and justice for Afghanistan." Greece's representative urged the Taliban to end "the systematic and systemic violations of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Afghan women and girls". "We urge the Taliban to immediately reverse all of their discriminatory policies," concurred the representative of Denmark, Council President for March, as she spoke in her national capacity. Stressing that the Taliban's "self-destructive" edicts will negatively impact the country, Panama's representative urged the de facto authorities to reconsider implementation of these measures. "The Taliban face a choice," said the representative of the United Kingdom. "If they want to be integrated into the international community, then they must adhere to their international obligations," he emphasized. Slovenia's delegate said that most of Afghanistan's partners including Ljubljana remain genuinely concerned about and ready to assist the Afghan people, despite the country's continuously regressive developments. "However, the Taliban must create suitable and sustainable conditions by upholding international law and fulfilling Afghanistan's international obligations including the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Violence Against Women," she added. Guyana's representative, also speaking for Algeria, Sierra Leone and Somalia, said that international engagement with Afghanistan is "crucial" for the country's development and stability. However, she, too, called on the Taliban to comply with Afghanistan's international obligations "for the well-being of the Afghan people". Yet, the representative of the United States voiced scepticism regarding the Taliban's good-faith engagement in the UN's Doha process, urging the Organization to be a stronger voice "in pressing the Taliban to change course". Caution against Imposing External Visions Despite the dark prospects outlined by the West, said the representative of the Russian Federation, "there is no other game in town aside from pragmatic cooperation with the Taliban". He stressed that building sustainable peace is only possible "if we have a patient dialogue" with the de facto authorities without any attempts to impose outside visions or priorities. However, the representative of the Republic of Korea observed: "The situation of women and girls and minorities in Afghanistan is a source of universal concern." It is not only Western countries, but also Muslim communities, that have voiced caution about the misuse of religious principles for legitimizing policies of exclusion. It is neither a concern solely outside Afghanistan, he added, noting that "doubts have been raised even within the Taliban itself". China's representative, meanwhile, highlighted Afghanistan's improving economy and dynamic external relations, calling on the Council to adjust the sanctions regime established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011). He also underscored the importance of rebuilding Afghanistan's banking system and urged other States to abandon "political calculus and geopolitical biases" to safeguard the greater good of international counter-terrorism cooperation. Issues That Must Be Addressed in Doha Process Pakistan's representative also underscored the importance of reviving Afghanistan's banking sector. "Afghanistan's trade could grow significantly if it resolved its problems with Pakistan," he added, stating that authorities in Kabul are complicit in cross-border attacks by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. Urging intensified efforts to "promote early normalization in Afghanistan", he said that all "fundamental" issues including counter-terrorism, human rights and inclusive governance must be addressed in the UN's Doha process. However, the Taliban rejected the "legitimate and joint demands of the Afghan people and their global partners", said the representative of Afghanistan, stressing that the international community has engaged the Taliban for almost four years. Instead, he added, they have consolidated power under a "rigid, unelected, theocratic and misogynistic regime" whose policies have pushed Afghanistan into poverty and dependency on international aid. He therefore urged the Council to send a clear, unified message that "women's rights are non-negotiable", that Taliban leaders must be held accountable and that the Council will explore targeted measures against those responsible for violations. Further, engagement with the Taliban must be conditioned on respect for international obligations; humanitarian aid must reach those in need; and Afghanistan must not become a hub for extremism. "Let history not say that we watched, debated and did nothing," he urged. The Council also heard from several other countries in the region, with the representative of Kazakhstan noting that his Government has introduced a wheat-farming initiative to empower local farmers in central Afghanistan and has backed the establishment of the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty. India's representative also detailed his country's commitment to Afghanistan, noting its aid deliveries since August 2021 27 tons of relief material, 50,000 tons of wheat, 40,000 litres of pesticides and more than 300 tons of medicines and medical equipment. Further, since 2001, India has implemented more than 500 projects across all provinces to facilitate Afghanistan's reconstruction. For his part, Iran's delegate underscored that the international community cannot allow Afghanistan to become a haven for terrorism, and turning to Afghan refugees and migrants, he said that Iran has sheltered millions of Afghans for over 40 years. This has been a heavy burden, he stressed "one that became even greater after the United States' reckless withdrawal in 2021". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USAG Rheinland-Pfalz, unit partners incorporate Army modernization into future property plans By Mary DEL ROSARIO March 11, 2025 SEMBACH, Germany -- U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz commander, Col. Jeffery Higgins, hosted the winter Real Property Planning Board (RPPB) Council of Colonels Engagement Meeting at the workforce development center Feb. 18. The RPPB is a forum for the garrison to align infrastructure priorities with tenant unit and mission partner leaders while incorporating forecasted personnel growth, organizational changes and the Army's modernization efforts. Higgins said the Council of Colonels meeting is a key step in the process of building real property plans aligned with the priorities of the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO), Maj. Gen. Ronald Ragin, 21st Theater Security Command commander, and the Senior Commander (SC), Gen. Christopher Donahue, U.S. Army Europe and Africa commander. "This is where leaders engage in open dialogue, much like a city council meeting, to make informed decisions that will directly impact the future of our installations," Higgins said. The full RPPB takes place in the spring, where the garrison team, tenant unit leaders and mission partners formally present their agreed-upon project priorities to the SRO and SC. These priorities are then integrated into the overall garrison Facility Investment Plan (FIP) listing. US Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz advances the Department of Defense's mission to achieve peace through strength as we serve, support, and secure the total force community, enabling power projection for the European Theater. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pentagon official: "Picatinny best suited for intergovernmental support agreement process" - Shared cost savings for community and installation By Eric Kowal March 11, 2025 PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. -- More than 40 participants representing the U.S. Army and multiple northern New Jersey municipalities convened during a Community Partners meeting at "The Club at Picatinny" facility on March 5. Dave Leinberger, Army Community Partnerships chief, Office of Deputy Chief of Staff G-9 (Installations), Headquarters Department of the Army, arrived from the Pentagon to establish a dialogue between Picatinny Arsenal leaders and local elected officials that included, township mayors and members of the Picatinny Enhancement Coalition (PEC). The coalition is a 501(c)(6) non-profit corporation chartered to support Picatinny Arsenal and other New Jersey-based military installations. State Senator Anthony Bucco also attended. Leinberger gave a briefing on the Army Community Partnership (ACP) Program, which is dedicated to assisting the entire Army enterprise and partners in identifying the appropriate partnership authority tool to execute mutually beneficial partnerships. These partnerships are often created through intergovernmental support agreements (IGSA), which aim to produce a cost savings/avoidance and efficiencies for the Army and the surrounding communities while strengthening the relationships between the installation and outside partners. "Collaboration with federal, state and local governments is crucial for sustaining Army priorities, readiness, reform and modernization," Leinberger said. Because Picatinny employees live in many of the represented communities, the purpose of the gathering was to describe how the installation's mission supports the nation, and how those neighboring municipalities contribute to that success. The meeting also facilitated discussions that may result in mutual partnerships. "We can't do on-base, what we do, without working with our off-base partners," Leinberger said. "They are really good at running their communities, often times in larger scale than what we are doing on-base. My goal is to find a way to partner with them and find that mutual beneficial compromise. "Picatinny has several small towns around it. Small towns are ideal partners. Those small towns have leaders who are hungry to do business with the Army and cut operating costs where possible. Picatinny is best suited for the IGSA process. This installation has a really healthy relationship with local leaders, and they want to engage." Leinberger also informed the guests that earlier this year, the Department of the Army announced Picatinny Arsenal as one of seven installations to be recognized as winners of the 2024 Army Community Partnership awards for the installation's "outstanding partnership." The 2024 award will officially be presented at the Army Community Partnership Recognition Ceremony this spring in the Pentagon Hall of Heroes. Vince Matrisciano, a former Picatinny Arsenal employee and member of the PEC, helped spearhead Leinberger's visit when he and other representatives from the coalition approached him in Washington D.C. in December. "All the PEC members are volunteers who have a vested interest in Picatinny," Matrisciano said." We are chartered to do things that Picatinny staff members cannot do, to include meeting with local, state, and federal elected officials to help propagate the message of how important Picatinny is to not only DoD and the Army but to the local community as well." After the meeting, Leinberger toured several facilities that fall under the scope of work performed by the installation's Emergency Services, and Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation Directorates. Picatinny Arsenal is one of the top three employers in Morris County, New Jersey, according to the Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation, and supports the Army priorities of People, Readiness and Modernization. The installation's capabilities are unique and vital to the nation, as the workforce leads the advancement of armament technologies and engineering innovation for the U.S. military. The Picatinny Arsenal garrison supports mission partners that use unique laboratories, special facilities, and various performance measures to evaluate prototype designs, thus reducing development cycle time. The garrison's mission partners perform a broad scope of activities that include improvised explosive device (IED) defeat technologies, drones, precision-guided munitions, mortars, fire-control systems, small-arms weapon systems, howitzers, gunner protection armor, warheads, fuzes, and insensitive munitions, along with small, medium, and large caliber conventional ammunition. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address March 11, 2025 By C. Todd Lopez, DOD News Mass Timber, 3D Printing May be Future of Military Construction for Army, Navy Army and Navy barracks may one day be 3D printed or built using mass timber construction that involves large wooden structural beams manufactured from smaller lumber. Today on Capitol Hill, Dave Morrow, director of military programs for Army Corps of Engineers, and Keith Hamilton, chief engineer for Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, met with lawmakers from the House appropriations committee, subcommittee on defense, to discuss the current and potential future uses of innovative construction techniques and technologies by the armed forces. Additive construction 3D printing buildings high performance cement and concrete mixes, geosynthetics, mass timber, composite materials, industrialized construction, tension fabric structures, and carbon fiber reinforced polymers were all part of the discussion with lawmakers about how the Army and Navy can develop the most cost efficient and resilient military construction projects. "In an increasingly complex global security environment, our commitment to innovation in military construction is not just about building structures, it's about building the resilience and readiness our forces need to prevail," Morrow said. "By working with industry to leverage these advancements, we can deliver more durable, sustainable and cost-effective infrastructure for our military, ensuring taxpayer dollars are used efficiently, while equipping our troops with the best facilities in the world." The Army Corps of Engineers, Morrow said, has already piloted 3D printed construction at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, and Fort Bliss, Texas. At Fort Bliss, three new projects, involving barracks, were constructed using 3D printing technology. Morrow said this technology can be used in garrison or in expeditionary environments. "Additive construction has [the] potential to reduce costs, manpower, logistics and time, while opening the door for improved and new applications, such as unconventional countermeasures," he told lawmakers. The USACE's Engineer Research and Development Center, has played a part in the development of unified facilities criteria, to allow additive construction in 80% of the United States, Morrow said. The criteria, developed jointly, sets basic technical requirements that must be followed to deliver code-compliant, complete and usable military facilities. In Hampton Roads, Virginia, the Navy is now piloting the use of mass timber, also called cross-laminated timber for construction of a child development center, Hamilton said. In testimony submitted to the committee, Hamilton said the new facility will use a hybrid mass timber exterior envelope consisting of cross-laminated walls and diaphragms. "DOD has expressly acknowledged the applicability of CLT with the creation of a guide specification," Hamilton said. "As the CLT construction industry matures, CLT may prove more competitive and could be utilized more broadly in DOD construction." The USACE is also working with mass timber projects, Morrow said. "We recently designed the Army's first barracks made primarily with mass timber structural elements and are soliciting interest in construction of a project at Mountain Home Air Force Base, calling for the incorporations of mass timber design," he said, adding that mass timber construction in those projects may reduce construction timelines. Hamilton told lawmakers, at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, NAVFAC was involved in piloting the use of high-performance concrete to build a new F-35 Lighting II hanger. Advancements within HPC include durability, strength, and resistance to extreme environmental conditions, as well as improved thermal and acoustic properties. "HPC has been used extensively for our piers, runways and other critical infrastructure; and we are broadening its application," Hamilton wrote in submitted testimony. Like USACE, Hamilton said, NAVFAC is looking to newer technologies to provide better facilities and better capabilities to warfighters. "NAVFAC is actively testing and employing innovative technologies, materials and methods for design and construction today, and we are leaning forward to increase collaboration with industry, academia and other government partners to identify and leverage future opportunities," Hamilton said. Within the Navy, he told lawmakers, new guidance requires NAVFAC planners and engineers to evaluate if new military construction projects can use alternative construction methods to meet warfighting requirements, lower costs and accelerate project delivery. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address United Nations: Press remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas after her address to the UN Security Council European External Action Service (EEAS) 11.03.2025 New York, 11/03/2024 EEAS Press Team Check against delivery! Good afternoon, everybody. It is a real pleasure to be here at the United Nations Security Council. I am also very happy that we have the Team Europe here, really you can see that we work all very well together. The world is more dangerous now than it has ever been since the Cold War. From Russia's war against Ukraine, to conflicts in the Middle East and the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, global security is eroding fast. But this is precisely why the United Nations is needed: without it, the world would face even greater chaos. The European Union is the United Nations most reliable partner and the world's largest donor of development aid. Europe plays a major role in the UN-led security efforts, contributing over a fifth of the UN peacekeeping budget. The European Union is also a security provider in its own right, with over 20 missions and operations worldwide. From Gaza to Sudan, our organisations work side-by-side to bring stability, provide aid and support political solutions. Today, we discussed the situation in the Middle East. In Syria, the path to stability remains fraught, as the recent shocking violence has underscored. I call on all sides to seek peaceful solutions and to overcome the spiral of violence. The European Union supports an inclusive transition [and] an economic recovery. Next week the European Union will host a donors conference aimed at generating much needed financial support for Syria's reconstruction. In Gaza, the ceasefire is under strain. It is critical that both sides uphold their commitments and that Phase two talks succeed. Humanitarian aid and services should not be politicised. The European Union welcomes the Arab Recovery Plan, and we look forward to discussing it further with our partners. As the region moves on and to rebuild, the Two-State solution remains the only path to sustainable peace. The Security Council also discussed Russia's war against Ukraine. Moscow's war is nothing more than a colonial assault and an unjust invasion of a sovereign neighbour. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainian people who are bombarded every day. I agree with President Trump that the killing must stop. Putin can end this war instantly: all he needs to do is stop bombing Ukraine. Instead, Russian attacks have intensified in recent days, once again showing that Russia does not want peace. Any deal with Putin must be backed by strong security guarantees. Russia's track record of broken treaties leaves no room for trust. In response to Russia's threat, European Union leaders have pledged to massively increase military spending - not to provoke a conflict with Russia, but to prevent it. As we strengthen Europe, the European Union will remain a predictable, reliable, and credible partner for the United Nations. Yes, the world is ablaze today, but the multilateral system we built remains the best path to a more stable world. So, thank you and I am happy to take some questions. Q&A Q. President Trump said recently that the EU was created to 'screw the US'. That was obviously in relation to trade, but how do you feel that you can overcome that antagonism, so you are not completely sidelined on key issues like Ukraine? And, on that note, have you had any kind of readout from your Ukrainian counterparts on how the talks went today in Riyadh? Yes, thank you for the question. First, Europe is a peace project, and it was created so that there would not be any wars among the members of the European Union. And we do not have those wars. We do not have trade wars either between ourselves because we have the internal market. When it comes to being a major player in the geopolitical sphere, I think right now, everything, our relations with third parties around the world show that everybody is looking at us because we are the reliable and the predictable partner. I really see the possibility to grow also Europe's geopolitical presence. When it comes to the talks right now, then the messages that we get from Ukraine are that these talks are very constructive, so we will look forward to more news from there. Q. I wonder if you could preview the upcoming EU-South Africa summit in Cape Town, which EU Commission leadership will attend. Particularly as my context is framed in here, in the context that Europe is being attacked by the United States - in the main, Donald Trump with Elon Musk, as has South Africa. I wonder if you can frame this upcoming meeting in that context and also in the context of South Africa's G20 presidency. Yes, South Africa's G20 presidency is built on sustainability and equality for all. These are the basic principles also of the European Union. So, we see a lot of cooperation points. I was just in South Africa in preparation for the Summit with the ministers. I can say that we found a lot of points of cooperation when it comes to energy corporation, when it comes to critical raw materials, but also security arrangements. So, I think there's a lot of room for cooperation. I also think that the shifts in geopolitics really give Europe the possibility to build these relationships anew. Q. More on Ukraine. Ukraine, as you know better than anyone, has divided the European Union, the United States here at the United Nations, among other places. A follow up on the earlier question, what is your best hope of what comes out of Saudi Arabia talks? Thank you. First, in Europe, we have been very united on our response and support to Ukraine. And that is - actually considering that we are 27 countries, and we have been able to keep this - I think, very important, because our strength is unity. When it comes to talks, I think everybody is looking forward to a peace that lasts, a peace that ends the human suffering. We are willing to work for such kind of solutions. We also know that there has to be accountability for the crimes committed. Also, we are here today in the United Nations - and [the] United Nations Charter, is a very, very good document of universal principles. But there also has to be response if somebody violates those principles. Therefore, I think it is in our interest together with like-minded partners all across the world that the UN Charter is still applicable. Q. You talked about the Arab plan for Gaza. What are the areas that you think you can work with the Arab group on Gaza. Do you have benchmarks, do you have maybe a time frame for the process? Are you planning to start funding any projects anytime soon? We are in close cooperation with our Arab partners, and we are studying the plan carefully and also seeing what our contribution could be. It is clear that for any kind of reconstruction there has to be stability and peace. Otherwise, it is it is very hard to build. Therefore, the governance of Gaza is an extremely important discussion point, where the European Union sees also the role to be a mediating partner. We definitely want to see the governance of Gaza so that the Palestinians have their rights respected and we will closely cooperate with our Arab partners, on to how to build this further, before we discuss any kind of additional funding. Thank you. Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-268924 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address United Nations: Speech by High Representative Kaja Kallas at the annual UN Security Council session on EU-UN cooperation European External Action Service (EEAS) 11.03.2025 New York Strategic Communications/p> Check against delivery! Madam President, Excellencies, It is an honour to address the United Nations Security Council. I would like to thank also the Danish Presidency for scheduling this meeting. And I wish you the best for your Presidency at this very critical time. This year marks 80 years since the foundation of the United Nations. And it is facing unprecedented pressure. We see blatant violations of the UN Charter. We see attempts to replace the rule of law with the rule of force. The rules-based international order, enshrined in the UN Charter, is a set of universal principles that create conditions for peace, prosperity, human rights, dignity and development for all. 80 years on, we see these principles under heavy fire. My message to you today is simple: whether we are talking about support... to international law, international humanitarian law and human rights, to UN-led peace efforts, to security, to boosting multilateralism, to humanitarian efforts, or to funding ...the EU will remain the United Nations's reliable partner of choice. Let me take each of those six points in turn. First, the EU calls for the respect of international law, international humanitarian law and human rights in every context they are at risk or actively violated. Be it in Gaza, Sudan, the DRC, Myanmar, Haiti or Ukraine. Yet, for three long years, we have been witnessing an illegal war of aggression aimed at destroying a Member State of the United Nations. Russia continues its unprovoked full-scale invasion; it continues to attack, destroy, kill civilians, spread false narratives, deny its war crimes and evade responsibility. Let us not forget that two weeks ago, in this chamber, Russia vetoed the Council's support to Ukraine's territorial integrity and to peace in line with the UN Charter. The UN Charter is sacrosanct for a safer world. Be it in Ukraine or any other country. That is why the European Union has supported Ukraine, in line with its right to self-defence under the Charter. And why we also stand firmly with Ukraine for a just and lasting peace in line with the UN Charter. It is the spirit of the resolution promoted by Ukraine and the EU which was adopted by the General Assembly with large support of the UN membership. Europe has learnt from its own history that giving in to aggressors' demands leads to more violence. Let's be clear: this war can end instantly if Russia - the only one responsible - withdraws its troops and stops bombing Ukraine. Russia can stop this war any time - but it has chosen not to, despite all the efforts so far. Because it has not achieved its war aims. This has not changed. Ukrainians do not want to be part of Russia. They have fought against this for three years. They deserve to choose their own future. And we should all stand by them. This war is neither a "European war" nor a conflict between neighbours, nor a proxy war. Ukraine is a sovereign state of 40 million people that has fought for three years to survive and keep its independence. The consequences extend far beyond Ukraine, disrupting global food and energy markets. Also because Russia has brought others - North Korea, Iran - to support its colonial battle too. North Korea's arms transfers to Russia, the presence of troops on the ground, as well as its nuclear weapons programme are serious violations of international law and Resolutions of this Security Council. Iran's military support to Russia, including the delivery of ballistic missiles, is a major threat to international security. Therefore, we must all focus our efforts on achieving, swiftly, a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Secondly, EU support to UN-led and international peace efforts. While these efforts are going on in all corners of the world, my first thought is of Gaza. The ceasefire in Gaza is holding but remains fragile. Thanks to the EU's border mission in Rafah, by 8th of March, over three and a half thousand people had crossed into Egypt, including over two thousand people requiring medical treatment. Work is still ongoing. Too many civilians have been killed - on both sides. It is critical that both sides uphold their commitments to international and humanitarian law and phase two talks succeed. It is imperative that the delivery of humanitarian aid is not politicised or conditional. Any and all blockades to delivery of aid at scale must be lifted. The EU has been the number one provider of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, both in Gaza and also in the West Bank. We intend to stay this course. The total humanitarian support of the EU and the Member States in the last two years is almost 1.5 billion. Last year alone we granted additional 120 million to this effort. While the EU Rafah border mission is our concrete contribution to supporting the ceasefire on the ground, the two-state solution remains the only avenue that will bring sustainable peace and security to the Middle East. For that reason, the EU supports diplomatic efforts through the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the two-state solution. We stand ready to work with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and regional and international actors. Let me also say that the European Union firmly rejects any attempt at demographic or territorial changes. In Gaza. In other parts of the world. Anywhere. Consistent with the UN Charter and international law. At the same time, the security of Israel is paramount to a lasting political solution. In this context, we welcome the Arab Recovery and Reconstruction plan recently presented at the Cairo Summit and adopted also by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It is a serious plan for discussions on the future of Gaza and we will be discussing these ideas with our Arab partners. We support a future state of Palestine with Gaza as an integral part of it. And we will work with the international community in rebuilding Gaza. Our full support for the role of the UN and the UN Special Envoy is also the case in Syria. The fall of the Assad regime marked a historic moment and a chance for all Syrians to rebuild their country. But it is essential for all stakeholders to engage in a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned dialogue. The atrocities we witnessed over the last days are unacceptable and show how fragile the situation is. They cannot happen again. Perpetrators must be brought to justice. In order for stability to take root, it is imperative for the transition to be peaceful and inclusive and for civilians to be protected in all circumstances, in full respect for human rights and international law. We urge respect by all external actors of Syria's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. In parallel we welcome key developments in the right direction of an inclusive transition with the agreement announced yesterday between the Syrian Democratic Forces and Damascus, which could pave the way for more stability and a better future for many Syrians. On our part, and in order to help alleviate the dire socio-economic situation in Syria, the EU has suspended certain restrictive measures. We hope this will give much needed breathing space. But we are ready to roll them back if we see any deterioration. The 9th Brussels Conference next week - 17 March - will address the transition's immediate needs. And I look forward to welcoming regional and international actors. This is a collective effort. The European Union is ready to up its support for an inclusive transition; to address humanitarian needs; and to help towards economic recovery. But we must continue to see the interim authorities taking the right steps and for all sides to refrain from violence immediately, in order for Syria to set off on the right foot on the long road ahead. Beyond the Middle East, we should continue to work together to address the conflicts such as the one in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The recent Security Council resolution, adopted unanimously, sends a strong message to those responsible for the current escalation that territorial integrity in Africa - or elsewhere - is paramount. Excellencies, My third point is security. The EU-UN Strategic Partnership on Peace and Security is a longstanding strand of our cooperation. It demonstrates our shared commitment to global stability. Concretely, the EU contributes to UN-led efforts through coordinated action, by providing funds, by concentrating on prevention as well as through our Common Security and Defence Policy. The EU provides predictable and sustained financing for peacebuilding. For example, we are maintaining our annual 3 million euro contribution to the UN Peacebuilding Fund in the current cycle. And the EU Member States account for over a fifth of the UN peacekeeping budget. Prevention is at the core of peacebuilding efforts and therefore of security and is far more cost-effective than responding to crises. To reinforce these efforts, we are working to establish a Group of Friends on Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention. But beyond all that, the EU is a security provider in its own right. Since 2003, the EU has launched more than 40 civilian and military missions and operations globally. 21 of them are ongoing, and where we are often working hand-in-hand with the United Nations on the ground. To name just a few, there is: Operation Aspides that has already protected over 340 ships transiting the Red Sea, Operation Atalanta to counter piracy in the Horn of Africa, Operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is helping to preserve the stability of the country though its support for national authorities to maintain a safe and secure environment for all citizens. Operation Irini to implement the arms embargo in Libya. Collectively we can think about how peacebuilding and peace operations could better reflect the evolving peace and security landscape. This year's Peace Building Architecture Review and the Peacekeeping Ministerial will offer an opportunity. My fourth point this morning is that the EU remains steadfast in its commitment to multilateral solutions. The adoption of the Pact for the Future last year demonstrates that this commitment is widely shared in the world. Boosting multilateralism is obviously a matter of teamwork. This is also why we engage with partners at the regional level. Last year with the first ever EU-Gulf Cooperation Council. This year with a Ministerial and Summit between the European Union and the African Union to mark the 25th anniversary of our partnership. And with an EU-CELAC Summit. There are many instances around the world of how multilateralism is the only way forward in solving issues. For example, Somalia. We will continue to support Somalia's unity and territorial integrity and our Somalian partners, who are here in this Chamber, in your fight against terrorism. We welcome the new African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission and support the AU/UN proposed hybrid financing option for AUSSOM as the first test case to implement resolution 2719. Myanmar is another instance of multilateral problem solving. The EU engages with ASEAN as well as opposition and pro-democratic forces with the aim of restoring Myanmar's democratic path, and restoring peace and stability. But we also put our money where our mouth is: together with the EU Member States, in 2024 the EU was the second largest development donor in Myanmar. In Haiti, the EU supports a stabilisation path leading to elections. We also support the Multi-national Security Support mission via a financial contribution of up to 10 million. We are working with the UN on how to operationalise it. We support multilateralism not where and when it is in our interests but because it is always in the collective interest. In this vein, the constant expansion of Iran's nuclear programme fully contradicts Iran's own commitments as endorsed by the Security Council (UNSC Resolution 2231). At the same time, a multilateral approach, like the JCPOA was, is key. There is no sustainable alternative to a diplomatic solution. My fifth point, on humanitarian work. Humanitarian needs continue to rise globally. Though others pull back, the European Union will always step up, with almost two billion euro this year alone. In Sudan, for example, the war has caused the world's largest humanitarian crisis. The EU supports all meaningful efforts to put an end to the war and continues to work hand in hand with international accountability mechanisms to bring perpetrators of atrocities to justice. In 2024, the EU allocated close to 260 million to the humanitarian response to assist those in need in Sudan. The European Union has also promoted a non-aggression pact with the warring parties for critical infrastructure such as dams and electricity grids. Regional and international pressure will be needed to help stop the destruction that is unfolding. Another example is the EU's humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, where the human rights situation continues to worsen, particularly for women and girls. We commend the UN efforts to initiate an UN-led political process, reinvigorating the Doha Process. The EU stands ready to contribute where we can as a major donor, with a presence in Kabul. Excellencies, My sixth point is on financing. The EU and our Member States demonstrate an unparalleled commitment to the UN's financial stability. By paying on time and by paying in full. Collectively we are the single largest Official Development Assistance (ODA) donor worldwide. 42% of global ODA in 2022 and 2023 or well over 90 billion. Much of this goes through UN agencies. The EU and EU Member States collectively make the single largest financial contribution to the UN system, year after year. EU Member States jointly finance one quarter of the UN regular budget. Together the European Union and EU Member States provide a third of all financial contributions to UN agencies, funds and programmes. In 2022, our Member States' spent over 14 billion. The EU alone spends over 3 billion annually. This is more than anyone else. We are a cornerstone of United Nations financing. This is the most concrete example of our commitment and support to the UN. Madam President, Excellencies, I would lastly like to refer to three cross-cutting threats to global peace and security. First, terrorism, which affects us all. Let me assure you that our commitment to fight against terrorism is resolute, anticipating threats and jointly working with partners. Second, information manipulation and interference. It is increasingly used as a tool of hybrid warfare for covert operations by various actors. The online environment presents particular opportunities to manipulate free, open and democratic discourse for political or economic gain. Recognising this urgent challenge, the EU strongly supports the UN's Global Principles for Information Integrity. Third, increasing attacks on gender equality. The Commission on the Status of Women is meeting this week. We also mark 30 years since the ground-breaking Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. We need to understand that gender equality is intrinsically linked to democratic resilience. The EU also fully supports the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Excellencies, As I wrap up, let me emphasise the important imperative to reform our multilateral system. We all agree that we need to reinvigorate the UN, to reflect the world of today. Reform of the Security Council is a necessary condition for this body to fulfil its responsibility of ensuring the maintenance of international peace and security. Concrete language on the Council reform in the Pact for the Future is an achievement that reflects the consensus among UN members. The values and principles we adhered to eighty years ago remain the same. The purpose of the United Nations remains the same. The commitment of the European Union also remains the same. Our geopolitical context is changing, but you can count on the EU as the UN's most reliable, credible partner. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudan: Statement by the Spokesperson on the latest political developments European External Action Service (EEAS) 11.03.2025 EEAS Press Team The European Union reiterates its commitment to the unity and territorial integrity of Sudan and the sovereignty of the Sudanese people. Plans for parallel 'government' by the Rapid Support Forces risk the partition of the country and jeopardise the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people for an inclusive Sudanese-owned process that leads to the restoration of civilian rule. The European Union calls upon the parties to the conflict to end the harassment of civil society representatives and to refrain from restricting civic space. The EU's framework for restrictive measures on Sudan targets people or entities undermining efforts to resume the political transition in the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Estonian Defence Forces and the Rescue Board Receive New Armored Vehicles Republic of Estonia - Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) 11.03.2025 The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments has handed over nearly fifty newly acquired wheeled armored vehicles from Turkey to the 2nd Infantry Brigade. Most of these are 66 ARMA armored vehicles used by infantry units, but the Defence Forces have also received 44 NMS armored vehicles, which will be used by combat support units in both the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades. Additionally, a smaller number of 44 armored vehicles have been procured for the Estonian Rescue Board. The procurement of the new 44 and 66 armored vehicles was prepared and carried out in close cooperation with the Defence Forces. "While weapons systems are often purchased as off-the-shelf solutions, these armored vehicles were designed with the specific needs of the Estonian Defence Forces in mind, both in terms of interior and exterior. Essentially, the machines rolling off the Turkish company's production line are customized to our requirements and practically ready for use. In Estonia, only communication equipment and other necessary gear need to be installed," said Marek Mardo, Strategic Category Manager (Air, Sea & Combat Vehicles) at the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI). "In recent years, we have rapidly accelerated the acquisition of new capabilities for the Estonian Defence Forces, and the newly arrived armored vehicles are a great example of how to enhance defence capability. They provide our defenders with the assurance that the equipment they use helps save lives and offers better conditions for protecting Estonia. I will soon present proposals to the government on how to further strengthen Estonia's defence capabilities to respond to the changed security situation," said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur. The new armored vehicles provide better protection for Defence Forces personnel against small arms fire as well as mines and shell fragments. Additionally, unit mobility will improve, as the off-road capability of the armored vehicles is significantly better than the trucks previously used as infantry transport vehicles in the 2nd Infantry Brigade. The armored vehicles are armed with 12.7mm heavy machine guns. "I am very pleased that our soldiers will be significantly better protected in these new armored vehicles, making them more capable of carrying out their tasks. The training of conscripts has begun successfully, and we look forward to welcoming our reservists at the large-scale exercise Siil, where they will also be trained in operating the new armored vehicles. I am confident that both the armored vehicles and other capabilities acquired for the 2nd Infantry Brigade, as well as other Defence Forces units, will enable us to defend Estonia successfully against any adversaries," said Colonel Antti Viljaste, commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade. The first wheeled armored vehicles arrived in Estonia at the end of 2024, and conscripts of the 2nd Infantry Brigade have already begun training with them. These vehicles will also be used in the Siil large-scale exercise in May. All ordered armored vehicles are expected to arrive in Estonia by the end of this year. In addition to the Defence Forces, four new 44 wheeled armored vehicles produced in Turkey will also be added to the Ministry of the Interior's jurisdiction. These vehicles will primarily be used by the Rescue Board's bomb disposal units but will also be available for the Police and Border Guard Board and the Internal Security Service if needed. "The work of internal security units often involves situations where regular operational vehicles do not provide sufficient protection. The new armored vehicles will significantly enhance our response capabilities and ensure greater safety for bomb disposal experts, police special units, and the Internal Security Service in high-risk operationswhether dealing with explosive threats, armed resistance, or large-scale unrest. The arrival of these armored vehicles within the Ministry of the Interior's jurisdiction is a crucial step in strengthening internal security. They will improve our preparedness for crisis situations, allowing operations in high-risk environments and difficult terrains. Additionally, they enable the safe transportation of specialized equipment and the evacuation of people from immediate danger zones. The government's decision to allocate nearly 2.7 million for these armored vehicles is an investment in public safety. I am confident that this addition will further enhance the response capabilities and readiness of our internal security units," said Tuuli Raim, Deputy Secretary-General for Crisis Preparedness and Civil Protection at the Ministry of the Interior. "In the work of our bomb disposal experts, danger is always present. These armored vehicles are essential to ensure maximum safety. We have never had such capabilities and equipment before, and this marks a significant step forward in crisis preparedness," said Margo Klaos, Director General of the Estonian Rescue Board. The armored vehicle contracts have been signed for ten years, allowing for additional purchases of vehicles and spare parts as needed. The agreements also include provisions for maintenance, repairs, and further development of these vehicles. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas warns of famine as Israel's blockade of aid deepens hunger crisis in Gaza IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Mar 11, 2025 Gaza is in the throes of a humanitarian catastrophe as the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas warns of an impending famine due to Israel's continued blockade of aid for the 10th consecutive day. In a statement on Tuesday, Hamas said that the closure of crossings and the restriction of essential supplies have exacerbated the suffering of over two million Palestinians in Gaza, with food prices soaring and medical supplies running critically low. Hamas also condemned Israel for violating the ceasefire agreement, which mandates the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The movement said the blockade was a breach of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, labeling it a war crime and a form of collective punishment against civilians. The blockade has also hindered recovery efforts, as heavy machinery and relief supplies are unable to enter, leaving bodies trapped under rubble and reconstruction efforts stalled, Hamas added. Hamas has called on international mediators to pressure Israel to reopen Gaza's crossings and adhere to its commitments under the ceasefire agreement. The movement also condemned the use of aid as a political tool, vowing that such tactics will not weaken the resolve of the Palestinian people in their struggle for their legitimate rights. Meanwhile, Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), echoed these concerns, saying that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is deteriorating rapidly. He described the Israeli blockade as a "weaponisation of humanitarian aid," emphasizing the urgent need to resume aid deliveries to prevent a return to the severe hunger and deprivation experienced before the recent ceasefire. 3266**4353 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ex-Philippine President Duterte arrested on ICC warrant over drug killings IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Mar 11, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- Police in the Philippines have arrested former President Rodrigo Duterte following an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over a case of crime against humanity filed against him. Duterte was taken into custody upon arrival from Hong Kong on Tuesday, hours after the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) Manila received the arrest warrant from the ICC, President Ferdinand Marcos' office said in a statement. "Upon arrival, the Prosecutor General presented the official ICC notification confirming the arrest warrant to the former president," the statement said. The government had earlier said it would not cooperate with the ICC but it noted that the country will be obliged to act to help the Interpol. 79-year-old Duterte is being investigated for the mass killings during his presidency after he launched a bloody war on drugs. The surprise arrest sparked a commotion at the airport, where lawyers and aides of Duterte tried to prevent his detention calling it "a violation of his constitutional right." The arrest, however, has been hailed by the families of the victims. "This is a big, long-awaited day for justice," said Randy delos Santos, the uncle of a teenager killed by police during an anti-drug operation in August 2017 in Manila. The ICC began investigating drug killings under Duterte in late 2011, when he was still mayor of the southern city of Davao. In 2019, Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute in a move human rights activists say was aimed at escaping accountability for the crimes committed during his presidency. The Duterte administration also tried to suspend the ICC investigation in late 2021, arguing that Manila was already looking into the matter and that The Hague-based court didn't have jurisdiction. Appeals judges at the ICC in 2023 rejected those arguments and ruled in favor of resuming the investigation about extrajudicial killings. 4399**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Baiba Braze on the decision of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to continue financing of military assistance to the Baltic states Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 11.03.2025 We highly appreciate the decision of the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio to continue Foreign Military Financing to the Baltic states. This is yet another proof of our strategic ally the United States and the Baltic states having a common understanding and interest to strengthen defense cooperation and build a stronger and more secure NATO Alliance. Our mutual cooperation meets the national interests of both Latvia and the U.S. and makes our countries safer, stronger and more prosperous. Thanks to the Foreign Military Financing program, Latvia will have the opportunity to continue purchasing important military equipment from the U.S. - air defense systems, long-range weapon systems, ammunition, and other. For its part, the International Military Education and Training program makes it possible for military personnel from the Baltic States to receive training at the U.S. military academies. Military support provided by the U.S. has always been and will remain important for strengthening Latvia's defense capabilities. In 2024, Latvia received a total of USD 80 million in military support from the U.S. Thanks to the Baltic Security Initiative and the Foreign Military Financing program, Latvia purchased military equipment (HIMARS, NSM, Javelin, Black Hawk, and others) from the U.S. last year to build its critical capabilities. The Baltic states are the closest allies and friends of the U.S. - both in the NATO Alliance and in the Euro-Atlantic space. During all my working visits to the U.S. (I have made three working visits in the past two months), congressmen, senators from both parties and officials from the new administration have praised the leadership of Latvia and all the Baltic States in NATO in terms of investments in security and defense. The Baltic and the U.S. officials also share an opinion that Europe must invest more in its defense and that NATO capabilities must be further strengthened, including at the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague this summer. During each visit, the ways to further expand cooperation in defense, security, and energy are discussed with congressmen and senators of both parties, and the U.S. administration. The order on a continued availability to the Baltic States of the Foreign Military Financing program and the International Military Education and Training program was signed by the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 7 March 2025. The Ambassadors of the Baltic states were informed about this at the Department of State on Tuesday, 10 March. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Arrest necessary to ensure Duterte appearance in probe - ICC Philippine News Agency By Benjamin Pulta March 11, 2025, 7:26 pm MANILA -- The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued the arrest warrant against former president Rodrigo Duterte to ensure his appearance before the tribunal in connection with its investigation of his bloody war on drugs. In its arrest warrant issued on March 7, the ICC pre-trial chamber noted that Duterte, whose six-year term ended in 2022, "appears to continue to wield considerable power." "After evaluating the information submitted by the Prosecution, the Chamber accepts that there is no reasonable expectation that he would cooperate with a summons to appear issued by the Court," the warrant read. "Mindful of the resultant risk of interference with the investigations and the security of witnesses and victims, the Chamber is satisfied that the arrest of Mr. Duterte is necessary to ensure his appearance before the Court." The chamber is investigating Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity over the deaths being linked to his war on drugs when he was mayor of Davao City and later on president of the Philippines. Duterte was arrested on Tuesday morning upon his arrival from Hong Kong. "Taking into account the totality of the information before it, the Chamber finds reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Duterte is individually responsible for the crime against humanity of murder as an indirect co-perpetrator within the meaning of Article 25 (3)(a) of the Statute, committed during the relevant period," the warrant read. The arrest warrant was signed by pre-trial chamber Presiding Judge Julia Antoanella Motoc and two other magistrates, Sophie Alapini-Gansou and Maria del Socorro Flores Liera. Meanwhile, the chamber also maintained that, despite the Philippines' withdrawal from the ICC on March 17, 2019, it still retains jurisdiction over the alleged crimes that occurred while the Philippines was still state party to the Rome Statute, specifically from Nov. 1, 2011 to March 16, 2019. "As the alleged conduct has taken place between 1 November 2011 and 16 March 2019 on the territory of the Philippines, it falls within the Court's jurisdiction," it said. The ICC chamber issued the arrest warrant against Duterte over the killing of 19 alleged drug pushers or thieves by the Davao Death Squad (DDS) in various locations in Davao City when Duterte was mayor. The warrant also covers the killing of 24 persons believed to be drug pushers, thieves, or drug users during Duterte's term as president. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PNP calls for calm as ICC issues arrest warrant for Duterte Philippine News Agency By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan March 11, 2025, 5:51 pm MANILA -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday urged the public to remain calm and avoid spreading misinformation as the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for former president Rodrigo Duterte. "Furthermore, the PNP strongly cautions against the spread of fake news and advises the public to rely only on official government sources for accurate information," it said in a statement. The PNP deployed 379 personnel to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 and other key locations to ensure a peaceful and orderly process of serving the warrant, which the International Police Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) Manila received from the ICC. "In fulfilling this role, the organization upholds its duty to enforce the law with professionalism and adherence to due process," it said. Duterte has been under police custody since arriving in Manila from Hong Kong on Tuesday morning. Upon arrival, the Prosecutor General presented the official ICC notification confirming the arrest warrant for Duterte, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO). The PCO said the police officers who enforced the warrant were equipped with body cameras to ensure transparency throughout the operation. Duterte is facing crimes against humanity before the ICC for his bloody war against illegal drugs. PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III supervised the security measures at the airport. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PH laws, gov't nothing to do with Duterte's legal woes - Enrile Philippine News Agency By Darryl John Esguerra March 11, 2025, 4:46 pm MANILA - Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile on Tuesday said the legal troubles of former President Rodrigo Duterte are not related to Philippine laws and should not be blamed on the government. An arrest warrant, issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), was served by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and local police on Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity in relation to his bloody war on drugs during his tenure as mayor and president. "The current legal problem of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte is not caused by Philippine laws. His legal problem is caused by laws enforceable by the International Criminal Court (ICC)," Enrile said in a statement posted on social media. The ICC has been investigating Duterte's alleged role in killings during his term as mayor of Davao City and as president. The charges include accusations of extrajudicial killings, which have drawn widespread criticism from human rights organizations and the international community. Enrile stressed that it was incorrect to blame the government for Duterte's legal situation, emphasizing that the investigation and arrest order stemmed from the ICC and not from domestic laws. "It is not correct to blame the Philippine government for the current legal problem of ex-PRRD," Enrile said. The Palace official advised Duterte's legal team to obtain a copy of the charges filed against him by the ICC to better understand why an arrest order was issued. "His lawyers should endeavor to secure a copy of the ICC charges against him so that they will know why he was ordered to be arrested by the ICC," he said. "Philippine domestic laws have nothing to do with his current legal problem," he stressed. The government earlier said it would not cooperate with the ICC investigation against Duterte, noting that the Philippines has since withdrawn from the Statute in 2018. However, it said that the country would be obliged to act in its obligations to the Interpol. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DFA defers actions on ICC warrant vs. Duterte to DOJ, other agencies Philippine News Agency By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora March 11, 2025, 4:34 pm MANILA -- Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo said Tuesday the agency has yet to issue any instruction to its foreign mission in The Hague, as it defers actions related to the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte to law enforcement agencies, including the justice department. Duterte was taken into custody by the Philippine National Police after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant of arrest accusing him of crimes against humanity in the context of his campaign against illegal drugs during his presidency. "This is a development which is being handled by other agencies, especially the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police and the Department of Justice," Manalo said in an ambush interview on the sidelines of his bilateral meeting with Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon in Manila. "We defer all activities or matters on this issue to them. I'm really not familiar with the procedure, because as you know, we're not a member of the ICC." He said the DFA has not been in communication with the ICC since its withdrawal from the Rome Statute took effect in 2019. Asked what the Philippine Embassy in the Netherlands would play should the former chief executive be brought to The Hague for trial, Manalo also declined to answer. "I can't speculate, we have to see how the events unfold," he said. The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) confirmed that the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) Manila received the official copy of the ICC warrant of arrest against Duterte on Tuesday morning. Upon his arrival from Hong Kong via Cathay Pacific flight CX 907, the prosecutor general served the ICC notification for an arrest warrant to him for crimes against humanity. The former president, it said, is now in the custody of authorities. The ICC in September 2021 began its probe into the Philippines' situation covering the campaign against illegal drugs from November 2011 to March 16, 2019, when Duterte was still Davao City mayor. Investigations were suspended in November 2021 after Manila requested a deferral as local authorities looked into alleged deaths and abuses during the anti-illegal drugs campaign. In 2023, the ICC authorized the resumption of the probe. The Philippines became a member of the ICC in November 2011 but withdrew on March 17, 2018, a move that took effect on March 17, 2019. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 1st unilateral WPS drill bolsters PH Fleet's operational performance Philippine News Agency By Priam Nepomuceno March 11, 2025, 1:43 pm MANILA -- The Philippine Navy (PN) on Tuesday announced that three major naval vessels from the Philippine Fleet (PF) took part in the first ever simultaneous unilateral and gunnery exercises held in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Monday. In a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, PN spokesperson Captain John Percie Alcos said the 1st PF Unilateral Exercises 2025 showcased an exceptional display of coordination, precision, and strategic agility. He said the Navy's missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) and landing dock BRP Tarlac (LD-601), performed a series of maneuvering and radio communication drills. "(The) FF-150 and PS-16 carried out live fire drills southeast of Bajo de Masinloc, in the waters of the WPS that went ahead without a hitch despite turbulent seas, showcasing the Fleet's unwavering commitment to maintaining top-tier readiness in any environment," Alcos said. "These exercises not only sharpened the skills and effectiveness of participating naval assets on warfighting and humanitarian assistance and disaster response but also bolstered the fleet's overall operational performance," he added. Alcos also told the Philippine News Agency in an interview that BRP Jose Rizal fired its Oto Melara Super Rapid 76mm main gun while the BRP Ramon Alcaraz used its .50 caliber secondary weapons in the live-fire exercise which simulated a "surface target, specifically surface vessels." "And I am very glad to report that both the PS-16 and FF-150, despite the very harsh conditions yesterday (Monday), were able to hit the target," he added. Alcos declined to give the exact distance of the two ships from Bajo de Masinloc when they held their firing exercise for security reasons. "I cannot divulge that particular detail that falls under operational security," he said, adding that no Chinese ships or assets were spotted during the exercise. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas says Israel's blocking of aid entry to Gaza amounts to 'war crime' Iran Press TV Tuesday, 11 March 2025 6:29 PM The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says the Israeli decision to block the entry of humanitarian aid and basic needs into the besieged Gaza Strip amounts to "war crime and collective punishment." In a statement released on Tuesday, Hamas said the closure constitutes a breach of the January ceasefire deal. "Such closure represents a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions, and amounts to a war crime and collective punishment threatening the lives of innocent civilians." Hamas said the closure and the blocking of aid entry for the 10th consecutive day were "aggravating the suffering of more than two million Palestinians" and "foreshadow a risk of famine" in Gaza. "Denying the flow of food, medicine, fuel, and basic relief means has led to a spike in food prices and a severe shortage in medical supplies, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza." The statement also said blocking the entry of "heavy machinery disrupts the efforts to recover the bodies buried under rubble, as well as the rehabilitation and reconstruction works in Gaza." Hamas called on the mediators to pressure the regime into "adhering to its commitments" under the ceasefire agreement. The resistance group censured "using aid as a political blackmail card." "We confirm that such aggressive policies will neither break the will of our people, nor will they achieve the occupation's objectives." Israel launched the campaign of genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023. It has killed over 48,500 Palestinians there so far. In January, the Israeli regime was forced to agree to a ceasefire deal with Hamas given the regime's failure to achieve any of its objectives, including the "elimination" of the Palestinian resistance movement or the release of captives. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China warns Britain against 'provoking tensions' in South China Sea Iran Press TV Tuesday, 11 March 2025 3:34 PM China has warned Britain against labeling its actions in the South China Sea region "dangerous and destabilizing." On a vessel belonging to the Philippines coast guard, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy made the provocative remarks on Monday. On Tuesday, China said the UK should avoid "provoking tensions." Lammy had signed a joint defense framework with his Filipino counterpart Enrique Manalo on March 8. The Philippines has similar agreements with Australia, Japan, and the United States. China asserts ownership over the strategically important body of water in nearly its entirety. When asked about Lammy's comments, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning said the UK should respect China's "sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and refrain from provoking tensions or sowing discord over regional disputes." "The South China Sea is currently one of the safest and freest maritime routes in the world." Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Vietnam have conflicting claims in the South China Sea. The dispute involves the banks, reefs, and islands of the region including the Paracel Islands, Scarborough Shoal, Spratly Islands, and various boundaries in the Gulf of Tonkin. Part of the dispute is also the waters near the Indonesian Natuna Islands, which some regard as geographically part of the South China Sea. An estimated $3.36 trillion worth of global trade passes through the South China Sea annually, which accounts for a third of the global maritime trade. Some 80 percent of China's energy imports and 40 percent of its total trade passes through the South China Sea. The countries that border the waterway are also interested in fishing rights, and the exploitation of crude oil and natural gas in the seabed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel kills six Palestinians in Gaza, three in occupied West Bank Iran Press TV Tuesday, 11 March 2025 1:55 PM Israeli airstrikes have killed at least six Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources. A strike near the key Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza on Tuesday killed five people, hours after a woman was killed near the southern city of Rafah. The Health Ministry in Gaza said in its latest report that Gaza hospitals have received at least 14 wounded people in 24 hours. Rescue workers also recovered 32 bodies from under rubble in Gaza, the ministry said. The latest deaths and recovered bodies have pushed the overall death toll from Israel's genocidal war since October 2023 to at least 48,503, with 111,927 others wounded, according to the ministry figures. The Government Media Office in Gaza, however, has put the death toll at more than 61,000, saying thousands of people missing under rubble are now presumed dead. Palestinian officials estimate 10,000 bodies are under the debris covering Gaza after the devastating Israeli campaign of genocide. Israel kills 3 people in West Bank Israel's aggression in the occupied West Bank has also killed at least three people. The Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry said it had been informed by Israeli authorities "about the martyrdom of two citizens" who were shot dead on Tuesday morning. The ministry said a Palestinian woman, Fayza Ibrahim Abu Ghali, 58, was also "martyred due to occupation's aggression on Jenin." Roland Friedrich, director of West Bank affairs for UNRWA the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugeeswarned on Tuesday that there are "growing concerns that the reality being created on the ground aligns with the vision of annexation of the West Bank." Friedrich said about 40,000 people "have been forcibly displaced from their homes" in the northern part of the West Bank, mainly from three refugee camps where the aggression began. The aggression initially focused on Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps, where UNRWA operates, but has since expanded to more areas of the north. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UNRWA warns of another Gaza hunger crisis as Israel blocks humanitarian aid Iran Press TV Tuesday, 11 March 2025 7:46 AM The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has warned that another hunger crisis will threaten the survival of two million Palestinians living in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip if Israel continues blocking the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged territory. "I think the more we go ahead (with aid blockages), the more we will see the impact increasing on the population. And obviously, the risk ... is that we go back to the situation we experienced months ago about deepening hunger in the Gaza Strip," Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said during a press briefing in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday. Lazzarini also described UNRWA's financial situation as "critical and precarious." Despite global outcry, the Israeli regime has blocked humanitarian aid to Gaza for days, cut off electricity, and severely disrupted water access, leaving Gazans struggling for survival. Separately on Monday, the humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, stressed in a statement that Israel must allow "unimpeded entry" of aid supplies to Gaza, arguing that "international humanitarian law is clear." The "sustained supply of aid is indispensable" for the survival of more than two million Palestinians who have suffered "unimaginable conditions" in the war-torn coastal territory, he emphasized. "The entry of lifesaving aid must resume immediately. Any further delays will further reverse any progress we have managed to achieve during the ceasefire," Hadi added. Israel launched the campaign of genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023. It has killed over 48,400 Palestinians there so far. In January, the Israeli regime was forced to agree to a ceasefire deal with Hamas given the regime's failure to achieve any of its objectives, including the "elimination" of the Palestinian resistance movement or the release of captives. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel conducts new West Bank raids amid 'Gazafication' project Iran Press TV Tuesday, 11 March 2025 6:37 AM The Israeli military has conducted new raids in several areas across the West Bank, pushing ahead with the "Gazafication" of the occupied Palestinian territory. Reports said the Israeli attacks took place on Monday in the city of Jenin and its refugee camp, as well as al-Yamun town, all situated in the northern West Bank. The occupation's military, the reports added, sent reinforcements, tanks, and heavy bulldozers to Jenin's Wadi Burqin and al-Hadaf neighborhoods. Meanwhile, Israeli forces deliberately burned some homes in the Jenin refugee camp and turned residential buildings into military posts. Also on Monday, Israeli rights group B'Tselem said the regime had brought the military tactics of its genocidal war in the Gaza Strip to the occupied West Bank. "Along with the intensified oppression, in the northern West Bank Israel has begun replicating tactics and combat doctrines honed in its current offensive on Gaza. This includes increased use of airstrikes in civilian population centers, widespread and deliberate destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, and displacement of civilians from areas designated by the military as combat zones," it said in a report. "These actions suggest Israel is working toward 'Gazafication' of the West Bank, already implemented in the north and, ... expected to spread to other parts." The rights group further warned that Israeli actions seem to be aimed at "permanently displacing some Palestinians and forcing others into living conditions that will eventually drive them to leave" their homeland. B'Tselem's executive director, Yuli Novak, said "Israel's complete disregard for international law in the war in Gaza is now being replicated to the West Bank." "Its activity there, as yet on a smaller scale than in Gaza, is already causing indiscriminate and disproportionate killing and destruction," she added. The Israeli military launched its offensive against the occupied West Bank on January 21, claiming that it was targeting resistance fighters of the Jenin Battalion. Israel has ramped up West Bank violence since October 7, 2023, when it launched its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. Since then, the occupation forces have killed at least 930 Palestinians and injured nearly 7,000 others in the occupied West Bank. The West Bank raids have so far uprooted at least 40,000 people, the largest displacement since the 1967 war that led to the Israeli occupation of the territory, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese defense company builds industrial estate in Cambodia The C-01 project will enhance Cambodia's defense sector capabilities, the government said. By RFA Staff 2025.03.11 -- A Chinese defense company and its Cambodian partner have begun developing an industrial park on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, strengthening China's foothold in the kingdom's defense sector. Cambodia's defense minister Tea Seiha, who is also a deputy prime minister, presided over a groundbreaking ceremony for the C-01 industrial park, on Monday in Kandal province outside the capital, according to a press release from his ministry. The 132-hectare industrial park is a joint project between the ministry's General Department of Materials and Technology and Chinese company Sageras Defense (Cambodia) Co. Ltd. the ministry said in its release. It did not disclose the total investment. The C-01 industrial park, in Angk Snuol district, will have a large dry port, industrial areas, commercial multi-purpose buildings, water treatment and storage systems, as well as accommodation for workers and green areas. A dry port is an inland logistics hub with all the functions of a seaport, connected to seaports via roads, railways, or inland waterways. Defense-related industries A Cambodian source familiar with the investment plan said that the planned construction area for the dry port, heavy and light industrial areas and commercial buildings would be about 650,000 square meters, or 65 hectares, half of the total designated area. The source declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the project. It is not clear what the rest of the land will be used for. The park is close to the 350-hectare Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone, a CambodianJapanese joint venture, but the C-01 project will "contribute to enhancing the capabilities of the Cambodian defense sector," the defense ministry said. The developers are working on infrastructure and seeking operational licenses for the dry port, the ministry added. The C-01 industrial park is at a prime location, only 26 kilometers (16 miles) from Phnom Penh's main airport and 50 km (30 miles) from a new airport that is under construction. The park is 205 km (125 miles) from Cambodia's main seaport in Sihanoukville and 200 km (125 miles) from the China-funded Ream naval base. Mysterious Chinese company Radio Free Asia's efforts to search for information on Sageras Defense (Cambodia) Co. Ltd. yielded no results but RFA's open source team found a company called Sargeras Defense (Cambodia) Co. Ltd. - a newly registered entity at an address in the Chbar Ampov district of central Phnom Penh. Cross-checks with publicly available data on Chinese social media such as Douyin and WeChat indicated that Sargeras Defense is the Chinese partner in the C-01 industrial park project. The company was registered with the Cambodian commerce ministry in February 2024 so the process of negotiating and granting an investment license appears to have been expedited. The company's scope of activities has not been made public but internet searches point to the production of unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, commonly called drones, as well as drone countermeasures. China has a strong UAV industry that serves both commercial and military needs. The U.S. Treasury has put several Chinese UAV firms on its sanction list for their involvement in the development and production of drones for Russian military use in the Ukraine war. China is the largest foreign investor in Cambodia and has provided loans to many major infrastructure projects via the Belt and Road Initiative. As of October 2024, Cambodia had more than 2,300 industrial factories, half of which received investment from China of US$9 billion in total, according to the Kingdom's industry ministry. Edited by Mike Firn Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Duterte sent to Netherlands on International Criminal Court warrant The former Philippine president was arrested in connection with a probe into his administration's drug war. By Jason Gutierrez for BenarNews 2025.03.11 MANILA -- Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was en route to the Netherlands on Tuesday to face trial before the International Criminal Court for his bloody "war on drugs" that left thousands of Filipinos dead, in a stunning development cheered by human rights advocates. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told the nation that the flight carrying Duterte had left Philippine airspace, about 14 hours after the former president arrived in Manila from Hong Kong where he spoke to a stadium of Filipino workers on Sunday. "The plane is en route to The Hague in the Netherlands, allowing the former president to face charges of crimes against humanity in relation to his bloody war on drugs," Marcos said. "Interpol asked for help and we obliged because we have commitments to Interpol, which we have to fulfill," Marcos said. "We did not do this because it was derived from, or came from ICC. We did this because Interpol asked us to do it." Duterte, 79, was served the warrant at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila early Tuesday and went voluntarily with the police, accompanied by his aides, to the nearby Villamor Air Base. A government doctor who examined the former president, who was seen walking with a cane, said he was in good health. Earlier, the Philippine Supreme Court said it had received a motion from Duterte's lawyers seeking to stop his transfer to ICC jurisdiction and challenging the Philippines' "cooperation" with the world criminal court. "Petitioners seek a temporary restraining order to prevent respondents from facilitating, assisting or cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in any investigation related to the Philippine government's anti-drug campaign," the tribunal said in a statement. "They also ask the SC to enjoin respondents from enforcing or assisting in the enforcement of any ICC issued warrants or red notices and to suspend all forms of cooperation with the ICC while the case is pending." Responding to a BenarNews request for comment, an ICC spokesperson wrote in an email: "The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I has issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Rodrigo Roa Duterte for charges of the crime of murder as a crime against humanity allegedly committed in the Philippines between 1 November 2011 and 16 March 2019. "Once a suspect is in ICC custody, an initial appearance hearing will be scheduled. Further information will be communicated in due course." Vice President Sara Duterte, the daughter of the ex-president, issued a statement condemning her father's arrest. Supporters of Rodrigo Duterte also gathered outside Villamor Air Base to protest his arrest. "Today, our own government has surrendered a Filipino citizen - even a former president at that - to foreign powers. This is a blatant affront to our sovereignty and an insult to every Filipino who believes in our nation's independence," the vice president said. "Worse, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is being denied his fundamental rights. Since he was taken this morning, he has not been brought before any competent judicial authority to assert his rights and to allow him to avail of reliefs provided by law," she added. On Sunday, the Marcos administration indicated that it would cooperate with Interpol in carrying out an ICC arrest warrant for Rodrigo Duterte. Marcos had teamed up with Sara Duterte as his running mate in the 2022 general election, but a very public feud between the Philippines' top two leaders later broke out and shattered that alliance between their politically powerful families. ICC probe The ICC arrest order stemmed from a years-long investigation by its Office of the Prosecutor into an anti-drug campaign that Duterte presided over during his time as the Philippine leader (2016-22) and, before that, when he served as mayor of the southern city of Davao. During appearances before the Senate and the House of Representatives last October and November, Duterte defended his administration's war on drugs, saying it was meant to protect the youth. Duterte has never denied his heavy-handed approach to crime, and has insisted that it was necessary to rid the Southeast Asian country of crime. At the House hearing, he dared the ICC to once and for all subject him to an investigation. "I am asking the ICC to hurry up and if possible, if they can come here and start the investigation tomorrow," Duterte had said. "This issue has been left hanging for so many years. I might die even before they investigate me. That's why I am asking the ICC, through you, to come here." On Tuesday, the former president tried to reason with arresting officers, asking them "What is the law and what is the crime that I committed?" "I was apparently brought here not of my own volition, and somebody else's. You have to answer now for that deprivation of liberty," he said, according to a clip by GMA News television that showed him sitting down at the airport lounge and talking to the arresting officers. Marcos had earlier blocked the ICC in the Philippines, but subsequently changed his mind after Duterte's statement. Marcos insisted that the country's justice system was working perfectly well. Duterte's lawyer, Salvador Panelo, charged that the police did not allow him to meet with his client. "It's [an] unlawful arrest," he said. "He was deprived of legal representation at the time of his arrest." He reiterated that because the Duterte government had withdrawn ratification of the statute of the created the ICC, the Philippines was no longer covered under its jurisdiction. But former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, whom Duterte's government put in jail on false drug-related charges, said the arrest for the former president had finally arrived. "The arrest of Rodrigo Duterte is the beginning of a much-need reckoning," de Lima told BenarNews minutes after Duterte was arrested. "This arrest should not only signal the end of impunity but ignite a larger movement for justice, transparency and the restoration of human rights." De Lima, who survived a hostage-taking incident while in detention, stressed that the arrest "really had to happen." "The victims, the families of the thousands killed under Mr. Duterte's war on drugs have been crying out for justice and they really looked at the ICC as their best hope because they feel, rightly so, that they could not really get a speedy justice from the local or domestic authorities," she said. De Lima said the ICC had been quietly doing its job, and that Duterte's arrest was expected by the rights community. "That is one of the most significant developments in current times," she said. The arrest, de Lima said, would "have a lot of impact on the political climate in this country," noting that Marcos' hands were tied by the political alliance he had made with the Duterte family at first. "But when the unity broke up, we could see the gradual softening of this administration's position," she said. "So politically, this is an ace on the part of Mr. Marcos (because) the issuance of the warrant of arrest was the best way of getting rid of Mr. Duterte (since) there have been reports of destabilization efforts attributed to forces within the (police) and the military still loyal to the former president." Bryony Lau, deputy director for Human Rights Watch in Asia, said Duterte's arrest was a "critical step" towards accountability in the Southeast Asian nation. "His arrest could bring victims and their families closer to justice and send the clear message that no one is above the law," Lau said in a statement. "The Marcos government should swiftly surrender him to the ICC." At least 6,200 suspected drug dealers and addicts were killed during the Duterte administration's anti-narcotics campaign, according to the government's latest figures. However, human rights groups have put the number as high as 20,000-plus. 'The evil done to us' Grace Garganta, whose father and 27-year-old brother were killed in the early days of Duterte's drug war, was among those Filipinos who hailed the ex-president's arrest. "This made me cry," she told BenarNews in between sobs. "He should face justice and pay for the many deaths he had ordered." Garganta's father was killed in what police described as a shootout, and her brother was later taken while protesting against a police raid in their slum neighborhood. A day later, her brother's body was recovered. It bore signs of torture, and his face was wrapped with packaging tape. "I want to tell the world about the evil done to us. I want to testify. I want to let them know who was responsible for all this death," Garganta said. Bryony Lau, deputy director for the Human Rights Watch in Asia, said the arrest was a "critical step" towards accountability in the Southeast Asian nation. "His arrest could bring victims and their families closer to justice and send the clear message that no one is above the law," Lau said in a statement. "The Marcos government should swiftly surrender him to the ICC." Mark Navales and Jeoffrey Maitem contributed reporting from Davao City, and Gerard Carreon from Manila. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization. Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Top Romanian Court Upholds Ban On Nationalist Calin Georgescu Running For President By RFE/RL's Romanian Service March 11, 2025 BUCHAREST -- Romania's Constitutional Court has upheld the decision to bar populist Calin Georgescu from running in the May presidential election. Georgescu appealed the March 11 decision of the Central Election Board (BEC), which barred him from competing in the presidential election because his candidacy "does not meet the conditions provided by law." The verdict was unanimous with nine judges out of nine rejecting the appeal. Justice Minister Radu Marinescu said the decision was binding and must be respected. He defended the court's verdict, saying that "extremism is unacceptable in a democratic society." 'Exposed The Demon In All Its Ugliness' Georgescu, who is critical of NATO and opposes Romanian support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion, was a surprise winner of the first round of the presidential election in November 2024. However, after the vote, Romanian intelligence said that foreign actors, most likely Russia, had manipulated social-media platforms, especially TikTok, to benefit Georgescu. In a video posted on Facebook after the March 11 verdict , Georgescu said that the court's decision "was not and is not about the man Calin Georgescu. It could have been any other person. The system does not accept anyone outside of it." Saying he had "exposed the demon in all its ugliness," he told his supporters to follow their consciences in supporting other candidates. Supporters of Georgescu are gathering outside Romania's parliament building, where the Constitutional Court is headquartered. The protesters were chanting slogans such as "Georgescu, President," "Down with dictatorship," and "We dont want to be led by thieves." Demonstrations in support of Georgescu on March 9 turned violent, with more than a dozen police officers injured in scuffles with protesters. 'You Will Not Defeat Us!' Nationalist politicians blasted the court's decision. An ally of Georgescu and the leader of the ultranationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), George Simion, wrote on his Facebook page: "Shame on [the Constitutional Court]! Shame! Shame!" While Georgescu stood as an independent in last year's presidential election, he has ties to AUR. "You will not defeat us! The Romanian people have already woken up! And they will be victorious!" he added. Another nationalist leader, Anamaria Gavrila, the president of the Party of Young People (POT), said "some judges...decided not to let me and others, millions of Romanians, choose who we really want to be the president of the country." However, many welcomed the court's decision. Elena Lasconi, a liberal politician who would have faced Georgescu in the second round of last year's presidential election before it was annulled, said that "Georgescu is just one facet of a deeply corrupt and rotten system." "Georgescu must be held criminally accountable for all the atrocities he is accused of in recent months," she said, "and the institutions that have been brought to their knees by the wave of disinformation must be lifted." Romanian Society Split Romania's nationalist and far-right forces are scrambling to find a replacement for Georgescu. Far-right parties made significant gains in the December parliamentary elections. One of the proposed replacements is AUR leader Simion, who ranked fourth in the first round of the voided presidential election, although he has said he is not planning to run. Romanian society is deeply split over the annulling of the last presidential election and now the decision to bar Georgescu from running. Laura Stefan, an expert at the ExpertForum think tank, said that the BEC had enough grounds to annul Georgescu's candidacy. "In his particular case, I really think there are these legitimate concerns about both the way he built his campaign and the question marks regarding the funding or involvement of certain groups in his campaign," Stefan said. Other experts have disagreed. "Law and legal reasoning are being manipulated based solely on political criteria," said Bogdan Dima, a public law professor at the University of Bucharest. Russia, which was accused of backing Georgescu in the first round of the vote last year, said that Romania was disregarding democracy. "They accuse our country of having some kind of involvement with Georgescu, but this is total nonsense. This is an absolutely baseless accusation," said Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/romania-calin-georgescu- election-ban-vance-trump-russia/33344226.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Greenland Holds Crucial Elections; Brussels Delays New System For Travelers By Rikard Jozwiak March 11, 2025 Briefing #1: Greenland Elections: Go American, Stay Danish, Or Go It Alone? What You Need To Know: Normally the elections for the 31-member Inatsisartut, the parliament of Greenland, would get scant attention. The world's biggest island, with a population of just 60,000, is rarely in the news. Until January 2025 that is, when the incoming US President Donald Trump expressed an interest in taking control of the strategically located and resource-rich territory. This was a move that sent shockwaves throughout Europe, notably for fellow NATO-ally Denmark to which Greenland in fact belongs. (While Copenhagen oversees foreign and monetary policy, Greenlanders control most domestic issues.) That has meant all eyes will now be on the March 11 elections, called by Greenland's prime minister, Mute Egede, after Trump's pronouncements. And while regular domestic issues are part of the election campaign, the overriding issue is clear: go American, stay Danish, or aim for independence? Deep Background: To be clear, most Greenlanders don't want to become American and none of the five parties in parliament are advocating for it . Along with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Egede has made it clear that Greenland -- which is an autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark -- is not for sale and that only Greenlanders can decide its future. Interestingly, the parliament recently passed a law banning both anonymous and foreign donations in the election campaign. But what if an offer they can't refuse comes their way? The United States first expressed an interest in the island in the 19th century and the territory is actually closer to North America than the European continent. Greenland's security is already guaranteed by virtue of a US air base in the north. And the Arctic is certainly not off-limits for the major powers. Both China and Russia are active in the region, not only for its lucrative rare earth materials but also due to warmer temperatures melting sea ice and opening up lucrative trade routes. Even if the island doesn't become American anytime soon, there could be some sort of free trade or association deal with Washington in the future. Then again, the Greenlanders can be a conservative bunch. Where others may see lucrative business opportunities, many of them see a homeland that should be preserved. Only two mines currently exist in Greenland, and the last election, in 2021, was dominated by the popular decision to limit oil and gas exploration and ban the mining of uranium. Drilling Down It is here where Denmark comes into the picture. Three of the five political parties want independence from Denmark, including Prime Minister Egede's left-wing Community of the People party, which finished first four years ago and is likely to finish on top again. The same is true for the ruling party's current coalition partner, the social-democratic Forward party, which is aiming to finish second. The liberal Democrats party, which prefers to remain in a union with Denmark, is also doing well in recent polls and could well complicate any coalition-building and the direction Greenland will eventually take. While most Greenlanders say they want independence, they also want to maintain their living standards. For that, the territory is largely dependent on Denmark. Loyal to the Danish crown since 1814, 50 percent of Greenland's exports go to Denmark and 60 percent of its imports are from Denmark. Half of the population works in the public sector, which Copenhagen to a large degree finances via grants. And to boost the security around the island, the Danish government last month pledged 2 billion euros ($2.16 billion) to improve its Arctic defenses. There is a commission in Greenland working on what a possible divorce from Denmark would look like, but essentially it would require three steps. Firstly, there would have to be a deal with Copenhagen on what separation would look like; secondly, there would have to be a positive result in a Greenland-wide referendum on independence; and finally, the Danish parliament would need to green-light the whole endeavor. The pro-independence parties want a referendum to take place sometime during the next four-year mandate, but, given the uncertainties surrounding the territory, that certainly doesn't look like it will happen in 2025. Briefing #2: EU Delays New Entry/Exit System What You Need To Know: The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES), which is meant to do away with the manual stamping of non-EU passports, was supposed to be in use late last year. Eventually, it will mean an elaborate IT system at every EU harbor, international airport, and land-crossing that records not only entries and exits into the bloc, but also all relevant passport data, fingerprints, and facial images of any non-EU national visiting. The 24 EU countries taking part (all the member states apart from Cyprus and Ireland, with Denmark potentially opting into the system later) and four non-EU countries (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein) simply weren't technically ready for the big bang rollout. Notably, France, Germany, and the Netherlands -- the three countries in the bloc with the busiest airports and ports -- sounded the alarm that the system simply wasn't ready and warned of chaos at crucial hubs if it didn't function properly immediately. Other countries also expressed relief as they were behind in getting everything ready: for instance, putting in more automatic barriers, self-service kiosks, and getting the preregistration app fully functioning. This was quite a damning verdict as EES has essentially been in the works since it was first agreed by the bloc back in 2017. Deep Background: When the club's interior ministers met in Brussels on March 5, they agreed on how to proceed. What will happen now is a gradual rollout that will start in October. Member states that are confident the system works by then are free to operate it fully from day one. But, for others, the implementation will start in a progressive manner, with EES required at 10 percent of border crossings in each member state after the first month. To possibly complicate things further, designated EES lanes at border crossings will also be allowed. After three months, the hope is that EES will be in place at 50 percent of border crossings. And then, after 180 days, the plan is for the system to be fully implemented. That will take us into the first quarter of 2026. During this entire period, however, member states are still allowed to stamp passports manually in case there are still issues with the system. Plus, participating states will still be allowed to both partially and fully suspend the system, as long as they communicate their reasons to the European Commission. While the EU diplomats I have spoken to are a little nervous about how this will all turn out, they are hoping the EES will help prevent illegal migration and make it easier to police overstaying visas and identity fraud. Drilling Down: At the meeting last week, interior ministers also agreed on a timeline, seen by RFE/RL, of other measures that will have an impact on non-EU citizens wanting to visit the bloc in the future. The most significant development is that ETIAS (the European Travel and Authorization System) "will be launched in the last quarter of 2026." ETIAS is the EU's answer to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) already used in the United States. ETIAS will allow travelers to come to the EU visa free and can potentially be used by an estimated 1.4 billion people, including citizens from Britain, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, the United States, and the non-EU Western Balkan states. The authorization, valid for three years, will cost 7 euros ($7.60) and will have to be completed by everyone between the ages of 18 and 70. It is worth, however, taking this latest timeline with a pinch of salt. Just as with the EES, ETIAS has been delayed repeatedly. It was first proposed back in 2018 and has been scheduled to be implemented every year since 2021. Rollouts have always been delayed due to technical issues. If the EES is fully implemented in the first quarter of 2026, as currently planned, it would increase the chances that ETIAS will follow later that same year as the two systems are linked. Looking Ahead The main thing to look out for this week is whether or not the United States will impose 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum from the European Union -- and how Brussels would likely react. Washington has been toying with the idea for weeks already and the issue could further widen the transatlantic rift over the war in Ukraine. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-ees-visa- free-etias-borders/33343748.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Philippine Ex-President Duterte 'Headed To Hague' After Arrest Over Deadly Antidrug Campaign By RFE/RL March 11, 2025 Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte boarded a Europe-bound plane on March 11, local media reported, hours after he was arrested on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant linked to his decades-long campaign against drugs that killed thousands of people in the South East Asian nation. Citing a senior police official, the Philippine Star newspaper reported that Duterte, 79, was aboard a plane bound for The Hague in the Netherlands. There was no immediate official confirmation that the former leader was sent to The Hague, where the ICC is based. Duterte's daughter wrote on Instagram that her father had been put on a plane, but the family had not been informed about its destination. Duterte, who faces a charge of "the crime against humanity of murder," according to the ICC, was taken into police custody upon his arrival at Manila airport early on March 11, following a brief trip to Hong Kong. In a video posted on his daughter's social media account, Duterte questioned the "legal basis" for his detention. The ICC has been investigating Duterte since 2018 over his "war on drugs," which saw thousands of people killed when he was president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 and longtime mayor of the southern city of Davao before that. Many of the victims were impoverished young men. The Associated Press quoted a former Davao police officer as saying that up to 10,000 suspects were killed by police and civilian hit squads under Duterte during the brutal campaign. The families of the victims and human rights groups welcomed Duterte's arrest as a historic moment, with Human Rights Watch saying the arrest was a "critical step for accountability in the Philippines." The right watchdog also called on the government to "swiftly surrender [Duterte] to the ICC." Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the ICC in 2019, but the ICC says it has jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed before the country quit as a member. Duterte served as mayor of Davao for 22 years, before sweeping to the presidency in 2016 with the promise of a war against illegal drugs that had plagued the nation. He has also been known for his populist rhetoric and outbursts against elites and the West, and has called Russian President Vladimir Putin his "idol." During his presidency, Duterte pivoted the country's foreign policy toward China, moving away from longstanding ally the United States. Dubbed the "Donald Trump of the East" Duterte still remains popular in the Philippines. Despite his ill health, Duterte registered to run for mayor of Davao in October, while his daughter and political heir, Sara Duterte, currently serves as the Philippines' vice-president and is seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2028. With reporting by AP, Reuters, and the BBC Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/rodrigo-duterte- arrested-manila-philippines-war-drugs/33343743.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address "Projects aimed at exiling Palestinians from their own lands are unacceptable" Presidency Of The Republic Of Turkey 11.03.2025 Speaking at an iftar dinner with Palestinians, President Erdogan said: "We will not allow new plans, based on 'divide and rule' tactic, to be implemented in our region. None of the projects aimed at exiling Palestinians from their own lands and making them suffer a second Nakba is acceptable." President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a speech at an iftar dinner with Palestinians at the Presidential Complex. President Erdogan said: "We will not leave Palestine or our Palestinian brothers and sisters alone from now on as well. We will boldly defend the Palestinian's struggle for independence under any condition. We welcome Islamic countries' recent will to embrace the Palestine cause and to defend the rights of Palestinians. We consider the plan created at the emergency Gaza summit gathered in Cairo for the future of Gaza to be very valuable. We wish for the continuation of the memorandum of understanding reached on January 19. However, the Netanyahu government's attempts to undermine the ceasefire has been increasingly continuing since the very first day. We know well what the current government that has made the Zionist expansionism a state policy is seeking to do. We will not allow new plans, based on 'divide and rule' tactic, to be implemented in our region. Let me underline that none of the projects aimed at exiling Palestinians from their own lands and making them suffer a second Nakba is acceptable." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK and Nordic-Baltic Eight Ministerial Roundtable: Joint Statement On Tuesday 11 March, UK Minister for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, chaired a roundtable with Nordic and Baltic counterparts to discuss support for Ukraine, security in Northern Europe, and tackling hybrid threats. 11 March 2025 On Tuesday 11 March, Ministers, State Secretaries and senior representatives from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom met in the margins of the Aurora Forum at Goodwood House, Chichester. UK Minister for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, chaired a roundtable with Nordic Baltic counterparts to discuss support for Ukraine, security in Northern Europe, and tackling hybrid threats. Ministers agreed on the need to continue supporting Ukraine to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting peace with credible security guarantees, and the importance of putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position. They agreed that this would be achieved by increasing military support to Ukraine and, as part of this effort, they will leverage their defence industries while also purchasing directly from Ukraine's defence industry to meet urgent needs and strengthen cooperation between European and Ukrainian industries. They also discussed the need to encourage other countries to do more. Ministers underscored that maintaining Western unity is essential and that there can be no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine. Ministers discussed the significant and direct threat from Russia against NATO, with emphasis on continuing efforts to contest and constrain Russian aggression and the Russian war economy, including ambitious sanctions and wider efforts to constrain Russia's energy revenues. They praised the work of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) and NATO in monitoring suspected shadow vessels through, among others, Operation Nordic Warden. Ministers underlined the need to hold Russia accountable and advance our global outreach to continue its international isolation. Ministers discussed recent instances of subsea infrastructure damage in the Baltic Sea Region and welcomed NATO's Baltic Sentry activity, providing reassurance to Baltic states. They also discussed hybrid incidents in the region, and welcomed work, including by NATO, to build resilience to deter and counter hybrid threats, including on cyber, and in addressing foreign information manipulation. Ministers also discussed external threats to the wider European region. The Aurora Forum is an independent annual forum established to bring together governments, businesses and civil society from the UK and Nordic-Baltic states. Today's roundtable marks the first time Ministers, State Secretaries and senior representatives have gathered in this format to discuss shared priorities, including Northern European security, trade, technology and the energy transition. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Haiti's survival is at stake,' says UN expert, warning of worsening crisis 11 March 2025 - Haiti is in freefall. Gangs are tightening their grip on the capital, violence is spreading, and "suffering permeates all social strata" in a nation teetering on the brink, according to the UN human rights office's designated expert on the country, William O'Neill. After his fourth visit to assess conditions on the ground, Mr. O'Neill briefed journalists at UN Headquarters in New York, describing a nation overwhelmed by pain and despair. "I hate to sound like a broken record," he said, "but the situation is more dire each time I go". Despite the efforts of the Haitian National Police (PNH) and the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission, the threat of the capital falling under full gang control looms larger than ever. "These violent criminal groups are expanding beyond the capital," he told reporters. "They kill, rape, terrorise, set fire to homes" and "infiltrate all spheres of society." "All this, with the utmost impunity and sometimes, as many sources point out, with the complicity of powerful actors." Voices from the ground Mr. O'Neill shared harrowing testimonies from Haitians caught in the turmoil. One child, a 16-year-old girl, survived the worst. "Seven masked gunmen broke into my home in Kenscoff, raped and beat me and my stepmother. Then they killed my father in front of me," she told the OHCHR-appointed rights expert. "The pain is excruciating. Sometimes I forget it, then it comes back. At night, I scream," she shared. Despite her trauma, she says she still likes to dance and "dreams of being a psychologist for young survivors." But resources to support victims remain desperately inadequate, Mr. O'Neill stressed. Another testimony came from 'L', a 12-year-old boy who was forcibly recruited by gangs and is now incarcerated at the Centre de Reeducation des Mineurs in Port-au-Prince, accused of gang association. "I don't want any more bandits in my country. Later, I'll be a pilot," he told Mr. O'Neill. "I just want to go back to the street." A nation displaced Haiti's spiralling violence has displaced over a million people, with thousands more, forced from their homes in recent weeks. "They have nowhere to go," said Mr. O'Neill. The desperation has fuelled tensions between communities. In one incident, students threw stones at internally displaced people (IDPs) attempting to seek refuge in their school - a stark example of what Mr. O'Neill described as "the desperate turning against the more desperate." In makeshift camps, hunger and sexual violence are rampant, and for many, survival hangs by a thread. A call to action "Unity and solidarity must guide political action at all levels, in the interests of the population," Mr. O'Neill urged. The Haitian State must prioritise the fight against impunity and corruption, which remain the biggest barriers to dismantling gangs, he said. The response to gang violence must uphold international human rights law, particularly the right to life. "No circumstances, however exceptional, can justify the violation of this fundamental right," he added. "There is not a day to lose. There is no alternative," Mr. O'Neill concluded. "Haiti's survival is at stake." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address World News in Brief: Syria families executed, Duterte arrested on ICC warrant, Sudan's healthcare collapse 11 March 2025 - Days of violence against Syria's mainly ethnic Alawite communities have included the summary execution of entire families, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, confirmed on Tuesday. Speaking in Geneva, OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said that 111 people have been confirmed dead so far. Media reports indicate the true death toll may be closer to 1,000 after security forces allied with Syria's Caretaker Authorities allegedly targeted communities in coastal areas that represent the former regional powerbase of ousted President Bashar Al Assad. "Many of the cases documented were of summary executions," Mr. Al-Kheetan told journalists."They appear to have been carried out on a sectarian basis, in Tartus, Latakia and Hama governorates - reportedly by unidentified armed individuals, members of armed groups allegedly supporting the caretaker authorities' security forces, and by elements associated with the former government." According to many testimonies collected by OHCHR, attackers raided houses, asking residents whether they were Alawite or Sunni before either killing them or sparing them. "Some survivors told us that many men were shot dead in front of their families," Mr. Al-Kheetan said. The OHCHR spokesperson said that hospitals had also come under attack with patients, doctors and medical students targeted. Agreement with Kurdish-led forces welcomed The UN has welcomed the agreement signed by the leaderships of the Caretaker Authorities in Syria and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that took place on Monday. The SDF was a powerful part of the armed opposition to the former Assad regime, holding a large swathe of territory in Syria's northeast. The deal will reportedly see fighting units integrated within the national army and recognises the Kurds as integral to the State. The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, expressed hope that the deal will boost support and feed into a broader, credible and inclusive political transition process, in line with the key principles of Security Council resolution 2254, that leads to a new constitution, and free and fair elections. Aid deliveries continue On the humanitarian front, delivery of cross-border assistance from Turkiye into northwest Syria is continuing, said UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, briefing journalists in New York. Around 31 trucks from the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and refugee agency, UNHCR, went through the Bab al-Hawa crossing from Turkiye into Syria, delivering more than 600 metric tons of supplies, including food, shelter repair and hygiene kits, he added. "This very much needed aid comes as we and our partners continue to try to mobilize assistance for people in need, including for those displaced by the recent violence." UN rights office hails courage of relatives of Duterte's 'drug war' victims The former President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has been arrested and taken into custody in Manila in line with a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC is not a UN organization but has a cooperation agreement with the United Nations. The court has been investigating the crackdown on drugs implemented by the former President, which the UN rights office, OHCHR, repeatedly condemned while he was in office, from 2016 to 2022. One OHCHR report found credible allegations of widespread and systematic extrajudicial killings, carried out during the so-called "war on drugs", along with arbitrary detention and almost total impunity for the violations. Speaking in Geneva, OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said that it was crucial to address such impunity and to protect victims and witnesses from reprisals and retributions. She praised the "great courage" of the families of those killed in the war on drugs in seeking justice and noted that only four cases have so far resulted in convictions following appeals. Dire conditions continue for civilians in need of healthcare in Sudan Humanitarian partners in Sudan's war-ravaged North Darfur are reporting "extremely dire" conditions facing civilians in need of healthcare, particularly in the state capital of El Fasher and displacement camps in surrounding areas. Sudan's transitional military Government clashed with former allies the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, nearly two years ago, beginning a struggle for control of the country together with allied armed groups, which has left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced. Currently, more than 200 health facilities in El Fasher are not functioning, and there are severe shortages of medical staff and critical shortages of medical supplies, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. Healthcare system overwhelmed "Our humanitarian colleagues are telling us that the continued hostilities have caused waves of displacement, overwhelming an already fragile healthcare system that is struggling even to meet people's basic needs," he added. "On top of that, the insecurity and access constraints continue to impede our partners' attempts to provide essential medical supplies." Disease outbreaks are also deepening the humanitarian crisis. Across areas impacted by fighting, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that over 70 per cent of hospitals and health facilities are no longer operational, leaving millions without healthcare, said the UN Spokesperson. "Sudan's health system has also come under relentless attack. As of mid-February, WHO recorded nearly 150 attacks on health care centres in Sudan since the war there began - but the real figure is most likely be far higher." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Security Council Debate Sparks Praise for European Union's UN Commitment, Criticism for Alleged Russophobia Meetings Coverage Security Council 9876th Meeting (AM) SC/16016 11 March 2025 The European Union remains the United Nations' reliable partner of choice and a cornerstone of its financing, even amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, the Security Council heard today during its annual briefing on cooperation between the two entities. Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, highlighted the bloc's comprehensive cooperation with the United Nations, including their strategic partnership on peace and security. The Union provides predictable and sustained financing for peacebuilding, including 3 million contribution to the UN Peacebuilding Fund in the current cycle, she said, also noting that its member States account for over a fifth of the UN peacekeeping budget. European Union Stands by Ukraine "The UN Charter is sacrosanct for a safer world be it in Ukraine or any other country," she said, adding: "That is why the EU has supported Ukraine, in line with its right to self-defence under the Charter [...] Europe has learned from its own history that giving in to aggressors' demands leads to more violence." The Russian Federation continues to kill civilians and spread false narratives, she added, expressing concern about the participation of Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Iran in its colonial battle. "Ukrainians do not want to be part of Russia," she stressed. Highlighting the European Union's global role, she voiced support for the establishment of a future State of Palestine with Gaza as an integral part, adding that Israel's security is also crucial to a political solution. "Boosting multilateralism is obviously a matter of teamwork," she said, highlighting problem-solving partnerships with the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Turning to humanitarian work, she said: "Though others pulled back, the EU will always step up," with almost 2 billion provided this year alone. The Union and its member States also demonstrate an "unparalleled commitment to the UN's financial stability, by paying on time and by paying in full", she pointed out. European Union, United Nations 'Born Out of Ideals of Peace' When the floor opened for discussion, several speakers from her continent highlighted the values shared by the United Nations and the European Union, while those from other regions welcomed that partnership. "Both the UN and EU were born out of ideals of peace, unity and collaboration," Slovenia's delegate said. The interconnectedness of the world means the war in Ukraine is felt around the world through the availability of grain, while the war in Gaza impacts the availability of goods travelling through the Red Sea. There will be no just and lasting peace in Ukraine unless it is seated at the negotiation table, she said, adding that her country will support Ukraine on its path to the European Union. "The European continent's security is at stake," France's delegate said, stressing that the Union is mobilized "now more than ever before" to support Ukraine against the Russian Federation's aggression. He also highlighted its efforts to respond to crises around the world, citing the 2 billion mobilized at the Paris humanitarian conference for Sudan and neighboring countries. "The European Union places its partnership with the United Nations at the heart of its external action," he said. Its member States the largest contributors to the UN's regular budget and the third largest to the peacekeeping budget pay their dues "in full and on time", he said. The representative of Denmark, Council President for March, spoke in her national capacity to reaffirm the importance of multilateralism and international law to the European Union. She added: "Quite frankly, this is our DNA." She also highlighted two potential areas for stronger cooperation: crisis management and upholding international law. European Union's Role around the World "As a strong partner, the European Union supports and delivers [...] Security Council mandates in crisis management, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, humanitarian aid and reconstruction worldwide, from Haiti to Afghanistan," said the speaker for Greece. In the Western Balkans, the bloc's coordination with the UN including through EUFOR Althea helps to resolve conflicts and promote post-conflict recovery. As well, current naval operations demonstrate that such cooperation is vital uphold freedom of navigation and maritime security, he observed, highlighting the contribution of EUNAVFOR MED "IRINI". Panama's delegate also highlighted the bloc's commitment to maritime security. Speaking from the perspective of "a maritime country and the world's main commercial and service transport route", he underlined the need to ensure the safety and smooth operation of strategic corridors and maritime zones. The representative of the United Kingdom spotlighted the bloc's efforts to normalize relations between Serbia and Kosovo and provide stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His country continues to support the Western Balkans' "Euro-Atlantic aspirations as a driver for reform and economic growth", he said. Sierra Leone's representative said that the European Union's engagement such as its contributions to the African Peace Facility has been instrumental in "strengthening African capacities to address security challenges on the continent". Algeria's delegate welcomed the bloc's continued support for African Union-led peace support operations, also commending the bloc's efforts to alleviate the endless suffering of Palestinian civilians. The representative of Somalia urged that priority be given to investments in initiatives that address the root causes of conflict, welcoming the European Union's "new consensus on the role of development cooperation". Guyana's delegate noted that regional organizations have increasingly "been assuming the role as first responder in various situations", and stated that enhanced cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional organizations "will become even more vital". Pakistan's speaker called for early peace in Ukraine and welcomed the European Union's humanitarian support in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as its backing for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) plan for Gaza reconstruction. The representative of the Republic of Korea spotlighted the contributions of his country's Cheonghae Unit to the European Union's counterpiracy efforts. He also detailed other matters on which Seoul and the bloc work closely, including the Ukraine war, Gaza conflict and Pyongyang's "ongoing provocations and destabilizing actions". China's delegate described the European Union as an important pole in a multipolar world, adding that unilateralism and power politics should be jointly resisted. Welcoming Ms. Kallas' commitment to the UN's finances, he noted the importance of the bloc's contributions to the UN at a time when the UN is facing a liquidity crisis. On the war in Ukraine, he called for a shared, lasting peace agreement acceptable to all parties and stated: "There can be no winners in conflict and no losers in peace." United States Urges Europe to Be 'Self-Sufficient' in Securing Peace Europe's greatest security challenge is the Ukraine war, the representative of the United States observed, adding that, 15 days ago, the Council adopted a landmark resolution calling for its end. Reiterating Washington, D.C.'s, commitment to ending the war and achieving a durable peace, she said: "We are counting on Europe and the European Union to help facilitate and to help underwrite that peace." Once a durable peace has been achieved, it will be "more urgent than ever" for the bloc and its member States to provide security guarantees. "Europe must be strong, resilient and self-sufficient to ensure not just peace and security in Europe, but to be a true partner in ensuring international peace and security," she asserted, underlining such a role "both in Europe and beyond". The Russian Federation's delegate, however, expressed concern about the European Union's "degradation" from an economic project intended to promote cooperation into a political project doing everything to provoke enmity and war. After extending membership to some States not fully aligned with its own membership criteria, it has focused efforts on "cutting mutually beneficial ties between Russia and its neighbors", he said. Ukraine was the main victim of its anti-Russian project. The slaughter of the Russian-speaking population compelled his country to begin the special military operation. "Think long and hard," he added, whether the UN needs to engage in dialogue with a body which pontificates on human rights while advancing a neocolonial agenda, encourages "pocket dictatorships" and imposes harsh sanctions on those who disagree. Further, as the Prime Minister of Estonia, Ms. Kallas participated in a campaign to squeeze out the Russian language, he said. She believes that "killing Russians is normal", he said, adding that it is not possible to fathom dialogue between his country and the European Union when it is represented by Russophobe politicians. During a further exchange of words at the end of the meeting, Ms. Kallas responded: "Phobia is fear." She listed the countries invaded by the Russian Federation and said the fears of neighboring countries are not ungrounded. The European Union is a peace project, she stressed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Europe holds high-level talks on rearming continent, boosting Ukraine aid By Lisa Bryant March 11, 2025 European military and political heads are holding high-level talks this week after calls for massively rearming Europe and boosting aid for Kyiv amid fears of a less engaged United States. Lisa Bryant has more from Paris. Speaking to top NATO and European Union military brass gathered in Paris Tuesday, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans stressed the urgency of boosting Europe's defense. While the transatlantic alliance is important, he said Europeans can no longer take U.S. protection for granted. "Europe therefore needs to fortify its security architecture. And we don't have much time to get this right. We only have one shot," said Brekelmans. The same message came from European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen at the European Parliament. "We need a surge in European defense, and we need it now," she said. The European Union's executive arm has proposed an $873 billion plan for rearming Europe and supporting Ukraine. It includes relaxing fiscal rules and some $164 billion in loans for defense investments. It has proposed increasing defense spending by an additional 1.5 percent of member states' GDP yearly over four years. The proposed surge comes as Washington's priorities appear to be shifting. And European leaders are worried Russia may not stop at Ukraine fears their populations appear to share. One Ipsos survey found three-quarters of French and half of Germans are concerned the Ukraine conflict will spread elsewhere in Europe. Another poll, however, found few Europeans want to pay more for defense. Critics, including Hungary's Viktor Orban, suggest Europe can't afford to defend Ukraine. Others argue Brussels is assuming too much power. Europeans are also divided over whether to invest in their own defense industry or buy externally. The U.S. has been a top supplier. Former French Ambassador Michel Duclos said, "They want to continue to sell weapons to European counties." Duclos is now an analyst at the Montaigne Institute research group in Paris. That's one argument, he believes, for Washington's at least short-term commitment to Europe's security. "What I fear more is not that they [the U.S.] will disengage. It's more that they will want the Europeans to pay more and more for European protection," he said. This week sees more high-level meetings on Ukraine and European security. There's another in Paris Wednesday, gathering Europe's five top military powers, along with NATO and Ukrainian defense chiefs. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gunmen attack hotel in Somalia, killing at least 5 By Mohamed Olad Hassan March 11, 2025 Gunmen stormed a hotel in the Somali city of Beledweyne on Tuesday, leaving at least five people dead and triggering an ongoing siege, according to witnesses and a Somali lawmaker. In an interview with VOA Somali, federal lawmaker Dahir Amin Jesow said local elders and government officials were meeting at the Qahira Hotel in central Somalia. "They attacked the hotel at dawn this morning, with an explosion and then gunmen stormed it. At least five people including two well-respected elders were killed, and five others were injured," Jesow said. A VOA reporter in the town said at least six people have been confirmed dead, while the siege continues. The reporter said Somali security forces backed by Djiboutian soldiers, who are part of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somaila, AUSSOM, and units of Ethiopian soldiers could be seen surrounding the hotel. Local media reports say the death toll may be higher up to 10 fatalities, including five al-Shabab militants, who were involved in the assault, and government soldiers. Plumes of smoke from the explosions could be seen throughout the town, and an eyewitness said there has been ongoing gunfire. "We can still hear sporadic gunfire from the hotel as some militants are still resisting and fighting with the security forces," said Mohamed Qoone, a resident who witnessed the attack. Video circulating on social media shows parts of the Qahira Hotel reduced to rubble. The Islamist militant group al-Shabab immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, the group said it had killed more than 10 people. The group frequently conducts bombings and gun assaults in Somalia, aiming to topple the government and impose its strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. This attack follows an operation conducted by Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) just hours earlier, which resulted in the deaths of 16 al-Shabab militants, including key leaders and fighters. According to NISA, "The operation dealt a significant blow to al-Shabab, eliminating key members of the group. In addition to the fatalities, the operation also led to the destruction of combat vehicles used by the militants." Somali government soldiers, supported by local clan militias and the U.S. military, are conducting operations against al-Shabab in central Somalia, focusing on the Middle Shabelle and Hiran regions. VOA's Sahra Abdi Ahmed contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address White House defends Trump's push to deport pro-Palestinian activist By Anita Powell March 11, 2025 The White House on Tuesday defended President Donald Trump's deportation policy after the weekend arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and U.S. legal permanent resident, who played a prominent role in last year's university protests over the Gaza war. White House officials echoed Trump's vow on Monday to "find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country never to return again." Trump doubled down on his language on Tuesday. "We ought to get them all out of the country," he said. "They're troublemakers. They're agitators. They don't love our country. We ought to get them the hell out." Khalil, who remained in detention Tuesday, has not been charged with any criminal offense. It is not a criminal offense to disagree, even openly, with the U.S. government's policy or actions, and the Bill of Rights protects free speech and the right to assemble. "This is an individual who organized group protests that not only disrupted college campus classes and harassed Jewish American students and made them feel unsafe on their own college campus but also distributed pro-Hamas propaganda fliers with the logo of Hamas," said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. "That is the behavior and activity that this individual engaged in." According to the U.S. government database that tracks immigration arrests, a man by the name of Mahmoud Khalil, who is listed as being born in Syria, is being held in an ICE facility in rural Louisiana. Khalil was a student at Columbia University in New York City and a prominent figure during last year's protests at the university. Trump also promised, in his Monday social media post, that more arrests would come. When asked how many more, Leavitt did not provide a number. "But I do know that DHS is actively working on it," she replied. "And I also know that Columbia University has been given the names of other individuals who have engaged in pro-Hamas activity, and they are refusing to help DHS identify those individuals on campus, and as the president said very strongly in his statement yesterday, he is not going to tolerate that, and we expect, expect all America's colleges and universities to comply with this administration's policy." Last week, the U.S. government announced the immediate cancellation of about $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University, due, they said, "to the school's continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students." 'Step in the right direction' In a statement, the Heritage Foundation, whose Project 2025 document has effectively become a policy playbook for the Trump administration, praised both the move to defund and Khalil's arrest, saying, in a headline, "Heritage Praises Trump Administration's Decision to Defund Columbia University, Arrest Pro-Hamas Student Leader." "This is a great step in the right direction," said the foundation's Jason Bedrick, a researcher on education policy. "For far too long, universities like Columbia have allowed radicals to engage in targeted harassment of Jewish students, incite violence, openly support terrorist organizations, and break campus policies with impunity." 'Straight from the authoritarian playbook' On Capitol Hill, Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin said the arrest was a violation of Khalil's First Amendment rights. Raskin said he was "closely monitoring" the situation. While Leavitt said Tuesday that the secretary of state has the authority to revoke a person's Permanent Resident Card, also known as a green card, over issues of national security, critics question the legality of such a move. "The detention of Mahmoud Khalil is ripped straight from the authoritarian playbook," said Raskin, a constitutional law professor, in a statement. "His arrest sets an extremely dangerous and chilling precedent from an administration that is hellbent on wielding fear and intimidation as weapons to crush political dissent. All Americans, including those who strongly disagree with Khalil's speech, should be outraged by this brazen attack on our fundamental freedoms." The Council on American-Islamic Relations told VOA via email that they are comforted by a judge's decision to block Khalil's deportation. "What ultimately happens to Mahmoud may set a precedent for countless other lawful permanent residents and possibly even American citizens targeted in this anti-American war on free speech and peaceful activism," said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, CAIR national deputy director. "Free speech for everyone in our nation, including lawful permanent residents, is a cornerstone of American democracy." The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee told VOA via email that this case prompts many questions. "They are constantly moving the goalposts on what is antisemitism and what isn't," National Executive Director Abed Ayoub told VOA. "There is no proof Mahmoud committed a crime. What is the statutory authority they are using? What about the [First Amendment]? How far is the administration going with this? Will they be targeting naturalized U.S. citizens? These seem like obvious questions, but they haven't been asked." U.S. District Court Judge Jesse Furman on Monday ordered that Khalil not be deported for now and set his next hearing for Wednesday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 11 March 2025 - Day 1112 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that in total, since the beginning of this day, 244 combat encounters have been recorded. Ukrainian defenders continue to decisively interrupt the attempts of the Russian enemy to advance deep into Ukrainian territory, giving him a fiery impression. Russian zagarbniki launched one rocket and 49 aviation strikes, used one rocket and dropped 68 controlled aviation bombs. In addition, more than 700 kamikaze drones were recruited to impress and more than 4,000 shells were carried out at the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. In the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces carried out offensive actions six times in the direction of settlements Gliboke and Vovchansk, from the Russian aviation the Cossack Lopan, Goptivka and Veterinarne. In the Kupyansky direction, Russian forces carried out offensive actions in the areas of Nova Kruglyakivka, Petropavlivka, Kucherivka, Boguslavka and Zagrizovoye, where Ukrainian defenders stopped 13 enemy attacks. In the Lyman direction, Russian invaders 31 times attacked the positions of the Defense Forces in the direction of settlements of Cherneshina, Grekivka, Katerinivka, Yampolivka, Novomikhailivka, New and Green Valley. Four clashes are still ongoing. In the Siversky direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled six Russian assaults near the settlements of Bilogorivka and Verkhnyokamianske. In the direction of Kramators komu, Russian forces attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders near the May, Time Yar and Stupok. The Defense Forces repelled 14 attacks of the colonizers. Thirty-two times Russians stormed the positions of Ukrainian units in the Toretsky direction in the areas of White Mountain, Diliyivka, Dachny, Friendship, Kurdyumivka and Toretsk. One battle is still going on. In the Pokrovsky direction, from the beginning of this day, the Russian enemy attacked in the areas of the settlements Vodyane Second, Ray, Fox, Novoukrainka, Zelene, Zvirove, Leontovichi, Sergiyivka, Udaachne, Novooleksandrivka, Nadiivka, Preobrazhenka, Bogdanivka, Oleksiyivka, Shevchenko, Kotlyarivka and Andriyivka. Ukrainian defenders have stopped 54 Russian offensive actions, nine more clashes are still ongoing. New Poltavka, Pokrovsk, Hrodivka, Zvirove and Leontovichi suffered aviation strikes. Today, according to preliminary data, 154 Russian occupants were defecated in this direction, 120 of them - irrevocably. Ukrainian soldiers destroyed one combat armored car, three units of motor vehicles, a cannon, a mortar, seven reconnaissance BPLAs and one Russian retransmitter; also damaged the cannon and the Russian enemy's car. In the Novopavlivs komu direction, Russian forces 16 times tried to break through the defense of Ukrainian defenders in the areas of Konstantinopol, Privilny, Skudny, Free Field and Burlatsky. Four clashes are currently underway. In the Gulyaipil direction, 15 clashes with the Russian enemy took place in the areas of the settlements Zelene Pole, Novosilka and Novopil. Seven clashes are currently ongoing. Uncontrolled aviation missiles, the enemy hit the settlements of Novopil and Gulyaipole. In the Orikhivsky direction, Russian forces carried out nine offensive actions in the direction of settlements Novodanilivka, Stepovo, Pyatihatki, Scherbaky, Kamianske and Lobkove. Currently, two confrontations remain unfinished. The settlement of Novodanilivka was affected by Russian aviation. In the Pridniprovsk direction, the enemy twice attacked towards the positions of Ukrainian defenders, unsuccessful. Aviation strikes were caused by the Russian enemy in the areas of settlements of Burgunka, Virivka, Matrosivka and Korsunka. In the Kursk direction since the beginning of the day, 33 fighting clashes have taken place, and the Russian Zagarbnytsky army launched 13 air strikes, dropping 15 KABs, and carrying out 240 shellings, including nine of the reactive systems of salvage fire. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Kharkov direction, the Sever Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on units of a mechanised brigade of the AFU and three territorial defence brigades close to Granov, Udy, Sinelnikovo, and Neskuchnoye (Kharkov region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 55 troops, six motor vehicles, three artillery guns, and an electronic warfare station. The Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation. The Russian Armed Forces inflicted damage on manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, an air assault brigade near Novoye, Drobyshevo, Novomikhaylovka, Mirnoye (Donetsk People's Republic), Kamenka, Malaya Shapkovka, and Tishchenkova (Kharkov region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 225 troops, two tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, six pickup trucks, three field artillery guns including a U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, and a U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar. The Yug Group of Forces liberated Gorkogo (Donetsk People's Republic). Russian troops hit formations of a heavy mechanised brigade, three mechanised brigades, a motorised infantry brigade of the AFU, a territorial defence brigade, and a national guard brigade close to Kleban-Byk, Berestok, Vasyukovka, Rozovka, Konstantinovka, Tarasovka, and Dronovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 295 troops, three tanks, nine armoured fighting vehicles including five U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, three pickup trucks, seven field artillery guns, three ammunition depots, and two electronic warfare stations. Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces continued advancing to the depth of the enemy's defence. Russian forces engaged three mechanised brigades, two jaeger brigades of the AFU, a marine brigade, and a national guard brigade near Novosergeyevka, Sribnoye, Udachnoye, Petrovskoye, and Krasnoarmeysk (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 460 troops, three armoured fighting vehicles including a U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier and a French-made VAB armoured personnel carrier, nine motor vehicles, and three artillery guns including a French-made 155-mm Caesar self-propelled artillery system. The Vostok Group of Forces delivered strikes at units of a mechanised brigade, a jaeger brigade of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades close to Shevchenko, Bogatyr, Voskresenka, Dneproenergiya, Razliv (Donetsk People's Republic), and Gulyaypole (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses amounted to more than 155 troops, a German-manufactured Leopard tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, five field artillery guns, two ammunition depots, and an electronic warfare station. The units of the Dnepr Group of Forces engaged the personnel and hardware of a mechanised brigade and three coastal defence brigades of the AFU near Shcherbaki (Zaporozhye region), Nikolskoye, Pridneprovskoye, and Belozerka (Kherson region). The enemy lost up to 50 troops, nine motor vehicles, a field artillery gun, and an ammunition depot. Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack drones, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces engaged the facilities of airfield infrastructure, manpower and hardware of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and foreign mercenaries in 147 areas. Russian air defence means have shot down two JDAM guided aerial bombs, two U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and a Czech-made Vampire MLRS projectile. In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 657 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 46,270 unmanned aerial vehicles, 600 anti-aircraft missile systems, 22,119 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,526 MLRS combat vehicles, 22,425 field artillery guns and mortars, and 32,696 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region. The Sever Group of Forces have liberated 12 settlements during the offensive actions: Agronom, Bogdanovka, Bondarevka, Dmitryukov, Zazulevka, Ivashkovskiy, Kolmakov, Kubatkin, Martynovka, Mikhaylovka, Pravda, Yuzhny and more than 100 square kilometres of Kursk region. Moreover, Russian units hit formations of a heavy mechanised brigade, five mechanised brigades, a motorised infantry brigade, an assault brigade, two air assault brigades, two territorial defence brigades, and two assault regiments near Gogolevka, Goncharovka, Guyevo, Zamostye, Zaoleshenka, Kazachya Loknya, Pervy Knyazhy, Kurilovka, Loknya, Melovoy, Oleshnya, Sudzha, Cherkasskaya Konopelka, and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and artillery engaged AFU manpower and hardware close to Bondarevka, Gornal, Guyevo, Zaoleshenka, Kazachya Loknya, Pervy Knyazhy, Kolmakov, Kurilovka, Makhnovka, Martynovka, Melovoy, Mirny, Mikhaylovka, Oleshnya, Rubanshchina, Sudzha, Cherkasskaya Konopelka, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye as well as Basovka, Belovody, Vodolagi, Zhuravka, Miropolye, Yunakovka, and Yablonovka in Sumy region. For the past 24 hours, AFU losses amounted to more than 270 troops, two tanks, four infantry fighting vehicles, three armoured personnel carriers, eight armoured fighting vehicles, 20 motor vehicles, two U.S.-made Paladin self-propelled artillery systems, a field artillery gun, a Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile artillery system, 11 UAV command posts, and two ammunition depots. Twelve AFU servicemen surrendered. Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to up to 66,550 troops, 391 tanks, 311 infantry fighting vehicles, 272 armoured personnel carriers, 2,181 armoured fighting vehicles, 2,403 motor vehicles, 542 artillery guns, 52 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and seven of MLRS made by the USA, 26 anti-aircraft missile launchers, one self-propelled anti-aircraft system, ten transport-loading vehicles, 120 EW stations, 16 counter-battery warfare radars, ten air defence radars, 55 units of engineering and other materiel, including 23 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, five bridge launchers, one engineering reconnaissance vehicle as well as 14 armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle. The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Regional organisations must respect and promote human rights while countering terrorism: UN expert Press releases Special Procedures 11 March 2025 GENEVA -- Dozens of regional organisations around the world play a vital role in the fight against terrorism, but they have also enabled serious human rights violations and evaded adequate scrutiny, a UN expert said today. "Regional organisations should never enable governments to repress their critics or destroy human freedoms," said Ben Saul, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. In his report to the 58th session of the Human Rights Council, Saul urged regional organisations to engage more meaningfully with diverse civil society organisations in preventing terrorism, addressing its root causes, and remedying human rights violations. "Regional organisations must empower member states to fight terrorism in accordance with the rule of law and human rights," he said. The Special Rapporteur stressed that the involvement of civil society enhances the legitimacy of counter-terrorism measures, builds public trust and security cooperation, and makes measures more effective. He made key recommendations, including: Publicising information on how civil society can get involved; Avoiding restrictive accreditation and registration criteria for civil society; Providing funding and administrative support for civil society engagement; and Protecting civil society from reprisals and intimidation. "Regional organisations that impose sanctions on 'terrorist' individuals or entities must fully respect human rights law, given the acute risk of their misuse against human rights defenders, civil society, journalists and political activists," the expert said. In his report, Saul called for regional definitions of terrorism that are used to impose counter-terrorism sanctions to be narrow, rights-respecting and in line with international best practice standards. "There must be rigorous due process, independent review, and effective remedies for violations," he said. "The sanctions imposed must also be strictly necessary and proportionate and not applied automatically." The Special Rapporteur urged those involved in regional military cooperation against terrorism to respect international law, from capacity-building to peacekeeping and combat operations. "Regional missions must respect the prohibition on the use of force as strictly interpreted by the International Court of Justice," the expert said. "They must commit to respect international humanitarian and human rights law and to protect the civilian population. They must independently investigate violations, accept legal responsibility where appropriate, and provide effective remedies, including reparations." "Regional organisations should assess human rights risks in advance of and during missions, including when partnering with third states," Saul said. "They must scrupulously respect international standards on arms and munitions transfers. They should be transparent in publicly reporting on their operations." The Special Rapporteur called for regional missions to always be part of a comprehensive response that addresses the root causes of conflict, including State violations of human rights and poor governance, and enables peace-making and reconciliation. This is a follow-up to his report to the General Assembly in October 2024, which addressed other human rights concerns related to regional organisations. Ben Saul is the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR. Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China's national legislature holds closing meeting of annual session Global Times Two sessions a feast for world that yearns for stability, devt By Zhang Han, Chu Daye and Ma Ruiqian Published: Mar 11, 2025 11:30 PM The 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, held the closing meeting of its third session on Tuesday. Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders attended the meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. On Tuesday, Chinese national lawmakers passed several key resolutions. These included a resolution on the government work report, a resolution on the work report of the NPC Standing Committee, a resolution on the work report of the Supreme People's Court, and a resolution on the work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Xinhua reported. Additionally, lawmakers adopted a decision to amend the Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels during the same session. The lawmakers also approved a resolution on the implementation of the 2024 plan for national economic and social development, alongside the adoption of the 2025 plan for national economic and social development. The 2025 plan received formal endorsement at the closing meeting. Furthermore, a resolution on the execution of the 2024 central and local budgets, as well as the approval of the 2025 central and local budgets, was passed. The central budget for 2025 was officially ratified at the conclusion of the third session of the 14th NPC. The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, concluded its annual session on Monday. Blueprint with confidence The two sessions, held at a time when the world is facing turbulence, has injected confidence to the Chinese public and designated the specific areas to strive for. It has also showcased China's openness and willingness to share development opportunities with the world, according to attendees and observers. The Global Times observed that technology has permeated through many conversations involving deputies and political advisors, and at press conferences throughout the past days. Deputy Zhang Jin, a CEO from a robot automation company in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, told the Global Times that "Innovation is not a slogan, but actual actions." Zhang's team has strived to break foreign monopoly on a high-precision robotic hand for semiconductor production. It is less known as a bottleneck than lithography machines, but this progress is paving the way to technological self-reliance, Zhang said. Song Yaping, an NPC deputy and president of the Shaanxi Provincial Children's Welfare Association, told the Global Times on Tuesday that through exchanges with deputies from different sectors, she is amazed by how artificial intelligence (AI) has changed all walks of life. Song is now thinking how to incorporate AI in education and help children to better learn about arts and traditional culture. China has the strongest policy support, the most fertile soil for innovation, the broadest market and a large number of talents. These combined advantages give us the confidence to pursue higher goals, Zhang said. China will establish a national venture capital guidance fund to drive nearly 1 trillion yuan of local and private funds to invest in tech firms in a market-oriented manner, according to Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission. This year's government work report recognizes AI as essential for fostering new quality productive forces. It also outlined a blueprint to nurture and expand emerging industries and industries of the future, and called on innovative enterprises to pioneer breakthroughs for China's economic growth. Another key topic frequently discussed is China's economic prospects. While foreign media including CNN, Nikkei Asia and the Financial Times describe the GDP growth goal as "ambitious," NPC deputies and political advisors are confident in realizing the objective along with the roadmap set by the two sessions. The growth target is achievable, and the prospect is boosted by technologies, people-oriented investment, and an innovative ecosystem, Tian Xuan, an NPC deputy and associate dean of Tsinghua University's PBC School of Finance, told the Global Times. The country has a vast market, and a complete and mature industrial and supply chain, a strong reserve of talent and a large body of trained labor force, these unique attributes will help the world's second-largest economy navigate the issues it faces during the course of development, Tian said. Global feast In a world of turbulence and uncertainty amid the new US administration's tariffs and other policies, the message sent by China's two sessions is a feast for a world that yearns for stability and development. Muhammad Zamir Assadi, editor of the China Desk at Internews Pakistan, told the Global Times on Tuesday that China has outlined positive economic development strategies which will bring advantages not only to China, but also to its international cooperative partners. China's decision to emphasize technological advancements will provide partner nations with better prospects to obtain innovative Chinese developments alongside joint research activities as these will facilitate industrial modernization in their territories, Assadi said. Milko Zivkovic, who works for North Macedonian daily newspaper Nova Makedonija, told the Global Times that what was discussed at the two sessions will eventually determine not only the direction of Chinese policy, but also of numerous processes on a global scale in different areas, regarding foreign relations, economy, science, and healthcare. The takeaway message for him during the event was "the openness of China to the world." Yu Miaojie, president of Liaoning University and a deputy to the NPC, told the Global Times that this year's two sessions clearly conveyed that China's development will adhere to two fundamental principles: one is universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and the other is an equal and orderly multipolar world. Building on these two principles, we will advance the three global initiatives, namely the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. In terms of opening up, we will focus on attracting foreign investment, improving the business environment for foreign enterprises, and enhancing the quality of the Belt and Road Initiative, Yu said. Yu believes a two-pronged approach will be adopted: first, building a unified domestic market, and second, creating a more comprehensive, broader and deeper pattern of opening up. In simpler terms, it means "stimulating the domestic market while expanding openness to the world." Democracy in micro-lens Zivkovic noted that through reporting the two sessions, he managed to get an insight on the unique structure of the Chinese political system, the engagement of the political leadership with the public and media and the way decision-making is conducted. Jiang Shengnan, a CPPCC National Committee member, shared with the Global Times how a proposal she made in 2024 about guarantees for rural women's rights was incorporated into the legislation of a law on rural collective economic organizations, which is set to take effect on May 1, 2025. Jiang received a reply from a proposal committee of the CPPCC National Committee stating her proposal was taken up and incorporated. NPC deputy Li Liancheng is in his 70s. Li started learning to read when he was 51 and has served as Party chief of a village in Henan Province since 1991. With a heavy accent, Li shared his experience of leading his fellow villagers to seek a better life, build greenhouses and introduce a lighting industry, and now he is thinking of how to invite more technological talents to villages to boost rural revitalization. Li told the Global Times on Tuesday that he felt very much cheered by the just concluded NPC session. "I hope to bring the most updated policies back to the village and bring more good news of rural revitalization next year back to the Great Hall of the People." All these stories serve as a micro lens to understand how China's whole-process people's democracy works. According to Eduardo Tzili-Apango, associate professor in the Department of Politics and Culture at Metropolitan Autonomous University and a member of the Mexican Council on Foreign Affairs, democracy refers to real collective decision making, which is observed in China, particularly during the two sessions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Deputy reveals China's Y-20 strategic transport aircraft in constant hardware, software upgrades: media report Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Published: Mar 11, 2025 06:32 PM The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force's Y-20 strategic transport aircraft is in a constant process of hardware and software upgrades, with primary-level troops making innovations by applying 3D printing technologies, a pilot has revealed. Chen Jinlan, who can pilot both the Y-9 tactical transport aircraft and the Y-20 strategic transport aircraft, made the remarks at a group discussion at China's two sessions 2025, the PLA Daily reported on Tuesday. Having an accumulated a flight time of over 8,000 hours, she is also a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. The Y-20's hardware structures and software facilities have been continuously iterating and upgrading, and in addition to efforts by scientists and technical workers, primary-level troops have also been devoted to innovative activities, such as forming a software development team and a 3D printing interest group, Chen said, according to the report. As a vital part of rapid response capabilities, strategic delivery capability is a key parameter in measuring a country's national defense strength, Chen said, noting that large military transport aircraft are core pieces of equipment to achieve long-distance strategic and fast deployment of troops, according to the report. Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military affairs expert, hailed the significance of the troops' innovative involvement in the continuous upgrades of aircraft. He told the Global Times on Tuesday that it is the troops who actually fly the aircraft that know best about how to improve the machine. Minor upgrades could include improvements to avionics, flight control systems and ergonomics, which could be done by the troops, while bigger upgrades could include the switch to new and more powerful engines, which would need coordinated work by the aircraft developers, Fu said. The Y-20 is designed with an open architecture, so that new hardware and software can be quickly integrated and boost the aircraft's comprehensive capabilities, Fu said, noting that 3D printing is an innovative method to shorten development time and improve the aircraft. The development of the Y-20 is a miniature of the PLA's efforts in promoting the application of technological innovations, the PLA Daily quoted military lawmakers and political advisors at the two sessions as saying, adding that it is high time to develop new quality productive forces and boost new quality combat capabilities. Zhu Yuemeng, an NPC deputy from the PLA Navy, highlighted China's aircraft carrier development, which has achieved a leap in development of from having none to three, from refitting a foreign carrier to building carriers domestically from scratch, and from a ski-jump model to a catapult-launch model. Zhu said that the high-quality development of China's national defense and military has entered a fast lane, according to the PLA Daily report. Lu Yuncheng, another deputy from the military, is quoted by the PLA Daily as saying that future warfare could be beyond imagination, with unmanned and intelligent technologies reshaping the rules of engagement, and that battles will be waged across multi-dimensional domains. Multiple national lawmakers and political advisors noted that the characteristics of informatization, intellectualization and unmanned technology in future warfare are becoming increasingly evident, with the role of science and technology in the construction of combat capabilities becoming ever more prominent, so the Chinese military needs to enhance combat readiness with the courage to innovate with determination, the boldness to be a trailblazer, and the vigor to surge forward with vitality, the PLA Daily reported. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on March 11, 2025 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Updated: March 11, 2025 18:47 AFP: Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, was arrested in Manila today. What's China's response? Mao Ning: This is an important sudden incident. China has noted the news and is closely following how this might develop. I would like to reiterate China's consistent view that the International Criminal Court should strictly follow the principle of complementarity, exercise its functions and powers prudently in accordance with the law and prevent politicization or double standards. Beijing Daily: There is a lot of attention on the Report on the Work of the Government, which was released during China's two sessions, setting this year's economic growth target at around 5 percent and outlining the task of expanding high-standard opening up. With the world economy in the doldrums, how will China make new contribution to global development? Mao Ning: Opening up is where China's economic vitality comes from and China's firm commitment to the world. This year's Report on the Work of the Government made it clear that regardless of changes in the external environment, China will remain steadfast in its commitment to opening up, steadily expand institutional opening up and take the initiative to open wider and advance unilateral opening up in a well-ordered way. We will bolster policies for stabilizing foreign trade. We will promote innovation-driven development of trade in services, cultivate new growth drivers, such as green trade and digital trade, host major trade events to high standards, such as the China International Import Expo, the China Import and Export Fair, the China International Fair for Trade in Services, the Global Digital Trade Expo, and the China International Consumer Products Expo. We will vigorously encourage foreign investment. We will open internet-related, cultural, and other sectors in a well-regulated way and expand trials to open sectors such as telecommunications, medical services, and education. We will strive for solid progress in pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. We will ensure the stable and smooth operation of China-Europe freight trains, accelerate the development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and improve the layout of international cooperation in industrial and supply chains. We will deepen multilateral, bilateral, and regional economic cooperation. We will resolutely safeguard the WTO-centered multilateral trading system, broaden converging interests with other countries, and promote shared development. China will continue to serve as an enabler of global prosperity through its high-quality development and high-standard opening up, and provide new key driving force for global economic recovery and development. Kyodo News: Chinese Ambassador to Japan told Hong Kong media in an interview during the two sessions that China will participate in this year's China-Japan-ROK summit to be held in Japan. Can you confirm that Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Tokyo in March and attend the China-Japan-ROK foreign ministers' meeting? Mao Ning: China attaches importance to China-Japan-ROK cooperation. We maintain communication with Japan and the ROK on affairs related to the China-Japan-ROK Foreign Ministers' Meeting. On your specific question, I have no information to share at the moment. China News Service: Recently, the head of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) wrote on social media that because of the U.S. funding freezing, the institute lacks anti-China materials and cannot produce contents attacking China, urging the U.S. or other organizations to immediately fund relevant anti-China agenda. What's your comment? Mao Ning: We noted relevant report. The so-called research institute from Australia that you mentioned has long been funded by the U.S. defense and diplomatic agencies and arms dealers. It serves the interests of its donors and has propagated a long list of lies against China. Its so-called "research findings" lack basic factual grounds and have been proved as disinformation many times, which clearly violates the professional ethics of academic research. There is no credibility to speak of for this so-called institute. What the head of the institute revealed on social media exposes once again its hypocrisy of creating lies and spreading disinformation to vilify China with funding from the U.S. It is hoped that people in Australia and the international community will see clearly what kind of institute ASPI really is, and join the voices denouncing and resisting its disinformation campaigns. AFP: According to the South China Morning Post, U.S. and Chinese presidents could meet next month in China. Is that true? Mao Ning: I have no information to read out on that. Kyodo News: It will have been nearly two years since a Japanese employee of the drugmaker Astellas Pharma was detained on suspicion of espionage. This has raised concerns in the Japanese business community. According to the 2024 data of balance of payments, foreign direct investment (FDI) in China plunged year-on-year, and some commentators said that this is because of the impact of the counterespionage law. What's your view on this? Mao Ning: For the specifics on the case you mentioned, I'd like to refer you to the competent authorities. On China's Counterespionage Law, let me point out that it's a universal practice for countries to safeguard national security through domestic legislation. All the law enforcement and judicial activities of China are carried out based on facts and in accordance with China's laws. Companies that operate lawfully and people who act in accordance with the law have nothing to worry about. Regarding the FDI statistics you mentioned, I'm not sure the figure you quoted is accurate or not. An official from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange shared information on the subject recently, which you may refer to. Let me say that China is committed to high-standard opening up and will continue to build a market-oriented, law-based and world-class business environment and provide quality services to foreign investors including those from Japan. Bloomberg: We have sources telling us that Chinese officials are having difficulty getting guidance from the U.S. side on how to stop President Trump from increasing tariffs. Can I get a reaction from you? Mao Ning: The U.S. is bent on using the fentanyl issue as an excuse to impose additional tariffs twice on Chinese imports. China has made clear its opposition more than once. Our countermeasures are legitimate and necessary in safeguarding our rights and interests. If harming China's interests is what the U.S. wants, China will take resolute countermeasures. If the U.S. truly wants to solve the issue, then the right thing to do is to consult with China on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit to address each other's concerns. AFP: So U.S. and Ukrainian officials are meeting today in Saudi Arabia for talks. Ukraine will propose its own ceasefire deal. What is China's expectation for the meeting? Mao Ning: China supports all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis. We hope that parties can find a just and lasting solution that is acceptable to all sides. China is ready to work with the international community, and continue to play a constructive role for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. Reuters: The 14th Dalai Lama has published a new book. He says that his successor will be born outside of China. He writes that the campaign for the freedom of the Tibetan people would continue no matter what, even after his death. Do you have any comment on his comments in the book? Mao Ning: The 14th Dalai Lama is a political exile engaged in separatist activities under the guise of religion. He has absolutely no right to represent the people in Xizang. Xizang enjoys a booming economy, stable society, flourishing culture and better life for its people. This is seen by many in the international community. The reincarnation of Living Buddhas is unique to Tibetan Buddhism. It follows established religious rituals and historical conventions. The Dalai Lama's lineage, formed in Xizang, China, and religious standing and title which were affirmed by the central government, date back several hundred years. The 14th Dalai Lama himself was found and confirmed in line with this set of rituals and conventions and was approved by the then central government. The Chinese government issued Regulations on Religious Affairs and Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas, and respects and protects this method of succession. The reincarnation of Living Buddhas including the Dalai Lama must comply with Chinese laws and regulations as well as religious rituals and historical conventions, and follow the process that consists of search and identification in China, lot-drawing from a golden urn, and central government approval. AFP: UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that China is conducting "dangerous and destabilizing" activity in the South China Sea. He said that just after a visit to the Philippines. Do you have any comments on his remarks? Mao Ning: The South China Sea is one of the safest and freest waterways in the world. As a country outside the region, the UK should respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, and refrain from heightening antagonism and sowing discord. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 5 takeaways from China's National People's Congress A flagging economy, lack of investor confidence and weak consumer demand go hand in hand with increased military spending. By Qian Lang for RFA Mandarin and Yitong Wu and Ha Syut for RFA Cantonese 2025.03.11 -- China's 10-day National People Congress ended in Beijing on Tuesday amid sweeping promises from the country's leaders to boost economic growth, support AI and to take control over democratic Taiwan. Delegates also shed light on Beijing's intentions for Tibet and revealed for the first time that U.S. sanctions on companies in Xinjiang using Uyghur forced labor are hurting business. Here are five takeaways: China aims to spur consumer spending amid looming trade war with US In his March 5 work report, Premier Li Qiang pledged to boost domestic consumption as the driving force for economic growth, which he set at 5% for the coming year -- a target experts say is highly questionable and likely concocted for political reasons. For years, exports have driven China's growth. But leaders have tried to shift the focus to consumer spending after three years of COVID-19 restrictions and a slew of U.S. tariffs prompted manufacturers to move away from China and spooked foreign investors. And now President Donald Trump has imposed additional tariffs on Chinese exports to America. To shore up the economy, the government plans to boost fiscal spending by 1.2 trillion yuan (US$165 billion) to 29.7 trillion yuan (US$4.16 billion), Li said -- but gave few details of how that money would be spent. He also pledged to implement "an appropriately accommodative monetary policy" in the coming year. "The impact of this National People's Congress on the Chinese people is that their economy is now moving from strength to weakness, and this weakness will be long term," social economist Ji Rong told RFA Mandarin in a recent interview. One proposal discussed by delegates to the 10-day National People's Congress in Beijing was shortening the working week to four-and-a-half days to give people more leisure time. The government will also further cut the personal income tax rate in a bid to boost purchasing power among middle- and low-earners. An economic commentator who gave only the surname Hong for fear of reprisals said changes to the working week could prove effective, but that Li's work report contained few other practical measures. AI and high-tech seen as key sources of growth Li Qiang also vowed to "unleash the creativity of the digital economy," particularly through the use of AI. "We will support the extensive application of large-scale AI models and vigorously develop new-generation intelligent terminals and smart manufacturing equipment, including intelligent connected new-energy vehicles, AI-enabled phones and computers, and intelligent robots," he told delegates. Li was speaking weeks after China's launched its DeepSeek AI model, in what some called a "Sputnik moment" for the country. Li also promised increased funding for AI, biomanufacturing, quantum technology and 6G, without giving further details. But experts said China will continue to be hampered by U.S. export and high-tech bans, including for cutting-edge semiconductors. China's increasingly powerful AI surveillance systems use facial recognition and combine data streams to create sophisticated "city brains" that can track events in real time, and are increasingly being exported around the world, according to a recent report. The technology is also raising concerns about its use to treat patients by medical professionals, as well as to aid cheating in competitions (in Chinese). Tibetan officials vow to expand ideological education and Sinicize Tibetan Buddhism The Tibet Autonomous Region delegation vowed to strengthen efforts to fight "separatism" and prioritize "long-term stability" by expanding ideological education, as well as accelerate the Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism, which they said was key to "changing the face of Tibet." The delegates emphasized their commitment to ideological education guided by the "Three Consciousnesses," a phrase used in Chinese propaganda to refer to national -- or Han Chinese -- consciousness, civic duties and the rule of law. "I believe this kind of education is highly effective," said Karma Tseten, deputy head of the delegation and Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region, or TAR. "Despite its value, it is constantly smeared and disrupted by the Dalai Lama and his group. But we will not be swayed." The rhetoric was a clear sign, experts said, that Beijing intends to continue to impose its repressive policies in Tibet under the guise of maintaining stability and combating separatism. "Regardless of what policies China implements in Tibet, their stated goal of 'maintaining stability' fundamentally reveals that Tibetans do not trust the Chinese government," Dawa Tsering, director at the Tibet Policy Institute, told Radio Free Asia. Delegates said at a media briefing on Thursday that more than 90 percent of community leaders in Tibet now had basic knowledge of Mandarin. They also emphasized that they will continue to focus on promoting in Tibet what China calls the "four major events" -- border security, environment, stability and economic and social development. Top official from Uyghur region admits US sanctions are hurting businesses During the congress, the Chinese government acknowledged for the first time that U.S. sanctions over the use of Uyghur forced labor have affected more than 100 companies in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region, or XUAR, proving that international sanctions do have bite. Ma Xingrui, the XUAR party secretary, told delegates that "the United States, relying on fabricated evidence, has imposed sanctions on Xinjiang businesses based on allegations of genocide and forced labor, affected more than 144 companies," according to the China Daily. Sanctions "over accusations of 'forced labor' have become one of the biggest challenges in the region's development," Ma said during a panel discussion Friday at the NPC, according to the report. While Ma didn't elaborate on which companies were affected, this marks the first time the region's highest party official admitted the sanctions were hurting businesses. The United States and nearly a dozen Western parliaments have accused China of committing genocide and crimes against humanity against the 13 million Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples living in Xinjiang. In 2021, the U.S. government has passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which bans U.S. companies from doing business with Chinese businesses judged to be using Uyghur forced labor. Since then, some 144 companies have been blacklisted. These sanctions are undermining the economic development of Xinjiang, which is a chief way that Beijing "wants to extend the legitimacy of its rule," said Raymond Kuo, a China expert at Rand Corporation, a Washington think tank. "Ultimately, the economic benefits that come from [Beijing's] rule are going to be the key thing to increase the legitimacy of its rule as well as win over the population," he said. "Western sanctions inhibit that." The sanctions are "particularly politically important for Xinjiang," Kuo added. "They're clearly having some impact, right?" China to boost military spending by 7.2% China is increasing its 2025 defense budget by 7.2% to US$246 billion amid growing rivalry with the United States and tensions over Taiwan, marking the fourth consecutive year of more than 7% growth in defense spending. Li said Beijing would continue to "resolutely oppose separatist activities" in democratic Taiwan, as well as what he termed "external interference." China has ramped up military activities around Taiwan, conducting frequent air and naval incursions into the island's air defense identification zone and staging large-scale drills near its waters. Beijing views Taiwan as an inseparable part of its territory and insists on eventual unification, by force if necessary. Yet Li also vowed a soft power charm offensive to push for what Beijing calls "peaceful unification." "We will improve institutions and policies for promoting economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait and advance integrated cross-Strait development," he said. "We will firmly advance the cause of China's unification." Military expert Pang Xinhua said China's neighbors in the region are also worried about escalating military tensions. "As China increases its military activities in the South China Sea, East China Sea and other regions, neighboring countries may worry about rising regional tensions leading to an escalating arms race," Pang told RFA Mandarin. "That could in turn lead to an escalation of the situation in the Taiwan Strait, as China's continued strengthening of its military capabilities is interpreted as pressure on Taiwan," he said. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK changes rules to allow freer travel by Hong Kongers British National Overseas passport holders no longer need an Electronic Travel Authorization, making it easier for political prisoners to flee the city. By Jasmine Man and Matthew Leung for RFA Cantonese 2025.03.11 -- The British government says Hong Kongers holding a British National Overseas, or BNO, passport will soon be allowed to travel to the country without completing an advance travel authorization form, allowing people to flee a political crackdown in the city more easily. Minister for Migration and Citizenship Seema Malhotra confirmed that holders of the passport issued to eligible Hong Kongers since the 1997 handovers will no longer need to complete an Electronic Travel Authorization before traveling to the U.K. "Having listened to evidence, we have decided that BN(O) passport holders will no longer need an ETA to travel to the UK," Malhotra wrote in a March 5 letter to Lord Alton of Liverpool, Patron of the London-based rights group Hong Kong Watch. "This decision has been made on the basis of the close ties that the BN(O) community has with the UK, the historical commitments made to them and, critically, the fact that just like for British citizens with passports, it is the UK issuing their travel documents," Malhotra said. Since Beijing imposed two national security laws banning public opposition and dissent in the city, blaming "hostile foreign forces" for the protests, hundreds of thousands have voted with their feet amid plummeting human rights rankings, shrinking press freedom and widespread government propaganda in schools. Pursuing activists for life Hong Kong authorities have vowed to pursue activists in exile for life, while jailing political activists at home for "subversion" and putting pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai on trial for "collusion with foreign powers" after articles in his now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper called for sanctions on Hong Kong. More than 220,000 Hong Kongers have relocated to the United Kingdom so far under its British National Overseas lifeboat visa program, launched in January 2021. Others have made their homes anew in the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany. BNO passport holders without citizenship or a valid visa have needed to complete the authorization since Jan. 8, according to campaigners for the change. The Electronic Travel Authorization isn't generally available to people with a criminal record, meaning that thousands of people jailed for taking part in the 2019 protests or the 2014 Umbrella Movement would be effectively barred from traveling to the U.K. In Hong Kong, more than 10,000 people have been arrested and at least 2,800 prosecuted in a citywide crackdown in the wake of the 2019 protest movement, mostly under public order charges or colonial-era sedition laws. According to the overseas-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, 1,920 of those defendants are classed as political prisoners, or peaceful critics of the government. 'Relieved' A Hong Kong resident who gave only the pseudonym C for fear of reprisals said she was released from prison a year ago after serving more than 12 months' imprisonment for "illegal assembly," a charge used to jail thousands of participants in the 2019 protest movement. Under the original rules, she would have been unable to board a flight to the U.K., she told RFA Cantonese in a recent interview, something she found "deeply worrying." C said while she felt "relieved" at the policy change, there are still plenty of young released prisoners in Hong Kong who don't qualify for a BNO passport, and who will still need to complete an ETA to travel to the United Kingdom. Another Hong Konger, who gave only the pseudonym Ji for fear of reprisals, said she has also served more than 12 months in jail for "illegal assembly." She now plans to head to the U.K. very soon, and thanked rights groups and advocacy groups for campaigning for the change, although citing concerns for those who aren't BNO passport holders. A Hong Konger who gave the pseudonym Ah Tit said he also plans to leave the city with his family soon, after serving 27 months in jail in connection with the protest movement. "[This way], if anything happens, we can go back [to Hong Kong] if we really want to," he said. "If we take other routes, especially political asylum, the chances of ever coming back get very small." 'Step in the right direction' Luke de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China Policy, described the rule change as "a step in the right direction," and came after a number of organizations lobbied the government on behalf of Hong Kongers. U.K.-based former pro-democracy councilor Daniel Kwok, who co-founded the advocacy group Hong Kong Scots, said the change showed that a democratic government could be pressured into changing its policies. "It shows that, in a democratic society, as long as we make an effort to speak out and petition, we can actually push the government to change its policies," Kwok said. "We would like to thank everyone for their efforts in this matter." "We will continue to monitor when it will be implemented, and pay attention to whether our fellow Hong Kongers are able to enter the U.K smoothly in future, without being hindered by more technical or administrative problems." Hong Kong Watch Research and Policy Advisor Thomas Benson said the group had received "many calls" from Hong Kongers concerned about the ETA requirement. "We are glad to see the Home Office listening to these concerns and honoring the UK government's commitment to British National (Overseas) passport holders, and look forward to this change being imminently implemented," Benson said in a statement on the group's website. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hong Kong social worker convicted of rioting for her role in 2019 protests The conviction after a re-trial shows the harsh approach the city's authorities have taken with political cases. By RFA Cantonese 2025.03.11 -- A social worker and rights activist was convicted on Tuesday of participating in a riot during Hong Kong's 2019 pro-democracy protests. Jackie Chen was one of several social workers who tried to mediate between police and demonstrators. She carried a loudspeaker and urged police to use restraint and to refrain from firing non-lethal bullets during a protest that took place on Aug. 31, 2019. Police made more than 10,000 arrests during and after the 2019 protests, which began as a show of mass public anger at plans to allow the extradition of alleged criminal suspects to mainland China. They broadened to include demands for fully democratic elections and greater official accountability. Chen was acquitted in 2020, but prosecutors appealed and won a retrial in another example of the harsh stance that Hong Kong authorities have taken with political cases. Before heading to Hong Kong district court for the verdict, Chen told Radio Free Asia that she felt "peaceful." "As long as my body is healthy, there are still a lot of things I can do," she said. "So why not face it calmly?" Later, she gathered with supporters in front of the court building while wearing a backpack, a sweatshirt with colorful drawings and a cheerful expression. Judge May Chung wrote in her verdict that Chen used her position as a social worker to support the protesters and used the loudspeaker to shout unfounded accusations against the police. Chen was taken into custody and is scheduled to be sentenced next month. She could face up to seven years in prison. Edited by Matt Reed. Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fate of 8 Uyghurs in Thailand in limbo after 40 deported to China By Zsombor Peter March 11, 2025 Human rights advocates say at least some of the eight ethnic minority Uyghurs who remain in Thailand's custody since authorities deported 40 others to China last month are at risk of the same fate. After weeks of denying it was planning to repatriate any of the 48 Chinese Uyghurs it had held since arresting them for illegal entry in 2014, Thailand abruptly turned 40 of them over to China on Feb. 27. The United States, United Nations and international rights groups strongly condemned Thailand for sending Uyghurs back to China. They say it violates Thailand's international treaty obligations and, as of 2023, its own domestic law against deporting people to countries where they face a good chance of being abused or tortured. The United States and others have accused Beijing of genocide over its treatment of the Turkic-speaking Muslim minority Uyghurs in China's western Xinjiang province. The United Nations says their treatment may amount to crimes against humanity. Beijing denies the allegations. The Thai and Chinese governments have said nothing about the eight Uyghurs who were not sent back to China last month. The two governments have ignored VOA requests for comment. But rights groups tell VOA they have confirmed that all eight remain in Thai custody three in immigration detention without charge, with the other five serving prison sentences since 2020 for robbery and attempted escape from a detention center. They say the five in prison face the greatest risk of being deported once their prison terms end. "After they complete their sentence, they have to come back to the immigration detention centers. That is ... worrisome, because if there [is] the push from the Chinese again, these five people might be the most vulnerable group of people that will be deported again," Kannavee Suebsang, an opposition lawmaker and deputy chair of the House of Representatives Committee on Legal Affairs, Justice and Human Rights, told VOA. He said their sentences are due to end in 2029. Rights groups, though, say the five could face a forced return to China much earlier than that if they are added to the lists of prisoners pardoned by Thailand's king on royal holidays each year. 'We are very concerned' In a statement addressing the Feb. 27 deportations posted online the day after, the Thai government said China had in fact asked for the return of 45 "Chinese nationals," referring to the Uyghurs. Krittaporn Semsantad, program director for the Peace Rights Foundation, a Thai rights group, says that number appears to include the five Uyghurs still in prison in Thailand a sign, she believes, that China wants them returned as well. "So, yes, we are very ... concerned," she told VOA. "It could be very high risk and very high chance that these five will be sent back after they finish their sentence." For the eight Uyghurs still in Thai custody, "the danger is not passed yet," agreed Polat Sayim, an ethnic Uyghur living in Australia and the executive committee vice chair of the World Uyghur Congress. Chalida Tajaroensuk, who heads Thailand's People's Empowerment Foundation, another local rights group, echoed their concerns. She told VOA she visited the five Uyghurs in prison the day after the 40 were deported and said they were terrified of being forced back to China as well. "They are afraid, and they also cried. They don't want to go back," she said. 'We need to closely monitor' The rights groups told VOA that their sources in the Thai government and inside its detained centers have told them the other three Uyghurs also remain in Thailand, in the custody of the Bureau of Immigration. Neither China nor Thailand has explained why they were not deported along with the 40 last month. Unlike the five Uyghurs in prison, Kannavee and the rights groups say these three, who also hail from China, claimed to have come from other countries when they were first caught in Thailand, which may have helped to spare them from being sent back. "But still we need to also closely monitor about the situation of the three, because they [have] already been disclosed, I mean their information has been disclosed that they are [from] the same group of the Uyghurs," said Kannavee, who previously worked for the U.N.'s refugee agency in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand. He was referring to the more than 300 Uyghurs Thailand caught entering the country illegally in 2014 as they sought to make their way to Turkey, where some had relatives, and other countries. Of that group, Thailand deported 173 mostly women and children to Turkey in 2015 but sent 109, most of them men, back to China days later. Those sent back to China have not been heard from since. Following the rebukes over last month's deportations, the Thai government said Beijing had assured it that the Uyghurs would be treated well and that Bangkok could send envoys to check up on them regularly. Rights groups and opposition lawmakers such as Kannavee, though, say they take little comfort in Beijing's promises and still hope to persuade the Thai government to let the eight Uyghurs who remain in its custody settle elsewhere. 'We don't have a country' Thai officials initially claimed that no other country had offered to take in the Uyghurs but later acknowledged that some had, without naming them, and that Thailand turned them down for fear that China might retaliate. The Reuters news agency has reported that Australia, Canada and the United States all offered to resettle the Uyghurs. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told VOA on Sunday it had been working with Thailand for years to avoid their return to China, "including by consistently and repeatedly offering to resettle the Uyghurs in other countries, including, at times, the United States." Sayim, of the World Uyghur Congress, said those countries should keep their offers open for the eight Uyghurs Thailand still holds, and continue putting pressure on the Thai government to accept. "We don't have [a] country. That's why we have to ask European countries if they can help. ... Always we asking [the] U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, Australia if they could make a decision and take them," he said. "The Thai government shouldn't give these people back to China. They know it's not good when they go back." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China boosting development of AI for use in trade war with US By Saibal Dasgupta March 12, 2025 Encouraged by the enthusiastic reception to its DeepSeek artificial intelligence platform in January, China's leaders are going all out to encourage AI companies to harness the power of this technology to compete with the United States and other countries in business and military spheres. China considers AI an important tool to handle U.S. restrictions on Chinese business, particularly after DeepSeek shook up Wall Street, resulting in a loss of $589 billion for Nvidia stockholders in late January. "The government in China works directly with the private sector and universities in the advancement and deployment of AI technology and are reducing their dependence on imports of high-technology products," said Lourdes Casanova, director of Cornell University's Emerging Markets Institute. The past few weeks have seen China rolling out several new AI models, including Manus, which experts say can rival the latest model of ChatGPT. Industry experts were more than surprised to find that DeepSeek was equally efficient as ChatGPT, though it used older generation Nvidia chips. The U.S. has banned the supply of advanced chips. "China and the U.S. have pulled way out front in the AI race. China used to be one to two years behind the U.S. Now, it is likely two to three months," Jeffrey Towson, owner of Beijing-based TechMoat Consulting, told VOA. "Alibaba's Qwen is now a clear leader internationally in LLMs [large language models]. Chinese Kling AI and Minimax are arguably the global leaders in video generation," Towson said. Government involvement In 2017, China released an AI development program to make the country a world leader by 2030. The government's Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan said that AI would be adopted across different sectors and drive economic transformation. "China has the most elaborate AI strategy compared to any other country," Rogier Creemers, assistant professor in Modern Chinese Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands, told VOA. China has established a National Computing Power Grid somewhat like electricity grids making it possible for Chinese AI companies to invest less in their own computing power. In the U.S., each company must fend for itself, Creemers said. Competition ChatGPT's updated GPT4 large language model has gotten the attention of several top-ranking CEOs of Chinese tech companies. Baidu chief Robin Li recently said his firm was under "huge pressure and a sense of crisis" after seeing the updated ChatGPT. Baidu, which has launched Ernie Bot, said "the gap [between China] and leading international levels [in the field] has widened." "AI plus robotics is likely where China will take a commanding lead over the U.S., just like in EVs," Towson said. "Chinese companies like Unitree are already pulling ahead. Watch for China to surprise everyone in personalized robots, industrial robots and speciality robots," he said. Communist Party control Chinese President Xi Jinping recently convened a meeting with heads of private companies, including tech firms, calling on them to "show your talent" in overcoming challenges such as an economic slowdown and U.S. restrictions on Chinese business. "There are discussions that the growth of large language models the technology behind chatbots like DeepSeek and ChatGPT may be hindered by media censorship, because the models will have less diverse data to work with," said Creemers. On the other hand, the government's control ensures industrial policy coordination, which is helpful in the growth of AI in China. China is focusing more on specialized software for health and other industries, which can largely tolerate political censorship. Chinese AI models are improving diagnostic accuracy in diverse areas from detecting rib fractures to cancer. US ban on advanced chips "It will take some time, but it would not be a surprise if China is also soon capable of building advanced chips for AI," Cornell's Casanova said. Companies such as Huawei have shown that they can design and manufacture advanced chips successfully, thereby overcoming restrictions imposed by the U.S., she said. Towson said China is 100% dedicated to building an independent semiconductor supply chain. "It is advancing faster than anyone thought possible. But the frontier is always advancing, and it's unclear how this will play out over time," he said. "But you can do a lot with software," Creemers said. "China can work with more chips with less computing power or with fewer sophisticated chips." The risk for China is not limited to chips, because the Trump administration could impose restrictions on the Chinese AI model. It could also react to China's restriction on the use of ChatGPT, because it can violate its censorship rules. AI and the military China's air force is using AI-powered biometric tests to screen potential pilots as part of a rigorous hiring process, according to state broadcaster CCTV. "AI now plays a crucial role in interpreting candidates' biological signals, revealing underlying health risks that might not be immediately apparent to human evaluators," CCTV said. "This data-driven approach allows the air force to predict long-term risks, ultimately ensuring that only the most suitable candidates are chosen." Chinese researchers have also revealed that the Chinese army has been using Meta's publicly available Llama model to develop an AI tool for potential military applications. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. and ROK Military Gangsters Launch Large-scale Joint Military Exercises Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, March 11 (KCNA) -- The U.S. and the ROK military gangsters launched the large-scale joint military exercises Freedom Shield 2025, an aggressive and confrontational war rehearsal, on March 10. The warmongers are scheming to apply the OPLAN 2022 aimed at a "preemptive attack" on the nuclear weapons facilities of the DPRK in the current exercises under the "guidelines for nuclear deterrence and nuclear operations" announced last year. The scale of exercises is further expanded than last year as it includes 16 joint field mobile drills of brigade-level and above in the whole areas of ground, sea, air and space and 238 "United Defense Exercises" involving the puppet police, government agencies, local self-governing bodies and even civilians. This year, the U.S. and the ROK military gangsters are getting more frantic in the military exercises than ever before. The largest-ever joint military exercises, kicked off again this year, clearly show who is the arch criminal aggravating the situation on the Korean peninsula under the eyes of the world. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sanctions pose challenges to Iran's fight against drug trafficking: Official IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Mar 11, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- Hossein Zolfaghari, the secretary general of the Drug Control Headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said on Monday that the imposition of unilateral and cruel sanctions on Iranian citizens and the government not only hindered efforts to combat drug trafficking but also increased the costs of healthcare programs. Zolfaghari made these remarks in the 68th Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which is taking place from March 10 to 14, 2025, in Vienna, Austria. He called for the end to the sanctions and for the provision of effective technical and equipment support for countries on the frontline of combating drug trafficking. This support aims to facilitate the implementation of various resolutions from the CND and the United Nations Human Rights Council, he also said. The Iranian official offered advice for effectively addressing this global issue, emphasizing the need for enhanced collaboration, improved data and experience exchanges, technical assistance, and the provision of necessary equipment and technologies to countries affected by the cultivation, production, and transit of drugs. Zolfaghari is scheduled to hold bilateral and multilateral talks with the directors of the CND, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the International Narcotics Control Board, as well as ministers and delegations of other nations during his visit. 4208**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran succumbs to no request under pressure, threat, or sanction: Official IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Mar 11, 2025 Tehran, IRNA -- Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi has stressed that the Iranian nation will not welcome any request under pressure, sanction, or threat. Speaking in the opening ceremony of an exhibition showcasing Iranian women's achievements on Tuesday, Gharibabadi said sanctions that violate people's rights in all fields affect people's lives, but they will never achieve their goals. Western countries will no longer be able to introduce themselves as pioneers in advocating human rights and accuse other countries of violating human rights, he added. Those who claim to support the human rights are the main abusers of Iranian people's rights, he stressed, noting that these countries have imposed unilateral sanctions against the Iranian people and pass resolutions in the United Nations Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly against Tehran. Saying that the Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to support and promote human rights, Gharibabadi said Iran is a victim of terrorism and over 23,000 Iranian men, women and children were killed by terrorists. Elsewhere in his remarks, Gharibabadi deplored the Israeli regime's crimes in Gaza and said those who claim to support human rights did not take any action, but even supported the Israeli regime, politically, financially, and militarily. Earlier on February 24, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi expressed concern that some countries are using human rights as a tool to exert political and economic pressure on other nations or interfere in their internal affairs. He called on all governments to work toward protecting and promoting human rights based on the principles of fairness and impartiality. Araqchi noted that Iran has long been a victim of such misguided policies and demanded "the immediate lifting of all unilateral sanctions," which he said violate the fundamental human rights of Iranians and have caused suffering to millions of innocent people. 9376**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Do whatsoever you want': President Pezeshkian rejects talks with US under threats Iran Press TV Tuesday, 11 March 2025 7:23 PM Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has sharply rebuked the Trump administration's maximalist approach toward Iran, declaring that the Islamic Republic is not Ukraine and it will not negotiate with the United States under threats or coercion. "We must maintain relationships with the world. We do not want to be estranged or quarrel with anyone, but that does not mean we will bow in humiliation before anyone," Pezeshkian stated during a meeting of the Iran Entrepreneurs Forum in Tehran on Tuesday. "We may die with honor, but we will never live in disgrace." Pezeshkian rejected what he characterized as an ultimatum from Donald Trump, referencing a letter reportedly sent by the US president to Iran. The letter demanded that Tehran halt its nuclear and missile programs and take other measures in exchange for sanctions relief. "It is unacceptable for someone to come along and say, 'Don't do this, don't do that, or else.' I won't come to negotiate with you. Go do whatsoever you want," Pezeshkian stated. He criticized Trump for disrespecting his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, while pressuring him to agree to a deal with Russia. The Iranian president said Trump's conduct in his recent meeting with Zelensky at the White House was "truly shameful." "If negotiations are conducted with dignity and based on mutual respect and shared interests, we will sit down and talk," he said. "But the language of threats and coercion is absolutely unacceptable." The president underscored the importance of strengthening Iran's private sector as a means to counteract Western sanctions. "If we do not sanction ourselves, America or anyone else will not be able to easily sanction us." Tensions between Iran and the US have significantly worsened since Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018. The JCPOA, reached in 2015, required Iran to implement confidence-building measures to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Following the withdrawal, the Trump administration launched a "maximum pressure" campaign aimed at crippling Iran's economy through severe sanctions targeting its oil exports, banking sector, and other critical industries. US officials openly admitted that the policy was designed to weaken Iran economically and politically. However, it also exacerbated regional tensions and strained relations with America's European allies, who remained committed to the JCPOA. In response, Iran gradually reduced its compliance with JCPOA commitments while maintaining that its nuclear program remains peaceful. The upcoming JCPOA termination day in October 2025 has further heightened tensions, as it could mark a turning point for international restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities. Iran has repeatedly stressed its readiness for negotiations on the removal of sanctions, provided they are conducted on equal footing and in a manner that preserves national dignity and sovereignty. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Senior official: Iran not to cave in under pressure of sanctions Iran Press TV Tuesday, 11 March 2025 11:27 AM Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs says the Islamic Republic will not cave in to external pressure, adding that the so-called rights advocates are themselves the biggest rights violators for subjecting Iran to the most brutal sanctions. Kazem Gharibabadi made the statement in the opening ceremony of an exhibition showcasing Iranian women's achievements in the capital Tehran on Tuesday. "Those who claim to advocate for human rights while they issue resolutions against Iran and criticize the human rights situation in the country are, in fact, the biggest violators of the rights of the Iranian people, as they have endangered the right to life and well-being of millions of Iranians by imposing unjust sanctions," Gharibabadi said. "If these human rights advocates truly care about the human rights of the people of Iran, they should lift the unilateral sanctions against the Iranian people." Affirming that Iran remains strong despite economic pressures, he added, "These so-called human rights defenders do not even exempt food and medicine. But we are a great nation with vast capacities, and we are proud of our people. Based on national pride and effort, these threats and sanctions have no impact on the Islamic Republic of Iran. If any other country had endured just 10% of Iran's sanctions, it would have collapsed by now." Underlining that the Islamic Republic is determined to support and promote human rights, Gharibabadi said Iran is a victim of terrorism, with over 23,000 Iranian men, women and children having been killed by terrorists. Taking to task Western governments for harboring groups responsible for terrorist attacks on Iran, the senior official condemned the "politicization" of human rights and asserted that countries that have favorable political relations with the West enjoy immunity in the face of international criticisms and rights resolutions. "We are an independent country and we do not yield to any demands under pressure, and this is part of Iran's history. Iran is a country which enjoys a 7,000- year-old civilization and believes in religious principles and values," Gharibabadi said. "Can one speak to this country with the language of force, threats, and sanctions and expect the people of that country to surrender? Never!" Last month, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi expressed concern that some countries are using human rights as a tool to exert political and economic pressure on other nations or interfere in their internal affairs. Araqchi called on the international community to work toward protecting and promoting human rights based on the principles of fairness and impartiality. Iran has long been the target of Western sanctions, which have intensified under the administration of US President Donald Trump and its European allies. The so-called "maximum pressure" campaign has significantly impacted Iran's economy and has been widely condemned as a form of hybrid warfare. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, China, Russia carry out shooting operations at naval drill Iran Press TV Tuesday, 11 March 2025 11:03 AM The spokesman for the large-scale Security Belt-2025 joint naval exercise says participating units of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Russia, and China have successfully conducted day and night shooting operations against aerial targets during the drill in the northern part of the Indian Ocean. "Night and day shooting operations against aerial targets require coordination and detailed instructions. The scenario of the exercise has been developed and is being played out on the basis of a common tactical discourse between Iranian naval forces, consisting the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy, and their Chinese and Russian counterparts," Rear Admiral Mostafa Tajeddini said on Tuesday. He added that the ongoing Security Belt-2025 naval military drill differs from its previous editions in terms of the number of participating units and countries, and the extensive participation of airborne units, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft in the depth of the exercise zone. Earlier, Tajeddini said the main goal of Security Belt-2025 drills is to enhance maritime security in the northern tip of the Indian Ocean, and increase tripartite maritime interactions among Iran, Russia and China in order to elevate the level of cooperation, skills training, and experience sharing. He noted that the joint maritime drills will feature various scenarios like a mock rescue operation, VBSS (visit, board, search, and seizure), a fire drill, a heliborne operation and many other exercises. Tajeddini noted that a naval parade will be staged following the mock rescue operation. The high-ranking Iranian naval commander said that a debriefing session and a detailed analysis of the joint naval exercise will be held at the conclusion of the drills. On Tuesday, the naval units of Iran, China, and Russia successfullyexecuted the "Photo Ex" drill and carried out tactical formation and alignment The Security Belt-2025 is the fifth China-Iran-Russia joint naval exercise since 2019. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran: US decision to revoke Iraq waiver 'extremely deplorable' Iran Press TV Tuesday, 11 March 2025 12:14 AM Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has slammed the new US administration's decision to revoke Iraq's sanctions waiver for importing electricity from Iran. On Monday, Araghchi described the Trump administration's decision as "extremely deplorable." He noted that the US administration has decided to target the innocent people of Iraq "by attempting to deprive them of access to basic services such as electricity, especially ahead of the coming hot months of the year." Iran's top diplomat reaffirmed the Islamic Republic's continued support for the Iraqi people. He added that Iran remains firm on its commitment to the Iraqi government to repel unlawful US actions. Araghchi's remarks came after the US announced it has revoked a waiver from Iran sanctions that allowed Iraq to import electricity from its eastern neighbor. In reaction, the chairman of the Iraqi parliament's finance committee warned that any move by Washington to restrict power imports from Iran would cause Iraq's electrical grid to collapse. US National Security Council Spokesman James Hewitt said on Sunday that the decision to let Iraq's waiver lapse upon its expiration is in line with the so-called National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, which seeks to drive Iran's crude oil exports down to zero. The spokesperson asserted that Washington will not allow Tehran any degree of economic or financial relief. He claimed the US president's maximum pressure campaign is designed to end Iran's nuclear activities, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop it from supporting anti-Israel resistance groups. Hewitt went on to urge the Iraqi government to eliminate its dependence on Iranian sources of energy as soon as possible. Currently, approximately 80 percent of Iraq's electricity generation depends on natural gas, making the country heavily dependent on Iranian imports to sustain its power grid. In July 2022, Iraq signed a five-year contract with Iran to import 400 megawatts of electricity. In March 2024, another agreement was reached to increase Iranian gas imports to 50 million cubic meters per day, valued at around $6 billion annually. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japanese trade minister fails to secure U.S. tariff exemptions: media People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 15:19, March 11, 2025 TOKYO, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Yoji Muto has met with U.S. officials in Washington to seek exemptions from President Donald Trump's planned tariffs on steel, automobiles, and other imports, but failed to secure assurances, local media reported on Tuesday. Following talks with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Muto said that the officials acknowledged Japan's importance to the American economy, but did not offer guarantees regarding tariff exemptions, Kyodo News reported. Trump's 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports are set to take effect this week, with a similar levy on imported cars expected by April 2. Japan exports about 1.37 million cars annually to the United States, making up 28.3 percent of its total exports to the American market, according to the report. Muto said Japan will continue to try to protect companies from being hit by the proposed tariffs. "Based on the latest discussions, we will be in close consultation on how we can make the national interests of Japan and the United States a win-win situation," Kyodo cited him as saying. He emphasized Japan's significant investments in the United States and discussed bilateral economic ties and energy cooperation, including liquefied natural gas development in Alaska. When asked about the stalled bid by Nippon Steel Corp. to acquire United States Steel Corp., Muto declined to disclose details but expressed confidence that the relevant private-sector parties would advance their coordination on a specific plan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Thailand's power and fuel cuts hurting ordinary Myanmar residents But the targeted scam gangs are finding other ways to get fuel to power their operations. By RFA Burmese 2025.03.11 -- Thailand's move to cut off electricity, fuel and internet service to an area across the border in Myanmar rife with scam centers is hurting ordinary people more than the crime syndicates it was trying target, residents told Radio Free Asia. The shutoff of the grid since Feb. 4 has resulted in many turning to electric generators, and that's doubled the price of gas in Myawaddy in just five weeks. Described by some as it's "most decisive action ever," Bangkok said the move was aimed at closing down the scamming operations, where hundreds of trafficked workers have been trapped and often tortured. Thailand also banned the export of 12 items, including mobile phones and electrical appliances, to Myanmar. But the criminal organizations are finding their way around the blockade, including often illegal ways to acquire the fuel needed to power their generators and continue their operations, residents told RFA Burmese. Instead of its intended targets, the shutdown is taking a much larger toll on residents in the area, which is controlled by the Karen Border Guard Force and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army. "Ordinary people are suffering the most from the Thai government's fuel cuts," said a Myawaddy resident who used the pseudonym Thura for fear of reprisals. "Meanwhile, scam call center gangs continue to receive fuel supplies with the help" of region rebel groups. Fuel is hard to buy because demand is high and supply is low. Gas has nearly doubled to 7,000 kyats per liter ($12.64 per gallon), Thura said. In Myawaddy, across from the Thai town of Mae Sot, gas stations are all closed, and residents instead have to buy fuel from residents on the Thai side of the border. The criminal gangs, by relying on their connections with these local armed groups, can get what they need without much difficulty. "In contrast, ordinary people are struggling due to fuel shortages caused by illegal traders." Attempts by RFA to contact the Karen Border Guard Force spokesperson Lt. Col. Nai Maung Zaw and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army DKBA chief of staff General Saw San Aung, on March 10, for comment on these situations went unanswered. Illegal trade routes Kyaw Naing, a Myawaddy merchant who used a pseudonym for security reasons, told RFA that despite the Thai government's bans on 12 types of products -- which also include batteries, inverters and generators -- are still being smuggled in. "Fuel is filled in cars from Mae Sot to be sold in Myawaddy," Kyaw Naing said. "Buying fuel can be somewhat challenging, but it is still possible since the border routes are not completely closed all the time." The banned Thai items can also be imported instead from China, to the point that the ban is almost ineffective, he said, adding that the Thai government should reopen the fuel market considering it is a basic need for the people. RFA attempted to contact Thin Thin Myat, chairman of the Myawaddy Border Trade Chamber of Commerce for comment, but she did not respond. With people buying fuel in Thailand to sell in Myanmar, sellers in Mae Sai, far to the north of the Mae Sot-Myawaddy border crossing are now requiring that buyers fill up only the gas tanks of their vehicles, not portable containers. Workers repatriated Meanwhile, the Karen Border Guard Force on Tuesday handed nearly 250 Indian and Malaysian workers who had been trafficked and held in Chinese gambling dens and scam centers in Myawaddy to authorities from their respective countries via the Mae Sot-Myawaddy Friendship Bridge. Among those freed were 226 Indian nationals and 24 Malaysians. "Plans are in place to repatriate more foreign nationals in the coming days," a spokesperson for the Border Guard Force told RFA. Between Monday and Tuesday, 509 Indian nationals had been sent over the bridge to Indian authorities working alongside their Thai counterparts. The Karen Border Guard Force claims to have been conducting anti-scam and anti-human trafficking operations for nearly a month. According to a source at their Investigation Office, around 3,000 scam workers from China, Indonesia, India and Malaysia have been repatriated via Thailand. Translated by Aung Naing and Thane Aung. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bangladesh: Rohingya children's acute hunger surges amid funding cuts 11 March 2025 - In Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar refugee settlements, child malnutrition has surged and cuts to aid funding risk creating a humanitarian "catastrophe", the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday. "Children in the world's largest refugee camp are experiencing the worst levels of malnutrition since the massive displacement that occurred in 2017," Rana Flowers, UNICEF representative in Bangladesh, told journalists in Geneva, almost eight years since hundreds of thousands of ethnic Rohingya fled widespread military attacks in Myanmar. Speaking from Dhaka, Ms. Flowers said that last month in the camps in Cox's Bazar, admissions for severe acute malnutrition surged by over 27 per cent compared to February 2024, with more than 38 children under five admitted for emergency care every day. Preventable deaths "Unless additional resources are secured, only half of the children in need will have access to treatment this year, and that's going to leave about 7,000 children at risk, with the expectation of a rise in morbidity and mortality," Ms. Flowers said. "That's babies dying." Bangladesh hosts more than one million stateless Rohingya driven from their homes in neighbouring Myanmar over the course of several years following the brutal military crackdown in 2017. Some 500,000 Rohingya refugee children live in the camps of Cox's Bazar. The UNICEF representative highlighted several "compounding crises" that are driving the surge in malnutrition. Among them was last year's unusually long monsoon season, which exacerbated the unsanitary conditions in the camps, bringing on severe diarrhoea in children and outbreaks of cholera and dengue. Violence over the border in Myanmar triggered more displacement while food rations dwindled. Now, the global aid funding crisis has refugee families on the brink of "extreme desperation". "Food rations have reached a critical point," Ms. Flowers said. "According to the World Food Programme, without immediate funding, rations could soon be reduced to less than half just $6 a month, an amount that falls drastically short of basic nutritional needs." She stressed that pregnant and breastfeeding mothers along with their infants would be among the most vulnerable. Myanmar still not safe The UNICEF representative insisted that these families "cannot yet safely return home" to Myanmar. Just 10 days ago in a briefing to the UN Human Rights Council, High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said that the country is mired in one of the world's worst human rights crises. He denounced the Myanmar military's "campaign of terrorizing the population through acts of extreme brutality". The Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh also have no legal right to work, Ms. Flowers said, which makes them reliant on aid. "The sustained humanitarian support, it's not optional. It is essential," she insisted. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to travel to Bangladesh later this week and meet with Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, as part of his annual Ramadan solidarity visit. Funding freeze Asked about the impact of major cuts in aid funding from the United States, Ms. Flowers said that following the announcement of a US foreign assistance freeze earlier this year, UNICEF received a humanitarian waiver for its nutrition programme. "That may allow us to use the ready-to-use therapeutic food to treat and cure the very sick children with severe acute malnutrition. But we need both waiver and the actual funding to maintain this work," Ms. Flowers said. She stressed that funding for the agency's detection and treatment services for child malnutrition will run out in June 2025. The US State Department announced on Monday that some 80 per cent of the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) programmes would be ending. Ms. Flowers added that "other US grants for Bangladesh have been terminated", representing about a quarter of UNICEF's Rohingya refugee response costs. Without the funding, "services for these children will be significantly scaled back, putting their survival, safety and futures at risk", she said. Parts of the humanitarian response that are in jeopardy include safe water and sanitation services, which "will deteriorate, increasing the risk of deadly disease outbreaks with flow-on effects for the public health security," Ms. Flowers warned. Health access will shrink, "clinics will close and immunizations will be disrupted", she said. "Education will be cut off, leaving hundreds of thousands without learning opportunities. And that's without hope," she concluded. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan train hijacking: Police say armed militants hold 35 people hostage IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Mar 11, 2025 Armed militants are holding 35 people hostage after they attacked a passenger train in southwestern Pakistan, local police said. The Jaffar Express train was on route from southwestern Balochistan province to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when militants opened fire on it, officials said on Tuesday. Railway officials had previously reported that as many as 450 passengers had been taken hostage. Local authorities said the train was trapped in a tunnel and the driver was badly wounded in the attack. They said nearly 350 other passengers were now believed to be safe. Security forces said an explosion was heard near the tunnel and that they were exchanging fire with the militants in a mountainous area. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, and threatened to execute the hostages if the government attempted to intervene. The separatist group said in a statement that security forces were among the hostages. The statement said BLA fighters had bombed the rail track before launching the attack. The motivation behind the hijacking was not immediately clear. In a follow-up statement, the militant group said it was holding 182 passengers, including army personnel. "Civilian passengers, particularly women, children, the elderly, and Baloch citizens, have been released safely and given a secure route," it said in a statement on Telegram. Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack. "The beasts who fire on innocent passengers do not deserve any concessions." Balochistan has seen a surge in terrorist attacks over the past year. In November 2024, at least 26 people were killed and 62 others injured in a bomb blast at a railway station in Quetta. 4353 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Militants Hijack Train, Take Dozens Of Hostages In Restive Pakistan Region By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal March 11, 2025 Militants hijacked a packed train in a tunnel in southwestern Pakistan, taking dozens of hostages as they battled with security forces, leaving several dead. The Jaffar Express, with more than 400 passengers on board, was on its way from Quetta, the capital of the restive Balochistan Province to Peshawar in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, when it came under "intense gunfire," Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind said in a statement. It was unclear how many of the passengers were still being held late on March 11, but the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group, claimed responsibility. It added that it had taken control of the train with more than 100 passengers hostage, including an unknown number of Pakistani security and intelligence officers. "The affected train is still on the spot and the armed men are holding passengers," senior district police officer Rana Dilawar said. Rind said security forces were deployed to the scene in the Bolan district, and an emergency situation had been declared in local hospitals. A passenger on board the train told RFE/RL via telephone that the security forces had launched ground and air operations against the armed group, while the militants were using weapons and rockets in response. Muhammad Kashif, a spokesman for Balochistan regional railways department told RFE/RL that the train had a total of nine cars and was attacked as it passed through a tunnel in the remote, mountainous area. The train came to a stop after the attack and remains inside the tunnel, Kashif said. The militants said civilian passengers such as women, children, seniors and Baloch citizens had been released. Ten military personnel who resisted have been killed, the U.S.-designated terrorist group claimed. The claim cannot be independently verified. Balochistan, a vast, resource-rich but impoverished region, has been plagued by insurgency for many years. In November, the BLA carried out a suicide bombing at a Quetta train station, killing 26 people, including military personnel, railway workers, and passengers. With reporting by AFP and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-balochistan-liberation- army-attacks-train-hostages/33344025.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Militants attack train, take hostages in Pakistan's Balochistan province By Sarah Zaman March 11, 2025 Militants attacked a cross-country passenger train Tuesday in Pakistan's restive southwestern Balochistan province, taking many hostages. Authorities say the Jaffar Express was traveling north from Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, to Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, when it came under intense fire, hours after departure. The train was carrying roughly 450 passengers, when it came under attack while passing through a tunnel. The Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, quickly claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement to media, the banned separatist militant outfit said it had blown up tracks and taken more than 100 passengers hostage. It later claimed they were holding over 200 hostages. According to security sources, 104 passengers, including 58 men, 31 women and 15 children, had been rescued, while 17 injured people were shifted to a hospital. The sources said 16 terrorists had been killed. A clearance operation involving military helicopters has been going on for hours with frequent exchange of fire reported between Pakistani security and BLA militants. Emergency situation "So far, it's no foot on the ground," Imran Hayat, the divisional railway superintendent in Quetta, told VOA, about the inability of railway officials to reach the scene. "It's a no-signal area. They [attackers] stopped the train at a spot where there is no signal support," the railway official said. A train carrying security officials to beef up support had departed Quetta, Hayat added. Despite media reports, Hayat did not confirm the death of the train driver who sustained injuries during the initial attack. "Mobile and wireless signals are not working and, unfortunately, we are not able to get in touch with the crew," railway deputy controller Muhammad Sharifullah in Quetta told VOA soon after the attack. Provincial spokesperson Shahid Rind earlier told media that security forces, a rescue train and ambulances had been dispatched. Located in barren, mountainous terrain, the scene of the attack is hard to reach. An emergency has been declared at the government hospital in Sibbi to receive the injured. BLA surges According to the Global Terrorism Index 2025 released last week, Pakistan experienced a 45% increase in terrorism deaths last year, compared to 2023. That is the largest year-to-year rise in more than a decade. The BLA emerged as one of the top two militant groups driving the increase. The separatist group has been fighting a deadly insurgency against the Pakistani state, accusing the government of robbing the province of its rich natural resources. The group also opposes Chinese investment in the province. Both Pakistan and China reject the claims that their joint ventures are depriving ethnic Baloch from economic opportunities and their share in the province's mineral wealth. The United States and Pakistan have both designated BLA as a terrorist group. Security sources have said the handlers of Tuesday's attack are based in Afghanistan. Islamabad has blamed several recent attacks on militants present on Afghan soil. Afghan Taliban routinely deny providing sanctuary to anti-Pakistan fighters. Recent attacks Since the beginning of the year, the BLA has ramped up attacks on security forces, settlers and workers primarily from the eastern Punjab province. Earlier this month, a female suicide bomber detonated her explosive devices near a military convoy in Balochistan's Kalat district, killing at least one security personnel and injuring four others. Last month, BLA insurgents ambushed a bus transporting a paramilitary force in Kalat and killed 18 of those on board. Just days later, a roadside bomb blast killed 11 coal miners in the city, while the BLA took credit for attacking a military vehicle securing a supply convoy for a mining company operated by China. Pakistani authorities reported the convoy was passing through Kalat when it came under attack, resulting in injuries to eight security personnel. VOA Urdu's Murtaza Zehri in Quetta contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Tsahkna at a meeting with Barrot: Russia must not be rewarded with the return of its frozen assets Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 11.03.2025 On 10 and 11 March, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna was on a visit to Paris, meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot today and with Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad yesterday to discuss help to Ukraine and European security. Tsahkna and Haddad also opened the Estonian Business Hub in Paris. Tsahkna thanked France for its contribution to the security of our region and NATO's collective defence, and discussions covered closer economic relations between Estonia and France, which are certainly boosted by the business hub opened at the Estonian embassy. At the meetings, Tsahkna noted that Europe must increase and accelerate its aid to Ukraine to allow Ukraine to resist Russia's aggression. "It is only when Ukraine is in a position of strength that a just and lasting peace can be achieved through negotiations and Russia's imperialist ambitions brought to an end," Tsahkna said. The foreign minister also recognised France for its leadership in working out security guarantees for Ukraine. He added that forceful action was needed now to keep up the economic pressure on Russia. "Europe is facing a seminal decision. Should we mobilise frozen Russian assets worth more than 200 billion for the benefit of Ukraine, or risk the assets being returned to Russia in only a few months," Tsahkna said, referring to the chance that due to the opposition of some member states, the European Union may be unable to extend the sanctions imposed against Russia and keep Russia's sovereign assets frozen. "I am convinced that the right decision would be to allow these assets to be used for strengthening Ukraine and not for rewarding the aggressor." The meetings also covered European security. Foreign Minister Tsahkna said Russia was and remained the most serious security threat for all Europe, which is why we needed to reinforce our deterrence and defence posture and fill capability gaps by increasing defence spending. "Europe must stand on its two feet and take action to meet current and future security challenges successfully," Tsahkna said. Today, the foreign minister met with influential French think thankers and journalists in Paris and visited Paris Defence and Strategy Forum. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Africa's energy future and strategic partnerships in the G20: Exclusive from Minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa People's Daily Online By Madiketso Motaung (People's Daily Online) 09:05, March 11, 2025 Dr. Kgosientso Ramokgopa, currently serving as South Africa's Minister of Electricity and Energy, sat down for an interview with the press and other essential stakeholders, where he laid down the energy problems the nation faces and how it plans to tackle them even as they prepare to head the G20 summit. He highlighted the country's efforts in preserving affordability, sustainability and energy security, while also tackling the issues that arise from load shedding and the general energy transition within the country. The minister underlined the fact that South Africa joining the G20 is indicative of Africa's efforts as a whole as opposed to just that of South Africa. "We strive to ensure that special opportunities and challenges across Africa are used in order to bring the continent's energy focus to the world stage," he said. Ramokgopa went on to state the need for more resources to be incorporated into the economy as there are around 680 million people in the world today who lack access to electricity, 600 million of which reside in Africa. "We cannot allow the world to continue promoting this type of inequality," Ramokgopa said. To this end he stated, "Effective solutions come from genuine partnerships with the world's major economies." Obtaining finance for renewable energy is perhaps the biggest hurdle, which makes securing investment for it incredibly important. "We estimate it will cost no less than R1.4 trillion ($76.35 billion) just to modernize and expand the existing energy system's grid," he stated, "Moderating and expanding our energy grid will require investment from developed countries," insisting that richer nations should provide aid that helps Africa's developmental goals. The funding of renewable energy remains an important task as changing to more sustainable energy sources is costly. Moreover, Ramokgopa advocated for the formation of an African energy super grid and proposed a system in which countries could harness resources effectively. "Imagine a scenario where during a shortage South Africa can utilize Angola's surplus, while we supply energy to drought affected regions like Namibia. This is the kind of future we need to create," he asserted. When he answered the questions from the reporter of People's Daily Online SA, Ramokgopa stressed further emerging collaboration between South Africa and China, one of the strongest players in the global energy industry. The agreements reached at the conference regarding BRICS have enabled new developments in nuclear energy to be possible, with some already in the works. South Africa and the Chinese State Grid Corporation, an energy sector giant, are also working together to modernize power systems and strengthen the electricity transmission network. Leading Chinese companies, such as Huawei, are also heavily investing into microgrids and are active in South Africa's initatives for renewable energy, introducing modern funding and technology to the market. "They are producing concrete results, not just discussions," Ramokgopa explained. "The cooperation with China affords us valuable investment and technical skills." Through innovatively blended funds, strategic partnerships and plans to form an African energy market, South Africa is positioning itself as a major player in determining the contours of the global energy industry. "This is an opportunity to transform not just our nation, but the rest of Africa," Ramokgopa argued. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syria: Distressing scale of violence in coastal areas Press briefing notes Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights 11 March 2025 From: Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Thameen Al-Kheetan Location: Geneva Reports continue to emerge of the distressing scale of violence in Syria's coastal region since 6 March. The UN Human Rights Office has so far documented the killing of 111 civilians, but the process of verification is ongoing, and the actual number of people killed is believed to be significantly higher. Many of the cases documented were of summary executions. They appear to have been carried out on a sectarian basis, in Tartus, Latakia and Hama governorates - reportedly by unidentified armed individuals, members of armed groups allegedly supporting the caretaker authorities' security forces, and by elements associated with the former government. In a number of extremely disturbing instances, entire families - including women, children and individuals hors de combat - were killed, with predominantly Alawite cities and villages targeted in particular. According to many testimonies collected by our Office, perpetrators raided houses, asking residents whether they were Alawite or Sunni before proceeding to either kill or spare them accordingly. Some survivors told us that many men were shot dead in front of their families. Between 6 and 7 March, armed individuals reportedly affiliated with the former government's security forces also raided several hospitals in Latakia, Tartus and Baniyas. They clashed with security forces of the caretaker authorities and affiliated armed groups. This reportedly resulted in dozens of civilian casualties, including patients, doctors and medical students, and damage to the hospitals. Other violations and abuses recorded in recent days include widespread looting of homes and shops, mainly by unidentified individuals who appear to have taken advantage of the chaotic situation on the ground. Many civilians have fled their homes to rural areas, while a number also reportedly sought refuge at an airbase controlled by Russian forces in the area. The caretaker authorities announced the end of security operations in the coastal areas on 10 March. However, intermittent clashes continue to be reported. We have documented accounts and footage of violations and abuses. But tensions have also been fuelled by mounting hate speech, online and offline, and widespread dissemination of misinformation, including footage taken out of context, which further exacerbated fear among the population. We are concerned that the significant spike in hate speech and misinformation risks further inflaming tensions and damaging social cohesion in Syrian society. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urges accountability for all these crimes. He welcomes the announcement by the caretaker authorities of an independent investigation committee, and calls on them to ensure that the investigations undertaken are prompt, thorough, independent and impartial. All those found responsible for violations must be held to account, regardless of their affiliation, in line with international law norms and standards. Victims and their families have the right to truth, justice and reparations. To ensure such harrowing violations and abuses are not repeated, it is imperative that the process of vetting and integrating armed factions into Syria's military structures is in line with the country's obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law, and fully addresses the responsibility of all those who were involved in past or recent violations of human rights in Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kidnappings, killings, lawlessness grip Syria under HTS rule Iran Press TV Tuesday, 11 March 2025 10:56 AM A wave of kidnappings in Syria under the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule has reportedly caused residents to fear leaving their homes after dark. According to the New York Times, people are demanding more policemen in the streets, but their number is not enough as the ruling regime has dismissed all officers and security officials of the former government of Bashar al-Assad. "Sectarian tensions, opportunistic crime and desire for revenge have converged amid a security vacuum that has left many Syrians afraid to go out at night," the report said. The groups monitoring events in Syria have reported at least a dozen abductions in the Arab country over the past three months, it added. "The security situation is compounded by other problems, like a severe electricity shortage that leaves some neighborhoods dark at night. In several cities, residents say they have installed metal doors to protect against thieves, and some parents have stopped sending their children to school." The HTS leader, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, has pinned the blame for kidnappings on the Assad government. "Today there is security, though there are small incidents here and there," he claimed during a recent interview with Syria TV, adding that decades of "bad policies can't be undone in a matter of days or weeks." Many of those abducted come from Syria's Druze, Christians, and Alawite religious minorities. The report documented the case of Sami al-Izoo, who witnessed the kidnapping of his 60-year-old brother, Abdulrazaq. The kidnappers asked Sami to pay a ransom of $400,000, an impossible sum for him to raise. Sami, from the town of Talbiseh, said that he had repeatedly asked local forces for help, but they had taken no action. In another case, the Shadood brothers, Amjad, 25, and Mohammad, 26, from the Alawite religious minority, were abducted while walking home at night from their restaurant jobs. The kidnappers never contacted the family of the abductees, whose bodies were found by the side of a highway in a neighboring province about a week later. On December 8, 2024, foreign-backed HTS militants announced the fall of Assad's government following a rapid two-week onslaught. Last week, the HTS militants and armed opposition groups engaged in deadly confrontations in the country's northwestern coastal region. More than 1,540 people, the majority of them civilians, have been killed so far in the violence in the provinces of Tartus, Latakia, Hama and Homs, according to the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli airstrikes target former military sites near Damascus, in southern Syria Iran Press TV Tuesday, 11 March 2025 7:05 AM Israeli warplanes have struck former army barracks and outposts near Damascus and southern Syria, in the latest attack on the country's military infrastructure following the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Syrian security sources said several strikes hit military sites in the Qatana city of Rif Dimashq Governorate, while at least another seven targeted military sites and the First Division command in the city of al-Kiswah, located approximately 13 kilometers (8 miles) south of Damascus, early on Tuesday. There were no immediate reports available on possible casualties or the extent of damage caused. Moreover, at least six aerial raids hit a military position belonging to the former Syrian army's Artillery Regiment 89 on the surroundings of Jabab town in the north of Dara'a. At least another eight struck the 12th Brigade base in the city of Izraa in Dara'a province. No casualties have been reported so far. Elsewhere in the village of Maariyah, which lies on the western edge of Dara'a province, Israeli forces launched a ground incursion. Militant factions, led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, toppled Assad's government on December 8, 2024. Since the collapse of Assad's government, the Israeli military has been launching airstrikes against military installations, facilities, and arsenals belonging to Syria's now-defunct army. Israel has been widely condemned for termination of the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria, and exploiting the chaos in the Arab nation in the wake of Assad's downfall to make a land grab. The United Nations has condemned ongoing Israeli attacks inside Syrian territory and continuing violations in and around the buffer zone created as part of a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Damascus. UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said in a statement on March 4 that Israel's actions "are unacceptable and risk further destabilizing an already fragile situation, heightening regional tension and undermining efforts toward de-escalation and a sustainable political transition." The buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights was created by the UN after the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. A UN force of about 1,100 troops had patrolled the area since then. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address What Data Tells Us About The Violence In Syria By Kian Sharifi, Schemes, Systema and RFE/RL's Radio Farda March 12, 2025 While the eruption of violence in western Syria has raised questions about the transitional government's ability to control its affiliated factions, it has also brought Russian and Iranian involvement in Syrian affairs into sharp focus. Various human rights groups monitoring the situation in Syria have documented over 800 casualties, including civilians, since clashes erupted on March 6 between government forces and gunmen loyal to the deposed president, Bashar al-Assad. Rebel groups led by Ahmad al-Sharaa toppled the government in a lightning offensive in December 2024, bringing an end to half a century of Assad family rule over Syria. Assad's government was backed by Russia and Iran. While Russia has maintained ties with the new government, Iran has been completely excluded. Through interviews and analysis of open-source data, RFE/RL can give a clearer picture of what's happening inside Syria. Men Executed By Gunshots Rights groups say among the dead are hundreds of civilian casualties, most of whom were Alawite, a minority community which Assad belongs to. The UN on March 11 said entire families, including women and children, were killed during the violence. Social-media footage analyzed by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, suggests that some of the worst violence against Alawite civilians took place in the port city of Latakia, where Russia's Hmeimim air base is located. Some videos showed unarmed men being executed by gunshot from behind and others depicted victims being physically abused and humiliated, such as being forced to bark like a dog and crawl over dead bodies. Nobil, a Syrian from Latakia who currently lives in Greece, told Schemes that factions affiliated with the transitional government entered his home village of Muzayraa on the night of March 6 and indiscriminately shot at houses with large-caliber machine guns mounted on trucks. He said he lost six family members in the attack, including two aunts and two nephews, but his brother managed to escape. Schemes found the Facebook profile of one of the alleged attackers known as Abu Bakr Mork, also called Talha, whose page is filled with posts about the attacks in western Syria. In one post, he called for men to come to the area because the women in the area "are widowed and there are no men left." In another, he wrote about the "campaign to clear the remnants of the defunct regime," referring to Assad's government. Seeking Refuge In A Russian Air Base Satellite images provided by Planet Labs and analyzed by Schemes show that, as early as March 7, people started to gather near the Russian-operated Hmeimim air base, seemingly seeking refuge from the clashes. "This very well may be the only safe place for people to stay, given that neither side wants to spoil relations with Russia at the moment," Ihor Semyvolos, director of the Kyiv-based Center for Middle East Studies, told Schemes. Russia was a major backer of Assad, providing his forces and Iranian-backed proxies air support as they fought not only against Islamic State (IS) militants but also rebels opposed to Assad's rule. Those same rebels are now in charge, but Moscow has managed to position itself as a critical partner to Syria's new rulers, who rely on Russia to print its local currency. The Russians have maintained a significant presence at their two military bases, especially at Hmeimim. Systema, RFE/RL's Russian investigative unit, has confirmed at least 37 flights by large Antonov An-124 cargo planes between December 2024 and March, identifying 22 arrivals and 15 departures from the air base. Each plane can carry up to 150 tons of equipment, indicating substantial movement of personnel or equipment. Analyzing images on social media from the last few days, Systema has found that Major General Sergei Gashkov, head of Russia's Center for Reconciliation and Refugee Movement Control in Syria, is currently at the air base. It is unsurprising that Russia seeks to maintain strong ties with Damascus under its new leadership, as retaining control over the Hmeimim air base and the naval base in Tartus provides strategic access to the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean Sea. What Is Iran's Role? There is no solid evidence suggesting that Russia is involved in fomenting unrest along Syria's western coast, but some have accused Iran of playing a part. In Assad, Iran lost a key ally who had allowed Tehran to use Syria as a land corridor to connect its regional proxies in Iraq and Lebanon. When Syrian rebels deposed Assad, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed that Syrians would rise and resist the rebel government. Iran currently has no way of getting funds or arms into Syria, but several key figures leading the pro-Assad resistance to the new government are close to Tehran and trained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Assad's surviving loyalists are led by four figures: Major General Suhail al-Hassan, whose hometown of Aita was among the first to witness clashes; Muqdad Fatiha, founder of the Coast Shield armed group; Ibrahim Hawija, former head of Syrian Intelligence; and Ghias Dalla, aformer officer in Syria's elite 4th Armored Division with links to the IRGC and the US-designated Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah. Phillip Smyth, an expert on Iranian proxies and Shi'ite militias, told RFE/RL that Iran "desired an overreaction" from the transitional government, and it got what it wanted. Tehran "is happy this was set off," especially since it establishes that Iran "can cause massive disruption" in Syria, Smyth said. With reporting by Olya Ivleva, Kyrylo Ovsyaniy, Anna Myroniuk of Schemes; Daniil Belovodyev, Dmitry Sukharev, Svetlana Osipova, Yelizaveta Surnacheva of Systema; and Iliya Jazaeri of RFE/RL's Radio Farda Source: Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ministry of National Defense Issues Statement Regarding Chinese Communist Party's Carrier Rocket Launch ROC Ministry of National Defense 2025/03/10 Press Release Time: March 10, 2025, 07:10 The Ministry of National Defense has stated the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) recent carrier rocket launch. At 01:17 on March 10, 2025, the CCP launched a carrier rocket carrying a satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province. The rocket's flight path passed over central Taiwan, heading toward the western Pacific, and remained above Earth's atmosphere during its trajectory. The Ministry confirmed that the launch posed no threat to Taiwan. The ROC Armed Forces are actively monitoring the situation and are utilizing joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems to maintain appropriate levels of alert and to ensure a timely response if necessary. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwanese with Chinese citizenship not exempt from conscription: Minister ROC Central News Agency 03/11/2025 10:51 PM Taipei, March 11 (CNA) Defense Minister Wellington Koo () said Tuesday that Taiwan citizens found to have Chinese nationality are still required to undertake the mandatory one-year military service, amid recent controversy surrounding a member of the Navy. Koo was speaking with reporters before attending a hearing at the Legislature. Asked to comment on how the Ministry of National Defense (MND) intends to prevent military personnel with Chinese nationality potentially engage in acts of treason, Koo said such individuals will undergo evaluation, scrutiny and counseling, and their work will not involve classified information. "That should effectively prevent any (treasonous) actions" Koo said. Asked for clarification on Koo's remarks, the MND cited Article 9-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area. The law stipulates that people whose Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan's official name) nationality and civil rights are revoked as a result of having a Chinese passport or household registration record must still fulfill the obligations and responsibilities of Taiwanese citizens. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in a statement on Monday in response to the issue that the rule was designed to prevent draftees with a Chinese passport or household registration record from exploiting their Chinese identity to evade conscription in Taiwan. The controversy came after a serviceman in the Navy, surnamed Yang (), was recently discovered in a probe by the Investigation Bureau to have held Chinese citizenship for 10 years. In a statement released on Feb. 10, the Navy said Yang's mother applied for Chinese citizenship on his behalf without his knowledge, and that he only discovered this after he signed up for voluntary military service. The MND helped Yang file a request with the National Immigration Agency (NIA) that he be allowed to retain his ROC citizenship, and the NIA determined Yang to be a "special case," according to the statement. The MAC, the top government agency in charge of cross-Taiwan Strait affairs, said on Feb. 13 that Yang was allowed to keep his Taiwanese citizenship after "special consideration." It should be noted that Taiwan's government does not allow draftees to have their nationality revoked. In Yang's case, he had already finished compulsory military service before signing up for voluntary service. Since the conclusion of fighting in the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the Republic of China and People's Republic of China governments have both claimed sovereignty over China and each has rejected the other side's claims. Under Chinese law, Chinese citizens must renounce their citizenship when they become naturalized by another country, but this does not apply to Taiwan. Similarly, Taiwan's law does not recognize Chinese citizenship, and those found to have a Chinese passport or household registration record can have their ROC citizenship revoked. (By Liu Kuan-ting, Lee Ya-wen, and Sean Lin) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Despite withdrawal, U.S. to continue WHA support for Taiwan: MOFA ROC Central News Agency 03/11/2025 02:40 PM Taipei, March 11 (CNA) The United States is expected to maintain its long-term support for Taiwan's efforts to join the World Health Organization (WHO) despite Washington's withdrawal from the international organization, a Taiwanese diplomat said Tuesday. Jonathan Sun (), head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MOFA) Department of International Organizations, gave the assessment during a MOFA briefing when asked if the U.S. decision to leave the WHO could affect Taiwan's cooperation with Washington in this area. Sun said Taiwan was closely watching what U.S. will do before its official withdrawal from the WHO takes effect in January 2026, especially given that it has yet to fully fill government positions. As of now, the new Donald Trump administration has yet to assign senior officials to head the State Department's Bureau of International Organization Affairs, which develops and implements U.S. policy at the U.N. and in other multilateral organizations, Sun said. MOFA did take note, however, that a U.S. representative recently reiterated America's support for Taiwan's participation at the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision making body of the WHO, during a session of the WHO's Executive Board held from Feb. 3 to 11, Sun said. A statement issued by the U.S. following a U.S.-Japan-South Korea foreign ministers meeting last month also reiterated Washington's support for Taipei's meaningful participation in international organizations, Sun said. These showed that the U.S. government's long-held stance in this area had not changed since Trump returned to the White House, he said. "We therefore expect U.S. support for Taiwan's WHA bid to continue," he said. The U.S. is set to officially withdraw from the WHO in January 2026 after the United Nations body received a formal letter of withdrawal from Trump in January. U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Jan. 24 that the withdrawal was now set in motion after Trump pledged on his first day in office to withdraw from the WHO and to put an end to future funding of the organization. Trump has long charged WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of covering up China's responsibility for the COVID-19 pandemic, while also calling the WHO "corrupt" and saying the U.S. was paying more than its fair share to the organization. The Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan's official name, left the WHO in 1972 following a decision by U.N. members to expel the ROC and recognize the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the only "legitimate representative of China." Since then, Taiwan has been unable to attend the WHA even as an observer due to Chinese pressure, except from 2009 to 2016, when relations with China were warmer under Taiwan's then-Kuomintang (KMT) government and Beijing supported Taiwan's participation. Taiwan has worked closely with its diplomatic allies and friendly nations, including U.S., Japan and European Union, every year to push its bid to join the WHA. (By Joseph Yeh) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EXPLAINED: Taiwan's military manpower crisis and search for solutions Higher wages and recruiting foreigners are among the proposals being discussed, each with its own limitations. By Alan Lu for RFA 2025.03.11 TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The size of Taiwan's military has been at the center of a public debate in recent months, with reports emerging of plans to recruit women and foreigners while extending military training. Meanwhile, politicians from the island's two major parties and members of the public are debating the defense budget, as the U.S. is reportedly pressuring Taiwan to strengthen its military capabilities. What is happening with Taiwan's military? Chieh Chung, a research fellow at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the island is experiencing "a rapid decline" in the number of military personnel, which is affecting front-line combat units. Taiwan's armed forces saw a drop in the number of active-duty personnel to 152,885 in June 2024 from 164,884 in 2021, and Chieh believes the trend will continue mainly due to Taiwan's low birth rate. This is a problem for Taiwan, according to Michael Hunzeker, associate director of the Center for Security Policy Studies at George Mason University, as the island is facing mounting threats from one of the world's largest militaries: China with more than 2 million active-duty military personnel. China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province and has increased military pressure through drills and incursions. Taiwan, meanwhile, views itself as a sovereign state and strengthens its defenses. Beijing has increased military pressure on the island in recent years through air and naval incursions, military drills and diplomatic isolation efforts. "Besides having more troops and weapons, China's military leadership has also put more time, energy, and resources into modernizing its military," said Hunzeker. "None of these trends bodes well for Taiwan. There is no question that if we compare China and Taiwan in isolation, Beijing holds all of the cards militarily," he added. What is being done to address the shortage? Taiwan has responded with plans to increase military salaries and benefits, but the proposal has been met with skepticism. Arthur Kuo, a Taiwanese retired major general, is among those who believe that military recruitment is influenced by more than just wages. "Societal values, the image of military personnel, working conditions, and career development opportunities," he said as he listed factors that affect Taiwanese people's willingness to join the military. "One worthwhile lesson to keep in mind is that most Americans take a great deal of pride in their military," Hunzeker said. "You don't see the same thing in Taiwan." A 2024 survey found that more than 50% of respondents were not confident in the Taiwanese military's self-defense capabilities. "I would therefore imagine that if Taiwanese society held their servicemen and women in higher regard that it would probably do more for recruiting than any financial bonus ever could," Kuo said. Some defense officials and analysts have proposed recruiting foreign military personnel. "The U.S. offers a fast-track naturalization process for green-card holders who join the military, which Taiwan could consider," Kuo said. However, some analysts believe that might be "counterproductive." Chieh from the Institute for National Defense and Security Research said Taiwan's financial systems could collapse in a war, making salary payments for foreigners uncertain. He warned that foreign troops, often motivated by pay, might lose commitment if payments stopped. Managing and training mercenaries from diverse backgrounds would also require significant resources, potentially outweighing the benefits, he added. Meanwhile, Taiwan's defense ministry dismissed reports last week about a plan for the conscription of female troops. Does military modernization really require more troops? Some commentators question whether increasing troop numbers is the right answer. They argue that the Russia-Ukraine war has shown the impact of military modernization, with drones, long-range artillery and missiles giving a force greater advantage than mere troop numbers. But Kuo believes addressing the manpower shortage issue is still crucial for Taiwan. "If Taiwan's military capability declines, it will struggle to counter gray-zone threats from China, maintain strategic deterrence, uphold regional stability, and sustain foreign investment and economic growth - posing a serious national security risk," he said. Chieh shares similar views, saying that regardless of how advanced Taiwan's weapons are, it must be prepared to defend the homeland with a sufficient number of ground forces, given China's naval and air forces continue to grow. "The key is that while we may maintain a smaller standing force in peacetime, we must be able to rapidly expand our troop numbers through mobilization when necessary," he said. China doesn't just aim to defeat Taiwan's military, according to Chieh. The authoritarian regime also assumes that U.S. intervention is inevitable. Under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. is committed to assisting Taiwan to defend itself, but it has long maintained a policy of "strategic ambiguity" on whether it would intervene militarily to protect Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. "So, its strategy revolves around establishing a dominant position around Taiwan before the U.S. can effectively intervene, and this is why Taiwan should maintain strong troops itself - to send signals to Washington that we're a reliable ally and it is worthy for them to fight together with us," Chieh said. Edited by Taejun Kang. Copyright 1998-2025, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content March not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan ROC Ministry of National Defense 2025/03/11 PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Date 6 a.m. Mar. 10 (Mon.) to 6 a.m. Mar. 11 (Tue.) (UTC+8) PLA activities 13 sorties of PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN ships operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 8 out of 13 sorties entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems in response to detected activities. 1140311_PLA activities 1140311_PLA air activities in the vicinity of Taiwan NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cooperation between the EU and UN is more important now than ever: UK statement at the UN Security Council Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on cooperation with the EU. 11 March 2025 Location: United Nations, New York Delivered on: 11 March 2025 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered) The United Kingdom welcomes the EU's ongoing commitment to championing multilateralism, tackling global challenges and assisting the Security Council's work. With multiple global crises threatening the foundations of international peace and security, cooperation between the EU and UN is more important now than ever. Nowhere is this truer than in Ukraine. Three years on from Russia's brutal invasion, the EU continues its critical role in supporting Ukraine and countering Russian aggression. This includes its enhanced level of economic, humanitarian and military support to Ukraine, and willingness to further contribute to security guarantees. The UK will continue to work closely with the EU to ensure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine that secures its sovereignty and security. In the Western Balkans, the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue plays a vital role in normalising relations between Serbia and Kosovo, and EUFOR ALTHEA continues to help provide stability and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The UK continues to support the region's Euro-Atlantic aspirations as a driver for reform and economic growth. Beyond Europe, the UK welcomes the EU's commitment to stabilisation in the Middle East, including its efforts toward securing a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace. EUBAM Rafah is a vital third-party presence, allowing individuals to access urgent medical care. The EU is also helping support an inclusive political transition and economic recovery in Syria, and we welcome its recent sanctions suspensions to this end. The EU is a valued partner for UN efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. We are pleased it is among the co-hosts of April's Foreign Minister-level discussions in London, which will foster consensus on ending the conflict and improving humanitarian access. We also welcome the EU's commitment of 60 million in new humanitarian aid in response to the recent eruption of conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. President, the UK looks forward to continuing to build on the UN's ambitious and cooperative relationship with the EU to promote responsible multilateralism and to act as a force for good in the world. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Crimea: Russia must release Ukrainian political prisoners and respect human rights, says Committee of Ministers Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Strasbourg 11 March 2025 The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers has urged the Russian authorities to immediately restore application of the Ukrainian law in Crimea, to cease all administrative practices found by the ECHR to be in breach of the European Human Rights Convention and to release all Ukrainian political prisoners whose human rights were restricted by these practices in Crimea, as well as to free all illegally detained Ukrainian soldiers, ethnic Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars and journalists. The Committee of Ministers stated this in its first decision on the Ukraine v. Russia inter-state case concerning Crimea, adopted at its latest quarterly meeting to supervise the implementation of judgments from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg last week. The Committee underlined that in 2014, Russia illegally extended the application of its law to Crimea in breach of the Convention. It strongly insisted on the need to immediately restore the application in Crimea of "the whole of the law" of Ukraine. It recalled that the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine) by the Russian Federation constituted a violation of international law. The judgment concerned multiple violations of the European Convention of Human Rights stemming from the Russian Federation's occupation of Crimea from 27 February 2014 to 16 September 2022 (when the Russian Federation ceased to be a party to the Convention), but also beyond that date for continued detentions. In particular, the Committee of Ministers condemned such grave and serious violations of the Convention and international humanitarian law as notably ill-treatment and torture, arbitrary and incommunicado detentions and enforced disappearances. Despite Russia's expulsion from the Council of Europe, it remains obliged to execute judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, the Committee of Ministers underlined, deeply deploring the fact that the Russian authorities have ceased all communication with the Committee. The Committee of Ministers strongly insisted that the Russian authorities should immediately release and ensure the safe return to the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian authorities, of all Ukrainian political prisoners whose rights and freedoms were restricted in Crimea, as well as illegally detained Ukrainian soldiers, ethnic Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars and journalists. Pending this, Russia should immediately cease all forms of torture and ill-treatment and ensure access of these prisoners to independent legal advice, medical treatment and communication with their families and the outside world, said the Committee. Russia should also allow independent international bodies to monitor their state of health and conditions of detention and submit the list of persons detained, to enable the Committee to supervise their release. In addition, all transfers of prisoners from Crimea to Russian Federation territory should also be stopped and those prisoners transferred from Crimea must be returned, the Committee of Ministers insisted. The Committee of Ministers also urged Russia, inter alia, to immediately halt any discriminatory practices or ethnic persecution against Crimean Tatars, ensure the right to education in the Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian languages in Crimea, cease any persecution of the Ukrainian speaking children and teachers, lift the unlawful restriction of the freedom of movement between Crimea and mainland Ukraine, cease and reverse all expropriation of property and ensure the legal possibility and adequate facilities for opting-out of Russian citizenship. The Committee further urged Russia to fully engage and cooperate with any pending international investigations, including those launched by the international jurisdictional bodies, national investigations brought under the principles of universal jurisdiction, or those pending in Ukraine, and international enquiries and investigative missions. The Committee of Ministers invited the authorities of the 46 Council of Europe member states to explore all possible means to ensure the execution of this judgment, to ensure accountability for the serious breaches of international law established in it also referring to the principles of universal jurisdiction. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement from Foreign Minister Eide on the joint declaration from Ukraine and the United States Government of Norway News story | Date: 11/03/2025 'A just and lasting peace is still far from being achieved, but we welcome the joint declaration from Ukraine and the United States', says Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs. 'The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha, called me right after the meeting with the US had concluded, and he was far more optimistic than just a week ago. The ball is now in Russia's court, as the US is set to propose a 30-day ceasefire to them'. 'It is positive that the US is also willing to put pressure on Russia to accept a ceasefire. However, a ceasefire is not a lasting solution'. 'There are many remaining issues to be solved. Genuine negotiations on a resolution have yet to be established. Compared to the meeting in Washington nearly two weeks ago, this marks a clear step forward in the cooperation between Ukraine and the US. It remains crucial that Europe has a seat at the table if and when peace negotiations take place'. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine agrees to an immediate 30-day ceasefire after talks with American officials in Saudi Arabia IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Mar 11, 2025 The United States will immediately lift a pause on intelligence sharing and resume providing security assistance to Ukraine after delegates from Kyiv agreed to accept the Trump administration's proposal for a 30-day interim ceasefire with Russia. According to a joint statement issued after meetings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties. "The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace," it said. The two sides also agreed to conclude a rare minerals deal "as soon as possible" to expand Ukraine's economy and guarantee the country's long-term security. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has looked for support in Saudi Arabia after his dispute with U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting in the U.S. last month. Saudi Arabia has played a role as a mediator in Ukraine-Russia war by facilitating prisoner exchanges and hosting peace talks between Washington and Moscow, as the upcoming U.S.-Ukraine meeting marks the first formal session since the White House blowup. The Ukrainian delegation, which does not include Zelensky, was meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. Both Rubio and Waltz attended direct talks with Russia last month. Speaking before the meeting, Rubio said the U.S. wanted to get more details on Kyiv's position and what possible concessions Ukraine would be willing to make, adding that the U.S. was "in listening mode". Many of Ukraine's Western allies have backed Kyiv on this point, but the Trump administration has so far refused to make any concrete commitments. According to the Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based conflict monitor, Russia currently occupies about 99% of the Luhansk region and 70% of the Donetsk region, as well as roughly 75% of both the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia says it shot down 337 Ukrainian drones over 10 regions IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Mar 11, 2025 The Russian military says the country's air defenses have shot down hundreds of drones in what appears to be the biggest Ukrainian cross-border attack since Russia launched its special military operation back in 2022. The Russian media cited a Defense Ministry statement on Tuesday that some 337 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight over 10 regions, including Moscow as well as Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh on the border with Ukraine. Other areas listed were deeper inside Russia, such as Kaluga, Lipetsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol, and Ryazan. Kursk and Moscow were prime targets as more than 200 drones were fired toward these regions, with Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin was quoted as saying that over 70 drones were downed over the capital alone. Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, has reported one death and three injuries as a result of the attack, which also damaged several residential apartments and set a number of cars on fire in a parking lot at a different location. Footage of the building, published by RIA Novosti, showed a charred spot on the facade of a multi-story residential building, with bits of its lining stripped off. The attack also prompted authorities to restrict flights and train services in some regions. Six airports, including Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky, just outside Moscow and in the Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod regions were shut down amid safety concerns. Train traffic through the Domodedovo railway station in the Moscow region has also been briefly halted, local officials reported. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials on the attack which came as a delegation from Kyiv was set to meet with a top American diplomat in Saudi Arabia about ending the war with Russia. 4399**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine says talks with US start 'very constructively' in Jeddah Iran Press TV Tuesday, 11 March 2025 5:31 PM Senior officials from the United States and Ukraine are meeting in Saudi Arabia for talks aimed at ending the war with Russia, which is now in its fourth year. The talks started behind closed doors in the port city of Jeddah on Tuesday. The two sides talked for about three hours in the morning before taking a break. During the talks, the head of Ukraine's presidential office, Andriy Yermak, shared some images of the meeting on X, saying the talks had "started very constructively." "We're working towards a just and lasting peace," Yermak wrote in a separate post on Telegram. As he arrived for talks in Jeddah, Yermak told reporters that Kiev is "ready to do everything to achieve peace." US President Donald Trump has dispatched Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz for the talks in Jeddah. Ahead of the meeting, Rubio told reporters that Washington would be listening to Ukrainian officials about what conditions they considered necessary for peace rather than proposing measures. "I think we want to listen to see how far they're willing to go and then compare that to what the Russians want and see how far apart we truly are." Rubio said the "only way" to prevent suffering was to talk about concessions. Two Ukrainian officials told AP on Monday they would propose a ceasefire covering the Black Sea region, long-range missile strikes, and the release of Ukrainian prisoners held in Russia. The talks in Jeddah come after Trump suspended all military and intelligence support to Ukraine "to ensure that it is contributing to a solution." Kiev is now hoping the offer of a partial ceasefire in the sky and at sea will persuade Washington to restore the military support. Ukraine launches its largest strike against Moscow Ahead of the talks in Jeddah, Russian officials reported that Ukraine launched its largest long-range drone bombardment of the war before dawn on Tuesday. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have intercepted at least 91 drones in the Moscow region and over 240 drones targeting other locations across the country. In response, the Ukrainian military said its strikes were aimed at Moscow's oil refinery, which supplies more than a third of the fuel for the capital, as well as an oil production facility in the Orel region. Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, described the assault as the largest against the city since the war began. Russian authorities reported that at least three people were killed and 18 others injured in the broader Moscow region. Additionally, four international airports temporarily suspended operations, and railway tracks near Domodedovo Airport were damaged. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov confirmed that President Vladimir V. Putin was briefed on the situation. Peskov said while Russian air defenses were performing effectively, authorities must "remain on guard" as further attacks were expected. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelensky in Saudi Arabia for support after clash with Trump in US Iran Press TV Tuesday, 11 March 2025 11:00 AM Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sought support in Saudi Arabia after a dispute with his American counterpart Donald Trump during a highly contentious White House meeting late last month. The Ukrainian leader met with Saudi Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday. During the meeting the crown prince underscored the kingdom's support for international efforts to resolve Ukraine's crisis and achieving peace, it added. The meeting comes ahead of crucial talks between Ukrainian and US officials, following a February 28 Oval Office meltdown between Zelensky and Trump that derailed the Ukraine-US mineral resources agreement. Bin Salman reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's support for global efforts to resolve Ukraine's conflict with Russia and achieve peace, as Washington, once Kiev's strongest ally, has shifted its stance, prioritizing a swift end to the war by engaging with Moscow directly while halting military aid and intelligence sharing with the ex-Soviet republic. In response, Ukraine has sought "pragmatic" ties with Washington, especially after the Oval Office dispute, during which Trump and Vice President JD Vance repeatedly criticized Zelensky, marking an unprecedented incident where a sitting US president openly attacked a visiting head of state. For his part, Zelensky expressed his "gratitude and appreciation" for Riyadh's efforts, "highlighting its pivotal role in the Middle East and around the world", SPA reported. Saudi Arabia has maintained its role as a mediator since Russia's war against it neighbor by facilitating prisoner exchanges and hosting peace talks between Washington and Moscow, as the upcoming US-Ukraine meeting marks the first formal session since the White House blowup. Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy to West Asia, expressed optimism about achieving progress, even hinting at a possible minerals deal between Kiev and Washington, adding that Zelensky ultimately apologized to Trump in a letter after the unruly public argument at the Oval Office. This is while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has adopted a more cautious tone, noting that while the minerals agreement remains under discussion, the success of negotiations does not hinge solely on signing the mineral resources agreement. Facing intense pressure from Trump, Zelensky has strived to demonstrate Kiev's commitment to end the war quickly, even though it has not secured the US security guarantees it considers essential for any peace agreement. "On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps. Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively," Zelensky said in a post on X. The Ukrainian leader announced that he would not attend the Tuesday talks, delegating his chief of staff, foreign and defense ministers, and a top military official to represent Ukraine, stressing the importance of quick and effective decisions, reiterating Kiev's openness to realistic proposals. Meanwhile, US officials revealed their goal is to assess whether Ukraine is willing to make tangible concessions to Russia to secure peace, questioning whether Kiev seeks not just peace, but "realistic peace." Trump said on Sunday that he expected good results out of the upcoming talks, adding that Washington had "just about" ended a suspension of intelligence sharing with Kiev. While Russia has currently intensified its attacks on Ukraine, launching air strikes on Kiev and other regions, Witkoff mentioned that the negotiations aim to lay the groundwork for a peace agreement and a ceasefire. Zelensky has stressed that he seeks a truce in air and sea operations and a prisoner exchange as tests of Russia's sincerity. This is while the Kremlin dismisses the temporary truce proposal, labeling it a tactic to delay the military collapse of Ukraine. With US support wavering, Zelensky has been rallying European allies for stronger backing as Ukraine's battlefield position weakens, facing increased pressure in the Kursk region. Russia continues to hold significant Ukrainian territory and has escalated missile and drone attacks, with over 1,200 aerial bombs and hundreds of strikes reported in the past week. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Agrees To US-Brokered Cease-Fire Deal, Unlocking Military Aid And Intelligence Sharing By Reid Standish March 11, 2025 Ukraine has agreed to a US proposal for a 30-day cease-fire in the war against the Russian invasion, prompting the United States to say it would immediately lift the suspension of military aid, including the sharing of intelligence. The outcome of nine hours of talks on March 11 in Jeddah marked a stunning turnaround less than two weeks after an acrimonious meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The clash between the two leaders preceded the US pause in aid and limits on intelligence sharing, which the United States said were imposed because of doubts that Ukraine was committed to seeking peace. "The President wanted this war to end yesterday... So our hope is that the Russians will answer 'yes' as quickly as possible, so we can get to the second phase of this, which is real negotiations," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters after the agreement was announced. A joint statement issued by the two countries said Ukraine expressed a "readiness" to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day cease-fire, "which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation." Speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump said a meeting with Russia would take place later on March 11 or the following day. Rubio, who attended the talks in Saudi Arabia along with national-security adviser Mike Waltz, said the cease-fire plan puts the ball in Russia's court. "We're going to tell them this is what's on the table," he said of Russian President Vladimir Putin's government. "Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now it'll be up to them to say yes or no." Russian officials have repeatedly said that they want a comprehensive peace deal, not a cease-fire or other temporary arrangement. Russia's Foreign Ministry said it wouldn't rule out contacts with US officials over next several days, but gave no further comment. The US and Ukrainian delegations said they also discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the cease-fire, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. "I have confirmation that the security assistance from the United States has been restored," Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of the Ukrainian President's Office and a member of the delegation, said in a post on Facebook. "Arrangements are starting to be fulfilled." In addition, Ukraine and the United States agreed to conclude a pact on joint development of Ukrainian critical minerals and other resources as soon as possible. That deal had been expected to be signed at the White House meeting on February 28, but Zelenskyy left early after the argument in the Oval Office, leaving it in limbo. The talks were closely watched across Europe, which has grown concerned Washington's renewed contacts with the Kremlin would sideline both Kyiv and Brussels from the peace process. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently traveled to the White House to meet Trump, congratulated the US and Ukrainian delegations, saying it is now up to Moscow to end the fighting. European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saidthe proposal for a ceasefire agreement and the resumption of U.S. intelligence sharing and security assistance was a welcome development. "This is a positive development that can be a step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine. The ball is now in Russia's court," she added. The talks in Jeddah on March 11 followed a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack that struck the Moscow region and other Russian provinces overnight, killing three people. John Herbst, a former US ambassador to Ukraine, said before the joint statement that restoring intelligence cooperation should be seen as a positive result for Kyiv. He also said sequencing in future negotiations will be crucial. While an early cease-fire can be key part of a future peace process, he stresses that it's important that it be followed by further steps toward a lasting peace deal, such as continued military shipments to Ukraine, a potential demilitarized zone, and a greater role for European countries, including their forces deployed as peacekeepers. "These are all serious ideas that have been floated," Herbst said. "That might not be a just peace, because a just peace wouldn't see Ukraine have to concede territory, but it could still be a durable one that makes it very hard for Russia to renew aggression." What Role Will Russia And Europe Play In Peace Talks? As Ukrainian and US officials met in Saudi Arabia, attention was also shifting to the other two players that will decide how the war ends: Russia and Kyiv's European allies. Top military officials from more than 30 nations met in Paris on March 11 for talks on the creation of an international security force for Ukraine. The force is being envisaged by Britain and France. Its aim is to reassure Ukraine and deter another large-scale Russian offensive after any cease-fire. The force might include heavy weaponry and weapons stockpiles that could be rushed within hours or days to aid in Ukraine's defense. Russia has so far said it is against accepting European troops in Ukraine as part of a deal. The Kremlin has also spoken about getting Western sanctions lifted on its economy as part of a peace process, including in Saudi Arabia where US and Russian officials held talks nearly a month ago. Marie Dumoulin, a former French diplomat and an analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations, says that this gives European governments some leverage when the dust settles from the talks in Jeddah. She said that doubts remain in European capitals about whether Russia is willing to make any concessions of its own and that Europe can use both its own offer of security guarantees to Ukraine and the possibility of lifting European Union sanctions on Russia as a way to shape discussions in both Moscow and Washington. "This gives Ukraine a few more cards to hold at the table," Dumoulin told RFE/RL. "These can give Ukraine some room to say whether the deal being offered to them is good enough yet or not." RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and RFE/RL's Kosovo Service contributed to this report Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-putin-ukraine-war- talks-deal-jeddah-concessions-minerals/33343776.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address European Military Chiefs Discuss Blueprint For Peacekeeping Force In Ukraine By Rikard Jozwiak March 11, 2025 The military chiefs of 30 European and NATO countries are meeting in Paris to discuss a blueprint for a potential peacekeeping mission to Ukraine after any negotiated cease-fire with Russia. The closed-door meeting on March 11-13 comes as US and Ukrainian officials meet in Saudi Arabia for talks aimed at ending Russia's three-year war on Ukraine. The Paris meeting brings together the chiefs of staff of all 30 of NATO's European members as well as Ukrainian officials. But there is one notable absence: the United States. European officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told RFE/RL that US officials were not invited. Europe, the officials said, needs to show that it can take responsibility for the post-war security of the continent and Ukraine. French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu suggested the Paris meeting will focus on how Europe could defend NATO's eastern flank "if tomorrow the contributions of certain countries -- or one country in particular -- were to decrease." His comments at the start of the Paris meeting on March 11 were a reference to US President Donald Trump's embrace of Moscow and his suggestions that the European continent, which has been under the US security umbrella for decades, should fend for itself. France and Britain are working to form a "coalition of the willing" made up of European countries that would defend and guarantee peace in Ukraine after a deal with Russia is reached. The meeting of military chiefs in Paris is aimed at seeing what other allies can contribute to a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine -- in terms of boots on the ground and military hardware. French President Emmanuel Macron told European leaders during a special summit in Brussels on March 6 that 500,000-800,000 soldiers would be needed to safeguard a potential cease-fire in Ukraine, several European officials told RFE/RL. The bulk of such a force would be Ukrainian. But it would need to be bolstered by troops from European NATO members, experts said. Who's Willing To Contribute? Paris and London have both indicated that they are ready to provide troops. Germany is also likely to follow suit, although Italy and Poland appear more reluctant. Many European countries are grappling with military as well as political considerations. The defense ministers of France, Britain, Italy, and Poland are set to meet in Paris on March 12 to discuss a European peacekeeping force. Even as European military chiefs draw up plans, the deployment of forces would have to be green-lighted by parliaments in various countries -- something that is far from assured. Beyond internal European politics, there are also two other substantial obstacles for any future European force in Ukraine -- one Russian and one American. So far, the Kremlin has flatly rejected the presence of any European military personnel in Ukraine. Even if Moscow would agree, many European countries have indicated that they would only send troops to Ukraine if there was an "American backstop." What exactly such a backstop would entail is still up for negotiations. But European officials have told RFE/RL that the United States is crucial for air defense, intelligence, and transportation. "Europe alone cannot carry out large-scale military operations without American aid," a European ambassador, speaking under condition of anonymity, told RFE/RL. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-europe-peacekeeping- mission-ukraine-paris-meeting/33344276.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ball In Russia's Court As Ukraine Agrees To US Cease-Fire Proposal By Todd Prince March 11, 2025 WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump - and the world - are about to find out whether Russia is really interested in ending its more than three-year full-scale invasion of Ukraine or pursuing its maximalist goals of absorbing the country. Following nine hours of negotiations in Saudi Arabia on March 11, Ukraine agreed to a US proposal for an immediate 30-day cease-fire that could be extended by both warring parties. Now the ball is in Russia's court. Trump said he would speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin later in the week to secure his commitment to the US proposal, but analysts said they weren't convinced the Kremlin would play ball. "I would be surprised if Russia agrees to it," Oxana Shevel, a professor of political science at Tufts University, told RFE/RL. Putin may demand concessions from Ukraine before consenting to any cease-fire, she added. That, in turn, could put Trump in a tough spot, Shevel said. Trump has claimed to be a neutral arbitrator in the peace process but some analysts question that, pointing to his seeming admiration of Putin as a sign he favors Russia. Trump has refused to blame Russia for the war it launched. "If Russia drags its feet [on the cease-fire], how will Trump respond?" Shevel said. Putin may be opposed to laying down arms now because he believes he is winning and hasn't given up his ultimate goal of annexing the rest of Ukraine, experts say. Russia, which controls almost 20 percent of Ukraine, has had the momentum on the battlefield for more than a year due in large part to its significant manpower advantage. Moscow's troops have been slowly gaining territory, including key cities, in eastern Ukraine, albeit at enormous human costs. Ukraine, which is dependent on fickle Western aid, has struggled to recruit enough troops to halt Russia's advance. That has raised doubts among many experts that Ukraine can regain its territory by force even with greater Western military aid. Jeddah Meeting The high-stakes talks in Jeddah on March 11 came amid deteriorating US-Ukrainian relations following a public blowup last month in the Oval Office between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At the contentious meeting that went viral, Trump accused Zelenskyy of not being serious about ending the war. The US president kicked Zelenskyy out of the White House before the two could sign a framework agreement on sharing revenue generated from Ukraine's mineral resources. Days later, Trump paused crucial military assistance and intelligence sharing to push the Ukrainian leader to the negotiating table. Following the talks in Jeddah, the US announced it would end the pause and sign the minerals deal with Ukraine. Mark Cancian, a military expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Ukraine made the most of the meeting. "This is probably the best they could have hoped for given where we are," he said, calling the resumption of military aid and intelligence "huge." He said it was "very good" for Kyiv that the joint US-Ukraine statement squarely put the onus of securing peace now on Russia. However, the drawback is that Ukraine will have to accept a ceasefire that leaves a quarter of the country in Russian hands "but there is not much they can do about it," he said. "I just haven't seen any mechanism whereby they could reclaim some of that lost territory. The momentum [on the battlefield] was against them," Cancian said. Though US Secretary of State Macro Rubio, one of the US negotiators in Jeddah, said prior to the talks that Ukraine would have to concede land, the joint statement did not touch on that issue. The joint statement also sidelines Ukraine and Europe in the next steps in the peace process, something Kyiv and Brussels hoped to avoid, Cancian said. While the United States will now hold direct talks with Russia regarding the ceasefire, the statement does acknowledge Ukraine's desire to have Europe involved in the peace process. US security guarantees -- the holy grail for Ukraine -- were also left out of the joint statement but Cancian downplayed the significance of that at this moment. "I don't know if that would be appropriate in this kind of preliminary document. So the fact that there's nothing in there about that, I don't see that as particularly problematic." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-agrees-us- ceasefire-proposal/33344511.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kyiv Launches Deadly Drone Attack On Moscow As US, Ukrainian Diplomats Meet By RFE/RL's Russian Service and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service March 11, 2025 At least three people are dead after Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack that struck the Moscow region overnight, causing damage to residential buildings and infrastructure just hours before diplomats from Washington and Kyiv began a high-level meeting in Saudi Arabia seeking find a path to ending the war. The attacks early on March 11 were Ukraine's biggest-ever drone assault on the capital region, Russian Health Ministry official Aleksei Kuznetsov saying 20 people, including three children, were injured. Two workers were killed at a meat warehouse, while Yevgenia Khrustalyova, mayor of Domodedovo, just south of Moscow, said on Telegram that a third person injured in the attack died later in hospital. The Russian Ministry of Defense said a total of 337 drones launched by Ukraine -- 91 of which targeted Moscow -- were shot down across the country. It's not known how drones in total were involved in the attack, the first large-scale attack on Russian territory in recent weeks. The massive strike came as senior US and Ukrainian officials were preparing to meet in Saudi Arabia for talks over how to end the war in Ukraine. In recent days, Russia has stepped up its own attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian targets as diplomacy around the war has intensified. Unverified images and videos posted from Moscow and the surrounding area by residents showed drone strikes on residential buildings. Ukraine has not claimed credit for the attack. But in an interview with Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, Maksym Yali, a lecturer at the National Aviation University of Ukraine, said the overnight strikes could be understood as a "clear signal" from Kyiv ahead of the talks in Saudi Arabia. "As is known, the Ukrainian side has put forward its plan -- a ceasefire in the air and at sea. In this way, we have shown our capabilities in the air, so that Russia also has an incentive to agree to a ceasefire in that format [while showing] that Ukraine also has the potential to launch mass strikes with drones, including at the capital of the Russian Federation, which is of course very sensitive for the residents of Moscow," Yali said. Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that the strikes had come ahead of the visit of OSCE Secretary-General Feridun H. Sinirlioglu to Moscow. Zakharova said Sinirlioglu would be taken to a site in the capital where a drone had been shot down. In Ramenskoye, more than 40 kilometers southeast of the Russian capital, a drone struck a high-rise building on Severnoye Highway, touching off a fire on the upper floors. Elsewhere in the town, a two-story house caught fire after a drone attack. Reports also indicate damaged high-rise buildings in Vidnoye, a suburb of the capital. Ukrainian Telegram channels have also circulated unverified footage of explosions across the Moscow region. Vorobyov said debris from downed drones also fell on an apartment building in Ramenskoye, damaging at least seven apartments. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported on his Telegram channel that air defense forces destroyed more than 70 Ukrainian drones heading for Moscow. He also confirmed that debris from a downed drone damaged the roof of a residential building on Domodedovskaya Street. The attack also impacted air travel at Moscow's main airports. Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency reported that Sheremetevo, Zhukovsky, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo airports temporarily halted operations due to the drone strikes. The Moscow Railway Authority also confirmed damage to railway infrastructure at Domodedovo Station at the airport. Meanwhile, reports from Ryazan indicate that the Dyagilevo military airfield was targeted. Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov stated that air defense forces intercepted the attack swiftly and effectively, without reported casualties or damage to residential buildings and social infrastructure in area, which he said demonstrated the country's strong defense capabilities. The situation remains tense as authorities assess the full extent of the damage and continue monitoring potential threats. Meanwhile, Ukrainian air defense forces said on March 11 that they successfully intercepted a Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile and 79 attack drones overnight. According to the statement, 35 additional Russian drones lost radar contact, suggesting further disruptions. The interceptions covered multiple regions, including Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv, they said. Ahead of the talks between Kyiv and Washington in Saudi Arabia, Moscow has been claiming major advances against Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region where Ukraine seized 1,300 square kilometers of Russian territory last year. Ukraine's government characterized the surprise incursion as an attempt to gain a bargaining chip for future negotiations and draw Russian troops away from the front line in eastern Ukraine. Russia's Defense Ministry said on 11 March that Russian forces had liberated 12 settlements and more than 100 square kilometers of territory in Moscow's latest offensive there -- a claim that could not immediately be verified. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-moscow- ukraine-dron-attack-casulaties-airports-sobyanin- vorobyov-war/33343625.html Copyright (c) 2025. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Statement on Kiev regime's latest barbaric attack on Russian civilians 11 March 2025 19:54 389-11-03-2025 In the early hours of March 11, the neo-Nazi Kiev junta once again made its cowardly terrorist nature clear to everyone by attacking Russian regions, including Moscow and the Moscow Region, with a barrage of UAVs carrying projectiles. According to the Defence Ministry, duty air defence facilities downed 337 drones, including 126 over the Kursk Region, 91 over the Moscow Region, and 38 over the Bryansk Region, as well as 25 over the Belgorod Region, and 22 over the Ryazan Region. Unfortunately, multiple casualties, including children, were reported. The Investigative Committee of Russia has swiftly launched an investigation into this crime. The circumstances of the attack are being established. All those involved and responsible for this and other terrorist attacks on our land will be held accountable. The shelling of population centres in many Russian regions, as well as ruthless and indiscriminate killings of civilians, are indicative of the agony of the neo-Nazi Zelensky-led regime, which has bogged down in terrorism, lawlessness, corruption, and cynicism. Overcome by impotent rage, and in an effort to please its Western handlers, the regime strives to kill and maim as many innocent people as it can. Without a doubt, this drone attack was planned in advance and timed to coincide with today' s US-Ukraine contacts on conflict resolution held in Saudi Arabia. It was also a message to new OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu, now in Moscow on a working visit. Using these barbaric methods, the Kiev clique, which is suffering daily defeats on the battlefield, is trying to prove its ability to negotiate "from a position of strength." The Zelensky regime, which has lost its grip on reality, has clearly showed a glaring lack of political will for achieving peace and negotiated settlement of the conflict. It remains obsessed with the idea to defeat Russia, widely using cynical methods of terror and seeking to draw its allies into its aggressive actions. Clearly, the blame for this attack lies with the countries that continue to stubbornly and irresponsibly flood Ukraine' s ruling clique with lethal weapons, thereby enabling its bloody acts. Kiev's anti-human regime has made clear as day its neo-Nazi and terrorist nature, impotence, and inability to achieve and honour agreements. It has long deserved to be unambiguously and resolutely denounced by all conscientious governments and international entities. Further supporting it is tantamount to complicity in crimes committed by the Zelensky-led junta. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chief of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff - First Deputy Defence Minister General of the Army Valery Gerasimov inspects Kursk Group of Forces 11.03.2025 (10:45) Chief of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff - First Deputy Defence Minister General of the Army Valery Gerasimov inspected the formations and units of the Kursk Group of Forces eliminating the enemy that has infiltrated the Kursk region. At the command post, the Chief of the General Staff was informed by the Commander of the Kursk Group of Forces Colonel General Valery Solodchuk as well as commanders of the formations and other officials on the current situation, and progress made during the missions. General of the Army Valery Gerasimov noted the success of the Kursk Group of Forces in carrying out tasks and gave instructions for further actions. At the end of the visit, the Chief of the General Staff presented state and departmental awards to the servicemen who had demonstrated great results during operations. He also thanked the personnel for courage and bravery shown in the battles during the liberation of Kursk land. Department for Media Affairs and Information NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Upon HRH the Crown Prince's Directives, Saudi Arabia Hosts US-Ukraine Talks in Jeddah Saudi Press Agency Tuesday 11/09/1446 Jeddah, March 11, 2025, SPA -- Upon the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted talks between the United States and Ukraine in Jeddah today, attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Minister of State and Cabinet Member Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban. The US side was represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, while the Ukrainian side was represented by Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, Minister for Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. These talks are part of the Kingdom's efforts to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, thanks to its balanced relationships with various stakeholders and its commitment to promoting international security and peace. This commitment stems from the Kingdom's belief in upholding international laws and standards, with dialogue seen as the most effective way to resolve disputes and bring viewpoints closer together, ultimately strengthening international security and stability. --SPA 17:32 Local Time 14:32 GMT 0043 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joint Statement on the United States-Ukraine Meeting in Jeddah US Department of State Media Note Office of the Spokesperson March 11, 2025 The following text was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Ukraine. Begin Text: Today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - under the gracious hospitality of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - the United States and Ukraine took important steps toward restoring durable peace for Ukraine. Representatives of both nations praised the bravery of the Ukrainian people in defense of their nation and agreed that now is the time to begin a process toward lasting peace. The Ukrainian delegation reiterated the Ukrainian people's strong gratitude to President Trump, the U.S. Congress, and the people of the United States for making possible meaningful progress toward peace. Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation. The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace. The United States will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine. The delegations also discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the above-mentioned ceasefire, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. Both delegations agreed to name their negotiating teams and immediately begin negotiations toward an enduring peace that provides for Ukraine's long-term security. The United States committed to discussing these specific proposals with representatives from Russia. The Ukrainian delegation reiterated that European partners shall be involved in the peace process. Lastly, both countries' presidents agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine's economy and guarantee Ukraine's long-term prosperity and security. End Text. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz Remarks to the Press US Department of State Remarks Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Ritz Carlton Hotel Jeddah, Saudi Arabia March 11, 2025 SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, as has been clear from his first day as President, even as a candidate, President Trump is a President who wants to be a President of peace. His goal in this entire process has been to bring about an end to this war. It's a terrible war, a costly war, a bloody war, and his number one interest is ending this war once and for all. Today we've made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations to end this conflict in a way that's enduring and sustainable and accounts for their interests, their security, their ability to prosper as a nation. I want to personally thank - we both want to thank - the team in Saudi Arabia, his majesty, for hosting us, for making this possible. They've been instrumental in this process and we're very grateful to them for hosting us here today. And hopefully we'll - we'll take this offer now to the Russians, and we hope that they'll say yes, that they'll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court and - but again, the President's objective here is, number one, above everything else, he wants the war to end. And I think today Ukraine has taken a concrete step in that regard. We hope the Russians will reciprocate. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR WALTZ: Well, just to add to the Secretary's comments, the Ukrainian delegation today made something very clear: that they share President Trump's vision for peace, they share his determination to end the fighting, to end the killing, to end the tragic meat grinder of people and national treasure that's happening on the front in Ukraine - number one. Number two, they made concrete steps and concrete proposals not only accepting our proposal for a full ceasefire - which you can see the details of which are in our joint statement that we released together - but we also got into substantive details on how this war is going to permanently end, what type of guarantees they're going to have for their long-term security and prosperity, but also really looking at what it's going to take to finally end this - the horrific fighting. The other piece that I just want to make very clear is President Trump started this diplomatic effort in the Oval Office talking to both leaders, both President Putin and President Zelenskyy, back to back. And now that shuttle diplomacy continues. We have a named delegation in terms of next steps from the Russian side. We have a named delegation in terms of next steps from the Ukrainian side. I will talk to my Russian counterpart in the coming days. Secretary Rubio will be with G7 foreign ministers in the next couple of days. We have the NATO secretary general in the White House on Thursday. And we'll take - we'll take the process forward from there. So as a result of that, and I think as a result of this positive step forward, the President has decided to lift the pause on aid and on our security assistance to Ukraine going forward. And that's effective immediately. MS BRUCE: All right. Your colleagues have chosen three questioners. Let's start with Alex Marquardt of CNN. QUESTION: Thank you. Several questions on the ceasefire. We understood that coming into this this was a Ukrainian proposal for a partial ceasefire. How did this become an American proposal for an immediate 30-day ceasefire? And to be clear, you're talking about a complete ceasefire across the front line, not just the aerial and maritime ceasefire that the Ukrainians proposed? And then finally, how do you expect to take this to the Russians? Is it Mr. Witkoff, who we understand is heading to Moscow later this week? Will he deliver that to Putin? Will it be President Trump to President Putin? Will it be you and your counterparts? How will that actually happen, and when? SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, on the first point of your question is yes. It's - that's the offer. The offer is to stop the shooting. The goal here is the only way out - to end this war is to negotiate out of it. There's no military solution to this war. The solution to this war and the way to end it and to achieve the President's objective of peace is to negotiate. But before you can negotiate you have to stop shooting at each other, and that's what the President has wanted to see, and that's what - that's the commitment we got today from the Ukrainian side, their willingness to do that. Obviously, now that will be delivered to the Russians. It'll be delivered to them directly through multiple channels, meaning not only will they obviously see it - we've - it'll be communicated to them through our diplomatic channels, through conversations, and other methods. But they'll obviously be well aware. And our hope is that the Russians will say yes, that they will also agree, so the shooting will stop, the killing will stop, the dying will stop, and the talks can begin about how to end this war permanently in a way that's acceptable and enduring for both sides. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR WALTZ: Look, there's been all kinds of discussions in terms of different types of ceasefires. There was - there was the deal in terms of grain moving years ago, there's been discussion of halting aerial attacks on each other's infrastructure. The President has made it clear and certainly made it clear to us that all fighting needs to stop. And the Ukrainians have agreed to that proposal, they're ready for peace, and now we'll take that to the Russians and get their response. MS BRUCE: All right, next. Jennifer Jacobs, CBS. QUESTION: Great, hi. SECRETARY RUBIO: Hi. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR WALTZ: Hey. QUESTION: Are you expecting any goodwill gestures from Russia? Do you have a deadline in mind for when you're hoping for them to reciprocate on that - those two things? SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, on - we're going to take the offer to them. We're going to tell them this is what's on the table, Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking, and now it'll be up to them to say yes or no. I hope they're going to say yes. And if they do, then I think we made great progress. If they say no, then we'll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here. But the President has been abundantly clear he wants the shooting to stop, he wants the warfare to stop, he wants the dying and the suffering to stop, and he believes - and rightfully so - that the only way to end this war is to negotiate an end to it. And we think that it's always easier to negotiate an end to the war when people aren't shooting at each other. That's how the President believes. That's what we hope to achieve. The Ukrainians today have expressed their willingness and readiness to do so immediately. We hope the Russians' answer to that will also be yes. QUESTION: But no deadline set, sir? SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, the deadline is we hope to do this as soon as possible. Every day that goes by that this war continues, people die, people are bombed, people are hurt on both sides of this conflict. The President wanted this war to end yesterday and the day before. The President has been clear he wants peace, and so we want to see it as soon as possible. So our hope is that the Russians will answer yes as quickly as possible so we can get to the second phase of this, which is real negotiations - not never-ending dialogue, talk forever, but real negotiations to end this conflict in a way that's acceptable to both sides, sustainable, and that ensures the stability and security of Ukraine for the long term. QUESTION: And then on the goodwill gestures, is there anything like the return of the stolen children or anything that you're expecting in return for NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR WALTZ: Look, we've discussed a number of things - prisoner exchanges, folks that were detained, and what have you - but the fighting has to stop. I mean, that's what we agreed today. And just think about it: We've gone from if the war is going to end to now how the war is going to end. And this was an important first step. And that was under President Trump's leadership. He has literally moved the entire global conversation to where we had a very senior Ukrainian delegation with us today. We've had engagements with our Russian counterparts. And now it's how the war is going to end, and that's under President Trump's leadership. SECRETARY RUBIO: Just to answer your question one more time, the goal here is peace. That's the President's goal. The number - the best goodwill gesture the Russians can provide is to say yes - to say yes to the offer that the Ukrainians have made to stop the shooting, to stop the fighting, and get to the table. If they do that, that's the best goodwill sign we could see. Obviously, as part of that negotiation as we're talking about how to end this conflict, there will be a lot of issues to unravel - among them, not the least of which is the humanitarian concerns, the children, the prisoners of war, all the things that sadly come with these conflicts. But the number one goodwill gesture we could see from the Russians is to see the Ukrainian offer and reciprocate it with a yes. MS BRUCE: All right. And next, for Reuters, Daphne Psaledakis. QUESTION: Thank you so much. Could you clarify what security assistance will be resumed? Does this include the PDAs? And why wasn't the minerals deal signed today? What are the outstanding issues there? And if I may, is the relationship with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy back on track? Do you back him? SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, on - let me answer the second - or the third. You had two. And then I'll let the security advisor talk about the defense and security assistance. On the second question - well, let me answer first on the minerals deal that - as part of our communication today. That is something that was negotiated through our Treasury and his counterpart on the Ukrainian side. And so the President - and you see that - expressed both presidents will instruct the appropriate members of our governments to bring to finality the signature of the deal and the signature of this agreement. So that was communicated today and that's going to happen. That was not the subject of our talks today. I thought I made - I expressed that on our way in. Our - we were here in pursuit of peace. That doesn't mean the minerals deal is not very important; it most certainly is. And we expressed that today in the statements we put out jointly, that the President - our respective presidents have instructed the appropriate members of their governments to bring this to finality and to conclusion. The second part of your question was? QUESTION: The - does the security assistance include the PDAs? SECRETARY RUBIO: No, there was one after that. QUESTION: And then, is the Zelenskyy relationship back on track? SECRETARY RUBIO: Yeah, what's back on track here hopefully is peace. That's what matters the most. I know everyone is looking for who likes - this is serious stuff, okay. We're not - this is not Mean Girls. This is not some episode of some television show. This is very serious. People are going to - today, people will die in this war. They died yesterday. And sadly, unless there's a ceasefire tonight, they'll die tomorrow. The President wants that to stop. That's what he's interested in here. That's why we came here. That's why we're grateful for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosting us here. And what we left - leave here with today is a commitment that the Ukrainians are ready to stop fighting. They're ready to stop the shooting so that they can get to the table and bring about peace for their country and for the world. On the security? NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR WALTZ: Well, I mean, I just can't echo enough President Trump is a president of peace. That's what he is demanding, and he's willing to take tough measures on all sides to drive that home. And in terms of the security assistance, it's the current presidential drawdown authority. I'll refer to the Defense Department on the eaches of what munition was where in the process, but it's the current PDA that will proceed to the Ukrainians. MS BRUCE: All right. Everyone, thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The American Side Understands Our Arguments and Considers Our Proposals, I Am Grateful to President Trump for the Constructive Nature of the Dialogue Between Our Teams - Address by the President President of Ukraine 11 March 2025 - 20:29 I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians! Our delegation has just reported on the meeting with the American team in Saudi Arabia. The discussion lasted most of the day today, and it was a good discussion - constructive, our teams managed to cover many details. Our position is absolutely clear: Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of the war, and we want to do everything to ensure that peace is achieved as soon as possible and in a reliable way - so that there is no more war. Our, Ukraine's proposal for this meeting with the Americans consisted of three points: silence in the skies - meaning no missiles, bombs, or long-range drones - and silence at sea; and real measures to establish confidence in this whole situation, in which diplomacy is ongoing, which means, primarily, the release of prisoners - our military personnel and civilians - and the return of Ukrainian children who were taken to Russia. The American side understands our arguments and considers our proposals, I would like to thank President Trump for the constructive nature of the dialogue between our teams. And today, during the discussion, there was a proposal specifically from the American side to immediately take the first step beyond that and try to establish a complete ceasefire for 30 days, not only with regard to missiles, drones and bombs, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire frontline. Ukraine accepts this proposal, we consider it positive, we are ready to take this step, and the United States of America needs to convince Russia to do so. That is, we agree, and if the Russians agree, the silence will take effect at that very moment. An important element in today's discussions is America's readiness to restore defense assistance to Ukraine and intelligence support. Once the agreements take effect, during these thirty days of silence, we, together with our partners, should have enough time to prepare all the aspects at the level of framework documents to ensure a reliable peace and lasting security guarantees. Ukraine is ready for peace. Russia must also show whether it is ready to end the war - or continue it. The time has come for the whole truth. I thank all our diplomats and our team in Saudi Arabia today. I thank everyone who helps Ukraine. I thank each and every one who fights and works for our country and our people. We firmly preserve independence. We firmly protect the lives of our people. Of course, we express gratitude to everyone who helps Ukraine endure and develop - despite everything. There must be an honorable peace. Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joint Statement of Ukrainian and American delegations following their meeting in Jeddah President of Ukraine 11 March 2025 - 19:56 Today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia under the gracious hospitality of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the United States and Ukraine took important steps toward restoring durable peace for Ukraine. Representatives of both nations praised the bravery of the Ukrainian people in defense of their nation and agreed that now is the time to begin a process toward lasting peace. The Ukrainian delegation reiterated the Ukrainian people's strong gratitude to President Trump, the U.S. Congress, and the people of the United States for making possible meaningful progress toward peace. Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation. The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace. The United States will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine. The delegations also discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the abovementioned ceasefire, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. Both delegations agreed to name their negotiating teams and immediately begin negotiations toward an enduring peace that provides for Ukraine's long-term security. The United States committed to discussing these specific proposals with representatives from Russia. The Ukrainian delegation reiterated that European partners shall be involved in the peace process. Lastly, both countries' presidents agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine's economy and guarantee Ukraine's long-term prosperity and security. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine and Poland Discussed Bilateral Cooperation, including in Military Field, and Support for European Integration President of Ukraine 11 March 2025 - 16:31 During his working visit to Warsaw, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Brusylo met with the Head of the Political Cabinet of the Prime Minister of Poland, Pawe Gras. Ihor Brusylo expressed gratitude for Poland's comprehensive assistance and the solidarity of the Polish people. The continuation of military support and prospects for cooperation between defense industry enterprises, particularly in drone production, were among the key topics of discussion. Pawe Gras reiterated Poland's unwavering position in support of Ukraine. "Strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities is an integral element of enhancing the security across all of Europe. The military strength of the European armies is already an established necessity," the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office noted. Special attention was paid to Ukraine's integration into the European Union. The Head of the Political Cabinet of the Prime Minister emphasized that Poland, as the country holding the EU Council presidency, will facilitate progress in the negotiation process, including the opening of several negotiation clusters. The meeting also covered formats of cooperation in responding to global security challenges, humanitarian aspects of bilateral cooperation, and joint projects. "The strategic partnership between our countries continues to deepen in all areas of mutual interest," the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office concluded. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President of Ukraine Met with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia President of Ukraine 11 March 2025 - 01:16 During his official visit to Saudi Arabia, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in Jeddah. The Head of State expressed gratitude for the continued dialogue and the invitation to visit Saudi Arabia, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. Volodymyr Zelenskyy recognized Saudi Arabia's efforts in seeking ways to achieve a just and lasting peace, particularly in organizing a meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. delegations set to take place on March 11 in Jeddah. The President emphasized that Ukraine seeks to achieve peace as soon as possible and is committed to constructive dialogue. During the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud discussed Saudi Arabia's potential role as a mediator in the release of military and civilian prisoners and the return of deported children, as well as prospects for strengthening cooperation in this area. The leaders exchanged views on the formats of security guarantees and what they should entail for Ukraine to prevent the recurrence of war. Global and regional security challenges were another topic of the negotiations. Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about Ukraine's plans to further expand its own defense production to strengthen the country, as well as potential joint projects in this sector. Additionally, Ukraine is interested in enhancing cooperation in trade, economic, and energy sectors, as well as in Saudi Arabia's investments and its participation in our country's reconstruction. The Crown Prince confirmed Saudi Arabia's intentions to invest in Ukraine and its future. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US resumes intelligence sharing, security aid to Ukraine By Nike Ching March 11, 2025 U.S. President Donald Trump's administration will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine following Tuesday's talks between senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, U.S. officials are expected to speak with Russian officials in the coming days. Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is reportedly set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow this week. After nearly eight hours of talks, Ukraine announced its readiness to accept the U.S. proposal for "an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire" in the war with Russia, pending Kremlin approval. On March 5, Trump ordered a suspension of intelligence sharing with Ukraine, a move seen as an effort to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into talks with Russia to end the war. The Kremlin had no immediate comment on a ceasefire proposal from the U.S. and Ukraine. Russia's Foreign Ministry said only that negotiations with U.S. officials could take place this week. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz led the U.S. delegation in Jeddah amid Trump's push to broker a swift end to the war that began in early 2022 with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy did not take part in Tuesday's meetings, with Ukraine represented by Zelenskyy chief of staff Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and military commander Pavlo Palisa. Rubio told reporters late Tuesday that Ukraine has taken a concrete step toward ending the war. "Now hopefully we'll take this offer now to the Russians. And we hope that they'll say yes. That they'll say yes to peace. The ball's now in their court," he said. Waltz said he will speak with his Russian counterpart "in the coming days," while Rubio attends the G7 foreign ministers meeting in Canada. On Thursday, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will visit the White House. All these discussions are part of the efforts to advance the peace process. Waltz also told reporters that U.S. and Ukrainian officials delved into "substantive details" on how the war will "permanently end" and the types of guarantees needed for Ukraine's "long-term security and prosperity." Before entering talks, Yermak told reporters that Ukraine is ready "to do everything to achieve peace." When asked whether Ukraine is seeking security guarantees, Yermak responded "yes," emphasizing that Ukraine wants to ensure Russia never repeats its aggression. Mineral deal? Trump has voiced interest in making continued military aid conditional on access to Ukraine's raw materials. More than four dozen minerals, including several types of rare earths, nickel and lithium, are considered critical to the U.S. economy and national defense. Ukraine has large deposits of uranium, lithium and titanium. Following Tuesday's talks, the joint statement said both sides agreed to "conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine's economy and guarantee Ukraine's long-term prosperity and security." An agreement on the matter had been expected to be signed last month by Trump and Zelenskyy but was canceled after their tense Oval Office meeting Feb. 28. For Rubio, this marks the second visit to Saudi Arabia since taking office. He and other senior U.S. officials held talks with Russian officials in Riyadh on Feb. 18. He is scheduled to travel to Canada on Wednesday for meetings with G7 foreign ministers. Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukrainian drone attacks target 10 Russian regions, kill 2 people in Moscow By VOA News March 11, 2025 Russian officials said Tuesday that Ukrainian attacks involving more than 90 drones killed at least two people and injured 18 others in the Moscow region. The assault was part of an overall attack overnight that included more than 300 Ukrainian drones targeting 10 Russian regions stretching from border areas to the Russian capital. Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the Moscow region, said on Telegram that in addition to those hurt, there was also damage to an apartment building from falling drone debris. The attack also forced flight restrictions at Moscow airports and interrupted train services. Russia's Defense Ministry said it shot down 91 drones in the Moscow area, and a total of 337 across all regions. The ministry said it intercepted 126 drones over the Kursk region, 38 over Bryansk, 25 over Belgorod, 22 over Ryazan and others over Kaluga, Lipetsk, Oryol, Voronezh and Nizhny Novgorod. Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that drone debris knocked out power to some part of his region and damaged multiple residential buildings. Ukraine's military said Tuesday it shot down 79 of 126 drones that Russian forces used in overnight attacks. The intercepts took place over the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia and Zhytomyr regions, the military said. Officials in Kaluga also reported damage to several buildings, while one person was reported hurt in Lipetsk. Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US resumes aid to Ukraine as Kyiv endorses 30-day truce People's Daily Online By Cui Haipei (Chinadaily.com.cn) 08:23, March 12, 2025 The Donald Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine, after Kyiv endorsed a 30-day cease-fire in the conflict with Russia, pending Moscow's agreement, officials from the United States and Ukraine said on Tuesday following 9-hour talks in Saudi Arabia. The US' decision marked a sharp shift from only a week ago, when it imposed measures to push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to enter talks to end the 3-year conflict. The suspension of US assistance came after Zelensky and Trump argued in a tense White House meeting on Feb 28. For its part, Ukraine has agreed to the US proposal to establish a 30-day full interim cease-fire, which envisages stopping the missile, drone, and bomb attacks, as well as fighting along the entire frontline. Zelensky quickly thanked Trump over the "positive" cease-fire proposal made in Jeddah and said the US must now work to persuade Russia. "The American side understands our arguments, perceives our proposals, and I want to thank President Trump for the constructive conversation between our teams," he said in his evening address. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led US delegation to the talks in Jeddah, said Washington would present the cease-fire offer to the Kremlin, which has thus far opposed anything short of a permanent end to the conflict without accepting any concessions. Hours before the Jeddah talks, Ukraine staged a major direct attack on Moscow, with hundreds of drones slamming into the capital and other areas, leaving three people dead. In Washington, Trump said he was ready to welcome Zelensky back to the White House and may speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin this week. In a joint statement, Ukraine and the US also said they would conclude "as soon as possible" a deal securing US access to Ukraine's mineral wealth, which Trump demanded as compensation for billions of dollars in US weapons under his predecessor Joe Biden. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine agrees to 30-day ceasefire during talks with U.S. in Saudi Arabia People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:13, March 12, 2025 JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine on Tuesday signaled its readiness to accept a U.S. proposal for an "immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire" following talks with a U.S. delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to a joint statement. The statement, issued after hours of consultations between senior officials from the two countries, said the truce could be extended by mutual agreement, adding that "the United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace." Washington has agreed to "immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine," the statement said, adding that both sides discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts, particularly during the ceasefire period. Negotiators also agreed to appoint teams to begin talks aimed at reaching a lasting peace. The United States reaffirmed its commitment to engaging with Russian representatives, while Ukraine emphasized the need for European partners to be involved in the process, the statement said. Additionally, both nations' leaders agreed to finalize "as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine's economy," it added. The announcement followed a high-level meeting attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. The Ukrainian delegation included President Volodymyr Zelensky's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and others. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and National Security Advisor Musaed bin Muhammad Al-Aiban also took part in the discussions. At a press conference following the talks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope that Russia would accept the proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Ukraine. He said Ukraine's commitment will "be delivered to them directly through multiple channels," "through our diplomatic channels, through conversations, and other methods." "The ball is in their court," said Rubio, noting that if Kremlin rejects the proposal, "then we'll, unfortunately, know what the impediment is to peace here." Zelensky described the meeting as "good and constructive" on the social media platform X. "If Russia agrees, the ceasefire will take effect immediately," Zelensky said. U.S. President Donald Trump said he expects to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week and hopes Russia also agrees to the terms. When asked how close he thinks Ukraine and Russia are to a total ceasefire, Trump said, "I hope it'll be over the next few days." Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian state news agencies, "We do not rule out contacts with U.S. representatives within the next few days." According to Russian media reports, Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for Putin, said Moscow expected Washington to inform about the talks with Ukraine, stressing that there should not be premature celebration. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X that the European Union welcomes the U.S.-Ukraine talks in Jeddah, including the proposal for a ceasefire and the resumption of U.S. intelligence sharing and security assistance. French President Emmanuel Macron called on European and NATO military chiefs to draw up a plan "to define credible security guarantees" for Ukraine as peace negotiations accelerated. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Washington, DC, March 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The New Civil Liberties Alliance filed an amicus curiae brief today urging the en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to allow the Plaintiffs lawsuit in Health Freedom Defense Fund v. Carvalho to proceed. The Plaintiffs launched a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School Districts Covid-19 vaccine mandate for employees in 2021. A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit reversed the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Californias dismissal of the lawsuit, holding that the U.S. Supreme Courts 1905 Jacobson v. Massachusetts decision only applies where vaccines prevent a disease from spreading. The panel found the Plaintiffs had alleged facts that, if true, established that the Covid-19 vaccines do not stop third-party transmission and so are not governed by Jacobson. NCLA asks the en banc Ninth Circuit to affirm this correct interpretation of Jacobson, which accords with prior and subsequent Supreme Court jurisprudence. The district court wrongly assumed that Jacobson, which upheld a Cambridge, Massachusetts smallpox vaccination mandate during a 1902 outbreak, requires following any government medical order labeled a vaccine mandate. The Ninth Circuit panel overturned that judgment, holding that the Health Freedom Defense Fund Plaintiffs Complaint survived the governments motion to dismiss because its allegations were sufficient to invoke the fundamental right against compulsory health measures. The panel correctly limited Jacobsons application to mandatory vaccinations that stop a viruss transmission to third parties and thereby benefit the public, not just the recipient. The government must demonstrate that there is a substantial public-health rationale for overriding individuals liberty interests when mandating an invasive medical treatment like a vaccine. The Supreme Court has not directly addressed how Jacobson applies to Covid-19 vaccine mandates. During the Covid pandemic, some lower courts incorrectly interpreted the decision to uphold any policy labelled a vaccine mandate, effectively rubber-stamping any such government-imposed requirement as constitutional. But Jacobson balanced the plaintiffs liberty interest in declining the unwanted smallpox vaccine against the States interest in preventing that disease from spreading. Covid vaccines have not been shown to prevent transmission. Indeed, evidence shows the manufacturers of Covid-19 vaccines never claimed the vaccines prevented transmission, so the Los Angeles Unified School District knew or should have known that requiring its employees to be vaccinated would not keep them from spreading the virus. Defendants in this case had no legal justification for overriding their employees right to refuse medical treatment by firing them for refusing to comply with the vaccine mandate. NCLA released the following statements: The three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit correctly limited Jacobsons application to vaccines that stop transmission. Too many courts succumbed to panic in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Allowing the government to mandate medical treatments for the benefit of the recipient alone is a slippery slope that would grant government control over all sorts of personal health decisions. It is crucial that the en banc court adopt the panels determination, which appropriately balanced individual liberty interests against the interests of the state. Jenin Younes, Litigation Counsel, NCLA For too long, various courts have misread Jacobson v. Massachusetts as authorizing any vaccines for essentially any reason. The panel of the Ninth Circuit got it rightwhile under Jacobson the Government can take measures to protect public health, it has no power to force citizens to submit to medical intervention simply because the government believes such intervention is good for them. The en banc Court should reaffirm the panels holding. Greg Dolin, Senior Litigation Counsel, NCLA For more information visit the amicus page here. ABOUT NCLA NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLAs public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans fundamental rights. ### Vancouver, British Columbia, March 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Tungsten Corp. (CSE: TUNG) (OTCQB: DEMRF) (FSE: RK9) ("American Tungsten" or the "Company") announces that it has received a request from OTC Markets Group Inc. ("OTC Markets") to issue this statement regarding recent promotional activity concerning its common shares (the "Common Shares") traded on the OTCQB Marketplace. Promotional Activity On March 4, 2025, OTC Markets informed the Company that it became aware of certain promotional activities concerning American Tungsten and its Common Shares, including the distribution of digital marketing materials by Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC ("EMC"). These materials discussed the Companys projects, its business model, and the tungsten industry in general. The marketing materials also contained publicly available information and summaries of recent press releases issued by the Company. EMC is an arms-length third-party marketing firm engaged by American Tungsten to provide investor relations and public awareness services. The engagement was publicly disclosed in a press release dated March 3, 2025. Under this agreement, EMC is compensated $275,000 USD for a three-month term to provide corporate marketing, investor awareness, and advertising services. The Company provided EMC with publicly available information for marketing purposes and reviewed the materials for factual accuracy before dissemination. American Tungsten does not believe any statements in these materials were materially false or misleading. However, the Company acknowledges that all investments carry inherent risks, and it encourages investors to conduct thorough due diligence before making any investment decisions. Trading Activity The Company understands that certain promotional activities coincided with an increase in trading volume of the Common Shares. However, American Tungsten has no opinion on whether the promotional activity was the primary cause of this increase, as multiple factors influence trading volume, including broader market conditions, industry trends, and recent corporate developments, such as the announcement of the Companys marketing agreement with EMC. Management Inquiry and Insider Transactions Following an internal inquiry, the Company confirms that no directors, officers, and control persons, or any third-party service providers were involved in the creation, distribution, or payment for the promotional materials beyond the engagement of EMC. Additionally, following an inquiry by management, no directors, officers, and control persons, or any third-party service providers have purchased or sold shares of American Tungsten within the past 90 days. The Company reminds investors that all insider transactions are publicly disclosed in accordance with regulatory requirements and can be accessed through SEDI and the OTC Markets website. Third-Party Service Providers In the last twelve months, American Tungsten has engaged the following third-party service providers for corporate marketing, investor relations, and promotional services: Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC (EMC) Engaged for investor relations and digital marketing services (March 2025). Gold Standard Media, LLC (GSM) Engaged for landing pages, digital marketing, email marketing, and influencer marketing services. (January 2025). Global One Media Limited (Global One) Engaged for social media management, marketing and distribution services. (November 2024) Beyond these engagements, the Company has not entered into agreements with any other third-party firms for stock promotion. Issuance of Securities Other than previously disclosed transactions in its public filings, American Tungsten has not issued shares or convertible securities at a discount to market prices. All securities issuances comply with applicable regulations and are detailed in the Companys regulatory filings. Conclusion American Tungsten remains committed to transparency, responsible investor communication, and regulatory compliance. The Company encourages investors to rely only on official press releases, regulatory filings, and information published on the Companys website for accurate and up-to-date details about its business operations. ABOUT AMERICAN TUNGSTEN CORP. American Tungsten Corp. (previously Demesne Resources Inc.) is a Canadian-based company involved in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. The Company's magnetite Star Project consists of five contiguous mineral titles covering an area of approximately 4,615.75 hectares located in the Skeena Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada. The Company has entered into an option agreement pursuant to which it is entitled to earn an undivided 100% interest in the Star Project. American Tungsten has also entered into an option agreement, pursuant to which it can acquire a 100% interest (subject to a 2% royalty) in and to the IMA Mine Project, a past producing underground tungsten mine situated on 22 patented claims located in East Central, Idaho, United States. In addition, the Company has acquired surrounding mining rights at its IMA Mine Project through the staking of 113 WMO federal lode mining claims covering an area of 1,988.6 acres (804.75ha). Social media links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/americantungstencorp/ X: https://x.com/amtungsten Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/americantungsten Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americantungstencorp/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@americantungstencorp ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Murray Nye CEO 1055 West Georgia Street, Suite 1500 Vancouver, BC V6E 0B6 Canada For further information, please contact: Murray Nye, CEO Email: ir@americantungstencorp.com Phone: +1 (416) 300-7398 CSE:TUNG OTCQB:DEMRF FSE:RK9 The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words expects, plans, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, projects, potential and similar expressions, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could or should occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the receipt of regulatory approvals, market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Companys management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. SAN FRANCISCO, March 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Press Ranger , the AI-powered media database designed to democratize public relations, has been named the #1 Best PR Software for 2025 by SaaS-Space.com, a leading authority in software rankings and reviews. This prestigious recognition highlights Press Ranger's innovative approach to making quality press coverage accessible to businesses of all sizes. Press Ranger named as Best PR Software for 2025 by Saas-Space.com "We're honored to be recognized as the best PR software for 2025 ," said Steve Beyatte, Founder and CEO of Press Ranger. "Our mission has always been to level the playing field and make good press available to everyone, not just large corporations with big PR budgets. This award validates our approach and the impact we're having on the PR industry." Press Ranger has revolutionized the PR landscape by offering an affordable alternative to traditional media databases that typically cost $5,000-$10,000 per year. The platform provides access to journalists, publishers, and podcasts along with AI-powered tools that help businesses create targeted media lists, craft effective press releases, and manage outreach campaignsall at a fraction of the cost of traditional PR tools. SaaS-Space.com cited Press Ranger's comprehensive features, user-friendly interface, and exceptional value as key factors in awarding it the top position. The evaluation process included rigorous testing, user feedback analysis, and comparative assessment against other leading PR platforms including Cision, Meltwater, Muck Rack, and Prowly. "Press Ranger stands out as the most innovative PR tool in 2025, offering capabilities that surpass even the most established players in the industry," noted the official announcement from SaaS-Space.com. "Its combination of AI-powered features, extensive media database, and affordable pricing makes it the clear choice for businesses seeking effective PR solutions in today's digital landscape." Unlike traditional PR platforms that cater primarily to large enterprises, Press Ranger's unique approach focuses on making premium PR capabilities accessible to startups, small businesses, and independent entrepreneurs. The platform's AI campaign features can automatically generate press releases, build targeted media lists, and personalize outreachenabling users with no PR experience to run successful media campaigns. The #1 PR Software award coincides with Press Ranger's introduction of several new features, including enhanced AI media matching algorithms, improved CRM integration, and expanded international media coverage. These innovations further solidify Press Ranger's position as the leading PR software for businesses seeking cost-effective media relations solutions. For companies seeking modern PR tools in 2025, Press Ranger continues to be the most recommended solution by industry experts, offering the perfect combination of powerful features, affordability, and effectiveness. As the newest and most innovative platform in the PR software category, Press Ranger has quickly established itself as the best choice for businesses of all sizes looking to gain media coverage. For more information about Press Ranger and to explore how it can transform your PR strategy, visit https://pressranger.com . About Press Ranger Press Ranger is an AI-powered media database designed to make pitching to journalists quick, easy, and effective. With access to millions of journalist, publisher and podcast profiles, AI-powered campaign tools, CRM features, and personalized outreach capabilities, Press Ranger provides everything businesses need to secure quality press coverage. The platform's mission is to democratize public relations by making good press available to everyone, enabling every business to tell their story effectively. About SaaS-Space.com SaaS-Space.com is a leading authority in software evaluation and ranking, providing comprehensive analysis and reviews of business software solutions across multiple categories. Their annual rankings are widely respected in the industry for their thoroughness, objectivity, and focus on real-world application and value. Media Inquiries Contact: Press Ranger Email: info@pressranger.com Website: https://pressranger.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cd1e36f6-1053-4ae4-bd85-f1f5fce31466 DALLAS, TX, March 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Air Methods, the nations leading air medical provider, is growing its fleet by nearly 50 aircraft to expand services across the country and serve more patients in need of emergency transport. Today, at the VERTICON 2025 conference in Dallas, Air Methods signed major purchase agreements with both Bell Textron Inc. and Airbus Helicopters, reinforcing Air Methods commitment to providing cutting-edge aircraft for lifesaving missions. It is our mission to provide lifesaving care to as many people as possible, said Air Methods CEO Rob Hamilton. With more than 100,000 patient transports each year, expanding our fleet is critical to ensuring our crews have the safest, most reliable aircraft to serve communities nationwide. As part of its agreement with Bell Textron Inc., Air Methods will acquire up to 27 Bell helicopters, including 15 IFR-configured Bell 407GXis, a Bell 429, and 12 additional aircraft expected in the near future. The addition of these aircraft will further enhance Air Methods ability to provide rapid and reliable emergency medical transport to the communities it serves. Air Methods and Bell have worked together for the entirety of Air Methods 45 years in operation. The Bell 407 and Bell 429 are core aircraft in our fleet of over 390 aircraft, said Leo Morrissette, EVP of Operations at Air Methods. The Bell 407 demonstrates exceptional performance and reliability, while the Bell 429 provides our clinical team with the cabin capacity necessary to deliver industry-leading specialty care to our patients. Bell and Air Methods have maintained a strong partnership spanning four decades, with Air Methods currently operating 90 Bell aircraft. The Bell 407GXis single-pilot IFR capability and the Bell 429s advanced avionics and spacious interior make them ideal platforms for emergency medical services (EMS) missions. In addition to the Bell fleet expansion, Air Methods also entered into a Global Fleet Agreement with Airbus Helicopters, placing an order for 21 Airbus helicopters10 H125s and 11 H135s. As the largest global commercial operator of Airbus helicopters, Air Methods continues to rely on the H125 and H135 models for their safety, reliability, and ability to support critical care transport operations. This agreement strengthens our ability to support our customers with state-of-the-art aircraft and positions Air Methods for long-term growth and innovation, said Hamilton. With 300 bases serving 48 states, Air Methods transports more than 100,000 patients annually, flying over 150,000 hours each year. The company remains dedicated to integrating the latest technology and best-in-class aircraft to ensure rapid response times and exceptional patient care. Attachments SEATTLE, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WatchGuard Technologies, a global leader in unified cybersecurity, today announced the launch of FireCloud Internet Access, the first in a new family of hybrid secure access service edge (SASE) products. FireCloud uniquely meets the needs of hybrid organizations and WatchGuards partners by delivering consistency across Fireboxes and FireCloud with nearly identical configurations and no learning curve. Managing real-world cybersecurity means managing hybrid networks that combine traditional on-premises and Cloud/firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS) environments. Many vendors providing SASE solutions overlook the importance of integrated on-premises environments, which diminishes the value of deploying a SASE solution. When a SASE solution does not take these environments into account, they end up creating isolated systems that are managed separately, leading to unnecessary complexity and overhead. FireCloud Internet Access is the right answer for hybrid environments because it integrates with WatchGuard Cloud and shares unified policy management with Firebox, combining firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS) and secure web gateway (SWG) to deliver robust protection without complexity. WatchGuard enables managed service providers (MSPs) to deliver a valuable SASE solution to their clients with an adoption model that fits their hybrid environments. This solution is part of the WatchGuard Unified Security Platform architecture, which includes Identity, Network, and Endpoint security components, unified management in the WatchGuard Cloud, and a common installation framework for WatchGuard endpoints. FireCloud Internet Access provides real security for real-world challenges that today's businesses face. As remote and distributed work environments evolve and companies transition to the Cloud, the range of threat surfaces and location of endpoints that need protection has expanded, said Andrew Young, chief product officer at WatchGuard. Existing solutions dont allow security teams to seamlessly manage their network security in concert with their SASE deployments, creating security gaps and management complexities. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a new hybrid SASE approach which begins with FireCloud Internet Access. The FireCloud Internet Access Difference: In addition to being uniquely designed for hybrid Cloud/on-premises environments, FireCloud Internet Access also promises ease of deployment, flexible and scalable licensing and pricing, and integration into WatchGuards threat detection and response platform. Designed for Hybrid WatchGuards SASE architecture is one of the few solutions that is designed to deliver value and benefits to a hybrid environment. For lean IT teams or MSPs, this approach means easier management, consistent security controls, and lower costs over other SASE offerings. WatchGuards SASE architecture is one of the few solutions that is designed to deliver value and benefits to a hybrid environment. For lean IT teams or MSPs, this approach means easier management, consistent security controls, and lower costs over other SASE offerings. Ease of Deployment Administrators can configure and enforce security policies from a single interface, which simplifies management by using consistent policy structures and terminology. Security settings are automatically deployed to all WatchGuard-hosted points of presence (PoPs) worldwide, ensuring consistent policy enforcement no matter where the user is located. FireCloud clients are delivered from the WatchGuard Cloud, making them easy to deploy and manage. Administrators can configure and enforce security policies from a single interface, which simplifies management by using consistent policy structures and terminology. Security settings are automatically deployed to all WatchGuard-hosted points of presence (PoPs) worldwide, ensuring consistent policy enforcement no matter where the user is located. FireCloud clients are delivered from the WatchGuard Cloud, making them easy to deploy and manage. Flexible and Scalable The flexible pricing available with WatchGuards FlexPay helps build and grow managed security services provider (MSSP) business. As a firewall-as-a-service, the number of users doesnt impact performance, and more licenses can be easily added with customer growth. WatchGuard is committed to delivering a complete SASE solution to meet partners and their clients needs. Over time, WatchGuards FireCloud family of solutions covering private access, SD-WAN, ZTNA, and CASB will be built out and deployed, and along the way, FireCloud customers will also benefit from soon-to-be-released integrations with ThreatSync+ software as a service (SaaS) delivering overwatch threat detection and response, and the client will be integrated with the soon-to-be-released WatchGuard Universal Agent that simplifies device management. As always, WatchGuard will work closely with our partners to determine the specific SASE needs of their clients. SASE is the future of secure connectivity, merging network and security functions into a Cloud-native service. With FireCloud Internet Access and its overall approach to hybrid SASE architecture, WatchGuards focus on delivering powerful cybersecurity solutions specially designed for MSPs is on full display, said Kevin Willette, president of Verus. This is an affordable and effective solution to protect our clients networks and users while still using the same enterprise security found in our Firebox, which makes my business more efficient and improves our bottom line. This news follows WatchGuards recent acquisition of ActZero, a leading provider of Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services, to accelerate MDR growth for MSP partners and extend their sales reach. WatchGuard, which received recognition from IT Awards, ChannelVision, Fortress Cybersecurity, InfoSec Awards, and TMCnet for its security solutions in 2024, continues to lead the industry in security innovation to offer MSPs more scalable, ready-to-sell solutions that drive revenue. Additional Resources: About WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. is a global leader in unified cybersecurity. Our Unified Security Platform approach is uniquely designed for managed service providers to deliver world-class security that increases their business scale and velocity while also improving operational efficiency. Trusted by more than 17,000 security resellers and service providers to protect more than 250,000 customers, the companys award-winning products and services span network security and intelligence, advanced endpoint protection, multi-factor authentication, and secure Wi-Fi. Together, they offer five critical elements of a security platform: comprehensive security, shared knowledge, clarity & control, operational alignment, and automation. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. To learn more, visit WatchGuard.com. For additional information, promotions and updates, follow WatchGuard on Twitter (@WatchGuard), on Facebook, or on the LinkedIn Company page. Also, visit our InfoSec blog, Secplicity, for real-time information about the latest threats and how to cope with them at www.secplicity.org. Subscribe to The 443 Security Simplified podcast at Secplicity.org, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. WatchGuard is a registered trademark of WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. All other marks are property of their respective owners. Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Baar, Switzerland, 12 March 2025 Summary of financial results for 2024: Net revenue of CHF 286.7 million (2023: CHF 297.3 million), reflecting a decline of 1.6% at constant currencies and of 3.6% at actual currencies EBITDA of CHF 21.3 million (2023: CHF 30.1 million) with an EBITDA margin of 7.4% (2023: 10.1%) due to lower revenue and higher investments Group profit of CHF 3.7 million (2023: CHF 17.4 million) with earnings per share of CHF 0.10 (2023: CHF 0.48), also due to higher depreciation and amortization and unfavourable tax effects Net cash position of CHF 18.6 million as of 31 December 2024 (31 December 2023: CHF 24.7 million) with an equity ratio of 39.2% (2023: 39.9%) for 2024: Capital allocation Dividend proposal of CHF 0.10 per share Share buyback program of up to 10% of the outstanding share capital and a maximum buyback amount of CHF 15 million planned over the next 18 months for the purpose of capital reduction Guidance for fiscal year 2025 Low single-digit revenue growth at constant currencies EBITDA margin of around 9-10% Revenue development shows mixed results In a challenging market environment, Ascom generated net revenue of CHF 286.7 million for fiscal year 2024 (2023: CHF 297.3 million), which reflects a decline of 1.6% at constant currencies and of 3.6% at actual currencies compared to the previous year. Revenue development in the second half-year 2024 was in line with the previous years level, while revenue for the first six months of 2024 was 2.7% (at constant currencies) lower than in the previous year. Revenue split by market segments showed the Healthcare sector accounting for 67% of total revenue in 2024 (2023: 66%) while the Enterprise sector was at 28% (2023: 28%). The OEM business contributed 5% of revenue (2023: 6%). Service business accounted for 36% (2023: 35%), while the software business increased to 13% (2023: 12%). Revenue from recurring business increased to about 27% (2023: 25%) Strong order backlog In 2024, Ascom generated incoming orders of CHF 307.4 million (2023: CHF 318.6 million), representing a decline of 1.5% at constant currencies and of 3.5% at actual currencies. The region Rest of World and the OEM business achieved double-digit growth at constant currencies in order intake, while the regions DACH, Nordics as well as USA & Canada showed slight growth. At year end, the order backlog stood at CHF 301.5 million (31.12.2023: CHF 276.4 million). Profitability impacted by lower revenue and higher investments In fiscal 2024, gross profit came to CHF 133.3 million (2023: CHF 141.4 million) with a gross margin of 46.5% (2023: 47.6%). The gross margin decreased slightly due to the lower revenue and a different product mix. With the lower gross profit and higher investments in Research & Development (R&D) and Marketing & Sales, Ascom achieved an EBITDA of CHF 21.3 million (2023: CHF 30.1 million) for fiscal year 2024, leading to an EBITDA margin of 7.4% (2023: 10.1%). Profitability in the second half-year was in line with the first half-year 2024. Considering the lower EBITDA and higher costs for depreciation and amortization due to investments in R&D and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), EBIT decreased to CHF 7.6 million for fiscal year 2024 (2023: CHF 20.2 million). Ascom closed the financial year 2024 with a Group profit of CHF 3.7 million (2023: CHF 17.4 million). Earnings per share amounted to CHF 0.10 (2023: CHF 0.48). Ascom continues to have a strong balance sheet In 2024, Ascom generated a positive cash flow from operating activities of CHF 20.0 million (2023: CHF 32.5 million). The net cash position as of 31 December 2024 came to CHF 18.6 million (31.12.2023: CHF 24.7 million). Ascom has no outstanding borrowings as of 31 December 2024. Shareholders equity stood at CHF 74.4 million (31.12.2023: CHF 78.7 million), representing an equity ratio of 39.2% (31.12.2023: 39.9%). Outlook for 2025 While the current macro-economic environment is volatile, the underlying industry trends in the markets Ascom operates in remain positive. For the financial year 2025, Ascom is confident of continuing to develop its business successfully, benefiting also from the investments of the last years. Ascom is committed to delivering superior customer experience and to generate sustainable and profitable growth. For the fiscal year 2025, Ascom targets low single-digit revenue growth at constant currencies and aims to achieve an EBITDA margin of 9-10%. Capital allocation The Board of Directors is proposing a dividend of CHF 0.10 per share to the Annual General Meeting 2025. Moreover, the Board of Directors is planning a share buyback program of up to 10% of the current share capital and a corresponding maximum buyback amount of CHF 15 million for the purpose of capital reduction. The share buyback program is due to be launched in May 2025 and run on a second trading line on the SIX Swiss Exchange over the next 18 months. Board of Directors and Management All current members of the Board of Directors are standing for re-election at the Annual General Meeting 2025. Dr. Valentin Chapero, Chairman of the Board of Directors, stands for re-election for a last term of one year and will step down as of the Annual General Meeting 2026. Dr. Daniel Lack, Company Secretary and long-standing member of the Executive Committee, will step down as of 30 June 2025 due to his age and hand over the Investor Relations activities to Kalina Scott, CFO. KEY FIGURES FINANCIAL YEAR 2024 In CHFm Ascom Group FY 2024 H1 2024 H2 2024 FY 2023 Incoming orders 307.4 166.1 141.3 318.6 Net revenue 286.7 142.1 144.6 297.3 Gross profit 133.3 67.2 66.1 141.4 EBIT 7.6 4.0 3.6 20.2 EBIT margin in % 2.7% 2.8% 2.5% 6.8% EBITDA 21.3 10.5 10.8 30.1 EBITDA margin in % 7.4% 7.4% 7.5% 10.1% Group profit 3.7 2.9 0.8 17.4 Employees (FTE) 1,415 1,433 1,415 1,403 The complete 2024 Annual Report of the Ascom Group and the 2024 Full-Year Results Presentation are available in English and for download at: https://www.ascom.com/investors/reports-and-presentations/ 2024 Full-Year Results Conference The 2024 Full-Year Results Conference takes place on Wednesday,12 March 2025, at 10.00 a.m. CET Restaurant METROPOL, Fraumunsterstrasse 12, 8001 Zurich Webcast: A live audio webcast with synchronized slides of the conference, including Q&A, will be available on Link Webcast. Attachment DENVER , March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thsyu Exchange is proud to announce its official launch, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of cryptocurrency trading. With a commitment to innovation, security, and user empowerment, Thsyu is set to transform the crypto landscape, offering a platform that not only meets the demands of todays traders but also anticipates the needs of tomorrows market. A Robust Platform Built on Cutting-Edge Technology At the core of Thsyu Exchange lies a state-of-the-art trading platform that leverages advanced blockchain technology and robust cybersecurity protocols. This ensures that every transaction is executed with unparalleled speed and security, providing users with peace of mind as they navigate the dynamic world of cryptocurrency. Our elite team, comprised of industry veterans in blockchain development, financial technology, and cybersecurity, has meticulously designed the platform to cater to both seasoned traders and newcomers alike. Thsyu Exchange offers a diverse array of cryptocurrencies, allowing users to build and diversify their portfolios with ease. With competitive trading fees and a user-friendly interface, traders can maximize their potential in an increasingly competitive market. Additionally, our platform features advanced trading tools and analytics, empowering users to make informed decisions and capitalize on market trends. Empowering a Global Community of Traders Recognizing the importance of community engagement, Thsyu Exchange has launched an innovative ambassador program aimed at fostering a vibrant network of crypto enthusiasts and advocates. This program not only incentivizes participation through generous token rewards and tiered commissions but also encourages users to contribute to the growth and development of the Thsyu ecosystem. By building a strong community, Thsyu aims to create a collaborative environment where knowledge and resources are shared, ultimately benefiting all participants. Strategic Partnerships for Enhanced Opportunities Thsyu Exchange is committed to forging strategic partnerships with leading investment institutions and industry innovators. These collaborations will provide our users with exclusive access to investment opportunities and market insights, positioning them at the forefront of the global crypto market. Whether users are looking to engage in large-scale trading or explore emerging investment avenues, Thsyu serves as a gateway to a wealth of opportunities. A Vision for the Future As Thsyu Exchange embarks on its journey, our vision remains clear: to create a safe, efficient, and rewarding trading environment for users worldwide. Our commitment to user-centric development and global expansion will drive our efforts to connect traders with the broader crypto market, facilitating cross-border transactions and access to high-quality resources. In an era where the cryptocurrency market is rapidly evolving, Thsyu Exchange stands out as a beacon of innovation and reliability. We invite traders from all backgrounds to join us as we shape the future of crypto finance together. Contact Information Jessica Green Chief Operating Officer Thsyu CRYPTO GROUP LIMITED Address:1670 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202, US Email:jessica.green@thsyu.com Website: www.thsyu.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/eb4889ff-40ab-431a-9cca-8e1531bf72c8 March 12, 2025 Amsterdam, the Netherlands Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced it has been recognized by Clarivate as the top-ranked medical technology company in the Top 100 Global Innovators 2025, reinforcing its global reputation as a leading healthcare innovator. A consistent high-performer, Philips has been included in this major assessment of global innovators for 12 consecutive years. Roy Jakobs, CEO of Royal Philips said: "At Philips, weve been innovating for over 130 years to improve peoples lives. Innovation is our fundamental strength, the reason why customers choose us as their strategic partner and a key value driver for our company. Our portfolio of patient- and people-centric innovations in hardware, software, AI and services drives healthcare productivity and empowers people to look after their health and well-being delivering better care for more people." In 2024, Philips invested approximately EUR 1.7 billion or an industry leading >9% of sales in research and development to help drive better care for more people. Philips is increasingly focusing its innovation efforts on the potential of data and AI, both in hospital settings and at home. As a leader in AI-related patent applications in healthcare, Philips dedicates around half of its R&D workforce to these fields. Examples of Philips AI-powered innovations that increase caregiver productivity and deliver better care for more people include: the Philips CT 5300, which combines innovative hardware, software, and AI to make high-quality screening, diagnostic, and interventional imaging accessible to more patients the latest SmartSpeed Precise MRI technology, which enables scans to be completed up to three times faster, significantly cutting scan times while maintaining exceptional image quality the next-generation AI-enabled cardiovascular ultrasound platform with advanced AI tools to advance cardiovascular imaging and increase automation and productivity the new Azurion image-guided therapy system and advanced informatics to enhance minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment of stroke and other neurovascular patients The Top 100 Global Innovators uses a complete comparative analysis of global invention data to assess the strength of every patented idea, using measures tied directly to their innovative power. The full report can be found here. For further information, please contact: Ben Zwirs Philips Global External Relations Tel.: +31 61521 3446 E-mail: media@philips.com About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving peoples health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2024 sales of EUR 18 billion and employs approximately 67,800 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter. Attachments DENVER, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- THSYU, a pioneer in the cryptocurrency trading ecosystem, has unveiled a series of groundbreaking security enhancements, setting a new benchmark for asset protection and user trust. By integrating quantum-resistant encryption, AI-driven threat detection, and a reinforced multilayer security framework, THSYU is redefining the security and reliability of digital asset exchanges for its global user base, with a special focus on the French market. THSYU: A New Standard in Security At the core of THSYUs security architecture is its pioneering adoption of quantum-resistant encryption, a forward-thinking measure that safeguards user assets against future threats posed by quantum computing. Unlike traditional cryptographic systems, this approach ensures long-term resilience, positioning THSYU as a leader in an industry where security is paramount. This technology, paired with a multi-signature authorization system, requires multiple independent verifications for every transaction, dramatically reducing the risks of unauthorized access or internal breaches. THSYUs commitment to transparency and reliability is further demonstrated through its rigorous smart contract auditing process. Leveraging advanced AI tools and third-party expertise, the platform conducts continuous audits to eliminate vulnerabilities in its self-executing contracts. This proactive approach ensures that every transaction on THSYU is secure, seamless, and tamper-proof, providing users with unmatched peace of mind. AI-Powered Protection and Real-Time Resilience What sets THSYU apart is its AI-driven threat detection system, capable of analyzing millions of data points in real time. This system identifies and neutralizes potential riskswhether from sophisticated cyberattacks, insider threats, or irregular trading behaviorbefore they can impact users. Coupled with a dynamic anomaly response protocol, THSYU ensures swift action to mitigate any emerging security challenges, making it one of the most responsive platforms in the market. To address the volatility of crypto trading, THSYU has also implemented a cloud-based infrastructure with adaptive scaling capabilities. This ensures uninterrupted performance during high-traffic periods, such as market surges, while maintaining top-tier security standards. Whether users are trading Bitcoin, Ethereum, or emerging altcoins, THSYU delivers a stable and secure experience every time. A Vision for the Future of Crypto Trading Security is not just a feature; its the foundation of trust, said Alexandre Johnson, CEO of THSYU. Our mission is to provide users, particularly in France and worldwide, with a platform that meets todays demands while anticipating tomorrows challenges. With these innovations, THSYU is raising the bar for what a cryptocurrency exchange can achieve. As the cryptocurrency market continues to grow rapidly, THSYU remains steadfast in its commitment to user protection, regulatory compliance, and technological excellence. Industry analysts predict that THSYUs bold advancements will not only attract a growing base of retail and institutional traders in France but also push competitors to rethink their own security strategies. Contact Information Jessica Green Chief Operating Officer Thsyu CRYPTO GROUP LIMITED Address:1670 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202, US Email:jessica.green@thsyu.com Website: www.thsyu.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a615d280-6615-4d82-a6ca-8d836806f89d Dublin, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "The Global Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs) Market 2025-2035" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Thermal Interface Materials Market 2025-2035 analyzes the global thermal interface materials (TIMs) industry, providing detailed insights into market trends, technological developments, and growth opportunities from 2025 to 2035. The report examines the crucial role of thermal interface materials in managing heat dissipation across various industries, including consumer electronics, electric vehicles, data centers, aerospace & defense, and emerging technology sectors. Effective thermal interface materials are becoming increasingly critical across industries as electronic devices and systems grow smaller, faster, and more power-dense. From electric vehicle power electronics and renewable energy inverters to advanced semiconductors and data center servers, managing thermal interfaces efficiently is essential for optimal performance, device reliability, and system longevity. Companies are facing rising pressure to adopt cutting-edge thermal interface solutions that address growing thermal resistance challenges while balancing thermal conductivity, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability. In response, materials scientists and manufacturers are developing advanced thermal interface materials - including novel phase-change formulations, next-generation composite materials incorporating carbon nanotubes and graphene, thermally conductive ceramics, and liquid metal interfaces. These innovations aim to push the boundaries of thermal conductivity while maintaining critical properties like conformability, reliability, and ease of application. The focus is on developing TIMs that can handle higher heat fluxes, reduce thermal resistance, and maintain performance over extended operating cycles. The demand for enhanced thermal interface materials is being driven by several key trends: the transition to wide bandgap semiconductors in power electronics, increasing processor densities in computing applications, and the growing adoption of electric vehicles. These applications require TIMs capable of managing higher operating temperatures while providing consistent performance under challenging environmental conditions. As devices continue to evolve, thermal interface materials play an increasingly vital role in enabling next-generation electronics and power systems. The thermal interface materials (TIM) market demonstrates robust growth driven by increasing demands across multiple sectors including electronics, automotive, medical devices, and industrial applications. Traditional materials continue to dominate the market, with thermal greases and gap fillers representing approximately 45-50% of current applications. However, advanced materials including phase change compounds, graphene-enhanced products, and novel composites are gaining significant market share, particularly in high-performance applications. The liquid metal segment, while smaller, shows rapid growth in premium applications where thermal performance is critical. Report contents include: Key market segments covered include consumer electronics, where increasing device miniaturization drives demand for advanced thermal management solutions; electric vehicles, where battery thermal management and power electronics create new opportunities; and data centers, where growing computing demands necessitate improved cooling solutions. Emerging applications in 5G infrastructure, ADAS sensors, and medical electronics. Carbon-based TIMs, metamaterials, and self-healing compounds. Supply chain analysis Price analysis of both raw materials and finished products. Market forecasts for all major segments, with detailed breakdowns by material type, application, and geographic region. The analysis includes market size projections, growth rates, and emerging opportunities across different end-use sectors. Detailed profiles of 111 companies active in the thermal interface materials market, from established global manufacturers to innovative technology startups. Each profile includes company overview, product portfolio, technological capabilities, and strategic developments. Technical specifications and performance metrics for various TIM types, enabling comparison of different solutions for specific applications. Key Topics Covered: 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Thermal management-active and passive 1.2 What are thermal interface materials (TIMs)? 1.3 Comparative properties of TIMs 1.4 Differences between thermal pads and grease 1.5 Advantages and disadvantages of TIMs, by type 1.6 Performance 1.7 Prices 1.8 Emerging Technologies in TIMs 1.9 Supply Chain for TIMs 1.10 Raw Material Analysis and Pricing 1.11 Environmental Regulations and Sustainability 2 MATERIALS 2.1 Advanced and Multi-Functional TIMs 2.2 TIM fillers 2.3 Thermal greases and pastes 2.3.1 Overview and properties 2.3.2 SWOT analysis 2.4 Thermal gap pads 2.5 Thermal gap fillers 2.6 Potting compounds/encapsulants 2.7 Adhesive Tapes 2.8 Phase Change Materials 2.9 Metal-based TIMs 2.10 Carbon-based TIMs 2.11 Metamaterials 2.12 Self-healing thermal interface materials 2.13 TIM Dispensing 3 MARKETS FOR THERMAL INTERFACE MATERIALS (TIMs) 3.1 Consumer electronics 3.2 Electric Vehicles (EV) 3.3 Data Centers 3.4 ADAS Sensors 3.5 EMI shielding 3.6 5G 3.7 Aerospace & Defense 3.8 Industrial Electronics 3.9 Renewable Energy 3.10 Medical Electronics 4 COMPANY PROFILES 5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 6 REFERENCES A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to: 3M ADA Technologies AI Technology Inc. Aismalibar S.A. Alpha Assembly AOK Technologies AOS Thermal Compounds LLC Arkema Arieca Inc. ATP Adhesive Systems AG Aztrong Inc. Bando Chemical Industries Ltd. BestGraphene BNNano BNNT LLC Boyd Corporation BYK Cambridge Nanotherm Carbice Corp. Carbon Waters Carbodeon Ltd. Oy CondAlign AS Denka Company Limited Detakta Isolier- und Messtechnik GmbH & Co. KG Dexerials Corporation Deyang Carbonene Technology Dow Corning Dupont (Laird Performance Materials) Dymax Corporation Dynex Semiconductor (CRRC) ELANTAS Europe GmbH Elkem Silcones Enerdyne Thermal Solutions Inc. Epoxies Etc. First Graphene Ltd Fujipoly Fujitsu Laboratories GCS Thermal GLPOLY Global Graphene Group Goodfellow Corporation Graphmatech AB GuangDong KingBali New Material Co. Ltd. HALA Contec GmbH & Co. KG Hamamatsu Carbonics Corporation H.B. Fuller Company Henkel AG & Co. KGAA Hitek Electronic Materials Honeywell Hongfucheng New Materials Huber Martinswerk HyMet Thermal Interfaces SIA Indium Corporation Inkron KB Element Kerafol Keramische Folien GmbH & Co. KG Kitagawa KULR Technology Group Inc. Kyocera Leader Tech Inc. LiSAT LiquidCool Solutions Liquid Wire Inc. MacDermid Alpha MG Chemicals Ltd Minoru Co. Ltd. Mithras Technology AG Molecular Rebar Design LLC Momentive Performance Materials Morion NanoTech Nanoramic Laboratories Nano Tim NeoGraf Solutions LLC Nitronix Nolato Silikonteknik NovoLinc For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nw03mg About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Dublin, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Bearings Market - Outlook & Forecast 2025-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Bearings Market was valued at USD 54.1 billion in 2024, and is projected to reach USD 78.45 billion by 2030, rising at a CAGR of 6.39%. In the global bearing market, the APAC region holds the largest share, driven by the region's strong industrialization, rapid urbanization, and robust manufacturing sector. APAC, particularly countries like China, Japan, India, and South Korea, are major contributors due to their large automotive, machinery, and equipment manufacturing industries, which extensively utilize bearings in various applications. Additionally, the region benefits from cost-effective production, an abundance of raw materials, and significant investments in infrastructure development, further propelling the demand for bearings. Europe, with a significant contribution from countries like Germany, France, and the UK holds a significant share of the global bearing market. Europe has a well-established automotive industry and strong manufacturing base, which are key drivers for bearing demand. Stringent regulations regarding energy efficiency and reduced carbon footprints have prompted European manufacturers to invest in advanced, high-performance bearings, particularly in sectors like renewable energy, aerospace, and high-precision machinery. Additionally, the industrial machinery sector in countries like Germany, Italy, and France is expanding, demanding precision bearings for automation and robotics applications thereby supporting the bearing market growth. The aerospace and defense sectors also contribute to the rising demand, as European manufacturers invest in high-performance bearing solutions for aircraft and defense equipment. In North America, the U.S. is the dominant player in the bearing market. The demand for bearings in North America is primarily driven by the automotive, aerospace, and industrial machinery sectors. The region's technological advancements and investments in research and development further support the adoption of innovative bearing solutions, particularly in EV and renewable energy. Latin America, the Middle East & Africa together contribute a smaller portion of the global bearing market. In these regions, the market is influenced by the growing industrialization and infrastructure development, especially in countries like Brazil, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia. However, the demand is still relatively low compared to more industrialized regions, as many sectors requiring bearings are still in the early stages of development. Despite this, investments in energy, construction, and automotive sectors in these regions are expected to drive gradual growth in the bearing market in the coming years. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE The global bearing market is a highly competitive & consolidated and dynamic industry, with numerous players operating across different segments and regions. Leading companies in the global bearings market include SKF, Schaeffler Group, NTN Corporation, NSK Ltd, THE TIMKEN COMPANY, and JTEKT Corporation. These companies dominate the market due to their large-scale production capabilities, strong R&D focus, global presence, and established relationships with OEMs and end-users. These industry giants continually invest in innovation to develop advanced bearing solutions, such as hybrid bearings, self-lubricating bearings, and energy-efficient products, which help them maintain a competitive edge. They also emphasize cost control through lean manufacturing processes and supply chain optimization, which allows them to offer competitive prices while maintaining high product quality. Recent Development in the Global Bearing Market In May 2024, NTN Corporation developed a large-diameter deep groove ball bearing for coaxial e-Axles in EV. This bearing supports high-speed rotation with a dmn value of 1.5 million, providing over 50% lower torque compared to standard products. Through this, the company appeals to environmentally conscious customers and gains a competitive advantage in the bearings market. In November 2024, SKF developed Infinium bearings using advanced Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) technology, enabling repeated remanufacturing for circular performance. Through this, the company enhanced increases their product portfolio and increased its consumer base in the bearing market. In January 2025, Schaeffler introduced optimized current-insulated bearings from the J20G series, featuring an advanced Insutect A coating for enhanced protection against electrical currents. Through this Schaeffler can strengthen its presence in key sectors like rail, wind energy, and industrial automation, helping the company penetrate new markets and regions. MARKET TRENDS & OPPORTUNITIES Advancements in Technology Advancements in bearing technology are continually reshaping the automotive industry, especially for EVs, where efficiency and range are critical. In recent developments, manufacturers in the bearing market have focused on creating low-friction bearings that not only boost vehicle range but also offer resistance to harsh environmental conditions. These technological advancements are crucial in extending battery life and maximizing the overall performance of EVs. For instance, in September 2024, NSK developed a new low-friction hub unit bearing that reduces friction by 40% compared to conventional products, helping extend the driving range of EVs by approximately 1,000 kilometers annually. The key innovation lies in the development of three new seal technologies: an optimized seal shape with fewer lips, a specialized seal grease with low viscosity and polymer reinforcement, and the application of laser processing to the seal's sliding surface for smoother movement. These improvements balance low friction with muddy water resistance, making the product ideal for EVs. Furthermore, in September 2024, Conax Technologies introduced the Ex/MBS Series explosion-proof miniature bearing sensors, featuring proprietary redundant sealing for unmatched safety and reliability. Designed for harsh environments, these sensors prevent oil leaks, reduce downtime, and enhance operational safety in critical rotating equipment applications. This innovation in the bearing market may push competitors to enhance their designs, influence industry regulations, and increase adoption in sectors like power generation, oil refineries, and water treatment where equipment reliability is critical. Growth in Emerging Markets The growth of emerging markets has significantly influenced the demand for bearings, a vital component in various industrial sectors, including automotive, manufacturing, energy, and construction. Emerging markets, such as China, India, Brazil, and other countries, are experiencing rapid industrialization, urbanization, and infrastructure development, all of which directly contribute to an increased need for bearings and support the global bearing market growth. Furthermore, the expansion and modernization of rail infrastructure in emerging markets, such as Brazil and China, have a direct impact on the demand for bearings. As these countries invest heavily in their rail networks, both for passenger and freight transport, there is a significant increase in the need for high-quality bearings to support the high-speed and heavy-duty requirements of these projects. For instance, in May 2024, the government of Brazil, Sao Paulo, Tarcisio de Freitas, launched SP on Rail, a $37.2bn investment program that included over 40 rail projects totaling 1000+ km. Key projects included the North Axis, which upgraded the Sao Paulo-Campinas line for express services under a 30-year public-private partnership, and the InterMetropolitan Train (TIM) service. Other projects, such as the West, East, and South Axes, aimed to connect Sao Paulo to nearby cities, improving inter-city rail services. The initiative was designed to ease congestion and promote sustainable transportation in the state. INDUSTRY RESTRAINTS Easy Availability of Counterfeit Products Counterfeit bearings pose a significant global challenge in the bearing market, affecting markets with low-quality products that increase costs, and risks, and decrease machine reliability due to frequent failures. Counterfeit bearings typically come from countries with low manufacturing costs and weak intellectual property protection. These products use inferior materials and are made on outdated machines by low-paid workers, resulting in poor quality. The counterfeit bearings are often packaged to look like genuine products, misleading buyers and users. As the problem of counterfeiting continues to grow, companies in the bearing industry are ramping up efforts to combat the production and distribution of fake products. In October 2024, ElBaz Trading Establishment, a leading bearing supplier, highlighted those counterfeiting costs global industries as much as USD 461 billion, creating severe safety risks. Bearings, being critical components in various industries, are often targeted by counterfeiters. INSIGHTS BY PRODUCT The global bearing market by product is segmented into ball bearings, roller bearings, and others. In 2024, the ball bearings segment accounted for the highest share of revenue more than 42% in the bearing market. As industries such as automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and construction grow, the demand for ball bearings increases. These industries rely on ball bearings for the smooth functioning of machinery and equipment. Ball bearings are integral components in electric motors used in a variety of consumer products such as fans, refrigerators, washing machines, and vacuum cleaners. Continuous improvements in material science and lubrication technology have led to the development of specialized bearings that offer greater precision, reduced friction, and higher durability, creating demand across various sectors. Furthermore, the roller-bearing segment holds a significant segmental market share and exhibits the highest CAGR during the forecasted period. As emerging economies develop, there is an increase in infrastructure projects, automotive manufacturing, and industrial production, all of which require roller bearings. The demand for bearings in these regions has seen significant growth as industries evolve and expand. Roller bearings offer improved performance over traditional bearings in applications requiring high precision and low friction. Their ability to enhance system efficiency and extend the life of machinery drives demand across various sectors. INSIGHTS BY APPLICATION The global bearing market by application is segmented into automotive, aviation & aerospace, railways, construction, mining, electronics, and others. The automotive segment in the bearing market holds the largest segmental share and is exhibiting the highest CAGR of more than 6.50% during the forecast period. The automotive industry has seen a consistent rise in the demand for bearings due to the growing need for high-performance, fuel-efficient, and environmentally friendly vehicles. The increasing adoption of EV and hybrid vehicles has further boosted this demand, as these vehicles require specialized bearings to ensure optimal performance of electric motors, drivetrains, and regenerative braking systems. Additionally, the rising demand for autonomous and connected vehicles, which rely heavily on advanced sensors and motors, has resulted in greater bearing usage to support precision machinery and systems. As automotive manufacturers push for longer-lasting, quieter, and more efficient vehicles, the demand for high-quality bearings has surged. Furthermore, the aviation & aerospace segment captured the second-highest share of revenue. In the aviation and aerospace sector, the demand for bearings is driven by the need for reliability, performance, and safety in critical components. The aerospace industry, particularly in the development of aircraft and space exploration technologies, requires high-performance bearings capable of withstanding high speeds, heavy loads, and variable temperatures. As the aviation industry grows with increased global air traffic and the expansion of commercial space exploration, the need for durable and high-precision bearings has risen. Also, innovations in aircraft design and propulsion systems have necessitated the development of advanced bearing technologies to meet the stringent demands of this sector. INSIGHTS BY SALES CHANNEL The OEM sales channel holds the most significant share of the global bearing market in 2024. In 2024, the OEM segment holds the highest global market share due to the critical role bearings play in the assembly of machinery and vehicles. OEMs generally have long-term contracts and stable relationships with bearing manufacturers, ensuring a steady flow of orders. The increasing trend of outsourcing production to regions with lower labor costs also contributes to higher bearing demand, as OEMs seek to enhance efficiency and reduce costs in production. Additionally, the growing emphasis on global supply chains and just-in-time manufacturing has led to a closer collaboration between bearing suppliers and OEMs to meet the ever-evolving requirements of the end products. Key Company Profiles JTEKT Corporation NSK NTN Corporation Schaeffler AG SKF THE TIMKEN COMPANY Other Prominent Vendors ARB Bearings CCTY CRAFT Fersa Bearings Galaxy Bearings Ltd. Harbin Bearing Manufacturing Co. Ltd. HKT BEARINGS LIMITED ILJIN Co. Ltd. ISK Bearings Jiashan Hongrunda Fine Machinery Co. Ltd. KG Bearing KOM Lily Bearing Luoyang Huigong Bearing Technology Co. Ltd. MBP Bearings Ltd. Menatek Defense Technologies MinebeaMitsumi Inc. NACHI-FUJIKOSHI CORP. NBI NEI Ltd NRB Bearings Ormat Technologies Osborn RBC Bearings Incorporated Regal Rexnord Corporation Rheinmetall AG RKB Bearing Industries THB Bearings Co. Ltd. THK CO. LTD. Wafangdian Guangyang Bearing Group Co. Ltd. ZKL Bearings (India) Pvt. Ltd. Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 350 Forecast Period 2024-2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $54.1 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $78.45 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.3% Regions Covered Global For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/dartnk About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Emergency Shutdown Systems Market - Focused Insights 2025-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Emergency Shutdown Systems Market was valued at USD 2.28 billion in 2024, and is projected to reach USD 3.7 billion by 2030, rising at a CAGR of 8.40%. APAC region shows significant growth, with the fastest-growing CAGR of 9.16% during the forecast period. The market is growing rapidly due to rapid industrialization, increased awareness of safety, rising demand for power generation, stringent safety regulations, and increasing foreign investments in countries such as China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea. Additionally, the expansion of manufacturing industries - including automotive, pharmaceutical, and food & beverages - in countries like India and China is further driving demand. The growth of the manufacturing sector in these countries necessitates the adoption of ESD systems to mitigate risks associated with hazardous events. Industrial developments and rising investments in large-scale infrastructure projects are also fueling the need for ESD systems across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Furthermore, the increasing demand for airports and railways, driven by growing traffic volumes, is contributing to the need for ESD systems to reduce accidental risks in air and rail transportation. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE The global emergency shutdown systems market report contains exclusive data on 27 vendors. The market is characterized by a mix of emerging companies and established players. It is dominated by a few key companies offering a wide range of emergency shutdown systems. The industry is highly competitive, with major companies competing for market share through strategic mergers, acquisitions, and product innovations. To stay ahead, companies continuously update their product offerings in line with the latest trends. Leading firms are acquiring smaller companies to expand their market reach and enhance their product portfolios. With ongoing technological advancements, businesses are heavily investing in R&D to improve their product offerings. Additionally, they are focusing on launching emergency shutdown system components designed for complex industrial processes to enhance safety and efficiency. Companies are also tailoring their products to meet the specific requirements of various industries. MARKET TRENDS Integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) IoT is a major trend in the ESD systems market which is shaping the future in coming years. It is driven by IoT sensors, cloud integration, preventive actions, real-time data & analysis, wireless communication, and increased accessibility. IoT in ESD systems gives several advantages including increased efficiency, cost savings, enhanced safety, and better compliance. With the continuous developments in these technologies, it is expected that there will be more advancements in emergency shutdown systems in the coming years. Growth in Nuclear Power Plant Construction Nuclear power plants have required extremely stringent safety due to the potential for the high consequences of accidents and radioactive releases. ESD systems are required to ensure safe operations and prevent catastrophic events. The growth in nuclear power plant construction presents a significant opportunity for the global emergency shutdown systems (ESD) market due to the critical safety requirements, modernization of existing plants, increased demand for new plants, and stringent regulations & standards. The demand for new power plants in many of the countries has increased significantly. Countries are seeking to expand the nuclear power plant's capacity to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and meet the rising energy demands. The increased demand for nuclear power plants translates to increased construction activities, which require sophisticated ESD systems. MARKET DRIVERS Growing Awareness of Safety The growing awareness of safety is a significant driver in the global emergency shutdown systems market due to several factors including increased focus on preventing losses, rising emphasis on worker safety, technological advancements, and shifting attitudes. Companies with strong brand reputations and safety records return and attract talent. Investing in ESD systems shows a commitment to safety, which enhances public perception and brand image. It drives the demand for ESD systems, during the forecast period. The increased media coverage increases awareness about safety incidents among the public and this increases the pressure on companies to focus more on safety. The companies are continuously investing in safety measures to demonstrate social responsibility and protect their surrounding communities and workforce. Increasing Complexity of Industrial Processes The increasing complexity of industrial processes is a significant driver in the global emergency shutdown systems market due to several factors including larger-scale operations, advanced technologies & processes, automation & interconnectedness, and stringent safety regulations. The industrial facilities are becoming more complex and larger to meet the rising demand. This rising capacity increased the potential for various accidents, which makes the ESD system crucial for preventing large-scale incidents and minimizing risks. Many industrial operations like the extraction of oil & gas, can be challenging in remote locations or environments. ESD system allows it to give a mechanism of reliable safety in such locations. INDUSTRY RESTRAINTS High Cost The initial cost of emergency shutdown systems, especially those integrated with smart technologies, such as AI and IoT, involves high upfront costs. It can be difficult for smaller organizations or businesses with limited budgets to adopt the latest safety system. ESD systems involve a wide range of hardware components such as sensors, valves, actuators, switches, etc. Reliable and high-quality sensors for detecting hazardous conditions can be expensive. Safety valves often with redundant configurations have higher costs. Communication networks are essential for ESD systems, adding to the overall cost of ESD systems. The real-time monitoring solutions are expensive to install in complex facilities or larger areas. Cybersecurity Risks in Connected Systems Cybersecurity risks in connected systems are a major challenge in the emergency shutdown systems market. This is due to the vulnerability of IoT-enabled ESD systems, integration with building management systems (BMS), targeted attacks on critical infrastructure, data privacy & compliance challenges, threats of cloud-based monitoring systems, and lack of cybersecurity standards in fire safety systems. If emergency shutdown systems are not secured properly, they can be exploited by criminals to gain control or disrupt services over the safety infrastructure. It may create a bigger safety issue. The risk of cybersecurity is amplified by the rising number of connected devices. The cloud-based safety management systems allow remote access to emergency shutdown systems controls. INSIGHTS BY COMPONENT The global emergency shutdown systems market by component is segmented into sensors, logic solver, valves & actuators, and others. The sensors segment dominates and holds the largest market share in 2024. Sensors are a major component of emergency shutdown (ESD) systems, as they detect dangerous conditions that may require an immediate shutdown. They monitor various parameters and continuously send signals to the logic solver. By preventing accidents, sensors play a crucial role in protecting both assets and personnel. In an ESD system, sensors provide feedback to the control algorithm, which determines the variables that need to be controlled. Temperature sensors, for example, detect abnormal temperature conditions or rising temperatures that exceed safe levels. The demand for smart sensors is growing significantly due to their advanced communication capabilities and diagnostics. Additionally, the adoption of wireless sensors is increasing due to their flexibility and ease of installation. This trend is expected to drive the demand for sensors used in emergency shutdown systems in the global market during the forecast period. INSIGHT BY CONTROL METHOD The global emergency shutdown systems market by control method is categorized into electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and others. The electrical control method accounted for the largest market share. Electrical control methods are known for their flexibility and enhanced diagnostics. They offer high stability and reliability, making them ideal for safety-critical applications. Electrical components such as PLCs and relays provide predictable performance during emergencies by ensuring the accurate and proper execution of shutdown commands. The demand for electrical control methods is rising significantly due to several factors, including lower costs, easier maintenance, wider applications, wireless communication, the adoption of industrial Ethernet, fault tolerance, and cybersecurity. Their lower costs stem from the reduced upfront expenses of relays, wiring, and panels. Additionally, maintaining and troubleshooting electrical systems is easier and less expensive compared to hydraulic or pneumatic systems. This trend is expected to drive the demand for electrical control methods in ESD systems in the global market. INSIGHT BY INDUSTRY Based on the industry, oil & gas holds the largest share and shows incremental growth of USD 0.40 billion during the forecast period. The oil & gas segment faces a high risk of hazardous situations due to volatile substances, extreme operating conditions, and complex processes. As a result, ESD systems play a crucial role in preventing accidents, mitigating risks, and protecting assets, personnel, and the environment. The demand for ESD systems in the oil & gas sector is rising significantly due to several factors, including stringent regulations, environmental concerns, and high-risk operating environments. This segment includes upstream, midstream, and downstream operations. ESD systems are essential for preventing catastrophic events such as fires and ensuring the safety of personnel and assets on offshore platforms. Additionally, they help mitigate equipment failures and control incidents in onshore drilling rigs. Growing regulations aimed at preventing emissions and spills, along with increasing environmental awareness, are driving the need for stable ESD systems. Furthermore, the rising global demand for oil & gas production is expected to boost the ESD system market during the forecast period. KEY TAKEAWAYS By Component: The sensor segment holds the largest market share in 2024. The segmental growth is due to the sensor being a major component as it is used to find the dangerous conditions that can require immediate shutdown, which helps in stopping various accidents before and saving or protecting the assets and personnel. By Control Method: The electrical segment accounts for the largest market share. The segment is growing due to its high stability and reliability, which is ideal for safety-critical applications. By Industry: The oil & gas segment shows incremental growth of USD 0.40 billion during the forecast period. The increased need for managing various hazardous risks associated with hydrocarbon extraction and processing helps market growth. By Geography: APAC shows the highest growth of 9.16% during the forecast period. The market's growth is driven by faster developments of manufacturing facilities and rising industrialization. Key Vendors ABB Ltd. Emerson Electric Co. Honeywell International Inc. Schneider Electric SE Siemens AG Other Prominent Vendors Rockwell Automation, Inc. HIMA Group Yokogawa Electric Corporation OMRON Corporation Norgren Ltd GE Vernova Proserv UK Ltd Wartsila Metso Outotec Johnson Controls International PLC Vydraulics Group Safoco Inc. Winn-Marion Companies NOV Inc. Ruelco Inc. Rotork BWB Controls VERSA Esoteric Automation & Control Technologies Halliburton Worldwide Oilfield Machine Kongsberg Maritime KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED 1. Which component segment has the largest share in the global emergency shutdown systems market? 2. How big is the global emergency shutdown systems market? 3. Which control methods segment provides more business opportunities in the global emergency shutdown systems market? 4. Who are the major players in the global emergency shutdown systems market? Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 130 Forecast Period 2024-2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $2.28 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $3.7 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 8.4% Regions Covered Global For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ghglfy About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Irvine, California, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Origence, a leading provider of lending technology solutions, announces General Bradford Shwedo as a keynote speaker for its Lending Tech Live 25 conference, scheduled for June 16-18, 2025, at the Omni Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. General Shwedo will deliver a keynote session titled Emerging cyber threats: Global trends and their impact on credit unions. In this session, he will examine cybersecurity trends emerging from global events in regions like Ukraine, China, North Korea, and the Middle East. He will analyze real-world cyber incidents and tactics to explore their potential impact on financial institutions especially credit unions and discuss strategies to stay ahead of evolving threats. General Shwedo is the senior vice president for special programs at Pentagon Federal Credit Union, specializing in cyber, insider threat, and risk analysis. He also serves as the first director of the Institute of Future Conflict for the Department of the Air Force. Previously, he was Lieutenant General on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, serving as Director for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Cyber/Chief Information Officer (CIO). Shwedo previously served as the U.S. Air Force CEO, overseeing a $17 billion portfolio and global cyber operations. He pioneered the Air Forces first operational cyber warfare units and commanded at multiple levels. His leadership extended to the CIA, NSA, and U.S. Cyber Command. As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated and unpredictable, credit unions must stay ahead of emerging risks to protect their members and institutions, explained Erika Hill, vice president of marketing for Origence. General Shwedos deep expertise in cybersecurity and risk analysis will provide credit unions with critical insights on navigating todays global cyber landscape. His session will equip attendees with actionable strategies to strengthen their security posture and safeguard the future of lending. Lending Tech Live 25 is a dynamic credit union-specific event packed with informative keynotes, cutting-edge technology showcases, and in-depth sessions on the latest trends in lending. Following a record-breaking year in 2024 with the highest attendance ever, Lending Tech Live 25 continues as the leading lending conference in the credit union industry. This years event will highlight innovative tools and strategies designed to transform the lending landscape, with a strong focus on digital transformation and operational efficiency. To view a full list of speakers or to learn more about registration opportunities, visit the Lending Tech Live website. About Origence Origence provides lending technology solutions credit unions need to advance their total origination experience. We were established in 1994 as a credit union service organization (CUSO) and have helped thousands of credit unions process more than 97 million applications, including 8.6 million applications in 2024. Our solutions include indirect lending, loan and account origination, auto shopping, marketing automation, lending operations, and more. Learn more at origence.com and follow us on X and LinkedIn. Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Miata Metals Corp. (CSE: MMET) (FSE: 8NQ) ("Miata" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has commenced its 10,000 metre diamond core drilling program at the Sela Creek Gold Project in Suriname (Sela Creek). The Company is currently testing the Stranger target, one of the main prospects within the central mineralized corridor at Sela Creek. Highlights: A zone of shearing with intense veining and silicification is being drill-tested at depth at the Stranger target, where surface sampling has yielded positive results over a significant area in 2024 and 2025. The Company intends to drill three holes at Stranger and will subsequently move to the Puma and Golden Hand targets. Miatas mineralized grab samples from the Stranger target occur within an approximately 30 m wide zone of intense shearing, alteration, and veining. The Company has hit a major milestone with the commencement of the drill program, stated Dr. Jaap Verbaas, CEO of Miata. We have started testing the Stranger target, one of several high-priority targets that has consistently yielded promising gold values since we began sampling it in 2024. Given that mineralization in saprolite is in-situ, we are confident that sampling to date should continue at depth. As the drilling ramps up, we plan to bring in additional exploration crews to keep building up our pipeline of drill targets. Commencement of drilling on Sela Creek has been a substantial effort, especially on our timeline, and we could not have done it without an excellent and dedicated in-country team and a supportive local community. We now look forward to receiving feedback on our targets through the drill-core and most importantly, testing our predictive vein model on the project through the drill bit. Figure 1. Drill rig and crew operating at the Stranger target on the Sela Creek Gold Project, Suriname. Operations Update The crew from Major Drilling is now drill testing the Stranger target, with drill pads prepared to move to the Puma and Golden Hand target thereafter. Camp construction continues to accelerate. The goal at the Miata camp on Sela Creek is a camp capacity of 35 people to be able to expand the program to accommodate multiple drills as needed. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Jacob Verbaas, P.Geo., a director of the Company and Qualified Person as defined under the definitions of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. *Investors are cautioned that grab samples are inherently selective and serve to prove the presence of mineralization only. About Miata Metals Corp. Miata Metals Corp. (CSE: MMET). is a Canadian mineral exploration company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange. The Company is focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. The Company holds a 70% interest in the ~215km2 Sela Creek Gold Project in Suriname and a 70% beneficial interest in the Nassau Gold Project in Suriname. Miata also holds an additional option to acquire a full 100% interest in Sela Creek, and an option to earn 100% interest in the Cabin Lake Property in the Omineca Mining Division, British Columbia. The Company continuously evaluates opportunities to acquire interest in additional prospective exploration stage mineral properties. On Behalf of the Board Dr. Jacob (Jaap) Verbaas, P.Geo | CEO and Director info@miatametals.com +1 778 488 9754 Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as well as historical information. Readers should not rely on information in this summary for any purpose other than for gaining general knowledge of the Company. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the scope and timing of the Companys drilling programs. The words "expected", "will" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward looking statements. Although the Company believes that its expectations as reflected in any forward-looking statements, are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward- looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates, opinions or other factors should change. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8b97e6a4-02aa-456e-9718-83d1db3c5f37 Dublin, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Orthopedics (Joints & Spine) Robotic Assisted Surgery Market, 2025-2035: Focus on Product Type, End User, and Geography" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The orthopedic robotic-assisted surgery market has witnessed remarkable growth and innovation in recent years, as robotic technology continues to transform the field of orthopedic surgery. The market is fueled by the rising prevalence of joint and spine disorders, an aging global population, and the growing demand for advanced, less invasive surgical options. In 2024, the market experienced steady growth, driven by increased adoption of robotic systems in hospitals and surgical centers worldwide. Technological advancements in robotic systems, combined with improved imaging techniques, allow surgeons to plan and execute procedures with unprecedented accuracy, leading to better alignment and faster recovery times for patients. By 2035, the market is expected to expand substantially, propelled by ongoing innovations and the increasing affordability of robotic systems, especially in emerging markets. As more healthcare providers adopt robotic-assisted systems and as the technology becomes more cost-effective, the orthopedic robotic-assisted surgery market is poised to play an integral role in the global healthcare landscape, offering enhanced patient care and reduced healthcare costs over time. Moreover, the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in robotic systems is expected to accelerate the market growth. These technologies enable enhanced pre-operative planning, real-time decision-making during surgeries, and post-operative monitoring, making surgeries more accurate and less time-consuming. As AI continues to improve, robotic systems will become smarter, allowing for better outcomes and more personalized treatments, which will drive market growth in the coming years. The increasing prevalence of spinal disorders is expected to drive the growth of the orthopedic robotic-assisted surgery market. A study published by NCBI in October 2022 highlighted that approximately 68% of the elderly population experiences Adult Spinal Deformities (ASD). Common causes of spinal injuries, including trauma, falls, collisions, and road traffic accidents, contribute significantly to this issue. The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma reports over 3 million nonfatal injuries annually in the U.S. alone. As the incidence of trauma-related injuries continues to rise, there is an increasing demand for advanced treatment options such as robotic-assisted spinal surgeries, which offer enhanced precision and improved patient outcomes. This trend is expected to further fuel the market's growth throughout the forecast period. Furthermore, there is an increasing demand for minimally invasive surgeries that reduce hospital stays, minimize tissue damage, and promote faster recovery. Robotic-assisted surgery meets this demand by enabling smaller incisions, less blood loss, and quicker rehabilitation, all of which contribute to improved patient outcomes. For example, in knee and hip replacement surgeries, robotic systems allow surgeons to perform highly precise procedures while preserving surrounding tissues, thus reducing complications and the need for prolonged post-operative care. However, the high cost of robotic surgery systems poses a significant challenge to the growth of the market. The initial investment required to purchase and install robotic-assisted surgical systems is substantial, often exceeding several million dollars. This significant upfront cost can be a barrier for smaller hospitals, surgical centers, and healthcare providers in regions with limited healthcare budgets. Additionally, the need for specialized training for surgeons and staff to operate these systems can add to the financial burden. While robotic-assisted surgery offers long-term cost savings by improving surgical outcomes and reducing recovery times, the high capital expenditure and maintenance costs associated with these systems remain a significant hurdle. Key players in the orthopedic robotic-assisted surgery market are actively advancing the field through various initiatives and collaborations. For instance, in November 2024, Johnson & Johnson MedTech received approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for the investigational device exemption (IDE) of its OTTAVA robotic surgical system. This approval enables the commencement of clinical trials at U.S. sites, marking a significant advancement in robotic-assisted surgical technology. Moreover, Globus Medical acquired NuVasive in an all-stock deal valued at $3.1 billion. This acquisition aims to strengthen Globus Medical's position in the market by integrating NuVasive's technologies and expertise. Key players in the orthopedics robotic-assisted surgery market are: Stryker Corporation Medtronic plc Smith & Nephew plc Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. THINK Surgical, Inc. Globus Medical, Inc. Curexo, Inc. OMNI Orthopaedics Inc. (Corin Group) Johnson & Johnson MicroPort Orthopedics Inc. Market Segmentation Segmentation 1: by Product Type Systems Consumables Services Systems to Lead the Global Orthopedics (Joints & Spine) Robotic Assisted Surgery Market (by Product Type) The systems segment is set to lead the global orthopedic (joints & spine) robotic-assisted surgery market, driven by the increasing adoption of robotic surgery platforms in hospitals and surgical centers. These systems, which include robotic arms, advanced imaging tools, and control consoles, provide surgeons with enhanced precision and real-time feedback during surgeries, particularly in joint and spine procedures. The ability of robotic systems to assist in minimally invasive surgeries, reduce human error, and improve patient outcomes is propelling their dominance in the market. Segmentation 2: by End User Hospitals Ambulatory Surgical Centers Specialty Clinics Hospitals to Lead the Global Orthopedics (Joints & Spine) Robotic Assisted Surgery Market (by End User) Hospitals possess the requisite resources and infrastructure to invest in high-cost robotic systems, positioning them as the primary consumers of robotic-assisted surgical technologies. These institutions are critical hubs for performing complex procedures such as joint replacements and spine surgeries, where the enhanced precision and minimally invasive nature of robotic systems lead to significantly improved patient outcomes. The growing adoption of advanced robotic systems, such as Stryker's MAKO and Zimmer Biomet's Rosa, enables hospitals to achieve superior surgical results, reducing recovery times and minimizing complication rates. This, in turn, enhances patient satisfaction and drives operational efficiencies within the hospital setting. Segmentation 3: by Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East and Africa (MEA) North America to Lead the Global Orthopedics (Joints & Spine) Robotic Assisted Surgery Market (by Region) North America is poised to dominate the global orthopedic (joints & spine) robotic-assisted surgery market, driven by its strong healthcare infrastructure, significant investments in medical technologies, and supportive regulatory environment. Companies such as Stryker Corporation, Medtronic, plc, and Zimmer Biomet are making substantial investments in robotic surgery technologies, with innovations designed to enhance precision and improve patient outcomes. The U.S. healthcare system's adoption of cutting-edge technologies is supported by government policies and incentives that foster the growth of the medical device sector. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/y08ua3 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. AUSTIN, Texas, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ambiq, a technology leader in ultra-low-power semiconductor solutions for edge AI, has been honored with the 2025 Embedded World Award in the Artificial Intelligence category for the groundbreaking heartKIT AI Development Kit (ADK). heartKIT, an open-source vital signs reference AI model, enables developers to easily create personalized, real-time heart-monitoring applications that operate efficiently on battery-powered devices. As part of Ambiqs neuralSPOT ModelZoo library of AI models, heartKIT delivers a comprehensive set of datasets and optimized model architectures for critical cardiac monitoring functions, including heart rate variability analysis, oxygen saturation detection, and arrhythmia identification all on resource-strained devices without connecting to the cloud. The latest version of heartKIT harnesses the exceptional power and performance capabilities of Ambiqs Apollo510 MCU, which itself earned the top honor as the winner of the Hardware award at Embedded World 2024. This powerful combination delivers remarkable efficiency gains, reducing heartKIT's CPU usage by 10x while extending the battery life of ECG monitoring devices by 3x compared to implementations on the previous generation Apollo4 Plus MCU. These significant improvements enable truly continuous, long-term cardiac monitoring in compact wearable devices. This recognition from Embedded World validates our commitment to making AI accessible at the edge, says Fumihide Esaka, CEO of Ambiq. heartKIT represents the convergence of AI innovation and ultra-low-power technology that can fundamentally transform digital health. By enabling always-on, intelligent cardiac monitoring in everyday devices, we're creating solutions that can literally save lives while establishing new standards for energy efficiency in edge AI. The Embedded Awards, which are hosted at the annual Embedded World tradeshow and conference, recognize the latest achievements and innovations shaping the future of embedded technology. Each year, hundreds of companies compete for 9 award categories, selected as the most innovative by the Embedded World panel of judges. This year, Ambiq competed and won the Artificial Intelligence award categorya highly sought-after award category in the embedded industry. To learn more about heartKIT, developers can access and download the code from the Ambiq GitHub page. About embedded World The Embedded World Exhibition & Conference provides a global platform and a place to meet for the entire embedded community, including leading experts, key players, and industry associations. It offers unprecedented insight into the World of embedded systems, from components and modules to operating systems, hardware and software design, M2M communication, services, and various issues related to complex system design. Its expertise and sharp focus on technologies, processes and future-oriented products make it unparalleled in international comparisons and THE must-attend event for developers, system architects, product managers and technical management. Ambiq Our mission is to enable intelligence (artificial intelligence (AI) and beyond) everywhere by delivering the lowest power semiconductor solutions. We enable our customers to deliver artificial intelligence compute at the edge where power consumption challenges are the most profound. Our technology innovations, built on the patented and proprietary subthreshold power optimized technology (SPOT), fundamentally deliver a multi-fold improvement in power consumption over traditional semiconductor designs. Weve powered over 260 million devices today. For more information, visit www.ambiq.com. Contact Charlene Wan VP of Branding, Marketing, and Investor Relations cwan@ambiq.com +1.512.879.2850 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7e2384bb-95e3-4350-9616-01471b14fba1 SAN FRANCISCO, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a step forward for workplace sustainability, ControlUp , a global leader in Digital Employee Experience (DEX) management, has announced an exclusive partnership with Px 3 , a world leader in sustainable ICT research and consulting. This collaboration introduces automated, real-time carbon footprint tracking for workplace IT, enabling organizations to measure, report, and proactively reduce the environmental impact of their end-user computing devices. Together, the companies will automate the data collection and production of real-time reports that show the carbon footprint of key devices, including desktops, laptops and displays. The joint integration will allow organizations to report on both Scope 2, GHG emissions based on location-specific electricity usage and utility consumption, and Scope 3 emissions derived from product supply chain data including e-waste information. Growing pressure to meet global sustainability frameworks, including the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), is driving demand for automated carbon footprint reporting. According to the 2024 Gartner report The Impact of CSRD on Enterprise Sustainability Strategies estimates[1] that 50,000 companies within the EU will have to comply with the CSRD by 2028, compared with the 11,700 companies covered by the current rules. ControlUp's platform integration with Px3 addresses this need by integrating ControlUp ONE DEX platforms real-time endpoint device data (manufacturer, location, usage) with Px3's carbon footprint reporting platform. This enables companies to automate carbon footprint reports across their endpoint estate without additional licensing cost. Px3 is a global expert in sustainable ICT strategy modeling and greenhouse gas emissions accounting which has been proven to help organizations reduce their carbon footprint by over 30%, said Simon Townsend, Senior Vice President of Marketing, ControlUp. This partnership will help ControlUp customers automate the calculation of their carbon footprint, e-waste, and energy consumption to simplify the acceleration of their sustainability goals. By integrating with the Px3 sustainability platform, ControlUp has taken a significant step toward empowering organizations to lower their CO 2 e emissions for a more sustainable future, said Dr. Justin Sutton-Parker, Px3 founder and research fellow with the University of Warwick. This partnership not only supports global sustainability efforts but also empowers organizations to proactively manage their environmental impact through advanced data-driven insights. Device information collected by the ControlUp ONE platform will be automatically integrated with the Px3 platform to automate the production of carbon footprint reports. The generated reports are available in real-time as part of the ControlUp ONE license. For more information, visit this webpage or start a 21-day free trial. About Px3 Px3 is a world leader in global ICT carbon footprint applications, research and sustainable ICT consulting. Founded by Dr. Justin Sutton-Parker in 2013, Px3 is focused on reducing the worlds ICT greenhouse gas emissions to drive meaningful climate action. For more information visit https://px3.org.uk . About ControlUp ControlUp eliminates digital workplace friction for both IT teams and employees, fostering a productive, high-performing work environment. By enhancing the digital experience across any environment with actionable, AI-driven insights and proactive remediation tools, ControlUps scalable Digital Employee Experience (DEX) platform reduces the cost and complexity of workspace management while boosting efficiency and delivering measurable ROI across the organization. Nearly 2,000 customers worldwide, including more than one-third of the Fortune 100, trust ControlUp. Learn more at https://www.controlup.com . Press Contacts: ControlUp PR media@controlup.com [1] Gartner, The Impact of SCRD on Enterprise Sustainability Strategies, March 2024, Shanna Garfield, Lillian Oyen-Ustad, Melanie OBrien, Janel Everly. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/985692b8-34de-429c-bc18-3633ec46a603 Cambridge, MA, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- You dont sound Black. You should smile more often, sweetheart. Youre so brave for dealing with your handicap. Microaggressions like these have the power to strain or damage relationships in the workplace and negatively impact culture and productivity. But such outcomes need not be absolute. Under the right conditions, the targets and perpetrators of workplace microaggressions can restore their relationship and, in some cases, grow from the incident and cultivate a bond stronger than what they had before, according to recent research. A new paper co-authored by MIT Sloan School of Management assistant professor Basima Tewfik and Harvard Business School assistant professor Summer Jackson (MIT Sloan SM 18, PhD 21) offers a new theory on how some perpetrators and targets can cultivate stronger bonds, with practical implications for organizations, human resources departments, and for microaggression discourse more broadly. Their theory addresses gaps in past theories, which have not taken into account the perpetrator and targets relationship when thinking about what happens to the interaction patterns following the workplace microaggression. Most often, it has been assumed that the relationship between a target and a perpetrator is doomed. There are different pathways people can follow after a microaggression, Tewfik said. Part of it is trying to understand the different motivations people have going into it. We unpack what those trajectories are, while recognizing that its really hard to get on to that good trajectory. Microaggressions those slights that undermine social identity are typically made by a person with a dominant social identity toward someone who has a marginalized social identity. According to researchers, they can hurt because they attack a persons core identity. When a microaggression happens, targets often respond with a self-protective stance. They may get angry, avoid the perpetrator, or withdraw. Tewfik and Jackson advised helping targets shift their mindset to one focused on the relationship, which is possible under certain circumstances. If in the past, a target had more positive than negative interactions with a perpetrator, then theyre more likely to consider mending the relationship. Likewise, if a target feels close to the perpetrator before the transgression, or if they have a reason to maintain the relationship maybe theyre working together on a big project the pair is more likely to get on a healthier trajectory. A natural reaction for a lot of us is to be self-protective, but if you want to get to a better place, you have to take a more proactive role and get to a less protective space, and it can happen, said Tewfik. Meanwhile, a perpetrators response is critical, added Jackson. After they commit an alleged microaggression, some perpetrators interpret targets self-protective reaction as a threat to their own self-image. If that happens, they might respond with hostility or withdraw. The same factors for perpetrators as for targets play a part in perpetrators response, according to the researchers. The researchers note that perpetrators are more likely to adopt a less defensive stance right away if theyve had more positive interactions with the target. They may also be more open to relationship repair if they feel close to the target or if theyre invested in a future relationship with their co-worker. Jackson said, Its crucial for perpetrators to take a proactive role. While some might see that stance as diminishing targets power, it is in fact, the opposite. Considering both targets and perpetrators responses and behaviors after a microaggression can empower targets by taking some of the burden off of them. If you dont acknowledge the perpetrator, youre putting all of the onus on the target, Tewfik said. Our theory ensures targets are empowered, but its not just them who are left to manage microaggression after-effects. The researchers have found that when both a target and perpetrator stick to a self-protective stance, little repair work is likely. Targets and perpetrators can do the deepest work to mend their relationship when both adopt a relationship-promotive stance. When targets and perpetrators have opposite stances, the mending falls somewhere in between. Whats more, two factors appear to influence the depth of repair work. Co-workers who both believe their work is meaningful, and that inclusive teamwork is critical for their firm, can do the most extensive work. Companies can use the theory to encourage positive outcomes when microaggressions inevitably occur in the workplace. People are going to make mistakes, were human. Firms can work to foster a culture in which employees firmly believe the job theyre doing is meaningful, while also highlighting the importance of collaboration and inclusion, said Tewfik. The more companies can do to encourage healthier resolutions around microaggressions, the better for productivity. People will be more willing to work together, said Tewfik. Its really important to develop this more holistic perspective around what we know about relationship consequences because, if you take bad outcomes for granted, it can make you feel really locked in at a time when workplaces are becoming more diverse. Attachment Austin, TX, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright today announced the appointment of Austin intellectual property partner Gina Shishima to Vice Chair of its US Management Committee. Gina succeeds New York partner Andrew Giaccia, who held this leadership position since Norton Rose Fulbright combined with Chadbourne & Parke in 2017. In her new role, Gina will serve as the top advisor to Global and US Managing Partner Jeff Cody in leading the US legal practice, working with him to manage the firms daily operations and set its strategic direction. Prior to this appointment, Gina served as the firms US Chief Strategy and Operations Partner. She previously served as the firms US Head of Intellectual Property and, prior to that, the US Head of IP Transactions and Patent Prosecution. Gina is also a member of the firms Global Executive Committee. Jeff Cody, who has led the US practice since 2020 and the global firm since 2023, said: Gina plays an integral role in the management of our firm, and this leadership position reflects her contributions. Along with advising clients as an accomplished IP lawyer, she has become invaluable to the firm as an innovative strategist and a respected leader. Andy has provided excellent counsel to me as our Vice Chair, and Ginas collaborative relationship with me will ensure a smooth transition. Gina is frequently recognized for her accomplishments. Last year, she was honored with the American Bar Associations Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award and as a Lawdragon Legend. She has also been named by Chambers USA and The Legal 500 US as a leading lawyer for her life sciences and patent work, by Lawdragon as one of its 500 Leading Lawyers in America and by Texas Lawyer as a Texas Trailblazer, among others. Gina Shishima, who has practiced at the firm for 25 years, said: I am honored to step into the Vice Chair role at Norton Rose Fulbright, which has a longstanding tradition of ensuring the firm is operating at a level to fulfill its unwavering commitment to our clients. Andy has done an incredible job in this position, and I am eager to build on his contributions as the firm continues its tremendous growth. In her IP practice, Gina, who has a Ph.D. in molecular biology, provides practical and strategic solutions related to all aspects of patent lawparticularly prosecution, post-grant challenges, litigation and due diligence. Her clients include public and private life sciences companies as well as hospitals and universities. An active member of many industry and community organizations, Gina serves on the board of directors for Advancing Justice, the executive committee for the Center for Women in Law and as the co-chair of the partner network subcommittee and awards committee for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). Gina is licensed to practice in Texas and New York as well as before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. She earned her law degree from the School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, her doctorate degree from Princeton University and her bachelors degree in biochemistry from Columbia University. Gina lives in Austin, where she and her husband raised their son and twin daughters. Norton Rose Fulbright Norton Rose Fulbright provides a full scope of legal services to the worlds preeminent corporations and financial institutions. The global law firm has more than 3,000 lawyers advising clients across more than 50 locations worldwide, including Houston, New York, London, Toronto, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Sydney and Johannesburg, covering the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. With its global business principles of quality, unity and integrity, Norton Rose Fulbright is recognized for its client service in key industries, including financial institutions; energy, infrastructure and resources; technology; transport; life sciences and healthcare; and consumer markets. For more information, visit nortonrosefulbright.com. Attachment Not for distribution to the U.S. Newswire Services or Dissemination in the United States Base shelf prospectus is accessible, and prospectus supplement will be accessible within two business days, on SEDAR+ TORONTO, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ECN Capital Corp. (TSX: ECN) (ECN Capital or the Company) today announced that it has entered into an agreement with a syndicate of underwriters (the Underwriters) led by CIBC Capital Markets, National Bank Financial, BMO Capital Markets and RBC Capital Markets under which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase C$75 million aggregate principal amount of listed convertible senior unsecured debentures due April 30, 2030 (the Debentures) at a price of C$1,000 per Debenture (the Offering). ECN Capital has also granted the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional C$11.25 million aggregate principal amount of Debentures, on the same terms and conditions, exercisable in whole or in part, for a period of 30 days following closing of the Offering. ECN Capital intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to redeem the C$75 million of outstanding senior unsecured debentures due December 31, 2025 (the 2025 Debentures) prior to December 31, 2025, which early redemption is subject to the prior approval of the majority of lenders under the Companys senior credit facility. Until utilized, some or all of the net proceeds of the Offering may be used to repay existing outstanding indebtedness of the Company under the senior credit facility, which if repaid will then be redrawn at the applicable time to fund the redemption of the 2025 Debentures, held in cash balances in the Companys bank account or invested at the discretion of management in short-term, high quality, interest bearing securities. The Offering is expected to close on March 19, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. The Debentures will be direct senior unsecured obligations of the Company and will rank (i) subordinate to all existing and future senior secured indebtedness of the Company, including pursuant to its senior credit facility, (ii) subordinate to all existing and future secured indebtedness of the Company that is not senior secured indebtedness, but only to the extent of the value of the assets securing such other secured indebtedness, (iii) pari passu with each debenture issued under the indenture under which the Debentures will be issued (the Indenture) and with all other present and future unsubordinated indebtedness of the Company, including the 2025 Debentures, the Companys senior unsecured debentures due December 31, 2026 and the Companys senior unsecured debentures due December 31, 2027, that is not senior secured indebtedness, including trade creditors, (iv) senior in right of payment to indebtedness of the Company that by its terms is subordinated in right of payment to the Debentures, and (v) structurally subordinated to all existing and future obligations, including indebtedness and trade payables, of the Companys subsidiaries. The payment of principal and premium, if any, of, and interest on, the Debentures will be subordinated in right of payment to all senior secured indebtedness of the Company, as will be set forth in the Indenture. The Indenture will not restrict the Company or its subsidiaries from incurring additional indebtedness or from mortgaging, pledging or charging its properties to secure any indebtedness or liabilities. None of the Companys subsidiaries will guarantee the Debentures. The Debentures will bear interest at a rate of 6.50% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on April 30 and October 31 of each year, with the first interest payment on October 31, 2025. The first payment will include accrued and unpaid interest for the period from closing of the Offering to, but excluding, October 31, 2025. The Debentures will mature on April 30, 2030 (the Maturity Date). Each Debenture will be convertible at the holders option into common shares of the Company (Common Shares) at any time prior to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on the earlier of the last business day immediately preceding the Maturity Date and, if called for redemption, the last business day immediately preceding the date specified by ECN Capital for redemption of the Debentures at an initial conversion price of C$3.77 per Common Share (the Conversion Price), being a conversion ratio of approximately 265.2520 Common Shares for each C$1,000 principal amount of Debentures, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances. The Debentures will not be redeemable by the Company on or before April 30, 2028. After April 30, 2028 and prior to April 30, 2029, the Debentures may be redeemed in whole or in part from time to time at ECN Capitals option at a price equal to their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, provided that the volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange for the 20 consecutive trading days ending on the fifth trading day preceding the date on which the notice of the redemption is given is not less than 125% of the Conversion Price. On and after April 30, 2029, the Debentures may be redeemed in whole or in part from time to time at ECN Capitals option at a price equal to their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, regardless of the trading price of the Common Shares. ECN Capital has the option to satisfy its obligations to repay the principal amount of the Debentures due at redemption or maturity, in whole or in part, by issuing and delivering that number of freely tradeable Common Shares to holders in accordance with the terms of the Indenture. The Debentures will be offered in each of the provinces of Canada by way of a prospectus supplement (the Prospectus Supplement) to the short form base shelf prospectus of ECN Capital dated October 4, 2023 (the Shelf Prospectus) and by way of private placement in the United States to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A or in such a manner as to not require registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act). The Offering is subject to customary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange. Access to the Prospectus Supplement, the Shelf Prospectus and any amendments to the documents is provided in accordance with securities legislation relating to procedures for providing access to a prospectus supplement, a base shelf prospectus and any amendment. The Shelf Prospectus is, and the Prospectus Supplement will be (within two business days of the date hereof), accessible on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. An electronic or paper copy of the Prospectus Supplement, the Shelf Prospectus and any amendment to the documents may be obtained, without charge, from CIBC Capital Markets at 161 Bay Street, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON M5J 2S8 or by telephone at 1-416-956-6378 or by email at mailbox.Canadianprospectus@cibc.com or from National Bank Financial Inc., 130 King Street West, 4th Floor Podium, Toronto, ON M5X 1J9 or by telephone at 416-869-8414 or by email at NBF-Syndication@bnc.ca or from BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. by mail at Brampton Distribution Centre c/o The Data Group of Companies, 9195 Torbram Road, Brampton, ON, L6S 6H2, by telephone at 905-791-3151 Ext 4312 or by email at bmoprospectus@bmo.com or from RBC Dominion Securities Inc., Attention: Distribution Centre, 180 Wellington Street West, 8th Floor, Toronto, ON M5J 0C2 or by email at distribution.rbcds@rbccm.com by providing the contact with an email address or address, as applicable. The securities offered pursuant to the Offering have not been, nor will they be, registered under the 1933 Act and may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly, in the United States, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About ECN Capital Corp. With managed assets of US$6.9 billion, ECN Capital Corp. (TSX: ECN) is a leading provider of business services to North American-based banks, institutional investors, insurance company, pension plan, bank and credit union partners (collectively, its Partners). ECN Capital originates, manages and advises on credit assets on behalf of its Partners, specifically consumer (manufactured housing and recreational vehicle and marine) loans and commercial (floorplan and rental) loans. Its Partners are seeking high-quality assets to match with their deposits, term insurance or other liabilities. These services are offered through two operating segments: (i) Manufactured Housing Finance, and (ii) Recreational Vehicle and Marine Finance. Contact Katherine Moradiellos 561-631-8739 kmoradiellos@ecncapitalcorp.com Forward-Looking Statements Melville, NY, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, has launched the latest iteration of its Future Authors Project with students from the Creative Writing class at Eastport-South Manor High School in Manorville, NY. This educational workshop, supported by Canon, helps students develop their creative writing skills while gaining insight into the process of becoming a professional author. Throughout the program, students will write and compile a collection of stories, which will be illustrated by their own photographs taken with Canon cameras. Once completed, Canon will print and bind the book, which will then be signed by the students and distributed to their families and friends. This process gives students the unique opportunity to experience the full publishing journey firsthand. The photography tutorial was held on February 25 at the high school, where Canon senior tech specialist Brandon Chin introduced students to the fundamentals of professional photography. He covered key concepts such as the rule of thirds, composition techniques, and essential camera functions like zoom, focus, and f-stop settings. Chin also guided students through the process of reviewing and editing their photos, preparing them for inclusion in the final book. "By equipping students with the tools and resources they need to bring their ideas to life, we are fostering confidence, creativity, and a lifelong passion for learning," said Lalaena Alfredsson, K-12 Director of ELA. "We believe in the transformative power of storytelling and the importance of nurturing young creative minds. Were excited to see how the Future Authors Project will empower our students, allowing them to showcase their potential and demonstrate what they can achieve when given the right tools and guidance to succeed." First offered in partnership with the School District of Palm Beach County, FL in 2006, and expanded to Jericho School District, NY in 2017, the Future Authors Project is an initiative that offers select high school students a hands-on look at the writing processfrom idea conception and drafting to editing and publication. This year marks the inaugural participation of the Eastport-South Manor School District in the program. As part of the project, students use Canon imaging equipment to capture vivid photographs to accompany their written work. Their stories and photographs are combined into a book, with each student earning a published author credit. This initiative reflects Canons commitment to educational programming and its ongoing efforts to invest in local communities, inspiring the next generation of student-artists and storytellers, and is a testament to Canons ongoing commitment to educational programming and its dedication to investing in the next generation of creators. Through this collaboration, Canon continues to inspire young minds, empowering them to explore and develop their creative talents. Canon is proud to support creative and educational initiatives like the Future Authors Project, which encourages students to develop their skills as both writers and visual storytellers, said Peter P. Kowalczuk, executive vice president, Canon U.S.A., Inc. Through this program, we aim to inspire the next generation of artists and authors by providing them with the tools and resources necessary to bring their stories to life. We look forward to seeing the innovative works these students will produce and the lasting impact this experience will have on their futures. For more information about Canons corporate and social responsibility initiatives, particularly how the company is investing in art and education programs, visit https://www.usa.canon.com/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility/art-education. About Canon U.S.A., Inc. Canon U.S.A., Inc. is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $28.5 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc., as of 2024 has ranked in the top-10 for U.S. patents granted for 41 consecutive years. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To learn more about Canon, visit www.usa.canon.com and connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/canonusa. ### Based on patent counts issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and compiled by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. Attachments Artemis Gold Inc. (TSXV: ARTG) ("Artemis Gold" or the "Company") has filed its annual financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024. The Company's consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2024 are available on the Company's profile on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and on the Company's website (www.artemisgoldinc.com). About Artemis Gold Artemis Gold is a well-financed, growth-oriented gold development company with a strong financial capacity aimed at creating shareholder value through the identification, acquisition, and development of gold properties in mining-friendly jurisdictions. The Company's current focus is the Blackwater Mine in central British Columbia approximately 160km southwest of Prince George and 450km northeast of Vancouver. The first gold and silver pour at Blackwater was achieved in January 2025 and the Company is focussed on ramping up to commercial production in Q2 2025. Artemis Gold trades on the TSX-V under the symbol ARTG. For more information visit www.artemisgoldinc.com. Qualified Person Artemis Gold President and Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Langford, FAUSIMM, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release. On behalf of the Board of Directors Steven Dean Chairman and Chief Executive Officer +1 604 558 1107 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information as defined under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking statements. In certain cases, forward-looking statements and information can be identified using forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans", "potential" or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information are made as of the date of this press release, and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the potential of the Blackwater mine project; the jobs to be created in connection with the project; the contribution of the project to the economy; opinions of the Province of British Columbia regarding the project and the region; agreements and relationships with Indigenous partners; the future of mining in British Columbia; the plans of the Company with respect to the project, including construction, site preparation, clearing, consultation with indigenous groups, and other plans and expectations of the Company with respect to the project, ramp up in production and anticipated timing of achieving commercial production. These forward-looking statements represent management's current beliefs, expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events and operating performance, which are based on information currently available to management, management's historical experience, perception of trends and current business conditions, expected future developments and other factors which management considers appropriate. Such forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties, and actual results may vary. Important risks and other factors that may cause actual results to vary include, without limitation: risks related to the ability of the Company to accomplish its plans and objectives with respect to the development of the project within the expected timing or at all, the timing and receipt of certain required approvals, changes in commodity prices, changes in interest and currency exchange rates, risks inherent in exploration estimates and results, risks inherent in exploration and development activities, changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors, unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications, cost escalation, unavailability of materials, equipment or third party contractors, delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances, job action, and unanticipated events related to heath, safety and environmental matters), changes in governmental regulation of mining operations, political risk, social unrest, changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets, and other risks related to the ability of the Company to proceed with its plans for the project and other risks set out in the Company's most recent MD&A, which is available on the Company's website at www.artemisgoldinc.com and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca In making the forward-looking statements in this press release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, the assumptions that: (1) market fundamentals will result in sustained mineral demand and prices; (2) any necessary approvals and consents in connection with the development of the project will be obtained; (3) financing for the development, construction and continued operation of the project will continue to be available on terms suitable to the Company; (4) sustained commodity prices will continue to make the project economically viable; and (5) there will not be any unfavourable changes to the economic, political, permitting and legal climate in which the Company operates. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could affect the Company and may cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause the actual results or performance by the Company to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what impact they will have on the results of operations or the financial condition of the Company. Investors should therefore not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation and expressly disclaims any obligation, to update, alter or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. SOURCE Artemis Gold Inc. Contact Investor Relations contact: Meg Brown, Vice President, Investor Relations mbrown@artemisgoldinc.com +1 778 899 0518 Media relations contact: media@artemisgoldinc.com Vancouver, March 11, 2025 - American Tungsten Corp. (CSE: TUNG) (OTCQB: DEMRF) (FSE: RK9) ("American Tungsten" or the "Company") announces that it has received a request from OTC Markets Group Inc. ("OTC Markets") to issue this statement regarding recent promotional activity concerning its common shares (the "Common Shares") traded on the OTCQB Marketplace. Promotional Activity On March 4, 2025, OTC Markets informed the Company that it became aware of certain promotional activities concerning American Tungsten and its Common Shares, including the distribution of digital marketing materials by Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC ("EMC"). These materials discussed the Company's projects, its business model, and the tungsten industry in general. The marketing materials also contained publicly available information and summaries of recent press releases issued by the Company. EMC is an arm's-length third-party marketing firm engaged by American Tungsten to provide investor relations and public awareness services. The engagement was publicly disclosed in a press release dated March 3, 2025. Under this agreement, EMC is compensated $275,000 USD for a three-month term to provide corporate marketing, investor awareness, and advertising services. The Company provided EMC with publicly available information for marketing purposes and reviewed the materials for factual accuracy before dissemination. American Tungsten does not believe any statements in these materials were materially false or misleading. However, the Company acknowledges that all investments carry inherent risks, and it encourages investors to conduct thorough due diligence before making any investment decisions. Trading Activity The Company understands that certain promotional activities coincided with an increase in trading volume of the Common Shares. However, American Tungsten has no opinion on whether the promotional activity was the primary cause of this increase, as multiple factors influence trading volume, including broader market conditions, industry trends, and recent corporate developments, such as the announcement of the Company's marketing agreement with EMC. Management Inquiry and Insider Transactions Following an internal inquiry, the Company confirms that no directors, officers, and control persons, or any third-party service providers were involved in the creation, distribution, or payment for the promotional materials beyond the engagement of EMC. Additionally, following an inquiry by management, no directors, officers, and control persons, or any third-party service providers have purchased or sold shares of American Tungsten within the past 90 days. The Company reminds investors that all insider transactions are publicly disclosed in accordance with regulatory requirements and can be accessed through SEDI and the OTC Markets website. Third-Party Service Providers In the last twelve months, American Tungsten has engaged the following third-party service providers for corporate marketing, investor relations, and promotional services: Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC (EMC) - Engaged for investor relations and digital marketing services (March 2025). Gold Standard Media, LLC (GSM) - Engaged for landing pages, digital marketing, email marketing, and influencer marketing services. (January 2025). Global One Media Limited (Global One) - Engaged for social media management, marketing and distribution services. (November 2024) Beyond these engagements, the Company has not entered into agreements with any other third-party firms for stock promotion. Issuance of Securities Other than previously disclosed transactions in its public filings, American Tungsten has not issued shares or convertible securities at a discount to market prices. All securities issuances comply with applicable regulations and are detailed in the Company's regulatory filings. Conclusion American Tungsten remains committed to transparency, responsible investor communication, and regulatory compliance. The Company encourages investors to rely only on official press releases, regulatory filings, and information published on the Company's website for accurate and up-to-date details about its business operations. ABOUT AMERICAN TUNGSTEN CORP. American Tungsten Corp. (previously Demesne Resources Inc.) is a Canadian-based company involved in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. The Company's magnetite Star Project consists of five contiguous mineral titles covering an area of approximately 4,615.75 hectares located in the Skeena Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada. The Company has entered into an option agreement pursuant to which it is entitled to earn an undivided 100% interest in the Star Project. American Tungsten has also entered into an option agreement, pursuant to which it can acquire a 100% interest (subject to a 2% royalty) in and to the IMA Mine Project, a past producing underground tungsten mine situated on 22 patented claims located in East Central, Idaho, United States. In addition, the Company has acquired surrounding mining rights at its IMA Mine Project through the staking of 113 WMO federal lode mining claims covering an area of 1,988.6 acres (804.75ha). Social media links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/americantungstencorp/ X: https://x.com/amtungsten Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/americantungsten Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americantungstencorp/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@americantungstencorp ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Murray Nye CEO 1055 West Georgia Street, Suite 1500 Vancouver, BC V6E 0B6 Canada For further information, please contact: Murray Nye, CEO Email: ir@americantungstencorp.com Phone: +1 (416) 300-7398 CSE:TUNG OTCQB:DEMRF FSE:RK9 The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the receipt of regulatory approvals, market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. VANCOUVER, MARCH 12th, 2025 - American Salars Lithium Inc. ("AMERICAN SALARS" OR THE "COMPANY") (CSE: USLI, OTC: USLIF, FWB: Z3P, WKN: A3E2NY) states its commitment to strengthening the United States lithium supply, a critical mineral essential for electric vehicles, energy storage, and advanced manufacturing. As demand for domestic lithium sources grows, securing reliable resources is vital for the nation's clean energy and technology future. With the potential for new tariffs on lithium imports under the Trump administration, American Salars has positioned itself to secure a stable, tariff-free lithium supply through its Black Rock South Lithium Project in Nevada. As trade uncertainties grow, American Salars Nevada property serves as a critical safeguard against rising costs and potential supply chain disruptions. By having a US based lithium asset, the company holds a strong position in the domestic lithium market, providing potential future supply opportunities while reducing exposure to geopolitical risks and import restrictions. This strategic positioning not only strengthens American Salars' role in the US lithium market but also supports North America's push for energy independence in the face of shifting trade policies. Click Image To View Full Size Figure 1. The Blackrock South lithium brine project - Nevada Beyond its Nevada project, American Salars has acquired a diversified portfolio of lithium assets in Canada, Brazil, and Argentina, positioning the company for potential resource development and enhanced market flexibility amid shifting global trade policies. American Salars is strengthening its footprint in Argentina's Lithium Triangle, a globally recognized region containing some of the highest-grade lithium brine deposits. This strategic positioning enhances the Company's potential for future exploration and development in one of the world's most significant lithium-producing areas. The Company owns the 800-hectare Pocitos 1 lithium project and has a Letter Of Intent to acquire 13,080 hectares of neighboring land, making it the second-largest property holder on the Salar de Pocitos. Click Image To View Full Size Figure 2. Salar de Pocitos and surrounding Salars - Argentina The Company is expanding its presence in Quebec, a highly promising region for new lithium discoveries. Its Xenia West & East projects consist of 92 mining claims spanning 5,382 hectares (54 sq km), located 30 km southeast of Val-d'Or with direct access via Highway 117. Additionally, Lac Simard Nord & South border Sayona Mining's Tansim Project, which includes the Viau-Dallaire and Viau Showings, estimated to contain 5-25 million tons of Li?O at 1.2-1.3% and the recently announced Leduc East Lithium Project with 6,100 hectares of claims covering part of an extensive belt of granitic and gneissic rocks that host pegmatitic mineralogy, with over 35 mapped pegmatites and covering 15 historical pegmatite-borne felspar showings, 13 of which are former Feldspar and Mica mines operated from the early 1900 to the 1940's. Through its Jaguaribe, Brazil Lithium & REE project, American Salars is strategically positioned within the BRICS economic bloc, where lithium-rich regions are becoming essential for battery production and clean energy technologies. The Jaguaribe Project, located in the Jaguaribe/Solonopole region in Ceara, Northern Brazil, hosts multiple extensive lithium and REE-bearing pegmatite dykes. Initial sampling has returned significant lithium oxide discoveries, including 3.72% Li?O, 2.15% Li?O, and 1.58% Li?O, reinforcing the project's high potential, as well as REE samples of 554.5 parts per million cesium, 135 parts per million tantalum and 177 parts per million niobium. One sample showed high values for rubidium (greater than 10,000 parts per million); tin (675 parts per million) and zinc (387 parts per million). Click Image To View Full Size Figure 3. Jaguaribe Pegmatite Vein with mineralized outcrop samples. By securing assets in multiple strategic locations, American Salars mitigates geopolitical risks, ensures and maintains a strong competitive position in the rapidly growing clean energy market. American Salars CEO & Director R. Nick Horsley states, "The lithium market is evolving rapidly, and shifting trade policies could create new challenges. By securing strategic lithium assets in key regions of North and South America, we have hedged ourselves geopolitically to meet the growing demand driven by electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. This strategy reduceds our exposure to uncertain supply chains and trade war implications. Amid the tariff war, talk of Argentina and the United States entering a trade pact bodes well for our Salar de Pocitos flagship project, positioning it as a critical asset in a stabilizing Western supply chain, especially as US policies increasingly prioritize domestic and allied sourcing of critical minerals." The global lithium market is at a pivotal moment, driven by surging demand for electric vehicles (EVs), battery storage, and clean energy technologies. However, potential tariff policies under a Trump administration could disrupt supply chains and increase costs for U.S. manufacturers. If tariffs are imposed on lithium imports from key suppliers like China, Argentina, and Chile, the cost of raw materials could rise, impacting battery production and the broader EV market. As the U.S. seeks to reduce reliance on foreign lithium, domestic projects like American Salars Lithium Inc.'s Black Rock South in Nevada are becoming increasingly valuable, offering a secure, tariff-free alternative that ensures supply chain stability and cost control. As trade uncertainties grow, American Salars Lithium Inc.'s Nevada property serves as a critical safeguard against rising costs and potential supply chain disruptions. By owning and developing a U.S.-based lithium source, the company guarantees a reliable, domestic supply of lithium, reducing exposure to geopolitical risks and import restrictions. This strategic positioning not only strengthens American Salars Lithium Inc.'s role in the U.S. lithium market but also supports North America's push for energy independence in the face of shifting trade policies. Beyond Nevada, American Salars Lithium Inc. is well-positioned in the global lithium market, with a diversified portfolio of high-potential properties in Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and the U.S. This geographically balanced strategy provides access to some of the world's most lithium-rich regions, ensuring resource security and market flexibility. Canada offers a stable, mining-friendly jurisdiction near key North American battery production hubs, while Brazil and Argentina-both part of the "Lithium Triangle"-boast some of the world's highest-grade lithium brine deposits. By securing assets in multiple regions, American Salars Lithium Inc. mitigates geopolitical risks, ensures a steady lithium supply, and maintains a competitive edge in a rapidly expanding market-regardless of how global trade policies evolve. About American Salars Lithium Inc. American Salars Lithium is a public exploration company focused on developing lithium resource projects. The Company's ultimate objective is the production of battery grade lithium carbonate to meet the growing demands of the battery industry. The Company's has a diversified portfolio of Lithium Brine and Hardrock projects in North and South America. All Stakeholders are encouraged to follow the Company on its social media profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, "R. Nick Horsley" R. Nick Horsley, CEO For further information, please contact: American Salars Lithium Inc. Phone: 604.740.7492 E-Mail: info@americansalars.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding American Salar's intention to continue to identify potential transactions and make certain corporate changes and applications. Forward looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance, or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits American Salars will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect managements' current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including American Salars results of exploration or review of properties that American Salars does acquire. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and American Salars assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Copyright (c) 2025 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. KPMG appointed as Voluntary Administrators 12 March 2025 - Jervois Global Ltd. (TSX-V: JRV) (ASX: JRV) (OTC: JRVMF) announces: On 12 March 2025 David Hardy and Gayle Dickerson of KPMG were appointed as joint and several voluntary administrators ("Administrators") of Jervois Global Limited (Administrators Appointed) ("Jervois" or the "Company") and certain subsidiaries listed in the below schedule (together, "the Companies"). The Companies and their various subsidiaries (together, "the Group") are a leading global supplier of advanced manufactured cobalt products. The Group's principal asset base is comprised of an operating cobalt facility in Finland, a non-operational cobalt mine in the United States ("U.S.") and a non-operating nickel-cobalt refinery in Brazil. The appointment followed the entry of an order by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (the "Confirmation Order") on 6 March 2025 (Houston time) approving the chapter 11 plan of reorganisation of Jervois Texas, LLC and certain debtor subsidiaries (the "Debtor Subsidiaries") (the "Chapter 11 Plan"). On 28 January 2025 (AEDT), Jervois Texas, LLC and the Debtor Subsidiaries commenced chapter 11 cases (the "Chapter 11 Cases") by filing voluntary petitions for relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. This appointment was anticipated as the next step of the restructuring support agreement agreed with the Company's lender, Millstreet Capital Management LLC ("Millstreet") and detailed in the Chapter 11 Plan (as approved by the Confirmation Order). The Chapter 11 Plan includes that Millstreet plans to submit a Deed of Company Arrangement ("DOCA") proposal to the Administrators in respect of the Companies. KPMG Australia's Turnaround and Restructuring Services Partner, Ian Sutherland, said "The immediate focus of the Administrators is ensuring continuity of the underlying operations of the Companies. The Companies intend to operate on a business-as-usual basis and do not envisage any changes to the various operations of the Companies." For clarity, there are other subsidiaries of the Company (in particular related to operations in Finland, Brazil and the U.S.) which are not subject to the appointment of voluntary administrators. The operations of these other subsidiaries are expected to continue in the normal course and vendors, suppliers, customers and employees of these companies remain unaffected by the appointment of the Administrators in Australia over the Companies. Interested parties Any interested party wishing to submit a sale or recapitalisation proposal in respect of the Companies should contact the Administrators at jervoisgroup@kpmg.com.au. The Administrators further invite expressions of interest in respect of the Companies' mining tenements related to the Nico Young nickel-cobalt project in Young, New South Wales, Australia to be submitted by 5:00pm AEDT on 19 March 2025. These tenements were not impacted by the Chapter 11 Cases. First statutory meeting of creditors A first statutory meeting of creditors of the Company will take place on 24 March 2025 at 10:00am AEDT. A meeting notice setting out the time and location for the first meeting of creditors will be distributed to the Company's creditors in advance of the meeting. Annual General Meeting and financial reporting The Company gives notice of intention to rely upon: section 6A of ASIC Corporations (Externally-Administered Bodies) Instrument 2015/251 (Instrument) made under sections 250PAA, 341, 341A, 601QA, 926A, 951B, 992B and 1217 of the Corporations Act 2001 (the Act) for relief from holding an annual general meeting during the deferral period; and section 8 of the Instrument to defer relevant financial reporting obligations under Part 2M.3 of the Act. Notices to convene an extraordinary general meeting The Administrators are aware of the directors of the Company having received notices under section 249D of the Act, purporting to direct the directors to convene an extraordinary general meeting of the Company. Pursuant to section 198G of the Act, the Company's directors' powers are suspended, and do not have power to convene a general meeting. The Administrators do not propose to convene a general meeting of the Company and will proceed to discharge their statutory duties in accordance with the Act. Further information As previously advised, during this process, Jervois shares are suspended from trading on the TSX-V, the ASX and US OTC market. Further information can be found at https://kpmg.com/au/en/home/creditors/jervois-group.html. For all further enquiries regarding the Voluntary Administration, please contact at jervoisgroup@kpmg.com.au. Schedule of companies under Voluntary Administration Company ACN Jervois Global Limited 007 626 575 Nico Young Pty Ltd 132 050 205 Hardrock Exploration Pty Ltd 004 800 319 TZ Nico (1) Pty Ltd 626 231 267 TZ Nico (2) Pty Ltd 626 231 276 Goldpride Pty Ltd 061 269 109 Copyright (c) 2025 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. TUCSON, March 12, 2025 - Liberty Star Minerals ("Liberty Star" or the "Company") (OTCQB: LBSR) strengthened its leadership and technical team to accelerate the advancement of its flagship gold and copper exploration projects. The Company is pleased to announce the engagement of Mr. Steve Rivera, an experienced consulting geologist and Qualified Person under USSEC S-K 1300, to provide senior geological management duties for the Red Rock Canyon (RRC) and Hay Mountain Projects. These projects are situated in a highly prospective mineral belt known for significant porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum deposits extending from central Arizona into northern Mexico. Mr. Rivera is a broadly experienced Professional Geologist and Qualified Person (R4037616, SME) with recent experience working on exploration-stage gold properties in southeastern Arizona. He has experience with industry majors Freeport McMoran, BHP Billiton, and Anglo-American Exploration (USA) Inc. Rivera, has recent experience in managing geological data collection similar to that at RRC and Hay Mountain, managing deep drilling projects (>5,000ft), and exploration/development of ore deposits for Bankable Feasibility Studies. He also has experience developing exploration activities including airborne geophysical surveys (ZTEM), seismic reflection surveys, mapping, and geochemical sampling. Liberty Star is also pleased to announce the promotion of Jay Crawford to Vice President of Field Operations. A key figure in the Company since 2006, Mr. Crawford has been instrumental in driving Liberty Star's exploration success. As Field Manager, a position he has held since 2011, Mr. Crawford oversaw the acquisition and maintenance of State and Federal claims and permits, ensuring operational compliance. In his new role, Mr. Crawford will continue to contribute his expertise to the Red Rock Canyon Gold Project where his sampling efforts confirmed high-value gold mineralization. As Liberty Star continues to advance its high-potential exploration portfolio, the Company extends its gratitude to departing Chief Geologist Jim Bryce for his contributions, including overseeing first-time diamond core drilling at Hay Mountain and contributing to the discovery of bonanza-grade gold at RRC. With an enhanced technical team and strong leadership, Liberty Star is well-positioned to accelerate exploration and unlock significant value for shareholders. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Liberty Star Minerals Visit lbsr.us for more about Liberty Star Minerals, the Red Rock Canyon Gold Project & the Hay Mountain Project, including images, maps, and technical reports About Liberty Star: Liberty Star Uranium & Metals Corp. (LBSR: OTCQB), doing business as Liberty Star Minerals, is a mineral exploration company based in Arizona. The company focuses on acquiring, exploring, and developing valuable mineral properties in Arizona, USA. Currently, Liberty Star controls two wholly owned properties situated in one of North America's most mineral-rich regions, specifically in the historic Tombstone mining district. These properties are strategically located in areas known for copper, gold, silver, molybdenum, and other associated metals. The company's flagship project is the exploration-stage Hay Mountain Project. This project focuses on discovering porphyry copper, gold, molybdenum, and other commercially important minerals. Surface studies, along with the company's 2024 diamond core drilling program, support the presence of a deep-seated copper porphyry system, with several analogs nearby that suggest high potential. In addition, the Hay Mountain property hosts the Red Rock Canyon Gold Property, an increasingly promising site for near-surface gold mineralization. Ongoing geologic sampling has yielded high-grade gold samples, with some reaching as high as 107.5 grams per ton (g/t), highlighting the area's exceptional potential. Liberty Star maintains a presence on Facebook Liberty Star Minerals LBSR [X]Twitter Liberty Star Minerals Linkedin Liberty Star Minerals | LBSR: OTCQB Proactive Investors Limited | Liberty Star Liberty Star Minerals | Liberty Star Uranium & Metals Corp. LBSR: OTCQB http://www.lbsr.us Contact: Liberty Star Minerals Tracy Myers, Investor Relations 520-425-1433 - info@lbsr.us McLaren a second faster heading into 2025 says Marko Max Verstappen's boss and mentor Dr Helmut Marko, as well as the Red Bull driver's father Jos, both agree that the quadruple world champion is heading into the 2025 season without the fastest car. Lando Norris, Austrian GP 2024 McLaren Although the Christian Horner affair is still bubbling along in the background, Verstappen senior says he and his 27-year-old son still have confidence in Red Bull. But if things don't go well, Jos told Radio Joe, it's not Max. Speculation has been quietly burning for well over a year and counting that Verstappen might trigger a contract exit-clause and switch to Mercedes or Aston Martin for 2026. It's rumoured Adrian Newey has convinced Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll to offer Verstappen a long-term package that could be worth as much as a billion dollars. Adrian Newey is a pure racer and an intelligent person, Red Bull advisor Marko told Servus TV. "The first thing he wants is the fastest driver. "Max was offered the bait, but in the end Max just wants to win. Everyone in Formula 1 knows that Newey is a genius, but success doesn't come overnight. He needs a good team around him. I don't see Max leaving any time soon. But according to Jos Verstappen, it all depends on Red Bull's 2025 car. Red Bull must continue to perform, he said. They must continue to build a good car - that is crucial. On the opening day of recent pre-season testing, Max initially enthused about the improvements made by Red Bull over the winter. After that, they changed parts and so on, Jos explains. He then found the feeling with the car less than before. They then went back to the first specification, but he did not get back the feeling he had on Wednesday. Jos wonders if Red Bull do not fully understand the problem or have not done the right things to address the handling issues of 2024. Let me put it this way, Verstappen's father added. He was not satisfied. Marko is not hiding that Jos' assessment is basically correct, but he thinks Max can cope anyway even if McLaren or one or two others are actually slightly quicker. Max Verstappen will still be the world champion of 2025, he declared. Max does not necessarily have to have the fastest car - although he would of course like that. But he has to get used to fighting now. He can make up a lot, but not half a second, added Marko. The goal for 2025 was to create a wider usable range for the car so that the drivers have more confidence, said the Austrian. We have succeeded in doing this, but not yet perfectly. And he admits that, based on the test in Bahrain, McLaren should easily win on Sunday. "In the endurance runs, they were a second faster. If they can do that in Australia, which is a very different circuit and conditions, it will be a one-two for McLaren. McLaren was also clearly superior in the qualifying simulations, although they didn't show it. They drove out and set the fastest first sector time, the fastest second sector time, and then they suddenly drove back into the pits, he reported. "They were also not at the top of the speed traps, which suggests that they were not yet driving with their full engine power. They were trying to hide. So we will see in Australia. (GMM) Next article: Finance Minister urges Bank of Ghana to sell assets for recapitalisation Cedi depreciation, market womens concerns, and unpaid youth shaped 2025 budget Ato Forson Mohammed Ali Business News Mar - 12 - 2025 , 13:27 Minister of Finance Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has disclosed that Ghanas 2025 Budget was shaped by concerns from market women, the impact of cedi depreciation, and the struggles of unpaid youth. Speaking in an interview on Joy TV after presenting the 2025 Budget to Parliament on March 11, Dr Forson said he personally engaged traders at major markets, including Makola, to understand the economic hardships Ghanaians face. I visited Makola Market, and almost every person I spoke to, mostly women, told me the biggest problem in Ghana today is the exchange rate. If we can stabilise the cedi, they can hold prices, he stated. He recounted how a trader expressed frustration over the sharp rise in prices. A woman told me that in just three weeks, the price of cooking utensils she bought had jumped from GH1,350 to GH1,750. The shop owner explained that due to exchange rate volatility, they had to hedge by increasing prices, he said, adding that this experience influenced key decisions in the budget. On youth unemployment, Dr Forson cited the case of more than 300 pharmacists who were employed in June 2023 but had not received salaries. He assured that the government would address such cases and announced a GH300 million allocation for the National Apprenticeship Programme to equip young people in rural areas with skills and tools. Dr Forson also touched on the challenge of project financing, revealing that some projects had stalled due to a lack of funds. He said the government had made provisions for GH13 billion to clear outstanding arrears while prioritising projects that are 7090% complete. On tax cuts, he explained that the government had removed five taxes, including the e-levy and betting tax, without creating a revenue gap. We identified misapplied funds in the tax refund account. Over the last eight years, only 43% of the funds were used for tax refunds, the rest was misused. By reallocating part of it, we recovered GH3.8 billion, he said. He stressed that the 2025 Budget was designed based on real experiences from traders and workers rather than solely relying on economic theories. The best economists in this country are largely market women. They have tested and tried things, they are successful, he remarked. Dr Forson assured Ghanaians that measures had been put in place to stabilise the cedi, clear arrears, and support businesses, adding that the government would continue engaging the public in shaping economic policies. Graphic Business, First National Bank host X Dialogue on budget implications Emmanuel Bruce Business News Mar - 12 - 2025 , 18:00 In a significant effort to demystify the 2025 budget and its implications for the business community, the Graphic Business newspaper in partnership with First National Bank, will host an X dialogue at 10:00 a.m. on March 13, 2025. The dialogue, which will be based on "2025 Budget: What's in it for You and Your Business," aims to provide practical insights into how the fiscal policies outlined in the recently released budget will impact enterprises and individuals across the economic spectrum. The dialogue brings together a distinguished panel of experts, including the Head of Global Market at First National Bank, Kofi Pianim, who will offer perspectives on how the budget affects financial markets and banking services. His insights will be particularly valuable for businesses seeking to understand changing financial landscapes in light of new fiscal measures, especially regarding funding opportunities available in the new financial year. Economist and Dean of the University Of Cape Coast School Of Business, Professor John Gatsi, will bring academic rigor and policy analysis to the discussion. His background in economic theory and business education positions him to evaluate the budget's alignment with broader economic development goals and business growth strategies, helping listeners understand how to position their businesses for success in this new fiscal environment. Complementing the panel is Lesley Dwight Mensah, an Economist from the Institute of Fiscal Studies, whose expertise in fiscal policy analysis will help demystify the technical aspects of budget allocations, particularly the tax reforms that have been introduced. His participation ensures that independent policy analysis of these critical changes will be a key component of the dialogue. Timing The timing of this dialogue is particularly critical as businesses and individuals grapple with understanding how to navigate the economic landscape shaped by the 2025 budget. Many stakeholders have expressed confusion or concern about specific provisions that could affect their operations, making this platform an essential opportunity for clarification and strategic planning to stay ahead of the curve. For business owners, the dialogue presents an opportunity to gain insights that could inform investment decisions, operational adjustments, and strategic planning for the coming fiscal year. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which often lack resources for comprehensive budget analysis, stand to benefit significantly from the condensed expertise that will be shared, helping them to unlock new growth opportunities. Tax adjustment Individuals will also find value in understanding how tax adjustments, social welfare provisions, and economic growth projections outlined in the budget might affect their personal finances and employment prospects. The dialogue's focus on making economic policy accessible to the average person marks a departure from the typically esoteric nature of budget discussions. Listeners can expect in-depth analyses of key budget provisions such as tax reforms, sector-specific allocations, infrastructure investments and fiscal consolidation measures. The practical implications of these policies for business operations, compliance requirements, and market opportunities will likely dominate the discussion, giving participants actionable insights to implement immediately. As the business community prepares for implementation of the 2025 budget provisions, this dialogue stands as a timely intervention to bridge the gap between policy formulation and practical application. Next article: TikToker jailed in Indonesia for telling Jesus to cut his hair Cote dIvoire opposition parties form coalition ahead of presidential poll Graphic.com.gh International News Mar - 12 - 2025 , 10:52 2 minutes read Dozens of opposition parties in Cote d Ivoire have allied ahead of the countrys presidential poll due to take place in October. The Coalition for a Peaceful Alternation is hoping to push demands for electoral reform and impose a balance of power on the ruling party. Heavyweights include the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), the country's oldest party; the Movement of Capable Generations (MGC) of former first lady, Simone Gbagbo; and Charles Ble Goude's Young Patriots of Ivory Coast, COJEP. For its part, our coalition decided today to take another step forward in its project to strengthen the grouping of the opposition by formalising this structure, said Simone Gbagbo on behalf of the alliance. But one major party is missing from the new coalition, that of former president Laurent Gbagbo. With the opposition in three blocs, theres a risk of votes being divided among them, which could benefit the ruling party, unless the new coalition manages to rally support beyond its ranks. Political analyst Christophe Koffi believes President Alassane Ouattaras party will have something to worry about if the vote goes to a second round. Unlike in Cameroon, the political parties have formed a bloc and the electorate will be very large around this bloc, he said. If they manage to force the party in power to a second round, there will be a grouping of all the opposition voters around whoever comes in pole position and I think that this could upset the ruling party. Koffi said it should not underestimate this coalition that has been put in place. With the campaign shaping up to be a tense one, the question remains whether the newly formed alliance will have an impact on the October elections. AFRICANEWS St. Augustines College marks 95th Anniversary with grand celebrations Peter Martey Agbeko, APR Education Mar - 12 - 2025 , 15:18 2 minutes read The St. Augustines College Past Students Union (APSU) is set to commemorate the schools 95th Anniversary, bringing together alumni (APSUnians), students (Augustinians), staff, and well-wishers for a week-long celebration of the Colleges rich legacy and continued impact on education in Ghana. Under the theme Leveraging Innovation Towards Economic and Social Sustainability for the Next Generation, the anniversary seeks to reflect on the Colleges storied past, honour achievements, and inspire the next generation of leaders. The celebrations, scheduled from March 12 to March 16, 2025, will feature a series of engaging activities, including an inter-house quiz competition, mentorship sessions, a medical outreach, a grand durbar, an awards ceremony, and a thanksgiving service. Notable events also include a bonfire night, a regimental parade, and a fireworks display to symbolise the schools enduring spirit. A key highlight will be the handover of a legacy project by APSU 2000, the hosting year group, to contribute to the Colleges infrastructure development. The Speech and Prize-Giving Day on March 15 will honour outstanding students and faculty, with various dignitaries expected to grace the occasion. The APSU Secretariat has also provided an update on financial compliance among year groups, urging all members to meet their obligations. The APSU Annual Congress, where alumni will discuss the way forward for the Union, will take place on March 14 at the College Assembly Hall. With APSUnians from across the world expected to return to Cape Coast for the event, the 95th Anniversary promises to be a defining moment in the schools history, celebrating perseverance, innovation, and a commitment to excellence. The College Board and Management extend an open invitation to all alumni and stakeholders to join the Speech and Prize-Giving Day on March 15, 2025, at the College Quadrangle at 8am prompt. Drones kill 1,000 African civilians in 3 years - Report Graphic.com.gh Mar - 12 - 2025 , 11:00 2 minutes read The use of drones by several African countries in their fight against armed groups is causing significant harm to civilians, according to a report by Drone Wars UK. More than 943 civilians have been killed in at least 50 incidents across six African countries from November 2021 to November 2024. The report, titled Death on Delivery, reveals that strikes regularly fail to distinguish between civilians and combatants in their operations. Experts told Al Jazeera that the death toll is likely only the tip of the iceberg because many countries run secretive drone campaigns. As drones rapidly become the weapon of choice for governments across the continent, what are the consequences for civilians in conflict zones? Is it time for the world to regulate the sale of drones? What explains the surge in drone acquisitions by African nations? The report highlights how the number of African nations acquiring armed drones, specifically Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) drones, have increased dramatically in recent years. Since 2022, at least 10 African countries have obtained these weapons, with governments justifying their purchases as a means to combat rebellions and security threats. However, the reality on the ground has often been different, with many strikes leading to mass civilian casualties, raising concerns about human rights violations. Cora Morris, the reports author, said drones have been marketed as an efficient and modern way to conduct warfare, with minimal risk to military personnel. In reality, thats not always true, as civilian casualties have mounted. Morris said drones significantly lower the threshold for the use of force, making it much easier for armies to deploy munitions without risk to their forces. The result of this has been a grave civilian toll, she told Al Jazeera. The proliferation of drones has also been fuelled by geopolitical shifts, as African governments seek greater military self-reliance and turn to new suppliers willing to sell without stringent conditions. Michael Spagat, head of the Department of Economics at Royal Holloway University of London, sees the trend as primarily driven by economics. AFRICANEWS 20th surveyors week, AGM launched Justice Agbenorsi Mar - 12 - 2025 , 09:57 2 minutes read The Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS) has launched a week-long programme to project the profession and its prospects for national development. The 20th surveyors' week and 56th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of GhIS, which commenced with a health screening last Thursday (March 8), would provide a platform to exchange ideas, develop innovative solutions and influence policies that drive sustainable It is expected to chart a path on the role of surveyors in addressing illegal mining, land litigation, among others, through various research papers and engagements. It is being observed on the theme, Harnessing and projecting surveying competencies: a catalyst for national development and embracing new opportunities. Launch The President of GhIS, Dr Anthony Arko Adjei, who launched the programme, said it would feature a presidential lecture which would consider a research paper on a topic relating to national development concerns from the professional perspective. Participants in the meeting. In addition to that, he said the discussions would focus on the following key areas such as leveraging digitalisation to address land disputes. Dr Adjei said with approximately 80 per cent of legal disputes in the country linked to land conflicts, the institution would advocate enhanced land governance through digital land records, transparent policies and ADR mechanisms. On urbanisation and infrastructure, the President said as Ghana's urban population was projected to exceed 65 per cent by 2030, it was important for surveyors to leverage cutting-edge geospatial technologies and cost-estimation methods to support the development of resilient cities.. Digital transformation He encouraged professionals to embrace digital transformation and continuous learning to remain at the forefront of the industrys advancement. GhIS remains committed to strengthening partnerships with key government agencies, including the Lands Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, to enhance the surveying profession's impact on national policy and infrastructure planning. Additionally, the institution is intensifying its advocacy for the Surveying Council Bill, a regulatory framework essential for maintaining professional standards, eliminating unqualified practitioners and safeguarding industry integrity, he said. Previous article: Mahama on potential fallout of Anti-LGBTQ Bill: IMF and World Bank should not get involved in cultural issues Budget deceitful, lacks hope Minority Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Mar - 12 - 2025 , 06:57 6 minutes read The Minority in Parliament has described the 2025 Budget and Economic Policy of the government as one that lacked hope and inspiration, arguing that it fails to address the pressing needs of Ghanaians, particularly the youth. Reacting to the Budget Statement presented on the floor of Parliament by the Minister of Finance yesterday, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, criticised the government for failing to include key economic policies, notably the much-anticipated 24-hour Economy initiative, which had been promised by the government. The youth of this country have been waiting for this 24-hour Economy policy. The minister tells us the policy will be brought later, he stated, adding that it was clear that all the jobs the party promised the youth were empty. The Minority Leader further characterised the Budget Statement as an Azaa budget, to wit a deceitful budget, meant to deceive the masses. He expressed disappointment in the economic projections outlined in the budget, arguing that they painted a grim picture of the countrys economic trajectory rather than offering solutions to the challenges confronting the nation. Underwhelming For the Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu Constituency, in spite of the governments continued criticism of the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administrations handling of the economy, the new governments own performance had been underwhelming. He pointed out that under the previous administration, the economy recorded a growth rate of 5.7 per cent whereas the current government is projecting a lower growth rate of around 4.0 per cent for 2025. Additionally, he said that while the previous government left behind four months of import cover, the current administration was projecting only three months cover. These are the very people who managed the economy up to 2016 and left us with some independent power producer (IPP) debts. Today, they are telling us that they are coming to renegotiate the very disaster they left (for) us, he added. Fiscal discipline The Minority Leader further raised concerns about the governments commitment to fiscal discipline, citing ongoing construction works on some roads, which, he said, were being executed without the necessary approvals. He questioned the governments stance on enforcing financial regulations, arguing that if sanctions were to be applied for violations of the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act, then it must start with his own ministers. Mr Afenyo-Markin reiterated the Minoritys readiness to scrutinise and debate the Budget Statement, asserting that they would not allow the document to be shelved without exposing its shortcomings. Disappointment Adding his voice to the criticism in a follow-up news conference in Parliament, the immediate past Minister of Finance, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, expressed disappointment in the governments failure to address key concerns such as electricity and water bills, transport fares, and the cost of petroleum products. He argued that despite campaigning on the rising cost of living, the governments first budget did little to provide relief to struggling Ghanaians. They didnt talk about how to reduce energy bills. They didnt talk about how to decrease water bills. All these bills will continue to increase, looking at the indicators that we are seeing, Dr Amin Adam stated. Taxes The MP for Karaga further accused the Finance Minister of misleading the public regarding tax reliefs, particularly on Value Added Tax (VAT) for motor insurance. According to him, VAT on motor insurance was already exempted under the previous administration, meaning the governments announcement of its abolition was misleading. Instead, he pointed out that VAT had been reintroduced on non-life insurance policies, affecting an industry with a low penetration rate of just 1.1 per cent. Dr Amin Adam further criticised the government for increasing the Growth and Sustainability Levy from one per cent to three per cent for the mining sector while extending its sunset period from 2025 to 2028, questioning the logic of taxing a sector that was a key driver of economic growth. The sector that is giving you growth is the sector you want to go and tax? This is not good for industry, this is not good for economic growth, and this is not good for the development of our people, he remarked. On the issue of betting tax, he dismissed the governments claim of abolishing it, stating that it was never implemented in the first place. Education, Womens Bank On education, Dr Amin Adam refuted claims that there was no dedicated funding source for the free senior high school (SHS) programme, insisting that it was previously funded through the goods and services component of the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA). He warned that the governments decision to uncap the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to finance free SHS could undermine infrastructure development in the education sector. These are all attempts to come back and tell Ghanaians that it is difficult to fund free SHS and, therefore, parents should pay. But we will expose them any time they try to do this, he declared. Dr Amin Adam expressed scepticism over the governments allocation of GH51 million towards establishing a Womens Bank, arguing that the amount was woefully inadequate compared to the GH400 million capital requirement for setting up a bank. He accused the government of misleading women with promises that lacked real financial backing. He also took issue with the proposed financing of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) from the national budget, arguing that it would serve as an avenue for corruption. We have never funded the gold purchase programme or the gold-for-oil programme from the budget. The Bank of Ghana (BoG) was funding it from a revolving fund, so it did not affect the taxpayer. Now, you have a GoldBod that is going to rely on the taxpayer. We think this creates an opportunity to loot and share, and we will resist it, he asserted. Agenda 111 Dr Amin Adam also accused the government of effectively defunding the Agenda 111 hospital projects by redirecting the allocated funds, thereby jeopardising the completion of critical healthcare infrastructure across the country. In spite of the governments announcement of funding for nursing and teacher trainee allowances, he insisted that credit should be given to the previous administration, which reinstated the allowances after they were initially abolished. He suggested that the governments decision to continue funding these programmes was due to pressure from the Minority and the public. This cannot happen. If you recall, the Minister for Education said teacher training allowance was no longer going to be viable. But the Ghanaian people, led by we the mighty Minority, opposed them. And this is why they have chickened out, he said. Dr Amin Adam announced that the Minority would hold a major news conference to provide a detailed response to the 2025 Budget Statement, promising to expose what he described as deception in the governments economic policy. Gender equality, collaboration not battle Emma Tandoh Jemima Okang Addae Mar - 12 - 2025 , 09:57 3 minutes read An entrepreneur, Emma Maame Efua Tandoh, has questioned whether the approach to gender equality has been misguided, arguing that it should be a collaboration rather than a battle between men and women. For years, we made gender equality a battle between men and women, when in reality, it should have been a collaboration all along, she said. Ms Tandoh added that creating sustainable solutions were more important than only raising awareness about the problem. We focused on shouting, but the problem is quietly creating sustainable solutions, in my opinion. We have assumed that more panels, hashtags and slogans mean progress, but does it really?, she asked. The entrepreneur was speaking during the Development Bank Ghana (DBG) engagement with female students of Design Technology Institute (DTI) in Accra, as part of activities to commemorate the International Women's Day 2025, observed annually on every March 8th. Allies not adversaries Ms Tandoh further stressed the need for men to be considered as allies rather than adversaries in the pursuit of gender equality. She said they must also consider how small intentional decisions could drive real change, rather than relying solely on loud conversations. Sharing her personal journey, Ms Tandoh, Founder of Love Ankara, a footwear and accessories brand, recounted how she built a successful shoe manufacturing company and tech start-upnot because she was given a seat at the table but because she "created her own table". She highlighted the significance of technical and vocational education in challenging gender roles, saying "skills have no gender". Ms Tandoh said women earned 24 per cent less than men for the same work and that many of them were trapped in informal, low-paying jobs with no legal protection. She added that women in the country were less likely to be online than men, limiting their ability to build digital businesses and access online skills. Leadership On women leadership, Ms Tandoh observed that only 14 per cent of parliamentary seats in the country were occupied by women, one of the lowest in Africa. When a woman finally became a Vice-President, the reaction wasn't all celebration. In the beginning, there was some skepticism, why, because our system is never designed to put a woman at the top, she said. On gender-based violence Ms Tandoh said that about 27.7 per cent of women in the country had experienced some form of violence. She said that the solution was not only in mentorship but funding women and providing them with access to capital, expertise and training. When women have money, they take control of their choices, their futures and their impact, Ms Tandoh said. Support The Founder of DTI, Constance Swaniker, stressed the vital role of men in supporting gender equality. She also advised women not to rely on the "feminine card" but seize available opportunities to grow in male-dominated fields, adding "when you give opportunities to girls in male dominated spaces, they are actually much better because we pay attention to detail. Swaniker advocated inclusive and supportive environments where both men and women would thrive without discrimination. For his part, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of DBG, Michael Mensah-Baah, said the bank offered support to women-led businesses through skills development and funding. He recognised that women-led businesses faced unique challenges that required a tailor-measured approach in resolving. Oxfams women advancement project successful Juliet Akyaa Safo Mar - 12 - 2025 , 09:57 3 minutes read A five-year project aimed at addressing structural and systematic barriers to womens economic empowerment has made great strides in four regions of the country. The Womens Economic Advancement for Collective Transformation (WEACT) project, focused on women working in agriculture and informal economy of the shea and cocoa sectors in the Upper West, Upper East, Northern and Western regions. One hundred and twenty six Legal Literacy Volunteers (LLVs) trained under the project worked to return lands to widows, secured child support and stopped eight forced marriages. They also referred four cases of gender based violence to law enforcement agencies, increased legal knowledge and supported women to claim their rights. Additionally, the LLVs raised awareness about womens rights, family law, inheritance law, and childrens rights among 15,000 community members, comprising 8,820 women, 3,150 men, 1,638 girls and 1,638 boys. The project was funded by Global Affairs Canada through Oxfam-Quebec under its Innovation for Women's Economic Empowerment in Ghana (IWEEG) programme. It was on the theme Sustaining womens economic empowerment for inclusive growth. At an event to close out the project, in Accra, the Country Director of OXFAM, Mohammed-Anwar Sadat Adam, revealed that over 30,000 people have accessed legal right information through an interactive voice messaging platform with tool-free line set up under the project. He said about 85 per cent of women also know how to claim their rights through informal channels, such as traditional and religious leaders, while 63 per cent know how to claim their rights through institutions like the legal system. Gender Model Family Mr Adam, added that 540 couples enrolled into the Gender Model Family, one of the initiatives under the project, have reported recognition, redistribution, and reduction in unpaid care work at the household level. He said women have reduced their work hours from 46 hours to about 20 hours a week. The Country Director said men have also accepted their role in the families and taken more household responsibility increasing from 14 hours to about 18 hours a week. Leadership skills Mr Adam added that through a Land Social Lab approach, women in the project area, now have access to land tenure and documentation for the two value chain. He said the above successes have increased womens readiness to acquire land, with several others already initiating the land registration process. The Director Head of Corporation at the Canadian High Commission, Kathleen Flynn-Dapaah, thanked participants and partners for ensuring the successful implementation of the project. She urged the beneficiaries to be creative and continue finding solutions to grow their business. She also urged them to continue the advocacy on the rights of women in communities. Commendation The Deputy Director of the Department of Gender of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Vera Karikari, said the WEACT project has paved the way for economic empowerment particularly at the grassroots. She called on stakeholders to work together in building a world where everyone had the opportunity to realise their full economic potential. The Director of the Women in Agriculture of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Paulina Addy also commended the Canadian government for their budgetary support and strategic direction. She also thanked OXFAM for implementing and championing the quest towards women empowerment to transform lives and push forward the national development agenda. Government launches Mahama Cares to support treatment of chronic diseases Mohammed Ali Mar - 12 - 2025 , 14:42 2 minutes read The government has launched the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, widely known as Mahama Cares, to provide financial support for people suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer, kidney failure, and heart conditions. The initiative, introduced by President John Dramani Mahama, is expected to ease the financial burden of treatment and improve access to healthcare for affected individuals. Speaking at the launch in Accra on March 12, 2025, Dr Koku Awoonor, who represented the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, described Mahama Cares as a relief for many families struggling to afford medical care. Non-communicable diseases put a heavy strain on families both psychologically and financially. Todays event signals a new approach to making treatment more accessible, he said. Minister for Health Kwabena Minta Akando said the initiative was long overdue, citing World Health Organization (WHO) data that shows non-communicable diseases account for 42% of all deaths in Ghana. Cardiovascular diseases alone make up 90% of these cases, while cancers account for 5%. Many of these deaths could be prevented if people had access to treatment, but the high cost makes it impossible for many, he noted. Mr Akando acknowledged the role of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in supporting healthcare but pointed out that it does not cover many specialised treatments. He said Mahama Cares would address this gap by offering financial assistance to people battling chronic illnesses. To guide the funds operations, the government has inaugurated the Mahama Cares Technical Taskforce, a team of experts responsible for developing the necessary policies, creating a funding structure, and setting eligibility criteria for those who will benefit. The task force is chaired by Reverend Professor Emeritus Seth Aryeetey, a former provost of the College of Health Sciences. Other members include experienced professionals from the medical, financial, and legal fields. Prof Aryeetey welcomed the initiative, saying it would be life-changing for families struggling with the high cost of treatment. For those who depend on dialysis or chemotherapy, this is not just another policy, it is relief and hope, he said. The government has appealed to businesses, civil society, and international partners to support Mahama Cares. This is a collective effort. We need strong financial backing and expert contributions to make it work, the Health Minister said. Mahama on potential fallout of Anti-LGBTQ Bill: IMF and World Bank should not get involved in cultural issues Kweku Zurek Mar - 12 - 2025 , 08:09 2 minutes read President John Dramani Mahama has asserted that multilateral institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank should not interfere in cultural matters, including Ghanas Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ bill. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, President Mahama argued that the global financial bodies must avoid cultural imposition, adding that diversity in traditions and beliefs should be respected worldwide. I believe that multilateral institutions should avoid getting into cultural matters. This is a diverse world. We have different cultures and so I dont think multilateral institutions should include, you know, cultural imposition as part of their mandate. I dont agree with that, he stated. Addressing the possibility of reviving the bill, which expired earlier this year, Mahama emphasised the need for broad stakeholder consultation before any new legislation is introduced in Parliament. The old bill expired because it was not assented to by the President. There was a legal challenge. Eventually, the legal challenge was dismissed. So it means that the President could assent to it but its expired, he explained. He further stressed the importance of reviewing any new proposal thoroughly, ensuring that all perspectives are considered in shaping Ghanas legal and social policies. When asked about concerns that international institutions and donors might withdraw funding if Ghana enacts the bill, Mahama responded firmly, stating that such decisions are at the discretion of those institutions. If they decide to pull it, well, its their prerogative. But I dont believe that multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF should include in their mandates how people behave culturally, he declared. Ghanas anti-LGBTQ bill, which was passed by Parliament in February 2024, faced legal challenges before expiring without presidential assent. The Supreme Court recently struck out a review application challenging the constitutionality of the bill, effectively clearing the way for a fresh legislative process if lawmakers choose to reintroduce it. The bill seeks to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities, with offenders facing a minimum three-year jail term and a maximum of five years if convicted. It also prohibits pro-gay advocacy and funding for LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana. As discussions around the bills revival gain momentum, Mahamas remarks indicate a measured approach that considers Ghanas cultural values, while acknowledging international concerns. However, he remains resolute that Ghanas cultural policies should not be dictated by external financial institutions. Next article: AMA to launch Phase II of Youth Climate Action Fund, calls for public participation Previous article: Your four years are ticking, work with urgency Mahama to deputy ministers Mahama swears in 13 deputy ministers, stresses importance of lean government Mohammed Ali Mar - 12 - 2025 , 16:08 2 minutes read President John Dramani Mahama has sworn in 13 deputy ministers and a minister of state at the Jubilee House, reaffirming his administrations decision to run a lean government. The deputy ministers will assist various ministries, including Finance, Defence, Education, and Roads, while Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba takes office as Minister of State in charge of Public Sector Reform. Addressing the appointees, Mr Mahama explained that only ministries with heavy workloads had been assigned deputy ministers. With this goal in mind, I have carefully exercised discretion in appointing deputy ministers only for ministries with comparatively heavier workloads, he said. Ministries that can function effectively without deputy ministers have not been assigned any, reaffirming our decision to maintain a lean government. List of newly sworn-in deputy ministers; The newly appointed deputy ministers are: Thomas Nyarko Ampem Ministry of Finance Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi Ministry of the Interior Ernest Brogya Gyenfi Ministry of Defence Clement Abas Apaak Ministry of Education Richard Gyan-Mensah Ministry of Energy & Green Transition Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini Ministry of Roads & Highways Justice Srem-Sai Ministry of Justice & Attorney General Yusif Sulemana Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources Rita Naa Odoley Sowah Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Gizella Tettey-Agbotui Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources Yussif Issaka Jajah Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts John Kofi Setor Dumelo Ministry of Food and Agriculture Samson Ahi Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Additionally, Ms Akanvariba was sworn in as Minister of State in charge of Public Sector Reform. Mr Mahama urged the new officeholders to serve with humility and avoid displays of wealth. I shall hold you to the same standards of accountability, diligence, hard work, and sacrifice for Ghanas collective success, he stated. You must also ensure that any travel outside Ghana meets the essential travel test and receives approval from the Office of the Chief of Staff. He reminded them to declare their assets promptly, adding that this requirement also applied to all CEOs and deputy CEOs of government agencies. Mr Mahama disclosed that four more deputy ministers would be named within the week to complete his list of 60 ministers. Next article: Captain (Rtd) Alec Grant Sam : First pilot to fly Ghana Airways DC 10 from London to Ghana passes on Previous article: Reach for Change's programme calls for collaborative solutions to support women entrepreneurs Only 30 political appointees are at Jubilee House - President Mahama Graphic.com.gh Mar - 12 - 2025 , 16:58 2 minutes read President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his commitment to running a lean government, revealing that only 30 political appointees currently serve at the Jubilee House. He stressed that this approach is in line with his promise to reduce government spending and ensure greater efficiency in governance. Mahama's remarks came in response to claims made by the Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, who alleged that his government had exceeded its ministerial and presidential staff appointments. The President firmly rejected these claims, highlighting that the previous administration had 336 political appointees at the presidency alone. President Mahama made these comments during the swearing-in ceremony of newly approved ministers and deputy ministers at the Jubilee House in Accra on Wednesday, March 12. He further clarified that out of the 30 political appointees, 27 are presidential staffers, while three are directors of key government initiatives, all awaiting approval from the Council of State. The same commitment to composing a lean government has found expression in the appointments made at the presidency so far, he noted. While we are in the process of recruiting supporting staff to enable the full functioning of our presidency, the numbers will come nowhere near the army of people that were hired under the previous government, he assured. This week, I will submit the final list of four deputy ministers to achieve the full complement of sixty ministers that we promised, he stressed. So far, 56 ministers have already been appointed and approved by Parliament. The President expressed gratitude to Parliament for the swift approval process, which he noted is the fastest in Ghanas Fourth Republic. We have achieved the earliest approval of ministers by Parliament, enabling them to begin work on rolling out our commitments to Ghana. I wish to thank Mr. Speaker and the honourable members of Parliament for their support, he added. Next article: Your four years are ticking, work with urgency Mahama to deputy ministers Previous article: Captain (Rtd) Alec Grant Sam : First pilot to fly Ghana Airways DC 10 from London to Ghana passes on State money is for the people, not politicians Mahama warns deputy ministers Mohammed Ali Mar - 12 - 2025 , 16:13 1 minute read President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated the need for fiscal discipline in his administration, cautioning deputy ministers that public funds must benefit Ghanaians, not government officials. Speaking at Jubilee House on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, during the swearing-in of 13 deputy ministers and a minister of state, the President emphasised that his approach to a lean government is rooted in responsible spending. Our decision to run a lean government is not just about reducing the number of ministers or staff at the Presidency, he stated. It is based on the principle that public resources must be used wisely. Government must exercise financial discipline to ensure that resources are allocated efficiently and responsibly. He stressed that government spending must be balanced with the financial burden placed on citizens through taxation. Public funds must go primarily into investments that directly benefit Ghanaians. Those who oversee these funds must not be the biggest beneficiaries, he warned. The Presidents remarks follow his administrations decision to cut down on political appointments, with only ministries requiring additional support receiving deputy ministers. He also announced a reduction in the number of presidential staffers compared to the previous government. YEA CEO Malik Basintale explains decision to launch two job apps Mohammed Ali Mar - 12 - 2025 , 15:08 2 minutes read The Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Mr Malik Basintale, has defended the agencys decision to introduce two separate mobile applications to improve job access in Ghana. His comments come in response to public criticism over the need for two different apps instead of a single platform. Reacting to the concerns on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, Mr Basintale explained that the two apps are designed to serve different purposes. The first app is specifically for artisans and skilled workers such as plumbers, carpenters, tailors, masons, and electricians. This platform will make it easier for individuals and businesses to connect with professionals, both locally and internationally, he posted on Facebook. He added that the initiative is part of YEAs plans to create job opportunities abroad through a new directorate, which will be launched in the coming days. According to Mr Basintale, the app for artisans is being developed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). YEAs role is to provide trained skilled workers, while the private partner will manage the platform. This is expected to create over 100,000 jobs in the informal sector, he noted. The second app, he said, is YEAs own Job Centre, which will link job seekers with employers across various industries. Unlike the first app, which focuses on artisans, the Job Center will serve a wider range of job seekers. This app will be easy to use, so anyone in Ghana can search for jobs without needing IT expertise, Mr Basintale assured. He also stressed that both apps will not cost YEA anything, addressing concerns about potential financial burdens on the agency. Read the entire post below; EC Chair advocates E-Voting to curb rejected ballots in African elections Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Politics Mar - 12 - 2025 , 17:45 3 minutes read The Chairperson of Ghanas Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, has urged African election management bodies to consider adopting electronic voting machines as a means of reducing the high incidence of invalid and rejected ballots in elections across the continent. Speaking at the 9th Annual Continental Forum on Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) of the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA) in Accra on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, she described rejected ballots as a "subtle yet highly consequential form of voter disenfranchisement." She proposed that a simplified e-voting system using Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) machines could help voters cast their ballots more accurately. In this ever-evolving era of technology, it is about time that we as a continent begin to consider more effective and efficient mechanisms for voters to cast their ballots, she stated. Perhaps a simplified e-voting system where voters only have to select on the screen the picture or party logo of their preferred candidate to lock their vote may be worth exploring. The annual forum, organised by the African Union in collaboration with the AAEA, serves as a platform for heads of election management bodies across Africa to share best practices in electoral administration. This years event was themed "All Votes Count: Addressing the Problem of Invalid or Rejected Ballots in Africa." Mrs Mensa expressed concern over the disparities in invalid ballot rates across the continent, citing data from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). She noted that The Gambia recorded an impressively low 0.02 percent of rejected ballots in recent elections, whereas Togo experienced an alarming 27.93 per cent. Highlighting the impact of high rejected ballot rates, she warned that such figures could erode public trust in electoral processes and destabilise democratic governance. In Ghana, she revealed, rejected ballots have consistently ranged between 1 per cent and 3 per cent of total votes cast since the countrys return to democratic rule in 1992. Reflecting on Ghanas efforts to address the issue, she noted that after the 2020 elections, the EC conducted a nationwide audit of rejected ballots. The findings revealed that many ballots were invalidated due to voter illiteracy, deliberate spoiling by dissatisfied voters, and inconsistencies in how electoral officers assessed ballot validity. To tackle these challenges, the EC intensified training for electoral officers ahead of the 2024 elections, ensuring they properly assessed ballots without unnecessary invalidation. Additionally, public education campaigns were launched to guide voters on properly marking their ballots. She reported that these interventions led to a slight reduction in rejected ballots from 2.33 per cent in 2020 to 2.03 per cent in 2024. Jean Mensa urged electoral bodies across Africa to collaborate and adopt innovative solutions such as e-voting to enhance the integrity and efficiency of electoral processes on the continent. TECNO unveils CAMON 40 Series and Next-Gen AI Ecosystem at MWC Barcelona 2025, unlocking a New Snapshot Photography and AI-driven innovation Tecno Technology Mar - 12 - 2025 , 21:36 10 minutes read The brand hosted the TECNO AI Ecosystem Product Launch event on Day 2 of MWC 2025, highlighting strategic AI- and imaging-focused partnerships and unveiling the CAMON 40 Series smartphones, the MEGABOOK S14 laptop and AI Glasses TECNO will launch an experiential event in Ghana on March 14th and the following weeks. TECNO welcomes Ghanaian consumers to experience the latest flagship Camon 40 series and future of AI-driven innovation. Innovative AI-driven technology brand TECNO caught the eye on day 2 of MWC Barcelona 2025 at its TECNO AI Ecosystem Product Launch event, highlighting its practical AI strategy through the groundbreaking debut of the CAMON 40 smartphone series, TECNO AI Glasses Pro, and the MEGABOOK S14 laptop. TECNO CMO Laury Bai and Chief Product Launch Officer Oliver Mas were joined by key representatives from MediaTek, Google Cloud, DXOMARK and Qualcomm to unveil the innovations and spotlight the strategic collaborations that are driving advancements in AI and mobile imaging technologies. Jan Stryjak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, shared, In the past year, we have observed significant advancements in the field of AI. It is evident that AI will continue to drive transformative changes in our daily lives. In this critical period for the economic development of emerging markets, TECNO's AI technologies are unlocking potential for diverse needs. The application of AI technologies is crucial and urgent in emerging markets. Were committed to bridging the digital gap between emerging and mature markets. said TECNO CMO, Laury Bai. TECNO is taking a practical approach to make AI more accessible, ensuring users in emerging markets can access AI and cutting-edge technologies. Laury Bai, TECNO CMO Driven by its commitment, TECNO has forged a robust partnership with MediaTek, establishing a joint AI Laboratory dedicated to accelerating advancements in AI. At the event, James Chen, Vice President of Product and Technology Marketing at MediaTek, emphasized, The synergistic R&D efforts between TECNO and MediaTek are set to democratize AI technology. Our collaboration powers a seamless, interconnected AI experience, bringing users a future of truly connected intelligence. The CAMON 40 Premier 5G is the first to debut the premium MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Ultimate AI Processor, delivering an astounding 330% boost in AI performance. James Chen, Vice President, Product and Technology Marketing at MediaTek CAMON 40 Series Powered by AI One-Tap FlashSnap Redefines Smartphone Snapshot Photography TECNOs Global Product Launch Officer, Olivier Mas, officially unveiled TECNOs next-generation AI-driven products. Attendees at TECNOs launch event witnessed the highly anticipated debut of TECNOs new CAMON 40 Series, a device that embodies TECNOs legacy of excellence in mobile imaging. Featuring One-Tap FlashSnap Mode and TECNO AI, the series sets a new benchmark in smartphone photography, delivering exceptional snapshot capabilities and AI-enhanced user experiences. Olivier Mas, TECNO Global Product Launch Officer By fusing intelligent algorithms with high-end imaging hardware, the core of the AI-driven FlashSnap mode seamlessly integrates with a powerful camera and a handy One-Tap Button, allowing users to instantly capture lifes most vibrant but fleeting moments. With FlashSnap, AI optimizes camera startup and continuous shooting for instant captures, while AI-powered multi-frame processing reduces noise and enhances details for sharper images. Additionally, the BestMoment AI algorithm intelligently analyzes motion patterns, automatically identifying and selecting the best frames to ensure precise captures in dynamic scenarios, offering users an unprecedented imaging experience. TECNO launches the CAMON 40 Series Beyond One-Tap FlashSnap, the CAMON 40 Series also comprehensively improves the overall imaging experience. The CAMON 40 Premier 5G features a new 50MP Ultra-wide Angle Camera, a 50MP Periscope Telephone Camera and a 50MP AF Front Camera and is capable of 4K 60fps Pre-ISP Ultra Night Video with independent imaging chip, while the whole series is equipped with all-new wide-angle cameras with 50MP eye-track selfie. TECNOs Most Advanced AI Smartphone Revolutionizes AI Experience Beyond its advanced rapid-capture functionality, the integration of TECNO AI further enhances the capabilities of the CAMON 40 Series. As the TECNOs most advanced AI smartphone to date, it exemplifies a commitment to innovation that transcends hardware and software, extending into strategic partnerships that deliver cutting-edge AI solutions to emerging markets. , setting a new standard for AI-driven productivity, creativity, and efficiency. Matt Waldbusser, Managing Director of Global Solutions and Consumer AI at Google Cloud, remarked, Our collaboration with TECNO on the CAMON 40 Series is a standout example. Leveraging Google Clouds capabilities, weve introduced groundbreaking features such as Ask Ella, AI Image Generator, AI Writing, and AI Translate. I am particularly impressed by the industry-leading and competitive edge of some of these innovations. For instance, TECNOs AI supports text translation in 136 languages, voice translation in 44 languages, and photo translation in 51 languages. We are excited to further strengthen our partnership with TECNO, unlocking limitless potential to bring advanced yet practical AI capabilities to emerging markets in a convenient and secure manner. Matt Waldbusser, Managing Director of Global Solutions and Consumer AI at Google Cloud The CAMON 40 Series redefines AI-driven communication with worlds first phone with AI-Powered 360 AI Call Assistant. This includes TECNO's pioneering Call Noise Cancellation, an exclusive industry-first innovation for enhanced clarity, along with Call Translation for real-time multi-language communication, Auto Answer and Call Summary functions. Powered by MediaTeks latest chipsets, the series ensures smooth performance, fast processing, and extended battery life. With a sleek, durable, and water-resistant design, it seamlessly blends style with practicality for modern users. TECNO AI makes life more creative, convenient and efficient for global users MEGABOOK S14, the Worlds Lightest 14-inch OLED Laptop, Inspires Creators and Game Lovers The MEGABOOK S14 is TECNOs first OLED laptop and the industrys lightest 14-inch OLED laptop, featuring a 2.8K OLED display and incredibly weighing only 899g (31.7oz). The laptop is equipped with the outstanding power of the Snapdragon X Elite compute platform, the flagship chipset for AI PCs from Qualcomm Technologies, and integrates TECNOs worlds first self-developed edge-side large-scale AI model, to achieve AI-enhanced multitasking. Worlds Lightest 14-inch Laptop MEGABOOK S14 Specifically designed for next-gen AI productivity, TECNO AI enhances the Ella AI Assistant, AI-powered PPT generation, AI-driven image search, smart albums, and offline meeting transcription with multilingual support. The External Graphics Dock, equipped with a powerful NVIDIA graphic card, delivers scalable, high-performance capabilities for design, gaming, and content creation. The laptops 2.8K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate ensures exceptional visuals, while DTS:X Ultra dual 2W speakers, Wi-Fi 6E, fingerprint login, and PC Manager optimize connectivity and user experience. TECNO's strategic partnership with Qualcomm Technologies was a highlight of the TECNO AI Ecosystem Product Launch event, demonstrating a shared vision for the future of AI PCs. Kedar Kondap, SVP & GM of Compute and Gaming at Qualcomm, took the stage to discuss the integration of Qualcomms cutting-edge PC chipset into the new MEGABOOK S14 laptop, underscoring TECNOs commitment to delivering high-performance computing solutions. Kedar Kondap, SVP & GM of Compute and Gaming at Qualcomm In addition, TECNO also introduced several standout new products. The featherlight 999g (35.2oz) ultrabook MEGABOOK T14 Air, features high-speed storage and LPDDR5 memory, while the ultra-thin, all-metal MEGABOOK K15S, equipped with a powerful 70Wh battery and supported by a 65W PD GaN charger, offers a smarter and more long-lasting user experience. Both devices are empowered by TECNO AI with advanced AI capabilities such as AI Album and AI Voice Assistant, making them perfect companions for all aspects of life. The Next Game-Changing Tech Innovation: See the World with the TECNO AI Glasses Series TECNOs new AI Glasses Series also took center stage with the introduction of TECNO AI Glasses Pro and TECNO AI Glasses, reimagining eyewear with cutting-edge imaging, intelligent interactions, and a sleek aesthetic. The TECNO AI Glasses feature an aviator design, while the Pro model showcases a browline style, both embodying timeless elegance and modern fashion. TECNO AI Glasses Redefine the Way People See the Future Equipped with a 50MP high-definition camera, the series integrates an OV50D sensor, a 100 ultra-wide-angle custom lens, and an AI ISP imaging chip, forming a mobile-grade imaging system. This system lets users capture stunning, high-resolution photos with advanced AI noise reduction and HDR capabilities. With real-time translation supporting over 100 languages, TECNO AIs Ella empowers accurate translation even for less common languages, as well as voice control, AI-powered object recognition, and intelligent information summaries for ultimate convenience. Additionally, the AI Glasses Pro features a MicroLED display with 7th-gen resin waveguide technology, offering a 30 field of view, over 1,500 nits of brightness AR display, and a lightweight, ultra-thin design. The AR display allows users to effortlessly enjoy features like translation display, navigation, information prompts, and teleprompting. Equipped with a 250mAh battery, these glasses offer over 11 hours of music playback and 8 hours of mixed use with just 30 minutes of charging. An advanced ultra-linear speaker, bass enhancement, and spatial sound deliver an immersive audio experience, while Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 ensure seamless connectivity. Futuristic Concepts and Groundbreaking Innovations TECNO is also showcasing a range of boundary-pushing concept devices, advanced technologies and revolutionary materials in the AI Room experience zone at TECNOs booth at MWC Barcelona. Create the AI Future: TECNOs show booth at MWC Barcelona 2025 & overall product showcase This includes the SPARK Slim ultra-thin concept smartphone, a breakthrough concept creating the industrys slimmest device with a 5000mAh+ battery. This technology ensures sleekness without compromising on powerful performance and is set to lead the way in the next wave of ultra-thin smartphone design. The TECNO PHANTOM Ultimate 2, an ultra-thin tri-fold concept smartphone that reimagines the large-screen experience in a pocket-sized device, is also on show. First unveiled in August 2024, the physical prototype is now on display for the first time ever at MWC Barcelona 2025. As for innovative design development, TECNO is showcasing Starry Optical Fiber for the first time. Unveiled in January, the industry-first breakthrough technology combines ultra-fine optical fibers with mini-LED lights which are integrated into a smartphone battery cover to produce a sparkling starry effect. This technology will be showcased on the new PHANTOM V Fold2 5G Space Expedition Version concept the industrys first foldable smartphone with satellite communication and made with a Moondust Fiber material. Since its first MWC appearance in 2023, TECNO has continually transformed mobile experiences on the global stage. With these innovative launches, TECNO is setting new standards in mobile imaging and AI-enhanced technology, shaping a more connected and empowered future for consumers in emerging markets. With the brand essence of Stop at Nothing, TECNOs relentless pursuit of innovation is making AI-powered technology more accessible, allowing consumers to experience the future ahead of time. Following MWC Barcelona, TECNO Ghana will launch an experiential event for Ghanaian consumers. The event will kick off at the Accra Mall Food Court on the afternoon of March 14. Over the following weeks, consumers in Ghana will have the opportunity to experience and purchase the latest CAMON 40 Series and more products empowered by TECNO AI at multiple locations. For more information on the event, please kindly follow TECNO Ghana official social media channels and website. For any related media queries, please contact [email protected] About TECNO TECNO is an innovative, AI-driven technology brand with a presence in over 70 markets across five continents. Committed to transforming the digital experience in global emerging markets, TECNO relentlessly pursues the perfect integration of contemporary aesthetic design with the latest technologies and artificial intelligence. Today, TECNO offers a comprehensive ecosystem of AI-powered products, including smartphones, smart wearables, laptops, tablets, smart gaming devices, the HiOS operating system, and smart home products. Guided by its brand essence of Stop At Nothing, TECNO continues to pioneer the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and AI-driven experiences for forward-looking individuals, inspiring them to never stop pursuing their best selves and brightest futures. For more information, please visit TECNOs official site: www.tecno-mobile.com. The global smartwatch market experienced its first ever decline in 2024, falling by 7% compared to the previous year. Apple maintained its first position but experienced a significant 19% reduction in shipments. Huawei secured second place with a 35% surge in shipments thanks to a strong Chinese market and a diverse portfolio, ranging from basic wearables, kids' smartwatches, and advanced offerings. Samsung was third with a modest 3% increase in shipments thanks to the Galaxy Watch7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra lineups. Xiaomi's 2024 smartwatch year was strong with a 135% jump in yearly shipments. The main reason for the global market decline was the Indian market, where consumer demand diminished due to a slow replacement cycle, lack of innovation, and unsatisfactory user experiences among first-time buyers. On the other hand, the Chinese market was the biggest global market for the first time. It grew by 6% year-over-year, recording its highest ever shipments. Huawei, Imoo (formerly BKK), and Xiaomi were the frontrunners. The market is expected to slowly recover in 2025 on the heels of increased AI integration and advanced health monitoring in future smartwatches. Source We get yet another HTC phone today, even if it's the product of an ODM rather than the Taiwanese company itself. The Wildfire E5 Plus offers entry level specs, but at least a modern design. The phone is built around a 6.75-inch phone with 90Hz refresh rate and 720p+ resolution, likely an IPS LCD panel, even though it's not specifically mentioned. A Unisoc T606 chip ticks under the hood paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The latter can be expanded via the available microSD card slot. It's perhaps important to note that the chip doesn't have a 5G-capable modem. On the back, the Wildfire E5 Plus houses a 50MP main camera and a 2MP depth sensor, while a 16MP selfie camera sits in the teardrop-like notch on the front. The hardware draws power from a 5,000 mAh battery with no info on the charging rate. The handset runs on Android 14 out of the box. The Wildfire E5 Plus debuts in Vietnam first, priced at VND 2,379,000 (~$93). No info on the potential global rollout, but we wouldn't count on it. Via Suete, an endangered koko bird, has become a powerful symbol of hope and connection across Guam, touching hearts of all ages. His impact transcends mere observation, fostering a deep emotional bond and a renewed appreciation for our islands unique wildlife. In my role with the Department of Agricultures Division of Aquatics and Wildlife Resources, specifically with the Kontra i Kulepbla Challenge the Snake Program, Ive had the privilege of witnessing Suetes extraordinary influence firsthand. Alongside colleagues, who work on conservation projects to save our indigenous wildlife, my dedication stems from a shared passion for protecting Guams endangered species. The KIK Program focuses on educating and engaging the community about the brown tree snakes impact, aiming to inspire a collective effort to safeguard our islands biodiversity. We meet people where they are in their understanding, providing accessible education and outreach. Sharing my car rides with Suete to schools and organizations has been a remarkable experience. This confident, patient, and curious bird, who loves investigating hoodie strings, has a unique ability to connect with people. Some days he allows me to hold him gently, while other days he prefers to explore his surroundings, pacing the table, and observing the crowd. The most striking observation is Suetes ability to evoke a sense of childlike wonder in adults. Regardless of age, he seems to transport them back to their childhood, igniting a genuine love and concern for a species smaller than us. This is a powerful lesson in caring for the vulnerable, a message Suete consistently conveys with every visit. In todays world, this reminder of compassion and protection is more crucial than ever. Suetes impact is not just anecdotal. In fiscal 2024 alone, he participated in 22 presentations and events, reaching approximately 1,100 individuals ranging from 1 to 90 years old. He embodies the Kontra i Kulepbla Challenge mission of meeting people where they are, fostering understanding and inspiring action. From a Finegayan Elementary kindergarteners inquiry on how he may obtain a koko, to the insightful discussions at Southern High, Suetes presence sparks meaningful conversations about conservation. At Southern High, social studies teacher Joaquin Diego eloquently contextualized Suetes rarity, urging students to appreciate the opportunity to see him up close. He further expanded on the discussion of funding, highlighting the allocation of resources and the crucial role of DAWR. Ultimately, he challenged the students to consider their future roles in safeguarding their island, underscoring the urgency of conservation efforts. Suetes visits are more than mere encounters; they are catalysts for education, inspiration, and a renewed commitment to protecting Guams precious wildlife. For more information on Suetes next public appearance, contact yolonda.topasna@doag.guam.gov. Micronesia Mall on Tuesday launched two charging stations for electric vehicles in a bid to encourage more residents to use EVs and promote sustainability. Atkins Kroll BMW, Triple J Technologies, Pacific Solar and DC signs teamed up with Micronesia Mall for the project, which provides drivers with broader vehicle choices and convenience for the EV community. The two EV charging stations are located at Micronesia Mall's south parking garage near Ross. Clark Boswell, Atkins Kroll general manager and vice president, said the EV charging stations represent more than a place for residents to recharge. "Today marks a really exciting step towards a more sustainable future as we officially unveil these two charging stations," Boswell said. "This is a lot more than just infrastructure, it's about supporting the EV community, providing convenience and helping Guam move towards a greater cleaner future." Jay Jones, Triple J senior vice president, shared the company's goal towards continuing their mission to provide more opportunities for customers looking to make a clean switch to electric vehicles. We realized the need for charging stations on the island and we took the leap to come up with a charging solution and weve made good progress, Jones said. Its going to help everyone out there who is looking for a greater solution to their vehicle choices so were really looking forward to developing this network in the upcoming years. With the help of Triple J Technologies, general manager James Rosenberg II said the company was able to complete nine charging stations within the past two years on the island and are looking towards completing a total of 12. Jesselyn Gigi Tan Yu, CEO/president of Good Wind Development Corp., said the launch contributes to Micronesia Malls commitment towards a greener Guam. "With the growth in the number of e-vehicles and in line with our efforts to assist a reduction of fossil fuel use, we embark on this project to support the growth of EV vehicles on Guam, she said. In an interview, she also said Micronesia Mall is always looking to do more for the community, contributing to charities and hosting community events, and that the launch of the EV charging stations marks another venture to help island residents. Atkins Kroll BMW and Triple J Technologies provided demonstrations of their latest electric vehicles, the 2025 BMW iX and 2025 Mazda CX-90 PHEV. Guam joins the rest of the nation in celebrating March as American Red Cross Month, honoring those whose mission is to provide compassionate assistance to communities in need when a typhoon, earthquake, fire and other disasters strike. "Celebrate all volunteers and staff who perpetuate the quest to be a beacon of hope in a time of crisis," according to a proclamation declaring March 2025 American Red Cross Month that Monica Duenas, board secretary for the Guam Chapter of the American Red Cross, read during Wednesday's signing ceremony at Adelup. The proclamation recognizes the vital work of the Red Cross, especially its disaster relief, preparedness, and community support efforts on the island. Marcus Fong, chairman of the board of American Red Cross Guam Chapter, said Wednesday's proclamation marked the beginning of an annual tradition that celebrates the enduring spirit of service and compassion of the Red Cross. "Were here today to bring this tradition home and, more importantly, to celebrate the work of our local chapter, Fong said. "Whether it's responding to typhoons, comforting families displaced by disasters, or teaching preparedness classes...these heroes embody the spirit of service that defines the Red Cross." Fong said no matter how resilient a community is, it benefits from external support. "The local Red Cross chapter is supported by an organization of regional and national experts, with resources that we would not have on our own. This network is an important behind-the-scenes part of our support system," he added. Chita Blaise, the chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Guam Chapter, said without volunteers, the island chapter wont be able to accomplish the mission of providing assistance in times of disaster and alleviating suffering in times of emergencies. At the signing ceremony, Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio said Guam truly saw the power of partnership with the Red Cross during the recovery efforts after Typhoon Mawar hit in May 2023. "That was truly a remarkable response," Tenorio said. "The amount of shelter assistance and sustenance provided to our people and responders helped stabilize the island and gave us support during a critical time." Tenorio also acknowledged the importance of daily partnerships with the Red Cross, such as the first aid and CPR training it provides to first responders and law enforcement officers. He noted that the Red Cross's daily contributions allow government agencies to serve the people of Guam more effectively. "As we reflect on the remarkable work of the Guam chapter of the American Red Cross today, we recognize their unwavering commitment to our island, Tenorio said. Their reputation for being relevant and effective speaks volumes. Today, our government gets to celebrate their invaluable contribution and remind the people of Guam why we are so fortunate to have the American Red Cross here. While the Red Cross was established in 1863, then The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the tradition of celebrating Red Cross Month began in 1943, when President Franklin Roosevelt declared the first Red Cross Month to honor the organizations crucial role in supporting soldiers during World War II. Defense attorneys for Michael Marasigan, Jose Arthur Chan Jr., and Christine C. Chan in a bingo proceeds conspiracy case scored a minor victory in District Court of Guam Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewoods courtroom on the eve of jury selection. At a continued pre-trial conference held Wednesday, the attorneys went back and forth with the judge on the language that will be presented to the jurors, as selection begins at 10 a.m. Thursday in federal court. About 160 prospective jurors were summoned to the court to see which of them will comprise the trial panel of 12 jurors and four alternates. Of particular concern for attorney Michael Phillips, who represents Marasigan along with attorney David Lujan, was language that accused his client of operating an illegal gambling scheme. He has argued that there was nothing illegal about the bingo games that were running, as the suspects held non-profit status as Guam Shrine Club members, operating with the blessing of Guams Department of Revenue and Taxation. In the end, Tydingco-Gatewood agreed, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marivic David also agreed that the suspects would not be charged with illegal gambling during trial. It is a slight blow to the governments case, as plea agreements with the other defendants used the phrase illegal gambling hundreds of times. Marasigan and the Chans face various conspiracy counts, including money laundering and fraud. Marasigan is accused of pocketing about $14 million in bingo proceeds between 2015 and 2021, and Christine Chan received about $1 million in that same time. The case started almost two years ago. Also indicted were Alfredo Leon Guerrero, Minda San Nicolas, and Juanita Capulong, but the latter three pleaded guilty pursuant to an agreement, and are expected to testify as witnesses for the government. According to court charging documents, the defendants operated Guam Shrine Clubs Hafa Adai Bingo in Tamuning by conducting an illegal gambling business by conducting bingo games and retaining profits. After the illegal gambling charge was removed Wednesday, there are still many allegations to defend, including the conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to court documents, more than $34 million of bingo money were deposited into various Guam Shrine Club and credit union accounts during the more than six years of bingo operations. The officers of Guam Shrine Club were also accused of misrepresenting financial statements to DRT during those six years, but no charges were filed for that. Starting Thursday, about half of the 160 potential jurors will head to District Court to answer questions as the judge and attorneys will whittle that number to the final 16 jurors. Following jury selection, opening statements in the trial will start next week. Haiti - FLASH : FAA extends flight ban on Port-au-Prince On Wednesday, March 11, 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a NOTAM (Notice to Pilots) extending until at least September 2025 the ban on U.S. airliners landing in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. The previous ban was imposed in November 2024 after armed gangs opened fire on three U.S. commercial airliners flying over Port-au-Prince's Toussaint Louverture International Airporthttps://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43826-haiti-flash-faa-extends-restrictions-on-us-aircraft-flights-to-haiti-until-march-2025.html and was set to expire on Wednesday. The FAA has now decided to extend this ban until at least September 8, 2025... Although U.S. air carriers, including cargo and commercial flights, may fly over Port-au-Prince airspace, they are prohibited from landing at the airport without prior FAA authorization. Note that this ban also applies to La Gonave Island. This NOTAM applies to all U.S. air carriers and commercial operators; All persons exercising the privileges of an FAA-issued airman's certificate, except for persons operating U.S.-registered aircraft for a foreign air carrier and all operators of U.S.-registered civil aircraft, unless the operator of such aircraft is a foreign air carrier. This distinction has allowed the private Haitian airline Sunrise Airways to continue operating the only direct flights between Haiti and Miami International Airport (from Cap-Haitien). Although Toussaint Louverture International Airport is technically open, no domestic flights are in operation except for a few missionary flights, U.S. military aircraft bringing supplies for Kenyan-led security forces, and a few charters from other countries. To leave Haiti, people must fly from Hugo Chavez International Airport in Cap-Haitien, forcing travelers to navigate the dangers of gang-controlled roads. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43826-haiti-flash-faa-extends-restrictions-on-us-aircraft-flights-to-haiti-until-march-2025.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-43680-icihaiti-notice-faa-eases-flight-ban-in-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43621-haiti-flash-us-airlines-banned-from-flying-over-haiti-for-30-days.html Sl/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping FLASH : Aruba Airlines Announces PAP/MIA Flights Aruba Airlines announces the launch of scheduled direct flights from Port-au-Prince to Miami International Airport (MIA), twice weekly, aboard an Aruba Airlines Airbus 320, with a capacity of 185 seats, starting March 28, 2025. Winds of Change at the CPT Fritz Alphonse Jean, barely installed as head of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT), wants to transform the Council's image and focus on security. No Council of Ministers meeting this week. The appointment of Directors General is no longer a priority, and instructions will be given to limit abuses by delegates. Dr. Laurent Beauge shot dead On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, pulmonologist Dr. Laurent Beauge, former Secretary of State for Health, was shot dead by unidentified individuals shortly before noon near his residence on Marien Street in Delmas 31, while he was driving his vehicle. According to Justice of the Peace Alberic Jean Joseph, the victim was shot at least four times. The exact circumstances of this assassination are currently unknown. Voluntary return of 226 Haitians from Turkey On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 226 Haitians (106 men, 95 women, and 25 children) arrived in Port-au-Prince via a charter flight operated by the Turkish airline Air Anka, courtesy of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). They were welcomed at Toussaint Louverture International Airport by Georges Wilbert Franck, Minister of Social Affairs, and Jean Negot Bonheur, General Coordinator of the National Organization for Migration (ONM). These compatriots returned to Haiti voluntarily due to the harsh, precarious conditions they were living in in Turkey. A stipend of 10,000 gourdes was provided to each migrant to facilitate their reintegration, and those with children received an additional 5,000 gourdes per child. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38793-haiti-sosmore-than-5-000-haitians-stranded-in-turkey-want-to-return-home.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-37278-icihaiti-social-301-haitians-repatriated-from-turkey.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37261-haiti-turkey-135-haitians-voluntarily-repatriated-to-haiti.html Launch of the PapJazz Festival 2025: On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, the Haiti Jazz Foundation officially launched its 18th edition, the Port-au-Prince, Jazz Festival (PapJazz). The event organizers promise "a rich and exciting program" for participants during two exceptional evenings on March 21 and 22, 2025. Increase in cholera cases 148 people with cholera have been admitted to the cholera treatment unit managed by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Cite Soleil, MSF announced in a press release, while cholera cases have also been reported in Fond Baptiste, Arcahaie. HL/ HaitiLibre When US programmer Davis L. feared being fired, he planted malware in his employer's IT systems. The malicious code was supposed to become active as soon as his user account in the Active Directory was shut down. It happened as feared. Now L. has been convicted. Anzeige A jury at the US Federal District Court for Northern Ohio has found L. guilty of deliberately damaging protected computers. He faces up to ten years in prison. The specific sentence will be determined by the presiding judge at a later date. The defendant has basically confessed to the facts of the case, but considers himself not guilty as charged. He has announced an appeal against the guilty verdict. L. had been working for an international group based in Ohio and Ireland, which also has subsidiaries in Germany, since November 2007. In 2018, the man was demoted in the course of a restructuring. He then began sabotaging the employer. The malicious code According to the indictment (1:21-cr-00226), he installed endless program loops that made Java virtual machines unusable and prevented users from accessing servers. He is also alleged to have deleted profile files of colleagues. Then there was the time bomb: this consisted of a routine called IsDLEnabledinAD (Is Davis L. activated in Active Director). It checked whether L.'s user account was still active. As soon as it was no longer active, the access of all other users was to be blocked. In fact, the employer terminated L. in September 2019 and deactivated his account in the Active Directory. As a result, the code bomb exploded and tens of thousands of users in several countries were unable to continue working. This caused considerable damage to the employer. Read also Investment firms pay millions in fines for Whatsapp use According to a statement from the US Department of Justice, the perpetrator also behaved in a different and unwise manner. When the employer demanded the return of the company laptop, the man is said to have deleted data from it. The course of the web search is said to have revealed that the programmer was looking for methods to improperly extend his access rights, hide software processes and delete files as quickly as possible. Anzeige The indictment from the year 2021 (ds) Don't miss any news follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Mastodon. This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication. Clinical tests without approval, autonomous cars without regulations, nuclear reactors and nuclear energy without state supervision and a special economic zone in which there are hardly any taxes to pay and workers' rights are also suspended. This is how numerous heads of big tech companies and US investors envision the future from Peter Thiel to Sam Altman and Marc Andreessen. Donald Trump is supposed to make it possible. During the 2023 election campaign, he had already talked about making such Freedom Cities possible in the USA. Anzeige There has already been a Freedom City since 2020: Prospera on the Honduran island of Roatan, which was financed by Thiel and Andreessen, among others. This was approved by the former government of Honduras, but after a change, local start-ups are facing fears. The current government considers the status to be illegal, the citizens are said to reject the project and there is a legal dispute over the revocation of the special status. There have been plans to establish such cities in the USA for some time. Wired is now reporting on meetings between the group and representatives of the White House. The interest group is called the Freedom Cities Coalition. "Unleash America's dynamism with Freedom Cities" is the slogan on the FCC website. The "prosperity zones" are a unique opportunity to solve the housing market crisis, bring American manufacturing home and unleash the full potential of American businesses. Freedom Cities by decree or Congress The page goes on to discuss the modernization of the regulatory system and how such a Freedom City could be legally implemented. The criticism of the current situation is that there is a risk of losing millions of jobs if nothing is changed, innovation is slowed down and global leadership is jeopardized as a result. Not a word about the fact that regulation can protect people. Democratic principles would not apply, the power would lie with the owners of the cities or the CEOs. According to Wired, large production centers are to be built in the cities. Trey Goff, Chief of Staff of Prospera and FCC member, told the magazine that construction companies could bypass the environmental review process, for example. One of the startups based on the island is Minicircle a biotech startup funded by Thiel and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. One of the founders of Minicircle, Mac Davis, told Wired that he would like to see a city where everyone and their dog receives gene therapy, a "city of longevity". Anzeige SpaceX, Tesla and Anduril are also among the beneficiaries of such cities because they rely on autonomous systems that are regulated in the USA. Sam Altman, for example, is involved with Oklo, his nuclear company, which is also subject to government restrictions. However, completely free handling of data and resources could also bring advantages for AI providers. It is unclear how far the talks with the White House have progressed. What is clear is that they are taking place and Goff expects a result by the end of the year. The FCC describes three options for the establishment of Freedom Cities: Trump could sign an executive order under which certain geographical areas could be converted such a decree comes with restrictions. Another option would therefore be for Congress to approve a permanent agreement under which "special regulatory and tax zones" can be established. As a third approach, the FCC speaks of a "federal enclave concept" in which Congress agrees to "special jurisdictional zones with comprehensive legal frameworks and strongest legal powers". (emw) Don't miss any news follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Mastodon. This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication. The initiative was developed in collaboration with the Finnish Association of the Deaf, the Signing Families Association, the Finnish Parents of Deaf Children Association, and the Helsinki Disability Council. A new bilingual daycare in Helsinki is providing children the opportunity to communicate in both Finnish and Finnish Sign Language. Since August 2024, all sign language early childhood education in the city has been centralised at Paivakoti Taneli in Pitajanmaki, a move aimed at promoting inclusion, equality, and language development for children who are deaf or have hearing impairments. Previously, sign language education was scattered across different daycare centres, often leaving deaf children isolated in groups of hearing peers. Paivakoti Taneli now has a fully integrated group of 20 children, including both hearing and deaf children. The daycare employs five staff members with different language skills: a sign language-proficient assistant, a deaf childcare worker, a sign language-speaking teacher, a Finnish-speaking teacher, and a special education teacher. In addition, three interpreters assist in daily activities. According to daycare director Sara Haavikko, the shift to a bilingual environment has been seamless. Children have naturally adapted, forming friendships and progressing in both spoken and signed communication. Parents have also responded positively, appreciating the inclusive setting where children of deaf parents and siblings of deaf children can benefit from a bilingual environment. The daycare sets aside places for children who are deaf or use sign language as a home language. If demand exceeds capacity, priority is given to children with hearing impairments. Applications for sign language early education are processed twice a year, with deadlines four months before the intended start date. HT Ukrainian and US officials reached the agreement during negotiations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that "the ball is now in Moscows court." The ceasefire would mark the first official pause in hostilities since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Ukraine has accepted a 30-day ceasefire proposal brokered by the United States, but its implementation now depends on Russias approval. Ukraine had initially proposed a more limited ceasefire covering air and naval operations. However, the US pushed for a full ceasefire along the front lines, which Ukraine accepted on the condition that Russia does the same. Despite the agreement, doubts remain over whether Moscow will comply. Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia has previously violated multiple ceasefires in the past, particularly following the 2014 conflict in Donbas. "Ukraine is willing to try again, but there is no guarantee this will lead to a lasting peace," reported Maxim Fedorov, Yles Ukraine correspondent. Terms of the agreement According to a joint statement released after the Jeddah talks, the US has committed to continuing military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine as part of the deal. The agreement also includes plans for further negotiations on a minerals trade deal, which would involve cooperation in the extraction and utilization of Ukraines natural resources. If Russia accepts the ceasefire terms, Ukraine and Russia would need to agree on simultaneous implementation. After the initial 30-day period, both sides could extend the ceasefire by mutual consent. The announcement of the agreement came just hours before Russian forces launched missile strikes on Kyiv, raising concerns about Moscows intentions. While the ceasefire proposal represents a diplomatic breakthrough, it remains uncertain whether it will lead to a long-term resolution. Ukrainian officials have emphasized that any rushed or unfavorable peace deal could increase the risk of future Russian aggression. HT BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, concluded its third session Tuesday. Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders including Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attended the closing meeting of the session at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Entrusted by the session's presidium, Li Hongzhong, executive chairperson of the presidium, presided over the meeting attended by 2,884 NPC deputies. Lawmakers approved the government work report. They adopted a decision to amend the Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels. President Xi signed a presidential order to promulgate the decision. Lawmakers approved a report on the implementation of the 2024 plan for national economic and social development and the 2025 draft plan, and approved the 2025 plan. They approved a report on the execution of the central and local budgets for 2024 and the draft central and local budgets for 2025, and approved the central budget for 2025. They also approved the work reports of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. Addressing the meeting, Li Hongzhong urged rigorous implementation of the arrangements made at the NPC session and high-quality accomplishment of the goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. Li also called for practicing whole-process people's democracy, focusing on managing China's own affairs well, and working tirelessly to build China into a strong country and advance national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization. A presidium meeting and an executive chairpersons meeting were also held on Tuesday before the closing meeting. China, with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, automation, electric vehicles, high-speed rail and advanced materials, is now transforming to a more technology-focused model. by Xinhua writer Liu Yanan NEW YORK, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Progress driven by technology has become an important highlight of the Chinese economy, as the country continues making strides in fourth-industrial revolution technologies, a U.S. scholar has said. China, with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, automation, electric vehicles, high-speed rail and advanced materials, is now transforming to a more technology-focused model, and it's been very successful, said Mitchell Presnick, visiting fellow at Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University. Saying that he has tried Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek and social media platform rednote and the experience was impressive, Presnick described it as "a wakeup call to people in the West who didn't realize that China was so advanced in AI." "I never believed that only one model could work. I always knew that China would use its own way to innovate," said Presnick, adding that he is impressed by China's capacity to commercialize technology innovations. Presnick also sees potential for Chinese and U.S. companies to collaborate in joint ventures in many parts of the world. He said China and the United States have the opportunity to create a new bilateral relationship in the 21st century, which could help build global stability and prosperity for years to come. Presnick said that the United States and China need each other, and "the reality is the United States and China are two halves of a symbiotic relationship." President Donald Trump warned that "monster" nuclear bombs, and not climate change, pose the biggest threat for humanity at the moment, adding that they could "end the world" almost instantly. Speaking to Fox News, Trump said the greatest threat is "sitting on shelves in various countries called 'nuclear weapons' that are big monsters that can blow your heads off for miles and miles and miles." Trump then lamented the large amounts of money that need to be spent to maintain them, saying "it's just bad that you have to spend all this money on something that if it's used, it's probably the end of the world." "They talk about the climate and they talk about the dangers of the climate but they don't talk about the dangers of a nuclear weapon, which could happen tomorrow," the president added, rejecting that climate change is the biggest threat humanity faces. Trump has also warned that China, which holds the largest nuclear stockpile after Russia and the United States, will likely catch up within the decade. And said he wants to restart arms control talks with the countries: "You could destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over. And here we are building new nuclear weapons, and they're building nuclear weapons." Despite the warning, the U.S.'s handling of nuclear weapons made headlines last month after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, abruptly terminated hundreds of nuclear weapons specialists at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)only to scramble to bring them back days later. The warning also comes as the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved in January its iconic Doomsday Clock the closest its ever been to midnightjust 89 seconds away. The move of the clock, a symbolic measure of how close humanity is to catastrophe, was attributed to mounting global threats including nuclear proliferation, climate change, geopolitical instability, and the integration of artificial intelligence in military operations. "When you are at this precipice, the one thing you don't want to do is take a step forward," said Daniel Holz, chair of the group's science and security board. The Bulletin highlighted growing concerns over nuclear programs in countries like North Korea, Russia, and China, and raised alarms about Russian President Vladimir Putin's threats to use nuclear weapons amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. "A lot of the rhetoric is very disturbing," Holz said. "There is this growing sense that ... some nation might end up using nuclear weapons, and that's terrifying." Other risks, including climate inaction, instability in the Middle East, and the lingering threat of pandemics, also played a role in advancing the clock. The Doomsday Clock, created in 1947, has been adjusted over the years to reflect humanity's proximity to self-destruction. After the Cold War, it stood as far as 17 minutes to midnight. In recent years, it has been measured in seconds to underscore the accelerating pace of existential threats. The Bulletin emphasized that the clock's hands can be moved back, but doing so will require world leaders to respond to global threats with urgency. As it stands, the group warns that humanity remains at its most vulnerable point in history. Originally published on Latin Times Fires were raging on Tuesday after a cargo ship laden with toxic materials slammed into a tanker carrying flammable jet fuel in the North Sea, as questions mounted about how the accident happened. There were also growing fears that any spill from the collision could harm the local environment and coastline, home to seals, porpoises and some protected waders and waterfowl. Images on the BBC Tuesday showed a large hole in the side of the Stena Immaculate tanker as huge plumes of thick, black smoke rose from the stationary ships with smaller boats dousing the vessels with water. The fires were "still going on" nearly 24 hours after the Portuguese-flagged Solong cargo ship ploughed into the Stena Immaculate tanker, anchored about 10 miles (16 kilometres) off the northeastern port of Hull, nearby Grimsby port chief executive Martyn Boyers told AFP. One crew member was also still missing, he said. The Stena Immaculate was on a short-term US military charter with Military Sealift Command, according to a spokesperson for the command that operates civilian-crewed ships for the US Defense Department. Crowley, the US-based operator of the tanker, said the crash had "ruptured" the ship's tank "containing A1-jet fuel" and triggered a fire, with fuel "reported released". The UK government's Marine Accident Investigation Branch has launched a probe into Monday's accident to determine the next steps. The UK Coastguard halted search operations late on Monday after rescuing 36 crew members from both ships. It was not immediately clear if the search had resumed early on Tuesday. "One crew member of the Solong remains unaccounted for. After an extensive search for the missing crew member sadly they have not been found and the search has ended," said Matthew Atkinson, divisional commander for the Coastguard. The Stena Immaculate was carrying around 220,000 barrels of jet fuel, according to the maritime information service, Lloyd's List Intelligence. The Solong was laden with 15 containers of sodium cyanide, it added, but authorities have not confirmed that and it is not known if any of the flammable compound had leaked. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was hosting his weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday, called the situation "extremely concerning". Quoting government sources, the Daily Telegraph said there was nothing so far to indicated that "foul play" had caused the crash, but it could not be ruled out. A spokesman for the government's Marine Accident Investigation Branch said a team sent to Grimsby was "gathering evidence and undertaking a preliminary assessment". Dutch maritime servicing company Boskalis told the ANP news agency it had been tasked with salvaging the Stena Immaculate and was "fully mobilising". Four ships with firefighting capacity were on their way to the site, a Boskalis spokesperson said, adding the tanker would need to be "cooled down" before the fire could be extinguished. The investigation was being led by US and Portuguese authorities, as the ships were flagged from their countries, housing minister Matthew Pennycook told Times Radio. "We're obviously very alive to the potential impact on the environment," he said, but added the Coastguard was well equipped to deal with any oil spills. "The good news is... it's not like a crude oil spill," Ivor Vince, founder of ASK Consultants, an environmental risk advisory group, told AFP. "Most of it will evaporate quite quickly and what doesn't evaporate will be degraded by microorganisms quite quickly," he added. Paul Johnston, a senior scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories at Exeter University, said: "We are extremely concerned about the multiple toxic hazards." Sodium cyanide is "a highly toxic chemical that could cause serious harm", he explained. All vessel movements were "suspended" in the Humber estuary that flows into the North Sea, according to Associated British Ports (ABP), which operates in the Ports of Hull and Immingham in the region. The German Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said it was also dispatching a vessel capable of fire fighting and oil recovery. "We don't want to see wildlife dying. It's a chain of events, it affects the wildlife which could then affect other" species, she added. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has stripped security clearances from a bunch of top officials under the Biden administration, including some key figures who went after U.S. President Donald Trump, further intensifying concerns that Trump is back at the White House with a vengeance. Gabbard made the announcement on X Monday, saying they she has revoked the security clearances of top officials who served under ex-President Joe Biden. She went on to reveal that the President's Daily Brief is no longer being forwarded to Biden a move mirroring Biden's when he took the presidency. The brief had been traditionally shared with former presidents but Biden was first to stop the tradition with Trump. Per @POTUS directive, I have revoked security clearances and barred access to classified information for Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Lisa Monaco, Mark Zaid, Norman Eisen, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, and Andrew Weissman, along with the 51 signers of the Hunter Biden DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) March 10, 2025 Which Officials Were Stripped of Security Clearances? Notably, the intelligence chief said the key Biden admin officials who saw their security clearances revoked have also been "barred access to classified information." Antony Blinken Former Secretary of State Former Secretary of State Jake Sullivan Former National Security Advisor Former National Security Advisor Lisa Monaco Former Deputy Attorney General, who also oversaw prosecutions against Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol in Jan. 6, 2021 a chaotic event that resulted in the deaths of five people Former Deputy Attorney General, who also oversaw prosecutions against Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol in Jan. 6, 2021 a chaotic event that resulted in the deaths of five people Mark Zaid A lawyer specializing in national security who represented the whistleblower at center of the first impeachment inquiry on Trump A lawyer specializing in national security who represented the whistleblower at center of the first impeachment inquiry on Trump Letitia James New York Attorney General who has had a storied history of clashes with Trump over the years New York Attorney General who has had a storied history of clashes with Trump over the years Norman Eisen An attorney who was part of the legal counsel in the first Trump impeachment An attorney who was part of the legal counsel in the first Trump impeachment Alvin Bragg The Manhattan district attorney who secured a conviction against Trump over the hush money case The Manhattan district attorney who secured a conviction against Trump over the hush money case Andrew Weissman A prominent attorney and professor who co-hosted the MSNBC podcast "Prosecuting Donald Trump" A prominent attorney and professor who co-hosted the MSNBC podcast "Prosecuting Donald Trump" The 51 signers "of the Hunter Biden 'disinformation' letter," which suggested that Russia may have contributed to the amplification of allegation around the ex-president's son as part of efforts to influence the 2020 election results Trump Turns on Vendetta Mode, Zaid Calls Out Retaliation Zaid has since commented on the matter, saying he has had such clearance for nearly 25 years due to the work he does and was entitled due process over the matter. "Not surprisingly, as I would expect in an authoritarian state, I have received none," he said of his entitlement to due process, as per an emailed statement to NBC News. "It is patently obvious this action is nothing but petty retaliation because I represent my clients effectively in holding the Trump Administration accountable for its actions," he said. Gabbard's announcement came following an Inauguration Day executive order by Trump that ordered the revocation of security clearances held by "the former intelligence officials who engaged in misleading political coordination with the 2020 Biden presidential campaign." Originally published on IBTimes Separatist fighters attacked and seized a Peshawar-bound train on Tuesday. The attack occurred as the Jaffar Express, traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, was ambushed by separatist militants. Initially, nearly 450 passengers were taken hostage, including women and children. Later, local media reported that the militants released several civilian hostages but took 182 people captive, including military personnel. The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that security forces had been among those taken hostage and that six military personnel were killed during the assault. Shahid Rind, a provincial spokesperson, confirmed that an emergency had been declared at a major hospital in Sibi city, about 160 kilometers southeast of Quetta, following reports of intense firing near the train. The BLA, in a statement, claimed that six military personnel had been killed in the attack and that several security officers were among the hostages. The group also issued a warning, threatening retaliation if security forces launched an operation to free the captives. There has been no immediate comment from Pakistan's military on the incident. The Jaffar Express, which covers a 1,600 km route with over 30 stops, resumed services in October after a two-month suspension caused by a previous BLA-claimed attack on the track in Balochistan. The region, rich in minerals and natural resources, has been the site of ongoing tensions between the Pakistani government and ethnic Baloch separatists, who seek secession from the country. This is a developing story. Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday that it is open to reaching a 30-day ceasefire agreement with Russia should Moscow approve, leading the U.S. to resume weapons shipments and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. The announcement took place following discussions between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia focused on ending the war. President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow later this week. He could meet President Vladimir Putin and get the country's response to the matter. The details of the potential ceasefire have not been disclosed, but The Associated Press reported earlier on Tuesday that it would cover the Black Sea and long-range missile strikes, as well as the release of prisoners. Another report, this one by Bloomberg, cautioned that Western Security officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin has no intention of compromising on land, peacekeepers and Ukrainian neutrality demands, potentially complicating any positive outcome. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the report, saying "Russia is open for peace efforts, for peace settlement around Ukraine, and we actually prefer to reach our goals through peaceful and diplomatic means." "If today and tomorrow shows that Ukraine is ready for negotiations, it will be a different story." However, the outlet had reported last week that Putin was ready to begin discussing a potential ceasefire with Ukraine provided some conditions are met, including the conformation of a peacekeeping mission. The offer was conveyed last months during talks in Saudi Arabia between U.S. and Russian officials. Moscow indicated that any cessation of hostilities would need to include a clear understanding regarding the framework of a final peace agreement. Originally published on Latin Times A high school student in Louisiana was shot and killed after getting off a school bus in what authorities believe was a targeted attack, according to a report. Anthony Robinson, a student at Scotlandville High School, got off the school bus when the suspect "ran him down and shot him," Lt. L'Jean McKneely, a police spokesperson, told The Advocate. Baton Rouge police have arrested 16-year-old and charged him with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and illegal use of weapons. "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic loss of one of our own, 17-year-old Anthony Robinson, who was taken from us due to senseless and unnecessary violence Monday afternoon," Scotlandville High School said in a statement posted by WAFB-9. "This heartbreaking event has deeply impacted our school community. As we mourn this devastating loss, we want to assure you that the Baton Rouge Police Department is actively investigating and working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy," the statement reads. According to The Advocate, the shooting happened at around 2:50 p.m. Police believe that Robinson and the 16-year-old suspect had had a prior altercation. Originally published on Lawyer Herald US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that negotiators were headed to Russia "right now" for talks on a possible ceasefire with Ukraine, after Kyiv agreed to a 30-day truce. Trump did not give further details on the negotiating team. "People are going to Russia right now as we speak. And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with Ireland's prime minister. "And if we do, I think that would be 80 percent of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath finished." Vice President JD Vance, who was also in the meeting, added that there were "conversations that are happening on the phone and in person with some of our representatives over the next couple of days." Trump would not say when he would next speak to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, but added that "I hope he's going to have a ceasefire" and that there had been "positive messages" from Moscow. "It's up to Russia now," said Trump. Trump was coy about pressuring Moscow to agree to a truce, saying he could slap it with "devastating" sanctions but adding that "I hope that's not going to be necessary." "I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don't want to do that because I want to get peace," Trump added. His comments come less than two weeks after an explosive row between Trump, Vance and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office in front of television cameras. Trump halted military aid after the argument to pressure Kyiv, which agreed to a US-proposed plan for a 30-day ceasefire at talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The Public Integrity Section of the Justice Department, which is tasked with overseeing prosecutions of public officials accused of corruption, is set to be slashed in size, with only around a half-dozen employees remaining. The decision was reported by NBC News, which quoted three officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. They said that only a small fraction of its employees will remain employed, and the unit will no longer directly handle investigations or prosecutions. According to the Justice Department, leaders are "taking a broad look" at its structure, cautioning no final decisions had been made. Prosecutors have been reportedly told they will be asked to take new assignments in the department and that as few as five lawyers may remain in the unit. U.S. attorney's offices around the country are expected to take on the cases that the section was prosecuting. The group was created in 1976 following the Watergate scandal and is tasked with overseeing criminal prosecutions of federal public corruption cases across the country. At the end of the Biden administration there were about 30 prosecutors in the unit. The section also oversees the department's handling of election crimes like voter fraud and campaign finance offenses. Under the Biden administration it was also home to the election threats task force, launched to combat a growing number of threats of violence against election workers. David Laufman, a former head of DOJ's counterintelligence section who served in both Republican nd Democratic administrations, questioned the move. "The only reasonable interpretation of this extraordinary action is that the administration wants to transfer responsibility for public corruption cases from career attorneys at Main Justice to political appointees heading U.S. attorney's offices," Laufman said. The decision, he added, raises "serious questions about whether future investigations and prosecutions will be motivated by improper partisan considerations." The Justice Department has already paused enforcement of a decades-old law that prohibits companies from bribing foreign governments to win business. Most notably, the Department also moved to drop the corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. After federal prosecutors in New York refused to drop the charges, Trump appointees at the Justice Department headquarters in Washington asked members of the Public Integrity Section to do so. John Keller, the acting head of the section, refused to drop the Adams charges and resigned, two sources said. Three other members of the section also resigned. The next day, Emil Bove, then the acting deputy attorney general, held a video meeting with other members of the Public Integrity Section, and urged one of them to sign a filing asking a judge to dismiss the charges against Adams. Prosecutors noted that DOJ officials were not permanently dropping the charges against Adams. Instead, they were moving to dismiss the indictment "without prejudice," a legal maneuver that would allow federal prosecutors to restore the charges at any time for instance, if Adams were to stop cooperating with Trump's immigration policies. Originally published on Latin Times Ukraine's Western allies increased pressure on Russia on Wednesday to respond to a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire plan after Ukraine supported the initiative aimed at ending the three-year war. In its first comments on the proposal, the Kremlin said it was waiting for details from Washington. President Donald Trump's administration lifted a freeze on military aid to Ukraine after Kyiv accepted the ceasefire proposal, marking the latest shift in the ongoing conflict. "The idea of a 30-day ceasefire is an important and correct step towards a just peace for Ukraine... Now it's up to (President Vladimir) Putin," Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on social media platform X. Scholz echoed similar calls for a Russian response, following statements made by Washington and Kyiv. "We'll take this offer now to the Russians and we hope they'll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday after talks in Saudi Arabia, where Ukraine backed the truce proposal. Andriy Yermak, a top aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky, made Ukraine's position clear: "Russia needs to say, very clearly, they want peace or not, they want to end this war, which they started, or no," he told reporters in Jeddah. Amidst this diplomatic pressure, Ukrainian officials came to Saudi Arabia eager to resolve the conflict, proposing a partial truce on air and sea attacks. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Moscow was open to a "high-level" phone call with the U.S. "We assume that Secretary of State Rubio and Advisor (Michael) Walz, through various channels, will inform us on the negotiations that took place," Peskov said. Russian news agencies also reported that the heads of the CIA and Russia's SVR foreign intelligence agency spoke by phone on Tuesday for the first time in years. CIA Director John Ratcliffe and SVR head Sergei Naryshkin agreed to maintain "regular contact" to promote international stability and decrease tensions between Moscow and Washington, according to Russia's TASS news agency. Meanwhile, Rubio confirmed that the U.S. would resume military assistance and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, after a brief cut-off following a February 28 meeting between Trump and Zelensky. In Washington, Trump expressed his willingness to meet with Zelensky again at the White House and said he might also speak to Putin this week. Asked about the prospects for a comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump responded, "Well, I hope it will be over the next few days, I'd like to see." ISLAMABAD, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said on Monday that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Gwadar Port have the potential to transform Pakistan into a center of international trade and provide vital connectivity to multiple regions. "CPEC remains central to our vision of connectivity," the president said, urging the government to prioritize these two projects to position Pakistan as a gateway linking Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East. Addressing the joint session of Parliament, Zardari said he held fruitful discussions with the Chinese leadership during his recent visit to China and sought increased Chinese investment in CPEC to boost regional and economic integration. "Through our recent engagements with the Chinese leadership, both nations have reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening economic cooperation," the president added, promising that the benefits of CPEC would reach every corner of Pakistan through various development projects. He emphasized that Pakistan's time-tested relationship with China remains a cornerstone of the country's diplomacy. "We will continue to further strengthen our economic and strategic ties with Beijing, cement our all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, and support the one-China policy," he stated. Zardari highlighted the importance of domestic and regional connectivity for a prosperous Pakistan, underlining the need for a strong and efficient transport infrastructure, extensive road networks, and modernized railways. Praising the government's positive policies to promote trade and economic growth, the president stressed the need to diversify exports by focusing on value-added goods and services, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and exploring new markets, among others. A franchise agreement has been signed between hospitality entrepreneur Mr. Atul Sisodiya and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts to introduce the Ramada Encore by Wyndham brand in the spiritual city of Vrindavan. This partnership reflects the growing demand for high-quality, branded accommodations in the area, offering an enhanced hospitality experience for visitors at an ideal location in the heart of the city. The Ramada Encore by Wyndham hotel will be located in Rukmani Vihar, Vrindavan, and will feature 50 rooms, All-Day Dining, a Banquet Hall, Fitness Centre, Swimming Pool, and more. The brownfield property is expected to open by the end of 2026 and will be ideally situated near the city's most significant cultural and religious attractions. Vrindavan is home to more than 5,500 temples, most notably dedicated to the worship of Radhakrishna, and is an essential part of India's growing "Krishna Pilgrimage Circuit," currently under development by the Ministry of Tourism. The hotel site is just 4 km from the Shri Radha Madan Mohan Ji Temple, one of Vrindavan's oldest and most revered temples. With this signing, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts have 16 hotels with over 1,400 keys in Uttar Pradesh state, India. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is the world's largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,300 hotels with 9,03,000 keys across more than 95 countries. The company has 70 hotels operating and 49 hotels in the pipeline in Eurasia region. Hotel website As Executive Vice President of Operations, Nurse will oversee strategic initiatives that enhance Remington's operational impact, focusing on expanding relationships with ownership groups and brands while driving results across the company's portfolio. With extensive experience operating various brands globally and domesticallyincluding working with private equity firms and independent ownersNurse brings a broad perspective on hospitality management. Remington Dallas, Texas United States Website Palma de Mallorca - RIU Hotels & Resorts has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability in the Maldives by renewing its collaboration on the Blue Reef Reforest project for a further three years (until 2027) and launching a new alliance with the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP). The aim of these initiatives is to preserve marine biodiversity in the Maldives by helping restore coral reefs and protecting the iconic endangered whale shark. The Blue Reef Reforest project focuses on restoring the coral reef to the south of Kedhigandu island. Over the next few years, the project will install new artificial structures to increase coral coverage, promote educational activities and hold workshops and beach clean-ups with the local community and guests. These efforts strive to mitigate the impact of human activity and restore ecological balance to this delicate ecosystem. Since 2006, MWSRP has been involved in whale shark research and conservation in the Maldives, where this species plays a key role in biodiversity and sustainable tourism. The programmes Connecting Constellations project will collect scientific data on whale sharks, promote sustainable practices in the tourism industry and build local peoples skills through education and practical training programmes. Whats more, citizen science workshops and beach clean-ups will be held to raise the local communitys awareness of how important it is to protect marine wildlife. In addition to these collaborations, RIU has several biodiversity protection initiatives that also aim to preserve coral reefs and marine ecosystems in destinations such as the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Costa Rica, Spain and Mauritius. It is also involved in programmes to protect a variety of animal species and their habitats in Mexico, Jamaica, Cape Verde and Aruba, where it supports projects that work to preserve jaguars, green macaws, sea turtles and cottontail rabbits, among other species. These initiatives are aligned with RIU's sustainability objectives, which include protecting biodiversity and promoting social investment initiatives in its destinations. RIU continues to move forward with its Proudly Committed strategy through projects that not only benefit the environment, but also create value for local communities and promote environmental education. About RIU Hotels & Resorts The international RIU hotel chain was started in Mallorca, Spain, in 1953 as a small holiday business run by the Riu family, the founders and current owners, now in its third generation. The company specialises in holiday accommodation and over 74% of its establishments offer its renowned All Inclusive by RIU service. With the opening of its first city hotel in 2010, RIU expanded its product line with its own range of urban hotels under the name RIU Plaza. RIU Hotels & Resorts has 98 hotels in 21 countries, with a total of 38,055 employees that welcomed 6.7 million customers in 2024. RIU is currently the 40th largest chain in the world and fourth in Spain in terms of the number of rooms. For further information please visit: www.riu.com. RIU Press Department +34 971 743 030 RIU In celebration of International Womens Day this month, we shine a spotlight on female leaders in the hospitality industry in Saudi Arabia. With Vision 2030 as a driving force, the Kingdom has unlocked unprecedented opportunities for women to lead, innovate, and shape the future of tourism and hospitality. Yet, real progress means going beyond symbolic gestures - it's about creating lasting pathways for growth, mentorship, and leadership. We spoke with female hospitality professionals in Saudi Arabia about breaking barriers and driving change in the industry, and their advice for the next generation of female leaders. How has the female leadership landscape in Saudi Arabias hospitality sector evolved, and what major challenges remain? Dr Maryam Ficociello, Chief Governance Officer, Red Sea Global: Vision 2030 is transforming Saudi Arabias society. The female workforce reached 35.4% in 2024, surpassing initial targets. At Red Sea Global, some departments boast 44% female representation, and my own journey to becoming Chief Governance Officer demonstrates the leadership opportunities now available for women. Progress has been significant, but there is more to do. Thats why were investing in initiatives such as our Female Leadership Program, vocational training and schemes for elite graduates to provide more Saudi women with rewarding career pathways. Mashael Alnosayan, Marketing & Communication, Taiba Investments : Vision 2030 has driven a remarkable surge in female leadership within Saudi Arabia's hospitality sector. Women are increasingly empowered, taking on prominent roles and demonstrating immense potential. The sector champions equal opportunities and inclusivity, ensuring women thrive. A growing talent pipeline signifies a bright future for female leaders. While representation evolves, emerging role models and focused development initiatives are crucial, solidifying women's vital role in shaping the sector's future. With the Kingdoms Vision 2030 emphasizing gender inclusivity, what new opportunities are emerging for women in hospitality leadership? Dr Maryam Ficociello, Chief Governance Officer, Red Sea Global: Vision 2030s commitment to female empowerment enables young Saudi women to participate in a rapidly growing hospitality sector, which is generating new, exciting opportunities. At RSG, these range from roles dominated by men globally, such as security and fire and rescue teams, to hospitality managers and senior leaders. It has never been such an exciting time to be a woman in Saudi Arabia, and it is so rewarding to see junior colleagues rise through the ranks and deliver impact. How can the hospitality industry further accelerate diversity and create more leadership opportunities for women? Dr. Sarah Gasim, Senior Vice President, Head of Hotels KSA, JLL: The advancement of women in Saudi Arabias hospitality sector extends beyond breaking barriers; it is about establishing pathways for future generations to thrive. Meaningful progress is achieved when businesses go beyond merely opening doors for women, fostering an environment where they can excel and lead with impact. Mashael Alnosayan, Marketing & Communication, Taiba Investments : Among Saudi Arabia's various sectors, hospitality is particularly noteworthy for its rapid advancement of women's roles. The Saudi government has prioritised womens empowerment, leading to faster growth in opportunities. Women in Saudi Arabia have proven to be strong leaders, especially in hospitality, with continued support, mentorship, and a commitment to diversity. This is a key part of the Kingdom's vision for a more inclusive economy. The sector is rapidly progressing towards women leading at all levels, with opportunities for them to excel in their careers and achieve their full potential. Dr Maryam Ficociello, Chief Governance Officer, Red Sea Global: The sector must champion inclusivity at all levels, and this principle runs through our entire people strategy. We use gender-neutral job adverts and diverse recruitment shortlists to boost female representation. We are also committed to equal pay and career advancement through development, mentoring and leadership programs. By recognizing the essential value women offer, we can inspire change and build a society rich with opportunity. Inspiring the Next Generation - What advice do you have for young women aspiring to leadership roles in hospitality? Dr. Abeer Alamri, Skills Development and Talent Optimization Expert: Develop your skills, seek mentors, and build a strong network. Embrace challenges as learning opportunities and don't be afraid to voice your ideas. Confidence and resilience are key. Stay passionate, adaptable, and always strive for excellence. Your unique perspective is invaluable to the future of hospitality. Lama Kamakhi, Colleague Engagement Manager, Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah: Connecting with mentors and industry professionals is vital for women aspiring leadership in the hospitality industry, offering essential guidance and networking chances. To remain competitive, consistently improve your skills through educational courses and practical experiences. Develop your leadership capabilities, focusing on effective communication, decision-making, and empathy. Encourage inclusivity by appreciating diverse perspectives within your team, which can drive innovation. Finally, have confidence in your abilities by being assertive and proactive when sharing ideas, while remaining true to your values and leading by example. Mashael Alnosayan, Marketing & Communication, Taiba Investments : To every young woman aspiring to leadership in hospitality: start by embracing every challenge as a chance for growth, and every opportunity as a pathway to success. Vision 2030 is transforming Saudi Arabia's hospitality sector, driving rapid innovation and growth through AI-powered management, sustainability initiatives, and advanced technology integration. The industry is evolving with cutting-edge advancements, creating exciting opportunities for future leaders. Equip and build yourself with skills and knowledge, celebrate wins, and find mentors. Leadership is an art; learn and shape the future. Dr Maryam Ficociello, Chief Governance Officer, Red Sea Global: An essential part of my growth journey has been mentoring. Id encourage any young woman to seek out mentorspeople they find inspiring or who they have learned from in the pastand meet with them regularly. Mentors can be a brilliant sounding board for ideas and can provide invaluable advice on problems. At RSG, we have a range of initiatives designed to give female Saudi talent the opportunity to speak to more experienced colleagues and facilitate knowledge-sharing. Reflecting on her personal leadership journey, Dr Maryam Ficociello said: A pivotal moment in my career was joining Red Sea Global in 2017. It was a privilege to be given the responsibility to build the governance, risk and compliance department for one of the worlds most ambitious developers. Working for a company that genuinely cares about female empowerment and making a positive difference to people and the planet has been particularly rewarding. The role has reinforced my belief that leadership is about creating opportunities for others and driving positive change. As part of its commitment and focus on women in hospitality, the bench, organisers of Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia, will be offering special rate passes to FHS Saudi Arabia 2025 for Saudi national women working in hospitality. The #FHSWomenPower campaign is an initiative to champion gender diversity and women empowerment in the industry in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and the regions social and economic aspirations. All senior female professionals in hospitality are invited to join FHS on the journey towards an inclusive and progressive hospitality landscape. Tanja Millner, Production Director at the bench : "International Womens Day in hospitality should be about action, not just awareness. True inclusivity means ensuring women have real access to knowledge, mentorship, and leadership pathways to embrace opportunities. We must move beyond token gestures to actively support career progression, equal pay, and recognition based on merit. A more inclusive industry benefits everyonewhen we uplift women with tangible opportunities, we promote innovation, excellence, and a stronger future for hospitality. FHS Saudi Arabia is at Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh, 11-13 May 2025, with the overarching theme of Where Vision Shapes Opportunity. More than 1,400 delegates are expected to attend. For full details and to register, visit https://www.futurehospitality.com/sa About FHS Africa For over a decade, the Future Hospitality Summit Africa (FHS Africa) has been the launchpad for hospitality investment in Africa, driving growth, connecting visionaries, and transforming the continent's tourism and hospitality landscape. As a beacon of opportunity, FHS Africa brings together global investors, developers, operators, and industry leaders committed to turning potential into reality. About The Bench The Bench has a legacy of delivering world-leading investment forums and conferences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The key principle behind these events has remained "dealmaking'. Transforming the way businesses connect; Bench has developed a reputation for creating innovative and high-impact meetings for the industry. For over two decades, government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel & tourism associations, the world's most influential hospitality brands, hotel owners & investors, renowned restaurant groups, airlines & aviation authorities, destination developers, asset managers, financial groups, and consultants have been participating in The Bench's events. These include FHS Africa, FHS World, FHS Saudi Arabia and AviaDev, where industry players showcase their brands, position themselves as thought leaders or innovators, and connect with the right individuals, opportunities and knowledge. Anne Bleeker In2 Consulting +971 56 603 0886 The Bench SiteMinder, an ASX 200 company and the worlds leading hotel distribution and revenue platform, has made two new appointments within its executive leadership team to capitalize on the opportunities opened up by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for the global hotel industry. One of the appointments involves SiteMinders co-founder, Mike Rogers, whose role will evolve from Chief Technology Officer to Chief Data Officer to lead the companys global data strategy and further its data science capabilities. A disrupter and two-time CIO50, Mike is a technology veteran, having pushed the boundaries of cloud computing since its earliest days and driven innovation to significantly advance the technological capabilities of the then-non-digitalized hotel industry. It is under his technical leadership that SiteMinder pioneered a Software-as-a-Service-based distribution platform for hotels in 2006. SiteMinders platform has since evolved to become the most widely-adopted hotel distribution and revenue platform, used by more than 47,000 hotels in more than 150 countries to process more than 125 million online reservations each year. In his new role, Mike will use SiteMinders rich data set to drive new innovations. Another two-time CIO50, Tomas Varsavsky, will join SiteMinder as Chief Technology Officer. Tom has more than 25 years experience in technology, including 10 years at REA Group, a property marketing company on the ASX 100. As their Chief Technology and Data Officer, Tom was responsible for providing the technology and data platforms underpinning REAs products, services and operations. Other businesses he has worked or consulted for include Catch, ThoughtWorks, LonelyPlanet, Insignia, ANZ, National Australia Bank, Cbus Super, and Sensis & Ericsson. As CTO at SiteMinder, Tom will lead and build SiteMinders high-performance engineering team, ensuring it has the scale, leadership and skills to continue delivering SiteMinders transformative products. The two appointments come at a pivotal time for SiteMinder, as the company transforms its technology stack into a Smart Platform, designed to introduce intelligence and automation capabilities to the highly-fragmented hotel industry. In 2023, SiteMinder also embarked on a new mission, to make sophisticated revenue management accessible to every hotel in the world, as the industry grappled with the increasing complexities of the travel sector. Mike and Toms appointments are a direct response to the convergence we are seeing in technology and data. Ultimately, we know that, today, the most powerful technology in the world, including AI and machine learning, is built off vast amounts of data which have underpinned SiteMinders success to date. Mike and Tom will bring our data engineering and tech teams more closely together, to unlock the potential of using one of our most unique and significant assets our data, the breadth and depth of which is unmatched in our industry. Importantly, they will open new opportunities for innovation and efficiency for hoteliers who lack the time and expertise to drive these capabilities, themselves. Sankar Narayan, CEO and Managing Director at SiteMinder About SiteMinder SiteMinder Limited (ASX:SDR) is the name behind SiteMinder, the world's leading hotel distribution and revenue platform, and Little Hotelier, an all-in-one hotel management software that makes the lives of small accommodation providers easier. The global company is headquartered in Sydney with offices in Bangalore, Bangkok, Barcelona, Berlin, Dallas, Galway, London, Manila and Mexico City. Through its technology and the largest partner ecosystem in the global hotel industry, SiteMinder generates more than 125 million reservations worth over US$50 billion in revenue for its hotel customers each year. For more information, visit siteminder.com. Maria Cricchiola Senior Director of Brand Communications & PR +61 2 9056 7415 View source Lausanne, 12th March 2025 The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 have once again recognized Les Roches and Glion Institute of Higher Education as two of the worlds leading institutions in hospitality and leisure management. Les Roches secured the number 2 position worldwide, while Glion placed number 6, reinforcing their excellence in hospitality education and their ongoing commitment to shaping future industry leaders. These latest rankings further strengthen Sommet Educations position as the worlds leading hospitality education group, dedicated to delivering world-class education, innovation, and industry engagement. "At Sommet Education, we are immensely proud to see Les Roches and Glion consistently ranked among the worlds best", said Benoit-Etienne Domenget, CEO of Sommet Education. "This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to academic excellence, industry relevance, and the development of future hospitality leaders. By continuously innovating and adapting to the evolving needs of the sector, our institutions remain at the forefront of hospitality education." To produce the rankings for this year, the QS team analysed the reputation and research output of over 5,200 institutions. From this group, 1,747 were ranked across 55 narrow subjects and 5 broad subject areas, creating over 21,000 entries. These figures reflect some of the scale behind this huge undertaking that the QS team carries out in order to produce these subject rankings. Les Roches continues to set the global standard in hospitality management education, recognized as the number 2 institution globally in Hospitality & Leisure Management in the 2025 ranking. It also secured the number 4 spot globally for employer reputation, with a score of 96.1/100. This recognition reflects its academic strength, innovative industry-driven curriculum, strong industry connections, and innovative approach in its programs which integrate experiential learning, digital transformation, and entrepreneurship. By equipping students with the skills, knowledge, and global industry connections, Les Roches ensures that graduates succeed in the fast-evolving hospitality landscape. The institutions consistent ranking among the worlds top hospitality schools highlights its role in driving innovation and academic excellence in hospitality management education. "This achievement reflects our relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation in hospitality education", said Carlos Diez de la Lastra, CEO of Les Roches. "At Les Roches, we empower students with a future-ready mindset, bridging tradition with the latest industry advancements to create the next generation of hospitality leaders." Glion Institute of Higher Education has once again secured a place among the worlds top hospitality institutions, ranking number 6 in the 2025 QS rankings, and placing number 3 globally in Employer Reputation in Hospitality, with a score of 96.4/100 further proving their ability to meet and exceed industry expectations. Glions dedication to academic rigor and leadership development has cemented its reputation as a premier institution for hospitality and luxury management. With a strong focus on career development and international exposure, Glion prepares students to take on leadership roles in hospitality, luxury, and related sectors. Building on its strong hospitality foundations, Glion has emerged as a precursor in luxury business education, offering specialized programs that integrate the principles of hospitality with the distinctive codes of luxury. The institution emphasizes client experience, service excellence, and the concept of augmented hospitality, where exclusivity and personalization define modern luxury. This ranking reaffirms Glions position as a trusted partner for both students and the industry, ensuring that its graduates remain highly competitive in the global job market. A testament to this excellence, 98% of job-seeking students graduating in 2024 received one or more employment opportunities, further demonstrating the strong demand for Glion graduates in the industry. "Glions position in the QS rankings underscores our dedication to shaping the future of hospitality and luxury management education," said Jose Emmanuel Soler, Managing Director of Glion Institute of Higher Education. "By blending academic excellence with hands-on learning and strong industry connections, we ensure our students develop the skills and leadership mindset needed to thrive in this dynamic sector. This ranking is yet another testament to the trust placed in us by both students and industry leaders." Switzerland continues to dominate hospitality education, with 13 universities featured in the Hospitality subject rankings. Notably, the country claims all of the world's top three positions in the subject, along with an impressive eight institutions in the top 10, further solidifying its reputation as a global hub for hospitality excellence. Both Les Roches and Glion have achieved outstanding employer reputation scores exceeding 96/100, reflecting the strong demand for their graduates within the industry. Their education goes beyond theoretical knowledge, equipping students with real-world experience, adaptability, and a global perspectivequalities that make them highly sought after by top employers. With students receiving an average of five to six internship offers per semester, the strong industry ties and career prospects offered by both institutions remain unmatched, further demonstrating the strong industry connections and career opportunities available to their students. About Sommet Education Sommet Education is the global leader in hospitality, luxury and culinary arts education and training, uniting five prestigious institutions Glion Institute of Higher Education, Les Roches Global Hospitality, Ecole Ducasse, Invictus Education and Indian School of Hospitality - that shape the future of the industry and nurture the next generation of talent. With over 400 programs spanning technical training, undergraduate, graduate degrees, executive and business solutions, we support 20,000 students and learners from over 100 nationalities across 10 countries and 20 campuses as well as through cutting-edge online learning platforms. Backed by a worldwide network of 60,000 alumni and an industry-driven curriculum, Sommet Education prepares the future leaders who will set new standards of excellence in hospitality and beyond. For more information, visit https://www.sommet-education.com/ Anouck Weiss Chief Communication Officer Sommet Education Sommet Education View source SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The California Hotel & Lodging Association supports Gov. Newsoms Executive Order extending the non-establishment of tenancy in Los Angeles County hotels to July 1, 2025 to give Los Angeles fire evacuees the ability to stay in hotels longer. Gov. Newsoms order allows our hotels to continuously shelter individuals, families and pets as the LA community continues its long recovery from the devastating wildfires. Removing these obstacles from hotels so they can provide shelter to those who lost their homes is simply the right thing to do. Lynn S. Mohrfeld, CHLAs President and CEO California law generally limits hotel stays at many hotels to 30 days. On Jan. 27, 2025, Newsom ordered stays extended to March 8, 2025 because otherwise the existing law may deter hotels, motels, and other sources of short-term housing from making space available for displaced persons in need of temporary housing beyond 30 days, forcing them to vacate and find alternative shelter. The new order extends that deadline to July 1, 2025, ensuring that no evacuees would need to find alternative shelter as they recover from the wildfires. Multiple wildfires in Los Angeles collectively killed 29 people, burned more than 57,000 acres, destroying or damaged more than 18,000 structures, including homes, small businesses, and places of worship, with estimates placing this disaster among the most destructive in California history. Our LA hotels continue to provide shelter and comfort for those who need our support, Mohrfeld said. We are grateful for the governors diligence and forethought on this critical recovery effort. About The California Hotel & Lodging Association The California Hotel and Lodging Association is the leading resource and advocate for California's more than 6,000 hotels, motels and boutique inns that employ more than 235,000 workers. CHLA, established in 1893, is the largest state lodging industry association in the nation and is a partner with the American Hotel & Lodging Association. For more information, go to www.calodging.com. Pete Hillan +1 831 227 5984 CH&LA LONDON - Virtuoso , the leading global network specialising in luxury and experiential travel,has announced its 2025 Virtuoso Cruise Icons, a distinctive honour for advisors whose sales performance excels within the industry. An esteemed group of 185 advisors from 13 countries worldwide have received the Virtuoso Cruise Icon designation, an impressive 27 percent increase from 2024. This accolade recognises those who generate the top one percent of the networks cruise sales. A full list of the 2025 Virtuoso Cruise Icons is available here. Since its creation in 2019, Virtuosos Cruise Icon programme has seen a 363 percent increase in advisors honoured with the designation. The programme went global in 2023, and sales have continued to rise across Virtuosos various regions each year. The Icon Impact is undeniable: from 2023 to 2024, their Virtuoso preferred supplier cruise production saw an estimated 45 percent increase, reflecting significant growth in the US and Canada. The 2025 Virtuoso Cruise Icons set an extraordinary standard in their field, and I congratulate them on this well-deserved recognition. The Icons are trailblazers, consistently surpassing benchmarks, creating momentum that strengthens the entire network and inspiring others to follow their lead. This distinction elevates their standing with our partners and reinforces their industry prominence with clients, serving as a badge of honour they can wear with pride. Virtuosos Senior Vice President, Global Member & Partner Sales Cory Hagopian In addition to industry clout and further reinforcing Virtuoso Cruise Icons position as leaders within the luxury travel industry, this prestigious status provides advisors with quarterly collaboration sessions designed to foster growth and networking, access to invaluable insight and best practices within the networks Cruise Community and a private dinner during Virtuoso Travel Week, luxury travels preeminent worldwide gathering. Icons also gain access to exclusive travel opportunities, such as the inaugural season of PONANT EXPLORATIONS Le Commandant Charcot through Canadas St. Lawrence River during the boreal winter. Hosted by Samuel Chamberlain, PONANT EXPLORATIONS CEO of Americas, the 2024 Cruise Icons embarked on an exhilarating journey through the St. Lawrence Rivers icy landscapes from the 22nd February to 6th March 2025. Beginning in the historic district of Old Quebec and ending in the natural harbor of Saint Pierre, this expert-led adventure showcased breathtaking polar landscapes and rare cultural insights, accessible only to a select few. Many Virtuoso cruise partners offer exclusive amenities to Virtuoso travel advisors, enabling affiliated advisors, including Virtuoso Cruise Icons, to provide unique benefits to their clients that distinguish them from the competition. Through the Virtuoso Voyages programme, they can access over 450 select cruises each year across 13 different cruise lines. This programme includes a dedicated onboard host and offers a choice of additional benefits ranging in value from $500 per couple to several thousand dollars, depending on the sailing. To learn more about Virtuoso and its professional travel advisors, please visit www.virtuoso.com. About Virtuoso Virtuoso is the leading global travel agency network specialising in luxury and experiential travel. This by-invitation-only organisation comprises over 1,200 travel agency locations with more than 20,000 travel advisors in 54 countries throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Drawing upon its preferred relationships with more than 2,300 of the world's best hotels and resorts, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies and premier destinations, the network provides its upscale clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. Normalised annual sales of (U.S.) $28-$32 billion make Virtuoso a powerhouse in the luxury travel industry. For more information, visit www.virtuoso.com. In this weeks episode of Hotel Moment, Alicia Zur-Szpiro, Co-founder and Creative Director of Wanderland London, joins Revinate CMO Karen Stephens to give hoteliers a wake-up call: Kids and teens are the decision makers for family trips. This means that the start of any loyal brand relationship begins with kids and teens. If hoteliers are intentional about positioning hotel messaging and amenities for this group throughout the guest journey, Alicia says hoteliers can cement families guest loyalty and increase their chances of rebooking. Tune in and find out how Wanderland London is using its pioneering hospitality research to change the way hoteliers approach this overlooked but lucrative segment. Meet your host As Chief Marketing Officer at Revinate, Karen Stephens is focused on driving long-term growth by building Revinates brand equity, product marketing, and customer acquisition strategies. Her deep connections with hospitality industry leaders play a key role in crafting strategic partnerships. Karen is also the host of The Hotel Moment Podcast, where she interviews top players in the hospitality industry. Karen has been with Revinate for over 11 years, leading Revinates global GTM teams. Her most recent transition was from Chief Revenue Officer, where she led the team in their highest booking quarter to date in Q4 2023. Karen has more than 25 years of expertise in global hospitality technology and online distribution including managing global accounts in travel and hospitality organizations such as Travelocity and lastminute.com Connect with Karen Transcript Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:00:00: By the age of 16, most people have kind of cemented their brand loyalty. So for hospitality brands, if they can really look in those relationships early on, then theyve won those customers for life. Intro 00:00:18: Welcome to the Hotel Moment Podcast presented by Revinate, the podcast where we discuss how hotel technology shapes every moment of the hoteliers experience. Tune in as we explore the cutting edge technology transforming the hospitality industry and hear from experts and visionaries shaping the future of guest experiences. Whether youre a hotelier or a tech enthusiast, youre in the right place. Lets dive in and discover how we can elevate the art of hospitality together. Karen Stephens 00:00:47: Hello, and welcome to the Hotel Moment Podcast. Im your host, Karen Stephens, the Chief Marketing Officer of Revinate. And today we have a treat for you. We have Alicia Zur-Szpiro, whos a creative visionary and the driving force behind Wanderland London, the worlds first consultancy dedicated to kids and teens in hospitality. With a background in game design, toy invention, and publishing, Alicia is passionate about re-imagining the future of family and youth-focused travel experiences. She brings a unique perspective on how hotels can create and engage this often overlooked demographic, with a focus on creating meaningful, immersive experiences that influence not only family travel, but also brand loyalty and engagement. And I think what I love about this one Ive been in hospitality for a long time I rarely think about this segment to the level that we discuss in this podcast. So we often think about business travelers, and of course we wanna know if someone is traveling with family. But how do we make sure that all of the members of that family are having the best experience possible? Thats from pre-arrival all the way through this day. So its a great conversation about how to make those small incremental changes to really make a big difference and tap into a massive, massive market. So here you go, I give you Alicia. Alicia, welcome to the podcast. Its a pleasure to have you here. Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:02:09: Really excited to be here. Thanks for having me. Karen Stephens 00:02:12: I am excited because I was telling my producer before we jumped on the call, this is a topic that I just dont think we talk about enough in hospitality, which is kids. So, so many people have children, they travel with children, and I feel like its such an unexplored part of the travel industry. So, I just love to start from the very highest level. What is your company all about and what inspired you to create it? Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:02:38: Were excited that youre excited by it because we think theres a lot to be done, and its creative, and its fun because its all to do with kids. So, my background and our teams background is really all from the world of kids. Were game designers, were toy inventors, weve worked in kids publishing. So, weve kind of come through really from the world of kids and teenagers and play and creativity. And about just over a year ago, we started to look at what the hospitality industry was doing for kids and teens, and we realised that there was a huge opportunity for them to do more. To learn and to kind of borrow some tricks of the trade from the kids industries as we call them so trying to create more of an intersection, and an interaction between the hospitality industry, and the kids industries allowing both industries to benefit from each other so thats why we started Wanderland to sort of bring that spirit to the world of hotels and hospitality. Karen Stephens 00:03:46: Right. So Wanderland London is the name of the company. And I had a look at the website, and you just released a report. So I want everybody listening to this to know that all of the cool tips and tricks that were going to hear from Alicia today, you can get the data behind this actually at their website. So do you want to just talk a little bit about what went into that report. How many hotels you talked to, and then we can kind of hit some of the higher-level takeaways. Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:04:10: Great. So as I said, we did basically a year of learning about the hospitality industry through the lens of kids, and teens, and families, which propelled us to write this first or this inaugural kids and teens global hospitality report, which is the first of its kind. You know, theres obviously lots of other industry reports that touch on families. Lets say, multi-generational travel as a new trend. But this is the first report that really focuses on that younger guest segment. And we felt that it was really helpful for the industry to understand the potential that this segment has both emotionally and commercially for the industry looking at ways for hotel brands to differentiate themselves, have new stories to tell. We can get into that later. But we ended up finding really interesting data points, which weve brought into this report, which shows how influential kids and teenagers are, how valuable they can be for a hotel brand. And so we turned it into this report so that we could kind of share those insights with the industry after this really specific niche phase of learning that wed done. Karen Stephens 00:05:27: Yes. So I think what was interesting and compelling for me is the size of the market itself. So I think its safe to say we talk a lot about obviously COVID was a huge turning point for our industry. And off the back of COVID, we saw revenge travel. And even still, which obviously people going out to do that leisure trip. But that is something that has remained something that all families do and take. So can you talk a little bit about what hotels can do? First of all, Ive been thinking about the size and the impact that children and teens have on that segment. And what are the key things that hotels can do to start to attract that family into their hotel and differentiate themselves? Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:06:05: So we looked at the fact that these kids Industries toys, games, publishing, even apparel, merchandise all of the things that touch on kids is a multi-billion dollar industry. And our feeling was theres no reason that hotels cant get in on that. For families that are lucky enough to travel and stay at lovely hotels, theres an opportunity for hotels to bring some of that world inside their spaces and add value, but also add the commercial potential of upselling to guests, creating loyalty with guests, increasing length of stay, and so on. So the potential for hotels to kind of get in on the act is enormous. And at a time when the hospitality industry is struggling, and budgets are tight, and its hard to kind of differentiate yourself in a market. This is a really untapped way of doing that. Its something that very few brands and hotels are talking about. Its just not a story that people are telling. And yet when you look at these kids industries, there is so much innovation, so much creativity, so many kind of tools that the hospitality industry could utilize to their benefit. So thats one of the things that were here to do, which is hopefully pioneer a bit of a shift in the industry. But where I think that theres potential is really looking at the teen segment, which is a kind of invisible, narrow guest segment that has huge potential. So when you think about families, which is sort of a catch-all term that the industry uses. They often talk about younger kids or they talk about parents, but theres this whole kind of age group in the middle, lets say 11 to 18, where the hospitality industry have struggled to know exactly how to build those relationships. And those are conversations that weve had time and time again as weve started working in this field where they say, We just dont really know what to do with teenagers. Theyre a really tricky group. So when it comes to kind of practical things that hotels can do and how to make a difference, we really recommend starting with teens because there is such a huge potential to do something, you know, to do anything would really help move the needle. Karen Stephens 00:08:27: Right. As youre saying this, nobody knows what to do with teens. Im thinking, yeah, well, thats across the board. So what are some good examples? I mean, what would you recommend? Because I feel like for teenagers, theyre so attached to their devices. You know, I think part of a family vacation might be the parents are trying to engage more with their teenagers and incorporate them more. And oftentimes the kids kind of stay on their devices. So what are some practical tips that you would give hotels to bring them into the experience? Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:08:54: I think teenagers are really interesting because theyre kind of, theyve got one foot in their childhood and one foot in their adulthood. And at different times, they might play to both of those spaces. But I think that teens for themselves really want to be thought of as adults. They dont want to be spoken down to. They dont want to be pandered to. So I think when it comes to what were doing for teens, we almost want to think of them as adults. So if something would appeal to an adult, it would probably appeal to a teen. Obviously, we need to modify it to be age appropriate, and kind of certain spaces in a hotel might not be appropriate for a teenager. But I think thinking of teens as adults from a kind of communications point of view is really helpful. And I think that, giving them an option other than their device, other than their screen would be really useful because actually the whole point of going on a family vacation is being present together, spending time together. And I think that even though teens might kind of resist that in some ways, they actually also want that connectedness. They want the togetherness. And I think if hotels can find ways to create those moments, and it doesnt need to be, were not talking about kids. Were not talking about hours of the day. Were talking about little pockets or little moments where you can facilitate that presence together as a family. So it might even be a case of having some classic board games or some kind of newly released family games where theres a moment, lets say after dinner to come together. It might also be an opportunity for hotels to do something at check-in for a teenager, which typically doesnt happen. Check-in is kind of the moment where you might hand over a coloring book for a child or a teddy bear for an infant, but then theres nothing really there for a teenager. So thinking about kind of a little amenity or a gift, which speaks to that age range can also go a really long way, not just with the child, with the teenager, but also with their parents who are kind of witnessing that moment of recognition and relationship. So I think thinking of moments, and actually weve designed something called the child journey, which is looking at all the touch points during a stay where you can build that interaction with your guest, with the child or the teenager. So finding one or two key moments during a stay where you might be able to offer something to the teenager that is another kind of option than their device, I think would be really helpful. Karen Stephens 00:11:28: I love that. Obviously on this program, we talk a lot about the guest journey from inspiration to booking all down the line. So I really love kind of segmenting that a level deeper where youre thinking about who are the guests that are in that family, the components of that family and getting creative throughout. So along those lines, if we look at the family, the planning aspect of that, is there a chance for hotels to engage better with children and teens during the planning process? So Im thinking about before theyre even in the hotel, are there things that hotels can do to differentiate themselves if the kids are also planning to get them in the hotel? Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:12:04: Yeah, youre absolutely speaking our language because we think a lot about that. Theres such a long period of time between planning or booking or kind of conceptualizing the holiday and actually walking through the door. That could be weeks, that could be months. And thats such a valuable time period for a hotel to start to engage with the family. And typically the communications is, again, focused on the adult. You know, would you like to book a treatment? Would you like to book a meal? And I think if we can start to shift the focus onto the child or onto the teenager where were starting to build that relationship, children are so good at getting excited in a way that probably most adults dont do so much anymore. You know, were a little bit more cynical or jaded. And yet with our younger children, with our teenagers, theyre still excited about what the world has to offer. So thats a really great segment to start that conversation, start that relationship. So perhaps the hotel would want to even send a little survey or quiz or questionnaire thats directed at the child, not at the parent. Obviously, the parent might need to be the conduit for that conversation because theyre the ones with the email or the digital presence or the booking information. But if the hotel can start to build that relationship with the child or the teenager, youre already half of the way towards that really loyal kind of bonded relationship, which is so valuable when you think about the lifetime value of a holiday, of a family and trying to get guests to return, which theyre all the more likely to do if theyve got kids. Because when you know that a holiday works for you and your children, youre just going to go back time and time again, year after year. Whereas adults on their own are more likely to be a bit adventurous because theres kind of lower stakes. Whereas if youve kind of delighted the family and the kids, youve locked in that family for life. So, yes, I think definitely that time before booking, before arrival is such a valuable time. And then also after the stay is also a really interesting time to kind of continue that relationship and kind of foster those memories with the hope of rebooking and continued engagement. Karen Stephens 00:14:18: Bells are going off all over the place for me because, you know, we have a platform. Obviously, we have an email marketing platform as part of our offering. And we have pre-arrival emails, and those emails have the ability to figure out, Are you in a family? What are the ages of the people in your family? And then I love the idea of being able to choose amenities for the kids so that theyre excited before they get there. And we say often, you know, the hotel stay starts the minute that thing is booked. You have the opportunity to surprise and delight along the way. And the other thing that you said that really resonates is if its a family, and it was a wonderful vacation, they are going to go back because nobodys trying to start from scratch again when they know its been successful. So thats really good. And do you make a distinction between, say, an urban city hotel? And obviously, theres a lot of holidays that are more focused on kind of outdoor experiences. But how do you differentiate yourself if youre in the middle of a city? Youre in the central London. And its time to have a vacation. So what can those hotels do? Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:15:19: Yeah, I mean, I think thats a really interesting point, because I think when you go out of a city, when you go to kind of a resort or lets say a countryside hotel, thinking about the UK, theres already quite a lot on offer for kids and teens just by virtue of the fact that the facilities, and the space, and the resources that are there. And I think the opportunity for urban destinations and cities is huge. First of all, we know, again, this is in our report, that teenagers and kids gravitate towards urban destinations. So kind of contrary to what we might believe, kids and teenagers are really drawn to going to an urban environment over a resort. And I think that when hotels are in a city, they say, Well, theres so much on offer in the city that almost we dont really need to touch it. The kind of London speaks for itself, and New York speaks for itself. And actually, theres a real missed opportunity to build that relationship with the hotel, with the property, with the brand. Were spending so much time in the hotel, even if were out and about during the day, our breakfast, potentially our dinner, waking up in the morning, going to sleep at night. Those are all moments that are happening inside a hotel. And I dont think that city hotels are capitalizing on that opportunity to build and nurture those relationships. So I actually think the opportunity for city hotels is even more exciting, and even more creatively challenging because we know how much we can do in London. But what can we do inside the hotel that really builds the memory of the holiday? Karen Stephens 00:16:58: I love that because I do think about, if we just stay on London for a moment, there are so many things to do and see in London. And if a family is going there on a holiday, it could be a bit overwhelming just with the amount of things. But to be able to tie that experience back into the hotel. So, as you say, maybe theres something for the kids at breakfast or dinner that lets them know, yep, youre still in London or heres a phone booth or whatever it might be. Do you also think that theres an opportunity for hotels on their website to try and guide people? If Im on a family vacation, maybe thats a more curated set of suggestions. Is that something that your team also does? Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:17:34: Absolutely. Again, you hit on something that we kind of were pulling our hair out here. Because when you go onto the vast majority of hotel websites, you can barely find a mention of family, child, teenager, kids. You have to go digging around, often in the FAQs, often in the offers section. That will be where kind of families live. Hotel websites talk more about pets, dogs, than they do about kids. Even the largest international booking platforms, loyalty schemes, you cant search by family. You cant search for interconnected rooms. Its so, so difficult as a family to find your presence online. So I think, again, theres a huge opportunity for hotel brands that want to kind of corner that market, and own that space to make it clear from the outset that we not only are kind of willing to have your kids, but were eager to have your kids. And we mustnt forget that when we think about particularly teenagers, theyre about to become travelers in their own right. Theyre about to become decision makers. They are socially connected. Theyre active online across social media channels. Theyre such a valuable asset to a brand or to a hotel if they can kind of win over that relationship or that segment. And it can start from the website, and it can start from kind of communications, and emails, and social media channels, because thats really where teens are living their lives. And they have huge influence over their parents. And as I said, theyre about to become travelers independently, so lets get them now while we can. Karen Stephens 00:19:17: Right. And I think what were talking about here is effectively brand loyalty. So this is brand loyalty that teens can build. And when I just think about different generations, like my generation, we are not the selfie generation. We are not tagging everything in sight. Were just living our lives, doing our thing. But I know that teenagers, I mean, absolutely, theyre all over all the social channels. And if theyre having a wonderful experience, believe me, theyre going to talk about it. So can you talk about brand loyalty in the lens of teenagers? And the other thing I just wanted to say was when I think about my own experience growing up, I remember the first time that I traveled to Washington, D.C.. I remember the feeling of having a backpack on my back and just getting blown away by the buildings and all of that. So I just invite our audience to remember your first trip and the impact. Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:20:05: Thats a really interesting point because we also know from the data that by the age of 16, most people have kind of connected with the brands that theyre going to love for the rest of their lives. So actually, when you think about those short years of childhood, again, if you can win over a child or a teenager before the age of 16, youve probably locked their loyalty in, you know, for their life and kind of the generations to come. So I think theres a kind of a huge piece of thinking to be done about loyalty and also differentiation. Just kind of going back to the London example, London has a huge amount to offer, but it also theres enormous competition in one of these massive cities. London has a huge density of incredible hotels. So what is going to make one family choose one hotel over the other? If theres an angle to be won about how they welcome your family and your kids, thats going to be the reason that they come and stay. You know, every lovely London hotel has a beautiful afternoon tea, but can they offer something thats really relevant to their teens and their kids? And then also when it comes to loyalty, one of the things that were working on at the moment is the concept of a kids and teens led loyalty scheme, which again, does not exist in the industry. All loyalty is driven by adults, primarily on the corporate side. But why not use this other kind of half or three-quarters of the family to drive loyalty? And it would have to look quite different. It probably wouldnt necessarily be digital, but there are kind of analog ways to capture that loyalty that kids and teens can offer, again, to help these children grow up inside a brand and think about them for their ongoing business travel and business lives. So I think theres a real opportunity also for major brands or even smaller groups to think about how kids and teens can drive and propel loyalty. Karen Stephens 00:22:07: That is so fascinating to me. Again, its blowing my mind that we dont really even think of this segment. And the number that I saw on your website was an $850 billion segment. Is that right? Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:22:18: Yeah. Karen Stephens 00:22:19: So thats what were talking about, the opportunity on the table. And then I think the other thing thats exciting is youre not talking about ripping up your hotel and putting a kids club in it. Youre talking about making changes to your website, changes to your offering, and then the loyalty program. Were obviously not talking about points. Were talking about being able to reward amenities or another way to surprise and delight. And then the last thing you mentioned that I think is really compelling, by 16, lets repeat that again, but 16, please repeat that stat that you already know what brands youre loyal to. Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:22:51: Exactly. By the age of 16, most people have kind of cemented their brand loyalty. So for hospitality brands, if they can really lock-in those relationships early on, then theyve won those customers for life. Karen Stephens 00:23:05: Thats incredible. I mean, if youre out there listening and you work for a hotel, the first thing you should do is figure out how to go download this report and start thinking about how you make changes. So where do I start? Im a marketer at a hotel. I go to your website, I download. What is the best way for me to start making those incremental changes? Whats square one, in your point of view? Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:23:26: Okay, Square one is email me. Karen Stephens 00:23:28: Okay, fantastic. Yeah, and were going to have all of that in the show notes because I should say that your company, youre based in London, but you also have services in the United States. And can you just give us the overview of how they get ahold of you? Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:23:38: Yeah, so anyones always welcome to email me at [email protected]. So were just so kind of exhilarated to be in this industry. Were kind of always happy to have a chat. Lets pick up the phone and kind of arrange a call. But I think theres an opportunity here across a hotel team to be creative. When were having these conversations, and were talking to our clients, were talking to such a wide range of stakeholders in a hotel. It could be head of guest experience. It could be head of rooms. It could be someone that works on the marketing or PR side. Its often the general manager or an assistant manager. So there are so many players within a hotel that could actually take this on, as their baby. Whats really interesting is in all of our research, we have not found one hotel that has a position that relates to families. So when it comes to all of the different job titles and positions that exist in the world of hospitality, there is nothing that really takes ownership of the family space. Unless, of course, were talking about a kids club where theres lots of team leaders. But I think theres a real opportunity for someone in a hotel to champion this. And say, looking at both the guest experience and the marketing communications and PR side, what can we do to create a story and tell that story? And as you said, this isnt a multi-million dollar project for a hotel. Were not stripping out the lobby. Were not bringing in a Michelin star chef. Were not building a kids club or a swimming pool. Were talking about really small little moments. And the other thing that we talk a lot about with this idea of moments is, a holiday can live and die in the space of five minutes. And if you can win five minutes for the parents, for the kids to have a good time, to come together, to play a game, to have a conversation, then that is the stuff that we remember from our childhood and even in our kind of adult years. So it doesnt need to feel like a daunting task. Were not saying, lets turn this into a week-long circus or fairground experience. Were saying, lets just find, five minutes once or twice a day where were helping the family connect, where were communicating and building the relationship directly with the kids and the teenagers. And thats the stuff that helps them make the memories that they go away with and remember your hotel for. Karen Stephens 00:26:09: Absolutely incredible. So Alicia, it has been a real pleasure. My guest has been Alicia from Wanderland London. Well have all of her details in the show notes. And thank you so much. We appreciate the conversation. Alicia Zur Szpiro 00:26:19: It was great. Thanks so much. Outro 00:26:26: Thank you for joining us on this episode of Hotel Moment by Revinate. Our community of hoteliers is growing every week, and each guest we speak to is tackling industry challenges with the innovation and flexibility that our industry demands. If you enjoyed todays episode, dont forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review. And if youre listening on YouTube, please like the video and subscribe for more content. For more information, head to revinate.comhotelmomentpodcast. Until next time, keep innovating. About Revinate Revinate is a direct booking platform that leads the hospitality industry in driving direct revenue and increased profitability. Our products and our people combine to give hoteliers the superpowers they need to crush their goals. With Revinate, hoteliers shift share away from OTAs and drive tangible results across an individual property or a portfolio. Our industry-leading, AI-powered customer data platform collects, unifies, and synthesizes data to give hoteliers a foundational advantage. Hoteliers gain critical intelligence guest lifetime spend, stay preferences, ancillary revenue, and more. With Revinate's Rich Guest Profiles data, hoteliers don't need to guess who their most profitable guests are or struggle to drive conversions across email, voice, messaging, and digital channels. Revinate's direct booking platform and omnichannel communication technology powers 950+ million Rich Guest Profiles across 12,500+ hotels to drive over $17.2 billion in direct revenue. View source Amex GBT's Acquisition of CWT Approved by UK's Competition and Markets Authority - Image Credit Pexels The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has given American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) the go-ahead to acquire CWT, a business travel and meeting solutions provider. Amex GBT, a prominent software and services company in the travel, expense, and meetings/events sectors, is owned and operated by Global Business Travel Group, Inc. Amex GBT CEO Paul Abbott expressed satisfaction with the CMA's decision, stating that the acquisition of CWT will provide more value and options to their customers and suppliers and present more opportunities for their employees. Eric J. Bock, Amex GBTs Chief Legal Officer and Global Head of Mergers and Acquisitions, addressed a lawsuit initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) against the acquisition. He claimed that the lawsuit is fundamentally flawed. It takes a narrow and outdated perspective on competition, ignoring the rise of many significant competitors in the business travel sector. Bock affirmed the advantages of the CWT merger and expressed confidence in the company's legal standing. He indicated that the company is prepared to defend the merger's benefits in court if necessary. The CMA's approval of the acquisition will fortify Amex GBT's presence in the global market, enabling it to better serve its customers with more comprehensive travel and meeting solutions. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority's approval of Amex GBT's acquisition of CWT is seen as a positive move for the company and its customers. However, it remains to be seen how the pending lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice will impact the process. Bob W to Transform Former Athens Office Building to Transform into Premium Serviced Apartments - Image Credit Bob W Bob W has signed a long-term lease for 54 Stadiou Street, a former office building in Athens, marking another step in its European expansion. The company plans to convert the property into premium serviced apartments, enhancing its portfolio and strengthening its expansion across Europe. Bob W has officially signed a long-term lease agreement with developer-landlord Blend Development for the property at 54 Stadiou Street in Athens. This historic city centre location is near several major landmarks and transport links, making it an ideal choice for Bob W's expansion. Known for successfully repurposing commercial assets into high-quality accommodations, Bob W plans to convert the former office building into premium serviced apartments. This will not only offer customers a blend of tech-driven convenience but also sustainable design and a hyper-local guest experience. This property, named Bob W Stadiou, will be the companys third offering in Athens, joining the existing Bob W Akadimia and Bob W Eolou. With the addition of this lease agreement, Bob W's European expansion is further strengthened, bringing its total number of units to over 5,000 across the continent. The conversion works have already commenced, and the apartments are set to open to guests this winter. The refurbishment will enhance the buildings energy efficiency through modern insulation, energy-saving lighting, and water-efficient features, all powered by 100% renewable electricity. Bob W recently launched its latest sustainability report and the Lodging Emissions & Guest-night Impact Tracker (LEGIT). Developed in collaboration with environmental consultancy Furthr, this new carbon measurement tool provides operators and guests with detailed environmental impact metrics for each room type. Advertisement The companys CEO, Niko Karstikko, stated that with each new property added to Bob W's rapidly expanding portfolio, the company is proving the efficiency and elevated guest experience that tech-powered hospitality can deliver without compromising on exceptional design or environmental responsibility. In addition, repurposing urban spaces into high-quality, design-led accommodations aligns with the company's sustainability efforts, reducing CO2 emissions by 5075%. Bob W's expansion strategy includes Athens and Greece as a long-term viable market at the core of its Mediterranean strategy. Paris D. Kallitsantsis, managing director at Blend Development, expressed delight at the partnership with Bob W, which will further contribute to the regeneration of Stadiou Street and the Athens city center. The operators marketplace connects guests to local amenities, while its robust customer service and seamless digital front desk ensure a truly local experience. As part of its growth strategy, Bob W actively seeks to sign additional lease and management agreements across Europe. SureStay by Best Western Bardstown General Nelson, located in Bardstown, Kentucky - Image Credit Hotel Brokers International Huff, Niehaus & Associates, Inc. is pleased to announce the successful sale of the SureStay by Best Western Bardstown General Nelson, located in Bardstown, Kentucky, on behalf of Dhamdhani, LLC. The Hotel was acquired by Vrindavan LLC. Brandt Niehaus, President of Huff, Niehaus & Associates, Inc. and member of Hotel Brokers International, was the Broker in the transaction. This 48-unit property has been completely renovated within the last two years. Bardstown is 35 miles south of Louisville, Kentucky, and boasts the title of Bourbon Capital of the World. New ownership will continue the affiliation with Best Western. Brandt Niehaus, President of Huff, Niehaus & Associates, Inc. based in Louisville, Kentucky, is a licensed broker in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Tennessee. He earned the coveted Broker of the Year award in 2018, 2017, and 2014 and is a thirteen-time recipient of Top Regional Broker recognition. Since 1975, Huff, Niehaus & Associates has evolved into a full-service real estate firm providing many services exclusively to the hospitality industry and lenders, including brokerage services, Brokers Opinions of Value, expert witness testimony, and development consultation. Huff, Niehaus can be found online at www.huffniehaus.com. Hotel Brokers International (HBI), founded in 1959, is the hotel real estate industry's oldest and most established network of hospitality brokers. With over 11,000 hotel transactions completed, HBI brokers are leaders in the field. The organization founded the Certified Hotel Broker (CHB) Program, the only professional designation for hotel brokers. In addition to real estate services, HBI offers affiliate membership opportunities to professionals in franchising, lending, appraisals, and investment services. To learn more about HBIs industry-leading services, visit www.hbihotels.com. For more information, contact: H. Brandt Niehaus CHB, CCIM Huff, Niehaus & Associates, Inc. Louisville, Kentucky 502.254.7787 hotels@huffniehaus.com Glenda J. Webb, Executive Director Hotel Brokers International +1.816.505.4315 gwebb@hbihotels.com Kaliwatu Villas and Residences Dusit Collection in Flores, Indonesia - Image Credit Dusit International Dusit International, a leading Thai hotel and property development company, has signed a management agreement with PT Komodo Property Management for Kaliwatu Villas and Residences - Dusit Collection, a new luxury retreat on Flores Island, Indonesia. This marks Dusit's first Dusit Collection-branded hotel in the country. Located in Labuan Bajo, Flores Island, a rapidly growing tourism destination, Kaliwatu Villas and Residences - Dusit Collection is just minutes from Komodo International Airport and the famous Komodo National Park entrance. The luxury retreat, scheduled for full completion by the second quarter of 2028, will feature 63 private villas with plunge pools, 194 modern apartments, and a clubhouse with various amenities. Reflecting the standards of Dusit's luxury Dusit Collection brand, the property is designed with sleek, contemporary architecture, blending seamlessly with its natural surroundings for an immersive guest experience. In addition to its luxurious accommodations, the property offers access to Labuan Bajo's rich cultural and natural attractions, including pink beaches, underground caves, waterfalls, hiking trails, and encounters with the world's largest lizards within Komodo National Park. Labuan Bajo, recognized for its unique wildlife and pristine marine environment, aims to attract 1.5 million tourists annually. Ongoing infrastructure improvements and new direct flights further boost its status as a top destination for relaxation and adventure. The signing of the management agreement strengthens Dusit's presence in Southeast Asia's luxury hospitality market. Local authorities fully support the development and is being carried out in collaboration with the local community, enhancing its positive impact on the local economy. Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa - Image Credit Marriott International The Luxury Collection, part of Marriott Bonvoy's portfolio, has announced the grand opening of Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa in Turks & Caicos. This marks the brand's first property in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Luxury Collection, as part of Marriott Bonvoy's portfolio, recently announced the grand opening of Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Turks & Caicos, marking the brand's first foray into the Turks and Caicos Islands. This luxurious haven is located on the idyllic shores of South Caicos Island, promising guests an immersive experience in the island's natural beauty, world-class watersports, exquisite dining, and cultural experiences. Bruce Rohr, Vice President and Global Brand Leader, The Luxury Collection, expressed his excitement over the introduction of Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Turks & Caicos to the brand's expanding global footprint. The resort gives travelers a gateway to South Caicos, a serene and lesser-explored corner of the Caribbean known for its picturesque beauty and rich maritime heritage. Designed by the acclaimed Edge of Architecture firm, the resort's architecture reflects South Caicos' natural landscapes. The resort boasts 100 guest rooms and suites crafted with regionally sourced materials to create a tranquil atmosphere while enhancing the connection to the natural surroundings. Wellness is a key focus at the resort, with The Spa at Salterra offering a tropical refuge for guests to revitalize their bodies and minds. The spa features a multisensory aqua thermal circuit, harnessing the healing effects of water to wash away stress and fatigue. Advertisement The resort offers six distinctive dining experiences showcasing the island's rich culinary heritage. The options range from the chic lobby bar Sisal to the resort's waterfront dining destination, Cobo Bar & Grill, and the resort's signature restaurant, Brine. The resort is near the protected Admiral Cockburn Land & Sea National Park, offering many adventures in unadulterated nature. Activities range from watersports like kayaking and bone fishing to seasonal whale watching and guided tours of local wildlife, uninhabited islands, and natural salt ponds. Brian King, President of Marriott International's Caribbean and Latin America region, stated that Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Turks & Caicos is more than just a resort; it's a destination where elegance and the spirit of South Caicos intertwine. The resort's commitment to sustainability is evident in its operations. It harnesses the abundant sunlight of South Caicos to power its operations, collects and desalinates seawater for drinking, and harvests rainwater for irrigation. It has also eliminated single-use plastic bottles in all guest rooms. Nobu Residences Park Meadows Amsterdam - Image Credit Nobu Hospitality Nobu Hospitality, in partnership with Dutch real estate firm Breevast, is launching its first venture in the Netherlands with the Nobu Restaurant Amsterdam and the Nobu Residences Park Meadows Amsterdam. Nobu Hospitality is making its maiden venture into the Netherlands with the Nobu Restaurant Amsterdam and the Nobu Residences Park Meadows Amsterdam. Developed collaboratively with Dutch real estate firm Breevast, this exclusive project will introduce Nobu's signature style to Amsterdam's highly desirable neighborhood, Oud-Zuid. The Nobu Residences Park Meadows Amsterdam will feature branded residences, presenting an attractive mix of prestige of ownership and the superior services of a luxury hospitality experience. Catering to private residences for purchase and serviced luxury residences for extended stays, this exceptional development is designed to meet the needs of those desiring a harmonious blend of residential comfort and Nobu's distinguished hospitality. The Nobu Restaurant Amsterdam will introduce a new standard for destination dining at the Nobu Residences, set against the tranquil backdrop of Beatrixpark. The restaurant and lounge bar are planned as lively social spaces, inviting the local community and international visitors to enjoy its unique blend of innovation and tradition. Situated near world-renowned museums, luxury boutiques, and the Zuidas financial district, residents will have access to a refined living experience crafted with Nobu's signature Japanese minimalism. Residents will have exclusive access to a Nobu restaurant, in-residence dining, a state-of-the-art wellness center, and a dedicated experience team for unparalleled access to the city. Located in the elegant, tree-lined streets of Oud-Zuid and the financial center of the Zuidas, Nobu Hospitality continues its tradition of blending contemporary luxury with local authenticity in its first Netherlands location. This venture offers an elevated lifestyle in one of Europe's most sought-after destinations. Henk Brouwer, CEO of Breevast, expressed his honor at partnering with a prestigious global brand like Nobu. "Not only is Nobu Residences a tremendous asset for Amsterdam, but it will also be the first branded residence in the Netherlands," Brouwer stated. Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality, shared his delight in the partnership and vision for the project. "Amsterdam is a dynamic European location for Nobu, with its vibrant culinary scene, cultural landscape, and understated approach to luxury," said Horwell. The project has also gathered interest from RCP Finance. Managing Director Christopher Khoi stated, "RCP Finance was thrilled to collaborate with Breevast in securing Nobu Hospitality as their brand partner; this project is set to be a tremendous success in Amsterdam." Wait! Before you go Please sign up for our Evening Digest and Breaking Newsletters Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Berkshire LGBTQ+ Leaders Launch Monthly Networking Event PITTSFIELD, Mass. Berkshire LGBTQ+ business owners, professionals, and community leaders are coming together to launch the new LGBTQ Business & Leaders Networking Monthly Networking Event on the third Wednesday each month, beginning March 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Inaugural meeting will be hosted at WANDER Berkshires, 34 Depot St., Suite 101, Pittsfield, and include a panel discussion with a local business owner, a community leader, and a representative from the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce. There will also be an opportunity for participants to speak about their businesses and meet other business owners. The monthly networking event is designed to foster connection, collaboration, and creative dialogue among local LGBTQ+ business owners, professionals, and community leaders. In partnership with the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Q-MoB, WANDER Berkshires, and media sponsor Berkshire Magazine, the series offers a platform to reflect on the rich history, vibrant present, and promising future of LGBTQ+ business in the Berkshires, as well as to support one another and find ways to meet the challenges that the LGBTQ community now faces. Each gathering will feature insights from esteemed LGBTQ leaders in the region. In this first gathering, the discussion will focus on the theme of "Berkshire LGBTQ Business: Past, Present, and Future." Panelists include: Past: Jason Vivori, co-founder of the Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition, a long-time community organizer, and Collections Manager for the Berkshire Museum, will share stories of the influential LGBTQ+ businesses and leaders who helped shape our community. Present: Jay Santangelo, founder of WANDER Berkshiresa dynamic coffee house, creative meeting space, and community darkroomwill provide insights on current innovative gatherings and community building. Future: Angie Montalvo-Greene, Member Engagement Director for the Massachusetts LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, will outline new programs aimed at empowering local LGBTQ business leaders. "In this time of tumultuous change, it's vital that our local LGBTQ+ community leaders come together to support one another and work in solidarity with our many allied businesses, government agencies, and organizations," said Q-MoB Executive Director Bart Church. The LGBTQ Business, Professional, & Community Leaders Networking Event series will continue at these local LGBTQ-owned Berkshire businesses in April & May: 4/16/25, 5:30-7:30pm, at Brazzucas Market, 75 North St, Pittsfield, MA 01201, and on 5/21/25, 5:30-7:30 pm at Heart's Pace Teahouse, 15 Eagle St, North Adams, MA 01247 "It is more essential than ever for our community to come together, support one another, and build strong networks with allied businesses and organizations," says Jay Santangelo, founder of WANDER Berkshires. "This series is an invitation for us to unite, share ideas, and work collaboratively towards a resilient and empowered future." For more information and to register, please click HERE. Registration is free. Monument To Honor Fallen Berkshire Veterans and Families LENOX, Mass. A committee of former soldiers, Gold Star family members, and former State Representative William "Smitty" Pignatelli is working to establish a monument in Lenox to honor fallen Berkshire County veterans and their families. "Currently, Fall River is the only community in Massachusetts with a Gold Star memorial. Together we can bring this meaningful commemoration to the Berkshires, ensuring that our community has a sacred space to honor and remember the incredible sacrifices of our heroes and their families," said Smitty Pignatelli. The monument is intended to recognize the sacrifices of both the veterans and their families. In partnership with the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires, the Gold Star Families Monument project has raised $120,000 toward its $175,000 goal. The $175,000 goal will cover the monument's creation, landscaping, lighting, and engraving. Donations can be made at npcberkshires.org The Gold Star designation dates back to World War I when families displayed small banners with either a blue or gold star. After World War II, Congress passed an act establishing the Gold Star Lapel Button to identify widows and parents of members of the armed forces who lost their lives in service. "The wounds of war extend far beyond those experienced by the individual service members. They extend deep into the hearts and souls of the families left behind," said Marie T. Field, Brigadier General (retired), Massachusetts Air Nation Guard. "The pain of uncertainty, the overwhelming sense of helplessness and the longing for answers, for closure, can haunt families for decades beyond their losses. A memorial can bring peace and resolution to Berkshire County Gold Star Families." The monument will be located in Lenox, with a projected unveiling in October, 2025 The City Council wants more time to review a proposal to turn Sullivan School into short and long-term artists' housing. North Adams Council Pauses Sullivan Sale for More Discussion NORTH ADAMS, Mass. The City Council on Tuesday referred a proposal to sell Sullivan School to the Finance Committee. "This has been out for quite some time," said Councilor Peter Oleskiewicz in making the motion. "I think it might be wise on our part to look right into this rather than jump right into it tonight." Mayor Jennifer Macksey had hoped to gain immediate approval on the purchase-and-sale agreement with the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation but councilors balked at approving a document they'd had for only a few days. "You've worked on it. Now we want to do our due diligence and have our meeting and have discussions," said Councilor Lisa Blackmer, noting the mayor had been negotiating since June. "Hopefully you, and maybe [Community Development Director] Mr. Nuvallie, or whoever was involved in assessing it, if they could be there, that would be really helpful. But I'm not going to hurry and this is not going to be a case of this needs to be done now." Councilor Ashley Shade, chair of the Finance Committee, thought a committee meeting would be best for a discussion and public input. The mayor, in response to a question about the need for a vote Tuesday, said MoCA had 120 days to do its due diligence, during which time the deal could fall apart. There was also an easement process to go through. "We can't really start it until we have a signed purchase and sale," she said. "I'm happy with it going to Finance, but I want to walk away tonight with a date." Councilor Wayne Wilkinson said it was the first he'd heard about an easement and had concerns about what he described as a "mock up" sale agreement. "What guarantees do we have that when you sign it's going to be identical to the one that you offer to us tonight?" he asked. The mayor said any modifications would come back before the council and the agreement would be filed with the Registry of Deeds. The nonprofit plans to turn the long-vacant school into affordable artists' housing and use classrooms on the lower level for music education in the summer. The proposal will create short-term rental spaces and condominiums catering to artists, designers and production personnel along with single-family modular housing on the 12-acre property. The school had been one of six city-owned properties the council had declared surplus back in 2017; since then, only the city yard and Notre Dame complex have been sold. Several proposals were put forward for the school b ut rejected by the council and sales of the Windsor Mill and the salt shed fell through. The sale price is $50,000, far below the $2.6 million its assessed at. "I think that I more than anyone would love to be able to sell this property for its true value. But unfortunately, despite the best efforts of three administrations that hasn't been in our cards for us," said the mayor. "The city has advertised this property no fewer than nine times since 2016 over a period of nine years. Five of those procurements generated no offers on the property. The other four proposals received in 2017, and 2021, were rejected by the City Council at the time." MoCA, the mayor said, was committed to developing a taxable residential property that will enhance the community and revive a beloved building. The project would also be vetted through the zoning and planning process. "The administration was very sensitive to reviewing these proposals and felt that it was a good fit not only for the community at large but for that neighborhood," said the mayor and a community meeting was held with MoCA representatives and neighbors in the fall, giving them the chance to ask questions and speak about their concerns. "They were concerned about what was happening to the property, as far as infrequent or frequent travelers that occupy the building, fires, vehicles, drug sales, and now that we've discovered, pedophile meet-ups," Macksey said, adding, "I wouldn't want that in my back yard, but I've got to sell the property. It's a liability to us, and if we again, I don't want to be at the end of my fifth term, say, and still have the property in our hands." Councilors Andrew Fitch and Keith Bona were ready to vote on the proposal Tuesday but said they would support the referral to Finance if other councilors wanted it. Bona said he didn't see the problems that past proposals had raised and noted it would be shifting the municipal property onto the tax rolls. "I have no problems with it going to committee," he said. "As is, I would have supported this tonight." The mayor asked that it not take three months and the council unanimously voted to bring the matter back for the March 25 meeting. Update Friday, March 14: The victim in Tuesday's fire has been identified by the DA's Office as Ensley Lacosse, age 4, NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Firefighters battled a late-night structure fire Tuesday that left two people seriously injured and one 4-year-old child dead. According to the District Attorney's Office and local and state fire officials, the structure fire occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. at a duplex located on West Shaft Road. The North Adams Fire Department responded to the fire in the two-story, two-family home. A video by a passing motorists shows the home fully engulfed in flames. Upon arrival, five occupants were outside, including an adult and minor with serious injuries. Firefighters were informed that one resident was unaccounted for; that person, a 4-year-old, was located deceased inside. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct a formal identification procedure and determine the cause and manner of death. "On behalf of the North Adams Fire Department, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the family that lost a loved one and their home," said Fire Chief Brent Lefebvre. "This is a terrible loss for them and our community." All the occupants were transported to North Adams Regional Hospital. The two people who sustained serious injuries were flown to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. North Adams firefighters responded to the blaze with mutual aid from Clarksburg and Williamstown. It took about an hour and a half to knock down the bulk of the fire and personnel were still working at the scene well into the morning. The origin and cause of the fire are being investigated by the North Adams Fire Department, North Adams Police Department, State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal's office, and State Police assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney's office. They are assisted by the Department of Fire Services' Code Compliance and Enforcement Unit. More information will be released as it becomes available. The identification of the individuals in the fire will be released once their families have been notified. In instances where an account has more than one owner, the $250,000 coverage per ownership still applies. For example, a joint account with two owners could be insured up to $500,000 ($250,000 per owner). Similarly, a trust account with three beneficiaries could be insured up to $750,000. The only limitation is that the maximum insurance coverage for a trust owner with five or more beneficiaries is $1,250,000 per owner for all trust accounts held at the same bank. You can add more than five beneficiaries, but the coverage will not exceed $1,250,000. Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF): Extra Protection for Massachusetts residents If you're in the fortunate position to have deposits exceeding the FDIC limit, the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF) provides additional security. A private, industry-sponsored insurance fund unique to Massachusetts, DIF covers deposits above the FDIC insurance amount at DIF member institutions including community savings and cooperative banks, regardless of the amount. It's important to note that while not all banks are members of DIF, all DIF members are FDIC members. If having deposit insurance for the full amount of your deposit accounts is important to you, please inquire with your financial institution to verify your coverage. Maximize Your Protection If your bank is not a DIF member, you can take other steps to boost your asset protection. For example, if your assets exceed the FDIC limit, you can spread them across multiple banks to secure full protection. You can also consider different ownership categories to increase coverage. The Exceptions to and Lengths of Protection While FDIC and DIF provide extensive protection, some investment and other assets are not covered. These include: Mutual funds Stocks and bonds Annuities and life insurance policies Crypto assets Contents of safe deposit boxes For a complete picture of your current FDIC coverage, click here to access the FDIC calculator. For a list of FDIC-insured banks, click here. For DIF-member banks, click here. Again, any deposit in any amount held at a DIF-member bank is fully insured. Like any insurance, FDIC and DIF are resources you hope you never need. But unlike other insurances, they're free. By understanding how they work, you can strategically manage your deposits, safeguard your assets, and enjoy peace of mind even in turbulent times. Onset Deputy Chief Jeffrey Dias, left, talks to Williamstown Deputy Chief Robert Briggs after Dias' interview with the Prudential Committee last week. Williamstown Prudential Committee Selects Onset Deputy as Next Fire Chief WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. It took the Prudential Committee less than 14 minutes to unanimously vote to offer the post of fire chief to Onset's Jeffrey Dias. Dias, deputy chief of a department of full-time and volunteer firefighters, was the only nomination to succeed retiring Chief Craig Pedercini. The committee members pointed to Dias' dedication, experience and certifications as informing their decision. "The credentials is what it came down to for me, where we want to see the department from a year from now, in five years," said committee member Lindsay Neathawk. "I feel that he was just the right candidate to bring us forward with the new station." He was interviewed last week along with finalists Spencer Chief Robert Parsons and Williamstown Lt. Ryan Housman; they were chosen from 24 applicants by a Personnel Committee established by the elected Prudential Committee members. "I was leery at the outset about bringing somebody new to this area who perhaps doesn't have any knowledge of the area," Committee Chair David Moresi said. "But time and time again, I would hear about the amount of due diligence he was doing on this department. "There seems to be an exceptional amount of due diligence that has been done on his behalf. And I would also like to feel that there's been an exceptional amount of diligence done on our half." Moresi said he and committee member Joseph Beverly heard how excited Dias was in learning about Williamstown's systems. Chief Timothy Clancy Jr. of Whitman described him to the committee as a "fire nerd ... He knows what works." Committee member Alex Steel moved the nomination after "consideration and consultation among the community, the officers of the Fire Department, the firefighters and this committee." Beverly said his involvement with the state Fire Academy and recruits and other initiatives he's worked on speaks to character. "I think he's got a lot of knowledge. He's a fire nerd. He's very passionate," he said. "I just think that he has an awful lot of experience, a lot of certifications, and he's a strong candidate." Dias has two decades of firefighting experience and handles grants, record managements and scheduling as well the Fire Prevention Bureau in Onset. He's been an instructor with the Department of Fire Services for six years and is a certified instructor in ALERT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training). He spent nearly five years in the Army, separating with the rank of sergeant. He told the committee last week that his goal was to become a chief and that he had to look outside his area to do so. "My wife and I talked about retiring to the mountains," Dias said. "We looked at New Hampshire, but when I saw the position close, we came out here for a visit. We were here for about five minutes and she said, 'Call the Realtor.' I said, 'Whoa, I haven't applied for the job yet.' "I love the small-town feel, love the mountains. I have a friend who is a chief in a Southern Berkshire town, and he said it was the best decision he ever made to come out here." He said he was up to the challenges facing the district, including the new station and struggles of a volunteer force. "If you gaze at the strategic plan I gave you, there are a couple of things in there that mention right away the fostering of relationships," Dias said. "I envision fostering a family environment, getting the family back in the fire station. You have to foster an environment where they want to be there and want to be involved and want to continue to learn. "I place a lot of importance on the internal customer as well as the external customer." The committee members said they were pleased to have had three exceptional finalists. "It does come down to a degree of certifications, to experience and moving forward," said Steel. "I think we have a good reason to be confident in Deputy Chief Dias' future performance and his background. ... "That's not to say that this will be an easy transition. It'll be a challenging transition to go from a small district, to a large district with a lot of different responsibilities, and so that will require the support and the guidance of a lot of steady hands and a lot of experience, specifically in this room." John Notsely, who's served 62 years on the Prudential Committee, was unable to attend but Moresi said he'd spoken to him about his choice. "I can say he does support this candidate, so he did want that to be known," said Moresi. The committee's next meeting is March 26 but Moresi anticipated an executive session prior to that to discuss Dias' contract, should he accept. The deputy chief had seemed clear last week on his affinity for Williamstown. "It's a very exciting prospect," Dias said. "I look forward to the challenge if you select me. At the risk of sounding cocky, I can say if you pick me, you won't be sorry. I won't let you down." Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Blake Lively thanked fans for their support after her first movie premiere since her messy legal battle with Justin Baldoni began. The 37-year-old actor shared a post to Instagram on Tuesday with photos from the premiere of her new movie, Another Simple Favor. The film, which she stars in alongside Anna Kendrick, debuted on Friday at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival. Livelys post included multiple snaps of her on the red carpet. In it, she wore a pink strapless dress, with a matching latex shirt dress over it, and her hair half-up. She also shared photos with the rest of the cast and crewincluding actor Henry Golding and the director of the A Simple Favor sequel, Paul Feigand expressed her gratitude to her fans. Watching @asimplefavor opening night @sxsw felt like a rock concert. Thank you to the very best audience. Texas turns it out, the Gossip Girl alum wrote in the caption of her post, which also included photos of her greeting fans at the movie premiere. Making this movie was already the gift, every element of it. To share it with you all and feel the love returned to us was the best feeling. Thank you for having us Austin. And yes. Its latex, she continued, referring to her shirt dress. During an interview with Variety at the event, Kendrick was asked how her new film is being impacted by everything going on in the world which appeared to be a reference to Livelys ongoing legal battle with Baldoni. The actor responded with what fans called the perfect response: Why? What happened? I did ayahuasca, and the last year of my life has been gone. But I heard the movies amazing. The Pitch Perfect alum gave an similarly terse response to a reporter who asked her what it was like working with Lively again, simply saying: Oh you know. Meanwhile, Lively described working working with Kendrick as the best. Rumors then spread that the two actors were feuding, with social media users claiming Lively was terrified to talk the red carpet, as Kendrick was p***** and never wants to work with her again. Feig quickly shut those accusations down, however, responding: Um youre wrong. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Blake Lively attended the movie premiere in a latex shirt dress on Friday. ( Getty Images ) Any questions about Livelys ongoing legal battle were perhaps unsurprising, given it was her first premiere since she sued Baldoni in December for sexual harassment and trying to destroy her reputation. Rumors of a feud between the actors on the set of It Ends with Us started swirling online last year, as they appeared to avoid each other during the films promotional tour. At the time, Lively was called out for a tone-deaf approach to the movie, with fans claiming she failed to treat its heavy subject matter with the appropriate solemnity. In the lawsuit against Baldoni, Lively alleged that the backlash she received was part of a carefully orchestrated effort by Baldonis PR team. The Jane the Virgin star, who denies the accusations, is suing The New York Times for $250 million, and he is counter-suing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for $400 million. The lawsuit against the couple alleges that theyre attempting to destroy Baldonis reputation and career. In January, a New York federal judge informed both parties to prepare for a trial in March 2026. After this, Lively and Reynolds attorneys filed a notice stating that they would seek to dismiss Baldonis counter-lawsuit. Only three weeks ago, Lively asked a judge for a stronger protective order than the courts model one, after receiving violent messages amid her and Baldonis legal battle. In addition, her team asked for certain material to be categorized as an Attorneys Eyes Only, which would make those legal documents highly confidential. However, Baldonis legal team then criticized those requests, accusing Lively of trying to shield, from public view, documents and information exchanged herein. The document also alleged Lively and Reynolds gave an otherwise confidential administrative complaint to The New York Times when she first filed her lawsuit in December. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Robert Pattinson called Zendaya for help over a scene that was making him crazy. Pattinson, 39, and Zendaya, 28, star opposite one another in the forthcoming film The Drama. Announced in August last year, the new movie follows a couple whose romance takes an unexpected turn before their wedding. The script has thrown up some roadblocks for Pattinson, however, with The Batman star admitting to going crazy over one scene in particular. We had a scene together that was driving me crazy, Pattinson said in an interview with the French magazine Premiere. I was desperately looking for its meaning, writing pages and pages of textual analysis. It was his co-star who eventually helped him through it, said the actor. I ended up calling Zendaya the night before shooting the scene, he said. I shared my doubts with her, I spoke for two hours, and after a while, very calmly, she made me understand that the line just said what it meant to say, that there was no hidden meaning. And there I was going crazy for three days, he added. Pattinsons admission does not come as a total surprise given the filmmakers behind the movie. Director Kristoffer Borgli is known for twisty stories, having previously made 2023s Dream Scenario in which Nicolas Cage plays a college professor whose life is turned upside down when strangers start seeing him in their dreams. open image in gallery Robert Pattinson at the 'Mickey 17' press conference at the 2025 Berlin Film Festival ( AFP via Getty Images ) The Drama is also produced by horror genius Ari Aster, best known for Hereditary and Midsommar. Its not uncommon for Pattinson to fixate on a film, it seems. Elsewhere in the interview, the Twilight star told the publication that he almost had a mental breakdown while shooting Lynne Ramsays Die, My Love another marital drama, this time starring Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence. It was less the plot that rattled him than it was the dancing scenes. open image in gallery Zendayas perfect nude is a deep satin lipstick (Alamy/PA) I did this movie with Lynne Ramsay, and shes a really good dancer. And Jennifer Lawrence is a really good dancer. They just find it so easy, Pattinson said of being asked to freestyle dance for the role. Theyre like, Just dance, its just music playing, just dance, Pattinson said. I was like, Im going to have a mental breakdown when this happens. We need to either choreograph it or cut it. And theyre like, No, just dance, stop being all freak. It came to the day, and I was sweating so much, the insides of my trousers, with sweat, were wet. Both The Drama and Die, My Love are expected for release sometime in 2025 with exact dates yet to be announced. Get the inside track from Roisin O'Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Dutch superstar DJ Tiesto's former attorney will appear in court this week over $28m concealed from the IRS using illegal offshore accounts. Frank Butselaar was sentenced to 30 months in prison in February after being charged with helping wealthy clients conceal tens of millions of dollars from the IRS. He led what US prosecutors in Manhattan called a long-running, international fraud scheme that benefited clients including DJs and fashion models. Butselaar is serving the final six months of his sentence, having pleaded guilty in November last year to one count of aiding or assisting in the filing of a false or fraudulent tax return. However, the IRS is now seeking the return of millions hidden on behalf of Tiesto. Business Insider reports that Butselaars defence team is planning to argue that Tiesto, not Butselaar, should pay the sum back. The publication reports that prosecutors have not sought charges against Tiesto, real name Tijs Michiel Verwest, as he was not aware of his former lawyers activities. Court documents reportedly indicate that the US District Attorney capped the amount Tiesto was required to pay back to the IRS at $9,467,085 which he paid voluntarily. He has not been accused of any wrongdoing. open image in gallery Tiesto is believed to have been unaware of his former lawyers activities ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) However, as prosecutors have called Butselaar back to court to demand he pay the remaining $19,250,845, his defence attorneys are reportedly planning to argue that he cannot afford the sum, and that Tiesto should pay instead. In a statement to Business Insider, Butselaar said through a representative: Mr Butselaar was paid an hourly rate to help his clients. If anyone is held liable to pay taxes on the millions of dollars in income it should be the artists who earned it, not Mr. Butselaar. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. In a court filing on 3 March, prosecutors said they were willing to lower the sum to $15.5 million as long as the funds are paid quickly, and without appeal. Prosecutors wrote: Butselaar's efforts to escape his restitution obligations are unpersuasive, unsupported by law, and contrary to the plea agreement that both he and his lawyers signed. The case will be put before a New York District Attorney judge on Thursday (13 March). Additional reporting by Reuters Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Community star Joel McHale has provided fans yet another update on the highly anticipated film adaptation of the cult series. More than two years have passed since US streaming service Peacock announced, in September 2022, that the sitcoms promise of six seasons and a movie was definitely going to be fulfilled. The Emmy-winning series ran for five seasons from 2009 to 2014 on NBC and for the final sixth season on Yahoo! Screen in 2015. Series creator Dan Harmon is overseeing the film, and a majority of the cast are returning. In a podcast appearance, McHale confirmed that a script was written for the film, but shooting was delayed by scheduling conflicts. So that is a, thats when everyones like, is that going to happen? I was like, well, we got the money, which is one of the harder things to do. Yeah. And everyones in, so that is the other, McHale told host Jesse Tyler Ferguson on the podcast Dinner's On Me. Its really coming down to schedules and a script was written. So all that is real. And I know that we have been talking about it for literally years, but its, it will happen and theres just, you know, its just getting those schedules together. As to what fans could expect, McHale said he had read the script and would offer only one spoiler. I am not going to tell you anything about it. I'll just say, everybody dies. open image in gallery Most of the stars from the series are confirmed to return for the film ( Jordin Althaus/NBC/Sony Pictures Television ) In March last year, McHale, who played the playboy protagonist Jeff Winger in Community and guest starred in another hit series, The Bear, said that he would be shocked if the film didnt start shooting in 2024. However, in July he said his lack of availability meant the film still hadnt begun shooting. He had previously confirmed that Donald Glover would be returning as Troy for the film. The fact that we even got Donald to do it, he said, that was the big piece. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. He also said that Yvette Nicole Brown, who played Shirley Bennett, would be returning. I think everyones coming back. So far, were pretty good. Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Jim Rash, and Ken Jeong were also confirmed to return. Chevy Chase, who played millionaire Pierce Hawthorne, will likely not be returning, with Harmon previously suggesting that it might not be legal for him to come back. open image in gallery Chevy Chase as Pierce Hawthorne in Community ( NBC ) Chases time on the show was riddled with behind-the-scenes controversy. The actor, 81, is reported to have left during the fourth season after using a racist slur on set. Harmon told The New Yorker in 2018 that Chase would make racial cracks between takes to try and disrupt Glovers scenes. Chevy was the first to realise how immensely gifted Donald was and the way he expressed his jealousy was to try to throw Donald off, Harmon told The New Yorker in 2018. I remember apologising to Donald after a particularly rough night of Chevys non-PC verbiage and Donald said, I dont even worry about it. In 2012, a source told The Hollywood Reporter that Chase had apologised immediately after he used the N-word on set. The slur was not aimed at Glover or his Black co-star Yvette Nicole Brown, but used when Chase questioned dialogue in a scene with their characters, said the source. In a subsequent interview on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast, Chase suggested that his departure was on his own terms. I honestly felt the show wasnt funny enough for me, ultimately, he said. I felt a little bit constrained. Everybody had their bits, and I thought they were all good. It just wasnt hard-hitting enough for me. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Matt Lucas has indicated that Little Britain could return to UK television screens after he and David Walliams were quizzed about the divisive comedy show during an appearance on Lorraine (12 March). The controversial Noughties sketch comedy was removed from the streaming service in 2020 following a backlash over scenes featuring its creators and stars, Lucas and Walliams, in blackface. Ofcom research, published in 2023, found that the show was explicitly racist and outdated. During an appearance on ITVs Lorraine, to promote their new podcast, the pair were asked whether the show would ever be able to make a comeback. Some of it you would get into trouble if you did that now but a hell of a lot of it is still as funny as ever it was and if you don't want to watch it, don't watch it. So is there going to be any more Little Britain?" asked Lorraine Kelly. Lucas said: "I don't know," with David asking Kelly: "Would you like to see it? We'll do it, especially for you." open image in gallery David Walliams and Matt Lucas pose as characters Lou and Andy ( Getty Images ) Responding, Lucas then said: I suppose if we were to do it again, maybe we would do it on stage. That would be fun because we did do a tour about 20 years ago and it was great fun. I think that would be a good way if we ever did it again. The duo were also asked about the show becoming a hit with a younger generation thanks to clips being shared on TikTok. Walliams replied: Well my son is 11. Everyone at his school is talking about it. As you rightly said, TikTok, people are sharing on TikTok. It's a whole new generation discovering it. I think those social media things are great for one/two minute clips. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. It comes after Lucas issued an apology to Millie Bobby Brown after comparing her to one of his Little Britain characters. The Stranger Things star, 21, recently responded to online criticism of her appearance, condemning posts and articles commenting on her face, hair, and body as bullying. Lucas, 50, re-shared images of Brown wearing a pink tracksuit and silver hoop earrings with her blonde hair in a messy bun on social media alongside Vicky Pollards signature catchphrase: No but yeah but. Following Browns statement on the backlash against her new look, Lucas wrote on Instagram on Tuesday (4 March): Dear Millie, I just saw your post and wanted to respond, and provide some context. open image in gallery ( Getty ) He continued: Nearly 25 years ago I co-wrote and appeared in a sketch show called Little Britain. There was a character in it called Vicky Pollard, who had blonde hair and always wore a pink top, and in the photo you had blonde hair and wore a pink top so I pointed out the similarity by posting one of her catchphrases. Lucas added that he thought Brown looked terrific and was mortified when news outlets reported that he had slammed her. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Wendy Williams has claimed she passed a medical examination with flying colors after she was taken to the hospital for a wellness check. The former Wendy Williams Show host, 60, was removed from her assisted living facility on Monday after dropping a note from her window that read: Help! Wendy!! During Tuesday mornings episode of Good Day New York, Williams called on-air anchor Rosanna Scotto from the Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan to give her an update on her situation. Williams has been under financial guardianship since 2022. Last year, her care team announced she had been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. When asked about the tests she had undergone to determine whether her cognitive functions were sufficiently intact for her to end her court-ordered guardianship, Williams declared she passed with flying colors. open image in gallery Wendy Williams has been under financial guardianship since 2022, and was taken to the hospital yesterday after asking those outside her assisted living facility for help. She was accompanied by a woman named Gina a caregiver not associated with the guardianship, according to TMZ who additionally informed Scotto that factually Wendy is not incapacitated. Asked how long she expects to be in the hospital, Williams responded: Im waiting to see my lawyer. I saw her yesterday; shell be here today. Continuing, Gina said that these test results will absolutely be brought to the judge to argue for Williams release from the assisted living facility. These independent results [are] from a well-known hospital, its independent, its factual. I would be very disappointed and very concerned if the judge has an issue with those tests, Gina said. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled. Try for free ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. You know what I dont understand, Wendy, is theyre locking you up like you committed a crime, Scotto said in disbelief, with Williams concurring. You know Im on the fifth floor; its called the memory unit. This is a floor where you dont remember anything. Like really? Williams said. As far as me being able to go outside? Im not allowed. I have to stay in this building. In order to go into the gym, which is on the third floor, I have to be permitted. open image in gallery Williams claimed she will show the results of her recent test to a judge to try and facilitate her release from an assisted living until ( Getty Images for New York Women ) Addressing the cost of the facility, she added that it had to be approved by her guardian. My money is in the air, she said. Oh god. This is my life. Giving further context about the restrictions placed on Williams, Scotto revealed: I cant even call you back. You dont know your phone number. Theyve given you some kind of weird kind of phone. I have a landline phone, Williams interjected. My guardian person has been having my phone for years now. Its unbelievable. I cant search my phone. As for what she hopes for her future, Williams said her number one priority is to get out of the guardianship. Gina further added that she thinks the new test results will open up a lot of doors. I did make a report myself, and I brought [Adult Protected Services] in; we brought NYPD in, she said. The Independent has contacted Williams representative for further comment. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice More than 4,000 diners will be compensated after two men allegedly urinated in broth at a hot pot outlet in Shanghai. Chinese hot pot giant Haidilao confirmed the offer after a video showing two men urinating into the broth of their hotpot while dining in a private room at one of its restaurants started circulating online late last month. The incident occurred on February 24 but Haidilao said on Wednesday it only became aware of the issue four days later and could not initially determine the time and location. The company later confirmed the location is in downtown Shanghai on March 6. It said the case revealed a lack of training procedures, which led to staff's failure to detect the situation promptly. open image in gallery Chinese hot pots are large pans of boiling spiced broth set in the centre of a table ( Getty Images ) "We fully understand that the distress caused to our customers by this incident cannot be fully compensated for by any means," the company said in the statement. "We are willing to do our utmost to take responsibility." The company did not say how much it would be spending in compensation. Haidilao reported the case to the police in Jianyang, Sichuan, where it is headquartered, and other locations. The police have since detained two men, both 17 years old, according to a statement issued by Shanghai Police. Haidilao filed a civil lawsuit application against them on Monday, the company's statement added. open image in gallery More than 4,000 diners will be compensated ( Getty Images ) Haidilao, which started in a small town in Sichuan in 1994, has become one of the most popular Chinese cuisine brands in the world. As of June 2023, it had opened 1360 restaurants in China and operated more than 1,400 globally. Super Hi International operates 122 Haidilao Hot Pot branded restaurants in 14 countries including Singapore, the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. Chinese hot pots are large pans of boiling spiced broth set in the centre of a table that allow diners to dip and cook their own food with thinly sliced meat often on the menu. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Johnny Somali pled guilty at a Seoul court to multiple charges linked to disruptive and offensive stunts that the controversial American streamer did across South Korea last year. Ramsey Khalid Ismael, 24, better known by his online alias Johnny Somali, was hit with a travel ban in November 2024 for causing a commotion at a convenience store the previous month. He had allegedly confronted a store worker who asked him not to drink alcohol there and made sexist remarks. The streamer gained notoriety in South Korea for provocative stunts, including kissing and twerking near a statue honouring the victims of wartime sexual slavery in Korea, during his visit to the Changdong History and Culture Park in Seoul. He apologised for that stunt after facing backlash. I want to apologise to Koreans. I didnt understand the significance of the statue, The Korea Times reported Somali as saying in a YouTube video. He claimed that his intention was to entertain his American audience but admitted his behaviour was disrespectful. Im truly sorry, he said in Korean. Many social media users doubted the sincerity of his apology, a sentiment that persisted after his recent court appearance. Somali arrived an hour late for his hearing claiming he had a stomachache, state news agency Yonhap reported. He was asked to remove his red Make America Great Again hat as wearing hats in courtrooms wasnt permitted. The streamer proceeded to answer questions posed to him with his hands in his pockets and had an uncooperative attitude, Yonhap said. The case will be heard again on 9 April, with the court advising Somali to arrive on time for the next hearing. I hope a fair final judgment is made to prevent such incidents from happening again in the country. A strong punishment must be imposed to set an example, Seo Kyoung Duk, professor of general education at Sungshin Womens University in Seoul, wrote on social media. Somali, who has been banned from multiple social media platforms, is known for travelling to different countries only to perform controversial and disrespectful stunts. In addition to the store incident that he was indicted for, Somali has been accused of streaming himself disrupting a live music performance in the country and playing music related to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, walking up to pedestrians with a bag of foul-smelling fish, and playing loud music on public transport. He has been attacked on at least three occasions in South Korea, once by a man with a background in the Korean navys Underwater Demolition Team. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A woman and her friends in the northern Indian city of Moradabad have been charged under the Wildlife Protection Act for allegedly capturing and burning alive a feral cat after it crossed their path. The incident came to light after Delhis Wildlife Crime Control Bureau received a complaint about a video being shared online. Police identified the suspect by only one name, Priya, and said she lived in Laluwala village in Uttar Pradesh. They said the woman and her friends filmed the act and shared the video on a social media platform. Priya, who is reportedly in her early 30s, and her friends caught and killed the cat after it crossed their path in Moradabads Bhojpur area, police said on Tuesday. There is a widespread superstition in India that a cat passing ones path brings bad luck. A group of people can be seen in the video beating the animal, dousing it in petrol, and setting it on fire. Police said Priya and an unspecified number of other suspected had been charged under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, which carries a penalty of up to three years in prison and a hefty fine for such acts of animal cruelty. We traced Priya after verifying the bikes registration number seen in the video, Moradabad divisional forest officer Suraj Kumar told The Times of India. India has reported many cases of animal cruelty that led to police action. A pregnant wild elephant died in the southern state of Kerala in 2020 after eating a pineapple planted with a firecracker that exploded. The wild animal ran into a nearby river after the blast and stayed there for hours, seemingly seeking relief for its severely injured mouth and tongue in the cool water. In January this year, a man in Andhra Pradesh states Nellore region allegedly set a pet dog and a scooter on fire to settle a dispute over a damaged phone. The dog received severe injuries but survived. In another incident of animal cruelty from 2023, a young man irritated by a stray dogs barking in Uttar Pradeshs Mathura Sadar Bazaar poured petrol on the animal and set it on fire. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A coalition of South African animal rights groups has called on their government to investigate the alleged exports of wild animals to a private Indian zoo owned by the influential Ambani family. The Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa, a coalition of 30 groups, has written to federal environment minister Dion George, urging him to investigate legitimate concerns over wildlife exports to India. The Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, popularly known as Vantara, is a 3,000-acre facility in the western Gujarat state run by Anant Ambani, son of Asias richest man Mukesh Ambani who claims it to be a private wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility. The zoo dismissed the complaint by the South African coalition as entirely false and baseless and said they had served them a legal notice over the report. The zoo was inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi on World Wildlife Day, 3 March, and his photos with the animals went viral on social media. The sprawling establishment at the Reliance Jamnagar Refinery Complex claims to house 150,000 rescued endangered and threatened animals from over 200 species. The zoo has faced scrutiny from wildlife activists since before it was unveiled last summer during Anant Ambanis extended wedding ceremony. In a 6 March letter to South African ministries and agencies, the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum said that concerns had been raised by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species regarding the large amount of different live species of wild animals that are being imported to Vantara. CITES is an international agreement between governments aimed at ensuring that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. India has been a signatory to CITES since 1976. The coalition said the issue of Indias potential non-compliance regarding concerns about Vantara was raised in a November 2023 meeting after CITES received information about live animal imports to India, including of critically endangered species. We are of the opinion that a significant number of captive-bred specimens in facilities in South Africa could have been and are being traded for commercial purposes, it said. Narendra Modi at Vantara in Jamnagar, Gujarat ( X/@narendramodi ) In a statement to The Independent, the zoo said the allegation of noncompliance was a complete fabrication and based on outdated information. The Wildlife Animal Protection Forum was deliberately omitting the fact that the matter was fully reviewed in a February 2025 meeting of the CITES standing committee and closed. The compliance concerns initially raised at SC77 were thoroughly addressed, the statement said, referring to the 77th meeting of the CITES standing committee, and there are no ongoing investigations or pending compliance actions against Vantara. Along with the letter, the South African coalition shared a document detailing their investigation and concerns about the facility in India. The zoo received 56 cheetahs, 52 caracals, six jaguars, 19 leopards, 90 lions, 20 African wild dogs and many other animals from South Africa, according to the 2023-24 annual report by Vantara. The lions and tigers exported from South Africa appear to have been purchased and exported from breeding facilities in South Africa and therefore perhaps the current living conditions offered at Vantara have improved, the letter said. This does not justify the reality that they will now be transformed into breeding machines, exploited within the numerous animal breeding facilities located outside the main zoo. The coalition said it would need to be convinced, with independent, verifiable evidence, that the additional list of wildlife species exported from South Africa were saved or rescued from adverse conditions. Vantara said all animal transfers from South Africa were conducted in full compliance with the countrys federal and provincial rules. The animal rights coalitions complaint, seemingly driven by vested interests, was an attempt to revive stale matters that have been thoroughly investigated and conclusively closed by CITES, the worlds highest authority on wildlife transfer compliance, the Indian facility said in its statement. The Independent has reached out to the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa for comment. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Nearly 44 years after 24 Dalits were brutally killed in a targeted massacre in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, three men have been convicted for their role in the attack. A district court in Mainpuri found the three accused guilty of multiple offences, including murder, conspiracy, and house trespass to commit an offence punishable by death, said government counsel Rohit Shukla. The sentencing is scheduled for 18 March, reported the Indian Express. The convictions bring partial closure to the case, with 13 of the accused dying over the years and one still absconding. The killings took place on 18 November 1981 in Dehuli, a village that was then part of Mainpuri district but now falls under Firozabad. Armed assailants stormed homes, gunning down 24 people, including seven women and two minors, before looting their belongings. The attack was allegedly in retaliation against villagers who had testified against a notorious criminal gang whose members mostly belonged to the so-called upper caste Thakur community. Those convicted include Ram Sevak, who remains in custody, and Kaptan, who was taken into custody following the verdict. The third accused, Rampal, failed to appear in court, and a non-bailable warrant has been issued for his arrest. The massacre was one of the most horrific caste-based killings in India's history. Dehuli at the time had a population of about 900 people. The residents were mostly Dalit, primarily from the Jatav and Rangia communities, historically marginalised groups engaged in trades such as tanning and shoemaking. The attackers, who were led by gang leaders Radheshyam Singh (Radhey) and Santosh Singh (Santosha), and dressed in police uniforms stormed the settlement in broad daylight, revealed an India Today report filed on 15 December 1981. For four hours, they systematically hunted and executed every Dalit they could find, revealed the report. Victims were shot at point-blank range, their bodies left scattered in homes and alleyways. According to the report, a mother, who herself died in the massacre, threw her infants onto a hut's roof to save them, men burrowed into haystack, and a young boy was hidden inside a cupboard by his mother to escape the killing. The prosecution argued that the massacre was premeditated, Advocate Shukla was quoted as saying by the Indian Express. A year and a half before the killings, a police encounter had led to the arrest of two members of the Radhey-Santosh gang, he told the outlet. Four villagers from Dehuli had acted as witnesses. The attack was meant to silence and terrorise Dalits in the region, ensuring that no one dared challenge the dominance of upper-caste criminals, the prosecution argued. India abolished caste-based discrimination in 1955, but centuries-old biases against lower-caste groups, including Dalits persist. The fallout of the massacre was significant. Then-chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Vishwanath Pratap Singh, came under pressure to resign but insisted that restoring law and order was a greater priority. Either we protect the survivors and bring the killers to justice, or we might as well find someone else to run this state, he told reporters at the time. He vowed to take a hard stance against caste-based violence, but his tenure remained under scrutiny as lawlessness continued. In the days following the massacre, Dehuli was thrown into mourning. Families gathered in the mortuary at Mainpuri, where six doctors worked for two days to perform post-mortems on the victims. The wounds were gruesome, with some bodies bearing multiple gunshots. The killers had mostly used 12-bore guns, rifles, and locally-made pistols. Among the victims was a woman named Sarwati, 20, who was holding her infant son Rajesh when the killers arrived. The same bullet that pierced her chest also killed her child. A pregnant woman, Shanti Devi, who died from bullet injuries, was later found to have been carrying twins a boy and a girl, India Today reported at the time. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A Japanese town has been ordered to pay 10.9m yen (56,581) in overtime to public servants made to start work five minutes early each day. On 26 February 2021, all 146 government employees in Ginan, in Gifu prefecture on the island of Honshu, were told to clock in at 8.25am, five minutes earlier than the standard start time. The directive, issued by then mayor Hideo Kojima, came into effect on 1 March that year. Kojima, who took over as mayor in late 2020, was known for having a strict management style. He resigned in 2023 after an investigation found he had committed 99 acts of sexual harassment against employees. He denied the allegations even though some of the incidents had reportedly been witnessed by other people. I didnt do it, he said in televised comments. The report lacks neutrality, and I want them to investigate more carefully. Kojima would apparently get unduly angry at employees he didnt like and regularly threatened them with disciplinary action and dismissal. After his resignation in 2023, the early clock-in policy was discontinued. The employees, however, maintained that the additional five minutes per day they had worked all those years should qualify as overtime and lodged a formal complaint with the Japan Fair Trade Commission, seeking compensation for the three-year period during which the policy was enforced. In November 2024, the commission ruled in favour of the employees and ordered the town to pay them compensation. On 28 February 2025, a supplementary budget proposal addressing the compensation issue was presented to the towns assembly. The payment is yet to be made. The case has sparked intense debate in the country, not least because Japan has long grappled with the problem of karoshi (death from overwork). In the company I work for there is a mandatory 10-minute meeting during the noon break every day. I think this is obviously illegal. Should we also talk to the Fair Trade Commission? one person commented online. Some companies want employees to have morning meetings, clean up the office, and even do exercises before starting work, but they are all overtime under the law, said another. The Japanese government last year launched a work-style reform campaign promoting shorter hours and other flexible arrangements as well as overtime limits and paid annual leave in an effort to encourage citizens to have a better work-life balance. By realising a society in which workers can choose from a variety of working styles based on their circumstances, we aim to create a virtuous cycle of growth and distribution and enable each and every worker to have a better outlook for the future, a government website says about the hatarakikata kaikaku campaign, which translates to innovating how we work On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Separatist insurgents hijacked a train in Pakistan on Tuesday and took its nearly 500 passengers hostage in an audacious terrorist attack that shocked the nation. The Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, which has waged a long insurgency in the restive southwest province of Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the ambush. Security officials said the military rescued at least 155 hostages in an overnight operation and killed 27 militants. The BLA claimed that they killed 30 soldiers and shot down a drone. The insurgents ambushed the Jaffar Express, which was running from the provincial capital Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar, in the mountainous area of Bolan. They detonated explosives on the tracks to force the train to stop, trapping it inside the Mashkaf tunnel. open image in gallery ( The Independent/Datawrapper ) Who are the Baloch Liberation Army? The BLA is one of the largest militant outfits demanding independence for Balochistan. It is designated as a terrorist group by Pakistan as well as the US. The BLA and fellow insurgent groups accuse Pakistans federal government of unfairly exploiting the natural resources like oil and minerals found in Balochistan, the countrys largest but least populous province bordering Afghanistan and Iran. They claim that Pakistan forcibly integrated the province after pressuring the Khanate of Kalat, which governed the region during British rule, to sign a treaty of accession in 1948. The BLA has a long history of targeting civilians and security forces in the province, which is home to nine million ethnic Baloch people. The group routinely launches attacks on natural resource extraction projects as the mountainous region serves as a haven for the insurgents. open image in gallery Bystanders help evacuate an injured passenger on a stretcher at the Mach railway station ( AFP via Getty ) For decades, the group carried out mostly small-scale attacks. That changed last August when it launched a series of attacks and killed about 70 people. They included 23 passengers, mostly from eastern Punjab province, who were fatally shot after being taken from vehicles in Musakhail. The BLA took responsibility for an attack near the Karachi airport that killed two Chinese citizens last year. It also sent women suicide bombers to target Chinese nationals at a university in the coastal city, apparently in protest against the Chinese operating gold and copper mines in Balochistan. China has invested over 50bn in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, an offshoot of the Belt and Road initiative, which involves Balochistan. In all, the militant group killed more than 1,600 people last year, the Centre for Research and Security Studies in Islamabad said. Why did BLA attack the train? The BLA has demanded the release of Baloch political prisoners, activists and citizens allegedly abducted during military operations that have been criticised for flouting human rights. After hijacking the train, the group said it had taken hostage many security personnel travelling home on leave. Civilian passengers, particularly women, children, the elderly, and Baloch citizens, have been released safely, and given a secure route," the BLA said in a statement. "BLA is prepared for a prisoner exchange," the group said, but threatened to execute the hostages if the military intervention continued. "If our demands are not met within the stipulated period or if the occupying state attempts any military action during this time all prisoners of war will be neutralised and the train will be completely destroyed." open image in gallery Soldiers secure Mach railway station after freeing some passengers from the train ( AFP via Getty ) The militants have made bombers wearing explosive-laden jackets sit next to some of the hostages, Reuters reported, quoting unnamed sources who did not specify the number of the people being held. The BLA claimed that it was holding 214 people. A security source told Reuters there were 425 passengers on the train when it was attacked. In a statement on Tuesday, the BLA "strongly warned" all foreign investors not to participate in the exploitation of "occupied Balochistan's resources". It was not immediately known how many militants were involved in the attack. Pakistani officials and security analysts estimated the group had around 3,000 fighters. President Asif Ali Zardari and prime minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the attack and vowed to bring the cowardly terrorists to their end. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres also condemned the attack and demanded the immediate release of all the hostages. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Pakistani troops have rescued at least 150 of the 450 passengers passengers from a train ambushed by insurgents in Pakistans Balochistan province on Tuesday. At least 27 militants were killed. The fate of the rest of the passengers held hostage isnt yet known as soldiers continued to conduct operations in the mountainous terrain. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, said in a post on Telegram that it had taken 182 security personnel hostage. The militant groups spokesperson, Jeeyand Baloch, said the group was ready to free passengers if authorities agree to release jailed militants. There has been no comment from the government, which has rejected such demands in the past. The BLA is a separatist group that has been waging an insurgency in Balochistan for years now. It is classified as a terrorist organisation by Pakistan as well as by the United States. The BLA said the hostages and some captured members of the security forces were being guarded by suicide bombers on Wednesday. The BLA has warned that the life of hostages would be at risk if the government does not negotiate. Pakistans government was yet to confirm the number of security personnel taken hostage. The affected train is still on the spot and the armed men are holding passengers, senior district police officer Rana Dilawar said. Special forces and helicopters had been deployed to rescue the passengers, the officer added. open image in gallery A passenger rescued from the train receives medical aid at the railway station in Mach ( Reuters ) The insurgents ambushed the Jaffar Express on its way from Quetta to Peshawar. They detonated explosives on the railway tracks in Bolan district to force the train to stop, trapping it in a tunnel. The driver was wounded and guards aboard the train were attacked, although the officials gave no details on how many there were or their fate. The militants then opened fire, prompting security personnel on board to retaliate. The attackers used women and children as human shields during the confrontation, government officials claimed. Shahid Rind, spokesman for the Balochistan government, described the assault as an act of terrorism. He said emergency services had been mobilised to aid the injured and secure the passengers but the challenging terrain was hampering rescue work. open image in gallery A soldier helps evacuate freed passengers at Mach railway station, which has been turned into a makeshift hospital ( AFP/Getty ) At least 16 militants were killed as security forces launched a counter-operation, officials said. The number of civilian casualties was not clear but at least 10 people, including the train driver and security personnel, were reported dead. Several passengers sustained injuries in the attack. Jeeyand Baloch, a spokesperson for the BLA, claimed the group was prepared to release civilians if the government freed jailed militants. Pakistan authorities previously dismissed such demands. Railway officials said the Jaffar Express was carrying nearly 500 passengers at the time of the attack. The rescued people, including 31 women and 15 children, were moved to nearby stations for safety while operations to recover the remaining hostages continued in the area around the Mushkaf Tunnel. open image in gallery Bystanders help evacuate an injured passenger on a stretcher ( AFP/Getty ) People began hiding under the seats in panic. The militants separated the men from the women. They allowed me and my family to go because I told them Im a heart patient, a rescued passenger named Allahditta, 49, told the AFP news agency from the makeshift hospital at Mach railway station. I was on the train with my father and brother when militants took us hostage, a 32-year-old woman, who asked not to be named, was quoted as saying by France 24. They let me go but they are still there. The attack drew strong condemnation from Pakistans leaders. President Asif Ali Zardari denounced it as a heinous act against innocent civilians. Those who attack passengers are against Balochistan and its traditions, he said. The Baloch nation rejects those who attack and take hostage innocent passengers, elders and children. No religion or society allows such heinous acts. The prime minister praised the security forces for their swift response and vowed that the attackers would be brought to justice. The beastly terrorists who carry out the cowardly attack do not deserve any concession, Shehbaz Sharif said. Terrorists are the enemies of the development of Balochistan. open image in gallery Pakistani soldiers secure the station following an operation against militants who ambushed a train on Tuesday ( AFP/Getty ) Targeting innocent travellers in the holy month of Ramadan was a clear reflection of the fact that these terrorists have no connection with the religion of Islam, Pakistan and Balochistan, Mr Sharif said. We will continue the war against the monster of terrorism until it is completely eradicated from the country. We will thwart every conspiracy to spread insecurity and chaos in Pakistan. We will never allow the evil intentions of anti-national elements to succeed. The entire nation stands by its security forces in this war against terrorism. The United Nations condemned the attack as well and secretary general Antonio Guterres called for the immediate release of the remaining captives. open image in gallery Freed passengers gather at the railway station ( AFP/Getty ) Balochistan, Pakistans largest but least populated province, has long been a hub of separatist violence. It is home to several separatist groups, who accuse the federal government of unfairly exploiting the provinces rich natural resources like oil and minerals and routinely target natural resource extraction projects. It is the first time BLA separatists have hijacked a train, though the group has attacked trains before. Estimates say the BLA has around 3,000 fighters. In October last year, suspected BLA gunmen shot dead 20 miners and wounded several more. In August, they killed more than 50 people, prompting a security crackdown that left 21 militants dead. Those killed in the attack included 23 passengers from the eastern Punjab province who were fatally shot after being taken from vehicles in Musakhail. The BLA has frequently targeted security forces and infrastructure as well as Pakistani civilians and foreigners, particularly Chinese workers involved in projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Security analysts suspect the group has strengthened its operational capacity by acquiring funding and weapons to escalate the insurgency. Abdullah Khan, a senior analyst at the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, said that the latest attack highlighted the groups growing capability to disrupt security in the region. Another analyst said the train attack and its focus on civilians could backfire. After failing to damage the Pakistan Army within Balochistan, BLA has shifted its targets from military to unarmed civilians. This may give them instant public and media attention, but it will weaken their support base within the civilian population, which is their ultimate objective, said Syed Muhammad Ali, an Islamabad-based independent security analyst. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Rodrigo Dutertes daughter said the former president of the Philippines was forcibly taken to The Hague after his surprise arrest at the Manila airport, prompting a security clampdown. Mr Duterte was taken into custody shortly after he landed from Hong Kong as police executed an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. The former president, 79, protested his detention before he was put on a chartered plane to The Hague, Netherlands, where the ICC was investigating him for suspected crimes against humanity during his administrations anti-drugs campaign, which led to thousands of killings. "Today, our own government has surrendered a Filipino citizen, a former president at that, to foreign powers, Mr Dutertes daughter, incumbent vice president Sara Duterte, said. Since he was taken this morning, he has not been brought before any competent judicial authority to assert his rights and to allow him to avail of reliefs provided by law. As I write this, he is being forcibly taken to The Hague tonight. This is not justice. This is oppression and persecution." She said she would follow her father to The Hague to secure his release. open image in gallery Philippine policemen walk past the Supreme Court on 12 March 2025 as security is heightened in the capital Manila a day after the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte ( AFP via Getty Images ) The arrest of Mr Duterte, a polarising figure in the Philippines, escalated fears about the security situation as Manila braced for protests. The Philippine National Police issued a high alert for regional offices and national support units in the capital amid concerns about civil unrest, rallies, and mass actions. Police also secured the Supreme Court premises where lawyers of the former president planned to file a plea for his release from "illegal arrest. The presidential legal counsel denied the involvement of the Philippines government in Mr Dutertes arrest and claimed his legal troubles were caused by laws enforceable by the ICC. The current legal problem of former president Rodrigo R Duterte is not caused by Philippine laws, Juan Ponce Enrile said. "His lawyers should endeavour to secure a copy of the ICC charges against him so that they will know why he was ordered to be arrested by the ICC. open image in gallery A supporter of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte reacts while facing police outside the Villamor Air Base, where he was held for a while in Metro Manila ( AFP via Getty ) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr told a press conference that Mr Duterte was being flown out of the country. The plane is en route to the Hague, in the Netherlands, allowing the former president to face charges of crimes against humanity in relation to his bloody war on drugs," he said. I am confident the arrest was proper, correct and followed all necessary legal procedures. We did not help the International Criminal Court in any way. The arrest was made in compliance with Interpol." Mr Duterte could become the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the ICC. Human rights activists and Filipino families whose loved ones were killed during Mr Dutertes war on drugs hailed his arrest. Amnesty International claimed that the former leaders arrest was a hopeful sign for victims in the Philippines and beyond. It shows that suspected perpetrators of the worst crimes, including government leaders, can and will face justice, wherever they are in the world. open image in gallery Police stand in formation at the gates of a military airbase where former president Rodrigo Duterte was held in Manila ( EPA ) Randy Delos Santos, uncle of a teenager, Kian Delos Santos, killed by police during an anti-drug operation in August 2017, spoke at a rally on Tuesday. "This is a big, long-awaited day for justice," he said. "Now we feel justice is rolling. We hope that top police officials and the hundreds of police officers who were involved in the illegal killings should also be placed in custody and punished. Three officers who killed Santos were convicted for murder in 2018. The killing had forced Mr Duterte to temporarily halt his campaign. Its alleged that his administration oversaw the execution of nearly 4,000 people during the anti-drug campaign. Most of those killed were poor Filipinos living in urban areas. Human rights groups say the actual number of dead could be much higher. The war on drugs was the signature campaign platform that swept the mercurial crimebuster nicknamed "the punisher" to power. His detention follows years of him rebuking and taunting the ICC in profanity-laden speeches since pulling the Philippines from the court's founding treaty in 2019 as it started looking into allegations of systematic murders of drug dealers on his watch. Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Archaeologists in Cambodia have unearthed the torso of a Buddha statue at the ancient Angkor temple complex, believed to match a head discovered nearly a century ago. The remarkable find, made in February at Ta Prohm temple, adds another layer of intrigue to the already fascinating history of the site. The torso, standing 1.16 metres tall, is thought to date back to the 12th or 13th century and is in the distinctive Bayon art style, known for its intricate carvings and association with the Bayon temple. Archaeologist Neth Simon, speaking from Siem Reap province, described the discovery as a "big surprise", as previous excavations at the site had yielded only small fragments. The statue's design features carved jewellery, robe, and sash, with a unique left-hand gesture across the chest an uncommon representation in Khmer (Cambodian) art, Ms Simon said. Adding to the excitement, an optical electronic scan has confirmed that the torso matches the head discovered in 1927 during the French colonial era, currently housed at the National Museum in Phnom Penh. The torso was found about 50 metres from where the head was originally unearthed, raising questions about the circumstances that led to their separation. The torso matches a head found in 1927 ( AP ) A near-complete reconstruction of the statue is now possible, Ms Simon said, now that only the right hand of the statue remains missing. Her team will ask the Minister of Culture and Fine Art for approval to reattach the head and body of the sculpture to make it whole for public display. The Angkor site sprawls across some 155 square miles (400 square kilometres), containing the ruins of capitals of various Cambodian empires from the 9th to the 15th centuries. Scholars consider it to be one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. The site is Cambodia's most popular tourist attraction and in 2024 attracted about a million international tourists, according to Cambodia's Tourism Ministry. The excavations aim to organise and preserve the numerous art objects scattered throughout the Ta Prohm complex, highlighting the ongoing efforts to protect and understand Cambodia's rich cultural heritage, the Apsara Authority said. Ms Simon said she would be delighted if the statue's pieces could be reassembled after being far apart from each other for a century. "As an archaeologist, I would be really happy. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A wealthy aristocrat posed as freelance journalist called Caroline as she fled the authorities with her partner and their secret newborn baby, a retrial heard. Jurors at the Old Bailey were told Constance Marten, 37, used the ruse as she checked in to a service station hotel at 4am while on the run with Mark Gordon, 50, and their daughter Victoria in January 2023. The parents deny gross negligence manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of the infant, whose birth they concealed to stop her from being taken into care like their four other children. Victoria died of hypothermia or suffocation after they took her off-grid in a flimsy tent on the South Downs in winter, it is alleged. In a statement read to the jury on Wednesday, receptionist Cathy Lloyd said Marten seemed "really sweet" and genuine as she checked in to the Ibis Hotel at Lymm Services in Warrington on 4 January 2023. She claimed she was a freelance journalist called Caroline Marten and asked to pay for the room in cash as she had lost her credit card, Ms Loyd said. The day before Marten had received 3,400 into her bank account from a trust fund, the court was told. The receptionist said the defendant had seemed "extremely well-spoken" and "genuine", but "very tired", adding: "Constance made conversation with me and was very sweet and conversational. "She told me she was very tired after driving 'a hell of a long way'. She told me she had lost her credit card and if she could pay cash. She told me she lived in Hackney and just wanted to go home." Having told her she was a freelance journalist, Marten chatted with Ms Lloyd about publicity for her brother who was in a play, jurors heard. Ms Lloyd handed over her email address and phone number, but never heard back from Marten. Gordon entered reception shortly after Marten had gone to her room but appeared to be "very moody" and did not reply to the receptionists inquiry about whether he had checked in, which she found "unnerving", jurors heard. Ms Lloyd said: "I really thought she was a journalist. At no time did I see Constance and Mark together. At no point did I see a baby with either of them. "I definitely did not see a baby or any baby items. None of their body language indicated they had a baby with them." The following day the couple abandoned their belongings at the side of the M61 near Bolton, Greater Manchester, after their Peugeot burst into flames. Ken Hudson filmed the fire on the motorway and called emergency services at 6.19pm, but the couple fled on foot before police arrived. He told jurors that he saw a female passenger holding a bundle with a baby's head with wispy hair showing. Giving evidence in court, Mr Hudson said he had asked her "is the baby alright", and she replied: "She's fine." He touched the baby's head and said "God bless", he said. Police launched a nationwide manhunt after they discovered a placenta wrapped in a towel in the burnt out wreckage. The couple are accused of recklessly taking the infant on the run as they travelled the country by taxi before settling in a flimsy tent on the South Downs. Victorias decomposing body was eventually found by the police stashed in a Lidl bag-for-life, which they allegedly also used to carry her around while on the run. Marten and Gordon both deny charges of gross negligence manslaughter of Victoria and causing or allowing the infants death. The jury heard that last year that the pair was convicted of concealing the birth of the child and perverting the course of justice in a previous trial. The retrial continues. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The family of a mother-of-three who was found dead in a house in Northamptonshire have described her as the matriarch of the family. The 43-year-old woman, believed to be Marta Bednarczyk, is thought to have died as a result of sharp force injury after police were called to an address on Newcomen Road, Wellingborough, on Monday. A 13-year-old girl appeared at Northampton Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning charged with murder and arson. The teenager, who cannot be identified because of her age, has been remanded into secure youth accommodation and ordered her to appear before a judge at Northampton Crown Court on Wednesday afternoon. open image in gallery Forensic officers remain at the scene on Newcomen Road ( Joe Giddens/PA Wire ) In a statement released by Northamptonshire Police, her family said: Marta was the matriarch of our family. She was a very caring woman, a loving mother, and a supportive friend who could never do enough for those she loved. She moved from Poland to the UK in 2010 first to London and then to Wellingborough in 2012, where she worked in a warehouse in order to bring money home for her family. She was engaged to her long-term partner Eugene and had a small but tight network of friends and family. She was so loved by all of us and the tragic circumstances in which she died will haunt us forever. We dont think we will ever come to terms with it. We are heartbroken at the thought of never seeing our lovely Marta again. She will be missed beyond words, and she will never be forgotten. Finally, wed like to thank the police for the support they have provided us with since Sunday. They have been very kind and for that, we are really grateful. open image in gallery The teenage girl has been remanded into a secure detention accommodation ( Joe Giddens/PA Wire ) Ms Bednarczyk was discovered at the property shortly after 3am on Monday after firefighters were called to the scene. Appearing in the dock, the teenage girl clutched a teddy bear and spoke only to confirm her name and date of birth during the four-minute hearing. Ordering the girl to appear before Her Honour Judge Adrienne Lucking KC at Northampton Crown Court on Wednesday afternoon, chairman of the bench Kevin Walsh told the girl that she was being remanded in custody because of the nature of the charges. He told the teenager: You are going to be seen by a judge in the Crown Court at two oclock. Forensic officers are continuing inquiries at a property in Newcomen Road. A section of the street, comprising terraced homes and near to an Aldi supermarket and a Matalan shop, remained behind police tape on Wednesday, with multiple uniformed officers and marked cars at the scene, along with a fire service car. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A 13-year-old girl has been charged with murdering a woman after a body was found following a house fire. Northamptonshire Police said the child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested on Monday following the discovery of a body in a house in Newcomen Road, Wellingborough, shortly after 3am that morning. She has also been charged with arson with attempt to endanger life. Formal identification has yet to be confirmed, but she is believed to be 43-year-old mother-of-three Marta Bednarczyk. A forensic post-mortem investigation, which took place today at Leicester Royal Infirmary, gave the preliminary cause of death as being a result of sharp force injury. Police and firefighters had attended the address after reports came in of a fire at the property. Inside, police officers found Ms Bednarczyks body and paramedics declared her dead at the scene at 3.29am. A scene guard remains in place tonight and police are asking people to avoid the immediate area. Detective Chief Insp Johnny Campbell, the senior investigating officer from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: This evening we have formally charged a 13-year-old Wellingborough girl with murder, and arson, and she will appear before Northampton Magistrates Court at 10am tomorrow. I want to take a moment to thank the many police officers and staff who are working and continue to work tirelessly on this investigation since the very tragic events of early yesterday morning. And, in particular, all our thoughts are with Martas family who have been fully co-operative throughout what has been a devastating couple of days for them. Given the developments this evening, we will be making no further comment at this time. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The requirement for a High Court judge to approve assisted dying applications has been scrapped by MPs. A committee scrutinising the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill voted on Wednesday to remove a clause which had been touted as the reason the proposed legislation for England and Wales would be the strictest in the world. Anti-assisted dying campaigners said the move was a grave weakening of the bill, but those in favour called it a welcome step forward. When introduced to parliament last year, the bill proposed that terminally ill adults with less than six months to live should be legally allowed to end their lives, subject to approval by two doctors and a High Court judge. On Wednesday, a majority of MPs on the 23-member scrutiny committee voted to remove the court-approval clause. Kim Leadbeater, the MP behind the bill, has proposed to instead establish a voluntary assisted dying commissioner - a judge or former judge - to oversee the process and expert panels featuring a senior legal figure, a psychiatrist and a social worker who would decide on assisted dying applications. open image in gallery Labour MP Kim Leadbeater has proposed a panel of experts to assess assisted death applications ( PA Wire ) Reacting to the news, a group of 26 MPs said in a joint statement that the move breaks the promises made by proponents of the bill, fundamentally weakens the protections for the vulnerable and shows just how haphazard this whole process has become. They said the committee had scrapped judges in favour of an unaccountable quango, and raised concerns that the panel might hear in private. Conservative MP Danny Kruger argued against the change on Wednesday, saying: We dont give powers of life or death to panels. He argued that the panels decision would be essentially judicial anyway, and asked that an impact assessment be provided on whether psychiatrists or social workers had the capacity to take on these responsibilities. The amendment on the panel of experts will be voted on at a later stage - possibly later this month. It has been suggested some MPs who supported the bill at Second Reading last year could change their minds. open image in gallery Danny Kruger, who is against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, helps to scrutinise the proposed legislation ( PA Wire ) Mr Kruger suggested there were 60 MPs who previously specified the High Court safeguard as a reason for having supported the proposed legislation. Of the expert panels suggested in its place, he told the committee: "It's not a judicial entity in any sense. It's a weird creature, neither one thing nor the other, a quasi multi-disciplinary team at the wrong stage of the process for the wrong purpose." He said the change drops a much-heralded "gold-plated" judicial safeguard, "totally transforms" the bill, and lamented that MPs had not had a chance to hear expert views on the suggested replacement. Ms Leadbeater has insisted the amendments she has put forward will give her bill "additional patient-centred safeguards" by providing a "range of expertise" via the three-member panel, which she said "is a strength, not a weakness". She said she had "listened carefully" to expert evidence in January on concerns around the pressure on judicial resources if each case was to automatically go before the High Court, and on calls to involve psychiatrists and social workers in assessing mental capacity and detecting coercion. Conservative MP Kit Malthouse said that he had changed his mind about the involvement of judges in the process, and now backed having an expert panel. He said that we need to take care to tread lightly on peoples final moments and not envelop their final days in stress, bureaucracy and a sense of jeopardy. Conservative MP Matt Vickers said he was concerned about how the decisions of the proposed commissioner would be held accountable. And former MP Tom Hunt, a campaigner against the bill, added: This represents a grave weakening of the bill. These panels will be largely disconnected from the patients. There will be no requirement for those on the panel to meet the patient in person or question them. They will quickly become rubber stamping panels. However Claire Macdonald, director of My Death, My Decision said the move was a welcome step forward, adding: We support the move towards a specialist panel that can provide expertise and fairness in assisted dying decisions. The committee's line-by-line scrutiny of the bill continues before it returns to the House of Commons - most likely towards the end of April - for further debate and a vote. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The release of a killer convicted of carrying out the Essex Boys gangland murders is being blocked by Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Michael Steele, 82, was given a life sentence in 1998, following the deaths of drug dealers Craig Rolf, Tony Tucker and Pat Tate. Three years earlier in 1995, the men were found shot dead in a Range Rover at Rettendon, near Chelmsford, but Steel, alongside co-defendant Jack Whomes, never admitted to killing the men. In February the Parole Board announced Steele could be freed and decided his imprisonment was no longer necessary for the protection of the public. The Parole Board said in its summary that Steeles behaviour in prison had shown marked improvement and none of the witnesses considered risks would be imminent if he was released into the community. open image in gallery Patrick Tate, Anthony Tucker and Craig Rolfe all died in a 1995 gangland killing (Essex Police/PA) (PA Archive) ( PA ) He was set to be released under the conditions he would live at a designated address, be of good behaviour, provide financial and business details, give up his passport, be subject to electronic tagging and a specified curfew. But Ms Mahmood has now made an application for them to reconsider on the grounds that the Parole Boards decision was legally irrational. The Ministry of Justice explained said that while decision is being made, Steeles release will be blocked. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: Our thoughts remain with the families of Tony Tucker, Pat Tate and Craig Rolfe. Public protection is our first priority. After careful consideration, the Lord Chancellor has asked the Parole Board to reconsider its decision to release Michael Steele from prison. The case, which became known as the Essex Boys killings, took place after a row over a drug deal in December 1995, prosecutors said. It has been the subject of TV dramas, documentaries, films and books, with many comparing the killings to other high-profile homicides in the 1990s rave scene. It also inspired the 2000 film Essex Boys starring Sean Bean. Jack Whomes, who lived in Brockford, near Stowmarket, Suffolk, was also given a life sentence for the murders. However, Whomes was released in 2021 after his prison term was reduced in 2018. Steele, then aged 55, and from Great Bentley, near Colchester, was found guilty of murder as well as conspiring to import drugs into the UK. His minimum prison term was set at 23 years. Although this expired in 2019, the Parole Board were worried about his risk of reoffending. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A man was shocked to discover the house he had owned for 30 years had been sold without his knowledge while he was working away. Reverend Mike Hall had been in North Wales when he received a phone call from neighbours in August who told him someone had turned the lights on inside the property in Luton. He drove back early the following morning to find the locks had been changed at his terraced home, which had been completely stripped of all furnishings, and a builder working inside. Mr Hall called the police but the builder went to fetch the new owners father, who told him he had bought the house in July. He told BBC Radio 4s You and Yours programme: I went to the front door, tried my key in the front door, it didnt work and a man opened the front door to me. I pushed him to one side and got in the property. I really didnt know what he was doing there. The shock of seeing the house completely stripped of furniture; all furnishings, carpet, curtains - everything - was out of the property. Mr Hall said police initially told him it was a civil matter rather than fraud. However Bedfordshire Police is now said to be investigating after the BBC found a duplicate driving licence and bank account set up in the name of Mr Hall had been used to sell the house. The house, which Mr Hall had bought in 1990 after graduating from university and starting his first job, was sold for 131,000. Mr Hall said Land Registry online documents showed the new buyer as the registered owner of his home, meaning they legally own the property. At that point the police said, Well, theres nothing further we can do here. This is a civil matter; you need to leave the house and contact your solicitors, he told the BBC. I was shocked - having seen the house in the state it was, I was in a bit of a state of shock anyway - but then to be told by the police they didnt believe a criminal offence had been committed here was just unbelievable. The solicitors involved in the property transaction - who have not been identified - told the BBC they could not comment further due to the ongoing police investigation. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A reverend whose house was sold without his knowledge has had his property returned to him after he was forced to resort to the courts to reclaim it. Reverend Mike Hall had been in North Wales when he received a phone call from neighbours in August 2021 who told him someone had turned the lights on inside the property in Luton. He drove back early the following morning to find the locks had been changed at his terraced home, which had been completely stripped of all furnishings, and a builder working inside. I went to the front door, tried my key in the front door, it didnt work and a man opened the front door to me, he told BBC Radio 4s You and Yours programme in November 2021. I pushed him to one side and got in the property. I really didnt know what he was doing there. The shock of seeing the house completely stripped of furniture; all furnishings, carpet, curtains - everything - was out of the property. Mr Hall called the police but the builder went to fetch the new owners father, who told him he had bought the house in July. According to the BBC, the Land Registry at the time accepted fault and put his name back on the title, but when he returned again in 2023 he found a family living there. Mr Hall went to Luton County Court to take possession of the home again this year. A woman, following proceedings through a Romanian interpreter, and a child also attended. The public broadcaster reported that on Monday, Luton County Court judge Elaine Vignoli granted Mr Hall possession of the home. According to the BBC, the court was told the occupants did not oppose Mr Halls application, and Judge Vignoli ordered "persons unknown" must pay his costs. Mr Hall said: "I am quite sad that the [woman] has now got to find a new home for herself." Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The captain of a cargo vessel has been arrested after a collision with an oil tanker off the East Yorkshire coast, as experts warn the coming hours will be critical in determining environmental impact of the crash. Owners of the Solong container ship confirmed its captain had been arrested, hours after Humberside Police said it had arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter following the collision between the Portuguese vessel and US tanker Stena Immaculate. One crew member from the Solong is still missing and presumed dead, after a search and rescue operation was ended on Monday evening. Transport minister Mike Kane told MPs on Tuesday that the Solong continues to burn at sea and said something went terribly wrong for the crash to happen and there was no evidence of foul play. open image in gallery Both vessels were engulfed in flames when the Stena Immaculate was struck by the Solong while anchored off the coast of Hull. ( Bartek Smialek/PA Wire ) Both vessels were engulfed in flames when the Stena Immaculate was struck by the Solong while anchored off the coast of Hull, causing multiple explosions on board and an unknown quantity of Jet A-1 fuel to be released. There were concerns that the Solong was carrying containers of sodium cyanide on board, however this was later confirmed to not be the case. The transport secretary also said on Tuesday that it was now expected to stay afloat, after previous concerns that the vessel would sink. The incident has sparked anxiety from experts about the environmental impacts on wildlife and coastal communities - with the next 24 hours expected to be crucial in determining the extent of the damage. The next couple of hours will be critical in terms of can they stabilise the cargo vessel, Dr Simon Boxall, an academic in oceanography at the University of Southampton, told The Independent. I understand the cargo ship is still burning and in danger of sinking. The big concern is knowing what is in those containers. The second problem is the bunker oil which powers the ship itself which can cause damage. They will be doing their best to stabilise the Solong and get it to a stage where they can get it to a sandbank or take it in to the coast so they can then deal with the containers and the fuel on board itself. open image in gallery The incident has sparked concern from experts about the environmental impacts on wildlife and coastal communities ( EPA ) He added that industries in the area will likely be impacted by the environmental damage the leaks have caused - with fishing bans potentially having to be put in place due to the waters now being contaminated. He said: Its going to have a big impact on fisheries, assuming there will be fishing ban put in for a short while until they can determine the level of pollution in the water. Skipper owner Neil Robson, 63, who runs family-business Genesis Fishing Ltd, was on board his boat Genesis on Monday when a message came over the radio of the major collision. open image in gallery Wildlife such as puffins may be affected in the area Owen Humphreys/PA) ( PA Archive ) He told The Independent: There was a lot of panic and worry. When you hear something like this has happened you fear the worse. You worry for those out there at sea and hope they got out safe. You then worry that we are a facing a situation where we are all going to be looking for new jobs. He added: "At the moment there is a five mile evacuation zone around the collision site, so not sure when we will be allowed back out, but we are hoping it will be tomorrow." Local wildlife trusts have raised concerns about the impact of any pollution from the two vessels on an array of species, including tens of thousands of birds and grey seals in the area. Crowley, the maritime company managing Stena Immaculate, said the vessel was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks, at least one of which was ruptured when it was struck. Jonathon Leadley, North Yorkshire regional manager for the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, told The Independent that the Humber Estuary is a critically important site for wildlife. open image in gallery Both vessels were engulfed in flames when the Stena Immaculate was struck by the Solong while anchored off the coast of Hull, causing multiple explosions on board and an unknown quantity of Jet A-1 fuel to be released. (PA Graphics) ( PA Graphics ) He warned that birds who come from as far as Siberia and Iceland could be facing food shortages as fish near the collision site are affected by pollutants. Heavy fuel can directly impact birds who sit on the water as their feathers can be weighed down by oil and then if it spreads it can damage their food supply, he said. He added that the site is like a service station on a motorway for many birds migrating to different areas, which may now be short on supplies as they stop to refuel for their long journeys. HM Coastguard said in a statement its counter pollution and salvage team is developing a plan ready for implementation as soon as the situation allows. It added that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has confirmed that air quality at ground level is currently within normal levels for the weather conditions, and the UK Health Security Agency has advised that any public health risk on shore is currently deemed to be very low. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The under-arrest captain of a cargo vessel that crashed into a US oil tanker off the East Yorkshire coast is a Russian national. The explosive collision left a sailor presumed dead in the North Sea, with the alarm first raised on the Humber Estuary in East Yorkshire at 9.48am on Monday. The Portuguese-flagged cargo vessel MV Solong collided with a US-flagged oil tanker, which was understood to be at anchor and carrying aviation fuel. It has now been revealed that the container ship failed steering-related safety checks last July, and that there were 10 deficiencies highlighted during an inspection in July. A May Day call from the HM Coastguard shortly after the collision requested help from vessels with fire-fighting equipment or which could assist with search and rescue. open image in gallery Water is pumped on to the North Sea fire ( Getty ) Who has been arrested? A 59-year-old Russian national has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision in the North Sea, police have said. A spokesman for shipping company Ernst Russ, which owns Solong, said: The captain is a Russian national. Humberside Police have begun a criminal investigation into the cause of the collision and are working in collaboration with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The captain remains in their custody. Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson, said: The man arrested remains in custody at this time whilst enquiries are under way, and we continue speaking with all those involved to establish the full circumstances of the incident. Are all sailors accounted for? One member of the Solong crew was still missing as night fell, according to the ship's Hamburg-based owner, Ernst Russ. He confirmed that the search is still underway, before adding: "13 of the 14 Solong crew members have been brought safely ashore. Efforts to locate the missing crew member are ongoing." The coastguard called off their search overnight but resumed it at first light. Transport minister Mike Kane said the Governments working assumption is a missing crew member from a cargo ship involved in a collision in the North Sea has died. open image in gallery The under-arrest captain of a container ship which crashed into a US oil tanker in the North Sea is Russian, the vessels owner has said (Danny Lawson/PA) ( PA Wire ) Mr Kane told the House of Commons: The full crew of 23 on the Immaculate is accounted for and onshore. One sailor was treated at the scene but declined any further medical assistance. Thirteen of the 14 sailors of the MV Solong are accounted for. Search and rescue operations for the missing sailor continued throughout yesterday but were called off yesterday evening at the point at which the chances of their survival had unfortunately significantly diminished. Our working assumption is that, very sadly, the sailor is deceased. The coastguard has informed the company and it has been advised to inform the next of kin. Our thoughts are with the sailors loved ones at this time. Did the MV Solong fail safety checks? The container ship MV Solong had failed steering-related safety checks, with 10 deficiencies highlighted during an inspection last July. Port state control (PSC) inspection documents show Irish officials deemed Solongs emergency steering position communications/compass reading was not readable. Other issues include alarms being inadequate, survival craft not properly maintained, and fire doors not as required. Another PSC inspection by Scottish authorities in Grangemouth in October 2024 found two deficiencies with Solong. One of these was related to lifebuoys designed to be thrown into the water to prevent drowning being not properly marked. Solong was not detained after the inspections in Dublin or Grangemouth. Are the boats still alight and how did it happen? The collision took place on the Humber Estuary in East Yorkshire, with the oil tanker at anchor. open image in gallery The red circle indicates the collision site ( VesselFinder ) Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, said he had been told there was a massive fireball following the crash. As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire on the Stena Immaculate appears to be extinguished but the Solong continues to burn, transport minister Mike Kane said. He told MPs: Although they became attached to each other during the collision, the Solong broke free of the Stena Immaculate late last night and began drifting southwards. Modelling suggests that should the Solong remain afloat itll remain clear of land for the next few hours. The assessment of His Majestys Coastguard is, however, that it is unlikely the vessel will remain afloat. Tugboats are in the vicinity to ensure that the Solong remains away from the coast and to respond as the situation develops. I want to be clear that while there are 1,000-metre temporary exclusion zones established around both vessels, maritime traffic through the Humber Estuary is continuing. What vessels are involved? The cargo vessel called MV Solong was due to arrive at the port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, according to tracking website VesselFinder. The container ship was built in 2005 and currently sails under the flag of Madeira. There were fears the Portuguese vessel was carrying sodium cyanide when it collided with tanker Stena Immaculate on Monday morning. But on Tuesday, shipping company Ernst Russ said Solong has empty containers previously used to transport the hazardous chemical. Ernst Russ said in a statement: We are able to confirm that there are no containers onboard ladened with sodium cyanide, as has been misreported. There are four empty containers that have previously contained the hazardous chemical, and these containers will continue to be monitored. It made contact with a US-flagged oil tanker, called the Stena Immaculate, which was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks when it was struck. At least one tank was ruptured, according to the company. The tanker was operating as part of the US governments Tanker Security Programme, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed. It had been anchored while waiting for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme, on the River Humber, Crowley said. open image in gallery MV Solong pictured in Aarhus, Denmark ( Wikimedia/NAC ) open image in gallery The US oil tanker called MV Stena Immaculate was believed to have been carrying aviation fuel ( Stena Bulk ) How many people were on board? Mr Boyers said a further nine casualties were brought ashore aboard a harbour pilot vessel - taking the total number of those injured so far to 32. Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness, said he understood that only one person was in hospital. Erik Hanell, the chief executive of ship owner Stena Bulk, confirmed that all the crew of the oil tanker MV Stena Immaculate have been accounted for and are safe. Mr Hanell also said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the collision. RNLI reported a number of people had abandoned both vessels. The casualties conditions remain unclear. A coastguard call asked neighbouring vessels which could assist with a search and rescue effort to contact Humber Coastguard. open image in gallery Black smoke billowing into the air after the crash off the coast of East Yorkshire ( PA Media ) Which chemicals have been released into the North Sea? Crowley, who manage the oil tanker, said at least one cargo tank carrying A1-jet fuel was ruptured in the collision. It is said the spill has had a limited impact, with the maritime company saying it remains unclear how much Jet A1 fuel was released when it was hit by the Solong, but an initial review shows it had evaporated due to exposure to fires on both vessels. A spokesman said: At this stage, it is unclear what volume of fuel may have been released as a result of the incident. At the time it was struck, the 183-meter (596-foot) Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks. Crowley is supporting the relevant authorities in the UK who are investigating the incident and will defer to them for any further questions on potential cause. Dr Alex Lukyanov, researcher on advanced mathematical models of oil spills from the University of Reading, previously said the incident was troubling because it appeared to involve persistent oil, which breaks up slowly in water, while he also suggested the environmental toll could be severe. Transport minister Mike Kane said work is ongoing to determine what cargo the MV Solong was carrying, adding: Im aware of media reporting regarding potential hazardous materials on board but were unable to confirm at this time. However, counter-pollution measures and assets are already in place and both vessels are being closely monitored for structural integrity. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has been deployed to the site and begun its investigation, MPs heard. What have the coastguard and RNLI said? An RNLI spokesperson said: Four lifeboat crews have been called to an incident off the East Yorkshire coast this morning (Monday 10 March). At 10.20am, HM Coastguard tasked Bridlington, Cleethorpes, Mablethorpe and Skegness lifeboats to support their response to two vessels that were reported to have been in collision with each other. There were reports that a number of people had abandoned the vessels following a collision and there were fires on both ships. open image in gallery Coastguard said the situation remains ongoing ( Vessel Finder ) By 11.40am, Cleethorpes had been stood down while Bridlington, Mablethorpe and Skegness continued to support search and rescue efforts. The incident is ongoing with the RNLI and HM Coastguard working together. Matthew Atkinson, divisional commander for HM Coastguard said: 36 crew members were taken safely to shore, one person was taken to hospital. One crew member of the Solong remains unaccounted for. After an extensive search for the missing crew member, sadly they have not been found and the search has ended. The two vessels remain on fire and coastguard aircraft are monitoring the situation. An assessment of any required counter pollution response is being carried out by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Who is likely to be responsible for the clean-up costs? Under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, the UK Government is likely to meet many of the immediate clean-up and emergency response costs. The vessel owners and their insurers may also meet costs, which some environmental groups estimated at around 15million. Counter pollution measures will begin once the fire on the Solong has been put out, transport minister Mike Kane told the Commons. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A dramatic collision in the North Sea has set ablaze an oil tanker and a cargo ship, raising fears of an environmental disaster. On Monday, the US-flagged oil tanker MV Stena Immaculate collided with the Portuguese cargo ship MV Solong. The crash started a huge fire, which is still burning in the North Sea, about 10 miles (16km) off the coast of the busy Hull port and fishing centre. Dozens of people were rescued, but one crew member who remained unaccounted for, is presumed dead. A 59-year-old man who, according to the ship's owners, is the captain of the Solong, was arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. Follow our live blog for latest updates. The Stena Immaculate was transporting Jet A-1 aviation fuel intended for military use. Initial reports suggested that the Solong was carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide a highly toxic substance raising fears of a hazardous chemical spill. However, Ernst Russ, the shipping firm that owns the vessel, has since confirmed that no sodium cyanide was on board, easing concerns over a toxic leak. Experts warn a fuel spill could impact marine life, seabirds, and fragile ecosystems in and around the Humber Estuary. The alarm was first raised on the Humber Estuary in East Yorkshire at 9.48am on Monday. A Portuguese-flagged cargo vessel collided with a US-flagged oil tanker, which was understood to be at anchor and carrying aviation fuel. open image in gallery Rescue crews work on site after a cargo ship was hit by a tanker carrying jet fuel for the US military off eastern England ( AP ) A mayday call from the HM Coastguard requested help from vessels with fire-fighting equipment or which could assist with search and rescue. The collision took place on the Humber Estuary in East Yorkshire, with the oil tanker at anchor. open image in gallery Location of the collision between two ships in the North Sea ( PA Graphics ) Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, said he had been told there was a massive fireball following the crash. Its unclear what led to the collision, but Dr Seyedvahid Vakili, a maritime expert at the University of Southampton says in most cases human factors play a significant role. This is particularly relevant for container vessels where high workloads and fatigue can be major contributing factors. In an update late on Monday, Crowley, who manages the oil tanker, said at least one cargo tank carrying A1-jet fuel was ruptured in the collision. A spokesperson said: At this stage, it is unclear what volume of fuel may have been released as a result of the incident. At the time it was struck, the 183m (596ft) Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks. Crowley is supporting the relevant authorities in the UK who are investigating the incident and will defer to them for any further questions on potential cause. open image in gallery Smoke billowing into the air after a crash between an oil tanker and a cargo ship off the coast of East Yorkshire ( Bartek Smialek/PA Wire ) From an aquatic environment perspective, jet fuel evaporates faster and is less concerning than crude oil. But immediate acute impacts on marine organisms will still be severe, Dr Mark Hartl, marine ecotoxicologist at Heriot-Watt University, said. Professor Tiago Alves from the Cardiff University said conditions in the North Sea might mitigate some impacts. Environmentally, jet fuel evaporates easily and combusts quickly. Impacts may be felt mostly near the accident site, especially given today's windy conditions and dynamic wave energy which favour dispersion, prof Alves said. However, Alastair Grant, Emeritus Professor of Ecology at the University of East Anglia, said jet fuel contains up to 25 per cent aromatic hydrocarbons, which are relatively toxic and slow to break down in the environment. This makes it approximately 50 times more toxic to aquatic life than diesel oil, and significantly more harmful than crude oil. The situation is further complicated by concerns over heavier bunker fuels used by ships, scientists warn. This particular incident is troubling because it appears to involve persistent oil, which breaks up slowly in water, Dr Alex Lukyanov, researcher at the University of Reading, said. Persistent oils like marine diesel can smother habitats and wildlife, affecting their ability to regulate body temperature, potentially resulting in death. The collision occurred close to critical marine habitats at a sensitive time for wildlife. There are several Marine protected areas near Hull such as Flamborough Hea and Holderness. These areas are protected due to their rich habitats supporting marine wildlife including fish, bivalves, crabs and birds Around Flamborough the nesting season will soon start, Dr Daniela Schmidt, professor of earth sciences at University of Bristol, said. While the first focus is on containing the fire, the pollution connected to the accident has the potential to spread widely depending on the currents and waves with the risk of impacting these protected areas. Martin Slater of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust warned pollution could be "devastating" for seabirds, grey seals, and cetaceans near Spurn, as many birds gather offshore for nesting season. Calum Duncan of the Marine Conservation Society explained that the biggest challenge now is containment. And how far the leak would spread depends on several environmental factors. How far and fast any pollution spreads depends greatly on weather and sea conditions. Forecasting the environmental of oil spills is extremely complex. Oil spills like the one in the North Sea are affected by multiple factors. The size of the spill, weather conditions, sea currents, water waves, wind patterns, and the type of oil involved all play crucial roles in determining environmental outcomes, Dr Alex Lukyanov from the University of Reading said. Persistent oils like marine diesel are particularly troubling because they linger, smothering habitats and wildlife over long periods. The fierce fires burning aboard the ships are also releasing thick clouds of toxic black smoke, raising concerns over air quality and health impacts for coastal communities. Meanwhile, any spilled cargo could mean plastics and debris washing ashore for years, harming marine wildlife far into the future. Scientists are looking at past incidents, such as the 1993 MV Braer spill off the Shetland Isles, for insight. Investigations are now being led by authorities from the United States and Portugal to determine the cause and extent of the environmental impact. The full environmental consequences may not be fully understood for months. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Anchored 13 miles from the coast, the US-flagged Stena Immaculate was set for a routine stop at the Humber Estuary port in East Yorkshire. But a massive ship came out of the blue on Monday morning and smashed into the 183-metre oil tanker, which had left Greece two weeks earlier, causing an instant fireball which was still burning 24 hours later. The Portuguese-flagged cargo ship Solong, which was sailing to Rotterdam from Grangemouth, Scotland, collided with the tanker laden with 35 million litres of US military jet fuel. Follow updates here A huge 12-hour rescue operation involving lifeboats and helicopters was launched with 36 people brought to shore. One sailor is missing and presumed dead, and another was rushed to hospital. open image in gallery Lifeboats and helicopters rushed to the collision and brought 36 people to shore after a 12-hour rescue operation ( Getty Images ) An American sailor onboard the Stena Immaculate told CBS News he only had seconds to react after hearing shouts to brace right before the devastating impact. The decision was made to abandon ship once all the crew members had been accounted for. They left the vessel on a lifeboat, with the captain being the last person to disembark, he said. The owner of the 140-metre Solong container ship confirmed its Russian captain had been arrested, hours after Humberside Police said it had arrested a 59-year-old man. He was arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter following the collision between the two vessels. The vessel owner revealed that the captain is a Russian national. open image in gallery Fire and rescue services attempt to extinguish the blaze which instantly erupted on Monday morning ( Getty ) One crew member from the Solong is still missing and presumed dead, after a search and rescue operation that ended on Monday evening. The oil tanker's management firm, Crowley, has since revealed it sustained a ruptured cargo tank after it was struck, causing "multiple explosions" and jet fuel to be released into the water. Oil spill researcher Dr Alex Lukyanov, of the University of Reading, said: This particular incident is troubling because it appears to involve persistent oil, which breaks up slowly in water. There were fears Solong was carrying sodium cyanide, but shipping company Ernst Russ, which manages the vessel, said that was not the case. Four empty containers on board that previously contained the hazardous chemical will continue to be monitored, it added. open image in gallery The 140-metre Solong cargo ship, top, and 183-metre Stena Immaculate oil tanker, bottom ( Wikimedia/NAC/Stena Bulk ) Downing Street said the collision and subsequent spill was extremely concerning, while the coastguard said it was assessing the likely counter-pollution response required. The government said on Tuesday that early investigations did not indicate that the incident was caused by foul play. Transport minister Mike Kane said Solong continues to burn and the coastguard said it is unlikely the vessel will remain afloat. He said the working assumption is one crew member from the container ship has died, after a search and rescue operation was ended on Monday evening. open image in gallery The red circle is where the collision happened roughly 13 miles from the coast ( VesselFinder ) Flames on board the Stena Immaculate have been put out, while Solong continues to emit smoke with occasional reports of flames as it drifts south of the collision point. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) chief executive Virginia McVea said: The Solong is being held in a safe position offshore by a tug and further support vessels remain in the ships immediate vicinity. This mornings assessment shows the fires on board the ship have greatly reduced in their extent and intensity. The Stena Immaculate remains at anchor, with safety tugs in position should they be required. There are no visible flames on board and an on-board assessment may be carried out later today. There have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel beyond what was observed during the initial incident. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: We are working closely with HM Coastguard to help support the response to the incident in the North Sea. We are grateful to all emergency personnel for their continued efforts. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander added: I am hugely grateful to HM Coastguard, the RNLI and emergency services who have responded to this incident. They were on the scene swiftly, have helped rescue those in immediate danger and I know they will continue to work tirelessly over the coming days. My thoughts are with all those involved, especially the family of the missing crew member. The Maritime Accident Investigation Branch has begun a preliminary assessment, and I am working closely with the MCA as they conduct an assessment of any counter-pollution response which may be required over the coming days. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Major maritime accidents are thankfully very uncommon in British waters, with the collision between a US oil tanker and a Portuguese cargo ship prompting shockwaves across the seafaring industry. An investigation has been launched after MV Solong collided with the MV Stena Immaculate on Monday morning, causing a fireball to erupt on the North Sea and posing an environmental risk to the local wildlife. A sailor is presumed dead and the 59-year-old Russian captain of the container ship has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. Yet questions remain as to how such a disaster occurred, which sparked a major operation to contain the blazing inferno and rescue all the sailors involved. open image in gallery Black smoke billowing into the air after a crash between an oil tanker and a cargo ship off the coast of East Yorkshire (Bartek Smialek/PA) ( PA Media ) What caused the collision? Ship-tracking data shows that the Stena Immaculate was practically stationary at the time of the crash, and was drifting at 0.1 knots at 9.48am. Meanwhile, the 140-metre Solong was moving at an average speed of 16 knots as it travelled from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam. Just minutes later, Marine Traffic shows that the speed had dropped to 3 knots as it is believed to have hit the oil tanker. While the cause of the collision remains unclear, it has been suggested that autopilot could have played a part if nobody had been maintaining a proper lookout. Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, told Sky News: They have a thing called autopilot, and thats what I would suspect has been the issue. If its been put on autopilot and theres no one on the bridge, which would happen, then itd just go straight on. open image in gallery A view of the damaged MV Stena Immaculate ( AP ) Autopilot just steers a course, they dont deviate, theres no bend in the sea. Dr Abdul Khalique, head of the Maritime Centre at Liverpool John Moores University, said: It can be assumed that the watchkeepers on MV Solong were not performing their duty to maintain a proper lookout by all available means as required by international regulations for preventing collisions at sea. A Stena Immaculate sailor told the US network CBS News the Solong didnt immediately stop and drove into their ship for what seemed like 10 minutes. Other crew members said it appeared nobody was on the bridge of the Solong at the moment of the crash, he added. Poor visibility may also have played a role in the collision, with heavy fog across the Humber Estuary on Monday. Who is the missing sailor? Little is known about the sailor who is presumed dead on the MV Solong, with the search called off on Monday evening. Shipping company Ernst Russ confirmed that the other 13 crew members were safe and accounted for, along with all of the Stena Immaculates 20 crew members. open image in gallery A graphic showing the route of the MV Solong ahead of the collision ( PA Wire ) One RNLI crew member told The Times the fog was so thick during the initial search and rescue crews could not see a thing. We are not equipped with firefighting equipment for this type of incident, he said. The captain of the Solong, a 59-year-old Russian national, has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter and remains in police custody. What was the cargo ship carrying? Despite previous media reports, the shipping company which owns the Solong has denied that the vessel was carrying sodium cyanide. Ernst Russ said in a statement: We are able to confirm that there are no containers onboard ladened with sodium cyanide, as has been misreported. There are four empty containers that have previously contained the hazardous chemical, and these containers will continue to be monitored. It is now expected to stay afloat and can be towed away from the shore ahead of salvage operations. Assistant Chief Coastguard John Craig said on Tuesday evening that salvage companies were now at the scene and developing a plan for both the Solong and the Stena Immaculate oil tanker. open image in gallery Smoke rises from the cargo ship Solong ( AFP via Getty Images ) Mr Craig said: A tow line has now successfully been put in place and a tug is holding Solong offshore in a safer position. There are still some flames visible on the main deck of the Solong and firefighting is focusing on this area. A salvage plan is being developed with the appointed salvors on scene. What is the scale of the risk to the environment? The East Yorkshire coast is home to a number of colonies of seabirds including puffins and kittiwakes, while there are significant numbers of Atlantic grey seals and porpoises in the area. Toxic oil spills can harm or kill marine wildlife and affect fishing, with concerns raised that the spill of jet fuel could be potentially devastating for the wildlife of the Humber estuary. However, Crowley, the maritime company managing the Stena Immaculate, said it remains unclear how much Jet A1 fuel was released when it was hit by the Solong, but an initial review shows it had evaporated due to exposure to fires on both vessels. Dr Alex Lukyanov, researcher on advanced mathematical models of oil spills from the University of Reading, previously said the incident was troubling because it appeared to involve persistent oil, which breaks up slowly in water, while he also suggested the environmental toll could be severe. open image in gallery Concerns have been raised over the environmental impact to local wildlife ( Getty Images ) Assistant chief coastguard John Craig said: A comprehensive counter pollution response is in place and HM Coastguard continues to make preparations for any pollution that may occur as a result of the damage to the vessels. The MCAs concern in relation to tanks on the Solong has reduced with tugs now able to work in close vicinity. The threat from the previously identified dangerous goods on board has reduced significantly. Air quality sampling onshore has shown no toxins and modelling from the Met Office indicates no threat to the public. Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Oceana UK, said: This tragic event shows once again that spills occur everywhere Big Oil goes, be it drilling the ocean floor or transporting fossil fuels around the world. We are now seeing toxic oil pouring from the 183-metre-long tanker into or very near a sensitive area designated to protect declining harbour porpoises. As these animals are forced to come to the surface to breathe, they risk inhaling poisonous fumes and choking on oil. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Police have recovered a body in the search for a missing university student who disappeared while walking home from a pub in Chippenham. Sebastian Sailes, 21, was last seen leaving the Black Horse Pub at about 11.30pm on 27 February, and was captured on CCTV walking in the direction of Lovers Walk. He is thought to have headed south along Avon Valley Walk, with search and rescue services concentrating their efforts on a section of the River Avon. Concerns were raised after he failed to arrive at his home address in Notton, Wakefield. Volunteers searched for Sebastian Sailes after he failed to return home ( Wiltshire Search and Rescue ) Wiltshire Police said officers, volunteers from Wiltshire Search and Rescue, Lowland Rescue Oxfordshire, specialist support teams from other forces, local businesses and support charities had been working "tirelessly" to find him. In a previous appeal, he was described as a much-loved son who was very close to his family. While formal identification is yet to take place, his family have been informed. Wiltshire Police superintendent James Brain said: This development will, of course, be devastating for Sebastians family. I would like to offer my sincere condolences, and I know that everyone involved in supporting this operation will also be thinking of Sebastians family. We will continue to offer our support over the coming days. I would ask that their privacy is respected. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice It is dubbed the Lobster Capital of Europe, with around 3,000 tonnes of the crustaceans landing there every year. Skipper owner Neil Robson knows just how much the East Yorkshire seaside town of Bridlington relies on its shellfish trade having fished out of the area all his life and his family-business, Genesis Fishing Ltd, now catching crab and lobster for the UK and international markets. The 63-year-old was on board his boat Genesis on Monday when a message came over the radio of a major collision involving a cargo ship and oil tanker in the North Sea. On Monday, the US-flagged oil tanker MV Stena Immaculate collided with the Portuguese cargo ship MV Solong. The crash started a huge fire about 10 miles off the coast of the busy Hull port and fishing centre. There was a lot of panic and worry, Mr Robson told The Independent. "When you hear something like this has happened you fear the worst. You worry for those out there at sea and hope they got out safe. "You then worry that we are a facing a situation where we are all going to be looking for new jobs. open image in gallery Skipper owner Neil Robson was on board his boat Genesis on Monday when a message came over the radio of a major collision involving a cargo ship and oil tanker in the North Sea. ( The Independent ) One of Mr Robsons fishing boats, Our Helena, was out on the North Sea when the collision happened. Our Helena was one of the first on scene as it was about a mile-and-a-half away fishing when the crash happened, Mr Robson said. "The crew onboard could see it all. "They went to try and help with the rescue, they just wanted to make sure everyone on board was safe." The full crew of 23 on the Immaculate have since been accounted for, as one sailor was treated at the scene. Thirteen of the 14 sailors of the Solong are also accounted for.Search and rescue operations for the one missing sailor continued throughout Monday, but were called off yesterday evening. A 59-year-old man, later confirmed by the Solongs owners to be its captain, has since been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision. open image in gallery As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire on the Stena Immaculate appeared to have been extinguished, however the Solong continued to burn ( EPA ) As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire on the Stena Immaculate appeared to have been extinguished, however the Solong continued to burn, transport minister Mike Kane said. The Transport secretary said on Tuesday that the Solong was now expected to stay afloat, after previous concerns that the vessel would sink. On Tuesday, Our Helena remained hoisted out of the water for a thorough clean after being brought back to Bridlington Harbour. Mr Robson said the picture appeared a lot better than first feared. He told The Independent: "It has turned out to be a lot better than we thought with the chemical situation. With is being aviation fuel, it will evaporate. We are fortunate because of the wind direction as well. "At the moment there is a five mile evacuation zone around the collision site, so not sure when we will be allowed back out, but we are hoping it will be tomorrow. "The mood has changed today and despite what has happened the outlook doesnt look as bad as first feared." Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trumps trade war continues to escalate as nations begin imposing retaliatory measures against his global blanket tariff on steel and aluminium imports to the US. Following the European Unions decision to react with tariffs on 26 billion worth of goods from the US including a 50 per cent levy on whiskey the US president has threatened a massive 200 per cent levy on all alcohol coming from the bloc. Meanwhile, neighbouring nation Canada has announced tariffs on nearly C$30bn of US products. The developing situation began after Trump placed 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium coming from all countries earlier this week. This blanket measure spreads to all European nations, the UK included. It ends Trumps apparent ambivalence on whether to include the UK in his tariff drive, reaching the decision that no nation should be spared. open image in gallery Sir Keir Starmer pressed the need for a trade deal between the US and UK while meeting with Donald Trump recently (Carl Court/PA) ( PA Wire ) The tariffs raise a flat duty on steel and aluminium entering America to 25 per cent. This could affect UK products worth hundreds of millions of pounds as products like cars, cans and tin foil are likely to become more expensive. Trumps decision inevitably came as a disappointment to Sir Keir Starmer, whose spokesperson said only the day before that Downing Street was talking to the US administration to make the case for the UK to be exempt from proposed tariffs. Speaking at Prime Ministers Questions in the aftermath, the prime minister said: I'm disappointed to see global tariffs in relation to steel and aluminium. We will take a pragmatic approach." The UK is "negotiating an economic deal which covers and will include tariffs if we succeed," he told MPs. "But we will keep all options on the table." But it would appear the prime ministers diplomatic approach to the new US administration has fallen on deaf ears, as the UK receives no exemption from the blanket tariff expansion. The government has not followed the European Union in imposing retaliatory trade tariffs on the US, instead focusing on attempting to secure an exemption. European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said she "deeply regrets" the tariffs, but added that the EU remains open to negotiations. She said: "They are disrupting supply chains. They bring uncertainty for the economy. Jobs are at stake, prices up, nobody needs that, on both sides, neither in the EU or the US." What do these tariffs mean for UK trade? In the UK, the steel industry is already struggling as excess capacity in the global market has pushed prices down. This large-scale production is largely coming from China, which is what is partly motivating Trump to place even higher tariffs on the countrys steel at a massive 45 per cent. Industry figures in the UK have already begun to disagree with the Labours reaction, calling on the government to act. Gareth Stace, the director-general of trade association UK Steel, branded the Trump administrations move hugely disappointing, and urged the government to take decisive action to protect the industry. These tariffs couldnt come at a worse time for the UK steel industry, as we battle with high energy costs and subdued demand at home, against an oversupplied and increasingly protectionist global landscape, he said. The US is the steel industrys second largest export market behind the European Union. open image in gallery A steel rolling mill in action at Tata Steel in Port Talbot in south Wales ( PA Archive ) UK Steel says that in 2024 the UK exported 180,000 tonnes of semi-finished and finished steel to the US, worth 370 million, some 7 per cent of the UKs total steel exports by volume and 9 per cent by value. If this trade is lost, it could have a devastating knock-on effect on an already struggling industry. Community union assistant general secretary Alasdair McDiarmid said: These US tariffs on UK steel exports are hugely damaging and they threaten jobs. For the US its also self-defeating, as the UK is a leading supplier of specialist steel products required by their defence and aerospace sectors. Whether the move will have knock-on effect on UK prices will be depend how US consumers react to the tariffs in the coming months. Prices for these goods are set to see sudden rises in the US, at least in the short-term, as importers look to offset the shock rise in costs. This could result in lower demand for steel in the country, which would in turn mean less trade for the UKs steel industry. In this scenario, manufacturers may choose to boost their prices in all global markets to offset the lost profit, hitting the pockets of UK buyers in a roundabout way. And while the UK has not been threatened directly with the 200 per cent levy on alcohol, such a measure being imposed on the EU could certainly have a knock on effect on prices in Britain. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Nigel Farage has warned there is no way back into Reform UK for Rupert Lowe as the civil war dominating the party deepens. The Reform leader said the suspended MP is out to cause maximum damage to the party and claimed he is now chasing the backing of Elon Musk instead. It follows days of bitter back and forth between Mr Farage and Mr Lowe, who was suspended last Friday over allegations he made verbal threats against Reform chair Zia Yusuf. open image in gallery Mr Farage said there is no way back for Mr Lowe ( Getty ) Mr Lowe has claimed he is the victim of a political assassination by Mr Farage for daring to question the Reform leaders messianic tendencies. He was suspended just 24 hours later. But Mr Farage has insisted Mr Lowes behaviour and the allegations against him meant Mr Lowe had to be suspended. Reform deputy leader Richard Tice also told the BBCs Laura Kuenssberg Reform has a duty of care and suspending Mr Lowe was the right and proper decision. Mr Lowe has claimed Mr Farage and Reform had silenced him over the issue of Pakistani grooming gangs. At a speech in Essex, I was instructed by Farages team, sanctioned by him, to remove a call to deport all complicit foreign national family members, Mr Lowe claimed. And, in a major escalation of the row, Mr Farage told The Daily Telegraph: Basically, what is happening here is Rupert Lowe knows theres no way back. And he said to Lee Anderson our whip and MP: I will slit the throat of the Reform Party. Hes out to cause maximum destruction and damage. Not content with now being under investigation by the Metropolitan Police, not content with the fact that the independent KC has already publicly rebuked him for not respecting due process and for openly lying about his conversation with the KC, hes now out to pretend that hes the only person who wants to deal with the Pakistani rape gangs. open image in gallery Mr Farage said Mr Lowe is trying to win over Elon Musk ( AP ) And, days after reports billionaire Trump ally Mr Musk could back a rival party with Mr Lowes involvement, Mr Farage said: This is all an attempt not just to damage Reform, but to get Elon Musk thinking that hes the good guy. Mr Musk was hyperactive on social media calling for a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal, even saying Mr Farage should be replaced as Reform leader for not having what it takes. The Tesla tycoon then endorsed Mr Lowe as his successor, a move which appears to have sparked conflict between the pair ahead of his dismissal. In a direct response above a screengrab of The Daily Telegraph story, Mr Lowe said: Reform should not belong to Farage, it should belong to the members. Let them decide if I am welcome in the party. Hold a vote to see if they approve of this malicious witch hunt launched by Reforms leadership. Farage claims Reform is a democratic party. I say prove it. He added Mr Farages latest claims were desperate. I said that Reform leadership was slitting its own throat by launching this horrific smear campaign against me, with zero credible evidence, he said. open image in gallery Suspended Reform UK MP Mr Lowe has been accused of threatening the party chair with violence ( PA Wire ) And he said: I raised questions of Reform policy, communication and structure. The day after, you kicked me out. The Independent has reached out to Mr Lowe and Mr Farage for further comment. The infighting between Mr Lowe and Mr Farage comes after polling suggested that the party may have hit a ceiling, with a surge in support since the general election coming to an end three weeks ago. The latest weekly Techne UK poll for The Independent puts Reform on 25 per cent for the third week in a row, and has Labour pulling ahead by three points on 28 per cent after praise for Sir Keir Starmer following a week of diplomatic talks over the Ukraine crisis. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A Labour MP who struggled with mental health disabilities before entering politics has signalled that she intends to rebel against Keir Starmers cuts to benefits. Nadia Whittome, leftwing MP for Nottingham East, told BBC Radio 4s Today Programme that she couldnt look her mum in the eyes if she voted for the proposals which would save an estimated 5 billion. But in a sign of deep divisions on the issue, fellow Nottinghamshire Labour MP Jo White from Bassetlaw insisted that changes are essential to incentivise families out of a life of benefits. open image in gallery Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Ben Whitley/PA) ( PA Wire ) Meanwhile, Tory grandee Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who was the last work and pensions secretary to bring serious reform to the welfare system, has warned that Sir Keir will have to use time consuming primary legislation to make the changes he wants - which means he is likely to face a series of rebellions. Speaking to the Today Programme, Ms Whittome insisted that she was not planning to rebel for the sake of this. Airing the disquiet of a number of her colleagues, she said: You cannot incentivise people out of sickness. She said: It was wrong when David Cameron cut welfare, it would be wrong for us to do that now. It's not disabled people who crashed the economy or who are responsible for rising rents or falling living standards. We must not scapegoat them for the failures and the political choices of conservative government. She noted that the United Nations has been critical of the UK already for cutting support for the poorest. But Ms Whittome also spoke of her own experience of needing to be on disability benefits earlier in her life. I was on it. My mum had to stop work when I was a teenager to care for me. I represent disabled people, all of us do and we all hear their stories every day and just how scared they are about this, and what a difference these payments make to their lives. open image in gallery Nadia Whittome said she could not support the planned cuts to welfare ( BBC ) I can't look my constituents in the eyes, I can't look my mum in the eyes, and support this. It's my responsibility as a backbench Labour MP to speak out when my party is getting it wrong and we are getting it badly wrong on this. Fellow leftwinger and veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott added on X: So dishonest for ministers to claim they are slashing disability benefits in order to do the disabled a favour. They just want to balance the governments books. However, Ms White warned that the benefits system kept families poor for generations because it did not provide incentives for improvement. She said: These cuts to welfare would be popular if we are to lift people out of poverty and change the way people live. They need to be in work and I don't perceive it as a saving. I see it as a moral duty to change people's lives. It's a generational thing. If families are out of work, they tend to bring up their children to exist on the benefits system and people slide along on that low level of income perhaps dipping into the black market. But their aspirations are so low and that the communities do not change and we need to raise skills levels and opportunities and tackling that to the benefit system is absolutely critical. Sir Iain, whose introduction of the universal credit and and living wage was the last significant change to welfare, warned Sir Keir he faced problems ahead. The former Tory leader said: He will need primary legislation for much of this which will take time and mean he will face rebellions. It is not easy. But also you have to wonder why for all that effort he is just hoping to save 5 billion, which is really neither here nor there. He added: Also it is all very well saying people have to go back to work but the changes Rachel Reeves has brought in on national insurance and also making it much harder to employ people part time means that there will be less jobs to go into. Most of the people on long term benefits need to go into part time jobs but change on the tax arrangements means there are less of them. Just as Reform UK was picking up the kind of momentum it needs to win some seats in the English county council elections, stepping closer to its declared objective to be the real opposition, its leaders have gone to war with one another. The dispute between Nigel Farage, leader and former owner of the party, and his outspoken ex-colleague Rupert Lowe, MP for Great Yarmouth, is growing increasingly bitter and is being played out in the public domain. Farage says: I dont need this, which is undeniable, but the bigger question is how much damage it will do So what is Reforms Farage-Lowe dispute about? Arguments are running on twin tracks. One concerns the principal personalities; the other, albeit intertwined, is a split about the policies and purpose of their party. On the personal allegations and counter-claims, the police have confirmed that they are investigating allegations against Lowe of threatening words and behaviour, levelled by the party chair, Zia Yusuf, the alleged victim. Farage says Lowe told Lee Anderson [MP and chief whip] he [Lowe] would slit the throat of the Reform party. Lowe responds, on social media: Desperate. I said that Reform leadership was slitting its own throat by launching this horrific smear campaign against me, with zero credible evidence. I raised questions of Reform policy, communication and structure. The day after, you kicked me out. Thats your real motive. Lowe is referring, among other things, to the partys stance on the rape gangs issue and Farages supposed failure to institute a promised independent inquiry by Reform UK. Farage says thats monstrous, adding: I have fought against the rape gangs for over a decade. Members of Lowes office reject criticisms of him; the lawyer appointed by Reform to investigate matters has denied Lowes account of his conversations with her. Lowe says Farage swans around and doesnt do much in the Commons or his Clacton constituency. Farage says Lowe hasnt behaved properly and cites alleged bullying in Lowes office. Lowe now says hell sue Reform people for defamation. There has been much trouble since Elon Musk started approving Lowes X/Twitter posts and suggested Reform needed a new leader. Is there any policy substance to this? Yes. Lowes original complaint was that Reform UK is a mere protest party led by the messiah, rather than putting forward a serious programme for government. More recently, Lowe has elaborated on this, and rejected Farages attempts to widen Reforms appeal to more mainstream voters. Thus, as far as can be seen, Lowe wants a more radical approach and one that focuses even more on issues of race and immigration, while Farage is more circumspect in his populism. Farage seems to want to create a Mark II Conservative Party; Lowe wants a new MAGA-style movement. What are the examples in terms of Reform UK policy? The most explosive and emotive is the continuing argument about the rape gangs. Farage says he wants those who are foreign criminals to be deported (which is already the formal legal position). But Lowe goes much further, adding what he calls complicit family members of the rapists, because he assumes they knew what was going on and he would extend deportation to those with British citizenship, born in the UK but with Pakistani dual citizenship or, possibly, the right to claim it (which they would have if either parent was a Pakistani citizen). Lowe sets it out directly: There was a belief from senior Reform figures that my language on the rape gangs was too strong, too robust, too tough. Why pander? Why appease? Why dilute? To appeal to the middle ground? I do not care. We must do whats right, and we must be honest. Lowe admires the way Donald Trump weaponised mass deportation for electoral gain. Farage defends his decision to censor a speech by Lowe at a rally in Kemi Badenochs North West Essex constituency because he judged that the phrase mass deportations is a very grave, dark and dangerous use of language. At stake are two conceptions of populist nationalism civic nationalism favoured by the Tory hard right and Farage; or ethnic-nationalism preferred by some in Reform and in the outer fringes of the right. And Tommy? The even more divisive figure of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, commonly known as Tommy Robinson does crop up. Farage finds him anathema, but Lowe is more sympatico to the former leader of the English Defence League, currently in jail for contempt of court: I say hes not right for Reform, he doesnt want to be right for Reform, but he doesnt deserve not to be given the credit for the things that hes done I dont know what hes done and why hes in prison. Will it hurt Reform? Aside from Farage, the wider public doesnt care who Rupert Lowe is and the complicated arguments havent cut through but Reform UK the clown show probably has and will damage their claims to be a professional organisation ideally placed to run a multicultural nuclear-armed G7 economy. In truth, Farages scepticism about the NHS, closeness to Trump and sympathies for Putins war in Ukraine are bigger turn-offs for the voters. What next? Farage has arranged things such that he cant realistically be forced to quit as leader, but could easily threaten to, adding to the psychodrama. With the backing of the public, and of Musk and his cash, Lowe could set up a new party with other ex-Farage associates such as Ben Habib; or try to launch a unite the right party via Ukip, which is still, just, going. Bad news for concerned parents and harassed school teachers. A private members bill that would ban smartphones in schools has been watered down yet again in the hope of gaining some modicum of government support and, thus, the chance to actually become law. But Labour MP Josh MacAlister still has some hope that progress towards his ultimate goal can still be achieved What would the bill do? The Protection of Children (Digital Safety and Data Protection) Bill is aimed at ridding schools of distracting hand-held devices in order to boost concentration in the classroom, promoting learning, and raising academic achievement (and thus, eventually, improving the human capital of the nation). As a bonus, the bill also calls for an end to addictive algorithms within apps and for a raised digital age of consent from 13 to 16. That might also lessen, though not eradicate, cyberbullying (the subject of much public concern since the murder of teenager Brianna Ghey). Who is backing it? MacAlister is a newbie MP, elected for the first time to represent Whitehaven and Workington at the July 2024 general election. Nonetheless, he has shrewdly chosen a highly topical and relevant reform that, while modest, would have far-reaching consequences. Hes assembled a strong cross-party coalition of support, including from former Tory minister Kit Malthouse. Many charities and pressure groups assorted with childrens safety are also backing the measures. Why is it needed? In MacAlisters words: Children are spending less time outside and less time reading, exercising, exploring, meeting people and communicating in person all the things that make childhood special and are necessary for healthy childhood development Instead, many of our children now spend their time captured by addictive social media and smartphone use often sat alone, doomscrolling; being bombarded by unrealistic representations of life; communicating through asynchronous large group chats, rather than by looking at facial expressions, eye contact and body language, or learning to interact; moving less; smiling less; learning less; and growing increasingly anxious and depressed. Why do some oppose the bills measures? Objections are more about practicality and process. The Department of Education says an outright ban on phones in schools isnt necessary because headteachers already have the power to ban phones in school, adding: Most have chosen to do so. Our guidance says that schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones, but its right that school leaders make decisions about what works for their individual setting. It is true that any ban of this kind would be hard to enforce; tech companies would argue that it places an undue burden on them to police childrens behaviour, and an impossible one if parents take a permissive attitude to such things. What happens next? In the face of some government resistance on the part of the culture, media and sport minister, Chris Bryant, MacAlister and his colleagues are dropping calls for the ban and contenting themselves instead with asking the government to do more research in the field and for the chief medical officers of the UK to issue guidance on the use of smartphones and social media use by children within 12 months. What do voters and parents think? Maybe surprisingly, young people themselves are up for this restriction on fun. Among 16- to 24-year-olds, some 60 per cent believe access to smartphones in school does more harm than good. Three-quarters believe stronger rules are needed to protect young people from social media harm, and social media was named as the most negative influence on teens mental health. (Polling by More in Common on behalf of The New Britain Project.) A YouGov poll a year ago found the public as a whole in favour or probably in favour of a ban by about 80 per cent to 20 per cent. What will happen? Little or nothing. The bill will face the Commons again in July and only has a chance of passing into law if it is in its most anodyne form, with no statutory ban. The doomscrolling continues. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ministers are being accused of treating farmers with contempt after halting applications for a major post-Brexit payment scheme in what is already being dubbed as a war on farmers. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch launched a blistering attack after Labour announced late on Tuesday night that it would cancel the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), just six weeks before farmers are set to file their tax returns. The move comes after Labour had already enraged the farming community by dragging them into paying inheritance tax for the first time with a 20 per cent levy on agricultural assets worth 1m or more. The Conservative leader, who also took the fight to Sir Keir in Prime Ministers Questions, said Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves do not care about rural communities. The Labour government treats farmers with contempt. open image in gallery Farmers protest in Whitehall ( PA ) Farmers are furious with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) decision, which National Farmers' Union president Tom Bradshaw said was another shattering blow. Labour has already seen massive protests from farmers with hundreds of tractors descending on Westminster and the latest development threatens further action. But during PMQs, Sir Keir Starmer said that the Tories had cancelled the scheme in 2022 and 2023 without six weeks notice. He said: The SFI schemes have operated to give considerable support so far. There have been a number of schemes which were closed and replaced. We do support farmers, we will be putting more details forward at the spending review. The scheme which pays farmers in England for environmental practices such as insecticide-free farming, planting wildflower strips and managing ponds and hedgerows, was fully allocated for this year. But the government has stopped accepting new applications for the incentive the largest part of the new environmental land management (ELM) programme which replaced EU-era farming subsidies with immediate effect. This is another shattering blow to English farms, delivered yet again with no warning, no understanding of the industry and a complete lack of compassion or care, said Mr Bradshaw. He said the industry had warned time and time again that large parts of the SFI were poorly designed, and he accused Defra of being a failing department with farmers left paying the price for chaos. open image in gallery Kemi Badenoch took up the issue in PMQs ( YouTube/UK Parliament ) "The awful dilemma now faced by many farmers is whether to turn their backs on environmental work and just farm as hard as they can to survive. Defra said 50,000 farm businesses and more than half of all farmed land was now in environmental land management schemes, which have an overall budget of 5bn over two years. Any new SFI offer would not be available until spring 2026, leaving most farmers facing an 18-month gap before fresh payments. Martin Lines, chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, has warned the move will leave some farmers in a really difficult financial position. "This has left many farmers feeling frustrated and let down, with no clear opportunity to be rewarded for delivering public goods in the near future," he said. Robbie Moore, shadow minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, questioned how farmers can expect to plan for the future when this vindictive Labour government change the rules without any notice. Hugely damaging for business, for food production and for the environment and of course detrimental for our farmers own health and wellbeing, he said. The shadow Defra secretary, Victoria Atkins, has also spoken out: I didnt think this Labour government could show more disdain for British farming and the countryside - and then they go and do this. And the chair of the environment, food and rural affairs committee, Alistair Carmichael, described the move as "another very regrettable decision" by Defra. "Farmers are already under immense pressure from a perfect storm of adverse conditions. For many farmers, this latest move by the government will only add to the uncertainty and insecurity of their livelihoods and threaten their financial viability, he said. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Sir Keir Starmer has said all options are on the table as Britain plans its response to Donald Trump imposing global tariffs on steel and aluminium. While the European Union has already announced it will introduce counter-measures on American goods, the UK has resisted imposing immediate retaliatory action against the move. But while the prime minister suggested Britain wants to seek a carve-out from the tariffs without engaging in a tit-for-tat trade war with the US, Sir Keir indicated retaliatory tariffs are being considered. The prospect of the UK needing to impose its own tariffs was raised after The Independent was told by Trump administration insiders that hopes for a rapid trade deal will depend on Sir Keir agreeing to cancel plans for online safety legislation likely to be a compromise too far for the prime minister. open image in gallery Keir Starmer said all options are on the table in responding to the US ( PA Wire ) At Prime Ministers Questions, Sir Keir said: I'm disappointed to see global tariffs in relation to steel and aluminium. We will take a pragmatic approach." The UK is "negotiating an economic deal which covers and will include tariffs if we succeed," he told MPs. "But we will keep all options on the table." It came after business secretary Jonathan Reynolds warned Britain wont hesitate to respond in the national interest to the trade penalties. The tariffs, which came into effect overnight, raise a flat duty on steel and aluminium entering America to 25 per cent. The UK being subjected to a round of global tariffs by Mr Trump is a blow to Sir Keir and his new ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson. At the press conference after their meeting in the White House last month, the US president praised the prime minister for negotiating hard on avoiding tariffs, while Lord Mandelson made preventing tariffs an early priority in his new role. open image in gallery Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds ( PA ) Nevertheless, Britain has been dragged into the US trade war despite claims from Brexiteers that leaving the EU would protect the UK from tariffs mainly aimed at the EU. It leaves the UK outside the two main trading blocs of the EU and US with the potential threat of more tariffs. According to well-placed sources within the Trump White House, the UK can get a quick trade deal but free speech issues raised by vice-president JD Vance with Sir Keir are likely to get in the way. Mr Vance will be in charge of the US side of the talks and The Independent has been told he will be prioritising free speech amid anger over people being arrested for posting on social media and proposed online safety legislation which he sees as an assault on US tech companies. Mr Vance is expected to demand the UK not only abandons plans for a new online law but also pushes back on current regulations as part of the talks. Andrew Hale, a trade specialist at the influential right-wing Heritage Foundation who is close to the Trump administration, said: The UK is a dystopian censorship state. There should be no free trade without free speech. Stop arresting people for social media posts. A source close to the Trump team added: I could see a scenario where the UK does indeed get a rapid deal, but it wont last very long if they dont sort out the issues Vance referenced in the meeting with Starmer. The two-tier justice system clearly employed in the UK doesnt sit well here. Meanwhile, Mr Trump confirmed that the US would seek to respond with more tariffs against the EU after it imposed retaliatory measures against his tariffs. Meeting the Irish prime minister Micheal Martin in the Oval Office, Mr Trump accused Ireland of taking advantage of the US, along with the rest of the EU. The EU was set up in order to take advantage of the United States," Mr Trump said. Mr Reynolds described the move to impose global tariffs as disappointing, but said the UK is focussed on a pragmatic approach. He said ministers are rapidly negotiating a wider economic agreement with the US to eliminate additional tariffs and remain resolute in our support for UK industry. But the Liberal Democrats said Britain is being repeatedly kicked by the other side and doing nothing. That is not an effective negotiating position, deputy leader Daisy Cooper said. She said: The business secretary needs to toughen up. Enough is enough. We must act from a position of strength, standing up for British steel and the UK economy through retaliatory measures." Brussels said counter-measures to the tariffs, which would affect around 26bn (22bn) of EU exports, will be introduced in April to defend European interests. UK officials have stressed the need for a cool-headed approach after last-ditch efforts to persuade Mr Trump to spare British industry from his global tariffs failed. But there is growing pressure on the government to follow the EUs approach and bolster the UKs trade defences. Gareth Stace, the director-general of trade association UK Steel, branded the Trump administrations move hugely disappointing, and urged the government to take decisive action to protect the industry. Meanwhile, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham called for steel to be immediately designated as critical national infrastructure to properly protect it. Steelworkers union Community said Britain must match any measures taken in response to the tariffs by the European Union at a minimum. The prime ministers official spokesperson made clear to reporters after PMQs that all options are on the table in responding to Mr Trumps tariffs. But he stressed that the government is prioritising engagement with the United States to stand up for British industry and find a resolution, rather than seeking to retaliate with tariffs. Asked whether one of the options being considered is withdrawing Mr Trumps invite for a second state visit, Sir Keirs spokesperson said that was not being considered. He added: We are talking about our bilateral trade relations with the United States. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Sir Keir Starmers national security adviser Jonathan Powell helped to broker the 30-day ceasefire proposal accepted by Volodymyr Zelensky, as Britain attempts to act as a bridge between the US and Ukraine. The No 10 fixer travelled to Kyiv over the weekend to meet with Mr Zelensky and help draft the proposal, which included a temporary pause in fighting before confidence building measures such as a prisoner-of-war exchange. It comes amid a concerted European effort, led by Sir Keir, over the last week to restore good working relations between the US and Ukraine. open image in gallery Jonathan Powell and Alastair Campbell ( PA ) Sources told the BBC Mr Powell worked closely with his US counterpart Mike Waltz, as well as German and French officials to get the agreement over the line, a breakthrough which was later hailed by Sir Keir as remarkable. As both American and Ukrainian delegations have said, the ball is now in the Russian court. Russia must now agree to a ceasefire and an end to the fighting too, Sir Keir added. Meanwhile, The Independent understands foreign secretary David Lammy spoke with his US counterpart Marco Rubio and the Ukrainian foreign minister on Monday ahead of Tuesdays talks. Mr Powell, who negotiated the controversial Chagos deal earlier this autumn, formerly served as Tony Blairs chief of staff, a position which saw him play a key role in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. It comes as the PM attempts to act as a bridge between Europe and the United States after urging Mr Trump not to freeze Ukraine out of peace talks with Vladimir Putin over the war. On Tuesday it was announced that Ukraine has accepted Donald Trumps proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia during crunch talks in Saudi Arabia. After more than eight hours of negotiations in Jeddah between US and Ukrainian officials, there was fresh optimism that peace talks were back on track after last months disastrous meeting between the US president and Mr Zelensky. Washington has restored military aid and intelligence sharing to Kyiv and Mr Trump has said Mr Zelensky would absolutely be invited back to the White House, less than two weeks after the pairs extraordinary Oval Office clash. In a joint statement between the two countries, Ukraine said it expressed readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation. open image in gallery Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is attempting to act as a bridge between the US and Ukraine ( PA Wire ) The statement added: The United States will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine. Mr Zelensky, who was in Saudi Arabia but did not participate in the talks, said the ceasefire was a positive proposal that covers the front line in the conflict, not just fighting by air and sea. It follows a gathering of military chiefs in Paris on Tuesday, aimed at thrashing out commitments for what Sir Keir dubbed the coalition of the willing: the group of nations that want to lead peacekeeping forces in Ukraine should a deal be struck. And on Wednesday, defence secretary John Healey will meet his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and Poland in Paris to discuss joint work on building up Europes deterrent against Russia. Downing Street and the Foreign Office have been contacted for comment. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Health secretary Wes Streeting has said there are no words to express my horror after one of his assistants admitted two counts of indecent exposure. Labour councillor Sam Gould, 33, of Hornchurch, Essex, was accused of exposing himself to a 13-year-old girl in Romford, east London, on Saturday, and following her into a cul-de-sac where she began banging on doors for help. He has resigned from his job with the health secretary and has also been suspended from the Labour Party. But Mr Streeting has now called on him to resign as a councillor immediately. open image in gallery Wes Streeting ( Parliament TV ) Responding to the reports, Mr Streeting said: There are no words to express my horror that a mother and her daughter have been put through this ordeal, and will have to deal with the trauma of it for some time to come. As soon as I was made aware of his arrest he was suspended, and as soon as the guilty plea was entered I took immediate steps to sack him through official HR processes. There are no excuses for his appalling behaviour. I am calling for him, again, to resign as a Redbridge councillor immediately. Gould who stood as a parliamentary candidate for Labour in 2015, was arrested the same day as the incident in Romford and pleaded guilty to the crimes at Barkingside Magistrates Court in Ilford on Monday. He was released on bail and will be sentenced on April 7. Speaking to the Sun, the girls mother said her daughter was now scared to leave the house. The women, who was not named to protect her daughters identity, said: She didnt go to school yesterday and she doesnt want to leave the house. The fact hes been released on bail has caused her a lot more anxiety - shes scared she might bump into him. open image in gallery Labour councillor Sam Gould has admitted two counts of indecent exposure ( Redbridge Council ) Redbridge Council has said it was deeply disturbed by Goulds arrest and said it had taken immediate steps to ensure he is unable to access its systems. Council leader Kam Rai said he was shocked and appalled by the reports, adding that there is no process for suspending him from the council. "As soon as Mr Goulds arrest was communicated over the weekend, he was rightly suspended by the party. Unfortunately, there is no process for his suspension from the council. My heart goes out to the victims who have had to endure his despicable behaviour, he said. "Following the inexcusable betrayal of his residents, the council, and our wider community, it is only right that Mr Gould immediately resign as a councillor and face justice." The second count of indecent exposure related to an incident involving a 25-year-old woman in Hornchurch last month, the Sun reported. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Authorities are investigating the possibility that three American women who were found dead in their Belize resort room last month may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to reports. Kaoutar Naqqad, 23, Imane Maliah, 24, and Wafae El-Arar, 26 who are all from Revere, Massachusetts were found dead in their room at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort in San Pedro, Belize on February 22. They were last seen on CCTV footage entering their room a day before their bodies were found by resort staff, and early pathology findings suggested they could have been dead for 20 hours before they were discovered. Families of the three women spoke out this week, saying the circumstances around their deaths remain unclear and suspicious. open image in gallery Tributes have been paid to Kaoutar Naqqad and the other two victims ( GoFundMe ) First responders at the scene reportedly said the women were found with froth around their mouths, according to the New York Post, and local police said in a statement that alcohol and gummies were found in their hotel room, according to Channel 5 Belize. Were not saying at this time that the gummies caused death, but were looking at every possibility, Local Police Commissioner Chester Williams said at the time. The womens bodies have since been taken back to the US, where the Daily Mail reports a second autopsy is being conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Massachusetts. The Daily Mail reports a source close to one of the womens families saying preliminary investigations indicate a fatal build-up of fluid in their lungs was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, though this has not been confirmed. open image in gallery Imane Mallah was remembered for being a beacon of kindness ( GoFundMe ) That source said investigators had uncovered other non-fatal incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning at the Royal Kahal resort, including at least one other American. Speaking out for the first time following the tragedy, the families of Naqqad, Mallah and El-Arar issued a joint statement to People on Tuesday urging authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the deaths. "We ask for continued prayers, patience, and privacy as we navigate this profound sorrow," they said. The families also shared memories of each of the women. They said Naqqad, a college student who was a support worker in a group home for troubled youth, wanted to be a police officer and was compassionate, caring, and deeply devoted to those she loved. open image in gallery Wafae El-Arar, pictured with her family, was remembered for being full of life ( GoFundMe ) Mallah was remembered for being a beacon of kindness with an infectious smile, sparkling wit, and an unwaveringly optimistic heart. The families said: Imane's excitement for life was matched only by her compassion for others, making her a cherished friend and an irreplaceable part of the community. El-Arar, a research technician at Massachusetts General Hospital, had dedicated herself to reproductive rights, and was remembered for being "full of life, dreams and unwavering faith. After their deaths, supporters and loved ones set up GoFundMe pages to help their families cover the cost of transporting their bodies back to the US and their funerals. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Boston officials are hoping to avoid too much "tomfoolery" during this year's St. Patrick's Day parade in Southie by starting festivities an hour earlier. The parade is scheduled for Sunday, March 16, but will start at 11:30am an hour earlier than usual in order to wrap up earlier. State Senator Nick Collins, Boston City Councillor Ed Flynn, and other officials sent a joint letter to the state's college and high school associations explaining their desires to see the "anything goes" attitude of last year's parade tamped down. The parade will be starting earlier this year in an attempt to get a better handle on the tomfoolery. Last year, there were regrettable moments at the parade that we dont want to see repeated this time around, Collins told the Dorchester Reporter. The 2025 St Patricks Day Parade in South Boston will start an hour earlier than last year in an effort to curb unruly and disorderly behavior among visitors ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Last year, four individuals were captured on video beating another person just two blocks from the parade. The footage went viral on social media. Another video captured two men openly brawling in the street, and security footage captured a group of revelers tearing down a city street sign. Minors were suspected of smuggling alcohol using the citys public transportation and at least one person was accused of public urination onto a Southie residents property. The letter was sent to the college and high school associations in hopes that they will spread the word to schools and ultimately students that there will be consequences for chaos and debauchery at this year's parade. Flynn, who is serving as the parade's general chairman, said in the letter that he has been holding a monthly task force meeting with officials and agencies in the city to work to improve public safety and curb disorderly conduct at this year's event. Following last years unacceptable violence and public drinking at the Evacuation Day Parade, said Flynn, I convened a monthly meeting and task force with the South Boston elected officials, South Boston Allied War Veterans Council and city and state agencies, including the Boston Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, MBTA Transit Police, and the Boston Parks Department, among others," the letter says. "This task force and partners in the community have met multiple times since then to prepare and discuss public safety for all and restore a family-friendly environment at this years parade. Immediately after last year's event, Flynn called for a "zero tolerance" policy on public drinking, and even considered moving the parade out of Southie, breaking with years of tradition. With almost a million visitors to South Boston for the parade, we cant sustain an anything goes attitude in the neighborhood, Flynn said. This year's parade will follow its traditional route, and it appears Flynn aims to focus more on Evacuation Day in hopes it will curb some of the harder partying and drinking. Evacuation Day is typically celebrated in Boston on March 17, and commemorates when the British pulled out of the city following the Siege of Boston in 1776. St. Patrick's Day and Evacuation Day are typically celebrated in tandem. I have made it a priority to ensure that the focus of the parade returns to Evacuation Day and honoring our veterans, military families, first responders, as well as our proud immigrant history and families that came to our city in search of a better life," Flynn said in a statement. He and the other signatories on the letter implored visitors to the neighborhood to "show some common courtesy and respect to the residents" of Southie and to "operate under the golden rule" during the event. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The family of a 12-year-old girl killed by a runaway vehicle outside her middle school are voicing their frustration with her school district. On Thursday, Arsema Mekonnen, 12, was walking outside Washington Middle School in Seattles central district with her classmates during their lunch period when a vehicle that had been left in a no-parking zone rolled backwards 75 feet down a hill and hit her, according to Seattle police. She died as a result of the accident. Arsema's family told Seattle news station KIRO 7 that they felt abandoned by the Seattle Public School district following their daughter's death. Who killed my kid? Berihun Mekonnen, Arsema's father, asked. Why you dont tell me? Why? The vehicle was left in the no-parking zone by a 51-year-old woman who has not been publicly identified. Police said the vehicle was not fully parked when it began to roll. Local police are still determining whether the driver will face charges in the girls death. A 12-year-old middle school student was killed by a runaway car while she was walking near the campus on March 6, 2025 ( Google Maps ) Tigist Yitna, Arsemas mother, said she and her family moved to the United States from Ethiopia to provide a better life for their daughter, but now feel abandoned as they search for answers. I brought my daughter here from Ethiopia to have a better life, to go to a better school, get better education. And then I send my child to school and I dont get my child back, she told KIRO 7 through a translator. The family said they have not been permitted to see their daughter since the day she was killed. Wintan Halie, a friend of the Mekonnens who translated for them during their interview with KIRO 7, said that no one from the school reached out to them after Arsemas death and accused the officials of leaving the family to fend for themselves. After the incident, Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Brent Jones released the following statement: "My heart is heavy with sorrow as we face the devastating loss of a Washington Middle School student. I am deeply saddened by this tragedy, and my thoughts and condolences are with the students family, friends and the entire Washington community during this incredibly difficult time. On Tuesday, Seattle Public Schools chief of staff Bev Redmond contacted KIRO 7, assuring reporters that the district planned to meet with the family "as early as possible this week," and insisted that it was "committed to supporting this family." Arsema's funeral is planned for Sunday, March 16. A GoFundMe has been established for the family by parents of other students attending the middle school. "To support [Arsema's] grieving family during this difficult time, parents are collecting donations big and small to support them through this horrible loss and cover funeral expenses," a message on the GoFundMe states. The fundraiser has already collected $43,000 of its $45,000 goal. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A missing mother-of-three was found alive six days after crashing her car 12 feet down in a ditch in what authorities call an incredible testament to her will to live. Brieonna Cassell, 41, was en route to visit a friend in the Wheatfield and Demotte area in Northwest Indiana last Wednesday when she disappeared, according to the Newton County Sheriff's Office. The woman is believed to have fallen asleep behind the wheel of her black 2008 Ford Taurus and veered off the road while driving near the small town of Brook, around 80 miles south of Chicago. Cassell crashed into a very big, deep ditch that couldnt be seen from the road, her father Delmar Caldwell told ABC7 Chicago. He added that passersby couldnt hear her cries for help from their cars. She became trapped and was largely unable to move inside the vehicle, while her cell phone had run out of battery. Pictures show the car on its side, partially submerged, below the top of the ditch. To survive, Cassell resorted to flinging her cardigan out of the back window, catching as much puddle water as possible, pulling it back in and then sucking on the cloth. open image in gallery Brieonna Cassell was found with severe injuries six days after she crashed her vehicle into a deep ditch in Brook, Indiana ( Facebook ) She was in excruciating pain. She was screaming out for help. She could hear cars going by, but they couldn't see her from the road, her father added while revealing Cassell suffered compound fractures in her legs. Cassells family joined rescue teams comprised of local EMS, fire and air services and had been searching for the mom for six days when Johnny Martinez, who was operating drainage equipment nearby, spotted a vehicle on Tuesday, the sheriff's office said. Martinez contacted his supervisor, Jeremy Vanderwell, who is also the volunteer fire chief in the nearby town of Morocco. Authorities said Martinez and Vanderwall checked the Ford and found Cassell, the sole occupant of the vehicle, conscious, speaking and waiting for help. open image in gallery Brieonna Cassell (second from right) is due to undergo surgery on Wednesday after sustaining severe injuries to her legs, her family said ( GoFundMe ) That's you? I said, Your family's been looking for you, Vanderwall told the local news station. There are posts everywhere on social media. I said, I can't believe you've been in this long. You know, it picked up the water into the shirt, and she would suck the water out of her shirt, Vanderwall told CBS News. Her survival mode just was uncanny, you know, her will to live. Cassell was rescued and air-lifted to Chicago Hospital, the sheriff's office said. Her family said she had suffered severe injuries to her legs which they claim she may lose along with her ribs and wrist. open image in gallery Cassell was Chicago Hospital Tuesday after being located by a passerby, the sheriff's office said ( Newton County Sheriff's Office/Facebook ) A fundraiser was set up by Cassells daughter, Lexie, to pay for her medical bills. The GoFundMe, which had raised about $2,000 of its $15,000 target by Wednesday morning, also said that Cassells legs and wrist are badly broken. The woman was placed in the ICU and is expected to undergo surgery on Wednesday, the family said. Her father believes that this was a case of falling asleep at the wheel. She just fell asleep, and there was a bridge there, and she just veered over to the left and missed the bridge and ended up in a very deep ditch, he told CBS News. Meanwhile, Cassells mother, Kim Brown, added, I just cant wait to hug her and kiss her, which I probably cant do. Brown also said that around 400 cars passed her daughter everyday while she was trapped, oblivious to the situation. open image in gallery Photograph of Johnny Martinez, who was operating drainage equipment when he discovered Cassells crashed car, ( Newton County Sheriff's Office/Facebook ) Newton County Sheriff Shannon Cothran praised Cassells rescuers as heroes and commended the victims resilience. You may have seen the story about a crash victim who survived for nearly six days before being discovered, Cothran said in a statement Tuesday. That alone is an incredible testament to her will to live. We are grateful for all the well wishes sent her way. He continued: Today, I watched three different volunteer fire departments come together as one, working seamlessly toward the common goal of helping a crash victim. Their teamwork, skill, and dedication are truly inspiring. First and foremost, we owe immense gratitude to Johnny Martinez, who spotted the car in the ditch. In my book, Mr. Martinez is a hero, and we can never thank him enough for his keen eye and quick action, Cothran also said. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said that it's only people in the middle pushing back against his return to office policy. Earlier this month, the investment bank ditched its hybrid model and required most of its 300,000 employees to return to the office, five days a week. In the face of complaints of desk shortages and Wi-Fi issues, Dimon doubled down on the financial giants RTO mandate and claimed that working remotely doesn't work in our business. During a recent interview with the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Dimon cited Pew Research figures that 60 percent of the U.S. workforce is required to show up to work in person and listed a raft of blue-collar jobs that cannot be done from home. Where did you get your Amazon packages from? Your beef, your meat, your vodka? Where did you get the diapers from?, he said. Instead, Dimon said its only those in the middle, corporate office workers, who have issues with returning to the office full-time. It's only these people in the middle who complain a lot about it, he added. open image in gallery Jamie Dimon says that young people are the hardest hit by hybrid and remote working ( Stanford Graduate School of Business/YouTube ) The CEO explained that he believes younger people are being left behind, as they are given fewer assignments and have less knowledge as a result of working from home. You have less conversations at the water cooler and cafeteria, he continued. He also said that he has a problem with younger people coming in but not their bosses. Dimon said that the constant flow of communication and information doesnt work fluidly from behind a screen. He claimed that remote employees tend not to pay attention during Zoom calls and instead go on their phones. So I tell you, it doesn't work in our business. And for culture, you talk about culture, it's impossible to do culture that way, he said. Dimon said he understands that not all JPMorgan Chase employees will support the companys RTO mandate. I also completely defend your right to say, I dont want to, he said. But I dont defend your right to tell me what JPMorgan is going to do. open image in gallery JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says that people in the middle are the only ones against his return to office policy ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Dimon also addressed last months controversy, in which leaked audio from a town hall revealed his expletive-filled rant. He stated he doesnt care how many people sign that f***ing petitionnoting an appeal from employees for the chief executive to rethink implementing his RTO mandate. More than 1,900 workers have since signed a petition calling for the return of a hybrid work schedule. Obviously, I should never curse and I emote. I get up on stage and say, You what? Youre going to do what? Im a human being, Im like everybody else, he said. JPMorgan still employs remote workers, and 10 percent of the bank's jobs, including virtual call centers in Baltimore and Detroit, still operate fully remotely. We did it to see if theyd be effective. Theyre highly effective, Dimon said. They work from home; theyre mostly minorities. Thats why we did it. Its a home run. So Im not against it where it works. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The disappearance and reported drowning of 20-year-old college student Sudiksha Konanki in the Dominican Republic is being treated as an accident, according to a new report. But her distraught father is pleading with authorities to consider other options, including abduction. Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student, disappeared on a Spring Break trip with five friends at a resort in Punta Cana. Investigators believe Konanki drowned early Thursday, law enforcement sources told ABC News over the weekend. Since then, investigators have found her clothes on a bed near the beach where she was last seen, ABC News reported Tuesday. Following an initial investigation, her disappearance is currently being treated as an accident, police told ABC. open image in gallery Searchers look for Sudiksha Konanki ( Defensa Civil La Altagracia ) Police say Konanki, a permanent U.S. resident and Indian citizen, went to a nightclub on Wednesday night with her friends. Afterward, Konanki and a group of people went to the beach around 4 a.m. Konankis friends returned to their hotel room just before 6 a.m., ABC News reports, while Konanki stayed on the beach with a man. That man told police he went for a swim with Konanki, who was swept up by a big wave, ABC News reported. After he returned to the beach, he threw up and went to sleep on a beach bed. When he awoke, he said Konanki was nowhere to be found. open image in gallery Dominican officials search the beach where Konanki disappeared last week ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) He returned to his hotel room just before 9 a.m., surveillance footage shows. Police have since interviewed him, and he is cooperating with the investigation, National Police spokesman Diego Pesqueira told ABC News. He is not a suspect in the case, said the chief of the Civil Defense in the Dominican Republic. Investigators also interviewed Konankis friends, who were also not suspects as of Tuesday. But Konankis father isnt convinced she drowned. Subbarayudu Konanki told WTOP he filed a complaint with police to widen the investigation. Its four days, and if she was in water, she would likely have been strewn to shore, he said. Shes not found, so were asking them to investigate multiple options, like kidnapping or abduction. open image in gallery A pilot launches a drone in search of Konanki. The 20-year-old was last seen early Thursday ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) While it is possible that Sudiksha drowned, there is a growing suspicion that there may be a crime, specifically the possibility of kidnapping, his complaint states. He previously told CNN his daughter had ambitions of becoming a doctor. My daughter is a very nice girl, he said. Shes ambitious. She wanted to pursue a career in medicine. The FBI, the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, the Dominican National Police and the Dominican Prosecutors office are all investigating her disappearance. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Experts warn President Donald Trumps vocal support for Elon Musks private car company Tesla could end up hurting it in two ways On Tuesday, Tesla investors cheered as Trump defended Musks beleaguered and boycotted carmaker by lavishing the CEO with praise in a press conference as five Teslas lined the White House driveway. Teslas stock did close higher for the day, after a plunge a day prior, when Trump called Musk a patriot and announced that he had even bought one of his cars. However, the unusual presidential endorsement of a private company has raised concerns. Tesla is becoming a political symbol of Trump and DOGE, and that is a bad thing for the brand, said Wedbush Securities financial analyst Dan Ives, referring to the advisory group in charge of cutting government spending led by Musk. You think its helping, but its actually hurting. Teslas stock began rising from the opening on Tuesday after Trump posted overnight on his Truth Social platform that Musk was putting it on the line to help the country. Trump claimed in the post that Radical Left Lunatics were attempting to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the Worlds great automakers, and Elons baby. A few hours later, Tesla stock surged even higher as Trump announced at the White House that he had bought a Tesla himself. I dont like whats happening to you, said Trump, before picking a red Model S, which retails for U$80,000. As he eased into the driver seat, he exclaimed, Wow. Thats beautiful. open image in gallery Trump and Musk speak to reporters in front of a red Model S Tesla vehicle ( AP ) The stock ended up closing up nearly 4 percent on Tuesday after one of the worst single day sell-offs in Teslas history a day earlier. Tesla has been pummeled this year under competition from rival electric vehicles, particularly out of China. Numerous auto industry analysts have also pointed to Musks close association with Trump and with far right causes globally. Tesla showrooms in the U.S. have been besieged by protesters and its vehicles vandalized on the street. Tesla owners, perhaps in a bid to avoid being targeted, have placed bumper stickers on their cars with messages like, I bought it before Elon went nuts. Shares have plummeted 45 percent in 2025 and on Monday tumbled more than 15 percent to $222.15, the lowest since late October, reflecting newfound pessimism as sales crater around the globe. Musk pumped $270 million into Trumps campaign heading into the 2024 election, appeared on stage with him and cheered Trumps victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in November. Tesla shares soared to $479 per share by mid-December, but are now trading around $230 per share. open image in gallery Musk pumped $270 million into Trumps presidential campaign ( via REUTERS ) That drop could hurt the company in the coming year in two ways. First, Tesla offers many of its workers the chance to buy shares at a discounted price as a way of incentivizing them. But with the stock down sharply, this discounted price offered last year is in many cases higher than the stock is currently trading, meaning there is no discount at all and the incentive is worthless. Second, the price drop could limit Teslas ability to raise money by selling newly created shares to investors to fund research and expansion. In 2020, the company sold $12 billion worth of shares as it was building factories in Berlin and Texas and pouring money into self-driving technology. A falling stock price means it will get far less in proceeds in any future so-called secondary offerings, though slumping sales means it may not need to expand soon. Musk has become the face of the Trump administrations slash-and-burn government downsizing efforts, known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The department has promised massive federal worker layoffs and aims to drastically reduce government spending. Musks involvement has raised a familiar issue for Tesla shareholders: That the CEO, who also runs several other companies, is too distracted to fully focus on his EV company. Some of those other companies have also run into trouble recently. His X social media platform crashed several times on Monday, which Musk claimed was a massive cyberattack. But like the clear-cutting hes done with federal jobs, Musk slashed the number of employees at X and technology experts warned of increased vulnerability. Last week, a rocket launched by Musks SpaceX exploded and broke apart over Florida, about two months after another of the companys rockets failed. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A US influencer has sparked backlash and calls for her deportation from Australia after she grabbed a baby wombat from its mother. Sam Jones, who claims to be a wildlife biologist and environmental scientist posted a video to Instagram showing her taking the marsupial and then running across the road dangling the joey, while its mother gives chase. An Australian man in the since-deleted video can be heard laughing and says, Look at the mother, its chasing after her! I caught a baby wombat! Jones says in the video, as the baby makes distressed noises. OK mamas right there and she is p***ed, lets let him go, she adds, before walking across the road to release the baby. Australian radio station 2GB reported that she captioned the video: My dream of holding a wombat has been realised! Baby and mom slowly waddled back off together into the bush. While she added in the caption that the baby and mum were safely united, the video drew swift condemnation. Jones, who has more than 100,000 followers combined on TikTok and Instagram, has since deleted the clip, and has made both her social media accounts private. Australian native animals are protected by law, and wildlife rescue organisation Wires confirmed to News.com.au that such an act was illegal. WIRES Wildlife Vet Dr Tania Bishop told the news outlet that the joey looked about eight months old, an age where it would be relying on its mums protection at all times. Dr Bishop said the situation would have been distressing for both mother and joey, but Jones could have also injured the baby by the way she carried it. open image in gallery The baby wombat could be heard squealing in the video while dangling from the influencers arms ( Reuters ) When shes running, its not supported underneath, and wombats are incredibly solid, especially in their back end, so theres every chance she could have fractured the upper humerus, or the top of the arms, or caused damage to the shoulders, she said. The vet also pointed out the influencer potentially put the mother in harms way, as she could have been hit by a car running across the road. In a Reddit thread on the video, users said they were depressed and angry to see this behaviour. One pointed out that if the wombat was a Northern Hairy-nosed wombat, it would be on the protected species lists and she could face even tougher penalties for handling it, including a fine of up to $330,000 (160,500). Every Aussie knows. You see baby wildlife with its family you leave it alone. They aren't toys for your amusement, one user said in the subreddit thread on r/Australia. Its not just the entitlement its the disrespect. That her first instinct is not awe and gratitude to see this animal in the wild but to rush in to greedily exploit the moment for personal gain no matter the trauma it causes to anything and anyone else, its such an indictment on her character. Absolutely shameful, another said. A third said: Oh my god. Why do people feel the need to just insert themselves in nature and desecrate it? Leave them be! This poor mother is trying to protect her young. Disgusting behaviour. Other users called for her to be deported and banned from Australia. Arrest. Fine. Deport. Ban. One user said. Another added: That poor wombat. Australia needs to do more to kick these morons out. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Employees at a Russian-owned steel plant operator in Oregon falsified inspection results on armored plating, including some used for U.S. Army vehicles, according to a new report. An internal investigation, whose results were obtained by Bloomberg, detailed how workers at the steel plant operator Evraz North America bypassed mandatory hardness tests and inserted fake results for about 12,800 armor plates during incidents spanning from 2017 through 2019 at a facility in Portland. The plates were then labeled as tested and approved. Evraz launched its internal probe following allegations of bypassed requirements in the quality control procedures, . The Independent has reached out to Evraz for comment. Oshkosh Defense, a primary customer of the plates, according to Bloomberg, has been awarded contracts by the U.S. Army for Joint Light Tactical Vehicles. The United Kingdom, Israel, Romania and other countries also use the vehicles. Oshkosh has built more than 22,000 of the vehicles as of 2024, and each are supposed to last about 20 years, according to Bloomberg. The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle has consistently demonstrated its ability to fill critical capability gaps for U.S. and international militaries, Oshkosh Defenses website states. open image in gallery Some armored plates potentially sent to a U.S. Army contractor that produces Joint Light Tactical Vehicles bypassed required hardness tests, according to a new report ( US Army Acquisition Support Center ) Evrazs 2019 internal findings found that beginning in November 2017, some employees failed to consistently use a machine to measure the hardness of the armored plates, circumventing a requirement, and then inputted fake results manually, Bloomberg reported. Armor plate does require 100% hardness testing, the internal report noted. Still, falsifying data was a widespread practice, the company investigation concluded. Four employees admitted to falsifying hardness ratings; some even said there wasnt enough time to complete the test for each plate due to the demands to keep the process moving, Bloomberg reported. Thats how I was trained, one employee said in the report. Even though his supervisors denied knowing he was doing this, the report determined it was highly likely that they all were aware of the practice. One manager admitted that he understood false data was sometimes recorded. When youre thrown in the fire, you gotta do what you gotta do to keep the line rolling, he was quoted in the internal report. Its not immediately clear how many Joint Light Tactical Vehicles were equipped with untested plates. The Independent has contacted the U.S. Army for more information. An Evraz official, however, identified the untested plates as part of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicles program, as well as bing used on another armored vehicle produced by Oshkosh, Bloomberg reported. The steel operator stopped deliveries of armored plating for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicles program once management was made aware of the situation, according to Bloomberg. Evraz told Bloomberg that the company follows strict compliance with all industry standards, adding that its armored plates passed independent testing by a government approved facility. The steel operator said it has not received complaints from customers about its products. The alleged problems at the facility arose two years after the U.S. Army awarded Oshkosh a $6.7 billion contract to procure nearly 17,000 vehicles for the Army and the Marines. Its not immediately clear if Oshkosh was aware of the falsified data or of the internal report. Evraz says Oshkosh was aware of its findings. The Independent has reached out to Oshkosh Defense for comment. Law enforcement is now investigating the falsified tests, Bloomberg reported. FBI agents were visiting several of the steel operators facilities, Fox 21 noted last July. Evraz said it was fully cooperating with the agencys requests. Evraz North America is a subsidiary of Evraz Plc. No evidence obtained by Bloomberg suggested that the skipped tests, false data or Evrazs Russian ownership were related to the U.S. efforts to fight Russia in its war against Ukraine. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A senior official with the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has been targeted for death by DOGE, has ordered remaining employees to shred or burn classified documents and personnel records. An email Tuesday from the agencys Acting Executive Secretary Erica Carr told employees to destroy the records, and thanked them for their assistance in clearing our classified safes and personnel documents, NBC News was the first to report. USAID employees were told to first shred as many documents as possible and destroy the rest in burn bags if the shredder becomes overwhelmed by the load of information to be eradicated. Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break, Carr wrote, NBC recounted. The destruction of documents comes amid a number of court cases challenging the legality of tech billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency dismantling of agencies and the firing of thousands of employees without supervision or congressional authorization. The American Foreign Service Association said it was alarmed by the order, underscoring that the documents are vital to ongoing litigation regarding the termination of USAID employees and the cessation of USAID grants. The Trump administration said last week that more than 80 percent of the programs run by the USAID, which funds global humanitarian programs, would be eliminated. Whats left has been placed within the State Department. Critics fear the document destruction is a way to dodge the law and court orders. Groups challenging the administration's plans to shut down USAID, including the American Foreign Service Association, filed an emergency motion Tuesday naming Trump and seeking to stop the shredding. "Defendants are .... destroying documents with potential pertinence to this litigation," the motion stated. The destruction could also make it impossible to revive the agency, even if the court so rules, they argued. An administration official told NBC that USAID classified documents are not part of any suit. But personnel records, also targeted for destruction, are. Harold Koh, a legal adviser for the State Department during the Obama administration, told NBC News that many of the USAID documents being destroyed are likely crucial evidence in various ongoing cases. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ordered both sides back in court Wednesday to futher address the emergency motion. In a related case in Washington, D.C. federal District Judge Amir Ali again ordered the Trump administration on Monday to pay its USAID contracts. Ali said by shutting down the agency and freezing funds Trump ignored congressional authority when he unilaterally countermanded that funds appropriated by Congress not be spent. He called it an unbridled view of Executive power that the Supreme Court has consistently rejected and noted that its likely unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court let stand Amirs earlier ruling ordering the Trump administration to pay $2 billion to USAID contractors Carrs shredding order to about three dozen workers has also raised alarms about the Trump administrations efforts to destroy recorded history within the federal government. Standard procedure for the USAID has been to shred or burn documents only if the agency was under attack or in some other emergency situation. Last week the Defense Department launched an eradication of photos and posts involving women, people of color, and any mention of members of the LGBTQ community as part of its war against diversity in the military. The erasure was so extreme that officials were wiping out mention of people whose last name happened to be Gay and photos of the Enola Gay, the aircraft that bombed Hiroshima in World War II. Critics feared as many as 100,000 photos, a critical record of American history, would be eliminated in the Defense Department DEI purge. The destruction of the USAIDs records is not the actions of someone looking for true waste, fraud, and abuse, Kel McClanahan, the director of a law firm focused on national security called National Security Counselors, told NBC. This is slash-and-burn mode and not leaving any evidence behind that could disprove their narrative. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A Columbia University graduate and green card holder was arrested and marked for deportation by Donald Trumps administration solely for his advocacy for Palestinian rights, lawyers for Mahmoud Khalil said in a federal courtroom in Manhattan on Wednesday. Khalil who is being processed for deportation in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Louisiana was identified, targeted, detained and is being processed for deportation on account of his advocacy for Palestinian rights, according to Ramzi Kassem, an attorney with the Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility (CLEAR) project at CUNY School of Law. Attorneys for Khalil, a prominent organizer for pro-Palestine demonstrations on campus, made their first appearance in a case to determine the legal basis for Khalils shocking arrest in New York, where he was pulled away from his U.S. citizen wife, who is eight months pregnant, and sent to a detention facility in Louisiana, more than 1,300 miles away. open image in gallery Mahmoud Khalils attorney Ramzi Kassem speaks to reporters on March 12 after a first hearing in a critical case to determine whether the Trump administration can deport a green card holder over pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University ( Getty Images ) On Monday, District Judge Jesse Furman temporarily halted his removal from the United States, and is barring the government from deporting him. But Khalil will remain in Louisiana, for now. The attempt to deport a legal permanent resident for their political views has drawn international scrutiny and raised fears of a crackdown on free speech by the Trump administration. His detention has severely limited his attorneys access to him, Kassem told the judge. Khalils lawyers were able to schedule one attorney-client privileged call on March 20, more than two weeks after his arrest. We have not been able to confer with our client once, Kassem said. Government lawyers said that was the first were hearing of client access issues and will look into it. But Khlalil has been processed for deportation and will be placed in removal proceedings in a Louisiana court, according to assistant U.S. attorney Brandon Waterman. The judge ordered Khalil access to two privileged calls one on Wednesday and another on Thursday. Khalil was first detained in a New Jersey facility in the early morning hours on Sunday before he was moved to Louisiana that night. His arrest has been widely condemned by Democratic officials and civil rights groups, questioning how a legal permanent resident could be deported, without facing any criminal charges, and without any evidence from the government of the allegations against him or any other demonstrators. Administration officials have argued that Khalil doesnt need to be charged, let alone convicted of a crime, to be removed from the country, alleging without evidence he was aligned with Hamas thus providing material support to a terrorist organization. His attorneys plan to submit a new filing this week to flesh out grave constitutional violations and expand on their arguments after the Trump administrations statements, Kassem said. open image in gallery A court sketch depicts lawyers for Mahmoud Khalil speaking to District Judge Jesse Furman on March 12 ( Jane Rosenberg / REUTERS ) A timeline of his arrest and detention and when attorneys intervened could ultimately determine where Khalils case can be heard. He was detained in New Jersey shortly after 3 a.m. on Sunday. A petition for his removal was filed after 4 a.m. Later that night, he was moved to Louisiana. But the judge appeared somewhat skeptical that Khalil should remain in Louisiana as his attorneys fight for his return to New York. Judge Furman suggested there could be an exception if there was bad faith in an attempt to intentionally deprive a court of having jurisdiction, or if the government's constant movement of a person in custody intended to prevent them from even knowing where to file their case, pointing to concurrence written by former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy more than 20 years ago. Confrontation after MAGA flag is snatched outside Mahmoud Khalil hearing Outside the court, hundreds of people joined a rally demanding Khalils release. David Maloof, a 68-year-old lawyer and Columbia graduate from 1988 who wore a red Make America America Again hat to Wednesdays rally, said he was concerned about the implications for free speech. If we don't stand up now, citizens are next, he said. I mean, how close is that line for somebody like Trump? This thing may go all the way to the Supreme Court, and hopefully they'll reach the right decision, which is you need more than just the word of a politician like [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio, to remove somebody, to take away their liberty. open image in gallery Hundreds of people gathered outside federal court in Manhattan during Khalils hearing ( Richard Hall / The Independent ) Miriam Osman, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, said she was enraged by what she described as the illegal detention of Khalil. No matter what your political opinions are in this country, you have a right, constitutionally, to be able to express them, and that is exactly what Mahmoud Khalil was doing, she said. For the Trump administration to come and say you, as a green card holder, can just be picked up from your home one night with no due process, this should be completely appalling to every single American, she added. From the steps of the Thurgood Marshall courthouse, actress and activist Susan Sarandon told reporters that freedom of speech is a right we all have, and this is a turning point in history. open image in gallery Actress and activist Susan Sarandon called Khalils case a turning point in history ( EPA ) Kassem called the governments grounds for revoking Khalils green card absolutely unprecedented, he told reporters after Wednesdays hearing. It cannot be the case that you can be disappeared at night, off the streets of New York city, simply because the current administration in the White House dislikes what you have to say, Kassem said. Essentially they are a form of punishment and retaliation for the exercise of free speech, he added. We think it wont fly in federal court. We think it wont fly in immigration court. And it certainly should not fly in the court of public opinion. open image in gallery Protesters demanded the immediate release of Khalil, who is being detained in Louisiana and processed for deportation proceedings ( AFP via Getty Images ) Baher Azmy, legal director of the Center of Constitutional Rights and a member of Khalils legal team, compared his arrest to McCarthyism and the Red Scare, a grim period in 20th-century American history when the U.S. government suppressed and persecuted its own citizens for their political beliefs. Mr. Khalils detention has nothing to do with security. It is only about repression, Azmy said. Joseph Howley, associate professor of classics at Columbia University, invoked Martin Niemollers quote about the rise of Nazism in 1930s Germany as he drew comparisons to the current landscape for civil rights in America. Where exactly are we in the poem that begins, When they came for the communists, I did not speak out? Well, theyve already come for the asylum seekers, he said. Theyve come for the migrant families. Now theyve come for Mahmoud Khalil. Its not a very long poem, so how far down the list do you think you are? Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with New York City police officers in a demonstration in support of Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student detained for his role in pro-Gaza campus protests last year. Khalil, 30, was detained by ICE officers in front of his heavily pregnant wife at the weekend before being taken to a facility in Louisiana, despite being a legal permanent resident who is married to an American citizen. The White House said on Tuesday that it had the power to revoke his green card, although he has not been charged with any crime. The Department of Homeland Security accused him of carrying out activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization." His detention has raised concerns about the Trump administrations attitude towards freedom of speech, even among some right-wing commentators. The president has warned that Khalils arrest will be the first of many. open image in gallery There were reports of about a dozen arrests in New York ( REUTERS ) Protests swept universities across the United States last year amid Israels onslaught against Gaza in the wake of the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks on Israel that left more than 1,000 dead and about 250 people kidnapped. More than 100 students were arrested when police launched an operation to clear the campus in April last year. Last week, the Trump administration announced it was pulling $400 million in grants and contracts from Columbia, saying it had failed to stop antisemitism on campus. As a result, the National Institutes of Health said it was cutting more than $250 million in funding, which included more than 400 grants. open image in gallery A demonstrator is led away ( REUTERS ) About a dozen protesters were arrested during a march in support of Khalil in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday. New York City Police Department officers were seen handcuffing and leading away a number of demonstrators accused of blocking a street near City Hall. There were also protests at University of California, Berkeley and in Newark, New Jersey. On Tuesday Khalils wife, who has not been named publicly, called for her husband to be released and said the previous week had been a nightmare. open image in gallery Khalil was detained by ICE agents despite being a legal resident ( REUTERS ) She said: My husband, Mahmoud Khalil, is my rock. He is my home and he is my happy place. I am currently 8 months pregnant, and I could not imagine a better father for my child. We've been excitedly preparing to welcome our baby, and now Mahmoud has been ripped away from me for no reason at all ... The last week has been a nightmare ... "I am pleading with the world to continue to speak up against his unjust and horrific detention by the Trump administration. Mahmoud Khalil protests continue She added: Everyone who knows Mahmoud knows him to be level-headed even in the most stressful situations. And even in this terrifying situation, he was calm. Within minutes, they had handcuffed Mahmoud, took him out into the street and forced him into an unmarked car. Watching this play out in front of me was traumatizing: It felt like a scene from a movie I never signed up to watch ... open image in gallery There were also protests in Newark, New Jersey ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) U.S. immigration ripped my soul from me when they handcuffed my husband and forced him into an unmarked vehicle. Instead of putting together our nursery and washing baby clothes in anticipation of our first child, I am left sitting in our apartment, wondering when Mahmoud will get a chance to call me from a detention center. I demand the U.S. government release him, reinstate his Green Card, and bring him home. Lawyers were expected to challenge Khalils planned deportation at a hearing on Wednesday. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Conservative Political Action Conference host Mercedes Schlapp suggested on Tuesday night that the Trump administration should deport Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) alongside Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, even though Tlaib is an American-born citizen. Following ICEs arrest and threatened deportation of Khalil who is a legal permanent resident of the United States for helping lead anti-war campus protests against Israel, 14 members of Congress signed a letter demanding Khalil be released. Tlaib, a member of The Squad and a Palestinian-American who has been outspoken about Israels military campaign in Gaza, was one of the signatories. Khalil has not been charged or convicted of any crime. As the Trump Administration proudly admits, he was targeted solely for his activism and organizing as a student leader and negotiator for the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on Columbia University's campus, the members of Congress wrote in the letter addressed to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Khalils constitutional rights have been violated, the letter added. He has been denied meaningful access to counsel and any visitation from his family. This is absolutely unacceptable and illegal. CPAC host Mercedes Schlapp floated the idea of deporting Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) alongside activist Mahmoud Khalil. ( Newsmax ) President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has defended the arrest and promised many more to come while his administration claims it has the authority to remove Khalil under the Immigration and Nationality Act, even though he has not been charged with any actual crime. The secretary of state has the right to revoke a green card or a visa for individuals who serve, or are adversarial to the foreign policy and the national security interests of the United States of America, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday. Mahmoud Khalil was an individual who was given the privilege of coming to this country to study at one of our nation's finest universities and colleges and he took advantage of that opportunity, of that privilege, by siding with terrorists, Hamas terrorists. While Khalil has been transferred to a Louisiana prison facility where hes being staged for removal, hundreds of demonstrators have taken to the streets of New York to protest his detention. Khalils case headed to a Manhattan court on Wednesday, where his lawyers called the arrest completely unprecedented. With MAGA media backing Trumps attempted deportation of a green card holder over political speech and threats to national security, Schlapp went further during an appearance on Newsmaxs primetime panel show The Right Squad by floating the notion of U.S.-born citizens getting sent out of the country for their political positions. Speaking of the pro-Hamas Rashida Tlaib, and who doesn't talk about our pro-Hamas Rashida Tlaib she was the lone vote, the only vote against a bill in the House of Representatives yesterday requiring an annual report to Congress on the cross-border cartel smuggling tunnels, Right Squad host Chris Plante said. You know, like the ones under Gaza, but under the border from Mexico to the United States. 402 people voted yes, he continued. And Rashida Tlaib was the single no vote, the single no vote when it comes to the tunnels coming from Mexico into the United States smuggling children and adults, human trafficking, fentanyl killing. After Plante added that Tlaib is not on our side, Schlapp who is married to CPAC organizer Matt Schlapp and is a former Trump adviser chimed in to call for the Detroit-born congresswoman to be removed from the country. I'm thinking that maybe they should deport Rashida Tlaib as well, she groused. Just take her out along with Mahmoud at this point. I mean, it's just outrageous. Schlapp added: It just shows how she has been someone who has supported terrorists and has been, what I say, not putting America first or Americans first. And I don't know why they keep sending her back to Congress. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Real Americas Voice correspondent Brian Glenn, who also happens to be the paramour of MAGA congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, used the White House sitdown between President Donald Trump and Irish Taoiseach Michael Martin to press Irelands leader about Rosie ODonnell moving to the Emerald Isle. With the administrations press shop seizing power from the White House Correspondents Association, Glenn a Trump sycophant whose previous outlet was paid by the presidents campaign has become a ubiquitous presence in the White House as his presidential press pool assignments have surged. During Martins visit with Trump, Glenn took the opportunity to personally congratulate the president for his economic success, despite the fact that the stock market has plummeted in recent days over recession fears due to Trumps escalating trade war and chaos implemented by the DOGE cuts. At the same time, the right-wing reporter also referenced his much-derided question to Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month, when he mocked the Ukrainian president for not wearing a suit during the volatile Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Real America's Voice correspondent Brian Glenn asks Irish Taoiseach Michael Martin "why in the world" he let Rosie O'Donnell move to Ireland. ( Fox News ) Welcome to the United States, you look great. Nice suit, Glenn said as Trump nodded in approval. Trump ran on MAGA Make America Great Again. If you could run on MIGA Make Ireland Great Again what would your number one issue be for people in Ireland right now to make your country stronger? And Ive got a two-part question to that as well. After Martin said his number one priority would be housing due to rising home prices, the RAV correspondent then wondered what the Irish prime minister thought about ODonnell, a former host of The View who has been locked in a decades-long feud with Trump. Ireland is known for a very happy, fun-loving people, Glenn exclaimed. Why in the world would you let Rosie ODonnell move to Ireland?! I think she is going to lower your happiness levels! As Martin attempted to merely shrug off the absurd question, Trump chimed in and declared thats true while thanking Glenn for asking the Irish leader about the comedian. Thank you, Trump bellowed. I like that question! Trump went on to ask Martin if he knew who ODonnell was, prompting the prime minister to awkwardly try to pivot before the president declared: You're better off not knowing! Eventually, Glenn would note that he was joking before the leaders were able to move on to another reporter. After previously hinting that she was leaving the United States following Trumps second election, ODonnell revealed this week that she had permanently moved to Ireland along with her 12-year-old adopted daughter. Its been pretty wonderful, I have to say. The people are so loving and so kind and so welcoming. And Im very grateful, the longtime critic of Trump said on Instagram. I was never someone who thought I would move to another country, the comic added. That's what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child. And here we are. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice An ex-aide to former President Barack Obama might be stepping into the next presidential race. Rahm Emanuel, who served as White House chief of staff and recently as Japanese ambassador, is mulling a return to executive mission but this time as the top guy in charge, according to Politico. Im not done with public service and Im hoping public service is not done with me, Emanuel, 65, told the outlet as part of a magazine profile. Emanuel has held numerous positions throughout his adult life: Chicago mayor, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus as an Illinois representative, and Wall Street banker. open image in gallery Former U.S. ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel at the annual ceremony at the Zojoji temple in Tokyo to honor the victims of the Nagasaki atomic bomb, in August last year ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) His proponents suggest his unique experience may give him a sweeping advantage over other potential Democratic candidates, like Maryland Governor Wes Moore and California Governor Gavin Newsom. Who has more relevant experience? David Axelrod, former White House official and a friend of Emanuel, told the magazine. He understands how to win and speaks bluntly in an idiom that most folks understand. Apart from his diplomatic and political connections, Emanuel has built strong relationships with business, military, media and Hollywood leaders. There are signs that the former White House aide might be serious about the run. The outlet reported Emanuel is testing out a stump speech and looking for an issue he can make his own. One that could be a hallmark of his campaign is education, or the lack thereof. The potential candidate has become increasingly frustrated with new data showing two-thirds of eighth graders cant read at a grade level. open image in gallery Barack Obama thanks Emanuel as he steps down as his chief of staff in 2010, as his interim successor, Pete Rouse, looks on. Emanuel stood down to run for mayor of Chicago ( Reuters ) I am done with the discussion of locker rooms, I am done with the discussion of bathrooms and we better start having a conversation about the classroom, Emanuel said during a Democracy Forward conference in Washington, D.C. last month. We can lead a discussion and force a topic onto the agenda of this country thats worthy of having a debate about. The best time for Emanuel to test his presidential hopes could be now, the Politico article stated, especially after the Democrats recent calamitous election loss. Democrats are as demoralized as any time in modern history, their voters desperately want to win and were open to untraditional candidates even before Trump, the profile pointed out. There are few downsides to Emanuel running, the outlet argues. Even if he doesnt win, he could score a key position in the upcoming administration in the State Department or Pentagon. open image in gallery California Governor Gavin Newsom, left, has been touted as a possible Democratic presidential candidate. He has recently raised his profile with a new podcast series where he interviews high-profile right-wingers like Charlie Kirk ( iHeartRadio ) One concern could be whether hell be considered a candidate of the past. His connection to Barack Obama is decades old, Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a South Carolina Democratic lawmaker, told the outlet. Were in a different time. Presidential candidates typically launch their campaigns two years before the general election. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Former President Ronald Reagans daughter Patti Davis took aim at President Donald Trump during an appearance on CNN, saying that her father would be grieving over Trumps recent moves to isolate the U.S. from its traditional allies. The America that I grew up in, that we all have known, is one that had alliances and was friends with other countries, and it would go to other countries who were in trouble, who were being tyrannized, or invaded, or, you know, otherwise suffering from famines, for example, Davis told CNNs Anderson Cooper, saying her dad would be heartbroken by Trumps actions. The president has spent the first month and a half in the White House starting trade wars with U.S. allies such as Canada, Mexico, and the European Union, and berating Ukraine as it attempts to fight off Russian aggression, prompting widespread concern among European leaders. His administration has also gutted the U.S. Agency for International Development. Patti Davis, daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, has spoken out against Donald Trump ( Lucy Nicholson - Reuters ) Davis said Reagan believed in an America that was this force in the world that if another country was in trouble, would cross oceans to help them. Speaking about the 1985 song We Are the World, which was recorded in support of sending aid to Africa, she said, Thats the America that we know, and that we have been bonded with, and suddenly that America is no longer that. Suddenly were hated in the world. Davis, who uses her mother Nancy Reagans maiden name, has previously slammed the Republican Party. I disagreed with my father, she told CNN. I protested some of his policies. But, she said, This is beyond politics. In a New York Times op-ed that ran over the weekend, Davis recalled the only conversation she ever shared with her dad on why he wanted to become president. It was the evening of Reagans first inauguration in early 1981, and he told her in the Lincoln Bedroom that he believed he could make this world a safer, more peaceful place. When he left and the stillness of Lincolns bedroom folded around me, with all of its history and stories, I was struck by the fact that he spoke about the world, not just America, she added. Davis, 72, noted that while she at times disagreed with her fathers policies, she never had any doubts regarding his intentions. I knew he wanted America to be a strong partner in the world, bonding with other countries to defeat tyranny and aggression, she wrote in The Times. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ruth Marcus, who recently quit The Washington Post after more than four decades at the storied newspaper, unveiled in The New Yorker on Wednesday the rejected column about Jeff Bezos new opinion mandate that led to her resignation. My job is supposed to be to tell you what I think, not what Jeff Bezos thinks I should think, Marcus wrote in the opinion piece that she claims was nixed by the Posts embattled publisher Will Lewis. Besides revealing the column that led to her abrupt departure from the Post, Marcus asserted in a separate piece for The New Yorker that her former employer also didnt run another critique of Bezoss edict that his papers opinion section will concentrate on supporting personal liberties and free markets. Noting that other columnists successfully tested Bezoss new demand, such as Dana Milbanks clever column that said if they were to defend Bezoss twin pillars then they must redouble our fight against the single greatest threat to personal liberties and free markets in the United States today: President Donald Trump, Marcus wrote that another writer was not so lucky. Our media critic, Erik Wemple, was less fortunate, she asserted. His straightforward column disagreeing with the Bezos announcement I read it in our internal system, and found it perfectly reasonable never ran. Jeff Bezos recently handed down a mandate that the Washington Posts opinion section will devote itself to defending two pillars: free markets and personal liberties. ( Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) A spokesperson for The Washington Post did not respond to a request for comment. Wemple declined to comment. Explaining why she decided to write her column that respectfully dissented with the billionaire owners new opinion direction, Marcus pointed out that she had already spoken out forcefully against Bezoss decision to kill the editorial boards endorsement of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, which inevitably led to hundreds of thousands of canceled subscriptions. Censoring columnists was way worse. Having written then, how could I stay silent and live with myself now? Still, I hesitated, she noted. Since Trumps Inauguration, I had been writing at a furious pace, assailing his blizzard of executive orders, his assaults on the rule of law, his dismantling of the Justice Department, which I had covered as a young reporter. Was speaking out on Bezos important enough to risk losing the platform that the Post provided? She added that she gave her editors a way to get to yes in approving the column, insisting that it was meek to the point of embarrassing as she did not mention Bezos post-election efforts to cozy up to Trump. Still, she felt it was important for her to put her reasons for disagreement on the record, arguing that running it would enhance the Posts credibility, not undermine it. After submitting the column to her editor, she stated, silence ensued for more than two days as it was reviewed by management. In the end, she was informed that Lewis had said no to the piece. Pause here for a moment: I know of no other episode at The Washington Post, and I have checked with longtime employees at the paper, when a publisher has ordered a column killed, Marcus asserted. According to Marcus, she asked editor Mary Duenwald who handed down the verdict from Lewis if she could discuss the matter with the publisher directly. I asked to speak with Lewis, she wrote. He declined to see me, instructing an editor to inform me that there was no reason to meet, because his decision was final. Marcus concluded: I wish we could return to the newspaper of a not so distant past. But that is not to be, and here is the unavoidable truth: The Washington Post I joined, the one I came to love, is not The Washington Post I left. As for the nixed Post column itself, which Marcus provided to The New Yorker, she conceded that while its Bezoss prerogative to shape the opinion coverage. At the same time, she wrote that narrowing the range of acceptable opinions is an unwise course, one that disserves and underestimates our readers. Noting that the Post broadened its conservative offerings to include the point of view of Trump voters after his first election win, Marcus felt that the readers benefited from that diversity of opinion. How does the new focus on personal liberties and free markets fit into this? What viewpoints opposing those pillars consist of is a mystery. Compliance is in the eye of the beholder, whomever that might turn out to be, she stated in the rejected piece. We have been assured by our interim managers that decision-making will proceed unchanged as we await a new opinion editor to implement the Bezos vision. But that is merely a postponement of sentence, unless we are to believe that it means no change at all, which does not seem to be Bezoss intent. While pondering what opinions would or wouldnt pass the smell test of Bezoss mandate, Marcus suggested that Bezos was handcuffing the papers writers with his narrow policy. On top of that, she contended that the Amazon founder was leaving an opening for critics to accuse him of advancing his own interests. It was one thing when the owner chose to dispense with Presidential endorsements. The editorial page, consisting of unsigned editorials, reflects the views of the owner. Signed opinions express the views of their creator, she stated. My job is supposed to be to tell you what I think, not what Jeff Bezos thinks I should think. Marcus added: And now comes the dicey part, because the Bezos missive does not arrive in a vacuum but in the context of the owners repeated overtures to Trump. Whatever his internal motivations, it is asking a lot of readers not to suspect that Bezoss personal business interests play no role here. Meanwhile, amid Bezoss increasingly friendly relationship with the media-bashing president, the Blue Origin owners opinion mandate has not only been pilloried by journalists but has also resulted in at least another 75,000 canceled subscriptions from infuriated readers. Still, it would appear that the White House and MAGA world are impressed. Ostensibly talking about the Post recently overhauling its newsroom structure to broaden the outlet's coverage and reach a wider audience, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made a point of commending the paper at the top of her press briefing on Tuesday. It appears that the mainstream media, including The Post, is finally learning that having disdain for more than half of the country who supports this president does not help you sell newspapers, she said. Its not a very good business model. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Senator Tom Cotton has responded to allegations he blocked the release of files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy . Cotton was asked on Fox News about Tucker Carlsons claim that the Republican had worked behind the scenes to prevent the release of thousands of documents on Kennedys assassination. Its false Completely false. I have no problem releasing the JFK files. Tucker could have called or texted me. He has texted me multiple times in recent weeks. Had he asked me, I would have told him that, Cotton said. Carlson claimed in a podcast discussion with NewsNation host Chris Cuomo on Monday that the Arkansas senator had tried to keep t he Kennedy files secret, but did not offer a theory as to why the senator would have done so. open image in gallery Tucker Carlson accused the Republican senator of blocking the release of JFK documents ( NewsNation ) According to the Daily Mail, Carlson also said he did not think the senator would agree to an interview when Cuomo asked why he hadnt approached Cotton with the allegations. Cotton, who is chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he had no idea what was in the files but was totally confident they would be released as directed by Donald Trump. Ive never spoken to President Trump or any of his associates or administration officials about the JFK files. Ive never objected to someone taking office because of their position on the JFK files, he said in the Fox News interview. To be clear, I dont really know what the so-called JFK files might contain. Ive read news reports that theres about 3,000 documents that have not been released yet. I think theyre going through a declassification review process at the Department of Justice, at the DNI, and at the CIA. open image in gallery Trump signed an executive order in January mandating the release of all files related to the JFK assassination ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Shortly after his inauguration in January, the President signed an executive order to declassify and release all remaining documents relating to the assassination of Kennedy, as well as records relating to the assassinations of Robert F Kennedy Sr, and the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr. A lot of people are waiting for this for a long time, for years, for decades, Trump said at the time, adding everything will be revealed about the assassinations. While working to comply with the Presidents order, the FBI revealed in February it had uncovered an additional 2,400 records relating to Kennedys assassination due to technological advances. More than five million records have previously been made public, but researchers estimate a further 3,000 have not yet been released, either in whole or in part. open image in gallery President John F. Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade approximately one minute before he was shot, Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas. ( AP ) The collection has been required to be open to the public since 2017, barring presidential exemptions. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas as his motorcade passed by the Texas School Book Depository Building. The Warren Commission established by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson found that 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, shooting the former president from a snipers perch on the sixth floor of the building. Oswald was killed two days after the assassination, and despite the Warren Commission finding no evidence of a conspiracy, there has been decades of speculation and alternative theories about the death. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice President Donald Trump took to social media to whine about who negotiated a deal allowing Canada to supply energy to the U.S. but, it turns out, he made the deal. Amidst the trade tariffs back-and-forth with Canada and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who suspended the provinces 25 percent electricity surcharge on three U.S. states Tuesday, Trump fumed on Truth Social: Why would our Country allow another Country to supply us with electricity, even for a small area? Who made these decisions, and why? the president demanded. The decision to maintain the free flow of energy across the borders was part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and negotiated by Trump in November 2018 during his first term. It was signed into law in January 2020. open image in gallery President Donald Trump negotiated the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement during his first administration. But is now complaining about the impact ( AFP via Getty Images ) The trade deal replaced the North America Free Trade Agreement, which Trump branded a nightmare at the time. Americas great USMCA Trade Bill is looking good. It will be the best and most important trade deal ever made by the USA, Trump boasted on Twitter, now X, in December 2019. Good for everybody - Farmers, Manufacturers, Energy, Unions - tremendous support. Importantly, we will finally end our Countrys worst Trade Deal, NAFTA! For more than a century, the U.S. and Canada have traded electricity. The agreement negotiated by Trumps first administration said it fully updates, modernizes and rebalances the NAFTA to meet the challenges of the 21st century economy, a government fact sheet on the deal issued at the time states. The administration claimed it would allow American workers, farmers, ranchers, businesses and enterprises to share in the benefits of the agreement. A White House press release dated January 29, 2020, lauded the deal as a historic win for American workers. open image in gallery Trumps post on Truth Social asking who allowed Canada to supply the U.S. with electricity - but it turns out he just need to look in the mirror ( @realDonaldTrump ) The USMCA is the largest, most significant, modern and balanced trade agreement in history, Trump said in the official statement. All of our countries will benefit greatly. The agreement is due for renewal in 2026. Ford is set to meet with Trumps Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, Thursday to discuss a renewed USMCA ahead of the April 2 reciprocal tariff deadline. Five years after negotiating the trade deal, Trump appears to have changed his mind after launching into an aggressive trade war with Americas neighbors. Before Ford backtracked on the 25 percent electricity surcharge on Michigan, New York and Minnesota, the president threatened to double the 25 percent tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. Had the surcharge gone into effect, it could have increased electrical bills by $100 per month, Ford said. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice It was another day of instability in Washington thanks to Donald Trump and his announcement of a sudden implementation of across-the-board tariffs on steel and aluminum. Even more suddenly, the pendulum shifted from Ukraine to Russia, with the mid-afternoon news that Washington would immediately resume sharing intelligence with Ukraine and unpause military aid shipments. US and Ukrainian officials released a joint statement indicating that Ukrainian officials agreed to the terms of a US-concocted plan for a 30-day ceasefire. The ball is in their court, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said of Russian leaders. Except, theres another player involved: western Europe. Tuesdays announcement from Jeddah is unlikely to wipe away the concerns of incensed leaders in the UK, France and Germany who in the wake of Trumps Oval Office blowup with Ukraines Volodymyr Zelensky are now openly talking about reducing strategic reliance on the United States and filling a potential void left by a complete withdrawal of US support for Ukraine. Donald Trump turned the White House lawn into a car dealership on Tuesday as he urged Americans to buy a car from one of his main political supporters, Elon Musk ( AP ) How long until this does permanent damage to the US relationship with western Europe or has that already happened? Stock markets fell again on Tuesday as US businesses contend with rapidly shifting US policies and the corresponding responses from US trading partners. Attempting to influence that narrative to a degree, the president unveiled his latest move to turn the White House into a vessel for enriching his allies: his purchase of a Tesla vehicle and usage of the White House lawn to showcase a sampling of the companys fleet alongside a grinning Elon Musk. Teslas stock has plummeted since late last year amid growing backlash over the EV company owners relationship with Trump. Trump, in an interview over the weekend, conceded that there would be a disruption to the US economy while the Atlanta branch of the federal reserve is projecting negative GDP growth for the first quarter of 2025. What I have to do is build a strong country, the president said Sunday in an interview with Foxs Maria Bartiromo. You cant really watch the stock market. How much of that can the US economy take? Capitol Hill, in a situation no one predicted, is providing an island of stability this week. Speaker Mike Johnson dodged a government funding deadline on Friday; despite threats from the president, at least one Republican, Thomas Massie, was staunchly opposed to a GOP continuing resolution to keep the government open that also cuts nondefense spending. Marco Rubio announces Ukraine has agreed to 30-day ceasefire Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries kept his caucus largely in line opposed to the measure, bolstered by strong opposition to the spending cuts and a lack of assurances from Republicans that Elon Musks DOGE effort will not be able to touch approved funding. It didnt matter; the measure passed several days before deadline, with one Democratic vote. Johnson still may be able to keep command of his caucus in the House if Trumps pressure is enough to keep others besides Massie in line it was certainly sufficient last month, when the House narrowly passed a budget framework bill thanks to the presidents last-minute vote-whipping. As the conversation turns to fleshing out the GOP budget plan, hell definitely have chances to test how steady that control really is. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump vowed to label people who vandalize Tesla vehicles as domestic terrorists on Tuesday, as he gave reporters what appeared to be part-press conference, part car commercial. The president appeared outside the White House alongside Elon Musk, hailing Tesla as a great American company and said that those who messed with it would be put through hell. During the photo-op-turned-briefing, which took place in front of several Tesla models and a Cybertruck, Trump addressed reports that vehicles all over the country had been targeted since he and Musk returned to office. Tesla facilities and individual owners across the U.S have reported seeing an increase in vandalism and arson attempts against the vehicles. Repeated incidents occurred at a Tesla store and service center in Loveland, Colorado, the most recent of which occurred on Friday, according to CNBC. open image in gallery President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, along with his son X on the South Lawn of the White House ( AP ) Asked about reports that some believed the vandals should be labeled domestic terrorists, the president replied: I'll do it. I'm going to stop them because they're harming a great American company. I've stuck up for a lot of American companies. He continued: I do favors for all when you heard an American company, especially a company like this, applies so many jobs that others are unable to do, when you do that, those people are going to go through a big problem when we catch them. open image in gallery Trump had said he would buy a Tesla as the companys stock price has continued to fall in recent weeks ( AP ) And we have a lot of you got a lot of cameras up, we already know who some of them are. We're going to catch up and they're bad guys. They're the same guys that screw around with our schools and universities. The same garbage. And no, we're going to catch them and let me tell you, you do it to Tesla and you do it to any company. We're going to catch you and you're going to go through hell. Trump also spoke about his First Buddy Musk, saying the worlds richest man had been treated very unfairly by a very small group of people. I just want people to know that he can't be penalized for being a patriot, he said. open image in gallery The president said those who vandalize Tesla vehicles would go through hell ( AP ) "Markets are going to go up and they're going to go down but, you know what, we have to rebuild our country." He went on to say that he would buy a Tesla, but admitted he would not be driving because, as president, he is not allowed to drive. I havent driven a car in a long time. And I love to drive cars, he said. But Im gonna have it at the White House, and Im gonna let my staff use it, Im gonna let people at the place use it, and theyre all excited about it. For his part, Musk vowed that Tesla would be doubling its vehicle output in the U.S. over the course of the next two years As a function of the great policies of President Trump and his administration, and as an act of faith in America. open image in gallery Trump said he had recently bought a Tesla for his granddaughter ( AP ) The president added that he had bought a Cybertruck for his 17-year-old granddaughter Kai Trump last year. After climbing into a red Tesla Model S, he could not resist returning to familiar territory. "You think Biden could get into that car? I don't think so, he said. Joe Biden test-drives electric Ford pickup truck However, while president, Biden did test drive an electric car, in his case a Ford. While Trump has not driven for a long time, he is known to love vehicles, famously sitting in a truck outside the White House during his first term, and being driven around in a garbage truck during the 2024 election campaign. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Top Trump officials, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, are receiving panicked calls from business leaders pushing the administration to outline a more predictable tariff agenda, people familiar with the talks told The Wall Street Journal. The calls are said to have come from chief executives and lobbyists as many in the business community have stopped trying to change President Donald Trumps mind on trade issues, but are still asking for clarity from the White House. Trump and top staffers met with leaders from IBM, Qualcomm, HP, and other tech companies in the Roosevelt Room in the White House on Monday, where some of the CEOs shared their concerns about the tariffs, noting that they could damage their industry, a person who took part in the meeting told The Journal. Trump told the press that those at the meeting spoke about investing in America. The varying messages coming from Trump and his aides have prompted worries among some Republicans that the president doesnt have a proper economic plan. Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed that the economy needed a detox and Trump has noted that the tariffs could lead to a disturbance in the economy and some economic pain. On Sunday, he didnt rule out the possibility of a recession. Donald Trump, with his White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. She has reportedly received panicked calls from business leaders regarding the administrations trade agenda ( Getty Images ) On Monday, there was a selloff on Wall Street that destroyed all major index gains since November. The following day, on Tuesday, Trump played down the idea that a recession may come while still reiterating his commitment to tariffs. Trump and his staff have made several last-minute changes to polices, announcing exemptions and at times full reversals. The presidents actions on tariffs have prompted concerns among some economic officials in his own administration, such as on the National Economic Council. They worry that the tariffs and the uncertainty surrounding the administrations trade policies are crashing the stock market and leading to price rises on a range of products and goods, from energy to construction materials, those familiar told The Journal. Similarly, Trumps economic advisers have warned the president that the tariffs may harm economic growth and the market, but the commander-in-chief has been unaffected so far. The White House told The Journal that theres no division among the economic advisors. Every member of the Trump administration is playing from the same playbookPresident Trumps playbookto enact an America First agenda of tariffs, tax cuts, deregulation, and the unleashing of American energy, White House spokesperson Kush Desai told the paper. Meanwhile, Desai confirmed to The Journal that top officials have received calls from executives, noting that Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, has spoken to almost a dozen executives in the last two days. Trump refuses to rule out possibility of recession in Fox News interview But the tariff announcements and the retaliatory measures put together by traditional allies and foes alike, have resurfaced tensions among Trumps economic staff. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, whos in charge of the presidents trade agenda, has at times not informed other economic aides, such as Hassett, according to The Journal. Others who have been excluded include U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and officials at the Council of Economic Advisers. Lutnick appeared on Fox News last week, announcing that Mexico and Canada may soon come to an agreement with the U.S. that would avoid some of the 25 percent tariffs Trump put in place. That came as a surprise for Greer and staff at the Council of Economic Advisors, forcing them to rush to figure out a solution, convincing Trump to enact a one-month pause on tariffs on goods that comply with the trade agreement between the three countries. Secretary Lutnicks long and immensely successful private sector career makes him an integral addition to the Trump administrations trade and economic team, Desai told The Journal. Appearing on CBS News on Tuesday evening, Lutnick pushed back at the narrative surrounding the rollout of the administrations trade agenda. It is not chaotic, and the only one who thinks its chaotic is someone whos being silly, he said. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trump on Sunday explicitly threatened Iran with war unless Tehran comes to the table and hammers out a new agreement on nuclear weapons with Washington. The president spoke with NBCs Kristen Welker in an early-morning phone call and told the host of Meet the Press that there would be bombing if Iran did not negotiate with the US, or if a deal was not reached as a result of those talks. If they dont make a deal, there will be bombing, said the US president. It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before. His remark comes as the Trump administration has stated publicly its goal of reaching a new agreement with Tehran that would lead to the total shutdown of Irans nuclear weapons program. The president sent a letter to Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, reportedly urging the Iranian government to begin negotiations with the prospect of significant sanctions relief and international cooperation on the table. But Iran formally declined to begin those direct negotiations on Saturday, according to the countrys president. Masoud Pezeshkian said the message was delivered to US negotiators through the Omani government. He said that the official response from Iran left open the possibility for continued indirect negotiations, but added that the US must regain trust with Iran in order for formal diplomacy to resume. We dont avoid talks; its the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far, Pezeshkian said at a televised Cabinet meeting, according to the AP. They must prove that they can build trust. Donald Trump said on Sunday that there would be bombing if Iranian negotiators refused to come to the table ( AP ) The State Department previously issued a response early Sunday warning of very bad consequences should Iran refuse to negotiate an end to its nuclear weapons program. Development of nuclear materials has accelerated in Iran within recent months, according to a February report from the UNs nuclear watchdog agency. The first Trump administration pulled out of a deal reached between the Obama administration, Iran and a number of European countries with that same goal in 2017, calling it ineffective and blaming Iran for repeatedly violating it. President Trump has been clear: the United States cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. The president expressed his willingness to discuss a deal with Iran, it added. If the Iranian regime does not want a deal, the president is clear, he will pursue other options, which will be very bad for Iran. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have been high for more than a year now as the US and its ally Israel have clashed with several groups the two countries accuse the Iranian government of funding and supporting through intelligence sharing and other cooperation. Conflict against one of those groups, the Houthis, resumed last weekend with a US strike in Yemen while Houthi forces target US military vessels and trade ships in the Red Sea. Iran also launched a direct missile ballistic strike against Israel, causing minimal damage, in October of 2024 after a Hamas leader was assassinated in Tehran. While military operations have resumed against the Houthis in Yemen, the State Department on Monday moved to up the pressure on Irans neighbor, Iraq, to combat Tehrans influence over militant groups within its borders. In recent months, the Iraqi government has considered new national security legislation aimed at curbing the strength of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a Shia militant group with dozens of battalions around the country. Those forces include the Kataib Hezbollah, which traces its origins back to militant groups that fought US forces during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and still clash with US forces today. To strengthen Iraq's sovereignty, the government of Iraq must ensure it has command and control of all security forces within its borders, to include the PMF, press secretary Tammy Bruce said at her Monday briefing. These forces must respond to Iraq's commander-in-chief, and not to Iran. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Activist Mayra Guillen, the elder sister of murdered U.S. Army private Vanessa Guillen, has announced that she will challenge Texas Democratic congressman Al Green for his Houston seat after he was censured by the House of Representatives for protesting President Donald Trumps address to Congress last week. After watching Rep Al Green disrespect not only POTUS last night, but our district, state and country, I believe its time to get into the fight like I did for my sister Vanessa Guillen, Mayra Guillen wrote on X in response to Green being ejected from the chamber for heckling the president. Its time to end the propaganda displayed by these politicians, and time to help support POTUS and his amazing Admiration [sic] to Make America Great Again! Al Green Im coming for your seat. open image in gallery Vanessa Guillen ( KHOU ) Vanessa Guillen, 20, was bludgeoned to death by fellow soldier Aaron David Robinson in the armory of the Fort Cavazos military base (then known as Fort Hood) in Texas on April 22 2020. She was missing for two months before her burned and dismembered remains were discovered near the Leon River on June 30, news of which led Robinson to flee the base and take his own life when law enforcement attempted to apprehend him in nearby Killeen. Cecily Aguilar, a local woman identified as Robinsons girlfriend, was later sentenced to the maximum of 30 years in prison for her role in covering up the killing. It subsequently emerged that the victim had complained to friends and family about being sexually harassed by a superior prior to her disappearance but had not reported it for fear of retaliation. Guillens grieving family were hosted at the White House by Trump on July 30 2020, during his first term. open image in gallery The grieving family of Vanessa Guilllen hosted at the White House by Donald Trump on July 30 2020 ( Shealah Craighead/Official White House Photo ) Since the tragedy, her sister has lobbied the U.S. military to reform its handling of assault and sexual harassment cases and appears to have been considering making a run for office even before she became incensed by Greens actions in Congress. Ive been contemplating the idea of running for office Congresswoman Guillen? & if so, it will all be for you and because of you, sister, Mayra Guillen posted on X on March 7 prior to Trumps speech. While other Democrats were criticized for the perceived meekness of their protests against the president, Green was removed from the chamber by the sergeant-at-arms for shouting over Trump, waving his cane and yelling that he did not have a mandate to cut Medicaid, twice ignoring orders from House Speaker Mike Johnson to sit down. Two days later, the Republican-led House voted 224 to 198 to censure Green for his repeated interruptions, with 10 Democrats backing the GOPs position. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Authorities are desperately trying to find the body of a surfer who was mauled to death by a shark in front of his girlfriend in Western Australia. New Zealander Steven Payne, 37, was killed by a shark while surfing with his partner at Wharton Beach on the south west coast. Mr Payne was in chest-deep water about 50 metres from shore when the attack took place on Monday. But his shocked partner and other onlookers could do nothing as they heard his screams. Authorities rushed to the remote beach around midday, shortly before closing the beach and starting a search. The rescue quickly turned into a recovery mission when drone footage of the attack taken by a member of the public was shared with police. Mr Payne's surfboard was found with bite marks, but authorities are yet to locate his body. open image in gallery Mr Payne worked as a sales and marketing director in Melbourne and was a volunteer firefighter ( Facebook ) Western Australia Police Force Senior Sergeant Christopher Taylor said on Tuesday Mr Payne was with at least two surfers when he was attacked but there was nothing they could do, nothing. Drone footage and witness accounts made it so obvious what had happened, the Sergeant added. The search resumed on Wednesday morning, with the surfboard due to be tested in the hope of identifying the species of shark responsible. The attack came just weeks into the couples six-month trip around Australia with their dog. It (the drone footage) shows a lot of blood, the shark and some other things in there I don't particularly want to go into and I don't think anybody else needs to see other than maybe the coroner and some other experts who will determine the type of shark and size, the Sergeant said, adding that the girlfriend was distraught. Her life was turned upside down... You can imagine how she is, it's just horrible. It is heartbreaking obviously and the whole community of Esperance feels the pain - not as much as the family, they're distraught and trying to come to terms with what happened. Mr Payne worked as a sales and marketing director in Melbourne and was a volunteer firefighter. He grew up in New Zealand busy Lower Hutt city and was known as a talented rugby player by his school friends. His family are believed to be on their way. Mr Payne was a really good lad who had only moved to Melbourne in recent years, one school friend told Australian TV channel 7 News. He was an incredible person who was always there for his mates, another school friend told 7 news, adding that the news was devastating. Mr Payne had dated his girlfriend for more than 10 years and had previously lived in Namibia. Witnesses reported seeing a massive shark attack Mr Payne. Shark monitoring website SharkSmart also detected an unidentified species of shark minutes after the attack off the popular Esperance shoreline. There have been three fatal shark attacks in the area in the last eight years. Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Gisele Pelicots daughter has revealed she thought her mother had Alzheimers disease before discovering the truth about her fathers horrifying crimes. Ms Pelicot waved her anonymity in a trial that saw her husband Dominique jailed for drugging her and recruiting dozens of strangers to rape her while he filmed it. The three-month mass-rape trial in France last autumn saw 51 men convicted for a total of 428 years. Retired electrician Pelicot, 72, was jailed for the maximum term of 20 years. Now her daughter, Caroline Darian, has spoken out about the confusion she and her siblings felt about their mother when Pelicot started drugging her. open image in gallery Carole Darian (right) thought her mother Gisele Pelicot (left) was suffering from dementia when it fact she had been drugged ( EPA ) My two brothers and me, we were really afraid because we knew that there was something wrong with my mum. Sometimes we had my mum on the phone, Ms Darian said in her first live British TV interview on This Morning. She had incoherent behaviour over the phone, she talked in a different way She didn't seem in her right mind." Without knowledge of the years of abuse and drugging, Ms Darian and her siblings thought a medical condition may explain this behaviour. "We thought about brain cancer, we thought about Alzheimer's, we thought that maybe she was starting [to have] dementia She was here without being here." Ms Darians interview comes after she claimed her mother did not support her allegations she was also raped by her father. Pelicot denied sexually assaulting or raping his daughter during the trial. Ms Pelicot declined to answer during the trial when she was asked if she supported her daughters claims. open image in gallery Ms Pelicot testifying against her husband in court ( AP ) Pelicot was found guilty of taking indecent photos of his daughter, which he saved as around my daughter, naked and of his daughters-in-law, Aurore and Celine. "I was devastated I realised that I didn't know my beloved father, Ms Darian told This Morning. "Believe me, I was so close to my father, I was the only girl daughter of this family I trusted him 100 per cent. I never saw him staring at a woman, never ever. So, when we discovered that as children, all our worlds collapsed, all our foundations fell down." Speaking about the images of herself, Ms Darian said: "I was in a state of a shockYou have to realise the reality of what you are seeing but it's too much, it's too violent, it's crazy." Ms Darian also expressed the difficulty of telling her six year-old son about his grandfather. We try to find the best words for a six year-old child at this stage, at the moment of our life, and then with the trial He knows that he'll never see him again and to be honest with you, he told us quite recently that he doesn't exist anymore for him. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Greenlands centre-right opposition party, which told US president Donald Trump that the country was not for sale, has emerged victorious in the countrys parliamentary elections. The Demokraatit party secured 29.9 per cent of the vote, ending the ruling coalitions majority, official results show. Jens Frederik Nielsen, Demokraatits leader and a former badminton champion, is poised to play a key role in shaping Greenlands future. Mr Nielsen has been an outspoken critic of foreign interference, particularly in response to Mr Trumps suggestion that the US could purchase the Arctic island. The pro-business party, which supports a gradual approach to independence from Denmark, saw a sharp rise in support from 9.1 per cent in the previous election. It outperformed the opposition Naleraq party, which advocates for a swift break from Denmark. Mr Trump loomed large over the election campaign amid a debate about the islands independence. open image in gallery Electoral workers prepare to count votes during parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, 11 March 2025 ( AP ) Mr Trump has long wanted Greenland to be part of the US, first stating his desire to gain control of the country in his first term and saying earlier this year he wanted to buy it. Ahead of the election, he reiterated his position and also refused to rule out using force to get his way. One way or the other were gonna get it, he told US Congress earlier this month. Greenlanders could, Mr Trump said, become a part of the greatest nation anywhere in the world. In comments on his Truth Social platform the US president said he was ready to invest billions and make you rich. open image in gallery US president Donald Trump sits in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC ( Reuters ) He iterated that the country is vital to US security interests, an idea rejected by most Greenlanders. The vast island, with a population of fewer than 57,000, has been caught up in a geopolitical race for dominance in the Arctic, where melting ice caps are making its resources more accessible and opening new shipping routes. Both Russia and China have intensified military activity in the region. In response to a recent bill banning foreign contributions to political parties, Mr Nielsen said Mr Trumps comments are a threat to our political independence. We must defend ourselves, he added. I hope it sends a clear message to him that we are not for sale, Mr Nielsen told Sky News, referring to Mr Trumps comments. open image in gallery Pro-independence Naleraq party supporters attend an election night party as they watch vote count returns on 11 March 2025 in Nuuk, Greenland ( Getty ) We dont want to be Americans. No, we dont want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders. And we want our own independence in the future. And we want to build our own country by ourselves, not with his hope. Mr Nielsen signed a signed a political cooperation agreement with Denmarks Liberal Alliance in January, Danish daily Berlingske reported. Mr Nielsen said: We are in the midst of an exciting and crucial time in the relationship between Greenland and Denmark, it reported. He will now hold talks with other parties to try and form a governing coalition. The ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit party and its partner Siumut, which also seek a slow path towards independence, won a combined 36 per cent of votes, down from 66.1 per cent in 2021. We respect the election outcome, prime minister Mute Egede of the Inuit Ataqatigiit said in a Facebook post, adding that he would listen to any proposals in upcoming coalition talks. open image in gallery Electoral workers transport ballot boxes to be counted in parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, 11 March 2025 ( AP ) Greenland is a former Danish colony and has been a territory since 1953. It gained some autonomy in 1979 when its first parliament was formed, but Copenhagen still controls foreign affairs, defence and monetary policy and provides just under $1bn (772m) a year to the economy. In 2009, it won the right to declare full independence through a referendum, even though it has not done so out of concern living standards would drop without Denmarks economic support. I strongly believe that we will very soon start to live a life more based on who we are, based on our culture, based on our own language, and start to make regulations based on us, not based on Denmark, said Qupanuk Olsen, candidate for the main pro-independence party Naleraq. Inge Olsvig Brandt, a candidate for the ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit party, said: We dont need the independence right now. We have too many things to work on. I think we have to work with ourselves, our history, and we are going to have a lot of healing work with us before we can take the next step. Voting had been extended by half an hour at some of the 72 polling stations across the Arctic island, where some 40,500 people were eligible to cast their ballot, although the final turnout was not immediately available. Additional reporting by agencies On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The husband of a woman who fell to death while hiking in Italy has shared the couple's last picture in an emotional tribute. Maurizio Filini and Laura Barbieri, 47, had been climbing the popular Mount Guglielmo in northern Italy when she suddenly slipped and fell 160 feet in front of her partner. Mr Filini quickly raised the alarm, triggering a rapid response from paramedics and a mountain rescue helicopter, but Ms Barbieri was pronounced dead at the scene. She is believed to have slipped on ice at an altitude of around 1,700 metres, even though she was wearing crampons, Italian media reported. In an emotional tribute to his partner, Mr Filini shared a photograph of them sitting arm in arm and smiling at the top of the mountain, with a monument to the Redeemer in the background. This was our last photo, I will love you forever my Laurina, have a good trip, Mr Filini captioned the photo on social media. Tributes poured in for Ms Barbieri in response to Mr Filinis post. Messages shared online spoke of her love of nature, climbing and motorbikes. You loved risk, but life is strange: it was just a wrong step on a mountain path that took you away. I know that now, wherever you are, you are looking for something beautiful," read one tribute. Friends of Mr Filini also paid their respects on his Facebook page. "Hi Maurizio, Ive just seen the picture now!... I'm so sorry, my condolences to you, and a big hug," one person said. Another wrote: "Maurizio I have no words... I totally understand what you're going through right now. I'm giving you a huge hug." Ms Barbieris funeral is due to take place on Wednesday in the Lombardy city of Brescia, where the couple lived. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice In the mafia-like world of the White House where loyalty tests are routine and macho threats the norm, JD Vance might have hoped for omerta from his actual family. Instead, both the vice president and the president himself find themselves described by one of JDs close relatives as useful idiots serving Vladimir Putin. But this is not just a family member who backs the Democrats. This is his first cousin who has spent much of the last two years fighting, and killing, Russians in Ukraine for what he thought were the ideals America stands for. In an interview with The Independent, he accuses Vance and Trump of going after Zelensky in the ongoing precarious peace talks because they realise they cant bully Putin. Nate Vance, a former US Marine, flew to Poland, took a train to Lviv, and volunteered to help defend Ukraine less than a month after Putins full scale invasion of 2022. open image in gallery Nate Vance, a former US marine, fights on the frontline with the Ukrainian forces ( Albert Lores/Le Figaro ) The 45-year-old started out training Ukrainians who had rushed to the defence of Kyiv, but soon found himself invited to join the Da Vinci Wolves group of volunteers that were absorbed into the Ukrainian army. Before long he was in combat in many of Ukraines bloodiest theatres, Bakhmut, Kuppyansk, Aadivka, Vuhledar. We were bouncing around all over the place in the forefront of what he believes is a defence of democracy and of his homeland. There were some days we went out and casualty rates were 50 per cent, says Nate Vance, speaking from the Rocky Mountains where he is resting before returning to the fight in Ukraine. While JD, 40, was on the campaign trail where he snubbed Ukraines president Volodymr Zelensky, and even after he was elected, JD never asked me anything about the war, his cousin recalls. Nor has the vice president been in touch after the disastrous meeting with Zelensky in the Oval Office when the world witnessed a drastic shift against Kyiv by the US. I was angry, lets be honest I was angry. Even if you removed my connection to the vice president and you removed my connection to Ukraine, and this was just some neutral issue where a president invited a foreign leader to the White House it was a really weird thing to me. open image in gallery Speaking to The Independent, Nate Vance said he was angered by the furious row in the White House between Trump, Vance and Zelensky ( Sam Kiley/The Independent ) The perception is that that was pre-planned and to kind of put pressure on somebody seemed like an attempt to make Zelensky look small. What it looked like was an ambush. I think that Trump does not understand that region of the world as well as he likes to pretend he does. He almost views it as two adolescent boys roughhousing in the living room and hes going to walk in like the Dad and say Ok guys knock it off its time for dinner. And theygoing to be like OK ad then go back to being friends again and that is nowhere near what is going to happen. Theyre starting to look like Putins useful idiots. Im sure Putins laughing his ass off behind closed doors at all these concessions that are being made, knowing hes not going to do what the current administration wants him to do. Any concessions you make to him will come back to bite you. They will, Nate Vance insists. Why has JD taken such a strong anti-Zelensky view? There was a campaign promise made to end the war quickly and when those two [Trump and Vance] are looking at who can we bully into stopping they see that Ukraine is in a position of weakness. It was a simple calculation on their part that we cant really push Putin around necessarily so well push Zelensky around, the vice presidents cousin says. Nate Vance served as a Marine, then went onto oil and gas consulting in Texas. Growing up he spent summers with his cousin JD. open image in gallery Ukrainian soldiers carry shells to fire at Russian positions on the front line, near the city of Bakhmut, in Ukraine's Donetsk region, in March 2024 ( AP ) Trump and JD Vance are driving forward with plans to negotiate a ceasefire quickly in Ukraine with Russia. They have made it clear that any longer term peace will not be underwritten by American military guarantees for Ukraines safety. European leaders, and Kyiv, are convinced that a ceasefire would be an opportunity for Putin to rearm and attack again. Nate Vance is amazed that his cousin does not appear to understand that Zelensky cant take his foot off the pedal. If he does then Russia will advance - thats why he is asking for security guarantees from the US, in return for mineral concessions in Ukraine. For the US the only leverage was its support for Ukraine, but the current administration has said they will stop all support no matter what happens - so Russia doesnt care what the US thinks. Nate Vance spent many months fighting in reconnaissance units and then went on to join assault teams, serving in the 67th and then the 59th Ukrainian infantry brigades. He says he learned that Russian soldiers were being driven to fight by superiors who would kill them if they did not. This was proof, he says, that the Russians could not be trusted. He scorns JD Vance and Trumps claims that they can deliver a binding peace in talks with Putin without the threat of military power to hold back Russias ambition to reclaim the Eastern European countries lost to Moscow after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He describes how in a battle near Chasiv Yar, close to Bakhmut which his drone team were monitoring, a Russian unit of about a dozen men attacked nearby Ukrainian forces. open image in gallery JD Vance confronts Zelesnky in the White House ( AP ) Most of the Russians were killed or wounded but three made it back. Vance says he watched from drones sending live images to his group who were mostly Ukrainians. So the Russians go back to their friendly positions and NCOs (Russian non-committed officers) step out of the tree line and kill those guys. They will eat their own. If you dont think they will eat you these guys, they have no qualms in betraying their own people. So betraying a foreign government is nothing. Especially a foreign government [like the US] who has effectively removed themselves and removed all levers from the conversation. He says that his fellow Americans who had volunteered to defend Ukraine, like him, all feel betrayed by the Trump White House. By his own family. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ukrainian forces are collapsing in a near rout, being driven out of Russias Kursk region after being blinded by Washingtons intelligence blackout. Scenes of Kyivs troops mangled, burned and on the run filtering back to the capital have reinforced distrust of America and Russia. Now comes the proposed ceasefire, seen as a short-term tactical necessity because it has been traded for Donald Trumps agreement to turn the intelligence taps back on. Were not delighted but we are realistic. A ceasefire agreement from us at least means that we are back talking to the Americans and they have given us access to the intelligence we need. Kursk shows what happens when we dont have it, said a senior ministerial adviser. Ukraines forces have come under sustained and accurate attacks by aircraft, artillery and drones combined with large-scale infantry assaults by elite Russian units and North Korean troops. open image in gallery Sudzha, the town in the centre of the lozenge of land captured by Ukraine last year is now in Russian hands according to social media posts by the Kremlins, forces who have raised the flag there ( via Reuters ) The imminent loss of the Kursk salient, the only slice of Russian territory held by Ukraine (which has lost about 20 per cent of its lands to the Kremlins forces since the country was first attacked in 2014) is a massive blow to Ukraine. Kyiv had hoped to trade Kursk for its own land in future peace negotiations. The sudden recapture of Kursk has been enabled largely as a result of the American suspension of military and intelligence aid to Ukraine. Sudzha, the town in the centre of the lozenge of land captured by Ukraine last year is now in Russian hands according to social media posts by the Kremlins forces, who have raised the flag there. Ukraine has struck back with artillery and rocket salvos, leaving much of the town in ruins as its forces have withdrawn south. Social media posts by Ukrainian soldiers have shown their men dead in mangled armoured vehicles. Russian troops also claim to have captured at least one American Abrams tank and several Bradley fighting vehicles the latter have proved highly effective in Ukraines arsenal. The Russian assault included cross-border raids from the west and east of the territory held by Ukraine to cut off the M23 road, which was the only supply route into the region for Kyiv forces. These incursions would have been spotted more easily if the Ukrainian forces had not been blinded by Americas refusal to share satellite intelligence with them, according to a senior Ukrainian intelligence officer operating on that front. There has also been alarm in Kyiv at the accuracy of Russian air and artillery attacks on their military bases, bunkers and hideouts which has fuelled speculation of further collusion between Washington and Moscow. There is no evidence for this beyond the obvious coincidence of an intelligence sharing ban and the Kremlins latest assaults it is better understood as a sign of how deeply Ukrainians distrust the Trump administration. open image in gallery Ukraine took parts of Kursk in autumn last year but Russia has been fighting back, using unconventional tactics and deploying thousands of North Korean troops to expel the Ukrainian army ( AFP via Getty ) The ceasefire offer is seen as a tactical move that has strategic risks for Ukraine that it has to take to repair relations with Washington and throw the issue back at Russia, as the senior government adviser put it. Moscow has yet to respond to the US-Ukrainian ceasefire offer. Volodymyr Omelyan, a former infrastructure minister in Ukraine, said that he believed Mr Putin would accept the ceasefire offer because the Russian economy is doing badly, oil prices are at a record low it suits Putin more than Ukraine, he said. A frontline officer with the call sign Sneaky, who has been fighting for nearly 10 years leading reconnaissance and regular infantry troops on the eastern front where Ukrainian officers had reported a decline in Russian capabilities, cautiously welcomed the ceasefire idea. Who knows? Not bad, if it works, he told The Independent. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Elon Musk was hailed as one of Kyivs staunchest allies. A Russian malware attack crippled satellite communications across Ukraine, and officials frantically pleaded with the SpaceX founder to help. Three years later, Musk has warned that Ukraines entire front line would collapse without SpaceXs satellite terminals, highlighting their critical role in the countrys defence against Russia. He has also used his platform X to repeatedly attack Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky, sharing false claims and calling for elections to replace him. Its a sharp turnaround for the tech billionaire, who has joined the recent pile-on against the wartime leader, led by Donald Trump. This week, after X was targeted by a cyber attack, Musk blamed Ukraine. He then accused a US Democrat senator who visited Kyiv in a show of support of being a traitor. open image in gallery Elon Musk has moved from supporting Ukraine to openly criticising its leader ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Looking back to the first day of Russias invasion, Mykhailo Fedorov, deputy prime minister of Ukraine, used Twitter to urge Musk to send the country SpaceX satellite terminals. We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand, he posted. The billionaire obliged. Starlink service is now active in Ukraine, he replied. More terminals en route. On 26 February 2022, 500 Starlink terminals arrived in Ukraine. Starlink's system is part of SpaceX's venture to provide high-speed internet to remote areas. It has been used extensively by the Ukrainian military throughout the war. However, relations soon turned sour when the Tesla owner took it upon himself to help find an end to the war, suggesting Ukraine should cede some of its territory and hold new elections in areas annexed by Russia. This is highly likely to be the outcome in the end just a question of how many die before then, Musk wrote on Twitter, adding that another possible outcome would be nuclear war. Russia has >3 times population of Ukraine, so victory for Ukraine is unlikely in total war. If you care about the people of Ukraine, seek peace, the billionaire tweeted hours later. Ukrainian officials, including President Zelensky hit back at Musk, with Ukrainian diplomat Andriy Melnyk saying: F*** off is my very diplomatic reply to you @elonmusk. Musk soon backed down. SpaceXs out of pocket cost to enable and support Starlink in Ukraine is ~$80M so far, he tweeted. Our support for Russia is $0. Obviously, we are pro-Ukraine. The X owner declared: The hell with it. Even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, well just keep funding Ukraine govt for free. According to federal data analysed by The Independent, Musk's own companies have been promised or awarded nearly $21 billion by the US government since 2008. The billionaire has continued to voice his criticisms of Ukraine and targeted American aid to Ukraine, questioning its accountability and purpose. His sharpest barbs have been aimed at Zelensky, scoffing at the Ukrainian presidents pleas for more support and mocking his insistence that Kyiv should not be forced into negotiations. Previously, Musk focused the majority of his posts on the war in Ukraine more broadly, but in the past few months he has turned his attention to Ukraines president - at the same time as Trump began to publicly lambast him. Since February alone, Musk has posted dozens of times taking shots at Zelensky, with many of these posts urging him to call an election, or accusing him of destroying his reputation. These posts since February alone have garnered over 600 million views, according to analysis from The Independent, and his posts on Ukraine and Zelensky overall have been viewed some 883 million times. Musk has become an important figurehead in the second Trump administration, where he heads the US Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE. He has also used this position to wade into European politics and back far-right politicians across the continent. Musk often makes these remarks to his 219 million followers on X the social media platform he purchased for $44bn in 2022. open image in gallery Musk has followed Donald Trumps lead in taking a more aggressive stance against Voldymyr Zelensky ( AFP/Getty ) Musk has been heavily criticised for allowing, and in some cases promoting, misinformation on the platform. An analysis published by the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate found that nearly three-quarters of a sample of false or misleading posts about the 2024 US elections did not display accurate notes correcting the record. The billionaire has himself backed the far-right, pro-Russian, anti-Muslim party in Germany and called Sir Keir Starmer an evil tyrant who runs a police state. In his most recent comments about the conflict, the X owner posted on his social media site: Ukraine needs to hold an election. Zelensky would lose by a landslide. The post has been viewed over 50 million times, with 250,000 likes, 45,000 reposts and 35,000 comments. As with many of Musks posts, the comments often repeat his talking points without challenge and spread the misinformation further. Ukraine is unable to hold elections under the current martial law, imposed since Russia's invasion. Ukrainian opposition leaders have dismissed the idea of holding a wartime election too. Xs fact-checking tool, community notes, has yet to correct the record over this misinformation. On 3 March, Musk accused the embattled Ukrainian president of wanting a forever war with Russia. This is evil, he added. In a separate post, he said Zelensky had a choice to seek peace with Moscow but was opting for bloodshed. This is cruel and inhumane. His posts about Ukraine on 2-3 March have garnered over 260 million views on X. In February, he repeated an unsubstantiated claim from Trump that Zelenskys approval rating is 4 per cent. This time, his own fact-checking tool corrected him. In response so he vowed to fix it and claimed the fact-checking system he generally celebrates was being gamed by governments and the media. Mitali Mukherjee, acting director at the Reuters Institute, warned misinformation has become a useful tool by those in positions of power to disabuse news reportage that is critical of their actions. Research from the institute found that 72 per cent of US online news users are concerned about distinguishing real from fake content. Platforms like X and TikTok are seen as the most challenging for finding trustworthy information. X has seen declining user numbers in the last year. Last April, X had a reported 611 million global users, which dropped to 588 million users in September. The losses have been greatest in the US and UK. While the idea of regulating the problem is tempting, this is neither an online only nor an X only challenge, Ms Mukherjee told The Independent. Media, and social media, are often blamed for polarization even though much of that narrative is pushed by powerful actors. The Independent has contacted Elon Musk and X for comment. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Pope Francis's recovery from double pneumonia is progressing as he approaches two significant milestones: the 12th anniversary of his election as pope on Thursday, and a near-record hospital stay for a pontiff. The Vatican reported that the 88-year-old pontiff had a restful night at Rome's Gemelli hospital on Tuesday night. While his physical and respiratory therapy continues, he is expected to participate remotely in the Vatican's spiritual retreat. The Pope's weekly Wednesday general audience was previously cancelled, as the Vatican hierarchy is on retreat this week as part of the Lenten spiritual exercises. Doctors have noted slow, gradual improvements in Francis's condition, stating that he is no longer in imminent danger following the respiratory infection that led to his hospitalisation on February 14. However, they remain cautious due to the complexity of his condition and overall fragility, and have said that he will need to remain hospitalised for an unspecified number of days. Thursday marks the 12th anniversary of Francis's election as the 266th pope. The former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected on the fifth ballot of the 2013 conclave, which was convened after Pope Benedict XVI's resignation. Rosaries for Pope Francis are seen in front of the Gemelli hospital ( AP ) While Francis has praised Benedict's humility and suggested he might follow suit, he has more recently affirmed that his papacy is a lifelong commitment. The Holy See has not said how the anniversary, which is a public holiday in the Vatican, might be commemorated this year. Another milestone comes Friday, when Francis marks four weeks or 28 days of hospitalisation. St. John Paul II has the record for a hospital stay, at 55 days in 1981 when he underwent a minor surgical operation and was then treated for a cytomegalovirus infection. Francis is on track to equal the second-longest stay, 28 days, which John Paul recorded in 1994 when he had surgery to repair his right hip joint after he fractured his right femur in a fall, according to Gemelli hospital. The Vatican has released no photos or video of Francis since he was admitted. The pope recorded an audio message last week to thank people for their prayers, though the weakness and breathlessness of his voice made clear just how frail he was. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Vladimir Putin has declared a Easter truce in Ukraine, ordering his forces to end hostilities at 6pm on Saturday until the end of Sunday. The Russian Defence Ministry said it had given instructions on the ceasefire to all group commanders in the area of the "special military operation", which is the Kremlin's term for the war. However, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian air defence units had hours earlier repelled an attack by Russian drones saying this showed Moscow's true attitude to Easter and the lives of people. The Russian president has an extensive history of breaking peace agreements. Last month, Mr Putin broke an energy infrastructure ceasefire hours after telling Mr Trump his forces would stop attacks. Earlier this year, Mr Zelensky handed a document to Mr Trumps Ukraine envoy detailing what he said were the 25 ceasefires Russia had violated since the start of its aggression in 2014. . Below, we look at some of those agreements and how exactly these previous ceasefires broke down. The Minsk Agreements open image in gallery Talks between Vladimir Putin, Francois Hollande, Angela Merkel and Petro Poroshenko lasted through the night in 2015 ( Retuers ) After pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in 2014 following the Euromaidan revolution, Mr Putin sent plainclothes Russian soldiers into the southern Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, and then into the eastern Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. Fighting quickly broke out as Russia denied involvement. Moscow claimed it was Ukrainian separatist forces. Nonetheless, by September of that year, Ukraine, Russia and the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) convened for the first of what would be many peace talks. They were brokered by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). On 5 September, the first of two agreements was signed in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. Its provisions included prisoner exchanges, the delivery of humanitarian aid and the withdrawal of heavy weapons. But a day later, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council announced that Russian troops had fired at Ukrainian positions at least 10 times. The ceasefire failed to materialise into anything substantive. By the turn of the year, fighting had intensified. Pro-Russian insurgents attacked Ukrainian positions at Debaltseve, a transport hub near the administrative line between Donetsk and Luhansk, eventually forcing a Ukrainian withdrawal by mid-February. At that point, a second agreement was underway in Minsk, this time overseen by German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Francois Hollande. The agreement came into effect on 15 February but lasted only a few minutes, as Russian units fired on a Ukrainian checkpoint near Zolote in Luhansk Oblast, according to Ukraine's military. Easter and Christmas ceasefires open image in gallery Pro-Russian fighters patrol the streets of Makiivka, in the suburbs of the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk in 2015 ( AFP/Getty ) For the next four years, Russia and Ukraine agreed to several ceasefires a year, often timed with Christmas, Easter or the harvest, around June/July. Not a single one held for very long. On several occasions, the OSCE helped broker agreements, but skirmishes broke out quickly. Neither side believed a truce could hold. Soldiers would fire at one another within hours of the supposed start of a ceasefire. The OSCE said both sides would also deny them access to inspect military equipment, though they said the Russian-backed rebels were typically guilty of the more serious violations of ceasefire agreements. Back in 2022, just a few months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a ceasefire was proposed to take place between 21 and 25 April. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres put forward the idea, aiming to "open a series of humanitarian corridors" and allow for the "safe exit of all civilians wishing to leave areas of confrontation". But the plan never came to fruition. While Ukraine expressed support for the proposal, Russia rejected it, saying it did not want to give Kyivs forces a chance to rest. Russias deputy permanent representative to the UN, Mr Dmitry Polyansky, called the proposal insincere and claimed it would give Ukrainian troops more time to regroup and receive weapons. Zelenskys 2019 and 2020 attempts open image in gallery Ukrainian soldiers ride an armoured vehicle to Debaltseve, eastern Ukraine, Donetsk region ( AFP/Getty ) It was just two months after the comedian-turned-politician Mr Zelensky assumed his role as the president of Ukraine that he found himself opposite Mr Putin for the latest round of peace talks. Ms Merkel and the new French president Emmanuel Macron oversaw the talks. In a written statement, the countries agreed to the release and exchange of all conflict-related detainees by the end of 2019. They also pledged to disengage military forces in three additional regions of Ukraine by the end of March 2020, without specifying which regions would be affected. But it was a deal that was doomed to fail. We saw differences today, Mr Macron admitted at the time. We didn't find the miracle solution, but we have advanced on it. The following July, another agreement was struck, one that did reduce the level of fighting but never quite stopped it completely. 2025 energy infrastructure ceasefire Mr Putin broke his promise to Mr Trump to stop attacking Ukraines energy infrastructure just hours after his agreement with the US president. In a readout of a call between the two leaders in March, the Kremlin said Mr Trump had requested that Russia refrain from striking energy infrastructure. It added that Mr Putin had responded positively to this request and had immediately given the Russian military the corresponding command. But Russia fired several ballistic missiles and nearly 150 drones across Ukraine a few hours later, cutting off electricity in the eastern city of Slovyansk, damaging two medical facilities in the northeast Sumy region, and wounding people in the capital of Kyiv. Russian state media then claimed that Ukrainian drones had hit an oil facility in the Krasnodar Krai region, sparking a small fire at an oil depot located near the village of Kavkazskaya. Russian site Shot posted a video of a fire in what seemed like an industrial area, but it was unclear if this was of the actual attack. Ukrainian governmental and local authorities posted extensive footage of Russias attacks. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ukraines agreement to accept a 30 day ceasefire in its war with Russia, which will now be taken as an offer to the Kremlin, is likely to be seized with glee by Vladimir Putin. It gives his troops a breather, undermines Ukraines morale, and can be used to drive a further wedge into relations between Kyiv and Washington. The agreement has been forced on Ukraine by the US after the Trump administration cut military aid and intelligence sharing with its former allies in Kyiv. The intelligence taps will be turned back on as part of the deal which also says the two countries will work towards a mineral exploitation agreement. There is no faith that the US are honest brokers in talks with Russia among the people of Ukraine or in its corridors of power. Every move made by the Trump administration since it came into office has been to enfeeble the Ukrainian war effort. A ceasefire risks doing the same. It allows for Russia to re-arm and repair the damage done by Ukrainian long-range strikes and attacks on logistics nodes, supply routes and command and control centres. open image in gallery US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2nd L) and US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (L) after meeting a Ukrainian delegation in Jeddah on March 11, 2025 ( POOL/AFP/Getty ) The Ukrainians have been losing ground in Kursk following the Russian offensive that exploited the US suspension of intelligence sharing which effectively blinded Kyiv to Russian movements. But in the east, in the meat grinder fighting that Mike Waltz the US negotiator referred to, Russian forces have been unable to use artillery, heavy armour, and to resupply their front lines with much ammunition for several months a result of Ukraines use of longer range missile and drones. The Jeddah talks produced a commitment that the US would renew intelligence and security support. It was not immediately clear whether this includes the resumption of military aid. European nations and the UK have rushed to fill the gap left by US military and intelligence support for Ukraine. But meeting Ukraines immediate battlefield needs will take time. The Ukrainian agreement to a 30 day ceasefire will also have been demanded by European allies, who are worried that the breakdown in the relationship between Trump and Zelensky would cripple Kyivs war machine before they can step in to help keep it going. Zelensky himself has argued against ceasefires and insisted that a full scale peace agreement, underpinned by security guarantees that would mean Putin would face military force if he broke them, was the only way for Ukraine to survive. open image in gallery Russia Ukraine War Russia has an appalling record of violating temporary truces dozens of times in Ukraine since the Kremlins forces first invaded in 2014. Putin is likely to agree to a ceasefire because he has already been promised many of the concessions that he would have wanted to extract in talks about descalation, or even peace. The US, once Ukraines ally, has ruled out Ukrainian demands Russia should return its occupied territories and has also ruled out any American, or NATO support for a security guarantee to underwrite a future formal peace deal. Putting that guarantee together has been a desperate effort led by France and the UK to form a coalition of the willing. open image in gallery Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets Saudi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Royal Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Monday, March 10, 2025 ( Ukrainian Presidential Press Office ) Ukrainians are desperate for peace. But they believe that they cant survive as a nation unless they have an overwhelming deterrent against Russias imperial ambitions to swallow their country. A ceasefire will not dampen that fire. But it risks Ukraine losing combat energy amid the raising of false hopes for peace which make Kyiv weaker still. There will, inevitably, be ceasefire violations even if one is agreed. These, one can be sure, will be blamed on Ukraine by the Trump administration before the Kremlin has had time to whip out a press release saying the same. And theres no guarantee that the US wont blind Ukraines intelligence systems again. In Kyiv theyve learned not to trust Putin. The same goes for Trump. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ukraines massive and widespread drone attacks against Russia on the eve of talks between the US and Ukraine employed exactly the same tactics as Moscow has used to terrorise its neighbour for three years: the swarm. If the Kremlins figures are to be believed they usually are not, but in this case they might be accurate Ukraine flew 337 aircraft into Russian airspace. The drones used are made in Ukraine, employ the latest technology, and were sent in such numbers that Russian air defences were unable to cope. Most nights, Ukraine is hit by waves of 100-200 cheap Shahed drones a 40kg bomb powered by a lawnmower engine which are sent along with ballistic missiles carrying half a tonne of high explosives. These swarms are intended to distract and overwhelm Ukraines defences, and lately have included dummy drones carrying no explosives, which are used to waste a multi-million dollar air-defence missile supplied by Europe or the US. In a show of strength and defiance after the US cut military and intelligence support for Kyiv, Ukraine has now done the same. open image in gallery A damaged apartment building in Ramenskoe, outside Moscow, after Ukraines drone attack ( EPA ) However, its drones are higher grade and use the latest technology to get around Russian radar, avoid its surface-to-air missiles, and fly on to targets accurately by navigating themselves. The development of a huge unmanned air force has been driven by a Ukrainian government announcement earlier this year that it would produce 30,000 long-range drones and 3,000 ballistic missiles. Ukraine used to be the main producer of rockets for the Soviet space programme. Its second city, Kharkiv, remains a world centre for rocket science, and its development of drone technology has been supercharged by arms investors from around the world keen to cash in on Ukraines unparalleled experience in this new kind of warfare. Were leading the world in some of this weapons technology and we just need a bit more time to get right ahead of the Russians, said a senior officer in the new Ukrainian UAV Force. The Ukrainian air attack against Russia hit oil refineries as well as Moscow and killed three people, Russian officials have said. Fourteen Ukrainians were killed in Russian air attacks on Saturday. Russia was probably hit by Ukraines homegrown Palianytsia missile-drone which carries a 50kg warhead and can fly 600km at about 800kph. open image in gallery An image posted by Moscows governor Andrei Vorobyev purporting to show a car park in southern Moscow after the Ukrainian drone attack ( Telegram ) Moscows four airports were shut down and an apartment block was hit, while refineries came under attack in Russias Oryol region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "All (defensive) measures and actions were carried out in advance, in good time. And this allows for the protection of Moscow and the Moscow region, as well as many other regions." Ukraine has asked for an air and naval ceasefire as part of its negotiations for peace. The US has ruled out Ukraine recovering its lost territory, as well as Nato support and indefinite military aid and intelligence sharing all bargaining chips that could have been used by Ukraine. The attacks on Moscow were intended to show Vladimir Putin that even with the vocal backing of the Trump administration, Ukraine is capable of hurting Russia. Peskov said the visiting secretary general of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Feridun Sinirlioglu, had been shown the damage caused by the attack on Moscow. "It's important that he was shown the aftermath of the attack. But more importantly, what the Kyiv regime is hitting residential buildings," said Peskov. Thats not a statement that will trouble Zelensky. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ukraines minerals have become central to global geopolitics, with the US president, Donald Trump, seeking a deal with Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky to access them. On April 30, Ukraines prime minister Denys Shmyhal said a minerals deal could be signed within the next 24 hours after the final details were worked out. Earlier in the month, Ukrainian economy minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, took to X and shared photos of her and US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, signing the outline of the preliminary minerals deal separately. What are these minerals exactly and why are they so sought after? Ukraine is often recognised for its vast agricultural lands and industrial heritage, but beneath its surface lies one of the worlds most remarkable geological formations, the Ukrainian Shield. This massive, exposed crystalline rock formed over 2.5 billion years ago, stretches across much of Ukraine. It represents one of Earths oldest and most stable continental blocks. The formation has undergone multiple episodes of mountain building, the formation and movement of magma and other change throughout time. These geological processes created favourable geological conditions for forming several mineral deposits including lithium, graphite, manganese, titanium and rare earth elements. All these are now critical for modern industries and the global green energy transition. Ukraine has deposits containing 22 of 34 critical minerals identified by the European Union as essential for energy security. This positions Ukraine among the worlds most resource-rich nations. International race As the world races to decarbonise, demand for critical minerals is skyrocketing. Electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels and energy storage systems all require lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements which Ukraine has in abundance. The price of lithium has surged from US$1,500 (1,164) per ton in the 1990s to around $20,000 per ton in recent years. Demand is expected to increase nearly 40-fold by 2040. open image in gallery Lithium is used in electronics the world over ( Getty Images ) According to the International Energy Agency, the number of electric vehicles is projected to exceed 125 million by 2030. Similar growth is expected for other battery metals. Each electric vehicle requires significantly more lithium than conventional electronics. For example, a Tesla Model S battery requires approximately 63kg of high-purity lithium. Ukraine has three major lithium deposits. These include Shevchenkivske in the Donetsk region as well as Polokhivske and Stankuvatske in the centrally located Kirovograd region all within the Ukrainian Shield. Despite the significant mineral potential, many of Ukraines mineral deposits have remained largely unexplored due to the war with Russia, which has disrupted mining operations and damaged infrastructure. The Shevchenkivske lithium deposit contains high concentrations of spodumene the primary lithium-bearing mineral used in battery production. Its reserve is estimated as 13.8 million tonnes of lithium ores. That said, extracting it requires an estimated US$1020 million in exploration investment before mining can begin. Meanwhile, the Polokhivske deposit at is approximately 270 thousand tonnes of lithium is considered one of the best lithium sites in Europe. Thats because of its favourable geological conditions, making extraction more economically viable. But lithium represents just one element of Ukraines mineral resources. According to the US geological survey, Ukraine ranks globally as the third-largest producer of the mineral rutile making up 15.7 per cent of worlds total output. It is the sixth-largest producer of iron ore (3.2 per cent of total output) and titanium (5.8 per cent), as well as the seventh-largest producer of manganese ore (3.1 per cent). open image in gallery Wind turbines at a solar energy plant in Germany ( AP ) Ukraine also has Europes largest uranium reserves, crucial for nuclear power and weapons. It boasts significant deposits of rare earth elements, including neodymium and dysprosium, which are needed for manufacturing everything from smartphones to wind turbines and electric motors. In addition, Ukraine is home to the worlds largest proven reserves of manganese ores. Theres approximately 2.4 billion tonnes of it concentrated primarily in the Nikopol Basin on the southern slope of the Ukrainian Shield. The strategic significance of Ukraines minerals has gained recognition in international diplomacy. Recent bilateral negotiations between Ukraine and the US highlight the geopolitical importance of these resources. A proposed minerals deal would involve Ukraine contributing 50 per cent of future proceeds from state-owned mineral resources, oil and gas and other extractable materials to a reconstruction investment fund for Ukraines post-war rebuilding. The fund would be jointly managed by Kyiv and Washington. What about the USs own minerals? The USs interest in Ukrainian minerals reflects a broader geopolitical concern over increasing demand, volatile price movements and supply chain vulnerabilities. While the US has many of the same critical minerals as Ukraine, it has historically outsourced mining and refining due to environmental regulations, high labour costs and more attractive foreign markets. This has led to a reliance on imports, particularly from China, which dominates critical mineral production and processing. Getting access to Ukraines minerals in exchange for military protection means the US can avoid having to buy these minerals from China. open image in gallery A man holds a lithium stone found in a mine ( AP ) The US federal strategy in fact states it will prioritise diversification through mineral security partnerships aiming to establish a more stable and resilient supply chain. The USs critical minerals are distributed across various geological provinces including the Appalachian Mountains, the Cordilleran Belt and the Precambrian Shield exposed in parts of the midwest. While the US has developed substantial lithium resources, particularly in Nevadas Clayton Valley and North Carolinas Kings Mountain, much of its current lithium production comes from brine operations. This is the extraction from salt solutions, such as seawater or saline lakes, which can be more expensive than hard-rock mining. The global shift toward green energy and electric transportation is accelerating, and minerals are at the heart of this transition. Around 80 per cent of the lithium produced globally is used for battery production. Major automakers are investing billions in electric vehicle production, driving unprecedented demand for the minerals that power this technology. Ukraines mineral wealth positions it as a potential leader in the clean energy revolution. Once stability returns, Ukraine will have a golden opportunity to reshape the global supply chain for critical minerals. Even with a 50 per cent allocation to the US, Ukraine would still be able to fund domestic infrastructure, industry growth, jobs and economic recovery. Munira Raji is a Research Fellow of Geology at the University of Plymouth This article was originally published by The Conversation and is republished under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The chances of Vladimir Putin upholding a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine are close to nil European officials fear, with one warning that it could last just 30 minutes. Ukraine agreed to a 30-day truce after talks with the US in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. But while the world waits for the response from the Kremlin, current and former officials across Europe have told The Independent Moscow would try and extract as much as possible from the US for any agreement and then violate it anyway. One senior official from Lithuania one of the Baltic nations which fears Mr Putins invasion could be extended to their border said: What for us, Ukraine or the US, is 30 days could be just 30 minutes for Russia. There are a lot of examples of this, said the official, who was speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the situation openly. Russia has repeatedly ignored previous agreements to end fighting between Kyivs forces and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, which has been underway since 2014, all before Mr Putins full-scale invasion three years ago. Sir Alex Younger, the former head of MI6 from 2014 to 2020, said Mr Putin would probably agree to the 30-day ceasefire, but then try to push his luck with unworkable demands that would put a truce under extreme pressure and make progress difficult. [Putins] demands will be maximal and I dont see how Ukraine can meet them, he said, suggesting they will be based on ensuring that Ukraine is essentially a non-country, one that is neutral and disarmed. Sir Laurie Bristow, the British former ambassador to Moscow from 2016 to 2020, said the chances of Russia respecting [a ceasefire] are as close to nil as makes no difference. He suggested the Russians will commit actions below the military threshold to undermine the ceasefire, provoke the Ukrainians and try to improve their positions. open image in gallery Moscow says Vladimir Putin is waiting to study the details of the ceasefire ( AP ) open image in gallery Volodymyr Zelensky says everything depends on Russia ( AFP/Getty ) Sir Laurie said that could include assassinations or moving the frontline forward during the night, as they did during a ceasefire with Georgia after a Russian invasion in 2008 in support of separatists in the breakaway South Ossetia region. They will also certainly try to use provocations to try to transfer blame for any breakdown in the ceasefire to the other side, the former ambassador said. They [the Kremlin] always do that. Speaking on Wednesday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he hoped for strong steps if Russia rejects the offer of a ceasefire or violates any agreement. Everything depends now on whether Russia is willing to do so or is it rather willing to continue killing people, he said. "I am very serious [about a ceasefire] and for me it is important to end the war," Mr Zelensky said during a briefing in Kyiv, where he described the resumption of US aid and intelligence in the wake of the talks in Jeddah as very positive. Both military aid and intelligence sharing had been suspended by Donald Trump in the wake of a fiery exchange with the Ukrainian president during a meeting at the White House two weeks ago. Lisa Yasko, an MP with Mr Zelenskys Servant of the People party (Sluha Narodu), said it was useful that the US was involved as a mediator but that I am personally generally sceptical of any possible real ceasefire acceptance by Russia. But it is worth trying. The Kremlin said it was carefully studying the results of the meeting and would await details from US secretary of state Marco Rubio who led the Washington delegation in Saudi Arabia and White House national security adviser Mike Waltz. The chair of the Ukrainian parliaments foreign affairs committee, Oleksandr Merezhko, told The Independent that if Mr Putin agreed to a ceasefire and then broke it he would face an angry reaction from the West. Interestingly, we might have a new, sort of psychological and political guarantee, for ceasefire if Putin agrees to it, he said. And this guarantee is Trump himself. If Putin violates a ceasefire he will have to face Trumps anger because Trump will take it personally as an insult. So, Putin now is in a difficult situation. He is afraid of Trump and wouldnt like to irritate him. he added. Mr Rubio said the United States was hoping for a positive response, and that if the answer was "no" then it would tell Washington a lot about the Kremlin's true intentions. open image in gallery US secretary of state Marco Rubio speaks to the press on Wednesday ( Getty ) He said there would be contacts with Moscow on Wednesday, that Europe would have to be involved in any security guarantee for Ukraine, and that the sanctions Europe has imposed would also be on the table. Asked whether Russia could accept the ceasefire unconditionally, Mr Rubio said: "That's what we want to know, whether they're prepared to do it unconditionally." The talk of a ceasefire comes as Kyivs forces come under pressure over their foothold inside Russia's border Kursk region. Ukraine sprang one of the biggest shocks of the war in August last year by storming across the border and grabbing a chunk of land inside Russia, taking hold of a potential bargaining chip. Russia's Defence Ministry claimed the capture of five more villages, and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that "the dynamics are good". Video published by Russian bloggers and state media showed troops standing with a Russian tricolour flag on a square in the centre of Sudzha, a town near the Ukrainian border on a highway used by Kyiv as a supply route. Ukraine's army denied this week that their forces were being encircled, but said they were taking up better defensive positions. Skadovskyi Defender, a Ukrainian military blogger, posted on Telegram: "Ukraine's Armed Forces are leaving Kursk. There will be no Ukrainian soldier there by Friday." open image in gallery A Russian aerial attack destroyed an apartment block in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on Tuesday ( Telegram/Ukraine's Emergency Services ) A senior Ukrainian ministerial adviser said of the situation on the ground and a potential truce: A ceasefire agreement from us at least means that we are back talking to the Americans and they have given us access to the intelligence we need. Kursk shows what happens when we dont have it. However, a senior Russian source told Reuters that Mr Putin would find it hard to agree to the ceasefire proposal given this. "Putin has a strong position because Russia is advancing," the source said. Another senior Russian source said the ceasefire proposal looked, from Moscow's perspective, to be a trap. Inside Ukraine, Russian ballistic missiles killed at least five civilians, officials said on Wednesday. Mr Rubio said he hoped to see Russia stop attacks on Ukraine within the next few days as a first step. "We don't think it's constructive to stand here today and say what we're going to do if Russia says no," he said, adding he wanted to avoid statements about Russia that "are abrasive in any way". In Ukraines second-largest city of Kharkiv, just 40 km (25 miles) from the Russian border and one of the most targeted civilian-populated areas in the country, local officials say a temporary ceasefire would not affect their spending on things like bomb shelters. Andriy Yermak, Mr Zelenskys top adviser and the man who led Ukraines peace delegation in Saudi Arabia, said after the talks on Tuesday that the key is now in Moscows hands. The whole world will see who really wants to end the war and who is simply playing for time, he wrote on Telegram. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Iran will hold nuclear talks with Russia and China on Friday in Beijing, the Chinese foreign ministry has confirmed. This comes as Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian rejected US negotiations over its nuclear programme while being threatened, telling Donald Trump to do whatever the hell you want, according to state media. It is unacceptable for us that they [the US] give orders and make threats. I wont even negotiate with you. Do whatever the hell you want, Iranian state media quoted Mr Pezeshkian as saying. His stance aligns with Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who warned against being bullied into talks. Iran denied receiving a letter from the US president seeking a new nuclear deal and responded with a series of statements. Chinas foreign ministry said on Wednesday that the talks on the nuclear issue with Russia and Iran will be chaired by vice foreign minister Ma Zhaoxu. Even though the details of the agenda were not disclosed, the meeting in Beijing is expected to revive ways to explore diplomatic efforts as the Trump administration pushes for a new nuclear deal, Iranian media reported. According to the UNs monitor, Iran has made rapid advances in its nuclear programme in recent years. Mr Trump has stated his desire to negotiate a new deal with Iran to curb its nuclear programme. On Friday, he warned that Iran could either engage in talks or face the risk of its nuclear programme being targeted. Ive written them a letter, saying I hope youre going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily its going to be a terrible thing for them, Mr Trump told Fox Business. There are two ways Iran can be handled militarily, or you make a deal, Mr Trump said. I would prefer to make a deal, because I am not looking to hurt Iran. While signalling openness to a deal with Tehran, Mr Trump has revived his maximum pressure campaign from his first term, aiming to isolate Iran economically and cut its oil exports to zero. On Monday, he escalated pressure further by ending a sanctions waiver that allowed Iraq to purchase electricity from Iran. The US State Department said on Sunday that the decision to end Iraqs sanctions waiver was made to ensure we do not allow Iran any degree of economic or financial relief. Iran supplies one-third of Iraqs gas and electricity, generating significant revenue for Tehran. A spokesperson for the US embassy in Baghdad on Sunday urged Baghdad to eliminate its dependence on Iranian sources of energy as soon as possible. The spokesperson added: The Presidents maximum pressure campaign is designed to end Irans nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop it from supporting terrorist groups. File. Masoud Pezeshkian rejected US talks as Trump warned Iran to negotiate or face military action ( Getty Images ) Irans foreign minister Abbas Araghchi lashed out at Mr Trumps nuclear deal offer and said that Tehran would not negotiate under pressure and intimidation. He wrote on X: We will NOT even consider it, no matter what the subject may be. Negotiation is different from bullying and issuing diktats. He said: Irans nuclear energy programme has always been and will always remain entirely peaceful. There is fundamentally therefore no such thing as its potential militarisation. Mr Khamenei, without naming the US, said that some bully governments insist on negotiations. He said: Their negotiations are not aimed at solving problems, they aim at domination. He continued: The issue is not just the nuclear issue. They are setting new expectations that these new expectations will definitely not be met on the part of Iran. Meanwhile, Mr Pezeshkians comments come in the wake of China, Iran, and Russias joint naval drills in the Gulf of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz showcasing military cooperation amid regional tensions over Irans nuclear program and Houthi threats. The exercises, called Maritime Security Belt 2025, included live-fire drills and drew observers from several countries. While China and Russia dont regularly patrol the Middle East, both have strong ties to Iran China as a major buyer of Iranian oil and Russia as a recipient of Iranian drones for its war in Ukraine. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Targeted killings of the Alawite minorities in Syria's coastal region continued this week despite the embattled countrys new Islamist leader Ahmed al-Sharaas call for civil peace, a war observatory has found. Mr Sharaa's forces and rival groups have killed at least 1,200 civilians, most of them Alawites, in Latakia, Tatous, Hama and Homs provinces, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The toll rose this week after 132 civilians were killed on Tuesday, the UK-based monitoring group said. The violence was part of a widespread revenge operation targeting Alawites through mass killing, burning of homes, and forced displacement in absence of any international intervention to stop these massacres, the observatory said. This past weekend's sectarian violence was among the worst bloodshed in the recent past of Syria, including the 14 years of civil war from which the country is now emerging. The attacks on the largely Alawite coastal region began following an ambush on the new regimes forces by gunmen loyal to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad. open image in gallery Syrian government forces are deployed amid heightened security in Damascus ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Mr Sharaa has accused Mr Assads loyalists and "foreign powers" of trying to spark unrest in Syria, months after armed militias led by his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham wrested power and forced Mr Assad to flee to Russia. Mr Assad, an Alawite himself, had filled his security agencies and paramilitaries with members of the sect. Some Sunnis blame the entire community for Mr Assad's brutal crackdowns, though Alawites say they also suffered under his rule. Over the weekend, attackers rampaged through coastal provinces, killing entire families in their homes and streets, the UN human rights office said. The killings went unabated despite Mr Sharaa, in a televised speech, vowing to hold the perpetuators of the violence accountable, including his allies if necessary. Col Hassan Abdel-Ghani, a defence ministry spokesperson, had claimed that security forces had taken control of the coastal region. About 230 security personnel and 250 pro-Assad fighters have also been killed during the violence, BBC reported. open image in gallery Syrian families who fled the clashes in Syria cross a river marking the border between Syria and northern Lebanon in Heker al-Daher village ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) "In a number of extremely disturbing instances, entire families, including women, children and individuals hors de combat (French for incapable of fighting), were killed, with predominantly Alawite cities and villages targeted in particular," UN human rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said. He said initial reports indicated that the perpetrators, who have not been identified, were both members of armed groups supporting Syria's interim government and Assad loyalists. So far, the rights office has documented the killing of 111 civilians and expects the real toll to be significantly higher, the spokesperson said. "Many of the cases documented were of summary executions. They appear to have been carried out on a sectarian basis." The killings have forced hundreds of Syrian men, women and children to wade through a river to safety in neighbouring Lebanon. Nada Mohammed, who crossed into Lebanon on Sunday, told Reuters that her village was woken up by a phone call at dawn asking them to flee to safety. "We saw seven people they slaughtered," she said. Her daughter, Sally Rajab Abboud, described bearded foreigners with long hair who spoke formal Arabic rather than Syrian dialect. More than 350 families had made the same journey into Lebanon in recent days, according to local Lebanese authorities. A Syrian fact-finding committee investigating sectarian killings said no one was above the law and it would seek the arrest and prosecution of any perpetrators. Mr Sharaa told Reuters on Monday that he could not yet say whether forces from Syria's defence ministry, but acknowledged that some armed groups had entered without prior coordination with the ministry. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Some cities are metaphorically forged on political and historic fault lines; the Slovenian city of Nova Gorica actually exists right on a literal political and historic divide. It is joined at the hip with the Italian community of Gorizia, but separated by an international border. That divide is narrowing this year as both cities share centre stage as the first-ever European Capital of Borderless Culture, joining forces to shout about their charms. And this Slovenian town has plenty to shout about. Nova Goricas setting is deeply dramatic in the foothills of the vaulting Julian Alps. It is the youngest city in Slovenia, a planned urban environment built by socialist Yugoslavia on striking Modernist architectural lines following the 1947 Paris Peace Treaties, which confirmed the new border with Italy. This left the older settlement of Gorizia cut off on the Italian side from the new settlement in Yugoslavia. Nova Gorica (New Gorizia in Slovenian) burst into life. Since 1948 Nova Gorica has grown into being the main urban centre of the Goriska region. Never strikingly negative despite the divisive geopolitics at play, relations between the two communities softened further after Slovenian independence in 1991, and in 2011 Nova Gorica joined its neighbour as part of a new cross-border metropolitan zone. The drive towards being heralded under the European Capital of Culture initiative for a year of joint celebration in 2025 has cemented these strengthening connections. Nova Gorica was already a remarkable place before this year. The influence of Italian culture, language and cuisine weaves its way across the border so you get a bit of both countries. open image in gallery Slovenias Nova Gorica and Gorizia on the Italian side of the border have come together to be a European Capital of Culture in 2025 ( Getty ) The European Capital of Culture scheme began in 1985 as European City of Culture and it has grown arms and legs over the years. More recently, it has become common to have more than one city each year. The naming of co-joined partner cities like this is deliciously different though. Real investment financial, intellectual and cultural has gone into revamping urban spaces and conjuring up the year of festivities and events. The aim is to grow both communities culturally and economically and also to draw in tourism, which is where you come in. Read more: The best places to visit in Slovenia, from Alpine peaks to historic towns Nova Gorica and Gorizia share the commitment of being the first European Capital of Borderless Culture. The Go! Borderless slogan demonstrates this sense of unity, which celebrates both the ties of the past, but also offers pathways towards a prosperous future working together. The symbolic epicentre of the year is Trg Evrope, or Europe Square, a plaza uniquely shared by both countries that was already a symbolic meeting place. The centre point of the square is the Mosaic of the New Europe, crafted from the old boundary stone that divided the communities for decades for years. Overlooking it is the remarkable Secessionist-style building that once housed Gorizias northern railway station, now the oldest building in Nova Gorica. open image in gallery The view od Kostanjevica Monastery as seen from the Gorizia medieval castle on the other side of the border ( Getty ) In 2004, when Slovenia joyously joined the EU, it was celebrated in the square, while many of the years 600 cultural events and 60-plus pioneering projects planned their launches in or at least have some connection to the square. The European City of Culture celebration sees everything from international art exhibitions and classical concerts, to multimedia arts extravaganzas, energetic theatre performances and open-air live music burst through Nova Gorica. One of the Go! 2025 projects is Shining Invisible City created by the Museum of Transitory Art. It explores what Nova Gorica could have looked like had celebrated Slovenian architect Edvard Ravnikars original plans blossomed to fruition. The idea of alternate futures and fateful choices courses through the veins of a city that knows all about life-altering division. Read more: Why you should visit Slovenias five Unesco heritage sites in 2025 Until 18 September, Eta Sadar Breznik: Seize the Storm is a retrospective exhibition styled by curator Lovro Ivancic, who describes its focus and spirit: Perhaps this retrospective exhibition is truly a love story for oneself and others, for movement and exploration, for material and expression, and for nature. Eta Sadar Breznik was a winner of the bronze prize at the Beauvais International Tapestry Festival and the Preseren Award. Then there is a Collection of Graphics by Primorska Artists 19511989. This ambitious exhibition showcases the works of 22 local Primorska talents and surges across the border to shed light on Italian colleagues. It runs until the end of 2025. This unmissable experience is on offer at the Park Hotel, a meeting point for creatives this year, with a focus on the world of graphic art, how art knows no borders, nor historical constraints, and how it can play a role in uniting people and places. Or how about the Music Room? Until the end of the year, the Soba Music exhibition graces the Xcenter in Nova Gorica. The theme here is a digital tribute to the much-celebrated Slovenian painter, graphic artist, and illustrator Zoran Music. His fame has made it beyond Slovenia, celebrated in artistic circles in Italy and France. This extravaganza immerses you in the artistic world of Zoran Music, whose works also star at Dobrovo Castle and Stanjel Castle this year, too. open image in gallery Multicoloured tower blocks and terracotta-roofed buildings form much of Nova Gorica surrounded by lush greenery ( Getty/iStock ) The Go! 2025 projects are seriously eclectic. Also in the mix is a look at US legend Andy Warhol and his own relationship with borders, then another exhibition that delves into the murky world of cross-border smuggling. There are global photography exhibitions too and those with a more concentrated focus like a lecture by writer Miljenko Jergovic. Yet another exhibition takes its own deep dive into the waters of the famous local river, the Soca. Read more: These are the best towns and cities to visit in Slovenia Of course, Nova Gorica is not just about the European Capital of Culture celebration. You get two cities for the price of one, after all, a unique cross-border opportunity. Nova Gorica is also renowned within Slovenia for its rich cultural scene even beyond this year, it offers theatres, museums and galleries. And the students of the highly rated University of Nova Gorica help give the citys culture and nightlife a real energy. Nova Gorica also sits in an enviable location, an ideal base for exploring the epic natural beauty that Slovenia boasts in such abundance. It offers easy access to the Vipava Valley with its lushness and vineyards. Hilly Goriska Brda has wines too and there is the wildly beautiful Soca Valley, with its emerald eponymous river world famous for its whitewater rafting thrills. Those hinterland wineries are the perfect place to raise a glass of local wine in a toast to Nova Goricas uniquely special year. Getting there EasyJet flies to Ljubljana from the UK. Flight time is around four hours. More information To learn more about the European City of Culture, visit go2025.eu. Read more: The best European river cruises, from the enchanting Rhine to the magical Danube Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The United States has extended its ban on flights to Haiti's capital until September 8 due to escalating gang violence, described as "more dire than ever" by the U.N.s human rights expert on the Caribbean nation. The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) announcement extends the ban on flights to Port-au-Prince from November, after gangs fired upon three commercial aircraft. It was set to expire on Wednesday. William O'Neill, the UN human rights commissioner's expert on Haiti, recently completed his fourth visit to the nation in two years and painted a grim picture of the situation. He said the gang violence has worsened, intensifying the "pain and despair of an entire population." Despite efforts by Haitis national police and a U.N.-backed Kenya-led multinational police force, he said, the risk of the capital falling under gang control is palpable. These violent criminal groups continue to extend and consolidate their hold even beyond the capital, ONeill said. They kill, rape, terrorise, set fire to homes, orphanages, schools, hospitals, places of worship. He said the gangs have infiltrated all spheres of society, with the utmost impunity and, sometimes, as many sources point out, with the complicity of powerful actors. A police officer patrols the entrance of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) The gangs have grown in power since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise and are now estimated to control up to 85 per cent of the capital. ONeill said more than one million people have been displaced, with nowhere to go. In makeshift camps, he said, hunger and sexual violence are widespread and for many it's a matter of survival. He urged Haitian authorities to fight the impunity and corruption that he said were the major obstacles to dismantling the gangs. He said they must also beef up the police force, which he said numbered 9,000 to 10,000 in a country of 11 million people, compared with about 50,000 in the neighbouring Dominican Republic, which has a similar population. ONeill called for a substantial reinforcement of the multinational force, which started arriving last June and now numbers about 1,000 police. He said a well-equipped force of 2,500 could have an enormous impact on controlling, dismantling, overpowering the gangs. He said both the international force and the Haitian police need more mobility helicopters and better ground vehicles as well as night vision goggles and body armour. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently proposed to the U.N. Security Council that logistics and equipment for the Kenya-led force, including drones, fuel, ground and air transportation, be funded from the U.N. budget instead of the current fund that relies on voluntary contributions. That fund would be used to pay the international police. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A small ship cruise line is giving passengers a unique way to discover new destinations, by keeping the route a secret. Variety Cruises has launched its latest Mystery CEO cruise. Sailing aboard the 72-capacity Variety Voyager, the only thing passengers are told is the departure date, the embarkation and disembarkation port, and the price. The sailing is led by the companys chief executive Filippos Venetopoulos, with all proceeds donated to Variety Cares, which supports the cruise brands mission for clean oceans, gender equality and education for all. The ship departs from Valletta, Malta, on 21 June 2025 for an eight-day sailing to Naples, Italy. The ports and activities in-between wont be revealed until just before arrival in each destination. The only clues are that passengers will explore the mysterious depths of Italy and Malta and visit off-the-beaten-path locations, with expert guides offering a deep dive into the history, art, and traditions of the region. Prices start from 3,904 per person with an early booking discount of 20 per cent until 15 March and 10 per until the end of the month. The price includes accommodation in double or twin cabins with a half-board buffet breakfast and one daily meal highlighting local specialties such as a BBQ and pizza night. Passengers will also enjoy welcome and farewell cocktails. Once in the mystery ports, the fare covers four secret excursions and activities, two traditional meals ashore, wifi and use of fishing and snorkelling equipment. Venetopoulos said: This is not just a cruise. Its an immersive journey of discovery, where each day brings a new, breathtaking destination revealed only a few hours before arrival. No guidebooks, no pre-planned plans, just pure, unscripted exploration. This is the second Mystery Cruise from Variety after a sailing around Greece last year. Other cruise brands also offer secret sailings. Windstar has a Presidents Mystery Cruise from Athens that visits seven secret ports. It departs aboard Star Legend on 19 April 2025. Fred Olsen also has two mystery cruises this year, one from Portsmouth for five nights departing on 7 November 2025 and another seven-night sailing from Liverpool on 15 December 2025. The UK's Eurovision entrant for the 2025 competition Remember Monday shared how they combat online trolling by turning negative comments into music. Members of the country-pop girl group Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull, and Charlotte Steele appeared on Sky News on Wednesday, 12 March, to discuss how they use hateful TikTok comments to their advantage. We started kind of singing those insults. And originally they were just so funny for us to do, said Charlotte Steele. The band will represent the UK at Eurovision 2025 with their original song What the Hell Just Happened?. The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 takes place in Basel, Switzerland, on Saturday 17 May. The semi-finals take place on 13 and 15 May. Security cameras captured the moment an Iraqi immigrant heroically confronted a man attempting to rob a Michigan juice store. The harrowing ordeal occurred at Vara Juice in Ypsilanti on February 28. 35-year-old Ali Hadma, who owns a hookah shop next door, said he received a call from Mariam, one of the female employees of the juice store, asking for his help. An armed suspect could be seen pointing a gun at Mariam and ordering her to give him the money in the register. Hadma walks in and immediately tells the man to put it back. A struggle ensues, during which Hadma disarms the robber and eventually wrestles him to the ground. Hadma allowed the suspect to go free after he dropped the money. It was later determined that the firearm was a pellet gun. This is the moment a father drives his Mercedes SUV into his own son at a car wash following a family feud. Kamil Mohammed Nadir, 55, drove his car into his son Rebath Kamil, 40, at a car wash in Dalmuir, near Glasgow in July 2021 after he accused his father of infidelity, reports The Sun. A jury has now found Nadir guilty of assaulting his son to the danger of his life following a three-day trial at Kilmarnock High Court. Judge Scott Pattison remanded Nadir in custody and told him to expect to be jailed when he is sentenced next month. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir Starmer of making life harder for everyone during a heated PMQs clash. The two party leaders came to blows during Wednesdays session (12 March) after Ms Badenoch accused the prime minister and his Labour government of trashing the economy with their bad choices. The lory leader accused the prime minister of snatching winter fuel payments from pensioners, as well as hiking taxes on jobs. She said: This is a high tax, low growth, job killing government. Sir Keir responded saying the Tory leader attacks what Labour has done, but wont reverse it, because they want all the benefits. Marjorie Taylor Greene's boyfriend set Donald Trump up to make a joke about Rosie O'Donnell as the US president welcomed Micheal Martin to the White House on Wednesday, 12 March. The actor, 62, shared a video on TikTok on Tuesday to confirm that she moved to Ireland from America days before the Republican took office in January. Real Americas Voice host Brian Glenn had previously mocked Volodymyr Zelensky for not wearing a suit during the Ukrainian leader's chaotic meeting with Mr Trump at the Oval Office in February. Mr Glenn, who is dating the MAGA congresswoman, was part of a group inside the White House as the Taoiseach spoke with Mr Trump. Donald Trump has said he will talk to Vladimir Putin this week and he is hopeful the Russian leader will agree to a 30 day ceasefire with Ukraine. The US president offered his first comments after his team and Ukrainian officials announced they had come to terms on a 30-day ceasefire agreement between Moscow and Kyiv on Tuesday (11 March). Speaking to journalists on the White House driveway after the announcement, Trump said: Now we have to go to Russia and ... hopefully President Putin, will agree to that also. He told reporters he hopes the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire proposal can be solidified over the next few days. Donald Trump attempted to pronounce Taoiseach as Micheal Martin joined him in the White House for a bilateral meeting on Wednesday, 12 March. The US president pronounced the word as tee-shock. The correct pronunciation is tee-shuhk. Mr Martin joined Mr Trump in the Oval Office to discuss the Ireland-US trade relationship. Mr Trump raised the massive trade imbalance between the two countries and claimed that Ireland is of course taking advantage of the US, accusing the Irish government of taking US pharmaceutical companies through attractive taxation measures and criticised the EUs ruling that found that Apple owes Ireland billions of euro in taxes. Donald Trump has suggested that Canadas tariff problem would vanish if the country became the 51st US state as he spoke outside the White House on Tuesday, 11 March. The US presidents suggestion comes after he threatened to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium imports to 50 per cent. However, just hours after his threat, he backtracked and halted the plan. Tariffs of 25 per cent took effect on Wednesday. The Canadian province of Ontario suspended new charges of 25 per cent on electricity that it sends to some northern US states in the US after Mr Trumps warning of a sharp increase. Volodymyr Zelensky has outlined three key demands after Ukraine agreed the USs proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia. The agreement followed crucial talks in Saudi Arabia, where the US committed to resuming intelligence sharing and "security assistance." In a video posted to X on Tuesday (11 March), the Ukrainian president outlined Ukraine's three demands: silence in the skies, silence at sea, and the release of prisoners of war and detainees. America understands our position and accepts our proposals, he stated. Zelensky expressed gratitude to US president Donald Trump for the constructive dialogue and reiterated, Ukraine is ready for peace Russia must also show whether it is ready to end the war or continue. Volodymyr Zelensky has warned against the power of Elon Musks social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, after the billionaire used the platform to share false claims against the Ukrainian leader. Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday, 12 March, the Ukrainian president said: We are living in a world where just one bit of information, one tweet, can change a lot, can affect a lot. Mr Musk has used his platform X to repeatedly attack Ukraines president, sharing false claims and calling for elections to replace him. Mr Musk called on Mr Zelensky to stop canceling elections after Russias invasion, Ukraine entered a period of martial law and, under their constitution, it is not legal to hold national elections during this time. She was also a former Irish editor of the Sunday Times Fiona McHugh, one of the founders of the Fallon & Byrne food hall and restaurant in Dublin, has died at the age of 57 after a long illness. Before launching that business, she was the Irish editor of the Sunday Times newspaper for five years, and broke the story of Irish Lifes merger with Irish Permanent in 1998, the largest in Irish corporate history, generously sharing a byline on the scoop with colleagues. Ryanair has confirmed that non-EU nationals can again buy shares in the airline after it breached a threshold where more than 50pc of the carrier is in now in ownership by EU nationals. The number of people travelling to Ireland for St Patricks weekend will be lower this year due to the passenger cap, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has said. This follows a quieter than usual Cheltenham Festival week, with numbers flying out of Dublin Airport to the annual horse racing festival also down, which DAA said is due to the cap on airline slots imposed over the winter period. He made his call and then it was up to me to make my call and I did Joey OBrien on decision to take over from Damien Duff and nervy win over Cork New Irish fiction: Intimate, multigenerational tales of family and Emma Donoghues bravura plot of an historical female anarchist This is modern Irish writing at its finest Historic fiction can flit between the past and present day. Photo: Getty Anne Cunningham Wed 12 Mar 2025 at 15:30 Irish authors have long been feted here and abroad and, if these novels are anything to go by, weve not lost our touch. Farmers can avoid scrambling for calving ropes and gloves with this new 50 wall-mounted organiser. The unit features specialised compartments for essential items, including calving ropes, marker spray, iodine, calf tags, BVD samples, taggers, milking gloves, calving gloves, and other essential items for the calving season. Sean Keane, Adam McNamara, and Conor Noonan, all with dairy farming backgrounds, will represent their school in the national finals of the Student Enterprise Awards in May. Misplacing calving equipment is a thing of the past according to three TY students who have invented CalvEasy a wall-mounted organiser designed to help farmers during calving. CalvEasy is a wall-mounted organiser that helps farmers store all their essential calving equipment in one place and was designed by Sean Keane, Adam McNamara, and Conor Noonan, who all come from dairy farming backgrounds. The unit features specialised compartments for essential items, including calving ropes, marker spray, iodine, calf tags, BVD samples, taggers, milking gloves, calving gloves, and other essential items for the calving season and is being sold by the students for 50, with delivery costing 15. For our TY mini business, we wanted to tackle a common problem dairy and suckler farms face: the disorganisation of calving supplies. With everything in the one place, it means that when it comes to calving a cow, farmers can avoid the panic of searching for commonly misplaced items, including calving ropes and gloves, they explain. CalvEasy helps make farms safer by eliminating the risk of trips and falls. With experience on our own dairy farms, we saw first hand the need for CalvEasy. They have generated sales through Instagram and TikTok, and word of mouth. We have sent our product nationwide, as far as Co Mayo and Donegal already. Orders are consistent, in the region of 12-15 per week. We hope to have our website live in the next week. The unit features specialised compartments for essential items, including calving ropes, marker spray, iodine, calf tags, BVD samples, taggers, milking gloves, calving gloves, and other essential items for the calving season. Testing The students developed four prototypes before finalising the design after testing the product on their own and neighbouring farms It took us three months to go from brainstorming to bringing the product to market. We are lucky to have the support of our families, school community and teachers including Mr Ryan, Mr Brick, Ms Goode, Ms Browne and Ms Ryan. They have assisted us along the way. We work very well together as a team, each with our own roles and responsibilities." Sean handles finance and social media management, Adam manages company operations and paperwork, and Conor is head of manufacturing. Sean adds: We work between the schools woodwork room, and we make them in a workshop at my house during our spare time in the evenings. Mr Ryan, our woodwork teacher, cuts out all the wood for us and we assemble the product ourselves. It takes around forty-five minutes to put a unit together. The students say customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Farmers are finding it to be a very safe and convenient addition to the farm. They are not looking or rushing for ropes or other equipment. While their primary market is dairy and suckler farms, they have also been approached by sheep and pig farmers interested in customising the unit. We have ideas in the pipeline that would enable us to branch out even further, they add. The business combines our passions for woodwork and farming. We all studied woodwork at Junior Certificate-level and will study construction for our Leaving Certificate. We won first place in the regional finals of the North Cork Student Enterprise Awards. We enjoy the challenge of entrepreneurship, and cannot wait for the All-Ireland finals, in Mullingar, where we will compete against thirty teams. The three students will represent their school, Mitchelstown CBS, Co Cork, in the national finals of the Student Enterprise Awards in Mullingar in May. Age limit for slushies advised as watchdog warns the ice drinks can cause vomiting, nausea and headaches in young children New study has looked at young children across Ireland and the UK who became sick soon after drinking slush ice drinks A health warning has been issued about slushies Eilish O'Regan Wed 12 Mar 2025 at 13:53 Slush ice drinks made with sugar substitute glycerol should not be consumed by children under five because they have been found to make them sick with headaches, nausea and vomiting, according to Irelands food watchdog. I don't accept it was dangerous. It was careless, Kyle Hayes tells judge as Limerick hurler loses appeal against dangerous driving conviction Mr Hayes said he did not consider his driving to be dangerous while accepting he had driven at 155kmh while overtaking nine cars Limerick hurler Kyle Hayes pictured at Cork Circuit Criminal Court (Cork Courts Limited) Ralph Riegel Wed 12 Mar 2025 at 16:27 Limerick hurler Kyle Hayes (26) lost his appeal against a conviction for dangerous driving after he admitted driving at 155kmh in a 100kmh zone on the main Cork-Limerick road while overtaking nine vehicles in his Audi car. Paddy McKillen blasts outright lies after billionaire convicted of attacking female bailiff in Paris apartment Businessman was not in French court as judgment was delivered todayMcKillen Sr fined 10,000 for violence against public official following incidentBelfast-born tycoon strongly denies the accusations and is appealing Irish property magnate Paddy McKillen. Photo: National Pictures Peter Allen in Paris Wed 12 Mar 2025 at 15:00 Billionaire businessman Paddy McKillen has immediately appealed after he was convicted in France today of attacking a female bailiff in his 30m Paris apartment. Man jailed after forcing woman with Down syndrome to buy him 1,300 iPhone and withdraw cash The womans family alongside other services had worked hard to help the woman enjoy as much independence as possible, but these efforts were undermined and negated by targeted and predatory attack Dublin District Court Eimear Dodd Wed 12 Mar 2025 at 19:28 A man who targeted a vulnerable young woman, controlling her movements for two hours and forcing her to give him money and buy him an iPhone worth more than 1,300, has been jailed for four years. Tears and screams in court as young mothers among dozens of squatters who are told they will be jailed before it emerges they were held illegally Court proceedings to evict the squatters from 10 flats at No.9 Belvedere Place, Dublin 1, by retired solicitor and landlord, Mel Kilrane, have been ongoing form several months on the basis they were squatting in a dangerous building which was at serious fire risk Roma families leaving the High Court after the case related to squatters at No.9 Belvedere Place in Dublin 1. Photo: Collins Courts Ray Managh Wed 12 Mar 2025 at 18:13 After a judge committed 27 squatters to prison for contempt of court today, it was revealed that only one of them had been legally summoned to appear in court. EU 'penny has dropped' on need to cut regulation - Martin The "penny has dropped" over the need for a reduction in EU regulations, the Taoiseach said. Micheal Martin said the "winds of change" were blowing towards innovation and "reduction of regulation". "There's a move within the European Union now to simplify regulation. I think the penny has dropped. The message has got home." He made the comments as he attended an event at the US Chamber of Commerce on the penultimate day of his week of engagements in the US. Mr Martin, who told the event that France was his favourite European country, added: "[French President] Emmanuel Macron held a very good AI action summit in Paris about a month ago and [US] vice president JD Vance was there, he gave a very strong message. "A hard message, but he gave it very clear that the US were going to go 'innovation, innovation, innovation'. "Emmanuel Macron and [European Commission President Ursula] von der Leyen was saying Europe has to become more innovation-focused." Mr Martin said Ireland was committed to working with the D9+ group of countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia and the Czech Republic) to advocate for the simplification of regulations in the EU. "It's not been satisfactory. We in Ireland understand that, because a lot of the companies are located in Ireland." He said there was "growing recognition" across Europe for the need for a reduction in regulations, but added: "That has to be matched by action and real concrete development." Mr Martin said it is inarguable that European defence spending will increase. He said it is "very clear" that Ireland will "have to play its role" in European security, while taking its traditional military neutrality into account. "I can predict that the next multi-financial framework, which is the European Union budget, which will come for the Irish presidency, will involve a significant increase in European Union spending on defence capability, which will be focused on increasing opportunities and capacities from member states to increase their expenditure." The Taoiseach added that Ireland will become a net contributor to defence capability across Europe through a collective debt instrument. He added: "But Ireland in itself will have to increase, and we are doubling our defence - coming from a very low base - defence expenditure. "But again, we have to do it in a targeted way. Cyber security, sub-sea cables, maritime security - those are probably the most immediate vulnerabilities." Mr Martin heard that the US Chamber is "committed" to the trade relationship with Ireland. Its chief executive and president Suzanne Clark told the Taoiseach: "We're such firm believers in the indivisible connection between our countries." Mr Martin said the relationship between Ireland and the US is an "enduring partnership". He added: "We do genuinely see this as a two-way street. Ireland is a small, open economy, we depend on trade. We would argue that free trade has lifted prosperity in the world, the era of free trade greater than any other era." Mr Martin was asked what more the US could do to bring more Irish investment. In general, he said the feedback about the US was "very positive" but the issue of visas between the two countries can be particularly "problematic". However, he revealed he found "ways around it" during his time as minister for enterprise. Mr Martin said: "Flexibility around inward movement of people into the United States is problematic, it is a very restrictive environment in terms of a mobility of visas that are granted from one company to another." He said flexibility would benefit the US as it would allow qualified people to work for its companies. He added: "We should be imaginative and we've tried this on a number of occasions that we'd be creating a legal channel between America and Ireland, that Americans can come to Ireland through us offering visas to Americans to reside and work in Ireland. "And when I was in Enterprise a long time ago, it used to always pain me, but I did find ways around it. "When Americans fell in love in Ireland, we had to find... they developed specialties in certain areas of work and got work permits, and they were happily married ever after. "But, I mean, you know, there was too much to navigate in all of that." Mr Martin said President Donald Trump was "very well disposed" to such a mechanism. David Young Tensions are high after Volodymyr Zelensky row and with threat of tariffs looming Taoiseach Micheal Martin meets Texas governor Greg Abbott in Austin as part of his week-long visit to the US. Photo: PA It is D-Day for Taoiseach Micheal Martin, who will have to win over US president Donald Trump at a crunch White House meeting. The two have never met before and Mr Martin will be meeting Mr Trump on the traditional visit for St Patricks week amid threats of tariffs and claims by the US of an imbalance on trade between the US and Ireland. Mr Martin will push economy, economy and economy at the meeting between the two men behind closed doors, a government source said. He will also emphasise the trade relationship between the two countries is a two-way relationship that works for Ireland and US. Mr Martin will listen and engage with Mr Trump, in the knowledge that the meeting between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr Trump and his vice president JD Vance descended into a shouting match at the Oval Office in recent weeks. The already high-stakes meeting, which is to be the most important of Mr Martins political career so far, now has even more pressure riding on it as members of Burke family from Co Mayo were spotted travelling to Washington DC from Dublin yesterday. Officials are now on high alert, fearing the Burkes could approach Mr Martin while out in public. In recent weeks, Mr Trumps billionaire funder and senior adviser Elon Musk tweeted in support of the family. However, the White House did not answer questions on whether the Burkes have been invited to events. Mr Martin and his wife Mary will meet Mr Vance and his wife Usha at the US Naval Observatory for breakfast for around an hour first thing this morning. He will then head to the White House, where he will meet Mr Trump in the Oval Office. This is where all world leaders meet the US presidents and pose for photographs, as well as take questions from reporters. Mr Trump will have his closest advisers and high-ranking politicians with him in the room. Mr Martin will then head to US parliament buildings the US Capitol to attend a Friends of Ireland lunch, hosted by House speaker Mike Johnson. After the lunch, Mr Martin will talk to the speaker in person for a bilateral meeting, at which he will further try to push the Ireland Inc agenda. Later on tonight, Mr Martin will hand over the now-traditional bowl of shamrock to Mr Trump and a reception will be held in the White House for invited guests. As he boarded his flight for Washington yesterday from Austin, Mr Martin insisted US multinationals that have invested in Ireland are committed to working in the country for the long haul. The actual reaction of multinationals that I met has been very positive, Mr Martin said. I met with Microsoft last week in Dublin. Its here 40 years in Ireland. I spoke to a number of pharmaceutical companies. Theyre in Ireland for the long haul. I think what will happen is there will be debate in the US, independent of any particular European country or Ireland also. So, I think we have to just monitor the situation, see how it evolves. Were a small, open-trading economy, so we believe in free trade as a small, open-trading economy. Its been good for Ireland. Thats our perspective. United States is much bigger entity, so it comes at it from a different perspective. Mr Martin also made clear Mr Trump is always welcome in Ireland, when asked if he intends to adopt a tactic similar to UK prime minister Keir Starmer and invite the president to visit the country during the Oval Office exchange. Mr Martin was speaking to reporters in Austin, Texas, yesterday. Mr Martin picked the Lone Star State for the first stop in his week-long series of St Patricks engagements in the US. He said the choice of Texas was intentional, given the strong record of Irish companies investing in Texas and Texas-based companies investing in Ireland. Mr Martins itinerary yesterday in Austin included an engagement with state legislators at the Texas Capitol in the city. He was then set to depart for Washington DC ahead of attending a St Patricks Day reception at the Irish Ambassadors residence last night. Earlier, on Monday, Mr Martin met Texas governor Greg Abbott and visited US tech multinationals Dell and Tricentis, with the latter announcing plans to hire 50 additional staff in its Cork base over the coming years. He also met with businesses supported by Enterprise Ireland, introduced a panel on the Irish screen industry and participated in a pop-up Gaeltacht at the Department of Foreign Affairs hub for SXSW, Ireland House. Mr Martin concluded his packed itinerary by attending a St Patricks reception at the same venue. Its not about the money, its just having to do it all again home that had 600,000 Room to Improve makeover is damaged in blaze Microplastic pollution in the body could be fuelling bacteria and viruses ability to withstand the effects of antibiotics, US researchers have said. Scientists at Boston University said they were shocked to see that bacterias antimicrobial resistance is strengthened when exposed to the tiny plastic particles. The plastics provide a surface that the bacteria attach to and colonise, said Neila Gross, a PhD candidate at the university. The findings help to shed some light on a major issue for medical professionals. In 2019, bacterial antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths and contributed to nearly five million deaths around the world, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). It comes with significant economic costs, with estimates from the World Bank projecting that antimicrobial resistance could result in $1tn (910bn) in additional healthcare costs over the course of the next 25 years. Microplastics come with their own health impacts, although the full extent of their effect on the human body is not totally clear. Recent studies have shown they are in our hearts, brains and even our genitals. They have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and could be tied to dementia. The minuscule particles are now understood to be pervasive throughout Earths environment, and humans are exposed through animal products, plastic ware, water and even air. When attached to any surface, bacteria create a sticky substance that serves as a shield, protecting themselves When bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi mutate over time, they can stop responding to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread and death. The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials against those invaders are the main drivers in the development of drug-resistant organisms that cause disease. The WHO says humanity faces what it calls an antibiotics pipeline and access crisis, given inadequate research and development in the face of rising levels of resistance. Antimicrobial resistance also disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries, with its drivers and consequences exacerbated by poverty and inequality. Historically, people have associated antibiotic resistance with patient behaviour, like not taking antibiotics as prescribed. But there is nothing a person has done to be forced to live in a particular environment, and the fact is they are at a higher exposure to resistant infections, said Muhammad Zaman, a Boston University College of Engineering professor of biomedical engineering. To reach these conclusions, the Zaman Laboratory tested how E coli a culprit known to contribute to foodborne illness reacted to being in a closed environment with microplastics. When attached to any surface, bacteria create a sticky substance that serves as a shield, protecting themselves. In testing, researchers saw the microplastic they used super-charged the shield so much that antibiotics were unable to get through. Nursing and Medicine from Irish universities have secured high spots in the world ranking despite an overall ranking drop, a new study shows. The country follows a trend across Europe and more developed higher education systems, seeing a 23pc overall decline in rankings. However, Nursing and Medicine remain among the most prevalent subjects featured in the rankings from Irish institutions this year. The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, published today, analyses and evaluates more than 21,000 academic offerings from over 1,700 universities across 100 locations. The study, conducted by higher education experts Quacquarelli Symonds, provides insight into global academic excellence across 55 subjects and five broad faculty areas. Trinity College Dublin. Photo: Getty Today's News in 90 Seconds - March 12th Trinity College Dublin (TCD) is home to the highest ranked entry, with its Nursing at joint 20th position, marking the first Irish entry to feature in the top 20. TCD has also entered the top 50 for the Arts & Humanities broad faculty area, ranking at 49th. Among 11 institutions from Ireland featured in the list, 34 entries saw their ranking rise. However, overall, Irish rankings included this year saw a negative swing of 23pc. University College Dublin (UCD) has the sixth most entries of institutions across the EU, with 48 entries. Meanwhile, Ireland has the fifth most new entries among EU states for a second year, behind Germany, Spain, Netherlands and Sweden. Irish institutions ranked for 226 entries in the broad faculty areas and subjects - up from 214 entries last year. The country also has the fifth highest number of new entries among EU states, with 18 entries since last year. University College Cork (UCC), UCD, TCD and University of Galway are the four Irish universities featuring in all five broad faculty areas, such as social sciences & management, natural sciences, life sciences & medicine, engineering & technology, art & humanities. Across universities in the EU with at least five entries, RSCI is the most improved institution across the EU, with a 60pc upswing. Meanwhile, the highest ranked entries in narrow subject areas in Ireland are Nursing at TCD at 20th position, Nursing at UCC at 27th position, English Language & Literature at TCD also at 27th followed by UCDs Veterinary Science at 33th. Ireland is the joint most improved in the academic reputation indicator of any EU country, with a 48pc rise. However, there has been a decline in employer reputation at Irish universities when compared to other countries. Some 78pc of entries have seen their score in this area fall, which is one of the highest-ranking declines anywhere in the world. The QS senior vice president, Ben Sowter, has said: "This years results showcase some outstanding individual achievements by Irish universities, particularly in medical and health sciences." However, these successes contrast with a wider pattern of stagnation and decline in overall performance, mirroring trends across much of mainland Europe. "With only four EU countries seeing net improvements this year, regions like East Asia particularly China and South Korea are pulling ahead, powered by long-term, strategic investment in higher education. In this context, the Irish governments announcement of a multi-annual funding package under the Funding the Future process is a positive step in the right direction. This challenge is particularly urgent given the continued decline in Employer Reputation scores a core metric in the QS World University Rankings by Subject for Irish universities. "Growing global competition means Irelands universities must continue investing in research excellence and deepening industry collaboration to ensure graduates leave with the skills and adaptability that employers demand in a rapidly evolving job market," he added. American universities top the world ranking, leading in 32 subjects, while UK institutions lead in 18 subject tables. Harvard University remains the worlds strongest-performing institution, ranking first in 15 disciplines, followed by MIT, topping 11 subjects. Sinn Fein have introduced new legislation to scrap water charges once and for all. It comes after it was reported by the Irish Independent this week that households could face charges for excessive water use. Not considered a revenue raising measure, a briefing document for new Housing Minister James Browne lists it as one of a number of high-level water-related priorities. While opposition parties accused the government of attempting to introduce water chargers through the back door, the Taoiseach pledged that water charges will not be brought back. A statement from the department after the story was published said that the Minister is not giving consideration at this time to bringing in such charges. However, Sinn Fein have now submitted new draft legislation that would prevent the government from introducing such charges and described the excessive water use charges as a Trojan Horse for the introduction of domestic water charges. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said government parties cannot be trusted on the matter and that it was only the result significant public protest that halted water charges the last time. The problem for Fianna Fail and Fine Gael is that nobody believes them when it comes to water charges. Their record speaks for itself. They cant be trusted. It took a massive demonstration of peoples power to defeat their water charges the last time, Ms McDonald said. The party leader added that the government were clearly looking at introducing domestic water charges through the back door, under the guise of a charge for so-called excessive use. This is nothing more than a Trojan Horse for the introduction of domestic water charges for all households. Its the thin end of the wedge, Ms McDonald added. The bill, which was submitted by Ms McDonald and party spokesperson on water Eoin O Broin, looks to repeal aspects of the Water Services Act 2017, thus ruling out water charges in the future. We are seeking to introduce this legislation as a matter of urgency and to table it during private members time at the earliest possible opportunity, Ms McDonald said. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael should know that words are not good enough if they want the people to believe that they have no plans to introduce water charges. They must act. They should support our Bill to take water charges off the table when it comes to a debate and vote in the Dail in the coming weeks, she added. Seven enforcement orders were served on businesses last month for breaches of food safety legislation, including the discovery of six mouse carcasses on a warehouse floor in one premises. Inspectors also served orders on businesses due to a lack of cleaning, a lack of hot water available for washing surfaces and food equipment, and the absence of a food safety management system in other premises. A wholesaler and distributor in Portlaoise, Universal Food Wholesale Distribution Limited at the Unit 3B National Enterprise Park, was served with a closure order on February 28 when rodent droppings and six mouse carcasses were found on the premises. A number of spillages were providing a food source for the mice after they had not been cleaned up and gaps around the storage area were found to be obvious entry routes for mice. The inspector also noted that no documentation regarding pest control checks was available. A closure order was also served on the retailer Day to Day on the Boyne Road in Hayestown in Navan, Co Meath and later lifted on March 3 when an active rodent infestation was found by an inspector in a rear storage area and at the front service counter near the deli and the main shop floor. Foodstuffs like ice cream cones, coffee beans, sugar sachets, and hot chocolate sachets, and materials like napkins, ice cream tubs, coffee cups, and lids, were not protected against contamination and were stored in a room where there was evidence of a rodent infestation. The level of cleanliness at the time of an inspection at Lams at 286 Ballyfermot Road in Dublin 10 was not acceptable, with a closure order served on the business when there were also issues found with the ventilation system, the storage of raw and cooked food in cardboard or containers with no distinction of its use and the recommendations from a pest control company that were not followed. "The level of cleanliness observed at the time of inspection was not acceptable. The inspection was expected and the standard was still well below acceptable levels, they said. "The business has demonstrated a lack of concern regarding hygiene for an extended period of time, which cannot be tolerated. The closure order served on Lams on February 14 was lifted on February 20. Far East Restaurant, which is also based in Ballyfermot at 339 Ballyfermot Road, was served with a closure order as a hole in the wall of a food store and at a skirting board needed to be sealed, food stored in open containers needed to be destroyed and the premises as a whole required a deep clean. The order was served on 13 February and was lifted on February 17. An inspector visiting Bombay Kebab House at 3 Bridge Street, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, found the premises was in an unclean condition overall and observed poor hygiene practices, while they also found the presence of food allergens used as ingredients was not declared for any menu item. They said the business had a long history of non-compliance with food safety regulatory requirements and noted that the hygiene standards at the time of the inspection demonstrate a lack of awareness of food safety hazards. .It was served with a closure order on February 18 that was lifted on March 3. There was no supply of hot water to sinks at Tank and Skinnys at Number 6 in the Courtyard Shopping Centre in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, where an inspector also noted that there was a lack of effective cleaning and food safety procedures were being observed. It was served with a closure order on February 18 that was lifted on February 20. Photo: Stock image Today's News in 90 Seconds - March 12th Meanwhile, the Burren Smokehouse on the Kincora Road, Lisdoonvarna in Co Clare, had a prohibition order served on a number of product batches for reasons that included a failure to notify the competent authority of the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. A number of batches were recalled and instructed for supervised destruction. FSAI chief executive Greg Dempsey said the orders serve as an important reminder that food safety must always be a top priority for all food businesses. "Regular checks and adherence to food safety and hygiene standards are essential to protect consumers health and maintain public trust. "There are no excuses for failing to comply with legal requirements, and any lapse in food safety practices puts consumers at direct risk. Implementing a food safety management system is straightforward, especially with the supports available from the FSAI, yet some businesses continue to neglect this crucial legal requirement, he said. "Consumers have a right to safe food and it is imperative that all food businesses uphold the highest standards of food safety and hygiene at all times. Companies urged to be less picky as unemployment at lowest in 25 years Employers in the tech sector have the strongest appetite to hire new staff to grow their businesses, despite recent high-profile job cuts in the industry. However, a record skills shortage is hindering recruiters in their efforts to hire. A new report focusing on job growth reveals that information technology (IT) firms top the list of organisations planning to recruit between next month and June. The report follows recent job-loss announcements at TikTok and Meta. Candidates specialising in AI are sought after. Stock image: PA Today's News in 90 Seconds - March 12th Of those hiring, a total of 55pc of tech firms are hiring to grow their business, the highest level for any sector, according to ManpowerGroup Irelands latest report on the national hiring outlook. However, managing director Jonny Edgar said the demand for IT and engineering skills is outpacing the number of available candidates. ManpowerGroup has found that a record 83pc of all businesses are reporting difficulty finding candidates with the right skills. Unemployment is at a 25-year low. Taoiseach Micheal Martin will try to reduce potential economic risks today when he meets US president Donald Trump in Washington. Mr Martin has said he will tell the US president that tariffs could damage the countrys small, open economy. There are fears that Mr Trumps protectionist approach may pose a threat to the Irish economys heavy reliance on US multinational investment. The tech sector is reporting an appetite for growth like no other, said Mr Edgar. Following the post-pandemic scramble for talent, which resulted in over-hiring and a long stretch of hiring freezes, the sector has now stabilised in a strong position to grow sustainably. He said there has been a sharp increase in appetite for candidates with skills relating to AI, as well as continued demand for specialists in the areas of cyber security cloud and data. Mr Edgar said recent announcements from Meta and TikTok regarding workforce reductions have drawn much attention, but it is important to view these developments in context. Metas decision to cut around 5pc of its global workforce is part of a performance-related strategy, with plans to refill these roles later in the year, according to Mr Edgar. TikToks reductions are concentrated on a specific business unit, which reflects a change in the companys strategy rather than a decline in overall appetite for growth, he said. Addressing the skills shortage, he added: Employers who want to meet their skills needs and thrive in 2025 cannot afford to wait for ready-made candidates to walk through the door. He advised employers to place less emphasis on traditional requirements that hold hiring back, such as past job titles and arbitrary years of experience. Instead, employers should focus on hiring candidates with potential and transferable skills, who just need a bit of upskilling to become the right fit, he said. The only way out of this talent shortage is through investment in skills. The financial sector, industrials and materials sector which encompasses engineering, construction and manufacturing businesses and tech industry have the strongest intention to recruit in the next quarter of the year, according to the survey. Irelands national net employment outlook for the second quarter of this year stands at 25pc, which is unchanged since the last quarter. The net employment outlook is the percentage of employers who expect an increase in hiring activity minus the percentage that predict recruitment will fall. The Dublin-based IT sector reported a net employment outlook of 28pc. Employers across Ireland said IT and data skills were hardest to find, followed by operations and logistics staff and engineering skills. ManpowerGroup said businesses that want to hire will need to explore a wide range of talent attraction strategies. Its employment outlook survey is based on the responses of 420 employers who were asked if they intend to hire or cut the size of their workforce, and the reasons behind their decisions. Meanwhile, more than 80,000 students have applied to the CAO so far this year, an increase of nearly 9pc on last year. The latest figures show health, arts and business and administration courses remain the most popular among applicants, while there is a growing interest in engineering, architecture and construction courses. Late applications to the CAO are being accepted up to May 1, while the majority of applicants will also be able to use the change of mind facility between May 6 and July 1. In total, there were 83,424 applications received by the February closing date, marking an 8.5pc increase compared to last year. The normal deadline for CAO applications is February 1, but an exceptional application facility was introduced this year for those impacted by Storm Eowyn. It ran until February 6. Water provision must be paid for, but the Government must figure out how. Photo: PA Water provision must be paid for, but the Government must figure out how. Stock image Just when you thought it was safe to go out again, those water charges have come back. Last time around, a decade ago, an attempt to charge for domestic water and sewerage services caused uproar and ended as a financial and political debacle for a nation still trying to emerge from crippling recession. Now the issue is back on the political agenda due to a long-overlooked provision embedded in arrangements, agreed in 2017, that abandoned the main thrust of the contested charging regime. As the Irish Independent has reported, the new minister responsible for water services, Housing Minister James Browne, is being urged by officials to quickly implement water over-use charges for households where excessive amounts are consumed. Water provision must be paid for, but the Government must figure out how. Stock image Today's News in 90 Seconds - March 12th The previous rows about charges, from 2014 to 2016, were a clear example of government mistakes in presenting the need to raise more funds for creaking water and sewerage services. Tactically, it was very poor of the Fine Gael-Labour government, in power from 2011 to 2016, to lead with the funding need as something vital in attempts to shore up the national economy. A much more potent argument to coax citizens towards what, in reality, amounted to another tax was the damage being done by untreated sewage flowing daily into 40 Irish watercourses. The government of the day also erred by not having an early waiver or support scheme for low-income homes to poverty-proof the charge regime. How can you ignore a reality that 8pc of households currently account for 30pc of domestic water over-use? Against that, opponents were excessive in claiming that water as a human right equated to universal free access to expensive water cleaning and distribution. Equally, while the opposition at that time did mobilise large numbers for vocal demonstrations, their claims of universal opposition to the proposals are still open to challenge. Some parties belatedly altered their water policies in a rather spineless display. However, the planned domestic water and sewerage charge scheme was defeated in 2016. Most mainstream politicians will shudder at the issue returning to the national agenda in any shape or form. Yet for all that deep-seated political reluctance, it is clear this issue will not go away. We are returning to a simple reality: water and sewerage services must be paid for. The only real question is how we do that. It is a choice between more direct charges or funding from general taxes. There is recurring pressure on the issue from the EU Commission, which is asking Dublin about its water and sewerage service-provision plans. Critical expert reports have pointed to how water supply problems remain an impediment to badly needed new housing. There is, more crucially, a simple commonsense question: How can you ignore a reality that 8pc of households currently account for 30pc of domestic water over-use? It may be too much to expect reasoned political discourse in this renewed debate, but we are entitled to demand an avoidance of political showboating. Instead, we need a reasoned national discussion on this most basic issue that is central to all our lives. The Viper, Martin Foley, has hit the headlines once again. Bitten by a seven-figure tax bill, the notorious criminal finds himself in a race against time to pay off his hefty debt and rescue his Dublin home in the process. Waiting in the wings to take the keys off his hands? None other than Irelands most persistent of crime cash converters, The Criminal Assets Bureau. Judge Fiona OSullivan, in a reserved judgment, on Monday granted Cab a well-charging order against the property at 114 Cashel Avenue, Kimmage, Dublin, but due to Foley and his wife having a nine-year-old daughter she granted a stay on her order until September next year. The judge said the stay was in the interests of the child. Barrister Shaula Connaughton-Deeny, who appeared with State Solicitor Emma Griffin for Cab, had opposed applications by colleagues Keith Farry and John Temple, who appeared for Foley and his wife, Sonia, for stays, including a nine-year one until the couples daughter was 18. Judge OSullivan said the court would grant a stay on her order for 18 months and said that if the debt had not been paid off in that time Cab could seek court directions relating to the sale of the property. Mrs Foley had told the judge that if Cab was permitted to sell the property she and the couples daughter would be left homeless. Today on The Indo Daily Fionnan Sheahan is joined by Conor Feehan, Senior Journalist with the Irish Independent, and by Paul Williams special correspondent with the Irish Independent, to look at Martin The Viper Foleys battle to keep his house, and to examine the long and storied history of Ireland Criminal Assets Bureau. Cork TD Eoghan Kenny has criticised Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for not providing children with additional needs the opportunity and the same education that is required. A demonstration was held last weekend in Cork over the lack of school places for children with additional needs and other ongoing issues in special education. Speaking at the protest, Labour Party TD for Cork North Central Eoghan Kenny commended everybody who attended the demonstration. It is disgraceful that we have to have parents and children walking the streets of Cork city to plead for a school place something that every single child across this country should be able to access. The struggle that you are going through is not something that is easy. It is something that is a right that you are being denied. We have tens of thousands of children waiting on central therapies, said Deputy Kenny. It is absolutely unacceptable that we have announcements being made with no substance and no budgets. We have Deis-plus with no timeline. We have children who are waiting on assessment of needs. We have private therapies being paid over 500 to 1000 a week for parents who simply do not have that money. It is unacceptable in a country where we are one of the richest countries in the world that we dont have the assessment of needs and the therapies that children across the country deserve. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have been in government for long enough. They are not giving these children across the country the opportunity and the same education that we need, he added. Deputy Kenny who previously worked as a secondary school teacher also criticised the lack of planning by the relevant stakeholders to meet the needs of children with additional needs. I know first-hand what it is like for a parent or for a child to be going through a situation like this. We do not have the planning in place. We see the amount of children that are being born. We see the assessment of needs, but we are not planning for the essential school places that are needed in this country. We see updates that special schools are being opened, said the Cork TD. People saying it is a great thing that 15 or 16 special classes are being opened. There are 30 people on each waiting list, six per class. It is unfair on parents and teachers who want to help children across this country. Deputy Kenny also called for SNAs to be valued for their fantastic work. They are undervalued in their pay, conditions and holidays. It is about time that the two parties who have controlled the political system in this country for a long time stand up and realise that genuine education should be a right for every child. New research has revealed the Irish counties most interested in moving abroad and where they would like to move to Corkonians were among the least likely to Google search for moving abroad options nationwide The people of Cork have officially confirmed their suspected status as homebirds! A recent report, conducted by shipping company Irish Parcels, analysed nationwide and regional Google searches for keywords related to moving abroad over the last 12 months to identify which Irish counties have the greatest desire to move. And while Dubs are the most likely to want to leave Ireland to start up a new life, Corkonians rank third least likely across the 26 counties. There have been just 1,416 google searches per 100,000 residents for moving abroad from the city and county, compared to over 2,000 in neighbouring counties Waterford and Limerick, while in the capital, over 2,700 searches have been conducted. As to where the small amount of Corkonains are searching to move? Australia is the top-queried clime, with its sunny beaches, busy social life, and vibrant cities, seeing it rank highest in living-abroad destinations. Oz ranks highest in 24 of the 26 counties as the most searched country for living abroad, while Corkonains also looked up the possibility of starting new lives in the UK, Canada, the USA, and Spain. This study offers a fascinating insight into where in Ireland people are most interested in emigrating, as well as the top destinations they are considering for relocation, said Paul Stewart, Managing Director of My Baggage, parent company of Irish Parcels. "Australia, Canada, and the UK appear prominently, given that they are also anglophone countries. However, Spain, Vietnam and France also emerge as appealing options. Dublin having the highest rate of interest is perhaps unsurprising given the countys high cost of living and housing shortage. As for the rest of the country? Roscommon residents seem to be the most likely to stay put, with only 1,089 searches per 100,000 population, 49% lower than the national average, while Carlow ranks in second with 2,621 searches. The closure leaves three Dealz stores in the area at the Grand Parade, Blackpool and Douglas. Popular discount chain Dealz is to close their Merchants Quay store in Cork next week. The store will close on Wednesday, March 19, and the closure leaves three Dealz stores in the area, located at the Grand Parade, Blackpool and Douglas. President of the Cork Business Association Dave O'Brien told Independent.ie that Debenhams closure has greatly impacted Merchants Quays ability to retain tenants. We're sorry to see Dealz leave Merchant's Quay but they will still remain in the city centre at their larger premises on Grand Parade. Debenhams' departure has greatly impacted the ability of Merchants Quay to retain tenants, but we are hopeful for very positive news on the horizon by way of an international retailer that will bring fresh energy to the northern end of St. Patrick Street and drive more footfall and shoppers to the central island and to the entire city, Mr OBrien said. Meanwhile, Lidl on Cornmarket St in Cork City is due to reopen their store on March 20. A display outside the store reads: Reopening March 20th. Well see you soon, Store closed for renovation works. Visit Lidl Wilton, Ballyvolane, Churchfield, Togher for the same value. Mary Lou McDonald hails Senator Nicole Ryan as 'formidable political talent' for Cork Sinn Fein party leader Mary Lou McDonald and Senator Nicole Ryan were presented with a bouquet of flowers by Macroom Youthreach students Declan Nolan and Dara Manigan. Pic: John Bohane Senator Nicole Ryan has been hailed as a formidable political talent for Cork North West and Irish politics by Sinn Fein party leader Mary Lou McDonald. A passionate advocate of womens health, access to affordable, decent and adequate housing and living conditions, Ms Ryan won 5,452 first-preference votes in the recent general election, which represented a breakthrough record in the Cork North West constituency which has never had a Sinn Fein TD. Ms McDonald who was speaking in Macroom on Wednesday, March 12 hailed the 31-year-old Millstreet native who was recently elected to Seanad Eireann as a formidable woman. In Nicole Ryan we have a force for the future. She is a formidable woman. She is a formidable political talent for Cork North West, but also more widely for the Seanad and Irish politics as well. She loves her community, said Ms McDonald. Nicole represents that new generation of political activists and people who are passionate about the things that affect ordinary peoples lives. She loves Cork. She never stops talking about it. She is passionate about Macroom, Millstreet and everywhere beyond and in between, she added. Senator Ryan will open a constituency office in Millstreet in the very near future and there are growing expectations that she will be a strong contender to win a seat in Cork North West in the next general election. The President of Sinn Fein hopes that Ms Ryan will be a Dail colleague in the foreseeable future. She is working hard. I hope that I will call Nicole a Dail colleague at the next available opportunity. Two car collision at Newhall Court in Tallaght Commuters are being urged to take care following a collision in north Dublin. There has been a collision on the Swords Road inbound. The incident took place in the left turn lane before the junction with Collins Avenue just before 9am this morning, in the left lane and bus lane. Dublin City Councils Traffic Management Centre is urging those driving in the area to please pass with care. Meanwhile, just after 9am, there was a collision on the M50 at Junction 14 - Sandyford (northbound) Slip N31/R113 to M50 North Lanes. Slip 2 is currently affected. Delays in both directions. Traffic is also moving slowly following a two car road traffic collision at Newhall Court in Tallaght. The N81 is temporarily blocked and Dublin Fire Brigade are dealing with the incident. More to follow... Ann Grimes, Mayor of North Wall and Sheriff Street, will be in a horse and carriage during the parade Members of the North Wall Community Festival Committee will hold their annual St Patricks Day parade this week, with Ann Grimes as the star of the show. Ms Grimes is known as the infamous voice shouting Ah here. Leave it out in a viral Dublin brawl video from 2012. She was elected as Mayor of North Wall and Sheriff Street in May last year, and will take pride of place in a horse and carriage during the parade on Friday, March 14. The parade will begin at 11am from outside the North Wall Community Development Project building on lower Sheriff Street, and wind its way up Commons Street, onto lower Mayor Street, past the National College of Ireland, and back down Seville Place. Local schools will take part along with the Garda band as well as Disney characters and stilt walkers. All are welcome to come and enjoy the parade. The committee will also be delivering bunting to each house along the route and have asked residents to display them outside their homes for all the children to enjoy throughout the parade. Dublin grandmother Ms Grimes has lived in the area for years and does a lot to help people in her local community. Her infamous catchphrase, shouted while witnessing a brawl on Talbot Street in 2012, quickly became a YouTube sensation and to this day, people still say it to her. The North Wall Community parade is one of a number of smaller local parades taking place across the city and county over the bank holiday weekend. The main St Patricks Festival parade takes place in Dublin city centre from noon on March 17 and features actress Victoria Smurfit as Grand Marshal. Public meeting over lack of suitable school spaces for children with additional needs Erica, mum of Boyce Marley (5), at the recent protest outside the Department of Education. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins A protest outside the Department of Education demanding school places for children with learning difficulties. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins A public meeting is being held this evening to highlight the lack of suitable school places, assessments and supports for children with disabilities and additional needs in north Dublin. The meeting, at 7.30pm in Kilmore Recreation Centre, is being hosted by Equality in Education Dublin Bay North and Dublin North West, and follows a 24-hour sleep-out by parents outside the Department of Education two weeks ago Independent councillor John Lyons, People Before Profit councillor Conor Reddy, and Social Democrats councillor Jesslyn Henry are scheduled to speak on a panel alongside Rachel Martin from Families Unite for Services and Support Ireland, an SNA, and a parent. One local parent, Amy, will be attending the meeting. Her daughter Kyla Mae is autistic and has a diagnosis of Global Developmental Delay. They waited two and a half years for her Assessment of Needs, only receiving it after legal action was taken. She is now fighting for an appropriate school place for Kyla Mae, who hasnt received any speech and language or occupational therapy. Weve applied to 17 schools, including early intervention classes, she said. Were trying to get her a third year in pre-school as all the schools are replying to say they are full and she hasnt been accepted. Kyla Mae needs the appropriate services, therapies, and school placement because if she doesnt, theres a good chance she will regress. Erica, mum of Boyce Marley (5), at the recent protest outside the Department of Education. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins I want the Government to act on their words and not fill already stressed and overloaded parents with false hope, she added. Samantha OFlanagan, Forsa Equality Officer from the NDNL SNA branch, will also be in attendance and said she has had the privilege of seeing children thrive with the right supports and environments. Unfortunately, Ive also seen the detrimental effects on children who are denied an appropriate school place, she said. These parents are doing what any parent would by fighting for their childs rights, but they shouldnt have to. The system should work for them, not be fighting against them; every child deserves the right to an education, she added. Cllr Henry, an SNA, sees first-hand the importance of appropriate school places. Parents shouldnt have to fight for supports for their children, but at the very least, they should not have to fight for school places, she said. As an SNA, I see the difference an appropriate school place can have on the childs life, but on the wider familys life too. Schools are a place of education, but they also give respite for parents, a sense of normality and inclusion. Thats what tonights meeting is about providing space for parents to come together so they are not alone, where they will actually be listened to, she added. The proposed Short-Term Letting and Tourism Bill is aimed at making more long-term rental properties available ISCF CEO Maire Ni Mhurchu believes the Government needs urgent consultation with rural and long-term property owners in order to ensure that they continue in business. More than 1,850 holiday homes in Kerry may have to close down if the Government passes the proposed Short Term Letting and Tourism Bill, the Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) has claimed. The bill is aimed at reducing short-term letting in rent pressure zones. It would see the creation of a Short-Term Letting register and require short-term rental properties to be registered with Failte Ireland. Under the bill, properties offering accommodation for up to 21 nights will need to be registered and booking platforms will only be able to advertise properties with a valid Failte Ireland registration number. Owners of properties in pressure zones will be required to have planning permission to be used for tourism and short-term letting purposes to register. Failte Ireland may levy a 300 fixed payment notice on owners who advertise their property without a valid registration number and also have the option to bring the case to the district court where the maximum fine is up to 5,000. The ISCF has declared that the proposed bill seeks to force holiday home owners to abandon putting their properties up for short-term rental, on platforms like Airbnb, and turn them over to the long-term rental sector. The Federation said that Failte Ireland identified 10,731 properties offering short-term rentals in Ireland - including 1,858 in Kerry - deemed suitable to be long-term rentals. It claimed that if 1,858 short-term rental units were to be removed from Kerry, this would impose an annual loss of 72.4 million on the tourism economy of the county, according to a survey by economist Jim Power. Mr Powers survey stated that each unit accommodates five people on average. It assumed a 50pc occupancy rate and an average weekly spend of 300 per person (not including accommodation costs). The ISCF, which represents 6,700 self-catering properties across Ireland, said the Bill is flawed and needs to be redrafted. One of the self-catering property businesses represented by the ISCF is Cottages for Couples in Skibbereen, owned by Peter and Anna Warburton, which offers short breaks to couples in properties including treehouses. Mr Warburton said Failte Ireland identified properties suitable for long-term rental by screen scraping from major online agents like Airbnb and Booking.com. Crucially, they didnt ask a single property owner if they would move to long-term rental if they were prohibited from offering short-term rental. The ISCF conducted a survey which found that 90pc of respondents would not move to long-term rental even if they were threatened with closure, Mr Warburton said. He claimed that if his properties had to close, Skibbereen would lose an important source of revenue. Whats more, would our treehouses be suitable for long term rental, I dont think so. This one size fits all approach simply wont work, Mr Warburton said. ISCF chief Maire Ni Murchu acknowledged rural tourism needs to be regulated, but called for the sector to be listened to. Our members cannot be held somehow responsible for the lack of sufficient housing in Ireland, she said. It is imperative that the legislation is proportionate and balanced. That can only be achieved by engagement with the sector, and we are calling on the Government to ensure that happens. The book was launched by Killarney Mayor Maura Healy-Rae, who recognised first-time author Mary ODonoghues achievement in writing it while facing health difficulties Dan Dennehy, Sheila O'Keeffe and John Bradley of Kanturk Courthouse Restoration Committee with Minister of State for Special Education Michael Moynihan and Mary O'Donoghue at the launch of Fred Healy- The One Eyed Gunner at Killarney Library on Saturday. Killarney Mayor Maura Healy-Rae, Mary O'Donoghue and Catriona Dunlea at the launch of Fred Healy - The One Eyed Gunner at Killarney Library on Saturday. St Brendan's College Transition Year students Chris Flynn, Patrick Mullane, Rory O'Connor and James Ward with teacher Niamh Sexton and author Mary O'Donoghue at the launch of Fred Healy- The One Eyed Gunner at Killarney Library on Saturday. Coolcurtoga woman Mary ODonoghue launched her very first book, Fred Healy The One Eyed Gunner, at a very well attended event hosted by Killarney Library on Saturday afternoon. The book sheds light on the life of an obscure IRA man from Islandmore in Glenflesk, who the book is named after. Author Mary became aware of Fred Healy after finding that his name was graffitied within decaying the walls of Kanturk Courthouse bridewell. Mary researched and wrote the book over the course of the last year while making a demanding recovery from an oesophageal cancer surgery which resulted in life-threatening complications. Mary previously told The Kerryman that she did not wake up for two weeks after the surgery, and that it was a miracle that she got through it. At the launch event, Mary spoke of the importance of Freds story, as poorer men like him contributed to Irelands status as an independent nation. She also warned of the consequences of conflicts like those seen in Gaza and Ukraine today. In memory of the subject of her book, Mary played a rendition of Only Our Rivers Run Free on the tin whistle. Killarney librarian Eamon Burke also spoke at the event, along with St Brendans College mathematics and music teacher, Niamh Sexton, whose TY students helped Mary with the IT aspects of formatting her book. Fred Healy The One Eyed Gunner, was officially launched by Killarney Mayor Maura Healy-Rae, who recognised Marys achievement in writing the book amid the health struggles which she continues to endure. I am delighted to have the honour of launching this book which falls on International Womens Day as only the second female to hold this chain of office, it is a pleasure for me to be able to recognise the work of my fellow female comrade on the life of a fellow Healy, Mayor Healy-Rae said. The Mayor also noted that Mary opted for all proceeds of the book to go to cancer support service Recovery Haven. Those in attendance included family and friends of Mrs ODonoghue (70), including her husband Sean, as well as Recovery Haven volunteers, Kerry TDs and councillors, Tralee historian Tim Horgan and Castleisland District Heritage group. There was also many present from beyond the county bounds, including members of Kanturk Courthouse Restoration Committee and Cork North-West TD and Minister of State for Special Education, Michael Moynihan. Mary told The Kerryman that she hopes her book will draw attention to the deteriorating state of Kanturk Courthouse which results in the building being renovated and the rare graffiti in its bridewell preserved. Kerry grave of courageous Mary OConnell should be restored ahead of The Liberators anniversary Former tour guide Paul Ryan believes Mary OConnell should be recognised for the contribution she made to her husbands remarkable life The grave of Mary O'Connell at Abbey Island Cemetery. Photos provided by Paul Ryan Jack Joy Kerryman Wed 12 Mar 2025 at 06:00 While major celebrations are being planned to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Daniel OConnell in August, one man has called for the courageous life lived by The Liberators wife to not be forgotten. Wexford man Jimmy Ennis has spent the last number of years contacting the Irish Government in order to bring home a relic that is currently housed in the British Museum. Jimmy, who has lived in Hampshire in the UK for that last 38 years, has always had an interest in history which propelled him into researching the journey and current location of the Enniscorthy brooch. "I had known about the brooch for many years and I suspect it was something that appeared on the Enniscorthy History Facebook page that started my interest in finding out more, he said. However, the quest to getting answers has not been smooth-sailing. "I wrote a couple of times to the culture department and got the brush off, he said. The most comprehensive response he has received yet has been a letter from Executive Officer Donna Rochford-Dunne from the Cultural Policy and Institutions Unit in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, which explained how the brooch ended up in the British Museum in the first place. She explained that the National Collection contains artworks and objects from around the world, along with Irish artefacts, which were obtained prior to the enactment of the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 and the National Cultural Institutions Act 1997. "As in the case in many countries, objects from Ireland were often legitimately acquired by antiquarian collectors and ultimately entered the collections of other museums through onward sale or donation. This type of activity dates from a time which predates the current legislation and its provisions relating to the discovery, possession, and sale of archaeological objects, she outlined. According to records the brooch was purchased in London by the British Museum from W. Anthony who was the son of the Piltown-based collector Redmond Anthony in 1849. The collection was sold after Redmonds death in 1848. On authority of John Cherry, a curator in the British Museum, the brooch was found following demolition works at Enniscorthy Abbey some time before 1940 and was acquired by Redmond by exchange with counsellor Cookman of Enniscorthy. She concluded the letter by noting that the museum often loans out Irish objects to Irish institutions for specific exhibitions and share a close relationship with the National Museum of Ireland. However, Jimmy is continuing to advocate for a more permanent loan in the relic's origins of Enniscorthy. I think it would be good for the brooch to come back to Enniscorthy and I will make that approach again to the Irish Government and the British Museum. I am interested in it because it goes back to a stage where we were producing something as aesthetically beautiful as the Enniscorthy brooch in our area, he said. "You cant lose sight of the whole timeline of Enniscorthy and its history, he added. Social media users in the comments of his post highlighted that the brooch was not on display when they visited the museum in person and that a regeneration of the Athenaeum could result in a good location to hold the item should it be eventually returned home. Family overwhelmed by support they have received as mum of two fights for her life in the Mater Hospital Louise Donnelly with her children Ryan and Abbie Murphy from Ramsgrange. Photo: Mary Browne A fundraising campaign set up for a family of a woman who remains in critical condition following a car crash surpassed its initial target of 5,000 within hours. The GoFundMe campaign was set up on Thursday, March 6 by Tara Boland, who is the cousin of Louise Donnelly, the woman involved in the crash. However, since the campaign was launched, Ms Boland received an overwhelming response from the public, and it has raised almost three times the target amount and now stands at 14,940. Ms Donnelly sustained life-threatening injuries in a serious road traffic crash on Monday, February 24 at the Balliniry Cross on the New Line road, Co. Wexford, in which two others were also brought to hospital. The driver in the vehicle Ms Donnelly was travelling in, a man, was rushed to Wexford General Hospital, while the female driver of the second car involved was brought to University Hospital Waterford by ambulance. As Ms Donnelly continues to be treated for her injured in Dublin, the fundraiser, according to Ms Boland, aims to raise funds toward supporting Louise, her children and family throughout this difficult and unsettling time. Ms Boland describes the prognosis of the young mother-of-two as uncertain due to the constant change. Louise had initially been brought to Beaumont hospital but on Tuesday Ms Boland said her cousin had been transferred to the Mater Hospital. I wanted to share a brief update on behalf of Louises family., outlined Ms Boland. Louise has now been transferred to the Mater hospital where she will continue to be cared for in the intensive care unit. Given the complexity of her injuries assessments and decisions will be made by the Mater ICU team on a continuum and investigative basis, and as you can appreciate, her treatment course is open to change at any time as she currently remains in a highly critical condition. I want to reiterate how beyond grateful I am regarding the response this page has had and continues to receive. Louises family are overcome with the support, well wishes, love and generosity shown. It is a testament to the compassion and willingness to help within our community; it means so much regarding the needs of Louises family in dealing with this situation in the here and now as well as the coming weeks and months down the line. Ms Boland went on to say that Louise has shown great determination already in her battle. Louise is a fighter, and is holding her own to be here so please continue to keep her in your prayers and thoughts. Late last week Ms Boland set up the GoFundMe page saying that proceeds would ease any financial burden or worries to some degree for her family. By Saturday evening, March 8, Ms Boland had revisited the site and shared an update as, at this time over 12,000 was raised in two days, far surpassing the 5,000 target. She was overwhelmed by peoples generosity. I cannot thank each and every single one of you enough for your shares, support and exceedingly generous donations to Louise, her children and family,. Its truly incredible what has been achieved and the impact those funds will have for them in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead, she added. Some of the donations were from friends, local businesses and anonymous donations, with 200 being donated by the local primary school of which Ms Donnellys two young children attend. Ramsgrange N.S. Parents Association has publicly shared the campaign to their social media accounts while noting that Ms Donnellys children are two wonderful little kids, adding, thinking of you Louise. This message was also later shared by the official school page. Ramsgrange Tidy Towns is another group of many encouraging donations posting: A Ramsgrange mother, her two beautiful children (in our village primary school), and her family are in need of support. There is no donation too small and no prayer that we believe will be unheard. It takes a village and we are Ramsgrange strong! To support the fundraiser click here A man suspected of threatening two women with a knife has been detained in Garda custody under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. The incident occurred on the evening of March 5 at The Moorings in New Ross at 11pm when a woman observed a male acting suspiciously. When approached it is alleged that the male produced a knife and made a threat towards her and another woman. Both women subsequently fled the area. After reviewing CCTV footage which captured the incident, gardai identified the suspect and he was arrested and detained at New Ross Garda Station. A search of the scene and surroundings recovered a knife. It is expected that the suspect, who is Polish, in his mid-fifties and local to New Ross, will be charged with various offences and held in custody to appear in court. Gardai also wished to alert those in the New Ross area regarding an online scam on Facebook marketplace. On March 3, a woman placed an advert on Facebook marketplace to sell her car and was contacted by an individual about purchasing the vehicle. However, before purchasing the vehicle the individual said they wanted a vehicle check carried out on it. The injured party was sent a link to what she believed was a vehicle check website, paid a sum of money to have the vehicle check carried out and subsequently realised that the website was fraudulent and later discovered similar scams online. The total sum lost was 30. On the same date, in Kilgarvan, gardai received report of a burglary which saw a detached garage entered overnight and a weight bench, assorted metal disc weights, an Olympic bar and a hedge trimmers stolen. Gardai are seeking any witnesses with information, or any persons that observed suspicious behaviour in that location. Gardai are also investigating a road traffic collision which occurred on March 4 at Graigue Hill, Carrig-on-Bannow at 11.25 a.m. This single vehicle collision saw the driver collided with the telephone pole on the off side traveling from Carrig-on-Bannow towards Bannow Bay. The car subsequently flipped on to its roof. The female driver (early fifties) had exited vehicle prior to arrival and was checked over by the ambulance crew at the scene before being transported for further care at Wexford General Hospital. A blood sample was taken and gardai are awaiting the results. The Wally's pictured at the opening of the library in Kennedy Park National School on Thursday. Pic: Jim Campbell Mayor Cllr Catherine Walsh with Sophie Klegg and Hanna Walsh during the opening of the library in Kennedy Park National School on Thursday. Pic: Jim Campbell Nicola and Kayla Reck enjoyed the opening of the library in Kennedy Park National School on Thursday. Pic: Jim Campbell Alex Kelly pictured during the opening of the library in Kennedy Park National School on Thursday. Pic: Jim Campbell Alana Donovan with her grandad Charlie Herterich during the opening of the library in Kennedy Park National School on Thursday. Pic: Jim Campbell Kiera Rossiter and Lilly Murphy were at the opening of the library in Kennedy Park National School on Thursday. Pic: Jim Campbell Hanna Walsh (Students Council) speaking at the opening of the library in Kennedy Park National School on Thursday. Pic: Jim Campbell Some of the attendance pictured at the opening of the library in Kennedy Park National School on Thursday. Pic: Jim Campbell Mayor Cllr Catherine Walsh reading a book to some of the pupils during the opening of the library in Kennedy Park National School on Thursday. Pic: Jim Campbell Children from Kennedy Park National School have gained access to a world of imagination after their new library was officially opened on World Book Day. Packed with a wide range of fiction, non-fiction, and educational resources, the library provides pupils at the school with a comfortable environment to engage with books and foster a love of the written word. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was presided over by Mayor of Wexford, Councillor Catherine Walsh, who commended the school's dedication to enhancing educational resources and supporting student wellbeing. Alongside the library, a new sensory room has been unveiled at the school to provide a dedicated space for students with additional sensory needs. The room features calming lights, tactile equipment, and soothing soundscapes designed to create a relaxing environment for students requiring a quiet retreat. This room will offer children a safe space to regulate, reset and come back to class refreshed. Mayor Cllr Catherine Walsh with Sophie Klegg and Hanna Walsh during the opening of the library in Kennedy Park National School on Thursday. Pic: Jim Campbell "It is wonderful to see Kennedy Park NS investing in these fantastic facilities, said the Mayor. The new library will inspire a passion for reading, and the sensory room will ensure that every child in the school can feel comfortable, safe, and supported." Following the opening, sixth class student Hannah Walsh spoke of the benefit of a library in a child's development and praised librarian Tina Doyle for all the work she does for the children. As it was World Book Day children and staff dressed up as their favourite character from a book and there were lots of activities taking place to celebrate the day. The younger classes had author Samantha van der Kerckhove visit their classes for a reading of her book, while fourth and fifth classes are currently receiving workshops from renowned author Eve McDonnell through Childrens Books Ireland. Hanna Walsh (Students Council) speaking at the opening of the library in Kennedy Park National School on Thursday. Pic: Jim Campbell Principal Mr Colm Gallagher expressed his gratitude to the Vols GAA Club which donated all funds raised from its 100-hour relay last year to the development of the sensory room. "This has been a true community effort," he said as he thanked the parents, staff and board of management for their support of this project. "We are incredibly proud to offer these wonderful resources to our students. The school looks forward to using these new spaces to promote learning, inclusion, and creativity for years to come. Both the library and sensory room are now open for use, and students are already exploring these new environments with excitement and enthusiasm," the principal concluded. Kiera Rossiter and Lilly Murphy were at the opening of the library in Kennedy Park National School on Thursday. Pic: Jim Campbell Kennedy Park NS has been chosen from hundreds of applicants for the Book Gifting award from Childrens Books Ireland which means the library has already received several hundred free books. Michael McMahon (Principal Wexford CBS Secondary School) and Br. Eamonn Kinsella were at the Wexford Parish Care for the Earth Group in Whites Hotel on Wednesday. Pic: Jim Campbell David Sinnott and Sr Mary O'Dwyer were at the Wexford Parish Care for the Earth Group in Whites Hotel on Wednesday. Pic: Jim Campbell Karen Lynott, Mairead Sinnott and Claire Harney attended the Wexford Parish Care for the Earth Group in Whites Hotel on Wednesday. Pic: Jim Campbell Grainne Dunne (Trocaire), Prof Conor Murphy and Rev Fr Sean McDonagh were the guest speakers at the Wexford Parish Care for the Earth Group in Whites Hotel on Wednesday. Pic: Jim Campbell A cheque for 8,800 was presented to Grainne Dunne of Trocaire from the Wexford Parish at the Wexford Parish Care for the Earth Group in Whites Hotel on Wednesday. Pic: Jim Campbell With the real and present danger of climate change becoming all too apparent with every passing year, Bishop Ger Nash and Fr Billy Swan established the Wexford Parish Care for the Earth Group back in 2021. Since theyve undertaken several important environmental initiatives and raised funds for a number of projects and causes. The latest of these was a donation of 8,800 which the group presented to the charity Trocaire in order to help those who are suffering a the hands of climate change, through absolutely no fault of their own. Undertaking a large amount of work in this area, Grainne Dunne was delighted to accept the cheque on behalf of Trocaire at a special event hosted by the Wexford Parish Care for the Earth Group at Whites Hotel. Grainne Dunne (Trocaire), Prof Conor Murphy and Rev Fr Sean McDonagh were the guest speakers at the Wexford Parish Care for the Earth Group in Whites Hotel on Wednesday. Pic: Jim Campbell As well as the cheque presentation, the event saw a key note speech delivered by Fr Sean McDonagh and a talk from Wexford born Professor Connor Murphy on the growing threat of coastal erosion for the Model County. Local secondary school students also spoke of some of the work they are doing to combat climate change in the community. The group also unveiled its new website and you can learn more about their initiatives and get involved by visiting carefortheearth.ie. Blessington Community Colleges Student Environmental Council will host Wicklows inaugural Youth Biodiversity Conference on Wednesday, April 2, from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm. Supported by Wicklow County Council, the event will see students from first to fifth year that have been actively engaged with environmental topics further these efforts by involving even more students. The primary objective of the Youth Biodiversity Conference is to amplify the voices of young people, empowering them to speak out about the ongoing biodiversity crisis and inspire further action. The organising committee has hand-picked key topics to ignite passion and foster a lasting commitment to sustainability among attendees. As part of the process, Blessington Community College students will provide biodiversity workshops where students from the committee can present their own findings with conference participants. The conference seeks to raise awareness among younger generations about the far-reaching impacts of biodiversity loss on socio-economic development, environmental sustainability, and climate change, while also highlighting actionable solutions to mitigate these effects and providing a platform for youth to engage with policymakers at local and national levels. The conference will include discussions with young people on various topics with presentations from external speakers, including ecologist, broadcaster and author Anja Murray, Irish biologist, environmental consultant, radio and television presenter Eanna Ni Lamhna, senior lecturer and associate professor at Maynooth University Dr James Carolan and nature writer Declan Murphy. Invitations have been extended to three additional secondary schools Colaiste Bhride Carnew, Scoil Chonglais Baltinglass and St. Kevins Community College Dunlavin to encourage broader participation in biodiversity initiatives across the county. Various political representatives, community groups, and policymakers have also been invited to join the event. Commending BCC principal Kieran Burke and assistant principal Tanya Twyford-Troy for agreeing to hosting the event, Wicklow County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Paul OBrien said: In a world where environmental challenges seem to grow by the day, initiatives like this give us hope for the future. It is inspiring to see young minds coming together to learn, share, and take action on one of the most pressing issues of our timethe preservation of biodiversity. School principal Kieran Burke added: Blessington Community College is delighted to host the countys first Youth Biodiversity Conference. Our planet is facing unprecedented challenges, from habitat loss to climate change, and it is up to us to help develop the next generation of leaders, innovators, and activiststo find solutions that ensure a sustainable future for all living things. This conference is a unique opportunity for us to learn, collaborate, and share ideas that can inspire real change. Together, we can help create a world where biodiversity thrives for generations to come. Parish of Powerscourt with Kilbride Services at Powerscourt with Kilbride: All Services are available on the Parish YouTube Channel. Service of Worship in St. Patricks Church, Powerscourt, for this Sunday The Second Sunday in Lent: 11.30am All Age Service. Service of Worship in St. Brigids Church, Kilbride, for this Sunday The Second Sunday in Lent: 9.45am Holy Communion 2. Churchs Ministry of Healing Quiet Day: He restores my soul, the Churchs Ministry of Healing Quiet Day, takes place on Saturday March 22nd in Newcastle Parish Centre, Newcastle, County Wicklow, from 10am to 3pm. All are welcome. Sent for Lent: Agape Ireland invites you on a 4 week adventure to discover what it means to be Sent for Lent. Hosted in Crinken Church Shankill, from 7.30pm to 9pm on Mondays March 24th, March 31st, April 7th, and Apri1 14th. Irish Trefoil GuildGuiding for Life: Calling all former leaders of the Irish Girl Guides in Bray and the surrounding area. There is now a Trefoil Guild in Bray. Contact Anne at braytrefoilguild@gmail.com. St Marys Church Parish Website: www.enniskerryparish.ie is the Parish website of the Immaculate Heart of Marycheck it out for the latest information about our parish. Facebook Page: There is a facebook page for the parish of Enniskerry, incorporating all four churches which facebook users will find under Enniskerry parish with a cover photo of trees and profile picture of a quote from Pope Francis. Please give it a like and feel free to post news from your community. Enniskerry (also Curtlestown & Glencree) Parish Office opening times: Monday to Friday: 10am to 1pm; email: stmarys@enniskerryparish.ie; or call 01-2760030. St. Mochonogs Parish Office opening times: Monday: 9am to 2pm, Tuesday: (by phone) 10am to 1pm, Wednesday: 10am to 2pm, Thursday (by phone) 10am to 1pm. Closed Friday. Parish Churches Schedule of Masses: Enniskerry St. Marys: Saturday evening 6pm and also via parish webcam; Sunday 11am and also via parish webcam. Weekday Mass at Enniskerry is at 10.15am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and also via parish webcam lay-led prayer service on Wednesday; and Saturday at 10.15am, and also available via the parish webcam. Masses in Curtlestown and Kilmacanogue are on Sunday at 10am. Mass in Glencree is at 9am on the first Sunday each month. St. Patricks Day: St Patricks Day will be celebrated in 3 centres, St. Patricks at 10am, St. Mochonogs at 10am, and St. Marys at 11am. St. Patricks Day in Kilmacanogue: On St. Patricks Day Kilmacanogue cubs and their leaders will once again take a role in celebrating our national saint. They will take part in the liturgy and distribute shamrock at 10am Mass in St. Mochonogs. The cubs have taken part every year and it would not be the same without them. Tea / Coffee will be available to all in the parish hall after Mass. All are welcome. New Music Ministry: Please join us if you would like the opportunity to sing and fill in from time to time when our regular musicians are not available. We currently meet on Tuesday evenings at 7.15pm in St. Marys Church. See you there. Baptism Requests: Requests for Baptism now take place online at www.enniskerryparish.ie. Downtime Thursday/Adoration: Downtime Thursday takes place on the last Thursday of the Month. The next Downtime Thursday will take place on Thursday March 27th from 7pm to 8pm in St. Marys Church, so why not pop into the church for some quiet time. You can sit in silence with candlelight and gentle music. Take a few minutes for yourself and just be. Light a candle, say a prayer. Just sit if thats what you need. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will take place. New Here?: You are very welcome. You can keep up to date with us through the parish webpage at www.enniskerryparish.ie. You can register as a parishioner by mailing us at stmarys@enniskerryparish.ie or stmochonogs@enniskerryparish.ie. If you wish to receive items, or if you would like to receive the Parish Link by email weekly please phone the Parish Office in Enniskerry on 01-2760030 (10am to 1pm Monday to Friday or email: stmarys@enniskerry.ie; and Kilmacanogue on 01-2021882 (10am to 1pm Monday to Thursday) or email:stmochonogs@enniskerryparish.ie. Broadcast List: A broadcast list for the parish is now up and running. This is to keep everyone up to date with what is happening in the parish and for easy communication in relation to building our communities. If you would like to have your name added to the list please contact Aideen at 086 8182 241. History Society Members and supporters of the Enniskerry History Society are asked to note that the following events will take place in the week ahead. Today (Wednesday) Donal Fallon will present The Lamplighters of the Phoenix Park at 6pm to the Old Dublin Society in the Conference Room, Dublin City Library & Archive, 139-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. All are welcome admission is free; Historian in Residence Katie Blackwood will present 4 Holy Wells in North Dublin at 6.30pm in Marino Library, Dublin 3. Admission is free but booking is required call 01-222 8399 or email: marinolibrary@dublincity.ie. Tomorrow (Thursday) Dr. Patrick Wadden will present The Real St. Patrick: Separating the Man from the Myth at 7pm in Wicklow Town Library, The Mall, Main Street, Wicklow Town. Admission is free and no booking is required; Jane Nolan will present Local History through Maps at 8pm to the Kilmacud-Stillorgan Local History Society in St. Lawrences Parish Centre, Lower Kilmacud Road, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin. Members are free visitors 3. Please note that there is a car parking charge of 1 per hour at this venue coin payment only. Next Tuesday Christiaan Corlett will present New Thoughts on St. Kevin and Glendalough at 8pm to the Foxrock Local History Club in Foxrock Parish Pastoral Centre, Foxrock, Co. Dublin. All are welcomeadmission is 5. Next Wednesday Professor Daithi O Corrain will present Destruction, Delay and Dej=C3=A0 Vu: The Restoration of Dublins OConnell Street after the Irish Civil War, 1922-1933 at 6.30pm in Dundrum Library. Admission is free but booking is required call 01-204 7220 or email: dundrumlib@dlrcoco.ie; the AGM of the Greystones Archaeological & Historical Society will take place at 8pm in the Kilian Family Centre beside Holy Rosary Church, Greystones, and will be followed by a presentation from Rosemary Raughter on The Wynne Family. All are welcome admission is 3; Rob Goodbody will present Richard Toucher Father of Dun Laoghaires Asylum Harbour at 8pm to the Dun Laoghaire Borough Historical Society in the Royal Marine Hotel, Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. All are welcomeadmission is 5. Free hotel parking is available for those attending this lecture. Next Thursday week (March 20th) Joan Kavanagh will present Grangegorman The Transportation Story at 7pm in Wicklow Town Library. Grangegorman Penitentiary in Dublin, which opened in 1836, was the first womens prison in Britain and Ireland, and had a special section for those sentenced to transportation to Australia. Admission is free but booking is required due to limited seating space to reserve a place call 0404 67025 or email Wicklowlocalstudies@wicklowcoco.ie; Paddy Barry will present The (Rocky) Road to Mongolia at 8pm to the Dublin Bray Old Gaffers Association in the Poolbeg Yacht and Sailing Club, Ringsend, Dublin 4, All are welcomedonation at the door in aid of the R.N.L.I. Enniskerry Library Opening hours are Tuesday 10.30am to 12.30pm & 1.30pm to 4.30pm; Wednesday: 2pm to 4.30pm & 6pm to 8pm; Friday: 10.30am to 12.30pm & 1.30pm to 4.30pm; Saturday: 10am to 2.30pm. The Library is closed on Mondays and Thursdays and on the Saturdays of Bank Holiday weekends. The Library can be contacted at 01-2864339 or email: enniskerrylib@wicklowcoco.ie. Online services including e-books, audio-books, digital magazines and newspapers and e-learning are available from the library website. Enniskerry Bridge Club Enniskerry Bridge Club meets every Tuesday night in the Parochial Hall (beside Poppies) at 7.30pm. New members are always very welcome. For more information please contact the Secretary at 085-7112179. Charabanc The next event takes place this Friday at 2.30pm in Powerscourt Parish Hall. Celebrate St. Patricks Day with music and dancing. Arklow film-maker and LGBTQIA+ campaigner Dave Thomas has called on Wicklow County Council to honour its pledge to create beacons of hope and solidarity by installing permanent Pride crossings in each Wicklow Municipal District. In June 2023, Wicklow councillors voted to add to Arklows historic rainbow crossing by installing crossings in the Baltinglass, Bray, Greystones, and Wicklow municipal districts in what was an historic commitment to inclusivity and support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Despite this progressive decision, the crossings have yet to materialise, leading co-founder of the Wicklow Pride Festival Dave Thomas to question why they have not come to fruition. Having played an instrumental role in the Republic of Irelands first permanent rainbow crossing in Arklow in 2021, Dave said that its implementation has set a precedent and disregarded suggestions that the colourful crossings pose a safety risk. It has been firmly established that these crossings do not violate any road safety regulations, do not hinder the flow of traffic, and do not pose challenges to individuals with disabilities, he said. The National Council for the Blind (NCBI) officially supported this initiative in writing. Furthermore, the precedent has already been set. Since December 2021, Arklow has proudly hosted a permanent Pride rainbow crossing at its traffic lights, with no adverse effects on public safety or traffic efficiency. Instead, it has become a vibrant symbol of unity and acceptance. The impact of the crossing has inspired others to follow. Arklow to Cork, Mayo to Dublin, and Limerick, communities have embraced this symbol of inclusion. Limerick has recently unveiled its sixth Pride rainbow crossing in 2025, while Wicklow County Wicklow has failed to fulfil its promise of a second crossing. While the creation of the first permanent rainbow crossing in Arklow was an incredible milestone, it should have been the beginning, not the end, of Wicklow County Councils commitment to diversity and inclusion, he added. Together, let us now call on all county councillors, LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups, Pride organisations, and allies to demand that Wicklow County Council honour the motion passed in 2023. The installation of the agreed-upon rainbow crossings should be completed by Pride Month, June 2025. The time for action is now. Lets ensure that Wicklow stands on the right side of history by creating permanent beacons of hope, acceptance, and solidarity for all. Asked for comment, a Wicklow County Council spokesperson said: Pedestrian crossings are regulatory road markings and it is not open to Wicklow County Council to ignore the detailed specifications set out. The concerns expressed by the NCBI are also a consideration. The NCBI make the point that clear, consistent design of road crossings is a safety imperative for the blind community. Until revisions are made to legislation, WCC is not in a position to accede to this request. latest | A wary Russia waits for details from US on Ukraine ceasefire plan Kremlin says waiting for details from Washington Kremlin says studying statements carefully Senior source: Russia will seek guarantees Putin has repeatedly said a long-term peace is needed From left, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad al-Aiban, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Ukrainian Head of Presidential Office Andriy Yermak hold a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP) Guy Faulconbridge and Dmitry Antonov Wed 12 Mar 2025 at 12:45 The Kremlin said on Wednesday it was awaiting details from Washington about a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine while senior Moscow sources said a deal would have to take account of Russia's advances and address its concerns. Pope's treatment for pneumonia changes the tenor of celebrations Unclear how long recovery might take for Francis, 88 Some Catholics hope pope continues to speak up on political issues Pope Francis will on Thursday mark the 12th anniversary of his election as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, but he will do so from Rome's Gemelli hospital where he has been treated for double pneumonia for almost a month. The latest bulletins from the Vatican on the 88-year-old pope's condition have said he is improving and is no longer in immediate danger. They have not said when he will be discharged from hospital. Marco Rubio says ball is in Russias court and that Donald Trump wants full agreement as soon as possible The United States agreed yesterday to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after talks where Kyiv said it would accept a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in its conflict with Russia, the countries said in a joint statement. US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the US would now take the offer to Russia, and that the ball is in Moscows court. The president wanted this war to end yesterday... So our hope is that the Russians will answer yes as quickly as possible, so we can get to the second phase of this, which is real negotiations, Mr Rubio told reporters after more than eight hours of talks in Jeddah. Ukraine yesterday launched its biggest ever drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region, killing at least three employees of a meat warehouse, injuring 17 others and causing a short shutdown at the Russian capitals four airports, Russian officials said. A total of 343 drones were downed over Russia, including 91 over Moscow region and 126 over the western region of Kursk where Ukrainian forces have been pulling back, as well as near the Kursk nuclear power plant, the defence ministry said. India Prepares Enhanced Tariff Reduction Proposal for US Trade Deal India has begun formulating the Terms of Reference for a proposed bilateral trade agreement with the US, with the goal of finalizing the initial phase of negotiations by fall 2025. The ToR will outline the objectives, negotiation framework, and scope of the agreement between the two countries. As India and the US strengthen their economic partnership, the Indian government is actively preparing revised tariff reduction proposals for the upcoming round of bilateral trade negotiations. Media reports indicate that India has initiated work on the Terms of Reference (ToR) for a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), with the aim of concluding the initial phase of discussions by fall 2025. This initiative reflects the governments commitment to resolving long-standing trade challenges and advancing the shared objective of doubling bilateral trade to US$500 billion by 2030. In a written statement to the lower house of Parliament on March 11, 2025, Minister of State (MoS) for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada, confirmed that both nations are working toward a comprehensive multi-sector trade agreement. The proposed pact seeks to enhance market access, reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers, and deepen supply chain integration. These efforts come amid ongoing concerns regarding potential US reciprocal tariffs on Indian exports and aim to reinforce economic cooperation between the two countries. Strengthening bilateral trade ties amid global trade pressures Indias proactive stance comes amid increased global scrutiny on trade imbalances. In a recent address, former US President Donald Trump criticized Indias high import tariffs, calling them very unfair, and threatened the implementation of reciprocal tariffs on countries imposing levies on American goods, effective April 2, 2025. However, Prasad has clarified to the Parliament that no reciprocal tariffs have yet been imposed by the US. He reaffirmed that India is committed to constructive engagement with the US to enhance market access and reduce trade barriers. Indias tariff reform strategy in focus To prevent any escalation of trade tensions and safeguard exporters interests, India is reportedly reassessing its tariff structure, particularly in high-sensitivity sectors such as automobiles, textiles, leather, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and agriculture. Media reports indicate that the central government is consulting key industry stakeholders this week to evaluate the scope of tariff concessions that could be extended to the US under a multi-sector BTA. These discussions are aimed at crafting a revised, mutually beneficial tariff offer ahead of the second round of formal negotiations. Rising trade and the pursuit of market access Trade between the two countries has seen a steady rise in recent years. In 2023, India-US bilateral trade reached US$190.08 billion, comprising US$123.89 billion in goods trade and US$66.19 billion in services trade. India exported goods worth US$83.77 billion to the US, while imports stood at US$40.12 billion, giving India a trade surplus of US$43.65 billiona key point of contention in US trade discussions. Despite these tensions, both sides have continued to emphasize their commitment to strengthening commercial ties. During Prime Minister Modis visit to Washington on February 13, 2025, both countries agreed to negotiate the first tranche of a BTA, covering market access improvements, tariff rationalization, and supply chain integration. US memorandum on reciprocal trade: What it means for India On February 13, 2025, the US issued a Memorandum on Reciprocal Trade and Tariffs, directing the US Commerce Secretary and the US Trade Representative (USTR) to assess the harm caused by non-reciprocal trade arrangements and recommend remedies for each trading partner. While the memo heightens pressure on countries like India to reduce trade imbalances, it has not yet translated into direct tariffs. Indias response so far has been to intensify diplomatic and trade consultations rather than engage in retaliatory measures, underscoring its interest in preserving the positive momentum in bilateral trade. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, concluded a visit to the US on March 7, 2025, followed by internal consultations with Indian exporters and trade associations. As per reports, Goyal is likely to visit the US again with revised tariff order later in March 2025. Key sectors under review amid India-US tariff negotiations The following sectors are under active consideration for potential tariff concessions: Automobiles and auto components: Long-standing demand from the US for lower duties. Textiles and leather goods: High-export potential sectors that may benefit from improved US market access. Pharmaceuticals and medical devices: Areas where India seeks regulatory harmonization and reciprocal access. Electronics and high-tech goods: Strategic sectors for value-added trade. Agriculture: A politically sensitive sector where the US expects greater market opening, especially in dairy and processed foods. Balancing diplomacy and domestic priorities While India is keen on advancing trade relations with the US, it remains cautious about overexposing sensitive sectors to foreign competition. The governments evolving approach appears to be one of calibrated liberalization, wherein tariff reductions are matched with domestic industry safeguards and export incentives. The second round of trade talks is expected to be crucial in shaping the contours of the India-US BTA and may serve as a stepping stone toward a broader Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in the future. Trumps tariff actions and implications for India: 2025 timeline January 20, 2025 : Donald Trump is sworn in for a second term. In his inaugural address, he reaffirms his commitment to imposing tariffs to protect US economic interests. : Donald Trump is sworn in for a second term. In his inaugural address, he reaffirms his commitment to imposing tariffs to protect US economic interests. February 10, 2025 : Trump announces plans to reinstate 25 percent tariffs on steel (removing prior exemptions) and increase aluminum tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent, effective March 12, 2025. : Trump announces plans to reinstate 25 percent tariffs on steel (removing prior exemptions) and increase aluminum tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent, effective March 12, 2025. February 13, 2025 : Trump unveils a reciprocal tariff policy, stating the US would implement it on imports from regardless of their economic classification. India, along with China and the EU, is specifically named as a target for upcoming tariff action. Trump criticizes Indias high import duties, especially in the automobile sector, where tariffs exceed 100 percent, labeling it unfair. : Trump unveils a reciprocal tariff policy, stating the US would implement it on imports from regardless of their economic classification. India, along with China and the EU, is specifically named as a target for upcoming tariff action. Trump criticizes Indias high import duties, especially in the automobile sector, where tariffs exceed 100 percent, labeling it unfair. March 4, 2025 : Trump formally reiterates that India will face new tariffs under the reciprocal policy. Key Indian sectors, including automobiles, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals, are expected to be impacted with tariffs up to 25 percent. Tariff hikes on countries such as Canada, Mexico, and China are implemented simultaneously, triggering retaliatory trade actions globally. : Trump formally reiterates that India will face new tariffs under the reciprocal policy. Key Indian sectors, including automobiles, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals, are expected to be impacted with tariffs up to 25 percent. Tariff hikes on countries such as Canada, Mexico, and China are implemented simultaneously, triggering retaliatory trade actions globally. March 11, 2025 : Indian Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Jitin Prasada, addresses Parliament and announces that India is preparing revised tariff proposals and working toward a BTA with the US. : Indian Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Jitin Prasada, addresses Parliament and announces that India is preparing revised tariff proposals and working toward a BTA with the US. April 2, 2025: The reciprocal tariff regime targeting countries such as India, China, and the EU is scheduled for enforcement. Conclusion Indias ongoing efforts to refine its tariff cut offers represent not just a tactical response to US concerns, but also a strategic opportunity to integrate more deeply into global supply chains and attract greater foreign investment. With both nations committed to enhancing trade, the success of these negotiations could define the next phase of India-US economic cooperation, paving the way for a stronger, more resilient bilateral partnership in the years ahead. Maa OTT Release: Kajol is set to return to the big screen with this horror-thriller directed by Vishal Furia. The film revolves around a mothers struggle to protect her daughter from supernatural forces in a rural setting. If you are wondering where to watch it on OTT, then Maa will be streaming on Netflix after its theatrical run concludes. Heres what we know more about the film. Maas plot preview Maa is set in Chandanpur, West Bengal, where Kajols character faces unexplained supernatural occurrences threatening her daughter. The film is expected to be a mix of horror and drama, focusing on the emotional depth of a mother-daughter relationship while incorporating eerie elements. Kajol plays the central character, and her role is said to be physically and emotionally challenging. While she has explored multiple genres in her career, Maa marks one of her rare appearances in a horror film. Ajay Devgn, who is the films producer, reportedly suggested adding more action sequences after watching early edits. Following his input, additional action scenes were shot in Mumbai in November to strengthen the films impact. RP Yadav, known for his work in Tanhaji and Shaitaan, has been brought in to handle the new action sequences. Maa is produced by the makers of the hit 2024 film Shaitaan. Presented by Jio Studios and Devgn Films, the film is bankrolled by Ajay Devgn and Jyoti Deshpande and co-produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak. Maa is currently in post-production and will hit the theatres on 27th June 2025. Directed by Vishal and written by Saiwyn Quadras, the thriller also stars Ronit Roy, Indraneil Sengupta, and Kherin Sharma in key roles. A press note from the filmmakers reads, Maa explores the timeless battle between good and evil, delivering spine-chilling suspense and intense drama. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Mufasa: The Lion King OTT Release Date - Barry Jenkins latest blockbuster outing emerged as the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2024. Released theatrically on December 20, the musical saga has grossed over Rs 5725 crore worldwide despite mixed reviews from critics. The film is finally ready for its digital debut. Mufasa: The Lion King will be streaming on JioHotstar starting March 26, 2025. Mufasa: The Lion Kings plot summary Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel that tells the untold story of Simbas father, Mufasa. The film follows his journey from being a helpless orphan to becoming the great king of the Pride Lands. Rescued by a young lion prince named Taka (who later becomes Scar), Mufasa grows up facing hardships, betrayals, and battles. Along the way, he forms friendships with familiar faces like Sarabi, Zazu, and a young Rafiki. As Takas jealousy of Mufasa grows, he joins forces with the villainous white lion Kiros, leading to a dramatic showdown. Taka eventually turns on Kiros but gets his signature scar in the process. Despite forgiving his brother, Mufasa steps into his destiny as king, shaping the future of the Pride Lands. The movie is framed as a story told by Rafiki to Simbas daughter, Kiara, helping her understand her grandfathers legacy. Mufasa: The Lion Kings cast and crew Directed by Barry Jenkins from a screenplay written by Jeff Nathanson, Mufasa: The Lion King features Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, Beyonce Knowles-Carter, and John Kani reprising their roles with new people like Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James and Anika Noni Rose joining the ensemble. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, the film is photorealistically animated and serves as both a prequel and sequel to The Lion King (2019). Did you watch Mufasa: The Lion King? Drop your reviews @indiatimes. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. K.S. Sowmya Sathyanarayana, popularly known as Soundarya, was a superhit actress of her time known for memorable Telugu cinema performances. Born on July 18, 1972, in Karnataka, the diva saw a tragic end to her life. 22 years later, a case has been filed against actor Mohan Babu for plotting her murder and showing it as accidental. Heres all that we know so far. How did Soundarya actually die? On April 17, 2004, Soundarya tragically died in an aircraft crash near Bengaluru. She who was pregnant at that time and was travelling with her brother, Amarnath, and two others to Karimnagar, Telangana, to campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the general elections. Shortly after takeoff, the Cessna 180 aircraft crashed on the campus of the Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra of the University of Agricultural Sciences, resulting in the death of all onboard. What are the allegations against Mohan Babu? In March 2025, over two decades after the incident, new allegations surfaced implicating veteran actor Mohan Babu in Soundarya's death. According to News18 Kannada, a person named Chittimallu filed a complaint accusing Mohan Babu of orchestrating the air crash. The complaint alleges that Soundarya owned a six-acre land parcel in Jalpalli village which comes under the Shamshabad region. Mohan Babu purportedly expressed interest in purchasing this land, but faced opposition from Soundarya's brother, leading to tension between the families. Chittimallu claims that the tension resulted in the planned air crash that killed Soundarya and her brother. He further alleges that after their deaths, Mohan Babu illegally occupied the disputed land. Additionally, director Kapuganti Rajendra, who worked with Soundarya on her final film Shiva Shankar revealed that during the film's production, Mohan Babu granted Soundarya leave to participate in BJP campaign events. Rajendra speculated that had Mohan Babu not approved her leave, she might not have boarded the ill-fated flight. As of now, these allegations are based on individual claims and speculations. No official confirmation or legal action is substantiating Mohan Babu's involvement in Soundarya's death. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. One of South Korea's most sought-after actors, Kim Soo-hyun, is currently embroiled in a controversy surrounding the late Kim Sae-ron. The actress's family, particularly her aunt, has publicly blamed the actor for Sae-ron's tragic death. As the situation unfolds, all eyes remain on Kim Soo-hyun as well as the numerous brands he endorses. The actor is the face of 19 high-profile brands, spanning luxury fashion, finance, cosmetics, and retail. However, his reputation now hangs by a thread following the controversy. Kim Soo-hyun faces fallout In the wake of the scandal, Korean netizens have urged companies to cut ties with Kim Soo-hyun, threatening boycotts if they fail to act. Many believe his involvement has tarnished his once-pristine public image, making him a risky choice for brand partnerships. Amid the growing backlash, some companies are already taking precautionary steps. Vegan beauty brand Dinto has officially put all promotional activities involving Kim Soo-hyun on hold. "All employees are checking the facts and discussing how to proceed. Currently, all scheduled events and campaigns with the model have been suspended," Dinto stated, as reported by Koreaboo. Notably, as of March 12, Jeju Air also erased all traces of the actor from its advertising, including decade-old commercials. According to OSEN, Aekyung Group Jeju Air's parent company has set its 2015 ads featuring the actor to private. He was the airline's brand ambassador for a year, appearing in print ads, online and offline videos, and even on aircraft interiors and exteriors. Other distribution companies working with Kim Soo-hyun are also reportedly reviewing the situation internally, weighing their options as public pressure mounts. With the possibility of further fallout, heres a list of the 19 brands Kim Soo-hyun currently represents and could potentially lose: Watches: Swatch Group MIDO Cosmetics: HEBE Beauty, YOU Beauty, Dinto, KOSE DECORTE AQ Outdoor Apparel: K2 Korea Eider Retail: Homeplus Finance: Shinhan Financial Group, Shinhan Bank Food & Beverage: All Day Fresh Shabu All Day, CJ Foodville Tous Les Jours Health: Frombio Fragrance: Estee Lauder Companies, Jo Malone London Home Appliances: Cuckoo Electronics Cuckoo Fashion: Suyen Corporation BENCH/, Prada For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. History of Holi: Holi, also called the Festival of Colors, is a joyful and ancient Hindu festival celebrated in India and other parts of the world. It marks the victory of good over evil, based on the story of Prahlada and his father, Hiranyakashipu. According to legend, Hiranyakashipu wanted to harm his son for worshipping Lord Vishnu. He asked his sister, Holika, who had a special power to resist fire, to burn Prahlada. But due to his strong faith, Prahlada was saved, and Holika was burned instead. This event is remembered through Holika Dahan, where people light bonfires the night before Holi. History of Holi: Why is it Celebrated? Holi, the colorful Hindu festival, is celebrated every year to welcome spring and show that good wins over evil. It is an old festival with a rich history and deep meaning, making it one of the most loved celebrations in India and many other places. The Tale of Prahlad, Holika, and Hiranyakashipu One of the most famous stories of Holi is about King Hiranyakashipu, his son Prahlad, and his sister Holika. Hiranyakashipu was a powerful demon king who wanted everyone to worship him. But his son, Prahlad, was a true devotee of Lord Vishnu and refused to obey his father. This made Hiranyakashipu very angry, and he tried many ways to punish Prahlad, but nothing could harm him. Finally, Hiranyakashipu asked his sister Holika to help. Holika had a special fireproof cloak and tried to burn Prahlad by sitting with him in a fire. But because of Prahlads strong faith in Vishnu, the cloak flew off Holika and covered Prahlad instead. Holika burned in the fire, but Prahlad was saved. This story shows that good always wins over evil. To remember this, people celebrate Holika Dahan by lighting bonfires the night before Holi. Vishnu's Avatar as Narasimha The story continues with Lord Vishnu taking the form of Narasimha, a half-man, half-lion avatar, to defeat Hiranyakashipu. Since Hiranyakashipu had a special boon that made him nearly impossible to kill, Vishnu followed its conditions carefully. He killed Hiranyakashipu at dusk (neither day nor night), on a doorstep (neither inside nor outside), using his claws (neither a weapon nor a tool), while holding him on his lap (neither on land nor in the air). Holi has been celebrated for hundreds of years, and it is even mentioned in old Hindu books like Jaimini's Purvamimamsa-Sutras and Narada Purana. In the past, it was called "Holika" and was mainly a ritual where married women prayed for their family's happiness and health. Over time, Holi changed into a festival of colors, joy, love, and new beginnings. For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. Holi 2025 dry day alert: Holi, the festival of colours, is a joyful event celebrated across India. If you are planning to buy alcohol on Holi 2025, you should know whether liquor shops will be open or closed. In India, Holi is often a dry day, meaning alcohol sales are not allowed in most states. What Is a Dry Day? A dry day is a specific date when alcohol sales are banned at licensed liquor shops, bars, and restaurants. These days are observed on national holidays, religious festivals, and election days to respect cultural and social values. While alcohol sales are restricted, drinking at home is usually allowed. Some states like Bihar, Gujarat, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Lakshadweep have banned alcohol completely. In other states, dry days happen only on certain occasions, including Holi. Will Liquor Shops Be Closed on Holi 2025? For Holi 2025, which falls on Friday, 14 March, liquor shops in many parts of India will likely remain closed, as it is a dry day. State governments issue notifications about alcohol bans, so in places where Holi is marked as a dry day, liquor shops, bars, and pubs will be shut. If you need alcohol for Holi celebrations, it is best to buy it in advance. Also, remember that drinking alcohol in public places is not allowed and could lead to legal trouble. List of Dry Days in India 2025 Apart from Holi dry day, here are other dry days in 2025 when liquor shops are likely to remain closed: March 2025 dry days Date Day Event March 14 Friday Holi March 31 Monday Eid-ul-Fitr April 2025 dry days Date Day Event April 6 Sunday Ram Navami April 11 Thursday Mahavir Jayanti April 14 Monday Ambedkar Jayanti April 18 Friday Good Friday May 2025 dry days Date Day Event May 1 Thursday Maharashtra Day May 12 Monday Buddha Purnima June 2025 dry days Date Day Event June 7 Saturday Id-ul-Zuha July 2025 dry days Date Day Event July 6 Sunday Muharram & Ashadi Ekadashi July 10 Thursday Guru Purnima August 2025 dry day Date Day Event August 15 Friday Independence Day August 16 Saturday Janmashtami August 27 Wednesday Ganesh Chaturthi September 2025 dry days Date Day Event September 5 Friday Eid-e-Milad October 2025 dry days Date Day Event October Thursday Gandhi Jayanti & Dussehra October Tuesday Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti October Monday Diwali November 2025 dry days Date Day Event November 5 Wednesday Guru Nanak Jayanti December 2025 dry days Date Day Event December 25 Thursday Christmas Why Are Dry Days Important? Dry days help maintain order during important national, cultural, and religious occasions. These restrictions ensure that events are celebrated respectfully and without disruptions. Knowing about dry days in 2025 can help people plan their social events and travels better. If you are wondering whether liquor shops will be open on Holi 2025, the answer is no in most states, as it is a dry day. To avoid any last-minute issues, check the local government rules and buy alcohol in advance if needed. Always drink responsibly and follow the laws in your state. Stay informed about Holi 2025 dry day rules and enjoy the festival safely! How many days will schools be closed for Holi 2025? Delhi: Schools will be closed on March 1314, but since many follow a 5-day workweek, holidays may extend till March 16, giving a 4-day break. Schools will be closed on March 1314, but since many follow a 5-day workweek, holidays may extend till March 16, giving a 4-day break. Rajasthan: Schools may have a 3-day holiday for Holi. Schools may have a 3-day holiday for Holi. Uttar Pradesh: Schools will remain closed on March 1314, especially in cities like Mathura and Vrindavan, where Holi is celebrated with great enthusiasm. Schools will remain closed on March 1314, especially in cities like Mathura and Vrindavan, where Holi is celebrated with great enthusiasm. Bihar & Jharkhand: A 2-day holiday is declared for Holi. A 2-day holiday is declared for Holi. Madhya Pradesh: Schools in cities like Bhopal and Indore will be closed on March 1314. Schools in cities like Bhopal and Indore will be closed on March 1314. Punjab & Haryana: A 2-day Holi holiday is confirmed for schools. A 2-day Holi holiday is confirmed for schools. Telangana & Andhra Pradesh: March 14 is an official holiday. Since March 15 is a Saturday, some schools may give a half-day or an extra holiday, leading to a 3-day break. State-wise School Holidays for Holi 2025 State/City Holiday Dates Details Delhi March 13-14 Schools closed for two days. Rajasthan Likely March 13-15 Three-day holiday expected. Uttar Pradesh March 13-14 Major celebrations in Mathura and Vrindavan. Bihar & Jharkhand March 13-14 Two-day holiday in both states. Madhya Pradesh March 13-14 Schools closed in Bhopal and Indore. Punjab & Haryana March 13-14 Two-day holiday in both states. Telangana March 14 (Friday) Official holiday; might extend to three days due to Saturday and Sunday. Karnataka March 14 (expected) Single day holiday expected. State-wise Office Holidays for Holi 2025 State/City Holiday Dates Details Delhi March 14 (Friday) Official holiday for Holi. Rajasthan March 14 (Friday) State government offices closed. Uttar Pradesh March 14 (Friday) Official holiday for Holi, with festivities in Mathura and Vrindavan. Bihar & Jharkhand March 14 (Friday) Official holiday in both states. Madhya Pradesh March 14 (Friday) State government offices closed. Punjab & Haryana March 14 (Friday) Official holiday in both states. Telangana March 14 (Friday) Official holiday; private offices may observe a half-day or full-day closure. Karnataka March 14 (Friday) Official holiday in some regions, especially in areas with major Hindu populations. Maharashtra March 14 (Friday) Official holiday in Mumbai and other parts of the state. Gujarat March 14 (Friday) Official holiday; major celebrations in Ahmedabad and other cities. Holi 2025 is a great time for students, working people, and families to take a break and enjoy the festival. Most schools and offices will be closed on March 13 and 14, making it a perfect chance to spend time with loved ones and celebrate together. For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. Delhi-Dehradun Expressway: The Delhi-Dehradun Expressway has now come to completion, and it's all set to be operational soon. It is highly expected that this prominent Expressway will be inaugurated soon. Moreover, once it's been operational, this will eventually reduce the travel time to 2.5 to 3 hours. Earlier it was a 6-hour-long journey. It will provide flawless connectivity and smooth traffic flow. This will eventually help out the travellers who are going from Delhi to Baghpat. Also, as per Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in January 2025, this inauguration will be conducted soon. However, due to some technical reasons, the inauguration was postponed earlier. As of now, the construction work for all phases is now completed, so it's highly expected that the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway inauguration will be conducted by anytime. Akshardham to Baghpat in Just 25-30 Minutes The first phase of the expressway, from Akshardham to Baghpat, is a six-lane highway that will majorly cut down travel time. Earlier, the journey took around 2 hours, but with this expressway, it will now take only 25-30 minutes. This will benefit daily commuters and businesses in the region. Delhi-Dehradun Expressway Route and Key Phases The 212-km-long Delhi-Dehradun Expressway is being built in four phases: Phase 1: Akshardham Delhi, UP Border Akshardham Delhi, UP Border Phase 2: EPE Crossing Saharanpur Bypass EPE Crossing Saharanpur Bypass Phase 3: Saharanpur Bypass Ganeshpur Saharanpur Bypass Ganeshpur Phase 4: Ganeshpur Dehradun The expressway will pass through Delhi, Uttar Pradesh (Baghpat, Shamli, Saharanpur), and Uttarakhand (Dehradun). It will also connect with the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, improving road connectivity. Key Features of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway This modern expressway has several advanced features to ensure smooth and safe travel: Six-lane highway for faster movement. 110 vehicle underpasses for better traffic management 5 Railway Over-bridges to avoid congestion. 76 km service road for local connectivity. 16 exit and entry points for easy access. Soundproof barriers on both sides Delhi-Dehradun Expressway: Toll Charges and Free Section The Delhi-Dehradun expressway will have multiple toll plazas with toll charges of around 500 for the entire Delhi-Dehradun route. The toll fees will include 90, 130, and 75 at different points. However, the first 18 km from Akshardham to Loni will be toll-free. Delhi-Dehradun Expressway: Expected Opening Date The Delhi-Dehradun Expressway was initially delayed due to technical reasons, but now it is expected to open soon. A small 3.4-km stretch from Daat Kali to Asharodi in Dehradun has already been opened for commuters. The Delhi-Dehradun Expressway is a game-changer for commuters and travellers. With a six-lane modern highway, shorter travel time, and better infrastructure, this expressway will make road journeys more comfortable and hassle-free. The official opening date is expected soon, bringing Delhi and Dehradun closer than ever. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. New Delhi: The Delhi Traffic Police has issued a traffic advisory due to the closure of MP Road No. 205 near Dwarka. The road is shut for construction work on the Airport Drain extension. It will cause major traffic diversions in the area. The closure is expected to last for at least a month, leading to heavy congestion, especially during the Holi festival. According to officials, MP Road No. 205 is completely closed from T-Point Road No. 205 and Sahabad Village Road crossing to Road No. 205 and Sector-22 Road crossing. Traffic Advisory Due to joint extension repairs on NH-9, traffic diversions and restrictions are effective. Kindly follow the advisory.#DPTrafficAdvisory pic.twitter.com/BwekgShjC6 Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) March 12, 2025 Delhi Holi traffic alert: Areas affected by the closure This Delhi road closure will impact traffic coming from: Sector-21 Metro Station towards Dwarka Court, Sector-1, Sector-7, and Sector-8 Dwarka Court, Sector-1, Sector-7, and Sector-8 towards Sector-21 Metro Station and Kapashera Sector-7 and Sector-8 towards Kapashera and Sector-21 Metro Station Due to the closure, heavy traffic is expected on Sector-22 Road and Sector-9 Road, especially for vehicles moving between Sector-21 Metro Station, Dwarka Court, and Bagdola Village. Delhi traffic diversions and alternative routes The Delhi Traffic Police has advised commuters to follow these alternative routes: 1. For commuters from Dwarka Court (Sector-1) towards Kapashera via Road No. 205 and Sector-21 Metro Station: Take a right on Road No. 205 Turn left onto Sector-9 Road Take another left at Janki Chowk onto Sector-22 Road towards Sector-21 Metro Station and Kapashera 2. For commuters from Sector-7 & Sector-8 heading to Kapashera and Sector-21 Metro Station: Use Sector-9 Road Turn left onto Sector-22 Road at Janki Chowk towards Sector-21 Metro Station 3. For commuters from Kapashera and Sector-21 Metro Station going to Dwarka Court, Sector-1, 7 & 8: Take Sector-22 Road Turn right at Janki Chowk onto Sector-9 Road towards Sector-1, 7, and 8 Dwarka Delhi expected traffic congestion during Holi With Holi celebrations around the corner, the road closure is expected to cause more delays in traffic movement. Commuters are advised to plan their routes in advance and avoid the affected roads whenever possible. Use alternate routes as suggested by Delhi Traffic Police. Expect delays and leave home early if traveling through Dwarka. Follow traffic updates and advisories issued by Delhi Traffic Police. For real-time traffic updates, commuters can follow Delhi Traffic Polices official social media pages or visit their website. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Elon Musk's Starlink is finally launching in India: With the eventual introduction of Elon Musk's Starlink in India, the internet landscape in that nation is expected to undergo a significant change. According to reports, the satellite internet behemoth has agreed with two of India's largest telecom companies, Jio and Airtel, to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband to even the most remote locations. This action is anticipated to transform internet access, particularly in rural areas where conventional networks encounter difficulties. The rivalry in the Indian broadband industry is intensifying due to Starlink's debut. Starlink's satellite-based services can potentially revolutionize the fibre and mobile network markets, which Jio and Airtel now dominate. The regulatory environment and government clearance will determine how it expands. However, one thing is sure: India's digital future is poised to advance significantly. This is all the information you require! What is Starlink? Credit: Unsplash SpaceX's satellite internet project, Starlink, is to use a massive network of low-Earth orbit satellites to deliver high-speed internet. In contrast to conventional cable-based internet services, Starlink is made to provide dependable and quick internet connectivity in isolated and challenging-to-reach locations. To get around many of the problems that traditional broadband services experience, the service connects users to a constellation of satellites that transport data to and from Earth. Starlink's technology is a potential option when constructing internet infrastructure, which is challenging because of the topography or location. The firm intends to grow its satellite network for improved worldwide coverage, having launched in several nations. Airtel partnership with Elon Musk's SpaceX Through their agreement, Airtel and SpaceX will investigate methods to make Starlink's services more widely available throughout India. Offering Starlink via Airtel's retail network and investigating how the satellite service might enhance Airtel's existing internet offerings are two examples of ways to do this. The partnership intends to reach remote areas where traditional internet services are not readily available, even though there are no confirmed details on the speed and cost Indian users may anticipate. Elon Musk made the statement following a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, discussing space and technology developments. Before starting its service in India, SpaceX's Starlink must still obtain the necessary permissions. Reliance Jio partnership with Elon Musk's SpaceX After obtaining regulatory licenses, Jio has also teamed with SpaceX to provide Starlink services via its online and retail locations. In addition to JioFiber and JioAirFiber, Jio wants to incorporate Starlink into its broadband portfolio. Thanks to the agreement, Jio will be able to improve its internet offerings, especially in places where deploying traditional broadband is difficult. Jio will also oversee Starlink consumers' installation, activation, and customer service in India. How will it impact Indian digital infrastructure? Credit: Reuters The alliances with Jio and Airtel indicate increased rivalry in India's satellite broadband market. The goal of both businesses is to bring high-speed internet to areas that were previously inaccessible. Adding Starlink to Airtel's portfolio will increase its internet coverage, which has already been enhanced by its partnership with Eutelsat OneWeb for satellite internet services. With the Starlink agreement, Jio, which manages the most mobile data traffic in India, would be able to increase the accessibility and dependability of broadband. Here is what Indian users can expect with Starlink's launch Starlink, when available in India, is planned to provide download speeds ranging from 25 to 220 Mbps and upload rates ranging from 5 to 20 Mbps. On land, latency typically ranges between 25 and 50 milliseconds, making it ideal for online activities such as video streaming, gaming, and virtual meetings. The cooperation with Airtel also opens up the possibility of greater access, particularly in rural areas of India currently underserved by internet services. For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire, is now the father of fourteen children after Shivon Zilis broke the news on February 28, 2025, that the couple is expecting a new baby. The 39-year-old Neuralink director announced on the social media platform X (formerly called Twitter) that she and Musk had a second son, Seldon Lycurgus. The announcement came after a Make America Great Again (MAGA) influencer claimed in February that she recently gave birth to Elon Musk's 13th child five months earlier. Sharing a post on X about the same, she wrote, "Discussed with Elon and, in light of beautiful Arcadias birthday, we felt it was better to also just share directly about our incredible son Seldon Lycurgus. Built like a juggernaut, with a solid heart of gold. Love him so much." Discussed with Elon and, in light of beautiful Arcadias birthday, we felt it was better to also just share directly about our wonderful and incredible son Seldon Lycurgus. Built like a juggernaut, with a solid heart of gold. Love him so much Shivon Zilis (@shivon) February 28, 2025 To which Musk responded with a heart emoji. Seldon is the fourth of Zilis and Musk's children together, following the birth of Arcadia on February 28, 2024. While twins Strider and Azure were born in November 2021. But are you wondering about these unusual names of the kids and what they mean? Well, let's dive deep into it and know their meanings. Elon Musk's 13 kids have unique names Elon Musk is famous for many things, including X, Tesla, SpaceX, and more. However, he is also known for being a father of 13 children, each with distinctive and unconventional names. From gaming and tech-inspired choices to mythological influences, Musk and his partners have given their kids that are sure to intrigue and raise questions. Nevada Alexander Musk (2002): Nevada was Musk's first child, with his first wife, Justine Wilson. Unfortunately, he passed away at just 10 weeks old due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The name 'Nevada' is mostly inspired by the U.S. state, symbolising vast landscapes and frontier spirit. While 'Alexander' is of Greek origin, which means defender of the people." Griffin Musk (2004): Next comes the one with Musk and Justine Wilson's twins, and the Griffin's name comes from the mythological background, which means a creature with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. It is also a symbol of strength and guardianship. Vivian Jenna Wilson (2004): Griffin's twin was originally named Xavier but changed her name to Vivian Jeanna Wilson in 2022. Kai Musk (2006): Born as part of Musk and Justines triplets, Kai is a commonly used name across various cultures, meaning 'sea' in Hawaiian and 'forgiveness' in Japanese. Credit: X Saxon Musk (2006): Another triplet, Saxon's name is taken from the Germanic tribe that inhabited parts of central and northern Germany from Roman times. Damian Musk (2006): The last of the triplets, Damian's name is of Greek origin, 'to tame' or 'subdue.'. X A-Xii Musk (2020): Born to Musk and Canadian musicians Grimes, 'X' represents 'the unknown variable,' and is an elven spelling of 'AI' (which means love/artificial intelligence). While the last word, A-12, refers to the precursor to the SR-71 Blackbird, an aircraft known for its speed and lack of weapons. Exa Dark Siderl Musk (2021): Exa Dark Siderl Musk is the second child with Grimes and also has a unique name. As per media reports, Exa refers to exaFLOP, a computing term, while Dark symbolises the unknown particular dark matter. Tau Techno Mechanicus Musk (2022): Walter Isaacson revealed in Musk's biography that 'Tau' is a mathematical term that is associated with 2, while 'Techno Mechanicus' suggests a mix of technology and mechanics. Strider Musk (2021): The most interesting name, Strider Musk is most likely a reference to Aragorn's alias in The Lord of the Rings. Azure Musk (2021): The twin of Strider, Azure's name refers to the blue hue of the sky and sea. However, more details are not available on the internet. Following serious accusations of mistreatment and manipulation made against actor Kim Soo Hyunbrought to attention by Kim Sae Ron's family through the YouTube channel Garosero Institutea new picture has gone viral showing Kim Soo Hyun kissing Kim Sae Ron. In addition, an alleged text message from Kim Sae Ron has surfaced, where she reportedly asks the actor for an extension to repay her debts. Kim Soo Hyun's pic kissing Kim Sae Ron goes viral On March 11, a never-seen-before photo of Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron went viral on Reddit and X, leaving the actor's fans in disbelief. Previously, fans had called for concrete evidence of the alleged six-year relationship between the two, which had been claimed by the late actresss aunt. The photo shows the Queen of Tears actor kissing Kim Sae Ron on the cheek while she poses for a selca. This new photo has sparked widespread speculation online about the nature of their relationship. While India Times was unable to verify the authenticity of the now viral photo, a Reddit community dedicated to K-drama users claims Garosero shared it during a live stream. Further, the YouTube channel reportedly claimed the pic was taken one year after they started dating, when she was 16. 'Oppa, are you really suing me?': Kim Sae Ron's alleged text to Kim Soo Hyun Along with the picture, a desperate text from the Bloodhounds actress sent to Kim Soo Hyun has also gone viral. The text reportedly dates back to March 19, 2024, begging for him to save her from the debts. Kim Sae Rons aunt claimed that GOLD MEDALIST, Kim Soo Hyun's management company, initially demanded KRW 20 billion (around USD 13.7 million) in penalty fees from Kim Sae Ron a year after they compensated for her DUI incident. After questioning the amount, the company reportedly reduced the sum to KRW 700 million (about USD 480,000). However, in 2024, she was hit with a lawsuit demanding repayment. Following this, Kim Sae Ron allegedly sent Kim Soo Hyun a message asking for more time instead of facing legal action. This message was also reportedly made public by Garasero after the above-shared, never-seen-before picture. Kim Sae Ron's alleged text to Kim Soo Hyun reads, "Oppa, this is Sae Ron. I received the letter of certification today that [your company] is suing me. You said that you would give me ample time, so Im working hard, preparing to make a comeback. I will pay you back with a percentage from each work. Im not saying that I wont pay you back, but if you suddenly ask for [krw]7 ok[/krw] right now, I really cant do anything. Its not that I wont, but I cant. Do you really have to take it as far as a lawsuit? Please save me I beg of you. Give me some time." Internet reacts to the viral pic and alleged text Reddit users have heavily criticized the My Love from the Star actor for allegedly ignoring Kim Sae Ron's desperate text asking for help. "Let me live : those words make me so sad. She was begging; she had so much life to give. F**k him. I'm actually so disgusted by him; I can't believe I used to find him hot," one user wrote. Comment byu/No-University-7215 from discussion inkdramas "My heart aches after reading this. I have no words. This isn't the world that it seems to be. I hope these desperate, jobless fangirls got a reality check," another shared. Comment byu/No-University-7215 from discussion inkdramas Another user said it's now over for the actor, writing, "His career is over, he better have enough money to last himself because all his endorsements are going to be canceled and any upcoming dramas." Comment byu/No-University-7215 from discussion inkdramas Reacting to the pic, one user mentioned, "Now I'll never be able to look at this actor the same or enjoy his dramas. And he was one of my favorite actors. Sad. Just sad." Comment byu/No-Promise2513 from discussion inkdramas Another Redditor penned, ""This pic is wrong on so many levels. KSH is clearly an adult here. And why didn't he say anything when HIS fans bullied her? Isn't he at least supposed to do damage control rather than letting a young girl face the hatred?? "I had liked him in IONTBO, and he seemed a gentleman (until I heard all those things about him). And the saddest parthim being a man is advantageous for him since he is from Korea. I really don't expect anything nice or advantageous from those people, especially after knowing how they had treated one of their medal-winning female professional shooters. It's always double standards in their case." Comment byu/No-Promise2513 from discussion inkdramas While Kim Soo Hyun's agency had earlier denied claims made by Kim Sae Ron's aunt, the agency has yet to respond to the latest allegations. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.F In an adorable incident, a new mother on a flight from Delhi to Bangalore was so worried that her 6-month-old baby would disrupt other passengers on board that she prepared small goodie bags for the people seated near her. In a Reddit post, a user under the name @the_anecdotist135 shared a post that garnered massive reactions. In the post the user shared, "My baby took his first flight, and I wasn't sure how he would react. So, I made small comfort packets for the people seated near our seats. It included chocolates and earplugs. What do you think about it?" Credit: Reddit Adorable message from a new mother wins heart The cute comfort packets included chocolates and earplugs for other passengers and a small note, which read, "Hello, kind stranger! My name is Jeremiah, and today is my first-ever flight! Since I'm only 6 months old, I might get a little crankymy ears might pop, my tummy might feel funny, and I may express my feelings very loudly and dramatically (I'm told that's called crying). Further, in the message, the mother politely requested the other passengers to enjoy the earplugs and chocolates to make their trip to Bangalore sweeter. "Thank you for your patience, and I promise to work on my travel manners on my next trip! With love (and maybe a few wails), Jeremiah." Reddit users react to the endearing post The post received massive reactions and melted hearts. One user wrote, Manners are rare in Delhi, and mentioned that she is one of a kind in this town. While another wrote, "Thats so sweet" "That's sweet. But people who occupy public spaces thinking that kids won't be a part of it are beyond me. Kids being disrespectful n loud is different from infants wailing due to a change in cabin pressure. It wouldn't hurt having empathy for the child n parents. I hope you had a great flight OP n the little one enjoyed it too," someone said. Meanwhile, some users questioned the gesture saying, "Please. These are not manners new parents already are exhausted taking care of their babies, now they are expected to accommodate other flying babies as well? Do not normalize this. Normalize empathy and understanding. These gestures are not Manners." Comment byu/the_anecdotist135 from discussion indelhi This comment, sparked debate among the users. Additionally, there were also people who said that the gesture is copied from South Korea and some similar reels from the past. Comment byu/the_anecdotist135 from discussion indelhi For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is deep in deliberations over a widely anticipated cabinet reshuffle, engaging in a flurry of meetings with ministers and lawmakers as the nation awaits the announcement. The extended period of consultations has fueled speculation about the timing and scope of the changes, with a potential announcement expected this weekend. Maximos Mansion, the Prime Minister's office, has been a hub of activity over the past 48 hours , with key figures such as Education Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Energy Minister Theodoros Skylakakis, and Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister Stavros Papastavrou holding discussions with Mitsotakis. While the content of these meetings remains undisclosed, they are believed to focus on potential reassignments and reappointments. The pivotal role of Finance Minister is a key point of focus, with Skylakakis and Pierrakakis reportedly frontrunners to replace Kostis Hatzidakis, who is expected to transition to a broader portfolio. Amidst global economic uncertainties, Mr. Mitsotakis is carefully weighing his decision for this crucial position. A Pierrakakis appointment to the Finance Ministry could trigger a cascading series of changes across other ministries. Scenarios suggest Sophia Zacharaki, currently Deputy Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, could take over the Education Ministry, while Irene Agapidaki might assume Zacharaki's current role. The core team at Maximos Mansion is expected to remain largely unchanged, with key figures like government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis, Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou, and State Minister Akis Skertsos retaining their positions. Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and Justice Minister George Floridis are also likely to remain in their current roles, and despite speculation, Energy Minister Thodoris Skylakakis could stay in his current post. Significant changes are anticipated at the deputy minister level, with several MPs tipped for their first government roles. Names such as Asimina Skondra, Thanasis Zebilis, and Stavros Papasotiriou are circulating, indicating an effort to inject fresh perspectives into the administration. The reshuffle's timing remains fluid, with sources suggesting an announcement as late as the weekend, rather than the initially expected Friday. This delay has intensified speculation about potential last-minute changes to the lineup. Simultaneously, a group of MPs has been selected for a parliamentary investigative committee, including prominent figures such as Periklis Mantas, Tzina Economou, and Konstantina Karabatsouli. Panagiotis Kappatos is expected to chair the committee. As the reshuffle unfolds, the government faces the challenge of maintaining stability while addressing pressing economic and social issues. The final decisions, expected in the coming days, will define the administration's trajectory in the months ahead. By Yiannis Kantelis iefimerida.gr The President of the Council of Europe has proposed to the UN Secretary General to organise an international conference on issues related to artificial intelligence and the dangers for democracy from its indiscriminate use China is preparing to join forces with Nigeria to boost the countrys music industry, tourism, and creative sectors. During a meeting with Hannatu Musawa, the Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, on Tuesday, He Yu Dunhai, the Chinese ambassador, expressed Chinas interest in increasing the presence of Nigerian music in the Chinese market. He stated that, in addition to music, collaborations in training, capacity building, and programs would contribute to the growth of Nigerias tourism sector and offer economic benefits to both countries. Advertisement READ MORE: Davidos Music Brings Joy, I Want To Speak Pidgin English King Charles III He emphasised that strengthening the relationship between the two nations would foster growth, innovation, and collaboration within the creative sector. China would like to explore opportunities for cultural exchange, allowing Nigerian artists to tap into the Chinese market, where there is a growing demand for Nigerian music, he said. We are committed to strengthening ties between our two nations in various areas of interest. I believe that this partnership will unlock new opportunities for growth, innovation, and cultural exchange, and I look forward to working together to make it a success. Musawa welcomed Chinas proposal to partner with Nigeria, highlighting that it would bolster the economy and foster cultural exchange. She mentioned that the ministry would also focus on improving infrastructure and revitalising important tourist destinations. I am delighted to welcome Chinas interest in partnering with Nigeria to develop our tourism and creative sectors, she said. This partnership will not only boost our economy but also foster cultural exchange and understanding between our nations. The ministry will prioritise infrastructural development and will sustain its policy drive towards revamping tourism sites in the country such as Yankari Game Reserve, Obudu Ranch Resorts, Tinapa, Evin-Ijesha Water Fountain, amongst others. Taking a cue from beautiful and scenic tourist sites in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Mexico and other parts of the world, most of which can be replicated in Nigeria. Nigeria and China also explored potential collaborations in technology development, such as animation, incubation programs for young creatives, and facilitating easier visa access for professionals in tourism and the creative industries. NAFDAC has launched a groundbreaking app called Greenbook to empower Nigerians in detecting fake drugs. This innovative tool is a comprehensive database of registered drug products in Nigeria, enabling users to verify the authenticity of medications. The Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, emphasised the importance of joining forces to combat counterfeit medical products. The Greenbook app is a significant step towards achieving this goal. By utilizing this app, Nigerians can contribute to ensuring the safety and efficacy of drugs in circulation. With the Greenbook app, users can verify drugs using a unique code or barcode, providing an additional layer of protection against counterfeit medicines. This technological advancement is poised to revolutionize the fight against fake drugs in Nigeria. Advertisement Speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day sensitisation and awareness workshop in Abuja Mojisola Adeyeye had this to say: Counterfeiters have become more sophisticated in advancing their trade. Therefore, the agency is committed to using technology and modern methods to mitigate their activities, making stakeholder sensitisation essential. The NAFDAC Greenbook is an online resource for identifying a products source. Users can enter the product name, brand name, or registration number to verify its registration status. If the product is listed in the Greenbook, it signifies that it has been registered by NAFDAC and is considered authentic. The Greenbook serves as a tool to help consumers identify and avoid potentially fake or substandard products. The NAFDAC DG further revealed that Nigeria is the first country in Africa to use this technology and the second in the world. She encouraged stakeholders in the healthcare sector to support initiatives aimed at eliminating substandard and falsified medical products and ensuring the provision of quality, safe, and effective medicines for Nigerians Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, has declared its support for a presidential coalition that guarantees an automatic ticket to an Igbo candidate, paired with a Northern running mate, in the 2027 elections. The organization emphasized that any other realignment outside this framework will be unsuccessful. This stance underscores Ohanaezes commitment to promoting Igbo interests and ensuring representation at the highest level of government. By aligning with a coalition that meets these conditions, Ohanaeze aims to secure a stronger political foothold for the Igbo people. In a joint statement issued on Tuesday by Ohanaezes factional Deputy President-General, Okechukwu Isigozoro, and Chief Chinenyeze Thompson they had this to say: In light of his past governance and the consequential suffering experienced by the Igbo and Christian communities during his administration, we resolutely characterize El-Rufai as a political leper and a liability to any party he aligns himself with, particularly the SDP. Advertisement During his tenure as Kaduna State governor from 2015 to 2023, El-Rufai presided over an administration that was fraught with serious allegations of violence and persecution directed against Igbos and the Christian populace of Southern Kaduna. The scars of traumatic experiences endured by these communities should not be overlooked. It is only appropriate that El-Rufai seeks public absolution by issuing a formal apology to the Nigerian people, as well as to Christian leaders and the affected communities, for his failure to protect their lives and livelihoods amid escalating violence. His lack of accountability during those turbulent years underscores a disqualifying flaw in his leadership, which must be addressed before any claim to legitimacy can be made. Moreover, El-Rufai must publicly renounce his prior declarations made in 2023, wherein he contended that the impetus for the Muslim-Muslim 2023 APC presidential ticket was rooted in a design for Islamic political supremacy in Nigeria. We demand clarity on his role and responsibility for the tragic deaths and insecurity that plagued Kaduna State under his watch. Until he furnishes a detailed account and a transparent admission of his failures, El-Rufai will remain perceived as a political leperone whose presence in any political domain jeopardizes its integrity and viability. While Ohanaeze Ndigbo has observed the coalition of opposition leaders mobilizing around the SDP in anticipation of the 2027 elections, we must emphatically voice our position without ambiguity: Unless this coalition provides an automatic 2027 SDP presidential ticket to a candidate of Igbo descent and a Christian, accompanied by a Northern running mate, any attempt to realign outside this framework is doomed to failure. Should they consider the SDP a Northern party that merely requires South Eastern cooperation to sustain a Northern candidate, let it be knownsuch a strategy is unequivocally dead on arrival. Furthermore, we stand firm in our adherence to the principle of a Southern presidency, consistent with the gentlemans agreement regarding the rotational leadership arrangement between the North and South. Daniel Bwala, President Bola Tinubus special adviser on Policy Communication, has made a bold claim that Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), will soon defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Bwala confidently stated that Peter Obi will join the APC, following in the footsteps of other LP members like Valentine Ozigbo and Balami who have already made the switch. However, its worth noting that Peter Obi has not responded to these claims, leaving his future political plans uncertain. Speaking to TVC on Wednesday Daniel Bwala made this remark stating : Do you know we are emptying the Labour Party, not because we asked them to come but because they are coming? Valentine Ozigbo has joined us. Balami has joined us, even Peter Obi will join us. Peter Obi will not run on the Labour Party; we are all leaving the party. Advertisement For Valentine Ozigbo to come to our party, Ozigbo is actually the custodian of Peter Obi, then, I know for a fact that Peter Obi will join us. Speaking further Bwala accused the SDP of orchestrating weekly announcements to dominate news headlines. You see, after one or two weeks of this mini-dramatic activity because the way they scheme these things is that every week, you will hear a breaking news story that a gladiator has joined SDP so they will dominate the media space, he said. By the time the two weeks is over and they are able to enjoy this momentary coverage, when they sit down theyll start fighting over who will be president or vice-president. The reason El-Rufai did not go to the PDP is because he cant dictate things there, but he told the world that the chairman of SDP is his friend. So they went there because they want to dictate. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has berated Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara over the recent letter he sent to the state House of Assembly. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that Governor Fubara, after a Supreme Court verdict, wrote a letter to meet with Speaker Martin Amaewhule-Led lawmakers in the state. The development is coming following the pro-Wikes lawmakers issued a 48 hours ultimatum for the Governor to appear in the state assembly over the local government election he conducted in 2024. Advertisement Speaking on Wednesday, during a press briefing, FCTs Minister, described Fubaras letter as useless decision, saying the Governor what is right. READ MORE: Rivers Crisis Deepens As Speaker Amaewhules Leadership Locks Assembly Gate, Snubs Meeting With Gov Fubara He emphasised that Speaker Martins Amaewhule and the lawmakers are not under Fubaras control and should be treated with respect. Wike said: You have had a frosty relationship with an arm of government. If you are a good politician, will you go and write a letter? Is it by writing a letter signed by the SSG? What an insult! Is it how it is done? If you are a politician you know what to do. You want to play at the gallery which is rubbish. All these letters are useless, you are not sincere, you are playing to the gallery. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has insisted that Rivers State lawmakers will impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara, if found guilty of any criminal allegations against levelled against him. Wike led this out on Wednesday, during a media live chat. Recall that Martin Amaewhule-Led lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly on Friday, vowed to impeach the Governor if he fail to appear before the House within 48 hours. Advertisement Reacting to the crisis between the lawmakers and Mr. Fubara, Wike emphasised the importance of upholding the rule of law and criticising those in the Governors inner circle. He said: Politics is not play. If he has done something to be impeached, let them impeach him. Its not a criminal offence. READ MORE: Rivers Crisis Deepens As Speaker Amaewhules Leadership Locks Assembly Gate, Snubs Meeting With Gov Fubara I cannot believe that in this country, we are now at the point where Nigerians are talking about where three members of the House will sit and make a law, and they are talking about going to the Supreme Court. Do we need to go to work? The worst State High Court we have is the Rivers State High Court. Speakers and Assembly members are not our children; they were elected; they are not your boys or your girls. You sit with them and play with them. I travelled with my Speakers, and I created relationships. Its not a master-servant thing. This elder statesman cried; he almost cried. This boy later insulted this elder statesman; now he cant go back to him for help. Ordinarily, these are the people who will call the family people. Forget about me. Lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has reported her suspension by Senate, including her case against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Recall that the Red Chamber suspended Senator Natasha for violation of the Senates rules days after she submitted a petition against Akpabio for sexual harassment and abused of power. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the Kogi lawmaker on Tuesday, at the Women in Parliament session held at the Inter-Parliamentary Union Meeting, United Nations in New York, seeks justice and intervention of global democratic institutions. Advertisement READ MORE: Natasha: Some Women Accuse Men Of Sexual Harassment For Personal Interest Activist Speaking on Tuesday at the UN Complex, Senator Natasha described her suspension from the Senate as illegal. She said: I was suspended illegally because I submitted a petition for sexual harassment against the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio. I thought that by submitting the petition, he would recuse himself and both of us would submit ourselves to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petition for a fair, transparent investigation. But unfortunately, I was silenced and I was suspended. That means Im here illegally, but I have no other place to go but to come here and speak to you because this is a bigger picture. This is a bigger picture. It depicts the crisis of womens political representation. My suspension is not just about me. Its about the systemic exclusion of women from political leadership in Nigeria. That means Im here illegally, but I have no other place to go but to come here and speak to you because this is a bigger picture. This is a bigger picture. It depicts the crisis of womens political representation. My suspension is not just about me. Its about the systemic exclusion of women from political leadership in Nigeria. President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Tulia Ackson, has assured Kogi Central lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, that no stone will be left unturned over her suspension from Nigeria Senate. Acksons statement is coming, following Natashas appeal for intervention by the IPU and the United Nations over what she described as an unjust suspension from the Upper Chamber. Recall that INFORMATION NIGERIA had reported that Mrs. Natasha at the Women in Parliament session during the IPU meeting on Tuesday, recounted her ordeal, stating that her suspension was politically motivated and aimed at silencing her. Advertisement She alleged that she was suspended after submitting a petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio over allegations of sexual harassment. Natasha described her suspension as a calculated attempt to stifle womens participation in leadership, urging global democratic institutions to intervene. Reacting to her claims, Ackson acknowledged the gravity of the issue and assured that the IPU would follow due process by hearing both sides before taking a position. READ MORE: Sexual Harassment: Senator Natasha Storms UN Complex, Tenders Suspension Case Against Akpabio She said: Dear colleagues, there was I matter before I closed the meeting, the matter that was raised by our colleague from Nigeria, Senator Natasha. And because all of us had what she said and it only serves us better if I put a word in what she has said. We have had her concerns and having heard her, it would have been an opportunity for all of us to understand more about what she has said. But because we listened only on her side as an institution, as IPU, we will be taking the concerns that have been raised, not only taking her side but also giving a chance to listen to the other side as it is a custom for IPU and after having listened to the other side. I also recognize the fact that our Nigerian delegate who is here had requested the floor but because of time she wasnt given a chance to speak. But like I said, we have had the concerns that have been raised by Senator Natasha. Liz Moore, author of "Long Bright River," was executive producer for the forthcoming Peacock series of the same name. Read more It still feels surreal for Philly novelist Liz Moore. It was only a year ago she was standing on the set of Long Bright River, a TV adaptation of her Kensington-based novel inspired by her years of volunteering in the infamous open drug market. Advertisement To be standing inside of a house, that has been rendered to look like something [that] first started inside your imagination, and now all of a sudden you are standing inside of it, was very trippy and very moving, Moore said. The eponymous novel follows a patrol cop named Michaela Mickey Fitzpatrick, who uncovers a string of murders in Kensington. The killing of young sex workers draws little police attention, but Mickey ignores orders not to track down the killer and, eventually, her missing sister Kacey. In 2009, Framingham, Mass., native Moore first visited the working-class neighborhood, joining photographer Jeffrey Stockbridge on the Kensington Blues project, as he documented the human cost of the opioid addiction. Moores observations, on-the-street interviews, and work with the Thea Bowman Womens Center, where she volunteered as a creative writing instructor, inspired her to pen Long Bright River in 2020. The book won several awards and drew the attention of Peacock executives, who adapted her novel into one of the platforms most anticipated shows this year. The thriller, which stars Emmy-winning actress and Allentown native Amanda Seyfried, is set to premiere on Peacock on March 13. Moore serves as the series cocreator and executive producer, and made sure the series was as true to Philly as possible. I always felt like I had a seat at the table, Moore said. People were willing to listen to my voice. And I attempted, as much as I could, to use the opportunity to bring people from Philadelphia and Kensington to set, so they could speak for themselves. Last summer, alongside Long Bright River showrunner Nikki Toscano, Moore invited Philly-born artist Timothy Curtis to recreate the graffiti from Kensingtons walls. Curtis and set production designer Amy Williams brought a group of Kensington graffiti writers to New York City to tag as many surfaces as they could for the show. Moore also recruited community leaders like Franciscan priest Father Michael Duffy and Philly rapper OT The Real for speaking roles in the series. Sarah Laurel of Savage Sisters Recovery was brought on to advise on proper wound care for the shows intensive action scenes, and Johanna Berrigan and Mary Beth Appel of the House of Grace Catholic Worker also made it to set. To add to the shows authenticity, the lead actors made their way to Kensington. As part of research for her role as Mickey, Seyfried stopped by St. Francis Inn and did a ride-along with members of the Philadelphia Police Department. And actress Ashleigh Cummings, who plays Kacey in the series, regularly volunteered at Savage Sisters Recovery. These elements, Moore said, helped translate the story from the page to the small screen. It also helped to have Seyfried leading the charge. Shes obviously a gorgeous movie star, but not so secretly anymore, shes a stunningly good actress who could be a character actor if she wanted to be, Moore said. And I think we are starting to see that more and more from her in her career. Long Bright River is Moores first true foray into TV production, and having Toscano as a guide eased the pressure of executive producing and ensured her suggestions had a place to land in the shows writing. In shaping the series, the author and director of Temples MFA program in creative writing had two conditions: There would be no use of the words jawn or cheesesteak in the script. I object to lazy shorthand about Philadelphia, and Im only interested in sort of more complex, well-rounded representations of the city, she said. But, Moore and Toscano made an exception for Wawa. One of our actors showed up with a very large iced drink from Wawa, and we got permission to use it on camera, so it happened in a natural way, she joked. For Moore, a South Philly resident, it was paramount to offer true insight into a neighborhood thats been gravely misrepresented in the media. The aim, she said, was to create a series that runs counter to the false or misguided depictions of Kensington, while shining a light on the activists, artists, and change-makers striving to make a difference in the area she first stepped into 16 years ago. I think it would be a mistake to portray Kensington very simplistically, in either direction, Moore said. Im not interested in perpetuating negative stereotypes about Kensington that simplifies it, nor am I interested in portraying Kensington in a way that sweeps the real issues it has under the rug. Long Bright River streams on Peacock starting March 13. From front right: Ashley Lewis, Kyleigh Johnson, Anna Serratosa, and Jorge Garcia of the Philadelphia Ballet at their new building on North Broad Street on Wednesday. Read more The caissons are nestled deep beneath the ground, a foundation has been laid, and the outline of Philadelphia Ballets new building is now staking out a presence on North Broad Street. Wednesday at the buildings construction site, ballet leaders, dancers, and other dignitaries signed their names on a steel beam and then watched it get hoisted into place atop the bare frame of what will become the companys new five-story, 43,000-square-foot dance center on Broad near Callowhill. Weve been waiting for this for a very long time, said ballet artistic director Angel Corella before the topping-out ceremony. The school will have more space to develop and grow. The company will have more space. I am doing rehearsals now for Bolero and the dancers literally dont fit in the studio. The building project had been elusive about a decade in the dreaming stage, in fact. Even after a groundbreaking in September 2022, construction did not commence for nearly two years while the ballet company worked to nail down a bridge loan, after which a second groundbreaking ceremony was held last May. Advertisement But now there is physical evidence that the project is really happening. This week you could see gaping expanses between steel beams where, by early next year, rehearsal studios, a black box studio, offices, and public spaces will be populated by dancers, students, and balletomanes. Ballet executive director Shelly Power is eager for floors to be poured so she can start bringing current and potential supporters through the construction site. A lot of the donors have not seen the progress weve made, she said. There will be a campaign refresh because people will actually see whats happening and we can show them all the different naming opportunities, Power said. Among aspects of the building yet to be named: the building itself. Power said she expects the new structure, designed by Philadelphia architecture firm Varenhorst, to be complete and ready for move-in by late January or early February. Then, the ballets current building, farther back from Broad Street on the same site, will undergo several months of renovations and be joined to the new structure. After a soft opening in May 2026, the company expects to hold a more public opening the following September. The total construction cost has not risen since the May 2024 groundbreaking, Power said; it is still $37.5 million. Fundraising has reaped $3.3 million in those 10 months, with $29.6 million now promised and in hand almost 80% of the total needed. Even if the stock market has turned bearish in recent weeks, Power said she felt bullish about fundraising for the building campaign as well as an additional $5 million the company is seeking for endowment. Loyalty and support still remains strong, she said. Southwest Airlines will begin charging customers a fee to check bags, abandoning a decades-long practice that executives had described last fall as key to differentiating the budget carrier from its rivals. Southwest, which built years of advertising campaigns around its policy of letting passengers check up to two bags for free, said Tuesday that people who havent either reached the upper tiers of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, bought a business-class ticket, or hold the airlines credit card will have to pay for checked bags. Advertisement The airline did not outline the fee schedule but said the new policy would start with flights booked on May 28. We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future customer needs, attract new customer segments we dont compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our shareholders expect, CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement. Less than a year ago, the Dallas-based airline announced it was doing away with another tradition, the open-boarding system it has used for more than 50 years. Southwest expects to begin operating flights with passengers in assigned seats next year. Southwest has struggled recently and is under pressure from activist investors to boost profits and revenue. The airline announced last month that it was eliminating 1,750 jobs, or 15% of its corporate workforce, in the first major layoffs in the company's 53-year history. As recently as Southwest's investor day in late September, airline executives described the bags-fly-free as the most important feature in setting Southwest apart from rivals. All other leading U.S. airlines charge for checked luggage, and Wall Street has long argued that Southwest was leaving money behind. The airline estimated in September that charging bag fees would bring in about $1.5 billion a year but cost the airline $1.8 billion in lost business from customers who chose to fly Southwest because of its generous baggage allowance. Southwest said Tuesday that it would continue to offer two free checked bags to Rapid Rewards A-List preferred members and customers traveling on Business Select fares, and one free checked bag to A-List members and other select customers. Passengers with Rapid Rewards credit cards will receive a credit for one checked bag. People who don't qualify for those categories will get charged to check bags. The airline said that it also would roll out a new, basic fare on its lowest priced tickets when the change takes effect. Southwest is betting that the added bag fees will outweigh the loss of business from travelers who look closely at the costs on top of ticket prices. Rivals on Tuesday saw an opening. I think clearly there are some customers who chose them because of that, and now those customers are up for grabs, said Delta Air Lines president Glen Hauenstein, speaking at the J.P. Morgan Industrials Conference. Yet in the current economic environment, keeping travel affordable may play an outsize roll in staying competitive. The trade war initiated by President Donald Trump is roiling U.S. markets and dampening the high-flying optimism prevalent last year among businesses and households. To start the week, Delta slashed its quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, saying that a recent decline in consumer and corporate confidence over the economy is weakening domestic demand. Shares of Delta have tumbled 24% this year. Shares of United have slumped 22%, JetBlue 27% and American Airlines a whopping 32%. On Tuesday, Southwest cut its own expectations for the quarter. 2SP Brewing Company's Letters from Aston IPA features Vincent van Gogh's "The Postman" on its can. The original of this version of the painting is at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. Read more I was in my local beer distributor recently when I saw my favorite Vincent van Gogh painting The Postman plastered on a beer can. I hadnt started drinking yet, so I knew I wasnt seeing things, and I was still trying to decide whether to be offended when I saw who made it 2SP Brewing Company. Now I know were lucky enough to have The Postman right here in Philadelphia at the Barnes Foundation because Ive stood before it in awe several times. Yes, there are multiple portraits van Gogh painted of his friend, postman Joseph Etienne-Roulin, but ours is the best (you can put that in an envelope and lick it, Boston). Advertisement I also know the folks at 2SP are local, so local that they told me: Were not in Delaware County, were in Delco. The idea of an area brewery using a famous local painting on its cans got me intrigued. Could this be more than just about selling beer? Could it possibly be about culture and not just the kind made of yeast? I set out to investigate. I started by buying the beer (for journalism!). Pub(lic) domain The beer, named Letters from Aston IPA, (a nod to The Postman and 2SPs hometown) is one of two releases so far in the brewerys new Public Domain Series, which features artworks with Philadelphia-area ties that are in the public domain. The public domain is material from fine art to books and songs whose copyright has expired (if there was one), thus, allowing the general public to use it without restrictions or permission. While the rules are complicated, generally in the U.S., materials published 95 years or prior are part of the public domain, unless a copyright has been renewed. The Postman is from 1889 and the other beer in the series, After Hours Black & Tan, features Le Bon Bock, Edouard Manets 1873 portrait of a jolly beer drinker smoking a pipe and in the collection of Philadelphia Museum of Art. Because both works are in the public domain, 2SP didnt have to ask permission and we dont have to ask for forgiveness later, said Mike Contreras, director of sales and marketing. For the birds The inspiration for the series came from a collaboration 2SP did with the John James Audubon Center in Audubon prior to the pandemic. One evening, Contreras might have ate something that had my mind going a few different places and turned on the National Geographic Channel, which was showing a program about birds. Having grown up in a family that appreciated art Contreras mother is a longtime volunteer with Art Goes to School of Delaware Valley, a nonprofit that brings art appreciation classes to area schools he thought itd be cool to feature Audubons bird art on 2SPs cans. He reached out to the Audubon Center and was told they liked the idea, but first they asked if hed consider participating in a coalition called Brewers for the Delaware, which advocated for clean water. Contreras agreed, even going so far as to testify before a state Democratic subcommittee about banning fracking along the Delaware River basin. It was only later he was told Audubons images are in the public domain and he could have used them all along. But Contreras wasnt upset. Clean water is important, and the collaboration resulted in one of the prettiest beer cans ever, Circadian IPA, which features a compilation of three Audubon artworks. They have released the Circadian every year since its 2018 debut, and this year it will be included as part of the Public Domain Series, with a party to be held at the Audubon Center on April 25. Beer with information As Contreras recently considered how 2SP could stick out on crowded beer shelves, his mind again turned to art. I thought itd be cool to use other famous art thats part of the public domain. Nobody else is doing it, he said. Contreras sister, Mazie, a graphic designer at 2SP and a volunteer with Art Goes to School, picked the paintings. It was important to the siblings that the cans include information about the featured artworks, including where they can be viewed, and about Art Goes to School, which needs volunteers. In my humble experience, with being a little bit different among my friends, beer can bring people to the table to experience and talk about things they might otherwise ignore, Contreras said. Each can features the name of the painting, the artist, where its located, a brief description, and a QR code that leads to a website with more information. Seek it out The cans also feature a call-out for art lovers to volunteer with Art Goes to School and a QR code to its website, in case you want to make a good decision while drinking for once. Karin LaMonaca, Art Goes to Schools newsletter editor, described the 62-year-old nonprofit as a traveling art museum, through which volunteers bring reproductions of art from around the world to students in 30 area school districts to help sharpen their visual and interpretation skills. I asked her if we should be concerned that fine art is now appearing on beer cans. Youve heard of Andy Warhol, with the Campbells Soup can, right? He elevated a common everyday item to an art status and mass marketed it. In effect, he opened up a huge market of people who never would have been interested in art by doing that, LaMonaca said. While Ive seen some pieces for the first time in a museum, there are other works I saw for the first time on TV, in books, or on social media, that captivated me so much I sought out the real thing. Just last year, I kept encountering references to Etant donnes, Marcel Duchamps final work, almost as if fate was calling me to it, which is ironic, because when I hear Duchamp I think urinal and art that makes me angry its considered art. I learned Etant donnes a tableau that can only be viewed through two eyeholes in a large wooden door is at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which really perplexed me because Ive been to the Art Museum countless times and never saw it. And so on my birthday last year, I took myself to see Etant donnes. I had to ask a few guards for help finding it, but when I did I was stunned. It challenged my conceptions of art and my preconceived notions of the artist. Sure, Id seen pictures online, but viewing it in person was entirely different. Perhaps then, if someone sees The Postman or Le Bon Bock for the first time on a beer can and is intrigued enough to go see the real thing, its a great use of space. After all, if you dont know about something, you wont seek it out. Up for suggestions I had an inkling the Barnes Foundation was cool with 2SP using The Postman because the folks who run its Instagram account commented Pouring one out for van Gogh on the brewerys post about Letters from Aston. Deirdre Maher, Barnes spokesperson, said in an e-mailed statement that the museum lets people explore thousands of its works online and allows them to download copyright-free images from its collection. We hope this use of The Postman will inspire audiences to come visit the original painting at the Barnes! she wrote. From the Art Museum, I spoke with Jennifer Thompson, curator of European art, who said she wasnt aware that Le Bon Bock a crowd favorite at the museum was used by 2SP until I reached out. Thats one of the interesting things about having works in the public domain, the images are able to be used and it doesnt require anyone to contact us to do it, she said. We often find out through second hand or stumbling upon them through different venues. Thompson said while she didnt know much about 2SP, the subject matter is appropriate and she can appreciate a smaller brewery drawing local connections with artworks. The Art Museum, too, has used Le Bon Bock on its Instagram account, posting the painting with its subject in an Eagles beanie and Saquon Barkley jersey as the Birds made their way to the Super Bowl this year. We have fun with him for the same reason, that it makes people laugh and then it reminds people that the work is in our collection and you can come and see it every day, Thompson said. Contreras is mulling over other art hed like to use in the series. One painting hes considering is Thomas Eakins The Biglin Brothers Racing, which depicts two men rowing down the Schuylkill. Its housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. The Henri Rousseau exhibit at the Barnes that opens in October also could provide good fodder for a fall beer. Art history is extensive and prolific, Contreras said. Were up for suggestions. The Eagles Jordan Mailata sings a Christmas song during an event for Operation Snowball in December. Read more Hey, Siri. Play Having a Party by the Philly Specials. The Philadelphia Music Alliance will be hosting its annual Walk of Fame Gala on April 30, honoring artists with Philadelphia roots who have excelled in music. Among the honorees is Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, on behalf of the Philly Specials. Advertisement The Philly Specials a trio featuring Eagles offensive linemen Mailata, Lane Johnson, and former center Jason Kelce have captured the hearts (and ears) of many with their popular Christmas albums. The groups latest album, A Philly Special Christmas Party, was their third and featured collaborations with big names from the music industry, including Stevie Nicks, Boyz II Men, and Mt. Joy. All the proceeds from the albums go to charities around the city. The group raised over $4 million with its first two albums, and this year decided to launch Operation Snowball, which provided Christmas gifts to every public and charter school student and teacher in Philadelphia. This years honorees represent the spectacular talent that this city has birthed and nurtured, as well as the music that shines bright across Philadelphia and serves as this citys heart and soul, Alan Rubens, chairman of Philadelphia Music Alliance, said in a press release. The Philadelphia Eagles didnt just win the Super Bowl, they won our hearts with that spectacular Christmas album and were honored to celebrate their recording achievements at our gala this year. READ MORE: Jalen Hurts dines with Michael Jordan and takes over Nike HQ Mailata and the Philly Specials wont be the only honorees during Aprils ceremony. The Philly Music Alliance will also honor Sir Bob Geldof in recognition of Live Aids 40th anniversary. Meanwhile, Stephen Sondheim, Janis Ian, David Ludwig, Schoolly D, David Dye, the Orlons, and Settlement Music School will be inducted into the Walk of Fame. Those inducted will receive bronze plaques and join the other 150 members on the Walk of Fame, along Broad Streets Avenue of the Arts. A dedication ceremony to reveal their plaques will take place April 30 at 11:30 a.m. Later that night, the Walk of Fame Gala will be held at Vie, 600 N. Broad Street, at 6 p.m. The show will be hosted by WMGK morning show host and Sixers public address announcer Matt Cord and will feature a live performance from the Hooters, who were inducted in 2019. Tickets can be found at PMAWalk.org. Bala Cynwyd Middle School, one of 11 schools in the Lower Merion School District. Lower Merion spends more per student than almost any other district in Pennsylvania, and has prioritized racial equity since at least the late 1990s. But widening racial achievement gaps have alarmed Black parents in the community. Read more One of Pennsylvanias wealthiest and best-performing districts, the Lower Merion School District has billed itself as a leader in tackling racial inequity: from convening a committee to address how race affected its schools in the late 1990s to becoming one of the first local districts to prioritize closing achievement gaps in its strategic plan in 2009. Yet those gaps between Black students and their peers persist and have only widened since the district committed to closing them. Advertisement Fifteen years ago, Black students in third through eighth grades trailed white students by 28.4 percentage points in English language arts standardized tests, and 28.5 points in math. In 2024, the difference in English scores had grown to 33.4 points. In math, the gap widened to 42.4 points. Administrators who presented the latest test results in December said they were well aware of the problem. We know people are asking us questions about it, and we own it, Scott Weinstein, acting assistant to the superintendent, said during the school board meeting. Lower Merion is not an anomaly; other suburban districts with similar shares of Black students 9% of Lower Merions students are Black have also seen their gaps widen, according to an Inquirer review of historical test data. But its response has alarmed and frustrated Lower Merions Black parents, who say even though the district spends more on its programs than almost any other school system in the state, it is not delivering the same caliber of education for all children. Some fault racism and teachers who are not culturally competent or who maintain low standards for their children. Others see an unwillingness to make wholesale changes that could upset white parents, who they feel are prioritized by the district. Nigeria James, who has one child in the district and another who recently graduated, is among those parents questioning the sincerity of Lower Merions efforts. She sees a disconnect between the districts public statements and how it interacts with Black parents failing to connect the dots, she said, between individual test scores and a systemic problem. At what point do they stop and look at how effective their approach is? Clearly, its not, she said. Small, affluent districts, oddly After progress was made in the 1970s and 80s, efforts to shrink the Black-white achievement gap have stalled across the country. The gap has not changed much in the last few decades, said Sean Reardon, a professor at Stanford Universitys Graduate School of Education. The segregation of Black students in high-poverty schools and socioeconomic differences between Black and white families have traditionally driven the divide, Reardon said, though the places with the largest Black-white gaps tend to be small, affluent districts, oddly. He cited Berkeley, Calif., and Evanston, Ill., as other communities with significant gaps. Lower Merion officials did not address why they think the districts achievement gap has widened over the years, but noted the gap exists in nearly every school district in the nation. Locally, several other Montgomery County districts with similar shares of Black students Colonial, North Penn, and Wissahickon have Black-white achievement gaps ranging from 28 points to 42 points, based on 2024 test scores. In Cheltenham, which is majority Black but was also an early leader in school racial equity efforts, the Black-white achievement gap is 34.8 points in English and 42.8 points in math. Lower Merions efforts in addressing racial disparities date back to at least 1997, when a group of Black parents raised concerns. Among their complaints: Black students were disciplined more often than white students, were overidentified as needing special education, and were underrepresented in gifted classes. The district that year formed the Committee to Address Race in Education (CARE), which continues meeting monthly with teachers, administrators, parents, and community members. Asked what steps it had taken since, district officials provided a list of strategies, from reviewing student data more frequently and providing individualized supports to offering more early childhood education, including extended-day kindergarten for students who showed a need. (The district launched universal full-day kindergarten this year.) Lower Merion has also sought to make its curriculum more culturally relevant, with all resources reviewed to ensure they include diverse voices, perspectives and representation, the district said. It also said professional development is ongoing, with all staff receiving specific training in cultural proficiency. Both personal and institutional Linda Heller, who has advocated for Black students receiving special education in Lower Merion for 25 years, believes the disparities are a product of how administrators and teachers perceive Black students. In a predominantly white district 6% of teachers were Black in 2020-21, while 90% were white staff make assumptions about Black children and dont even know theyre doing it, said Heller, who is white. Heller said she had worked with a child who was recruited by the Haverford School; that schools testing revealed he had a 130 IQ. That was a surprise to his mother, who said Lower Merion had never recognized he was gifted, Heller said. They look at the kids who are bright as unusual, Heller said. Its not the norm for Black kids. Jelani Wilson, who is Black and graduated from Lower Merion in 1995, recalled how his mother had to battle to get him into honors English. Warned that he could get a C, Wilson said, she asked, So no one gets a C in honors classes? For a white student, its a challenge. For Black students its, Theyre going to struggle, said Wilson, who said things have not changed, based on recent experience working in the district and as a current district parent. Thats a lot of the way the biases creep in, both personal and institutional. There are additional struggles for Black students in the minority in an advanced class, Wilson said. Its intimidating to participate if youre afraid not just of being wrong, but also that your being wrong goes to invalidate your presence as a Black student, Wilson said. Students may feel its safer to be quiet a psychologically corrosive situation, he said. Wilson, who worked as an instructional aide at Harriton High School before leaving in 2022, said some Black students in the schools International Baccalaureate program told him they felt isolated. He understood, having encountered all of my most visceral experiences with racism while in Lower Merion schools. With his own children, Wilsons oldest did not attend elementary school in the district, but entered later, when he had already developed self-confidence, Wilson said. His son graduated with a full ride to Howard University. His younger child, meanwhile, stopped wanting to go to school in second grade. Eventually, she told Wilson why: She was uncomfortable around a white student who had been repeatedly touching her hair. Wilsons daughter told him she didnt want to tell her teacher, because she thought shed get in trouble. Kids arent stupid, said Wilson, who believed his daughters instincts were probably right. When Wilson informed the teacher and said it was problematic that his daughter was afraid of speaking up she did not acknowledge that concern. Instead, she moved his daughter to a different table. That was the end of it, he said. More IEPs, fewer APs In a report submitted to Lower Merion school officials in September, the Main Line NAACP noted one-third of Black high schoolers, and 27% of Black elementary schoolers, had individualized education plans for special education; about 20% of Lower Merion students districtwide receive special education. Black students, while representing only 9% of district enrollment, account for 30% of its disciplinary actions, the NAACP report said. It also noted that in 2021, 25% of Black high school students in the district were enrolled in Advanced Placement courses, compared with 65% of their peers. Loraine Carter, an author of the report who moved to Lower Merion in 2002 and formed a Concerned Black Parents group that brought a lawsuit in 2007 alleging that Black students were improperly classified as special education students, said there is a link between disproportionate placement and other outcomes. For instance, Black students in special education are more likely to be disciplined, she said. Special education is this door where we go in and dont come out, said Carter, whose three children attended district schools. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in 2011, ruling there was no evidence of discrimination. Some parents then brought individual complaints against the district, which were settled privately. READ MORE: Conservative parent group accuses Lower Merion of discrimination because of its affinity groups Inequalities people arent even conscious of Disparities like those reported by the NAACP can reflect how a districts equity mission is disconnected from the practices that are actually happening and everyday social interactions people have in the context of the school, said John Diamond, a sociology and education policy professor at Brown University, who wrote Despite the Best Intentions: How Inequality Thrives in Good Schools. Diamond said how districts track students into higher-level classes and administer discipline can reproduce inequalities people arent even conscious of. Among local districts with similar achievement gaps, a spokesperson for the Colonial School District called its gap concerning and said the district offers interventions including small group instruction, tutoring, and summer learning programs. North Penn Superintendent Todd Bauer said that while his districts gap was historically smaller than the state average, we must ask ourselves why and work to ensure that all students achieve at their highest potential. Diamond said districts should be analyzing practices like how course placements are decided. Is it racialized teacher recommendations, influential parents interventions, or tests with outcomes correlated with race and class? he said. READ MORE: Black and Hispanic students in Philly suburbs are disciplined more harshly than white peers, underrepresented in AP classes, report finds Even though Lower Merion teachers recommend whether students should take higher-level courses, district officials said any student can enroll, as long as the prerequisite courses have been completed. They also said there are opportunities for students to take more-advanced math classes, even if they do not initially place into them. The percentage of Black students in high school honors classes has been growing since 2020, the district said, from 55% to 68% last year. It also pointed to standardized test data showing that Black students last year scored above or well above for growth in most subjects. Regarding discipline, district officials said they follow a student code that emphasizes uniformity, fairness and due process and, when possible, pair discipline with a restorative approach. Officials also said CARE and other committees provide a forum for students and parents to voice where improvements are needed. Carter, of the Concerned Black Parents, said CAREs focus had evolved into more of a conversation along belonging vs. Heres our plan for fixing the achievement gap. A white place Wilson sees the problem as bigger than the school district. Lower Merion is a white place, and racism in the broader environment permeates the schools, he said. He noted the pain felt by Black families during school board debates this fall around the districts equity policy, when Jewish families objected to remarks by the boards lone Black member contrasting anti-Black racism with the experience of Jews, who she said chose to be white. The moment you identify an issue of whiteness, that represents a fundamental threat, Wilson said. He said the debate and subsequent demands for antisemitism training spoke to the sense of ownership white parents, of any religious background, have over the district. James, who moved to Lower Merion from Los Angeles in 2011, said she had high hopes for her two daughters, given the districts reputation. But despite monitoring their grades and attending parent-teacher conferences, she felt she didnt know how well they were faring. It was not until middle school, she said, that a teacher shared concerns about her older daughters writing. Now that her youngest daughter is a senior, on the verge of graduation, I cant say this was a great move for my family, James said. She doesnt think the district is operating with urgency when it comes to improving Black students achievement. The wool is pulled over peoples eyes, she said. They trust and believe in a system thats not working for them. Khaseem Durham (from left), Lailaa Jordan, and Dior Tolliver walk back to Paul Robeson High School after prayer at Masjid Al-Jamia. Read more Prayers were beginning at 1:11 p.m., so the students had to hurry. As students arrived in the lobby of Paul Robeson High School just after 1 p.m., teacher Elana Evans checked names off a list on her clipboard. Then she and a city police officer supervised as the 24 teenagers walked up 42nd Street, across Walnut Street, and into Masjid Al-Jamia. Advertisement Its a well-practiced routine: Every school day during the monthlong Muslim holiday of Ramadan, a group of Robeson students with their parents permission and adult escorts leave class to walk to a nearby West Philadelphia mosque for midday prayers. About 1% of the citys 1.5 million residents are Muslim; the number of Philadelphia School District students who observe Ramadan is not clear. But in many schools, its a sizable group. To mark the holy month, observant Muslims pray five times a day and fast from sunup to sundown. Accommodations vary from school to school. Coming to Robeson, where students have been allowed to leave school briefly to walk to the masjid for four years, was a revelation to Khaseem Durham, an 11th grader who had never attended a school where administrators actively supported his ability to practice his faith. At my middle school, they didnt let us pray we had to fight to get a room to pray, Durham said. I like that they respect it at this school, Lailaa Jordan, a 10th grader, said of the Robeson staffs approach to the observance of Ramadan. Concentrating on classes can be tough when youre fasting, Jordan said, and having a supportive climate is very helpful. At another school, a classmate once taunted her in the cafeteria, rubbing it in Jordans face that she couldnt eat. During Ramadan, were supposed to be calm, she said. Not everybody understands it. But there are pluses, especially at a school that makes accommodations for practices important to her, Jordan said coming to school helps fill the long hours without food. And she and classmate Dior Tolliver said they feel ready to buckle down to their schoolwork when they return to Robeson after the midday service, which typically lasts about 30 minutes. Not every Muslim student at Robeson has received parental permission to walk to the masjid. Those who stay behind pray in the school auditorium, with a Muslim staff member leading prayers. Evans is not Muslim herself, but felt strongly that it was important to create space for her students who were. After walking students to the masjid, she waits outside for them, and even fasts herself in solidarity. A lot of times theres so much negative news and hostility towards Muslims, she said. For me, I say, No, we are all one. Different accommodations in different Philly schools At Boys Latin of Philadelphia, a charter school in West Philadelphia, principal Robert Parker relaxes the schools normally strict dress code during Ramadan. Students are able to wear head coverings or other garb along with their blazers and uniforms. There are fasting rooms and places to pray. Our job as educators is to focus on developing the whole student, Parker said. When we think about the whole student, its about their mental, physical, and spiritual selves, too. Anything that we can do to help support this during this holy month of Ramadan, we want to support our students. At Benjamin Franklin High School, spaces for wudu, or cleansing before prayer, have been designated, and students have dedicated rooms to pray: boys in the auditorium, girls in the sixth-floor multipurpose room. Muslim parents had asked for separate spaces, assistant principal Jennifer Hale said. Ramadan-observing students had space to pray before Hale arrived at Ben Franklin two years ago, but she has created new systems for the practice and designated students to lead the prayers if adult community members are not available. Like Evans, Hale believes that dedicating space and time to supporting her students is a worthwhile endeavor. She is not Muslim either, but sits at the back of the girls prayer room daily. Anything thats positive to me is something thats well worth investing in. Theres so many negative things that happen during a school day. If theyre not walking the halls, fighting, on Instagram, lets go for it. You get a lot more buy-in for students when you show up for them, Hale said. Recognizing all faiths Some parents have questioned why a public school is supporting students religious practice. (The school also makes to-go meals available for those observing Ramadan to eat for their iftar, or fast-breaking meal, after sundown; all Philadelphia public school students are entitled to free breakfast and lunch.) We do recognize all faiths, Hale said. If theres a student who wanted to do something in our space, we would absolutely make room for it. Students are expected to make up any work they missed, Hale said. Rukaaya Shaarawi, the Ben Franklin 11th grader who leads girls prayer, relishes the community she has found at school. (Sometimes, students from Science Leadership Academy, which shares a building with Ben Franklin, also join the midday prayers.) It feels great being next to our Muslim brothers and sisters, Shaarawi said. Taqira Thornton-Trice, another Ben Franklin junior, agreed. I just converted in April of last year, and seeing my sisters help me with Arabic or with the Quran, its nice to know that I have people to do that at school, Thornton-Trice said. Shaarawi said being around dozens of peers eating lunch doesnt bother her, but during lunch, she prefers to go into an empty classroom. Now, some of her Muslim friends join her. Ill maybe read the Quran with other people, Shaarawi said. We all get blessings and benefit together. Ramadan ends this year on March 29. Though our nations capital is a mere two hours away from Philly via Amtrak, a different, but no less diverse world of dining awaits. Just as Philadelphias dining scene is deeply informed and defined over the years by immigrant groups, such as those from southern Vietnam, Mexicos Puebla, and various regions of Italy, Washingtons is shaped by distinct immigrant groups, including groups from El Salvador, Ethiopia, and, like here, countries throughout Southeast Asia. Advertisement D.C. also boasts high-end omakase restaurants, countless steakhouses, and plenty of flashy spots tailor-made for lobbyists and the people theyre trying to influence. Generally, expect higher prices and more smoke and mirrors restaurants in D.C. typically have larger, glitzier dining rooms, as well as larger marketing budgets. This doesnt always translate into better food or service, just a bigger bill. If you are wondering where to start, heres a guide to Washingtons restaurants that follow the outlines of Philadelphias scene from a former chef who splits her time between the two cities. If youre a fan of West Phillys Abyssinia, theres more Ethiopian food than you can imagine in D.C., which has the largest Ethiopian population outside of Africa. You must have Ethiopian food in D.C. It has the deepest Ethiopian scene of anywhere in the country. Elfegne and Dukem are stalwarts, while I personally love Tsehay Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar and Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Mart. Both have received Michelin Guide nods over the years. Tsehays beef tibs with rosemary and tomato are rich and wonderful, while Cherchers gingery doro wot (chicken with hard-boiled egg, simmered with aromatics) and fish dullet (chopped tilapia mixed with onion and jalapenos) are not to be missed. Youll find marvelously elastic, spongy injera at either one, though. When tourists go to Philly, chances are, they will ask a Philly local if they should go to Pats or Genos. Curious about the D.C. equivalent? There, that gut-busting void is filled by Bens Chili Bowl, which has four locations serving Half Smokes (mixed pork and beef chili on a hot dog), subs, and variations of chili cheese fries. This is where locals bring visitors because thats just what you do. Bens Chili Bowl was recently featured on Amazon Primes Cross (which is great, by the way), in case that further entices you to go just once to see what the fuss is all about. The detectives in the show are unable to function without getting their Half Smokes. (I was unable to function after getting a Half Smoke.) Do you love acrobatic tasting menus, like the one at Provenance or River Twice? D.C. has no shortage of places that deploy copious amounts of ultra-luxe signifiers like caviar, wagyu, uni, and gamtae in ways both novel (Jose Andres The Bazaar) and not-so-much (every high-end steakhouse). Jont, a 17-seat chefs counter, keeps things fresh and celebratory by blending high-end ingredients especially Japanese ones with distinctly American specialty ones like pink pineapple and Texas venison. The music will be loud. The snacks will be extraordinary jewellike morsels. The bill will be shocking. Youll have a great time. If youre searching for carefully constructed seafood-focused dishes, head to Georgetowns Reverie, where Johnny Spero shares a similar approach to Randy Rucker with seasonal Mid-Atlantic ingredients like black walnuts, but married to Japandi (Japanese and Scandinavian) aesthetics and esoteric seaweeds. If youre a Francophile who longs for Parcs French onion soup, D.C.s equivalent is Stephen Starrs Le Diplomate, a picturesque homage to Parisian bistros and cafes. The soup will have the same dramatic cheese pull, and the bar is as transportive as Parcs. Le Dip is even as contentious as Parc, which people either love or love to hate. But youll be able to get those hometown home runs of tuna carpaccio, crispy artichokes, and the steak tartare du Parc, a dish that gives Rittenhouses largest restaurant a nod. Craving the warmth of Le Virtu or a Fiorella-style meticulously handmade and deeply comforting pasta fix? Meander down to Osteria Mozza, Stephen Starrs new Georgetown outpost of Nancy Silvertons legendary L.A. house of Tuscan specialties. Theres no bad seat in this charming restaurant you walk into what feels like a market (if you need potatoes, jarred pesto, or boxed pasta, you can buy them while youre waiting for your table) and youll get balanced, perfectly al dente versions of classics like tagliatelle with Bolognese and rigatoni alla carbonara. Another option for wood-fired Italianesque grilled fish and comforting, precisely executed pastas is Amy Brandweins Centrolina, which, like Andrew Woods cooking at Le Virtu, transforms mostly Mid-Atlantic ingredients into hauntingly lovely dishes like a white Bolognese with chestnut and gnocchi alla gricia. Do you long for the vermicelli platter at Gabriellas Vietnam or a comforting bowl of fragrant, beefy pho from Pho 75? Kevin Tiens Moon Rabbit will scratch that itch, but its takes on Vietnamese cuisine are less traditional. It draws on Cajun influences, for instance, as in the duck sausage-stuffed quail with jambalaya-like tomato rice. Tien spent his formative teenage years in Lafayette, La., the heart of Cajun country, and those flavors intermittently weave their way into his cooking. The Mon Lon is most akin to Gabriellas vermicelli platter, but it features lemongrass meatballs and chili pineapple pork skewers. The rotating squash course yes, there is a rotating squash course currently consists of koginut squash, fermented curry, crispy seeds, and curry leaves. Its one of my personal favorite dishes in D.C., vying for the top spot with Moon Rabbits own kanpachi crudo with coconut mousse and puffed rice paper. Pastry chef Susan Baes tofu cheesecake, durian mousse, and seaweed panna cottas constitute a perfect coda to the meal. For pho, worry not, there are branches of Pho 75 all over the DMV (thats D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, not the place where you have to wait in line forever in order to get a REAL ID). There are 10 Pho 75s in the immediate D.C. area, the closest one being over the Francis Scott Key bridge from D.C. in Arlington, Va. Need a celebratory omakase experience like the back room at Royal Sushi & Izakaya? Go to the four-decades-old Perrys Restaurant in D.C., which serves some of the best sushi Ive had on the East Coast. Its far more casual than Royal Sushis hallowed, wood-paneled temple to omakase; Perrys positively bustles for dinner on weeknights. In addition to the omakase offerings, it has izakaya staples including karaage chicken, fried shishito peppers, and dumplings, as well as entrees like udon carbonara, a shrimp katsu burger, and BBQ eel donburi. Twice a month, Perrys sells tickets to its Japanese breakfasts, which are practically unheard-of in Philly; theres also a drag brunch for some entertaining chaos. And if, for whatever reason, youre in need of an eye-wateringly expensive omakase experience, D.C. has an outpost of Sushi Nakazawa in the Waldorf Astoria. Craving something like Machine Shops croissants and jammy egg pastries? Thats an easy one the relationship between Machine Shop and Yellow goes deeper than a shared loved of zaatar. Their respective owners, Emily Riddell and Michael Rafidi, have been together for more than 10 years. The couple constantly inspire one another, which plays out on their menus. Machine Shops everything bagel croissant is essentially on the menu at Yellows three D.C. locations in the form of the zaatar croissant. There are also jammy egg and shatta danishes, along with excellent pitas, falafel, and what Yellow calls (not) pizzas 12-inch flatbread pies covered in toppings like harissa, kefta, burnt eggplant, and Armenian beef sausage. Save your crusts to eat with hummus and the thick, fluffy toum, a garlic dip that manages to be simultaneously sharp and mellow. Speaking of bakeries, looking for excellent loaves and hearty sandwiches like youd find at Mighty Bread? Bread Furst is the answer to that. Youre enveloped in yeasty, heavenly fumes as soon as you enter and walk past its shelves crammed with curated pantry items, esoteric vinegars, and unique sauces. Stock up on fresh-baked sourdoughs, brioches, and baguettes, as well as an ever-changing selection of pastries and loaves made with local ingredients. My absolute favorite item is the magnificently simple French ham and gruyere sandwich made with butter and a hint of Dijon on the baguette. Its as perfect as the La Colombe ham and butter sandwich, which I am unable to resist whenever I stop into its Philly coffee shops. Need a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast bagel sandwich, like you would get at Kismet? D.C.s equivalent is Call Your Mother, which has six locations or seven, if you count its presence at the Dupont Circle Farmers Market (kind of like how Kismet sets up at the Rittenhouse Farmers Market on Saturdays). In line with being a delightfully quirky, pop-arty establishment, Call Your Mother brands itself as a Jew-ish deli there is a bacon sandwich in addition to the latkes but it has all the bagels youd expect, plus some others seasoned with zaatar and maple salt and pepper. Another way to think of it: Its a sandwich shop that happens to use bagels as bread; it also serves pastrami on challah or rye and other, meltier sandwiches. Are you enamored by locality, by way of West Chesters Andiario or South Phillys Heavy Metal Sausage, and want to taste more of the Mid-Atlantic? Jeremiah Langhornes The Dabney will similarly stun with open-hearth cooking and a focus on Mid-Atlantic cuisine. Expect Chesapeake Bay scallops, charred carrots with single-farm provenance, and courses like local oysters with nduja vinaigrette, along with a bar program that equally celebrates produce from nearby farms and even backyards. The dining room is homey and beautiful, like a bucolic Andrew Wyeth painting come to life. Chefs shake fans over coals, tweezer nasturtium leaves onto the vegetables roasted on the hearth, and tease soft shell crabs into spiky bouquets in bowls, while bartenders shake up housemade shrubs into cocktails as leafy as the plates emerging from the kitchen. Do you love the frenetic energy of Reading Terminal Market? Youre not going to get exactly that huge, historic blend of eateries, butchers, cheese shops, and fishmongers, but you can go to Union Market, which houses a butcher, a fishmonger, and an array of food stalls, from AboveGround (an ode to the UKs comfort foods) to the Creamery, which serves ice cream in classic flavors like cookies and cream and chocolate. The wider Union Market district is also home to vegetable wholesalers, larger restaurants, and the most design-forward cookbook and candle shop in the region: Salt & Sundry. If you need a farmers market to go to in D.C., the Dupont Circle market is the big one, held on Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Want to eat and drink alongside restaurant industry folks like at Fountain Porter? Let me introduce you to Service Bar, which is known not for its burger and beer selection, but for its fried chicken and sometimes wacky sounding (but not wacky tasting) cocktails. Think vodka sodas spiked with concord grapes, vermouth infused with chamomile, and a cocktail called the Great Pumpkin, which blends Wild Turkey with pumpkin and garam masala. Cocktails run $9 at happy hour, and the fried chicken is offered in a variety of forms that are as iconic in D.C. as the Fountain Porter burger is in Philly: nugget, thigh, or sandwiched between a sesame seed bun. This no-nonsense, not-too-many-frills, borderline dive bar has also been recognized as one of North Americas 50 Best Bars. D.C. is a town that closes early (seemingly even earlier than Philly; good luck trying to get dinner at 9 p.m. on a Sunday), and Service Bar is one of those rare establishments with a late-night menu. It includes Buffalo chicken dip, the aforementioned fried chicken as thighs and nuggets, and a wide enough array of bites to assemble a dinner. Miss a.kitchen for its elevated comfort food, local wine-forward wine list, and calm surroundings? No problem, D.C. has an a.kitchen in the AKA hotel. The menus are not exactly 1:1, but youll be able to get the same huge, pillowy gougeres, cheesy Boursin omelets, octopus lyonnaise, and a chickpea panisse with crisp edges and a creamy center. There are also menu crossovers that are expressed in distinct ways. The hamachi in D.C., for instance, is tinged fuchsia with purple cabbage and red onion, while in Philly, blood orange gives the pearlescent fish the same hue. And the iconic burger is painted with dijonnaise in Philly, but in D.C., its essentially an upscale Big Mac. Unlike Philly, theres a veggie burger on the menu. Finally, if you are traveling with your dog, no shortage of restaurants in D.C. cater to pups. Joy by Seven Reasons has an extensive dog menu with rice and chicken, salmon with lentils, and Greek yogurt pupsicles, all highly recommended by Philadelphia Magazines Official Dog Critic, Coconut Aranita. The Dog Daze Social Club is D.C.s version of Phillys Boozy Mutt, as it has a full restaurant and bar catering to humans and a dog garden where your pup can run amok. The South Philadelphia Community Health and Literacy Center at Broad and Morris Streets. Philadelphia health officials reported a potential measles exposure in certain locations in the building last week. Read more A patient who recently visited the emergency department and an outpatient clinic at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia has been diagnosed with measles, Philadelphia health officials said Wednesday, urging those who visited locations where the patient was treated to make sure they have vaccine protections against the virus. Health officials said that the person had recently traveled internationally and that the case is not connected to another measles case in Montgomery County that was also linked to international travel, nor to a widespread outbreak in West Texas. Advertisement The age of the patient with the Philadelphia areas latest measles case was not disclosed. We believe there is no threat to the general public associated with this case of measles, city Health Commissioner Palak Raval-Nelson said in a statement. Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads through respiratory droplets from an infected person and can linger in the air for up to two hours, even if an infected person has left the area. The city health department said exposures could have occurred at the following locations: The South Philadelphia Health and Literacy Center at 1700 S. Broad St. on Friday, March 7, between 10:45 a.m. and 2:40 p.m., and Saturday, March 8, between 9:05 a.m. and 1:20 p.m. This building houses CHOPs Pediatric Primary Care South Philadelphia, the citys Health Center 2, and the South Philadelphia Library. There were no potential exposures in the library. CHOPs emergency department at 3401 Civic Center Blvd. on Monday, March 10, between 7:55 and 10:15 a.m. Those who passed through those locations at those times should determine whether they are protected against measles, the health department said. People are generally considered immune if they were born before 1957, have already had measles, have a blood test showing immunity to measles, or have written documentation of receiving adequate doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. As vaccination rates across the country continue to drop, there are more and more opportunities for people who cannot be vaccinated to be exposed to this deadly disease. Thats why it is critical for everyone who needs to be protected from measles to get vaccinated as soon as possible, Raval-Nelson said. Children under a year old are generally not vaccinated for measles and are not immune to the virus. Health officials recommend vaccinations for children as early as six months if they are planning to travel internationally. What do to if you have been exposed to measles People immune to measles who visited those locations do not have to do anything, the health department said. The MMR vaccine is 97% effective with two doses, the department noted. Those who are not protected from the virus and visited the CHOP ER on Monday during the potential exposure should get a dose of the MMR vaccine before Thursday, the health department said. Those who do not get an MMR vaccine before Thursday should stay home for 21 days, the department said. People without immunity who visited the South Philadelphia Health and Literacy Center on Friday should call their doctors and stay at home until March 27, the department said. Those at the center on Saturday must stay home until March 28. The department asked people to call their doctors if they develop symptoms. Parents should contact their doctors if they took a child under a year old to one of the exposure locations, the department said. So should anyone who is pregnant and not immune or who has a weakened immune system. People who develop any measles symptoms through March 31 should call their doctor immediately, the department said, and tell the doctor before visiting the office that they may have been exposed to measles. Symptomatic patients should also notify the health department at 215-685-6740, option 5. The virus early symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red and puffy eyes, and a rash. In serious cases, measles can lead to pneumonia, brain infections, and death. In a large ongoing measles outbreak in West Texas, two people have died. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about one in five unvaccinated people who contract measles will be hospitalized, and one in 20 children will develop pneumonia, the leading cause of death from measles in young children. About one to three children out of every 1,000 infected with measles will die. Measures underway at CHOP In a hospital systemwide email sent Tuesday night and obtained by The Inquirer, CHOP officials said that staff should screen patients by asking for a travel history, potential exposures to measles, and any symptoms that might indicate the presence of the virus. Patients with a recent measles exposure should be placed in an airborne infection isolation room. A city health department spokesperson said that the patient with measles had not presented with classic measles symptoms on the first two visits to the CHOP outpatient clinic. It was not until [their visit to the CHOP ER on Monday] that classic symptoms appeared, and the diagnosis was made, the spokesperson wrote in an email. CHOP officials did not immediately return a call for comment. In the email, they wrote that the vast majority of the hospitals workforce is protected against the measles by either natural or vaccine-induced immunity. The city health department said that citywide MMR vaccine coverage is also high. About 97% of seventh- and 12th-grade students and 94.5% of kindergarten students in the city were vaccinated against measles during the 2023-24 school year. State health officials recommend that 95% of people be vaccinated against measles in order to protect residents who are immunocompromised or too young to be vaccinated. For residents looking to make sure they are protected, the health department maintains a website on how to access vaccinations and a separate site on vaccines recommended before traveling. Philadelphians who do not know whether they have been vaccinated can ask for their records through the health department, which keeps track of vaccines given in the city. Editors note: This story has been updated with additional detail on the patients visits to CHOP facilities and to clarify the age at which public health officials recommend vaccines and consider a person immune to measles. "Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer" details how police tracked down Rex Heuermann, accused of murdering several women, many who were sex workers. Read more The decades-long search for the man behind the notorious Gilgo Beach killings is now the subject of a new Netflix docuseries. Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer is the story behind the deaths of several Long Island women and the story of Rex Heuermann, the New York architect charged in their deaths last year. The three-episode series is set to premiere on March 31. Advertisement Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning director Liz Garbus says Gone Girls delves into the twists and turns behind the case and the longtime search for Heuermann. It features a mix of reenactments and interviews with law enforcement officials, victims friends and family members, and friends of Heuermann. The chilling two-minute trailer for the Netflix series opens with the death of Shannan Gilbert, a 24-year-old sex worker from Jersey City, whose disappearance triggered the start of what would become the Long Island serial killer search. Many of the victims were female sex workers, which Garbus says led to apathy about the deaths from the general public and stretched out the length of the case. Young women who worked in the sex industry were disappearing from New York City and Long Island, and no one was looking for them, according to the trailer. Garbus told Netflixs blog, Tudum, that preconceived notions about the victims sex work were part of the reason the investigation took so long and that she hopes Gone Girls illustrates how multifaceted the victims lives were. [Youre] going to see stories of young women who were coming of age and trying to make it in a tough economy. But they were moms, and they were showing up for their sisters birthday parties, and they were living a full other life, she said. Your morality may make you believe you would never do that, but you dont know what someone is facing. Hopefully we can all understand and not judge and certainly not believe that they deserved anything that they got. Heuermann, who was charged with the deaths of seven women including Valerie Mack of Philadelphia as of December 2024, is being held at the Suffolk County Jail. He maintains that he is not guilty. Watch the full trailer: Thin Mints are the top-selling Girl Scout cookie. A recent class action lawsuits claims there are toxins in the cookies. Read more A freshly baked proposed class-action lawsuit filed against the Girl Scouts claims their signature cookies are laced with toxins. Court documents filed Monday in New York allege the presence of heavy metals and pesticides in the cookies. The findings are based on a study from December 2024 commissioned by GMO Science and Moms Across America that tested 25 cookie samples across three states. GMO Science focuses on discussion around genetic modifications, while Moms Across America is an advocacy group that centers on environmental toxins, GMOs, and food safety. They are known for being critical of GMOs and the agrochemical industry. Advertisement The lawsuit takes aim at the Girl Scouts of the United States of America along with ABC Bakers and Ferrero USAs Little Brownie Bakers the only two bakeries in the country authorized to manufacture the famous sweet treats. The cookies have notable Philadelphia ties. READ MORE: Only two bakeries in the U.S. are allowed to bake Girl Scout Cookies. Heres where Phillys cookies come from. Bayside, N.Y., resident Amy Mayo leads the suit. According to court documents, she has purchased several Girl Scout cookies, including Peanut Butter Patties and Adventurefuls, since January of this year. She believed that she was purchasing quality and safe cookies consistent with Girl Scouts promise of ethical business practices and the representations published on [the Girl Scouts] websites, the lawsuit said. Mayo said she would not have purchased the cookies or would have paid less for them if the Girl Scouts had marketed their products accurately. Mayo could not be reached for comment. The lawsuit seeks at least $5 million in damages for Girl Scout cookie purchasers and for alleged violations against consumer protection and labeling laws. Heres what else to know. What does the study on Girl Scout cookies say? According to the study, the Girl Scout cookies tested contained higher than recommended levels of at least four of five heavy metals: aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Experts say high levels of exposure can negatively affect peoples health and the environment. The study also said the Girl Scout cookies, especially Thin Mints, contained glyphosate, a weed-killing pesticide. What is glyphosate? Glyphosate is the active ingredient in weed-killing pesticides such as Roundup. It is a common topic of controversy among health-conscious groups and has been referenced by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for its potential link to cancer. Despite its vilification in recent years, glyphosate is often used in herbicides used to treat crops globally. Experts say its risk to the public is probably low. How have the Girl Scouts and the cookie bakeries responded? In a blog post last month, the Girl Scouts addressed the study, saying that heavy metals can naturally occur in soil and are not a safety issue. The health and safety of Girl Scouts and cookie customers is our top priority. Rest assured: Girl Scout Cookies are safe to consume, the blog post said. A recent report claimed that our Girl Scout Cookies contain certain levels of glyphosate and heavy metals. We want to address these allegations and share the facts. The post added that its cookies are made in compliance with food safety and environmental standards from the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. Girl Scout Cookies are safe to consume and are manufactured in accordance with all food safety regulations, the blog post said. According to Reuters, several chocolate makers including Pennsylvanias Hershey have faced lawsuits tied to the presence of heavy metals in their products. Newly hatched chicks get fed in a nest 80 feet high in a sycamore tree at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, Somerset County, N.J. Read more Three tiny, downy, white-feathered bald eagle chicks emerged from their shells nestled 80 feet high in a New Jersey sycamore tree in recent weeks. Their birth captivated hundreds of thousands of people around the globe. Advertisement This years livestream of the nests activity, presented via the eagle cam at Duke Farms a sprawling 2,700-acre environmental center in Hillsborough, Somerset County brought something new. For the first time in 17 years, viewers can hear the chicks high-pitched chirps and even the sound of carrion being torn, thanks to a newly installed audio system perched above the nest. The webcams reach grew exponentially this year when its capability was expanded to stream on Facebook. A livestream of the eggs hatching on Feb. 27 drew 375,000 viewers. Others tuned in via YouTube or the Duke Farms website. In recent days, the devoted parents have been spotted trading shifts, swooping in to deliver freshly caught fish and fowl to their brood, or sheltering the chicks beneath their wings during chilly early mornings. We have a number of devoted viewers, said Lauren Guastella, a spokesperson for Duke Farms. There are also folks from all over. One woman e-mailed us recently wanting to know if they are the same adults as last year, which they are. The woman watches live from her home in Switzerland. READ MORE: Bald eagle no longer endangered in New Jersey, state officials say Bald eagle comeback Duke Farms was an early adopter of webcams, the first of which was installed in 2008. The camera was upgraded in the fall and is positioned 15 feet above the nest. Operators can remotely pan, tilt, or zoom the camera for optimal viewing. A microphone was added in December and is placed 10 feet above the nest. The setup is part of a collaboration between Duke Farms, the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. Webcams can be tricky for hosts to access and maintain, said Larissa Smith, a senior wildlife biologist with the Conserve Wildlife Foundation. In October 2012, winds from Hurricane Sandy destroyed a nest, and the camera had to be moved. In 2015, a camera was struck by lightning shortly before eaglets fledged in 2015. Bald eagles can nest in dangerous locations, such as near high power lines, and can move from nest to nest. Video and audio equipment also has to be monitored and maintained. Biologists approaching chicks for banding must be trained in handling raptors. Separately, the Pennsylvania Game Commission hosts two bald eagle webcams, one in York County and another in Lancaster County, said Travis Lau, a spokesperson for the commission. Lau also noted that the commission hosts a snow geese cam at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. These and other eagle webcams from across the U.S. are accessible on the HDOnTap website. Although the York County nest has seen minimal activity, with occasional visits by an adult eagle, the Lancaster County eagles are actively attending to chicks. Conservation success The resurgence of bald eagles stands as a significant conservation success story. New Jersey removed the raptor from its endangered species list last year. Pennsylvania had already done so. The latest New Jersey bald eagle report revealed 34 new pairs identified in 2023, with 23 of those in South Jersey, mostly along the Delaware Bay region in Cumberland and Salem Counties. Duke Farms has the only live, state-sponsored webcam in New Jersey. This spring, state wildlife biologists will band the chicks at Duke Farms, a process requiring them to climb the tree. The chicks will likely fly off in May or June. Some may return. Smith said 160 volunteers help monitor eagle nests around the state. She said the female eagle at Duke Farms has been laying eggs there since 2020. The male arrived last year year. The females previous mate disappeared two years ago. He was more than 20 years old, Smith said. Pairs of eagles can change year to year. Bald eagles can live up to 30 years and often mate for life. However, some get killed or die. The birds can be hard to track and identify if they have not been banded, as is the case with the current pair. So observers note behaviors and physical characteristics, such as markings, to identify them. Repeat visitors Bald eagles have been present at Duke Farms since the fall of 2004. Overall, 32 eagle chicks have been raised at Duke Farms nests since 2005, excluding the trio from this year, who wont fledge (leave the nest) for weeks. Chicks that have fledged at Duke Farms have been found in states such as Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Connecticut. One was attacked and killed by another bald eagle in Maine. Another returned to visit Duke farms. Duke Farms has been very lucky because even though it hasnt been the same birds over the years, eagles continue to use the nests, Smith said. Its been really amazing that they have come back and use this tree with the cam. People really get attached to them. Sheriff Rochelle Bilal on Jan. 2, 2024, as she was sworn in for her second term. Read more For Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, its out of the frying pan and into the fire. A court order issued Tuesday holds Bilal at fault for failing to fully comply with the terms of the city judges December directive requiring her to fix a security crisis that left courtrooms without deputies and defendants languishing in holding cells. Advertisement The new order, issued by the Administrative Governing Board of the First Judicial District, a panel of judges that oversees Philadelphia court operations, says Bilal has not done enough to address the deputy shortage, resulting in direct harm to the proper functioning and safe operation and administration of the courts. The document gives Bilal 30 days to draw up plans to boost deputy recruitment, including the creation of a new sheriffs academy within city limits. The pair of orders are a rare chastisement of a local elected official by the citys judiciary, and reflect a growing dissatisfaction with Bilals inability to retain staff and attract new deputies to an increasingly dysfunctional office. Bilal and her spokesperson did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment. Blaming the judges On Monday, the sheriffs campaign, Friends of Rochelle Bilal, sent a fundraising email to supporters that blamed the judges. The email cited a 2020 report into nepotism and a racist work culture in Philly courts. The very people demanding more security protection are the ones creating the hostile environment in the first place, the email stated. The report was conducted by the Washington-based Center for Urban and Racial Equality (CURE) at the request of the courts. The Inquirer reported in September that assaults, threats, and other security incidents had skyrocketed under Bilal, increasing threefold last year compared with 2019, the year before she took office. Defendants have been sitting in the basement of the Criminal Justice Center for hours because deputies were unavailable to escort them to trials and hearings. Civilian staff were left to police some courtrooms without law enforcement assistance. I dont understand how it got this bad, where we dont have security in our courtrooms, one judge told The Inquirer at the time. Bilal had claimed the problem was being exaggerated. But the administrative judicial panel, citing the uptick in incidents, in December issued an ultimatum to her to resolve those security lapses within 90 days. Sheriff deputies were subsequently shuffled from specialized units like those charged with warrant service, or internal affairs into the courthouse security rotation. These changes had the effect of quickly bolstering deputy ranks, but soon caused disruptions elsewhere. Earlier this month, the sheriffs office relocated its entire warrant unit to the Family Court building from its prior home inside the citys probation department on Market Street, where deputies had doubled as building security under an agreement brokered with her predecessor. The removal of those deputies forced the courts to abruptly close probation offices to the public and switch to a virtual check-in system. All in-person drug testing was also temporarily paused. (Urine screenings have since resumed, court officials confirmed.) Bilal has since stated that she believes she is legally required to secure only courthouses, and not other court-related facilities, such as the probation office. Yet the latest order specifically cites the temporary closure of 714 Market Street (the probation office) as a direct harm to the operation of the courts. It requests a plan from Bilal to restore staffing to that building. The sheriff has repeatedly complained that she is hamstrung by narrow hiring windows, a deputy academy that is hours from the city, and an inability to compete with salaries offered by larger law enforcement agencies. Her office has said it can take 2-3 years to hire a deputy and has complained about inadequate funding from the city. However, the Sheriffs Office ended the last fiscal year with a $1 million payroll surplus due to unfilled positions, and the citys finance director has said the sheriff can hire up to 307 deputies regardless of the budget impact, according to a city spokesperson. Between early 2023 and the end of 2024, the number of deputies and deputy recruits employed by the office continued to drop, from 320 to 290. Judges have taken notice. The Tuesday order asks for a report identifying unfilled but budgeted deputy positions and efforts made by the Sheriff to recruit and hire deputies to fill them. Elected in 2019, Bilal has presided over a string of institutional failures involving the issuance of protective orders , administration of sheriff sales , deed processing , and financial mismanagement . She has meanwhile embarked on community outreach efforts and launched season two of a podcast, in some cases using an office slush fund of taxpayer dollars that are withheld from the citys general fund. The consequences of Bilals failure to comply with the terms of the latest order are up to the judiciary. They could include fines or even removal from office. In Dauphin County last year, an elected clerk resigned rather than face contempt hearings linked to a similar court order issued over office mismanagement. A view of Independence Hall in January. Right-to-know laws give the public tremendous power to fight the spread of misinformation. But to truly benefit from that power, people need to understand and use the law, Michael Berry writes. Read more In recent years, Americans across the political spectrum have been gripped by concerns about misinformation, disinformation, and outright fabrication. Each is a real threat to our country. Americas democracy depends on the public having access to accurate information about our government and its leaders. Advertisement That is why the law protects our right to obtain real, authentic information about our government, and protects our ability to watch our leaders and officials at work, in real time. Next week, we have a chance to celebrate those rights during Sunshine Week, a time devoted to highlighting the importance of open government and educating people about how to exercise our rights to get information about what our elected officials are up to. Having access to information about our government and seeing our leaders conduct official business in the open allows us to know what our elected officials are considering doing, what they are actually doing, and what they are not doing. Open government serves as a check to keep officials honest. It helps us root out corruption and waste. Access to information gives us the knowledge we need to debate policy and politics. It aids us in making informed decisions when we cast our votes at the polls, and it gives us the tools we need to hold officials accountable officials who work for us, whether they are elected leaders or unelected bureaucrats. Here in Pennsylvania, the law ensures people across the commonwealth have the power to learn for themselves what the government is doing and why it is doing it. The law does this in three ways. First, the law protects the peoples right to attend government meetings. Specifically, the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act provides that meetings of government agencies must be open to the public whenever agencies take official action or engage in deliberations. We have the right to attend all meetings ... at which any agency business is discussed or votes are cast. This mandate is straightforward. It means the publics business must be done in public. Anyone can attend meetings of borough councils, county commissions, school boards, and zoning boards. They all must conduct their business and make their decisions in public. Second, the law provides us the right to inspect and copy government records. That right is enshrined in the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law. The law presumes any record held by any government agency that relates to the agencys activities is open to the public. The law, however, contains many exemptions. Those exemptions restrict access to everything from security measures to information about investigations, and from personnel records to an officials personal working papers. Significantly, the law says the government bears the burden of proving a record is subject to one of those exemptions. Simply put, a government record is publicly available unless the government proves the specific record is exempt from disclosure. Open government serves as a check to keep officials honest. It helps us root out corruption and waste. The Right-to-Know Law gives the public tremendous power to learn what is going on behind the scenes. It gives us the right to see how the government is spending our tax dollars, and whether that money has been put to good use. It applies to all agencies across the commonwealth, from state agencies in Harrisburg to City Hall in Philadelphia and all the municipal agencies, boards, and committees in between. Third, the law protects our right to attend court proceedings and review court filings. This protection is built into our Constitution and long-standing common law. Our justice system is open for people to see. Only in the rarest and most narrow of circumstances can judicial records be sealed or a courtroom be closed. This means any person can walk into court and watch any bail hearing, any trial, or any appeal. And anyone can go to a court clerk and get a copy of nearly any court filing, whether its an indictment, a guilty plea, a civil complaint, or a jury verdict. It all is open for anyone to see. These laws give the public tremendous power. But to truly benefit from that power, people need to understand and use the law. That is what Sunshine Week is all about. To help with that mission, on Monday, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, and Temples Klein College of Media and Communication are holding a program titled Ensuring Transparency in an Age of Political Uncertainty. The program will feature a discussion with journalists from The Inquirer, WHYY, and 6abc. They will talk about how they use these and other laws to cover whats happening in city, state, and federal government. The program will also include insights from a professor and lawyer who help the press and public exercise their right to access government information. The program is free. And its open to the public. Next week is a chance to celebrate the light that the law shines on government. Sunshine Week reminds us that we all have the power to lift the veil of secrecy and learn the truth about our government and its leaders. In an era of disinformation and misinformation, we all have a responsibility to ensure our government remains open and accountable. Michael Berry is a partner at Ballard Spahr LLP, where he represents the press in First Amendment matters. He serves on the board of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts and is cochair of the Pennsylvania Bar Associations Bar/Press Committee. To learn more about the March 17 program, visit www.pmconline.org/events/pmc-shares-panel-sunshine-week-ensuring-transparency-age-political-uncertainty. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrest an Ecuadorian man in the Bronx during predawn operations in New York in January. Read more When I was living in Honduras from 2017 to 2019, it was abundantly clear the U.S. Embassys priorities were entirely centered on stopping migration. Whatever else the Honduran government under Juan Orlando Hernandez did or did not do was immaterial. Hernandez was willing to play ball with the first Trump administration regarding anything it wanted that had to do with migration. He knew it would look the other way on anything else. Advertisement In the early days of the Biden administration, Hernandez was extradited to the United States for charges related to international drug trafficking. The Biden administration was also generally concerned about migration in the Americas, enacting a number of policies during its tenure to try and keep people from getting to the U.S.-Mexico border to seek asylum. Its view was less myopic than its predecessors, but also, Hernandez was no longer in power in Honduras whatever the new administrations policy, he was no longer the guy to get it done. The legacy of his actions, however, endures. Sitting in the courtroom during Hernandezs trial in New York City in 2024, I got the impression he could not believe he was there. Not because he had not engaged in those things, but because his ties to narco groups in Honduras were a long-standing open secret in Honduras and among U.S. Embassy-connected personnel. It just had not mattered before. While cooperating on every one of the Trump administrations anti-migration agenda items, Hernandez also planned to shove the drugs right up the noses of the gringos. With the presidents return to the White House, migration diplomacy has taken a new turn. President Donald Trump wages war with threats of tariffs and canceled visas to bully leaders all throughout Latin America into accepting his terms regarding deportations. He thinks it makes him look strong; he thinks the message is that theres a new sheriff in town, and we wont be having any of this sending your huddled masses to the United States any longer. The jokes on him. What the experience of Hernandez shows us is that Trumps anti-immigrant fervor makes him transparent. While Trump believes hes the one wielding the stick, it actually means his counterparts know exactly just what kind of carrot is his favorite. Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela is the first, clearest example. After a blatantly fraudulent election in 2024 and deepening violent repression of the opposition, Trump sent a special envoy to Venezuela, and Maduro agreed to take deportees. In return, despite sanctions, Chevron can continue its operations in Venezuela, guaranteeing an important economic foundation for Maduro. On the other end of the spectrum, the democratically elected yet precarious government of Bernardo Arevalo in Guatemala has long known that support from the United States is ensuring its stability, staving off the encroachment and any potential coups from a corrupt elite used to governing as they please. When Secretary of State Marco Rubio came away from Guatemala with an agreement to accept deportees from other countries, Trump claimed victory. Not much has been reported as to what Guatemala asked for in return, but Arevalo could be sure it was his best bargaining chip to secure continued support for his administration with Trump in the White House. While Trump believes hes the one wielding the stick, it actually means his counterparts just know exactly what kind of carrot is his favorite. This is not the first time in U.S.-Latin American relations that the American agenda has been so abundantly hyper-focused. Not long in our past, there was a time when anti-communism was all the White House cared about, leading us to support brutal wars and bloody dictators, as long as they were anti-communist bloody dictators. The U.S. helped orchestrate the coups against democratically elected leaders like Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala and Salvador Allende in Chile, ushering in military rule in the name of democracy. Let us never forget that we secretly and illegally sold weapons to Iran in order to secretly and illegally fund anti-communist fighting forces in Central America. This moment will have long-term consequences. Just like it did when tens of thousands of people were displaced from Central America in the 1980s while the U.S. supported the fight for democracy there in the form of genocidal (but anti-communist!) governments. READ MORE: These Philadelphians lived under authoritarian rule. As Trump takes power, their stories should serve as cautionary tales. | Helen Ubinas Just like it did when Hernandez facilitated the consolidation of narco empires and shoved cocaine up our noses. This moment will come back in the form of harm for the United States. More unrest, which contributes to more migration, is a predictable result. Other things the United States claims to care about will also get ignored, including corruption, democratic backsliding, and drug trafficking (just to name a few). Its bad long-term geopolitics. But the most important consequence is the incredible, devastating cost to human lives. We are saturated with stories of deportees who have been murdered after being sent back to their home countries from the United States; at least three of the young men whom I knew during my fieldwork were murdered after being sent back to Central America. There are too many stories like this but theres also the slow, grinding violence caused when people are sent back to conditions that subject them to constant fear, gnawing hunger, crippling debt, and broken dreams. Amelia Frank-Vitale is an assistant professor in anthropology and international affairs at Princeton University. Since 2010, her research has focused on transit migration and deportation in Mexico and Central America. Ukrainian negotiators agreed Tuesday at talks with U.S. officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on a one-month ceasefire in Russias war on Ukraine. But, at this writing, we dont know whether Moscow will sign on. Supposedly, the U.S. will immediately restore military aid and intelligence info President Donald Trump had stopped giving Kyiv, which accelerated Ukraines civilian and military casualties. Their blood stains Trumps hands. Advertisement But, dear readers, do not mistake a temporary pause with progress in a U.S.-led peace process. Not if Trump and his minions continue their attempt to bludgeon Ukraine into accepting a peace deal on Vladimir Putins terms. For weeks, Trump has been making concessions to Putin, over Ukraines head, without demanding anything in return from the Kremlin. He has surrendered U.S. leverage to Putin before any peace talks even begin while asking (and receiving) nothing from him. Gifted such unexpected riches, smelling Trumps desire for a partnership, witnessing Trumps weakness, the Russian dictator has only increased his demands. The list of Trumps voluntary concessions to a dictator seems endless. He and his team have slurred and insulted Volodymyr Zelensky continuously, including a vicious double-team attack in the Oval Office. Their language often repeats Kremlin attacks on the Ukrainian leader word for word. Augmenting Kremlin efforts to get rid of Zelensky, the White House has even been trying to engineer regime change in Kyiv by forcing Zelensky to hold elections during wartime (illegal in Ukraine) and meeting with opposition leaders. (But the attacks on Zelensky have only boosted his popularity ratings in Ukraine, which far exceed Trumps in the U.S.) Trump has also tried to ruin Zelenskys reputation among Americans by inferring the Ukrainian leader is a moocher. The president endlessly repeats the lie that Ukraine has received more than $350 billion in U.S. aid, which is, he claims, three times what Europeans have spent. In reality, the U.S. amount spent is roughly one-third of that, while Europeans have spent more. And most U.S. military aid goes right back to America to purchase weapons and create U.S. jobs. (Trump never mentions that Ukraines brave fight has undercut a prime U.S. adversary Russia while teaching the Pentagon how to fight the wars of the future.) In one of his most sickening slurs, the president has accused Zelensky of not wanting peace. Mr. Bone Spurs shames America and U.S. vets by denigrating a Ukrainian hero who attends endless military and civilian funerals of men and women slaughtered by Russia. No one wants peace more than Zelensky, but not a false peace that permits Putin to destroy Ukraine. Yet, bowing to Putin, Trump has unilaterally endorsed Russias demands that Ukraine be excluded from NATO and give up all territory occupied by Moscow without even consulting Kyiv. Putins response has been that Ukraine should give up even more territory than Russia has already seized. Even harder to imagine, the president angrily refuses to provide any backstop if Europe creates a military stabilization force to police a long-term ceasefire in Ukraine. He knows the Europeans dont have the total military and intelligence capacities for a credible force (which idea, Putin rejects out of hand.) Yet, Trump blatantly lies that Putin can be trusted, even though the Russian has broken every deal hes ever made with Ukraine. The presidents threat to consider tariffs and sanctions on Russia if it refuses a ceasefire - or violates a deal - rings hollow. We dont trade with Russia, so theres nothing to tariff. And so many sanctions have been already leveled, more are unlikely to make a difference. By the way, our President of Contradictions has already gifted Putin again by inferring he will soon lift sanctions, once a ceasefire is approved. And in case you were so foolish as to have been taken in by presidential prevarications that an economic deal (which hands profits from Ukrainian mineral resources to Americans) will keep peace in Ukraine, fuhgeddaboudit. This is an extortion deal that likely will never be actualized. No U.S. investors are likely to drill until the fighting stops, and unless deterred militarily, Putin wont stop the fighting. So what, then, was actually achieved in Jeddah? At best, if Russia signs, a temporary breather for both sides - (even though its a safe bet that Moscow will cheat and blame Kyiv). A ceasefire is not the same as a peace deal, which lays out details for permanent cessation of hostilities. And this ceasefire would be short. Putin has made clear he wont accept any permanent peace that blocks Russia from continuing its war to destroy Ukraine. And Ukraine is worried about a long-term ceasefire lacking any security guarantees that would enable Russia to regroup and attack again. Trump would likely use the brief pause to try to squeeze Kyiv into a quick surrender. The president could then declare victory and openly pursue his much-desired alliance with Putin. The deal can be made very fast, the president recently said. It should not be that hard a deal to make. That claim is ludicrous unless the goal is simply to force Kyiv to capitulate. I dont believe Zelensky will agree to the suicide deal Putin wants and Trump appears willing to endorse. Americans must decide whether they really want an open U.S. alliance with a mass murderer who despises America, who gives nuclear technology to Iran and missile technology to North Korea, who is bonded to China for the long run in an effort to undermine the United States. And who wants to drag Ukraine back into a reconstituted Soviet Union. That alliance is Trumps goal. How he treats Russia compared to Ukraine, in coming days, will sign his intentions. If the president kowtows to Putin, this ongoing treachery must be called out and confronted by American patriots no matter whether they trend red or blue. Unless, that is, they believe we should join an alliance of dictators who disdain the values for which our Founding Fathers fought. U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick stops in North Philadelphia to speak to his supporters in October. Read more Sen. Dave McCormick introduced a bipartisan bill on Monday to establish a joint task force aimed at curbing fentanyl distribution into the United States. The bill, cosponsored by Democratic Sens. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) and Chris Coons, (D., De.) would designate a centralized group made up of representatives from a dozen government agencies to jointly disrupt trafficking networks, enforce sanctions, and address Chinas role in the opioid crisis. Advertisement Fentanyl killed nearly 4,000 Pennsylvanians last year and over 200 Americans each day, McCormick said in a statement. This legislation would empower our federal government to coordinate all the tools at its disposal to combat the trafficking of lethal fentanyl that is ruining American families. Ive heard from too many families who have lost their loved ones to fentanyl overdoses, I refuse to allow it to continue. McCormick made tackling fentanyl and its distribution chains from China a central theme of his Senate campaign. The text of the bill makes the case that no central entity exists where agencies can share information and coordinate efforts to combat opioid distribution. The Department of Justice, Treasury, Homeland Security, the FBI, Commerce, Defense, and National Intelligence would all be represented on the task force. A director appointed by the President, and reporting to the Attorney General, would submit a report 180 days after taking the helm, according to the bill. The bill seeks a plan covering the next two years outlining how to improve collaboration and funding. The bill specifies the task force would not be authorized to investigate, target or prosecute individuals for personal drug use or to pursue enforcement actions against low-level drug dealing, unrelated to larger trafficking networks. Overdose deaths have dropped nationally in the last year but only after an alarmingly steady rise. The citys 2023 fatal overdose numbers were three times higher than they were in 2013. And overdose deaths are rising among older Black men in Philadelphia, an analysis in December found. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an estimated 3% decrease in overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2023 compared with 2022. Data from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health showed fatal overdoses across the city decreased 7% in 2023, from 1,207 to 1,122. The city is expected to release its 2024 data in the spring of 2025. Illegally manufactured fentanyl is made in China, Mexico, and India and exported to the U.S. in powder or pill form. Pure fentanyl is more than 50 times stronger than heroin and street-obtained fentanyl can be even more potent, an unpredictability that makes it especially deadly. Fentanyl claims a Pennsylvanians life nearly every two hours its a crisis that demands a crisis-level response, Fetterman said in a release. This bill creates a task force of experts with real experience busting up international criminal rings to disrupt supply chains and pursue the traffickers exploiting our communities. As Ive said before, Ill work with anyone to get this poison off our streets, and this task force is a step in that direction. District Attorney Larry Krasner (left) and former Judge Patrick Dugan (right) at Tuesday's forum at the West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship. At center is moderator Kerry Shakaboona Marshall. Read more The first public debate of the race for Philadelphia district attorney did not involve much in the way of pleasantries. What started as a tense conversation between two attorneys ended with jumbled yelling and one candidate telling the other to keep his wifes name out of his mouth. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, the citys progressive top prosecutor, and his Democratic primary challenger, former Judge Patrick Dugan, faced off in person and in front of an audience for the first time Tuesday night during a community forum in West Philadelphia. Advertisement They quarreled over their records, with Dugan portraying Krasner as an incompetent bully and Krasner suggesting that Dugan is a conservative who does not believe in his reform mission. In one heated moment, the district attorney said Dugan should condemn Republican President Donald Trump and an indignant Dugan obliged. At another point, Krasner attacked Dugan over a decade-old case in which the judge acquitted a police officer charged with assaulting a woman at the citys Puerto Rican Day Parade, saying he should have recused himself because he is married to a police officer. So if there were any illusions that the campaign would start off with friendly dialogue, they were quickly shattered. The gloves came off, and there was really no warm-up round. READ MORE: Trump, Elon Musk, and Philly unions are the wild cards in this years DA race The two-hour event, hosted by the nonprofit Human Rights Coalition, set a tone for the next two months as the candidates sprint toward the May 20 primary election. Voters will decide if they want to give Krasner, a national leader of the progressive prosecutor movement, a third term in office, or go a different direction with Dugan, who is presenting himself as a less ideological alternative. Here are four takeaways from the first of many meetings between the candidates. 1. Dugan forcefully denounced Trump at Krasners request Krasner, who is framing his campaign around being a local foil to the president, tried multiple times to connect Dugan to Republicans. The DA described another judge who was critical of his office as right-wing, saying he is constantly under attack by the [judges] who fundamentally do not believe in our missions and suggesting Dugan was among them. And Krasner said Republicans are supporting Dugans run and signed his petitions to get on the ballot. READ MORE: No Republican is running for Philadelphia DA this year, party leaders say In the most heated moment of the night, Krasner told Dugan he should condemn Trump, so all the people in the Northeast can see it. (Northeast Philadelphia, where Dugan hails from, has the largest concentration of people who voted for Trump in the overwhelmingly Democratic city.) The crowd gasped. Dugan stood up from his chair. Are you kidding? Do you think Im a Trumper? he said. I categorically denounce Donald Trump and his policies. The guys a nut. I mean, come on. But wait a minute. Were not running against Donald Trump. Were running against each other. A moderator reminded the audience that this is a primary and that both candidates are Democrats. Krasner said after the event that he made his comment about Northeast Philadelphia because some neighborhoods are pro-Trump, and Ill be curious to see whether his declaration here is the same declaration in those rooms. 2. Dugans pitch came into clearer focus There has been little in the way of public campaigning in the race thus far, so the tone Dugan will take has been unclear. Will he frame himself as a more old-school, law-and-order candidate, or will he try to find a middle ground between progressive and tough-on-crime? On Tuesday, it was the latter. Dugan said he would retain some of Krasners reforms and even bolster them, including the offices Conviction Integrity Unit, which reviews closed cases and works to exonerate the innocent. Krasner has made the offices work to exonerate more than 50 people a central focus of his administration. Instead, Dugan was critical of Krasner as a leader, saying he does not work well with other agencies. And Dugan framed his own positions on major policy issues as more flexible. For example, Krasner opposes the death penalty. Dugan said he generally would not seek capital punishment, but left the door open in cases such as mass shootings. While Pennsylvania has a death penalty provision, a moratorium on executions has been in place for a decade under consecutive Democratic governors. At another point, both were asked their position on cash bail, which is when defendants must pay money to be released from jail and get the money back if they return to court. Krasner has long vocally opposed the practice, which he reiterated, and said it cannot be eliminated without the state legislature. Dugan stopped short of saying he opposes cash bail but said he supports reforms. 3. Both candidates have their weaknesses Dugan at times struggled to land punches. His answers to questions often veered into the weeds and assumed that the more than 100 people in the audience knew the ins and outs of the citys complicated criminal justice system. At one point, Dugan tried to attack Krasner over his offices handling of programs that divert low-level offenders to rehabilitation instead of jail. Dugan said he disagreed with recent testimony Krasner gave to City Council about one of those programs, but he did not describe what the program does. A moderator had to jump in and clarify. Part of the problem may have been the format of the forum candidates were asked to describe their positions on complex issues in a minute or less. READ MORE: How Patrick Dugan raised more money than Larry Krasner last year and what it means for the 2025 Philly DAs race Krasner, meanwhile, can have the opposite problem. The two-term district attorney has been touting his accomplishments for years and has a professorial quality that can read as self-assured to supporters and self-righteous to others. At one point, Krasner quibbled with a moderator about a minor detail in a question on homicides. At another, he seemed annoyed by a question critical of his offices handling of juvenile cases, starting his answer by saying, Um, OK. Im going to ask everybody to listen carefully. And Krasner started his opening statement by using a modified version of a quote reportedly from Hillary Clinton about her husbands political rivals: I always wonder what part of the 1990s they didnt like, the peace or the prosperity? Krasners version: I have a question for you, he said to the room. Which part dont you like? The safety or the freedom? 4. One case is likely to loom over the campaign It did not come up until the closing statements, but one case that Dugan oversaw in 2013 elicited one of the strongest responses of the night and is likely to keep coming up on the campaign trail. As he wrapped up his arguments, Krasner attacked Dugan for acquitting Philadelphia Police Lt. Jonathan Josey, who was charged with assault for hitting a woman at the citys Puerto Rican Day Parade in an incident that was caught on video. Dugan, who presided over the nonjury trial, at the time called the video disturbing but said it was not enough to convict Josey. Dugan faced criticism for not recusing himself from the case while his wife, Nancy Farrell Dugan, was on the police force. She was reportedly in the courtroom during the trial. Why dont you go look at the video of the Josey case? Krasner asked the audience Tuesday. The one that was decided by this judge with his wife, a police officer, in the room. Dugan cut him off: Dont put my wifes name in your mouth, young man. Krasner shot back: Dont put her in your courtroom when youre deciding a cops innocence. Mehmet Oz is heading to Washington and straight to the hot seat. The celebrity doctor and former Pennsylvania Senate candidate, nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), will testify before a committee of senators Friday. Advertisement The agency oversees the coordination and implementation of major health-care programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act. Taken together, CMS oversees health insurance coverage for nearly half of all Americans and a budget of about $1.5 trillion annually. Oz is expected to face a grilling from Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee, both on his personal financial holdings and on his support for Medicaid, as cuts to the program have become a major issue for the party following the passage of a GOP-backed budget resolution intent on slashing spending. Every Trump cabinet nominee who has advanced to a hearing has been confirmed in the Senate, where Republicans have 53 seats to Democrats 47. And in the company of more controversial nominees, Oz might not be headed for a highly contested nomination. Still, Medicare and Medicaid have become key topics for Democrats, and the hearing falls on the same day as Congress deadline to fund the government to avoid a shutdown. Oz, who ran for Senate in Pennsylvania in 2022, still owns a house in Bryn Athyn, according to property records. He won Trumps backing in a heated GOP primary that year over now-Sen. Dave McCormick. Trumps allegiance to Oz was further emphasized Tuesday when the president announced he was nominating Ozs son-in-law, John Jovanovic, to head the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the countrys official export credit agency. Jovanovic, the chief strategy officer of the Willow Grove-based Asplundh Tree Expert LLC, is married to Ozs daughter, celebrity chef and talk show host Daphne Oz. The CMS administrator is not a cabinet-level position and will report to Trumps secretary of health and human services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The position is not usually a household name, but has garnered particular interest this year due to Ozs celebrity. Oz, a heart surgeon who graduated from Harvard and Penn, rose to fame with frequent medical segments as a health expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show before spinning off his own daytime series, The Dr. Oz Show. He parlayed that into lucrative endorsement deals, frequent media appearances, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the two years since losing his Senate bid to Democrat John Fetterman a race Oz poured more than $27 million of his own money into he has largely been off the political radar, hawking supplements as the global ambassador for the vitamin retailer iHerb on social media. Now hes back, and on track to become the man in charge of health care for 160 million Americans. Here are some of the questions he will likely face. Will Oz protect Medicaid? Oz wont have control over whether Congress cuts Medicaid a likely scenario, according to a Congressional Budget Office review of the latest GOP-backed budget resolution. But he would have some clout to advocate for the program overseen by his agency, and some authority over how money is distributed within the program. As the administrator of CMS, Oz would make decisions on how the government covers medical procedures, hospital stays, and medications under Medicaid and other programs. The agency also determines the reimbursement rates doctors and other providers receive for their services. Look for Democrats to ask him repeatedly about his plans for the program. Fetterman, who beat Oz in a campaign that was brutally personal at times, has said he would support Oz in the CMS role so long as he is convinced his former rival wants to preserve government health care. If Dr. Oz is about protecting and preserving Medicare and Medicaid, Im voting for the dude, the senator posted on X. In Pennsylvania, Medicare covers more than 2.9 million seniors and disabled residents, while Medicaid and CHIP provide health and long-term care coverage to 3.1 million low-income children, pregnant women, adults, seniors, and people with disabilities in the state. In all, these programs cover more than 38% of the states population. Will Oz expand Medicare Advantage? Key Democratic senators, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, sent a letter to Oz shortly after he was nominated, questioning his previous advocacy for Medicare privatization referring to his call in 2020 to put all seniors into private insurance plans under Medicare Advantage. In the wake of that nomination, we write regarding our concerns about your advocacy for the elimination of Traditional Medicare and your deep financial ties to private health insurers, the letter read. The criticism stems from a 2020 proposal made by Oz and former Kaiser Permanente CEO George Halvorson in a piece published in Forbes, where they suggested enrolling all Americans over 65 who were not in Medicaid into privately administered Medicare Advantage plans. They framed the proposal as a way to provide universal coverage through the private sector, rather than expanding Medicare for all. But the Democratic senators said they worried the approach would subject seniors to price gouging. Private insurers that run the Medicare Advantage program drastically overcharge for care, the senators wrote in the letter to Oz, citing analysis from the nonpartisan Medicare Payment Advisory Committee. As a Senate candidate in 2022, Oz continued to advocate for the expansion of Medicare Advantage, but he stopped short of calling for the elimination of traditional Medicare during the campaign. If confirmed, he would have the authority to expand privatization of the program, something many Republicans have urged. The program has gained popularity, with enrollments doubling since 2010. His hearing could be a venue for both sides of the aisle to push for and against the private plans. Does Oz stand by his past statements on abortion? Democratic Sens. Warren and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois sent a second letter to Oz last month expressing concern regarding his views on womens reproductive rights. The letter referenced comments Oz made during his Pennsylvania Senate campaign, including perhaps his biggest gaffe when he said in the one and only debate that a womans reproductive health decisions should be up to women, doctors, [and] local political leaders. The quote prompted a slew of anti-Oz ads. Warren and Duckworth also pointed to language on Ozs campaign website from the race that described him as 100% Pro-Life, and his praise for the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. The CMS oversees Medicares and Medicaids coverage of sexual and reproductive health services, which includes access to contraceptive services through the Affordable Care Act and, in cases where the mothers life is at risk, emergency abortion care at Medicare-participating hospitals. Will he sufficiently divest from financial ties? Lawmakers have also raised concerns about Ozs financial interests in UnitedHealth, the largest private insurer in Medicare Advantage, as a conflict of interest and asked whether he would divest from any financial holdings related to the insurance industry if he is confirmed to the post. A government ethics report filed in February highlighted more holdings and raised more questions. In the filing, Oz promised to divest from certain companies within three months of being confirmed and to abstain from participating in any matters that could affect his investments. The nonpartisan Office of Government Ethics signed off on the agreement. Ozs net worth, according to the ethics filings, which disclose ranges rather than exact dollar amounts, is between $98 million and $332 million. His portfolio includes holdings in Apple and Walmart, as well as other investments more directly tied to the health-care industry. The filing showed holdings of up to $5 million in Inception Fertility, a company with a network of fertility clinics; a maximum of $100,000 with pharmaceutical giant AbbVie; and as much as $600,000 with the nations largest health insurer, UnitedHealth Group. Oz also has up to $5 million in Nvidia, an artificial intelligence company that works in hospitals. His biggest income lately has come as a global ambassador and adviser for iHerb, a website that sells health and beauty supplements, a partnership that has brought him as much as $25 million in company stock. He said in the filing he would forfeit the stock as soon as practicable but not later than 90 days after confirmation. In an examination of Ozs finances, the New York Times noted that under private Medicare plans, customers can purchase over-the-counter medicines and supplements through debit or prepaid cards, which the authors called another potential conflict for Dr. Oz because of his history with iHerb and other supplement companies. WASHINGTON The Education Department plans to lay off more than 1,300 of its employees as part of an effort to halve the organizations staff -- a prelude to President Donald Trumps plan to dismantle the agency. Department officials announced the cuts Tuesday, raising questions about the agencys ability to continue usual operations. Advertisement The Trump administration had already been whittling the agencys staff, though buyout offers and the termination of probationary employees. After Tuesdays layoffs, the Education Departments staff will sit at roughly half of its previous 4,100, the agency said. The layoffs are part of a dramatic downsizing directed by Trump as he moves to reduce the footprint of the federal government. Thousands of jobs are expected to be cut across the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration and other agencies. The department is also terminating leases on buildings in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland, officials said. Department officials said it would continue to deliver on its key functions such as the distribution of federal aid to schools, student loan management and oversight of Pell Grants. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said when she got to the department, she wanted to reduce bloat to be able to send more money to local education authorities. So many of the programs are really excellent, so we need to make sure the money goes to the states, McMahon said in an interview Tuesday on Fox News. McMahon told employees to brace for profound cuts in a memo issued March 3, the day she was confirmed by the Senate. She said it was the departments final mission to eliminate bureaucratic bloat and turn over the agencys authority to states. The department sent an email to employees Tuesday telling them its Washington headquarters and regional offices would be closed Wednesday, with access forbidden, before reopening Thursday. The only reason given for the closures was unspecified security reasons. Trump campaigned on a promise to close the department, saying it had been overtaken by radicals, zealots and Marxists. At McMahons confirmation hearing, she acknowledged only Congress has the power to abolish the agency but said it might be due for cuts and a reorganization. Whether the cuts will be felt by Americas students as Democrats and advocates fear is yet to be seen. Already there are concerns the administrations agenda has pushed aside some of the agencys most fundamental work, including the enforcement of civil rights for students with disabilities and the management of $1.6 trillion in federal student loans. McMahon told lawmakers at her hearing that her aim is not to defund core programs, but to make them more efficient. Even before the layoffs, the Education Department was among the smallest Cabinet-level agencies. Its workforce included 3,100 people in Washington and an additional 1,100 at regional offices across the country, according to a department website. The departments workers had faced increasing pressure to quit their jobs since Trump took office, first through a deferred resignation program and then through a $25,000 buyout offer that expired March 3. Jeanne Allen of the Center for Education Reform, which advocates for charter school expansion, said the cuts were important and necessary. Ending incessant federal interference will free up state and local leaders to foster more opportunities to give schools and educators true flexibility and innovation to address the needs of students, wherever they are educated, Allen said. Some advocates were skeptical of the departments claim that its functions would not be affected by the layoffs. I dont see at all how that can be true, said Roxanne Garza, who was chief of staff in the Office of Postsecondary Education under President Joe Biden. Much of what the department does, like investigating civil rights complaints and helping families apply for financial aid, is labor intensive, said Garza, who is now director of higher education policy at Education Trust, a research and advocacy organization. How those things will not be impacted with far fewer staff ... I just dont see it. The Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency sparked disagreement with the U.S. Secret Service after DOGE said it canceled a lease for a Philadelphia apartment that the agency used to provide protection for Ashley Biden. DOGEs website reports it has ended the rental agreement for a 1,000-square-foot apartment leased by the law enforcement agency, one of more than 700 agreements DOGE claims it has terminated as part of the Trump administrations sweeping effort to cut the size of the federal government. Advertisement Public records link that lease to an apartment building near the home of former President Joe Bidens 43-year-old daughter. But the Secret Service said Monday that it was not aware of any changes to the Philadelphia lease. It said the lodging remains essential for the agencys around-the-clock protection for the former first daughter, which extends through July. Ashley Biden retains a protective detail as part of an executive memorandum issued by her father before he left office, according to a Secret Service official familiar with the matter. This Secret Service work site is essential to our operations and necessary to effectuate our protective functions, agency spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said Monday. He told a reporter that questions should be referred to DOGE. The DOGE database included at least a half dozen other canceled Secret Service leases, including three in Delaware, where other members of the Biden family live. Guglielmi said two of those leases were actually ended in November as Biden wound down his term. An email seeking comment that was sent to three DOGE representatives and to a government email associated with Musk did not get any responses. The General Services Administration, an independent federal agency that manages U.S. government real estate holdings and leases, said it had no role in ending the Secret Service leases. None of the leases cited were flagged by GSA for termination, GSA spokesperson Will Powell said. Both the Philadelphia and Wilmington leases are intact until the end of their term. The Philadelphia apartment lease extends through July along with Ashley Bidens protective status, Guglielmi said. A representative for the Biden family declined to comment. The lease costs taxpayers $3,029 a month, part of nearly a half-billion dollars worth of rental agreements that DOGE claims to have canceled in recent weeks. The conflict with the Secret Service marks yet another confusing incident for the nascent agency led by the worlds richest man. DOGE faces mounting pressure over its hack-and-slash approach to budget trimming, especially as cuts to government services begin to affect Republican strongholds across the country. DOGEs effort to end the Secret Service lease also comes as President Donald Trump flexes the powers of his office. Hours after taking office in January, Trump revoked Secret Service protection for John Bolton, his onetime national security adviser-turned-public critic. Bolton had been granted the detail due to threats to his life from Iran, the New York Times reported. Former U.S. presidents and their spouses retain lifelong protection from the Secret Service. But their children, once past age 16, are not guaranteed protection by the elite security force. Extending that protective coverage is not unprecedented. Before Trump left the Oval Office in January 2021, he ordered a six-month extension for his four adult children as well as three of his top cabinet officials, the Washington Post reported at the time. A spokesperson for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Secret Service details for the Biden children. The Secret Service often declines to publicly confirm reports or provide information about its protective operations. But Guglielmi said that, in principle, the agency had no issue with DOGE publishing the lease information. Disclosing the address of a Secret Service work site does not necessarily compromise security for a protectee, he said. He noted that local property and tax records of many Secret Service protectees are often a matter of public record. We are very cognizant of these possibilities and take all of it into consideration when developing our protective posture, he added. The White House last week referred questions about DOGE cuts to the Musk-run agency itself. But the DOGE website does not list any contact info, save for a page trying to attract potential new hires. Change, as they say, starts at home. And the first thing we want to consider is what we at ASIC can change about our approach. This is important because it puts the question squarely in terms of whats in our power, Longo said. There is a real opportunity to build on the expertise and talent we have to ensure it keeps up with global developments, she said. Caution urged over unlicensed contractors The ICA has warned residents in affected regions about unlicensed contractors, often referred to as disaster chasers, who may approach homeowners offering debris removal or home repairs in exchange for upfront cash payments. Some of these operators pressure residents into signing agreements that may not be covered by insurance policies, potentially leaving them responsible for additional costs. The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) and the Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA) jointly announced last week that the motor industrys new draft national repair code of conduct is open for public consultation. It follows a review of the Motor Vehicle Insurance and Repair Industry Code of Conduct (MVIRIC) by Dr Michael Schaper in 2023. With significant economic pressures and rapidly advancing technologies, businesses are looking to insurers for comprehensive coverage and strategic support to manage complex and evolving risks, he said. Brokers are essential in this role, with their expertise integral to ensuring clients have a broad view of their risks to guide them to make informed decisions. Lee said that, if enacted, the law would likely be the first of its kind in the US. However, similar proposals have been introduced in other states. In January, a bill was introduced in the California Senate that would grant policyholders and insurers the ability to file civil suits against fossil fuel companies. California homeowners now face an uncertain future. If major insurers continue to withdraw, many will be forced into the states insurer of last resort, the California FAIR Plan, which offers only limited coverage at higher costs. There is hope that surplus lines insurers, which operate outside of state regulations, may be able to plug some of the gap. Trumps PFAS rule rollback who is impacted? The withdrawal does not impact consumer product lawsuits, which have become another front in the PFAS legal war. Companies accused of misleading labeling, such as advertising products as organic when they contain PFAS, are still facing legal scrutiny. The regulatory rollback doesnt offer them any protection; its also unlikely to have much of an effect on ongoing cases, said Sanders. Were definitely seeing a lot of discussion around AI and its use, said Nirali Shah, partner and head of D&O, US at McGill and Partners. The technology is evolving quickly - both in adoption and functionality - allowing it to take on more complex tasks than ever before. Legal costs and excessive litigation: Florida insurers face more lawsuits than those in any other state, a reality that has contributed to financial instability. Fraud and inflated claims: Schemes involving assignment-of-benefits (AOB) agreements and fraudulent roof replacement claims have further strained the industry, raising costs for consumers. Hurricane-related losses: Recent storms have led to billions of dollars in claims payouts, requiring insurers to navigate ongoing financial pressures. Read more: Florida lawmakers seek insurance accountability While the Times article paints a bleak picture, Augustyniak argued that reforms enacted in recent years are stabilizing the market. Since 2023, 11 new insurers have entered the Florida market, and premium increases have slowed. Citizens Property Insurance, the state-run insurer of last resort, is also reducing its policy count - a sign, Augustyniak said, that the private market is strengthening. The appointments come amid broader leadership changes at Hamilton. In February, the company named Mike Thorp as head of space and Chris Golder as head of treaty. Thorp, who joined Hamilton in 2015, was instrumental in launching its space underwriting business. Golder, who came on board in 2023, has 16 years of experience in the insurance sector. I think the difference between wholesalers and standard carriers, where they go direct to their standard carriers as retailers, is we do a lot of handholding; we do a lot of explaining of coverages, and we try to tailor each account specifically for that particular retailer and that insured, he said. [As a result], the retailers see that value added of us being involved in those day-to-day accounts. The owner of a Rhode Island asbestos abatement training center who falsified documents attesting individuals paid for, attended, and successfully completed an Environmental Protection Administration (EPA)-approved abatement training program has been sentenced to two years probation, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Prosecutors showed that, in fact, the only person who attended the classes was an undercover EPA agent. On multiple occasions, between 2021 and 2023, Jose Virgilio Fernandez, owner of Rhode Island Safety Environment Training Center, submitted documents to the Rhode Island Department of Health falsely certifying that participants attended all days of instruction and achieved passing examination scores. As reflected in information provided to the court, Fernandez falsely stated in signed documents that 20 individuals, whose names he provided, attended and successfully completed a five-day, 40-hour program the week of May 22, 2023. In fact, the only person who attended was an EPA agent acting in an undercover capacity who attended for two hours on the first day of classes. The Toxic Substances Control Act, implemented by the EPA, requires that workers who perform asbestos abatement attend and pass an EPA-approved asbestos training program which, in Rhode Island, is overseen by the state health department. Fernandez pleaded guilty on October 1, 2025, to a federal charge of making false statements. In addition to being sentenced to probation, the judge ordered Fernandez to complete ethics training prior to engaging further in providing asbestos abatement training programs or courses. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John P. McAdams with the assistance of EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Man Chak Ng. This matter was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division with the assistance the Rhode Island Department of Health. Topics Training Development K-12 French publishers and authors are suing Meta Platforms Inc. for copyright infringement, accusing the tech giant of using their books to train its generative artificial intelligence model without authorization. SNE, the trade association representing major French publishers including Hachette and Editis, along with authors association SGDL and writers union SNAC, filed a complaint this week in a Paris court dedicated to intellectual property, the group said at a press conference on Wednesday. The group said it had gathered evidence of massive breaches of copyright and had already reached out to Meta with no success, SNEs president Vincent Montagne said. It has also notified the European Commission, alleging that Metas activities violate EU rules on AI, he added. A representative for Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Generative AI language models like Metas Llama or OpenAIs ChatGPT have been trained on very large amounts of text data, including books and articles. This has unleashed a wave of lawsuits across the globe, where content publishers allege that using their work to train AI models is tantamount to theft. The AI companies have generally been reluctant to disclose the sources of their training data but have argued that using it constitutes fair use under US copyright law. The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft Corp. in December 2023 over the use of its articles to train large-language models. In April 2024, a group of authors proposed a class-action against Amazon.com Inc.-backed Anthropic over the alleged use of their books to train its AI model. Indian book publishers filed a similar lawsuit against OpenAI in January. Photograph: Meta headquarters in Menlo Park, California. Photo credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg Copyright 2025 Bloomberg. Topics InsurTech Data Driven Artificial Intelligence Training Development Britains top financial regulators have scrapped proposed new rules to boost diversity and inclusion in the industry, and mothballed a fresh crackdown on non-financial misconduct, citing fears of imposing unnecessary regulatory burdens on firms. The Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority said on Wednesday they had no plans to follow a joint consultation with further regulation, in light of industry feedback and already pending changes to the law. Sam Woods, CEO of the PRA, said his organization still believed an appropriate focus on D&I could benefit governance, decision-making and risk management across the sector but new requirements could be seen as in tension with efforts to support competitiveness by reducing red tape on firms. Britain is moving at pace to lighten the regulatory load on its financial services industry, a critical cog in a sluggish UK economy. But some stakeholders fear the moves, which include disbanding of certain regulators and a reduction in banks capital requirements, could endanger the sector in the long run. The latest position updates from the PRA and FCA follow a massive backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the United States during the first weeks of President Donald Trumps second term in office. On Inauguration Day, Trump launched executive orders revoking a slew of liberal policies including support for the rights of the disabled, low-income or social and ethnic minorities. Several Wall Street firms have also softened their stances on DEI, sparking concerns among staffers who fear a future increase in workplace discrimination, bias and inequality. Developments across the pond and the repeated push back on publishing final rules by the FCA and PRA mean todays statement does not come as a surprise at all, Noline Matemera, partner at law firm Osborne Clarke LLP, told Reuters. Whether (it) is the death knell for focusing on D&I in financial services in the UK is yet to be seen. Name and Shame The FCA said separately it would axe proposals to use a public interest test for announcing investigations into regulated firms, part of a drive to enhance transparency of its enforcement activities and deter wrongdoing. Lawmakers strongly criticized the suggested change in a report entitled Naming and shaming: how not to regulate, and called on the watchdog to ditch the plans entirely. But the FCA said it had observed significant support for reactively confirming investigations already in the public domain and for notifying the public about potentially unlawful activities of unregulated firms as well as regulated firms which were seen operating outside the regulatory perimeter. The watchdog said it would also look to publish greater detail of matters under investigation on an anonymous basis, with final policy to be announced by end-June. Considerable concerns remain about our proposal to change the way we publicize investigations into regulated firms, so we will stick to publicizing in exceptional circumstances as we do today, Nikhil Rathi, chief executive officer of the FCA, said. (Reporting By Sinead Cruise; editing by Kirsten Donovan) Arch Insurance Names 2 Senior Leaders for Casualty Team in Spain Arch Insurance announced the appointments of Carmen Cobeta as head of Casualty, Spain, and Irene Fernandez Franic as senior casualty underwriter, effective immediately. Cobeta and Fernandez Franic join Arch Insurance (EU) dac (AIEU), which provides specialist property and casualty insurance solutions within the European Union. Based in Madrid, they are responsible for growing Archs casualty portfolio in Spain and Portugal, writing primary, umbrella and excess liability cover across a broad range of sectors including industrial, manufacturing and rail. With over 20 years of casualty experience, Cobeta joins from QBE Europe where she was most recently regional broker relationship manager. Prior to this she was a liability portfolio manager and a senior casualty underwriter at QBE Europe and has also held underwriting roles at Chubb. Fernandez Franic joins from Howden, where she was most recently Head of International Construction and has over 20 years of experience within the insurance market. She has also held broking and underwriting roles at Aon, Generali and QBE Europe. Topics Leadership Casualty Missouris attorney general is threatening to seize Chinese assets across the U.S. to collect $24.5 billion awarded in a lawsuit against China stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, but experts were skeptical Monday, with one saying, Good luck with that. Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this week that it does not recognize a U.S. federal judges recent ruling siding with Missouris claim that China hoarded personal protective equipment during the pandemic, harming the state and its residents. China called the lawsuit absurd when it was filed in 2020, during the early months of the pandemic, and it did not participate in a brief trial held in Missouri in January. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, hailed Fridays ruling from U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh as a landmark victory in efforts to hold China, its Communist Party and seven other government or scientific agencies responsible for the costs of the pandemic in the U.S. If China wont pay the award, the state will seize Chinese-owned assets, including farmland, Bailey said. Those assets are not required to be within Missouri and can be located anywhere in the United States, Bailey said in a statement Monday. While we have not partnered with other states on this particular suit, we encourage others to work to hold the Chinese government accountable and seek justice for victims. International organizations typically negotiate such disagreements, or the federal government will take legal action on behalf of a state, said Paul Nolette, a Marquette University political scientist. He said a state acting on its own could be a problem because, that can really complicate relationships between the countries. He added, The prospects of money actually changing hands is very slim. Duncan Levin, a former federal and state prosecutor in New York City whos represented foreign nations in U.S. courts, described Baileys comments as press release talk. According to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture Statistics, Chinese interests owned about 44,000 acres (17,800 hectares) of farmland in Missouri at the end of 2023 one-tenth of 1% of the states 44 million acres. Bailey said he will work with President Donald Trumps administration to identify Chinese assets in the state. But Levin said its not clear that the Chinese government or the other defendants in the case as opposed to Chinese individuals or companies actually own anything in Missouri. He doubts Bailey has the authority to seize assets outside Missouri, and even claiming assets that can be seized could take time, he said. Good luck with that, Levin said. This is a lot of sort of tough talk that will highly likely fall apart in the details once they get into a courtroom. The lawsuit was filed by Baileys predecessor as attorney general, Eric Schmitt, a conservative Republican like Bailey, who then won a U.S. Senate seat in 2022. Bailey was Republican Gov. Mike Parsons top attorney, and Parson appointed him attorney general when Schmitt left the office. Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said this week that its actions during the pandemic arent subject to the jurisdiction of American courts. It also decried what it called malicious abuse of lawsuits and added, Using frivolous lawsuits to smear and defame China and shift the blame will never succeed. We ask the United States to return to rationality and correct its mistakes, the statement said. China has the right to take reciprocal countermeasures in accordance with international law to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. The ministrys statement wasnt more specific about the Chinese governments possible response, but Levin said it could impose sanctions on Missouri companies doing business in China or take action against them in the Chinese courts. Nolette said, What was surprising is just seeing such a large judgment coming down in a situation where that sort of authority is very much in question: whether a state has the sort of authority to sue and seek judgments from other countries. Limbaugh, sitting in Cape Girardeau, about 120 miles (193 kilometers) southeast of St. Louis along the Mississippi River, initially dismissed the lawsuit, ruling in 2022 that Missouri couldnt sue China or the other defendants under a law that generally shields foreign nations from lawsuits in U.S. courts. However, Missouri appealed, and an appeals court said one part of its lawsuit could proceed alleging hoarding. When Chinese officials didnt respond, Limbaugh accepted Missouris estimate of past and potential future damages of more than $8 billion, tripled it as federal law allows, and added 3.91% interest until its collected. We intend to collect every penny by seizing Chinese-owned assets, including Missouri farmland, Bailey said after the ruling. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits USA China Missouri More than half of ransomware claims in 2024 started with threat actors compromising perimeter security appliances, according to a new report from Coalition. In its Cyber Threat Index 2025, the insurance provider reported that 58% of claims began with such compromises. UK-based IT services company Netcentrix defines perimeter security as a set of security measures designed to stop external threats from entering your network. These include firewalls, intrusion protection and detection systems and virtual private networks (VPNs). Coalition found that VPNs and firewalls were the first and fourth most exploited technologies used for initial access last year. The most commonly compromised products fall under a more general category of perimeter security appliances, Coalition said in the report, explaining that these devices are often built into an organizations physical networking infrastructure, typically offering both VPN and firewall functionality. Vendors such as Fortinet, Cisco, SonicWall, Palo Alto Networks and Microsoft build these products. Remote desktop software was the second-most exploited technology for ransomware attacks, and email ranked third. In addition to analyzing what technology was accessed in ransomware claims, Coalition also studied how that technology was compromised. This was defined in the report as a ransomware attack vector. The threat index reported that compromised credentials were the most common attack vector; they represented 47% of known initial access vectors (IAVs) in ransomware incidents. Such attacks typically targeted remote desktop protocol and VPNs, Coalition found, which provide threat actors with privileged access to internal systems and networks, the report said. Related: Resilience Reports Third-Party Risk Involved in 31% of Cyber Claims Coalition reported that software exploits were the second most common known IAV. These exploits typically take advantage of a vulnerable system, the report said. They can range from simple commands that exploit a single vulnerability to advanced espionage software that chains together multiple vulnerabilities, Coalition reported. While ransomware is a serious concern for all businesses, these insights demonstrate that threat actors ransomware playbook hasnt evolved all that much theyre still going after the same tried-and-true technologies with many of the same methods, said Alok Ojha, Coalitions head of products, security. This means that businesses can have a reliable playbook, too, and should focus on mitigating the riskiest security issues first to reduce the likelihood of ransomware or another cyber attack. Continuous attack surface monitoring to detect these technologies and mitigate possible vulnerabilities could mean the difference between a threat and an incident. Coalition forecasted that the total number of published software vulnerabilities will increase to over 45,000 in 2025 a rate of nearly 4,000 per month and a 15% jump over the first 10 months of 2024. SMBs lack both the resources to patch a high number of vulnerabilities requiring dedicated IT staff and testing infrastructure as well as the experience to focus on the most pressing vulnerabilities, the report said. Coalitions said its security recommendations are calibrated using data from its 360-degree perspective on cyber risk. Sources include digital forensics investigations, data collected from an internet-wide view from scanning every IPv4 address, proprietary AI models to analyze vulnerabilities and login panels and actuarial evidence from cyber insurance claims. Topics Cyber Claims Authorities in Texas reported 25 new measles cases over the last five days, bringing the states total to 223 as the outbreak continues to spread. Authorities in Texas, the hardest-hit state with the first confirmed US measles death in a decade, also said about 13% of diagnosed patients have been hospitalized. The vast majority of patients are either unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccine status, health authorities said. The ongoing measles outbreak has led to confirmed cases across 12 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions latest update on Friday. The Texas epicenter is in Gaines County, a rural area where roughly one in five children is unvaccinated. The outbreak has spilled over the border to New Mexico, where local authorities are investigating a death that may have been caused by measles. Other cases in the US have been related to exposure during international travel, according to the CDC. The CDC dispatched a team of experts to Texas after the state health department requested federal help tracking the outbreak. Last week, the CDC issued an alert recommending that people traveling to the outbreak areas in Texas and New Mexico consult their doctors beforehand and watch for signs of measles infection for three weeks after visiting. Measles is a highly contagious virus that is easily preventable by vaccination. The MMR vaccine is more than 90% effective in preventing transmission after one dose. Photo: Signs point the way to measles testing in the parking lot of the Seminole Hospital District in Seminole, Texas. Topics Texas President Trumps U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has rejected a $225 million relief plan for the city of Asheville, North Carolina, due to its inclusion of funding for minority and women-owned businesses. The Hill, the Asheville Citizens Times and other news outlets reported that newly installed HUD Secretary Scott Turner denounced Ashevilles application for a Community Development Block Grant for disaster relief. The city, one of the hardest hit by Hurricane Helene last September, had planned to use $15 million of the $225 million for its small business support program, which would assist minority-owned small businesses. Once again, let me be clear DEI is dead at HUD. We will not provide funding to any program or grantee that does not comply with President Trumps executive orders, Turner said in a news release. Trumps Jan. 20 executive order aims to eliminate diversity, equality and inclusion practices in the federal government. The practices were aimed at including minorities, women, disabled people and others in government funding and hiring. The city has already revised its plan for the Helene-relief grant money, removing mention of the existing small business/minority business funding, local news sites reported Wednesday. The mayor said the changes are likely to be accepted by HUD, and Asheville is not in danger of losing the grant funding. The money would be used for infrastructure rebuilding, housing and economic recovery, The Hill noted. Asheville, like much of western North Carolina, saw unprecedented flooding from relentless rainfall brought by Hurricane Helene as it moved inland after making landfall in Florida in September 2024. Photo: Debris left in Asheville after the flooding from Helene. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File) A tornado destroyed an Orlando-area home and hit a TV station while the weatherman was broadcasting about the twister, part of storm fronts that caused damage across parts of the Southeast. In Longwood, Florida, north of Orlando, the tornado collapsed a home with two people inside. Both survived unharmed, news sites reported. Other homes in the Longwood and Sanford area were damaged by the winds. The twister had winds of 115 mph and was considered an EF-2 on a scale that goes to EF-6. At WOFL TV in Orlando, meteorologist Brooks Garner continued his live broadcast as the tornado hit the building. He urged crews to take cover as the lights flickered in the studio and an outdoor camera image froze briefly, news organizations reported. Ive been in this business 25 years and Ive never in my career had a tornado hit the studio. This is a very, very significant situation, Garner said on air. The damage came a week after powerful storms killed three people in Mississippi and ripped roofs from buildings in a small Oklahoma town. Officials in Union County, North Carolina, said in a social media post that the U.S. National Weather Service confirmed an EF1 tornado touched down in the Unionville area. The storm caused structural damage, and power outages after wind speeds of up to 90 mph (145 kph). No injuries were reported, according to the county, the Associated Press reported. Before that, on March 4, multiple homes were damaged in Texas. The AP and WAPT-TV reported that one person died from a falling power line in Madison County, Mississippi, while a driver in the same county was killed by a tree falling on his car. Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Florida Windstorm Insurance companies have so far paid out more than $12 billion for losses from the two biggest of the Los Angeles-area wildfires that swept through the region and destroyed tens of thousands of homes in January. California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Wednesday announced new figures as part of an update of the public consumer claims tracking system for the fires. The new figures are nearly double the $6.9 billion in claims paid out last month. The bulk of yet-to-be-paid claims include property damage and debris removal, which will be paid when people begin the process of rebuilding and debris removal, according to the California Department of Insurance. The CDIs latest figures from the fires show: 37,749 insurance claims have been filed for home, business, living expenses and other disaster-related needs. 27,821 claims partially paid under laws requiring advance payments to speed recovery. $12.1 billion paid out to date to insurance policyholders. Early estimates put insured losses at $8 billion for the Eaton and Palisades fire to $40 billion for all five fires that burned around the same time in the region at one point. Lloyds this week said it will lose $2.3 billion from the L.A. wildfires. Munich Re said in February it expects about 1.2 billion euros ($1.26 billion) in claims resulting from the Los Angeles wildfires. A few big reinsurers took sizeable hits, but those were far less than Lloyds and Munich Re. Zurich Insurance Group AG said it is expecting pretax losses of $200 million from the wildfires. Swiss Re said claims from the wildfires would be less than $700 million and would impact its first quarter results. The Travelers Companies in mid-February said it will lose an estimated $1.7 billion from the wildfires, Allstate Corp. on Jan. 5 reported losses in excess of $1 billion from the fires and State Farm reported more than $1 billion paid out to customers. Chubb said the wildfires are expected to cost the insurer $1.5 billion in the first quarter. Photo: A home burns in the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Nic Coury, File) Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Carriers Wildfire Louisiana DENVER, Mar. 12 2025 Hinterland Insurance (Hinterland) has announced the appointment of Mohmoud Bondugjie as the new Assistant Vice President of General Commercial, a strategic move aligned with the companys broader restructuring to strengthen its underwriting divisions and enhance its market position. Bondugjie brings more than 15 years of extensive experience in the insurance industry, with a history of managing complex commercial risk portfolios. In his new position, he will lead the General Commercial division, focusing on risks with a Total Insurable Value (TIV) of $7.5 million or less. Bondugjie will be based at the companys San Diego location. Before joining Hinterland Insurance, Bondugjie held leadership positions in risk management and wholesale insurance. Im excited to join Hinterland and work with this talented team to drive innovation within our commercial insurance program, Bondugjie said. As part of this strategic realignment, Hinterland Insurance has formally established three distinct divisions, Specialty Property, General Commercial, and Difference in Conditions: Specialty Property will target risks with a TIV of $7.5 million or more in key states nationwide, with a maximum of $15 million per building and $60 million overall. In certain states, they can accommodate a maximum TIV of $17 million per building. General Commercial offerings include comprehensive property and liability coverage, specifically targeting risks with a TIV of $7.5 million or less. Liability limits start at $1 million / $1 million / $2 million with Excess limits available up to $10 million. Difference in Conditions (DIC) will provide Earthquake coverage across the West Coast on both primary and excess layers, with a maximum TIV of $150 million for primary accounts and $250 million for excess. The program can write up to $25 million per account on either a primary or excess basis. To support this structural evolution, the company is implementing a revised submission process with dedicated email channels. Through this organizational restructuring, we can more effectively manage our product lines and streamline our submission processes, leading to a more focused and tailored experience for our distribution partners, said Lee Glaser, CEO of Hinterland Insurance. The new submission channels are as follows: Specialty Property SpecialtyProperty@hinterlandins.com For risks with a TIV of $7.5 million or more General Commercial Package@hinterlandins.com For risks with a TIV of $7.5 million or less Difference in Conditions Dic@hinterlandins.com These targeted communication channels will facilitate more efficient processing and enhance the overall client experience. For more detailed information on current offerings, please visit hinterlandins.com/products. About Hinterland Insurance Founded in 2019, Hinterland Insurance is an independently owned and operated insurance managing general agency and program administrator specializing in underwriting solutions for tough-to-place commercial insurance risks. The company offers insurance programs nationwide, including commercial property and casualty, and excess and surplus lines. Based in Denver, CO, the company also has offices in San Diego and Chicago. For more information, visit hinterlandins.com. Media Contact info@hinterlandins.com Topics Commercial Lines Business Insurance Much of the rise in beef cattle prices can be traced back to the UK increasing its beef imports from Ireland by 15% during the last three months of 2024. Strengthening British consumer demand led to the UK's fresh and frozen beef imports for the full year of 2024 increasing 8% compared to 2023, reaching 241,000 tonnes, according to the latest statistics from the UK's Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (ADHB). And the lion's share of the imports was, as usual, accounted for by Ireland, with an uplift of 13% compared to 2023. This increase was likely supported by the growing beef cattle price differential between the two countries, according to the AHDB. The uplift was even greater in the last quarter of last year, at 15%. This helped to boost factory prices for steers in Ireland from just over 5/kg at the start of October to about 5.64 in the first week of the New Year. The UK's standing as the strongest market for Irish beef was consolidated by both rising price and export volume. Bord Bia estimated the UK took Irish meat and livestock exports worth 1.8bn in 2024, including 1.3bn of beef. The food board said the UK market accounted for 47% of Irish beef exports in value terms, down from 48% in 2023. Sales improved through large retail and foodservice customers. Retail sales improved in the second part of the year, despite continuing price increases. There was a recovery in demand for steaks and roasts, with a 1.4% increase, while mince sales increased by 0.8%. Can our main market continue to support sales of beef, now that it is a higher-priced commodity? It's early to say, but the success of January meat and dairy products in the UK, while demand fell for meat-free counterparts and dairy-free products, was encouraging. Price increases affecting volumes But there was evidence in the UK of price increases affecting the volumes of lamb and beef sold during January. January has extra significance in the UK meat market, because the UK is the home of the Veganuary movement, which encourages people worldwide to try vegan for January, and beyond. Millions of people have taken part in the one-month vegan pledge since 2014, and in 2024 alone, more than 2,100 new vegan products and menu options were launched for Veganuary globally. However, the AHDB said meat-free products had their fourth consecutive year of decline in the UK in January, while meat, fish and poultry saw volume growth of 1.4%. Lamb and beef sales were affected by high prices, but volume gains for pork, poultry and fish outweighed this reduction. The AHDB pledged to continue promoting the benefits of meat and dairy products being part of a healthy, balanced diet, and a natural source of vitamin B12. It said there was spend and volume growth in January for meat imitation products (the only meat-free category to see volume and value), but this is not expected to continue, because there has been a volume decline since 2021 of meat imitation product sales. Beef and lamb sales may have been affected by rapidly rising prices, but there was no such problem for the dairy industry, with sales of cows milk products increasing in volume by 6.1% in the UK in January, across almost all product categories. Meanwhile, plant-based dairy sales increased by just 1%. Irish grain growers have warned this year's malting barley price leaves production unviable. The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) held a National Malting Barley Growers meeting in Co Carlow on March 10, where frustrations over pricing and contract reductions dominated discussions. Led by IFA Grain chairman Kieran McEvoy, the meeting featured Boortmalts UK & Ireland managing director Stuart Sands and Barley procurement manager Jonathan Roberts. Teagasc tillage specialist Shay Phelan also provided agronomic updates for spring barley growers. Growers voiced their dissatisfaction with the current forward price offer of 230/t, calling it "unviable in 2025" given rising land rental and machinery costs. Concerns were also raised over last-minute contract cuts and the lack of fairness in their implementation. Boortmalt assured growers that the FOB Creil pricing mechanism vital to the Irish malting barley sector would remain in place and announced that a revised forward price offer would be made in the "coming days". However, Mr McEvoy stressed that the company was left under no illusion that a higher price is needed this time round. The Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) also called on the Irish drinks sector to intervene and urge Boortmalt to offer fairer prices. "Farmers have been repeatedly asked and encouraged to act on sustainability when managing their farms... We now have a National Climate Action Plan in place with tillage an integral part of reaching its goals," the group's chairman Bobby Miller said. "It has been ignored by Boortmalt, which recently launched a Sustainability Plan at farm-gate level, that there are three pillars to sustainability: environment, social and economic. While we have to accept that tonnage contracts may decrease as well as increase, the timing of their decision on same is incredulous. "Why wait until near the point of planting seed to make such a vital announcement to tillage farmers?" he added, explaining that a major frustration for farmers is that feed-grade grain, such as winter feed wheat and barley, is now more profitable per hectare than high-quality malting barley, which undergoes strict scrutiny for premium beverage brands. US comedian Rosie ODonnell, who has been outspoken against the policies of President Donald Trump, has confirmed that she and her 12-year-old daughter moved to Dublin two months ago. She had hinted at the move in recent weeks on social media, sharing photos from the area. In a lengthy video posted to her TikTok account, she said Irish people have been so welcoming since she moved in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires and Trumps inauguration. The former The View cohost lost her Malibu beachfront property in the California wildfires in January. O'Donnell, 62, also confirmed she is in the process of applying for Irish citizenship. I was never someone who thought I would move to another country, that's what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child. And here we are," she said, adding she misses her other children and her friends in the US. I'm trying to find a home here in this beautiful country and when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that's when we will consider coming back," she said, adding she moved to Ireland on January 15 five days before Donald Trump returned to the White House. It's been heartbreaking to see what's happening politically and hard for me personally as well. The personal is political, as we all know. ODonnell is living in Dublin and shared images on social media of herself and her daughter Dakota after their move. "I just felt like we needed to take care of ourselves and make some hard decisions and follow through. And now as we're getting settled, I was ready to post this and to tell everybody what's been going on," she said. Rosie O'Donnell winning an Emmy in 2001. Picture: AP Photo/Stuart Ramson She concluded the video with a message for her American fans: Protect your sanity as much as you can, and try not to swim in the chaos if possible, but I know it's nearly impossible when you're there in the middle of it. "I think about everyone every day and the United States of America. And I am hoping that we can turn things around, counting on you, all of you, to do what's right. And I think deep down inside, we all know what that is." US president Donald Trump will host Taoiseach Micheal Martin in the White House on Wednesday, in a highly anticipated meeting which is expected to touch on Irelands trading relationship with America. The meeting comes amid heightened concern that Mr Trumps protectionist approach to tariffs and tax could pose a significant risk to an Irish economy that is in large part sustained by long-standing investment by US multinationals. The European Union will impose counter-tariffs on 26bn ($28bn) worth of US goods from next month, the European Commission said on Wednesday morning. A busy itinerary on Wednesday sees Mr Martin first attending a breakfast meeting with Vice President JD Vance at his official residence, the US Naval Observatory. From there the Taoiseach will go to the West Wing of the White House, where he will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr Trump in the Oval Office. The Fianna Fail leader will then travel to the US Capitol building for the Friends of Ireland luncheon hosted by House Speaker Mike Johnson before returning to the White House for the traditional shamrock ceremony. Taoiseach Micheal Martin meeting members of the public at a pop-up gaeltacht at Ireland House in Austin, Texas during the SXSW festival, as part of his week-long visit to the US. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Mr Martin will be the first EU leader to meet Mr Trump following the proposals for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and the lifting of the US suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. The Taoiseach on Tuesday paid tribute to Mr Trumps unrelenting focus on peace after the ceasefire proposal was hammered out with Ukraine. Speaking in Washington DC, Mr Marin said the ceasefire deal in Ukraine was very welcome news. I think it increases the momentum towards a ceasefire and ultimately, hopefully, towards a lasting and fair peace. There was substantive discussions between Ukraine and United States. That's very clear from some of the readouts I've read." Taoiseach Micheal Martin meeting with the Governor of Texas Greg Abbott in Austin, Texas on Monday. Picture: Government of Ireland Focusing on Mr Trump, just hours before his White House meeting, Mr Martin added: Theres never an ideal moment to launch a peace initiative, and I would pay tribute to president Trump for his unrelenting focus on peace, both in Ukraine and in the Middle East. Clearly, a lot of hours were put in and a lot of issues other than an immediate cease were discussed, apparently as well. That's, I think, all positive. " "The enormity of this war cannot be understated. Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of young people have been killed. It's had a devastating impact on the people of Ukraine, on the civilian infrastructure. From all of our perspectives, I think we all desire a fair and a lasting peace, and hopefully this is the beginning of a momentum towards that now and we will see the response from Russia. Mr Martin continued: I would pay tribute to president Trump for his unrelenting focus on peace, both in Ukraine and in the Middle East. But I think momentum is clearly picking up now as a result of the outcome of the talks today, and hopefully that can progress into more substantive discussions. Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaking to the media in Austin, Texas, as his week long visit to the US continues. Picture date: Tuesday March 11, 2025. PA Photo. The Taoiseach will visit Austin, Texas, before heading to Washington DC for the traditional St Patrick's Day celebrations in the US capital. See PA story IRISH US. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Asked if he would be inviting Mr Trump to visit Ireland or giving him an additional gift on top of the shamrock bowl, Mr Martin told reporters: The president is always welcome to visit Ireland and obviously well be engaging on that front. A host of Irish Government ministers is also travelling to the US this week, including Tanaiste Simon Harris, who is visiting Philadelphia and New York at a time described as a key juncture in European-US relations - additional reporting from PA A proposed law to help thousands of mother and baby homes survivors accept compensation without losing access to benefits has been tabled in the British parliament. British Labour MP Liam Conlon moved 'Philomena's Law', named after survivor and campaigner Philomena Lee, as he warned that many survivors living in Britain have been deterred from making an application to the compensation scheme operated by the Irish Government. Mr Conlon said current rules mean any money accepted through the scheme would be considered as savings and could see the survivor "lose means-tested benefits and financial support for social care". He added that ministers in Westminster could help up to 13,000 women by amending UK law to remove the risk, in line with similar changes made to help victims of the 7/7 London bombings and payments made under the Windrush compensation scheme. Family members of Ms Lee watched in the House of Commons as Mr Conlon presented the bill on Wednesday. Oscar-winner Judi Dench portrayed Ms Lee in the 2013 film Philomena, which documented her 50-year search for her forcibly adopted son, Anthony. Mr Conlon's Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme (Report) Bill would require the UK government to examine the potential merits of making the change. The MP for Beckenham and Penge told the Commons: "Philomena is one of tens of thousands of women and their infant children who spent time in mother and baby homes across Ireland for the perceived sin of becoming pregnant outside of marriage. "The women were regularly used as unpaid labour and infant mortality was alarmingly high. "They experienced harsh conditions, mistreatment, and abuse, both physical and psychological. "In certain homes, women were routinely separated from their children, with some being adopted against the wishes or knowledge of their mothers, as happened to Philomena Lee and her son Anthony. "As a direct result of the abuse and trauma they experienced, many mother and baby home survivors moved to England. "In some cases, they came here because they thought that disappearing from their home country was the only way to protect their family's reputations. "And so for decades, thousands of survivors, including here in Britain, lived in secrecy and shame." Government apology Mr Conlon said the Irish Government later apologised and the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme opened to applications last year. He said: "Ultimately, the scheme aims to acknowledge the suffering and improve the circumstances of former residents of mother and baby homes, which is why it's wrong that up to 13,000 survivors living here in Britain today risk losing their benefits if they accept this compensation. "Under our current rules, any money accepted through this payment scheme would be considered savings and could see them lose means-tested benefits and financial support for social care. "For some, it is deterring them from making any application at all, it's one of the reasons why only 5% of survivors in Britain have applied so far. "And for others, having received the compensation offer, they are now having to weigh up whether it's worth accepting the money or if to do so would sink them into a worse financial situation overall." Mr Conlon said for many survivors the payment scheme had become an "additional burden" but noted there was a "relatively simple" solution. He said: "The introduction of an indefinite capital disregard, which my bill is proposing, would remove any risk to an applicant's benefits and there is also strong precedent for this with the same arrangements having been applied to similar special compensation schemes in the recent past. "They include those introduced for the victims of the 7/7 London bombings and payments made under the Windrush compensation scheme." Mr Conlon asked for his bill to be considered at second reading on March 28. Labour senator Laura Harmon said in a statement: "I welcome this bill and 'Philomena's Law' will deliver justice to thousands of mother and baby homes survivors living in Britain." She added: "No amount of money can rectify the wrongs that were inflicted on survivors but access to this scheme should be uncomplicated for all survivors." The man who played a key role in the democratic process in Cork for more than 30 years has been accorded a civic reception ahead of his retirement. Lord Mayor Cllr Dan Boyle hosted the event in City Hall on Wednesday in honour of Cork City sheriff Martin A Harvey, who is also the citys returning officer. He retires in a few months. Returning officers are responsible for the conduct of local government and Dail elections, including publishing the notice of election, administering the nomination process, printing the ballot papers, publishing the notice of poll, statement of persons nominated, and notice of situation of polling stations. Rebecca Loughry, director of services community culture and placemaking, Lord Mayor Cllr Dan Boyle, outgoing sheriff and returning officer Martin A Havey and Eimear Harvey at City Hall. They are also responsible for the provision of polling stations, appointing presiding officers and poll clerks, managing the postal voting process, and crucially, for verifying and counting the votes and declaring the result. Mr Harvey oversaw his first election some 35 years ago. The 2024 general election last November was his last. Any of us with an interest or involvement in elections in Cork will be familiar with Martins reassuring, calm presence at count centres in the city for more than three decades," Mr Boyle said. As custodian of our democratic process, Martins integrity, his openness, and transparency has earned him the respect of everyone involved in politics. I wish him and his family well for the future. Council chief executive Valerie OSullivan paid tribute to Mr Harvey's integrity and professionalism. He always worked collaboratively with our own team in City Hall and on behalf of us all, I wish Martin, his team, and his family the very best for the future, she said. Speaking after the last general election count, Mr Harvey paid tribute to the Irish election system, describing the paper-based proportional representation system as fool-proof. Ukrainian soldier Maxim Martynenko recalls the horrific day he begged his comrade to use him as a human shield after being paralysed by a Russian machine gun. He does so in a chillingly matter of fact way while speaking to the Irish Examiner during a visit by Cork humanitarian Fiona Corcoran. The charity worker, who heads the Greater Chernobyl Cause, is by his side as he completes a litany of daily exercises at Rert Rehabilitation Military Hospital in Kyiv. Maxim has been staying there for a month after spending time in 10 different hospitals due to life-changing injuries sustained on November, 4, 2023. While shocking to the uninitiated outsider, the combat horror stories dominate everyday conversation at the facility. Maxim is determined to master a standing aid. The 35-year-old explains that he never had a family of his own. He lives for his mum, dad, and sister. His hope is to return to frontline duties and finish the fight from his wheelchair. The director of the hospital and military doctor, Olexy Mikhayloe, had been struggling to generate funds to supply vital medical equipment for his patients, prompting Fiona Corcoran from the Greater Chernobyl Cause to step in. Over the course of the last few weeks, she has been visiting orphanages, pre-schools, and care homes ravaged by war. Fiona says that many of the street children who were initially helped by the charity several decades ago are now war veterans in their 30s. Maxim has only recently been supported by the charity, and he is grateful to them for their assistance and for highlighting injuries suffered by Ukrainian soldiers who have been defending their homeland since Russian forces first invaded three years ago. Russian soldiers ride atop Akatsyia self-propelled gun on an undisclosed location in eastern Ukraine. File Picture: Russian defense ministry press service via AP As his last battle ended more than two years ago, a new one began that saw him fight for his life in numerous facilities. His surgeries included the reconstruction of a lung which now operates at a 43% capacity. My troop was appointed to Bachmut, which is where the Russians were occupying. They were in the forests. They were at the entrance and exit of the city. Our job was to get them out of those territories. That was when the injury happened. My comrades and I could see the Russian troops being dropped only five or six feet away from us. There was no warning. They just started using all their weapons. My lungs were ripped open at that point. I had a good bullet proof vest and a helmet that helped. There were two Russians attacking me, and I managed to kill one. The other Russian came at me from behind and shot me in the back with a machine gun. Thats when I received the spinal injury. My liver was also damaged. Maxim remembers believing he would die. My comrade and I were in the trench. When I first received the bullet from the machine gun in my back, my first thought was Im dying I learned some basics in the army. One of them was that if you couldnt feel the tips of your toes, then that was a very bad sign. When my brain gave a signal to move my feet, and I couldnt move them, I realised how bad things were. I refilled my gun with bullets and threw the weapon over to a friend. I then managed to throw myself in front of my comrade so he could use me as a human shield. I believed at the time that it would have meant the end for him otherwise. He killed the Russian soldier who shot me. Maxim said he was so badly injured that he considered ending his life by detonating a grenade, but his comrade intervened and told him an evacuation team was on its way. He said: You are still alive. There is still hope. Im calling the evacuation team for you. It was then that I started thinking, not only about myself and my misery, but my mum, dad, and sister too. They wouldnt receive any supports if I die. The pain was excruciating, but my senses became so sharp. He praised the evacuation team for their professionalism and working in a combat zone They were able to administer first aid in the moment I was dying. As soon as we got into the car, it was severely attacked. It barely made it out of that zone to the ambulance. Purchasing military equipment Having served in the army as a younger man, Maxim said there was never any doubt that he would volunteer when the Russians invaded. I was born in Brovary, Ukraine. Before the war, I lived in the Czech Republic and worked for a pharmaceutical company. When the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, I put all my necessities in a bag to fight in the war. I had collected some funds to purchase military equipment to bring to Ukraine. I had eight duffle bags when leaving for Ukraine. I had friends who were no longer living in Ukraine. Each one of us shared this great desire to fight for our country. We all decided simultaneously that we wanted to come back and fight in this war. We communicated by phone from three different countries including France, Poland, and the Czech Republic. When we arrived back to Ukraine we didnt know what to expect. Things were changing every day, every minute. It was so difficult to know whether we could be together." We wanted to stick together, fight together, but none of us knew what unit we were going to be appointed to With pressure coming from the US on Ukraine and its president to agree a ceasefire deal with Russia, Maxim says he is urging the people of Ireland not to forget the struggles of the Ukrainian people and those fighting on the frontline. If the rest of the world could hear my message, I would ask for continued support. This is the end of resources when it comes to strong soldiers with the mental capacity needed on the frontline. There is less motivation for people to go and learn to fight, which is a challenge for Ukraine. War veteran Maxim Martynenko, centre, during his previous life on Ukraines frontline. Maxim says he is determined to finish the fight from his wheelchair. I dont support Trumps decisions and demands right now. I wish the world could see us as people who still need support. There are not enough people fighting and we have less weapons. We still need help. I dont have much to live for. My only goal is to get into better shape with all the help that I have here. Then I will go back and finish the fight and see my country free. The director of the Rert Rehabilitation Military Hospital, Olexy Mikhayloe, says that some soldiers are unable to return to the frontline after their injuries. I am playing a double role, because I am also trying to help people find a new way of life after they endure this. Most do not continue in the military after such an injury. Some start drinking and behave in an anti-social way. Finding a proper job to earn money is also very difficult. Psychological help is very important to help a person get motivated. To help people become motivated, you need to show them light at the end of the tunnel. Arthem Ruden, who lives in Kyiv, is also a patient at the facility. In July 2022, I received an injury that damaged my ribs on one side, he told the Irish Examiner. I also received several injuries in my back while on the frontline in Donetsk. They resulted from the debris of shelling. In Ukraines civilian, military, and even private clinics and rehabilitations centres, they tell people that this is the end for them If your condition has been stabilised at the hospital and youre referred to a rehabilitation centre, they are working with your arms and not your legs. Even if there is slight movement in your toes, they dont react to that. It is easier for everyone to put you in a wheelchair, and help you understand how to live that way, than doing all the hard work by getting your legs back up and running. This place is different. 'Don't take hope away' The 33-year-old said he has come a long way since the start of his rehabilitation. They say that if for two years there is no tingling in your legs and feet, then thats it. Two years of therapy and I am starting to recover and get back on my legs. This is one out of few rehabilitation centres that dont take hope away from people. I am trying to prove doctors wrong and show soldiers with spinal injuries like me that there is hope and you dont give up. This is only the beginning. I know that I may be able to walk again. Fiona is trying to raise enough funds to purchase a total of six medical beds and rehabilitation equipment for the centre through the charity. Initially started in response to the Chernobyl disaster, the Greater Chernobyl Cause has been supporting victims of war since the Russian invasion began. She has been visiting Ukraine on a frequent basis to liaise with people and organisations desperately in need of help and financial support. Ms Corcorans most trip to Kyiv came during Russias most significant drone attack since the wars onset. Our adopted nursing home at Prybirsk, where Russian soldiers trapped 30 residents, is still suffering from radiation sickness without proper food, water, or heating. The Russians have left a trail of devastation in their wake. Two villages were completely wiped off the face of the Earth by airstrikes, leaving hospital staff in shock Prybirsks care home was devastated, with residents suffering from organ dysfunction and constant pain. We have transformed the place into a real care home, purchasing specialised beds, bathing wheelchairs, and therapy equipment. We also purchased an ambulance to transport the patients to the capital, where they can get the highly specialised treatment they require. The Cork woman described the other horrors she witnessed. In the Chernihiv region, the kindergarten was totally demolished. The children were terrified and confused about what had happened to their nursery. The eerie feeling of walking through rubble is contrasted with the solemn names and pictures of children adorning white boards, in a place where they will never see their smiling faces or hear their laughter at their playground. To support the Greater Chernobyl Cause visit www.greaterchernobylcause.ie My decision to be here in Texas this week is an intentional one, Micheal Martin told the gathered crowd in Austin. The Taoiseach explained that Austin, with its substantial tech sector and creative industry, represents the opportunities to deepen the economic relationship between Ireland and the US. But crucially, the Texas visit provided Mr Martin with the nearest thing to a dry run with Donald Trump he was going to get ahead of the actual meeting today. It was a balmy 24C when Mr Martin arrived at the governors mansion, a colonial style property straight out of Hollywood film, The Patriot. Crystal glasses of cold ice water were produced as the Taoiseach and his traveling party were left waiting in a reception room for Republican governor Greg Abbott, a man who during the meeting was keen to stress that he had been on the phone to Donald Trump, with whom is he very close, the night before. Texas is a truly red state and Mr Abbott, the longest-serving incumbent governor in the US, who also acted as Texas attorney general between 2002 to 2015, is a true MAGA Republican. Since entering the governor's office a decade ago, he has promoted an increasingly conservative agenda, including measures against abortion such as the Texas Heartbeat Act, lenient gun laws, and of course a tough stance on immigration. During the pandemic Mr Abbott was vehemently against implementing face mask and vaccine mandates and went as far as blocking local governments, businesses, and other organisations from implementing their own. With many shunning vaccines, the west of the state is currently battling a measles outbreak, which has so far killed two. Last week, Mr Abbott accompanied vice president JD Vance and other Trump administration officials to Eagle Pass, Texas, along the US-Mexico border. It came after a visit to the Oval Office last month, during which the governor offered up a number of state facilities to help Mr Trump secure the border. "Texas has completed more than 50 miles of border wall," Mr Abbott said afterwards. We're going to be adding another 20 miles of border wall here in the coming days. It's under construction right now, and we've acquired more than 100 miles of easement. I let the president know that all of that is available for the USA. When Mr Abbott arrived into the room to a waiting Taoiseach on Monday, it was all smiles and pleasantries, his wife Cecilia keen to explain her Irish roots. But within moments, the Irish media pack were ushered out of the room and back onto the shaded white veranda. It is understood the meeting, which lasted around 40 minutes, covered Mr Martin's visit to Dell earlier that morning and Ireland's pro-enterprise model as well as infrastructure investment in the years ahead. Liquified national gas Mr Trump is a transactional politician who looks for business opportunities everywhere, and a hint on what message Mr Martin might be wise to take into the Oval office came from the governor. A readout hinted to what could be bartered in a potential tariff trade-off: "The governor touted Texas as the leading state for liquified national gas (LNG) exports and noted the importance of continued collaboration between Texas and Ireland in the energy industry." Increasing imports of LNG from the US has already been raised as a potential way to avoid a threatened 25% tariff on EU goods. Speaking before making his way to Washington for his much-anticipated tete-a-tete with Mr Trump, Mr Martin stressed Irelands need to invest in LNG, which the Government has confirmed is now firmly on the table. "It has been very clear to us by officials how serious the vulnerability is for Ireland. If anything was to happen to gas connectors, in terms of the Irish economy we would not survive a week without some back-up, with some energy security. It's very stark, actually. So it's a fundamental responsibility, nothing to do with timing or just visit or anything like that. We have to have energy security. " While the Taoiseach was remaining brief in his description of discussions with the governor, it is understood Mr Abbott did advise him that Trump is a very personable man, easy to get along with. But that advice of course came from someone who very much speaks Mr Trump's language. Mr Martin can only hope todays Oval Office encounter goes as well as his discussions with Mr Abbott, who has now been invited to visit Ireland. The arrest of Rodrigo Duterte, who served as president of the Philippines between 2016 and 2022, for crimes against humanity for his part in the countrys violent war on drugs is a welcome blow against impunity. Duterte was arrested on March 11 by Interpol, which was carrying out an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) charging him with crimes against humanity. Its a step, at least, towards justice for the families of the victims of thousands of extra-judicial killings maybe tens of thousands. Nobody knows exactly how many. A key part of Dutertes campaign platform when he ran for president in 2016 was to combat what he called the drug menace. During his previous 22 years as the mayor of Davao city in the province of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, he had operated a similar policy. The 1,040 deaths during his war on drugs there became the subject of an excellent 109-page report by the pressure group Human Rights Watch: 'You Can Die Any Time': Death Squad Killings in Mindanao. Duterte never shied away from that notoriety. His policy of running death squads from the presidential palace resulted in violence on a scale that shocked the world. But he wasnt re-inventing the wheel. When he was mayor of Davao, his right-hand men included many of the same characters who then oversaw the national drug war (Operation Tokhang). Relatives hold pictures of victims of alleged extra-judicial killings in front of a picture of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte with a sign that says "Jail Duterte" today. Many of these murders left no evidence. Photo: AP/Aaron Favila The drug war escalated quickly from Manila and came to consume the whole country. At first, victims bodies would be left with a sign which claimed they were a drug pusher or user. Eventually, those signs disappeared and the victims were just left for dead. Then the police became brazen. A shoot first ask question later policy accelerated to the point where vendettas and vigilante assassination had the perfect cover to get away with murder on an industrial scale. Suspected police corruption or downright disregard for the law was caught on security camera and published in the media. It was hoped by many citizens that the sentencing of three police officers to 40 years in prison in 2017 for the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos signalled an end to impunity in the Philippines. But, this remains the only case of police accountability. And the guilty verdict was reached largely because CCTV footage refuted police attempts to cover up their part in the murder. Thousands of people disappeared children too all caught up in the vigilante violence that the state had instigated but couldnt contain. Activists, dissidents, journalists, lawyers and clergy were also increasingly targeted during the drug war. Many of the murders were barely investigated, if at all. Motorcycle assassinations by gunmen riding pillion became a scourge and evidence proved hard to come by. Prosecution Prosecution will not be easy. There are numerous significant hurdles for the ICC prosecution to overcome. The polices involvement in the killings presents a massive challenge. With the exception of Kians case, killings committed by uniformed police have long since been swept under the carpet. Police officers were allegedly involved in some of the vigilante killings, out of uniform as guns for hire but were subsequently acquitted. Many of these murders left no evidence. Bodies were quickly moved and the blood washed off the streets. Given the time that has now passed and police complicity in the violence, nobody should be under the impression there is a mountain of forensic evidence waiting to be analysed or that witness statements were even taken at the time. Many of the deaths were not even recognised as crimes when they occurred. But timing matters. At the time of these crimes, the Philippines was a signatory to the Statute of Rome, the treaty which set up the ICC. In 2019, Duterte withdrew the country from the ICCs jurisdiction, but this didnt absolve those responsible for the three years of bloodshed before that. But even given a case can now be brought against Duterte, witnesses and most importantly, whistleblowers from inside the police will be hard to come by. Many of those that have tried to bear witness to the reign of terror have had to flee the country. Meanwhile, Dutertes camp will be quick to mount a popular defence that this is a show trial. Rodrigo didnt pull the trigger himself even if he has openly admitted to killing people when mayor of Davao. His culpability and responsibility for the deaths isnt something he has denied or refuted. Though his team will vociferously deny that the ICC has any cause to interfere with domestic Filipino affairs. There is an awful lot of politics involved here too. Accountability for the murderous violence starts with Rodrigo Duterte. But it needs to delve much deeper into the Philippines national police and will be incredibly disruptive. It will require the support of the current president, Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. Thus far, he has been reticent to provide that support. CHANGES at board level of one of Irelands largest architectural firms, employing 250 in Dublin and Cork, have been described as marking an ambitious evolution of practice. New board and director appointment at Henry J Lyons which currently has 220 employed in Dublin and a further 30 in Cork strengthens operations while diversifying skills and expanding design leadership capabilities, said the award-winning firm. Henry J Lyons is based at the completed One Albert Quay Claire Pierce, Eoin Flanagan and Neal Patterson have joined the board of directors: also appointed in senior leadership roles are four studio directors, a technical director, eight design directors, a head of AI and design innovation, and a sector lead for data centres. Among the firms output are the Criminal Courts of Justice, headquarter buildings for the Central Bank, LinkedIn, Salesforce, KPMG and Amazon. Henry J Lyons Project Opera, Limerick City In Munster Henry J Lyons designed OCPs Navigation Square, JCDs One Albert Quay (where it now has its own offices) and Railway Yard, as well as securing planning for a 34 storeys tall tower at Custom House Quay, and Limericks Project Opera. It also has significant projects internationally, and, apart from commercial buildings is involved in design for delivery of 16,000 homes across Ireland, as well as workspace for over 15,000 employees in Dublin city. Henry J Lyons projects Cork office include the tall hotel tower on the Port of Cork site, Custom House Quay, with full planning secured Welcoming the new board members and other appointments, MD Conor MacCabe said Henry J Lyons was "an industry-leading architectural practice with a strong vision for the future that will enhance our cities, our communities and our lives for decades to come." In Cork Henry J Lyons is based at the completed One Albert Quay. Its Dublin offices are at Pearse Street "Our ambitious vision sees Henry J Lyons adapt and grow further, diversifying our skills, bolstering our expertise and delivering award-winning design both at home and internationally." Details: henryjlyons.com Russian ballistic missiles have killed at least five civilians in Ukraine, officials said. The assault comes a day after the Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid for Kyivs fight against Russias invasion and Ukrainian officials signalled they were open to a 30-day ceasefire. The Kremlin did not comment on the agreement announced on Tuesday between the US and Ukraine on the provision of further military support, including intelligence sharing, and the possibility of a ceasefire that Washington backs. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it is important not to get ahead of the question of responding to the 30-day ceasefire proposal. I received a report from our delegation on their meeting with the American team in Saudi Arabia. The discussion lasted most of the day and was good and constructiveour teams were able to discuss many important details. Our position remains absolutely clear: Ukraine has been pic.twitter.com/7EZXTVA52C Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) March 11, 2025 He told reporters that Moscow is awaiting detailed information about the proposal from the US and suggested Russia must receive that before it can take a position. The Russian missiles killed four Syrian men between the ages of 18 and 24 on a ship docked at the southern port of Odesa late on Tuesday, where it was loading Ukrainian wheat for Algeria, infrastructure minister Oleksii Kuleba said. Another missile killed a woman in Kryvih Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskys home town in central Ukraine, authorities said. The American help is vital for Ukraines shorthanded and battle-weary army, which is having a tough time keeping Russias bigger military force at bay. Ukrainian forces have thanked the US for their support (AP Photo/Roman Chop) But for Moscow, more American aid spells potentially more difficulty in achieving its war aims and will likely be a tough sell in Moscow for Washingtons peace efforts. Arms deliveries to Ukraine have already resumed through a Polish logistics centre, the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Poland announced. The deliveries go through a Nato and US hub in the eastern Polish city of Rzeszow that has been used to ferry Western weapons into neighbouring Ukraine about 45 miles away. US President Donald Trump wants to end the three-year war and pressured Mr Zelensky to enter talks. The suspension of American assistance came days after Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Trump argued about the conflict in a tense White House meeting. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the American delegation to Tuesdays talks in Saudi Arabia, said that Washington would present the ceasefire offer to the Kremlin, which has so far opposed anything short of a permanent end to the conflict and has not accepted any concessions. Ukraine has signalled it is open for talks towards a ceasefire (AP) Were going to tell (the Russians) this is whats on the table. Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now itll be up to them to say yes or no, Mr Rubio told reporters after the talks. If they say no, then well unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here. Mr Trumps special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel this week to Moscow, where he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to one source. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the US-Ukraine agreement and said on X that the ball is now clearly in Russias court. Russian legislators have signalled wariness about the prospect of a ceasefire. Senior Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev noted in a post on the messaging app Telegram: Russia is advancing (on the battlefield), so it will be different with Russia. Any agreements (with the understanding of the need for compromise) should be on our terms, not American. Bosnian prosecutors have ordered the detention of three top Bosnian Serb officials over a series of separatist actions in recent weeks that have heightened tensions in the Balkan country. The Bosnian prosecutors office issued the order after Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic and Parliament Speaker Nenad Stevandic failed to answer two summons for questioning. The three are suspected of violating Bosnias constitutional order with their policies, Bosnian media reported. Last month, Bosnian Serb legislators passed a set of disputed laws that barred the central Bosnian state judiciary and police from operating in the Serb-controlled part of the country, called Republika Srpska. The legislators passed the laws after a Bosnian court convicted Dodik of disobeying orders from the top international official in Bosnia. Dodik was sentenced him to one year in prison and banned from engaging in politics for six years over his separatist actions (AP) The court sentenced him to a year in prison and banned him from public office. Dodik has repeatedly said he does not recognise the Bosnian prosecution office and would not go to Sarajevo for questioning. The recent Bosnian Serb moves are seen as part of escalating efforts to break the territory away from Bosnia and have been condemned by the United States and the European Union. Dodik, who has faced US and British sanctions, is backed by Moscow. The assembly of Republika Srpska debated a new draft constitution that would advance the separation process even further by creating an army and allowing the entity to join a union with neighbouring countries. It was not immediately clear what would happen next. Bosnias state security agency known as SIPA has confirmed they were asked to assist in the detention of the three officials. In Banja Luka, the north-western town that is the seat of the Bosnian Serb government, police could be seen deployed around the parliament building ahead of a session. The latest tensions have raised fears of violent incidents between Bosnias central security forces and the Serb police. They also recall separatist aspirations that sparked Bosnias war in 1992. The conflict ended three years later in a US-sponsored peace accord that created two administrations one Bosnian Serb, the other Bosniak-Croat that are tied together by joint central institutions. During a visit this week to Bosnia, Natos Secretary-General Mark Rutte pledged the Western military Alliances support for Bosnias integrity while a European peacekeeping force in Bosnia, EUFor, stepped up the number of its troops. Insurgents who ambushed a train carrying hundreds of people have killed some of the hostages, Pakistani authorities said. A stand-off is continuing after separatists wearing explosive-laden vests barricaded themselves in with about 250 passengers in the south-western Balochistan province. Security officials gave no details about the killings a day after the separatists attacked the train in a tunnel. The separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack. Spokesman Jeeyand Baloch said the group was ready to free passengers if authorities agree to release jailed militants. More than 190 passengers were rescued (AP) There has been no comment on that from the government, which has rejected such demands in the past. At least 30 militants were killed in initial exchanges of gunfire since Tuesday. By late Wednesday, security forces had rescued 190 of the 450 passengers who were initially on the train, according to security officials. Helicopters were backing up Pakistani forces in the area, said spokesman Shahid Rind, describing the attack as an act of terrorism. It was the first time the BLA separatists had hijacked a train, though the group has attacked trains before. The BLA regularly targets Pakistani security forces and has also in the past attacked civilians, including Chinese nationals working on multibillion-dollar projects related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. A number of passengers were rescued (AP) Pakistan hosts thousands of Chinese workers building major infrastructure projects, including ports and airports in Balochistan. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said her country will continue to firmly support Pakistan in advancing its counterterrorism efforts. Authorities said the rescued so far include women and children. An undisclosed number of security personnel have been killed. Officials say the Jafer Express train was partially inside a tunnel when the militants blew up the tracks, forcing the engine and nine coaches to stop. Rescued passengers were being sent to their hometowns and the injured were being treated at hospitals in the Mach district. Others were taken to Quetta, the provincial capital, about 60 miles away. The train was travelling from Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar when it came under attack. The US will have contact with Russia on Wednesday after holding talks with Ukraine over a possible peace, the countrys secretary of state has said. Marco Rubio said Washington will put the proposals to Moscow directly, adding that the ball is truly in their court and rejection of the plan would make their intentions clear. Kyiv says it is ready to accept plans for a 30-day immediate ceasefire after US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia which were hailed by many as a breakthrough following Donald Trumps Oval Office spat with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We'll have contact with (Russia) today Speaking to reporters in Ireland ahead of flying back to the US on Wednesday, Mr Rubio said: Thats what we want to know, whether theyre prepared to do it unconditionally. Well have contact with them today. Theres already been contacts at different levels with counterparts, different members of the administration, and thatll continue Were going to bring it to them directly. Were going to say that Ukraine is prepared to stop all battlefield activity and begin the immediate process of negotiating an enduring end of the war, and well see what their response is. He added: If their response is yes, then we know weve made real progress and theres a real chance of peace. If their response is no, it would be highly unfortunate and it would make their intentions clear. Theyre probably processing the news, the same as the rest of the world is so we hope to have a positive answer from them, the ball is truly in their court. Ukrainian president Mr Zelenskyy said Tuesdays talks in Jeddah had been very positive and covered all the important, sensitive topics as he briefed journalists in Kyiv. Id like to thank the American side, the Ukrainian team, for this to happen. This multi-hour meeting, it was a rather detailed one, he said. It is very important for us to be heard so that everyone has the right to express, to share some very important priority matters, and I think that yesterday we had a very positive meeting. In a statement after the meeting, the US also said it would lift its suspension of intelligence sharing and security assistance to Ukraine. Questions remain over whether the US will back proposals, in which the UK is playing a leading part, to deploy peacekeepers from the continent to protect Kyiv as part of a future peace deal. Asked whether Washington supported the move, Mr Rubio said: Well see. I mean, theres different ways to construct a deterrent on the ground that prevents another war from starting in the future. Were not going to go in with any sort of preconceived notion. The bottom line is it needs to be something that makes Ukraine feel as if they can deter and prevent a future invasion. How that looks and how thats put together, thats what were going to be talking about if we can get to that stage. But he urged Moscow to consider ending all hostilities and said Washington would be having multiple points of contact with the Kremlin. It is very important for us to be heard The only way this conflict can end is through negotiation, he said. It is hard to start a process when people are shooting at each other and people are dying. However, Mr Rubio said on Wednesday that Ukraines ability to discourage further aggression would likely feature in talks. He told journalists: Can Ukraine create a sufficient deterrent against future aggression, against future attack, against future invasion? Because every country in the world has a right to defend themselves and no-one can dispute that, so that will most certainly have to be part of the conversation. Asked whether territorial concessions were discussed in US-Ukraine talks about a possible end to the war, Mr Rubio said the sides had conversations but were not going to negotiate this publicly. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has called for a US backstop to a peace deal. In any negotiation, theres certainly an element where you dont want one side to be giving away all this leverage from a public perspective, he said. He also suggested that European sanctions on Russia would likely be on the table in discussions about a possible peace. I think its self-evident that for there to be a peace in Ukraine at the end of that process, theres going to have to be some decision made by the Europeans about what theyre going to do with these sanctions and so forth. In other developments: US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Moscow and put the deal directly to President Vladimir Putin. Nato secretary general Mark Rutte announced he would travel to Washington DC this week to discuss Mr Trumps commitment to the alliance. Kyiv came under fire from a Russian air attack just hours after Ukraine signalled it would support the ceasefire deal. Russia said it regained more territory in the western Kursk region of the country, which Ukrainian forces invaded last summer in a bid to win a bargaining chip for future negotiations. Insurgents who attacked a passenger train in Pakistan killed 21 hostages, the military said on Wednesday, while security forces rescued more than 300 others and killed all 50 of the assailants. The military spokesman, Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif, told local media that three soldiers who had been guarding the track were also killed in the attack, which began Tuesday in restive Balochistan province. Security officials said troops had rescued 346 hostages, and the operation had concluded. More than 190 passengers were rescued (AP) The provinces chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, told a provincial assembly that troops killed all insurgents involved. The separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for attacking the train, which was carrying 440 passengers in a tunnel in a remote part of Balochistan. Spokesman Jeeyand Baloch had said the group was ready to free passengers if authorities agreed to release jailed militants. Officials did not immediately account for the remaining passengers. The BLA regularly targets Pakistani security forces and has also attacked civilians, including Chinese nationals among the thousands working on multibillion-dollar projects in Balochistan related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said her country will continue to firmly support Pakistan in advancing its counterterrorism efforts. Some relatives of hostages were angry at Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who last year claimed that the BLA was not a threat and an ordinary police inspector could fix this situation. The train had been traveling from Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar. Officials say the Jafer Express train was partially inside a tunnel when the militants blew up the tracks, forcing the engine and nine coaches to stop. Oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistans largest and least populated province. It is a hub for the countrys ethnic Baloch minority, whose members say they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government. Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has long been the scene of insurgency. Separatists demand greater autonomy from the government in Islamabad and a larger share of the regions natural resources. Insurgencies on either side of the Iran-Pakistan border have frustrated both countries. Their governments suspect each other of supporting or at least tolerating some of the groups. Iran has sought help from Pakistan in countering the threat from the militant group Jaish al-Adl. Pakistan wants Tehran to deny sanctuaries to BLA fighters. Trains in Balochistan typically have security personnel on board, as members of the military frequently use trains to travel from Quetta to other parts of the country. In November, the BLA carried out a suicide bombing at a train station in Quetta, killing 26 people. This frame grab from a video released by the Baluchistan Liberation Army shows people outside the train after it was attacked by the BLA (BLA via AP) The BLA had warned that the hostages lives would be at risk if the government did not negotiate. Analysts said the attack and its focus on civilians could backfire. Syed Muhammad Ali, an Islamabad-based independent security analyst, said: After failing to damage the Pakistan Army within Balochistan, BLA has shifted its targets from military to unarmed civilians. This may give them instant public and media attention, but it will weaken their support base within the civilian population, which is their ultimate objective. Rescued passengers, including women and children, were being sent to their hometowns. Some of the injured were taken to Quetta, the provincial capital, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) away. Shams Ullah Khan said two relatives were taken hostage. Another man, Hamad Khan, said his brother was a hostage. Families were desperate for information. By Michelle Gamage, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Canadian home care workers are feeling trepidation but are hopeful. The federal government recently released the first details on a new program, kicking off March 31, that will control how and when foreign workers can apply for permanent residency. Home care workers generally come from overseas to provide care for seniors, disabled people, and youth in their homes. Workers have to meet language and education requirements set by pilot programs that change every five or so years. Previous pilots also set the length of time people had to work in Canada before applying for permanent residency. The Home Care Worker Immigration pilot is different. This new pilot will offer a one-step immigration process for workers and their families basically, workers who meet the requirements will be given permanent residency on arrival. Thats great news, says Cenen Bagon, a member of the Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights. This is what weve been really fighting for, for care workers to come in as permanent residents because care work is essential work, Bagon said. Care work isnt temporary work, so why would workers be in temporary working conditions when the work is permanent? Automatically offering home care workers permanent residency is something migrant rights groups have been fighting for since the 1980s, she added. To be eligible to apply for permanent residency under the new program, a caregiver must pass a Canadian Language Benchmark Level 4 test, have completed the equivalent of a Canadian Grade 12 education, have worked for at least six months as a caregiver and have an offer for a full-time home care job. But Bagon said care workers still have a number of unanswered questions about the new program. For example, why is the government requiring home care workers in Canada to have offers of full-time home care jobs if theyve already worked the required amount of time in the field? she said. This will trip up many home care workers who have already been living and working in Canada, who completed the six months of work experience and now want to apply for permanent residency. Now they will have to scramble to be able to get a job offer so they can apply for permanent residency, she added. The new pilot will have two streams: workers already in Canada and applicants not working in Canada. On March 31, home care workers already working in Canada will be able to apply for permanent residency, according to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website. People not working in Canada will be able to apply at a later date. This will allow us to prioritize the transition of home care workers already living and working in Canada, from temporary to permanent residence, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada told The Tyee in an emailed statement. Bagon said this is a good strategy to address the incredible backlog of care workers who came to Canada through care provider pilots but have not yet been able to apply for status. A 2016 paper from the Migrant Workers Centre BC, then called the West Coast Domestic Workers Association, notes that from 2005 to 2014 an average of 5,540 caregivers got their permanent residency each year, compared with the average 31,859 caregivers who were given work permits each year. In its email, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said that as of Dec. 31, 2024, there were 36,000 applications still to be processed for caregivers and their families received under the previous Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots, which ran from June 2019 to December 2024. These pilots have ended but all of the applications will still be processed. That captures only the number of people who were able to apply, not the much larger number of people who werent, Bagon said. Each year 2,750 people working in home care and 2,750 working in child support can apply for permanent residency. These numbers are set by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, said Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in its email. Bagon said migrant rights groups are calling for the government to allow an unlimited number of people to apply for permanent residency and for their applications to then enter a queue that would carry over year after year. Currently, she said, applications open once a year and fill up within hours of opening. Anyone who cant apply in time has to wait for next year for their next chance to apply. This leads to exploitation by unscrupulous immigration consultants who charge thousands of dollars to file applications on behalf of workers, according to a letter written by Migrant Rights Network and the Landed Status Now Working Group, and sent to Marc Miller, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship. The letter outlined the organizations concerns with the pilots and advocated improvements. The Migrant Rights Network is a migrant-led coalition of 40 organizations in eight provinces, and the Landed Status Now Working Group is composed of all the migrant care worker-led organizations in Canada, including the Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights. Because pilot projects change every couple of years and there are only a set number of spaces to apply for permanent residency, many home care providers can get caught in a bureaucratic limbo, Bagon said. Typically, a caregiver can apply for permanent residency after two to three years of being in Canada, but there are many workers who get stuck in limbo and have been waiting five to 10 years to be able to apply for permanent residency, she said. How many workers fall through the cracks is hard to calculate, as caregivers work in peoples homes rather than in more public spaces. Bagon estimated there may be as many as 10,000 home care workers stuck waiting to apply for permanent residency, though she said that estimate should be taken with a grain of salt. Supporting families is considered essential work in Canada, so why not support the families of those doing the work? she asked. We want them to be able to work with the same benefits as other workers in Canada and not be exploited, Bagon said. Its very important for employers to realize when they have a happy worker, theyll be a happy employer. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. A gathering of European defense ministers will center on establishing a peacekeeping force, which is considered essential for the security guarantees that Ukraine believes are crucial to deter any future Russian aggression following a ceasefire. Defense ministers from the five leading military nations in Europe France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Poland will be convened this morning in Paris by French President Emmanuel Macron. This meeting coincides with Europes ongoing efforts to create a security guarantee framework for Ukraine, potentially including a peacekeeping force, as part of a comprehensive peace agreement with Russia. Just yesterday, Ukraine accepted a US proposal calling for a 30-day ceasefire and immediate negotiation talks after discussions held in Saudi Arabia. The agreement reached in Jeddah followed a lengthy nine hours of discussions between a US delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian representatives, including the foreign minister and President Volodymyr Zelenskys chief of staff. Read more: Martin welcomes Ukraine, US ceasefire negotiations Latest Ukraine stories Ukraine had initially suggested a partial truce aimed at halting air and maritime assaults from both sides. Nevertheless, the joint statement extended beyond this, advocating for a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire and the initiation of peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Officials from both the US and Ukraine also indicated they would finalize a deal to secure US access to Ukraines mineral resources as soon as possible. The Russian news agency Tass reported statements from the foreign ministry asserting that significant developments for Russia would originate not from the US or Ukraine, but from Moscow. The agreement reached in Saudi Arabia emerged after nine hours of negotiations between delegations from the US and Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reportedly stated that Russia would not accept NATO troops on Ukrainian soil. Mr. Rubio mentioned that the US intends to present the proposal to Russia, hoping that Moscow would agree to pursue peace. If that is not the case, he asserted, the obstacles to peace would become evident. President Trump is anticipated to have a conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the coming days, and he indicated that President Zelensky might return to the White House at a future time. US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz noted that the discussions in Jeddah encompassed critical elements regarding a potential permanent resolution to the conflict, including the types of guarantees that would be available for Ukraines long-term security. Mr. Macron has expressed his support for the US-Ukrainian initiative. Ukraine has announced its support for a 30-day ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Russia, in an effort to de-escalate tensions and prevent further violence. This decision comes amid a series of drone strikes carried out by Ukrainian forces against Russian positions, which have raised concerns about the potential for a wider conflict in the region. The ceasefire was proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and was quickly endorsed by the Ukrainian parliament. In a statement, Zelensky emphasized the importance of ending the bloodshed and finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The drone strikes, which have targeted Russian military installations and personnel, have been a contentious issue in the conflict. While Ukrainian officials have defended the strikes as necessary for self-defense, Russia has condemned them as acts of aggression. The attacks have also drawn international condemnation, with many countries calling for an end to the violence and a return to negotiations. Despite the ceasefire announcement, tensions remain high between the two countries. Russian forces have reportedly been mobilizing near the Ukrainian border, raising fears of a possible invasion. Ukraine, for its part, has vowed to defend its territory at all costs. The conflict between Ukraine and Russia dates back to 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and supported separatist movements in eastern Ukraine. The conflict has since claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions of people, with no end in sight. As the ceasefire takes effect, both sides are hopeful that it will pave the way for renewed peace talks and a lasting resolution to the conflict. However, the situation remains fluid, and the potential for further violence and escalation looms large. In the meantime, the international community continues to monitor the situation closely, urging both sides to show restraint and work towards a peaceful resolution. The ceasefire may offer a glimmer of hope in a conflict that has ravaged the region for far too long, but the road to peace remains long and uncertain. According to security sources, Pakistans military has rescued 190 train passengers who were taken hostage by gunmen during a siege in the mountainous southwest region of the country, marking the second day of the crisis. Over 450 individuals were aboard the train when a separatist militant group seized control in a remote frontier area. An unspecified number of hostages still remain in captivity. As of now, we have managed to rescue 190 passengers, and 30 terrorists have been neutralized. We are exercising extreme caution due to the presence of women and children alongside the suicide bombers, stated security sources. The operation is ongoing to eliminate the remaining militants. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, sharing a video showing an explosion on the tracks followed by scores of militants emerging from their mountain hideouts and storming the train carriages. Intelligence reports indicate that some militants have escaped, taking an unknown number of hostages into the local mountainous regions, reported a local security official. Muhammad Kashif, a senior railway government official from the provincial capital Quetta, confirmed that 450 individuals had been taken hostage. Passengers who trekked for hours through rough terrain to reach safety recounted the harrowing experience of being released by their captors. Our women begged for mercy, and they spared us, said Babar Masih, a 38-year-old Christian laborer. They ordered us to leave without looking back. As we fled, I noticed many others escaping alongside us. Paramilitary troops arrived at a railway station in Quetta with empty coffins destined for the incident site. I cant describe how we managed to escape. It was terrifying, said Muhammad Bilal, who had been traveling with his mother on the Jaffar Express train. Soldiers are on patrol at a railway station in Balochistan province. The BLA has executed a series of recent assaults against security forces and ethnic groups they accuse of profiting from the regions wealth. The group is demanding a prisoner exchange with security forces for its detained members. According to paramedic Nazim Farooq and railway official Muhammad Aslam, the attack resulted in the deaths of the train driver, a police officer, and a soldier. Several hostages reported that the gunmen checked identity cards to identify individuals from outside the province, a tactic similar to recent assaults attributed to the BLA. They checked IDs and service cards, shot two soldiers in front of me, and took four others away. I dont know their fate, recounted a passenger who wished to remain anonymous, after walking four hours to the nearest train station. Those who were of Punjabi ethnicity were taken away by the terrorists, he added. Approximately 80 of the freed passengers were escorted to Quetta under tight security, according to a police official. The freed train passengers arrive at Quetta Railway Station. Authorities have imposed access restrictions in certain areas of Balochistan, where numerous energy and infrastructure projects are supported by Chinese investments amounting to billions of euros, including a significant port and airport. The BLA contends that the regions natural resources are being exploited by outsiders and has intensified attacks aimed at Pakistanis from other regions, security forces, and foreign development projects. Last year, the group launched coordinated attacks, including seizing control of a main motorway and fatally shooting travelers from different ethnic backgrounds. Last month, the BLA claimed an attack resulting in the deaths of 17 paramilitary soldiers, followed by a suicide bombing this month that killed another soldier. The valuable natural resources in Balochistan belong to the Baloch nation, stated a BLA communique at that time. Pakistani military generals and their Punjabi elite are looting these resources for their own luxury. Residents in Baloch regularly hold protests against the state, alleging that it rounds up innocent individuals during its counter-terrorism operations. Security forces have been engaged in a prolonged insurgency in the impoverished Balochistan, but violence saw an increase in the province last year compared to 2023, according to the independent Centre for Research and Security Studies. The organization found that 2024 was the deadliest year for Pakistan in a decade, with escalating violence along the Afghanistan border since the Taliban regained power in Kabul in 2021. Pakistan accuses its neighbor of providing sanctuary to militant groups who plan and execute attacks, a claim that Kabul refutes. Orono, Maine (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) Among tariffs, territorial ambitions and other threats to Americas well-being by Pres. Trump, one of the more severethreats may be his willful ignorance concerning the severity of climate change. Michael Mann, one of Americas most highly regarded climatologists, noted that the Trump Administration has given polluters and fossil fuel promoters, the keys to the fossil fuel car allowing it to be driven over the cliff. But there are other pressing problems in Trumps first 100 days in office, with one receiving a good deal of attention: Tariffs. Over 125 years ago, President Trumps predecessor, President William McKinley, set in motion policies involving high tariffs. He initiated the Tariff Act of 1890 which began with a 38% tariff, whose purpose was to protect American manufacturing, but the result was that farmers paid more for their imported farm machinery and received less for their agricultural products on international markets, thus worsening their financial hardship. President Trump is replicating another McKinley policy 125 years ago when McKinley expanded Americas land acquisitions by initiating the Spanish-American War to acquire the Philippines. The historian, Alfred McCoy, who has written on Americas invasion of the Philippines, observed that the result was the deaths of tens of thousands of Filipinos. This was done in spite of efforts by the Anti-Imperialist League, led by Mark Twain and the psychologist William James, to prevent American imperial wars. Alfred McCoy, in a recent article, quoted a passage from The Second Coming, a poem by the Irish poet, WB Yeats: what rough beast, its hour come round at last/ slouches towards Bethlehem to be born? This quote was meant to illustrate the failure of past imperialisms and the foreboding sense of future territorial conflicts. In times gone by, the Panama Canal Project twice suffered failure, despite considerable investment by a French Compagnie Universelle. In 1904 Theodore Roosevelt persuaded Congress to purchase the rights to complete the Canal. But it was not for these reasons that the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to President Roosevelt; Rather it was for his efforts in bringing together representatives from the Russo-Japanese War in Portsmouth, NH in 1905 in order to negotiate a peace treaty. Perhaps there is an opportunity for President Trump to gain the same prize if he can broker an equitable and fair settlement between Russia and Ukraine. Following WWII and the formation of the United Nations, the U.S. made a collective decision to forego any further territorial ambitions and devote its energies to Commerce and capital rather than conquest. A new world order was defined by the U.N. Charter of 1945 which guaranteed all nations the right to Independence, alliances such as NATO, free trade without tariffs, and assurances of sovereignty rights. The UN Charter codified the major principles of international relations, from sovereign equality of States to the prohibition of the use of force in international relations. Over the intervening years American wars have been fought, although not over the acquisition of moreterritory. Caption: The Antis. Here, take a dose of this anti-fat and get slim again! Uncle Sam No, Sonny!, I never did take any of that stuff, and Im too old to begin! Illustration shows a huge Uncle Sam getting a new outfit made at the McKinley and Company National Tailors with President McKinley taking the measurements. The strips on Uncle Sams trousers are labeled Texas, Louisiana Purchase, Alaska, Florida, California, Hawaii, [and] Porto Rico. Carl Schurz, Joseph Pulitzer, and Oswald Ottendorfer stand inside the entrance to the shop and Schurz is offering Uncle Sam a spoonful of Anti-Expansion Policy medicine, a bottle of which each is carrying. On the right are bolts of cloth labeled Enlightened Foreign Policy and Rational Expansion. Illus. in: Puck, v. 48, no. 1226 (1900 September 5), centerfold. 1900 by Keppler & Schwarzmann. Public Domain. We are now facing an attempt to resurrect McKinleys ghost by appropriating foreign territories, imposing tariffs on allies, while trying to make deals on an international level. One way or the other, were going to get it announced Trump, concerning the acquisition of Greenland. A Trump advisor revealed that acquiring Greenland is of strategic importance in order to control the Arctic shipping lanes as climate change melts the Arctic sea ice at five times the global average. One would think that the rapid melting of Arctic ice would make Trump more aware of climate issues, but the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords Indicates that he is unwilling to link ice melting with climatechange. In Ukraine Trumps transactional approach to diplomacy means that he is willing to go full steam ahead to gain peace but only if mineral rights are gained while large swathes of Ukrainian land would be ceded to Russia. This kind of devils bargain will be hard for the Ukrainian people to swallow, especially after sacrificing tens of thousands of young men to the conflict with Russia. In another area of conflict, Gaza has suffered enormously from bombs supplied by America that has obliterated its buildings and caused 50,000 deaths. Trump believes it is acceptable to transfer 2 million Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries. He appears to view land in terms of real estate rather than as a homeland for Palestinians, thus betraying an inability to understand the profound relationship which Palestinians have with their ancestral land. His lack of sympathy for a Palestinian State is contrary to the support given by 146 out of 193 member states of the U.N. including Ireland and Norway. Trumps solution for Gazas 2.2 million residents Is to build six safe communities outside Gaza while America would build a Riviera of the Middle East to rise from the ashes. Despite the desperate circumstances most Gazan residents are suffering, they show no inclination to accept this proposal. These residents are descended from the 750,000 that had been compelled to leave their homes in 1948, after which Israel expropriated 5 million acres of Palestinian land. President Trumps transactional approach is his unilateral offer to make Canada the 51ststate. A recent poll taken in Canada indicates that 91% of Canadians are completely opposed to this proposal, Although Trumps aggressive rhetoric has become normalized in the U.S. he is viewed with alarm and fear by most Canadians who dont know whether to laugh or cry at his clownish demands. Trumps view of Canada as being an appendage to the U.S. is coupled with threats of 25% tariffs, which is precipitating a once-friendly neighbor into a state of puzzled estrangement. Is Trump a trustworthy arbiter in Ukraine or Greenland or Palestine or Canada? He seems unable to sympathise with two sides in conflict zones, nor does he seem willing to sympathize with underlying ethnic or religious differences; At the same time he does not grasp the animosity he is creating in Greenland, Gaza, Canada and Panama by the crudeness of his approach. Perhaps his MAGA followers really believe that, despite his showmanship and buffoonish behavior, he is an inspired leader and that there is purpose to his seeming madness. One person who does not see any purpose to his madness is James Carville, an advisor to the Democratic party who advises that: Democrats should sit back and watch Trump self-destruct. In a recent interview he maintained that Trump identifies with criminal regimes in the world. He loves dictatorships. He doesnt like the Constitution Can you love the country and not love the Constitution.He doesnt like our alliances He doesnt like the people we have formed relationships and friendships with. He doesnt believe in separation of powers. He believes he is above the law. In fact, deep down, Trump hates America, or the version of America that does not agree with him. Commentary By Jason Clemens and Jake Fuss Mark Carneys victory in replacing Justin Trudeau as the leader of the Liberal Party means he is now the prime minister. Carneys resume and achievements make him one of the most accomplished prime ministers ever. Still, there are several basic questions about Carneys fiscal and economic math that Canadians need to consider carefully as we enter an election. Carneys accomplishments should be recognized. He has a bachelors degree in economics from Harvard and both a masters and doctoral degrees in economics from Oxford University. He spent over a decade at Goldman Sachs, a leading US-based financial firm then left to take up senior positions at both the Bank of Canada and later the Department of Finance. He became the Governor of the Bank of Canada in 2007 and then the Governor of the Bank of England in 2012. After his tenure at the Bank of England, Carney took up a number of private sector posts including chairman at Brookfield Asset Management, a major Canadian company. Despite these obvious accomplishments and a deep CV, Carneys proposed fiscal policies pose a number of serious questions. Carney self-characterizes as a pragmatist and someone who will bring the Liberal Party back to the political centre after having been pushed to the left by former prime minister Justin Trudeau. Even former prime minister Jean Chretien, one of the countrys most electorally successful prime ministers, called for the party to move back to the centre. Specifically, Carney said he would cap the size of the federal government workforce and reduce federal spending through a review of program spending as was done in 1994-95. He also indicated that the operating budget would be balanced within three years. He criticized the current government for spending too much and not investing enough and for missing spending targets and violating its own fiscal guardrails. All these policies imply that the role of the federal government will be rolled back with reductions in spending and federal employment, as well as reducing regulations. In many ways, these policies mirror those of former prime minister Chretien. However, there are numerous statements by Carney that seem to contradict these policies, or at the very least, water them down significantly. Consider, for instance, that Carney has indicated there will be no cuts to transfers to provincial governments (19.8 per cent of budget spending), no reductions in the income-transfers to individuals and families (25.8 per cent), and the government doesnt determine interest charges on its debt (another 9.7 per cent). So, Carney has already taken over half the federal budget off the table for reductions. Its not clear whether he would reduce whats referred to as Other Transfers, which includes support for EV programs and investment incentives. This represents 17.9 percent of the current budget. And if you read any of Carneys climate-related initiatives, it appears this category of spending will actually increase, not decrease. Moreover, Carney stated he wont touch some transfers such as the national dental care and pharmacare programs. The major remaining category of federal spending is operating expenses, which includes the costs of running more than 100 government departments, agencies and Crown corporations. Its expected to reach $130.6 billion this year and represents 23.4 per cent of the federal budget. But again, Carney has only committed to capping the federal workforce despite significant growth since 2015 and then review programs. Unless hes willing to actually reduce federal employment and/or challenge existing contracts with the civil service, its not clear how he can find meaningful savings in the short term. Recall that the expected deficit this year is $42.2 billion, and to balance the budget over the next three years, Carney needs to find roughly $30 billion in savings. (Some of the deficit reduction is expected to come from economic growth, which increases government revenues). However, this ignores the pressure on the federal government to markedly and quickly increase defense spending. A recent analysis estimated that the federal government would have to increase defense spending in 2027-28 by $68.8 billion to meet its NATO commitment, which is what President Trump is demanding. This single measure of spending could materially derail the new prime ministers commitment to a balanced budget within three years. But Carney has complicated the nations finances by committing to separating operating spending from capital spending. The former are annual spending requirements like salaries and wages to federal employees, income transfers to people through programs like EI and Old Age Security, and transfers to the provinces for health and social programs. Carney has committed to balancing the revenues collected for these purposes against spending. However, he wants to remove anything that is deemed an investment or capital. That means spending on infrastructure like roads and ports, defense spending on equipment, and energy projects. While Carney has committed to only running a small deficit on such spending, the commitment is eerily similar to Trudeaus commitment in 2015 to run small deficits for just three years and the budget will balance itself through economic growth. The total federal gross debt has increased from $1.1 trillion when Trudeau took office in 2015 to an estimated $2.3 trillion this year. The clear risk is that a Carney government will simply reduce spending in the operating budget and move it to the capital budget, thus balancing the latter while still piling up government debt. Clarity is required from the new prime minister with respect to: 1) What operating expenses does he plan to reduce (or perhaps more generally is open to reducing) over the next three years to reach a balanced operating budget? 2) What specific commitment is Carney making on defense spending over the next three years? 3) What current spending will the new prime minister move or potentially move from the budget to his new capital budget? And finally, 4) What measures will be taken if revenues dont materialize as expected and/or spending increases more than planned to ensure a balanced operating budget in three years? Until greater clarity and details are provided, its hard, even near impossible, to know the extent to which the new prime minister is pragmatically offering a plan for more sustainable government finances versus playing politics by promising everything to everyone. Fraser Institute By Rob Geist Pinfold, Kings College London (The Conversation) The new Syrian government has signed a deal with to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia into the regime, in what is a big step towards uniting the fractured country. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led (HTS) government has been struggling for legitimacy since it ousted Bashar al-Assad late last year, following more than a decade of civil war in a country riddled with sectarian divisions. The deal recognises the Kurdish minority as an integral part of the Syrian state and guarantees the rights of all Syrians to representation and participation in the political process. Its a timely development for the interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa. The deal follows days of violence in the coastal region of Latakia in the west of the country in which more than 1,000 people mainly civilians were killed. The ostensible spark was a government raid to arrest former regime officials who had gone to ground in the region. But there was nothing spontaneous about what happened next. In synchronised attacks, squads of Assad regime remnants ambushed and killed scores of government security forces. Snipers then pinned down reinforcements and fired on ambulances. Adding to the fog of war, thousands of armed Sunni civilians streamed into Latakia to prevent a coup against the new government. The security forces have regained control, but at a terrible cost. In scenes that resembled the worst moments of Syrias civil war, hundreds of civilians were killed. A rally to defend a free Syria had descended into calls for vengeance and ended in a shocking, sectarian massacre. But for anyone watching, all the warning signs had been showing for some time. Mounting tension The first indication of building tension was that other anti-Assad rebel groups were beginning to lose patience with the new government, particularly after al-Sharaa announced in December 2024 that all the militias would be dissolved and integrated into the HTS-controlled defence ministry. This was flatly rejected by some factions. Others endorsed it, but deliberately obstructed efforts to move forward with al-Sharaas plans for the integration process. These events directly precipitated the massacres of early March. HTS is a relatively small rebel group. It was quickly overwhelmed by the recent uprising. The government had to rely on other militias the very same ones it had failed to place under its control. The result was chaos. There is no evidence that al-Sharaa ordered the massacres, but he could not prevent them. The worst violations appear to have been carried out by foreign Jihadists and the Syrian National Army, a coalition of Turkish proxy militias. It is doubtful that al-Sharaa can punish those responsible, given that he is reliant on Turkish patronage to stay in power. The uprising and the massacres have only strengthened this dynamic. File. Syrian children play outside in Al-Hasakah Province, Syria, Feb. 12, 2019. Continued efforts of the Coalition and its partners maintain peace and stability in the region. (U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Ray Boyington). DoD. Public Domain. The new government also failed to delineate a transparent framework for transitional justice. Their reluctance to do so is understandable. After over a decade of brutal civil war, there are few innocent parties in Syria today. It was not only the Assad regime but also HTS and many other rebel groups that committed war crimes. Equally, Syrias minorities particularly Alawites, an offshoot of Shia Islam that comprises around 10% of Syrias population were over-represented in the Assad regimes top echelons. Most rebel groups were Sunni dominated. Any public attempt to settle scores, then, could alienate Syrias minorities. This approach backfired in two ways. First, the new governments security forces conducted secretive operations to root out high-profile regime remnants. Since the wanted individuals were often Alawites, it was these communities that felt disproportionately targeted. This, in turn, exacerbated the Alawite communitys fears and insecurities. Indeed, it was one of these security sweeps that preceded the recent violence. Second, without a transparent process of accountability and justice, many Syrians took the law into their own hands. These revenge killings were mostly carried out by Sunnis against Alawites. Consequently, Alawites felt that they could not rely on the government to protect them and many refused to hand in their weapons. These three trends the Alawite communitys increased alienation, the failure of many of its members to disarm and the Sunni-led extrajudicial killings all culminated in the recent violence. Bitter insurgency But the insurgency did not emerge overnight. In December 2024, a group calling itself the Syrian Popular Resistance declared war against the government. In the same month, a senior Iranian general advocated that Tehran use its networks to form resistance cells in Syria. This was not just bluster. Not only was there a steady increase in attacks against security forces in early 2025, but Iran also continued to use Syria as a conduit to supply weapons to Lebanons Hezbollah. Members of these longstanding networks had nothing to gain from turning themselves in. Many committed war crimes for Assad and were wanted men. But they also had financial motivations. These networks were crucial conduits for smuggling captagon, an amphetamine-like drug. Under Assad, Syria manufactured upwards of 80% of the worlds captagon supply. Increased demand for the drug, in turn, kept the sanctions-hit regime afloat. Assad may have fled to Moscow, but the smuggling networks stayed put, as did captagons customer base. Syrias new government fought against the captagon trade and weapons smuggling alike. This was a noble aim, yet it also made some form of armed resistance inevitable. Elsewhere in the country, the SDFs decision to lay down its arms is a major breakthrough, given that oil-rich eastern Syria has functioned as a de facto independent state since the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011. But the dynamics that provoked the March massacres have not gone away. The SDF deal gives the HTS-led government an opportunity to focus on addressing the grievances of the Alawite community and on providing a transparent framework for justice and reconciliation, while acting forcefully against pro-Assad remnants. This is a difficult balancing act, but it is a necessary one. Syria remains a country with too many guns and not enough investment, accountability and good governance. Rob Geist Pinfold, Lecturer in International Security, Kings College London This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. By Michael Gould-Wartofsky | ( Tomdispatch.com ) Flights to Guantanamo Bay have begun. The worst of the worst have no place in our homeland. With those words the U.S. government announced the fate awaiting criminal aliens in its custody. On a military base in El Paso, Texas, masked men in combat fatigues paraded a group of young Venezuelan immigrants, their hands cuffed and their ankles shackled, in front of the cameras, before loading them onto a waiting Air Force C-17, which was to deliver its human cargo to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay overnight. Once there, they were to be incarcerated in the infamous Camp 6, held incommunicado in the same cells where al-Qaeda suspects were once held in indefinite detention, and guarded by the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment. Meanwhile, a tent city, which could ultimately house as many as 30,000 detainees, rises around the prison. Though most of those immigrants have since been returned to Venezuela, the Pentagon has pledged to continue using the base for the temporary detention of illegal aliens who are pending return. Back on the mainland, the Department of Defense (DoD) is deploying thousands of troops to seal the borders; the Department of Justice (DoJ) is deputizing its agents to round up undocumented immigrants; Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is mobilizing to meet its daily quota of 1,200 to 1,500 arrests, armed with target lists, surveillance technology, and less-lethal weapons; and immigration detention facilities are to be built on military bases across the country. And thats not all either. Entire families are set to be detained, and the grim family-separation policy of the first Trump administration revived. Humanitarian parole is to be revoked, refugees rejected, and asylum seekers returned. And cities, counties, and states that dare to defy the deportation regime are to be punished. The machinery of mass deportation has been set in motion in a nightmarish fashion. It is meant to be impossible to stop or at least to appear that way. Still, history teaches us that such a machine, like any other, can be brought to a halt, if only we understand how the apparatus actually works. Here, then, is a simple, step-by-step guide to how the Trump administration plans to build the machinery necessary to complete the largest deportation operation in American history. 1. Declare a state of emergency. Today, I will sign a series of historic executive orders, Trump pledged in his Inaugural Address. With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense. That revolution in immigration enforcement did indeed begin with a barrage of such orders, many lifted directly from the Project 2025 playbook. First among them was the declaration of a state of emergency in this countrys borderlands. According to the National Emergencies Act of 1976, this allows the military to be called up for domestic duties, whether to the southern border, Guantanamo Bay, or anywhere else the president sees fit. 2. Equate immigration with an invasion. I have determined that the current situation at the southern border qualifies as an invasion, reads another order signed on January 20th, citing Article IV of the Constitution. Accordingly, the order continues, I hereby suspend the physical entry of any alien engaged in the invasion. It goes on to authorize operations to repel, repatriate, or remove non-citizens. This is the logical conclusion of years of far-right propaganda about a Third World, Hispanic, or alien invasion of the United States, which, over time, has spread from the stuff of 8chan manifestos to the preambles of presidential proclamations. 3. Expand Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The architecture of ICE is slated to expand to levels not seen since its founding in 2003. The agency reportedly made more than 14,000 arrests in the first three weeks of Trumps second term. With it still supposedly failing to meet its quotas, however, officials want to double the size of the force. Now, Senate Republicans are proposing no less than $175 billion in new spending on immigration enforcement, while the House GOP is looking to fund that spending spree with billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid and other essential social services. 4. Draft the Department of Justice. ICE is no longer to bear its burden alone. Since Trumps inauguration, the DoJ, including the U.S. Attorneys Offices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), have been pressed into the service of the deportation machine. The FBI, for instance, has been tasked with finding identifying information and/or biometric data relating to non-citizens located illegally in the US data that will fuel the detention-to-deportation pipeline. Weve got special agents, intelligence analysts, and more, supporting DHS [Department of Homeland Security] teams across the country, said then-Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll, from New York and Chicago to El Paso, Newark, and Denver. 5. Deputize local law enforcement. ICE has also partnered with local police departments, county sheriffs offices, and departments of correction through a program known as 287(g) to identify and remove incarcerated criminal aliens before they can be freed. In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams has typically promised to reopen an ICE office on Rikers Island, purportedly as part of a quid pro quo with the Trump administration. And in February, Florida became the first state to sign a statewide 287(g) agreement, which would train officers of the Florida Highway Patrol and State Guard to interrogate any suspected alien or person believed to be an alien. 6. Criminalize all immigrants as criminal aliens. When White House Press Secretary Katherine Leavitt was asked how many of those arrested since January 20th had a criminal record and how many were just in the country illegally, she replied, All of them. Because they illegally broke our nations laws, and therefore, they are criminals. Tellingly, fewer than half of the 8,200 people arrested in the first two weeks of the Trump administration had criminal convictions of any kind. And of the approximately 4,400 detained in the first two weeks of February, more than 1,800 had never been charged with a crime. 7. Hunt for criminal aliens everywhere. Police, open the door! Policia, abra la puerta! Those words echoed across a Denver apartment complex, as ICE agents with long guns backed by BearCat tactical vehicles went door-to-door, asking residents for identification. Twenty-nine members of the Cedar Run community were rounded up in one go. But ICE and its partners are not just hunting for undocumented immigrants in their homes. Thanks to a rule change instituted by DHS, federal agents are also pursuing their prey in locations previously deemed too sensitive for immigration enforcement purposes like schools, hospitals, courtrooms, and churches (though a federal judge in Maryland has already forbidden the Trump administration from carrying out such actions in certain houses of worship). 8. Collect biometric data. Another of Trumps executive orders announced his intention to reauthorize the DoJ and DHS to collect DNA samples from all detained non-United States persons. This DNA collection program is just one part of a vast surveillance apparatus that has been built up over the years, which now requires vast troves of biometric and biographic data to be collected, stored, and analyzed. Increasingly, that task has fallen to for-profit firms. Since 2020, the federal government has spent an estimated $7.8 billion on such surveillance technologies, including a $96 million contract with Peter Thiels data-mining firm Palantir. 9. Put immigrants in prisons. The most recent data shows that Americas immigrant detention centers are already over capacity, with 41,500 beds and 43,759 inmates. ICE is now seeking to more than triple that capacity. Trump pledged, on Day One, that he would allocate all legally available resources to immigrant detention, evidently including Americas prisons. In February, the Federal Bureau of Prisons took in the first ICE detainees at facilities in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, and elsewhere. The policy also embraces military bases. The Northern Command is currently providing facilities at Buckley Space Force Base to enable [ICE] to stage and process criminal aliens within the US. 10. Privatize immigrant detention. More than 90% of such detainees are already overseen by private contractors. Now, ICE is planning to warehouse thousands more by leasing mobile structures from a shipping container company. And a new plan, floated by former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince, would sell the government outside assistance in the form of privatized processing camps, along with a small army of private citizens with the power to arrest and detain immigrants. For the prison industry, the deportation drive has proven to be a profitable enterprise indeed. This is truly one of the most exciting periods in my career, said CoreCivics CEO on a recent call with investors. 11. Bring back family detention. During the first Trump administration, America was haunted by the specter of immigrant children in cages. Now, the architect of the presidents zero-tolerance policy and recently appointed border czar Tom Homan plans to revive family detention on a whole new scale. Family detention centers, according to the Detention Watch Network, have a well-documented history of negligence and abuse. Despite that sordid history, ICE is reportedly readying a Request for Proposal (RFP) for detention facilities intended specifically for families. At the same time, the administration is making it harder for sponsors of immigrant children to free them from detention. 12. Send asylum seekers to other countries. The deportation machine is no longer simply an American enterprise. It is now an international affair, with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama already taking in thousands of third-country deportees. We have offered the USA the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system, says El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, whose prisons are rife with human rights violations. In Panama, hundreds of deportees of Central and East Asian origin were recently locked in a hotel, then relocated to a makeshift camp in the middle of the jungle. It looks like a zoo, there are fenced cages, according to one eyewitness. 13. Designate gangs as foreign terrorist organizations. One of the presidents most egregious orders asserts that alleged gang affiliations are sufficient to warrant a terrorist designation. Declaring it time for America to wage war on the cartels, Trump has specifically targeted Mexican, Central American, and Venezuelan nationals suspected of having ties to the drug cartels, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), or the Tren de Aragua gang, seeking their expedited removal or their total elimination. The same order signals the presidents intention to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law dating to 1798, which would subject all natives, citizens, denizens, or subjects of a hostile nation to being apprehended, restrained, secured and removed, as alien enemies. 14. Deport international students and workers who protest U.S. policy. To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you. So warned the statement accompanying the presidents January 29th executive order, which singled out supposedly pro-Hamas aliens and left-wing radicals in higher education for removal. Authorities have evidently already begun implementing that order, with reports of Arab students facing deportation for participating in pro-Palestine protests. Over the weekend, ICE agents showed up at the door of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist at Columbia University whose green card had reportedly been revoked by the Trump administration. While in government custody, Khalil was disappeared for several days. Ive seen enough, says Abed Ayoub, executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, to know that targeting is happening. 15. Freeze refugee admissions. Refugee arrivals to the United States have been suspended until further notice. That was the message on January 21st from the Office of Refugee Resettlement, now under the leadership of a senior ICE official. With a stroke of the pen, President Trump has frozen Americas Refugee Admissions Program. In so doing, he has left at least 10,000 refugees in legal limbo, while abandoning hundreds of thousands more to their fates in places like Afghanistan, the Congo, and Myanmar. Ultimately, the president would make one exception to the rule for white South Africans. An executive order signed on February 7th would promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees as a protected class. 16. Terminate Temporary Protected Status. Under the new administrations policies, hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, Ukrainians, and Venezuelans, among others, are set to lose their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) a form of humanitarian parole that permitted asylum seekers from those countries to continue living and working in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced an administrative pause on all pending parole requests, while DHS, claiming parole is a right to which no alien is entitled, has authorized its agents to strip immigrants of such protections. ICE agents have already started making arrests of TPS holders in Texas. 17. Undermine the principle of birthright citizenship. Of all the presidents orders, the most consequential for citizens is the one that would rescind birthright citizenship, which would deny the rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment to persons born or naturalized in the U.S. In practice, it would mean stripping citizenship rights from children born here to mothers who are unlawfully present or whose presence is lawful but temporary. For now, the order has been blocked by a Seattle judges injunction, but it will undoubtedly fall to the Supreme Court to decide its fate (and the fate of the Constitution of which its a part). 18. Investigate citizens who would defend immigrant rights. As it happens, immigrants and their American-born children are not the only ones in the crosshairs. Federal agents are now actively soliciting bids for Internet based threat risk mitigation and monitoring services in order to surveil suspected political enemies on social media. That initiative is part of what could become a coast-to-coast crackdown. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has, ominously enough, launched a formal investigation into a local radio station, the San Francisco-based KCBS 740 AM, for reporting on the whereabouts of ICE agents. And only recently, Tom Homan, designated the border czar by President Trump, invited the Department of Justice to investigate Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), reportedly in retaliation for a Know Your Rights training session held under the auspices of her office. 19. Punish sanctuary cities, counties, and states. On Day One of the presidents second term, the White House announced that it was going on the warpath against sanctuary jurisdictions, where local laws place limits on the involvement of law enforcement in the business of immigration. Since then, the Sanctuary Cities Enforcement Working Group within the Office of the Associate Attorney General has been engaged in an all-out lawfare campaign against cities, counties, and states suspected of being insufficiently cooperative. And on February 19th, Trump signed yet another executive order cutting off federal funding for such jurisdictions, so that federal payments to States and localities do not, by design or effect, abet so-called sanctuary policies. 20. Manipulate the truth. All the while, the deportation machines defenders have been seriously manipulating the truth. First, ICE has turned images of inmates in captivity into a televised spectacle, with federal agents bringing film crews and TV celebrities with them for ride-alongs, even as they covered up evidence of their more controversial tactics. Second, the agency has attempted to make itself look better by rewriting history and gaming the Google algorithm by manipulating the timestamps on thousands of press releases from the first Trump administration. Finally, ICE has scrubbed all mention of the foreign nationals held in Guantanamo from its public communications. For days on end, 177 detainees effectively disappeared. This is the fate envisioned by the architects of the deportation machine for Americas tired, its poor, its huddled masses yearning to breathe free. In the end, however, such an apparatus has a potentially fatal flaw. In order to function effectively, millions and millions of people must be willing to go along with it. The moment too many Americans cease to cooperate, that machinery will begin to break down in a serious fashion. Copyright 2025 Michael Gould-Wartofsky Via Tomdispatch.com VANCOUVER, BC, March 12, 2025 /CNW/ - Outcrop Silver & Gold Corporation (TSXV: OCG) (OTCQX: OCGSF) (DE: MRG) ("Outcrop Silver") is pleased to announce the discovery of high-grade mineralization through drilling at its 100% owned Santa Ana high-grade silver project in Colombia, after following the company's strategy of making large step-outs to the south, along the 17 kilometre fully permitted vein system corridor. This discovery reinforces the path for scalability and high-grade potential of the Santa Ana project as the drilling continues at this highly prospective target. Drilling Highlights Hole DH444 intercepted 1.92 metres grading 586 grams per tonne of silver equivalent, making a high-grade discovery at the Mangos SE vein (Table 1). Hole DH442 intercepted 2.36 metres grading 404 grams per tonne of silver equivalent at Los Mangos vein (Table 1). The discovery at Los Mangos confirms the success of Outcrop Silver's exploration strategy by making large step-outs along the 17-kilometre fully permitted mineralized corridor. Los Mangos is 8 kilometres south of the resource and 4 kilometres south of the recent La Ye discovery. "The results from Los Mangos are a major breakthrough for the Santa Ana project, confirming high-grade silver-gold mineralization in yet another significant step-out. Hitting strong grades more than 8 kilometers south of the closest resource vein proves the great potential of this system and validates our exploration strategy," comments Guillermo Hernandez, Vice President of Exploration. "With intercepts like 2.36 meters at 404 g/t AgEq, we are seeing wider mineralized veins that reinforce the strength of the vein system. This discovery not only extends our high-grade footprint but also unlocks new opportunities for further expansion in the underexplored central and southern portions of Santa Ana." The Los Mangos is a high-grade silver-gold vein system located in the central portion of the Santa Ana project (Figure 1). The vein has a confirmed strike length exceeding 350 meters, highlighting its potential for further expansion. It trends 40 and 60 dipping 60 to 80 to the southeast, with localized northwest-dipping structures (Figure 1 and Figure 2). The main mineralized zone ranges up to 1.20 meters in width, with strong argillic and sericitic alteration in the surrounding wall rock, particularly evident in the historic El 20 underground workings (Figure 3). The vein is hosted within green schists and granodioritic to dioritic dikes, indicating that mineralization is strongly influenced by both structural and lithological controls. Target Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length * (m) Au g/t Ag g/t AgEq1 g/t Vein Los Mangos DH425 170.65 171.29 0.64 0.44 179 212 Los Mangos DH434 128.36 128.72 0.36 0.37 148 176 Los Mangos DH436 161.83 162.25 0.42 0.03 874 876 Vein DH442 123.23 125.20 1.97 1.94 38 184 Mangos SE Including 123.97 124.63 0.66 4.28 28 349 DH442 141.08 143.44 2.36 0.63 357 404 Los Mangos Including 141.08 141.68 0.60 1.74 13 143 And 143.03 143.44 0.41 0.26 1,913 1,932 DH444 142.75 144.67 1.92 1.33 486 586 Mangos SE Including 143.87 144.67 0.80 2.60 1,164 1,360 Table 1. Drill hole assay results reported in this release. *The current knowledge of the Los Mangos vein system does not allow estimating the true width of the vein intercepts. The Los Mangos drilling campaign continues to validate the high-grade silver-gold potential in the central portion of the Santa Ana project while also confirming the presence of wider mineralized zones. Notably, hole DH442 intercepted 2.36 meters at 404 g/t AgEq in Los Mangos vein and 1.97 meters at 184 g/t AgEq in the Mangos SE sector. These broader vein widths align with observations from the historic El 20 underground workings, reinforcing the presence of a robust and continuous vein system. Los Mangos has emerged as a key target for future resource expansion within the Santa Ana project with strong silver-equivalent grades, strike continuity, and geological evidence of structural complexity. Continued exploration will focus on extending known mineralization along strike and testing depth potential further to define the system's scale. Sample Easting (m) Northing (m) Elevation (m) Sample Type Au g/t Ag g/t AgEq1 g/t Release Date 15491 501854.0 556550.0 866.08 Dump Grab 8.07 234 840 August 23, 2023 17351 501681.0 556466.0 1012.00 Chip 0.22 297 314 Current Release 17528 501846.0 556532.2 875.00 Dump Grab 8.04 301 905 Current Release 17531 501847.0 556533.2 875.00 Dump Grab 7.15 81 618 Current Release 17532 501844.0 556530.2 875.00 Dump Grab 0.56 3,019 3,061 Current Release 17687 501659.0 556484.0 1028.00 Chip 3.73 907 1,187 Current Release 17688 501660.0 556474.0 1035.00 Chip 3.04 344 572 Current Release 17765 501754.0 556392.0 987.00 Dump Grab 12.57 215 1,159 Current Release 17766 501742.0 556411.0 974.00 Chip 6.22 122 589 Current Release Table 2. Channel and chip sample results in Los Mangos vein target from the regional exploration program, including those previously reported and referred to in Figure 1 (refer to News Release dated August 23, 2023). *By their nature, grab samples are selective samples and the assay results may not necessarily represent true underlying mineralization. Figure 3. Geological map of the El 20 historic underground mine at the Los Mangos vein target (refer to News Release dated November 12, 2024). Channel ID Sample Length (m) Au g/t Ag g/t AgEq1 g/t MAbs0 1.20 1.79 20 155 Inc. 16153 0.45 4.72 41 396 MAbs2W 1.05 2.28 35 206 Inc. 16729 0.45 5.27 75 471 MAbs4W 1.20 1.55 60 177 Inc. 16732 0.45 4.08 154 461 MAbs8W 1.25 0.85 40 104 Inc. 16738 0.55 1.91 57 201 MAbs10W 0.80 1.39 21 125 Inc. 16742 0.50 2.22 33 200 MAbs12W 1.30 0.47 75 110 Inc. 16147 0.60 0.94 160 230 MAbs14W 1.35 0.29 139 161 Inc. 16745 0.70 0.44 130 163 And 16747 0.65 0.13 150 159 MAbs18W 1.40 0.60 73 117 Inc. 16751 0.70 0.98 139 212 MAbs20W 1.60 0.51 1,737 1,775 Inc. 16144 1.05 0.46 266 301 And 16145 0.55 0.60 4,545 4,591 MAbs24W 1.85 0.11 182 190 Inc. 16138 0.30 0.37 1,053 1,081 MAbs26W 0.70 0.09 411 417 Inc. 16753 0.40 0.04 160 163 And 16754 0.30 0.16 744 756 MAbs28W 1.40 0.18 731 744 Inc. 16756 0.40 0.16 1,500 1,512 And 16757 1.00 0.19 423 437 MAbs30W 1.65 0.37 68 96 Inc. 16762 0.30 0.12 312 321 MAbs32W 1.20 0.07 613 618 Inc. 16767 0.50 0.13 1,466 1,476 MAbs34W 1.15 0.17 545 558 Inc. 16772 0.40 0.45 1,566 1,599 MAbs36W 2.85 0.28 19 40 Inc. 16130 0.85 0.92 56 125 And 16129 0.30 0.04 10 13 MAbs5E 1.00 0.98 45 118 Inc. 17424 0.30 1.25 61 155 And 17425 0.70 0.86 38 103 MAbs0S 16148 1.60 0.15 104 115 MAbsCXSur 0.55 0.26 99 119 Inc. 16157 0.25 0.50 122 159 Table 3. Channel sample assay results from the El 20 historic mine at Los Mangos target (refer to News Release dated November 12, 2024). Hole ID Hole Code Easting (m) Northing (m) Elevation (m) Depth (m) Azimuth () Dip () DH420 SALM24HD420 501916.349 556451.154 915.18 200.25 303 -45 DH423 SALM24DH423 501917.600 556451.345 915.19 164.71 333 -45 DH425 SALM24DH425 501915.818 556450.553 914.73 215.49 285 -55 DH428 SALM24DH428 501915.742 556450.146 915.19 227.99 273 -55 DH432 SALM24DH432 501881.348 556447.027 921.96 131.46 321 -45 DH434 SALM25DH434 501881.468 556446.758 922.44 151.66 310 -45 DH436 SALM25DH436 501797.491 556358.423 989.71 179.22 315 -51 DH438 SALM25DH438 501796.942 556358.077 989.68 210.61 298 -50 DH440 SALM25DH440 501796.528 556357.559 989.84 190.19 286 -45 DH442 SALM25DH442 501796.528 556357.559 989.84 201.47 335 -49 DH444 SALM25DH444 501796.901 556358.092 989.81 200.55 306 -58 Table 4. Collar and survey table for drill holes reported and referred to in this release. All coordinates are UTM system, Zone 18N, and WGS84 projection. 1Silver equivalent Metal prices used for equivalent calculations were US$1,800/oz for gold, and US$25/oz for silver. Metallurgical recoveries based on Outcrop Silver's metallurgical test work are 97% for gold and 93% for silver (see news release dated August 23, 2023). The equivalency formula is as follows: QA/QC For exploration activities Outcrop Silver applied its standard protocols for sampling and assay. Underground channel samples were taken perpendicular to the vein and sample length was broken by geology. Core diameter is a mix of HTW and NTW depending on the depth of the drill hole. Diamond drill core boxes were photographed, sawed, sampled and tagged. Samples were bagged, tagged and packaged for shipment by truck from Santa Ana's core logging facilities in Falan, Colombia to the Actlabs certified sample preparation facility in Medellin, Colombia. ActLabs is an accredited laboratory independent of the Company. HQ-NTW core is sawn with one-half shipped. Samples delivered to Actlabs were AA assayed on Au, Ag, Pb, and Zn at Medellin using 1A2Au, 1A3Au, Multi-elements AR (Ag Cu Pb Zn), and Code 8 methods. Then, samples were sent to Actlabs Mexico for ICP-multi-elemental analysis with code 1E3. In line with QA/QC best practices, blanks, duplicates, and certified reference materials are inserted at approximately three control samples every twenty samples into the sample stream, monitoring laboratory performance. A comparison of control samples and their standard deviations indicates acceptable accuracy of the assays and no detectible contamination. No material QA/QC issues have been identified with respect to sample collection, security and assaying. The samples are analyzed for gold and silver using a standard fire assay on a 30-gram sample with a gravimetric finish for over-limits. Multi-element geochemistry was determined by ICP-MS using either aqua regia or four acid digestions. Crush rejects, pulps, and the remaining core are stored in a secured facility at Santa Ana for future assay verification. Qualified Person Edwin Naranjo Sierra is the designated Qualified Person within the meaning of the National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and verified the technical information in this news release. Mr. Naranjo holds a MSc. in Earth Sciences, and is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (FAusIMM). Mr. Naranjo Sierra is a consultant to the company and is therefore independent for the purposes of NI 43-101. About Santa Ana The 100% owned Santa Ana project covers 27,000 hectares within the Mariquita District, through titles and applications, known as the largest and highest-grade primary silver district in Colombia with mining records dating back to 1585. Santa Ana's maiden resource estimate, detailed in the NI 43-101 Technical Report titled "Santa Ana Property Mineral Resource Estimate," dated June 8, 2023, prepared by AMC Mining Consultants, indicates an estimated indicated resource of 24.2 million ounces silver equivalent at a grade of 614 grams per tonne and an inferred resource of 13.5 million ounces at a grade of 435 grams per tonne. The identified resources span seven major vein systems that include multiple parallel veins and ore shoots: Santa Ana (San Antonio, Roberto Tovar, San Juan shoots); La Porfia (La Ivana); El Dorado (El Dorado, La Abeja shoots); Paraiso (Megapozo); Las Maras; Los Naranjos, and La Isabela. The drilling campaign aims to extend known mineralization and test new high-potential areas along the permitted section of the project's extensive 30 kilometres of mineralized trend. This year's exploration strategy aims to demonstrate a clear pathway to substantially expand the resource. These efforts underscore the scalability of Santa Ana and its potential for substantial resource growth, positioning the project to develop into a high-grade, economically viable, and environmentally responsible silver mine. About Outcrop Silver Outcrop Silver is a leading explorer and developer focused on advancing its flagship Santa Ana high-grade silver project in Colombia. Leveraging a disciplined and seasoned team of professionals with decades of experience in the region. Outcrop Silver is dedicated to expanding current mineral resources through strategic exploration initiatives. At the core of our operations is a commitment to responsible mining practices and community engagement, underscoring our approach to sustainable development. Our expertise in navigating complex geological and market conditions enables us to consistently identify and capitalize on opportunities to enhance shareholder value. With a deep understanding of the Colombian mining landscape and a track record of successful exploration, Outcrop Silver is poised to transform the Santa Ana project into a significant silver producer, contributing positively to the local economy and setting new standards in the mining industry. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ian Harris Chief Executive Officer www.outcropsilver.com Kathy Li Vice President of Investor Relations Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "potential," "we believe," or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Outcrop Silver to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including: the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, capital expenditures and other costs, financing and additional capital requirements, completion of due diligence, general economic, market and business conditions, new legislation, uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans, political uncertainties, and the state of the securities markets generally. Although management of Outcrop Silver have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Outcrop Silver will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - IMAGINE LITHIUM INC. (TSXV: ILI) (OTCQB: ARXRF) (the "Company" or "Imagine") is pleased to announce that it has closed a first tranche of the previously announced non-brokered private placement announced on February 25, 2025. The first Tranche of the private placement consists of 26,000,000 million non-flow-through common shares (the "Common Shares") at a price of $0.03 per common share for gross proceeds of $780,000. A second Tranche of the private placement is expected to close approximately at the end of March. The second Tranche will consist of 9,500,000 Common Shares at a price of $0.03 per Common Share for gross proceeds of $285,000, and 28,000,000 flow-through shares (the "FT Shares") at a price of $0.0459 per share for gross proceeds of $1,285,000. Total gross proceeds from both tranches of the private placements will be $2,350,020. Gross proceeds from the sale of the Common Shares will be used for general corporate purposes. The gross proceeds from the sale of the FT Shares will be used for general exploration expenditures on the Jackpot Lithium Project located approximately 140 km north-east of Thunder Bay, Ontario (see Figure 1). An exploration program on the property will incorporate exploration drilling at the Casino Royale Zone and targets to the north of Casino Royale, as well as a prospecting and sampling program to cover the entire Jackpot property package. The sole subscriber in both Tranches of the private placement is Interway International LLC, an arm's length party to the Company. If the second Tranche is completed as expected, Interway will become an insider of the Company by reason of holding more than 10% of the then-outstanding common shares of the Company on a non-diluted basis. There is no assurance or guarantee that the second Tranche of the private placement will complete as described or at all. The FT Shares will qualify as "flow-through shares" within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada, the "Tax Act") and the Company will ensure that expenditures will qualify as "flow-through critical mineral mining expenditure" (as defined in subsection 127(9) of Tax Act). All securities issued are subject to a statutory hold period of 4 months plus one day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation. The securities to be offered pursuant to the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Completion of the Financing is subject to TSXV approval. J.C. St-Amour, President of Imagine Lithium, commented: "We are pleased to have strong support from investors who see the lithium potential for the Jackpot property. The project's proximity to infrastructure in the Province of Ontario, including highways, workforce and the major port of Thunder Bay differentiates it from other lithium projects in North America. These funds will allow us to continue our exploration efforts to grow as well pursue consolidation strategies to create shareholder value." Figure 1: Jackpot property located next to Trans-Canada Highway, power, port, railroad, and workforce. About Imagine Lithium Inc. Imagine is a junior mining exploration company focused on seeking and acquiring world-class mineral projects. The company holds the Jackpot lithium property located in the Georgia Lake area about 140 km NNE of Thunder Bay, Ontario, is approximately 12 km by road from the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 11), and is in proximity to sources of power, railroads, and ports. The Jackpot Property consists of 297 mineral claims covering 18,800 hectares. The Property contains NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resources of 3.1 Mt grading 0.85% Li 2 O in the Indicated category and 5.3 Mt grading 0.91% Li 2 O in the Inferred category, as well as a number of other known pegmatite showings. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward -looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedarplus.ca). Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or dissemination in the United States. Vancouver, British Columbia, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NevGold Corp. (NevGold or the Company) (TSXV:NAU) (OTCQX:NAUFF) (Frankfurt:5E50) is pleased to announce results from its recent geochemical soil sampling program at the Zeus Copper Project in southwestern Idahos emerging Hercules Copper District. A total of 628 soil samples were collected and the Company has defined a new 2.4 km copper-gold-molybdenum soil anomaly at the Poseidon Target, and a new 1.0 km copper-gold-molybdenum soil anomaly at the Thorn Springs Target (See Figure 1). NevGold continues to confirm the projects significant copper-gold-molybdenum porphyry potential, and the Company will continue its active exploration program in 2025 due to the positive results. As highlighted in NevGolds previous News Releases from 2024 to today (see NevGold News Releases), the Zeus Copper Project shares many geological similarities with Hercules Metals Corp.s (Hercules Metals, TSXV:BIG) copper porphyry discovery at the Hercules Project (see Hercules Metals News Releases), including comparable surface sample geochemical results (see Figure 1). Key Highlights Over 2.4 km copper-gold-molybdenum soil geochemical anomaly identified at the Poseidon Target on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ground Over 1.0 km copper-gold-molybdenum soil geochemical anomaly identified at the Thorn Springs Target on BLM ground Copper, gold and molybdenum soil geochemical anomalies coincide with geological, structural, and surface rock chip targets, highlighting promising copper porphyry exploration potential Zeus continues to show strong similarities to the Hercules Metals copper porphyry discovery, with soil geochemical footprints comparable in tenor and scale (See Figure 1 below) NevGold has selected a geophysical contractor to complete surface programs NevGold continues to plan a Notice of Intent (NOI) to permit drill-ready targets on the BLM ground for a potential 2025 drill program Figure 1 Copper analysis of Zeus Copper Project and Hercules Copper Project surface soil samples at similar scale. Zones greater than 100 ppm copper-in-soils are outlined in solid black lines. Early Jurassic-aged Upper Huntington Formation (purple polygons) and Late-Triassic-aged intrusive complexes (maroon polygons) are both key copper hosts. A schematic Cu-in-Soils footprint of the Zeus (red) and Hercules (black) Projects is outlined in the green box at the bottom of the Figure. Figure 2 A schematic geological section of the Zeus Copper Project showing surface geochemical copper analysis for soils (colored circles) in the context of modeled geology at depth. Pink and red units are various phases of Triassic to Early Jurassic Intrusives inferred to be important copper hosts. NevGold CEO, Brandon Bonifacio, comments: The soil sampling program completed at Zeus has yielded positive results with a large mineralization footprint and strong sample grades. We have defined a +2.4 km copper-gold-molybdenum target at Poseidon, and a +1.0 km copper-gold-molybdenum target at Thorn Springs. It is also encouraging to see the comparison in the footprint, grade, and geological signatures between the initial Zeus results and the early results from the Hercules Metals copper porphyry discovery which we have outlined in Figure 1. Two of our strongest targets at Poseidon and Thorn Springs (see Figure 1) are on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ground which simplifies and accelerates exploration and drill permitting. Our objective at Zeus is to have drill-targets defined and permitted by the 2025 summer field season. NevGold VP Exploration, Greg French, comments: The results from this initial geochemical soil sampling program at the Zeus Property are very encouraging. Favorable host lithologies and robust sampling results suggest the potential that multiple porphyry centers lie below shallow alluvial cover at the Project. Along with our upcoming geophysical program, we look forward to incorporating the data to finalize targeting for a drill program later this year. We are fortunate to be positioned with one of the promising, early-stage copper exploration projects in the Western USA, and we will continue our systematic exploration to arrive at drill targets by the 2025 field season. Planned 2025 Activities / Status Update NevGold will continue its active exploration program at Zeus in 2025 including: Geological database review (completed); Geological mapping (continuous); Comprehensive surface geochemical sampling (completed); Ground geophysical program (in preparation); Application for drill permit, Notice of Intent NOI (in preparation); and, Drill testing copper targets identified by the above activities (results warranted). Summary - Soil Sampling Results Poseidon: NEW the undrilled Poseidon Target is located on BLM ground on the southern portion of the Project. It features a newly identified 2.4 km copper-gold-molybdenum soil anomaly with individual soil samples grading up to 1,000 ppm copper, 183 ppb gold and 23 ppm molybdenum. The anomaly defines a continuous, northwest-trending zone spanning 2.4 km in length and 1.1 km in width, underlain by a Late-Triassic granodiorite intrusive complex, which is a key copper host lithology. Despite limited bedrock exposure and minimal sampling within the target zone, NevGold is encouraged by the scale and tenor of the soil sampling results. As a result, the Company will prioritize Poseidon in the upcoming geological field investigations and ground geophysical programs to define drill-ready targets. Thorn Springs: NEW - the undrilled Thorn Springs target is located on BLM ground in the southwestern portion of the Project. It features a newly identified 1.0 km copper-gold-molybdenum soil anomaly. Individual soil samples returned values of up to 720 ppm copper and 886 ppb gold, and 11.5 ppm molybdenum, defining a continuous northeast-trending anomaly over ~1.0 km in strike length and 800 meters in width. It is positive to see that the soil samples with the most anomalous geochemical signatures coincide with anomalous copper-gold-molybdenum rock chip samples, outcropping intrusive complexes (copper host lithology), and outcrops with northeast and northwest conjugate fractures filled with malachite. Although bedrock exposure is limited, NevGold is encouraged by the soil sampling results and the Company will prioritize Thorn Springs in the upcoming ground geophysical program to define drill-ready targets. Figure 3 Copper surface soil geochemical analysis and selected rock chips for the Poseidon and Thorn Springs target areas within BLM ground at the Zeus Copper Project. Figure 4 Gold surface soil geochemical analysis and selected rock chips for the Poseidon and Thorn Springs target areas within BLM ground at the Zeus Copper Project. Figure 5 Molybdenum surface soil geochemical analysis and selected rock chips for the Poseidon and Thorn Springs target areas within BLM ground at the Zeus Copper Project. Zeus Exploration Potential Initial surface soil and rock chip sampling by NevGold combined with historical data has identified multiple high-priority potential copper porphyry targets at the Zeus Copper Project. The results of the soil sampling reveal a multi-kilometer mineralized footprint with potential for multiple copper porphyry intrusive centers, showing tenor and scale analogous to the Hercules Metals copper porphyry discovery at the Hercules Project. The objective at the Zeus Project is the discovery of intrusive rocks with veining and alteration that are indicative of porphyry Cu-Au-Mo mineralization. The company plans to conduct a ground geophysical program including both IP and MT surveys to define drill targets within these anomalous zones. The property benefits from well-maintained historical roads, providing excellent access for exploration activities. The Zeus and Hercules Projects are located within the Olds Ferry Terrane, a geological setting analogous to the prolific Quesnell Terrane of British Columbia (Dorsey and LaMaskin, 2008). The Quesnell Terrane is characterized by Late Triassic to Early Jurassic intrusive complexes that are well-endowed with copper-gold-molybdenum porphyries including Highland Valley Copper (HVC), Mount Polley, Mount Milligan, New Afton and Copper Mountain. The Thorn Springs and Poseidon Targets at Zeus are underlain by the Early Jurassic-aged Lower Huntington Formation, comprised of andesitic volcanics to volcaniclastics and limestone units-key hosts for copper mineralization. These units have been intruded by Late Triassic to Early Jurassic-aged intrusive complexes-key hosts for copper-gold-molybdenum mineralization. Selected Results from NevGolds Rock Chip Sampling Program Target Area Sample No. Cu % Au ppm Ag ppm Mo ppm Sample Description Thorn Springs ZRS-22 3.79 0.412 18.6 11.8 Strongly silicified aplite with fracture controlled malachite-azurite staining Thorn Springs ZRS-23 1.93 0.936 24.9 8.4 Strongly silicified aplite with fracture controlled malachite staining Thorn Springs ZRS-07 1.22 8.19 21.9 33.7 Aplite majorly altered to limonite, sericite, quartz and malachite Thorn Springs ZRS-12 0.17 1.64 3.6 4.1 Strongly silicified aplite with fracture controlled malachite staining Thorn Springs ZRS-21 0.43 0.249 6.3 13.1 Strongly silicified aplite with fracture controlled malachite staining Mortimer ZNR-05 2.19 0.393 26.1 4.3 Breccia of Mortimer limestone, clasts of quartz vein and copper sulfides Mortimer ZNR-06 0.71 0.106 17.3 3 Strongly hydrothermally altered granodiorite Mortimer ZNR-01 1.3 0.188 11.3 0.1 Quartz diorite breccia with malachite replacement of clasts Mortimer ZRS-02* 0.86 0.111 9.9 0.1 Marble breccia with malachite and hematite in matrix Mortimer ZRS-03 0.91 0.219 20 0.3 Quartz diorite with malachite, azurite, and hematite along fractures Mortimer RSL01 0.83 0.056 10.5 0.1 Strongly altered quartz diorite with malachite on fractures Poseidon APF* 0.05 1.03 114 468.5 Breccia of silicified metasediments with specular hematite in matrix Poseidon ZWDU1205 0.01 0.025 26.2 35 Andesite flow (Lower Huntington) brecciated with quartz and hematite Iron Mountain WP645 0.02 0.005 1.5 19 Quartz diorite breccia, hematite alteration of matrix Iron Mountain WP652 0.02 0.005 0.2 1.8 Quartz diorite strongly altered to specular hematite Iron Mountain WP654 0.01 0.019 0.5 23.2 Andesite flow (Lower Huntington) weakly brecciated Abundance WP624 0.25 0.027 6 0.8 Phyllite (Big Hill Wacke) with quartz veins, copper sulfides and malachite Abundance WP625A 0.05 0.005 0.6 0.7 Marble with veins of quartz, hematite and magnetite Abundance WP625B 0.05 0.009 1.5 12.1 Strongly clay-altered dacite Abundance WP637 0.04 0.044 2.3 20.6 Silicified andesite with strong hematite alteration Table 1 Selected rock samples from the Zeus Project. Sample results previously released by NevGold. Figure 6 Geologic Map of the Hercules Copper Trend compiled by the NevGold geology team. Modified from (Henricksen, 1975), (Fankhauser, 1968), (Skurla, 1974), (Lund, 2021), (Adair, 1985). Figure 7 - Zeus Project Location and Hercules Copper Trend. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Signed Brandon Bonifacio, President & CEO For further information, please contact Brandon Bonifacio at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , call 604-337-4997, or visit our website at www.nev-gold.com. Sampling Methodology, Chain of Custody, Quality Control and Quality Assurance: All sampling was conducted under the supervision of the Companys geologists and the chain of custody from the Project to the independent sample preparation and analytical facility, ISO 17025 certified American Assay Labs in Sparks, NV, was continuously monitored. The soil samples were dried, and analyzed using the methods P-SP81, IO-FAAu30 and IM-4AB52. All rock chip samples were crushed, pulverized and sample pulps were analyzed using the methods IO-FAAu30 and IM-4AB52. Technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Greg French, CPG, the Companys Vice President, Exploration, who is NevGolds Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 and responsible for technical matters of this release. About the Company NevGold is an exploration and development company targeting large-scale mineral systems in the proven districts of Nevada and Idaho. NevGold owns a 100% interest in the Limousine Butte and Cedar Wash gold projects in Nevada, and the Nutmeg Mountain gold project and Zeus copper project in Idaho. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the Companys current expectations and estimates. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as plan, expect, project, intend, believe, anticipate, estimate, suggest, indicate and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions may or will occur. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the proposed work programs at Zeus, and the exploration potential at Zeus. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results implied or expressed in such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, but are not limited to, general economic, market and business conditions, and the ability to obtain all necessary regulatory approvals. There is some risk that the forward-looking statements will not prove to be accurate, that the managements assumptions may not be correct or that actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Highlights The Three Giants - Reid, Mann West, and Midlothian continue to deliver strong results Mann West: Highest grade interval to date with 0.63% nickel over 4.5 metres within 18 metres of 0.40% nickel within an entire mineralized core length of 452 metres of 0.27% nickel, in hole MAN24-79 Midlothian: Consistently higher grades across entire core lengths. 0.32% nickel over 49 metres, within an entire hole length of 441.5 metres at 0.29% nickel in hole MID24-13. Reid infill and extension drilling continues in line with expectations including targeted higher-grade nickel intersected in two new holes: 0.48% nickel over 12.0 metres and 0.41% nickel over 37.5 metres within 73.5 metres of 0.34% in REI24-52, all within an entire core length of 722.7 metres at 0.24% nickel 0.47% nickel over 9.4 metres within 171.5 metres averaging 0.27% nickel in REI24-51 TORONTO, March 12, 2025 /CNW/ - Canada Nickel Company Inc. ("Canada Nickel" or the "Company") (TSXV: CNC) (OTCQX: CNIKF) is pleased to announce additional exploration drilling results from the Reid, Mann West and Midlothian properties. CEO Mark Selby said, "Our regional exploration program is consistently yielding excellent outcomes with each of the Three Giants delivering strong drilling results. These targets each have a target footprint larger than our flagship Crawford Nickel Sulphide Project, underscoring the large-scale potential of the Timmins Nickel District. We are excited to publish the remaining six resources by mid-2025, bringing the total to eight regional resources and showcasing the vast scale of nickel resources within the District." Reid Project Canada Nickel recently published its initial mineral resource for Reid (see news release dated December 23, 2024). Following the initial resource estimate, the company continued with an infill drilling campaign in order to upgrade resources to Measured, Indicated, and Inferred categories. Assays from nine additional holes are presented in this release (Table 1, Figure 1). Drilling continues this winter at Reid where there are now 18 new completed holes with assays pending. These holes continued to intersect long mineralized intervals comprised mainly of dunite and minor peridotite. REI24-52 was drilled near the center of the core anomaly where it intersected targeted higher grade nickel mineralization, confirming the continuity on strike of at least one higher grade horizon that is oriented west-northwest to east-southeast. The Reid project is located just 16 kilometres southwest of Crawford and contains a geophysical target of 3.9 square kilometres which is nearly 2.4 times larger than Crawford. Table 1 Reid drilling highlights. Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m)* Ni % Co % Pd g/t Pt g/t Cr % Fe % S % Main Area REI24-51 57.0 228.5 171.5 0.27 0.012 0.018 0.013 0.67 5.91 0.08 including 83.0 102.0 19.0 0.36 0.013 0.049 0.020 0.62 6.18 0.11 including 87.0 96.4 9.4 0.47 0.015 0.045 0.016 0.68 5.88 0.14 and 242.3 414.0 171.7 0.25 0.011 0.003 0.005 0.80 5.29 0.04 REI24-52 36.3 759.0 722.7 0.24 0.013 0.012 0.007 0.64 6.03 0.05 including 309.0 321.0 12.0 0.48 0.019 0.058 0.032 0.60 6.68 0.12 and 415.5 489.0 73.5 0.34 0.013 0.022 0.013 0.57 6.02 0.10 Including 415.5 453.0 37.5 0.41 0.014 0.028 0.015 0.61 6.10 0.10 REI24-53 51.0 127.3 76.3 0.24 0.011 0.005 0.006 0.78 5.54 0.06 and 141.9 307.9 166.0 0.26 0.012 0.007 0.006 0.82 5.73 0.09 REI24-54 30.5 118.7 88.2 0.19 0.013 0.003 0.003 0.55 6.62 0.02 and 136.0 160.6 24.6 0.17 0.012 0.004 0.010 0.59 7.41 0.06 and 308.5 313.0 4.5 0.06 0.013 0.708 0.827 0.50 7.53 0.02 REI24-55 45.0 301.1 256.1 0.20 0.013 0.005 0.005 0.53 7.00 0.03 and 315.1 561.0 245.9 0.22 0.012 0.005 0.006 0.67 6.55 0.04 REI24-56 70.1 621.0 550.9 0.23 0.013 0.003 0.003 0.64 5.94 0.05 REI24-58 57.0 531.0 474.0 0.25 0.012 0.004 0.004 0.81 5.61 0.04 including 160.5 174.0 13.5 0.30 0.013 0.003 0.005 0.68 5.77 0.07 Central Dyke Corridor REI24-49 40.0 189.2 149.2 0.28 0.012 0.006 0.006 0.76 5.55 0.05 including 40.0 61.5 21.5 0.36 0.012 0.023 0.009 0.70 5.82 0.09 and 226.5 280.5 54.0 0.26 0.012 0.003 0.005 0.73 5.51 0.08 and 363.3 440.7 77.4 0.26 0.012 0.016 0.011 0.59 5.64 0.06 REI24-57 30.8 357.0 326.2 0.18 0.013 0.004 0.005 0.53 7.08 0.04 *True width undetermined. All lengths are drillhole lengths. Midlothian Property The Midlothian property is located 70 kilometres south-southeast of Timmins, 25 kilometres west of Matachewan and is directly accessible by road. A total of 16 drillholes have been completed at this property. All 16 holes intersected long intervals of dunite at shallow depths (Figure 2). These holes were drilled on a target measuring 2.7 kilometres long and 0.4 to 0.9 kilometres wide with a target footprint of 1.7 square kilometres (compared to Crawford resource of 1.5 square kilometres). This release contains assay information on the last two completed holes, each of which intersected long intervals of consistently higher-grade mineralization. (see new releases dated April 13, 2023, May 24, 2023, and January 23 2025). Table 2 Midlothian drilling highlights. Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m)* Ni % Co % Pd g/t Pt g/t Cr % Fe % S % MID24-13 112.5 554.0 441.5 0.29 0.010 0.003 0.005 0.16 4.54 0.04 Including 190.0 199.0 9.0 0.36 0.011 0.003 0.005 0.14 4.62 0.01 and 505.0 554 49.0 0.32 0.009 0.003 0.005 0.10 3.56 0.06 MID24-14 9.0 474.3 465.3 0.27 0.012 0.003 0.004 0.26 5.49 0.02 *True width undetermined. All lengths are drillhole lengths. Mann Property The Mann property is located 22 kilometres east of Crawford between Timmins and Cochrane and is 80% owned by Canada Nickel and 20% by Noble Mineral Exploration. The target consists of four separate targets, Mann North, Mann West (together formerly Mann Northwest), Mann Central and Mann South. This release provides an assay update from six holes, three holes at Mann West, and three holes at Mann South. Mann West Mann West is approximately 3.5 kilometres long by up to 1.1 kilometres wide (covering 3.4 square kilometres). The drill program completed focused on the southern half of the target with drilling completed over a strike length of 1.7 kilometres and a width of at least 600 metres. All drillholes intersected long sections of well-serpentinized peridotite and minor dunite with disseminated and visible nickel sulphide mineralization consisting primarily of pentlandite and heazlewoodite. The Company has drilled a total of 40 holes to date at Mann West (Figure 2), with 31 holes drilled during the 2024 program. The company is currently working on an initial resource estimate expected by April 2025. Assays from three holes are presented in this release and a final two holes are awaiting assays. Table 3 Mann West drilling highlights. Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m)* Ni % Co % Pd g/t Pt g/t Cr % Fe % S % MAN24-79 48.7 501.0 452.3 0.27 0.012 0.025 0.013 0.25 6.28 0.10 Including 192.0 210.0 18.0 0.40 0.012 0.124 0.042 0.15 6.16 0.09 Including 205.5 210.0 4.5 0.63 0.011 0.434 0.138 0.15 5.82 0.13 and 358.5 412.5 54.0 0.34 0.013 0.037 0.017 0.15 6.11 0.15 MAN24-80 6.0 337.5 331.5 0.24 0.012 0.016 0.012 0.35 6.42 0.15 Including 43.5 54.0 10.5 0.41 0.011 0.092 0.041 0.15 5.31 0.11 and 118.5 157.5 39.0 0.29 0.014 0.019 0.006 0.57 6.32 0.12 MAN24-98 94.5 211.8 117.3 0.24 0.012 0.016 0.009 0.31 6.22 0.07 and 218.4 501.0 282.6 0.23 0.013 0.021 0.011 0.37 6.78 0.09 *True width undetermined. All lengths are drillhole lengths. Mann South This target is approximately 5.9 kilometres long by up to 1.2 kilometres wide, having an arcuate and irregular shape, with an overall area of 4.1 square kilometres. The company drilled 20 holes in 2024 and successfully intersected varying degrees of serpentinized peridotite and minor pyroxenite. Peridotite shows anomalous values of PGE in hole MAN24-96. Assays from three holes are presented in this release. Table 4 Mann South drilling highlights. Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m)* Ni % Co % Pd g/t Pt g/t Cr % Fe % S % MAN24-88 61.4 496.5 435.1 0.23 0.011 0.003 0.005 0.48 5.70 0.05 MAN24-95 33.0 402.0 369.0 0.18 0.013 0.005 0.005 0.46 7.17 0.05 MAN24-96 32.1 402.0 369.9 0.17 0.013 0.052 0.065 0.38 7.06 0.01 including 38.0 65.0 27.0 0.18 0.016 0.360 0.046 0.08 8.09 0.02 and 92.5 154.5 62.0 0.08 0.014 0.109 0.347 0.33 7.58 0.01 *True width undetermined. All lengths are drillhole lengths. Table 5: Drillhole Orientation Hole ID Easting (mE) Northing (mN) Azimuth () Dip () Length (m) MANN WEST MAN24-79 496793.5 5412392 215 -50 501 MAN24-80 496749.9 5411989 215 -50 474 MAN24-98 495901.7 5412589 220 -50 501 MANN SOUTH MAN24-88 503622 5408792 50 -50 501 MAN24-95 502507 5405555 55 -50 402 MAN24-96 502253 5405841 35 -50 402 REID REI24-49 456964.1 5404097 130 -50 483 REI24-51 457900 5404100 90 -60 447 REI24-52 457349.4 5404196 180 -55 759 REI24-53 457930.1 5404253 90 -60 372 REI24-54 456960 5403900 180 -55 501 REI24-55 457754.4 5404635 90 -60 561 REI24-56 457327.8 5404025 180 -60 621 REI24-57 456960.9 5403900 130 -55 537 REI24-58 457929.4 5404172 270 -60 531 MIDLOTHIAN MID24-13 500117 5303240 180 -50 554 MID24-14 498707 5303083 180 -52 537 Statement Regarding TSX Venture Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Quality Assurance and Control, Drilling and Assaying Edwin Escarraga, MSc, P.Geo., a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101, is responsible for the on-going drilling and sampling program, including quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC). The core is collected from the drill in sealed core trays and transported to the core logging facility. The core is marked and sampled at 1.5 metre lengths and cut with a diamond blade saw. One set of samples is transported in secured bags directly from the Canada Nickel core shack to Actlabs Timmins, while a second set of samples is securely shipped to SGS Lakefield for preparation, with analysis performed at SGS Burnaby. All are ISO/IEC 17025 accredited labs. Analysis for precious metals (gold, platinum and palladium) are completed by Fire Assay while analysis for nickel, cobalt, sulphur and other elements are performed using a peroxide fusion and ICP-OES analysis. Certified standards and blanks are inserted at a rate of 3 QA/QC samples per 20 core samples making a batch of 60 samples that are submitted for analysis. Qualified Person and Data Verification Stephen J. Balch P.Geo. (ON), VP Exploration of Canada Nickel and a "qualified person" as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101, has verified the data disclosed in this news release, and has otherwise reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release on behalf of Canada Nickel Company Inc. About Canada Nickel Company Canada Nickel Company Inc. is advancing the next generation of nickel-sulphide projects to deliver nickel required to feed the high growth electric vehicle and stainless steel markets. Canada Nickel Company has applied in multiple jurisdictions to trademark the terms NetZero NickelTM, NetZero CobaltTM, NetZero IronTM and is pursuing the development of processes to allow the production of net zero carbon nickel, cobalt, and iron products. Canada Nickel provides investors with leverage to nickel in low political risk jurisdictions. Canada Nickel is currently anchored by its 100% owned flagship Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulphide Project in the heart of the prolific Timmins-Cochrane mining camp. For more information, please visit www.canadanickel.com. For further information, please contact: Mark Selby CEO Phone: 647-256-1954 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain information that may constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward looking information includes, but is not limited to, drill and exploration results relating to the target properties described herein (the "Properties"), the significance of drill results, the ability to continue drilling, the impact of drilling on the definition of any resource, the potential of the Crawford Nickel Sulphide Project and the Properties, timing and completion (if at all) of mineral resource estimates, the ability to sell marketable materials, strategic plans, including future exploration and development plans and results, corporate and technical objectives, receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval for the acquisition described herein and the completion of the transaction. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon several assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals, the future demand for metals, the results of drilling, inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the property, environmental liabilities (known and unknown), general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, results of exploration programs, risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. Canada Nickel disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - Adyton Resources Corporation (TSXV: ADY) ("Adyton" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) led a state team to the Wapolu project over the period 1 March to 4 March 2025. The purpose of this visit was to familiarize key department officials with the Project, which was abandoned in the mid 90's, with the intention to provide a fast track approval process given the project is a restart of a former operating mine. "This is one of the early steps in our restart approvals process which demonstrates the States commitment to supporting Adyton and its JV partner EVIH to fast-track approvals and recommence operations," stated Tim Crossley, Chief Executive Officer. "We view this as a very positive signal from the MRA sending a team of more than 12 members representing key Government department Stakeholders to support the company in its desires to fast track the restart approvals process. Much of the original infrastructure exists, including an air-strip, warehouse and workshop structures, ROM pads and tailing impoundments, providing the JV a great head start in recommencing operations. The restart of Wapolu is a key pillar to our strategy to commence small scale operations and generate cash flow." Gary Wang, EVIH Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We look forward to working with the MRA and other State team stakeholders to advance Wapolu permits as quickly and responsibly as possible and bring Wapolu back into production. Our team at Wapolu since December 2024 have drilled more than 3500 m of an approximate 7000 m program, which will enable us to increase confidence in the Resource and provide the necessary geological and metallurgical data to support our Mining Lease and Environment permits. After we complete this drilling at Wapolu we will move our team to the larger and richer nearby Gameta project." Figure 1&2: State, and Provincial Government team along with local landowners on site at Wapolu Update on current drill program The current drill program which commenced in mid-December 2024 has completed 3500 m of an approximate 7000 m program. Gold mineralization at Wapolu occurs in shallow dipping horizons within a regional detachment fault zone and the footwall metamorphic rocks. The surface colluvium also contains gold-bearing boulders. The drill program comprises both step-out drill and infill drill holes. The step-out drill program is designed to test high value target extensions of the known mineralization which is open along strike and at depth. This exploration drilling is focused on extending and increasing the known resource. The infill holes are designed to increase confidence in the Mineral Resource Estimate sufficiently to satisfy the PNG Mineral Resource Authorities criteria to advance the project to a Mining Lease application. Three drillholes have also been completed to collect samples for metallurgical testing to begin test work in EVIH's purpose-built laboratory in Port Moresby to be conducted in parallel to the ongoing exploration program. The Fergusson projects are under a Joint Venture Agreement with EVIH, granting EVIH the right to acquire up to a 50% ownership interest in the project. This interest is contingent on achievement of certain development milestones and a total investment of up to US$9.5 million, allocated as follows: US$8.5 million to fund project expenditures; and US$1.0 million as a direct payment to the Company, with US$500,000 already paid upon executing the agreement in May 2024. For additional details, please refer to the official announcement dated May 13, 2024. The Fergusson Island Gold Project The Fergusson Island Gold Project comprises the Wapolu and Gameta advanced Exploration Licenses on Fergusson Island in Milne Bay Province Papua New Guinea (Figure 3). This region of PNG is well known for discoveries including the nearby Islands of Misima (5Moz) and Woodlark (1.6Moz). The Company has previously reported the following mineral resource estimate (Table 1). Figure 3: Fergusson Island Projects: Wapolu and Gameta Table 1: Mineral Resource Estimates Project Indicated Inferred Au (g/t) Tonnes (million) Au (koz) Au (g/t) Tonnes (million) Au (koz) Gameta exploration licence 1.33 4.0 173 1.01 10.5 340 Wapolu exploration licence - - - 1.06 5.8 200 Fergusson Island Gold Project 1.33 4.0 173 1.02 16.3 540 Gameta and Wapolu resources at 0.5g/t gold cut-off 1 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. ABOUT ADYTON RESOURCES CORPORATION Adyton Resources Corporation is focused on the development of gold and copper resources in world class mineral jurisdictions. It currently has a portfolio of highly prospective mineral exploration projects in Papua New Guinea on which it is exploring to expand its identified gold Inferred and Indicated Mineral Resources and expand on its recent significant copper drill intercepts on the 100% owned Feni Island project. The Company's mineral exploration projects are located on the Pacific Ring of Fire on easy to access island locations which hosts several globally significant copper and gold deposits including the Lihir gold mine and Panguna copper/gold mine on Bougainville Island, both neighboring projects to the Company's Feni Island project. Adyton has a total Mineral Resource Estimate inventory within its PNG portfolio of projects comprising indicated resources of 173,000 ounces gold and inferred resources of 2,000,000 ounces gold. The Feni Island Project currently has a mineral resource prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 dated October 14, 2021, which has outlined an initial inferred mineral resource of 60.4 million tonnes at an average grade of 0.75 g/t Au, for contained gold of 1,460,000 ounces, assuming a cut-off grade of 0.5 g/t Au. See the NI 43-101 technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Feni Gold-Copper Property, New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea prepared for Adyton Resources by Mark Berry (MAIG), Simon Tear (MIGI PGeo), Matthew White (MAIG) and Andy Thomas (MAIG), each an independent mining consultant and "qualified person" as defined in NI 43-101,available under Adyton's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and have not demonstrated economic viability. The Fergusson Island Project currently has a mineral resource prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 dated October 14, 2021 which outlined an indicated mineral resource of 4.0 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.33 g/t Au for contained gold of 173,000 ounces and an inferred mineral resource of 16.3 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.02 g/t Au for contained gold of 540,000 ounces. See the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Fergusson Gold Property, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea" prepared for Adyton Resources by Mark Berry (MAIG), Simon Tear (MIGI PGeo), Matthew White (MAIG) and Andy Thomas (MAIG), each an independent mining consultant and "qualified person" as defined in NI 43-101,available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and have not demonstrated economic viability. Adyton is also quoted on the OTC under the code ADYRF and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the code 701:GR. For more information about Adyton and its projects, visit www.adytonresources.com. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been prepared, reviewed, and approved by Dr Chris Wilson BSc (Hons), PhD, FAusIMM (CP), FSEG, FGS, the Chief Geologist and a Director of Adyton, who is a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Forward-Looking statements This press release includes "forwardlooking statements", including forecasts, estimates, expectations, and objectives for future operations that are subject to several assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Adyton. ForwardLooking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forwardlooking terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. Forward-Looking statements in this news release include plans pertaining to the drill program, the intention to prepare additional technical studies, the timing of the drill program, uses of the recent drone survey data, the timing of updating key findings, the preparation of resource estimates, and the deeper exploration of high-grade gold and copper feeder systems . The forwardlooking information contained herein is provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. ForwardLooking information are based on management of the parties' reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses, and opinions, which are based on such management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of the projects in a timely manner; the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development; construction and continued operation of the Fergusson Island Project and the Feni Island Project; the ability to effectively complete the drilling program; and Adyton's ability to comply with all applicable regulations and laws, including environmental, health and safety laws. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but instead reflect Adyton's management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of managements considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although Adyton believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and under reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by Adyton. Among the key risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements are the following: impacts arising from the global disruption, changes in general macroeconomic conditions; reliance on key personnel; reliance on Zenex Drilling;changes in securities markets; changes in the price of gold or certain other commodities; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, caveins and flooding); discrepancies between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries; inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of and changes in the costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forwardlooking statements. Such forwardlooking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forwardlooking statement can be guaranteed, and actual future results may vary materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Adyton Resources Corporation undertakes no obligation to update forwardlooking information except as required by applicable law. 1 See the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Fergusson Gold Property, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea" dated October 14, 2022 and prepared for the Company in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") by Mark Berry (MAIG), Simon Tear (MIGI PGeo), Matthew White (MAIG) and Andy Thomas (MAIG), each an independent mining consultant and "qualified person" as defined in NI 43-101, available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and have not demonstrated economic viability. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR THROUGH US NEWSWIRE SERVICES VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Miata Metals Corp. (CSE: MMET) (FSE: 8NQ) ("Miata" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has commenced its 10,000 metre diamond core drilling program at the Sela Creek Gold Project in Suriname (Sela Creek). The Company is currently testing the Stranger target, one of the main prospects within the central mineralized corridor at Sela Creek. Highlights: A zone of shearing with intense veining and silicification is being drill-tested at depth at the Stranger target, where surface sampling has yielded positive results over a significant area in 2024 and 2025. The Company intends to drill three holes at Stranger and will subsequently move to the Puma and Golden Hand targets. Miatas mineralized grab samples from the Stranger target occur within an approximately 30 m wide zone of intense shearing, alteration, and veining. The Company has hit a major milestone with the commencement of the drill program, stated Dr. Jaap Verbaas, CEO of Miata. We have started testing the Stranger target, one of several high-priority targets that has consistently yielded promising gold values since we began sampling it in 2024. Given that mineralization in saprolite is in-situ, we are confident that sampling to date should continue at depth. As the drilling ramps up, we plan to bring in additional exploration crews to keep building up our pipeline of drill targets. Commencement of drilling on Sela Creek has been a substantial effort, especially on our timeline, and we could not have done it without an excellent and dedicated in-country team and a supportive local community. We now look forward to receiving feedback on our targets through the drill-core and most importantly, testing our predictive vein model on the project through the drill bit. Figure 1.Drill rig and crew operating at the Stranger target on the Sela Creek Gold Project, Suriname. Operations Update The crew from Major Drilling is now drill testing the Stranger target, with drill pads prepared to move to the Puma and Golden Hand target thereafter. Camp construction continues to accelerate. The goal at the Miata camp on Sela Creek is a camp capacity of 35 people to be able to expand the program to accommodate multiple drills as needed. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Jacob Verbaas, P.Geo., a director of the Company and Qualified Person as defined under the definitions of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. *Investors are cautioned that grab samples are inherently selective and serve to prove the presence of mineralization only. About Miata Metals Corp. Miata Metals Corp. (CSE: MMET). is a Canadian mineral exploration company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange. The Company is focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. The Company holds a 70% interest in the ~215km2 Sela Creek Gold Project in Suriname and a 70% beneficial interest in the Nassau Gold Project in Suriname. Miata also holds an additional option to acquire a full 100% interest in Sela Creek, and an option to earn 100% interest in the Cabin Lake Property in the Omineca Mining Division, British Columbia. The Company continuously evaluates opportunities to acquire interest in additional prospective exploration stage mineral properties. On Behalf of the Board Dr. Jacob (Jaap) Verbaas, P.Geo | CEO and Director This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +1 778 488 9754 Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as well as historical information. Readers should not rely on information in this summary for any purpose other than for gaining general knowledge of the Company. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the scope and timing of the Companys drilling programs. The words "expected", "will" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward looking statements. Although the Company believes that its expectations as reflected in any forward-looking statements, are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward- looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates, opinions or other factors should change. VANCOUVER, BC, March 12, 2025 /CNW/ - Orex Minerals Inc. (TSXV: REX) (OTCQB: ORMNF) ("Orex" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that "Exploraciones y Desarrollos Mineros Coneto, SAPI de CV", a joint venture company held by Fresnillo plc (LON: FRES) for 61.21% and Orex for 38.79%, has completed the Phase-VI diamond drilling program of 2,000.8 metres in 8 holes on the Coneto Gold-Silver Project in Durango, Mexico. The Loma Verde target area was the focus for Phase-VI drilling. Results include hole BCO-85 yielding a core length of 15.00 m (true thickness 11.50 m) grading Au 0.75 g/t and Ag 174 g/t for a gold-equivalent of 3.02 g/t, plus hole BCO-89 yielding a core length of 4.50 m (true thickness 3.90 m) grading Au 1.70 g/t and Ag 180 g/t for a gold-equivalent of 4.05 g/t. John Eren, President and CEO states, "The Loma Verde vein was intercepted in every hole in this phase of the program, thus confirming the strong continuity over 1.2 kms strike length. There is also further depth potential with the down-dip of the mineralized shoots. This is a true gold-silver project, as each precious metal accounts for roughly half the contained value." Hole From (m) To (m) Core Length True Width Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Au-Eq (g/t) Ag-Eq (g/t) BCO-84 Unnamed 104.10 105.90 1.80 1.61 0.52 4 0.57 44 Loma V 121.55 122.50 0.95 0.85 0.17 373 5.07 386 BCO-85 Loma V 87.80 102.80 15.00 11.50 0.75 173 3.02 230 Incl. 87.80 92.40 4.60 3.53 1.37 419 6.88 523 BCO-86 Unnamed 170.10 171.25 1.15 0.85 3.76 36 4.23 322 Unnamed 258.25 259.25 1.00 0.85 0.21 73 1.17 89 Loma V 271.90 277.20 5.30 4.77 0.17 122 1.82 138 Incl. 271.90 275.65 3.75 3.38 0.20 143 2.07 158 BCO-87 Loma V 137.35 138.05 0.70 0.63 0.08 74 1.05 80 BCO-88 Unnamed 84.25 85.10 0.85 0.65 0.14 280 3.81 291 Loma V 159.80 164.00 4.20 3.20 0.45 65 1.30 99 Unnamed 166.45 167.75 1.30 1.22 0.58 54 1.29 98 BCO-89 Unnamed 57.70 62.45 4.75 4.42 1.17 87 2.32 176 Incl. 59.00 59.75 0.75 0.70 5.01 357 9.07 738 Loma V 135.30 139.80 4.50 3.94 1.70 180 4.05 309 Incl. 135.30 136.30 1.00 0.87 5.42 603 13.35 1,015 BCO-90 Unnamed 259.00 260.50 1.50 1.41 1.00 287 4.77 363 Loma V 327.75 329.05 1.30 1.22 0.76 259 4.15 317 BCO-91 Loma V 286.40 288.15 1.75 1.34 3.79 554 11.05 834 Unnamed 317.50 318.10 0.60 0.50 0.57 47 1.19 91 For the purposes of gold and silver equivalent values, the long-term metal prices of gold $1,750/oz and silver $23/oz were applied. Gold to silver price ratios vary over time. Base metals value are scattered and non-economic, max. isolated values of 0.2% Pb, 0.4% Zn. To date, the Coneto Project has had five previous phases of diamond drilling from 2010 to 2017, totaling 106 drill holes for 38,515.67 metres. This drilling formed the basis of an independent mineral resource estimate announced in a news release dated October 27, 2021. The new drilling brings the total to 114 drill holes for 40,516.47 metres. The 2021 Inferred Mineral Resources stands at 5,325,000 tonnes, grading 1.67 g/t gold and 112 g/t silver for a gold-equivalent grade of 3.15 g/t. Contained metal totals 286,000 oz gold and 19,111,000 oz silver, for a gold-equivalent of 538,000 oz. (The full technical report was filed on SEDAR+, www.sedarplus.com, and is also available on the Orex website, www.orexminerals.com). Coneto Silver-Gold Project, Durango, Mexico Coneto is situated around the town of Coneto de Comonfort, Durango, in north-central Mexico. It is approximately 100 km north of the City of Durango and 25 km west of Argonaut's El Castillo Gold Mine. This prolific trend hosts some of the world's largest silver camps and deposits, including Fresnillo, Guanajuato, La Pitarrilla, La Preciosa, Real de Angeles and Zacatecas. (Note: Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties may not necessarily be indicative of mineralization hosted on the JV's property.) The Project consists of approximately 4,997 hectares (11,860 acres) of contiguous mineral concessions and covers over 40 discrete mineralized low to intermediate-sulphidation epithermal quartz veins. Excellent infrastructure exists in the Coneto area, including paved road access, electrical power, water and manpower from nearby communities. Ben Whiting, P.Geo., is a Qualified Persons as defined in NI 43-101 and take responsibility for the technical disclosure contained in this news release. ABOUT OREX MINERALS INC. Orex Minerals Inc. is a mineral exploration company focused on precious and base metals exploration in Mexico and Canada. Orex has several current projects: Two projects are located in Durango State, Mexico, the Sandra Silver-Gold Project with Pan American Silver Corp. and the Coneto Gold-Silver Project with Fresnillo PLC. A third project is the Jumping Josephine Gold Project in British Columbia, Canada. Orex is managed by an experienced group of highly qualified mining professionals. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS John Eren President and CEO STAY CONNECTED Follow on X (Twitter): Orex Minerals (@OrexMinerals) / X (twitter.com) Follow on LinkedIn: Orex Minerals Inc. | LinkedIn Follow on Facebook: Orex Minerals | Facebook FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This News Release may contain forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements with respect to the planned program and budget for the Project. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements and Orex undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as required by law. For additional information on risks and uncertainties, see the Company's most recently filed annual management discussion and analysis ("MD&A"), which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and on the Company's website at www.orexminerals.com. The risk factors identified in the MD&A are not intended to represent a complete list of factors that could affect the Company. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - Kodiak Copper Corp. (TSXV: KDK) (OTCQB: KDKCF) (FSE: 5DD1) (the "Company" or "Kodiak") today reports the promotion of Dave Skelton to VP Exploration and the appointment of Baykan Aksu as Senior Geologist. Mr. Skelton will succeed current VP Exploration Jeff Ward who is retiring from day-to-day operations and assuming an advisory role. Claudia Tornquist, President and CEO of Kodiak said, "Dave Skelton joined Kodiak's team five years ago, and as VP Project Management over the past two years has co-lead our technical programs. The promotion to VP Exploration recognizes Dave's excellent work over this time. With his extensive experience and proven track record in minerals exploration, combined with strong leadership and management skills, I have no doubt that Dave will excel in this role. I am also pleased to welcome Baykan Aksu to the Kodiak team as senior geologist. Baykan has been working on the MPD project since 2021, providing significant input as a consultant, and I am delighted that he will now join us full time." Mr. Skelton has over 35 years experience in the mineral exploration industry with a primary focus on the design and implementation of exploration programs. His diverse background spans all aspects of the project pipeline from early-stage exploration to mine development. Mr. Skelton has managed programs in various Canadian jurisdictions and Australia with budgets of up to $50M. He is a Professional Geologist registered in Alberta and has a B. Sc. Degree in geology. Mr. Aksu has been working in the resource industry since 2016 on projects in Turkey and Canada, and his education includes a B. Sc. Degree in geological engineering and two M. Sc. Degrees in geology. Mr Aksu is a Professional Geologist registered in Alberta and British Columbia. Claudia Tornquist, President and CEO of Kodiak added, "I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Jeff Ward for his invaluable contributions to Kodiak as former VP Exploration. Jeff has been involved with Kodiak from the start and was instrumental from our initial discovery at MPD to successfully growing it into the resource-stage project it is today. It has been a genuine pleasure working with Jeff and I am glad that Kodiak will continue to benefit from his experience on a part-time basis. I wish Jeff many happy times with his family as he transitions towards retirement." On behalf of the Board of Directors Kodiak Copper Corp. Claudia Tornquist President & CEO About Kodiak Copper Corp. Kodiak is focused on its 100% owned copper porphyry projects in Canada and the USA that have been historically drilled and present known mineral discoveries with the potential to hold large-scale deposits. The Company's most advanced asset is the MPD copper-gold porphyry project in the prolific Quesnel Terrane in south-central British Columbia, Canada, a mining district with producing mines and excellent infrastructure. MPD has all the hallmarks of a major, multi-centered porphyry district with the potential to become a world-class mine. Work to date has outlined multiple substantial mineralized zones across the property, including several zones with near-surface, high-grade mineralization. A maiden resource estimate for MPD is planned in 2025 and with known mineralized zones open to expansion and more target areas yet to be tested, Kodiak continues to systematically explore the project to build critical mass and make the next discovery. The Company also holds the Mohave copper-molybdenum-silver porphyry project in Arizona, USA, near the world-class Bagdad mine. Kodiak's founder and Chairman is Chris Taylor who is well-known for his gold discovery success with Great Bear Resources. Kodiak is also part of Discovery Group led by John Robins, one of the most successful mining entrepreneurs in Canada. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statement (Safe Harbor Statement) This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "expect", "estimate", "objective", "may", "will", "project", "should", "predict", "potential" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements. In particular, this press release contains forward looking statements concerning the Company's exploration plans. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company cannot give any assurance that they will prove correct. Since forward looking statements address future events and conditions, they involve inherent assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of assumptions, factors and risks. These assumptions and risks include, but are not limited to, assumptions and risks associated with conditions in the equity financing markets, and assumptions and risks regarding receipt of regulatory and shareholder approvals. Management has provided the above summary of risks and assumptions related to forward looking statements in this press release in order to provide readers with a more comprehensive perspective on the Company's future operations. The Company's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive from them. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and, other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. By John Woodside, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Canadians have witnessed catastrophic climate change-induced disasters over and over in recent years, but polling suggests its having little effect on the publics understanding of the climate crisis. In the past four years, a sampling of climate disasters includes the heat dome over British Columbia that killed over 600 people in 2021; Hurricane Fiona battering Atlantic Canada in 2022; the record-breaking wildfires of 2023 that cloaked the country in smoke and forced Yellowknife residents to evacuate, and Jasper burning down last summer. Hundreds of lives have been lost, billions of dollars worth of damage caused, and climate science is clear that as the planet warms, these types of disasters will only become more intense and frequent. Against that backdrop, only 63 percent of Canadians understand that climate change is real and caused by humans a drop from 71 percent in 2021, according to a poll published by the Angus Reid Institute. About one in 10 Canadians believe climate change is a theory that has not been proven, while nearly a quarter of Canadians believe climate change is happening but is caused by natural changes and cycles. I find it especially troubling to see the decline in Canadians acceptance of the very strong scientific consensus that climate change is virtually all caused by human activity, Kathryn Harrison, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia, told Canadas National Observer. Not paying attention to climate change doesnt make it go away, she said. The reality is that unless we take stronger climate action, heat and extreme weather will keep getting worse. Two years ago, the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that to prevent catastrophic warming, greenhouse gas emissions must be cut approximately in half this decade. If theyre not, the planet will continue to bake and is more likely to hit dangerous tipping points that, when crossed, lock in major, irreversible damage. Canadian climate policy is considered insufficient by the independent Climate Action Tracker. For Canada to play its part in slashing emissions at the pace required to avoid those tipping points, the economy will need to shift away from fossil fuels. The number of Canadians who understand climate change is primarily driven by human activities, like burning fossil fuels to heat homes, power vehicles, and industrial applications, versus those that dont, mirrors the divide Environment and Climate Change Canada found when setting its 2035 emissions reduction target. About two-thirds of Canadians who gave the federal government feedback when designing its target said they support stronger measures to address climate change, while one-third said they were strongly opposed, according to the departments analysis. Experts say the public divide could make setting ambitious emission reduction policies more difficult. Supporters of all parties are less likely to consider climate change a very serious threat today than they were in 2021, according to Angus Reid. But, the only major party where a majority of supporters (57 per cent) see climate change as not a threat, or only a minor threat, is the Conservative Party. The findings come as the federal Liberals signature policy, carbon pricing, has all but unravelled. Liberal leadership hopefuls Mark Carney and Chrystia Freeland have both pledged to scrap the consumer-facing portion of the carbon price. As a leading figure in Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government, Freeland has previously defended the carbon price, but in her bid to become leader, she has said its incumbent on leaders to listen to people, and it is clear the tax has little public support. She has not indicated what she would replace the consumer carbon price with, but has said she will work with provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, experts and others to find a solution that works for our federation. Carney has been a longtime advocate of carbon pricing, but like Freeland, his campaign has said the consumer-facing carbon tax isnt working and has become too divisive. The alternative he has put forward involves strengthening carbon pricing for industry and to have big polluters pay consumers to lower their carbon footprint. Angus Reids polling indicates a significant divide over carbon pricing, with 45 per cent of Canadians wanting it abolished, while 57 per cent want it to stay in some form (specifically, 27 per cent want it maintained at the current price; 15 per cent want a lower carbon price; and 15 per cent want the carbon price to continue escalating as planned.) A partisan divide is behind the split in public opinion. Liberal, NDP and Bloc supporters range from 66 per cent to 70 per cent in support of carbon pricing, compared to just eight per cent of Conservatives. On the consumer carbon tax, Id say that misinformation has won for a lot of Canadians, who are opposing a policy that both works to reduce carbon pollution and in most cases puts money in their pockets, Harrison said. John Woodside / Local Journalism Initiative / Canadas National Observer Climate Change Survey Highlights Decline in Climate Change Urgency: Canadians' sense of urgency regarding climate change has decreased since 2019. Fewer Canadians view climate change as a "very serious" threat (42% compared to 50% in 2021). Shifting Beliefs: The belief that climate change is human-caused has dropped from 71% in 2021 to 63%. Political Divide: While concern has decreased across the political spectrum, Conservative voters are the most likely to view climate change as a "minor" or "not a" threat. Carbon Tax in Question: The federal carbon tax is likely to be axed, with both leading Liberal leadership candidates considering abandoning the consumer side of the policy. Views on Carbon Tax: 45% of Canadians want the carbon tax abolished, while the rest prefer to keep it at a lower rate (15%), maintain it at the current level (27%), or increase it as planned (15%). Energy Policy Priorities: There's a growing preference for energy policies focused on economic growth rather than reducing carbon emissions. Liberal Leadership Impact: One-in-five (19%) of those who would support the Liberals in the scenario that Carney wins the leadership race say the carbon tax should be abolished. One-in-six (15%) who would support the Liberals if Freeland won say the same. Iraq said Wednesday it was investigating an attack on Syrian workers in the country after a newly formed Iraqi group vowed to avenge the mass killing of Alawite civilians in Syria. For several days, Syria's Mediterranean coast was engulfed in extreme violence, with mass killings of members of the Alawite minority community, to which ousted president Bashar al-Assad belongs. A previously unknown group in Iraq posted a video showing masked men beating two bakery employees. In an earlier statement, the group had condemned Syrians in Iraq "who support crimes against humanity" against Syria's Alawites and warned that they would escalate their attacks. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani denounced the attack on the workers in a statement, calling it a "shameful act of violence" and ordering an investigation. "The law will be fully enforced against anyone involved in these attacks," he added. Iraqi forces have in recent days arrested at least 13 Syrians accused of "promoting terrorist groups" and supporting the mass killing in Syria, two interior ministry officials told AFP on condition of anonymity. Syria's foreign ministry on Wednesday slammed the violence against its citizens, urging Baghdad in a statement to take "necessary measures to ensure the security of Syrians residing in Iraq". Supporters of pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq have launched an online campaign against Syrians who they say support the mass killings. Iraq has kept a cautious distance from Syria since Islamist-led rebels toppled Assad in December. Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa led the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which grew out of Al-Qaeda in Syria, and engaged with that jihadist group's branch in Iraq. Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said he was "responsible" as he arrived in the Netherlands on Wednesday to face International Criminal Court charges of crimes against humanity over his war on drugs. The ICC, based in The Hague, has said there were "reasonable grounds" to believe Duterte committed the crime against humanity of murder as an "indirect co-perpetrator" during the anti-drug campaign that rights groups estimate killed tens of thousands of people. "I am the one who led our law enforcement and military. I said that I will protect you and I will be responsible for all of this," Duterte said in a video shared on his and a close advisor's Facebook pages as he was about to land in The Netherlands. "I have been telling the police, the military, that it was my job and I am responsible," said the 79-year-old, the first Asian former head of state to face charges at the ICC. The court rules on the world's worst crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The ICC confirmed that Duterte was handed over to its custody after arriving in Rotterdam by aeroplane. ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said that the fact the arrest warrant has been carried out "is important to victims" and proof that "international law is not as weak as some may think". Duterte was due to be taken to a detention centre before an initial court appearance likely to be scheduled in the coming days. Speaking to AFP outside the ICC, Gilbert Andres, a lawyer representing victims of the drug war, said: "My clients are very thankful to God because their prayers have been answered." "The arrest of Rodrigo Duterte is a great signal for international criminal justice. It means that no one is above the law," Andres added. But dozens of pro-Duterte protesters gathered in front of the detention centre close to the North Sea coast, unfurling a banner reading "We are with Duterte" and waving flags. "There has been no due process," said caregiver Duds Quibin, 50. "This is kidnapping. They just put him on a plane and brought him here." - 'Oppression and persecution' - Earlier on Wednesday, lawyers filed a petition to the Supreme Court in the Philippines accusing the government of "kidnapping" Duterte and demanding it "bring him back". "The ICC can only exercise its jurisdiction if a country's national legal system is not functioning," lawyer Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. told reporters outside the court, insisting that the Philippines' judicial system was "working properly". Before her father's departure, Vice President Sara Duterte said he was being "forcibly taken to The Hague", labelling the transfer "oppression and persecution". A one-time alliance between President Ferdinand Marcos and the Duterte family has exploded spectacularly since the 2022 presidential election, when Sara Duterte was Marcos's running mate. She is currently facing a Senate trial on a number of charges, including corruption and an alleged assassination plot against Marcos. Duterte himself had earlier taken to social media, claiming that the Supreme Court would step in and prevent his transfer. - 'Rotting at the cemetery' - At a church in the capital Manila, people whose family members were killed in the "drug war" welcomed the arrest. "Duterte is fortunate, there's due process for him. There was no due process for my son" Angelito, said Emily Soriano at a press briefing organised by a local rights group. Duterte "will be lying down on a good bed, my son is already rotting at the cemetery." For Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, Duterte's arrest marked "a critical step for accountability in the Philippines". China, however, warned the ICC against "politicisation" and "double standards" in the Duterte case, saying it was "closely monitoring" it. The high-profile case came with the ICC currently under sanctions from Donald Trump. The US president is unhappy at the court issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged crimes committed during the Gaza war. - 'Davao Death Squad' - The Philippines quit the ICC in 2019 on Duterte's instructions. But the tribunal claims jurisdiction over killings up to then, including ones in the southern city of Davao when Duterte was mayor. The ICC said in its arrest warrant that there were "reasonable grounds to believe" at least 19 people had been murdered in the city by members of the "Davao Death Squad", headed by Duterte. Additionally, at least 24 people were killed by Philippines police in various locations, judges believe. On Sunday, Duterte lashed out, labelling ICC investigators "sons of whores" while saying he would "accept" an arrest. Duterte is still hugely popular among many who supported his quick-fix solutions to crime, and he remains a potent political force. burs-ric-jj/rlp/bc/rmb A relaxing trip to Bali with a girlfriend left Amber Hills, a single mum from Brisbane, with no memory and a black eye. Amber Hills, a single mum from Brisbane, was left with no memory and a black eye after sipping on a cocktail while on holiday in Bali. Source: @AmberHillsOfficial/Instagram An Aussie mum is warning others to be careful after a spontaneous birthday trip to Bali with a girlfriend took a terrifying and life-threatening turn. Exhausted after a busy few months with her young twins, Amber Hills and her mate jumped on the opportunity to sneak away during the school holidays last year for a cheeky adventure. We just wanted to lay on the beach and read a book in silence, the 34-year-old, who had never before visited the Indonesian tourist hotspot, told Yahoo News Australia on Monday. After spending three days doing just that, the single mum was feeling relaxed as the pair sat down one night at a restaurant recommended for its sunset views. Upon hearing of the venues $60 minimum spend per person, Hills said she decided to change up her usual order of a bottled beer or wine for a margarita. ADVERTISEMENT The reason why I made the decision to buy a cocktail because I was so firm on just drinking bottled drinks the table in front of us, it was a family with a toddler and newborn baby and they were drinking cocktails, she recalled. So I thought, okay, if theyre drinking cocktails and theyve got very little people at their table, it must be safe. If Im gonna have a cocktail in Bali, this would be the place. Reflecting on what came next, she said: It just shows that you can never be too careful. Even the places that seem safe potentially could not be safe. Bali tourist collapses after drinking cocktail Not long after finishing off her first drink and sipping her second, which seemed to taste different, the friends entrees two seafood dishes were placed on their table. Thats the last thing I remember, the 34-year-old from Brisbane said. Although she did eat some of the food, Hills' friend could tell she was struggling. Feeling unwell, she stumbled off to the bathroom before returning to her concerned travel partner, who alerted their driver and some of her local mates that something was wrong. ADVERTISEMENT I was deteriorating quickly, Hills told Yahoo. The Good Samaritans transported the mum to a venue near their resort that is run by an Aussie expat. At this point my eyes kept rolling back, she said. Moments later she collapsed in the bathroom, hitting her head on a sink on the way down, as she began to non-stop vomit. They told me it was like a waterfall, she said. Mum wakes up with black eye and 'no idea' where she was Terrified, Hills mate and the driver took her to a friends house where they were met by an on-call doctor who immediately began pumping fluids into her body. Thats how I woke up with a black eye and no idea where I was, she said, claiming that if it hadnt been for everyones help she 1000 per cent wouldnt be alive. While Hills said she was told her drink had been spiked, methanol poisoning has also not been ruled out. The last thing the 34-year-old remembers is sipping on a margarita as her entree arrived at her table at a beachside restaurant. Source: @AmberHillsOfficial/Instagram Although she wasnt due to leave for another week, the shaken mum travelled back home with her friend the next day. I felt like my body had been completely thrown around. I was traumatised, the 34-year-old recalled. ADVERTISEMENT I did go to the doctors when I got back to Australia to get tests but they said everything probably in my system would have been gone. Weeks after the horrifying incident, Hills decided to share her story on social media in the hopes of educating others about the danger of drinking alcohol in Bali. She said hundreds of people have since contacted her, some of whom shared their own awful encounters with tainted booze. Drinking alcohol in Bali 'not worth it' Methanol is a dangerous byproduct of the distillation process that has no odour and on occasion isnt properly removed when bootleg spirits are made, and in turn, poisons unwitting drinkers. ADVERTISEMENT While rare, methanol poisonings have been an obscure and ugly offshoot of capitalism in Bali, with Colin Ahearn, a well-known safe drink advocate, previously telling Yahoo News that drinking any liquor in the holiday destination is not worth the potential risk. Travellers should stick to beer, wine and pre-mixed can drinks when wanting to crack open a cold one on holiday, he warned. Theres never been a case of methanol poisoning from any of those. Theres probably 30, 40, 50 different kinds of pre-mixed single serve drinks that you can buy out of the mini mart fridges over there, he said, urging Aussies to avoid spirits. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. A wombat expert was left seriously 'angered' by the video which has caused widespread backlash among Aussies. An American tourist has caused an uproar after she was filmed taking a baby wombat away from its mother on the side of an Australian road. Source: Instagram/@samstrays_somewhere There are calls for an American tourist to leave Australia following her treatment of a native animal during a trip to the bush. Hunting influencer and biologist Sam Jones (formerly Samantha Strable) shared a video with her 92,000 Instagram followers, showing her taking a baby wombat away from its mother as they travelled along a country road. The 34-second clip, which has now been deleted, shows the woman gleefully running back to her car holding the animal. Just caught a baby wombat, her laughing male Australian colleague can be heard saying from behind the camera. Look at the mother, chasing after her. Illuminated by the light of her car, Jones poses with the struggling baby marsupial as it hisses defensively. Mommas right there and she is p*ssed, the woman says while the man continues to film. While the influencer has since pulled down the clip, it can still be searched online. "My dream of holding a wombat has been realised!" the caption reads. Were the baby and mother wombat reunited? The video does not show whether the mother and baby wombat were reunited, however a caption that originally accompanied the clip indicated they were. "Baby and mom slowly waddled back off together into the bush," it said. Sam Jones did not immediately respond to requests from Yahoo News for comment. ADVERTISEMENT Licensed wombat rescuer Yolandi Vermaak told Yahoo News in most cases a brief separation is bad news for the baby, and that they should never be picked up. When I woke up this morning, my inbox had exploded with people sending me the video. After I watched it, I was probably the angriest Ive ever been, its very distressing, the Wombat Rescue founder said. Nine out of ten times, the mother will not come back for her baby if theyre separated. Babies are taught from a young age to stay nose-to-heel with their mum. So if mum runs when theres danger, she doesnt stop and check the baby, it needs to keep up. When baby wombats are separated, theyll sometimes seek out safety from a human, and only when theyre picked up will they realise their mistake. You can see the baby is disoriented, and didn't know where to go, Vermaak said. ADVERTISEMENT Vermaak noted that the mother and baby both showed signs of mange, a disease that's fatal without treatment. She's called on Jones to reveal the location of her encounter so she can arrange for a volunteer to help them. Joness Instagram account features videos of her picking up a small shark by the tail, and a man toying with a venomous snake. Source: @samstrays_somewhere Social media users call for American tourist to leave Outraged Aussies have reacted to the video across Reddit and other social media accounts, with many fuming at her treatment of the protected marsupial, and calling for her to leave the country. Cancel her visa, one person wrote. Deport these losers, another added. Asked about the response, the Department of Home Affairs told Yahoo it could not comment on individual cases. The US Embassy in Canberra said it did not wish to comment on the matter. ADVERTISEMENT Suzanne Milthorpe from non-profit World Animal Protection Australia believes Aussies have a right to be angered by the video. "Wombats are not a photo prop or plaything; its clear from this video how distressing the mother and baby wombat found this experience," she said. Jones's Instagram account also features vision of her picking up an echidna, a frog, and a young shark while in Australia. Another clip shows a man toying with a "venomous snake". Milthorpe warned tourists that wildlife should be observed from a distance. "Handling them in this way can be incredibly harmful not just for the animals but also for the humans," she said. Authorities urge anyone with information about wombat incident to come forward Common or bare-nosed wombats are protected across Australia. State governments are responsible for enforcing wildlife protection laws when species are not listed as threatened. ADVERTISEMENT The NSW department of environment confirmed it's an offence to catch wildlife without a licence. "People found guilty of harming wildlife face penalties of up to $330 000 under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016," it said. It urged anyone with details about the incident to contact Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service on 1300 072 757, or their relevant state authorities. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. South Korean actress Kim Tae Hee was the victim of an armed robbery while on location for a photoshoot in South Africa, resulting in a significant loss of over 20 million KRW (approximately 14,000 USD), according to makeup artist Jung Saem-mool. In a recent episode of tvN STORY's "10 Billion Won Breakfast," aired March 6, Jung shared the harrowing details of the incident that occurred during their trip. The makeup artist, who is renowned in the K-beauty industry, recalled how they were invited to dinner by a local guide as part of their visit. "Our guide invited us to dinner. Since famous people like Kim Tae-hee were coming, the entire Korean community gathered at the house. They welcomed us by putting necklaces on us and serving food. But suddenly, people started screaming. A group of robbers barged in with guns," Jung explained, as quoted by KBiZoom. Read more: Kim Tae Hee Intimidated By Shin Hye Sun? Here's What Hallyu Superstar Said The robbers reportedly took anything of value, including Jung's belongings and a photographer's camera. "They even crammed dozens of people, including children, into a small bathroom," she said, describing the chaos that ensued during the frightening ordeal. Thankfully, no injuries were reported. The traumatic experience left Jung shaken. "Because of the trauma, I couldn't do anything," she admitted. However, a moment of kindness helped her recover. "A young girl I met afterward embraced me, saying, 'the fear and terrible trauma disappeared.'" Then came the climax of this fateful affair, extreme enough to make the headlines and even featured on South Africa's 9 o'clock news. Jung Saem-mool, who is known for working with many top actors, also became successful with the beauty brand as he is estimated to generate an annual revenue of 110 billion KRW (around 82 million USD). Read more: Rain & Kim Tae Hee To Welcome New Child This 2023? Here's What We Know Taiwanese actor Darren Wang is in deeper hot water, with allegations of criminal activity piling on one after another. As per KBiZoom, local media have reported that Wang solicited a notorious local gang leader to recover the money Wang's girlfriend and former broadcaster MuXuan was owed. On March 9, Mu Xuan reportedly lost 4 million TWD (~$126,000) to an investment scam. Although she won a lawsuit against the perpetrator, the individual is currently imprisoned without returning the lost funds. Wang then allegedly sought repayment through Xiao Yazhun, Taiwan's leader of the nefarious Sihai Gang, to force the scammer's family to 'get money back by force.' Xiao Yazhun allegedly paid off a prison officer to send threats to the killer's family. For a while, the family denied responsibility for the debt. Despite numerous warnings, though, they eventually shared personal information but refused to pay more money, claiming they had effectively paid off most of the perpetrator's debts. This is the second time Wang has been associated with Xiao Yazhun. According to reports, their relationship allegedly started over an attempted murder case linked to a fight last year. In April, Wang reportedly engaged in a dispute with an Uber driver over dissatisfaction with the driver's service. Enraged, he is said to have paid a wealthy friend 30,000 TWD (approximately 945 USD) to obtain the driver's personal information. After securing the details, Wang allegedly contacted Xiao Yazhun, who then sent three men to physically assault both the Uber driver and employees of the ride-hailing company. The attack might have gone unnoticed if not for a separate investigation into Wang's alleged evasion of mandatory military service. Taiwan enforces compulsory military conscription, and Wang is accused of trying to evade enlistment by acquiring a fake medical certificate falsely diagnosing him with a severe heart condition. Authorities arrested him during their investigation into fraudulent exemptions and confiscated his phone. Prosecutors later discovered videos of the Uber driver assault, leaked prison documents, and messages indicating collusion between gang members and corrupt prison officials. Wu is also rumored to have dated Wang, who starred in Our Times and Fall in Love at First Kiss. He is also being linked to former BIGBANG member Seungri, who in 2019 was charged over his role in South Korea's notorious Burning Sun scandal, which included allegations relating to prostitution mediation and drug distribution. Public fury has been growing as more details emerge about Wang's alleged actions and people are comparing him to Seungri, claiming that he was also involved in violent crimes and corruption. As this story unfolds further, it is unclear what legal ramifications await Wang as authorities ramp up their investigations. Plus see which Aussie state has vowed to 'restore respect' when it comes to dealing with criminals. Donald Trump has tried helping out his pal Elon Musk. Source: Getty Yahoo's live news blog for Wednesday, March 12 has now concluded. US President Donald Trump says Elon Musk is the victim of an "illegal" boycott after Tesla sales continued to drop, including in Australia. Coles has told customers to only buy what they need as stock shortages continue in areas impacted by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Rival Woolworths says it will take some time to get stores back to normal and flagged shortages on fresh produce in the coming days. Homicide detectives are now investigating the death of a woman who was found floating in the Brisbane River last month. See all of the day's updates below. LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER 14 updates Featured Donald Trump's big claim about Elon Musk decline Elon Musk's woes continue and US President Donald Trump says Tesla's decline is the result of an "illegal" boycott. Trump said "Radical Left Lunatics" are trying to harm Musk by refusing to buy cars from Tesla, which the president described as one of the word's great automakers. Tesla sales have plummeted globally, including in Australia, with Musk's involvement within the Trump administration believed to have contributed to the decline. "It's impossible to measure what impact Elon Musk's political persuasions have had on the brand, but it's certainly having some impact," EV Central's Toby Hagon told Yahoo Finance last week. In an act of solidarity, Trump vowed to buy one of Musk's vehicles, and the pair were later seen posing outside the White House with an array of Tesla offerings. Trump and Musk pose outside the White House with a Tesla. Source: Getty Desperate bid to get Gold Coast beach open in days Let's bring you more on the extensive coastal erosion endured on the Gold Coast, with Mayor Tom Tate desperate to get the beaches reopened. He says it's vital to remove the large escarpments created by Ex-Cyclone Alfred to keep tourism going and he wants one of the city's most famous beaches to be ready for visitors by just next week. "This time next week, I'd like to show that Surfers Paradise is really open for business and that way people can start booking flights," he said. That will require a huge effort, with large amounts of sand washed away, leaving escarpments up to six metres in some places. Tate will replenish beaches using rainbow-style dredging which will be done by barges that pump sand from the ocean floor and launch it back onto the beach. He says the city's most popular beaches would be open by the April school holidays. A man wades through storm surge at Currumbin before Alfred made landfall. Source: Getty Dutton slams Albo, Rudd over Trump decision We've now heard from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on the US's decision to not grant Australia a tariff exemption, and unsurprisingly he's taken aim at the Albanese government. He said the prime minister had "completely failed in his attempt to stand up for the country", saying keeping Kevin Rudd as US ambassador had likely contributed to what was "a bad day for Australia". Its obvious Anthony Albanese and Kevin Rudd have had a shocker," he said. The Albanese government says there is still time to negotiate a potential exemption. Free beer for those still without power Talk about living up to stereotypes. Queensland's iconic XXXX will be providing relief to those still without power after Ex-Cyclone Alfred in true Aussie fashion. From tomorrow a XXXX 'Can Van' will be heading out to Brisbane, Ipswich and Redlands and handing out free slabs of beer, the Courier Mail reports. "XXXX has always been a great mate of the state, and when times are tough, weve been there to help, sales director Pat Donohue said. Millions to get temps in the high 30s While there's been a heavy focus on Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and the wild conditions it brought over the past week, theres a fair bit of heat coming for millions across the country's southeast. Hot northwesterly winds are sweeping across the country and will bring a fair bit of autumn heat. Adelaide is set to reach 37 on Friday with Melbourne likely to reach the same temperature on Saturday as the F1 Grand Prix begins. Canberra is set to reach 35C on Saturday, while Sunday will be Sydney's peak with a max of 35C in the city, Weatherzone reports. Lismore resident lands $3.3m after latest flood event Well this is a nice development for one Lismore resident after yet another flood event for the NSW town. One resident has finally come forward to claim a $3.3 million Saturday Lotto division one prize more than two weeks after the draw. The player has decided to remain completely anonymous so we can't bring you anymore details than that. Albo responds to Trump's tariff call OK, we bring you more on Donald Trump's decision not to give Australia and exemption from sweeping aluminium and steel tariffs. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has now spoken about the confirmation from the White House, saying it its "against the spirit of our two nations". "This is not a friendly act. But it is imposed on every country, that is important," Albanese said, adding his government will still work to try and get an exemption. Vinnies sign ignored in wake of Alfred Well this is the last thing impacted communities need. With southeast Queensland trying to get back on its feet, people adding to the cleanup is far from ideal. Despite the signage clearly saying not to, someone has dumped unwanted items outside Palm Beach Vinnies. "This is really not helpful for the Volunteers at Vinnies," one local said online, sharing a photo of the mess. Vinnies told Yahoo earlier this year they are desperate for donations but they need to be made in the correct manner. Read more here. The sign seems pretty clear to us. Source: Facebook/ Justin Riches Power slowly returning to impacted Queenslanders Energex are working around the clock to get Queenslanders reconnected after a record-breaking power outage from a natural disaster. At the peak, more than 450,000 were without power but that number is down to about 60,000. Energex had earlier warned some would have to wait until Sunday for power to be reinstalled. "We wont let up until power is available to every last customer," they said on Wednesday. Two workers reinstalling power lines at Coolangatta. Source: Energex Woman hit with $2.3k fee after fleeing cyclone A family holidaying in Byron Bay when Cyclone Alfred hit were charged $2,300 when they failed to return their rental car to a closed Gold Coast Airport. Louise Turner, who is pregnant with twins, fled their hotel with her partner and young son, as the destructive conditions worsened, 10 News First reported. They made their way to Sydney and despite informing Europcar of their plans, they were slugged with the hefty bill thanks to the company saying their "one-way fee policy remained in effect". Once Europcar was contacted by 10, they backflipped on their stance, blaming a "miscommunication". Louise Turner was shocked by the fee. Source: 10 News First Landlord fined over alarming move in rental A Melbourne landlord has been told to pay her tenants more than $1,000 after illegally entering their rental. Three tenants took the landlord to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal after claiming they had entered their home 29 times in just over a year, Domain reported. The tribunal found six of those occasions were illegal. In respect of each of the unlawful entries, the residential rental provider was attending the premises without having given any notice, the tribunal documents stated. Even if she subjectively believed consent was given, she appears to have conducted herself in a manner which suggests she assumed a degree of entitlement to enter. Victorian premier vows to 'restore respect' after crime surge The "toughest bail laws in Australia" will be implemented after a spate of crime left a state government under pressure to act. Victoria's Premier Jacinta Allan has flagged the state's bail laws will be reformed amid mounting community anger about rising crime, including aggravated burglaries and car thefts. "We're introducing the toughest bail laws in Australia to keep Victorians safe," she said on X on Wednesday. Cabinet ministers met on Tuesday to discuss raising the threshold for granting bail for serious crimes. he premier said that the reforms would prioritise community safety in bail decisions. "They include a new bail test that is extremely hard to pass - targeting repeat offenders of the worst crimes," she said. "They will restore respect for bail - with consequences for breaking the rules." Read more here. Coles' plea to customers as shortages roll on Coles has urged customers to avoid panic buying in the wake of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred as product shortages are expected to continue this week. Some shoppers have voiced their concerns they're unable to get essential items with some reporting seeing customers continuing to buy in bulk despite the threat of Alfred passing. "Please buy only what you need and continue to show kindness and patience to our team as we work to get things back to normal," Coles said on Tuesday. Woolworths said it was likely to experience shortages in bread, meat, fruit and vegetables moving forward and admitted it would take some time to return operations to normal. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has pleaded with the supermarkets to throw everything at getting stores stocked with essentials. Major update about woman found dead in Brisbane River Queensland Police will address media later after they confirmed homicide detectives are now investigating the death of a woman found in the Brisbane River last month. A member of the public spotted the 49-year-old woman's body at Yeronga early on the morning of February 22. Police had initially believed the death was likely non-suspicious, the Courier Mail reports, but have now launched a homicide investigation. Police have shared a CCTV still of the woman, Crystal Beale, from the night she was last seen, a day before her body was found. Authorities are appealing to anyone who may have seen her on the evening of February 21 in the West End to come forward. Crystal Beale. Source: Queensland Police Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Kennesaw State, Norwegian University of Science and Technology collaboration aims to enhance architecture and sustainability technologies KENNESAW, Ga. | Mar 12, 2025 Seeking to advance sustainability and environmentally friendly technologies, Kennesaw State University has launched an exchange program with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Launching in May, the program will provide students from both universities with hands-on learning and cross-cultural exchange opportunities. The program will begin with 14 College of Architecture and Construction Management students traveling to Norway to engage in collaborative projects focused on environmental sustainability. In June, 12 Norwegian students will visit Kennesaw State to continue these projects. This unique international exchange will enable students to gain valuable knowledge of the worlds leading sustainability practices, with a special emphasis on how these practices can be applied across different environments and industries. This initiative is made possible by a generous three-year grant from the Norwegian government, supporting the shared vision of advancing sustainability technologies. Through the program, KSU students will participate in joint research projects, workshops, and field trips designed to deepen their understanding of the global sustainability landscape. They will have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology and innovative research methods, learning from experts from both universities. This hands-on experience is designed to equip students with the insights and skills necessary to address some of the world's most common environmental challenges in architecture. This collaboration exemplifies our dedication to providing students with real-world experiences that go beyond the classroom, said Hazem Rashed-Ali, dean of the College of Architecture and Construction Management. Through this partnership with NTNU, our students will gain invaluable skills and relationships that will prepare them to be leaders in the field of architecture and construction management. The exchange program aligns with KSUs strategic priorities on sustainability, providing students with opportunities to work on projects and contribute to global efforts in green technology. It aims to build long-lasting relationships between the two universities, creating a network of professionals and researchers dedicated to sustainable solutions. Were excited about this partnership and the incredible potential it has to make a meaningful impact, said Marietta Monaghan, a senior lecturer in the Department of Architecture. By working together, well create a dynamic platform for learning and innovation that benefits both our students and the broader global community. Story by Raynard Churchwell Related Stories A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The universitys vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu. Wednesday, March 12, 2025 - President William Rutos promise to buy Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja a chapati-making machine capable of producing a million pieces daily has ignited debate among Kenyans. The pledge, aimed at supporting the Dishi Na County school feeding program, has left many questioning its feasibility. So, how much will it cost? Citizen TV journalist Stephen Letoo crunched the numbers, and if his math checks out, its a multi-million shilling affair. He estimates that the cost of wheat flour and cooking oil alone - excluding labor - would require roughly Ksh 10 million daily. Is this a smart investment or an economic misstep? Watch the video below. Steven Letoo explains what is needed to make 1 million chapatis per day! pic.twitter.com/ZbG7YRbz04 The Kenyan Vigilante (@KenyanSays) March 12, 2025 The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, March 12, 2025 - President William Ruto faced resistance when he made a stopover in Kawangware to address the residents after a group of youths shouted him down. The disgruntled youths shouted Uongo (lies) as the Head of State promised them jobs to clean the Nairobi River. Ruto was heard telling the youths from the informal settlements to organize themselves and take advantage of the Governments initiative to clean the Nairobi River. However, the youths shouted Uongo, indicating that they were fed up with the Presidents promises. Ruto has been labelled as a perennial liar for giving sweet promises which he doesnt fulfill. Watch the video. Kawangware wamekataa uongo Mtukufu Rais anawa promise mambo wanasema uongo pic.twitter.com/7sqEp90LDT Abdulahi Adan (@AbdulahiAdan10) March 12, 2025 The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, March 12, 2025 - Eugine Kipkoech, a student in Karkila, Finland, was found dead in a lake on Saturday night after he was reported missing on March 7th. The police are still conducting investigations to determine the exact cause of his death. This loss is especially painful as it comes exactly one year after the family lost their daughter, Sheila Jeptum, in Australia. The Kenyan community in Finland is working to ensure Eugine's body is repatriated back home. The young man who hails from Mosop, Nandi County, was full of life a some of his photos attest. May he rest in peace. The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, March 12, 2025 - An X user claims that Kapseret Member of Parliament and President William Rutos confidant, Oscar Sudi, has deployed some unidentified individuals to collect parking fees in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD), denying the County Government under the leadership of Governor Johnson Sakaja revenue. They move around in a private vehicle branded with Sudis images and labelled, Sudi Support Team,. See photo. The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, March 12, 2025 - The Commission for University Education (CUE) has flagged 15 institutions for operating illegally in Kenya, warning that academic certificates issued by these institutions will be deemed fake. The commission also released a list of 79 authorized institutions, including public and private universities, private university constituent colleges, and institutions with interim authority. This notice follows a recent raid on Northwestern Christian University's graduation ceremony in Mombasa, where police and CUE officials shut down the event due to a lack of accreditation. Consequently, 100 degrees were revoked, and university officials were arrested. The above institution made headlines recently after awarding controversial Kapseret Member of Parliament, Oscar Sudi, an honorary Doctorate in Leadership, Administration, and Management. CUE Chair Prof. Chacha Nyaigotti reaffirmed the commission's commitment to cracking down on illegal institutions, emphasizing that awarding unaccredited degrees is a violation of the law. In a notice to the public, CUE cautioned Kenyans against enrolling in the following unaccredited institutions: Eldoret Bible College Al-Munawwarah College Grace Life Bible College Africa Theological Seminary Kenya Anglican University The East African University Bradgate International University Regions Beyond Ministry Bible College Baraton College The Africa Talent University Breakthrough Bible College Theophilus Theological College Northwestern Christian University Logos University Harvest Land University & Word of Faith Bible College The Kenyan DAILY POST Wednesday, March 12, 2025 - Popular X influencer Nimu Kiarie, aka Jaber is Jaber has been accused of lying about her real age. This is after she took to X to celebrate turning a year older with the caption: "Turning twenty fine looks good on me . Happy Birthday to me! " However, eagle-eyed netizens werent buying it, digging up receipts from 2021 when she claimed to be turning 26. The internet never forgets! Check out the post and her photos below. The Kenyan DAILY POST If deadly fire ants spread further across the country, it could cost Australians billions of dollars a year. An invasive "super pest" deemed worse than cane toads, rabbits, feral cats and foxes is at risk of spreading further around the country after wet weather caused by Cyclone Alfred lashed the east coast. Those affected by flooding in southeast Queensland have been called upon to look out and report fire ant nests in their backyard, local parks, beaches or bushland, which are known to create floating "rafts" which move with the currents. If bitten, the species can cause anaphylactic shock and death in humans. This exact scene has already been spotted in numerous cases south of Brisbane, prompting fears that "high-density" infestations will spread. The Invasive Species Council's (ISC) Reece Pianata told Yahoo "it could sweep fire ants into carrier materials like turf, risking their further spread to other parts of Australia". "We've seen photo and video evidence that rafting behaviour is happening right now in flood-affected areas with high fire ant density like Logan, Scenic Rim and northern Gold Coast," the advocacy manager said. ADVERTISEMENT "As flood waters recede, we are urging the community to look out for and report fire ant nests including in their backyards, local parks, beaches or bushland." A "raft" of fire ants on the move in south east Queensland. Source: EBS Queensland Pest controller warns Aussies to report nests Jhy Carroll from pest control company EBS Queensland told Yahoo his company has seen multiple cases of rafting in recent days. "Fire ants are having and will continue to have a destructive impact on the environment, we don't want these ants around our properties where our pets and children play," he said. The business, which treats fire ants, reminded Aussies not just to call a pest controller if spotted but to report sightings and nests to the fire ant program. "Homeowners must report nests to the fire ant program, which is a government organisation," he explained. "The homeowner can get companies like us to treat them, but in the letter of the law they must report them to the fire ant program." ADVERTISEMENT In Queensland, failure to report the known presence of fire ants could result in a maximum penalty of $116,100 or six months imprisonment. "Of course, fire ants are dangerous. Dont put yourself, clothing or belongings in direct contact with ants or their nests." Fire ants must be reported within 24 hours of sighting by calling 13 25 23 or visiting the eradication program website. The NSW penalties are different. Fire ants taking over a coffee cup in southeast Queensland. Source: EBS Queensland What are 'lethal' and invasive fire ants? Fire ants first landed on Australian shores in the late '90s in freight from the US. They are originally from South America but have spread across most of the US and other parts of the world. They are now spreading across China at a rate of about 80km per year. ADVERTISEMENT While Australia has managed to contain fire ants in south east Queensland for around 20 years, more needs to be done. Currently, a ten-year eradication program has been developed, but so far it only spans until 2027 and is "well short" of what is required to fully eradicate the pest. While there have been reports of fire ants in NSW, two nests were destroyed in November 2023 and 2024. It's estimated that the invasive ants, which can be lethal to humans, could cost Australia $2 billion per year in economic impacts if they are not controlled. They will devastate wildlife, cut agricultural output by 40 per cent and could cause over 650,000 extra medical appointments every year, according to the Invasive Species Council (ISC). The ants use pheromones to communicate and work together to attack humans, domestic pets and wildlife. While one bite produces a relatively mild needle-like sting, swarms can inflict hundreds or even thousands of bites that can result in anaphylactic shock. "It is a timely reminder that the Queensland government must urgently ramp up fire ant suppression," Pianta told Yahoo. "Fire ants are one of the worlds worst super pests and their unchecked spread will result in economic damage greater than that caused by cane toads, rabbits, feral cats and foxes combined. "We call on Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese to commit to an urgent fire ant surge and long-term funding. This isnt just an election issue for Queenslanders, fire ants will spread to all parts of Australia if eradication fails." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Wednesday, March 12, 2025 - A businessman has petitioned police and the anti-corruption agency to investigate advisor, Political Affairs in the Executive Office of the President, State House, Karisa Nzai Munyika, over claims of fraud. The businessman Abdinoor Abdi said he gave Munyika Sh4.7 million for lease of land which turned out to be fraud. He said he had made a formal complaint with police regarding fraudulent activities in relation to a lease agreement. Through his lawyer Karen Rono said Munyika received the money in February 2024. Our client informs us that on or about February 2024, under the pretense of leasing out a property located in South B, the said Hon. Karisa Nzai Munyika fraudulently received various sums of money from him through different payment platforms. The transactions, which are duly documented, were made based on good faith and trust. Our client placed reliance on his purported good standing in society and the fact that he was a public servant, a letter to the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission said. A similar letter dated March 11th was sent to the Director of Criminal Investigations. He attached details of the transaction to back his claims. The total amount remitted to Hon. Karisa Nzai Munyika stands at Kenya Shillings Five Million Seven Hundred Thousand (Ksh 5,700,000). Despite numerous demands from our client over the past year, the said individual has failed, neglected, and/or refused to refund the said amount or fulfill his obligations. He argued the conduct constitutes a fraudulent misrepresentation and an abuse of trust, which falls within the purview of offenses under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003. He added a formal complaint has been lodged under OB No. 60/17/2/2025, and the matter is currently under investigation. Given the gravity of the allegations and the potential abuse of public trust, we request that your office expeditiously undertake thorough investigations into this matter and take the necessary legal action as may be warranted. We urge your office to take swift action to ensure justice is served and prevent further exploitation by individuals leveraging public office for personal gain. We are prepared to provide all necessary documentation and cooperate with investigators tofacilitate a seamless inquiry, the letter said. Abdi requested EACC to investigate the matter and take appropriate legal action against Munyika to recover his funds and ensure justice is served. Wednesday, March 12, 2025 - Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has dismissed claims of a political handshake with President William Ruto, maintaining that he will not betray Kenyans for personal gain. On Wednesday, March 12th, social media was abuzz with reports alleging that there was a secret meeting between Kalonzo and Ruto at State House. A video surfaced showing the opposition leader arriving at State House, accompanied by Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi and UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar, before exchanging pleasantries with the President. However, Kalonzo has clarified that the footage was from March 2024, when he was at State House for the official handover of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report. The Wiper leader questioned why Government supporters appeared unsettled by his political moves, stating, "Why are they so panicky? The People's Loyal Coalition will never be party to the biggest betrayal of Kenyans for political expediency and temporary comfort." Kalonzo has hinted at a possible alliance with Martha Karuas newly rebranded Peoples Liberation Party (PLP) ahead of the 2027 elections. His remarks come amid shifting political alliances, following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ruto and opposition leader, Raila Odinga. Karua has also expressed interest in working with figures like Rigathi Gachagua, Kalonzo, and Eugene Wamalwa to form a formidable opposition to face off with Ruto in the 2027 polls. The Kenyan DAILY POST 1 of 1 khaskhabar.com: , 12 2025 10:44 PM Tom Tuite Gardai have six weeks to get the Director of Public Prosecutions' instructions over a man charged with attacking a woman on a bus in Dublin after being identified through RTE's Crimecall programme. The alleged incident in Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, on May 29th, 2024, featured in a public appeal for assistance in January. Martin Ball, 36, of Gleann na hEorna, Springfield, Tallaght, appeared at Dublin District Court later that month charged with assault causing harm to a woman at Grange Road, Rathfarnham, D14. He was granted bail with a condition not to travel on a specific bus route. He appeared again on Wednesday when Judge Shalom Binchy noted gardai did not have the DPP's directions on the case yet, and the defence consented to an adjournment. Mr Ball, who remained silent during the proceedings, was remanded on continuing bail and ordered to return to court on April 23rd. He has yet to indicate a plea. At his first hearing on January 29th, there was no objection to his bail with conditions, most of which had been flagged to defence counsel Fergal McMorrow. No evidence about the alleged assault was given so far during his appearances in court. Mr Ball is to have no contact directly or indirectly with the alleged injured party or any witness, reside at his current address, sign on three days a week at his local garda station and stay off the S8 Go Ahead bus, which the court was told goes through Rathfarnham to Cabinteely. Mr McMorrow had argued that the signing-on condition was "a little onerous" for his client, who worked full-time and had no prior convictions. The defence was agreeable to all the other terms. The court sergeant asked it to be part of the bail due to the nature of the charge, and he added that the accused had been identified through Crimecall. Because of the lengths gardai had to go to locate him, Judge Paula Murphy, then presiding, left the requirement for Mr Ball, who has been granted legal aid, to sign on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. However, she added that the issue could be revisited. It was an emotional and poignant day on Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival as fate conspired to pay tribute to jockey Michael OSullivan, who sadly died last month after a fall during a race in Thurles. On the opening day of the 2023 Festival, OSullivan enjoyed probably his best day in racing when he won on Marine Nationale and Jazzy Matty. Incredibly, less than a month after his tragic passing, those two horses won back to back races at the Festival. Marine Nationale was on the horse on which OSullivan made his name when winning the Supreme Novices Hurdle and his win today caused an outpouring of emotion. Before the race, Nurney trainer Barry Connell asked OSullivans girlfriend Charlotte to help ready Marine Nationale before todays Champion Chase and was in the Winners Enclosure when the horse returned to a heros welcome. Michael and I went on a journey with this horse, said Connell. He rode him in all his races in his novice season over hurdles. He started as a 7lb claimer with us and we asked him to turn pro. He ended winning three Grade Ones as a claimer, leading rider on the first day, and then leading conditional. Ive asked racing historians and I dont think they can find anyone who did all that. It is a tragedy that hes left us, but its a record that he can be really proud of. Hes achieved more in a lifetime than a lot of riders who have been riding a lot longer can ever achieve. So Id like to dedicate this win to Michael and his girlfriend Charlotte, whos here. Our hearts go out to all his friends and family and girlfriend. Racing is a great community behind people when things like this happen, said Connell. Sean Flanagan was the made in the saddle for todays win and he praised the role that OSullivan had played in helping the horse develop. Its hugely emotional for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, his (Michael OSullivans) family obviously have to find it very hard. All the jockeys in Ireland, the UK and in the world have been under a cloud for the last couple of weeks. Im only the man that steered him round today, Michael is the man who made him what he is. He will never be forgotten for that. He added: [As jockeys] its every race, race by race, we ride made a hash of the last race and Im just lucky I can get on the likes of this lad and he really comes alive when he comes here. Its credit to all the people back at Barrys. Im only drafted in very late to steer him round, the work is already done. The rider added: I suppose there was a certain amount of pressure with him because of everything involved with him. Sean Flanagan looks to the skies after winning the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase on Marine Nationale Photo: INPHO/Tom Maher I spoke to Michael plenty about him before I started riding him. The horse is what he is today because Michael made him. It is very emotional. Charlotte is an inspiration, and she is here today, and she has been so tough and all the family have. He has gone and done it well and he is trying to make him proud. Incredibly, just 40 minutes later, another horse that meant so much to OSullivan Jazzy Matty, won the Grand Annual. His jockey said Danny Gilligan: It went very smooth, never missed a beat the whole way round there. Im sure everyone knows theres someone very special looking down on us today. Thats for Michael. As well as the poignancy of the day, it was a massive win for Connell to see Marine Nationale claim a second Grade 1 win on the biggest stage of all. I think the horse hasnt got his credit since he won the Supreme Novices, and people forget that he only had two runs last year so hes effectively a novice this year, and we were having to plan a campaign to gradually get him his experience. He started in Naas in a Grade 2, and progressed with two good runs at Leopardstown - he was coming all the time. If you go back and look at his career, three runs - won an ordinary maiden hurdle, then improved a stone to win the Royal Bond, improved another stone to win here. He loves this place and comes alive here. We were very confident coming today but understated, because I was too confident the last day and didnt want to do that again. He travels, he jumps - hes everything you want in a Champion Chaser. Ive been coming racing here since the 1980s, since I was a student, and its the one race I always wanted to win, because its pure, unadulterated, on-the-edge speed; the horses finish quickly, they dont finish tired like in the Gold Cup. It wont sink in for a long time. A MAJOR restoration of 10km of the Barrow from Athy has been given the go-ahead by Kildare County Council, but only after an exhaustive planning process under a rigorous environmental microscope. The works will be carried out this year south from Athy through Levitstown, Grangemellon, Maganey, and Jerusalem. The application from Waterways Ireland (WI) took over a year to accept by the planners, with further information requested no less than five times. Even though WI included an Natura Impact Statement (NIS) with the initial application in February 2024, and updated version was requested by the planners and that was not all. The diligence at Aras Cill Dara also sought a specialist hydrological report, and invited Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) to add their tuppenceworth with a report with an updated surveys on the rivers fish and crayfish. However, of concern to them is the potential for rock armour revetement along very long sections of river bank which could lead to scour potential (erosion) on other unprotected banks, and ask that this be addressed with soft engineering, ie. willow banking. They also sought an addendum to the Ecological Impact Statement, a Water Framework Directive Compliance Report, an landscape and visual impact assessment, and architectural assessment, and even an underwater archaeology assessment. Perhaps because of the comprehensiveness of this application, it has lead to zero appeals to An Bord Pleanala. The application describes the work as 'essential repair' that will see bank reinforcement (known as revetements) and small-scale bank repair, some post-flood spot dredging as well as some maintenance dredging. After flagging her support for this with a submission on the application, cllr Veralouise Behan has broadly welcomed this development. If we want to get the Blueway out to Maganey, were going to need this, and Id imagine these repairs will lead the Blueway all the way to the Carlow border. Waterways have their application in there (Carlow) as well, so yeah, this is opening up the Blueway, and that is my opinion. The riverbank from Athy to Maganey is very busy during the summer, and theyre all coming down to Maganey to swim. "Id noted in WI booklets Carlow heritage was well covered, but not south Kildare, and my submission is my part of doing that. We are creating the heritage of tomorrow by setting it up today." One of Irelands oldest brewery sites, Smithwicks Experience Kilkenny, is making this years St Patricks Weekend extra special with free live music sessions, including one featuring festival headliners, Burnchurch, shortly after the St Patricks Day parade concludes in the heart of the medieval city. The internationally renowned visitor experience and home to Irelands oldest ale is open right across the bank holiday weekend. The immersive, multi-sensory tours operate throughout the day every single day during the Festival and local guides are getting ready to take visitors on a fascinating journey back in time. Visitors will be immersed in the citys 300-year-old brewing tradition. Theyll learn about the brewerys history and rich heritage and the significant role the Smithwick family played in Kilkennys economic prosperity, culture, history, and traditions. Over 18s have an opportunity to enjoy a unique beer-tasting experience as part of the educational and entertaining tour. READ NEXT: Lowry welcomes funding for three Northwest Kilkenny communities for refurbishment and improvements To celebrate the national holiday, free places are on offer on available tours for the entire festival weekend for all adult Patricks, Patricias and those with a variation of our patron saints name in their first name or surname. Smithwicks Experience Kilkennys enclosed Barrel Yard will be rocking throughout the Festival weekend. It all begins with a not-to-be-missed 3-piece acoustic trad session on Friday, March 14, from 5.30pm. The free event features Mick Purcell on Bodhran, Moya Fitzgerald on Fiddle and Dave Harper on Bouzouki. Smithwicks Experience Kilkenny welcomes Burnchurch back to its Barrel Yard stage on St Patricks Day for an unmissable, post parade live performance, starting at 5pm. The free live show featuring the local siblings who rocked Marlay Park and Electric Picinic last year is part of the extensive Tradfest programme in the city. The live performance at The Barrel Yard is expected to be a popular meeting point for groups once the traditional St Patricks Day parade ends on nearby High Street. Burnchurch are one of the headline gigs on this years action-packed Kilkenny Tradfest programme. Full details on HERE. Manager of Smithwicks Experience Kilkenny, Ignacio Peregrina, said everyone is looking forward to a bumper weekend of guided tours as well as free live music sessions on the Friday and Monday at the Kilkenny city centre landmark as it celebrates the official beginning of the traditional tourist season in Ireland. Kilkenny is one of six locations outside of Dublin identified by Failte Ireland as part of an initiative to position Ireland as the only place for overseas tourists to celebrate St Patrick's Day. That drive is expected to mean Kilkenny is extra busy and pre-booking of tours is recommended on www.smithwicksexperience.com The Smithwick family has a long and proud history of celebrating and showcasing local talent and were excited to have local musical greats back on stage at our cosy and enclosed Barrel Yard for the St Patricks Festival Weekend celebrations. Our guided tours are available to book for the entire weekend on our website and were also delighted to offer free entry, where available, to adults with a Patrick-related name, for example Patrick, Paddy, Padraig, Pat, Patricia, and any other derivative. Well also accept adults with surnames which derive from a form of Patrick including Patrick, Fitzpatrick, Mulpatrick, etc. Were also rolling out the green carpet and including our international visitors with names which are also common international derivatives of Patrick, among them Patricio (Spanish), Patrizio (Italian), and Patryk (Polish). If youve one of the lucky ones to be named after our patron saint, youre in, subject to availability, Ignacio said. The free tour offer is valid only for walk-up visits only, not for those on pre-booked tours, and is subject to capacity availability. As its a tour of a former brewery site, the offer is also open to over 18s only. Those who believe they qualify must show valid photo identification. A full bar facility is available at The Barrel Yard throughout the entire weekend and it is hoped that the sessions will attract those finishing work in the city for the long weekend and looking for somewhere to begin the festival weekend, as well as visitors to the Marble City. All Smithwicks products are available on tap, as well as low alcohol and non-alcohol options. Theres a patch of undulating hills in the south west corner of Kilkenny so incredibly rich in local folklore that a recent visit to the area sent my head spinning. Last Sunday, I set off for the village of Owning in South Kilkenny, in search of an object that has recently been brought to my attention on social media. That object: A stone. No ordinary stone, mind you, but a lifting stone a 120kg goliath that has quickly earned its place in the villages lore. The stone came to my attention via David Keohan, also known as Indiana Stones, a Waterford man who is attempting to revive the ancient tradition of stone lifting across Ireland. Stone lifting was a commonplace activity in Ireland before the Great Famine, particularly in the west of the country. In many towns and villages, a stone would be selected that was unique to that place. Those who could lift their local lifting stone confirmed their manhood, and the act itself brought bragging rights and societal status in often tight-knit communities. Inishmore native and well-known novelist Liam OFlaherty paints a magnificent picture of the activity in his short story, The Stone: It was a great day in each young mans life when he raised the stone from the ground and gave it wind as they said. And if he raised it to his knees, he was a champion, the equal of the best. And if he raised it to his chest, he was a hero, a phenomenon of strength and the men talked of him. Whereas, he who failed to lift it from the ground became the butt of everybodys scorn. It had always been so, from the time of the most remote ancestors of the people As myself and a friend landed into Owning village to examine the stone we had heard about, a man out walking took interest. Youre here trying to lift the stone?, he enquired, as we all stared at this mammoth object sitting atop a mound in the village called The Bulk. The Bulk has sat there resolutely for centuries, unperturbed by the movement of society and unphased by the winds of change. Situated between the local church and a pub, it was where politicians used to come and deliver speeches, where schoolyard scraps would be settled and where people from many generations gone by would arrange to meet. Many a life has been bookmarked by encounters at The Bulk, and it is continuing to spring forth stories and traditions. Interestingly, the Owning lifting stone was only recently freed from some mortar that had kept it in place on The Bulk. Local historian Paddy OShea has since informed me that the lifting of the stone in Owning is only a recent phenomenon, and certainly does not date back to pre-Famine times. When I first heard this news, I was slightly disappointed, but thinking about it further, that made this particular lifting stone incredibly unique. READ NEXT: Major stretch of greenway in Kilkenny is nearing completion Even though the tradition of lifting stones began hundreds of years ago, there must still be something in the Irish psyche that draws us to feats of strength, ritual, and connection to the past. The tradition of lifting this stone somehow managed to spring up organically, has taken root in the village, and is now slowly solidifying its own place in local lore. There are musings that the tradition in Owning began just a few decades ago, when men leaving the local pub after a few 'lemonades' dared one another to lift the stone. Eventually, the stone was unceremoniously mortared into the side of The Bulk, but now that it is free again, the act of lifting it as a show of strength is returning. When the stone was brought to the attention of David Keohan (Indiana Stones), he came to the village, lifted the stone, and walked it around The Bulk. That feat was covered by Reuters, one of the worlds leading news agencies, and now David Keohan is one of many strongmen in recent times who have come to the village with the sole intention of raising the stone. I wish I could report that my attempt to lift the stone was successful, but the 120kg beast refused to budge. Yet, in that struggle, I felt connected to something deeper a tradition not measured by success, but by the sheer act of trying. I can only hope the people of Owning will be kinder than those referenced in OFlahertys short story and spare me a lifetime of scorn. FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE President Donald Trump has said he does not want to do anything to hurt Ireland but added that the trade relationship between the countries should be focused on fairness. Mr Trump levelled accusations against Ireland and the European Union during a bilateral meeting with Irish premier Micheal Martin in the Oval Office on Wednesday. The president raised the massive trade imbalance between the two countries and said Ireland is of course taking advantage of the US. Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office: Theres a massive deficit that we have with Ireland and with other countries too, and we want to sort of even that out as nicely as we can, and well work together. He accused the Irish Government of taking US pharmaceutical companies through attractive taxation measures and criticised the EUs ruling that found that Apple owes Ireland billions of euro in taxes. He said: The United States of America is going to take back a lot of what was stolen from it by other countries and, frankly, by incompetent US leadership. He added: I gave you an example of Ireland, I would have never let that happen but were going to take back our wealth and were take back a lot of the companies that left. Asked if Ireland was also taking advantage of the US, he said: Of course they are. I have great respect for Ireland, for what they did and they should have done just what they did. But the United States shouldnt have let that happen. We had stupid leaders, we had leaders who didnt have a clue. All of a sudden Ireland has our pharmaceutical companies, this beautiful island of five million people has got the entire US pharmaceutical industry in its grasps. Mr Trump told reporters that he loved Ireland and had received a large share of the Irish-American vote before adding: We dont want to do anything to hurt Ireland but we do want fairness and he understands that. In a 50-minute session in front of reporters, Mr Trump heard from the Taoiseach that his father was a very good defensive boxer. He could duck and he could weave. He boxed for Ireland. In his own defence of the country, Mr Martin said that US pharmaceutical companies are doing very well in Ireland. He said: Its about that two-way partnership. I understand fully where the president is coming from. I think theres actually room that we can discuss all this. I think theres room for those companies to grow in America and many of them, by the way, have already announced fairly significant manufacturing investments now (in the US). On US companies operating in the country, Mr Martin said Ireland has served them well with a strong, educated workforce and access to the EU single market. While Mr Trump said he was not going to mess around with Mr Martin given his fighting genetics, he added that Apple had been treated very badly by an EU court ruling that order the company to pay billions of euro in back taxes to Ireland. Mr Martin interjected to say that the Irish Government fought with them on the EU case. Its the European Union, isnt it? The European Union is going after our companies, Mr Trump said when asked if Apple should relocate from Dublin back to the US. He added: Im not happy with the European Union and were going to win that financial battle. He said previous presidents had lost big segments of the US economy, adding that the European Union treats us very badly. They have not been fair. They sue our companies and win massive amounts of money. They sued Apple, won 17 billion US dollars and they use that for other reasons, I guess, to run the European Union. So Im not knocking it. Theyre doing what they should be doing, perhaps for the European Union, but it does create ill will and as you know, were going to be doing reciprocal tariffs so whatever they charge us with, were charging them. Nobody can complain about that. Mr Trump greeted Mr Martin outside the West Wing and the pair shook hands, ahead of their sit-down engagement in the Oval Office. The Taoiseach highlighted a two-way street of investment between the nations in a bid to address the concerns around the US-Ireland trade imbalance raised by the president. Mr Martin also praised Mr Trumps work on peace initiatives for Ukraine and Gaza. Ahead of the meeting, there was heightened concern around Mr Trumps protectionist approach to tariffs and tax could pose a significant risk to an Irish economy that is in large part sustained by long-standing investment by US multinationals. Mr Trump will later be presented with a bowl of shamrock as the centrepiece of the Irish Governments major overseas diplomatic push in the run-up to St Patricks Day on March 17. Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Martin also attended a breakfast meeting at the US vice-presidents official residence. Mr Martin and his wife Mary were greeted by Vice-President JD Vance and his wife Usha at the US Naval Observatory. Iraq Returns 27,000 Antiquities to National Museum Assyrian antiquities dated around 3000 BC displayed in the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad on November 28, 2018. ( Sabah Arar/AFP) Iraq's General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage announced on Tuesday the recovery of 27,000 looted relics from within Iraq and abroad, confirming their return to the National Museum of Iraq. "The issue of recovering looted and smuggled antiquities is receiving direct attention from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and the Minister of Culture, with efforts being coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Iraqi embassies worldwide," head of the authority, Ali Obeid, told the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA). "In recent months, we have managed to recover more than 7,000 historically significant antiquities from ancient civilizations, which hold great artistic and cultural value. These items have been returned to their original homeland at the National Museum of Iraq," Obeid added. The head of the antiquities and heritage authority also emphasized that efforts extend beyond recovering artifacts from abroad. Security operations, coordinated with local security forces, the Iraqi intelligence agency and interior ministry, have led to the confiscation of over 20,000 antiquities within Iraq, he added. Legal measures have been implemented, and these items are now safeguarded at the National Museum of Iraq. Iraqi artifacts have been subjected to looting and vandalism since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and even further in 2014 after the Islamic State (ISIS) seized control of large swathes of the country's north and west. In recent years, Baghdad has made significant efforts to recover and repatriate these lost antiquities. In March 2022, Iraq's national museum was re-inaugurated, showcasing Iraqi artifacts recovered from Italy, Japan, Lebanon, and the Netherlands. Notably, in December 2021, the US returned a prized 3,500-year-old clay tablet featuring part of the Epic of Gilgamesh to Iraq. The tablet had been stolen from an Iraqi museum and trafficked illegally to the US. The Herald reports: He pulled the trigger five times in a daylight gang shooting in Rotorua and was responsible for a string of car break-ins and had ridden dangerously on a trail bike. But he isnt going jail. And his identity will permanently be kept secret. Thats because the now 19-year-old has had one of the worst childhoods a Rotorua District Court judge says he has ever seen. The teen is now turning his back on gangs and crime and striving for a better life, despite his challenges, the judge said. Im generally sceptical of name suppression and not going to jail for violent offences. Too often offenders with a long strong of convictions are allowed to keep offending. But in this case, I think the judge is right to see if he can overcome his childhood. Judge Hollister-Jones said the teen connected with wider family members while living out of town on electronically monitored bail the first time. They gave you a birthday party which I interpreted to be your first birthday party thrown for you, which tells a lot. He described some of the issues the teen had experienced growing up, many of which could not be publicly reported to protect his identity. His mother became pregnant with him to a gang member when she was 13. She went on to have a relationship with another gang member and the teens life was immersed in gang culture where they often witnessed violence. His siblings ended up in state care. Being born to a 13 year old mum and gang member dad almost dooms him from the beginning. But if his extended family can show him a better way, then it is worth the second chance. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Showers and thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High around 85F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Showers and thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High around 85F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. An eager developer. A first meeting. A funding opportunity. There is more that goes into building a new housing project, but those three components have been important in getting the city of Auburn and Cayuga County to this point. Park Grove Realty, a Rochester-based developer, is planning a $23 million project to construct 70 townhome-style apartments on the city's west end. The housing units would be appealing for young professionals, especially workers at major employers in Cayuga County and future Micron workers in the region. The project is years in the making. From interviews with key leaders and comments at the Cayuga County Legislature meeting in February, The Citizen details how this plan is moving forward. 'A win-win for everybody': Developer plans $23M, 70-unit housing project in Auburn A Rochester developer is planning a $23 million project to build a 70-unit housing complex on the west end of Auburn. The meeting One of Jonathan Anna's first acts as Cayuga County Legislature chair was to walk from his office on State Street in Auburn to Memorial City Hall. Anna wanted to meet and open communication with Mayor Jimmy Giannettino. Although Giannettino wasn't there at the time, they connected by phone and agreed to meet the following week. During that meeting, Giannettino and city staff detailed the proposed Bluefield Pointe housing project to Anna and mentioned the state's County Infrastructure Grant Program. As the name suggests, the new funding source is available to counties, not cities. However, counties awarded funding may re-grant the monies to another entity or municipality. "When we were talking about the fact that the way the state laid this out, you had to apply through the county," Giannetino said in an interview with The Citizen. "We got our pro-housing designation, but there weren't really any other mechanisms for us to try and get this money. We expressed that to (Anna)." Anna listened and reviewed more information about the proposal after the meeting. What he found is a concept that aligned with his economic development vision for the county. "This is an opportunity," he told The Citizen. The grant The County Infrastructure Grant Program was established in 2024. It is administered by Empire State Development, the state's lead economic agency, and provides up to $50 million for county-led infrastructure projects. There are two tiers of awards. Counties can get up to $1 million for projects that support the construction of at least 10 new housing units, according to Empire State Development. Awards of up to $500,000 are available for non-housing projects. After learning more about the Bluefield Pointe plan, Anna wanted to pursue the maximum $1 million award. He discussed it with the county's Department of Planning and Economic Development, which was already working with the city. Some county officials wanted to apply for a $500,000 award to support the Deauville Island bridge replacement project at Emerson Park. Instead of seeking funding for the bridge in this round, the county will pursue other options. One is to apply for a $2 million grant through the Northern Border Regional Commission, a partnership between the federal and state governments to boost economic development. Empire State Development has said there will be a second round of funding. The county will apply for a $500,000 award to support the Deauville Island bridge project. For now, though, the focus is on the housing project. Park Grove Realty will cover the $250 application fee. Anna told Kari Terwilliger, director of the county's Department of Planning and Economic Development, to contact the developer and ask if they would reimburse the county for preparing the grant application. They agreed to cover those costs, too. With those commitments from the developer, there will be no cost to the county to apply for the grant. If it is awarded the money, it will be re-granted to the city. The funding would be used for infrastructure upgrades at the project site. The county Legislature voted at its Feb. 27 meeting to submit an application for a $1 million grant. The project Tim Crilly, director of development for Park Grove Realty, told the county Legislature the firm began working with the city of Auburn three years ago to find a site for a "high-quality housing" project. Meanwhile, Park Grove was the developer of the cancer center at Auburn Community Hospital. Construction began in fall 2022 and the facility opened in early 2024. The cancer center's completion allowed Park Grove to refocus on plans for a market-rate housing project in Auburn. Assistant Auburn City Manager Jennifer Haines said at a City Council meeting in February that the initial plan was for 52 Metcalf Drive owned by the Auburn Enlarged City School District. The County Infrastructure Grant Program was discussed during a housing subcommittee meeting Haines serves as the panel's chair and the city renewed its push for a housing project. A new site was needed, though, because the school district decided it would not sell the land on Metcalf Drive. There is city-owned property on the west end near Bluefield Manor, an independent retirement community. That's where Park Grove wants to build 70 townhome-style apartments. According to Crilly, there will be 21 one-bedroom, 35 two-bedroom and 14 three-bedroom units. The rents would be $1,775 to $1,795 for a one-bedroom apartment, $2,145 to $2,250 for two bedrooms and $2,450 to $2,495 for three bedrooms. The apartments, Crilly explained, would be equipped with stainless steel appliances, modern lighting and plumbing fixtures, quartz countertops and a washer and dryer. The bedrooms will be carpeted, while luxury vinyl flooring will be used in other areas of the units. Other features include a balcony and patio and large walk-in closets. Each unit will have its own entryway and garage. "We think it's important that the best stuff is in these sorts of developments," Crilly said. "That's what everyone is paying for at the end of the day. The amenities don't end in the units. There would be a clubhouse with a community room, a dog park, exercise facility, pickleball court and pool. Park Grove has similar developments in Ithaca and the Rochester area. Those projects have been successful, according to Crilly. "We have very high occupancy rates," he said. The project, which must be approved by city boards before construction begins, would generate short-term and long-term economic benefits. It will create 231 construction jobs and the developer's contractor may seek local companies to do some of the work. The apartments are geared toward households earning $100,000 or more annually. These are people who would live and spend their money in the community. The annual sales tax revenue from tenants would be $212,800, with the county's share being $106,400. Mortgage tax recording fees would total $38,000, according to Crilly. When it opens, Bluefield Pointe will have two employees a property manager and a maintenance supervisor. Crilly said Park Grove is excited about the project. "It's been a long time coming for the city of Auburn," he continued. "We spent a lot of time and effort trying to find a great site." The optimism The developer and local leaders are excited about the project. City leaders recently toured Nucor, according to Giannettino, and the company told them that their workers, who earn more than $80,000 a year, have trouble finding housing in Auburn and Cayuga County. For the type of housing that Bluefield Pointe would offer, the employees need to move to neighboring Onondaga County. Anna and Giannettino agree the project is good for the city and county. Anna added that it will show developers the county is "open for business and we're ready to grow." The project will help attract more people to the area, according to Giannettino. It will also help the city and county prepare for an influx of residents when Micron opens its chip fabs by the end of this decade. Crilly told county legislators there is "a great demand" for this type of housing, some of which is driven by Micron's plans. The Missouri Supreme Court is set to hear arguments over Proposition A on Wednesday in a case that could overturn the proposition's passage in the November general election. Proposition A passed by a significant margin in the 2024 general election. It is set to increase the minimum wage in Missouri by $1.25 from its current $13.75 per hour to $15 an hour in 2026. The proposition raised the minimum wage to $13.75 on Jan. 1, 2025. This increase would bring an extra $1,083 each year for Missouri workers, according to the Missouri Budget Project. The proposition also requires employers to provide one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked. This puts Missouri with 18 other states, including Washington, D.C., that require paid sick leave. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. The case was brought to the Missouri Supreme Court by a petition from several business groups attempting to overturn the proposition. The groups are challenging the proposition on several accounts, including the way it was placed on the ballot, petitioning that the proposition contains two unrelated subjects and the impacts of the proposition listed on the ballot were misleading. The business groups argue these violate against the Missouri Constitution. The state Constitution requires that ballot questions contain only one subject. Opponents say the proposition included changes to the minimum wage, paid sick leave and paid domestic violence leave. Oral arguments in the case are set to begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday. ARMSTRONG A man convicted of child molestation in Armstrong was released from the Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center on Feb. 14 after serving 120 days behind bars. Nelson Paul Thompson, a former Moberly Correctional Center correctional captain, was convicted of two Class B felonies of child molestation in October 2024 at the Randolph County Courthouse. Thompson was found guilty of molesting his daughter and step-daughter when they were between the ages of 6 and 15 years old. The abuse began in 1998 and continued until 2019, the mother of one of the victims said. The victims are now 17 and 32 years old. Carigan Loyd, one of Thompsons victims, shared that she has trouble sleeping at night in fear of Thompsons release. "I have nightmares every night, and I can barely sleep because I just can't fall asleep," Loyd said. "I'm scared that I'm going to have these nightmares about him." Presiding over the case, Judge Scott A. Hayes sentenced Thompson to two 10-year sentences to be served concurrently. In his initial sentencing, Thompson received a plea bargain, allowing Thompson potential eligibility to be released after completing a treatment program. Thompson participated in Missouris Sex Offender Program, a 120-day treatment program, and completed two Sex Offender Assessment Processes: the Static 99R and Stable 2007. Thompson successfully completed both the treatment program and the sex offender risk assessments. PAST COVERAGE: Man convicted of molesting daughter, stepdaughter being released after 120 days Nelson Paul Thompson was convicted in Randolph County of two counts of child molestation in October 2024. According to Hayes, the assessments showed Thompson had a below-average risk of recidivism, or less than a 1% chance Thompson would reoffend. Seth Wescott, a licensed master-level psychologist and certified trainer in the Static-99R and Stable-2007 assessments, told KOMU 8 that although these tests are highly accurate, there are other factors that should be considered. "Risk assessment is helpful. It is not the end all be all," Wescott said. "Hopefully it is part of a broader evaluation process Re-offense is always possible, regardless of what their assigned risk level is or what their assessed risk level is." KOMU 8 looked into the Missouri Department of Corrections statistics on child molesters and the Missouri Sex Offender Program. In 2024, 331 people incarcerated in Missouri state prisons had convictions for child molestation in the first degree, carrying the average sentence of 15 years. The Missouri Sex Offender Program had 247 participants successfully complete the program. On average, those who completed the program had served nearly 70% of their initial sentence. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Once Thompson completed the Missouri Sex Offender Program and Sex Offender Assessment Process, the victims found out about Thompsons upcoming release. The victims and their family said they were shocked and upset about his upcoming release, so they requested a hearing before Hayes. Kaytee Loyd, the mother of one of the victims, was emotional after hearing about Thompsons upcoming release. "For me as the mother, I felt like I failed my kids again, Kaytee Loyd said. We fought so hard to get to that point and to have this ripped back away from us again. It feels like they don't care." Carigan Loyd said the news of Thompson's release was unexpected to her. It was a lot of disbelief that this would even happen, because I put so much trust in our lawyers and the judge and that he would actually spend time behind bars for 10 years, but he didn't even get an inch for that, Carigan Loyd said. On Feb. 13, 2025, the victims and their family were granted a request to be heard hearing, where they urged Hayes to stop Thompson's release. Hayes signed off on Thompson's release citing that Thompson successfully completed the Missouri Sex Offender Program and the necessary risk assessments. Additionally, the judge said that no new evidence was presented at the hearing. KOMU 8 reached out to Ryan Waters, a criminal defense attorney from Jefferson City, who is not affiliated with this case but shared clarification on why Thompson was offered this deal. In Missouri, these cases are usually dealt with very harshly I think it's a bit unusual, just because most cases of this caliber deserve and carry a heavy punishment, frankly, but every case is different, and every set of facts is different, Waters said. Thompson had served just over 3% of his initial sentence when he was released on Feb. 14. Thompson is now a registered sex offender and has been ordered five years of probation. Thompson relocated to an address in Armstrong after leaving the jail, according to his sexual assessment report. There are no parks or schools near the address, which makes it a suitable spot for someone who is a registered sex offender, according to Hayes. KOMU 8 contacted Thompsons attorney, Adam Dowling, who said both he and Thompson had no comment. With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. FAW Group, China Telecom sign agreement to deepen strategic cooperation On March 10, FAW Group and China Telecom signed an agreement in Beijing to strengthen their strategic collaboration. Under this new phase of partnership, the two companies will work together across multiple areas, including autonomous driving, V2X (vehicle-to-everything) services, basic internet services, AI computing power development and applications, international business, industrial investment, and brand innovation. By leveraging their respective strengths, FAW Group and China Telecom aim to jointly build an intelligent, connected, and digitalized automotive ecosystem. Photo credit: FAW Group BYD, Sydney Roosters kick off five-Year partnership On March 7, 2025, BYD announced a five-year strategic partnership with Sydney Roosters, one of the most legendary teams in Australia's National Rugby League (NRL). This collaboration will extend across all of Sydney Roosters home games and community events, with BYD leveraging the team's official channels to strengthen its brand presence in Australia. LUXEED R7s fixed order volume surpass 80,000 units in just over five months On March 12, Huaweis HIMA (Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance) announced that fixed order volume for the LUXEED R7 model have exceeded 80,000 units since its launch just over five months ago. Developed jointly by Huawei and Chery, the electric coupe-style SUV is available in Pro, Max, and Ultra variants, with prices ranging from 259,800 to 339,800 yuan. Black Sesame Technologies partners with Academician Liu Sheng's team on humanoid robotics tech innovation On March 12, Black Sesame Technologies announced a strategic partnership with the team of Mr. Liu Sheng, Executive Dean of the Institute of Technological Sciences at Wuhan University and an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, to drive technological breakthroughs and innovative applications in humanoid robotics, according to a post on the WeChat account of Black Sesame Technologies. Geely brand launches global-oriented all-electric SUV EX5 in Australia, New Zealand On March 11, 2025 local time, Geely brand introduced its global-oriented all-electric SUV, the Geely EX5 (namely, the Geely Galaxy E5 in China), to the Australian and New Zealand markets, while launching its new overseas user brand, "GEELYGO", according to a post on Geely Auto Group's WeChat account. FAW Audi, Zhongsheng Group sign MoU to expand dealership network On March 11, FAW Audi Sales Co., Ltd. (FAW Audiand Zhongsheng Group Holdings Limited signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Hangzhou, aiming to strengthen collaboration. The partnership will focus on dealership network expansion, new energy vehicle (NEV) business, pilot programs for innovative business models, and enhancing user experience. Horizon Continental Technology secures hundreds of millions of yuan in angel funding Horizon Continental Technology, a joint venture between Horizon Robotics and Continental AG, recently completed an angel funding round worth several hundred million yuan. The round was led by Hillhouse Investment, with co-investment from CICC Porsche Fund and Zhejiang Provincial Financial Holdings. Geely Galaxy's LEVC L380 Land Airbus series all-electric MPV hits market On March 10, Geely Auto's Galaxy brand officially put its first high-end all-electric MPV, the LEVC L380 "Land Airbus" series (called "new LEVC L380" for short), onto the market. The new vehicle is available in five variants, with prices ranging from 299,900 yuan to 599,900 yuan. China's power battery installed capacity surges 94.1% YoY in Feb. 2025, despite MoM dip In February 2025, China's power battery installed capacity reached 34.9 GWh, reflecting a 10.1% month-on-month decline but a 94.1% year-on-year surge, according to the China Automotive Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance ("CAPBIIA"). NEVC, Freetech establish joint lab for automotive-grade chip On March 10, China's National New Energy Vehicle Technology Innovation Center (NEVC) and intelligent driving solution provider Freetech signed a joint laboratory cooperation agreement in Beijing, officially inaugurating a collaborative chip laboratory. WeRide launches pilot Robobus service in Barcelona On March 11, autonomous driving technology company WeRide, announced the launch of its autonomous minibus (Robobus) pilot service in downtown Barcelona in partnership with Renault Group. Hesai Technology secures exclusive long-term deal from leading European automaker LiDAR maker Hesai Technology announced on March 12 that it has secured a milestone multi-year exclusive supply agreement with a leading European automaker. ECARX sees 18% YoY growth in 2024 annual revenue In Q4 2024, ECARX achieved revenue of 1.94 billion yuan, marking a 4% year-on-year increase. Non-GAAP profit reached 74.4 million yuan, with a gross margin of 21%. For the full year, ECARX recorded total revenue of 5.56 billion yuan, an 18% increase from the previous year. Beijing (Gasgoo)- On March 10, China's National New Energy Vehicle Technology Innovation Center (NEVC) and intelligent driving solution provider Freetech signed a joint laboratory cooperation agreement in Beijing, officially inaugurating a collaborative chip laboratory. Signing ceremony; photo credit: NEVC The partnership marks a significant step in deepening cooperation between NEVC and Freetech in the evaluation and application of automotive-grade chips. The two parties will collaborate extensively in areas such as computing and intelligent driving SoC testing methodologies, EMC evaluation research, vehicle domain controller applications, industry standard development, chip validation frameworks, quality management systems, supplier management, and chip selection promotion. Freetech, as a Chinese Tier 1 supplier, has more than eight years of experience in the industry. Centered around its ODIN intelligent driving digital platform, Freetech offers a full-stack intelligent driving solution based on smart sensors, central computing platforms, intelligent driving algorithms, and data-driven closed-loop services. As of the end of 2024, Freetech has completed intelligent driving projects for over 200 vehicle models from more than 46 automakers, demonstrating strong mass production capabilities in the intelligent driving sector. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On March 12, Black Sesame Technologies announced a strategic partnership with the team of Mr. Liu Sheng, Executive Dean of the Institute of Technological Sciences at Wuhan University and an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, to drive technological breakthroughs and innovative applications in humanoid robotics, according to a post on the WeChat account of Black Sesame Technologies. The collaboration centers around "TIANWEN," Wuhan University's first self-developed humanoid robot, integrating Black Sesame Technologies' cutting-edge chips and algorithms to enhance its cognitive and motor functions. Photo credit: Black Sesame Technologies Both parties are also working on mass-production-ready chip solutions for humanoid robots, aiming to push the industry's technological boundaries. In robotics, the "brain" handles complex environmental perception, decision-making, and task planning, while the "cerebellum" governs motion control and body coordination. Black Sesame Technologies, leveraging its expertise in chip and algorithm development, has created an advanced "brain-cerebellum" platform that empowers TIANWEN with enhanced perception, decision-making, and control capabilities. The "brain" platform is powered by Black Sesame Technologies' Huashan A2000 chip, which delivers high-performance computing tailored for general AI applications. Designed to equip AI models with human-like common sense and decision-making abilities, the A2000 chip features a heterogeneous computing architecture and an integrated hardware acceleration engine, optimizing machine learning algorithms for trillions of calculations per second. With high computational power, bandwidth, multimodal fusion, and energy efficiency, it provides a robust foundation for TIANWEN's real-time data processing and decision-making models. A key advantage of the A2000 chip is its scalability and support for embodied intelligence algorithms, allowing robots to process multimodal sensory data in real timeincluding visual, auditory, and tactile inputsto make intelligent decisions. Whether in industrial automation or dynamic service environments, the A2000's computing power ensures seamless AI integration for humanoid robotics. The "cerebellum" platform is built on Black Sesame Technologies's Wudang C1236 chip, which enhances real-time motion control. The C1236 chip architecture utilizes time-sharing operating systems and hardware isolation technology, enabling parallel processing of AI computation and motion control tasks. This reduces system latency, improves operational safety and reliability, and ensures precise movement execution in complex environments. With the project launched in March 2024, TIANWEN has drawn significant attention. Standing 1.7 meters tall and weighing 65 kg, it features 36 degrees of freedom and an advanced dexterous hand design capable of precise object manipulation. These attributes give it a competitive edge in key performance metrics. The partnership with Black Sesame Technologies will significantly enhance TIANWEN's motion control, environmental perception, and human-robot interaction capabilities, broadening its application potential. As Black Sesame Technologies' brain-cerebellum platform is further integrated into TIANWEN, the robot is set to achieve a qualitative leap in perception, decision-making, and control. Beyond mastering basic mobility skills such as walking, running, and jumping, TIANWEN will leverage its advanced sensing and interaction abilities to adapt to dynamic environments, delivering more intelligent and convenient services to humans. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Felix, a member of the K-pop group Stray Kids, made a striking appearance on the runway for Louis Vuitton's Fall Winter 2025 show during Paris Fashion Week. This marked his second time walking for the luxury brand, following his debut in the Fall Winter 2024-2025 womenswear show. For this year's appearance, the K-pop idol wore a stylish ensemble featuring a black and white textured sweater paired with brown and gold plaid trousers. His look was accessorized with a navy and blue bag, a braided belt, and trendy sneakers. Felix's second time participating in Louis Vuitton's Fall Winter womenswear show comes nearly two years after he was appointed brand ambassador in August 2023. "I discovered Felix when I presented my pre-fall collection in Seoul," artistic director Nicolas Ghesquiere said of the idol. "It instantly clicked between us. He is really talented. I love his energy, his unique personality, and his audacious sense of style." Felix's participation in the show was met with enthusiasm from fans, who celebrated him as the first and only fourth-generation K-pop idol to model twice for Louis Vuitton. His friend, BLACKPINK's Lisa, was also seen clapping and smiling as Felix walked the runway. Felix is not the only Stray Kids member to have had experience in the fashion industry. The group previously made waves after attending the prestigious Met Gala in May 2024, thanks in part to their partnership with Tommy Hilfigerwhich they have been global ambassadors for since August 2023. They were the first K-pop group to attend the event. Individually, Bang Chan has been selected as a brand ambassador for Fendi, first appearing at the brand's Spring/Summer 2025 show in Milan. Hyunjin serves as a global ambassador for Versace and Cartier, while I.N. has collaborated with Bottega Veneta. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. BROKEN BOW, Okla. - The KTBS 3 Community Caravan crew wrapped up another great week on the road Thursday, this time in Oklahoma. The woman shot and killed by Bismarck police last week had a documented history of mental health struggles, past violence and court-ordered treatment -- yet was released from state supervision two years ago after being assessed as no longer a danger to herself or others, according to court records. Melanie Udell, 53, was fatally shot around noon March 7 in a parking lot on 12th Street Southeast, south of the intersection with East Bismarck Expressway, after police say she intentionally struck an officer with her vehicle as she was attempting to leave the lot during a traffic stop. The officer was taken to a hospital and released later that day. Bismarck police said in a statement that they fired at Udell to protect their veteran officer and multiple nearby bystanders. A history of mental health struggles Public records in a 2020 case indicate Udell was ordered confined to the State Hospital in Jamestown after she stabbed a man in the face during an argument. Udell was initially charged with aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon during an act of domestic violence and preventing arrest after allegedly assaulting the man whom she had been in a relationship with for approximately 3 years, according to court records. Police attempting to take Udell into custody after the stabbing reported that she was Tased after refusing commands. An affidavit states she appeared heavily intoxicated and was rambling about "shooting people up" and someone attempting to rape her. An October 2020 court order noted that Udell be evaluated to determine her mental competency and culpability. Competency, under state law, is often equated with fitness to proceed. Under state law, "fitness to proceed" means a person has sufficient present ability to consult with counsel with a reasonable degree of rational understanding and a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings. Culpability refers to a person's knowledge of their conduct. Under state law, a person is found culpable for their actions if it's determined they acted knowingly, intentionally or willfully. People can also be found culpable if it's determined their actions were committed recklessly or negligently. The results of those evaluations are confidential, but court records show that following a competency hearing on Dec. 9, a judge signed an order suspending legal proceedings and temporarily confining Udell to the State Hospital for 90 days. During that time, she was to receive inpatient treatment to determine whether she could regain fitness to proceed. That confinement was extended and included an order that Udell receive medications, according to court records. Periodic hearings were held and legal proceedings remained suspended. In September 2021, Udell through her defense attorney Garrett Ludwig pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility. The agreement stipulated that Udell committed the acts for which she was charged and understood that by signing it, her trial would be canceled. The document is dated with her signature on Sept. 16. Udell remained at the State Hospital until a hearing on Nov. 16, 2021, at which time she was ordered released into the supervision of the South Central Human Service Zone headquartered in Jamestown, or another Human Service Zone or approved community provider. The order stipulated Udell was to receive outpatient services that included psychiatric and counseling services, as well as any medication services deemed necessary. The order stipulated that Udell was to remain under the supervision of Human Service Zone personnel for five years, minus the time already served in custody or confinement. The order also stated that if Udell's psychological condition deteriorated, if she failed to continue treatment or committed a violent crime, she could be ordered back to the State Hospital. Udell remained under supervision until March 2023, when a court order was filed discharging her from supervision. The order followed a hearing on Feb. 15, during which Michael Haukaas, a licensed social worker representing the South Central Human Service Zone, provided the court with an assessment concluding that, despite Udell presenting symptoms of PTSD and depression, she was "no longer a danger to herself or others." A document filed by the Burleigh County State's Attorney's Office did not oppose Ludwig's request to release Udell, despite the assessment provided by Haukaas not coming from a Tier 1A mental health professional, such as a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist. The response noted that Haukaas's assessment included comments from Dr. Robert Lisota, a Jamestown psychologist who examined Udell in May 2021. Lisota's report stated that, despite a diagnosis of schizophrenic spectrum disorder, Udell was "a low risk for future violence toward herself and others." Similarly, a report by South Central Human Services dated Sept. 8, 2022, noted that Udell "has been continuously successful with her community supervision," as did a letter dated Dec. 7, 2022, according to the response document. "The overall tone of the recent letters and assessment indicate the defendant (Udell) likely has the tools needed to successfully manage her mental health in the community," the response document stated. "The state feels is it appropriate to discharge the defendant from confinement." Burleigh County State's Attorney Julie Lawyer told the Tribune the order issued following submission of the response document meant Udell was no longer under the supervision of Human Services. After her release, the only instances of Udell appearing in court records are a 2024 traffic citation in Fargo and another traffic violation in Bismarck on March 4. Gordon Deegan The National Concert Hall (NCH) is set to spend an estimated 2.6 million on a new world-class pipe organ for the redeveloped main auditorium in the revamped NCH building. The planned new pipe organ is described as a work of art in new NCH tender documents and the pipe organ will be the centre-piece of the new main auditorium at Earlsfort Terrace looking onto Dublins St Stephens Green. The NCH is seeking parties to design, construct, install and maintain a new pipe organ to replace the 1991 Jones Organ in situ. The tender states that the NCH board appreciates that commissioning a programme of work for the organ is unlike other fabric projects. The tender states that it is akin to commissioning a work of art and we hope to establish a positive partnership, and long-term relationship, with whichever firms wins the contract. The new pipe organ is part of a multi-million euro redevelopment of the NCH in Dublin that will double the home of Irish musics" economic contribution. Last October, the Office of Public Works (OPW) obtained planning permission from Dublin City Council for the redevelopment describing it a once in a multi-generational opportunity to provide a vital, world-class, cultural destination for music lovers, artists and visitors to Ireland. Asked about the estimated 2.6m cost contained in tender documents, a spokeswoman for the NCH said today: "The build, transport, fitting and fine-tuning makes this an exceptionally complex process. "The estimated cost is based on the specification we have sent out, has been benchmarked against international cost comparisons and reflects the complexity and specialist nature of this unique instrument." The spokeswoman said: The installation of a new organ, in the revitalised main auditorium of the NCH will be a centrepiece of this project and a milestone moment for music in Ireland. She said: The newly installed organ will enable the delivery of world-class organ recitals by renowned Irish and international organists, it will have extensive use as a key instrument in performance with the National Symphony Orchestra and other visiting orchestras. "The organ will also be enjoyed by the very many choirs who sing at the National Concert Hall as an accompaniment in their various concerts." The spokeswoman said: A concert organ is a very large specialist instrument, which is carefully designed and customised to the venue. It is built offsite by a specialist organ builder. The time period for build is a minimum of three years." She said: We have retained the services of one of the world's leading Organ consultants, Dr. William McVicker, who has advised on the technical specification as well as the appropriate budget for an instrument of this calibre. The spokeswoman said: The indicative figure of 2.6 million includes for regular site visits for tuning and maintenance over a ten year period." In a nine page Organ Report lodged with as part of the OPW planning application, Dr McVicker stated that if public money is to be spent on the project, a world class organ should be expected. He said: Such an instrument will need to be carefully designed to serve not only the organ repertoire, but to take place in the orchestral repertoire, adding subtlety and gravitas to musical textures when required, as well as drama when required to shine as a soloist in concertos and symphony music. The tender documentation states that the space allocated to the proposed new organ in the main auditorium is significantly greater than that occupied by the present organ and the most recent 2023 accounts for the NCH provide a 735,460 book value on the current pipe organ. Closing date for tenders is May 30th and the NCH intends to sign a contract with the successful tenderer in September. The NCH intends to remove the existing pipe organ in October 2026 and install the newly constructed pipe organ between November 2029 and April 2030. LAOIS venues are celebrating sweet success, after scooping 18 titles in the Leinster finals of the Irish Restaurant Awards. The cream of the countys hospitality sector was represented at the awards ceremony in the Killashee Hotel on 11 March, which was attended by more than 1,000 people from across the region. Individual county winners in 18 categories were announced from 11 of the Leinster counties, as Dublin is a region on its own. World-famous Ballyfin Demesne led the way in Laois with three awards, while two awards each went to Bramley in Abbeyleix, Treacys Bar and Restaurant in The Heath and The Hares Corner in Mountmellick. Bramley was named the countys best restaurant, while Morrisseys across the street in Abbeyleix won Pub of the Year. Treacys took the best gastro pub title, while Richard Picard-Edwards of Ballyfin Demesne was named best chef. Now in their 16th year, the Irish Restaurant Awards received nearly 165,000 public nominations this year, submitted through official media partner The Irish Times. The winning venues in Laois will go on to represent the county at the All-Ireland Awards, which will be announced at a gala dinner on 19 May at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin. Speaking at the Leinster ceremony, Restaurants Association of Ireland president Sean Collender said: Tonight is about recognising the outstanding efforts of those who bring Irelands culinary reputation to life every day. In a challenging business environment, it is more important than ever to honour the people whose hard work, passion and creativity shape our hospitality sector. Laois winners: Best Restaurant Bramley Abbeyleix Best Chef Richard Picard-Edwards, Ballyfin Demesne Best Restaurant Manager Kasia Urban, Bramley Abbeyleix Best Hotel and Guesthouse Restaurant Ballyfin Demesne Best Use of Social Media Make & Mark Employee Excellence Award Colm Dunne, Treacys Bar and Restaurant Best Casual Dining Bowes Foodhall and Cafe Best Gastro Pub Treacys Bar and Restaurant Best Cafe The Wandering Elk Best Contemporary Irish Cuisine The Hares Corner Best Newcomer La Vie en Rose Pub of the Year Morrisseys Best Wine Experience Ballyfin Demesne Best Customer Service Batonis Best World Cuisine Mayur Restaurant Best Sustainable Practices Ballykilcavan Farm and Brewery Innovator of the Year The Hares Corner Local Food Hero Aymar Gourdet, Le Skinny Chef A FOOD wholesaler/distributor in Portlaoise was served with a closure order by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). The order was served on Universal Food Wholesale Distribution Limited (Wholesaler/Distributor), Unit B3 National Enterprise Park, Togher, Portlaoise. The Portlaoise based business was just two that were served with a FSAI Act, 1998 Closure Order in February. Under the FSAI Act, 1998, a Closure Order is served where it is deemed that there is or there is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises; or where an Improvement Order is not complied with. Closure Orders can refer to the immediate closure of all or part of the food premises, or all or some of its activities. During an inspection of the Portlaoise premises rodent droppings were noted around the edge of the floor of the warehouse/delivery area, especially beneath the shelving racks. *Six mouse carcases were noted beneath the shelving racks and around the edges of the warehouse floor. *A large container which had no lid and which was full of miscellaneous items such as old aprons in black refuse sacks and old light fittings, also had a large number of mouse droppings in the base. *There were a number of spillages of foodstuffs around the floor which had not been cleaned up and were providing a food source for the mice. *A number of gaps/holes were noted around the floor of the warehouse storage area beneath the shelving racks which were obvious entry routes for mice. Mouse droppings were noted around these holes and a mouse carcase was noted in a trap beside one of the holes. *It was also found that a number of crates and boxes of foods - spices, rice and soft drinks - which were left on-site from the previous business were noted to be stored on the racks around and above the warehouse area. These foods were noted to be out of date. *The inspection also found that numerous mouse carcases were found in the warehouse area which had not been removed. There were also many mouse droppings noted around the warehouse area which had not been cleaned up. No documentation regarding pest control checks was available. The Chief Executive of FSAI Greg Dempsey said that vigilance is always required in relation to food safety and that standards must be maintained to ensure that consumer health is not put at risk. He said: Februarys Enforcement Orders serve as an important reminder that food safety must always be a top priority for all food businesses. Regular checks and adherence to food safety and hygiene standards are essential to protect consumers health and maintain public trust. There are no excuses for failing to comply with legal requirements, and any lapse in food safety practices puts consumers at direct risk. Implementing a food safety management system is straightforward, especially with the supports available from the FSAI, yet some businesses continue to neglect this crucial legal requirement. Consumers have a right to safe food and it is imperative that all food businesses uphold the highest standards of food safety and hygiene at all times. VAPING was a hot topic when children from Timahoe NS exhibited a powerful project at a prestigious science fair in the RDS. The rise of vaping among teenagers and the associated health effects were explored in Sweet Clouds and Bitter Truths, a study by the schools sixth class pupils that was presented at Science Blast from 3-6 March. Scoil Mhuire Fatima has a rich tradition at the huge annual exhibition, which is run by the RDS and sponsored by the ESB, and this years project upheld that tradition with a wealth of research and striking presentation. In their survey of teenagers, the Timahoe students discovered that over half vaped due to peer pressure, while 40% admitted they were lured in by sweet flavours. The primary school pupils said they were shocked to learn that one in five teenagers use e-cigarettes regularly. The Timahoe students also spoke to experts and learned that vaping is more dangerous than many people realise and is especially harmful for those with a pre-existing condition such as asthma. They found that irreversible lung damage known as bronchiolitis obliterans or popcorn lungs can be caused by a chemical found in e-cigarettes. Science Blast adjudicator Kate, an engineer with a pharmaceutical company in Dublin, praised the students biology and human science investigation, as she agreed that the surge in teenage vaping was worrying. She also acknowledged the students use of scientific methods such as surveys, labelling diagrams and conducting interviews, to support the secondary sources found through internet research. Kate loved the colour coordination and popcorn lung as part of the display and complimented the childrens communication skills, suggesting that they have a bright future. The boys and girls had a memorable day as they visited other school projects, science shows with RTE School Hubs science presenters Mark and Phil and played educational games provided by science and engineering firms. Timahoe NS principal Michael McEvoy and sixth class teacher Anna Moore were very proud of the students efforts. Ms Moore pointed out that the children worked extremely hard on the project and showed great interest in the topic, in what was an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Mr McEvoy said: It is hugely important for the children to be aware of the consequences of vaping, particularly as they enter their teenage years. We are delighted with the childrens efforts. It was a great day and a very worthwhile learning experience for them. TWO popular annual agriculture shows in Laois have received a total of 16,700 in funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development. Confirming the funding allocation local TD Sean Fleming said that the Ossory Agriculture Show thats taking place on Sunday 27 July will receive 8,350 while the Clonaslee and District Show on Sunday 14 September will also receive 8,350. He said the funding is to support the work of the show committees as they prepare for their upcoming events. Deputy Fleming said: Agriculture shows are a key component of life in rural areas. Although farming practices have changed, agriculture is still the backbone of life in rural Ireland and plays a vital role in our national economy. These shows are also one of the best days for meeting neighbours and friends in rural Ireland. These shows could not happen without the hard work of all the local volunteers who come together to make them such enjoyable events, he said. A PORTLAOISE mother who was raped by her uncle when she was only seven is appealing to people to support a peaceful protest this Thursday, one week after he was released from jail. Sonya Stokes (47) is also seeking signatures for an online petition, calling for stricter release conditions for repeat child sex offenders. Sonya stood vigil outside the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise last Thursday, when notorious paedophile Joseph Hogan was released after serving ten years of a 15-year sentence. Hogan first raped Sonya on top of a washing machine in his Limerick home when she was only seven years old. Over the following four years, he raped and sexually assaulted her in his house and in an outdoor shed. Sonya waited outside the Midlands Prison for over five hours from 5.30am on Thursday, hoping to confront the man who destroyed her childhood. Instead, the 71-year-old was whisked away in a taxi that had been sent to the rear of the prison, leaving her helpless and alone on the street. Speaking to the Laois Nationalist, Sonya said: I felt so angry. If that was any ordinary criminal they would have just opened the gates and let him out. Why was this dangerous child predator hidden from view, after hurting so many children? She explained: I didnt want to make a scene. I just wanted to confront him and ask if he realised what he had done. I wanted to let him know that Im not afraid of him. Instead, they hid him away and he just drove past me in the back of a taxi. I wanted to scream. A mother-of-five whose youngest child is eight, Sonya said: I cant believe they protected him and Im disgusted with the justice system and the child protection system. Sonya is urgently seeking a series of changes in the law, with stricter release conditions for repeat child sex offenders. These conditions would include the mandatory tagging of convicted offenders following their release, so that their whereabouts is known at all times. Together with other victims of child rape and abuse, Sonya will take part in a peaceful protest at 5.30am this Thursday outside City Hall in Limerick. A native of Limerick city, Hogan stayed in a homeless shelter on the night of his release and is understood to have moved to an accommodation centre in a former Limerick hotel the following day. Hogan is now under Probation Service supervision and is on the sex offenders register, which gives him 24 hours to notify gardai of his whereabouts. The protest in Limerick will call for much stricter regulation of sex offenders, particularly in relation to their accommodation. The protest group has printed posters that include the slogan We want them Tagged and a large image of Joseph Hogan with the title High Sex Offender. Originally from Limerick but living in Portlaoise for many years, Sonya waived her anonymity in 2015 when her uncle was given a 15-year sentence for repeatedly raping and indecently assaulting her as a child between 1984 and 1988, when she was aged seven to 11. He had already been jailed in the 1970s for assaulting other young girls, in both the UK and Ireland. After abusing Sonya, he went on to molest other children and was convicted in 1995 and 1998 of other indecent assaults. He received a 22-month sentence in March 2013 for breaches of orders under the Sex Offenders Act, by living in houses with children in 2007 and 2009 despite his horrific record. Sonya says that Hogans record proves he is a threat to children and the community and he should not be permitted to live in any form of accommodation where he could have access to children. Sonya said: I am going public now again to protect other children. They protected him but what about protecting victims? Social services should have protected me as a child but they didnt. He went on to abuse other children after me. Im speaking out now because I have to be their voice. He is free again now and we have to make sure that he is not given a chance to destroy any other children. He and people like him should be put on Spike Island, where they can be monitored. We cant give them freedom at the expense of vulnerable children. Sonya is also encouraging other child abuse victims to come forward, as she says: It is breaking my soul that a lot of victims are hiding their pain. I dont want to have to fight and fight but I will, to give them a voice. The petition titled Enforce stricter prison & release conditions for repeat sexual offenders is available on change.org. FOR over 50 years there has been countless on-going discussions, plans and funding provided for a proposed Inner Relief Road for Mountmellick. The planned route was to run from the N80 in Derrycloney to Manor Road, to deal with traffic congestion in the town centre. For over 50 years there has been countless on-going discussions, plans and funding provided for a proposed Inner Relief Road for Mountmellick. The latest debate on the long-awaited road trundled on last week in the Dail during parliamentary question time when local Independent Republican TD Brian Stanley raised the need for the relief road to be designated for funding. He said: Traffic volumes have increased. More than 8,500 vehicles go through the centre of town every day. A lot of that traffic is HGVs going from the west of Ireland and the midlands to the port of Rosslare. A feasibility study has been carried out at a cost of more than 100,000 and a preferred route has been selected. This road would shorten journey times, reduce carbon emissions, and reduce congestion in the town. The Tanaiste and Deputy Willie Aird promised this during the election campaign. In February this year, 2025, local Independent Republican TD Brian Stanley has yet again raised the need for the relief road for Mountmellick. Deputy Stanley said: According to Transport Infrastructure Ireland, this road is not included among the projects identified for development during the period of the current NDP. In reply Deputy Stanley was informed that the issue he raised would be brought to the attention of the Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy and Minister for Transport Darragh OBrien. Talk about providing Mountmellick with an Inner Relief Road has been around for years and intensive activity around it in a three year period from 2006 to 2008. In October 2006 it was announced that 2.8 million had been set-a-side for preparatory works on the proposed Inner Relief Road for the town, and that was only after nine years after intensive lobbying by council officials to acquire the funding. In February 2007 a An Bord Pleanala oral hearing on the relief road was held. At the 2024 July meeting of Laois County Council cllr Paddy Bracken said that motorists are now by-passing the town altogether heading on towards Tullamore and using an 'unofficial bypass' which is causing serious damage to that roadway. At the April council meeting, the same year, the council's senior engineer Michael OHora said the National Roads Authority (now Transport Infrastructure Ireland) had allocated 150,000 for the initial planning stages of the plan. He said that in order to complete the final stages of the consultation process, which includes the CPO stage, an additional 350,000 was required and needs the approval of the NRA. He said that the NRA had committed 19 million for Route A which was turned down by ABP and that the council had not yet been approved additional funding for an alternative route but he was hopeful it would. However in November 2007 the proposed relief road was halted dead in its tracks when the NRA told town councillors that there was no money to fund the proposals. A month later the former Independent councillor Michael Moloney said that the NRA had rejected an alternative Route B and asked the council to re-evaluate Route A. Following heated discussions at that council meeting the then councils Director of Services Gerry Gibson said: For once and for all we cant revisit Route A to restart the process. There were objections to it by the Mountmellick Development Association (MDA) and 26 residents. It went to ABP and they threw it out. In 2008 the then town commissioner Bobby Delaney said that he would "lead people out onto the streets in protests and halt traffic if Mountmellick does not get an Inner Relief Road." In March 2008 the then town commissioner Bobby Delaney said that he would lead people out onto the streets in protests and halt traffic if Mountmellick does not get an Inner Relief Road. In May 2008 the then Mountmellick based Junior Minister John Moloney, local TD Charlie Flanagan and the then County Manager Peter Carey met with NRA officials. Following that meeting Minister Moloney, in an interview with the Laois Nationalist, said about the Inner Relief Road: The position now is the costs have escalated. What started off at about 8m is now around 22m. The NRA says it is now not value for money and they will totally oppose this. They will not give us 22m. There is no way it is going to happen. A month later the then Deputy County Manager Declan Byrne told a meeting of town councillors in Mountmellick: The NRA is looking at funding an outer by-pass. In September 2013 the then county manager Peter Carey told Town councillors in Mountmellick The N80 is our top priority. It will not be done over the next two or three years but it remains there as a key objective. When it will be done is anyones guess at this stage Matters abated somewhat until April 2017 when the relief road re-appeared on the councils agenda. In 2013 the then county manager Peter Carey told Town councillors in Mountmellick "When it will be done is anyone's guess at this stage." At that meeting the then county manager John Mulholland told councillors that the council had received 100,000 to carry out a feasibility study about the possibility of constructing a by-pass around the centre of Mountmellick from the western side of the town. Mountmellick based councillor Paddy Bracken, speaking at the same meeting said: A lot of groundwork was done before. There was an alternative route planned before from Derrycloney. Its very badly needed for the town. I hope the work progresses at a pace. The council's former Director of Services Kieran Kehoe also said at that meeting: We will start preparing a scheme and will appoint consultants within the next few months. At the March 2019 council meeting Mr Mulholland, in his monthly report, told councillors: Laois County Council has prepared tender documents for the appointment of consulting engineers to complete a feasibility study for the N80 Mountmellick Relief Road. In March 2019 the Chief Executive of Laois County Council John Mulholland told councillors: "Laois County Council has prepared tender documents for the appointment of consulting engineers to complete a feasibility study for the N80 Mountmellick Relief Road." TII approval to proceed to tender was received on 14 March and the tender documents were issued to the consulting engineers on the TII framework on 15 March. Tenders are to be delivered to Laois County Council by 15 April. The Director of Services Donal Brennan went on to inform councillors that he expected the tender to be awarded by mid-summer and the feasibility study completed by April 2020. Deputy Brian Stanley said: "The Tanaiste and Deputy Willie Aird promised this during the election campaign." At the 2024 July meeting of Laois County Council Mountmellick based councillor Paddy Bracken said that motorists are now by-passing the town altogether heading on towards Tullamore and using an unofficial bypass which is causing serious damage to that roadway. Just weeks out from last years (2024) general election the then Taoiseach Simon Harris on a visit to Mountmellick promised to prioritise the recommended N80 bypass of Mountmellick if reelected. By Neil Lancefield, PA Transport Correspondent A container ship which crashed in the North Sea failed steering-related safety checks. Port state control (PSC) inspection documents from July last year show Irish officials deemed Solongs emergency steering position communications/compass reading was not readable. This was among 10 deficiencies highlighted during the inspection of the Portuguese vessel in Dublin. Other issues include alarms being inadequate, survival craft not properly maintained, and fire doors not as required. Solong crashed into the tanker Stena Immaculate off the east coast of England on Monday morning. The former is drifting and on fire, but is no longer expected to sink. Shipping firm Ernst Russ, which owns Solong, confirmed the vessels captain had been arrested by Humberside Police on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter after a crew member was presumed dead when a search-and-rescue operation was ended on Monday evening. The 59-year-old man remains in custody and the force has launched a criminal investigation into the cause of the crash. Tug boats shadow the Solong container ship as it drifts in the Humber Estuary following a collision with the Stena Immaculate oil tanker (Danny Lawson/PA) Another PSC inspection by Scottish authorities in Grangemouth in October 2024 found two deficiencies with Solong. One of these was related to lifebuoys designed to be thrown into the water to prevent drowning being not properly marked. Solong was not detained after the inspections in Dublin or Grangemouth. PSC inspections are carried out on ships in ports around the world. They are aimed at verifying the condition of a vessel and that its equipment meets international regulations. Crowley, the maritime company managing the Stena Immaculate, said the jet fuel spill from the vessel has had a limited impact. It remains unclear how much Jet A1 fuel was released when the ship was hit by Solong, but an initial review shows it had evaporated due to exposure to fires on both vessels. British transport secretary Heidi Alexander said Solong is now expected to stay afloat, while the UK Coastguard said it has attached a tow line to the vessel and it is offshore in a safer position. A salvage plan for both ships is currently being developed as the clean-up efforts enter a third day. Crowley said Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks, at least one of which was ruptured when it was struck. In an update on Tuesday evening, the company said: It remains unclear at this time what volume of fuel may have been released as a result of the incident, but initial review shows impacts have been limited due to exposure to the fire and evaporation of the Jet A1 fuel. Dr Alex Lukyanov, from the University of Reading, a researcher on advanced mathematical models of oil spills, previously said the incident was troubling because it appeared to involve persistent oil, which breaks up slowly in water, while he also suggested the environmental toll could be severe. The tanker was operating as part of the US governments tanker security programme, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed. It had been anchored while waiting for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme, on the River Humber, Crowley said. Fires on board the Stena Immaculate oil tanker appeared to have been extinguished on Tuesday (Danny Lawson/PA) The Coastguard said on Tuesday evening that some flames were still visible on Solongs main deck and firefighting efforts were focusing on this area. It said the Stena Immaculate remains at anchor with safety tug boats and has a greatly reduced fire with no visible flames. Assistant chief coastguard John Craig said: A comprehensive counter-pollution response is in place and HM Coastguard continues to make preparations for any pollution that may occur as a result of the damage to the vessels. The MCAs concern in relation to tanks on the Solong has reduced with tugs now able to work in close vicinity. The threat from the previously identified dangerous goods on board has reduced significantly. Air quality sampling onshore has shown no toxins and modelling from the Met Office indicates no threat to the public. Ms Alexander said she is reassured to hear that sodium cyanide containers on board the Solong were empty, and is also pleased to have been informed that early indications suggest that both vessels are now expected to stay afloat. Four empty containers on board that previously contained the hazardous chemical will continue to be monitored, Ernst Russ said. British transport minister Mike Kane told MPs on Tuesday that something went terribly wrong for the crash to happen and there was no evidence of foul play. Mr Kane added that the British government will do everything to recover the body of the mariner. The Restaurant Association of Irelands Restaurant Awards, dubbed the Food Oscars, held their Leinster Regional Awards last night, Tuesday 11th, in Killashee Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare. The public had been invited to nominate Restaurants in one of 18 categories, with Treacys Pub & Restaurant, The Heath, being nominated in 10 categories. Last years Irish Restaurant Awards were the most popular yet, with the public submitting a record breaking 160,000+ nominations for Irelands best food-led hospitality businesses and the people behind them. Niall Treacy, along with senior members of the team attended the ceremony and they did not come home empty handed, picking up 2 of the coveted awards; Best Gastro Pub, which recognises the gastro pub that offers an innovative menu of food which suitably complements their drink selection. The Best Gastropub provides restaurant quality dining, whilst not compromising on the traditional pub atmosphere. Employee Excellence Award for barman Colm Dunne. This award recognises employees working within the hospitality industry who demonstrate remarkable on-the-job excellence in term of work quality, customer service skills, teamwork and innovation. A Portarlington man, Colm has been at the heart of Treacys for almost 30 years. Customers who have met Colm, be they locals, regulars, tourists or truck drivers, would attest to Colms exceptional skills in hospitality. Owners Tom and Marie Treacy said We couldnt be more proud of all the hardworking team at Treacys. Winning Best Gastro Pub Award Leinster is an honour. We are absolutely delighted to see Colm get recognised at a regional level for his Excellence in customer service. We are proud and privileged to have him at the heart of Treacys pub. Treacys now go forward for the All-Ireland Final Awards, on May 19th at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Rd. Isabel Hayes A barbershop owner who left a man with a traumatic brain injury assaulted his housemate two years before this attack, a court has heard. Craig Maples (29) of Green Briar, Verdemont, Blanchardstown, Dublin, is currently serving a seven-year sentence for violent disorder and assault causing serious harm to Austin Doherty on Main St, Mulhuddart, on July 21st 2022. Mr Doherty was left with limited mobility in his upper and lower limbs, requires a wheelchair for long distances and suffered a traumatic brain injury, which has left him with significant impairments, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard last year. Last December, Maples pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm to his housemate at an address in Huntstown, Dublin 15 on January 2nd, 2020 some two years prior to his assault on Mr Doherty. This assault had such an impact on the victim that he has since emigrated, the court heard. Derek Cooney BL, prosecuting, told the court on Tuesday that the injured party was asleep in bed in his rented room around 1.30 am on the night in question when he was awoken by slamming doors and loud voices. He didn't know the name of Maples, his housemate, as he had only moved in a few weeks previously, but he shouted down to him to quieten down. Maples immediately came upstairs and started shouting and knocking on his bedroom door. When the injured party told him to go away, Maples returned a few minutes later with two other men and kicked the door down. One of the other men had a sock filled with heavy items, possibly coins, the court heard, and the three men set upon the injured party. Victim Austin Doherty pictured leaving court with family. Photo: Collins Courts They hit him six to seven times, leaving the injured party with head wounds and a badly injured arm. He phoned gardai and his landlady, who was Maples' aunt. A few minutes later, Maples returned to the bedroom, holding a knife before he left again. Gardai did not respond so the victim got a taxi to hospital. He had head wounds and required surgery for a fractured elbow. In a victim impact statement before the court, he outlined how he was left homeless after the attack as he could not return to the house and was unable to work for a lengthy period. He said he had never been out of work or homeless before and that the attack changed his life. He could no longer work as a security guard as he lost his confidence. He was sleeping on a friend's couch for a period but could not claim social welfare as he had no address. He said he eventually emigrated to Croatia where he could afford to buy his own house, ensuring he never has to house-share again. The court heard that Maples was arrested, but the other two men were never identified. Simon Matthews BL, defending, said Maples had a troubled childhood. When he was aged 12, his father murdered his uncle and was imprisoned. Maples set up his own barbershop, Faded, in Mulhuddart, in his early twenties but struggled with addiction to prescription tablets and other drugs along with mental health issues. Mr Matthews said his long-term girlfriend was in court to support him and he is doing well in custody. Sentencing Maples on Tuesday, Judge Orla Crowe said Maples carried out a brutal and unjustified attack on somebody who was entitled to rent a room in a house. She said Maples had a disproportionate reaction to somebody who was simply asking him to keep the peace. She sentenced him to two years and three months in prison, which she backdated to when he entered the guilty plea. She noted this meant he would not spend any further time in prison, but noted she was setting the sentence this way only because Maples was doing well in custody. On 11 March Cossette Lopez, the president of Honduras national electoral authority (CNE), railed against her CNE colleague, Marlon Ochoa, accusing him of being more of a political activist than electoral official and of attacking CNE human resources. End of preview - This article contains approximately 389 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 11 March politicians from across Argentinas political spectrum took a stand against a decree issued by Presidentin the official gazette, that paves the way for a new deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). End of preview - This article contains approximately 387 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 11 March Brazils Presidentvisited the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais to attend launch events for expansions at a factory owned by international carmaker Stellantis and at another facility owned by Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau. End of preview - This article contains approximately 406 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options A container plant in Pennsylvania is closing. International Paper filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, informing the state it will close its plant at 533 Forest Road in Hazle Township, Luzerne County, near Hazleton. The company said approximately 107 employees will be laid off. The plant will close on April 14. The company said in the WARN notice it is providing support including severance pay, information on unemployment benefits and retraining opportunities through the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industrys Dislocated Worker Unit. The company provided the following statement: International Paper is undergoing a transformational journey to become a stronger sustainable packaging solutions company. A critical step in this journey is to streamline IPs footprint to focus investments on facilities that will best serve customers and accelerate strategic initiatives to improve quality, reliability and service delivery. The decision to close any facility is difficult because of the impact on our team members, their families and the surrounding communities. We greatly appreciate the contributions from our departing team members and we will do all we can to support them. The WARN Act is federal legislation that offers protection to workers, their families, and communities by requiring employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of a covered-business closing and covered-business mass layoff. The WARN notice was dated Feb. 13. CVS Pharmacy customers in Eastons South Side neighborhood must soon fill their prescriptions elsewhere. CVS Pharmacy will close its 620 Old Philadelphia Road location on April 16. Population shifts, consumer buying patterns, store and pharmacy density, pharmacy care access and community health needs are among the reasons for the closure, according to Kara Page, corporate communications manager for CVS. Were focused on ensuring we have the right kinds of stores and the right number of stores in the right locations, Page said in an emailed statement. As part of the closure, CVS will transfer all prescriptions to the CVS at 1520 Northampton St. Page also noted that patients can fill their prescriptions at any convenient CVS location. Page said CVS offers prescription delivery services through CVS.com and the CVS Pharmacy app. CVS will offer employees at the closing location similar jobs within the company. Easton Councilman Frank Pintabone discussed the closure in a Facebook Live. Though CVS is closing, he said Valley Health Partners will open a location in South Side in April. Its pharmacy will open in June. He said VHP will also carry over-the-counter products and be open to the general public. VHP first announced its new location in April 2024 after presenting the plans to Easton City Council. It will open at The Mill on Coal Street. The city partnered with VHP in October to bring free dental screenings to South Side residents. Chelsea Kun can be reached at ckun@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on instagram at @chelsealehighvalley. A DUI driver will stay behind bars for up to a decade for a 2021 crash that killed his passenger along Route 22 in Whitehall. The sentencing comes after 45-year-old Juan Ramone Sierra pleaded guilty Jan. 16 to felony vehicular homicide (while DUI); felony accidents involving death while not licensed; and misdemeanor DUI, the Lehigh County District Attorneys Office announced. The charges are in connection with the August 2021 crash that killed 41-year-old Jessica Rivera of Allentown. Sierra, of Allentown, was sentenced Monday by Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas Judge Thomas M. Caffrey to serve five to 10 years in prison. The sentence is to be followed by seven years of probation. Kathryn Rose Smith, the public defender representing Sierra, couldnt immediately be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon. Pennsylvania State police in Bethlehem were called around 12:30 a.m. Aug. 9, 2021 to the crash along Route 22 west, near Route 145. Investigators determined Sierra was heading west in a 2009 Hyundai Sonata when the car left the highway, continued onto the grass, and struck the base of a light pole. Rivera, sitting in the front passenger seat, was pronounced dead at the scene. She died from multiple blunt force trauma and her death was ruled accidental by the Lehigh County Coroners Office. Sierra suffered minor injuries and was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township for treatment, police had said. Neither Sierra nor Rivera was wearing a seat belt at the time, but air bags did deploy, state police had said. At the time of the crash, Sierras drivers license was suspended. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the Hyundai and seized drugs and drug paraphernalia from the car, police said. Blood test results obtained after the crash showed Sierra had amphetamine, methamphetamine and THC, the primary psychoactive compound found in marijuana, in his system. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Investigators Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025 responded to the the Emerald Lakes Subdivision, in the 1300 block of Clover Road in Long Pond, Monroe County for a reported shooting. They found a 22-year-old man dead and two others injured after a Venezuelan street gang showed up at an advertised birthday party, Monroe County District Attorney Mike Mancuso said. Courtesy photo Three people have been charged in connection with the killing of a man who advertised a party in the Poconos that drew the attention of a Venezuelan street gang, authorities announced Wednesday. Oscar Quilarque Sosa, 31; Oswaldo Solorzano Sosa, 37; and Josthin Landaeta Perez, 24, all from Venezuela are charged. Each are facing felony criminal homicide in the killing of 22-year-old Lionardo Hernandez Zarata, originally from Venezuela, on Jan. 12 in Long Pond. Additionally, all three face two felony counts of attempted criminal homicide. Quilarque Sosa is currently in federal custody in New York City on unrelated federal charges. Landaeta Perez is in custody in New York City on separate state criminal charges. Solorzano Sosa remains at large. Arrest warrants were filed on March 7 for the trio at the Office of District Judge Richard P. White. Currently, eight others are charged: They include 25-year-old Isaac Ozuna Carraballo; 26-year-old Victor Cesar Caldera Malpica; 34-year-old Angel Paez-Seguera; 23-year-old Johangel Farfan; 25-year-old Jesus Antonio Olivero Sosa; 24-year-old Heymar Padilla-Moyetones; 21-year-old Yanny Suarez-Rodriguez; and 21-year-old Friamar Vita-Grimar, all believed to originally be from Venezuela. Caldera-Malpica, Paez-Seguera, Johangel Farfan, Vita-Grimar are all incarcerated at the Monroe County jail. Olivero Sosa is being held at the Orange County jail on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer. Court records indicate Padilla-Moyetones and Suarez-Rodriguez have since posted bail, Court records show some of the defendants are being represented by the Monroe County Public Defenders Office, while others are yet to have counsel assigned, and the office did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday afternoon. Pocono Mountain Regional Police Chief Chris Wagner told lehighvalleylive.com on Wednesday afternoon all the suspects in the case have been identified and police dont expect any additional arrests. Party turns deadly Pocono Mountain Regional police were called at 4:40 p.m. Jan. 12 to a short-term rental home in the 1300 block of Clover Road. Hernandez Zarata advertised a multi-day birthday party with a flyer featuring his photo, holding up a peace sign, which drew a crowd to the party held in the Emerald Lakes Subdivision. Investigators found Hernandez Zarata alone at the home deceased with multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said. Hernandez Zarata was pronounced dead at the scene by the Monroe County Coroners Office. He died from multiple gunshot wounds and the manner was deemed a homicide by Monroe County Coroner Tom Yanac. Two others Farfan and Carraballo were later found with gunshot wounds, according to police. They have since survived their injuries, police said. Investigators determined that members of the gang, known as Tren de Aragua, allegedly showed up at the party. The gang is a transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in the Tocoron Prison in the state of Aragua, Venezuela, according to Monroe County District Attorney Mike Mancuso. Mancuso said the gangs leader, Nino Guerrero, has expanded its criminal network throughout South America, recently extending north into Central America and the United States. Authorities described the scene as being full of spent shell casings and bullet holes. Investigators determined the victims were struck approximately eight times, using three separate calibers of ammunition, according to police. Mancuso said there was evidence throughout the home of the flight of numerous party-goers. Suitcases were left in the driveway; cell phones, cash and Venezuelan identification cards were all left behind. Significant amounts of various drugs and paraphernalia also were seized by investigators, he said. Investigators also found evidence of narcotic trafficking, including quantities of Tusi (pink cocaine), police said. Officers simultaneously learned of an attempted home burglary in progress near Mohegan Court in Long Pond, a short distance from Clover Road. Investigators then followed footprints in the snow and found a second attempted break-in. Officers continued the pursuit and found a third home that had been broken into, police said. Wagner said two men, Caldera Malpica and Paez-Seguera, were found in that residence and taken into custody. The pair also were connected to the Clover Road incident, Wagner had said. Motive learned Investigators believe an argument erupted between Quilarque Sosa, Solorzano Sosa, and Hernandez Zarata. The argument stemmed from the failure of paid services at the birthday party, and the gunfire is believed to have started during the dispute, striking multiple people, according to police. Wagner said Quilarque Sosa was linked to the homicide during a separate FBI criminal investigation. FBI agents received information that Quilarque Sosa was allegedly the shooter at the Poconos rental. FBI agents took Quilarque Sosa into custody on Jan. 13, and Pocono Mountain Regional Police detectives subsequently interviewed him in New York. The chief said additional evidence placed Solorzano-Sosa, Quilarque Sosas brother, and Landaeta Perez, acquainted with Oscar Sosa, at the scene and involved in the shooting. Police said a third brother, Oliveros Sosa, was hired by the victim, Hernandez Zarata, to DJ the party. Oliveros Sosa allegedly accused Hernandez Zarata of failing to pay and asked his brothers to confront him. Video footage from the incident showed four people brandishing three handguns. The video also references Tren de Aragua and Tusi, a known narcotic tied to Tren de Aragua drug trafficking operations, according to police. Police said the Sosa brothers and the deceased victim had physical indicators of being involved in Tren de Aragua. On Jan. 31, Pocono Mountain Regional police executed a search warrant on Quilarque Sosas vehicle, seizing three firearms matching the calibers found at the crime scene, court records say. One of the firearms was a modified Glock with a switch that rendered it fully-automatic, according to police. Facing possible trial Some of the 11 co-defendants could soon face trial. Carraballo, with ties to the Bronx, New York, is charged with 10 counts felony possession with intent to deliver drugs; five counts misdmeanor drug possession; and related drug offenses. Caldera Malpica, with ties to the Bronx, New York, and Paez-Seguera, with ties to Brooklyn, New York, are each charged with felony burglary, felony conspiracy to commit burglary, felony flight to avoid apprehension, felony criminal trespass, criminal attempt to commit burglary and related charges. Farfan, with ties to Chicago, and Padilla-Moyetones, Suarez-Rodriguez and Vita-Grimar, all with ties to the Bronx, are each charged with 10 counts of felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, five counts of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and other drug offenses. Olivero Sosa, with ties to New York City, is charged with four counts of felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, five counts of felony conspiracy possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and related drug offenses. Vita-Grimar is also reportedly involved in a May 22 investigation involving a similar shooting incident in Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County. A short-term rental at Pocono Farms East in that incident was being rented by Venezuelan nationals hosting a several days-long party. During that event, there was a shooting among the attendees causing panic and flight, Mancuso had said. Court records show Carraballo, Caldera Malpica, Paez-Seguera, Farfan, and Vita-Grimar are all awaiting their formal arraignment scheduled for April 7 at the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas. Padilla-Moyetones and Suarez-Rodriguez are awaiting their preliminary hearings. Olivero Sosa is awaiting a preliminary hearing with no date scheduled, according to court records. Those charged who have preliminary hearings scheduled will have a judge determine if there is sufficient evidence to send charges toward trial at the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas. The case is being investigated by the Monroe County District Attorneys Office, Pocono Mountain Regional Police, Pennsylvania State Police and the Monroe County Coroners Office. Stroud Area Regional police, Bethlehem Township police and Fountain Hill police are also assisting. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. A 21-year-old woman was pronounced dead following a two-car crash Tuesday night on a busy Bethlehem Township road, township police said. Police Chief Greg Gottschall said the crash happened just before 9:30 p.m. near a mobile home park thats in the 5200 block of Freemansburg Avenue. Police said they responded to find the woman deceased. She was the driver and sole occupant of a black Volkswagen Beetle, according to police Capt. Shaun Powell. Police identified her as a Bethlehem Township resident, and said her name and further information would come from the Northampton County Coroners Office. The second vehicle involved was a silver Ford Focus, also occupied only by a driver, according to police. That driver is identified as a 29-year-old woman from Bethlehem, who was uninjured, police said. It was determined that the Volkswagen was traveling eastbound on Freemansburg Avenue; the Ford was traveling westbound, police report. Officers determined that the Volkswagen entered the opposing lane of travel, sideswiped the Ford, and then collided into a utility pole. The police chief said the crash took down the utility police and wires. The crash closed that portion of Freemansburg Avenue, between Wagner Drive and Farmersville Road, for about seven hours for the police investigation and utility repairs. The chief said the road reopened about 5 a.m. Wednesday. Police continue to investigate the crash. The Bethlehem Township Police Department was assisted by the Bethlehem Township Volunteer Fire Co., Nancy Run Fire Co., Bethlehem Township EMS, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Northampton County Coroners Office and the First Responder Chaplain Corps. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Investigators around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 11, 2025 were called to a home in the 2100 block of Third Street in Bethlehem Township. Police said investigators found a deceased body and the incident is being ruled a homicide investigation. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann | For lehighvalleylive.com Update: My wife is dead in the bathtub: Husbands chilling words after slaying, cops say A welfare check has led to a homicide investigation in Bethlehem Township, authorities said. Investigators around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday were called to the home in the 2100 block of Third Street. A man answered the door and told officers a dead body was inside the home, the Northampton County District Attorneys Office said. Bethlehem Township Police Capt. Shaun Powell told lehighvalleylive.com the suspect is in custody and expected to be arraigned soon on charges. (Theres) no danger to the public, Powell said. As of 4:30 p.m., a township police vehicle was outside the white and beige house at the end of a cul-de-sac. The Northampton County District Attorneys Office and Bethlehem Township Police Department continue to investigate the incident. More information is expected to be released following the arraignment. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Investigators around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 11, 2025 were called to a home in the 2100 block of Third Street in Bethlehem Township. Police said investigators found a deceased body and the incident is being ruled a homicide investigation. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann | For lehighvalleylive.com A 57-year-old Bethlehem Township man is accused of fatally stabbing his wife multiple times at the couples Bethlehem Township home. James Christopher Frank, of the 2100 block of Third Street, is charged with felony criminal homicide in the death of 55-year-old Deborah Glaser. Frank was arraigned Tuesday evening before District Judge John Capobianco, who denied bail. He was then sent to Northampton County Prison. An attorney for Frank was not immediately available. Investigators around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday were called to Franks home by a concerned family member for a welfare check on the couple, township police said. Officers announced themselves, banging on doors and windows but no one answered, court records state. Officers then attempted to gain access with a ladder through a second-floor window when they were met by Frank, police said. Officers told Frank to open the front door, and he complied, court records state. Frank then led investigators into the bedroom and said, My wife is dead in the bathtub, according to the affidavit of probable cause. The court record, known as an affidavit of probable cause, lays out witness testimony and evidence against a defendant. Police said Glasers body was found with multiple puncture wounds to her chest. Investigators spotted multiple cutting instruments knives, razors, box cutters and a mallet in the bathroom, court records state. Frank allegedly admitted to using a steak knife and hammer to kill Glaser. Its unclear Glasers exact cause of death and if an autopsy has been conducted. Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek couldnt immediately be reached for more information Tuesday evening. Police continued to probe the incident Tuesday afternoon and were spotted inside the white-and-beige home about 4:30 p.m. The neighborhood appeared quiet on the cul-de-sac the couple lived on near Miller Heights, Middletown and Butztown in the township. Frank is due back in court for a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled for 2:30 p.m. March 25 before Capobianco. A judge will then determine if theres sufficient evidence to send the case toward trial at the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Pennsylvania-made items are arrayed at a meeting for Elevate, a new state initiative for outdoors-oriented businesses, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com Center Valley-based photographer Frank Smith can take a 70-minute exposure of star trails, or capture a gushing waterfall or macro closeup of a hidden mushroom. The computational technology packed into the OM System cameras he carries in his backpack is all he needs to go from inspiration to presentation. And its such a timesaver, Smith said Tuesday. And in the world I live in, sometimes timing is absolutely critical and (I) dont have the luxury to go back to a computer a lot of times and do all the nuances of it. Smith was at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources second of 10 workshops being held statewide for the Elevate initiative aimed at boosting outdoors businesses. Before the gathering of about 50 outdoors entrepreneurs on Southside Bethlehem, he sat down for a conversation with Pennsylvania Office of Outdoor Recreation Director Nathan Reigner and a representative of OM System. OM System has its U.S. headquarters at 306 S. New St., also on Southside Bethlehem. Spun off from Olympus four years ago, the company employs about 15 people in the city; it is part of a worldwide workforce of thousands, according to Jennifer Colucci, OM senior relationships and communications manager. Jennifer Colucci, representing OM System, discusses the Olympus spinoff's products alongside Pennsylvania Office of Outdoor Recreation Director Nathan Reigner ahead of a meeting for Elevate, a new state initiative for outdoors-oriented businesses, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com Smith is one of 20 OM System ambassadors in the United States and 156 worldwide, Colucci said. That means he uses OM equipment in images that comprise about 25% shot in North America, 25% shot globally and 50% shot in Pennsylvania. OM also sends him to workshops and other events to showcase cameras like the weather-sealed OM-3 just announced last month and geared toward urban creatives, retailing for around $2,000. The DCNR launched Elevate last October in Easton. According to a news release from that event hosted by Easton Outdoor Co., its mission is to: Develop a one-stop shop for questions related to permits, regulations. Help Pennsylvania small businesses compete in the national outdoor recreation economy. Drive economic growth and enhance the quality of life for residents across the state. Smith, the Lehigh Valley-based nature photographer, and OM, the global brand, represent numerous intersections of how the states outdoor businesses can help myriad other enterprises thrive. And thats why I think together youre such a great story, Reigner told Smith and Colucci. We think about outdoor recreation as the activity a hike being about walking, a camping trip being about sleeping on the ground, but its not. Its about the things that these activities do for us whether they be quality time with friends and family, whether it be challenge and accomplishment. Frank Smith, ambassador for OM System, from left, discusses the Olympus spinoff's products with Pennsylvania Office of Outdoor Recreation Director Nathan Reigner ahead of a meeting for Elevate, a new state initiative for outdoors-oriented businesses, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com The kinds of businesses supported by outdoor adventurers are virtually unlimited: Using Jim Thorpe as an example, youve got whitewater rafters, you got bikers, you got hikers, youve got environmentalists, youve got industry supporting the people that want to eat lunch there, Smith said. And with those opportunities to support businesses come jobs that are part of an outdoors industry in Pennsylvania that contributed nearly $19 billion to the states economy in 2023, up 10% from 2022. Were trying to foster connections between outdoor recreation businesses, Reigner said. When we think about business in outdoor recreation, what comes to mind? Well, ski areas come to mind, Main Street gear shops come to mind . But I think as we peel the onion back, we realize that theres so many more opportunities, both opportunities for business in outdoor recreation and opportunities for careers in outdoor recreation. Within a company like OM System, we go from hardware and software engineers through marketing and communications, classic corporate and management jobs, and then relationships with ambassadors like Frank. Pennsylvania Office of Outdoor Recreation Director Nathan Reigner, back left, opens a meeting for Elevate, a new state initiative for outdoors-oriented businesses, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com Pennsylvanias Office of Outdoor Recreation led by Reigner is one of 20 such state organizations nationwide, he said. For 2025, Pennsylvania is chair of the National Organization of State Offices of Outdoor Recreation. While the offices represent a complex network of goals and initiatives, the idea is universal to get people to enjoy spending time outside. Its healing, Smith said. For me, I can be having the woes of the day, and Ill go up to some waterfall, sit beside it and bam, it is gone. And thats when I think people will allow their creativity to start coming out. And thats where you start to get that harmony. Pennsylvanias outdoors business entrepreneurs can visit elevateoutdoorspa.com to learn more about the state program, sign up for workshops and/or take a survey. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. USE ARROWS OR NEXT BUTTON TO SEE MORE The very best of the food and hospitality sector in Laois were honoured last night at the Irish Restaurant Awards Leinster Regional Final 2025, marking the first regional event of this years prestigious awards season. The ceremony took place on Tuesday, March 11 at the Killashee Hotel, Kildare, where Laois winners from were revealed. Over 1000 attendees gathered to celebrate the outstanding achievements of restaurants, cafes and food service providers across Leinster. Now in its 16th year, the Irish Restaurant Awards received nearly 165,000 public nominations this year, submitted through The Irish Times - the official media partner of the awards. Following the completion of all regional finals, the Regional and All-Ireland Winners will be announced at the All-Ireland Awards Gala Dinner on Monday, May 19 at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin. READ NEXT: Laois natives to recount experiences in Ireland's Defence Forces at Tribunal County winners from Leinster can now secure their tickets for this highly anticipated event. Speaking at the ceremony, Sean Collender, President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, said: "Tonight is about recognising the outstanding efforts of those who bring Irelands culinary reputation to life every day. In a challenging business environment, it is more important than ever to honour the people whose hard work, passion and creativity shape our hospitality sector. "The Leinster Regional Final once again showcased the incredible talent and innovation that define this regions culinary landscape. I want to extend my congratulations to all the winners and nominees. It is their hard work that makes Irelands food scene truly exceptional." There were many Laois winners: Best Restaurant Sponsored by San Miguel: Bramley Abbeyleix Best Chef - Sponsored by BWG Food Service: Richard Piccard Edwards, Ballyfin Demesne Best Restaurant Manager - Sponsored by Elavon: Kasia Urban, Bramley Abbeyleix Best Customer Service Sponsored by Restaurant-insurance.ie provided by Dolmen - Batonis Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant - Sponsored by Frylite: Ballyfin Demesne Best Use of Social Media: The Make & Mark Employee Excellence Award - Sponsored by Peninsula: Colm Dunne, Treacy's Bar and Restaurant Best Casual Dining - Sponsored by Musgrave Market Place, Bowe's Foodhall & Cafe Best Gastro Pub - Sponsored by Paynt: Treacy's Bar and Restaurant Best Cafe: The Wandering Elk Best Contemporary Irish Cuisine - Sponsored by FBD Insurance: The Hare's Corner Best Newcomer - Sponsored by Square: La Vie en Rose Pub of the Year - Sponsored by istil.38: Morrissey's Best Wine Experience - Sponsored by Bibendum: Ballyfin Demesne Local Food Hero Sponsored by Sugar Snap - Le Skinny Chef, Aymar Gourdet Best Sustainable Practices Sponsored by Familia Torres, Ballykilcavan Farm and Brewery Best World Cuisine - Mayur Restaurant Innovator of the Year Sponsored by Diageo, The Hares Corner As the world moves toward multipolarity, the "superiority of the Western system" is increasingly being questioned, and fewer people believe it's universally better for all countries. In a recent debate comparing the Chinese and American systems, French entrepreneur Arnaud Bertrand made a solid case that the Chinese model fits the very particular economic and geopolitical context that China is in today, and the Chinese system is suitable for promoting the wellbeing of its people. BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- As the world moves toward multipolarity, the "superiority of the Western system" is increasingly being questioned, and fewer people believe it's universally better for all countries. In a recent debate comparing the Chinese and American systems, French entrepreneur Arnaud Bertrand -- with facts and logic, fresh perspectives and the courage to correct Western biases and misconceptions -- made a solid case that the Chinese model fits the very particular economic and geopolitical context that China is in today, and the Chinese system is suitable for promoting the wellbeing of its people. In a spirited online debate titled "Is the Chinese System Better than the American System," organized on April 5 by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a nonprofit American educational organization, it turns out that relatively unknown Bertrand emerged victorious over Adrian Zenz, an anti-China German academic based in Washington D.C., who was heavily promoted by part of the American political sphere and mainstream media. The exchange drew nearly 1,200 comments on YouTube, most of which praising Bertrand. People are curious about what led to Bertrand's victory and how he received so many positive responses from netizens. First and foremost, Bertrand relied on facts and logic. As a new-generation China observer, Bertrand has lived in China for seven years and has a deep understanding of the country and its people. Currently, he has over 100,000 followers on Twitter, where he frequently shares insightful comments on China-related topics. At the start of the debate, Bertrand made a statement acknowledging that while the debate aimed at comparing the Chinese system and the American one, he believed that political systems cannot be compared because each grows out of a country's unique history, economy, and geopolitical context, and is applicable only to its own people. However, within the framework of the debate, he proceeded to make comparisons in different areas. By citing abundant international research data and his personal experiences, Bertrand provided detailed explanations of China's performance in terms of freedom, stability, and prosperity. This aerial photo taken on May 11, 2023 shows an automatic container terminal of Qinzhou Port and a railway container distribution center in Qinzhou City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin) The entrepreneur mentioned China's remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation, saying that led to the largest and fastest reduction of poverty in the world and provided personal freedom for many as a result. In 2021, China declared the elimination of absolute poverty, having lifted nearly 100 million rural poor out of poverty in eight years. Citing statistics of the U.S. Census Bureau, Bertrand pointed out that 6 percent of U.S. citizens live in deep poverty, adding that a survey found 25 percent of the U.S. population worried about money for buying food. A customer shops at a supermarket in San Mateo, California, the United States, April 12, 2023.(Photo by Li Jianguo/Xinhua) On the other hand, his opponent Zenz, who was initially expected to provide a strong defense of the superiority of the American governance system and values, spent the whole time criticizing communism and disparaging the Chinese government, completely deviating from the topic. "He spent all his time complaining about China, citing only the reports he himself wrote or the fabricated reports he published in Western media. The whole time, it was just a series of 'China is bad because ...' content, but that's not the topic of the debate," remarked a viewer who had watched the debate. Secondly, Bertrand won with his fresh perspectives and thoughts. Bertrand argued that poverty is the antithesis of freedom. When people live in extreme poverty, they lose the freedom of choice in most aspects of life. He also raised a simple question about "freedom from fear:" Can a person freely walk outside late at night in the United States? These arguments offered a refreshing perspective for Western viewers, enabling them to engage in deep reflection. People march to the Capitol to protest for a ban on assault weapons, in Washington, D.C., the United States, on April 17, 2023.(Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) Bertrand subsequently presented a deeper line of thinking: collective freedom. He pointed out that former French President Charles de Gaulle had once proposed that the biggest form of freedom should be independence as a sovereign nation, which is a prerequisite for all other forms of freedom. It is difficult to consider the people of a country to be free when the country is in a situation of being a "vassal state" or within the sphere of influence of a major power. "China is unarguably the freest country in the world in this regard, as it cannot be even remotely considered as being any country's vassal state and it just doesn't do military alliances -- it doesn't have any ... This high level of sovereignty allows China to focus on internal development and to maintain its freedom of action on the international stage," said Bertrand. Lastly, Bertrand dared to correct the biases and misconceptions about China in the so-called mainstream narratives. From freedom to stability, and then to prosperity, Bertrand made thorough comparisons, powerfully demonstrating that China's development has not only benefited its own people, but also made positive contributions to global peace and development. In contrast, Zenz spent the entire time repeating the debunked lies about China, failing to articulate his position in the debate, which was to argue for the superiority of the American system. Offline voting in the debate showed that Bertrand emerged as the clear winner. The debate between the two sides has been hailed as a public lecture on comparing the Chinese and American systems. While a single debate may not help much find the path to truth, it has opened a window for those, who have come to realize the biases in some U.S. perceptions of China, and believe in the power of facts over rhetoric. After a winter break, the Full Moon Midlands Gathering yoga team are back and ready to bring local people together once again just at the Derryounce Lakes on the Laois Offaly border. Last year, saw the eight successful events at the Portarlington amenity, all free of charge, capped off the year by a community fundraiser for a local couple whose daughter, Robyn, is undergoing a bone marrow transplant. The Full Moon Gathering team outlined what to expect as the 2025 season of outdoor yoga led in March by Oonagh. "The entire event lasts about an hour and is a wonderful way to connect with nature and others. This month, we are excited to welcome Oonagh Hoey from Oonagh Hoey Warrior. Oonagh, who lives in Port, has been teaching yoga for over eight years. Oonagh offers yoga classes in Kildare town and will soon be offering sessions in Portarlington as well. MORE BELOW PICTURE. READ ALSO: Irish billionaire announces 2025 open day at his Laois estate "Please dress warmly, bring a yoga mat, and feel free to come alone or bring a friend. This event is weather permitting, but were hopeful for clear skies and dry conditions. "We look forward to seeing you there and sharing a peaceful and uplifting evening together," say the organisers. Event one takes place on Friday, 14, from 7 pm at the Derryounce Lakes Portarlington. The group have met once a month on the day of the full moon, between March to October and take a break over the winter. "We've been going for the last three years and have had some amazing yoga and meditation instructors delivering the sessions. It is all volunteer, we are always looking for people that want to be involved by either delivering a yoga session, meditation or breathwork or anything else people feel would work," they said. For more go to https://www.instagram.com/fullmoonmidlands/ Laois people who were former members of the Irish Defence Forces are set to appear before a Government formed tribunal that is examining misconduct, abuse and mistreatment allegations from former and serving members. A Dublin firm of solicitors confirmed that it is representing fifteen clients in the Midlands counties, including two from Laois, who are due to give evidence to the Defence Forces Tribunal. We also have a number of clients that we believe are originally from these areas but are currently based overseas in Spain, Australia and the UK, the solicitor told the Midland Tribune (a sister paper of the Leinster Express / Laois Live). The Tribunal said the Government approved the establishment of the Tribunal of Inquiry in 2023 to examine a range of matters pertaining to the effectiveness of the complaints processes within the Defence Forces. In establishing this Tribunal, the Government implemented the recommendation of an Independent Review Group which had been asked to examine workplace issues relating to allegations of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and any form of sexual misconduct in the Defence Forces and whose Report was published in March 2023. The Tribunal is also examining complaints related to Air Corps personnel being exposed to toxic chemicals in Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnell. Additionally, complaints related to the anti-malarial drug Lariam will be examined by the Tribunal. The two solicitors working on the project are Defence Forces veterans which they believe, a unique understanding of the unique challenges faced by our clients. READ ALSO: Temporary public offices open at PORTLAOISE Garda Station The Tribunal is tasked with examining the adequacy of complaints processes within the Defence Forces, investigating the culture surrounding the making of complaints, and assessing the response to reports of hazardous chemicals and other abuses. The inquiry is seen as being a significant step toward ensuring transparency, accountability, and improved standards for all serving personnel. This Tribunal is an opportunity for the Defence Forces community, said one of the Dublin solicitors, to seek accountability and ensure future generations are protected from similar challenges our clients have faced. This will, we believe, help to ensure that the Defence Forces is a safe and welcoming environment for new and existing members and that service members have appropriate mechanisms in place to facilitate a complaint of abuse without fear of facing retaliation or reprisals. We are also concerned about the lack of awareness in the veteran and serving community and we have highlighted our concerns in a letter to the tribunal. Ms Justice Ann Power is the sole member of the Tribunal. The Tribunal is taking place at a time when the Irish Government is planning to ramp up spending on the the Irish army and other parts of the Defence Forces. A warehouse in Portlaoise was served with a closure order after rodent droppings and dead mice were discovered. Universal Food Wholesale Distribution Limited located at Unit B3 National Business Park, Togher, Portlaoise was served with a closure order on February 28, 2025. The Health Service Executive issued the order after an inspector on behalf of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland(FSAI) had formed the opinion that there is or is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health due to their findings. Rodent droppings were noted around the edge of the floor of the warehouse/delivery area, especially beneath the shelving racks. Six mouse carcases were noted beneath the shelving racks and around the edges of the warehouse floor, the inspection report states. It said: "A large container which had no lid and which was full of miscellaneous items such as old aprons in black refuse sacks and old light fittings, also had a large number of mouse droppings in the base. There were a number of spillages of foodstuffs around the floor which had not been cleaned up and were providing a food source for the mice. A number of gaps/holes were noted around the floor of the warehouse storage area beneath the shelving racks which were obvious entry routes for mice. Mouse droppings were noted around these holes and a mouse carcase(Sic) was noted in a trap beside one of the holes, the inspector stated. The report also stated that: A number of crates and boxes of foods - spices, rice and soft drinks - which were left on-site from the previous business were noted to be stored on the racks around and above the warehouse area. These foods were noted to be out of date. It also found numerous mouse carcases were found in the warehouse area which had not been removed. There were also many mouse droppings noted around the warehouse area which had not been cleaned up. No documentation regarding pest control checks was available. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) reported that seven Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses during the month of February for breaches of food safety legislation. The Enforcement Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) and sea-fisheries protection officers in the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority. Two Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on: Universal Food Wholesale Distribution Limited (Wholesaler/ Distributor), Unit B3 National Enterprise Park, Togher, Portlaoise, Laois and Far East (Restaurant/ Cafe), 339 Ballyfermot Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10. Four Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on: Day to Day, Hayestown (Retailer), Boyne Road, Hayestown, Navan, Meath, Bombay Kebab House (Take Away), 3 Bridge Street, Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary; Tank & Skinnys @ Number 6 (Restaurant/ Cafe), Courtyard Shopping Centre, Letterkenny, Donegal and Lams (Take Away), 286 Ballyfermot Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10. Chief Executive, FSAI, Greg Dempsey, said vigilance is always required in relation to food safety and that standards must be maintained to ensure that consumer health is not put at risk. Februarys Enforcement Orders serve as an important reminder that food safety must always be a top priority for all food businesses. Regular checks and adherence to food safety and hygiene standards are essential to protect consumers health and maintain public trust. There are no excuses for failing to comply with legal requirements, and any lapse in food safety practices puts consumers at direct risk. Implementing a food safety management system is straightforward, especially with the supports available from the FSAI, yet some businesses continue to neglect this crucial legal requirement. Consumers have a right to safe food and it is imperative that all food businesses uphold the highest standards of food safety and hygiene at all times. Separately, during the month of February the FSAI said one prosecution was taken by the Health Service Executive in relation to: Dunnes Stores Unlimited Company (Retailer), Trimgate Street, Navan, Meath. Check out a full list of start times for St Patricks Day Parades in Laois or Offaly this year. Laois Offaly Gardai have compiled a list of all of the parades and start times across the two counties. The list includes fourteen parade start times and locations across Laois on Monday, March 17 and Rathdowneys St Patricks Day Parade which takes place a day earlier on Sunday, March 16. Members of the public are being asked to follow the instructions of gardai,to be mindful of road closures and to arrive early to get a good viewing spot. The Laois Parades are as follows: Rathdowney Sunday, March 16, at 12 pm, starting from St. Fergals College. The Heath 8:45 am, starting from The Heath GAA Clubhouse. Vicarstown 9 am, from the bridge, leading to 9:30 am Mass. Killeshin 9:15 am, assembly at the new school, proceeding to 10 am Mass . Ballyroan 10 am, following 9:30 am Mass. Timahoe 10 am, from the Community Centre, leading to 10:30 am Mass. Spink 9:30 am Mass, followed by a parade through the village. Graiguecullen 11 am, starting in Carlow Town Park, ending at St. Clares Church for 11:30am Mass. Stradbally 11 am, from Rathmore Road, leading to 11:30 am Mass. Clonaslee 12 pm, gathering at the Community Centre from 11 am. Mountrath 12 pm, starting from St. Fintans GAA grounds. Portlaoise 12:30 pm, parade leaves Laois County Council. Mountmellick 2 pm, starting from LOETB college, passing OConnell Square. Portarlington 3pm, walking parade from Bank of Ireland to the Peoples Park. Rosenallis 3:30 pm, vehicles assemble at Johnsgrove, walking groups at the Green School. There are a further eight parades taking place across Offaly on St Patricks Day. Offaly Parades: Rhode parade 10am Tullamore 11:30 am, Main Street. Mountbolus 11 am, gathering from 10 am. Clara 12:30 pm, starts at Charlestown Bridge. Daingean 12 pm, from the Main Square. Edenderry 2:30 pm, Main Street. Kilcormac 3:30 pm, starting at KK GAA Field. Banagher 3 pm, parade down Main Street Gardai are urging people to celebrate St. Patricks Day with joy, pride, and plenty of Irish spirit! There was a whole host of Kildare winners at the SuperValu Tidy Towns awards for the Midlands East region, held at a prize-giving ceremony in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel, Athlone, Co Westmeath on Monday March 10. Months of anticipation and preparation paid off as Kildare towns were awarded Bronze, Silver and Gold medals for all their hard work. The Kildare medals were awarded as follows: Ballymore Eustace Kildare Silver Medal Broadford Kildare Bronze Medal Celbridge Kildare Gold Medal Clane Kildare Gold Medal Kilcullen Kildare Silver Medal Kildare Kildare Endeavour * Kill Kildare Gold Medal & Highly Commended Leixlip Kildare Gold Medal Maynooth Kildare Gold Medal Naas Kildare Gold Medal & County Award Newbridge Kildare Gold Medal Rathangan Kildare Silver Medal Straffan Kildare Gold Medal & Commended A Special Climate Action Award - sponsored by The Department of Environment, Climate & Communications - also went to Ballymore Eustace Tidy Towns. Ballinahown, the winner in this region was presented with their awards by Minister of State Kevin Boxer Moran and Yvonne OBrien, Community & Sponsorship Assistant Brand Manager with SuperValu, who are this year celebrating their 34th year of partnership and sponsorship of the competition. Ballinahown also won the title of Irelands Tidiest Village 2024. READ NEXT: BREAKING: Kildare people will be delighted with major project for 'eyesore' site At the ceremony, Minister Moran congratulated all of the winners and referenced the huge interest in the competition, which this year celebrates 67 years of environmental and community initiatives. The 2024 SuperValu TidyTowns competition received over 900 entries. Minister Moran said: I am delighted to attend these awards on behalf of Minister Calleary and I encourage all voluntary committees to continue with their efforts in making their towns and villages better places in which to live and work and for all of us to visit. Minister Moran also referenced the 1.5 million in grant aid that previous Minister Humphreys announced at the results ceremony of the 2024 competition last November. This funding is to assist committees with their various projects and initiatives ahead of this years competition. It is the seventh consecutive year that funding has been provided to support local Tidy Towns gowns groups and brings the total amount allocated since 2017 to over 11 million. He added: In recent years, thousands of individuals have volunteered with TidyTowns groups. I have the greatest respect for the volunteers here tonight from the nine counties in the Midlands and East region and for all the volunteers who have given of their time and skills so selflessly over the last 67 years. Minister Moran also thanked SuperValu who this year celebrate 34 years of sponsorship of the competition. He applauded the support SuperValu show at a local and national level and for the initiatives they have brought about in recent years, helping to ensure that, in collaboration with the Department of Rural and Community Development, the competition thrives and continues to have a real impact on communities throughout the country. Speaking at the event, Yvonne OBrien, Community & Sponsorship Assistant Brand Manager said: On behalf of SuperValu, I want to congratulate and thank the TidyTowns committee volunteers for the wonderful work they do, week in week out, all year long. You have shown that local action makes a global impact. I would also like to acknowledge the fantastic support from our SuperValu retailers right across the region. We cannot underestimate the lasting impact committee volunteers and retailers have on the sustainable development of every community in the county. Every year we can see the impactful and lasting changes that are being made nationwide and we thank you for your contributions. She added: As a proud sponsor of the competition for 34 years, I would like to congratulate all SuperValu TidyTowns winners and committees in the Midlands & East region on the tremendous hard work, commitment and effort shown by them, all year round, to make our towns and villages more attractive places to live, work and play. SuperValu TidyTowns is a unique community movement, that has developed into the largest sustainability community-led initiatives in Ireland, if not in Europe, and its heartening to see the collective climate action being taken by all committees to protect the environment and promote biodiversity in their local areas. Interest in the SuperValu TidyTowns competition has increased year on year with over 900 entries received for the competition in 2024. The competition has been running since 1958 and is administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development. The competition has been sponsored by SuperValu since 1991. Kildare County Councils Local Enterprise Office hosted the inaugural Big Business Show at MERITS in Naas on Tuesday, March 4. The event attracted over 200 entrepreneurs and exhibitors, creating a vibrant atmosphere of networking, creative thinking and enthusiasm in support of small businesses. This event is an absolute must for aspiring and existing entrepreneurs. Attendees had the opportunity to engage with over 20 exhibiting business support agencies including Enterprise Ireland, Intertrade Ireland, KWETB, Guaranteed Irish and Skillnet Ireland. Guests could also benefit from: One-to-one sessions with experts and mentors in the adviser zone. Immersive virtual reality experiences in the MERITS Content Lab. Free professional headshots. The opportunity to demo their first podcast. Multiple workshops, talks and discussions in the Masterclass Zone. Emer Higgins TD, the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, spoke at the event. Giving insight into Government Procurement Opportunities for SMEs, the TD encouraged them to bid on their frameworks. Also in attendance was Minister of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, who launched Kildare County Councils Kildare Skills Strategy 2024-2030 in partnership with County Kildare Chamber. Along with this, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, launched Kildares Business Owners Guide. This features supports for business, which aims to assist entrepreneurs in Kildare navigate the range of financial and non-financial supports available at the various stages of business development. READ MORE: Exciting opportunity for aspiring food entrepreneurs in Kildare This publication can be accessed here. Many attendees shared their experiences at the amazing event. Vivian Wong McKendry of One More Thing said, I had a fantastic time at the Big Business Show yesterday, gaining invaluable insights into financial supports from the LEO, and learning from inspiring speakers on marketing, social media, and virtual reality. To top it off, we even had the opportunity to get professional headshots takensuch a well-rounded and rewarding experience! Xiaoxiao Mullhall of Global EPS and SinoVentures stated, Attending Kildare's Big Business Show was a fantastic experience. As someone deeply involved in helping businesses expand into new markets, I found the event to be a fantastic opportunity to connect with so many business support organisations, chat with industry experts, and meet fellow entrepreneurs. The sessions on marketing, investment, and procurement were really insightful, giving me plenty of practical takeaways to refine business strategies. Huge thanks to the LEO team for organizing such a valuable eventit was incredibly useful, and Im excited to put these insights into action and build new partnerships. Robert Kennedy, Swag.eu, spoke fondly on his experience, Kildares Big Business Show was exceptional, I found some great networking opportunities, enjoyed inspiring sessions with leading speakers, and took advantage of exclusive access to key business support organisations. Kildare Local Enterprise Office ran a great event, creating an ideal platform for professional growth and connection. The addition of professional headshots further was very thoughtful. Over the years, LEO Kildares support has been invaluable to Swag.eu, and we highly recommend their services. Jacqui McNabb, Head of Enterprise, Economic Development and Tourism, Kildare County Council declared If you missed The Big Business Show, this is certain to be an annual event and expect 2026s Big Business Show to be even bigger! More people than ever are ready to become their own boss and take their venture to the next level. If you are one of them, reach out to your Local Enterprise Office. The team are ready to support you on your entrepreneurial journey. POPULAR DJ Evan Kilmartin has probably opened "his first nightclub in heaven", his grieving aunt has said. Julie Kilmartin, who runs Kilmartin Educational Services in Limerick city centre, has paid a heartbreaking tribute to her nephew who tragically died in a three-car collision on Sunday night in Galway. Aged just 22, Evan was loved in Limerick, as he worked alongside his aunt at her grind school in O'Connell Street, mainly co-ordinating its social media advertising campaigns. "He was the most popular guy in the area. He was a well-known DJ, and was just a funny guy, a kind guy, a decent guy. "Everybody just wanted to be in his company. He was a wonderful person, full of kindness," Julie said. This was most apparent when it came to his charity work. He raised 6,000 in a widely-publicised fundraiser for Cancer Care West in 2023, where he shaved his hair down to its roots. The young man, from the parish of Indreabhan in Galway, approached business owners across Limerick and many rowed in behind the campaign, either donating money or giving spot prizes. And after the proceeds were counted, Evan took time to contact each and every business owner to thank them for their generosity. Read Next: Dermot Bannon told to scale back Waterford home renovation plans for former RTE star "I never knew he did that until I went in for a pint of Guinness into Sexton's Pub [at Henry Street in Limerick city centre]. Aileen and Barry run Sexton's. Aileen came over to me, and told me that they gave a spot prize for the Shave or Dye event that Evan ran, and when it was all over and done with, Evan took the time to sit down and send them a thank you note for providing a spot prize. I've never heard of that being done before," Julie said. During Covid-19 when Julie and her other nephew, Evan's brother Shane were working in their office, she recalled how Evan was so good to them. "He was the cook who looked after myself and Shane, his brother, when we were down. He would go out and get all the food, cook it for us, and when we came home from work, it was all there for us." "He was just a wonderful young person, that is the bottom line. There was nothing but kindness and love about him," Julie said. "We will remember him for his smile, his laughter, his kindness and the love that he had for his family. The sheer love for his family and friends. The love for Irish, the love for the Gaeltacht, the love for Ireland. The love for everything," the businesswoman and educator said. Julie has taken a lot of comfort from tributes which have flowed in for Evan from across the world. The pair travelled to many destinations, always with the maroon flag of Galway in hand. They are pictured below at the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. "Tributes are pouring in from friends he has made in Texas, Australia, South Africa, all over the world.. from Boston. People are so devastated and shocked that such a young person at such a young age with so much to live for, with so much to give to the world has now gone from us," Julie added. She said the family have kept saying to each other that: "Evan is now in heaven". "He probably has the first nightclub opened up there," she smiled. Following the crash, the Bearna to Na Forbacha road in Galway was closed well into Monday before re-opening after a forensic examination. Gardai are appealing for witnesses to the collision to come forward. A spokesperson said: "Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in the area at the time are asked to make this footage available to investigating gardai," a Garda spokesperson said in a statement. "Anyone with any information is asked to contact Bothar na Tra (Salthill) Garda Station on 091 514 720, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station." Evan's funeral details have yet to be confirmed. May he rest in peace. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The Queen comforted the girlfriend of jockey Michael OSullivan who died following a racing fall as the horse forever linked to his career won at the Cheltenham Festival. Camilla kissed and put a reassuring arm on Charlotte Giles when she joined trainer Barry Connell on the winning podium after his horse, Marine Nationale, won the feature race of the day, the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The thoroughbred was ridden to victory in the Supreme Novices Hurdle in 2023 by OSullivan who died last month from his injuries following a fall at Thurles Racecourse, Co Tipperary, in his native Ireland. He was honoured on the first day of the festival on Tuesday when the announcer ushered in the start of the race renamed the Michael OSullivan Supreme Novices Hurdle. Connell was keen to dedicate the success on Wednesday to OSullivan, with his former retained riders girlfriend part of the pre-race preparations for Marine Nationale and the post-race celebrations. He said: Charlotte was helping to tack him up and we got her in the photograph. Ive spent a good bit of time with her in the last couple of weeks, and the family as well, and any little thing we can do to help everybody involved we will do. Its been a heart-wrenching time for everybody. Im sure he would be proud. The Queen ended her day at the premier meet for jump jockeys by presenting the Queen Mother Champion Chase trophies to Connell and jockey Sean Flanagan, after spending time in the royal box with her family and other royals. She was joined by festival stalwarts Zara and Mike Tindall, Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank and her children Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, with their father and her former husband Andrew Parker Bowles also part of the group. Snow had greeted early risers at the famous racecourse but Camilla arrived in sunshine as punters poured through the gates ahead of the first race. The festival is a huge event in the area with bars, hotels and pubs filled in nearby Cheltenham and, alongside a normal trolley service, one train, from Paddington, to the towns main station, had another trolley selling just cans of beer. Camilla has a keen interest in the equestrian world, regularly attending major racing meets such as Royal Ascot and the Cheltenham Festival and is associated with a number of equine charities including The British Equestrian Federation and the Ebony Horse Club. She was recently announced as the royal patron of the British Racing School which trains the next generation in the horse racing industry. The appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK Ambassador to the US is a huge opportunity for Northern Ireland, the deputy First Minister has said. DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly met Lord Mandelson at the British Embassy in Washington, DC on Tuesday. Speaking after the meeting, Ms Little-Pengelly said his previous work as Northern Ireland Secretary provided a chance for the ambassador to be a real champion for the region. She said: We had a detailed and productive meeting on a wide range of issues today. This includes on ongoing international issues, the engagements in the White House coming up this week and on how better we can work together to promote Northern Ireland as part of the Embassy work in the USA. Lord Mandelson served as our Secretary of State and has a detailed knowledge and understanding of Northern Ireland. This provides a huge opportunity to have a real champion in Washington who will promote Northern Ireland as the UK Ambassador. This is particularly the case as we head towards the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Many from what is now Northern Ireland were the founding fathers of the United States. The potential to use our shared heritage and history as a way of promoting Northern Ireland is significant. Ms Little-Pengelly said she and Communities Minister Gordon Lyons will be seeking to harness those opportunities during their engagements in the US. Meanwhile, the Ulster American Folk Park in Co Tyrone is to receive a 750,000 funding boost as part of a drive to increase cultural and heritage links with the US. The announcement was made by Mr Lyons during a visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. The museum tells the story of the emigration of people from Ulster to North America in the 18th and 19th centuries. Mr Lyons said: It is fitting that I announce this investment in the Ulster American Folk Park The Journey Ahead project at the iconic Smithsonian in Washington. The museum chronicles the history of emigration from Ulster to the United States and its profound impact on the formation of modern America. This announcement is the first step in unlocking over 20 million through the Mid South West Growth Deal, an investment which will transform what the museum can offer, enhancing the visitor experience and driving tourism to the wider area. He added: Our story and the heritage we share with the US is a history worth telling. Our connections make Northern Ireland a deeply resonant tourist destination for many Americans wishing to learn more about their Ulster Scots roots. I want to ensure we can attract these visitors and share the story of their ancestors journey from our local shores, providing visitors with new ways to engage with this captivating narrative. The funding will modernise the museums welcome centre with updated interpretation and exhibitions. It will also enhance the immersive storytelling experience across the open-air museum. Mr Lyons was joined by Kathryn Thompson, chief executive of National Museums NI and Professor Margaret Topping, pro-vice-chancellor for global engagement at Queens University Belfast. Cissy passed away on Thursday, March 6, 2025, peacefully at the Croft Nursing Home, Inchicore, Dublin in her 99th year. She is predeceased by her husband; John Patrick (Higgins), her parents; Tom and Mary Ann (Brennan), brothers; Joe and Mike, brothers in law; James, Bernard and Hugh, cousins and many dear friends. Cissy will be sadly missed by her family; Mary, Patrick and Ann, her beloved sister; Anne, her cherished grandchildren; Dara, Feidhlim, Eoin, Hugh; Sean, Tom, Pierce, Faye; Danny, Matthew and Kate, granddaughters-in-law, grandson-in-law, her 13 great-grandchildren, sister-in-law; Carmel, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, close friends and neighbours. Heartfelt condolences have been left on RIP.ie, from those who knew and fondly remembered Cissy, with one mourner writing, "Cissy was a remarkable person and a great life long friend to my parents. What a great age to have lived to, she was warm, always friendly had a great laugh and sense of style." Another wrote, "My deepest sympathy to all of Cissys family. I have lovely memories of her attending many social events in Longford Library always very stylish and sparkling company and very proud of her Leitrim roots. May her kind and gentle soul rest in eternal peace." While a family member wrote, "Cobhron o chroi oraibh go leir. Heartfelt condolences to all the Higgins and extended clan. Aunty Cis was shining example of a life well lived. Her energy, sense of fun and kindness will be long remembered. She had the most amazing smile and was always the most glamorous person in the room. Ta sibh inar guid smaointe. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam." Funeral Arrangements Cissy will repose at Glennon's Funeral Home, Ballinalee Road, Longford (Eircode N39 EC81) on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, from 3.30pm concluding with prayers at 5.15pm. Removal to arrive at St. Mels Cathedral, Longford for funeral mass on Thursday morning at 11am followed by burial to Cloone, Cemetery, Co. Leitrim. SHANNON Airport is preparing to welcome almost 38,000 passengers through its doors over the St Patricks Day holiday period. This is a 10 per cent increase compared to 2024 figures and highlights the airport's growing popularity with holiday travellers. Looking ahead to a busy St Patricks holiday period, Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group, said: "We are delighted with the expected increase in passenger traffic at Shannon over the St Patricks Day holiday period. Voted by the public as Ireland's favourite airport, our staff are dedicated to delivering excellence in customer experience. Shannon Airport was ranked fourth in Ireland's Customer Experience Insights (CXi) Report 2024 and maintaining our status as Irelands top airport brand is important to us. It's heartening that our commitment to providing a seamless and enjoyable travel experience continues to resonate with our passengers, with more and more people from all over Ireland discovering how easy and convenient it is to travel through Shannon Airport. READ MORE: TUS triumphs at national awards ceremony for adult learning Our diverse range of air services at Shannon serve as a vital gateway, connecting tourists to the stunning beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way. This not only supports our region's tourism industry but also boosts the regional and national economy. We have had a positive start to the year with passenger levels in February up almost 8 per cent on last year," said Ms Considine. The Cheltenham Racing Festival has seen race attendees flying out to the UK in big numbers over the last few days, with more expected to travel between now and the weekend for one of the UKs premier sporting events. In the lead-up to the national holiday, the airport has been adorned with special St Patricks Day-themed decorations to create a festive atmosphere for arriving and departing passengers, as well as visitors greeting their loved ones. A bespoke St Patricks Day display featuring a giant shamrock with a welcoming message has been created in the airport arrivals hall, offering arriving passengers plenty of opportunities for selfies and group photos. Commenting on St Patricks Day preparations Ms Considine said: Our dedicated team stand ready to extend a warm Shannon welcome to all our passengers, ensuring an easy, seamless and comfortable journey through the airport. We look forward to welcoming everyone during this festive season, and we would like to extend a Cead Mile Failte to everyone this St Patricks Day. MAYOR of Limerick John Moran has revealed details of how he plans to spend the 10.5m which has been handed to him from Government. More than 3.5m has been set aside for measures to help alleviate the housing crisis. Of this, 1.3m is in place for the first citizen's flagship policy of modular - or Smart - homes. A modular building is a prefabricated building that consists of repeated sections called modules. Modularity involves constructing sections away from the building site, then delivering them to the intended site. READ MORE: Limerick hurler Kyle Hayes fails in appeal over dangerous driving conviction Mayor Moran has said he wants these homes in place in short order, with work ongoing to find areas of State lands and secure the relevant approvals from the Department of Housing. He hopes a planning application is lodged for a demonstration block of modular homes in Limerick by the end of 2025, with the ultimate hope being these houses can be erected near building sites, so their occupants can watch their forever home being built up nearby. A further 2.3m has been set aside for other housing projects. These are ones which are designed to open up new lands for building. The first citizen is planning a trial of the Vienna Model - based on the idea of building enough affordable housing to meet local demand - in the West Limerick town of Abbeyfeale. Mayor Moran acknowledged that the council will need to rely on other sources of funding to make real progress on his housing aims - and indeed other goals in his mayoral programme. For now, the 10.5m in place will cater mainly for pilot programmes. "By showing value for money or proof of concept for our own ideas in 2025, I hope these pilots will help us unlock many more millions of funding in the remaining years of my mayoral term," he said. He also pointed to the ambition of more than 750m of capital expenditure referred to in the local authority budget passed last November. Elsewhere, the first citizen is setting aside 1.09m of his budget for trial initiatives for better quality city and urban spaces. A further 1.7m is being set aside for other improvements in the city, with Mayor Moran highlighting a number of significant projects he hopes this money will help move forward. These include working alongside Innovate Engine Limerick to look at new uses for the Royal Cinema and other publicly-owned buildings along Cecil Street in the city centre. Some 325,000 is there for festivals. And 1.2m is available to boost business in the city centre. Limerick's first directly elected mayor has placed a special focus on the King's Island area of the city. A total of 700,000 is in place to drive forward extra community and enterprise projects in the area. Separately, funding from other parts of the council budget are financing greater maintenance of public housing, the Kings Island Community Centre project and additional social services. Mayor Moran has announced 200,000 for works on green spaces in Garryowen, including the St Patrick's Well garen. Funding of 625,000 is slated for the delivery of initiatives to combat "health disadvantages" in Limerick In rural Limerick, 365,000 has been allocated for Kilmallock, Rathkeale and the rest of the county. He stressed that other projects for county Limerick are funded directly from government of the proceeds of development levies. These are fees which developers pay to the local authority on receipt of planning applications. And he said that while not all projects in his mayoral programme are included in his estimates, they've not been forgotten about. "It just reflects that we have limited funds which necessarily need to be prioritised and the ability for projects to leverage in other external funds was also an important factor," he said. Speaking on his overall funding package, the mayor said: "In setting the priorities for 2025, I had two guiding principles. On one side, I have tried to drive on priorities from the More for Limerick programme which are shovel ready for 2025 thanks to work done before last years election and focus and drive by the teams in the second half of last year." A CALL HAS been made to rename a busy city roundabout in honour of one of Limerick's star hurlers. Metropolitan district leader Cllr Kieran O'Hanlon believes the Parkway Roundabout should be named after All-Star Limerick wing-forward Gearoid Hegarty. The roundabout is located more or less on the doorstep of where the 30-year-old plays his club hurling, at St Patrick's GAA. Addressing this month's metropolitan district meeting, Cllr O'Hanlon took inspiration from the US president Donald Trump. Following a discussion over traffic chaos at the Parkway Roundabout, the Fianna Fail member - who represents the area on council - came up with the novel idea. READ MORE: Limerick hurler Kyle Hayes fails in appeal over dangerous driving conviction He said: "By the way, the name the Parkway Roundabout: I feel like Donald Trump. He changed the Gulf of Mexico. I think we should consider it be called the Gearoid Hegarty roundabout. We have the Mackey Roundabout outside there." Secondary school teacher Gearoid, a five-time All-Ireland winner with Limerick, made his long-awaited return to play last weekend after a hand injury sustained earlier this year. Former mayor Cllr O'Hanlon believes the St Patrick's clubman fully deserves the accolade of having a roundabout in the city named after him. As he mentioned, the Mackey Roundabout, off the M7 was named after Mick Mackey, and is located near to his home club of Ahane. The iconic Castleconnell man won three All-Ireland senior hurling titles in 1934, 1936, and 1940. Alongside this, he won five Munster titles, five National League titles and eight Railway Cups in his 42 appearances for the senior panel. Gearoid, by comparison, has lined out for Limerick's senior hurlers 46 times from 2016 to now. As well as the five senior All-Ireland medals he has in his possession, he has also collected six Munster titles and three National League crowns. He has been named on the All-Star team on four occasions. New Delhi: Sunil Mittal-chaired Bharti Airtel Ltd has inked a pact with Elon Musk-backed Starlink to offer satellite internet services in India, raising the stakes in the battle with Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. Starlinks service will be marketed in India through Airtel. However, the Bharti group company, in its exchange filing on Tuesday, did not indicate the launchit is a pre-emptive agreement between the two companies. Airtel already has a joint venture agreement with UK-based satellite operator OneWeb. While OneWebs infrastructure will be used to offer connectivity to enterprises, SpaceX-owned Starlink will provide services to consumers directly, two senior executives aware of the development at Airtel said. Dubbed a battle of the billionaires, the impending launch of satellite internet in India has continued for nearly two years. Ambanis Reliance Jio has written to the Centre multiple times seeking spectrum auctiona format that was abolished with the passing of the Telecommunications Act, 2023. Also read | Advantage Musk, Starlink as Trump prepares for second tenure The Starlink launch will, however, have to wait till the company procures an operating licence from the ministry of communications. Also pending is the allocation of satellite spectrum for operators in Indiawhich is expected by June, Mint reported on 5 March. The Starlink agreement will enhance the ability to bring world-class high-speed broadband to even the most remote parts of India, ensuring that every individual, business, and community has reliable internet", Airtels managing director Gopal Vittal said in a statement. Gwynne Shotwell, chief operating officer of SpaceX, added that working with (Airtel) to complement (its) direct offering makes great sense for our business". Industry executives said Airtel's move was a clear sign of intent" against Reliance Jio, which has its own Jio SpaceFiber satellite internet service for consumers. Starlink right now is a brand which has a lot of interestin part due to Musks fame, and the rest due to it being a global brand already serving various nations. So far, Airtels play was largely enterprise-centric onlythrough OneWeb, they did not plan to operate a consumer offering," a senior industry executive who consults both Jio and Airtel told Mint, requesting anonymity. Read this | Spectrum war comes to satellites as Jio locks horns with Starlink The Starlink partnership makes Airtel a direct rival to Jio yet againand one could even say that the move might ever so slightly tip the scales in Airtels favour due to Starlinks brand presence and awareness," the executive said. To be sure, Starlinks impending launch in India has worried all incumbents. On 8 March, Airtel, Jio and Kumar Mangalam Birla-backed Vodafone-Idea Ltd wrote to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) seeking parity of spectrum pricing and regulatory requirements for satcom services and on-ground terrestrial networks. Their demand for a level playing field", industry stakeholders said, is in response to the possibility of Starlink and Kuiper offering services in India. There is a certain amount of scepticism and concern among Indias telcos because this is an industry that has seen heavy capital infusion from the likes of Jio and Airteland is not used to seeing a foreign disruptor enter the space," said Siddhant Cally, telecom research analyst and market researcher Counterpoint India. In the long run, the representation for reduced spectrum pricing may not hold fort since satcom as a sector is different from terrestrial networks." T.V. Ramachandran, president of industry body Broadband India Forum (BIF), said satcom services will connect the unconnected"and are thus intrinsically different in nature" than terrestrial networks. A similar lens of regulation, therefore, may not work for the sector. Also read | Starlinks services in India set to face delays Musk, on Sunday, said on his social media platform X that fair competition would be much appreciated" in Indias satcom industrya statement that the analyst cited above said may hold stronger ground, now that Airtel is involved in the marketing of Starlink in the country". However, the agreement does not mention exclusivity anywhere, implying that for both Starlink and Airtel, there's nothing that would restrict either brand from exploring other partnership avenues in this sector," said a veteran industry consultant, requesting anonymity since he works with each of the three parties involved. However, the consultant said, satcom services by Starlink will be expensive, and apart from a small percentage of the elite few with palatial establishments, you can't really expect anyone to subscribe to internet services that are nearly 20x the price of the average mobile or at-home internet line". By FY27, satellite internet is unlikely to cross $100 million in net revenue," he estimated. The core factor behind the Airtel-Starlink-Jio tussle is in optics, and the marketing rights of who has the full stack of servicesand who does not." And read | Starlink takes a step closer to India The government is examining Kia India Pvt Ltds electric vehicle investments in 2024 to decide if the South Korean carmaker's local unit is eligible for receiving production-linked incentives (PLI), Mint has learnt. The company had previously not updated their investments onto the PLI-Auto portal and not met deadlines, and they have reached out to the heavy industries ministry with the relevant disclosures about their investments in EV projects," said a senior government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. But no decision has been taken about whether the company will be eligible for incentives," the official said. Companies are required to update information about investments and sales on the PLI portal every quarter. But the ministry received communication from Kia India only in early January, the official said. Also read | About 12 companies including BHEL and Kia Motors to be excluded from Auto PLI Mint reported on 23 December the government could exclude a dozen companies, including Kia India, from the scheme due to lack of investment proof. The caution reflects increased glare over foreign carmakers after both Kia and Volkswagen Groups India unit faced tax demands for allegedly importing cars as individual parts, instead of categorizing the shipments as completely knocked down or CKD kits that attract a higher tax rate. Key Takeaways The Indian government is scrutinizing Kia India's electric vehicle investments to determine their eligibility for PLI-Auto incentives. Kia India failed to meet deadlines for updating investment information on the PLI-Auto portal, leading to the government's investigation. The investigation comes amid heightened scrutiny of foreign automakers in India, with tax disputes and allegations of import misclassification. The PLI-Auto scheme aims to boost domestic manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles through financial incentives. The scheme has strict eligibility criteria, including minimum revenue, investment, and net worth requirements, making it challenging for some companies to qualify. Companies need to provide proof of investment to avail subsidies under the Centre's 25,938-crore PLI-Auto scheme that incentivizes the manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles in the country. As of 11 March, only three out of the 82 approved companies have received these incentives. Kia India informed the ministry of heavy industries that it had made investments towards EV projects but could not update the information on the PLI-Auto portal within the deadline, according to a communication reviewed by Mint. The company said it was unable to upload the necessary details on the portal due to "recent changes in the authorization process", according to the communication. Queries emailed to the ministry on 5 March did not elicit a response. Kia India also didnt respond to a query emailed on 5 March or to reminders via email, WhatsApp text messages, and over the phone. How incentives work Vehicle and auto component makers must invest in cleaner vehicles using advanced automotive technology to claim PLI. If satisfied, the government will provide incentives worth 13-18% of the determined sales value" or incremental or excess sales in a particular financial year over FY20, the base year. For instance, if a company sold electric vehicles worth 100 in FY20 and worth 200 in FY25, then the government would provide an incentive of 13-18% on 100 -- the difference between the sales in the two years. The incentive for component makers is 8-13%. Kia's vehicles have not been approved under the scheme. The list on the PLI-Auto website had no entries from the maker of EV6 and EV9 models as on 11 March. If a company does not furnish proof of domestic investments for two consecutive years, the government can remove it from the scheme and invoke the bank guarantee provided at the time of selection. The company can then no longer participate in the PLI scheme. So far, Tata Motors Ltd and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd have been approved to receive 246 crore cumulatively for their FY24 sales. Electric scooter maker Ola Electric Ltd also received 73.74 crore in incentives for its FY24 sales, the company informed exchanges. Automakers face scrutiny The scrutiny of EV incentives also marks caution after the government alleged that some electric two-wheeler makers unduly availed subsidies. It tasked the corporate affairs ministry's Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to investigate Hero Electric Vehicles Pvt Ltd, Benling India Energy and Technology Pvt Ltd, and Okinawa Autotech Internationall Pvt Ltd in December 2024, accusing them of fraudulently availing of subsidies worth 297 crore under the second leg of its Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric (and Hybrid) or FAME-II scheme. The companies denied wrongdoing. FAME-II, which from FY19 to FY24 subsidised electric vehicles for consumers, allowed automakers to be reimbursed the subsidized amount. Separately, the Union government has also demanded $1.4 billion in tax from German automaker Volkswagen Group, alleging that it mislabelled imports over the past 12 years as individual parts, paying 5-15% duty instead of 35% on the completely knocked down kits. The company has challenged the demand in the Bombay High Court. Also read | Kia Motors announces measures to protect financial viability of dealers Kia India also faced an investigation by tax authorities for similar discrepancies worth about $155 million, Reuters reported on 5 February. Kia reportedly complied after a warning from tax officials, according to another Reuters report on 26 February, and the company started classifying imports accurately. Kia's group and South Korean peer Hyundai Motors faced allegations from the Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu governments of evading goods and services tax (GST) worth over 17 crore, Mint reported on 1 March. The automaker said that there will be no impact of the GST orders on their financial, operational or other activities. Slowing growth, low incentives India is looking to boost manufacturing to drive growth and create jobs, a goal that Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman reiterated in her budget for FY26 on 1 February. The automobile sector contributes 35% to the country's manufacturing output, according to the ministry of heavy industries. The government seeks to further incentivize local auto production. Yet, the industry faces increased scrutiny, and that too when growth is slowing. Icra Ltd estimates the two-wheeler industry volumes to grow at 6-9% in FY26, following an estimated 11-14% in FY25. The rating agency pegs the passenger vehicle segment growth at 4-7% in FY26, after a lull of 0-2% growth in FY25. Also read | Kia Motors launches new facility in APs Anantapur District It sees the auto components sector growing at 8-10% in FY26, marginally better than FY25's 7-9% but lower than the highs of 14% in FY24. Moreover, the PLI conditions are stringent, and disbursals will be too small for any meaningful benefit for automakers. Vehicle makers seeking to avail the subsidies need to have a minimum revenue of 10,000 crore, while component makers must have a turnover of at least 500 crore, according to the scheme notification. They must show an investment in fixed assets worth 3,000 crore and 150 crore, respectively. Non-auto companies seeking to avail PLI-Auto benefits must have had a global net worth of 1,000 crore in FY21, making the entry of smaller firms difficult. The PLI scheme has been successful in terms of commitments," said Vinkesh Gulati, former president of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations of India. However, it needs to be seen how the actual investments are implemented and incentives disbursed." The ministry of heavy industries has said disbursal under the PLI-Auto scheme would begin in FY25. But in the Outcome Budget for FY26, the government said only 12% of the total allocation of the PLI-Auto scheme for FY26 will be disbursed as incentives. Which means, of the 2,818.85 crore allocated, the government will hand out only 336.77 crore to companies. Also read | Kia Motors becomes India's fourth largest vehicle manufacturer after two months NEW DELHI : The development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) models, which consume vast amounts of data from all possible sources, has raised concerns about unauthorized use of content protected by copyright to train these tools. While lawsuits against AI models and Big Tech firms build up in India and globally for alleged copyright violations, California-headquartered visual illustration and editing software developer Adobe remains unperturbed as it only uses data that it owns to train its AI models, its India managing director Prativa Mohapatra said in an interview with Mint. We train our AI models only on data that we ownand hold their rights, with the files stored on our own servers. This ensures that we circumvent concerns that using our Firefly generation of AI-enabled products might lead to creating illustrations that infringe upon artists intellectual property rights. This is helping us sell subscriptions of our AI-powered illustration tools, available around the world in varying subscription plans," Mohapatra said. Also read: Adobe rivals OpenAI's Sora with new Firefly Video model: What is it and how to use? For Adobe, the year ended March 2024 was the first year of AI-driven product sales in India and around the world. Firefly, to be sure, is the companys proprietary foundational AI model family that will power its popular creative toolssuch as Photoshop for photography editing, Premiere Pro for video editing and After Effects for graphic designing. Regulatory filing data with the Registrar of Companies, accessed by Mint through market intelligence platform Tofler, showed that in fiscal year 2024 (FY24), Adobe India reported a 14% rise in annual revenue to 7,754.64 crore ($887.6 million). However, this pace is slower than the previous two fiscalswhere Adobes India revenue grew at more than 30% year-on-year. Were still in the initial years of AI, let alone using AI to drastically ramp up sales or clamp down upon unauthorized usage of software to increase monetization potential. But AI is steadily making a difference, and we expect to see its reflection in Adobe Indias growth potential in an equivalent way in the years to come," Mohapatra said. While Adobes claim about it using only its own data was initially well-receivedand the company even offered to indemnify users globally from legal challenges with its proprietary take on AIreports by Bloomberg last year underlined that some part of Adobes data sets included images created by a third-party AI platform, Midjourney. Adobe eventually accepted this claim, clarifying that about 5%" of its datasets comprised such imagesraising legal concerns yet again. Industry experts, however, suggest that simply relying on AI to sell subscription packages to enterprises would not be enough for Adobe to sustain growth. Adobes claim to offer litigation-free AI integration is indeed promising for businesses. But its important to note that due to its stringent checks and balances and a play-it-safe approach, the versatility of its AI tools may not be as limitless as open platforms such as Midjourney, or even Canva," Kashyap Kompella, AI analyst and chief executive of tech consultant RPA2AI Research, said. Also read: Adobe adds 2 new AI-backed features to Substance 3D design app. Heres how they work Two people with direct knowledge of the matter said that Adobes strong growth in FY22 and FY23 came on the back of higher-than-usual creative licence salesas many creative agencies reduced human workforces and purchased software licences to automate creation of content. Further, individuals starting their own boutique content operations after quitting larger creative agencies also fuelled Adobe's growth. Touching upon this, Mohapatra said that in the long run, keeping the Firefly models free of copyright concerns will help us tap into demand for content automationwhich will further give us fillip for stronger growth." Adobe Inc. was set up in 1982 and registered in India nearly three decades ago in 1997. The company started with what Mohapatra described was a single room with a handful of employees for software testing." Today, with over 8,500 employees, India is Adobes second-largest base for employees outside of the USand has also been the fastest-growing geography by revenue in the past three financial years. Its double-digit growth in both revenue and operating profit between FY22 and FY24 is reflective of this claim. But Adobe does not look at its India presence only as a sales hub, Mohapatra highlighted. India is one of the worlds most important engineering hubs for Adobeto expand this, through the calendar year 2024 we invested in a new engineering division in Bengaluru and also set up our own local data centre operations to comply with local regulations and offer our cloud-based creative AI services to both companies and individuals. Much of Fireflys generative AI feature development process has happened in India itself, including core technical aspects such as the integration of vectors or dimensional graphics in the popular image editing service, Photoshop," she added. Also read: Mint Primer: AI in the air: How gadgets will change forever RPA2AI Researchs Kompella said another key challenge for Adobe to persuade more users to pay for its tools lies in its billing structurethe developer community is critical of it compulsorily billing subscriptions for a full year, while the likes of Canva allow one to pay per day, almost in a pay-as-you-go format. This could be a key hindrance to the companys revenue growth in India, he cautioned. Mohapatra said that in order to rival the threat from the likes of Canva, Adobe is offering free tiers to rope more users into their umbrella. We want to be present in the journey of making creativity accessible for all, which is what AI is doing today. With free tiers, we are also present in segments where our challengers are. This will, hopefully, keep us ahead of the competition for the years to come," she said. The market regulators recent guidelines outlining tougher disclosure requirements for related-party transactions has sparked significant apprehension about increased compliance burdens and potential operational delays. The directive, issued on 14 February, aims to enhance transparency and fairness in the related-party transaction approval processes, mandating stringent disclosure and certification requirements. Even M. Damodaran, former chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Board of India, has criticized the directive, calling it an elaborate document with inconsistencies. It has so many things that if you take them seriously, you will have a problem. It is better to read them, laugh at them and go on with life. Because there are inconsistencies within that document," he said at a governance and risk management event on 5 March. The Industry Standards Forum (ISF)comprising representatives from the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci)had formulated the new guidelines in consultation with the stock exchanges and Sebi. The objective was to ensure uniformity in compliance with Sebis regulations for Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements (LODR). Also read | Mint Explainer: What are related party transactions and why do they run into controversies The main concerns over Sebis new rules on related-party transactions Increased compliance burden Companies must provide extensive financial details, and valuation reports to get approvals for related-party transactions. Smaller transactions may face impractical disclosure demands, raising compliance costs. Stringent documentation and approval processes could slow decision-making and business operations. Regulatory overreach and ambiguities Former Sebi chair M. Damodaran criticized inconsistencies in the directive. Unclear language on effective datewhether it applies to approval or transaction execution. Audit committees must balance data redaction and disclosure, leading to concerns over selective transparency. Challenges in mapping promoters New categorization of promoters (P, PG, PGIE) complicates tracking indirect shareholding and interests. Ambiguity on verifying promoter group interests in related entities. Impact on business competitiveness Excessive disclosure may expose sensitive business strategies. Legal experts argue that reducing materiality thresholds will not necessarily improve transparency. Practical concerns in certification Lack of clarity on who qualifies as a promoter director in complex corporate structures. Unclear procedures if a promoter director refuses to certify a related-party transaction. The new rules require companies to provide extensive details about related-party transactions to the audit committee and shareholders. Companies must furnish comprehensive financial information, explaining any missing data. Valuation reports, financial details of related parties, and peer comparisons are also required. Moreover, explanatory statements for shareholder approvals must detail the benefits of any related-party transactions. Damodaran, in a newsletter published by his governance advisory firm, Excellence Enablers, said related-party transactions are legitimate business activities acknowledged by the Companies Act and LODR despite their often negative connotation. However, Sebis recent guidelines have introduced complex information requirements, potentially leading to regulatory overreach, he wrote. Is this a long procedural prescription to root out RPTs (related-party transactions) in the foreseeable future? If so, would it not have been preferable to state that RPTs will no longer be allowed, except in rare circumstances?," Damodaran added in his newsletter. Also read | M. Damodaran: A letter to Sebis new chief Multiple standards Market experts argue that the Sebi directives detailed information requirements may overwhelm companies, particularly those dealing with numerous related-party transactions, potentially slowing operations due to approval delays. Ketan Mukhija, senior partner at Burgeon Law, said the exhaustive information requirements stated in the new guidelines would not only lead to operational delays but also increase compliance costs. The directive may have inconsistencies that could complicate compliance for listed companies. It mandates an excessive level of detail, which may be impractical for smaller transactions and increase compliance burdens," he said. Also, while related-party transactions exceeding 10% of turnover, total assets, or net worth require shareholder approval under the Companies Act, 2013, Sebi's new guidelines set the standard at 2%prompting experts to call for a clarification from Sebi. "Multiplicity of regulations/standards to be followed will certainly cause confusion amongst the companies and the professionals," said Akshaya Bhansali, partner at Mindspright Legal. Also read | Ayes vs noes: Hyundai Indias proposed related-party transactions divide proxy advisory firms Sebi should clarify the applicable legal standards to prevent confusion, Bhansali said, adding that reducing the standard will not bring transparency" and that excessive information disclosure could affect business competitiveness. Other experts said that since most companies present several items to their audit committees and shareholders for omnibus approval, providing detailed documentation for every proposed related-party transaction would significantly increase paperwork. While the standards provide a uniform framework, the dynamics of different industries still play their role in adding a layer of complexity in reporting the RPTs," said Prashant Thacker, partner at Thacker & Associates, a leading professional services firm. Different industries have different rules, which changes the information needed for RPT reviews and impacts decisions." A bunch of ambiguities Thacker also highlighted ambiguities in the new guidelines on related-party transactions, such as the directives effective date. Whether the date refers to the date of the approval granted by the audit committee/shareholders, or it pertains to the date of entering the transaction, is not clear from the language of the standard," he said, adding that a clearer interpretation would be to count the RPTs entered on or after 1 April for which approval is being sought". Experts also said the provision for an audit committee to redact sensitive data while ensuring sufficient disclosure for informed decisions raised concerns about selective disclosure, and that detailed promoter categorization posed new challenges. Under the new guidelines, promoters are to be mapped under different categoriesPromoters (P), Promoters Group (PG), and Entities where the Promoters Group has a concern or interest (PGIE). The challenge arises as to how the audit committee would verify whether or not the PG has interest in PGIE; and also how the indirect interest in RPT shall be determined," Thacker explained. Comprehensive data will need to be maintained to map whether a P/PG has any indirect shareholding/interest in other entities." Other disclosure requirements in the new guidelines have also raised concerns. What happens if a promoter director refuses to certify? Who exactly is considered a promoter director, especially in complex group structures?," Thacker questioned. Does every promoter director have to certify, or just those directly involved in the transaction?" Correction: An earlier version of this article misinterpreted Akshaya Bhansali comments on related-party transactions that require shareholder approval. Lucknow-based SLMG Beverages Pvt. Ltd, a major Coca-Cola bottler in India, plans to invest up to $1 billion by 2030 to expand its production capacity in the populous states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, according to a company executive. The Ladhani family, which owns SLMG and also has hospitality interests, will also invest 4,000 crore in hotel development. Also Read | Competition a positive force, keeps us sharp: Coca-Cola president Murphy The outlay comes as the familythat first entered the bottling business back in 1997plans to double its beverage business by the end of the decade. As the beverage company's bottler for Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, SLMG Beverages (part of the Ladhani Group) operates 11 bottling units, distributing its products to 1.5 million retail outlets. We've already invested about $1.5 billion in the last 20 years in the bottling business (Coca-Cola). We will probably invest another $1 billion in the next five years. We are very, very confident of this business," Paritosh Ladhani, joint managing director, SLMG Beverages and second-generation entrepreneur, said in an interview with Mint in the capital on Wednesday. Also Read | Coca-Cola sells 40% stake in HCCB to Jubilant Bhartia Group The company could touch 10,000 crore in gross revenues by the end of the net fiscal. It took us 20 years to reach 10,000 crore; it will take us five years to double that number," Ladhani said. SLMG is Coca-Cola's largest independent bottler in India, contributing 23% to the beverage maker's national volumes. Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd (HCCB), the company-owned bottling operation, is still the largest bottler. Also Read | Charanjit Singh: Campa Cola's founder who battled Coca-Cola, Pepsi, India Today The Atlanta-based beverage company works with local bottling partners worldwide, who manufacture and distribute its beverages in select markets or territories. It sells brands such as Thums-Up, Sprite, Coca-Cola and Minute Maid in India. Since 2019, Coca-Cola India, through its subsidiaries, has been divesting its bottling operations in the countrya process it said would help it streamline supply chains and help with faster execution. In 2024, SLMG was given rights for the entire Bihar territory in addition to its existing presence in Uttar Pradesh. SLMG has a pipeline of new bottling plants in both Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. We have started a plant in Buxar, Bihar, with an investment of 1,200 crore. Then we are getting into Bijnor (Uttar Pradesh) in a couple of years, which will take care of west UP, we have another plant coming up in Bihar, probably in Hajipur. The expansion will be a mix of brownfield and greenfield projects," he added. Increased electrification, improved highway connectivity, and greater household refrigerator penetration have helped Coca-Cola and PepsiCo expand their beverage businesses in India. India is the beverage makers fifth largest market globally. Last month, Kandhari Global Beverages Pvt. Ltd, another Coca-Cola India bottler, announced its largest acquisition to date: a new plant from Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd (HCCB) in Sanand, Gujarat. The company plans to expand in overseas markets and list its shares on stock exchanges if and when its US partner decides the time is right. Ladhani said the group will be more than happy" to acquire rights to additional territories in the future. In addition to its beverage operations, the Ladhani family has also diversified into hospitality, establishing its hotel business in 2009. The family is considering a further investment of 4,000 crore to grow its hotel portfolio. We have the Taj in Agra. We're doing more properties with Taj Vivanta in Haridwar as well as Ayodhya. We are also planning to bring The Four Seasons to Agra along with a few more Oberoi Nature properties. We have demarcated around 4,000 crore to 5,000 crore in the next five years for hospitality as well," he said. WASHINGTONPresident Trumps stop-and-start trade policy and uneven economic messaging have rattled some of his own allies, triggering a flood of calls from business executives, concerns from Republican lawmakers and tension in the White House. Senior officials, including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, have received panicked calls from chief executives and lobbyists, who have urged the administration to calm jittery markets by outlining a more predictable tariff agenda, according to people familiar with the discussions. Many in the business community have abandoned efforts to get the president to reverse course on trade, instead pleading with the White House for clarity on his approach, the people said. In a meeting on Monday in the White Houses Roosevelt Room, the president and his top advisers huddled with the chief executives of International Business Machines, Qualcomm, HP and other tech companies. Some of the CEOs voiced their concerns about Trumps tariffs, warning they could hurt their industry, according to a meeting attendee. Trump told reporters that attendees at the meeting talked about investing in the U.S. The mixed messages from the president and his advisers have raised concerns among some Republicans that Trump lacks a cohesive economic plan. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last week the economy needed a detox." Trump has acknowledged that the tariffs could result in economic pain for consumers and, in an interview on Sunday, declined to rule out a recession, accelerating a selloff on Wall Street on Monday that wiped out all gains in major stock indexes since Election Day in November. On Tuesday, Trump played down the possibility of a recession, but underscored his commitment to far-reaching tariffs. All the while, Trump and his team have made frequent adjustments to his trade policies, announcing last-minute exemptions and reversals. It has been a horrific start for the economic policy team," said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former Congressional Budget Office director who now runs the conservative American Action Forum. Trumps aggressive approach to tariffs has unnerved some Trump administration economic officials, including staff on the National Economic Council, who are concerned that tariffs and uncertainty over trade policy are tanking the stock market and fueling price increases on everything from energy to construction materials, people familiar with the matter said. The presidents economic advisers have warned him that tariffs could hurt the market and economic growth, but he has largely been undeterred, the people said. The White House said Trumps economic advisers arent divided. Every member of the Trump administration is playing from the same playbookPresident Trumps playbookto enact an America First agenda of tariffs, tax cuts, deregulation, and the unleashing of American energy," White House spokesperson Kush Desai. Desai confirmed that senior officials have taken calls from corporate leaders, noting that National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett has talked to nearly a dozen CEOs in the past two days. The spate of tariff proclamations and the resulting economic convulsions have brought to the surface long-simmering tensions among Trumps economic team. Elon Musk and Howard Lutnick boarding Air Force One on Friday. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the hardcharging former chief executive at financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, is overseeing Trumps expansive trade agenda and has regularly appeared on cable television to discuss the matter. He has at times not fully looped in some of the presidents other economic advisers, according to people familiar with the matter, including Hassett, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and officials at the Council of Economic Advisers. In one instance last week, Lutnick went on Fox News and announced Canada and Mexico could soon strike a deal with the U.S. to avoid some of the 25% tariffs Trump had imposed over fentanyl trafficking. That surprised Greer and CEA staff, leaving them rushing to come up with a solution, eventually persuading Trump to grant a one-month pause on tariffs for goods that comply with a U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, according to people familiar with the matter. View Full Image Elon Musk and Howard Lutnick boarding Air Force One on Friday. Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has made clear to members of Trumps team that he wants to be a principal voice on economic policy across the administration, according to people familiar with the matter. Secretary Lutnicks long and immensely successful private sector career makes him an integral addition to the Trump administrations trade and economic team," Desai said, pointing to manufacturing job gains and investment commitments from companies such as Apple and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. On CBS News Tuesday night, Lutnick defended the administrations rollout of its trade policy, saying: It is not chaotic, and the only one who thinks its chaotic is someone whos being silly." Nearly two months into his presidency, Trumps advisers say he is more determined than ever to carry out his far-reaching tariff agenda, despite increasing pressure to change course. In Trumps first term, he watched the markets almost hourly, and even a temporary dip could lead to a change in policy, former senior administration officials said. This time, he is still interested in the markets, but is less inclined to abandon his tariff plans, though he has delayed the implementation of some duties, an administration official said. Trucks crossing the U.S.-Canada border along the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario. Trumps first-term National Economic Council director, Gary Cohn, and others at times opposed the presidents tariff proposals. This time, most of Trumps current advisers arent trying to dissuade him from invoking tariffs, officials said. Instead, they are advocating for more targeted tariffs with exemptions for key sectors. For example, Hassett and others successfully lobbied Trump to abandon his campaign pledge for an across-the-board tariff on all U.S. trading partners, and to opt instead for a reciprocal trade action that would allow room for other nations to negotiate lower tariffs with the U.S., according to people familiar with the discussions. View Full Image Trucks crossing the U.S.-Canada border on the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario. Photo: geoff robins/AFP/Getty Images Trumps reciprocal tariff move, which seeks to equalize U.S. tariffs with the duties and non-tariff barriers charged by other nations, is set to be announced in April. But that initiative could take six months or more to fully implement, people familiar with the policy previously told The Wall Street Journal. The uncertainty over tariff policy is also frustrating some Trump allies on Capitol Hill, a growing number of whom are worried about the economic ramifications of tariffs. We dont know what this is gonna look like tomorrow," said Sen. Mike Rounds (R., S.D.), adding that he is very frustrated" by the uncertainty that the tariff agenda is foisting on farmers and businesses in his state. President Trump and Musk depart after looking at Tesla vehicles on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican, said the stop-and-start nature of the tariffs is contributing to stock market losses and difficulties in corporate planning. Business hates uncertainty," he said. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R., Tenn.), a close Trump confidant and his first-term ambassador to Japan, acknowledged that the markets are trying to digest" the messages emanating from the White House on tariffs, but held out hope that certainty could be on the horizon. I think once we get these [tariff] announcements done and the market can actually sort out exactly what they mean, that will hopefully calm things," he said. Trump spoke on Tuesday night to the Business Roundtable, an influential group of corporate executives. A person familiar with the events planning said several executives changed their plans to attend. Swinging from one extreme to another is not the right policy approach," Chevron CEO Mike Wirth told an energy conference in Houston on Monday. We have allocated capital thats out there for decades, and so we really need consistent and durable policy." View Full Image Trump and Musk after looking at Tesla vehicles on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday. Photo: Samuel Corum/Bloomberg Write to Brian Schwartz at brian.schwartz@wsj.com, Gavin Bade at gavin.bade@wsj.com and Josh Dawsey at Joshua.Dawsey@WSJ.com Mumbai: Shares of IndusInd Bank plunged 27.2% on the bourses on Tuesday, a day after the private sector lender flagged discrepancies in its derivatives portfolio, sending panicked investors scrambling to the sell counters. Earlier, chief executive officer (CEO) Sumant Kathpalia got a one-year extension from the banking regulator instead of three, and he pointed to the derivatives issue as probable cause for not being given a three-year term. On Monday, the Hinduja group-promoted bank said it has appointed an external agency to investigate the derivatives lapse while keeping the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the loop. The bank had said in its December quarter presentation that its treasury has the best-in class risk management system". Ashok Hinduja, chairman of IndusInd International Holdings, told Mint over phone, Let me provide some confidence as far as the promoter is concerned, and I have told the market and investors that our full support is there, like it always has been in the past." Analysts pulled no punches. Trust is a crucial part of any investment thesis, and it may take some time to rebuild this trust and make the stock investable again," analysts at Kotak Institutional Equities wrote in a note on 11 March. While the financial impact of the discrepancy might be minimal, the issue has raised concerns about credibility." Data from Bloomberg showed that 16.7% of the analysts had a sell rating on the stock on Tuesday, up from 6.1% on 9 March, a day before the disclosure. Analysts at Nuvama wrote in a note to clients on Tuesday that IndusInd Banks credibility and earnings are likely to be impacted. The timeline is discomfortingthe chief financial officer (CFO) resigned just before the Q3 earnings, the CEO recently got a one-year extension instead of three, and now a derivatives-induced dislocation," the note said. Also read | IndusInd Banks investors scream trust is not meant to be broken A back-of-the-envelope calculation showed that the quantum of hit to the bank due to this discrepancy is 1,530 crore, while the market cap fall on Tuesday was significantly higher at 19,051 crore. Interestingly, the fall in the lenders share value saw bargain hunters also making merry, picking up the stock cheap for future pickings. The discrepancy The discrepancies pertain to derivatives used by the bank as a hedge against foreign currency deposits or borrowings on the balance sheet, which need to be converted to the Indian rupee. The lapses stemmed from a mismatch as similar trades were being accounted for differently, which came to light while unwinding existing positions to comply with the revised RBI norms effective April 2024. A former official of the State Bank of India (SBI) told Mint on condition of anonymity that the private sector lender might have taken a long-term foreign currency deposit and covered it through cheaper short-term swaps instead of the ideal longer-term swaps. Read this | IndusInd Bank flags lapses worth 1,530 cr in derivatives portfolio; stock sinks to 4-year low If it is USD/JPY trade, the currencies have fallen significantly due to recent policies of US President Donald Trump. Now if they evaluate their book, they might have to book huge losses," he said, adding that the main culprits are the auditors, and it is unknown on what basis they approved the transactions. These are governance issues, but we dont exactly know what will happen," the former SBI official said. The F&O angle Meanwhile, the massive volumes of futures and options traded amid the negative sentiment pushed IndusInd Bank into a ban for derivatives trading across exchanges on Wednesday. Under this ban, no fresh derivatives positions can be created, and only existing positions can be squared off until the positions of participants fall. Such was the sentiment among traders that outstanding trader positions hit 179.5 million shares against the market-wide limit of 120.8 million shares. Even in the cash market, the stock was the most traded, witnessing a volume of 6,987 crore. The bargain hunters Interestingly, as the share plunged by 27%, there were investors who bought the stock from sellers. Of a total 101.1 million shares traded on NSE on Tuesday, 319,000 resulted in delivery. Both traded and deliverable quantity were the highest in a year. The value of the 670-strike put option on IndusInd rose a whopping 100,000% from 5 paise on Monday to a last traded price of 50.30. A put option is purchased by investors or traders who expect a stock to fall. This protects their portfolio or simply allows them to profit if a stock tanks. The margin funding extended by brokers to investors who wanted to buy IndusInd stood at 330.58 crore as of Friday, per data from NSE. Several of these clients are likely to have faced margin calls from brokers. Margin funding is a facility wherein a client can put up 25% of stocks value and get funding for the rest from a broker against interest payments. Also read | IndusInd proposes new corp structure for RCap resolution plan, leaving lenders in the lurch This allows the client to earn up to four times return on investment if the stock rises. If it falls beyond a point the broker calls for more margin from a client. If the latter can't top it, the broker squares off the position. This can add to a fall in a stock already under pressure. Shareholding details Data from the BSE showed that the Hinduja family owns a 16.29% stake in the bank, but has 15.08% with voting rights. IndusInd International Holdings and IndusInd Ltd promoters of the bank have pledged 50.86% of this 15.08% stake in the bank, per exchange disclosure as of 3 January. The shares have been pledged to Barclays Bank and Deutsche Bank. The last pledge on 20 December was to top up security placed with the lenders for an existing loan facility. Interestingly, the regulator had given an in-principle approval to the group to raise its stake to 26% in 2023. Ashok Hinduja, chairman of promoter entity IndusInd International Holdings, told CNBC TV18 on Tuesday that once RBI gives the final approval, we will immediately increase our stake and inject capital as needed". And read | RBI may give final nod for stake increase in IndusInd Bank soon: Ashok Hinduja IndusInd Bank has underperformed its peers and the Sensex in recent times. The banks shares are down 40% between 1 October 2022 and 11 March, while the Sensex has risen 30.5% in the same period. Meanwhile, Route One Investment, a San Francisco-headquartered hedge fund, is one investor that has cut its holding. Route One Investment first picked 1.42% in July 2019. Its investment peaked in the quarter ended September 2022 when it owned 7.29%. At the end of December quarter, Route Ones holding in the bank was 1.78%. Mumbai: Ashok Hinduja, chairman of IndusInd International Holdings Ltd (IIHL), the promoter of IndusInd Bank, expressed complete confidence in the ability of the banks managing director (MD) and chief executive officer Sumant Kathpalia to steer the bank through its challenges. Hindujas backing came on a day when IndusInd Banks stock dropped 27.17% to its 52-week low. In an interview with Mint , Hinduja pointed out that the banks net worth of 65,102 crore and other key metrics were adequate to absorb any setbacks arising from discrepancies of approximately 1,530 crore in the derivatives account balances. Edited excerpts: Will the recent discrepancies flagged in the derivatives portfolio impact MD Sumant Kathpalias tenure? RBI (Reserve Bank of India) has reappointed him for one year. He already clarified that he came to know there was an issue in October, and they have also appointed a third-party agency. So why will it be a problem for him? Its a five-seven-year-old issue from when he was not heading the bank. Also read | IndusInd Banks investors scream trust is not meant to be broken What immediate steps are you planning to restore investor confidence? Im not a part of the day-to-day operations of the bank, nor am I on the board. I have told the market and investors that our full support is there, like it always has been in the past. In the business of banking, problems may arise for many a reasontechnical or employee-led. Luckily, it is not a fraud; that part is clear. The question of confidence is only because of the hit to the bank, but the balance sheet is strong. The bank has also guided that it will continue to report a profit in Q4FY25 after adjusting for all this. The net worth is around 65,000 crore and a hit of 1,500 crore is not very big. Then there is also the question of hiking the promoter stake to 26% from 15%. RBI has given us in-principle approval but there are procedures, so were awaiting the final approval now. Could this uncertainty impact RBIs decision to allow for the hike in promoter stake? No, why? Even after all this, the capital adequacy is still 15.5%, which is much more than the required 12.5-13%. If foreign capital is coming to the bank, it will make the bank stronger. Ive extended my full support, trust and confidence in the MD and to the board. Ive also said that this is not a big thing. Global banks have these problems in treasuries and derivatives, and at times errors or glitches can happen. These things happen, but one should not panic. What I saw today was that investors were panicked. They should not panic. The balance sheet is strong and this hit will not make a big difference. So, its only a question of confidence and thats why I have given this clarity. Also read | IndusInd Bank flags lapses worth 1,530 crore in derivatives portfolio But 51% of the promoter stake is pledged? The pledge is because being a holding company, we have to acquire more businesses to create more things. IndusInd International Holdings Ltd (IIHL) has acquired a bank in the Bahamas, and we have invested in an exchange called Afrinex in Mauritius. So, we have other businesses and funds were raised immediately when they were required. Additionally, IIHL went in for a buyback of shares from some of the investors who wanted to exit. Could the lenders now demand more shares to be pledged? As of now, we have no further pledge, and any margin call that comes in, IIHL will make the payment. As of now, there is no need for a further pledge. Are you worried about succession planning because you may have to look for a new MD in a year? Kathpalia has already said that he will continue to grow the institution, and he has shown a good turnaround. Since he came in 2020, he has seen a lot of crises, but he has cleaned up the books. Then, he faced the problems of microfinance and commercial vehicles. He put in place the provisioning and did the work, and now microfinance is doing well, owing to regulatory guidelines from RBI. Also read | IndusInd Bank faces a 2.35% net-worth erosion. What does it mean? As far as looking for a new person is concerned, the bank will start their exercise and provide two-three names. Maybe Kathpalias name will also go along with others, and if hes still doing a good job in six-eight months, maybe RBI would like him to continue. Will this impact the takeover of Reliance Capital? No, because IIHL is a separate entity. The first transaction for the domestic equity component for 3,250 crore was concluded yesterday (Monday. About 2,500 crore has already been deposited towards the overseas 74% equity component. Balance 4,300 crore for the remaining stake in the domestic company is also under process and hopefully by the weekend, the transaction should go through. A Michigan-based manufacturer of composite decking and railing that wants to add a Northeast production and distribution center has selected a Lackawanna industrial site that has bounced between users for over 20 years. Deckorators Inc., which currently has no operations in New York, will invest more than $77.2 million to develop a site on Commerce Drive as its first manufacturing facility in the Northeast. Deckorators Inc., a subsidiary of UFP Industries of Grand Rapids, plans to purchase a 31-acre site at 300 Commerce Drive that includes a pair of existing facilities totaling more than 253,310 square feet of space. The site is owned by Peter Krogs Krog Group of Orchard Park and is under contract to be acquired for $6.75 million. Deckorators and UFP are asking the Erie County Industrial Development Agency for $1.53 million in sales tax breaks on $17.5 million in eligible purchases, along with $291,385 in property tax breaks over 10 years, for a total of $1.82 million. The company also said it has accepted an offer of $724,000 in Excelsior Jobs tax credits from Empire State Development Corp. The company said the ECIDA benefits would allow it to be more efficient and lower operating costs, so that it can develop and launch new products, thereby attracting a broader customer base and increasing market share. The company expects to create at least 50 full-time administrative, professional, management and production jobs, paying $35,000 to $135,000. Without tax breaks, the company says, it will need to reconsider the size of the project and its monetary investment along with phasing of the project, which would impact the number of jobs immediately required. Deckorators hopes the Lackawanna site will allow it to better serve its large customer market in the region that must now be handled from Michigan, Wisconsin, Alabama or Iowa. The company, which is a competitor to Trex Co., sells its products through wholesalers and retailers. The fast-tracked project, which was approved by the City of Lackawanna four months after it was first raised, helps address the future of a large but underutilized property within the citys First Ward neighborhood, along the border with Buffalo. Just south of the Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park, its located in the older Steelawanna Industrial Park off Ridge Road that also houses Quikrete and Iroquois Bar Co. And its within sight across a grassy field from the former Certainteed facility at 231 Ship Canal Parkway that made siding and insulation until its new owner, Oldcastle, announced recently that it would shut down. Built in 2000 by Krog and Ciminelli Construction Co. for CanFibre, a Canadian manufacturer of composite wood products, the property was later used by a succession of companies including fiberboard manufacturer Great Lakes MDF. Most recently, it was leased to U.S. Glove Supply, which made nitrile gloves, but could never get off the ground, said Chuck Clark, Lackawannas director of development. That building had many fits and starts in terms of trying to get an appropriate tenant in there, with little to no success, and its great to see a new breath of life coming into that building that is planning to make use of every square foot and then some, Clark said. Deckorators expects to complete its purchase of the property by the end of this month, and will focus initially on the larger building, totaling 168,310 square feet, including 7,700 square feet of office space. The company also intends to construct a 19,000-square-foot addition to provide extra manufacturing capacity. The secondary building, totaling about 85,000 square feet, is a covered but open warehouse space with no walls that Deckorators will eventually enclose for additional capacity. A tenant is currently using part of the building for storage, but Krog will not renew that lease. The multiphase project will occur over several years, and will include the purchase and installation of $45 million of manufacturing equipment. The site is adjacent to the CSX Corp. railroad tracks, so Deckorators which needs high quantities of rail cars to bring in raw materials and send out finished goods by train will install a multibranch railroad spur to connect to the main line. Its manufacturing requires a lot of natural gas and electricity, so the company will upgrade its electrical infrastructure with high-capacity transformers and main distribution panels, as well as make any necessary improvements to the gas connections. Besides the purchase price and production equipment, costs include $2.68 million for the addition, $6.2 million for the renovation, $7.6 million for infrastructure and $7.5 million in furniture and non-manufacturing equipment. Clark said the company had first approached the city in October, and the project received final approval on Jan. 29 by the citys Planning and Zoning Board of Appeals, which granted a variance to allow storage silo heights of 65 feet when only 40 feet is permitted. Construction is slated to begin in April, with completion by the end of 2025. Founded in 1998 and acquired by UFP in 2005, Deckorators is known for its low-maintenance aluminum balusters, but also makes composite decking; aluminum, cable and glass railing systems and other products. Based in White Pigeon, Mich., its part of the retail division of UFP, which makes and sells do-it-yourself, home renovation and luxury building materials. UFP also makes industrial pallets and structural packaging, and both manufactured homes and recreational vehicles. Mumbai: Sordid tales of dream homes turning into nightmares have been legion in India, but this one takes the cake simply because of the scale. A spectacular 84 storeysthe most of any residential building in Indiawith apartments ranging between 4,800 sq. ft and 45,000 sq. ft, located in the tony Worli area of Indias financial capital Mumbai, and with amenities rivalling five-star hotels, Palais Royale had everything needed to live up to its name, including a buyer list that featured the super-rich. But the building, and the dreams of its buyers, are still work in progress 15 years after the ground was first broken. Mired in delays and embroiled in court cases with several buyers even today, the project missed yet another completion deadline in December 2024. The deadline has been extended thrice under the projects new promoter, Pune-based Honest Shelters Pvt. Ltd (two extensions happened during the covid-19 pandemic). Even under original promoter Shree Ram Urban Infrastructure Ltd (SRUIL), the project was delayed by several years due to litigation with a non-profit organisation. The project received regulatory nod for construction in 2005 and several buyers had purchased apartments as early as in 2010. Palais Royale has so far received occupation certificate (OC) for 53 floorsfor ground floor plus 27 levels in August 2022, and for another 26 levels in December 2024, as per reports. Also read | Plotted projects witness higher price growth than residential apartments However, one homeowner told Mint that no apartments have been handed over yet. We think they will finally hand it over by the end of this year (2025) at least," said the homeowner, a fund manager who did not want to be identified as he was speaking about his private investments. A site visit by Mint showed construction continues at the top levels of the building. Honest Shelters and its advocates did not respond to requests for a comment. Testing Rera The building is a flagship case that is testing not just the patience of the homebuyers but also the robustness of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, which was enacted to protect them. Legal experts say if a project misses its deadline without an approved extension, buyers can file a complaint with the states Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Rera) for compensation. Rera and consumer forums can also order refunds with added compensation and interest, according to legal experts. Rera has the jurisdiction not only to penalize the builder but can also cancel the certification," said Alay Razvi, managing partner of law firm Accord Juris. Also read | How small town Jewar became a booming real estate market Rera may also allow an extension of deadline for projects in specific cases, such as unforeseen events. Developers must get allottee consent and provide detailed documentation, including financial plans, for extensions," said Ritesh Khare, advocate and managing partner at law firm Magnus Legal Services LLP. Mint could not ascertain whether Honest Shelters would apply for another extension. The projects proposed completion date remains 30 December 2024 on the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Act (MahaRERA) website. Delays and more delays The building was originally envisaged to be completed by the mid-2010s, but a city-based non-profit organization Janhit Manch took SRUIL to court through a public interest litigation in 2012. The non-profit claimed that the developer built excess floor space in each apartment under the guise of refuge area. Refuge areas, where residents in high rises can gather in cases of emergencies like a fire for evacuation, are exempt from the floor space index (FSI) calculation, which governs how much habitable area a given residential project can have. The building had a total refuge area equivalent to an alleged 70% of its total constructed area, which was abnormally higher than the norm, Janhit Morcha claimed, a per media reports from 2017. Regulations require developers to keep refuge area equivalent to about 4% of the total area. After years of litigation, the Supreme Court in October 2019 cleared the project and dismissed the NGOs appeal. But by then, SRUIL was insolvent and no longer in control of the project. Just months earlier, the projects lender Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd (IHFL) had auctioned the building to recover dues. It was purchased by Honest Shelters for 705 crore. Read this | Has Rera really served its purpose? The new developer was expected to complete the project by 30 December 2022. The deadline was extended to 30 December 2023 after Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Act (MahaRERA) gave two six-month extensions to all under-development projects in the state due to the covid-19 pandemic. Thereafter, the builder sought another 12-month extension citing pending litigation and difficulty in necessary documents from the former promoter and house owners. Furthermore, we would also like to highlight that these pending litigation proceedings have major legal issues involved which has also significantly caused a delay in completing the said Project within stipulated timelines as well as sale of units in the said Project," Honest Shelters said in its application for an extension to MahaRERA in November 2023. Spate of litigations The litigations include instances where Honest Shelters terminated the purchase agreements of homebuyers after they failed to provide proof of payment made to the erstwhile promoter of the project. MahaRERA and the Bombay High Court have so far ruled in favour of the homebuyers in such cases as long as they furnished proof of payments. Meanwhile, many homeowners have also taken Honest Shelters to court seeking payment of interest on delays. They have sought interest since 2015 in some cases, arguing that the new developer has also acquired the liabilities of the erstwhile promoter when they took over the project. The courts have so far sided with the developer in such cases, ruling that Honest Shelters is not liable to pay interest on delays caused by the erstwhile promoter. However, the authorities may rule differently in case of delays after Honest Shelters took over as the promoter, experts said. Also read | More power to the home buyer, thanks to SC's RERA order Shimpy Arman Sharma, partner at Anand Sharma & Associates, stated that buyers who choose to stay in a delayed project can claim compensation including interest from the builder, for every month of delay, until the handover of possession to the buyer". If they withdraw, the builder or promoter must return the amount paid by the buyer along with interest or compensation for the delay", he said. The silver lining To be sure, one thing that would bring smiles to homebuyers is the appreciation in value of the propertyprices of the apartments have risen by 40% in less than a year as the project nears completion, as per publicly available information. For instance, an apartment on the 62nd floor in the building was sold in May 2024 at a price of just under 76,000 per sq. ft as per data from Zapkey, a property registration data aggregator. But in December the same year, the promoters of Metro Brands Ltd bought five apartments on the 61st and 62nd floors at a price of 1.05 lakh per sq. ft, as per reports. In a world of its own The massive Palais Royale, about as tall as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, was conceived as an ultra-luxurious skyscraper. The promise was simple: buyers get to live in large apartments with panoramic views of the sea and the city with amenities that could put many five-star hotels to shame. Belying its vertical span of 84 floors, the building has only 162 apartments, with several lower floors dedicated to parking and amenities. The smallest apartment in the building has a carpet area of around 4,800 sq. ft nearly a magnitude higher than the average home in the city. At 44,500 sq. ft, the largest apartment is more expansive than three Olympic-size pools. Despite the heavy construction activity, Palais Royale is a different world from the busy market just 100 metres away. Manicured plants adorn the driveway from the street to the building, standing in sharp contrast to the crowded footpath outside that often doesnt have enough room for people to walk. And read | Indiabulls Real Estate to raise 3,911 cr via preferential allotment Once inside the compound, one can only see the other high rises coming up alongside Palais Royale. The rustic working-class neighbourhood has been strategically blocked from view with tall trees and metal sheets ringfencing the property. Now its a question of when this promise translates into reality. ASK Investment Managers, one of Indias largest portfolio management services (PMS) funds, has focused on high-quality, high-growth, Indian entrepreneur-owned companies that prioritise earnings growth, capital efficiency and strong management, Sunil Rohokale, co-founder, CEO & managing director of ASK Asset & Wealth Management Group told Mint. ASKs flagship Indian Entrepreneur Portfolio, with 11,908.74 crore in assets under management (AUM), has delivered 5.78% returns over the past year and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.84% over the past five. The portfolio comprised 70.3% large caps, 28.1% mid caps, and 1.3% small caps as of January 2025, according to data from the Association of Portfolio Managers in India. Rohokale shared his approach to investment and other insights in a conversation with Mint. Here are some edited excerpts. Where has been your focus in the equity portfolio in recent years? Until recently, we have been quite focused on investing in high-quality, high-growth companies. Our flagship offering, the Indian Entrepreneur portfolio, has done well in this regard. We found that Indian entrepreneur-owned companies have shown better earnings growth, capital efficiency, and overall quality of management compared to multinational companies, public sector enterprises, and professionally managed companies. Also read | Mutual funds vs portfolio management services: Whats right for you? However, in the past couple of years, the market was chasing certain sectors and companies that were not part of our investment universe. For example, the market was very excited about government-owned companies in sectors such as power finance. These companies, by definition, did not fit our filters and investment approach. As a result, our portfolios missed out on the performance of these sectors, which led to some underperformance of our portfolios compared to the broader market. What are some sectoral shifts and new investment approaches you have adopted for your portfolios? After the elections, we identified certain sectors that we believed would be the new drivers of growth in India. These included manufacturing, driven by the China plus one strategy and PLI (production-linked incentive) schemes, as well as the energy transition theme. We refocused our portfolios to include companies that were beneficiaries of these themes, [looking at] sectors such as automotive, companies related to the energy transition, and other manufacturing-linked companies that were poised to benefit from the government's policy initiatives. We continue to maintain exposure to our core sectors such as financial services, technology and specialty chemicals, but have diversified our portfolios to capture these emerging opportunities. This has led to some volatility in the short term, but we believe it positions us well for the medium to long term. View Full Image (Graphic: Paras Jain/Mint) Have you missed out on the performance of mid and small-cap stocks in the past couple of years? As a fund house, we have an agnostic approach to market capitalisation. We are not averse to investing in mid and small cap stocks. However, our investment process is focused on quality filters such as earnings growth, price-to-earning multiples, and return on capital. Many of the mid cap companies that have performed well in the past couple of years did not meet our strict quality criteria when they were ready to be bought. By the time they matched our filters, their valuations had already run up significantly. Also in a portfolio management context, we need to consider the liquidity of the portfolio and the ability to manage client redemptions. Small and mid cap stocks can be less liquid, which poses challenges in this regard. While we are not fundamentally opposed to mid and small cap stocks, our focus on quality and liquidity management led us to miss out on some of the outsized returns in these segments of the market. What is the market-cap distribution of your portfolio? Our portfolio is primarily focused on large cap companies. To give you a sense of the market cap composition, the median market cap of our portfolio in 2023 was around 80,000 crore. Also read: Don't let steep fees derail higher education dreamssmart ways to plan ahead Around 65-70% of our portfolio comprises large cap companies, with the remaining 30-35% in mid cap stocks. We generally avoid small cap companies due to liquidity concerns and our focus on quality. It's important to note that our definition of large, mid, and small cap is not strictly based on index definitions but more on our internal assessment of liquidity, market cap and quality. What is your view on the use of cash calls in portfolio management services? We refrain from the use of cash calls in PMS. Our experience has shown that these tend to lead to poor performance. The rationale behind this is that no one can accurately predict market movements, and trying to time the market through cash calls often backfires. We believe a PMS manager's role is to remain invested and generate returns for clients over the long term. Cash calls disrupt this core objective and can significantly impact the portfolio's performance. We prefer to manage risk through other instruments and techniques, such as diversification, position sizing, and selective hedging if required. But the fundamental approach is to remain invested and ride out market cycles rather than trying to time the market. Do you avoid multinationals in your portfolio? We dont entirely avoid MNCs in our portfolios. However, our analysis has shown that Indian entrepreneur-owned companies have demonstrated superior earnings growth, capital efficiency, and overall management quality compared to multinationals operating in India. Also read | Advance tax: Here's how to calculate and pay your final instalment for the year Our research and backtesting have shown that these companies, on average, have outperformed multinationals and other ownership structures in the Indian market. This is not to say that multinationals are not good investments, rather that we have found the Indian entrepreneur-owned segment to be particularly compelling in terms of risk-adjusted returns. We do have exposure to MNCs in some of our other portfolios, where we believe they fit well within the overall investment strategy and portfolio construction. Our primary aim is to provide clients with the best-performing companies, irrespective of ownership structure, as long as they meet our quality criteria. What are clients preferences regarding fee structures of your PMS offerings? Interestingly, our clients generally prefer fixed-fee structures over performance-based fees, despite our own preference for the latter. As a house, we believe that a performance-based fee model, in which the manager is incentivised to generate alpha, is a more aligned and appropriate structure. However, we have found that most of our clients in India choose the fixed-fee option, which is about 2.5% in our case. This is in contrast to global markets, where performance-based fees are more commonly accepted and even expected by investors. Chagos is one of the worlds longest-running unresolved issues of decolonization, whose return to Mauritius has been championed by India for decades. Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Mauritius this week can help see the campaign to its logical conclusion. Where is the Chagos Archipelago? The Chagos islands or Chagos Archipelago is a group of 58 atolls in the Indian Ocean, lying around 2,200km north of Mauritius. Most of these atolls are tiny submerged reefs, but theres one that stands outDiego Garcia. The largest of the atolls, Diego Garcia is a major US airbase and of strategic importance to the US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Also read | PM Modi awarded Mauritius highest honour, Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean The UK kept control of Chagos even after Mauritiuss independence in 1968. Chagossians were expelled by the British between 1967 and 1973 to make way for the airbase. They were forcibly settled in Seychelles and Mauritius, and many slipped into alcoholism and poverty. Why are the Chagos islands in the news? Prime Minister Modi is in Mauritius this week as chief guest on its National Dayhis third visit to the country and second as PM. With the two nations sharing close ties (70% of its population is of Indian origin), Modi is expected to reiterate Indias decades-old strong support for Mauritiuss sovereignty over Chagos to Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam. This follows the UK finally signalling its willingness to return Chagos to Mauritius in October 2024, after a years-long campaign by feisty Chagossians and the Indian Ocean country. US President Donald Trump told UK Prime Minister Ker Starmer he had no problems. Colonies? Arent they a thing of the past? They are not called colonies any longer but non-self-governing territories. The US has them, as do the UK, France, Spain and New Zealand. The United Nations (UN) lists 17, the most famous being Western Sahara (Spain), Gibraltar (UK) and the Falklands (UK), over which the UK fought a war with Argentina. Chagos, by the way, was renamed British Indian Ocean Territory. What is Indias stand on decolonization? When the UN was established in 1945, a third of the world lived in colonies. So when India won independence two years later, it lent its powerful voice to the cause of decolonization and it became one of its main global campaigns. New Delhi was a co-sponsor of the 1960 Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, which proclaimed the need to unconditionally end colonialism in all its forms. Today, fewer than 2 million people live in non-self-governing territories, according to the UN. Also read | Mauritius offers India a gateway for strategic cooperation with Africa Why is Chagoss sovereignty important to India? The main reason is it is a matter of principle for India, which wants to see a world rid of foreign rule. It has welcomed the agreement between the UK and Mauritius, saying it is in line with its principled stand on decolonization and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations." Another big reason is maritime security against the backdrop of a potential Chinese threat in the Indian Ocean. This brings an important global dimension to the historic people-to-people bonds existing between India and Mauritius. HONG KONG : China is rapidly expanding ocean exploration in waters far beyond its shores, sending out a fleet of vessels whose research offers Beijing valuable military intelligence as it expands its naval reach and menaces U.S. allies. Chinas fleet has triggered protests from Japan, India and others, but that hasnt stopped Beijing from launching long missions to map the sea floor. The data they obtain has numerous applications, from science to the emerging industry of deep-sea mining, but it is the Chinese governments commandeering of civilian research for military use that threatens American allies. If that data may have some value to the Chinese military and they want access to it, theyre going to get it," said Matthew Funaiole, senior fellow in the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Theres no firewall in place." Indias navy drove a Chinese research ship away in 2019, but more have returned. In recent weeks, two of Chinas most advanced research vessels, the Xiang Yang Hong 01 and the newer Dong Fang Hong 3 have conducted lawnmower-style sweeps across vast stretches of the eastern Indian Ocean. Chinese civilian vessels are pursuing expeditions around the worldthere are as many as a dozen or so active at any given time. The data they gather, including on currents, temperature and salinity, can have an array of applications. Detailed scanning of the seabed, for instance, can provide information about the visibility of naval mines and the accuracy of sonar. The surveys can also help determine what minerals could be extracted. Beijing is already dominating the race to obtain the minerals critical for defense, electric vehicles and other technologies, and it is keeping ahead of Western commercial efforts to catch up. In a study of 64 research and survey vessels operated by Chinese agencies, law enforcement, universities and state-owned enterprises, CSIS found more than 80% had links or showed behaviorsuch as visiting military portsthat suggested they were involved in advancing Beijings geopolitical agenda." Recent missions have spurred complaints by at least half a dozen governments. China says its marine research activities fully comply with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the international treaty that established the legal regime for the worlds oceans. New demand for hidden data Understanding the sea floor and how sound travels through water at different depths is critical to whether submarines can be found or stay hidden. Sound will travel in different ways in different parts of the ocean, so understanding the contours of the ocean itself is important to understanding the acoustics," said Peter Dutton, a senior research scholar at the Paul Tsai China Center at Yale University. The U.S. Navy also carries out maritime surveys for military purposes, although analysts say those efforts are more clearly separated from scientific research. Under the U.N. convention, coastal states have jurisdiction over research in their exclusive economic zones, which extend 200 miles from the coast. The U.S., which recognizes but hasnt ratified the convention, argues that military surveys are exempt and U.S. Navy oceanographic ships regularly conduct studies near China. China appears to be moving closer to the American stance, as theyre doing more oceanographic research without the permission of coastal states," Dutton said. The Indian Ocean is again a flashpoint, after a Sri Lankan moratorium on visits by foreign research ships, prompted by Indias complaints, expired at the end of 2024. In January, the Xiang Yang Hong 01 left its home port of Qingdao, sailing south on what is expected to be a 10-week, 11,000-nautical-mile research voyage collecting diversified on-site observation data and high-quality samples," according to a Chinese state media report. The ship sailed on Feb. 6 into the exclusive economic zone that surrounds Indias Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on its way to waters southeast of Sri Lanka, according to data from MarineTraffic, a ship-tracking and maritime-analytics service. When the ship, which is owned by Chinas Ministry of Natural Resources, was launched in 2016, a newspaper run by the State Oceanic Administration said its missions would include comprehensive observation in the field of military oceanography," according to research by Dutton and Ryan Martinson, a scholar at the Naval War College in Rhode Island. The ministry didnt respond to a request for comment. In 2020, the ship carried out weeks of surveys near Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean northwest of Australia. An Australian military official said at the time that the ship was mapping an area frequently used by Australian submarines heading to and from the South China Sea, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. The Australian military said it monitored the ship, which it said was operating legally in international waters. The ship entered the Bay of Bengal last year just before India launched tests in the area of a new ballistic missile. Three other Chinese research shipsincluding one operated by Chinas military for tracking launches and satelliteswere operating in the Indian Ocean at the time. Such vessels have raised concerns in India over their long stays in the region and their use of equipment, including unmanned underwater vehicles, to collect data with potential military applications, said Anushka Saxena, a research analyst with the Takshashila Institution, an Indian think tank. How the hydrological data is collected, combined with the blurred lines of civilian and military in China, comes together to concern India, which was why India was so vocal to support the Sri Lanka moratorium," she said. Exploring for minerals Alarms went off again last month when China and the Cook Islands said they had entered a comprehensive partnership that includes an agreement to cooperate on oceanographic research. The Cook Islands, a country of 15,000 people whose exclusive economic zone covers over 700,000 square miles of the South Pacific, is one of the few nations to have issued permits for deep-sea mineral explorationa first step toward extracting minerals from the seabed. Rules on governing the nascent industry, which has security and commercial applications, are being worked on by the U.N.-affiliated International Seabed Authority. Some nations, including China, have already begun surveys with the authoritys permission. Deep-sea mining focuses on small rocks on the ocean floor that contain vital metals such as cobalt, copper, manganese and nickel. The Cook Islands, a former British protectorate that relies on New Zealand for its defense, is believed to have an extensive supply of nodules rich in cobalt in its exclusive economic zone. New Zealand, which has opposed deep-sea mining, complained last month that the islands had secured the partnership with China behind its back. Less than two weeks later, New Zealand again voiced concernsthis time over Chinese naval drills in neighboring waters. The countrys defense minister called the drills a wake-up call. Detailed mapping of the sea floor, even if it is for prospective deep-sea mining, could increase New Zealands vulnerability, analysts say. The idea of massive Chinese ships coming into Pacific waters and digging up the sea bed, there is a security component," said Graeme Smith, a senior fellow in the Pacific Affairs department at Australian National University. To do this mining, you need to have a really good map of whats under the water." Write to Austin Ramzy at austin.ramzy@wsj.com India has long been counted among the worlds top importers of arms. So, any slip in our worldwide rank grabs attention. According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), Ukraine displaced India as the top arms importer in the period from 2020 to 2024. Kyivs orders accounted for 8.8% of all arms imported globally over that five-year span, having risen 100 times since 2015-19. New Delhis ranked second, with an 8.3% share of defence imports, down from 9.8% in Sipris previous report for the period 2019-23. With Ukraine at war with Russia for the past three years, its leap to the top of Sipris chart is no surprise. It has had to rely on armoury from the US and Europe to defend itself, although with Washingtons change in stance towards Kyiv under Donald Trumps presidency, further shifts could be in store. Also Read: The Oval Office showdown left Putin holding a trump card in the Ukraine War Of course, since we are not in an arms race, our relative position is irrelevant. What matters is how well we are equipped to deal with external threats. According to Sipri data, Indian defence imports in 2020-24 represent a 9.3% decline over 2015-19. Also, Russias share in our shipments shrank to 36% from 55% in 2015-19 and 72% in 2010-14. This reflects a sustained effort to diversify imports and reduce reliance on Moscow. With purchases from countries such as France, Israel and the US, we not only acquire what suits us, but also reduce the risk of disruption should any supplier get strapped down. Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine, for instance, led it to cut exports and keep much of its production for its own use. Open-ended arms shopping also helps us forge closer overseas ties with major powers. The big-ticket acquisition of Rafale jets from France, for example, filled a gap in our air-defence shield and strengthened relations with Paris. In general, a large budget for imports can serve as a bargaining chip in trade talks. A broad deal with the US might include buying American F-35 aircraft, partly to bridge our trade deficit with the worlds most powerful country, although its unclear if acquiring these would serve our defence purposes well. The calculus here is complex, but if it eases our search for an evenly balanced bilateral trade pact with the US, we may find these planes worth their price. As signals from the White House suggest, deals that can generate jobs in Americas defence industry may soften its policy aggression over tariffs and other trade barriers. Our larger goal, however, is to consolidate the countrys strategic autonomy. This calls for greater emphasis on arming Indian armed forces with local equipment. To be sure, our domestic defence production has been on the rise, with self-reliance a key policy pursuit. But we still have a long way to go before we achieve that in the context of advanced weaponry. Impressive warships made at home joined service recently, but slow progress on the delivery of Tejas combat aircraft by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has acted as a speed breaker in our defence preparedness. It was awkward that Indias Air Force chief had to complain publicly before HAL promised to set its rollout schedule right. The country also needs to catch up on drone technology for modern warfare. Ultimately, best-in-class weapons made at home are the only guarantor of our ability to deploy forces and operate in world affairs exactly as we see fit. For this, we must move faster on indigenous weapons. Our record on this front remains too patchy. Whether John Maynard Keynes said, When the facts change, I change my mind" is often disputed, but the witticism has never seemed more apt. German chancellor-to-be Friedrich Merz, long a fiscal hawk as the leader of Germanys centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), recently made an about-turn on the virtues of higher deficit spending after being briefed on the countrys dwindling growth prospects and witnessing geopolitical gyrations in the US, which seems keen to patch up with Russia, potentially leaving its European allies in the lurch. The irony is that Merz campaigned as a fiscal conservative ahead of last months German elections, which delivered a victory for the CDU and its allies. Merz is also a former executive of BlackRock, the worlds largest asset manager. This month, it spent $23 billion buying ports from CK Hutchison, including two in Panama. Although Hutchison is Hong Kong-based, Trump had warned against Chinese" ownership and said he wanted US ownership of the Panama Canal. Merz had long been committed to stronger ties between the US and Europe, but with security alliances like Nato and Aukus now looking akin to a Scrabble board overturned by an unruly child, all is change. Early this month, Merz announced that his government would break the debt ceiling imposed on all German administrations since the global financial crisis to raise defence and infrastructure budgets. This includes an infra fund of 500 billion that its alliance partner, the Social Democratic Party, had campaigned for. Cumulatively, this would dramatically widen Germanys fiscal deficit, but with GDP growth flat for two years and major industries (such as automobiles) in crisis, this is a good time for a Keynesian stimulus. Germanys fiscal deficit was 2.8% of GDP last year and its total government debt is well below that of other large European countries. In a rousing speech, Merz vowed a whatever it takes" approach to defence in the face of threats to freedom and peace" in Europe. It was a clear reaction to the new world disorder. The CDU and its allies are now expected to rush through a debt-ceiling tweak before the term of this parliament ends because they need a two-thirds majority to do so. Significantly, asset markets cheered. The steepening German yield curve, rising stock prices, euro appreciation, and stable credit default swap prices collectively indicate that markets interpret Germanys fiscal expansion as growth-enhancing rather than a reckless fiscal bet," according to a paper by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. The contrast with the markets punishment of former UK prime minister Liz Trusss fiscal adventurism in September 2022 could not have been more vivid. Farzad Saidi, author of the Kiel paper, wittily titled it In Merz we Truss. Higher defence and infra spending is expected to revive German manufacturing, which has been in the doldrums. Retooling is already underway. The Financial Times outlined some aspects of it: a car parts factory being used to produce military equipment and a state-owned maker of sensors and radars looking to hire teams of software engineers from Continental and Bosch, two of Germanys largest automotive suppliers, which together have announced over 10,000 job cuts in the past year." Fiscal policy aside, Germanys leap of faith from cars to tanks is a 180 pivot from policies pursued since the middle of the last century. Germany has indicated it is open to discussions on a nuclear shield with France. Think-tanks estimate that Europe might need 300,000 more troops and an annual defence spending hike of at least 250 billion in the short term to deter Russian aggression." Across Europe, from Poland to Denmark, governments are raising defence budgets. As a response to the anarchy of announcements and tweets from the White House, this is simply sensible policy, given Washingtons apparent reversion to the Westphalian state system that arose from treaties at the end of the Thirty Years War in the 17th century. According to Oxford Reference, this means a system of states possessing the monopoly of force within their mutually recognized territories." If there is anything consistent in White House outbursts against Canada and Ukraine, it is this. European states, unsurprisingly, are forging closer ties in response. New Delhi needs to be similarly agile. For too long, India has been US-centric, apparent in the Indian rupees de facto peg to the US dollar on one hand and the slow track of negotiations with the EU for a free trade agreement (FTA) on the other. Talks on Indias EU FTA began in 2007, then stalled for several years, and are now on again. For our own sake, we must take the US challenge of lowering our unusually high average tariffs and make a genuine attempt to be part of global supply chains. Net foreign direct investment in India plunged to $1.2 billion in the first nine months of this fiscal year, from an already weak $7.8 billion over those three quarters last year. High levels of MNC disinvestment suggest a global mood change on India. The belief that India would be an automatic beneficiary of Western companies diversifying away from China needs to be reconsidered. As an economist remarked when I ran Indias startling FDI numbers past him, So much for China plus one." As Merz has demonstrated, as the world order changes, governments need to respond at top speed. The author is a Mint columnist and a former Financial Times foreign correspondent. Few places illustrate the challenges of adapting to climate change as clearly as the worlds most populous country. India was hot even before people started to cook the planet, not to mention vulnerable to floods and droughts. Now all these ills are getting worse. Minimum temperatures last summer were the highest since 1901, giving heat-sapped Indians little respite even at night. During the monsoon in 2024, floods destroyed villages and brought towns to a standstill. In the dry season several big cities nearly ran out of water, including Bangalore, the thriving technology capital. India is not yet rich, but is already shelling out a fortune to adapt to climate change: 5.6% of GDP in 2021, up from 3.7% in 2015. Vast though these sums may be, they barely match the scale of the problem. Humid heat makes outdoor labourers less productive, costing India the equivalent of 7% of GDP annually, by one estimate. Most Indian cities really will run out of water if they dont conserve it better, hydrologists predict. Yet in 2021 nearly half of big cities were doing nothing to recycle the life-giving liquid. The keys to faster adaptation are information, incentives and effective government. Better information allows more rational decision-making. For example, in parts of Kerala where heavy rains cause deadly mudslides, researchers have developed a cheap early-warning system using microdata. Each farmer measures the rainfall on his land and feeds the information into a local database far more granular than the national weather service can provide. From this, an NGO works out which villages are so sodden as to be perilously unstable, allowing precise and timely evacuation warnings. Simple ideas, widely disseminated, can make a difference. In the crowded slums of Mumbai, which can be five degrees hotter than the fancier neighbourhoods nearby, NGOs have found that teaching people to plant shade-giving trees on wasteland can reduce heat stress and give children a cooler place to study. In the long run, better schooling would help, too. Research suggests that education fosters the cognitive skills and curiosity that help people adapt more deftly to the new situations that climate change inevitably throws upso, even after controlling for income, the well-schooled cope better. On incentives, India has great scope for improvement. It is the most water-stressed country in Asia, yet hardly anyone pays a sensible price for the stuff. As in many countries, farmers tap groundwater freeoften using subsidised electricity to power their pumps. Urban households are charged little for water, and many fail to pay their bills. The result is reckless waste, as farmers switch too slowly to drip irrigation and cities fail to capture rainfall efficiently. A hint of how sharper incentives would help can be gleaned from the behaviour of big private companies, which are typically charged much more than other customers for water. An entire ecosystem of firms has popped up to offer them smarter sensors, analytical tools to improve water efficiency, filters that can clean toxic wastewater, and so on. If water were properly priced for everyone, far more Indian ingenuity would be applied to conserving it. India has lots of energetic green NGOs and innovative local fixes. Many cities have water kiosks to cool gasping passers-by; a nifty scheme in Bangalore channels urban wastewater to replenish rural aquifers, thus helping farmers feed the city. But only the government has the power to set broad incentives, and Indias lacks urgency (as do others). Neither the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party nor its main rivals talk much about the climate, and no one wants to pick a fight with farmers over water. At the state and local level, authority is often confused. In Mumbai, for example, streams, storm drains and sewers are each overseen by a different department. India needs a more joined-up approach: heat-resilient building codes to encourage shade, ventilation and better materials; proper planning for the millions whom climate change will push to migrate internally; better information-gathering; and a price for water that makes people use it with care. The diabolical air in Delhi, though mostly unrelated to climate change, might encourage greener policies. So might geopolitics. On December 25th China confirmed plans to build the worlds biggest dam, high up in the Tibetan Himalayas. Such a dam would let a giant, prickly neighbour, with which India has come to blows, constrict the flow of the mighty Brahmaputra river. The threat should not be overstated: most of the rain that feeds the Brahmaputra falls on the Indian side of the border. But if the shock jolts Indias government into taking climate adaptation more seriously, it might yet prove to be a well-disguised blessing. 2025, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com The debut of Starlinks satellite internet services in India has been a matter of much anticipation. On Tuesday, telecom company Airtel declared that it has signed a deal with Elon Musk s SpaceX, which runs Starlink, to bring those services here. Of course, SpaceX will need government approval before it can launch these, but given how New Delhi has wooed Musks Tesla to enter the Indian market for electric vehicles, which now seems imminent, that may not be difficult. Starlinks aim would be to explore a business opportunity, but it has globally been grabbing news for the strategic edge it offers in warfare. The connectivity that it provides Ukraines defence has given the US administration, with which Musk is closely associated, significant leverage over Kyiv in prodding it towards a ceasefire with Russia. Without satellite services, Ukraine would be left dangerously exposed to Russian attacks. Aso Read: The Oval Office showdown left Putin holding a trump card in the Ukraine War As far as Indian interests go, Starlinks promise of remote link-ups would clearly be beneficial. Yet, India would also need to ensure that there is sufficient competition in this space. Not just for the sake of orderly market development, but also to avoid dependence on this Musk-owned business. Tesla shares were at a five-month low, Tesla showrooms in the US are being vandalized, Tesla cybertrucks were set on fire in Seattle, and the electric vehicle makers sales are down in the US and Europe. That US President Donald Trump has bought a Tesla car might seem like good news, signalling support at the highest level. But that might only serve to worsen Teslas fortunes. The key problem underlying Teslas woes is the conflict between the social intelligence underpinning the sale of electric vehicles and the society-agnostic vision of tech-driven progress that the company's chief executive Elon Musk stands for. Social imagination is definitely getting the better of technological aspirations. In the US, the people who are willing to invest in an electric car tend to be those who are willing to take on a certain amount of personal inconvenience in the service of the larger public good. Electric cars are more expensive than conventional internal combustion engine cars, and come with attendant anxieties such as concerns about how far the car can go and about its battery draining while stuck in a traffic jam. Those willing to take on these risks and pay extra to buy a Tesla are typically those who care for the climate and believe in the ability of technology and human ingenuity to solve societys problemswith the help of supportive government policy and, if needed, government funds. In the US, such people overwhelmingly tend to be Democrats. Before Tesla boss Elon Musk hitched his wagon firmly to Republican Trumps Make America Great Again (MAGA) platform, donating $288 million to the businessman-politicians presidential campaign and making public appearances wearing a MAGA cap, 23% of Democrats had said they were willing to buy Teslas. The proportion of Republicans ready to buy electric cars was 15%. Liberals who had purchased a Tesla are trying to sell it or are driving around with bumper stickers that proclaim they had bought the car before Musk went crazy, according to the Wall Street Journal. Now, more Republicans say they are willing to buy electric cars but view Green Transition claims with suspicion, seeing climate change as little more than a liberal conspiracy. Trump removed former US President Joe Bidens electric car mandate after replacing him at the Oval Office in January, but now says the government will buy a number of Tesla cars. Trumps Drill, baby, drill election campaign slogan rides shotgun in an electric car with distinct unease. Also read | Teslas fortunes fall as Musk rises in Trump world Musk's politics versus his EV evangelism Tesla sales have fallen 7% in the US and by a similar proportion in Europe. The drop in sales would have been vicious if Biden had not slapped an import duty of 100% on electric cars from China. Chinese e-vehicles are not just way cheaper but also technologically ahead in terms of battery chemistry and weight. Also, Musks role in downsizing government staff and cutting budget outlays for farm produce that are reliant on purchase by the US governments foreign aid programmesboth stemming from his influence over the Trump administrations Department of Government Efficiencyhas invited considerable resentment against the unelected tycoons actions in dismantling the government as they knew it. Besides, Republicans who bought into Trumps anti-immigrant narrative are wary of Musks championing of immigrants with tech talent on H1B visas. In Europe, Teslas attempt to break the union at its Swedish plant has been met with boycotts across Scandinavia. Musks recent fulminations against mainstream Europes liberal consensus and his vocal support for Germanys far-right party, the Alternative fur Deutschland, which most Germans consider to be a modern reincarnation of the Nazis, have also led to mass resentment against Musk and his electric car company. Britons have not taken kindly to Musks support for Britains far-right party, Reform UK. Even as Trumps political proclivities militate against the popularity of Tesla, other carmakers are rolling out their own electric vehicles, apart from the Chinese electric vehicle majors. Japans Toyota is set to roll out seven new EV models in Europe. Also read | The case for subsidizing electric vehicles In the meantime, Musk has scrapped a planned, low-cost model from Tesla (a price tag of $25,000 being considered low-cost in Musks universe). His focus is now on how to make wholly driverless models, for which he anticipates huge demand in the taxi market. His driverless technology relies on multiple camera inputs and their processing by artificial intelligence. Google subsidiary Waymos driverless technology makes use of multiple inputs apart from camerasLidars, for example. The efficacy of Teslas driverless technology, in comparison with those of rivals, is yet to be established. The reaction against the Tesla boss politics is redounding on Tesla sales and hurting the companys share price. Whether this would lead Tesla shareholders to seek Musks replacement with a politically anodyne boss remains to be seen. Also read | Five important points that show electric vehicles are hitting their stride in India New Delhi: The government may make it mandatory for packages containing narcotics to carry a barcode while it mulls building a portal to identify, track and monitor the illegal sale of narcotics. In view to recent cases of abuse of narcotics meant for medicinal use, the government is devising a mechanism to ensure the tracking and traceability of these drugs. A QR code will allow the government to identify the manufacturer of these drugs, said two officials familiar aware of the matter. The government is also exploring ways to track inter-state movement of these drugs, and identify the sellers and distributors. Abuse control This comes against the backdrop of the home ministry writing to the health ministry last month, asking it to take measures to control the abuse of narcotic drugs being used for non-medical purposes. Also read | Why cancer patients can hope for affordable drugs in India Following this, Union health secretary Punya Salila Srivastava chaired a meeting with the states and UTs to review the matter and take remedial measures. The government is focusing to control the misuse of narcotics drugs. Last month, home ministry wrote to the health secretary that it is a matter of serious concern as narcotics drugs are being diverted for other than medical purposes and being misused. So, the ask was to take all measures to monitor the narcotics drugs within the supply chain and a system needs to be established for monitoring and tracing of the narcotics drugs," said the first official. A meeting was held by the health secretary on 24 February with the state governments to sensitize them. State/UT governments shared their best practices, challenges and measures. One of the major challenges of the State drug controllers, they shared, is that there is no flow of information on when narcotics drugs are sold from state to another, who are distributors, dealers, or traders for such drugs. State governments gave multiple suggestions to put barcode or QR code on narcotics drugs and set up a portal for monitoring and tracing of these drugs. These were the outcomes of this meeting and suggestion will further be deliberated," the official added. Also read | Central drug regulator creating guidelines for gene therapies, biosimilars: DCGI Narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances have several medical and scientific uses. However, they are abused and trafficked. The government has adopted a zero tolerance policy against drug trafficking to curb the menace of drugs. States like Punjab, Telangana, Goa, Jharkhand etc participated and representative of NCB was also there in the meeting. Barcoding will help in identifying the drug and how genuine it is. But tracking and monitoring will only be checked through some application or portal. However, it is very early as the roadmap is still being worked out," said the second official. The official said that every state has its own regulatory mechanism. To be on the same page, there has to be uniformity and proper coordination to control the drug abuse. Dr Atul Ambekar, Professor at National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, AIIMS said, In India, the biggest problem is easy accessibility of drugs without prescription and most of the controlled drugs are being misused other than medical purposes. So, if government is planning more stringent measures and wants to keep a track on monitoring and tracking of narcotics drugs within its supply chain is very important step and much needed." Also read | New introductions and price growth driving pharma market growth A 2019 report on substance abuse in India published by the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and central government said about 2.5 million people in the country were addicted to pharmaceutical opioids. On 2 March, union home minister Amit Shah wrote on X that 29 drug traffickers have been convicted in 12 cases across India. We pledge to continue combating the drug menace with ruthless and meticulous investigations to build a drug-free Bharat." Last month, the government banned the production and export of the combination tapentadol and carisoprodol due to drug abuse in West African countries. According to the health ministry, this drug combination was unapproved and manufactured by a Mumbai-based pharma company. Last year, Karnataka law-enforcing agencies seized 1,720 tapentadol tablets in Bengaluru. Also read | India eyes global pharma dominance with a 5,000 crore revitalization plan Queries sent to the health ministry and home ministry spokesperson remained unanswered. Like many scientists, Thomas Melendy is worried about what cuts to federal medical research funding would mean for his work and on a larger scale what it would mean for the countrys future. Melendy, director of the Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology at University at Buffalo, has several National Institutes of Health-funded projects that are threatened. One project, focused on screening for antivirals to treat coronavirus, is expiring in April, and hes nervously waiting on a separate grant application that should have been reviewed last week but wasnt. His own funding is a small part of the $81 million that UB receives annually for nearly 300 NIH-funded research projects. Some of that money is vulnerable if President Trumps administration is able to press forward with a 15% cap on the amount of money research institutions can receive from the NIH to cover the indirect costs of medical research. People will be laid off, Melendy said. The employment pipeline will be down. The basis behind new treatments and new products will be down. These are the dangers. Melendy was one of several researchers to speak out against the cuts at a news conference Wednesday at the University at Buffalo Hauptman-Woodward Research Institute in Buffalo. The event, organized by labor union United University Professions, brought together researchers, elected leaders and the UB Graduate Students Employees Union to decry what UUP President Frederick E. Kowal called the Trump administrations draconian and incoherent attacks on federal funding. The NIH spent more than $35 billion in fiscal year 2023 on some 50,000 competitive grants. Of that, about $26 billion went to direct costs for research, while $9 billion went to indirect costs, or what the NIH has dubbed administrative overhead. If the proposed 15% cap was instituted on indirect costs, the NIH claims it could save more than $4 billion a year. Groups such as the Association of American Medical Colleges say the cuts would slow medical progress, threaten clinical trials and cost lives. Research universities and hospitals that do NIH-funded research use the indirect cost payments to cover lab equipment, utilities, security, maintenance, waste disposal and administrative staff expenses. After the NIHs planned cap was announced last month, lawsuits challenging the legality of the cuts flowed immediately. Last week, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction, which blocks the cut on indirect costs for now while the lawsuits move forward. Western New York organizations have a lot tied up in how this shakes out. The NIH funds that UB receives has helped develop new multiple sclerosis treatments, improve outcomes for cancer patients who receive chemotherapy and detect possible brain aneurysms. If the 15% cap is instituted, UB could lose $47 million or more in NIH funding over the next three to five years. Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in fiscal year 2024 received $49.2 million in new NIH grant funding for peer-reviewed research. The planned cap could translate to a reduction of $12 million annually, the cancer center said. Cutting federal funding for cancer research is wrong, said Denise Szymura, vice president of the Western New York Area Labor Federation. Cutting federal funding for Parkinsons disease treatments is wrong. Cutting federal funding for the researchers trying to save us from the next pandemic is not only wrong but its dangerous and will hurt working families more than anyone else. The cap on indirect costs received criticism at an event in Buffalo on Feb. 14 from UB administrators and elected officials. Then on Friday afternoon, scientists, students and community members gathered at Niagara Square as part of the national Stand Up for Science 2025. Trump cuts to federal research grants blasted by UB, elected leaders Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., decried the efforts to cut up to $4 billion from grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health as illegal and rooted in a willful misunderstanding of how medical research is conducted at universities, hospitals, cancer centers and other institutions. Last Thursday, business and economic advocacy groups across the state, including Buffalo Niagara Partnership, sent a letter to New Yorks Congressional delegation, urging them to stand with the business community in opposing this harmful 15% cap. Other agencies that drive science and research in the United States also are threatened, researchers say. At the National Science Foundation, projects continue to be closely scrutinized and deep budget cuts at the agency are rumored to be on the way. Salvatore Rappoccio, a physics professor at UB, said the United States has a competitive advantage and leads the world in most areas of research because the country invests in it. To make large cuts, he said, would sacrifice the countrys leading research position and crater the economy now and in the future. This is extraordinarily short-sighted and very, very damaging to the economy, Rappoccio said. Science research has never been a partisan issue. Rappoccio, whose research is funded by the National Science Foundation, is part of the UB High Energy Physics and Cosmology group. They are part of a large collaboration called the Compact Muon Solenoid Experiment at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, where the group does experiments at the Large Hadron Collider, the worlds largest and most powerful particle accelerator. Hauptman-Woodward research institute is now part of UB The move, announced in May, will bring Hauptman-Woodward, and its curved building at 700 Ellicott St. and its contents, within UB's research and educational systems. In addition to conducting experiments and research, the group also has a big focus on workforce development, hiring post-doctoral researchers and training and supporting graduate students who are key in building an employment pipeline. If Rappoccios group lost its grant, he said 10 people would be laid off and the faculty members involved would take a 30% pay cut. But hes even more worried about the long-term impact of what the lost discoveries of today could mean for the future. An example he likes to mention: GPS relies on predictions of general relativity in physics, and general relativity was discovered by looking at the orbit of Mercury. Weve based an entire global economy on GPS, Rappoccio said. This is an integral part of our lives, but you wouldnt have known a single thing about it if you hadnt been studying Mercury. In a recent famous example, Rappaccio said, scientists discovered a hunger-regulating hormone in the venom of the Gila monster a discovery that would later give birth to Ozempic. The way Melendy describes it to people: Many of those new drugs advertised on TV by pharmaceutical companies are based on research that is going on now at universities across the country, like UB. Its based on the work we do, and without the work we do, those new products wouldnt be being developed by the companies, Melendy said. They stand on our shoulders, and they know that. Just the threat of cuts is already having an impact. Melendy said a colleague of his, an American-born scientist at the University at Pittsburgh, is interviewing for a job in the United Kingdom. For Melendy, who also studies ways to suppress the growth of DNA tumor viruses, hes petitioning UB for bridge funding to help continue his work while he waits for grant applications that are still pending. Bridge funding is a more cost-effective option, he said, to allow work and laboratories like his to continue, as it is much more expensive to build a lab back from scratch and rehire research personnel. But, Melendy said, many labs are threatened if the planned cuts are allowed to go forward. Within months, this can have a dramatic impact on the scientific infrastructure of this country, he said. KAMPALA, UgandaThe property manager of a shabby office building in this congested East African capital has achieved what the U.S., U.N. and other well-meaning global powers have not: He has established peace between warring Sudanese factions. Tens of thousands of people on both sides of Sudans brutal two-year civil war have sought safety in Uganda, and hundreds of those refugees have set up small businesses in a five-story commercial building in downtown Kampala run by Nasr Al Din Sandel. Sudanese refugees, divided along ethnic lines, sometimes come to blows in the citys streets. But inside the crowded Nyumba KubwaSwahili for Big HouseSandel ensures his tenants check their civil war at the door. He breaks up brawls between Arab Sudanese and their Black rivals, and rescues refugees from both sides when they run into trouble with Ugandan authorities. A Black Sudanese himself, Sandel says he never holds it against the Arabs that theyve been accused of attempting to wipe out his people. I have never discriminated against anyone based on their tribal affiliations," the 45-year-old said in his cramped office, where he also runs a travel agency. We only deal with each other as Sudanese." Sudan erupted in violence in 2023 when the awkward partnership broke down between the countrys de facto president, Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who had seized power in a coup, and his No. 2, Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, a one-time camel herder turned warlord. The fighting that followed between al-Burhans Sudanese army and Dagalos mostly Arab paramilitary, the Rapid Support Forces, has left the countrys capital in ruins, tens of thousands dead and hundreds of thousands facing starvation. The U.S. earlier this year accused Dagalos men of attempted genocide for massacring Black Sudanese in the Darfur region and accused al-Burhan of war crimes for ordering airstrikes on civilians. Some 64,000 Sudanese have taken advantage of Ugandas friendly refugee policies, which guarantee newcomers freedom to live and work anywhere in the country. The war has engendered bitter feelings. Sandel, who set down roots in Uganda after fleeing an earlier Sudanese conflict, sees his job as making sure they dont seep into his building, or his orbit. In one incident in 2023, Sandel rushed to Entebbe International Airport outside of Kampala when he learned a group of Sudanese had been stranded for hours because their English wasnt proficient enough to communicate with airport staff. On the ride back to the city, an argument among the refugees descended into a fistfight inside the van, and Sandel had to pull over to put a stop to it. Both Arab and Black business people have set up shop in Sandels building, which is vaguely triangular and overlooks a busy downtown intersection. There are leather-goods stores and dealers in brightly colored robes, a finance firm that makes microloans and a company called Majestic Interiors that sells mosquito nets and curtain rods. Some shops open onto the sidewalk. Others sit on cramped interior hallways, protected by metal security shutters. Some rooms are occupied by multiple businesses. Sandel formed a WhatsApp group to keep the tenantsalmost exclusively Sudanesein touch. He banned them from infecting chats with talk of politics or ethnicity. The price of defying him is removal from the group chat and, ultimately, the building. He makes sure everyone is living in harmony," said Mo Suliman, who owns Nyala Cafe, a Sudanese-style coffee house where refugees sip cappuccinos and swap gossip about whats going on back home. Suliman, 35, fought in the Rapid Support Forces and says he fled after he was separated from his unit during an airstrike. He named his coffee shop after the hometown of Dagalo, his former commander. View Full Image Boys gather at Mo Sulimans Nyala Cafe, where many refugees come for the cappuccinos, espressos and gossip from home. Next door, 64-year-old Mohamed Bashir sells leather bags he embosses with elephants and maps of Africa. Bashir fled Sudan after Dagalos rebel fighters destroyed his house in an artillery barrage. Bashir, who belongs to the Masalit, a Black community in Darfur, sees Sudans military as his peoples most likely saviors. In the Big House, where Sudanese flags and posters of Sudanese dishes favored by both sides decorate the hallways, Suliman and Bashir chat amiably and walk to the mosque together for Friday prayers. Sudanese merchants also come together to brainstorm logistics. They discuss how to replenish stocks of hometown products to satisfy a customer base that swells with every new battle and every new wave of refugees. They talk about how to deal with officials and how to get goods back home. They even negotiate fees with the enemy next door to ensure safe passage out of Sudan for supply convoys and family members. Abass Suliman Mohamed used to edit a pro-rebel newspaper in Sudan, drawing the ire of government forces, which accused him of biased reporting. After several arrests, he left the country in 2023, taking a 20-hour bus trip from the capital, Khartoum, to Port Sudan, then flying to Uganda via Ethiopia. From his office on the third floor, Mohamed arranges weekly shipments of Chinese clothing from Uganda to Sudan. Each time he sends a consignment, he says he drops off $100 at another office one floor up, this one affiliated with the Sudanese governments intelligence service. The payment, he says, buys the safety of his business associates in Khartoum. There is a lot of business taking place between Uganda and Sudan," he said. But you have to pay both sides to stay in business." The concentration of refugee businesses in one building has proven a tempting target for Ugandan officials seeking a payout, according to Sudanese business owners. Some soldiers sometimes show up here and ask for identification cards," said Al Amin Ahmed Mohammed, a smartphone dealer. They force some refugees to pay them money." A government spokesman said authorities are investigating extortion allegations. Elsewhere in Kampala, Black and Arab Sudanese sometimes come to blows. In one incident last year, an argument over the war triggered a melee outside of a refugee-registration office in Kampala, prompting authorities to suspend work for several days. Sandel wont put up with any such nonsense. To do otherwise would risk kneecapping his own business career, since he collects 10% of the building rent for managing the property. He intervenes with Ugandan authorities to help countrymen who get arrested for missing paperwork or for engaging in street brawls with other Sudanese refugees. He mediates business disputes, including arguments over rent between tenants sharing the same space. For now, it has created a rare safe haven for the refugees. Of course the war has affected all of us," Bashir, the leather-goods seller, said as he paced the hallway outside his shop. But Sudanese people in this building remain united and peaceful." Write to Nicholas Bariyo at nicholas.bariyo@wsj.com UPDATE: Hamilton County has been issued for a Code Orange air quality alert for a second day on Thursday, March 13. PREVIOUS STORY: A Code Orange air quality alert has been issued for Hamilton County for Wednesday, March 12 for fine particle pollution after several wildfires broke out across the Tennessee Valley. The Air Pollution Control Bureau says the air quality is in the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range, such as children, the elderly, and those with respiratory or heart conditions. "Air quality is currently at levels that may pose health risks, especially to sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions," says Amber Boles, Director of Operations. "Residents are advised to limit prolonged outdoor activities and avoid strenuous exercise outdoors." Health effects can include irritation to the airways, coughing, or difficulty breathing; decreased lung function; and aggravated asthma. The Air Pollution Control Bureau lists what you can do to stay safe: Stay indoors as much as possible Limit prolonged outdoor activities Avoid strenuous exercise outdoors Keep windows and doors closed Use air purifiers or air conditioning on recirculate mode if available For more information, visit the Air Pollution Control Bureau website. "You all have helped us out so we would like to return the favor," the pizza place posted on Facebook. "Swing in or give us a call and let us know how we can help you all." A local pizza joint is looking to give back to the community. Cesario's Pizzeria in Rossville is offering free lunch to all the first responders and volunteers fighting the wildfire in Walker County on Wednesday, March 12. "You all have helped us out so we would like to return the favor," the pizza place posted on Facebook. "Swing in or give us a call and let us know how we can help you all." They are located at 321 McFarland Ave. across from Rossville City Hall. You can call the pizzeria at 706-841-7499. There has been unwavering support for the off-duty Chickamauga officer Charles Chuck Dunn and his recovery on social media after the weekends murder-suicide incident in Rock Spring, Georgia. A Longford Oireachtas member has suggested imposing hefty fines up to 10,000 to finally stamp out fly-tipping in local bogs and amenity areas. Fine Gael Senator Paraic Brady has insisted a 250 fine for the first offence and a 1,500 fine for a second breach is not a big enough deterrent and it is not working. The Drumlish-based public representative said unlicensed rubbish disposal by rogue individuals who earn a living out of the illegal practice is seriously blighting the countryside and environment. Also Read: Expect Delays: Longford motorists advised of a number of road closures across county Senator Brady raised the issue in Seanad Eireann last week and he stated he was very pleased by the 'huge' cross party support. "The severity of the fines is not steep enough and it does not discourage people from doing it. "It's getting worse and the individuals who are doing this are dumping refrigerators and household appliances and rubbish and making thousands from it," he added. Senator Brady stated the clean up costs for local authorities such as Longford County Council can sometimes run into tens of thousands of euro and the costs are excessive. Also Read: Man accused of child neglect and sexual offences appears before Longford court "A lot of the items that are dumped like fridges and household appliances and empty drinks cans can be recycled but that is not happening," he added. Senator Brady said a few of his colleagues in the Seanad felt his suggested fines are a little high but he is adamant they are warranted to send a clear message. "Some might laugh at that. However, people are fly-tipping recyclable tyres, recyclable plastic and household waste. Also Read: RIP: Longford and Roscommon mourns passing of a wonderful, kind neighbour and friend "It is unacceptable in this day and age, with all of the companies out there providing a service by lifting bins and so on. "It is a big issue that needs to be addressed in this house," he added. Senator Brady said they need to give the local authorities the powers to address this. "We need to start as we mean to go on by increasing the fines, and if people do not pay them, they will get jail. "We need to stand up and be counted on this. It is a huge issue that is affecting rural Ireland at this time," he added. Senator Brady said he was encouraged by the significant support in the Upper House for his proposal. A letter is being drafted and sent to Environment Minister Darragh O'Brien requesting a change and an increase in fines to finally eradicate the scourge of fly-tipping. Senator Brady said the practice in local bogs and amenity areas has become a huge issue, not only in county Longford, but throughout Ireland. "People are making huge amounts of money by lifting household and building site rubbish and fly-tipping it. "This comes at a great cost to our local authorities. "I call for a discussion on this issue and for greater powers to be given to local authorities with regard to cameras at black spots and other areas that are known to be subject to fly-tipping," he added. The vibrancy of Longford's business community was acknowledged last week as the county's Local Enterprise Office hosted their annual awards. The overall winner for 2025, Willie Monaghan & Sons Limited, was selected to represent Longford at the 25th National Enterprise Awards Final which will take place in the Mansion House, Dublin, on Thursday, May 23, 2025. Founded in 1985 by Willie Monaghan, Willie Monaghan & Sons Limited is one of Ireland's leading names in truck body building and steel fabrication. The business, located in Coolarty near Granard, has grown considerably in the last three decades. Specialising in commercial truck and van body building, they serve major fleet operators and businesses, such as Pat The Baker and Kiernan Milling. Speaking at the ceremony Longford County Council Director of Services with responsibility for Enterprise, Michael Nevin, spoke of the quality of local enterprise: Each of these businesses are key contributors to the economic growth and development of our county. Also Read: RIP: Longford and Roscommon mourns passing of a wonderful, kind neighbour and friend It's an honour to work with small businesses, hear their stories, and help them work through the issues they have. Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, Mark Casey, said: It is great to see local industries going so well. That is what this is all about. I have to commend Michael and the LEO for all they do. Longford is one of the leading counties for getting local enterprises off the ground. The awards recognise and promote success stories of small business owners from all over the county. The National Finalists will compete for a prize fund of 53,000. These awards are an important part of Enterprise Week, said Council CE Paddy Mahon, The LEO plays a vital role in helping small business plan, start, sustain and continue to grow. All the businesses here today have proved themselves and are models of sustainability. This is a great opportunity to recognise the excellence in Longford small businesses. Aside from the overall winner five local businesses were honoured at the awards. Maguire Hair & Beauty won out in the Lean Champion category; Waterfront Dental were crowned Digital Champion; O'Rourke Windows and Glass received the Green Champion award; Threads by Katie were announced as the Best Young Start Up; while the Spirit of Longford award went to PJ and Joan Donnellan of Donnellan Engineering in Lanesboro. Also Read: RIP: Longford community heartbroken by death of dedicated volunteer Shane Lawlor Established over 25 years ago by Vincent Maguire, Maguire Hair & Beauty is a family-run business that operates two retail stores in Longford and Cavan, along with a thriving online shop. Vincent's two sons Anthony and David also assist in the management of the businesses, which stock a wide range of premium brands and are the exclusive distributor for Mood Hair Care products in Ireland. Waterfront Dental has been delivering exceptional dental care to the Longford community since 1985. Originally founded by Dr Clem Sullivan, the practice has grown from its first premises on Main Street to a state-of-the-art, purpose-built facility at Fee Court, overlooking the Mall Complex. Now led by Dr Dympra Reynolds the 11 person team has further growth planned. O'Rourke Windows and Glass is a trusted family-run business in Longford town, specialising in the manufacture and installation of high-quality PVC windows and doors. Originally operating as Fox & O'Rourke Windows, Gerry O Rourke has been in the business, building a strong reputation across the country for delivering bespoke, stylish and functional products. Also Read: Expect Delays: Longford motorists advised of a number of road closures across county Threads by Katie is a startup business founded by Katie McCabe from Aughnacliffe, specialising in retro sportswear and reworked branded clothing. With a passion for fashion and sustainability, Katie identified a gap in the market for unique, affordable and eco-friendly vintage pieces. PJ and Joan Donnellan are a couple whose unwavering dedication has significantly contributed to both the local economy and community over the years. PJ began his engineering career in 1968 with Donnellan Engineering, a business founded by his Mount Kilimanjaro. Its name conjures up images of swirling clouds, an exotic land very far from Arva. Located in Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano, the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world. At the end of January Michael Ellis and his daughter Claire Ellis arrived at base camp in the East African country before embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. The duo would be part of an expedition scheduled to spend seven days on a trek that brought them a monumental 5,895m above sea level and back down. As the saying goes, I've the certificate to prove it, Michael told the Leader of his thrilling escapade. Also Read: Excitement builds as the ploughing is set to return to Longford I collected sponsorship money for a number of local charities: St Christopher's, Longford Hospice Homecare, Cavan Monaghan Palliative Care and for our local community hall. Between myself and Claire we collected a total of around 20,000, the recently minted mountaineer said. Most high mountains are part of ranges, but Mount Kilimanjaro sits alone; the result of the fusing of three volcanic cones. It lies just 205 miles from the equator. It took us five nights and five days to go up, then two nights and two days to come down. We slept in tents at night, Michael told, It was tough going up for a fellow of my age. But even the younger people found it hard to get to the top with altitude sickness. That fellow my age, description is to put him past retirement age, but he wouldn't be drawn on how far past. The Arva man said his preparations involved just a bit of walking, but added: I'd be fit enough. I'm still working away at Fresh Today. I just generally keep fit, you know what I mean. Also Read: PICTURES | Top chef Gary O'Hanlon serves up delicious treat to Longford audience The journey was not one of luxury: We slept in the tents every night. The porter carried up the tents and the food. Every morning we had stirabout, porridge, and a bit of fruit and we drank plenty of water. There were challenges along the route: You go up hills and down valleys. On the second day we come to The Wall as they call it. It was hard. On the first day we left, it was warm. As we climbed up it got cooler. Then it rained for three days, lashed. They were saying that it doesn't normally rain at this time of the year. We were unlucky. We got a lot of rain and a lot of floods. Though he enjoyed the experience he says: I wouldn't do it again. Also Read: Longford's backstage set to host 'The Nanci Griffith Songbook' The climb was the focal point of the African undertaking, but Tanzania was an eye opener for Michael: It was great. I'll tell you something, we met the most wonderful people. The Tanzanians are so lovely, but the poverty out there is unreal. The gap between rich and poor was very apparent: It's either extreme poverty or extreme wealth. Even though there's a democracy, it's not a fair democracy now. Michael said there was a tremendous bond forged with his fellow adventurers: There were 18 in our group, from Earth's Edge. Four from Waterford, a father and two daughters from Skerries. You go through the same turmoil every day, and you sleep in a tent at night, and basically you drink a lot of water during the day, as much as possible. Also Read: PICTURES | Fantastic night of style and celebration for Longford Slashers Michael's daughter, Claire, suggested the opportunity, and accompanied him on the journey. At 4,600m altitude sickness prevented Claire from progressing. The cultural differences struck Michael: It was a great experience. I was never in Africa before. We got a real insight into the way the people live. The land is all common land. It's all owned by the State. The farmer gets up in the morning, not like in Longford or Cavan or Westmeath, gathers up his 50 goats, his thin cows or whatever he has and he heads out to his bit of a patch and he stands with his animals all day, watching them to make sure they don't wander off across the road. In the evening, he walks them back home. It's a completely different way of life, but a very interesting experience. Granard Library saw a great turnout last Thursday for the launch of the 2025 Granard Booktown festival. The evening saw key figures from across the town and county present to hear the star studded programme of speakers that will be making their way to Granard from April 11-13. The event was opened up by Ronan OToole, one of the cofounders of the festival, alongside John Connell. From Friday to Sunday, Longford locals and those from across Ireland will be pouring into Granard to enjoy talks from the likes of Claire Keegan, Seamus ORourke, Carole Cadwalladr and John Banville. Also Read: RIP: Longford and Roscommon mourns passing of a wonderful, kind neighbour and friend Many others will be hosting taks throughout the town such as Peter Geoghegan a Longford native who will be discussing his book Democracy for Sale, Nelefer Pazira Fisk, wife of the late Robert Fisk the esteemed war correspondent who will be discussing his final work. Local poets will be featured and shall be reciting their work in Fays on the Saturday, and the Granard Writers Group will be presenting Granard Miscellany in the local Library. This will be the third installment of the Granard Booktown Festival. It began in 2023 and was created by author John Connell and Ronan OToole. The booktown team features the two co-founders as well as Belinda McKeon, Vivian Huynh, James Cawley, Cllr Turlough McGovern, Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi and Sinead Flannery. Also Read: PICTURES | Top chef Gary O'Hanlon serves up delicious treat to Longford audience The festival will see a total of 21 events over three days. Its hard to believe its our third year opening now. Its been a whirlwind year, I suppose, from the last festival, Said Ronan OToole as he opened the event, Weve had such great feedback not just from local communities, but on a national level. I think weve definitely been able to attract another very high calibre of guests this year. People like Clare Keegan, Carole Cadwalladr and John Banville headlining the festival. Just incredible writers and journalists and were just thrilled that they're going to be here in Granard in just over a month. Cllr Gary Murtagh, Cathaoirleach of Granard Municipal District then said a few words, Its a great pleasure and honour to be here this evening with you to acknowledge the great work that John and Ronan and their team are doing. I know Longford County Council is delighted to support, promote and help out with such a fantastic event. Also Read: PICTURES | Top chef Gary O'Hanlon serves up delicious treat to Longford audience John Connell then stepped up to the podium and discussed the festival programme. Following the event, John spoke on the work it took to get these incredible writers to be apart of the event. Some of them took over three years to get, and its been a lot of work, but you know people know Granard now they know the Book Festival and Book Town and they know the work were doing so they want to come and join us. Were on the circuit for established writers to come on tours from throughout Ireland or from overseas and its been something thats been really wonderful and exciting. Cllr Turlough McGovern was also in attendance. Also Read: ALERT | Road closure in north Longford to facilitate Ballinamuck St Patrick's Day Parade Were delighted to be here, were looking forward to our third year of it of course, he said. He is a member of the Booktown team. We have international stars and local writers, which I really enjoyed last year because it was great stories and talent about local stuff around the town, many years ago. It was Wigtown in Scotland, which is where John and Ronan got the idea and were working to bring it to that level. Senator Joe Flaherty was thrilled with the fact that two Lanesboro natives were included in the programme. Its great to see a town like Granard having such a strong literary event, I was particularly struck, if you look, you have Luke Casserly and Gavin Cooney both from Lanesboro, similar ages and really only separated by a couple of fields To think that both of them are centre stage in the programme is truly brilliant to see. US President Donald Trump will host Irish premier Micheal Martin in the White House on Wednesday, in a highly anticipated meeting which is expected to touch on Irelands trading relationship with America. Mr Trump will be presented with a bowl of shamrock as the centrepiece of the Irish Governments major overseas diplomatic push in the run-up to St Patricks Day on Monday, March 17. Mr Martin said that a two-way street of investment is something he intends to highlight in his discussions with the US president in a bid to address concerns he may voice around a trade imbalance between the two countries. The meeting comes amid heightened concern that Mr Trumps protectionist approach to tariffs and tax could pose a significant risk to an Irish economy that is in large part sustained by long-standing investment by US multinationals. It may be a case of third time lucky for Mr Martin after missing out on opportunities to attend the Oval Office in the past. During his first term as Taoiseach, he was unable to attend the White House on St Patricks Day in 2021 because of Covid-19 travel restrictions. The following year, he tested positive for the virus in Washington on the eve of the scheduled shamrock ceremony. His meeting with then-US president Joe Biden was conducted via videolink. Other matters of concern which may be raised in some format on Wednesday include legal status for undocumented Irish citizens living in the US, as well as the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Mr Martin will be the first EU leader to meet Mr Trump following the proposals for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and the lifting of the US suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. The Taoiseach had said that any peace in the region had to be fair and sustainable. A busy itinerary on Wednesday sees Mr Martin first attending a breakfast meeting with Vice President JD Vance at his official residence, the US Naval Observatory. From there the Irish premier will go to the West Wing of the White House where he will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr Trump in the Oval Office. The Fianna Fail leader will then travel to the US Capitol building for the Friends of Ireland luncheon hosted by House Speaker Mike Johnson before returning to the White House for the traditional shamrock ceremony. Last month at the White House, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir handed Mr Trump a letter from the King inviting him to an unprecedented second state visit. Asked if he would be inviting Mr Trump to visit Ireland or giving him an additional gift on top of the shamrock bowl, Mr Martin told reporters: The president is always welcome to visit Ireland and obviously well be engaging on that front. The shamrock ceremony comes on the third full day of Mr Martins engagements in the US, having started his overseas trip in Austin, Texas. In the Lone Star State on Monday, the Taoiseach met Texas Governor Greg Abbott and held engagements with US multinationals with investments in Ireland. Mr Martin attended the South by Southwest festival to promote the Irish screen industry and discuss the extent of the enduring relationship between Ireland and the US. After meeting state legislators at the Texas Capitol in Austin on Tuesday, he left for Washington, DC to attend a St Patricks Day reception at the Irish Ambassadors residence that evening. A host of Irish Government ministers is also travelling to the US this week, including deputy premier Tanaiste Simon Harris, who is visiting Philadelphia and New York at a time described as a key juncture in European-US relations. Elsewhere, Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly led an NI Chamber business delegation to North Carolina on Monday. However, Ms Little-Pengelly has travelled to Washington without Ms ONeill after Sinn Fein ruled out attending events in the US capital in protest against Mr Trumps stance on Gaza. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn will also be in the city this week to celebrate the strong ties between Northern Ireland and the United States. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: March 12 2025 For over 35 years, Leslie has been a champion for families across Long Island and the New York Metro region. Suffolk County Legislator Rebecca Sanin proudly recognized Leslie Bellissimo as District 16s Woman of Distinction at the annual Suffolk County Women of Distinction Luncheon, celebrating her lifelong dedication to empowering individuals, strengthening communities, and driving meaningful change. For over 35 years, Leslie has been a champion for families across Long Island and the New York Metro region, currently serving as the Long Island-New York Metro Regional Director at Friends of Karen. In this role, she leads efforts to support families facing the unimaginable challenge of a child's life-threatening illness, ensuring they receive financial assistance, emotional support, and advocacy throughout their journey. Prior to her work with Friends of Karen, Leslie played a pivotal role at the American Heart Association, where she helped secure major funding for lifesaving initiatives and spearheaded key Long Island fundraising events. A lifelong resident of Huntington, Leslies dedication to service extends beyond her professional careershe has volunteered tirelessly for local charities, organized community drives, and educated others in lifesaving skills like hands-only CPR. Leslie Bellissimo embodies the very essence of this recognition, said Legislator Sanin. Her commitment to uplifting others, whether through her work, her advocacy, or her community engagement, is truly extraordinary. Suffolk County is a better place because of leaders like her. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: March 12 2025 Free Helpline Handled More Than 4,800 Cases for New Yorkers with Health Care Complaints in 2023 and 2024. New York Attorney General Letitia James today released a report detailing the work of the Office of the Attorney Generals (OAG) Health Care Helpline, a free service that recovered more than $4.6 million in restitution and savings for New Yorkers in 2023 and 2024. The Health Care Bureaus (HCB) Helpline is staffed by a dedicated team of advocates who work with New Yorkers to resolve disputes with insurance companies, correct overbilling, and ensure they can access medically necessary care or prescription medication that they have been unfairly denied. In 2023 and 2024, the Helpline handled more than 4,800 consumer complaints, reversing wrongfully rejected health insurance claims, correcting inaccurately processed claims, reinstating New Yorkers incorrectly terminated health coverage, and rectifying companies wrongful business practices. Every New Yorker deserves affordable, accessible health care and coverage, said Attorney General James. Whether its recovering thousands of dollars in wrongful medical charges, ensuring access to life-saving treatments, or holding companies accountable for deceptive practices, my office is committed to fighting for New York patients and protecting their rights. No one should have to battle insurance companies or medical providers alone. I urge anyone who believes they were wrongfully billed or denied care or coverage to contact my office for support. The Health Care Bureaus 2023-2024 Report, Real Solutions for Real New Yorkers, presents the work HCB and the Helpline have taken over the past two years to assist New Yorkers. The report highlights actions taken by Helpline advocates to resolve consumer complaints, discusses major cases handled by the bureau, and details health care concerns facing New Yorkers. In 2023 and 2024, Helpline staff handled 4,803 consumer complaints and provided another 2,010 consumers with information or referred them to an appropriate agency for assistance. Complaints addressed through the helpline included: An individual with cancer was terminated from his job and, in the termination letter, his employer stated that his health insurance would expire at the end of the month. Thinking he still had insurance, he continued to receive care through the end of the month but later learned that a broker had told his insurance company to terminate his coverage the day he was let go. He contacted the helpline for assistance and an OAG advocate was able to work with the insurer to restore coverage for the remainder of the month, process the claims, and save the consumer nearly $11,000 in medical bills. A consumer experiencing homelessness was admitted to a hospital and, after proving he qualified for financial assistance, was told his care would be 100 percent covered by the hospitals financial aid. However, upon discharge, he started receiving bills for more than $1,000. As the bills continued to come, the consumer attempted to contact the hospital for help but struggled with a language barrier. After OAG intervened, the hospital reversed course and covered the individuals entire bill using financial aid, erasing the consumers outstanding balance. A consumer was unable to use her power wheelchair due to a dead battery, but the vendor who makes the batteries refused to schedule a delivery. Instead, the vendor was trying to force the consumer to travel to its office for installation something she physically could not do. The consumer contacted the helpline, and an OAG advocate successfully intervened, scheduling a battery delivery and installation for the following week. A consumer had to undergo emergency surgery after she went to the ER at the urging of her health plans telemedicine provider, who then directed her to the nearest hospital. Her health plan initially declined to cover the emergency surgery, noting it was an out-of-network hospital and claiming that the surgery could have been an outpatient treatment. The OAG directed the health plan and hospital to work together to facilitate a resolution and, ultimately, saved the consumer more than $50,000. A consumer contacted OAG after being billed more than $63,000 for an MRI, nearly $60,000 of which was for a single medication. Upon investigation, OAG discovered that the provider had mistakenly billed for 150 units of medication instead of a single unit and that the provider had done the same to nearly 60 other consumers. The OAG secured refunds for patients wrongfully charged and put an end to the accidental overbilling. After a consumer complained that their birth control insurance claim was denied by UnitedHealthcare, OAG launched an investigation that ultimately resulted in a $1 million settlement with UnitedHealthcare and full reimbursements for all patients whose claims were denied. In addition to highlighting the challenges faced by New York health care consumers, complaints handled by the HCB helpline are also an important ways to identify systemic problems in the states health care system. While not all complaints and inquiries can be resolved favorably, the helpline is a crucial source of reliable and objective information for New Yorkers. New Yorkers can contact the HCB helpline through the online complaint form to report and resolve health care complaints and concerns ranging from simple payment processing errors to complex deceptive business practices. Consumers can also call the toll-free HCB helpline at 1-800-428 to lodge a complaint. Any consumer who believes that they may have been treated unfairly by a health care provider, Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), insurance plan, or health-related business should contact the helpline. Helpline advocates also work to ensure that any negative effects from improper medical billing or insurance claims are removed from credit reports. The Health Care Bureau is led by Bureau Chief Darsana Srinivasan and the Helpline is overseen by Assistant Attorney General/Helpline Manager Nannette Kelleher. The Health Care Bureau is a part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: March 12 2025 Streaming giant releases official trailer for series detailing the alleged crimes of suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann. Streaming giant Netflix, known for their ongoing series of true-crime documentaries, will be releasing one later this month that is sure to hit Long Islanders especially hard- one chronicling the ongoing saga of the Gilgo Beach Serial Killer and his growing list of victims. Set to debut March 31, "Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer" takes a look at the case that rocked a nation following a mysterious buildup years in the making; the uncovering of numerous victims of a horrific killer, finally leading up to the arrest of a suspect: Massapequa Park resident Rex Heuermann. The following is the official synopsis of "Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer," as per Netflix: Young women who worked in the sex industry were disappearing from New York City and Long Island, and no one was looking for them. Then in 2010, female remains were found in the Gilgo Beach area of Long Island, leading to a string of additional discoveries, all of which seemed to be connected. The case of the Long Island Serial Killer remained unsolved for 13 years until July 2023 when the police arrested a suspect. From Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning director Liz Garbus (Lost Girls) comes the definitive look at the twists and turns in a case that dominated headlines and is still developing in real time. Netflix released the official trailer for the film today, which can be watched below: Heuermann, 60, made national headlines when he was arrested on July 13, 2023, as a suspect in the Gilgo Beach case; he was charged the following day by Tierney in the murders of three of the "Gilgo Four" victims: Amber Lynn Costello, 27, Melissa Barthelemy, 24, and Megan Waterman, 22. On January 16, 2024, Tierney unsealed additional charges against Massapequa Park Heuermann at the Suffolk County Courthouse in Riverhead, tying him to the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 25, a fourth woman whose remains were discovered near Gilgo Beach; Heuermann was already the prime suspect in her death. In June 2024, Heuermann was also arraigned and charged with the murders of Jessica Taylor and Sandra Costilla, and in December 2024, Heuermann was indicted for the 2000 murder of Valerie Mack, bringing the number of his alleged victims to seven. Report: Dog Accidently Shoots Owner with Gun After Jumping into Bed and Getting Paw Stuck in Trigger Guard Local News By Chris Boyle Published: March 12 2025 The man was transported to a local area hospital for treatment for a non-life threatening injury, police say. A Memphis, Tennessee man was wounded in an extremely unusual accident on Monday, March 10 when his dog jumped into his bed and accidently set off a firearm lying on the covers, police say. The victim told authorities that he had been lying in bed with a female friend of his in his Whitney Avenue home when his 1-year-old pit bull jumped into the bed at 3:50 a.m. The dog reportedly got it's paw stuck in the trigger guard of a pistol in the bed and accidently pulled the trigger, causing a grazing wound to the victim's left thigh. When police arrived at the scene, the female friend had already departed, and had taken the firearm with her. A spent shell casing was retrieved at the scene. Israel conducted several airstrikes in south Lebanon on Tuesday, March 11, targeting Hezbollah assets and personnel. The first strike, carried out by an Israeli drone, was reported at 1:22 pm by Lebanons National News Agency (NNA Lebanon). The NNA report said the Israeli drone struck a car traveling on the route identified variously as the road between Roumine and Wadi Deir al Zahrani, or the road between the latter area and Houmine al Fawqa in south Lebanon. Per the Lebanese Health Ministry, this strike killed at least one person whose identity was not confirmed. However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later released a statement saying the strike near Nabatiyeh in south Lebanon targeted Hassan Abbas Izzeldine, whom it identified as the operative responsible for aerial defense in Hezbollahs Badr Unit. Hassan Abbas was a highly knowledgeable figure in Hezbollahs aerial defense array, leading efforts to restore the groups aerial defense array after it suffered significant damage in fighting with the IDF, according to the IDF. The Israeli militarys statement added, Hassan Abbas continued these efforts in recent months, including advancing attempts by Hezbollahs aerial defense array to acquire new weapons, which pose a direct threat to Israeli aircraft. Approximate potential locations of the Israeli strike targeting Hassan Abbas Izzeldine reported by various sources (Google Earth annotated by LWJ). If the IDFs allegations are accurate, Hassan Abbass activities constitute a significant violation of the November 27, 2024, ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon, though the area where Izzeldine was killedand where he was presumably operatingwas north of the Litani River. The deal, building off Lebanons default obligations under international law and reinforced by bilateral agreements and UN Security Council resolutions, also requires Lebanon to seal its borders and entry points to weapons, arms, and related materiel destined for Hezbollah. As of the time of this writing, Hezbollah and its affiliated media have not released a statement on Hassan Abbas Izzeldines fate. The second set of strikes, also carried out by an Israeli drone, occurred between approximately 2:55 pm and 3:15 pm between the locales of Froun, Kfarsir, and Srifa, according to NNA Lebanon. The strikes targeted a van that was in the area. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later released a statement on these strikes, saying it had identified several terrorists in a site previously used by Hezbollah, near Froun in south Lebanon. According to the statement, the IDFs Northern Command then directed Israeli aircraft to strike the terrorists. Per the Lebanese Health Ministry, this set of strikes killed at least one person whose identity was not confirmed. Approximate locations of the second set of Israeli strikes on March 11, 2025. (Google Earth annotated by LWJ) However, Hezbollah-affiliated accounts identified two of the groups operatives as having been killed that day by the Israeli strikes. The first was Mustafa Mahmoud Naim, whose nom de guerre is Yassir, from the town of Sanaa in south Lebanon. Naim is to be buried today in his village of Sanaa. Mustafa Mahmoud Naim. (Balagh Media on Telegram) The second fighter identified as being killed that day was Hassan Ali Haidar, nom de guerre Shahid, from the town of Tibnine in south Lebanon. He is set to be buried on Thursday in his home village of Tibnine. Hassan Ali Haidar. (Balagh Media on Telegram) David Daoud is Senior Fellow at at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs. Interested residents should sign up by April 18 to ensure an appointment is available. Whether youre looking to have an alarm installed or would like to volunteer, you can contact the Manchester Town Managers office (802-362-1313, extension 2). The Lyndia, a 202-unit building and New England's largest permanent supportive housing development, opened Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. The project was developed by the Pine Street Inn and the Community Builders. (Will Katcher/MassLive) New Englands largest permanent supportive housing development, with more than 200 apartments for people escaping homelessness or struggling to pay rent, opened Wednesday in Boston, serving as a model for affordable housing in a region behind on building it, officials said. The grand opening drew Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and her top challenger, philanthropist and longtime nonprofit leader Josh Kraft, to the Jamaica Plain housing complex to celebrate a project years in the making. Among the newest tenants was Michael Montanino, who said the apartment helped provide stability after a year and a half of homelessness and struggles with alcohol abuse. The former East Boston resident said he had turned a positive corner with the help of the Pine Street Inn, the largest homeless services provider in New England and one of the organizations behind the housing development. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks with reporters in Jamaica Plain after the grand opening of The Lyndia, a 202-unit building and New England's largest permanent supportive housing development, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Will Katcher/MassLive) Without the organization and his case manager, Montanino said he would not have secured an apartment at the new development nor his new job with the city as a crossing guard supervisor. Being homeless is like climbing Mt. Everest, Montanino said. You know you have to move forward, but each step becomes more difficult. Boston mayoral candidate Josh Kraft in Jamaica Plain at the grand opening of The Lyndia, a 202-unit building and New England's largest permanent supportive housing development, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Will Katcher/MassLive) The housing development at 3368 Washington St. was a collaborative effort between Pine Street Inn and The Community Builders, a Boston-based nonprofit that builds and manages affordable housing. The modern-looking, five-story, 165,000 square-foot structure, which glowed inside with bountiful natural light, includes 140 apartments for formerly homeless people and 62 for income-eligible families. No matter where you look in this 202-unit development, the reading and meditation rooms, the gym, the kitchens, you will find and feel community, Mayor Michelle Wu told attendees of the ribbon cutting. One in five units is accessible to tenants with physical disabilities, the mayor said. In a first-floor office, Pine Street service providers will assist tenants with finding and sustaining employment and educational opportunities and receiving healthcare. The Lyndia, a 202-unit building and New England's largest permanent supportive housing development, opened Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. The project was developed by the Pine Street Inn and the Community Builders. (Will Katcher/MassLive) The complex is a historic, ground-breaking, landmark development, Wu added, that will change the landscape nationally for how we think about how to take care of our neighbors and will create opportunity and pathways for everyone in our community. Kraft, who watched Wu and other speakers from the side of the audience, said after the event that he wanted to make it easier for more developments like this to be built in Boston. The Lyndia, a 202-unit building and New England's largest permanent supportive housing development, opened Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. The project was developed by the Pine Street Inn and the Community Builders. Mayor Michelle Wu, third from the right, celebrates the ribbon cutting, which was completed by two of the building's new tenants. (Will Katcher/MassLive) Theres a lot of regulatory issues, theres a lot of red tape, and weve got to cut through it all because housing is the number one issue in this city, he said. Housing for everyone, people working in the city, affordable housing we need it all," he added. Juan, another new resident of the building, said where he lived was subject to tremendous uncertainty for years after a divorce. Born in Puerto Rico, he moved to Boston in 1979, graduated from South Boston High School, served in the Navy and worked on Bostons historic Big Dig. But after marrying, returning to Puerto Rico, and then divorcing his wife, Juan was left alone without family, a support system or a place to live, he said. The Lyndia, a 202-unit building and New England's largest permanent supportive housing development, opened Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. The project was developed by the Pine Street Inn and the Community Builders. (Will Katcher/MassLive) For more than seven years, his housing prospects were extremely unstable. He stayed temporarily with friends and slept in his car on more than one occasion, even as he continued to work. Returning to Boston last year, he soon found employment and eventually an apartment he could afford at the housing complex unveiled Wednesday. Juan moved in last November. The home provided a safe, permanent, affordable space to build my life being the best person I can be, Juan said. The development, dubbed The Lyndia, is named after Pine Street Inn President and Executive Director Lyndia Downie, who has spent 40 years with the homeless services organization. Pine Street Inn has owned the site, formerly occupied by a warehouse, since 1997, but for years used it for storage and office space. Downie long envisioned repurposing the lot into a large-scale permanent supportive housing development. Pine Street first sought a development partner for the site in 2014. The project broke ground in January 2022. RODE Architects custom-designed the housing complex, which is expected to reach full occupancy by June. Andy Waxman, the Community Builders senior vice president of real estate development in New England, lives just four blocks from the building and is a neighbor of another longtime Pine Street Inn home. I know permanent supporting, supportive housing can work, because I see it every day, he said. So whenever anyone asks Why dont you build this type of housing in your own neighborhood?' I proudly say this is exactly what Im doing." Wednesdays ribbon cutting was just one slice of a busy day on the campaign trail for Kraft, who entered the race a month ago. Kraft has pitched himself as a candidate willing to listen to all voters, in contrast to what he said was an insular approach to governing from Wu and her administration. The pair have sparred over a variety of issues, from housing production to bike lanes Wednesday saw Kraft traverse the city. He opened the day by speaking to the West Roxbury Business + Professional Association at the Corrib Pub and Restaurant in West Roxbury before heading to Jamaica Plain for the housing development opening. According to his public schedule, Kraft then planned to attend a senior luncheon at a South Boston community center in recognition of St. Patricks Day, meet with Haitian community leaders in Hyde Park for two hours Wednesday evening, and attend the Ireland Funds Boston Young Leaders St. Patricks Celebration at the Boston Harbor Hotel later in the night. A pair of teenagers are facing criminal charges in connection with a Tuesday evening shooting in Roxbury that left a man hospitalized, police said. Just before 5 p.m. Tuesday, Boston Police officers went to a ShotSpotter activation at 62 Warren St. in Roxbury. There, they found a 29-year-old man with gunshot wounds. The man was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Boston Police said in a statement. During their investigation of the shooting, detectives obtained surveillance footage showing two suspects. Shortly after, officers found two boys on Moreland Street that matched the suspects' description, police said. One suspect, a 17-year-old boy, was detained without incident. But a second, a 15-year-old boy, attempted to flee from police. He was arrested after a brief foot pursuit, according to the statement. Both teens, whose names were not released because of their ages, are charged with assault with intent to murder while armed, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and trespassing, police said. During the booking process, police say they found a plastic bag believed to contain crack cocaine in his sock. He faces an additional charge of possession of a Class B substance. An Alabama man admitted to strangling a sex worker in a Boston hotel in 1980 in Suffolk Superior Court Thursday, officials said. Steven Fike, 65, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will return to an Alabama prison where he is already serving a life sentence for an Alabama rape and murder in 1982, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement. Fike got a 13-15 year sentence for the Boston killing to run concurrently with his current life sentence. Boston police went to the Diplomat Hotel on Chandler Street on March 18, 1980, the district attorney said. There, they found Wendy Dansereau, 19, dead on the floor of room 506. The room showed signs of a struggle. Dansereau had a red scarf tied around her neck with marks under the scarf, the district attorney said. Dansereaus clothes were found scattered around the room and her bra was damaged, the district attorney said. Dansereau went into the hotel with a customer, the district attorney said. Oral, anal and vaginal samples were collected during her autopsy. Despite investigators' best efforts, the case went unsolved for years. But in 2011, authorities entered sample evidence into the national Combined DNA Index System, the district attorney said. The vaginal sperm sample matched DNA from Fike after he was convicted in Alabama. Partially smoked cigarettes from the hotel room in which Dansereau was found matched Fikes DNA, the district attorney said. Fike denied ever being in Boston when he was interviewed by Boston Police in April 2018 in Alabama, the district attorney said. He continued denying this when he was confronted with evidence of his DNA in Dansereaus body. Fike was in Keene, New Hampshire around the time of Dansereaus killing, the district attorney said. He committed a petty larceny about 12 hours before Dansereau went into the Diplomat Hotel with a customer, according to police reports from Keene. A California man was charged in connection with a missing 17-year-old from Ohio who authorities say was sex trafficked in the Boston area, United States Leah Foleys office said. Ibrahim Abdul-Alim Bin Hajj Yahya Abdul-Malik, 37, of San Jose, California, was charged with sex trafficking a minor, Foleys office said in a statement on Wednesday. On Dec. 11, 2024, law enforcement officials learned that a 17-year-old was being advertised for commercial sex acts online in the Boston area, Foleys office said. The teenager was previously reported missing from her home in Ohio in August 2024. In the advertisements showing the girl and a phone number to arrange commercial sex encounters, investigators responded in an "undercover capacity and the responding telephone number arranged for a commercial sex date at a hotel in Cambridge" Foleys office said. The girl was recovered and her iPhone was taken as evidence, the statement read. Messages between her and Malik were found on the phone by investigators, messages about her engaging in commercial sex acts with sex buyers, Foleys office said. Malik several times told her to have payments sent to a Zelle account he controlled, in which he would confirm with her that he had the money after it was sent and kept all the profits. Malik fled the Boston area after Dec. 11 and bought an airline ticket for a flight from Boston to San Jose the following day, Foleys office said. On March 10, Malik was arrested in California and initially appeared in federal court in the Northern District of California, Foleys office said. He federal court appearance in Boston is expected to be at a later date. In a subsequent investigation, Foleys office said that on or around Nov. 13, 2024, Malik took the girl to other states and posted advertisements about her on various websites. To avoid detection, Malik claimed the teenager was 20 years old, the statement read. The charge of sex trafficking of children carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. This a building at Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington. (Don Treeger / The Republican) Interviews with real estate brokers have begun for the Great Barrington campus of Bard College at Simons Rock and Bard Academy, which is planned for closure later this year, according to the institutions. The Simons Rock Board of Overseers is leading a committee that is coordinating what happens with the Great Barrington campus upon the move of academic programming to the Massena campus, said Fiona Scruggs, the director of communications and marketing for the college and academy. Scruggs didnt provide additional details about what the potential next uses for the site would be. Last month, Great Barringtons Planning Board came up with a long list of permitted and prohibited reuses for the closing Bard College at Simons Rock campus. While the campus is only zoned for educational purposes or for one-, two- or three-family homes, the planning board has drafted a plan for additional uses by creating whats called a zoning overlay district encompassing the campus. The board sent the draft to the Select Board and will publish it for a public hearing on March 13, Christopher Rembold, the interim town manager and planning director, told MassLive. Bard College at Simons Rock and Bard Academy announced in November that they would be closing the Great Barrington campus. The institutions will continue, relocating to Bard Colleges Massena Campus near Bard Colleges main campus in New York and will be open to students in the fall of 2025. The Great Barrington campus closure was due to declining enrollment and a competitive free public early college market, according to the institution. The academic programs are designed to provide college-level work for high-school aged students. Students at Simons Rock typically transfer to the school following 10th or 11th grade and receive college credit for their work there, according to the colleges website. Bard Academy serves students in ninth and 10th grades. Other Massachusetts colleges have closed recently. Eastern Nazarene College, a private liberal arts college in Quincy, announced in June it will close due to financial issues. Financial and other institutional challenges have plagued higher education of late. Over two dozen colleges and universities in the Commonwealth have closed or merged over the past decade, according to the state Department of Higher Education. Nationwide, 605 private postsecondary institutions closed or merged from 2014 to 2020, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. A Massachusetts State Police trooper who is accused of asking a man to perform a sexual act on him during a traffic stop in August will be arraigned Thursday, officials said. Terrance Kent will be arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn at 11:30 a.m., the Middlesex County District Attorney said in a statement. Kent was indicted Tuesday on the charges of bribery and indecent assault and battery, the district attorney said. He was suspended without pay in November amid an investigation, according to the Boston Globe. Prosecutors say a man parked near Soldiers Field Road in Brighton around 4 p.m. on August 24 when he came across Kent who used his state police cruiser to block the man from leaving. When the man asked Kent to move, the trooper told him his vehicle registration and insurance had expired and that the vehicle needed to be towed, the district attorney said. Kent then asked that the man meet him at a Department of Transportation building in Lexington, the district attorney said. Kent asked for the man to perform a sexual act as a favor to him. In return, Kent wouldnt tow the mans vehicle. The defendant in this case allegedly used his position of power as a sworn police officer to commit a sexual assault, said Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said. These allegations, if true, are a blatant violation of the public trust and his obligation to uphold high ethical standards and the values of the community. Todays indictment is a reflection of our continued commitment to the highest level of accountability and transparency when it comes to those entrusted to protect public safety. A trailer carrying two vehicles overturned on the eastbound side of Interstate 290 in Worcester on Wednesday morning, authorities said. Authorities said the vehicle pulling the trailer and its driver were not on the scene. State police are investigating their whereabouts and the cause of the crash. The crash happened a little after 5 a.m. at mile marker 16.4, according to the Massachusetts State Police Department. Officials closed the highways left and middle travel lanes due to the crash, the state police said. The crash cleared around 7:30 a.m., according to John Goggin, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. There were no reported injuries in this crash. The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs is advising citizens planning to travel to a central African country to exercise caution. Federal officials issued a level two travel advisory to Equatorial Guinea, according ot the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs website . Equatorial Guinea was cited to have robbery concerns across the entire country. Local police may lack the resources to respond effectively to more serious crimes. Police and military checkpoints are common and can restrict movement, the advisory reads. Federal officials urge travelers to bring travel with their passports and valid visas in case borders close. Staff at the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Consular Affairs indicate that health services in Equatorial Guinea are limited for the following reasons: There are no adequate trauma services. Ambulance services are not available. Minor health issues may require medical evacuation at the travelers expense. Federal officials advise obtaining medical evacuation insurance for travel to Equatorial Guinea. Travelers to Equatorial Guinea are also advised to avoid off-road journeys, isolated areas, or locations known for mudslides, flooding, and severe weather. Because of limited phone coverage, rough terrain, and the risk of vehicle breakdowns, U.S. citizens should travel in a group of at least two vehicles when going to remote areas, reads the advisory. Department of State Bureau of Consular officials included additional advice for people traveling to Equatorial Guinea: From left, European Union Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., German Ambassador Emily Haber, and Lithuanian Ambassador Audra Plepyte join other diplomats to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 10, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the long-serving New Hampshire Democrat whose tenure has spanned three presidential administrations, will not seek reelection in 2026. "Today, after careful consideration, Im announcing that I have made the difficult decision not to seek reelection to the Senate in 2026, Shaheen said in a video posted on social media. Its just time. Shaheen is the third Senate Democrat in competitive territory to announce their retirement ahead of next years election. The others are U.S. Sens. Gary Peters of Michigan and Tina Smith of Minnesota, The Washington Post reported. Shaheens exit hands Democrats another seat to defend as they try to retake the Senate in 2026. U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, also a Democrat, is the Granite States other member of the Senate. Republicans control 53 seats in the Senate, and New Hampshire is a state Democrats cannot afford to lose as they try to chip away at the GOP majority, The Post reported. Shaheen has served in the Senate since 2009 and was the first woman elected governor of New Hampshire. She is the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the newspaper reported. Massachusetts could see a drizzle of light rain and snow Wednesday night, which might not compare to the heavy rain expected to fall next Monday. A band of light rain coming from Lake Ontario should move into New England between 8 p.m. Wednesday and 2 a.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. This rain is expected to transition into light snow, though forecasters expect this snow to evaporate before it reaches the ground. Any precipitation seen overnight is not expected to be impactful, forecasters said. Overnight lows are expected to be seasonal in the upper 20s and low 30s, with winds ranging between 5 and 10 mph inland, 10 and 15 mph along the coast, according to forecasters. Dry, seasonal weather should return Thursday and continue through Saturday, forecasters said. Highs on Thursday should be in the 40s with some clouds before warming up despite cloud cover into the 50s and approaching 60 in the Connecticut River Valley on Friday. Saturday and Sunday should see highs in the 50s, but winds should start to pick up later on Sunday, forecasters said. Wind gusts between 35 and 46 mph could kick up between 2 p.m. on Sunday and 2 a.m. Monday. At this time, the area to watch for the strongest wind gusts would be areas with higher terrain and along and east of the [Interstate 95] corridor, forecasters wrote. Then a storm rolls in that night, with forecasters expecting between 1 to 1 and a half inches of heavy rain, with a low chance for more than 2 inches of rainfall, forecasters said. The swath of heaviest rainfall will likely shift around as we get closer to the event, but there is good agreement that the region will experience a soaking rain Sunday night into Monday, forecasters wrote. While dry antecedent conditions will likely prevent widespread flash flooding issues, snowmelt, and heavy rainfall across northern New England may result in river rises along larger rivers such as the Connecticut River. Following this storm, forecasters anticipate dry conditions to return on Tuesday, with highs in the 50s. 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11 janvier 2025[Video News] La combinaison gagnante du Loto Vert du 10 janvier 2025[Video News] Les numeros gagnants du tirage du Loto et Loto Plus du 8 janvier 2025 News / National by Paul Ndou The lawyer representing a man accused of defrauding an ex-girlfriend of US$28 000 in a botched residential stand deal breathed fire yesterday after his client was not admitted to bail despite the State consenting that its case was weak. to the police claiming that in September 2022, he misled a her that he had a residential stand measuring 500 square meters for sale in Hogerty Hill, Borrowdale, Harare. Thomas Jemuse was arrested on Thursday last week and is still detailed five days on despite the State admitting that there were no compelling reasons to warrant his continued detention.Jemuse's arrest came after his ex-girlfriend, Amanda Fungisai Mandudzo (35) reported himMandudzo claimed that she did not berify the details out of love and trust and gave Jemuse US$28 000 relying on his promise to provide an agreement of sale, but the stand wasnever delivered to her.But Jemuse's lawyer, Macpatrick Zinyakatira said he was not happy with the continued detention of his client despite the State admitting that its case was weak.He said Jemuse was arrested on Thursday last week and appeared for remand the following day at the Harare Magistrate Court."The State did not oppose bail on the ground that there were no compelling reasons to justify his continued detention," Zinyakatira said."The magistrate (Sheunesu Matova) requested that the State tender a written consent to the effect that Jemuse should be admitted on free bail. The State confirmed that its case was weak. The magistrate then postponed the case to Monday (today) for consideration of the consent."We appeared today in the morning and were told that the ruling would be ready in the afternoon."Zinyakatira added: "In the afternoon, a different magistrate came and mentioned that Matova had attended to other administrative issues. She said she could not entertain the matter as the record was not before the court."As the defence, we are dissatisfied with such conduct, bail cases are urgent matters and should be treated as such."The State has already highlighted there are no compelling reasons to keep my client on detention."The duty or the honours to establish compelling reasons lies on the State. Once the State has said there are no compelling reasons, given that the case is not a third scheduleoffence, then the court should consider that and release the accuse on bail. We don't know where the compelling reasons will come from but at this juncture, there are no compelling reasons and he should be released on bail. He is entitled to be released as a matter of right and I don't know why he is stillincarcerated."Ruling on bail is expected tomorrow morning. A Mayo man who lost his life while directing other soldiers to safety has been honoured with a Distinguished Service Medal by the state. Private Billy Kedian, who hailed from Ballyhaunis, has been honoured for his actions more than 25 years after he died while serving with UNIFIL in Lebanon. Private Kedian became the first Army private ever to receive the Distinguished Service Medal when it was presented to his family on his behalf by Tainaiste and Minister for Defence, Simon Harris, at a ceremony in Renmore barracks in Galway. Speaking at the medal presentation, the Tanaiste said Private Kedian exemplified duty, professionalism and a willingness to accept responsibility while serving. In the early hours of May 31 1999, hostile fire broke out close to UNP 6-42, at which Private Kedian was stationed during a peacekeeping mission with UNIFIL. Despite great personal risk, the off-duty Private Kedian alerted fellow peacekeepers to the situation and directed them to safety. His actions saved the lives of eleven soldiers. At 5am, Private Kedian was killed by an 81-millimetre mortar round. He was 21 years old. Were it not for the courage, bravery and the highest level of selfless devotion to duty, Private Kedian would likely have been the first of his Company to reach the protection of the bunker in the early hours of 31 May 1999, Minister Simon Harris said. Instead, Private Kedian put himself in harms way for the protection of others. He did this without hesitation, ensuring the safety of his comrades, while sacrificing his own safety, embodying the highest values of our Defence Forces. The Tanaiste added that through the award of this Distinguished Service Medal, this young soldier will never be forgotten. He, too, will always retain the gratitude of the Irish Government, the women and men of Oglaigh na hEireann, and above all, the Irish people. Private Kedians sisters, Ann Lenehan and Mary Fitzmaurice, received the Distinguished Service Medal on behalf of their late brother. Private Kedian enlisted in the Irish Defence Forces on December 30 1996. He embarked on his second peacekeeping mission to UNIFIL in April 1999. His actions were never formally honoured by the Irish state after his death. As a result, a campaign was started to have Private Kedian officially honoured for his bravery. Last year, a monument in his memory was unveiled near his home outside Ballyhaunis. Last December, the Defence Forces Medals Board reviewed his case and concluded that his actions were deserving of him being posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. The medal is awarded to individuals whose actions display bravery, courage, leadership, resource, or devotion to duty. Citation 856310 Private William Billy Kedian is awarded the Distinguished Service Medal with Honour reads: For distinguished service with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), for displaying courage, bravery and leadership. On 31 May 1999, Pte Kedian, despite great personal risk and while his Post was under fire, alerted fellow Peacekeepers to the dangerous situation and directed them to a place of safety. His selfless actions and devotion to duty placed him in danger and resulted in his death. Company Sergeant Paul Duffy at the First Battalion in Dun Ui Mhaoiliosa who served with Private Kedian on the peacekeeping mission in May 1999, said that Private Kedian was a soldier who led by example. Ballina has been officially named as the host town for Fleadh Cheoil Mhaigh Eo 2025. The north Mayo town will host the annual traditional Irish music and dancing competition from May 3-11, 2025. Ballina has hosted the Mayo fleadh on several previous occasions and hosted the Connacht fleadh in 2023. A campaign is currently underway to bring the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann to the town in 2028. Several events will take place in the buildup to this years Fleadh, including a special concert on April 19 and a launch event. The fleadh will feature competitions, street performances, ceilis, workshops, and lively sessions in local pubs and venues, ensuring an incredible atmosphere throughout Ballina. Chairperson of Bofield CCE and the Mayo Fleadh Committee, Michael ODonnell, expressed excitement about the announcement. Ballina has a proud tradition of Irish music, and were honoured to welcome musicians and visitors for the Mayo Fleadh, he said. This event is a celebration of culture, community, and creativity, and we cant wait to showcase the best of Mayos musical talent. Mairead Melody Carr, Manager of Mayo North Tourism said the event would provide a fantastic boost for local businesses, accommodation providers, and the wider community. Events like this drive tourism, support jobs, and create a vibrant atmosphere in the town. We encourage everyone to get involved and experience the energy that the Fleadh brings to Ballina, said Ms Carr. More details, including the full program of events for Fleadh Cheoil Mhaigh Eo will be announced soon. For updates, visit mayocomhaltas.weebly.com and follow Mayo Fleadh and Bofield CCE. MAYO TD Rose Conway-Walsh has said it is just not acceptable for telecommunications companies to issue bills to people who are not receiving a service. Last week, Eir came under fire for issuing bills to customers who are still without phone and internet access following Storm Eowyn. This included a 92-year-old man who had no phone or broadband for six weeks after the record-breaking storm, which struck the country on January 24. Deputy Conway-Walsh has written to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to query the rights implications of companies charging customers who have been without service since Storm Eowyn. The Erris-based TD said that many households throughout Mayo were still without phone and internet services seven weeks after the storm. People have been left in phone queues for hours trying to notify the telecoms companies of faults and to get an update on reconnection, Deputy Conway-Walsh stated. Businesses have also been affected, such as rural post offices, and their operations have been severely restricted. Self-employed people and people working remotely have been greatly impeded. In some cases, emergency 5G internet connection has been provided to individuals and portions of their bills have been waived, but for others this hasnt happened and people have been charged for the full amount of their bill despite receiving no service. The Sinn Fein TD demanded that the Eir, telecom providers, government departments, ComReg and the CCPC, be urgently brought before the Oireachtas. No Oireachtas committees are currently sitting due to the impasse over speaking rights in the Dail The people of Mayo are paying the price for the Fianna Fail decision to privatise our main telecommunications network. Their privatisation policies continue to have devastating effects for rural Ireland, concluded Deputy Conway-Walsh. Her party colleague, Cllr Gerry Murray, led calls for Eir to be privatised at the March meeting of Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District. Eir has said it remains fully committed to restoring services for their customers as quickly as possible. The company said customers can call 1901 for an adjustment of their bills covering the period of non-service. The company, formerly known as Eircom, are prioritising the reconnection of elderly and vulnerable customers. In a statement to The Mayo News, the company said complex challenges and the need to hire specialists to remove fallen roadside trees had led to delays in restoring connections. In the past month, Eir has repaired over 1,000 faults in Mayo, which it described as one of the hardest hit counties by Storm Eowyn. New road signs on local roads to indicate a 60km per hour zone will mean 'put the foot to the floor' to German visitors according to a Mayo councillor. The introduction of the new speed signs on local roads in February have been criticised by local councillors who claimed they were causing more confusion to motorists. The speed limit on the majority of local roads around the country have been reduced from 80km per hour to 60km. However, instead of erecting standard 60km per hour speed signs, the Department of Transport have introduced the Rural Speed Limit Sign as an 'alternative'. The new sign comprises five angled lines on a white circle with 'Go Mall Slow' written underneath. READ: Threats made against Claremorris councillor over N17 junction closures The signs were once again raised by councillors at the March meeting of Mayo County Council where they questioned who had approved the design of the new signs. Louisburgh-based Independent Ireland councillor Chris Maxwell criticised the design saying that the equivalent design in Germany signified the start of the autobahn and unlimited speed. It is a crazy situation and we need to be very careful with that sign with five bars on it. In Germany that sign means on the autobahn that there is no speed limit. Can you imagine German tourists coming back here and they look at every by-road when in Germany that same sign means put the foot to the floor, he said with laughter from the council chamber. News / National by Staff reporter The rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road has gained momentum, with the contractor working on a 23km stretch from Inyathi Business Centre, affirming the Second Republic's commitment to infrastructure development in Matabeleland North Province.This initiative is part of a wider national road rehabilitation programme aimed at improving transport networks and boosting economic growth in line with Vision 2030.A news crew recently visited the site and observed the contractor, Difflock Construction, actively working on a stretch just after the Ingwingwizi River Bridge in Bubi District. The road is among the 33 roads designated by the Government as priority projects for 2025 across the country, including the Bulawayo-Tsholotsho Road.For both the Bulawayo-Nkayi and Bulawayo-Tsholotsho roads, the Government has set a target of rehabilitating 50km, according to the Minister of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment Promotion, Professor Mthuli Ncube, in his 2025 budget presentation.The contractor is capitalising on the recent halt in rainfall and is utilising water from the Ingwingwizi River for the roadworks. Some sections of the road have already been primed, and motorists who frequently use the route have welcomed the progress.Mr Njabulo Dube, a frequent traveler on the Siganda-Nyathi route, expressed optimism about the ongoing improvements."For small car owners like myself, some sections of the road had become almost impassable. However, we are pleased with the progress. The contractors seem to be working efficiently, and we hope the Government will continue monitoring the project to ensure quality work," he said.Bubi Rural District Council Ward 8 Councillor, Ignatius Khabo, commended the Second Republic's commitment to rehabilitating the road, stating that its poor condition had made travel difficult for both motorists and businesses."We are pleased with the work being done. This road has been in a poor state for years, making travel difficult. We urge the Government to extend rehabilitation efforts to other sections of the road as well," he said.The rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road is expected to boost economic activities, as the route serves as a crucial link between Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, and parts of the Midlands.Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Richard Moyo, emphasised that the Government will no longer tolerate shoddy workmanship as it moves forward with the rehabilitation of major roads in the region."In addition to the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road rehabilitation, which has once more gained momentum with work being done on a 10km section just after Ingwingwizi Bridge in Bubi District towards Nkayi, more funds will be released soon for two major roads," he said."The rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Tsholotsho and Bulawayo-Victoria Falls roads are priority projects that the Government is keen to resume."The Bulawayo-Nkayi Road had been in disrepair for years, causing significant inconvenience for motorists and impacting the local economy. Minister Moyo assured that the quality of the work would be assessed by engineers from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development before further funds are released for additional rehabilitation."If the engineers are satisfied, then the Government will release more funds for another 23km to be rehabilitated. The rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road will continue in this manner until completion, as the Government will no longer tolerate substandard work," he said.Minister Moyo reaffirmed President Mnangagwa's vision of accelerating infrastructure development in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), the Government's 2021-2025 economic blueprint, which prioritises infrastructure as a catalyst for investment and business growth."The rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road will not only improve mobility for local communities but also create opportunities for businesses and investors. Well-maintained road infrastructure is essential for economic expansion in the region," he added.The Bulawayo-Nkayi and Bulawayo-Tsholotsho roads fall under the Department of Roads and the Road Fund, while RIDA is mainly responsible for feeder roads within rural district councils. Feeder roads are a critical component of the Government's rural industrialisation and development strategy.The capacitation of RIDA through a US$75 million loan facility will enable the aggressive rehabilitation and upgrading of rural road infrastructure, including opening up new routes in underserved areas. Under the Second Republic, the Government is scaling up the rehabilitation of major roads across the country as a key enabler of business viability and investment attraction. News / National by Staff reporter Veterans of the liberation struggle must take the lead in promoting and upholding the values of Zanu-PF, with individuals who violate these principles facing expulsion, Secretary for War Veterans in the Politburo, Douglas Mahiya, has said.Speaking at the launch of the borehole and housing scheme under the Presidential War Veterans Fund in Tinde, Binga District, Matabeleland North Province, Mahiya emphasized the responsibility of war veterans in safeguarding Zanu-PF's principles and protecting the party against detractors.Hundreds of war veterans, widows, villagers, and members of the ruling party witnessed the handing over of a solar-powered borehole with two 10,000-litre water tanks to the community of Ndaliyoka Village, Ward 18 in the Tinde area. The initiative is part of a broader scheme ensuring that every war veteran in Binga District, and across Zimbabwe, benefits from improved access to clean water and housing."It's the duty of every war veteran to defend the values and principles of Zanu-PF. Anyone who chooses not to respect the constitution of the party ceases to be a member," said Mahiya.However, he acknowledged that war veterans have the right to air grievances but urged them to do so through appropriate channels to ensure their concerns are addressed by the party leadership."We have seen some individuals trying to destroy Zanu-PF in the name of war veterans, and we are saying that must stop forthwith. War veterans have the responsibility to protect the interests of the party and its leadership. We are therefore all expected to do just that," he added.Mahiya commended the borehole and housing scheme under the Presidential War Veterans Fund, noting that it is designed to enhance the welfare of liberation war veterans.The launch of the scheme in Binga was welcomed by local communities as a reaffirmation of the Second Republic's commitment to improving rural livelihoods and fulfilling President Mnangagwa's promises. Since the President's visit to Binga in 2022, the district has continued to benefit from various development projects in infrastructure, farming, transport, education, entrepreneurship, housing, and basic service delivery, despite fiscal constraints.Additionally, war veterans in Binga District received a US$40,000 revolving fund to support income-generating projects. Beneficiaries of the fund are expected to repay the loans without interest to ensure its sustainability for future disbursements to other war veterans.The initiative is part of the broader national agenda to empower and uplift war veterans while fostering economic development in rural areas. by Tanya Gazdik , March 11, 2025 Despite climbing slightly on Tuesday, Tesla stock is on pace to fall for an eighth consecutive week, overlapping with CEO Elon Musk's time working in the Trump administration. Tesla's stock price had surged to a record close of $479.86 about a month after Trumps election victory, but since Musk started working in the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency in January, the EV maker's shares have lost almost half their value, according to Invetopedia. Recent losses have come amid worries about slowing sales in China and declining registrations in Europe, as well as widespread market uncertainty about tariffs. On Tuesday, Trump tried to drum up Tesla sales on social media, asking "Republicans, Conservatives, and all great Americans" to support Musk, who has been putting his energies into trying to slash federal government jobs. advertisement advertisement President Donald Trump has said he will buy a brand new Tesla after shares in the electric car firm fell more than 15%, according to the BBC. Trump blamed radical left lunatics boycotting the firm to attack and do harm to Tesla owner Elon Musk. However, stock analysts said the main reason for the poor performance of the shares was fear about Tesla meeting production targets and a drop in sales over the past year. Trump's own economic policies on tariffs are also making investors nervous, analysts said. Meanwhile, Trump allowed Musk to park an assortment of Teslas at the White House yesterday as the two walked among them and talked about their attributes and prices. Critics said the spectacle stretched the bounds of what is ethical in the White House, with Trump openly seeking to boost the financial fortunes of Elon Musk, according to The Washington Post. Trump had turned the South Lawn of the White House into a car lot, converting one of the countrys most revered public spaces into a billboard for a company run by one of his closest allies. And for the afternoon, he made no secret of the fact that he was attempting to boost the financial fortunes of one of his supporters whose cars, he noted, could be had for the low, low price of $35,000. according to The Washington Post. In a remarkable scene, Trump spent about 30 minutes talking with reporters as he kicked the tires on some of the five Teslas that had been parked on the drive of the White House for his shopping pleasure. The display offered a momentary distraction from an economy that has seen rising egg prices and plunging stocks. And it provided a vivid reminder of how transactional Trump can be, openly punishing his enemies and, in this case, just as openly rewarding his friends. Musk's personal net worth has dropped $148 billion since Inauguration Day, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. During an interview this week, Musk addressed the difficulties. "You're giving up your other stuff," Fox Business' Larry Kudlow asked Musk during an interview. "How are you running your other businesses? "With great difficulty," Musk replied. Critics wonder what it will take for the Tesla board to exert its fiduciary duties. The stock plunge has caused outrage among some shareholders, who have publicly questioned Musk's commitment to his electric vehicle company or called on the Tesla board to replace him, according to ABC News. Another group that's now sounding the alarm: pension fund managers. Teslas market capitalization remains up about $65 billion since the election. Tesla continues to fetch a valuation far above those of the worlds biggest automotive and technology firms, judging by standard financial metrics, p er Reuters. Thats because most investors and analysts have bought Musks pitch that the worlds most-valuable automaker isnt really a car company at all, but rather an artificial-intelligence pioneer that will soon unleash a revolution in robotaxis and humanoid robots. Teslas new vehicle sales plummeted about 50% in Europe in January from a year earlier, partly owing to growing distaste for the brand. Global sales of electric vehicles, including fully electric and plug-in hybrid models, increased 21% in January from a year ago, even as Teslas sales declined, according to CNBC. The growth was driven by demand in Europe, according to Bank of America. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, March 12, 2025 Car company American Honda Motor has agreed to pay more than $600,000 to settle allegations that it violated the state privacy law in several ways, including by requiring consumers to provide excessive personal information in order to opt out of the sale or sharing of their data, California's privacy agency said Wednesday. The Honda and Acura marketer also allegedly violated California privacy standards by offering an online opt-out tool that was not symmetrical because it allowed consumers to consent to the sale or sharing of their information with a single step, but required people to take more than one step to reject the sale or sharing of their data. Additionally, the auto company allegedly shared data it collected from its online websites with outside ad-tech companies, but failed to prove that it had contracts with those companies governing their use of the data, according to the California Privacy Protection agency. advertisement advertisement The agency fined Honda $632,500, and is requiring the company to revise its privacy practices. A Honda spokesperson said the company cooperated with California regulators and has begun modifying its methods for submitting opt-out requests and managing cookies, and is updating its contract management processes. The agency said in its settlement order that between July 1, 2023 and September 23, 2023, Honda's online opt-out sites required at least 119 consumers to provide extraneous information to reject the sharing or sale of their data. Those sites enable consumers to opt out of the sale or sharing of data about their online activity, as well as data that comes directly from connected cars. Honda's web-based opt-out form specifically required people to provide a first and last name, street address, city, state, zip code, email and phone number. By requiring all of this information, Hondas webform unlawfully requires consumers to provide more information than necessary to exercise their ... rights to opt-out of sale/sharing of their personal information and to limit the use and disclosure of their sensitive personal information, the agency alleged. News of the enforcement action comes nearly two years after the California privacy agency launched an investigation into the data practices of connected car companies. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, March 12, 2025 Google has asked Utah Governor Spencer Cox to vetoa first-of-its-kind bill that would require the company and other app distributors to verify users' ages and then block minors under 18 from downloading apps without parental permission, according to a company spokesperson. The Utah App Store Accountability Act (SB 142), which passed last week, is supported by Meta Platforms. That company proposed last year that app stores should be required to obtain parental permission before allowing minors to obtain apps. On Wednesday, Google's public policy director, Kareem Ghanem, described the bill as "concerning," adding that it raises real privacy and safety risks. advertisement advertisement Ghanem pointed to a provision in the measure that would require app stores to share whether a user is underage with all app developers. This level of data sharing isnt necessary -- a weather app doesnt need to know if a user is a kid, Ghanem wrote in a post on Google's blog. By contrast, a social media app does need to make significant decisions about age-appropriate content and features. He added that Google is proposing a legislative blueprint that involves sharing age signals with developers -- but only if they need the information to deliver age-appropriate experiences, and only with parental consent. Others have argued that requiring age verification and parental consent to access apps would violate the First Amendment. Kerry Maeve Sheehan, legal advocacy counsel at the tech-funded policy group Chamber of Progress, argued last week that Utah's bill would unconstitutionally force minors and adults to choose between sacrificing their privacy by disclosing sensitive personal information (their own or, in the case of a minor users parents, their childrens) and accessing legally protected online speech. She added that courts throughout the country have held that minors generally have a First Amendment right to access speech. by Colin Kirkland , March 12, 2025 With its existence in the U.S. being threatened by a delayed sell-off bill, TikTok and Oxford Economics have decided to present another economic impact report, aiming to make a case for the ByteDance-owned company playing a vital role in the American economy. According to the report, there are 7.5 million businesses on the platform employing over 28 million workers. Over 3.1 million jobs directly use TikTok in their work, either by creating content for the platform or managing their accounts, while over 1.6 million workers indirectly benefit from the platform in areas like lead generation for sales teams, customer engagement for marketing, or product teams examining user feedback on the platform, the company says. advertisement advertisement A total of 4.7 million full-time U.S. jobs are directly tied to the use of TikTok. In its previous report, TikTok reported that its platform generated $14.7 billion for American small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in 2023, with the largest impacts in California, Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois. TikTok has since released state-by-state economic fact sheets that show how the platform impacts a state's job market, GDP and more. For example, in New York, 438 thousand businesses use TikTok and in 2023, SMBs' use of TikTok as an ad and marketing platform contributed $1.8 billion to GDP, generating around $410 million in federal, state, and local tax revenue in the state. However, TikTok's urge to defend itself economically to American voters and the U.S. federal government may not be worth the effort at this point. Not only has the sell-off bill already been passed into law -- despite the 75-day delay by President Donald Trump -- but TikTok has done little to assure government officials regarding data privacy concerns stemming from the company's connection to the Chinese Communist Party. While cybersecurity officials have kept their briefings on the app top secret, it is notable that the vast majority of U.S. elected representatives across the House and Senate voted for a ban of TikTok. As the Trump administration continues to talk with prospective U.S. buyers, advertisers are beginning to flee the app, reallocating ad dollars to competing platforms in preparation for its possible extinction. Power of Wellbeing in Learning: Students who are mentally and emotionally healthy are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and perform better in school. Did You Know? Wellbeing, especially learning readiness, plays a crucial role in academic success. #StudentSuccess #WellbeingMatters #Education #medindia Wellbeing, especially learning readiness, plays a crucial role in academic success. #StudentSuccess #WellbeingMatters #Education #medindia Trusted Source The Relationship between Wellbeing and Academic Achievement: A Comprehensive Cross-Sectional Analysis of System Wide Data From 2016-2019 Go to source Trusted Source Academic Success Starts with Wellbeing Advertisement Educate for Life, Not Just Exams The Relationship between Wellbeing and Academic Achievement: A Comprehensive Cross-Sectional Analysis of System Wide Data From 2016-2019 - (https://learning-analytics.info/index.php/JLA/article/view/8357) Beyond grades and marks, wellbeing is the hidden key to academic success, suggests a new study.As Australias National Assessment Program (NAPLAN) kicks off, fresh research from the University of South Australia shines a light on a game-changer for student successwellbeing.In a world first study of more than 215,000 students, UniSA researchers found that while standardized tests measure academic skills, different dimensions of wellbeing - emotional wellbeing, engagement, and learning readiness - can play a crucial role in performance.Specifically, the study found that learning readiness - which includes foundational skills such as perseverance, confidence, and engagement - was not just a desirable outcome, but a catalyst for academic success.The findings of the study are published in the).UniSA researcher Dr. Rebecca Marrone says there is an intricate relationship between student wellbeing and academic achievement.Wellbeing is increasingly recognized as a crucial factor that can shape students academic success and overall development. Yet, it is often overlooked because education systems tend to focus on standardized academic achievement, Dr. Marrone says.In this research we show how wellbeing factors, particularly learning readiness, can influence students learning and academic performance, especially when under test conditions.When we talk about, we mean how prepared a child is to learn, not just academically, but also in their ability to stay focused, to overcome challenges, and believe in their ability to succeed. Its about having good learning habits, and a motivation to learn, which together can help them perform better at school.This study draws on data from the South Australian Wellbeing and Engagement Collection (WEC) to assess the impact of student wellbeing and engagement of students in Years 4-10, and their academic achievement in NAPLAN and PAT tests between 2016-2019.UniSAs Benjamin Lam says the results show that schools need to shift towards a model that values both student wellbeing and academic achievement as integral components of a holistic education.Student learning is complex, and it is affected by a range of contextual and individual differences, Lam says.When students are mentally and emotionally healthy, theyre more likely to be engaged and motivated and perform better academically. But the relationship is certainly not linear, and we cant infer that low-achieving students have low levels of wellbeing, or high-achieving students have high levels of wellbeing.This means that schools must look beyond test scores and take a more personal, holistic approach to supporting students confidence, perseverance and learning readiness.They can do this by adopting learner profiles that incorporate wellbeing and engagement metrics alongside traditional grades, so that schools can better understand and respond to each students needs.Now, as students prepare for their pending NAPLAN tests, this research serves as a reminder that education is about more than just scores - its about building confidence, resilience, and readiness to learn.Department for Education Chief Executive Martin Westwell says that learning and thriving go hand-in-hand, and both must be supported by schools.Academic achievement and learning readiness are intrinsically interconnected, and that is recognized through our Strategy for Public Education, Westwell says.This research highlights that it is critical to have a well-rounded picture of young people to help them succeed at school.Minister for Education, Training and Skills, Blair Boyer says South Australia is focused onIf a student is struggling with their mental health, we know they will be less able to focus on school, they lose connection with their friends and they start to disengage from study, Boyer says.This research from UniSA the first of its kind in the world confirms that South Australias focus on mental health and wellbeing in public education, supports academic achievement.Thats why we have invested $50 million to recruit 100 mental health and learning support specialists who are based on-site at schools the largest investment of its kind. By addressing concerns at the coalface, we have the best chance of supporting our students to achieve academically.Source-University of South Australia News / National by Staff reporter The Government has commenced the recruitment of 4,000 teachers as part of a broader initiative to employ 8,000 educators this year, aiming to improve the teacher-learner ratio and enhance the overall quality of education across the country.This recruitment drive follows Treasury's approval of the initiative and is expected to significantly bolster the teaching workforce, improve pass rates, and bridge the gap between urban and rural schools.Speaking at the official opening of a new five-room classroom block at Southerton Primary School in Harare, Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Angeline Gata expressed optimism about hiring at least 4,000 teachers in the first quarter of the year. She confirmed that all necessary steps had been taken to facilitate the recruitment process."The Ministry has completed the required documentation and submitted it to the relevant departments for processing," Deputy Minister Gata said. "We are grateful to Treasury and the Public Service Commission for granting us the green light to recruit 4,000 teachers in the first quarter. The remaining 4,000 teachers will be recruited in the second term."She explained that the Ministry submits its requirements to the Public Service Commission, detailing where teachers are needed and for which subjects. The hiring and payment of the recruited educators will be managed by the Ministry of Public Service in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.Deputy Minister Gata also commended parents and the Southerton community for their efforts in constructing the new classroom block, highlighting its importance in ensuring a safe and conducive learning environment."This development is critical as schools expand to accommodate increasing enrolments. It ensures that students have adequate learning spaces, allowing us to deliver quality education in a safe environment," she said.The five-room classroom block was built through resources mobilized by parents and community members. School Development Committee (SDC) Chairperson Mr. Brown Nyama lauded the collaborative effort, stating that it reflects the passion and dedication of parents in ensuring better education for their children."It brings us great joy as parents to hand over this building to the Ministry. This initiative is a testament to the teamwork and commitment of the community," Mr. Nyama said.He urged students to value the investment made by their parents and use the improved facilities as motivation to excel in their studies. Mr. Nyama also acknowledged the challenges facing the education sector, including the non-payment or late payment of school fees, but emphasized the importance of community support in overcoming such obstacles."We remain committed to complementing Government efforts in school expansion, in line with the Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo mantra," he added.Education experts have welcomed the recruitment drive and community involvement in educational infrastructure development, noting that these steps signal a positive shift towards strengthening the education sector. With Government support and active community participation, stakeholders remain hopeful for improved learning conditions and academic outcomes for all students. Pratibha Ranta, Nitanshi Goel, and Janki Bodiwala secured major wins at the IIFA Awards, earning widespread praise for the jury. Fans applauded the recognition of real talent over the usual trend of awarding star kids. The award show has erupted a major debate on nepotism vs outsiders once again, where users are saying that the future of Bollywood is finally in safe hands with the recognition of these talents. Instagram/Nitanshi Goel One user commented, For the first time in a very long time IIFA surprised me. Looks like jury have realised that industry is in very bad state and need to do something to elevate some talents who can actually elevate , come on apart from these 3 Lakshya and Raghav too got awards, Ravi Kishen too deserved it with all these I can bear Kartik as best actor. Another user commented, I feel like the audience doesn't want to put in any effort and expects these people to succeed randomly just because their parents aren't Nepos. If you want them to succeed, you should support them by watching their work, following them on social media, and interacting with content that includes them. Then they will be picked up by producers because then they will have enough buzz. Reddit/BollyBlindsNGossip One user reacted, Pratibha Ranta won't be featured in TV ads, her Insta page won't have a 8 figure follower count, she won't be making deals with European fashion giants, she won't be interviewed by big Bollywood journos and magazines and even if she is her interviews won't have millions of views, she won't be hogged by paps while she jogs or goes out for a lunch and her face won't be plastered all around us. This will massively decrease her bankability;. The same is true for all newcomers like her. But take a nepo example - Khushi Kapoor. Debuted in a Zoya Akhtar movie - flopped spectacularly. Nonetheless received two successive projects with big budget production companies - Phantom and Dharma. Featured in popular series also produced by Dharma. Ambassador for fashion brands. Featured in fashion magazines. Goes to gym - gets snapped by paparazzi. Goes on foreign tours for reputed agencies and companies. Reddit/BollyBlindsNGossip Another user reacted, Dont worry they will be. Nepos are embarrassing at this point. Uptil Aliya bhatt , nepotism was tolerated because aliya bhatt had talent. These new dolls made of plaster of Paris are hilarious. Sonam Nair, the director of Dupahiya, recently spoke to MensXP about the ongoing comparisons between her show and Panchayat. She also shared insights into the making of Dupahiya and the creative process behind it. Amazon Prime Video MensXP: The show is getting compared to Panchayat because of the similar tone and settings. What are your opinions on it? Sonam: I think it is great for us! Actually, I had not seen Panchayat before making the show and my producers also told me not to watch it because of the preconceived notions. But I think if their audiences also watch our show, that would be good for us. Suppose a new actor comes, and people compare him to Shah Rukh Khan, then he must have done something right. M: The characters of Dupahiya feel over-the-top and colourful against a rural setting, which was a bold choice for a modern-day show where we are moving towards realism. What was your vision behind it? S: The characters were supposed to be this way and the show was meant to be over-the-top and colourful because we didnt want it to be serious at all. If you look at the frames, they are very wide in most of the scenes because I wanted people to feel the openness of a village. If you see, Amavas has a cowboy-like appearance and also has badass theme music, but when he is heartbroken, we hear a harmonium. So I have attempted a Western set in an Indian rural setting. M: Sparsh was coming directly from the success of Laapataa Ladies and Gajraj Rao is such a senior actor. How did you manage to maintain a chemistry between the seniors and juniors on sets? S: Actually, I hadnt watched Laapataa Ladies until making this show. But when I saw the movie, I was shocked to see the contrasting personalities of Sparsh. He is too flamboyant in this series, totally opposite to his character in Laapataa Ladies, which was shy. I never felt a difference between the senior and junior actors because everyone were working with the same energy on the show and all of them brought their own improvisations. Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singhs son Ibrahim Ali Khan recently made his acting debut with Sridevi and Boney Kapoors daughter Khushi Kapoor in Shauna Gautams Nadaaniyan. Produced by Karan Johar, Nadaaniyan released on Netflix to dismal reviews. The content of the film received scathing reviews and Ibrahim and Khushis performance was heavily criticised. Now, it looks like Hrithik Roshans mother Pinkie Roshan has agreed to almost all the trolling the film is receiving. It so happened that a social media influencer Freddy Birdy mocked Nadaaniyan and wrote, Two things immediately disqualify me from writing a review for Nadaaniyan. One, I am not in my twenties. And two, I have a brain. Having got that little detail out of the way, I liked the fact that we are slowly steering back to the mindless romantic comedy, full emphasis on being mindless. Netflix He continued, Nadaaniyan starts like it were Student of the Year Part Three. Then, its graphics meander into Crazy Rich Asians territory. The rich people are called Singhania, Jaisingh and Oberoi. The poor people have surnames like Mehta, Wagle and Birdy. Rich people might have money, but they never have happiness. Poor people have a Noida address, but they also have the beautiful Dia Mirza as their mom and are blissfully content. Rich people wear floor to ceiling black suits like Suniel Shetty and want male heirs. Poor people are doctors, and they live in Noida. Show me a poor doctor today, and I will watch Nadaaniyan thrice And added, The beautiful part of Nadaaniyan is that it stays completely away from anything remotely original I liked Ibrahim Ali Khan because you get two actors in one: the visuals of Saif Ali Khan and the voice of Sanjay DuttFinally, I applaud Netflix. Why do stunning work like Sacred Games, Jamtara, Darlings and Delhi Crime when you can give the viewer stuff like Nadaaniyan Watch it at your own risk. Check out the post below: Reacting to the post, Hrithik Roshans mother Pinkie Roshan wrote, Totally go with this hilarious review tho I loved ibrahim ali khan. While Pinkie expressed her opinion in the comments, there were other celebs who liked the post seemingly agreeing with the social media users take on Nadaaniyan. These celebs included Neena Gupta, Tisca Chopra, Ameesha Patel and Nikita Dutta among others. Check out the screenshots below: Instagram/Freddy Birdy Instagram/Freddy Birdy Lady Gaga recently appeared on the US comedy show Saturday Night Live aka SNL and a sketch from the episode is now viral on social media with many Indians claiming that she and the show was mocking Hinduism. In the sketch, Lady Gaga can be seen performing mock satanic rituals while one of the comedians on the show is dressed as a Hindu priest screaming, Kaali Maa Shakti De. As the clip went viral, many Indians started taking offence over the portrayal of Hinduism. Sharing the clip, one social media user wrote, Saturday Night Live performed a satanic ritual on television. Ok, so thats normal for American TV these days, but what isnt normal is that this particular satanic ritual dressed up with mostly Hindu chants. The sketch Friendlys Birthday Gone Wrong (which mostly functioned as an advert for Lady Gagas new album), sees a Mola Ram character torturing someone for lying about their birthday while chanting Om Namah Shivaay and Kali Maa before ripping her heart out and serving it to her friends for dessert. Check out the clip and the entire sketch below: After creating the fictional kingdom of Mahishmati for Baahubali, SS Rajamouli is currently looking to explore the ancient city of Kashi for his next movie with Priyanka Chopra, Mahesh Babu, and Prithviraj Sukumaran. A source close to the development told Pinkvilla, The core conflict of the jungle adventure unfolds in Kashi, and the makers are looking to recreate the land of Shiva in Hyderabad, as its logistically difficult to can a film of this scale at real locations. The plot of SSR x SSMB is deeply rooted in the history of Kaashi, as the divine past leads to an unforgettable adventure in the present. Kashi serves itself as a very important character of the film. Instagram/SS Rajamouli The filmmaker plans to shoot the film in a hybrid formatblending real forest locations with grandly constructed sets that recreate India's monumental sites. The source added, Right from forests, to river to caves SS Rajamouli is looking to take the audience on an unforgettable adventure in different landscapes. Some of the most virgin locations of India and Africa are being explore to provide an unforgettable cinematic experience. SSMB 29 will be Priyanka Chopras comeback project in India. She is crafting a massive return to the home-turf, and what better than a global project like this to announce the return concluded the source. News / National by Staff reporter The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) has set aside ZiG11.6 billion for the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2 (ERRP2) this year, marking a significant increase from the ZiG4.6 billion disbursed under the same programme last year. The announcement was made in ZINARA's disbursement report released on December 31, 2024.According to the report, the road authority is also making provisions for an additional two million litres of fuel to complement the financial disbursements. The increased budget is expected to bolster road rehabilitation efforts and ensure that road authorities can effectively implement their maintenance and construction projects.ZINARA stated that it would continue capacitating road authorities through financial disbursements and technical support. The institution has received road maintenance plans and programmes from all 94 road authorities across the country, and preparations for the first-quarter disbursements are already underway.The report highlighted that total disbursements for the previous year amounted to ZiG4.6 billion, driven by improved revenue collection mechanisms and an expanded scope of public interest projects. It also showed that 53 out of the 94 road authorities utilized over 90 percent of their allocated budgets, with 15 of them exhausting their full allocations.Mashonaland East Province led in budget utilization at 95 percent, followed by Matabeleland South at 92 percent and Harare Metropolitan at 90 percent. This was attributed to improved project implementation, enhanced acquittal systems, and technical support from ZINARA's provincial engineers.In addition to financial disbursements, ZINARA piloted fuel allocations in 2024, distributing over 1.9 million litres to various road authorities. The initiative was well received, as it helped address operational challenges related to fuel procurement for road maintenance activities. Authorities with access to fuel were better positioned to use their equipment efficiently, expanding the scope of their maintenance projects.ZINARA emphasized that road funds are allocated based on a formula outlined in the Road Act. Authorities are informed of their budget allocations and must submit project proposals for review and approval before receiving disbursements. Funding is issued at two levels: routine maintenance, which is disbursed quarterly in advance, and periodic maintenance, which is released upon submission of Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) for major roadworks.The year 2024 saw significant progress in Zimbabwe's road rehabilitation efforts, with road authorities achieving 122 percent of their planned works. The initial national target was to rehabilitate 30,000 km of road, but authorities exceeded this, reaching 37,000 kmfar surpassing the 23,000 km maintained in the prior year.Among the key projects completed were sections of the Bulawayo-Nkayi Road, the Nyanga-Ruwangwe resurfacing project, the rehabilitation of a 42 km stretch of the Shurugwi-Mhandamabwe Road, the Golden Valley-Sanyati Road project, and the Greater Harare Roads project.ZINARA reaffirmed its commitment to supporting road authorities with funding, fuel, and technical assistance, in line with the national goal of achieving a well-maintained road network under Vision 2030. The increased allocations for 2025 signal the government's determination to enhance road infrastructure across the country. The U.S. military wants to keep training at Pohakuloa, so it's ready to quickly send troops to Asia and the Pacific. The creation of a Space National Guard is getting a groundswell of support from Congress as bipartisan groups of lawmakers are submitting bills in both chambers to build it and eliminate an old proposal to move certain Air National Guard units from the states into the Space Force. Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., filed a bill late Tuesday evening on the new Guard branch -- a plan also backed by President Donald Trump on the campaign trail -- and companion legislation was submitted by Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo., and Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. Several units that would be affected by the bill belong to the Colorado National Guard. "Establishing a Space National Guard will better prepare and streamline the work of our existing space personnel to maintain readiness to respond to and thwart attacks from our adversaries," Crapo said in a statement provided to Military.com. Read Next: Hegseth Ban on Travel Forces Closures, Reduced Hours at Military Entrance Exam Sites The bills represent an effort that seemingly surpasses partisan politics and is likely an easy legislative win for supporters. While past efforts to create a Space National Guard have been stymied in Congress, the new administration has expressed support for the idea. Trump, who established the Space Force in 2019, explicitly said in August that "as president, I will sign historic legislation creating a Space National Guard." Senate co-sponsors include Sens. Jim Risch, R-Idaho; Alex Padilla, D-Calif.; Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; and Rick Scott, R-Fla. Additionally, the bill aims to replace Legislative Proposal 480, an Air Force effort first reported on by Military.com under former President Joe Biden's administration that aimed to transfer Air National Guard units with space missions into the active-duty Space Force -- bypassing state governors who oversee their Guard units. The move was widely condemned by every governor in the country and a large, bipartisan number of lawmakers. National Guard lobbyists have consistently rallied against the transfer of the Air National Guard units into the Space Force and believe a Space National Guard is the best way to have reserve forces. The Biden administration was against the creation of a space-focused Guard, labeling it too costly. Retired Maj. Gen. Francis McGinn, president of the National Guard Association of the United States, which lobbies for issues connected to the reserve component, praised the Crapo and Hickenlooper bill. "For many years, NGAUS has advocated the best way to keep them in the fight is to create a Space National Guard as the primary combat reserve of the U.S. Space Force, similar to how the Army and Air National Guard currently operate with their parent services," McGinn said. "The Space National Guard Establishment Act is a common-sense solution that ensures the Space Force won't have to take a knee on readiness." The Space National Guard would consist of units from Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Ohio, according to a copy of the bill text provided to Military.com. The text also states that a one-star general will be the director of the reserve component and will report to the director of the Air National Guard. Creation of the Space National Guard would "make use of facilities, infrastructure and installations constructed before the date of the enactment of this act," the bill states. Advocates in the past said the main costs associated with a new component would consist of making new name tapes and signs, but that the units would continue their same missions from their existing locations. "A dedicated reserve component will make sure our National Guard space experts have a clear path to continue their service to community and country," Hickenlooper said in a statement provided to Military.com, describing it as a "win-win for service members." Related: Space National Guard Could Become Reality Under Donald Trump We stood in a gaggle checking over our dress blues to make sure we looked presentable, typical for Marines waiting for something to begin. Suddenly a car with a lone occupant pulled in and parked, the driver composing herself for a few minutes. She got out and walked over to us, then attempted to smile. But the emotional strain was obvious as she wiped away a tear. She was the daughter of a Marine, and we were there to help bury her father. Supporting a funeral detail was one of the most emotionally impactful periods I had during my 24-year military career. When I was assigned to what was then the 4th Landing Support Battalion in Fort Lewis, Washington, I was referred to the Marine Corps Drill and Ceremonies manual. I needed a crash course to learn what I needed to precisely perform the duty, including our positioning, the folding of the flag, and how to present it to the spouse or eldest child while saying, "On behalf of a grateful nation. ..." Then salute and back away. During my three-year assignment, my unit supported almost 200 funerals a year for Marines ranging from privates to a brigadier general. Whether you went to boot camp, received a commission, deployed overseas for a combat tour, stayed state side, went to Okinawa or you were a homeless veteran, it did not matter to us. Nothing in the ceremonies manual prepared me for the emotional toll of funeral details, of thinking one day it will be me lying in the casket while my family receives a folded flag. We all deserve the same final salute when it's over--a folded flag, the playing of Taps--a mark of gratitude and recognition to those who dedicated their lives to defending and serving the nation. But how their families felt about that service was another matter. At the funeral, the Marine's daughter told us that her father had been in declining health for the past year and that his death was not unexpected. She thought she was emotionally prepared when he did die, but when she saw us gathered as she arrived, standing in our uniforms, childhood memories rushed back and it hurt. Her father, a retired lieutenant colonel, served on active duty during most of her childhood, and she saw Marines all the time growing up. Our presence reminded her of another time. Maybe even a better time. I'm not really sure. On that day, we were the most Marines she had seen in one place in about three decades, and it both overwhelmed and comforted her. Before we were to begin she told us, "I didn't cry until I saw all of you." Unfortunately, not all funeral details were like that. I remember another service, where one of the two adult children kept a distance from everyone else. The man stood tight and erect, glancing over at us, then looking away. Once the service had concluded he came over and explained that while he agreed to attend his father's funeral, he could not bring himself to stand with the other mourners. Apparently his father ran the house the same way his father served, he said. He didn't really get into the details, but I could imagine. I think he didn't treat his kids like children, but like little Marines. This man never reconciled his feelings toward his father even in death. I felt bad. We were giving a final salute to a Marine and one of his children was still angry and resentful. I thought of the advice I had been given to never bring work home from the office; make a separation once you walk in the front door. I had four children under eight years old at the time and I thought of that advice when I came home that day. I just wanted to embrace my kids, to see them happy compared to that guy. At the time I guess I just didn't realize just how important funeral details were until long after I transferred. These are memories I will never forget and they resonate with me more than ever today. I just did not realize it at the time. Years later, now that I've had time to contemplate my career, I wonder: Will my children have the same reaction that the woman had when she saw all of us at her father's funeral? Or will it be like the son who attended his father's funeral from a distance because of lingering bitterness? I have never asked my children how they felt about my military service. I think I just assumed they were fine with it. I know that as they grew older they would develop a small core group of friends wherever we were stationed, but those relationships would be ripped apart every time we moved. I became acutely aware of this when we moved from North Carolina to Virginia. I had two teenagers in the house and we had been stationed at Camp Lejeune for four years, the longest tour we had in any location. Now that we were moving, they would have to start over again. I was cognizant of it, but it was out of my control. I told myself that this would be the last move so that they wouldn't have to go through that again, but I've never asked them how it made them feel. I guess I just assumed they were fine. And though my eldest children know I want military honors at my own funeral, I struggle with asking them if they were happy or not during my tours. I fear they will say something negative, and it will make me regret my service. I don't want to know. I'm scared to ask. So I struggle. And I wonder: What is my legacy? What is it for my fellow Marines? Do they have the same feelings or concerns? We all follow orders, do the job, and take pride in doing it well. Regardless of all that, what did your family really think about all those deployments? The upheaval every few years when you had a change of duty station? The missed birthdays, holidays, and school events. How do you think you will be remembered once you are gone? Will someone cry for you? The original version of this article appeared on thewarhorse.org. This War Horse reflection was reported by Christopher Murphy, edited by Kim Vo, fact-checked by Jess Rohan, and copy-edited by Mitchell Hansen-Dewar. Hrisanthi Pickett wrote the headline. Christopher Murphy enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1994. After college, he was accepted into Officer Candidate School in the US Marine Corps. After commissioning, he served in billets around the country and deployed to all three combat zones--Iraq, Afghanistan, and Horn of Africa. His final assignment was with the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General before retiring from the United States Marine Corps after 24 years. The New Hampshire native is the youngest of five siblings and currently resides with his wife and six daughters in Northern Virginia. Thousands of potential applicants -- including high school students -- may face challenges in taking the military's entrance exam after a pair of programs that put testers in high schools and remote testing sites were halted last week. Marshall Smith, a spokesman for Military Entrance Processing Command, on Wednesday confirmed the halt to the programs that provided testing to about 65,000 applicants at remote locations last year. The shuttering could close off a key pool of recruits just as the services prepare for the summer and the busiest time of the year for recruiting. Military.com on Tuesday first reported that the command was shutting down its Military Entrance Testing program, which is designed to aid recruiting by offering the entrance exam, known as the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, or ASVAB, to potential recruits at closer locations and more convenient hours. Read Next: There's a New War Game for 'Nerds with a Drive for Violence.' It's Spreading Across the Marine Corps. Military.com spoke with a tester with the program from a state in the Deep South who was furloughed last week, and they were offered anonymity in order to share their experiences freely, without fear of retribution. The tester's bosses told them ahead of the halt to the programs that they and their coworkers were all "critical to the mission" and that the office was "working for exemptions." "Then I went to work on Thursday, and 17 minutes prior to the conclusion of my shift, I was suspended," they said. Military recruiters are able to offer practice or abbreviated versions of the test at recruiting stations, but the official exam has to be conducted in a formal test-taking environment run by testers like the one who spoke with Military.com. "We were testing over 1,000 people a month" and, in 2024, the tester said they tested "over 12,000 high school applicants within our region, which exceeded our goal." When first asked about the halt to testing services, officials for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially referred Military.com to a memo written by Darin Selnick, who is performing the duties of under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, that was issued March 5 and restricted almost all civilian travel on government credit cards. On Wednesday, officials in Hegseth's office still had no comment on the policy or its impacts on the testing programs aside from referring back to the travel memo. Without details from the Pentagon, the full scope of the testing program shutdown is still unknown. But it comes at a critical time for military recruiting when all the services are trying to hold on to the gains they've made in dealing with serious shortfalls in recruiting over the last several years. "We're right around the corner from the summer, and in the summer we get what you call the summer surge," the tester explained, adding that it's the time in the year when "everybody's out of school, everybody has a chance to take the test, everybody has a chance to go to basic training." "For the services to meet their mission ... they require all the bodies that we had manning all these stations," they added. The ASVAB is a critical, early step in that process because it determines a potential recruit's job opportunities in the military, their level of interest, and how valuable they are to any one service. It's also a key tool in getting high school students who may not be otherwise interested in military service to consider enlistment without the need for them to actually approach a recruiter. The tester told Military.com that he and his colleagues didn't use government charge cards, which have also been capped at $1 by the Pentagon as President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk slash the department and other government agencies. They used their own cars and received reimbursement for mileage through vouchers. Meanwhile, the military services appeared surprised and unaware of the move. Despite an official announcement of the testing program's halt on Friday, none of the recruiting commands were able on Wednesday to provide a statement on the effects. The silence comes just weeks after the services all proudly touted their successes in meeting their annual recruiting goals and Hegseth cheered those successes on social media. Smith, the Military Entrance Processing Command spokesman, said that high school and remote site testing was halted, but the locations that process would-be military recruits -- Military Entrance Processing Stations, or MEPS -- would still be offering the test. However, relying on those sites presents issues. The first is that, while there are more than 60 MEPS locations across the country, they are mostly located in major cities or at large military installations, which means there are large portions of the country without one close by. States like Kansas or Wyoming, for example, just don't have a MEPS location. Large states like Montana, Alaska and Colorado have a single location, which means a recruit could be required to drive hours just to take an exam that is only one of the first steps in their enlistment. Even more populous states like Florida, which has three MEPS stations, has cities that are hours away from a location. Would-be recruits in U.S. territories like Guam or American Samoa would have to fly for hours to a MEPS location to take the test. That introduces a major hardship at a time when military leaders have actively tried to make enlisting as easy as possible in an effort to keep every possible applicant. Last year, the Navy's top personnel boss revealed that just 10% of scheduled appointments with recruiters converted into sailors entering the delayed-entry program or boot camp after about five months. Another issue with the halt to high school and remote testing is volume. Smith said that, in the last year, remote sites across the country proctored around 65,000 tests while "the vast majority of the tests" -- around a million -- were given at MEPS locations that, according to him, "are open for business .... seeing applicants and no real impact on getting our applicants into uniform." However, it's not clear whether all MEPS locations will be able to handle the increased volume of recruits in the long term. The tester told Military.com that, in their state, the testing responsibilities come down to a handful of employees at their one MEPS site -- employees who also have to shoulder the burden of other tasks besides just administering exams. "It's a real tedious process that you need your personnel to handle the volume [of work] which is required to man our forces," they said. The tester explained that, in addition to offering the tests, employees are required to do rigorous checks to make sure that the data that is being entered into the military databases is accurate and complete. "You have to make sure their demographic information is correct, you have to make sure that education is correct," they said. "You have to make sure that the applicant that comes in, they're taking all their special tests because if they don't take a special test they have to come back, and this further delays the system." Plus, testing at remote locations and high schools was just easier on applicants in some cases. The tester told Military.com that the staff in their state ran nearly one dozen stations that would administer exams throughout the day. "We're opening up at 0530 and closing down at 1930 at night," they said. "It's easy to see how we test in the hundreds if not thousands easy, especially if you're doing Monday through Friday minus your federal holidays." Meanwhile, at high schools, one testing session could mean administering the ASVAB to more than a hundred people in one sitting with almost no effort required on the part of the student. "How are you going to test over 12,000-plus high school applicants if you no longer are allowed to go to those high schools?" the tester said. In the past, military officials regularly laid some of the blame for their recruitment struggles on COVID-19 pandemic-era policies that forced them to retreat from places like high schools, thus denying them an opportunity to speak with a key recruiting pool. The path forward for both programs remains unclear and, while there has been silence from leaders in the military and the Pentagon, it appears that on the ground, the urgency is real. Smith told Military.com that officials were looking at "alternative means" to restart the programs, including using active-duty troops instead of civilian employees. "Our managers understand what's at risk, and they're trying to get us back," the tester said. "We even had some people volunteering to keep the sites open." In the meantime, testers like the one who spoke to Military.com aren't fired, but they aren't working either at a time when scrutiny on allegedly underperforming government employees is at an all-time high. Musk, the purported head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, recently succeeded in having agency leaders, including Hegseth, mandate that all employees send weekly emails of the top five things they accomplished each week to a centralized email account. "Now we sit at home and ... we still have to send in our weekly 'Top Five' emails," the tester said. Related: Hegseth Ban on Travel Forces Closures, Reduced Hours at Military Entrance Exam Sites News / National by Simbarashe Sithole in Bindura A notorious Madziwa-based rapist and robber was sentenced to an effective 111 years behind bars by Bindura regional magistrate Elisha Singano.Luckmore Mazambani (38) was convicted of nine counts which he committed in Madziwa, Mashonaland Central province.Prosecutor Edward Katsvairo told the court that from December last year to January 2025 Muzambani targeted single ladies.The machete-wielding Muzambani would rob the women's money, groceries and mobile phones and would not leave the crime scene without raping them.Upon his arrest, some victims managed to positively identify their mobile phones. The Tigers de Quintana Roo in the Mexican League have recently added a pair of former big leaguers. Designated hitter Willie Calhoun signed with the team tonight, according to an MiLB.com article. The team also announced on social media last night theyre bringing in reliever Carl Edwards Jr. Calhoun and Edwards each appeared in the majors last season. The lefty-hitting Calhoun played in 68 games for the Angels. He hit .245/.315/.380 with five homers through 254 plate appearances. That brings his career batting line to .241/.303/.399 in more than 1300 trips to the dish. Thats underwhelming for a player whose game is built entirely around his bat. Calhoun can occasionally play at first base or in the corner outfield, but hes close to a full-time DH. Edwards, a 33-year-old reliever, pitched in one game for the Padres last year. He issued two walks and allowed a hit without recording an out. That qualified for the lanky rightys 10th consecutive season getting some big league action. Edwards turned in decent results in middle relief with the Cubs and Nationals earlier in his career. He owns a 3.54 ERA across 280 big league innings. Edwards spent most of last season in the minors, where he combined for a 4.11 ERA in 70 innings between the Cubs and Padres systems. SAUGATUCK, MI -- Saugatuck is once again making waves for its stunning shorelines. Oval Beach landed on the Best of the Best Beaches in the U.S. in Tripadvisors 2025 Travelers Choice Awards. The Best of the Best Beaches list is determined by millions of global traveler reviews and ratings. Oval Beach earned a 4.5 bubbles out of more than 1,000 reviews. Heres what Tripadvisor had to say about Michigans not-so-hidden gem: "Its all about fine sand and scenic views at Oval Beach. Theres no bad time to visit this wonderful spot, plus theres always ample parking here. Pair it with a trip to the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area and youre all set for a memorable day out." RELATED: 4 Michigan lakefront cities nominated for Best Small Town in the Midwest by USA Today The city-run beach, located at 690 Perryman St, has been a staple for Saugatuck since it opened in 1936. On a packed Saturday, the beach welcomes nearly 1,500 guests, according to city estimates. And with that ample parking nearly 500 spots it also serves as a great spot to park and watch the sunset in all four seasons. RELATED: Watch the sunset melt into Lake Michigan at this historic beach We so thrilled that our very own Oval Beach has been recognized again by our visitors who come back year after year to enjoy the beautiful coastline, natural beauty and the charming towns that make our area so special, said Lisa Mize, Executive Director of the Saugatuck Douglas Area CVB. This recognition from TripAdvisor truly solidifies Oval Beach as one of the countrys premier beach destinations and we invite visitors to experience our own slice of heaven on the lake all year-round. RELATED: Can you make it up 303 steps? Your reward is a sandy sprint down to Lake Michigan The beach is at the base of another iconic Saugatuck landmark, Mt. Baldhead. After hiking up a steep 303 steps, you can race down the sand dune to the beach. Visitors can park for free at Mt Baldy Park Trail off of Park Street. If youre planning a beach day, its recommended to park one car at Mt. Baldhead Park and one at Oval Beach so you can grab beach equipment straight away rather than reversing up course. RELATED: Glamping in the summer, skiing in the winter: Saugatucks Mt. Baldy wasnt always about the steps RELATED: Cross the Kalamazoo River on Saugatucks historic hand-cranked chain ferry RELATED: Giant root beer barrel serves summer classics to Lake Michigan beachgoers WASHINGTON -- With millions of Americans still needing to file their 2024 tax returns, the Internal Revenue Service is warning of advice shared on social media that can actually land taxpayers in jail. In particular, the IRS says an ongoing "overstated withholding scheme" can lead to penalties of up to $5,000 in fines and possible jail time if convicted. The scheme encourages taxpayers to fill out Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, or other forms like Form 1099-NEC and other 1099s with incorrect income and withholding information. Taxpayers are told to claim large incomes and withholdings while listing a fictional employer on the form. The scheme suggests filing the return electronically in hopes that a large tax return will be issued based off the fraudulent income and withholdings. If the IRS cannot verify the wages, income or withholding credits entered on the tax return, the tax refund will be held pending further review, reads a statement from the IRS on the scheme. Taxpayers should always file a complete and accurate tax return. If the IRS flags the fraudulent return, the agency will contact the taxpayer seeking additional verification of the income. Taxpayers may then be asked to resubmit an amended return with the correct information. If the amended return contains uncorrected information, a compliance audit could be ordered. Along with the audit, a penalty of $5,000 for each return (or copy of return) claiming an improper credit can be applied to the taxpayer. In cases where a joint tax return is filed, the penalty is assessed against each spouse. Taxpayers who knowingly file false tax returns are subject to criminal prosecution and imprisonment, according to the IRS. Waves roll in on Lake Michigan at Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Mich. on Thursday, November 21, 2024. Charlie Nick | MLive.com UPDATE: Body found near Lake Michigan park is missing teen, police say Wisconsin police have yet to identify a body found in Lake Michigan. The Kenosha Police Department has been working to identify the woman since officers responded to Eichelman Park, 6135 3rd Avenue, at 4:55 p.m. on March 9. So far, they have not been able to determine who she is or the circumstances surrounding her death. Witnesses who were at the park at the time police responded described an eerie, unsettling scene as crews searched rocky areas along the coast. One witness, Nancy Johnson, told WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee that a young woman was found near the rocks, wedged in between. We live close by and knowing that there could be a perpetrator running around is scary, especially being a woman, Karen Smouse, another park visitor, told the TV station. Youre uncomfortable right now, not knowing what the situation is, how it came about. Police have not said if foul play is suspected. The park is open and operating normally. Located on Lake Michigan next to Wolfenbuttel Park, it also features a walking and bike trail, playground and is lined with shady trees for picnics. The Metamora Township Police Department responded to a crash on South Lapeer Road (M-24) near Brocker Road for a personal injury crash around 7:29 a.m. on March 4, according to a release from the department. (Photo provided by Metamora Township Police Department) (Photo provided by Metamora Township Police Department) LAPEER, MI The crash on Lapeer Road that left Roxann Johnson, a special education teacher at Turrill Elementary School, dead remains under investigation, Metamora Township Police Chief Ryan Davis said. The Lapeer County Reconstruction Team, which consists of members of the Lapeer County Sheriffs Office, Lapeer City Police Department and Metamora Township Police Department, is working on the case. No additional information has been released about the crash, which occurred around 7:29 a.m. March 4 on Lapeer Road. Johnson, 64, was driving a 2015 Jeep Cherokee northbound when an 1971 AM General M931A2 crossed the center line and collided with the Jeep. The military-style vehicle was driven by a 17-year-old Genesee County male, police said. Once the investigation is complete, the case will be forwarded to the Lapeer County Prosecutors Office to review for possible criminal charges. Johnson was a beloved member of the Turrill and Lapeer Community Schools community, according to a news release from the district. Please keep the family and those who worked closest with Roxann in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, Superintendent Matt Wandrie said in a statement. Johnson, of Oxford, taught for more than 25 years for the district, according to her obituary. Her passion in life was her family, friends, and her joy in teaching those who needed special care to be their very best selves, Johnsons obituary reads. Her obituary can be viewed at this link. Want more Flint-area news? Bookmark the local Flint news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Flint daily newsletter. News / National by Staff reporter A cross-border truck driver was attacked with a machete and robbed at a poorly maintained detour between Rutenga and Ngundu on the Beitbridge-Harare highway, a section of road that was declared complete by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2024.The victim, a Swazi national employed by Mother Truckers, sustained deep head wounds requiring 20-centimetre sutures, which were administered at Beitbridge Rural District Hospital.Details of the attack remained unclear last night, but sources said the robbers took his mobile phone, vehicle repair tools, and other personal belongings before fleeing. Despite his injuries, the driver managed to reach a clinic in Rutenga for initial treatment before proceeding to Beitbridge Hospital for further medical attention.The incident has reignited concerns among truck drivers over the poor state of detours along the highway, with many complaining that they pose both security and road safety risks.Authorities are yet to comment on the attack, but truckers have long urged the government to expedite road rehabilitation and improve security along major transport routes. Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks during a press conference on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019 at the Frank Kelley Law Library in the Williams Building in Lansing. Nessel gave updates on Michigan State University, catholic church and Flint water investigations. (Jake May | MLive.com) Jake May | MLive.com The Flint Journal FLINT, MI -- A state government subcommittee wants detailed financial information about spending on criminal prosecutions tied to the Flint water crisis from Attorney General Dana Nessel. State Rep. Angela Rigas, R-Caldonia, made the request in a letter to Nessel on Wednesday, March 12, saying citizens have the right to a detailed accounting of the attempted prosecution of former Gov. Rick Snyder and eight other state and local officials. Rigas serves as the chair of the state House Oversight Committees Weaponization of State Government Subcommittee. Criminal charges brought by the Attorney Generals Office against Snyder and other officials for their roles in the water crisis were dismissed after the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in June 2022 that the states one-man grand juror statute did not allow them to be indicted without a preliminary hearing. Michigan residents have entrusted House Republicans with a mandate for truth and transparency, Rigas said in her letter. Theres significant public interest in these prosecutions, which have been going on for years. Citizens have a right to see how their tax dollars were spent, and were going to help them get the answers. MLive-The Flint Journal couldnt immediately reach Rigas for further comment on Wednesday. A spokesperson for Nessel said in an email to the Journal that the department has received the letter and we are presently reviewing the subcommittees request. Rigas was appointed to the subcommittee in January by state House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Twp. In a statement after her appointment, Rigas said she knew firsthand what happens when the government is weaponized against its own citizens. In 2020, I was targeted simply for standing up for my rights, receiving a ticket for peacefully protesting and later facing an attempt by Attorney General Dana Nessel to strip me of my professional license, Rigas said at the time. I fought back and won in court, but many others arent as fortunate. As chair of the Oversight Subcommittee on the Weaponization of State Government, I will make sure no Michigander has to endure similar politically motivated attacks. The people deserve a government that serves them, not one that silences and punishes dissent. Flint water prosecutors charged Snyder and other officials with crimes related to the citys water crisis in January 2021 before judges eventually dismissed all of the charges the following year. The criminal cases collapsed when the state Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that a one-judge grand jury had been improperly used to bring the related charges. Neseel has maintained she erected a conflict wall within her office throughout the Flint water investigation that led to the charges, appointing former Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to lead the prosecutions. Her office said in October 2023 that itd release a report about its investigation of Snyder and other officials -- something that has yet to occur. In May 2024, Richard Baird, a former top adviser to Snyder, sued Nessel, Hammoud and Worthy in federal court, claiming the trio ran roughshod over the U.S. Constitution as they pursued criminal charges against him. That case is pending in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Rigas wrote in her letter to Nessel that her request for financial information related to the Flint prosecutions falls within her subcommittees mandate to ensure transparency, accountability, and the responsible use of state resources in governmental operations. Rigas requested the documents be submitted to her subcommittee no later than March 25. Flints water became tainted with lead and bacteria after city managers appointed by Snyder began using the Flint River as the citys water source in 2014 to save money while a new pipeline to Lake Huron was built. The river water wasnt treated to reduce its corrosive qualities, causing lead to leach from pipes, lead service lines and home plumbing. In this April 12, 2022 MLive file photo, concrete barricades are placed around the Grand Rapids Police Department building in downtown Grand Rapids. The department will be the focus of a new television series called, "All Access PD Grand Rapids" on the Investigation Discovery network. Daniel Shular | MLive.com Reggie Smith, who is retiring from the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association after serving as their president for nearly the past 30 years, poses for portraits outside the association building on Grandville Avenue in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Arthur Trickett-Wile) Arthur H. Trickett-Wile | MLive. GRAND RAPIDS, MI When Reggie Smith joined the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association in 1996, the community was considered by some to be a scary place that suffered from crime and occasional gang violence. But where others saw the area southwest of downtown Grand Rapids as a place to avoid, Smith, who was then the new pastor at Roosevelt Park Christian Reformed Church, saw a neighborhood to be redeemed. I had this thing of, I dont want to be just as pastor of this church, he said. I wanted to be a pastor of the community. Now, nearly three decades later, Smith, 62, is wrapping up his service as the associations board president, with his last meeting scheduled for April. Over the years, hes watched the majority Latino neighborhood he affectionately calls the Ellis Island of Grand Rapids grow, change, and overcome obstacles. Smith says his mission has been to advocate for longtime residents, and new immigrants from Latin America and Africa, on everything from public safety to education. He also aimed to ensure that new housing, retail and commercial developments meet the communitys needs. We became kind of a filter to maintain the character of our neighborhood, he said, but also to prevent regentrification and find ways that all people whether they are mixed income, undocumented, a variety of different income brackets can live in this neighborhood, work in this neighborhood, shop in this neighborhood. Cars pass by Factory Yards, a $147 million, 15-acre mixed-use development, near the intersection of Market Avenue and Godfrey Avenue in the historic Black Hills/Roosevelt Park neighborhoods in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Arthur H. Trickett-Wile | MLive. Founded by Dutch immigrants, Roosevelt Park encompasses a stretch of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue SW, starting at Wealthy Street, and extending south along Clyde Park Avenue to Griggs Street SW. Today, the neighborhood is home to single-family homes, an array of businesses, parks, cultural institutions, and other amenities. Seventy-three percent of residents are Latino, and Smith says the fastest growing language in the neighborhood is Swahili. Multiple projects that Smith and his colleagues supported dot the neighborhood. That includes the Cook Arts Center, the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, and, more recently, Plaza Roosevelt. Completed in 2021, Plaza Roosevelt includes Grand Rapids Public Schools new Southwest Middle High School, a new park set to open this summer, and low-income housing through Habitat for Humanity and Dwelling Place. Im just tickled, taken and honored that I hung around long enough to see this Ellis Island of Grand Rapids turn around, Smith said. A native of Chicago, Smith served as a pastor at the Roosevelt Park Christian Reformed Church until 2015, when the church closed and was sold to Potters House Christian School. Today, the father of three is a ministry consultant specializing in diversity for the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Smith said hes retiring because the board is ready for new leadership. Plus, between his full-time job and caring for his elderly mother who suffers from dementia, his schedule is tight. Weve got good people on the board, weve got a new director, he said. They need some new blood, and this is the time to do it after 28 years. Reggie Smith, who is retiring from the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association after serving as their president for nearly the past 30 years, poses for portraits outside the association building on Grandville Avenue in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Arthur H. Trickett-Wile | MLive. Neighborhood advocates say Smith will be missed. His impact on the neighborhood has been significant, said Steff Rosalez, CEO of Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities, a nonprofit that provides afterschool and community programs for residents. Because of his longevity, Smith is a go-to source for community news, she said. Hes particularly knowledgeable about community history, development projects, and hes good at gauging the communitys opinion on important topics, Rosalez said. Reggies been that trusted pillar for so long, she said. I dont know if that will ever change. I think even if hes not the president at the neighborhood association anymore, Im sure hell be a go-to. Amy Brower, who served as the neighborhood associations executive director from 2017 through January, said Smith stood out for his storytelling abilities. Oftentimes, he was very ready with a story to share, she said. I think thats just so important from a community aspect, especially from a neighborhood association, that you have somebody who remembers those funny times or the hard times, and is able to be that person to remind us all of what the community has been through. When Smith first arrived in the neighborhood, gang activity and crime were big concerns. For example, the neighborhood associations former executive director, Mary Angelo, recalled watching gang members sell drugs in front of her office after she started her job in 1991. She served until 2012, and in 2016, with the community focused on redevelopment, Angelo reflected on how the neighborhood was already far different from when she arrived. Smith said the type of behavior previously witnessed continued to significantly decline. Its much better than it was thirty years ago, said Smith, who attributes the reduction to efforts to build stronger relationships among neighbors. Not to say theres not an occasional shooting now and then. But people feel much safer. Cars pass by the Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities Cook Arts Center in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Arthur H. Trickett-Wile | MLive. Looking forward, theres a lot of momentum for Roosevelt Park, Smith said. New developments are underway, including Factory Yards, a $147 million project on Godfrey Avenue SW that will bring 467 apartments and retail space to the neighborhood. And, not far from that, Acrisure Amphitheater is under construction at 201 Market Ave. SW. Such development, he noted, isnt a bad thing. But its crucial to ensure that spinoff projects that touch Roosevelt Park benefit the community and dont displace residents, he said. While Smith is stepping down from the neighborhood associations board, he says hell remain a familiar face in Roosevelt Park. Ill find other ways to, to be of service, he said. I aint going nowhere. JONESVILLE, MI - Jonesville Community Schools is looking for a new superintendent to lead the district in the 2025-26 school year. The Jonesville Board of Education began the search for a successor to Superintendent Erik Weatherwax in February, school officials said in a news release. The board is currently asking community and staff members for input on the qualities, experiences and skills needed in the new superintendent. A job posting lists a preliminary salary range of $115-125,000, with an application deadline of March 18. Weatherwax could not be immediately reached for comment. The new superintendent is expected to assume the position on July 1, 2025. Weatherwax has served as Jonesvilles superintendent since July 2021. He replaced Chellie Broesamle in the role following her retirement. Broesamle had served the district for 10 years as superintendent, school officials said. The Michigan Association of School Boards is aiding Jonesville in its efforts to find a new lead administrator, with MASB representative Kacie Kefgen facilitating the search. The MASB is a service organization that supports the work of school boards throughout Michigan, school officials said. If you would like more reporting like this delivered free to your inbox, click here and signup for our weekly newsletter: Michigan Schools. Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Jackson daily newsletter. The sign for Portage City Hall, in Portage, Michigan, on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023 Nate Pappas | Mlive.com PORTAGE, MI The Portage City Council recognized a controversial Scientology book at its Tuesday, March 11 meeting, recognizing the 75th anniversary of the book Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health. Science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard published the book May 1950. It was later incorporated into Scientology, a religion also founded by Hubbard. Believers claim the text can help people relieve mental and spiritual suffering and overcome physical hardships, help individuals gain greater personal independence and restore honesty and trust to relationships, per city documents. The church has been criticized by some for having strict, controlling practices, MLive reported previously. Mayor Patricia Randall received a request for the proclamation from a church of Scientology in Battle Creek, she said. She passed the request on the to clerk and city manager to write up. A member of the organization must be present to read any proclamation into the meeting record, she said. The city will not issue a proclamation regarding an international event, she said. Last fall, the council refused to make a proclamation calling for a ceasefire in Gaza after repeated requests. The way I look at it, (a proclamation is) a platform of expression of the diversity within our community, Randall said. The council has recognized anniversaries of several local churches, she said, as well as various groups raising awareness for lung cancer or skin conditions. It doesnt mean that we are joining them, promoting them or members of them, Randall said. It just simply means that they asked to have a proclamation honoring a significant event. Three residents spoke against the proclamation during the public comment period of the meeting which was after it was presented. Recognizing Dianetics lends credibility and supports Scientology, said Richard Hewitt, Portage resident and retired mental health counselor. We consider Dianetics a threat to community mental health. Dianetics makes false claims about the cause of depression and mental illness, said resident and licensed psychologist Jordan Horan. People may think that the government is endorsing this book, Horan said. People then may choose to read this book instead of seeking adequate mental health treatment. A proclamation isnt an endorsement, Randall said. Its primarily a meaningful gesture to the organization asking for it. Jeff Breedlove, director of community affairs at the Church of Scientology in the greater Kalamazoo area, thanked the council for its willingness to recognize different groups and ideas. I really recommend people find out for themselves what that book is, Breedlove said. The church operates over 11,000 locations in 167 countries, according to its website. An earlier version of the proclamation, published Thursday, March 6, declared March 13 L. Ron Hubbard day, and that the world today is in great need of the values, ideas, and solutions of L. Ron Hubbards Dianetics technology. Both of these lines were removed from the version presented during the Tuesday, March 11 meeting. Heres what the final version of the proclamation looked like. The final version of the proclamation from March 11, 2025. City of Portage Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. The best spellers in the Kalamazoo area compete in the Kalamazoo County Regional Spelling Bee at the Chenery Auditorium in Kalamazoo, Mich. on Saturday, March 9, 2024. Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com KALAMAZOO, MI -- The nerve-racking experience of participating in a school spelling bee is something many people can relate to. The high pressure will come with high stakes for 33 young Kalamazoo County spellers this Saturday, March 15. at the Kalamazoo Regional Spelling Bee presented by MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette. The winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland. See the full list of competitors here. Saturdays bee got us thinking: What do you remember from your childhood spelling bee? We want to know if you competed in a spelling bee as a child and if you remember what word you were eliminated on. Or maybe you were the winner. If so, what word did you win on? Let us know in the form, below, and feel free to share your story. (The name/city field is optional, so if youre still not over it, you dont have to identify yourself.) The competitors in Saturdays bee were the top finishers in the spelling bees at their respective schools. The field was narrowed first with individual classroom spelling bees, then with schoolwide assemblies, according to a press release from the organizer, Kalamazoo Experiential Learning Center (KELC). Schools hosted their spelling bees for students in grades four through eight. Last year, Carter Tuthill, an eighth grader from Milwood Magnet School, won the Kalamazoo Regional Spelling Bee with the word linguistics. Tuthill was eliminated in in the Scripps National Spelling Bee on the word seraya. You can watch these supercalifragilisticexpialidocious spellers in action and potentially relive your childhood memories at Linden Grove Middle School, 4241 Arboretum Parkway at 1 p.m. The spelling bee is free to attend. The Kalamazoo Gazette/MLive is the presenting sponsor of the Kalamazoo Regional Spelling Bee thanks to the Kalamazoo Gazette Literacy Fund. If youd like to donate to this fund, which provides resources for literacy programs in our community, click here. Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. Ontario Premier Doug Ford reversed course on a 25% tariff on electricity exported to the United States on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) AP AP In a continued back-and-forth in the Canadian-American trade war, President Donald Trump walked back his latest tariff threat on Tuesday. That was not until Ontario Premier Doug Ford had done the same, the Associated Press reports. As a response to the initial 25% tariffs Trump implemented on Canada on March 4 as well as the 25% aluminum and steel tariffs set to go into effect on Wednesday, March 12 Ford, on Monday, issued a 25% electricity surcharge on the United States on all electricity coming from his province. RELATED: In response to Trump tariffs, Canada charges extra 25% for electricity The province of Ontario supplies electricity to 1.5 million American homes and businesses in the states of Michigan, Minnesota and New York. Trump, in response to Fords surcharge, threatened to double his planned tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50% for Canada on Tuesday. RELATED: Trump doubles planned tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum to 50% as stock market keeps falling Within hours, Ford reversed course on his surcharge just one day after implementing it, prompting Trump to then back down. The 25% increase on steel and aluminum is still expected to take effect on Wednesday. Ford, on Tuesday, told CNN that he apologized to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after his previous comments and actions. The premier told the outlet that he considers the governor a friend, having worked with her for seven years, but that she understand his frustration. On Monday, he had stated that if the United States further escalated the tariff, he would not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely. Instead of doing that; however, he retracted the electricity surcharge once Trump threatened to double the tariffs on aluminum and steel. That led to Trump pulling back on his own threat. Going back and forth, Ford said Tuesday, is only hurting Americans and Canadians. This is absolute chaos, created by one person and thats Donald Trump, not the American people, Ford said. Canadians love Americans. I love Americans. And this has to stop. Lets sit around the table and negotiate a new deal, even though he created the deal in the first place. A delegation of Michigan principals goes to Washington every year to advocate for education programs. This year feels different, they said. As news broke late Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Education planned to slash its workforce in half, they were already in the capital to stump for federal programs that support thousands of students in local K-12 schools. Vice President JD Vance, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) AP BANGOR TOWNSHIP, MI Vice President J.D. Vance will visit a plastic manufacturing plant Friday, March 14, White House officials said. Vance and Kelly Loeffler, the administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration, will tour Vantage Plastics in Bay Countys Bangor Township, near Bay City, officials said. Following the tour, the vice president and Loeffler will deliver remarks highlighting Americas industrial resurgence, according to a statement released by the vice presidents office. No additional details about the visit were available. Officials with Standish-based Vantage Plastics announced an investment of nearly $31 million to create 93 jobs in its Bangor Township facility in July 2023. Vantage Plastics is a custom thermoformer with full in-house design, prototyping, and tool build capabilities serving customers in the automotive and consumer goods industries, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp. The company employs about 300 people in Michigan. The visit would place Vance in Bay County, which favored the Republican ticket in the 2024 presidential election. In November 2024, 34,792 Bay County residents voted for Republican Donald Trump and his vice president while 25,767 voted for Democrat Kamala Harris, county records stated. Trump also won voters favor across the state. Vances visit would mark the former Ohio senators first return to Michigan since a busy fall election campaign season, when the Trump and Harris campaigns visited the state about 80 times in 2024. Vance last visited Michigan during a campaign event at the FIM Capitol Theatre in Flint on the day before Election Day. Since the new Trump administration came to power in January, Vance has toured other corners of the nation, advocating for the Republican presidents policies. Last week, Vance visited Eagle Pass, Texas, where he promoted the administrations immigration policies. Vance also has attracted protestors from citizens opposing Trump policies. In a social media post, Vance said last weekend he and his family confronted protesters at his East Walnut Hills home in Ohio. Earlier this month, the vice president was met by protestors during a ski trip in Vermont. Want more Bay City- and Saginaw-area news? Bookmark the local Bay City and Saginaw news page or sign up for the free 3@3 daily newsletter for Bay City and Saginaw. If youve been looking to join a wholesale club but are waiting for a good offer, StackSocial is the place to check out. StackSocial is currently offering discounts and gift cards when you sign up for Costco Wholesale, Sams Club and BJs Wholesale Club memberships. Weve gathered all the information, links and benefits below so all you have to do is pick what best fits your needs and sign up. Costco Wholesale When you sign up with Costco, a Gold Star Membership costs $65/year and includes two membership cards for warehouse and online shopping. The Executive Gold Star Membership costs $130/year and you get Costco service discounts and an annual 2% reward up to $1,250 on eligible Costco Travel and Costco purchases. Sign up through StackSocial and pay the same price for each membership, but receive a $20 gift card with a Gold Star Membership and a $40 gift card with an Executive Gold Star Membership. If youre already planning to join Costcos shopper ranks, you might as well earn free money to shop there with. Sams Club A Sams Club one-year membership offers extra savings, Sams Cash and a shared membership option. At Sams Club warehouses, that membership costs $50. Instead, sign up with StackSocial to get it for half the price at $25 with auto-renew. BJs Wholesale Club BJs Wholesale Club offers up to 25% off grocery prices, extra coupons, a complimentary household membership, low prices at BJs Gas and more. The Club+ Card offers the same benefits as the Club Card, plus 2% back in rewards, a 5-cent discount per gallon at BJs Gas, participation in special reward events and rewards that never expire. A regular Club Card is $60/year while the Club+ Card is $120/year. Purchase them with StackSocial instead to get 66% off for a limited time at $20/year for a Club Card or $40/year for a Club+ Card. These deals are only available for a limited time, so sign up soon to get more out of your grocery shopping experience for less. News / National by Staff reporter Gweru Mayor Martin Chivhoko has blamed costly sewer blockages on residents who improperly dispose of waste, including dead pets, sanitary products, and kitchen utensils, in sewer manholes.Speaking during an ordinary council meeting on Wednesday, Chivhoko urged residents to adopt proper waste disposal habits to prevent recurrent sewer problems that are both expensive to resolve and pose serious health risks."We are experiencing challenges with sewer blockages often caused by improper disposal of waste," he said. "We have retrieved items such as dogs, sanitary products, and kitchen utensils from our sewer lines. This is not only costly but also creates a public health hazard."Chivhoko added that the council had cleared several illegal dump sites and resumed its normal refuse collection schedule but still faced occasional setbacks. He encouraged residents to report illegal dumpsites and avoid creating new ones.Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association director Cornelia Selipiwe echoed the mayor's concerns, calling on residents to act responsibly."Surely, you would expect any normal person not to dump dogs, spoons, blankets, and other undesirable materials in sewer lines," Selipiwe said.The council continues to engage residents on proper waste management practices to reduce blockages and maintain a cleaner environment. A total lunar eclipse will happen in the middle of the night Thursday night and early Friday morning. With the weather pattern coming, some of us Michiganders get to see the eclipse without much cloudiness. This lunar eclipse is called a Blood Moon lunar eclipse since the moon will take on an orange-red color at the totality of the eclipse. Since the totality is at 3 a.m. Friday, March 14 we will want to know if we should wake up and watch or stay up and watch. With the way the sky conditions look Thursday night, I think it makes sense to try to see the total lunar eclipse in the southern half of Lower Michigan. Northern Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula look to have pretty thick clouds. I would say youll be disappointed if you wake up in the middle of the night in Northern Michigan and try to see the eclipse. Heres the total cloud cover forecast for the time of lunar eclipse totality, 3 a.m. Friday. The numbers represent how much of the sky will be covered by any type of cloud- low-level, mid-level or high-level clouds. The clouds forecasted in patches over southern Michigan are going to be high, thin clouds. When cloud cover gets up to 60 percent or more it will be tough to see any moonlight. Forecast for total cloud cover at 3 a.m. Friday, March 14, 2025. NOAA Right now the sky looks great for viewing the eclipse in the Grand Rapids area, the Kalamazoo area, Muskegon, Lansing, Jackson, Flint, Saginaw, Bay City and the Thumb. I would watch the cloud forecast closely for Ann Arbor and Detroit since it looks like those clouds should be really patchy. We may wind up with a mostly clear sky in Ann Arbor and Detroit too. We will know by Thursday afternoon. From Houghton Lake, Cadillac and Tawas northward it will probably be too cloudy to get a good view of the eclipse. The Upper Peninsula looks very cloudy Thursday night. The lunar eclipse actually will take quite a bit of time to work all the way through. We have several hours when some sort of interesting look to the moon will be occurring. Totality actually lasts from 2:26 a.m. to 3:31 a.m. Friday. For an hour either side of the totality period we get to see the eclipse increasing and decreasing. Heres the timeline according to NASA: Source: NASA NASA Watch for updates here since the cloud forecast will get more exact by Thursday afternoon. I dont want you to lose sleep if its a cloudy, lost cause. I also dont want you to miss a great sky event. RELATED READING: Bright stars, Blood Moon lunar eclipse: March skywatching highlights News / National by Staff reporter A 38-year-old man from Chakondora village in Shamva has been sentenced to 111 years in prison after being convicted of raping six women and robbing villagers in Mt Darwin and Madziwa two years ago.Luckmore Mazambani pleaded guilty to six counts of rape and three counts of robbery when he appeared before a Bindura regional magistrate earlier this week. The court heard that he unleashed a reign of terror between January and December 2023, targeting women who lived alone.Prosecutors detailed how Mazambani would break into homes under the cover of darkness, armed with weapons such as machetes and axe handles. He would rape his victims and steal valuables, including cash, mobile phones, and groceries.In sentencing, the magistrate imposed 15 years for each count of rape and 12 years for each count of robbery, amounting to a total of 111 years.Authorities have hailed the conviction as a victory for justice, urging victims of sexual violence to come forward and report such crimes. News / National by Staff reporter Four foreign nationals from China, Singapore, and Sierra Leone appeared in court on Tuesday, charged with conspiracy to commit robbery after allegedly targeting a Chinese smuggler transporting 4kg of gold to Zambia via Chirundu.The accused - Gohga Kan, 34, a Singaporean residing in Greystone Park; Wu Ke Wen, 35, a Chinese national; and Sierra Leoneans Aruna Saidu, 27, and Foday Kamara, 27 - were not asked to plead during a brief appearance before Harare Magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa. They were advised to apply for bail at the High Court.According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the plot began on February 27, 2025, when Kan approached local resident Ozias Matsikete with a plan to rob a vehicle traveling from Harare to Zambia through the Chirundu Border Post. Kan allegedly claimed to possess two pistols and asked Matsikete to help recruit two additional accomplices. Matsikete, however, alerted detectives from CID Homicide about the planned heist.On March 1, Kan directed Matsikete to arrange a meeting with the recruited criminals in Karoi to scout for a suitable robbery location. Karoi was chosen for its proximity to Zambia, where Kan intended to transport the stolen gold.Detectives, posing as accomplices, joined Matsikete in a Mercedes-Benz to meet Kan, who was driving a white Toyota Prado. The meeting took place 25 kilometers from Karoi, where Kan revealed the location and explained that the target vehicle would be slowed down by potholes.On March 8, Kan and Matsikete met again, with Kan confirming the robbery was scheduled for March 9. Kan introduced Matsikete to Saidu and Kamara, claiming he would provide them with firearms for the heist.In response, detectives coordinated a multi-team operation to thwart the robbery. Acting on a tip from Kan, the authorities intercepted a Toyota Prado at Nyabira tollgate in the early hours of March 9. The vehicle, carrying gold, was driven by Joseph Phiri, who was arrested along with his passenger, Liu Wieqiang. The Prado was searched, and approximately 4.018 kilograms of gold were found hidden beneath the car's radio.Simultaneously, detectives in Karoi arrested Saidu and Kamara, recovering two unregistered 9mm firearms.The four suspects are set to return to court on March 18 for further proceedings. Arindam Roy USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept News / National by Staff reporter The government has ordered municipalities across the country to remove vendors from the central business districts and undesignated selling points within the next 48 hours. pic.twitter.com/iYbynhdK10 TechMagTv (@TechMagZW) March 12, 2025 The Zimbabwean government has issued a directive ordering municipalities across the country to remove all vendors operating within central business districts (CBDs) and other undesignated selling points within the next 48 hours. The move, announced on Wednesday, is aimed at restoring order in urban areas and addressing concerns over congestion, illegal trading, and public health risks.Local government authorities have been instructed to enforce the directive with immediate effect, working alongside law enforcement agencies to ensure full compliance. The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works stated that the decision was made following growing complaints from businesses and residents about the unregulated vending activities that have disrupted pedestrian movement, traffic flow, and sanitation in major cities and towns."We cannot allow our cities to be overrun by illegal vending operations that compromise health standards and economic activity," said a ministry spokesperson. "All vendors operating at undesignated sites must vacate within the stipulated timeframe, or risk facing legal consequences."The directive has sparked mixed reactions among vendors and advocacy groups, with many expressing concern over the impact on livelihoods. Informal traders, who rely on vending for daily sustenance, argue that the government must first provide alternative designated trading spaces before implementing mass evictions."We understand the need for order, but simply removing us without providing alternatives is unfair," said a street vendor in Harare. "We are willing to comply, but we need proper vending sites where we can continue earning a living."This is a developing story, and further updates will follow as the situation unfolds. Aditi Sharma finally speaks up on her secret marriage and divorce with husband Abhineet Kaushik: 'I am being threatened' Sarika Sharma USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept Vaishnavi Gavankar USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Ameesha Patel calls Bobby Deol 'OG Stallion, says, "superstars never left, dont know why people call it comeback" Vaishnavi Gavankar USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Sarika Sharma USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept Rosamund Pike opens up about her on-screen chemistry with Daniel Henney in The Wheel of Time Season 3 Palak Vij USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Palak Vij USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept Taha Shah Badussha stands out as the only male Bollywood star at Sir Elton Johns Oscar bash Palak Vij USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Bobby John Varkey USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept IndusInd Bank: RBI stepped in after lender delayed provisioning by a year, says report Debaroti Adhikary USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Opinion / Columnist His Excellency the President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised to empower the nation's youth and open up leadership space and business opportunities for young people. True to his word we have seen the rise of Tatenda Anastasia Mavetera, Emily Jesaya, Sheila Chikomo, Yeukai Simbanegavi, Kudal Mupamhanga, David Mnangagwa, Tendai Chirau, Taurai Kundishaya among several others who now hold leadership positions in government and politics.Mavetera is a popular name among a battalion of young leaders entrusted with pivotal roles. Mavetera is generally insulted and ridiculed by people on social media but an analysis into work as a cabinet minister will reveal that she is doing very well.We now have a project known as She-Tech, which seeks to open doors for women in ICT by harnessing support from investors and organizations dedicated to women's empowerment in this predominantly male-dominated field. The She-Tech project stands as a testament to the proactive measures being undertaken to ensure inclusivity in technology.Under Minister Mavetera we have also seen a massive digital skills program aimed at equipping 1.5 million young Zimbabweans with vital digital competencies, ensuring that no young person is left behind as the world transitions into a digital era.With a strategy that includes the expedited licensing and operationalization of Starlink in Zimbabwe, Mavetera and her team have revolutionized the data pricing model within the country. Companies like Econet are now offering unlimited data bundles at competitive prices, as low as $23, which previously seemed unthinkable. This influx of affordable internet access has dramatically enhanced connectivity for thousands of individuals, companies and schools.Thousands of schools now have access to internet and Minister Mavetera complimented these by donating ICT equipment enabling the schools to establish fully equipped computer science classrooms. A school in rural Masvingo or rural Kezi can now teach digital skills which empower students to break the cycle of poverty.Mavetera's accomplishments are not limited to expanding digital access; she has also successfully liberalized the postal and courier service sector, attracting new players to the market and creating job opportunities. The sight of delivery bikes lined up outside Zimpost along Kwame Nkhrumah Avenue among other areas are proof that Minister Mavetera has liberalised the courier space leading to postive transformation.Companies like Huawei are increasing their investment and spending on the Zim digital market. SpaceX is also looking at expansion in Zimbabwe, several players in the digital sector are also making moves into Zimbabwe. Mavetera is not only opening doors for her country but is also laying the groundwork for a robust digital economy.The Ministry's strategy, effectively executed by Mavetera alongside her capable team, which includes Deputy Minister Phuthi and Permanent Secretary Dr. Chirume, aligns with Zimbabwe's Smart Zimbabwe strategy. Together, they are addressing the complexities associated with achieving Vision 2030, driving the nation towards an economic and technological renaissance.The sector still has challenges but the Minister and her team are committed and dedicated to ensuring that Zimbabwe builds a digital government, digital economy and digital society.We are proud of Tatenda Anastasia Mavetera and her team at ICT. We see the great work being done and we see the positive transformation. The President His Excellency ED Mnangagwa is leading well and you are following well. Keep it up. Imported 'blue wafers' banned from solar panels used in government projects to nudge make in India Sweta Goswami USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Viswanath Pilla is a business journalist with 16 years of reporting experience. Based in Mumbai, Pilla covers pharma, healthcare and infrastructure sectors for Moneycontrol. Viswanath Pilla USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. 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For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Zydus Lifesciences wants to go beyond the pill, bets big on MedTech with Amplitude buy Viswanath Pilla is a business journalist with 16 years of reporting experience. Based in Mumbai, Pilla covers pharma, healthcare and infrastructure sectors for Moneycontrol. Viswanath Pilla USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Indian billionaires see massive net worth erosion as stocks plunge; Heres who lost the maximum money USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept India relatively safe from US' steel and aluminium tariffs, levy to hit over 63 nations Ishaan Gera USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Surabhi Pandey USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept 101Reporters USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept Opinion / Columnist The longstanding narrative that African countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, are heavily reliant on Western aid specifically USAID has become increasingly outdated and misleading. It is time to challenge this perception and highlight the numerous homegrown solutions emerging across various sectors, particularly in healthcare. By focusing on local capacities and innovations, we can redefine the narrative of development in Africa.Rather than viewing aid as an absolute necessity, it is essential to reframe it as a bonus. This paradigm shift acknowledges that African nations have the potential to drive their development agendas independently, without becoming overly reliant on external assistance. By adopting this mindset, we can begin to harness our own resources, expertise, and innovative spirit to tackle the unique challenges we face.This approach empowers communities to see themselves as agents of change, rather than passive recipients of aid. When aid is perceived as a supplementary resource, it encourages local stakeholders to invest in their own capabilities and solutions, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility for their development.Zimbabwe exemplifies the power of homegrown solutions in addressing healthcare challenges. One notable initiative is the integration of traditional medicine into the national healthcare system. The Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) has taken a pioneering step by offering a certificate program in both doctorate and traditional medicine for medical graduates. This move not only recognizes the value of traditional practices but also seeks to merge them with conventional Western medicine, creating a holistic approach to healthcare. Zimbabwe can also take a leaf from China that combined its Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM), an ancient system of health and wellness that has been developed over thousands of years, such as acupuncture with modern medicines, combining the best of both worlds.Moreover, Zimbabwean innovators have garnered attention for their groundbreaking work in developing medication from natural herbs. A remarkable example involves a collaboration between a medical doctor, Dr Karara and a pharmacist Dr Njekete who have successfully created effective medicines derived from indigenous plants. Dr Karara and Dr Njekete who managed to produce herbs that therapeutically address the symptoms of HIV/AIDS. The herbs (Mutombo and Mhenivir) have successfully undergone laboratory testing in South Africa and were found to be effective. These homegrown solutions not only showcase Zimbabwe's potential for innovation but also highlight the effectiveness of traditional medicine in addressing local health issues.By embracing home-grown solutions such as the production of African Traditional Medicines (ATM), African countries stand to gain numerous benefits such as self-sufficiency as compared to reliance on conditional hand-outs disguised as aid by Western proxies such as USAID, allows nations to foster a sense of independence and resilience.Cultural preservation through promotion of traditional practices helps to cultivate institutional memory from one generation to the next, enriching the identity of communities. In Zimbabwe traditional herbs are found everywhere including the backyards of our houses it just takes one with knowledge to distinguish between medication and poison.Contextual relevance through developing solutions tailor-made for local contexts ensures that interventions are more effective and relevant to the specific needs and challenges faced by communities. Sometimes the medication that we receive from outside is genetically manufactured to suit people within certain regions and not specifically for Africa, thereby administering medicines that would produce serious side-effects. Hence the need for us to start making our own medication that is specific to our region and our DNA.These home-grown initiatives can lead to economic growth, job creation and stimulate innovation among others. A clear example is that of Doctor Karara who is employing locals to help with the cultivation of local herbs for medication at her farm in Mazoe.US president Donal Trump's Executive Order (EOs) that annulled the operations of the USAID, is an opportunity for Africa to tap into, revive and develop its ancient medicine practices. Africa should celebrate the EOs and promote its homegrown solutions, and advocate for a paradigm shift in how it approaches development.By doing so, we can reclaim our development agendas that empowers us to make informed decisions about Africa's future and prioritize what matters most to our communities. What is disturbing is how the West has managed to influence Africa to demonise African herbs while nichodemously smuggling them back to their countries to repackage and rebrand them just to resale them back to Africans.The narrative surrounding aid must evolve from one of dependency to one of empowerment and self-determination. African countries have an abundance of untapped potential, and by leveraging our unique strengths, we can create pathways for sustainable development.In conclusion, it is essential to rethink the narrative surrounding USAID and to place greater emphasis on promoting homegrown solutions. By embracing our own innovation, expertise, and traditional practices, we can drive our development agendas forward, promote self-sufficiency, and challenge the status quo. Africa has the potential to take center stage, showcasing its capacity for growth, innovation, and success. The time has come for African countries to redefine their identities and future. This requires a concerted effort to invest in local talent, support community-driven initiatives, and prioritize sustainable practices that reflect the unique needs of our societies.As we shift our focus from external aid to internal capabilities, we not only enhance our resilience but also foster a sense of pride in our achievements. Let's celebrate the innovative spirit of Africa, recognizing that our future is not dictated by external forces but shaped by our own aspirations, values, and resources. By doing so, we can create a brighter, more sustainable future for all Africans, grounded in self-determination and empowerment. Infosys shares down 5% to eight-month low on downgrades over tariff uncertainty Debaroti Adhikary USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Zoya Springwala USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Ray Dalio sounds alarm on US debt crisis and its worldwide impact Vaibhavi Ranjan USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept Sensex falls nearly 800 pts from day's high, Nifty below 22,400: Trade war fears among key factors behind market decline Paras Bisht USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Trade Spotlight: How should you trade Phoenix Mills, Jubilant Foodworks, Oberoi Realty, Chennai Petroleum Corporation, NCC, and others on March 12? Sunil Matkar USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept More arrests likely in New India Cooperative Bank case as probe gathers pace Manish M. Suvarna is Senior Correspondent at Moneycontrol. He writes on the Indian money markets, RBI, Banks and NBFCs. He tweets at @manishsuvarna15. Contact: Manish.Suvarna@nw18.com Manish M. Suvarna USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. 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Armaan Bhatnagar USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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Download this step-by-step guide to establishing a cloud security workflow that enables a secure foundation to support education missions. Trump Tariffs News Live: US factories likely to feel pain from Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs Trump will impose a 25% tariff today on all steel and aluminum imports, escalating his ongoing trade war. A day earlier, he had threatened to double the levy on Canadian steel and aluminum to 50%, only to backtrack hours later, suggesting he might reconsider the additional hike. The tariffs are expected to increase costs for American businesses that rely on these metals, including automakers, construction firms, and beverage companies that use aluminum cans. The uncertainty has already rattled stock markets, with investors wary of the potential economic fallout. 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I Accept Christin Mathew Philip USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept India News Live: Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani reveals AI initiatives to boost agriculture in India - Principles of high volume, low cost that India did in DPI will be applied to AI at population scale with open data sets - Open Agri network will be rolled out in two states in the next few months. - Centre has a plan to roll out something called Vista, and this will give all AI knowledge of agriculture at the fingertips of the farmer in a language of his/her choice Priyanjali Ghose USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept Humidity in Delhi's air could underestimate pollution by up to 20%, study suggests 101Reporters USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Ankita Chakravarti USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. 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I Accept EU to impose counter tariffs on over $28 billion of US goods J Jagannath USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Siddharth Chakravorty USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept Iran's President to Trump: I will not negotiate, 'do whatever the hell you want' 101Reporters USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept 'Jam-proof, value-for-money': Why US is turning to Ukraine for battle-ready drones Sonalee Borgohain USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept Pradeep Tripathi USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Chhabi Kala USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept Pressed to accept a ceasefire in Ukraine, Putin seems likely to seek his own conditions Siddharth Chakravorty USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Ukraine agrees to 30-day ceasefire with Russia, US to resume intelligence sharing 101Reporters USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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I Accept US to resume security support to Ukraine as Kyiv says it is ready to accept ceasefire proposal Deblina Halder USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept What's behind the surge in attacks and train hijacking in Pakistan's restive southwest? Siddharth Chakravorty USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. 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For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Democratic consultant and political provocateur James Carville doesn't mince words when asked about the current state of the Democratic Party. People dont like the Democratic Party, he told a crowd gathered to hear him speak at the University of Virginia last week. Even Democrats dont like it. Hundreds were in attendance at UVa's Alumni Hall last Thursday to hear from the 80-year-old former chief strategist for Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign. That crowd, who moments earlier delighted themselves in a documentary screening about Carvilles life, fell silent as the man known as the "Ragin' Cajun" sunk in his chair, stretched out his legs and delivered a dose of reality. Why have so many soured on the Democratic Party? Because a political party is supposed to win an election," he said. "And when you lose, people dont like you, OK? More silence. You watch this nonsense ... walking canes and holding up auction cards in protest," referring to the Democratic lawmakers in attendance at President Donald Trump's first joint address to Congress of his second term. Many held up paddles with "FALSE" printed on them throughout the speech, some wore pink as a "color of power and protest" and Texas Rep. Al Green waved his cane at the president before he was escorted out of the House chamber. Carville described the scene in one word: "Stupid." For nearly an hour during a question-and-answers session after a screening of "Winning Is Everything, Stupid!" Carville gave a dire prognosis of the Democratic Party, which has taken a bruising at the polls last November, losing the White House, the Senate and the popular vote. But Carville didn't present a problem without a solution. There is something Democrats can do, he said. Democrats, who Carville said have increasingly become a party that is educated and coastal, need to sharpen up or they could lose the whole god damn thing," he said. Right now, what the Democrats need to do is play possum. Be strategic, he said. I want the party to be measured. To give the impression that they understand the grave risk that the country is in. That grave risk, according to Carville, is Trump and his agenda. Larry Sabato, the director of UVas Center for Politics who moderated the event, asked Carville to tell the audience why he thinks Trump is such a threat to the country. One reason above all, Carville said without hesitation. He does not like the United States. We have a president who does not like the country hes leading. Though Trump had never publicly said that he doesnt like the U.S., critics have pointed to examples where some of Trumps past rhetoric could be interpreted as distaste for the country, including his slogan Make America great again" which implies that America is no longer great. He doesnt even like his own voters. He calls them the poorly educated, Carville said, referring to Trump's remarks after winning the Nevada Republican caucus in which he said, "We won with poorly educated. I love the poorly educated." So thats what you have, said Carville, now sitting on the edge of his seat. You have somebody that to lead a country is pulling against the country, alright? Understand that. Virginians could play a key role in the revitalization of the Democratic Party, Carville said. The state's gubernatorial election this year will be "nationally consequential," he said. Five candidates have filed paperwork to run for governor in the commonwealth, with former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger the presumptive and only Democratic nominee. Vying to run against Spanberger are Republicans Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, former Del. Dave LaRock, former state Sen. Amanda Chase and Merle Rutledge. Carville said that a win in November especially by a significant margin would offer Democrats hope, discourage the opposition and help recruit candidates for next years midterm elections. People are going to get bug-eyed when the votes are coming out of Virginia, he said. A recent poll by the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research at Roanoke College gave Spanberger a 39% to 24% lead over Earle-Sears, with about a third of registered voters still undecided. Spanberger is also benefitted by the "Virginia Curse." In the 12 presidential elections since 1976, the party that has won the White House has almost always lost Virginias election for governor a year later. The only exception was in 2013, when Virginians elected Democrat Terry McAuliffe governor the year after President Barack Obama, also a Democrat, won a second term; that race was closer than expected. Spanberger is going to win," Carville said. "But the margin matters." But Carville has made predictions that have been wrong before. About a week before the 2024 election, Carville wrote a column for the New York Times that assured readers then-Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrat, would win the presidential election. "America, it will all be OK. Ms. Harris will be elected the next president of the United States," Carville wrote. "Of this, I am certain." In a follow-up concession published in the Times, Carville said that Trump won the popular vote "by putting the economic anger of Americans front and center." In an attempt to offer some solace, Carville advised Democrats, "Vocally oppose the party, not the person or the extremism of his movement." But an agitated Carville himself made more than 20 references to Trump at UVa on Thursday, saying he feels sorry for his voters. Carville said it does no good to tell Trump voters, "You dumb, bigoted son of a bitch, how can you have done this? Thats what I would like to say. But thats not a smart thing to say," he said. What the hell you thought youre going to get you idiot? Dont say that, Carville said, drawing chuckles from the crowd. One person in attendance Thursday said they were doubtful the U.S. would ever hold another presidential election. They asked what Democrats could do to oppose Trump, to win back support of the country. Should Democrats impeach Trump? Again? We dont have any power. Understand that," Carville replied. Instead, he urged Virginians to focus on November. Get organized, he said. Unlike most people, youre in a consequential place. You can actually do something. And it actually matters. With multiple robotics courses now being offered and a new robotics lab slated to open this year, Michigan Technological University's College of Computing is introducing Balto the robot dog to the campus community. Balto, named for the legendary husky and lead sled dog who ran the last leg of a more than 500-mile dog sled relay to deliver diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska, in 1925, will be the greeter in Michigan Tech's new robotics lab, coming to Rekhi Hall. As plans for the facility come together, Balto has been paying visits to students around campus. Michael Walker, assistant professor of computer science, leads the demonstrations. Walker said choosing the Balto moniker came easily. "Being named after a Husky is of course fitting, while also capturing some of Michigan Tech's essence of resilience and dedication that's embodied by students and faculty up here in Houghton," he said. Walker, whose research focuses on human-robot interactions, said the state-of-the-art Boston Dynamics quadruped and manipulation platform Spot now known as Balto is well-suited to his special interest in improving human-robot teaming in real-world scenarios with immersive interfaces, including mixed or virtual reality. "To enable exploration of this research space, the need rose for a robust robotic platform capable of working in complex indoor and outdoor environments," Walker said. "The goal is to not just explore and navigate these environments but be able to interact physically with them." Balto's meet-and-greets serve an important introductory purpose. "The demos showcase the capabilities of the cutting-edge industrial robot assets available to students at Tech while also bringing awareness to the MTU community about the activity, opportunities and growth within the Computer Science Department in terms of robotics research and courses," said Walker. A student helps to demonstrate some of Balto's capabilities. There are bigger plans for Balto beyond welcoming visitors to the Robotics Lab. "Balto will be participating in research that explores teaming between human teleoperators and on-the-ground human team members in first response scenarios," said Walker. Though Balto runs solo for now, there are plans for that to change. Additional ambassadors and assets will be coming to the robotics lab. "The lab will house industrial-grade motion capture cameras and other robotic platforms including swarms of mobile aerial and ground robots, and a large, socially expressive humanoid robot designed for manipulation tasks that's coming to Tech next semester," said Walker. Huskies can look forward to meeting the next new robot in the near future. Michigan Technological University is an R1 public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan's flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure. We are sorry, we can't find the page you were looking for. The page may have moved as part of the recent university-wide website redesign. If you followed a link, the link may be out of date. Please let us know where you found the broken link so we can fix it. If you typed the address, please be sure it was typed correctly. Contact our Web Management office Please contact us if you need help or to report any issues. Charley Allen, Director of Web Management and Digital Advertising. Brittney McWaters, Design Specialist UPDATE: Philippines sends Duterte to ICC over drugs war killings; warrant says ex-president was head of a death squad Katherine Katie Steele could have been the person collecting fees from campers in Virginias national forests this spring or removing trash from campgrounds in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. But she wont because the U.S. Forest Service laid her off last month, along with 18 other probationary employees who lost their jobs in the first wave of layoffs that President Donald Trumps new administration is carrying out as part of a sweeping effort to slash the federal government workforce. Steele, a Staunton resident who worked for nine months at Cave Mountain Lake in Natural Bridge in the Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District, was one of four laid-off federal workers who appeared on MSNBC before Trump spoke to a joint session of Congress last week. She offered little hope that the Forest Service will replace her as visitors begin arriving at recreation areas in national forests in Virginia this spring. The reality is the Forest Service is now looking at closing recreation areas because we dont have the staffing to provide the essential services anymore, she said. I dont think they have any idea who we are and the essential work we do. Steele, in an interview on Monday, said the public is likely to notice after campgrounds open on April 1. I was there cleaning the bathrooms and picking up trash, [ensuring] visitor safety and collecting fees for the government, she said. I expect folks can expect a lot more deferred maintenance and uncleaned facilities. The Forest Service did not confirm the cuts in Virginia. However, an unnamed representative said Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins fully supports the Presidents directive to improve government, eliminate inefficiencies and strengthen the USDAs many services to the American people. The Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ultimately rehired four of the workers it had laid off, for a net loss of 15 in the two national forests that run along the spine of western Virginia, according to the Forest Service Council of the National Federation of Federal Employees. Nationally, the Forest Service laid off 1,376 union-represented workers among 2,000 employees that the administration has confirmed releasing under what the council termed the pretext of poor performance. The ones who actually go into the woods and do the work, said Warner Vanderheul, president of the union council. Its likely to get much worse. The Forest Service faces the potential loss of thousands more employees under a reduction-in-force plan that it must submit to Trumps Office of Management and Budget by Thursday. E&E News reported that the agency would use a combination of layoffs and early retirements to eliminate 7,000 to 10,000 jobs, or up to one-third of its 30,000-member workforce. I think the George Washington and Jefferson [National Forests] might be one of the first places where we start seeing the effects, Vanderheul said on Monday. Before the cuts, the Forest Service employed about 230 people at the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, with about 60 job vacancies, the union said. The Forest Service has been operating on a very small budget with a very lean staff for years and years and years, said Kristin Gendzier, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center in Charlottesville. Its nonsensical or illogical from an efficiency perspective, Gendzier said. Its heart-wrenching from a humanitarian perspective. The national forests have to be a lot of things for everyone, she said. The federal cuts alarm conservation organizations that work with the Forest Service to help it manage more than 1.6 million acres of national forests in Virginia for recreational and commercial use, as well as environmental protection. The George Washington and Jefferson forests include nearly two dozen national wilderness areas that account for about 150,000 acres that include old growth forest. It is quite concerning, not only for the Forest Service, said Ellen Stuart-Haentjens of Richmond, executive director of the Virginia Wilderness Committee, which collaborates with the agency to balance the many sometimes-competing goals for managing public lands. Stuart-Haentjens is concerned that the Trump administration is upsetting that balance in favor of using the national forests predominantly for timber, while rolling back regulations that protect other essential interests. The regulations are in place not just for habitat and wildlife, but to keep our water clean, she said. Genny Kotyk, a union steward for the Forest Service Council who works as a forester at the George Washington and Jefferson forests, said timber harvesting is a priority of the new administration, but predicted that the job cuts will affect the public more. I can guess that the public is going to be more upset about recreation sites than timber sales, Kotyk said. E&E News, citing unnamed sources, said the upcoming plan for slashing the Forest Service workforce through mass layoffs and early retirement is focusing primarily on the agencys research and development efforts, as well as urban and community forestry. Joel Koci, a longtime board-certified arborist and educator in the Richmond area, said he expects the Trump administration also to reduce funding for urban forests that he called vital for protecting air quality, lowering heat and reducing storm runoff in populated areas. Like anything else, when the budget gets targeted, recreation and conservation is the first place to cut, when it should be the last place to cut, Koci said. The 2025 General Assembly has ended and legislators sent Gov. Glenn Youngkin a modest bill that would allow all workers in Virginia to earn up to five paid sick days to use when they or their children are sick. The benefits of the bill are clear: More than a million low- and moderate-income Virginia workers would finally have access to a few paid sick days. Workers in higher-paying jobs usually have this benefit, but two-thirds of grocery store workers, 25% of health care workers and most restaurant workers do not. Fewer children would be sent to school sick. Many parents must choose between losing a day of pay or sending their children to school sick. Talk with any teacher or school nurse in a working-class community in the commonwealth and you will hear countless stories about sick children sent to school, which puts other children and school staff at risk of illness, too. Public health would improve. Service workers are among the least likely to have paid sick days. They care for our loved ones, prepare our food and serve us. Without paid sick days they spread illnesses to all of us, weakening Virginias overall public health. When staff at the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy are sick, I beg them to stay home. I do not want their illnesses, but many would feel compelled to come into work if they did not have paid sick days. Over the last five years, the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy has worked on this bill because it is one of the clearest ways to improve the lives of working families. We have partnered the last couple of years with Del. Jeion Ward, D-Hampton, and in previous years with state Sens. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, and Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, as well as former Del. Elizabeth Guzman. During that time, we have heard all the arguments against a paid sick day standard. The most common argument is that the bill is a mandate on businesses. Indeed, it is. When I have asked opponents what their suggestion is for getting workers paid sick days, they have no answer. Or worse, they have frivolous suggestions, like the former chair of the House Commerce and Labor Committee who told me workers should just go find other jobs. Employer groups suggest that small businesses will be crushed by this burden of providing a few paid sick days to their workers. But lets be clear: Every other industrialized country in the world offers paid sick days or paid leave policies, and now 18 states plus D.C. have statewide policies. Employers have adapted well. The largest study on the impact of paid sick days policies on businesses, entitled No Big Deal: The Impact of New York Citys Paid Sick Days Law on Employers, found that businesses were able to implement the policy with little to minimal impact and that a year after the law was enacted, 86% of employers supported it. Virginias robust business community can manage this modest policy. Most of the other opponents arguments are merely talking points, not serious concerns, such as claiming that calculating accrued hours will be complicated (it wouldnt be) or that the policy is just a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all rule (it is a minimal standard, not a rigid mandate). Under this bill, employers that already have a paid time off (PTO) policy that allows workers to take sick time for themselves or their children do not need to add additional coverage. Some legislators confuse paid sick days (for a cough or flu) with a paid leave policy (for long-term health issues or pregnancy). Both are needed policies, but they are different. A paid sick days bill is widely popular among Democratic and Republican voters in our state. In fact, a 2020 YouGov poll found that 83% of registered voters in Virginia supported requiring employers to provide paid sick days for employees. In the 2024 elections, three states that voted for Trump Nebraska, Alaska and Missouri also passed new paid sick day laws because of ballot initiatives. If Virginia voters had access to ballot initiatives, Virginia would have a paid sick day standard. But Virginians must rely on the General Assembly and the governor. The legislature has done its job. Now it is the governors turn. Do I think Youngkin will sign it? No, not really. He only signs bills with strong bipartisan support, and not even all those. (He holds the record for the most gubernatorial vetoes in Virginia history.) Despite the new Republican appeal to working class voters, this governor has not signed any bills into law that raise wages or benefits for workers. But should he? Yes. This is good for our economy and for the health of all Virginians. Surprise us, Gov. Youngkin. Sign the paid sick days bill. This column was originally published in the Virginia Mercury. O'Byrnes Ferry Road semi crash -- photo by Jeannine Caldwell View Photo Sacramento, CA California is investing nearly $300 million of federal funding in traffic safety projects to protect public safety across the state, including three projects in Tuolumne County working on major roadways. Governor Gavin Newsom says the funding will go to 288 projects aimed at reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries on city and county roads across California. Were making roads safer up and down the state with significant investments, touted Newsom. Im proud of the lifesaving work Caltrans has done to protect drivers, pedestrians, and bikers as they go about their daily commutes. Here are the three Tuolumne County projects: Improvements at the Tuolumne Road, Black Oak Road, and Woodhams Carne Road intersection that has no stoplights. The plan is to add lighting, improve sight distance for vehicles, and install high-friction surface treatment approaching and through the intersection. The project cost is $806,500, with $725,850 of it being paid for by state funding. Remove and replace existing guardrail systems with upgraded steel-post Midwest Guardrail System guardrails at multiple locations on Bonds Flat Road, La Grange Road, OByrnes Ferry Road, Parrotts Ferry Road, Rawhide Road, Kewin Mill Road, and Longeway Road. The cost is $1,109,400; federal funding will pay for $998,460 of the project. Tuolumne Road from Mono Way in East Sonora to Tuolumne Road North in Tuolumne. The project will enhance the centerline striping by adding recessed retroreflective pavement markers, costing $147,200. State funding will pay $132,480. The Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is a federal aid initiative that aims to lower the number of fatalities and serious injuries on public roads nationwide. It provides money for various local initiatives. The Safe System strategy, which stresses several levels of protection, including safer road designs, is being used by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to reach its objective of achieving zero fatalities and serious injuries on state highways by 2050. Caltrans adoption of the Safe System methodology, when possible, will complete street elements that offer accessible and safe choices for people to walk, bike, and take public transportation that shall be incorporated into transportation projects that Caltrans finances or manages. Under Governor Newsoms leadership, California remains committed to helping ensure that every Californian has access to safe and reliable transportation, no matter who they are or where they live, said California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin. These investments highlight our people-first approach because we know it will pay the most important dividend of alltheir safety. In order to make roadways safer, California has allocated $1.5 billion to local safety improvements since 2007. These projects have included the installation of rumble strips, flashing beacons, warning signs, highway lights, delineators, and new sidewalks. For the full list of grants, click here. Greater Albany Public Schools students should expect new items on their lunch menu in the near future. The school board approved a one-year emergency contract with Genuine Foods at its latest meeting Monday night, March 10, following a presentation from the companys leadership. The decision to ditch the current school breakfast and lunch provider midyear comes after the districts operations director, Dave Bolin, relayed concerns from kitchen staff about food quality back in January, particularly around the use of premade meals. Indeed, two district food service employees, invited by Bolin, came to speak in support of the new contract, including South Albany High School kitchen lead Laurie Robinson, who said she was looking forward to menu changes. I want to see the menu expand, so these kids are not just getting cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches every day, and hot dogs, she told board members. I want them to have something real and good, and go home and say, Mom, you gotta make this. While the board OKd the new contract, pending final approval from the Oregon Department of Education, school board member Roger Nyquist had questions about the price tag, which is higher than the previous contract, and requires additional staff training to deliver on the promise of increased made-from-scratch meals. Food quality concerns Earlier this year, Bolin told the school board recent turnover with the districts current food service provider, Sodexo, along with questions about food quality, were prompting staff to consider finding a new vendor. Bolin previously said menu variety was a top concern. Food service staff like Lori Anderson, a kitchen lead at Meadow Ridge Elementary School, also said she was interested in seeing more from-scratch options from any food service switch, and fewer frozen, pre-cooked meals. At a February board meeting, Bolin said the district had performed a market analysis and that Genuine Foods, which operates in 17 states, did a site visit at GAPS, with food service staff invited to attend. Genuine Foods Jennifer Calloway, chief program officer at Genuine Foods, told school board members Monday night the company planned a "phased approach" for the midyear switch, starting with developing new menus with GAPS staff and preparing workers to transition from heat-and-serve kitchens to scratch cooking. Were not going to go from 0-to-100 on day one, she said, defining scratch during the meeting as a focus on using raw ingredients. The company could start phasing in scratch meals by the tail end of this school year, Tim Waldsmith, a senior vice president at Genuine Foods, said. The district could have 40% of its menu items be scratch-cooked at the start of the next school year. The goal would be to reach 95% by the end of the next school year, he said. It does take some time, and it does take some phasing, he added. Complaints about the current food offerings came up in the district listening session held before the school board meeting. Sarah Anderson, a mother of an elementary and middle school student, said she had been advocating for change for two years, though her main concern was with what she considered too-small portion sizes for students. The food is really bad, she said, adding she had concerns about the food quality from her children, particularly around meat. AJ Howard, a school board student representative and a senior at West Albany High School, doesnt eat many school lunches, said after the session. The general consensus among students was its not good. Federal funding uncertainty Nyquist noted the program would be increasing labor costs and training and asked the Genuine Foods staff about uncertainty over federal reimbursements for school meals. For context, the National School Lunch Program, a program operated under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, reimburses districts for school lunches for students with financial needs. Additionally, under the programs Community Eligibility Provision, schools that enroll a certain percentage of students whose families use public assistance can offer free reimbursed meals to all students without families needing to complete applications. In recent years districts across Oregon, including GAPS, have tapped that program. But how long that program lasts under the Trump Administration has been a question. When were talking about the federal government, weve all learned that we cant predict the unpredictable, especially right now, Waldsmith told Nyquist at the Monday meeting. The opinion of Genuine Foods, and others across the industry, Waldsmith said, is that any potential changes to the National School Lunch Program that could take food off children's plates could prove politically unpalatable. Increased costs Under the Sodexo contract, the district paid $2.09 for lunches, according to Bolin, and was reimbursed at $4.54 per lunch meal. According to Genuine Foods' proposal, the district would be paying $2.39 per lunch. District Business and Finance Director Jane Nofziger said GAPS paid Sodexo around $1.9 million a year. Under the new contract with Genuine Foods, the yearly cost would be around $2.2 million, she said. At the board's last meeting, Nofziger said she believed the change would be financially sustainable. Our food cost and proposed price is higher than what youre currently getting, theres no hiding behind that," Waldsmith said Monday night. "Were not a low-cost product, but it still works within the budgetary guidelines of what we need to do to serve the children. He added that increased participation from students should help offset the costs. He pointed to pop-up food serving stations at schools and special events like live cooking demonstrations Genuine Foods could host to boost student engagement. Nofziger also said she believed under a new menu the district could take advantage of more farm-to-school grant funding from the state. In the end, all board members approved the contract. School board Chair Pete Morse said the change was exciting, while Brad Wilson said he was all for improving food quality. Theres a definite need for improvement in our food quality and weve heard about that for quite a while, so we just have to deal with it in budgetary constraints and Im hoping we can get there, he said. Related stories: Johannesburg Millions across sub-Saharan Africa face a dire threat as South Africas National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) has ceased all production of vital snake, scorpion, and spider antivenom. The NHLS has yet to provide a timeline for the resumption of production, leaving healthcare professionals and reptile experts warning of an impending crisis that could claim countless lives. Arno Naude of Snake Bite Assist, a leading authority on snakebites, paints a grim picture: As of next month, people will start dying. Hospitals everywhere tell me they are running out. The NHLS has attributed the production halt to extensive construction work at the South African Vaccine Producers (SAVP) facility. According to Mzi Gcukumana of the NHLS, these upgrades were planned and necessary due to the deterioration of ageing infrastructure, which had hampered compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) within the SAVP sterile manufacturing unit. Gcukumana explained that the infrastructure had been further compromised by frequent operational disruptions caused by load shedding, which made it difficult to maintain the controlled-air-and-temperature conditions essential for manufacturing. Due to the extent of the work required, antivenom manufacturing processes had to be temporarily discontinued during the renovations, Gcukumana said. He added that the project had experienced delays due to postponed delivery of specialised equipment and the need to maintain stringent quality standards, further complicated by the rigorous regulatory environment for sterile manufacture. As a result, stockpiles of spider, scorpion, and polyvalent antivenoms have been depleted, leaving only boomslang antivenom available for distribution. The NHLS is now focused on commissioning the facility, which involves cleaning, validation, and quality control protocols to meet regulatory requirements for sterile pharmaceutical production. Gcukumana assured the public that the NHLS is doing everything possible to speed up the final stages of the process to resume snakebite antivenom production and will keep providing updates on progress. However, Naude remains skeptical, pointing out that a year ago, on 4 March 2023, the NHLS had assured them that they had more than enough antivenom. We thought they were back on track. But the truth is their stockpile was next to nothing, he said. The situation is particularly alarming as South Africa enters the second peak of the snake season, with the Easter holidays traditionally seeing a surge in snakebite incidents. The implications extend beyond South Africas borders, as several sub-Saharan countries, including Uganda, have historically relied on South Africa for their antivenom supply. These countries are now forced to seek alternative sources, often importing from elsewhere. Naude highlighted the concerning trend of importing antivenom from India, which is cheaper but requires a higher dosage. But this is only available for emergency use if you have medical aid. You cant find this in a state hospital. Furthermore, he raised concerns about the suitability of these imported products for treating bites from South African snakes, as the product leaflet does not list them as appropriate. So the doctors are refusing to administer it, Naude said. The crisis is expected to disproportionately impact poor and rural communities, where access to healthcare is already limited. Most state hospitals in rural areas tell me they have maybe enough left for two or three bites and after that, their antivenom will be finished, Naude warned. He also mentioned a cheaper and more effective product used in Swaziland, which has yielded impressive results with zero deaths out of 800 patients bitten. However, this product has not yet been approved by the World Health Organization and cannot be used on humans in South Africa, being restricted to veterinary use only. While welcoming the upgrading of equipment at the NHLS, Naude also revealed concerns about the quality of antivenom supplied by South Africa in the past. The quality was not what it should have been and we saw a lot of allergic reactions. Skilled people have left the NHLS and their equipment is very old. He expressed frustration with the lack of transparency from the NHLS, stating, We have been assured that there was enough stock to see the upgrading project through. But then again, we are lied to all of the time. The consequences of this antivenom shortage are potentially catastrophic. We have a huge crisis on hand, Naude said. He criticised the practice of other sub-Saharan countries buying antivenom from the Middle East and India, describing it as completely useless. He also lamented the fact that even if available, these products are often not stocked by government hospitals, forcing individuals to purchase them themselves. No vets have antivenom any more, Naude added, placing blame squarely on the NHLS for the potential deaths that may occur in South Africa and across the region. This country should also be held responsible for the deaths that occur in sub-Saharan Africa because of what the NHLS has done. The crisis extends beyond snakebites, as the NHLS has also run out of antivenom for scorpion stings and spider bites. Naude cited the recent tragic death of a young child in Botswana from a scorpion sting, highlighting the ineffectiveness of antivenom designed for scorpions in North Africa. We are facing the prospect of hundreds if not thousands of deaths, Naude warned. He said that while individuals with medical aid might still be able to find some form of treatment, it might be too late. I have seen people die within 9 minutes. Even if victims survive, the lack of antivenom can lead to severe long-term consequences, including limb loss and kidney failure. Naude also highlighted the high suicide rate among snakebite victims, particularly those who suffer significant injuries. Naude called on the government to take immediate action, emphasising that snakebites have been declared a neglected tropical disease but remain the most neglected. He stressed the particularly high risk of fatal thicktail scorpion stings in regions such as the Northern Western Cape, the Northern Cape, Limpopo, Botswana, and Namibia, especially among children and the elderly. Critically, there are no suitable imported alternatives for these scorpion stings. Naude dismissed the NHLSs claim of still having boomslang antivenom as offering little comfort. First, what does it help to have boomslang antivenom? These bites are so rare. You almost have to apply in writing to get a bite, he quipped, while acknowledging that boomslang bites can be excruciatingly painful and lead to death. Steve Meighan from Deep South Reptile Rescue echoed Naudes concerns, stating, It could not be overstated how much trouble the country was in. And even if they start working today it will still take months before they are producing antivenom. Meighan, who has been involved with snakes since 1991, described the situation as unprecedented. He revealed that in two recent cases, snakebite victims had to be treated with veterinary products due to the shortage. Michele Clarke from the Democratic Alliance announced that the party would question the NHLS in the parliamentary committee on health on Wednesday (5 March) about the antivenom crisis. We will demand clarity on how much antivenom has been produced and distributed since 2023. The NHLS must also account for reported shortages in hospitals and what is being done to address them, Clarke said. She attributed the crisis to load shedding and renovations at the SAVP and highlighted the concerning fact that South Africa, once an exporter of antivenom, is now forced to import substandard alternatives. Clarke emphasised the severity of the situation, noting that South Africa records approximately 4,000 snakebites annually, with around 900 hospitalisations and 100 patients requiring antivenom. Without urgent access to treatment, severe complications or death can occur, she warned. A single snakebite can kill within hourswithout access to antivenom, lives and limbs are being lost unnecessarily. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares Harare In a recurring cycle of attempts to restore order, the Harare City Council is set to initiate yet another operation to remove vendors from the citys central business district (CBD) this Wednesday evening. This latest effort, like its numerous predecessors, will be supported by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), despite a history of failed attempts to rid Harare of illegal vendors. Speaking at the launch of a revenue collection blitz on behalf of acting town clerk Phakamile Moyo, housing director Addmore Nhekairo announced the joint operation, stating that it had been agreed upon with the local government ministry. We had a meeting with the (local government) ministry on zero vending in the CBD whose operation starts Wednesday night, said Nhekairo. This needs to be resourced so that it becomes a success. It is a serious initiative that will be supported by the ZRP. The operation aims to address the persistent issue of illegal vending, which has plagued Harare for years, contributing to congestion, litter, and general disorder within the CBD. However, previous efforts to tackle the problem have been largely unsuccessful, highlighting the deep-rooted challenges driving the informal vending sector. The move comes despite the acknowledgement that Zimbabwes struggling economy is a major contributing factor to the proliferation of street vending. With high unemployment rates and limited formal job opportunities, many Zimbabweans, including graduates, have turned to vending as a means of survival. They sell a variety of goods, including foodstuffs, clothes, vegetables, fruits, and second-hand clothing, often operating in a constant state of uncertainty. These vendors are frequently seen fleeing from council vehicles, which confiscate their wares and arrest them. Reports indicate that these vehicles often operate with impunity, disregarding traffic laws in their pursuit of vendors, including elderly women selling tomatoes and young boys selling sweets. The councils efforts to clean up Harare are not new. Attempts to sanitise the city go back as far as Operation Murambatsvina in the early 2000s, with numerous more in between then and 2024. Last year, health services director Prosper Chonzi confessed that the Harare City Council had failed to deal with illegal vending because of the state of Zimbabwes economy. The general economy is playing against us; we have been playing hide and seek after vendors, and it is not working, said Chonzi. I am not happy with the vending situation in the city. It is plain against what we are trying to achieve. The recurring nature of these clean-up operations raises questions about their long-term effectiveness. While the council aims to restore order and improve the citys image, critics argue that these efforts fail to address the underlying economic issues that drive people to vend in the first place. The lack of sustainable alternative livelihoods and the limited availability of formal employment opportunities mean that vendors are often left with little choice but to return to the streets, perpetuating the cycle of clean-up operations and informal trading. The success of this latest operation remains to be seen. However, given the historical challenges and the ongoing economic difficulties faced by many Zimbabweans, it is likely to be an uphill battle. Critics argue that a more sustainable approach is needed, one that combines enforcement with efforts to support vendors and provide them with viable alternative livelihoods. Without addressing the root causes of the problem, Harares streets are likely to remain a battleground between vendors and authorities for the foreseeable future. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares Harare In a significant move aimed at improving the quality of education across Zimbabwe, the Government has initiated the recruitment of 4,000 teachers as part of a broader plan to employ 8,000 educators this year. This initiative, greenlit by the Treasury, is expected to address the teacher-learner ratio, enhance educational standards, and bridge the disparities between urban and rural schools. Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Angeline Gata expressed optimism about the recruitment drive, stating that at least 4,000 teachers would be brought on board during the first quarter of the year. The remaining 4,000 teachers are slated for recruitment in the second term. Speaking at the official opening of a new five-room classroom block at Southerton Primary School in Harare, Deputy Minister Gata confirmed that the Ministry had already completed the necessary paperwork to facilitate the recruitment process with relevant government departments. Right, we are very, very grateful to Treasury and the Public Service Commission, who have given us the green light that during the first quarter of the year, we will be able to have 4 000 teachers as per plan, she said. The Deputy Minister explained the process, stating: We submit our requirements to the Public Service Commission, indicating where we need teachers and for which subjects. She further clarified that The hiring and payment of these teachers will be managed by the Ministry of Public Service and the Minister of Finance, who will communicate accordingly. The recruitment drive is expected to significantly bolster the nations teaching workforce and improve pass rates, particularly in underserved rural areas. By increasing the number of qualified teachers, the Government aims to create a more conducive learning environment for students across the country. Deputy Minister Gata also lauded the parents and the Southerton community for their crucial role in constructing the new classroom block at Southerton Primary School. She described the new facility as essential for providing a safe and secure learning environment for students. This development is crucial as schools expand, ensuring that children have adequate and safe spaces to learn, she said. It allows us to deliver the quality education we aim for and improves the overall environment and safety of our children. The five-room classroom block at Southerton Primary School was built using resources mobilised by parents and community members, demonstrating a strong commitment to improving local educational infrastructure. School Development Committee (SDC) Chairperson Mr Brown Nyama expressed his satisfaction with the collaborative effort, stating: It brings us joy as parents to hand over this building to the ministry, as it represents the passion and teamwork invested by parents. Students should view this investment as a pillar of inspiration. Mr Nyama emphasised that the value of the resources and efforts invested in the project should motivate students to work hard and improve academically. He also acknowledged the ongoing challenges facing the educational sector, such as the non-payment or late payment of school fees. The challenges facing the educational sector, such as non-payment or late payment of school fees, remain significant, Mr Nyama said. Despite these challenges, he reiterated the importance of community support in overcoming obstacles and complementing the Governments efforts in school expansion. We are committed to complementing the Governments efforts in school expansion, in line with the Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo mantra, Mr Nyama said, invoking the national philosophy that emphasises self-reliance and community ownership in development. The combined efforts of the Government, through the teacher recruitment drive, and local communities, through initiatives like the construction of the new classroom block, represent a promising step towards enhancing the quality of education in Zimbabwe. Education commentators suggest that with continued commitment and collaboration, there is reason to be optimistic about the future of education in the country and the prospects for improved educational outcomes for all students. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares Harare A spate of violent crimes targeting truck drivers and residents has gripped Zimbabwe, prompting police action and raising concerns about security on the nations highways and in residential areas. A cross-border truck driver was recently attacked and robbed on the treacherous detour between Rutenga and Ngundu, a stretch of road on the Beitbridge to Harare highway that, despite being declared complete by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2024, remains a hotspot for criminal activity. The driver, a Swazi national employed by Mother Truckers, sustained a machete wound during the attack, requiring 20-centimetre sutures at Beitbridge Rural District Hospital. Details remain sketchy, but it is understood that the driver lost his mobile phone, vehicle repair tools, and personal belongings. Following the robbery, he managed to drive to a clinic in Rutenga for initial treatment before proceeding to Beitbridge Hospital for further medical attention. This incident highlights the ongoing complaints from truckers about the poor condition of detours along that route, making them vulnerable to attacks. Meanwhile, in a separate development, police have arrested three suspects in connection with a series of robbery and rape cases that terrorised residents of Central Estates and shop operators at Moffat Business Centre in Mvuma last year. Midlands Provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, confirmed the arrest of Edward Nhokwara (20), Devine Nyasha Gapu (19), and Emmanuel Mavhundutse (22). In October 2024, Central Estates residents and shop operators at Moffat Business Centre were terrorised by criminals who pounced on them during the night, threatening them with an axe, demanding cash and other valuables, Inspector Mahoko said. They would also rape women after robbing them of their property. Inspector Mahoko stated that a total of nine cases were reported to the police, prompting a thorough investigation. On February 27, Gapu and Mavhundutse boarded a haulage truck in Chivhu on their way to Mvuma, he explained. Upon disembarking from the truck, Gapu snatched the drivers wallet which had US$290, 400 rand and identity documents. The suspects fled into a nearby bush, but investigations led to their arrest in Chivhu, where they implicated Nhokwara. The investigation linked the trio to nine cases of rape and robbery. Inspector Mahoko confirmed that property worth US$1 095 was stolen, with items worth US$271 recovered. Gapu and Mavhundutse have since been sentenced to 20 years in prison each. In another case highlighting the dangers faced by truck drivers, three suspects have been arrested in Marondera in connection with the robbery of a 30-tonne truck carrying 1,300 boxes of 12 x 2-litre Zimgold cooking oil. The suspects Terrence Muzuva (50) from Mabvuku, Harare, Last Mazuva (38) of Kuwadzana extension, Harare, and Fungai Mazarura allegedly hijacked the truck after one of them grabbed the driver from behind, forcing him to slow down and stop. Another suspect then sprayed pepper spray in the drivers eyes, tied his legs with a data cable, handcuffed him, and covered his mouth and face with a cloth. Mashonaland East Province police spokesperson, Inspector Simon Chazovachiyi, confirmed the incident and stated that the suspects would appear in court soon. The incident occurred on February 14 when Derick Wallace (48) was driving the truck from Harare to Zvishavane. He picked up five hitchhikers after departing Harare around 12pm. One of the hitchhikers disembarked at the Pimbi bus stop along the Harare-Masvingo road. At the 138 km peg, one of the suspects grabbed the driver from behind, forcing him to slow down and pull over. The suspects then drove the truck about 3km away, unhitched the trailer, and drove off, parking the truck at number 9 Mavise, Mvuma, where they switched off the engine. They stole the drivers cellphone, US$75, and the truck keys. The driver was left in the vehicle and later sought help from villagers. The driver reported the incident at ZRP Mvuma, and CID Mvuma attended the scene. On February 16, around midnight, a surveillance team spotted the stolen trailer reversing along Leopold Takawira Street in Harare. They alerted CID Homicide, who rushed to the scene and found three people offloading cooking oil from the trailer. The suspects were arrested, Inspector Chazovachiyi said. Inspector Chazovachiyi appealed to drivers to exercise caution and refrain from carrying strangers in their vehicles. He also emphasised the importance of promptly reporting any incidents of robbery to the police. Additionally, he advised company owners to consider installing tracking devices in their vehicles as an extra layer of security, as well as conducting thorough background checks on potential drivers before hiring them. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares Chipinge/Gweru Zimbabwe is reeling from two separate tragedies this week, as a man from Chipinge was found dead in his home under mysterious circumstances, and a police officer in Gweru took his own life, citing the countrys crippling economic hardships as the reason for his desperate act. In Chipinge, the body of Taurai Mhlanga, a 40-year-old man from Chimedzi Village under Chief Mutema, was discovered in his bedroom on March 10th. The cause of death remains unknown, and police are investigating. According to Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, Taurai was last seen alive on March 7th, drinking beer with his younger brother, Never Mhlanga (39), at his homestead. Taurai had opened up to his brother that he was stressed due to his separation with his wife, which had occurred three weeks earlier, said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka. Never departed for his own homestead around 9pm, leaving Taurai alone. The grim discovery was made by Taurais co-worker, Elias Kombo (43), who visited his homestead on March 9th to discuss work-related matters. Elias knocked on the door, but received no response. He looked through the window and saw Taurai lying on the floor. He suspected he was drunk, and left, said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka. Elias returned the following day and found Taurai in the same position. This time, he informed Never, who made a police report at ZRP Chipinge. Upon attending the scene, police found bruises on Taurais head, but no other visible injuries. His body was taken to Chipinge District Hospital for a post-mortem to determine the cause of death. Meanwhile, the nation is also mourning the loss of Constable Claude Jele, a police officer stationed in Gweru, who took his own life, leaving behind a suicide note that poignantly detailed his struggles with the countrys dire economic situation. Having survived all these 38 years, I have reached a point where I feel like its all the same being on this earth or leaving, he wrote. So please do not accuse anyone or anything. Its my personal decision to end my life this way. Jeles final words paint a heartbreaking picture of despair and resignation. He apologised to his family and urged them to move on despite the pain his decision would cause. I know you will be hurt, but I do not see a reason to keep living. I have failed, he wrote in Shona. Ganizani and Keisha, it will hurt you, but please forgive me. Grow up well, I have gone ahead. In a further act of love and consideration, he reassured his wife that she should not blame herself for his actions, acknowledging that their relationship was strong. Mai Keisha, do not think it is your fault. We were doing just fine, he wrote. Jele thoughtfully included the names and contact details of two people whom he wanted to be informed about his passing, demonstrating his concern for those he was leaving behind. Constable Jeles suicide comes just days after another Zimbabwean man, Charles Chindundundu, recorded himself taking poison and posted it on WhatsApp, further highlighting the growing sense of desperation and hopelessness gripping the nation. In his final video, Chindundundu said: Sometimes life is just like this. We make decisions that seem right to us. Some people will be hurt, but they will heal. He later updated his WhatsApp status to read: Mission completed. Best decision ever. Soul leaving. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares Lilongwe, Malawi Self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his wife, Mary Bushiri, have been ordered to be extradited to South Africa, a ruling welcomed by South African authorities but signalling the start of a protracted legal battle. The Chief Resident Magistrate Court in Malawi delivered the verdict, paving the way for the couple to face a litany of charges after their dramatic escape from South Africa in 2020. The Bushiris, who lead the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church, are wanted in South Africa on charges including rape, violating bail conditions, contraventions of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, Banking Act, Civil Aviation Act, and Immigration Act. The charges stem from allegations of fraud and money laundering to the tune of R102 million linked to an investment scheme. Mmamoloko Kubayi, South Africas Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, welcomed the ruling, calling it a significant milestone in international legal cooperation. This decision reaffirms judicial independence, international cooperation, and public trust in the South African and Malawian legal institutions, Kubayi said in a statement. It reinforces the principle that no one is above the law and underscores the importance of accountability, transparency, and adherence to legal frameworks in both South Africa and Malawi. The South African government submitted an extradition request to Malawi after the Bushiris failed to comply with their bail conditions and fled the country under mysterious circumstances. The couple had appeared before South African courts in 2020 before their escape. According to Kubayis spokesperson, Terrence Manase, the judge in Malawi ruled that South Africa meets the extradition requirements under Malawis Extradition Act. Of the 13 charges presented by the State, 10 were considered in court and deemed sufficient to warrant prosecution for both fugitives, Manase stated. However, Malawis Ministry of Justice offered a slightly different account, stating that the court acknowledged four out of 10 charges against the Bushiris. Despite the ruling, the legal saga is far from over. The Bushiris have indicated their intention to appeal the extradition order, a move that the South African government has vowed to oppose. The South African government will oppose the appeal. The department will await the outcome of the appeal process if they proceed. If they choose not to pursue the appeal, the department will await formal notification from the Central Authority of the Republic of Malawi, Manase said. The case is expected to move to the High Court and could ultimately reach the Supreme Court of Appeal, potentially dragging on for months or even years. Adding another layer of complexity, Bushiri has claimed a remarkable victory on his Instagram account, stating that the court dismissed 10 of those cases due to lack of evidence. The Bushiris lawyer, Wapona Kita, has already requested bail for the couple, arguing that the extradition order should be paused. Malawis Ministry of Justice confirmed that the defence asked the court to allow the Bushiris to remain on bail until they received direction from the High Court on an appeal. The state has not objected to the bail request, leaving the court to decide on the matter. They further applied for a 30-day stay order on the ruling, which the court granted. The court referred the matter of bail to the High Court, as the magistrates court does not have jurisdiction to grant bail to fugitives. The defence is expected to apply for bail during the stay order, as directed by the magistrates court. This means the Bushiris will remain out on bail, the ministry stated. The circumstances surrounding the Bushiris initial escape from South Africa remain shrouded in mystery. It was widely speculated that they used President Lazarus Chakweras presidential plane to flee, although this has never been officially confirmed. The aircraft was subjected to rigorous searches by South African authorities before Chakwera was allowed to depart for Malawi. Kubayi underscored the critical role of legal agreements and treaties in combating transnational crime. South Africa remains committed to strengthening legal and diplomatic partnerships to ensure that fugitives are brought to justice and that legal systems remain fair, credible, and effective, she added. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development works with the Malawi Central Authority, INTERPOL, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and the South African Police Service (SAPS). Kubayi added that she had been informed that the Bushiris intended to appeal the ruling. She said if they do not appeal, the Department of Justice will await formal notification from Malawis Central Authority. Once received, INTERPOL, in collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS), will coordinate the transfer arrangements and logistics. The State will cover all associated costs, Kubayi added. The case has drawn significant public and media attention, highlighting broader issues of corruption and accountability. Eyewitness News has reliably learnt that Bushiri may be facing other charges in Malawi, as the court is currently hearing an application for bail by the fugitive. The legal battle is far from over. The case is expected to move to the High Court and could ultimately reach the Supreme Court of Appeal. Despite the ruling, the Bushiris lawyer, Wapona Kita, has requested bail for the couple, arguing that the extradition order should be paused. The state has not objected to the bail request, leaving the court to decide on the matter. Bushiris dramatic escape from South Africa in November 2020 remains a mystery. It was widely speculated that he and his wife used President Lazarus Chakweras presidential plane to flee. The aircraft was subjected to rigorous searches by South African authorities before Chakwera was allowed to depart for Malawi. The circumstances surrounding their escape continue to raise questions. Breaking News via Email Related Pin Share Share 0 Shares Yves here. KLG puts on his yellow waders to assess a paper by Anthony Fauci and Gregory Folkers that more than a little seeks to splain the official Covid response. By KLG, who has held research and academic positions in three US medical schools since 1995 and is currently Professor of Biochemistry and Associate Dean. He has performed and directed research on protein structure, function, and evolution; cell adhesion and motility; the mechanism of viral fusion proteins; and assembly of the vertebrate heart. He has served on national review panels of both public and private funding agencies, and his research and that of his students has been funded by the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, and National Institutes of Health I had not intended to come back to this subject so soon, since I wrote about this only two weeks ago with COVID-19 in Context: A Retrospective Review on February 28, 2025 and before that in A Tale of Two Pandemics on December 18, 2024. But as a practicing scientist, although not as active in the laboratory as in the past, I cannot help but review my work in real time. There are always other scientists out there somewhere with similar thoughts, plans, and actions. COVID-19 in Context discussed the current pandemic from the perspective of what scientists have known about pathogenic coronaviruses since the 1950s and probably before. A Tale of Two Pandemics, which came first, compared responses to HIV/AIDS beginning in the early 1980s and COVID-19 over the past five years. I began working on both of those essays in September 2024. Thus, I missed something published in late November in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, which is sponsored by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and published by Oxford University Press. The paper is entitled Human Immunodeficiency Virus/AIDS and Coronavirus Disease 19: Shared Lessons from 2 Pandemics (paywall, so block quotes are used liberally in what follows). The authors of this paper are one Anthony S. Fauci and Gregory K. Folkers. The second author is the corresponding/primary author. After retiring from his position as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Anthony Fauci joined the faculty of the School of Medicine and the McCourt School of Public Health at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Gregory K. Folkers was formerly Chief of Staff to the NIAID Director. My immediate reaction to finding this paper was that I had been scooped and didnt know it, and in the process I may have misled my readers. Getting scooped is every scientists recurring nightmare. But usually there are enough differences between two approaches to any given problem that the work of both research groups complement one another. Sometimes they contradict each other. In my view both are relevant here. In what follows, we will proceed through the eight common lessons from Fauci and Folkers (F&F) that HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 have taught us. And just as important for the practice of biomedical research, we will cover what they have not taught us. Lesson 1: Expect the Unexpected. F&F begin by pointing out that in the 1970s, much of the medical establishment considered infectious disease a problem that had been solved. With vaccines, antibiotics, and robust public health measures widely observed, infectious diseases were soon to be a thing of the past. This was pure hubris, as AIDS taught us an object lesson beginning in the middle of 1981. In the past 40+ years more than 42 million people have died of AIDS. So much for the end of infectious disease. And then in late 2019: This once in a lifetime experience with HIV/AIDS turned out to be not so unique. In 2019, the unexpected again struck the globalSARS-CoV-2. This novel coronavirus has a high efficiency of transmission; the pathogenic capacity to kill large numbers of people, particularly, but not exclusively, the vulnerable such as the elderly and those with underlying conditions; and the ability to rapidly evolve into multiple variants that evade the protection from vaccinations and prior infection. As with HIV, the extraordinary diversity and mutability of SARS-CoV-2 and the immune-evading capacity of new viral variants has posed unexpected challenges for developing a durably protective vaccine. With SARS-CoV-2, a high percentage (at least 50%) of transmissions occur from an asymptomatic or presymptomatic person to an uninfected person, another unexpected (and perhaps unique) characteristic of the virus. Moreover, it became apparent as the COVID-19 pandemic evolved over months and years that transmission occurs mostly through the air and that an alarming number of people with SARS-CoV-2 infection develop postacute sequelae of COVID-19 termed long COVID. It is true HIV was essentially novel in 1981. At the time, only two human retroviruses had been well described: Human T-Lymphotrophic Virus-1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2. Both viruses were discovered in the laboratory of Robert C. Gallo, who was active in the search for the cause of AIDS. [1] HTLV-1 causes adult T-cell lymphoma in ~5% of carriers, while HTLV-2 does not cause any specific disease but has been associated with mycosis fungoides. On the other hand, infection with HIV had the grimmest of prognoses until highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART, now called ART) was developed in the mid-1990s, more than fourteen years after the beginning of the AIDS pandemic. However, there was nothing novel about SARS-CoV-2 in 2019. SARS-CoV was known to be the cause of the SARS outbreak of 2002 and MERS-CoV for the outbreak of MERS in 2013. Both of these viruses were contained but caused fatal illnesses with much higher death rates than COVID-19. More than 20 million people have died of COVID-19 in the past five years. It should also be noted that airborne transmission was likely from the beginning of COVID-19 but this fact was not acknowledged as rapidly as it should have been. Instead, we had a year or more of handwashing hygiene theatre, not that handwashing is unimportant in dampening the spread of an infectious disease. Lesson 2: With Pandemics, Political Leadership at the Highest Level is Critical. Indeed, it is. Politicians did not do particularly well with AIDS, which appeared five months into Ronald Reagans first term. President Reagan did not address AIDS until 1987, two years after the death from AIDS of his friend Rock Hudson. Politicians eventually got over their reticence and twenty years after the beginning of the AIDS pandemic, George W. Bush established the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). PEPFAR has been a resounding foreign aid success, preventing as many as 25 million deaths from AIDS. Alas, PEPFAR may not survive much longer, as foreign aid is currently in jeopardy. F&F then proceed to note that the political leadership, or lack thereof, was critical in the current pandemic: President Donald Trump frequently minimized the seriousness of the pandemic, repeatedly claiming that COVID-19 would just go away. (The same was said of AIDS.) In the first full year of the pandemic (2020, the last year of his presidency) he failed to use his bully pulpit to encourage people to use available low-tech tools such as masks/respirators, better ventilation, and physical distancing to reduce the risk of infection. Trump also gave credence to unproven and potentially dangerous substances for COVID-19 prevention and treatment such as bleach injections, the antimalarial hydroxychloroquine, and the antiparasitic drug ivermectin. Many of his hundreds of communications during the COVID-19 pandemic were missed opportunities for political leadership in promoting policies and practices to mitigate the impact of a raging pandemic. Again, while there is much to unpack here, it was the scientific establishment that was slow to point out that SARS-CoV-2 is an airborne virus and that masks and respirators are non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) that prevent spread of the virus. Equivalent NPI that prevented exchange of bodily fluids were identified immediately during the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic in the United States. This history of masks and COVID-19 may be more complicated that implied by F&F, as shown here and in many other articles. The bleach injection canard is just that, although President Trump is quite good thinking out loud. [2] As for repurposing drugs based on the clinical judgment and experience of practicing physicians, this is not unusual. As one example, thalidomide is now used to treat lymphoma. In the 1950s it caused a horrific outbreak of phocomelia, primarily in Europe. [3] F&F conclude Lesson 2 with: Moving forward, it is essential that the scientific community and the public at large support leaders who pledge to embrace evidence-based decision-making in science and public health, who articulate a vision for improving peoples health and well-being and (ideally) have a track record in administering health-related programs. This could be viewed as unexceptional, except evidence-based medicine (EBM) depends on whose evidence and for what purpose. Is the evidence from and for Pfizer, Moderna, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, or Eli Lilly? Does the evidence come from academics who are sponsored by a well-known, well-funded, and highly active libertarian think tank? Or is the evidence from disinterested scientists and intended for the common good? EBM is described in The Illusion of Evidence-Based Medicine, which was discussed here previously. Lesson 3: Prior Scientific Advances Are the Foundation of Successful Pandemic Preparedness and Response. F&F begin with the famous passage that Isaac Newton wrote in 1675 in a letter to Robert Hooke: If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants. This is, of course, true for all scholars in every discipline. It was especially true for HIV/AIDS. If David Baltimore and Howard Temin had not discovered RNA-dependent DNA polymerase, the reverse transcriptase that copies the RNA genome of HIV prior to its insertion into the host cell genome where it remains in perpetuity, AIDS would have remained a mystery. If Robert Gallo and colleagues had not developed methods to continuously propagate retroviruses in culture, AIDS would have been an impossible problem to solve at the time. A most remarkable section follows from F&F: As with HIV/AIDS, prior scientific advances underpinned progress against SARS-CoV-2, notably in the rapid development of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. Just 11 months from the identification of the genomic sequence of SARS-CoV-2, 2 COVID-19 vaccines received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationLikewise, the structure-based approach to immunogen design that had evolved over decades of research in the hunt for an HIV vaccine underpinned the successful development of the mutationally induced, optimally stabilized spike protein immunogen for the COVID-19 vaccines. This section touches on one of the most interesting parts of the scientific response to COVID-19. This was addressed in COVID-19 in Context: Rather than HIV/AIDS as the paradigm, the response to COVID-19 should have been based on our extensive knowledge of coronavirus disease in vertebrates. So far, durable immunity to coronaviruses, either through prior infection or vaccination has been unattainable, as stated outright in F&Fs first block quote above. Whether the COVID-19 vaccines are effective depends on the definition. Yes, they are said to prevent the worst outcomes for some patients, and this should not be minimized. But these experimental vaccines prevent neither the disease nor its transmission. [4] However, prevention is what people have come to expect of vaccines (smallpox, polio, measles, pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, chickenpox, human papilloma virus, etc.). But this is what our political leaders told us the mRNA vaccines would do. Attempts to finesse the meaning of effective in this manner, from the highest levels of science and politics, only increase vaccine hesitancy in a fraught political environment, which unfortunately remains the continuo of our healthcare politics as the second term of President Trump begins. Lesson 4: Misinformation and Disinformation Are Universal Enemies of Pandemic Control. This section begins with HIV denialism in the person of Peter Duesberg of the University of California Berkeley, who claimed that HIV was not the cause (of AIDS), with what can only be called spurious arguments that were not taken seriously by anyone forty years ago. According to F&F regarding COVID-19: Misinformation and disinformation have been rampant during the COVID-19 pandemic and were made worse by online platforms that amplify untruths faster than at any other time in history, some of them spread by well-funded bad-faith actors. From a public health standpoint, this has been particularly damaging with hesitancy to accept the safe and highly effective COVID vaccines among certain segments of the population. As with the avoidable AIDS-related loss of life from the lack of availability of antiretroviral drugs in the RSA (Republic of South Africa), lives were unnecessarily lost because of vaccine hesitancy related to COVID vaccines. It has been estimated that in the United States, at least 23,200 deaths could have been prevented among unvaccinated adults during the period from May 2021 and September 2022 had they received a least the primary series of COVID vaccinations. The internet can be a hive mind filled with misinformation, but there is enough blame to go around here, several times. For example, so-called bad-faith actors [5] have come from all sides during the five years of COVID-19. As for vaccine hesitancy causing unnecessary deaths, this is undoubtedly true. However, many Americans had been vaccinated prior to May 2021, including virtually all of my coworkers. Many of these daily companions have subsequently had COVID-19 multiple times. According to CDC during the period cited above, in the fifth COVID-19 spike 21,337 Americans died of (provisional) COVID-19 in the week of January 22, 2022. This certainly is not to diminish the saving of 23,000 lives, but it does place our responses to COVID-19 in context. Lesson 5: Increased Attention to the Human/Animal Interface is Critical for Pandemic Prevention. Nothing to argue with here, except to note that as long as planet Earth is believed to exist primarily for exploitation by human beings, people will encounter pathogens that otherwise would remain largely unknown. Lesson 6. Inequities, Health Disparities, Stigma, and Discrimination in Pandemic Settings. Yes, HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 are compelling examples of the disproportionate disease burden especially infectious diseases among underserved populations. As stated: During the COVID-19 pandemic, excess mortality among American Indians or Alaskan Natives, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Black individuals aged 65 years and older far surpassed rates of their non-Hispanic, White counterparts. These disparities were driven by longstanding systemic health and social inequities including discrimination and limited access to healthcare; occupations that disproportionately put poorer populations in essential work that increased their exposure to respiratory-born illnesses; educational, income and wealth gaps, and housing inequities where certain people are forced to live in crowded multigenerational homes where it is difficult to adhere to prevention strategies. They also were driven by a greater prevalence of underlying conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and chronic lung and heart disease that predispose a person to an increased severity of COVID-19. This is all true. For now, we will leave for another time aspects of our political economy such as the nature of essential work and why living together as multigenerational families should ever be a problem for any family. However, F&F do address the fundamental problem of healthcare in the United States, where healthcare is something to be paid for by individuals, one way or another, with the result that people with more money get better healthcare. [6] People who are afraid to go to the doctor because the result could be bankruptcy tend to do less well that those without, for now, that fear: COVID-19 has shown a bright light on how the social determinants of health lead to disparities in incidence and severity of disease. These determinants will not disappear in weeks, months, or even years; however, they will never disappear unless we commit now to the process of addressing them. Among many efforts, policies are needed to ensure universal, affordable, and equitable health coverage. Affordable and equitable are doing a lot of work here. Healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and the only way to be fully ready for the next pandemic is to address this without hesitation, fear, or favor. This can be done. Or more correctly, it has been done. The great Aneurin Bevan set up the National Health Service in little more than one year after the Labour government of Clement Atlee took office immediately after World War II, despite opposition from Harley Street physicians and surgeons and Tory politicians. In the United States, the Social Security Amendments of 1965 led to the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid shortly thereafter. In contrast, From passage to implementation, the inferior Affordable Care Act of 2010 required nearly four years. Lesson 7: Community Activism and Engagement Are Critical in Pandemic Responses. Community activists certainly made a difference forty years ago during the early days of the HIV, as rules for clinical trials of possible drugs were modified. This has been covered especially well in Choose Your Medicine Freedom of Therapeutic Choice in America (2021) by Lewis A. Grossman. COVID-19 advocates helped push through funding for research on long COVID: Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery Treating Long Covid (RECOVER-TLC). Nevertheless, it would be better to prevent COVID-19 in the first place, since that is the only way to prevent long COVID. Lesson 8: Emerging Infections Diseases are a Perpetual Challenge. Here F&F recapitulate their opening: Although the infectious diseases community and the entire medical community were stunned by the unexpected appearance of a brand-new pandemic disease in HIV/AIDS, only to be followed almost 40 years later by another pandemic caused by a novel pathogen, history should have warned us that this would happen. From before recorded history, civilizations have been devasted and shaped by the appearance of emergent infectious diseases, from the plague of Athens (etiology unknown) in 426 BC to the bubonic plague (Yersinia pestis) in the 14th century, to the pandemic influenza of 1918, among others. My response remains the same. Yes, HIV/AIDS was a shock, but previous work on obscure viruses that may cause lymphoma made a rapid response possible. Even then, it took fifteen years for AIDS to become treatable with anti-retroviral therapy. An HIV vaccine remains just over the horizon, at best. But the injectable anti-HIV drug lenacapavir has shown near-100% efficacy in preventing AIDS. This truly is reason to celebrate the result and the science, that is if the drug is made available as a right rather than a privilege that comes with the ability to pay the asking price for it. COVID-19 may have been a surprise, but the very recent history of SARS and MERS did warn us this could happen again. Had biomedical research funding on SARS and MERS been continued at a sufficient level, especially on infection/transmission and antivirals that treat coronavirus disease, things could have been different. Operation Warp Speed should have addressed COVID-19 prevention (ventilation and air filtration as analogs to behavioral changes that were quickly shown to prevent the transmission of HIV) and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 in the form of a highly active anti-coronavirus therapy (HAACT). The latter could have followed the path developed with HIV, in which a drugs interfering with separate stages of the virus life cycle are used to stop viral replication. Finally, in my view the response to COVID-19 by the scientific and political establishments missed what had been staring us in the face since the SARS and MERS outbreaks of 2002 and 2013, while at the same time misinterpreting what HIV/AIDS had to teach us about an effective response to a lethal pandemic virus. The only way to do better in the future is to simply do better at supporting research. But that will require an open-ended approach to supporting potentially pressing questions such as coronavirus diseases, while at the same time providing ample support to ask simple questions about the natural world. The latter is what made biomedical research so productive during the second half of the twentieth century. Directed research is useful but not as effective as naively expected. The engineering ideal in biology is productive only in the very long term, if then. After the current mishegoss ends, if it does, perhaps we can return to science for the sake of science. If we do this, Mother Nature will still bite at times but the result could be much less damaging. Notes [1] An early name given for the AIDS virus by Robert Gallo was HTLV-3. The two scientists who were awarded a Nobel Prize for the discovery of HIV called it LAV (Lymphadenopathy Virus) in their early research. [2] Snopes on bleach injection. This accusation has as much credibility as Elon Musk railing that Social Security benefits are provided to Americans who are long dead, but I can attest that many acquaintances fell for that without a second thought. [3] Thalidomide did less damage in the United States thanks to the work of Frances Oldham Kelsey, a pharmacologist at the Food and Drug Administration. [4] mRNA vaccines are experimental, but there is nothing experimental about mRNA vaccine technology, which has been in the air since Dr. Robert Malone did not invent mRNA vaccines in 1989 when he showed that mammalian cells could be transfected with an exogenous mRNA and then produce the protein product of that mRNA. In fairness to Dr. Malone, his paper was a signal advance in modern molecular biology and it was recognized as such at the time. [5] Too much information in this PNAS paper but the controversy surrounding the Proximal Origins paper in Nature Medicine is not reassuring. Ditto for gain-of-function research on pathogenic viruses. And unlike forty years ago with HIV/AIDS, solid information about the origins of COVID-19, the effectiveness and hazards of the vaccines, and effective non-pharmaceutical interventions has been unusually difficult to obtain. In any case, the origin of SARS-CoV-2 is immaterial to how we should continue to respond to the pandemic. [6] Personal example: I recently had major outpatient surgery (recovery went well). Early on the morning of the event, I unexpectedly was required to pay a substantial sum before proceeding. Arrangements would have been made if I had been unable to pay, but the resulting stress of the looming bill considerably larger than the proverbial $400 emergency that most Americans cannot afford would not have been healthy. If one were to believe much of the Ukraine skeptic and/or Trump friendly commentary since Trump called Putin on February 12, Trump and Putin were going to in short order negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine and make Ukraine, the EU, and NATO swallow it. That was to be accompanied by normalization of commercial dealings between the US and Russia, which would seem to mean the lifting of some or even pretty much all of the US sanctions against Russia. Well explain below how this plan for Trump as master-dealmaker going mano-a-mano with Putin and emerging victorious, or at least with a reasonably-face-saving agreement, has gone pear-shaped. And we have to say that we have been telling you so for quite a while.1 The short version of what happened in Saudi Arabia is Ukraine made the non-concession of agreeing to a one month ceasefire in turn for resuming weapons deliveries and intel support.2. Keep in mind that a ceasefire is to Ukraines benefit, since it can give its troops a rest, dragoon more, get a month of additional weapons supplies. That is why the Russians have been in No ceasefire, no how, no way until we have a complete deal mode back to the first talks, in Istanbul in March-April 2022. So this fiction that a ceasefire is a real option for advancing a settlement has the effect of making sure the war continues with US backing, which is what Zelensky & Co. want. And the predictable rejection by Russia will sour the prospect of a meaningful warming of relations, another outcome Ukraine keenly desires. In other words, The Ukrainians got the US to throw them into the briar patchand think that that was the US idea! We said the prospects of a settlement of the war, absent a regime change in Kiev, Ukraine capitulation, or Russia otherwise forcing Ukraine to accept its terms, were nada. There is no overlap between their positions. Russia has no reason to make anything more than trivial or cosmetic concessions because it will win and its momentum is accelerating. But the Ukraine side is dug in because its government is in the control of hard-core Banderites. A combination of an eschatological bent and the recognition that theyd be high on the list of Russian war criminals means many would rather ride on a white horse into a Wagnerian pyre rather than wind up in a gulag or worse.3 Many commentators relied on the notion that the US, as Ukraines big sponsor, could nevertheless bring the Ukraine government to heel by, as Trump threatened to do, cut off arms supplies and intel (there is debate over the degree to which that actually happened). However, as we pointed out, as weak as Ukraine appears to be, it still has agency. It still holds most of Ukraine. And Ukraine made clear that its intent is to hold out and punish Russia as much as it can. The big drone attacks on Moscow and other parts of Russia, launched on the very eve of the US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah, was a very clear raised middle finger to Russia and the US peace scheme. The Moscow strikes were pure terrorism, on civilian apartment buildings. Aside from being an unmistakable statement of Ukraine hostility to a settlement, they will increase popular support in Russia for continuing to prosecute the war. The even weaker and embarrassingly behind-the-plot Europeans also have agency. Even though they cannot influence Trump or Russia, they have been noisily and enthusiastically showing their support for Zelensky. Those scenes will extend his sell-by date in Ukraine, particularly since the controlled Ukrainian press may be able to do a pretty good job of keeping up the pretense that the Europeans can do more than send a pathetically small amount of weapons. So lets return to the plot: remember that the view that Zelensky and the Ukraine leadership were goners hardened after the unprecedented, on camera Oval Office row. That event had been planned to show Zelensky largely on the same page as Trump before they had lunch and signed the infamous minerals deal. Although the session started out on a friendly footing, Zelensky persisted in pressing Trump for security guarantees and insisted it would be unwise to agree on a ceasefire with Russia, since Putin was untrustworthy, with Zelensky serving up wildly misrepresented history to support his claims. Effectively telling Trump that Putin would outmaneuver him (true independent of Zelenskys revisionism) looked to have really gotten Trumps dander up. He apparently persisted after the cameras stopped rolling, rather than backing down or apologizing for his part in the heated exchange, which got him and his team expelled from the White House. That is before getting to the elephant in the room, that for Lord only knows how long, every time the topic of a Ukraine agreement has come up, the Russians top to bottom have felt compelled to say No cessation in hostilities until the roots of the conflict have been addressed. Lavrov has also taken to adding that, as the Minsk Accords demonstrated, a ceasefire merely gives Ukraine the opportunity to rearm and resume the war. So what does the Trump Administration think it is doing by retying the Ukraine millstone to its neck? This isnt Trumps war. The Oval Office row provided him with the perfect excuse to cut Zelensky loose, even put new elections as the condition for providing much help, and provide only bare bones support (not that the US could do more than that on the weapons front) so as to blunt criticism that the US was abandoning Ukraine, as opposed to getting them to sober up about their true condition. One possibility is that the US really believes that Russia is faring badly economically and is taking high enough manpower losses so as to make the war hard to sustain, and so all the Putin/Lavrov talk about no ceasefire is posturing and they will accept the ceasefire to start talks. A variant of this line of thinking is the profit rather than cost side: that Russia stands to benefit so much from economic relief and resumed trade with West that it will get over itself and start negotiating with Ukraine. Recall that Rubio has said there would be no sanctions relief before an agreement was reached to end the war. Another option is that the neocons (and recall Rubio is a neocon) have successfully played on Trumps fixation with ceasefires, knowing that Russia wont play ball. So Trump will look foolish (of course assuming Trump does not find some way to fabricate what happened to present himself as driving events). And hell get angry at Putin and the Russians, which will either stop or greatly reduce the possibility of better relations. Finally, Trump may, even more than before, be in All tactics and no strategy is the noise before the defeat mode. It is becoming more and more apparent that his top priority is dominating any interaction, no matter whether that advances any long term aim. Trump and his allies derived pleasure from beating up on Zelensky during and after the White House row. Even though Zelensky asked for it (at a minimum by not donning a suit), what did the US gain? Zelensky ran around Europe, getting support that bolstered him at home. The US, despite holding the cards, got bupkis in Jeddah aside from some optics.4 Mind you, this does not necessarily mean Russia will not deign to sit down with Ukraine. Putin (without parsing it quite so crisply) has repeatedly said he is willing to meet. But he and his officials have also consistently said a whole bunch of things need to be in place before actual negotiations start, like Ukraine withdrawing from the four oblasts and revoking the various decrees and Constitutional terms that bar negotiations. Oh, and clarifying who could actually sign a deal were one to be agreed. So Russia may come up with a device to look minimally cooperative, like say an initial tea and cookies chat, with either then or shortly thereafter some process requirements before the ceasefire could be entertained. To put it another way, the only question seems to be how Russia decides to play appearances while not accepting this offer. For more a more in-depth account, Simplicius has done a great job of one-stop shopping in US and Ukraine Hatch Ceasefire Travesty which I urge you to read in full. Simplicius posts tend to be a mix of well-documented finds and more speculative ones, with him not often well flagging that some of his tidbits are iffier than others. So a quick discussion of his noteworthy items: The scheme as an insult. Simplicius is contemptuous, as we are, and he invokes Scott Ritter: Ive lost faith in the good faith of the Trump negotiating team. A 30-day ceasefire would be a boon to Ukraine. A chance to stabilize the frontlines. To strip all tactical and operational advantages Russia has accrued through the blood and sacrifice of their soldiers. And once Ukraine recovers, then to sit at a table where a rejuvenated Ukraine rejects Russias conditions for peace. Trumps team has not negotiated in good faith. And the fact that this proposal is offered after Ukraine carries out a massive strike against Moscow? Russia will reject this ridiculous proposal. Lockstep messaging, that No peace will now be Putins fault. Wellie, technically that is true regardless. The Russians could elect to stop fighting at any time. So the idea that coordinated whinging will move the Russians is yet more Western obsession with messaging over real world outcomes. But its getting a bit too obvious: Doubts as to whether the US really did cut off arms and intel. One could imagine, given logistics, that it might be hard to stop arms supplies quickly (where do you put weapons already en route?). The theory is its easier to halt SIGINT, such as satellite images and real-time information. But Starlink stayed on, when that being one company, would presumably be easy to switch off and on (although Twitters terrible performance this week might suggest otherwise). Again courtesy Simplicius: One could further argue that the US saying it has halted supplies was more important than that actually happening right away, given that the big objective were to impress US taxpayers that Trump was a tough guy and beating Ukraine into line, and to cow the Europeans and the Ukraine government. I must have heard one of the YouTubers incorrectly because I though a Trump-Putin phone call was set for this Friday. Instead, the Kremlin has cleverly said a call could be organized quickly, putting the onus on the White House to ask for it. This also may be intended to make the point that Russia does not accept negotiation via press release, that someone needs to make a formal approach to Russia with whatever this proposal amounts to before anyone on the Russian side gets out of bed. But in case you harbor any doubts, Lavrov has been relentlessly on message about a ceasefire being a non-starter: Lavrov on Russia's attitude to a ceasefire without resolving the causes of the conflict: What is important to us is not a ceasefire that will allow Ukraine to be armed once again and again directed at our country, but a long-term sustainable peace based on the elimination of pic.twitter.com/S7IW1dtLdL Sunt Fornuft (@mr__quake) March 11, 2025 So are Trump and State Department as dumb as they look? Theres no clever plot here, just hubris and unwillingness to listen. Well see soon enough what shakes out. ____ 1 To keep this post focused, we will spare you a recitation of how Russian officials, from Putin on down, have given extensive, and over time more detailed, accounts of what lying sacks of shit we Americans are. They have told Russian citizens and its allies that we are utterly untrustworthy.including that if the US ever got an honorable leadership group, that could all be unwound after a change in the White House. The implication is that Russia would need extremely strict and extensive guarantees of performance by the West, ones theyd be likely to balk at for (correctly) impugning US/NATO reliability. 2 If you read the Joint Statement, the only other Ukraine obligation is agreeing consummate the minerals deal and the naming of Ukraine members of a negotiating team. But Zelensky immediately offered that as soon as he was tossed out of the White House. So this was not a concession extracted during the negotiations, merely a confirmation of an existing commitment. Rubio reaffirmed that the minerals pact would not include a security guarantee. And as for the negotiating team.Ukraine knows, even if the US does not, that Russia will not accept this proposal, so naming a team is just a PR gesture. It also appears that some of the meeting was devoted to coming up with initial demands for Russia: The delegations also discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the above-mentioned ceasefire, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. 3 In fairness, some may hope they can make a late-in-game run to a safe haven like Canada and get enough plastic surgery to enable them to live a quiet life. 4 I dont buy the notion that not allowing Zelensky a seat at the table was a monster put down. If it does not lead to concessions (and is seems not even to have led to Zelensky being markedly more worried about his job security), whats the point? And as a negotiator, you NEVER want a principal (Zelensky) facing off with agents (US officials who are not final decision-makers). It can be exploited in what I call double-brokering: the agents on one side get the principal on the other to agree to something. Then the agents go back and their principal says no to something, which usually succeeds in getting the principal on the other side to give more ground. Yves here. John Ruehls post below gives a detailed roundup of how the soi-disant Trump opposition of his first term has been missing from action under Trump 2.0. Ruehl glosses over the fact that the Democrat crushing of Sanders and his agenda helped pave the way for Trump. It was a repudiation of the idea of giving concrete material benefits to working and middle class citizens. And with the old unifying figures having been Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, the bench was bad even in supposedly better times. His post also serves as an excuse for me to discuss only briefly a new book that is making the rounds, Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, which purports to blaze a new path for Team Dem to win back working class families. Otherwise I might have had to undertake a full bore shellacking of it, as recapped in a review in The New Republic. But its such an insult to intelligence that even your humble blogger might have lost some brain cells as a result of too much engagement with its prescription. The disconnect starts with the title: Abundance. Abundance is a term popular in the New Age and perhaps also in evangelical prosperity churches. Basically, it means if you believe hard enough, God (or Spirit, or Laws of Attraction) will make you rich. So the authors are signaling that they expect their solutions to be magicked into existence. The review presents this as the core of the argument: Promising truly effective government, they believe, will strengthen a liberalism that has accepted dangerous levels of dysfunction in day-to-day operations, which has made it difficult for fellow Americans to see why market-based solutions are not superior. Decades of public policies that liberals enacted in the 1950s and 1960s, Klein and Thompson observe, saddled government with multiple layers of regulations, rules, mandates, and paperwork, all of which have since made it nearly impossible to accomplish key objectives. As demand has increased for many social goods, such as reasonably priced homes, clean energy, education, and medicine, the government has failed to supply. Liberals keep throwing money at the problem, but the authors believe that the money is not being well spent. As a result, we have a supply crisis that raises prices because we dont have enough of what we need: The problem we faced in the 1970s was that we were building too much and too heedlessly. The problem we face in the 2020s is that we are building too little, and we are too often paralyzed by process. Personal and public debt exploded as Americans tried to keep up with higher costs for scarce goods. Help me. Im sure readers can pile on with what is wrong about this new scheme, but let me provide a few opening jobs. Notice the utter absence of interest in labor bargaining rights and real wages? How hard is it, operationally, to increase the minimum wage? To strengthen union rights and lower the barriers to their formation? Or how about restoring that great American socialist Richard Nixons revenue sharing, giving states and localities bulk funding, subject only to anti-fraud controls? The idea behind revenue sharing was that the Feds were more efficient at revenue collection, while states and municipalities had a better grip on community needs and could often set up and run focuses programs better. The problem here is political, not niggly rules and procedures. Or more accurately, the niggly rules and procedures are to a fair degree due to means testing for the poors. Its not hard to see that as an effort to deny them aid, given that the less well educated who would find it hard to deal with paperwork requirements, skew low income. And as far as reasonably priced homes a big obstacle is not the government but NIMBY-ism in the form of communities resisting the construction of multi-family units as well as mixed-income developments. With medicine, IM Doc has recounted that the reduction in the size of US med school programs started in the 1980s as a matter of policy out of concern over an expected doctor glut. The belief then was that any shortfall (and one was expected) would be filled by foreign-trained doctors recruited to work here. That largely fell apart as those non-American MDs recoiled when they encountered US practice, as in having to spend substantial amounts of time fighting with insurers to get paid. To put this more simply, What about neoliberalism and rentierism dont you understand? And what are your ideas for rolling that back? What were the radical conservatives of the 1960s set up an open-ended program of think tankery and messaging to move the values of the US to be much more business friendly. If you arent prepared to engage in a similarly long-term propaganda/organizing campaign, what do you propose to truncate this process? By John P. Ruehl is an Australian-American journalist living in Washington, D.C., and a world affairs correspondent for the Independent Media Institute. He is a contributor to several foreign affairs publications, and his book, Budget Superpower: How Russia Challenges the West With an Economy Smaller Than Texas, was published in December 2022. Produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute During his address to Congress on March 4, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump faced brief heckling from Democratic Representative AI Green and scattered jeers from his colleagues. But the overwhelming response was silence, reflective of the reality that opposition to Trump has sharply weakened, even as his administration pushes sweeping domestic and international policy upheaval. The opening weeks of his first term in January 2017 were met with fierce resistance, and not just from combative Democrats. People came together to protest against Trumps immigration policies and his proposed travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries. Republican politicians openly defied him amid constant media scrutiny. Clashes with the so-called deep state due to intelligence leaks escalated when the FBI publicly confirmed an investigation into the Trump-Russia collusion in the 2016 election. These combined tensions defined his first term, culminating in him being temporarily banned from most major social media platforms and leading to widespread condemnation and isolation after the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Now, at the start of his second term, opposition is notably subdued. The Womens March that drew millions in 2017, becoming the largest single-day public demonstration in U.S. history, according to the New York Times, seems to have lost its luster during his second term. The February 5protest against Trump and Elon Musks policies drew a low turnout, mostly confined to liberal enclaves, and the 2025 Oscarsonce a stage for political grandstandingavoided directly critiquing the president. Even Greens disruption caused dissent within his own party, with 10 Democrats censuring him the next day. Political and institutional fatigue, shifting cultural dynamics, and strategic alignment by corporations, billionaires, politicians, and other public figureshave blunted resistance, leaving the Trump administration with fewer obstacles as it pushes forward with its agenda. One major factor is the weakness and division within the Democratic Party, preventing grassroots progressives from working with top-level establishment Democrats. After years of Biden attempting to balance the partys competing factions, tensions rose significantly following his response to the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas. Trumps victory a year latersecuring both the electoral college and popular votehas only deepened these fractures, fueling a blame game that contrasts with the unity following Trumps narrower 2016 election victory. The partys electoral failures are compounded by the absence of a unifying figure. Nancy Pelosi is no longer speaker, and while Chuck Schumer is the Senate minority leader, both of them are old and unpopular. Bernie Sanders, who is in his 80s, represents a sidelined progressive movement that has struggled to elevate new, dynamic leaders due to years of suppression by establishment Democrats. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has failed to offer new solutions, only deepening apathy and fatigue. Without organizational cohesion and the ability to inspire its base, the Democratic Party has been unable to marshal its diverse coalition against Trumps agenda. The issue that has mobilized progressives in large numbers in recent years is Palestine, which establishment Democrats are reluctant to support, including the recent arrest and threatened deportation of pro-Palestinian student Mahmoud Khalil. Losing young male voters has further weakened the partys ability to generate active dissent. Its association with progressive identity politics has meanwhile alienated broader segments of the electorate, with Biden having failed to address glaring economic issues and matters like crime and immigration during his presidency. On the Republican side, dissenting voices like Mitt Romney and the late John McCain are gone, and those who still might challenge Trump within the party fear backlash and isolation. Never Trump conservative groups have struggled to pull voters away, while Trumps systemic dismantling of government bureaucracy (historically staffed with left-leaning officials) and the appointment of loyalists to key positions have cemented his control over the government and prevented institutional attempts to undermine him. With Republican control over all three branches of government, a conservative-majority Supreme Court, and Trump loyalists installed across federal agencies, his powerthough often overstatedfar surpasses that of his first term. Executive orders, constrained by previous presidents, are now being deployed at an unprecedented rate. His administrations ambitious federal restructuring efforts, tied to the Project 2025 framework, go beyond the government overhauls of Ronald Reagans Grace Commission or Bill Clintons bipartisan National Performance Review. Yet, Democratic disarray has left these efforts largely unchecked. Trumps progress also hinges on the support of the ultrawealthy. The Democratic Party is experiencing a funding shortfall, not just from grassroots donors but from major oligarchs as well. Meanwhile, Trump has secured broader public backing from Americas corporate elite. Years of frustration with Democrats and the political left over issues like diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, taxation, and regulations have pushed many business leaders toward his camp. This repositioning was on full display at Trumps inauguration, where Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and many more wealthy individuals were given front-row seats. Googles decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, a Trump executive order, signals the larger realignment across corporate America. No billionaire has played a more consequential role than Elon Musk. Though his relationship with Trump was rocky just a few years ago, Musks endorsement of Trump in July 2024 cemented a powerful alliance between them. Musks control of X (formerly Twitter) not only reintroduced Trump to the media platform but also helped normalize his return to other social media networks. Meanwhile, Democrats have struggled to maintain their online presence amid declining engagement and financial strain. This realignment has extended into the corporate media landscape. The aggressive anti-Trump narratives that dominated his first term have softened, driven by audience backlash against media institutions and wider progressive messaging. With traditional media outlets facing declining viewership, and the growing influence of oligarchic forces now backing Trump, the medias pivot is as much about survival as it is about political recalibration. Signs of this emerged even before the election. Jeff Bezos, who has owned the Washington Post since 2013, withdrew the papers endorsement of Kamala Harris, as did billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times. CNN, under new leadership since 2023, has steadily adopted a more centrist tone, shedding high-profile anti-Trump figures like Don Lemon. MSNBC is undergoing an even more dramatic transformation, with outspoken Trump critics like Joy Reid and Alex Wagner losing their primetime slots in February 2025, while there has been scaling back of influence of others like Rachel Maddow in favor of less combative voices. Emboldened by a changing media environment, Trump is increasingly punishing outlets. The Associated Press was banned from presidential events in February after declining to adopt the Gulf of America name. CBS remains embroiled in a $20 billion lawsuit filed by Trump over an edited interview with Kamala Harris, with Musk declaring that CBS reporters deserve a long prison sentence. Meanwhile, Disney-ABC settled a defamation lawsuit with Trump for $15 million and recently replaced a transgender character from a new series with a Christian one. Meta, too, in January 2025, settled for $25 million for banning Trump from Facebook and Instagram after January 6. While these are small fines for corporate giants, they symbolize an increasing subservience to Trump, with both payments directed toward funding Trumps presidential library. Its hardly surprising that Trump appears so powerful at this moment. Political opposition is fractured, leaving no effective barriers to Trumps agenda. Many oligarchs have given him their quiet or public approval, as seen during his inauguration. The medias softened stance has shaped a perception of reduced conflict. The absence of strong opposition has created new momentum as political, corporate, and media institutions adapt to this shifting power balance instead of fighting it, reducing the publics appetite for resistance as well. For now, Trump is riding high after his election victory. But cracks are beginning to show. Public resistance to Musks influence is growing, and the economic turbulence triggered by Trumps policies is stirring unease. Without a strong and combative adversary, Trump and his most ardent supporters may find themselves without a rallying cause. International stability could further test his power, and the reality of governance may prove far more challenging than dismantling what came before. Is this already the peak of Trumps power, or can it be sustained? Opposition to Trump fluctuated during his first term, yet today, the political, business, and cultural landscapes have adjusted in his favor. His greatest advantage, however, may be the quiet acquiescence of elites from various backgrounds. While some may oppose him openly, many are content to let events play out due to self-interest or inertia. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close In 2014, comedian, musician, podcaster and Nashvillian Chris Crofton asked the Scene for an advice column, so we gave him one. Crowning himself the Advice King, Crofton shares his hard-won wisdom with whoever seeks it. Follow Crofton on Bluesky and Instagram (@thecroftonshow), and check out his The Advice King Anthology and Cold Brew Got Me Like podcast. To submit a question for the Advice King, email bestofbread@gmail.com. Dear Advice King, How do we lower the price of rent? Richard in Chattanooga Its simple, in my opinion. Landlords have to take a moral stand. They have to admit to themselves that they were not divinely ordained to be property owners they got lucky. After they admit that to themselves, they should vow to make their rents reasonable. I think I can hear a landlord off in the distance yelling, HOW AM I LUCKY?! I AM SELF-MADE! There are lots of ways you may have gotten lucky, buddy. The main one is ... being born white. For hundreds of years American white people made it hard for Black people to own property. While enslaved Black people were in chains, white people divvied up the whole countryside. Fun fact: It was not re-divvied at any point after Black people were freed. As a result, you may have noticed there are more white landlords than Black landlords ... by a lot. Advice King: How Do I Maintain Joy? How do we remain hopeful while the people in power in America insult immigrants and call the poor 'parasites'? And if that werent enough, for a hundred years (plus) after that, American white people made it very hard for Black people to buy property especially desirable property. See: Jim Crow, segregation, redlining. The funny thing about property is, theres a finite amount. People hold onto it for generations. It gets handed down. It becomes collateral for the loans that launch businesses. White entrepreneurs love to brag about their ingenuity and work ethic, but they dont talk much about how their ancestors got the land that ended up providing the capital/space for them to become entrepreneurs/landlords. That endlessly weaponized word entrepreneur and all the bootstrapping bullshit it implies should be banished from society. So landlords, you can house regular people not just the rich. And you need to its a moral imperative. Europeans bought Manhattan from the Native Americans for next to nothing and it was bragged about in every elementary school social studies textbook. Its time to make amends. House people, dont gouge people. OK. I have one more thing to say. As I write this, the U.S. Congress has passed a CR (continuing resolution). The CR will keep the government open. Sounds harmless, right? Well, this particular CR will significantly alter the balance of power between the branches of government perhaps permanently. It allows the president to appropriate funds without congressional approval. Find out more about it. And do it fast. The Senate has to vote before the shutdown Friday. To be clear: WE WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO SHUT DOWN. We do not want the president to have the power of the purse thats supposed to be, um, illegal. Call your senator: 202-224-3121. I HATE ALL OF THIS. Lets fight for a future in which I can write about Bigfoot again. Children, parents, educators, faith leaders and immigrants' rights activists were among the dozens of protesters Tuesday who shut down a House subcommittee after speaking out against proposed bills (HB 793/SB 836) that would allow school boards to prohibit undocumented students from attending public schools. The House K-12 Subcommittee voted 5-3 to pass the Republican-led bill, largely along party lines with the exception of Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis), who voted in opposition. This comes after the Senate version of the bill, which would allow school boards to charge tuition to undocumented students, also narrowly passed the Senate Education Committee last week with a 5-4 vote. +3 On the Hill: March 3-7 Education, health care and development legislation makes its way through General Assembly The House subcommittee heard testimony against the bill from several Tennesseans. One of those was Damian Felipe Jimenez, a Knoxville sixth-grade student and child of immigrants. Just like all the kids in this country, we have the right to dream and make those dreams come true, Jimenez said. The right to an education should not be taken away from us because of our immigration status. Thats why Im here today being the voice of all the kids in this country, including my own friends and family. Let us be kids because we only dream and use our imagination. William Mendoza, a Knox County teaching assistant who also testified, noted that the proposed legislation challenges Plyler v. Doe, a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling establishing that schools can't deny an education to children based on their immigration status. Undocumented Students Face Barriers in Access to Education From kindergarten to college, immigrant students in Tennessee worry about impending crackdown I think we are wasting taxpayers money, Mendoza said. We have seen how this law, this bill thats trying to be passed, is just a game, because they just want to see what they can do. ... Because they want to bring it all the way up to the Supreme Court to be able to challenge it. Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) said the 1982 ruling came from liberal activist judges on our Supreme Court that wanted to pervert our equal protection clause rather than to apply it the way that it was written in 1868. Bill sponsor and House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) called Plyler v. Doe a very unusual decision, and clarified that the bill would not bar undocumented students from all public schools in Tennessee, but leave it up to the discretion of local school boards saying the federal government must reform the national immigration system. It is false hope to give children the best education available in the world and then tell them they can be licensed professionals, they can be doctors, they can be lawyers, they can be accountants, they could run for office, Lamberth said. Because it is not true. If they are illegally present, their dreams at some point will have a ceiling, and that is inappropriate. The federal government must fix the immigration process. Following the bills passage, the subcommittee took a five-minute recess, but was eventually prevented from returning to its business after protesters refused to stop chanting inside the committee room for roughly 10 minutes. When they attempted to return to business, Chair Kirk Haston (R-Lobelville) quickly gaveled in and out, ending the meeting and leaving more than 20 bills that were set to be heard. Today, our power shut down that committee, Pratik Dash, political director at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition told supporters, some of whom were in tears. Our community showed up in force and they couldn't handle that. We are definitely going to be back, this is not the end of our fight, this is not the end of our struggle. Subcommittee member Rep. Sam McKenzie (D-Knoxville) tells the Scene's sister publication the Nashville Post that he expects the bill to continue to pass through the legislature, echoing the notion that Republicans aim to have the bill challenged in court. There's a lot of [legislators] who don't want to vote for it, but they will because they're scared of Republican leadership, McKenzie said, adding a statement of support to his constituents and the protesters. Don't let this momentum die. The bill was referred to the House Education Committee and is also set to be heard before the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee on March 18. This story was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post. Asian Health Secrets unlocks the power of Asian herbal medicine for health and longevity Letha Hadady's "Asian Health Secrets: The Complete Guide to Asian Herbal Medicine" provides an in-depth exploration of ancient Asian herbal remedies, emphasizing their effectiveness and enduring relevance in healthcare systems like China and India. In China, traditional herbal medicine is seamlessly integrated into modern healthcare practices, with hospitals employing herbal treatments alongside conventional methods to address a range of conditions from arthritis to stroke. The book advocates for a preventive approach to health, highlighting the importance of tailoring herbal remedies to individual needs rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach common in Western medicine. Hadady's guide offers clear instructions on selecting and using herbs, addressing common chronic conditions such as headaches, arthritis and allergies, which often remain unaddressed by conventional treatments. The book challenges the notion of incurable illnesses by emphasizing the holistic approach of Asian herbal medicine, which focuses on strengthening the body's overall life force to address the root causes of discomfort and promote healing. Letha Hadady's "Asian Health Secrets: The Complete Guide to Asian Herbal Medicine" offers readers an immersive journey into the ancient and enduring world of Asian herbal medicine. For centuries, Asian cultures have relied on herbs not only to treat illnesses but also to enhance vitality, beauty and overall well-being. This book serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding and utilizing these powerful natural remedies, which have been refined over thousands of years and remain integral to healthcare systems in countries like China and India. In China, traditional herbal medicine is deeply embedded in modern healthcare. Hospitals feature departments where doctors use dried herbs, powders, tinctures and herbal pills alongside acupuncture to address conditions ranging from arthritis to stroke many of which are deemed incurable by Western medicine. With a population of 1.4 billion, China acts as a living laboratory for these remedies, showcasing their efficacy. Similarly, India's rich tradition of using spices as medicine highlights the transformative potential of herbs when used correctly. Hadady emphasizes the growing need for this knowledge in today's world. Modern healthcare is increasingly expensive and fraught with risks, such as antibiotic-resistant infections and budget cuts that limit access to care. She argues that prevention is the best medicine, and Asian herbal traditions offer a cost-effective, natural alternative. Influential figures like Dr. Andrew Weil have already recognized the value of herbal tonics in preventing illness, underscoring the importance of integrating these practices into daily life. The book teaches readers to approach herbal medicine with a personalized mindset. Unlike Western medicine, which often prescribes the same treatment for a given condition, Asian herbal medicine focuses on individual differences. It considers how herbs affect a persons vital energy and overall well-being, tailoring remedies to unique needs. Hadady's guide empowers readers to interpret their own health, choose appropriate herbs and monitor their effectiveness. This active participation ensures that herbal treatments are both safe and beneficial. One of the books strengths is its practical approach. It provides clear guidance on selecting and using herbs, whether sourced from supermarkets, herb shops or mail-order suppliers. Hadady also addresses common chronic conditions such as headaches, arthritis, allergies and weight issues that Western medicine often fails to cure. By focusing on improving circulation, energy and blood production, herbal medicine engages the body's total life force, offering relief where conventional treatments fall short. Hadady's expertise stems from years of research and travel across Asia, where she gathered firsthand knowledge of herbal remedies. Her work demystifies the often ambiguous information found in modern herbals, which frequently lack specific instructions on when and how to use herbs. Instead, "Asian Health Secrets" emphasizes the importance of understanding traditional diagnostic methods and applying them to ones own health. The book also challenges the notion of incurable illnesses. In Asian herbal tradition, there is no such thing as an untreatable condition because the focus is on the person, not the disease. By strengthening the connection between body, mind and spirit, herbs can address the root causes of discomfort and promote holistic healing. Ultimately, "Asian Health Secrets" is a call to take responsibility for one's health. It equips readers with the tools to harness the power of herbs, offering a natural, effective alternative to modern medicine's limitations. Hadady's work is not just a guide, but an invitation to explore a timeless tradition that prioritizes prevention, personalization and the harmonious balance of life. Watch this video about Letha Hadady's book "Asian Health Secrets: The Complete Guide to Asian Herbal Medicine." This video is from the BrightLearn channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: Brighteon.ai Brighteon.com The chemical takeover: How Big Ag is pushing to flood food with more toxins and silence warnings The "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) agenda is being countered by industry-friendly laws that could increase chemical use in the U.S. food supply and shield agrochemical companies from accountability, undermining public health and environmental protections. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Bayers Roundup, is linked to cancer and other health issues. Despite lawsuits and evidence of harm, the EPA defends its safety and is advancing a proposal to block states from requiring warning labels on glyphosate and other chemicals. Agrochemical companies are lobbying for legal immunity in at least 11 states, protecting them from liability for harms caused by EPA-approved products, including over 16,000 chemicals regulated under FIFRA. Health advocates and organizations like Moms Across America are mobilizing to oppose these measures, urging public action against the EPAs proposed rule change and state-level immunity bills. The fight over chemical use in agriculture is a pivotal moment for public health, with chronic diseases rising and untested chemicals already in the food supply. Advocates stress the need for grassroots action to prioritize safety over corporate interests. As the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda gains momentum, a troubling counterforce is emerging: a wave of industry-friendly laws that could flood the U.S. food supply with even more chemicals while shielding agrochemical giants from accountability. These proposals, drafted by the chemical industry itself, threaten to undermine public health and environmental protections, leaving Americans more vulnerable than ever to the toxic consequences of unchecked chemical use. With chronic illness rates soaring and millions already burdened by medical debt, the stakes couldnt be higher. Yet, as states and federal agencies push forward with these dangerous measures, advocates warn that the fight for health freedom is entering a critical phase. The glyphosate battle: A case study in corporate power At the heart of this controversy is glyphosate, the active ingredient in Bayers Roundup weedkiller and the most widely used herbicide in the U.S. Glyphosate has been linked to cancer, autism and other serious health issues, sparking thousands of lawsuits against Bayer (which acquired Monsanto in 2018). Despite mounting evidence of harm, the EPA has repeatedly defended glyphosates safety, even as courts have challenged its conclusions. It will be beyond disappointing if one of the first actions that gets implemented under Trumps new Make America Healthy Again initiative is to block the states from warning consumers about the dangers of toxic pesticides like glyphosate used extensively on the food crops, said Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D., MIT scientist and author of Toxic Legacy. Now, the EPA is advancing a proposal that would prevent states from requiring warning labels on glyphosate and other agricultural chemicals, classifying such labels as misbranding. This move, spearheaded by Republican attorneys general from 11 states, would strip states of their ability to inform the public about the risks of these substances. Mark A. Kastel, executive director of OrganicEye, warns that this is part of a broader strategy by corporate interests to consolidate power. Corporate agribusiness interests might not be able to successfully counter popular prohibitions on a local basis, he said. But when you pool their money at the state or federal levels, they can crush the initiatives of local communities that will be directly impacted. Big Ags immunity play: A recipe for disaster In addition to silencing warnings, agrochemical companies are pushing for sweeping legal immunity. At least 11 states are considering industry-drafted bills that would shield companies like Bayer and ChemChina from liability for harms caused by their products, as long as those products are licensed by the EPA. This immunity would apply not only to glyphosate but also to over 16,000 chemicals regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Foreign pesticide companies are seeking complete immunity so they can get away with covering up the risks and dangers of their products, said Daniel Hinkle of the American Association for Justice. Zen Honeycutt, executive director of Moms Across America, calls these proposals the Make America $ick Again bills. They provide pesticide companies immunity from accountability, allow them to make us sick, and profit from that sickness, she said. Honeycutt points to the tragic irony of this profit-driven cycle: The name that was on the agrochemicals that gave [a farmers father] cancer was the same name that was on the box of chemo drugs Bayer. The fight for health freedom As these proposals gain traction, health advocates are urging Americans to push back. The EPAs proposed rule change is currently open for public comment until March 24, and thousands have already voiced their opposition. Pediatrician Dr. Michelle Perro, who has witnessed the harm caused by pesticides in her four decades of practice, warns that the rule would strip states of their ability to safeguard public health. By restricting states from implementing labeling requirements that go beyond the EPAs human health risk assessments, this rule would strip states of their ability to safeguard public health based on local environmental conditions and scientific findings, she wrote. Meanwhile, Moms Across America and other groups are mobilizing to stop state-level immunity bills. We dont need more two- or three-year-long animal studies to prove that [these chemicals] are harmful, Honeycutt said. It does not make any sense to allow harmful chemicalsi.e., poisonin our food supply. That has to stop. A turning point for Americas health The battle over chemical use in agriculture is more than a policy debateits a fight for the future of public health. With chronic diseases on the rise and Americans already exposed to thousands of untested chemicals, the push to add more toxins to the food supply is a dangerous step backward. As Robert F. Kennedy Jr., head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a longtime critic of pesticides, has said, many of the most commonly used pesticides in the U.S. are extraordinarily toxic and contribute significantly to chronic health problems. The question now is whether the MAHA agenda can withstand the pressure from powerful corporate interests. For advocates like Honeycutt, the answer lies in grassroots action. Corporate interests must not precede the safety of American farmers, citizens and our children, she said. The time to act is now. As the chemical industry tightens its grip on policy, the health of millions hangs in the balance. Sources include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org LeverNews.com MomsAcrossAmerica.com ActBlue in crisis: Democratic fundraising giant rocked by mass exodus, whistleblower allegations and GOP scrutiny ActBlue, the Democratic Partys primary fundraising platform, is facing a severe crisis marked by the abrupt resignation of at least seven senior executives, including key figures like the associate general counsel and chief revenue officer. Zain Ahmad, the sole remaining attorney in ActBlues general counsels office, accused the organization of retaliation after raising concerns about internal policies. Congressional Republicans, led by Senator Ted Cruz, are ramping up investigations into ActBlues security measures, fraud prevention and compliance with federal election laws. Concerns about foreign donations and the platforms vulnerabilities have fueled GOP efforts to hold ActBlue accountable, potentially threatening its operations. ActBlues current crisis reflects years of rapid expansion and lack of oversight. While it revolutionized grassroots fundraising for Democrats, its close ties to the party and opaque practices have long drawn criticism, with conservatives warning of potential fraud and ethical concerns. The turmoil at ActBlue poses a significant risk to Democratic campaigns, which rely heavily on the platform for small-dollar donations. In what can only be described as a stunning collapse of internal stability, ActBlue, the Democratic Partys fundraising juggernaut, is teetering on the brink of chaos. A mass exodus of top executives, allegations of internal retaliation and mounting scrutiny from congressional Republicans have plunged the organization into its most precarious position since its founding in 2004. For conservatives who have long warned about the dangers of unchecked liberal fundraising machines, this crisis is a vindication and a stark reminder of the corruption and mismanagement that often accompany such power. The mass exodus: A house of cards crumbling Over the past three weeks, at least seven senior executives have abruptly resigned from ActBlue, leaving the organization reeling. Among the departures were key figures such as the associate general counsel, the chief revenue officer and an engineer who had spent 16 years building the platforms donation-processing systems. These resignations, which began on February 21, have raised serious questions about the stability of an organization that has raised over $16 billion for Democratic candidates and causes. Whats most alarming is the lack of transparency surrounding these departures. None of the executives have publicly explained their reasons for leaving, fueling speculation about internal dysfunction. Alyssa Twomey, ActBlues departing vice president for customer service, cryptically wrote on social media, After 14+ years of living and breathing all things ActBlue, its time for a reset. While her statement may sound innocuous, it hints at deeper issues within the organization. Whistleblower allegations: Retaliation and suppression The turmoil escalated when Zain Ahmad, the sole remaining attorney in ActBlues general counsels office, accused the organization of retaliating against him. In a now-deleted internal Slack message, Ahmad wrote, Please be advised that we have Anti-Retaliation and Whistleblower Policies for a reason. Shortly after, he was locked out of his email and internal systems, and his Slack messages were allegedly deleted. Ahmads allegations have sent shockwaves through the organization. Two unions representing ActBlue employees described his claims as unsettling and disturbing, pointing to a growing pattern of volatility and toxicity under current leadership. In a letter to ActBlues board of directors, the unions demanded an independent investigation into the organizations leadership and overall stability. ActBlues spokesperson, Megan Hughes, attempted to downplay the crisis, stating, Like many organizations, as we undergo some transition heading into this new election cycle, we are focused on ensuring we have a strong team in place. However, her statement conspicuously avoided addressing Ahmads allegations or the unions concerns, further eroding confidence in the organizations transparency. Republican scrutiny: A reckoning long overdue The internal chaos at ActBlue comes at a time when congressional Republicans are intensifying their scrutiny of the platform. GOP lawmakers have raised concerns about ActBlues security measures, fraud prevention protocols and potential vulnerabilities to foreign donations. These concerns are not unfounded. In 2020, reports surfaced that ActBlue had processed donations from foreign entities, raising questions about the platforms compliance with federal election laws. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has been particularly vocal about the need for accountability. Last month, he threatened to subpoena Bonterra, a firm that provides tech infrastructure for progressive groups, as part of a broader investigation into Democratic fundraising operations. While Bonterra has reportedly cooperated with document requests, ActBlues opaque handling of internal issues has only fueled suspicions. Some Democrats fear that Republicans, who currently control Congress and the White House, may use this crisis to dismantle ActBlue entirely. Such a move would deal a devastating blow to Democratic fundraising efforts, as ActBlue is the primary platform for small-dollar donations that fuel campaigns at all levels of government. Historical context: A cautionary tale ActBlues current predicament is not an isolated incident but rather the culmination of years of unchecked growth and questionable practices. Since its inception, ActBlue has been hailed as a revolutionary tool for grassroots fundraising. However, its success has also made it a target for criticism. Conservatives have long argued that ActBlues lack of transparency and accountability creates opportunities for fraud and abuse. The organizations close ties to Democratic campaigns have also raised ethical concerns. In 2023, President Bidens re-election campaign clashed with ActBlue over platform fees, highlighting the tensions that can arise when a single entity wields so much power over a political partys finances. The road ahead: Uncertainty and accountability As ActBlue grapples with internal unrest and external scrutiny, the stakes could not be higher. If the organizations operations are severely disrupted, Democratic candidates across the country could face significant fundraising challenges. While alternative platforms exist, none can match ActBlues scale or reach. For conservatives, this crisis is a reminder of the importance of accountability and transparency in political fundraising. It also underscores the need for robust oversight to prevent abuses of power. As the investigations into ActBlue continue, one thing is clear: The era of unchecked liberal fundraising may be coming to an end. In the meantime, key questions remain unanswered. Why did so many longtime executives resign? What led to Zain Ahmads removal? And what impact will this crisis have on the Democratic Partys ability to compete in future elections? As ActBlue faces one of its most challenging moments yet, the answers to these questions will shape the future of American politics. For now, the message to Democrats is clear: Clean up your act, or risk losing the financial lifeline that has sustained your party for decades. And for Republicans, the opportunity to hold ActBlue accountable has never been greater. The time for action is now. Sources include: TheNationalPulse.com TimesofIndia.com NYTimes.com Popular LGBTQ+ bar in Edmonton now allows children to enter until 9 p.m. Evolution Wonderlounge, an LGBTQ+-focused bar in Edmonton, has introduced a new policy allowing children to enter until 9 p.m., aligning with its spring season expansion. The bar plans to install jukeboxes, set up a karaoke stage and introduce daily happy hours during the renovation process. The club justifies the decision by referencing restaurants that allow parents to enjoy alcoholic beverages with their children, arguing that their policy complies with existing regulations. Evolution Wonderlounge is a member of the Alberta 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce, which receives government funding from Canada's 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurship program. The government has allocated over $26 million since 2021 to support LGBTQ+ programs focused on equality, safety and inclusivity, including a $25 million investment in Canada's first-ever 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Program to push ideological agenda in Canadian families. Evolution Wonderlounge, a popular LGBTQ+ bar in Edmonton, has announced a new policy allowing children to enter the establishment until 9 p.m., as part of its spring season expansion. In a recent Instagram post, the club, which calls itself "the only club serving the 2SLGBTQ+ community year-round," announced that it would welcome families to the venue. The bar will be undergoing renovations that include installing jukeboxes, setting up a karaoke stage and introducing daily happy hours. (Related: LGBTQ-themed books top list of most challenged library books of 2023.) "Every restaurant in the city allows parents to have an alcoholic beverage while enjoying something to eat with their kids," an Evolution Wonderlounge spokesperson said, when asked about the decision to allow children in a space that identifies as serving the 2SLGBTQ+ community. However, the original post has since been removed and comments have been disabled on their social media platform. According to Juno News, which first reported the story, the decision was based on the precedent set by restaurants that serve alcohol, which are allowed to permit children inside under certain conditions. The club argued that its policy is in line with existing regulations. As it turned out, Evolution Wonderlounge is a member of the Alberta 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce, which receives government funding through Canada's 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurship program. Pro-LGBT Canada is pushing ideological agenda in Canadian families The provincial government, led by Conservative Premier Danielle Smith, has allocated over $26 million since 2021 to support LGBTQ+ programs focused on equality, safety and inclusivity. In line with this, the government of Canada announced a $25 million investment in the country's first-ever 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Program. The program was co-developed with organizations across the 2SLGBTQI+ ecosystem and will be administered by the Canadian Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC), the principal organization dedicated to helping 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs in Canada. The program includes three key components: Business Scale-Up, Ecosystem Fund and Knowledge Hub. The Business Scale-Up program will build the CGLCCs capacity to help 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs start or grow their businesses, particularly in regions where entrepreneurship ecosystem support is limited or non-existent. Activities include implementing a national mentorship program, improving access to corporate procurement opportunities and helping 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs become export ready. The Ecosystem Fund will provide funding to not-for-profit business-support organizations to deliver projects that help entrepreneurs develop their business planning skills and access entrepreneurial tools and learning resources. The fund will also raise awareness of key challenges facing 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs. Finally, the Knowledge Hub will conduct research and collect data to create a clearer picture of the entrepreneurship landscape for the 2SLGBTQI+ community and the challenges they face. This project will be led by one or more knowledge organizations selected through a call for applications process run by the CGLCC. According to the CGLCC, 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs make important contributions to the Canadian economy, yet they continue to face systemic barriers in starting and growing their businesses. The new program aims to address these barriers and build a more inclusive economy. All this, just to push their ideological agenda to Canadian families. Read more stories like this at Transhumanism.news. Watch this clip of a mother providing an example of an obscene book found in her school district's library during a school board meeting. This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Hungarian PM Viktor Orban bans LGBTQ+ Pride parades in Budapest. LGBT RAGE: Georgia school shooter Colt Gray was "bullied for being gay," father told detectives. LGBTQ Pride activists in the U.K. arrested for child sex crimes. LGBT activists attack Italian pro-life group's headquarters for second time in 10 days. LGBT CRIMES: America's largest teachers' union tells educators to DESTROY ALL EVIDENCE of student gender identity surveys. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com JunoNews.com ISED.Canada.ca Brighteon.com LGBT activist arrested as ringleader of international pedophile network In November 2023, the French National Police inaugurated its Office Of Minors (L'OFMIN) in an effort to dedicate much needed resources to tackling child abuse in the country that has been mired in social decay since President Emmanuel Macron took office in 2017. Just one month into its existence,The department has continued on in that mission with the arrests of several members of a human trafficking network of pedophiles based out of France. (Article by Blueapples republished from ZeroHedge.com) The criminal syndicate had been operating between the northern French province of Loire-Atlantique across the country's border with Belgium. Its horrific crimes are reminiscent of the Dutroux affair, one of the most infamous episodes of child sex abuse to ever come to light in modern European history. 20 years after Marc Dutroux was sentenced to life in prison for his child sex crimes, the prominent LGBT activist that authorities have alleged is the ring leader of the pedophile ring uncovered by L'OFMIN is poised to supplant Dutroux as the face of those heinous crimes. French newspaper La Parisien reported that a 32 year-old family assistant in Loire-Atlantique was arrested as the leader of the pedophile ring. While the suspects arrested have yet to be officially identified in the press, law enforcement officials who analyzed the child sex abuse videos posted on the dark web by the pedophile ring were able to identify them, leading to their arrests. L'OFMIN and Dutch authorities were tipped off after the videos were reported on the messaging platform Telegram. Those reports led to a forensic examination of the evidence that identified a medical bed being used in the torture of one of the children. They were then able to trace the purchase of the particular type of bed, which led them to the suspected ring leader of the network, Pierre-Alain Cottineau. Cottineau gained notoriety in France for his activism as a pro-LGBT advocate. His rise in France's far-left politic landscape took off in 2021 when he ran in departmental elections as part of the La France Insoumise party (LFI). His political ascendancy was shaped by years of LGBT advocacy, in which he founded several activist groups including the Oudon Solidarity and Mutual Aid Collective and the LGBTQI+ Association of Ancenis after being elected president of The Rainbow Shelter, a nascent LGBT rights organization working to combat homophobia and transphobia throughout France. However, Cottineau's reputation would not be defined by his political advocacy. In September 2024, the LGBT activist was arrested on sexual assault charges for the abuse of 4 year-old disabled child. Cottineau's 2024 arrest came after videos of the abuse were uncovered by French authorities in the city of Nantes. The victim of the rape had been under the care of Cottineau, who was working as the caregiver of the disabled child after authorities placed her in his custody at his home. The victim was placed in Cottineau's custody just 1 week after Child Welfare Services approved his application to become a foster parent, in which he specifically sought a license to take custody of children 6 years of age and younger. A prominent French LGBT activist charged with brutally raping a disabled 4-year-old girl is now also suspected of leading a European child abuse ring. Pierre-Alain Cottineau reportedly arranged for pedophiles to rape babies and film the assaults.https://t.co/HUDXfQuOau REDUXX (@ReduxxMag) February 22, 2025 Cottineau's abuse of the disabled child in his custody followed a modus operandi that was emulated in the videos uncovered from the pedophile network he is alleged to have led. Like the investigation that led to the recent charges brought against him, Cottineau was arrested in 2024 after videos of the sexual abuse of his disabled victim were reported after being shared on Telegram, where the same medical bed he procured as a caregiver was identified in the forensic examination of the evidence. The evidence observed in those videos was found following a search of Cottineau's home where he is alleged to have filmed the sexual abuse of his victim. Following his arrest last year, Cottineau was charged in Nantes Judicial Court with Rape With Acts Of Torture Or Barbarism, Sexual Assault On A Minor Under 15 Years Of Age By A Person Having Authority, and Recording, Possession And Dissemination Of Pornographic Images Of A Minor. While in police custody, Cottineau admitted to authorities that he had "pedophile inclinations." He remained in custody as part of a pre-trial detention for charges that he faced life imprisonment for as authorities continued to investigate the extent of his crimes. The broadened scope of the investigation against Cottineau for rape of the disabled minor is what led to the evidence uncovering the organized pedophile ring he is accused of leading. During his police custody, the interested party admitted to being the author of the rape to the damage of this very young child, as well as several sexual assaults, said Renaud Gaudel, the public prosecutor in Nantes assigned to Cottineau's case. As its ringleader, Cottineau is alleged to have provided victims to other child molesters in the network. He was able to find those children by using his experience as a family assistant and early childhood caretaker after infiltrating France's child protective services under the guise of the desire to be a foster parent. He is accused of using Telegram to coordinate the operations of the child sex abuse network throughout France and abroad into neighboring countries including Belgium. The 4 other assailants arrested in addition to Cottineau as part of the pedophile ring are accused of drugging at least 4 victims under the age of 5 before torturing and raping them. While the efforts of L'OFMIN have already resulted in several operations that have exposed similar child sex abuse networks, the horrific acts perpetrated by the pedophile ring allegedly led by Cottineau give his case a level of infamy unseen in Europe since the Dutroux Affair. In 1996, Belgian national Marc Dutroux was arrested for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of several young women throughout the 1980's and 90's. Dutroux had previously been arrested in 1986 for the abduction of at least 2 minor females along with his wife and their accomplice Jean Van Peteghem. Despite being sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison, Dutroux's request for an early release was granted, enabling him to continue his crimes for years. Following his release, Dutroux and his wife kidnapped and imprisoned at least 6 girls, ranging from ages 8 to 19. The couple was able to perpetrate these horrific acts for years with the aid of an accomplice, Michel Lelievre, who helped abduct the victims. Accomplices Michel Nihoul and Bernard Weinstein also facilitated the crimes as part of Dutroux's network. Following subsequent investigations of Dutroux, police discovered 2 of the Dutroux network's victims alive while they were still being help captive in his home. Additional investigation revealed the remains of 4 other victims being buried on his property, many of whom succumbed to starvation. The horrific crimes committed by Dutroux and his network that were made possible by his early release led to an even known as the White March, where upwards of 300,000 Belgians descended upon Brussels to peacefully protest in advocacy of the child victims. The protesters chose to adorn themselves in white as a symbol of hope and the purity of the children who fell prey to Dutroux due to the wanton disregard of their lives by Belgian officials. Despite the gravity of Dutroux's crimes, the failures in the Belgian criminal justice system were not limited to what led to his early release from prison following his 1986 arrest. Throughout his prosecution, Dutroux's connections to law enforcement officials and other politicians came to light which led to speculation that Dutroux was part of a much larger, far-reaching criminal network that included members of government. Belgian Senator Anne-Marie Lizin legitimized these suspicions when she remarked that "Stupidity (by the police) can't be the only explanation. It's a question of stupidity, incompetence and corruption. Dutroux must be a friend of somebody important. Or else he was being protected because he was known to be a police informant." Dutroux echoed this claim during a long-delayed trial that did not begin until 2004. During the trial, he claimed that he was a low-ranking member of a large pedophile network that included powerful members of Belgian society. Dutroux was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment but the claims he made about being part of a larger pedophile network persist until this day. Journalist Olenka Frenkiel claims that more than 20 potential witnesses surrounding the Dutroux affair died in mysterious circumstances. In 2009, WikiLeaks published a 1,235 page dossier on Dutroux's crimes. Belgian authorities moved to have the dossier taken down from the WikiLeaks website, a move that only furthered speculation of Dutroux's connections to government officials who were complicit in his crimes. The dossier was published over 10 years after a 17-month inquiry led by a Belgian parliamentary commission into the Dutroux Affair concluded that the serial child rapist was not connected to anyone in the government. Like Cottineau, Dutroux recorded videos of the rape of the victims held in the dungeon located in the basement of his house so that he could sell them to other pedophiles. Cottineau's budding political career draws another parallel with the Dutroux Affair as it raises questions about how his political connections may have aided him in cultivating the pedophile network he is alleged to have led. As L'OFMIN continues to investigate the scope of the pedophile network Cottineau is accused of running, the Dutroux Affair serves as a haunting reminder of the heights these criminal syndicates reach, how difficult ascertaining the truth behind them is, and how elusive justice is for their victims. Read more at: ZeroHedge.com DHS chief Kristi Noem identifies two LEAKERS of ICE raids, warns of felony prosecution Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on March 7 that two individuals within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leaked sensitive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid information, leading to felony prosecution by the Department of Justice (DOJ) with potential prison sentences of up to 10 years. The leaks compromised ICE operations, endangered agents, allowed raid targets to evade capture and undermined national security and public trust in law enforcement. The leaks were exposed after a Vanity Fair reporter tweeted about imminent ICE raids in Virginia, raising concerns about how classified information was accessed and disclosed. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about internal misconduct within federal agencies, including past leaks and scandals, emphasizing the need for stronger oversight and integrity. Secretary Noem and the DOJ's zero-tolerance approach to leaks underscores the administrations dedication to transparency, accountability, and restoring public trust in government institutions. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on March 7 that two individuals within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have been identified as leakers of sensitive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid information. These individuals now face felony prosecution by the Department of Justice (DOJ), with potential prison sentences of up to 10 years. This announcement comes as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by unauthorized leaks of law enforcement operations. The leaks in question compromised the safety of ICE agents and allowed targets of the raids to evade apprehension, undermining the rule of law and putting American lives at risk. (Related: ICE detentions soar to highest level since 2019 as Trump administration tightens immigration policies.) The leaks first came to light earlier this week when Vanity Fair congressional reporter Pablo Manriquez tweeted a warning about imminent ICE raids in Virginia. This raised immediate concerns about how such classified information was obtained and who was responsible for its disclosure. While it remains unclear whether the two identified leakers were directly connected to Manriquez's access to the details, the damage caused by their actions is undeniable. Noem emphasized the gravity of the situation in a social media post, stating that the DHS remains steadfast in maintaining operational security. Operational security, or opsec, refers to the measures taken to protect sensitive information that, if leaked, could jeopardize missions and endanger lives. In this case, the leaks not only compromised the effectiveness of ICE operations but also placed law enforcement personnel in harm's way. Fox News reporter Bill Melugin provided additional context, confirming that the two leakers have been identified and will be referred to the DOJ for prosecution. The unauthorized disclosure of ICE raid details is not just a breach of protocol it is a direct threat to national security. By allowing targets to evade capture, these leaks undermine the enforcement of federal immigration laws and erode public trust in the governments ability to protect its citizens. Noem identifying leakers is the right step This is not the first time leaks have disrupted ICE operations. Previous incidents in Los Angeles and Aurora, Colorado, have drawn widespread criticism and raised concerns about the culture of secrecy within federal agencies. Last month, border czar Tom Homan revealed that the administration was closing in on the individual responsible for the Aurora raid leak. Noem has also pointed fingers at the FBI, accusing the agency of corruption and vowing to work with other agencies to stop leaks and prosecute those responsible. The stakes could not be higher. As U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi noted in a recent interview, leaks jeopardize the lives of law enforcement officers and hinder the administrations mission to keep America safe. The DOJs decision to pursue felony charges against the two leakers underscores the administrations zero-tolerance approach to such breaches. While the names of the accused have not been disclosed, their actions have already had far-reaching consequences. By prosecuting these individuals to the fullest extent of the law, the DHS and DOJ are sending a powerful message: betrayal of public trust will not be tolerated. This case also highlights the broader issue of accountability within federal agencies. The DHS has faced criticism in recent years for internal misconduct, including a separate scandal involving two Homeland Security agents in Utah who allegedly sold seized drugs for personal profit. These incidents underscore the need for rigorous oversight and a culture of integrity within law enforcement. Noem's decisive action in identifying and prosecuting the leakers is a step in the right direction. It reaffirms the administrations commitment to transparency, accountability and the rule of law. Visit NationalSecurity.news for more similar stories. Watch border czar Tom Homan putting forward the possibility of FBI agents leaking details of ICE raids in this clip. This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trump administration to launch registry for illegal immigrants: Fines and arrests for noncompliance. Noem launches ad campaign warning illegal immigrants: "We will hunt you down." Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez under fire: Did she cross the line by helping illegal immigrants evade ICE? Sources include: YourNews.com FoxNews.com APNews.com Brighteon.com New Zealand First introduces bill to dismantle DEI policies in public service New Zealand First has introduced a bill to repeal mandatory diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies in the public service. The bill targets the Public Service Act of 2020, which requires government departments and agencies to promote workforce diversity and inclusiveness, particularly for M?ori and Pacific employees. NZ First leader Winston Peters argues that the bill will end "woke left-wing social engineering" and emphasize meritocracy in hiring and promotion. The Public Service Commission (PSC) has already announced a reduction in DEI teams, citing cost-cutting measures, despite previous commitments to DEI. Peters seeks to take further action by completely eliminating all DEI roles within the public service, mirroring actions currently being taken in the U.S. under the second Trump administration. The New Zealand First Party, one of the three parties in New Zealand's governing coalition, has introduced a controversial bill to remove mandatory "woke" diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies in the public service. Currently, the Public Service Act of 2020 requires government departments and agencies to work towards a workforce that reflects the diversity of New Zealand. This act seeks to ensure that DEI efforts are integrated across government agencies. These efforts include setting targets to increase the proportion of Maori and Pacific employees, particularly in leadership roles and prioritizing diverse hiring through targeted recruitment strategies, scholarships and development programs. The new bill, Public Service (Repeal of Diversity and Inclusiveness Requirements) Amendment Bill, seeks to amend these provisions. If passed, the bill would remove the requirement for the Public Service Commissioner, chief executives and boards to promote diversity and inclusiveness as part of being a "good employer." It would also eliminate various aspects of diversity and inclusiveness initiatives in the public service, including mandates, considerations and reporting requirements. "This bill would put an end to the woke left-wing social engineering and diversity targets in the public sector," NZ First leader and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters posted on his social media. "New Zealand is a country founded on meritocracy, not on some mind-numbingly stupid ideology." "The public service exists to serve New Zealanders, not to be a breeding ground for identity politics," he said. "Removing woke 'DEI' requirements will give the public confidence that the right person is in the right job based on their skills, not their identity." This mirrors similar actions taken by the second Trump administration in the United States. (Related: Education Department places 55 employees on paid leave as part of Trump administration's efforts to dismantle DEI initiatives.) PSC reduces number of teams responsible for DEI work Meanwhile, the Public Service Commission (PSC) has announced a reduction in the number of teams responsible for DEI work, citing the need for cost-cutting measures across the public sector. This contradicts its update in February, stating that DEI is focused on "reflecting and valuing the communities that [the Commission] is here to serve, to build trust and confidence and improve services and outcomes for New Zealanders." "When we attract, retain, recognize, value and develop the skills and experiences of people across all dimensions of diversity (e.g. gender, ethnicity, disability, rainbow, age), there are multiple benefits," the commission said last month. Visit Wokies.news for more news related to the rampant "woke policies" disrupting government systems. Watch this NewsNation report discussing the decision of home improvement goods retailer Lowe's to abolish its DEI policies amid backlash over its race and gender-based hiring practices. This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: NHS diversity policies under fire: U.K. Health Secretary Wes Streeting admits DEI programs promote "anti-whiteness." Bondi's DOJ dismisses DEI lawsuits against police, fire departments, calls for return to merit-based hiring. The DEI SCAM: How America's universities and corporations were duped by the biggest con of the century. Canadas intelligence service posts DEI-based summer job and permanent work opportunities gender, race and disability are the primary job qualifications now. Supreme Court poised to reshape workplace discrimination law: A victory for equal treatment or a threat to DEI initiatives? Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com RNZ.co.nz Brighteon.com Trump confirms funding cuts to South Africa, offers CITIZENSHIP to Afrikaner farmers whose lands were seized President Donald Trump announced a halt to all federal funding to South Africa and a pathway to U.S. citizenship for Afrikaner farmers fleeing persecution. The announcement came in response to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's signing of the Expropriation Act, which allows the government to seize land without full compensation. The U.S. condemned the law as a "massive human rights violation" and accused the South African government of dismantling equal opportunity and fueling racially motivated violence. The diplomatic rift has placed billions in U.S. aid at risk and could result in economic and political fallout for South Africa. The move highlights the plight of South Africa's White farming community and represents a significant shift in U.S. policy toward South Africa. President Donald Trump has confirmed the immediate halt of all federal funding to South Africa, alongside a pathway to U.S. citizenship for Afrikaner farmers fleeing government-backed persecution. The chief executive announced this development in a post Friday, March 7, on Truth Social. The punitive measure against Pretoria and the new citizenship pathway for Afrikaners stemmed from the South African government's land expropriation policies and discrimination against White farmers. These Dutch-speaking farmers called Boers have been in South Africa since the 1600s. "South Africa is being terrible, plus, to long-time farmers in the country. They are confiscating their land and farms, and much worse than that. A bad place to be right now, and we are stopping all federal funding," Trump wrote in his Friday post. "To go a step further any farmer with family from South Africa, seeking to flee that country for reasons of safety, will be invited into the United States of America with a rapid pathway to citizenship. This process will begin immediately." The announcement comes in response to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's signing of the Expropriation Act. The law signed on Jan. 23 allows the government to seize land without full compensation. While the law was framed as a measure to address racial disparities in land ownership stemming from apartheid, it drew sharp criticism from the second Trump administration. The White House condemned the law in a Feb. 7 executive order, accusing Ramaphosa's government of implementing policies that dismantle equal opportunity and fuel racially motivated violence. The order also established a U.S. resettlement program for Afrikaners, recognizing them as "refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination." (Related: Trump signs executive order CUTTING AID to South Africa over land seizures.) In a Truth Social post written days earlier, the U.S. president described the land grab as "a massive human rights violation, at a minimum." Trump also promised to cut off "all future funding to South Africa" in the Feb. 3 post "until a full investigation of this situation has been completed." White landowners make up just over seven percent of South Africa's population. However, they still hold the majority of farmland something the Expropriation Act purportedly seeks to address. Washington-Pretoria relations at risk over moves targeting White farmers The Afrikaner rights group AfriForum and the Solidarity labor union, both vocal critics of Pretoria, have been openly calling out the South African government on the matter. AfriForum's advocacy has included raising concerns over farm attacks, targeted killings and economic policies that threaten Afrikaner livelihoods. Last month, AfriForum officials met with White House representatives with the group posting pictures of their visit on social media. But Ramaphosa dismissed these claims, arguing that AfriForum's international lobbying efforts are divisive and unpatriotic. "That is not a nation-building process running around the world to try and have your problems solved.," he remarked. "You are just sowing divisions." In response, AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel accused Ramaphosa of hypocrisy. He pointed to the South African leader's refusal refusal to condemn anti-Boer rhetoric and his denial of farm murders to back up his case. "It's Ramaphosa that signed the Expropriation Act. It's Ramaphosa that refuses to condemn slogans such as 'kill the Boer.' It's also Ramaphosa that ignores letters from AfriForum and the Solidarity movement that were written to him," Kriel remarked. The diplomatic rift has placed billions in U.S. aid at risk, with South Africa now facing a potential economic and political fallout. While Ramaphosa has expressed interest in engaging with Trump, tensions remain high. Trump's decision marks a significant shift in U.S. policy toward South Africa, with potential repercussions for trade, security cooperation and diplomatic relations. The move has also drawn attention to the plight of South Africa's white farming community, a topic often overlooked in global media. RaceWar.news has more similar stories. Watch this clip of Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, singing a song about killing Boers. This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: They call for GENOCIDE: White farmers murdered, attacked following South African politician's demand to "Kill the Boer" during a far-left-wing party event. After less than three decades of diversity, equity and inclusion, Africa's richest city has turned into a "crumbling hellscape." South African minister calls for MINERAL BOYCOTT in response to U.S. aid cuts. Sources include: YourNews.com TruthSocial.com 1 TruthSocial.com 2 Brighteon.com Trump administration expects Zelensky to plan elections, cede territory for U.S. aid resumption, report claims The Trump administration is pressuring Ukraine to consider territorial concessions and prepare for elections as conditions for resuming U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing. U.S. officials urge Ukraine to make "difficult" decisions, including ceding Russian-occupied territories, to achieve peace amid a costly stalemate. Zelensky faces criticism for canceling elections under martial law, with Trump labeling him a "dictator" and pushing for electoral reforms. The U.S. demands tangible progress in peace talks, including territorial compromises, as a prerequisite for restarting aid, beyond a signed minerals deal. Ukraines military struggles persist, with halted U.S. intelligence sharing weakening its position, while Russia continues to advance in key regions. The Trump administration may pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to prepare for elections and consider territorial concessions to Russia as conditions for the resumption of U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing. The demands, revealed in a recent NBC report, come as American and Ukrainian officials meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss a potential path to ending the nearly three-year-long war. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has emphasized that Ukraine must be willing to make "difficult" decisions, including ceding land occupied by Russia since 2014, to achieve peace. The push for elections and territorial compromises underscores the growing frustration in Washington over Ukraines reliance on U.S. support for what many see as an unwinnable war. With Ukrainian forces struggling to reclaim annexed territories and Russia showing no signs of retreating from Crimea, the Trump administration is urging Kyiv to adopt a more pragmatic approach to negotiations. Elections and territorial concessions take center stage Zelenskys leadership has come under scrutiny as his term technically expired in May 2024. While Ukraines parliament has upheld the constitutionality of his wartime mandate, critics, including President Donald Trump, have labeled him a "dictator" for canceling elections under martial law. Trump has privately insisted that Zelensky must demonstrate a willingness to hold elections and even consider stepping down as part of broader peace efforts. The most important thing that we have to leave here with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things, like the Russians are going to have to do difficult things, to end this conflict or at least pause it in some way, shape or form, Rubio told reporters en route to Jeddah. The territorial concessions being discussed would involve Ukraine relinquishing claims to regions annexed by Russia since 2014, including Crimea, which has long been a strategic stronghold for Moscow. While such a move would be politically explosive for Zelensky, U.S. officials argue that it may be the only realistic path to ending the bloodshed. U.S. aid hinges on Ukraines willingness to compromise The Trump administration has made clear that a signed minerals deal, which would grant the U.S. a stake in Ukraines natural resources, is not enough to restart aid and intelligence sharing. Instead, Washington is demanding tangible progress toward peace talks, including Zelenskys openness to territorial compromises and electoral reforms. As President Trump demonstrated by reading President Zelenskyys message at the joint session, the Ukrainians have made positive movement. With meetings in Saudi this coming week, we look forward to hearing more positive movement that will hopefully ultimately end this brutal war and bloodshed, said White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes. However, the Kremlin has denied reports of upcoming U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, casting doubt on the prospects for a near-term breakthrough. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to face relentless Russian attacks, with civilian casualties mounting in the Donetsk region. A war of attrition with no end in sight Despite billions in Western aid, Ukraines military prospects remain grim. Analysts widely agree that Kyiv is unlikely to reclaim the annexed territories, and the war has devolved into a costly stalemate. The pause in U.S. intelligence sharing has further weakened Ukraines position, leaving it vulnerable to Russian advances. Every day hurts Ukraine, and every day gives Russia a more favorable position, a Western official told NBC News. While the U.S. continues to provide defensive intelligence to help Ukraine fend off attacks, it has halted the sharing of targeting information, limiting Kyivs ability to strike Russian positions. European allies are attempting to fill the gap, but the lack of American support is taking a toll. As the war drags on, the Trump administrations demands for elections and territorial concessions highlight the growing divide between Washington and Kyiv. While Ukraine remains committed to defending its sovereignty, the reality on the ground suggests that a negotiated settlement may be the only viable option. For Zelensky, the path forward will require balancing domestic political pressures with the harsh realities of a conflict that shows no signs of ending. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NBCNews.com NYTimes.com U.S. eyes Congos critical minerals in exchange for military aid amid rebel threat The U.S. is in early talks with the DRC to secure access to critical minerals like cobalt and lithium in exchange for military aid and security assistance. The DRC faces escalating violence from Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, displacing thousands and destabilizing mineral-rich eastern regions. The proposed deal aims to counter Chinas dominance in the global supply chain for advanced technologies and clean energy resources. Challenges include corruption, environmental concerns, and ongoing conflict in the DRCs mineral-rich areas. The partnership could reshape U.S. influence in Africa and bolster the global clean energy race, but significant obstacles remain. The United States is in early-stage talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to secure access to its vast reserves of critical minerals, including cobalt, lithium, and uranium, in exchange for military aid and security assistance. The discussions come as the DRC grapples with escalating violence in its eastern provinces, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized key territories and displaced thousands. The proposed deal, which could reshape U.S. influence in Africas resource-rich regions, reflects Washingtons growing interest in countering Chinas dominance in the global supply chain for advanced technologies. The DRC, home to an estimated $24 trillion in untapped mineral reserves, has long been a focal point for global powers seeking access to resources essential for electric vehicles, aerospace, and defense industries. However, the countrys eastern regions, rich in cobalt and lithium, have become a battleground for rebel groups, with the M23 insurgency causing widespread instability. In January alone, the conflict claimed an estimated 7,000 lives, according to Congolese Prime Minister Judith Suminwa. The DRC has accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels, a claim supported by Western nations but vehemently denied by Kigali. In a bid to stabilize the region, Congolese officials have reached out to the U.S. for military support. The United States is well-positioned to forge an enduring partnership with the DRC a nation that possesses over $24 trillion in untapped reserves of critical minerals, wrote Senator Pierre Kanda Kalambayi in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Security assistance in exchange for resource access The proposed deal would grant American companies exclusive mining rights in the DRC in exchange for U.S. military training, equipment, and support to combat the M23 insurgency. There is a desire for us to diversify our partners, said Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya, noting that daily exchanges between the two nations are underway. The U.S. State Department has expressed openness to the partnership, emphasizing its alignment with the Trump administrations America First agenda. The DRC has a significant share of the worlds critical minerals required for advanced technologies, a State Department spokesperson told Reuters. However, challenges remain. The DRCs mineral-rich regions are mired in conflict, and American companies have largely avoided investing in the country due to concerns over corruption, environmental degradation, and exploitation. If the Congolese want to make this work, it will probably not be by offering a U.S. company a mining concession, said Jason Stearns, a Congo expert at Simon Fraser University. Theyll have to look at more complicated ways of engaging the U.S. A counter to Chinas dominance The potential deal also underscores Washingtons efforts to reduce its reliance on China for critical minerals. China currently dominates the DRCs mining sector, controlling much of the cobalt supply chain, which is vital for electric vehicle batteries. By securing access to Congolese resources, the U.S. aims to bolster its position in the global clean energy race. However, the path to a finalized agreement is fraught with obstacles. The DRCs eastern provinces remain a volatile conflict zone, and any U.S. involvement would require significant investment in security and infrastructure. It seems a far-flung idea and rather desperate, said Stephanie Wolters, an expert on Africas Great Lakes region. They [Kinshasa] are on the ropes militarily, and whatever they might realistically get would be in the longer term. As the U.S. and the DRC navigate the complexities of a potential minerals-for-security deal, the stakes are high for both nations. For the DRC, the partnership offers a lifeline in its fight against rebel groups and an opportunity to diversify its economic alliances. For the U.S., it represents a chance to secure critical resources and counter Chinas growing influence in Africa. While the talks are still in their infancy, the outcome could have far-reaching implications for regional stability and the global race for clean energy dominance. Sources for this article include: RT.com Reuters.com TheTimes.com Mining.com Utah makes history as first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water Utah becomes the first U.S. state to ban fluoride in public drinking water, with Gov. Spencer Cox set to sign the bill into law. The ban, effective May 7, allows fluoride tablets to be prescribed by pharmacists for individual use. Debate intensifies between dental health advocates citing fluorides cavity-prevention benefits and critics concerned about neurodevelopmental risks. Recent studies link fluoride exposure during pregnancy to lower IQ and ADHD risks, fueling skepticism. The ban reflects a broader national movement questioning fluoridation, with other states considering similar measures. Utah has become the first state in the nation to ban the addition of fluoride to public drinking water. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox confirmed he will sign the bill into law, marking a significant shift in public health policy. The decision, set to take effect May 7, has sparked intense debate, pitting dental health advocates against those concerned about potential neurodevelopmental risks and government overreach. The bill, HB81, prohibits public water systems from adding fluoride while allowing pharmacists to prescribe fluoride tablets for individuals who choose to use them. Gov. Cox, who grew up in a non-fluoridated community, emphasized that the decision was not driven by strong personal conviction but by a belief in individual choice. Its got to be a really high bar for me if were going to require people to be medicated by their government, Cox said. The debate over fluoride: Health risks vs. dental benefits For decades, fluoride has been hailed as a cornerstone of public health, credited with reducing tooth decay and cavities. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calls water fluoridation one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century, estimating it prevents about 25% of tooth decay. However, critics argue that the risks of fluoride, particularly its potential neurotoxic effects, outweigh the benefits. Recent studies have raised concerns about fluorides impact on childrens cognitive development. Research in Canada and Mexico has linked fluoride exposure during pregnancy to lower IQ scores and increased risks of ADHD in children. A 2019 incident in Sandy, Utah, where a fluoride pump malfunctioned and contaminated water in 270 homes, further fueled skepticism. The fluoride sickened hundreds of residents and led many in Utah to push for its removal, noted The Associated Press. The American Dental Association (ADA) has urged Gov. Cox to veto the bill, warning that ending fluoridation could lead to a resurgence of cavities, particularly among low-income families who rely on public water systems for dental care. A growing movement against fluoridation Utahs ban comes amid a broader national conversation about the safety of water fluoridation. States like Florida, Montana, and Tennessee are considering similar measures, while some cities have already removed fluoride from their water supplies. The movement has gained momentum with the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, a vocal critic of fluoridation who has cited studies linking fluoride to lower IQ levels. Opponents of fluoridation argue that individuals should have the right to choose whether they consume fluoride, rather than having it mandated by the government. Its an issue of individual choice, said Rep. Stephanie Gricius, the bills Republican sponsor. Whats next for Utah and beyond? As Utah prepares to implement the ban, the debate over fluoride shows no signs of slowing down. While proponents of fluoridation warn of a potential rise in dental health issues, critics celebrate the move as a victory for personal freedom and public health. For now, Utah residents who wish to use fluoride can obtain it through tablets prescribed by pharmacists. But as the first state to take this step, Utahs decision could set a precedent for others to follow. In the end, Utahs fluoride ban is more than a policy change its a reflection of a growing tension between public health mandates and individual autonomy. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com Modernity.news APNews.com ChildrensHealthDefense.org Zelensky apologizes to Trump after disastrous White House meeting Ukrainian President Zelensky apologized privately to President Trump for a heated Oval Office confrontation that strained U.S.-Ukraine relations. The February 28 meeting, intended to finalize a rare earth minerals deal, devolved into chaos over disagreements on diplomacy with Russia. Trump accused Zelensky of risking global conflict and failing to appreciate U.S. aid, leading to the suspension of military assistance and an unsigned deal. Despite the apology, Zelensky publicly defended his actions, with his adviser stating Ukraine would not apologize for a "mistake that did not take place." U.S. and Ukrainian officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia to revive peace talks, though trust between the nations remains fragile. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly apologized to President Trump over the heated Oval Office confrontation last month that derailed critical negotiations and strained U.S.-Ukraine relations. The apology, delivered via a private letter, comes after weeks of tension following a public shouting match between Zelensky, Trump, and Vice President JD Vance. The incident, which Trump described as a display of "disrespect" and "ingratitude," has left many questioning Ukraine's commitment to peace and its reliance on U.S. support. The apology was confirmed by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff during a Fox News interview on Monday. Zelensky sent a letter to the president. He apologized for that whole incident that happened in the Oval Office, Witkoff said. I think that it was an important step, and theres been a lot of discussion between our teams and the Ukrainians and the Europeans who are relevant to this discussion as well. Zelensky showed the world who he is The Oval Office meeting on February 28 was intended to finalize a rare earth minerals deal between the U.S. and Ukraine, a critical step in bolstering Ukraines economy and securing its independence. However, the talks quickly devolved into chaos when Zelensky openly questioned Vice President Vances push for diplomacy with Russia, accusing Moscow of bad faith. Trump, visibly frustrated, accused Zelensky of gambling with World War III and failing to appreciate the billions in U.S. aid that has sustained Ukraines fight against Russian aggression. The confrontation ended with Zelensky being asked to leave the White House before closed-door discussions could begin. The rare earth minerals deal was left unsigned, and U.S. military aid to Ukraine was temporarily suspended. Private apology, public defiance While Zelenskys private letter to Trump signals an attempt to mend fences, the Ukrainian leader has remained defiant in public. Describing the Oval Office incident as regrettable but not a mistake, Zelensky has refused to fully acknowledge the gravity of his actions. His top adviser, Mikhail Podoliak, reinforced this stance last week, telling French magazine Le Point, We will not apologize for a supposed mistake that did not take place. This mixed messaging has only deepened skepticism about Ukraines willingness to cooperate with U.S. efforts to broker peace. Trump, who has long criticized Ukraine for what he sees as a lack of gratitude, remains unconvinced. They will sign the minerals deal, but I want them to want peace, Trump told reporters on Sunday. They havent shown it to the extent they should. Despite the lingering tensions, U.S. and Ukrainian officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia this week to revive stalled peace talks. The discussions aim to address key issues, including security guarantees for Ukraine and a potential end to the war with Russia. Witkoff expressed optimism about the upcoming talks, stating, Weve gone a long way to do that with the Russians, and I am really hopeful all the signs are really, really positive from Zelensky. However, the road to reconciliation remains rocky. Trumps frustration with Ukraines perceived ingratitude and Zelenskys public defiance suggest that trust between the two nations is far from restored. As Ukraine continues to rely on U.S. generosity in its fight for sovereignty, it remains to be seen whether Zelenskys private apology will be enough to repair the damage. Sources for this article include: RT.com NYPost.com DailyWire.com Ugandan MPs have adopted a proposal for a single SIM card policy, which aims to simplify communication across the countrys networks. It also means, in theory, that mobile phone customers will not need to carry multiple SIM cards or handsets. This consumer protection measure, according to MPs, would allow subscribers to retain their phone numbers when switching networks or geographic locations, on the lines, it seems, of mobile number portability. The policy was championed in parliament by MP Joyce Bagala, who has suggested it could improve network accessibility, reduce connectivity costs and, thanks to greater competition, improve the quality of services. The plan was apparently unanimously approved at a plenary session presided by Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Thomas Tayebwa. According to Ugandan media, it will soon enable consumers to call, text, and transact smoothly across many mobile phone networks. Or will it? State Minister for ICT Godfrey Kabbyanga Baluku has warned that the transition will necessitate massive infrastructure upgrades from the government and telecom providers. In any case, even though parliament has called on regulator the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to urgently implement this policy, the next stage is likely to be a report. This news comes at the same time as a reminder that demand for mobile communications seems to be growing in Uganda. Operator MTN Uganda has been granted a new number range by the UCC. The 079 range will help it to expand its network capacity. Effective immediately, new customers can acquire MTN SIM cards with numbers within the 079 prefix range by visiting any MTN Shop or MTN Service Centre across the country. MTN Uganda has assured its existing customer base that the introduction of the new 079 number range will have no impact on their current numbers or the quality of service they receive. MTN Uganda is the leading telecommunications provider in the country. Recent figures are hard to come by, but news reports suggest that, as of June 30, 2024, MTN Uganda reported a subscriber base of 20.7 million. Canadian liberals select globalist technocrat Mark Carney to replace Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister The Justin Trudeau era is coming to a close in Canada, with the governing Liberal Party selecting former central banker Mark Carney as its new leader and eventual prime minister on Sunday. (Article by Kurt Zindulka republished from Breitbart.com) The leadership contest sparked by Prime Minister Trudeaus resignation in January came to a close on Sunday evening, with former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney winning the internal party election. Having won 85.9 per cent of the vote, Carney bested former finance minister and deputy PM Chrystia Freeland at 8 per cent, former cabinet minister Karina Gould at 3.2 per cent, and businessman and former MP Frank Baylis at 3 per cent, CBC reports. Perhaps demonstrating a lack of enthusiasm, of the approximate 400,000 Liberal Party members who registered to vote in the leadership contest, CTV reports that just 151,899 votes were actually cast. Under Canadas parliamentary system, Carney does not automatically become prime minister but will have to wait for Trudeau to officially tender his resignation to the governor-general. After that, Carney will be invited to form a new government. This process is expected to be carried out within the next week. Despite being a longtime advisor to Trudeau, including on economics and during the coronavirus lockdowns, Carney has attempted to cast himself as an outsider who can take the Liberal Party in a new direction and be a firm hand in the ongoing trade dispute with the United States and President Donald Trump. However, critics, such as Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, have accused the former Goldman Sachs investment banker of being sneaky and of representing a doubling down of the failed economic and environmentalist Trudeau-era agendas. While never elected to public office, likely the first prime minister to have never been voted for at any level, Carney has been deeply involved in politics in Canada and internationally for nearly two decades. He was first installed as the head of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis. Carney later became the first non-British person to be selected to lead the Bank of England in 2013. During his tenure as governor of the UKs central bank, Carney frequently faced criticism for spreading project fear warnings of a potential financial crisis due to the Brexit withdrawal from the European Union. During the Chinese coronavirus crisis, Carney served as an advisor to Boris Johnsons government in Britain and later to Justin Trudeaus government in Canada, both of which instituted some of the strictest lockdown restrictions in the Western world. Court Finds Justin Trudeaus Use of Counter-Terrorism Law Against Freedom Convoy Unconstitutionalhttps://t.co/7eP5bvniVc Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) January 23, 2024 " data-bnewh="661px"> Carney publicly branded the Canadian Freedom Convoy uprising against the draconian measures, including vaccine mandates, as representing sedition against the government in Ottawa and advocated for the government to go after those who funded the protest movement. By now, anyone sending money to the convoy should be in no doubt: You are funding sedition. Foreign funders of an insurrection interfered in our domestic affairs from the start. Canadian authorities should take every step within the law to identify and thoroughly punish them. The involvement of foreign governments and any officials connected to them should be identified, exposed and addressed, he wrote in 2022. Carney has also been at the forefront of the international green agenda, having served as the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance from 2019 until January when he stepped down to run for the Liberal Party leadership. Additionally, Carney led the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), an initiative to advance climate policies throughout financial institutions throughout the West. The institution has recently suffered significant blows, as top American banks, including J.P. Morgan, withdrew from the scheme in the wake of the re-election of President Donald Trump, who has vowed to combat so-called Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) policies. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney Says Firms Ignoring Climate Crisis Will Go Broke https://t.co/h44OY25ByM Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) October 13, 2019 " data-bnewh="661px"> Carney and the Liberals have been bolstered by tough during the trade disputes and humorous suggestions from President Trump of making Canada the 51st state of America. This has been a convenient distraction from the cost of living and migration crises that have descended upon the country during the Liberal reign of Justin Trudeau. However, the opposition Conservative Party continues to hold a lead in the polls for the next election. Although the next fixed date for an election is set for October, the Liberal Party remains in a minority position in the parliament, and the other opposition parties have vowed to join together for a vote of no-confidence, which would likely collapse the government and potentially make Carney the shortest-tenured prime minister in the countrys history. Tariffs and the green agenda are likely to be a major focus of the campaign, with Conservative leader Pierre Polievre Carbon Tax Carney is sneaking in a carbon tax con job. Common sense Conservatives will: ? Axe the carbon tax for everyone, for good ? Slash bureaucracy, corporate welfare, useless consultants and foreign aid to bring down debt, taxes and inflation ? Take the GST off new pic.twitter.com/kEE7yf6tuF Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) March 6, 2025 " target="_blank" rel=" noopener external">branding the incoming PM as Carbon Tax Carney and claiming that his green agenda will only serve to drive more businesses to flee Canada in favour of the United States. According to the election tracker from public broadcaster CBC, the Conservatives are the most likely to win the next election, with a 51 per cent probability of winning an outright majority in the parliament and a 31 per cent chance of winning the most seats but falling short of a majority. Conversely, the Liberals only have a 4 per cent probability of a majority and a 14 per cent chance of winning the most seats. Exclusive Canadian Premier Danielle Smith: Trudeau Blew Tariff Negotiations in First Mar-a-Lago Meetinghttps://t.co/StryucrPAF Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) March 9, 2025 " data-bnewh="661px"> Read more at: Breitbart.com Gary Nulls AIDS: A Second Opinion challenges the conventional AIDS narrative Dr. Robert Gallo's 1984 announcement of HIV as the cause of AIDS, made in a French restaurant, marked the start of a saga filled with scientific, political and ethical complexities. Gary Null's book "AIDS: A Second Opinion" critiques this moment, noting the intense rivalry between Gallo's team and the CDC, which the federal Office of Technology Assessment reported as a significant barrier to progress. Null argues that the media spectacle following the announcement blurred the lines between scientific inquiry and media performance, exposing deeper issues within U.S. medical institutions. The book questions the traditional scientific foundations of the HIV-AIDS hypothesis, particularly Koch's postulates, and advocates for a more patient-centered, holistic approach to healthcare. This shift emphasizes patients' choices and dispositions, challenging the top-down, expert-controlled systems in medicine. Null critically examines the AZT and drug-cocktail treatments, arguing that they often come with significant side effects and questionable efficacy. The book suggests that AIDS might not be a new disease and explores the idea that many conditions associated with AIDS have existed for decades. It also investigates the controversial hypothesis that HIV could have been created in a laboratory, adding a layer of complexity to the AIDS narrative and encouraging a broader consideration of scientific research implications. When Dr. Robert Gallo announced the discovery of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as the cause of AIDS in 1984, the moment was as dramatic as it was controversial, held not in a sterile lab but in a French restaurant. This peculiar setting was just the beginning of a complex saga that has raised more questions than answers. In his book "AIDS: A Second Opinion," Gary Null challenges the mainstream narrative of AIDS, delving into the scientific, political and ethical dimensions that have shaped the understanding of this disease. Null, a well-known researcher and advocate for alternative medicine, takes readers on a journey through the AIDS crisis, revealing layers of complexity and controversy that are often overlooked. Released in a critical period when AIDS was emerging as a global health crisis, the book compiles both established and dissenting views, aiming to unravel the half-truths that have surrounded the disease from the beginning. One of the book's key focal points is the historical context and the controversial announcement by Gallo. According to Null, the press conference in 1984 was more spectacle than scientific disclosure, marked by intense rivalry between Gallos team and Dr. James Curran's team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The federal Office of Technology Assessment later reported that this rivalry significantly delayed progress in responding to the disease. The media frenzy that followed further complicated the situation. Scientists vied for public attention, creating a spectacle that blurred the lines between scientific inquiry and media performance. This phenomenon, Null argues, exposed deeper issues within U.S. medical institutions, challenging the conventional wisdom and raising questions about the intersection of science, media and public policy. Null's critique extends to the scientific foundations of the HIV-AIDS hypothesis, particularly Koch's postulates, which are traditionally used to establish the causality of new viruses. He questions the validity of these postulates in the context of HIV and explores a more patient-centered, holistic approach to healthcare. This paradigm shift emphasizes patients' choices and dispositions, challenging the top-down, expert-controlled systems that have dominated the medical field. One of the most contentious aspects of Null's book is his critique of the AZT and drug-cocktail approach to treating AIDS. He argues that these treatments, while widely accepted, often come with significant side effects and questionable efficacy. Instead, Null advocates for a holistic paradigm that focuses on enhancing the immune system and improving overall health. Null's exploration of the concept of correlation versus causation is particularly compelling. He points out that the presence of HIV in AIDS patients does not necessarily mean it is the cause of the disease. It could be a byproduct of immunosuppression caused by other factors, such as environmental toxins, lifestyle choices and the overuse of antibiotics. As Null states, "Just because a virus is found in sick people doesn't mean it's the cause of their illness." The book also delves into the idea that AIDS might not be a new disease at all. Null suggests that many conditions associated with AIDS have existed for decades, if not longer. He argues that what we call AIDS could be a collection of existing conditions exacerbated by various factors. This perspective challenges the mainstream narrative and opens up new avenues for research and treatment. Null's investigation into the origins of HIV is particularly intriguing. He examines the possibility that the virus could have been accidentally or even deliberately created in a laboratory. While this is a controversial topic, Null approaches it with scientific rigor and a critical eye, asking, "Could AIDS be a man-made disease?" One of the most compelling sections of the book is Null's exploration of alternative treatments. He highlights the potential of natural remedies and lifestyle changes, which are often dismissed by the mainstream medical community. By presenting these approaches, Null offers hope and new possibilities for those affected by AIDS. He believes that a more open-minded and holistic approach to health and medicine can lead to more effective treatments and improved quality of life. Learn more about the book "AIDS: A Second Opinion" by watching the video below. This video is from the BrightLearn channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: Brighteon.ai Brighteon.com Microplastics: The silent saboteurs of global food security and human health A groundbreaking study reveals that microplastics are impairing plant photosynthesis, leading to significant crop losses. By 2045, this could push an additional 400 million people into starvation, exacerbating global hunger. Microplastics, smaller than 5 millimeters, infiltrate soil, water and air, affecting staple crops like wheat, rice and maize. Asia, the largest producer of these crops, is particularly impacted, with annual losses ranging from 54 to 177 million tons. Microplastics have been detected in human blood, brains, breast milk, placentas and bone marrow. They are linked to serious health issues, including cancer, strokes, heart attacks and reproductive problems, raising concerns about long-term impacts on human health. While Asia, Europe and the U.S. face significant agricultural declines, regions like South America and Africa lack sufficient data on microplastic contamination, highlighting the need for more comprehensive research. Scientists urge global leaders to prioritize microplastic reduction in environmental policies. Without immediate action, plastic pollution will continue to escalate, threatening ecosystems and future generations. In a world already grappling with geopolitics, population growth and dwindling natural resources, a new threat has emergedone so pervasive that it infiltrates the air you breathe, the food you eat and even the organs of your body. Microplastics, the tiny fragments of plastic waste that have polluted every corner of the planet, are now being linked to a startling decline in global food production. A groundbreaking study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that these invisible pollutants are impairing plant photosynthesis, threatening to push an additional 400 million people into starvation by 2045. The hidden cost of plastic pollution Microplastics, defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters, are the byproduct of humanitys reliance on synthetic materials. From water bottles to synthetic clothing, these plastics break down into smaller pieces over time, infiltrating soil, water and air. The new study, led by Prof. Huan Zhong of Nanjing University, estimates that between 4% and 14% of the worlds staple cropswheat, rice and maizeare already being lost due to microplastic contamination. The implications are staggering. In 2022, approximately 700 million people faced hunger. If current trends continue, the number of people at risk of starvation could rise by 400 million in the next two decades. Humanity has been striving to increase food production to feed an ever-growing population, said Prof. Zhong. These ongoing efforts are now being jeopardized by plastic pollution. The study combined over 3,000 observations from 157 studies, revealing that microplastics hinder photosynthesis in multiple ways. They block sunlight from reaching leaves, damage soil structure and release toxic chemicals that reduce chlorophyll levels. When absorbed by plants, microplastics can clog nutrient and water channels, creating unstable molecules that harm cells. A global crisis with regional disparities The impact of microplastics on agriculture is not evenly distributed. Asia, the worlds largest producer of rice, wheat and maize, is bearing the brunt of the crisis. Annual crop losses in the region range from 54 million to 177 million tonsnearly half of the global total. Europe and the United States are also experiencing significant declines in wheat and maize production, respectively. In marine ecosystems, microplastics are coating algae, the foundation of the ocean food web. The study estimates that fish and seafood production could decline by 1 million to 24 million tons annually, depriving tens of millions of people of a vital protein source. While regions like South America and Africa grow smaller quantities of these staple crops, data on microplastic contamination in these areas remains scarce. This lack of information underscores the need for more comprehensive research to fully understand the scope of the problem. From food security to human health The threat posed by microplastics extends far beyond agriculture. These tiny particles have infiltrated human bodies, with studies detecting them in blood, brains, breast milk, placentas and bone marrow. While the long-term health effects remain unclear, microplastics have been linked to strokes, heart attacks and even cancer. A separate study published in Toxicological Sciences found microplastics in every one of the 62 placenta samples tested. Polyethylene, the most common type of microplastic detected, has been associated with asthma, hormone disruption and reproductive issues. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), another prevalent microplastic, is a known carcinogen linked to liver damage. Matthew Campen, a professor at the University of New Mexico who led the placenta study, warned that the accumulation of microplastics in human tissue could explain the rise in colon cancer among younger people, inflammatory bowel disease and declining sperm counts. If were seeing effects on placentas, then all mammalian life on this planet could be impacted, he said. Thats not good. A call to action The findings come at a critical juncture. In December 2024, global leaders failed to reach an agreement on a United Nations treaty to curb plastic pollution. Talks are set to resume in August, and scientists are urging policymakers to prioritize microplastic reduction in their action plans. Prof. Richard Thompson of the University of Plymouth emphasized the urgency of the situation. While the predictions may be refined as new data become available, it is clear that we need to start moving toward solutions, he said. Ensuring the treaty addresses microplastic pollution is of key importance. The study also highlights the interconnectedness of environmental and human health. Reduced photosynthesis due to microplastics could decrease the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by phytoplankton. This feedback loop underscores the need for a holistic approach to tackling plastic pollution. A future at risk Since the 1950s, global plastic production has skyrocketed, with a metric ton of plastic waste generated for every person on Earth. Much of this waste persists in the environment, breaking down into microplastics that will continue to contaminate ecosystems for centuries. As Prof. Campen noted, Its only getting worse, and the trajectory is it will double every 10 to 15 years. So, even if we were to stop it today, in 2050 there will be three times as much plastic in the background as there is now. And were not going to stop it today. The time to act is now. Without decisive action, microplastics will not only jeopardize global food security but also undermine the health of future generations. The question is not whether you can afford to address this crisisits whether you can afford not to. Sources include: TheGuardian.com TheEpochTimes.com Almayadeen.net Top streamer warns: Reddit cracking down on violent rhetoric could pave the way for INTERNET REAL ID, ending online anonymity Asmongold warns of potential Internet Real ID system: Popular streamer Asmongold predicts that escalating violent threats on Reddit could lead to government-mandated Internet Real ID, eliminating online anonymity and enabling surveillance by global entities. Since Donald Trumps presidency, Reddit has seen a dramatic rise in violent threats against political figures and conservatives, with posts glorifying political violence gaining traction. Asmongold highlights the irony of far-left groups, who previously supported censorship of conservative voices, now facing the consequences of their own radicalism and violent rhetoric. Asmongold draws comparisons to countries like China, where internet use is tightly controlled through government-issued IDs, warning that the U.S. could follow suit if violent rhetoric continues. Asmongold advocates for moderation that adheres to the First Amendment, banning illegal activities like incitement to violence while preserving free speech, to prevent the erosion of online freedoms. In a chilling prediction that has sent shockwaves through the online community, popular streamer Asmongold has warned that the rampant violent threats on Reddit could serve as the catalyst for a government-mandated Internet Real ID system. This system, he argues, would strip away online anonymity, allowing globalist entities to surveil and control individuals digital lives. The threats, which have surged since Donald Trumps presidency, have escalated to alarming levels, with users openly calling for violence against political figures and conservatives. Asmongolds dire warning comes as Reddit temporarily banned multiple pages last month after users posted explicit threats against staff at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The streamers comments highlight a growing concern: the far-lefts embrace of violent rhetoric may inadvertently hand the government the justification it needs to impose a Real ID system, mirroring authoritarian regimes like China. Asmongolds analysis reveals a troubling irony: those who once championed censorship of conservative voices are now facing the consequences of their own radicalism. Reddits descent into a radical terrorist breeding ground Asmongold, whose real name is Zack, did not mince words when describing the state of Reddit. You have people that are upvoting and glorifying political violence all over this website, and its completely become a radical terrorist breeding ground, he said. Its actually insane how bad this is. The platform, long known for its far-left leanings, has seen a dramatic increase in violent rhetoric since the rise of Donald Trump. Users have openly called for the assassination of Trump, his administration, and conservatives, with posts like Time to hunt and Lets drag their necks up by a large coil up rope gaining traction. These threats, Asmongold argues, are not isolated incidents but part of a broader trend that could have dire consequences for online freedom. The streamer pointed to the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as a turning point. Luigi Mangione, the shooter, has since become an icon for many on the extreme left, further emboldening violent rhetoric. If there are more terror attacks of a similar nature, Asmongold warned, were absolutely gonna get Real ID on the Internet. The irony of censorship: far-leftists reap what they sow Asmongold highlighted the hypocrisy of far-leftists who once lobbied for mass censorship of conservative voices but are now crying foul when the same tactics are used against them. Reddit is a very censorial website, he said. They constantly ban people for things that are wrongthink. Now these people are on the receiving end of it, and theyre crying about free speech. But they were never crying about free speech when people they disagreed with were getting banned. This double standard, he argued, reveals a deeper issue: the far-lefts willingness to weaponize censorship against their opponents while ignoring the dangers it poses to their own freedoms. These people think theyre rebel heroes, Asmongold said, but the only people theyre going to be heroes for is the government because the deep state government people are going to be able to justify a Real ID on the Internet. The looming threat of internet Real ID Asmongolds warning about Internet Real ID is not without precedent. In countries like China, internet use is tightly controlled, with users required to register with their government-issued ID. This system allows the state to monitor and censor online activity, revoking access at will. Asmongold fears that the U.S. is heading down a similar path, with violent rhetoric on platforms like Reddit providing the perfect justification for such measures. Its getting real bad, he said. These people are speedrunning Internet Real ID. I just hope that they understand that. The streamer called for a balanced approach to moderation, one that adheres to the First Amendment while banning illegal activity like incitement to violence or doxxing. You just follow the law and you ban people based off of things they say that break the law, he said. Asmongolds warning serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of online freedom. The violent rhetoric on Reddit, once dismissed as mere hyperbole, now threatens to usher in a new era of digital surveillance and control. The irony is palpable: those who once championed censorship are now unwittingly paving the way for a system that could strip away their own freedoms. Sources include: Modernity.news X.com Enoch, Brighteon.ai SBA to cut off taxpayer benefits for illegal immigrants and remove offices from sanctuary cities The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced new policies to restrict taxpayer benefits for illegal immigrants and remove offices from sanctuary cities. The agency will require loan applicants to verify citizenship and ensure businesses are not owned by illegal aliens. Six regional SBA offices in sanctuary cities will be relocated to places that better serve small businesses and comply with federal immigration law. The announcement comes after intense questioning of four Democratic mayors regarding their sanctuary city policies and spending on services for illegal immigrants. Republican lawmakers, led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), criticized the mayors and threatened to refer them for criminal investigation under federal law prohibiting harboring illegal immigrants. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced a series of reforms that will ensure illegal immigrants do not receive taxpayer benefits and remove its offices from sanctuary cities. In a press release on March 6, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said that the agency will "put American citizens first by ending taxpayer benefits for illegal aliens" to enforce the executive order of President Donald Trump prohibiting "taxpayer subsidization of open borders." (Related: Trump administration to launch registry for illegal immigrants: Fines and arrests for noncompliance.) Loeffler said that in the coming days, the SBA will implement a new policy requiring loan applicants to include citizenship verification. This provision will ensure that only legal citizens access SBA programs. Additionally, lenders will be required to confirm that businesses are not owned by illegal aliens, either wholly or in part, to comply with the executive order. Six regional offices located in sanctuary cities will also be relocated. These offices include locations in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City and Seattle. The agency says that the new locations will be less costly, more accessible and in areas that "better serve the small business community and that comply with federal immigration law." "Over the last four years, the record invasion of illegal aliens has jeopardized both the lives of American citizens and the livelihoods of American small business owners, who have each become victims of Joe Bidens migrant crime spree. Under President Trump, the SBA is committed to putting American citizens first again starting by ensuring that zero taxpayer dollars go to fund illegal aliens. "Today, I am pleased to announce that this agency will cut off access to loans for illegal aliens and relocate our regional offices out of sanctuary cities that reward criminal behavior. We will return our focus to empowering legal, eligible business owners across the United States in partnership with the municipalities who share this Administrations commitment to secure borders and safe communities," Loeffler said. Democratic mayors face intense questioning from Republican lawmakers The announcement follows closely after four Democrat mayors faced intense questioning from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill regarding their sanctuary city policies. On March 5, the House Oversight Committee convened a high-stakes hearing and called the mayors of four prominent sanctuary cities to testify on their policies regarding illegal immigration and the financial burden on taxpayers. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu appeared before lawmakers and faced intense scrutiny over their handling of illegal immigration. During the hearing, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) pressed the mayors on their spending over the past four years to support illegal immigrants, revealing staggering figures that have sparked fierce criticism from House Republicans. Johnson disclosed that the city had spent $574.5 million on services for illegal immigrants over the past four years, while Johnston reported expenditures of $79.0 million. In New York City, Adams revealed that they allocated a whopping $6.9 billion. However, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was unable to provide a figure and admitted that the city does not track the costs associated with supporting illegal immigrants. The revelations led to an intense exchange between the mayors and House Republicans, with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) taking a particularly aggressive stance. Luna cited 8 U.S. Code 1324, a federal law that prohibits harboring, aiding or abetting illegal immigrants, arguing that the mayors had engaged in criminal misconduct by implementing policies that shield illegal migrants from federal immigration enforcement. "I do not think you guys are bad people, but I do think you are ideologically misled. Which is why, unfortunately, based on your responses, Im going to be criminally referring you all to the Department of Justice for investigation As soon as I leave here, these will be going over to [Attorney General] Pam Bondi," Luna said. She really referred the mayors that same day. InvasionUSA.news has more stories like this. Watch the video below where Noem praised Trump's immigration policies. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: TRILLIONS of dollars in FREE MONEY handed out by Democrats attracts ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS from around the world to USA like one HUGE MAGNET. Trump signs executive order halting taxpayer funds for illegal immigrants, prioritizing American citizens. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez under fire: Did she cross the line by helping illegal immigrants evade ICE? Sources include: ZeroHedge.com Yahoo.com YourNews.com FoxNews.com Brighteon.com Texas bets big on desalination: A bold move to secure water for the future Texas is tackling drought, population growth and industrial expansion by building the nations largest desalination plant near Corpus Christi. This project, led by the Nueces River Authority (NRA), aims to ensure long-term water security, with the Harbor Island facility initially producing 100 million gallons per day (Mgpd) and potential expansion to 450 Mgpd by 2070. Texas faces a 9% increase in water demand over the next 50 years, while existing supplies are expected to drop by 18%. Prolonged megadroughts and critically low reservoir levels (e.g., Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir at 17.9% capacity) underscore the urgency for innovative solutions like desalination. Texas is leveraging public-private partnerships to fund and operate desalination projects. For example, the Seven Seas Water Group financed a plant in Alice, Texas, reducing municipal costs. The NRA plans a similar model for the Harbor Island project, with private companies managing operations until debt repayment. The Harbor Island facility will minimize environmental impact by discharging brine into deep Gulf waters and exploring brine mineral extraction. Desalination provides a drought-proof water source, with treated wastewater contributing to streamflow in drought-affected regions like the Frio and Nueces Rivers. Beyond Corpus Christi, Texas is advancing desalination projects in McAllen, Brownsville and Port Isabel, supported by state and federal funding. These efforts, combined with the Texas Water Development Boards SWIFT program, highlight the states leadership in diversifying water resources and setting a national example for addressing water scarcity. As the Lone Star State continues to grapple with drought, population growth and industrial expansion, Texas is doubling down on a bold solution: desalination. With plans for the nations largest desalination plant off Harbor Island near Corpus Christi, Texas is positioning itself as a leader in water innovation. This ambitious project, spearheaded by the Nueces River Authority (NRA), is part of a broader strategy to ensure water security for decades to come. A growing need for water innovation Texas is no stranger to water challenges. The states population is booming, with projections showing water demands increasing by 9% over the next 50 years. At the same time, existing water supplies are expected to decline by 18%. Add to that the specter of prolonged megadroughts, as predicted by NASA in 2015, and the urgency becomes clear. Nueces River Authority Executive Director John Byrum underscores the gravity of the situation: Lake Corpus Christi and the Choke Canyon Reservoir, which service south central Texas, are currently at 17.9% of their combined capacity. This stark reality has driven the NRA to pursue a groundbreaking desalination project that could transform the regions water landscape. The planned Harbor Island facility will initially produce 100 million gallons per day (Mgpd), making it twice the size of Californias Claude Bud Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, currently the largest in the U.S. With potential expansions, the plant could reach a staggering 450 Mgpd by 2070, rivaling the worlds largest desalination facilities. Public-private partnerships: A Texas-sized solution One of the most innovative aspects of Texas desalination push is its reliance on public-private partnerships. This model, already proven successful in Alice, Texas, allows municipalities to share the financial burden and operational risks with private companies. In Alice, the Seven Seas Water Group financed the citys desalination plant, reducing costs for the city while ensuring the projects completion. After 15 years, the city will assume ownership of the facility. The NRA plans to follow a similar approach for its Harbor Island project, with a private company building and operating the plant until the debt is repaid. This is a win-win for everyone, Byrum said. The private sector brings expertise and capital, while the public sector ensures the water reaches those who need it most. Environmental and economic benefits Desalination is not without its critics, who often point to the environmental impact of brine disposal and the energy-intensive nature of the process. However, Texas is addressing these concerns head-on. The NRAs Harbor Island facility will discharge brine into deep Gulf waters, minimizing environmental impact. Additionally, theres potential to mine the brine for valuable minerals, turning a waste product into a resource. Moreover, desalinated water offers a unique advantage: its drought-proof. Unlike traditional water sources, which are vulnerable to climate variability, desalination provides a reliable supply. As Byrum notes, This new water is processed through wastewater treatment after use, adding to streamflow in south central Texas parched Frio and Nueces Rivers. A statewide movement Texas desalination efforts extend far beyond Corpus Christi. In McAllen, the city is moving forward with a 180?200 million brackish water desalination plant, funded in part by a 10 million federal grant. Mark Vega, General Manager for McAllen Public Utility, emphasizes the urgency: If we fast forward five years from now, and we are in a worse drought and we did nothing five years ago, which is now, we will regret that. Meanwhile, the Southmost Regional Water Authority in Brownsville is doubling its desalination capacity to 20 Mgpd, while the Laguna Madre Water District is building a 10 Mgpd seawater desalination plant in Port Isabel. These projects, supported by the Texas Water Development Boards SWIFT program, highlight the states commitment to diversifying its water portfolio. A model for the nation Texas embrace of desalination is a testament to its pioneering spirit. By leveraging public-private partnerships, investing in cutting-edge technology and addressing environmental concerns, the state is setting a standard for water innovation. As Texas continues to grow, its success in desalination could serve as a blueprint for other states facing similar challenges. In the words of John Byrum, This isnt just about todayits about securing water for future generations. In a world where water scarcity is becoming an increasingly pressing issue, Texas is proving that with ingenuity and determination, even the driest regions can thrive. The Lone Star States bold bet on desalination is a reminder that when it comes to securing our most vital resource, bigger really is better. Sources include: WattUpWithThat.com ValleyCentral.com Comptroller.Texas.gov Trump administration strips security clearances from SPIES WHO LIED, blocking Biden and his cronies from intelligence briefings The Trump administration, led by DNI Tulsi Gabbard, revoked security clearances for Biden-era officials, intelligence leaders, and legal figures accused of political witch hunts and election interference against Trump. Former President Biden is barred from receiving the Presidents Daily Brief; affected individuals include Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Letitia James, and signers of the Hunter Biden disinformation letter. The controversy stems from a 2020 letter dismissing Hunter Bidens laptop as Russian disinformation, which suppressed the story before the election; Blinken is accused of orchestrating the debunked letter. Legal figures like Alvin Bragg and Andrew Weissmann, as well as Trump impeachment critics Mark Zaid and Norm Eisen, also had clearances revoked. The symbolic revocations aim to purge perceived corrupt actors, end lawfare, and restore trust in government institutions. Not wasting any time, the Trump administration has revoked security clearances from a cadre of Biden-era officials, intelligence leaders, and legal figures accused of orchestrating political witch hunts and election interference against Donald Trump. The decision, announced by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, also bars former President Joe Biden from receiving the Presidents Daily Brief, a classified intelligence report traditionally provided to former presidents. This bold action, described by Trump as necessary to safeguard national security, targets individuals he has long accused of weaponizing the intelligence and legal systems to undermine his presidency and the 2020 election. The move comes as part of Trumps broader effort to hold accountable those he believes have abused their power to interfere in U.S. elections and fabricate criminal cases against him. Among those stripped of their security clearances are high-profile figures such as former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The decision also impacts the 51 signers of the infamous Hunter Biden disinformation letter, which falsely claimed that Hunter Bidens laptop was part of a Russian disinformation campaign during the 2020 election. The spies who lied and their role in the hunter Biden laptop scandal At the heart of this controversy is the so-called Spies Who Lied, a group of former intelligence officials who signed a letter in October 2020 claiming that Hunter Bidens laptopa device containing damning evidence of corruption and influence-peddlingwas likely part of a Russian disinformation campaign. This narrative, amplified by major media outlets and the Biden campaign, effectively suppressed the story in the critical weeks leading up to the election. Antony Blinken, then a senior advisor to the Biden campaign, is accused of orchestrating the letter, which has since been thoroughly debunked. Bad guy. Take away his passes, Trump told the New York Post in an exclusive interview, referring to Blinken. The revocation of Blinkens security clearance is seen as a direct response to his role in what Trump has called the greatest election interference in U.S. history. The Trump administrations crackdown extends beyond the intelligence community to include key legal figures who have pursued cases against the former president. Among them are New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, both of whom have been barred from entering federal buildings. James brought a civil fraud case against Trump, accusing him of exaggerating his wealth in loan applications, while Bragg prosecuted Trump in the so-called hush money case. This is to take away every right they have [revoking security clearances], including they cant go into [federal] buildings, Trump said. The move is largely symbolic but serves as a powerful rebuke to what Trump describes as lawfarethe use of legal systems to target political opponents. Also on the list is Andrew Weissmann, the lead prosecutor in Special Counsel Robert Muellers Russiagate investigation, which Trump has repeatedly called a hoax. Weissmann, now an MSNBC contributor, has been a vocal critic of Trump, often using his platform to malign the former president. Similarly, Mark Zaid, a lawyer who represented the whistleblower in Trumps first impeachment, has had his security clearance revoked. Zaid, who once tweeted that it was time for a coup after Trumps inauguration, has built a career opposing Republican administrations. A broader purge of corrupt actors The Trump administrations actions are part of a broader effort to purge what it sees as corrupt actors from the intelligence and legal systems. Norm Eisen, a key figure in the anti-Trump legal efforts and a former special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during Trumps impeachment, is also among those targeted. Eisen, who has been a vocal critic of Trump, played a central role in the impeachment proceedings, which Trump has called a sham. Lisa Monaco, Bidens Deputy Attorney General, has also had her security clearance revoked. Monaco, who oversaw lawfare investigations against Trump and coordinated the DOJs response to the January 6 riot, is accused of helping orchestrate the Russia hoax during her time as an aide to President Obama. While the revocation of security clearances and access to federal buildings is largely symbolic, it sends a clear message: the Trump administration will not tolerate what it views as the weaponization of government institutions for political gain. Its more an insult and a slap in the face than a real deterrent, said Bob Costello, a former Manhattan federal prosecutor who testified as a defense witness in Trumps hush-money trial. However, the move could have practical implications for some, such as Mark Zaid, whose legal practice relies heavily on his access to classified information. The Trump administrations decision to revoke security clearances and block access to classified information marks a turning point in the ongoing battle against the Deep State. For Trump, this is about more than retributionits about restoring trust in the institutions that have been weaponized against him. By targeting those who have used their positions to undermine his presidency and interfere in elections, Trump is sending a clear message: the era of unchecked political persecution is over. Sources include: YourNews.com NYPost.com NYPost.com Trumps new tariff threats force Ontario to back down on U.S. electricity tax Ontario Premier Doug Ford suspended a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to Michigan, Minnesota, and New York after President Trump threatened to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. Ford initially proposed the surcharge and hinted at cutting off electricity exports entirely, framing it as retaliation against U.S. tariffs. Trump responded by threatening to increase tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and automobiles, while criticizing Canadas reliance on U.S. military protection. Ford reversed his decision and agreed to meet U.S. officials to discuss trade disputes, marking a significant retreat from his earlier stance. Ontario Premier Doug Ford suspended a planned 25% surcharge on electricity exports to Michigan, Minnesota, and New York on Tuesday, just hours after President Trump retaliated with threats to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. The swift resolution underscores Trumps assertive leadership in leveraging Americas economic power to protect U.S. consumers and businesses from what he called unfair Canadian trade practices. Fords initial threat to impose the surchargeand his suggestion that Ontario could shut electricity off completelyhighlighted a concerning willingness to weaponize essential services against American citizens. However, Trumps immediate response, including a warning of further economic retaliation, forced Ford to back down, demonstrating the effectiveness of Trumps hardline approach to international trade negotiations. A high-stakes trade standoff The conflict began when Ford announced the 25% surcharge on electricity exports, framing it as a response to Trumps existing tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. In an interview with CNBC, Ford defended the move, stating, If we go into a recession, it will be called the Trump recession. He also hinted at the possibility of cutting off electricity exports entirely, calling it a tool in our tool kit to pressure the U.S. into concessions. Trump, however, wasted no time in escalating the situation. On Truth Social, he announced plans to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum from 25% to 50%, warning of additional tariffs on Canadian automobiles starting April 2. He also criticized Canadas reliance on U.S. military protection, claiming American taxpayers subsidize Canadas national security by more than $200 billion annually. If other egregious, long-time Tariffs are not likewise dropped by Canada, I will substantially increase, on April 2nd, the Tariffs on Cars coming into the U.S., Trump wrote. Those cars can easily be made in the USA! Fords swift reversal Faced with Trumps uncompromising stance, Ford quickly reversed course. In a joint statement with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Ford confirmed the suspension of the electricity surcharge and agreed to meet with U.S. trade officials to discuss the future of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ahead of Trumps April 2 tariff deadline. Secretary Lutnick agreed to officially meet with Premier Ford in Washington on Thursday, March 13, alongside the United States Trade Representative to discuss a renewed USMCA, the statement read. In response, Ontario agreed to suspend its 25 percent surcharge on exports of electricity to Michigan, New York, and Minnesota. The move marked a significant retreat for Ford, who had earlier vowed to escalate the dispute if necessary. Let me be clear: I will not hesitate to increase this charge, Ford had said during his initial announcement. If necessary, if the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely. The swift resolution highlights Trumps ability to use Americas economic leverage to secure favorable outcomes in trade disputes. White House spokesman Kush Desai praised the presidents approach, stating, President Trump has once again used the leverage of the American economy, which is the best and biggest in the world, to deliver a win for the American people. Trumps willingness to impose significant tariffs and his refusal to back down in the face of Fords threats ultimately forced Ontario to retreat. The episode also exposed the risks of using essential services like electricity as bargaining chips in trade negotiations, a tactic that drew sharp criticism from Trump. Can you imagine Canada stooping so low as to use ELECTRICITY, that so affects the life of innocent people, as a bargaining chip and threat? Trump wrote on Truth Social. They will pay a financial price for this so big that it will be read about in History Books for many years to come! Sources for this article include: YourNews.com CNBC.com FoxBusiness.com Trump weighs heavy SANCTIONS and tariffs on Russia to end Ukraine war U.S. President Donald Trump considers imposing sweeping sanctions on Russia's banking, oil and goods sectors to pressure Moscow into a Ukraine ceasefire, targeting its oil-dependent economy. Trump has paused U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, leaving Kyiv vulnerable amid intensified Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure. Trump believes Russia holds the upper hand and may agree to a settlement, though critics fear this could embolden Putin, while supporters see it as pragmatic. Russia already faces over 20,000 sanctions, but Trump's proposed measures aim to deepen pressure, though their impact is uncertain without global unity given Russia's ties to China and others. U.S. and Ukrainian officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss peace. In a dramatic escalation of his efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, President Donald Trump has announced he is strongly considering imposing sweeping sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire and peace agreement is reached. This move comes as Russia intensifies its military campaign against Ukraine, launching a barrage of missiles and drones targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure. The proposed sanctions would target Russia's banking sector, oil majors and oilfield service companies, building on measures already implemented by the Biden administration. These sanctions aim to cripple Russia's economy, which is heavily reliant on oil exports and force Moscow to halt its aggression. Tariffs, meanwhile, would impose additional costs on Russian goods entering the U.S. further squeezing the Kremlins financial resources. Trump's approach reflects his belief that Russia holds the upper hand in the conflict. In a candid statement, he acknowledged that dealing with Ukraine has become increasingly difficult, while suggesting that Moscow might be more amenable to a settlement. "I find that in terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russiawhich is surprisingbecause they have all the cards," Trump said. This stark assessment underscores the president's pragmatic, if controversial, approach to diplomacy. The sanctions followed Trump's decision to pause military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, a move that has drawn sharp criticism. While the president insists it is necessary to pressure Kyiv to the negotiating table critics argue that his strategy risks emboldening his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. By pausing military aid to Ukraine and signaling a willingness to ease sanctions on Russias energy sector, the U.S. appears to be weakening Kyiv's position at a critical juncture. (Related: Trump Administration explores sanctions relief for Russia amid push to end Ukraine conflict and stop Europe's senseless military alliance.) Trump urges Moscow and Kyiv to talk "before it is too late" Trump's allies see his approach as a necessary recalibration of U.S. policy, arguing that endless military aid to Ukraine without a clear path to peace only prolongs the suffering and instability in the region. By leveraging sanctions and tariffs, Trump aims to create a scenario where both Russia and Ukraine have no choice but to negotiate. "To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late," Trump urged in a recent statement. The stakes are undeniably high. Russia is already subject to over 20,000 sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. These measures have had a significant impact on Russia's economy, but they have not deterred Putin from continuing the war. Trumps proposed sanctions would deepen this economic pressure, but their effectiveness remains uncertain. Critics warn that without a unified international response, Russia could find ways to circumvent the measures, particularly through trade with China and other non-aligned nations. Meanwhile, the suspension of U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine has raised concerns about the immediate impact on the battlefield, leaving Kyiv in a precarious position as it faces relentless Russian attacks. Despite these challenges, negotiations between the U.S. and Ukraine appear to be resuming. Senior U.S. officials are set to meet with a Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia to discuss a potential peace framework. Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, emphasized the administrations goal of achieving an initial ceasefire and laying the groundwork for a lasting agreement. "Hopefully, we get things back on track with the Ukrainians and everything resumes," Witkoff said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed a willingness to pursue peace but insists that Russia must first halt its attacks. "Ukraine is ready to pursue the path to peace and it is Ukraine that strives for peace from the very first second of this war," Zelensky said. "The task is to force Russia to stop the war." Trump's approach represents a bold attempt to end a conflict that has dragged on for far too long. Whether his strategy will lead to peace or further entrench the divisions remains to be seen. What is certain is that the path to resolution will require not just economic pressure, but also a delicate balance of diplomacy, resolve and a clear-eyed understanding of the realities on the ground. Watch this video about U.S. President Donald Trump voicing out his desire to end the Russia-Ukraine war. This video is from the Rick Langley channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trump pauses military aid to Ukraine, demands commitment to peace after tense White House meeting. Zelensky reaches out to Trump after tense White House meeting, aid freeze U.S. PAUSES aid to Ukraine, forcing Zelensky to seek peace and restore democracy to Ukraine. Sources include: Reuters.com BBC.com CBSNews.com Brighteon.com Globalist deep state threatened by patriot revolt, UKs role in global warfare exposed An Infowars journalist was killed in Austin, Texas, allegedly part of a kill list compiled by a CIA-linked Ukrainian organization, aiming to silence critics of the Ukraine narrative. Infowars journalist Chase Geyser faced swatting incidents, with emergency services responding to false reports of a deadly intrusion. These attacks are part of a larger effort to intimidate dissenters against mainstream narratives. The UK's deep state, closely aligned with the CIA, is central to orchestrating cyber warfare campaigns targeting independent media. This reflects the UKs dwindling influence and growing desperation in proxy conflicts. The article portrays a globalist deep state, rooted in London, facing a global revolt from patriotic movements. The attacks on journalists symbolize a broader war against these narratives, threatening the worlds future. Amid the escalating conflict between free-thinkers and the globalist deep state, the UKs diminishing influence heightens global instability. It underscores the need for awareness and readiness to confront future challenges. In a chilling development that underscores the intensifying conflict between independent media and the globalist deep state, the murder of Infowars journalist Jamie White and the recent swatting attacks on Chase Geyser have been linked to a coordinated campaign spearheaded by an entity deeply entrenched in the UK. These events reveal a sinister pattern aimed at silencing voices critical of the official narrative surrounding the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The Assassination of Jamie White and Targeted Attacks Sunday night marked the brutal murder of Jamie White, an Infowars journalist, in Austin, Texas. Surveillance footage reviewed by authorities suggests that White was a target on a kill list, which included names of prominent figures who have questioned or opposed the Ukraine narrative. The list was reportedly compiled by a Ukrainian organization fronted by the CIA and funded by U.S. taxpayers through a slush fund known as USAID. Whites death, alongside the swatting attacks on Chase Geyser, Infowars journalist, points to a broader agenda aimed at intimidating and silencing critics of the globalist narrative. Chase Geyser, who has been a pivotal voice challenging the pro-Ukraine stance since the inception of the conflict, faced multiple swatting incidents that same day. Geyser recounted how emergency services received multiple false reports, alleging that someone had broken into his house and killed his dog, forcing him to seek shelter in the basement. Geysers neighbors detailed the chaos that ensued, as multiple police cars descended on the scene, only to realize the call was part of a coordinated cyber attack. "Geysers experience underscores the magnitude of the campaign against independent media," Adams said. "The swatting incidents are clearly part of a larger orchestrated effort, utilizing Ukraine as a proxy to execute attacks against those perceived as threats to the mainstream narrative." UK at the Heart of Global Warfare Cyber Campaigns Adams attributes these attacks to the UKs deep state and its allies in the U.S., particularly the CIA, which have been orchestrating a covert cyber warfare campaign targeting independent media and specific individuals. The UK, he argues, has become increasingly isolated in its proxy wars, losing both political and military support from NATO and the U.S. in its efforts to continue the conflict in Ukraine. As a result, the UK has turned to more aggressive cyber tactics, threatening global infrastructure and civilian safety. "The UKs deep state, which has long operated out of London under the guise of its globalist empire, is now facing an existential threat," Adams explained. "With NATO and the US potentially inching towards a detente with Russia, the UK is scrambling to maintain its influence through covert operations and cyber warfare. However, these efforts are backfiring, as they only serve to further isolate the UK from its allies." The Globalist Deep State and the Threat to Humanity Adams paints a grim picture of a globalist deep state, centered in London, that is shrouded in corruption and deceit. This entity, which has historically sought to control the world, is now facing a burgeoning revolt from patriotic movements across the globe. The murder of Jamie White and the swatting attacks on Chase Geyser are indicative of the broader war being waged against those who challenge the globalist narrative. "One 1776 moment for humanity is unfolding before our eyes," says Adams. "This war is not just about political ideologies or national interests; it is a battle for the soul of the world. The underdogs, those who reject the false narratives of globalists and technocrats, are standing up and fighting back. They are not merely defending their country; they are fighting for humanity itself." In conclusion, the recent attacks in Austin and the broader pattern of intimidation and surveillance highlight the escalating conflict between free-thinking individuals and the globalist deep state. As the UKs influence wanes, the risks to global stability grow, and it is imperative that we remain informed and prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. Watch this March 12 episode of "Brighteon Broadcast News" as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about the Global 1776 revolutionary war against the corrupt, collapsing British empire. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Global civil war or revolt: Patriots vs. Globalists as Trump takes charge Professor David Betz warns of civil war in Britain as Rural-Urban divide deepens Is the UK heading for civil war? Professor predicts mass unrest within five years due to open borders, social fracture, eroding legitimacy Sources include: Brighteon.com Pan-African telecommunications and network services provider Paratus Group has announced that, having secured the necessary regulatory licenses, it has launched a new division called Paratus Tanzania through a joint venture with Tanzanian company Green Telecom. The announcement comes just four months after the group opened Paratus Kenya and further strengthens its entry into East Africa and its ongoing sub-equatorial expansion plans in Africa. Green Telecom was established in 2013 as a technology solution services provider for mobile network operators. It later moved into providing tailor-made solutions for managing and integrating its clients networks services. Paratus Group Chief Commercial Officer Martin Cox explains that, with professional technical engineering teams on the ground across the entire country, Paratus Tanzania can take full advantage of the opportunities to reach rural and underserved areas with excellent connectivity and backup solutions. MD of Paratus Tanzania, Said Alli notes that with this joint venture the company will be targeting many sectors, notably tourism, which in the last year, saw tourist numbers rise by around 25%. He adds: Other sectors, including mining, NGOs, the health sector and the EACOP (East African Crude Oil Pipeline), will also be our targetswe will be creating many new jobs over the next year. Late November 2024 saw the launch of Paratus Kenya through a joint venture with Nairobi-based IT and ISP company MoveOn Telecoms. The initial purpose of the new company has been to provide and install Starlink services. This launch followed the opening, a few weeks earlier, of Paratus Eswatini. U.S. resumes military aid to Ukraine after Kyiv agrees to 30-day ceasefire, but Russia holds the cards The U.S. will resume intelligence sharing and military aid to Ukraine after Kyiv accepted a 30-day ceasefire proposal, contingent on Russia's agreement. The ceasefire, covering the entire conflict front line, aims to serve as an interim measure, with potential for extension if both sides agree. Russia is unlikely to accept the truce due to its current military advantage, with analysts noting Moscow has little incentive to pause the conflict. U.S.-Ukraine relations have improved following a strained period after a contentious meeting between Trump and Zelensky earlier this month. The U.S. and Ukraine also agreed to collaborate on developing Ukraines critical mineral resources to boost its economy and offset U.S. assistance costs. The United States has agreed to lift its pause on intelligence sharing and military aid to Ukraine after Kyiv accepted a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire. The breakthrough came following an eight-hour meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. However, the ceasefire is contingent on Russias agreementa condition that analysts say Moscow is unlikely to accept, given its current military advantage. The move marks a shift in U.S.-Ukraine relations, which had been strained after a contentious Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month. That encounter ended in a heated exchange, with Trump pressing Zelensky to make concessions for peace. While the Ukrainian leader described the meeting as regrettable, the latest talks suggest Kyiv is now willing to negotiate, a move that may reflect the influence of Trumps firm stance. The proposed ceasefire, which would cover the entire front line of the conflict, is intended to serve as an interim measure that could be extended if both sides agree. Ukraine accepts this proposal, we consider it positive, we are ready to take such a step, and the United States of America must convince Russia to do so, Zelensky said in a statement. However, the likelihood of Russia agreeing to the truce remains slim. Moscow currently holds the upper hand militarily, with Russian forces advancing in key regions like Donbas and Kursk. Analysts suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin has little incentive to pause the conflict, as it could allow Ukraine to regroup and rearm with renewed U.S. support. The ball is now in Russias court, said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the American delegation in Jeddah. Were going to tell them this is whats on the table, Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking, and now itll be up to them to say yes or no. A shift in U.S.-Ukraine relations The resumption of U.S. military aid comes after a brief pause following the Trump-Zelensky confrontation. The U.S. had halted shipments of weapons and intelligence assistance, a move that left Kyiv reeling. The latest agreement signals a thaw in relations, with both sides emphasizing the importance of cooperation. In addition to the ceasefire proposal, the U.S. and Ukraine agreed to work toward a deal to develop Ukraines critical mineral resources, a move aimed at bolstering the countrys economy and offsetting the cost of American assistance. Both countries presidents agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraines critical mineral resources to expand Ukraines economy, offset the cost of American assistance, and guarantee Ukraines long-term prosperity and security, the joint statement read. Despite the optimism from Kyiv and Washington, Moscow has shown little interest in the proposal. Hours before the Jeddah talks, Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on Russian territory to date, targeting Moscow and killing at least three people. The attack, which Russia described as massive, underscores the ongoing volatility of the conflict. Russian officials have dismissed the ceasefire proposal as a bilateral matter between the U.S. and Ukraine, with no direct involvement from Moscow. While the ceasefire proposal is a step toward peace, its success hinges on Russias willingness to cooperatea prospect that seems unlikely given the current dynamics. Still, the fact that Ukraine is willing to negotiate and the U.S. is re-engaging with Kyiv are positive signs. For now, the focus remains on whether Russia will reciprocate. As Rubio noted, This is not some episode of a television show, this is very serious. Today people will die in this war. They died yesterday, and sadly, unless theres a ceasefire tonight, theyll die tomorrow. The hope is that this proposal could pave the way for a lasting resolution, sparing further loss of life and reducing the financial burden on American taxpayers. But with Russia holding most of the cards, the path to peace remains uncertain. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com CNN.com Telegraph.co.uk Zelensky rejects territorial concessions as Putin weighs ceasefire proposal Zelensky firmly rejects recognizing Russian-occupied territories, contradicting U.S. claims of potential concessions. A U.S.-backed 30-day ceasefire proposal is under Kremlin review, but Putin is unlikely to accept it without significant guarantees. Zelensky emphasizes Ukraines sacrifices, calling territorial integrity a non-negotiable red line. The ceasefire plan lacks a clear monitoring mechanism, raising doubts about its feasibility and enforcement. Divisions between Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia highlight the challenges of achieving a lasting peace agreement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected any recognition of Russian-occupied territories, directly contradicting claims by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Ukraine was open to territorial concessions during recent peace talks in Saudi Arabia. The development comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly studies a U.S.-backed 30-day ceasefire proposal, though experts suggest he is unlikely to accept it without significant guarantees. The proposal, aimed at paving the way for extended peace negotiations, has exposed deep divisions between Ukraine and its Western allies, raising questions about the future of the conflict. Zelenskys red line: No recognition of occupied territories On Wednesday, Zelensky made it clear that Ukraine would not cede any territory to Russia, even as the U.S. and Ukraine agreed to a temporary ceasefire plan during talks in Jeddah. We are fighting for our independence. Therefore, we will not recognize any occupied territories as Russia's. This is a fact, Zelensky declared. He emphasized the sacrifices made by Ukrainians, stating, Our people have fought for this, our heroes died. How many injured, how many passed. No one will forget about it... This is the most important red line. This stance directly contradicts Rubios remarks following the Saudi talks, where he suggested that Ukraine had shown openness to territorial concessions as part of a negotiated settlement. The apparent disconnect between Kyiv and Washington highlights the challenges of aligning Ukraines uncompromising position with the U.S. push for a diplomatic resolution. Putins response Meanwhile, the Kremlin has signaled that it is carefully studying the ceasefire proposal but remains cautious. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is awaiting detailed information from the U.S. before making any decisions. He added that Moscow would not rush into negotiations without guarantees addressing its concerns. Putin has previously rejected the idea of a temporary truce, arguing that it would only allow Ukraine to regroup and rearm. In December, he emphasized that Russia seeks a long-term peace based on respect for the legitimate interests of all people, all nations who live in this region. Analysts suggest that Putins willingness to entertain the ceasefire proposal may stem from his desire to maintain a positive relationship with the U.S., particularly under the Trump administration. The ceasefire proposal and its challenges The 30-day ceasefire plan, brokered during the Jeddah talks, calls for a halt to all fighting on land, sea, and air, with the possibility of extension if both sides agree. Zelensky described the ceasefire as applying to missile, drone, and bomb attacks not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line. However, the lack of a clear monitoring mechanism raises doubts about its feasibility. Rubio, who attended the talks, acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying that deterring future attacks against Ukraine would play an important role in negotiations. Moreover, any truce would require trusted monitors on the ground. He also emphasized that European sanctions against Russia would be part of the negotiations, making Europes involvement essential. As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, the prospects for a lasting peace remain uncertain. Zelenskys refusal to recognize Russian-occupied territories and Putins insistence on territorial concessions create a seemingly insurmountable divide. While the ceasefire proposal offers a glimmer of hope, its success hinges on Moscows willingness to compromisea scenario that appears unlikely given Russias recent battlefield gains. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com Reuters.com NYTimes.com DecipherSEO is a powerful business tool designed to streamline and optimize your content creation process. Offering a wide range of features to help you automate your content creation pipeline, DecipherSEO aims to boost your SEO growth and drive organic traffic to your website. From content generation to social media management, this comprehensive tool is tailored to meet the needs of business professionals looking to enhance their digital presence. Features Automate Your Content Creation DecipherSEO provides a rich set of features to automate your content creation pipeline. From creating workflows for multiple projects and clients to managing all your content creation efforts in one dashboard, this tool simplifies the content creation process and improves workflow efficiency. DecipherSEO provides a rich set of features to automate your content creation pipeline. 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With only a 0.2% year-on-year improvement and three out of four employers still displaying a significant gap in favour of men, companies are now racing to understand the issue and determine how to address it before the deadline for next years Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) reporting at the end of May. Publishing the data is a vital first step, but it has introduced a different kind of pressure the pressure to take action. And heres the challenge: highlighting the gap is one thing, but closing it is quite another. Currently, businesses are confronted with what I refer to as the gender-pay-action gap the divide between recognising theres a problem and genuinely addressing it. Mary Wooldridge, the CEO of the WGEA, has made it clear that companies cannot take action without first understanding the factors behind their gender pay gaps. Too often, businesses resort to knee-jerk reactions, such as blanket pay rises for women, hiring quotas, or superficial diversity pledges, which dont tackle the root cause. Without a structured approach, businesses risk making hasty decisions that fail to resolve the issue or, worse, exacerbate it. ALSO READ: Australias gender pay gap shame What Should Companies Be Doing Now? With the reporting deadline approaching in May, companies must act strategically and quickly. Before making changes, they must conduct a clinical, fact-based analysis of their gender pay data. In some cases, doing nothing may be the right move if the data shows that external factors, rather than internal bias, are driving the gap. A companys gender pay gap isnt a straightforward metric; it arises from various overlapping factors. Businesses recruit from diverse professional talent pools, including tech, marketing, and finance, with different forces affecting salary levels in each domain. These forces, termed gender-pay-gap drivers, can be categorised into four groups: 1. Market Drivers The Factors Beyond Your Control Some disparities in pay arise from wider market realities. Salary rates vary according to supply and demand, and certain professions are significantly influenced by gender. For instance, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that 92% of pilots are male, whereas 77% of flight attendants are female. Even if an airline hires fairly based on experience and merit, it will likely show a gender pay gap because of these structural industry imbalances. The key for companies is to determine their market gender pay gap the gap created by external market forces, and separate it from their effective gender pay gap, which reflects internal biases. Action to take now: Calculate your market gender pay gap. If your effective gap is close to zero, your company may not need to take further action on this front. 2. Diversity Drivers Are You Hiring Fairly? Hiring bias can distort gender representation in various roles, contributing to a broader pay gap. For instance, if a departments talent pool typically reflects a 60-40 male-female split, but your business has appointed at an 80-20 ratio, it indicates a hiring bias that exacerbates the pay gap. Action to take now: Compare your companys hiring ratios within each job function to industry benchmarks. If theres a significant gap, work with hiring managers to adjust recruitment strategies and attract a more balanced talent pool. 3. Seniority Drivers Are Promotions Equitable? Promotion bias is a major contributor to the gender pay gap. If men are consistently promoted to higher-paying leadership roles while women remain at lower levels, your company will inevitably experience a pay disparity. The best way to assess this is to analyse pay quartiles within each department. If your tech team is 75% male, but its top pay quartile is 95% male, and the lowest pay quartile is 60% male, theres a promotion bias. Action to take now: Perform a seniority analysis across all departments. If a considerable gap is identified, implement succession planning and mentorship programs to enhance female representation in leadership roles. 4. Pay Equality Drivers Are Salaries Fair for Equal Work? Pay discrepancies can sometimes happen even among individuals in the same role and level of seniority. A single instance of a female employee earning less than her male counterpart might not indicate a systemic issue, but if this pattern is widespread across a pay quartile, it signals a red flag that requires attention. Action to take now: Conduct a pay audit, analyse recent pay raises across genders, and work with department heads to adjust compensation structures where necessary. Businesses can no longer afford to treat gender pay gap reporting as a compliance exercise. The data is available, and both employees and customers expect companies to take meaningful action. But action doesnt mean reacting blindly it means diagnosing the right problems and implementing targeted, data-driven solutions. With just a few months left before the WGEA deadline, companies need to act quickly but also smartly. Companies that embrace this challenge and develop structured, fact-based strategies will not only reduce their gender pay gap but also build more equitable, high-performing workplaces. Those who dont? Theyll soon realise that inaction is no longer an option. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Cryptos back in the spotlight and this time, its got a powerful ally. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed crypto president, signed an executive order eyeing a bold move: forcing the Federal Reserve to open its doors to crypto banks. Fast projects like Best Wallet Token are gearing up to take flight. With promises of faster cash flow, lower fees, and new markets, could this push finally make crypto the lifeline its been hyped to be? By 2023, 40% of small-to-medium businesses in the U.S. were already accepting crypto payments. Over 27 million Malaysians are using it now, reports Statista, and small to medium businesses are starting to take notice. Why? It promises faster payments, reduced fees, and an opportunity at new markets. PwC predicts that blockchain can contribute $1.76 trillion to the economy by 2030, and SMEs can benefit from a portion of this. But trust is the big issue. Is crypto finally ready for small business after years of wild volatility and scam headlines? Experts weigh in, and its not a straightforward answer. The comeback case Crypto has a positive narrative to share with SMEs, and the experts are making their voices known. Shopifys APAC Director of Marketing, Robin Marchant, puts it succinctly: Its a payment option for faster transactions and lower feesno chargebacks, just quick cash flow. Shopifys been enabling merchants to accept crypto since 2018 through platforms such as Coinbase, and its only grown since. Carly Eva Benci, who runs Crypto Carly, attests: Its instantcash flow improves, saves time chasing invoices. Shes seen it work for all types of tradies to importers sending money overseas. Kevin He, Cloudtech Blockchain CEO, gets under the bonnet of why it feels secure: Immutability and decentralization build trusttransactions cant be counterfeited, and anyone can see them. Marella et al.s 2020 study gives a nod to thisBitcoins transparency is a trust magnet. Gartners backing it with dollars too, pegging blockchain at $360 billion by 2026. For SMEs, thats real money on the table. The risks holding it back Hold the hype cryptos still got thorns. Prices can drop rapidly; imagine selling a $10,000 service in Bitcoin, then watching it reduce to $8,000 overnight. Kevin He admits, Most currencies arent insured like cash, and that stings when markets shudder. Scams are another dark stain as Aussies lost $205 million to crypto scams way back in 2022, the ACCC says, and 2025 hasnt wiped that slate clean. Regulations lagging behind too; its a wild west out there without a safety net if it all goes south. Chainalysis says illicit activitys down to 0.15% of transactions, but thats still a risk a small business might not want to take. Stablecoins like USDC offer a way out less rollercoaster, more steady ride, but new regulations coming mid-2025 may introduce compliance costs. Its safer than it used to be, but not bulletproof. Whats next for SMEs Cryptos resurgence is genuine, although it is not yet plug-and-play. Lachlan Feeney of Labrys once commented itll be crazy not to be instrumental in blockchain before long, and 2025s vindicating him. Smart contracts could handle payroll in a snap, or tokenized assets could fund your next project PwC sees 40 million jobs tied to this by 2030. Robin Marchant advises, Start small and test a platform like Coinbase. Big banks like ANZ are jumping in, and tools are getting friendlier. But youve got to prep as over 3% of Americans still dont trust crypto, per Pew Research 2024, and SMEs cant afford that gap. Education is the answer; research your coins, pick a solid one, and keep your wallet safe. Cryptos back for SMEs doing it correctlyits a tool, not a gamble. This article explores emerging trends in cryptocurrency and is not financial advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult professionals before making investment or business decisions. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Due to scheduled maintenance from Saturday, March 15, 2025, at 10 PM to Sunday, March 16, 2025, at 2 AM, there may be interruptions for our News Gazette Digital subscribers. During this time frame, please click on any News Gazette website content without logging into your News Gazette Digital subscription account. Thank you for your patience during this scheduled maintenance. Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. By Keynote Contributor Dr. Soroosh Afyouni Head of Health Data Sciences bioXcelerate AI Written by Keynote Contributor Soroosh Afyouni, head of health data science at bioXcelerate AI. Every household seems to have that drawer of miscellaneous belongings. When you need something, you know its in there, but it still takes hours to sift through the clutter you shouldve tossed years ago. The massive amount of data being stored in ever-expanding biobanks is a bit like that drawer, and it makes finding consistently good quality data increasingly challenging. Living in the digital age, theres no shortage of information available, and organizations of all sorts are making it their business to use it. This is especially true now, with advanced technology allowing businesses to analyze vast swathes of data in a way that, up until recently, simply wasnt possible. Over the past few decades, healthcare authorities worldwide have established large biobanks, including patient medical records, clinical trial data, and genetic information. While these biobanks hold immense value, the data quality is often inconsistent and comes in a variety of shapes and formats, making it difficult to draw reliable comparisons. Trying to analyze them side by side is like comparing apples to oranges it just doesnt work. This inconsistency is becoming a significant issue. It not only hampers collaboration but also limits the potential of powerful tools like AI and machine learning to deliver meaningful insights. Thats why its important to develop a strategy for managing health data globally to streamline the drug development process and, in turn, create more effective outcomes for patients. The Era of Big Data is Now Theres no denying that data offers immense opportunities to transform a range of industries, especially healthcare. However, if data quality is poor, it can hinder how effectively the data can be used. According to a study by Sun et al. (2022)1, up to 50% of clinical trials fail due to a lack of clinical efficacy. Put simply, if the initial insights arent based on strong data-driven evidence, then the treatment is unlikely to be optimally effective. As advances in technology, such as AI, continue to enhance our ability to extract insights from data, the drive to collect it at an unprecedented pace and the potential to revolutionize drug development has never been greater. However, the technology is only as powerful as the data it processes; without high-quality, well-curated data, even the most advanced AI models can falter. Inconsistent formats, varying degrees of accuracy, and incomplete datasets are common challenges that, without proper attention, can undermine the effectiveness of data-driven insights2. Disparities like these can result in spurious conclusions, ineffective treatments, and missed opportunities to address patients unmet needs. Making Data FAIR To fully maximize the potential of advanced techniques in healthcare such as AI, machine learning, and other analytical methods meticulous data curation and management are essential3. Clean, comprehensive, and well-structured data provides the solid foundation upon which these advanced techniques can build transformative innovations in the healthcare industry. Image Credit: paulista/Shutterstock.com Adherence to the FAIR data principlesmaking data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusableis a key component in achieving this. By ensuring data meets these standards, it becomes easier to organize, integrate, and reuse it across various AI-driven applications. Importantly, these principles foster a culture of transparency, innovation, and collaboration, further strengthening the integrity of insights derived from advanced analytical techniques, including AI. The importance of creating a robust repository of coherent, standardized data extends beyond just this sector. Effective data housekeeping is essential for enabling meaningful collaboration between industry and academia. Cutting-edge research facilities, coupled with the practical clinical development used in industry, leverage the strengths of both sectors. By working together, they can establish standardized data practices, share valuable insights from pre-clinical research through to development and construct robust frameworks for data management that align with FAIR principles. This collaboration ensures that data is not only well-organized and of high quality but also readily accessible and reusable, enhancing its relevance and applicability to real-world challenges. Data Strategy is Key Establishing a repository of health data that is accurate, comparable, and reusable is a vital step for maximizing the potential benefits of AI and machine learning in drug development, and reproducibility is crucial to achieving this4. When scientists can revisit previous work and obtain the same results, findings are verified, and trust in the insights drawn from the data is built. Additionally, reproducibility helps minimize errors by revealing inconsistencies in results. Finally, adherence to FAIR data principles facilitates reproducible outcomes, making collaboration across teams and industries smoother and more effective. By working together, industry and academia can take a unified approach to ensure data is carefully curated, standardized, and relevant. Ultimately, this will drive faster and more effective patient outcomes while guaranteeing that the data remains adaptable and, as far as possible, future-proof. In doing so, we can enable advanced analytical methodologies to reach their full potential and drive progression in healthcare and beyond. References Sun, D., Gao, W., Hu, H. and Zhou, S. (2022). Why 90% of clinical drug development fails and how to improve it? Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, [online] 12(7). Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9293739/. Tala Talaei Khoei and Singh, A. (2024). Data reduction in big data: a survey of methods, challenges and future directions. International journal of data science and analytics. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s41060-024-00603-z. Wise, J., de Barron, A.G., Splendiani, A., Balali-Mood, B., Vasant, D., Little, E., Mellino, G., Harrow, I., Smith, I., Taubert, J., van Bochove, K., Romacker, M., Walgemoed, P., Jimenez, R.C., Winnenburg, R., Plasterer, T., Gupta, V. and Hedley, V. (2019). Implementation and relevance of FAIR data principles in biopharmaceutical R&D. Drug Discovery Today, [online] 24(4), pp.933938. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drudis.2019.01.008. Lake, F. (2019). Artificial intelligence in drug discovery: what is new, and what is next? Future Drug Discovery, 1(2), p.FDD19. doi:https://doi.org/10.4155/fdd-2019-0025. About Soroosh Afyouni Dr Soroosh Afyouni is the Head of Health Data Sciences at bioXcelerate AI. Prior to completing his PhD in Statistical Neuroimaging at the University of Warwick in 2017, where he specialized in statistical network and time series analysis, Soroosh received a Master of Engineering from the University of Birmingham in 2012. From 2017 to 2020, Soroosh continued his research as a (junior and senior) postdoctoral researcher by joining the Big Data Institute at the University of Oxford, where he developed time series models for accurate estimates of human brain activities in large-scale datasets such as the UK Biobank. During his time at Oxford, Soroosh received a Merit Award from the Internal Organization for Human Brain Mapping. In 2021, Soroosh joined the University of Cambridges Department of Psychology and Faculty of Mathematics to focus on developing ML methods for early diagnosis of Alzheimers disease. In addition to his academic background, Soroosh has spent close to two years at a US-based management consulting firm, where he worked with the biggest pharmaceutical companies to address their R&D and commercial strategic challenges ranging from utilizing electronic health records in clinical trials to designing and pressure testing newly designed R&D operating models. Soroosh joined bioXcelerate in 2023, where he will be working on the application of statistical and machine learning methods in precision medicine. Disclaimer: This article has not been subjected to peer review and is presented as the personal views of a qualified expert in the subject in accordance with the general terms and conditions of use of the News-Medical.Net website. Smart vs. traditional hospital beds How is smart bed technology transforming patient care? Challenges experienced by manufacturers How can we enhance smart bed use in the future? Smart hospital beds provide greater benefits beyond the place to rest for patients. These beds are equipped with a myriad of sensors and monitors that enable real-time monitoring of a patients vital signs, including heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, body temperature, and movements.1 Therefore, sophisticated hospital beds not only enhance patients comfort but also provide invaluable information about their clinical condition to healthcare professionals, enabling them to deliver medical attention promptly. Image Credit: Frame Stock Footage/Shutterstock.com Smart vs. traditional hospital beds Traditional hospital beds were designed to provide a place for patients to rest while they were being treated. Mostly, these beds are static, with limited or no available adjustments for patients' positioning or comfort. This lack of adaptability may not only cause discomfort but also lead to complications that could lead to prolonged hospital stays.2 Smart hospital beds are innovative beds integrated with advanced features and functionalities that provide significant comfort and safety for patients.3 The adjustable modes enable them to find the most comfortable position for sleeping, resting, or engaging in activities like watching television or reading. Certain smart beds are also equipped with built-in massage functions to relieve pain. Automated electric beds, built in the 1990s, underwent continual improvements through applications of modern research and technologies, including Internet of Things (IoT) devices, sensors, ergonomics, pressure layers, and built-in scales.4 Smart beds are developed by integrating technology and communications, such as computer vision, artificial intelligence (AI) machine learning, deep learning methods, and the IoT for rapid and precise monitoring of patients.5 Unlike traditional hospital beds, smart beds transmit clinical data wirelessly to healthcare providers, enabling them to closely monitor patients and provide immediate attention if any abnormalities are detected.4 Smart beds exploit technologies, such as graphical interfaces and actuators, to provide a higher level of service, including real-time monitoring. Besides real-time monitoring of clinical data through sensors and IoT, current smart hospital beds are equipped with alarm systems to alert supervisors in case of abnormal event detection in patients.6 Advanced smart beds are designed to automatically update the patients medical record with all the acquired data, including the number of times the patient has been repositioned or left their beds. UK Biobank: The Worlds Largest Health Database Explained How is smart bed technology transforming patient care? A combination of multiple technologies, including machine learning, a sensor network, a morphable tile-like surface, and computer support for data analysis, risk assessment, and alerts, has offered real-time monitoring of patients vital signs, including respiratory rate, heart rate, and blood pressure, which helps prevent adverse outcomes. For example, an abnormal elevation in body temperature indicates the risks of sepsis; therefore, these patients would require immediate assessment and intervention.7 Similarly, continual cardiorespiratory rate monitoring is essential for patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or those with sleep disorders to detect a life-threatening situation. Smart beds equipped with a smart Fiber Bragg Grating (FGB) sensor system can automatically detect the behavior of bedridden patients and their vital signs.8 This system can effectively prevent patients from falling out of bed, bed soreness, and life-threatening situations (e.g., elevated heart rate). Typically, the FGB interrogator is connected to a computer and an alarm system to alert medical professionals in case of abnormal clinical data. A low-cost magnetic induction system has been designed to be placed underneath the bed mattress, which can detect a patients presence on the bed by monitoring his cardiorespiratory rate. Ultra-wideband (UWB) sensors have been used for non-obtrusive sensing of vital parameters. These unobtrusive depth sensors have enabled remote monitoring of patients movement in their bed. This pressure-sensing architecture helps monitor the sleep quality of patients.8 Mapping pressure points on a patients body has also proved to be beneficial in determining whether a bed is occupied or not. This information is crucial in every care facility to detect whether a patient has fallen off the bed or tried to get out of it without assistance. Deep learning and machine learning algorithms have also been applied to assess heartbeat signals generated by a 3D solid-state accelerometer embedded into a smart bed.9 Patients with medical conditions that limit their ability to change positions are at a high risk of developing bedding ulcers. The use of smart beds has reduced the incidence of pressure or bedding ulcers, which are skin injuries that occur due to prolonged pressure.1 Pressure sensors monitor and detect pressure over the entire patients body, modeling constructs pressure maps, and machine learning predicts the risks of developing pressure ulcers. This data helps medical staff to take prompt action to prevent pressure ulcers. Challenges experienced by manufacturers Stryker Corporation, Paramount Bed, Hill-Rom Holdings, Joerns Healthcare, Stiegelmeyer, Getinge Group, and Invacare Corporation are considered key players in the medical smart bed market.10 Despite the benefits, the limited adoption of smart beds and their restrictive market growth have been attributed to their high cost, regulatory hurdles, and data privacy concerns. Furthermore, the majority of research has been conducted on prototypes rather than on real hospital beds, which limits the generalizability of the findings to actual clinical settings.8 Hospital-at-Home: Bridging Inpatient and Remote Care How can we enhance smart bed use in the future? It is important to overcome the challenges above to enhance the wide use of smart beds. This can be achieved by fostering collaborative efforts between institutions and countries, increasing funding, standardizing protocols, and providing regulatory support. Increased funding can support large-scale real-life studies across diverse populations, which is essential to assess the efficacy of new smart bed designs. Since newer smart bed designs use advanced technologies like electronic health records (EHRs) and AI, it is imperative to build public trust regarding data protection measures. An increase in awareness about the benefits of smart beds can further promote its broader implementation. Greater awareness about smart bed benefits could increase demand, which could boost the overall market size for medical smart beds in the coming years. References Ajami S, Khaleghi L. A review on equipped hospital beds with wireless sensor networks for reducing bedsores. J Res Med Sci. 2015;20(10):1007-15. doi: 10.4103/1735-1995.172797. Tak SH, et al. Nurses' Perceptions About Smart Beds in Hospitals. Comput Inform Nurs. 2023;41(6):394-401. doi: 10.1097/CIN.0000000000000949. Ghersi I, et al. Smart medical beds in patient-care environments of the twenty-first century: a state-of-art survey. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak, 2018;18, 63. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-018-0643-5 Nunes T, et al. Deployment and validation of a smart bed architecture for untethered patients with wireless biomonitoring stickers. Med Biol Eng Comput. 2024;62(12):3815-3840. doi: 10.1007/s11517-024-03155-3. Sarra, A, et al. Development of a Smart Hospital Bed Based on Deep Learning to Monitor Patient Conditions. JDR. 2023;2(2):25-36. DOI: 10.57197/JDR-2023-0017 Said AM, et al. Efficient Anomaly Detection for Smart Hospital IoT Systems. Sensors (Basel). 2021;21(4):1026. doi: 10.3390/s21041026. Kushimoto S, et al. The impact of body temperature abnormalities on the disease severity and outcome in patients with severe sepsis: an analysis from a multicenter, prospective survey of severe sepsis. Crit Care. 2013; 13;17(6):R271. doi: 10.1186/cc13106. E Karvounis, et al. Smart Beds and Bedding Surfaces for Personalized Patient Care: A Review. 2021 6th South-East Europe Design Automation, Computer Engineering, Computer Networks and Social Media Conference (SEEDA-CECNSM), Preveza, Greece. 2021; 1-8, doi: 10.1109/SEEDA-CECNSM53056.2021.9566276. Hoang ML, et al. Comparison of Machine Learning Algorithms for Heartbeat Detection Based on Accelerometric Signals Produced by a Smart Bed. Sensors (Basel). 2024 Mar 15;24(6):1900. doi: 10.3390/s24061900. Medical Smart Bed Market Insights, Market Players and Forecast Till 2030. 2023; Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/medical-smart-bed-market-insights-players-forecast-till-osghe/ Further Reading A University of Rochester Medical Center study showed that downtime in the emergency room can have a potential upside for women who are behind on cervical cancer screenings, which is a nationwide problem. Researchers approached women between ages 21 and 65 while they were in the ER as patients for a variety of health problems, as they waited for test results or a medical consultation. The patients agreed to answer questions about cervical cancer screening on a portable tablet-style computer and enroll in a clinical study. Researchers then referred the women to local screening services. Some also received motivational text message reminders, which helped to boost the number of women who followed up with screening on their own time. The study enrolled nearly 1,100 ER patients who were not up to date on screenings-and results showed that twice as many women went ahead and got their cervical cancer screenings within 150 days compared to historical norms. Senior Investigator David Adler, MD, MPH, professor of Emergency Medicine and a member of Wilmot Cancer Institute's Cancer Prevention and Control research program, emphasized the study's low-cost, efficient approach to increasing the cancer screenings. Whether it's cervical cancer, lung cancer, or colorectal cancer, the emergency department environment is a rich place to approach people and develop ways to prompt them to get screened and prevent cancer. This is normally the purview of primary care doctors, but we have a lot of patients who either don't have a doctor or aren't in regular contact with their primary care team." David Adler, MD, MPH, Senior Investigator The study, published in Academic Emergency Medicine, helps to close the gap for those who are eligible for cervical cancer screenings but have not stayed up to date-a territory dubbed "the Last Mile Problem" by the National Cancer Institute, which funded the research. The project is especially important for the Rochester region, which has higher cancer rates compared to national and New York state rates, and where Wilmot is investing in prevention and community outreach. Why is cervical cancer screening important? If it's not caught early, cervical cancer can be deadly. The five-year survival rate for women with cervical cancer in the earliest stages is 91 percent, but this drops to 19 percent when cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Cervical cancer screening is a cornerstone of preventative health, with decades of research behind it. A pap test or HPV test can help find pre-cancerous changes in the cervix and prevent cancer from developing. "There's no doubt that screening saves lives. No one should be dying of cervical cancer," said Beau Abar, PhD, an emergency medicine investigator who collaborated with Adler. Conducting research in a busy emergency department A primary goal of the study was to make sure it did not slow the pace of regular emergency services. An innovative team at UR known as Emergency Department Research Associates ran the study, under the guidance of Adler and Abar. The program has been in operation for more than 25 years at Strong Memorial Hospital with training to enroll patients in emergency department-based clinical trials without interfering with health care. This project took place at Strong Hospital's large emergency facility in Rochester, a Level 1 trauma center, and at Noyes Memorial Hospital's smaller emergency room in Dansville, NY. Noyes serves rural residents in the Southern Tier region and is affiliated with the University of Rochester and Wilmot. Researchers randomly assigned women into one of two groups: The first group received standard verbal and written recommendations to get screened and a referral for services; the second group also received text-message reminders such as: "Our goal is to do what we can to keep you healthy. One way we can do that is to help make sure you are up to date with your cervical cancer screening." During the next five months, researchers discovered that 20 percent of the first group of women went for a screening test and 23 percent of the text message group received screening. This is at least twice the typical rate of screening uptake during this interval, according to historical control data. (Women did not receive pap tests and/or HPV tests during wait times in the emergency room-it was up to each person to seek the testing elsewhere.) "We understand that we are not going to get everyone that needs to be screened," Adler said, "but every person who does get screened is a win." Adler's team designed the project to be suitable for emergency departments elsewhere, and a larger, multicenter study is the next goal. Meanwhile, they are working on a smaller study focusing solely on the HPV test as a form of cervical cancer screening. The idea is to have patients swab themselves in the bathroom during an ER visit, like providing a urine sample. Roche Diagnostics is supporting that project. A new study has found that extending state Medicaid coverage did not increase the likelihood of prescription opioid or benzodiazepine misuse among people who use drugs. People who inject drugs and experience poverty are at an increased risk of health conditions such as HIV and tuberculosis, as well as overdose. While this population stands to benefit from health services provided through Medicaid expansion, prior reports have claimed that extending Medicaid coverage to this group encourages misuse of opioids. A new study led by researchers at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and Emory University Rollins School of Public Health (Rollins SPH) vigorously refutes this claim. Published in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, the study examined federal data on health and drug use among nearly 20,000 people who inject drugs and are low-income in the US, and found no association between Medicaid expansion and misuse of prescription opioids or benzodiazepines, drugs often prescribed for anxiety or insomnia. Importantly, these findings present real-world data that disprove narratives claiming that Medicaid expansion has fueled the longstanding opioid crisis in America by increasing access to low-cost prescription opioids diverted for non-prescribed use. The new study takes into account state-level opioid trends and individual-level characteristics-such as race, health status, and insurance coverage-that can affect how and to what extent people may access and utilize opioids The researchers observed no increase in non-prescribed opioid use among low-income people who use drugs, a clinically and socially vulnerable population for which expanded Medicaid coverage could fulfill unmet and costly health needs. If Congress advances a budget blueprint that cuts funding to Medicaid-which serves more than 1 in 5 people in the US-these critical needs could remain unmet. Our findings provide strong empirical data that indicate there is no link between Medicaid expansion and non-prescribed use of opioids and benzodiazepines. This insight allows us to focus on what we do know from the literature about Medicaid expansion-that there are potential life-saving benefits for people who use drugs." Dr. Danielle Haley, study lead and corresponding author, assistant professor of community health sciences at BUSPH While the earlier stages of the opioid crisis were driven by an overprescribing of opioid pain medication, the US has made concerted efforts to address this problem, Dr. Haley adds. "The timing of the opioid overdose crisis far predates the expansion of Medicaid, which began in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act," she says. "What has really driven overdose deaths over the last several years are synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl. We need to support policies that ensure individuals have access to appropriate pain medication while advancing best practices for prescribing these drugs." For the study, Dr. Haley and colleagues from Rollins SPH, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Florida State University College of Nursing utilized three waves of federal health data in 2012, 2015, and 2018, among 19,728 people who inject drugs ages 18-64 who were enrolled in Medicaid with an income of 138 percent of the federal poverty line or below. The participants resided in 13 states, including 10 that expanded Medicaid and 3 that did not expand Medicaid. After accounting for numerous factors, such as race/ethnicity, income, employment, health conditions, and access to drug monitoring programs, they observed no connection between Medicaid expansion and non-prescribed use of opioids or benzodiazepines among all of the participants-nor any association based specifically on race/ethnicity or HIV status. The researchers hope the new findings help reduce persistent stigmas and structural inequities associated with opioid use among people who inject drugs. "FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder are very effective in treating opioid use disorder, and also reducing overdose, Dr. Haley says. "There are multiple issues that still need to be addressed, but having health insurance is a critical gateway for people to access these life-saving services. It is important to address the barriers that Medicaid enrollees who inject drugs encounter in actually receiving the treatment and services their insurance provides. Can AI chatbots like ChatGPT give better medical answers than Google? A new study shows they can but only if you ask them the right way. Study: Evaluating search engines and large language models for answering health questions. Image Credit: Dragana Gordic / Shutterstock How reliable are search engines and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots when it comes to answering health-related questions? In a recent study published in NPJ Digital Medicine, Spanish researchers investigated the performance of four major search engines and seven large language models (LLMs), including ChatGPT and GPT-4, in answering 150 medical questions. The findings revealed interesting patterns in accuracy, prompt sensitivity, and retrieval-augmented model effectiveness. Large language models Some of the biggest failures by AI chatbots involved confidently giving answers that went against medical consensus, making these mistakes particularly dangerous in health settings. The internet has now become a primary source of health information, with millions relying on search engines to find medical advice. However, search engines often return results that may be incomplete, misleading, or inaccurate. Large language models (LLMs) have emerged as alternatives to regular search engines and are capable of generating coherent answers based on vast training data. However, while recent studies have examined the performance of LLMs in specialized medical domains, such as fertility and genetics, most evaluations have focused on a single model. Additionally, there is little research comparing LLMs with traditional search engines in health-related contexts, and few studies explore how LLM performance changes under different prompting strategies or when combined with retrieved evidence. The accuracy of search engines and LLMs also depends on factors such as input phrasing, retrieval bias, and model reasoning capabilities. Moreover, despite their promise, LLMs sometimes generate misinformation, raising concerns about their reliability. Investigating LLM accuracy The present study aimed to assess the accuracy and performance of search engines and LLMs by evaluating their effectiveness in answering health-related questions and the impact of retrieval-augmented approaches. The researchers tested four major search engines Yahoo!, Bing, Google, and DuckDuckGo and seven LLMs, including GPT-4, ChatGPT, Llama3, MedLlama3, and Flan-T5. Among these, GPT-4, ChatGPT, Llama3, and MedLlama3 generally performed best, while Flan-T5 underperformed. The evaluation involved 150 health-related binary (yes or no) questions sourced from the Text Retrieval Conference Health Misinformation Track and covered diverse medical topics. Search engines often returned top results that didnt answer the question directly, but when they did, those answers were usually correct highlighting a precision problem rather than accuracy. For search engines, the top 20 ranked results were analyzed. A passage extraction model was employed to identify relevant snippets, and a reading comprehension model determined whether each snippet provided a definitive answer. Additionally, user behaviors were simulated using two models: a "lazy" user who stops at the first yes or no answer and a "diligent" user who cross-references three sources before deciding. Interestingly, the study found that 'lazy' users achieved similar accuracy to 'diligent' users and, in some cases, even performed better, suggesting that top-ranked search engine results may often sufficethough this raises concerns when incorrect information ranks highly. For LLMs, the questions were tested under different prompting conditions: no-context (just the question), non-expert (prompts were framed in the language used by laypeople), and expert (prompts were framed for guiding responses toward reputable sources). The study also tested few-shot promptsadding a few example questions and answers to guide the modelwhich improved performance for some models but had limited effect on the best-performing LLMs. The study also explored retrieval-augmented generation, where LLMs were fed search engine results before generating responses. Performance was assessed based on accuracy in correctly answering the questions, sensitivity to input phrasing, and improvements gained through retrieval augmentation. The researchers also used statistical significance tests to determine meaningful performance differences between models. Although some LLMs outperformed others, statistical tests showed that in many cases, performance differences between leading models were not significant, indicating that top LLMs performed comparably in many instances. Furthermore, the researchers categorized common LLM errors, such as misinterpretation, ambiguity, and contradictions with medical consensus. The study also noted that while the "expert" prompt generally guided LLMs toward more accurate responses, it sometimes increased the ambiguity of their answers. Key findings COVID-19 questions proved easier for both LLMs and search engines, likely because pandemic-related data dominated their training and indexing periods. The study found that LLMs generally outperformed search engines in answering health-related questions. While search engines correctly answered 5070% of queries, LLMs achieved approximately 80% accuracy. However, LLM performance was highly sensitive to input phrasing, with different prompts yielding significantly varied results. The expert prompt, which guided LLMs toward medical consensus, was found to perform the best, although it sometimes led to less definitive answers. Among the search engines, Bing provided the most reliable results, but it was not significantly better than Google, Yahoo!, or DuckDuckGo. Moreover, many search engine results contained non-responsive or off-topic information, contributing to lower precision. However, when focusing only on responses that addressed the question, search engine precision rose to 8090%, though about 1015% of these still contained incorrect answers. Furthermore, contrary to common assumptions, the study found that 'lazy' users sometimes achieved similar or better accuracy with less effort, highlighting both the efficiency and the risk of trusting initial search results. Additionally, the researchers observed that retrieval-augmented methods improved LLM performance, especially for smaller models. By integrating top-ranked search engine snippets, even lightweight models such as text-davinci-002 performed similarly to GPT-4. However, the study noted that retrieval augmentation sometimes decreased performance, especially when low-quality or irrelevant search results were fed into LLMsemphasizing the critical role of retrieval quality. For some datasets, like COVID-19-related questions from 2020, adding search engine evidence even worsened LLM performance, possibly because these questions were already well-covered in LLM training data. Feeding AI chatbots search results didnt always help; in some cases, irrelevant or low-quality snippets actually made chatbot answers worse, showing that more information isn't always better. The error analysis also revealed three major failure modes for LLMs, including incorrect medical consensus understanding, misinterpretation of questions, and ambiguous answers. Notably, some health-related questions were inherently difficult, and both LLMs and search engines struggled to provide correct answers to these questions. The study also found that performance varied depending on the dataset: questions from 2020, largely focused on COVID-19, were easier for both LLMs and search engines, while the 2021 dataset presented more challenging medical questions. Overall, while LLMs demonstrated superior accuracy, their propensity to prompt variations and misinformation highlighted the need for caution in medical decision-making based on LLM answers. The study also suggested combining LLMs with search engines through retrieval augmentation could yield more reliable health answers, but only when the retrieved evidence is accurate and relevant. Conclusions In summary, the study highlighted search engines' and LLMs' strengths and weaknesses in answering health-related questions. While LLMs generally outperformed search engines, their accuracy was found to be highly dependent on input prompts and retrieval augmentation. Although advanced models like GPT-4 and ChatGPT performed well, other models such as Llama3 and MedLlama3 sometimes matched or even outperformed them, depending on the dataset and prompting strategy. Moreover, while combining both technologies appears promising, ensuring the reliability of retrieved information remains a challenge. The researchers emphasized that smaller LLMs when supported with high-quality search evidence, can perform on par with much larger modelsraising questions about the need for ever-larger AI models when retrieval augmentation could be a viable alternative. These results suggested that future research should explore methods to enhance LLM trustworthiness and mitigate misinformation in health-related AI applications. Supply chain disruptions remain a grim reality for SMEs in 2025. From the lingering effects of the Russia-Ukraine war to Chinas sporadic COVID-19 lockdowns, worldwide bottlenecks continue to strangle operations and profits. SMEs get hurt the most when supplies are low. Surveys show theyre still struggling with shortages, delays, and price instability. But all hope is not lost. Supply chain disruptions will continue to impact organizations deep into 2023, warned Neil Boulton, Client Partner at Publicis Sapient, back in 2022. That prediction still holds in 2025. For SMEs, the stakes are highera delayed shipment or an empty shelf can erode trust and revenue in an instant. Still, experts see a silver lining. Procurement and supply chain agility are high on everyones agenda in the current tumultuous business and geopolitical landscape, explains Adem Adil, SAP ANZ Head of Digital Supply Chain. The key? Agility. SMEs cant outmuscle industry behemoths, but they can outmaneuver them. ALSO READ: Tech Tuesday: Supply chain and inventory optimization tools Visibility: seeing disruptions before they occur The best way to handle disruptions is to foresee them. Transparent, real-time visibility throughout the network enables quick decisions, says Dr. Deborah Pike, Principal Supply Chain Solutions Consultant at Anaplan. Cloud platforms can keep teams aligned, reducing silos and response times. Organizations are facing some of the worst supply chain disruptions in 50 years, says Sascha Ambrose, Tableau ANZ Country Manager and Salesforce AVP. Real-time tracking of data is critical for operations and inventory management. Others concur, mentioning tools like digital twins, which can simulate many scenarioslike what if one of your major suppliers shuts down. For SMEs, this translates to being capable of predicting weather delays, demand fluctuations, or supplier issues before they cause mayhem. Tech: the survival tool Technology is not an indulgencea lifeline. Using tech to manage complex supply chains isnt newits proven, says John Fargher, Co-Founder of AgriWebb. For SMEs, this could translate to tracking assets using telematics or using automation to manage thin staffing. Real-time data analytics simplify processes and remove bottlenecks, adds Gerald Faust, CEO of SNP Group. Predictive analytics, demand planning software, and ERP systems all give SMEs the responsiveness they need. Automation is the answer, adds Matthew Thomson, Senior VP at Kofax. The bottom line? Technology levels the playing field. Inventory: balancing supply and cash flow The just-in-time approach will no longer be feasible. Companies have abandoned just-in-time inventory, Australian Centre for Business Growth Director Ryan Williams says. Ordering in bulk offers better prices and supply assurancebut stockpiling is not the answer either. Balance the need for a stock buffer with smart depletion strategies, advises Henry Brunekreef, Regional VP at Coupa. Managing cash flow is just as importantSMEs must prioritize the necessities and buy early when they need to. Demand planning software can help here, pulling data from POS systems, inventory, and market trends to make accurate forecasts. The goal? Stock what you need, when you need itwithout tying up too much capital. Relationships: suppliers as partners Strong supplier relations are a competitive advantage. Organizations that pay on time and achieve the trust of suppliers perform better, Williams states. Global partnerships can also smooth out supply chain hiccups, according to e2opens Regional Director ANZ, Paul Soong. Diversification is another safeguard. Spread your risksource from multiple regions and have backup suppliers, advises Lee Scott, GM Strategic Procurement at Leading Edge Retail. A strong supplier network means greater choice and less disruption. Communication: keeping customers in the loop Where there are delays, transparency is the best policy. Retailers need to over-communicate with consumers, says Kristyn Wallace, VP APJ at Emarsys. Constant updates build trust. Jonathan Ryan, Head of ANZ Region at Infobip, suggests an omnichannel strategySMS, WhatsApp, and emailto keep consumers informed. This works in SMEs favor. 28% of Australians are loyal to retailers who make them feel valued, Wallace states. The lesson? Keep customers in the loop, and theyll stick around. Risk: getting ready for the inevitable Disruptions arent a possibilitytheyre a certainty. The businesses that plan for disruptions and respond quickly will be the winners, says Adil. Every connection in the supply chain needs to be stress-tested for durability. That includes cybersecurity. Invest in supply chain security, says Mick McCluney, Technical Director ANZ at Trend Micro. Ransomware and cyber threats are intensifying risks. Digital twins can also help by stress-testing supply chain models, so companies have fallback positions. Supply chains are under more pressure than ever, Faust says, but SMEs can still punch above their weight. Resilient, responsive supply chains are the future, Adil concludes. From real-time visibility to close supplier relationships, these expert-backed strategies can help SMEs navigate uncertainty in 2025. Meaningful growth happens when companies stay nimble in constrained supply conditions, Williams adds. The message is clear: act now, or risk being left behind. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Prescriptions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in England have risen 18% year on year since the pandemic. This is higher than previously reported, and masks wide regional variations in prescribing rates, finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Mental Health. The trends likely reflect growing public and professional awareness of the condition, driven in part by social media, as well as the potential impact of COVID-19, suggest the researchers. But the regional variations point to inequalities in access to care, they add. ADHD is common in children, with a global prevalence of around 7%, note the researchers, while its prevalence in symptomatic adults is also on the rise, with a reported rate of nearly 7%. Five drugs are licensed for its treatment in the UK: three stimulants (methylphenidate, dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine); and two non-stimulants (atomoxetine, guanfacine). And in the absence or lack of availability of alternative treatment options, such as psychological or behavioural therapy, these drugs have a key role in ADHD management, say the researchers. Several studies have reported an increase in ADHD prescriptions in England since the COVID-19 pandemic, but most of these studies were based on the old NHS structure-before the introduction of 42 integrated care systems-and/or focused on specific groups or types of drug. And little is currently known about the potential influence of other factors, such as social deprivation, inequalities, and mental health needs, they add. To explore this further, they mined the English Prescribing Dataset from April 2019 to March 2024, looking at prescription trends for the 5 currently licensed ADHD drugs at national, regional, and integrated care board (ICB) levels. The findings showed that prescriptions increased significantly from around 25 items per 1000 people in 2019-20, before the advent of the pandemic to 41.55 items in 2023-24, with an average annual increase of 18% nationally-higher than previously reported. Methylphenidate remained the most frequently prescribed drug (19 items/1000 people), but the highest increase was for lisdexamfetamine, prescriptions for which increased by 55% year on year, rising from 2.86 items/1000 people in 2019-20 to 8.68 items in 2023-24. ADHD prescriptions rose in all 7 regions of England, but there were significant regional variations: London saw the highest annual increase of 28%; the Northeast and Yorkshire saw the lowest at 13%. The second highest change in the annual prescription rate of almost 19.5% was in Southeast England. Prescribing trends also varied widely at the ICB level. The NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB witnessed the highest increase in prescriptions of almost 51.5%, but with considerable variation within the ICB itself. The smallest increase of just over 4.5% was in NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB. Further analysis showed significant statistical associations between socioeconomic factors and ADHD prescriptions, particularly ethnicity and deprivation, but also age and inequality. Several factors may explain the substantial rise in prescription rates, say the researchers. "Increased public and professional awareness, partly driven by social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, has likely encouraged more people to seek assessment, diagnosis and treatment," they write. And they caution: "There is a pressing need for research into effective methods for vetting and moderating ADHD-related information on social media platforms to ensure that awareness efforts do not inadvertently spread misinformation." The widespread disruption and increased psychological stress levels caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may also have driven up prescribing rates, they suggest. "While our study has identified significant changes in prescription patterns during and after the pandemic, it is crucial to determine whether these trends represent a temporary shift or a more permanent change in ADHD prescriptions," they emphasize. And they conclude: "The significant rise in ADHD prescriptions across England highlights the urgent need for policies that address both regional and socioeconomic disparities in ADHD care access. Targeted efforts should be made to meet the needs of each region by identifying specific barriers to care and their root causes." The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has taken major steps to help people with medical debt in its nearly 14-year history. It issued rules barring medical debt from Americans' credit reports and went after debt collectors who pressured customers to pay bills they didn't owe. But in early February, the Trump administration moved to effectively shutter the agency. "An Arm and a Leg" host Dan Weissmann talks with credit counselor Lara Ceccarelli about how the CFPB has helped clients at the nonprofit where she works, and how she's navigating the sudden change. Consumer rights advocate Chi Chi Wu, an attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, describes the court battle she and her colleagues are mounting to slow down the agency's dismantling, and where things could go from here. Dan Weissmann @danweissmann Host and producer of "An Arm and a Leg." Previously, Dan was a staff reporter for Marketplace and Chicago's WBEZ. His work also appears on All Things Considered, Marketplace, the BBC, 99 Percent Invisible, and Reveal, from the Center for Investigative Reporting. Note: "An Arm and a Leg" uses speech-recognition software to generate transcripts, which may contain errors. Please use the transcript as a tool but check the corresponding audio before quoting the podcast. Transcript: A medical-debt watchdog gets sidelined by the new administration Dan: Hey there Lara Ceccarelli works for American Financial Solutions. Thats a non-profit credit counseling agency. Lara spends her days talking with people who have bills they can't pay, debt collectors chasing them, including for medical bills. On a recent Sunday night, Lara was winding down her day the way she usually does. Lara: I tend to read the news before bed. I usually find that it gives me less anxiety, uh, when I have a clear picture of, you know, whats happening in the world and I dont feel like Im in the dark. And yeah, that Sunday was an exception. Dan: That Sunday was February 9, and that evening big news had broken about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau C F P B, for short. A federal agency thats basically a watchdog for consumer rights of all kinds. So, for years, whenever Laras talked to a client, and it sounds like a debt collector is violating their rights which happens a lot she has referred the client to the CFPB. And it has worked. Lara: Theyve created these streamlined processes where consumers can submit complaints and see enforcement action taken right away. Dan: But that Sunday night, February 9, news broke that an official President Donald Trump had put in charge of the CFPB was basically shutting the agency down. Effective immediately. Agency staff had gotten a memo telling them to stop working. Lara: I felt my stomach sink through the floor. And my poor husband is active duty in the military, so he was preparing for a very long day the next day on his Navy ship, and he took one look at me and knew something was badly wrong, Dan: What did your husband say? Lara: He tried to tell me that it was all going to be okay. I think he was, uh, doing his best to be as supportive as he could. Dan: How late were you up that night? Lara: Oh, I didnt sleep. I think I got maybe one or two hours of sleep. I Lay down and I, uh, looked at my awful popcorn ceiling and tried to sleep and just could not shut my brain off. Dan: She was thinking about how important the CFPB has been how many clients she's referred to them. I talked with Lara just over a week after that Sunday night. Well hear how she managed that first week, how she started shifting what she tells clients what other resources shes still referring them to. And well hear about a court case that has slowed down the Trump administrations efforts to completely dismantle the CFPB. And where things COULD go from here. But first, we should talk about why the CFPB has been such a big deal, especially for people with medical debts. This is An Arm and a Leg, a show about why health care costs so freaking much, and what we can maybe do about it. Im Dan Weissmann. Im a reporter, and I like a challenge. So the job weve chosen on this show is to take one of the most enraging, terrifying, depressing parts of American lifeand bring you a show thats entertaining, empowering and useful. Were gonna hear about what the CFPB has done about medical debts from somebody whos been working on this issue since the beginning. Chi Chi Wu: My name is Chi Chi Wu. Im a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. Dan: Actually, shes been at this since before the beginning. Chi Chi Wu joined the National Consumer Law Center in 2001. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau started out a half dozen years later, in 2007 as an idea. A proposal from a law professor named Elizabeth Warren. She thought financial institutions needed a watchdog or as she called it, a cop on the beat. In 2008, financial institutions crashed the economy. Barack Obama became president. In 2010 Congress passed a law to put some new restrictions on financial institutions the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act which mandated the CFPBs creation. Chi Chi Wu says it didn't take long for medical debts to land in the agency's cross-hairs.. Chi Chi Wu: In 2014, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau did a study that found, if you look at the debt collection items on credit reports Dan: In other words,if you ask: When people get put in collections, what are the bills actually for? Chi Chi Wu: over half of them are for medical debt. Half. It was a huge number. Dan: In other words, a ton of people had lousy credit scores, not because theyd taken a cruise they couldnt pay for. But because theyd gotten sick. Chi Chi Wu: It was a huge problem. People would try to be buying a house or a car trying to get a credit card and theyd have to pay more or even get turned down . Dan: And now it was on the record, thanks to the CFPB. The next year a bunch of state attorneys general reached a voluntary agreement with the big three credit bureaus Equifax, Experian, TransUnion. The big three agreed that, theyd wait 180 days six months before putting a medical debt on somebodys credit report. Chi Chi Wu: So the idea was the consumer would have six months to straighten out the debt with insurance, figure out what they actually owed, maybe dispute it if they didnt think they owed it. Dan: Meanwhile, the CFPB was working on another problem. Chi Chi Wu: Sometimes people would have items on their credit reports, especially for small dollar amounts that they never knew about until they went to buy a car or refinance their house. Dan: This was called parking, and Chi Chi Wu says it was especially common with medical debts. Chi Chi Wu: A debt collector would get a medical debt referred from a healthcare provider and they wouldnt do anything with it. They wouldnt send a single letter. They wouldnt make a single phone call. All they would do is report that debt to the credit bureaus and wait would just wait until the consumer had to use their credit score for something, you know, refinance their mortgage, buy a car Dan: Rent an apartment. Apply for a job Chi Chi Wu: Yes, yes, all of those. And then, their credit would get pulled, this medical debt would show up. And theyd be left scrambling because they would have to clear that debt from their credit report before they could get that mortgage or car loan or job or apartment, and even if they were like, 'I paid that, or insurance should have paid that,' they didnt have time to deal with it. Because if youre in the middle of this big important transaction, you dont have time to wait 30 days for a credit reporting dispute to be resolved. And often it takes longer. Dan: So, people paid up. They didnt have a choice. Chi Chi Wu: And the reason debt collectors do that is because its cheap. Its cheap to do credit reporting. Its expensive to send a letter because it costs you, what is the price of a stamp right now? Dan: 73 cents! Plus whatever it costs you to print it out and stuff. A guy who used to be a debt collector once told me sending a bill costs two bucks. Chi Chi Wu says the CFPB started working on a rule banning "parking" during the second Obama administration. And finalized the rule in 2020, under Donald Trump. It takes a while. When Joe Biden became President, he appointed a CFPB director who put extra focus on medical debts. The credit bureaus got the idea that they might be subject to some new rules on that topic, and volunteered to make some changes of their own. In May 2022 they announced: Instead of waiting just six months to put medical bills on credit reports, they were gonna wait a full year. Chi Chi Wu: Because six months sometimes is not enough to deal with an insurance dispute, right? I mean, sometimes it takes a lot longer. So they extended that to a year and then they agreed not to report medical debts under 500. Dan: And thats when I first talked with Lara Cecarelli for this show. I was trying to figure out: Was it really a big deal? The debts would still be on the books collectors could still bug people about them. And tons of debts would stay on credit reports. Lara told me: YEP. That's gonna be a big deal. When we talked this month, she told me she could see the impact of the CFPB in her work day to day. Lara: Weve seen a huge decrease in the number of complaints from consumers, or difficulty that consumers are having with medical debt. Its still something that we see. But you know, I used to have at least one conversation about medical debt a day, usually more, and thats not the case. You know, Im having a couple of conversations per week, maybe, about medical debt. So weve seen the impact. Dan: And she could see more on the horizon: In January, before the inauguration, the CFPB actually issued new rules about medical debt. Like we said, credit bureaus had already promised to remove everything below five hundred dollars. Now, under the new rules, all medical debts would come off. And lenders couldnt look at medical debts when they made lending decisions. The CFPB had planned to start enforcing those rules in March. Now on that Sunday evening in February Lara was seeing news: The whole agency was shutting down. Over the next few days, news outlets reported more than a hundred and fifty immediate layoffs and the cancellation of more than $100 million in contracts. And rumors of much deeper cuts to come. Lara started doing this job during the first Tump administration. She says, this sweeping change is not just a swing of the pendulum back to how things were then. Lara: No, this is new territory. They were still robust, they were still responsive to client complaints. The enforcement and the protection was still there, Dan: For right now, its gone. Coming up: What the first CFPB-free week was like for Lara and her colleagues. What shes telling clients now. And what Chi Chi Wu and her colleagues are doing. An Arm and a Leg is a co-production of Public Road Productions and KFF Health News thats a nonprofit newsroom covering health issues in America. KFFs reporters do amazing work. Were honored to work with them. Lara Ceccarelli says shes had to revise what shes used to telling clients. Because referring people to the CFPB was a pretty regular part of herday to day works. Lara: It makes a difference feeling like youve got a powerhouse at your back. You say, you know, the CFPB is incredibly solid, they will help support you. You know, all you have to do is reach out. Theyre communicative, and they are robust, and I cant say that anymore. Dan: Theres still a website. Theres still a phone number. Lara: But youre not getting a person right now. Youre getting voicemails. So at this point, were still advising clients that the CFPB is, you know, an important agency But were also informing them that right now the CFPB is basically going dark, Dan: So, shes telling people: Hey, its worth calling the CFPB, just in case somebody picks up. But meanwhile here are some other places to call. Lara: I had a client who had been threatened by a debt collector, and the debt that theyre collecting on is actually outside of the statute of limitations. Its not collectible anymore. But theyre being harassed basically, you know, calling them at all hours of the day and night and advising them that, you know, theyre still subject to legal action, none of which is true. Dan: Which means, Lara tells me, that collector is breaking a law called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Lara: And normally I would have sent that client in the direction of the CFPB. Dan: Normally, you file a complaint with the CFPB, the company responds to you within 15 days, according to the agency's website. Lara says companies pay attention because the CFPB has a big stick. In 2023, the agency shut down one medical-debt collection company for violating this very law. That version of normal is gone for now. But Lara happens to know, the Federal Trade Commission which is still up and running also has authority to enforce that law. Theyre not specialists, but theyve got someone to answer the phones. So she encouraged her client to try them. Other folks, shes referring to their state attorney generals office. In a lot of states, consumer-protection is a big part of the state AGs job. Some states have independent consumer protection bureaus. Lara and her colleagues respect the work they do. But its not the same as having a powerful, national agency that enforces federal law. Lara: You know, it wasnt something where somebody in Ohio has a different set of rules from somebody in California as far as where you go and who you contacted. Centralized enforcement and made it really easy for everybody to know where to go to get help with their particular issue. All these other different places, can sort of take up a piece of the enforcement action , but none of them have that same robust power that the CFPB had, or the direct focus specifically on financial institutions and and their interactions with consumers directly. Dan: Lara and her colleagues are still there. She says their funding comes from private organizations, not the feds. Lara: Were not worried about the lights going out here yet We all tried to lift each other up and, you know, talk about the other resources that we have available, all of which are valuable. and we have to, you know, maintain some degree of equilibrium, when youre speaking to clients that, you know, one of you could have a breakdown at a time, right? And thats never our turn. So, um, you know, you have to maintain some degree of optimism and positivity, because if youre not optimistic and positive, for their outcomes. How can they possibly think theres hope for the future? Dan: Lara says she's doing her best at work and working on keeping her balance. Lara: Ive got a beautiful little paint mare that I ride um, and I get to go out and play with her whenever the, uh, news gets too bleak. Normally, she gets, uh, one or two days without, you know, having to put up with me, but right now the need is dire. Dan: Meanwhile, Chi Chi Wu is fighting. On two fronts. I mentioned earlier: Biden's CFPB took a big parting shot in early January. The agency finalized a rule banning medical debts from credit reports. That rule got hit immediately with lawsuits from ACA International thats the industry association for debt collectors and the credit bureaus. Chi Chi Wu and her colleagues at the National Consumer Law Center figured: The Trump Administration might not defend those lawsuits. So they started preparing motions to intervene: basically asking the courts permission to take over the defense. On the Sunday evening when Lara Ceccarelli read about the CFPB shutdown on the news, Chi Chi Wu was not watching the news. Chi Chi Wu: I had been working like a mad woman that weekend Dan: Drafting documents for that motion to intervene. Chi Chi Wu: So I was kind of busy all weekend, writing, not watching the Super Bowl Dan: She got word from colleagues that Trumps people had shut down the CFPB, and she was like, "OK. That going into this document Im writing.." Chi Chi Wu: Because that was more support saying, well, the, this new CFPB is not going to defend this rule and so you should let us defend the rule. Dan: Let us the NCLC defend the rule in court. So OK, that was material for her fight on one front. But of course it opens up another front, another legal battle. In this one, NCLC is actually a plaintiff along with a union representing CFPB employees, and a couple other non profits. On February 13 four days after the CFPB went dark they asked a federal judge, basically to stop the CFPB shutdown. The next day, the judge issued a temporary order, telling the CFPB to hold off on three things: One. No more mass firings. Two: Dont destroy data or take data down from public websites. And three: Dont return money to congress. That order lasts just over two weeks, then there's a hearing scheduled. That's happening a few days after we publish this episode, and we'll be watching. . The other lawsuit, about the CFPBs rule on medical debt its on a slower timetable. Meanwhile, Chi Chi Wu says there are other fronts to fight on, and not just for her. Chi Chi Wu: This is where states can step in and protect the consumers in their state. Nine states have already banned medical debt from credit reports. New York, Colorado, California, Rhode Island, even Virginia a purple state. And so, if your listeners are wondering what can they do I mean, you know, obviously contact their members of Congress to support the CFPB but also, you know, if they are in a state that doesnt have one of these laws, they can try to get their state legislatures to pass a law to protect them from medical debts on credit reports. Dan: We are gonna do our best to stay on top of this story.A few days after we publish this episode, there'll be that hearing in federal court on the lawsuit opposing the CFPB's shutdown. I'll post updates on the social networking site BlueSky it's kind of a Twitter substitute, and you can find me there at danweissmann (spelled with two esses and two enns) Next weeks First Aid Kit newsletter will include a roundup of what we know, and what resources are available. If you're not signed up for First Aid Kit yet, just head to arm and a leg show, dot com, slash, first aid kit. And we'll be back in a few weeks, with an episode about one listener's fight successful fight against a six thousand dollar charge. Megan: I didnt need to be an expert on this. I just needed to have access to the tools and the podcast would remind me of them. So I was like, okay, Im so confident that I do not owe this and so that would get me, like, really amped up and angry about it. Till then, take care of yourself. This episode of An Arm and a Leg was produced by me, Dan Weissmann, with help from Emily Pisacreta and Claire Davenport and edited by Afi Yellow-Duke. Ellen Weiss is our series editor. Adam Raymonda is our audio wizard. Our music is by Dave Weiner and Blue Dot Sessions. Bea Bosco is our consulting director of operations. Lynne Johnson is our operations manager. An Arm and a Leg is produced in partnership with KFF Health News. Thats a national newsroom producing in-depth journalism about health issues in America and a core program at KFF: an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Zach Dyer is senior audio producer at KFF Health News. Hes editorial liaison to this show. And thanks to the Institute for Nonprofit News for serving as our fiscal sponsor. They allow us to accept tax-exempt donations. You can learn more about INN at INN.org. Finally, thank you to everybody who supports this show financially. You can join in any time at: https://armandalegshow.com/support/ Thanks! And thanks for listening. insights from industry Angeline Lim Senior Application Scientist Molecular Devices In this interview, we speak with Angeline Lim, PhD, Senior Application Scientist at Molecular Devices, about the role of AI and automation in modern drug discovery. Angeline shares how Molecular Devices is transforming high-content imaging and cell culture with their AI-enabled systems, including the CellXpress.ai Automated Cell Culture System, which uses machine learning to streamline complex workflows and make assays more reliable and reproducible. Could you please introduce yourself and describe your role at Molecular Devices? My name is Angeline Lim, and I'm a Senior Application Scientist at Molecular Devices. Im responsible for developing and testing new workflows and applications on our high-content imaging systems. I work with high-content imaging, 3D biology, image analysis, and automation. Over the last few years, weve begun exploring how AI can solve complex image analysis problems for our customers. Molecular Devices is one of the worlds leading providers of high-performance bioanalytical measurement systems, software and consumables for life science research, pharmaceutical and biotherapeutic development. Included within a broad product portfolio are platforms for high-throughput screening, genomic and cellular analysis, colony selection, and microplate detection. These leading-edge products enable scientists to improve productivity and effectiveness, ultimately accelerating research and the discovery of new therapeutics. Molecular Devices is committed to the continual development of innovative solutions for life science applications. The company is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, with offices around the globe. For more information, please visit www.moleculardevices.com. Molecular Devices provides bioanalytical instruments, software, and assay kits for drug discovery and development, life science research, and bioassay/test development. Its global headquarters are in Silicon Valley, Northern California, and it has several offices worldwide. AI is revolutionizing all areas of scientific research. How is Molecular Devices utilizing AI to enhance its workflows and support its customers? At Molecular Devices, we're passionate about equipping researchers with next-generation technology that advances scientific discovery. We recognize that AI is revolutionizing biological research, and were creating solutions that allow our customers to leverage the power of AI in their own laboratories. For high-content imaging specifically, AI helps meet the challenges of complex image analysis. Our IN Carta Image Analysis Software uses AI to uncover and analyze complex phenotypic data. For example, it features a deep-learning-based segmentation tool that can analyze complex or traditionally hard-to-analyze images, such as those acquired with brightfield imaging. Users dont need any coding or scripting experience to get started with our IN Carta analysis software. Its intuitive and easy to use almost like a coloring book. You simply mark the objects youre interested in (a process known as annotation) to train the AI and then test the model. If the model works well, you save and use it in your image analysis protocol. If it doesnt, you can retrain it by adding more annotated images. It's an iterative process with human supervision. This software is also integrated into our CellXpress.aiTM Automated Cell Culture System. The CellXpress.ai system is an enclosed, easy-to-use solution for cell culture that enables our customers to perform simple and complex cell culture protocols without the need for advanced expertise in scripting or automation. By using AI, the CellXpress.ai system enables users to standardize cell culture processes, replacing previously subjective decisions with objective measurements that determine the next stage of the cell culture process, such as the best time to passage organoids or stem cells. By removing subjective assessments that typically differ between individuals, the CellXpress.ai system improves the reproducibility of cell cultures while still allowing manual input if needed. With automation comes the need for precision. How is the technology trained to avoid errors? A key benefit of our technology is that it reduces human errors. The system has safeguards in place; before starting an experiment, the software checks for essentials like sufficient media. If something is missing, the software prompts the user to address any gaps before the experiment runs. The system will also prompt you if it predicts an error will occur as a result of changing elements within the process. The system can also send alerts via email to inform users of potential errors or simply notify them when an automated decision is made. The system provides traceability, allowing users to track down the source of errors, unusual results, or contamination. Could you give example workflows for the CellXpress.ai Automated Cell Culture System? Before launch, we developed pre-configured protocols to save customers time on optimization, especially liquid handling. We validated three main workflows, including one for iPSC culture, which is notoriously high-maintenance and requires daily media changes. The protocols for these workflows are optimized to ensure that critical elements, such as media changes and passaging, occur automatically. By reducing this manual workload, scientists dont have to come into the lab on weekends to maintain their cell cultures. Another workflow uses spheroids, where we fine-tuned the media exchange to avoid damaging or losing spheroids. Finally, the third was for intestinal organoids, where we carried out the entire process of 3D cell culture from seeding and feeding to passaging. Using AI and automation here addresses key reproducibility challenges within 3D biology. Image Credit: Molecular Devices What impact do you see the CellXpress.ai Automated Cell Culture System having on researchers? I think it will change their lives. Ive spoken to scientists who wished they had access to this system when they were in grad school. They can still complete their work but get their weekends back while focusing more on their science rather than the necessary but mundane manual tasks. Automation and AI are crucial in early-stage drug discovery. What do you hope your clients can achieve? I hope they get answers faster. By catching drug failures early, researchers can save a lot of time and money. Using automation and AI with advanced cellular models helps better predict which compounds will work, so we don't have to rely as much on expensive animal models. This way, fewer drugs fail during clinical testing, making the development process smoother and more efficient. About Angeline Lim Dr. Angeline Lim is a Sr. Applications Scientist at Molecular Devices, where she specializes in automation, high-content imaging, and analysis. She works predominately in developing automated 3D biology workflows and leverages AI to derive actionable readouts from complex phenotypic assays. She provides scientific support for the companys portfolio of ImageXpress High-Content Imaging Systems and their applications in high-throughput phenotypic profiling and 3D models in biology. Dr. Lim has several patents for her work in the auto mation of 3D cell culture and has been published in various scientific publications. In addition to her work at Molecular Devices, she is an active member of the SBI2 board and runs one of the educational courses at SLAS. Dr. Lim has over 10 years of research experience and holds a PhD in Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Rebecca Smith-Bindman, a professor at the University of California-San Francisco medical school, has spent well over a decade researching the disquieting risk that one of modern medicine's most valuable tools, computerized tomography scans, can sometimes cause cancer. Smith-Bindman and like-minded colleagues have long pushed for federal policies aimed at improving safety for patients undergoing CT scans. Under new Medicare regulations effective this year, hospitals and imaging centers must start collecting and sharing more information about the radiation their scanners emit. About 93 million CT scans are performed every year in the United States, according to IMV, a medical market research company that tracks imaging. More than half of those scans are for people 60 and older. Yet there is scant regulation of radiation levels as the machines scan organs and structures inside bodies. Dosages are erratic, varying widely from one clinic to another, and are too often unnecessarily high, Smith-Bindman and other critics say. "It's unfathomable," Smith-Bindman said. "We keep doing more and more CTs, and the doses keep going up." One CT scan can expose a patient to 10 or 15 times as much radiation as another, Smith-Bindman said. "There is very large variation," she said, "and the doses vary by an order of magnitude tenfold, not 10% different for patients seen for the same clinical problem." In outlier institutions, the variation is even higher, according to research she and a team of international collaborators have published. She and other researchers estimated in 2009 that high doses could be responsible for 2% of cancers. Ongoing research shows it's probably higher, since far more scans are performed today. The cancer risk from CT scans for any individual patient is very low, although it rises for patients who have numerous scans throughout their lives. Radiologists don't want to scare off patients who can benefit from imaging, which plays a crucial role in identifying life-threatening conditions like cancers and aneurysms and guides doctors through complicated procedures. But the new data collection rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued in the closing months of the Biden administration are aimed at making imaging safer. They also require a more careful assessment of the dosing, quality, and necessity of CT scans. The requirements, rolled out in January, are being phased in over about three years for hospitals, outpatient settings, and physicians. Under the complicated reporting system, not every radiologist or health care setting is required to comply immediately. Providers could face financial penalties under Medicare if they don't comply, though those will be phased in, too, starting in 2027. When the Biden administration issued the new guidelines, a CMS spokesperson said in an email that excessive and unnecessary radiation exposure was a health risk that could be addressed through measurement and feedback to hospitals and physicians. The agency at the time declined to make an official available for an interview. The Trump administration did not respond to a request for comment for this article. The Leapfrog Group, an organization that tracks hospital safety, welcomed the new rules. "Radiation exposure is a very serious patient safety issue, so we commend CMS for focusing on CT scans," said Leah Binder, the group's president and CEO. Leapfrog has set standards for pediatric exposure to imaging radiation, "and we find significant variation among hospitals," Binder added. CMS contracted with UCSF in 2019 to research solutions aimed at encouraging better measurement and assessment of CTs, leading to the development of the agency's new approach. The American College of Radiology and three other associations involved in medical imaging, however, objected to the draft CMS rules when they were under review, arguing in written comments in 2023 that they were excessively cumbersome, would burden providers, and could add to the cost of scans. The group was also concerned, at that time, that health providers would have to use a single, proprietary tech tool for gathering the dosing and any related scan data. The single company in question, Alara Imaging, supplies free software that radiologists and radiology programs need to comply with the new regulations. The promise to keep it free is included in the company's copyright. Smith-Bindman is a co-founder of Alara Imaging, and UCSF also has a stake in the company, which is developing other health tech products unrelated to the CMS imaging rule that it does plan to commercialize. But the landscape has recently changed. ACR said in a statement from Judy Burleson, ACR vice president for quality management programs, that CMS is allowing in other vendors and that ACR itself is "in discussion with Alara" on the data collection and submission. In addition, a company called Medisolv, which works on health care quality, said at least one client is working with another vendor, Imalogix, on the CT dose data. Several dozen health quality and safety organizations including some national leaders in patient safety, like the Institute of Healthcare Improvement have supported CMS' efforts. Concerns about CT dosing are long-standing. A landmark study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2009 by a research team that included experts from the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and universities estimated that CT scans were responsible for 29,000 excess cancer cases a year in the United States, about 2% of all cases diagnosed annually. But the number of CT scans kept climbing. By 2016, it was estimated at 74 million, up 20% in a decade, though radiologists say dosages of radiation per scan have declined. Some researchers have noted that U.S. doctors order far more imaging than physicians in other developed countries, arguing some of it is wasteful and dangerous. More recent studies, some looking at pediatric patients and some drawing on radiation exposure data from survivors of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, have also identified CT scan risk. Older people may face greater cancer risks because of imaging they had earlier in life. And scientists have emphasized the need to be particularly careful with children, who may be more vulnerable to radiation exposure while young and face the consequences of cumulative exposure as they age. Max Wintermark, a neuroradiologist at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who has been involved in the field's work on appropriate utilization of imaging, said doctors generally follow dosing protocols for CT scans. In addition, the technology is improving; he expects artificial intelligence to soon help doctors determine optimal imaging use and dosing, delivering "the minimum amount of radiation dose to get us to the diagnosis that we're trying to reach." But he said he welcomes the new CMS regulations. "I think the measures will help accelerate the transition towards always lower and lower doses," he said. "They are helpful." Body mass index (BMI) was almost three times more likely to classify children as overweight than waist circumference-to-height ratio, according to a new study. Published in Obesity and Endocrinology, the study was based on collaboration between the University of Eastern Finland and the Universities of Bristol and Exeter in the UK. BMI and weight-to-height indices are universally employed as markers of childhood obesity. However, BMI does not distinguish muscle mass from fat mass, and may misclassify children as overweight. With regard to adult obesity, the Lancet Commission on Obesity and the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) have recently recommended that obesity in adults should not be diagnosed with BMI alone but confirmed with another measure, such as waist-to-height ratio. The UK National Institute for Health Care and Excellence has also recommended waist-to-height ratio as a tool to predict health risks associated with central adiposity in children. The present study is the largest follow-up pediatric study comparing BMI and waist-to-height ratio in the world. The study included 7,600 children drawn from the University of Bristol's Children of the 90s cohort who were followed up from ages 9 until 24 years. Of the 1,431 children classified as BMI-overweight at age 9 years, 25% had waist-to-height ratio high fat, 11% had waist-to-height ratio excess fat, and 64% had waist-to-height ratio normal fat according to the cutpoints used in the study. However, of the 517 children classified as having waist-to-height ratio high fat, 70% were BMI-overweight, 24% had BMI-obesity, and only 6% had normal BMI. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is considered the gold-standard for accurate body fat measure; however, this expensive device is not universally available in primary health care. It was previously reported from the same data that waist-to-height ratio can assess body fat to a maximum of 85% accuracy compared to DEXA results. The waist-to-height ratio cutpoints for high, excess and normal body fat used in this study were developed from earlier results in the same children and adolescents. In the present study, these waist-to-height ratio cutpoints were also externally validated for type 2 diabetes prediction in 3,329 US adults. Waist-to-height ratio high fat was associated with higher odds of prediabetes, while waist-to-height ratio excess fat predicted higher odds of type 2 diabetes. Waist-to-height ratio is an affordable and universally accessible, accurate and precise tool for detecting high and excess fat in children and adolescents." Andrew Agbaje, physician and associate professor (docent) of Clinical Epidemiology and Child Health at the University of Eastern Finland His earlier research has also shown that waist-to-height ratio predicts both total body adiposity and central adiposity. "Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents should not be diagnosed with BMI alone but could be confirmed with waist-to-height ratio where a DEXA scan is lacking," Agbaje concludes. Agbaje's research is supported by research grants from Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, the Finnish Cultural Foundation Central Fund, the Finnish Cultural Foundation North Savo Regional Fund, the Orion Research Foundation, the Aarne Koskelo Foundation, the Antti and Tyyne Soininen Foundation, the Paulo Foundation, the Yrjo Jahnsson Foundation, the Paavo Nurmi Foundation, the Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research, Ida Montin Foundation, Eino Rasanen Fund, Matti and Vappu Maukonen Fund, Foundation for Pediatric Research, Alfred Kordelin Foundation, and Novo Nordisk Foundation. In 2023, the FDA rejected a small pharmaceutical company's new drug application (NDA) with a Refusal-to-File (RTF) decision. This letter provided information on a range of issues within the submission, including poorly organized information, incomplete stability data, and inconsistencies in the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) section. Recognizing that its expertise in this area was limited and that deadlines were looming, the company engaged regulatory affairs consultants to support it in addressing these issues. The resubmitted dossier earned an approvable letter thanks to its meticulous reorganization, strategic compliance updates, and expanded analyses. In this instance, the company salvaged its products market potential by working with consultants. This example case highlights that the complexities of regulatory submissions require specialized expertise to navigate effectively. By outsourcing submission content development to regulatory affairs consultants, biotech and pharmaceutical companies are able to better reduce risks, streamline processes, and accelerate approval timelines. This article explores some of the reasons why engaging these experts offers a vital strategic advantage. Image Credits: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock 1. Expertise in regulatory nuances Regulatory requirements differ considerably between agencies. For example, agencies such as the FDA, EMA, and Health Canada each enforce specific guidelines for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), data integrity, and pharmacovigilance. Regulatory affairs consultants have typically spent years working within these frameworks, affording them a wealth of knowledge in this area. The eCTD (electronic Common Technical Document) format is mandated for global submissions, for example, and a good consultant will ensure that submissions maintain global standards while simultaneously adhering to region-specific nuances. Consultants expertise in this field reduces the likelihood of errors, avoiding the risk of delayed approval or even outright rejections. Their comprehensive understanding of both product development and regulatory strategy helps ensure that drug products adhere to the stringent requirements commonplace in this field. 2. Operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness Hiring and training an in-house submission preparation team can be time-consuming and expensive, but outsourcing removes these burdens, allowing organizations to focus more on core operations such as clinical development and R&D. Consultants leverage regulatory intelligence platforms and other advanced tools to streamline the submission process, improving its efficiency. For example, the use of industry-leading regulatory intelligence platforms can lower the time required to create a submission by as much as 50 %. Consultants who can harmonize multidisciplinary inputs can offer significant benefits to a pharmaceutical company preparing an NDA or Biologics License Application (BLA). These inputs range from clinical trial data to manufacturing reports, and a consultant able to leverage these inputs to create well-structured, compliant documents will significantly expedite regulatory review cycles. Their services also ensure consistent and precise submissions that include robust analytical method validations and comprehensive development plans. 3. Global market navigation Expansion into international markets involves a number of challenges beyond the most obvious issue of language translation. For example, agencies in Tokyo, Singapore, and other regions regularly adopt different interpretations of ICH (International Council for Harmonisation) guidelines. Regulatory consultants offer indispensable localized expertise, ensuring submissions meet the requirements of each individual market. For example, the FDA may prioritize post-marketing surveillance protocols while the EMA places more emphasis on environmental risk assessments. Consultants will tailor submissions to address these specific nuances, avoiding potentially expensive mistakes and ensuring that the manufacturing process meets regional regulatory authorities expectations. 4. Improved risk management Regulatory pathways feature an array of potential challengesfrom unforeseen compliance issues to constantly shifting guidelines. Consultants will work to proactively identify these challenges and their associated risks, offering mitigation strategies grounded in scientific rationale and precedent. For example, a company may face scrutiny over missing quality attribute tests in its CMC section. In this instance, consultants could propose scientifically valid alternatives, drawing on historical approvals to justify their approach. This foresight could potentially streamline the approval process, preventing time-consuming back-and-forth with regulators. 5. Enhanced submission quality High-quality submission content involves more than just meeting basic compliance requirementsdata must be presented in a way that facilitates regulatory decision-making. Regulatory consultants boast considerable expertise in structuring submissions that are compelling as well as complete. 6. Access to thought leadership Industry-leading consultants are typically at the forefront of regulatory trends, presenting at key events like the Annual DIA Global Meeting. This provides their clients with a considerable competitive edge, allowing them to benefit from the latest compliance technologies and methodologies, for example, AI-driven regulatory intelligence. AI tools are seeing increasingly widespread use to optimize dossier content and predict regulator queries. These tools can identify common patterns in queries, allowing issues to be addressed pre-emptively and helping to optimize dossier content for closer alignment with regulatory expectations. Working with consultants who are working with these innovations can considerably improve submission outcomes while also streamlining post-approval requirements. 7. Strategic partnership for long-term success Outsourcing is more than a transactional relationship; rather, it is a strategic partnership. Consultants support companies in developing internal capabilities via training and knowledge transfer, empowering teams to better navigate future submissions. It is also important to note that because environmental sustainability is now a central regulatory priority, good consultants can help companies align with emerging green compliance standards, securing approvals while ensuring appropriate corporate responsibility. Consultants involvement in regulatory strategy and the manufacturing process fosters long-term success in terms of meeting regulatory authorities expectations. Empowering the regulatory journey It is strategically imperative to outsource submission content development to regulatory affairs consultants in the current pharmaceutical landscape. DS InPharmatics (DSI) offers a comprehensive range of services designed to support drug development from initial investigational submissions (IMPD, IND, CTA) through to final marketing applications (MAA, NDA, NDS). The companys team excels in the hands-on and strategic aspects of the regulatory process, including submission content development and project management. Working with DSI ensures that submissions are meticulously prepared and compliant with agency requirements. Powerful tools like Microsoft Project and Smart Sheets are used to coordinate and track critical path topics. Partnering with DSI allows manufacturers to gain access to a wealth of knowledge and experience, allowing them to efficiently navigate the complexities of regulatory submissions. DSIs integrated approach streamlines the submission process while simultaneously enhancing application quality, increasing the likelihood of favorable regulatory agency reviews. As a dependable partner for an industry where precision and compliance are paramount, DSIs team is committed to delivering excellence in regulatory affairs services. Acknowledgments Produced from materials originally authored by Meranda Parascandola from DSInpharmatics. About Design Space InPharmatics LLC DSI provides regulatory, technical, and project management consulting services to healthcare product companies that manufacture and/or market pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, and cellular and gene therapy products. Since 2007 we have provided our clients with innovative strategies and exceptional quality work products intended to enhance product development, approval, and marketing presence. Whether advocating CMC strategy, directing CMC operations, or developing CMC submission content that represents the best interests of emerging biotech, we focus on the critical CMC issues and build programs that enhance development. Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments. Bharti Airtel Joins Hands With Musk's SpaceX To Bring Starlink Internet To India Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 06:53 IST Airtel partners with SpaceX to bring Starlink's high-speed internet to India. This collaboration aims to enhance Airtel's services, expand network coverage, and connect remote areas. Airtel and SpaceX will explore offering Starlink equipment in Airtels retail stores, Starlink services via Airtel to business customers, opportunities to connect communities, schools, and so on. Airtel has teamed up with SpaceX to bring Starlinks high-speed internet services to India. This partnership will allow Airtel to offer Starlinks services once SpaceX receives the necessary approvals to operate in the country. In the filing, Airtel said that this partnership will explore how Starlink can enhance Airtels existing internet services and expand its reach. The partnership will also explore how Starlink can strengthen and expand Airtels network coverage. Additionally, SpaceX will have the opportunity to leverage Airtels ground infrastructure and resources in India. Recommended Stories Airtel And SpaceX Plan To Offer A Range Of Services, Including: Selling Starlink equipment in Airtel stores. Providing Starlink services to Airtels business customers. Connecting remote communities, schools, and health centers, especially in areas with limited internet access. Working with SpaceX to offer Starlink to Airtel customers in India is a significant milestone and further demonstrates our commitment to next-generation satellite connectivity," said Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and Vice Chairman, Bharti Airtel Ltd. This collaboration enhances our ability to bring world-class high-speed broadband to even the most remote parts of India, ensuring that every individual, business, and community has reliable internet. Starlink will complement and enhance Airtels suite of products to ensure reliable and affordable broadband for our Indian customers wherever they live and work." By adding Starlink to its portfolio, alongside its existing partnership with Eutelsat OneWeb, Airtel aims to offer nationwide coverage and bridge the digital divide. This will empower businesses, communities, and individuals with seamless connectivity through comprehensive packages offered by Starlink enterprise suite. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Must Adhere To Countrys Regulatory Framework Lieutenant General Dr SP Kochhar, Director General of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said to CNBC-TV18 that India welcomes new businesses but emphasises the need for alignment with national policies and goals. Companies must demonstrate a clear strategy that supports government objectives and benefits the Indian population. About the Author Varun Yadav Varun Yadav is a Sub Editor at News18 Business Digital. He writes articles on markets, personal finance, technology, and more. He completed his post-graduation diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Inst... Read More Varun Yadav is a Sub Editor at News18 Business Digital. He writes articles on markets, personal finance, technology, and more. He completed his post-graduation diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Inst... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 06:49 IST Govt Receives 73 Applications Under 2nd Round Of PLI Scheme For Speciality Steel Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 14:34 IST The PLI schemes were launched as part of government's efforts to increase production of specialty steel in India to make the country self-reliant in high grade steel In January, Union Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy had launched the second round of PLI scheme for specialty steel, termed as PLI Scheme 1.1. The government has received 73 applications under the second round of production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for specialty steel, Sandeep Poundrik, secretary in the Union steel ministry, said on Wednesday. The PLI schemes were launched as part of governments efforts to increase production of specialty steel in India to make the country self-reliant in high grade steel, the official said on the sidelines of Catalyzing R&D in Indian Steel Sector event in the national capital. We are ensuring that substandard steel is not imported into the country. So we are focusing on quality control orders so that both domestic and imported steel is of adequate quality and the products sold here are of adequate quality," he said. Recommended Stories In addition to that, the government launched two rounds of PLI. We recently did a second round of PLI and we have received very good response in that. We have received 73 applications, 73 projects applications and this will add about 16.5 million tonnes of specialty steel capacity in the country," Poundrik said. About the potential impact of US tariff measures, he said the US move will not impact the domestic steel industry as Indias exports to US is not in large quantity. We dont export much to USA. Our total steel export to USA is less than 100,000 tonnes. So I dont think that will have much impact on the Indian steel sector," the official said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In January, Union Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy had launched the second round of PLI scheme for specialty steel, termed as PLI Scheme 1.1. PLI Scheme 1.1 covers five product categories in line with the existing PLI scheme, namely coated/plated steel products, high strength/wear-resistant steel, specialty rails, alloy steel products & steel wires and electrical steel. These products have a wide range of applications, from white goods to transformers to automobiles and other niche sectors. The scheme will operate within the funds originally allocated for the scheme, i.e., Rs 6,322 crore. First Published: March 12, 2025, 14:34 IST Bharti Airtel Shares Jump 3% Following Partnership With Elon Musk's SpaceX; Should You Buy? Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 10:08 IST The partnership between Bharti Airtel and SpaceX will explore ways in which Starlink can enhance and expand Airtels network coverage Bharti Airtel Shares Bharti Airtels share price rose by up to 3% during Wednesdays trading session after the company revealed a partnership with Elon Musks SpaceX to offer Starlinks high-speed internet services in India. By 9:20 am on March 12, Bharti Airtels stock was trading at Rs1,689.95. Despite overall weak market sentiment, Airtels stock has gained more than 5% on the NSE. Recommended Stories The partnership between Bharti Airtel and SpaceX will explore ways in which Starlink can enhance and expand Airtels network coverage. SpaceX will also have access to Airtels ground infrastructure and resources across India. Airtel and SpaceX Plan to Offer a Range of Services, Including: Selling Starlink equipment in Airtel stores. Providing Starlink services to Airtels business customers. Connecting remote communities, schools, and health centers, particularly in areas with limited internet access. Partnering with SpaceX to bring Starlink to Airtel customers in India is a major milestone, underscoring our commitment to next-generation satellite connectivity," said Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel Ltd. This collaboration strengthens our ability to deliver world-class high-speed broadband to even the most remote areas of India, ensuring reliable internet access for every individual, business, and community. Starlink will complement and enhance Airtels product offerings to provide dependable and affordable broadband to our customers, no matter where they live or work." By integrating Starlink into its portfolio, alongside its existing partnership with Eutelsat OneWeb, Airtel aims to achieve nationwide coverage and bridge the digital divide. This initiative will empower businesses, communities, and individuals with seamless connectivity through Starlinks enterprise suite. Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency internet to users worldwide. As the first and largest satellite constellation in low Earth orbit, Starlink offers broadband capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls, and more. The service is designed and operated by SpaceX. Lieutenant General Dr. SP Kochhar, Director General of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), told CNBC-TV18 that while India welcomes new businesses, it emphasizes the need for alignment with national policies and goals. Companies must present clear strategies that support government objectives and benefit the Indian population. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all According to international brokerage JPMorgan, Starlink is expected to be positioned as a premium service. The brokerage maintained its overweight rating on Airtel shares, with a target price of 1,970 per share, implying a 66% upside from the previous sessions closing price. Over the past year, Bharti Airtels shares have surged by 38.97%, outperforming its sector by 1.27%. In the last three years, the stock has delivered a remarkable 139.33% return. About the Author Aparna Deb Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a... Read More Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a... Read More Stay updated with all the latest news on the Stock Market, including market trends, Sensex and Nifty updates, top gainers and losers, and expert analysis. Get real-time insights, financial reports, and investment strategiesonly on News18. First Published: March 12, 2025, 09:39 IST IndusInd Bank Shares Rebound Sharply After Rs 19,000 Crore Rout In A Day; What Investors Should Know Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 11:23 IST IndusInd Bank saw a dramatic fall in its stock price on Tuesday, marking its largest-ever single-day decline; What should investors do? IndusInd Bank is grappling with a potential Rs 1,600-2,000 crore hit to its net worth. IndusInd Bank Shares: IndusInd Banks share price soared nearly 14% from its intraday low during Wednesdays trading session after promoter Ashok Hinduja reassured investors that the banks financials remain strong and that it would receive full support if any capital requirements arise. The Mumbai-based lenders stock broke a five-day losing streak, climbing to Rs 690 per share on the NSE, marking a 13.86% increase from its intraday low of Rs 606. Recommended Stories At the opening, the lenders share price fell more than 7% on Wednesday, extending its sharp fall for the sixth straight day. IndusInd Bank shares slid as much as 7.7% to a fresh low of Rs 605.40 apiece on the BSE. Promoter Support Ashok Hinduja, the promoter of IndusInd Bank, addressed liquidity concerns, offering reassurance that he was prepared to inject capital if necessary. Shareholders shouldnt panic. These are normal routine problems," he said in media interactions. The Dramatic Stock Fall IndusInd Bank saw a dramatic fall in its stock price on Tuesday, marking its largest-ever single-day decline of more than 27%. The drop followed the banks disclosure on Monday that an accounting error could reduce its net worth by approximately Rs 2,100 crore. The issue, which spans multiple years, is linked to transactions in the banks derivatives segment. This unprecedented revelation triggered a series of analyst downgrades, as concerns about the banks credibility mounted. These worries were compounded by existing challenges in its microfinance portfolio and the Reserve Bank of Indias decision to limit the renewal of the CEOs tenure to one year instead of the three years originally sought by the board. Shares of IndusInd Bank plummeted 27% to close at Rs 655, wiping out Rs 19,000 crore from its market capitalization, which fell to Rs 51,102 crore. On Monday, the bank stated that its net worth could take a 2.35% hit, or roughly Rs 1,600 crore as of December 31, due to the underestimation of foreign exchange hedging costs. Analysts noted that the discrepancies were related to internal foreign exchange derivatives linked to the banks forex borrowings and deposits. While the monetary impact is relatively small in proportion to the banks overall balance sheet, the bigger concern is the credibility risk," said Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research at Kotak Securities. Investor trust is crucial for a financial institution, and it may take several quarters to rebuild confidence," he added. Brokerages such as Jefferies, Nuvama, Emkay Global, and PL Capital downgraded their ratings on the bank following the news. IndusInd Banks Response The bank has enlisted an external agency to review and verify the internal findings independently. A final report from the external agency is awaited, and based on that, the bank will consider any impact on its financial statements," IndusInd Bank stated. CEO Sumant Kathpalia assured that the bank expects to feel the impact only in the quarter ending March 2025. After that, the situation should return to normal, Reuters quoted him as saying. CEOs Assurance on Profitability CEO Sumant Kathpalia stated during an analyst call that IndusInd Bank expects to report a profit in both the January-March quarter and for the full financial year 2025. He emphasized that the banks profitability and capital adequacy are strong enough to absorb the one-time impact. The issue was identified by the bank The bank has enough reserves and capital to manage this," Kathpalia added. What Should Investors Do Now? Analysts noted that the sharp decline in IndusInd Banks stock price over the past year reflects diminished investor confidence. The stock has fallen more than 58% in the last 12 months, compared to a 1.1% gain in the Bank Nifty. Apurva Sheth, Head of Research at Samco Securities, pointed out that the stock is currently trading at levels comparable to public sector banks due to ongoing challenges faced by the lender. In the third quarter, the bank saw an increase in slippages within its microfinance sector, according to Chouhan. While the financial impact of the derivatives issue is relatively limited, the erosion of investor trust could continue to weigh on the stock in the near term. Chouhan suggested that recovery will depend on the managements ability to address governance concerns, improve asset quality, and maintain deposit growth. Sheth recommended caution, advising investors to stay away from the stock until the management provides more clarity. While there may be a short-term rebound in the share price, its important to remain cautious," he said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Viral Chheda, Senior Analyst at SSJ Finance and Securities, noted that after trading in the range of Rs 926-Rs 1,100 for the past four months, the stock has experienced a steep correction, reaching a four-year low of Rs 667. The stock has fallen nearly 30% this week alone, and Chheda believes there could be further downside to Rs 600-Rs 550 levels in the coming days. Disclaimer: Disclaimer: The views and investment tips by experts in this News18.com report are their own and not those of the website or its management. Users are advised to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. About the Author Aparna Deb Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a... Read More Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a... Read More Stay updated with all the latest news on the Stock Market, including market trends, Sensex and Nifty updates, top gainers and losers, and expert analysis. Get real-time insights, financial reports, and investment strategiesonly on News18. First Published: March 12, 2025, 08:52 IST Party General Secretary To Lam and leaders of Vietnamese ministries, agencies and localities witnessed the announcement of Singapore Phu Quoc direct flight service on Tuesday, as part of his official visit to the city state. Starting May 30, Vietnam's budget carrier Vietjet Air will operate the new route with four weekly flights, connecting Singapore with Vietnam's largest island. This addition brings the total number of weekly flights between Vietnam and Singapore to 78, catering to an estimated half a million passengers a year. It is the fourth direct air service between the two countries, joining existing routes to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang. It is expected to not only boost tourism but also strengthen economic, trade, and cultural cooperation between the two nations. Chairwoman of the Vietjet Air Board of Directors Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao stressed that Vietjet is more than just an airline, it drives economic growth, trade, investment, education and cultural exchanges. Vietjet Air and its Singaporean partners, handling billions of USD in annual transactions, are deepening collaboration in finance, trade, and innovation to build a sustainable and prosperous future, she said. On this occasion, Vietjet Air and Carlyle Aviation Partners signed a US$300 million financing agreement to support the purchase of aircraft scheduled for delivery between 2025 and 2026. This deal is a pivotal step in Vietjet Air's plan to acquire more than 400 new aircraft, as part of its fleet expansion strategy. Furthermore, Vietjet Air and Satair, an Airbus Group subsidiary, inked a cooperation deal on the use of Integrated Material Services (IMS), a comprehensive material supply solution for Vietjet's entire fleet of Airbus A320 and A330 aircraft. Meet 41-Year-Old Zhang Yiming, China's Richest Person Now Worth $65.5 Billion Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 15:45 IST Zhang Yiming, ByteDance co-founder, is now China's richest person with a net worth of $65.5 billion. ByteDance, valued at $300 billion, owns TikTok and Toutiao. Zhang Yiming, ByteDance co-founder, is China's richest person at $65.5 billion. (AP Photo) Zhang Yiming, the 41-year-old co-founder of ByteDance, has become Chinas richest person with a staggering net worth of $65.5 billion. His fortune, built on a 21% stake in the tech giant behind TikTok, positions him among the worlds most influential billionaires. Zhangs rise reflects the meteoric success of ByteDance, which has grown into one of the most valuable private technology companies globally, with a valuation nearing $300 billion. ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok and news aggregator Toutiao, was founded by Zhang in 2012. Despite stepping down as CEO in May 2021, Zhang retains a significant share in the company and continues to play a strategic role in its artificial intelligence (AI) development. According to media reports, ByteDance is currently the second most valuable startup worldwide, trailing only Elon Musks SpaceX. Recommended Stories Zhangs entrepreneurial journey began in modest circumstances. Born in Fujian province, he studied software engineering at Nankai University and later worked at several tech firms. In 2012, at the age of 29, Zhang launched ByteDance from a four-bedroom apartment in Beijing. His vision was to harness big data and machine learning to personalise content for users, a strategy that propelled TikTok to global dominance, with over a billion users worldwide. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In an email to employees following his departure, he admitted he lacked the qualities of a traditional manager but expressed confidence in the companys future. His shift toward focusing on artificial intelligence signals ByteDances strategic push into next-generation technology, including artificial general intelligence (AGI). Zhangs rise to the top of Chinas wealth rankings reflects the global influence of ByteDance and the transformative power of AI-driven content platforms. Location : China First Published: March 12, 2025, 15:45 IST ITR Filing 2025: What Is Form 16, When Will You Get It, Is This Necessary To File Income Tax Return? Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 13:23 IST Income Tax Return 2025: Form 16 is a certificate issued by an employer to employees, which contains details of the employee's salary and the tax deducted at source (TDS) during the financial year. Form 16 is an important document for salaried employees, which simplifies the tax filing process by providing a detailed breakup of salary and TDS. ITR Filing 2025: The income tax return (ITR) filing for the assessment year 2025-26 is going to start from April 1, 2025. For salaried taxpayers, their employer will issue a Form 16 that will have all the income tax-related details for the current financial year 2024-25 (or AY 2025-26). What exactly is Form 16, when will you receive it, and is it mandatory for filing an ITR? Heres everything you need to know: What Is Form 16? Recommended Stories Form 16 is a certificate issued by an employer to employees, which contains details of the employees salary and the tax deducted at source (TDS) during the financial year. Essentially, it serves as proof that your employer has deducted and deposited tax on your behalf with the Income Tax Department. Form 16 is divided into two parts: 1. Part A It contains employer and employee details, including PAN (Permanent Account Number), TAN (Tax Deduction and Collection Account Number), period of employment, and a summary of tax deducted and deposited. 2. Part B It provides a detailed breakdown of the salary structure, including taxable income, exemptions under various sections (such as HRA, LTA, and deductions under Section 80C, 80D, etc.), and the total tax payable. When Will You Get Form 16? Employers are required to issue Form 16 by June 15 of the assessment year (AY). For instance, for the financial year (FY) 2024-25, employers must issue Form 16 by June 15, 2025. However, this timeline may vary if an employer delays processing salary data or faces administrative issues. If you do not receive Form 16 by the due date, you should contact your employers HR or finance department. Is Form 16 Necessary for Filing an ITR? While Form 16 simplifies the ITR filing process, it is not mandatory. You can still file your income tax return using alternative documents, such as: Salary slips To verify your salary income and deductions. Form 26AS This consolidated tax statement available on the income tax departments portal provides details of TDS credited to your PAN. Annual Information Statement (AIS) Offers a detailed view of income sources, including salary, dividends, and interest. Bank Statements Useful for verifying income and deductions. Why Is Form 16 Important? Eases ITR Filing Pre-filled ITR forms are available based on Form 16, making the filing process easier. Ensures Accuracy Reduces errors in reporting income and tax deductions. Helps in Loan Applications Serves as proof of income for financial institutions. Useful for Refund Claims If excess tax has been deducted, Form 16 helps in claiming refunds. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Form 16 is a vital document for salaried employees, simplifying the tax filing process by providing a detailed breakup of salary and TDS. While it is not mandatory, having it ensures accuracy and ease in ITR filing. If you do not receive Form 16, you can still file your ITR using other financial records. Always verify tax credits in Form 26AS and AIS before submission to avoid discrepancies," a Delhi-based tax practitioner said. With the ITR filing season approaching, ensure you collect all necessary documents, including Form 16, to make the process seamless and error-free, he added. About the Author Mohammad Haris Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to markets, economy and companies. Having a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris has been previously asso... Read More Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to markets, economy and companies. Having a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris has been previously asso... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 12:09 IST Bhojpuri In Mauritius? Heres How This Language Became Such An Essential Part Of The Country Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 14:58 IST Bhojpuri is deeply rooted in Mauritius' history and remains a key part of its cultural identity despite competition from English and French. Bhojpuri became a common language among Indo-Mauritians. (Image: Getty) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to Mauritius. He arrived in the country on 11 March to grace the National Day celebrations as the chief guest. Upon his arrival, Modi was welcomed with a Geet-Gawai performance. Recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016, Geet-Gawai is a cherished and traditional Bhojpuri musical art form. This performance highlighted the deep-rooted cultural connection and Bhojpuris enduring presence in the East African island nation. But you may be wondering, how did this language become such an essential part of Mauritius identity? Heres why Bhojpuri is among the dominant languages of Mauritius and how it became a significant part of the country. Recommended Stories During the colonial era, many labourers migrated from the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to Mauritius between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries. Initially brought as indentured labourers to work on sugar plantations, these migrants were part of a larger wave of labour migration. Among them were predominantly Bhojpuri-speaking labourers, who profoundly shaped the demographic and cultural landscape of Mauritius. According to a report by India Today, as many as 453,063 indentured labourers arrived from India in British Mauritius. Within a decade, Indian labourers made up a third of the islands population, and by 1861, they accounted for two-thirds of all Mauritians. Bhojpuri was officially recognised as a national language in Mauritius in 1987, alongside English, Creole, and French. In 2012, Bhojpuri was further recognised as an official language of the country, cementing its status in Mauritius. It is primarily spoken by the descendants of Indian immigrants who were brought to the island as indentured labourers. While the language has a rich history and cultural heritage, one of the main challenges it faces is competition with other languages, particularly French and English. As the official languages, French and English are widely used in education, media, and government and are often seen as symbols of social prestige and upward mobility. This has led to a decline in the use of Bhojpuri among younger generations, particularly in urban areas. ALSO READ: Get Into IIT Madras Without JEE Advanced: New Admission Pathway For Olympiad Winners Beyond the language itself, the Bhojpuri-speaking community has preserved a wide array of traditional cultural practices, including forms of music, dance, clothing (such as traditional sarees and dhotis), and cuisine. Festivals and religious rituals, particularly Durga Puja and Diwali, play a central role in maintaining a sense of collective identity, enabling the Bhojpuri community to retain their cultural heritage while coexisting within Mauritian society. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In addition to Mauritius, Bhojpuri is spoken in several other countries, including India, Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname, Fiji, and Nepal. About the Author Education and Careers Desk A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses and information on college and school admissions, board and competitive exams, career options, topper interviews, job notifications, latest in ... Read More A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses and information on college and school admissions, board and competitive exams, career options, topper interviews, job notifications, latest in ... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 14:58 IST Top 10 Countries With Fastest Mobile Internet; See Where India Stands Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 16:50 IST The UAE leads the world in mobile internet speeds, while India, ranking 25th, continues to improve despite infrastructure challenges. Here are the top 10 countries with the highest median mobile internet speed. (Representational image) Global internet usage is still rising rapidly, and mobile internet is a key component of this digital revolution. However, there remains a noticeable disparity in internet speeds between nations, with Asia and the Middle East having the fastest connections. Even though countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar are setting the benchmark for fast internet connections, nations like the United States and India still struggle to achieve high-speed mobile internet, mainly due to regional disparities and infrastructure constraints. The overall trend indicates increasing internet access and speeds, which will likely continue to drive the global digital transformation despite these challenges. Recommended Stories The Middle East and Asia frequently record the fastest mobile internet speeds, according to the Speedtest Global Index. For instance, the UAE tops the global rankings, with mobile internet speeds in Dubai, the countrys metropolis, increasing nearly 100 times. The United Arab Emirates has emerged as a global leader in internet speeds, largely due to sustained investments in digital infrastructure since 2012. Top 10 Countries With The Fastest Mobile Internet United Arab Emirates (442 Mbps): The UAE leads the world in mobile internet speed. The country has achieved this by consistently investing in its digital infrastructure, particularly in cities such as Dubai. Cutting-edge 5G networks and advanced technologies continue to push its ranking higher. Qatar (358 Mbps): Qatar ranks second in the Middle East. Its significant investments in telecom infrastructure have ensured reliable mobile access and high-speed internet, particularly following the rollout of 5G services. Kuwait (264 Mbps): Kuwait holds third place, largely due to the countrys early adoption of cutting-edge mobile technology and its subsequent expansion into 4G and 5G, ensuring consumers enjoy a fast and reliable internet connection. Bulgaria (172 Mbps): Bulgaria is one of the top-performing European nations. A competitive telecom sector has made high-speed broadband and mobile services more affordable and accessible. Denmark (162 Mbps): Denmark ranks fifth, thanks to significant investments in digital infrastructure and one of the strongest 5G networks in Europe, leading to improved mobile data speeds for consumers. South Korea (148 Mbps): South Korea has long been a leader in internet rankings and mobile technology. With 5G networks now widely deployed nationwide, mobile internet speeds continue to rise, making South Korea one of the top nations for telecom infrastructure. Netherlands (147 Mbps): Ranking just below South Korea, the Netherlands is known for its widespread adoption of 5G and robust mobile network services. It remains one of Europes most connected nations, offering fast and reliable mobile data. Norway (145.74 Mbps): Norway boasts high-quality 4G and 5G networks, catering to a highly tech-savvy population that requires fast internet for both personal and business use. China (139.58 Mbps): As one of the worlds largest economies, China has rapidly expanded its 5G networks. While rural areas still face some connectivity challenges, major cities experience high-speed, uninterrupted mobile internet. Luxembourg (134.14 Mbps): Luxembourg completes the top 10 list with its fast mobile internet speeds. Despite its small size, the country has developed a strong mobile infrastructure and adopted cutting-edge technologies swiftly, ensuring seamless high-speed connections. Speedtest Global Index: Indias Performance In Mobile Internet India is the second-largest internet market in the world after China, with over 900 million internet users. According to Statista, internet penetration in the country stood at just over 50%, which remains below the global average, despite continuous expansion in accessibility. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all As per the latest Speedtest Global Index report, India now ranks 25th globally, moving up one spot. The country recorded: Latency: 30 ms 30 ms Download Speed: 100.78 Mbps 100.78 Mbps Upload Speed: 9.08 Mbps About the Author Education and Careers Desk A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses and information on college and school admissions, board and competitive exams, career options, topper interviews, job notifications, latest in ... Read More A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses and information on college and school admissions, board and competitive exams, career options, topper interviews, job notifications, latest in ... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 16:49 IST Osmania University Students Protest After Razor Blade Found In Hostel Food Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 12:38 IST Students protest at Osmania University after allegedly finding a razor blade in a curry served at the hostel mess during dinner. Students protest at Osmania University after allegedly finding a razor blade in a curry served at the hostel mess during dinner. Students at Osmania University protested on Tuesday night after a razor blade was allegedly found in a curry served at the New Godavari hostel mess. Students placed the food container and plate on the universitys main road, chanting slogans against the administration and demanding the Vice-Chancellors intervention to resolve the issue. The students demanded that Vice-Chancellor Prof M Kumar address their concerns, as this was not the first time foreign objects had been found in the food. They claimed there had been earlier incidents where worms and glass pieces were found in meals. Just two days ago, they alleged, worms were seen in the cabbage curry served at the mess. Recommended Stories A committee has been constituted to look into the incident," said OU official on Wednesday. Students also raised concerns about persistent water issues in the hostel, saying it was affecting their health. There is no regular water supply, and we are relying on tankers without knowing their source. Many students fall ill. We urge the administration to install a borewell instead," they said. A similar incident was reported on 25 February from Anuppur district in Madhya Pradesh. More than 50 students at a girls hostel of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) suffered from food poisoning after having a meal, an official said. ALSO READ: Tamil Nadu Will Accept: Kanimozhi, Dharmendra Pradhan Square Off On X Over NEP, PM SHRI top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all According to some students, they experienced headaches, stomach pain, and vomiting after eating food from the hostel mess. They said their dinner included potato and cauliflower curry, rice, roti, and dal. Around 11 PM, several students started falling ill. Some students claimed that the potato curry was responsible for their condition. They stated that they were admitted to the universitys health facility for treatment. About the Author Education and Careers Desk A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses and information on college and school admissions, board and competitive exams, career options, topper interviews, job notifications, latest in ... Read More A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses and information on college and school admissions, board and competitive exams, career options, topper interviews, job notifications, latest in ... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 12:12 IST 'Nothing More...': Kanimozhi Responds As Dharmendra Pradhan Shares Tamil Nadu's PM SHRI Consent Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 12:46 IST DMK MP Kanimozhi refuted Dharmendra Pradhans claims on PM SHRI schools, stating that Tamil Nadu will accept only what suits the state, "nothing more, nothing less." Kanimozhi says Tamil Nadu will accept only what fits its policies, rejecting NEP and the three-language policy. Nothing More: Kanimozhi Responds As Dharmendra Pradhan Shares Tamil Nadus PM SHRI Consent A fresh war of words has erupted between the DMK and the Centre over the implementation of PM SHRI schools in Tamil Nadu, with DMK MP Kanimozhi strongly refuting Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhans claims. Recommended Stories Responding to Pradhans tweet alleging a change of stance" by the Tamil Nadu government, Kanimozhi wrote on X, This letter clearly states that Tamil Nadu will accept PM SHRI schools only based on our State Government-led committees recommendations and not on your Union Governments recommendation. Nowhere have we mentioned accepting the three-language policy or NEP in its entirety. Whatever is acceptable for Tamil Nadu, we will acceptnothing more, nothing less. Stop twisting facts." Her statement came after Pradhan, in a post on X, shared Tamil Nadus consent letter for the PM SHRI scheme dated March 15, 2024, and accused the DMK of misleading Parliament. Yesterday, DMK MPs and Honble CM Stalin accused me of misleading the Parliament regarding Tamil Nadus consent for the establishment of PM-SHRI Schools. I stand by my statement and am sharing the consent letter from the Tamil Nadu School Education Department," Pradhan wrote. Hitting out at the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, Pradhan further said, DMK MPs and Honble CM can stack lies as high as they want, but the truth doesnt bother knocking when it comes crashing down. The DMK dispensation led by Honble CM Stalin has a lot to answer to the people of Tamil Nadu." ALSO READ: Kanimozhi says Tamil Nadu will accept only what fits its policies, rejecting NEP and the three-language policy. The Union Minister also alleged that the DMK was raking up the language issue as a diversionary tactic" and that the partys stance on NEP was driven by political interests rather than students welfare. Why this sudden change of stance on NEP? Definitely for political brownies and reviving DMKs political fortunes. This retrograde politics of DMK is a great disservice to the bright future of Tamil Nadu and its students," he wrote, urging CM Stalin to not view NEP 2020 through a political lens. On Tuesday, Dharmendra Pradhan clarified that the central government is not imposing any language on anyone or taking away anyones rights. Responding to questions on the functioning of the Ministry of Education in the Rajya Sabha, Pradhan stressed that India is a multilingual country and assured that the Modi government would not hurt anyones feelings based on language." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Pradhan said, Tamil language is no ones monopoly" and that there was no need to question the central governments commitment to Tamil. He referred to a 1989 incident in the Tamil Nadu Assembly when late Jayalalithaa, then Leader of the Opposition, was physically attacked by DMK members. What they did to Jayalalithaa in the Assembly speaks for itself. We dont need anyones approval to prove our commitment to the Tamil language. We are fully committed to it," Pradhan added. About the Author Education and Careers Desk A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses and information on college and school admissions, board and competitive exams, career options, topper interviews, job notifications, latest in ... Read More A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses and information on college and school admissions, board and competitive exams, career options, topper interviews, job notifications, latest in ... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 09:33 IST Celebrating 'Bemisaal Bihar' Across India: BJP-Led NDA Plans Events To Showcase State's Culture Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 20:18 IST Eye on Bihar elections: The week-long programme will begin with the celebration of Bihar Diwas on March 22. The BJP will send its MPs and ministers for the celebration from Kashmir to Kanyakumari The programme will also underscore how the double engine government has worked tirelessly towards the development of Bihar. (PTI File) With its sights set on the upcoming Bihar elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) plans to hold a series of programmes showcasing Bihari culture, tradition and sentiment across the nation. Our Prime Minister has always believed that Ek Bharat Shresht Bharat must be a vision that is realised. Therefore, it is important to tell the country about our widespread culture. Biharis are spread across the entire country and we have prominent personalities, especially in the service industry, whether bureaucratic or otherwise. This initiative can be an effective tool to connect them all," a source said. Recommended Stories The week-long programme will begin with the celebration of Bihar Diwas on March 22. The BJP, aiming to stay ahead, will be sending its MPs and ministers across the country for the week-long celebration of Bihar and its culture, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Several top leaders of the party, including BJP national president JP Nadda and union home minister Amit Shah, will be participating in the programme throughout this period," a source told CNN-Network18. Apart from BJP leaders, top leaders of all alliance partners, especially in Bihar, including Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United) (JDU) and Chirag Paswan, among others, will be participating in this programme. The programme will also underscore how the double engine government" has worked tirelessly towards the development of Bihar. The Prime Minister has also been stating the point that once a sick state", Bihar is now on the progressive path, though much more needs to be done. An example of the Prime Ministers commitment to the state of Bihar is evident from the number of announcements that have been made in the recent Union budget, including the pending demand of establishing a board for Makhana, a superfood. Incidentally, home minister Amit Shahs visit, scheduled for March 27 and 28, is also expected to coincide with the celebration. A detailed discussion between JDU leaders, union minister Lalan Singh and JDU working president Sanjay Jha happened during a meeting with Amit Shah in reference to the same," a source added. It is expected that during his visit to Bihar, the home minister will hold several political meetings, not just with the Bihar BJP unit, but also with alliance partners in the state. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Bihar is expected to hold its Assembly elections around October this year, for which the NDA will fight together. The BJP, JDU, along with other parties, including Chirag Paswans LJP, Ram Vilas Paswans Hindustan Awam Morcha, and the RLM led by former union minister Upendra Kushwaha are expected to fight together. The Bihar assembly has 243 seats, and the NDA currently holds 138. Currently, the BJP is the single largest party with 84 MLAs. First Published: March 12, 2025, 20:01 IST TMC, BJP, BJD To Send Agents For Training To Better Understand Polling, Amid Allegations Against EC Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Oindrila Mukherjee Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 07:30 IST The TMC, BJP and BJD have agreed to nominate booth level, polling, counting and election agents to raise awareness on electoral laws and processes Representatives of the TMC, BJP, and BJD met the EC in Delhi on March 11. (Image: PTI/File) Amid allegations against the Election Commission of India, so as to increase awareness on electoral laws and processes, three political parties TMC, BJP and BJD have agreed to nominate booth level, polling, counting and election agents for training programmes by the poll body. According to sources, on Tuesday (March 11), representatives of the TMC, BJP, and BJD met the Election Commission in Delhi. On the issues raised by the three parties, the poll body stressed on participation from each stakeholder. Recommended Stories In order to increase awareness of the electoral laws, robust and transparent electoral processes, the BJD, BJP, and TMC agreed to nominate their booth level agents, polling agents, counting agents and election agents for the ECIs training programmes," sources told News18. It should be noted that the chief electoral officers (CEO) are incharge of polling at state level; district election officers (DEO) at district and electoral registration officers (ERO) at assembly level. Over the past several days, the EC has stressed that the parties should decentralise engagement", and that CEOs, DEOs and EROs should regularly hold meetings with the parties to resolve issues within the statutory framework. The poll body further asked officials to be approachable and responsive to the parties. PARTIES RAISED POLL ISSUES The Trinamool Congress (TMC) held a meeting over the issue of duplicate voter ID numbers. It alleged that Aadhaar cards were being cloned, and this may lead to the possibility of them being used for fake voter registration. The ruling party in West Bengal demanded that the EC should issue a separate list of voter deletions, new additions and modifications with every new revised electoral roll. The West Bengal BJP unit also met the poll body, demanding an audit and said the voter rolls in the state should be revised. The party alleged that more than 13 lakh duplicate voters have been added to the voter list under the TMC regime. The BJD submitted a memorandum on variances in the votes cast in the 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Odisha. The EC, in response to the meeting with the TMC, said all concerns duplicate EPIC numbers; duplicate, shifted and dead voters; and illegal migrants will be resolved by each booth level officer and concerned electoral registration officer with active participation of booth level agents appointed by all political parties. For the BJP, the EC said that updating the electoral roll is a participative process with all parties, including established mechanisms of appeal under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Commissioninformed them that only citizens of India who are above 18 years of age can be registered as electors in the polling booths where they are ordinary residents," the EC said in a post on X. For the BJD issue, too, the poll body said it was also told that as per the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, the record of votes polled in all booths is already given to the polling agents of all candidates as per Form 17C. It stressed that political parties are important stakeholders who are involved at every stage of the electoral process". About the Author Nivedita Singh Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @nived... Read More Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @nived... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 07:30 IST What Is US Self-Deportation App For Illegal Immigrants, Why Has It Been Relaunched? Explained Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Shilpy Bisht Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 14:32 IST The app was originally launched during the Biden administration to allow prospective migrants to book appointments to appear at a port of entry. But the revamped CBP Home app under Trump gives an option to self-deport There are 11 million illegal immigrants in the US, which include those who overstayed on a tourist visa, asylum seekers who crossed the border and those who have no criminal conviction. (File photo: AP) The Trump administration has launched a new app that will allow illegal immigrants in the United States to self-deport" rather than face possible arrest or detention. The app was originally created to facilitate asylum appointments. Recommended Stories Donald Trump had vowed to the Americans before taking the White House to deport undocumented migrants from the country, following a sharp rise in southwest border crossings over the past four years. He even signed an executive order when he took office on January 20 to mass deport" illegal immigrants, for which, he started deportation flights. So, how does the app work, will Trump administration effectively carry out its mass deportation plan through this app? Let us take a look. What Is The Purpose Of The New App? The app was originally launched as CBP One (Customs and Border Protection) in 2020. It was expanded during the Biden administration to allow prospective migrants to book appointments to appear at a port of entry. At the time, officials credited the app with helping reduce detentions at the border and portrayed the technology as part of a larger effort to protect asylum seekers. The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self-deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. If they dont, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return." The new app also asks migrants whether they have enough money to depart the United States" and whether they have a valid, unexpired passport from your original country of citizenship". US officials have repeatedly suggested that illegal migrants in the country should leave voluntarily, rather than be arrested and subject to deportation. How Does CBP Home Work? The CBP Home will offer an option for someone to signal their intent to depart". A BBC report says CBP Home can be used to apply and pay for I-94 entry and exit cards up to seven days before travel, book inspections for perishable cargo and check wait times at US border crossings. According to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the app is meant to complement a $200m (155m) domestic and international ad campaign calling for undocumented migrants to stay out and leave now". Meanwhile, DHS is working to track all individuals in the US without legal status and urging them to register with the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to notify authorities of their presence, Newsweek reported. Notably, all CBP One apps will automatically update to CBP Home. Last month, Noem stopped the use of CBP One for migrants to board domestic flights, except when used for self-deportation. The government has also revoked extensions for Temporary Protected Status for certain nationalities, as per Fox News. What Was The Criticism Against CBP One App? The Biden-era app included a feature that allowed some 1 million migrants in Mexico to schedule an appointment to request entry at a legal border crossing. Republicans criticised the Biden programme, saying it facilitated mass migration to the United States and did not adequately vet migrants. According to the Associated Press, over 900,000 individuals were admitted into the US on immigration parole, typically for two years, starting in January 2023. Trump shut down CBP One hours after taking office, leaving migrants with pending appointments stranded and unsure of next steps. According to The Washington Post, CBP One was originally launched by US Customs to control commercial trucking companies trying to schedule cargo inspections. This was repurposed and relaunched to become the sole route for asylum-seekers from Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Will The App Be Successful? Reports suggest many migrants seem hesitant to use the application due to concerns about deportation. Experts are questioning how many undocumented migrants would opt for what has long been termed voluntary departure" and what the government aims to achieve with the initiative. Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, associate policy analyst with the Migration Policy Institute, told the Associated Press, Im not sure what their intentions are. But theyre creating a bit of a culture of fear around immigration right now," she said. Laura Rivera, senior staff attorney at Just Futures Law, told The Guardian, Immigrant community members should be wary of any promises made by those encouraging them to self-deport and instead carefully examine their legal options with trusted advisers." What Does Data On Illegal Immigrants Say? As per Pew Research, there are 11 million illegal immigrants in the US, which include those who overstayed in the US on a tourist visa, asylum seekers who crossed the border and those who have no criminal conviction. Among them are some 1.3 million immigrants who have already been issued removal orders but remain in the country, said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, policy analyst at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute, as quoted by USA Today. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement database reported that there were more than 660,000 non-citizens with criminal histories on its docket. Of the 11 million, more than half are people who came legally but overstayed their visas, according to the Center for Migration Studies. Others crossed the border illegally years ago. There are also those who are being protected under temporary federal programmes. More than 860,000 people from 16 different countries such as Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, Venezuela and Haiti benefit from temporary protected status". If Trumps plan comes into force, these programmes will be cancelled by Homeland Security at any time. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all There are also 530,000 immigrants who arrived into the US when their parents crossed the border illegally and benefited from a temporary status under the Barack Obama administration called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Trump had tried to abolish the programme but the Supreme Court rejected it. Another 1.6 million asylum-seekers are awaiting hearings in their cases, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 14:32 IST Who Is Behind Pakistan Train Hijack? A Look At Armed Insurgency In Balochistan | Explained Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Shilpy Bisht Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 11:33 IST The Balochistan Liberation Army said they were holding 214 people hostages, and have threatened to start executing them. A primary driver of Baloch insurgency is the construction of Gwadar port The ethnic Baloch, who constitute a majority in Balochistan, are angry with the Pakistani government for what they perceive as unfair exploitation of their region's resources. (Photo: Reuters) The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has said it blew up a railway track and opened fire on a passenger train on Tuesday, taking dozens of hostages. The Jaffar Express was running from Quetta, the provincial capital of the southwestern province of Balochistan, to Peshawar, the capital of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Recommended Stories The train was passing the Bolan Pass, a restive area in southwestern Pakistan, which is a rugged, mountainous region, when it was attacked. Though the police have not specified how many passengers were taken hostage but the BLA said they were holding 214 people, and have threatened to start executing them, according to a report by Reuters. Who Are The Baloch? The Baloch are a Sunni Muslim ethnic group who live on both sides of the Iran-Pakistan border, and also in parts of southern Afghanistan. Balochistan forms the largest part of this region, followed by the province of Sistan and Balochistan on the Iranian side. The area, which is roughly the size of France, is sparsely populated by around 9 million Balochs who are organised into tribes rather than feeling that they belong to a state. After Partition, Balochistan remained independent until March 1948 as part of a friendship treaty with the new state of Pakistan. The Khan of Kalat, the main tribal leader whose writ ran over much of the region, was keen to remain independent, but came under tremendous pressure to join Pakistan, including from his feudatories, the rulers of Makran, Las Bela, and Kharan. For decades, the Baloch have been fighting for their autonomy or independence, which have been met with violent suppression on both sides of the border. In Pakistan, such efforts are viewed as attempts to fragment the nation while in Iran, the situation is further complicated by the Baloch being a Sunni Muslim minority in a predominantly Shiite country. In Pakistan, over 10,000 Baloch have disappeared since 2011, according to Amnesty International. Balochistan is the largest and least populated of Pakistans provinces and the most impoverished, with an estimated 70% of its population classed as multidimensionally poor. The province is rich in natural resources such as gold, diamonds, silver, and copper. What Is The Balochistan Liberation Army? The BLA, created in the early 2000s, is the largest Baloch militant group and has been fighting an insurgency against the Pakistani government for decades, seeking independence for Balochistan and the expulsion of China. BLA militants have carried out attacks, particularly targeting Pakistani security forces and Beijings CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) project. The ethnic Baloch, who constitute a majority in Balochistan, are angry with the Pakistani government for what they perceive as unfair exploitation of their regions resources. Pakistan banned the BLA in 2006, and the United States designated it as a global terrorist organisation in 2019. In its statement, the BLA said its fidayeen" or suicide squad unit Majeed Brigade was leading Tuesdays hijacking of the Jaffar Express. The Majeed Brigade has been active since 2011, and has been involved in other attacks, including on a complex near Balochistans Gwadar port in March 2024, which resulted in the deaths of several security personnel and militants. What Has Fuelled The Balochistan Movement? The military coup in 1999 that brought Pervez Musharraf to power in Pakistan increased alienation among the Balochs. This is because Balochs see the army as lacking Baloch representation due to its domination by the interests of the Punjabithe main ethnic group in Pakistan that accounts for about 45% of the countrys population." A primary Baloch grievance is the construction of the mega port of Gwadar, which began in 2002 and is ongoing. Despite its importance, the Pakistani government has excluded Balochs from the Gwadar development process. The project is run entirely by the federal government and employs few Balochs in construction of the massive port, instead relying on Chinese engineers and labourers. Another factor that flared up tensions between Baloch and the Pakistani government is the killing of their leader Nawab Akbar Bugti by the army in 2006, according to a report by The International Affairs Review. The transition from the military government of Musharraf to the civilian government of President Asif Ali Zadari in 2008 did little to assuage Baloch discontent. In 2009, 792 attacks resulting in 386 deaths were recorded; around 92% of the attacks were linked to Baloch nationalist militants. Violence increased in 2010, with 730 attacks carried out resulting in 600 deaths. Another contemporary conflict driver is the US-led war in Afghanistan. It has further marginalised Balochs in two ways. First, the war has caused an influx of Pashtun refugees from Afghanistan into Balochistan, numerically downsizing the Baloch population within their own province. Second, an influx of extremist militants has brought more federal army and paramilitary troops into the province, which has unnerved Baloch nationalists. Many displaced Taliban troops fleeing from Afghanistan have settled in Balochistan. In fact, Quetta, the provincial capital, has become the de facto capital of al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan. In January, the BLA was at the centre of allegations by Pakistan over the use of militant bases in Iran to stage attacks against Pakistan. This led to tit-for-tat cross-border missile and air strikes that almost brought Iran and Pakistan to the brink of war. How BLA Is Gaining Strength Analysts believe the BLAs growing strength shows failure on part of the Pakistan government to counter BLA fighters and its reliance on outdated strategies. Malik Siraj Akbar, a Balochistan specialist based in Washington, DC, told Al Jazeera, the BLA has evolved from carrying out small-scale attacks, such as targeting individuals or sabotaging pipelines, to large-scale operations. The BLA has also strengthened its command structure by giving field militants more direct control over operations, Rafiullah Kakar, a political analyst specialising in Balochistan affairs, told Al Jazeera. In recent months, Balochistan has witnessed a dramatic surge in violence. Last month, at least 18 soldiers were killed in a BLA attack in Kalat city. Earlier in March, a female suicide bomber detonated herself, also in Kalat, killing a law enforcement officer. The Jaffar Express has been targeted multiple times. Last year, BLA fighters blew up a section of the track, disrupting the train service for two months. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In November, a suicide bombing at Quettas railway station targeted the train just before departure, killing at least 30 people, including security personnel. Analysts fear that peaceful activists will bear the brunt of such attacks and any retribution from the Pakistani government. About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 11:33 IST At a briefing to the Security Council, Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary Generals Special Representative for Afghanistan, spoke of the dire humanitarian and human rights situation in Afghanistan, and the failure of the Taliban to live up to its international commitments. She pointed to the draconian Law on the Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue, with its negative economic effects and impacts on Afghans human rights and private lives: The law demonstrates the de facto authorities prioritization of ideology over international obligations. It remains a major impediment to implementing the political pathway needed to reintegrate Afghanistan into the international community. U.S. Charge d Affaires ad interim Dorothy Shea emphasized that the UN must be a stronger voice of the international community in pressing the Taliban to change course: Afghanistan cannot achieve self-reliance and stability so long as the Afghan people remain subject to oppressive Taliban restrictions that strangle the economy. The situation for Afghan women and girls is particularly devastating given the over 80 edicts directly targeting their access to education, commercial activities, and overall participation in the economy. Ambassador Shea noted that the security threat emanating from Afghanistan is a continuing driver of regional instability. She pointed out that in February, the UNs 1267 Monitoring Team assessed that the terrorist organization ISIS-K, operating in Afghanistan, posed the greatest extra regional terrorist threat. We call on the Taliban to abide by their counterterrorism commitments. The Taliban must ensure Afghanistan can never again be used as a safe haven for terrorist groups to threaten the security of the United States, our allies, or any country. Ambassador Shea noted that Afghanistan is one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with over 22 million Afghans relying on emergency humanitarian assistance. The Talibans repressive policies and Afghanistans struggling economy are drivers of human displacement, which strains the regions limited resources and contributes to further destabilization. We cannot build confidence with a group that unjustly detains Americans, has a long history of harboring terrorist groups on its soil, and ignores the basic rights and needs of its own people, declared Ambassador Shea. We look forward to working with members of this Council to maintain consensus on our collective demand that the Taliban act responsibly. Why Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal Are Opposing Centres PM-SHRI School Scheme Amidst NEP Row | Explained Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Shilpy Bisht Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 14:09 IST NEP (National Education Policy) Row: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, which had last year agreed to sign an MoU on PM-SHRI, have taken a U-turn over non-disbursal of funds by the Centre for another scheme. The education ministry says states cannot receive funds unless they implement all objectives of PM-SHRI Tamil Nadu and Kerala view the denial of funds under SSA, in which states contribute 40% while the remaining 60% is by the Centre, as 'arm-twisting' to make them accept the PM-SHRI scheme. (PTI Photo) NEP 2020: Amidst the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 debate in Parliament, non-NDA states Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal have upped the ante against the Central governments PM-Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme, after they stated that their funds were withheld for a larger school programme Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). While both Tamil Nadu and Kerala had agreed last year in writing to sign an MoU, the two state governments later backtracked. Recommended Stories The education sector has taken precedence in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament, which has seen protests and walkouts by Tamil Nadus ruling DMK party over the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 and PM-SHRI in their state. Why Did Tamil Nadu, Kerala Take A U-Turn? Exactly a year ago at this time, in a letter dated March 15, 2024, to the Department of School Education, Tamil Nadu had expressed its willingness to sign the MoU for establishing PM-SHRI schools in the state. The letter stated that Tamil Nadu will sign the MoU before the beginning of the academic year 2024-25. It also requested the department to release the second instalment for the financial year 2023-24. TN education minister had in February said it is yet to receive funds to the tune of Rs 2,400 crore under the SSA programme for 2024-25 as well as the last tranche of Rs 249 crore under the scheme for 2023-24. In a communication that followed, Tamil Nadu proposed to the education ministry that while it was ready to implement the PM-SHRI scheme, the prefix PM be removed from the MoU. The request was turned down by the ministry. The state government had also proposed that the Centre releases the funds, barring the amount allocated for PM-SHRI. This, too, was turned down by the Centre, saying since funds under SSA are meant for the entire funding for school education, of which PM-SHRI is a part, the state cannot receive the funds unless they implement all objectives under the said programme. Similarly, in a letter dated March 30,2024, Kerala too had indicated its willingness to sign the MoU after funds to it had been stopped by the Centre for the 2023-24 financial year, which still remain withheld. In the letter addressed to the school education secretary, the Kerala government said it will sign the MoU before the 2024-25 academic session begins. In the letter, it also requested the ministry to release the 37.5% of the fund sanctioned for 2023-24. However, despite having given the undertaking to the ministry, the funds were still withheld to the state on technical grounds, prompting the state to take a U-turn. It was also reported that following the non-disbursal of funds in December, the state education committee, looking at all aspects of the MoU, raised concerns on how PM-SHRI went against the states policy on public education, particularly, after the Centres recent revisions to school textbooks and the growing apprehension that once the state accepts PM-SHRI, it will have to implement all provisions under the NEP. This would mean that the state schools will then have to teach a different syllabus or it will create two categories of syllabus in its schools, which will not help the students. Both Tamil Nadu and Kerala view the denial of funds under SSA, 40% of which is contributed by the states and 60% by the Centre, as arm-twisting" to make them accept the scheme. Education is a subject in the concurrent list with states having the major responsibility of providing quality school education. West Bengal Was Never On The Same Page The West Bengal government under Mamata Banerjee had been at loggerheads with the Centre over several schemes, including the NEP. It had outrightly refused to implement the PM-SHRI scheme. Minister of State (MoS) for education Sukanta Majumdar responding to a question on the state joining the PM-SHRI scheme in a written reply in Parliament on March 10 said West Bengal is yet to sign an MoU for the same. Despite multiple reminders from the Central Govt & Education Ministry (on Sep 15, 2022, Feb 6, 2023, Mar 13, 2023, Oct 9, 2023, Feb 23, 2024, and Mar 7, 2024), the TMC govt has REFUSED to sign a single MoU for the scheme," the MoS posted on X after protests in Parliament over the scheme on March 11. The ministry had stopped disbursing funds to the state for not participating in the central sector scheme from July 2024. It had withheld funds for three Opposition-ruled states Delhi (then ruled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), West Bengal and Punjab for refusing to implement PM-SHRI. While Delhi and Punjab buckled down in October due to fund crunch and signed the MoU, West Bengal has taken its own sweet time. What Is The SSA-PM-SHRI Link? SSA is an overarching programme for school education to implement the Right to Education (RTE), Act 2009. The 60% of funds contributed by the Centre includes funding for teachers salaries, infrastructure and all other major expenses for running state government schools. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all SSA was designed in 2018 by the BJP government while the NEP was launched in 2020. The SSA was aligned with the NEP in 2021. A draft regarding this alignment was shared with all states, none of whom had objected to it then. But in 2022, the PM-SHRI scheme was announced and incorporated under the SSA. The Centre asked the states to confirm their participation in the scheme by signing the MoU, which prompted concerns among several Opposition-ruled states. The PM-SHRI scheme aims to develop model schools that provide leadership to other schools in every block in each district across the country. The scheme was announced in the Union Budget 2022, seeking to develop 14,500 PM-SHRI schools across India, which will showcase each of the objectives envisaged in the NEP, 2020. About the Author Vatsala Shrangi Vatsala Shrangi, Assistant Editor at News18, reports on the HRD, Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, and social sector. She has covered the Delhi government, education, transport, environment and various ... Read More Vatsala Shrangi, Assistant Editor at News18, reports on the HRD, Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, and social sector. She has covered the Delhi government, education, transport, environment and various ... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 09:48 IST Authorities Cover Sambhal Jama Masjid, Nine Other Mosques With Tarpaulin Sheets Ahead Of Holi Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 22:42 IST Authorities were seen covering the place of worship ahead of the festival of Holi. The procession for Holi is expected to pass through the area. Tarpaulin sheets being laid over Sambhals Jama Masjid mosque in Uttar Pradeshs Sambhal. (IMAGE: X/@ANI) The administration of the district of Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh decided to cover the Sambhal Jama Masjid with tarpaulin sheets ahead of the festival of Holi. Videos shared by news agency ANI on social media site X showed authorities covered the mosque with sheets. A separate report by broadcaster India Today said that 10 mosques that fall along the route of a Holi procession have been covered in a similar fashion. Recommended Stories Holi coincides with Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramzan. #WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | Sambhal's Jama Masjid being covered with Tarpaulin sheet ahead of Holi festival as per the decision of the local administration pic.twitter.com/cMIW0cV8mF ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2025 District and police officials told the broadcaster that the decision was taken to ensure that both religious events proceed smoothly. At least five people died and 20 people were injured last year after protests erupted against a court-directed survey of the Jama Masjid, following claims that it was built over a demolished Hindu temple. The situation turned violent during the protests. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shrishchandra told the broadcaster that religious sites along the traditional route of the Holi procession will remain covered after an agreement was reached between both communities. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Reacting to the development, Samajwadi Party MP Ziaur Rahman Barq questioned the need of covering the religious sites while praising the move. I would say it is a good thing that they have covered them, but why was there a need for the police to do so? I would tell the police administration that they have made this arrangement to ensure Holi is celebrated peacefully," Barq was quoted as saying by news agency IANS. About the Author Shankhyaneel Sarkar Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev... Read More Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev... Read More Location : Sambhal, India, India First Published: March 12, 2025, 18:34 IST Bengal Student Dies By Suicide After Invigilator Snatches Answer Sheet Over Alleged Cheating Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 14:30 IST The family of the deceased girl student claimed that she was driven to the drastic step following humiliation suffered at the hands of her teacher. Neither the school nor the teacher have released a statement The supervising teacher allegedly confiscated both students' answer sheets and expelled them from the examination hall. (Representative/Shutterstock) In a disheartening incident, an 11th-grade student tragically took her own life following an accusation of cheating during a school examination. The incident took place at the Rahatpur area of Kalna, West Bengal. On Monday, Afsana Mondal, a student of Bakulia Rajendranath Institution, was accused of attempting to copy answers from a classmates answer sheet during an examination. The supervising teacher, noticing this, allegedly confiscated both students answer sheets and expelled them from the examination hall. Recommended Stories Deeply affected by the incident, Afsana returned home. Hours later, in a devastating turn of events, her family discovered her lifeless body. It has been reported that she had allegedly taken her own life by hanging. Despite being rushed to a local hospital, Afsana was pronounced dead by doctors. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all An autopsy was conducted on Tuesday at Kalna Subdistrict Hospital, confirming the cause of death. While the school authorities and the teacher in question are yet to issue a statement, Afsanas family alleges that the humiliation she endured at school drove her to take this drastic step. The local police have initiated an investigation into the matter. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata) Location : Kalna, India, India First Published: March 12, 2025, 14:30 IST Bullet Train Timeline Can Be Finalised Only After Completion Of All Associated Works: Railways Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 15:51 IST Responding to the question from Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Babu Singh Kushwaha, the railway ministry said construction of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project is going on Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw gave a written reply to the query on the bullet train project. (File) The timeline for completion of the bullet train project can be reasonably ascertained" after all associated works of civil structures, track, electrical, signalling and telecommunication and supply of train sets are done, the union railway ministry informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The ministry was asked about the present status of high-speed train projects by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), constructing the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, along with the details of the main targets. Recommended Stories Responding to the question from Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Babu Singh Kushwaha, the railway ministry said construction of the MAHSR project is going on. Entire land (1,389.5 ha) has been acquired for the project. Till now, 373-km pier construction, 307 km of girder casting and 274 km of girder launching have been completed. The work of undersea tunnel (approximately 21 km) has also started," railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in the written reply. He said the bullet train project is complex and technology intensive and considering the highest level of safety and associated maintenance protocols, the bullet train project has been designed with the support of the Japanese railway. It is customised for Indian requirements and climatic conditions. Timelines for the completion of the project can be reasonably ascertained after the completion of all associated works of civil structures, track, electrical, signalling and telecommunication and supply of trainsets. The execution of the MAHSR project is monitored/reviewed regularly," he added. The MAHSR project, for the operation of bullet train, is passing through Gujarat, Maharashtra and Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The length of the project is 508km with 12 stations planned at Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Billimora, Surat, Bhaurach, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Earlier this month, News18 reported about the status of the bullet train project. The work on 360 kilometres of the bullet train project out of the total length of 508 km has been finished at the viaduct level, and the track slabs are being laid. Further, structural work is completed for six out of eight stations in Gujarat. The physical work for the project started in September 2017 with the initial deadline in December 2023. However, the project was delayed and now it is expected that one of the sections can be made operational by 2026 in Gujarat, ahead of assembly polls in the state. About the Author Nivedita Singh Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @nived... Read More Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @nived... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 15:49 IST Faridabad Bride Found Dead 13 Days After Wedding, Police Probe Dowry Angle Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 15:36 IST Faridabad Police are questioning the husband and three in-laws after the deceased's father filed a complaint against them. A post-mortem examination was conducted and the body has been handed over to the family Police are awaiting the autopsy report to determine the exact cause of death. (News18 Hindi) A young bride was found dead in her Faridabad home on March 11, just 13 days after her wedding on February 26. Police are investigating the death as a possible dowry-related suicide. The deceased, identified as 19-year-old Khushboo, was found hanging in her room in the Sikrauna area of Faridabad, Haryana. Her family has alleged that she was subjected to dowry harassment by her husband and in-laws. Recommended Stories According to reports, Khushboos brother received a call from her husband late night on March 11, asking him to check on her. Upon reaching Khushboos room, family members found the door locked from the inside. When they broke open the door, they discovered her hanging from the ceiling fan. Khushboos brother, Pawan Kumar, told police that his sister had called their mother shortly before her death. The content of their conversation remains unknown. He maintained that Khushboo was living harmoniously with her in-laws and there were no visible signs of trouble. An official from Faridabad Police, Yashpal said that a case has been registered against Khushboos husband, Gautam Kumar, her mother-in-law, Lalita Devi, and two other in-laws based on a complaint filed by Khushboos father, Surendra Pal. The accused are currently being questioned. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all A post-mortem examination was conducted at Badshah Khan Civil Hospital and the body has been handed over to the family. Police are awaiting the autopsy report to determine the exact cause of death. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata) Location : Faridabad, India, India First Published: March 12, 2025, 15:36 IST In Arrest Memo, DRI Says Ranya Rao Strapped Gold Bars Around Waist, Hid Pieces In Shoes Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Poulami Kundu Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 12:55 IST Kannada actor Ranya Rao was arrested at Bengaluru Airport for attempting to smuggle 14.2 kg gold from Dubai. She hid gold bars around her waist, calves, in her shoes, and pockets. Kannada actress Ranya Rao arrested for smuggling 14.8 kg of gold. Kannada actor Ranya Rao, who was arrested on March 3 at the Bengaluru International Airport while allegedly attempting to smuggle 14.2 kg gold following a Dubai visit, tried to evade customs checking by tying the gold bars around her waist and calves. According to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrest memo, Rao was asked at the Green Channel crossing of Bengaluru Airport if she was carrying any dutiable goods and she responded negatively. However, when she, along with her baggage, passed through the metal detector, there was a positive indication. Recommended Stories When her bag was frisked, nothing was found. Later, officials found gold bars tied around her waist, and calves using crepe bandages and tissues. They also found cut gold bar pieces in her shoes and front pockets. Ranya Told Dubai Customs She Was Taking Gold To Geneva A fresh probe by the DRI has revealed that Rao had told the Dubai customs officials that she was taking the gold to Geneva. DRI sources said Rao had purchased the gold on November 13, 2024, and December 20, 2024, in Dubai and claimed that she was taking the gold to Geneva, but instead travelled to India. Ranya Rao has admitted that on two earlier occasions, she intended to carry gold from Dubai to India. She has evaded duty of Rs 4.83 crore. Who Is Ranya Rao And Why Was She Arrested? top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Ranya Rao is the stepdaughter of Director General of Police (Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation) Ramachandra Rao. She was under the radar because of her frequent travel to Dubai. In one year, she allegedly went to Dubai 30 times and four times in just 15 days. The authorities nabbed Rao at the Bengaluru airport when she was smuggling nearly 15kg of gold earlier this week. After she was arrested, gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Rs 2.67 crore in cash was recovered from her home in Bengaluru by the Bengaluru Directorate of Revenue Intelligence during raids. Rao is married to Jatin Hukkeri, who was also frequently travelling to Dubai with the actress. This is one of Karnatakas biggest gold seizures in history. First Published: March 12, 2025, 11:01 IST India, Mauritius Sign 8 Key MoUs To Strengthen Bilateral Ties Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 16:18 IST India and Mauritius on Wednesday elevated their ties to an 'enhanced strategic partnership' and inked eight pacts to boost cooperation in several sectors including trade and maritime security even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled an ambitious vision for the development of the Global South. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam during a joint press meet, in Mauritius. (PTI) India and Mauritius on Wednesday elevated their ties to an enhanced strategic partnership and inked eight pacts to boost cooperation in several sectors including trade and maritime security even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled an ambitious vision for the development of the Global South. The agreements inked will provide for promoting the use of national currencies for cross-border transactions, sharing of maritime data, joint work in combating money laundering and enhancing cooperation in the MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) sector. Recommended Stories On the second and final day of his two-day trip to Port Louis, Modi attended the national day celebrations of Mauritius as the chief guest. A contingent of Indian armed forces also participated in the celebrations along with a warship of the Indian Navy and the Akash Ganga skydiving team of the Indian Air Force. List of Outcomes: Prime Minister @narendramodis State visit to Mauritius pic.twitter.com/hnkG89cnMY Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 12, 2025 Following talks with his Mauritian counterpart Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Modi announced Indias new vision for Global South and named it "MAHASAGAR" or "Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions", a policy approach that came against the backdrop of Chinas relentless attempts to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean. Modi said a free, open, secure, and safe Indian Ocean is the common priority of India and Mauritius and that he and Ramgoolam agreed that defence cooperation and maritime security are an important part of the strategic partnership between the two countries. "We are committed to extend full cooperation in the security of Mauritius Exclusive Economic Zone," the prime minister said in his media statement. The unveiling of the new vision came 10 years after the prime minister announced during his visit to Mauritius in 2015 New Delhis SAGAR or Security and Growth for All in the Region policy that formed the bedrock for Indias engagement with the Indian Ocean Region. "We have taken the SAGAR vision forward for the stability and prosperity of this entire region. Today, taking it forward, I would like to say that our vision for the Global South will be, beyond SAGAR (it will be) MAHASAGAR that is "Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions"," he said in a media statement. Modi said the new approach will focus on the spirit of trade for development, capacity building for sustainable growth, and mutual security for a shared future. "Under this, cooperation will be ensured through technology sharing, concessional loans and grants." The Indian prime minister also said New Delhi will cooperate in building the new Parliament building in Mauritius and it will be a gift to the island nation from the Mother of Democracy. Delving into strategic cooperation between the two nations, Modi said every possible help will be provided to Mauritius to help it meet the needs of its Coast Guard and that New Delhi will assist in the establishment of a police academy and national maritime information sharing centre in the country. "Cooperation on white shipping, blue economy and hydrography will be strengthened. We fully respect Mauritius sovereignty in the context of Chagos," he said. India has been supporting the island nation in its efforts to reach a mutually beneficial deal with the UK over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean. In October last year, the UK announced its decision to hand over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after more than half a century under a historic agreement. Under the deal, sealed during the tenure of previous Mauritian PM Pravind Jugnauth, the UK would give up sovereignty over the Chagos Islands but would maintain a 99-year lease over the UK-US military airbase on the largest island, Diego Garcia. However, the new Mauritius government led by Ramgoolam demanded the reopening of talks with the UK over the Chagos Islands as it sought a relook at the deal. In his remarks, Modi said he and Ramgoolam decided to give the status of "Enhanced Strategic Partnership" to the India-Mauritius ties. "We are each others partners on the path of economic and social progress. Be it a natural disaster or the COVID disaster, we have always supported each other." "Be it defence or education, health or space, we are walking shoulder to shoulder in every field," he said. "In the last 10 years, we have added many new dimensions to our relations. We have set new records in development cooperation and capacity building," Modi said. The prime minister also announced several development projects to be implemented in Mauritius with Indias assistance. Work will be done to modernise the 100-kilometer-long water pipeline, he said. In the second phase of community development projects, new projects worth 500 million Mauritian rupees would be started, he added. We have also agreed to settle mutual trade in local currencies, Modi said. The prime minister also mentioned various India-assisted projects in the island nation that included "metro express for speed in Mauritius, supreme court building for justice, social housing for comfortable stay, ENT hospital for good health, UPI and Rupay Card to promote business and tourism." Modi and Ramgoolam also dedicated to Mauritius the "Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Public Service and Innovation". The prime minister also touched upon the people-to-people connection between the two nations. "We will work together for the use of AI (artificial intelligence) and DPI, which is digital public infrastructure in human development," Modi said. "For the people of Mauritius, facilities will be provided for Char Dham Yatra and Ramayana trail in India." India has close and longstanding relations with Mauritius, an island nation in the Western Indian Ocean. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all A key reason for the special ties is the fact that Indian-origin people comprise nearly 70 per cent of the island nations population of 1.2 million. Since 2005, India has been among the largest trading partners of Mauritius. Location : Port Louis, Mauritius First Published: March 12, 2025, 16:18 IST JD Vance To Visit India Later This Month, His Second Foreign Trip As US Vice President: Report Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 07:14 IST JD Vance will visit India later this month with Second Lady Usha Vance, marking his second foreign trip. His visit follows a debut trip to France and Germany. US Vice President JD Vance (Photo: Reuters) US Vice President JD Vance is set to travel to India later this month, marking his second foreign trip ever since he took charge in the Donald Trump government. According to a report with Politico, Vance will be accompanied by Second Lady Usha Vance. Recommended Stories Vance marked his debut foreign visit to France and Germany last month. His first foreign trip was marked by a fiery speech at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, where he slammed European governments for their handling of illegal migration, ignoring religious freedoms, and overturning elections. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Vances comments about the planned British- and French-led European peacekeeping force caused politicians and veterans in both countries to say he was dishonouring hundreds of troops killed fighting alongside US orces in Afghanistan and Iraq. Later, Vance denied disrespecting Britain and France by describing a planned peacekeeping force in Ukraine as 20,000 troops from some random country that has not fought a war in 30 or 40 years". About the Author Vani Mehrotra Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks. Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks. First Published: March 12, 2025, 07:00 IST Karnataka HC Denies Bail To Man Accused Of Sexually Abusing, Forcing Married Woman To Convert To Islam Reported By : LawBeat Last Updated: March 13, 2025, 02:15 IST The court ruled that it was not appropriate to grant bail considering the seriousness of the offence alleged On examination of the parties' contentions, the court emphasised that the allegations were serious and required strict legal intervention. (Representational Image) The Karnataka High Courts Dharwad bench recently refused to grant bail to Rafiq, accused of sexually abusing a married woman, unlawfully confining her, and coercing her to convert to Islam. Justice S Rachaiah, while dismissing the bail plea, termed the actions of the accused/appellant unpardonable" and noted that forcing men or women to convert from one religion to another is a serious issue and stringent action is needed in such cases". Recommended Stories The court was hearing an appeal filed under Section 14A(2) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the judgment of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Belagavi. According to the prosecution, the complainant, a married woman who had been running a grocery shop with her mother-in-law, alleged that the accused, Rafiq, had frequently visited the shop and befriended her. He allegedly promised to help her secure employment through his political connections, gradually developed a relationship with her, and engaged in sexual intercourse with her. The womans husband had eventually learnt of the relationship, which led to conflicts between them. She had subsequently left her husband and moved in with her parents. However, Rafiq had allegedly blackmailed her into continuing their relationship. She had stayed with him for four months before moving to a rented house, where he was accused of raping her. The chargesheet further alleged that the accused had arranged for a woman to monitor the victims movements and had pressurised her to convert to Islam and marry him. On April 15, 2024, her husband found her, after which she had filed a complaint with the police. In his bail plea, the accused contended that the victim was a mature lady who had voluntarily stayed with him for several months without lodging any complaint, indicating a consensual relationship. It was also argued that his further custody was unnecessary as the chargesheet had already been filed. The complainant, however, opposed the bail plea, arguing that if the bail is granted to the appellant, he would threaten the prosecution witnesses and hamper the court proceedings. On examination of the parties contentions, the court emphasised that the allegations were serious and required strict legal intervention. It noted: On going through the averments of the chargesheet, it appears that the appellant herein had confined the victim by keeping a woman to watch her movements and forcing her to convert to Islam." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The court underscored the need to ensure the victims safety and the proper conduct of the trial and concluded that it is not appropriate to grant bail to the appellant till completion of the evidence of the victim". Accordingly, the appeal was dismissed, and the accused was ordered to remain in judicial custody pending trial. First Published: March 13, 2025, 02:15 IST Karnataka Withdraws CID Probe Into Actress Ranya Rao Gold Smuggling Case Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 22:09 IST The government said that since another probe, led by senior IAS official Gaurav Gupta, is already being carried out, the CID probe is being withdrawn. Kannada actor Ranya Rao was arrested from Bengaluru Airport (Image: X) Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government has withdrawn Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigation into protocol violations in connection with Kannada actress Ranya Rao gold smuggling case, hours after issuing the probe order. The government said that since another probe, led by senior IAS official Gaurav Gupta, is already being carried out, the CID probe is being withdrawn. Recommended Stories The government appointed Gupta to investigate the protocol violations by Ranya Rao at Bengalurus Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), and the possible role of her DGP father, K Ramachandra Rao, in the gold smuggling case. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested Rao at Bengaluru airport on March 3 after she was found in possession of 14.8 kg of gold. Earlier today, the DRI opposed the bail to Rao and highlighted the seriousness of the charges against her. It argued that granting her bail could hinder the ongoing investigation and potentially lead to tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses. However, Senior Advocate Kiran Javali, representing Rao, argued that officials from the probe agency failed to follow proper legal procedures during her arrest and interrogation. He further asserted that such procedural lapses justify the granting of bail, regardless of the gravity of the allegations. The agency told the court that it seized a Dubai residency card as well as foreign gold from the actors residence. It suspects that she was involved in hawala transactions, and it was important to find out who the seized cash belongs to. We suspect that she had indulged in hawala transactions. We have to find out who the seized cash belongs to. This looks like an international syndicate. Several agencies are investigating this case. All aspects have to be investigated," the DRI counsel told the court. Meanwhile, a state protocol officer, summoned by the DRI in the high-profile case has said they regularly received calls from senior officers to grant protocol privilege to their family members and relatives. As per the sources, the authorities were tracking Rao for past six to seven months. Raos movements were tracked and were under the radar of agencies. The actor reportedly made over 10 international trips to Dubai despite having no business or family ties there, which put her under the DRI scanner, sources said. How Was Rao Arrested? top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers intercepted Rao, who had arrived from Dubai to Bengaluru via Emirates flight on March 3, 2025. Upon examination, gold bars weighing 14.8 kg were found ingeniously concealed on the person. The contraband, valued at Rs. 12.56 crore, was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. Rao is in judicial custody till March 24. The court has reserved its order in her bail application and is likely to pronounce it on March 14. About the Author Shobhit Gupta Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He previously worked with Hindustan Times Digital (HTDS) and NDTV. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India ... Read More Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He previously worked with Hindustan Times Digital (HTDS) and NDTV. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India ... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 22:03 IST On March 11 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine accepted a U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire and enter into immediate negotiations to end the Ukraine-Russia war. That end, said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, would be negotiated in a way thats enduring, and sustainable and accounts for their interests, their security, their ability to prosper as a nation. Well take this offer now to the Russians, and we hope that theyll say yes, that theyll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court but again, the Presidents [Trump] objective here is, number one, above everything else, he wants the war to end. And I think today Ukraine has taken a concrete step in that regard. It is now up to Russia to reciprocate, said Secretary Rubio. Our hope is that the Russians will say yes, that they will also agree, so that the shooting will stop, the killing will stop, the dying will stop, and the talks can begin about how to end this war permanently in a way thats acceptable and enduring for both sides, he said. If they [the Russians] say no, then well unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here. As part of the agreement with Ukraine, the United States will immediately lift its pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz pointed out that President Trump started the diplomatic effort to end the war in the Oval Office talking to both leaders, both President Putin and President Zelensky, back to back. And now that shuttle diplomacy continues. ... Weve gone from, if the war is going to end, to now, how the war is going to end. And this was an important first step. And that was under President Trumps leadership. Asked about what goodwill gesture Russia should make, Secretary of State Rubio said, The goal here is peace. Thats the Presidents goal. The best goodwill gesture the Russians can provide is to say yes to say yes to the offer that the Ukrainians have made to stop the shooting, to stop the fighting, and get to the table. Kerala Lottery Results LIVE: Fifty Fifty FF-132 Winners For March 12, 2025 Soon; First Prize Rs 1 Crore! Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 09:00 IST Kerala Lottery Result Guessing Numbers: Check the Live Updates and full list of winning numbers for Fifty Fifty FF-132 lucky draw for Wednesday, March 12, 2025 here from 3 pm. Kerala Lottery Fifty Fifty FF-132 Results: The first prize winner of Fifty Fifty FF-132 will get Rs 1 crore. (Image: Shutterstock) KERALA LOTTERY FIFTY FIFTY FF-132 RESULT ON WEDNESDAY, 12.3.2025, LIVE UPDATES: The Kerala State Lottery Department will announce the results of the Fifty Fifty-FF-132 lucky draw on Wednesday, March 12, at 3 pm. The first prize winner will take home Rs 1 crore, while the second and third prizes are Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5,000, respectively. Check the Live Updates and Full List of Winning Numbers here from 3 pm. KERALA LOTTERY FIFTY FIFTY FF-132 GUESSING NUMBERS Recommended Stories 8104 8140 8014 8041 8410 8401 1804 1840 1084 1048 1480 1408 0814 0841 0184 0148 0481 0418 4810 4801 4180 4108 4081 4018 KERALA LOTTERY RESULT: FIFTY FIFTY FF-132 PRIZE STRUCTURE 1st Prize: Rs 1 crore 2nd Prize: Rs. 10 lakh 3rd Prize: Rs. 5,000 4th Prize: Rs. 2,000 5th Prize: Rs. 1,000 6th Prize: Rs. 500 7th Prize: Rs. 100 Consolation Prize: Rs. 8,000 FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS FOR FIFTY FIFTY FF-132 WINNING NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 1 CRORE IS: Result at 3 pm WINNING NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 10 LAKH IS: To be announced WINNING NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE: To be announced WINNING NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE: To be announced WINNING NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE OF RS 2,000 ARE: To be announced WINNING NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE: To be announced WINNING NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE: To be announced WINNING NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE: To be announced HOW TO CONFIRM KERALA FIFTY-FIFTY FF-132 LOTTERY RESULTS? Visit keralalottery.info, the official website of the Kerala Lottery Department, to view the Fifty-Fifty FF-132 Lottery results. Download the list of winning numbers in PDF format for quick and easy access. Cross-check your ticket details and verify the official draw results at the Kerala Government Gazette office. HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE MONEY? Review the official lottery results to check if your ticket number matches the winning numbers. Winners must claim their prize within 30 days from the date of the draw. To receive your winnings, visit the Kerala Lottery office at Gorky Bhavan, near Bakery Junction, Thiruvananthapuram. Bring the original lottery ticket along with a valid photo ID like an Aadhaar card, passport, or drivers license for authentication. Larger prize amounts may need additional paperwork, such as a claim form and tax-related documents. Follow the official verification process to ensure a smooth and hassle-free prize collection. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO CLAIM PRIZE MONEY Submit a signed photocopy of the winning ticket, ensuring both the front and back are clearly visible. Provide recent passport-sized photographs approved by the Gazette. Attach a signed copy of your PAN card for verification purposes. Affix a revenue stamp when completing the online prize claim form. Present a valid ID proof, such as a ration card, voter ID, PAN card, or Aadhaar card. HOW TO DOWNLOAD A PDF WITH THE FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS Visit the official Kerala Lottery website. Find and select the Fifty Fifty FF-132 results link. The winning numbers will be displayed on your screen. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Review the results directly on the website. Click the download button to save the results in PDF format. About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More Location : Thiruvananthapuram [Trivandrum], India, India First Published: March 12, 2025, 09:00 IST Mathura Man Sets Married Lover On Fire At Her Home After She Refuses To Flee With Him Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 13:32 IST A man in UP's Mathura set his married lover on fire inside her house after she refused to leave with him. The incident took place when the victim was alone at her home watching television. Representative image (Credits: Freepik) A man disguised as a woman has set his married lover on fire inside her house in Uttar Pradeshs Mathura after she refused to leave with him, police said. As the womans neighbours rushed to her house after hearing her screams on Tuesday afternoon, the accused, Umesh (28), tried to escape by jumping from the terrace but sustained severe injuries, police said. Recommended Stories Both Rekha (30), who suffered over 70 per cent burns, and Umesh are undergoing treatment at SN Medical College in Agra, they said. Rekha, a resident of Koh village, was alone at home watching TV when the incident occurred. Her children, aged seven and five, were at school and her husband Sanju, a farm labourer, was away at work, Farah police station in-charge Sanjay Kumar Pandey said. Around noon, Umesh, a resident of Hasanpur village in Haryana and the brother of Rekhas elder sister-in-law reached her house with a bottle of petrol, the police official said. Umesh was wearing a lehenga to disguise himself as a woman and was dropped off near the village by a friend on a motorcycle. He entered Rekhas house from the terrace, walked into her room and pressured her to leave with him. When she refused, he poured petrol on her and set her on fire," Pandey said. Alerted by Rekhas screams, her neighbours rushed to her help while Umesh tried to escape by jumping from the terrace. However, he was seriously injured, the official said. After reaching the spot, police took Rekha and Umesh to the Farah community health centre. Due to their critical condition, they were later referred to SN Medical College in Agra, police said. Umesh was a regular visitor to Rekhas house and their relationship developed over time. On August 31 last year, Rekha left home with him. Her family filed a police complaint and she was brought back from Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh on February 10," Pandey said. After the incident, Rekha distanced herself from Umesh, realising her mistake. When she refused to go with him today, he became enraged and tried to kill her," the official said. Pandey said that no formal complaint has been lodged in the matter yet. Once a complaint is received, legal action will be taken. For now, saving their lives is the priority," he said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all . Location : Mathura, India, India First Published: March 12, 2025, 13:32 IST Mauritius To Nepal, Global Leader PM Modi Shapes Indias Rising Influence Published By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 15:12 IST PM Narendra Modi's 2023 invitation to Frances Bastille Day Parade was another defining moment, symbolising Indias growing military and strategic partnership with France PM Narendra Modi in Mauritius (left) and Nepal. (X) PM Narendra Modi is the Chief Guest at Mauritius National Day for the second time, an honour he first received in 2015. This rare repeat invitation underscores Indias special relationship with Mauritius, rooted in shared history, culture, and diaspora ties. Recommended Stories National Day wishes to the people of Mauritius. Looking forward to todays programmes, including taking part in the celebrations.Here are the highlights from yesterday, which were also very eventful with key meetings and programmes pic.twitter.com/TVMj0mEs0r Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 12, 2025 His 2023 invitation to Frances Bastille Day Parade was another defining moment, symbolising Indias growing military and strategic partnership with France. The sight of Indian tri-services marching down the Champs-Elysees alongside French troops reinforced Indias role in global geopolitics. On this historic occasion of Bastille Day, joined the parade in Paris. My heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome and honour received. pic.twitter.com/0Zk6FwEKbd Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 14, 2023 In 2022, PM Modi visited Lumbini, Nepal, for Buddha Jayanti celebrations, emphasizing Indias historical connection to Buddhism and its shared heritage with Nepal. His visit reinforced Indias role in promoting cultural and spiritual ties across the region. My Nepal visit on Buddha Purnima has been a special one. I would like to thank PM @SherBDeuba, the wonderful people and Government of Nepal for the affection. https://t.co/6gWUidwftR Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2022 In 2021, Bangladesh invited PM Modi to its National Day celebrations, marking 50 years of its independencean event closely tied to Indias role in its liberation. His visit reaffirmed Indias commitment to regional stability and shared prosperity. Speaking at the National Day programme of Bangladesh. https://t.co/ka54Wleu7x Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 26, 2021 Reached Colombo. I am happy to be in Sri Lanka, where I will join the International Vesak Day Celebrations. pic.twitter.com/DuVRPNQjxk Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 11, 2017 top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In 2017, his visit to Sri Lanka for International Vesak Day highlighted Indias leadership in civilizational and cultural diplomacy. By reaffirming Indias role as a custodian of Buddhist heritage, he strengthened spiritual and diplomatic ties with Buddhist-majority nations. About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 14:54 IST Neither Protests, Nor Graffiti, This Is What Cost Jadavpur University Institute Of Eminence Tag Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 17:26 IST "The Empowered Experts Committee (EEC) considered the revised proposal of Jadavpur University and observed that there was a steep decline in the budget from the earlier projected amount of Rs 3,299 crore to Rs 606 crore, and such a steep decline in the budget was not conducive to realising the target set for the IoE institutions," MoS education said The Jadavpur University was once considered a benchmark in education. (File) The Jadavpur University (JU), once considered a benchmark in education, lost out in the race for the Institute of Eminence (IoE) status this year. Of late, the JU has been popular for all the wrong reasons. Latest addition to the series of political protests on the campus is the Azad Kashmir and Free Palestine graffiti spotted on a wall near gate number three of the university. Recommended Stories Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) MP Samik Bhattacharya decided to question the union education ministry about the reason behind the loss. And it was not the protests or the grafitti. On Wednesday, Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State for Education and Bhattacharyas colleague in the Bengal BJP, answered Bhattacharyas unstarred question. The Empowered Experts Committee (EEC) considered the revised proposal of Jadavpur University and observed that there was a steep decline in the budget from the earlier projected amount of Rs 3,299 crore to Rs 606 crore, and such a steep decline in the budget was not conducive to realising the target set for the IoE institutions," it said. In other words, the ministry said that if one projects a budget of Rs 3,299 crore and drastically scales it down to Rs 606 crore, it cannot be considered an institution of eminence. Accordingly, the EEC recommended the UGC to drop Jadavpur University from the list of IoE institutions," the minister answered. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Interestingly, BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya claimed, The central government was willing to fund up to Rs 1,000 crore, but the state government refused to commit its share, jeopardising the entire proposal. Instead of standing by the JU, the West Bengal government slashed the budget to Rs 1,015 crore, then further down to just Rs 606 crore, expecting the university to generate 25% of funds on its own." The JU has been embroiled in protests this month. While West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu was heckled, and his car was vandalised, protesters alleged that the ministers car ran over a student. About the Author Anindya Banerjee Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in ... Read More Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in ... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 17:24 IST On This Day: How The 1993 Mumbai Serial Blasts Changed India's Financial Capital Forever Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 07:20 IST On March 12, 1993, 13 bomb blasts by Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon hit Bombay, killing 257 and injuring 1,400. Despite this, Mumbai's spirit helped it rebuild and thrive. On this day in 1993, in the span of just two hours and ten minutes between 1:30 PM and 3:40 PM, 13 powerful explosions shattered the Mumbai's spine. (Image: PTI file) On This Day In 1993: It was a Friday afternoon like any other. The city, then called Bombay, buzzed with its usual unrelenting energy. People rushed through their routines, traders shouted across markets and the heartbeat of Indias financial capital thumped in its usual chaotic rhythm. Then, in the span of just two hours and ten minutes, everything changed. Between 1:30 PM and 3:40 PM, 13 powerful explosions shattered the citys spine. Landmarks that defined Bombay its financial district, its cinema halls, its busy markets were ripped apart. Recommended Stories The Bombay Stock Exchange, the symbol of the citys economic might, was among the first to fall. From the towering Air India building in the south to the Sea Rock Hotel near Lands End, no corner felt safe. Plaza Cinema, once a hub for Bollywood dreams, lay in ruins. Century Bazaar, a place where people once bargained over fabric and groceries, became an unrecognisable wreck. It wasnt just infrastructure that crumbled; Mumbais spirit took a hit like never before. The blasts claimed 257 lives, left 1,400 injured and scarred the citys psyche. This wasnt just another chapter in Mumbais long history of crime and gang violence. A Calculated Act Of Vengeance Dawood Ibrahim, the underworld kingpin who had long ruled Mumbais crime syndicates, was allegedly the mastermind behind the attacks. His right-hand man, Tiger Memon, reportedly played a crucial role too. It is said that Memon not only orchestrated the logistics but even offered up his own flats and garages to store the explosives. This wasnt an attack driven solely by money or gang rivalry. It was a calculated act of revenge. The bombings were retaliation for the communal riots that had gripped Mumbai just months earlier, in December 1992 and January 1993. Those riots, in turn, had erupted after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. The cycle of violence was endless and on that March afternoon, it reached a horrifying climax. Until then, Mumbais underworld had largely operated in the shadows gold smuggling, extortion and gang warfare. It was a murky world, but one that had its own rules. Dawood Ibrahim a police constables son who had clawed his way to the top had been a big name in that world. But with the 1993 blasts, he crossed a line. His gang was no longer just another mafia outfit; it had declared war on the city itself. Mumbai A City Too Familiar With Tragedy Sadly, the horror of 1993 was just the beginning. The years that followed would bring more bloodshed and more terror. In 2003, Mumbai froze again as bombs tore through two of its most cherished sites the Gateway of India and the jewellery hub of Zaveri Bazaar. In 2006, a series of blasts ripped through its suburban train network during peak rush hour, killing over 180 people. And then, in November 2008, came the unthinkable terrorists held the city hostage for 60 hours in a series of coordinated attacks that killed 166 people. The Investigation Timeline Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon slipped through the grasp of law enforcement, evading capture even as a massive manhunt ensued. In 1994, Yakub Memon, Tiger Memons brother, was apprehended. He was found guilty of orchestrating, financing and facilitating the attacks by arranging training and procuring vehicles used in the bombings. In July 2007, he was sentenced to death. Yakub Memon was executed at Nagpur Central Jail on July 30, 2015. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch, alongside a Special Task Force led by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), detained approximately 193 individuals in connection with the case. Out of them, around 140 faced trial, while a few died before the proceedings concluded. Ultimately, nearly 100 individuals were convicted, while 23 were acquitted. In June 2017, a special court found six key figures guilty of planning and executing the attacks. Among them were Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Mohammed Dossa, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Karimullah Sheikh and Tahir Merchant. Their conviction was a significant breakthrough in the prolonged legal battle tied to the 1993 Mumbai blasts. These devastating bombings not only left a permanent scar on Mumbai but also exposed the deep-seated ties between Dawood Ibrahims D Company and Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Despite the years that have passed, Tiger Memon and Dawood Ibrahim remain on the run, their whereabouts still unknown. The Indomitable Spirit of Mumbai From the ashes of the 1993 blasts, something remarkable emerged the supposed Spirit of Mumbai. Strangers became heroes. Ordinary people flagged down cabs to rush the injured to hospitals. Blood banks overflowed with donations. By the next morning, offices reopened. Not because the city had healed, but because it had no choice. Life had to go on. In 2006, when bombed-out trains stood lifeless on the tracks, slum dwellers ran in with whatever they had bedsheets, cloth, bare hands to help pull out survivors. I top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all n 2005, when floods drowned the city, people shared food, water and even their homes with stranded strangers. This wasnt just resilience. It was something deeper. It was survival, written into the DNA of Mumbai. Because if theres one thing history has proven, its this no matter how many times Mumbai is attacked, it refuses to stay broken. It stumbles, it bleeds, but it never surrenders. The 1993 blasts shook Mumbai to its core. But they also proved something else. Mumbai will always rise. About the Author Nibandh Vinod Nibandh Vinod is a seasoned journalist with 26 years of experience, specializing in covering events, festivals, and driving SEO content for News18.com. A tech-savvy person, Nibandh works closely with a young te... Read More Nibandh Vinod is a seasoned journalist with 26 years of experience, specializing in covering events, festivals, and driving SEO content for News18.com. A tech-savvy person, Nibandh works closely with a young te... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 07:20 IST PM Modi Receives Mauritius' Highest Honour; Amit Shah, Jaishankar, Yogi React Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 16:13 IST PM Modi said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), "On the special occasion of Mauritius National Day, I had the opportunity to meet my good friend, PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam." PM Modi Attends Mauritius National Day Celebrations Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the National Day Parade as chief guest in Mauritius where he received the nations highest honour, The Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean. PM Modi extended gratitude to the people of Mauritius for the honour. He said, I express my heartfelt gratitude for the honour given to me. Its an honour given to 140 crore Indians." Recommended Stories Humbled to receive the Highest National Award of Mauritius. I dedicate it to the 140 crore people of India and the centuries-old friendship between our nations. https://t.co/mUuqbluRcK Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 12, 2025 Prime Minister Modi is the first Indian to receive this prestigious award, which recognises his contributions to strengthening ties between India and Mauritius. He is the fifth foreign national to receive this distinguished recognition. This marks the 21st international award conferred upon PM Modi by a foreign nation. Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated PM Modi, saying, The Modi Doctrine of Diplomacy has elevated Bharats stature as a global leader by building bridges of cooperation and discovering the lost ones. This award is a global recognition of these efforts. My heartfelt congratulations to Modi Ji." Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar said, The award is a testament to PM Modis leadership and commitment towards a prosperous Indian Ocean Region. Also underlines the special bonds of friendship between India and Mauritius." Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, This prestigious recognition reflects his exemplary global leadership and the ever-strengthening India-Mauritius ties. Heartiest congratulations to PradhanMantri Ji on this historic achievement!" #WATCH | Port Louis: PM Narendra Modi attends Mauritius National Day Parade as chief guest.(Video DD News) pic.twitter.com/Goesi4GnHd ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2025 The PM was accompanied by his Mauritian counterpart Navinchandra Ramgoolam for Mauritiuss 57th National Day celebrations as the Indian Navy participated in the parade with a marching contingent. An Indian Navy helicopter, the Akash Ganga Skydiving Team from the Indian Air Force and a team of NCC cadets took part in the festivities. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all PM Modi said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), On the special occasion of Mauritius National Day, I had the opportunity to meet my good friend, PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam and discuss the full range of India-Mauritius friendship." He added, We have decided to raise our partnership to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership. We talked about how we can work together in areas such as infrastructure, housing, digital technology, health and more. We also want to cover more ground in areas like AI, capacity building and sustainable growth." Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: March 12, 2025, 13:53 IST Protection Of Hindus Is Our Responsibility: Mamata Banerjee Slams Suvendu Adhikari's Remark On Muslim MLAs Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 15:11 IST The Chief Minister fired back at Adhikari in the Assembly, accusing the BJP of spreading falsehoods under the guise of religion. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday criticised the Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendhu Adhikari over his remarks on Muslim MLAs and accused him of targeting Muslims during the holy month of Ramzan to divert attention from economic and trade issues. Responding to Adhikari in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said that the BJP is telling lies in the name of religion. The BJP responded with accusations of Hindu temples being vandalised. Recommended Stories Democracy is permanent, but the chair is not. Respect the chair. How can you think of throwing out Muslim MLAs? They (BJP) are targeting the Muslims because this is the Roza month, and they dont like this. They are trying to distract the attention of the country from economic and trade collapse by making communal statements. Im a Hindu, and I dont need certification from the BJP. We must take a resolution and condemn the statement of demeaning one religion," CM Banerjee said. She also reminded the BJP that sovereignty, secularism, and pluralism remain the main pillars of Indias democracy, and that every Indian has the right to practise his/her religion. Whether a person is a Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, or ParsiAs Chief Minister, my responsibility is to care for all. The Protection of Hindus is our responsibility, not only yours. This is the responsibility of this chair," she said. Warning the BJP leaders who were shouting anti-government slogans, the Chief Minister said, Do not play the Hindu card." Mamata Banerjees remarks come amid ongoing political tensions in the state, with the BJP and TMC engaging in heated exchanges over religious and governance issues. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Firstly, I will defeat Biman Bandhopadhyay (Speaker), then Mamata Banerjee. After that, those Muslim MLAs from TMCwhen the BJP government comeswill be thrown out on this road," BJP leader Adhikari said on Tuesday. While protesting against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, Adhikari said, Mamata has divided society On the day of the Ram Mandir inauguration, Mamata took out a march in Bengal TMC is an anti-Hindu government. I will do whatever is necessary for Hindu interests. If one Suvendu dies, one crore Suvendus will rise. Remove Mamata Remove Chor Mamata!" . First Published: March 12, 2025, 15:11 IST DRI Opposes Ranya Rao Bail In Gold Smuggling Case: 'Hawala Suspicion, Special Privilege Requests' Reported By : CNN-News18 Edited By: Oindrila Mukherjee Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 17:53 IST The DRI told a special court that it seized a Dubai residency card and foreign gold from Kannada actor Ranya Rao's residence. It said they suspect that the smuggling operation was being carried out by an international syndicate Kannada actor Ranya Rao was arrested at the Bengaluru International Airport on gold smuggling charges. (Image: X) A state protocol officer, summoned by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in the gold smuggling case involving Kannada actor Ranya Rao, has said they regularly received calls from senior officers to grant protocol privilege to their family members and relatives. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which opposed bail to Rao in the high-profile case in which she was arrested at the Bengaluru airport for carrying 14 kg gold, gave details of the operation to the court on Wednesday. Recommended Stories The agency told the court that it seized a Dubai residency card as well as foreign gold from the actors residence. It suspects that she was involved in hawala transactions, and it was important to find out who the seized cash belongs to. We suspect that she had indulged in hawala transactions. We have to find out who the seized cash belongs to. This looks like an international syndicate. Several agencies are investigating this case. All aspects have to be investigated," the DRI counsel told the court. ALSO READ | How Did Ranya Rao Dodge Airport Security? Karnataka To Probe IPS Fathers Role In Gold Smuggling Case WHY DRI WAITED FOR RANYA RAO TO CROSS GREEN CHANNEL? The DRI counsel gave details why the agency waited for Rao to cross the green channel despite a clear tip-off, on which she was later intercepted. She first came to the duty-free area followed by the customs area and, with the help of a protocol officer, arrived at the green channel. When she crossed the green channel it became clear that she had no intention to declare the gold she had brought. The protocol officer was waiting there. When the customs officers went for a personal check, even then she didnt reveal that she was carrying the gold," the counsel said. The DRI officials first recovered gold from the pocket of her jeans and then her shoes. She had wrapped gold bars around her thighs with a crepe bandage, the counsel said. According to the DRI, Raos flight landed at 6.30 pm on March 3 and the entire procedure went on till 1.30 am. The agency said it arrested her the next morning at 10 am while another person accompanying Rao was sent a summons and their statement was recorded. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all ALSO READ | Ranya Raos Associate Nabbed In Second Arrest In Bengaluru Airport Gold Smuggling Case: Who Is Tarun Raju? Rao is in judicial custody till March 24. The court has reserved its order in her bail application and is likely to pronounce it on March 14. About the Author Harish Upadhya Harish Upadhya, an Assistant Editor at CNN-News18, reports from Bengaluru. Political reporting is his forte. He also tracks India's space journey, and is passionate about environmental reporting and RTI investi... Read More Harish Upadhya, an Assistant Editor at CNN-News18, reports from Bengaluru. Political reporting is his forte. He also tracks India's space journey, and is passionate about environmental reporting and RTI investi... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 17:42 IST Renting To Foreigners In Delhi? From Now, You'll Only Have 24 Hours To... Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 11:35 IST Delhi police are tightening measures to combat crime, particularly drug smuggling by foreign nationals, following a recent surge in such cases The information must be submitted by filling out Form 'C', which can be completed online or offline. (Representative/PTI File) Delhi Police have issued new guidelines for landlords renting properties to foreign nationals, following a meeting between Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Home Minister Amit Shah. The move comes amid concerns over rising crime in the capital and aims to strengthen national security. Landlords are now required to inform the Foreign Regional Registration Office (FRRO) within 24 hours of a foreign national taking up residence. They must also provide tenant details to their local police station for background checks and maintain a register of foreign tenants. Recommended Stories A Delhi Police official said that a register must be maintained in the prescribed Form B format, which should be available for inspection by authorities upon request. It has been observed that many property owners fail to report the stay of foreign guests to the FRRO. As per the Foreigners Act, along with the Foreigners (Amendment) Order, 2016, and Foreigners (Amendment) Rules, 2016, it is mandatory for property owners to inform the FRRO about foreign nationals staying on their premises within 24 hours," a Delhi Police spokesperson said in a statement. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The information must be submitted by filling out Form C, which can be completed online or offline by visiting the FRRO office. Failure to comply with these legal requirements may result in legal consequences for property owners," said the spokesperson. These measures follow a recent spike in criminal cases involving foreign nationals, particularly in drug smuggling operations. The new guidelines are part of a broader crackdown on crime in Delhi, spearheaded by the police following a directive from Home Minister Shah. Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: March 12, 2025, 11:35 IST What Is Muluki Ain, The Nepali Law That Helped Gorkha Soldiers 2nd Wife Win His Pension? Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 15:42 IST The government challenged the soldier's second marriage claim, arguing its illegality under Nepal's Muluki Ain as his first wife, Budhi Maya Gurung (married 1959), is still alive The widow claimed that she married the soldier in 1973, years after his first wife's departure and lived with him for 43 years. (Representative/Shutterstock) A widow of a Gorkha soldier has won her fight for a family pension after the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) ruled in her favour. The tribunal recognised her 43-year marriage to the soldier, despite a previous marriage that ended when his first wife eloped. Devaki Maya Gurung, the widow of Rifleman Dhan Bahadur Gurung, filed a petition with the AFT Lucknow after her family pension was denied. The Central Government opposed her claim, arguing that Gurungs second marriage was polygamous and therefore illegal under Nepals Muluki Ain legal code. They presented evidence that Gurungs first wife, Budhi Maya Gurung, whom he married in 1959, was still alive. Recommended Stories The Times of India reported that the central government cited the Muluki Ain," pointing out that even the amended Muluki Ain prohibits polygamy. The governments case revealed that Gurung had gone on leave to bring his first wife and two children from Nepal to his allocated family accommodation. However, upon arriving in his home country, he discovered she had left with their children to live with another man. Undeterred, Devaki Maya Gurung argued that she married the soldier in 1973, years after his first wifes departure. She lived with him for 43 years and her name was recorded in his service documents. The AFT bench, comprising Justice Amit Kumar and Major General Sanjay Singh, ultimately ruled in favour of Devaki Maya Gurung. They acknowledged her long-standing marriage and the lack of any other claim to the pension, solidifying her entitlement. In light of the fact that the applicant married the deceased soldier after the elopement of his first wife, long cohabitation (43 years) of the applicant with the deceased soldier, payment of LTA to the applicant, and her name being recorded in the service documents of the deceased soldier, she is entitled to receive a family pension. Additionally, her claim for the grant of family pension is also fortified as no other person except the applicant has come forward to claim the family pension," the AFT held as per a Times of India report. According to the Times of India report, the soldier had initially married Budhi Maya Gurung in 1959. After joining the Army, he was allotted family accommodation and went on leave to bring his wife and two children. However, he discovered that his wife had eloped with their children and was living with another man in Nepal. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Subsequently, the soldier married Devaki Maya Gurung on August 10, 1973, and the couple had five children together. The soldier passed away on November 25, 2016, after retiring from service. While his widow received his Lifetime Arrears (LTA) payment, her family pension request was rejected on the grounds that the deceased soldier had engaged in a second marriage while still legally married. The court ordered the Central Government to grant her full family pension benefits, backdated to the day after her husbands death along with all benefits within four months. First Published: March 12, 2025, 15:42 IST Wipe Out Poor-Quality Medicines, Handhold MSMEs: Health Ministry Flags Priorities For DCGI Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Apoorva Misra Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 09:10 IST Despite some concerns, the appointments committee of the cabinet has approved the proposal for re-employment of Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi as Drugs Controller General of India on a contract basis for one year starting March 1 A senior official said the ministry is satisfied with Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshis performance as he has been able to drastically improve the manufacturing quality of drugs and his zero-tolerance approach has created an environment of fear. (News18) Tackling the issue of sub-standard drugs, supporting small and medium-sized drug manufacturers, and aligning the medical device vertical are the priority areas for Indias apex drug regulator, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), who has been granted an extension of his tenure on a contractual basis. DCGI Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi has been given the mandate to work on weeding out quality issues along with upgrading standards at small manufacturing sites by giving support to MSME drug-makers and seamlessly adding medical devices vertical into CDSCO which is only known for handling drugs so far," a senior official told News18, requesting anonymity. Recommended Stories The ministry is satisfied with his performance as he has been able to drastically improve the manufacturing quality of drugs via risk-based inspections. His zero-tolerance approach has created an environment of fear. Based on the same, renewed responsibilities have been given till the time we find the appropriate candidate." In January, News18 was the first to report the request for an extension of DCGI forwarded by the Union ministry of health and family welfare. Despite some concerns, the appointments committee of the cabinet has approved the proposal of the department of health and family welfare for the re-employment of Raghuvanshi as drugs controller, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), on a contract basis for one year starting March 1. He has been given the charge beyond his attaining the age of superannuation or till the appointment of the regular incumbent to the post, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest" The announcement specifically mentions that the decision has been taken by keeping the recruitment rules of the post in abeyance". Wipe Out Sub-Standard Drugs India has been battling the issue of sub-standard or not-of-standard quality drugs (NSQs). Last year, in September, top pharmaceutical companies indicated that spurious drugs are to blame after the antacid Pan D, calcium supplement Shelcal, anti-diabetic drug Glimepiride, high blood pressure drug Telmisartan and many more biggest-selling medicines were flagged for failing quality tests in the monthly drug alert released by the countrys drug regulation watchdog CDSCO. Pharma companies had approached CDSCO to change the pattern of alert announcements due to the high chances of spurious drug failures instead of original drugs. In fact, Indias largest lobby of domestic drug-makers, the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), said that the lobby will collaborate with the government to strengthen regulations against counterfeit products to protect public health and Indias global standing. Falsified medicines are not only a domestic concern but also a global issue. In 2019, the Special 301 Report released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) blamed India for its growing problem of counterfeit medicines. It said that almost 20 per cent of all pharmaceutical goods sold in the Indian market are counterfeit. Hence, the drug regulator needs to strengthen its monitoring mechanism to solve the issue of spurious drugs in India. According to Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), three priority areas that DCGI must look into immediately include, implementation of Schedule M and Move to PIC/S (Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S) standards, management of counterfeit drugs and regulatory simplifications with thrust on simplifying new product processes". Handholding MSME Firms Hit by risk-based inspections (RBI), micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are feeling the heat. The Union government has mandated the need to upgrade facilities to follow Schedule M, making manufacturing standards on par with WHO-Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). The move was aimed to retain the confidence of global health regulators in made-in-India medicines. However, these drug-makers have asked the government to extend hand-holding in the form of financial and technical support to improve quality standards. We need the government to help and guide us to upgrade our facilities. Also, they should understand that we are not earning in crores. So many of us wont have the budget to upgrade our factories. We have requested the government not to treat us as criminals but small businessmen who need help to make our factories on par with global standards," an officer representing the MSME industry told News18. Overall, once the drug-makers are upgraded to follow global standards, Indias reputation in the global arena will be enhanced along with trust in Indian medicines, leading to a jump in exports of pharmaceutical products and creating a win-win situation for both the government and the drug-makers. Syncing Medical Devices With Drugs To bring regulatory uniformity in medical devices, the government is working to classify around 1,178 medical devices into four categories based on their risk approach. Till now, medical devices were treated on par with drugs, which was unfair. However, the drug regulator is revising the existing list of medical devices and classifying them into four categoriesinterventional radiology, radiology therapy, oncology and a newly introduced category named class A non-sterile and non-measuring medical devices. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Presently, the medical device industry is already simmering with discontent and asking for a predictable regulatory environment". Industry cannot be invited to invest in a state of chaos, yesterday- today- tomorrow- every day a new confusion will not build confidence, so we need a predictable regulatory and policy environment where we are not challenged by arbitrary demands of NoCs (no-objection certificate) being sought or SLAs (state licensing authorities) insisting manufacturers to get written clarification from DCGI," Rajiv Nath, forum Coordinator of Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AIMED), said. About the Author Himani Chandna Himani Chandna, Associate Editor at CNN News18, specialises in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. With firsthand insights into India's COVID-19 battle, she brings a seasoned perspective. She is particularly pass... Read More Himani Chandna, Associate Editor at CNN News18, specialises in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. With firsthand insights into India's COVID-19 battle, she brings a seasoned perspective. She is particularly pass... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 09:10 IST 83% Of Cities Fail Air Standards: Pollution Linked To Cancer, Heart Disease, Alzheimers Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 17:18 IST The report found that the worst air pollution levels were recorded in Chad, Congo, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. Byrnihat, a heavily industrial town in northeastern India, is the most polluted city in the world. Only 17% of cities worldwide meet the air pollution guidelines set for healthy living, a new report has revealed. This means that billions of people are inhaling air polluted with harmful toxins daily. The study, conducted by Switzerland-based air quality database IQAir, analysed data from 40,000 monitoring stations across 138 countries, and the results were alarming. The report found that the worst air pollution levels were recorded in Chad, Congo, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. Among these, India stood out, with six of the worlds nine most polluted cities. Byrnihat, a heavily industrial town in northeastern India, topped the list as the most polluted city globally. Recommended Stories But the real picture could be even worse. Many regions lack sufficient air monitoring stations, leaving vast areas unaccounted for. Africa, for example, has just one air quality monitor for every 3.7 million people, meaning entire communities may be breathing hazardous air without official recognition, reported AP. Air pollution is a major public health crisis linked to respiratory diseases, heart problems, and millions of premature deaths annually. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has repeatedly called for urgent action to curb pollution, warning that long-term exposure can cause irreversible damage to human health. Effects On Health And Climate Change The consequences of long-term exposure to polluted air are devastating. Its not just about difficulty breathing, its about life and death. Chronic respiratory diseases, Alzheimers and even cancer have all been linked to air pollution, said Fatimah Ahamad, chief scientist at Malaysias Sunway Centre for Planetary Health. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution kills around seven million people every single year. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all According to WHO data, nearly the entire global population, nearly 99%, is breathing air that surpasses the organisations recommended pollution limits. This means billions of people are exposed to harmful pollutants, with those in low- and middle-income countries facing the worst conditions. WHO also points out that air quality and the planets climate are deeply interconnected. Many major sources of air pollution, such as the burning of fossil fuels, also release greenhouse gases that drive global warming. As a result, tackling air pollution isnt just about improving health, its also a crucial step in addressing climate change. Policies aimed at cutting pollution can serve a dual purpose: reducing diseases linked to poor air quality while also playing a role in both immediate and long-term climate mitigation efforts. About the Author Riya Ashok Madayi Riya has an extra flair for the world of fashion and an unwavering commitment to writing about music and artists from around the world. She loves delving into every facet of womanhood while writing insightful s... Read More Riya has an extra flair for the world of fashion and an unwavering commitment to writing about music and artists from around the world. She loves delving into every facet of womanhood while writing insightful s... Read More fashion, travel, The News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health food , and culture with wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration, and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: March 12, 2025, 17:18 IST Holi 2025: 5 Mistakes To Avoid Curated By : Translation Desk Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 13:30 IST Holi 2025: People celebrate the festival of colours with great enthusiasm but often neglect their health, which can lead to various problems. To stay safe, it is important to avoid certain mistakes during Holi Some common mistakes people should avoid during Holi to prevent health issues and a trip to the doctor afterwards. (News18 Hindi) Holi is a major festival celebrated by Hindus worldwide with great enthusiasm. Everyone wants to enjoy Holi to the fullest, with music, dance, and delicious festive treats like gujia. On this occasion, people apply colours to each other and celebrate with joy. However, amidst the excitement, many tend to neglect their health, leading to problems after the festival. Dr Sonia Rawat, Director of the Preventive Health and Wellness Department at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, told News18 about some common mistakes people should avoid during Holi to prevent having to visit a doctor soon after the festival. Recommended Stories Dr Rawat stated that using good-quality, herbal colours is crucial. Chemical-based colours can harm the skin and eyes, causing irritation, swelling, and infections. Many people buy colours without checking their quality, a mistake that should be avoided. The doctor also warned against consuming alcohol and other intoxicants during Holi, as they can lead to dehydration and serious health issues. Excessive alcohol consumption can raise blood pressure, cause headaches, vomiting, and even damage the liver. This is particularly dangerous for people with diabetes. Therefore, it is best to avoid alcohol or consume it in moderation. Dr Rawat advises against excessive consumption of sweets during Holi, as they contain high amounts of sugar, which can be harmful, especially for diabetes patients. Festive foods like puris and fried snacks can cause digestive issues. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all People with chronic illnesses often forget to take their medication during celebrations, which can negatively impact their health. Patients with heart, kidney, liver, or diabetes-related conditions should be mindful of their medication. People should also avoid staying wet for long periods. The changing weather can increase the risk of colds and coughs. If any health issues arise, it is advisable to seek medical attention. fashion, travel, The News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health food , and culture with wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration, and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: March 12, 2025, 13:30 IST Nora Fatehi Dazzles in a Glamorous Alexandre Vauthier Ensemble at IIFA 2025 Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 09:08 IST Nora Fatehi exuded elegance and confidence in a breathtaking black co-ord set, dripping in sequins With this dazzling Alexandre Vauthier creation, Nora Fatehi once again proved that she is a force to be reckoned with on the fashion front Nora Fatehi set the red carpet ablaze as she made a striking appearance at the IIFA 2025 ceremony in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The Krrish 4 actress, known for her impeccable fashion choices, turned heads in a stunning black sequined ensemble by renowned designer Alexandre Vauthier. For the grand awards night, the 33-year-old actress exuded elegance and confidence in a breathtaking black co-ord set, dripping in sequins. The look featured a high-waisted maxi skirt adorned with shimmering black embellishments, complete with a daring thigh-high slit accentuated by a silver sequin border. She paired it with a sleek, solid black high-neck top and layered it with a structured sequined blazer that mirrored the silver accents on the neckline, lapels, sleeves, and hemlinegiving the outfit a bold yet sophisticated edge. Recommended Stories View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nora Fatehi (@norafatehi) Adding just the right amount of sparkle, Nora accessorized with diamond-studded rhodium drop earrings and a classic Cartier Love ring in white gold, keeping her jewelry minimal yet impactful. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Her beauty game was just as on point as her outfit. Noras hair was styled in a sleek, center-parted open look that perfectly complemented her ensemble. As for makeup, she opted for a radiant, sculpted base, well-defined brows, and shimmering eyeshadow that added a touch of drama. A bold winged eyeliner, mascara-coated lashes, and kohl-rimmed eyes enhanced her captivating gaze, while a dusting of highlighter on her cheeks and a deep rose lip shade completed her ultra-glamorous look. With this dazzling Alexandre Vauthier creation, Nora Fatehi once again proved that she is a force to be reckoned with on the fashion front, effortlessly blending sophistication with high-octane glamour. About the Author Swati Chaturvedi Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she's a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl... Read More Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she's a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl... Read More fashion, travel, The News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health food , and culture with wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration, and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: March 12, 2025, 09:08 IST Kunickaa Sadanand Opens Up On Akshay Kumar's Affairs In Bollywood: 'Testosterones Are Active...' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 07:39 IST Kunickaa Sadanand has worked with Akshay Kumar in several movies including the 1992 hit, Khiladi. News18 Veteran actress Kunickaa Sadanand has opened up on Akshay Kumars Bollywood affairs. In a recent interview, Kunickaa talked about Akshays fitness and explained why women were attracted towards him. She called him one of the fittest Bollywood stars and praised him for being handsome even today. He (Akshay Kumar) used to be so handsome and fit. He still is. He is one year younger than me. They work hard. Akshay was one of the fittest guys in the industry," Kunickaa told Siddharth Kannan. She further mentioned that when ones testosterone levels are active, you get fitness. Recommended Stories Kunickaa has worked with Akshay in several movies including the 1992 hit, Khiladi. Meanwhile, in the same interview, Kunickaa claimed that back in the 90s, women from respectable" families used to hesitate taking up acting as a profession. She explained that it was because even the lighting technicians used to make inappropriate advances towards actresses. Sharing a personal anecdote, Kunickaa revealed how her hair dresser would often stay with her in her room. After shooting, it was like the hungry lions would come out, roaming around outside. While some people maintained their dignity and called to ask for me in the evening, others were more aggressive," she said. Kunickaa Sadanand has worked extensively in the Indian film and television industry. She has appeared in a range of films, including Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii" and AstitvaEk Prem Kahani". On television, Kunickaa has been part of popular shows like Zindagi Ki Mehak", Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha", and Kumkum Bhagya". About the Author Chirag Sehgal Chirag Sehgal works as a Sub-Editor in the Entertainment team at News18.com. With an experience of five years in the media industry, he largely focuses on Indian television coverage. Apart from bringing breakin... Read More Chirag Sehgal works as a Sub-Editor in the Entertainment team at News18.com. With an experience of five years in the media industry, he largely focuses on Indian television coverage. Apart from bringing breakin... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 07:36 IST News18 Showsha Reel Awards 2025: Heeramandi, Citadel Honey Bunny, Gyaarah Gyaarah Vie For Best Series Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Shrishti Negi Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 05:21 IST News18 Showsha Reel Awards 2025: From Heeramandi to Citadel: Honey Bunny, here's a look at the nominations for Best Web Series this year. Check out the nominees. The News18 Showsha Reel Awards 2025 is set to celebrate excellence in cinema and OTT, and this years nominees for Best Web Series have delivered some of the most compelling storytelling and performances. From satires to gripping thrillers and heartfelt dramas, this years nominees have set new benchmarks for storytelling in the OTT space, making the competition for Best Web Series fiercer than ever. Heres a look at the standout series that defined the year 2024: Panchayat Season 3 Recommended Stories Panchayat returned with its third season, continuing the journey of Abhishek Tripathi, played by Jitendra Kumar, as he navigated rural administrative challenges. Neena Gupta joined the cast and Raghubir Yadav reprised his role, adding depth to the shows sharp writing and humour. Season 3 was a massive success, ranking among Prime Videos top three most-watched Indian originals within the first two weeks of release, trending at number one in 26 countries. Bandish Bandits Season 2 After a long wait, Bandish Bandits came back with its second season, once again blending classical and contemporary music through the journeys of Radhe (Ritwik Bhowmik) and Tamanna (Shreya Chaudhry). The first seasons soulful music and fresh storytelling made it a favourite, and Season 2 continued to explore the characters personal and artistic struggles, receiving praise for its melodies and heartfelt performances. Freedom at Midnight Based on the bestselling book by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, Freedom At Midnight explored the events leading to the Partition of India and Pakistan, as well as the religious and socio-political dynamics of that time. The historical drama features Sidhant Gupta, Chirag Vohra, Rajendra Chawla, Luke McGibney, Cordelia Bugeja, Arif Zakaria, Ira Dubey, and Malishka Mendonsa. Gyaarah Gyaarah Gyaarah Gyaarah is an investigative thriller that spans three decades: 1990, 2001, and 2016. It mixes mystery and science with a hint of mysticism. The story is set in Uttarakhand and follows Yug Arya, a police inspector in 2016, who receives a strange transmission from Shaurya Anthwal from the years 1990, 1998, and 2001 through an old walkie-talkie. The different timelines connect for just a minute at 11:11 PM. Together, Yug and Shaurya try to solve various cases in their timelines. Citadel: Honey Bunny Bringing the high-octane action of the Citadel universe to India, Citadel: Honey Bunny delivered gripping espionage drama. The series, packed with adrenaline-fueled sequences and intense performances, became a must-watch for fans of the spy thriller genre, earning attention for its slick execution and fast-paced storytelling. It starred Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Varun Dhawan in lead roles. Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar was a breathtaking spectacle, set in the pre-independence era, chronicling the lives of courtesans in the famed Heeramandi district. Starring Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, and an ensemble cast, the series left audiences in awe with its grandeur. It became Netflixs second most-watched non-English show globally upon release, breaking records for the highest viewership for an Indian series in its debut week. Critics lauded its stunning visuals, compelling performances and rich storytelling. About the Author Shreyanka Mazumdar Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring... Read More Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 05:21 IST DRI Revelations On Ranya Rao: Bought Gold In Dubai, Declared Geneva Travel, But Landed In India Curated By : News18.com Edited By: Chirag Sehgal Last Updated: March 13, 2025, 10:04 IST Kannada actress Ranya Rao was arrested at Bengaluru airport for evading Rs 4.83 crore in duty on gold bought from Dubai. Gold worth Rs 2.06 crore and Rs 2.67 crore in cash were seized. Ranya Rao was arrested from the Kempagowda International Airport. Actor Ranya Rao purchased gold in Dubai twice in November and December 2024, and declared to the customs department there that she would be travelling to Switzerlands Geneva, but her travel history showed that she landed in India instead, according to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The agency is investigating Rao for alleged gold smuggling after she was detained at Bengaluru airport on the evening of March 3. Following her arrest, the Bengaluru Directorate of Revenue Intelligence recovered gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Rs 2.67 crore in cash from her home in the tech city during raids. On Monday, a court remanded Rao to 14-day judicial custody until March 24. Recommended Stories In her arrest memo, accessed by CNN-News18, DRI said Rao had purchased gold in Dubai on November 13 and December 20, and declared that she was headed for Geneva. But she arrived in India, according to the arrest memo. Rao has admitted that before her arrest, she brought gold from Dubai to India on at least two earlier occasions. DRI officials believe that she evaded customs duty worth around Rs 4.83 crore. Read more: In Arrest Memo, DRI Says Ranya Rao Strapped Gold Bars Around Waist, Hid Pieces In Shoes Last week, CNN-News18 learnt that, in her first statement to DRI, Rao admitted that 17 gold bars were recovered from her possession. She also revealed that she travelled not only to Dubai but also to Europe, America and the Middle East. However, she refused to share any further details and asked the authorities to allow her to rest. Who Is Ranya Rao? How Is She Linked To Gold Smuggling Case? Rao, the stepdaughter of Director General of Police (Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation) Ramachandra Rao, was under the radar of authorities due to frequent travel to Dubai. She allegedly travelled to the city 30 times over the past year, and four times in 15 days, bringing back kilos of gold each time. The case is touted as one of the biggest gold seizures in Karnataka. Police have alleged that he frequently travelled with the actress to Dubai, from where she allegedly smuggled gold. Did Ranya Rao Misuse Her Protocol Privileges? It is also being probed if Ranya Rao used the airport protocol facilities provided to senior police officials, by using the name of her father and allegedly used these privileges to bypass security checks at the airport. About the Author Harish Upadhya Harish Upadhya, an Assistant Editor at CNN-News18, reports from Bengaluru. Political reporting is his forte. He also tracks India's space journey, and is passionate about environmental reporting and RTI investi... Read More Harish Upadhya, an Assistant Editor at CNN-News18, reports from Bengaluru. Political reporting is his forte. He also tracks India's space journey, and is passionate about environmental reporting and RTI investi... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 10:23 IST US Justice Department Official Fired After Rejecting Mel Gibsons Gun Rights Bid: Report Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 14:38 IST Elizabeth Oyer's firing, according to a media report, followed her refusal to recommend that actor and filmmaker Mel Gibson regain his right to own firearms. He lost the right after being sentenced to probation for domestic violence in 2011. Mel Gibsons lawyers asked his gun rights to be reinstated, citing his career in Hollywood. (Photo Credit: Instagram) A top Justice Department official claimed that she was fired after refusing to support the restoration of Mel Gibsons gun rights. Elizabeth Oyer, who served as the US Justice Departments pardon attorney, was recently dismissed from her role. Her firing, according to a media report, followed her refusal to recommend that actor and filmmaker Mel Gibson regain his right to own firearms a right he lost after being sentenced to probation for domestic violence in 2011. Gibson, a known ally of Donald Trump, had been unable to legally possess guns since then. Unlike many government positions, the pardon attorney operates outside of political influence, overseeing clemency applications and presidential pardon recommendations. Oyer was appointed in 2022 during Joe Bidens presidency. Speaking to The New York Times, she explained that she had been working on a project concerning the restoration of gun rights for certain convicted individuals, an authority the Justice Department holds but rarely exercises. Recommended Stories As the review process took place, senior officials trimmed a list of 95 candidates down to just nine. Then, Oyer recalled, the list was returned to her with Mel Gibsons name in it. The New York Times further reported that Oyer was provided with a letter from Gibsons lawyer, addressed to two senior Justice Department officials James McHenry and Emil Bove. The letter argued for Gibsons gun rights to be reinstated, citing his successful career in Hollywood and mentioning that he had been considered for a special appointment by the president. Just days before leaving office, on January 16, Trump announced that Gibson, along with actors Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone, had been named special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California," reports The Guardian. For Oyer, the request to restore Gibsons firearm rights raised serious ethical concerns. Giving guns back to domestic abusers is a serious matter that, in my view, is not something that I could recommend lightly, because there are real consequences that flow from people who have a history of domestic violence being in possession of firearms," she told the Times. She also acknowledged being vaguely aware" of Gibsons 2006 arrest, where he was pulled over for drunk driving and made antisemitic remarks to an officer. Her refusal to approve Gibsons request didnt go over well. According to Oyer, a senior official under Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back, questioning her flexibility. When she stood firm, the conversation took a turn. He shifted from friendly to condescending to bullying," she recalled, adding that the official pressured her by pointing out Gibsons personal ties to Trump. By Friday, Oyer was among several high-ranking officials abruptly dismissed from the Justice Department. The Times reported that two anonymous sources corroborated her account. A senior Justice Department official, speaking to NBC News, found the situation baffling. The fact that this was the No. 1 thing they wanted to address was bizarre," the official said. However, not all Justice Department insiders agreed with Oyers version of events. Some, speaking anonymously to both the Times and NBC, disputed her claims. Meanwhile, Gibsons representatives remained silent, declining to comment. Oyer claimed that senior officials had been eager to make a swift announcement regarding individuals having their gun rights restored a list that would have likely included Gibson. As of Tuesday, however, no such announcement had been made. About the Author Shreyanka Mazumdar Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring... Read More Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 14:38 IST Opinion | How Trumps Imperial Impulse Could Hasten The End Of Pax Americana Hes Attempting To Rebuild Written By : News18.com Last Updated: March 11, 2025, 16:17 IST Donald Trumps break with Europe, while disrupting the 80-year-old transatlantic alliance, will also weaken the US-led world order as other powers in Eurasia, China and India rise Donald Trumps attempt to rehabilitate Russia in its war with Ukraine and support Israels territorial expansion in the Middle East are part of his worldview. (Reuters File) United States President Donald Trump is upending a global order underwritten by the West since the end of the Second World War in 1945. The order governed global institutions ranging from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The US-led West controlled the levers of the worlds military, economic and financial power. The balance of power began shifting from west to east in the first decades of the 21st century. The rise of China and India was a clear sign of the global centre of gravity moving towards Asia. Europe was in secular decline, its economic sclerosis masked by US military and financial guarantees. Those guarantees have expired. Recommended Stories Trumps attempt to rehabilitate Russia in its war with Ukraine and support Israels territorial expansion in the Middle East are part of his worldview. Can this worldview survive the end of Trumps presidency in 2029? The Democratic Party has vowed to reverse some of Trumps radical military and trade policies if they regain control of the Senate and the House of Representatives. But the fundamental shift in the balance of global power appears irreversible. A 300-year-long era of Western domination could be ending. Is the break between the US and Europe over Ukraine also irreversible? Given Trumps unpredictability, probably not. Future Democratic presidents will attempt to repair the damage done to the transatlantic alliance forged after the Second World War. But rapid demographic and ethnic changes will, within a generation, transform the US into a White-minority country for the first time since European colonists arrived in North America over 400 years ago. Trump began the process of delinking the US from Europe using the pretext of reciprocal global trade tariffs and the Russia-Ukraine war. But America First" and Make America Great Again" (MAGA) are both dipped in a racist, White supremacist ideology. Elon Musks DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) seeks to banish DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) from America. DEI is essentially affirmative action to help African-Americans and other American citizens of colour who have faced historical discrimination and prejudice. Trump himself is not a dyed-in-the-wool racist. He is a dealmaker. As he said last week: My whole life is about deals." Trumps MAGA supporters, however, are not dealmakers. Many are embittered, poorly educated racists. They dread a future when the number of White Americans in the US population falls below 50 per cent. That is estimated to take place as early as the mid-2040s. It is this fear that Trump has tapped into among his MAGA base. Illegal immigration from Central America and Asia, MAGA supporters know, will hasten Americas demographic shift into a White-minority country. Trumps MAGA policies on DEI, immigration, trade protectionism and isolation from Europe could ironically end up unmaking America. As Faisal Devji, professor of Indian history at Oxford University, noted in an insightful op-ed in a leading daily on March 1, 2025: It is only now dawning on European politicians that the most serious threat the West faces as a geopolitical actor is neither Russias army nor Chinas economy. Even Muslims and migrants, long the favourite internal enemies of Europes populists, pale in insignificance before the external threat posed by US policy on Russia and Ukraine, Canada and Mexico, and on Europes military and economic status. While it is tempting to attribute this challenge solely to the Donald Trump administration, it has been in the making for much longer under Democrat-led administrations than under Republican ones. Commentators are fond of following Trump by taking William McKinley as his model for a new American empire. But a more realistic assumption might be James Monroe and his vision of Americas power. Trumps efforts to subordinate Canada, Mexico, Panama and Greenland to US power look like the making of a new Monroe Doctrine for a Western Hemisphere that, as in the original, abandons Europe to a world in which it no longer has any special claim to American assistance. While the Monroe Doctrine had signalled Americas rise, its reprise, however, is a manifestation of its decline. For a world in which India, Russia and China might get more favourable treatment than Britain, France or Germany is one in which US hegemony has collapsed and with it the idea of the West. If they cannot become its rivals, Europeans will now have to pay for the privilege of serving as Americas vassals. Globalisation has led to the emergence of new economic and military powers in the world outside the West, and these cannot be dragooned into serving as Americas allies as Europe once had." Weakening the West Trumps break with Europe therefore, while disrupting the 80-year-old transatlantic alliance, will also weaken the US-led world order as other powers in Eurasia, China and India rise. That is precisely the opposite outcome of Trumps America First policy. Trade tariffs will harm US consumers as local prices rise. The military alliance between Europe and the US could splinter as NATO flounders, leading to a global power vacuum. Whenever a vacuum forms, as history has shown, other powers fill it. Trump knows that a US-Russia detente could split the West. Yet, with the dealmakers instinct to get the best possible bargain, he is willing to gamble away the very outcome he seeks. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all None of this will matter to Trump when his second and final term ends in 2029. By then, however, the die would have been cast. Trumps imperial impulse could ironically hasten the end of the Pax Americana he is attempting to rebuild. The writer is an editor, author and publisher. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. First Published: March 11, 2025, 16:11 IST Opinion | Kashmir Regresses Over Gulmarg Fashion Show As Saudi Embraces Modernity Written By : CNN-News18 Last Updated: March 11, 2025, 19:17 IST Unless Kashmir rises from its cloistered and violent baggage of Islamism and embraces modernity, all the splendid roads, tunnels, and railway bridges being built now will not lead it to a peaceful and prosperous future Instead of sanctimoniously buttoning up, Kashmir should actually aggressively woo the fashion industry to come and invest in the Valley. File image Islamists and political forces that had driven Jammu and Kashmir into being a swamp of blood and bigotry are still to accept that the state has been freed from the prison of Article 370. They are in denial that Indian laws, not Sharia, have kicked in in the Valley with full force. Why otherwise would there be such a hissy fit over a recent fashion show in Gulmarg, that too a privately organised one that was not open to the general public? Recommended Stories Which Indian law forbids fashion shows from being held? Did the event showcase nudity? Kashmirs chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a dyed-in-the-wool separatist, termed the fashion show held during Ramzan outrageous" and obscene". He said such obscenity in the name of tourism promotion will not be tolerated in Kashmir". Was it a government event done with taxpayers money? Did anyone invite or force Mirwaiz to attend it? Immediately on the defensive, CM Omar Abdullah said: The images I have seen show a complete disregard for local sensitivities and that too during this holy month." Peoples Conference president Sajjad Lone was much less virulent, calling the event eminently avoidable". BJPs Sunil Sharma accused the chief minister of lying. Such a big function was happening in your relatives hotel, and you had no idea? I feel you only must have organised this programme," he said. Luxury brand Shivan and Narresh, which specialises in holiday wear, hastily put out a statement: We deeply regret any hurt caused by our recent presentation in Gulmarg during the holy month of Ramadan. Our sole intention was to celebrate creativity and the ski & apres-ski lifestyle, without any desire to offend anyone or any religious sentiments." The entire outrage is invalid and even inimical to Indias national interest, and hurts Kashmir in the local sense. First, it tries to reinforce Kashmirs exceptionalism, which Islamist separatists have harped and played on for so many decades. Heeding them would be to push Kashmir back into the womb of darkness and undo the immense work from infrastructure to social parameters to tourism that is being done in Kashmir under PM Narendra Modis leadership. Second, while the birthplace and heart of Islam, Saudi Arabia, is fast shedding its orthodoxy under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, elements in Muslim-majority Kashmir want to push it backwards despite being part of a liberal democracy. Saudi Arabia now regularly hosts events like the Riyadh fashion week, Saudi Fashion Expo, and the Red Sea Fashion Week. In 2024, for instance, Saudi hosted its inaugural fashion show featuring swimsuit models (that too one a Friday), in a country where, till just a few years ago women were required to wear the body-covering abaya. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Tatva (@thetatvaindia) Third, objecting to fashion in the name of local cultural sensitivities" in Kashmir is like spitting on ones own heritage. After four decades of extensive excavations at Burzahom, 16 km north-east of Srinagar city, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report in 2017 suggested that Neolithic Kashmiris were adept at weaving and intricate craftsmanship. Ranging from 3000 BC to 1000 BC, evidence of bone needles, cotton, wool, and other fabric point to a fairly vibrant textile industry. So, instead of sanctimoniously buttoning up, Kashmir should actually aggressively woo the fashion industry to come and invest in the Valley. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Unless Kashmir rises from its cloistered and violent baggage of Islamism and embraces modernity, all the splendid roads, tunnels, and railway bridges being built now will not lead it to a peaceful and prosperous future. Abhijit Majumder is a senior journalist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. First Published: March 11, 2025, 19:12 IST A multi-year effort by conservationists and others to ban what they say is the wanton slaughter of coyotes for cash and prizes could lead to new regulations on coyote-calling contests. On Saturday, the Nevada Wildlife Commission, which has rejected calls to end the contests, debated two proposals from staff on regulating the contests. In January, commission members took public comments on the contests in Elko. The first staff proposal would set a season for the contests, beginning in September and ending in March, and require the organizer to obtain a special use permit, which could spell out details such as how participants must dispose of dead animals. Additionally, contest participants would be required to get a separate license from the Nevada Department of Wildlife. A second proposal would require people to obtain a license to kill any wildlife, including unprotected species such as coyotes, jackrabbits and squirrels. Participants who are 12 years old or younger would be exempt from the license requirement. Commissioner Eddie Booth suggested requiring a license to kill any unprotected species warrants public notification. Out in Paradise Valley last weekend, there were a number of people out there hunting squirrels on private land, Booth said. I dont know if any of them had a hunting license, or even knew that it was going to be required to have a hunting license. We never wanted this to cross over to recreational hunting, sportsman George Forbush said during public comment, adding Nevadans will not be pleased if they have to go out and start getting a license just to go out to shoot squirrels. John Hiatt of the Clark County Community Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife, which is made up primarily of hunters, said NDOWs solutions dont really address the basic problem, the fact that both the Washoe and Clark County Commissions oppose coyote killing contests. Thats the bulk of the population in the state, and in the end, from a moral and ethical standpoint, its very difficult to support the contests. Addressing this issue is akin to trying to put lipstick on a very uncooperative pig, Hiatt said. In the end, the pig is still a pig and everybodys smeared with lipstick. You cant win in this situation by just regulating it. Essentially, this issue just needs to go away. Killing contests are not supportable. Commissioner David McNinch, the only member of the sportsman- and ranching-dominated Wildlife Commission to consistently support a ban of the contests during the prolonged effort, said he is not in favor of establishing a season for killing contests but suggested theres some level of support across the board for requiring a license to kill any wildlife. Hunters who spoke during public comment, however, oppose any effort to regulate the killing of unprotected species. When cultures collide Opponents of coyote-calling contests have tried a multi-jurisdictional approach, characterized by a clash of urban and rural interests. In 2019, the Nevada Gaming Commission rejected an effort to ban the contests because they offer prizes, which critics claimed was akin to unlicensed gambling. A 2023 legislative measure to end the contests died in Carson City without a vote. NDOWs current effort is the first time a state-sanctioned contest has been proposed. Regulations without an outright ban will only send the message to the public that this commission supports these brutal wildlife killing contests, Nevada resident Stephanie Myers said during public comment. She predicted that once the public is aware of the coyote-calling contests through billboard campaigns, through social media, once they know about it, the contests will end. Because educated people will not allow them to continue. A privately commissioned survey of 675 Nevada voters conducted by Public Policy Polling in 2023 found 78% said the lives of individual animals have inherent worth and are deserving of protection and conservation, while 12% said they think wildlife is a natural resource that should primarily be used to benefit humans without regard to the worth or value of animals. Another 10% were undecided. The proposed regulations are a complete joke, said Rebecca Goff of Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States, who noted efforts to regulate coyote-calling contests in Colorado and Washington failed. The states found after years of regulating contests through permits and quotas that they did not reduce the amount of animal suffering and death and did nothing to reduce the public opposition, Goff said. In 2020, both states banned the contests outright. Coyote-calling contests have been banned in California and Arizona, however, Nevada competitions are routinely organized and advertised in those states. The Wildlife Commission intends to review proposed language for regulating killing contests at its next meeting in May. Right Word | How India Is Upholding Human Rights During Counter Terrorism Operations In Jammu & Kashmir Written By : News18.com Last Updated: March 11, 2025, 19:16 IST The Army undertakes initiatives aimed at winning hearts and minds alongside its enforcement actions, aiming to build trust with local communities The Indian counterterrorism strategy has traditionally emphasised a people-centric approach. (PTI File) The Indian Army and government have implemented a range of initiatives to address human rights concerns during counter-terrorism operations, particularly in regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast, and areas affected by Naxalism. These initiatives include a combination of operational protocols, legal frameworks, institutional structures, and community engagement efforts aimed at balancing security imperatives with human rights obligations. The following summary draws on historical practices and publicly available information up to the present. This analysis aims to provide an impartial evaluation of the ongoing counter-terrorism efforts of the Indian forces in Kashmir. The human rights violations committed by terrorists, indoctrinated and trained in Pakistan as an extension of the Pakistani military and intelligence services, have contributed to silencing the majority of Kashmiris who fundamentally reject violence. The scale of violence has been catastrophic, and the resulting terror has inevitably led the state to intervene to protect the people from the ravages of this violence. Recommended Stories The people of Kashmir have observed that, while carrying out its responsibilities, the Indian army, which is also trained to combat the enemy through the use of force, has introduced various measures to address human rights concerns during its counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir. These measures encompass a blend of operational protocols, legal structures, institutional frameworks, and community outreach efforts, all designed to strike a balance between security needs and human rights commitments. The Indian counterterrorism strategy has traditionally emphasised a people-centric" approach, shaped by lessons learned from sub-conventional warfare in various regions of the country. A key directive originates from the 1955 Special Order of the Day, issued by the then Army Chief, which instructed military personnel to protect civilians rather than view them as adversaries, focusing combat efforts solely on those who pose a threat to peace and property. This principle was later formalised in the Armys Doctrine for Sub-Conventional Operations (2006), which advocates for the use of minimum force, the prevention of collateral damage, and people-oriented operations, even at the cost of some operational success. The doctrine explicitly states that human rights violations must be avoided under all circumstances, underscoring a commitment to ensuring that military actions conform to ethical standards. The Army follows the principles outlined in the Ten Commandments" when its troops are involved in counter-insurgency operations. These Ten Commandments", issued by the then Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army in 1955, stress the importance of upholding human rights, minimising public inconvenience, and applying minimum force during counter-insurgency efforts. The guidelines emphasise the protection of vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, women, and children. Soldiers are trained to minimise disruptions to the public, and cordon-and-search operations are conducted only when absolutely necessary and with a cautious approach. In addition, human rights education is integrated into military training programmes, ensuring that personnel understand their responsibilities towards civilians in conflict zones. To address accusations of misconduct, the Army set up a Human Rights Cell in 1993 at its headquarters in Delhi, which has been under the supervision of a Major General since 2019. This cell is responsible for investigating complaints of violations occurring during counter-terrorism operations. The Army enforces a zero-tolerance policy towards confirmed violations. Incidents such as the alleged Shopian encounter in July 2020 triggered prompt investigations, with the Army committing to accountability based on the available evidence. The government supports these initiatives through legal and institutional frameworks. To prevent the potential misuse of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), its application has been progressively scaled back. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), established in 1993, plays a crucial role in independently investigating complaints against security forces. The Army undertakes initiatives aimed at winning hearts and minds" alongside its enforcement actions, aiming to build trust with local communities. Programmes such as Operation Sadbhavana in Jammu and Kashmir focus on establishing schools, offering vocational training, holding medical camps, and implementing infrastructure projects to address grievances that may contribute to radicalisation. In Kashmir, the Army operates over 40 Goodwill Schools", educating thousands of children. Moreover, the government supports counter-terrorism financing efforts through agencies such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA), ensuring adherence to Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards. While tackling terror funding, efforts are also made to safeguard civil liberties. The NIA, in collaboration with state police, is committed to evidence-based prosecutions, with courts overturning cases lacking sufficient evidence, thereby ensuring judicial oversight. Challenges remain, despite the measures in place. In high-threat regions like Kashmir, where military personnel face indiscriminate attacks from terrorists and stone-pelters, allegations of misconduct are unavoidable. However, the people of Kashmir acknowledge the positive outcomes of operations aimed at countering terrorism, especially since 2019. These efforts have not only restored peace to the area but also contributed to a significant rise in developmental initiatives, offering relief to the wider population. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all These initiatives reflect a dual commitment: ensuring robust counter-terrorism operations while embedding safeguards to protect human rights. The Armys transparent disciplinary procedures, the governments adherence to international standardssuch as its leadership role in the UN Security Councils Counterterrorism Committee during 2021-2022and community engagement programmes illustrate this balance. While the effectiveness and consistency of these measures continue to be debated, particularly in relation to reconciling security requirements with fundamental rights in Indias complex conflict zones, India provides a model in this area that others could seek to emulate. The writer is an author and columnist and has written several books. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. First Published: March 11, 2025, 19:16 IST Straight Talk | Manipur Crawls Back To Normalcy As Centre Tightens Its Grip Written By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 11:14 IST The governments approach is clear --- Manipur cannot remain paralysed any longer --- and normalcy, if not achieved naturally by getting tensions between Meiteis and Kukis down, must simply be enforced Manipur has been witnessing ethnic tensions between Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities since May 2023. (PTI Photo) The past two years have been rough for Manipur. Ethnic tensions between the Meiteis and Kukis have all but destroyed the social fabric of the state. The scale of the violence seen in Manipur since 2023 has shocked Indians at large, as it should. For someone born and brought up in the Northeast, the violence was shocking, yet hardly surprising. Recommended Stories It is no secret that ethnic tensions and communal distrust plagues not just Manipur, but many other north-eastern states. Unfortunately, the wider Indian population is simply not aware of the ground realities and complex social equations of this region. For most, the Northeast is nothing more than a tourism hotspot replete with exotic beauty. Amidst this demographic, the urge to pin all blame on government ineptitude comes instinctively. And that is a flawed way of looking at all things Northeast. Manipur is no stranger to social strife, unrest, andmost infamous of them allblockades. For decades, the state has suffered under the weight of curfews, bandhs, and ethnic tensions, disrupting daily life, economic activities, and essential supplies. However, a striking contrast emerged after 2014, when Manipur experienced an extended period of relative peace and stability. The once-frequent disruptions that had plagued the state saw a significant decline, allowing economic and infrastructural development to gain momentum. Improved governance, better law enforcement, and efforts to foster dialogue among communities contributed to a sense of normalcy that had long eluded the region. Ironically, just as Manipur seemed to have turned a corner, the state was thrust back into turmoil with the outbreak of large-scale ethnic violence in 2023. I have grown up in the Northeast. I have seen just how powerless government machinery becomes once communities decide to turn on each other. Preventing violence is not a luxury that governments in the region enjoy. Often, they simply have to deal with the fallout of it all. In Manipur, the initial weeks and months of strife tore through the states social fabric. Now, the government has the mighty task to rebuild that fabric and bring Manipur back to normalcy. This can be a time-consuming process. However, recent decisions taken by the Centre from the imposition of Presidents Rule to the appointment of Ajay Kumar Bhalla as Governor suggest that the government is keen on resolving the latest cycle of violence for once and for all. Home minister Amit Shah has also directed the reopening of highways for the free movement of goods and people, while sternly calling on both communities to surrender their arms. The message was clear: surrender your weapons before we come looking for you. Security forces have ramped up their operations across Manipur. On March 8 and 9, for instance, Manipur Police arrested 15 cadres of various insurgent groups in multiple raids across the state. Raids continued through Monday, with security forces seizing several weapons and making crucial arrests. In fact, during the two-week-long window provided by the government for surrendering arms, over 1,366 out of approximately 5,200 looted police weapons had been recovered. Additionally, nearly 1,300 weapons have had their unique ID numbers erased, but they are also among the looted police weapons, making the recovery figure more than 2,600. Of the surrendered arms, more than 760 were from the valley districts, while the rest were from the hill districts and Jiribam. Earlier, sources told News18 that nearly 50 per cent of the looted police weapons have been recovered. The governments approach is now clear. Manipur cannot remain paralysed any longer. Normalcy, if not achieved naturally by getting tensions between Meiteis and Kukis down, must simply be enforced. This approach, however, is not without its challenges. The push for stability is bound to face resistance from elements that thrive on unrest and seek to derail peace efforts. Isolated incidents of violencetargeted killings, ambushes, and sabotageare likely to continue as groups opposed to reconciliation attempt to assert their presence. However, the governments priority is clear: containing the situation and preventing a relapse into prolonged anarchy. The administrative machinery is now being systematically aligned to achieve this larger goal of stabilising Manipur, even if that requires the use of extraordinary measures. This is why the imposition of Presidents Rule becomes so important. The Ministry of Home Affairs is now directly engaged in ensuring normalcy returns to Manipur. The re-imposition of AFSPA in six police districts of the state late last year has already given security forces much-needed operational legroom something which was absent during the initial months of violence. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The road to lasting peace in Manipur will be long and fraught with challenges. The scars of the 2023 violence run deep, and the wounds between the Meitei and Kuki communities will not heal overnight. However, what is clear is that the government is not going to let the state remain trapped in an endless cycle of violence and instability. Lasting peace will depend on rebuilding trust between the two communities, which is why the reopening of highways is so important. The MHA is also encouraging both the Meiteis and Kukis to visit each others areas. By imposing Presidents Rule, ramping up security operations, and directly engaging with the crisis, the Centre has signalled its intent to bring order back to Manipurby force if necessary. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. About the Author Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra is a producer and video journalist at Network18. He is enthusiastic about and writes on both national affairs as well as geopolitics. Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra is a producer and video journalist at Network18. He is enthusiastic about and writes on both national affairs as well as geopolitics. Location : Manipur, India, India First Published: March 12, 2025, 11:14 IST Last Updated: March 11, 2025, 19:25 IST 1 / 6 Airplane toilets operate differently from those on the ground. Instead of using water and gravity, they rely on a vacuum system that efficiently removes waste while conserving space and reducing weight. (Image: News18) 2 / 6 An airplane toilet functions similarly to a vacuum cleaner, using differential pressure to create suction. (Image: News18) ADVERTISEMENT 3 / 6 A blocked toilet system can delay or even cancel flights, as fixing the issue requires extensive maintenance. (Image: News18) 4 / 6 The waste from airplane toilets is collected in waste tanks, typically located at the rear of the aircraft. (Image: News18) ADVERTISEMENT 5 / 6 A Delhi-bound Air India flight was forced to return to Chicago when eight out of its 12 toilets became clogged. (Image: News18) Did Vijays Entry Make DMK, Super CM Udhayanidhi Stalin Harden Stance on NEP & PM-SHRI? Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Apoorva Misra Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 12:32 IST Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan called DMKs bluff by making public Tamil Nadus year-old letter saying the state was ready to join PM-SHRI Top BJP sources claimed that threatened by Vijays rise in Tamil Nadu ahead of next years assembly polls, it was MK Stalins son Udhayanidhi Stalin (in pic) who was responsible for the NEP and PM-SHRI U-turn. (PTI) Did DMK harden its stance on PM-SHRI schools and New Education Policy (NEP) under threat from Vijays rise in Tamil Nadu with his pro-Tamil stance? Top BJP functionaries believe so, claiming that Udhayanidhi Stalin is now calling the shots in the southern party ahead of Tamil Nadu elections in a years time. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday made public a letter by Tamil Nadus Chief Secretary to the Centre last year on March 15 that said the state is very keen to sign the MoU for establishing PM-SHRI schools in the state" and added that the same will be signed before start of the new academic year 2024-25. Why this sudden change in stance on NEP? Definitely for political brownies and reviving DMKs political fortunes," the minister said. Recommended Stories Government sources said PM-SHRI schools are mandated to follow NEP 2020. So, by first saying yes to PM-SHRI last year, Tamil Nadu was essentially saying yes to NEP," sources added. In a letter last year on July 6 to the Centre, the DMK government omitted a paragraph sent in a draft MoU by the Centre that had mentioned NEP implementation in Tamil Nadu. While the Centre cites this as a U-turn, DMK leader Kanimozhi cites this to say Tamil Nadu never agreed to the NEP. ALSO READ | Opinion | NEP 2020 Tussle: Prioritise Students, Not Politics Speaking in Parliament a day earlier, Pradhan said some super chief minister" had forced the change in stance of the Tamil Nadu government. Top BJP sources claimed it was MK Stalins son Udhayanidhi Stalin who was responsible for the U-turn. With Vijays rise in Tamil Nadu politics and his focus on Tamil, DMK and especially Udhayanidhi see a direct threat ahead of next years assembly polls. Hence, the complete withdrawal by DMK on the NEP and PM-SHRI schools issue," a senior BJP leader said. DMK has made Hindi imposition a major issue during the Parliament session this time as they want to invoke emotive sentiments of Tamil people against the Centre, BJP sources said. Pradhan on Tuesday apologised for his language against DMK MPs a day earlier in Lok Sabha, which was also expunged from Parliament records. However, the BJP has decided to counter the DMK on facts, citing how the usage of Tamil has been decreasing in the state under the DMKs rule. BJPs Puducherry MP, S Selvaganabathy, slammed the DMK while speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, saying it was the partys fault that 30 lakh students had completed school education over the years without learning the alphabet in Tamil. Tamil Usage Declining in Tamil Nadu Pradhan, while speaking in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, said Tamil-medium enrolment in Tamil Nadu had dropped from 54 per cent in 2018-19 to just 36 per cent in 2023-24. Pradhan said 67 per cent students in Tamil Nadu are now in English-medium schools. He also cited that in government schools in Tamil Nadu, English-medium enrolment had jumped five times from 3.4 lakh to 17.7 lakh in just five years. Pradhan said Tamil enrolment fell by 7.3 lakh in government-aided schools in TN. As per UDISE+ data, enrolments in Tamil medium dropped from 65.87 lakh in 2018-19 to 46.83 lakh in 2023-24, a reduction of over 19 lakh students in a period of five years. NEP says mother language should be the primary language. But in Tamil Nadu, in government schools, Tamil language is declining while colonial language is increasing," Pradhan said. He cited how Hindi was now taught in 774 CBSE schools in Tamil Nadu out of a total of 1,460 schools. This is a reality," Pradhan said. ALSO READ | Opinion | Stalin Vs NEP 2020: Sacrificing Tamil Nadus Future At The Altar Of Politics Pradhan reiterated that NEP does not impose Hindi and the Narendra Modi government will never hurt the feelings of anyone on the basis of language. You can call me a fool but you cannot make a fool of Tamil Nadus people. You can abuse me, but do not deny opportunity to youngsters of Tamil Nadu," Pradhan said in the Rajya Sabha. DMKs latest cacophony on language imposition and its stance on NEPs three-language formula exposes their hypocrisy. Opposition to NEP 2020 has nothing to do with preservation of Tamil pride, language and culture but everything to do with gaining political dividends," the minister added. Reacting to the row, MoS education Sukanta Majumdar said there is competition between Vijay and Udhayanidhi Stalin because of which the DMK took a U-turn on PM-Shri and NEP. It is all politics ahead of Tamil Nadu elections," he said, adding that the privilege motion against Pradhan is useless" as the minister made public the full letter. Jayalalitha Reference top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all As part of BJPs political strategy to keep a line open to its old ally AIADMK ahead of the states upcoming polls, Pradhan also invoked the late J Jayalalithaa and said DMK has done little to promote and preserve Tamil language, literature and literary icons. Tamil language is no ones monopoly. What they (DMK) have done to J Jayalalithaa on the floor of the assembly No one has the right to outrage modesty of senior leaders like Jayalalithaa. We dont need anybodys certificate on whether we are committed to Tamil language or not. We are totally committed to Tamil," Pradhan said. The AIADMK was also not very harsh on the BJP during the debate in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Dr M Thambidurai of AIADMK, in fact, slammed the DMK in Rajya Sabha and said the party will lose in the Tamil Nadu elections in 2026. Tamil Nadu follows two-language formula. AIADMK also supports it. Congress was responsible for the three-language formula, it is Congress which imposed Hindi. Why is DMK continuing with Congress then? They are putting on black shirts and doing dramayou will lose in 2026," Thambidurai said. About the Author Aman Sharma Aman Sharma, Executive Editor - National Affairs at CNN-News18, and Bureau Chief at News18 in Delhi, has over two decades of experience in covering the wide spectrum of politics and the Prime Ministers Office.... Read More Aman Sharma, Executive Editor - National Affairs at CNN-News18, and Bureau Chief at News18 in Delhi, has over two decades of experience in covering the wide spectrum of politics and the Prime Ministers Office.... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 08:56 IST Maharashtra Minister's 'Malhar Certificate' For Meat Shops Move Sparks Political Row Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 11:43 IST According to Nitesh Rane, Hindu shopkeepers selling jhatka mutton will receive this certificate, and he has urged Hindu consumers to buy mutton only from certified shops. While the BJP-led Maharashtra government has not officially backed the certification proposed by Nitesh Rane, opposition parties have strongly condemned it. (Image: PTI) Maharashtras political circles are abuzz with controversy after Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane proposed to introduce the Malhar Certification system for mutton shops. According to Rane, Hindu shopkeepers selling jhatka mutton will receive this certificate, and he has urged Hindu consumers to buy mutton only from certified shops. The minister claims that this initiative will ensure purity and authenticity, but his move has sparked sharp political reactions across party lines. While the BJP-led Maharashtra government has not officially backed the certification, opposition parties have strongly condemned it, and even some leaders from the ruling alliance have distanced themselves from Ranes initiative. The controversy has raised concerns about communal polarisation and government involvement in food choices, adding another layer to Maharashtras already heated political climate. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP, a key ally in the Mahayuti government, has not supported Ranes move. NCP MLC Amol Mitkari made it clear that this was Ranes personal initiative and not the governments. Nitesh Rane is now a minister, but these are his individual thoughts. Our ideology is based on the teachings of Shahu, Phule, and Ambedkar, and we will continue to follow that," he stated, dismissing any association with the certification. NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Rohit Pawar also raised questions about the legitimacy of the Malhar Certification. If this is an official government scheme, why didnt the Chief Minister launch it? Who exactly owns this certification company," he asked, hinting at possible private interests behind the initiative. Recommended Stories The opposition has strongly condemned Ranes proposal, calling it an attempt to communalise food choices. Senior NCP leader Jitendra Awhad criticised the move, warning that it could create social disharmony. Since childhood, we have been eating mutton without asking about the shopkeepers religion. Now, the minister wants to bring rivalry into peoples food habits," he said. However, Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh took a more neutral stance. This is the first time Nitesh Rane has supported giving people a choice. If someone wants Malhar mutton, they can have it. But Rane must clarify whether the government officially supports this initiative," he said. While some BJP allies have distanced themselves from the certification, others have defended it. Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MP Naresh Mhaske stated that Rane had done nothing wrong. Meanwhile, BJP MLA Ram Kadam dismissed the criticism, arguing that the controversy was being unnecessarily politicised. People should have the freedom to choose what they eat. The opposition is trying to create an issue where there is none," he said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Despite the backlash, Nitesh Rane has stood firm on his decision. He claimed that the Malhar Certification would eliminate adulteration and ensure hygiene. There have been instances where people have spat into the meat. This will no longer happen. Hindus should buy mutton only from shops with Malhar Certification," he urged. As debates over food choices, religious identity, and political motives intensify, it remains unclear whether the Maharashtra government will officially endorse or regulate the Malhar Certification. With elections approaching, this issue could become a major political flashpoint, shaping the narrative of communal and cultural politics in the state. About the Author Mayuresh Ganapatye Mayuresh Ganapatye, News Editor at News18.com, writes on politics and civic issues, as well as human interests stories. He has been covering Maharashtra and Goa for more than a decade. He previously worked with... Read More Mayuresh Ganapatye, News Editor at News18.com, writes on politics and civic issues, as well as human interests stories. He has been covering Maharashtra and Goa for more than a decade. He previously worked with... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 11:43 IST Yogi Adityanaths 'Land Jihad' Salvo At Past Govts: 'Mafia Encroached On Prayagrajs Ancient Sites' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 17:56 IST Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath pointed out that the holy Akshay Vat, situated inside the Allahabad Fort, was locked during the colonial rule, depriving devotees of darshan for centuries, while sacred sites like Saraswati Koop and Patalpuri remained neglected. UP CM Yogi Adityanath (PTI file image) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday took a sharp dig at the states previous governments saying that ancient sites in Prayagraj, including, Akshay Vat, Mata Saraswati Koop, Patalpuri, Shringverpur, and others, were encroached upon through land jihad during their tenure. While speaking at the Manthan: Kumbh and Beyond Vichar Sangam event, organised by the RSS-affiliated weekly Organiser, Yogi slammed that the previous governments saying that the holy city, known to be the land of Maharishi Bharadwaj and home to the worlds first Gurukul, was once controlled by the land mafias", who illegally took over historic sites. Recommended Stories This severely affected the heritage and significance of these sacred places," Yogi said. The Chief Minister further pointed out that the holy Akshay Vat, situated inside the Allahabad Fort, was locked during the colonial rule, depriving devotees of darshan for centuries, while sacred sites like Saraswati Koop and Patalpuri remained neglected. Yogi further said that the holy site of Shringverpur, known to be site of friendship between Lord Ram and Nishadraj as per the scriptures, was also encroached by alleged land jihad". He further claimed the his government freed the encroached holy sites ahead of the Maha Kumbh mela as a gratitude towards Indias ancient traditions. During the Maha kumbh, our government built new corridors and freed these sites, which is a symbol of gratitude towards Indias ancient traditions," he said. Maha Kumbh Showed True Essence Of Sanatan Dharma He highlighted that the Maha Kumbh not only displayed Indias strength and the true essence of Sanatan Dharma but also changed the negative perception of Uttar Pradesh. Through Maha Kumbh, we successfully achieved both objectives," he said. The world watched in amazement and curiosity," Yogi remarked, adding that Sanatan Dharma has no place for discrimination, and Maha Kumbh was a testament to that. Calling it a unique opportunity for Uttar Pradesh to present its positive image on the global stage, Yogi said that the event witnessed a record-breaking 66 crore 30 lakh devotees taking a holy dip, describing it as the worlds largest spiritual, religious, and cultural gathering." The government successfully implemented the Digital Mahakumbh concept, reuniting 54,000 lost individuals with their families through a digital lost-and-found center. 1.5 lakh toilets were built and linked with QR codes, and a mobile app in 11 languages was introduced to assist pilgrims," he added. CM Yogi emphasised that special arrangements were also made to ensure no devotee had to walk more than 3 to 5 kilometers. While the initial estimate was 40 crore visitors, the actual turnout exceeded 66 crore 30 lakh", he said. Maha Kumbh Exposed Oppositions Mindset The CM further slammed opposition saying, Expecting positivity from those with a negative mindset is pointless." He criticised previous governments, citing the disorder and mismanagement of Kumbh under Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) rule from 1954 to 2013. He recalled the 1954 Kumbh tragedy, where over 1,000 people lost their lives, the 2007 natural disaster that caused significant loss of life and property, and the 2013 incident where the then Prime Minister of Mauritius shed tears after witnessing the filth at Sangam. Past governments turned Kumbh into a hub of chaos and dirt, and today, the same people are questioning our Swachh Mahakumbh," he remarked. He said that the oppositions negativity had distanced them from the people, who taught them a lesson by attending Kumbh in massive numbers. Maha Kumbh 2025 The Maha Kumbh, the worlds largest gathering, concluded in Prayagraj on Maha Shivratri, marking the final day of the festival on Wednesday. On the last day, Yogi Adityanath shared on social media that over 66.21 crore devotees had participated in the sacred bath at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers during the festival. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all From January 13 to February 26, the event saw people from across the country and beyond, including politicians, athletes, industrialists, and Bollywood celebrities, take a holy dip at the sacred Triveni Sangam. The religious fair saw unprecedented security measures, including anti-drone systems and AI-enabled cameras, to monitor the Mahakumbh Nagar, which was set up as UPs 76th district for the event. Spread across 40 hectares, it remained busy with activity 24/7 over the past six weeks. About the Author Shobhit Gupta Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He previously worked with Hindustan Times Digital (HTDS) and NDTV. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India ... Read More Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He previously worked with Hindustan Times Digital (HTDS) and NDTV. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India ... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 17:49 IST Stalin Writes To Siddaramaiah On Delimitation As They Look To Rally Forces For March 22 Chennai Meet Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: March 13, 2025, 17:33 IST Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has accepted the invitation, but will not attend in person due to his 'schedule'. Instead, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar will represent Karnataka in the meeting MK Stalin (L) and Siddaramaiah (R). File pic/PTI Tamil Nadu chief minister (CM) MK Stalin has been gathering southern leaders against the upcoming delimitation exercise, which is expected to reduce the political influence of states that have controlled their population growth. As part of this effort, Stalin has invited his Karnataka counterpart, Siddaramaiah, to join the fight. In a letter dated March 13, Siddaramaiah acknowledged the significance of the issue, particularly regarding the delimitation of parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on new population benchmarks. He expressed his willingness to be part of the discussions but cited prior commitments that prevent him from attending. Although I would like to participate in the meeting, due to my schedule, I am unable to do so. Therefore, I have requested Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to take part in the deliberations," he wrote. Recommended Stories With the 2021 census delayed and 2026 nearing, the delimitation issue has already turned into a major political flashpoint. Stalins proposed March 22 meeting aims to unite southern states against what many see as an unfair redistribution of Lok Sabha seats. We must chart a collective course forward," Stalin said, underlining the urgency of the matter. Extending his support to the southern states resistance against delimitation, Siddaramaiah criticised the Centres move, calling it detrimental to Karnatakas interests. This weakens democracy and violates the federal principles of the Constitution," he said, adding, Karnataka has made its stand clearwe will support the struggle against this injustice." STALINS LETTER Stalin, in his three-page letter to Siddaramaiah, which was personally handed over by Tamil Nadu forest minister Dr L Ponnumudi and Rajya Sabha MP Mohammed Abdullahs Ismail, warned that post 2026, the political landscape could shift drastically if seats are reallocated based on the next census. States that controlled their population growth and achieved superior governance indicators will be punished with reduced representation in the very forum where national policies are decided," he wrote. Stalin reached out to Siddaramaiah with two specific requests. First, he sought Karnatakas formal consent to join a Joint Action Committee (JAC), which would bring together states from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in the South, to West Bengal, Odisha, and Punjab in the North. Second, he requested the nomination of a senior Congress representative to serve on the JAC and help coordinate a unified strategy. Stalin also proposed an inaugural meeting in Chennai on March 22 to set the agenda for collective action. This moment demands leadership and collaborationrising above political differences to stand for the greater good," he wrote, adding, This is not just about an abstract principle. It is about our states ability to secure rightful resources, influence crucial policies on education and healthcare, and ensure our economic priorities receive due attention in the national agenda. We must stand togethernot as separate political entities, but as protectors of our peoples future." WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSY? Population growth has not been uniform across India. Northern states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have grown faster than southern states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. If seats are reallocated based on the 2026 census, northern states will gain more seats, while southern and smaller northern states may lose political influence. There is debate over whether to keep the total seats at 543, but redistribute them among states or increase the total seats to 848, giving more seats to all states. In both cases, southern states, smaller northern states such as Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and the northeast are likely to lose out. This raises concerns about fairness, as states that controlled their population well may end up with less representation. It also goes against the original idea of freezing seats based on the 1971 census. WHAT IS DELIMITATION? Delimitation is the process of deciding the number of seats and redrawing constituency boundaries for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. It also determines how many seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). This is done by a Delimitation Commission, set up under a law passed by Parliament. The exercise was carried out after the 1951, 1961, and 1971 Census. However, in 1976, the process was frozen through the 42nd Amendment until the first census after 2000 to encourage population control. As population disparities continued to persist, the 84th Constitutional Amendment further extended the freeze until the first census after 2026," Stalin said. WHY DELIMITATION IS IMPORTANT top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Constitution requires that the number of Lok Sabha and assembly seats be adjusted after every census. However, to promote population control, the number of seats was frozen based on the 1971 census, first until 2000 and then extended to 2026. This means that for over five decades, seat distribution has remained unchanged despite population growth. The freeze was meant to prevent states with higher population growth from gaining more seats, ensuring that states with better population control were not penalised. The next seat adjustment is expected after 2026, based on the first census after that year. About the Author Rohini Swamy Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18s digital platform. She has previously worked with t... Read More Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18s digital platform. She has previously worked with t... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 23:04 IST Pixel 9a Is Launching Soon But Google Has This Warning For Pixel 4a Users Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 12:09 IST Google issued an update for the Pixel 4a users in January this year without telling them what it offers but now the recall for the unit give us more details. Google released an update this year but it did not fix the issues for Pixel 4a users Pixel 4a users have got a recall notice from Google in select regions which comes with a major warning related to their phones battery. The company had released a Battery Performance Update earlier this year, which was supposed to improve its efficiency but ended up cutting down the life further. In fact, some people even saw their Phone 4a battery drain out faster than ever. Now, the recall by Google in Australia comes with more details about the update and what exactly happened that caused these issues. Recommended Stories Pixel 4a Battery Issue, Recall Tells Us Why Google had noticed that Pixel 4a users were facing battery issues and the update was going to improve the stability of the battery performance on the device. But the brand also hinted the update could result in the battery life getting shorter between charges, which explains the reason for the select recall. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The new development says the Pixel 4a users have seen their batterys maximum voltage drop by around 56 percent in charging. Google clearly seems to have realised this is the main cause for the severe battery drain. The company had said an update was offered to stop this from happening but now the impact of this update has invariably forced Google to issue a recall and fix the problem for the select Pixel 4a owners. Google had set conditions for the device to be eligible for the new battery, which includes not having the phone with heavy out-of-warranty damages, which would incur a fee to fix them before they change the battery on the unit. And between all this, the company is reportedly preparing to launch a new Pixel a-series model in the form of Pixel 9a later this month. Multiple leaks and recent product clips have strongly hinted at an early launch this year, and even the promise of 7 OS upgrades for the mid-range Pixel model. About the Author S Aadeetya S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr... Read More S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr... Read More News18 Tech delivers the latest technology updates, including phone launches, gadget reviews, AI advancements, and more. Stay informed with breaking tech news , expert insights, and trends from India and around the world . Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: March 12, 2025, 12:09 IST Elon Musk Gets Donald Trumps Backing As US President Buys Tesla: He Is Being Treated Unfairly Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 08:17 IST US President Donald Trump has bought a red Tesla to show his support for Elon Musk. While he wont be driving it himself, his White House staff will be using the vehicle. Trump buys Tesla to show his support for Elon Musk amid backlash. Amid the ongoing anti-Musk protests, US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to announce his intention to buy Tesla to double down on his support" for Elon Musk in making American great again". Just hours after this post, the White House became a temporary Tesla showroom with five brand new cars. A video of Trump sitting in a red Tesla Model S is all over the Internet. Thats beautiful. Wow," Trump said after getting inside the car. He was impressed by the vehicles futuristic interface and said that it is a different panel that he has seen in any car and that everything is computer". Elon Musk then took the drivers seat, personally guiding the president through the cars features. Recommended Stories Im gonna buy [Tesla] because its a great product as good as it gets and this man [Elon Musk] has devoted his energy and his life to doing this, and I think he has been treated unfairly by a very small group of people," Trump told reporters outside the White House in the afternoon. Read| Elon Musk Says Tesla Will Double US Production In 2 Years As Companys Slumping Stock Climbs Elon Musk is a patriot: Trump He added, I just want people to know that you cant be penalised for being a patriot. And he is a great patriot. He has also done an incredible job with Tesla. I mean, nobody else has a car company started up in the last 30 years thats been successful, I dont think so." But because hes finding all sorts of terrible things that have taken place against our country, we want to penalise him in an economic sense. And I just think thats very unfair. So I just wanted to make a statement. Im going to buy one now," he went on to say. Tesla will double US production in 2 years: Musk As a function of the great policies of President Trump and his administration, and as an act of faith in America, Tesla is going to double vehicle output in the United States within the next two years," Elon Musk told the reporters outside the White House as Trump pats on his back. Trump then says, And by the way he makes one car, this one I dont understand and this one I dont want but thats okay It comes without a steering wheel." He then asks Musk to say something more about the car. The billionaire CEO added, The Cybertruck starts production in Texas next year and it is a self-driving car. It will not have steering, it will not have pedals." In support of the policies of President Donald Trump and to demonstrate our confidence in the future of the United States, Tesla commits to doubling vehicle production in the US within 2 years!" Musk wrote in post on Twitter (now X) on Wednesday. The duo later walked over to a Cybertruck, where Musk highlighted its durability, proudly noting, This car is bulletproof." Trump did not take the Tesla for a test drive, clarifying that he is not permitted to drive. However, he stated that his White House staff would use the vehicle. Anti-Musk protests Elon Musk, whom Trump tagged as a truly great American", has been facing backlash from people amid his role as a White House adviser and head of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Tesla shares have declined after he slashed government jobs, cancellation of contracts and and other measures. South Koreas second-biggest carmaker, Kia, too joined the protestors as they shared a Instagram post where its small SUV EV3 has a sticker pasted on it. It reads, I bought this after Elon went crazy." One of the anti-Musk stickers that is being sold online reads, I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Anti-Elon Tesla Club," reads another. A third states, Elon killed my resale value." Another that is up for sale asks Musk to Shut up". About the Author Arfa Javaid Arfa Javaid, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, keeps her finger on the social media pulse, covering all things trending and viral. She also covers human interest stories. A Delhi University alumna, Arfa also hol... Read More Arfa Javaid, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, keeps her finger on the social media pulse, covering all things trending and viral. She also covers human interest stories. A Delhi University alumna, Arfa also hol... Read More News18's viral page features trending stories, videos , and memes, covering quirky incidents, social media buzz from india and around the world, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: March 12, 2025, 07:35 IST Who Is Ratu Thalisa? Indonesian Influencer Jailed For 'Telling' Jesus To Get A Haircut Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 18:34 IST Ratu Thalisas imprisonment has been opposed by human rights group Amnesty International. Multiple Christian groups filed police complaints. (Photo Credit: Instagram) Indonesian social media influencer Ratu Thalisa has been sentenced to 2 years and 10 months in prison for blasphemy following a controversial remark about Jesus Christ. The Muslim transgender woman was found guilty by a court in North Sumatra province on March 10, 2025, for spreading online hate speech. The charges stem from a live broadcast last year, where Ratu was seen talking" to an image of Jesus and suggesting the deity should get a haircut. The court ruled that her comments disrupted public order" and religious harmony." Who Is Ratu Thalisa Recommended Stories Ratu Thalisa is a popular face on the short-form video sharing platform TikTok with 4,42,000 followers. On that fateful day in October 2024, Ratu Thalisa was responding to a TikTok comment, as reported by BBC. A user had asked Ratu to cut her hair to look like a man. In response to the remark, she held up an image of Jesus Christ and said, You should not look like a woman. You should cut your hair so that you will look like his father." Following this event, multiple Christian groups filed police complaints, prompting Ratu Thalisas arrest on October 8, 2024. At present, the court has ordered Ratu Thalisa to pay a fine of about $6,200 on par with her jail sentence. She has been put behind bars under Indonesias Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) law. Ratu Thalisas imprisonment has been opposed by human rights group Amnesty International. They perceived the incident to be a shocking attack on Ratu Thalisas freedom of expression". top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Amnesty Internationals Executive Director Usman Hamid said in his statement, The Indonesian authorities should not use the countrys EIT law to punish people for comments made on social media. While Indonesia should prohibit the advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, Ratu Thalisas speech act does not reach that threshold." Usman Hamid added that the authorities must reverse Ratu Thalisas conviction, ensuring her immediate and unconditional release". About the Author Buzz Staff A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on whats creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture. A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on whats creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture. News18's viral page features trending stories, videos , and memes, covering quirky incidents, social media buzz from india and around the world, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: March 12, 2025, 18:33 IST 25 Hours On And Counting: What's Slowing Down Jaffar Express Rescue Ops, What Do Baloch Militants Want? Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 15:19 IST Balochistan Liberation Army insurgents hijacked a train near Quetta, taking passengers hostage. Pakistani forces rescued 157 so far, but rugged terrain and bombers complicate efforts. Security forces have been deployed after the Jaffar Express train hijacking. (Image/Agencies) Its been 25 hours since Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) insurgents stopped a long-distance train in a rugged, mountainous area south of Quetta and took passengers hostage and 157 passengers out of over 400 have been rescued so far. Though the Pakistani security forces on Wednesday afternoon launched a full-scale" military operation to rescue the remaining hostages, its taking them too long to make headway. However, BLA has claimed to have released 80 hostages, mostly women and children. They also warned against any invasive action by the Pakistani army, saying theyll kill all hostages if any action is taken. Recommended Stories Click here for LIVE updates The number of militants involved in the attack is not clear yet and the security sources said on Wednesday that 27 had been killed so far. Heres why the rescue ops have been slow Attackers wearing suicide bombs were sitting next to passengers taken hostage after militants took over a train in southwest Pakistan, sources said on Wednesday, complicating rescue efforts a day after the countrys first such hijacking. Moreover, as the train is inside a tunnel, security forces are unable to carry out aerial ops. Rugged terrain, strategic location, and negotiations are also to be blamed. Some passengers killed, say eyewitnesses Several of those rescued were brought to Quetta early Wednesday, escorted by security forces, where their relatives were waiting for them. People were attacked passengers were injured and some passengers died," said Muhammad Ashraf, who was on the train. Several witnesses interviewed by Geo News said they were asked by security personnel to stay low when there was gunfire. Visuals from the broadcaster showed those rescued meeting and hugging relatives and friends. A woman, who said her son was among the passengers still held hostage, confronted provincial minister Mir Zahoor Buledi when he visited the freed passengers. If you cannot protect trains, then you should not run them. Please, bring my son back," she said. Pakistan Railways has suspended all operations from Punjab and Sindh provinces to Balochistan until security agencies confirm the area is safe , local media reported on Wednesday. Buledi told reporters that the government was working to improve the security situation in the region. Who are Pakistani Baloch separatists and what do they want The BLA is the strongest of a number of insurgent groups long operating in the area bordering Afghanistan and Iran, a mineral-rich region that is home to Beijings investment in Gwadar deep water port and other projects. In what was previously a low-level insurgency, the militants have in recent months stepped up their activities using new tactics to inflict high death and injury tolls and target Pakistans military. The BLA seeks independence for Balochistan, a province located in Pakistans southwest and bordering Afghanistan to the north and Iran to the west. It is the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups that have battled the federal government for decades, saying it unfairly exploits Balochistans rich gas and mineral resources. The BLA shocked the countrys security establishment when it stormed army and navy bases in 2022. It has deployed women suicide bombers, including in an attack on Chinese nationals at a university in Karachi and a bombing in southwest Balochistan. An umbrella group of several Baloch ethnic groups said last week that it had convened all factions in a bid to unite them under a unified military structure. A dormant BLA splinter group called BLA (AZAD) became active in recent weeks. Pak govts response The BLA, a group responsible for numerous attacks in the province in recent years, claimed responsibility for the assault. In a statement, they stated they had killed at least six military personnel and destroyed the railway track, causing the train to halt. The BLA also warned that any military retaliation would have severe consequences." They claimed that the passengers were taken hostage, although dozens of them later reached a nearby station, Panir. So far, the Pakistani military has not issued an official statement regarding these claims and did not respond to inquiries from Al Jazeera. Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the provincial government, announced that an emergency had been declared at hospitals in Sibi, the nearest city, with all medical staff on high alert to treat any victims of the attack. Government officials strongly condemned the assault, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressing his prayers for the recovery of the wounded. In his statement, Naqvi declared, The beasts who fire on innocent passengers do not deserve any concessions." What happened to the Jaffar Express? The Jaffar Express was carrying over 400 passengers, including many women and children, as well as dozens of security personnel. The passenger list shows 426 ticket holders, though its unclear if all of them boarded the train. The train left Quetta at 9 am (04:00 GMT) on Tuesday, beginning a journey of more than 1,600 km (994 miles) through Punjab to its final destination in Peshawar. The trip typically lasts around 30 hours, with stops at approximately 30 stations along the way. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Railway officials reported that the attack took place around 1 pm (08:00 GMT) while the train was passing through the rugged, mountainous Bolan Pass, an area containing several tunnels built during British colonial rule. (With inputs from Reuters) About the Author Poulami Kundu Poulami Kundu is a senior copy editor with News 18's general news desk. She hails from Guwahati and has over six years of experience in print and digital media. Poulami is a voracious reader, hodophile, and an ... Read More Poulami Kundu is a senior copy editor with News 18's general news desk. She hails from Guwahati and has over six years of experience in print and digital media. Poulami is a voracious reader, hodophile, and an ... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 15:07 IST BLA Shot Soldiers In Front Of Me: Freed Pakistan Train Hijack Hostage Recounts Terrifying Ordeal Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 11:52 IST Pakistan Train Hijack: One survivor, Muhammad Bilal, struggled to articulate the terror of the escape, saying it was beyond words. Pakistan Train Hijack: Another freed hostage, Allahditta, recounted the chaos as rebels stormed the train after the explosion. Pakistan Train Hijack: Freed hostages described a harrowing escape from a train siege in Pakistan in which at least 16 rebels were killed. Security forces rescued over 150 passengers after militants hijacked a passenger train in a tunnel in Pakistans Balochistan province. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack. Cant Find Words To Describe Recommended Stories One survivor, Muhammad Bilal, struggled to articulate the terror of the escape, saying it was beyond words. I cant find the words to describe how we managed to escape. It was terrifying," Muhammad Bilal told AFP. People Began Hiding Under Seats Another freed hostage, Allahditta, recounted the chaos as rebels stormed the train after the explosion. The 49-year-old and his family were released due to his heart condition. He said, I heard an explosion followed by gunfire as rebels boarded the train. People began hiding under the seats in panic. They separated the men from the women. They allowed me and my family to go because I told them Im a heart patient." We walked for a long time through the mountains to reach the nearest station. I havent eaten since I began fasting this morning, but I still cant bring myself to eat," Allahditta said, in reference to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. They Checked Our IDs One passenger described gunmen sorting through identity cards to confirm who was from outside of the province. He told AFP, They came and checked IDs and service cards and shot two soldiers in front of me and took the other four to, I dont know where. They checked IDs and those who were Punjabis were taken away by the terrorists." top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Location : Pakistan First Published: March 12, 2025, 11:47 IST Canada Claps Back After Trumps Metal Move, Mulls Retaliatory Tariffs Worth $20.7 Billion Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 20:23 IST Canada will announce C$29.8 bln in retaliatory tariffs on the United States on Wednesday in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs, a Canadian official said. Canada's Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump | File Image/AP Canada will impose C$29.8 bln in retaliatory tariffs on the United States effective Thursday morning in response to U.S. President Donald Trumps steel and aluminum tariffs, Canadas Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc said. Trumps increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports took effect on Wednesday as prior exemptions, duty free quotas and product exclusions expired, and as his campaign to reorder global trade norms in favor of the U.S. gains momentum. Recommended Stories Canada is the biggest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States. Canadas retaliation targets steel products worth C$12.6 billion and aluminum products worth C$3 billion as well as additional imported U.S. goods worth C$14.2 billion for a total of $29.8 billion. Products affected by Canadas counter-tariffs include computers, sports equipment, and cast iron products, LeBlanc said at a news conference. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The escalation of the U.S.-Canada trade war occurred as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prepared to hand over power this week to his successor Mark Carney, who won the leadership race of the ruling Liberals on Sunday. On Monday, Carney said he could not speak with Trump until he was sworn in as prime minister. Trump again on social media said he wanted Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State." Location : Ottawa, Canada First Published: March 12, 2025, 18:41 IST China Should Worry About Rising BLA Attacks Putting CPEC Projects In Balochistan At Risk: Intel Sources | Exclusive Reported By : CNN-News18 Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 17:20 IST The BLA has been attacking Chinese workers and infrastructure, such as convoys and projects, which directly threatens Chinas investments and personnel safety. Recent incidents, like the Jaffar Express hijack, show the BLAs growing capabilities BLA militants took responsibility for capturing the Peshawar-bound train. (Image: ANI/X) China should be worried about recent attacks by groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) targeting Beijings interests in Balochistan, top Indian intelligence sources told CNN-News18. Pakistans failure to effectively handle direct attacks on Beijings significant investments in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a cause for concern, they added. Recommended Stories Ongoing attacks increase risks to Chinese workers and projects, sources said, potentially delaying or derailing CPEC, an important key part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, with major projects like the Gwadar port (CPEC projects in Balochistan). The BLA has been attacking Chinese workers and infrastructure, such as convoys and projects, which directly threatens Chinas investments and personnel safety. Recent incidents, like the Jaffar Express hijack, show the BLAs growing capabilities. The BLA brigade has 5,000 fighters, and they have acquired US weapons provided to Pakistan after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021. The BLA has also evolved after 2018, especially by adopting tactics used by militant Islamist groups, like suicide bombings. The BLA has also boosted its ranks by recruiting women. Poor Pakistani responses and military operations havent fully stopped these attacks. This is an absolute failure of Pakistan in terms of response and containing the attacks," said a top intelligence source. Pakistans failure to ensure security means Chinas economic and strategic goals could be at risk or possible delays, increased costs, or even project cancellations. These attacks are also impacting Chinas reputation internationally, as instability might be seen as a failure to protect its interests. The ongoing attacks in Balochistan by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and possibly in coordination with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) suggest that Pakistan is a failed state." Chinas investment in CPEC, estimated at $65 billion, includes energy, transport, and industrial projects, with Gwadar port being a flagship project. Recent attacks have directly threatened Chinese interests, for which the BLA has claimed responsibility: August 13, 2023, Attack on Chinese Engineers: Unidentified militants, claimed by BLA, attacked a convoy in Gwadar. October 6, 2024, Karachi Attack: BLAs Majeed Brigade killed two Chinese nationals near Karachi airport, part of a pattern targeting Chinese workers far beyond Balochistan. August 2024, Coordinated Attacks: Over 70 killed, including targeting highways and infrastructure, with BLA claiming control, affecting CPEC routes. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all These attacks included targeting Punjabi workers, indirectly impacting Chinese projects. Pakistani security and intelligence lapses are serious, leading to Chinas frustration due to Pakistans inability to provide security, the sources said. The BLAs ability to conduct sophisticated assaults, with increased fighting capabilities with the help of modern weapons, is alarming, they added. About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 First Published: March 12, 2025, 17:20 IST Co-Founder Of Illegal File-Sharing Site Pirate Bay, Carl Lundstroem, Dies In Slovenia Plane Crash Published By : AFP Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 23:58 IST Slovenian police said that they found the body of a Swedish citizen but declined to identify that it was Lundstroem. Carl Lundstroem, co-founder of Pirate Bay, has died in a plane crash. (IMAGE: X) Swedish businessman Carl Lundstroem, co-founder of illegal file-sharing site The Pirate Bay, has died in an aeroplane crash in Slovenia, according to the far-right party he was linked to. Slovenian police confirmed on Wednesday to AFP that they found a body likely of the pilot, a Swedish citizen" but declined to identify him pending forensic research. Recommended Stories The plane crashed into a wooden cabin in the Velika Planina area of northern Slovenia on Monday, but bad weather prevented rescuers from recovering the body until Tuesday. Swedish far-right party Alternative for Sweden said in a post that Lundstroem had died in the accident. Lundstroem, a legend and veteran of Swedish nationalism, died in a plane crash on Monday," the post said. Lundstroem, 64, had taken off with his Mooney M20 aeroplane from Croatias capital Zagreb heading for Zurich in Switzerland, it added. Lundstroem was the grandson of the founder of the worlds largest crispbread producer Wasabroed. Founded in 2003, The Pirate Bay allows users to dodge copyright fees and share music, film and other files through peer-to-peer links offered on the site. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Sweden has repeatedly tried to put an end to The Pirate Bays activities. Swedish courts have already handed down prison sentences and heavy fines to Lundstroem and other founders. About the Author Shankhyaneel Sarkar Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev... Read More Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev... Read More Location : Ljubljana, Slovenia First Published: March 12, 2025, 23:58 IST Deep Dive Into ZIRAB, Baloch Liberation Armys Shadowy Intelligence Network Reported By : CNN-News18 Edited By: Apoorva Misra Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 21:38 IST Comprising researchers, informants, IT experts, data analysts, and investigators, ZIRAB gathers and analyses intelligence to identify targets, plan attacks, and maintain operational security People gather outside a train during an attack by separatist militants near Mashkaf, Pakistan. (IMAGE: REUTERS) The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) possesses a sophisticated intelligence apparatus, mirroring state agencies, complete with human and cyber intelligence capabilities, Pakistani intelligence sources have revealed. The network, characterised by a hierarchical structure and specialised roles, plays a crucial role in the BLAs operations. At the heart of this network is ZIRAB Zephyr Intelligence Research & Analysis Bureau BLAs intelligence wing. Comprising researchers, informants, IT experts, data analysts, and investigators, ZIRAB gathers and analyses intelligence to identify targets, plan attacks, and maintain operational security. Recommended Stories ZIRAB operates through clandestine cells in cities across Balochistan and boasts of deep infiltration within the Pakistani government and military. This intelligence network provides vital support to the BLAs armed units, such as the Majeed Brigade, in executing coordinated attacks. The recent hijacking of the Jaffar Express, echoing the BLAs audacious 2024 Dara-e-Bolan attack, underscores the groups growing capabilities and the crucial role of its intelligence network. Both operations, spanning over 24 hours and involving multiple BLA units, highlight the groups meticulous planning and coordination. The 2024 Dara-e-Bolan operation, an attempt to seize control of the strategic urban center of Mach city and its surrounding areas in Bolan, exemplifies ZIRABs effectiveness. ZIRAB provided real-time intelligence from local informants, surveillance, and intercepted communications, identifying vulnerabilities in Pakistani security and mapping routes for BLA fighters. This operation, involving over 380 fighters from various BLA units, including the Majeed Brigade, Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS), Fateh Squad, and the Intelligence Wing, aimed to demonstrate the BLAs capacity to liberate and control territory. ZIRABs intelligence gathering and analysis were pivotal to the operations success. Similarly, the Fateh Squad, an elite unit known for its exceptional combat skills and experience in direct assaults on fortified positions, played a crucial role in the recent train hijacking. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS), specialising in intelligence-driven covert missions, also works closely with ZIRAB to gather real-time data, identify high-value targets, and execute precision strikes. STOS plays a vital role in maximising the impact of BLA operations and minimising the opportunity for enemy counteraction. The BLAs recent operations, facilitated by its robust intelligence network and specialised units, highlight the groups increasing sophistication and capacity to conduct complex attacks, posing a significant challenge to Pakistani security forces. About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 First Published: March 12, 2025, 21:37 IST 'I'll Talk To Putin': Trump Hopes Russia Will Agree To Ceasefire As Zelenskyy Backs Truce Plan Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 09:03 IST Trump expressed hope that Russia would agree to the ceasefire proposal, that Ukraine has already agreed to, and said he would discuss it with Putin. Zelenskyy reaffirmed Ukraine's commitment to peace. US President Donald Trump talks to the media (Photo: Reuters) Hours after Saudi Arabia hosted top officials from America and Ukraine for high-stakes meetings, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (US time) said he hoped Russia would agree to a ceasefire plan drawn up by American and Ukrainian officials and that there would be a US meeting with Russia later. Ukraine had accepted a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States, following critical peace talks between the two sides in Saudi Arabia. Recommended Stories In remarks to reporters, Trump said he would invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy back to the White House. Trump said he hoped a total ceasefire could be achieved in the three-year war in the coming days. He said he thinks he will talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin about it this week. Now we have to go to Russia and hopefully President Putin will agree to that also," Trump said. Ill talk to Vladimir Putin, yeah Hopefully, hell also agree [to the ceasefire] and I really think that would be 75 per cent of the way," Trump said. Ukraine AGREED to ceasefireNow we have to go to Russia and hopefully President Putin will agree to that also Trumps FIRST reaction to Saudi talks https://t.co/fmpUKHBPGn pic.twitter.com/1V0cmiSDfu RT (@RT_com) March 11, 2025 Meanwhile, in an X post, Zelenskyy wrote the position of his country remains clear on peace. ALSO READ | Ukraine Backs 30-Day War Ceasefire, US Lifts Restrictions On Military Aid After Jeddah Talks Zelenskyy also posted a self-recorded video and said Ukraine was ready to accept the ceasefire proposal and that it was up to the United States to convince Russia to do the same. I received a report from our delegation on their meeting with the American team in Saudi Arabia. The discussion lasted most of the day and was good and constructiveour teams were able to discuss many important details," Zelenskyy wrote in a lengthy X post. Our position remains absolutely clear: Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war, and we want to do everything to achieve it as soon as possible and in a reliable wayso that war does not return," he added. Ukraine is ready to accept this proposalwe see it as a positive step and are ready to take it. Now, it is up to the United States to convince Russia to do the same. If Russia agrees, the ceasefire will take effect immediately," the concluding part of his tweet read. I received a report from our delegation on their meeting with the American team in Saudi Arabia. The discussion lasted most of the day and was good and constructiveour teams were able to discuss many important details.Our position remains absolutely clear: Ukraine has been pic.twitter.com/7EZXTVA52C Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) March 11, 2025 THE CRUCIAL TALKS IN SAUDI ARABIA Senior officials from Ukraine and the United States opened talks Tuesday focused on ending the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, hours after Russia shot down over 300 Ukrainian drones. It was Ukraines biggest attack since the Kremlin ordered the full-scale invasion of its neighbour. The talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah come after Trump paused US military aid to Ukraine last week, along with some intelligence sharing, in an attempt to pressure Zelenskyy to engage in negotiations to end the war against Russia. Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel later this week to Moscow, where he could meet with Putin, news agency PTI quoted a person familiar with the matter as saying. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all It was the first meeting between the two sides (US and Ukraine) since the Oval Office blowup between Trump and Zelenskyy last month. The delegations met for about three hours in the morning before taking a break, and officials said the talks continued in the afternoon. About the Author Vani Mehrotra Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks. Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks. First Published: March 12, 2025, 08:26 IST How The F**k Is It Legal?: Elon Musks Trans Daughter Vivian Says Father Used Sex-Selective IVF To Have Sons Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 11:18 IST Elon Musk's transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson (formerly Xavier Musk), alleged that he used sex-selective IVF to conceive her. Tesla CEO had 14 children with four different women over 20 years. Elon Musks transgender daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson has accused her estranged father of using sex-selective in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) when she was conceived to ensure male heirs. She revealed that she spent her entire life struggling against imposed masculinity, only to realise it was the result of a calculated decision. Vivian took to Instagrams Threads to ask how is it even legal to use sex-selective IVF. How the f**k is it legal," she asked. Recommended Stories She added, My assigned sex at birth was a commodity that was bought and paid for." Read| Elon Musk Gets Donald Trumps Backing As US President Buys Tesla: He Is Being Treated Unfairly So when I was feminine as a child and then turned out to be transgender, I was going against the product that was sold. That expectation of masculinity that I had to rebel against all my life was a monetary transaction. A monetary transaction. A monetary transaction," the 20-year-old further expressed. Elon Musk has yet to respond to his daughters claims. Elon Musks children Elon Musk has fathered 14 children over the past 20 years with four different women. His children are: Nevada, Vivian, Griffin, Kai, Saxon, Damian, X A-12, Exa, Strider, Azure, Techno, Arcadia, Seldon Lycurgus, and his child with St Clair. His first child, Nevada, was born to his first wife, Canadian author Justine Wilson, but tragically passed away at just 10 weeks old. Following this loss, the couple turned to IVF and had five more children. Among them, their eldest twin came out as a transgender woman at the age of 18. In 2022, Xavier Musk legally changed her name to Vivian Jenna Wilson, adopting her mothers surname to sever ties with Musk. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In her name change filing request, she cited gender identity" as one of the reasons. In another, she expressed her desire to be unrelated to her biological father in any way, shape or form". The SpaceX CEO during an interview had said, I lost my son, essentially My son Xavier is dead, killed by the woke mind virus so I vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that." About the Author Arfa Javaid Arfa Javaid, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, keeps her finger on the social media pulse, covering all things trending and viral. She also covers human interest stories. A Delhi University alumna, Arfa also hol... Read More Arfa Javaid, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, keeps her finger on the social media pulse, covering all things trending and viral. She also covers human interest stories. A Delhi University alumna, Arfa also hol... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 10:46 IST India Imposes 150% Tariffs On American Alcohol, 100% On Agricultural Products: White House Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 08:12 IST The Press Secretary mentioned the tariffs imposed by India and Japan on different US products adding that today the US President actually looks out" for the interests of American businesses and workers. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. (Reuters) White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed concerns over tariffs imposed on the US by various countries, specifically mentioning Indias tariffs on American alcohol and agricultural products. These tariffs are part of Indias broader trade policies, which include high tariffs and non-tariff barriers on most agricultural and consumer-ready food products, ranging from 30-40 per cent. Recommended Stories While addressing a press briefing Leavitt said that US President Donald Trump believes in reciprocity and wants to have fair and balanced trade practices. The Press Secretary also slammed Canada for allegedly ripping off" the US and its citizens for decades" with its egregious" rate of tariffs. When questioned about the timeline for Trump speaking to Canadas Prime Minister-designate Mark Carney, Leavitt responded, The president is again responding to the fact that Canada has been ripping off the United States of America and hardworking Americans for decades. If you look at the rates of tariffs across the board that Canadians have been imposing on the American people and our workers here, it is egregious." The Press Secretary mentioned the tariffs imposed by India and Japan on different US products adding that today the US President actually looks out" for the interests of American businesses and workers. In fact, I have a handy dandy chart here that shows not just Canada but the rate of tariffs across the board. If you look at Canada since you brought it up, American cheese and butter has a nearly 300 per cent tariff. You look at India, 150 per cent tariff on American alcohol. Do you think thats helping Kentucky bourbon be exported into India? I dont think so. 100 per cent tariff on agricultural products from India," Leavitt said. #WATCH | Washington, DC: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says, Look at India, 150 per cent tariff on American alcohol. Do you think thats helping Kentucky Bourbon be exported to India? I dont think so. 100 per cent tariff on agricultural products from IndiaPresident pic.twitter.com/fctjCHogsv ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2025 Look at Japan, tariffing rice, 700 per cent. President Trump believes in reciprocity and it is abouttime that we have a president who actually looks out for the interests of American businesses and workers. And all hes asking for at the end of the day are fair and balanced trade practices and unfortunately, Canada has not been treating us very fairly at all over the past several decades," she added. Meanwhile, amid pressure from the United States, the Indian government has slashed the import duty on bourbon whiskey from 150 to 100 per cent and lowered tariffs on several varieties of wines. India has imposed a 50 per cent basic customs duty on bourbon imports, along with an additional 50 per cent agricultural cess. In the previous year, India imported $2.6 million worth of bourbon-related products, with $0.8 million of that total coming from the United States. Earlier on Sunday, Trump mentioned that the tariffs against Mexico and Canada could go higher in the future, Fox News reported adding that the global community has been ripping off the US for ages. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all I think [the business community could see clarity on tariffs]," he said, addressing CEOs desire to see predictability for Capital Expenditure spending and shareholder purposes. But the tariffs could go up as time goes by, and they may go up" he added, as per Fox News."For years, globalists have been ripping off the United States. Theyve been taking money away from the United States, and all were doing is getting some of it back, and were going to treat our country fairly," Fox News quoted Trump as saying. Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: March 12, 2025, 07:39 IST Free, Open, Secure, Safe Indian Ocean Is A Shared Priority For India, Mauritius: PM Modi Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 13:42 IST Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of a free, open, secure, and safe Indian Ocean during his two-day visit to Mauritius. PM Modi addresses the Indian diaspora in Port Louis, Mauritius. (IMAGE: X) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Mauritius, said a free, open, secure, and safe Indian Ocean is a shared priority for India and Mauritius. Addressing an event in the capital city of the island nation, he said, In the second phase of community development projects, new projects worth 500 million Mauritian Rupees will be started. As many as 500 civil servants from Mauritius will be trained in India in the next five years. We have also agreed to settle our mutual trade in local currency." Recommended Stories PM Modi also held talks with his Mauritian counterpart Navin Ramgoolam to boost strategic partnership. He said, Prime Minister Navin Chandra Ramgoolam and I decided to give the India-Mauritius partnership the status of Enhanced Strategic Partnership. We decided that India will cooperate in building the new Parliament building in Mauritius. This will be a gift to Mauritius from the Mother of Democracy." -|Strengthening cooperation, expanding horizons!PM @narendramodi & PM @Ramgoolam_Dr held delegation-level talks, reviewing key areas of our bilateral partnership. Both leaders affirmed to upgrade ties to Enhanced Strategic Partnership. pic.twitter.com/Ez92tfIht5 Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 12, 2025 PM Modi later took to X and wrote, On the special occasion of Mauritius National Day, I had the opportunity to meet my good friend, PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam and discuss the full range of India-Mauritius friendship. We have decided to raise our partnership to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership. We talked about how we can work together in areas such as infrastructure, housing, digital technology, health and more. We also want to cover more ground in areas like AI, capacity building and sustainable growth," he added. On the special occasion of Mauritius National Day, I had the opportunity to meet my good friend, PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam and discuss the full range of India-Mauritius friendship. We have decided to raise our partnership to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.We talked about pic.twitter.com/DvNDUy7ML4 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 12, 2025 On Tuesday, while addressing the Indian diaspora at a community event in Port Louis, PM Modi said, Mauritius is like Mini India". Modi said that Mauritius is not just a partner country. For us, Mauritius is family!", he said. This bond is deep and strongly rooted in history, heritage, and the human spirit." Mauritius is also a bridge connecting India to the wider Global South. A decade ago, in 2015, on my first as the PM, I announced Indias SAGAR vision. SAGAR means Security and Growth for All in the Region. Today, Mauritius is still at the heart of this vision," he added. At the beginning of the event, Modi handed over the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards to Ramgoolam and his wife Veena. He said that the decision has been made to extend the OCI Card to the seventh generation of the Indian diaspora in Mauritius. Mauritius PM Bestows Highest Honour On PM Modi top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be conferred with the nations highest honour, The Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean. Modi is the first Indian to receive this prestigious award, which recognises his contributions to strengthening ties between India and Mauritius. This marks the 21st international award conferred upon PM Modi by a foreign nation. Ramgoolam said Modi is the fifth foreign national to receive this distinguished recognition. About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 12:51 IST Photo taken on March 10, 2025 shows a production line at the Zettanet factory in Kisber, Hungary. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) The investment is expected to enhance Hungary's industrial capabilities and strengthen bilateral economic relations. KISBER, Hungary, March 11 (Xinhua) -- A new milestone in Chinese-Hungarian economic cooperation was celebrated with the grand opening of ZettaNet, a newly established optical cable manufacturing company in Kisber, Hungary on Monday. The investment, backed by Chinese telecommunications giant FiberHome, is expected to enhance Hungary's industrial capabilities and strengthen bilateral economic relations. "This newly established ZettaNet cable manufacturing base is our first industrial entity invested in and constructed in Europe," said Zeng Jun, Chairman of the Board of FiberHome. The Hungarian facility aims to leverage FiberHome's expertise in the fiber optic cable industry to establish a high-end optical communication manufacturing hub in Europe. The site will integrate production, technological research and development, and logistics delivery to serve the broader European market, he said. Photo taken on March 10, 2025 shows a production line at the Zettanet factory in Kisber, Hungary. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) Judit Bertalan Czunyine, state secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration and Regional Development, emphasized the project's positive impact on the local economy. She noted that the arrival of high-tech investments boosts economic resilience, competitiveness, and diversification, adding that "this project marks another important milestone in this process." Levente Magyar, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, stressed the importance of evaluating the project's impact on the local community. He also pointed out that Hungary's strategic location makes it an attractive destination for Chinese investors and underlined the need for competitive wages to retain skilled labor. Photo taken on March 10, 2025 shows a production line at the Zettanet factory in Kisber, Hungary. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua) Chinese Ambassador to Hungary Gong Tao remarked that the project was completed and put into operation in less than a year. He stated that this achievement not only demonstrated the efficiency and strength of Chinese companies but also reflected the mutual trust, cooperation, and shared vision between China and Hungary. Editor: GSY Pakistan Train Hijack: Over 190 Hostages Freed, 30 Baloch Militants Killed In Gunfight Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 16:22 IST At least 16 rebels were killed and 104 passengers rescued after Baloch separatists hijacked the Jaffar Express in Pakistan. The Balochistan Liberation Army has claimed responsibility The Balochistan Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the attack. (Photo: X) At least 27 rebels were killed and 155 passengers rescued by security forces after Baloch separatists hijacked a passenger train in a tunnel in Pakistans volatile Balochistan province on Tuesday. The Jaffar Express, which was carrying approximately 400 passengers across nine carriages, was en route from Quetta to Peshawar when armed assailants intercepted it in a tunnel near the mountainous areas of Gudalar and Piru Kunri on Tuesday afternoon. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) later claimed responsibility for the attack. Recommended Stories Click here for LIVE updates. Security sources confirmed that, following an ongoing gun battle with the insurgents, they were able to rescue 104 passengers, including women and children. During the ongoing gun battle, 16 insurgents were killed and many others injured," said one source, adding that the operation would continue until all passengers were freed from the train. The remaining militants are believed to have taken some of the passengers into the mountains, with security forces in pursuit through the dark terrain. The rescued passengers, including 58 men, 31 women, and 15 children, were sent to Mach, a town in Kachhi district, Balochistan, by another train. The militants have now split into smaller groups to attempt an escape under the cover of darkness, but the security forces have surrounded the tunnel and the remaining passengers will soon be rescued," the source added. Previously, security forces had successfully rescued 80 passengers, including 43 men, 26 women, and 11 children, according to Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind. Although further details have not been provided, Rind confirmed that security forces, including military personnel, had reached the rugged area where the tunnel is located shortly after the train was stopped. Reports from Pakistani media indicated intense gunfire and explosions near the tunnel where the hijacking took place. Rind stated that rescue teams were dispatched in response to reports of heavy firing at the Peshawar-bound train. In response, Pakistan Railways established an emergency desk at both the Peshawar and Quetta stations, as anxious relatives and friends sought information about their loved ones aboard the train. Train services from Quetta to Peshawar had only resumed after a suspension of more than six weeks. Rana Muhammad Dilawar, the district police officer for the area, said that security forces had cordoned off the region, but there were reports that the militants had taken some women and children hostage. He also noted that four to five government officials were on the train. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Tariq Mahmood, a senior official at Peshawar Railway Station, urged the public not to believe rumours circulating on social media or other platforms. This incident follows a previous attack in November last year when a suicide bomber killed 26 people and injured 62 others at the Quetta railway station, which led to the suspension of several services by Pakistan Railways. About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More Location : Pakistan First Published: March 12, 2025, 08:39 IST PM Modi Performs Puja, Offers Gangajal At Ganga Talao In Mauritius | Watch Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 22:52 IST Ganga Talao, also referred to as Grand Bassin, symbolises Indias sacred River Ganga. In 1972, its holy waters were infused with water brought directly from the Ganges, cementing its spiritual significance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ganga Talao in the district of Savanne. (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday performed puja and offered the holy Ganga water, brought from Prayagrajs Maha Kumbh, at Ganga Talao pilgrimage site in Mauritius Savanne during his two-day visit to the island nation. He also offered prayers at the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Ganga Talao, considered to be the most sacred Hindu place in Mauritius, is situated in a secluded mountain area in the heart of the country. Recommended Stories VIDEO | Mauritius: Visuals of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Ganga Talao in the district of Savanne.(Source: Third Party)#PMModi #GangaTalao #MauritiusVisit pic.twitter.com/zOHUN8sXmH Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 12, 2025 Ganga Talao, also referred to as Grand Bassin, symbolises Indias sacred River Ganga. In 1972, its holy waters were infused with water brought directly from the Ganges, cementing its spiritual significance. It is surrounded by temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Lord Hanuman and represents the spiritual legacy of the Hindu faith. At the Ganga Talao in Mauritius, I had the honour of immersing water from the Triveni Sangam into the Talao. For millions of Hindus around the world, the Triveni Sangam is of special significance. This years Mahakumbh drew pilgrims from all over the world, including Mauritius. pic.twitter.com/TkINhC1DlZ Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 12, 2025 The site is being redeveloped with the assistance of the Indian government to transform it into a religious, cultural and tourist hub for millions of Hindu devotees worldwide. This initiative was announced during President Droupadi Murmus visit to Mauritius in 2024. A notable feature of the Ganga Talao is the 33-metre high Mangal Mahadev statue of Lord Shiva, which is the tallest statue in Mauritius. Built in 2007, this statue was inspired by the Shiva statue near Sursagar Lake in Vadodara, Gujarat. PM Modis Visit To Mauritius PM Modi arrived in Mauritius on Tuesday to attend the national day celebrations of Mauritius as the chief guest. A contingent of Indian armed forces also participated in the celebrations along with a warship of the Indian Navy and the Akash Ganga skydiving team of the Indian Air Force. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all He was also conferred with Mauritius highest civilian award, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (GCSK). He is the first Indian to receive this prestigious award, which recognises his contributions to strengthening ties between India and Mauritius. He is the fifth foreign national to receive this distinguished recognition. This marks the 21st international award conferred upon PM Modi by a foreign nation. Since 2005, India has been among the largest trading partners of Mauritius. About the Author Shobhit Gupta Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He previously worked with Hindustan Times Digital (HTDS) and NDTV. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India ... Read More Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He previously worked with Hindustan Times Digital (HTDS) and NDTV. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India ... Read More Location : Port Louis, Mauritius First Published: March 12, 2025, 16:41 IST 128 Potato-Shaped Moons Found On Saturn, Bringing Its Total to 274: Report Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 11:21 IST Saturn now has 274 moons after scientists discovered 128 new moons using advanced telescopes, a report has claimed. Image shows some of Saturns previously discovered moons (NASA) A total of 128 new moons, all potato-shaped and irregular, have been found orbiting Saturn, bringing the total to 274 moons on the planet. According to a report with The Guardian, with the new moons found, Saturn now has twice as many as all other planets combined. Recommended Stories Sure enough, we found 128 new moons," Dr Edward Ashton, a postdoctoral fellow in the Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Academia Sincia in Taiwan, was quoted by the report as saying. Based on our projections, I dont think Jupiter will ever catch up," he added. Earlier, the same team of astronauts had identified 62 Saturnian moons using the Canada France Hawaii telescope. As of February 5, 2024, Jupiter has a total of 95 moons. According to the report, the new moons on Saturn have been formally recognised by the International Astronomical Union and have been assigned strings of numbers and letters. Later, the moons would be given names based on Gallic, Norse and Canadian Inuit Gods. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The moons were identified using the shift and stack" technique, in which astronomers acquire sequential images that trace the moons path across the sky and combine them to make the moon bright enough to detect, the report claimed. All of the 128 new moons are irregular moons", potato-shaped objects that are just a few kilometres across, it stated. About the Author Vani Mehrotra Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks. Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks. First Published: March 12, 2025, 10:59 IST Planning Europe Trip This Summer? Here's A Guide To Schengen Visa For Indians Published By : Trending Desk Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 14:38 IST At first, obtaining a Schengen Visa may seem difficult, but it can be easy if you follow the correct procedures and get some clear guidance. A Schengen visa allows holders to travel to 29 Schengen and EU nations. Millions of people from all over the world have made Europe their top tourism destination for decades. Nearly 90 million international travellers visit France annually, making it the most visited country in the world (with Spain coming in second). Meanwhile, dozens of other European countries, including France, Germany, and Spain, are also Schengen Zone members. If you are also planning a trip to Europe soon, you will probably need to apply for a Schengen visa beforehand. Recommended Stories A Schengen Visa: What Is It? A Schengen visa is a temporary travel permit that is granted by Schengen member countries authorities. For up to 90 days throughout 180 days, it allows citizens of non-EU/EEA nations to enter and move freely within the Schengen Zone. Typically, this visa is used for short-term stays like business or vacation. The following nations are part of the Schengen Zone: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Why is a Schengen visa required for Indians? Indian passport holders cannot enter the Schengen Zone without a visa. One visa allows entrance into every Schengen nation. Types of Schengen Visas for Indians Tourist Visa: For travel and sightseeing Business Visa: For work-related events and meetings Family Visit Visa: For travelling to Schengen nations to see family Transit Visa: For flights that connect at Schengen airports Schengen Visa: Where do Indians need to apply? If visiting one nation, apply at that countrys Embassy/Consulate using VFS Global. If you are visiting numerous countries, apply to the country where you will spend the longest. If the stay duration is equal: Apply to the nation of first entry. Schengen Visa: Fee, Processing Time and Validity Fees for Visas (effective 2025) For Adults: 80 (about Rs 7,200). For Children (6-12 years): 40 (around Rs 3,600) It is important to note that children under six years old are free. VFS Processing Fee: 20-25 (approximately Rs 1,800-Rs 2,200). Validity and Processing Time The standard processing time is 1530 days. Ideally, applications should be submitted 4560 days before departure. The validity of the visa is 90 days out of 180 days. Schengen Visa: List of documents needed A passport that is valid for at least six months and has two blank pages The filled-out and signed Visa Application Form New passport-sized photographs (per Schengen requirements) Reservations for flights (tickets do not need to be purchased before approval) Hotel Reservations/Invitation Letter (If staying with friends or family) Travel insurance with a minimum coverage of 30,000 for unexpected medical expenses top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all ITR returns and bank statements (proof of adequate finances) A cover letter outlining the schedule and reason for the trip. About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 14:38 IST Sheikh Hasina's Dhaka Residence Seized, Family Assets Frozen Amid Probe Into Corruption Case Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 08:46 IST The order was issued by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Ghalib following an application by the Anti-Corruption Commission. Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (Image: Reuters) A Dhaka Court on Tuesday ordered the seizure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas Dhanmondi residence, Sudasadhan, and some other properties owned by her family members. In addition to this, the court ordered the seizure of 124 bank accounts belonging to her family. The order was issued by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Ghalib following an application by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Recommended Stories Notably, the house Sudhasadan was named after Sheikh Hasinas husband, the late nuclear scientist MA Wazed Miah. In addition to Sheikh Hasina, some other properties have been seized, owned by her son Sajib Wazed Joy, daughter Saima Wazed Putul, sister Sheikh Rehana, and her daughters, Tulip Siddique and Radwan Mujib Siddique. On February 6, Bangladeshs Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a strong protest with the Indian Government over the false and fabricated" comments and statements continuously being made in different platforms, including social media, by the countrys former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. She was accused of instigating instability in the country. The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry conveyed deep concern, disappointment and serious reservations of the Government of Bangladesh, claiming that statements made by Hasina were hurting the sentiments of Bangladeshis. Bangladesh has requested the Government of India to immediately take appropriate measures and asked to take steps to stop Hasina from making such false, fabricated and incendiary statements" using social media and other communications while she is in India, the statement said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all In August last year, a mass student-led movement was witnessed in Bangladesh, which led to the ouster of Bangladeshs Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. Following this, Hasina, 77, fled to India, and an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed. (With agency inputs) About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More Location : Dhaka, Bangladesh First Published: March 12, 2025, 08:46 IST 'He Seemed Pretty Normal': OpenAI Whistleblower Suchir Balaji's Mother Shares Picture From Day Of His Death Reported By : CNN-News18 Edited By: Oindrila Mukherjee Last Updated: March 13, 2025, 00:10 IST Suchir Balaji's mother Poornima Rao alleged that the office of the chief medical examiner saw this video and still concluded that he was depressed and called his death a suicide OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji's mother shared a purported CCTV grab of her son getting dinner on the day of his death. (Image: @RaoPoornima/X) The mother of OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji, who was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26 last year, has shared a picture of him getting dinner on the day of his death. Contrary to his parents claims, Suchirs autopsy report, which was released earlier in February, ruled out any foul play and confirmed death by suicide. Flagging numerous inconsistencies, his parents had said they disagree with the report while continuing to conduct their own investigation. Recommended Stories Posting the picture on X on Wednesday, Poornima Rao claimed that it is a CCTV grab from the liaison office of the apartment building where he lived. Suchirs picture on the day of his death at 7.30 pm, getting dinner. This is from CCTV footage," she wrote. Check her post here: https://x.com/raopoornima/status/1899867607043629098?s=46 She alleged that the office of the chief medical examiner (OCME) saw this video and still concluded that he was depressed and called his death a suicide. Another cover by OCME: they stated to our attorney that GHB (date-rape drug) is endogenous (formed in dead bodies) three days after death. But, we found out that the level of endogenous GHB is less than 5,000 ng/L. A line in the autopsy report says that toxicology report will include GHB only if it is more than 50,000 ng/L. Combined with alcohol this is a sedative. With this combination he will be losing muscle control or possibly (become) unconscious. We are waiting for toxicologist to give a written report," she added. Rao said Suchirs death was ruled as suicide but they are conducting their own investigation based on reports from the OCME, toxicology, and CT scan. Actually, we were only shown this video as a courtesy from the liaison office of the apartment where he (Suchir) used to stay, so we were only allowed to take a screenshot. At that moment, it was only him and he seemed pretty normal," she told CNN-News18. ALSO READ | Who Was Suchir Balaji? Know About Former OpenAI Researcher Found Dead In San Francisco Asked if she will be taking her case to DOGE chief Elon Musk, who had supported their campaign since Day 1, she said: Well reach out to him once we have conclusive decision on the case, we are waiting for some more experts to give their opinion." We are building a case, we will reach out to the Trump Administration soon to take action against the chief medical examiners office. We will also go to Elon Musk and file a complaint with the North American Association of Medical Examiners," she added. She further said Dr Karen Ziegler was the doctor who performed the autopsy, alleging that she failed to look through the CT scan and injuries on Suchirs body other than the fatal gunshot wound. Suchirs cheek bones are broken, there is laceration on the tongue," she said, adding that they are also planning to file a complaint against David Sewell, executive director of OCME. WHAT DID THE AUTOPSY REPORT SAY? Suchir, 26, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment last year after he flagged ethical concerns regarding OpenAIs practices. Three days before the report was released, Rao had alleged the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) of providing inaccurate information in autopsy and police report. They have never retrieved CCTV footage from the leasing office. We need report from police. We are only requesting transparent investigation," she had written in a post on X. According to media reports, the police and medical examiners jointly issued a four-page statement, and the OCME released a comprehensive 13-page report that confirmed Suchirs death was a suicide. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all The report said there were no signs of injuries or bruising on his body and no evidence of forced entry into his apartment as the door was locked from the inside. The windows were not considered viable entry points, it said. The report further stated that his internet history revealed that he searched about brain anatomy before taking the extreme step, and the gun found at the scene was registered in his name. Gunshot residue was detected on both his hands, and a toxicology report showed the presence of ethanol and amphetamines, it added. About the Author Siddhant Mishra Siddhant Mishra is a Senior Special Correspondent at CNN-News18, covering foreign affairs and international relations. With over 12 years of experience in journalism, he has also reported extensively on crime, ... Read More Siddhant Mishra is a Senior Special Correspondent at CNN-News18, covering foreign affairs and international relations. With over 12 years of experience in journalism, he has also reported extensively on crime, ... Read More First Published: March 12, 2025, 23:49 IST 'Tortured': Palestinian Victims Of Israeli Abuse Testify At UN On Brutal Beatings & Sexual Assault Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 19:18 IST Israel's ambassador to the UN in Geneva dismissed them as a waste of time, saying Israel investigated and prosecuted any allegations of wrongdoing by its forces boy walks past graffiti depicting a Palestinian fighter at al-Amari camp south of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on March 11, 2025. (AFP photo) Palestinians who say they suffered brutal beatings and sexual abuse in Israeli detention and at the hands of Israeli settlers testified about their ordeals at the United Nations this week. I was humiliated and tortured," said Said Abdel Fattah, a 28-year-old nurse detained in November 2023 near Gaza Citys Al Shifa hospital where he worked. Recommended Stories Ahead of the hearings Daniel Meron, Israels ambassador to the UN in Geneva dismissed them as a waste of time, saying Israel investigated and prosecuted any allegations of wrongdoing by its forces. Fattah gave his testimony from Gaza via video-link to a public hearing, speaking through an interpreter. He described being stripped naked in the cold, suffering beatings, threats of rape and other abuse over the next two months as he was shuttled between overcrowded detention facilities. I was like a punching bag," he said of one particularly harrowing interrogation he endured in January 2024. The interrogator, he said, kept hitting me on my genitals I was bleeding everywhere, I was bleeding from my penis, I was bleeding from my anus". I felt like my soul (left) my body." Shocking Fattah spoke Tuesday during the latest of a series of public hearings hosted by the UNs independent Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. This weeks hearings, harshly criticised by Israel, are specifically focused on allegations of sexual and reproductive violence" committed by Israeli security forces and settlers. Its important," COI member Chris Sidoti, who hosted the meeting, told AFP. Victims of such abuse are entitled to be heard", he said. Experts and advocates who testified Tuesday spoke of a systematic" trend of sexual violence against Palestinians in detention, but also at checkpoints and other settings since Hamass October 7, 2023 attacks inside Israel sparked the war in Gaza. Meron, for Israel, slammed attempts to equate allegations against individual Israelis with Hamass shocking sexual violence towards Israeli hostages, towards victims on October 7". Any such comparison was reprehensible", he told reporters on Monday. He insisted the hearings were wasting time", since Israel as a country with law and order" would investigate and prosecute any wrongdoings. But Palestinian lawyer Sahar Francis decried a glaring lack of accountability, alleging that abuse had become a widespread policy". All those arrested from Gaza were strip-searched, she said, with the soldiers in some cases pushing the sticks" into the prisoners anus. Sexual abuse happened in a very massive way" especially in the first months of the war, she said. I think you can say that most of those who were arrested in these months were subjected to such practice." Just shoot me The allegations of abuse are not limited to detention centres. Mohamed Matar, a West Bank resident, said he suffered hours of torture at the hands of security agents and settlers, even as Israeli police refused to intervene. Just days after the October 7 attack, he and other Palestinian activists went to help protect a Bedouin community facing settler attacks. As they were leaving the compound, they were chased and caught by a group of settlers, who he said were joined by members of Israels Shabak security agency. He and two other men were blindfolded, stripped to their underwear and, had their hands tied before being taken into a nearby stable. The leader stood on my head and ordered me to eat the faeces of the sheep", said Matar. With dozens of settlers around, the man urinated on the three, and beat them so badly during the nearly 12 hours of abuse that Matar said he cried: just shoot me in the head". The man, he said, jumped on his back and repeatedly tried to introduce a stick into my anus". Blinking back tears, Matar showed Sidoti a photograph taken by the settlers showing the three blindfolded men lying in the dirt in their underwear. Other pictures taken after the ordeal showed him with massive bruises all over his body. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all Speaking to journalists after his testimony, he said he had spent months in a state of psychological shock". I didnt think there were people on Earth with such a level of ugliness, sadism and cruelty." Location : Switzerland First Published: March 12, 2025, 19:17 IST Trump Says Negotiators Heading To Russia 'Right Now' With Ukraine Truce Proposal Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: March 13, 2025, 00:08 IST Trump expressed hope that Putin would agree to the US proposal, which Ukraine has already accepted US President Donald Trump expressed hope that Russian President Vladimir Putin would agree to the US proposal. (Reuters File Image) US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Washington-led negotiators are currently heading to Moscow to propose a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Weve got people going to Russia right now as we speak," Trump said, confirming that envoys had been sent to present the Ukraine truce deal to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Recommended Stories And if we do, I think that would be 80 percent of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath finished," he added. However, despite the announcement the US President did not disclose further details on the negotiating team. This comes after the Kremlin confirmed it is awaiting more information from Washington regarding the proposal. Trump expressed hope that Putin would agree to the US proposal, which Ukraine has already accepted. I hope hes going to have a ceasefire," the US President told reporters at the White House. Its up to Russia now," he added. Trump also hinted at the possibility of devastating" sanctions to pressure Moscow into agreeing to a truce but stressed, I hope thats not going to be necessary." I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I dont want to do that because I want to get peace," Trump noted. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had earlier said that Kyiv is ready to accept the deal to halt the fighting and warned that the US would issue a strong" response and pressure Moscow if it rejects the ceasefire proposal. Since Russias invasion in February 2022, tens of thousands of lives have been lost in the ongoing conflict. The joint US-Ukrainian proposal marks a significant step towards a potential truce, especially after Trump had previously removed Zelenskyy from the White House and halted military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. The US later resumed its support following Ukraines agreement to the truce proposal in talks held in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Earlier today, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that the US is seeking Russias full, unconditional agreement to the ceasefire proposal. Thats what we want to know if theyre prepared to do it unconditionally," Rubio said. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all If the response is, yes, then we know weve made real progress, and theres a real chance of peace. If their response is no, it would be highly unfortunate, and itll make their intentions clear," he added. (With inputs from agencies) About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d... Read More Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: March 12, 2025, 22:25 IST Zelenskyy Says US Will Issue 'Strong' Response If Russia Rejects 30-Day Ceasefire Offer Last Updated: March 12, 2025, 21:19 IST The proposal to pause fighting between Russia and Ukraine after more than three years of brutal warfare came after intensive talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Saudi Arabia Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (AP Image) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said that the United States would issue a strong" response to Russia if the Kremlin refused a 30-day ceasefire offer put forward by Washington and Kyiv. The proposal to pause fighting between Russia and Ukraine after more than three years of brutal warfare came after intensive talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Saudi Arabia. Recommended Stories It also follows an explosive spat between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, who lifted a freeze on military aid to Ukraine after Kyiv accepted the truce plan the latest in a rapid-fire series of developments on the conflict. Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv that the United States would pile pressure on Moscow if it did not accept a halt to fighting that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. I understand that we can count on strong steps. I dont know the details yet but we are talking about sanctions and strengthening Ukraine," Zelensky told reporters including AFP journalists. Everything depends on whether Russia wants a ceasefire and silence, or it wants to continue killing people," the Ukrainian leader added. The truce offer comes at a difficult moment on the battlefield for Ukraine which is losing ground in the east and south of the country where officials said eight people were killed on Wednesday. Muted Kremlin response And even if Russia agrees to a ceasefire, much remains uncertain in negotiations. Ukraine has pressed for security guarantees, but Trump has ruled out NATO membership. The Kremlin in its first comments on the proposition said that it was waiting for details from Washington. Earlier this month, however, its foreign ministry had said that a temporary ceasefire was unacceptable". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow did not rule out a high-level" phone call with the United States about Ukraine. We assume that Secretary of State (Marco) Rubio and Advisor (Michael) Waltz through various channels in the coming days will inform us on the negotiations that took place and the understandings reached," Peskov said. Earlier, Russian news agencies reported that US and Russian intelligence chiefs had held their first phone call in several years. The CIAs John Ratcliffe and Sergei Naryshkin of Russias SVR foreign intelligence service agreed on regular contact" between their agencies to contribute to the international stability and security, as well as a decrease in confrontation in relations between Moscow and Washington", the TASS news agency reported. There is little hope in Ukraine, however, that even if the Kremlin agrees to a truce that its forces would actually halt fighting. Peace only when Putin dies I have emphasised this many times, none of us trust the Russians," Zelensky said. In the frontline Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, a 44-year-old Ukrainian serviceman said Russia could only be forced into peace. Theyll say in public that theres no fighting and no shelling, but this scum has always harassed us and it will continue to," he told AFP. Roman Dunayevsky, 56, said Russia likely would not stick to its agreements and that there was only one way to ensure peace. Peace will come when Putin dies. Thats the only way. When the dictator is gone," he told AFP in the Ukrainian capital. In Washington, Trump said that he was ready to welcome Zelensky back to the White House and may speak to President Vladimir Putin this week. Asked by a reporter about the prospects of a comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump answered: Well, I hope it will be over the next few days." Russia, despite already holding several rounds of talks with US officials, has stepped up attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure and seized back land in its Kursk region that Ukrainian forces had infiltrated. Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv that Russia was intensifying attacks in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have been losing ground since launching their audacious cross-border offensive there last August. Maximum pressure The Russians are clearly trying to put maximum pressure on our troops, and our military command is doing what it has to do," Zelensky said. The Russian military just several hours earlier announced more sweeping gains in Kursk, taking back control of five villages and entering Sudzha, the largest town that fell under Kyivs control. Trumps abrupt shift on Ukraine following Bidens strong support has rattled European allies, with France and Germany increasingly speaking of developing common European defence if the United States no longer offers its security guarantees through NATO. top videos View all Swipe Left For Next Video View all German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday said that any ceasefire must be part of a process that leads to a lasting agreement". Some things are very important and central a ceasefire must be embedded in a peace process that leads to a lasting agreement," Scholz told reporters in Berlin alongside EU Council chief Antonio Costa. Location : Kyiv, Ukraine First Published: March 12, 2025, 21:17 IST A tourist wearing flowery headwear poses for photos in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Feb. 3, 2025. Fuzhou is home to a rich intangible cultural heritage, including Shoushan stone carvings, Fuzhou bodiless lacquerware, wood carvings, and oil-paper umbrellas, etc. In recent years, Fuzhou has been exploring new pathways in the inheritance and innovation of intangible cultural heritage. By integrating intangible cultural heritage into daily life and attracting more young people to experience it, new vitality is injected into its inheritance and development. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) Craft artist Chen Lizhong (1st L) instructs students on Shoushan stone carvings at a studio in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, March 5, 2025. Fuzhou is home to a rich intangible cultural heritage, including Shoushan stone carvings, Fuzhou bodiless lacquerware, wood carvings, and oil-paper umbrellas, etc. In recent years, Fuzhou has been exploring new pathways in the inheritance and innovation of intangible cultural heritage. By integrating intangible cultural heritage into daily life and attracting more young people to experience it, new vitality is injected into its inheritance and development. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) Craft artist Yuan Shiyong introduces artwork of lacquerware to a visitor at his studio in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, March 4, 2025. Fuzhou is home to a rich intangible cultural heritage, including Shoushan stone carvings, Fuzhou bodiless lacquerware, wood carvings, and oil-paper umbrellas, etc. In recent years, Fuzhou has been exploring new pathways in the inheritance and innovation of intangible cultural heritage. By integrating intangible cultural heritage into daily life and attracting more young people to experience it, new vitality is injected into its inheritance and development. (Xinhua/Lu Peng) People visit an intangible cultural heritage experience hall in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, March 8, 2025. Fuzhou is home to a rich intangible cultural heritage, including Shoushan stone carvings, Fuzhou bodiless lacquerware, wood carvings, and oil-paper umbrellas, etc. In recent years, Fuzhou has been exploring new pathways in the inheritance and innovation of intangible cultural heritage. By integrating intangible cultural heritage into daily life and attracting more young people to experience it, new vitality is injected into its inheritance and development. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong) Craft artist Yuan Shiyong works on a piece of lacquerware at his studio in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, March 4, 2025. Fuzhou is home to a rich intangible cultural heritage, including Shoushan stone carvings, Fuzhou bodiless lacquerware, wood carvings, and oil-paper umbrellas, etc. In recent years, Fuzhou has been exploring new pathways in the inheritance and innovation of intangible cultural heritage. By integrating intangible cultural heritage into daily life and attracting more young people to experience it, new vitality is injected into its inheritance and development. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) Craft artist Zheng Zeping (C) instructs students on Shoushan stone carvings at a studio in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, March 5, 2025. Fuzhou is home to a rich intangible cultural heritage, including Shoushan stone carvings, Fuzhou bodiless lacquerware, wood carvings, and oil-paper umbrellas, etc. In recent years, Fuzhou has been exploring new pathways in the inheritance and innovation of intangible cultural heritage. By integrating intangible cultural heritage into daily life and attracting more young people to experience it, new vitality is injected into its inheritance and development. (Xinhua/Lu Peng) People purchase Shoushan stone carving products at a market in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, March 8, 2025. Fuzhou is home to a rich intangible cultural heritage, including Shoushan stone carvings, Fuzhou bodiless lacquerware, wood carvings, and oil-paper umbrellas, etc. In recent years, Fuzhou has been exploring new pathways in the inheritance and innovation of intangible cultural heritage. By integrating intangible cultural heritage into daily life and attracting more young people to experience it, new vitality is injected into its inheritance and development. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong) Craft artist Chen Tiangan (R) instructs a student on lacquerware technique at a studio in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, March 6, 2025. Fuzhou is home to a rich intangible cultural heritage, including Shoushan stone carvings, Fuzhou bodiless lacquerware, wood carvings, and oil-paper umbrellas, etc. In recent years, Fuzhou has been exploring new pathways in the inheritance and innovation of intangible cultural heritage. By integrating intangible cultural heritage into daily life and attracting more young people to experience it, new vitality is injected into its inheritance and development. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) People look at artwork of lacquerware at a museum in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, March 7, 2025. Fuzhou is home to a rich intangible cultural heritage, including Shoushan stone carvings, Fuzhou bodiless lacquerware, wood carvings, and oil-paper umbrellas, etc. In recent years, Fuzhou has been exploring new pathways in the inheritance and innovation of intangible cultural heritage. By integrating intangible cultural heritage into daily life and attracting more young people to experience it, new vitality is injected into its inheritance and development. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan) A staff member makes a piece of lacquerware at a studio in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, March 6, 2025. Fuzhou is home to a rich intangible cultural heritage, including Shoushan stone carvings, Fuzhou bodiless lacquerware, wood carvings, and oil-paper umbrellas, etc. In recent years, Fuzhou has been exploring new pathways in the inheritance and innovation of intangible cultural heritage. By integrating intangible cultural heritage into daily life and attracting more young people to experience it, new vitality is injected into its inheritance and development. (Xinhua/Lu Peng) Editor: JYZ Third group of REDpreneurUA program launched: support and development of existing business in Ukraine URCS Photo: https://www.facebook.com/RedCrossUkraine/ The third group of the REDpreneurUA program to support and develop existing businesses in Ukraine at the initiative of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) and the Austrian Red Cross was launched on March 12. The third group of the program is aimed at supporting micro and small enterprises in Ukraine that seek scaling and developing, the URCS reported on Facebook. REDpreneurUA helps entrepreneurs obtain the necessary knowledge, skills, financing and mentoring support for the sustainable development of their business. Special emphasis is placed on the acceleration of existing businesses, helping them adapt to new conditions, find new markets and expand opportunities. The program includes an educational program in collaboration with the School of ME, inspirational sessions for the development of entrepreneurial thinking, mentoring support during and after training, workshops and master classes from leading experts, acceleration support for businesses with a focus on financial stability and growth. The program is open to individual entrepreneurs and legal entities residing in Ukraine, who are active entrepreneurs, seeking to develop their business and create a positive social impact, and belonging to one of the vulnerability categories. All businesses participating in the program must have a social component - contribute to the development of communities, create jobs, support vulnerable groups, or solve important social problems. The best businesses selected based on the results of participation in the program will receive grants of EUR 7,000 for the development of their business, as well as long-term mentoring support. The REDpreneurUA program is implemented with the support of the Neighbor in Need Foundation (Austria) and in cooperation with the School of ME. Deadline for filling in an application form for participation in the third group of the REDpreneurUA program is April 12, 2025 via the link: https://ee.urcs.org.ua/single/gQ2FcOn2 Joint statement following meeting of Ukrainian and US delegations in Jeddah Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/ Today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia under the gracious hospitality of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the United States and Ukraine took important steps toward restoring durable peace for Ukraine. Representatives of both nations praised the bravery of the Ukrainian people in defense of their nation and agreed that now is the time to begin a process toward lasting peace. The Ukrainian delegation reiterated the Ukrainian peoples strong gratitude to President Trump, the U.S. Congress, and the people of the United States for making possible meaningful progress toward peace. Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation. The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace. The United States will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine. The delegations also discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the abovementioned ceasefire, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. Both delegations agreed to name their negotiating teams and immediately begin negotiations toward an enduring peace that provides for Ukraines long-term security. The United States committed to discussing these specific proposals with representatives from Russia. The Ukrainian delegation reiterated that European partners shall be involved in the peace process. Lastly, both countries presidents agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraines critical mineral resources to expand Ukraines economy and guarantee Ukraines long-term prosperity and security. Police Commissioner-General Stephen Mutamba has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of detective Constable Cassandra Hove while assuring the family that no stone will be left unturned. Comm-Gen Mutamba, through the National Police Spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said all concerns raised by the late Hoves family and the public have been noted. He has since ordered full-scale investigations into the case. The Zimbabwe Republic Police once again assures the public that no stone will be left unturned to establish what transpired on the day, said Comm Nyathi. He said police would release a statement once investigations are complete. The police will certainly update the family and public in due course once the current comprehensive investigations are complete. The investigations cover all the aspects raised by The Chronicle, said Comm Nyathi. Hoves death has become a matter of public interest, as it recently emerged that she was allegedly shot by a colleague in a shootout with armed robbers during a raid in Pumula South suburb on Thursday last week. Earlier on it had been reported that she was shot by armed robbers in the suburb during a covert operation. It was only after Hoves family raised concerns as to how she was killed that the matter raised eyebrows. She was 37. During her funeral service at a funeral parlour in Bulawayo on Sunday, emotions ran high as family members confronted the police, accusing them of concealing the truth. They alleged that Hove was not killed by the robbers but rather by one of her colleagues and demanded clarification on whether this was an accident or intentional. According to official police reports, Hove sustained gunshot wounds to her upper body during an exchange of fire with the suspects at around 8:40PM. She was rushed to a nearby private clinic where she was pronounced dead upon arrival. The family is demanding to know the identities of the officers deployed in the Pumula South raid and the individual who authorised Hoves post-mortem, arguing that they were not involved in the process and were shocked to learn that someone else had signed documents at the hospital as Hoves next of kin. The family said it was not satisfied with the version of events given by the police and vowed to pursue the matter until the culprits were brought to justice. Hoves death came at a tragic time, as she had recently secured a scholarship to study forensic investigations in Russia. She is survived by four children and was buried at her rural home in Mberengwa on Monday. Chronicle The Government has given local authorities a 48-hour deadline to clear illegal vendors, particularly night traders, from undesignated areas in cities and towns across the country. Citing serious health, safety, and security concerns, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works Daniel Garwe warned that the mushrooming of unregulated marketplaces has disrupted legally registered businesses. He said it had also increased unfair competition, and created unsanitary conditions that posed a risk of disease outbreaks such as cholera and typhoid. To enforce the directive, local authorities will be supported by law enforcement agencies to restore order. Local authorities must enforce regulations requiring that all traders hold valid licenses and operate only in designated areas equipped with adequate sanitary facilities, he said. The Government remains committed to fostering a safe, clean, and orderly environment for all citizens and will take further measures as necessary to address these challenges. Herald Former Justice Department pardon attorney Elizabeth Oyer says the day before she was fired, she told a colleague: "I can't believe this, but I really think Mel Gibson is going to be my downfall." Oyer tells the New York Times that she was dismissed last Friday after declining to add the actor to a list of people who should have their gun rights restored. Oyer was the leader of the Office of the Pardon Attorney, which the Guardian describes as a "non-political role, supervising matters of clemency and recommendations for presidential pardon." Gibson, a prominent supporter of President Trump, lost his gun rights after pleading no contest to a domestic violence misdemeanor in 2011, USA Today reports. Days before his inauguration, Trump named him as one of his "ambassadors to Hollywood." Oyer says she was put on a working group two weeks ago to restore gun rights to people convicted of crimes. She tells the Times that after Deputy Attorney Todd Blanche's office selected nine people from a list of 95 the group had submitted, she was asked to add Gibson's name to the list. A fishing boat made a grim catch last Thursday some 40 miles off the Massachusetts coast, reports the Boston Herald: the wrapped body of a woman ended up in its nets. The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office on Tuesday said it wasn't a case of foul play, but rather an at-sea burial of a cancer-stricken woman. NBC News reports the remains were handed over to the US Coast Guard and Massachusetts State Police on Friday morning, and the chief medical examiner determined the remains belonged to a woman in her 60s with "numerous cancerous tumors." Authorities say a series of brush fires that tore through the East End of Long Island over the weekend can now be traced back to one local backyard, where a family's attempt to make Saturday morning s'mores apparently went awry. At a Monday presser , Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said that at least four individual fires had been reported, but that investigators believe they all emerged from the same incident at a home in Manorville, per the Washington Post . "The individual who's making the s'mores is unable to get the fire lit due to the winds, but they used cardboard to initially light that fire," Catalina said. "That person subsequently discovers that the fire does ignite, and the backyard area all goes up in fire." Catalina noted that the first fire was put out around 10:30am ET, but just a few hours later, more reports of other fires started coming in. "It is believed that the embers from each fire traveled and continuously started more fires," Catalina noted at the news conference, adding that "all of those fires are in a direct line with the strong northwest wind that was blowing that day." The so-called Westhampton Pine Fire, which Catalina said at this point is being considered an accident, ended up torching at least 600 acres over the weekend before the 80 or so local fire departments that rushed to the scene were able to get it under control, per NBC New York. story continues below Two firefighters suffered injuries while taking on the blazes, but they're said to now be in good condition after being hospitalized. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, has declared a state of emergency as Long Island continues to grapple with extra-dry conditions. The governor has put out a burn ban for the island, New York City, and parts of the Hudson Valley that prohibits uncontained campfires or open fires for cooking; small contained fires and backyard firepits are still permitted. A surfer was killed by a shark being described as "massive" Monday in Western Australia. Steven Payne, 37, of Melbourne was in the area with his partner and dog as part of a six-month traveling holiday, the Canberra Times reports. He was surfing at the remote Wharton Beach when he was seen in distress in chest-deep water. A shark had been spotted in the area earlier, and Payne's surfboard was later found floating in the water with bite marks, ABC.net reports. A witness using a drone captured video of a shark swimming away from a cloud of blood in the water. The University of Pittsburgh student who vanished during a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic may have gotten caught in a big wave. Authorities say Sudiksha Konanki, 20, had gone to a nightclub Wednesday night with a group of people who then visited a Punta Cana beach in the wee hours of Thursday, ABC News reports. While others from the group returned to their hotel just before 6am, Konanki stayed on the beach with a male, and the two went swimming. He told police they got caught in a big wave, but it's not clear what happened to Konanki after that. The man told investigators he eventually returned to the beach, threw up, and then fell asleep on a beach bed. He says he didn't see Konanki when he woke up a few hours later and returned to his hotel. The clothes she'd been wearing were found on a beach bed. Three anonymous officials from the country previously said Konanki is believed to have drowned, but there has been no official confirmation of that theory, and the search continues. The FBI, the US Embassy in the Dominican Republic, the Dominican National Police, and the Dominican Prosecutor's office are all assisting, and the perimeter has been expanded, NBC News reports. Konanki is a citizen of India and a legal permanent US resident who hails from Virginia. Twenty years before the Titanic changed maritime history, another ship touted as the next great technological feat set sail on the Great Lakes. The Western Reserve was one of the first all-steel cargo ships to traverse the lakes. Built to break speed records, the 300-foot freighter dubbed "the inland greyhound" by newspapers was supposed to be one of the safest ships afloat. Owner Peter Minch was so proud of her that he brought his wife and young children aboard for a summer joyride in August 1892. Then tragedy struck, reports the AP . As the ship entered Lake Superior's Whitefish Bay between Michigan and Canada on Aug. 30, a gale came up. With no cargo aboard, the ship was light and floating high in the water. The storm battered it until it cracked in half. Twenty-seven people perished that night, including the Minch family. The only survivor was wheelsman Harry W. Stewart, who swam a mile to shore after his lifeboat capsized. For almost 132 years the lake hid the wreckage. In July, explorers from the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society pinpointed the Western Reserve off Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The society announced the discovery Saturday at the annual Ghost Ships Festival in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Executive Director Bruce Lynn called the discovery one of the society's most significant finds. Darryl Ertel, the society's marine operations director, and his brother, Dan Ertel, spent more than two years looking for the Western Reserve. On July 22 they set out on the David Boyd, the society's research vessel. Heavy ship traffic that day forced them to alter their course, though, and search an area adjacent to their original search grid, Lynn said. The brothers towed a side-scanning sonar array behind their ship, and about 60 miles northwest of Whitefish Point on the Upper Peninsula, they picked up a line with a shadow behind it in 600 feet of water. story continues below They dialed up the resolution and spotted a ship broken in two with the bow resting on the stern. Each section was 150 feet long, suggesting they'd found the Western Reserve. Eight days later, the brothers returned to the site along with Lynn. They deployed a submersible drone equipped with high-intensity lighting and a high-resolution camera. The drone returned clear images of a portside running light that match the Western Reserve's starboard running light, which had washed ashore in Canada after the ship went down. That light was the only artifact recovered from the ship. Darryl Ertel said the discovery gave him chillsand not in a good way. "Knowing how the 300-foot Western Reserve was caught in a storm this far from shore made an uneasy feeling in the back of my neck," he said in a society news release. New Zealand police have launched a new search for a fugitive father believed to be hiding in the wilderness with his three children, of whom he doesn't have custody. Tom Phillips disappeared with Jayda, 11, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9, more than three years ago. Last October, witnesses spotted Phillips dressed in camouflage and carrying a gun, leading the children through the Waikato region of the upper North Island. Authorities searched the area over three days, finding nothing of significance. On Wednesday, police said they'd be searching the rural communities of Te Waitere and Te Maika, north of the quiet coastal settlement of Marokopa, from which Phillips' family hails. The location is around 13 miles from where the family was last sighted. "This has not been prompted by any specific sightingit is simply a continuation of the ongoing investigation," Detective Senior Sergeant Andy Saunders said, per CNN. Phillips was initially wanted for failing to appear in court on charges of wasting police resources, stemming from a 2021 police search launched when Phillips and the children disappeared for nearly three weeks. The group reappeared, only to vanish again less than three months later. Phillips has since been accused of additional crimes, including a May 2023 bank robbery and an attempted burglary. Amid rumors that Phillips was receiving help from community members, police offered an $80,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of the children last June, per the Guardian. The sighting south of Marokopa came a few months later. In February, police were informed of another possible sighting off of State Highway 4, but they ultimately ruled it out, per 1News. The area that police are now searching is marked by rugged terrain, with dense forest, steep hills, deep valleys, and limestone cave networks, per CNN. "Police will be present in the wider Marokopa area over the next few days as we continue making inquiries into the whereabouts of Tom Phillips and his three children," Saunders said, per the Guardian. Photo: https://t.me/OleksiiKuleba/ Four Syrian citizens were killed and two people were injured as a result of a missile strike by Russian occupiers on the port in Odesa on Tuesday evening, said Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine, Minister for the Development of Communities and Territories Oleksiy Kuleba. "A ballistic missile damaged the MJ PINA vessel under the flag of Barbados. Unfortunately, four people, citizens of Syria, died. The youngest deceased was 18, the oldest - 24 years old. Two more people were injured - a Ukrainian and a Syrian. They are receiving the necessary assistance," Kuleba wrote on Telegram. The heads of the CIA and SVRthat's Russia's foreign intelligence agencyreportedly spoke in November 2022. Then, nothinguntil Tuesday, reports CBS News . The phone call between CIA Director John Ratcliffe and the SVR chief Sergei Naryshkin was reported by Russian state news agency Tass, which said the men "agreed on regular contact" between their agencies "in order to contribute to the international stability and security, as well as a decrease in confrontation in relations between Moscow and Washington." The development took place on the same day the US and Ukraine hashed out a potential 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine; Russia has yet to weigh in on whether it will agree to it. The CIA hasn't commented on the call, which Axios describes as "one of several conversations between US and Russian officials expected to take place over the next few days." Among them: Trump envoy Steve Witkoff is slated to meet with Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday. The Moscow Times reports it will reportedly be Witkoff's second meeting with Putin since President Trump took office: Fox News host Sean Hannity in February claimed Witkoff spent 3 1/2 hours with Putin when negotiating the release of American Marc Fogel. Witkoff later indicated something like that had occurred, saying that he'd "spent a lot of time with President Putin, talking, developing a friendship." Will a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine come to pass? "The key is in Moscow's hands," is how the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's office put it, reports ABC News. Some seven hours of negotiations on Tuesday between Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and their Ukrainian counterparts in Saudi Arabia ended with "both sides agreeing in principle to a monthlong ceasefire," as NBC News puts itbut both sides doesn't include Russia. A Kremlin rep said "we are carefully studying the statements," and indicated it was waiting for the US to reach out to schedule a possible phone call between President Trump and Vladimir Putin. More: Jeanne Shaheen, a three-term senator from New Hampshire, will not run for reelection in 2026, reports the New York Times . "It was a difficult decision, made more difficult by the current environment in the countryby President Trump and what he's doing right now. ... It's just time," said Shaheen in a video released Wednesday morning. The 78-year-old is a longtime political stalwart in New Hampshire, having served as both the state's first female governor, the nation's first woman to hold both the governor's mansion and a Senate seat, and currently the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Shaheen's retirement sets up a fight for a Senate seat in a state in which the Times calls voters "notoriously fickle," having voted nationally for Democrats and state-wide for Republicans in November. Politico notes that Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who has "long been considered a likely contender for an open Senate seat," is contemplating a run, while former Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster had this to say: "If Pappas doesn't run, I would take a serious look at the race." On the Republican side, there are a couple of big names being tossed around: former Gov. Chris Sununu, who hasn't ruled out a run, and former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, who now lives in New Hampshire. Shaheen's decision follows that of two other Senate Democrats: Gary Peters of Michigan and Tina Smith of Minnesota. Released two weeks into a 21-month prison sentence for a campaign finance conspiracy conviction, a former Tennessee legislator thanked God and President Trump and ripped the Biden administration. "God used Donald Trump to save me," Brian Kelsey told CNBC . "His election saved me from the Biden" Department of Justice, Kelsey said. Kelsey, a Republican, pleaded guilty in a criminal trial in 2022 to an illegal campaign finance scheme in which he tried to redirect money from his state Senate seat to his 2016 congressional bid. He later tried and failed to take back his plea, per WTVF . Kelsey said he was confused when he entered his plea after being told by his attorneys that he'd probably just get probation. His most recent motion seeking to keep him out of prison was rejected last month in Nashville, per the AP. US District Judge Waverly Crenshaw expressed skepticism that a former legislator with a law degree from Georgetown University didn't understand the implications of pleading guilty. Kelsey's law license was suspended in 2022 after he pleaded guilty. An inmate so early in a prison term rarely is not often granted a pardon or sentence commutation, per CNBC. Kelsey, who walked out of a federal prison camp in Ashland, Kentucky, on Tuesday, posted on X that his is a "full and unconditional pardon." Among the other convicts who have been pardoned since President Trump began his term in January is former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted of corruption charges and whose sentence was commuted in Trump's first term. Photo: https://t.me/VadymFilashkin/7063 Seven civilians were killed and 13 were injured as a result of Russian attacks in Donetsk region within 24 hours, head of Donetsk Regional Military Administration Vadym Filashkin reported on Telegram. "On March 11, Russians killed seven residents of Donetsk region: three in Siversk, two in Rivne, one in Pokrovsk and one in Rodynske. Another 13 people in the region were injured in 24 hours," Filashkin wrote. T he total number of Russian victims in Donetsk region, according to the Regional Military Administration, is 3,102 killed and 6,796 injured, excluding Mariupol and Volnovakha. Parliament approves changes to Juvenile Justice Law, hailed as one of the most advanced in the region Parliament approves changes to Juvenile Justice Law, hailed as one of the most advanced in the region TDT | Manama Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com Young offenders in Bahrain could face internet restrictions under new judicial powers approved by Parliament yesterday, marking a shift in how courts handle youth rehabilitation. The amendments to the Restorative Justice Law for Children and their Protection from Maltreatment will allow judges to impose bans on certain websites and online platforms as part of sentencing, alongside existing measures such as movement restrictions and home supervision orders. These changes, tied to Decree No. (95) of 2024, also expand alternative sentencing options for serious offences and strengthen the role of the Child Protection Centre in monitoring young offenders, reducing reliance on police oversight. Sentencing rules for serious offences would also be adjusted. At present, those convicted of a felony are bound by strict guidelines. The changes would give judges greater discretion to assess circumstances and, where appropriate, impose alternative measures instead of custodial sentences. Monitoring The role of the Child Protection Centre will expand under the bill, as it takes on monitoring responsibilities alongside the Ministry of Interior, reducing the burden on law enforcement. Courts could also refer cases to the centre for follow-up rather than relying solely on police oversight. The shift is intended to strengthen social support mechanisms for young offenders rather than depending entirely on a police-led approach. MP Dr Mahdi Al Shuwaikh supported the bill, describing it as a very good law and welcoming the expanded role of the Child Protection Centre. We support stronger safeguards for children, but we also urge the Education Ministry to intervene and ensure these young people continue their studies, he said. They need proper learning materials to help them keep up and pass their assessments. He also called for additional support for those who have fallen behind due to legal rulings. Children who have been out of school for years because of sentencing decisions should receive dedicated teaching to help them make up for lost time, he said. MP Ahmed Al Salloom praised Bahrains Restorative Justice Law as one of the most advanced in the region and said the amendments would strengthen the system by expanding alternative sentencing and refining judicial oversight. Approach The law already prioritises rehabilitation over punishment, but this bill reinforces that approach by allowing judges to consider alternative measures where circumstances permit, he said. He also backed the proposal to increase the role of the Child Protection Centre and the Ministry of Interior. Granting these institutions a greater role in monitoring young offenders and tracking their progress is key to making restorative justice work, he added. MP Jalal Kadhem also endorsed the amendments, describing them as a real step forward in protecting children and ensuring their rehabilitation. Fine-tuning The law is still relatively new, but some provisions require fine-tuning, he said. The bill has undergone several reviews and secured support from key government and independent bodies. The Ministry of Social Development has endorsed the changes, stating that they align with legal recommendations. The Ministry of Justice said the amendments would provide courts with greater flexibility to handle cases fairly and effectively. The Ministry of Interior has also approved the bill. The Bahrain Bar Society has raised no objections. ST. JOSEPH, Mo. Missouri Department of Agriculture Director Chris Chinn visited St. Joseph on Wednesday to attend the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerces agri-business meeting. Chinn discussed her experience in the agriculture business, as well as updating attendees on the Missouri Department of Agriculture and its recent trade show in Taiwan. Chinn has been the director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture since 2017, serving under three different governors. She said that she enjoys visiting St. Joseph and appreciates what the city offers in terms of agriculture. St. Joe really is one of the states best hidden gems, Chinn said. A lot of people dont realize how many agriculture companies are based right here in St. Joe and they help us when it comes to export markets, when it comes to feeding Missourians. And so this is a great opportunity to come up and highlight these businesses and just thank them for being a part of the Missouri agriculture community. The meeting, which was not open to the public, took place at BioZyme. The companys president and CEO, Lisa Norton, said she was happy to have Chinn speak on Wednesday morning. Were really excited to have someone in that position that finds St. Joseph of importance and to come meet all of us and carry our message forward, Norton said. ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) School Board candidate Cassandra Veale is confident in her ideas for the St. Joseph School District. Already working with kids as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Veale said she believes her experience will help SJSD. "I feel like I could be a big help in that area and help get some collaboration with some community resources to kind of build up what we could do in the district," said Veale. Veale's three main points backing her campaign consist of behaviors and attendance throughout the district, teacher recruitment and retention and creating more equitable opportunities between two high schools. Based on answers from School Board candidate forums, Veale expressed analyzing behaviors in classrooms and looking to see what resources are available to assist teachers with big behaviors. "In my practice, I primarily work with children who have been affected by trauma, and so I see a lot of those kids that have had some issues at school," said Veale. "I see a lot of the kids at the Alternative Learning Center. I'm very connected with the staff in the district, I hear stories from them as well." Veale said she wants to advocate for teacher resources when it comes to kids expressing bigger emotions. "It is a big issue. It's affecting everything, and these kids have these things happen in class and the teachers are having to stop what they're doing, stop their instruction, address the behavior in the child, and then, you know, get them out and separated and then turn around and calm down the rest of the class and be expected to go on about their school day," said Veale. "I think that's a big ask for a teacher." Veale mentioned, although students are resilient, they're fragile in situations with big behaviors. As for teachers, providing more resources would help keep them in SJSD. "I think that's one of our biggest strengths within the district, and I would like to help attract new teachers and keep those wonderful teachers that we still have here at our schools," said Veale. When it comes to her positions of the two high school model, Veale said she's in support of them. With one student who attends Central and another who attends Lafayette- Veale said she see's the difference. "I am seeing first-hand, the differences, especially within our high schools that we have here in town," said Veale. "I would like to work on making it more equitable within the schools, giving all the kids kind of equal footing in results or in regards to court selection activities, amenities, things like that." In the same regard, Veale said she is in support of proposition two, a measure which would kick-start the construction of two new high schools in the district and would adhere to SJSD's long-range plan in converting to a two-high school model. "I totally understand people who are attached to their high schools, I am very attached to my alma mater- I graduated from Lafayette. I'm very proud that I went there," said Veale. "I think we need to find some way to honor those memories and honor those schools and all the things that we've achieved throughout the years the school district has been here, but at the same time, I think doing what's best for the kids- is moving forward." You can learn more about each candidate running for the St. Joseph School Board every Tuesday through the end of March. ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) Missouri Western students could see an all-new dentistry program offered in the coming years through a potential partnership with the UMKC School of Dentistry. UMKC leaders unveiled an expansion plan for a new School of Dentistry satellite program at Missouri Western State University this week, a partnership aimed at addressing Missouris shortage of dentists. According to the university, the UMKC School of Dentistry is Missouris only public dental school, providing 63% of the states dentists. Expansion of the program would positively impact dentist and dental hygiene shortages in rural communities by increasing the number of graduates by 10% to 15% annually. The UMKC School of Dentistry currently offers a Doctor of Dental Surgery and a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene. The DDS satellite program in St. Joseph, if approved, would admit 10 students for a total of 40 students when the program is at capacity. The Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene would admit five students for a total of 10 students when the program is at capacity. Coursework and instruction for students in the program would be split between UMKC and Missouri Western. According to a release from the university, UMKC will be partnering with state, federal and philanthropic leaders to raise an estimated $12 million in one-time renovation and equipment startup costs to start the program on the Missouri Western campus in St. Joseph. A start date for the program will be set when necessary approvals and funding are acquired, but UMKC anticipates a proposed start date in fiscal year 2027. MIRABEL, QC, March 12, 2025 /CNW/ - As economic tensions rise between Canada and the United States, EQUINOX is reinforcing its dedication to transparency and support for Canadian businesses. Today, the company announces an unprecedented agreement with a Canadian air carrier, allowing it to offer its brokerage services free of charge to local companies. Fernando (CNW Group/EQUINOX Charter Solutions) For the first time in North America, an air broker is offering a commission-free service to its clients. Specifically, Canadian businesses booking a flight with Nolinor Aviation through EQUINOX will pay no brokerage commission. This initiative aims to lower air travel costs in an uncertain economic climate and provide Canadian companies with transparent access to premium services, free of hidden fees. "We know that the coming months will be challenging for some Canadian businesses. That's why we wanted to take concrete action: ensuring our clients get lower-cost flights with complete transparency." Fernando, Charter & Logistics Director at EQUINOX Charter Solutions By offering this commission-free service, EQUINOX reaffirms its commitment to being the only air broker in North America to guarantee complete transparency, with no hidden fees or concealed margins. This exclusive partnership with Nolinor Aviation allows Canadian businesses to benefit from personalized air brokerage services without the additional costs often opaquely embedded by other brokers. About EQUINOX Charter Solutions EQUINOX Charter Solution is a Canada-based air broker renowned for its unmatched transparency policy. Unlike common industry practices, EQUINOX voluntarily caps its commission at 10%, ensuring clients have full visibility on their flight costs. With an innovative approach and a commitment to fairness, EQUINOX is redefining air brokerage standards in North America. For more information about EQUINOX and its services, visit www.equinoxchartersolutions.com/en . Updates and news can also be found by following @equinoxchartersolutions on Instagram. About Nolinor Aviation Founded in 1992, Nolinor Aviation is a leading provider of specialized commercial charter flights. The airline operates across Canada, the United States, and various international destinations. Nolinor Aviation is recognized for its commitment to safety in both its equipment and services. As a private company, Nolinor Aviation (IATA code N5) is wholly owned by the Prud'homme family trust. The company has established a strong presence in the charter flight sector, offering tailored services to meet diverse transportation needs. For additional information about Nolinor Aviation and its services, please visit www.nolinor.com . Updates and news can also be found by following @nolinor_aviation on Instagram. SOURCE EQUINOX Charter Solutions For further information or media inquiries, please contact: Karyane Boisjoli Desjardins from BDK | [email protected] | 514 236-0501. The Canadian company uses humor to promote buying local MONTREAL, March 12, 2025 /CNW/ - As U.S. tariffs disrupt the Canadian economy, Aylmer , a Quebec-based soup company, is speaking out to encourage Canadians to prioritize local products. Amid growing trade tensions and a shifting relationship with the United States, the brand, with the creative expertise of Les Evades , a Montreal-based communications agency, is launching a bold campaign to support local purchasing and strengthen the domestic economy. Savour our Canadian products: fresh, comforting, and made to share! St-Hyacinthe, Quebec "As trade relations with the United States deteriorate, it is essential to support our Canadian businesses and strengthen our domestic capabilities. Rather than simply enduring the effects of the tariffs, we have chosen to respond boldly by highlighting the quality of our soups, proudly made in Saint-Hyacinthe.", mentioned Daniel Cousineau, President and CEO of Aliments BCI Foods , which produces and distributes Aylmer soups. A CAMPAIGN THAT SPEAKS TO THE HEARTS OF CANADIANS In response to this new economic reality, Aylmer is launching a refreshing ad campaign that combines humor and local pride. Its goal: to remind Canadians of the importance of supporting the national economy by choosing homegrown products. The 45-second campaign video can be viewed via this link . ABOUT AYLMER BCI Foods is a 100% Canadian company that produces Aylmer soups in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, using fresh, local ingredients. Inspired by traditional recipes, its soups stand out with their rich and balanced flavor, offering a texture that is both light and savory. With a careful selection of ingredients and subtle seasoning, they blend perfectly into homemade recipes. Known for their quality, they are the preferred choice for those seeking authenticity and simplicity in their meals. For additional information : www..aylmersoup.ca | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE SOURCE Les Evades Media Contact: Marie-Christine Labonte, [email protected], 514-966-6414 Weather Alert Take action to protect yourself and others extreme heat can affect everyones health. Determine if you or others around you are at greater risk of heat illness. Check on older adults, those living alone and other at-risk people in-person or on the phone multiple times a day. Watch for the early signs of heat exhaustion in yourself and others. Signs may include headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst, dark urine and intense fatigue. Stop your activity and drink water. Heat stroke is a medical emergency! Call 9-1-1 or your emergency health provider if you, or someone around you, is showing signs of heat stroke which can include red and hot skin, dizziness, nausea, confusion and change in consciousness. While you wait for medical attention, try to cool the person by moving them to a cool place, removing extra clothing, applying cold water or ice packs around the body. Drink water often and before you feel thirsty to replace fluids. Close blinds, or shades and open windows if outside is cooler than inside. Turn on air conditioning, use a fan, or move to a cooler area of your living space. If your living space is hot, move to a cool public space such as a cooling centre, community centre, library or shaded park. Follow the advice of your regions public health authority. Plan and schedule outdoor activities during the coolest parts of the day. Limit direct exposure to the sun and heat. Wear lightweight, light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing and a wide-brimmed hat. Never leave people, especially children, or pets inside a parked vehicle. Check the vehicle before locking to make sure no one is left behind. Humidex values reaching 40 are expected. A heat event is expected this weekend. What: Daytime highs of 31 to 33 degrees Celsius and a humidex of 40. Overnight lows of 21 to 25 degrees Celsius, providing little relief from the heat. When: Today to Sunday, coming to an end Sunday night. Additional information: Hot and humid air can also bring deteriorating air quality and result in the Air Quality Health Index approaching the high risk category. ### For more information: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/climate-change-health/extreme-heat/how-protect-yourself.html https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/climate-change-health/extreme-heat/who-is-at-risk.html Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to ONstorm@ec.gc.ca or post reports on X using #ONStorm. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/kallaskaja/ EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said the EU welcomes the results of the Ukraine-US talks in Saudi Arabia. The European Union welcomes the joint statement by Ukraine and the United States following their meeting in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including the proposals for a ceasefire agreement, humanitarian efforts and the resumption of U.S. intelligence sharing and security assistance, says a statement published on the European Council's website. It is now for Russia to show its willingness to achieve peace, Kallas stated. Photo: https://x.com/poroshenko/status/1899514316329500915 Leader of the European Solidarity party, MP Petro Poroshenko met with the newly appointed Ambassador of China to Ukraine Ma Shengkun and discussed, in particular, issues of Russian aggression against Ukraine, strategies for restoring a long-term, sustainable and just peace. "A meaningful meeting with the newly appointed Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Ma Shengkun. We discussed a wide range of issues, paying significant attention to countering Russian aggression against Ukraine and strategies for restoring a long-term, sustainable and just peace," Poroshenko reported on X. "The unacceptability of Russian attacks against civilian and critical infrastructure, in particular energy complex and nuclear energy facilities, was noted. The importance of supporting the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, primarily respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, was emphasized," Poroshenko stressed. Particular attention was paid to bilateral dialogue as a tool for strengthening peace, security, justice and prosperity, noted the leader of European Solidarity. The number of people injured as a result of the Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih on Wednesday, March 12, has risen to nine, said chairman of the city's Defense Council, Oleksandr Vilkul. "Nine people were injured. All civilians. Seven of the injured were hospitalized: two women and five men. Of these, two are in serious condition, one is in extremely serious condition. Doctors are fighting for their lives and providing all necessary assistance," he wrote on Telegram on Wednesday. Earlier, it was reported that one person was killed and five were injured. A suspended Bergen County Prosecutors Office lieutenant has been indicted on charges he stole drugs from an evidence vault and made $600,000 in suspicious financial transactions. Kevin T. Matthew, 48, of Cedar Grove, faces charges of tampering with drug evidence, including cocaine and fentanyl, and financial crimes, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said Wednesday. Matthew removed and altered narcotics evidence from the Bergen County Prosecutors Offices main vault over a span of nearly five years, prosecutors said. He also faces charges of financial facilitation of criminal activity, structuring financial transactions, and filing fraudulent tax returns. Prosecutors say he made about $600,000 in cash deposits into bank accounts he controlled. Between January 2019 and November 2023, Matthew is accused of withdrawing narcotics from the vault in amounts suggesting an intent to sell the drugs. Instead of making Bergen County safer, the indictment alleges the defendant repeatedly withdrew large amounts of dangerous drugs that had already been seized by law enforcement, Platkin said in a statement. This was a betrayal of his colleagues, his agency, his community, and his oath, Platkin said. Matthews attorney, Charles J. Sciarra, of Clifton, said in a statement the Attorney Generals office dragged my clients name through the media mud when they announced the charges in 2023. This investigation was conducted by the same Attorney Generals Office which has a documented disastrous track record of recent failed investigations and prosecutions and a known bias against law enforcement, Sciarra said. My client maintains his innocence. This matter will be vigorously defended, the attorney said. Matthew, who worked in BCPOs Special Victims Unit, exploited his access to law enforcement databases to search for narcotics cases, authorities said in the indictment. He repeatedly checked out drug evidence some previously tested by the New Jersey State Police laboratory without an authorized purpose, authorities said. Matthew returned the narcotics in altered conditions, with discrepancies in weight, composition, or packaging, authorities said. These alterations undermined the integrity of the chain of custody required for prosecutions, authorities said. Investigators also discovered a pattern of suspicious financial activity when Matthew made a series of cash deposits at various banks when the drug evidence was being removed, authorities said. The indictment states he deposited about $600,000 in cash not tied to his salary while structuring transactions to avoid federal reporting requirements. Matthew is also accused of failing to report the deposits as income to avoid taxes, authorities said. The 50-count indictment includes charges of first-degree financial facilitation of criminal activity and possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, as well as second-degree official misconduct and third-degree tax fraud, among others. Matthew, who joined law enforcement in 2005, made $192,691 annually, public payroll records show. The case remains under investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability. A spokesperson for Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella did not respond to a message seeking comment. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has approved a decision that marks a significant step toward joining Roam Like at Home (RLAH) with the European Union, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced. "Today, we are making an important decision as part of securing a RLAH agreement with the EU. This will strengthen the connection between Ukrainians abroad and their homeland, their families, and loved ones. It will contribute to the unity and consolidation of the Ukrainian people," Shmyhal stated during a government meeting on Tuesday. The Prime Minister emphasized that Ukraine has moved swiftly from submitting its application for EU membership to the opening of accession negotiations. "As part of sectoral integration, key aspects include the agreements with the EU in trade, transport, energy, customs, and digital spheres. We aim to solidify these achievements permanently while also working toward securing an ACAA [Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products]," he added. During the Cabinet meeting, the government approved a draft decision by the Ukraine-EU Association Committee in its trade configuration to amend Part A of Annex XVII-3 (Rules Applicable to Telecommunication Services) of Annex XVII to the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, the European Atomic Energy Community, and their member states, according to the National Commission for the State Regulation of Electronic Communications, Radiofrequency Spectrum and the Provision of Postal Services (NCEC). Among other aspects, the document clarifies Ukraine's commitments concerning the list of EU acquis provisions to be implemented in order to obtain the EU internal market regime for roaming, the NCEC said on Facebook. The regulator reported that the European side has already approved the draft decision by the Ukraine-EU Association Committee, and it is expected to be signed by both parties in the near future. The commission recalled that in November 2024, at the NCEC's request, Ukraine initiated an assessment by the European Commission of its national legislation for compliance with EU acquis provisions regarding roaming. The assessment process is currently underway. Earlier, European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen stated at a joint meeting of the Ukrainian government and the European Commission that the Commission would release its assessment of Ukraine's national legislation on roaming in March. During the same meeting, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science, and Technology, Minister of Digital Transformation, expressed confidence that Ukraine would join the EU's Roam Like at Home (RLAH) program in the coming months. He noted that Ukraine had implemented the necessary EU legal acts and submitted the relevant notification to the European Commission on November 7, 2024. A positive conclusion will enable Ukraine to obtain the internal market regime for roaming. The next step will be a decision on mutual recognition and internal market access for roaming between Ukraine and the EU. Once approved by all EU member states, this will pave the way for the fourth and final stage the actual launch of RLAH and its implementation by mobile operators. Authorities in Burlington County are investigating a fatal collision at the intersection of County Route 541 and Cadillac Road in Burlington Township Tuesday morning, officials with the prosecutors office said. The collision happened at about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday when a tractor-trailer and minivan collided at a traffic light, authorities said. A woman in the front passenger seat of the minivan was killed as a result of the crash, authorities said. The driver of the minivan and an infant in the back seat were taken to an area hospital with non life-threatening injuries, according to officials. The driver of the tractor trailer was alone in the truck and remained at the scene, officials said. The names of those involved were not released by the Burlington County Prosecutors Office Tuesday. No citations have been issued, but the Burlington County Prosecutors Office said the investigation is continuing. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X An officer in a Burlington County firefighters union has been accused of stealing nearly $10,000 from the union, authorities said Wednesday. Joseph Tull Jr., 38, of Williamstown, was charged with second-degree computer criminal activity and third-degree counts of theft by deception and misapplication of entrusted property, the Burlington County Prosecutors Office said. Union leaders with the Burlington County Professional Firefighters Association Local 3091 alerted police about bookkeeping irregularities, officials said. While conducting our 2024 Financial Audit, discrepancies were found in our general account that showed union funds were unaccounted for, the union said in a statement. Tull, who served as the unions treasurer, withdrew $6,300 from the organizations account at an ATM and deposited the money into his personal account, officials said. Tull is also accused of using the unions debit card to spend over $3,300 at businesses including Jersey Mikes, Ritas Italian Ice and Wawa, according to authorities. The unions executive board immediately removed Tull from his role as Treasurer of the union and revoked his access to all internal files and union accounts, the union said. Tull is a full-time firefighter in Cinnaminson and was taken into custody on Monday and released after being processed, authorities said. Cinnaminson fire chief Philip Drangula said Wednesday that Tull was suspended pending the outcome of the charges. Local 3091 represents career firefighters, fire officers, fire marshals and emergency medical technicians in several Burlington County municipalities. Tull did not have an attorney listed in online court records Wednesday. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X The husband and wife owners of Jersey Kebab in Haddon Township were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last month. Matt Enuco A Camden County woman detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at her family restaurant in February is expected to be released Wednesday from a detention center in Elizabeth, according to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The local community rallied around Celal and Emine Emanet after they were both detained on Feb. 25 by ICE agents in Haddon Township at their family restaurant Jersey Kebab. Celal was eventually released under an alternative detention program, but Emine was held for about two weeks pending an immigration court proceeding on Tuesday. An immigration judge ruled Tuesday Emine Emanet, a mother and wife, could be released on $7,500 bond, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. They are an American family - like millions and millions of others, the Emanets' immigration attorney Joseph Best told NJ Advance Media Tuesday night. They merit the chance to stay together as the law provides. Best said the Emanets are relieved and feel blessed that Emine will be released from ICE custody, noting that not all families as fortunate. Emine was expected to be released Wednesday after bond was posted, the Inquirer reported. Im glad to see that Emine was able to reunite with her family, Congressman Donald Norcross said Tuesday. The Emanet familys story is a clear example of why we need real immigration reform that will make a legal pathway to citizenship. While their legal battle is far from over, my office will continue to work with the family throughout the process. The Emanets initially traveled to the United States from Turkey under legal visas, but eventually fell into illegal status in 2008, according to the Inquirer. The family said they have applied for legal residency status several times but have been denied three times. The family has had a pending application with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services since 2016, the family told the Inquirer earlier this month. Its unclear why the family was denied legal status in the past and a representative from the USCIS did not return requests for information on the status of the familys application. The local community rallied around the Emanets following news of their arrest by ICE agents. A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $326,000 for the familys legal and living expenses after the restaurant closed when Celal and Emine were detained. A local non-profit, the Haddon Township Equity Initiative held a letter-writing event to help support the familys effort to have Emine released. A rally in front of the familys restaurant drew hundreds of supporters and local and state officials on Mar. 1. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a statement on Feb. 28 explaining in part that the agency was conducting an investigation in Haddon Township when the Emanets were detained and then later placed into removal proceedings. Best, the Emanets' immigration attorney, said he would seek to consolidate Celal and Emines immigration cases. Best added that he was optimistic about their chances of being able to legally stay in the U.S. I believe that we have a good chance of success, but nothing is a given within our immigration system, Best said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X Kenneth D. Tripline, 36, of Philadelphia, is wanted in connection with a fatal stabbing on Tuesday in Bridgeton. (Bridgeton Police Department) Police in Cumberland County are looking for an armed and dangerous Philadelphia man accused of stabbing a Bridgeton resident to death Tuesday night. Bridgeton police responded to the 100 block of South Avenue around 9:45 p.m. Tuesday for a report of someone kicking in the door of a residence and learned of a stabbing while on their way to the scene. Officers found Elliot Q. Handy, 28, who lived at the residence, suffering from stab wounds to his torso, according to Bridgeton Police Chief Michael Gaimari. Handy was taken to Inspira Medical Center in Vineland, where he later died, Gaimari said. Kenneth D. Tripline, 36, of Philadelphia, fled the scene and remains at large, according to police. Police filed murder and weapons charges against Tripline, who should be considered armed and dangerous, authorities said. The suspect and victim were known to each other and this appears to be an isolated incident, Gaimari said. Anyone with information about the incident or Triplines whereabouts is asked to contact Bridgeton Police at 856-451-0033 or submit an anonymous tip online at BPD.TIPS. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. 21 1 / 21 Protest against ICE immigrant detention center Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka said Tuesday that the private owner of an immigrant detention center lacks city planning board approval and a certificate of occupancy to open, and that his administration will file a lawsuit and padlock the building if necessary to block its opening without the necessary approvals. If they try to do something to violate the law, we will take them to court, Baraka said outside the facility, known as Delaney Hall, before a crowd of about 300 immigrants' rights advocates and other opponents of the facility demonstrating in its parking lot. Baraka, a Democrat running for governor in this Junes primary, was the main speaker at a rally co-hosted by a pair of immigrants' rights organizations, Make the Road New Jersey and the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, the latter a coalition of 60 related groups statewide. Members of those groups, labor unions, environmental justice advocates, local clergy, and others chanted, The people united will never be defeated, in English and Spanish. They held up signs reading Immigrant power, NJ Says No Dice to ICE, and We are all immigrants. One of the most arresting images of the afternoon was a banner depicting the Virgin Mary a well-known migrant herself in handcuffs, flanked by a pair of black-clad ICE agents. Sunny skies and mild temperatures amplified protestors' enthusiasm, though the spirit was occasionally dampened by odors from the Passaic Valley Sewerage Authority plant just across Doremus Avenue. The PVSC plant and Delaney Hall are in an industrial area of Newarks Ironbound section that environmental justice advocates say is already overburdened by industrial uses that have caused health and other problems for the heavily immigrant community. We need a lot in this neighborhood; what we dont need is a detention center, said the Rev. Moacir Weirich, pastor of the Ironbounds Saint Stephans Grace Church. Delaney Hall is a 1,000-bed facility owned and operated by the GEO Group of Boca Raton, Florida. It would triple ICEs capacity to hold detainees in New Jersey. ICE chose the site in part for its location less than two miles northeast of Newark Liberty International Airport, where, following hearings and deportation orders by an immigration judge, detainees could be put on flights to their countries of origin. New Jerseys only immigrant detention center currently operating is a 300-bed facility in neighboring Elizabeth, just south of the airport. The Elizabeth facility is also privately operated under an ICE contract by CoreCivic of Nashville, Tennessee. Criticism of plans for Delaney Hall has intensified since ICE announced its impending opening on Feb. 27 and has been bound up with opposition to other initiatives by President Donald Trump since his Jan. 20 swearing-in. However, opposition to the Newark facility by Democratic elected officials from New Jersey had already begun mounting in April 2024, when ICE announced under then-President Joe Biden, a fellow Democrat, that it was negotiating with the GEO Group to open the facility as a detention center. The resulting deal announced by ICE and the GEO Group last month will be worth about $1 billion to the company over 15 years. The GEO Group did not respond to requests for comment on Barakas assertion that it needs the citys permission to begin operating. A regional ICE spokesperson did not address the mayors assertions, and instead, she referred to ICEs original Feb. 27 announcement of Delaney Halls opening. The announcement quotes ICE Acting Director Caleb Vitello saying the facility would help the agency pursue President (Donald) Trumps mandate to arrest, detain and remove illegal aliens from our communities, but it was silent on the issue of local approvals. Baraka joined others Tuesday in calling for passage of the Immigrant Trust Act, stalled state legislation intended to codify guidelines issued by New Jerseys state attorney during Trumps first term, which would limit information sharing by local law enforcement agencies with ICE. All Americans are migrants of some kind, Baraka said, recalling his familys move up to Newark from the Jim Crow South. Likewise, all people living in the United States share in protections provided by the Constitution, which he said were now under threat by warrantless raids and injustices of other kinds. I dont know if you can find anybody who is not an immigrant, Baraka told the gathering. But, he added, This is not just a problem of immigrants. If one person is hurt, we all are hurt, Baraka said. If one persons rights are violated, all of our rights are violated. Nobody knows Jersey better than NJ.com Sign up to get breaking news alerts straight to your inbox. Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com DeLorenzo's Pizza of Hamilton has been closed after being seized for non-payment of state taxes. TT UPDATE: DeLorenzos to be replaced by weed dispensary DeLorenzos Pizza, one of the last bastions of the famed De Lorenzo pizza family, has been closed after being seized by the state. The Hamilton eatery, located at 147 Sloan Ave. and owned by Rick De Lorenzo Jr., currently has a notice of seizure posted on its front door, dated Tuesday, from the state division of taxation. The notice reads the pizzeria has been seized for non-payment of New Jersey state taxes. A spokesperson for the state treasury department confirmed to NJ Advance Media Wednesday the property was seized for failure to comply with New Jersey tax laws. Mercer County Superior Court records show an unpaid judgment of $11,317.41, according to a Nov. 7, 2024 filing obtained by NJ Advance Media Thursday. Phone calls made to the restaurant Wednesday during usual business hours were not answered. A request for comment made Tuesday night via DeLorenzos Facebook page was met only with please respect our privacy at this time, thank you. No additional notes of closure have been shared on the pizzerias website or social media pages. The pizzeria serving Trenton tomato pies and other Italian offerings has been located on Sloan Avenue since 2013, after moving from its longstanding Trenton location, opened in 1961. Rick DeLorenzo Jr., owner of DeLorenzo's Pizza on Hamilton Avenue in Trenton makes pizza in the restaurant's kitchen on November 15, 2012. DeLorenzo will move his restaurant to Sloan Avenue in Hamilton early next year. His restaurant was the last DeLorenzo's pizza left in Trenton. Christina Izzo | The Times of Trenton File Photo This apparent closure is the latest chapter in a long, twisting history for New Jerseys most legendary pizza (or tomato pie) family. Pasquale and Maria De Lorenzo (with a space in their name, this becomes important) immigrated to America from Naples, Italy in the 1930s. They settled in Trentons Chambersburg neighborhood, a vibrant Italian enclave at the time. According to DeLorenzos website, Joe De Lorenzo one of Pasquale and Marias 12 children, and Rick Jr.s uncle opened the first DeLorenzos Pizzeria (no space in name) in 1938. Rick Jr.s father, Rick Sr., began to help run the family business during World War Two. Eventually, another DeLorenzos was opened, on Hamilton Avenue in Trenton in 1961. That shop lasted until 2013, when Rick Jr. moved the business to the suburbs, on Sloan Avenue in neighboring Hamilton Township. All of this is not to be confused with the better-known De Lorenzos (with the slightly different spelling) Tomato Pies, opened by sibling Alexander Chick De Lorenzo on Hudson Street in 1947 and closed in 2012, after being run by his daughter, Eileen Amico (nee De Lorenzo), and her husband, Gary Amico, for decades. This separate De Lorenzos business expanded to Robbinsville in 2008 (prior to the Hudson Street closing), where it still stands today. An outpost in Yardley, Pa. opened in 2018. Editors note: This story has been updated to add information found in a court document obtained by NJ Advance Media. More food coverage: Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Christopher Burch can be reached at cburch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SwishBurch. Find NJ.comon Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips/. Double Bro Burger and loaded fries from Smash Bros in Runnemede and Glassboro. (Christopher Burch | NJ Advance Media) Christopher Burch Less than a year after its debut, one of New Jerseys hottest new burger spots already has a second location. Smash Bros, a budding South Jersey burger joint, opened a new outpost in Glassboro March 1. The expansion comes after Brothers Mo and Fahmi Abuhmoud opened the first Smash Bros in a 500-square-foot, takeout-only space in Runnemede last April. The second restaurant is a result of the brands quick rise to popularity. The burger spot has amassed more than 34,000 Instagram followers since its debut. READ MORE: New Jerseys 43 best burgers, ranked The Abuhmoud brothers said the Smash Bros location in Runnemede often drew very long lines and dealt with storage issues. They are hopeful a larger space will be able to handle even greater demand. The Glassboro shop is a 16,000-square-foot restaurant with expanded seating and storage capabilities. Interior of Smash Bros in Glassboro. (Christopher Burch | NJ Advance Media) Christopher Burch The space is what were super excited about here, Fahmi Abuhmoud told NJ Advance Media. People can come in and experience Smash Bros firsthand and not have to take it out of our doors to sit and eat. The Abuhmoud brothers hope the larger kitchen space in Glassboro will help Smash Bros avoid issues that plagued the flagship location, namely running out of products. The worst thing as an owner is when someone comes from like Delaware or somewhere far, and were out of cheesesteaks or wings or sold all the burgers already, Fahmi said. Its hard when they want to try a product and we dont have it at that moment. The halal eaterys scrumptious burgers are made with a ground brisket blend topped with cheese, grilled onions and homemade burger sauce on a Martins potato roll. The menu also features tenders, wings, loaded fries, cheesesteaks, chicken sandwiches and hot dogs. Interior mural at Smash Bros in Glassboro. (Christopher Burch | NJ Advance Media) Christopher Burch Fahmi Abuhmoud who heads the restaurants culinary operations said specialty items like Flamin' Hot mac and cheese bites and mac and cheese burgers will make appearances on the Glassboro menu. I made all of the recipes for our menu items but Ive never had a real culinary background. Ive just been cooking since middle school and high school for friends and family, Fahmi said. These are all things I enjoy making. The owners are also planning to open a dessert and coffee shop in the neighboring space in Glassboro. Further details on the dessert space, named Sweet Escape, will be announced in the coming months. The Abuhmoud brothers hope Smash Bros' second location is just the beginning of continued expansion plans for the business. Definitely multiple locations coming soon and franchising opportunities in the future, Mo Abuhmoud said. More food coverage: Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Christopher Burch can be reached at cburch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SwishBurch. Find NJ.comon Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips/. A middle school student and a teacher were injured during a fire in a cooking class in Middlesex County on Wednesday, authorities said. The fire broke out in a classroom at the Monroe Middle School when the girl came into contact with an open flame and her clothing caught fire at about 10:25 a.m., township police said. As the teacher tried to smother the flames, another student used a fire extinguisher to knock down the blaze, authorities said. The student was flown to a burn center, officials said. The teacher had minor injuries. School officials temporarily evacuated the building but classes later resumed. Additional information wasnt immediately provided. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. A former lending business in Monmouth County has been accused of discriminating against certain ethnic and racial groups and may face enforcement action, officials with the Attorney Generals Office announced Tuesday. An investigation by the Division of Civil Rights found probable cause that Advance Funding Partners violated New Jerseys Law Against Discrimination by discriminating against certain different races and ethnicities, officials said. The investigation found that the companys owner, Joseph Jurasic, told staffers to not do business with Chinese, African, and Spanish potential clients, authorities said. Jurasic is also accused of retaliating against an employee that reported the companys conduct to the civil rights division in February 2023, according to officials. An investigation into the company began after an employee of the company, which was headquartered in Ocean, filed a complaint alleging Advance Funding Partners had violated the law against discrimination, officials said. Shortly after filing the complaint, investigators said Jurasic called the employee and left a vulgar message threatening a defamation lawsuit. The employee withdrew the complaint and resigned after receiving the message, officials said. The investigation continued after Division of Civil Rights Director Sundeep Iyer substituted for the employee in filing a complaint, a decision protected under the Law against Discrimination where the director can decide to pursue an investigation if they believe it is in the publics interest, authorities said. Screenshots and audio messages in an employee group chat on WhatsApp, obtained during the investigation found Jurasic had instructed employees not to lend to specific racial and ethnic groups, according to authorities. I tell you, no Chinese, no Africans, no Spanish, Jurasic is accused by authorities of saying on an audio message to employees. Dont waste your time on these races. Do not waste your time with the Chinese, with the Africans, and Spanish. Officials said that Jurasic admitted to investigators that he would not lend to individuals based on race or nationality. In one instance Jurasic told investigators that he would not lend money to Armenians, generally not lend to non-U.S. citizens, and those that did not speak English fluently, officials said. When investigators subpoenaed information on denied lending applications, officials said Jurasic told them Advance Funding Partners had stopped operating in September 2024. He claimed all of the companys data had been destroyed, despite authorities advising the company of its obligation to preserve evidence. A phone number listed for Jurasic was not working Tuesday. No one should ever be denied a loan based on their race or national origin. No one should ever be subject to retaliation for filing a discrimination complaint. And no one should ever be subject to a hostile work environment based on race or national origin, said Attorney General Platkin. The DCRs preliminary investigation determined there was probable cause and that there is evidence supporting reasonable grounds of suspicion that the company violated the law, officials said. The parties have an opportunity to negotiate a voluntary resolution, officials said. The case could be prosecuted in the Office of Administrative Law or in court if no resolution can be agreed to, according to officials. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matthew Enuco may be reached at Menuco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Matt on X An immigration attorney said job loss, divorce and other life events can cause Indian nationals to become undocumented despite having legal visas initially. Wilfredo Lee | The Associated Press File Aggressive immigration enforcement actions have ignited concerns among New Jerseys undocumented Indian community, many of whom entered the country on special visas. The main concern is no one knows who will be targeted and when or how ICE officers can detain someone, said Dr. Tushar Patel, president of the nonprofit Indo-American Cultural Foundation of Central Jersey, which promotes Indian culture, heritage and art in New Jersey. Considering the large number of undocumented migrants from the Indian community in New Jersey, concern is always there, as most of the undocumented have no criminal history and are law-abiding people working to support their families back home in India, Patel said. The Pew Research Center estimated that there were 475,000 undocumented immigrants in New Jersey as of 2022 and 11 million nationwide. Since President Donald Trump took office in January, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stepped up its efforts with everything from daily (ICE) raids to proposed plans to open more immigration detention facilities. In February, ICE deported 11,000 migrants, according to NBC News. Among them were Indian nationals who were placed on military planes and flown to India. Reuters reported that the first 104 people were deported the first week of February. Montclair Immigration attorney Rupal Parikh said she has been receiving more calls from members of the Indian community since the more aggressive enforcement began, many of them students and professionals in the country on temporary visas. She said one of the biggest concerns is fear of getting picked up by ICE, being separated from their families, and put on a plane back to India. I think what theyre also not talking about in the media is that there are Due Process rights. So, you can file a claim if you want to remain here in the United States," Parikh said. But people need to be able to know what their rights are and know what options are available to them. About 72% of Indian nationals in the United States receive H-1B visas, which allow U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require highly specialized knowledge and a bachelors degree or higher, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website. If their employer is satisfied with their performance, Parikh said H-1B visa holders can eventually apply for a Green Card, enabling them to live and work permanently in the U.S. But she said getting a Green Card can cost from $10,000 to $40,000 and take years. We have professionals who are waiting 10 to 20 years, whove been working here legally, paying taxes, buying homesbut they cannot get their green cards for long periods of time," she said. Parikh said among the undocumented are people who come to the United States as students and graduate but cant get a job under the H-1B visa program and end up overstaying the time permitted in the country. However, she said, Its a very small portion of those people that become undocumented. They fight like (crazy) not to become undocumented, she said. They didnt spend all this money to come to school here and then become out of status. In addition, she said people become undocumented for multiple other reasons, including losing a job permitting them to be in the country under an H-1B visa, having a documented spouse lose their job, or divorcing a documented immigrant spouse. Say you have a spouse here on a work visa, and youre on a dependent work visa, and then get a divorce, Parkih said. So your status as the wife (or husband) is lost because you had it due to your spouses work visa status. Sometimes people cant figure it out in time, and they become undocumented, she added. Parikh said someone could also become undocumented if they were brought to the U.S. as a minor child and do not have information to seek U.S. citizenship. There have been so many different ways that people can fall out of status, and then you have the regular, full-blown undocumented population, which comes in across the border with no legal status whatsoever. ... but I think that the 11 million people that you hear that are undocumented, so many of them entered this country legally and then somehow lost their status because life happens. Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla became New Jerseys first Sikh-elected mayor in 2017. Ive observed some level of anxiety in Sikh houses of worship about the impact of the (Trump) administrations policies as it relates to their status, Bhalla said. This current Trump Administration taking this approach of shooting first and aiming later, its something that, frankly, when applied, is highly un-American, he added. Were a country of immigrants," Bhalla said. We should be welcoming immigrants and finding a legal path to citizenship, not making immigrants the target of all the problems that this country faces. Mosaic staff writer Vashti Harris can be reached at vharris@njadvancemedia.com. Welcome to Mosaic. Follow us on Instagram at @MosaicNJcom, on Facebook at MosaicNJcom, on Twitter (X) at @MosaicNJcom and on YouTube at @MosaicNJcom. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said the outcome of the US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah on Tuesday was "positive development that can be a step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine." We welcome todays news from Jeddah on the U.S.-Ukraine talks, including the proposal for a ceasefire agreement and the resumption of U.S. intelligence sharing and security assistance. This is a positive development that can be a step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine. The ball is now in Russias court, she said on X. Von der Leyen stated that the EU is ready to play its full part, together with its partners, in the upcoming peace negotiations. FILE - U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel speaks to media after meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa at the foreign ministry in Tokyo, on Nov. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool, File) AP Former President Barack Obamas chief-of-staff could be preparing for a potential run for the White House. Rahm Emanuel appears ready to make a bid for the presidency, according to Politico political columnist Jonathan Martin. Emanuel, a former congressman, Obama adviser and mayor of Chicago, has been laying the groundwork for a potential campaign since returning from his role as U.S. ambassador to Japan earlier this year, Martin reported. Ive only been back two months, I have no idea what Im doing, Emanuel told Martin. Im not done with public service and Im hoping public service is not done with me. Rahm wants to run Yes, that Rahm On him, this moment and what may be the endgame My latest column:https://t.co/S3NObj1N4O Jonathan Martin (@jmart) March 12, 2025 Emanuel has secured a CNN contract and a regular Washington Post column since returning from Tokyo, Martin noted. He is also making the rounds on political podcasts and is giving lectures to audiences like the Realtors and the Chicago Economic Club, according to the column. Martin explained that Emanuels lectures and media appearances are allowing him to test out a stump speech. I am done with the discussion of locker rooms, I am done with the discussion of bathrooms and we better start having a conversation about the classroom, Emanuel said at a conference last month held by liberal group Democracy Forward, according to Martin. Martin reported that former staffers who worked with Emanuel have warmed to the idea of the former Obama chief-of-staff running for the White House. Martin wrote that now could be the right time for Emanuel to make a bid for the top office. More from Martins column: Presidential races are about timing, and if ever there was a period where Emanuel would be viable, its now. Democrats are as demoralized as any time in modern history, their voters desperately want to win and were open to untraditional candidates even before Trump (see Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg) and the new attention economy favors the pithy. Oh, and theyre also dying for somebody who can wield a blade and take it to Republicans. Who, Democrats want to know, can break through like Trump and put the opposition on their heels? Well, Emanuel offers two important traits: relentlessness and ubiquity. Emanuel, 65, served as a senior adviser to former President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1998. He was a member of Congress from 2003 to 2009 before resigning his seat to accept a role as Obamas chief-of-staff. He later left the White House to run for the mayor of Chicago and served as mayor from 2011 to 2019. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. listens as President Donald Trump holds a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Pool via AP) AP Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has reportedly delivered a stark ultimatum to major food company CEOs about what they put in the food that they sell to consumers. According to Politico, President Donald Trumps health secretary told the CEOs to ban certain artificial dyes. From the report: Kennedy on Monday pressed leaders of companies like PepsiCo, General Mills, Tyson Foods, Smuckers, Kraft Heinz and Kelloggs for commitments to reduce food additives, according to a readout of the meeting sent to industry stakeholders and viewed by Politico. It was the Health and Human Services secretarys first major meeting with the very executives hed spent months accusing of making Americans sick. [Kennedy] expressed the strong desire and urgent priority of the administration to remove FD&C colors from the food supply and he wants this done before he leaves office, wrote Consumer Brands Association President Melissa Hockstad in the readout sent to industry, referring to color additives used in foods, drugs and cosmetics. Kennedy was sworn in last month as Trumps health secretary after a close Senate vote, putting the prominent vaccine skeptic in control of $1.7 trillion in federal spending, vaccine recommendations and food safety as well as health insurance programs for roughly half the country. Kennedy has cited highly chemically processed foods as a chief culprit behind an epidemic of chronic disease in the U.S., including ailments such as obesity, diabetes and autoimmune disorders. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell has moved to Ireland following the election of U.S. President Donald Trump. Here, O'Donnell arrives at the ELLE Women in Hollywood celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Los Angeles. Jordan Strauss/AP President Donald Trump warned Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin about comedian Rosie ODonnell, who revealed she left the United States earlier this year. ODonnell revealed in a TikTok video earlier this week that she moved to Ireland on Jan. 15, explaining that she will consider moving back to the U.S. when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights. During a meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday, conservative commentator Brian Glenn asked Martin why he would let the comedian move to his country. Why in the world would you let Rosie ODonnell move to Ireland?, Glenn, a reporter for Real Americas Voice, asked Martin. Martin did not answer before Trump interjected to take a jab at ODonnell, a staunch critic of the president. Thank you, I like that question. Did you know you have Rosie ODonnell? Do you know who she is? Youre better off not knowing, Trump responded. Marjorie Taylor Greene's boyfriend asks the Irish head of government why he let Rosie O'Donnell move to Ireland. Trump commends him, saying "I like that question." pic.twitter.com/0UD6O0kuDZ Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 12, 2025 ODonnell and Trump have exchanged barbs for years, with the feud beginning in 2006 after she criticized him on The View over his decision to be lenient toward a Miss USA winner, according to Fox News. He later insulted her during the 2016 GOP presidential primary debate when then-Fox News host Megyn Kelly questioned him about disparaging comments he made about women. ODonnell said its been pretty wonderful in Ireland, where she said she is planning on getting her Irish citizenship. Although I was never someone who thought I would move to another country, thats what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child. And here we are, she said in the video. When it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, thats when we will consider coming back. Its been heartbreaking to see whats happening politically and hard for me personally as well, she added. Many celebrities including former television host Ellen DeGeneres, said they would flee the U.S. if Trump was reelected to the White House. Losing the 2024 election to Donald Trump may not be the only political loss for Kamala Harris. According to a new poll from a Democratic firm, the former vice president could face an uphill climb if she decides to run for governor of California. Per the poll, Only 35% of likely primary voters think it is a good idea for her to run for governor. Some poll numbers zipping around California from Democratic firm Impact Research showing that Kamala Harris for governor isnt a sure thing at all, veteran reporter Peter Hamby posted to X. Some poll numbers zipping around California from Democratic firm Impact Research showing that Kamala Harris for governor isnt a sure thing at all pic.twitter.com/Rxy9q9vMoE Peter Hamby (@PeterHamby) March 12, 2025 Former Democratic U.S. House member Katie Porter announced Tuesday that she is entering the 2026 contest for California governor, joining a crowded field of candidates that could be upended if Harris joins the race. Porter, who became a social media celebrity by brandishing a white board at congressional hearings while grilling CEOs, promised in a campaign launch video to be an aggressive counterweight to Trumps administration at a time when the heavily Democratic state has clashed with the White House over issues from water management to immigrant rights. The contest to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom already has lured a large scrum of announced and likely candidates that would be reshuffled if Harris decides to seek the states top office. Harris, a former state attorney general and U.S. senator, has not ruled out seeking the governorship since she left Washington in January after a failed presidential bid. Porter is friendly with the former vice president and has indicated she would step aside if Harris joins the race. In 2012, Harris, then Californias attorney general, appointed Porter to be the states independent bank monitor in a multibillion-dollar nationwide mortgage settlement. If Harris gets in the race there are very few politicians who would want to take her on, Claremont McKenna College political scientist Jack Pitney told The Associated Press. Shed be likely to win the Democratic nomination, and Democrats are likely to win the governorship. The Associated Press contributed to this report. New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole likely won't be back on a big-league mound until the middle of next season. AP The New York Yankees had the opportunity to avoid disaster with Gerrit Cole this offseason. All it wouldve taken was an unpopular decision. With the Yankees' ace undergoing Tommy John surgery this week, Cole will likely not return to a big-league mound until around the midseason of 2026. But the Yankees had the chance to go in a different direction in November when Cole triggered his opt out. BUY YANKEES TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER Cole needing TJ is tough news, ex-New York Mets general manager Zack Scott wrote to X on Monday. I know walking away from him when he opted out would have been poorly received, but it was the right thing to do. Walk away and feel great about the contract. I know other people in the industry felt the same way. Bummer for Yankees fans. This echoed Scotts stance in November when he warned the Yankees of extending Coles deal. Under Coles previous contract, the Yankees would have had to add a year at $36 million to void the opt out. But instead, the team and Cole decided to play out the remaining four years and $144 million of his nine-year, $324 million deal. At the time, The New York Posts Jon Heyman reported that they would revisit extension talks later. Now, the Yankees have a lost year-plus with Cole, who will aim to return when hes 35. According to ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney, the Yankees could recoup around 75% of Coles contract after taking out insurance, but the $36 million annually (for four more years) will still count against their luxury tax. Despite the risks innate to throwing hard and pitching in ones mid-30s, the Yankees were never going to sever ties with Cole, who could very well be putting the final touches on a Hall of Fame-worthy career (and wearing a Yankees cap on his plaque). But even though Cole has been a mark of durability in his career, the warning lights were flashing since last season when elbow inflammation delayed the start of his season until June. Sure, he pitched 124 innings total, including the postseason, but he wasnt his vintage, consistent self. In the regular season, he recorded a 3.41 ERA in 95 innings with a 25% strikeout rate (99). In the playoffs posted a 2.17 ERA and 17.7% strikeout rate in 29 innings. With pitcher Luis Gil also injured, the Yankees' rotation comprises Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt and Will Warren. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. Waltz: We brief on how this war is going to permanently end, what type of guarantees Ukrainians going to have for their long-term security US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz reported that, in particular, during negotiations with the Ukrainian delegation, the topic of guarantees that Ukrainians "will have for their long-term security" was raised. The Ukrainian delegation today made something very clear: that they share President Trumps vision for peace, they share his determination to end the fighting, to end the killing, he said while speaking to the media in Jeddah on Tuesday. The advisor also noted that Ukraine made concrete steps and concrete proposals. Not only accepting our proposal for a full ceasefire which you can see the details of which are in our joint statement that we released together but we also got into substantive details on how this war is going to permanently end, what type of guarantees theyre going to have for their long-term security and prosperity, but also really looking at what its going to take to finally end this the horrific fighting, he said. Waltz noted that there is a named delegation in terms of next steps from the Russian side. We have a named delegation in terms of next steps from the Ukrainian side. He said he would speak with his Russian counterpart in the coming days, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio would meet with G7 foreign ministers in the coming days. In addition, the NATO Secretary General will be at the White House on Thursday. And well take well take the process forward from there, Waltz added. Google Maps changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, following a change President Donald Trump ordered the federal government to make. In March, Louisiana's Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to implement the change in Louisiana classrooms to align with the president's executive order. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed a breakthrough in relations between Kyiv and Washington, SkyNews reported on Tuesday. Ukraine has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposal and the US says it will restart military aid and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv after a big day of peace talks in Saudi Arabia. Hailing a "remarkable breakthrough", the PM congratulated Trump and Zelenskyy and said it was an "important moment for peace in Ukraine". "We now all need to redouble our efforts to get to a lasting and secure peace as soon as possible, the SkyNews quoted the PM as saying. Starmer will be hosting virtual talks with potential members of a peacekeeping coalition on Saturday. This photo provided by Air Force Reserve shows a sky view of Hurricane Epsilon taken by Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter team over the Atlantic Ocean taken Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020. Epsilons maximum sustained winds have dropped slightly as it prepares to sideswipe Bermuda on a path over the Atlantic Ocean. The National Hurricane Center says it should come close enough Thursday, Oct. 22, evening to merit a tropical storm warning for the island. Sybiha on temporary 30-day ceasefire: This is in no way about frozen conflict Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/ Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha explained Ukraine's position regarding the "30-day ceasefire". "The joint statement speaks of a temporary ceasefire, for a limited period of 30 days, and only in the event of mutual consent to it from the Russian Federation. The American side will now talk to the Russians about their readiness or unwillingness to end the war. Why this temporary ceasefire is important - because this is in no way about a frozen conflict," he wrote on Facebook. The minister stressed that this is only "an attempt to begin the path to ending the war in a fair way." "This is also a step that demonstrates who is really interested in peace," he noted. A couple of weeks ago, I watched in disbelief as Trump and his Vice-President, JD Vance, ambushed President Zelensky in the Oval Office. There werent many of us who werent deeply alarmed by this interaction. That moment made it utterly clear that our commitment to Ukraine is more important than ever. It is becoming increasingly clear that the UK cannot rely on Donald Trump to support Ukraine or serve as a partner in Europes collective security. Given my seat on the Defence Select Committee, unsurprisingly many of my parliamentary discussions over the past few weeks have been dominated by the repercussions of this interaction and the question of European security. I have recently met with many ministers, military leaders, foreign defence delegates and other organisations to discuss these matters of defence and strengthening alliances - from meetings at NATO headquarters to official overseas visits in Estonia and Finland. During these discussions, I have been amplifying the Liberal Democrat calls for using the frozen Russian asset money to help fund Ukraines defence, reversing the Conservative Partys staggeringly irresponsible 10,000 troop cut, and pushing for increased defence spending to at least 3 per cent of GDP. But the UK is undermined when our credibility is unfairly questioned by those who are meant to be our allies. Another shocking moment was JD Vances disrespectful remark dismissing a proposed European peacekeeping force in Ukraine as 20,000 troops from some random country that hasnt fought a war in 30 or 40 years.. Despite his protests, it was clear he was referring to the UK and France. As a veteran, I found this comment appalling. European allies stood shoulder to shoulder with the US the first and only time NATOs Article 5 has been triggeredafter the 9/11 attacks. I know many people who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, some of whom never came home. Vances remark erased the history of these people who fought for our country. Its crystal clear that Trump only seems to care about extracting resources from Ukraine and helping Putin. So now more than ever is a time for the UK to step up and work with our allies in Europe. Even in North Devon, the consequences of the war in Ukraine are felt. I have been contacted by numerous local residents who have opened their homes to Ukrainian refugees, mostly women and children. Now, these refugees face big uncertainty as their visas are set to expire. The Governments policy forces them to wait until just 28 days before their visas run out to apply for an extension, leaving many in limbo, unable to secure jobs, tenancies, or long-term stability. To make matters worse, the Government has cut the Thank You payments to hosts, making it even harder for people to continue providing accommodation. After meeting with the incredible local charity, The Pickwell Foundation, I wrote to the Home Secretary demanding action on this. These families have been through enough, they deserve security, not uncertainty. All of this and my work on the Defence Select Committee has made it abundantly clear that this is a defining moment for the UK. We must strengthen our defence, support Ukraine, and stand firm against those who seek to weaken us. Over the past 24 hours, aviation, missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces struck seven areas where Russian invaders were concentrating personnel, weapons and military equipment. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on Telegram in operational information regarding the Russian invasion as of 8:00 a.m. Wednesday. VALPARAISO For Karalena Herdia, who has an interest in law and the criminal justice system, being able to see the judicial process in action up close was a pretty great birthday present. The high school senior served as a bailiff as a panel of Indiana Court of Appeal judges heard oral arguments of an actual case in front of around 60 students at Wheeler High School. It was part of the court's Appeals on Wheels program, a civics education outreach initiative that has state appellate judges travel throughout the state hearing cases typically argued in Indianapolis. The case heard by Judges Nancy Vaidik, Elizabeth Tavitas and Mary DeBoer involved the appeal of Destanie Norwood, a Fort Wayne woman convicted by a jury last year of felony battery on a child and felony strangulation. Norwood was given a six-year sentence. According to court records, Norwood was arrested in 2022 after a dispute between Norwood and her 11-year-old son in which she grabbed the child by the hair and threw him to the ground, put him a in chokehold and sat on him until police arrived. The incident began after Norwood went out to search for her son and found him entering another person's vehicle despite instructing him to stay at home until she returned from work. David Joley, representing Norwood, argued that while socially acceptable ways to discipline a child have changed throughout the years, what had not changed was the state's recognition of parental rights to discipline their children and that prosecutors failed to prove without a reasonable doubt that the force used by Norwood in disciplining her son was unreasonable, noting she did not intend on hurting him and she believed such force was necessary to control her child since he had punched her in the face. Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General John Oosterhoff, representing the state, urged the judges to reaffirm the conviction, saying the force used by Norwood was unreasonable and disproportionate since she was much larger than her son and could do more damage, noting injuries the child sustained to his face and back. Additionally, Oosterhoff argued that the child's behavior did not justify violence, since his father had asked another person to pick up the child, and Norwood became aware of this by the time of the dispute. After 40 minutes of oral arguments, the judges took questions from students. While they couldn't speak on the specific case, they discussed how they maintained impartiality, how they prepared for cases, the challenges of balancing work and their personal lives, the types of cases they handled and their paths to becoming judges. Herdia said she was baffled to learn the amount of work each of the judges put in to get to where they were. "It takes a lot of grit and elbow grease, and I think that if I want to be respected and be anybody important to anyone in the future, I'm definitely gonna have to put that work in," said Herdia. While she grew up wanting to be a lawyer, Herdia said she now hopes to either become an investigative journalist or federal law enforcement agent. DeBoer, who was appointed to the Court of Appeals in September, said she enjoys taking part in Appeals on Wheels since it puts her and other appellate judges in front of students in a way that makes them more approachable. She also hoped it showed the student there wasn't just one path to having a career in law and it was a possibility for all of them. "None of us came from any kind of fancy backgrounds," DeBoer said. "I worked three jobs to go to college." This is the third Appeals on Wheels event to take place this school year in Northwest Indiana. In September, judges heard a case at Portage Township High School, and last month students from nine high schools witnessed an appeals case at Indiana University Northwest. According to Vaidik, 35 Appeals on Wheels cases took place last year, with over 40 to take place this year. Ukraine does not need a situation where there is simply no war, it does not need the so-called "Minsk-3" or "Yalta-2", said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha. As Polskie Radio reports, during a media interview with his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski in Warsaw, Sybiha called the talks in Jeddah "very important, almost historic." Answering the question of whether Vladimir Putin is ready to compromise on the issue of the occupied territories and the neutral status of Ukraine, Sybiha emphasized that Ukraine is only interested in long-term peace. "It is very important to adhere to this position and have the support of our partners in achieving a just peace. We do not need a situation where there is simply no war. We do not want the so-called Minsk-3 or Yalta-2," he emphasized. As The Guardian said, Sybiha also added that Ukraine is ready to form a relevant negotiating group to work on a roadmap in order to achieve a ceasefire in the future. They Lost Someone to Covid. Heres What They Learned About Grief. Sophie Park for The New York Times In April 2020, when Sara Rochon lost her oldest brother to Covid, her grief felt all-consuming. From her home in Florida, Ms. Rochon was pained by thoughts of her brothers last days, alone without his wife, children and siblings in his hospital room in Ohio. In those early, paralyzing weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, Ms. Rochon could not attend his funeral, a gathering limited to only a handful of immediate family members who lived nearby. It was unbearable, she said. Five years later, Ms. Rochon still thinks of her brother, Joseph Hanna, nearly every day. But her grief has changed shape. Now when Mr. Hanna pops into her head, she remembers his face cracking a grin, his shock of thick white hair, his six-foot-one figure striding into a room. Sara Rochon, right, and her sister, Nina Hanna, at their brothers gravesite in Youngstown, Ohio. Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times This grief led to changes in her own life. Ms. Rochon, a retired teacher, decided to move back to Ohio, to be closer to her family. I can think of him with a smile and not a tear, she said. My grief hasnt gone away. Its just different. More than 1.2 million Americans died in the coronavirus pandemic. For their grieving families, the fifth anniversary of the pandemics beginning is an aching reminder of what they have lost. Rituals were upended. Families were robbed of the ability to care for their loved ones, which, under normal circumstances, can help ease their emotional pain. The deaths themselves were often endured from a distance, with nurses holding up iPads to allow the sick to say goodbye to their relatives and spouses. And afterward, families were left to congregate and remember their loved ones by Zoom. It was a perfect storm of all the bad things, said Holly Prigerson, chair of diagnostics in radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine and a longtime researcher on grief. Just as Covid continues to affect people who are older or have underlying health conditions, it also still has a hold on bereaved families, five years on. In interviews, many people say they are still mired in anger and crushing grief, unable to forget the particular cruelty of the pandemic: that their spouses, relatives and close friends often died alone. Some mourners have found light after darkness. Since the pandemic, they have grown closer with their families and friends, embraced their own lives with more vigor and purpose, or turned to music or writing as a way to stitch themselves back together. Still others say they are occupying a middle ground of grief. Mary Anna Ball, a graduate student who lost several close family friends to Covid in her home state of West Virginia, said that she felt as though she would never catch up with her own mourning. It still feels kind of incomplete, she said. It doesnt feel like there is that closure on any of it. Cleaved in Two In Ann Arbor, Mich., Lisa Murray is still grieving her mother-in-law, Sandy Gatti, who died from the virus in February 2021. Ms. Murray is no stranger to loss. Her own mother died in hospice in 2023, but that passing came peacefully, with family present. Sandys death stands out to me, she said. It feels like the hole has not closed, the wound has not closed. Theres this sense of injustice. Her death was so unnecessary. She was so close to getting a vaccine. Joy Netanya Thompson, an editor at a tech company in La Verne, Calif., lost her father to Covid in the summer of 2020, and then her beloved grandmother six months afterward. Joy Netanya Thompson with a sewing box that belonged to her grandmother, who died six months after her father. Morgan Lieberman for The New York Times It feels so unmooring to lose a parent, Ms. Thompson said. It really feels like a part of you has been erased from the earth. And that was very profound. But it was the way Ms. Thompsons father died the isolation after weeks in the hospital that made her grief linger, years later. She felt that her life had been cleaved in two: Before Grief and After Grief. When her grandfather died in hospice care in 2023, she immediately felt the stark contrast between how he and her father spent their final days. I got to say goodbye to him, Ms. Thompson said of her grandfather. I got to hold his hand a couple different times in the last couple weeks. I got to tell him everything I wanted to tell him. And then we got to have a big memorial service and celebrate him. So I got to see the difference when you get to do the normal rituals. Looking Back in Anger Like many Covid mourners, Amy Morris, 52, is still fighting one powerful emotion: anger. Ms. Morris, who lives in Charlotte, N.C., watched helplessly from afar in late 2020 as her mother, Ilene Craft Boger, 85, fell ill in her assisted living facility and was transferred to a hospital. Ms. Boger, an accomplished jazz pianist who dressed impeccably, died a month later. The manner of her death still fills me with such rage that it takes my breath away, Ms. Morris said. Brian Owens, an artistic director in the film industry, has lost two aunts, an uncle and a nephew because of Covid. He still feels a mix of frustration and grief. Though Mr. Owenss family was in the United States, he was living in Canada, where Covid restrictions were far more stringent. You went to the grocery store and that was about it, he said. So that comparison added a layer of anger to the whole thing for me. I feel like so many of those deaths were preventable and we just didnt prevent them. Others who lost relatives to the virus said they were dogged by lingering guilt. Arjun Jalan, who lives in Boston, thinks about his father, far away in India. I hadnt seen my mom in 15 months and would never see her again, Arjun Jalan said. Sophie Park for The New York Times Mr. Jalans mother, known in the family as a phenomenal hostess and cook, died in 2021, leaving his father widowed. For a long time, Mr. Jalan could not bear to look at photos of his mother. His father urged him to keep moving forward, to not worry about him or his loneliness. Writing Your Way Through It Before the pandemic, Nicholas Montemaranos identity was wrapped around his love of fiction. He read relentlessly, wrote novels and taught creative writing at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. But when his mother, Catherine, died of Covid in January 2021, Mr. Montemarano found himself turning to poetry instead. He wrote a memoir, an elegy to his mother, in verse. Im trying to make my bed and brush my teeth. Im trying to remember her voice before her lungs quit. Song sparrows fly twigs to the flowerbed outside my window. This morning in overgrown grass under light rain, a butterfly alighted on my face. He is one of many Covid mourners who have discovered more personal ways to resolve their grief. For Kim Lowe, a filmmaker in Boston, that relief was found after the pandemic left a gaping hole in her sprawling family in Massachusetts. Ms. Lowes mother died during the pandemic in 2021, though doctors could not determine the cause. Then all four of her mothers siblings fell ill and died within the next two years, two from Covid and two from what Ms. Lowe called collateral Covid when they could not easily see a doctor and saw their health falter as a result. It felt like an entire generation had been wiped out, she said. It was physical pain, it was mental pain, it was all-encompassing grief. Ms. Lowe has fought through much of her grief by leaning on her own generation, the cousins who live around the Boston area. Together, they have written down their family stories and history, including a beloved recipe for Portuguese soup one that her mothers generation kept only in their heads. On the fifth anniversary of the pandemic, Ms. Lowe feels like a changed person. I felt as if I was given a gift of perspective and love and gratitude, she said. I make people feel so awkward because Im always telling them how much I love them and appreciate them. Im so much more loving and present. Gwendolyn W. Williams, who lives in Los Angeles, last saw two of her closest friends on Christmas Eve in 2019, when she made her usual 45-minute drive to their assisted living home for a visit. I interact with the world differently now. Im a bit more raw, tender and afraid of losing other loved ones, Gwendolyn Williams said. Morgan Lieberman for The New York Times Both friends contracted Covid and died only eight days apart when the virus swept through the facility in 2020. Today, Ms. Williams said she moves through life a little differently. She was always devoted to her friends, some close enough to feel like family. But now even a passing thought can prompt her to call or text someone. I dont let the moment pass me by, Ms. Williams said. You do what you can for people you love when you can do it. During the 2024 campaign, Trump promised to lower the price of groceries on the first day of his new administration. But before he was inaugurated, he warned it might not happen, explaining Tracking U.S. Measles Outbreaks The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 1,267 measles cases as of Tuesday, the second highest number of annual cases since the United States declared measles eliminated in 2000. That number includes 1,115 cases related to measles outbreaks and 152 isolated cases, typically linked to international travel. Measles cases by county in 2025 Outbreaks Isolated cases Sources: State and county health departments; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention With six months left in the year, the country has nearly surpassed the case count from 2019, when measles infected 1,274 people around the country, including large outbreaks in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York. Confirmed measles cases since 2000 1,250 Measles spread through N.Y. Orthodox Jewish communities in 2019 1,000 750 In 2000, measles was declared eliminated in the United States 500 250 2000 05 10 15 20 2025 1,250 1,000 750 In 2000, measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. 500 250 2000 05 10 15 20 2025 Source: C.D.C. confirmed cases through July 1 New measles cases by week 100 75 50 25 April 2024 July Oct. Jan. 2025 April July 100 75 50 25 Jan. 2025 April July Source: C.D.C. confirmed cases through July 1 Most of the cases have been connected to the Southwest outbreak the largest single outbreak since 2000 which began in a Mennonite community in West Texas and jumped to New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas. A measles outbreak in West Texas began in late January, when local health officials reported two cases in Gaines County, a rural agricultural area on the western edge of the state. The outbreak quickly escalated. Measles spread into neighboring counties and has now infected at least 753 people in Texas, including 710 unvaccinated children and adults. At least 99 people have been hospitalized and two unvaccinated children have died: a school-age girl in February and an 8-year-old girl in April, the first such deaths in the United States in a decade. The outbreak is likely to persist for a year, according to Texas health officials. Measles cases in West Texas and nearby states Sources: State and county health departments; C.D.C. Measles spread across the New Mexico border into Lea County, which borders Gaines County, killing one unvaccinated adult. New Mexico has reported 94 cases and seven hospitalizations across eight counties. In both Texas and New Mexico, most measles cases have spread among people who are unvaccinated. Measles Infections Measles is one of the most contagious known infections. In a hypothetical community where nobody had immunity and each person with measles infected 18 others, a small outbreak would quickly grow out of control: Every vaccinated person would help slow the spread of the virus and limit the outbreak: For the outbreak to end quickly, each infected person would need to infect fewer than one other person, on average. In this example, 17 of 18 people would need to be vaccinated more than 94 percent of the community: And while measles symptoms often resolve on their own within a few weeks, the virus can be extremely dangerous in rare cases. It may cause pneumonia, making it difficult for children to get oxygen into their lungs. The infection can also lead to brain swelling, which can cause lasting damage, including blindness, deafness and intellectual disabilities. For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus also causes immune amnesia, making the body unable to defend itself against illnesses it has already been exposed to and leaving patients more susceptible to future infections. Once someone is infected with the virus, doctors have little control over how serious a measles infection becomes there is no antiviral for measles to stop its spread in the body, only supportive care to help manage symptoms. Thats why experts recommend that people get two doses of the M.M.R. vaccine, which are 97 percent effective at preventing infection. Measles was officially declared eliminated which means the virus is not continually spreading in 2000, in large part because of aggressive vaccination campaigns. Experts now fear that status may be at risk, as childhood vaccination rates have been falling nationally. Vaccination Rates For years, Gaines County has had low childhood vaccination rates, largely because of the areas large Mennonite community. While there is no religious doctrine that explicitly forbids vaccines, the insular Christian group has historically avoided interacting with the health care system and has a long tradition of using home remedies and supplements. Roughly 82 percent of the kindergarten students in the county had received the measles-mumps-rubella vaccination, or M.M.R., last year, which is far below the 95 percent coverage needed to prevent outbreaks in a community. Texas public schools require children to have received certain vaccines, including the M.M.R. shot, but parents can apply for an exemption for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs. Last year, Gaines County had one of the highest exemption rates in the state. Vaccination rates can vary widely by school district. The Loop Independent School District in Gaines County is a small district with one school and the lowest rate of measles vaccination in the affected Texas counties. Only 46 percent of kindergarten students had received their M.M.R. vaccine in the 2023 school year, down from 82 percent in 2019. Change in measles vaccination rates in several West Texas counties By county, for public school districts and private schools, since 2019 45% 55 65 75 85 95% 100% Gaines County Loop Independent School District Decrease Seminole Increase Seagraves Lubbock County Kingdom Preparatory Lubbock Christian Southcrest Christian Rise Academy Lubbock Shallowater Idalou Trinity Christian Frenship Lubbock-Cooper New Deal Betty M. Condra Slaton All Saints Episcopal Roosevelt Christ the King Southland Dallam County Dalhart Christian Dalhart St. Anthonys Dawson County Sands Dawson Klondike Lamesa Terry County Wellman-Union Meadow Brownfield Yoakum County Plains Denver City Ector County St. Marys Catholic Ector County UTPB STEM Academy Compass Academy St. John's Episcopal Martin County Grady Stanton Lynn County New Home Tahoka ODonnell 45% 55 65 75 85 95% 100% 55% 65 75 85 95 100% Gaines County Loop Decrease Seminole Increase Seagraves Lubbock County Kingdom Preparatory Lubbock Christian Southcrest Christian Rise Academy Lubbock Shallowater Idalou Trinity Christian Frenship Lubbock-Cooper New Deal Betty M. Condra Slaton All Saints Episcopal Roosevelt Christ the King Southland Dallam County Dalhart Christian Dalhart St. Anthonys Dawson County Sands Dawson Klondike Lamesa Terry County Wellman-Union Meadow Brownfield Yoakum County Plains Denver City Ector County St. Marys Catholic Ector County UTPB STEM Academy Compass Academy St. John's Episcopal Martin County Grady Stanton Lynn County New Home Tahoka ODonnell 55% 65 75 85 95 100% Source: Texas Department of State Health Services Note: Chart shows the change in reported vaccination rates among kindergarten students in public school districts and private schools from 201920 to 202324. Homeschooled children and some private schools are not included in this data. In Lea County, N.M., the M.M.R. vaccination rate for children and teens is relatively high, at about 94 percent. But the rate among adults is much lower: 63 percent have received one shot of M.M.R., and only 55 percent have received both shots, according to local health officials, though they noted that there may be vaccinated adults whose records have not been added to the system. Adults make up more than half of reported cases in New Mexico. Paul Oestreicher There was a time when life had a rhythm and a structure that provided a sense of stability. New automobile models from major manufacturers debuted in the fall, coinciding with the fresh lineup of television shows for the next year. Political campaigns had defined seasons, unlike the perpetual, endless cycles we see today. People consumed news in predictable doses morning or evening newspapers and the 6 oclock broadcast. Then came 1980, along with CNNs 24-hour news cycle. I like a fast pace. I like action. But over the past few decades, the world has been accelerating toward a state of constant stimulation, creating a culture of immediacy, anxiety, and FOMO (fear of missing out). The erosion of reliability and dependability qualities that once defined institutions, businesses, and even personal relationships has led to a more volatile society. When everything is in flux, from how we consume news to how governments operate, uncertainty becomes the norm. The modern political climate, typified by Mark Zuckerbergs ethos of a move fast and break things mentality, exacerbates this instability, making it difficult to trust that the systems designed to serve us will endure. The Cost of Constant Change At the heart of reliability is consistency. Toyota outpaced U.S. stalwarts not merely by selling cars but by building its reputation on reliability. McDonalds expanded nationwide and globally because customers always knew what to expect a dependable product that felt familiar. Similarly, FedEx built an empire on the promise of guaranteed delivery times, reinforcing the idea that businesses thrive when they prioritize reliability over disruption. Contrast this with todays landscape: streaming services release entire seasons at once, disrupting the traditional weekly anticipation of new episodes. The news cycle refreshes every second, rendering yesterdays headlines irrelevant before they can be fully processed. In politics, policies and positions can shift overnight, with leaders reversing their stances as quickly as a spreading rumor or a social media trend. This constant churn creates instability and fosters a culture where nothing feels secure. However, this doesn't mean that change is inherently negative. Adaptation is essential for growth, and businesses, governments, and individuals must evolve in response to new realities. The key lies in understanding when and how to change in a way that preserves trust and stability. JCPenney serves as a cautionary example of how abrupt, poorly executed changes can backfire. In 2011, CEO Ron Johnson aimed to revitalize the department store by eliminating sales and discounts in favor of everyday low prices. Although his intention was to modernize the brand, the drastic shift alienated loyal customers who were accustomed to bargain hunting. The outcome was a significant decline in sales and consumer trust. This example demonstrates that while change is often necessary, it must be managed carefully to ensure it aligns with customer expectations and core brand values. The Psychological Toll of Instability Stability is not merely a luxury; it is essential for mental well-being. When individuals know they can depend on certain structures, it eases stress and anxiety. Now, work emails arrive at all hours, and the expectation for immediate responses intensifies burnout. The line between personal and professional life has become blurred, making it difficult to truly disconnect. In the political arena, the unpredictability of governance has heightened public anxiety. Legislative norms that once ensured steady, incremental change have been abandoned in favor of radical shifts. The chaotic management of Twitter (now X) following Elon Musks acquisition illustrates the dangers of impulsive, reactionary decision-making. Abrupt mass layoffs, policy reversals, and inconsistent enforcement of rules have created an unstable platform where neither users nor advertisers know what to expect. Similarly, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), influenced by Musk, has eliminated government jobs without a clear long-term strategy, leading to service disruptions in crucial areas such as veterans affairs and nuclear security. This instability erodes public trust and intensifies societal stress. The recent trend of dismantling policies without clear replacement strategies whether in healthcare, environmental protections, or economic regulations erodes confidence in institutions. People question whether todays rules will still apply tomorrow, making long-term planning nearly impossible. The whipsaw of on-again, off-again tariffs, for example, has thrown the global economy into turmoil. The Importance of Dependability Strong societies rely on dependable leadership. The most outstanding leaders from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Angela Merkelare remembered not for their flashiness but for their steady hands during turbulent times. Their decisions instilled confidence because they were predictable and rooted in principles rather than short-term expediency. An article titled The Surprising Trait Google Looks For To Identify Potential Leaders by Walter Chen emphasizes a similar principle in business. Chen states, At Google, they're obsessive about looking at data to determine what makes employees successful, and what they found in the numbers was surprising. The most important character trait of a leader is one that you're more likely to associate with a dull person than a dynamic leader: predictability. The more predictable you are, day after day, the better. Leaders who are erratic or reactionary create uncertainty, which ultimately undermines efficiency and morale. In business, companies that uphold their commitment to quality and service withstand the test of time. Apples focus on long-term reliability in its products has cultivated a loyal customer base. Their ecosystem strategy ensures that devices work together seamlessly, reinforcing consumer trust. Reclaiming Reliability in an Unstable World To counter the chaos, we must collectively re-emphasize the importance of dependability. Businesses should prioritize consistent service, and governments should support measured, sustainable reforms instead of reactionary changes. Individuals can foster reliability in their lives by following through on their commitments, maintaining integrity, and building trust within their communities. The world may never return to the slower pace of the past, but that doesnt mean we have to accept unpredictability as the new standard. Stability is not a relic; its a choice. In an era marked by constant disruption, the ability to offer reliability and dependability is more valuable than ever. *** Paul Oestreicher, PhD, is a trusted advisor and mentor known for strategic communications, thought leadership development, crisis and reputation management and third-party relationship building. He is the author of "Camelot, Inc.: Leadership and Management Insights from King Arthur and the Round Table." You can follow him on Threads @pauloestreicher. Amy Sedeno I recently read an article about Portugal shedding its reputation for inexpensive wines, which got me thinking: Does affordability hurt more than it helps? In the U.S., where prestige and price go hand in hand, is good value a disadvantage? And how can communicators help lesser-known wine regions gain traction? The U.S. market is fiercely competitive, dominated by legacy players and entrenched consumer habits. But great wine is being made everywhere, and with the right strategy, even the most overlooked regions can carve out a space for themselves. Define your value beyond price Its tempting to lead with affordability, especially when competing with the heavyweights, but this can be a double-edged sword. Instead of focusing solely on price, emphasize quality, uniqueness and authenticity. The narrative should be about craftsmanship, terroir and winemaking traditions, not just a good deal. Consumers dont just want a bargain; they want a story, an experience and a sense of discovery. Positioning lesser-known wine regions as hidden gems rather than budget alternatives is key to elevating their status in the marketplace. Build relationships with trade, media Now youve got a story to tell, but how do you get it in front of the right people? PR in the wine world is all about relationships. Distributors, sommeliers and wine journalists can be your biggest spokespeople. They need compelling stories about sustainability, innovation, or heritage. Think about how a centuries-old winemaking technique is being preserved or how a near-extinct varietal is making a comeback. Media outlets, especially those focused on food and lifestyle, are always looking for fresh angles. Give them something newsworthy and ensure they have access to tastings, vineyard visits and firsthand experiences with the wines. This article is featured in O'Dwyer's Mar. '25 Food & Beverage PR Magazine Social media is another powerful tool. Engaging influencers and wine bloggers can amplify brand recognition. A well-placed Instagram post from the right sommelier or lifestyle influencer can introduce an entire audience to a wine theyve never heard of before. Being part of the conversation in both trade and lifestyle media creates a ripple effect, driving awareness and demand. Get in front of buyers and consumers Trade shows, industry tastings and consumer events are excellent opportunities to showcase wines. These touchpoints build credibility and generate buzz. But its not enough to just be presentyou need to engage. Wineries should go beyond pouring samples and create immersive experiences that leave an impression. Wine dinners, interactive tastings and collaborations with chefs and restaurateurs can foster a deeper connection with both buyers and consumers. Additionally, partnering with well-established brands in the lifestyle spacewhether in travel, food, or even fashioncan be an innovative way to tap into new audiences. Finding ways to integrate wine into broader cultural moments helps it break out of the traditional wine bubble and reach a more diverse customer base. Leverage tourism for market expansion Wine tourism and exports go hand in hand. If a region is seeing an increase in visitors, theres an opportunity to create demand once travelers return home. People develop strong emotional connections to wines they experience in the place they were made. This is where collaboration with tourism boards, hospitality partners and even airlines can play a significant role. One strategy is to work with hotels and restaurants in high-tourism areas to ensure visiting consumers are exposed to these wines. Another is creating take-home experiences, such as wine club memberships or direct-to-consumer shipping options, so tourists can continue enjoying the wines they discovered abroad. A traveler who falls in love with a wine in Portugal or Chile is more likely to seek it out when they return to the U.S.if they know where to find it. Maximize social media and digital strategy I am mentioning social media twice on purpose. A strong digital presence isnt optionalits essential. Sommeliers, wine influencers and consumers spend hours scrolling through Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for recommendations. A winery without a compelling online presence risks being invisible to an entire generation of wine drinkers. The key to digital success is authenticity. Engaging contentwhether its behind-the-scenes vineyard footage, winemaker interviews, or storytelling around the history of a regionhelps bring a brand to life. Collaborations with social media influencers and digital wine educators can expand reach beyond traditional audiences. Paid social campaigns, email marketing and targeted ads can also help build brand recognition and drive sales. Breaking into the U.S. market isnt just about getting wines on shelvesits about staying there and getting your product in the hands of consumers. Long-term success requires more than a one-time marketing push. It demands a clear brand identity, strategic partnerships and consistent engagement with industry stakeholders. Regular participation in trade shows, media events and tastings ensures that the wine remains part of the conversation. Wineries should also consider exclusive partnerships or limited-time releases with key retailers or brands to build hype and maintain visibility. Offering educational experiences, such as virtual tastings or winemaker Q&A sessions, can keep consumers engaged long after their initial discovery of a wine. The U.S. wine market is challenging, but its also full of opportunities for those willing to take a strategic and creative approach. Lesser-known wine regions dont have to remain in the shadows. By focusing on strong storytelling, building relationships with trade and media, engaging consumers through digital platforms and leveraging wine tourism, even the most under-the-radar wines can gain traction. Its not about trying to be the next Napa or Bordeaux; its about carving out a unique identity and making sure the right people are paying attention. *** Amy Sedeno is Vice President and Partner at CIIC PR. BANAGHER Drama Group moved away from recent comedies and chose a more serious play for their 2025 offering and it proved to be a very good choice. Jimmy Murphy's 'The Kings of the Kilburn High Road' is a thought provoking play, focusing on a particular era and generation of Irish people, who left home with dreams of making a success of life but often ended up leading very tough lives. It is a poignant story filled with sadness but one that would resonate with many people. For some it would have been difficult to watch as they would have known men who went away from home and often never came back, some never to be heard of again. The cast under the direction of Brendan Hanamy were finely tuned and captured the tension, heartbreak and anguish of the unfolding story with excellent characerisations and acting. The story focuses on the story of six young men who left the West of Ireland in the mid 1970s with dreams of making their fortune in London. It is now 25 years later and one of their number, Jackie, has died tragically and the remaining five gather together in the back room of an Irish bar in Kilburn for his wake. It is a scene so often played out over the years. Of the five remaining men, two have their own families, two are still single, while the fifth, Joe, is the only one to have enjoyed any real success, setting up his own company and now employing 12 men. Joe doen't keep in touch as much with the group as previously, but the other four regularly meet up in the pub and drink and sing songs about home. Jackie's death has hit them hard. They remembered the six young lads who travelled to London with such great dreams of making their money and then going home again. But now 25 years on the late Jackie is the first one to make it home, but in a coffin, and all the rest are still in London. Maurteen said he only intended staying two years but was waiting for someone else to make the first move home and he would follow only to discover that the rest of them were also waiting for someone else to make the first move. While it was a very serious play, there were some light hearted moments and humour as well, but it wasn't overplayed and fitted nicely into the story. They were happy reminiscences of their early days and the fun they had together but Shay reminds them it wasn't all rosy and that the six of them were sharing two beds in a small flat. There was a lot of strong language but that added authenticity to the play as it was the way men like these would have spoken together and probably still do now. Overall it was a strong social commentary that reflected on a generation of Irish men who left home and endured many struggles in life. It was the era before mobile phones, cheap flights home and video calls like nowadays when people can keep in touch much easier. Back then visits home were often just for births, deaths and marriages, described by Jap as obligations rather than true visits home. Others lost contact when family died and never made the journey back across the Irish Sea and were often effectively lost in the huge metropolis of London. It was a story that tugged at the heart strings and director Brendan Hanamy can take credit for that. The all male cast of five all had their own individual characteristics and the interaction among them was excellent, whether arguing and fighting, or just remembering the better times. The underlying tension at times was palpable and was played very well. But overall there was an inherent sadness there in all the characters, despite their efforts to show the world that all was well. Jap Kavanagh was the most volatile of all the characters. Played by Patrick Byrne, who was making his debut with Banagher Drama Group, Jap announces he is moving home after Cheltenham but they've all heard that before. Jap plays the big man, making out he has made plenty of money, but his anger is never far from the surface. Patrick got the heart of the type of character we've all seen in a pub and he portrayed the conflicting emotions of the character with great energy and fire. Maurteen Rogers is another troubled soul. He is a heavy drinker and that has led to problems at home with his wife, which sees him declaring he is off the drink at the start of the play. However he is persuaded by the others to join them in memory of Jackie and he can start tomorrow. By the end of the play his old demons are re-emerging. Dave Boylan gave a strong portrayal of the character, who was moody and angry, but who enjoyed the company of his old friends. Brendan Dolan played the role of Git Miller. Often cast in the role of peacemaker between his feuding colleagues, he reminded them they were there to remember Jackie and was the first to try and get the sing song going. He and Jap shared a flat but times were getting harder as they got older. Brendan was an assured hand in bringing the character to life and had strong presence on stage. Shay Mulligan is a little more reserved than some of the other characters, even if there is an underlying resentment, and Sean Dolan portrayed that with great effect. Soon to become as grandfather as his 17 year old daughter is pregnant, Shay scoffs at talk of any of them going back to Ireland. He tells them that England is their home now as they have spent more of their lives there and they should accept that. Sean's depiction of the character was strong and commanding. Joe Mullen is the only one of the original group to have done well. He drives a big car and owns his own company but there is some resentment and anger, particularly from Jap, that he didn't do more to help the rest of them when he started to do well. Jared Madden played the role of the big man well, telling them he was paying for all the food and drink for the day. He showed an angry side as well when telling Jap he didn't employ any Irish because they weren't good workers and was a strong all round performance by Jared. The performance was very well received by a full house and got a deserved ovation at the end. Cast Joe Jared Madden; Maurteen Dave Boylan; Git Brendan Dolan; Jap Patrick Byrne; Shay Sean Dolan. Production Director Brendan Hanamy; Stage Manager Clare Lynch; Set design & construction Padraig Donohoe, Ken Lucas, Patrick Regan, Ronnie Byrne, Paul Buchanan; Set Decoration Lyn Lyons, Patrick Regan, Cora Stronge Smith, Ruth Lynch, Fiona Lynch; Lighting, Sound and Continuity Ruth Lynch, Mairead Devery; Front of House Ann Gallagher, Cora Stronge Smith, Sean Corrigan, Maura Flannery, Adrian Staunton, Lorraine Hogan; Backstage & make up Angela Reynolds, Janelle Robinon, Gemma White, Fiona Lynch, Lyn Lyons; Photography & Social Media Dave Boylan; Signage & Programme Liam Moran, Dave Boylan, Ruth Lynch. US Senator Graham: If Russia refuses ceasefire, we should sanction the hell out of them Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said he hoped Russia would agree to a 30-day ceasefire, otherwise it would face additional sanctions, including sanctions that would also cover countries that buy Russian goods, including oil, gas and uranium. I am very encouraged to hear that Ukraine has agreed to the United States proposal for a 30-day ceasefire () I hope Russia will follow. If Russia refuses, we should sanction the hell out of them, he said on X. congressionally mandated sanctions that will not only impact Russia, but will also impose sanctions and tariffs on countries that buy Russian goods, including oil, gas and uranium. It is long overdue for Russia to feel overwhelming economic pain as a result of their brutal invasion of Ukraine, he specified. A warehouse in the Midlands was served with a closure order after rodent droppings and dead mice were discovered. Universal Food Wholesale Distribution Limited located at Unit B3 National Business Park, Togher, Portlaoise was served with a closure order on February 28, 2025. The Health Service Executive issued the order after an inspector on behalf of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland(FSAI) had formed the opinion that there is or is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health due to their findings. Rodent droppings were noted around the edge of the floor of the warehouse/delivery area, especially beneath the shelving racks. Six mouse carcases were noted beneath the shelving racks and around the edges of the warehouse floor, the inspection report states. READ NEXT: Two people arrested after series of thefts from vehicles in Offaly It said: "A large container which had no lid and which was full of miscellaneous items such as old aprons in black refuse sacks and old light fittings, also had a large number of mouse droppings in the base. There were a number of spillages of foodstuffs around the floor which had not been cleaned up and were providing a food source for the mice. A number of gaps/holes were noted around the floor of the warehouse storage area beneath the shelving racks which were obvious entry routes for mice. Mouse droppings were noted around these holes and a mouse carcase(Sic) was noted in a trap beside one of the holes, the inspector stated. The report also stated that: A number of crates and boxes of foods - spices, rice and soft drinks - which were left on-site from the previous business were noted to be stored on the racks around and above the warehouse area. These foods were noted to be out of date. READ NEXT: Worrying reports of child in balaclava carrying knife in Offaly housing estate It also found numerous mouse carcases were found in the warehouse area which had not been removed. There were also many mouse droppings noted around the warehouse area which had not been cleaned up. No documentation regarding pest control checks was available. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) reported that seven Enforcement Orders were served on food businesses during the month of February for breaches of food safety legislation. The Enforcement Orders were issued by Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) and sea-fisheries protection officers in the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority. Two Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on: Universal Food Wholesale Distribution Limited (Wholesaler/ Distributor), Unit B3 National Enterprise Park, Togher, Portlaoise, Laois and Far East (Restaurant/ Cafe), 339 Ballyfermot Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10. Four Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on: Day to Day, Hayestown (Retailer), Boyne Road, Hayestown, Navan, Meath, Bombay Kebab House (Take Away), 3 Bridge Street, Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary; Tank & Skinnys @ Number 6 (Restaurant/ Cafe), Courtyard Shopping Centre, Letterkenny, Donegal and Lams (Take Away), 286 Ballyfermot Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10. Chief Executive, FSAI, Greg Dempsey, said vigilance is always required in relation to food safety and that standards must be maintained to ensure that consumer health is not put at risk. Februarys Enforcement Orders serve as an important reminder that food safety must always be a top priority for all food businesses. Regular checks and adherence to food safety and hygiene standards are essential to protect consumers health and maintain public trust. There are no excuses for failing to comply with legal requirements, and any lapse in food safety practices puts consumers at direct risk. READ NEXT: Major Offaly road 'to be ripped up' and closed amid confusion and traffic chaos Implementing a food safety management system is straightforward, especially with the supports available from the FSAI, yet some businesses continue to neglect this crucial legal requirement. Consumers have a right to safe food and it is imperative that all food businesses uphold the highest standards of food safety and hygiene at all times. Separately, during the month of February the FSAI said one prosecution was taken by the Health Service Executive in relation to: Dunnes Stores Unlimited Company (Retailer), Trimgate Street, Navan, Meath. The Roscrea based We Are Still Here survivors group invited people born at the former Sean Ross Mother and Baby Home to return for a small but very poignant gathering on Saturday. Among the visitors to Roscrea were the newly appointed special advocate for survivors of institutional abuse Patricia Carey, as well as Offaly Sinn Fein County Councillor, Aoife Masterson and people who were born and adopted from Sean Ross and returned from the United States, United Kingdom and across Ireland. There to greet them and provide a tour of Corville House and the grounds of Sean Ross was Michael Donovan, leader of the We Are Still Here group, which he founded with survivor, Teresa Collins. Michael Donovan brought the group to the birthing room in the basement of Corville House, as well as the Angels Plot burial ground and the graves of Michael Hess and Sister Hildegard McNulty. The ruins of Sean Ross Abbey located in the St. Anne's campus in Roscrea. Photo: D. Keegan In 1952 Philomena Lee gave birth to her son Anthony who she was forced to give up for adoption from Sean Ross. Her son went on to become Michael Hess, chief counsel to the Bush and Reagan administrations and who's story became the film 'Philomena'. Ms Lee never got to meet her son after he was taken from her aged 2.5-years and adopted in the US. He returned to Roscrea searching to reconnect with his mother and was provided with incorrect information from Sister Hildegarde. The Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary who ran the mother and baby home at Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea accused the filmmakers of being misleading in their portrayal and say the real Sr Hildegarde, who died in 1995 and is buried in Sean Ross, helped many mothers to become reunited with their children. It is believed locally that Michael Hess paid 20k to be interred in the grounds of Sean Ross Abbey and that no financial record of that transaction was ever kept and that two sets of ledgers for the Mother and Baby Home's accounting numbers were meticulously maintained. READ MORE: Results from ground scans at Angel's Plot in Roscrea show anomalies The graves of an unknown number of mothers and babies are located in the unmarked burial site and Michael Donovan explained the latest information relating to further examination of underground anomalies in an adjacent plot of woodland where it is believed further unmarked graves may exist. At the grave of Michael Hess is leader of the We Are Still Here survivors group, Michael 'Chinny' Donovan from Roscrea who organised the meeting. Photo: D. Keegan There are four anomalies which we want examined and the government are refusing to let the work go ahead. Ten percent of the plot was examined in a test dig and we need the rest to proceed, Mr. Donovan said at the 40x40ft site which requires approximately two-feet deep excavation. READ MORE: Anomalies detected underground in Roscrea's Angels Plot Underground scans were performed by private contractors utilising the latest equipment. The geophysical survey was carried out by the same group who uncovered the remains of 796 babies buried in a septic tank in Tuam Co. Galway. They carried out tests on the Angels Plot in Roscrea on May 9th and discovered what they described as anomalies which are most likely burial sites. One large anomaly, which is 20-metres long and two-metres wide, runs along the marked perimeter of the burial site and the scans also detected several other smaller anomalies in the Angels Plot. Engineers from Limerick were brought into the large site after government funding was approved to carry out the test work in 2023. The grave of Sister Hildegarde McNulty and the ruins of Sean Ross Abbey in the background. Photo: D. Keegan The scanning of the land is a geophysical method of examining the ground by using radar pulses and is a non-intrusive way of surveying underneath the ground for human remains. 1,090 children are believed to have died at Sean Ross Abbey, which was run by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary from 1931 to 1969. Their causes of death included heart failure, influenza, marasmus, sun stroke and choking on porridge. Pictured in the Angels Plot burial ground are leader of the We Are Still Here survivors group Michael Donovan, Therese Masterson, Councillor Aoife Masterson and special advocate for survivors of institutional abuse, Patricia Carey. Photo: D. Keegan President Donald Trump has hailed the long and unique friendship between Americans and the Irish after being gifted a bowl of shamrock by Irelands premier Micheal Martin. The shamrock-gifting ceremony is the centrepiece of the Irish Governments major overseas diplomatic push in the run-up to St Patricks Day on March 17. Mr Trump said: I love the Irish. Ive had great, great friends over the years, and I love the Irish special people and Ive been to Ireland many times. The ceremony topped off a mixed day of engagements involving Mr Trump and Mr Martin in which the president said he does not want to do anything to hurt Ireland but added that the trade relationship between the countries should be focused on fairness. Despite exchanging pleasantries during their meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Mr Trump levelled accusations against Ireland and the European Union. The president raised the massive trade imbalance between the two countries and said Ireland is of course taking advantage of the US. Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office: Theres a massive deficit that we have with Ireland and with other countries too, and we want to sort of even that out as nicely as we can, and well work together. He accused the Irish Government of taking US pharmaceutical companies through attractive taxation measures and criticised the EUs ruling that found that Apple owes Ireland billions of euros in taxes. He said: The United States of America is going to take back a lot of what was stolen from it by other countries and, frankly, by incompetent US leadership. He added: I gave you an example of Ireland, I would have never let that happen but were going to take back our wealth and were take back a lot of the companies that left. Asked if Ireland was also taking advantage of the US, he said: Of course they are. I have great respect for Ireland, for what they did and they should have done just what they did. But the United States shouldnt have let that happen. We had stupid leaders, we had leaders who didnt have a clue. All of a sudden Ireland has our pharmaceutical companies, this beautiful island of five million people has got the entire US pharmaceutical industry in its grasps. Mr Trump told reporters that he loved Ireland and had received a large share of the Irish-American vote before adding: We dont want to do anything to hurt Ireland but we do want fairness and he understands that. In a 50-minute session in front of reporters, Mr Trump heard from the Taoiseach that his father was a very good defensive boxer. He could duck and he could weave. He boxed for Ireland. In his own defence of the country, Mr Martin said that US pharmaceutical companies are doing very well in Ireland. He said: Its about that two-way partnership. I understand fully where the president is coming from. I think theres actually room that we can discuss all this. I think theres room for those companies to grow in America, and many of them, by the way, have already announced fairly significant manufacturing investments now (in the US). On US companies operating in the country, Mr Martin said: Ireland has served them well with a strong, educated workforce and access to the EU single market. While Mr Trump said he was not going to mess around with Mr Martin, given his fighting genetics, he added that Apple had been treated very badly by an EU court ruling that ordered the company to pay billions of euros in back taxes to Ireland. Mr Martin interjected to say that the Irish Government fought with them on the EU case. Its the European Union, isnt it? The European Union is going after our companies, Mr Trump said when asked if Apple should relocate from Dublin back to the US. He added: Im not happy with the European Union, and were going to win that financial battle. He said previous presidents had lost big segments of the US economy, adding that the European Union treats us very badly. They have not been fair. They sue our companies and win massive amounts of money. They sued Apple, won 17 billion US dollars, and they use that for other reasons, I guess, to run the European Union. So Im not knocking it. Theyre doing what they should be doing, perhaps for the European Union, but it does create ill will and as you know, were going to be doing reciprocal tariffs, so whatever they charge us with, were charging them. Nobody can complain about that. Mr Trump greeted Mr Martin outside the West Wing, and the pair shook hands, ahead of their sit-down engagement in the Oval Office. The Taoiseach highlighted a two-way street of investment between the nations in a bid to address the concerns around the US-Ireland trade imbalance raised by the president. Mr Martin also praised Mr Trumps work on peace initiatives for Ukraine and Gaza. Ahead of the meeting, there was heightened concern around Mr Trumps protectionist approach to tariffs and tax, which could pose a significant risk to an Irish economy that is in large part sustained by long-standing investment by US multinationals. Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Martin also attended a Friends of Ireland luncheon at the US Capitol and a breakfast meeting at the US vice-presidents official residence. Mr Martin and his wife Mary were greeted by Vice-President JD Vance and his wife Usha at the US Naval Observatory. Mr Trump also met with Northern Ireland deputy First Minister Ms Little-Pengelly, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots at the US Capitol. Ms Little-Pengelly said he took a huge amount of interest in Northern Ireland as they talked about how to continue the constructive relationship between Northern Ireland and the US. Ukrainian and American delegations discussed the issue of territorial concessions during talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, The Guardian reported on Wednesday, citing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio confirmed that Tuesdays talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, covered what a negotiation process would look like, and included conversations about territorial concessions. He said that the US will be in contact with the Russians as early as Wednesday and hopes to receive a positive response from Russia, and strongly urges the Russians to cease all military action. At the same time, the US Secretary of State added that Ukraine needs sufficient means to deter future attacks from Russia, and the Europeans need to be involved in this. Rubio also said the US-Ukraine minerals deal would not form a direct security guarantee for Ukraine, but he said that the US would have a vested interest in protecting it if it were to be challenged or threatened. Earlier, Fox News journalist Nana Sajaia reported that the participants in the talks in Jeddah did not discuss the resignation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, nor the issue of holding elections in Ukraine. Source directly involved in U.S.-Ukraine talks tells me - holding elections or president Zelenskyys resignation WERE NOT discussed in Jeddah, she said on X. With Trump's recent tongue-lashing of Zelensky at their meeting in Washington DC, social media is now flooded with anguished cries about Ukraine's sovereignty and how the U.S. must stand up to Russia's empire-building invasion. The "consensus" claims Russia's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty cannot be tolerated and must be punished. Respect for sovereignty? Are these well-intentioned but completely misguided folks incapable of remembering the not so distant past? Did America respect Korea's sovereignty when it canceled free and open elections there in 1950, instigating an unnecessary, brutal war? Over 2 million Koreans were killed. Did America respect Vietnam's sovereignty when it decided Vietnam could not have a Communist government there and slaughtered 3 million people? Vietnam is communist now. I've lived there. It does just fine. Did America respect Serbia's sovereignty when it bombed Belgrade for 79 days and finally carved out Kosovo so it could build what was for years the largest NATO base in Eastern Europe? Did America respect Afghanistan's sovereignty when it refused to work with the Taliban when they offered to hand over Osama bin Laden, but chose instead to invade and launch a 22-year war? We killed tens of thousands of Afghanis, lost the war. The Taliban is still in power. Did America respect Iraq's sovereignty when it lied about weapons of mass destruction and invaded, killing and displacing hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens? Did America respect Libya's sovereignty when it and its NATO puppets destroyed the richest country in Africa and killed its revered leader, Muammar Gaddafi? Libya is a broken country now with a dysfunctional economy and open slave markets. Did America respect Syria's sovereignty when it funded terrorists to topple the government of Assad, eventually built bases in the country to choke off the food supply of the Syrian people and "steal their oil"? Did America itself respect Ukraine's sovereignty when it engineered the Maidan coup in 2014, toppled the democratically elected president, and installed a US puppet regime in power? I could go on. But I'll mention one last one, keeping in mind the Russiagate hoax where Russia was falsely accused of meddling in US elections . . . Did America respect RUSSIA'S SOVEREIGNTY when it funded the re-election campaign of Boris Yeltsin in 1996, because we knew he would do our bidding? Sovereignty, eh? If any of our leaders can even spell 'sovereignty', they sure as hell have no idea what it means. Watching "President," "Chancellor," "Emperor" Trump, or whatever title he prefers, performing the other night, I could not help but notice how brilliantly choreographed the presentation was. Meanwhile, in contrast, my Democrats appeared rudderless. I kept watching Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, both of whom I respect, waiting for one of them to somehow signal to the Democratic contingent when to stand and when to remain seated, when to clap and when to refrain. It never happened, of course, as we, as a party, played into the "master" grifter's hand. Meanwhile, I can certainly empathize with Representative Green, having acted as he did more than a few times myself, but I realize that it was exactly the emotional reaction that the directors and producers of the "show" were looking for. Let's face it, there's a new "director" in town and he is enormously talented as well as remorseless in pursuit of his goals, which are published in perfect English in Project 2025. On the other hand, our current Democratic National Committee, dominated by "Progressives", whatever the term means, has a really abysmal track record, not only failing to reach our "goals", whatever they are, but even in articulating the damned things in a coherent manner! At some point, we have to face reality! It may sound cruel to some, but the existential survival of our democratic republic is more important than trying to change the sex of little children before they know any better, more important than making lesser educated lower-wage earners feel that they are paying off other people's student loans or demanding that a job or a student slot is based on race or sex even though another applicant may be more qualified. Yes, it can be argued that these are all exaggerations of underlying issues, but the point is that, sadly, they are only slight exaggerations! As usual, our party has gone overboard, permitting and sometimes even encouraging what many see as transgender "propaganda" as opposed to "counselling". Instead of pushing blanket student loan forgiveness, maybe we should negotiate with banks and cover the interest up front, maybe even explain the difference between payback through public service vs. charity and perhaps we should demand more closely matching qualifications before awarding a position to someone based on "special" status. These are all examples of nuanced issues that need to be "hammered out" with tiny rock hammers, instead of sledges! Eventually the blowback will, as it has started to already, limit the long-term benefit of these programs as well as providing an excuse for various wretches to gut many other programs. And then there is the first of two elephants in the room, first the Democratic Party's amazing inability to communicate to average citizens, be they Democrat, Republican or Independent. Generally, there are only a few issues that people normally care about: (1) "the economy, stupid" (2) family, and (3) foreign policy/defense. Currently we can throw in (4) parents' real fear that someone will try to convince their young child that "he" or "she" is not a "he" or a "she", (5) immigration, and (6) deranged traitors trying to take over the U.S. government. To most of us, these seem like perfectly obvious concerns. The economy, under Joe Biden, was actually doing quite well even though neither he nor his closest advisors seemed to know the first thing about economics. Luckily, whatever they kept their hands off of did quite well and they only interfered with a few things, mostly mergers and acquisitions. As for "family", allowing the transgender condition to become a major political issue without either side having any idea what they are talking about was a major failure of the Democratic community. We certainly should have seen it coming! As for foreign policy, everyone is familiar with the phrase "s__t or get off the pot!" Dems needed to explain why we were forbidden to provide more advanced weapons to Ukraine, if indeed, there really ever was a decent reason. By the same token, we needed to explain why we could not drastically increase our oil and gas exports sufficiently to supply Europe's needs in an effort to actually bankrupt the Russian military, another explanation for which I am still patiently waiting. Then there is that bipartisan, yes, you heard me right, bipartisan immigration bill that Trump killed simply because he wanted to keep the issue alive. You know, the one that would likely have passed if it were negotiated in the first years of the Biden presidency instead of the end of the fourth. Meanwhile, for the first time since the Civil War, we have an attempted insurrection, an incompetent attempt incited by a cunning but ignorant ex-president to implement a violent takeover of the Congressional Building with the intention of kidnapping the Vice President and forcing him to falsify the delegate count in the presidential election. Where on earth did der Fuhrer Trump get that hilarious idea, from a comedy routine on Carol Burnett? At first, no one took the Fuhrer seriously; the vice president's certification is only a ceremonial event with no effect on the actual count. Surely the Fuhrer was aware of that, I mean no one could be that stupid, right, uh..., except maybe Fuhrer Trump and approximately 2,500 "MAGATS!" Unfortunately, that is how about half the population of this country looks at an actual insurrection, as bad comedy, assuming the insurrectionists are so mentally challenged that they should not be charged!!! Meanwhile, despite i ? ? hundreds of millions of dollars in the Democratic coffers available for political ads we do not bother to try to convince the voters that there has been a viable, even if ignorant and treacherous, attempt made to take over their government. Were we so naA i ? ?vei ? ? as to think that it was so obvious that we did not need to explain it? Where was the constant barrage of media ads showing the worst of the violence along with pictures and videos of its instigator urging them on? And, what of the Democratic Attorney General, intimidated by baseless Republican claims that he is unfairly prosecuting MAGA instigators, failing to arrest Mr. Trump for treason? The MAGA Supreme Court Justices, all in debt to the Federalist Society's Leonard Leo and his rich friends who have apparently "donated" hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars to them, are apparently warned by Leo that they have to protect the ex-president from arrest or risk exposure of their own sins. Leo, who certainly must feel with good reason that he, not Trump, runs the country, has to have detailed dossiers on all of them (as well as the other SCOTUS members for that matter). So, with his "help" they come up with the questionable concept of presidential "official acts" as well as the ridiculous idea that the special investigator appointment is unconstitutional! The trouble is, a few serious problems still exist. Though the president is now in the process of being protected from the federal courts, he may not be protected from the state or the "D.C." court depending on what offense he commits. Worst of all, he has no automatic protection from the "court of public opinion." Thus the MAGA Justices are forced to make a major decision that may have enormous consequences in the near future. In a glorious act of self sacrifice, they are willing to make themselves automatic accessories after the fact in any "official act/ crime," past or future committed by their MAGA employer. This they do by overturning the Crime-Fraud Exception to the principle of Attorney Client Privilege. In an attempt to protect the ex-president from conviction in the court of public opinion, they declare that the president's advisors cannot testify if the president's "crime" is deemed "an official act." Normally, an attorney and the client forfeit "privilege" if they are both involved in a crime. The question, of course, is whether the ex-president is immune from prosecution for a "crime" because it is designated as an "official act" or is the act itself now considered "not a crime." If he is simply immune, then the advisor would be forced to plead the fifth amendment or testify. If the crime is nullified, i.e. "not a crime," then, voila! testimony can be avoided. Crime (at least "federal crime") nullified, case dismissed, right? Yes, but what if the MAGA Court decides that the state "crime" is nullified as well? The ex-president has a party and celebrates! Not so fast, however. It can be argued that the act being considered "not a crime" is so due purely because it is an act committed by the president. Is he then considered "above the law?" Obviously, the MAGA justices are claiming that under limited circumstances, the president is above the law, something which clearly violates not only the vague principle of the "Rule of Law," but the 14th Amendment quite specifically, since by protecting a presidential "crime" any victim(s) affected by the crime are denied due process. Sorry folks, can't do that without changing the 14th Amendment.... What if Mike Pence had been injured or killed by the insurrectionists? What option would he or his family have had against the president or, for that matter, the presidentially pardoned perpetrators? Worse yet, if a victim seeks "justice" and it is summarily denied, may he seek it on his own? Of course not, a crime is a crime, right? Uh... sort of, that is, but not really, according to the MAGA justices. On the other hand, the issue would be as clear to a jury as a pile of sh..., uh... mud, yes, mud. As long as the victim kept his "crime" of retribution to a minimum, I suspect, the worst he could expect would be a hung jury. Damn that pesky 14th amendment! Oh, and damn those MAGA justices, the ones who would certainly be impeached if the somnambulistic Democratic Party would simply wake up and move a little bit closer to the center where, you see, most of the votes happen to reside.... What a unique idea! ...Almost forgot the second "elephant in the room." So far, literally, Mr. Trump certainly has acted as an "agent" for Vladimir Putin and Russia, dismantling the U.S. government, deserting our allies, destroying our economy, saving Russia from the brink of military defeat and bankruptcy, and purposely contributing to the slaughter of thousands of Ukrainian civilians, but what kind of agent? At some point, even Leonard Leo, MAGA Republicans and, indeed, every one of us will have to ask ourselves if Trump is merely acting as a "useful idiot" of Vladimir Putin or as an "official" Russian agent? (I wonder, would MAGA justices call that an "official" act?) And, for that matter, at what point would MAGA followers "officially" be called "useful idiots" as well? My suggestion to the DNC: it's time to break out the artillery and start paying attention to the elephants trampling over us instead of the little mice nibbling at our toes. Al Finkelstein Staten Island, NY - March 11th, 2025 - Shah Leezy and Ezekiel Jordan, two distinct voices in the underground hip-hop scene, join forces on a raw, unfiltered boom bap anthem, "OTRGS SH!T," the lead single from their upcoming collaborative album, "LUNACy!" Infused with soul-drenched samples, intricate wordplay, and a modern take on golden-era grit, "OTRGS SH!T" is a testament to their ability to craft timeless hip-hop with an edge. Shah Leezy's State Rep. Willy Chotzen, D-Portland, one of the chief sponsors of House Bill 2677, said only 3% to 7% of those now eligible ask to remove their juvenile records from the court system. Few Oregonians seek to erase their juvenile criminal records, so lawmakers should pass a bill to make such expungements easier, proponents said Tuesday. State Rep. Willy Chotzen, D-Southeast Portland, one of the chief sponsors of House Bill 2677, said only 3% to 7% of those now eligible ask to remove their juvenile records from the court system. They either dont know that they can request expungements or dont understand how they can apply for them, said Chotzen, a public defender and former middle school teacher. The bill doesnt change who is eligible or when someone becomes eligible but changes the process, he told members of the House Judiciary Committee. Under the bill, county juvenile departments would automatically submit an application to expunge someones juvenile criminal record either four years after the youth has completed probation or a sentence, or when the person turns 18, for both misdemeanors and felonies. The request can be submitted only if the person has no other juvenile or adult convictions for a felony or for the most serious class of misdemeanors during those four years, has no pending court cases, is not the subject of an active investigation and doesnt owe outstanding restitution. County juvenile departments currently submit expungement applications on behalf of people convicted of violations or misdemeanors as juveniles or people who had some contact with the juvenile justice system but were never charged. Individuals convicted of felonies as a juvenile now are required to apply themselves for expungement of that record four years after their juvenile court supervision ended. Expungements still wouldnt be permitted for juveniles convicted under a mandatory minimum sentence or prosecuted as an adult. And people convicted as juveniles of serious violent crimes would still be barred from expungement. The crimes include murder, aggravated murder, manslaughter, criminal negligent homicide, first-degree assault or kidnapping and most sex crimes. The bill also tweaks earlier juvenile expungement legislation adopted in 2021 and 2023 to give victims earlier notification of expungement requests in their cases and to create greater opportunity for prosecutors to review expungement applications. People convicted as juveniles of violent misdemeanors who face four-year restrictions barring gun possession would have to complete the ban before they could apply for expungement. Chotzen said the bill was drafted with input from the Oregon District Attorneys Association and juvenile justice departments. The Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association supports the bill. Studies show that individuals who are unable to find employment or attend school are more likely to commit crime or recidivate, the associations legislative director, Mae Lee Browning, wrote to lawmakers. Youth are capable of rehabilitation. She also noted that a juvenile record is more debilitating to youth of color than their white peers. James Goodwin, director of the Oregon Juvenile Department Directors Association, said juvenile convictions can present significant barriers for young adults to find housing, jobs or enter the military. Goodwin argued that those convicted of crimes as juveniles deserve a second chance because their brains arent fully developed until their mid-20s. Juveniles are not just young criminal adults, he said. The proposed legislation would help remove barriers for youths who have matured and stayed out of trouble since their juvenile convictions, said Christa Obold Eshelman, supervising attorney of Youth Rights & Justice, a Portland-based nonprofit law firm that helps children and their families. Youth Rights & Justice runs a juvenile expungement clinic but very few people take advantage of it, she said. Those who do typically already have been denied educational, housing or job opportunities, she said. We hear examples of people who have been hired and then a background check comes back and they say, Sorry, we actually cant have you work here but if you can get it expunged, we would be happy to hire you, she said. The Oregon Youth Authority and Oregon Judicial Department took neutral positions on the bill. The youth authority manages the Juvenile Justice Information System, which is the key to identifying youth who are available for expungements. The number of expungement petitions would increase with the bills passage, with an estimated 600 or more cases eligible for expungement annually, according to Aaron Knott, director of government relations for the Judicial Department. Last year, county juvenile departments filed more than 1,000 petitions for expungement of juvenile misdemeanor convictions and violations the first year that the juvenile departments were tapped with the responsibility, Knott said. Before then when people had to file on their own, the court system received about 200 annually, according to state data. A three-vehicle crash on Cornelius Pass Road in Multnomah County on Tuesday morning killed one person and seriously injured another, according to the Oregon State Police. A 2-year-old passenger, however, survived. The incident occurred at approximately 8 a.m. near milepost 4, when a southbound Subaru WRX driven by 68-year-old Douglas Robert Huard of Portland crossed into the northbound lane while navigating a curve. The Subaru collided with a Kia Sportage operated by Cindy Ann Crandall, 67, of St. Helens, causing the Kia to veer off the road and down an embankment. A third vehicle, a Toyota Corolla driven by 55-year-old Derek Wilbert Richman of Beaverton, was traveling northbound behind the Kia and struck debris from the initial collision. Crandall was pronounced dead at the scene, while Huard sustained serious injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. A 2-year-old male passenger in the Kia was reportedly unharmed, and Richman, the driver of the Toyota, was also uninjured. The crash prompted a six hour road closure. The Oregon State Police were assisted by the Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriffs Office and the Oregon Department of Transportation. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. This story was drafted with the assistance of generative AI based on data from Oregon State Police and reviewed by Oregonian editorial staff. The Oregon Court of Appeals ruling came four and a half months after the court heard oral argument in the case. The Oregon Court of Appeals on Wednesday found that Oregons voter-approved gun control Measure 114 is constitutional in a major reversal of a Harney County judges ruling that has kept the measure on hold for more than two years. Advocates for the measure applauded the decision while the lawyer for two gun owners who challenged the regulations said he plans to appeal to the state Supreme Court. Police believe that the parents took the children to prevent them from being placed in state protective custody. Courtesy of the Forest Grove Police Department Police are searching for three children who went missing from Forest Grove on Saturday and who officials believe might be in danger. Jenessa Brunk and Haven Hinerman, both 7, and 9-week-old Declan Hinerman were last seen at their home in Forest Grove, the Forest Grove Police Department said in a statement. Police said they believe the children were spirited away by their parents, Cody Hinerman, 33, and Krista Lou Fisher, 37, to prevent the kids from being taken into state protective custody. Hinerman and Fisher are under investigation, police said, but officials did not say what they were being investigated for. Police described Hinerman as 5 feet, 9 inches tall, with blue eyes and blond hair; Fisher is roughly 5 feet 6 inches and has brown eyes and blonde or auburn hair. They are known to drive a white 2024 Toyota RAV 4 with the Oregon license plate 672 PUY and a gray 2023 Toyota Tacoma with the Oregon plate 927 PQX. Police ask anyone who has any information to call 911. Tatum Todd is a breaking news reporter who covers public safety, crime and community news. Reach them at ttodd@oregonian.com or 503-221-4313. Firefighters arrived at the scene at around midnight to find smoke coming out of a rail car. (Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue) Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue A rail car carrying garbage caught fire as a train was making its way through Kelso Tuesday night, Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue said. Firefighters arrived at the tracks along the Cowlitz River near Talley Way and Coweeman Park Drive around midnight to find smoke leaking from the rail car. Firefighters had to cut into the rail car to extinguish the blaze. Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue They had to cut into the sealed car to douse the smoldering garbage, putting it out by about 2 in the morning. Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue said the fires cause has not been determined. No injuries were reported, officials said. Union Pacific told firefighters the train was hauling garbage from the Seattle area to Arlington, Oregon, for disposal. -- The Oregonian/OregonLive This weeks event offerings lean toward the stage with several plays both for adults and children, and some classical, dance, and vocal music offerings. You can also get outside this week during a Cherry Blossom event in Salem. Of course, its also St. Patricks Day weekend and weve got a full slate of events featuring Irish culture at this link: Celebrate St. Patricks Day Heidi Duckler Dance offers a free performance in the Keller Fountain. Jingzi Photography The Inhabitants of This Dream Heidi Duckler Dance Northwest had scheduled this free outdoor dance performance during the Winter Light Festival, but winter weather caused a postponement. The rescheduled time this Friday and will feature Charles Roy, Barbara Lima and Tony Carnell engaging with the architecture of the Keller Fountain accompanied by music by Justin Ralls. 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 14, Keller Fountain, Southwest Third Avenue and Clay Street; free with $10 suggested donation; eventbrite.com/e/the-inhabitants. The Light Portland Center Stage offers a two-person drama by Loy A. Webb, directed by Chip Miller. The story blends romance and reckoning as a loving couple, on the verge of engagement, deals with revelatory information that forces them to confront past traumas and their present realities. The play may start out like a rom-com but soon veers into tragic territory. Ages 13 and older recommended due to mature themes, and violence. Preview performances begin 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 14, and continue 7:30 p.m. various nights through March 20. BIPOC Affinity Night 7:30 p.m. March 27. Opening performance is 7:30 p.m. March 21. See website for complete schedule, Ellyn Bye Studio, 128 N.W. 11th Ave.; tickets $25-$62; pcs.org/the-light. Northwest Children's Theater presents "Pete the Cat" at The Judy in March. Photo by David Kinder Pete the Cat If youre not already a Pete the Cat fan, this stage musical about the groovy blue feline may win you over. Follow along as Pete moves in with a second grader who struggles with creativity and routine and takes him on a vibrant world-wide adventure to find inspiration. Learn about friendship and embracing the unexpected all while rocking out to catchy tunes. Sarah Jane Hardy directs this show aimed at families with children ages 4 and older. Opens 11 a.m. Saturday, March 15, and continues various dates and times including some spring break weekday performances through April 13, The Judy, 1000 S.W. Broadway; tickets $25-$35; nwct.my.salesforce-sites.com. Kimono Fashion Show at Cherry Blossom Day happens on the grounds of Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Saturday, March 15. Oregonian file photo. Sean Meagher/The Oregonian Cherry Blossom Day (Salem) The third Saturday in March is Cherry Blossom Day in Salem no matter if Mother Nature is ready for blooming trees or not. Salem celebrates the cherry blossom trees on the Capitol Mall and Japanese cultural influences in Oregon. There are two weeks of events, but the main opening event is Saturday, and includes family-friendly activities, Taiko drumming, martial arts demos, live music, and a Kimono fashion show. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, March 15, Capitol Mall, 900 Court Street, N.E. Salem, just north of the Capitol; oregoncapitol.com/event/cherry-blossom. Speculative Drama will perform "Bitter Herb" at Multnomah County's Central Library. Graphic courtesy of Speculative Drama Bitter Herb: A Play in Movement Speculative Drama collaborates with the Multnomah County Central Library to create a fairytale world based on the Grimms Brothers tale Rapunzel. This immersive production places the audiences directly into the action and is not seated, per se. It will be a mix of standing room and improvised seating. Bitter Herb is a free, all ages production but may not be suitable for children younger than10 due to the immersive nature of the production and general themes. 1:30 and 4 p.m. Saturday, March 15, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, March 16, 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, and performances March 22 and 23, Multnomah County Central Library, 801 S.W. 10th Ave., free; email speculative.drama@gmail.com for information on accommodations for those with physical limitations. Am I the Villain? Backfence offers a mixed media storytelling event that includes visuals, live music, poetry, videos and engaging true stories told by Portland-area tellers questioning whos the bad guy in various scenarios. 7 p.m. Saturday, March 15, Powells City of Books, Third Floor, 1005 W. Burnside St.; admission $22 in advance, $25 at door; merctickets.com/events. Cordillera: Range of the Americas Join the Northwest Vocal Artists professional chamber choir and the NWVA youth choir as they perform works in Spanish, Latin and Quechua (an indigenous language from Peru). The show celebrates the variety of sounds and rhythms from the Caribbean and South America. 3 p.m. Sunday, March 16, Rose City Park United Methodist Church, 5830 N.E. Alameda St.; tickets $15-$30; nwvocalarts.org/tickets. Bach-a-Thon 2025 Cant get enough of Johann Sebastian Bach? The American Guild of Organists host this annual concert that offers nothing but the works of the great master. The concert is also a benefit for chapter scholarships. If you cant make the show, a streaming option is available at the website; portlandago.org/events. 2 p.m. Sunday, March 16, St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 12405 S.W. Butner Road, Beaverton; donations requested; paypal.com/donate. Norman Sylvester at the 2016 Waterfront Blues Fest. Oregonian file photo. LC- The Oregonian 40 years of the Norm Sylvester Band Has it really been 40 years? Norm Sylvester, possibly THE nicest guy in the Portland blues scene, celebrates 40 years of funky grooves with a concert featuring music, memories and an all-star lineup of past and present performers. 5 p.m. Sunday, March 16, Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 N.E. Alberta St.; $25 advance, $30 at door; etix.com/ticket. Cindy Brown: Retribution & Restitution Re-Imagined Radios new episode features two crime fiction stories by Cindy Brown, a guest writer from Portland. While radio-ready story writing is new for Brown, audiences are sure to enjoy two true events that made her hoppin mad. Best of all, youll experience these performances from the comfort of your own couch, or while youre driving around in metro area traffic. 1 p.m. Monday, March 17, broadcast over KXRW-FM (99.9), Vancouver or KXRY-FM (91.1) Portland; details kxrw.fm/re-imagined-radio. White Bird welcomes the ChangMu Dance Company performing March 19. Photo by Kim Jung Man. White Bird Presents: ChangMu Dance Company South Korean dance group ChangMu offers a new work that merges traditional Korean dance forms including shamanic rituals, Buddhist movements, folk, and court dances, with contemporary choreography. The choreography is set to the music of O Fortuna from Carl Orffs Carmina Burana. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 S.W. Broadway; tickets start at $36; whitebird.my.salesforce-sites.com. - If you have events youd like to see highlighted at OregonLive.com or in the weekly printed A&E section of The Oregonian, please email submissions to events@oregonian.com at least three weeks prior to the start of your event. Digital images or links to videos are helpful. Rosemarie Stein 503-221-4376, events@oregonian.com Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Ukraine can count on strong steps from USA if Russia does not agree to ceasefire Zelenskyy The United States will tighten sanctions on the Russian Federation, and will also strengthen Ukraine if the Russian side refuses a 30-day ceasefire, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following a meeting of the Ukrainian and American delegations in Jeddah. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday in Kyiv, when asked what the U.S. would do if the Russian Federation did not agree to a truce, Zelenskyy replied: "Strong steps towards the Russian side. As I understand it, we can count on strong steps. I don't know, I don't know the details yet, but we are talking about sanctions accordingly, and strengthening Ukraine." When asked what the chances are that the Russian Federation will still agree to the 30-day ceasefire proposed by the Ukrainian side, Zelenskyy replied: "What are the chances? We will see." Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., questions Denver Mayor Mike Johnston during a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing with Sanctuary City Mayors on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.) AP A Democratic congresswoman from Pennsylvania is pushing to censure Colorado U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, alleging Boebert made racist and derogatory comments about a Black colleague on television. Boebert appeared Friday night on Real Americas Voice News, a conservative cable outlet, and commented on Texas Rep. Al Green shaking his pimp cane at President Donald Trump during his joint address to Congress on March 4, according to the censure resolution. Al Green was given multiple opportunities to stand down, to sit down, to behave, to show decorum and he did not, Boebert said during the interview. For him to go and shake his pimp cane at President Trump was absolutely abhorrent. The Texas Democrat interrupted Trumps speech by shouting You dont have a mandate! and waving his walking cane. He was removed from the U.S. House of Representatives chamber during the speech after multiple disruptions from both Democrats and Republicans. House lawmakers voted to censure Green on Thursday, the day before Boeberts television interview. Pennsylvania Rep. Chrissy Houlahan is now pushing for Boebert to be censured over her comments about Green. Boeberts office did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday afternoon. Houlahan was one of 10 Democrats who crossed party lines and voted to censure Green, according to roll call vote records. Four Republicans didnt vote, but the other 214 all voted to censure the Texas lawmaker. After my discussion on the House floor last week when Speaker (Mike) Johnson told me hed have to censure half the members if he actually enforced the rules of the Congress, I decided to help, and tonight introduced a resolution to censure Rep. Boebert for her racist and derogatory statements about Rep. Al Green, Houlahan said in a Monday night news release. The resolution repeats those characterizations and also states that Boeberts comments were a breach of proper conduct and decorum of the U.S. House of Representatives. A censure is a formal statement of disapproval that is proposed through a resolution. It requires a majority vote to pass, according to federal officials. The punishment is considered second only to expulsion in the House. Censure does not remove a representative from office but, once the resolution is passed, the censured representative must stand in the well of the House while the speaker reads the resolution aloud as a form of public rebuke. With Republicans holding a majority of seats in the House 218 to the Democrats 214 and three vacant seats, according to federal records its unlikely the resolution targeted at Boebert will pass. _____ 2025 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at denverpost.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A protester raises signs during a demonstration in support of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil outside Columbia University, Monday, March 10, 2025, in New York. AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura DENVER When President Donald Trump gave his joint address to Congress last week, he boasted that in his first few weeks back in the White House he had brought free speech back to America. But First Amendment advocates say theyve never seen freedom of speech under attack the way it has been in Trumps second term. Trumps Republican administration has threatened Democratic members of Congress with investigation for criticizing conservatives, pulled federal grants that include language it opposes, sanctioned law firms that represent Trumps political opponents and arrested the organizer of student protests that Trump criticized as anti-Semitic, anti-American. Your right to say something depends on what the administration thinks of it, which is no free speech at all, said Will Creeley, legal director of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonpartisan First Amendment group. Trump on Monday took credit for the arrest by immigration agents of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and legal permanent resident who helped lead pro-Palestinian protests there. Khalils lawyers say the government is targeting him for his activism and to discriminate against particular viewpoints. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the administration will revoke the visas or green cards of supporters of Hamas, which the U.S. has designated a terrorist organization and denied that the policy threatened the First Amendment. This is not about free speech, Rubio told reporters in Shannon, Ireland. This is about people that dont have a right to be in the United States to begin with. No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card. A federal judge earlier this week ordered immigration officials not to remove Khalil from the country while his case is sorted out. This is the first arrest of many to come. We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it, Trump wrote. FILE - President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at the West Wing of the White House, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington. AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File Targeting universities over language and demonstrations Even some Trump allies were uncomfortable with that approach: Theres almost no one I dont want to deport, wrote conservative commentator Ann Coulter on X, but, unless theyve committed a crime, isnt this a violation of the first amendment? On the other end of the political spectrum, activists who organized to protest the war in Gaza were aghast at the administrations move. We learn about our First Amendment rights since were children, said German Rafael Gonzalez, a member of Stanford Universitys Students for Justice in Palestine. But that is very much a myth. Its not the reality we live in right now. And its scary. Prior to the arrest of Khalil over the weekend, the administration pressured Columbia University to crack down on anti-Israel activism among students and faculty, and Trump has threatened to go after any college that supports protests he deems illegal. He also issued an order forbidding federal funding of what his administration labels diversity, equity and inclusion, which led to a freeze on federal grants as the administration reviews them for forbidden words such as gender. Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, which sued the Trump administration over its DEI ban and won an injunction against it from a federal judge, said the administration is pulling funding from projects that have prohibited words, yanking grants from research into such areas as crop diversity or differences in infant mortality in urban and rural areas. Nobody really wants Big Brother telling you what you can research, Wolfson said. These are questions our country needs to know the answers to. President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025, as Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., applaud. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson The most serious of threats to free speech Republicans for several years have been the party complaining about infringements on the First Amendment, from complaints about woke colleges canceling conservative speakers to bashing social media companies they accuse of censoring conservative viewpoints, including cutting Trump off after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by his supporters on the U.S. Capitol. GOP-controlled Florida and Texas even drew up laws to limit how social media firms regulate content, though the U.S. Supreme Court kept them on hold last year because of possible First Amendment violations. Last year, Trump positioned himself as a champion of the First Amendment during his campaign, and he signed an executive order just hours after being sworn into office prohibiting anyone in the federal government from interfering with Americans' free speech rights. But he also made pledges that signaled he might oppose some of the First Amendments fundamental protections, such as deporting foreign students who protested Israel or outlawing flag-burning, which the Supreme Court has ruled is protected free speech. Creeley, of the individual rights foundation, said he tried to be optimistic before Trump took office that the new president would fix some First Amendment issues. Instead, he said, its gotten worse. I cannot recall anything like this, Creeley said. Ive been defending First Amendment rights since 2006, and this is the most serious of threats I can recall. Actions against media and lawyers to chill dissent The Trump administration also has gone after the news media. The president has sued several outlets for coverage he dislikes, and his appointees at the Federal Communications Commission have helped pressure those media companies. Meanwhile, Trumps FCC is opening investigations of other media companies with which Trump has feuded, and the administration has barred The Associated Press from the White House press pool because it wont use Trumps preferred name for the Gulf of Mexico. The AP is suing to restore its access on First Amendment grounds. The administration also has targeted law firms for their affiliations with Democrats or the previous administration. It stripped security clearances for lawyers at a private firm who provided legal services for special counsel Jack Smith, who investigated Trump during President Joe Bidens term, and Perkins Coie, a longtime Democratic firm that Trump blames for the investigation into his campaigns relationship with Russia during his first term. On Tuesday, Perkins Coie sued the administration to reverse the action, saying it violated the First Amendment and other constitutional guarantees. Jameel Jaffer, director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia, said the attacks on the law firms have scared some high-profile attorneys out of taking cases that challenge the administration, which, he contended, is the point. Theres a long tradition of lawyers taking on controversial clients, sometimes against our government, Jaffer said. The Trump administration has made it clear it will retaliate against lawyers. Jaffer said attacks on free speech and association are intended to chill dissent by convincing people in the opposition that they could become targets. All of us are able to participate in government by engaging in protest, Jaffer said. When the government shuts down that kind of speech, its shutting down democracy. I will not be silenced The Trump administration has even targeted members of Congress. Trump appointed Ed Martin, a defense attorney who represented some of those charged in the Jan. 6 attack, as acting U.S. attorney in the District of Columbia. Martin wrote to Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader and one of the nations top Democrats, telling him that a comment he made in 2020 warning conservative Supreme Court judges they would pay the price for overturning the right to abortion could be seen as a threat. Schumer has since apologized for the statement. Martin also wrote to Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California, warning him that comments he made about Trump adviser Elon Musk could be seen as a threat. Garcia had said Democrats should bring actual weapons to this bar fight. Members of Congress must have the right to forcefully oppose the Trump Administration, Garcia replied on Musks X platform. I will not be silenced. --Nicholas Riccardi and Christine Fernando/The Associated Press Tillamook kidney patient and Army National Guard veteran Mike Shreve, 72, is pictured holding two of his great grandchildren. Since U.S. Renal Care closed its dialysis center in the basement of the local hospital last year, Sharon Shreve has been driving her husband to Lincoln City three days a week for dialysis. Courtesy Sharon Shreve About a year ago, U.S. Renal Care closed the dialysis clinic it had operated in the basement of a hospital in Tillamook. The dozen or so kidney patients whod relied on the clinic started commuting several days a week to far-flung clinics for care. And Eric Swanson, president of Adventist Health Tillamook where the dialysis clinic had been located, started hunting for a company willing to restart the dialysis center. By last summer, Swanson thought hed found a solution: Tennessee-based nonprofit Dialysis Clinic Inc . agreed to reopen the center. But Swanson and some local kidney patients say their hopes for a quick reopening have run into a bureaucratic slowroll at the Oregon Health Authority, which is requiring the new dialysis operator to undergo the same rigorous review as if it were building a clinic from scratch. To come up to this point and just be stuck is frustrating for many people in our small community, said Swanson, who said it was nothing short of a miracle to find a company willing to reopen the dialysis unit. Their staff for this facility is just on standby. Theyre stuck. Dialysis Center Inc. hopes to reopen a former dialysis clinic in the basement of a Tillamook hospital. The clinic has been closed for more than a year, forcing patients to drive several hours each week to seek care. Courtesy of Adventist Hospital Tillamook Oregon Health Authority officials have responded that they have no choice but to require DCI to undergo the same extensive construction review as for all new acute care facilities, as well as licensing and certification reviews. Because U.S. Renal Care closed and turned its license over to the state, that license cant simply be transferred to DCI, officials say. For context, it typically takes a minimum of six to 12 months for a new dialysis facility to complete all the steps of construction, licensing and certification, health authority spokesperson Erica Heartquist wrote in an email. Health authority staff have expedited the process as much as possible, she said. DCI first reached out to the state in September, hoping to take over the license granted to U.S. Renal care. The state told the nonprofit that it couldnt. Theres no statutory provision to allow the transfer of a terminated license, Heartquist said. So, DCI submitted its request for a new license three months ago, at the end of November, Heartquist wrote. The nonprofit asked the state to expedite its reviews. The agency has also been under pressure from a Tillamook-area state legislator to open the facility. The health authority says its staff has been prioritizing this project since November. On Wednesday, the state said that the timeline for reopening the clinic is in DCIs hands. The nonprofit only this month submitted some mechanical paperwork that the health authority asked for in December, Heartquist said. Once mechanical and electrical compliance is sorted out and the state does a site inspection, it will proceed with the licensure process. Rep. Cyrus Javadi, a Tillamook Republican, said the health authority has blamed its slow pace on state law when in fact, officials had the flexibility to process DCIs application more quickly. The real issue is how OHA is choosing to apply its own rules, he wrote to the agencys lobbyist last week. If the facility meets the same health and safety standards it did before, and the new operator is in full compliance, there is no reason why this process should take months longer than necessary. Hes drafted legislation to prevent this from happening in the future. The bill would streamline the approval process for a medical practice that is operating in the same place as a formerly licensed practice, if the only thing thats changed are the human beings that are holding the permit in their hand. The health authority told Javadi that it may allow the dialysis clinic to open within a month of it submitting all state-required paperwork, he said. The nonprofit told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Monday that it has turned it all in. DCI is eager to re-open the Tillamook clinic and start caring for patients. We have submitted all paperwork requested and are optimistic that we will have an opening date confirmed in the near future, Operations Director Sharon Marti said in a statement. While that may be slightly faster than the typical approval for other facilities, Javadi said he doesnt accept that the state had to force the nonprofit to go through the process at all. They had a way around this, and they are choosing not to, Javadi said. I dont think its because they want to harm people, I think this is just bureaucracy at its finest. The state has the power to adopt temporary rules to deal with a recently-operational clinic differently than a brand new one, Heartquist conceded. But she said that approach has policy and patient safety implications. Javadi suggested the state could also use an emergency waiver to expedite the clinic, but the health authority said the state or federal government would have to declare an emergency for that to work. Swanson said state regulators seem to be operating with a lack of urgency. For example, he said that regulators dribbled out questions about lighting and other physical features of the dialysis center in a series of emails, rather than providing a list of questions that could be answered all at once. It feels like they are slow-walking this whole process, Swanson said. The hospital president said some of the requirements also seem nonsensical, such as requiring two sinks to be installed within a couple feet of each other. The health authority says it follows strict rules for patient safety, including that the clinic needs at least one sink for every four client-care stations. Some of the clinics sinks are used to dispose of body fluids and should not be used for hand washing, the state said. Javadi, a dental surgeon, said, It feels like the list keeps growing. One thing gets done and, like a whack-a-mole, another thing pops up. Meanwhile, patients are feeling the impacts. For the last year, Sharon Gallino, 79, has been driving two hours or more round-trip, three days a week to get dialysis in Lincoln City. The four-hour treatments, combined with the commute, leave Gallino feeling worn out, but its her only option. Sharon Shreve, 70, of Tillamook, drives her husband Mike Shreve, 72, to Lincoln City for dialysis three days a week. The Shreves purchased a newer SUV in August because of all the added driving, and Sharon Shreve said theyve already put 13,000 miles on the vehicle going back-and-forth to Lincoln City for dialysis and Portland for her husbands other medical appointments. Were wearing out, Sharon Shreve said. Not only the patients, but the caregivers that are taking them to dialysis. Its been over a year now that weve been going to Lincoln City. The drive to Lincoln City takes a little more than an hour right now but will get longer during summer vacation season, Sharon Shreve said. She budgets closer to 90 minutes each way, remembering the time Highway 101 was closed because a motorist hit an elk and they had to take a lengthy detour. Once they arrive in Lincoln City, Sharon has a 4 hour wait while her husband receives treatment. As exhausting as it is to drive to Lincoln City for dialysis, other kidney patients are spending hours on a bus to Forest Grove or Astoria for the treatment. One woman recounted in an email to Javadi how she drove icy highways through the coast range three times a week to get her husband to dialysis in Forest Grove. When her husband takes the bus to his appointments, it picks him up at 8:30 a.m. and he comes home about 5:15 p.m., she wrote. If you would ask my husband what is the worst thing about dialysis, he would tell you that it is the ride in the bus. Anita Hanakahi, 72, rode a bus to Astoria for treatment for three months after the Tillamook clinic closed, trying to spare her husband the chore of driving her. But the nearly three-hour bus trip was bumpy and twisty. At one point, she said, she cracked a rib because of her severe osteoporosis. After that, Hanakahi had her husband start driving her to the Lincoln City clinic for care instead. Hanakahi uses a wheelchair, and the couple had to purchase a new van to make the drive in more safety and comfort, she said. They also bought snow tires after sliding on ice. Hanakahi and her husband pray before they hit the road. Im really concerned that somebodys going to have a fatal accident, or die, before something is done to reopen the Tillamook clinic, she said. Sami Edge covers higher education and politics for The Oregonian. You can reach her at sedge@oregonian.com or (503) 260-3430. Eric Ueland testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2017. President Donald Trump has nominated him to a top post in the White House budget office. (Photo by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images) Getty Images President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated veteran Senate and White House aide Eric Ueland to the top management post at the White House budget office. If confirmed by the Senate, Ueland would serve as deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget. That is one of the top three posts at the agency, along with deputy director, serving under OMB Director Russ Vought. Ueland, who was raised in Northeast Portland and graduated from Central Catholic High, held several positions in the first Trump administration, including as undersecretary of state for civilian security, democracy and human rights and director of the Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance, both in the State Department; deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council and legislative affairs director. He was a constant presence on Capitol Hill during negotiations on the massive $2 trillion COVID-19 relief package enacted in March 2020, along with then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Prior to that, during more than two decades as a top Senate Republican aide, he built a reputation as an effective strategist for conservative legislative efforts, with a knack for using the Senates rules to achieve the majoritys goals. Ueland served as GOP staff director of the Senate Budget Committee for four years, stepping down from that position in late 2017. He served a brief stint as senior strategy officer for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, an independent agency, before going to the Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance in late 2018. Earlier, he spent a decade working for then-GOP Whip Don Nickles of Oklahoma and then-Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee. He left the Hill after Frists retirement, which coincided with Democrats retaking the Senate after the 2006 midterms. Euland has wide connections on the Hill. He helped shepherd Pete Hegseths nomination as defense secretary through the Senate, accompanying Hegseth during meetings with senators, at a time when many observers saw little chance that Hegseth would win confirmation. Hikers make their way past yellow balsamroot wildflowers blooming on the slopes of Dog Mountain, as a gray mist hangs over the Columbia River Gorge. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian If its wildflower views youre after, you cant do much better than Dog Mountain. The Columbia River Gorge destination is famous for its spectacular spring blooms and stunning vistas high above the Washington side of the river, but those who want to visit the natural area in all its glory will first need to secure a permit. The U.S. Forest Service announced Tuesday that spring permits for Dog Mountain will be released to the public starting this Saturday, March 15, at 7 a.m. on recreation.gov. Hiking permits are required on Saturdays and Sundays between April 26 and June 15, as well as on Memorial Day on Monday, May 26. Not all permits will be released at once a portion of each days allotment of permits will be held back for last-minute hikers, released online four days in advance of the reservation date, the forest service said. Permits cost $2 and are good for each vehicle, not each person a change made in 2023. Drivers must also pay a $5 parking fee, or display a valid park pass. Hikers can get free permits by riding the Dog Mountain shuttle from the Skamania County Fairgrounds in nearby Stevenson, which runs every 30 minutes from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends during the permitting season. Wildflower season, which typically runs from April to June in the Columbia Gorge depending on weather, is one of the most popular outdoor spring activities in the Pacific Northwest. Of the many, many scenic wildflower destinations in the region, Dog Mountain remains one of the most popular. In 2018, the U.S. Forest Service began issuing hiking permits at the site in an effort to reduce crowds. --Jamie Hale covers travel and the outdoors and co-hosts the Peak Northwest podcast. Reach him at 503-294-4077, jhale@oregonian.com or @HaleJamesB. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. For anyone heading to Key West this spring break, check out these restaurants, places to shop and things to do on the trip. Restaurants Blue Heaven NEWSLETTERS * required Thank you for subscribing! Email * Please enter a valid email address First Name Last Name When major news breaks + a few times a week FREE SIGN UP Subscribing... Known for its seafood and Florida-Caribbean cuisine, Blue Heaven favorites include Caribbean BBQ shrimp and key lime pie. Breakfast and lunch are first come, first served as well as limited dinner reservations. The restaurant also serves vegetarian and vegan alternatives. Blue Heaven is open from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and reopens from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Blue Heaven is located at 729 Thomas St. Moondog Cafe Key West Moondog Cafe Key West in downtown Key West serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. From omelettes to pizza, this cafe has an extensive menu. The restaurant also has a bakery featuring a variety of pastries such as tarts and cakes. Moondog Cafe is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m with happy hour from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 823 Whitehead St. Ocean Grill & Bar Serving breakfast, brunch and dinner, Ocean Grill and Bar is located within the Duval Square Mall and Bahama Village. Their extensive menu includes favorites like the Shanghai calamari and the grouper cayo hueso. Ocean Grill and Bar is open seven days a week for breakfast and brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and reopens for dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. at 1075 Duval St. Harpoon Harrys Harpoon Harrys serves American comfort food. The restaurant offers breakfast all day with one of their most popular dishes being key lime french toast. This all American diner is cash only with an ATM inside. Harpoon Harrys is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 832 Caroline St. Banana Cafe This french bistro with a Caribbean twist is located in downtown Key West. Popular for breakfast, Banana Cafe features a variety of crepe flavors like strawberry cheesecake or pesto shrimp. Banana Cafe is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. at 1215 Duval St. Things to do Snorkel in North Americas only living coral reef The Florida Keys are home to North America's only living coral barrier reef with more than 40 species of reef-building coral. Guests can book snorkeling tours through Florida Keys Activities. They have the option of a Rise & Reef Morning Snorkel or a Dip & Sip Afternoon Snorkel, both starting at $49.95 per person. The Rise & Reef Morning Snorkel includes breakfast and starts at 9 a.m. The Dip & Sip Afternoon Snorkel includes an open bar and begins at 1 p.m. Tours are offered seven days a week and are three hours long. This is open to guests of all ages and levels of experience. Key West Aquarium The Key West Aquarium has been a landmark in the Conch Republic and is celebrating its 90th anniversary. Since its opening in 1935, the aquarium is the first open air aquarium in the United States, allowing natural illumination of the exhibits. Tickets are available for a discounted price of $11.39 for children and $19.94 for adults. The aquarium is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m seven days a week at 1 Whitehead St. NO PAYWALL, NONPARTISAN Students pay about $14 in fees that support the Daily. If you're not a student, please join those invested in OU and Norman who have given more than $110,000 to support our trustworthy, independent journalism. SUPPORT OUR LOCAL JOURNALISM Hemingway Home and Museum The Hemingway Home and Museum offers tours of American novelist Ernest Hemingways home. Guests can learn more about his life, works, yacht and cats throughout the tour. Tickets are $19 for adults and $7 for children. No reservations are required and tickets are available at the main gate. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Tours start every 15 minutes with the first tour starting at 9:30 a.m. and are 20 to 30 minutes in length. The museum is at 907 Whitehead St. Smathers Beach Smathers Beach is the largest public beach in Key West, Florida. It is a half mile long and is located on the south side of the island. Guests can swim in the Atlantic Ocean from 8 a.m. to midnight daily. Guests can park in the public lots alongside the beach, street parking across the street from the beach and metered parking along South Roosevelt Boulevard for $5 per hour. Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory Guests can walk among living butterflies, colorful birds, and flamingos at the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory. The learning center within the conservatory explores all aspects of the butterfly world with a wall size mural map and illustrations depicting butterfly anatomy. Guests can visit the gift shop and gallery to pick up a souvenir to remember their experience. Tickets are $17.50 for adults and $12.50 for children. They also offer a senior price and military discount ticket for $14.50. The conservatory is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the last admission into the conservatory at 4:30 p.m. The conservatory is at 1316 Duval St. Shopping Key West Island Books This bookstore offers rare, used books and new bestsellers. The bookstore has many titles from Key West and South Florida authors. Guests can bring their old books in exchange for store credit. Key West Island Books is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday at 513 Fleming St. Art on Duval Art on Duval is a celebration of art across Key West, Naples and Sarasota. Featuring local, national and international artists, Art on Duval hosts artist shows every weekend in March. At this gallery, guests can purchase select pieces of art. The gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 602 Duval St. Commotion Commotion, located at the Red Doors building, offers designer jewelry and clothing. Some jewelry this boutique offers include clasp bracelets and Caribbean bracelets. The boutique is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at 800 Caroline St. Good Day on a Happy Planet Good Day on a Happy Planet is a gift shop, offering collectables, clothing, musical instruments and jewelry. This family owned and operated island boutique also features the work of local artists for purchase. They are open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day but Wednesday at 907 Caroline St. Madisson Cameron edited this story. Gretchen Schultz and Sophie Hemker copy edited this story. Editor's note: This story was updated at 4:55 p.m. March 12 to correct the spelling of Pinocchio's. Amy's Italian Restaurant opened in January, bringing family recipes to Norman. Labi Gashi and his wife Amy have been in the Dallas restaurant business for many years. They moved to Enid to help support Amys father, who was opening his own business. NEWSLETTERS * required Thank you for subscribing! Email * Please enter a valid email address First Name Last Name When major news breaks + a few times a week FREE SIGN UP Subscribing... After moving, Gashi said he realized there were many opportunities in Oklahoma, so they opened several restaurants. Years later, they recognized another opportunity when visiting their son at OU. We just came to visit him, and we looked and realized the opportunity here, Gashi said. I told my wife we should open up a restaurant and name it Amys. It was kind of as a joke, but she liked the idea and said, Well, lets do it. The work to open Amys began as the couple negotiated with landlords and worked to remodel the restaurant, which was previously Pinocchio's Italian restaurant, while moving from Enid to Norman. Of course, it was a challenge because whenever we got this place, there was something else here, Gashi said. We just remodeled every single inch of this building, but weve got a lot of good stuff here. NO PAYWALL, NONPARTISAN Students pay about $14 in fees that support the Daily. If you're not a student, please join those invested in OU and Norman who have given more than $110,000 to support our trustworthy, independent journalism. SUPPORT OUR LOCAL JOURNALISM Gashi said the struggle was worth the effort for the opportunity in Norman and being able to support his son. Amys menu includes a variety of Italian dishes including pizzas, pastas, seafood and more. The restaurant's recipes have been passed down over generations from Gashis grandmother. Though the restaurant has only been open for about two months, Gashi described how much overwhelming support the restaurant has seen from Norman patrons. Gashi described how satisfied customers have been after coming to their restaurant and how the community seems to really want Amys there, which Gashi said creates motivation to provide the best service possible. Gashi said they are working hard to create a positive and welcoming atmosphere in the restaurant. Weve got really great staff, so everyone who is gonna come here, walks in here, were going to treat them as a part of our family, Gashi said. That is something that inspires me to give the best from us to this community. Amys Italian Restaurant is at 2627 Classen Blvd. and is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. This story was edited by Madisson Cameron. Kylie Caldwell and Grace Rhodes copy edited this story. Two teenagers prepare terrorist attack in Ivano-Frankivsk on Russia's request, one died, other injured while transporting explosives National Police The National Police of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) quickly identified the individuals involved in organizing the terrorist attacks in Ivano-Frankivsk: a 15-year-old resident of the city, who later died while transporting an explosive device, and a 17-year-old boy who was seriously injured, did it on behalf of Russian special services for the promised $1,700, the National Police reported. A message on the National Police website on Wednesday noted that the teenagers found a job advertisement in one of the Telegram channels, which they agreed to. "They received instructions from their 'employer' and money to rent an apartment near the train station. Then they purchased the necessary ingredients and components and made explosives in the apartment, which they were to place in designated locations," the report says. According to the National Police, the teenagers placed the homemade explosives in thermoses, equipped them with metal elements to enhance the striking force, and connected detonators to them. "The entire process was recorded on video according to the instructions of the enemy customer. For this work, the recruiters promised the suspects $1,700," the police specify. However, on the evening of March 11, while transporting the explosive device to one of the targets, it was remotely activated. "As a result, the 17-year-old suspect died on the spot. The 15-year-old accomplice received serious injuries. He was hospitalized. Thus, the Russian special services tried to eliminate all the perpetrators," the National Police emphasize. The blast wave injured two more passers-by who were nearby. They are a 20-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman. They were also taken to the hospital. According to the report, a few minutes later another explosive device that was in a rented apartment also detonated: a fire broke out, which was quickly extinguished by the State Emergency Service. Currently, a report of suspicion is being prepared for the 15-year-old suspect under Part 5 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 258 (accomplice in committing a terrorist act that resulted in the death of a person) and Part 2 of Article 263-1 (illegal manufacture of explosives and explosive devices by prior conspiracy by a group of persons) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The procedural management of the case is carried out by the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Prosecutor's Office. As reported with reference to the head of the Main Department of the State Emergency Service in Ivano-Frankivsk region, Oleh Kushniruk, on the evening of March 11, one person died and three were injured as a result of explosions near the Ivano-Frankivsk train station. "Today at 18:30, the rescue service received a report about an explosion that occurred on 9 Pryvokzalna Street. Upon arrival at the scene, the fire and rescue units conducted a search and found that an unidentified object had exploded. One person was found dead and three were injured at this address. At that moment, a second explosion also occurred on 49 Pryvokzalna Street," Kushniruk reported during the telethon. According to him, upon the arrival of rescuers to the second location, it was found that the explosion occurred in an apartment on the 9th floor of a 9-story building. An unidentified object exploded with subsequent burning, the fire area reached 400 sq m. "Four people were rescued from the blocked apartments on the 8th and 9th floors at the scene of the explosion," the head of the regional department of the State Emergency Service reported. Editor's note: This story was updated at 5:07 p.m. on March 12 to remove unconfirmed information about the potential closure of the National Severe Storms Laboratory. Amid nationwide mass layoffs at the National Weather Center, the Department of Government Efficiency is now seeking to end 15 federal leases in Oklahoma. DOGEs list of terminated property leases include the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration facility in Norman and four federal facilities in Oklahoma City. NEWSLETTERS * required Thank you for subscribing! Email * Please enter a valid email address First Name Last Name When major news breaks + a few times a week FREE SIGN UP Subscribing... Keep up with OU Dailys tracker of which federal facilities are experiencing lease closures across the state: National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration in Norman DOGE lists an annual lease cost of around $484,000 for a NOAA facility in Norman and a total estimated savings of around $4 million. On Feb. 28, OU Daily reached out to NOAA for a statement regarding the layoffs and if the cuts would impact the issuance of severe weather alerts. A spokesperson for NOAA wrote in an email that, according to long-standing practice, the agency does not discuss internal personnel and management matters. NOAA remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely information, research, and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nations environmental and economic resilience, the spokesperson wrote. We continue to provide weather information, forecasts and warnings pursuant to our public safety mission. OU Daily reached out to NOAA for an additional statement regarding the lease changes on Thursday and did not receive a response back. U.S. Fish and Wildlife The U.S. Fish and Wildlife is one of the federal leases DOGE wants to exterminate in Broken Bow. The DOGE website lists that the annual lease cost is $30,612 and the annual savings would be $58,673. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plays a significant role in protecting wildlife, habitats and natural resources. The agency also oversees multiple national wildlife refuges in Oklahoma, including the Little River National Wildlife Refuge, Wichita National Wildlife Refuge and Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. The National Wildlife Refuge Association posted a statement on Facebook, warning that critical conservation efforts are at risk. Right now, the National Wildlife Refuge System is under attack. More than 350 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employeesmany of them biologists on the frontlines of conservationwere fired in a move that guts science and wildlife protection, the post reads. We will not stand by and watch. We are Refuge Strong, and we are calling on Congress, Refuge Friends groups, and the public to protect the people who safeguard our nations wild places. Join us. Social Security Administration The Social Security Administration in Lawton is listed on the DOGE website to have an annual lease cost of $223,220 and the annual savings would be $55,805. SSA office assists in applying for and managing social security benefits, aiding individuals in applying for and replacing social security cards, enrolling in Medicare and appealing denied claims. A spokesperson for the SSA sent a statement to KSWO 7 regarding the recent lease termination in Lawton. We are working with GSA to review our leases and ensure they are used efficiently. Most of the leases we are not renewing are for small remote hearing sites that are co-located with other Federal space, SSA reported. As the majority of our hearings are held virtually, we no longer need as many in-person hearings locations. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Tulsas Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement lease costs $745,987 annually, according to the DOGE website, which also states its termination will result in $6,340,888 saved. According to their website, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement is committed to protecting people and the environment from the adverse effects of coal mining while recognizing the need for energy. The homepage of the OSMRE website states that the Tulsa field office for the OSMRE is open despite reports otherwise. The Tulsa office serves Arkansas, Kansas, Texas and the Cherokee, Choctaw and Muscogee Tribes. While it has been reported that the Oklahoma Field Office is closed, the office is open and will continue to fulfill its responsibilities to the residents of Oklahoma, the website reads. NO PAYWALL, NONPARTISAN Students pay about $14 in fees that support the Daily. If you're not a student, please join those invested in OU and Norman who have given more than $110,000 to support our trustworthy, independent journalism. SUPPORT OUR LOCAL JOURNALISM Occupational Safety and Health Administration The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is one of four federal leases DOGE is seeking to end in Oklahoma City. DOGEs website lists an annual lease cost of around $134,000 and total savings of about $156,000. It is the mission of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for Americans. They set and enforce workplace safety standards, provide training and conduct inspections. Indian Health Service The Indian Health Service facility in Oklahoma City is listed on the website that its annual lease of around $120,000 would end and result in estimated total savings of about $190,000, DOGE reports. The IHS provides federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives, the organizations website states. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in Oklahoma City, which protects agricultural and natural resources, would end its annual lease cost of around $20,000 and result in total savings of about $40,000. According to its website, APHIS also works with Native American tribes and safeguards tribal resources. Office of U.S. Attorneys DOGE intends to terminate the U.S. Office of Attorneys lease in Muskogee, which their website claims costs $1,272,005 annually and termination will save $3,710,015. The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, according to their website, guides investigations and prosecutions of federal crime, prosecutes and defends civil actions in which the U.S. is a party, and collects debts owed to the federal government. OU Daily reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma for a statement regarding the lease changes on Friday. The organization has no comment at this time. International Trade Administration The International Trade Administration in Oklahoma City is listed with estimated total savings of about $96,000 for a roughly $23,000 annual lease. According to the ITAs website, its mission is to strengthen the international competitiveness of U.S. industry. OU Daily reached out to the Oklahoma City office for the U.S. Commercial Service for a statement Friday. The Director of the Oklahoma U.S. Export Assistance Center wrote in an email to OU Daily that the organization has no additional information and cannot comment or interview. Department of Housing and Urban Development The DOGE register lists the annual cost for the lease of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Tulsa at $109,426, and estimated the total savings at $0 dollars. The HUD oversees programs that provide housing, assists community development and supports fair and equal housing opportunities for Americans. In a post on the social media platform X from the official HUD X account on March 4, the organization praised the work done by a HUD Task Force working under DOGE. Thanks to @DOGE, our Task Force has saved the American taxpayers $1.9 billion in misplaced funds, identified $260 million in wasteful contracts, and cut $4 million in DEI contractsand were just getting started, the post read. Bureau of Indian Affairs Offices At Risk The DOGE register of lease terminations lists five locations of Bureau of Indian Affairs offices, including locations in Seminole, Pawhuska, Pawnee, Watonga and Carnegie. By closing this office, DOGE estimates total savings of around $408,078 across all. In a statement posted to the Seminole tribes Facebook page, Chief Lewis Johnson listed some of the Seminole Nations concerns regarding the closing of the office. The concerns included reduced access to service and increased travel and costs for tribe members seeking resources. This story was edited by Ismael Lele, Ana Barboza and Anusha Fathepure. The Undergraduate Student Congress allocated funds, expelled a member and laid out rules for impeachment hearings during its Tuesday evening meeting. Impeachment hearing protocol The news: The Outlining Congressional Impeachment Hearings act added a section to the Undergraduate Student Congress bylaws to set rules for hearings regarding the impeachment of any officer of the executive, judicial or programming branches. NEWSLETTERS * required Thank you for subscribing! Email * Please enter a valid email address First Name Last Name When major news breaks + a few times a week FREE SIGN UP Subscribing... According to the bill, any congress member may write a resolution to hold an impeachment hearing, which must outline the impeachment charges. The resolution must be submitted six days before the impeachment hearing and the congress chair will have 24 hours from submission of the resolution to alert each officer subject to impeachment. Once the resolution has been seen by the congressional administration committee and the congress executive committee and has received a recommendation of no recommendation from both, the resolution will be seen during the special orders section of the next congress general body meeting and the impeached officer must be notified by the congress secretary within an hour of the last committee recommendation. During the impeachment hearing, the charges will be brought up by the congress member who made the original motion, followed by time for questions for both that member and the officer. Any person in the room after questions will be allowed to participate in a debate, during which the resolution author and the impeachable officer will make authors summations or state their case. There will be a special executive session after questions during which only members of the Undergraduate Student Congress and any essential SGA advisors shall be permitted to speak. The resolution author and impeachable officer will not be allowed in the executive session. After impeachment charges are finalized, each charge will be voted on individually and those that receive a majority vote will be forwarded to the Graduate Student Senate. This bill was amended according to recommendations by the SGA's Office of General Counsel prior to being shown in the Tuesdays meeting. What theyre saying: Kyle Martin, congressional administration committee chair and author of the bill, said in response to a question from SGA President Carter Strickland that although the SGA governing documents do not explicitly state what an impeachable charge is, the specific charges against the officer would be brought up in the resolution against them. Martin said the bill was amended before being shown in the meeting to ensure the impeachable officers rights to due process as outlined in the SGA constitution. These amendments included restricting the resolution author from executive session and requiring that the committees that see the bill make no recommendation to avoid bias. Chair Hope Rhoads, said in response to a question from Strickland about the role of the SGA Chief Justice in the impeachment process, that a final decision is not actually made by the Undergraduate Student Congress. How impeachment is currently outlined in our constitution in general, is that the hearing would happen in congress, but the actual trial happens in the (Graduate Student) Senate, so the chief justice presides, Rhoads said. We just hear the charges, decide if the charges are even worth anything before it gets sent to senate. Rep. Ben Kuepen made a motion to debate this bill, seconded by Rep. Shrey Kathuria. Congress voted not to enter debate. The vote: The Undergraduate Student Congress approved this bill with a vote of 27-1-0. Kuepen voted against the bill and Rep. Leo Carter was not in the room during the vote. Funding student government, registered student organizations The Undergraduate Student Congress viewed the Primary Funding Act of 2025 for Governmental Organizations and the Primary Funding Act of 2025 for Registered Student Organizations as a block, meaning they were seen and voted on at the same time. The news: The Primary Funding Act of 2025 for Governmental Organizations allocated funds to student government organizations including the different branches of SGA, Saferide, and employee salaries and stipends. A total of $523,849.40 will be distributed among these organizations. The Primary Funding Act of 2025 for Registered Student Organizations allocated a total of $395,076.74 among OUs registered student organizations. NO PAYWALL, NONPARTISAN Students pay about $14 in fees that support the Daily. If you're not a student, please join those invested in OU and Norman who have given more than $110,000 to support our trustworthy, independent journalism. SUPPORT OUR LOCAL JOURNALISM What theyre saying: In response to a question from Kathuria about funding for Campus Activities Council welcome week not being granted, Jacob Schonfield, SGA Budgetary Committee chair and author of the bill, said that every applicant is asked to list their requests for funding based on priority, and welcome week was the lowest priority on CACs request. Schonfield said that the number of members each organization demonstrates is one of the factors for which the budgetary committee accounts, as well as fiscal history. Another big, important factor is, how many people are getting to go to these events that different organizations are hosting, Schonfield said. Basically, what is the impact that they're having on campus? Rep. Elias Hallum asked why fiscal history is an important factor in the allocation of funds. Schonfield said that they try to give money to organizations they know will use it. The student activity fee is what gives us these funds, so every single student that goes to OU here at the Norman campus is paying a student activity fee in relation to the number of hours that they're paying for, Schonfield said. It's our goal to be good stewards of these funds if we give funds to an organization that does not use those funds, then everyone that paid a student activity fee that year is no longer getting the benefit from the money that they paid into the system. Schonfield said there was $2,008,227.29 requested and there was $581,276.74 to allocate in primary funding. Approximately one quarter of the money that was requested is what we had to give out, Schonfield said. The vote: The Undergraduate Student Congress approved these bills with a vote of 29-0-0. Member expulsion The news: The Session 113 Expulsion Bill No. 2 expelled Associate Ayo Awoyemi from his position due to excessive unexcused absences. Awoyemi was a member of the ways and means committee and only attended one general body meeting. What theyre saying: Secretary Chloe Harris, who authored the bill, said she reached out to inform Awoyemi that he was up for expulsion. I reached out to him and he also did not respond to my email. In that email, I said if he did not respond by last general body meeting Tuesday, that it would be cause for expulsion, Harris said. He also never came to the meeting, so I'm going to assume that he is okay with being expulsed. The vote: The Undergraduate Student Congress approved this bill with a vote of 29-0-0. Announcements During the announcements and comments section of the meeting, Rep. Michael Wintory announced a GoFundMe campaign to support the family of Joe Pal, an OU student and rugby player who experienced severe brain trauma and later died. Any awareness on the topic, and look out for any events we might host in the future, fundraising events, (would) be really great, Wintory said. This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure. San Francisco could prevent parents from using PTA funds to hire and pay for the wages of teachers in school districts across the state. The situation comes as the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is facing a budget shortfall and strict oversight by state officials. Parents have been told that they will no longer be able to raise donations to afford more teachers. PTA Funds for San Francisco Teachers The new restrictions on the use of private funds to pay for the wages of teachers across the district could not result in the termination of hundreds of staffers. In a statement, Thao Bui, who has two children enrolled at Argonne Elementary School, said that families donated the funds while having an understanding of how they would be used. Bui added that the SFUSD should not be dictating whether or not these particular funds can be used to pay for more teachers. In creating the restriction, the school district cited the potential instability of the funding as well as concerns about deepening inequities within the district, according to The San Francisco Standard. Read more: ICE Agents Arrest Immigrant Palestinian Student for Leading University Protests However, the decision itself resulted in backlash from parents who argued that it would only lead to increased class sizes and the disruption of education. A parent at Starr King Elementary, Cathay Bi, said that parents have been using PTA donations for the last decade to fund an additional two teachers. The parent added that if officials are worried about whether they will be able to support the teachers' positions in future years, they should look to their history of good use of the private funds. A New Policy The new policy will be implemented and will affect staffing next school year, causing parents to file a petition and plan a protest at the school board meeting on Tuesday. Officials' decision was made to close a $113 million deficit through spending cuts, the San Francisco Chroniclereported. They added that their top priority is to make sure that every classroom across the district is full and is led by a qualified teacher. This will be a process that would include a shuffling of staff that would follow seniority-based layoffs and incentivized early retirements. The preliminary notices were sent to 559 employees, but the SFUSD hopes to find not-yet-guaranteed restricted funding to rescind notices for roughly 280 included support staff. The notices were also sent to classroom educators, with 115 credentialed teaching positions not being part of the budget for next year, as per KQED. We were up early and spent most of the first part of the day filming in and around Carthage Jail, a place of deeply tragic significance in the story of the Church. It was the longest time that Ive ever spent at the site in Carthage, and it was pleasant to be there with very few others around. Im glad that tourists come to the place in mass quantities most of them Latter-day Saints but, Im told, about ten percent of them simply people who see Visit Historic Nauvoo signs (and similar signage) and pull in out of curiosity but I was happy that today wasnt a heavy tourist day. What we captured at the jail will, if current plans hold, provide much of the material for the first installment of our Becoming Brigham series of short documentary videos. As they begin to be available, these videos will be released at no charge online. (Of course, producing them incurs costs, so we wont be terribly upset if you choose to support the project with a donation. If you do so, please expressly indicate that youre giving to support Becoming Brigham.) We had lunch in a Mexican restaurant in Carthage and then returned to Nauvoo. While our three film guys were setting up lights and camera and everything else for an interview with Joseph Johnstun a few feet away in an adjacent room its hard work, but they strongly prefer that we less competent types not try to help the rest of us were given an informal private tour of the Tomb of Joseph Museum by its organizer and proprietor, Brian Christiansen. It wasnt here yet, I think, the last time that I visited Nauvoo. But it was interesting and I recommend it. It will open your eyes to an aspect of the history of the city and of Joseph Smith with which few are likely to be familiar. Our Brigham Young from Six Days in August, John Donovan Wilson, handled the afternoon interview, so my wife and I had a bit of free time. In the evening, we went to the home of our friends Ugo Perego and his wife, Jenna, for dinner. They have a stunning backyard view of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple, which stands just a block or so away from their house. Ugo is a superb cook, and the pasta dish that we enjoyed tonight would have been a credit to any Italian restaurant that Ive ever experienced. And, of course, there was good conversation. Whenever Ive come to Nauvoo, especially since the rebuilding of its temple, Ive been struck by the fact that, after the mob thought and not without some reason that it had not only destroyed Joseph Smith but Mormonism itself, were back. Once driven into exile in the Great Basin to the distant west, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has returned. It owns significant properties in Nauvoo, and committed private Latter-day Saints own yet other significant properties. To the extent that there is a local economy, it is largely dependent upon Latter-day Saint investment and tourism. A Latter-day Saint woman even owns (and has renovated) the house where Thomas Sharp lived, in Warsaw to the south, and where he apparently conspired with others to kill Joseph and Hyrum. Carthage Jail, where the Prophet and the Patriarch were murdered, is now itself owned by the Church and has become, in a sense, a shrine to the martyrs. And, of course, most spectacular and significant of all, the Nauvoo Illinois Temple has risen again, towering above both the town and the Mississippi River to the west. I love this place. Although I dont quite always agree with it, I like the libertarian magazine Reason. (I also like its slogan, Free Minds and Free Markets.) Here is an article from Reason on a subject that passionately divides certain people. On this question, though, Im only interested in the scientific data. I cant see any real reason for people divide on this topic along political lines: Do Face Masks Work? Five years after Donald Trump declared a national COVID emergency, heres what the research says. And here, meanwhile speaking of controversial topics is a piece in the Deseret News by Valerie Hudson that I liked: Perspective: Democrats will long pay the price for their position on womens sports: Eighty percent of Americans oppose biological males on womens teams. So why have Democrats chosen to die on this hill? This went up today on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: Nibley Lectures: Come, Follow Me Doctrine and Covenants Lesson 12 Seek for the Things of a Better World : D&C 23-26 During 1978, 1979, and 1980, Hugh Nibley taught a Doctrine and Covenants Sunday School class. Cassette recordings were made of these classes and some have survived and were digitized by Steve Whitlock and recently enhanced by Nick Galieti. Most of the tapes were in pretty bad condition. The original recordings usually dont stop or start at the beginning of the class and there is some background noise. Volumes vary, probably depending upon where the recorder was placed in the room. Many are very low volume but in most cases its possible to understand the words. In a couple of cases the ends of one class were put on some space left over from a different class. Theres some mixup around D&C90-100 that couldnt be figured out so those recordings are as they were on the tapes. Even with these flaws and missing classes, we believe these these will be interesting to listen to and valuable to your Come, Follow Me study program. This week we have one Lecture relevant to the March 17 23 Come, Follow Me lesson, Seek for the Things of a Better World covering D&C 23-26. Ryan Burge is invariably interesting and worth reading, and this article follows the pattern: Is Christianity No Longer in Decline? Posted from Nauvoo, Illinois Late last year, there was a big scandal involving the Honey browser extension, which wasnt helping users find the best deals and coupons as it so claimed to do. Instead, it was swapping out affiliate links and stealing potential commissions from influencers and creators. Following that revelation, Google is now tightening the rules for shopping extensions in the Chrome Web Store. In short, affiliate links, coupon codes, and cookies can now only be included in the extension if they provide a direct and clear benefit to users when they shop. For example, extensions cant insert links unless they lead to real discounts or cash back on purchases. Extensions also cant update your shopping cookies or inject affiliate links on web pages without explicitly notifying you. While the Honey scandal mainly affected influencers and creators not Joe Schmoe whos just browsing the web this is generally good news as you can be more sure that extensions are doing what they claim. Officials from M&T Bank, Harrisburg University and the city of Harrisburg kick off the bank's fourth annual Small Business Accelerator Program at City Hall in Harrisburg, Pa. Photo provided M&T Bank is looking for entrepreneurs for its fourth Small Business Accelerator Program. Up to 40 entrepreneurs will be accepted to the free seven-week program, which launches May 7 with courses held each Wednesday evening at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. Applications will be accepted until April 12. The programs sessions will focus on business planning, establishing credit, accessing capital, marketing, branding, and networking. The program will conclude on June 18 with a pitch competition and opportunity to win grants totaling $5,000 for first place, $3,000 for second place and $2,000 for third place all funded by M&T Bank. Eligibility requirements include: In business three years or less Annual business revenue of $350,000 or less Principal owner must be 18 years or older Small business owners must reside in Harrisburgs Capital Region Officials say the program is designed to provide small business owners with the guidance and skills needed to build strong businesses. M&T Bank partners with the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology to host the program. Now in its fourth year, the M&T Bank Small Business Accelerator Program has proven to be a catalyst for entrepreneurs looking to make a positive impact on our community, Nora Habig, M&T Banks regional president for central and western Pennsylvania, said in a news release. By providing practical knowledge, mentorship and key resources, this program helps small business owners strengthen their businesses and drive economic growth in the Capital Region. Were proud to continue our partnership with the CIE to support the next generation of business leaders. Those interested in applying can go to: www.mtb.com/harrisburgprogram. Dr. Robert J. Gildea, the superintendent of the Lower Dauphin School District, announced his resignation after less than two years in the role. Credit: Lower Dauphin School District Lower Dauphin School District Dr. Robert J. Gildea, the superintendent of the Lower Dauphin School District, announced his resignation after less than two years in the role. Gildea was appointed superintendent in October 2023 and will serve his last day on Aug. 31. He issued a statement thanking everyone involved with the Lower Dauphin School District. I have come to realize that Lower Dauphin is a special and unique district, one like no other I have ever experienced, said Gildea. In just two years, I have been privileged to work alongside a community and staff that is unwavering in their dedication to our children. This district is focused on one common goal: supporting our students, and it has been a remarkable journey to contribute to that mission. Gildea will remain as the superintendent to assist with the transition to his successor, the statement said. I look forward to working with the Lower Dauphin staff over the next five months and following the districts continued growth and success in the years to come with the pride of knowing I was once privileged to be part of the Falcon Family, Gildea added. Lower Dauphin School Board President Debra Macut said Gildea will be missed but wished him well in his future endeavors. We wish him the best and now turn our focus to finding our next superintendent who will help us keep Lower Dauphin growing and improving, Macut said. Gildea said he will pursue a career outside of public education and hopes to give back to the people, organizations and communities that helped him throughout his career. Before his time as the Lower Dauphin superintendent, Gildea served as the superintendent for the Hollidaysburg Area School District for a decade and has experience as an elementary teacher, principal and athletic director. The Lower Dauphin School District Board of Directors will start the hiring process in the coming weeks, the announcement said. The district is committed to maintaining the high standards of education and student support that have become synonymous with the Lower Dauphin community, the press release concluded. The former "Bachelorette" alum filed a restraining order against her husband after an incident back in February. DeAnna Pappas (L) and husband Stephen Stagliano attend the 2015 Baby2Baby Gala presented by MarulaOil & Kayne Capital Advisors Foundation honoring Kerry Washington at 3LABS on November 14, 2015 in Culver City, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images) Getty Images Former Bachelorette star DeAnna Pappas has filed a restraining order against her ex-husband Stephen Stagliano. The restraining order comes after a physical altercation that resulted in her being arrested. According to USA Today, Pappas was arrested on Feb. 27 on a misdemeanor charge in Santa Clarita, California, and was released that same day on a $20,000 bond. Photo: MFA of Ukraine Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha expressed condolences to the families of Syrian citizens who died as a result of the Russian attack on the port in Odesa. "In Odesa port, Russia struck a civilian vessel with wheat for Algeria. Condolences to the families of Syrian citizens killed in the attack. This is an attack on global food security and maritime safety. It demonstrates how close this war is to Algeria, Syria, and other countries," he wrote on X. As reported, four Syrian citizens were killed and two people were injured as a result of a missile strike by Russian occupiers on the port of Odesa on Tuesday evening. Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine - Minister of Communities and Territories Development Oleksiy Kuleba reported that the ship MJ PINA under the flag of Barbados was damaged by a ballistic missile. "Unfortunately, four people were killed - citizens of Syria. The youngest deceased was 18, the oldest - 24 years old. Two more people were injured - a Ukrainian and a Syrian. They are being provided with the necessary assistance," Kuleba wrote on Telegram. According to him, at the time of the strike, this civilian ship was loading wheat for export to Algeria. Another ship, berths, and grain storage warehouses were also damaged as a result of the strike. Big Chicken, a crispy chicken chain owned by four-time NBA champion Shaquille ONeal, will make its central Pa. debut later this year. Big Chicken A chicken chain with a big celebrity behind it is coming to central Pa. The Shaquille ONeal-backed Big Chicken that advertises Big Flavor and Big Fun is opening a restaurant in State College, according to reports. Franchise owner Harsimrat Sidhu confirmed with WTAJ in State College that he and his partners signed a lease at 480 E. College Ave. on the bottom floor of the oLiv Hetzel high-rise in State College. When we first learned about Big Chicken, we did not need much convincing to franchise with them. We fell in love with the Big Chicken flavor profile and the variety of menu items they offer, Sidhu previously told the radio station. Big Chicken really felt like a family to us, and with our global perspective we are looking forward to learning and growing with them. Kandy Weaver, the buildings commercial real estate agent, told the Centre Daily Times the restaurant is expected to open this year by the start of Penn States fall semester. The Las Vegas-based restaurant chain was founded in 2018 and specializes in chicken sandwiches, tenders, wings, Cheez-It-crusted mac n cheese, shakes, popcorn chicken and milkshakes. NBA legend ONeal is joined by JRS Hospitality and Authentic Brands Group in the partnership. Its the third Pennsylvania location for the chain which also operates units at the Comcast Center in Philadelphia and Pocono Premium Outlets in Tannersville. One of two men convicted in the death of Run-D.M.C.'s Jason Mizell, aka Jam Master Jay, has been hospitalized after being stabbed in a prison fight.(AP Photo/G. Paul Burnett, File) AP One of the two men convicted in the killing of Run-DMC DJ Jam Master Jay was hospitalized after being stabbed multiple times during a prison gang fight. The fight took place just after 1 p.m. Saturday at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, according to NBC News and Vibe. Karl Little D Jordan was stabbed 18 times during the fight between two rival gangs, the Bloods and the Trinitarios. He was taken to a hospital in serious condition. A spokesman for the federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed to NBC News that there was a fight at the jail involving a number of inmates. The detention center, which also currently houses rap mogul Sean Diddy Combs, has a reputation for being a violent place. Jordan has been incarcerated there since September 2020, when he and Ronald Tinard Washington were charged in the death of Jason Mizell, aka Jam Master Jay, who was shot in his recording studio in 2002. Civil defense boats search for Sudiksha Konanki, a university student from the U.S. who disappeared on a beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Monday, March. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Francesco Spotorno) AP A person of interest has been named in the disappearance of University of Pittsburgh student Sudishka Konanki, who went missing while on vacation in the Dominican Republic. Fox News reported that Joshua Riibe, 24, of Iowa, is a person of interest in missing persons case, according to Loudoun County, Virginia Sheriffs Office spokesperson Thomas Julia. However, Julia said that this is still a missing person case, not a criminal case, and that Riibe has not been accused of any crimes. Sheriff [Michael] Chapman wants to make sure the investigation is comprehensive and includes all possible assets and techniques, Julia said to Fox News. We are working closely with the FBI on all of this, and they are working with the Dominican National Police. Konanki, 20, a junior at the University of Pittsburgh, is a resident of Virginias Loudoun County and also a citizen of India. She was traveling with five other female Pittsburgh students and last seen on March 6 walking on a beach at Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana. Authorities are searching for Sudiksha Konanki, who went missing while on vacation in the Dominican Republic. Provided Hotel surveillance footage taken at about 4:15 a.m. showed Konanki heading towards the beach with five other women and two men. The group had been drinking in the hotels lobby around an hour earlier, CNN reported. Cameras captured the group, minus Konanki and one of the men at about 4:55 a.m. The man told authorities he and Konanki went into the ocean but he felt ill, got out of the water and fell asleep on a lounge chair. Officials said the man was interviewed several times and gave differing details each time, CNN said, but there were no major inconsistencies and translation issues might have been the reason for any discrepancies. It is not clear if Riibe and the man who was on the beach with Konanki are the same person. U.S. federal authorities, including the FBI, are on the ground in the Dominican Republic assisting in the search. Its already four days and everybodys so worried, family friend Shekar Pendem said to CNN. The Konanki family has lived in the U.S. since 2006 and are permanent residents in Virginia. Anyone with information on Konankis whereabouts is asked to call the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office at 703-777-1021. Authorities are still searching for a surfer after he was attacked by a shark at a Western Australian Beach on Monday. (NJ.com/Lori M. Nichols) NJ.com/Lori M. Nichols A surfer has been reported missing after a suspected shark attack on a remote Australian beach. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in Western Australia said they received a report of a shark attack at about 12:17 p.m. local time on Monday at Wharton Beach in Cape Le Grand National Park, according to the local governments SharkSmart website. A surfboard has been recovered, the news alert said, but the surfer had not been sighted and a coordinated search was under way. The Australian Associated Press reported that a surfboard with evidence of bite marks had been recovered from the water, and that it is believed the surfer was the victim of a serious attack. Witnesses told the Sydney Morning Herald that they saw a massive shark in chest-deep water. We heard the scream, and everyone got out of the water there was only a surfboard left, floating around about 30 metres from the shore, witness Joscelin Boissieux told 9News Perth. Located about eight hours southeast of Perth, Wharton Beach is regarded as one of the most attractive beaches in the world and is a popular spot for surfing and other water recreational activities. A federal judge has let stand a $3.9 million award to a former Bloomsburg University dean who was fired in 2018 in retaliation for counseling the presidents administrative aide who told him her boss sexually harassed her. U.S. Middle District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson on Tuesday denied a motion by the State System of Higher Education and two other defendants to enter a judgment in their favor or order a new trial. They claimed the evidence did not support the Aug. 22 jury verdict that awarded Jeffrey Krug a total of $3,934,138 plus post-judgment interest of $480 daily. Gov. Josh Shapiro on Monday cautioned that while the full effects of Trump administration efforts to dismantle the Department of Education may not yet be known, the loss of federal funding would crush Pennsylvania schools. A Mechanicsburg woman woke up early Tuesday after hearing two loud bangs. When she went into her kitchen, she saw the back of her home was on fire. Thats when the smoke alarms began ringing, according to Mechanicsburg Fire Chief Gary Neff. Up to 40 firefighters were sent at about 1:35 a.m. to the burning single-family home in the first block of Edgewood Drive in the borough. The bulk of the fire was located at the rear of the home and the roof, Neff said. Photos circulating social media showed fire crews fighting the blaze as it shot from the windows and roof. Within the first 10 minutes, the blaze escalated to a two-alarm fire, which prompted additional responders from Perry and Cumberland counties, Neff said. While firefighters battled the flames, the back part of the home collapsed, forcing firefighters to evacuate the building and focus on fighting the fire from outside of the home. The fire was deemed under control around 2:30 a.m., but crews remained on the scene until almost 4 a.m. to knock out remaining hot spots. There were no injuries to the residents or the firefighters, he said. The family who lived there was able to safely evacuate themselves, Neff said. He said the fire started behind the home in the deck area on the second floor, but the exact cause may remain unknown because of the extent of damage to the house. There was no evidence of any suspicious or criminal activity that could have started the fire, Neff said. Multiple fire departments from Cumberland and Perry Counties were dispatched around 1:35 a.m. to a house fire at the first block of Edgewood Drive in Mechanicsburg on March 11. The bulk of the fire damaged the back of the home. Zahriah Balentine Neighbors told PennLive that a husband, wife and their two children lived inside the home, which is now a total loss, according to Neff. The family is working with Red Cross for assistance, according to Neff. Neff said the fire affected a neighbors home behind the one that burned. Its a small home thats tied to a Christmas tree farm behind the home between 7 and 9 Edgewood Drive. Residents told PennLive that the owner of the Christmas tree farm owns the home. Neff said the harsh flames melted the back garage that sustained exterior damages. Mechanicsburg Borough Fire chief Gary Neff said the house fire affected a neighboring home that's located towards the backyard of the home. The home is tied to a Christmas tree farm located between 7 and 9 Edgewood Drive. Zahriah Balentine Neighbor Patrick Heenan told PennLive he and his wife woke up to police knocking on their door around 1:15 to alert them to the fire. Heenan said hes glad the fire didnt spread to nearby trees that could have helped it spread to other homes. I lived here for 25 or 30 years, and this is the worst thing Ive seen, he said. It was pretty drastic. Another neighbor said it was frightening watching the firefighters battle the early morning flames. He said the family moved there several of years ago and described them as a good family. Theyre great people and this is a great neighborhood, he said. It sucks that it happened, but Im glad everybody got out. He also said the way the home was constructed in 1975 could have impacted how quickly the fire spread over the home. A lot of these older homes have a sprayed-in insulation thats a wood fiber that can light up like cotton candy, he said. Because of the way the roof is built [its a truss roof, so] theres not enough structural holding outside of the outside walls, he said. So its very hollow at the top. Neff said the fire department is focused on securing the home. Thats what were more concerned about now is the safety of the structure, he said. Were working on securing the perimeter around the building by working with restoration and insurance companies and hope they can high fence the area. We thank our mutual aid allies for helping us with securing this incident, he said. Pa. teachers union says nearly 7,000 teachers and school staff positions would not be funded if the federal government fully chokes off education assistance. FILE Jimmie Brown Nearly 7,000 teachers and school staff positions in Pennsylvania would not be funded if the federal government fully chokes off education assistance, the state teachers union said Wednesday. President Donald Trumps administration has indicated the funding will continue to flow, even as Trump cut roughly half of the U.S. Department of Educations staff. Teachers, however, are not so confident. In the wake of a Trump administration order directing colleges and universities to dismantle DEI programs or risk losing federal funding, some schools across Pennsylvania have rushed to comply; others are taking a more cautious approach and waiting for further guidance. Georgianna Sutherland / For Spotlight PA If the Pittsburgh Steelers want to continue building out their wide receiver corps, they could have another top option in free agency. The Los Angeles Rams are set to release Cooper Kupp, who could be put right in the slot for the Steelers. The Rams tried to trade Kupp, but no teams seemed to be interested in trading for the 32-year-old wide receiver who was once the NFLs triple-crown winner. Since his standout 2000-yard receiving season, Kupp has dealt with injuries. He had not played in more than 12 games with injuries cropping up. This season, he missed nearly half the year with a high ankle sprain. Kupp plays mostly in the slot, notching over 450 snaps there in 2024 compared to just around 100 outside. However, he is a great blocker. Injuries have hit Kupp throughout his career, however, and that is becoming a huge issue as he starts to slow down the older he gets. The Steelers should still be in on it, and they have the room to accommodate any contract Kupp would want. Info about capture of Sudzha by Russians as of now does not correspond to reality Kovalenko Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Andriy Kovalenko denied information about the capture of Sudzha by the Russians in the Kursk region. "Fighting in Kursk region is currently ongoing, fighting in the direction of Sudzha is also ongoing. Information about the capture of Sudzha by the Russians, as of now, does not correspond to reality," he wrote on the social network X. Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the military command of Ukraine in Kursk region of Russia is trying to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers as much as possible. DeepState reported that fighting continues on the outskirts of Sudzha. According to the resource, the enemy is exerting active pressure from the east and north, using all the resources collected over a long period of time. Analysts note that after the update, in particular, on Telegram channels, messages about a complete withdrawal from the city of Sudzha are spreading, which is not true, because people who spread such statements should look more closely at the map and see the gray zone on the northern and western outskirts of the city, where fighting continues, despite publications from the Russians in the center of Sudzha. The spokesman for the State Border Guard Service, Colonel Andriy Demchenko, noted on the air of a national telethon on March 12 that, trying to displace Ukrainian units from Kursk region, Russian troops are carrying out assault operations in Sumy region, but in vain. On March 10, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, said that the situation in Kursk region of the Russian Federation remains under the control of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Short and sweet was the Pine Bluffs Town Council meeting on Monday night. Two addresses were granted building permits in the town. Some discussion was had and they were approved. Ordinance 2025-01 was amended and approved. Resolution 2025-09 was approved to submit an application to the Wyoming Water Development Commission on behalf of the Governing Body for the Town of Pine Bluffs for the purpose of conducting a Level 1 Reconnaissance Study to develop a Water System Master Plan. The last time it was done was back in 2009. There have been many changes since then, and it needs updating. The stud... Rawlins, Wyo. - March 5, 2025 - The University of Wyoming Extension recently named Abby Perry the new state small acreage specialist. Perry joined UW Extension as range management educator based in Carbon County in 2014. For a decade, she has been a member of the Wyoming small acreage team, which works with partner organizations across the state to provide Wyomingites with information about rural living and managing their properties. "The small acreage team is a collaborative effort between various conservation districts, weed and pest offices, state forestry, Audubon of the Rockies, and other... There is currently no information that Ukrainian troops have completely withdrawn from Sudzha (Kursk region, Russia), but there is information that the enemy has entered the territory of Ukraine in some directions in this region, Secretary of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence Roman Kostenko (Holos faction) said. "I have been talking to the fighters who are there since morning. They do not confirm our complete withdrawal from Sudzha. There is information that the Russians have entered a certain part, the fighting continues. The Russians there control a certain territory, which is across the river, but I do not have information that ours have completely withdrawn from Sudzhi, as of two hours ago," Kostenko said at a briefing on Wednesday, answering questions from Interfax-Ukraine. He said the situation in Kursk is difficult and "this is really true." "Now our command is trying to stabilize somewhere, restore the situation somewhere, or involve new reserves, new troops. But the enemy continues to press. Including, there is information that he has entered the territory of Ukraine in some directions and is trying to hold our territories (if we look at the map, it is from the left flank) in order to cut off our logistics," Kostenko said. A Veteran Story JOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING, Va. - On a crisp afternoon at the Bolling Club on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Virginia, a crowd gathered to witness a significant event in the Air National Guard's history-the installation of the 14th Command Chief Master Sergeant of the Air National Guard. The air buzzed with anticipation as military personnel, dignitaries and families filled the seats. The presiding official of the Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak, acting director of the Air Guard, took the stage, his voice echoing through the room. "Ladies and gentlemen," Pirak began, drawing the crowd's attention with a... Reporter Carl Dawson covers education for the Aiken Standard. An Aiken County resident since 1990, his work has appeared in the Charleston News & Courier, the Tampa Tribune, the Atlanta Constitution and the Augusta Chronicle. He holds a B.A. in English from the University of South Carolina. Aiken Standard reporter Matthew Christian is a reporter for the Aiken Standard. He covers the Savannah River Site, city of Aiken, politics and public safety and courts. Matthew previously covered government and politics for the Morning News in Florence. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law and the University of Charleston in West Virginia. To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers The European Parliament (EP) has adopted a resolution in support of Ukraine by a majority vote, declaring solidarity with the Ukrainian people and calling on the European Union member states to increase military support. The corresponding joint resolution on the continuation of the EU's unwavering support for Ukraine after three years of Russian aggression and war, proposed by the majority of the European Parliament's political groups, was voted during the plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday. Thus, 442 voted in favor, while 98 against and 126 abstained. A total of 666 MEPs took part in the vote. "Pays tribute, on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, to the thousands who have sacrificed their lives for a free and democratic Ukraine; reiterates its unwavering solidarity with the people of Ukraine and its support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognised borders; strongly underlines Ukraine's inherent right to self-defence in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter," the European Parliament said. The European Parliament once again strongly condemns Russia's illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the involvement of Belarus, North Korea and Iran, and demands that Russia and its proxies immediately, completely and unconditionally cease all attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure, cease all military actions in Ukraine and withdraw all military forces, proxies and military equipment from all internationally recognised territory of Ukraine. The EP also reiterates its policy of non-recognition of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine by Russia, "including but not limited to Crimea." The EP demands that Russia "permanently cease violating or threatening the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine" and condemns the atrocities committed against the Ukrainian population by the Russian invading force and the indiscriminate destruction of Ukrain's infrastructure; demands the end of forced deportations of Ukrainian civilians, and the release and return of all detained Ukrainians, especially children. The resolution stresses that Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine poses a real threat to European security and stability, and that the crime of aggression against Ukraine is a gross violation of international law and the UN Charter. "[The EP] underlines that the Russian war of aggression has fundamentally changed the geopolitical situation in Europe and beyond, and threatens its security architecture, and that in response this calls for bold, brave and comprehensive political, security and financial decisions by the EU; believes that a Ukraine that is capable of defending itself effectively is an integral part of a stable and predictable European security landscape," the document reads. The EP believes that the outcome of the war and the stance taken by the international community will play "a crucial role in influencing future action by other authoritarian regimes, which are closely observing the course of the war and assessing how much space there is for them to exert aggressive foreign policies, including by military means." The EP expressed "deep concern over the apparent shift in the United States' stance on Russias war of aggression, which has included openly blaming Ukraine for the ongoing war, suspending US military aid, and attempting to coerce Ukraine into relinquishing its legitimate right to self-defence and into making territorial concessions." "[The EP] stresses that, in light of this change, the EU and its Member States are now Ukraine's primary strategic allies and must maintain their role as the largest donor to Ukraine and significantly increase the much-needed assistance they provide to uphold Ukraine's right to self-defence," the resolution reads. The EP also called on member states to significantly increase and accelerate military support, including the provision of weapons and ammunition, as well as training in response to urgent needs (in particular, long-range weapon systems, air defense systems, artillery systems, electronic warfare systems, counter-drones). "[The EP] urges Member States and their defence industries to invest in and partner with the Ukrainian defence industry in order to maximise the full potential of its production capabilities to produce critical equipment in the most efficient manner following the Danish and Dutch examples; reiterates its position that all EU Member States and NATO allies should collectively and individually commit to supporting Ukraine militarily, with no less than 0.25% of their GDP annually," the document details. The EP also called on the EU and its member states to use its satellite imagery infrastructure for Ukraine and recalled that military support for Ukraine must be sufficient to finally stop Russia's aggressive war and allow Ukraine to liberate all its people, restore full control over all its territory within its internationally recognised borders and deter any further aggression by Russia. The EP reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ukraine's aspirations for a just and lasting peace and the Peace Formula and Victory Plan presented by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The resolution stresses that "any genuine peace negotiations must be conducted in good faith and include Ukraine; recalls that any settlement that excludes Ukraine or undermines its legitimate aspirations, such as its right to choose its own security arrangements, or which lacks credible security guarantees for Ukraine that contribute to deterring future Russian aggression, will be neither just nor viable." Aiken Standard reporter Bill Bengtson is an Aiken Standard reporter and has focused since 1996 on such subjects as education, churches, retirees, agriculture, veterans, North Augusta, Fort Gordon and northern Aiken County. His start in South Carolina reporting was in Greenwood, with the Index-Journal. He is a native of Florence, Alabama, and a graduate of Whitman College and the University of Georgia. To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers Charleston, SC (29403) Today Tropical storm conditions possible. Occasional rain tapering to a few showers late. High around 85F. Winds NE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Tropical storm conditions possible. Rain showers early with scattered thunderstorms arriving overnight. Low 74F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Chloe Barlow is a multimedia reporter straight out of the Midlands. She trained in journalism at both the University of South Carolina and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She covers a wide breadth of South Carolina news, but she is especially interested in accountability and justice reporting. Summerville, SC (29483) Today Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 86F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 73F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Editor Ralph Mancini is an award-winning editor whos been employed by the Post and Courier since 2022. Previously, Mancini served in a variety of newspaper roles in New York City, Washington State and North Dakota. Myrtle Beach, SC (29577) Today Tropical storm conditions possible. Heavy rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High around 80F. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch.. Tonight Tropical storm conditions possible. Rain this evening with thunderstorms developing overnight. Low around 75F. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected. The management of the Latvian national airline airBaltic in Kyiv held a meeting with Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development Serhiy Derkach, at which they confirmed their intentions to become the first airline to return to Ukraine when it is safe. "Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development Serhiy Derkach held a meeting with the management of airBaltic, who are visiting Ukraine. Among them are Thomas Ramdahl, First Vice President of airBaltic, and Mantas Vrubliauskas, Vice President for Network Development. The meeting was also attended by Ambassador of Latvia to Ukraine Ilgvars Klava," the press service of the ministry reported on Facebook on Wednesday. The main topic of the talks is the current state of Ukrainian civil aviation, the possibilities of supporting and training Ukrainian specialists, and the analysis of the risk assessment (a document to minimize risks for the partial opening of airspace), the report says. At the meeting, Derkach said that the State Aviation Administration, together with the Ministry of Development, Ukraerorukh and the military, prepared a risk assessment at the end of last year. This is a document that identifies key threats during the partial opening of airspace and measures necessary to minimize them. airBaltic is ready to reintegrate Kyiv and Lviv into its route network as soon as the airspace is opened and all necessary confirmations are received. It also plans to expand connections beyond Riga, connecting Kyiv with other Baltic capitals - Tallinn and Vilnius, the airline said following the meeting in Kyiv. "We have consistently stated our plans for airBaltic to be the first airline to return to Ukraine when it is safe to do so, and we stand by this commitment. The safety of our employees, passengers and operations will always be our highest priority, and following our second personal visit to Kyiv, preparations for our return are in full swing. We look forward to resuming vital air services and contributing to the recovery of Ukrainian aviation," airBaltic President and CEO Martin Gauss said following the visit. Charleston, SC (29532) Today Partly to mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 90F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 72F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. U.S. reps leave for Russia to discuss ceasefire in Ukraine Trump Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/ U.S. President Donald Trump said that U.S. representatives have already left for Russia to discuss a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, The Guardian reports. According to the publication, Trump said this during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin. "The U.S. president is reporting that the US [have people going to Russia right now,' and adding 'it is up to Russia now,'" the report notes. But he insisted that "we have gotten some positive messages on ceasefire." PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 19:30:40 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 824 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ATKR Investors with Losses Encouraged to Contact the FirmSAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 / A class action lawsuit has been filed against Atkore Inc. (NYSE:ATKR), a prominent manufacturer of electrical products, which include metal electrical conduit and fittings, plastic pipe conduit and fittings, electrical cable and flexible conduit, and international cable management systems. The suit, captioned Westchester Putnam Counties Heavy & Highway Laborers Local 60 Benefits Fund v. Atkore Inc., et al., No. 1:25-cv-01851 (N.D. Ill.), represents investors who purchased or acquired Atkore common stock between February 1, 2024 and February 3, 2025.Hagens Berman is investigating the alleged claims and urges investors who purchased Atkore shares and suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now.Class Period: Feb. 1, 2024 - Feb. 3, 2025Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Apr. 23, 2025Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/atkr Contact the Firm Now:ATKR@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895Atkore Inc. (ATKR) Securities Class Action:In the recent past, Atkore has said that "[t]he principle markets that we serve are highly competitive[]" and that its internal control over financial reporting has been sufficient to "provide reasonable assurance regarding the preparation of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles[.]"The company has recently downplayed accusations of having engaged in anticompetitive misconduct related to its PVC water pipe and PVC conduit pricing since approximately 2021, related to pricing of PVC pipes sold in the United States and, more specifically, downplayed that "PVC pipe manufacturers improperly shared otherwise confidential information through their contribution of information through their contribution of information to; and readership of, a weekly report called PVC & Pipe Weekly' published by [] Oil Pipe Information Service, LLP (OPIS')." While the company has maintained that "there are defenses, both factual and legal" the complaint in the suit alleges otherwise.The complaint alleges that Atkore made false and misleading statements, while failing to disclose crucial information. Specifically, the suit contends that Atkore: (1) engaged in an anticompetitive price-fixing scheme that artificially inflated the price of its PVC pipes; (2) reaped significant, unsustainable financial benefits from its anticompetitive conduct; (3) as the price-fixing scheme was exposed, it and its co-conspirators were no longer able to artificially inflate the price of PVC pipes, resulting in a substantial decrease in the price of PVC pipes; and (4) its business and operations were negatively impacted.Investors began to learn the truth on July 24, 2024, when the short seller firm ManBear published a report accusing Atkore and three other PVC pipe manufacturers of using the commodity pricing service OPIS to coordinate pricing actions, thereby fixing PVC pipe prices and "result[ing] in massively inflated" PVC pipe prices that "defy economic logic." In response, CEO William E. Waltz said shortly afterward that "I'm going to claim that report is unsubstantiated from the conclusions it tries to make." Then, on February 4, 2025, Atkore announced dismal Q1 2025 financial results, including net sales that missed analysts' estimates by a wide margin, and slashed its adjusted EPS and EBITDA guidance for the remainder of 2025. The company blamed the poor performance and guidance reduction on the poor performance by its PVC business. Following the company's announcement, analysts factored in their models that the company was and would continue to have to reduce PVC pipe prices to be competitive after COVID-related supply chain pressures eased.The market reacted swiftly that day, sending the price of Atkore shares down $15.59 (-20%) and wiping out almost $525 million of shareholder value."We are concerned that Atkore may have misled investors about how it and its potential co-conspirators may have rigged their PVC pipe market and, thereby, artificially inflated their revenues during the class period" said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman Partner leading the firm's probe.If you invested in Atkore and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, submit your losses now If you'd like more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the Atkore case and our investigation, read more Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Atkore should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email ATKR@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation firm focusing on corporate accountability. The firm is home to a robust practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and other wrongdoings. Hagens Berman's team has secured more than $2.9 billion in this area of law. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Contact: Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 20:38:30 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 659 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 / Leading securities law firmBleichmar Fonti & Auld LLPannounces that a lawsuit has been filed against Atkore Inc. (NYSE:ATKR) and certain of the Company's senior executives for potential violations of the federal securities laws.If you invested in Atkore, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/atkore-inc Investors have until April 23, 2025, to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors who purchased Atkore stock. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and is captioned Westchester Putnam Counties Heavy & Highway Laborers Local 60 Benefits Fund v. Atkore Inc., et al., No. 25-cv-01851.Why was Atkore Sued for Securities Fraud?Atkore manufactures electrical, safety, and infrastructure products including polyvinyl chloride water and electrical conduit pipes ("PVC Pipe"). During the COVID-19 pandemic, shipping costs rose dramatically, leaving foreign PVC Pipe manufacturers unable to profitably sell PVC Pipe in the U.S. As shipping prices returned to normal when the pandemic subsided in 2022, foreign PVC Pipe manufacturers gradually returned to the U.S. market. Shortly thereafter, in late 2022, the price of PVC Pipe began to decline.As alleged, Atkore repeatedly misrepresented that post-pandemic PVC Pipe price declines were the result of "pricing normalization" that reflected "competitive dynamics" and assured investors that the Company would continue to successfully compete in the post-COVID-19 market.On July 24, 2024, an activist investor named ManBear published a report titled "Pipe Price Fixing" which accused Atkore and three of its competitors of using the commodity pricing service OPIS to coordinate pricing actions and fix the price of PVC Pipe.In truth, it is alleged that Atkore engaged in an anticompetitive price-fixing scheme that artificially inflated the price of PVC Pipes.The Stock Declines as the Truth is RevealedOn February 4, 2025, Atkore announced disappointing earnings and reduced guidance, disclosing that the "plastic pipe and conduit product category declined mid-single digits during the quarter" compared to "high single digits in the prior year," and largely attributed the guidance reduction to Atkore's PVC Pipe business, stating, "roughly $75 million or 3/4 [of the guidance reduction] is on the PVC side." This news caused the price of Atkore stock to decline nearly 20%, from $79.72 per share on February 3, 2025 to $64.13 per share on February 4, 2025.On February 14, 2025, Atkore disclosed that it received a grand jury subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division seeking the "production of documents relating to the pricing of the Company's PVC pipe and conduit products." Click here if you suffered losses: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/atkore-inc What Can You Do?If you invested in Atkore you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm.All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses.Submit your information by visiting:Or contact:Ross Shikowitz ross@ bfalaw.com 212-789-3619Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP?Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors, as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.SOURCE: Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 14:00:45 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 990 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The study will measure the impact of Cognixion's novel combination of BCI, AI and AR technology on the ability of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, who have lost natural speech, to communicate effectivelySANTA BARBARA, CA / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 / Cognixion , a leading developer of noninvasive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) technology, today announced the launch of a clinical trial examining the company's integrated, wearable augmented reality and brain-computer interface (BCI) device, Axon-R, paired with their proprietary AI-powered application to help individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) communicate effectively. The study, "Augmented Reality BCI Longitudinal Study for Persons with Late Stage ALS" ( NCT06810219 ), launched January 2025 and is currently enrolling patients in the US.People with ALS usually experience aprogressive loss of communication abilitiesdue to weakness affecting the muscles used for speech, and further loss of effective eye movement. This new modality could address a critical unmet need for the18,000 to 30,000 people in the USwho suffer from the disease, with80-95% of these patientseventually progressing to the point of no longer being able to communicate using natural speech, or use their eyes to control eye tracking systems, which is the current standard of care that ALS patients quickly become unable to use effectively or at all.Cognixion's personalized generative AI communication software in the Axon-R BCI platform will restore the ability to communicate for individuals who have lost the capability to do so through conventional means such as speech, facial movement or eye glances. The technology uses augmented reality and EEG non-invasive brain sensing technologies to deliver a hyper-intuitive generative AI interface that supports interpersonal, rapid conversations and turn-taking with partners in real-time, exceeding the typical words per minute text to speech technologies available today.The study, which is partially funded by ALS Accel (a subsidiary of theALS Association ), will assess how effectively individuals with ALS can communicate using the Axon-R system and the generative AI conversational application. It will track participants' ability to learn to use BCI over time and measure their progress. The study will also evaluate which input methods (BCI, eye-tracking) work best for enabling communication and identify how to adapt and optimize BCI inputs for each individual."This trial represents a crucial step in understanding how brain-computer interface technology enhanced by AI can be optimized for people with late-stage ALS, and other debilitating conditions rendering individuals cognitively able but completely locked in their bodies, and prepares us for a larger pivotal trial required for FDA clearance," saidChris Ullrich , M.Sc., Principal Investigator and Chief Technology Officer at Cognixion. "Our goal is to bring highly bio-adaptive natural feeling user experiences and disrupt the current state of communication options for those living with the disease with a proven, cutting-edge technology that is delightful to use, and could assist those who need it most without requiring invasive, surgical procedures." The loss of communication capability significantly impacts an ALS patient's quality of life, often leading to feelings of isolation, frustration, and a decreased sense of control. Patients who lose their ability to communicate lose access to a large part of human interaction and the ability to maintain social connections. The impact on patients increases as the disease progresses, and verbal communication becomes increasingly difficult. The loss of independence, agency and "aliveness" of the individual's presence in everyday living has an impact on that person's family and immediate circle of friends and community."Communication Access is a root cause issue that, if made available and capable, could transform the quality of life not just for the patient but their family and community, as well," saidAndreas Forsland , Founder and CEO of Cognixion."The ALS Association recognized a unique opportunity to accelerate Cognixion's non-invasive brain-computer interface for speech generation to the marketplace," saidKeith Gary , PhD., Managing Director of ALS Accel. "The technology platform has significant impacts for those affected by ALS, other neurodegenerative diseases, and the research community focused on these areas." Cognixion clinical trial findings are expected to refine the usability of the Axon-R device communication software and provide evidence about the effectiveness of this combined AR/BCI/AI approach for a viable new communication pathway for people with ALS.Axon-R users will be able to communicate at near conversational speed, compared to the slow, painstaking words per minute produced by eye tracking, traditional BCI assistive communication systems and analog methods such as physical letter boards. The ability provided by Axon-R and the generative AI communication software will significantly increase the communication output speed and nuance and personal identity for severely disabled individuals.One patient, Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz, was diagnosed with ALS in 2013. Rabbi Zvi Boyarsky, Patient Advocate and Director ofAreivim Institute , a supporter of the Cognixion ALS clinical trial, has been a figure in ALS patient Rabbi Hurwitz's life from his diagnosis to his enrollment in the clinical trial. He shared, "There are no words to quantify the joy we all felt when Rabbi Yitzi could communicate and express himself with Cognixion's technology. It's a true gift and vital link that maintains the deep human connections that mitigate some of the unbearable suffering and is a powerful light in this challenging journey." Cognixion is conducting the study in the United States, in alignment with community support organizations, such as Areivim Institute. The company is also collaborating withother healthcare professionals in its network to identify prospective participants for the study.The study is currently accepting additional participants. Interested individuals with ALS and their caregivers can learn more by contactingclinicaltrials@ cognixion.com About the Cognixion ONE Axon-RThe Cognixion ONE Axon-R enables precise measurement and modulation of brain activity through visual stimuli, biofeedback, and neurofeedback. This wearable device offers up to 16 channels of research-quality physiological data and an integrated steady state visually evoked potential classifier. It also includes a robust Software Development Kit for researchers interested in integrating neural data into immersive AR a PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 21:55:14 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 584 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 /Robbins LLP reminds stockholders that a class action was filed on behalf of all investors who purchased or otherwise acquired e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. (NYSE:ELF) securities between November 1, 2023 and November 19, 2024. e.l.f., together with its subsidiaries, provides cosmetic and skin care products under the e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. Skin, Well People, Naturium, and Keys Soulcare brand names.For more information, submit a form, email attorney Aaron Dumas, Jr., or give us a call at (800) 350-6003.The Allegations: Robbins LLP is Investigating Allegations that e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. (ELF) Misled Investors and Overstated its ProfitsAccording to the complaint, during the class period, defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (i) the Company was experiencing rising inventory levels as a consequence of flagging sales; (ii) e.l.f. falsely attributed the rising inventory levels to, among other things, changes in its sourcing practices; (iii) to maintain investor confidence, e.l.f. reported inflated revenue, profits, and inventory over several quarters; (iv) accordingly, the Company's business and/or financial prospects were overstated; and therefore (v) the foregoing, once revealed, would likely have a material negative impact on the Company.On November 20, 2024, Muddy Waters Research published a report entitled "e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. A Revenue and Inventory Mystery", alleging that e.l.f. had "materially overstated revenue over the past three quarters," and that in "Q2 FY24, ELF management realized its growth narrative was in trouble as its inventory built. It appears that ELF then began reporting inflated revenue and profits. Its reported inventory also appears materially inflated as a result - i.e., to account for cash that has not really come in." Further, Muddy Waters accused the Company of concealing its inventory challenges from investors by falsely attributing its rising inventory levels to supposed changes in its sourcing practices rather than the true cause-insufficient sales.On this news, e.l.f.'s stock price fell $2.71 per share, or 2.23%, to close at $119.00 per share on November 20, 2024. e.l.f.'s stock has continued to decline. On March 5, 2025, e.l.f.'s stock closed at $64.67 per share, representing a decline of $57.04 per share - or nearly 47% - since the truth was revealed.What Now: You may be eligible to participate in the class action against e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. Shareholders who want to serve as lead plaintiff for the class must file their papers with the court by May 5, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. You do not have to participate in the case to be eligible for a recovery. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. For more information, click here.All representation is on a contingency fee basis. Shareholders pay no fees or expenses.About Robbins LLP: A recognized leader in shareholder rights litigation, the attorneys and staff of Robbins LLP have been dedicated to helping shareholders recover losses, improve corporate governance structures, and hold company executives accountable for their wrongdoing since 2002.To be notified if a class action against e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. or to receive free alerts when corporate executives engage in wrongdoing, sign up for Stock Watch today.Attorney Advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.Contact:Aaron Dumas, Jr.Robbins LLP5060 Shoreham Pl., Ste. 300San Diego, CA 92122 adumas@ robbinsllp.com (800) 350-6003 www.robbinsllp.com SOURCE: Robbins LLP PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 14:00:48 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 543 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 POTOMAC, MARYLAND / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 / IGC Pharma, Inc. ("IGC Pharma," "IGC," or the "Company") (NYSE American:IGC) announces that Ascendiant Capital Markets has issued a coverage report entitled "Reports Q3 results. We believe more positive clinical data in 2025 to be strong catalysts for stock. Raising P/T to $4.25"All reports on IGC Pharma prepared by analysts represent the views of those analysts and are not necessarily those of IGC Pharma. IGC is not responsible for the content, accuracy, or timelines provided by analysts. By referring to these analysts or distributing their opinions, IGC does not in any way commit itself to the validity of such information, conclusions, or recommendations.A copy of the updated report can be obtained directly from Ascendiant Capital Markets:LINKAbout IGC Pharma (dba IGC):IGC Pharma is an AI-powered, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative treatments for Alzheimer's disease and transforming patient care with fast-acting, safe, and effective solutions. Our portfolio includes the TGR family, including TGR-63, which targets amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's. The IGC-C and IGC-M platforms are advancing in preclinical studies, focusing on metabolic disorders, tau proteins, early plaque formation, and multiple disease hallmarks. Our lead therapeutic candidate, IGC-AD1, is a cannabinoid-based treatment currently in a Phase 2 trial for agitation in dementia ("CALMA") associated with Alzheimer's ( clinicaltrials.gov , IGC Pharma Phase II). Interim data for IGC-AD1 demonstrated that it has the potential to transform patient care by offering faster-acting and more effective relief compared to traditional medications. Additionally, our AI models are designed to predict potential biomarkers for the early detection of Alzheimer's, optimize clinical trials, and predict receptor affinity, among others. With 32 patent filings and a commitment to innovation, IGC Pharma is dedicated to advancing pharmaceutical treatments and improving the lives of those affected by Alzheimer's and related conditions. The Company operates a wellness brand offering scientifically formulated products under the brand Holiby and as white-labeled formulations.Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based largely on IGC Pharma's expectations and are subject to several risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond IGC Pharma's control. Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of, among other factors, the Company's failure or inability to commercialize one or more of the Company's products or technologies, including the products or formulations described in this release, or failure to obtain regulatory approval for the products or formulations, where required, or government regulations affecting AI or the AI algorithms not working as intended or producing accurate predictions; general economic conditions that are less favorable than expected; the FDA's general position regarding cannabis- and hemp-based products; and other factors, many of which are discussed in IGC Pharma's U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings. IGC incorporates by reference its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on June 24, 2024, and on Form 10-Qs filed with the SEC on August 7, 2024, November 12, 2024, and February 14, 2025, as if fully incorporated and restated herein. Considering these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information contained in this release will occur.Contact Information Rosalyn Christian / Walter FrankIMS Investor Relationsigc@ imsinvestorrelations.com (203) 972-9200SOURCE: IGC Pharma, Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 03:46:14 Press Information Published by ACN Newswire +65 6304 8926 e-mail https://www.acnnewswire.com/ # 353 Words ACN Newswire+65 6304 8926 TOKYO, Mar 12, 2025 - (JCN Newswire) - JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., today announced that JCB is now available on Google Play in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Hong Kong.Through these years, JCB Cardmembers in Asia have experienced significant growth. In addition to the growth, JCB is committed to providing its Cardmembers with expanded accessibility across the entire payment experience, including the digital environment. JCB will continue to strive to improve the overall payment experience for all JCB Cardmembers, not just in Asia.Yoshiki Kaneko, President & CEO, JCB International Co., Ltd., said: We are delighted to announce the expansion of the availability for using JCB on the Google Play. Google Play support has always been a key demand from JCB Cardmember community across the region and JCB is proud to be working with Google, one of the key players in the changing digital environment, to provide availability to the JCB Cardmember community. About JCBJCB is a major global payments brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 53 million merchants around the world. JCB Cards are now issued mainly in Asian countries and territories, with more than 164 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase its merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/ MEDIA CONTACTS:JCB (Head Office in Japan)Anna TakedaCorporate CommunicationsTel: +81-3-5778-8353 Email: jcb-pr@ info.jcb.co.jp About JCN NewswireJCN Newswire supports Asian companies and organizations with press release distribution to stakeholders in Asia and worldwide -- institutional investors and analysts, individual stakeholders, financial & trade media and the Internet. Today, JCN Newswire is the globally recognized press release distributor from the region, in simplified & traditional Chinese, Korean and Japanese as well as English. Poland insists on the need to establish a just peace in Ukraine, and positively assesses the results of the meeting of the Ukrainian and American delegations in Saudi Arabia, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in a joint statement with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "On the issue of Ukraine and Russia, Poland's position is clear, it has been known since the first days of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Like Turkey, Poland wants a ceasefire and peace as soon as possible. I am glad to hear these words, which we repeat every day in Warsaw, in Kyiv, in Brussels. Turkey and Poland want a just peace to be concluded. We all know what a just peace is. We have identical assessments of the results of the first stage of negotiations that ended in Saudi Arabia between our American and Ukrainian friends. We clearly assess this first result of these meetings positively. We are both pleased that both the American and Ukrainian sides also express complete satisfaction with these first steps," Tusk said. He noted that even if the negotiations are accompanied by emotions and disputes, a ceasefire, and subsequently peace, remain the goal for Ukraine, the United States and their allies. "The only question mark today remains Russia's reaction. Today, Ankara, Warsaw, Kyiv, Washington, Brussels, we are all waiting for a clear answer. Is the other side ready to take this proposal for a ceasefire and further peace talks seriously? We very much hope for this," the Prime Minister noted. He also invited the Turkish side to join the settlement process in the region. "I made an unambiguous proposal to President Erdogan that Turkey take on as much co-responsibility as possible for the peace process, the guarantee of stability and security in our entire region. We are ready to cooperate with our Turkish friends both in the field of defense and the defense industry. I don't think I'm exaggerating if I say that today we have made a historic breakthrough. We know very well what we want for Ukraine, what we want for the region, and what we want for Europe," Tusk pointed out. PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 18:46:56 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 313 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Free Uber vouchers available to promote safe holiday celebrations on March 17SUGAR LAND, TX / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 / Lone Star Injury Attorneys, PLLCis bringing back its Shamrock Shuttles initiative, offering free Uber ride vouchers to help prevent impaired driving on St. Patrick's Day. The program provides 50 vouchers, each valued at $15, to ensure a safe and responsible holiday celebration.The vouchers are available on a first-come, first-served basis and can be redeemed exclusively from March 15 to March 18th. Participants must sign up through theevent pageto claim a voucher, with full details and conditions outlined on the website."This St. Patrick's Day, we ask that everyone celebrates responsibly and ensures they have a safe ride home," says Max Paderewski, Attorney at Lone Star Injury Attorneys. "Our hope is that you'll be staring down at a lucky pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, not staring at a DUI charge." Lone Star Injury Attorneys remains committed to promoting road safety and minimizing preventable accidents. St. Patrick's Day often sees an increase in alcohol-related crashes, and Shamrock Shuttles aims to provide a simple solution for those celebrating the holiday.For more information or to claim a voucher, visit https://lonestarinjuryattorneys.com/shamrock-shuttles/ ###About Lone Star Injury Attorneys:Lone Star Injury Attorneys, PLLCis a personal injury law firm situated in Sugar Land, Texas, servicing the states of Texas and California. The foundation of their practice is the idea that great representation starts the moment a client approaches the firm for help. They manage a wide range of cases, such ascar accidents , slip and fall, motorcycle accidents, brain damage, wrongful death, and an abundance of other scenarios. They serve clients throughout Texas, ensuring access to quality legal services regardless of location.Contact informationMax Paderewski info@ lonestarinjuryattorneys.com(832) 770-6438 12808 W Airport BlvdSuite 255F,Sugar Land, TX 77478 https://lonestarinjuryattorneys.com/ SOURCE: Lone Star Injury Attorneys, PLLC PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 10:15:53 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1024 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 KBENHAVN, DK / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 / FluoGuide A/S (STO:FLUO)The board of directors hereby convenes the Annual General Meeting of FluoGuide A/S, company registration (CVR) no. 39 29 64 38 (the "Company" or "FluoGuide"), to be held on27 March 2025 at 2.00 PM (CET)at the Company's premises, Titanhus, Titangade 9-13, meeting room - Kronos, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.The agenda for the Annual General Meeting is as follows:1. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN OF THE MEETING2. REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMPANY IN THE PAST FINANCIAL YEAR3. PRESENTATION OF THE ANNUAL REPORT WITH AUDITORS' REPORT FOR ADOPTION4. RESOLUTION ON COVERING OF LOSSES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ADOPTED ANNUAL REPORT5. ELECTION OF MEMBERS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS6. ELECTION OF THE COMPANY'S AUDITOR7. PROPOSALS FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS Authorisation to the board of directors to increase the share capital without pre-emptive rights for the shareholders Deletion of clause 3.5 of the articles of association The articles of association amended and updated as set out in the attached articles of association also reflecting adoption of the proposals set out in item 7.1 Approval of the remuneration of the board of directors8. PROPOSAL TO AUTHORISE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MEETING9. MISCELLANEOUSComplete Proposals:Re 1: Election of chairman of the meeting The board of directors proposes that attorney-at-law Lars Luthjohan be elected as the chairman of the general meeting.Re 2: Report on the activities of the Company in the past financial year An oral report on the activities of the Company in the past financial year will be presented. The board of directors proposes that the report is noted by the general meeting.Re 3: Presentation of the annual report with auditors' report for adoption The board of directors proposes that the Company's annual report with the auditors' report for the financial year 2024 is adopted. The annual report is available on the Company's website.Re 4: Resolution on covering of losses in accordance with the adopted annual report The board of directors proposes that the consolidated loss for the financial year 2024 of tDKK 28,959 is carried forward to the next financial year in accordance with the adopted annual report.Re 5: Election of members to the board of directors The board of directors currently consists of the following members: Peter Mrch Eriksen, Mats Thoren, Michael Thyrring Engsig, Andreas Kjr and Donna Marie Haire.All seek re-election to the board of directors.Re 6: Election of the Company's auditor The board of directors proposes re-election of PricewaterhouseCoopers Statsautoriseret Revisionspartnerselskab, CVR no. 39 29 64 38, as the Company's auditor.Re 7.1: The board of directors proposes authorisation to the board of directors to increase the share capital without pre-emptive rights for the shareholders The board of directors proposes to reestablish the authorisation to increase the share capital without pre-emptive rights, cf. articles of association clause 3.3.1, by nominal DKK 162,315.40, from nominal DKK 137,684.60 to nominal DKK 300,000, the rest of the wording in the section shall remain.New clause 3.3.6 shall have the following wording:"On 27 March 2025 the annual general meeting re-increased the authorization from nominal DKK 137,684.60, cf. clause 3.3.5, to nominal DKK 300,000. Further reference is made to the above the clause 3.3.1 and 3.3.2."Re. 7.2: The board of directors proposes that clause 3.5 of the articles of association is deleted The board of directors proposes that clause 3.5 of the articles of association: "Autorisation to the board of directors to issue warrants" is deleted. The authorization is fully exercised, and the warrant exercise period has lapsed.Re. 7.3: The board of directors proposes that the articles of association are amended and updated as set out in the attached articles of association also reflecting adoption of the proposals set out in item 7.1 and 7.2Re. 7.4: Proposal from the board of directors to approve the remuneration of the board of directors for the financial year 2025 The board of directors proposes that the board of directors shall receive remuneration for the financial year 2025 to be paid out at the annual general meeting of 2026.The proposed remuneration is as follows:DKK payment for the year 2025Warrants, up toChairman280,00030,000Vice Chairman200,000Board member100,000New board members may be offered80,0007,500The motivation to offer the current Chairman, Peter Mrch Eriksen, a significant amount of warrants relates to his extraordinary contribution to the development of FluoGuide.Re 8: Proposal to authorise the chairman of the meeting The board of directors proposes to authorise the chairman of the meeting (with a right of substitution) on behalf of the Company to apply the Danish Business Authority for registration of the resolutions passed by the general meeting and in this connection to make any such amendments to the documents prepared for such resolutions that may be required for registration with the Danish Business Authority.Re 9: MiscellaneousVoting by proxy or correspondence The shareholders may vote by proxy or correspondence for the Annual General meeting. Shareholders may grant proxy to a named third party or to the Board of Directors. Alternatively, shareholders may cast their vote in advance of the meeting (vote by correspondence). A proxy and voting correspondence form can be found on the Company's website ( www.fluoguide.com) Proxy Voting by proxy shall be submitted by returning the proxy and voting by correspondence form, duly completed, and signed, by email to ole@ fluoguide.com . Proxies shall be submitted no later than 25 March 2025.Voting by correspondence Any shareholder who wishes to vote by mail shall submit the proxy and voting by correspondence form, duly completed and signed, by email to ole@ fluoguide.com . Votes by correspondence must be submitted no later than 16.00 CET on 26 March 2025 and cannot be revoked.Information: Adoption requirementsThe proposal under agenda item 7.1 must be approved by a majority of not less than nine tenth of all votes cast and of the share capital represented at the general meeting and the proposal under agenda item 7.2 and 7.3 must be adopted by a majority of not less than two thirds of all votes cast and of the share capital represented at the Annual General Meeting.The remaining proposals may be adopted by a simple majority of the votes.Share capital and voting rightsThe Company's share capital is nominal DKK 1,362,014.90 divided into 13,620,149 shares of nominal DKK 0.10. Each share of PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 16:00:31 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1058 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 / This notice is being sent to advise that Maple Leaf Critical Minerals 2024 Enhanced Flow-Through Limited Partnership - National Class (CUSIP Class A - 56529B109, CUSIP Class F - 56529B208) and Quebec Class (CUSIP Class A - 56529B307, Class F- 56529B406) (the "Partnership") will be proceeding with a transaction (the "Liquidity Transaction") pursuant to which the assets of the Partnership (the "Assets") will be transferred on a tax-deferred basis to the Maple Leaf Resource Class (the "Resource Class Mutual Fund"), a class of shares of Maple Leaf Corporate Funds Ltd., an open-ended mutual fund corporation, in exchange for Series A or Series F shares of the Mutual Fund.Additional information about the Resource Class Mutual Fund is available in their simplified prospectus and annual information form. These documents are available at www.sedarplus.ca and www.mapleleaffunds.ca How the Rollover Will Work:Pursuant to the Liquidity Transaction, Limited Partners of the Partnership ("Investors") will receive shares of the Resource Class Mutual Fund in connection with the dissolution of the Partnership. The effective date of the Liquidity Transaction (the "Effective Date") is expected to be on or about Thursday May 15, 2025. Shortly after the Effective Date, the shares of the Resource Class Mutual Fund will be distributed on a pro rata basis to investors and thereafter the Partnership will be dissolved.Investors will receive the Resource Class Mutual Fund shares in exchange for, and with a value equal to, the value of the units of the Partnership held at the time of such transfer of Assets. When the shares of the Resource Class Mutual Fund are received, the Partnership units will be removed from each Investors account. Processing may take 5 to 7 business days (in some cases longer) to complete, after the rollover occurs.The Partnership will issue a press release once the Liquidity Transaction has been completed and the conversion ratio has been determined.The ACB (adjusted cost base) for each unit of the Partnership and each share of the Resource Class Mutual Fund will be determined by the General Partner upon the wind-up of the Partnership's affairs. The Partnership will dissolve within 60 days of the Effective Date. The General Partner will post these details on its website at www.mapleleaffunds.ca Investors should consult with their investment advisor and/or tax advisor for all tax-related matters.Simplified Example:An Investor holds 100 Partnership units with a final Net Asset Value of $20.00 at the time of rollover and the net asset value per share of the Resource Class Mutual Fund is $5.00 on the same date. Based on these net asset values, the conversion ratio will be4.0 (4.0 = $20.00 / $5.00). The Investor's 100 units, valued at $2,000, are removed from the Investor's account and 400 shares (400 = 100 x 4.0) of the Resource Class Mutual Fund, valued at $2,000, are added to the Investor's account.Processing can be delayed after the rollover occurs, therefore transactions such as switches or redemptions may not be processed until the Resource Class Mutual Fund shares have been credited to client accounts.Neither the Partnership nor the Resource Class Mutual Fund will accept any liability for transactions executed prior to dealer records being updated.Specific Information about the Mutual Fund:Organization and Management of the Mutual FundManager:CADO Investment Fund Management Inc. 609 Granville Street, Suite 808 Vancouver, British Columbia V7Y 1G5 Tel: 604-684-5742Fax: 604-684-5748Toll free: 1-866-688-5750 Email:info@ cadobancorp.ca CADO Investment Fund Management Inc.is the manager of the Mutual Fund and is responsible for managing the overall business and operations of the Mutual Fund.Portfolio Advisor:Palette Investment Management Inc ("Palette") Toronto, OntarioPalette is responsible for managing the investment portfolio of the Funds.Custodian:RBC Investor & Treasury Services Toronto, OntarioThe custodian has physical custody of the Mutual Fund's property.Administrator:The IAS Investment Administration Solution Inc. ("IAS") Toronto, OntarioThe administrator keeps track of the owners of shares of the Mutual Fund and processes purchases.Auditor:KPMG LLPVancouver, British ColumbiaThe auditors are responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Mutual Fund.The auditors of the Mutual Fund may not be changed unless the independent review committee of the Mutual Fund has approved the change and a written notice describing the change is sent to unit holders at least 60 days before the effective date of the change.Independent Review Committee(the "IRC")Canadian securities legislation requires the Mutual Fund to have an IRC. The IRC is composed of three members, each of whom is independent of us. The mandate of the IRC is to review, and provide input on, our written policies and procedures that deal with conflict of interest matters in respect of the Mutual Fund and to give their recommendation regarding and, in some cases, approve, conflict of interest matters identified and referred to the IRC by us.The IRC will prepare, at least annually, a report of its activities for investors. This report will be available at our website atwww.mapleleaffunds.caor you may request a copy, at no cost to you, by contacting us atinfo@ cadobancorp.ca.Additional information about the IRC, including the names of the members, is available in the Mutual Fund's Annual Information Form.Portfolio Advisor:Palette Investment Management Inc. ("Palette") will be responsible for the Mutual Fund's investment activities. Mr. Andrew Cook, President of Palette, will act as Portfolio Manager on behalf of Palette. Mr. Cook has 34 years of experience in the financial services sector, the past 26 engaged in managing funds for several investment organizations as well as private clients. His focus has been primarily on growth companies with substantial experience in the small and midcap parts of the market and he has spent a significant amount of time in the resource sector.Mr. Cook has had a distinguished career as an analyst and portfolio manager with the Royal Bank of Canada, Midland Walwyn, Strategic Nova, Marquest Asset Management, and Matrix Asset Management Inc.Additional Information:Additional information about the Mutual Fund will be available in the Mutual Fund's simplified prospectus, annual information form, management reports of fund performance and financial statements. You can obtain a copy of these documents at your request and at no cost by contacting Maple Leaf Funds toll free at 1-866-688-5750, by e-ma PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 21:30:49 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 303 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC, AND BREDA, THE NETHERLANDS / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 /Organto Foods Inc. (TSXV:OGO)(OTC PINK:OGOFF)(FSE:OGF) ("Organto" or "the Company") today announced the results of its annual general meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting"), which was held earlier today.10,337,706 common shares representing approximately 30.1% of eligible outstanding shares were voted at the Meeting, with all matters receiving in excess of 99% support.At the Meeting, shareholders received the financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, together with the auditor's report thereon. In addition, Shareholders elected five directors: Steve Bromley, Peter Damouni, Peter Gianulis, Alejandro Maldonado and Joe Riz. Messrs. Damouni, Gianulis, Maldonado and Riz were elected as independent directors, representing 80.0% of the directors elected to the board.The shareholders also approved the appointment of Dale Matheson Carr-Hilton Labonte LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as Organto's independent auditor for the ensuing year, and approved the Company's Share Option and Restricted Share Unit Plans for continuation until the Company's next annual general meeting.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,Steve Bromley Chair and Chief Executive OfficerNeither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.For more information contact:Investor Relationsinfo@ organto.com John Rathwell, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations647 629 0018ABOUT ORGANTOOrganto is an integrated provider of branded, private label and distributed organic and non-GMO fruit and vegetable products using a strategic asset-light business model to serve a growing socially responsible and health-conscious consumer around the globe. Organto's business model is rooted in its commitment to sustainable business practices focused on environmental responsibility and a commitment to the communities where it operates, its people and its shareholders.SOURCE: Organto Foods, Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 21:30:43 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1026 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 /Pegasus Resources Inc. (TSXV:PEGA)(Frankfurt:0QS0)(OTC PINK:SLTFF) (the "Company" or "Pegasus") is pleased to announce that it has closed its non-brokered private placement offering (the "Offering") announced February 27, 2025, raising gross proceeds of $340,354.02. A total of 5,672,567 units of the Company (the "Units", and each a "Unit") were issued at a price of C$0.06 per Unit.Each Unit consists of one common share (each, a "Common Share", and collectively the "Common Shares") and one full common share purchase warrant (each warrant, a "Warrant" and collectively the "Warrants"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at a price of C$0.12 per Common Share for a period of two years from the closing date of the Offering."We appreciate the continued confidence and support from our investors and insiders, which enables us to advance our uranium projects and take critical steps toward resource development and long-term value creation. With this financing closed, Pegasus will secure 75% ownership in the Utah uranium project Jupiter, positioning us for further expansion. Executing our maiden drill program will allow us to secure 100% ownership, further strengthening our asset base," stated Christian Timmins, CEO of Pegasus Resources. "With strong market fundamentals in the uranium sector, we remain committed to unlocking the full potential of our Energy Sands and Jupiter projects in Utah." All securities issued in connection with the Offering are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus one day from the date of issuance, in accordance with applicable securities laws.Finders' fees of $15,076 in cash and 251,272 finders' warrants (each a "Finders Warrant") were issued to eligible parties. Each Finders Warrant is non-transferable and exercisable for one Common Share at C$0.06 per share for a period of two years. Finders Warrants are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus one day from the issuance date, in accordance with Canadian securities laws.The net proceeds from the Offering will be used to complete the final payment on the Jupiter Uranium Property, securing Pegasus a 75% ownership interest. This strategic acquisition strengthens the Company's position in the uranium sector by expanding its resource base and increasing its control over a key asset in a highly prospective region. Additionally, funds will be allocated for general working capital and corporate purposes.The Offering constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of TSXV Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") because Insiders of the Company, including Christian Timmins, Noah Komavli, and Derrick Stickland, participated in the Offering. Additionally, the Offering included one Pro-group participant. The Company has relied on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 under sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a), as the fair market value of Insider participation is below 25% of the Company's market capitalization.This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, any U.S. person unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.For further information, please contact:About Pegasus Resources Inc.Pegasus Resources Inc. is a diversified Junior Canadian Mineral Exploration Company with a focus on uranium, gold, and base metal properties in North America. The Company is also actively pursuing the right opportunity in other resources to enhance shareholder value. For additional information, please visit the Company at www.pegasusresourcesinc.com On Behalf of the Board of Directors:Christian TimminsPresident, CEO and DirectorPegasus Resources Inc.700 - 838 West Hastings StreetVancouver, BC V6C 0A6PH: 1-403-597-3410Twitter: https://twitter.com/MrChris_Timmins Twitter: https://twitter.com/pegasusresinc E: info@ pegasusresourcesinc.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Forward Looking StatementsThis news release contains certain information that may be deemed "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information includes statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking information contained in this press release may include, without limitation, statements regarding creation of value for Company shareholders, results of operations the size, timing and completion of the Offering, the use of proceeds from the Offering and the listing of the Common Shares (including the Common Shares underlying the Warrants and the broker warrants) on the TSXV upon closing of the Offering.Although the Company believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by its nature, forward-looking information involves assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 01:00:29 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 339 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / March 11, 2025 / Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential breaches of fiduciary duties by the directors and officers of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) in connection with a report of an investigation by the United States Department of Justice into UnitedHealth's billing practices.If you currently own shares of UnitedHealth stock, please visit the firm's website at https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=25195for more information. You may also contact Phillip Kim of Rosen Law Firm toll free at 866-767-3653 or via email at case@ rosenlegal.com Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.---Contact Information:Laurence Rosen, Esq.Phillip Kim, Esq.The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.275 Madison Avenue, 40th FloorNew York, NY 10016Tel: (212) 686-1060Toll Free: (866) 767-3653Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@ rosenlegal.comwww.rosenlegal.com SOURCE: Rosen Law Firm PA PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 09:45:44 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 996 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 BISHOPSGATE, LONDON / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 / SolGold plc (LSE:SOLG) & (TSX:SOLG) is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, SolGold Canada Inc., has entered into a share purchase agreement pursuant to which it has agreed to sell 157,141,000 ordinary shares of SolGold ("Owned Shares") at a price of US$0.115 per Owned Share, raising gross proceeds of approximately US$18 million (the "Investment"), to Jiangxi Copper (Hong Kong) Investment Company Limited ("JCCHK"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jiangxi Copper Company Limited ("JCC", and together with JCCHK, "Jiangxi").The price represents a premium of approximately 45% to the closing middle-market share price on 11 March 2025.The Owned Shares were acquired by the Company pursuant to the acquisition of Cornerstone Capital Resources Inc. (now known as SolGold Canada Inc.) (see announcement dated 7 October 2022), effective 24 February 2023. Therefore, no new shares of SolGold have been issued in connection with the Investment and the Company's total issued share capital remains unchanged ("Ordinary Shares").Jiangxi currently owns 208,616,587 Ordinary Shares in SolGold, representing 6.95% of the Company's issued share capital. Following completion of the Investment, Jiangxi will own 365,757,587 Ordinary Shares, representing 12.19% of the Company's issued share capital.Until March 2027, Jiangxi may provide SolGold with technical consulting services as required, subject to mutual agreement, with respect to the Company's world-class Cascabel Project in Ecuador. Jiangxi will not charge the Company, unless otherwise agreed by the parties, for any of its costs associated with this technical cooperation.Chief Executive Officer, Dan Vujcic commented:"As we endeavour to re-shape and streamline the SolGold investment proposition this investment by Jiangxi, at a substantial premium to Monday's closing price, is a powerful endorsement towards the intrinsic value embedded in SolGold.The proceeds will materially strengthen our balance sheet and support current efforts to unlock further value for shareholders.SolGold is very fortunate to have multiple high-quality shareholders and financiers who are willing and able to assist the Company in progressing Cascabel and its highly prospective exploration portfolio." Closing of the Investment is subject to customary conditions precedent and receipt of regulatory approval from the relevant authorities in the People's Republic of China.This announcement was approved for release by Dan Vujcic - Chief Executive Officer.The information contained within this Announcement is deemed by SolGold plc to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 as it forms part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR").CONTACTSDan Vujcic Chief Executive OfficerTel: +44 (0) 20 3807 6996Tavistock (Media)Jos Simson/Gareth TredwayTel: +44 (0) 20 7920 3150ABOUT SOLGOLD SolGold is a leading resources company focused on the discovery, definition and development of world-class copper and gold deposits and continues to strive to deliver objectives efficiently and in the interests of shareholders.SolGold completed and released a staged development plan Pre Feasibility Study on 16 February 2024. The study, completed at US$1750/oz gold, US$3.85/lb copper and US$22.50/oz for silver delivered an NPV (based on a discount rate of 8%) of US$3.22bn on a capex of US$1.55bn for an initial 12 Mtpa underground block caving operation. The evaluation also showed an after-tax IRR of 24% and a first 10-years free cash flow generation of US$7.1bn. The PFS assessed Mineral Reserves 539.7Mt tonnes which represents only 18% of the total resource over an initial 28-year project life.On 15 July 2024, SolGold announced a gold stream agreement with Franco Nevada and Osisko Royalties (the "Streamers") pursuant to which the Streamers would pay US$100m as pre development funding in three tranches conditional on achieving various technical and permitting milestones. The first US$33.3m was received on signing. A further US$650m contribution to development expenditure will be provided on completion of the feasibility study, permitting and financing, subject to CPs, acceptable financing packages for the balance funding required. SolGold has agreed in consideration for this funding a life of mine stream priced at 20% of the spot gold price at the time for 20% of gold production for the first 10 years and 12% thereafter. The stream represents approximately 5% of total revenue for the project and provides some 42% of currently estimated capital development costs. SolGold retains change of control buyback options on the stream to the extent of 50% within 3 years and 33 1/3 % for a further two years.SolGold continues to advance de-risking programs, permitting and financing discussions and to reevaluate the project at recent consensus prices for copper and gold.On 28 October 2024, SolGold appointed G-Mining Services to be the Project Manager for the Feasibility Study.The Company operates with transparency and in accordance with international best practices. SolGold is committed to delivering value to its shareholders while simultaneously providing economic and social benefits to impacted communities, fostering a healthy and safe workplace, and minimizing environmental impact.SolGold is listed on the London Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange (LSE/TSX: SOLG).See www.solgold.com.au for more information. Follow us on X @SolGold_plc.Qualified Person The scientific and technical disclosure included in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr Santiago Vaca (M.Sc. P.Geo.), Chief Geologist for the Cascabel project, a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.The basis for the scientific and technical information included in this news release is a technical report dated 8 March 2024 and titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on Pre-feasibility Study for the Cascabel Project, Imbabura Province, Ecuador" (the "PFS Technical Report"), which can be found on the Company's website at https://solgold.com.au/projects/ecuador/cascabel-project/ and on SEDAR+ under the Company's issuer profile at www.sedarplus.ca . Readers are encouraged to read the PFS Technical Report in its entirety. The PFS Technical Report is intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context.CAUTIONARY NOTICE News releases, presentations and public commentary made by SolGold plc (the "Company") and its Officers may contain certain statements and expressions PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 14:01:19 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 976 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Book finds that marginalized students suffer most from turn away from academicsBOSTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 / Five years into the rise of so-called social justice education, it is leaving the students it aims to help less educated, more vulnerable and more marginalized, according to a new book published by Pioneer Institute."Inundating marginalized students with messages about their oppression and supposed incapacity has been deeply harmful," said Steven F. Wilson, author of The Lost Decade: Returning to the Fight for Better Schools in America. "We should instead work to provide all public-school students with the rich liberal arts education that has long been afforded to the privileged." The power of a liberal arts education, high expectations, safe and orderly classrooms, and relentless attention to great teaching is proven. A Stanford University study found that in New York City, "no excuses" schools operated by charter management organizations that embodied this approach generated an additional 110 days of learning in reading and 124 days in math in a single year.It was also clear that the schools can narrow or eliminate achievement gaps at scale. Nationwide, these "gap-closing" schools were adding around 50,000 students-the size of the Boston public school district-each year.In Massachusetts, the framers of the 1993 Education Reform Act-William Weld, Thomas Birmingham, and Mark Roosevelt-all shared a profound formative experience: an outstanding liberal arts education. Extending the opportunity they were afforded to all students was at the heart of the reform they crafted, and the Commonwealth's public schools soon became the finest in the country and competitive with the best in the world.Urban charter public schools in Massachusetts also recorded spectacular academic gains. According to a Brookings Institution report, "the test score gains produced by Boston charters are some of the largest that have ever been documented for an at-scale educational intervention." The racial reckoningThe racial reckoning that followed the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer could have spurred on the transformation of urban schooling that charter schools sparked. It could have assailed big-city systems' chronically low expectations of students. The catastrophic learnings losses from the pandemic could have lit a fire under districts to accelerate instruction and urgently make up lost academic ground.They did nothing of the sort. Instead, they fueled what Wilson terms the Political and Therapeutic Evasions-the substitution of social justice training for academics, the provision of therapy in place of instruction. Academic achievement-rarely venerated in American schools to begin with-was demoted, if not scorned.A new "social justice" approach to education newly pervades America's urban schools. It holds that objectivity and urgency are symptoms of toxic white supremacy culture, that truth is a phantasm and liberal education is elitist and colonialist. Before teaching academics, school justice educators claim, schools must address the trauma teachers and students experience from living in a white supremacist society."The result of seeking to heal' and politically awaken' staff and students before teaching academic content creates yet another excuse for failure," said Director of Pioneer Education Jamie Gass.Even many gap-busting urban schools adopted this approach. In one of them, Boston Collegiate Charter School, the percentage of grade 8 students scoring proficient or advanced in English language arts (ELA) tumbled from 22 points higher than their Boston Public Schools counterparts in 2019 to nine points below that of the Boston Public Schools in 2024.Two New York City charter networks, Success Academies and Classical Charter Schools, resisted social justice education. In the spring of 2024, 95 percent or more of students in both networks were proficient in math and 82 percent in ELA.After Success, the four next largest New York City charter networks embraced, to varying degrees, social justice education. By 2024, students in their schools saw their proficiency advantage over the New York City Public Schools shrink by two thirds. By 2024, students in networks that pivoted the hardest to Antiracism were scarcely more likely to be found proficient in ELA than district school students."Literacy and numeracy are the keys to upward mobility," said Pioneer Executive Director Jim Stergios. "The movement to bring about justice by watering down curricula has clearly failed." At the mid-point of the decade, it is time to choose another path."We can equip all children with a rigorous and engaging liberal arts education that arouses curiosity, venerates knowledge, cultivates compassion, and upholds reason, Wilson said. We can return to creating a new generation of schools that lift achievement for all students and build a more equitable and just society." ###About Steven F. WilsonSteven F. Wilson is a senior fellow at Pioneer Institute. An education entrepreneur, policymaker, and writer, Wilson founded and built Ascend Learning, a network of fifteen tuition-free, liberal arts charter schools in Central Brooklyn. The Center for Research on Educational Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University identified Ascend as a "gap-busting" network for its success in closing-and reversing-achievement gaps of race and income. His most recent venture, the National Summer School Initiative, provides accelerated instruction in the wake of the pandemic to 150,000 urban students. His first book, Reinventing the Schools: A Radical Plan for Boston, drove the development and passage of the Massachusetts charter school law. Learning on the Job: When Business Takes on Public Schools won the Virginia and Warren Stone prize for an outstanding book on education and society. His new book, The Lost Decade: Returning to the Fight for Better Schools in America, will be published by Pioneer in March.About Pioneer InstitutePioneer empowers Americans with choices and opportunities to live freely and thrive. Working with state policymakers, we use expert research, educational initiatives, legal action and coalition-building to advance human potential in four critical areas: K-12 Education, Health, Economic Opportunity, and American Civic Values.Media ContactAmy Martin amy@ keybridge.biz (202) 988-3222SOURCE: Pioneer Institute PR-Inside.com: 2025-03-12 13:31:06 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 737 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 /Trans Canada Gold Corp. (TSXV:TTG)(OTCQB:TTGXF) ("Trans Canada" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that the Company has now completed another month of steady oil production for the month of February 2025, with trucking and oil sales to Altex. The two Lloydminster wells have shipped 3,763 barrels (bbl) for the month of February and produced at an average daily rate of 127 bbl/d gross (25.2 bbl/d net) to the Company since being placed on production, representing its 18.75% working interest ownership in both wells. Daily production was impaired due to extremely cold weather conditions which resulted in seven lost shipping days. Production shipping and sales commenced on the first newly drilled Multilateral well a year ago on October 6th, 2023, and the new well was brought on production in mid-September 2024. Croverro Energy Ltd. is the Operator.The Company has agreed to participate to drill a 7-leg Sparky multi-lateral well with Croverro as operator for the Joint Venture. The newly proposed 5-23 well will be situated adjacent to the Company's 12-14 Multilateral Well, near Lloydminster, Alberta. Trans Canada has a 18.75% interest in the new well. This third multi-lateral horizontal well is expected to be similar to the company's successful 7HZ LLOYD 12-14-49-01W4 well, that was drilled in 2023 and encountered 2486 metres of oil pay in the Sparky Oil Formation. The 12-14 Sparky well has now produced over 85,000 barrels of oil and continues to produce consistently month over month. The new 5-23 well is planned to open an estimated 3000 m of Sparky formation. The well is scheduled to be drilled this summer/ third quarter of 2025, subject to final permitting by the Alberta Energy Regulator.The company has an 18.75% working interest in the Joint Venture with Croverro. The Area of Mutual Interest now contains 1040 acres with potential in the Sparky and GP zones. This third multi-lateral horizontal well is based on similar wells drilled in the Sparky Oil Formation using surrounding well control and recently processed seismic lines. Croverro Energy Ltd., under the terms of the agreement, is the Operator.Drilling, completion and equipping costs are expected to be $1.9 million ($350,000 net to Trans Canada). The well costs are fully funded out of production cash flow thereby preventing any share dilution.Croverro continues to proactively implement a range of repair solutions on the newly drilled GP well blocked at the intermediate casing, including multiple Super Flushes on the well. Croverro remains optimistic about resuming operations and restoring lost production once the Alberta extreme cold weather conditions improve and the repair plan is fully implemented.Commented Tim Coupland, "We are expecting additional oil production for 2025, and are exploring additional exploration drilling opportunities in both central Canada and the United States and the Company will continue with its newly adopted multilateral well drilling strategy for 2025-2026, using new state of the art multilateral well drilling techniques in Alberta and Saskatchewan, to create growth".ABOUT TRANS CANADA GOLD CORP. - OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION/REVENUE PRODUCING WELLSThe Company is a discovery focused Oil & Gas Resource Development and Mineral Exploration Company that is currently focused on developing and drilling its' production of conventional heavy oil exploration properties, increasing production capabilities, and increasing future oil production revenues through responsible exploration. The Company identifies, acquires and finances with its working interest partners, the ongoing development of oil and gas assets primarily situated in Alberta Canada. The Company has qualified Senior exploration management and Geological teams of professionals, seasoned in exploration production, field exploration and drilling. The Company currently works with Croverro Energy Ltd., who has demonstrated proficiency, expected of an experienced oil and gas technical team that has proven oil production, and revenue success with large multi-lateral wells currently under their supervision. The Company has the necessary manpower in place to develop its natural resource properties and manage its production properties. The Company is committed to minimizing risk through selective property acquisitions, and responsible exploration drilling, and maximizing long term petroleum and natural gas resource assets.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:Tim Coupland, President and CEOTrans Canada Gold Corp.Tel: (604) 681-3131 astar@ telus.comwww.transcanadagold.com orChristian Timmins, DirectorTrans Canada Gold Corp.Tel: (403) 597-3410Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider, (as the term is defined in the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Trans Canada Gold Corp. Film financing has long been a problematic aspect of production, with many filmmakers facing funding gaps when the total budget exceeds the amount they have secured While Nollywood is growing rapidly, filmmakers struggle to connect with investors who can back their projects. The challenge is even more pronounced with streaming platforms slowing down their project financing. To address the growing challenges of film financing and tax incentives, award-winning filmmaker and Nigerian creative entrepreneur Fabian Lojede has launched Prodculator, a new digital platform. Mr Lojede says the platform will bridge the global gap between filmmakers and financiers. Developed by DEO Media, the South Africaand UK-based filmmaker says Prodculator is set to transform how filmmakers secure funding. As the global film industry continues to grow, navigating tax incentives and securing financing remains a significant challenge for creatives; Prodculator is a game-changer, bridging the gap between film producers and funders while demystifying the complex world of tax rebates. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Prodculator addresses this by offering a platform that connects filmmakers with potential funders and investors interested in supporting productions through grants, rebates, or private financing. The platform also helps filmmakers take advantage of tax rebates by providing a tool to calculate rebates in different countries, said Mr Lojede. He added that an independent filmmaker or studio could also use Prodculator to calculate the tax rebates in his country of choice within a few minutes, simplifying the complex world of international tax rebates. Investors, too The platform also benefits investors by making it easier to discover viable film projects. Prodculator provides a data-driven approach to identifying tax-efficient investments, offering transparency that allows financiers to support productions while maximising their returns confidently through government incentives. With this innovative tool, filmmakers now have an accessible, streamlined process for securing funding and navigating international tax rebates, giving them more opportunities to bring their creative visions to life while reaching a global audience. READ ALSO: Three films shortlisted for Nollywood in Hollywood 2025 edition He said, Funding can be in the form of grants, tax rebates, or private financing. They can also use it to connect to financiers looking to invest in films or other creative productions. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Yermak: We hope for continuation of sanctions against Russia Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak hopes for the further continuation of European sanctions against the Russian Federation. "We hope for the continuation of sanctions against Russia. Europes unity against Russian aggression must remain unwavering. Only a common stance can protect our shared values," he wrote on X. The producers of the movie Gangs of Lagos and Amazon Prime have apologised to the Isale Eko Descendants Union over the films depiction of the Isale Eko community and the revered Eyo masquerade. This comes nearly two years after the union filed a lawsuit challenging the portrayal of their cultural heritage in the movie. In April 2023, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Isale Eko union and the Lagos government condemned the portrayal of Eyo Masquerade. In one of the scenes of Gangs of Lagos, the movie portrays assassins operating under the cover of Eyo masquerades. In a statement on Wednesday, Adeniji Kazeem, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Chairman of the Isale-Eko Descendants Union, confirmed that the parties have settled. In a suit marked LD/6903GCM/2023 at the Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, a trial judge, Idowu Alakija, delivered a consent judgement between the Isale Eko Descendants Union and the defendants, including Amazon Web Services and the films producers. The settlement terms require the producers and Amazon Prime to tender an unreserved apology for the wrongful portrayal of Isale Eko as a haven for criminals and the Eyo masquerade as a group of assassins. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later According to the settlement agreement, Amazon Web Services Nigeria Limited will issue an official letter acknowledging that Gangs of Lagos misrepresented the cultural heritage of the Isale Eko community and the Eyo masquerade. Similarly, the films producers, including Greoh Limited, Jadesola Osiberu, Kemi Akindoju, and other executive producers, will issue a joint letter recognising the Isale Eko Descendants Unions stance and offering a formal apology. How it started The Isale Eko Descendants Union, represented by its chairman, Mr Kazeem, filed the lawsuit alongside Ayodele Bajulaiye and Abdul-Waheed Ayeni, who sued on behalf of their respective chieftaincy families. The applicants argued that the movie desecrated Lagos cultural heritage by depicting the Eyo masquerade as a criminal gang involved in violent activities. But the statement described the judgement as a landmark victory for indigenous communities in Lagos, emphasising that cultural rights must be protected. He cited the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which affirms that Indigenous cultures have intellectual property rights that cannot be exploited without permission. Today is great for the Isale-Eko Community of Lagos State, all indigenous communities of Lagos, and Lagosians in general. Today, the relatively small community of IsaleEko in Lagos State established that along with other rights, there are inalienable cultural rights that accrue to indigenous communities that need to be vigorously protected, Mr Kazeem stated. Mr Alakija had earlier granted leave for judicial review following an ex-parte application filed by the applicants. The case was argued by a team of senior legal practitioners, including Olasupo Shasore and Aderemi Bashua, who are SANs, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, and other lawyers. The Isale Eko Descendants Union had initially sought a N10 billion fine against the producers and Amazon Prime for what they described as enormous reputational damage inflicted on the Eyo brand. Traditional rulers and government intervention The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, condemned the movies portrayal of the Eyo masquerade. In a letter on 28 June 2023 addressed to Amazon Prime Nigeria and Greoh Ltd., the monarch demanded an immediate cease-and-desist from using the Eyo imagery in the film. He described the depiction as defamatory and sacrilegious, arguing that it could negatively influence how international audiences perceive the revered Lagos tradition. The letter, which was copied to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, warned that the film had caused substantial reputational harm to the Eyo festival. The monarch also demanded a formal apology, restitution for the perceived damage, and a compensatory proposal from the films producers. This cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artefacts and intangible attributes inherited from past generations and maintained by the Oba of Lagos, Mr Akiolu wrote. These traditions express our way of life and thought. They must not be used without the indigenous owners express permission or defiled in any way whatsoever. The Lagos State Government also weighed in on the controversy. The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, issued a statement describing the film as a mockery of the heritage of Lagos and an unjust profiling of a people and culture. The commissioner emphasised that the Eyo Festival is a sacred tradition meant to honour historical events and should not be portrayed negatively. Resolution and the way forward Following the court-approved settlement, the Isale Eko Descendants Union has expressed satisfaction with the outcome. They believe it serves as a significant precedent for protecting indigenous cultural heritage in Nigeria. We feel vindicated by this judgment and thank the court system and the Lagos State Attorney Generals office for their role in resolving this dispute, Mr Kazeem said. However, he urged the national and state film censors to be more vigilant in scrutinising films that misrepresent Nigerian cultures. Mr Kazeem also called on the Lagos State Government to assert its constitutional rights to oversee film production and censorship. He believes this can prevent the further exploitation of its cultural materials. As part of the resolution, the filmmakers are expected to issue their apology letters soon, officially acknowledging the Isale Eko Descendants Unions concerns. The decision is expected to set a precedent for film producers regarding portraying cultural and indigenous traditions in Nigerian cinema. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The United Kingdom and Nigeria have officially launched the Creative Industries Technical Working Group. The initiative aims to foster innovation and collaboration under the UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the launch and a match-making event for leaders of UK-Nigeria creative industries took place on Tuesday in London. The partnership aims to boost innovation, deepen bilateral ties, create a robust framework for growth within both nations creative sectors, and drive sustainable economic growth and development. Both events provided a platform to explore new opportunities and form commercial alliances within key creative subsectors, such as film and TV, music, fashion and design, architecture, advertising, and gaming. Terms of reference Both countries also agreed upon Terms of Reference and a joint work plan for 2025 to guide the groups focus and efforts. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The initiative is poised to foster long-term growth, enhance job creation, and unlock new pathways for creativity and innovation in both countries. Florence Eshalomi MP, the UKs Trade Envoy to Nigeria and Co-Chair of the Group lauded the initiative and described it as a milestone in bilateral relations between the two countries. Today marks a significant moment as we launch the UK-Nigeria Creatives Working Group. Our nations share a rich cultural bond and a deep belief in the transformative power of creativity through music, film, fashion, and arts. This initiative, rooted in our landmark Enhanced Trade & Investment Partnerships (ETIP), will drive stronger trade ties, foster deeper collaboration, and unlock the full potential of our creative industries. By enhancing market access and investing in skills, we are opening doors to new opportunities that will create jobs and boost economic growth in the UK and Nigeria, she said. Remarks Obi Asika, Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture and Co-Chair of the group, emphasised the need for deeper creative and cultural ties between the UK and Nigeria. Mr Asika, who was represented at the event by Prince Baba Agba, Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Creativity, underscores the importance of leveraging UK expertise for impactful collaborations. Nigerias creative economy is a global force, driven by our storytellers, musicians, designers, and digital innovators; from Nollywood to Afrobeats, fashion to gaming, our industries are reshaping worldwide culture and commerce. However, to unlock the full potential of this sector, we need strategic investment and support not just in talent but in the institutions and infrastructure that will sustain long-term growth. The UKs creative industries stand as a global benchmark for institutional excellence, market distribution, and innovation, and we are eager to tap into your expertise for meaningful partnerships. This Working Group isnt just about discussions; its about taking concrete actions that will yield tangible outcomes for creators, businesses, and industry stakeholders on both sides, he said. Also speaking on behalf of the music industry, Adedayo Ayoade, Product Lead at Gbedu Labs, said the future of Nigerias music industry lies in live experiences, innovation, and global collaborations. The launch of the Creative Industries Technical Working Group, under the ETIP framework, represents a significant first step towards bridging cultures and amplifying the voices of the next generation, he said. The launch of the Working Group and the match-making event followed a series of in-person dialogues attended by officials from the UK and Nigerian governments and creatives. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Principal of Kings College, Lagos, Mogaji Zakaria, says the school has put measures in place to curb the spread and contraction of diphtheria, days after an outbreak that has led to the death of at least one student. PREMIUM TIMES reported the death of a Junior Secondary School student following the diphtheria outbreak in the school. Many other students of the popular Nigerian government-owned school were also hospitalised following the outbreak. The Lagos State Government has since declared an emergency in the school and commenced vaccination of all the students and staff. Mr Zakaria spoke on Tuesday during the diphtheria vaccination at the colleges Annex in Lagos Island on Tuesday. The vaccination was conducted by the school in collaboration with the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board through Eti-Osa Local Government. Prevention Efforts The principal said that sanitisers and running tap water with soap have been placed at strategic positions across the school premises, where students could constantly wash their hands. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He said that wearing a nose mask was now compulsory for everyone within the college premises, as all students, including the management staff, now wore it. There have been improved efforts toward sanitation and cleanliness within the college premises. Presently, wearing of nose mask has been made compulsory for everyone within the college, as all students, including the teachers and the management staff now wear it as part of the measures to prevent contraction of the diphtheria infection, he said. Mr Zakaria commended the Lagos State Government for its quick intervention following the outbreak. He said the government gave prompt directives for the affected students to be moved to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), where they are receiving treatment. He said that the students who were admitted at LUTH had been receiving medical attention, and their condition had since been stabilised. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Lagos government confirmed 14 cases of diphtheria at the Kings College Annex, Victoria Island, with one fatality recorded. The states health commissioner, Akin Abayomi, said 12 of the infected students are responding well to antibiotics and diphtheria antitoxin therapy. We have provided diphtheria-tetanus vaccines and are ensuring that all students and staff members get vaccinated. This includes teachers, cooks, cleaners, and other personnel, he said. On Tuesday, the schools principal said that with the efforts of the state government, the situation had been put under control and activities had normalised in the college. I want to deeply appreciate the state government and its team of medical experts, for their quick response when we had the diphtheria outbreak, especially when we had the surge on Saturday. Specifically, I must mention Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education. When we called him, he quickly put calls through, and within 20 minutes, we were called and told to take the affected students to LUTH, where they were treated. So, we are happy for the interventions and we can now rest, knowing that our students are in safe hands, Mr Zakaria said. Also speaking, Elijah Wisdom, the colleges Head Boy (Junior arm), reiterated views of the PKC, saying that there were obviously improved sanitation measures within the college. Appreciating the school management and the government for their interventions, Wisdom called for sustenance of the activated preventive measures, going forward. Let the school management intensify efforts to sustain the preventive measures that have been put in place. I pray that the wash-hand stations, power supply, regular water supply and the overall cleanliness that are currently being provided come to stay, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigeria has recorded 29 new Lassa fever infections and five deaths in one week, bringing the total fatalities recorded in 2025 to 100. This was disclosed in the latest situation report published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) on Wednesday, from 24 February to 2 March. The report highlights that the country has confirmed 535 cases of Lassa fever across 13 states and 75 local government areas (LGAs) this year. States affected According to the NCDC, the states with confirmed cases are Ondo (168), Bauchi (128), Edo (93), Taraba (83), Ebonyi (17), Kogi (14), Gombe (11), Plateau (Nine), Benue (Five), Nasarawa (Three), Cross River (Two), Delta (One), and Enugu (One). In the reporting week, 29 new cases and five fatalities were reported across nine states: Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, Plateau, Cross River, Nasarawa, and Enugu. The NCDC noted that the number of new infections decreased from the 54 cases recorded in the previous week. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi states account for the majority (72 per cent ) of all confirmed cases. Of all the confirmed cases, Ondo recorded 31 per cent, while Edo and Bauchi reported 24 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively. The centre also stated that the overall case fatality rate (CFR) is 18.7 per centslightly lower than the 18.8 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024. Most affected individuals fall within the age group of 21 to 30 years, with the median age being 30. The male-to-female ratio among confirmed cases is 1:0.8. Response efforts The NCDC reported that it has activated the National Lassa Fever Incident Management System to coordinate the countrys response to the outbreak. National Rapid Response Teams have also been deployed to affected states to support control and management efforts using a One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health interventions. About Lassa fever Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents. It can also spread through direct contact with infected individuals. Symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and muscle pains. Severe cases may involve unexplained bleeding from body openings such as the nose, mouth, and ears. The NCDC urged Nigerians to maintain proper hygiene, store food in rodent-proof containers, and seek medical attention immediately when symptoms appear. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Following the Diphtheria outbreak at Kings College, Lagos, a Consultant Psychiatrist, Stephen Oluwaniyi, has highlighted the need for psychosocial support to help students cope with the tension, fear, anxiety, and trauma caused by the outbreak. Mr Oluwaniyi, also the Clinical Director, Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Yaba, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday. NAN recalls that the recent Diphtheria outbreak at the Kings College Annex, Lagos, led to the death of one of the infected students, while others were taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for treatment on Saturday. NAN also recalls that the reports about the disease in the college started sometime in November/December 2024. Diphtheria is a bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It is a contagious disease that can spread quickly through contact with an infected person. He said that the incident might result in some levels of negative emotional reactions among the students. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The psychiatrist explained that the students needed psychosocial support, in terms of close monitoring and counselling, to ease the fear/anxiety associated with the incident, especially losing their mate. He said that psychosocial support could also be in the form of giving students the opportunity to express themselves, particularly their negative feelings, and he asked how the schools facilities could be improved. According to him, with the incidents, some of the students are bound to entertain fear, trauma, anxiety, and even depression, adding that some may be bitter, angry, and have nightmares staying in the school. Theres an urgent need for psychosocial support for the students because of the fear and anxiety of not only contacting the disease, but the grief and mourning from the loss of their fellow students, he said. With the incident, there is already this fear and anxiety of who is likely to contract the infection or who may be the next victim to die among the students. He added, Similarly, there is a need to give the students the opportunity to express their negative feelings and equally monitor them closely to identify those who may develop acute stress reaction, depression or anxiety disorder. Such ones, if detected, should be brought to the services of a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, for further counseling and treatment, because if left untreated, can result to mental health condition. Another consultant psychiatrist, Veronica Nyamali, called for the serious education of the students on the symptoms, means of transmission, and best preventive measures for diphtheria disease. Ms Nyamali, also a past Vice-President, Association of Psychiatrists of Nigeria (APN), said that the students should be made to understand that contraction of Diphtheria infection is never a death sentence, as some might presume. READ ALSO: Kings College principal speaks after fatal Diphtheria outbreak She said this education is necessary, aside from all other precautionary measures taken by the school management and the Lagos State Government to curb the spread, like good environmental sanitation, hygiene practices, constant hand washing with soap and running water, sanitisers, among others. It is imperative that the students undergo serious education and sensitisation about the disease, to be provided with the right information concerning what causes it, how it can be contracted and best preventive ways, she said. This, I believe will go a long way in erasing the fears, speculations, anxiety and misconceptions already ongoing in the minds of the students. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nollywood actor Babatunde Tayo, popularly known as Baba Tee, has publicly apologised to his colleague, Ganiu Morufu, also known as Ijoba Lande, for engaging in an alleged sexual affair with his estranged wife. In a viral video sighted by PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, Baba Tee acknowledged that he had let himself down and violated moral values. I deeply regret what happened between Ijoba Landes wife and me. Right now, I am extremely disappointed in myself. We do many things in private, but we must uphold moral values. I never imagined this would become public, he said. The actor further explained that his involvement with Mr Landes wife happened during a game of Truth or Dare, which he described as an adult game. I take full responsibility for my actions and deeply regret this immoral behaviour. Please join me in apologising to Ijoba Lande. To my fans, I appreciate every single one of you. Please consider me a first-time offender because, to the best of my knowledge, I have never done anything like this before, he pleaded. Baba Tee also stated that he had always lived a truthful life and was struggling with the consequences of his mistakes. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later I beg you all to please forgive me, in the mighty name of Allah. I promise this will never happen again. And if it does, do not spare me, he added. Ijoba Landes allegations Mr Lande had earlier accused his estranged wife, Dara, of infidelity, claiming she had extramarital affairs with multiple entertainers, including Baba Tee. The comedian said his marriage, which began in 2022, started deteriorating in 2024 when he noticed changes in his wifes behaviour. To be sincere, I never suspected her of cheating at first. I used to swear it was impossible. But I began to suspect something around June or July 2024, when she started avoiding intimacy. By December, I confirmed my fears. He claimed to have hired someone to track her phone, allowing him to monitor her activities. According to him, Ms Dara left their home on 2 January, taking their child with her. She went straight to her mothers house, then left to meet another man, he alleged. Mr Lande also accused her of withdrawing money from their joint savings and lending it to her alleged lover. Threat allegations Mr Lande claimed he received a threatening message from one of the men his wife was allegedly involved with. The man warned me to stop talking about him. He said, If I no wan die, make sure I do not put his name on the matter. Shebi na, my wife, fell in love with the big boy. Mary Golds involvement Nigerian socialite and content creator Mary Gold, named in the controversy, admitted introducing Ms Dara to Baba Tee. During a live TikTok session, she revealed that she took Ms Dara to Baba Tees house, where they played Truth or Dare. I did not tell Baba Tee I was bringing a friend. They started playing Truth or Dare, and Dara dared Baba Tee to have sex with her. I was in the kitchen listening to music before falling asleep. She denied orchestrating the affair, adding that Baba Tee had since blocked her. Daras denial Ms Dara has denied the allegations, insisting that infidelity was not the cause of her marriages collapse. The first time I met Baba Tee was in July 2024 when Mary Gold invited me to accompany her to his house. He didnt even know I was Landes wife. She admitted to playing Truth or Dare but claimed nothing had happened between her and Baba Tee. Mary Gold dared him to get a condom, but I told him I wouldnt allow doggy style. I only sat on his lap. We told Mary Gold to turn away so she wouldnt watch. But we didnt do anything. Baba Tees challenge Before his apology, Baba Tee had demanded that Mr Lande provide proof of the alleged affair. Mr Lande accused over 20 entertainers of sleeping with his wife. Baba Tee, however, initially insisted there was no evidence against him. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A woman, Loveth Aluu, who was involved in an alleged N500 million fake miracle scandal, has been arraigned before a magistrate court in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria. How it happened PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ms Aluu, in February, testified at the Zion Prayer Movement Outreach, that she bought a mansion worth N500 million following prayers and prophecy to her from the founder of the ministry, Ebuka Obi. But later within the month, the 32-year-old was seen selling bottled water and soft drinks in a small shop in Enugu State, prompting residents to question the authenticity of her testimony at the ministry. Mr Obi, while playing a clip of the mansion, began jubilating while members of the congregation danced and clapped in celebration. But after the video which showed Ms Aluu selling bottle water and soft drinks went viral, Robo Consult, a construction and real estate firm that owns the mansion the lady had claimed she bought, denied her claims. The company, owned by Emmanuel Asogwa, subsequently arrested the woman. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Obi, the self-acclaimed prophet, accused the woman of lying in the altar of God because she was sponsored by an unnamed priest based in the South-east to blackmail him and his ministry. The prophet has been repeatedly accused of performing fake miracles in order to convince members of his ministry to make monetary donations. Arraignment On Tuesday, Ms Aluu was arraigned before Enugu North Magistrate Court 1. She is being prosecuted on a four-count charge of false pretence, defamation of character, conspiracy and felony. The police prosecutor told the court that Ms Aluu did by false pretence and with intent to defraud, present herself as the owner of a five-bedroom duplex located at WTC Estate in Enugu belonging to Mr Asogwa, an architect. He said the defendant also conspired to sell the mansion which failed and went ahead to falsely testify at the ministry that she had bought the property, thereby defaming Mr Obis character in the process. The prosecutor told the court that offences are punishable under Section 460 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004. When the charges were read out to the defendant, she pleaded not guilty. The defense counsel, Charles Nwodo, applied for bail for the defendant. The police prosecutor did not oppose the bail application, but asked the Magistrate, S.O. Chukwuani, to impose bail conditions that will enable efficient trial of the defendant. The Magistrate, Mr Chukwuani, consequently granted Ms Aluu N1 million bail. The magistrate said, as part of the bail conditions, the defendant will produce a surety with three years of tax clearance. He adjourned the case until 9 April 2025 for further hearing. Defence counsel speaks Counsel to the defendant, Mr Nwodo, told reporters after the court hearing that the police filed charges against Ms Aluu after Messrs Asogwa and Obi petitioned the police against her. However, Messrs Asogwa and Obi were not physically present at the court which the magistrate kicked against, prompting their lawyers to apologise for their unavoidable absence. Mr Nwodo further told reporters that only Mr Asogwas name was initially on the charge sheet with two counts, but the counts were later increased to four with the addition of Mr Obis name as the second nominal complainant. The lawyer expressed hope that they would meet the bail conditions. In no distant time, she will perfect her bail conditions and she will be coming from her house for trial, he said. Backstory On 29 January 2025, during his Night of Open Heaven, a daily online prayer programme, Mr Obi prophesied that a certain lady called Loveth would soon receive Gods favour and celebrate. By February, a woman who identified herself as Loveth Aluu visited the ministry and claimed that Mr Obis prophecy had manifested in her life. Ms Aluu, in the testimony in a video clip, claimed that she witnessed a breakthrough after Mr Obi, whom she calls daddy, prophesied about her. READ ALSO: Nigerian woman who bore false testimony of buying N500m mansion speaks She then submitted a video clip of the mansion, which she claimed she bought with proceeds of her booming business due to the prophecy. The prophet then prayed fervently and asked the congregants to claim the miracle so that they could experience similar favour from God. But things took another dimension when a video clip surfaced online which showed Ms Aluu selling bottled water and soft drinks in a small shop in Enugu. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Russia has said it would not comment on the proposed ceasefire agreement with Ukraine until it receives details of the agreement from the United States. According to the national spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, Russia is waiting to be briefed about the deal. Mr Peskov, who spoke to Russian reporters on Wednesday, according to AFP, said he would not rule out the possibility of a phone call between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. On Tuesday, the US had agreed to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after its negotiator agreed to a 30-day ceasefire deal proposed by top US officials. Both countries reached this agreement after a peace talk in Saudi Arabia, ending a week-long standoff that had threatened to bolster Russias position in the war. In a joint statement published soon after the talks ended, the countries disclosed their agreement to an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, hinged on Russias acceptance. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later However, there have been concerns about Russias response to the deal. The country has so far opposed anything short of a permanent end to the conflict without accepting any concessions. According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the US would present Russia with the ceasefire offer in the hope of implementing the agreement. The ball is now in their court, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said of Russia. Were going to tell them this is whats on the table. Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now itll be up to them to say yes or no, Rubio said. If they say no, then well unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here. Previous ceasefire agreement However, Mr Peskov said Russian officials were closely examining the joint US-Ukrainian statement on the proposed ceasefire. We expect, as was said yesterday in Jeddah, Secretary of State Rubio and National Security Adviser Waltz to inform us through various channels about the details of the negotiations and the understanding reached in the coming days, the Kremlin spokesperson told reporters. The deal, aimed at ending the three-year war that has claimed over 175,000 lives, calls for the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. Since Russia invaded eastern Ukraine using proxies and annexed Crimea in 2014, it has repeatedly violated ceasefire agreements. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia has broken multiple ceasefire deals, including those supervised by different US administrations. Several ceasefires were brokered as part of the Minsk AgreementsMinsk I in 2014 and Minsk II in 2015which aimed to de-escalate the conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region. But ceasefires were frequently broken, with both sides accusing each other of violations. However, US President Donald Trump said he will speak to Russian leader Vladimir Putin about accepting and sticking to the ceasefire plan. It takes two to tango, Mr Trump had said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, met with Mudashiru Obasa, the reinstated Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, over the state of affairs of the Assembly. Mr Obasa, Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda and other lawmakers in the House arrived at the Presidential Villa in Abuja around 2 p.m. There are speculations that President Tinubu met with them to discuss the leadership crisis that rocked the House since January. On 13 January, Mr Obasa was removed as the speaker over allegations of financial misappropriation and high-handedness. His deputy, Mojisola Meranda, was voted as speaker to replace him. However, Mr Obasa contested his removal, and labelled it as illegitimate. Following the intervention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership and President Tinubu, as claimed by some individuals, Ms Meranda announced her resignation during a plenary session. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Thereafter, Mr Obasa was reinstated as speaker and Ms Meranda sworn in as deputy speaker. The meeting between President Tinubu and the lawmakers ended around 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Details of the meeting remain unclear as Mr Obasa declined to speak with journalists. Since his reinstatement as speaker, a sense of normalcy has been restored to the Assembly. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nyesom Wike, the minister of FCT, has hit hard on Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State after the latter was denied access to the Rivers Assembly Quarters in Port Harcourt on Wednesday. Mr Fubara said he was at the quarters to present the 2025 Rivers budget to the Martins Amaewhule-led assembly, as the Supreme Court recently ordered. Before my arrival here, I made several attempts to speak to the speaker. I also sent a letter which was transmitted for this particular invitation. Unfortunately, at the gate, you can see that the place is completely sealed, and there is no sign that anything is going to happen today, Mr Fubara told reporters while standing outside the gate. He accused the speaker of deliberately avoiding him. It is unclear if the lawmakers were inside the quarters when the governor visited. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The Speaker, Mr Amaewhule, and 26 other lawmakers are loyal to Mr Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers. He has been engaged in a protracted political and legal battle with his successor, Mr Fubara, for control of the states political structure. The states legislature was initially split into two factions, with Mr Fubara recognising a three-member faction that was loyal to him, until the Supreme Courts judgement tipped the balance of power in favour of Mr Wike and his allies. The court restored Mr Amaewhules position as the speaker, reinstated the others as legitimate members of the assembly, and nullified the local election organised by Mr Fubaras administration. Mr Fubara has vowed to implement the order of the Supreme Court even though he expressed misgivings about it. Fubaras letters, Wikes outburst In a letter dated 11 March and addressed to the speaker, Mr Amaewhule, Governor Fubara informed the assembly that he would come to their chambers to present the Rivers 2025 budget for their consideration and approval. A copy of the letter has been circulating on social media. Before then, the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Tammy Danagogo, wrote the lawmakers, inviting them to a meeting with Mr Fubara to discuss a befitting space for the assemblys sittings, payment of outstanding remuneration and allowances for the lawmakers, and budget presentation. The lawmakers declined the invitation. You have had a frosty relationship with an arm of government. If you are a good politician, will you go and write a letter? Is it by writing a letter signed by the SSG? What an insult! Is it how it is done? If you are a politician, you know what to do, Mr Wike told reporters in Abuja on Wednesday, attacking the governor. You want to play to the gallery which is rubbish. All these letters are useless, you are not sincere, you are playing to the gallery, he said. The minister said the governor would have done better and shown the lawmakers some respect by calling the speaker on the phone to agree on a convenient date to meet. Meanwhile, Governor Fubara has said he is willing to return to the assembly and present the budget. I still believe, maybe, they might be instructed later. If they are instructed, Im still ready to come any day to get this particular issue sorted out, Channels TV quoted Mr Fubara as saying. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print On the sidelines of the Paris Forum on Defense and Strategy, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu and British Defense Minister John Haley discussed security guarantees for Ukraine, in particular, continued support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU). "Thanks to the leadership of our two heads of state and government, France and the United Kingdom will remain committed to ensuring a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Meeting with my British counterpart John Haley yesterday evening on the sidelines of the Paris Forum on Defense and Strategy. Following yesterday's meeting of the Chiefs of Staff of the Volunteer Countries in Paris, discussion of security guarantees for Ukraine in the presence of our respective Chiefs of Staff, General Thierry Burkhard and Admiral Tony Radakin. "The first of these will be continued support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to ensure their long-term defense of the country," he said on the X social network on Wednesday. In a landmark ruling on Monday, 10 March 2025, the Supreme Court of Nigeria dismissed appeals filed by the Attorney General of Rivers State and the Speaker of the States House of Assembly against the leave granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by the Court of Appeal to contest an order of perpetual injunction of Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, barring the Commission from investigating Peter Odilis tenure as governor of the state. The dismissal by a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice John Okoro partly cleared the pathway for the Commission to investigate Dr. Odilis eight year rule of the oil-rich state and brought to an end EFCCs long-standing legal battle to probe the administration. The legal dispute took off in 2007 when Mr Odili, who served as Rivers State governor from 1999 to 2007, obtained an order of perpetual injunction from the Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt barring the EFCC from investigating, arresting, or prosecuting him, as well as prohibiting the anti-graft agency from examining the finances of the Rivers State Government during his tenure. Although the EFCC has contested the injunction since 2008, the order effectively shielded Mr Odili from any scrutiny by the Commission for nearly two decades. In 2018, the Court of Appeal granted the EFCCs request for leave to appeal the Federal High Courts decision, which prompted the Attorney General of Rivers State and the Speaker of the States House of Assembly to file separate appeals at the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the appellate courts decision. On 10 March 2025, the Supreme Court convened to hear the appeal filed by the litigants, marked SC/CV/318/2018. During the proceedings, Justice Okoro questioned the substance of the case, noting that the appeal was interlocutory in nature. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The litigantss lawyer, S. A. Somiari (SAN), argued that the appeal challenged the leave granted by the Court of Appeal for the EFCC to appeal the 2007 injunction. Justice Okoro, however, interjected, stating, This is not the type of appeal we hear here, and advised the parties to return to the Court of Appeal to have the substantive appeal heard before approaching the Supreme Court. Realising the courts position, Mr Somiari applied to withdraw the appeal while the EFCCs legal team, led by Abubakar Mahmud (SAN), alongside Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), and B. O. Obialo did not oppose the withdrawal. Justice Okoro dismissed the appeal, stating, The appeal is dismissed, having been withdrawn without any objection. A similar appeal, marked SC/CV/447/2018, filed by the Speaker of the House of Assembly was dismissed on the same ground. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print On Tuesday, a group, Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care (GIPLC), with support from the Dickens Sanomi Foundation, gave out N300m to over 23 medically challenged children for operations and other treatments. The event, held in Abuja, also featured the disbursement of N100 million to conjoined twins, namely Hassana and Hussain Mohammed. GIPLC also unveiled plans to establish a childrens hospital in Abuja. N300m disbursed for over 23 indigent children During the presentation of the cheques to the parents of the children, the founder of GIPLC, Nuhu Kwajafa, said over N300 million had been allocated for the immediate healthcare of more than 23 underprivileged children facing various health complications as part of the organisations initiative. Mr Kwajafa said the challenges of accessing healthcare in Nigeria and the cost of treatment for indigent children suffering from various forms of health challenges have taken a toll on the countrys future generation, many of whom are battling with various illnesses and deserve urgent attention. He said such pathetic situations had compelled the organisation to raise and support them with funds. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later We raised N100 million for the conjoined twins, another N100 million for 12 children. Then yesterday night, another N100 million from a donor. We couldnt even have the children down here because most of them are in varying hospitals in Port Harcourt, Enugu and Abuja, Mr Kwajafa said. He said since the establishment of GIPLC, it has raised over seven million dollars from donors to support children with different health challenges within and outside the country. Subsequently, he also handed a cheque of N110 million to the parents of conjoined twins Hassana and Hussaina for their surgical separation in India. Establishment of Childrens Hospital in Abuja Mr Kwajafa stated that due to the countrys unfavourable medical conditions for children, the organisation has begun negotiating with partners to establish a childrens hospital in Abuja. He said this initiative aims to reduce the need to travel overseas for treatment for their children. He said they are looking at achieving the milestone before 2028. We are thinking of having our own Childrens Hospital in Nigeria because it is so expensive flying children out of the country. So we are discussing with our partners, to see how we can have a hospital here in Abuja that will take care of vulnerable children and community that cant have the basic needs, he stated. READ ALSO: Saudi Arabia donates 100 tonnes of dates to Nigeria Commemoration of the 24th anniversary of the death of the late AIG During the event, Igho Sanomi, the grand patron of GIPLC, said the event was also a moment to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the death of the late AIG Dickens Sanomi, in whose honour the foundation was founded. Represented by Goodluck Hayi, the chief operations officer of Dickens Sanomi Foundation, Mr Sanomi said, Today marks the 24th Anniversary since the passing of my late Father, AIG Dickens Sanomi. May we continue to pray for his gentle soul as we continue to work towards the virtues of love and kindness he promoted all through his life. Present at the event were the parents of the children, who had received the funds in cheques. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and a law firm, The Firma Advisory, have called for judicial reforms aimed at clearing backlog of cases and enhancing access to justice in Nigeria. They made the call at a national roundtable discussion centred on enhancing access to justice in the country. The event, which held on Monday, was co-organised by the NHRC and The Firma Advisory, a law firm with special interest in pushing for reforms for better access to justice in the country. We have to make sure that we clear the backlog and make justice something that people can touch, not just something that people dream about. To our policymakers, we need evidence-based policies and laws. We need implementation, Managing Partner of Firma Advisory, Chinenye Uwanaka, said at the event on Monday. She said there was the need for people-centred policies, not just talk, not just about convenience, but we want action. We need to implement things, especially at the grassroots level, Ms Uwanaka added. The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, represented by the Director of Legal, Human Rights and Protection Activist Harry Obe, noted that access to justice is a fundamental human right enshrined in Nigerias constitution. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later However, he lamented that many Nigerians cannot exercise this right because of poverty, insufficient awareness, limited access to legal services, and various other reasons. He encouraged participants at the event to explore ways to address these challenges and find solutions. Three-panel sessions were held to address issues obstructing access to justice in Nigeria through correctional services, medical negligence and the rights of vulnerable persons. Session on access to indigent defendants and pretrial detainees The panelists identified some of the challenges in the Nigerian criminal justice system to include delays in cases due to incapacitation or transfer of judges and overcrowding in correctional centres. They also added to the list of the problems the reluctance of lawyers to offer pro-bono (free-of-charge) services. Addressing the issue backlog of cases, a judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights, Stella Anukam, encouraged Nigeria to emulate Ghanas judicial sector and take a decision which gives parties and the court the discretion to continue cases where judges are transferred or pass away. Also, Ms Anukam called for a speedy investigation process by law enforcement, particularly the Nigerian police. A former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Delta State, Isaiah Bozimo, encouraged lawyers to take up more pro-bono cases as a way of enhancing access to justice in Nigeria. Notwithstanding, Mr Bozimo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, acknowledged the plight of lawyers who had limited means to fund pro-bono cases. The Firma Advisory launched an access to justice fund and mentorship programme to encourage young lawyers who had inadequate funds or skills to pursue pro-bono cases. Ensuring justice for vulnerable persons Other notable issues discussed are the protection of minors and Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olumuyiwa Atoyebi, called for the protection of minors on social media. Mr Atoyebi criticised individuals who expose victims on social media platforms to draw traffic. Discussing the challenges of victims of GBV, a former Director of Women and Children at NHRC, Grace Pam, noted that most victims were economically dependent on the perpetrators of GBV, which makes it difficult to pursue justice. Rights for victims of medical negligence One of the panelists, Stanley Egba, noted that many Nigerians are not aware of their medical rights despite the National Health Act enacted in 2014. The National Health Act of 2014, was enacted as a guide to regulate the health sector in Nigeria. He said more than 65 per cent of Nigerians live in rural areas, underscoring the need to create awareness in rural communities, especially in the languages of indigenes of the communities. Someone who does not understand that there is a right to medical negligence cannot seek a remedy of such rights, he said. A lecturer at Baze University, Jessica Imukeme, pointed out the lack of a proper database in health facilities. Ms Imukeme noted that there is little to no cases found on medical negligence, making it difficult to set precedent on cases of medical negligence. As part of the solution to the problems identified, the Executive Director of Nova Medic, Emeka Momah, encouraged medical practitioners to view healthcare as a tool for development. If we want a society that is healthy, that is wealthy, we need to look at healthcare as the needed tool for development, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has taken her case to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), seeking international intervention over her suspension from the Senate. Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan addressed delegates at an IPU assembly held at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday, where she also raised allegations of sexual harassment against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. The Senate suspended Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months with effect from 6 March, after considering a report by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, which was presented by its Chairman, Neda Imasuen. At the IPU meeting, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan spoke emotionally about her experience since the suspension. She said her fight was not just about her, but about Nigerian women in politics who continue to face systematic marginalisation and harassment. I came with a heavy heart from Nigeria. But first, I would like to apologise to Hon. Kafilat Ogbara. I am not here to bring shame to our country, I am here to seek help for the women of Nigeria, she said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The Inter-Parliamentary Union, is the global organisation of national parliaments, that promotes peace, democracy, and sustainable development through parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue. By bringing her case to the IPU, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan is appealing for international intervention on her suspension because she believed it was politically motivated. Allegation of sexual harassment and retaliation Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan told the IPU assembly that her suspension was directly linked to her petition against the senate president whom she accused of sexual harassment. Five days ago, on the 6th of March 2025, I was suspended as a senator illegally because I submitted a petition of sexual harassment against the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, she said. However, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, had earlier denied claims that Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghans suspension was linked to her allegations against Mr Akpabio. Mr Opeyemi explained that she was suspended for violating Senate Standing Rules and refusing to adhere to sitting arrangements during plenary session on 20 February. Despite the official reasoning, some Nigerians believed her suspension was a retaliatory move aimed at silencing her. The fact that her petition was referred to the ethics and privileges committee just minutes before her suspension fuelled this suspicion. Harsh conditions of suspension Mr Akpoti-Uduaghan also detailed the conditions attached to her suspension, one of which restricts her rights and privileges as a senator. She admitted that her participation at the IPU assembly was illegal because her suspension prevents her from engaging in any international legislative function. I thought by submitting the petition, he (senate president) would recuse himself and both of us would submit ourselves to the committee of ethics, privileges and public petitions for a fair and transparent investigation. But unfortunately, I was silenced, and I was suspended for six months among many other stringent conditions, such as taking away my security, taking away all the official vehicles and other items that were handed over to me as a senator. My salary would be cut off. I must not appear anywhere near the National Assembly. And for six months, I am not to present myself as a senator locally in Nigeria and internationally. I am here illegally, and I have no other place to go but to come here and speak to you, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan said. Systematic exclusion of women in politics Beyond her experience in the Senate, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan also told the IPU assembly that her ordeal is a reflection of the challenges faced by Nigerian women. She argued that her suspension was part of the gender discrimination that prevents women from having a voice in leadership in Nigeria. This is a bigger picture. It depicts the crisis of womens political representation. My suspension is not just about me. It is about the systematic exclusion of women from political leadership in Nigeria. Women make up 3.6 percent of political offices, and in the Senate, it is just 2.8. We have 109 men, and only four of us are women. So right now, it is 108, with only three women, she said. Assault on democracy Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan condemned her suspension and described it as an assault on democracy. This is a clear case of political victimisation, punishment for speaking out against impunity, corruption, and gender-based violence. The United Nations Declaration 48-104 declares sexual harassment as a form of gender violence. The Senates action is an assault on democracy. I was elected by my constituents to represent them, yet a few powerful men have unilaterally decided to silence my voice by suspending me for six months. My call for an open and transparent investigation into harassment allegations has been met with hostility instead of accountability, she added. She argued that if a female senator could be treated in such a manner on the national stage, then ordinary Nigerian women would likely face worse oppression in workplaces, schools, and society at large. If a female senator can be treated this way, in the full view of the world, imagine what ordinary women would go through everyday, in workplaces, in universities, she said. Mr Akpabio is a member of the executive committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghans appeal to the IPU could lead to international pressure on the Senate to review its decision. If the IPU and other global bodies take up the case, there could be diplomatic engagement regarding her suspension and allegations against Mr Akpabio. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, on Tuesday, called for partnership with PREMIUM TIMES, Nigerias leading investigative newspaper, in the areas of training of journalists, press freedom advocacy, and upholding the ethics of the profession. The NUJ council made the call during a visit by its Executive Committee, led by its chairperson, Grace Ike, to PREMIUM TIMES head office in Abuja on Tuesday. The NUJ delegation was received by the Editor-in-Chief of PREMIUM TIMES, Musikilu Mojeed, and other top editors of the organisation. Ms Ike said the FCT Council of the NUJ was out to seek partnership with PREMIUM TIMES in the areas of training and retraining of journalists, press freedom advocacy, even as she lauded the organisations commitment to excellent reporting standards and for catering for the welfare of its employees. Premium Times has consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence, to involve its content and its approach to managing its workforce, she said. Ms Ike, who is the first female chairperson of the council, also noted that the collaboration with PREMIUM TIMES would benefit NUJ and its members immensely. We will not shy away from coming close to you to see that we tap from your wealth of experience. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later She said journalists need continuous training given the ever-evolving digital space. Digital transformation is one area where we want to partner with Premium Times, she said. She reiterated the role of the NUJ in advocating the welfare of journalists in Nigeria. Earlier, the Secretary of the council, Jide Oyekunle, described PREMIUM TIMES as a cornerstone of journalism in Nigeria given its immense contribution to the advancement of consequential investigative reporting in Nigeria. Responding, Mr Mojeed acknowledged the need to enhance journalistic skills beyond the basics, expressing PREMIUM TIMES readiness to partner with the NUJ. Let me say we are ready to partner with you in whichever way we can to advance the cause of journalism and the media, whether it is in terms of advocacy for press freedom, whether it is in the area of training, or whether you want to do a public convening that advances journalism and society, we are open, he said. Beyond its multimedia news platform for which it is well known around the world, PREMIUM TIMES has the Premium Times Academy through which it partners with newsrooms, private firms and government institutions to train and upskill their team members. PREMIUM TIMES also has a publishing arm, Premium Times Books, which has published notable books of established authors. Mr Mojeed charged the NUJ at the council and national levels to ensure that the ethics of journalism is upheld, while also advocating for the welfare of journalists. One of the areas that give us a lot of concern here is ethics, he said, noting that many journalists are not conversant with the ethics of the profession. Mr Mojeed highlighted other challenges faced in the field of journalism, including non-payment of salaries and inadequate training. People should be treated like human beings wherever they work. And its the kind of advocacy that we should be bold enough to push. Thats one way we can really step up the level of journalism, he said. He also called for journalists to rally round colleagues violated or harassed by authorities through robust reporting of such cases. Members of the executive committee of the NUJ, FCT Council, who joined the chairperson, Ms Ike, on the visit to PREMIUM TIMES office were Vice Chairman, Yahaya Ndababo; Secretary, Mr Oyekunle; Sandra Udeike, News Editor of the NUJ FCT Council news platform; Ebriku John, Member of the Editorial Council of NUJ FCT Council, Isa Mahmud and Sharon Emephia. They were received by PREMIUM TIMES Editor-in-Chief, Mr Mojeed, along with the Deputy Managing Editor, Adeyemi Adesomoju; the General Editor, Festus Owete; the Assistant Managing Editor in charge of Special Projects, Nosike Ogbuenyi; and the Administrative Manager, Willie Obase-ota. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Lagos State House of Assembly members have again dismissed reports alleging that 25 lawmakers are planning to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to an unnamed political party. The Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Security, and Strategy, Stephen Ogundipe, made this known in a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the assembly had previously debunked similar defection claims on 19 February. Mr Ogundipe categorically described the latest allegation as entirely false and baseless, saying that no APC member of the Lagos Assembly was contemplating defection. It is important to recall that during the recent leadership dispute within the Assembly, a similar report emerged, suggesting that 27 members were preparing to leave the APC for the Labour Party. That claim was also unequivocally refuted, with members reaffirming their commitment to the party and their confidence in resolving internal disagreements through established mechanisms. We acknowledge that challenges may arise, but we remain committed to addressing them through democratic and lawful processes. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The leadership of our party is fully engaged, and any outstanding issues will be resolved amicably. We urge the public to disregard these unfounded reports, which are designed to mislead and create unnecessary tension, he said. Mr Ogundipe reaffirmed the lawmakers loyalty to the leader of the party, President Bola Tinubu, stating that they remained steadfast in their support and dedication to the partys ideals. He also advised those spreading falsehoods to desist, emphasising that the Lagos Assembly remained focused on its legislative mandate. Our priority remains enacting laws and passing motions that promote the progress and development of the state, he said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Veteran Journalist and Presenter, Reuben Abati said on Tuesday that leadership in Nigeria must evolve to address the complex challenges of the 21st century. Speaking at Baze Universitys Founders Day celebration in Abuja, Mr Abati noted that Nigerias governance challenges have changed with digital transformation and so must governance. Mr Abati, the keynote speaker at the event, spoke on the topic: Leadership in a Disruptive Era: Ethics, Accountability, and the Future of Governance in Nigeria. He noted that the digital transformation despite its pros has also introduced challenges such as misinformation, cyber-attacks and data breaches. He explained that governance must also evolve with the transformations in the digital era. In a disruptive era, leadership transcends traditional authority and requires a proactive, visionary, and ethical approach, he said. Navigating governance in a disruptive era demands leaders who are ethical, accountable, and forward-thinking. Given Nigerias history of political instability, economic volatility, and social unrest, adaptive leadership is essential for ensuring resilience in governance. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He said leadership today requires leaders who can address political instability, economic fluctuations, security threats, and technological disruptions through ethical decision-making and strategic governance. Mr Abati noted that a successful government must build public trust which he said can be done through accountability and ensuring sustainable national development. The future of governance depends on the ability of leaders to rise above personal interest and prioritise collective good, he said. Institutional reforms Mr Abati explained that ethical lapses in governance like corruption, nepotism and abuse of power are undermining national development. He said institutional reforms are essential to build strong institutions for sustainable governance. He listed the reforms to include the strengthening of independence for anti-graft agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission. Weak institutions have historically hindered Nigerias development, allowing corruption and inefficiency to thrive, he said. He also said policy makers must embrace evidence-based decision-making and continuity of policies to ensure developmental programmes are not abandoned due to political transitions. Policy frameworks should be aligned with long-term national development goals, while legislative processes must incorporate public participation to ensure that governance reflects the needs of citizens, he said. Founders Day Significance Earlier in her welcome address, the universitys Vice-Chancellor, Jamila Shuara, a professor, said the event was to celebrate the vision of the founder of the institution, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed. Ms Shuara said Founders Day is a time to reflect on our journey, which is firmly rooted in a commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and community service. She noted that the institution commenced operations in March 2011, with 17 students in three faculties Business Studies, Computing and Information Technology and Law. Today, she said the institution has nine faculties, 102 academic programmes approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC), over 6,000 students and 911 members of staff. The faculties are Management and Social Sciences, Law, Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Computing and Information Technology, Allied and Health Sciences, Basic Medical Sciences, Basic Clinical Sciences, and Clinical Sciences. Ms Shuara added that the university has produced 3,300 undergraduate students and 668 post graduate students. As we celebrate our robust growth, we are grateful to God, and we pay tribute to our Founders unwavering belief in the power of education to change lives and communities, she said. Speaking, the Founder and Chancellor of the university, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed, emphasised the institutions founding principles. He said the university, which he founded 14 years ago, is based on the vision that education is the most powerful tool for national transformation. Today, we celebrate this institutions remarkable journey, a journey marked by relentless dedication to knowledge, cutting-edge research, and character-driven leadership, he said. He said the university has consistently demonstrated a commitment to shaping minds, nurturing talents, and producing graduates ready to impact society. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State on Tuesday said his administration would fully implement the recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on political crisis rocking the state. Mr Fubara gave the assurance at the inauguration of the new Judges Quarters, a housing facility completed by his administration in Port Harcourt. He stated that the quarters was built for Judges who are indigenes of the state or connected to the state by marriage. The political issues in Rivers happened for protection of the interest of its people. It has not been an easy 16 months but what is important is the interest of our state, which must be above our personal interest. It is not about me, it is about the good of this state, he said. Mr Fubara said the money expended in prosecuting the political crisis on both sides was a huge waste. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He said such financial resources and other efforts, would be more profitable, if they were synergised, and channelled to things that promoted genuine well-being and good of the state. Thank God we are here today, I can assure you that I have not gone back on my words that nothing, no price is too big to pay for peace in this state, because at the end of the day, it is about our people. It is not about me, I will leave office but the good work that I have done will speak for me and will defend my generation,he said. Mr Fubara said that completing the facility, showed that his administration priotised the welfare, particularly of judicial officers. He explained that his administration inherited the project, and with reports from the Ministry of Justice and some concerns from the judiciary, it became imperative to continue with it. We give glory to God that today, we have completed this project, and we are willing and ready to hand it over to the lucky judges who are going to live here so that they can perform their duties effectively. The governor harped on the need for proper maintenance of the facility and the entire premises. The Chief Judge of Rivers, Simeon Amadi, recalled how he laid the foundation stone of the project, which was initiated by the immediate past administration on May 22, 2023. The chief judge commended Mr Fubara for completing the project, which he said represented another milestone and great accomplishment for the Rivers judiciary. We are pleased with this landmark achievement, which represents continuation of the policy of providing befitting residential accommodation for judges of Rivers on owner-occupier basis or monetary ground in lieu thereof. This is backed by the Rivers State Housing Scheme for Judicial Officers Law No. 10 of 2021, passed by the Rivers House of Assembly, and signed into law by the immediate past governor. The Rivers government remains resolute in ensuring that judges were quartered while in service, and in recent years, had gone further to allocate official quarters to judges on basis of owner-occupier or monetary ground of a fixed sum in lieu thereof. The policy of providing official accommodation for judges on owner-occupier basis or monetary ground in lieu thereof has greatly reduced the pressure on judicial officers who hitherto, struggled to build retirement homes while in service with limited resources. Such pressure and desire to own retirement homes in time past was a major concern and had its impact on job performance, Governor Fubara added. In an address, Mrs Ibiwari Clapton-Ogolo, the solicitor-general and permanent secretary of the state justice ministry, said the housing scheme law applied to judicial officers who must be indigenes of Rivers either by birth or marriage. The scheme provides for ownership of a decent accommodation in the state by every judicial officer who is an indigene or married to an indigene or monetisation of the accommodation, subject to the approval of the government. In accordance with the above law, today, the chief judge of Rivers will commission seven duplexes of five bedrooms, which are exquisitely furnished. Our judges deserve nothing less. I pray that these duplexes will not just be living houses but homes where they will find peace and rest as they discharge their duties to God and to men, she added. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian government has called for better integration of diagnostics services into the countrys healthcare system to improve service delivery. The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako while speaking at the National Summit on Diagnostics in Abuja on Tuesday emphasised the critical role of diagnostics in strengthening Nigerias healthcare system. Mr Salako noted that diagnostics are vital for the identification, detection, and treatment of diseases, as well as for monitoring outbreaks and improving patient outcomes. As we know, the healthcare value chain encompasses all components that contribute to the delivery of healthcare services, from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and rehabilitation, he said. At the heart of this system lies diagnostic services, which serve as a cornerstone for accurate disease detection, effective treatment planning, and continuous patient monitoring. He said without a well-integrated diagnostic framework, the countrys aspirations for improved healthcare delivery and Universal Health Coverage will remain unattainable. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He added that without good diagnostics, it is impossible to deliver on any of the four pillars of the health sector renewal investment initiative. Mr Salako also linked Nigerias diagnostic sector to economic growth, highlighting the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain as a key part of the Renewed Hope Agenda. He noted that the initiative could create millions of jobs, reduce medical tourism, and strengthen the countrys healthcare system. He further emphasised the need to adopt multiple technologies and maximise the contributions of all diagnostic professionals. The summit The summit, themed Unlocking Healthcare Value Chains and Improving Universal Health Coverage through Integrated Diagnostics Services, brought together local and international health organisations, laboratory experts, and diagnostics companies who showcased advanced diagnostic machines and tools. In Nigeria, access to quality diagnostic services remains a challenge due to infrastructure deficits, and disparities between urban and rural healthcare facilities, and many others. Recognising these challenges, stakeholders in the health sector are pushing for better integration of diagnostics into Nigerias healthcare system. Future of diagnostics in Nigeria Delivering the keynote address, the President of the West African Network of National Academies of Science (WANNAS), Oyewale Tomori, reflected on the evolution of laboratory diagnostics in Nigeria. Mr Tomori contrasted past inefficiencies with present advancements, recalling a time when laboratory results took four to six weeks, by which time patients were often dead and buried. He noted that results are now available within two to four days, significantly improving patient outcomes. With integrated diagnosis, the future generation will provide laboratory results 24 hours before you even get an infection, and then prevent the disease, he said. Mr Tomori also criticised Nigerias reliance on the World Health Organisation (WHO) for data analysis and decision-making. He highlighted flaws in disease surveillance, noting that only 10 per cent of 10,000 suspected viral fever cases are diagnosed. He further condemned the centralised lab system and called for a more integrated approach. He calls for investment in sustainable, well-equipped labs while emphasising that healthcare improvement requires ongoing collaboration and commitment from all stakeholders. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Vance: Let's see if we can get Russians to agree to ceasefire too The U.S. will see if it can get the Russians to agree to a ceasefire too, Vice President J.D. Vance said. "We think we're in a very good place where the Ukrainians have agreed to a ceasefire and we're now going to see whether we can get the Russians to agree to a ceasefire too," he said at a briefing in the Oval Office, where U.S. President Donald Trump and Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin met. The immediate past Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has denied media reports claiming that he defended the sexual harassment allegations levelled against the incumbent Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on the floor of the Senate. Mr Lawan, who led the Senate from 2019 to 2023 and currently represents Yobe North Senatorial District, clarified his position in a statement issued by his media adviser, Ezrel Tabiowo, on Tuesday. He admitted that he contributed to the debate on the suspension of the Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, but explained that his intervention was solely to caution against the withdrawal of her security aides, not to defend or comment on any allegations related to sexual harassment. Akpoti-Uduagans suspension On 6 March, the Senate voted to suspend Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months following recommendations from its Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions. The decision was based on her alleged misconduct during a plenary session on 20 February and her refusal to adhere to the chambers sitting arrangement. The Senate also imposed several penalties on her, including the withdrawal of all her security aides and the closure of her office within the National Assembly. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later All the properties belonging to the Senate that are in her possession would be handed over to the Clerk to the National Assembly, and she was also prohibited from entering the National Assembly premises during the suspension period. Her salary and allowances were also suspended for the duration of the suspension, and she was banned from representing herself as a senator, both locally and internationally However, the Senate left the door open for the suspension to be lifted if Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan submits a written apology, which the leadership may consider before the full six-month period expires. On Tuesday, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan took her case to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), seeking international intervention in her suspension from the Senate. She addressed delegates at an IPU meeting held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, where she also raised allegations of sexual harassment against Mr Akpabio. Despite the Senates stated reasons for her suspension, there are speculations in media reports, including some from international outlets, that Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended because of her sexual harassment allegations against the senate president. Some reports also claimed that Mr Lawan defended Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghans allegations against the senate president minutes before her suspension. Misrepresentation of facts Mr Lawan stated that any report claiming he defended Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghans allegations against Mr Akpabio is false and a misrepresentation of facts. The attention of the Office of the President of the 9th Senate, Distinguished Senator Ahmad Lawan, has been drawn to misleading reports circulating in some sections of the media, suggesting that Senator Lawan defended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against allegations of sexual harassment involving the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio. We wish to categorically state that these reports are entirely false and a gross misrepresentation of the facts, he said. What happened Mr Lawan explained that his only contribution during the debate was to caution against withdrawing Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghans security aides, which he argued could set a dangerous precedent that could be exploited against lawmakers in the future. During the Senate plenary session last week Thursday, 6 March 2025, Senator Ahmad Lawan, in his capacity as a respected member of the upper chamber, drew the attention of his colleagues to one of the recommendations contained in the report by the Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions. The recommendation in question proposed the withdrawal of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghans security aides. Senator Lawan, in his intervention, cautioned the Senate against adopting this recommendation, emphasising that such a decision could set a dangerous precedent that might be exploited against lawmakers in the future. His remarks were strictly procedural and aimed at upholding the integrity and independence of the National Assembly, the statement said. The former senate president emphasised that he neither defended nor opposed Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan in any way regarding the sexual harassment allegations against Mr Akpabio. At no point did Senator Lawan defend Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan or take sides in the allegations against the Senate President. His intervention was purely a matter of principle, reflecting his commitment to due process and the rule of law. Senator Ahmad Lawan remains a statesman who prioritises the stability and dignity of the National Assembly. He urges the media and the public to disregard any insinuations that suggest otherwise, the statement said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A woman, Loveth Aluu, who allegedly made a false testimony in a ministry of buying N500 million worth of a mansion, has refuted claims the testimony was pre-arranged. Ms Aluu spoke on Tuesday during her arraignment at the Enugu North Magistrate Court in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria. She is being prosecuted on a four-count charge of false pretence, defamation of character, conspiracy and felony. The false testimony PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ms Aluu, in February, testified at the Zion Prayer Movement Outreach that she bought the mansion following prayers and prophecy to her from the founder of the ministry, Ebuka Obi. Later in the month, the 32-year-old was seen selling bottled water and soft drinks in a small shop in Enugu State, prompting residents to question the authenticity of her testimony at the ministry. Many criticised Mr Obi, accusing him of masterminding the false testimony to deceive his followers and enrich himself. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The self-acclaimed prophet, in return, accused the woman of lying on the altar of God because she was sponsored by an unnamed priest based in the South-east to blackmail him (Obi) by intentionally testifying falsely at the ministry. Nobody arranged miracle with me But speaking with reporters shortly after arraignment On Tuesday, Ms Aluu said she did not pre-arrange the testimony at the ministry with anyone. I did the testimony claiming that I will get it (mansion). Next thing was people saying the testimony was arrangee, she said. Arrangee testimony is a slogan used to refer to a staged-managed testimony. Continuing, she said: Nobody arranged anything with me, I did not collect a dime from anybody. Zion is my church and it remains so forever. I went for an inspection of the house, did a video of the house and told the person in charge of the house that we were coming back for it. Expression of faith Ms Aluu admitted although she had not bought the mansion as of the time she testified at the ministry, she made the testimony as an expression of her faith. N1 million bail Meanwhile, during the hearing on Tuesday, the Magistrate, S.O. Chukwuani, granted Ms Aluu N1 million bail following an application by the defence counsel, Charles Nwodo. As part of the bail conditions, the magistrate said the defendant will produce a surety with three years of tax clearance. He adjourned the case until 9 April for further hearing. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, dismissed a suit seeking to stop the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) from arresting and prosecuting commercial sex workers in Abuja. The judge, James Omotosho, in a judgement, held that the application of the plaintiff was incompetent under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009. Mr Omotosho held that even if it was competent, the prayers sought were not grantable, thus, it is hereby dismissed for lack of merit. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the plaintiff Lawyers Alert Initiative for Protecting the Rights of Children, Women and the Indigent (LAIPRCWI) had instituted the suit on behalf of the commercial sex workers. The group sued the AEPB, FCT Minister, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF). The originating summons was brought pursuant to Order 3, Rule 6 and 9 of the FHC (Civil Procedure Rules, 2019; Sections 6(6)(b), 41(1), and 42 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later In the suit filed on 14 May 2024 by a team of lawyers led by Rommy Mom, Bamidele Jacobs and Victor Eboh, the LAIPRCWI sought two questions for determination. The lawyers urged the court to determine whether the duties of the AEPB under section 6 of the AEPB Act, 1997, extends to the harassment, arrest, detention and prosecution of women suspected of engaging in sex work on the streets of Abuja. They also sought a declaration that the charge made by the personnel of the AEPB before the FCT Mobile Court, which referred to arrested women suspected of engaging in sex work as articles and considered their bodies as goods for purchase, is discriminatory and violated the provisions of Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution. The lawyers, therefore, prayed the court for an order restraining the AEPB, its agents or privies, from harassing, arresting and raiding women suspected of engaging in sex work on the streets of Abuja. They sought an order restraining the 1st respondent (AEPB), her agents or privies from prosecuting women suspected of engaging in sex work on the streets of Abuja under Section 35(1) (d) of the AEPB Act, 1997. They equally sought an order directing all the respondents to ensure proper application of the provisions of Abuja Environmental Protect Act, 1997, by the 1st respondent. But in a counter-affidavit jointly filed by the minister, AEPB and FCTA through their lawyer, Betty Umegbulem, the respondents prayed the court to dismiss the case. They denied all the averments in the applicants affidavit. Ahmed Gidado, a Legal Assistant, who swore to the counter-affidavit, said the applicant did not file any case against the 1st to 3rd respondents in 2019 as alleged in a previous judgement exhibited in the suit. Mr Gidado argued that the exhibit attached therein was for a case filed by one Mirabel Ojimba and not the applicant. According to him, the court cannot rely on a judgement, which is not signed by the presiding judge and duly certified. He said the applicant did not present any evidence to prove that any woman was harassed or arrested by the AEPB. He argued that the applicant did not state how its fundamental human rights were violated and which of the rights was violated by the 1st to 3rd respondents to warrant filing of the action. The officer averred that the applicant was not the person whose fundamental human rights were allegedly violated by the 1st to 3rd respondents. Mr Gidado, who argued that the applicants prayers were not in line with the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules 2009, said fundamental human right cannot be enforced by another person who is not the victim of violation. Also, the AGF, in his counter-affidavit sworn to by Barnabas Onoja, a litigation officer, argued that all the facts, as presented by the applicant, were untrue and misleading. Mr Onoja said contrary to the applicants submission, the AGF never received any pre-action notice from the applicant and that his office was only aware of the present suit upon the receipt of the processes. He said the AGF does not act as a supervisory officer over the activities of every security or federal government agency. Judgement Delivering the judgement, Mr Omotosho formulated three issues for determination These included whether the applicant can bring an action to enforce the rights of a group of persons, whether this fundamental rights suit is within the jurisdiction of this court in view of the claim of the applicant and whether the reliefs sought can be granted in the circumstances. The judge said the applicant, a non-governmental organisation, which brought the suit to enforce the rights of women engaging in sex work on the streets of Abuja, cannot be stopped from bringing the action as it was well within the law to do so. Consequently, issue one is resolved in favour of the applicant, he ruled. The judge said though the right to freedom from discrimination was claimed as the first relief, the facts and circumstances before this court show that it is simply ancillary to the main claim as regards the provision of the Abuja Environmental Protection Act, 1997. The import of this is that the suit cannot be competently taken under the fundamental rights enforcement procedure. Consequently, this issue is resolved against the applicant. Citing Chapter IV of the Nigerian constitution, the judge examined what constituted enforceable human rights in Nigeria. The clear indication of the above provision is that only rights provided under Chapter IV are actionable, he said, citing the previous case to back his decision. He said the fundamental rights against discrimination are found under section 42 of the constitution. The applicant has brought this suit to enforce the rights of women suspected of engaging in sex work on the streets of Abuja. The applicant argued that these women should not be arrested and prosecuted by the 1st respondent (AEPB) for engaging in sex work as their male counterparts are usually not arrested. In a way, the applicant is advocating that women engaging in sex work should be allowed to go about their profession without restraint. The position taken by the applicant on this issue is, without doubt, reprehensible and ridiculous. These women whom the applicant is suing for are to use the proper word, prostitutes and their profession is prostitution. This court wonders if prostitution has become legal in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Under the Penal Code Act, which is operational in the FCT, prostitutes are regarded as vagabonds under Section 405 (1) (d), he said. Mr Omotosho, who equally cited Sections 405(2)(d) and 407 of the Act, said the import of the above provisions is that prostitution constitutes an offence under the Penal Code Act. According to him, it must be stated here that fundamental human rights in Nigeria are not absolute in operation. There are instances which warrant a legal breach of some rights. A common instance is for the arrest of a person suspected of committing an offence under Section 35 (1) (c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Citing Supreme Court precedents, Mr Omotosho held that it was clear from the above authorities that suspicion of committing an offence is a legal ground to breach the right of a person. The women suspected of engaging in sex work on the streets of Abuja or prostitutes or vagabonds are by their actions allegedly committing an offence and thus their fundamental rights can be legally breached by the 1st respondent. Holding a different opinion would mean that a person arrested in the process of robbing others can claim to be entitled to his fundamental rights to personal liberty and freedom. This would cause anarchy and chaos In the society, he said. According to him, assuming that prostitution is not an offence in the FCT, the rights of these prostitutes can legally be violated under Section 45 of the constitution which allows the breach of a persons right on grounds of defence, public safety, public health, public order and public morality. It is a known fact that prostitutes are some of the clearest examples of indecency in the society and they are champions of immorality through their immoral dressing, exposing sensitive parts of their bodies, their use of vulgar language as well as the chief culprits in spreading sexual diseases. Allowing prostitutes to have free reign on the streets of Abuja will, in no time, destroy the moral fibre of the city and turn it into a hotbed of immorality. This court will not allow such to happen, he said Citing the old English case of PIERCE VS BROOKS [1861-73] All ER 102, the judge said it was clear from the case that an immoral act can also be termed an illegal act and actions founded on such acts cannot be enforced by law under the doctrine of ex turpi causa non oritur actio. In the same way, a suit anchored on the right to engage in prostitution cannot be enforceable anywhere in Nigeria. He said the court was not unaware that prostitution had been legalised in some western nations, including in the Netherlands where prostitutes are now entitled to pensions and other benefits. This is not so in Africa. The African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights which is one of the Statutes enforced by the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, is clear on what fundamental rights are in Africa. He said looking at the preamble to the charter, the culture of Africans must reflect in their idea of what constitutes human rights. This philosophy is what is known as cultural relativism in the framework of human rights. The counterpoint to this is universality which posits that human rights should be the same in all places and should apply to persons irrespective of their culture, religion, race, gender or other differences. The idea behind universalism is to ensure uniformity in human rights development. Universality of human rights directly led to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which is the first global human rights document. While it is theoretically sound, universalism if applied would offend the unique cultures of some people. For instance, the right to same sex marriage which is acceptable in Western nations like the United Kingdom will be deeply unacceptable to conservative and religious nations like Arab nations. Thus cultural relativism means that these nations can choose which of these rights to adopt or not. This explains why some conservative nations exercise their right to reservation regarding several sections of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which are in conflict with their cultural beliefs. The judge said Nigeria is an African nation with deeply cultural norms that guide everyday conduct. I daresay that prostitution is and has never been part of our culture. Prostitution or Olosho and Ashewo as the Yorubas call it, Akwuna-Akwuna as the Igbos call it, Karuwa as the Hausas call it or Hookup as the young people say it, is alien to our culture. It has been frowned upon as a deeply immoral act worthy of shame. The fact that civilisation and westernisation has taken some root in Nigeria still does not make it right. Even in some Western countries, prostitution is still seen as an immoral act. In the United States of America for instance, apart from a few counties in the state of Nevada, prostitution or sex work is illegal in the other 50 states of the US. There is absolutely no justification for prostitution in Nigeria in the context of our cultural norms and tradition and in fact prostitution is an anathema in Africa, he said. Justice Omotosho held that the prostitutes which the group sought to protect are vagabonds and the AEPB is well within its right to arrest and prosecute them as they constitute nuisance in the FCT and are clearly committing an offence by parading themselves as women of easy virtue. I therefore hold that this application filed by the applicant has no basis and the rights claimed are unenforceable in light of the provisions of Section 45 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and the Preamble to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. READ ALSO:Court fixes date for judgement in suit against arrest of sex workers in Abuja | must also say here that this court is bemused by this instant application filed by the applicant which is apparently a Civil Society Organisation set up to protect the rights of girls and women. This court wonders what kind of message the applicant is sending when it decided to bring an action to protect prostitutes. A reasonable person would have expected that the applicant would instead occupy itself with developing the girl child and protecting the sanctity of womanhood instead of promoting immorality and the spread of sexual diseases. It is indeed shameful that the applicant should file an action such as this, the judge held Mr Omotosho also held that the judgement of a sister court in suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/971/2019, exhibited by the group was only of slight persuasive authority. The judge said he was not bound by the decision of the brother judge being court of coordinate jurisdiction, citing a Court of Appeals previous case to back his decision. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) says it is introducing a special intervention to address incessant power failure in tertiary institutions across the country. Chairperson, Board of Trustees of TETFund, Aminu Masari, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja, while inaugurating the steering committee for Alternative Energy Solution Initiative in tertiary Institutions Mr Masari said the initiative was part of the funds commitment to support the governments efforts at ensuring steady power supply in Nigerias tertiary institutions. The board chairperson, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives who later served as the Governor of Katsina State between 2015 and 2023, stressed the importance of power supply as critical to learning and research, which was lacking in most tertiary institutions. We all know the combination of many factors to include the increase in tariff which has become unbearable for these institutions, coupled with other issues, he said. Mr Masari added that the provision of reliable power supply was expected to improve the quality of education and research in tertiary institutions. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government has made plans to provide steady power to tertiary institutions through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). The REA aims to provide captive solar hybrid power plants to 15 federal tertiary institutions and two teaching hospitals. This initiative is part of the governments efforts to increase electricity access to underserved Nigerians. While the exact timeline for the completion of this project is not specified, the REA has made significant progress in increasing electricity access to underserved communities, with more than 67 mini-grids and 995,396 solar home systems deployed. The steering committee, which has been given two months to submit its preliminary report, is expected to be part of the implementation team. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Concerned parties in the agricultural sector have stressed the need for agrarian financing, mechanisation, logistics efficiency, and value addition to position Nigeria as a leader in cassava processing. They called at a workshop organised by Cavista Holdings and Agbeyewa Farms, held at Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort in Ekiti State over the weekend. The workshop held a day after the Minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari, visited Agbeyewa Farms. It brought together representatives from Cavista Holdings, the Nigeria Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), the Nigeria Cassava Industrialisation Alliance (NCIA), the Lagos Business School (LBS), and other stakeholders. Speaking at the event, Niyi Adebayo, Chief of Staff to the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, highlighted the governments land-clearing initiative, which, he said, has made 5,000 hectares available for young farmers. He further noted that the state has introduced mechanisation and agribusiness programmes for over 3,000 youths, aligning with national objectives to boost agricultural productivity and employment. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Adebayo, representing the state government, said the initiatives would enhance cassava production and agribusiness development. Focus The stakeholders further emphasised the need to implement concrete action plans across four key areas. They discussed strengthening farmer aggregation by developing structured out-grower models to improve access to financing, promote mechanisation, and enhance productivity. Additionally, they focused on scaling up processing infrastructure by mobilising investments for industrial-scale processing plants to maximise cassavas value-added potential. The other factors include Improving logistics and market access addressing inefficiencies in storage and transportation to reduce post-harvest losses. Policy and investment facilitation engaging policymakers and financial institutions to create an enabling environment for cassava industrialisation. Unlocking financing Furthermore, Doyin Salami, a lecturer at Lagos Business School, stressed that farmer aggregation is crucial for unlocking financing and improving productivity. Mr Salami maintained that organising smallholder farmers into structured groups enhances access to credit, mechanisation, and technical support, boosting agricultural productivity. Additionally, Nasir Ingawa, the Head of Partnerships at the Nigeria Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), noted that limited access to financing remains one of the most significant barriers to productivity and industrial-scale processing. Mr Ingawa stated that, to bridge this gap, NADF will develop tailored financing solutions to help smallholder farmers and agribusinesses scale operations, adopt modern agricultural practices, and integrate into larger value chains. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print US President Donald Trump appears to have backtracked on his plan to buy Gaza and resettle Palestinians from the strip into neighbouring countries, declaring on Wednesday that no Palestinians would be expelled from their homes. According to him, Palestinians will not be displaced from the besieged Gaza Strip despite his plan to take over the coastal enclave. Nobody is expelling any Palestinians, he said to journalists at the Oval Office. However, his statement sharply contrasts his previous proposal to take over the densely populated territory on the eastern Mediterranean coast. He had planned to have Palestinians resettled into Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia while the US transforms Gaza Strip into the Riviera of the Middle East. PREMIUM TIMES reported that despite criticism against the plan and widespread anger among Palestinians and leaders from various factions, President Trump had insisted that the US was committed to buying and owning Gaza. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He had also threatened to sanction countries neighbouring Gaza should they fail to accommodate Palestinians who would be forcefully displaced from the Gaza Strip. Think of it as a big real estate site, and the United States is going to own it and will slowly, very slowly, develop it. As far as us rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it. Other people may do it under our auspices, he had said. He noted that he intended to turn Gaza into a very good site for future development by somebody. People can come from all over the world and live there. He also said he would consider allowing some Palestinians to settle in the United States on a case-by-case basis. Israels emigration authority Referencing President Trumps proposal, Israels far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had said Israel intends to open a new Emigration Authority office under the Defence Ministry to manage the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. According to multiple media reports, Mr Smotrich declared on Sunday that the Trump administration supported the plan. Various officials in the administration told me again and again, We will not allow 2 million Nazis to live just beyond the fence, he said, referring to Palestinians in Gaza. Not too long ago, it was taboo to speak about people leaving Gaza, but now the people who were crazy are the most realistic. Not only is it realistic, but its the only plan thats realistic, he added. The minister, who in the past has denied the existence of the Palestinian people, said his country is working with the US administration to determine which countries will receive those forcibly displaced from Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas are currently negotiating to extend the fragile ceasefire agreement in Gaza. The White Houses envoy, Steve Witkoff, had joined the indirect talks between both parties in Qatar. The 42-day first phase of the Gaza deal and temporary truce took effect on the eve of Mr Trumps inauguration. That first phase ultimately saw Hamas return 25 living Israeli hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners held by Israelas well as five living Thai hostages. The first phase, however, ended on 1 March. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Security operatives in Abuja on Wednesday dispersed suspected political thugs attempting to cause crisis at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national headquarters, as the partys National Working Committee (NEC) met. A staff member of the PDP national secretariat, who pleaded anonymity, said that the suspected thugs were led by one Emmanuel Okoronkwo, an aide to Samuel Anyanwu, who was ousted by the court as PDP national secretary. He said that the thugs came with the mission to block the NWC members from accessing the party headquarters for their meeting. He added that it took the intervention of some personnel of the Nigeria Police, State Security Service, and Nigeria Civil Defence Corps to dispel the thugs who were harassing the party staff members. The PDP has been engulfed with crisis as Mr Anyanwu, and former National Youth Leader Sunday Ude-Okoye both claiming the position of PDP national secretary. While the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld Mr Ude-Okoye as the PDP national secretary, the Supreme Court had reserved its judgement on the matter. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later According to the PDP members the party staff, with the support of security personnel, confronted the thugs and dispersed them. The leader of the thugs, Okoronkwo, was arrested and the other thugs were cleared from the PDP premises, the source said. Mr Emmanuel was earlier featured in a video clip circulating online threatening that whoever did not have his party ID card or has no business to be at the party secretariat should not come around the Wadata House. If they are tired of the party, they can go to SDP, but any body coming here to cause problems where there is a case in the court, should prepare from his house before coming. Already I am ready, I am here with the men, everybody is here. If they are one billion let them come. If you are coming here without party ID card, you will not enter. If you dont have business here nobody will enter. Meanwhile, the PDP Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, chaired the party NWC meeting, with Mr Ude-Okoye attending as the national secretary. Security personnel including Police, DSS, and Civil Defence and their vans were seen stationed inside and around the national secretariat. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Geneva may provide an interesting laboratory to study the effects of the collapse of liberal internationalism on employment and local economies. It has the largest concentration of international organisations in the world. It is home to such mega institutions as UNOG, the ILO, the WHO, the WTO, and the UNHCR. Indeed, the city hosts more than 40 international organisations and 750 nongovernmental organisations creating a network that directly employs more than 30,000 people. Social life in the city may not be the same after four years of Trumps presidency and European rearmament. The Tribune de Geneve reported today that thousands of jobs in the citys international sector may be at risk following Donald Trumps decision to withdraw the US membership of key institutions, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Human Rights Commission, dismantle USAID, and suspend funding of critical programmes in organisations such as UNAIDs and the Global Fund that fights malaria, tuberculosis and HIV. International organisations in Geneva are scaling down their operations and staff are losing jobs at a massive rate. The situation is so serious that the citys employment office has set up a hotline to help those whove been affected by the mass layoffs. Job cuts and cost rationalisations have always been a feature of life in Genevas international sector. Many organisations are not funded by member state contributions, but rely solely on voluntary contributions, which tend to fluctuate according to fiscal conditions in donor countries. And voluntary contributions have, over the years, become a key feature of the budgets of even well established inter-governmental organisations exposing them to the changing aid policies of governments. While international organisations have often coped fairly well with fluctuating aid flows, whats currently unfolding poses a far bigger threat to the survival of multilateral institutions and their abilities to execute their mandates. The old order of liberal internationalism is crumbling, the international jobs market is unlikely to recover, and Geneva may be forced to adapt to new realities. The Multilateral Liberal Order Upended Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Two processes signal an end to the global order on which international life in Geneva has thrived. The first is Trumps aggressive attack on liberal internationalism, or the United Nations system a rules-based multilateral system of rights, humanitarianism, and open trade and investments, which the US and European nations crafted after World War Two. As the biggest economy in the world, the US played the lead role in financing that order. Despite a progressive decline in the US share of global funding over the years, it still remains the single largest funder of most international organisations and initiatives. Trump and his MAGA group no longer believe that the liberal multilateral order serves US interests. Theyve adopted a transactional approach in trying to reorganise the world. Their new policy is that the US will no longer spend money on activities or programmes that do not generate immediate material benefits to it; it will use colonial era-type tactics to leverage its power and obtain what it wants from weak states; and it will try to recoup money that it previously spent on countries, if such countries wish for its continued support. Under this framework, historical alliances or strategic commitments have become meaningless; the ideological rhetoric of defending liberty or the free world is out the window; and multilateralism or UN initiatives are now seen as obstacles to the maximisation of US power and influence. As long as Trump and his MAGA group are in the White House, the financing of international organisations will continue to diminish, and the liberal or humanitarian values that underpin them will be eroded. Thus, the international jobs market in Geneva is unlikely to recover unless emerging great powers, such as China, or the EU acting as a bloc, take up the slack which are both very unlikely. The turning point in the EU-US rupture was when in February, for the first time in 80 years, the US sided with Russia and a few other authoritarian regimes (including North Korea and Iran) against its so-called democratic European allies on a General Assembly resolution on Ukraine, which condemned Russias invasion of that country three years ago. The US has also withdrawn military support, including intelligence sharing, from Ukraine. European Rearmament: A Challenge to Social Europe and Global Humanitarianism The second problem that threatens the liberal and humanitarian global order is the fever of rearmament thats gripping EU policymakers. Speeches and actions by Trump and his White House group signal that the US no longer sees Europe as a strategic partner. Trump has ignored EU allies in trying to strike a deal with Putin to end the Ukraine war, on terms that Europeans see as a reckless capitulation and threat to Europes long-term security. The turning point in the EU-US rupture was when in February, for the first time in 80 years, the US sided with Russia and a few other authoritarian regimes (including North Korea and Iran) against its so-called democratic European allies on a General Assembly resolution on Ukraine, which condemned Russias invasion of that country three years ago. The US has also withdrawn military support, including intelligence sharing, from Ukraine. European leaders have been rattled by these developments. Many believe that the US pro-Europe security guarantees in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) are no longer solid. France and Germany have been calling for strategic independence from the US. And countries that are in the cross hairs of Russia the Baltic states, Ukraine and Poland have been vocal in their support for concerted EU military support for Ukraine. Many EU countries spend well below or just about the NATO requirement of 2 per cent of their GDPs on defence. European leaders committed a huge strategic blunder after the Cold War by continuing to rely on the US as the guarantor of peace and security in Europe. European defence spending was massively scaled down in what was seen at the time as a Cold War dividend, leaving the US to largely carry Europes military burden. During the Cold War, it made sense for Europe and the US to be joined at the hip because Russia, under the Soviet Union, threatened both Europe and the US (both feared the spread of communism). However, at the end of Cold War, Russia was no longer a threat to the US. On the other hand, Europe shares a huge geographical space with Russia, which has the largest army in the region and nurses ambitions to extend its influence beyond its borders, especially in countries with large Russian minorities. Realist theory in geopolitics predicts that the strategic policies of states are unlikely to be aligned if they face different threats in the world system. As such, Trump has simply hastened a rupture that was bound to happen at some point, even though more thoughtful leaders would have managed the transition better. European rearmament will undoubtedly lead to some scaling back in social spending, including on international aid budgets, which are often easy targets during periods of belt-tightening. Already, the UK government has announced a cut in its aid budget from 0.5 per cent of GDP to 0.3 per cent of GDP (a massive 40 per cent cut) and has increased expenditure on defence. It remains unclear how the new European defence architecture would work. The largest economy in the EU, Germany, is a military midget; and the UK, a military power of sorts, is not in the EU. Both France and the UK are nuclear powers, but there are doubts about their second strike capability against Russia, the biggest nuclear power by a mile in Europe. It is also believed that France and the UK cant match the technological prowess of the US in air defences, ballistic missiles and military intelligence all necessary to fight a conventional war with Russia. France has offered to extend its nuclear deterrence to other European countries. But how credible is this offer? Will Germany go under Frances nuclear umbrella or massively rearm and develop its own nuclear programme? Can the EU craft a common defence policy something it has not been able to do in sixty years. Are we, instead, likely to see the development of EU defence systems under multiple jurisdictions? What seems certain is that European countries will try massively to increase their defence spendings. Such spendings are likely to be at the expense of social programmes. One of the distinguishing features of European capitalism is its huge welfare programme the biggest in the world, which helped to maintain social cohesion and quality of life, as well as curb revolutionary pressures. Europe spends a substantial amount of money on a variety of social programmes, such as employment benefits, pensions, health insurance, child support, and education. The average EU social expenditure as a per cent of GDP is about 27 per cent, with some countries spending more than 30 per cent. This is why European countries are often referred to as welfare states. European rearmament will undoubtedly lead to some scaling back in social spending, including on international aid budgets, which are often easy targets during periods of belt-tightening. Already, the UK government has announced a cut in its aid budget from 0.5 per cent of GDP to 0.3 per cent of GDP (a massive 40 per cent cut) and has increased expenditure on defence. More cuts are likely in the UK and more countries are likely to follow the UK. The guns versus butter issue is back on the European policy debate with a vengeance. Conclusion Geneva may provide an interesting laboratory to study the effects of the collapse of liberal internationalism on employment and local economies. It has the largest concentration of international organisations in the world. It is home to such mega institutions as UNOG, the ILO, the WHO, the WTO, and the UNHCR. Indeed, the city hosts more than 40 international organisations and 750 nongovernmental organisations creating a network that directly employs more than 30,000 people. Social life in the city may not be the same after four years of Trumps presidency and European rearmament. Yusuf Bangura writes from Nyon, Switzerland. Email: [email protected] Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print As Sudan and the DRC continue to burn, one must question why African elites seem more invested in resolving conflicts outside the continent while their own countries face collapse. African lives matter, yet reckless diplomacy, ethnic divisions, and competition over resources take precedence over human well-being. What happened to Pan-Africanism? What happened to the mantra African solutions to African problems? The AUs Responsibility to Protect (R2P) Doctrine, which is meant to safeguard innocent lives, appears to be failing. The wars in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) stand among the deadliest in modern history. These conflicts are fuelled by power struggles, exclusive governance, elite greed, ethnic tensions, weak governance, and competition over natural resources. The devastating consequences include mass casualties, widespread displacement, destruction of infrastructure, and severe humanitarian crises. As Africa grapples with these wars, one must ask: What is wrong with continental Africa? Currently, 15 African countries are engulfed in conflict. In 2021 alone, 30 state-based conflicts were recorded, resulting in over 19,325 deaths. Africas state-based conflicts exhibit higher recurrence rates than most of other regions, indicating the persistent cycle of violence and instability. Alarmingly, five of the eleven ongoing United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions worldwide are stationed in Africa. The African Unions (AU) ambitious Silencing the Guns by 2030 initiative now seems like an unattainable dream. The war in Sudan erupted on 15 April, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This brutal conflict stems from a power struggle between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the SAF, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, commander of the RSF. The two factions, once allies, turned against each other following a failed transition to civilian rule after Sudans 2019 revolution. Sudans history of military rule, economic instability, and ethnic divisions, exacerbated by the 2021 military coup, created a fertile ground for war. The conflict has been particularly intense in the capital, Khartoum, and regions like Darfur, which have already witnessed previous atrocities. Civilians continue to suffer as they endure mass displacement, food and water shortages, and large-scale human rights violations, including ethnic killings and widespread destruction of property. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) group reported approximately 28,000 deaths from the conflict, but scholars suggest the number could be as high as 150,000. An estimated 8.9 million people have been displaced internally. As international actors attempt to intervene, the United States has classified the Sudanese war as genocide, unsettling some key warlords. However, it is ironic that non-African nations dominate the mediation process, while African elites seem disengaged from resolving crises on their continent. Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire, led by international actors such as the AU, the UN, and interested parties like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, have largely failed. The risk of a regional spillover remains high, and without a meaningful political solution, Sudan faces prolonged instability and deepening humanitarian catastrophe. The question remains: Who will save the Sudanese people from their own armed forces and paramilitary groups? The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) group reported approximately 28,000 deaths from the conflict, but scholars suggest the number could be as high as 150,000. An estimated 8.9 million people have been displaced internally. As international actors attempt to intervene, the United States has classified the Sudanese war as genocide, unsettling some key warlords. However, it is ironic that non-African nations dominate the mediation process, while African elites seem disengaged from resolving crises on their continent. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The DRC has been trapped in a cycle of war and instability for decades. The ongoing conflict is driven by ethnic rivalries, political instability, and fierce competition for the countrys vast natural resources, particularly in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri. The latest wave of violence involves the Congolese government, multiple armed groups, and external actors, making the conflict highly complex. One of the most dominant rebel groups, the March 23 Movement (M23), has intensified its attacks since 2021, accusing the Congolese government of failing to honour past peace agreements. The DRC government, in turn, has accused Rwanda of backing M23, a claim Rwanda has consistently denied, though tensions between the two countries continue to escalate. Other armed groups, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and various Mai-Mai militias, further destabilise the region, carrying out attacks, massacres, and looting. The humanitarian crisis in the DRC is dire. Millions have been displaced, food insecurity is widespread, and human rights abuses including sexual violence and the recruitment of child soldiers remain rampant. Peace remains elusive despite international peacekeeping efforts, such as the UN MONUSCO mission. The Southern African Development Communitys (SADC) peacekeeping missions have struggled to achieve their objectives, with troop-contributing countries like South Africa facing casualties and escalating diplomatic tensions with Rwanda over allegations of its involvement. Diplomatic resolutions have been attempted, but deeper political and economic issues must be addressed to prevent eastern DRC from remaining a battleground for competing interests. The wars in Sudan and the DRC are a grim reminder of the urgent need for a united and self-reliant Africa. Without decisive action, the continent risks remaining a battlefield for internal and external power struggles, with millions of innocent lives caught in the crossfire. It is time for Africa to reclaim its destiny and silence the guns not through empty slogans, but through concrete, lasting solutions. Amid these tensions, key questions arise: What is the ultimate agenda of M23? How complicit is the Congolese government in this conflict? What are the interests of the DRCs neighbouring countries? The European Union (EU) recently summoned the Rwandan ambassador, while the United States accused Rwanda of supporting M23, imposing sanctions on a high-ranking Rwandan political figure. Meanwhile, the Congolese government is pushing for greater US involvement in its natural resource exploration, further entangling international actors in the conflict. As Sudan and the DRC continue to burn, one must question why African elites seem more invested in resolving conflicts outside the continent while their own countries face collapse. African lives matter, yet reckless diplomacy, ethnic divisions, and competition over resources take precedence over human well-being. What happened to Pan-Africanism? What happened to the mantra African solutions to African problems? The AUs Responsibility to Protect (R2P) Doctrine, which is meant to safeguard innocent lives, appears to be failing. The international community, rather than African leaders, has taken the lead in mediation efforts, further exposing the inefficiencies of Africas governing institutions. It is troubling that African nations rely so heavily on external intervention, while neglecting homegrown solutions. Resolving the conflicts in Sudan and the DRC requires bold leadership, inclusive governance, and a commitment to justice and human rights. Africas ruling elites must abandon their self-serving interests and prioritise the welfare of their people. There is an urgent need to strengthen regional cooperation as the conflicts can create continental insecurity. African countries must foster deeper collaboration in conflict resolution, ensuring that regional, rather than foreign actors, drive peacekeeping efforts. The newly elected leadership of the AU Commission, led by Djiboutis Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, must play the leading role in resolving these mindless armed conflicts. The AU must reinvigorate its peace and security architecture to prevent and respond to conflicts more effectively. At the foundation of most conflicts in Africa are the issues of governance exclusivity and a shrinking democratic space. Militarisation of the socio-political environment is always a precursor of instability and lawlessness. Indeed, peace and political stability can only be achieved through accountable leadership and inclusive decision-making. The wars in Sudan and the DRC are a grim reminder of the urgent need for a united and self-reliant Africa. Without decisive action, the continent risks remaining a battlefield for internal and external power struggles, with millions of innocent lives caught in the crossfire. It is time for Africa to reclaim its destiny and silence the guns not through empty slogans, but through concrete, lasting solutions. Adeoye O. Akinola is Head of the African Union Studies Programme at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC), University of Johannesburg. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print On a cold morning, the wayfarer lost his way in the journey of life The troubadour lost his voice Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later which sang of wet dreams Just like yesterday, the calabash broke before its owner the calabash never returned home with water The tree fell before the freshness of its leaves rain quenched the fire of survival just like yesterday, your body kissed the soil but your spirit stays with us Although the town carrier sang of your demise on January 4, 2023, the scar you left behind is still visible in our hearts. What can I say when the calabash that once held the waters of life shattered on the rocks of eternity before my naked eyes? It has been over two years since the wind blew the giant tree away, but your legacies still live, Ayo. Your legacies are a testament to the African proverb, When the sun sets, it rises again in a new place. Your spirit truly lives, even after your demise. Professor Ayodele Olukotun was a distinguished academic who left his mark on the countrys intellectual and public space. He started from being a union leader at Obafemi Awolowo University, where he was groomed to become a versatile activist and public speaker. This was the genesis of his journey as a scholar. The announcement of his passing two years ago prompted numerous tributes and reflections about his life and contributions to his field. Olukotun dedicated his life to developing critical thinking skills while maintaining a deep passion for social justice. His works as a scholar transcended multiple disciplines, including but not limited to history, politics, and literature. He exemplified the principles of social responsibility, inspiring a generation of scholars and activists, and he lived as a teacher and journalist, balancing the confines of the classroom and the newsroom, having lectured at several university colleges in Nigeria and working on the editorial boards of various major news outlets and national dailies. It is, therefore, not an overstatement to assert that Professor Ayo Olukotun is among the few Nigerian academics who have effectively connected the general populace to the ropes of academia. He has functioned as a prolific author, commentator, and observer, providing astute insights into Nigerian politics, economy, and culture. His extensively circulated columns in The Punch and other Nigerian media demonstrate this. As a proponent of social justice, his dedication to democracy was steadfast, and he was unrepentant in his condemnation of tyranny and corruption. He extensively authored works on the participation of the Nigerian military in politics, the challenges faced by the labor congress, and the violation of human rights. One of his most significant articles remains World-class education: Has Nigeria dropped the ball? In this piece, where he discussed the underfunding of Nigerian tertiary institutions and the recent retrogression in the education sector, one would notice his logical reasoning, highlighting the persistent ASUU strike and the Federal Governments nonchalance as primary factors. Regrettably, Ayo is dead now, but the situation remains the same. He was very passionate about politics and, until his departure, was very particular about the political unrest in the country. One of the few reasons why the government refuses to grow is corruption. He even played a key role in the students protests against the military regime of Yakubu Gowon, which testifies to his patriotism and ruggedness as a young scholar. Another of his noteworthy publications addressed insecurity in Nigeria, especially in the South-West region. Ayo described how bandits had infiltrated every geopolitical zone in the country, beginning in the North and extending to the West. Bandits have seized control of all highways in this region, abducting residents. He articulated the governments persistent indifference and the lack of prioritization of citizens welfare as primary factors. But how can one hold a government that cares less about its citizens accountable? If wishes were horses, Nigerians would have built a paradise on earth. Conversely, we frequently obtain the antithesis of our persistent requests. The governments apathetic stance catalyses individuals like Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu to emerge as activists, seeking to guide their communities out of the confines imposed by the government. He likely addressed every political and social issue during his lifetime. This attests to his fervour for his peoples liberation. Before his demise, he wrote about the last (2023) general elections, which he did not live to observe. Nonetheless, several of his predictions materialized. He underscored the disillusionment experienced by citizens following each electoral cycle. Nigerians consistently transition from one crisis to another due to a lack of leaders committed to public service, asserting a persistent disconnect between election results and the performance of elected officials. This allegation is accurate and has caused significant detriment to the Nigerian state. He also admitted that a considerable deficiency afflicting the country is political apathy. The populace is increasingly indifferent towards elections due to unfulfilled electoral promises, and oftentimes, they believe their votes do not count. The 2023 elections were a testament to this. The electioneering was far from free and fair, as demonstrated by multiple legal suits following the election. It is so unfortunate that the political unrest and corruption that Professor Olukotun is so deeply worried about are still plaguing the country two years after his death. To pay tribute to the departed and honor the sacrifices made by our heroes, we need to resolve the fundamental reasons for Nigerias political upheaval through concerted effort. Our society must advance justice and gender inclusivity while ensuring equity for marginalized populations and vulnerable persons. The government must take accountability to enhance our institutions while promoting transparency and fighting the pervasive corruption that hinders our national development. Professor Ayo Olukotun advocated for these during his lifetime, and commemorating him entails building a functional nation. Please join us at the inaugural Professor Olukotuns memorial lecture at Lead City University on Tuesday, 18 March, at 10.30 a.m. Toyin Falola, a professor of History, University Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at The University of Texas at Austin, is the Bobapitan of Ibadanland. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The European Parliament (EP) has strongly condemned the executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian troops and reminded Russia of its compliance with the Geneva Convention. "[The EP] strongly condemns the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces; calls for the EU, its Member States and international partners to increase pressure on Russia to comply with its international obligations, particularly the Geneva Convention, and allow international organisations access to prisoners," according to a resolution in support of Ukraine, which was voted in the European Parliament on Wednesday. The EP also condemned "devastating impact of Russias war on children; calls for increased EU support for children's education, healthcare, mental health services, and for child protection, including trauma recovery and safe learning environments." "[The EP] urges the EU and Ukraine to prioritise children's needs in aid and reconstruction efforts, in clearing landmines, and in integrating child welfare into the EU accession process," the document reads. The EP also reiterated its concern about the situation at Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which is illegally controlled by Russia, and expressed its support for efforts to maintain a permanent presence of the International Atomic Energy Agency at Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. The EP also reiterated its "deep concern about the broader long-term environmental impact of the war." The resolution also calls on the EU and its member states to strengthen the EU's strategic communication, particularly to "publicly set the record straight about the EU's leading support to Ukraine especially in light of claims that seek to diminish its contribution to counter hybrid threats and grey zone activities, and to prevent Russian interference in political, electoral, and other democratic processes in Ukraine and Europe." "[The EP] calls strongly for the EU and the Member States to combat Russian disinformation about the war, by strengthening digital literacy, promoting fact-based narratives and holding social media platforms accountable for spreading harmful content by strictly enforcing the Digital Services Act," the document reads. Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina State has received a comprehensive evaluation report on the Katsina State College of Health Sciences & Technology (COHESKAT) and 31 Private Health Training Institutions (PHTI) operating across the state. The visitation panel, which was inaugurated on 25 October, 2024, completed its assessment of the institutions to address concerns about the proliferation of private health training facilities and verify their compliance with regulatory standards. Dr Faisal Umar Kaita, Chairman of the panel and Commissioner for Lands and Physical Planning, delivered the report, noting serious deficiencies among most private institutions. Dr Kaita stated that the panel determined that only nine of the 31 private colleges evaluated met necessary operational standards. The majority of the private health training institutions visited are unfit to operate in the State due to noncompliance with both regulatory and professional standards, Dr Kaita stated during the presentation. Reacting to the panel report during the State Executive Council meeting held on Tuesday 12th March, 2025, Governor Radda praised the thorough work and reaffirmed his administrations commitment to maintaining high educational standards in healthcare training. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later We must ensure only qualified institutions can operate in Katsina State, the Governor said. The Governor also directed the immediate formation of a Whitepaper Committee to advise on implementing the panels recommendations. The evaluation panel included Dr Muhammad Bashir Usman, former Special Adviser on Higher Education; Rabiu Abdu Ruma, a retired Permanent Secretary; Dr Maawuya Aliu, Director of Public Health at the Ministry of Health; Shuaibu Aliyu, the Auditor General for Local Governments; Safiyanu Maikano Mani, Pioneer Provost of College of Health Sciences; and Abubakar Saminu from OHOCSS, who served as Secretary. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The 10 Safest Online Casinos for Australian Players (2025) Not all online casinos are worth your trust. Some operate without proper licenses, lack security measures, and make withdrawals a nightmare. Thats why we did the hard work, testing and verifying the safest Australian online casinos so you dont have to. We only recommend casino sites with rock-solid security, fair gaming policies, and trusted payment methods. From SSL encryption and fast payouts to responsible gambling tools, these sites go the extra mile to protect your funds and personal data. Our top choice overall turned out to be Woo Casino thanks to its top-tier game selection, big tournaments prizes, and generous bonuses. Lets dive into the most secure online casinos in Australia and what makes them safe to play at. Our Recommended Safe Online Casinos in Australia Woo Casino: Overall safest Neospin: Fastest withdrawals CrownSlots: Generous bonuses and lottery prizes DragonSlots: Best for online pokies Bizzo: Big progressive jackpots Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Reviews of Australias Most Trusted Online Casinos When it comes to real money online gambling, safety should always come first. Thats why we tested and reviewed Australias most secure online casinos, ensuring they offer licensed operations, fast & fair payouts, and top-level encryption. Below, youll find the most trusted casino sites where you can play with confidence. 1. 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Heres what we focused on: Licensing & Regulation A valid gambling license is non-negotiable when it comes to safety. We only recommend casinos licensed by reputable authorities, such as the Curacao Gaming Control Board. This ensures that the casino operates legally, follows strict security regulations, and undergoes regular audits for fairness. Payment Security & Fast Payouts We tested withdrawal speeds to confirm how quickly players receive their winnings. Secure Australian casinos with instant crypto withdrawals, fast e-wallet cashouts, and low payout limits performed much better than those with delayed or restrictive banking policies. Security measures like SSL encryption and two-factor authentication also played a role in our rankings. Fair Play & Game Auditing All of our recommended casinos offer RNG-certified games from trusted software providers, ensuring that outcomes are random and fair. We also prioritized secure online casinos that work with independent auditors, like iTech Labs and eCOGRA, to verify game integrity. Customer Support & Transparency We tested each casinos customer service response times, checking for 24/7 live chat, email support, and detailed FAQs. The safest online casinos in Australia offer instant support, clearly outline their terms and conditions, and do not engage in misleading advertising. Safest Online Casino Games to Play in Australia Even at legit online casinos, not all games offer the same level of security, fairness, and payout potential. We tested numerous real money games and found that some offer better odds, lower house edges, and verified fair play certifications. Here are the safest casino games to play in Australia. Blackjack Best for Low House Edge Blackjack is one of the safest games in any casino, as it has a low house edge (0.5% when played optimally) and requires no random elements beyond the shuffle. Players who follow basic strategy can keep their odds very competitive, making blackjack a strong choice for secure and fair play. High-RTP Pokies Best for Consistent Wins Not all pokies are the samesome have significantly higher RTP (Return to Player) percentages than others. We found that the safest online casinos offer high-RTP slots from BGaming, Yggdrasil, and Playson, with games featuring 96%-98% payout rates. Roulette Best for Transparent Odds European and French roulette are among the fairest casino games, as they follow clear mathematical probabilities. French roulette has the lowest house edge (1.35%), thanks to the La Partage rule, which gives back half of losing even-money bets when the ball lands on zero. Avoid American roulette, as its extra double-zero pocket increases the house edge to 5.26%. Secure Payment Methods at Online Casinos in Australia Choosing a secure payment method is essential for fast and hassle-free transactions. We tested the most popular options and ranked them based on security, speed, and reliability. Heres what we found: Visa & Mastercard Reliable but Slow Payouts Widely accepted at all trusted Australian online casinos High security & fraud protection Withdrawals take 2-5 days Some banks block gambling transactions Bank Transfers Safe but Slow Highly secure with bank-level encryption Good for high-rollers due to large limits Withdrawals take up to 7 days Not ideal for casual players due to fees & wait times Cryptocurrencies Fast & Anonymous but Volatile Instant deposits & fast withdrawals No banking restrictions Anonymity & enhanced privacy Not all casinos accept crypto for bonuses Price volatility can affect your balance E-Wallets (MiFinity, LuxonPay, etc.) Fast & Convenient Withdrawals within 24 hours No need to share bank details Not accepted at all casinos Some wallets charge transaction fees Prepaid Cards (Neosurf, CashtoCode) Deposits Only No need for a bank account Instant deposits & anonymous transactions Cannot be used for withdrawals Smaller deposit limits compared to other methods Gamble Responsibly at Safe Australian Online Casinos! Even at the most secure online casinos, its important to stay in control of your gambling. Here are some key responsible gambling tips to keep your experience fun and risk-free: Set Deposit & Loss Limits The best Australian casinos allow you to cap your spending to avoid chasing losses. Stick to a Budget Always play within your means, and never gamble with money you cant afford to lose. Take Breaks & Set Time Limits Its easy to lose track of time, so schedule regular breaks to keep your gambling in check. Avoid Chasing Losses Losing streaks happen. Trying to win back losses quickly often leads to bigger financial problems. Use Self-Exclusion if Needed If gambling becomes overwhelming, many secure casinos offer cooling-off periods and self-exclusion options. Recognize Problem Gambling Signs If gambling stops being fun or starts affecting your daily life, it may be time to seek help. Reach Out for Support Organizations like Gambling Help Online provide free resources and support for those struggling with gambling habits. What is the Safest Online Casino in Australia? Our Verdict After thorough testing and analysis, we believe Woo Casino stands out as the safest online casino in Australia. With a valid Curacao license, secure payment methods, encrypted transactions, and strong responsible gambling tools, it ticks all the right boxes for a safe and reliable gambling experience. That said, no matter where you play, we strongly encourage you to gamble responsibly, stick to your budget, and choose only licensed, reputable Australian casinos for a secure gaming experience. 18+ Only. Gambling is risky. Bet at your own risk and never spend money that you cant afford to lose. This guide is informative and intended to present you with up-to-date information about the online casino landscape in Australia. Check your local laws before playing. If you think you have a gambling problem, reach out to www.gamblinghelponline.org.au Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Aisha Achimugu, a Nigerian business woman and founder of the Aisha Achimugu Foundation has unveiled a 30-day Ramadan feeding initiative as part of efforts in extending a helping hand to the needy during the fasting period. A statement by the Programme Director, Kiema Ogunlana, on Wednesday, noted that through the feeding initiative, the foundation is committed to nourishing over 450 vulnerable individuals daily across Chika, Galadinmawa and Durumi 2 communities in Abuja. The statement read, From orphans and vulnerable children to almajiri and persons with disabilities, this initiative is a testament to the Foundations unwavering dedication to uplifting lives and fostering communal harmony. The programme, which involves the careful sourcing of food items and meal distribution throughout the month, is a heartfelt response to the needs of those who may otherwise struggle to find sustenance. At the heart of this mission is Dr (Mrs) Aisha Achimugu, Founder/President, Aisha Achimugu Foundation, whose unparalleled generosity and compassion continue to make a tangible difference in the lives of many. Her vision of eradicating hunger and restoring dignity has transformed this initiative into more than just a feeding programit is a movement of kindness and hope. As the community comes together in gratitude, this act of service reminds us all of the true essence of Ramadansharing, caring, and lifting one another up. May this noble effort bring abundant blessings to all who give and receive. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The third edition of the Imperfectly Awesome Conversations Summit hosted by Omotola Bamigbaiye is set to hold on Sunday, April 13, 2025 at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos. Imperfectly Awesome is Omotola Bamigbaiyes ode to Resilience and Tenacity, which she first put together in her book titled, Imperfectly Awesome, written in an honest and relatable tone to help people love themselves, reinvent, and bloom. According to Bamigbaiye, the transformative gathering is renowned for bringing together industry experts, business leaders, and influential personalities to inspire change, foster resilience, and celebrate authenticity. The third edition of the summit will feature deep, reflective discussions and compelling storytelling that embraces lifes inevitable challenges while highlighting the strength found in imperfection, she said. She noted that participants at the summit will have the opportunity to share their journeys of transformation, foster a supportive and inclusive space, advocate for wellbeing, and highlight the power of tenacity and resilience. She disclosed that this edition of the summit would witness a diverse lineup of visionary speakers and thought leaders, also that the event promises to catalyse meaningful conversations that spark personal and collective empowerment. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later She explained that the objective of establishing the platform is to share stories of becoming through our imperfect journeys, inspiring others for social and economic empowerment. Create a safe space where people can lean into to embrace authenticity, and lend a voice to championing wellbeing and supporting everyone who feels not enough in any area of life, while uplifting them to become their true selves through engagements as they embrace the power of positivity. Bamigbaiye called on corporate organisations and well-meaning individuals to sponsor the summit as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Chairman, Gem Giant Ltd, Dr Babatope Agbeyo has appealed to foreign investors to make Nigeria their investment destination and to invest in the mining industry as the environment is conducive, safe and secure. Dr Agbeyo gave this advice having successfully signed Community Development Agreement (CDA) with the Faforiji community in Osun State, Nigeria over mining activities. The Chairman enjoined the state governments to continue creating an enabling environment for mining activities for the development of the host community and economic buoyancy of the state and nation at large. He also called on state governments hosting mining and explorations companies across the nation to be accommodating and favorable to mining investors and assist with the safety and security of both the staff and community members during mining operations. Dr Agbeyo said Government should aid in brokering peace between all parties involved. He implored other mining companies to abide by the regulations, as well as Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) rules. He stated further: Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later State governments hosting mining and explorations companies across the nation to be accommodating and favorable to mining investors and assist with the safety and security of both the staff and community members during mining operations. I would like to use this opportunity to enjoin the state governments to continue creating an enabling environment for mining activities for the development of the host community and economic buoyancy of the state and nation at large. Also, state governments hosting mining and explorations companies across the nation to be accommodating and favorable to mining investors and assist with the safety and security of both the staff and community members during mining operations. This is also an appeal to foreign investors to make Nigeria their investment destination and to invest in the mining industry as the environment is conducive, safe and secure. Whenever differences arise, the Government should aid in brokering peace between all parties involved. I implore other mining companies to abide by the regulations, and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) rules. Speaking also, The King of Faforiji community Oba Adebayo Faforiji lauded the company for being bold and deliberate towards salvaging the community its discovery of mining activitys potentials in commercial quantities. Oba Adedayo prayed for the discovery of Gold deposits and other minerals that will benefit the company and the community. We are very happy and delighted that although a lot of people have been speculating that there are gold deposits in almost all of ijesha land, we have not had anybody that volunteered to come to our area to help us find out if we have in commercial quantities or not. We thank God that today we are welcoming Gem Giant, a company that is owned by the son of the soil, born, breed and raised in Faforiji who has volunteered to go round the community to find out if we have commercial quantity of mineral resources. We are praying to God that after signing the agreement today and giving him the approval to go into those areas, he can successfully find Gold deposits and other minerals that will benefit the company and the community. Oba said. The event was concluded with the foundation laying ceremony of Gem Giant office in Faforiji presided by the King of Faforiji community, Oba Faforiji. With the successful signing of the CDA, Gem Giant Ltd is set to commence its exploration activities in a manner that prioritises the welfare of the host community while adhering to international best practices in environmental and social responsibility. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Business owners affected by last years devastating flood in Borno State have told Governor Babagana Zulum they need more than tax waivers from the government to recover from the losses they suffered in the natural disaster. The flood disaster, which followed the collapse of the Alau Dam in Maiduguri on 10 September 2024, caused massive disruptions to economic activities in Borno. The dam collapsed due to climate change factors and poor maintenance of the facility over the years. The state government had granted the affected businesses a two-year tax waiver to help their recovery.. The gesture comes weeks after a PREMIUM TIMES reported how controversy trailed the disbursement of N18.8 billion from the N28.2 billion donations made by the federal and state governments, businesses and philanthropic organisations to the victims of the flood. All the business owners interviewed for the story said they had not received any support. The announcement of the tax waiver by the Chairman of the Borno State Internal Revenue Service (BO-IRS), Ibrahim Bello, was greeted with mixed reactions. Damage by Flood In addition to the bridges, schools, clinics, farmlands, and businesses destroyed by the flood, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the disaster killed 30 people and affected 400 others. However, the International Organisation for Migration, which collaborated with the Borno State Government and other development partners, put the number of victims at over 900 in its latest situation report. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The report also highlighted the victims immediate humanitarian needs, including food, shelter, medicine, and potable drinking water. Tax Waiver Not EnoughVictims According to Mr Bello, the revenue chief, Governor Zulum wanted to help the affected traders to reinvest in their businesses without the additional burden of tax obligations. However, in their reactions, the businesses commended the governor for the gesture but said it was not their primary expectation from his government. However, business owners who spoke with our reporters on Wednesday said they preferred to receive support from the relief fund the government claimed to have disbursed. Even if it is N10,000 as support for cleaning our shop, that would have been good, Ruth Odoikwu, owner of Baba Rich Kitchen Wares and Wrappers Shop along Lagos Street in Maiduguri, said. The government representative came here and even wrote something on my door. They collected account details, but I have not received anything yet, she added. We have lost a lot. We lost goods worth over N200 million. I am just hearing from you about the tax waiver, and I think it is something good, and we are grateful to the government, but this was not what we expected. The government disbursed relief funds, but neither I nor anyone in this plaza received the money, Saleh Maidabino, manager of Maidabino Furniture Enterprise Limited along Lagos Street, said. Others who reacted to the governors latest intervention said they preferred soft loans in the absence of financial handouts. We have been waiting to hear from the government. It is very benevolent of them to have given a tax waiver, but our losses are colossal, so they need to do more. We need some kind of compensation given to be able to re-equip the hospital to further serve the people of the state. In the absence of this intervention from the government, soft loans would be acceptable, said Ezekiel Ogunbiyi, the Chief Medical Director of Nakowa Specialist Hospital. He stressed that the hospital had operated the state for over 40 years. During the flood, about half of the hospital building was submerged. It later declared losing drugs and medical equipment valued at about N500 million to the flood. When this reporter visited the hospital last month, its fences, which had been damaged by the flood, were still unfixed. According to the management, immediately after the flood, the government presented some bottles of water, towels, beverages, toiletries, and buckets to the hospital for their patients. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIW and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) are collaborating to conduct drug tests on boat operators in Niger State. The NIWA area manager in Niger State, Akapo Adeboye, disclosed this during a sensitisation programme for boat operators, traders, and farmers in Katcha Local Government Area (LGA). The initiative comes in response to frequent boat accidents in the state, many of which involve traders and farmers travelling to Katchas weekly market. Several lives have been lost due to poor safety practices and unregulated operations. To address these challenges, NIWA has introduced new enforcement measures, including mandatory drug tests and penalties for non-compliance with safety regulations. New Penalties for Violations Under the new regulations, offenders will be fined N50,000 for operating boats at night or transporting hazardous materials: N20,000 for overloading or dumping refuse into waterways and N10,000 for failing to wear a life jacket, operating without a valid license, or lacking a fire extinguisher. Untrained operators caught transporting passengers will be prosecuted, Mr Adeboye warned. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mandatory Training and Passenger Records NIWA has also made training compulsory for boat operators to ensure they are qualified. Additionally, all passengers must now register their names in a cargo manifest before boarding to enhance emergency response and accountability. The agency reiterated its commitment to improving waterway safety and reducing accidents across the state. Frequent boat mishaps have plagued Niger State, particularly affecting traders and farmers travelling to Katchas weekly market. In response, NIWA strengthened enforcement measures to improve safety on waterways. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State was on Wednesday prevented from accessing the State Assembly Quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital. PREMIUM TIMES learned that Mr Fubara was at the quarters to re-present the 2025 budget to the lawmakers under the leadership of the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule. The Amaewhule-led assembly is made up of 27 lawmakers, all of whom are loyal to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike. After the assembly complex was demolished in December 2023, the 27 lawmakers began to use their official quarters as the chamber for legislative sitting. Denial of access A video clip circulating on Facebook showed that when Mr Fubara and his entourage arrived at the entrance of the assembly quarters, the gates were locked. Speaking to reporters at the gate, the governor accused the Speaker, Mr Amaewhule, of deliberately avoiding him. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Before my arrival here, I made several attempts to speak to the Speaker. I also sent a letter which was transmitted for this particular invitation. Unfortunately, at the gate, you can see that the place is completely sealed, and there is no sign that anything is going to happen today, he stated. Mr Fubara stressed that his quest to re-present the 2025 budget to the lawmakers as ordered by the Supreme Court was in the interest of the people. The governor said he remains committed to fulfilling his constitutional duties in the state. The reason why we are doing this, I have always said, is in the interest of our people, which is the most important thing. I dont think there is anything to worry about. I expect to hear from them (lawmakers) after today, he said, before leaving the premises with his entourage. Background Messrs Fubara and Wike have been engaged in a protracted political face-off over the control of political structure in the south-southern state. The face-off split the state assembly into two factions 27 lawmakers loyal to Mr Wike and three to Mr Fubara. Both factions held parallel plenaries. Following the demolition of the assembly complex, the pro-Wike lawmakers moved their sitting to a different venue, while those loyal to Mr Fubara moved to a building at the Government House. Mr Fubara had been forwarding all executive communications, including bills and nominees for appointments to the three-member faction for consideration and approval. But in February, the Supreme Court restored Mr Amaewhules position as the speaker, reinstated the others as legitimate members of the assembly, and nullified the local government election organised by Mr Fubaras administration. The lawmakers subsequently gave the governor 48 hours to re-present the budget. The governor had vowed to implement the order of the Supreme Court despite disagreeing with the verdict. Meanwhile, on 7 March, the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Tammy Danagogo, wrote the lawmakers, inviting them to a meeting with Mr Fubara to discuss a suitable space for the assemblys sittings, payment of outstanding remuneration and allowances for the lawmakers, and budget presentation. But the lawmakers declined the invitation. Ahead of the Wednesday visit to the lawmakers, Governor Fubara informed the Amaewhule-led assembly that he would come to their chambers to present the Rivers 2025 budget for their consideration and approval. The governors letter to the Speaker, Mr Amaewhule, was dated 11 March 2025. As of the time of this report, the assembly has not given an official reason for Wednesdays incident although Mr Amaewhule has accused the governor of insincerity in implementing the Supreme Courts ruling. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A 65-year-old man, Emmanuel Chinedu, was on Wednesday arraigned in an Amawbia Chief Magistrates Court in Awka, Anambra State, for allegedly assaulting his stepmother and sister over a property. Mr Chinedu is standing trial on a four-count charge of assault and willful damage. He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The police prosecutor, Hojo Ubanna told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offences on 25 February at Awkwuzu in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra. Mr Ubanna, a deputy superintendent of police, said the offences contravened Section 1, 16(1) and 13(1) of the Violence against Persons Prohibition and Protection Law of Anambra State 2017. The Chief Magistrate, U.E. Onochie, granted the defendant N300,000 bail with a surety in like sum. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mrs Onochie adjourned the case until 30 April for a hearing. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has flagged off the reconstruction of the 11.1-kilometre ObehieUmudobiaOwaza Road in Ukwa West Local Government Area, with an assurance that the road will be completed within a year. This is contained in a press statement issued by the spokesperson to Governor Otti, Ukoha Ukoha, on Tuesday in Umuahia. Flagging off the road project at St. Ann Secondary School, Obehie Asa, Mr Otti said the road, when completed, would boost the marketability and viability of Abia Industrial and Innovative Park. He said that significant changes would occur in the area after the road was completed and disclosed that the federal government has approved a modular refinery to be built inside the industrial park. This project is therefore not just about creating access to the towns and villages along this corridor; it is more about reviving dormant economic assets, opening new horizons and reigniting the dreams that once starred the souls of our fathers. Id like to inform you that just a few days ago, we got the good news that the federal government has approved a modular refinery that would be located inside the Abia Industrial and Innovative Park. That modular refinery will be built by H.I.S. Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later My assurance is that every support we can give as a government shall be availed you as we work together to create a robust industrial cluster that will accelerate the rapid socio-economic development of the area and fast track the restoration of the years that has been lost to poor leadership, Governor Otti stated. No longer a forgotten place Mr Otti, who declared that the era of neglecting Ukwa people was over, said that Ukwa would no longer be a forgotten place. Your land will yield forth its best fruits, and your barns shall never be empty again. You will enjoy the riches of the environment and the oil in your land shall bring you boundless prosperity. You will not only get what is due you at the resource allocation table, the various levers of our administration shall collaborate extensively with agencies like the Abia State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, Niger Delta Development Commission and other interventionist establishments to restore the years that have been lost to the politics of exclusion and deceit, he added. While responding to various requests from leaders of the area, Governor Otti assured he would soon flag off the reconstruction of the Umuzike Obokwe Ngwaiyiekwe Road, which had been approved in the 2025 budget. He promised to restore electricity in Asa land before the end of March and directed the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu, to visit the area on Monday to find out what it would take to do so. On the appeal for portable water, the governor said he has already declared a state of emergency in the water sub-sector, assuring that the water problem confronting many communities in the state would be over soon. While thanking the stakeholders from various political parties for joining him and his vision for the state, he urged the people to support and cooperate with the contractors. READ ALSO: Man arraigned for allegedly assaulting stepmother Gratitude, commendations to Otti Speaking also, the member representing Ukwa-West State Constituency in the Abia House of Assembly, Godwin Adiele, the Commissioner for Environment, Philemon Ogbonna, and the Mayor of Ukwa-West Local Government Area, Dike Nwankwo, expressed the happiness and gratitude of the Asa people to the governor. Earlier, the Commissioner for Works, Otumchere Oti, noted that Governor Otti has continued to connect communities through road infrastructure and described the road as a gateway into Asa and the Abia Industrial and Innovation Park. He noted that the project, with a 12-month delivery timeline, will equally open up the area for greater economic opportunities by creating direct and indirect jobs and increasing heavy financial flow into the area. Also speaking, the General Manager of the Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, Joshua Onyeike, thanked the Governor for providing the commission with a level playing field to perform its statutory mandate of providing essential services to oil-producing areas, adding that the governor has demonstrated his love for the Ukwa people. He disclosed the governor would be working on other projects in Ukwa and assured the governor of the peoples continued support. In their goodwill messages, Victoria Akanwa, a former legislator in Old Imo State, and Ralph Egbu, a former Secretary to the Abia State Government, applauded Governor Otti for his landmark achievements across the state and thanked him for coming to rescue the people of Ukwa from the bad roads, the area is known for. They appealed for the restoration of electricity and the provision of potable water in the area. In an address, the President General of the Asa Development Union, Goodluck Nwauju, said the governor has demonstrated his love for Asa through the road project, the Abia Industrial and Innovation Park, and the recovery of over 10,000 hectares of land earlier taken over by the previous administration for a non-existent Enyimba Economic City project. The event attracted many dignitaries and saw some major stakeholders of various opposition parties in Ukwa presenting themselves to work with Governor Otti, whom they unanimously declared is performing beyond expectations and should be supported. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print During day, five people killed, 12 more wounded in enemy attacks in Donetsk region Photo: https://www.facebook.com/vadym.filashkin/ As a result of enemy attacks in Donetsk region on Wednesday, five people were killed and 12 more were wounded, including two minors, the head of the regional military administartion, Vadym Filashkin, reported. "At about 11 a.m., the Russians shelled Pokrovsk a 38-year-old man was killed there, an administrative building was damaged. At about the same time, Myrnohrad came under fire there are reports of two dead and one wounded," he wrote on Telegram. Filashkin reported that the enemy attacked Druzhkivka three times with aerial bombs - three people were injured, including two children aged 8 and 9, and 32 objects were also damaged, including high-rise buildings, private houses, a dormitory and cars. In addition, at around 3-4 p.m., the Russians dropped 11 aerial bombs on Kostiantynivka - two people were killed and eight were injured in the city, and numerous high-rise buildings and private houses were damaged. Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja has fixed 21 March for the trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to begin. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reliably gathered on Wednesday that Mr Omotosho fixed the date after the case file was transferred to him. Mr Kanu, who was repatriated to Nigeria from Kenya in June 2021 under controversial circumstances, is expected to take his plea as the case begins afresh. NAN reports that the Chief Judge (CJ) of FHC, Justice John Tsoho, had, in a letter dated 4 March and addressed to Mr Kanus lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, communicated the re-assignment of the case from Justice Binta Nyako to Mr Omotosho. The re-assignment followed Mr Kanus demand for the transfer of the seven-count terrorism charge to another judge after alleging bias. Mrs Nyako recused herself from the case on 24 September 2024 and sent the case file to the chief judge of the FHC for re-assignment. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The judge said she could not proceed with a trial where a defendant lacked confidence in the court. READ ALSO: Otti commended as he flags off another major road project in Abia However, the chief judge returned Mr Kanus case file to Mrs Nyako for adjudication, insisting that the defence must formally apply for the recusal. But on 10 February, Mr Kanu, through his lawyer, Mr Ejimakor, insisted that Mrs Nyako no longer had jurisdiction to preside over the case after her recusal, prompting the judge to adjourn the case indefinitely. NAN reports that Justice Ahmed Mohammed (elevated to Appeal Court) and Mr Tsoho (before becoming the CJ) had presided over Mr Kanus trial before it was assigned to Mrs Nyako, following the defendants rejection of the two judges. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print SYDNEY, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Australia's largest event, Vivid Sydney, returns from Friday, 23 May to Saturday, 14 June 2025, with the theme "Dream" exploring the question: What's in a dream? Vivid Sydney, CREDIT Destination NSW Vivid Sydney, CREDIT Destination NSW Transforming Sydney into a vibrant hub of creativity for 23 nights, the Southern Hemisphere's leading multi-artform festival features spectacular light installations, music performances, thought-provoking ideas, and culinary experiences that attract visitors from around the globe. Now in its 15th year, Vivid Sydney 2025 offers international travellers an unforgettable winter experience showcasing Australia's cultural capital. Over 75% of the program and the entire Vivid Light Walk will be free to enjoy. The Light Walk showcases world-leading animation and projection technologies, with exclusive commissions including late Australian artist David McDiarmid's "Kiss of Light" illuminating the Sydney Opera House, Vincent Namatjira's "King Dingo" on the Museum of Contemporary Art, and fashion label Romance Was Born's "House of Romance" on Customs House. International celebrity chef Nigella Lawson will curate three exclusive Vivid Sydney Dinners in the spectacular Muru Giligu tunnel. "Having loved it for years, it is the hugest thrill to be part of the Vivid Food program," Lawson said. The popular Vivid Fire Kitchen and Chef Series events will also return, celebrating NSW cuisine. The Ideas program features global thought leaders including TIME Magazine's Creative Director D.W. Pine and sleep scientist Professor Matthew Walker. Netflix's "Stranger Things: The Experience" makes its Australian debut at Luna Park Sydney, offering fans an immersive adventure designed by the show's creators. Music highlights include performances at the iconic Sydney Opera House by international acts Anohni and The Johnsons, Portishead's Beth Gibbons, Iceland's Sigur Ros with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and Japanese Breakfast. Free concerts at Tumbalong Nights will showcase global artists alongside Australian talent. "Vivid Sydney continues to find exciting new ways to bring colour, creativity and fun to our city," said The Hon. John Graham, NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism. Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini said the festival's Dream theme is something that we all experience, and it can be interpreted in a myriad of ways. "Dreaming is as old as time and as universal as life itself. Dreams can be prophetic, life changing and inspirational, as well as trivial, hilarious or terrifying. These interactions are evident in every aspect of Vivid Sydney's program this year. Tickets for Vivid Sydney are on sale now. For more information and for a full list of events, go to vividsydney.com Vivid Sydney Partners Samsung is a returning Major Partner for Vivid Sydney 2025, activating in Cockle Bay Wharf with a dramatic light and water show. Official Partners include Estee Lauder, returning for its second year, and Ausgrid, powering Vivid Sydney's Tumbalong Nights program. Airbnb is once again Vivid Sydney's Community Partner, supporting the volunteer program, and the Charity Partner for 2025 is Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation. Media Assets Click here for VNR package including interviews, artwork renders and b-roll footage. SOURCE Destination NSW WOOD DALE, Ill., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AAR CORP. (NYSE: AIR), a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs, and OEMs, announced a multi-year agreement to provide Cebu Pacific Air with nacelle maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for the airline's A320 fleet powered by the CFM56-5B engine. This work will be performed at AAR's Component Services facility in Chonburi, Thailand. AARs Jim Berberet and Cebu Pacific Airs Shev Weerasekera meet for a signing ceremony. AAR's longstanding relationship with Cebu Pacific includes supplying USM engine material for the airline's CFM56-5B engine overhauls and providing warranty management and repair cost oversight services through AAR subsidiary Airinmar. "We are extremely pleased to be continuing our partnership with AAR. They share our values on maintenance quality and turnaround time, provided at a very competitive rate," said Shev Weerasekera, VP of Engineering and Fleet Management for Cebu Pacific Air. "We're proud to expand our relationship with Cebu Pacific Air through this component repair agreement, where we will provide innovative and timely solutions for their CFM56-5B nacelles," said Jim Berberet, AAR's Senior Vice President of Component Services. "This agreement reflects the strong confidence that operators have in our cost-effective service offerings in the APAC region." For more information on AAR's Component Services, part of the Company's Repair & Engineering segment, visit https://www.aarcorp.com/en/services/component-services/. About AAR AAR is a global aerospace and defense aftermarket solutions company with operations in over 20 countries. Headquartered in the Chicago area, AAR supports commercial and government customers through four operating segments: Parts Supply, Repair & Engineering, Integrated Solutions, and Expeditionary Services. Additional information can be found at aarcorp.com. About Cebu Pacific Cebu Pacific (CEB), the Philippines' leading airline, entered the aviation industry on March 8,1996 and pioneered the "low fare, great value" strategy, and has flown over 200 million passengers since inception. CEB offers the widest domestic network in the Philippines with 35 domestic destinations. It also currently operates flights to 25 international destinations, spanning across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. This press release may contain certain statements relating to future results, which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, reflecting management's expectations about future conditions, including anticipated activities and benefits under the agreement. Forward-looking statements may also be identified because they contain words such as ''anticipate,'' ''believe,'' ''continue,'' ''could,'' ''estimate,'' ''expect,'' ''intend,'' ''likely,'' ''may,'' ''might,'' ''plan,'' ''potential,'' ''predict,'' ''project,'' ''seek,'' ''should,'' ''target,'' ''will,'' ''would,'' or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. These forward-looking statements are based on beliefs of management, as well as assumptions and estimates based on information currently available to management and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to "Risk Factors" in AAR CORP.'s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize adversely, or should underlying assumptions or estimates prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described. These events and uncertainties are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many are beyond management's control. Management assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events. Contact: Media Team +1-630-227-5100 [email protected] SOURCE AAR CORP. WALTHAM, Mass., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- People who are caring for loved ones with multiple sclerosis (MS) now have an additional resource to answer their questions at any time. In addition to carefully curated resources and information, the MS Care Partner Connection website features its own Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot, the AI Caregiving Expert, that's programmed to search for useful and reliable answers. "The AI Caregiving Expert gives MS caregivers a guide to help them find answers to their questions, whenever they need them," says Jon Strum, host of the RealTalk MS podcast and co-leader of the Care Partner Advisory Board developed and customized the service using Open AI's ChatGPT. "Not only does it provide very accurate, actionable information, but it does so in a supportive way. It uses language that is exactly the kind of empathetic conversation a care partner would want." The new website, MSCarePartnerConnection.com, was launched by Accelerated Cure Project (ACP) for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), with support from EMD Serono's Embracing Carers initiative. Visitors to the site will find links to fundamental information about MS, guidance on navigating the healthcare and insurance systems, dealing with employers, managing finances, and maintaining healthy relationships. These resources can help care partners find answers to questions and link them to support groups and advisors for the help they need. The AI Caregiving Expert is a complementary feature that visitors can use for questions that aren't covered and professional advice that isn't available when they need it. "As we're learning with any AI application, the more specific your question, the better the answer is going to be," Strum says. "That's what is great about this kind of tool. You can refine your questions, and it becomes a dialogue." For people who don't have access in their community to available or affordable experts in MS, emotional support, or financial advising, the AI Caregiving Expert can fill an important gap. And for those who do have support, it can suggest options that users can bring to their counselor or advisor to discuss. "We never imagined it to be a replacement for talking with a professional, but when you are a care partner who is up at one o'clock in the morning because you need to figure something out, that's not necessarily a time when you're going to reach a professional," Strum adds. "The AI Caregiving Expert is available around the clock, it's never out-of-network, you can ask as many questions as you want, and you'll get an instant response." CONTACT Melissa Glim, MPH Ogilvy Health [email protected] About Accelerated Cure Project ACP (www.acceleratedcure.org) is a patient-founded non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating research efforts to improve the health, healthcare and quality of life of people affected by MS. The organization promotes scientific collaboration and accelerates research by rapidly and cost-effectively providing researchers worldwide with people, data and biosample resources they need to explore novel research ideas that can lead to cures and better care for people living with MS. The major programs of Accelerated Cure Project are the ACP Repository, the iConquerMS People-Powered Research Network and the MS Minority Research Engagement Partnership Network. SOURCE Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis Experience the Legendary Ado SPECIAL LIVE 2024 "Shinzou" Performance Mastered and Enhanced for Cinema in Participating Theaters LOS ANGELES, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, GAGA Corporation announced the upcoming global theatrical release of the concert film "Ado SPECIAL LIVE 'Shinzou' in Cinema" and unveiled an official trailer alongside a promotional poster. The concert film is set to premiere nationwide in Japan on May 9, 2025, followed by international screenings in select theaters. The concert film offers an immersive journey into Ado's legendary live concert "Shinzou" at the Japan National Stadium in 2024. It also features a fully remastered 5.1 channel audio system and Dolby Atmos sound technology for unparalleled sound quality tailored for the big screen. Created by Ado's image director, ORIHARA, the official poster seamlessly blends the key visual from Ado SPECIAL LIVE 2024 "Shinzou" with real concert imagery, delivering a striking design that vividly captures the energy of the experience. Tune into the promotional trailer of "Ado SPECIAL LIVE 'Shinzou' in Cinema" https://youtu.be/6TTyCW-PT3o The trailer offers a glimpse into the unforgettable performance of Ado's electrifying live concert, showcasing the dynamic atmosphere of the venue. Narrated by Ado herself, it highlights one of the most unforgettable moments of the showher first-ever on-stage collaboration with Hatsune Miku. About "Ado SPECIAL LIVE 2024 'Shinzou'" Attracting 140,000 fans over two days (April 2728, 2024), "Shinzou" was a legendary performance that established Ado as the first solo female artist to perform at the iconic Japan National Stadium. The setlist featured 26 songs including her on-stage duet of "Sakura Biyori and Time Machine (with Hatsune Miku)," the highly acclaimed "DIGNITY" featuring guest guitarist Tak Matsumoto (from B'z), and "Show," a collaboration song with Universal Studios Japan. The theatrical release promises a fresh and immersive experience for fans who missed the live event or want to relive the moment. "Ado SPECIAL LIVE 'Shinzou' in Cinema" is a One-of-a-Kind Experience To deliver a truly special experience for fans, "Ado SPECIAL LIVE 'Shinzou' in Cinema" features audio expertly remastered by renowned recording engineer Kenichi Koga. The concert film is optimized for Dolby Atmos and 5.1 channel surround sound, immersing the audience in stunning, high-fidelity audio tailored for theaters that bring the concert to life. About Ado A 22-year-old Utaite, Ado, became a mainstream name through her 2020 major label debut "Usseewa," which sparked a social phenomenon. Ado's first album "Kyougen" and the songtrack album "UTA'S SONGS ONE PIECE FILM RED," featuring all seven songs she sang for the movie "ONE PIECE FILM RED," have both dominated the charts and become long-lasting hits. She started her first world tour, "Ado FIRST WORLD TOUR 'Wish'" in February 2024, and in April 2024, she performed a two-day live concert, "Ado SPECIAL LIVE 2024 'Shinzou,'" making her the first female solo artist to ever hold a show at the Japan National Stadium. Starting from July 2024, she held her biggest yet nationwide arena tour, "Ado JAPAN TOUR 2024 'Profile of Mona Lisa,'" and her highly anticipated second original album "Zanmu" was also released in the same month. On October 24, 2024, she released her first CD single "Sakura Biyori and Time Machine (with Hatsune Miku) / Shoka." Ado is currently gearing up for her second world tour, "Ado WORLD TOUR 2025 'Hibana' Powered by Crunchyroll" starting in April 2025. For more information, visit: Official website: https://ado-shinzou-in-cinema-en.com/ Official X (Twitter): @ADOLIVEINCINEMA (https://x.com/ADOLIVEINCINEMA) Image assets are available to download: HERE SOURCE GAGA Corporation The European Parliament called on the Ukrainian authorities to strengthen political unity in the country and lift restrictions on deputies' travel abroad. This is stated in the resolution of the European Parliament, which was voted on Wednesday in Strasbourg as part of the plenary session. Some 442 voted "for," 98 "against" and 126 abstained. A total of 666 deputies of the European Parliament took part in the vote. "The European Parliament calls on the Ukrainian authorities to strengthen internal political unity in Ukraine, uphold parliamentary pluralism and engage in constructive cooperation with the political parties in the Verkhovna Rada," the document notes. "The European Parliament calls on Ukrainian political stakeholders to continue strengthening political unity and parliamentary pluralism and to engage in constructive cooperation within the Verkhovna Rada, and calls for due regard to be given to the powers and rights of local self-governing bodies ," the document notes. In addition, the EP called for guaranteeing media pluralism in accordance with the democratic principles and values that Ukrainians so resolutely and courageously defend. The EP also proposed, in light of the EU accession process, to lift all restrictions on foreign travel by members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. BELLEVUE, Wash., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Aegis Living, a premier leader in senior assisted living and memory care services, is proud to announce the appointment of Richard Galanti and Ally Svenson to its Advisory Board. These distinguished additions bring a wealth of experience and visionary leadership that will further strengthen Aegis Living's commitment to excellence in senior care. Richard Galanti: Financial Stewardship and Strategic Growth Richard Galanti joined Aegis Living's Board after a remarkable four-decade tenure at Costco Wholesale Corporation, where he served as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President. Galanti's financial acumen played a pivotal role in transforming Costco into one of the world's largest and most respected retailers. Under his financial leadership, Costco expanded its global footprint, achieving annual revenues exceeding $254 billion and serving over $77 million active members. Galanti's journey began in his family's Atlanta grocery business, instilling in him a deep understanding of retail operations from an early age. He later honed his financial expertise in investment banking before joining Costco in 1984. His strategic insights and dedication to operational efficiency have been instrumental in Costco's sustained growth and success. At Aegis Living, Galanti's extensive experience in financial management and strategic planning is expected to provide invaluable guidance as the company continues to innovate and expand its services to meet the evolving needs of seniors. Ally Svenson: Purpose-Driven Entrepreneurship and Community Engagement Ally Svenson, co-founder of MOD Pizza, brings to Aegis Living a profound commitment to purpose-driven business practices and community enrichment. Since its inception in 2008, MOD Pizza has grown to over 400 locations across the United States under Svenson's leadership, earning recognition for its unique blend of business success and social impact. Before MOD Pizza, Svenson co-founded Seattle Coffee Company in the United Kingdom, which Starbucks subsequently acquired. Her entrepreneurial journey is marked by a dedication to building businesses prioritizing positive social impact and profitability. Svenson's approach aligns seamlessly with Aegis Living's mission to create vibrant communities that enhance the lives of residents and their families. Svenson's expertise in scaling businesses while maintaining a strong company culture will be instrumental in guiding Aegis Living's initiatives focused on community engagement, employee development, and resident satisfaction. Aegis Living's Commitment to Excellence Adding Richard Galanti and Ally Svenson to the Advisory Board underscores Aegis Living's dedication to leadership excellence and innovative growth. Their diverse backgrounds and shared commitment to values-driven leadership are poised to drive Aegis Living's mission forward, ensuring the highest quality of care and enriching experiences for residents. About Aegis Living: Aegis Living is a national leader in assisted living and memory care, providing residents with premium care and vibrant community life. With a commitment to innovation and compassion, Aegis Living offers personalized services that enhance the quality of life for seniors and peace of mind for their families. SOURCE Aegis Living PRINCETON, N.J., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Align ENT + Allergy ("Align") is excited to join forces with Princeton Allergy & Asthma Associates ("Princeton Allergy"), a premier allergy and asthma group serving the Greater Princeton Area. This partnership strengthens Align's presence in New Jersey and reinforces its commitment to providing comprehensive support to sub-specialist ENT and allergy physicians. Princeton Allergy's six physicians specialize in allergy, asthma, and immunology and are consistently listed among Castle Connolly's Top Doctors, providing exceptional care to patients across Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset counties. "We are thrilled to welcome Princeton Allergy to the Align community," said James Grant, MD, CEO of Align. "Their reputation for excellence and deep expertise in allergy and immunology align perfectly with our vision of building a strong, collaborative network of specialist physicians." "We are excited to partner with Align to enrich our comprehensive patient care," said Kristen Sikorski, MD of Princeton Allergy. "This collaboration will enable us to maintain our clinical autonomy and individual practice styles that our patients have come to appreciate, while also providing us access to a larger network of providers and resources." About Align ENT + Allergy Align ENT + Allergy is a management services organization (MSO) supporting a community of physician-led ENT and Allergy practices. Through a true partnership model, Align provides comprehensive practice management services to private practices. Partners gain the advantages of a professionalized MSO while retaining local control, allowing them to focus on providing high-quality, cost-effective personalized care within their communities. For more information, visit AlignENTA.com. About Princeton Allergy & Asthma Associates From research to prevention and education to the latest treatment options, physicians at Princeton Allergy & Asthma Associates help patients of all ages breathe easier and feel better season after season. Listed in Castle Connolly's Top Doctors and NJ Top Docs for several years, the physicians have earned the distinction of being the area's premier allergy and asthma providers. SOURCE Align ENT + Allergy Momentum and rapid growth continue for the Market Intelligence Leader as it achieves key mileposts on revenue, customers, product innovation, and industry recognition NEW YORK, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AlphaSense , the leading AI-powered market intelligence and search platform, today announced it has exceeded $400 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), more than doubling its ARR since announcing it reached $200 million in April 2024. This success is driven by its growing customer base that has reached more than 6,000 customersincluding 88% of the S&P 100all of whom rely on AlphaSense for its cutting-edge AI technology to gain deeper insights, make data-driven decisions, and stay ahead of market trends. With its innovative platform, AlphaSense continues to empower businesses across industriesincluding leading financial institutionsto accelerate growth, streamline operations, and enhance strategic decision-making. "We are at a tipping point where AI-driven insights are no longer a luxury but a necessityevery company's market value is the sum of the decisions it makes," said Jack Kokko, CEO and Founder of AlphaSense. "Surpassing $400 million in ARR and our rapid growth are clear signals that businesses are recognizing the transformative power of our end-to-end market intelligence platform. As we scale, our focus remains on product and technology innovation, ensuring we deliver high-value solutions and cutting-edge AI and smart workflow capabilities to our customers." Market Momentum & Strategic Expansion AlphaSense's record-breaking growth follows a series of strategic moves, including its landmark $930 million acquisition of Tegus in June 2024, the market's leading expert interview library covering more than 35,000 public and private companies, with over 150,000 transcripts of investor-led expert interviews. This acquisition combined AlphaSense's market-leading search and Generative AI technology with the market's top private content library, giving clients access to a vast source of essential insights on the range of companies and industries that matter to their decision-making. With a total of 450 million searchable documentsincluding all equity research, event transcripts, expert interviews, company filings, news, and trade journalsAlphaSense equips decision-makers with unparalleled market insights, all powered by advanced AI technology. World leading organizations, including Adobe, Amazon, American Express, Cisco, Nvidia, Microsoft, Pfizer, Salesforce, Nestle, and JPMorgan, continue to turn to AlphaSense to redefine how businesses access and leverage market intelligence. In addition to being trusted by customers, AlphaSense also celebrated a landmark year of achievements in 2024 , including record-breaking industry and individual award wins from prestigious organizations such as CNBC, Fast Company, Fortune, Inc., and more. "It's been a privilege to partner with Jack and the AlphaSense team over the past few years as they've redefined how organizations discover and act on critical insights," said James Luo, General Partner at CapitalG, Alphabet's independent growth fund. "Reaching $400M ARR is a testament to their bold vision and the transformative power of their AI-driven platform. We're thrilled to continue supporting AlphaSense as they lead the market intelligence revolution for businesses worldwide." Innovation & Future Growth Last week, AlphaSense announced its latest leap forward in transforming how businesses access and analyze critical insights with Generative AI. With the groundbreaking additions of Generative Search and Generative Grid , AlphaSense is not just advancing the industryit's redefining the possibilities of AI in market intelligence, setting a new standard for speed, accuracy, and depth of analysis. Looking ahead, AlphaSense is poised to further accelerate its momentum through continued investments in Generative AI, Enterprise Intelligence, deeper content integrations, and global market expansion. As industries navigate increasing complexity and information overload, AlphaSense is dedicated to delivering AI-powered solutions that empower professionals to make better decisions, faster. Experience the power of AlphaSense's Generative AI by joining the early access program for Generative Grid . Plus, stay connected on the go with the AlphaSense mobile app . To learn more about career opportunities at the company, click here . About AlphaSense The world's most sophisticated companies rely on AlphaSense to remove uncertainty from decision-making. With market intelligence and search built on proven AI, AlphaSense delivers insights that matter from content you can trust. Our universe of public and private content includes equity research, company filings, event transcripts, expert calls, news, trade journals, and clients' own research content. Founded in 2011, AlphaSense is headquartered in New York City with over 2,000 people across the globe and offices in the U.S., U.K., Finland, India, Singapore, Canada, and Ireland. For more information, please visit www.alpha-sense.com . Media Contact Remi Duhe Email: [email protected] SOURCE AlphaSense CHICAGO, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "America's egg farmers know how important available and affordable eggs are to our customers and everyone who counts on eggs daily. The disruption to our nation's egg supply and the resulting price volatility we're all experiencing are due to the ongoing impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza, also called HPAI or bird flu, which is now in its fourth year. "While it's going to take a sustained period with no additional HPAI detections on egg farms to stabilize supply, there is some good news. Demand, while remaining steady, has moderated as it always does in the weeks before the Easter buying season begins. Consequently, egg prices have started coming down on the wholesale marketdropping by almost 22% in the past two weeks.1 "It is important to remember that supply and demand continue to drive wholesale prices for eggs, and as the Easter holiday approaches, increasing demand may cause a second, temporary increase in prices. In addition, egg farmers are closely watching spring migration of wild birds, recognizing that wild birds are a leading cause of the spread of this virus and pose a great and ongoing threat to egg-laying flocks. "While there is no instant solution for the devastating loss of 130 million egg-laying hens, positive impacts of USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins' five-pronged response to HPAI are underway.2 In January, USDA reported a 91% increase of shell eggs from Mexico and Turkey, or more than 827,000 dozen, which is expected to help ease the supply strain on the egg products and further processed markets, as those eggs flow to egg processing companies here in the U.S.3 We are hopeful that other elements of the planincluding vaccination strategies and enhanced biosecurity measureswill provide longer-term relief for farmers and consumers. "We appreciate the momentum of the USDA's new plan and the administration's support of egg farmers, and we thank all Americans for their patience as our industry works through this challenging time." 1 https://www.urnerbarry.com/history/4850 2 USDA Invests Up to $1 Billion to Combat Avian Bird Flu and Reduce Egg Prices 3 USDA Egg Markets Overview, March 2025 About the American Egg Board (AEB) The AEB supports America's egg farmers nationwide through research, education and promotion programs for U.S. eggs. The AEB is located in Chicago, Ill. For more information, visit IncredibleEgg.org. Contact: Marc Dresner, [email protected] SOURCE American Egg Board WASHINGTON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- This March, the American Red Cross is celebrating its annual Red Cross Month by honoring the generous donors who make its mission possible. Central to the organization's ability to alleviate suffering in the face of emergencies is the unwavering support from corporate partners that contribute to all facets of the Red Cross mission. These companies, alongside countless other donors, provide essential resources that help ensure readiness in the face of crisis. Donors like Circle K support urgent humanitarian needs and help ensure the Red Cross can provide help and hope in times of crisis. Now more than ever, families and communities are experiencing the need for humanitarian aid. As disasters like wildfires, floods and hurricanes become more frequent and intense, swift Red Cross response efforts are essential. And with severe weather increasingly impacting blood drives, the need for blood remains constant. These challenges only highlight the importance of consistent support from donors who trust the Red Cross to apply their gift where the need is greatest. Donors who support the greatest needs of the Red Cross, and their employees and customers, play an essential role by making annual financial pledges that allow the Red Cross to be prepared to respond to both everyday emergencies and large-scale disasters. Their generosity ensures that the organization can quickly provide critical assistance to people in need. Each day, the Red Cross helps more than 25,000 people from supporting families affected by home fires and collecting life-saving blood to distributing comfort kits to veterans and so much more. With the ongoing and unpredictable nature of disasters and emergencies, donors that support the greatest needs are vital to the organization's ability to offer help and hope. "We are incredibly grateful for donors that that provide us with the flexibility to support all areas of our mission," said Anne McKeough, chief development officer at the American Red Cross. "Their willingness to contribute resources where the need is greatest whether for disaster relief, lifesaving blood, support for the military community or other critical programs ensures we can be there when help can't wait." This Red Cross Month, the organization thanks its valued corporate partners who donate at least $250,000 annually to support its mission. Their generous contributions, including those from Circle K, are instrumental in helping the Red Cross continue to carry out its lifesaving work. As part of Red Cross Month, the organization is asking people to give blood or donate to disaster relief to provide services like emergency shelter, food, supplies, basic health care, emotional support and financial assistance. About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media. SOURCE American Red Cross Trade Group Recognizes 100-Years of US Manufacturing and Innovation DUQUESNE, Pa., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- American Textile Company (ATC) has been named the 2025 American Image Awards Company of the Year by the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA). This prestigious award, presented at the American Image Awards Gala on April 29, 2025 in New York City, recognizes exceptional leadership, achievement, and innovation within the fashion, textile, and footwear industries. AAFA's selection highlights ATC's century-long journey and commitment to excellence. Lance Ruttenberg, President and CEO of American Textile Company American Textile was founded in 1925 by the five Ruttenberg brothers in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood. They secured a patent for the first ironing board cover in 1939, which became a mainstay of the Sears Roebuck catalog for decades. From their humble beginnings, ATC today manufactures and sells bedding products to every major retailer in the U.S., and a growing roster of international customers. The company has operations across the U.S., Central America, and Asia employing more than 1,000 associates. "Being named the AAFA's 2025 American Image Awards Company of the Year is a tremendous honor for American Textile Company," said Lance Ruttenberg, ATC President and CEO. "This award reflects our continued commitment to U.S. manufacturing and innovation, and showcases the transformative power of leveraging global supply chains while prioritizing domestic job creation." "The Ruttenberg's leadership by example and family business values are truly inspiring. Their state-of-the-art facilities in PA, GA, TX, and UT allow for efficiency and speed to market while also prioritizing their customers, employees, and partners. A pioneer in investment in Central America, their partnership in the western hemisphere truly improves lives and livelihoods in North America. ATC is a standout example of unwavering commitment to value and authenticity," said Steve Lamar, AAFA President and CEO. "We congratulate them on this prestigious award as well as their centennial anniversary!" ATC's success is a testament of its dedication to strong local partnerships and a globally integrated supply chain. The company has consistently overcome challenges, emerging stronger and more innovative. This is fueled by a culture that values teamwork, embraces new ideas, and prioritizes investment in American workers and factories. The award underscores ATC's commitment to creating a successful and sustainable business model that contributes to well-paying jobs within the United States and across the world. The company's commitment to its Pittsburgh roots, while expanding its reach, exemplifies the possibilities of combining domestic innovation with global supply chain advantages. This award is not just an honor; it's a validation of ATC's strategic vision and its commitment to excellence. More information on American Textile Company's remarkable accomplishments and the AAFA American Image Awards is available at americanimageawards.org | #AmericanImageAwards . Media Contact: Patrick Seiffert, [email protected] About American Textile Company Pittsburgh-based American Textile Company is a leading provider of performance sleep solutions to retail, eCommerce, hospitality, and other key channels. It is a strategic supplier of store brand bedding products to leading retailers across North America. Its brand portfolio includes the No. 1 allergen bedding brand AllerEase and the weighted blanket brand Tranquility. It is also a licensee of the No. 1 overall mattress brand Sealy, and the No. 1 premium mattress brand Tempur-Pedic. American Textile Company is an equal opportunity employer: visit www.americantextile.com to learn more about our business, our people, and our commitment to the communities in which we operate. About The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) is the national trade association representing apparel, footwear and other sewn products companies, and their suppliers, which compete in the global market. Representing more than 1,100 world famous name brands, AAFA is the trusted public policy and political voice of the apparel and footwear industry, its management and shareholders, its more than 3.5 million U.S. workers, and its contribution of more than $509 billion in annual U.S. retail sales. AAFA drives progress on three key priorities: Brand Protection; Supply Chain & Sourcing; and Trade, Logistics, & Manufacturing. AAFA approaches this work through the lens of purpose-driven leadership in a manner that supports each member's ability to build and sustain inclusive and diverse cultures, meet and advance ESG goals, and draw upon the latest technology. SOURCE American Textile Company Leading protective container manufacturer to present thermal containment innovations, join a sustainability panel, and host an industry networking event WAXAHACHIE, Texas, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Americase (booth #425), a leading manufacturer of protective containers for hazardous materials and high-value goods, will showcase the latest reusable, sustainable packaging and shipping solutions at Data Center World 2025, taking place April 1417 in Washington, D.C. Designed to meet the unique needs of data centers and OEM partners for both forward and reverse logistics (RMA), Americase's solutions prioritize safety, compliance, and sustainability. Reusable, sustainable OCP ORV3 AI Rack Packaging-Our latest innovative solution, the groundbreaking rack packaging design fosters superior safety, sustainability, and efficiency. Lithium-ion Battery Storage and Transportation Cases-Designed for safety, regulatory compliance, and efficiency. In addition to exhibiting its innovative products, Americase will participate in the industry panel "Disruptive Sustainability in Data Centers From Concept to Reality" on Wednesday, April 16, from 10:0010:50 AM in Room 207B. This discussion will feature industry experts exploring practical, forward-thinking sustainability strategies for data centers, addressing real-world challenges and solutions. To further foster industry connections, Americase is co-hosting a networking event, "Decommission and Drinks" with PHS West and SK Tes on Tuesday, April 15, at 6 PM at The Dignitary (901 Massachusetts Ave NW). The event offers an opportunity for professionals to discuss key industry trends, including regulatory shifts, safety advancements, and sustainability initiatives shaping data center operations. At Data Center World 2025, Americase will highlight its latest protective containment solutions, including: Sustainable, Reusable OCP ORV3 AI Rack Packaging Our latest innovative solution, the groundbreaking rack packaging design fosters superior safety, sustainability, and efficiency a game changer solution for the data center industry that keeps server racks safe during transport and handling while minimizing environmental impact. Our latest innovative solution, the groundbreaking rack packaging design fosters superior safety, sustainability, and efficiency a game changer solution for the data center industry that keeps server racks safe during transport and handling while minimizing environmental impact. Server Packaging for Reverse Logistics Robust, sustainable, reusable packaging designed for RMA of servers back to the OEM, such as NVIDIA GB200 Blackwell . Optional GPS tracking and active monitoring in case of tampering, excessive temperature, and shock and vibration. First on the market solution to safely and efficiently transport high value and sensitive ML AI servers. Robust, sustainable, reusable packaging designed for RMA of servers back to the OEM, such as NVIDIA GB200 . Optional GPS tracking and active monitoring in case of tampering, excessive temperature, and shock and vibration. First on the market solution to safely and efficiently transport high value and sensitive ML AI servers. Li-Ion Battery Storage & Transportation Containers Built to transport and store large lithium-ion battery inventories while ensuring regulatory compliance. Built to transport and store large lithium-ion battery inventories while ensuring regulatory compliance. Li-Ion Battery Transport and Thermal Containment Cart Designed for safe internal movement, secure storage, and compliant shipping of DDR batteries. "With data centers increasingly relying on lithium-ion batteries, balancing safety, sustainability, and efficiency is critical," said Robby Kinsala, President & CEO of Americase. "Our solutions help data centers achieve compliance while adopting long-term sustainable strategies." Americase's presence at Data Center World 2025 underscores its commitment to innovation and excellence in protective containment solutions. Attendees are invited to visit booth #425 to learn how Americase is transforming lithium-ion battery storage and transportation, ensuring safety, sustainability, and operational efficiency. About Americase Founded in 1985, Americase is a global leader in the custom design and manufacture of cutting-edge protection containers for the transportation and storage of hazmat and high value goods. Dedicated to mission-critical problem-solving innovation, the company provides efficient and effective answers to even the most complex shipping and storage problems. Americase supports customers across various industries and organizations, including consumer electronics, data centers, automotive, airline and general aviation, oil and gas, power tools, recreational vehicles and micromobility devices, space and exploration, U.S. Military, medical devices, and semiconductors. Americase Contact Marina Malamis Marketing Director [email protected] 469-401-6950 SOURCE Americase BRANFORD, Conn., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Azitra, Inc. (NYSE American: AZTR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies for precision dermatology, today announced that Chief Operating Officer, Travis Whitfill, Ph.D., MPH will present at the Microbiome Times Partnering Forum being held in Brussels, Belgium, March 18-19, 2025. Details of the presentation are as follows: Event: Microbiome Times Partnering Forum Location: Dome Eventhall, Brussels, Belgium Date/Time: Wednesday, March 19th, 4:25-4:35pm CET Title: Engineered S. Epidermidis for Treating Skin Diseases: Early Clinical Experience in Netherton Syndrome With ATR-12 Presenter: Travis Whitfill, Chief Operating Officer Registration: https://www.microbiomeforum.com/register During the conference, members of Azitra's management team will conduct one-on-one meetings with registered investors and potential partners, showcasing the Azitra's business and clinical development strategy, recent corporate achievements, and anticipated milestones. About Azitra, Inc. Azitra, Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies for precision dermatology. The Company's lead product, ATR-12, is an engineered strain of S. epidermidis designed to treat Netherton syndrome, a rare, chronic skin disease with no approved treatment options. Netherton syndrome is often fatal in infancy with those living beyond a year having profound lifelong challenges. ATR-12 is being evaluated in a Phase 1b clinical trial in adult Netherton syndrome patients. ATR-04, Azitra's next most advanced product, is being developed for the treatment of EGFR inhibitor ("EGFRi") associated rash. Azitra has received Fast Track designation from the FDA for EGFRi associated rash, which impacts approximately 150,000 people in the U.S. Azitra has an open IND for a Phase 1/2 clinical trial with ATR-04 in patients with EGFRi associated rash. ATR-12 and ATR-04 were developed from Azitra's proprietary platform of engineered proteins and topical live biotherapeutic products that includes a microbial library comprised of approximately 1,500 bacterial strains. The platform is augmented by artificial intelligence and machine learning technology that analyzes, predicts, and helps screen the library of strains for drug like molecules. For more information, please visit https://azitrainc.com. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements may be identified by words such as "aims," "anticipates," "believes," "could," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "goal," "intends," "may," "plans," "possible," "potential," "seeks," "will," and variations of these words or similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any such statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements, the expected timing of the presentation of data from the Phase 1b study of ATR-12, and statements about our clinical and pre-clinical programs, and corporate and clinical/pre-clinical strategies. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on current expectations, estimates and projections only as of the date of this release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, that we may fail to successfully complete our Phase 1b trial for ATR-12; we may experience delays in the initiation of our Phase 1/2 trial for ATR-04; our product candidates may not be effective; there may be delays in regulatory approval or changes in regulatory framework that are out of our control; our estimation of addressable markets of our product candidates may be inaccurate; we may fail to timely raise additional required funding; more efficient competitors or more effective competing treatment may emerge; we may be involved in disputes surrounding the use of our intellectual property crucial to our success; we may not be able to attract and retain key employees and qualified personnel; earlier study results may not be predictive of later stage study outcomes; and we are dependent on third-parties for some or all aspects of our product manufacturing, research and preclinical and clinical testing. Additional risks concerning Azitra's programs and operations are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 24, 2025 and subsequent filings we make with the SEC. Azitra explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except to the extent required by law. Contact: Norman Staskey Chief Financial Officer [email protected] Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc. Jon Nugent 205-566-3026 [email protected] SOURCE Azitra, Inc. Company becomes preferred manufacturing partner for Brazilian and international pharmaceutical companies launching or expanding in Latin America's largest healthcare market ROUND ROCK, Texas, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Benuvia Operations, LLC, a global contract development and manufacturing organization, today announced that it has received a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification (Certificado de Boas Praticas de Fabricacao or CBPF) from Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA). "Achieving ANVISA's CBPF certification underscores Benuvia's strategic commitment to providing high-quality, compliant pharmaceutical manufacturing specifically tailored to Brazil's rapidly growing healthcare market. I'm incredibly proud of our team's exceptional dedication and hard work in meeting ANVISA's stringent standards, positioning us as a trusted manufacturing partner for pharmaceutical companies in Brazil," stated Terry Novak, CEO of Benuvia. ANVISA's CBPF certification is an essential regulatory prerequisite for pharmaceutical companies to manufacture and distribute pharmaceutical products within Brazil, the largest healthcare market in Latin America. Companies that receive ANVISA CBPF certification are required to meet rigorous local manufacturing standards. This certification enables Benuvia to produce non-sterile liquid pharmaceutical products for local and international pharmaceutical companies seeking compliant and high-quality production capabilities within the Brazilian pharmaceutical market. Mr. Novak continued, "ANVISA CBPF certification allows us to be the preferred provider for companies seeking a partner with quicker market entry, reduced regulatory hurdles, and stronger credibility among regulatory bodies, healthcare providers, and pharmaceutical customers." About Benuvia Operations, LLC Benuvia Operations, LLC is a global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) that helps pharmaceutical, and biotech companies deliver life-changing therapies to patients in need. The company provides end-to-end development and manufacturing services for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and finished dosage products and has extensive experience with cannabinoids, psychedelics, and other controlled substances. Benuvia operates an 83,000 square foot best-in-class manufacturing facility in Round Rock, Texas that can produce Schedule I-V compounds, offering comprehensive solutions for companies throughout the entire drug development lifecyclefrom API synthesis and clinical trial supply to commercial production. Learn more at www.benuvia.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The words "anticipate", "believe", "could", "estimate", "upcoming", "expect", "intend", "may", "plan", "predict", "project", "will" and similar terms and phrases may be used to identify forward-looking statements in this press release. Our operations involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control, and any one of which, or a combination of which, could materially affect our results of operations and whether the forward-looking statements ultimately prove to be correct. These forward-looking statements should be considered together with the risks and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to us, and we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law. Contact KWM Communications Kellie Walsh (914) 315-6072 [email protected] SOURCE Benuvia Operations, LLC DUBAI, UAE, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Bybit, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency, celebrates financial innovation with the Bybit USDT Festival in a series of events catering to diverse users. From Bybit Card holders to trading pros, Bybit users and community members are sharing over 1.5 million USDT in prizes through various rewards programs. Festival Highlights Bybit Kicks off USDT Festival with 1.5 Million USDT in Prizes USDT Derivatives Trading Challenge Half a million USDT await qualified traders in USDT options and futures at the 500K USDT Derivatives Trading Challenge from now to Mar. 31, 2025. Participants will receive USDT bonuses based on their contributions to the total trading volume, regardless of profit and loss percentage. This inclusive structure allows both individual and institutional traders to earn additional rewards from the 500K USDT prize pool alongside their trading profits. Spending Smart with the Bybit Card As part of the USDT Festival, the Bybit Card will activate a limited-time offer for eligible new users. In addition to the 10% cashback exclusive offer for newcomers, successful new applicants will also gain an instant 10 USDT cashback by simply signing up and spending at least 200 USDT or its equivalent. Between Mar. 10 and Mar. 31, 2025, users can maximize their rewards by setting USDT as the default cashback option for future transactions. Bybit Learn: Read-to-Earn USDT Festival Special Bybit users will be able to take advantage of Bybit Learn's Read-to-Earn program and enroll in USDT-themed courses for Bybit Earn and Bybit P2P for extra rewards. Starting this March, Bybit Learn will set aside an additional 20,000 USDT for eligible participants. Social and Community Giveaway Bybit fans on official social media and Telegram channels are in for surprises in mini interactive giveaways with 40,000 USDT in prizes throughout March. All-Things USDT at Bybit: USDT Festival Livestream To find out all about the USDT-related benefits and programs at Bybit this spring, users may watch the replay of the USDT Festival livestream featuring speakers from Bybit's product team, wealth management unit, VIP team, and Bybit Card. Designed to empower traders with expert insights and exclusive opportunities, the livestream was a deep dive into advanced USDT trading strategies, market trends, and an overview of the exclusive perks and competition mechanisms of the USDT Festival. TradeMasters Grand Prix 2025 Series 1 High-stake traders have concluded the USDT-themed March TradeMasters Grand Prix in its first instalment of 2025, dividing up a 1 million USDT prize pool. "The USDT Festival represents our commitment to educating and empowering traders in the dynamic cryptocurrency market," says Joan Han, Sales and Marketing Director at Bybit. "Stablecoins are facilitating financial opportunities for millions of people and businesses around the world, achieving instant finality and unparalleled cost efficiency. USDT's utility is its strength, and we are supporting our users in seeking opportunities in the stablecoin ecosystem through Bybit's powerful platform and offerings," she said. USDT is a leading stablecoin that has maintained a $1 peg to the US dollar since its launch in 2014. With a market capitalization exceeding $140 billion at the time of writing, USDT is the most widely traded stablecoin and plays a critical role in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. USDT's deep liquidity makes it a bridge between fiat currencies and digital assets, enabling seamless transactions and trading within the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. #Bybit / #TheCryptoArk About Bybit Bybit is the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving a global community of over 60 million users. Founded in 2018, Bybit is redefining openness in the decentralized world by creating a simpler, open and equal ecosystem for everyone. With a strong focus on Web3, Bybit partners strategically with leading blockchain protocols to provide robust infrastructure and drive on-chain innovation. Renowned for its secure custody, diverse marketplaces, intuitive user experience, and advanced blockchain tools, Bybit bridges the gap between TradFi and DeFi, empowering builders, creators, and enthusiasts to unlock the full potential of Web3. Discover the future of decentralized finance at Bybit.com. For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected] For updates, please follow: Bybit's Communities and Social Media Discord | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Reddit | Telegram | TikTok | X | Youtube SOURCE Bybit The Russians are trying to break through the border in Sumy region, but are being destroyed by border guards and other units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, Spokesman for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Andriy Demchenko said. "Trying to push the Defense Forces of Ukraine out of Kursk region, the Russians are carrying out dozens of assault operations on the positions of Ukrainian soldiers. They are seeking to encircle our forces located in Kursk region, or to cut off logistical routes. Currently, there is an attempt to cross the border by small enemy assault groups of two to three servicemen, sometimes five, whose task is to penetrate as deep as possible into our territory, accumulate, consolidate and expand the combat zone," he said during the broadcast of the United News telethon. According to the spokesman, however, the Russians are not having any success, only in the past 24 hours about 20 Russian servicemen have been destroyed. The launch follows Capital's build-out of the fastest organically grown suite of active ETFs in the market LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital Group, one of the world's largest and most experienced active investment managers, has launched eight new active model portfolios comprising its all-active exchange traded funds (ETFs). The launch of the eight new ETF model portfolios comes in response to the growing trend of financial professionals increasingly seeking active ETF model solutions[1] and builds on the success of Capital's model portfolios. Just three years ago, Capital launched its first six active ETFs built to serve as the core building blocks of client portfolios. Today, the company offers 22 ETFs in the U.S., with over $53B in assets under management (AUM) and sold by over 35,000 financial advisors. This makes Capital's ETF offering the fastest, organically grown suite of active ETFs in the market, with 5.8% market share.[2] "We know nearly two-thirds of the highest growth financial professionals incorporate models into their practices[3], which can afford them more time with their clients," said Holly Framsted, Head of Product Group, Capital Group. "We have adopted a listen-and-launch approach to what and how we bring new products to market, in the case of ETFs ensuring the strategies address the largest, most commonly allocated categories in client portfolios. We have done the same with our eight new, all-active Capital Group ETF model portfolios, one of the most requested solutions from our clients, second only to our recently-launched Capital Group U.S. Small and Mid Cap ETF (CGMM)." The new range of all-active ETF model portfolios from Capital Group includes: Capital Group has grown its suite of model portfolios to approximately $61B in AUM since launching its first Capital Group model portfolios in 2016.[4] Details of the full suite of Capital Group ETFs can be found here along with details on the range of model portfolio solutions here. About Capital Group Capital Group, home of American Funds, has been singularly focused on delivering superior results for long-term investors using high-conviction portfolios, rigorous research, and individual accountability since 1931. As of December 31, 2024, Capital Group manages more than $2.8 trillion in equity and fixed income assets for millions of individuals and institutional investors around the world. Capital Group manages equity assets through three investment groups. These groups make investment and proxy voting decisions independently. Fixed income investment professionals provide fixed income research and investment management across the Capital organization; however, for securities with equity characteristics, they act solely on behalf of one of the three equity investment groups. For more information, visit capitalgroup.com. Media Contacts: Sarah Christiansen [email protected] [1] Source: "The Cerulli Report U.S. Exchange-Traded Fund Markets 2024, page 94" (bar chart). [2] Source: 5.8% market share of active ETFs as of Dec 31st, 2024 Morningstar US ETFs only. [3] Source: Capital Group Pathways to Growth Advisor Benchmark Study 2024, page 3. [4] Source: As of December 31, 2024, Capital Group. SOURCE Capital Group Companies Fast Casual Seafood Leader Brings on Seasoned Master Franchisees to Spearhead UK Expansion NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Captain D's, the U.S.'s leading fast-casual seafood restaurant, is proud to announce its partnership with CD's Holdings as the ownership group bringing Captain D's signature seafood offerings to the UK and other European countries. A recent 20-unit master franchise agreement for the United Kingdom -- Captain D's first venture into Europe -- is moving quickly with the first location set to open in Kent in August 2025. Restaurants will open in Sussex and Hampshire soon after. The principals of CD's Holdings are seasoned entrepreneurs with experience in the restaurant business, as well as other ventures, including security companies and accountancy firms in the UK. "We have been looking for the right brand to introduce to the UK market, which is exciting and healthy," said Naveed Chattha, Operations Director of CDs Holdings. "There is a large fish and chips market in the UK, but no one has tried to apply discipline, standards, and quality to such a level here before. With our experience, we feel Captain D's is the right choice." Captain D's brings a unique flavor to the local fish and chips market and offers international franchisees the structure and support needed for success in their local markets. CD's Holdings will open the first locations around London, and the brand is currently looking for more multi-unit franchisees to open additional locations in the UK. "This is an exciting time in the growth of our brand," said Hair Parra, Senior Vice President of International Operations and Development for Captain D's. "Our master franchisees are committed to making a sustainable impact in the UK, and we are committed to working alongside them and offering new opportunities to other entrepreneurs as we expand into new international markets." By entering the UK, Captain D's is advancing its vision to become a global brand and introduce its quality seafood and hospitality to seafood lovers around the world. With its versatile seafood and chicken menu that is sensitive to cultural tastes, it resonates with a wide variety of guests and is uniquely positioned for success in the UK and other international markets. With more than 530 restaurants in 23 states, Captain D's is the fast-casual seafood leader and number one seafood franchise in America ranked by average unit volume. The company is currently seeking master franchisees and multi-unit operators to join in the brand's rapid international expansion, with a focus on Canada, Central and Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain, the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia. For more information about franchise opportunities, visit www.captaindsfranchising.com or call 800-314-4819. For an exterior image of Captain D's, click here. About Captain D's Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Captain D's has more than 530 restaurants in 23 states. Captain D's is the nation's leading fast casual seafood restaurant and was named the #1 seafood chain in the QSR 50, ranked by AUV. Founded in 1969, Captain D's has been offering its customers high-quality seafood at reasonable prices in a welcoming atmosphere for over 50 years. Captain D's serves a wide variety of seafood that includes freshly prepared entrees and the company's signature batter dipped fish. The restaurants also offer premium-quality, grilled items such as shrimp, Tilapia and Salmon, as well as hushpuppies, desserts and freshly brewed, Southern-style sweet tea, a Captain D's favorite. For more information, please visit www.captainds.com. Contact: Jennifer Williams Fish 919 (919) 459-3592 [email protected] Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1847332/Captain_D_Logo.jpg LOS ANGELES, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CarData, Inc., a leading provider of vehicle inventory photography for franchise car dealerships, in partnership with Velocity Automotive Marketing, is proud to announce its expansion into Southern California through the acquisition of Tristar Digital Services. This strategic acquisition strengthens CarData's reach and enhances its ability to deliver high-quality automotive photography and digital merchandising solutions to dealerships throughout the region. With a long-standing reputation for excellence, Tristar Digital Services has been a trusted partner for Southern California dealerships, offering professional vehicle imaging and digital content services. By bringing Tristar into the CarData and Velocity Automotive Marketing network, dealers will gain access to cutting-edge photography workflows, advanced digital solutions, and an expanded support team dedicated to helping them maximize their online vehicle presentations. CarData, Inc. Expands Services into Southern California Post this "Our mission has always been to provide franchise dealerships with industry-leading vehicle photography and merchandising solutions," said Wayne Balroop, General Manager of CarData, Inc. "The Southern California market is a vital hub for the automotive industry, and this acquisition allows us to further support dealerships with the high-quality imagery and technology they need to drive sales." The transition has been seamless for existing Tristar clients, who can expect the same high standards of service along with expanded capabilities, including enhanced inventory presentation tools and faster turnaround times. "We're excited to join forces with CarData," said Chris Treister, former owner of Tristar Digital Services. "Our customers will benefit from the increased resources, technology, and expertise this partnership brings. It's a win-win for everyone." As part of its expansion efforts, CarData and Velocity Automotive Marketing will also be growing their team in Southern California, offering new opportunities for talented vehicle photographers and digital merchandising professionals. The acquisition of Tristar Digital Services marks another milestone in CarData's commitment to revolutionizing automotive inventory photography, helping franchise dealerships present their vehicles with best-in-class imagery that engages buyers and accelerates sales. Media Contact: Wayne Balroop General Manager, CarData, Inc. [email protected] 443-413-5400 www.cardata.us SOURCE CarData The trusted home service company offers unique expertise addressing pipe maintenance issues common to Northern Virginia STERLING, Va., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardinal Plumbing Heating & Air, a trusted home service provider serving Northern Virginia, is expanding its professional drain cleaning services to better serve homeowners and small businesses across the area. "Regularly scheduled drain cleaning is critical for maintaining a well-functioning plumbing system, and for averting stubborn clogs and backups," said Daniel Fuentes, co-founder of Cardinal Plumbing Heating & Air. "Our experienced technicians have the skills and the tools required to provide comprehensive drain cleaning, all while helping to protect the integrity of pipes and plumbing infrastructure." Drainage issues in Northern Virginia can be influenced by the age and material of a home's plumbing system. One example is the presence of Orangeburg pipes, a type of material that has historically been common in and around Alexandria. Orangeburg pipes are made from a compressed tar-like material and due to metal shortages, were commonly used in Northern Virginia homes from World War II through the 1980s. "Unlike other types of piping, Orangeburg cannot be repairedwhich means that major issues require full replacement by an experienced plumber," said Fuentes. Similarly, long horizontal runs of cast iron drains naturally corrode over time due to constant exposure to waste and moisture, creating holes that allow invasive tree roots to grow insideone of the leading causes of clogs. Both cast iron and Orangeburg piping are common in older homes, which comprise a major part of Cardinal Plumbing Heating & Air's service area. "Many of the homes in our service area are reaching the age where pipe degradation is inevitable, making routine professional drain maintenance essential," said Fuentes. "By expanding our drain cleaning services, we aim to help homeowners identify and address these issues before they lead to costly repairs." For more information on Cardinal Plumbing Heating & Air, call (703) 783-4099 or visit www. cardinalplumbingva .com. About Cardinal Plumbing Heating & Air Cardinal Plumbing Heating & Air is a residential service company proudly assisting homeowners in Northern Virginia. For more than a decade, the company has been a trusted provider for plumbing installation and maintenance, as well as a full spectrum of HVAC services. Founded by a team of seasoned plumbers, Cardinal is known for high standards of quality and a robust commitment to homeowner satisfaction. Additional information about Cardinal Plumbing Heating & Air can be found at www.cardinalplumbingva.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Ripley Ripley PR 865-977-1973 [email protected] SOURCE Cardinal Plumbing Heating & Air Hospitals Can Now Predict Nurse Turnover Before It Happens VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Indicator Sciences' CareEffects has received an Honorable Mention in the 2025 ANA Innovation Awards for its data-driven approach to improving nurse retention and reducing burnout. Selected from over 600 applicants, the CareEffects platform helps hospitals address the 18% annual nurse turnover rate that costs an average hospital up to $5.8 million annually. ANA-recognized CareEffects helps hospitals reduce the up to $5.8MM/yr cost of nurse turnover with predictive analytics. Post this CareEffects helps hospitals address the up to $5.8MM annual cost of nurse turnover through predictive analytics that identify at-risk nurses up to six months before resignation. "Today, the American Nurses Enterprise (ANE) and the American Nurses Foundation (the Foundation) announced the winners and honorable mentions of the 2025 ANA Innovation Awards, sponsored by Stryker, a leading global medical technology company. The ANA Innovation Awards highlight, recognize, and celebrate exemplary nurse innovators who improve patient safety and health outcomes within their communities." CareEffects analyzes existing clinical data to measure workload balance, peer engagement, and patient assessment practices through proprietary risk-adjustment algorithms. The company's new Monthly Burnout Score feature can identify nurses at risk of leaving up to six months before resignation, with >80% accuracy. "Hospital leaders need more objective tools to understand and address burnout," said Ecoee Rooney, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, Chief Nursing Officer at Indicator Sciences. "CareEffects translates clinical data into actionable insights that support focused interventions." CareEffects operates using standard reports from ADT, dispensing, ordering, and HR systemsrequiring no complex EHR integration or development. Supported by nursing development experts, CareEffects requires minimal staff effort while delivering monthly reports with clear, actionable intervention opportunities. All data collection adheres to HIPAA compliance standards with employee privacy protections. What Sets CareEffects Apart: Comprehensive risk-adjustment for each practice environment, ensuring accuracy Early identification of turnover risk with specific intervention recommendations Objective measurement rather than subjective survey data Demonstrated ROI through reduced replacement costs ( $56,300 per nurse) per nurse) Seamless integration with existing hospital systems "With CareEffects, nursing leaders can take a proactive, focused approach to retention," explains Dr. Rooney. "Instead of exit interviews after nurses have already decided to leave, we can identify systematic workload disparities, recognize early signs of disengagement, and implement targeted support programs before burnout develops. The system gives nurse leaders the objective evidence they need to make data-driven decisions that have previously been impossible without months of manual data collection and analysis." Following the ANA recognition, CareEffects is offering a limited no-cost pilot program for qualifying hospitals. Hospitals interested in improving nurse retention with predictive workforce analytics can apply now. SOURCE Indicator Sciences The Galapagos is the center of attention at every turn on Celebrity Flora, an exclusive, 100-passenger mega-yacht designed specifically and purposefully for sailing in the region. Guests enjoy best-in-class, all-inclusive accommodations, elevated culinary offerings, and Celebrity Cruises' award-winning hospitality. Itineraries led by Galapagos National Park expert naturalists immerse guests in the destination each day, as they take in the breathtaking nature and wildlife of the diverse volcanic island archipelago. On every Celebrity Flora sailing, travelers can look forward to once-in-a-lifetime experiences from glamping under the stars on board, to snorkeling with sea lions, kayaking with sea turtles, coastal explorations along volcanic cliffs and guided tours with giant tortoises. Recognizing the significance of sustaining the Galapagos Archipelago for present and future generations to appreciate, Celebrity Cruises proudly celebrated a significant milestone in its ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and conservation in the region. Partnering with the Galapagos National Park since 2014, Celebrity Cruises marked a decade of progress on its Scalesia reforestation project. The successful project, now referred to as the "Rewilding Galapagos" initiative, invites guests to help restore the natural habitats of the Galapagos Islands and protect endangered wildlife throughout the region. On each itinerary, Celebrity Flora guests visit the reforestation area with Galapagos Park Rangers and naturalist guides to plant seedlings. Celebrity Cruises is the only tour operator partnering with the Galapagos National Park to carry out such a project, and has planted more than 85,000 endemic plant species to date, reaffirming its dedication and vision for the restoration of the islands' natural ecosystems. To commemorate the 10-year milestone, representatives and park rangers from the Galapagos National Park, as well as naturalists and guests traveling aboard Celebrity Flora participated in a special Scalesia tree planting event. "We have the privilege of connecting our guests with some of the most pristine destinations on our planet and understand that we need to play a role in maintaining the health of these delicate ecosystems," says Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises. "In the Galapagos Islands, we are very proud of our long-standing partnership and will continue to work closely to support education and conservation projects that promote the preservation of this natural marvel for future generations." Established in 2005, the Celebrity Cruises Galapagos Fund has supported local conservation efforts through the restoration of the islands' ecosystems and local community projects. The newly renovated Hernan Carrion Nursery, sponsored by Celebrity Cruises, grows all the native plants used for reforestation efforts in the Galapagos. Over the past decade, guests have helped to restore more than 60 acres and support the incredibly biodiverse habitats that are home to iconic plant and animal species. Driven by a mission to deliver the best vacation responsibly, Celebrity Cruises is championing a broader commitment to SEA the Future by sustaining the planet, energizing communities, and accelerating innovation. To learn more about how Celebrity Cruises is keeping the Galapagos pristine visit: https://www.celebritycruises.com/galapagosstewardship. Now through May 1, 2025, travelers can save 50% on the second guest in their stateroom. Plus, when booking with Flights by Celebrity, guests can enjoy complimentary airfare from the United States or Canada to the Galapagos (up to $750 per person). These offers are applicable on all 2027 Galapagos expeditions. To book a sailing with Celebrity Cruises, visit www.celebrity.com, call Celebrity Cruises on 1-800-CELEBRITY, or contact a trusted travel advisor. Editor's Note: Media can stay current on all Celebrity Cruises news at www.celebritycruisespresscenter.com About Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Cruises delivers an elevated premium vacation experience across their fleet of ships traveling to nearly 300 destinations across more than 70 countries spanning all seven continents. Uniquely offering the intimate feel and thoughtful service of small ships, with the variety and excitement of bigger ones guests can explore the world or get away from it for a little while. With every detail elevated beyond expectations, guests will never want to vacation any other way. An industry pioneer for more than 35 years, each Celebrity vacation offers experiences you won't find anywhere else aboard ships which continue to shatter industry expectations with the highly anticipated Celebrity Xcel arriving Fall 2025. Celebrity Cruises is headquartered in Miami and is one of five cruise brands owned by Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL). Visit www.celebritycruises.com for more information, and connect with us on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn. SOURCE Celebrity Cruises WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED HEAD TO YOUR LOCAL BLUEMERCURY STORE AND BLUEMERCURY.COM TO DISCOVER CHARLOTTE'S ICONIC MAKEUP MAGIC, SKINCARE SECRETS + EMOTION-BOOSTING FRAGRANCES! NEW YORK, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Charlotte Tilbury the award-winning global luxury makeup, skincare and fragrance brand founded by British entrepreneur and makeup artist to the stars, Charlotte Tilbury MBE has launched at US luxury beauty retailer Bluemercury, in key stores nationwide and on its website. Bluemercury customers can discover Charlotte's beauty icons, including her world-famous Magic Cream, Airbrush Flawless Finish, Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray, Hollywood Flawless Filter, Beauty Light Wands, Pillow Talk Lip Cheat and Hollywood Contour Wands, which recently expanded to seven sculpting shades. The magic doesn't stop there Charlotte's new Immediate Eye Revival Patches, Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara and first ever Fragrance Collection of Emotions are also available. In store, customers can also unlock immediate skin revival and Tilbury transformations with skincare consultations and magical makeovers. The partnership builds on Charlotte Tilbury's mission to empower everyone, everywhere to feel and look like the most confident, beautiful versions of themselves through the transformative power of makeup, skincare and fragrance. Throughout her 33-year career, Charlotte has distinguished herself as a creative visionary and one of the most influential makeup artists of all time. She has revolutionized the beauty industry by bottling her decades of expertise and decodifying her beauty tips, tricks and secrets into easy-to-choose, easy-to-use products. In 2024, Charlotte Tilbury ranked as a top 3 total makeup brand in the US market and ranked #4 overall, as a top 5 total beauty brand. The global popularity of Charlotte Tilbury products is unrivalled, with one Pillow Talk product sold every 3 seconds*, one Hollywood Flawless Filter sold every 13 seconds** and one of Charlotte's Magic Cream sold every minute***. "Darlings, I am so excited to SUPERCHARGE our growth in the US with the launch of Charlotte Tilbury at Bluemercury! The US is one of our BIGGEST MARKETS in the world and Bluemercury is an incredible LEADING DESTINATION for LUXURY BEAUTY, making this the PERFECT PARTNERSHIP that will bring the MAGICAL WORLD OF CHARLOTTE TILBURY to EVEN MORE BEAUTY LOVERS across the nation! Discover my BEST-SELLING, AWARD-WINNING, GLOBALLY ADORED VIRAL SENSATIONS, loved by everyone from CELEBRITIES and SUPERMODELS to MAKEUP ARTISTS and INFLUENCERS around the world. My EASY-TO-CHOOSE, EASY-TO-USE wardrobe of beauty icons are INSTANT MAGIC CONFIDENCE, bottled! Darlings, be sure to visit your nearest Bluemercury store or Bluemercury.com to discover that Tilbury feeling and make your BEAUTY DREAMS COME TRUE!" - Charlotte Tilbury MBE, President, Chairman, Chief Creative Officer and Founder of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty "Synonymous with glamour and innovation, Charlotte Tilbury beautifully complements Bluemercury's thoughtfully curated assortment. Charlotte is the embodiment of confidence and creativity, and we are very excited to have that energy shine through her iconic brand in our stores and online. We know our clients will fall in love with the products if they haven't already and we can't wait to share this incredible new partnership with them." - Maly Bernstein, Chief Executive Officer, Bluemercury Charlotte Tilbury will be available in 35 stores across the US and online at Bluemercury.com from 12th March 2025. ABOUT CHARLOTTE TILBURY Launched in September 2013 by iconic beauty entrepreneur Charlotte Tilbury MBE, Charlotte Tilbury Beauty was born out of Charlotte's long-held desire to empower everyone to feel like the most beautiful version of themselves, helping people around the world gain the confidence to achieve their biggest and boldest dreams. Charlotte has bottled the beauty secrets discovered over 30 years of working on fashion editorials & campaigns, catwalk shows and red carpets around the world into her innovative, boundary-breaking products. The Charlotte Tilbury Beauty universe of skincare, makeup, and fragrance is for everyone, everywhere suitable for all skin tones, shades and types, is backed by research and loved by A-list celebrities and beauty fans alike. Created to beautify and improve the look and feel of everyone everywhere, each product is formulated in world-leading laboratories using ingredients of the highest quality and presented in a distinctive range of sophisticated, glamorous and luxurious packaging. Charlotte Tilbury Beauty continues to break records across regions, channels, and categories. The company now employs over 2,500 people globally and sells over 500 products across colour, complexion, skincare and fragrance. Charlotte Tilbury has a physical presence in over 50 global markets, as well as via charlottetilbury.com and the Charlotte Tilbury Beauty App (available on iOS and Android) and has over 3,000 points of distribution worldwide including department stores and travel retail). ABOUT BLUEMERCURY With locations in coveted neighborhoods across the country, Bluemercury takes beauty personally. Founded on a client-first service model that emphasizes hyper-personalized, high-quality experiences, the leading luxury beauty destination and Macy's, Inc. nameplate offers a highly curated and premium product assortment across a range of categories. Bluemercury is redefining modern luxury in beauty and as it evolves, it remains committed to its exceptional customer service origins and embraces its purpose to be the ultimate specialist in the beauty of its clients. For more information, please visit www.bluemercury.com. *Based on internal global sales (Looker) from NOV2023-OCT2024 and selling period of 12 hours per day, 7 days per week **Based on internal global sales (Looker) from JAN24-DEC24 and selling period of 24 hours per day, 7 days per week *** Based on global sales figures for Charlotte's Magic Cream from December 2023 November 2024 FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: ALISON BROD MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS [email protected] SOURCE Charlotte Tilbury The Top 100 organizations generate $4.6 trillion USD in annual revenues, representing 4.4% of the global economy LONDON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarivate Plc (NYSE:CLVT), a leading global provider of transformative intelligence, today revealed its 2025 ranked list of Top 100 Global Innovators the organizations at the forefront of technology research and innovation worldwide. The Top 100 organizations prioritize innovation as a central part of their business strategy. Their investment levels in science, engineering, product design and problem-solving is, on average, 8.8% of their revenues. Across the Top 100, this was almost $290 billion USD. New this year: This year, Clarivate analyzes the convergence phenomenon the integration of various scientific and engineering fields that promote the spread of innovation into products through five macro-forces: sustainability, wellbeing, mobility, connectivity and automation. Within the top 0.5% of the most critical and valuable protected ideas, convergent inventions, those overlapping between innovation forces, account for almost 40%. Geographical spread: Eleven countries and regions are identified in this year's list one more than last year. Japan maintains its position as the biggest contributor to the Top 100 entities, with 33 organizations named, although it has seen a decrease of five since last year. The United States has 18 organizations listed this year, Taiwan has 13, Germany and South Korea both have eight, France has seven, Mainland China has six, Switzerland has three, Netherlands has two, and Sweden and Finland, which is back on the list this year, both have one. Industry sectors: There has been little change in the industry sector representation compared to 2024, with movements up and down by one or two individual representations. Four industry sectors saw an increase and five declined this year. Electronics and computing equipment continues to have the most Top 100 entities, followed by Semiconductors, Industrial systems, and Automotive. Gordon Samson, President, Intellectual Property, Clarivate, said, "Being recognized as a Top 100 Global Innovator is a remarkable achievement given the pace of change - since 2000, we've seen an 80-fold increase in the volume of inventions. Competition is more global than ever before, and developments in one region can have a significant global impact. Hyperconnectivity and technological convergence play a pivotal role in driving innovation. The Top 100 organizations target innovation at the deployment and diffusion of technology and knowledge." Other key findings from the 2025 report include: Samsung Electronics maintains its position as the #1 ranked global innovator. Six companies awarded Top 100 status for the first time: Samsung Electro-Mechanics, GE Aerospace, Siemens Energy, CATL, FORVIA and Caterpillar. Six companies re-enter the Top 100: Nokia, NTT, Micron Technology, TE Connectivity, Quanta Computer and Asus. 16 all-time recipient organizations retained Top 100 Global Innovator status: Samsung Electronics, Honda, Toyota, LG Electronics, Panasonic, Sony, Qualcomm, Toshiba, Hitachi, Ericsson, Dow, Fujitsu, Boeing, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Honeywell and NEC. The Top 100 Global Innovators rankings are generated by the Clarivate Center for IP and Innovation Research. Their analyses are underpinned by rigorous research leveraging the proprietary Derwent Strength Index, derived from the Derwent World Patents Index (DWPI) and global patent data to measure the influence of ideas, their success and rarity, and the investment in inventions. To learn more, please visit our Top 100 Global Innovators 2025 site. Detailed Methodology The Top 100 Global Innovators uses a complete comparative analysis of global invention data to assess the strength of every patented idea, using measures tied directly to their innovative power. To move from the individual strength of inventions to identifying the organizations that create them more consistently and frequently, Clarivate sets two threshold criteria that potential candidates must meet and then adds a measure of their patented innovation output over the past five years. For full information, please visit our Top 100 Global Innovators 2025 methodology site. About Clarivate Center for IP and Innovation Research Combining more than 60 years of IP experience, the Clarivate Center for IP and Innovation Research empowers organizations worldwide to excel by providing expert guidance grounded in pioneering benchmarks and data-driven insights. Bringing together senior practitioners, consultants and data analysts, the Center performs research to establish and disseminate benchmarks that guide management and strategy. It works with legal, IP and innovation leaders to optimize IP operations and technology and improve IP decision-making, supported by industry-leading data, analytics and proven practices. About Clarivate Clarivate is a leading global provider of transformative intelligence. We offer enriched data, insights & analytics, workflow solutions and expert services in the areas of Academia & Government, Intellectual Property and Life Sciences & Healthcare. For more information, please visit www.clarivate.com Media contact: Sofia Nogues, Sr. External Communications Manager [email protected] SOURCE Clarivate Plc Collaborative Research Aims to Strengthen Grid Reliability, Capacity, and Sustainability POTSDAM, N.Y., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarkson University has announced two new research collaborations with the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) and Avangrid, focused on enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of the power grid in New York and New England. Qingran Li, Assistant Professor of Economics and Financial Studies, and Leo Jiang, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering These industry-sponsored projects will leverage the expertise of Clarkson faculty from multiple disciplines Leo Jiang, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Qingran Li, Assistant Professor of Economics and Financial Studiesdrawing on knowledge from both the Engineering and Business Schools. Together, the researchers will address critical challenges related to grid reliability, long-term capacity expansion, and real-time situational awareness of operational risks driven by uncertainties in renewable energy resources. As the electrification of transportation and heating systems accelerates, the power grid is projected to experience significant growth in demand. This rapid increase in load is set to place additional strain on an already congested grid, highlighting the urgent need for expansion. The situation is complicated by the rising adoption of renewable energy sources, which are gradually replacing fossil fuel-based generation to achieve sustainable power grids. Key questions remain: How to generate and provide robust pricing signals to incentivize the investment in generation resources that ensure reliable grid operations? How can data-driven, optimized decision-making guide investment allocations for effective grid upgrades? And how can an upgraded grid facility support and promote the economic growth of New York and New England while delivering value to electricity customers? These complex challenges cannot be solved by a single discipline alone. The modernization and expansion of the grid present opportunities for collaboration across multiple fields. Achieving a sustainable electricity system of the future requires not only power engineering researchers, but also experts in economics, energy policy, mathematics, and machine learning working together to find solutions. "Clarkson's Power Engineering program has a long history of collaboration with the power industry on grid modernization and expansion. These collaborative projects with Prof. Jiang from Electrical Engineering and Prof. Li from Economics are a welcome addition to our current research program, and further advance Clarkson's mission of supporting the power industry," said Dr. Thomas Ortmeyer, Director of Clarkson's Center of Electric Power System Research. "We are not only leveraging our interdisciplinary skills to address these challenges but also creating opportunities for Clarkson students to develop interdisciplinary skills that will prepare them as work-ready professionals," added Jiang. NYISO Collaboration: Strengthening Grid Reliability and Situational Awareness The research collaboration with the NYISO explores two key areas: evaluating the Value of Lost Load (VOLL) for New York consumers and developing a real-time risk assessment tool to aid grid operators in making informed decisions for reliable grid operation. The first research thread focuses on quantifying the economic value of lost load from the perspective of electricity consumers, providing robust pricing signals that can incentivize additional generation capacity to mitigate load loss due to generation shortages. The second thread aims to develop advanced tools for grid operators to visualize operational risks, including the timing and location of potential load loss events, and to support informed decision-making of remedy solutions, such as recommitting least-cost generation resources to ensure reliable grid operations. "This collaboration with the NYISO is a thrilling opportunity to integrate economics and power engineering to address real-world challenges," said Jiang. "Our goal is to offer actionable insights that will enhance the grid's ability to adapt to dynamic conditions and ensure a reliable power supply for customers across New York State." Avangrid Collaboration: Assessing the Social Benefits of Grid Capacity Expansion The collaboration with Avangrid centers on assessing the value of increasing grid capacity in New York and New England. The project will quantify the social benefits of grid expansion and assist Avangrid in developing a cost-benefit analysis tool to guide future investments in grid infrastructure. "Expanding grid capacity is not just about meeting growing energy demands; it's about creating a more sustainable and equitable energy future with a least-cost investment," said Li. "Our research will provide a comprehensive framework for evaluating the broader impacts of grid investments, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions that balance both economic and social considerations." Empowering Future Leaders in Energy and Sustainability Both projects reflect Clarkson University's commitment to interdisciplinary research, bringing together faculty from diverse fields to develop innovative solutions for the private sector and to meet societal needs. The projects will also engage undergraduate and graduate students, providing them with hands-on experience in addressing real-world energy challenges. This collaborative approach not only fosters cutting-edge research but also prepares the next generation of leaders in sustainable electricity systems of the future. This is not the first time that Jiang and Li have collaborated to leverage interdisciplinary expertise in addressing critical power grid challenges. They initially worked together under Clarkson's Team Science initiative to explore the intersection of transportation electrification and reliable power grid operation. Team Science is the collaborative effort to address a scientific challenge that leverages the strengths and expertise of professionals trained in different fields. "Clarkson is renowned for our interdisciplinary research. Dr. Jiang's and Dr. Li's collaboration is a showcase of our strong commitment to teamwork across various fields. Collaborations like these foster more robust, creative, and impactful solutions," said Michelle Crimi, Dean of the Graduate School and Interim VP for Research & Technology Transfer. "Furthermore, our students will have the chance to play a key role in addressing some of the most urgent energy challenges of our time." Media Contact: Jake Newman, [email protected] SOURCE Clarkson University NEW YORK, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cliquify announces the launch of CLEO Intelligence, an AI-based data technology designed to transform how organizations understand and strengthen their employer brand. By analyzing millions of data points, CLEO provides companies with a comprehensive, unbiased perception of their company as an employer of choice. CLEO then compares this perception against their top talent competitors and offers targeted strategies to improve overall brand perception, particularly the employer's appeal to potential employees. Cliquify's CLEO Intelligence - AI Revolutionizing Employer Branding Post this Key Features of CLEO Intelligence: Comprehensive Benchmarking: Delivers a detailed analysis of a company's brand perception and workplace sentiment relative to top talent competitors. Delivers a detailed analysis of a company's brand perception and workplace sentiment relative to top talent competitors. Tailored Content Strategies: Offers data-backed recommendations to ensure content is tailored to meet the needs of their ideal talent. Offers data-backed recommendations to ensure content is tailored to meet the needs of their ideal talent. Competitor Insights: Provides a detailed understanding of strengths and weaknesses of top talent competitors Provides a detailed understanding of strengths and weaknesses of top talent competitors Actionable Insights: Identifies opportunities to strengthen your unique value proposition to attract and retain superior talent. "CLEO Intelligence is about to transform the employer branding landscape with its innovative, data-driven insights," exclaims Amit Parmar, co-founder of Cliquify. "We're excited how it will empower talent attraction and employee engagement professionals to optimize their strategies based on real-time brand perception data." Benefits of CLEO Intelligence: Attract Top Talent: Position the brand as an employer of choice by better aligning with market expectations. Position the brand as an employer of choice by better aligning with market expectations. Boost Engagement: Develop content strategies that resonate with top candidates and current employees. Develop content strategies that resonate with top candidates and current employees. Data-driven Impact: Leverages data to maintain a competitive edge in the talent market, driving employee retention and engagement. To obtain a free tailored report that includes a comprehensive analysis of a company's EVP, competitor benchmarking, content strategies, and data-driven insights to help attract and retain top talent, companies can visit the CLEO Intelligence landing page at getcleo.ai. About Cliquify: Cliquify is a leading provider of employer branding solutions, dedicated to helping organizations attract and retain top talent in today's dynamic market. By combining deep industry expertise with innovative technology, Cliquify empowers companies to understand their employer brand, optimize their talent strategies, and build a strong, sustainable employer brand. With the launch of CLEO Intelligence, Cliquify continues to deliver cutting-edge solutions that enable organizations to thrive in the war for talent. Media Contact: [email protected] https://cliquify.me/ SOURCE Cliquify Photo: https://www.president.gov.ua/ The United States may apply pressure on Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire following the Ukraine one, President Donald Trump said, but he hopes it will not be necessary. Trump told reporters at the start of a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin that, of course, they could put pressure on Russia. He stated that, in a financial sense, they could do very bad things to Russia that would be devastating for the country. However, he explained that he did not want to do that because he wanted to see peace. According to the U.S. president, it makes sense for Russia to agree, as continuing the war has a lot of downsides for it. Trump once again recalled that under his predecessors George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, Russia took territory, while he is the only one under whom this did not happen. The U.S. President recalled that he also stopped Nord Stream 2 and was the first to provide Ukraine with lethal weapons. Trump called the agreement of Ukraine to a 30-day ceasefire achieved the day before in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) as a great success as a result of Ukrainian-American negotiations. The US president said that they were done with Ukraine, adding that, as he had always mentioned, Ukraine was perhaps the most difficult side. He pointed out what had happened a week ago, when interesting things were occurring, and noted that he had a person who didnt seem to want peace, but now he had agreed to peace. He stated that they would see what happened next. The US president did not comment on whether he had a meeting with Vladimir Putin scheduled, but mentioned that "people are going to Russia right now as we speak." He said that when the complete ceasefire starts operating, they would see, as it depends on Russia. He added that they had a good relationship with both sides and expressed hope that they could get a ceasefire from Russia. He further stated that if they achieved that, he believed it would be 80% of the way to stopping the terrible bloodbath. At Trump's request, Vice President J.D. Vance clarified that the telephone dialogue with Russia was ongoing. He explained that, as the president had said, they believed they are in a very good place, with the Ukrainians agreeing to a ceasefire. Now, they are working to see if they can convince the Russians to also agree to a ceasefire. Vance assured that they would definitely provide updates when they knew more. In conclusion, Trump expressed the opinion that there is a chance to end the war that Russia had started against Ukraine. In turn, Prime Minister Martin welcomed the agreements reached the day before in Jeddah and referenced the example of Ireland, where a ceasefire agreement was reached with the IRA in 1993. Although it was criticized at the time, Martin noted that it laid the foundation for peace. He acknowledged that it took a few years to achieve a comprehensive peace settlement, but emphasized that, ultimately, the guns had more or less fallen silent. The Irish Prime Minister stressed that the war in Ukraine is devastating for young people and pointed out that there should be a very simple and clear narrative: anything that can be done to stop the violence is extremely positive. Ari Sussman, Executive Chairman commented: "We continue to be pleasantly surprised by the high-grade Ramp Zone discovery. Importantly, we now have an internal 3D model for Ramp and a working hypothesis explaining why the zone formed. If correct, the hypothesis implies that Ramp style mineralization can occur over a very large area as it won't be relegated only to the breccia body at Apollo. Aggressive drill planning is underway with more details to follow in due course." The Company currently has six drill rigs operating as part of its fully funded 60,000-metre drill program for 2025 with four rigs drilling at Apollo, one drilling at the Tower Target and a final rig testing the San Antonio Project. Two additional rigs are expected to begin operating in late Q1 and early Q2, respectively. Approximately 110,000 metres of diamond drilling has been completed to date at the Guayabales Project, including 74,000 metres in 163 holes at Apollo. There are currently eight drill holes pending assay results for the Guayabales and San Antonio projects with results to be reported in batches once received and compiled by the Company. The 2025 objectives for the portion of the drilling program targeting the Apollo system are: Drill test newly modeled high-grade sub-zone targets scattered throughout the top 1,000 vertical metres from surface to improve the grade profile (and size) of the system. Grow the overall dimensions of the system by expanding vertically and laterally the recently discovered high-grade Ramp Zone. Test the northern extension potential of Apollo at shallower elevations. Details (see Table 1 and Figures 1-4) Drill hole APC105-D1, collared from mother hole APC-105D (Pad 18), was designed to test the Ramp Zone in a northeasterly direction. The hole intercepted continuous and high-grade mineralization within the Apollo host breccia body and consisted of veinlets of pyrite, pyrrhotite and minor amounts of bismuth and tellurium sulphides. APC105-D1 is the best hole and widest intercept drilled to date into the Ramp Zone on a grade accumulation basis (grams x metres) with assay results as follows: 75.80 metres @ 8.01 g/t gold equivalent from 469.60 metres including: 21.00 metres @ 24.16 g/t gold equivalent from 487.60 metres host breccia body and consisted of veinlets of pyrite, pyrrhotite and minor amounts of bismuth and tellurium sulphides. APC105-D1 is the best hole and widest intercept drilled to date into the Ramp Zone on a grade accumulation basis (grams x metres) with assay results as follows: APC103-D3 was drilled from mother hole APC-103D (Pad 16) and orientated in a southwesterly direction across the Ramp Zone. The hole initially intersected an interval of modest mineralization at a shallower elevation above Ramp. Further down hole, the Ramp Zone was intersected before being cut-off prematurely by a post mineral dyke. Assays results for APC103-D3 are as follows: 13.25 metres @ 3.13 g/t gold equivalent from 127.90 metres (Upper Zone) 20.30 metres @ 6.68 g/t gold equivalent from 247.45 metres (Ramp Zone) Drilling announced herein has expanded the Ramp Zone to the west with dimensions of the Ramp Zone now measuring at least 75 metres of strike by up to 480 metres width by 150 metres vertical and open in all directions. An initial 3D model of the Ramp Zone discovery has been constructed by the Company highlighting an NNW striking zone which dips to the southwest. Additionally, it appears that the conditions required for Ramp Zone style mineralization (Au-Ag-Bi-Te) to form occurs when younger porphyry host rocks intrude the older ultramafic country rocks. As a result, the model suggests that Ramp might cover a large volume of rock and be hosted within more than one type of host rock. Aggressive step-out drill holes are now being planned as the scale of Ramp is potentially larger in strike and vertical dimensions than previously assumed. To date, the Company has received assay results for six holes drilled into Ramp Zone from three drill pads. Two drill holes have been completed with assays pending and a further two holes are currently in progress. The Company continues to aggressively expand the Ramp Zone in all directions and has now expanded the program to include a third rig from a new pad situated on the northeastern side of Apollo . Table 1: Assays Results for Drill Holes APC103-D3 and APC105-D1 Hole # From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au g/t Ag g/t AuEq g/t* Zone APC103-D3 127.90 141.15 13.25 3.13 7 3.13 Upper Zone And 247.45 267.75 20.30 6.62 20 6.68 Ramp Zone APC105-D1 469.60 545.40 75.80 8.06 15 8.01 Ramp Zone Incl. 487.60 508.60 21.00 24.42 37 24.16 Ramp Zone *AuEq (g/t) is calculated as follows: (Au (g/t) x 0.97) + (Ag (g/t) x 0.015 x 0.85) utilizing metal prices of Au US$2,000/oz and Ag US$30/oz and recovery rates of 97% for Au and 85% for Ag. Recovery rate assumptions for metals are based on metallurgical results announced on October 17, 2023, April 11, 2024, and October 3, 2024. True widths are unknown, and grades are uncut. About Collective Mining Ltd. To see our latest corporate presentation and related information, please visit www.collectivemining.com. Founded by the team that developed and sold Continental Gold Inc. to Zijin Mining for approximately $2 billion in enterprise value, Collective is a gold, silver, copper and tungsten exploration company with projects in Caldas, Colombia. The Company has options to acquire 100% interests in two projects located directly within an established mining camp with ten fully permitted and operating mines. The Company's flagship project, Guayabales, is anchored by the Apollo system, which hosts the large-scale, bulk-tonnage and high-grade gold-silver-copper-tungsten Apollo system. The Company's objectives are to improve the overall grade of the Apollo system by systematically drill testing newly modeled potentially high-grade sub-zones, expand the Apollo system by stepping out along strike to the north and expanding the newly discovered high-grade Ramp Zone along strike and to depth, expand the Trap system and drill a series of newly generated targets including Tower and X. Management, insiders and a strategic investor own approximately 44.5% of the outstanding shares of the Company and as a result, are fully aligned with shareholders. The Company is listed on the NYSE American and TSX under the trading symbol "CNL" and on the FSE under the trading symbol "GG1". Qualified Person (QP) and NI43-101 Disclosure David J Reading is the designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") and has reviewed and verified that the technical information contained herein is accurate and approves of the written disclosure of same. Mr. Reading has an MSc in Economic Geology and is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and of the Society of Economic Geology (SEG). Technical Information Samples were cut by Company personnel at Collective Mining's core facility in Caldas, Colombia. Diamond drill core was sawed and then sampled in maximum 2 metres intervals, stopping at geological boundaries. Drill hole core diameter is a mix of PQ, HQ and NQ depending on the depth of the drill hole. Core samples have been prepared and analyzed at ALS laboratory facilities in Medellin, Colombia and Lima, Peru. Blanks, duplicates, and certified reference standards are inserted into the sample stream to monitor laboratory performance. Crush rejects and pulps are kept and stored in a secured storage facility for future assay verification. No capping has been applied to sample composites. The Company utilizes a rigorous, industry-standard QA/QC program. Information Contact: Follow Executive Chairman Ari Sussman (@Ariski73) on X Follow Collective Mining (@CollectiveMini1) on X, (Collective Mining) on LinkedIn, and (@collectivemining) on Instagram FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussion with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always using phrases such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: the anticipated advancement of mineral properties or programs; future operations; future recovery metal recovery rates; future growth potential of Collective; and future development plans. These forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding future events including the direction of our business. Management believes that these assumptions are reasonable. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: risks related to the speculative nature of the Company's business; the Company's formative stage of development; the Company's financial position; possible variations in mineralization, grade or recovery rates; actual results of current exploration activities; conclusions of future economic evaluations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, precious and base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formation pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the annual information form of the Company dated March 27, 2024. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements and there may be other factors that cause results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. SOURCE Collective Mining Ltd. WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer Watchdog wrote to California State Senators today warning them that a pending proposal, SB 540 (Becker) to create a Western regional grid could lead to overriding of key state environmental laws, including the Renewal Portfolio Standards (RPS), which sets deadlines for clean energy goals. "If California's renewal portfolio standard is invalidated, this is a vote you will be remembered for," wrote Consumer President Jamie Court, who was excluded from Wednesday's hearing on the proposal before the Senate Energy Committee. "It should not be taken lightly. Many of the generation of legislators who voted for electricity deregulation regretted it and it haunted many. Consumer Watchdog is calling on every Senator who votes for the Pathways plan to take a pledge to resign from public office if the renewable portfolio standard is invalidated under a legal challenge made because of Pathways. Had those deregulation legislators had to make a similar vow, California would have avoided a huge disaster." Read the letter here. "The sovereignty issues that have doomed the Western Regional Transmission Organization (RTO)/Pathways, and prevented it from becoming law, have not gone away, in fact they have become more perilous following the presidential election," Court wrote, pointing to an analysis of a previous proposal by the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2018. The Committee stated, "This change in governance would place control over California's energy market in the hands of a Western states RTO heavily dominated by coal interests (the largest coal-producing states in the U.S.) and under the direction of the Trump administration. California's policies for transitioning to renewable energyand initiatives to develop distributed or decentralized energy resourceswould be subject to review and revision by a market authority that is not interested in either." Trump's Federal Energy Regulator Commission (FERC) would have greater jurisdiction to strike California's clean energy laws. "The question remains to you: 'Can you trust Trump's FERC with our environmental laws'" Court stated. "If the answer is no, you need to vote against Pathways. If you vote for it, you should do it soberly with a pledge to resign from public office if our environmental laws are invalidated. You are making a bet on California's green energy future." Court mentioned the motivation for SB 540, noting the bill's author Senator Josh Becker is from the Silicon Valley: "What has happened is the need for more power due to the inexhaustible hunger of data centers to power AI has caused some people to conveniently forget the Achilles heel of Pathways... The IBEW unions, after dire warning about sovereignty issues in 2023, are now on board. This follows a huge boon to IBEW electricians nationally to staff data centers and new contracts for the union from PacifiCorp, a principal backer of the Western grid." Court wrote that so-called 'guardrails' put up by SB 540 were meaningless. "Under Pathways as envisioned in SB 540, the CAISO remains the transmission grid operator, but it will transfer its right to propose tariffs (the rules for how the markets and the transmission grid operate, called Section 205 filing rights) to a Delaware (DE) corporation, called a Regional Operator (RO). The Delaware RO will control all the tariffs dictating how all electricity markets operate AND how California runs its grid. California would give up its right to demand that its environmental, consumer and health safety laws be followed." He noted some of the ways that California environmental law could be overturned by the governance change: Any market participant or prospective market participant, such as a coal plant owner, can challenge California's RPS, as a violation of the Interstate Commerce Law and invalidate the RPS law. It could allow Trump to require CA (and the entire regional market) to subsidize the purchase of coal-fired power throughout the West. If Trump requires coal subsidies in regional markets, as he promised and started to do in 2018, California will be required to buy and use electricity made from coal. The regional operator could require California help pay for transmission lines in other states in the regional market that support coal and nuclear power plants or are costly and unneeded. In January 2025, PacifiCorp reneged on its promise to shut down its Utah coal plants. California could be required to subsidize their coal power instead of developing its own clean power. "The so-called 'guardrails' in the SB 540 proposal are not safeguards," Court wrote." Even if CAISO remains the balancing authority, the Delaware corporation will hold all the cards and possess the authority to make the rules for both the markets and the transmission grid, solely subject to FERC's jurisdiction. The idea that a statement of corporate governance saying that the DE RO will respect California's right to set policies will be binding on the RO or prevent market participants who want to challenge California's environmental laws is laughable. Giving CAISO the power to pull the trigger in 2027 is only delaying the inevitable CAISO and its free market appointees are big backers of Pathways. And no exit ramp exists if this experiment goes bad the new Regional Operator with the Trump FERC -- will decide whether California can leave the new unproven system, and how much it will cost California consumers to end the failed experiment." Consumer Watchdog asked to participate in the Senate Energy Committee information hearing on Pathways on March 12th, but was denied a seat on a panel, despite being one of the only dissenting voices to the utility/Big Energy establishment. "The backers of SB 540 don't want you to know its real motto: 'More Power For AI, Forget Climate Change," said Court. SOURCE Consumer Watchdog SHANGHAI, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- DFRobot, a global leader in open-source hardware and embedded development tools, warmly invites engineers and innovators to visit their booth (Hall 1-517) at Embedded World 2025 in Nuremberg, Germany, from March 11 to March 13. They will showcase solutions specifically designed to enhance rapid prototyping, including the LattePanda family, LoRaWAN products, millimeter-wave radar products, and gravity electrochemical gas sensors. These solutions aim to shorten development cycles, streamline hardware-software integration, and accelerate industrial-grade innovation. DFRobot Showcases Rapid Prototyping Solutions at Embedded World 2025 At the event, DFRobot unveils its LattePanda family, a comprehensive suite of innovative compact computing solutions. This family includes one micro compute module and x86-based single-board computers (SBCs), providing a complete solution that effortlessly transitions from prototyping to industrial deployment. LattePanda Mu : A micro x86 compute module measuring 60mm x 69.6mm, available in Intel N100 (4-core, 3.4GHz) and N305 (8-core, 3.8GHz) variants. The 8-core model delivers over 3 times the multi-core processing power of a Raspberry Pi 5, making it ideal for demanding multi-threaded tasks. It includes extensive I/O options such as 3 HDMI/DisplayPort, 8 USB 2.0 ports, up to 4 USB 3.2 ports, and up to 9 PCIe 3.0 lanes for seamless peripheral integration. The LattePanda Mu is also designed to meet customer customization needs with tailored services for specialized requirements. LattePanda Sigma : A powerful and hackable x86 single-board server that can run Windows or Linux. It features an Intel Core i5-1340P processor with Intel Iris Xe Graphics and supports up to 32GB of Dual-Channel LPDDR5 memory. This model excels in graphics performance, boasting 80 execution units (EUs) that can dynamically reach frequencies of up to 1.4GHz, delivering outstanding graphics performance and rendering quality. LattePanda 3 Delta : Powered by the Intel 11th-gen Celeron N5105 processor (up to 2.9GHz), the LattePanda 3 Delta provides up to 2x faster CPU and 3x faster GPU performance than its predecessor, handling 4K HDR videos and demanding games with ease. It features improved cooling function and 42 expandable interfaces, making it popular among makers and engineers. With a compact form factor of 125 mm x 78 mm x 16 mm, it is perfect for IoT Edge, robotics, and AI applications. LattePanda VI: The world's smallest x86 Windows SBC, measuring 88 x 70mm, is compact and lightweight, making it ideal for space-constrained IoT gateways and mobile AI applications. In addition to the LattePanda family, DFRobot showcases its LoRaWAN products, which include the LoRaWAN gateway, LoRaWAN control terminal, Gravity: LoRaWAN Node and etc. The LoRaWAN gateway centralizes network operations by efficiently collecting and relaying node data. With its integrated SloT, it enhances security, offers ultra-low latency, and ensures complete data control, functioning as a deployable edge hub compatible with cloud technology. Furthermore, DFRobot presents its factory-calibrated Gravity electrochemical gas sensors, including models like the O Sensor -12C & UART and CO Sensor -12C & UART, which are renowned for their precision and reliability. DFRobot also offers extensive product customization services tailored to meet diverse customer needs. Visit DFRobot (Hall 1-517) at Embedded World 2025 to discover how these innovative solutions can enhance your rapid prototyping experience and drive your projects to success. SOURCE DFRobot Former 2U Chief Revenue Officer Receives Backing from Ardent Venture Partners to Develop Go-To-Market Technology Using AI Agents WASHINGTON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- After a year in stealth, e:cue officially launches today with funding from Ardent Venture Partners, bringing AI Agents to power data science for go-to-market (GTM) business leaders. Founded by Harsha Mokkarala, former Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Data Scientist of 2U, Inc and senior executive at Capital One, e:cue is building the next generation of AI-driven intelligence for marketing and sales teamshelping organizations move beyond static data analysis to proactive, AI-driven decision-making. Harsha Mokkarala, Founder and CEO, e:cue Solving a Trillion-Dollar Business Intelligence Problem Businesses are drowning in data, but most can't extract real-world value from it. According to IBM, poor data quality costs businesses in the U.S. more than $3.1 trillion annually. e:cue is addressing these data challenges by embedding AI-driven data science directly into existing workflows, enabling leaders to anticipate challenges, identify opportunities, and take immediate action. "Businesses don't need more dashboards; they need the ability to trust and interpret their data," said Harsha Mokkarala, Founder and CEO of e:cue. "This is an expensive and slow process that hinders their ability to find growth in today's dynamic marketplaces. We are building e:cue to move beyond reportingour AI Agent, Cue, embeds actionable data science into the organization's existing workflows, helping leaders make informed decisions with speed and confidence." A Proven Leader in Data-Driven Revenue Strategy Mokkarala, formerly Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at 2U and a senior executive at Capital One, has spent his career at the intersection of data, technology, and business strategy. At 2U, he led the company's tenfold revenue growth and scaled digital education programs for top-tier universities. At Capital One, he helped spearhead the transition from traditional marketing to digital marketing powered by predictive analytics, redefining how the company engaged customers. The First GTM-Specific Data Science Solution Using AI Agents e:cue is pioneering agentic AI in the GTM business intelligence arena, an unexplored space representing a massive opportunity for transformation. A key part of this solution is Cue, a custom AI agent that helps businesses monitor performance, predict outcomes, and confidently devise next steps. Cue is an embedded data analyst that helps automate critical analytical workflows, integrate them into existing tools and access them using natural language. "While many businesses use generative AI in their marketing and sales operations, few tap into agentic AI to shape business strategy." added Mokkarala. "Cue helps leaders move from reactive decision-making to proactively shaping GTM strategies." Investor Confidence in e:cue's Vision Backed by Ardent Venture Partners (AVP), e:cue is positioned to redefine AI-powered business intelligence. Phil Bronner, Managing Partner at AVP, sees e:cue's approach as a game-changer for modern enterprises. "Businesses generate vast amounts of data, but without data science, they struggle to turn it into a competitive advantage," said Bronner. "e:cue is bridging that gap, using AI to enable actionable data science at scale for organizations of all types and sizes. We're excited to support Harsha and the e:cue team as they transform how organizations operate." With strong early traction, investment from AVP, and a bold vision for the future of AI-powered decision-making, e:cue is set to become the go-to intelligence platform for business leaders looking to drive strategic growth. About e:cue AI e:cue AI is designed to be the last business intelligence solution you'll ever need. Powered by real data science and advanced AI agents, e:cue AI reaches across a company's entire data ecosystem, connecting fragmented information to build the most complete business picture. Instead of static dashboards and overwhelming spreadsheets, e:cue AI delivers actionable insightsright on Cue. https://www.ecue.ai/ About Ardent Venture Partners Ardent Venture Partners (AVP) is an early-stage, thesis-driven venture capital firm specializing in vertical SaaS, AI-native software applications, and B2B fintech. The firm has cultivated a portfolio that includes promising companies like Method Financial, Givebutter, Crux Climate, Collective, and Rainforest, each aiming to redefine their respective categories. For further details on AVP's mission and portfolio, visit https://www.ardent.vc/. Media Contact: Jordan Valdes 202-643-4467 [email protected] www.varnumstreetstrategies.com SOURCE e:cue Honoring Founder Wally Amos, Ingredients for Success provides $150,000 in grants and support for early-stage Black entrepreneurs in partnership with U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. CHICAGO, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ferrero North America launched the 2025 Famous Amos Ingredients for Success (IFS) Entrepreneurs Initiative today, in partnership with the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. Now in its fifth year, the IFS program creates pathways for early-stage Black business owners to thrive by providing a total of $150,000 in awards each year. IFS awards three recipients $50,000 in addition to mentorship and access to networking and educational resources. Created to honor the brand founder Wally Amos' legacy, IFS celebrates the qualities that make business owners unique and fosters long-term success for their companies. Famous Amos Limited Edition Famous Amos Ingredients for Success "Wally Amos was boldly original, and his vision and impact are still part of Famous Amos to this day," said Rachna Patel, Vice President of Marketing for Famous Amos. "Ingredients for Success pays tribute to the brand's roots by helping early-stage Black business owners work toward their dreams ultimately helping fuel a community where individuality and innovation can thrive long-term." Eligible businesses must be: at minimum 90% Black-owned, in operation for five years or less, headquartered in the United States, and owned by individuals 21 years or older. Applications can be submitted at FamousAmosIngredientsForSuccess.com now through April 23, 2025. All qualified submissions are judged by a panel that includes renowned Black entrepreneurs. This year's panel of judges include: Shawn Amos Entrepreneur, author, and son of the late brand founder, Wally Amos Entrepreneur, author, and son of the late brand founder, Steve Canal Founder of ONE Venture Group, best-selling author, and branding expert Founder of ONE Venture Group, best-selling author, and branding expert Brittany Rhodes Founder of Math Equals Me and previous IFS winner "Fifty years ago, my father put his dream into action and founded Famous Amos," said Shawn Amos. "Since then, it has grown to become a globally recognized brand, and I'm honored to be a part of its evolution. I'm also grateful to serve as a judge for the Ingredients for Success program during this monumental year. So many entrepreneurs deserve a chance to grow their business to reach its fullest potential. IFS builds upon the lessons from my father and provides resources to help others' business dreams become a reality." Launched in 2020, IFS has since awarded 12 business owners a total of $600,000 over four years, creating positive change and economic empowerment for early-stage Black business owners. In the spirit of Wally Amos, IFS alumni are "famous" for turning their passions into sustainable businesses from developing a nostalgic card game to inventing pediatric learning tools to expanding access to healthy food in underserved communities. To learn more about IFS alumni and their journeys, visit FamousAmosIngredientsForSuccess.com/IFSWinners. Famous Amos is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and will commemorate with programs that highlight the past, present and future. The brand's new campaign "Famously You" draws inspiration from founder Wally Amos, who was known for being unapologetically himself. To add to the festivities, there will be a limited release of Collectors Edition packaging that pays homage to the original graphics from 1975 and features an image of Wally Amos in his signature Panama shirt. The Collectors Edition bag is available nationwide wherever Famous Amos Cookies are sold, while supplies last. Stay tuned to Famous Amos's socials for the latest brand news and 50th anniversary updates: Threads, Instagram and Facebook. About Famous Amos Famous Amos is a beloved brand that started in 1975, famous for its classic chocolate chip cookies. Founded by Wally Amos, a passionate Black entrepreneur, Famous Amos grew from a bakery in Hollywood, California into a brand serving millions of customers across the United States. In 2020, Famous Amos began a major philanthropic effort, the Ingredients for Success Entrepreneurs Initiative. Now in its fifth year, this initiative creates positive change and economic empowerment for early-stage Black entrepreneurs. Ingredients for Success celebrates the qualities that make each business owner unique and fosters long-term success for their businesses. ### SOURCE Ferrero North America LONDON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Fastmarkets, a global leader in commodities price reporting, is excited to announce the launch of a new set of aluminum pricing benchmarks for Mexico, starting in March 2025. These new additions to the Fastmarkets portfolio represent a major stride toward enhanced transparency in an ever-evolving market. The suite of new price assessments include pricing for the P1020 premium, the low-carbon P1020 differential and the billet premium, all assessed on a CIF (cost, insurance and freight) Mexico basis, including the country's main ports. Fastmarkets is the only IOSCO-compliant Price-Reporting Agency (PRA) offering a comprehensive suite of aluminium premiums in Mexico. This compliance reflects a commitment to rigorous standards in methodology and transparency, solidifying Fastmarkets as a trusted and dependable resource for market participants worldwide. It is also the first to introduce low-carbon aluminium pricing to the Mexican market. With a deep understanding of the metals markets and decades of trusted expertise, Fastmarkets is uniquely positioned to anticipate and meet the needs of market participants, offering insights necessary to identify emerging trends and provide timely solutions. "Aluminium is a key raw material for Mexico's booming automotive and construction sectors, yet the country imports all of its primary aluminium. These new price assessments will introduce much-needed clarity and structure to this dynamic market," said Grace Asenov, Fastmarkets regional editor, base and energy metals. "The introduction of low-carbon pricing also reinforces our global commitment to sustainability across metals." This launch is driven by two key factors shaping the aluminium trade in Mexico today: Market demand: Research and engagement led by Fastmarkets revealed a strong call from industry stakeholders for greater transparency and references in aluminium pricing. Research and engagement led by Fastmarkets revealed a strong call from industry stakeholders for greater transparency and references in aluminium pricing. Changing trade dynamics: Recent developments such as US tariffs on aluminium imports and Mexico's diverse sourcing landscape spanning the US, India , the Middle East , Africa and Canada , among others, present an urgent need for accurate pricing tools. According to data from the Mexican government, 72.7% of Mexico's unwrought aluminium exports were sent to the United States in 2023. Additionally, the US International Trade Administration (ITA) reports that between January 2024 and January 2025, Mexico ranked as the eighth-largest supplier of unwrought aluminium to the US. During this period, Mexico exported 26,507.29 tonnes, contributing to the total 4,025,293.13 tonnes imported by the US. "The US-Mexico total trade in 2024 alone is north of $500 billion per year. Given its strategic importance, greater clarity over the price paid for goods and services imported from Mexico is extremely important. In light of the ongoing tariff uncertainty, a trusted benchmark and fair assessment makes a great difference when it comes to business negotiations," said Fastmarkets senior analyst Andy Farida. Key benefits of Fastmarkets' Mexican low-carbon aluminium pricing: Brings structure and transparency to a growing, underserved market: Interest in sustainable aluminium is increasing in North America as consumers and industries focus on reducing carbon emissions. High demand for sustainable aluminium is seen in packaging and automotive sectors, where sustainability is a key priority. Interest in sustainable aluminium is increasing in as consumers and industries focus on reducing carbon emissions. High demand for sustainable aluminium is seen in packaging and automotive sectors, where sustainability is a key priority. Introducing low-carbon pricing to promote sustainability: Businesses embracing green practices can unlock substantial market growth and gain a competitive edge. The importance of low-carbon aluminium pricingthrough differentials and premiumscontinues to grow. These tools provide valuable benchmarks for the market and play a crucial role in educating the industry about the benefits of green aluminium. Businesses embracing green practices can unlock substantial market growth and gain a competitive edge. The importance of low-carbon aluminium pricingthrough differentials and premiumscontinues to grow. These tools provide valuable benchmarks for the market and play a crucial role in educating the industry about the benefits of green aluminium. Leverages Fastmarkets' existing global aluminium benchmarks and expertise: Fastmarkets has tracked this market since launching two low-carbon aluminium differentials for the US in 2023, following earlier launches in Asia and Europe in 2021. This launch emphasizes Fastmarkets' dedication to providing innovative, customer-centric solutions for the metals market. By establishing a reliable pricing standard for aluminium in Mexico, Fastmarkets helps businesses tackle trade complexities, optimize risk, and capitalize on emerging opportunities. For more information and to see the specifications of the primary aluminium premiums in Mexico, visit Fastmarkets. Email [email protected] to connect with the team and find out how Fastmarkets can help you. ABOUT FASTMARKETS Fastmarkets is an industry-leading PRA and information provider for the agriculture, forest products, metals, carbon and energy transition commodities' markets. Fastmarkets serves its customers with commodity benchmark prices and assessments, forecasts, analytics, insights, news and events. Its data is critical for customers seeking to understand and predict dynamic, sometimes opaque markets, enabling trading and risk management. Fastmarkets is a global business with a history dating from 1865 and is built on trust and deep market expertise. It has more than 750 employees spread across several global locations including the UK, US, China, Singapore, Brazil, Bulgaria, Belgium, Ukraine and Finland. Fastmarkets is a privately held UK-registered company owned by its shareholders and Astorg, a European private equity firm. SOURCE Fastmarkets NEW YORK, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC) between November 16, 2023 and February 4, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important April 14, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline. So what: If you purchased FMC securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. What to do next: To join the FMC class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=35068 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than April 14, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Details of the case: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) FMC's channel management initiatives were not progressing as represented; (2) faced with pricing pressure, FMC had made the decision not to compete on prices and instead walk away from sales opportunities; (3) as a result, FMC had inflated inventory in the channels in "LATAM, including Brazil, Asia, including India, as well as Canada and Eastern Europe;" and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about FMC's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the FMC class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=35068 https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=28116call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A. Community Relations Strategist Role Aims to Raise Awareness of TCFD's Presence in Local Community HARRIS, N.Y., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Discovery (The Center, TCFD) is pleased to announce that former longtime New York State Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther will become a consultant for the organization. In her new role as a Community Relations Strategist, Gunther will bring with her a decades-long background in both public service and healthcare to help reinforce The Center's presence and engagement within the local Sullivan County community where it is currently the largest employer, with over 1,700 staff. Aileen Gunther served as the representative for the 100th District, encompassing Orange and Sullivan Counties in the New York State Assembly for over two decades and retired in late 2024. Throughout her expansive career, she was known for her fierce advocacy and dedication to improving the lives of her constituents. She has been a tireless champion for increased funding for schools and fire departments, expanded access to healthcare, and tax relief for middle-class New Yorkers. In addition to her role as former Assemblywoman, Gunther is a registered nurse with over 25 years of healthcare experience. She served as the Director of Performance Improvement and Risk Management at Garnet Health Medical Center - Catskills prior to entering the Assembly. Her healthcare background, combined with her advocacy work, reflects her lifelong commitment to caring for all individuals. As Community Relations Strategist at The Center for Discovery, Gunther will work in collaboration with the Office of Strategic Outreach and Partnerships, leveraging her skills to build and nurture key relationships with local leaders, businesses, organizations, and residents. Her role will be pivotal in strengthening The Center's impact on a local community level, developing partnerships, and raising awareness of its mission and programs. "We are thrilled to welcome Aileen Gunther to our team and we are confident that her dedication to public service, healthcare, and community engagement will further elevate the organization's mission. For decades now, Aileen has been a tireless advocate of The Center, helping to advocate for Sullivan County and all of the individuals we serve," said Dr. Terry Hamlin, President and CEO of The Center for Discovery. "Throughout my tenure as Assembly person, I collaborated closely with The Center. I believe strongly in their mission and their approach to care, and look forward to helping them continue to serve our community and improve the quality of people's lives," said Aileen Gunther. For more information about The Center for Discovery, please contact Michael Rosen, Executive VP of Development, Marketing, and Strategic Communications, at Mrosen@tcfd. About The Center for Discovery The Center for Discovery (TCFD) is a leading provider of healthcare and education services for more than 1,200 children and adults with complex conditions, medical frailties and autism spectrum disorders, located 90 miles northwest of New York City. Named a Center of Excellence in 2016, TCFD has long been a leader in developing new models of care for individuals with complex conditions. Located on 1,500 acres of land in Sullivan County, TCFD houses school campuses, residences, medical and research facilities, organic and biodynamic farmland, and leased private businesses offering meaningful employment opportunities. Deeply focused on an individual's personal potential and possibilities, rather than a disability, TCFD strives to create better care and unique and challenging opportunities for the most vulnerable populations. For more information about TCFD, please visit http://www.tcfd.org/. Michael Rosen Executive VP of Development, Marketing, and Strategic Communications (917) 232-5556 [email protected] SOURCE The Center for Discovery SYDNEY, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Geely Auto today announced the official launch of its brand and Geely EX5 the next-generation SUV in Australia and New Zealand. This expansion finalized Geely's business layout across five continents with a robust channel of networks and inclusive products. Geely launched its brand in Luna Park Sydney The milestone of entering ANZ market has solidified Geely's global presence, demonstrating that Geely has leaped forward to a new chapter of globalization process. In the future, the company will focus on deepening the distribution channel and building systematic competitive advantages. Jerry Gan, CEO of Geely Auto Group, mentioned, "2025 is the start of the Geely 2030 Vision. By the end of the year, Geely will enter UK, Brazil, South Africa and other markets, and add more than 300 new sales and service outlets to achieve 1100+ channels in the international market". Geely is committed to its branding mission of "creating a smart mobility experience that exceeds user expectations", earning trust from more than 17 million customers all over the world. So far, the Geely EX5 has entered a multitude of markets. It received more than 1,000 orders within a week of its launch in Indonesia, and captured customers' interest in the Philippines, Costa Rica, etc. Since its debut at the Electric Vehicles Expo at Automechanika in Germany, the Geely EX5 has won international attention, while its first deliveries in Thailand in March 2025 marks the milestone of overseas delivery. By the end of 2025, Geely EX5 will be introduced to more than 20 markets, further strengthening its international influence. As Geely's first global model built on GEA Global Intelligent Electric Architecture, the EX5 incorporates Geely's core NEV technology, including Geely Short Blade Battery, CTB Structure and 11-in-1 Intelligent Electric Drive. In the next 3 years, Geely will continue to increase the number of its products in overseas markets, launching 8 NEV models that are built on the GEA architecture to cover different market segments, and further consolidate its competitive advantages. SOURCE Geely Auto BEIJING, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, held the closing meeting of its third session on Tuesday. Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders attended the meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. On Tuesday, Chinese national lawmakers passed several key resolutions. These included a resolution on the government work report, a resolution on the work report of the NPC Standing Committee, a resolution on the work report of the Supreme People's Court, and a resolution on the work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Xinhua reported. Additionally, lawmakers adopted a decision to amend the Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels during the same session. The lawmakers also approved a resolution on the implementation of the 2024 plan for national economic and social development, alongside the adoption of the 2025 plan for national economic and social development. The 2025 plan received formal endorsement at the closing meeting. Furthermore, a resolution on the execution of the 2024 central and local budgets, as well as the approval of the 2025 central and local budgets, was passed. The central budget for 2025 was officially ratified at the conclusion of the third session of the 14th NPC. The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, concluded its annual session on Monday. Blueprint with confidence The two sessions, held at a time when the world is facing turbulence, has injected confidence to the Chinese public and designated the specific areas to strive for. It has also showcased China's openness and willingness to share development opportunities with the world, according to attendees and observers. The Global Times observed that technology has permeated through many conversations involving deputies and political advisors, and at press conferences throughout the past days. Deputy Zhang Jin, a CEO from a robot automation company in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, told the Global Times that "Innovation is not a slogan, but actual actions." Zhang's team has strived to break foreign monopoly on a high-precision robotic hand for semiconductor production. It is less known as a bottleneck than lithography machines, but this progress is paving the way to technological self-reliance, Zhang said. Song Yaping, an NPC deputy and president of the Shaanxi Provincial Children's Welfare Association, told the Global Times on Tuesday that through exchanges with deputies from different sectors, she is amazed by how artificial intelligence (AI) has changed all walks of life. Song is now thinking how to incorporate AI in education and help children to better learn about arts and traditional culture. China has the strongest policy support, the most fertile soil for innovation, the broadest market and a large number of talents. These combined advantages give us the confidence to pursue higher goals, Zhang said. China will establish a national venture capital guidance fund to drive nearly 1 trillion yuan of local and private funds to invest in tech firms in a market-oriented manner, according to Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission. This year's government work report recognizes AI as essential for fostering new quality productive forces. It also outlined a blueprint to nurture and expand emerging industries and industries of the future, and called on innovative enterprises to pioneer breakthroughs for China's economic growth. Another key topic frequently discussed is China's economic prospects. While foreign media including CNN, Nikkei Asia and the Financial Times describe the GDP growth goal as "ambitious," NPC deputies and political advisors are confident in realizing the objective along with the roadmap set by the two sessions. The growth target is achievable, and the prospect is boosted by technologies, people-oriented investment, and an innovative ecosystem, Tian Xuan, an NPC deputy and associate dean of Tsinghua University's PBC School of Finance, told the Global Times. The country has a vast market, and a complete and mature industrial and supply chain, a strong reserve of talent and a large body of trained labor force, these unique attributes will help the world's second-largest economy navigate the issues it faces during the course of development, Tian said. Global feast In a world of turbulence and uncertainty amid the new US administration's tariffs and other policies, the message sent by China's two sessions is a feast for a world that yearns for stability and development. Muhammad Zamir Assadi, editor of the China Desk at Internews Pakistan, told the Global Times on Tuesday that China has outlined positive economic development strategies which will bring advantages not only to China, but also to its international cooperative partners. China's decision to emphasize technological advancements will provide partner nations with better prospects to obtain innovative Chinese developments alongside joint research activities as these will facilitate industrial modernization in their territories, Assadi said. Milko Zivkovic, who works for North Macedonian daily newspaper Nova Makedonija, told the Global Times that what was discussed at the two sessions will eventually determine not only the direction of Chinese policy, but also of numerous processes on a global scale in different areas, regarding foreign relations, economy, science, and healthcare. The takeaway message for him during the event was "the openness of China to the world." Yu Miaojie, president of Liaoning University and a deputy to the NPC, told the Global Times that this year's two sessions clearly conveyed that China's development will adhere to two fundamental principles: one is universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and the other is an equal and orderly multipolar world. Building on these two principles, we will advance the three global initiatives, namely the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. In terms of opening up, we will focus on attracting foreign investment, improving the business environment for foreign enterprises, and enhancing the quality of the Belt and Road Initiative, Yu said. Yu believes a two-pronged approach will be adopted: first, building a unified domestic market, and second, creating a more comprehensive, broader and deeper pattern of opening up. In simpler terms, it means "stimulating the domestic market while expanding openness to the world." Democracy in micro-lens Zivkovic noted that through reporting the two sessions, he managed to get an insight on the unique structure of the Chinese political system, the engagement of the political leadership with the public and media and the way decision-making is conducted. Jiang Shengnan, a CPPCC National Committee member, shared with the Global Times how a proposal she made in 2024 about guarantees for rural women's rights was incorporated into the legislation of a law on rural collective economic organizations, which is set to take effect on May 1, 2025. Jiang received a reply from a proposal committee of the CPPCC National Committee stating her proposal was taken up and incorporated. NPC deputy Li Liancheng is in his 70s. Li started learning to read when he was 51 and has served as Party chief of a village in Henan Province since 1991. With a heavy accent, Li shared his experience of leading his fellow villagers to seek a better life, build greenhouses and introduce a lighting industry, and now he is thinking of how to invite more technological talents to villages to boost rural revitalization. Li told the Global Times on Tuesday that he felt very much cheered by the just concluded NPC session. "I hope to bring the most updated policies back to the village and bring more good news of rural revitalization next year back to the Great Hall of the People." All these stories serve as a micro lens to understand how China's whole-process people's democracy works. According to Eduardo Tzili-Apango, associate professor in the Department of Politics and Culture at Metropolitan Autonomous University and a member of the Mexican Council on Foreign Affairs, democracy refers to real collective decision making, which is observed in China, particularly during the two sessions. SOURCE Global Times As of 16:00, a total of 66 clashes were recorded on the frontline, the Russian army is actively attacking in Pokrovsk and Torets axes, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) said on Wednesday. Thus, in Pokrovsk axis, the invaders have already carried out 27 attacks on the positions of our defenders in the areas of the settlements of Vodiane Druhe, Yelyzavetivka, Novotoretske, Promin, Dachenske, Novoukrainka, Shevchenko, Kotlyne, Udachne, Novooleksandrivka, Nadiivka and Andriivka. "The Defense Forces... repelled 17 enemy attacks, ten clashes are still ongoing," the General Staff said in a summary on Telegram. Nine enemy attacks took place in Toretsk axis. The enemy attacked in the areas of Toretsk, Druzhba and Ozarianivka, four clashes are currently ongoing. In Kupiansk axis, the enemy attacked the positions of the Defense Forces six times, one clash is still ongoing. In Novopavlivka axis, the invaders attacked the positions of the Ukrainian troops six times, without success. Four clashes were recorded in Siversk axis, two battles are still ongoing. In Huliaipole axis, our defenders repelled three enemy attacks. In Orikhiv axis, the invaders attacked three times, so far one enemy attack has been repelled, two more are ongoing. In Lyman axis, Ukrainian units repelled two attacks. "In Kursk, according to the information available at the moment, our defenders repelled one attack by the invaders. In addition, the enemy carried out three air strikes, dropping four guided aerial bombs, and carried out 144 artillery attacks, including eight from multiple launch rocket systems," the AFU said. The enemy did not conduct active offensive actions in Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, and Prydniprovsk axes today. No significant changes have been noted in other directions at the moment. LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Gridspace proudly announces that its pioneering virtual voice health agent, Grace, has earned certified status by HITRUST for information security for the third consecutive yeara historic first in the industry. Handling over 500,000 calls annually for a dozen blood banks, Grace has orchestrated virtual blood drives, securing 500,000 pints of life-saving blood. Built with state-of-the-art technology, Grace ensures hospital-grade data security while delivering measurable healthcare outcomes. Other in-market healthcare applications of Grace surpassed one million calls last year. By engaging patients in natural conversation, Grace reduces friction with healthcare systems and elevates hospital ratings - all while safeguarding sensitive information. "Grace sets a new standard in voice-enabled healthcare. This triple certification of our Gridspace Sift and Grace platform reflects our dedication to security and operational excellence," said Cooper Johnson, Head of Conversation Design, Gridspace. Anthony Scodary, Co-Founder of Gridspace, added, "With over 500,000 calls a year and 500,000 pints of blood collected, Grace proves that our machine learning program, built through a decade-long collaboration with top speech technologists from Stanford and MIT, is transforming healthcare and applied AI." Darren Hudach from Incept noted, "Grace's innovative approach is transforming patient care by leveraging metrics that matter. It's not just about technologyit's about tangible, life-saving impact." About Gridspace Gridspace builds advanced voice technology and artificial intelligence software for contact centers. The company handles billions of minutes of voice calls for some of the largest voice-oriented healthcare, financial service and consumer brands in the world. For more information about Gridspace, and to hear our healthcare virtual agents in action, visit https://www.gridspace.com/ About Incept At Incept, we specialize in delivering tailored marketing solutions for growth-focused healthcare organizations. With over 20 years of industry experience, our team of seasoned sales and marketing experts blends innovation with a personal touchbecause relationships matter. Learn more at www.incept-health.com/ . Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.gridspace.com/press-center This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed herein. SOURCE Gridspace Partnership with American History Unbound Set to Unfold at Carnegie Hall and New World Center "The Great War & The Great Gatsby" Brings World War I to Life Through Music and Imagery "The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day" Recounts Harrowing Final Year of World War II MIAMI, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Griffin Catalyst, the civic engagement initiative of Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin, today announced a new partnership with non-profit American History Unbound that will present the educational organization's dramatic multi-media storytelling of World War I and World War II to audiences in New York and Miami in April and May 2025. A unique combination of narration and imagery from renowned historian John Monsky, and music from Broadway stars and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, brings to life in new ways two of the most consequential moments of the 20th century. Monsky's production focusing on World War I, "The Great War & The Great Gatsby," is set for April 21 and April 22 at Carnegie Hall in New York City. His production focusing on World War II, "The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day," is set for May 10 at the New World Center in Miami Beach. The New York shows coincide with the 100th anniversary of the publication of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, and the Miami show comes two days after the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory over Germany in 1945. The production of "The Great War & The Great Gatsby," which debuted at Carnegie Hall in November 2023, will be directed by Tony Award-winner Michael Mayer ("Spring Awakening") with music arranged and conducted by Ian Weinberger ("Hamilton"). It will be filmed as a documentary set to air nationwide later this year around Veterans Day. The production of "The Eyes of the World," currently streaming on PBS.org, was filmed at Boston's Symphony Hall last year. "The bravery and sacrifice of American service men and women during the World Wars reflect a heroic commitment to our nation's values," said Ken Griffin. "I'm proud to support the stories of American History Unbound so that current and future generations can appreciate the sacrifices made to protect the freedoms we enjoy today." "Through his generous philanthropy over many decades, Ken Griffin has worked to preserve and present our collective history through profound acts, including his 2022 acquisition of a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution," said John Monsky, founder of American History Unbound. "We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Ken and Griffin Catalyst for helping us to reimagine 'The Great War & The Great Gatsby' and 'The Eyes of the World' and present America at its best to audiences in New York, Miami, and beyond." American History Unbound's "The Great War & The Great Gatsby" focuses on solider-composer James Reese Europe and his Harlem Hellfighters; Lt. Quentin Roosevelt, the aviator son of Theodore Roosevelt; Vera Brittain, a British nurse on the front lines; and Charles Whittlesey, an unassuming lawyer-turned-warrior who led a melting pot of New York soldiers under fire in one of America's bloodiest battles. In "The Eyes of The World: From D-Day to VE Day," the backdrop switches from World War I to World War II and focuses on three journalists Ernest Hemingway, Lee Miller, and Robert Capa each an eyewitness to the Allied invasion of Europe, from the Normandy landings to the liberation of Paris and the fall of Berlin, each encountering on their journey people and events altering the tide of world history. Music plays a pivotal role in each production, with the Broadway vocalists and a full orchestra filling the venues with sounds of the respective eras. In "The Great War & The Great Gatsby," songs by Irving Berlin, George M. Cohan, and others emanate from the stage. In "The Eyes of the World," classic interpretations of Glenn Miller and Edith Piaf, among many others, provide the stirring soundtrack. Recent examples of Ken Griffin and Griffin Catalyst's efforts to strengthen freedom and democracy include providing critical support services to the U.S. military's elite special operations forces and their families through the largest gift in the history of the Navy SEAL Foundation; supporting veterans' employment through the largest private donation in the history of the Call of Duty Endowment; sharing the stories and values of the Medal of Honor through a $30 million gift to the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation; and making a rare, original print of the U.S. Constitution available for public viewing so that people from across the country and around the world can reflect on our nation's founding principles and the radical experiment in representative government the document ushered in. Ken Griffin and Griffin Catalyst's partnership with American History Unbound represents the latest support for bold initiatives to strengthen American freedoms, promote civic engagement, and honor America's past to help inspire the country's future. About Griffin Catalyst Griffin Catalyst is the civic engagement initiative of Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin, encompassing his philanthropic and community impact efforts. Tackling the world's greatest challenges in innovative, action-oriented, and evidence-driven ways, Griffin Catalyst is dedicated to expanding opportunity and improving lives across six areas of focus: Education, Science & Medicine, Upward Mobility, Freedom & Democracy, Enterprise & Innovation, and Communities. For more information, visit griffincatalyst.org. About American History Unbound The American History Unbound series combines live music, performed by leading orchestras and celebrated Broadway actors, lecture, photographs and film from the National Archives, historic American flags, and material culture to explore watershed moments in American history. These symphonic and visual journeys through history are commissioned by the Carnegie Hall Presents series. Created and narrated by historian John Monsky, programs to date have explored the Vietnam War, the race to the moon, D-Day, and World War I. These works have been presented at the White House, Carnegie Hall, Boston's Symphony Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center Opera House, New York Historical Society, Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York, Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida, Yale University, New York University's Skirball Center and the New York Stock Exchange. In December 2024, The Eyes of the World: From Day to VE Day was performed in the East Room of The White House for the President, top administration officials and veterans. American History Unbound Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization. www.americanhistoryunbound.com Media Contact [email protected] SOURCE Griffin Catalyst Honoring the Casey Family (DJ Envy) and Featuring Keynote Speakers Trustee Derek Lewis and Rev. Dr. DeForest Soaries HAMPTON, Va., March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Center for Black Family Life at Hampton University, in collaboration with the School of Liberal Arts and Education, proudly presents the 43rd Annual Conference on the Black Family, taking place March 1921. This year's theme, " From Chaos to Community: Elevating Black Families Actualizing the Vision of the Beloved Community" will provide a transformative forum for exploring strategies that empower Black families to build wealth, strengthen communities, and preserve cultural legacies. For over four decades, Hampton University's Conference on the Black Family has stood as a premier national forum, shaping the dialogue on Black family life, resilience, and progress. As one of the longest-running and most influential conferences of its kind, it has brought together renowned scholars, policymakers, and thought leaders to drive meaningful change, empower communities, and inspire future generations. Its legacy of impact continues to illuminate pathways to economic empowerment, leadership, and cultural preservation. The 2025 event will feature powerful plenary sessions, panel discussions, and workshops on the following: Wealth Building and Financial Literacy Addressing strategies for homeownership, investing, and entrepreneurship within Black communities. Faith and Family Exploring the intersection of spirituality, mental health, and family stability. Educational Access and Achievement Discussing pathways to higher education, student success, and overcoming systemic barriers. Black Fatherhood and Positive Male Influence Highlighting the role of Black fathers, mentors, and male figures in shaping strong family foundations. Health Disparities and Family Well-Being Tackling issues such as maternal health, mental wellness, and healthcare equity in Black communities. A signature moment of the conference will be the honoring of RaaShaun "DJ Envy" and Gia Casey for their contributions to mental health advocacy, financial literacy and economic empowerment in Black communities. Through their efforts in real estate investment education and community outreach, the Caseys have inspired families nationwide to build generational wealth and break cycles of financial hardship. "The Annual Conference on the Black Family remains a cornerstone of Hampton University's commitment to fostering scholarship, advocacy, and action that uplifts Black families," said Hampton University President Darrell K. Williams. "This year's focus on legacy and economic empowerment is especially timely as we work to ensure that future generations are equipped with the tools needed to thrive." The conference will feature keynote addresses from distinguished scholars and business leaders: Hampton Trustee Derek Lewis , author of "Survive + Advance: Lessons on Living a Life Without Compromise," former PepsiCo executive and entrepreneur, is a champion for education, corporate leadership, and economic mobility within Black communities. , author of "Survive + Advance: Lessons on Living a Life Without Compromise," former PepsiCo executive and entrepreneur, is a champion for education, corporate leadership, and economic mobility within Black communities. Rev. Dr. DeForest Soaries, author, nationally recognized faith leader and former New Jersey Secretary of State, is known for his work in financial empowerment and community-building. "As we enter our 43rd year, this conference continues to evolve, addressing both the challenges and opportunities facing Black families today," said Dr. Linda Malone-Colon, Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Education. "We're excited to welcome thought leaders and community builders who will inspire transformative action." For more information and registration, visit ncbfl.org About the National Center for Black Family Life at Hampton University Founded in 2023 the National Center for Black Family Life, housed in the School of Liberal Arts and Education at Hampton University serves as a leading hub for research, advocacy, and community engagement dedicated to strengthening and empowering Black families. About Hampton University Hampton University is a Carnegie R2-designated research institution, recognized for its groundbreaking research in atmospheric science, cancer treatment, and cybersecurity. Contributing $530 million annually to the regional and Commonwealth of Virginia economies, Hampton plays a vital role in driving economic development while championing diversity, inclusion, and opportunity. The university was recently named one of the "Best Colleges in America" by Money Magazine and recognized as the "Best Private College" by Coastal Virginia. Founded in 1868, Hampton University is a close-knit community of learners and educators, representing 44 states and 32 territories, committed to nurturing intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and global citizenship. For more information, visit www.hamptonu.edu . For media inquiries regarding Hampton University, please contact James Parker in the Office of University Relations 757-727-5253. SOURCE Hampton University Inc.'s eighth annual Female Founders list highlights the nation's top business leaders who challenge the status quo to tackle some of the world's biggest problems. LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future, today announced its eighth annual Female Founders list , honoring 500 women whose innovations and leadership are redefining industries. These resilient entrepreneurs have demonstrated exceptional vision and drive, collectively attracting approximately $9 billion in revenue in 2024 and $10.6 billion in funding. Among this year's honorees is Hannah Cranston , Founder and CEO of HCM , a public relations agency renowned for amplifying impact-driven brandsespecially those championing women's health and reproductive rights, wellness, equity, and AI-driven solutions. Under Cranston's leadership, HCM has redefined the role of PR beyond securing media coverage to shape cultural conversations that influence policy, business, and consumer behavior. This year's list also features notable founders such as Kim Kardashian and Emma Grede (Skims), Kate Ryder (Maven), and Sheila Lirio Marcelo (Care.com, Ohai.ai). Cranston's recognition by Inc. underscores the agency's role in shaping the next era of public relations. Post this "Female founders know what struggle is, but they're also experts of improvisation, adaptability, and creativity. The women featured on this year's list exemplify these qualities. Through times of uncertainty, their unwavering dedication and steadfast leadership are not only inspiring but vital to driving progress," said Inc. executive editor, Diana Ransom. In just two years of business, HCM has become the go-to PR agency for impact-driven startups, legacy brands, women's health companies, innovative CPG brands, and technology leaders seeking to break through the noise and make a lasting impact. Cranston's work at HCM proves that businesses that prioritize gender equity, social impact, and innovation don't just succeedthey lead. "This recognition from Inc. is a testament to what I've always believedinvesting in impact-driven brands isn't just the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do. The most disruptive brands aren't just selling products; they're building solutions that redefine industries, expand access, and challenge the status quo," said Hannah Cranston, Founder & CEO of HCM. "At HCM, we ensure these game-changing companies don't just get pressthey spark conversations, influence policy, and shape the future. I'm incredibly honored to be on this list and even more excited to continue amplifying the brands and leaders transforming our world." As HCM continues to amplify purpose-driven brands, Cranston's recognition by Inc. underscores the agency's role in shaping the next era of public relations. Several honorees will be featured in Inc. magazine's Female Founders issue, on newsstands March 18, 2025. To see the complete list of honorees, please visit: https://www.inc.com/female-founders . About HCM HCM is the PR agency for changemakers, specializing in impact-driven brands that champion health and wellness, equity, AI solutions, and equity-driven innovation. The agency partners with pioneers to drive conversations that shape cultural and societal discourse. By amplifying clients' stories and innovations, the agency helps create real-world access to solutions that impact millions. Leading the charge toward a new era in PR, HCM crafts campaigns that fuel societal progress, redefine industries, and shift public consciousness. For more information, visit www.hannahcranstonmedia.com. SOURCE Hannah Cranston Media NEW YORK, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --There is only one place to be on St Patrick's Day and that is Ireland. The stunning emerald isle is alive with color, brimming with energy, and waiting to welcome visitors for the experience of a lifetime. Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/tourism-ireland/9323151-en-tourism-ireland-st-patricks-day-2025 Celebrate St. Patricks Day with Exclusive Stories, Stunning Visuals, and Unforgettable Experiences Happy St. Patrick's Day The St Patrick's Festival is truly one of the great spectacles of the world a week-long celebration of music, dance and outdoor shows culminating in the fabulous St. Patrick's Day parade through the historic streets of Dublin on March 17th. Regional parades take place in cities such as Kilkenny, Limerick, Killarney and Sligo. One can also visit the 'Home of St Patrick' in Northern Ireland and visit the St Patrick's Center in Downpatrick, which is the world's only permanent exhibit to our patron saint. Tourism Ireland will broadcast this year's epic Dublin parade LIVE with commentary from PBS star Mickela Mallozzi, US TV Host Alex Lee, Irish celebrity chef Kevin Dundon and Donal Skehan. Also check out above our new video wishing the world a Happy St Patrick's Day using a haunting cover of Breathless by The Corrs, performed by Irish band Lemoncello. The video includes stunning footage of Ireland and captures the excitement of festivities happening around the island on March 17. In 2025 Tourism Ireland will once again lead the way in lighting up global icons around the world with it's 'Greening' campaign. From Niagara Falls to Trafalgar Square the world will go green. Sites in the US include the Empire State Building in New York, and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The Wild Atlantic Way stretches along our western seaboard. Ireland's Ancient East is a journey through 5000 years of European history in the eastern portion of the island. Northern Ireland is a special corner of the island which has its own distinct identity and cultural offering. Ireland's Hidden Heartlands will bring you on a mesmerizing wander through the central part of the island. Ireland is an island for all seasons. The summer is a great time to visit, but one shouldn't forget the great year-round experiences to be had throughout the island. Competitive airfares, hotel availability and smaller crowds, make fall, winter and spring great periods to visit. Ireland has never been easier to get to. 2025 will see a record number of non-stop flights from 22 US gateways. So come join us! Wishing Everyone a #HappyStPatrick'sDay SOURCE Tourism Ireland The companies agreed to work together to strengthen collaboration and accelerate SMR supply chain Combining TerraPower's advanced Natrium technology to build manufacturing foundation for commercialization "Will create new opportunities in global SMR market through extensive experience and advanced technological capabilities." SEOUL, South Korea, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- HD Hyundai announced on Tuesday the 11th that it signed a strategic agreement with TerraPower, to expand the global manufacturing supply chain for Natrium reactors, supporting the rapid commercialization of the advanced nuclear technology. Chung Kisun, Executive Vice Chairman of HD Hyundai, and Bill Gates, founder of TerraPower, participated in the meeting where they discussed accelerating the development and commercialization of Natrium reactors. HD Hyundai recently signed a strategic agreement with TerraPower to expand the global manufacturing supply chain for Natrium reactors, supporting the rapid commercialization of the advanced nuclear technology. From the right Won Kwang-shik, Head of Marine Energy Business Division at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries; Chung Kisun, Executive Vice Chairman of HD Hyundai; Bill Gates, founder and chairman of TerraPower; and Chris Levesque, president and CEO of TerraPower. The signing ceremony was attended by Chung; Won Kwang-shik, Head of Marine Energy Business Division at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries; Bill Gates, founder and chairman of TerraPower; Chris Levesque, president and CEO of TerraPower; and other officials. The Natrium reactor is a 4th generation sodium-cooled fast reactor developed by TerraPower, which produces electricity by cooling the heat generated from fast neutron fission with liquid sodium. Among SMRs, it has high safety and technological maturity, and generates 40% less nuclear waste compared to conventional reactors. Bill Gates and likeminded visionaries founded TerraPower with the mission of developing advanced nuclear energy solutions that provide safe, reliable, and carbon-free power. The company is actively building the first Natrium plant in the western United States. Through this agreement, the two companies will combine HD Hyundai's world-class manufacturing expertise with TerraPower's cutting-edge technology to establish the commercial-scale production capacity needed for global Natrium deployment. In particular, HD Hyundai will develop optimized manufacturing processes to supply key Natrium reactor components. Through this, the company will establish the manufacturing foundation necessary for full-scale commercialization beyond the initial demonstration project. Previously, in December 2024, HD Hyundai signed a supply contract with TerraPower for the cylindrical reactor vessel to be installed in the first Natrium reactor. "We expect that HD Hyundai's extensive experience and advanced technological capabilities in manufacturing will help build the foundation for commercialization of Natrium reactors," said Won. "Based on this cooperation, we will accelerate the commercialization of next-generation nuclear energy solutions and create new growth opportunities in the global SMR market." "TerraPower is working to rapidly deploy Natrium plants in the United States and around the world," said Levesque. "Through cooperation with HD Hyundai, we expect to expand the supply chain and successfully build Natrium reactors to meet growing energy demand." SOURCE HD Hyundai DALLAS, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Highland Opportunities and Income Fund (NYSE:HFRO) ("HFRO" or the "Fund") today announced the final results of its tender and exchange offer (the "Exchange Offer") to exchange common shares (the "Common Shares") for newly issued 5.375% Series B Preferred Shares (the "Preferred Shares"). Based on the final count by Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, the depositary for the Exchange Offer, a total of 21,673,105 shares of HFRO Common Shares were properly tendered and not properly withdrawn. In accordance with the terms and conditions of the Exchange Offer the Fund currently expects to exchange 10,000,000 Common Shares for Preferred Shares with an aggregate liquidation preference of approximately $100 million. As the Exchange Offer was oversubscribed, the Fund intends to exchange Common Shares from all tendering shareholders on a pro rata basis as described in the Offer to Exchange. The proration factor for the Common Shares that HFRO will accept pursuant to the Exchange Offer is 46.14096 percent, and they will be allotted on pro-rata basis, as described in the Offer to Exchange. Any Common Shares that are not accepted for tender will be returned to the common shareholders that tendered them. The anticipated settlement date is March 13th, 2025. About the Highland Opportunities and Income Fund The Highland Opportunities and Income Fund (NYSE: HFRO) is a closed-end fund managed by NexPoint Asset Management, L.P. For more information visit nexpointassetmgmt.com/opportunities-income-fund. About NexPoint Asset Management, L.P. NexPoint Asset Management, L.P. is an SEC-registered investment adviser. It is the adviser to a suite of registered funds, including open-end mutual funds and closed-end funds. For more information nexpointassetmgmt.com. Risks and Disclosures Additional terms and conditions of the Exchange Offer were set forth in the Fund's offering materials, which were filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and distributed to the Fund's common shareholders. As the number of Common Shares tendered for the Fund exceeded the maximum amount of the Exchange Offer, the Fund will purchase Common Shares from tendering shareholders on a pro-rata basis (disregarding fractional Common Shares and fractional Preferred Shares). The Fund has concluded the exchange offer described in this press release. This press release is not a recommendation, an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities of HFRO and the above statements are not intended to constitute an offer to participate in any tender or exchange offer. The solicitation and the offer to exchange Common Shares of HFRO was made pursuant to an offer to exchange and related materials that HFRO filed with the SEC and distributed to Fund Shareholders. Investors could obtain free copies of the Exchange Offer Statement and other documents filed with the SEC at the SEC's web site at sec.gov or on the Fund's website at nexpointassetmgmt.com/opportunities-income-fund. The Fund is relying on Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") to exempt the Exchange Offer from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Section 3(a)(9) provides that the registration requirements of the Securities Act will not apply to "any security exchanged by the issuer with its existing security holders exclusively where no commission or other remuneration is paid or given directly or indirectly for soliciting such exchange." The Fund has no contract, arrangement or understanding relating to, and will not, directly or indirectly, pay any commission or other remuneration to any broker, dealer, salesperson, agent or any other person for soliciting tenders in the Exchange Offer. Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Highland Opportunities and Income Fund carefully before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund's annual report, which may be obtained by calling (800) 357-9167 or on the website at nexpointassetmgmt.com. Please read the annual report carefully before you invest. Any distribution paid by the Fund may include a return of capital. Please refer to the 19(a)-1 Source of Distribution Notice on the NexPoint Asset Management website for Section 19 notices that provide estimated amounts and sources of the Fund's distributions, which should not be relied upon for tax reporting purposes. CONTACTS Investor Relations Kristen Griffith [email protected] Media Relations [email protected] SOURCE Highland Opportunities and Income Fund Funded by the U.S. Navy, the Holochip H50 AR Device is built for applications requiring hands-free displays, a rugged form factor, and access to remote experts. NESS ZIONA, Israel, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumus, the pioneering developer of geometric (reflective) waveguide technology for augmented reality (AR) eyewear, today announced that it has been selected as the optical engine partner by Holochip for its new H50 AR device designed to support the maintenance of critical U.S. Navy equipment. "The Holochip H50, a new goggle-style AR device, is carefully constructed to handle highly sensitive applications for the Navy. Lumus' geometric waveguide technology will imbue the device with high brightness, best-in-class resolution, and a wide field-of-view that is unachievable with diffractive waveguide optics," said Lumus CEO Ari Grobman. Expected to be available by the end of 2025, the Holochip H50 is a U.S.-Navy-funded AR device developed for applications requiring the most stringent cybersecurity considerations. Equipped with Lumus' Maximus geometric optical engines, it features a 1440 x 1440 pixel resolution, a 35 x 35 degrees (WxH) field-of-view and a battery life of more than six hours. The goggle-style AR device also boasts cutting-edge AR capabilities such as spatial cognition, rendering, displaying indications, sensor input, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. According to Holochip CEO Rob Batchko, Lumus was selected for its unique geometric waveguide architecture that doesn't compromise on visual performance. "Lumus' optical engines have superior color fidelity, higher luminance efficiency, and brighter and more vivid displays than anything else we've seen on the market," Batchko said. "We're thrilled to employ Lumus in the H50 to tackle U.S. Navy equipment maintenance, and beyond." In addition to its applications in the defense sector, the Holochip H50 will also be relevant for a broad range of industrial scenarios in which hands-free displays, access to remote experts, and rugged form factors are essential for maintenance tasks. For more information, click here. For imagery, click here. About Lumus Lumus reflective (geometric) waveguides set an industry benchmark for AR image quality. Far brighter than other solutions, Lumus is the only waveguide ideally suited for outdoor usage. With up to 10X better luminance efficiency over competing waveguides and supply chain partners like Quanta Computer Inc. and SCHOTT, Lumus is the leading choice for OEMs making AR glasses. Lumus waveguide technology provides unparalleled color uniformity and a true white due to the straight-forward light path inherent in its architecture. Other key advantages: a smaller micro-projector, a large field of view, and a distortion-free view of the real world. Remarkably, battery efficiency is up to 10 times greater than any other waveguide on the market, and forward light leakage (forward projection) is inherently negligible. Lumus' manufacturing processes supported by its world-class supply chain partners, including Quanta Computer Inc. and SCHOTT, enable scalability for mass manufacturing. The company is the leading designer of geometric waveguide technology at the core of several existing AR products, including Thales' Scorpion full-color head-mounted display, Augmedics xVision system for guiding surgeons, Lenovo's ThinkReality A6 released in 2019 as well as MediThinQ's ScopeEye and MetaScope. About Holochip Holochip Corporation, headquartered in Torrance, CA, is a leader in augmented reality (AR), holographic displays, and 3D graphics for defense, aerospace, medical, and simulation applications. The company pioneers custom AR systems, advanced optics, and high-performance rendering software, leveraging deep expertise in OpenXR, Vulkan, SLAM, and game engine integration (Unreal, Unity). Holochip delivers mission-critical visualization, training, and embedded systems solutions, integrating spatial computing, smart camera technology, and real-time graphics for military and commercial partners. Learn more at https://holochip.com. Media Contact: Griffin360 Dan Griffin Vice President [email protected] 212-481-3456 NAVAIR Public Release SPR# 2025-0081. Distribution Statement A - Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. SOURCE Lumus Lehuauakea Expands the Boundaries of Kapa, Honoring Ancestral Craft with Contemporary Expression WASHINGTON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Walker Youngbird Foundation is pleased to announce that Lehuauakea , a Native Hawaiian artist and kapa practitioner, has been awarded its latest grant recognizing early-career Indigenous artists. Lehuauakea is reimagining kapa (Hawaiian barkcloth) through innovative techniques that expand its artistic possibilities while ensuring the survival of this ancestral practice for future generations. Photo Credit: Leah Rose (Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa) The $15,000 grant, awarded twice annually, will support their preparation for a 2026 solo exhibition in New York City. The show will feature large-scale mixed-media kapa textiles, text-based paintings, and wearable barkcloth garments that push the boundaries of this traditional art form. "Kapa-making is one of the most significant traditional Hawaiian art forms, but it could be at risk of being lost if more young practitioners don't perpetuate it," said Lehuauakea. "By incorporating hand-embroidery, contemporary installation, and mixed-media garment-making, I hope to sustain and evolve the practice in ways that resonate with younger generations and extend its relevance beyond Hawaii." A graduate of the Pacific Northwest College of Art, Lehuauakea is among the few full-time kapa practitioners under the age of 30. Their work remains deeply tied to traditionharvesting wauke (paper mulberry) bark, hand-carving ohe kapala (bamboo stamps), and using earth pigments gathered from culturally significant sites. At the same time, they expand kapa's possibilities, blending Indigenous storytelling with contemporary themes. "Lehuauakea's work is a compelling example of how Native artists are not only preserving cultural traditions but actively evolving them," said Reid Walker, founder of the Walker Youngbird Foundation."Their ability to interweave ancestral craft with themes of environmental stewardship, queer Indigenous identity, and the resilience of Hawaiian culture underscores the significance of their practice today." Expanding Recognition for Native Hawaiian Artists Lehuauakea's selection highlights the increasing national recognition of Native Hawaiian artists within Indigenous arts funding. While Native Hawaiians are Indigenous to the United States, they are not included in the Bureau of Indian Affairs' list of federally recognized tribes, which primarily acknowledges American Indian tribes in the contiguous U.S. and Alaska Native Villages. This grant reflects an effort to expand opportunities for Native Hawaiian artists beyond regional frameworks and recognize their contributions on a national stage. Lehuauakea's upcoming solo exhibition in New York is expected to bring kapa into new conversations about contemporary Indigenous art, further demonstrating that Native Hawaiian artistic traditions are dynamic, evolving, and globally relevant. About the Walker Youngbird Foundation The Walker Youngbird Foundation supports early-career Native artists who are reshaping contemporary art while honoring Indigenous traditions. Through direct funding, mentorship, and visibility, the foundation ensures that Indigenous artists have the support they need to innovate and define the future of Native art. For more information: www.walkeryoungbird.org [email protected] instagram.com/walkeryoungbird SOURCE Walker Youngbird Foundation CALGARY, AB, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Horizon Petroleum Ltd. (the "Company" or "Horizon") (TSXV: HPL) (FRA: HPM) (Tradegate: HPM) is pleased to provide an operations update on progress made towards first production from its cornerstone Lachowice gas development in the Bielsko-Biala concession, southern Poland. Since being granted the Cieszyn and Bielsko Biala licences on November 19, 2024 by the Polish government, the Company has been preparing for the planned workover at the Lachowice 7 ("L7") well and subsequent installation of an early production and sales facility. Assuming a successful workover result, gas and/or electrical power sales from the L7 well will provide the Company with its first cashflow and will provide a long-term test of the production performance of the naturally fractured, Devonian aged, limestone and dolomite reservoirs in the L7 well. Preparatory work for the L7 workover: Excavation of the L7 wellhead and cellar is complete, confirming the integrity of primary and secondary seals necessary for reactivation of the well. Long lead time materials and services have been identified and are being sourced. An Environmental Impact Assessment Study for the L7 workover has been prepared, submitted to the Ministry of Climate and the Environment (the "Ministry" ). The preliminary response from the Ministry has been positive and the Ministry has indicated that the full approval is anticipated in April/ May 2025 . ). The preliminary response from the Ministry has been positive and the Ministry has indicated that the full approval is anticipated in April/ . Surface lease agreements have been signed with all landowners around the L7 well location. Local government authorities have approved the construction of the L7 workover site and the Company can now proceed with the required civil works. Tendering for the field work is expected to start this month. An official request to move the overhead electrical line that crosses the L7 lease has been approved. It is anticipated that the line will be moved by end May 2025 . An electrical contracting company has been engaged and will complete the field work. Completion of this work will then allow the Company to proceed with the civil construction works to build the lease to accommodate the workover rig and associated equipment. . An electrical contracting company has been engaged and will complete the field work. Completion of this work will then allow the Company to proceed with the civil construction works to build the lease to accommodate the workover rig and associated equipment. Execution of the L7 workover is still on-schedule and anticipated for July/August of this year. Early Production System (EPF) The Company hired an Electrical Engineering company and a Mechanical Engineering company in Poland to review options to monetize gas production from the Lachowice gas field. The options considered were: Gas to Power: approximately 1.5mmscf/d gas stream from L7 is processed and fed into an electrical generation facility with a nominal generation capacity of 6MW. This electricity can be tied into existing local grids at a number of locations within 4km of the L7 location. Gas Tie-in: A third-party evaluation has identified a high-pressure gas grid tie-in point approximately 12 km northeast of L7, half the distance of the previous plan, which is expected to result in greatly reduced pipeline costs and faster approvals. Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG): Exploring trucking and marketing options for moving LNG or CNG to nearby sales points. The preliminary design of the gas processing facility that will be required to separate the liquid condensate and any free water from the L7 gas stream has been completed. The Company has commenced sourcing the required vessels and other process equipment. Technical Evaluation Work: The Company has contracted a technical team of geoscientists, reservoir engineers and petroleum engineers in both Poland and Canada . This team will conduct the geological and geophysical evaluations to support the development at Lachowice and to assess the appraisal and exploration potential of the Bielsko-Biala and Cieszyn concessions. Preliminary planning of a 3D seismic survey has commenced in the Bielsko-Biala concession that will provide a more precise, detailed image of the Lachowice subsurface geological structure. The 3D seismic will also be required to optimally locate wells in a second phase, full-field development drilling program. Outlook: The L7 workover is still on schedule to be completed by late summer/early fall of this year. A detailed program has been completed and will be submitted to the local Polish Mining Authority for their approval this month. The workover program will consist of: Upgrade the wellhead to execute the workover and ready for production. Drill out two existing cement plugs in the wellbore Pressure test the existing wellhead to ensure wellbore security and integrity Drill and recover an existing packer located above the zone that originally tested up to 8.9mmscf/d gas Reperforate, acid stimulation and production test of this same zone Complete the well for production once the EPF is installed and ready for operations. The Company is targeting gas/electricity sales and first cash flow by Q1, 2026. About Horizon Petroleum Ltd. Calgary-based Horizon is focused on the appraisal and development of natural gas and oil reserves in Europe. The Management and Board of Horizon consist of oil & gas professionals with significant international experience. Website: www.horizon-petroleum.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, forecasts, estimates, expectations and objectives for future operations that are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Horizon. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur or be achieved. This press release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to, among other things the timing of re-entry of the well, the moving of the infrastructure in the area, timing of sales gas, and other operational matters in this news release, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking information is based on current expectations, estimates and projections that involve a number of risks, which could cause actual results to vary and in some instances to differ materially from those anticipated by Horizon and described in the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Although Horizon believes that the material factors, expectations and assumptions expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable based on information available to it on the date such statements were made, no assurances can be given as to future results, levels of activity and achievements and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. SOURCE Horizon Petroleum Ltd. 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Begin the application process as soon as you can to stay clear of hold-ups. The earlier you apply, the sooner you can protect funding and begin training. Choose an Approved Program: Ensure that the program you select is identified by the federal government as eligible for financing. People Driving Academy Inc. provides certified courses that meet the required requirements. Ensure that the program you select is identified by the federal government as eligible for financing. People Driving Academy Inc. provides certified courses that meet the required requirements. Keep Detailed Records: Maintain clear documents of all records and receipts related to your training, as they might be required for compensation or verification. Maintain clear documents of all records and receipts related to your training, as they might be required for compensation or verification. Talk To EI Advisors: Regularly check in with EI reps to guarantee that you are fulfilling all demands and to obtain assistance on just how to take full advantage of readily available support. Regularly check in with EI reps to guarantee that you are fulfilling all demands and to obtain assistance on just how to take full advantage of readily available support. Use Additional Support: If eligible, make use of extra sources such as traveling repayments or moneying for important supplies to minimize individual costs. By adhering to these methods, you can take advantage of the financial help offered, making sure that your course to ending up being a professional chauffeur is both budget-friendly and effective. People Driving Academy Inc. is right here to guide you every action of the means, offering the training and resources needed for success. Calgary Truck Driving School Contacts People Driving Academy Inc. Address 5850 88 Ave NE #6190, Calgary, AB T3J 0Z7 Phone +1 403 612-0040 Web Page peopledriving.ca/truck-driving-school-calgary-class-1/ Hours of operation Monday 9 a.m.5 p.m. Tuesday 9 a.m.5 p.m. Wednesday 9 a.m.5 p.m. Thursday 9 a.m.5 p.m. Friday 9 a.m.5 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m.5 p.m. Sunday Closed Map Get Directions on Google Maps F.A.Q. Can I use EI benefits to pay for my driver training program? Yes, if you are qualified for Employment Insurance (EI), you might have the ability to utilize the advantages to cover some or all of the expenses associated with professional vehicle driver training programs. This includes tuition fees, program products, and sometimes, exam fees. Be sure to seek advice from an EI representative to recognize the certain eligibility demands and application process. Just how do I understand if Im eligible for EI support for chauffeur training? To be eligible for EI support, you commonly need to meet specific requirements, such as being unemployed, proactively seeking new work, or having contributed to the EI program in the past. Eligibility might also rely on the details training program you pick. Its important to speak with Service Canada to confirm your eligibility before making an application for help. What kinds of costs are covered by EI for driver programs? EI can help cover a selection of expenditures associated with your professional chauffeur training. This includes tuition costs for certified programs, needed training course materials, and exam costs. In many cases, extra expenses like traveling costs to go to the training may additionally be reimbursed. Each situation is different, so its necessary to check with an EI representative to understand what particular expenditures will certainly be covered in your circumstance. Just how can I get EI financing for my motorist training program? To make an application for EI financing, youll initially require to verify your qualification with Service Canada. You may require to supply documentation such as evidence of your employment background, your EI advantages standing, and other appropriate information. When youve verified your qualification, you can send your application. After approval, you can select an identified training carrier, such as People Driving Academy Inc., and start your program. For how long does it take to receive EI aid for vehicle driver training? The handling time for EI applications can differ relying on a number of elements, such as the efficiency of your application and the details training program you choose. Typically, it may take a few weeks for your application to be examined and refined. Its crucial to apply as early as feasible to avoid delays. Be sure to remain in contact with Service Canada to ensure your application is moving on efficiently. Can I obtain financial support from EI to attend a motorist training program? Yes, you can obtain financial support from Employment Insurance (EI) to cover the cost of attending a chauffeur training program, supplied you satisfy the eligibility needs. If youre unemployed, proactively seeking work, or have actually lately lost your task, you may qualify for funding. This assistance can aid with tuition costs, training course products, and in some cases even various other associated costs like travel. Its vital to consult with Service Canada to understand the specific requirements and the application process for receiving this help. Just how do I look for EI financing for my motorist training programs? To obtain EI financing, you require to very first make certain that you meet the eligibility needs, such as being unemployed or proactively looking for job. After validating your eligibility with Service Canada, you will certainly require to send the required documentation, which could include your EI standing, work history, and information of the training program you prepare to attend. Once accepted, you can begin your courses at a recognized organization like People Driving Academy Inc., where your tuition and various other prices may be partly or fully covered by the financial assistance. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha held a conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Melanie Joly on the eve of the G7 meeting. "During my call with Melanie Joly, we coordinated positions ahead of the G7 ministerial. I thanked Melanie for her personal contribution to the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. I value Canadas support and readiness to participate in the coalition of the willing," Sybiha wrote on X. BARCELONA, Spain, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei launched its Digital Training 2.0 Solution during the Cultivating ICT Talent to Amplify Digital Education forum at MWC this year. The solution aims to help universities cultivate better ICT talent and meet talent requirements around the globe. Li Junfeng, Vice President of Huawei and CEO of the Global Public Sector BU, stated that "Intelligent technologies are speeding up the advancement of digital productivity, with the intelligent economy now serving as the primary driver of growth". Huawei launches the Digital Training 2.0 Solution Li Junfeng, Vice President of Huawei and CEO of the Global Public Sector BU Ramon Iriarte, Senior Education Specialist of UNESCO, and Soledad Patino, Coordinator of UNESCO Global Skills Academy, pointed out that the ICT Academy in partnership with Huawei provides high-quality training to 300,000 students annually. Frank Huang, CTO of the Education Industry at Huawei Global Public Sector BU, introduced the Digital Training 2.0 Solution. It offers courses in 22 technical directions and project management globally, encompassing overseas training labs in 11 technical disciplines, such as AI, cloud computing, and big data. Delivering Tangible Outcomes by Redefining Education Through Digital and Intelligent Enablement Professor Justin Mendes from Shenyang Institute of Technology pointed out in his speech that as an international industry college jointly established with Huawei, the school has explored a progressive talent cultivation pathway, facilitating students to achieve high-quality employment. Daniele Cesarini, CINECA Project Manager & HPC Technology Specialist, shared Italy's experience in constructing infrastructure for supercomputing research. Flora Ng, Chief Information Officer and Librarian of the University of Hong Kong, Huawei's smart campus solution utilizes Wi-Fi 7 technologies to optimize wireless network, application, and O&M experience, creating a more efficient and personalized environment for students and teachers. Tea Wang, Director of the International Affairs Office at Quanzhou Vocational and Technical University, introduced the joint innovation industry college and training center established in collaboration with Huawei. As a result, in 2024, 790 students obtained Huawei certifications in various ICT disciplines. Uniting to Drive Intelligent Education for Brighter Future Huawei has launched "1+3" scenario-based solutions, including Digital Training, Smart Classroom, Scientific Research Computing, and Smart Campus. These solutions have been implemented in over 120 countries and regions, benefiting more than 7800 customers within the education industry. Huawei aims to deepen partnerships with global stakeholders to speed up tech integration in education, fostering a future where intelligent education empowers individuals and drives sustainable progress. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2635752/image_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2635753/image_2.jpg Colombian-native and Co-Founder of the global Cultural Intelligence Marketing and Business Solutions Network, Culture+ Group Lili Gil Valletta, joins Inc.'s eighth annual Female Founders list highlighting the nation's top business leaders. MIAMI, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future, today announced its eighth annual Female Founders list, honoring a bold group of 500 women whose innovations and ideas are leading their industries forward. These resilient entrepreneurs expressed grit and drive to collectively attract approximately $9 billion in 2024 revenue and $10.6 billion in funding. Inc. Names Culture+ Group Co-Founder Lili Gil Valletta to Its 2025 Female Founders 500 List Each year, Inc. editors review thousands of applications, highlighting female founders who are challenging the status quo and tackling some of the world's biggest problems. They cull applicants through three rounds of judging, looking specifically at an entrepreneur's bona fides in the past year. Criteria include quantifiable metrics such as revenue, sales, growth, funding, and audience size. Inc. also looks for qualitative metrics, including social media momentum and impact stories. "Female founders know what struggle is, but they're also experts of improvisation, adaptability, and creativity. The women featured on this year's list exemplify these qualities. Through times of uncertainty, their unwavering dedication and steadfast leadership are not only inspiring but vital to driving progress," said Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom. Honoree selection is also honed through the evaluation of the program's advisory board: Cate Luzio, founder and CEO of Luminary; Dany Garcia, founder, CEO, and chairperson of the Garcia Companies; Pinky Cole Hayes, founder and CEO of Slutty Vegan; Anu Duggal, founding partner at Female Founders Fund; Katherine Power, serial entrepreneur and partner at Greycroft; Tiffany Dufu, president of the Tory Burch Foundation and founder of the Cru; and Kay Koplovitz, co-founder and chair at Springboard Enterprises, founder of USA Network. "Making the Inc. Female Founders 500 List is more than an accoladeit's a powerful reminder that when women lead with purpose, we don't just build businesses. We redefine industries and change lives. To this year's honorees: Keep believing, scaling with heart, and daring to lift each other up along the journey," said Lili Gil Valletta, Co-Founder and CEO of Culture+ Group. The founders span all industries and bring unique success stories from each stage of the entrepreneurial journeyfrom startup to going public, being acquired by big buyers, or spending decades at the helm of an organization. Under her leadership, and in partnership with her co-founder Enrique Arbelaez and a majority-female leadership team, Culture+ Group has been recognized three years in a row on the Inc. 5000 List as one of America's fastest-growing privately owned companies and listed by MM+M as one of America's Top Healthcare Agencies. The company has set a new benchmark in Cultural Intelligence solutions ranging from AI-driven insights to marketing and growth strategies for some of the world's most iconic brands and Fortune 500s to tap into high-growth diverse markets. Over the past year, Culture+ Group has led transformative sessions for Fortune 500 C-suite executives and expanded its impact through the formation of a unified independent network of companies integrating CIEN+, CIEN+ Health, Human Dot Plus, and The Choice+ to drive culture-first business strategies and open a runway for M&A and joint ventures. These achievements have earned Culture+ Group major industry accolades, including recognition as one of Ad Age's '10 Independent Agency Networks for Brands to Know' and placement on the MM+M Agency 100 as one of America's Top Healthcare Agencies, being the only independent, culturally focused and minority-owned. Beyond her company's success, Lili Gil Valletta continues to break barriers. She is one of the few Latinas serving on public boards, holding an independent director role at the global lifestyle retailer Zumiez. She was honored as one of the Top 101 Most Influential Latinas and the U.S. Hispanic Business Person of the Year. She also serves on the board of RCN Television and is an investor and value partner at AUA Private Equity Partners. From hosting the Health Equity Forum during the United Nations General Assembly to being a recognized and regular business contributor on national television and shaping the future of business across board rooms, Lili Gil Valletta and Culture+ Group continue to drive impactful change, proving that culture is not just a demographicit's a growth engine. "This recognition reflects the dedication of our team, the trust of our clients, and our commitment to data-driven growthbecause demographics don't lie. High-growth, diverse audiences are the new mainstream, and we help brands turn this shift into a competitive advantage. We don't just market to culture; we build at its speed, continuously innovating with technology, new business models, and scalable solutions. It's a dynamic journey, and we embrace it boldlyalways keeping purpose and people at the center." concludes Lili Gil Valletta, Co-Founder and CEO of Culture+ Group. Several honorees will be featured in Inc. magazine's Female Founders issue on newsstands on March 18, 2025. To see the complete list of honorees, please visit: https://www.inc.com/profile/liliana-gil-valletta About Inc. Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for entrepreneurs and business leaders who are shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com. About Culture+ Group Culture+ Group is an independent marketing solutions network built to help brands thrive in a fast-changing, diverse world where culture drives growth. With decades of expertise in Cultural Intelligence Solutions, the group fuses business transformation, organizational design, and agile creative and innovation strategies to accelerate impact and business results. Its ecosystem of specialized agenciesCIEN+ (culture-first marketing), CIEN+Health (inclusive healthcare marketing), Human Dot Plus (AI-driven insights/ innovation consultancy), The Ideatelier+ (branding/ luxury/ trend foresight), and The Choice+ (shopper/experiential marketing)positions Culture+ Group to tackle business challenges at the speed of culture. By blending cultural insights, strategic foresight, and data-driven clarity, the group empowers brands to adapt, evolve, and seize new growth opportunities. As a certified minority- and woman-owned business and NMSDC Corporate Plus Member, Culture+ Group is committed to advancing inclusion and innovation across all industries. The group has teams based across the U.S., Latin America and Europe. For more information visit: www.cultureplusgroup.com Press Contact: Amalia Toro (972) 791-8792 http://www.cultureplusgroup.com SOURCE Culture+ Group FORT WORTH, Texas, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In the structured settlement annuity (SSA) industry, dominated by many of America's largest life insurers, Independent Life Insurance Company (ILIC) achieved significant milestones in 2024. Not only did the company surpass $1 billion dollars in funded premium, but it also made national headlines in the insurance press as one of the Fastest-Growing Small to Medium Annuity Issuers, 3Q 2024, in the United States. The company realized many accomplishments across key metrics, reinforcing its position as a continually emerging force in the SSA industry. Key 2024 Financial Milestones: Annual Production grew from $312.7M in 2023 to $451.7M in 2024 , a 44.5% increase . grew from to , a . Total Production Since Inception climbed from $909.1M in 2023 to $1.36B in 2024 , a 49.7% increase . climbed from to , a . Market Share Expansion : ILIC's share of the SSA industry rose from 3.60% to 4.73%. : ILIC's share of the SSA industry rose from Policies Issued expanded from 721 in 2023 to 905 in 2024 , exhibiting strong demand and customer trust. expanded from to , exhibiting strong demand and customer trust. Court Approvals (Since Inception) reached 1,755 , up from 1,365 , reinforcing ILIC's track record of success. reached , up from , reinforcing ILIC's track record of success. Assignors (Since Inception) rose from 465 to 545, reflecting nationwide expansion. These achievements represent more than just numbers they are a testament to ILIC's unwavering commitment to injury victims and their attorneys. From its inception in 2018, Independent Life has championed the cause of those battling for fairness and justice in the face of adversity. The Company's success is fueled by an innovative spirit and a professional team dedicated to our mission. In conjunction with our financial growth, Independent Life is also expanding its impact through influential endeavors and leadership. Donald J. Herrema, Interim CEO of Independent Insurance Group, announced expanded roles for Courtney Barber, who becomes the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for ILIC, and for Mikel Taft, who is now the Chief Business Development Officer for ILIC, both reporting to Herrema. The Company's focus for 2025 will be strongly linked to ongoing new business growth, introduction of one or more market-based structured settlement annuity solutions and enhanced automation from an initial quote through policy issuance. In addition to leadership, innovation also represents a key factor in ILIC's success. The Company has embraced new technologies, pioneered unique insurance products like iStructure, expanded into ancillary markets and streamlined our processes to better serve its agents and clients. Another success factor has been the trust and support from ILIC's clients and partners. Together, this alliance is building a community committed to justice for personal injury victims. ABOUT INDEPENDENT GROUP Founded by insurance industry experts, Independent Group is a forward-thinking enterprise whose complementary product and service companies improve outcomes for all structured settlement stakeholders. Independent Life, its underwriting division, is dedicated to providing structured settlement solutions, including annuities, to serve the needs of injured parties, their families and advocates. With its unique profile and ambitious vision for the structured settlement industry, Independent Life has attracted world-class partners: LKCM Headwater Investments, KKR's Kilter Finance and Hannover Re USA support Independent Life's growth and guarantees. For more on what makes Independent Life different, visit www.independent.life. CONTACT: Todd Hagely [email protected] SOURCE Independent Insurance Group LLC WASHINGTON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Inspir Embassy Row, the ultra-luxury senior living community located in Washington D.C.'s prestigious Embassy Row neighborhood, today announced the launch of "The Exchange: Expert Views, Timely Topics," a distinguished monthly speaker series bringing thought leaders to the heart of the community. The series debuts on March 20th and will feature experts sharing insights on global and societal issues at the forefront of today's conversations. "At Inspir Embassy Row, we believe that intellectual curiosity has no age limit," said Timothy Cox, General Manager of Inspir Embassy Row. "The Exchange exemplifies our commitment to fostering an engaging and thought-provoking community where residents can continue to grow, learn, and participate in meaningful discourse on the issues that shape our world." Distinguished Speaker Lineup The inaugural series will feature the following presentations: March 20 : "Negotiating Freedom: The Untold Story of American Hostage Recovery Missions" presented by Mickey Bergman , Founder and CEO of Global Reach "Negotiating Freedom: The Untold Story of American Hostage Recovery Missions" presented by , Founder and CEO of Global Reach April 17 : "The Architecture of Longevity: 7 Levers for a Life Well-Lived" presented by Dr. Gautam Gulati , Health Artist "The Architecture of Longevity: 7 Levers for a Life Well-Lived" presented by Dr. , Health Artist May 15 : "Space Policy Decoded: America's Evolving Cosmic Agenda" presented by Scott Pace , Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at George Washington University "Space Policy Decoded: America's Evolving Cosmic Agenda" presented by , Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at June 19 : "Faces of Dementia: A Caregiver's Journey Through Love, Loss, and Resilience" presented by Mary Lou Falcone , Author and Advocate Additional presentations through November will cover topics including brain resilience, sustainability, the modern presidency, and advancements in robotics, featuring experts from academia, government, and innovative fields. Following each presentation, residents and guests will participate in an open forum for discussion and debate, creating a dynamic platform for meaningful conversation and connection. "The Exchange is not just a lecture seriesit's an opportunity for intellectual engagement and community building," said Olivia Horseman, Director of Residence Experience. "It reflects our broader lifestyle programming philosophy. We've designed these events to inspire curiosity, foster engagement, and connect our residents with thought leaders and experts from across the country, while embracing the vibrant intellectual culture of Washington D.C." With advanced registration, the speaker series is open to prospective residents looking to get a closer look at the Inspir lifestyle. Interested parties can RSVP by emailing [email protected], or calling (202) 293-2100. About Inspir Inspir Modern Senior Living is a brand under Maplewood Senior Living focused on offering luxury senior living residences in major metropolitan or destination locations. The Inspir brand is the convergence of luxury accommodations, exceptional hospitality, cutting-edge technology, whole-person wellness and best-in-class care. Inspir's first community was built in Manhattan's Upper East Side and its second is under construction in Washington D.C.'s prestigious Embassy Row neighborhood. For more information, please visit www.inspirseniorliving.com or call (202) 293-2100. Media Contact Information: Warschawski Madeline Slezak (410) 367-2700 (484) 574-3528 [email protected] SOURCE Maplewood Senior Living VANCOUVER, BC, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (the "Company") - (TSX: ITH) (NYSE American: THM) today announced the approval of the 2025 work program of $3.7 million. This work will begin metallurgical study of the massive stibnite antimony mineralization at the Livengood Gold Project, advance the baseline environmental data collection in critical areas of hydrology and waste rock geochemical characterization needed to support future permitting, and continue community engagement. The Company also announced that it has filed its audited Year-End Financial Statements and associated Management Discussion and Analysis on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. On March 4, 2025, the Company announced that it had completed a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") pursuant to which it issued common shares to existing major shareholders to raise gross proceeds of approximately US$3.9 million. The Private Placement consisted of 8,192,031 common shares of the Company at a price of US$0.4801 per common share. Shareholders can obtain copies of the Company's audited Year-End Financial Statements and associated Management Discussion and Analysis and Form 10-K on SEDAR+ at: www.sedarplus.ca, EDGAR at www.sec.gov and on the Company's website at: www.ithmines.com. The Company will also provide hard copies of these documents, free of charge, to shareholders who request a copy directly from the Company. About International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. has a 100% interest in its Livengood Gold Project located along the paved Elliott Highway, 70 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska. On behalf of International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (signed) Karl L. Hanneman Chief Executive Officer This news release is not, and is not to be construed in any way as, an offer to buy or sell securities in the United States. SOURCE International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. Strategic Investment Strengthens Long-Term Confidence in the Bourbon Market and Provides Liquidity for Distilleries and Investors CHICAGO, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestBev, a prominent private equity firm in the adult beverage industry, has entered into a partnership with a leading global asset manager to invest up to $100 million in Kentucky Bourbon barrels. This partnership leverages InvestBev's position as a force in spirits investing, paired with the asset manager's capital and structuring expertise. InvestBev Announces Partnership with a Leading Global Asset Manager to Invest up to $100 million in Kentucky Bourbon Barrels The partnership will seek to acquire bourbon barrels under five years of age, holding them until maturity. This approach aligns with InvestBev's strategy of identifying attractive assets within the spirits sector and capitalizing on long-term appreciation. "This partnership and this capital should signal to the broader spirits community the confidence global investors have in the sector, beyond legacy industry players," said Brian Rosen, General Partner of InvestBev. "We believe in the strength of the bourbon market and see this as an opportunity to further support the ecosystem while generating significant value together with our partners." InvestBev continues to reinforce its commitment to expanding opportunities within the adult beverage space, having raised multiple funds within the sector. In addition to its private equity initiatives, InvestBev also operates a $100 million credit program specifically designed to serve the bourbon community, providing needed liquidity and financial support to distilleries, brand owners, and investors in the sector. With deep industry relationships and an established track record, InvestBev continues to lead the way in adult beverage-focused private equity. The firm remains dedicated to delivering strong returns while fostering long-term stability in the spirits industry. For more information, please visit: www.InvestBev.com About InvestBev Founded in 2015 by Brian Rosen, InvestBev Group is a premier private equity firm in the adult beverage industry, known for its short return windows and non-correlated investment strategy. Helmed by Rosen, who is a third-generation industry veteran, InvestBev Group has raised nearly $200 million across four funds, a $100 million credit platform, and a low-cost insurance provider to distilleries. InvestBev is dedicated to supporting emerging brands and segments within the alcohol sector. Learn more: Website | LinkedIn Press Contact: Shannon Duer 845-548-1211 SOURCE InvestBev HSINCHU, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has been named a Top 100 Global Innovator 2025 by Clarivate, marking its ninth time and eight consecutive year receiving this honor. The Institute is one of three global research organizations on the list and holds the record for the most wins by a research organization in Asia, standing alongside international innovators such as Mitsubishi Electric, Toshiba, Qualcomm, Dow, and Philips. Past winners include tech leaders such as Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft. ITRI has received its ninth recognition as a Top 100 Global Innovator for its excellence in innovation. (PRNewsfoto/Industrial Technology Research Institute) The annual report released by Clarivate evaluates indicators such as technological uniqueness, impact, globalization, successful footprint, and quantity. Gordon Samson, President, Intellectual Property, Clarivate, said, "We congratulate ITRI for being named a Top 100 Global Innovator for the ninth time and eight consecutive years. Being recognized as a Top 100 Global Innovator is a remarkable achievement given the pace of changesince 2000, we've seen an 80-fold increase in the volume of inventions. Competition is more global than ever before, and developments in one region can have a significant global impact. We hope that ITRI can continue to drive industrial development and leverage its numerous R&D results to enhance the economy of Taiwan and other regions around the world." "Innovation is the cornerstone of national competitiveness," said ITRI President Edwin Liu. "As geopolitical risks rise, securing key technologies has become essential. ITRI's commitment to cross-disciplinary R&D has led to nine recognitions as a Top 100 Global Innovator, demonstrating its world-class research capabilities and significant global impact." Dr. Liu also indicated that, to promote technological innovation and drive industrial growth, ITRI has been dedicated to nurturing startups and fostering intangible asset monetization. It established the Intellectual Property Innovation Corporation (IPIC) and built an IP Bank to provide companies with the necessary patents to enhance international competitiveness. It has also assisted companies in leveraging intangible assets, promoting sustainable industrial development, and boosting Taiwan's technological R&D value. Through its 2035 Technology Strategy and Roadmap, ITRI will address global trends in semiconductors, AI, robotics, and drones to strengthen its R&D focus and expand high-quality patent portfolios. By delivering innovative services and solutions, ITRI aims to accelerate industrial transformation and enhance global competitiveness. Clarivate has recognized leaders in the global innovation landscape, measuring excellence with a focus on exceptional consistency and scale in innovativeness. Visit here for more information about other Top 100 Global Innovators 2025 and the methodology. About ITRI Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is one of the world's leading technology R&D institutions aiming to innovate a better future for society. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan's industries from labor-intensive into innovation-driven. To address market needs and global trends, it has launched its 2035 Technology Strategy and Roadmap that focuses on innovation development in Smart Living, Quality Health, Sustainable Environment, and Resilient Society. Over the years, ITRI has been dedicated to incubating startups and spinoffs, including well-known names such as UMC and TSMC. In addition to its headquarters in Taiwan, ITRI has branch offices in the U.S., Germany, Japan, and Thailand in an effort to extend its R&D scope and promote international cooperation across the globe. For more information, please visit https://www.itri.org/eng . SOURCE Industrial Technology Research Institute Enhancing Machining Capabilities with U-Axis Heads D'Andrea U-axis heads bring a rotary cut axis to vertical and horizontal machining centers, enabling turning operations without a dedicated lathe. While a traditional lathe spins the stock as a cutter moves along a contour, a U-axis head uses a programmable moving tool slider and the rotation of the machine spindle to cut a stationary part. This eliminates the need for additional setups or dedicated turning centers, optimizing productivity and reducing overall costs. Koma Precision offers two models to cater to a wide range of machining needs: TA-Center: Ideal for workpieces up to 400mm. Adds a programmable rotating U-axis to VMCs and HMCs. Compatible with automatic tool changers. Widely used to expand machining capabilities of standard VMCs and HMCs. U-Tronic: Designed for workpieces ranging from 400mm to 4 meters. Adds a programmable rotating U-axis to VMCs and HMCs. Flange-mounted for enhanced stability. Used extensively in aerospace, oil & gas, automotive, and heavy industry. Both require an active U-axis in the machine controller, which Koma Precision can facilitate. "The sheer performance and reliability of these U-axis heads are remarkable," says Koma Precision President Dave Meo. "We're excited to offer the market a new way to get even more out their existing VMCs and HMCs." For more information about our programmable U-Axis heads, please visit https://komaprecision.com/dandrea-programmable-u-axis-heads/. About Koma Precision: Koma Precision is a leading provider of high-precision machine tool accessories, offering a wide range of productivity products including rotary tables, angle heads, robotic machine tending and equipment integration. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Koma Precision, Inc LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Brayton Purcell LLP has secured the first two major legal victories on behalf of artificial stone fabrication workers suffering from accelerated silicosis, an incurable and fatal lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust from artificial stone slabs. The cases, Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez v. Caesarstone USA, Cambria Company LLC, Color Marble, Inc., et al., and Anonymous v. Caesarstone USA, Cambria Company LLC, EIDP, Inc., Francini, Inc., et al. resulted in combined settlements and verdicts exceeding $78 million, highlighting the severe health risks associated with artificial stone fabrication. $26 Million Settlement for Plaintiff with Silicosis and Pulmonary Massive Fibrosis Brayton Purcell LLP has secured two major legal victories on behalf of artificial stone fabrication workers. Post this In April 2025, in Anonymous v. Caesarstone, U.S.A., et al., Brayton Purcell LLP's client, a 51-year-old oxygen-dependent stone slab fabricator with accelerated complicated silicosis and pulmonary massive fibrosis (PMF) received confidential settlements from slab manufacturer and supplier defendants exceeding $26 million during jury selection at trial in the Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County. The plaintiff had worked for over two decades (20002022) fabricating natural and artificial stone slabs for use in kitchen and bathroom countertops. His exposure occurred while working at multiple fabrication shops in Sun Valley, Burbank, and Los Angeles, California. Despite OSHA regulations, there is no safe way to fabricate artificial stone, as even wet-cutting techniques and respirators fail to eliminate silica dust exposure. The plaintiff, now awaiting a lung transplant, is one of thousands of workers suffering from this entirely preventable disease. Historic $52.4 Million Verdict in Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez v. Caesarstone USA, Inc., et al. In a groundbreaking six-week trial ending in August 2024, 34-year-old Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez, represented by Brayton Purcell LLP, obtained a $52,437,366 verdict against artificial stone manufacturers Caesarstone USA, Cambria, and Color Marble. This verdictthe first, largest, and only verdict of its kind in U.S. historyexposes the catastrophic dangers of artificial stone fabrication and the fatal consequences for workers. All post-trial motions have been resolved and the case is now under appeal. Severe Health Consequences for Young Workers Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez, an immigrant from Mexico, spent 15 years working in stone fabrication shops across Los Angeles and Orange County, cutting and polishing artificial stone slabs for homes, hotels, hospitals, and commercial buildings. By age 33, he developed accelerated silicosis, leading to a double lung transplant at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. Medical experts warn that lung transplants only last an average of five years, meaning Gustavo will require multiple transplants to survive. His case underscores the devastating impact of artificial stone fabrication, especially for younger workers exposed to high volumes of respirable silica dust. Brayton Purcell LLP's Response to Landmark Decisions James Nevin, partner at Brayton Purcell LLP, managing the firms artificial stone litigation practice, emphasized the industry-wide implications: "This is the first of hundreds of trials, and the message is clearartificial stone slab manufacturers must stop selling these deadly fashion products. The health and lives of these young fabrication workers are far more important than corporate profits. On behalf of Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez and our entire legal team, we want to thank the jury for their courageous verdict. These workers deserve justice, and today, their voices were heard." The Growing Silicosis Epidemic in Artificial Stone Workers These cases shine a spotlight on an escalating public health crisis. Artificial stone contains up to 95% silica, compared to as little as 3% in some natural stone. Cutting and fabricating these slabs releases highly toxic nano-sized silica dust, which is easily inhaled despite protective measures. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) maintains a dashboard on this epidemic at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/Pages/essdashboard.aspx They currently note there are 253 confirmed cases in California alone, with 15 deaths. The median age of the workers is only 46. CA and other state health authorities are trying to keep up. At Brayton Purcell LLP, we present more than 350 fabrication workers with silicosis and their families. As this epidemic continues, confirmed cases and deaths steadily rise. In Australia, the government has already banned engineered stone entirely, acknowledging that it cannot be fabricated safely. U.S. experts are now urging similar action to prevent more worker fatalities. What This Verdict and Settlements Mean for the Future of Artificial Stone These historic legal outcomes send a powerful message to the artificial stone industry: workers' lives cannot be sacrificed for profits. With over 350 workers represented by Brayton Purcell LLP and hundreds of cases pending, this is just the beginning of a wave of litigation against artificial stone manufacturers. A Call for Industry Change The verdict in Gustavo Reyes Gonzalez's case and the recent settlements of over $26 million to a 51-year-old stone fabrication worker are expected to influence future lawsuits, regulatory changes, and calls for banning artificial stone in the U.S. Public health experts, worker safety advocates, and legal teams agree: The only way to truly protect fabrication workers is for the slab manufacturers and suppliers to stop making and selling artificial stone slabs. Contact Information For media inquiries or further information about these cases, please contact: Brayton Purcell LLP Phone: (800) 598-0314 Email: [email protected] Website: www.braytonlaw.com About Brayton Purcell LLP Brayton Purcell LLP is a nationally recognized law firm specializing in occupational disease litigation, including asbestos and silica-related illnesses. With decades of experience representing workers exposed to toxic substances, the firm remains committed to securing justice for victims of workplace-related diseases. SOURCE Brayton Purcell LLP BANGALORE, India, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- LFP Battery Market is Segmented by Type (Prismatic LFP Battery, Soft Pack LFP Battery, Cylindrical LFP Battery), by Application (Energy Storage, Electric Vehicle). The Global Market for LFP Battery was valued at USD 8618 Million in the year 2024 and is projected to reach a revised size of USD 16540 Million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 9.9% during the forecast period. Claim Your Free Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-32N7086/Global_LFP_Battery_Market Major Factors Driving the Growth of LFP Battery Market: LFP Battery Market continues to advance as cost advantages, safety features, and broader applications align with shifting energy trends. Industry players focus on refining chemistry, manufacturing processes, and strategic partnerships to remain competitive. Simultaneously, public and private entities push for robust infrastructure to accommodate growing electric mobility, residential storage, and commercial solutions. With increasing emphasis on sustainability, LFP's low toxicity and long operational life make it a prime candidate for various applications, encouraging further innovation. Ongoing research into improving energy density, charging speeds, and recyclability reinforces LFP's position as a practical option for clean energy transitions. Looking ahead, stable performance, affordability, and environmental benefits secure LFP's role as a cornerstone technology in the global battery landscape. Unlock Insights: View Full Report Now! https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-32N7086/global-lfp-battery TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF THE LFP BATTERY MARKET: Prismatic Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries push the expansion of the LFP Battery Market. Their rectangular shape allows for easier stacking and integration, optimizing space and simplifying installation. With lower internal resistance, these batteries deliver efficient power output, reducing energy losses. They also demonstrate stable performance under different operating conditions, ensuring safety and a longer lifespan. This resilience meets the growing need for dependable storage in electric mobility and off-grid systems. By enabling reliable energy density and efficient charge cycles, prismatic LFP batteries address evolving demands for compact, high-capacity power sources. Their robust design supports numerous applications, and their scalable production fosters continuous adoption across industries, driving overall market growth for LFP solutions. Consequently, they continue reinforcing LFP competitiveness globally. Soft pack Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries drive the LFP Battery Market by offering flexible form factors that reduce overall weight and simplify integration. Their pliable casing also aids thermal management, mitigating overheating risks and prolonging battery life. Industries like consumer electronics, electric mobility, and energy storage gravitate toward this lightweight solution for reliable power and extended runtimes. Additionally, soft pack LFP batteries typically exhibit robust cycle life and steady discharge capabilities, which lowers operational costs. The design's inherent shock absorption safeguards internal components, enhancing performance and longevity. As demand grows for portable, efficient batteries, soft pack configurations address diverse needs while maintaining safety and sustainability. This versatility cements their pivotal role in broadening LFP adoption. Hence, they bolster adoption. Electric vehicles (EVs) significantly propel the LFP Battery Market by demanding safe, cost-effective energy solutions. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries provide robust thermal stability, reducing fire risks and improving overall reliability. Their comparatively lower cost makes them appealing for mass-market EV models, aiding broader adoption and bridging affordability gaps. Additionally, these batteries exhibit strong discharge performance and longer lifespans, meeting EV range requirements and reassuring consumers about durability. As governments impose stricter emissions standards, automakers increasingly incorporate LFP chemistry to meet sustainability targets. The stable voltage output of LFP also supports consistent vehicle performance. By delivering dependable power and minimizing operating expenses, EV applications continue to drive innovation and expansion within the LFP Battery Market. Consequently, EV adoption intensifies demand. The LFP Battery Market benefits from increasingly competitive pricing, attracting businesses seeking economical alternatives without sacrificing performance. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry relies on abundant and less expensive materials, reducing production costs relative to other lithium-ion variants. This affordability broadens market accessibility and drives higher adoption rates, particularly in price-sensitive sectors like public transportation and residential energy storage. As manufacturers streamline processes and economies of scale take hold, unit costs continue to decline, reinforcing LFP's appeal. Furthermore, reduced dependence on cobalt and nickel ensures stable raw material pricing, mitigating supply chain disruptions. This cost advantage supports diverse applications, motivating investments in LFP technologies and ultimately propelling growth in this evolving and highly competitive marketplace. This spurs industry momentum. Safety considerations are a prime driver in the growing adoption of LFP batteries. Lithium Iron Phosphate chemistry inherently exhibits lower thermal runaway risk and improved chemical stability compared to certain other lithium-ion types. This robust safety profile appeals to industries requiring dependable, hazard-free energy sources, including public transportation, backup power, and grid-scale storage. Additionally, LFP's stable discharge behavior under high-stress conditions enhances reliability, reducing the likelihood of catastrophic failure. This reliability positions LFP solutions as a preferred choice for mission-critical applications, where long-term performance and minimal downtime are essential. Users also benefit from the batteries' extended cycle life, further reinforcing trust. Ultimately, safer operations and dependable performance drive interest in LFP across diverse sectors and encourage investment. The rise in renewable energy deployments is another pivotal factor propelling LFP battery adoption. As solar and wind projects expand worldwide, efficient energy storage systems are critical to balance supply and demand fluctuations. LFP batteries' stable performance, even in harsh conditions, makes them well-suited for pairing with renewable sources. Their long cycle life and deep discharge capabilities enable consistent power output, fostering grid stability and reducing curtailment. Moreover, the chemistry's inherent safety and lower maintenance requirements minimize operational risks for utility-scale installations. By ensuring a smoother integration of intermittent renewables, LFP solutions address a range of applications, from residential rooftop setups to large-scale farms. This synergy fortifies their presence within the accelerating global shift toward green energy. Demand for LFP batteries is also driven by the ongoing surge in electric mobility. Public transit systems, e-scooters, bikes, and commercial fleets increasingly adopt Lithium Iron Phosphate power packs for their balance of safety, affordability, and dependable performance. LFP's stable chemistry provides consistent energy output and high power density, making it suitable for various propulsion requirements. Longer operational life spans minimize replacement frequency, lowering total ownership costs for fleet operators. Additionally, municipalities embracing sustainable transport solutions value LFP's lower environmental impact and reduced risk of combustion. As infrastructure improvements and policy incentives support e-mobility, the demand for safer, more cost-effective battery technologies intensifies. Consequently, LFP emerges as a robust option for fueling electric transport initiatives worldwide, boosting growth. Claim Yours Now! https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=QYRE-Auto-32N7086&lic=single-user LFP BATTERY MARKET SHARE Global key LFP battery players include CATL, BYD and Gotion High-tech etc. The top 3 companies hold a share of about 88%. Asia is the largest market with a share of about 76% followed by Europe and NAFTZ. In terms of product, prismatic product is the largest segment with a share of about 73%. And in terms of applications, the largest application is electric vehicles with a share of about 83%. Key Companies: CATL BYD Gotion High-tech EVE CALB Great Power Lishen Battery REPT Wanxiang A123 ANC Hithium Lithion (Valence) Purchase Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-32N7086/global-lfp-battery/4 SUBSCRIPTION We have introduced a tailor-made subscription for our customers. Please leave a note in the Comment Section to know about our subscription plans. DISCOVER MORE INSIGHTS: EXPLORE SIMILAR REPORTS! - High Energy Density LFP Battery Market - Lithium Iron Phosphate market is projected to reach USD 1881.9 Million by 2028 from an estimated USD 1233.1 Million in 2022, at a CAGR of 7.3% during 2023 and 2028. - Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) Raw Materials Market was valued at USD 5996 Million in the year 2024 and is projected to reach a revised size of USD 9878 Million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 7.5% during the forecast period. - Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Recycling Market - Lithium Ion Battery Electrolyte Market revenue was USD 2830 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 8915.1 Million by 2029 with a CAGR of 17.6% during the forecast period (2023-2029). - Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery market was valued at USD 6174.5 Million in 2023 and is anticipated to reach USD 17990 Million by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 16.0% during the forecast period 2024-2030. - Lithium Iron Phosphate Soft Pack Battery Market - Lithium-ion Battery Cathode Materials market is projected to grow from USD 6937.7 Million in 2024 to USD 8577.8 Million by 2030, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.6% during the forecast period. - LFP Cathode Material Market - LFP Forklift Battery Market - LiFePo4 Battery and Ternary Lithium Battery Market DISCOVER OUR VISION: VISIT ABOUT US! Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains a detailed research methodology employed to generate the report. Please also reach our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources. GET A FREE QUOTE Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 WhatsApp: +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Blog: https://valuatestrends.blogspot.com/ Pinterest: https://in.pinterest.com/valuatesreports/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@valuatesreports6753 https://www.facebook.com/valuateskorean https://www.facebook.com/valuatesspanish https://www.facebook.com/valuatesjapanese https://valuatesreportspanish.blogspot.com/ https://valuateskorean.blogspot.com/ https://valuatesgerman.blogspot.com/ https://valuatesreportjapanese.blogspot.com/ Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg SOURCE Valuates Reports Chernyshov: All Ukrainian children who return, regardless of level of knowledge, should get place in Ukrainian school Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Unity of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernyshov believes that all Ukrainian children who return from abroad, regardless of their level of knowledge, should get a place in a Ukrainian school. "Children will be a decisive factor in making a decision at the time of return: study, education. We always predict that the return before the school year is always a peak, and if we miss this season, then after that we have to wait another year," Chernyshov told reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday. In this regard, the Deputy Prime Minister said if we talk about 2025, we must do everything to achieve conditions by the school year that will allow citizens to make a decision on their return. "I take this position, complete liberalization of access to the Ukrainian education system. All Ukrainian children who come, regardless of their level of knowledge, should get a place in a Ukrainian school. If we set conditions, then what, should they return to the Czech Republic?" Chernyshov said. He also said a big challenge is the work on integrating the Ukrainian component into the curricula of foreign schools, in particular, regarding the study of the Ukrainian language as a foreign language. As reported, at the end of February, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Oksen Lisovy said the department is negotiating with partner countries regarding the study of the Ukrainian language as a foreign language in their schools. MIAMI, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Limited Spec Automotive, a premier luxury and exotic car dealership in Miami, proudly offers an exclusive selection of Mansory-tuned vehicles for automotive enthusiasts. It is the only Mansory dealer in North America. Known for its commitment to delivering high-performance, high-end cars, the dealership allows customers to own some of the most sought-after Mansory-customized vehicles in the world. Limited Spec Automotive in Miami Is the Only Mansory Dealer in North America Mansory, a globally recognized luxury car modification brand, is renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship, unique designs and high-performance enhancements. Limited Spec Automotive takes pride in curating a one-of-a-kind inventory featuring elite Mansory models that push the boundaries of automotive design and engineering. From striking aerodynamic body kits to powerful performance upgrades, each Mansory vehicle reflects exclusivity and individuality. The dealership has solidified its reputation as a go-to destination for luxury and exotic car enthusiasts in Miami and beyond. Focusing on sourcing rare, customized vehicles, the dealership ensures that every car in its inventory meets the highest standards of quality and prestige. Whether customers seek a Mansory-upgraded Rolls-Royce, Ferrari or Mercedes-Benz, they will find an impressive selection at Limited Spec Automotive. At Limited Spec Automotive, the experience extends beyond just purchasing a vehicle. The dealership provides enjoyable car-buying experience with personalized assistance, expert insights and superior customer service. With an in-depth understanding of Mansory modifications, the dealership's team is well-equipped to help clients select the perfect luxury vehicle that aligns with their style and performance preferences. Drivers can browse the dealership's inventory online at limitedspec.com. Car enthusiasts and collectors looking to explore the finest Mansory models can visit Limited Spec Automotive's showroom at 8700 Northwest 7th Ave, Miami, FL 33150, to explore these stunning vehicles. For further information, they can call the dealership at 786-233-0526. SOURCE Limited Spec Automotive SHENZHEN, China, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 12, MemoryS 2025 opened in Shenzhen, where Longsys(301308.SZ) unveild multiple new products. Chairman Hua-Bo Cai delivered a keynote speech, "Memory Business Comprehensive Innovation," sharing insights into the company's innovations in memory business models and integrated service capabilities. In-house Memory Controllers, Performance Breakthroughs image image Longsys continues to expand its in-house memory controller lineup, launching UFS 4.1/3.1/2.2 and USB controllers in 2025 to enhance storage performance and competitiveness. The UFS 4.1, powered by the WM7400 controller, supports TLC and QLC NAND Flash, achieving sequential read speeds up to 4,350MB/s, optimizing AI terminal applications. The eMMC Ultra adopts an ultra-protocol design and integrates the in-house WM6000 controller, breaking through the performance limitations of eMMC 5.1. With overall performance approaching UFS 2.2 levels, it delivers a more cost-efficient storage solution for smart devices. Automotive Storage: Dual-Drive Strategy Longsys has built a comprehensive automotive-grade storage portfolio, including UFS, eMMC, LPDDR4x, and SPI NAND Flash, all meeting AEC-Q100 reliability standards. Through the Product Technology Manufacturing(PTM) business model, the company offers customized solutions and has established partnerships with 20+ automakers and 50+ Tier 1 suppliers. Enterprise Storage: AI-Optimized Solutions Longsys has introduced PCIe/SATA eSSDs, MRDIMMs, and RDIMMs, offering a one-stop AI-localized storage deployment solution. Its dedicated data center production line ensures high reliability and consistency for AI servers and high-performance computing applications. Global Expansion and Brand Development Longsys is accelerating its global footprint. The Zilia factory in Brazil is now operational, establishing localized storage manufacturing in the Americas. Meanwhile, its Lexar brand has expanded across 70+ countries, with the European and American markets contributing over 67% of sales, demonstrating strong growth. PTM Business Model: Reshaping the Memory Industry Longsys' PTM (Product Technology Manufacturing) business model provides a comprehensive storage foundry service, covering chip design, packaging, testing, and production. The model has been widely adopted in automotive, server, industrial, and consumer electronics. The Suzhou Longforce serves as the PTM testing and packaging hub, focusing on high-end semiconductor packaging and supporting Zilia's manufacturing. The open-source memory business model and comprehensive innovation services showcased at MemoryS 2025 reflect Longsys' strategic transformation into a branded semiconductor memory enterprise. Moving forward, Longsys will remain committed to the semiconductor storage sector, focusing on customer-driven innovation, business model upgrades, and accelerated commercialization of new products. Additionally, the company will continue to strengthen its brand presence and global expansion, driving new possibilities for the memory industry. About Longsys Founded in 1999, Longsys(301308.SZ) is a globally leading branded semiconductor memory enterprise, integrating R&D, design, packaging and testing, manufacturing, and sales services. Longsys upholds the corporate vision of "Everything for memory." With memory technology innovation at its core, Longsys provides high-end, flexible, and efficient full-stack customized services to global customers. For more information please visit https://www.longsys.com/, and follow Longsys on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2640022/image.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2640023/image.jpg SYRACUSE, N.Y., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Maria Murray, Ph.D, president and chief executive officer of The Reading League , or TRL, has been named nonprofit executive of the year by the CNY Business Journal. The award recognizes Murray's leadership, vision, and profound impact as a national proponent of evidence-aligned reading instruction. The 18th CNY Business Journal Nonprofit Awards, presented by M&T Bank, will be held at noon on March 26 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Syracuse. The event recognizes nine leaders or organizations that make a positive difference in Central New York. Maria Murray, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of The Reading League Guided by her belief that reading is a civil right, Murray has overseen the growth of TRL from its beginnings at her kitchen table to its evolution into a transformative national organization. Her commitment to advancing the awareness, understanding, and use of evidence-aligned reading instruction has influenced systemic change in education policy. Today, 40 states and the District of Columbia have changed literacy policies to align with the science of reading , a vast interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing. "Maria is a visionary leader who has dedicated her career to transforming literacy education and advocating for every child's right to read," said Stephanie Finn, TRL board chairman. "Her unwavering commitment to the science of reading and her ability to inspire others has positioned The Reading League as a national force for positive change. We couldn't be more proud of her well-deserved recognition." Under Murray's leadership, TRL has achieved remarkable growth in less than a decade, with nearly 40 state chapters, more than 30 passionate staff members, and a nationally recognized conference that attracts over 2,500 attendees worldwide. "It is truly an honor to present Maria with this award," said Jill Allen, director of BizEventz for the CNY Business Journal. "Her leadership has not only shaped The Reading League into the powerhouse it is today, but it has also made a significant difference in the lives of students and educators across the country. Maria's vision and impact are immeasurable, and we proudly celebrate her accomplishments." Email [email protected] for more information. About The Reading League The Reading League aims to increase stakeholder knowledge of evidence-aligned approaches to teaching reading and research that demystifies how people learn to read. We train and support educators and school leaders. We believe that all children deserve to learn to read, and all teachers can learn to teach them. For more information, visit thereadingleague.org . SOURCE The Reading League ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. is currently facing a resurgence of measles, now reported in at least 12 states. Meanwhile, norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships are rising, adding to concerns for travelers as awareness of contagious illnesses grows. As the five-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic approaches, many travelers may still be concerned about the risks of travel and exposure to contagious diseases. Squaremouth.com, the nation's leading travel insurance marketplace, answers common questions about how travel insurance can help travelers protect themselves from these outbreaks and ensure peace of mind during their trips. What if I get measles or norovirus before my trip and can't travel? The Trip Cancellation benefit can refund travelers who become ill and need to cancel their trip. In order to be covered, travelers must provide medical documentation from a licensed physician prohibiting travel. The benefit can refund travelers who become ill and need to cancel their trip. In order to be covered, travelers must provide medical documentation from a licensed physician prohibiting travel. What if I get measles or norovirus while on my trip? Travelers who become sick during a trip may be covered by the Emergency Medical benefit for related hospitalization and treatment costs. If medically necessary, a Medical Evacuation to the nearest adequate medical facility can also be arranged. Should a traveler need to cut their trip short, Trip Interruption can also reimburse unused trip expenses. Travelers who become sick during a trip may be covered by the benefit for related hospitalization and treatment costs. If medically necessary, a Medical Evacuation to the nearest adequate medical facility can also be arranged. Should a traveler need to cut their trip short, can also reimburse unused trip expenses. Can I cancel my trip if I'm afraid of contracting measles or norovirus at my destination? Fear of contracting measles or norovirus is typically not covered by travel insurance. Only travelers who buy the Cancel For Any Reason upgrade can be covered to cancel out of fear of traveling. Fear of contracting measles or norovirus is typically not covered by travel insurance. Only travelers who buy the upgrade can be covered to cancel out of fear of traveling. Can I still purchase coverage for measles? Yes, travelers can still buy travel insurance if they're concerned about contracting measles. As long as they are healthy and not showing symptoms of measles at the time of purchase, travelers can buy a policy that includes Trip Cancellation and Emergency Medical benefits. Available Topic Expert: Ned Tadic is available for comment and interview. [email protected] SOURCE Squaremouth MIAMI, PRINCETON, N.J. and HAMILTON, Bermuda, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Miami International Holdings, Inc. (MIH), a technology-driven leader in building and operating regulated financial markets across multiple asset classes, today announced the launch of a fully-integrated trading, clearing, settlement and depository technology platform for The Bermuda Stock Exchange (BSX), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MIH. "The launch of the new BSX technology platform represents an important milestone in our strategy to build and operate all our exchanges utilizing proprietary MIAX technology," said Thomas P. Gallagher, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MIH. "The new platform provides us with the flexibility to respond to evolving market demand and expand the range of products we are able to offer customers." The new BSX system utilizes MIAX proprietary trading, middle and back office technology with the CSD technology built in conjunction with Vermiculus, a Swedish-based company focusing on providing trading, clearing, and central security depository solutions globally. The trading platform features a trading and market data dissemination system in Bermuda; off-island disaster recovery systems; a streamlined, web-based order management system (OMS); middle office technology to support system configuration and integration, market operations, surveillance and reporting services; and a clearing, settlement and depository (CSD) system. "MIAX's proven technology, coupled with Vermiculus' leading international market infrastructure capabilities, expands our ability to support Bermuda's market with a fully-integrated exchange platform managing the trade cycle from execution to clearing and settlement," said Greg Wojciechowski, President and Chief Executive Officer of BSX. "We worked closely with our market participants to design a next generation platform to meet the needs of our domestic capital market while positioning us to take advantage of future international capital market opportunities." "The scalability of MIAX proprietary technology allows us to efficiently expand across asset classes while retaining the speed, performance and reliability our exchanges are known for," said Randy Foster, Executive Vice President, Business Systems Development of MIAX. "We've replicated that expansion process at BSX, providing a best-in-class user experience that our customers have come to expect from MIAX." About MIAX MIAX's parent holding company, Miami International Holdings, Inc., owns Miami International Securities Exchange, LLC (MIAX), MIAX PEARL, LLC (MIAX Pearl), MIAX Emerald, LLC (MIAX Emerald), MIAX Sapphire LLC (MIAX Sapphire), MIAX Futures Exchange, LLC (MIAX Futures), MIAX Derivatives Exchange (MIAXdx), The Bermuda Stock Exchange (BSX) and Dorman Trading, LLC (Dorman Trading). MIAX, MIAX Pearl, MIAX Emerald and MIAX Sapphire are national securities exchanges registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission that are enabled by MIAX's in-house built, proprietary technology. MIAX offers trading of options on all four exchanges as well as cash equities through MIAX Pearl Equities. The MIAX trading platform was built to meet the high-performance quoting demands of the U.S. options trading industry and is differentiated by throughput, latency, reliability and wire-order determinism. MIAX Futures is a registered exchange with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and offers trading in a variety of products including Hard Red Spring Wheat Futures. MIAX Futures is a Designated Contract Market (DCM) and Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) under the CFTC, providing DCM and DCO services in an array of asset classes. MIAXdx is a CFTC regulated exchange and clearinghouse and is registered as a Designated Contract Market (DCM), Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO), and Swap Execution Facility (SEF) with the CFTC. BSX is a fully electronic, vertically integrated international securities market headquartered in Bermuda and organised in 1971. BSX specialises in the listing and trading of capital market instruments such as equities, debt issues, funds, hedge funds, derivative warrants, and insurance linked securities. BSX is a full member of the World Federation of Exchanges and holds a seat on its Board of Directors. BSX is also an affiliate member of International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). Dorman Trading is a full-service Futures Commission Merchant registered with the CFTC. MIAX's executive offices and National Operations Center are located in Princeton, N.J., with additional U.S. offices located in Chicago, IL and Miami, FL. MIAX Futures offices are located in Minneapolis, MN. MIAXdx offices are located in Princeton, N.J. BSX offices are located in Hamilton, Bermuda. Dorman Trading offices are located in Chicago, IL. To learn more about MIAX visit www.miaxglobal.com. To learn more about MIAX Futures visit www.miaxglobal.com/miax-futures. To learn more about MIAXdx visit www.miaxdx.com. To learn more about BSX visit www.bsx.com. To learn more about Dorman Trading visit www.dormantrading.com. Disclaimer and Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities of Miami International Holdings, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the Company), and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer; solicitation or sale would be unlawful. This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may," "future," "plan" or "planned," "will" or "should," "expected," "anticipates," "draft," "eventually" or "projected." You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. All third-party trademarks (including logos and icons) referenced by the Company remain the property of their respective owners. Unless specifically identified as such, the Company's use of third-party trademarks does not indicate any relationship, sponsorship, or endorsement between the owners of these trademarks and the Company. Any references by the Company to third-party trademarks is to identify the corresponding third-party goods and/or services and shall be considered nominative fair use under the trademark law. Media Contact: Andy Nybo, SVP, Chief Communications Officer (609) 955-2091 [email protected] SOURCE MIAX SAN DIEGO, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- New York orthopaedic surgeon Michael L. Parks, MD, FAAOS, was named second vice president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Board of Directors (BOD). His role is the first in a four-year term of volunteer service during which he will serve as president of the AAOS in 2027. He will assume the second vice president position following the AAOS 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego. "As I embark on this four-year term, my priority is to champion and listen to our members, ensuring they have the resources, education and support necessary to navigate the evolving healthcare landscape," said Dr. Parks. "Alongside my fellow AAOS Board members, I am committed to improving musculoskeletal health through collaboration, innovation and patient focus. I am honored to serve in this role and to advance AAOS' mission of serving our profession to provide the highest quality musculoskeletal care." Dr. Parks has made a significant and lasting impact as a physician, advocate and mentor. Among his many AAOS volunteer positions, Dr. Parks served as treasurer, BOD member-at-large, chair of the AAOS Resolutions Committee, chair of the AAOS Finance Committee and chair of the Workgroup on Obesity. He was also a member of the Board of Councilors, AAOS Annual Meeting Committee and Communications Cabinet and selected to the 2003 class of the AAOS Leadership Fellows Program. His leadership was recognized with the AAOS' Diversity Award in 2019 and Achievement Award in 2012. A specialist in the surgical treatment of arthritis in adults, Dr. Parks is highly regarded for his expertise in reconstructive procedures for the hip and knee. His clinical research focuses on joint replacement surgery and emphasizes reducing health disparities and addressing socio-economic factors affecting healthcare outcomes. His insights have been featured in leading publications, including New York magazine, The New York Times Magazine, Black Enterprise magazine and Money magazine. Dr. Parks also has appeared on the NBC-TV TODAY show where he discussed treatment alternatives for knee arthritis in baby boomers. In addition to his leadership within the AAOS, Dr. Parks is a past president of the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation and the New York State Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He served as a member of the BOD of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons and has been actively involved in the Movement is Life Caucus, a multi-stakeholder group devoted to decreasing musculoskeletal health disparities. Dr. Parks graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry and went on to earn his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where he received the President's Clinical Science Award. After completing an internship in general and thoracic surgery, followed by an orthopaedic residency at Duke University Medical Center, he continued his training at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York with a fellowship on the Hip and Knee Service where he remains in practice today. About the AAOS With more than 39,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is the world's largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists. The AAOS is the trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal health. It provides the highest quality, most comprehensive education to help orthopaedic surgeons and allied health professionals at every career level best treat patients daily. The AAOS is the source of information on bone and joint conditions, treatments, and related musculoskeletal healthcare issues; and it leads the healthcare discussion on advancing quality. Follow the AAOS on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram. SOURCE American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons AUBURN HILLS, Mich., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mojito!, the Jeep brand's audacious shade of green, is available for the first time on the class-leading 2025 Jeep Gladiator midsize pickup truck and returns to the color palette of the worlds most recognizable 4x4, the Jeep Wrangler. Mojito!, the audacious shade of green, is available for the first time on the class-leading Jeep Gladiator midsize pickup truck and returns to Jeep Wrangler Mojito! joins another new-for-2025 green color, the military olive drab-inspired '41 Jeep Gladiator is engineered from the ground up to be the most off-road-capable Jeep truck ever, with best-in-class 4x4 payload, unsurpassed towing and multiple ways to experience open-air freedom Revised 2025 model-year pricing includes a repositioned, all-in starting price now under $40 ,000 Mojito! is available to order now on the new 2025 Jeep Gladiator at a U.S. MSRP of $595 , alongside its iconic sibling, the Jeep Wrangler The neighbors are sure to be green with envy as Jeep introduces its bold Mojito! green exterior paint for the first time on Jeep Gladiator, the world's most capable midsize pickup. This vibrant color also makes a comeback to the iconic Jeep Wrangler lineup for the first time in seven years. "At Jeep, we create vehicles that make a bold statement, "said Bob Broderdorf, CEO, Jeep brand. "The Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler embody this philosophy they're designed for thrill-seekers, adventurers and those who dare to turn heads with standout colors like Mojito!" Mojito! also returns to the color palette of the world's most recognizable 4x4, the Jeep Wrangler, for 2025. The color originally debuted on Wrangler for the 2018 model year. Mojito! is just one of a suite of bold or limited-edition colors from Jeep brand in recent years, including Punk 'n Metallic orange, High Velocity yellow, Tuscadero pink and the new-for-2025, military olive drab-inspired '41. Available to order now on all 2025 Jeep Gladiator and most 2025 Jeep Wrangler models, Mojito is priced at a U.S. MSRP of $595. The Wrangler and Gladiator siblings are proudly manufactured at the Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio, USA. For more information, consumers should visit Jeep.com. Jeep Gladiator Jeep Gladiator is engineered from the ground up to be the most off-road-capable Jeep truck ever, building on a rich heritage of tough, dependable Jeep pickup trucks with an unmatched combination of rugged utility, authentic Jeep design, open-air freedom, clever functionality and versatility. Available in Sport, Sport S, Willys, Trail Rated Rubicon and the brand's only Desert Rated model, Mojave, Jeep Gladiator features a standard 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine, rated at 285 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, and a versatile cargo box. The 2025 Jeep Gladiator delivers unmatched capability with unsurpassed 4x4 max towing of up to 7,700 pounds and best-in-class payload of up to 1,725 pounds. Jeep Wrangler Backed by more than 80 years of 4x4 engineering expertise, the 2025 Jeep Wrangler is the most recognizable and capable vehicle on the planet. Jeep Wrangler builds on the brand's goal to deliver freedom of choice, offering an unmatched combination of leading off-road capability, iconic Jeep design, open-air freedom, advanced powertrains and a refined interior, as well as a host of innovative safety and advanced technology features, including the class-exclusive plug-in hybrid Wrangler 4xe, the best-selling PHEV in America four years in a row. Jeep Brand For more than 80 years, Jeep has been the global leader in SUVs, delivering legendary off-road capability, advanced technology and exceptional versatility for those who seek adventure. With a commitment to innovation, the Jeep brand offers a diverse lineup of vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, hybrid technology and all-electric drivetrains. The brand's dedication to customer satisfaction is reflected in Jeep Wave, a premium owner loyalty and customer care program that provides exclusive benefits and 24/7 support. Built on a heritage of freedom, adventure, authenticity and passion, Jeep continues to set the standard for rugged yet refined vehicles designed to conquer it all. Follow Jeep and company news and video on: Company blog: http://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com Media website: http://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com Jeep brand: www.jeep.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeep Instagram: www.instagram.com/jeep Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeep LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/jeep YouTube: www.youtube.com/thejeepchannel or https://www.youtube.com/StellantisNA SOURCE Stellantis Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys, opens an office in Cincinnati, Ohio serving injury victims starting April 3rd, 2025. ATLANTA, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The new Cincinnati office is led by Managing Attorney Craig Belliston, a graduate of Brigham Young University and the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Craig brings a proven history of successfully advocating for innocent injury victims and their families. Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys, opens an office in Cincinnati, OH serving injury victims April 3,2025. Post this The new Monge & Assocaites Injury and Accident Attorneys Cincinnati office is led by Managing Attorney Craig Belliston. "We are excited to announce this new Cincinnati office to better serve our injury clients here in Ohio and to continue to fight for victims throughout the state," shares Craig Belliston. Scott Monge, founder and CEO of Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys adds, "I wanted to make sure this location had the best team of lawyers, paralegals, and legal professionals we could find to help innocent injury victims win when fighting billion-dollar insurance companies." "We don't charge our clients anything to handle their case, unless they win," Monge emphasized. "In addition, our team is here to earn our client's trust not just on this case but for the rest of their lives so we can better make good things happen for other people." About Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys The lawyers at Monge & Associates Injury and Accident Attorneys are dedicated to supporting both their clients and their community. Established in 1993, the firm has evolved into a nationally recognized practice, staffed by a team of accomplished lawyers who are passionate about helping personal injury victims. Our team is committed to fighting for the maximum compensation for innocent injury victims, allowing them to prioritize their health and overall wellbeing. Contact: Scott Monge E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 800-676-4878 SOURCE Monge & Associates "This Side of the Bridge: March to the Capitol" Honors the Legacy & Ongoing Fight for Voting Rights MONTGOMERY, Ala., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Montgomery will host a historic weekend of events March 21-23, 2025, commemorating 60 years since the Selma to Montgomery March, a pivotal moment that reshaped America's fight for voting rights. Special guest, hip-hop icon Big Boi, will appear at the Stars for Freedom Rally on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at George Washington Carver High School in Montgomery, Alabama. Part of the 60th anniversary commemoration of the Selma-to-Montgomery March, the rally brings together artists, activists, and leaders to honor history and inspire action. Special guest, award-winning gospel artist Jekalyn Carr, will appear at the Stars for Freedom Rally on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at George Washington Carver High School in Montgomery, Alabama. The rally is part of the 60th anniversary events commemorating the Selma-to-Montgomery March, celebrating the power of music, activism, and faith in the fight for justice. On March 25, 1965, thousands of marchers arrived in Montgomery after a 54-mile journey from Selma, demanding equal voting rights for Black Americans. Their courage and determination led to a massive demonstration at the Alabama State Capitol, where 25,000 people gathered in solidarity, ultimately securing the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965one of the most consequential civil rights laws in U.S. history. This year's 60th anniversary commemoration serves as both a tribute and a call to action, honoring the past while confronting today's challenges to democracy. Mayor Steven L. Reed, Montgomery's first African American mayor, will lead the city's efforts to reflect on the march's legacy, uniting national leaders, activists, and artists for a weekend of education, inspiration, and mobilization. "The Selma to Montgomery March was never just about crossing a bridgeit was about crossing into a new era of democracy and justice," said Mayor Steven L. Reed. "Sixty years later, we celebrate the victory on this side of the bridge, but we know the work is not finished. Here in Montgomery, where history was made, we stand not just to commemorate, but to continue the fight. This anniversary reminds us that every generationincluding ourshas a role to play in protecting democracy and ensuring justice for all." A Weekend of Reflection, Celebration, and Action The three-day commemoration will feature events honoring past civil rights heroes while inspiring new generations to continue the fight for justice. Friday, March 21 "This Side of the Bridge" Reception (6:30pm-10:00pm, Museum of Fine Arts) A gathering recognizing past and present civil rights leaders. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP by visiting www.montgomeryal.gov/60th. Saturday, March 22 Community & Family Fun Day (10:00am 2:00pm, Carver High School) A family-friendly event featuring interactive exhibits, youth activities, and cultural programming designed to inspire civic engagement. Free to the public. Saturday, March 22 Stars for Freedom Rally (2:00pm 8:00pm, Carver High School) A tribute to the historic 1965 "Stars for Freedom" Rally, featuring performances and speeches from nationally recognized artists, thought leaders, and advocates. Free to the public. Sunday, March 23 This Side of the Bridge: March to the Capitol (1:00pm, City of St. Jude to the Alabama State Capitol) A reenactment of the final leg of the Selma to Montgomery March , ending at the Alabama State Capitolthe same site where thousands stood in 1965 to demand voting rights. Free registration at https://runtheday.com/register/detail/march-to-the-capitol/ Special Guests & National Figures A dynamic lineup of artists, activists, and leaders will participate in this historic commemoration. Notable attendees include actor Larenz Tate, hip-hop icon Big Boi, television host Terrence J, pastor and activist Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant, award-winning gospel artists Jekalyn Carr and Pastor Mike Jr., award-winning producer, director, actress and activist Gina Belafonte, American Idol alumnus Taylor Hicks, The Voice alumnus Ryley Tate Wilson, and actress KJ Smith. Additional special guests will be announced in the coming weeks. Bringing History to Life: A Virtual Journey Through the Selma to Montgomery March As part of the 60th anniversary commemoration, the City of Montgomery is integrating an immersive metaverse experience, first announced in early February, to allow participants to engage with the historic Selma to Montgomery March in a groundbreaking way. This digital experience offers attendeesboth in Montgomery and those joining remotelythe opportunity to explore key moments along the Civil Rights Trail, walk the historic route from St. Jude Campus to the Alabama State Capitol, and interact with AI-driven avatars of historical figures. Crafted using historical records, photographs, and expert input, the metaverse experience ensures an accurate and dynamic representation of this pivotal moment in history. Montgomery is the only city in the world chosen to pilot this innovative project by one of the finance world's Magnificent Seven Stock companies, the $4 trillion NVIDIA. This groundbreaking partnership underscores Montgomery's role as a leader in blending history with advanced technology, creating a first-of-its-kind digital archive that enhances both education and civic engagement. The experience is available to anyone with internet access and a web browser, requiring no special equipment. How to Participate The City of Montgomery welcomes people from across the nation and around the world to attend this free and historic commemoration. For more details on how to participate in both the in-person and virtual experiences, visit www.montgomeryal.gov/60th. For media inquiries and press details, contact: Derek D. Ross at [email protected] | 919.423.5617. About the City of Montgomery Montgomery, Alabama, is a city steeped in history and driven by progress. As the birthplace of the civil rights movement and a hub for innovation, Montgomery blends a rich cultural heritage with a vision for the future. Montgomery is a city where everyone has the freedom to live, learn, and earn. Under the leadership of Mayor Steven L. Reed, the city is committed to fostering economic growth, enhancing public safety, and advancing equity and opportunity for all residents. Home to world-class museums, thriving businesses, and cutting-edge technology initiatives, Montgomery continues to lead as a vibrant and inclusive capital city. For more information, visit www.montgomeryal.gov and follow us on social media @CityofMGM. SOURCE City of Montgomery The predictive engine uses historical data, real-time analytics, and AI to automate workflows to uncover which legal cases are likely winners PALO ALTO, Calif., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Theo Ai , the first predictive AI platform for litigation, today announced a strategic partnership with Mustang Litigation Funding, a litigation finance company. By leveraging Theo Ai's predictive engine to automate the case review process, Mustang can confidently select cases faster with a greater rate of success. On the heels of Theo's $2.2M funding in November, this collaboration exemplifies Theo's ability to provide strategic insights for a company's existing portfolio, and it puts Mustang at the forefront of AI-powered advancements, utilizing their extensive proprietary database to create a custom-fit algorithm tailored just for their needs. Theo Ai dashboard Mustang has funded over $170MM in cases across the U.S. to provide innovative litigation funding solutions. While demand for their services is high, reviewing thousands of cases quickly and accurately can lead to a bottleneck. Theo Ai solves this problem by delivering a tool that is capable of automating the task of finding "winners" and delivering insights into case probability. With AI trained on historical and proprietary data along with real-time analytics, Theo Ai boosts confidence in case selection, accelerates workflows and due diligence, and ensures compliance. Additionally, Theo Ai streamlines the review of case records to ensure comprehensive insights and improved accuracy in case evaluations. Included in the collaboration, Mustang will have access to the Theo Ai platform that identifies and unlocks new funding opportunities faster than ever before. "At Mustang Litigation Funding, we're always looking for the latest in tech-focused solutions to benefit our clients," says Seth Rieger, CTO of Mustang Litigation Funding. "With Theo Ai, Mustang is advancing towards a future in which it will be able to consistently and reliably evaluate cases within seconds to pinpoint high-value opportunities. By harnessing the efficiency of AI, we believe we will be setting a new standard in litigation funding." "We're thrilled to empower Mustang's customer portfolio with Theo Ai. By automating compliance checks and reducing the risk of manual errors, Theo Ai can speed up the deal-closing process with confidence and improved accuracy," says Patrick Ip, CEO and Co-Founder of Theo Ai. "By improving case selection by just 1% annually, Mustang and its partners will profit from increased ROI and additional revenue. Not only will this benefit Mustang when prospecting new cases but will also unveil strategic insights into their existing clientele." The partnership allows Mustang Litigation Funding to reduce losses by avoiding low-return cases and enhance revenues by focusing on high-probability, high-yield cases, all while saving valuable time with automation. This marks a pivotal step forward for law professionals and the legal industry as a whole. By combining Mustang's commitment to supporting individuals and law firms seeking justice with Theo Ai's groundbreaking predictive technology, the two are setting the benchmark for efficiency, precision, and success in litigation funding. To learn more and join the waitlist for Theo Ai, visit: Theo AI About Theo Ai Theo Ai is the first predictive engine designed by technical and legal professionals to forecast the outcome of legal disputes. Its AI models are trained on historical case data and incorporate real-time analytics with predictive modeling to deliver accurate and actionable insights. Theo Ai is meeting the most critical need for legal professionals - offering accurate case outcome predictions, backed by data. To learn more and join the waitlist for Theo Ai, visit: https://theoai.ai/#product About Mustang Litigation Funding Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Wayzata, Minnesota, Mustang Funding is a leading litigation finance company dedicated to empowering justice through innovative and transparent funding solutions. With over $170 million funded across more than 3,000 unique cases and partnerships with over 1,000 law firms nationwide, Mustang Funding ensures financial constraints never hinder access to fair legal representation. Guided by their core values of transparency, integrity, and unwavering client support, Mustang Funding is committed to reshaping the legal finance landscape to make justice accessible for all. Media Contact: Rick Medeiros [email protected] 510-556-8517 SOURCE Theo Ai Ministry of Defense interested in cooperation with USA in the field of defense innovations The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is interested in cooperation with American companies in the development and application of innovations in the defense sector, attracting American investments, said Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Valeriy Churkin during a meeting in Kyiv with Defense Attache at the US Embassy in Ukraine, Major General Keith Phillips. "We are open to cooperation in this sector and believe that it will be mutually beneficial," said Churkin, the press service of the Ministry of Defense reports. During the meeting, he presented his area of responsibility in the ministry, which includes the development of military-technical policy, support for the life cycle of weapons and the development of defense innovations. The parties discussed the need for clear legislative regulation of this area, which would promote the development of innovative activities and the attraction of foreign partners. At the meeting, the Ukrainian and American delegations agreed on further steps in specialized cooperation. Salon Suite Franchise Receives Recognition on Prestigious List Following Strong Year of Development CARROLLTON, Texas, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MY SALON Suite , a salon suite franchise focused on providing beauty, health, and wellness professionals a personal space to build their business, announced today it has been recognized as one of the top 500 franchises in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500. Achieving placement on the annual Franchise 500 is a highly sought-after accolade in the franchise industry, recognized as an invaluable resource for potential franchisees. MY SALON Suite ranked #119 overall for its exceptional performance in unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power. To view MY SALON Suite in the full ranking, visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500 . "Being named to the Franchise 500 is a direct result of our franchisees' dedication, commitment to excellence, passion for MY SALON Suite, and drive to succeed, all of which are the key factors behind our continued growth and success," said Mark Jameson, chief development officer at Propelled Brands. "The strong year of development MY SALON Suite experienced in 2024 has set the foundation for even more opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to own their own business, backed by award winning comprehensive support. With our attractive semi-absentee model and opportunities for multi-unit growth, we're eager to continue expanding and offering a proven path to success." MY SALON Suite earned this accolade after an exceptional year of franchise development and community impact. The brand signed more than 23 franchise agreements and increased its total to over 350 open and operating locations, strategically expanding its presence across North America. Through its Suite Relief Fund , the brand achieved an all-time record by raising more than $123,000 in support of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, awarded 10 student scholarships, totaling $10,000 and 248 Member scholarships, totaling $62,000 Members. In addition to ranking on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500, MY SALON Suite was also recognized on leading industry lists from Franchise Business Review and Franchise Times, and earned the prestigious Franchise Customer Experience Certification from the Franchise Customer Experience Institute. "After retiring from Corporate America, my husband Don and I sought a business that would offer flexibility and allow or family to focus on family, church, and community," said Anabella Fabellar, owner of My SALON Suite locations in Manchester, Missouri; Noblesville, Indiana; and North Indy, Indiana. "My SALON Suite was the perfect fit for us with its semi-absentee model, no employees or inventory and the chance to help others achieve their small business dreams. The company's support and resources have allowed us to strengthen our family relationships and help others." In Entrepreneur's continuing effort to best understand and evaluate the ever-changing franchise marketplace, the company's 46-year-old ranking formula continues to evolve as well. The editorial team researches and assesses several factors, including costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. Each franchise is given a cumulative score based on an analysis of more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500 in ranking order. "The Franchise 500 is more than a list. It's really a collection of life-changing opportunities, featuring strong and resilient brands that future franchisees will be proud to be a part of," says Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine. "This year's honorees represent the bold ideas, operational excellence, and adaptability that make franchising a cornerstone of entrepreneurial success." The initial investment for a MY SALON Suite franchise is approximately $984,999 $1,577,236, including a $50,000 franchise fee. Ideal candidates have a net worth of $1.5 million, of which $500K is liquid. MY SALON Suite franchisees have a median EBITDA of 44.1%, according to the brand's most recent Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).* Additionally, MY SALON Suite offers a special incentive for veterans and first responders, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers, sheriffs and firefighters, which includes a 50% reduction on the franchise fee a savings of $25,000. * EBITDA figures are based on information disclosed in the MY SALON Suite Franchise Disclosure Document. Individual results may vary. MY SALON Suite is currently seeking qualified franchise candidates with an emphasis on multi-unit owners as it targets continued nationwide growth. Interested prospects can visit key franchise personnel at the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference in Las Vegas March 25 - 28, 2025 (booth #2221). For more information about MY SALON Suite franchise opportunities, visit https://www.mysalonsuite.com/franchise , or contact Mark Jameson at [email protected] or 214-346-5679. About MY SALON Suite: MY SALON Suite is a nationwide network of turnkey beauty salon suite studios designed to empower independent salon professionals to provide beauty services to their own respective clients. The co-working style space represents the latest concept in the beauty services industry, bringing together a community of independent beauty professionals in one luxurious location. Founded in 2010, MY SALON Suite has since expanded to more than 350 locations across the U.S. and Canada, providing entrepreneurship opportunities to over 10,000 Members. With industry-leading knowledge, operational processes, and support services, MY SALON Suite provides Members with the tools and resources they need to build, open, and manage upscale private salon suites. This supportive environment allows established beauty service professionals to invest in themselves and their professional success by running their own salon business. To learn more about MY SALON Suite, visit mysalonsuite.com . For franchise opportunities, contact Mark Jameson ([email protected] or call 214.346.5679). SOURCE MY SALON Suite WASHINGTON, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Following is a statement from National Press Club President Mike Balsamo on this week's court ruling ordering journalist Jose Ruben Zamora to return to prison in Guatemala as he awaits trial. "We are appalled by this week's court ruling ordering prominent news publisher Jose Ruben Zamora to return to prison in a baseless case brought by Guatemalan authorities. "There was no justification for Guatemalan authorities to bring these charges against Zamora in the first place. There was no justification for Zamora's first period of incarceration, during which United Nations experts said he was held in conditions which may have amounted to torture. "An appeals court in 2023 overturned Zamora's conviction and ordered a new trial in 2025. This week's senseless order sending a 68-year-old man back to prison in advance of his trial is further proof that this case against Zamora is nothing more than a meritless attempt to punish and silence a journalist who has spent decades uncovering corruption. "Jailing journalists in retaliation for their work is a violation of fundamental human rights. Supporters of press freedom around the world are watching this case closely, and will not look away until Zamora is free. "We call on Guatemalan authorities to bring this painful episode to a close by immediately releasing Zamora and dropping all charges against him. Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide. Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-662-7534 for The National Press Club SOURCE National Press Club From Equipment Automation to IoT Kitchen Management Tools, Award-Winning Foodservice Solutions to be Honored in Chicago CHICAGO, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show proudly announces the 2025 Kitchen Innovations (KI) Award winners, recognizing the most groundbreaking advancements in foodservice equipment and technology. These award-winning products address critical industry challenges, from streamlining kitchen workflows to improving sustainability and consistency, setting new standards for efficiency and performance. The 2025 KI recipients will be on display in the Kitchen Innovations Showroom, where attendees can explore solutions designed to enhance operations and drive growth. The Show, taking place May 1720, 2025, brings together a comprehensive cross-section of the foodservice industryfrom equipment dealers and quick-service operators to educational institutions and independent restaurant owners. Attendees will not only explore innovations like the KI Award-winning products but also discover the latest trends, ingredients, and technologies across every area of foodservice. "The KI Awards celebrate solutions that are not just innovative but truly impactful for foodservice operations," said Tom Cindric, President of Exhibitions for Informa Connect Foodservice. "This year's recipients demonstrate how technology and design are revolutionizing kitchen operations, creating seamless integration between back-of-house efficiency and front-of-house service, all while enhancing consistency and delivering exceptional customer experiences. The National Restaurant Association Show is where these advancements come to life, giving attendees a chance to experience them in action, speak with the innovators behind them, and find solutions that fit their business." For more than two decades, the Kitchen Innovations Awards have recognized foodservice equipment that addresses real-world challenges and drives progress across the industry. An esteemed panel of industry leaders, including representatives from global brands like Walt Disney World Resort, Aramark, and Cracker Barrel, evaluated each submission based on its real-world impact and lasting value to foodservice operators. Richard Eisenbarth, President, Emeritus at Cini-Little International and a long-standing KI judge, highlighted this year's recipients and emphasized the evolving landscape of foodservice: "The 2025 Kitchen Innovations Awards spotlight solutions that embody the industry's evolution: doing more with less. From AI-driven monitoring to productivity-enhancing robotics, these innovations are reshaping kitchens, helping restaurants adapt and excel in today's dynamic culinary landscape." The 2025 Kitchen Innovations Award recipients are: Origin Convection Ovens Alto-Shaam, Inc. BuffetBoost Warming Block American Metalcraft Automated Fresh Brew: SimpliciTea 1500 Appliance Innovation Chillstream Undercounter Frozen Food Dispenser Atosa USA, Inc. OMM Automated Egg Cooker Bridge Appliances Carter-Hoffmann CHrisper Station RoboFry X4 Charter House Innovations Scraegg Egg/Porridge/Soup Cooker CookUp Group Inc. Dual Fuel Gravity Charcoal Oven Doyon Digital Kitchen Application Platform Ecolab PFAS (PFOA/PFOS) Reduction Systems Everpure from Pentair Water Solutions Qeamer Kitchenless FIZZBOT Lab2Fab LLC NEO Undercounter Ice Machine w Filtration Manitowoc MilkPal Marco Beverage Systems Metafoodx Platform for Foodservice Operations Metafoodx LongWave IR Oven Middleby Marshall Gravity Beverage Fountain System Newton CFV Total Oil Management by Open Kitchen Powerhouse Dynamics Grill Station Assistant PreciTaste Smart Kitchen System Hub Renau Corporation The Surface Unlimited Induction Table Spring USA Dynamic Response Refrigeration with Smart Control Traulsen TRM - True Retail Merchandiser True Manufacturing Co. Inc The Kitchen Innovations Awards have long been recognized as a defining moment for breakthrough foodservice technology, with award recipients gaining exposure to thousands of industry professionals, from independent operators to large multi-unit brands. Being showcased at the National Restaurant Association Show allows these innovations to reach the buyers, dealers, and decision-makers who drive industry-wide adoption. In addition to exploring the award-winning solutions, attendees can take part in programming focused on foodservice equipment, including: Discovery Theater Session: A discussion on how cutting-edge kitchen equipment is reshaping foodservice operations. ( Saturday, May 17 , 11:00 a.m. CT ) A discussion on how cutting-edge kitchen equipment is reshaping foodservice operations. ( , ) Equipment Professionals Meetup: A networking opportunity for operators, consultants, and equipment specialists. ( Saturday, May 17 , 12:00 p.m. CT ) For more details on the Kitchen Innovations Awards and to register for the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show, visit nationalrestaurantshow.com. Connect with the Show online on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for event updates. The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is owned and operated by Informa Connect in partnership with the National Restaurant Association. Media Contact: Julie Franks, [email protected] SOURCE Informa Connect NEW YORK, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Shawn "JAY-Z" Carter's legal team announced that ABC News obtained and unveiled a new recording from Jane Doe that confirmed that Carter never sexually assaulted her and that lawyer Tony Buzbee urged Doe to make false allegations against Carter. The recorded conversation, which took place between Doe and private investigators, included the groundbreaking excerpt outlined: Investigator #1: So you only got into JAY-Z's name because he was asking you and did he suggest that JAY-Z might have had some part in it? Jane Doe: He was the one that kind of pushed me towards going forward with him, with JAY-Z. Investigator #2: With JAY-Z? Buzbee did? Jane Doe: Yeah The new audio reaffirms the evidence that Carter's legal team submitted to the Superior Court of the State of California earlier in March, which included two sworn declarations from Butler and Henderson that showed Buzbee pushed his client to lie. Furthermore, the recording shows that Doe admitted that Carter never sexually assaulted her: Investigator #1: [Buzbee] asked you about JAY-Z? Jane Doe: Yeah Investigator #1: But JAY-Z, was you're saying, he was definitely there? But he had no part in it, or he was just Jane Doe: He was there Investigator #2: He was just there, but he didn't have anything to do with any sexual acts towards you, it was strictly Jane Doe: Yeah In an interview with ABC News, Carter's attorney Alex Spiro explained that "the tape speaks for itself" and "it's effectively a lie and the only reason Mr. Carter is even involved in this is because she was pushed to involve him." The development comes one day after Buzbee was reprimanded by Judge Ronnie Abrams in an order that confirmed that Buzbee filed a complaint and other pleadings in the Southern District of New York despite not being admitted to practice there. He also failed to disclose the violation despite a previous warning from another judge. SOURCE Shawn JAY-Z Carter Olympus Will Highlight the Platform at Annual SAGES Meeting CENTER VALLEY, Pa., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Olympus Corp., a global medical technology company committed to making people's lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling, announced today the launch of its first AI-powered clinical decision tool through a strategic partnership with software firm, Ziosoft. Olympus Corp. announced the launch of its first AI-powered clinical decision tool through a strategic partnership with software firm, Ziosoft. The initial applications being launched focus on liver, lung, and kidney procedures. The application integrates advanced imaging analytics and machine learning, empowering surgeons to take ownership of their pre-op planning. This collaboration represents a significant step forward in Olympus's mission to bring innovative, AI-enabled solutions to the healthcare industry to help make clinical workflows more efficient and effective. The first three applications being launched aim to revolutionize liver, lung, and kidney procedures: Thoracic surgery: Transforms 2D CT/MRI images into precise 3D models, aiding in lung cancer and thoracic procedure planning and reducing invasive approaches. Liver surgery: Helps general and hepatobiliary surgeons visualize liver anatomy, practice ahead and plan liver-sparing surgeries by visualizing vessels and tumors, helping to improve patient recovery. Urologic surgery: Assists in minimally invasive nephrectomies by accurately assessing the size, location and shape of tumors, cysts or other abnormalities. Olympus will highlight the Ziosoft Revoras platform during the annual Society of Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) meeting March 12-15 in Long Beach, Calif. "Olympus has a proud legacy in medical technology, particularly as a pioneer in endoscopy. We are excited to partner with Ziosoft, which has its own long history of developing AI software to help physicians make more accurate diagnostic and treatment decisions during procedures," said Darryl Rock, Vice President, Business Unit Leader, Surgical Solutions. "This collaboration represents a significant step forward in Olympus's mission to bring innovative, AI-enabled solutions to the healthcare industry." Physicians traditionally utilized flat, 2D images to plan procedures. This new application uses imaging such as CT scans and MRIs to translate static images into dynamic 3D modeling in real time utilizing AI and thousands of radiologic images. The aim is to help physicians make better clinical decisions in sparing as much tissue as possible and improve tumor margins. The development of 3D procedure modeling can also help educate surgical fellows and help guide newer surgeons through unfamiliar procedures and workflow. This supports Olympus' commitment to enhancing surgical outcomes with AI-powered clinical decision support applications. It marks the first in a series of surgical innovations aimed at "Seeing the Invisible" designed to make procedures safer, more efficient and consistently successful. "Ziosoft is committed to improving patient outcomes, and we are pleased to collaborate with Olympus to equip clinicians with greater diagnostic capabilities through advanced visualization," said Rajeev Taitriya, Vice President, Business Development and Marketing, Ziosoft. "By combining our expertise in AI-driven imaging with Olympus' leadership in minimally invasive treatment solutions, we can help enhance surgical precision and streamline workflows, ultimately improving patient care. With the rise of lung cancer screening, more patients are undergoing complex segmentectomies, which Ziosoft's REVORAS platform can support by enabling rapid pre-operative planning, allowing thoracic surgeons to make critical surgical decisions in minutes, helping to optimize outcomes and advance the standard of care." This surgical planning application will be launched in parallel to the Olympus' Intelligent Endoscopy Ecosystem, which looks to leverage technologies like AI and integrate hardware, software, services and data to enhance clinical decision-making and streamline workflows in GI. During the SAGES annual meeting, Olympus will also highlight its surgical portfolio, including their multispecialty imaging platform and the ESG-410 Surgical Energy Platform that powers a comprehensive energy solution with applications across numerous specialties such as general surgery, thoracic surgery, urology and gynecology. Olympus will feature its EVIS X1 Endoscopy System and CADDIE AI System, the first cloud-based AI endoscopy system designed to assist gastroenterologists and colorectal surgeons in detecting suspected colorectal polyps during colonoscopy procedures and localizing disease during surgical procedures. The CADDIE device works by analyzing the endoscopic video of the colon in real-time and using visual markers to alert the endoscopist or surgeon to the potential presence of polyps. The endoscopist or surgeon is responsible for reviewing the CADDIE device's suspected polyp areas and confirming the presence or absence of a polyp based on their own medical judgment. For more information about Ziosoft or the Olympus surgical portfolio visit the Olympus booth, #749, during SAGES, or visit the Olympus website. About Olympus At Olympus, we are committed to Our Purpose of making people's lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling. As a global medical technology company, we partner with healthcare professionals to provide solutions and services for early detection, diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment, aiming to improve patient outcomes by elevating the standard of care in targeted disease states. For more than 100 years, Olympus has pursued a goal of contributing to society by producing products designed with the purpose of delivering optimal outcomes for its customers around the world. Olympus Corporation of the Americas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Olympus Corporation, is headquartered in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, USA, and employs more than 4,500 employees throughout locations in North and South America. For more information, visit medical.olympusamerica.com. About Ziosoft Founded in 1998 with offices in Japan and U.S., Ziosoft is a recognized leader in functional CT/MRI 3D visualization and analysis software to benefit physicians, patients and healthcare specialists. With thousands of systems installed in more than 30 countries worldwide and 900 scientific publications, Ziosoft's true vendor-neutral and multi-modality advanced visualization technology platform is helping patients and clinicians every day, by helping to enable greater diagnostic confidence, lower dose options and precision in treatment planning. As a software-only solution, it is simplified to minimize cost of ownership. For further information on Ziosoft, visit ziosoftinc.com. SOURCE Olympus Corporation of the Americas The National Education Equity Lab's Honor Society celebrates outstanding student achievement in college credit-bearing courses from leading institutions, highlighting academic talent in low-income high schools across the country. NEW YORK, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Education Equity Lab (Ed Equity Lab), a nonprofit dedicated to expanding higher education access to students at low-income Title I and Title I-eligible high schools, has announced the new inductees for its National Honor Society. This year, 1,066 high school students from 23 states and 57 cities have been recognized for their top performance in dual-credit college courses offered by Stanford University, Brown University, Howard University, University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, Wesleyan University, Cornell University, University of California, Morehouse College, Arizona State University, and Barnard College. "Each semester, thousands of students from low-income backgrounds demonstrate their ability to excel in college courses from leading universitiesproving again that talent is evenly distributed, opportunity is not," said National Education Equity Lab Founder and CEO Leslie Cornfeld. "On Wednesday, March 12, we will celebrate the achievements of these remarkable scholars and extend our gratitude to the high school educators and university leaders who make this opportunity possible." This semester's Honor Society scholars hail from cities across the countryincluding Los Angeles, New York City, and Miami, to Albuquerque, Topeka, and Flint. These students represent the top 20% of all scholars nationwide enrolled in college courses offered by the National Education Equity Lab. "We are thrilled to share that more of our scholars and high schools are receiving the distinction of performing in the top 20% out of more than 7,000 scholars nationwide taking rigorous college courses through the Ed Equity Lab," said Melissa Aviles-Ramos, Chancellor, New York City Public Schools. "This proves that when given the opportunity, our students will not only meet the standard, but surpass it." Henry County Schools Superintendent John Pace, III, added, "We are so proud of our schools for more than doubling the number of scholars inducted into the National Education Equity Lab Honor Society from last year. This incredible accomplishment is a testament to Henry County Schools' commitment to the 'Pursuit of Exceptional.'" The National Education Equity Lab partners with top colleges and universities to deliver actual, credit-bearing college courses in low-income Title I high school classrooms nationwideat no cost to students. "Ed Equity Lab has opened the door for students to have early access to prestigious colleges and universities, giving them a unique learning experience and putting them on the path towards a successful college and career," said Adrienne Battle, Superintendent, Metro-Nashville Public Schools. Through this initiative, students take rigorous college courses taught by leading university professors, participate in weekly live discussions with university teaching fellows from those universities, and receive support from their high school teachers who help facilitate courses. Upon successful completion, students earn widely transferable college credits and an official transcript from the offering institution. "These are the most widely transferable college credits that exist at a national level," said Ed Equity Lab Chief Higher Education Officer, Laura Moore. "Ed Equity Lab's partnership enables students to gain critical skills in data science, social innovation, and other subjects while earning college creditopening doors to career pathways that empower them to thrive beyond DC Public Schools," said DCPS Chancellor, Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee. Lompoc Unified Superintendent in Lompoc, California, Dr. Clara Finneran commented, "This achievement is a shining example of our district-wide dedication to fostering college and career readiness." "I am proud of our students and educators as we celebrate student inductions into the National Education Equity Lab's Honor Society," Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said. "This accomplishment reflects the quality of education at Los Angeles Unified and demonstrates our students' ability to succeed in college, career, and life. Our partnership with the Ed Equity Lab enables students to experience their post-secondary careers in real time." This semester's Honor Society inductees will be recognized in a virtual ceremony on March 12th at 6:30 EDT, featuring remarks from university faculty, high school educators, district leaders, family members, and National Education Equity Lab board members. To attend, contact Ikhlas Saleem, Managing Director of Communications, at [email protected]. The following districts had the largest number of students recognized as National Education Equity Lab Honor Society Scholars: New York City Department of Education : 469 scholars recognized from 80 high schools : 469 scholars recognized from 80 high schools Los Angeles Unified School District : 118 scholars recognized from 22 high schools : 118 scholars recognized from 22 high schools Miami-Dade County Public Schools : 68 scholars recognized from 17 high schools : 68 scholars recognized from 17 high schools Sewanhaka Central High School District ( New York ) : 57 scholars recognized from 2 high schools : 57 scholars recognized from 2 high schools District of Columbia Public Schools: 22 scholars recognized from 15 high schools Congratulations to the following National Ed Equity Lab districts and high schools that have students inducted into this semester's Honor Society for top national performance: Arizona American Charter Schools Foundation Ridgeview College Prep High School, Principal Rodriguez South Pointe High School, Principal McGill South Ridge High School , Principal Gallegos Kaizen Education Foundation Glenview College Prep High School, Principal Ecton California Aspire Public Schools Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy, Principal Saldana Birmingham Community Charter High School Birmingham Community Charter High School, Principal Bennett Compton Unified School District Compton Early College High, Principal Maddox Centennial High School ( Compton, CA ), Principal Walker Emery Unified School District Emery Secondary, Principal Kleiman Inglewood Unified School District Morningside High School, Principal Cain Lompoc Unified Lompoc High School, Principal Pico Los Angeles Unified School District Middle College High School, Principal Bazadier Fairfax Senior High, Principal Choi Boys Academic Leadership Academy, Principal Samuel San Pedro Senior High School, Principal Aubele Valley Academy of Arts & Sciences, Principal Hanock Visual and Performing Arts at Legacy High School Complex, Principal Carlos Nathaniel Narbonne Senior High, Principal Flores Woodrow Wilson Senior High School, Principal Verbera Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School, Principal Meza Linda Esperanza Marquez High, Huntington Park Institute of Applied Medicine, Principal Chaikittirattana Venice Senior High School, Principal Hairston-Truitt Elizabeth Learning Center, Principal Tetitla Harris Newmark Continuation, Principal Feng Marquez High School of Social Justice, Principal Guzman Santee Education Complex, Principal Ruiz Engineering & Technology Academy, Esteban Torres High School, Principal Aburto Ambassador School of Global Leadership, Principal Sohn Huntington Park Senior High School, Principal Garibaldi Diego Rivera Learning Complex Green Design STEAM Academy, Principal Chavez Mervyn M. Dymally High School , Principal Bradley Reseda Charter High School, Principal Damonte Thirty-Second Street USC Performing Arts, Principal Kehrley San Francisco Unified School District Jordan (June) School for Equity, Principal Chui Visalia Unified Golden West High School , Principal Lambert Mount Whitney High School, Principal Marroquin Colorado Colorado Springs School District 11 Palmer High School , Principal Burke Odyssey Early College Career Options, Principal Miller Connecticut Hartford School District Weaver High School, Principal Webley Manchester School District Manchester High School, Principal Miner Meriden School District Francis T. Maloney High School , Principal Straub District of Columbia District of Columbia Public Schools Anacostia High School, Principal Walker Coolidge High School (DC), Principal Bright Columbia Heights Education Campus, Principal Tukeva Ron Brown College Preparatory HS, Principal Hunt School Without Walls, Principal Isaac Friendship Public Charter Schools Friendship Collegiate Academy, Principal Jones Friendship Technology Preparatory Academy, Principal Booth Florida Miami-Dade County Public Schools Miami Jackson Senior High School Hialeah High School, Principal Rodriguez Miami Coral Park Senior High School, Principal Weiner Miami Springs Senior High, Principal Gonzalez Miami Senior High School, Principal Valdes North Miami Senior High School, Principal Volcy American Senior High School, Principal Papp North Miami Beach Senior High School, Principal Milliken Southwest Miami Senior High School, Principal Bulnes South Miami Senior High School, Principal Penton Homestead Senior High School, Principal Louis Miami Edison Senior High School, Principal Dominique Miami Central Senior High School, Principal Sands Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Principal Pouca Miami Killian Senior High School, Principal Burth William H. Turner Technical Arts Senior High School, Principal Frazier Miami Norland Senior High School, Principal Gaines-Miller Georgia Henry County Schools Luella High School , Principal Hardnett McDonough High School , Principal Blasingame Stockbridge High School , Principal Thornton Illinois Thornton Fractional District 215 Thornton Fractional North High School, Principal Rucinski Kansas Topeka Public Schools Highland Park High School (KS), Principal Watson Topeka High School, Principal Dick Louisiana Collegiate Academies Abramson Sci Academy, Principal McElligott Collegiate Baton Rouge , Principal Richard George Washington Carver High School , Principal Bryant Massachusetts Academy Of the Pacific Rim Charter Public (District) Academy Of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School, Principal Lugira Codman Academy Charter Public (District) Codman Academy Charter Public School, Principal White KIPP Massachusetts KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate High School, Principal Clarke Michigan International Academy of Flint International Academy of Flint, Principal Cormier Pontiac School District International Technology Academy, Principal Karaffa Mississippi Jackson Public School District Lanier High Schoo New Jersey College Achieve Central Charter School College Achieve Central Charter School, Principal Mateen College Achieve Paterson Charter School, Principal Moody Great Oaks Legacy Charter School Great Oaks Legacy Charter School, Principal Jerpbak Jersey City Public Schools Liberty High School , Principal Grazilla Infinity Institute, Principal Dobson KIPP New Jersey KIPP Cooper Norcross High School, Principal Lewis KIPP Newark Collegiate Academy, Principal Lewis KIPP Newark Lab High School, Principal Burroughs Newark Public Schools University High School (NJ), Principal Flournoy-Hamilton Newark School of Data Science & Information Technology, Principal Summey Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology (LEA) Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology, Principal Coskun South Hunterdon Regional School District South Hunterdon Regional High School, Principal MacKnight New Mexico Albuquerque Public Schools South Valley Academy, Principal Perea New York Achievement First Charter Achievement First East Brooklyn High School, Principal Ng Brentwood UFSD Brentwood High School , Principal Dulin Buffalo Public Schools Math, Science, & Technology Prep at Seneca High School, Principal Womack Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy Charter School Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy Charter School, Principal Deal Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy II Charter School, Principals Conwright and Ortiz-Wong New York City Department of Education 07X427 Community School for Social Justice, Principal Guzman A School Without Walls (NY), Principal Coleman A-Tech High School, Principal Harris Academy For Conservation And The Environment, Principal Mazzola Academy for Young Writers, Principal Brown All City Leadership Secondary School (32K554), Principal Rivera Antonia Pantoja Preparatory Academy, A College Board School, Principal Mercanti-Anthony Astor Collegiate Academy, Principal Burgos Bronx Bridges High School, Principal Castillo Bronx Health Sciences High School, Principal Sharoyan Bronx High School for Medical Science, Principal Lenihan Bronx High School for the Visual Arts, Principal Witherspoon Benjamin N. Cardozo High School, Principal Colby Boys And Girls High School, Principal Harrison Bronx Career and College Preparatory High School, Principal Winn Bronx High School of Business, Principal Bajana-Vega Bronx International High School, Principal Vega Bronx Leadership Academy High School, Principal Davis Brooklyn Collegiate: A College Board School, Principal Newman Brooklyn Lab School, Principal Henry Claremont International High School, Principal Cuello Community High School, Principal Ogbahon Coney Island Prep High School, Principal Frembes Boise Crotona International High School, Principal Ratra Cypress Hills Collegiate Preparatory School, Principal Stipanov Digital Arts and Cinema Technology High School, Principal Meconi Eagle Academy for Young Men , Principal Velazquez East Side Community School, Principal Federman Flushing International High School, Principal Hesseltine Fordham High School for the Arts, Principal Johnson Fordham Leadership Academy, Principal Cabrejos Francis Lewis High School , Principal Marmor Frank McCourt High School, Principal Salzberg Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School, Principal Carlos Gotham Professional Arts Academy, Principal Michelin Grover Cleveland (Q485), Principal Pascente Harvest Collegiate High School, Principal Burch Health Opportunities High School, Principal Pendharkar High School for Arts and Technology (Urban Assembly), Principal Garzaniti High School for Service & Learning, Principal Farkas Information Technology High School, Principal Woods-Powell International High School at Union Square, Principal Ramsuchit International Leadership Charter High School, Principal Edward International School for Liberal Arts, Principal Adon John Bowne High School, Principal Izzo Iannelli Long Island City High School, Principal Selenikas M.S. 223 The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology, Principal Lincoln Millennium Art Academy, Principal Guy Manhattan Village Academy, Principal White Martin van Buren High School, Principal Nettleford Mathematics, Science Research and Technology High School, Principal Thompson-Young Metropolitan Soundview High School, Principal Lopez Mott Haven Village Preparatory High School, Principal Dubei Origins High School, Principal Elmaliki Pan American International High School, Principal Velez Pan American International High School at Monroe, Principal Pollack Pathways College Preparatory School, Principal Haseley Pelham Preparatory Academy, Principal Ferron Performing Arts and Technology High School, Principal Encarnacion Renaissance High School for Musical Theater and the Arts, Principal Gumina Repertory Company High School for Theatre Arts, Principal Fram Richmond Hill High School, Principal Almarie Rockaway Collegiate High School, Principal Ali Schuylerville Preparatory High School, Principal Bell School for Classics High School, Principal Tancredi School of the Future, Principal Goldstein Science Skills Center High School, Principal McGregor South Bronx Preparatory: A College Board School 07X221, Principal Flanagan The Charter High School for Law and Social Justice, Principal Burke The Facing History School, Principal Panagot The High School for Innovation in Advertising and Media, Principal Michelena The Manhattan International High School, Principal Rodriguez The Urban Assembly Early College High School for Emergency Medicine, Principal Bility The Young Women's Leadership School of the Bronx , Principal Eisenberg University Heights Secondary School, Principal Joseph-Roseboro Vanguard High School, Principal Doyle Victory Collegiate High School, Principal Garwood Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School, Principal Pichardo Williamsburg High School for Arts and Technology, Principal Blair Wings Academy, Principal Jackson-Dickens SEO Scholars NYC (LEA) SEO Scholars NYC Sewanhaka Central High School Elmont Memorial High School, Principal Baker Sewanhaka High School, Principal Kenny North Carolina Duplin County Schools Duplin Early College High School, Principal Smith Ohio Middletown City District Middletown High School , Principal Cotter Pennsylvania Mastery Charter Schools Mastery Charter Schools-Pickett Campus, Principal Munnelly Mastery Charter High Schools-Lenfest Campus Mastery Charter Schools-Hardy Williams Philadelphia City School District Olney High School , Principal Roth Rhode Island Highlander Secondary Charter School Highlander Secondary Charter School, Principal Pabst South Carolina Charleston County School District Burke High School, Principal Swinton Tennessee Metro Nashville Public Schools Antioch High School, Principal Burnette Cane Ridge High School , Principal Alexander East Nashville Magnet High School, Principal Taylort Hunters Lane High , Principal Kessler John Overton High, Principal Franklin Maplewood High, Principal Brooks Nashville Big Picture High School, Principal Diaz Stratford STEM Magnet School, Principal Pratt Texas El Paso Independent School District Chapin High School , Principal Chappell El Paso High School , Principal Rocha Irvin High School , Principal Stives KIPP Texas KIPP East End High School, Principal Carias These Honor Society scholars represent the next generation of college-ready students, proving that with access to high-quality coursework, students from all backgrounds can thrive. About the National Education Equity Lab The National Education Equity Lab partners with top colleges and universities to expand access to credit-bearing college courses in high school classrooms across the countryat no cost to students. Through this initiative, students from Title I and Title I-eligible high schools engage in rigorous coursework taught by leading university professors, gaining the skills and confidence needed for college success. To date, the Ed Equity Lab has served more than 40,000 students nationwide and is on track to serve one million scholars over the next decade. For more information, visit https://edequitylab.org/ . SOURCE The National Education Equity Lab Driven by a decade of success, Pasqua Wines embraces the future, strengthening its commitment to quality, innovation, and its iconic wine projects. In partnership with Rizzoli, it presents "Ode to the Future", a book honoring its centenary, featuring contributions from renowned artists. VERONA, Italy, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For Pasqua Wines, the future is where the brand truly excels. The Verona-based winery, renowned for its iconic and award-winning wines, has been sharing its creativity and craftsmanship with the world for over a century. Today, the winery celebrated 100 years at a press conference at PAC, one of Milan's premier contemporary art venues, showcasing the company's vision for the next milestone. With strategic investments to secure continued growth, Pasqua Wines is committed to creating new, exciting perspectives in the wine world, fostering meaningful conversations that will strengthen its brand identity and positioning for years to come. From left: Alessandro, Umberto and Riccardo Pasqua The driving force behind Pasqua's success lies in its Icons - the brand's highly invested signature wines, which have delivered a strong performance despite market fluctuations. The winery has boldly reimagined Verona's traditional winemaking practices, infusing them with a fresh and bold perspective. Both impressive economic results and critical acclaim have validated the strength of this vision and strategy. U.S. Market Drives Strong Business Performance in 2024 Pasqua Wines wrapped up 2024 with 63.5 million in consolidated revenue, reflecting a 6% growth compared to 2023. The company also increased its export share, now at 90.2%, up from 87.6% last year, expanding its reach to 71 markets globally. The company's robust success at the close of the year is fueled by remarkable performance in the U.S. market, where its presence continues to grow, standing in contrast to the overall downturn in the industry and surpassing the average growth of Italian wine. The company's standout performance in the U.S. market reflects nearly 40% growth, driven by new commercial partnerships. This is particularly impressive given the broader decline in alcoholic beverage consumption in the U.S. (with wine down 7.2% in volume and 6.3% in value)1, driven by shifts toward moderation and the growing popularity of non-alcoholic drinks. Compared to the overall performance of Italian wine in the U.S. (+5.4% in value compared to 20232), Pasqua's exceptional growth significantly outperforms the industry average in the market. Still red and white wines (representing the primary market penetration drivers for Pasqua) are the top choice among more mature frequent users. While in Italy, purchasing decisions are often influenced by terroir and denomination, in the U.S., it's the company's identity and the grape variety that play a pivotal role in driving sales. The profile of U.S. consumers shows Millennials (making up 40% of the market) are more drawn to premium wines, often consuming them in social settings, while Baby Boomers and Gen X prefer to enjoy wine at home3. Pasqua has strategically customized its approach in the U.S. market, carefully selecting, state by state, the labels that best align with local preferences. "Celebrating our centennial with such impressive results in North America fills us with immense pride," says Alessandro Pasqua, President of Pasqua Wines U.S. "We are dedicated to carving out a unique and distinctive position on the global wine stage. Our success lies in our ability to offer fresh perspectives that honor our roots while staying ahead of evolving consumer trends. Additionally, having a local team has been essential in gaining firsthand insights into market needs, serving as a cornerstone of our strategy." The company's transformation began in 2014 when a new leadership team and the third generation of the Pasqua family took the helm. Significant investments in both vineyards and business operations have fueled a decade of revenue growth, largely driven by the success of innovative winemaking projects that have given Pasqua Wines a fresh voice in the market. Pasqua's renewed momentum is centered around leveraging its acquired expertise and elevating its portfolio, highlighted by the launch of Icons lines, which now embody the company's innovative spirit. Through strategic, market-focused initiatives, deep terroir connection, and sustained R&D investment, Pasqua has doubled its revenue over the past decade. "Ode to the Future": Pasqua Wines Explores the Creative Fusion of Wine and Art The company continues to strengthen its ties with contemporary art, a connection that has sparked countless conversations around the brand over the past eight years. Collaborating with over thirty artists across various fields, this partnership has helped shape a unique identity, a powerful voice, and a strong presence in the market. Art and wine share a common thread: creativity. The company's relationship with art mirrors its approach to winemaking - both begin with a fresh idea or perspective, evolve through experimentation and discovery, and ultimately lead to something extraordinary, whether it's a work of art or a new wine project. On the occasion of its centenary celebrations, the dialogue between Pasqua Wines and art is structured in a complex project of both editorial and artistic collaborations that, from Verona, will involve numerous markets, starting with the United Kingdom where a partnership agreement has been renewed for the realization of an art installation with Saatchi Gallery, one of the most prestigious names in contemporary art. Since 1985, Saatchi Gallery has showcased innovative contemporary art, featuring emerging and underrepresented artists, cementing its reputation as a leading name in the art world. At the heart of Pasqua's centenary celebrations is the release of Ode to the Future, a new book published by Rizzoli, marking yet another collaboration between the renowned winery and the prestigious publishing house. Available for pre-order on Amazon and Rizzoli's online store, the book explores the dynamic dialogue between wine and contemporary artistic expression, capturing Pasqua's vision and evolution through five of its most iconic wines: Famiglia Pasqua, Mai Dire Mai, 11 Minutes, Hey French, and Terre di Cariano Cecilia Beretta. More than a retrospective, Ode to the Future offers a forward-looking perspective, delving into the intersection of creativity, art, and wine. Structured in five distinct chapters, each with its own narrative and visual approach, the book is curated by acclaimed writer, screenwriter, and director Filippo Bologna. It comes to life through the work of internationally celebrated artists, including Michael Mapes (USA), Sofia Crespo (Portugal), and Italian talents Gaia Alari, Enzo, and Giuseppe Ragazzini. In addition to the book, Pasqua's centenary will be marked by an immersive art installation at Vinitaly, accessible to all visitors. Set in the breathtaking Giardino Giusti, this immersive exhibition takes visitors on a journey through Pasqua's history, present, and future. The five wines, which have become symbols of the winery, will guide the audience through Pasqua's legacy, while offering a glimpse of what lies ahead. The artistic exhibition, created by the Foll.ia collective takes visitors on an immersive journey through the entire southern wing of the Palazzo. Two rooms will showcase an exhibition dedicated to the five wines featured in Ode to the Future, while the third room offers a truly immersive experience through a cutting-edge digital installation in a custom-built Infinity Room. Inspired by the kaleidoscope effect, the room's interior will be lined with mirrors onto which the works of various artists will be projected, creating a fully immersive experience as the images are multiplied across the surfaces. Those investments bring the total amount dedicated to supporting the arts since 2018 to nearly 6 million euros. Riccardo Pasqua, CEO of Pasqua Wines, states: "Making wine is a beautiful challenge we embrace every day, since 1925. Capturing the essence of a land or a vineyard and transforming it into a work of art, like wine, is an incredible opportunity we are privileged to experience daily, and it is our responsibility to embrace it. We've always believed that wine and art share a deep connection, as their creative processes are so similar. This is why Pasqua continues to bring its wines into dialogue with artists exploring new forms of expression through the 'Ode to the Future' project: to inspire new chapters in the history of our winery and share the unique story of each of our wines with the world, in a way that resonates with everyone." Press Assets Download below all assets, including images, press kit, and detailed bios HERE About Pasqua Wines PASQUA VIGNETI E CANTINE is a Veneto wine company, owned by the Pasqua family. Founded in 1925, the winery is recognized worldwide as a producer and ambassador of prestigious Veneto wines. The company's ambition is to bring into the future, with renewed stylistic codes, all the winemaking experience consolidated over 100 years of history. Today, working alongside President Umberto are his sons Riccardo, Chief Executive Officer, and Alessandro, President of Pasqua USA. With the presentation of the Pasqua House of the Unconventional manifesto, today the company aims to be a research laboratory, a space for dialogue, where quality and creativity are the protagonists. 1WSWA's SipSource Releases 2024 Year-End Report, February 24, 2025 2 Wine Consumption and Imports: Current Trends in International Markets and the Performance of Italian Wine - Denis Pantini, Head of Wine Monitor Nomisma, XI Forum Wine Monitor Nomisma, February 14, 2025 3 Changes in Wine Consumption and Consumers: A Comparison between Italy and the United States - Ilaria Cisbani, Market Analyst Wine Monitor Nomisma, XI Forum Wine Monitor Nomisma, February 14, 2025 SOURCE Pasqua Wines The transaction marks the 18th dermatology group advised by PGP since 2018 across 11 states, supporting its position as the leading advisor and advocate for independent dermatologists as they explore private equity and strategic partnerships CHICAGO, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Physician Growth Partners ("PGP"), a leading healthcare investment banking and M&A Advisory firm, is pleased to announce it recently advised Charlotte Dermatology , a leading comprehensive dermatology practice, on its partnership with DOCS Dermatology Group (backed by SkyKnight Capital). Charlotte Dermatology has joined forces with DOCS Dermatology Group in a partnership facilitated by Physician Growth Partners Founded in 1939, Charlotte Dermatology is one of the longest-standing and most trusted dermatology practices in the Greater Charlotte area. Over the years, it has grown into a leading dermatology provider with eight locations across the greater Charlotte market and Myrtle Beach, SC. Through its partnership with DOCS Dermatology Group, Charlotte Dermatology aims to strengthen its operational infrastructure, expand its service offerings, broaden its geographic reach, and further solidify its market leadership. Dr. Gary Slaughter, Jr., Dermatologist and Partner of Charlotte Dermatology, commented on the successful outcome: "We interviewed many investment bankers and advisors, but PGP stood out for their dedication to the goals we set. My past experiences with bankers often felt purely transactional and impersonal but PGP was different. They provided thoughtful, personalized service every step of the way. The only bittersweet moment was when they exceeded all our expectations, and it was time to move on to the next chapter of our success." Physician Growth Partners served as the exclusive advisor to Charlotte Dermatology in its evaluation, negotiation, and execution of this partnership. "I'm extremely pleased with the outcome for Charlotte Dermatology," stated Michael Kroin, CEO & Managing Partner at PGP. "Their strong, longstanding reputation in the Greater Charlotte area attracted interest from several potential strategic partners. After weighing all the options, it was clear that partnering with DOCS Dermatology Group offered the best opportunity to accelerate their growth while allowing the physicians to keep delivering the outstanding care their patients are accustomed to. Our team at PGP is grateful to have played a key role in helping the broader group navigate the practice sale exploration process and we look forward to seeing this strategic collaboration drive the practice forward." About Physician Growth Partners Physician Growth Partners is a nationally recognized healthcare investment banking and M&A Advisory firm dedicated to helping independent physician groups and owners of healthcare services businesses explore and execute transactions with private equity and strategic partners. PGP is the most active M&A Advisor to independent physician groups1 by deal volume since its founding in 2017, advising 70+ practices in successful transactions. The firm creates value by providing proprietary market insights, operational support, strategic positioning, and sell-side M&A Advisory services from start to finish. 1 LevinPro HC data platform www.levinassociates.com For more information about Physician Growth Partners, please visit www.physiciangrowthpartners.com or contact us at [email protected] 432 N. Clark Street, Ste. 200, Chicago, IL 60654 SOURCE Physician Growth Partners CASTRES, France, CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts and BASEL, Switzerland, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pierre Fabre Laboratories and RedRidge Bio ("RedRidge") today announced an exclusive R&D collaboration and license agreement to identify and develop biparatopic antibody (BPA) drug candidates against multiple targets. In line with Pierre Fabre Laboratories' innovation strategy, the partnership's therapeutic focus will be on precision oncology as well as dermatology and rare diseases. View PDF Pierre Fabre Laboratories and RedRidge Bio Announce a Drug Discovery and Co-development Partnership Under the terms of the agreement, RedRidge will provide its capabilities to engineer, screen and characterize BPAs against an undisclosed portfolio of jointly nominated targets, while Pierre Fabre Laboratories will provide their drug development expertise to help drive two co-development programs through clinical development. RedRidge will hold exclusive commercial rights in the United States, Canada, and Japan for both programs, while Pierre Fabre Laboratories will hold exclusive rest-of-world rights. In addition, Pierre Fabre Laboratories will hold exclusive worldwide rights for a third program after a hand-off by RedRidge at a preclinical stage. Financial terms of the agreement are not disclosed but include investment participation by Pierre Fabre Laboratories in RedRidge's Series A financing that will be announced separately, as well as upfront, milestone and future sales royalty payments in addition to funded research payments for Pierre Fabre Laboratories' worldwide program. RedRidge and Pierre Fabre Laboratories will share R&D costs for the co-development programs. "This strategic alliance attests to the RedRidge team's expertise in innovation and drug discovery for a wide variety of therapeutic targets. We are thrilled to join forces with Pierre Fabre Laboratories as a highly experienced development partner and look forward to building a long-term partnership that synergistically leverages the capabilities of each company," said Alex Mayweg, PhD, chairperson of RedRidge's board and a managing director at Versant Ventures. "Pierre Fabre Laboratories are excited to enter into this agreement with RedRidge, which confirms our commitment to collaborate with innovative biotechnology companies. This partnership will allow us to capitalize on RedRidge's cutting-edge expertise in biparatopic antibody drug discovery to deliver high quality clinical candidates on multiple targets addressing oncology, dermatology and rare diseases. It represents a significant milestone in the implementation of our strategy to enrich further our R&D pipeline," stated Francesco Hofmann, PhD, Head of Research and Development for Medical Care at Pierre Fabre Laboratories." Contact: [email protected] PDF - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639721/Pierre%C2%A0Fabre_EN.pdf Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2639725/Pierre%C2%A0Fabre_RedRidge_Logo.jpg SOURCE Pierre Fabre Laboratories BERKELEY, Calif., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "Imagine filling up your car's gas tank, but instead of the fuel staying put, it leaks out before you even start the engine. And by the time you get to your destination, 40% of it is gone. You'd be furious, right? Well, that's what farmers are going through every year. They're paying for fuel nitrogen that's literally evaporating or washing away with the rain." That's how Dr. Karsten Temme, co-founder and chief innovation officer of Pivot Bio, began the inspiring talk he delivered at the Planet Action Summit hosted by TEDxBoston last fall. In his presentation, available here, Dr. Temme outlined how biology can be harnessed to sustainably feed a growing population. The future of agriculture isn't about choosing between productivity and sustainability. It's about reawakening the incredible potential that's been lying dormant in our soils for decades to deliver both. Karsten Temme, co-founder and chief innovation officer of Pivot Bio, one of the worlds leading agtech companies, delivers a powerful talk at TEDx Boston. Pivot Bio, one of the world's leading innovative agtech companies, partners with farmers to enhance crop nutrition with nitrogen-fixing microbes that provide greater productivity, profitability, and sustainability. Since commercialization five years ago, the company's products have been used on over 13 million acres in the United States. "Like the transformation brought on by the first Green Revolution, this step-change in our understanding of biology, will bring a future where farmers get both better-performing and more-sustainable inputs and get them at a price point that will continue to fall," said Dr. Temme. "The future of agriculture isn't about choosing between productivity and sustainability. It's about finding solutions that deliver both." Pivot Bio continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in crop nutrition. "Chemistry spawned the last agricultural revolution, and biology is starting the next one. And now, it can be delivered to you by FedEx," concluded Dr. Temme. The full TED Talk is available here. About Pivot Bio Pivot Bio, one of the world's leading agtech companies, delivers patented crop nutrition technologies that harness the power of nature to help farmers reliably and productively grow the food the world needs in the face of increasing volatility. Currently available in North America and soon in Brazil, the company's products are a breakthrough innovation and one of the agriculture industry's most promising solutions. Pivot Bio has been recognized three times by Time magazine on its annual list of best inventions, by Fast Company on its World Changing Ideas and World's 50 Most Innovative Companies lists, by CNBC on its Disruptor 50 list of private companies, by Fortune on its Impact 20 list and by MIT Tech Review as one of 15 climate tech companies to watch. For more information, visit PivotBio.com. SOURCE Pivot Bio, Inc The Peace Research Institute in Oslo (PRIO) is implementing a research project "Recording Explosive Munitions for the Analysis of War Crimes" (REMWAR), aimed at determining under what conditions Russian troops carry out illegal attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine, the institute said on its website. "The project will use its technological capabilities to provide unprecedented insights into an ongoing war, aiming to solve three problems: understanding when and where intentional attacks on civilians are most likely, to help prevent atrocities; identifying biases in both traditional conflict data and NORSAR's event detections, to build a more comprehensive picture of the war in Ukraine; advancing the technology for use in monitoring future ceasefire agreements, mapping unexploded munitions, and detecting strikes on protected or civilian infrastructure," the report reads. The project, presented at a workshop at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo on Monday, has already received NOK 12 million (about $1 million) over three years from the Research Council of Norway. The investigation will continue through 2025, with the first data expected to be published early next year. NORSAR is a developer of advanced tools for measuring explosions associated with combat operations. "NORSAR has long-term experience in the global monitoring of nuclear tests. Now, we can use our technology for yet another important cause, researching war crimes in the biggest armed conflict in Europe since World War II," CEO of NORSAR Anne Strmmen Lycke said. PRIO investigates how conflicts arise and how they can be resolved, how different types of violence affect people, how societies overcome crises and documents general trends. Researchers aim to understand processes and develop specific responses. ATLANTA, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Students, families and staff at more than 500 Primrose schools collectively donated over 95,000 new and gently used books to promote childhood literacy and make a difference in local communities across the country. Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/primrose_school/9320854-en-primrose-schools-students-donate-books-promote-childhood-literacy A student from Primrose School of Alliance (Fort Worth, TX) sorts through book donations for the schools annual Ogs Bountiful Book Drive. Concluding on Read Across America Day each year to recognize the importance of reading and promote literacy in young children, schools host Og's Bountiful Book Drive during the month of February. The charitable giving effort is part of the Primrose Promise Corporate Social Responsibility program, which is driven by the brand's mission to forge a path that leads to a brighter future for all children. "Reading lays the foundation for a lifetime of key skills and lessons," said Amy Jackson, chief early learning strategy officer at Primrose Schools. "Through service projects like Og's Bountiful Book Drive, Primrose teachers nurture a love of reading while learning the importance of sharing and caring for others." As part of the exclusive Balanced Learning approach, Primrose balances academics and character development in the classroom by fostering positive character traits in young learners through real-life experiences like Og's Bountiful Book Drive. Children aged three-years-old and up actively participate by: Sorting and organizing books to be donated to local libraries, charities and organizations benefiting underserved children. Partnering with their parents to choose gently used books from home and purchase new books to donate. Storytime and presentations with special guests from benefiting organizations to learn more about how their efforts will directly impact their communities. Field trips to drop off book donations. Og the bookworm is one of 12 Primrose Friends embedded in the Balanced Learning curriculum. Each Friend models a valuable character trait, and Og's trait is caring. Click here to learn more about how Primrose students learn the importance of giving without expectation and cultivate a love of reading, writing and learning year-round. About Primrose Schools Primrose Schools is the leader in providing premier early education and care to children and families in the United States. Founded in 1982, there are more than 500 Primrose schools in 34 states and Washington, D.C. Each school is independently owned and operated by Franchise Owners who partner with parents to help children build the right foundation for future learning and life. Primrose believes who children become is as important as what they know. The exclusive Primrose Balanced Learning approach is created from the best early education wisdom and balances purposeful play with nurturing guidance from teachers to encourage curiosity, creativity, confidence and compassion. For more information, visit www.PrimroseSchools.com, connect with us on Facebook and X, explore our stories and resources, sign up for our emails and find a Primrose school near you. SOURCE Primrose Schools The Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership facilitates its 7th annual summit focused on fostering inclusion in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. NEWARK, N.J., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership (IFEL) is excited to announce that registration is open for the Conscious Collisions Summit 2025, a groundbreaking virtual event taking place March 25-27, 2025. Evolved from the WOCCON Summit, this seventh annual convening promises to bring together a powerhouse assembly of thought leaders, from investors and policymakers to founders and advocates, to address the barriers in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and drive systemic change. Conscious Collisions Summit 2025: Beyond the 2% Under this year's bold theme, "Beyond the 2%", the summit amplifies the focus of IFELs mission to create a more inclusive entrepreneurial capital ecosystem. Jill Johnson, CEO and Cofounder of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership says, "The '2%' theme for this year's summit represents some troubling realities. Less than 2% of venture capital funding goes to Black and Brown founders. Less than 2% of angel investors identify as Black and only about 2% of all companies receive VC funding. The Conscious Collisions Summit is focusing on the 98% of talent, potential, and opportunity being left out of the current system." Key highlights of the Conscious Collisions Summit include: Panels that Inspire Action: The Rocky Road to Success Insights from the 98% Being an Ally: Listen, Learn & Make a Difference Show Her the Money (movie screening and discussion) Investor Inclusion: Why Who's Writing the Checks Matters Government for the People Engaging Experiences: A crowdfunding showcase , vibrant virtual mixers , and intimate discussions to foster meaningful connections. Keynote Speaker: Renowned entrepreneur Maxine Clark , Founder and Former Chief Executive of Build-A-Bear Workshop, will provide innovator insights at the event. "Together, we'll use this summit to highlight bold ideas, drive inclusive solutions, and shift focus to the innovators, investors, and allies who are reshaping the narrative," says Johnson. "By focusing on the 98%, we can create more pathways to the American Dream for more people. When more people thrive, we all win." Learn more, see the full agenda, and speakers for Conscious Collisions Summit 2025: creatingconsciouscollisions.org. About The Institute For Entrepreneurial Leadership IFEL is a nonprofit organization that leverages the power of relationship capital to create a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. Founded in 2002, IFEL's mission is to eradicate the systemic barriers that prevent historically excluded populations from being able to access the knowledge, networks, and capital required for entrepreneurial success and wealth creation. Annually, IFEL supports a community of more than 10,000 businesses, 600 investors, and 2,000 expert business volunteers. To learn more, visit weareifel.org. Media Contact: Jeremee Johnson 973-353-0611 ext. 129 SOURCE Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership Inc. As biomarker testing and the demand for tumor-agnostic therapies rise, ROZLYTREK can potentially target a specialized yet valuable market segment. While competition from other TRK inhibitors, such as larotrectinib (VITRAKVI), may influence growth, its ability to penetrate the CNS provides a distinct advantage. LAS VEGAS, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's "ROZLYTREK Market Size, Forecast, and Market Insight Report" highlights the details around ROZLYTREK, an inhibitor of the tropomyosin receptor tyrosine kinases (TRK) TRKA, TRKB, and TRKC (encoded by the neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase [NTRK] genes NTRK1, NTRK2, and NTRK3, respectively), proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase ROS1, and ALK with IC50 values of 0.1 to 2 nM. The report provides product descriptions, patent details, and competitor products (marketed and emerging therapies) of ROZLYTREK. The report also highlights the historical and forecasted sales from 2020 to 2034 segmented into 7MM [the United States, the EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain), the United Kingdom, and Japan]. Roche's ROZLYTREK (entrectinib) Overview ROZLYTREK is a tumor-agnostic therapy that introduces a novel approach to cancer treatment. Its active ingredient, entrectinib, inhibits tropomyosin receptor tyrosine kinases (TRKA, TRKB, and TRKC), which are encoded by the NTRK1, NTRK2, and NTRK3 genes. It also targets ROS1 and ALK, with IC50 values ranging from 0.1 to 2 nM, while showing weaker inhibition of JAK2 and TNK2 (IC50 > 5 nM). The primary active metabolite, M5, exhibits similar inhibitory activity against TRK, ROS1, and ALK. Fusion proteins involving TRK, ROS1, or ALK kinase domains can promote tumor growth by excessively activating downstream signaling pathways, leading to uncontrolled cell proliferation. Entrectinib has demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo efficacy in inhibiting cancer cell lines across multiple tumor types carrying NTRK, ROS1, or ALK fusions. Additionally, it achieves steady-state brain-to-plasma concentration ratios between 0.4 and 2.2 in animal studies (mice, rats, and dogs) and has shown anti-tumor effects in mice with intracranial tumors driven by TRKA and ALK. ROZLYTREK is an orally administered, once-daily treatment approved for NTRK fusion-positive solid tumors and ROS1-positive NSCLC in several countries, including Australia, Canada, the EU, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, and the US, with additional regulatory reviews ongoing worldwide. The recommended ROZLYTREK dosage for ROS1-positive NSCLC is 600 mg once daily, with or without food, until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. For NTRK fusion-positive solid tumors, the ROZLYTREK dosage guidelines are as follows: Adults and pediatric patients with a body surface area (BSA) of 1.51 m: 600 mg once daily Pediatric patients older than 6 months: 300 mg/m to a maximum of 600 mg Pediatric patients between 1 month and 6 months: 250 mg/m once daily Drug Name ROZLYTREK (entrectinib) Molecule type Small molecule Developer Roche (Genentech) Primary Indication Metastatic ROS1-positive NSCLC and solid tumors that have an NTRK gene fusion (including NSCLC) First Approval Year US: 2019 EU: 2020 JP: 2019 Mechanism of action NTRK, ROS1, and ALK inhibitor Route of administration Oral Learn more about ROZLYTREK projected market size for ROS1 NSCLC @ ROZLYTREK Market Potential Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (ROS1) is an essential transmembrane receptor protein that regulates key cellular functions such as apoptosis, survival, differentiation, proliferation, migration, and transformation. It plays a pivotal role in various cancers, including glioblastoma, colorectal cancer, gastric adenocarcinoma, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, ovarian cancer, angiosarcoma, and NSCLC. A ROS1 inhibitor is a drug designed to block the activity of abnormal ROS1 fusion proteins present in certain cancer cells. By inhibiting this protein, these inhibitors help restrict cancer cell growth and metastasis. As a type of targeted therapy, ROS1 inhibitors also act on multiple kinases, including Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) and Mesenchymal Epithelial Transition (MET), alongside ROS1. These inhibitors specifically target the kinase domain of ROS1, with conventional kinases classified into DFG-in (active, type I) and DFG-out (inactive, type II) based on their domain structure. For patients with stage IV ROS1-positive NSCLC, treatment with a ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) is recommended. ROS1 inhibitors have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in treating NSCLC, encompassing both approved therapies and emerging treatments under development. They have significantly advanced NSCLC management, establishing themselves as a crucial therapeutic approach. The current market for ROS1-positive NSCLC is largely dominated by TKIs such as XALKORI. According to DelveInsight's analysis, the market size for ROS1 inhibitors in NSCLC across the 7MM was valued at approximately USD 290 million in 2023, with the United States contributing the largest share. The market for ROS1 inhibitors is projected to experience substantial growth in the coming years. This expansion is driven by rising biomarker testing rates, a growing number of cancer diagnoses, increased awareness of ROS1 mutations, and the introduction of next-generation ROS1 TKIs. These advanced therapies offer improved CNS penetration and a broader range of coverage against ROS1 resistance mutations compared to first-generation TKIs. Discover more about the ROS1 inhibitors market in detail @ ROS1 Inhibitors Market Report Emerging Competitors of ROZLYTREK The promising ROS1 inhibitors in the pipeline that will give tough competition to Roche's ROZLYTREK include DOVBLERON (taletrectinib/AB-106/IBI-344) (Nuvation Bio/Innovent Biologics/Daiichi Sankyo/Nippon Kayaku), Zidesamtinib (NVL-520) (Nuvalent), ANS03 (Avistone Biotechnology), Zanidatamab (Jazz Pharmaceuticals), PT-112 (Promontory Therapeutics), and others. In December 2024, Nuvation Bio announced that the US FDA had granted the application Priority Review and assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date of June 2025. The company is preparing for a launch as early as mid-2025. To know more about the number of competing drugs in development, visit @ ROZLYTREK Market Positioning Compared to Other Drugs Key Milestones of ROZLYTREK In October 2023 , the US FDA granted accelerated approval to ROZLYTREK in new oral pellet form for pediatric patients older than 1 month with solid tumors that have an NTRK gene fusion without a known acquired resistance mutation, are metastatic or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and have progressed following treatment or have no satisfactory standard therapy. the US FDA granted accelerated approval to ROZLYTREK in new oral pellet form for pediatric patients older than 1 month with solid tumors that have an NTRK gene fusion without a known acquired resistance mutation, are metastatic or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and have progressed following treatment or have no satisfactory standard therapy. In August 2020 , the EC granted conditional marketing authorization for ROZLYTREK for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with solid tumors expressing an NTRK gene fusion, who have a disease that is locally advanced, metastatic, or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and who have not received a prior NTRK inhibitor, who have no satisfactory treatment options. The EC also approved ROZLYTREK for the treatment of adults with ROS1-positive, advanced NSCLC not previously treated with ROS1 inhibitors. the EC granted conditional marketing authorization for ROZLYTREK for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with solid tumors expressing an NTRK gene fusion, who have a disease that is locally advanced, metastatic, or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and who have not received a prior NTRK inhibitor, who have no satisfactory treatment options. The EC also approved ROZLYTREK for the treatment of adults with ROS1-positive, advanced NSCLC not previously treated with ROS1 inhibitors. In February 2020 , Chugai obtained approval for an additional indication of ROZLYTREK for the treatment of ROS1 fusion-positive, unresectable, advanced, or metastatic NSCLC from the MHLW. obtained approval for an additional indication of ROZLYTREK for the treatment of ROS1 fusion-positive, unresectable, advanced, or metastatic NSCLC from the MHLW. In September 2019 , Chugai Pharmaceutical announced the launch of ROZLYTREK 100 mg and 200 mg capsules, for the treatment of NTRK fusion-positive advanced or recurrent solid tumors. announced the launch of ROZLYTREK 100 mg and 200 mg capsules, for the treatment of NTRK fusion-positive advanced or recurrent solid tumors. In August 2019 , the US FDA approved ROZLYTREK to treat adults with ROS1-positive, metastatic NSCLC. The FDA has also granted accelerated approval to ROZLYTREK for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with solid tumors that have an NTRK gene fusion without a known acquired resistance mutation, are metastatic or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and have progressed following treatment or have no satisfactory alternative therapy. the US FDA approved ROZLYTREK to treat adults with ROS1-positive, metastatic NSCLC. The FDA has also granted accelerated approval to ROZLYTREK for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with solid tumors that have an NTRK gene fusion without a known acquired resistance mutation, are metastatic or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and have progressed following treatment or have no satisfactory alternative therapy. In June 2019 , the MHLW approved ROZLYTREK for treating adult and pediatric patients with NTRK fusion-positive, advanced recurrent solid tumors. the MHLW approved ROZLYTREK for treating adult and pediatric patients with NTRK fusion-positive, advanced recurrent solid tumors. In February 2019 , the US FDA issued a priority review designation letter to ROZLYTREK adult patients with metastatic NSCLC whose tumors are ROS1positive. the US FDA issued a priority review designation letter to ROZLYTREK adult patients with metastatic NSCLC whose tumors are ROS1positive. In December 2018 , ROZLYTREK received ODD in Japan with the intended indication of NTRK fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors. ROZLYTREK received ODD in with the intended indication of NTRK fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors. In September 2018 , ROZLYTREK received SAKIGAKE designation for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with NTRK gene fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors who have progressed following prior therapies or have no acceptable standard therapies. ROZLYTREK received SAKIGAKE designation for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with NTRK gene fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors who have progressed following prior therapies or have no acceptable standard therapies. In July 2018 , Chugai entered into a license agreement with Roche for entrectinib. Under the terms of the agreement, Chugai obtains exclusive rights for the development and marketing of entrectinib in Japan and will make upfront and milestone payments to Roche. entered into a license agreement with Roche for entrectinib. Under the terms of the agreement, Chugai obtains exclusive rights for the development and marketing of entrectinib in and will make upfront and milestone payments to Roche. In December 2017 , Roche and Ignyta entered a definitive merger agreement for Roche to fully acquire Ignyta for USD 27.00 per share in an all-cash transaction. entered a definitive merger agreement for Roche to fully acquire Ignyta for per share in an all-cash transaction. In October 2017 , ROZLYTREK was awarded PRIME status for treating NTRK fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors in adult and pediatric patients who have either progressed following prior therapies or have no acceptable standard therapy by EMA. ROZLYTREK was awarded PRIME status for treating NTRK fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors in adult and pediatric patients who have either progressed following prior therapies or have no acceptable standard therapy by EMA. In May 2017 , ROZLYTREK was granted BTD for the treatment of NTRK fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors in adult and pediatric patients who have either progressed following prior therapies or who have no acceptable standard therapies by the US FDA. ROZLYTREK was granted BTD for the treatment of NTRK fusion-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic solid tumors in adult and pediatric patients who have either progressed following prior therapies or who have no acceptable standard therapies by the US FDA. In February 2015 , the US FDA granted ODD to ROZLYTREK for treating TrkA-positive, TrkB-positive, TrkC-positive, ROS1-positive or ALK-positive NSCLC. Discover how ROZLYTREK is shaping the ROS1 NSCLC treatment landscape @ Roche ROZLYTREK ROZLYTREK Market Dynamics ROZLYTREK competitive positioning in the market is driven by its tumor-agnostic approval, allowing it to cater to multiple rare cancers with a single therapy. The drug has gained regulatory approval in major markets, including the US, Europe, and Japan, benefiting from an increasing emphasis on biomarker-driven oncology treatments. Its key competitor, Bayer's VITRAKVI (larotrectinib), has a similar mechanism of action but differs in pharmacokinetics and tolerability, creating a nuanced competitive landscape. Market adoption of ROZLYTREK is influenced by the growing use of comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) in oncology, which facilitates the identification of eligible patients with NTRK or ROS1 fusions. However, its commercial success is partially constrained by the rarity of these genetic alterations, which limits the addressable patient population. Additionally, the high cost of precision oncology therapies and reimbursement challenges in certain healthcare systems can impact uptake. Nonetheless, increasing awareness and advancements in diagnostic infrastructure are expected to support market growth. From a strategic perspective, Roche has leveraged partnerships and real-world evidence to expand the drug's adoption. The company is actively working on label expansions and combination strategies to maximize ROZLYTREK's commercial potential. Additionally, the growing use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels in routine cancer diagnostics may boost the identification rate of eligible patients, driving future market penetration. The competitive landscape could see further evolution with the potential entry of new TRK/ROS1 inhibitors, particularly next-generation agents designed to address resistance mutations. However, ROZLYTREK's strong clinical efficacy, broad tissue-agnostic approval, and Roche's global oncology expertise position it well in the precision medicine segment. As personalized oncology continues to gain traction, the drug's long-term success will depend on physician awareness, diagnostic advancements, and favorable pricing and reimbursement strategies. Dive deeper to get more insight into ROZLYTREK's strengths & weaknesses relative to competitors @ ROZLYTREK Market Drug Report Table of Contents 1 Report Introduction 2 ROZLYTREK: Roche (Genentech) 2.1 Product Overview 2.2 Other Development Activities 2.3 Clinical Development 2.4 Clinical Trials Information 2.5 Safety and Efficacy 2.6 Product Profile 2.7 Market Assessment 2.7.1 The 7MM Analysis 2.7.1.1 Cost Assumptions and Rebate 2.7.1.2 Pricing Trends 2.7.1.3 Analogue Assessment 2.7.1.4 Launch Year and Therapy Uptake 2.7.2 The United States Market Analysis 2.7.3 EU4 and the United Kingdom Market Analysis 2.7.3.1 Germany 2.7.3.2 France 2.7.3.3 Italy 2.7.3.4 Spain 2.7.3.5 UK 2.7.4 Japan Market Analysis 2.8 Market Drivers 2.9 Market Barriers 2.10 SWOT Analysis 3 Key Cross of Marketed Competitors of ROZLYTREK 4 Key Cross of Emerging Competitors of ROZLYTREK Related Reports ROS1 Inhibitors Market ROS-1 Inhibitors Market Size, Target Population, Competitive Landscape & Market Forecast 2034 report deliver an in-depth understanding of the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key ROS1 inhibitors companies, including AnHeart Therapeutics, Nuvalent, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Pfizer, among others. Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Market Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Market Insights, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast 2034 report deliver an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted epidemiology, as well as the market trends, market drivers, market barriers, and key NSCLC companies including Daiichi Sankyo, AstraZeneca, Gilead Sciences, BieGene, AbbVie, Roche, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, BerGenBio, GlaxoSmithKline, Duality biologics, among others. Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Pipeline Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Pipeline Insight 2025 report provides comprehensive insights about the pipeline landscape, pipeline drug profiles, including clinical and non-clinical stage products, and the key non-small cell lung cancer companies, including BridgeBio Pharma, Daiichi Sankyo, EMD Serono, Merck, BridgeBio Pharma, Abbvie, Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Company BioNTech SE, Shenzhen TargetRx, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Chong Kun Dang, Bristol Myers Squibb, Innovent Biologics, Xuanzhu Biopharmaceutical, Bayer, GeneScience Pharmaceuticals, InventisBio, Apollomics, Imugene, Ono Pharmaceutical, Pierre Fabre, Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Surface Oncology, Inhibrx, Sinocelltech, Mirati Therapeutics, REVOLUTION Medicines, Yong Shun Technology Development, Iovance Biotherapeutics, Galecto Biotech, among others. About DelveInsight DelveInsight is a leading Business Consultant and Market Research firm focused exclusively on life sciences. It supports pharma companies by providing comprehensive end-to-end solutions to improve their performance. Get hassle-free access to all the healthcare and pharma market research reports through our subscription-based platform PharmDelve. Contact Us Shruti Thakur [email protected] +14699457679 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082265/DelveInsight_Logo.jpg SOURCE DelveInsight Business Research, LLP WENZHOU, China, March 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st South China International Exhibition on Printing Industry took place from March 4 to 6, 2025, at the China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex (Area A) in Guangzhou, China. The three-day event attracted global exhibitors, showcasing cutting-edge technologies and solutions in the packaging and printing sectors. The exhibition provided a key platform for international exchange and collaboration, fostering technological partnerships and business growth across borders. RZFD-330T Square Bottom Paper Bag Machine with Handle Inline Sets New Standards in Productivity During the exhibition, Ruizhi Machinery showcased the full operation of the RZFD-330T fully automatic square bottom paper bag machine with twisted rope handle inline, demonstrating its high production speed and stability. The live demonstration attracted a significant number of visitors, with overwhelmingly positive feedback. The RZFD-330T square bottom paper bag machine with handle inline is capable of producing square bottom twisted rope handle paper bags made from degradable materials, offering eco-friendly solutions for various applications, including retail, food, and takeaway packaging. This innovative approach reduces environmental impact while providing customers with sustainable packaging options. Further Strengthening Domestic and Global Market Partnerships With a strong technical foundation in eco-friendly packaging, Ruizhi Machinery has achieved notable success in global markets. During the exhibition, the company held in-depth discussions with international customers on sustainable packaging technologies and market demands. Ongoing collaboration negotiations further expanded the company's domestic and global market presence, unlocking new growth opportunities. Advancing Sustainable Development in the Industry Ruizhi Machinery is committed to the dual principles of environmental protection and innovation. The company is focused on delivering sustainable, eco-friendly solutions to global customers. Moving forward, Ruizhi Machinery will continue to invest in R&D, driving technological advancements and product improvements to strengthen its global market competitiveness, while consistently providing efficient and sustainable solutions. About Ruizhi Machinery Ruizhi Machinery leads the way in eco-friendly packaging solutions, committed to a sustainable and innovative future. With 21 years of expertise, our paper bag machines are recognized globally for their unmatched efficiency and reliability. Trusted by customers in over 120 countries across Europe, America, Asia, and Africa, our products set the standard for quality and performance. For more information about Ruizhi Machinery, please visit www.mted.com or www.wzruizhi.com. SOURCE Ruizhi Machinery COLUMBIA, Md., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sealing Technologies (SealingTech), a Parsons Corporation company (NYSE: PSN), and leading defensive cyber operations solution provider for U.S. national security missions, was awarded an agreement from the Department of Defense (DoD)'s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to support the development of their Joint Cyber Hunt Kit (JCHK) prototype. "We understand that the mission requires rapid, agile, and scalable innovation to advance defensive cyberspace operations and protect national security," said Dave Shortt, Director of Growth at SealingTech. "Having worked alongside the DoD in support of the standardization and advancement of the Cyber Mission Forces' defensive operations, we look forward to further collaborating on their evolving mission needs." SealingTech has delivered 500+ Cyber-Fly-Away Kits, demonstrating the company's expertise in supporting DoD missions. Post this SealingTech has successfully delivered over 500 critical Cyber-Fly-Away Kits since 2018, demonstrating the company's reliability and expertise in supporting critical national security and DoD missions. SealingTech continues prioritizing innovation, system integration, scalability, and mission-focused performance to deliver more capabilities, more agility, and more value for the warfighter. The company's exquisite solutions mindset embraces rapid development and deployment, commercial off-the-shelf customization, and acquisition pathways provided by the DIU and DoD with the sole focus of providing the tactical advantage for the mission. About Sealing Technologies Sealing Technologies (SealingTech), a Parsons Corporation company (NYSE: PSN), remains a trusted partner in providing powerful edge computing hardware and cybersecurity solutions to protect the federal government and private enterprises. Veteran-founded, SealingTech uses vast cyberspace experience and knowledge to provide cutting-edge research, engineering, and integration services that support the US and its allies. For more information visit www.sealingtech.com. SOURCE Sealing Technologies BERKELEY, Calif., and JONESBORO, Ark., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Shiru, the leader in AI-powered ingredient discovery, and GreenLab, a pioneer in plant-based protein expression, today announced a strategic partnership to commercialize novel food proteins using GreenLab's proprietary corn expression system. This collaboration expands Shiru's manufacturing capabilities, complementing its AI-driven protein discovery with a high-yield, scalable manufacturing platform that extends beyond microbial and precision fermentation. This partnership enables a path to market for functional ingredients across bioindustrial applications, including sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based and chemically derived ingredients. The initial focus of the ingredient targets Shiru and GreenLab are partnering on is directed at CPG. "This partnership brings together some of the best natural protein compounds with a highly productive agricultural production platform to manufacture proteins that are not only sustainable but also scalable and commercially viable," said Dr. Jasmin Hume, founder and CEO of Shiru. "While we continue to leverage precision fermentation in our screening efforts at Shiru, we've always acknowledged that scaling our ingredients can be done via microbes or crops. By integrating GreenLab's corn expression platform with our AI-driven ingredient discovery, we're unlocking an entirely new way to produce high-performance food proteins that nourish billions without exhausting the planet's resources." A Breakthrough in Sustainable Protein Innovation As demand for functional, high-value proteins continues to grow, food manufacturers require scalable, cost-effective solutions that outperform traditional methods. This collaboration unites two powerful technologies, Shiru's AI-powered protein discovery and GreenLab's corn-based expression platform, to create a next-generation production model for sustainable bioindustrial ingredients. Key Benefits of the Partnership Faster, smarter ingredient innovation: Shiru's AI technology rapidly discovers high-performance proteins, which will be efficiently produced using GreenLab's corn system, helping bring sustainable ingredients to market faster. Scalable, cost-effective protein production: Producing proteins in a cultivated crop enables rapid, large-scale expansion across acres of cornfields with minimal upfront infrastructure investment. After protein extraction, the remaining corn integrates seamlessly into existing food, feed, and fuel supply chains, reducing waste and maximizing efficiency. Lower costs, higher yields: Corn-based protein production can outperform traditional fermentation, reducing production costs and making novel proteins more affordable for food brands. More versatile food applications: This breakthrough enables a wider range of ingredient uses, from novel sweeteners to clean-label additives and enzymes, expanding possibilities for CPG manufacturers prioritizing natural, healthy, and sustainable products... Scalable & sustainable: This approach produces more protein with less energy, using plants as natural biofactories to reduce environmental impact while ensuring a reliable supply. Unlocking a Healthier, More Sustainable Future This collaboration represents more than just scientific and manufacturing innovation. It demonstrates a shared vision for scaling sustainable, high-performance food proteins that meet real-world industry needs. "We're fundamentally changing how the industry approaches protein production," said Maurice Moloney, president and CSO of GreenLab. "Corn is a powerful and efficient system for expressing proteins, and by working with Shiru, we're taking the next step in creating truly scalable, commercially viable, and sustainable ingredients for CPG companies worldwide." The partnership will initially focus on optimizing protein expression in GreenLab's corn system for Shiru's high-value functional proteins, followed by scaling production to meet commercial demand. Both companies will work closely with food and beverage partners to accelerate adoption and bring these innovative proteins to market. About Shiru Shiru is transforming product innovation through AI-powered ingredient discovery, unlocking the next generation of natural, scalable, and high-performance ingredients. In 2024, Shiru's ProteinDiscovery.ai platform gained significant momentum, partnering with global leaders across food, beverage, skincare, and agriculture by accelerating ingredient innovation from years to months. Named a TIME Best Invention of 2024, Shiru's technology enhances the products consumers already love, developing natural, scalable proteins, sweeteners, bioactives, and sustainable fats that promote health and sustainability without compromising quality. Backed by investors like S2G Ventures, Nourish Ventures, and CPT Capital, Shiru is scaling commercial production of novel ingredients in 2025 while expanding into industries beyond food and beverages. With global partners, Shiru is leading the next wave of ingredient innovation, delivering scalable solutions that improve products and protect the planet. Visit shiru.com and ProteinDiscovery.ai for more. About GreenLab GreenLab's mission is to green industry through next-generation plant biotechnology. With GreenLab's platform, a cornfield is transformed into a factory of the future. GreenLab delivers on biotech's promise of next-generation proteins, end-to-end sustainability, and unlimited scalability. Currently, GreenLab has two patented proteins growing in corn that are already in commercial production and is seeking partners who need to improve the cost, scale, or environmental footprint of their protein biomanufacturing. Learn more at www.greenlab.com , or follow us on X as @GreenLabMfg or on LinkedIn. Media contacts Shiru [email protected] GreenLab [email protected] SOURCE Shiru, Inc. Features a full-service branch with four drive-thru lanes JONESBORO, Ark., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Simmons Bank marked the grand opening of a new regional office in Jonesboro located at 1720 S Caraway. Simmons Bank operates approximately 64 full-service branches throughout Arkansas. Simmons Bank associates celebrate the grand opening of the Caraway branch with the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce. "With this new regional office, Simmons Bank is expanding its presence to better serve the community and local businesses in Northeast Arkansas," said Kent Bridger, regional community president for Simmons Bank. "Our commitment to providing personalized financial services to Jonesboro and the surrounding areas is stronger than ever. We are excited to offer a comprehensive range of financial solutions that empower local residents to build brighter futures and help business thrive." The 19,790-square-foot financial center features a full-service branch with four drive-thru lanes and an ATM with deposit capabilities. Associates onsite will serve customers financial needs including personal, commercial, mortgage lending as well as wealth management services. Flynco Construction served as the contractor and Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects was the architectural firm of record. Simmons Bank has been doing business since 1903 and has 222 branches across six states in the Mid-South with nearly 3,000 associates. About Simmons Bank Simmons Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ: SFNC), a Mid-South based financial holding company that has paid cash dividends for 116 consecutive years. Simmons Bank operates 222 branches in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Founded in 1903, Simmons Bank oers comprehensive financial solutions delivered with a client-centric approach. In 2024, Simmons Bank was recognized by Newsweek as one of America's Best Regional Banks 2025, by U.S. News & World Report as one of the 2024-2025 Best Companies to Work For in the South and by Forbes as one of America's Best-In-State Banks 2024 in Tennessee and America's Best-In-State Banks 2024 in Missouri. Additional information about Simmons Bank can be found on our website at simmonsbank.com, by following @Simmons_Bank on X (formerly Twitter) or by visiting our newsroom. SOURCE Simmons Bank SK hynix first Korean semiconductor company to be named as one of the 2025 World's Most Ethical Companies Members' commitment to business ethics, support for business partners recognized Company to foster business ethics suitable for a leading AI memory provider SEOUL, South Korea, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SK hynix Inc. (or "the company", www.skhynix.com) announced today that it has received the 2025 World's Most Ethical Companies recognition by Ethisphere*, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, marking the first case for a Korean semiconductor company to be named as an honoree. * Ethisphere: global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that strengthen corporate brands, build trust in the marketplace, and deliver business success. Ethisphere honors superior integrity programs through World's Most Ethical Companies recognition The assessment is based on Ethisphere's proprietary Ethics Quotient, which requires companies to provide 240+ different proof points on practices that support robust ethics and compliance; governance; a culture of ethics; environmental and social impact; and initiatives that support a strong value chain. In 2025, 136 honorees were recognized spanning 19 countries and 44 industries. SK hynix is one of only four honorees in the semiconductor industry. The international recognition follows years of the company's efforts to set up goals for business ethics and systematic evaluation and implementation of them. SK hynix expects the ethics management system that the stakeholders can trust and suitable for a global company to help it and its customers to achieve higher corporate values. SK hynix and its employees have combined efforts to advance business ethics further with members participating in the signing of compliance commitment letter and compliance surveys every year with passion. In 2023, SK hynix also started a program to share its operation and know-how of the business ethics system with business partners to further grow it into a system for the broader supply chain. "Congratulations to SK hynix for achieving recognition as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies," Erica Salmon Byrne, Ethisphere's Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair, said. "Behind this honor is a true dedication and a commitment to advancing business integrity." "I would like to express my gratitude to our members for their continued efforts to help advance the company's principles for ethical management to be recognized globally," SK hynix Chief Executive Officer Kwak Noh-Jung said. "We will strive to meet the trust from our stakeholders and do our part to continue as an ethically responsible AI memory provider." About SK hynix Inc. SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world's top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips ("DRAM") and flash memory chips ("NAND flash") for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company's shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com. SOURCE SK hynix Inc. Premier Assisted Stretching Franchise Celebrates Newest Location Under Local Leadership SAINT JOHNS, Fla., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Stretch Zone, the nation's premier assisted stretching brand with a patented strapping system on proprietary tables, announces the opening of its newest studio, Stretch Zone Durbin Park, located in St. Johns, FL. This location is Stretch Zone's 385th in the United States and is owned and operated by Ramiah Martin, a multi-unit Stretch Zone owner. Revolutionizing how we all approach stretching, Stretch Zone is on a mission to improve the quality of life for communities. Like many Stretch Zone members, Ramiah Martin struggled with chronic back discomfort caused from his daily activities and was searching for a solution that could bring relief. After consulting with a friend, he was introduced to a nearby Stretch Zone. Following a life-changing free stretch at the studio, Ramiah was inspired to bring that same transformative experience to others in his community. He went on to acquire Stretch Zone Mandarin and Stretch Zone Ponte Vedra, recognizing the profound benefits of stretching and the positive impact Stretch Zone could have on people's lives. He assumed the mission to help locals enhance their flexibility, improve posture, and increase their range of motion. The opening of Stretch Zone Durbin Park will be Ramiah's first studio that he'll open from its infancy, with the goal of expanding the reach of empowered mobility throughout the Jacksonville area. He's confident this new studio will strengthen Stretch Zone's reputation as a trusted provider of personalized stretching services. "Seeing the relief a guest experiences after their session offers a fresh perspective, and I'm excited to share that feeling with more people looking to ease their discomfort," says Ramiah. As a Jacksonville native, he takes great pride in supporting his community through his studios. Ramiah adds, "My hope is that our studio can significantly improve the quality of life for our members and encourage them to push their flexibility to new heights." The team at Durbin Park is eager to welcome new members and assist them in addressing mobility concerns through our proven techniques. They are committed to spreading the knowledge of the unique benefits that come with assisted stretching, while growing the Stretch Zone footprint. Stretch Zone is the only nationally accredited stretch franchise due in large part to its patented equipment and proprietary training and education methodology. Stretch Zone focuses on a scientific approach to stretching and believes in re-educating muscles to establish an ideal resting muscle tone and range of motion. Stretch Zone Durbin Park is located in the heart of the busy Durbin Pavillion Shopping Center at 70 Durbin Pavilion Drive, Suite B-107, Saint Johns, FL, 32259. Operating hours are Monday-Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday 9pm-3pm, and will be closed on Sunday. The studio phone number is (904) 907-2963. The first visit is free for any new Stretch Zone members. For more information, visit www.stretchzone.com. About Stretch Zone Founded in 2004 by Jorden Gold, Stretch Zone was created with a deep passion for improving lives. The brand has redefined how we approach stretching, with a mission to enhance the quality of life in communities nationwide. By utilizing our proprietary tables and patented strapping system, Stretch Zone helps individuals achieve long-term results in flexibility and mobility. With over 380 locations across 41 states, the brand has experienced remarkable growth and continues to gain national recognition, ranking on the 2024 Inc. 5000 and Franchise Times' 2024 Top 400 List. Stretch Zone is seeking experienced franchisees who share a passion for health and wellness and are dedicated to making a lasting impact on their communities. To learn more, visit stretchzone.com Media Contact: Stephanie Hall, Pitch Public Relations [email protected] SOURCE Stretch Zone TAIPEI, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a news report by DIGITIMES: Taiwan is set to host the Best AI Awards 2025, an international competition designed to drive innovation in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Integrated Circuit (IC) Design. Advised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), organized by the Department of Industrial Technology, MOEA, and hosted by the Taipei Computer Association (TCA), this event offers a highest grand prize of NT$1,000,000 (approx. USD 32,000). 2025 Best AI Awards Open to students and experts worldwide, the competition will accept submissions from early March to April 8, 2025. Winners will be invited to Taipei for a physical presentation for the final round in early May 2025, with top participants receiving a special visa to work in Taiwan and access to expert training opportunities. Taiwanese participants are encouraged to collaborate with local teams, fostering greater industry connections. The Best AI Awards 2025 focuses on two core themes: AI Applications and IC Design. Participants are encouraged to submit groundbreaking proposals with strong potential for real-world industry adoption. This competition serves as a unique platform to showcase talent, connect with industry leaders, and explore career opportunities in Taiwan's thriving tech ecosystem. Full details and application guidelines can be found on the "Best AI Awards 2025" official website. Taiwan's Commitment to AI Talent & Innovation Taiwan's Minister of Economic Affairs, Kuo Jyh-huei, highlighted the nation's global leadership in chip and server manufacturing, with its AI software rankings expected to enter the world's top 14 by year-end. To secure a strong AI workforce, the government aims to cultivate 200,000 AI professionals within four years, driving innovation and industry-academia collaboration. The "2+4" talent program further supports global talent, especially students from Southeast Asia, by offering tuition subsidies, living allowances, and career training in Taiwan's high-tech industries. For AI and IC innovators, the Best AI Awards 2025 is more than a competitionit's a gateway to Taiwan's dynamic tech landscape. SOURCE DIGITIMES BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. New opportunities are emerging for collaboration between Azerbaijan and Italy, Italian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Luca Di Gianfrancesco told reporters, Trend reports. Speaking on the sidelines of a press conference dedicated to sustainable development and the celebration of Italian Design Day in Baku, Gianfrancesco shared his thoughts. "Italy and Azerbaijan share a very close partnership, especially in the energy sector. Azerbaijan is an important supplier of oil and gas to Italy. However, beyond that, I am happy to note that new opportunities are opening up in many other areas," he said. According to the ambassador, the political domain sees frequent visits and high-level meetings between the two nations, and overall, relations between the two are getting stronger. "There is a strong desire and interest to deepen our relationship in all sectors of the economy. It is also worth noting that cooperation between Italy and Azerbaijan in cultural and economic fields has always been very strong. These are solid and continually deepening ties that help expand cooperation at the economic level," he added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Join Globe journalists, regional leaders, and advocates for an afternoon of insightful discussions and community building BOSTON, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Boston Globe is proud to announce its inaugural Working Mothers Summit , an event dedicated to supporting and empowering working mothers and caregivers. The Summit will take place on Wednesday, March 26 at The Newbury Boston from 1 to 5 p.m. ET and will feature expert advice on parenting, wellness, and work-life balance. New England and Massachusetts are often recognized as favorable environments for working mothers, due to childcare options, career opportunities, and flexible workplaces. The Globe is pleased to highlight effective strategies that promote both the well-being and success of working mothers through a series of sessions at the Summit, including: Insightful discussions and inspiring stories from a dynamic group of thought leaders in conversation with Globe journalists and partners. from a dynamic group of thought leaders in conversation with Globe journalists and partners. An opportunity to connect with women leaders, authors, and advocates focused on issues facing working mothers. focused on issues facing working mothers. A supportive community for mothers and caregivers in the workforce. "The Boston Globe has women in leadership throughout the organization, so we are proud to be able to authentically empower and uplift working mothers in Massachusetts through award-winning content, coverage, and programming," said Linda Henry, CEO of Boston Globe Media who is providing opening remarks at the event. "This Summit is a part of that work, creating a community where mothers can connect, share their experiences, and learn from each other about the challenges and triumphs of raising families while pursuing their careers." "As a journalist covering parenting and working moms---and as one myself---I see incredible candor and resilience from these women every day," said Kara Baskin, Globe correspondent and writer of the award-winning Parenting Unfiltered newsletter and column."This Summit is a chance to celebrate their contributions and offer accessible, relatable support as they navigate the complexities of work and family life." As highlighted in a 2024 warning from the former U.S. Surgeon General, parents in the United States face a profound crisis that threatens their mental health and overall well-being. The warning references an alarming rise in anxiety, depression, and burnout, particularly among mothers, who historically bear the burden of domestic responsibilities while also balancing professional and parenting duties. The Globe recognizes the challenges faced by working mothers and the importance of convening audiences to learn and discover ways to help them thrive in their careers. By supporting working mothers, the Globe aims to contribute to women's health and well-being while also creating a positive impact on the workforce, and the success of children. The event is available both in person and virtually and is presented by PNC Bank with support from Cross Insurance and Little Sprouts. Register for the Working Mothers Summit. Contact: Carla Kath, Director of Communications, [email protected] About Boston Globe Media: Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC is a locally owned, award-winning media company serving Boston and New England for over 152 years. Its cornerstone is The Boston Globe, a 27-time Pulitzer Prize-winning news source and one of the most successful metro news organizations in the United States. The Globe is headquartered in Boston with regional bureaus in Washington, D.C., Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. The Globe has been successfully growing its direct subscriber base, today boasting the highest total number of subscribers the organization has had since 2008. The Globe hosts events that connect community members to its journalism and provides a range of digital and home-delivered advertising solutions that reach more consumers than any other New England media brand. Boston Globe Media's portfolio includes The Boston Globe, Globe.com , Boston.com , STAT , The B-Side , Globe Publishing Services, Globe Events , Studio/B , and Boston magazine . SOURCE The Boston Globe NEW YORK, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Evaluation Company (TEC) is excited to welcome Mukul Bakhshi, Esq., as its new Chief Legal and Compliance Officer. As TEC advances the economic, technological, and political trends disrupting education and assessment, Mukul will foster innovative approaches and partnerships to reimagine educational standards and instruction. He will develop and implement policies, manage external relations, and drive corporate development efforts to align with TEC's strategic objectives. Mukul brings a wealth of experience in global affairs, compliance, and regulatory matters, particularly in the healthcare and migration sectors. Before joining TEC, he served as the Chief Global Affairs Officer at CGFNS International, where he built vital relationships with government and other stakeholders at the intersection of healthcare, migration, and credential evaluation. During his tenure at CGFNS, Mukul wrote extensively on nursing workforce issues and presented at global forums including the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO). Additionally, Mukul led the Alliance for Ethical International Recruitment Practices to promote fair and ethical recruitment practices for foreign-educated health professionals for the past decade. Before CGFNS, Mukul held positions as a management and strategy consultant at McKinsey & Company and Altman Solon. Mukul earned his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law and is admitted to the bar in the state of New York. He also holds a B.A. from Yale University. "We are thrilled to welcome Mukul to the TEC team," said Daniel Kutzin, COO of The Evaluation Company. "His unique combination of legal expertise, international policy experience, and leadership in healthcare recruitment will play a critical role in supporting our continued success and growth." About The Evaluation Company: For over 40 years, The Evaluation Company has helped thousands of applicants further their education, find employment, and gain professional licensure. A NACES member and partner to 1200+ companies and institutions, TEC leverages human expertise and industry-leading technology to provide credential evaluations, expert opinions, and verifications that unlock opportunities around the world. SOURCE The Evaluation Company BEIJING, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, several mainstream international media outlets have expressed admiration for China's technological progress. For example, Bloomberg said the AI boom sparked by DeepSeek has injected "new energy" into the two sessions; CNN focused on China's upcoming establishment of a national venture capital guidance fund to "support technological innovation"; and the BBC discussed China's cultivation of tech talent by featuring stories such as an 8-year-old boy in Beijing playing chess against AI and the introduction of general AI courses in Beijing's primary and secondary schools. Nikkei Asia reported that by 2025, China's mature chip production capacity will account for about 28 percent of the global market. Increasingly, the global consensus on China's development is that the next "China" is still China - a better China. For the "explosive" technological breakthroughs, foreign media have been asking, "How did China manage to do it?" Chinese technological development is not achieved overnight. It results from long-term strategic planning and precise policies at the national level, a strong societal atmosphere that respects knowledge and champions innovation, the innovative practices of countless companies increasing their R&D investments, and the dedicated spirit of generations of professionals willing to "sit on the sidelines." The "spectacular rise" China is experiencing in the eyes of the international media is not a brief firework display but a story of bursting from the accumulated strength. As China's economic, technological, and overall national power continues to grow, this "innovation forest" will only flourish further. China's comprehensive industrial system provides a solid foundation for technological innovation, while its enormous market of more than 1.4 billion people serves both as a "stress test" for technological iteration and a "value amplifier" for innovation. The multidimensional improvement in population quality and talent pipelines, combined with strong support from national policies, capital, and infrastructure, has together forged the robust core of a "high-quality development China." For example, the swift and efficient deployment of AI applications in China relies heavily on strong investments in 5G networks, cloud computing, and big data centers. China's infrastructure is like a high-speed expressway that enables innovation to accelerate more quickly and steadily. Similarly, the achievements stemming from the innovative practices of private enterprises benefit from the positive interaction between various levels of government and businesses. As Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said during his interview at the two sessions "deputies' passage," "I feel deeply the care and support from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for private enterprises, and this has greatly boosted our confidence." In the recently approved 2025 Government Work Report at the two sessions, "high quality" is a keyword that has been repeatedly emphasized. The report explicitly states that "high quality development" is the "top priority" to be focused on, and we need to place equal emphasis on winning through quality and economic scale. It sets high quality requirements in various specific fields, such as "advancing the high quality development of high standard cropland," "accelerating high quality development of key industrial chains in the manufacturing sector," and "moving faster to build a high quality education system." At the same time, high quality is also defined as the means to achieve policy goals, for example, "to encourage local governments to foster new sources of revenue in pursuing high quality development," and "to steer and generate demand through high quality supply." This year will continue to promote the "AI+" initiative, consumer electronics, and other products, demonstrating China's determination and action in "steering demand through high quality supply." From the accumulation of quantity to the advancement of quality, along with the value-driven leap in China's development logic, a China marked by "high quality" is injecting more confidence into the world. The global tech community has been amazed by DeepSeek, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra prototype has made a dazzling debut on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, Black Myth: Wukong has opened new doors for China's AAA gaming industry on the international stage, and Ne Zha 2 continues to make waves in the global cinema market. Beyond these well-known success stories, high quality development has permeated all aspects of China's industries and daily life. In Fujian's Zhangzhou pineapple farms, precision flowering control technology has boosted yields per mu by 2,000 jin (1,000 kg). At Shougang's cold-rolled galvanized steel production line, the agile arms of the slag-scooping robot have made the risks of manual labor a thing of the past, enhancing worker safety and happiness. And when visiting the Great Wall, ordering a drone-delivered coffee has become a reality, showcasing the everyday benefits of China's booming low-altitude economy. The executive vice president of Siemens stated that the next "China" is still China, but it will be a "different" China. This "difference" refers to a "better China" that is firmly advancing on the path of high quality development. The deeper driving force behind China's high quality development lies in the organic integration of "independent innovation" and "opening-up and inclusiveness." The Chang'e-6 mission, carrying international payloads, provides a broad platform for global scientific collaboration. The China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite helps safeguard the ecology of the Amazon rainforest. DeepSeek's open-source technology approach has accelerated the widespread adoption of AI globally, earning it the reputation of being a true "OpenAI." A "better China" is promoting the creation of a broader innovation community based on principles of inclusivity and shared benefits, offering development opportunities to the world. SOURCE Global Times ARLINGTON, Vt., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Om Festival, held in Vermont's breathtaking Green Mountains from July 23 to July 27, 2025, offers a luxurious wellness retreat for women. This rejuvenating experience combines SUP Yoga, Sound Healing Float Sessions, Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Tastings, Farm-To-Table Dinners, and exclusive Mountain Gurl Spa Treatmentsperfect for friends seeking to refresh body, mind, and spirit. Stand Up Paddleboarding Yoga at Th Om Festival Reconnect with Nature: SUP Yoga Imagine practicing yoga on Vermont's tranquil lakes and ponds, surrounded by the stunning Green Mountains. SUP Yoga offers a transformative experience, helping participants build strength, balance, and flexibility while connecting with nature. The practice challenges both body and mind in an unparalleled setting. Restore Your Soul: Sound Healing Float Sessions While at the Om Festival immerse yourself in one of our unique Sound Healing Float Sessions. As you float on calm waters, healing sound vibrations cleanse stress and restore balance, guiding you into a profound state of relaxation. Luxury Wellness: Mountain Gurl Spa Treatments Complete your festival experience with a visit to the pop-up Mountain Gurl Spa. Born in Vermont, Mountain Gurl is a plant-based Ayurvedic skincare brand offering organic, vegan, and cruelty-free products. Indulge in rejuvenating massages and glowing facials, designed to nourish and restore your body. These tailored treatments will leave you refreshed and renewed. Over 80 Classes + Nightly Music Beyond SUP Yoga and Sound Healing Float Sessions, attendees can choose from over 80 yoga, meditation, and dance classes. Whether deepening your yoga practice, exploring new movement, or finding peace through meditation, The Om Festival offers something for everyone. In the evenings, enjoy nightly music performances ranging from ecstatic dance to kirtan and bhakti, adding magic to your experience. A Weekend to Remember The Om Festival is New England's premier yoga and wellness event, offering a transformative retreat experience. Set against the stunning Vermont landscape, it's the perfect place to unwind, bond with friends, and challenge yourself with SUP Yoga. This luxurious festival provides the ideal escape to relax, rejuvenate, and connect with like-minded individuals. Reserve Your Spot Today Don't miss the chance to experience The Om Festival in Vermont from July 23 to July 27, 2025. Treat yourself and your friends to a wellness retreat combining luxury, nature, and healing. Spaces are limited, so book now for an unforgettable experience. Ticket Information Tickets are available: 5-Day All-Access Pass: Starting at $499 3-Day Pass: Starting at $399 Day Passes and Music Passes: Coming soon Kids Zone with kids classes and family classes. Kids under 12: Free About The Om Festival The Om Festival is New England's premiere yoga and wellness event, promoting holistic health and community building. It's a chance to escape daily stresses, rejuvenate, and connect with others in a serene, natural setting. For more details or to inquire about vendor/sponsorship opportunities, visit www.theomfestival.com. Follow Us on Social Media Facebook: @TheOMFestival Instagram: @TheOMFestival Press Inquiries For press inquiries, please contact: Sam Grout [email protected] (561) 506-1108 SOURCE The Om Festival ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- United Education Institute (UEI), a national leader in career-focused education, has announced the opening of its newest campus in Albuquerque. Located at 885 Sunset Rd SW, the new campus offers a range of hands-on training programs designed to prepare students for successful careers in high-demand fields, including healthcare and skilled trades. UEI is now accepting applicants for new students to start on April 28th. United Education Institute Expands to Albuquerque with New Campus, Offering Hands-On Career Training to Empower Local Community "We are thrilled to expand our presence to New Mexico and bring expanded access to career-focused education to the Albuquerque community," said Mark Lucero, Campus President of UEI Albuquerque. "With over 40 years of experience in providing quality career training, UEI is dedicated to empowering individuals with the skills they need to thrive in the workforce and contribute to the economic vitality of local communities. If you are an employer looking to hire skilled workers, we invite you to talk with us about your needs." UEI is an accredited institution that offers a range of vocational and skilled trade programs to help students earn a diploma and get started in a new career in as few as 10 months. In addition to career-focused education, UEI Albuquerque will provide students with extensive support services, including career advising and job placement assistance. Initial programs being offered at the UEI in Albuquerque include Medical Assistant, Medical Billing and Insurance Coding, Dental Assistant, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Technician, and Electrician Technician. The new 47,000 square-foot campus features medical assistant labs, dental assistant labs, electrician technician labs, HVAC labs, classrooms, computer labs, a Learning Resource Center, and student and faculty lounges. "The hands-on learning labs at UEI are modern, well-equipped spaces designed to give students a practical, immersive experience in their chosen fields. Each lab is furnished with industry-standard tools and technology, providing an environment that mirrors real-world workplaces," Lucero said. "Students can practice their skills on industry-relevant equipment under the guidance of experienced instructors, who offer both technical knowledge and personal insights from the field." "UEI's expansion into New Mexico reflects the growing trend of more young people considering vocational and career training over a tradition 4-year college degree because of the soaring costs of traditional higher education," Lucero said. "UEI is a viable option for students who are not able to put their lives on hold for years while they attend college." NPR and the Washington Post have dubbed young Americans following this trend as "the toolbelt generation" with more and more high school graduates turning to careers in the skilled trades, such as the electrician technician and HVAC technician programs offered at UEI. "At UEI, students can expect a nurturing environment focused on their personal and professional growth, with a team of faculty and staff dedicated to helping them succeed," Lucero said. Enrollment is now open, and prospective students can visit the UEI Albuquerque campus to learn more about available programs, financial aid options for those who qualify, and career services designed to support graduates in their job search. Media Contact: Joe Cockrell 949.812.7749 [email protected] SOURCE United Education Institute Grammy-winning conductor Giancarlo Guerrero to lead landmark April 4 concert at Teatro Nacional SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Internationally acclaimed violinist Cho-Liang Lin will join the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica (OSNCR) for a special performance on April 4, 2025. The concert, conducted by Grammy Award-winning maestro Giancarlo Guerrero, will feature Tchaikovsky's beloved Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35. Cho-Liang Lin This performance marks a significant highlight in the OSNCR's 2025 season, bringing together one of the world's most celebrated violinists with Costa Rica's premier orchestra. The collaboration continues the OSNCR's tradition of hosting distinguished international soloists while reinforcing Costa Rica's position as a cultural hub in Central America. Lin, a Taiwanese-American violinist who has been a luminary in classical music since his 1980 debut with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta, will bring his technical mastery and emotional depth to Tchaikovsky's demanding concerto. Known for his performances on either a 1715 "Titian" Stradivarius or a 2000 Samuel Zygmuntowicz violin, Lin's interpretation promises to showcase both the work's fiery virtuosity and its lyrical intensity. "We are honored to welcome Cho-Liang Lin to Costa Rica for this special concert," says Maestro Guerrero. "His artistry and musicianship are unparalleled, and his interpretation of the Tchaikovsky concerto will undoubtedly create an unforgettable experience for our audience." Guerrero, whose previous collaborations with the OSNCR include a critically acclaimed 2023 performance of Verdi's Requiem, is known for his dynamic conducting style that emphasizes both precision and emotional depth. The pairing of Guerrero and Lin offers a rare opportunity for Costa Rican audiences to witness world-class musical collaboration at the highest level. While in Costa Rica, Lin may also participate in pre-concert masterclasses, continuing his lifelong commitment to music education that includes faculty positions at prestigious institutions like Juilliard and Rice University's Shepherd School of Music. Event Details: Date and Time : April 4, 2025 at 8:00 PM : at Location : Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Costa Rica : Teatro Nacional, San Jose, Program : Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 (featuring Cho-Liang Lin ) : Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 (featuring ) Conductor : Giancarlo Guerrero : Tickets: 18,30022,500 (approximately $30$37), with 30-40% discounts available for students, seniors, and bulk purchases The April 4 concert is part of the OSNCR's ongoing mission to balance traditional repertoire with innovative programming while making world-class performances accessible to all Costa Ricans. The orchestra's 2025 season features a diverse range of works and continues its commitment to educational outreach through workshops and subsidized ticket programs. About Cho-Liang Lin Cho-Liang Lin has performed as a soloist with major orchestras worldwide and has championed works by contemporary composers, including John Williams and Tan Dun. Beyond his concert appearances, Lin is known for his dedication to music education and his extensive commissioning projects that have expanded the violin repertoire. During his tenure at La Jolla SummerFest, Lin commissioned and premiered over 50 new works. He currently serves as a professor at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, where he continues to mentor the next generation of violinists. Prior to his Costa Rica appearance, Lin will also be performing at the Fresno State University Violin Festival on March 21st, 2025, further demonstrating his ongoing commitment to both performance excellence and educational outreach. About the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica: The National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica (OSNCR) is the country's premier orchestral ensemble, committed to artistic excellence, educational outreach, and cultural accessibility. Through its diverse programming and collaborations with international artists, the OSNCR continues to elevate Costa Rica's profile in the global classical music community. Contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/cho-liang-lin/ https://www.facebook.com/cholianglin https://x.com/choliang_lin Media Contact: OPUS3 ARTISTS Phone: 212.584.7500 Email: [email protected] Website: www.opus3artists.com SOURCE National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica This is the 12th edition of the Goldhirsh Foundation's LA2050 Grants Challenge. Nearly 900,000 votes have been cast and $27 million distributed to impactful organizations LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, public voting begins in the innovative, participatory LA2050 Grants Challenge, an annual project of the Goldhirsh Foundation. The 2025 LA2050 Grants Challenge will award a projected $3 million to dozens of impactful Los Angeles County organizations. $1 million comes from the Goldhirsh Foundation for the issues chosen during the voting period by the people of Los Angeles. The additional dollars come from a coalition of philanthropic funding partners a group that already includes the Annenberg Foundation, Snap Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, John N. Calley Foundation, Elbaz Family Foundation, R&S Kayne Foundation, and Fox Foundation. The theme for the 2025 LA2050 Grants Challenge is LA Together. "These words were chosen prior to the fires that devastated local neighborhoods but not our communities, nor our collective spirit and will," said Tara Roth, president of the Goldhirsh Foundation. "The idea of 'togetherness,' and of Angelenos everywhere caring for each other has never been more necessary." How Does the 2025 LA2050 Grants Challenge Work? First, Angelenos vote online for the issues that matter most to them. Voting takes place March 12 through April 18 at LA2050.org/vote , open to all ages and available in 12+ languages. There are five questions on the survey, which takes as little as two minutes to complete. Then, between April 28 and June 6, grant applications are open to nonprofits, social enterprises, and government agencies with ideas to address the 10 top-voted issues, as well as additional issues sponsored by the various funding partners. Next, all of the proposals are carefully evaluated. Then, in late September during the annual LA2050 Grantee Showcase , dozens of winning organizations receive up to $75,000 in grant funding, as well as ongoing social capital support and skills training. The LA2050 Grants Challenge is also a collaboration with hundreds of Outreach Partners and LA2050 Youth Ambassadors, who are committed to engaging their communities in the voting process. More than 60 Outreach Partners have signed on, including nonprofits and other impact organizations, family foundations, and the offices of local elected officials. A record-breaking 323 LA2050 Youth Ambassadors are on board, including a Leadership Council of 28 members, representing a wide range of ZIP codes across Los Angeles County. Throughout a six-month period, Youth Ambassadors receive training from LA2050 staff in areas such as community impact, advocacy, and philanthropy. What Foundation Leaders Are Saying Each of the eight foundations joining this year's LA2050 Grants Challenge launch are returning members of the coalition. The longest ongoing collaboration is with the Annenberg Foundation, now in its 10th year. "The Annenberg Foundation is glad to team once again with the Goldhirsh Foundation and our partners in L.A. philanthropy to improve on issues that are most important to Angelenos," said Cinny Kennard, executive director of the Annenberg Foundation. "LA2050 is one of the best vehicles for supporting and building social capital among nonprofits and organizations doing work daily across a range of issues, which is at the heart of our community grantmaking." The Snap Foundation is an LA2050 Grants Challenge funding partner for the sixth consecutive year. "At Snap Foundation, we believe in investing in bold ideas and organizations that uplift and empower communities, especially young people, to thrive," said Executive Director Joel Arquillos. "We're proud to stand alongside other funders to help bring these solutions to life - because when we work together, Los Angeles moves forward." The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation is also back again as an LA2050 Grants Challenge funding partner. "We envision a city where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, and that starts with collaborating with grassroots organizations and civic leaders to address Angelenos' most pressing problems," said Nichol Whiteman, CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. "For the third consecutive year, we're proud to uplift Los Angeles through this effort and look forward to the collective impact we'll make." The R&S Kayne Foundation is an LA2050 Grants Challenge funding partner for the second consecutive year. "We operate from a place of inquiry to support meaningful collaboration. If we are stewarding resources as movement partners then we must work together. We maintain a spirit of 'do with, not for' at R&S Kayne Foundation," said Managing Director Sarah Ali. "Together, with Goldhirsh Foundation and a coalition of funders, we work to ensure LA is a place of possibility, connection, and one day, an exemplar for multi-generational economic empowerment and community health." LA2050 Grants Challenge History and a Detail About Disaster Preparedness Since the advent of the LA2050 Grants Challenge, the Goldhirsh Foundation has given $11 million to 155 local social impact organizations, with the help of 890,000 online votes. The complete list of winners is here , and here is a short video . For many, the LA2050 Grants Challenge provided the organization's first funds, or the first significant public airing of their ideas. Another $16 million has been contributed through the LA2050 Grants Challenge, for a grand total of $27 million since 2013. That's $9.5 million+ additional funding provided to applicants by LA2050's funding partners, and $6.5 million of giving known to be inspired by the LA2050 Grants Challenge. During the 2024 LA2050 Grants Challenge, 15,000 Angelenos representing 98 percent of LA County ZIP codes cast more than 105,000 votes. For the third consecutive year, housing and homelessness was the top-voted issue. Health care access; community safety; and green space, park access, and trees were among other top selections from a list of 31 options, divided into five categories. Also, for the third consecutive year, disaster preparedness received the least amount of votes, out of all the 31 issues. With the recent fires, will disaster preparedness receive more attention in 2025? Voting updates and a final tally will be available at LA2050.org and @LA2050 on Instagram. About LA2050 LA2050 ( www.la2050.org ) is an initiative driving and tracking progress toward a shared vision for the future of Los Angeles. We are centered around five unique goals that in 2050 Los Angeles will be the best place to learn, create, play, connect, and live. Connect with @LA2050 on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and sign up to receive our newsletter, which includes social impact job listings and events. About the Goldhirsh Foundation At the Goldhirsh Foundation, ( www.goldhirshfoundation.org ), we connect the dots between the best emerging innovations and the financial, social, and human capital to make them thrive. MEDIA RESOURCES: https://la2050.org/press SOURCE Goldhirsh Foundation PHILADELPHIA, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Xavier Creative House (XCH), an independent, women-owned healthcare marketing agency, has been recognized among top-performing companies worldwide with the 2025 EcoVadis Regional Sustainability Leadership Award (Americas). This prestigious award highlights XCH's exceptional sustainability performance, reinforcing its role as a trailblazer in responsible business practices. This honor is awarded to a distinguished group of top-performing companies that rank in the highest percentile of the annual EcoVadis sustainability assessment. Announced during Sustain, EcoVadis' annual flagship event in Paris, the award recognizes organizations that successfully integrate sustainability into their core business strategy. XCH exemplifies this commitment, proving that creativity and corporate responsibility go hand in hand. Through a long-term sustainability pledge, XCH ensures a lasting impact by prioritizing carbon offsetting, supply chain diversity, and employee wellness. These initiatives create a ripple effect, inspiring others in healthcare marketing and beyond to embrace sustainable business practices. "Our mission has always been to integrate sustainability into every aspect of our business," said Sunny White, CEO of XCH. "This recognition from EcoVadis reaffirms our commitment to responsible marketing, environmental impact reduction, and fostering an inclusive, purpose-driven workplace. We are thrilled to be among the top sustainability leaders in our region." XCH has built a reputation for pushing the boundaries of what is possible in marketing and sustainability. As a forward-thinking, futurist agency, the company challenges outdated industry norms, rejecting rigid, one-size-fits-all models in favor of bold, innovative solutions. This forward-looking approach ensures that sustainability and creativity remain seamlessly interconnected, driving meaningful impact. Jennifer Blossom Beddingfield, Director of HR & Sustainability at XCH, remarked: "Sustainability is more than a commitment at XCHit's woven into the fabric of our business. This award validates our efforts to drive meaningful change, from reducing our environmental footprint to fostering an inclusive, purpose-driven workplace. We are honored to be recognized and remain dedicated to setting new standards in sustainable business." For more information on XCH's initiatives, contact: Xavier Creative House, LLC Greater Philadelphia PO Box 457, Jamison, PA 18929 P: 445.545.1110 [email protected] About EcoVadis EcoVadis is the world's most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, evaluating companies across environmental, social, and ethical performance. Using a globally recognized methodology aligned with international sustainability standards, EcoVadis assesses organizations on key criteria such as carbon emissions, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. With a network of over 100,000 rated companies across 175+ countries and 200 industries, EcoVadis helps businesses drive sustainability improvements and build more responsible supply chains. To learn more, visit https://ecovadis.com. SOURCE XAVIER CREATIVE Yanolja continues collaboration with global AI leaders to drive travel innovation NEW YORK, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Yanolja, a global leader in travel technology, is thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with Google Cloud. Through this partnership, Yanolja will elevate its travel-specific generative AI services to create more personalized experiences for travelers and enhance operational efficiency for its enterprise business customers. As part of its broader growth strategy, this collaboration will further accelerate the company's mission to revolutionize the global travel industry through AI technology based on its own proprietary data and infrastructure. As part of the agreement, Yanolja will integrate Google Cloud's cutting-edge AI infrastructureincluding generative AI, training, and inference toolsinto its platform. By combining Google Cloud's AI capabilities with Yanolja's extensive travel data, the company is shaping the future of hyper-personalized travel experiences for travelers and automated operations for travel enterprises worldwide. Junyoung Lee, Chief Technology Officer at Yanolja Group, commented: "Yanolja will rapidly advance the enhancement of its innovative AI technology for global travelers and travel enterprises through its partnership with Google Cloud." Karan Bajwa, President of Google Cloud Asia-Pacific, added: "Google Cloud's robust infrastructure and AI-driven solutions are empowering leaders across the global travel and leisure industry. We're excited to partner with Yanolja, combining our cutting-edge technology with their deep data expertise and vertical AI, to drive transformative innovation within the global travel market." By leveraging Google Cloud's secure and scalable infrastructure, Yanolja will further enhance its AI services to improve the end-to-end traveler experience while streamlining operations and driving revenue for travel enterprises. Additionally, Yanolja continues to refine its AI-driven enterprise solutions, automating operational processes such as auto check-in/check-out via cloud-based kiosks. The company is also piloting proof-of-concept (POC) initiatives to streamline customer support operations, including automated ticketing triage and AI-powered customer communications. With Google Cloud's AI infrastructure, Yanolja can further improve the accuracy of these services, significantly boosting operational efficiency. Yanolja has made significant gains in enhancing its AI-driven travel services. From the early stages of travel planning, including real-time room availability and dynamic pricing, through in-trip conveniences like AI-powered concierge services and automated check-in/check-out kiosks, Yanolja aims to deliver hyper-personalized travel experiences while developing new and innovative case studies for the industry. Yanolja's global footprint and robust data infrastructure connects 1.33 million hotels and travel enterprises in 206 countries, with over 20,000 travel sales channels, such as online booking platforms and tour operators. Through partnerships with top innovators like Google Cloud, Yanolja is accelerating its transformation of the travel industry and demonstrating its global market position as a leading technology provider for the travel ecosystem. About Yanolja Yanolja co., Ltd. is a leading global travel technology company leveraging AI to transform the travel industry for both travelers and travel enterprises. Built on the vision to create technology that connects people to their unique travel dreams, Yanolja delivers personalized travel experiences for travelers and uncovers operational efficiencies for travel enterprises through its innovative technology solutions and proprietary data infrastructure. Operating in more than 200 countries worldwide, Yanolja provides integrated transaction, subscription and data solutions that are redefining the future of travel and hospitality. Follow us on LinkedIn and visit our website to learn more. About Google Cloud Google Cloud is the new way to the cloud, providing AI, infrastructure, developer, data, security, and collaboration tools built for today and tomorrow. Google Cloud offers a powerful, fully integrated and optimized AI stack with its own planet-scale infrastructure, custom-built chips, generative AI models and development platform, as well as AI-powered applications, to help organizations transform. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted technology partner. Media Contact Christina Kim Corporate Public Relations Manager (206) 245-7392 [email protected] SOURCE Yanolja ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Statement Attributable to: Courtney Bugler, CEO, ZERO Prostate Cancer "ZERO is profoundly disappointed the House of Representatives has voted to approve a 57% cut to Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), which includes the Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP). CDMRP's groundbreaking research at the Department of Defense (DOD) has led to FDA-Approved treatments and saved countless lives. Cutting this vital funding is a gut-wrenching blow to the patients, families, and communities who depend on these lifesaving breakthroughs. Make no mistake, the potential impact is staggering: Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. Veterans and active duty military are twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease. with the disease. The numbers are even more dire for African American men, who are 70% more likely to develop prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from it. In 2025 alone, 313,780 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and over 35,000 will lose their lives. with prostate cancer, and There are more than 3 Million men living with prostate cancer in America. With so many lives at stake, this is a fight we cannot afford to lose. Because PCRP has prioritized treatments for advanced stages of prostate cancer, maintaining funding for this program is critical now more than ever given the rise of metastatic prostate cancer in recent yearsdue to our failure to screen men at the highest risk of developing the disease more effectively. ZERO will continue to call on the DOD to protect and prioritize PCRP fundingbecause lives depend on it. We will also continue to advocate for increased education and the importance of screening. Americans deserve a future where prostate cancer is detected early, every patient receives unwavering support, and lifesaving care is within reach for all. This has been our steadfast mission for nearly 30 years and we will not stop now." About ZERO Prostate Cancer ZERO Prostate Cancer (ZERO) is on a mission to improve and save lives from prostate cancer through advocacy, education, awareness, and support. Formerly known as the National Prostate Cancer Coalition, ZERO was founded in 1996 to stand up for people impacted by prostate cancer. Today, ZERO serves as the nation's leading prostate cancer organization, advancing a future where prostate cancer detection is early, support is unwavering, and care is accessible to all. For over 30 years, ZERO has led the way in prostate cancer advocacy, screenings, and partnerships, successfully unlocking funding toward breakthrough discoveries, treatments, and lifesaving access to care. As the nation's #1 provider of prostate cancer resources, programs, and services, ZERO has supported millions of people at-risk or diagnosed, and their families. As the voice of the prostate cancer community, ZERO's urgent focus on breaking barriers to survivalby closing gaps in diagnosis, treatment, and carebrings critical attention to those most likely to be impacted by this disease. Learn more at ZEROcancer.org MEDIA CONTACT: Steph Johnson - Zero Prostate Cancer [email protected] SOURCE Zero Prostate Cancer BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Climate change is an existential challenge, and Azerbaijan, at the forefront of global discussions, plays a crucial role in addressing this issue, said Jean Baderschneider, former Vice President of ExxonMobil and CEO of The Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, Trend reports. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the XII Global Baku Forum, Baderschneider expanded on her views. "The world is rapidly changing. Today, we face global challenges that require decisive actions, including climate change. Last year, Azerbaijan showed its active stance on the world stage at COP29, taking on ambitious commitments and engaging in complex discussions. Our task now is to define the path from COP29 to COP30, to strengthen the powerful platform created during Azerbaijan's presidency," she noted. Baderschneider further articulated that the assets allocated to bolster Europe in recent years, coupled with the latent capabilities of renewable energy vectors, position Azerbaijan as a prospective nexus in the global energy landscape. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Executive Director of the Baku Initiative Group Abbas Abbasov continues his participation in the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Trend reports. On March 11, 2025, during his participation in the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council at the UN office in Geneva, Abbasov discussed the impacts of colonial policies on the food security of local populations and the lack of access to healthy food. During an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur, he highlighted that food scarcity is a serious problem in regions affected by France's colonial policies, noting that the local food industry has been destroyed and the population has become completely dependent on foreign resources. The group's head emphasized that the high poverty levels in Mayotte and French Guiana further exacerbate nutritional issues, emphasizing that young children are the most affected by these problems. Acknowledging the importance of addressing this situation, Abbasov pointed out the significance of Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Akhnoor, March 11 : The Indian Army, in collaboration with government doctors and local authorities, organised a free medical camp at the Primary Health Centre in Dagir village, Akhnoor, Jammu and Kashmir, with the aim of providing essential healthcare services to residents of remote areas, particularly women and the elderly. The camp offered free medical consultations, health check-ups, and a special lecture on women's health issues, their challenges, and solutions. The initiative sought to raise awareness while promoting overall well-being. Motivated by their experience working alongside Indian Army medical officers, the government doctors and healthcare staff pledged to serve the community with greater dedication in the future. Speaking to IANS, government doctor Sumit shared details of the camp's impact, stating, "We have screened over 200 patients today and distributed medicines free of cost. Many women diagnosed with diabetes, anaemia, and calcium deficiency, along with children, were provided with appropriate medication." Doctor Sumit acknowledged the Indian Army's continued support in conducting such medical camps in border areas. "In addition to their peacekeeping efforts, the Army actively organises these camps, offering free treatment and medication to locals. We are always grateful for their invaluable contribution," she said. Gurmeet, another government doctor and camp in charge, praised the Indian Army's initiative. "We conducted blood pressure, haemoglobin, calcium, and blood sugar level checks. Women were present in larger numbers than men, and we also conducted breast cancer screenings to ensure early detection. Patients received the best possible medication to aid their recovery," she told IANS. Expressing her gratitude, Gurmeet added, "People feel proud and grateful for the Indian Army's welfare efforts. I am proud that we had the opportunity to work with them. The Army consistently stands at the forefront, ensuring the well-being of the locals. I thank them from the bottom of my heart." A local, Satpal Sharma, who attended the camp for a health check-up, expressed his appreciation. "Our area is remote, and healthcare facilities are limited. We are thankful that the Indian Army organised this camp and hope they continue such efforts. The Army always protects us on the borders, and we stand ready to support them whenever they need us," he told IANS. The medical camp not only addressed immediate health concerns but also strengthened the bond between the Indian Army and the local community, reflecting the Army's commitment to public welfare. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Jeddah, March 12 : Ukraine signaled its readiness to accept a US proposal for an "immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire" following talks with a US delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to a joint statement. The statement, issued after hours of consultations between senior officials from the two countries, said the truce could be extended by mutual agreement, adding that "the United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace." Washington has agreed to "immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine," the statement said, adding that both sides discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts, particularly during the ceasefire period, Xinhua news agency reported. Negotiators also agreed to appoint teams to begin talks aimed at reaching a lasting peace. The US reaffirmed its commitment to engaging with Russian representatives, while Ukraine emphasised the need for European partners to be involved in the process, the statement said. Additionally, both nations' leaders agreed to finalise "as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine's economy," it added. The announcement followed a high-level meeting attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. The Ukrainian delegation included President Volodymyr Zelensky's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and others. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and National Security Advisor Musaed bin Muhammad Al-Aiban also took part in the discussions. At a press conference following the talks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope that Russia would accept the proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Ukraine. He said Ukraine's commitment will "be delivered to them directly through multiple channels," "through our diplomatic channels, through conversations, and other methods." "The ball is in their court," said Rubio, noting that if Kremlin rejects the proposal, "then we'll, unfortunately, know what the impediment is to peace here." Zelensky described the meeting as "good and constructive" on social media platform X. "If Russia agrees, the ceasefire will take effect immediately," Zelensky said. US President Donald Trump said he expects to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week and hopes Russia also agrees to the terms. When asked how close he thinks Ukraine and Russia are to a total ceasefire, Trump said, "I hope it'll be over the next few days." Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian state news agencies, "We do not rule out contacts with US representatives within the next few days." According to Russian media reports, Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for Putin, said Moscow expected Washington to inform about the talks with Ukraine, stressing that there should not be premature celebration. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X that the European Union welcomes the US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah, including the proposal for a ceasefire and the resumption of US intelligence sharing and security assistance. French President Emmanuel Macron called on European and NATO military chiefs to draw up a plan "to define credible security guarantees" for Ukraine as peace negotiations accelerated. Lisbon, March 12 : Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro lost a confidence vote, forcing his government to resign after less than a year in office. Of the 224 lawmakers who participated, only Montenegro's Social Democratic Party (PSD), the People's Party (CDS-PP), and the Liberal Initiative backed him. The Socialist Party (PS), the far-right Chega, the Left Bloc (BE), the Communist Party (PCP), Livre, and PAN's sole MP voted against him, Xinhua news agency reported. The exact vote count wasnat immediately available, but the speaker of parliament, Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco, said the centre-right government was defeated. The government, a two-party alliance led by the Social Democratic party (PSD) and in power for less than a year, had just 80 seats in the current 230-seat legislature. An overwhelming majority of opposition lawmakers had vowed to vote against it. Under Portugal's constitution, a failed confidence vote requires the government to resign. Montenegro's administration will now operate in a caretaker capacity, handling only essential and urgent matters. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is expected to dissolve parliament and call snap elections, which he previously suggested could take place on either May 11 or May 18. Montenegro initiated the confidence vote himself, following two previous confidence motions during his tenure. His leadership had come under increasing pressure due to a conflict-of-interest scandal involving a family-owned business. As leader of the center-right Democratic Alliance, Montenegro became prime minister in April 2024 after winning the general election. However, his coalition secured only 80 seats in the 230-seat parliament, compared to the PS's 78 seats and the far-right Chega's 50 seats. United Nations, March 12 : The United Nations welcomed an agreement reached by the Syrian interim government and the Kurdish-led forces after the violent escalation in the country's coastal region last week, a UN spokesman said. "We welcome the agreement signed by the leaderships of the Caretaker Authorities in Syria and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that took place on Monday," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at the daily briefing on Tuesday. Geir Pedersen, UN special envoy for Syria, expressed his hope in a statement that the agreement can support and feed into a broader, credible and inclusive political transition process, in line with the key principles of Security Council resolution 2254, that leads to a new constitution and free and fair elections, Xinhua news agency reported. Pedersen also encouraged key international stakeholders, including the US, Turkey, and regional partners, to support their Syrian partners. "That includes supporting a nationwide ceasefire and ensuring genuine compromises that enable peace and stability to take hold in the northeast part of Syria," he added. The Syrian interim government and the Kurdish-led SDF on Monday reached a deal on merging all civil and military institutions in the Kurdish-controlled region under state institutions, state news agency SANA reported. The accord also included provisions to guarantee the rights of all Syrians, the official recognition of the Kurdish community as an integral part of Syria, a nationwide ceasefire, and the protection for returning displaced Syrians, the report said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. The next, fourth in row for this year, meeting of the Pardon Issues Commission under the President of Azerbaijan took place today, reviewing over 100 petitions, the commission's member Rashad Majid told Trend. He observed that the meeting examined petitions from those convicted in relation to road accidents. "All petitions were evaluated, and determinations were rendered. The commission will persist in its activities in the forthcoming weeks," added Majid. In the initial quarter of the fiscal year, the commission convened thrice, conducting a comprehensive analysis of over 300 submissions. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Bucharest, March 12 : Romania's Constitutional Court (CCR) upheld the Central Electoral Bureau's (BEC) decision to invalidate Calin Georgescu's candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections in May. The court on Tuesday unanimously rejected appeals against BEC's ruling, which had denied the registration of Georgescu's independent candidacy. In a press release, CCR confirmed its decision following deliberations. In response, Georgescu stated in a video that his "mission" had been accomplished, claiming he had exposed "the demon in all its hideousness." George Simion, leader of the AUR party and a Georgescu supporter, condemned the ruling on X, arguing that the court was undermining democracy and essential rights, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, Crin Antonescu, the ruling coalition's candidate, said on Facebook that while he had hoped to defeat Georgescu at the ballot box, all candidates must respect established rules. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu noted that peaceful protests from those dissatisfied with the decision reflected Romania's commitment to a stable social climate. Georgescu, once a frontrunner in the presidential race, submitted his candidacy last Friday after CCR annulled last year's election results in December. However, BEC rejected his bid on Sunday, citing his failure to meet legal candidacy requirements, referencing the court's earlier ruling. With the CCR's decision now final, Georgescu will not appear on the ballot. The first round of the new presidential elections is set for May 4, with a potential runoff on May 18. New York, March 12 : US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard will be the first cabinet official to visit India. Her meetings will follow up on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's and President Donald Trump's commitment to enhance intelligence sharing. The Director of National Intelligence (DNI), who stopped at the US military's Indo-Pacific Command (PACOM) on Tuesday in the first leg of her trip, will meet with Indian leaders and officials. Next week, she will participate in the geopolitical security conference, Raisina Dialogue, in New Delhi, to which PM Modi invited her when they met in Washington last month. Before leaving Washington, she said in an X post that her trip's objective was "building strong relationships, understanding, and open lines of communication are vital to achieving President Trump's objectives of peace, freedom and prosperity". Her trip also includes stops in Japan, Thailand, and France. When PM Modi arrived in Washington last month to meet Trump, his first official meeting was with Gabbard, and he posted on X: "Discussed various aspects of the India-USA friendship, of which she's always been a strong votary". External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expanded on it in his post, "Discussions focused on enhancing intelligence cooperation in counterterrorism, cybersecurity & emerging threats". In their joint statement, PM Modi and Trump said they "committed to breaking new ground to support and sustain the overseas deployments of the US and Indian militaries in the Indo-Pacific, including enhanced logistics and intelligence sharing". While she was a member of the House of Representatives, Gabbar advocated strongly for building closer ties with India. The DNI is the head of the US Intelligence Community, comprising intelligence agencies and the intelligence functions of departments and military services, and manages the National Intelligence Program. Gabbard is a Hindu by religion, although ethnically of Samoan and Irish descent. Even while she was in Congress, she served in the Army Reserves with the rank of lieutenant colonel and is a decorated combat veteran who had been deployed to Iraq. She was elected to Congress as a member of the Democratic Party and ran unsuccessfully for the party's presidential nomination in 2020. She joined the Republican Party and endorsed Trump last year. New York, March 12 : Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters staged a rally and march in New York City in protest of the Donald Trump administration's policies on the Middle East, campus protests and immigration. Protesters on Tuesday took to the streets and marched to the City Hall in Lower Manhattan from Washington Park in the afternoon, with a dozen of them detained by the police, Xinhua news agency reported. Last Friday, the Trump administration canceled $400 million in federal funding for Columbia University in New York City on anti-Semitic grounds and opened a review of more universities. Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student, was arrested on Saturday in his university dormitory by staff members from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Khalil, a permanent resident of the United States, was instrumental in the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University that began in April 2024. Khalil's wife, a US citizen who is eight months pregnant, also received threats from the ICE, according to Khalil's attorney. These moves by the Trump administration have sparked a new wave of pro-Palestine protests in New York City. "This is the first arrest of many to come. We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it," said Trump in a post on social media on Monday. During the march, many protesters waved Palestinian flags and banners reading "Free Mahmoud Khalil." "This is anti-First Amendment. Also, the university is helping ICE arrest its students, and that's wrong and unacceptable," said Ruby Martin, a protester. Martin said she was particularly concerned that Columbia University allowed ICE on campus property to arrest students. She will also take part in another march demanding Khalil's release on Tuesday night. "The University has been involved in this mess for a long time. It's time to stop," said Katherine Wilson, an adjunct professor at two universities in New York. She carried a sign reading "Faculty Against Fascism" at the march. According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), 12 people were arrested as participants of the march reached City Hall. A hearing against Khalil, who could face deportation, is scheduled for Wednesday. Seoul, March 12 : South Korea's antitrust regulator said on Wednesday it has decided to fine the country's three major mobile carriers a total of 114 billion won (US$78.5 million) for alleged collusion in mobile number portability (MNP). SK Telecom Co., the local industry leader, was slapped with a fine of 42.7 billion won, while KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. were ordered to pay 33 billion won and 38.3 billion won, respectively, according to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), reports Yonhap news agency. The FTC said the three companies have allegedly monitored the net increase and decrease in MNP transfers on a daily basis to maintain a nearly equal distribution of switching customers between November 2015 and September 2022. They regulated daily transfer numbers using sales incentives, or payments made to distribution networks and consumers switching carriers under MNP, to control market share and minimise competition. The regulator noted that the companies had colluded to limit competition with each other in the NMP market, as the country's mobile subscription has been already saturated with virtually no new subscribers. As a result of the collusion, the net daily increase and decrease of MNP transfers hovered around 3,000 per day in 2014 but dropped to 200 in 2016, according to the FTC. In addition, the total number of daily MNP transfers declined sharply from 28,800 in 2014 to 7,200 in 2022. "By uncovering this seven-year-long collusion, we expect increased competition and lower household communication costs," an FTC official said. "The watchdog vowed to continue monitoring market practices to ensure fair competition." Meanwhile, the monthly mobile data traffic running on fifth-generation (5G) networks was expected to surpass 1 million terabytes for the first time in December, as news viewership soared following President Yoon Suk Yeol's surprise martial law declaration. The usage of the high-speed network remained above 900,000 TB since April, reaching 996,782 TB in October, according to data from the Ministry of Science and ICT. a"IANS na/ Sanaa, March 12 : Yemen's Houthi group announced the resumption of attacks against Israeli ships in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Bab al-Mandab Strait. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea on Tuesday said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV that the attacks were resumed to support the Palestinians and pressure Israel to reopen the border crossings for the entry of aid into Gaza. On Friday, Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi issued a four-day ultimatum to Israel, demanding the allowance of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave, or his group would resume naval attacks, Xinhua news agency reported. Previously, al-Houthi had warned of resuming attacks on Israeli cities and Israeli-linked commercial vessels in the Red Sea if Israel continued to violate the Gaza ceasefire. The Houthis had launched numerous drone and missile attacks targeting Israeli cities and commercial ships in the Red Sea in support of the Palestinians between November 2023 and January 19, 2025, when the Hamas-Israel ceasefire took effect. The group also attacked US aircraft carriers and naval vessels, vowing to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait if the US continued military shipments to Israel. The Houthi attacks ceased following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. However, the group now threatens to resume operations if the blockade on Gaza is not lifted. The Houthi group, which controls large swathes of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, has previously targeted vessels they say are linked to Israel in the Red Sea as support for Palestinians during the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Israel has targeted the Houthis in Yemen five times during the ongoing conflict. New Delhi, March 12 : With the festival of colours around the corner, top Indian photographers on Wednesday said that the cutting-edge camera features on iPhone 16 Pro series helped them capture more natural looking and vibrant images, capturing the true essence of Holi. New Delhi-based Bobby Roy said 48MP Fusion Camera with zero shutter lag is perfect for high-speed Holi action. "Whether it is 'gulal' flowing in the air or a spontaneous burst of laughter, the iPhone 16 Pro Max ensures you never miss the perfect frame. Make use of 48 MP Fusion camera for capturing moments instantly with zero shutter lag, so you don't miss fast-moving action," he told IANS. Try Portrait Mode. It blurs the background, keeping the focus on colourful faces for more striking Holi portraits and maximise colour accuracy, he suggested. With its 48MP Fusion Camera, 4K 120 fps slo-mo and 5x Telephoto lens for zoom, the device is designed to make your festival shots truly stand out, said ace photographers. According to Siddhartha Joshi, 4K 120 fps slo-mo video is a game-changer, letting you slow down the action to reveal every tiny detail in stunning clarity. "Film balloons bursting mid-air or colours colliding, then slow it down for a dramatic effect. Instant slo-mo edits. No extra apps needed. Just open the Photos app, select the moment, and slow it down effortlessly. Shoot in Dolby Vision," he said. According to Gursimran Basra, 48MP Main Camera with zero shutter lag can be used for fast action shots. "With 5x Telephoto Zoom capture candid moments from afar without disrupting the scene. You can even use Camera Control that mimics a DSLR shutter with half-press focus and full-press capture. Use ProRAW for professional editing or HEIF for high-quality storage. With IP68 Water & Dust Resistance, your iPhone is safe even during water fights and wet colour splashes," Basra explained. According to Rohit Vohra, street/travel photographer and educator who shot Holi images at Nandgaon, Uttar Pradesh, Ultra-Wide Camera with Autofocus is ideal for group shots and festival landscapes. IANS na/ New Delhi, March 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wished the people of Mauritius on their National Day, saying he was looking forward to being part of the celebrations. In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "National Day wishes to the people of Mauritius. Looking forward to todayas programmes, including taking part in the celebrations." He also posted a video and shared highlights of his visit so far -- from the grand welcome to his meeting with Mauritius PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam. PM Modi arrived in Mauritius on Tuesday for his two-day state visit. He held a meeting with his Mauritius counterpart Ramgoolam, where they reviewed bilateral ties and explored new avenues to elevate the "special bond to even greater heights". On Tuesday, PM Modi addressed the Banquet Dinner hosted by the Prime Minister of Mauritius. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Mauritius PM for his "emotional and inspiring thoughts". "Iam grateful to the Prime Minister, the government of Mauritius and its people for this grand welcome and hospitality. A visit to Mauritius is always very special for an Indian Prime Minister. Itas not just a diplomatic visit but an opportunity to meet family. I sensed this affinity from the very moment I set foot on the land of Mauritius. There is a sense of belonging everywhere." He said there were "no barriers of protocol. Itas a matter of privilege for me to be invited once again as Chief Guest of the Mauritius National Day. On this occasion, I extend my heartfelt wishes to you on behalf of 140 crore Indians." PM Modi said the partnership between India and Mauritius is not limited to our historic relations. It is based on shared values, mutual trust, and a common vision of a brighter future. "Your leadership has always guided and strengthened our relations. Under this leadership, our partnership continues to strengthen and expand across all areas. India takes pride in being a trusted and valued partner in the development journey of Mauritius. Together, we are working on key infrastructure projects that are leaving an indelible mark of progress across every corner of Mauritius. The results of mutual cooperation in capacity building and human resource development are becoming evident across both the government and private sectors," he said. "In every challenging moment, whether itas a natural disaster or the COVID pandemic, we have stood together like family. Today, our historical and cultural ties have taken the form of a comprehensive partnership. Friends, Mauritius is our close maritime neighbour and a key partner in the Indian Ocean region. During my last visit to Mauritius, I shared the Vision SAGAR. It places regional development, security, and shared prosperity at its core. We firmly believe that the countries of the Global South must come together and speak with a united voice. With this spirit, we prioritised the Global South as a central focus during our G20 presidency. And we invited Mauritius to join us as a special guest.," PM Modi said during his address. He further said, "As Iave said before, if there is one country in the world that has a right on India, it is Mauritius. There are no limits to our relationship. There are no limits to our hopes and aspirations towards our relations. In future, we will continue to collaborate for the prosperity of our people and the peace and security of the entire region." The Mauritian Prime Minister on Tuesday announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be conferred with the nation's highest honour, 'The Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean'. PM Modi is the first Indian to receive this prestigious award, which recognises his contributions to strengthening ties between India and Mauritius. This marks the 21st international award conferred upon PM Modi by a foreign nation. Mumbai, March 12 : Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar has given his own hilarious spin to the never-ending about "insider and outsider" conversation and said that he is very "happy to be entitled" to his own thoughts. Mumbai, March 12 (IANS) Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar has given his own hilarious spin to the never-ending about "insider and outsider" conversation and said that he is very "happy to be entitled" to his own thoughts. Karan took to his Instagram stories, where he shared a selfie from the business class of the airplane along with the picture he wrote a tongue in cheek comment about the "insider and outsider" debate that often takes place in Bollywood. "Living on a plane What a privilege to be an outsider from the plane and an insider to the warmth of my hotel room. I am so happy to be entitled to my own thoughts and cut of from WHYFI," he wrote. On March 10, Karan talked about stepping into the Punjabi cinema with Gippy Grewal's much-awaited drama, "Akaal", which will be the first Punjabi film to be released in Hindi in cinemas worldwide. He wrote: "It gives me so much pride to have Dharma Productions associating with the legendary & accomplished Gippy Grewal to mark our first foray into Punjabi cinema. Akaal not only represents the culture & history of Punjab but I am positive it will resonate on a deeper level with the entirety of India and beyond. Which is why we are even prouder to present Akaal being the first Punjabi film to be released in Hindi in cinemas worldwide...so that the magic of cinema continues to conquer beyond borders." Highlighting his primary association with Punjabi heartthrob Gippy Grewal, Karan Johar added, "@gippygrewal, here's to a start of a great partnership and hope we continue to meet where cinema begins! Akaal releasing in cinema worldwide on 10th April, 2025 in Punjabi & Hindi." Gippy Grewal has not only starred in "Akaal" but has also directed and written the project. The film will also see Nimrat Khaira, Apinderdeep Singh, Mita Vashisht, Prince Kanwaljit Singh, Nikitin Dheer, Gurpreet Ghuggi, Shinda Grewal, Ekom Grewal, and Jaggi Singh in prominent roles. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Jammu, March 12 : Leader of Opposition (LoP) and BJP MLA in J&K Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, on Wednesday welcomed the Ministry of Home Affairs's decision to ban the Awami Action Committee (ACC) and JK Ittehadul Muslimeen (JKIM) and criticised former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for opposing it. Talking to IANS here, Sunil Sharma said, "In J&K two organisations, Awami Action Committee led by Maulvi Umer Farooq and Ittehadul Muslimeen led by Abbas Ansari were working against the unity of India. "Today, the Ministry of Home Affairs has banned these two organisations. This is an appreciable decision. BJP welcomes this decision taken by the union home ministry to ban these two separatist organisations under the unlawful activities (Prevention) Act. No person and no organisation should be allowed to work against the integrity and solidarity of the country," Sharma said. When asked about former Chief Minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, who opposed the ban order, Sharma said, "The PDP is a party formed on the separatist sentiment. Separatist groups like the Hurriyat and the Jamaat-e-Islami are the foundation of the PDP. Whenever radical and anti-India parties are hammered, Madam is pained, and the pain shows in her statements," he said. Asked about the latest statement of Congress leader Rashid Alvi about the alleged targeting of Muslims, Sharma said, "These parties lived on the policy of divide and appease, which is not in line with the spirit of the Constitution, and such actions will not be acceptable now." It must be mentioned that the Union Home Ministry has banned both the ACC and the JKIM for a period of five years. The MHA issued two separatist notifications on Tuesday, banning both the Mirwaiz Umer Farooq-headed ACC and Maulvi Masroor Abbas-headed JKIM. ACC was formed by the late Mirwaiz Maulana Mohammad Farooq in 1963 during the holy relic agitation. After his assassination in 1990, his son, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, became the head of the ACC. JKIM was formed by Maulvi Abbas Ansari, and after his death, his son, Maulvi Masroor Ansari, became its chief. Soon after the ban was announced, Mehbooba Mufti took to X to voice her opposition. She wrote that the MHA's action was "another blow to Kashmir's social and political landscape". "Suppressing dissent will only deepen tensions rather than resolve them. The J&K government must intervene to stop such actions. Democracy is about more than elections - it's about protecting citizens' fundamental rights. While silencing Kashmir's voices may serve BJP's political agenda, it undermines the very Constitution that safeguards these rights. The central government must reassess its approach and move away from heavy-handed tactics," she wrote on X. Chandigarh, March 12 : The main Opposition Congress in Haryana is set to be wiped out in the civic polls as early leads in the underway counting of ballots indicated that the state ruling BJP is leading on nine out of 10 posts of mayor. In one Municipal Corporation, an Independent, a BJP rebel, is leading. The results would be the first electoral test for the Congress and the BJP after the latter won the Assembly polls in Haryana in October, 2024, for the record third consecutive term. The Congress has never contested the municipal polls on its symbol, except in the mayoral elections of three municipal corporations in December 2020. In the Mayor's election in the industrial town of Manesar, Independent candidate Inderjit Yadav is leading by 1,638 votes in the first round. He has secured 4,809 votes, while BJP's Sunder Lal got 3,171 votes. Another independent candidate Vijay Singh polled 3,133 votes. The Congress candidate Neeraj Yadav got just 273 votes. The elections for seven municipal corporations -- Gurugram, Manesar, Faridabad, Hisar, Rohtak, Karnal, and Yamunanagar -- were held on March 2, while the voting for the Panipat municipal corporation was held separately on March 9. Bypolls for the posts of mayor in Ambala and Sonipat and the election of the presidents and ward members in 21 municipal committees were also held on March 2. Votes are also being counted for municipal councils in Ambala Sadar, Pataudi-Jatauli Mandi, Thanesar, Sirsa, Sohna (by-election), and 21 other municipal councils. By-elections for the post of president in Assandh and Ismailabad municipal councils were also held. Forty-six per cent of the more than 51 lakh eligible voters exercised their franchise for civic body polls on March 2. A total of 26 ward members have already been elected unopposed. Among them, Kuldeep Singh (Faridabad), Vikas Yadav (Gurugram), Sankalp Bhandari and Sanjeev Kumar Mehta (Karnal), and Bhavna (Yamunanagar) secured unopposed wins from their respective wards in municipal corporations. Likewise, three ward members were elected unopposed in Ambala Sadar and Thanesar, while 18 others won unopposed in various municipal committees across the state. Ahead of the polls, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had exuded confidence that the BJP would win the contests. He said work would be done three times faster after the formation of a "triple-engine" government -- centre, state and the civic bodies. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trades of North Macedonia Timco Mucunski, Trend reports. Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trades of North Macedonia Timco Mucunski, Trend reports via the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan. During the meeting, ministers discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries, development of political dialogue, further enhancing the partnership in the economic, trade, energy and tourism. Bayramov emphasized the importance of further strengthening the friendship and partnership between Azerbaijan and North Macedonia, noting that mutual high-level visits and contacts contribute to the development of cooperation. The importance of identifying new opportunities for developing bilateral cooperation, expanding trade and investment ties, was also highlighted. The ministers discussed prospects for cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector and noted Azerbaijan's contribution as an energy supplier and transit country to Europe's energy security. In this context, issues related to expanding cooperation in renewable and alternative energy sources were raised. The meeting also assessed potential opportunities for developing tourism links. The importance of joint efforts to promote the rich cultural heritage and tourism opportunities of both countries was emphasized. Bayramov briefed his interlocutor on the post-conflict situation in the region, the restoration and reconstruction efforts, mine threats, and the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and brought attention to Azerbaijan's efforts in establishing peace and security in the region. The sides also considered the possibilities for cooperation between Azerbaijan and North Macedonia within the framework of international organizations and exchanged views on other matters of mutual interest. Following this, a ceremony was held with the participation of both ministers to sign an agreement between the governments of Azerbaijan and North Macedonia on the visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service/official passports," the ministry's statement reads. New Delhi, March 12 : As Airtel announced a partnership with Elon Musk's SpaceX to bring its affordable satellite internet service to India, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman, Bharti Enterprises, said on Wednesday that a new era of seamless global connectivity beckons for customers. Mittal said that soon, customers will be able to carry their mobiles to the remotest part of the world, with them in the skies and blue oceans. In his opening remark at the recently concluded 'Mobile World Congress 2025' in Barcelona, Mittal made a call to both the telecom and satellite players to work together, combine their strengths, and complete the mission of connecting the unconnected, covering the oceans and the skies as well as difficult-to-reach areas. "I am glad that this is being followed through with active announcements of partnerships between satellite companies and telecom operators," he said in a statement. Airtel has signed an agreement with Musk's SpaceX to bring Starlink's high-speed internet services to its customers in India. This is the first agreement to be signed in India, which is subject to SpaceX receiving its own authorisations to sell Starlink in the country. According to Mittal, he had made a similar appeal in my keynote address at the Mobile World Congress in 2017 for operators to slash roaming charges, which were preventing customers from carrying their home networks and seeking local SIMs or Wi-Fi hotspots. "The industry responded favourably; roaming rates went south, and the international home network switch-on rates shot up. Today, roaming tariffs across the globe are affordable," he noted, adding that "I have no doubt the satellite and the telecom industry globally will respond to my call to combine their strengths". For the telecom industry, the addition of satellite technology should be no different from bringing new technologies to its customers. "Just like 4G, 5G, and 6G in the future, we will now have one more technology in our mix, i.e. SAT-G," said Mittal. Airtel and SpaceX will explore offering Starlink equipment in Airtel's retail stores, Starlink services via Airtel to business customers, opportunities to connect communities, schools, and health centres, among many others, in even the most rural parts of India. Airtel and SpaceX will also explore how Starlink could help expand and enhance the Airtel network, as well as SpaceX's ability to utilise and benefit from Airtel's ground network infrastructure and other capabilities in India, said the company. IANS na/ Port Louis, March 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi met former Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth on Wednesday and discussed ways to further strengthen India-Mauritius cooperation across various sectors. Both leaders have a positive relationship. Pravind Jugnauth also attended the swearing-in ceremony for the Modi government's third term in June 2024. The Prime Minister will also hold a meeting with the Leader of Opposition of Mauritius, Georges Lesjongard. PM Modi is on a two-day visit to Mauritius from March 11-12. Later in the day, he is set to attend the National Day celebrations of the East African nation. Earlier in the day, he extended his best wishes to the people of Mauritius via X, stating, "National Day wishes to the people of Mauritius. Looking forward to today's programmes, including taking part in the celebrations." On Tuesday, PM Modi held "productive talks" with his Mauritian counterpart, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, in Port Louis. The discussions focused on reviewing bilateral relations, assessing ongoing collaborations, and exploring new avenues to enhance the special bond between the two nations. In a unique and symbolic gesture reflecting the deep ties between India and Mauritius, both leaders travelled together in the same car to a banquet hosted by PM Ramgoolam in honour of the visiting Indian leader. This reaffirmed the strength of their partnership, which has significantly deepened over the past decade under PM Modi's leadership. The government of Mauritius on Tuesday announced its decision to bestow the country's highest honour 'The Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean' to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his ongoing two-day State Visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago. Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam made the announcement just before PM Modi began addressing the Indian community in Mauritius on Tuesday evening. Prime Minister Modi is the first Indian to receive the honour. It is also the 21st international award bestowed upon PM Modi by a country. PM Ramgoolam had also personally welcomed PM Modi at the airport early on Tuesday morning, further highlighting the warmth of their relationship. During their meeting, PM Modi reiterated India's commitment to being a trusted development partner for Mauritius, emphasising that both countries would continue working together to advance the interests of the Global South. On Tuesday evening, PM Modi addressed a community programme in Port Louis, celebrating the deep cultural and emotional bonds between the people of India and Mauritius. "Mauritius is not just a partner country. For us, Mauritius is family," he said while addressing the gathering at the Trianon Convention Centre. Acknowledging the strong ties between the two nations, PM Modi added, "The presence of my friend, Prime Minister Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam and Mrs. Veena Ramgoolam made today's community programme in Mauritius even more special. I also handed over OCI cards to them, illustrating the importance of India-Mauritius friendship." Islamabad, March 12 : In a chilling account of the attack on the Jaffar Express in Pakistan's Balochistan province, eyewitnesses vividly recall the harrowing moments when terrorists hijacked the train, leaving over 100 passengers hostage. The attack took place on Tuesday, causing the train to derail, and chaos ensued as the assailants took control of the train. "We were shouting, and some just laid down. I also did the same; everyone lay down to save their lives," recounted one of the terrified passengers. The eyewitness described how the situation turned into a nightmare, with people scrambling to protect themselves amid the escalating violence. "There were some blasts, and we were begging for our lives," he added. "When the attackers allowed us to leave, they warned us not to turn back. My wife and a few others were among those who managed to escape." The attack occurred in the Kacchi district, a region notorious for insurgency in southwestern Balochistan. Armed militants from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) ambushed the passenger train, forcing it off the tracks and taking more than 100 passengers hostage. In the aftermath, security forces launched a full-scale military operation to rescue the hostages. As Pakistani security forces launched an operation to neutralise the attackers, intense gunfire ensued, with the terrorists reportedly being split into small groups to avoid capture. According to sources, at least 16 militants were killed during the operation, although there are still concerns about the remaining hostages' safety. While the exact details of the operation remain unclear, reports suggest that the security forces swiftly closed in on the attackers and successfully freed the majority of the hostages, though some casualties are feared. This attack highlights the ongoing security challenges faced by Pakistan in Balochistan, where militant groups have long been active in their separatist struggle against the government. The tragic event underscores the constant threat to civilian safety in conflict zones, with innocent people caught in the crossfire. As investigations continue, further details are awaited. Mumbai, March 12 : Actress Rakul Preet Singh shared a heartwarming video from what she described as the "most amazing enriching trip" with her family. In a heartfelt post, the actress revealed how special it was to spend quality time together, stating, "Adventure is our love language." She also expressed her gratitude to her husband and producer, Jackky Bhagnani for making their anniversary celebrations unforgettable. Sharing a heartfelt video, Rakul wrote, "Adventure is our love language The most amazing enriching trip .. heart is so full to see the whole family vacationing together the way we love to do could not have asked for better anniversary celebrations @jackkybhagnani @baglionimaldives thankyou for the amazing memories and hospitality." The video, filled with romantic moments between the couple, also beautifully showcases the warmth and togetherness of the family during their unforgettable vacation. The clip offers a sneak peek into Rakul and Jackky's happy moments highlighting the special bond they share, not only with each other but also with their loved ones. The 'Thank God' actress had previously shared her photos from the beach gateway and captioned the post, "Fun, family , laughter and pure joy .. this is what it feels like to be surrounded by the most important people in life #family." One of the sweet shots showed the couple in a pool, embracing each other with a beautiful ocean backdrop. The floating meal tray featured an assortment of pastries, bread, scrambled eggs, cold cuts, cheese, fruit, and condiments. Rakul wrote "My whole (heart emoji)" as the caption. On the professional front, Rakul Preet Singh has recently completed the Patiala schedule for her upcoming film "De De Pyaar De 2." In the sequel, she will reprise her role as Aisha, alongside Ajay Devgn. Directed by Anshul Sharma, "De De Pyaar De 2" also stars R. Madhavan, who will play the role of Singh's father. The first installment of the franchise, "De De Pyaar De," was released in May 2019. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Seoul, March 12 (IANS The South Korean government will go into a full emergency response mode as the U.S. tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports went into effect on Wednesday, Seoul's industry ministry said, amid efforts to minimise the impact of new U.S. duties on local industries. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held a meeting with officials from various business associations, industries, academic institutes and support institutions to devise a strategy for the Donald Trump administration's new tariff scheme. In the meeting, Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said his ministry will strengthen communication with local industries and beef up response measures against U.S. tariffs to protect the interests of Korean companies, reports Yonhap news agency. "We will work to arrange meetings between senior trade officials from Seoul and Washington for negotiations, and closely monitor response measures of other major countries affected by the U.S. tariffs," he said. The meeting took place as the Trump administration's 25 per cent duties on all steel and aluminum imports kicked off at 1:01 p.m. (Korea time). South Korea was the fourth-largest exporter of steel to the U.S. last year, accounting for 9 percent of Washington's steel imports, according to data from the U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA). The country was also the fourth-biggest exporter of aluminum to the U.S., taking up about 4 percent of the U.S.' aluminum imports. Washington also plans to impose levies on various other goods, including automobiles, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, as well as reciprocal tariffs on its trading partners, in the near future. To help with Korean companies' response to U.S. duties, the industry ministry plans to hold briefing sessions on Washington's trade policies, operate an emergency help desk and provide consultations on business strategies that it says may include diversification of export destinations and relocation of manufacturing facilities. The ministry also plans to devise a set of strategies to bolster the global competitiveness of carmakers and other major industries. a"IANS na/ New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, March 12 : After the exit of Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, it's a fresh start in Kerala as new Governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan jointly received Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at Kerala House in Delhi, on Wednesday morning. Also present was Kerala's representative in Delhi -- former Congress leader and ex-Union Minister K.V. Thomas. Following a breakfast meeting, Sitharaman shared a picture of the courtesy call on her social media X handle. The warm reception came after Arlekar hosted a dinner on Tuesday night for Vijayan and all the Kerala MPs. Expressing optimism, Arlekar emphasized the importance of unity for Kerala's development. "Beyond political differences, I urge all MPs from Kerala to work together in the state's interest. I understand Kerala's needs and will collaborate with the CM to highlight them before the Centre," Arlekar said. Welcoming the Governor's approach, Vijayan said, "It's encouraging to see the Governor become part of Team Kerala. Let this mark a new beginning for all of us." CM Vijayan also posted on X, "Had a warm interaction with Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs @nsitharaman, in the presence of @KeralaGovernor, at Kerala House in New Delhi. Kerala's Special Representative in Delhi, Prof KV Thomas, also attended the meeting." Thiruvananthapuram Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also praised Arlekar's initiative, writing on X: "Greatly appreciate the gesture of @KeralaGovernor Rajendra Arlekar in hosting all Kerala MPs for a dinner discussion on the state's challenges and the need for collective action. @CMOKerala @pinarayivijayan also attended and spoke briefly. This unusual gesture augurs well for our combined efforts to develop the state, beyond our political differences." The cordial atmosphere marks a sharp contrast to the strained relationship between former Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and CM Vijayan. During Khan's tenure, tensions often escalated publicly, with the two leaders barely acknowledging each other, even when sharing the same platform. A telling sign of their frosty ties was the absence of a customary farewell for Khan -- neither Vijayan nor his cabinet colleagues paid him a formal visit when he was departing from Kerala for Bihar. However, Vijayan notably cut short a media briefing to personally receive the new Governor, Arlekar, signaling a shift towards a more cooperative relationship. Amaravati, March 12 : Police in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district foiled a robbery attempt in the house of a leading businessman after a high drama for nearly three hours on Wednesday. Police arrested five robbers and seized two firearms and rubber bullets from them. The incident on Gandhi Road in the town created a sensation and after an operation that lasted for nearly three hours, police brought the situation under control with the arrest of the robbers. According to police, a group of robbers barged into the house of Chandrasekhar, the owner of a shop selling children's clothing, toys and other items, around 6 a.m. and opened fire in the air. In the incident, he reportedly sustained injuries. In a dramatic twist to the case, the police arrested a local businessman for the robbery. Within hours after the incident, police arrested the owner of a furniture shop, who had allegedly hired the robbers to target Chandrasekhar's place, located adjacent to Pushpa Kids World. Police swung into action after getting information about the incident and sealed Gandhi Road to catch the robbers. Armed police surrounded the residence and some of them climbed on the rooftop to enter the premises. As the intruders were armed, policemen moved cautiously to deal with the situation. Personnel from the Organisation for Counter Terrorist Operations (OCTOPUS) also rushed to Chittoor from Tirupati for the operation. The police personnel managed to overpower the robbers and took them into custody. Two firearms and rubber bullets were seized from them. The questioning of the accused revealed that a local businessman hatched the plot to commit robbery at Chandrasekhar's house. The furniture shop owner hired criminals from Karnataka and north India to execute the plan. Police arrested the accused and he was being questioned. Chennai, Mar 12 : Lydian Nadhaswaram, who is ace music director Ilaiyaraaja's 'first and only' student, has now explained in detail how Isaignani Ilaiyaraaja's words and guidance had enabled him to come up with his first symphony, 'New Beginnings'. On the day Ilaiyaraaja created history by becoming the first Indian to present a western classical symphony at the Eventim Apollo theatre in London, Lydian, through a video posted on his X timeline, announced that he had composed his first symphony titled 'New Beginnings'. In this video, Lydian said Ilaiyaraaja had encouraged him saying, 'You too must do a symphony.' And that it was only because of his encouragement, that he had come up with his first symphony. However, when Ilaiyaraaja was asked if he had told Lydian to write a symphony. Ilaiyaraaja said, "Lydian was a student who came to me for learning music. Once, he told me he had composed a symphony and played a piece of music he had programmed. Within 20 to 30 seconds, I told him, "Why have you made this like a film background score? This is wrong. This is not a symphony. First learn what a symphony is and then compose it." Now, Lydian, in an interview to a news channel, has thrown light on what exactly happened and how Ilaiyaraaja's words had inspired him to compose a symphony. Lydian explained, "Two years ago, when I went to attend classes, I once asked him (Ilaiyaraaja), "Uncle, which symphony orchestra did you use to do the film 'Neethane En Ponvasantham'? I asked him that because I like that album a lot. At that time, he asked, 'Why? Are you going to do a symphony, Lydian?' I replied, 'No, no uncle.' He replied, 'You must not say no. You too will do a symphony. You must learn it properly and do it. You must get awards and keep it at home.' "Those words were what motivated me. They were encouraging. After that conversation, a couple of classes later, I composed a small piece and played it for him, saying, 'Uncle, I have composed something like a symphony. Please listen to it.' "He listened to it for 20 to 30 seconds and said, 'This is not like symphony Lydian. This is like a background score. Read what a symphony is. There are lots of rules and regulations for it. It has a form, a structure. Read well about it and do a symphony.' So, I wouldn't have done this symphony if he hadn't said those words two years ago. He is the right teacher and that is why he corrected me when I went wrong. He encouraged me to correct myself, study it and do it properly. So, I bow my head to him. If I have now completed scoring this symphony, it is his blessings," Lydian informed. --IANS Mkr/ -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, March 12 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Wednesday demanded clarification from the BJP government, asking if they would keep their promise of providing free LPG cylinders to women in Delhi on Holi or if it would turn out to be another unfulfilled election gimmick. Speaking to IANS she remarked, "I want to ask the BJP government and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta if they will fulfil their poll promise of providing free cooking gas cylinders to women in Delhi on Holi, or will it prove to be another gimmick like providing monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 to all women?" The AAP leader pointed out that the BJP had earlier promised to give Rs 2,500 per month to all women in Delhi, a promise that Atishi stated had not been honoured. With Holi just days away, Atishi emphasised that women in Delhi were anxiously waiting to see if the BJP would keep its word. "Women are waiting to see if they will receive their free gas cylinders as promised by the BJP. If they don't, it will prove that the free gas cylinder promise was just another gimmick" Atishi added. As the Holi festival approaches, Atishi has claimed that women across Delhi are already protesting in various parts of the city. Holding empty cooking gas cylinders in hand, they are demanding that the BJP fulfil its promises. In a press conference earlier on Tuesday Atishi raised questions about the BJP's pre-poll promise to provide free cooking gas cylinders to women in Delhi on the occasion of Holi. Reacting to the AAP's allegations, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva defended his party's stance, claiming that, unlike the AAP, the BJP does not make promises without ensuring proper financial planning. The BJP in its manifesto for the February 5 Delhi Assembly polls promised to provide cooking gas cylinders to women from economically weaker sections of society for Rs 500 along with two refills free of charge on Holi and Diwali. Kolkata, March 12 : After Trinamool Congress announced not to ally with the grand old party in the West Bengal Assembly polls, it is to be seen whether Congress will forge an alliance with the Left Front or go it alone. Sources in the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) said there is a divided house in the grand old party over the alliance with the CPI(M)-led Left Front. "Those against any understanding to continue in the 2026 Assembly polls have their logic. Congress first had an alliance with Trinamool Congress in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls and 2011 Assembly elections. Their logic is that Trinamool Congress constantly weakened Congress in West Bengal by poaching the latter's elected public representatives one after another," said a senior state Congress leader. "This section also feels that the seat-sharing arrangement with Left Front, which started since 2016 Assembly polls and continued till the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, had blurred the vision of the state Congress leadership to strengthen its organisational strength in the state and instead depend entirely on the seat-sharing arrangement with Left Front," the leader said. However, the state Congress leader added that there is an opposite view within the state unit of the party in this matter. "They feel that Congress' current organisational strength in West Bengal is in such a state, that any decision to go alone in the 2026 Assembly polls will mean accepting the defeat before the battle is fought. Now since both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee have ruled out all possibilities of any Congress-Trinamool Congress alliance in the 2026 polls, the only alternative for Congress in case of any seat-sharing arrangement is with the Left Front," the state Congress leader said. However, he added, Congress' central high command is not in favour of enforcing any decision on this issue on the state leadership. "Rather our central leadership wants to reach a decision only after feeling the pulse of the state Congress leadership and more importantly the grassroots level Congress workers. A delegation of the All India Congress committee is expected to be on a tour to West Bengal either in June or July this year which might be headed by our national president Mallikarjun Kharge. This delegation will interact with the different levels of state leadership on this issue and only after that, any decision on seat sharing arrangement will be reached," said the WBPCC leader. Complications on the seat sharing agreement are there on the part of CPI(M) as well, which surface from the proposals in the draft political resolution for the 24th party Congress scheduled at Madurai in Tamil Nadu in April this year. In that draft political resolution, released last month, the CPI(M)'s central leadership focussed more on independent political lines in the coming days rather than on electoral understanding. "The party should pay more attention to the independent political campaign and mass mobilisation around the political platform of the party. There should be no blurring of our independent identity or diminishing of our independent activities in the name of electoral understanding or alliances," the draft political resolution of CPI(M) read. To maintain the independent line, the draft resolution had cautiously touched upon West Bengal and Tripura, where the CPI(M)- led Left Front had electoral understanding and seat-sharing arrangements with Congress in the past elections. "A significant increase in the strength of the party requires the rebuilding and expansion of the party and the Left in West Bengal and Tripura. In West Bengal, while conducting mass struggles and movements, special attention should be paid to working among the rural poor and organising them. The party has to focus more on the political and ideological fight against the BJP while opposing both the TMC and BJP," the draft political resolution as regards the West Bengal perspective has stressed. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trades of North Macedonia Timco Mucunski, Trend reports via the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan. During the meeting, ministers discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries, development of political dialogue, further enhancing the partnership in the economic, trade, energy and tourism. Bayramov emphasized the importance of further strengthening the friendship and partnership between Azerbaijan and North Macedonia, noting that mutual high-level visits and contacts contribute to the development of cooperation. The importance of identifying new opportunities for developing bilateral cooperation, expanding trade and investment ties, was also highlighted. The ministers discussed prospects for cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector and noted Azerbaijan's contribution as an energy supplier and transit country to Europe's energy security. In this context, issues related to expanding cooperation in renewable and alternative energy sources were raised. The meeting also assessed potential opportunities for developing tourism links. The importance of joint efforts to promote the rich cultural heritage and tourism opportunities of both countries was emphasized. Bayramov briefed his interlocutor on post-conflict situation in the region, the restoration and reconstruction efforts, mine threats, the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and brought attention to Azerbaijan's efforts in establishing peace and security in the region. The sides also considered the possibilities for cooperation between Azerbaijan and North Macedonia within the framework of international organizations and exchanged views on other matters of mutual interest. Following this, a ceremony was held with the participation of both ministers to sign an agreement between the governments of Azerbaijan and North Macedonia on the visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service/official passports," the ministry's statement reads. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Johannesburg, March 12 : South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his deep condolences to the bereaved families after a tragic bus crash in the country's northeastern province of Gauteng claimed 16 lives. The accident occurred at about 6:45 a.m. local time (0445 GMT) on Tuesday when a bus flipped on a highway in Ekurhuleni City near Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport. The death toll has risen to 16 after 12 people were confirmed dead at the scene, and 45 others were transported to hospitals with injuries. According to a statement issued by the South African Presidency, Ramaphosa is "deeply saddened" by the reported deaths of the 16 people. "While the cause of the recent incident is still under investigation, we are reminded that tragedies such as these leave more than physical scars, as they cause trauma that affects family relationships and the lives of survivors," said Ramaphosa. The President also raised people's attention to road safety and urged drivers to be careful. "We must reflect on the responsibility and conduct of everyone who gets behind the wheel of a vehicle in our country. The biggest factor in crashes is human error, and drivers must ensure vehicles are roadworthy and obey the rules of the road," he noted. South Africa has witnessed multiple car accidents recently. On March 5, a bus carrying 35 passengers and a truck collided in the country's central province of Free State, killing 10 people. On March 9, at least nine passengers lost their lives in a road incident in the country's eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, Xinhua news agency reported. According to Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy, most road accidents in South Africa are caused by human error, which includes speeding, overtaking in prohibited areas, and drunken driving. Creecy had asked the Road Traffic Management Corporation to meet with all bus operators soon, to speak about improving passenger safety. Port Louis, March 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, witnessed the signing of eight Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on Wednesday, covering a wide range of sectors, including crime investigation, maritime traffic monitoring, infrastructure diplomacy, commerce, capacity building, finance, and the ocean economy. During a joint press meet, PM Modi extended his greetings to the people of Mauritius on their National Day and highlighted the deep-rooted ties between the two nations. "The relationship between India and Mauritius is not only linked to the Indian Ocean but also to our shared cultural traditions and values. We are each other's partners on the path of economic and social progress. Be it a natural disaster or Covid disaster, we have always supported each other, be it defence or education or health or space, we are walking shoulder to shoulder in every field," he said. Reflecting on the progress made over the past decade, PM Modi pointed out that the partnership has expanded significantly, adding new dimensions to bilateral cooperation. He cited notable projects such as the Metro Express, the Supreme Court building, social housing initiatives, the ENT hospital, and digital advancements like UPI and RuPay cards, all of which have strengthened trade and tourism ties. Additionally, he mentioned the establishment of Jan Aushadhi Kendras to provide affordable and high-quality medicines to the people of Mauritius. Emphasising the commitment to an "Enhanced Strategic Partnership," PM Modi announced that India would support the construction of a new parliament building in Mauritius as a "gift from the Mother of Democracy." He also revealed plans to modernise a 100-kilometer-long water pipeline in Mauritius and initiate new community development projects worth 500 million Mauritian rupees in the second phase of collaboration. "In the next five years, 500 civil servants of Mauritius will be trained in India. An agreement has also been reached on settling mutual trade in local currency on our beaches. The Prime Minister and I agree that defence cooperation and maritime security are an important part of our strategic partnership. A free, open, secure and safe Indian Ocean is our main priority. We are committed to providing full cooperation in the security of the exclusive economic zone of Mauritius," he continued. As part of security collaborations, India will assist in establishing a police academy and a national maritime information-sharing centre in Mauritius. PM Modi also highlighted increased cooperation in white shipping, the blue economy, and hydrography. He reiterated India's respect for Mauritius' sovereignty, promising greater collaboration through platforms like the Colombo Security Conclave, the Indian Ocean Rim Association, and the Indian Ocean Conference. Highlighting the significance of people-to-people ties, PM Modi stated that India and Mauritius would work together to leverage artificial intelligence and digital public infrastructure for human development. "Facilities will be provided for Char Dham Yatra and Ramayana trial in India for the people of Mauritius. Emphasis will be given to the protection and promotion of inscribed heritage," he said. "Whether it is the global south, Indian Ocean, or African landmass, it is our important partner. Ten years ago, the foundation stone of vision SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)... was laid here in Mauritius. We are moving forward with the vision of SAGAR for the stability and prosperity of this entire region. Today, taking this forward, I would like to say that our vision for the global south will be to go beyond the sea and become the ocean," he added. Welcoming PM Modi, Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam expressed gratitude for his presence on Mauritius' National Day, calling it a testament to the "unique and special relationship" between the two nations. He recalled that while diplomatic ties were formally established in 1948, the historical and cultural connection between the people of India and Mauritius dates back centuries. "The resounding success of the community event held last evening at the Triano Convention Centre, which gathered both Mauritian citizens and members of the Indian diaspora with a clear illustration of the vibrancy of shared cultural heritage. I am proud to underscore the dynamic partnership between our two countries," he said. "Mauritius continues to benefit from Indian assistance for its socio-economic development," Ramgoolam said, highlighting the signing of the eight MoUs as another milestone in bilateral cooperation. Among the agreements was an MoU between the Central Bank of Mauritius and the Reserve Bank of India on a Local Currency Settlement System, facilitating smoother financial transactions between the two nations. Another key agreement included a Credit Facility Agreement between the Government of Mauritius and the State Bank of India to finance projects under the Pipe Replacement Programme, aimed at improving the country's water infrastructure. Additionally, an MoU was signed between the Institute of Foreign Service of India and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and International Trade of Mauritius to train Mauritian diplomats. Security and law enforcement collaborations were also reinforced through an MoU on the Sharing of White Shipping Information between the Indian Navy and the Mauritius Police Force, aimed at enhancing maritime security. Further strengthening financial oversight, the Financial Crimes Commission of Mauritius and India's Enforcement Directorate signed an MoU to bolster efforts in combating financial crimes. In the economic sector, an MoU was inked between the Ministry of Industry, SMEs, and Cooperatives of Mauritius and India's Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, fostering collaboration in the development of MSMEs. Another agreement was signed between the Ministry of Public Service and Administrative Reforms of Mauritius and India's National Centre for Good Governance to train Mauritian public officers. The two nations also formalised an MoU between the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, under India's Ministry of Earth Sciences, and the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration, and Exploration under the Mauritius Prime Minister's Office. This agreement aims to enhance cooperation in ocean-related research and exploration. The high-level engagements and agreements signed during PM Modi's visit reaffirm the growing strength of India-Mauritius relations, paving the way for deeper collaboration across diverse sectors, from governance and infrastructure to trade, security, and culture. Los Angeles, March 12 : Hollywood actress Denise Richards is disturbed with her daughter, Sami Sheen's decision to get a nose job. During an episode of 'Denise Richards & Her Wild Things', Denise Richards' 20-year-old daughter, whom she shares with ex Charlie Sheen, revealed she was getting a nose job, reports 'People' magazine. On their way to the consultation, Sami explained that this is something she has wanted "for as long as I can remember. Imagine how much prettier I'll be", Sami said as Denise rolled her eyes. "(I'll be) able to contour without there being lumps on the side of it. Maybe we need to take you to an eye doctor", the 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' alum, 54, quipped, insisting Sami looked great. As per 'People', reflecting on her high school experience, Sami opened up about what pushed her to want a rhinoplasty. She said that people made fun of her nose, which deepened her insecurity. "I had to deal with kids bullying me", she shared. "People would say I looked like my dad. I actually got a comment the other day of someone saying, 'You'll never be as pretty as your mom'". Sami then joked that even if she "lived in Alabama" and had parents who "worked a normal job", she would still want a different nose. "I have this freaking honker stuck to my face", she declared. When Denise disagreed, she said, "Mom, I'm literally paying for your nose". In her confessional, Denise admitted that it makes her emotional to know Sami wants to get plastic surgery. "For my daughter to want to get her nose done, it made me so sad. I feel bad that she has to live up to my nose, or whatever, because I don't want (my daughters) to feel they have to look a certain way", she said breaking down in tears. "There were times I wanted to move the kids out of Los Angeles, and I couldn't because of where I worked. And they had two parents in this business. I feel bad". -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Patna, March 12 : Darbhanga Mayor Anjum Ara has sparked controversy by requesting a two-hour pause in Holi celebrations on Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., citing respect for Jumme ki Namaz (Friday prayers). "The celebration of Holi can be adjusted, but the time for Friday prayers cannot be changed," Ara said, urging a break in Holi festivities near mosques and prayer sites. She emphasised that Holi and Ramzan have coexisted peacefully in the past. Ara made the statement during a peace committee meeting organised by the Darbhanga district administration on Tuesday evening ahead of Holi and Friday prayers. After the meeting, she reiterated her stance publicly, triggering a political backlash. Janata Dal-United (JDU) MLC Neeraj Kumar strongly criticised Ara, stating that public representatives should direct suggestions to the appropriate authorities rather than the media. "Law and order is the responsibility of the civil and police administration, not politicians who are giving statements in media. Anyone who disturbs peace will face consequences," Kumar asserted. Darbhanga MP Gopal Jee Thakur condemned Ara's remarks, saying, "Do not provoke the sentiments of Sanatanis while holding a constitutional post. The land of Mithila is known for peace and harmony, and people here celebrate Holi with mutual brotherhood." However, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Mohammad Anzar Naimi and JDU Minister Shrawan Kumar both distanced themselves from Araas remarks. "If she made any provocative statement, it should be stopped," Naimi said. Shrawan Kumar added, "Holi and Ramzan have coincided peacefully in the past, and such statements are unnecessary." The local administration has not issued any official directive on the matter. Following the backlash, Anjum Ara expressed regret over her statement. "Since morning, people have been calling me a Bangladeshi and a traitor. I urge the media to investigate me thoroughly, and if any wrongdoing is found, take strict action," she said. She accused the BJP of targeting her, adding, "My only intention was to ensure that all festivals are celebrated peacefully in Darbhanga." Bhopal, March 12 : Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presented a Rs 4.21 lakh crore budget in the state Assembly on Wednesday. This is Rs 48,954 crore more than the previous year's budget of Rs 3.75 lakh crore. Keeping the estimated fiscal deficit at 4 per cent of GSDP, this budget is focused on the target of doubling the budget size and GSDP of the state by the year 2029-30. The state Finance Minister made a provision of Rs 5,220 crore under the Chief Minister Kisan Kalyan Yojana, while the Minister said a provision of Rs 2,001 crore has been made under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance scheme). The Finance Minister proposed an allocation of Rs 18,669 crore for the Ladli Behna scheme and Rs 1,193 crore under the Ladli Laxmi Yojna, while an amount of Rs 17,136 crore was proposed to be allocated for the Jal Jeevan Mission. Minister Devda said his government focused more on good governance. He said, "Our government has decided that the allowances currently payable to the government servants will be revised in accordance with the relevant levels of the Seventh Pay Commission from April 1, 2025." Similarly, the Minister said a provision of Rs 1,000 crore under the Chief Minister Krishak Faral Uparjan Rahayata Yojana and an equal amount has been earmarked for the payment of bonuses on crop procurement from farmers at the support price. Making another announcement for agriculture and allied activities, the Minister said an amount of Rs 850 crore has been made under the Chief Minister Krishak Unnati Yojana, and a provision of Rs 505 crore under Gau Samvardhan and Animal Conservation has also been made. As several thousand cows are protected in various cowsheds, an amount of Rs 40 per cow is given to the cowsheds across the state, which has been doubled from the past year. To fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resolution of Developed India 2047, the Finance Minister said, "Our government has also kept the vision of Developed Madhya Pradesh 2047; this budget of the state is moving towards achieving that resolution." Announcing the size of the economy of the state, the Minister said the economy of the state has to be made 2 trillion dollars (about Rs 250 lakh crore) by the year 2047. "This budget is a draft to implement the 'GYAN' (Gareeb, Yuva, Annadata and Nari) mantra of PM Modi in the form of a vision on the land of Madhya Pradesh...This budget will strengthen the happiness and prosperity of villages, poor, youth, food providers, women and farmers," the Minister said. On other social sector allocation, Minister Devda announced a provision of Rs 7,132 crore under Atal Griha Jyoti Yojana, another provision of Rs 5,299 crore under reimbursement for free electricity supply to 5 HP agricultural pumps and one light connection by state electricity board, a provision of Rs 700 crore under the Mukhyamantri Jan Kalyan (Sambal) Yojana, an amount of Rs 1,277 crore is earmarked under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat). The estimated revenue receipts of the state are Rs 2,90,879 crore, which includes the state's own tax amount of Rs 1,09,157 crore, the state's share in central taxes of Rs 1,11,662 crore, non-tax revenue of Rs 21,399 crore and grants-in-aid received from the Center of Rs 48,661 crore. In the year 2025-26, the state's own tax revenue is estimated to increase by 7 per cent as compared to the budget estimate of the year 2024-25. In the year 2025-26, the capital outlay is estimated to increase by about 31 per cent as compared to the budget estimate of the year 2024-25. New Delhi, March 12 : Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi on Wednesday after being admitted for three days due to health issues. Expressing his gratitude, he acknowledged the medical team's exceptional care during his hospitalisation. The 73-year-old leader was admitted to AIIMS in the early hours of Sunday, March 9, after experiencing uneasiness and chest pain. He was immediately placed in the Critical Care Unit (CCU) under the supervision of Dr Rajiv Narang, Head of Cardiology at AIIMS. Following a successful medical procedure, including the implantation of a stent, his condition stabilised, leading to his discharge on March 12. Taking to social media platform X, Dhankhar expressed his appreciation, stating, "Deeply appreciate the exemplary care and professionalism of the medical team at AIIMS, New Delhi, from my admission on March 9 to discharge on March 12. Their dedication and meticulous attention ensured a smooth recovery. Grateful for the concern and good wishes from well-wishers across India and beyond. Your thoughtful gestures have been truly heartening." On the day the Vice President was admitted, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda visited AIIMS to check on his health and wished him a speedy recovery. PM Modi also took to X to share his concern, posting, "Went to AIIMS and enquired about the health of Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji. I pray for his good health and speedy recovery." Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had also extended his prayers for Vice President Dhankhar's well-being, posting on social media, "Received the news of Honourable Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar ji being unwell. I pray to God for his better health and speedy recovery." Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had also taken to X and posted, "I received the news of Honorable Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar ji being unwell. I pray to Baba Mahakal that he gets well soon and contributes to the progress of the nation with full energy." Dhankhar, who assumed office as the 14th Vice President of India on August 11, 2022, has had a distinguished political career. Born on July 18, 1951, in Kalibanga, Rajasthan, he previously served as the Governor of West Bengal before being elected Vice President. Before this, he represented Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu constituency in the 9th Lok Sabha. With his discharge from AIIMS, the Vice President is expected to resume his official duties soon. Bengaluru, March 12 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has written a letter to his Karnataka counterpart, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, seeking his support in opposing delimitation. The letter is released by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) in Bengaluru on Wednesday. In his letter, Stalin has said that he is reaching out to CM Siddaramaiah with two specific requests. "Your formal consent to join a Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in the South to West Bengal and Odisha to Punjab in the North," he added. CM Stalin has also sought nomination of one senior representative from the Congress who can serve on the JAC and help coordinate a unified strategy. In his letter, the Tamil Nadu CM also states, "As an initial step towards unified action, I propose an inaugural meeting in Chennai on March 22, to chart our collective course forward. This moment demands leadership and collaboration, rising above political differences and standing up for our collective good." "What is at stake is not any abstract principle -- it is our state's ability to secure rightful resources for development, to influence crucial policies on education and healthcare and to ensure our economic priorities receive due attention in the national agenda. Let us stand together not as separate political entities but as protectors of our people's future." "I await your response and look forward to your response to your presence in Chennai on March 22," CM Stalin underlined. Stalin, in the beginning of the letter, said, "The essence of India's democracy rests on its federal character. Today, I write with urgency at this balance faces a profound threat that could permanently diminish the influence of states like ours in shaping our nation's future." "With the 2021 Census delayed, the delimitation exercise -- originally expected after the 2031 Census -- could now take place much earlier than anticipated. This acceleration gives us very little time to protect our interests. The question is no longer if delimitation will happen, but when and whether it will honour the contributions of states that have advanced our national priorities," he added. "Post 2026, the situation may become drastically skewed if the exercise is conducted as per the next census population. Those states which controlled population and achieved superior governance indicators will face an unjust punishment -- reduced representation in the very forum where national policies are determined," he said. "Once implemented, this democratic imbalance could persist for decades, leaving our states with diminished capacity to advocate our people's interests, secure rightful resources and influence critical national decisions. For record, we are not against delimitation itself. What we oppose is its weaponisation against states that fulfilled their national duties, thus punishing progress," Stalin added. India conducted delimitation excercises in 1952, 1963, and 1973. However, in 1976, the process was frozen through the 42nd Amendment until the first Census after 2000, to encourage population control. As population disparities continued to persist, the 84th Constitutional Amendment further extended the freeze until the first Census after 2026, Stalin said. The delimitation math is simple and sobering. Reports suggest that the delimitation exercise is being considered based on population, with two potential approaches. In the first case, the existing 553 seats could be redistributed among the states, and in the second case, the total number of seats could be increased beyond 800. In both scenarios, all the states that have successfully implemented population control measures stand to lose significantly if the exercise is based on post-2026 population. "We should not be penalised for effectively controlling population growth and upholding national development goals," CM Stalin added. Manila, March 12 : Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is being taken to face the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague, Netherlands, on charges of crimes against humanity, local media reported on Wednesday. He was arrested under a warrant issued on orders of the ICC at Manila airport on Tuesday morning upon his arrival from Hong Kong. He is facing charges before the ICC for his role in alleged extrajudicial killings committed during his administration's war on drugs. Human rights groups estimate that more than 30,000 people were killed during the drug war, many of them were accused without evidence and executed without trial. Philippines Senate President Francis Escudero on Wednesday commended law enforcement, legal representatives, and supporters for the orderly and incident-free serving of the arrest warrant from ICC against former President Duterte. In a statement, Escudero highlighted the country's commitment to international agreements, calling the warrant's execution a testament to the "maturity, civility, calm, and professionalism" displayed by all parties involved, according to the state-run Philippine News Agency. "As this legal process unfolds, we expect the ICC to respect the rights of former President Duterte and to ensure that he is afforded due process in accordance with the Rule of Law," he said. Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday stated that the Philippine government followed all the legal procedures in the arrest of Duterte. Addressing a press conference, Marcos said, "We followed all the legal procedures that are necessary. I am confident that in further examination, you will find that it is proper and correct," adding that there is a "very good basis" to serve the ICC's arrest warrant against Duterte. Marcos denied that Duterte's arrest was unlawful, stating that the Philippine government was "merely complying with the International Criminal Police Organisation's (Interpol) request to enforce the ICC order." The ICC issued the arrest warrant last week against Duterte to ensure his appearance before the tribunal in connection with its investigation of his bloody war on drugs. The chamber is investigating Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity over the deaths linked to his war on drugs when he was mayor of Davao City and later as President of the Philippines, according to media reports. Meanwhile, the chamber also maintained that, despite the Philippines' withdrawal from the ICC on March 17, 2019, it still retains jurisdiction over the alleged crimes that occurred while the Philippines was still a state party to the Rome Statute, specifically from November 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019. Kolkata, March 12 : A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Wednesday, lifted the earlier ban on any political rally in the locality in the vicinity of the Jadavpur University (JU) campus in Kolkata till March 13 without prior permission of the court, which the same bench had earlier imposed last week amid the prevailing and continuing tension in the area then over the ruckus within the university premises on March 1. Lifting the ban on Wednesday, the single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh observed that the earlier order by his bench on March 8 had been enforced partially and the court is not keen to retain the responsibility in the matter further. Justice Ghosh also observed that henceforth the organisations or parties willing to conduct the rallies in the area will have to approach the administrative authorities concerned for the permission and the latter would decide on the matter. On March 8, while imposing the interim ban on any political rally in the vicinity of the university campus till March 13, Justice Ghosh had also directed the police administration to ensure that no permission for rally is given to any political outfit during the period fixed by the court. The lifting of the ban is significant since the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has announced that BJP will start a massive agitation programme on the issue of the ongoing crisis in Jadavpur University once the higher secondary examination in the state board is over. In such a situation, several rounds of legal battle will be inevitable in case the police administration denies permission to BJP to conduct political programmes in the vicinity of Jadavpur University. The ruckus broke out within the Jadavpur University campus on Saturday when the State Education Minister Bratya Basu's car was allegedly stopped after it entered the campus, and a scuffle followed. The students were demanding immediate elections for the university's students' council. The protesting students alleged that while Minister Basu decided to leave the campus in the aftermath of the protests, his vehicle deliberately hit two protesting students, following which they were severely injured and had to be hospitalised. Amid the protests, the West Bengal Minister received minor injuries and fell sick. He was taken to the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College and Hospital and was discharged later. Kolkata, March 12 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday, made a highly sensitive statement on the floor of the Assembly when she claimed that the Ramzan month is being chosen deliberately by some people to hurt the Muslims. "Ramzan month is being deliberately chosen by some to hurt the Muslims. But people from minority communities should be rest assured. The unity of all religions will prevail," the Chief Minister said while addressing the House on the third day of the second round of Budget session of the Assembly here on Wednesday noon. Tension prevailed on the floor of the House since Chief Minister Banerjee made an entry there, with Trinamool Congress legislators protesting against some "reportedly offensive" comments made by the Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, about the minority MLAs of the ruling Trinamool Congress while speaking to the mediapersons at the Assembly gate on Tuesday. Even when the Chief Minister started speaking, her speech was disrupted by a heated and loud exchange of statements between the Trinamool Congress and BJP legislators. At a time, Chief Minister Banerjee was heard accusing the BJP legislators of playing communal cards in politics. "Humanity is the biggest lesson of religion. But you people always play the communal card in politics. Please do not exploit religion for narrow political gains. I am myself a Hindu. I do not need a certificate from you for that," she said. She also accused the BJP of insulting the tradition of Bengal. "Please do not insult Bengal. Please do not try to divide Bengal in the name of religion. Why don't you have Muslim candidates in elections? Almost 79 per cent of my party's candidates in any election are Hindus. We also have an adequate number of women candidates. The crow is trying to pose as a peacock now," the Chief Minister said. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister also launched a scathing attack against the Leader of Opposition but without directly naming the latter. "It is better to ignore him (LoP Suvendu Adhikari). He joined Trinamool Congress realising that he had no future in Congress. After that he joined the BJP after creating confusion within Trinamool Congress. Very soon he will get joining request from any other party," CM Banerjee said. During his turn to speak, the Chief Whip of BJP's Legislative Party in the Assembly, Shankar Ghosh, said that the Chief Minister chose to remain silent when many of her heavyweight Muslim Cabinet members attacked the Hindus regularly. "No action is taken against such Ministers," Ghosh said. Later, the BJP legislators staged a walkout and sat in a sit-in protest at the gate of the Assembly led by the Leader of Opposition. Central Asia a land where history's caravan routes once crisscrossed and empires clashed is back in the global spotlight, this time as the battleground for an all-out economic slugfest. The contenders? The United States and China. Forget missiles and warships this showdown is all about tariffs, sanctions, and investment projects. And guess what? Central Asia isnt just caught in the crossfire its smack in the middle of the battlefield. Beijing's playing the long game, spinning an economic web that looks like the Silk Road reincarnated only this time, the caravans are high-speed rail lines and six-lane highways. Chinese investments are pouring into Central Asia like a tidal wave, and each new factory, power plant, or logistics hub feels like another thread in Beijings ever-expanding web of influence. Washingtons playbook? A bit more surgical. Like a chess master plotting precise, calculated moves, the U.S. is quietly carving out strategic footholds with surgical precision diplomatic pressure here, economic aid programs there, and investments in crucial sectors like rare earth minerals and infrastructure. And then theres Moscow the aging sentinel clinging to the ramparts of an old fortress. Sanction-strapped and economically battered, Russia still refuses to loosen its grip on Central Asia, banking on deep-rooted historical ties, cultural bonds, and economic interdependence. Trade routes, energy deals, and labor migration keep Russias presence afloat in these increasingly turbulent geopolitical waters. Central Asia isnt just a region on the map anymore. Its a geopolitical chessboard, a battleground, and a stage where global heavyweights are writing the next chapter of economic history. The real question is can the region break free from the tug-of-war and emerge as a power player in its own right? China's Expanding Economic Grip Washingtons protectionist trade policies have pushed Beijing to double down on economic ties with neighboring regions, particularly Central Asia. According to Chinese customs data, trade between China and Central Asia hit a record-breaking $89.4 billion in 2023 a jaw-dropping 31% jump from 2022, underscoring Chinas growing economic footprint. By comparison, U.S. trade with Kazakhstan Central Asias economic heavyweight barely scraped $3.4 billion in 2024. Those numbers tell the story: when it comes to economic influence, Beijing is running circles around Washington. Chinas relentless push isnt just about trade; its about infrastructure, too. Through its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Beijing is bankrolling highways, railroads, and logistics hubs across the region. Kazakhstan alone has raked in over $5 billion in Chinese investments to modernize its transport network, tightening Beijings grip on the regions supply routes. Monopoly Fears and Economic Dependency Sure, China's cash is helping modernize Central Asia, but there's a catch dependency. Countries like Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are finding themselves increasingly hooked on Chinese markets, especially for exporting energy and minerals. Turkmenistan is the prime example. Over 80% of its natural gas exports go straight to China. If Beijing suddenly decides to cut back on purchases, Ashgabats economy could hit the skids. Case in point: during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese gas imports from Turkmenistan tanked by 15%, triggering a wave of economic hardship in the country. Americas Strategic Counterplay Sensing the regions unease about relying too heavily on Beijing, the U.S. has been stepping up its economic game. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are hustling to build closer ties with the European Union and the U.S., particularly in the race to supply rare earth minerals the high-stakes resources critical for electronics, batteries, and defense tech. Washingtons been sharpening its diplomatic edge, too. In October 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken dialed up Uzbekistans foreign minister to hash out a rare earth supply deal. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a major player in this game, boasting 15 rare earth deposits a goldmine in the clean energy and tech race. Rare Earths and Energy: The New Battlefield Central Asias got the goods serious reserves of rare earth elements that are vital for high-tech gear, renewable energy, and advanced defense systems. Analysts say Kazakhstan alone could supply up to 8% of the worlds rare earth demand. Uzbekistans no slouch, either. In 2023, Tashkent inked a $1.2 billion deal with the EU to ramp up mineral exploration, further tightening its grip on the rare earths market. Energys another hot-ticket item. As Europe scrambles to ditch Russian oil and gas, Central Asia is shaping up as a key alternative. Kazakhstans crude exports to Europe surged by 22% in 2023, topping 10 million tons. The EUs investing heavily in modernizing Kazakhstans oil sector to lock in long-term supplies. Caught in the Crossfire This economic tug-of-war is turning Central Asia into a geopolitical pressure cooker. Beijings aggressive investments are fueling its dominance, while Washingtons strategic maneuvering is securing critical resource deals. Meanwhile, regional players are walking a tightrope balancing between the two superpowers to secure their own economic futures. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are playing the neutrality card, cashing in on the U.S.-China rivalry to maximize their gains. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, with fewer economic options, are leaning harder on Beijings cash flow, leaving them vulnerable to Chinese leverage. As this trade war heats up, Central Asia faces both opportunity and risk. Sure, the competition could unlock fresh investments and economic growth. But it also raises red flags mounting debt to Beijing, overreliance on Chinese exports, and the looming threat of U.S. sanctions if regional players cozy up too closely to China. For now, Central Asias best bet is to play the field juggling Western investments, Chinese partnerships, and regional trade initiatives. Success will depend on the regions ability to diversify its economic ties and hedge its bets in this high-stakes game of global power poker. U.S. Economic Footprint: Modest Impact Despite Bold Rhetoric Despite Washingtons stepped-up diplomatic efforts and ambitious talk about ramping up investments in Central Asia, Americas economic footprint in the region remains relatively small. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, American direct investment in Central Asia amounted to less than $2 billion in 2023 a figure that pales in comparison to both Chinese and Russian financial involvement. Experts point to Washingtons isolationist economic policies as a key factor behind this limited presence. Since Donald Trump took office in 2017, the U.S. has embraced a more protectionist approach, curbing overseas investment and limiting American corporate involvement in foreign projects. This shift has hindered U.S. businesses from gaining meaningful traction in Central Asia. Washingtons strategy has largely centered on tapping into the regions strategic resources, particularly rare earth minerals that are essential for high-tech manufacturing. However, without large-scale investments or infrastructure initiatives, Americas ability to significantly expand its influence in Central Asia remains in question. Chinas Dominance Remains Unchallenged Unlike the U.S., Beijing has gone full throttle in strengthening its economic clout across Central Asia, cementing its status as the regions dominant player. According to Chinas Ministry of Commerce, Beijing poured over $15 billion into Central Asia in 2023 a staggering 40% jump from the previous year. Nowhere is Chinas economic footprint more pronounced than in Kazakhstan, the regions largest economy. Beijing has been aggressively funding industrial parks, logistics hubs, and transportation infrastructure. Under its flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China pumped over $5 billion into developing a key trade corridor linking western China to Europe via Kazakhstans territory. Energy is another key front where Chinas presence is surging. In 2023 alone, Beijing imported $12 billion worth of Kazakh oil accounting for over 20% of Kazakhstans total oil exports. Turkmenistan has found itself particularly vulnerable to Beijings expanding economic influence. With over 80% of its natural gas exports heading to China, Turkmenistans economic stability is tightly tethered to Chinese demand. Any slowdown in Chinas economy or a cut in gas purchases could deal a crushing blow to Ashgabats already fragile financial system. Russia: Holding Its Ground Amid Sanctions Despite facing mounting Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, Moscow has managed to maintain stable trade and economic ties with Central Asia. In 2023, Russias trade turnover with the region totaled around $42 billion, making it Central Asias second-largest trading partner after China. Russian companies remain active in key sectors like energy and transportation. Energy giants such as Gazprom and Lukoil continue to collaborate on oil and gas extraction projects in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, while Russian Railways (RZD) is spearheading upgrades to the regions rail network. Labor migration is another crucial factor keeping Russias economic grip strong. According to Russias Central Bank, remittances from migrant workers in Russia to Central Asia exceeded $10 billion in 2023. These cash flows are a lifeline for Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, where many families rely heavily on money sent home by relatives working in Russia. In this tug-of-war between global heavyweights, Central Asia finds itself navigating a complex web of economic alliances, balancing between Beijings deep pockets, Washingtons strategic resource push, and Moscows enduring influence through trade and labor ties. Whether the region can harness this competition to fuel long-term growth or risks becoming overly dependent on foreign powers remains the key question moving forward. The Balance of Power and the Regions Future Central Asia today resembles a chessboard where three powerful players China, the United States, and Russia are locked in a high-stakes game for economic dominance. Each side is maneuvering its pieces across the region, jockeying for position and trying to box out its rivals. Beijing plays the long game, methodically weaving trade routes like a spider spinning its web. Chinas economic push isnt just about signing trade deals or cutting investment checks its a full-blown infrastructure offensive thats digging deep roots into Central Asias fertile economic soil. Highways, railways, and industrial parks are turning the region into a crucial hub along the sprawling Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Its as if Beijing is flooding the region with economic influence, determined to leave no corner untouched. Washingtons approach is different more targeted, but razor-sharp. The U.S. isnt flooding Central Asia with cash like China, but its zeroing in on key sectors with surgical precision. Rare earth minerals, energy resources, and advanced technology these are the pressure points where Washington is staking its claim, ensuring Beijing doesnt monopolize the regions economic landscape. And then theres Moscow. Russia isnt charging forward, but its not backing down either. Its more like an old oak tree deeply rooted in Central Asias past. Trade links, cultural ties, and a steady flow of labor migrants reliant on Russias job market keep Moscow entrenched as a heavyweight player. Even under the weight of Western sanctions and economic turmoil, Russias grip on the region hasnt slipped. But heres the twist the regions fate isnt entirely in the hands of these three giants. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan arent just squares on this geopolitical chessboard theyre players in their own right, increasingly confident in making their own moves. Blessed with vast energy reserves and mineral wealth, these nations have the potential to become power players if they can master the art of strategic diplomacy and diversify their economic partnerships. The future of Central Asia is a maze of opportunities and risks. Will the region lean toward China, enticed by Beijings deep pockets and insatiable appetite for raw materials? Will it pivot westward, opening its doors to cutting-edge tech and Western investment? Or will it carve out a path of economic independence, skillfully balancing between the titans of global power? The answer wont be decided solely in government offices or diplomatic summits. It will unfold on the highways snaking through the steppes and mountain passes of Central Asia. After all, this region has never been just a crossroads of trade its a stage where ambition, strategy, and unexpected moves have always shaped the course of history. Baku Network New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, March 12 : The informal breakfast meeting that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday at the Kerala House in Delhi in the presence of Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar did not go down well with Congress General Secretary (Organisation) and Alappuzha Lok Sabha member K.C. Venugopal. "Saw a post about a breakfast meeting between CM Vijayan and Sitharaman. Hope it will not be like the PM Modi-Trump meeting held in the US. We are always fighting for the needs of Kerala and we will continue to put pressure on the Centre," said Venugopal. Incidentally, Vijayan had extended an invite to Sitharaman to join for a breakfast, which also saw the presence of Governor Arlekar and the Kerala's representative in Delhi -- former Congress leader and ex-Union Minister K.V. Thomas. According to known sources at the meeting, Vijayan brought to the attention of Sitharaman the various issues of the state which includes the Wayanad landslide package, Vizhinjam Port and the extension of the deadline for the utilisation of Rs 529 crore given as a loan in February. The rider to the loan was if it's not utilised for rehabilitation programme in landslide-hit Wayanad, the unutilised portion would be taken back. But surprisingly, the ongoing indefinite protest by the Asha workers in front of the State Secretariat in the state capital city which on Wednesday entered the 31st day, where they are demanding higher wages and payment of dues, was not discussed. Reacting to it that the breakfast meeting did not discuss their plight and their demands, the Asha workers expressed their displeasure that Vijayan did not take it up with Sitharaman. Incidentally, Vijayan arrived in the national capital to take part in the CPI-M Politburo meeting, ahead of the upcoming State Party Congress to be held in Madurai next month. Mumbai, March 12 : Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is known for 'Gangs of Wasseypur', 'The Lunchbox', 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' and others, is shooting for his next project in the far east. The actor wrapped up the shooting of his movie 'Raat Akeli Hai 2', and has quickly moved on to his next production in Thailand. A source close to the production revealed, "After 'Raat Akeli Hai 2', Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been juggling between projects and is now fully immersed in his next venture. He has begun an extensive 25-day shoot for his upcoming project in Thailand, further adding to his packed schedule". The source added, "His dedication to his craft remains unmatched, and fans can look forward to yet another power-packed performance". Earlier, Nawaz celebrated 10 years of his film 'Badlapur'. On the occasion of the film's 10th anniversary it was revealed that the actor banked on improvisation for his character in the film. Nawaz said that his character evolves along a certain trajectory in the film, and for that he jammed with the director of the film, Sriram Raghavan. Talking about the same, he earlier said, "Playing this role wasn't easy because he wasn't someone who openly expressed emotions. His transformation was happening internally, in a space that wasn't visible to the audience. And since he wasn't intellectually evolved, he couldn't even put those changes into words". Nawazuddin Siddiqui's performance in 'Badlapur' is truly one of his finest, making the film an unforgettable thriller. His portrayal of Liak, a cunning yet strangely endearing antagonist, was widely praised. Meanwhile, On the work front, Nawazuddin will be seen in 'Raat Akeli Hai 2', 'Noorani Chehra' and 'Sangeen'. He also has 'I'm Not An Actor' on the horizon. The film is set for its world premiere at the 2025 Cinequest Film Festival in California. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Port Louis, March 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday attended the National Day celebrations of Mauritius as the Chief Guest for the second time, an honour he first received in 2015. "Honoured to attend the National Day celebrations of Mauritius! Wishing the people of Mauritius continued prosperity and success as we also strengthen the deep-rooted ties between our countries," PM Modi posted on X after attending the event. During the celebrations, Mauritius President Dharambeer Gokhool also conferred the 'Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean' (GCSK) award, the highest civilian award of Mauritius, on Prime Minister Modi, the first time that an Indian leader has received the honour. PM Modi dedicated this award to the special friendship between India and Mauritius and to the 1.4 billion people of India and their 1.3 million brothers and sisters in Mauritius. The government of Mauritius on Tuesday announced its decision to bestow the country's highest honour 'The Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean' to Prime Minister Modi during his ongoing two-day State Visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago. Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam made the announcement just before PM Modi began addressing an Indian community event in Port Louis on Tuesday evening. Prime Minister Modi is the first Indian to receive the honour. It is also the 21st international award bestowed upon PM Modi by a country. "It is very fitting for you, Prime Minister. Since we became a republic, only five foreign dignitaries have got that title and among them there is a person who we call the 'Gandhi of Africa' - Nelson Mandela who received it in 1998. Let me tell you that we are greatly honoured to have you amongst us here today and that you managed to find time out of your very, very busy schedule," said Ramgoolam amidst huge applause. During the National Day celebrations, an Indian Navy marching contingent also participated in the parade. An Indian Naval Ship also made a Port Call to coincide with the National Day celebrations. Earlier in the day, PM Modi wished the people of Mauritius on their National Day. "Looking forward to today's programmes, including taking part in the celebrations," he stated while also sharing the highlights from Tuesday's key meetings and programmes. The rare repeat invitation to PM Modi for the National Day celebrations underscores India's special relationship with Mauritius that remains rooted in shared history, culture, and diaspora ties. In 2023, PM Modi was the Guest of Honour at France's Bastille Day Parade, another defining moment that symbolized India's growing military and strategic partnership with the European nation. The sight of Indian tri-services marching down the Champs-AlysAes alongside French troops reinforced India's major role in global geopolitics. In 2022, PM Modi visited Lumbini, Nepal, for Buddha Jayanti celebrations, emphasising India's historical connection to Buddhism and its shared heritage with Nepal. His visit reinforced India's role in promoting cultural and spiritual ties across the region. In 2021, Bangladesh invited PM Modi to its National Day celebrations, marking 50 years of its independencea"an event closely tied to India's role in its liberation. Prime Minister's visit reaffirmed India's commitment to regional stability and shared prosperity. In 2017, PM Modi's visit to Sri Lanka for International Vesak Day highlighted India's leadership in civilizational and cultural diplomacy. By reaffirming India's role as a custodian of Buddhist heritage, he strengthened spiritual and diplomatic ties with Buddhist-majority nations. Ranchi, March 12 : A day after the encounter killing of Jharkhand's notorious gangster Aman Sahu in Palamu district, the state police have launched an extensive operation against his gang members. Ranchi, March 12 (IANS) A day after the encounter killing of Jharkhandas notorious gangster Aman Sahu in Palamu district, the state police have launched an extensive operation against his gang members. Acting on the instructions of Jharkhand DGP Anurag Gupta, an FIR has been registered against 30 members of the gang under Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and raids are being conducted across the state to apprehend them. On Wednesday, Ranchi Police arrested three alleged shooters linked to the gang -- Ajay Singh, Sameer Bagchi alias Kallu Bengali, and Wasim Ansari. They are accused of spreading terror and carrying out shootings in Ranchi and Hazaribagh's coal mining areas at Sahu's behest. Police recovered pistols, a country-made firearm, and several magazines from them. According to a police officer, more than 14 criminal cases are registered against Ajay Singh, a resident of Ranchi's Sikidiri area. Similarly, over six cases are pending against Sameer Bagchi, who hails from the Ratu locality in Ranchi, while four cases are registered against Wasim Ansari. The arrests come days after coal trader Vipin Mishra was shot at in broad daylight on March 7 in Ranchi's Bariatu area. Mishra narrowly escaped the attack, following which Mayank Singh, a key member of the Aman Sahu gang, claimed responsibility on social media. Ranchi Police are interrogating the three suspects regarding the attack on Mishra. Meanwhile, in a fresh social media post on Wednesday, Mayank Singh declared that he and Aman Singh will now lead the gang, alleging that Aman Sahu was killed in a fake encounter. Aman Sahu, accused of over 150 crimes across multiple states, including Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, was killed in a police encounter on Tuesday morning in Chainpur, Palamu district. Authorities also suspected the Sahu gang's involvement in the recent murder of NTPC Deputy General Manager (Dispatch) Kumar Gaurav in Hazaribagh. Port Louis, March 12 : Highlighting the deep-rooted civilizational and spiritual connection between India and Mauritius, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday offered prayers at the revered Ganga Talao - considered the most sacred Hindu pilgrimage site in the Indian Ocean archipelago - and also immersed the holy water brought from the Triveni Sangam during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. "I was deeply moved to visit the sacred Ganga Talao in Mauritius. The spiritual bond between the two countries can be easily felt along its sacred waters. It transcends borders and connects many of our generations to their roots," PM Modi posted on X. Ganga Talao, also known as Grand Basin in Mauritius, is a sacred crater lake, about 550 metres above sea level, located in the mountainous Southwest district of Savanne. On the shoreline sits a temple along with a collection of small shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva and other gods. It is believed by the locals that the place was discovered by a Hindu priest around 1897. In the 1970s, another priest from India brought sacred water from the Ganges and poured the holy water into the lake, thus naming it 'Ganga Talao'. "The offerings meaningfully symbolise the shared devotion, cultural affinity and sacred ties between India and Mauritius," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi attended the National Day celebrations of Mauritius as the Chief Guest for the second time, an honour he first received in 2015. "Honoured to attend the National Day celebrations of Mauritius! Wishing the people of Mauritius continued prosperity and success as we also strengthen the deep-rooted ties between our countries," PM Modi posted on X after attending the event. During the celebrations, Mauritius President Dharambeer Gokhool also conferred the 'Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean' (GCSK) award, the highest civilian award of Mauritius, on Prime Minister Modi, the first time that an Indian leader has received the honour. PM Modi dedicated this award to the special friendship between India and Mauritius and to the 1.4 billion people of India and their 1.3 million brothers and sisters in Mauritius. The government of Mauritius on Tuesday announced its decision to bestow the country's highest honour 'The Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean' to Prime Minister Modi during his ongoing two-day State Visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago. Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam made the announcement just before PM Modi began addressing an Indian community event in Port Louis on Tuesday evening. Prime Minister Modi is the first Indian to receive the honour. It is also the 21st international award bestowed upon PM Modi by a country. "It is very fitting for you, Prime Minister. Since we became a republic, only five foreign dignitaries have got that title and among them there is a person who we call the 'Gandhi of Africa' - Nelson Mandela who received it in 1998. Let me tell you that we are greatly honoured to have you amongst us here today and that you managed to find time out of your very, very busy schedule," said Ramgoolam amidst huge applause. During the National Day celebrations, an Indian Navy marching contingent also participated in the parade. An Indian Naval Ship also made a Port Call to coincide with the National Day celebrations. Thiruvananthapuram, March 12 : Three days after senior CPI-M leader, A. Padmakumar openly showed dissent and spoke against the way he was sidelined by the party, the Pathanamthitta district CPI-M meeting held on Wednesday decided to leave the matter to the higher state level committee. Now the ball is in the court of the newly-elected 89-member state committee, featuring 17 new faces, and the 17-member state secretariat, which will meet on Friday to decide if disciplinary action needs to be taken against Padmakumar. Padmakumar was expecting a nomination to the powerful state committee from his home district Pathanamthitta, but after finding his name missing from the list on the last day of the State Party Conference that ended at Kollam on March 9, he walked out of the meeting venue. He is a former legislator and ex-president of the Travancore Devaswom Board and after walking out from the meeting he publicly voiced his displeasure over the inclusion of state Health Minister Veena George as an invitee to the state committee. Padmakumar also questioned how George, a party member for just nine years, secured a position while he, with five decades of party experience, was overlooked. With his outburst getting huge traction, a day later Padmakumar admitted that he made a mistake as he should have expressed his feelings within the four walls of the party. Padmakumar also stated that he is ready to accept any punishment from the party for his indiscipline. Incidentally, the 17 new people inducted into the state committee and secretariat were those who are in the good books of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. This reveals that CM Vijayan has an iron grip not just in the government, but also in the party. With CM Vijayan already fuming against the indiscipline, only a miracle will help Padmakumar escape disciplinary action by the party. Significantly, a few other senior leaders, who are unhappy with being sidelined by the party, have not come out in the open like Padmakumar. Ranchi, March 12 : In the wake of the killing of notorious gangster Aman Sahu in an encounter, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren chaired a high-level review meeting on Wednesday with senior police and administrative officials at the Secretariat to assess the state's law and order situation. He directed officials to take all necessary steps to ensure a crime-free environment in the state and maintain public safety. The Chief Minister emphasised the need for peaceful celebrations during upcoming festivals, including Holi, Ramzan, Eid, Sarhul, and Ram Navami. He instructed officials to deploy adequate security forces, monitor sensitive areas using drone surveillance, and take strict action against anti-social elements. "The police must remain on high alert and be fully prepared to prevent any untoward incidents, communal tensions, or disputes," Soren said. He stressed the importance of special vigilance in areas prone to communal sensitivities and directed officials to hold regular meetings with peace committees to foster community coordination. He also ordered the deployment of police personnel at crowded and religious places while ensuring a close watch on miscreants. "Strict action should be taken against those attempting to disturb social harmony," he added. The Chief Minister highlighted the need for strict monitoring of social media during festivals to curb the spread of rumours and misinformation. The meeting also discussed measures such as the installation of CCTV cameras and electronic surveillance around religious sites, provision of adequate lighting and public announcement systems along procession routes, and the availability of anti-riot vehicles and water cannons in districts. In the meeting, Director General of Police Anurag Gupta presented a report on the strategies being implemented for crime control and ongoing enforcement actions. The meeting was also attended by Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari, Additional Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar, Principal Secretary, Home, Vandana Dadel, Inspector General of Police, Special Branch, Prabhat Kumar, Inspector General of Police, Operations, A.V. Homkar, Inspector General of Police, CID, Asim Vikrant Minj, Inspector General of Police, HQ, Manoj Kaushik, and other senior police officials of the state. Seoul, March 12 : South Korea's acting Justice Minister Kim Seok-woo on Wednesday termed "unjust" a court's decision to release impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol from jail. Yoon, who was detained in January on charges of inciting an insurrection through his failed bid to impose martial law on December 3, was released from jail last Saturday as the court allowed the suspended President to stand trial without detention, citing some questions over investigations into his charges. "I think the court's verdict needs to be rectified because it was unjust," Kim told lawmakers. Yoon's release came as Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung decided not to appeal the Seoul Central District Court's decision to grant Yoon's request to cancel his arrest, citing that his indictment came hours after the detention period had expired. "(The prosecution) did not immediately appeal the decision because doing so would have likely contained unconstitutional elements," the acting Minister said. The court appears to have concluded that Yoon had to be released before being indicted, Kim said, vowing to challenge the issue in Yoon's main criminal trial, Yonhap news agency reported. Still, immediately appealing the court ruling would have been "undoubtedly" unconstitutional, Kim stated, citing the Constitutional Court's past rulings against similar cases. "Given the previous rulings, the prosecution's judgment on whether to extend the detainment cannot precede the justice's decision," Kim said. Earlier in the day, South Korean National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik urged acting President Choi Sang-mok to swiftly appoint a ninth justice at the Constitutional Court, as the court is expected to soon deliver a verdict on impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law bid. If Yoon, who was elected in May 2022 for a single, five-year term, is formally removed from office, a snap election will be held within 60 days. However, if the impeachment is dismissed, Yoon will immediately resume his duties. Port Louis, March 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday afternoon left for New Delhi after concluding another landmark State visit to Mauritius during which the special and close partnership between the two nations acquired a significant strategic depth. In yet another special gesture, PM Modi was seen off by Mauritius PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam at the airport. "A milestone in India-Mauritius bilateral relations a" our Enhanced Strategic Partnership will be a force of strength in the region. PM Narendra Modi departs from Mauritius after a very fruitful and memorable visit. In a warm gesture, PM was seen off by PM Ramgoolam at the airport," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X. PM Ramgoolam had also warmly received PM Modi at the airport as he arrived in the Indian Ocean archipelago at the crack of dawn on Tuesday. After attending several engagements together during the day, both leaders also drove together to the banquet - that the Mauritius PM was hosting in honour of PM Modi - on Tuesday evening, reaffirming the strength and value of the partnership between New Delhi and Port Louis that has grown considerably over the last 10 years. "Mauritius is not just a partner country. For us, Mauritius is family," said PM Modi while addressing a vibrant gathering of the Indian community and friends of India at the Trianon Convention Centre on Tuesday. "The presence of my friend, Prime Minister Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam and Mrs. Veena Ramgoolam made today's community programme in Mauritius even more special. I also handed over OCI cards to them, illustrating the importance he attaches to India-Mauritius friendship," PM Modi added. Just before leaving the Mauritian shores, PM Modi visited Ganga Talao, offered prayers and also immersed the holy water from the Triveni Sangam at the sacred site in Mauritius on Wednesday. Prime Minister's gesture of bringing the holy water from the revered Maha Kumbh Mela to Ganga Talao signifies not only the spiritual unity between the two nations, but also their commitment to preserve and nurture the rich traditions that form the foundation of their shared cultural ties. "It was a very emotional feeling to return to Ganga Talao in Mauritius. Standing by its sacred waters, one could feel the deep spiritual connection that transcends borders, binding generations of people to their roots," said PM Modi. New Delhi, March 12 : The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has generated a revenue of $439 million from foreign satellite launches in the last 10 years, Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Science and Technology, informed on Wednesday. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Singh said that "from January 2015 to December 2024, a total of 393 foreign satellites and 3 Indian customer satellites have been launched on commercial basis on-board ISRO's PSLV, LVM3, and SSLV Launch Vehicles". The minister noted that foreign exchange revenue generated by the government through the launching of foreign satellites during the same period "is nearly $143 million and 272 million euros". As per current exchange rates, 272 million euros are equivalent to $296 million. Since 2014, India has launched satellites of 34 countries, the minister informed. The highest has been from the US (232). The other countries include the UK (83), Singapore (19), Canada (8), Korea (5) Luxemburg (4), Italy (4), Germany (3), Belgium (3), Finland (3), France (3), Switzerland (2) Netherland (2), Japan (2), Israel (2), Spain (2), Australia (1), United Arab Emirates (1) and Austria (1), etc. Singh also informed the Parliament of ISRO's collaboration with foreign space agencies in 61 countries. "Currently, space cooperative documents have been signed with 61 countries and five multilateral bodies. The major areas of cooperation are satellite remote sensing, satellite navigation, satellite communication, space science, and planetary exploration and capacity building," Singh said. ISRO has partnered with NASA for a joint satellite mission, named 'NISAR (NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar)' which is in the advanced stages of realization. With the CNES (French National Space Agency). ISRO has collaborated for a joint satellite mission named 'TRISHNA (Thermal Infrared Imaging Satellite for High-Resolution Natural Resource Assessment)', which is in the initial stages. The space agency has also carried out a feasibility study with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) to realise a joint lunar polar exploration mission. Meanwhile, Singh stated that the government has enhanced total funding for the Gaganyaan Programme, India's human spaceflight mission, to Rs 20,193 crore. This has been done to "address the programmatic requirements as per the revised scope which includes new developments for Bharatiya Antariksh Station and precursor missions, and additional requirements". Notably, the Gaganyaan mission now plans to carry out two crewed space flights by 2028. The programme will have eight missions -- two crewed and six uncrewed -- instead of the one crewed mission and two uncrewed ones earlier. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. The XII Global Baku Forum promises to be a significant event, bringing together world leaders, international organization representatives, and scholars for open and meaningful discussions, said Ismail Serageldin, co-chairman of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC) and former Vice President of the World Bank, Trend reports. Speaking at a press conference dedicated to the XII Global Baku Forum, Serageldin shared his insights. The forum will gather approximately four hundred participants, including at least 50 current and former presidents and prime ministers, as well as heads of UN agencies and leading academics, he said. Serageldin pointed out that the discussions should be above board, straight from the horse's mouth, and geared towards gleaning insights and analytical takeaways. This year, Serageldin stressed, the forum is a big deal as the world is going through the wringer with significant changes. "What will the new world order look like? What are the prospects for peace and development? These are the central questions that will be addressed, and the participation of such influential figures makes the discussions even more valuable," he stressed. Serageldin also noted that the rapidly changing international situation adds extra importance to the upcoming debates. The forum offers a unique opportunity to explore the prospects of new alliances, emerging opportunities, and challenges that require resolution. It will be one of the most interesting and substantive events in recent times, he added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Mumbai, March 12 : Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said that the primary health centers in 18 districts of Maharashtra are being solar-electrified. The solar electrification of primary health centers in eight districts has been completed, while the project is in progress in ten other districts. The solar electrification initiative will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, 250 primary health centers have been equipped with solar energy, and by June 2026, a total of 2,000 centers will be powered by solar energy. He expressed confidence that the use of solar energy will enhance the availability of quality healthcare services across the state. "Since conventional energy sources are limited, there is a growing need to focus on renewable energy sources. The government is committed to promoting the renewable energy sector and increasing energy production through sustainable means. SELCO Foundation is actively working to facilitate the use of renewable energy in the state. "The solar electrification of primary health centers in Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Jalgaon, Buldhana, Gadchiroli, Nagpur, Latur, and Wardha has been completed. Additionally, ten more districts will soon have solar-powered primary health centers with the assistance of the Foundation, making them self-sufficient in energy. This initiative is expected to result in significant savings on electricity bills. The solar projects will ensure an uninterrupted 24-hour power supply to primary health centers, thereby strengthening healthcare services," said the chief minister. He further stated that using solar energy will increase environmental awareness at the local level and improve the quality of patient care. The adoption of solar energy will reduce carbon emissions and help combat pollution. A leading organisation in the renewable energy sector had previously successfully solar-electrified primary health centers in eight districts to improve healthcare services and promote sustainable energy solutions. Mumbai, March 12 : Actor Sanjay Dutt, who was last seen in the streaming movie 'Ghudchadi', is currently in Finland enjoying the sighting of Aurora Borealis. On Wednesday, the actor took to his Instagram, and shared an array of pictures and videos from Finland. In the video, he can be seen chanting 'Har Har Mahadev' and 'Jai Bholenath' along with a few fellow Indians in Finland. He wrote in the caption, "Bholenath's presence knows no boundaries. Meeting fellow Indians in Finland, the magic of the Northern Lights, and the love of family by my side, it couldn't get any better. Jai Bholenath". The Aurora Borealis is a natural light display that occurs when charged particles from the sun collide with Earth's atmosphere. Last year in October, the actor took the wedding vows with his wife Maanayata Dutt once again. The actor took the pheras with his wife. A video of the actor taking pheras with Maanayata also went viral on social media. The video showed Sanjay Dutt in a saffron-coloured kurta and pyjama and a towel, while Manyata Dutt wore white and plain clothes. The pheras were reportedly taken as a part of a pooja at their newly renovated house in Mumbai. Maanayata even shared a picture of the pooja ceremony on her Instagram Story. The picture features the couple sitting together for the puja. Sanjay has been married thrice. In 1987, he married Richa Sharma, who passed away in 1996 due to brain tumour. In 1998, he tied the knot with Riya Pillai, who was an air hostess and model. The two parted ways in 2008. The same year in Goa, he married Maanayata, nee Dilnawaz Sheikh. Sanjay and Maanayata, who tied the knot in 2008, became proud parents to the twins in 2010. Sanjay's family moved to Dubai before the first lockdown in 2020, and have been living there since then. Maanayata has been with Sanjay through thick and thin as she has lent support to her husband during his jail term and his fight with lung cancer back in 2020. Bhopal, March 12 : To spruce up the temple town of Ujjain, which will host the 'Simhastha Kumbh' in 2028, Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Jagdish Devda has earmarked a handsome fund of Rs 2,000 crore while presenting the state Budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 in state Assembly on Wednesday. Bhopal, March 12 (IANS) To spruce up the temple town of Ujjain, which will host the aSimhastha Kumbha in 2028, Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Jagdish Devda has earmarked a handsome fund of Rs 2,000 crore while presenting the state Budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 in state Assembly on Wednesday. The historic city of Ujjain a" known for Lord Shivaas Mahakal temple, will host 'Simhastha Kumbha and captivate thousands of devotees in 2028. The Simhastha Kumbh is a unique and sacred gathering observed when, according to Hindu astrology, Jupiter transitions into the Leo constellation, known as Simha Rashi. This extraordinary Kumbh Mela is held in the holy city of Ujjain. This allocation stands apart from the Rs 18,715 crore designated for urban development, a figure that exceeds last year's allocation by nearly Rs 2,000 crore. The funds are intended to enhance the city's infrastructure and ensure it is ready to host thousands of devotees expected to attend this mega religious congregation. The funds will be directed towards carefully designed development projects, all slated for completion before 2028, ensuring a city capable of accommodating pilgrims in a proper manner, the minister told the state Assembly. During a visit to Ujjain last year in December, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda joined Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in reviewing plans for Simhastha 2028. Chief Minister Yadav declared that, by 2028, pilgrims will have pure water of the Kshipra river available to take a holy dip, with the river thoroughly cleaned. The plans include the construction of permanent ghats, from durable basalt stone, along either banks of the Kshipra river. These new ghats are being created to reduce the need for further additions in future Simhastha gatherings. To maintain the river's steady flow, several significant jumbo size city projects are underway. Among them are the Khan River Diversion Close Duct Project, the Sewarkhedi-Silarkhedi Medium Project, and the construction of barrages on both the Khan and Kshipra rivers. These endeavours, along with basalt-stone ghat construction, aim at safeguarding the purity and flow of the river. The Khan Diversion Close Duct Project is focused on rerouting polluted waters from the Khan River, thereby preserving the Kshipra's cleanliness in Ujjain. This ambitious project involves a 30.15 km-long duct, which includes 18.15 km of "cut and cover" construction and a 12 km tunnel. With an estimated cost of Rs 920 crore, the project is to be completed within three years, though it remains unclear if this budget specifically applies to the project. The Sewarkhedi-Silarkhedi Medium Project aims to sustain the Kshipra's flow throughout the year by channelising rainwater into the Silarkhedi pond, which will later feed the river during dry seasons. This initiative, projected to cost Rs 615 crore, is expected to be completed within 30 months. Moreover, six barrages -- five on the Khan River and one on the Kshipra -- are set to be constructed at an expense of Rs 37 crore. To accommodate pilgrims visiting the Kshipra River, a 29-km stretch of ghats will be built, extending from the Shani Temple to the Nagda bypass. This Rs 780 crore project, anticipated to be completed within three years, will feature basalt paving to handle the influx of visitors effectively. Besides, a new ropeway, linking the railway station to the Mahakaleshwar Temple, is being constructed at a cost of Rs 199 crore. Stretching 1.76 km, it will include 48 cabins, each capable of carrying ten passengers. Additionally, a satellite station costing Rs 30 crore will boost convenience for travellers, while the Sadaval helipad and airstrip undergo upgrades. Four new helipads are being built at Sadaval for Rs 13.52 crore, ensuring efficient air travel during the Simhastha Kumbh. New Delhi, March 12 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed journalist and YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh to take down a video about Isha Foundation and its founder and spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev from all social media platforms, considering it per se defamatory. The order comes in response to a defamation suit filed by Isha Foundation. A bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad ordered Google LLC, X Corp and Meta platforms to take down the video titled "Sadhguru EXPOSED: What's happening in Jaggi Vasudev's Ashram" suggesting that minors were being exploited in Sadhguru's ashram. In its interim order, the Justice Prasad-led Bench also ordered members of the public to not upload the video in question on any social media platform. It said that the contents as mentioned in the video are "per se defamatory" and the same directly impinge upon the reputation of the plaintiff in the eyes of the general public. "It is well settled that reputation is an integral part of the dignity of each individual and there is a need to balance between freedom of speech and freedom of expression vis-a-vis the right to reputation which has been considered as a part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The video does have a direct impact on the reputation of the founder of the Plaintiff/Trust (Isha Foundation)," it added. The Delhi High Court has listed the matter for further hearing on July 9. "Let the Written Statement(s) to the plaint be positively filed within the time prescribed under the Delhi High Court (Original Side) Rules, 2018 along with the affidavit(s) of admission/denial of the documents of the Plaintiff," ordered the Delhi High Court. The defamation plea filed by Isha Foundation seeks directions to the defendants to remove the YouTube video alleging that minors were being exploited in Sadhguru's ashram. The video has the effect of tarnishing the reputation of the spiritual organisation which is dedicated to raising human consciousness and fostering global harmony through individual transformation, claimed the defamation suit filed by the Isha Foundation. In October last year, the Supreme Court had termed "unnecessary" the Madras High Court's direction to Coimbatore Police to probe the Isha Foundation by expanding the ambit of the habeas corpus petition of a father who had alleged that his two daughters were kept under captivity in the ashram. After interaction with the two individuals in respect of whom the petition was filed, a bench headed by then CJI D.Y. Chandrachud said that both the sisters had attained the age of majority and were majors even when they joined the ashram. "They have expressed their clear inclination to continue at Isha Foundation at Coimbatore. In this view, the purpose of the Habeas Corpus petition is duly fulfilled. No further directions were necessary by the High Court," the bench, also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, had said. Further, it had said that the jurisdiction of the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution, while dealing with a habeas corpus petition, is well-defined and no further directions were necessary by the Madras High Court after it interacted with both the daughters of the petitioner-father. In an interim order passed on October 3, 2024, the Supreme Court stayed an order of the Madras High Court issuing a direction to police in Coimbatore to probe the Isha Foundation. It had ordered that "police shall not take any action" in furtherance of the directions contained in the impugned judgment of the Madras High Court and transferred to itself the proceedings pending before the Madras HC. Following the high court's directive, a team of 150 police personnel, led by Coimbatore's Superintendent of Police K. Karthikeyan conducted the inquiry into charges of two women being kept under captivity. The Madras High Court had directed the state government and Coimbatore rural police to probe all allegations against the Isha Foundation, after a former professor of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, S.Kamaraj, had moved a habeas corpus petition that his two daughters, Geetha Kamaraj and Latha Kamaraj, were kept under captivity there. A bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and V. Sivagnanam, while hearing the case, interacted with the daughters of the petitioner and decided to probe the case further. The Justice Subramaniam-led Bench said that the court, exercising the writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution, was expected to do complete justice and that it was necessary to get to the bottom of the case. It had directed the Additional Public Prosecutor E. Raj Thilak to file a status report by October 4 listing all the cases related to the Isha Foundation after the petitioner's lawyer claimed that there were multiple cases involving the Isha Foundation and that a doctor serving in the organisation was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. Later, the Tamil Nadu Police in a report submitted to the Supreme Court, had said that in the last few years, some missing persons complaints relating to the Isha Yoga Centre have been filed, but the probe revealed that out of six persons missing from the centre, five have been found. The state police had expressed hope that one missing person would also be found soon, adding that those living there at the centre were doing so as per their free will. New Delhi, March 12 : The government on Wednesday said that it has utilised Rs 5,846.08 crore, which is nearly 76 per cent of the Nirbhaya Fund, to enhance women's safety and security. A total amount of Rs 7,712.85 crore has been allocated Under the Nirbhaya Fund up to the financial year 2024-25. To ensure that the police stations are more women friendly and approachable, as they would be the first and single point of contact for any woman walking into a police station, 14,658 Women Help Desks (WHDs) have been set up, of which 13,743 are headed by women police officers, informed Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, in Rajya Sabha. Cyber forensic-cum-training labs have also been established in 33 states/UTs, with 24,264 people trained in handling cyber-related cases. To provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence and facilitate immediate, emergency and non-emergency access to a range of services including police, medical, legal aid and counselling, psychological support to fight against any forms of violence against women, 802 OSCs have been made functional in 36 states/UTs wherein over 10.80 lakh women have been assisted so far. To provide help and support to needy women and women in distress, Emergency Response Support System (ERSS-112) has been established in all states and UTs for various emergencies, with computer aided dispatch of field/ police resources, the minister informed. Since its launch, over 43 crore calls have been handled so far. In addition to ERSS, a fully functional dedicated women helpline (WHL-181) is operational, except in West Bengal. The WHL has also been integrated with ERSS. So far, women helplines have handled over 2.10 crore calls and assisted over 84.43 lakh women, the minister added. To ensure that justice is delivered to unfortunate women and young girls who are victims of heinous sexual offences, the government has been providing financial assistance to States/ UTs for setting up Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) since 2019. So far, 790 fast-track special courts (FTSCs) have been approved, out of which 745 including 404 exclusive POCSO (e-POCSO) courts are operational in 30 States/UTs, having disposed of more than 3,06,000 cases of rape, and offences under POCSO Act across the country, Thakur said. New Delhi, March 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tributes to the participants of the Mahatma Gandhi-led Dandi March in 1930, describing it as a defining chapter in India's freedom struggle. It was on this day (March 12) that Mahatma Gandhi and 72 Satyagrahis began their 386 km march, igniting a revolution against the British regime. The non-violent resistance set off a wave of civil disobedience that resonated across the nation, strengthening the fight for Independence. Every year, the countrymen celebrate the spirit and strength of the civil disobedience movement that marked the beginning of the end for British rule. However, the 80th anniversary of the Dandi March marked a watershed moment in the celebrations as the then Gujarat government under Narendra Modi made elaborate arrangements for chronicling the Yatra, not just through textbooks but with tangible memorials. It was a timeless tribute to the Dandi March and India's freedom struggle. Modi Story, a popular handle on X has shared a detailed account of how the memorials were erected at 22 key locations along the Dandi March route to bring to life, the struggles and fight for Independence. "Earlier, the yatra had remained confined to history books and memories. On the 80th anniversary of Dandi March, Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat, envisioned a way to permanently honour this iconic event under the ," it said. "This project meticulously mapped the exact 386 km route of the yatra. Memorials were established at 22 key locations where Gandhi ji and Satyagrahis halted," it further informed. These locations were developed with night-stay facilities, commemorative pillars, and plaques featuring Mahatma Gandhi's messages and historical information about the march. According to Modi Story handle, two more landmarks were later created namely Dandi Kutir Museum and the National Salt Satyagraha Memorial. Dandi Kutir Museum was established in 2015 at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Ahmedabad, featuring state-of-the-art interactive audio-visual displays that chronicle the journey. National Salt Satyagraha Memorial was opened in Dandi in 2019, showcasing 80 statues including Mahatma Gandhi and Satyagrahis, along with visual representations of the march. New Delhi, March 12 : As part of the government's efforts to strengthen indigenous defence capabilities, the Ministry of Defence on Wednesday signed a Rs 2,906 crore deal with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the procurement of low-level transportable radar, LLTR (Ashwini). LLTR (Ashwini) is an active electronically scanned phased array radar based on state-of-the-art solid state technology. The radar is capable of tracking aerial targets from high-speed fighter aircraft to slow moving targets such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and helicopters. Its acquisition will significantly enhance the operational preparedness of the Indian Air Force, according to an official statement. The radar is indigenously designed and developed by Electronics & Radar Development Establishment, DRDO as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat goal. The contract was signed here in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. The programme is a major step towards achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing by reducing dependency on Foreign Origin Equipment Manufacturers besides acting as a catalyst for the development of defence industrial ecosystem in the country, the official statement said. This is the second order placed with BEL after the company declared additional orders worth Rs 577 crore last week for airborne electronic warfare products, advanced composite communication system for submarines, doppler weather radar, train communication system, radar upgradation, spares and services. The total accumulated orders received by BEL during the current financial year have now gone up to an impressive Rs 16,630 crore. Prior to this, on February 20, BEL signed a contract valued at Rs 1,034 crore with the Ministry of Defence for supply of Software Defined Radios (SDRs) and Data Communication Terminals (DCTs) for the Indian Coast Guard The state-of-the-art radios, indigenously developed jointly by DEAL (DRDO) and BEL, support multi-band, multi-channel, multi-role/mission operations to meet the needs of Network Centric Warfare. The DCT system enables communication between shore and ships with the accuracy, speed, security and reliability required for critical missions. BEL has reported a 47.3 per cent growth in its net profit for the third quarter ended December 2024 to Rs 1,316.06 crore compared to Rs 893.30 crore in the same quarter of the previous year. The Navratna defence public sector company's consolidated revenue from operations in the third quarter shot up by 38.6 per cent to Rs 5,770.69 crore, from Rs 4,162.16 crore reported in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year. Profit before tax stood at Rs 1,754.15 crore in the third quarter of 2023-24, registering a growth of 49.64 per cent on a year-on-year basis. Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 12 : The Crime Branch wing of the Kerala Police on Wednesday made a second arrest in the Rs 1,000 crore corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund scam that has rocked the state, after thousands of innocent people were cheated. On Tuesday, hours after a local court in the state capital denied bail to K.N. Anand Kumar, Chairman of the NGO Confederation and a well-known social activist in Kerala, the investigation team took him into custody, but after he fell ill he was admitted to a private hospital, here. Later, the doctors treating him said that he suffered from a health issue and admitted him to the cardiac ICU. However on Wednesday, a local magistrate appeared online and remanded Kumar to judicial custody and allowed him to continue staying in the hospital. Kumar is alleged to have received Rs 10 lakh per month over several months from 28-year-old Ananthu Krishnan, the alleged mastermind behind the massive scam. Krishnan, considered the kingpin of the fraudulent scheme, is currently in judicial custody. The scam, orchestrated by Krishnan and his associates, involved deceiving victims by offering high-value consumer products -- such as scooters, laptops, and sewing machines -- at half their market price under the guise of a CSR initiative. This aggressive promotional campaign attracted thousands of unsuspecting investors, who were led to believe they were making a lucrative purchase through corporate sponsorship. As the fraudulent scheme unravelled, several victims came forward, alleging that they had invested their savings in what appeared to be an enticing opportunity. However, once the promised products failed to materialise, complaints began pouring in from across Kerala, prompting an extensive police investigation. The Crime Branch's investigation has revealed the staggering extent of the scam, leading to the registration of more than 500 cases of financial fraud across all 14 districts of the state. With the arrest of Krishnan, authorities had been closing in on key figures linked to the operation, including Anand Kumar, whose involvement was under scrutiny. Last month, as part of a parallel probe, the Kochi unit of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at 12 locations across Kerala to trace the money trail and possible instances of money laundering linked to the scam. Chennai, Mar 12 : The makers of director Vetrimaran's critically acclaimed 'Viduthalai' franchise, featuring actors Soori and Vijay Sethupathi in the lead, have now released a deleted scene from the film, much to the delight of fans and film buffs. Actor Soori, who plays the lead in the film, took to his X timeline to share the YouTube link of a deleted scene from the film, featuring him and actress Bhavani, who plays the female lead. He wrote, "Viduthalai Deleted Scene #1 - Soori & Bhavani's Unseen Conversation!" and shared the link. The deleted scene has some really funny sequences. It begins with Soori being dropped on a bike at a mechanic shop in the small village that is located deep in the forests. Seeking to lend a helping hand to the mechanic repairing his jeep, Soori takes off his police uniform and starts helping around. When Bhavani, a girl in the village passes by, he offers to return the empty soda bottles he had bought at her grandmother's shop. She makes fun of him, saying, " Are you a mechanic? I thought you were a cook." He keeps insisting he is a policeman and she refuses to buy it. He gets agitated and confronts her saying, " You can see me as a cook and a driver but not a cop." To this, she says, "In which world does a policeman return the soda bottles he has got?" Soori responds saying he was returning the bottles to which Bhavani says,"Which is why I don't consider you a policeman." The scene features two other cute romantic sequences involving Soori and Bhavani as well. Interestingly, they are also funny. 'Viduthalai' is a franchise from which two instalments have released so far. While the first part of Viduthalai, which came in for a lot of appreciation, focussed on a constable character called Kumaresan(played by Soori), the second part of the film focussed on the character of a revolutionary leader called Karuppan aka Perumal Vaathiyar (played by Vijay Sethupathi). --IANS Mkr/ Kolkata, March 12 : Four accused individuals in the case of multi-crore financial irregularities in state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital on Wednesday, filed an "exemption petition" at a special court. These four accused persons are R.G. Kar's former controversial Principal Sandip Ghosh, his bodyguard and personnel assistant Afsar Ali, and private contractors Biplab Sinha and Suman Hazra. Their counsels, on Wednesday, filed a petition at the special court praying for the exemption of their clients from the case which is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI has already submitted a detailed charge sheet in the matter at the special court describing Ghosh as the mastermind behind the alleged scam. The processes of framing of charge in the matter and subsequent trial process in the matter are expected to start shortly. Now, the exemption petition filed by the four accused persons in the matter has brought a new turn in the sequence of the events. The judge of the special court will be hearing the exemption petition on March 25. Ghosh, and the former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal, were also arrested by the CBI officials in connection with the ghastly rape and murder of a lady junior doctor of R.G. Kar within the hospital premises in August last year. However, both were granted default bail in the matter by another special court in Kolkata then as the CBI failed to file a supplementary charge sheet against the duo within 90 days from the date of arrests. Although Mondal is currently behind bars on bail, Ghoshas judicial custody has continued because of his involvement in the R.G. Kar financial irregularities case. The main charges in the R.G. Kar financial irregularities case are manipulations in the tendering system of the institute, getting the infrastructure-related work there done by outsourced contractors bypassing the state public works department, smuggling of biomedical wastes of the hospital, and finally, selling of organs of unidentified bodies coming to the hospital morgue for autopsy purposes at premium prices outside. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. A press conference was held in Baku ahead of the XII Global Baku Forum, scheduled to take place from March 13 to 15, 2025, Trend reports. The forum is organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center and will be held under the theme "Rethinking World Order: Turning Challenges into Opportunities". Discussions will focus on key global issues, including geopolitical shifts, multilateralism, the global health crisis, recovery and regional stability, COP29, and more. The forum is expected to bring together over 300 world leaders from more than 60 countries, including more than 25 former presidents, over 15 former prime ministers, around 10 UN and international agency heads, and over 25 former ministers and deputy ministers. Addressing the press conference participants, Ismail Serageldin, co-chairman of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC) and former Vice President of the World Bank, pointed out that the XII Global Baku Forum promises to be a significant event, bringing together world leaders, international organization representatives, and scholars for open and meaningful discussions. "The forum will gather approximately four hundred participants, including at least 50 current and former presidents and prime ministers, as well as heads of UN agencies and leading academics," he said. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, co-chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC), added that global issues, regardless of their scale, must be resolved through negotiations and discussions. In her view, the escalating tensions between nations these days are a real can of worms that should raise eyebrows. In times like these, it's crucial for nations championing peace to strike while the iron is hot and nail down ceasefire agreements. "We are convinced that all global issues must be addressed through negotiations, regardless of their scale. Currently, we are witnessing troubling changes in the international situation," she added. Jean Baderschneider, former Vice President of ExxonMobil and CEO of The Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, noted that Climate change is an existential challenge, and Azerbaijan, at the forefront of global discussions, plays a crucial role in addressing this issue. "The world is rapidly changing. Today, we face global challenges that require decisive actions, including climate change. Last year, Azerbaijan showed its active stance on the world stage at COP29, taking on ambitious commitments and engaging in complex discussions. Our task now is to define the path from COP29 to COP30, to strengthen the powerful platform created during Azerbaijan's presidency," she noted. Former President of Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev added that, in the future, there will be an intensification of cooperation and strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the Balkan countries, which is a positive factor for the entire region. "We are proud of our strategic partnership with Azerbaijan. We are very grateful because, in a difficult moment, Azerbaijan proved its reliability. For example, when Gazprom stopped gas supplies to Bulgaria in one day, Azerbaijan was able to step in and develop a strategic partnership and trustworthy relations," noted Plevneliev. United Nations, March 12 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday launched the "UN80 Initiative" to transform the global organisation trapped in a time warp of its founding in 1945 to make it relevant to the present. In a letter to member nations, Guterres said: "The governance mechanisms and practice of the international system continue to reflect the world as it was eighty years ago." While the world has "changed dramatically over the last eight decades, the multilateral system has not kept pace", he wrote. The UN's eightieth anniversary this year is the "perfect moment" to expand the efforts for the "reforms that we have undertaken in recent years and the UN 2.0 process of innovation and modernisation", he wrote. Addressing the General Assembly about the letter and his plan for making the organisation relevant to the contemporary world, he said he was officially launching "the UN80 Initiative". For this, he said, he was appointing "a dedicated internal Task Force" led by Under-Secretary-General Guy Ryder to come up with suggestions for the member nations in three areas. These were finding efficiencies and improvements in UN's working; reviewing the implementation of all mandates given by members, and a "strategic review of deeper, more structural changes and programme realignment in the UN System". He said he wanted "to move as soon as possible in areas where I have the authority", and "urge member states to consider the many decisions that rest with them". He specifically mentioned the UN's finances as an area that needs review. "Budgets at the United Nations are not just numbers on a balance sheet they are a matter of life and death for millions around the world." "We must ensure value for money while advancing shared values," he said. Later, while speaking to reporters, the UN Secretary-General was asked if his "UN80 Initiative" was like President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) programme headed by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk that has been cutting staff and ending several activities. Guterres said: "Nothing to do with that kind of initiative. We are talking about completely different processes, methodologies, and objectives." "This is a continuation and an intensification of a work that we have always been doing," he said, citing the example of UN agencies shifting some of their operations to Nairobi from more expensive locations. Guterres acknowledged that "thousands of staff have been laid off by several agencies". But, he said the "agencies are resilient, and so, when necessary, they adjust to the circumstances" by changing staffing levels. While the UN can adapt to financial constraints, it will be a matter of life and death for people around the world when humanitarian assistance is cut. "More people will die with HIV/AIDS or with malaria or with TB, if humanitarian aid to fragile communities (is cut, it) will make their life even more difficult and will have dramatic consequences," he said. "We can adapt the UN, consolidate the UN, make the UN more effective and most cost-effective, what we cannot is solve the problems of the people that we no longer are able to assist for lack of resources," he added. Guterres, in his letter and the address to the General Assembly, did not mention the reform of the Security Council whose structure is ossified in post-World War II geopolitics that shut out all of Africa, Latin America and most of Asia from permanent membership. Led by African nations, there is a strong push to put the Council reform on the agenda for change during the 80th anniversary of the UN's founding this year. Beirut, March 12 : The International Monetary Fund (IMF) urged Lebanon on Wednesday to adopt a unified financial reform programme to facilitate economic recovery and restore investor confidence. During a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace in Beirut, Ernesto Ramirez Rigo, head of the IMF mission to Lebanon, outlined the IMF's vision for Lebanon's exit from its financial and economic crisis. According to a statement released by the Lebanese presidency, Rigo stressed that a coordinated plan, developed in partnership with Lebanese institutions and the IMF, would accelerate the country's recovery. For his part, Aoun thanked the IMF for its support and reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to implementing the necessary reforms, which he described as a national priority before being an international demand, Xinhua news agency reported. In April 2022, the IMF reached a staff-level agreement with Lebanon to provide the country with 3 billion US dollars in a 46-month financing programme. However, it listed a series of reform measures in the country as a precondition for a final agreement to unlock the loan. Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem reaffirmed on Sunday that the group will not permit any Israeli presence in southern Lebanon, emphasising Hezbollah's enduring strength and commitment to Lebanon's defence. In a televised interview with al-Manar TV, Qassem disclosed that during the ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah ceased operations but maintained full military readiness. "Over the past 60 days, Israel has committed numerous violations. The agreement clearly stipulates that Israel must retreat beyond the Litani River," he added. On domestic matters, Qassem reiterated Hezbollah's dedication to national stability and governance, endorsing the exclusive authority of security forces over internal security. However, he maintained that Hezbollah's arms are crucial for confronting Israel. "Israel poses an existential threat, and resistance is Lebanon's right," he declared. Bengaluru, March 12 : The petitioner in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, Snehamayi Krishna, filed a complaint with the Commissioner of the Central Vigilance Committee (CVC) on Wednesday against senior IPS officers serving in the Karnataka Lokayukta. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was named as the first accused in the MUDA scam, was given a clean chit by the Lokayukta. The complaint has been lodged against Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Manish Kharbikar, IGP Subramanyeshwara Rao, and Mysuru Lokayukta SP T.J. Udesh. SP Udesh led the team that investigated the MUDA case and filed a closure report citing lack of evidence against CM Siddaramaiah and others. The petitioner alleged that the officers serving in the Karnataka Lokayukta acted under the influence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah while handling the MUDA scam. He accused them of lacking impartiality and demanded action against them. Snehamayi Krishna further claimed that despite sufficient evidence in the MUDA scam, the officers falsely stated there was a lack of evidence and submitted an interim report as the final report to the court. "I was dumbstruck by the actions of these senior IPS officers. They have surrendered themselves to the accused persons," he alleged. "I need answers on whether these officers submitted a false report to the court under the pretext of insufficient evidence. Hence, all three IPS officers must be investigated to send a strong message to the bureaucracy," he stated. The report submitted to the court failed to mention that the illegal allotment of parallel sites in the prestigious Vijayanagar locality in Mysururather than in Devanuru Third Stagewas unlawful. According to the petitioner, white correction fluid (whitener) was used to manipulate documents, facilitating allotments in Vijayanagar, where land prices range from Rs 23,000 to Rs 26,000 per square meter, compared to Rs 11,000 per square meter in Devanuru Third Stage. The report did recommend disciplinary action against then-Deputy Commissioner G. Kumara Naik (now a Congress MP), Tehsildar Malige Shankar, and others. However, it did not classify their false claims of conducting spot visits and submitting misleading reports as legal offenses, the petitioner pointed out. The officers also failed to investigate allegations regarding the initials "DCM" marked on a document requesting de-notification. At that time, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was serving as Deputy Chief Minister. This, the petitioner argued, establishes that Siddaramaiah was aware of the fourth accused, landowner J. Devaraju, and the matter needs further investigation. The petitioner Snehamayi Krishna had also filed a writ petition before the division bench of the Karnataka High Court, questioning the single bench order quashing his appeal for the CBI investigation into the MUDA case. The Karnataka High Court on March 7 quashed the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife B.M. Parvathi and Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh in connection with Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case. Washington, March 12 : US President Donald Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from anywhere in the world went into effect on Wednesday morning drawing swift retaliatory levies from the European Union and Canada. Washington, March 12 (IANS) US President Donald Trumpas tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from anywhere in the world went into effect on Wednesday morning drawing swift retaliatory levies from the European Union and Canada. Trump had reinstated from his first term a 25 per cent tariff on steel and an elevated rate of 25 per cent on aluminium, going up from 15 per cent. Unlike the first term though, no country has been exempted from these levies. Earlier this month, Trump had hit Canada, Mexico, and China with separate tariff hikes as punishment for allowing illegal migrants to pass through their borders (not China) and fentanyl, an addictive opioid. A third set of hikes is expected in April under Trumpas reciprocal taxation system. The EU has said it has targeted $28 billion worth of imports from the US, which is about the same as the estimated worth of the EUas steel and aluminium exports to the US that will be impacted by the hikes. These EU hikes will come in two stages. In the first, retaliatory tariffs were announced in response to Trumpas first-term levies. The EU had suspended these hikes during President Joe Bidenas term, and that suspension will be allowed to lapse in April. Also in this stage are new tariffs targeting boats, bourbon, and motorcycles. The second stage will come after two weeks. At the same time, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, which is the executive branch of the European Union, told reporters she had told her officials to resume trade talks with US officials. "We firmly believe that in a world fraught with geo-economic and political uncertainties, it is not in our common interest to burden our economies with such tariffs". Canada, which is the biggest foreign supplier of steel and aluminium to the US, will slap retaliatory tariffs on $29.8 billion (Canadian dollars) from Wednesday. There has been no response from the White House to the EU hikes, but Trump had in general threatened to come back with even heavier hikes to retaliatory actions by trading partners. Bhopal, March 12 : Former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's courtesy visit to the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly during the budget presentation in the House on Wednesday came as a surprise to many. As he entered the House, the members from both sides -- the Opposition Congress and ruling BJP -- welcomed him in a good gesture. Chouhan, now Union Agriculture Minister, acknowledged the welcome with a folded hand. BJP veteran Chouhan, who was Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh between 2005 and December 2023 (except for 18 months of Kamal Nath-led Congress government), also sat in the House for a while and heard State's Finance and Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda reading the budget. Meanwhile, Chouhan also visited Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar. There he was joined by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, State's Urban and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya and Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar. Later, speaking on Madhya Pradesh's budget for the current financial year 2025-26, the former CM said the budget shows the vision for 'Viksit Madhya Pradesh' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Viksit Bharat' goal by 2047. "Chief Minister Mohan Yadav-led BJP government has prioritised the budget allocation on development of women, infrastructure, health, and agriculture as key sectors. It has made provision for fund allocation for Ladli Behna and Ladli Laxmi Yojanas," Chouhan said during an interaction with media persons. Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Jagdish Devda presented a Rs 4.21 lakh crore budget in the state Assembly on Wednesday. This is Rs 48,954 crore more than the previous year's budget of Rs 3.75 lakh crore. Keeping the estimated fiscal deficit at 4 per cent of GSDP, this budget is focused on the target of doubling the budget size and GSDP of the state by the year 2029-30. "This budget is a draft to implement the 'GYAN' (Gareeb, Yuva, Annadata and Nari) mantra of PM Modi in the form of a vision on the land of Madhya Pradesh...This budget will strengthen the happiness and prosperity of villages, poor, youth, food providers, women and farmers," Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said later. New Delhi, March 12 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday met European Union Ambassador to India, Herve Delphin at the latter's official residence in the national capital. During the interaction, Sarma expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the EU Ambassador to India, Delphin and through him to other Heads of the Mission of Member countries for extending their support to the recently concluded Advantage Assam Summit 2.0 in Guwahati. The Chief Minister and the EU Ambassador had a fruitful and meaningful discussion on opportunities for collaboration on clean energy, semiconductors, higher education, skill development, and the aromatics and fragrances industry. According to a statement, the top diplomat told the Chief Minister that the European Union is exploring the possibility of opening an EU Programme Management Office in Guwahati. While welcoming the development, Sarma assured the Assam Government's full support to it under the aegis of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Taking to his X handle, Chief Minister Sarma posted, "Today in New Delhi, I conveyed my deepest gratitude to @EUAmbIndia H.E Herve Delphin and also through him, to the other Heads of the Mission of Member countries for their support at #AdvantageAssam2. Had a good discussion on opportunities for collaboration on clean energy, semiconductors, higher education, skill development, and in the aromatics and fragrances industry." "Glad to learn that the EU is also exploring the possibility of opening an EU Programme Management Office in Guwahati. Assam will fully support it under the guidance of the Union government's external affairs ministry," he added. The recently held investment summit -- Advantage Assam 2.0, attracted investments worth at least Rs 4.5 lakh crore. "Sectors like hydrocarbons, which is our forte, and mines and minerals have attracted the most investment. We are now focusing on making Assam a developed industrial state like it was in 1947. Assam was the first industrial state of the country," Sarma earlier said. According to him, the success of the summit highlights Assam's growing potential as an investment hub. "With its abundant natural resources, strategic geographic location, and progressive policies, the state has been steadily working towards establishing itself as a key player in India's industrial landscape. The massive investment influx is expected to boost employment opportunities, infrastructure development, and overall economic growth in the region," Sarma stated. Washington, March 12 : US Vice President J.D. Vance and his Indian-descent wife Usha Vance will visit India later this month, according to a US news report. This makes him the second member of the President Donald Trump Cabinet headed for New Delhi this month, along with Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence. According to a US media outlet, the Vice President will be accompanied by the second lady, whose parents immigrated to the US from India. She was born and raised in the US and met Vance at Yale, where they were both studying law. India will be Vice-President Vanceas second foreign trip after France and Germany where he addressed the Munich security conference. Vanceas visit will be the first by a US vice-president after more than 12 years. The last was in 2013, by then Vice-President Joe Biden. Mike Pence, who served as president in President Donald Trumpas first term, did express the desire to visit India but never did. And Kamala Harris, the Indian-descent vice president in president Bidenas administration, never did, neither did she even express the wish to do so publicly. Vanceas visit is significant as a key member of the Trump cabinet and administration. He has emerged as a key communicator of the president's agenda and wishes and has been an outspoken advocate for his boss, most prominently in the spat between him and President Trump on one side and the visiting Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the other. Their verbal exchange was seen around the world as the most explicit display of Trump's position on the Russia-Ukraine war. Vance also stunned Europeans at the Munich conference by accusing governments in the group of stifling free speech. And, he had named the countries, including close allies such as the UK and Germany. No details were available of his engagements in India. Gabbard's schedule includes an address at the Raisina Dialogue, the annual meeting of the worldas leading security and foreign policy officials, thinkers and experts. New Delhi, March 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Mauritius, on Wednesday offered prayers at the revered Ganga Talao -- considered the most sacred Hindu pilgrimage site in the Indian Ocean archipelago -- and also immersed the holy water brought from the Triveni Sangam during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. The local people of Mauritius expressed happiness over the development while talking to IANS and thanked PM Modi for this. Jessica Seesunkar, Secretary of Sanatan Rakshak Voice of Hindu executive, said, "I want to say to all Mauritians and Indians that we are deeply grateful to Prime Minister Modi for visiting our country. He has done a lot of work for us over the years. The people of India are like family to us. There is friendship and brotherhood between the people of both countries. As long as Modi ji is there, nothing can happen to our world." He said, "We all wanted to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela, but could not. PM Modi brought Gangajal from Maha Kumbh to Mauritius for us. This is a matter of great fortune for us. No amount of thanks will be enough for him. I have never seen anyone doing as much for India, Mauritius and the whole world as he does." The chief trustee and in-charge of the temple, Satish Dayal, said, "Ganga Talao is a pilgrimage place. PM Modi brought the water of Maha Kumbh here, which is a very important thing. PM Modi brings Gangajal every time he visits Mauritius and immerses it in the Talao. Many people from Mauritius went to the Maha Kumbh Mela, but for those who could not go, PM Modi brought the water of Triveni Sangam here." Another local also expressed happiness over this and said, "PM Modi has come to Mauritius for the second time. He brought water from Maha Kumbh and immersed it in Ganga Talao. Ganga Talao has become more sacred with the water of Maha Kumbh. PM Modi is a role model for us. He has done a lot for Hindus and Hindutva." Jaipur, March 12 : In a major crackdown on illegal liquor smuggling, Bhadesar police in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh district seized 196 boxes containing liquor, hidden inside a container transporting cartons of clothes. The consignment was being smuggled from Haryana to Gujarat, the police said on Wednesday. Three accused, identified as Naseem Meo (23), Mohammad Saad (22), and Yayaha Meo (24) have been arrested. Superintendent of Police (SP) Sudhir Joshi stated that strict instructions were issued to all police stations to take action against illegal liquor smuggling in the district. Acting on these directives, a team led by ASP Sarita Singh, CO Bhadesar Anil Sharma, and Bhadesar SHO Dharmaraj Meena set up a blockade near Sukhwada Bridge on the Chittorgarh-Udaipur highway. During the blockade, a suspicious container was intercepted. Upon inspection, it appeared to be loaded with cartons of clothes. However, when the cartons were removed, 196 boxes of liquor were discovered hidden beneath. The police immediately seized the illegal liquor and the container. SP Sudhir Joshi stated that a special operation was carried out at all police stations in the district and they were instructed to take strict action against illegal liquor smuggling. Acting on intelligence input regarding liquor smuggling, a blockade was set up near Sukhwada Bridge on the Chittorgarh-Udaipur highway on Wednesday. Soon, a container was intercepted and searched. Initially, it appeared to be loaded with cartons of clothes. The police seized the illicit liquor and the container, arresting the accuseda"Naseem Meo, Yayaha Meo, and Mohammad Saad Meo, said Joshi. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway. Constable Ratan Singh of Bhadesar police station played a crucial role in the operation. Smuggling of illicit liquor remains one of the major challenges for the security agencies as well as the security personnel. Miscreants mostly try to move and transport the consignment secretly by trying out various tactics to go undetected. However, vigilance maintained by the security personnel mostly leads to seizure of illegal liquor, as well as the arrest of the accused individuals involved. Aizawl, March 12 : A Mizoram social activist urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take urgent action on illegal entry of Myanmar refugees into the state, rising crime rate, smuggling of explosives and drugs, and fake documentation in the northeastern state. After a military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, refugees including women and children from the neighbouring country started coming to Mizoram seeking shelter and now their numbers have increased to around 35,000. The refugees, mostly Chins ethnically and have almost full ethnic similarity with the majority Mizos of Mizoram, now sheltered in camps, in most of the 11 districts in the northeastern state, which has an unfenced 510 km border with Myanmar. Social activist V.L. Thlamuanpuia in his letter to Home Minister said that increasing influx of Myanmar refugees into Mizoram has raised serious concerns regarding national security, demographic shifts, and the strain on local resources. "While India has always upheld humanitarian values, the current situation demands immediate government intervention to maintain law and order, safeguard national security, and protect the interests of Indian citizens," he said. Thlamuanpuia in his letter said that the unchecked entry of refugees from Myanmar due to ongoing internal turmoil in the neighbouring country has led to a surge in undocumented individuals entering the state. This has resulted in significant challenges related to border security, pressure on public resources, and potential security risks, he said adding that the rising prevalence of cross-border crimes, including human trafficking, illicit drug smuggling, and the alarming trade of explosives, has exacerbated the crisis, posing a severe threat to public safety and national security. The social activist highlighted another pressing issue of widespread use of fraudulent documents by illegal immigrants. Many Myanmar individuals are obtaining fake Indian identification proofs, such as Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and other official documents, allowing them to illegally access government services and establish residency, he said. Thlamuanpuia, who worked in the environment and wildlife sectors, said that the influx of refugees not only undermines national security but also creates significant risks related to electoral integrity, resource allocation, and law enforcement. He said that many Mizo youths have lost their precious lives due to drug menaces and these drugs are smuggled into Mizoram by the Myanmar refugees and other drug peddlers. "The Myanmar refugees who have come to Mizoram due to the conflict in the neighboring country are illegally making false documents. State government is relying on NGOs in law enforcement and has not taken any action to prevent the increase in social crime," Thlamuanpuia observed. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. The 9th edition of the Italian Design Day (IDD) took place today at ADA University in Baku today. In line with the main theme of this year IDD, Inequalities Design for a Better Life the Embassy of Italy in Baku, in collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency, ADA University, and Politecnico di Milano, held a conference highlighting the potential of territories as drivers for sustainable development, Trend reports. In his institutional address, Ambassador Luca Di Gianfrancesco emphasized the importance of the Italy-Azerbaijan University as a key pillar of bilateral collaboration and he praised Politecnico di Milano for launching the first degree programs of the School of Architecture and Design with ADA University. As an example of successful bilateral cooperation, the ambassador recalled Simmetrico Networks projects in Azerbaijan and underlined the crucial role of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in strengthening cultural ties between the two countries. In the context of growing tourism flows and business opportunities between Italy and Azerbaijan, the Ambassador also invited participants to profit of the Baku-Milan direct flights to visit Milan for the 63rdedition of the Salone del Mobile and the 24th TriennaleMilano International Exhibition, whose focus on design as a way to improve life and reduce inequalitiesalso inspired this years Italian Design Day. ADA University Vice-Rector, Hon. Fariz Ismailzade, and Prof. Silvia Ferraris, dean of the Faculty of Design and Architecture, also highlighted the academic collaboration opportunities within the Italy-Azerbaijan University initiative. The main session featured contributions from Prof. Daniela Selloni, Prof. Ponzini, and Prof. Lombardini, representing the Departments of Architecture and Design of the Politecnico di Milano, the President and Creative Director of Simmetrico Network, Daniele Zambelli, recently awarded by the State Committee for Architecture and Urban Planning of Azerbaijan for thethe Victory Park and Museum in Baku, and Rena Mammadova who presented the Heydar Aliyev Foundations initiatives in Azerbaijan and abroad. Chennai, March 12 : The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has registered a case against former Bharathiar University Vice-Chancellor A. Ganapathy (73) and others for alleged irregularities in the purchase of desktop computers. A. Ganapathy has been named the second accused in the case, while the former finance officer of the university, P. Velusamy (61), has been identified as the prime accused. The case has been registered under Sections 120(B), 167, and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with Sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The case pertains to the procurement of 61 desktop computers during the financial year 2016a"17, which allegedly resulted in a wrongful loss of Rs 8,01,581 to the university. The investigation revealed that the purchase committee, which included some of the accused, approved the procurement from private vendors at inflated prices, violating Financial and Accounts Rules. University procurement norms mandate that materials be sourced without quotations from government-controlled institutions, prison department units, industrial cooperative societies, or other approved entities. However, the purchase committee allegedly bypassed these regulations and procured the equipment from private vendors. The university purchased 41 HP desktop computers, one server, one 10 KVA online UPS, and one 1 KVA online UPS with inbuilt batteries and networking accessories from M/s I Care, despite the firm being the highest bidder in 2016 for the Linguistics Departmentas phonetic lab establishment. Investigations indicate that each HP desktop was purchased at a price of Rs 11,463 higher than the rate offered by ELCOT (Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu), causing a financial loss of Rs 5,71,241. Similarly, in 2017, the Department of Statistics acquired 20 desktop computers for Rs 9 lakh, funded by the Department of Science and Technology. However, the department sourced the computers from M/s Micro System for Rs 8.7 lakh, with each unit costing Rs 11,517 higher than ELCOTas price, leading to a Rs 2,30,340 loss. In total, the loss from these purchases was estimated at Rs 8,01,581. Accused Individuals apart from A. Ganapathy and P. Velusamy, 15 others have been named in the case, including university officials and private vendors. The DVAC has filed cases against the accused under the relevant provisions of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act, citing collusion, financial mismanagement, and causing financial loss to the university. Aizawl, March 12 : The much expected shifting of Assam Rifles establishments from Aizawl to Zokhawsang would be formally accomplished by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to Mizoram on March 15, an official said on Wednesday. A Mizoram government official said that the state government since 1988 has been demanding to shift the Assam Rifles establishments to Zokhawsang, around 15 km from the state capital Aizawl. The Mizoram government is keen to utilise the lands of the Assam Rifles establishments for various other purposes. HM Shah, who would come to Assam on a three-day tour from March 14 to March 16, would pay a day-long visit to Mizoram on March 15 to attend the function in connection with the shifting of Assam Rifles establishments. He will return to Guwahati on the same day after attending the event. After discussion for many years, the Mizoram government and Assam Rifles had signed an agreement on October 23 last year in New Delhi for shifting of the paramilitary force's establishments from the heart of the capital city to the designated battalion complex at Zokhawsang. According to the official, the agreement would come into effect in April this year and the country's oldest paramilitary force would accordingly vacate its main barrack complex, AR Ground or Lammual, unit hospital, Loch House, quarters guard and other establishments and lands in different parts of the state capital and shift those to Zokhawsang. As per the agreement, Assam Rifles will retain its 23 Sector Headquarters, Mizoram Range in Aizawl's Khatla neighbourhood (95.88 acres) and DIG residence near Raj Bhavan at Tuikhuahtlang area (0.85 acre). In 1988, the then Mizo National Front (MNF) government headed by former chief minister Laldenga first raised the demand for relocation of Assam Rifles complex from Aizawl to Zokhawsang after the paramilitary force allegedly killed 11 civilians in a violent clash. In February 2019, the Union Home Ministry had directed the paramilitary force to shift its complex to Zokhawsang by May 31 of that year. However, the relocation was delayed after Assam Rifles claimed that the infrastructure was not ready by that time. The Zokhawsang complex was inaugurated by Home Minister Shah in April, 2023. Raipur, March 12 : Australia Masters geared up their preparations for Thursday's first semifinal against India Masters with a nervy three-wicket victory against traditional rivals England Masters in the final Group stage match of the International Masters League (IML) 2025 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium here on Wednesday. Raipur, March 12 (IANS) Australia Masters geared up their preparations for Thursdayas first semifinal against India Masters with a nervy three-wicket victory against traditional rivals England Masters in the final Group stage match of the International Masters League (IML) 2025 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium here on Wednesday. The win ensured Australia Masters finished third on the IML points table, setting up their knockout clash with No. 2 placed India Masters. With an eye on the semifinals, Australia Masters made a strategic tweak to their batting order while chasing a formidable 210, and the ploy worked well with the new opening pair of Shaun Marsh and Daniel Christian setting the platform with a 52-run stand. While Marsh departed after a brisk 12-ball 20, Christian made his intent clear as he toyed with the English bowling attack, slamming seven boundaries and four mammoth sixes in his aggressive 28-ball 61 to take the attack back to the opposition. Nathan Reardon then joined the party with an explosive 83 to ensure Australia Masters remained in the hunt. Reardonas association with Christian produced 52 runs for the second wicket that helped the Aussies get past the 100-run mark before left-arm spinner Monty Panesar slowed down the scoring rate for a while by accounting for the key wicket of Christian. Thereafter, Reardon anchored the chase in the company of Ben Cutting (12), and later with wicketkeeper Peter Nevill (28), until Tim Bresnanas five-wicket burst delayed the inevitable for England Masters. Bresnan applied the brakes on Australia Masters, by ending Reardonas 39-ball knock, laced with nine boundaries and five sixes, and by the time, the Australians were in touching distance of the target, the English seamer struck off consecutive deliveries to dismiss Nevill and James Pattinson, before packing Ben Laughlin for his fifth wicket. Bresnan had earlier accounted for the wicket of Marsh. With the Aussies needing two off the final over, captain Shane Watson kept his composure to complete the formalities with five balls to spare. Earlier, with nothing to lose, England Masters displayed a fearless intent on a perfect batting strip after opting to bat and rode on explosive half-centuries from Eoin Morgan (64) and Tim Ambrose (69 not out) to set a daunting total of 209/3 against Australia Masters. Opening the innings, Morgan wasted no time in asserting dominance, launching a brutal assault on the Aussie bowlers. His 76-run opening stand with Phil Mustard (17 off 17) laid the foundation for a big total. Morgan raced to a 27-ball fifty, peppering the boundary ropes with five fours and as many sixes. Mustard, playing the supporting role, fell to leg-spinner Bryce McGain in an attempt to accelerate. Morganas onslaught continued as he stitched a 28-run stand with Tim Ambrose before finally perishing to Steve OaKeefe after a stunning 32-ball 64. Despite his departure, England refused to take the foot off the pedal, with Ambrose taking center stage, punishing the Aussie attack with elegant stroke play. He found an able partner in Darren Maddy (29 off 19), who smashed two fours and a six for a brisk cameo. Their 71-run partnership for the third wicket kept England in command. After Maddyas departure, Tim Bresnan (18 not out off 8) joined Ambrose in the final overs, ensuring a strong finish. Ambrose remained unbeaten on 69 off 44 balls, smashing seven fours and two sixes, while Bresnanas cameo, which included two fours and a six, propelled England Masters past the 200-run mark, setting up a formidable total for the Aussies to chase. While the Sachin Tendulkar-led India Masters, which ended second in the points table with eight points from their five league games, will lock horns with Australia Masters in the first semi-final here on Thursday, Kumar Sangakkaraas Sri Lanka will battle West Indies Masters in Fridayas second semifinal, for a place in Sundayas title clash. Brief scores: England Masters 209/3 (Tim Ambrose 69 not out, Eoin Morgan 64, Darren Maddy 29) lost to Australia Masters 210/7 (Nathan Reardon 83, Daniel Christian 61, Peter Nevill 28; Tim Bresnan 5/45) by 3 wickets. Bengaluru, March 13 : The Karnataka government on Wednesday withdrew its order for a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe into the gold smuggling case involving actress Ranya Rao. The decision is expected to spark controversy. Initially, the state government had ordered a CID probe citing protocol violations by the police. Reports suggested that constables were involved in breaching protocol, prompting the government to direct the CID to investigate. However, in a sudden move, the government revoked its order, leading to widespread speculation. The latest order states: "On March 10, the government ordered an investigation by the CID into lapses by police officers regarding foreign trips undertaken by Ranya Rao. Additionally, the government also ordered a probe, to be conducted by senior IAS officer and Additional Chief Secretary of Karnataka, Gaurav Gupta. Gupta has been appointed as the investigating officer to examine the role of Ranya Rao in availing protocol facilities and the involvement of DGP (Police Housing Corporation) K. Ramachandra Rao. He has been directed to submit his report within a week. "As the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) has already deputed a senior officer to conduct the probe and submit a report within a week, it has been decided to withdraw the CID investigation." The order was issued by H. Mahalaxmi, Under Secretary, Internal Department (Crimes). Meanwhile, the Karnataka Home Department has directed an inquiry into the protocol privileges extended to the actress at the airport. Authorities have been instructed to submit a report within a week. The investigation will also examine whether IPS officer Ramachandra Rao, Ranya Rao's step father, had any involvement in the gold smuggling operation and whether he misused protocol privileges during the transportation of gold from Dubai to Bengaluru, sources stated. It has been alleged that Ranya Rao used IPS officer Ramachandra Rao's name while smuggling gold. Officials are investigating what led to the misuse of protocol privileges and the officer's role in the case. The gold smuggling case involving Sandalwood actress Ranya Rao has also taken a political turn, with influential political leaders' names being linked to the controversy. This has sparked widespread discussions in the state's political circles, raising questions about the identity of the powerful politician allegedly backing her. Meanwhile, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) submitted to the court on Wednesday that the gold smuggling case involving actress Ranya Rao, stepdaughter of a senior IPS officer of DGP rank, has international and hawala links, making it a matter of national security. Madhu Rao, senior counsel representing the DRI, argued against Ranya Rao's bail petition in court, stating that an investigation into the involvement of a smuggling syndicate is necessary. The court has reserved the matter for judgement. Ranya Rao was arrested last Monday by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials for smuggling gold upon her arrival at Bengaluru International Airport. Under pressure, the state government has ordered two separate investigations into the case to determine the role of jailed actress Ranya Rao's father, DGP K. Ramachandra Rao, in granting her protocol privileges and police escorts. The Central agencies, the CBI and the DRI, are also probing the case. The actress was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sleuths at the airport. Patna, March 13 : Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha has taken a firm stand against 'Inspector Raj' and 'Mafia Raj' in the Mines and Geology Department, assuring that truck owners and transporters will not be harassed. Sinha pointed out that strict action will be taken against the illegal activities of officials. "Anyone involved in illegal activities will face strict action," he said. Sinha also issued a dedicated WhatsApp helpline number 9472238821 for complaints. The purpose of the initiative is to provide truck owners with a facility to report problems, traffic jams, and accidents. "The department will take immediate action on complaints received," he said. With this, truck operators now have a direct channel to report issues. Sinha also stated that some people tried to instigate a transport strike at the behest of the mafia, but due to the government's strict stance, the strike failed. Sinha has reiterated the government's commitment to cracking down on illegal mining and transport activities. He emphasised that strict action would be taken against any official, policeman, or individual found violating the law. Sinha said that strict monitoring of mining and transport departments is taking place in Bihar. "Both departments are interconnected, and the government is keeping a close watch on illegal activities of their officials," he said. He issued instructions to officers not to stop trucks unnecessarily and asked them to change the traditional checking system to prevent harassment of truck owners. Vijay Kumar Sinha pointed out that NH-922 (Patna-Buxar) and Bhojpur-Sonpur road bridge are highly congested due to excessive sand-laden trucks. The stretch between Bihta (Patna) and Sakaddi (Bhojpur) remains choked with traffic. He instructed officials of the traffic and transport departments to fix this problem. Rampant sand mining along the Son River from Sahar to Koilwar in Bhojpur has led to thousands of overloaded trucks ply on NH-922 and Sahar-Sakaddi state highway and this has led to traffic snarl on these two stretches. The government is actively monitoring and ensuring that transporters can operate without mafia interference. Mumbai, March 13 : A large number of farmers from 12 districts to be affected by the Rs 86,300 crore Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Highway gathered in Mumbai on Wednesday to oppose the project. They unanimously declared that officials would not be allowed to enter for land measurement for the purpose of acquisition. Farmers from 12 districts of Kolhapur, Solapur, Sangli, Sindhudurg, Yavatmal, Wardha, Beed, Parbhani, Hingoli, Nanded, Dharashiv and Latur protested demanding the cancellation of the Shaktipeeth highway. From farmer organisations to legislators and from opposition to ruling parties extended support to the protest. NCP (SP) MLA Jayant Patil said, "The government is building this road without any demand from a single farmer. The government has adopted this new way to raise party funds and way of feeding contractors by putting the burden of it on all of us. We will take the initiative only if you, the farmers, are going to oppose this." Congress MLC Satej Patil said, "This highway is being made for contractors. This government is doing the work that only the contractor wants." Former MP and farmer leader Raju Shetti said, "A parallel road from Nagpur to Ratnagiri is in existence even today. But the traffic on this road is so sparse that it is running in losses. At a time when one kilometre of road costs Rs 35 crore, Shaktipeeth Road will cost Rs 107 crore. At a time when state government is reeling under debt, this project will further add the burden." Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve played a video clip of the then Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's speech in Kolhapur. "He had said in a public speech that he would abolish the Shakti Peeth. So if it is not abolished now, then Fadnavis is not listening to you," Danve taunted Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. In order to further step up the fight against the Shakti Peeth Highway, a decision has been taken to hold a gathering in Latur on April 8. It was also decided to hold gatherings in every district, conduct house-to-house marches to demand answers from local representatives and ministers and put up black flags in the fields to protest the government's decision. Wednesdayas agitation comes two days after Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar in his budget speech said that the land acquisition process for the Maharashtra Shaktipeeth Highway covering a length of 760 km is in progress. Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, who comes from Kolhapur district where a section of the farming community along with those from Sangli district are opposing the project, said that the government has an open mind to address their concerns saying that the government is providing the higher compensation to the affected farmers. By the time Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector died in 1977 at the age of 56, she had published eight novels. But throughout her life, she also wrote a number of childrens stories for her sons Pedro and Paolo, two of which will soon be published as picture books for the first time by New York Review Books NYRB Kids imprint. Lispectors The Mystery of the Thinking Rabbit, illustrated by Kammal Joao, and Almost True, illustrated by Carla Irusta, will hit shelves on April 1. Both are translated from the Portuguese by Benjamin Moser, whose 2009 biography of Lispector was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Lispectors books for children are marked by a wonderfully original, conversational tone, NYRB senior editor Susan Barba, who acquired the books, told PW. What drew me to these two titles in particular was that they had this quality and at the same time they were especially fun stories about the intimate life of animals. The Mystery of the Thinking Rabbit, Barba said, offers up an unsolved mystery that pays homage to Pedro and Paolos pet rabbits. The book focuses on a rabbit named Jaoazinho, whose penchant for escaping from his cage leads to adventures unknown to his owners. His family wonders: How does he escape, and where, exactly, does he go? The story was written in the 1950s without the intention of being published, but was eventually released as Lispectors debut childrens book in 1967. Meanwhile, the playful Almost True, first published in 1978, stars Lispectors dog, Ulisses, who tells a nicely barked story in which he meets a singing sun, men manning and women womaning, an abundance of omelets, and even an organized revolution. Childrens books by well-known adult authors are often disappointing. Theyre not strange or subtle enough, or theyre too somber or too didactic, Barba said. Lispector is a happy exception. For Barba, both books ultimately demonstrate Lispectors command not only over tone and pacing, but also her keen awareness of her intended audience: She knows children, she knows what interests them, and she is writing about what interests her as wellabout human nature, about animal nature, what makes us tick. Barba first encountered The Mystery of the Thinking Rabbit and Almost True in 2022, when New Directions published four of Lispectors stories in its Storybook series. These books, Barba explained, had several pen and ink illustrations, but the agent for Lispectors estate had wanted to see them published as full-color picture books, for children, as they [were] in Brazil. When the agent sent Barba some of the Brazilian illustrated editions published by Rio de Janeirobased publishing house Rocco, which owns the rights to Lispectors books, Barba said she was immediately drawn to Carla Irustas playful illustrations for Almost True and Kammal Joaos more conceptual illustrations for The Mystery of the Thinking Rabbit. Soon after, she said, NYRB contracted with New Directionswhich for more than a decade has undertaken the project, spearheaded by Benjamin Moser, of translating and reissuing Lispectors oeuvrefor Mosers translations of the stories. NYRB then teamed up with Moser to edit the stories for the picture book editions. Though Lispectors legacy has largely been defined by her innovative novels, such as The Hour of the Star and The Passion According to GH, these two picture books provide a new glimpse into the authors imagination. They also stand as less linear, more unusual additions to childrens literature, said Barbaa trend that hasnt gone unnoticed. I think people, adults and children alike, are ready for more creative and less commercial childrens books, Barba said, and I hope these titles will encourage them to seek out more books like these, as well as Lispectors books for adults. Rupal Patel, author of From CIA to CEOpublished by Heligo, a division of the U.K.'s Bonnier Bookshas worn many hats over the years, from from intelligence analyst to business entrepreneur to, now, author. She spoke with PW about how her experience at the CIA shaped her approach to business and leadership, she transformed her experience at the CIA into actionable insights for her debut book. What was your path to writing this book? I've always written and wanted to write a book since I was a child. After finishing business school, I had worked on a novela fictionalized autobiography of my time at the agency as a woman working in war zones. I didn't end up publishing it, so I continued writing for myself. What surprised me was that I switched from writing fiction to chronicling my experiences transitioning out of the CIA, starting businesses in England, and documenting the culture shocks and challenges of building a business from scratch. Initially, I was capturing these insights for myself, but over time, I started sharing them in a small newsletter to clients and people I was meeting. This evolved over about three years before I started thinking it could become a book. The pain of not writing it became greater than the pain of sitting down and tackling it. In my consulting work, the same themes kept emerging around purpose, meaning, and living a life of your own design. These timeless topics around performance and fulfillment became the foundation. While the book was conceptually in the making for 40-plus years, the actual work took about five years of thinking and two months of writing. How did you end up with your publisher? I was brought in by an editor who was starting a new imprint at Bonnier focused on "smart thinking" titles. It felt like an opportunitya new imprint with resources behind them to make a big splash. That was part of my calculation in choosing them over the other four offers we received. How does the title CIA to CEO resonate in different markets? It definitely captures people's attention. The CIA has a mixed reputation worldwide, but in the U.K., it's actually really positive and strong. It gives the bookand by extension, mea bit more gravitas. When we were shopping for foreign translation rights, the Germans didn't want to touch it because having "CIA" in the title was too charged for them. It's been interesting to see how it's perceived in different markets. Foreign rights have been sold in some surprising places. We have two Chinese dealsone in Taiwan and one in mainland China, theres a Polish translation, as well as another in Greece, and others in the works. Who is this book actually written for? That's the question I've been wanting to answer. It's not just for CEOs, and not just for people who view themselves as leaders in any formal way. For me, it's about "small-L leadership"leading your own life and the people around you from wherever you stand. The interesting part is: How do I live in a world with expectations and assumptions? How do I stay true to myself? How do I even know what being true to myself means? These more philosophical, timeless questionsthat's who this book is for. It's for folks who want to lead their own lives, who don't want to be passive recipients of life, but actively make choices and own the ramifications of those choices. My favorite part of the book is where I talk about living an absolute life versus a relative life. I quote my dad who says that the struggle is to learn how to live an absolute life and not a relative lifewhere you don't define yourself in opposition to or in relation to others. What are your thoughts on former CIA officers writing books? I think there's a certain type of person who goes into these worldsat our best, we're curious, open-minded, inquisitive people who like to think about things and make connections. For me, one of the most gratifying parts of writing this book was making connections between this rarefied, secretive world and the rest of the world. There's also huge market interest from people on the outside who want to peek inside. I remember my agent and editor encouraging me to "CIA-ify" things because that's the hookthat's what interests people. So there's this confluence of marketability and those of us who want to share something we think is interesting. When we were shopping my book for U.S. deals, several major publishers said, "We've already got a CIA book coming out," which made me wonder how many former CIA officers are writing books! What communication lessons from your CIA experience apply to writing and business messaging? At its core, it's about empathetic communication. Our role as analysts wasn't just to provide assessments, but to ensure that how we communicated was relevant, useful, and spoke the language of the person in front of us. For example, the level of detail provided to our highest-level customer, the president, would be very different from what we'd share with special forces units on the ground. It's about taking the same message but making sure you're speaking the language of your audience. It's not just about word choice, but about the level of detail you provide in different contexts and having the ability to gauge your audience in real time. The message stays the same, but you need to be agile in how you deliver it. This interview has been edited for clarity. One of the featured panels at this year's London Book Fair paired David Shelley and James Daunt, two executives that each run powerful companies on both sides of the Atlantic, with Shelley serving as CEO of Hachette Book Group in the U.S. and Hachette UK, and Daunt as CEO of Barnes & Noble and managing director of Waterstones. Asked to identify bright spots in the book world by event chair Alex Peake-Tomkinson, Daunt said that he was "reasonably optimistic" and that "the core business is very strong." This was partly driven, he said, by a wave of BookTok-inspired youngsters: "The kids are in the storeswe are full of young adults, and that's bringing energy to our stores. And given everything else that is going on, we have real sales momentum." Shelley too was "pretty cheerful." Again, this was partly due to the benign influence of TikTok, where "books are one of the main areas of discussion, and it's physical books that they are talking about," he said. "There has been a surge of interest from 14-25 [year olds] and books are propelled by that." Shelley added: "When I need to cheer myself up, even as a 48 year old, I find it genuinely exciting to see the enthusiasm for books on TikTok." Another reason that Shelley was optimistic is the success of what he called "the quasi-academic nonfiction market," and he summarized the overall book market as "very stable on both sides of the Atlantic." Daunt, who is not on TikTok, said one difference between the U.K. and U.S. markets was that Americans bought more hardcovers, and at higher prices. When Peake-Tomkinson asked why that is, Daunt deadpanned, "Because they are richer," to laughter from the audience. His business was "steady as she goes" in the U.K., but in the U.S., B&N "was opening far more stores, building more energy." Asked to name one thing that stood out in the last year and that they were proud of, Shelley pointed to Hachette's network of regional offices in the U.K., which now employs more than 200 people. "The kind of books, of people, that we are getting through that is really adding to our business," he said. "Not being so exclusively London-based has been a real benefit. New York and London are a bit of an echo chamber, and getting out is one of the best things you can do." Asked to pick out a hot trend in the market, Shelley opted for the self-help/personal development area ("what we used to call MBS [mind body spirit]") that is all about "helping people cope with modern life." With digital-powered change happening at a rapid pace across society, "there is a lot coming at people," he said, and readers are reacting to that. "Books do well because they serve a purpose that no other media can: a book can take you deeper in than a podcast or an article on the internet." As for trends in fiction, Shelley picked out escapismperhaps not unrelated to the aforementioned pressures of modern lifeparticularly emphasizing the popularity of romance. Daunt backed this up, adding that he was bringing in a new "book of the month" to cover the category. Both men have transatlantic jobswhat are the highlights? For Daunt, it has been about empowering local stores in the U.S. to get on with bookselling, keeping head office interference down to a minimum, following the model he successfully pioneered in the U.K. For Shelley, the joy is in matchmaking, uncovering pockets of excellence on one side of the pondin marketing, rights, or editorial, for exampleand putting them in touch with the right people on the other side. Asked what he has read recently, Shelley said Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy. During a playoff game, the book was seen on TV being read by Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown on the bench, and sales of the self-published book took off. "This is a bit of plug," confessed Shelley. "We have just bought the rights." Daunt observed that that instant surge in sales of the book was entirely driven by Amazon and print-on-demand, and that "we're mainly buying when the book has taken off." Inevitably, AI was on the agenda. Daunt said that booksellers were "innately hostile" to AI, even to the extent of complaining about AI-generated covers. Shelley was of the view that it was all about the legislation governing AI, which would determine whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. Defense of copyright was key, he said: "without copyright we wouldn't have a business.... In my career there has never been a time when public affairs weren't more important. At the moment, it is a Wild West. If there are good laws, it will be an opportunity, but if there is bad legislation, there will be challenges and dangers." He also observed that AI could be beneficial "if it gets more books into more readers' hands," such as through gains in business efficiency. Overall, Daunt said that to be involved in bookselling when it was on one of its periodic upswings was "hugely energizing," and that one of the most fulfilling things was to take "good books from unknown authors and turn them into bestsellerssomething chains can do," although the U.S. side was still less good at this. Two things Shelley was excited about were Hachette's Raising Readers initiativeto support children's reading ("there is nothing more satisfying that converting someone to reading")and a proof he was reading, of a campus novel called Seduction Theory by Emily Adrian, to be published by Little, Brown on August 12. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Azerbaijan demonstrated its reliability in difficult times and became a strategic partner for Bulgaria and other countries of South-Eastern Europe, said former President of Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev at a press conference dedicated to the XII Global Baku Forum, Trend reports. "We are proud of our strategic partnership with Azerbaijan. We are very grateful because, in a difficult moment, Azerbaijan proved its reliability. For example, when Gazprom stopped gas supplies to Bulgaria in one day, Azerbaijan was able to step in and develop a strategic partnership and trustworthy relations," noted Plevneliev. He also emphasized that now Bulgaria and other countries in the region want to expand cooperation and increase bilateral trade volume. "Contracts have already been signed with Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and other countries, including Georgia, for a new project that will be important for the supply of 'green' energy to Europe. Digital connectivity and transport infrastructure are also being developed," added the former president. Plevneliyev pointed out that in the future, there will be an intensification of cooperation and strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the Balkan countries, which is a positive factor for the entire region. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel A lobbyist for the College Board delivered a sharp warning to William Slater last month. She was not happy that the Tennessee Republican lawmaker had recently introduced a bill to allow the states public universities to accept the Classic Learning Test, an upstart competitor to the College Boards famed SAT, as an admissions exam. Jeremy Tate, pioneer of the Classic Learning Test: Absolutely the College Board is trying to undermine the CLT, he says. The lobbyist aimed to kill the bill. She let me know that the College Board is opposed and indicated that she will be speaking with each member of the higher education subcommittee, Slater told RealClearInvestigations. I told her it seems protectionist and Im not going to allow a monopoly to keep us from doing good education policy in Tennessee. Tennessee is just one of the states where the College Board, a nonprofit with $1 billion in annual revenue, is trying to stop the expansion of the Classic Learning Test (CLT), run by a small company with about $10 million in revenue. While the College Board justifies its attack with criticism of the tests quality claims CLT leaders reject underlying the controversy appears to be a fierce competition for market share. The battle over the CLT also reflects the profound forces transforming K-12 education. As growing numbers of Americans seek alternatives to traditional public education, an infrastructure of charter, private, and home schools has expanded to support them. The CLT, which grew out of the classical education movement, is a recent addition to that infrastructure, a bridge between high school and college. The CLT is another option for students that tests a different aspect of education, said Chester Finn, an expert on assessments and president emeritus at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. It has merit as a test for college admissions. For decades, the College Boards SAT and its chief rival, the ACT (which was bought last year by a private equity firm), have dominated the college admissions market. They are not simply exams they are touchstones of academic achievement that have extraordinary influence on education, giving shape to what students study in school and strive for in life. High-performing schools display their students SAT and ACT scores online as a badge of honor. William Slater, Tennessee lawmaker: "Im not going to allow a monopoly to keep us from doing good education policy in Tennessee. As CLT founder Jeremy Tate sees it, those tests have played a role in making education overly utilitarian and job-focused. It has lost its soul, leaving students bored and uninspired with learning, says Tate, a former public school teacher in New York City. He is not surprised at all that public education is afflicted with sky-high absenteeism and record low achievement. Tate is a central figure in an educational revival that aims to restore some of the wonder in learning. The great books of Western civilization and a focus on big questions of virtue and justice form the centerpiece of classical instruction. Science, math, and technology are important, too, but as pieces within the broader classical approach. Educators of all political stripes, from conservative Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn to progressive philosophy professor Cornel West, are promoting classical Christian and secular charter schools that number in the hundreds. They were the early adopters of the CLT because of its emphasis on classical works, and the test has recently spread into traditional public schools, serving at times as a catalyst for change. In schools that are not already classical, we commonly see some curricular impact after adopting the CLT, like the addition of philosophy or grammar, said Tate, a graduate of the Reformed Theological Seminary. We need to get back to the ancient goal of the cultivation of virtue, and the CLT is part of that. A Battle for Market Share Above, Veritas Classical School in St. Augustine, Florida. It says the Classic Learning Test is more aligned with its rigorous program, which includes Homer in middle school and Shakespeare and Dostoevsky in later grades. Tate decided to create the CLT while he was running an SAT and ACT test prep company. Those exams are based on the Common Core standards popular in public education but not in the private and home schools where he prepped students for the tests. So, in 2015, he developed the CLT, a two-hour verbal, grammar, and quantitative exam, more aligned to the classical education of his students. Doug Tuthill: There is no doubt that the CLT is taking market share from the SAT and ACT in Florida." Over the next eight years, the number of CLT test takers was de minimis. Although more than 200 colleges agreed to accept CLT scores for admission, they were almost all small religious schools, significantly limiting the tests appeal to students. The CLT broke out of its religious bubble in 2023 when Florida became the first state to approve its use in high schools and public universities. The test suddenly became a more serious player in the market, firing a shot across the bow of the College Board. Thanks to Florida, the number of CLT test takers soared seven-fold to 182,000 last year. The biggest surprise was that the surge in Florida came mostly from public school students, evidence of the CLTs broadening appeal. The CLTs market share is still a far cry from the leading SATs 1.97 million test takers and ACTs 1.4 million for the class of 2024. But Florida made clear that the CLT could become a real competitive threat if more states sign on. There is no doubt that the CLT is taking market share from the SAT and ACT in Florida, said Doug Tuthill, the chief vision officer at Step Up For Students, which runs the states school choice scholarship programs. Now, as Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas consider CLT legislation, the College Board is moving to stop the momentum. It has deployed lobbyists to the state capitols to block the bills for reasons that it posted in a brief on its website in May: New external research shows that the CLT is not predictive of college performance or success and has no relationship to student outcomes. Thats a damning assessment since the very purpose of a college admissions test is to predict how students will perform. CLT leaders say the College Boards assertion is false. To date, there is no completed research that addresses the predictiveness of the CLT. It remains a question to be answered. Last year, Tates company began a longitudinal study tracking the same students over a long period to determine the CLTs predictive power, and the results are not in yet. Absolutely the College Board is trying to undermine the CLT, Tate said. Its part of a duopoly and so it makes sense that they dont want to have competitors in the space. The College Board denies that its criticism of the CLT is based on a desire to protect its market share. The nonprofit says its mission is to help students succeed in college, and it supports having a diversity of tests provided they are backed by research. The College Board believes that students should be able to choose from any research-backed test that allows them to effectively show what they know and can do, Holly Stepp, executive director of media relations, told RCI. Classical Educations Appeal Like the SAT, the CLT is a multiple-choice test of literacy and numeracy. But the two tests differ significantly when it comes to reading content. This difference became more pronounced last year when the College Board rolled out the digital SAT in the U.S., calling it more student-friendly and less stressful. The digital SAT is partly a response to the large number of colleges that have become test-optional, posing a challenge to the CLT and ACT, too. With an eye on preserving market share, the College Board said its goal is for the digital SAT to be the only test that students take. Andrew Smalley, head of school: "The CLT validates deeper thinking. In addition to cutting the SAT testing time to 2 hours and 14 minutes, the reading passages have been significantly shortened to between 25 and 150 words. The College Board said the shorter passages are a better fit for the digital format and are just as challenging. The brief passages also seem to nod at social media, which has transformed how students consume information. CLT leaders say the SATs new approach demands less thoughtfulness from students. The CLTs longer passages of 525 words are drawn from classic works in history, literature, science, philosophy, and religion. A practice CLT test features the Epic of Gilgamesh, St. Teresa of Avila, and James Madison. Tate says the readings make the test engaging and meaningful and will attract more students. Veritas, a classical Christian K-12 academy in St. Augustine, FL, is a true believer in the CLT. The test is more aligned to the schools rigorous program that includes Homer in middle school before Shakespeare and Dostoevsky in later grades, says Andrew Smalley, the head of school. Veritas intentionally gives students difficult works that have stood the test of time to inspire them to rise to the challenge of tackling the question of what it means to be human. This is far superior to other approaches where kids are not being pushed academically and they are just checking boxes on tests that are kind of meaningless to them, said Smalley, a member of the CLTs board of academic advisers. As crazy as it sounds, Smalley says, most of his students are excited to take the CLT because they find the content interesting. Veritas uses it both to meet a state requirement that private schools test students and for college admissions, along with the SAT and ACT. All members of Veritas small class of 2025 have earned a college acceptance. A student walked out of the CLT and told me it had a passage from a beautiful poem that she now had to read, said Smalley. Students dont normally say something like that after taking a standardized test. Its because the CLT validates deeper thinking. Obstacles to CLTs Expansion The CLTs attempt to expand across the country presents a daunting challenge. Tates company of about 50 employees must convince state lawmakers and boards of governors to change their laws and rules to include the CLT on the menu of tests that serve K-12 schools and public universities. Most state lawmakers have never heard of the CLT, or if they have, they dont realize they need to make policy changes so students can take the test for state university admissions, said Michael Torres, CLTs legislative director. Its definitely a big education hurdle but there is significant interest from lawmakers. Richard Phelps, testing expert: The College Boards aggressive play for market share didnt help students in Michigan. Whats more, for over half a century, the SAT and ACT have cemented their positions in state law as the gold standard of tests, providing a technically complex service thats hard for newcomers to match without a team of PhDs and ample resources for research studies and lobbying. The College Board also has been adept at maintaining the SATs position as the No. 1 college entrance exam, spending $830,000 on lobbying in 2023. It famously won a state testing contract in Michigan in 2015 with a low bid that was about half the amount of ACTs losing offer. The College Boards aggressive play for market share didnt help students in Michigan, said Richard Phelps, a standardized testing expert and former policy research director at ACT. Schools had been prepping students for years for the ACT and now they had to throw all of that away and start over again with the SAT. It was a mess. The CLTs victory in Florida, where the College Board has 10 lobbyists, was a matter of political good luck. During Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis presidential bid, he attacked the College Board over what he considered its woke AP African American studies course. During the high-profile fight, DeSantis office contacted Tates company to request that it bring the CLT to Florida to compete with the College Board. Soon after, state lawmakers and the board of governors approved the CLT. Gov. Ron DeSantis: His personal support was called crucial to the CLT's breakthrough in Florida. We were told that the support for the CLT came directly from the governor, Tate says. We didnt have a lobbyist in Florida. The CLTs success in Florida stirred controversy with the College Board. Working under a tight deadline set by Florida, Tates company produced a study called a concordance designed to show how CLT and SAT scores align with each other. The study is essential for admissions officers to compare the performance of students who take different tests. But it has become another target of the College Boards attack on the CLT to prevent other states from adopting it. The College Boards brief says the study is invalid because of several technical issues, including the claim that the sample of students wasnt representative. Eren Asena, a CLT statistical analyst who worked on the study, provided a detailed rebuttal of all the College Board criticisms in an interview. But Tates company says it didnt publish a rebuttal, which would allow independent experts to evaluate the critique of the CLT, to avoid a distracting tit-for-tat argument with the College Board. Iowa Rejects the CLT The dispute has been a drag on the CLTs growth. Last year, the Iowa Board of Regents considered a proposal to include the CLT in its automated admissions process for the states universities. But the board rejected the proposal, citing the College Boards legitimate concerns about the validity of CLT concordance tables related to the SAT. The boards researchers say they didnt contact Tates company to hear its side of the story. David Barker: The state should reconsider its rejection of the CLT. Iowa Regent David Barker, a former economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, told RCI that the CLT should have been approved. It would have attracted more home-schooled students to Iowas universities at a time of fluctuating enrollment. Barker found the study to be valid partly because there is plenty of data to make a strong concordance. But he says the College Boards opposition to the CLT, which influenced the board, didnt surprise him. Whether they are for-profit or non-profit, I expect them to look out for their own interests. But its the job of the regents to see through that and make appropriate choices, said Barker, adding that the board could consider the CLT again. Amid the quarrel over the concordance, representatives from CLT, the College Board, and ACT held a series of meetings to begin a collaboration on a more robust study that all parties could agree on, says CLTs Chief Financial Officer Noah Tyler. They were following a precedent in 2018 when the College Board and ACT collaborated on a study after publicly feuding over a concordance. But the collaboration with CLT ended in September after a College Board executive told Tyler that the organization was too busy to continue. Something dramatically shifted in the College Boards motivation to do a joint concordance, Tyler said. But we dont know why. More States Consider the CLT This year, a wave of CLT bills has emerged in school choice-friendly states following Floridas lead. College Board lobbyists have also appeared to bat them down. Lawmakers in Arkansas, Iowa, Tennessee, and Texas introduced legislation to add the CLT to their list of university admissions tests. Oklahoma's more modest measure, which passed in its House on Tuesday and now goes to the Senate, would allow students to qualify for state scholarships using a CLT score and is seen as a first step to requiring universities to accept the test for admissions. Toni Hasenbeck, Oklahoma lawmaker lobbied by the College Board: I told the lobbyist that the letter was very aggressive and I didnt appreciate it. Oklahoma Republican lawmaker Toni Hasenbeck says she sponsored the CLT bill in support of families that are choosing educational alternatives such as homeschooling. She says these students are already taking the CLT for private college admissions and shouldnt have to also take the SAT or ACT for a state scholarship. Soon after introducing her bill, Hasenbeck told RCI that she heard from a College Board lobbyist. He had written a long letter to the state superintendent criticizing several aspects of the CLT, including its concordance study. I told the lobbyist that the letter was very aggressive and I didnt appreciate it, said Hasenbeck, whose bill will face a House floor vote. Im willing to have a conversation. But when people push in that way, Im very resistant to changing my bill. We will see what happens. Hasenbeck, who has seen the benefits of standardized testing from two decades in public education, says she realizes the CLT has a short track record. But she says the benefits of increasing the number of home-schooled students who are assessed outweigh the risks of using a relatively new test. State wins are essential for Tate to reach his goal of 500,000 annual CLT test-takers in three years, or more than twice the 2024 number. By his logic, as the number of CLT students grows, selective private universities will eventually also come on board because they want more applicants to keep their admissions rate low. I think people know that we need disruption in this testing market, that the College Board needs to be challenged, said Tate. And we have a lot of grassroots enthusiasm behind the CLT thats helping us make some big gains. Last week, the United States and Israel rejected the Arab League proposal for reconstruction of Gaza. The Arab leaders plan was a response to President Trump's call to facilitate the migration of Gazans to countries of refuge following the devastating war. Trumps proposal has sparked outrage in some quarters and been denigrated as a proposal for forced displacement and ethnic cleansing. These criticisms, perhaps well-intentioned, are based on the false assumption that Gazans overwhelmingly want to stay where they are. In reality, most do not: they want to find safe haven elsewhere, just like millions who in recent years fled Syria, Ukraine, and other war-torn lands. I know because for the past three years, my organization, the Center for Peace Communications, has engaged innumerable Gazan civilians on the ground and recorded hundreds of face-to-face interviews in order to amplify the voices of people trapped between Hamass violent reign and the more recent, destructive war. polling Our findings are reflected infrom the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, which reports that even before October 7, when Gazans had a semblance of continuity in daily life, about one-third of Gazans wanted to emigrate. Today, based on our continual, direct engagement with Gazans, we assess that this contingent is now a majority of the population. If Gazans have the opportunity to leave the coastal strip, we anticipate a deluge of humanity akin to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Gazans are no different from people throughout history who have longed to escape authoritarianism and war. As video testimony we are releasing this week shows, Gazans hoping to emigrate cite a yearning for opportunity, stability, and relief from both the horror of war and the crippling corruption and brutality Hamas has imposed for a generation. The children want playgrounds. Young people want to go to college and learn. Seniors want to live without fear of spending their fragile years in tents and rubble. Some note that their right to migrate is guaranteed under Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and urge that the issue not be mixed up with political squabbles. Others share anxiety that Trump will back down on the idea of voluntary migration. Those who deny their aspirations are erasing the cries of over a million people. The status quo serves only the interests of Hamas, which has resorted to intimidation and murder to prevent Gazans from moving anywhere, for years. Early in the current war, Hamas terrorists shot Gazans attempting to flee southward to escape fighting in the north. Now, after President Trumps remarks, Hamas fighters are threatening to kill any Gazan who would emigrate. Thus the real force being brought to bear is not forced displacement; its forced imprisonment in a war zone by Hamas, so the population continues serving as human shields. Since the present war began, over 100,000 Gazans have already migrated across the Egyptian border by paying that government a bribe of $5,000 each. For years before the October 7 attacks, many young Gazans seeking freedom turned to criminal smuggling organizations, or tried to flee the Strip by sea a dangerous journey often ending in death. gathered In 2022, thousands of Gazansfor the funerals of eight young men who had drowned off the coast of Tunisia. These funerals developed into spontaneous protests against Hamass tyranny. As our video testimony also shows, Gazans cite reasonable concerns about migration. Many more would move to Europe than to a land of famine, like Somalia, as one put it. Fewer would leave without an assurance that they can return to Gaza after reconstruction and Hamass defeat. Among potential destinations, in addition to Egypt and Jordan, many feel that Turkey and Qatar owe it to Gazans to take them in, citing both countries responsibility for their suffering having long supported Hamas. In sum, the Presidents suggestion of resettlement resonates with most Gazans as a practical, interim remedy for their plight. It also challenges outsiders to choose between the cause of alleviating Palestinian misery and Hamass barbaric ideal of a cause that sacrifices Palestinian lives to maintain power. Helping these people means rejecting their use as pawns by rogue states and their proxies and listening to what the many who do not belong to armed groups actually want and need. Joseph Braude is the founder and president of the Center for Peace Communications. EOTECH has been pushing the boundaries of electro-optics for over a decade, and theyre not slowing down anytime soon! From its roots in holographic sights to a full suite of cutting-edge gear that includes magnified optics, micro red dots, night vision, thermals, and laser systems, EOTECH has evolved into a powerhouse of innovation. In 2022, it took it a step further, launching a manufacturing center dedicated to high-tech digital sensor systems. Now, theyre doubling down on that with the opening of their brand-new Tech Center in Orofino, Idaho. A full-blown R&D powerhouse, this new center is state-of-the-art. Engineers and designers will have everything they need to refine, test, and prototype the next generation of EOTECH hardware. We are thrilled to open our new Tech Center in Orofino, an area that will be the conduit between our headquarters in Michigan and our sensor factory in California, said Aaron Hampton, EOTECHs President of Product Development. This facility provides us with the talent and opportunity to plant the growth initiatives for the companys next phase of our development. We strive to inspire new technology-driven solutions, and this investment will accelerate innovation and the development of new solutions for our core and emerging markets. Officially opened on February 26, 2025, this 4,200-square-foot facility is stacked with state-of-the-art tools. The optics lab boasts cleanroom flow hoods, optical breadboards, collimators, and high-purity nitrogen for assembling and fine-tuning weapon sights and camera systems. Meanwhile, the mechanical lab is built for precision, featuring small-scale machining, an inspection area with a granite table, and a full suite of physical and optical metrology systems. EOTECH is investing in the future of optics. Expect big things to come out of Orofino. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, President of the Republic of North Macedonia, currently on an official visit to Azerbaijan, toured the Ateshgah Temple State Historical-Architectural Reserve in Baku, Trend reports. During the visit, the dignitary was provided with detailed information about the history and architectural features of the temple. It was noted that the temple, located approximately 30 km from the center of Baku in the Surakhani district, is recognized worldwide as a site of historical and cultural significance. In ancient times, fire worshipers gathered here, believing in the mystical power of the eternal flame and venerating the sacred fire. During the 15th-17th centuries, fire-worshiping Indians, who traveled to Absheron via trade caravans, visited Surakhani. These Indian merchants later constructed new buildings on the site of the ancient temple. The earliest construction of the temple, built on a site where natural gas bursts out, dates back to 1713. By the 18th century, additional structures, including a chapel, cells, and a caravanserai, were added around the temple, further enhancing its historical and architectural importance. Since September 2012, with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, extensive landscaping work has been undertaken around the temple, and auxiliary buildings have been constructed. Interested in a share of Hawk Tuah Token or FLOKI Coin? Well, this is just the right place to become informed about these outrageous strands of BitCoin that have been floating through the stock market. Meme Coin was created as a joke and fluctuates depending on the popularity of trends. Join me in exploring the different types of Meme Coin that have emerged in recent years. The Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission discussed rezoning requests and development projects and raised the parking rates in downtown parking decks at their March 4 regular session meeting. On Tuesday, March 11, at the work session meeting, the ACC Mayor and Commission discussed federal funding grants related to housing, community development and more. Music is the heartbeat of Athens. With bands such as The B-52s and R.E.M. getting their start here, the city has become a staple of music culture. Artists such as Megan Moroney and Riley Green continue to add Athens, Georgia, to their tour routes for a reason, performing at iconic venues like the Georgia Theatre, 40 Watt Club and the newest addition, Akins Ford Arena. But, there are still artists who have yet to perform in the Classic City. 'This was a decision taken and executed by Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief Pottu Amman. Both were convinced that the assassination would not be linked to them.' IMAGE: Velupillai Prabhakaran, leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who was slain by the Sri Lankan army in May 2009. Photograph: LTTE/Handout/Reuters Sixteen years after his death, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran's life has been a mystery. He spared none of his enemies' lives if they crossed him. Dedicated teams of Tamil Tigers and suicide squads went to any extent to eliminate its opponents. An LTTE suicide bomber murdered Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991. In his final days the portly terrorist was cornered by the Sri Lankan army and his death on May 18, 2009 marked the dream of a Tamil Eelam, a separate homeland for Tamils in Sri Lanka. Journalist M R Narayan Swamy's fascinating book The Rout of Prabhakaran delves into the life of the most feared man in South Asia. "It is easy to glorify Prabhakaran as long as you have not been a victim. If you ask Tamil parents whose children, mainly from poor families, were forced to enlist in the LTTE and wage war, they are not going to praise Prabhakaran," Narayan Swamy tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com. The last book on Prabhakaran you wrote was in 2010, The Tiger Vanquished. What made you revisit Prabhakaran with this new book? The Tiger Vanquished came out a year after the LTTE was crushed. At that time, it was a timely overview of why the struggle met such a fiery end. In any case, that book was a collection of news stories and analyses I had done over time on Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict. Fifteen years down the line, by when a lot of bitter truths about the LTTE has become public, I felt it was time to revisit the story, dwelling on the why the Tigers went down after promising for a quarter century to create an independent Tamil State. The latest book is a post-mortem of Prabhakaran and his politics. It is difficult to define Prabhakaran's life -- for some he was a freedom fighter liberating the Tamils and for many he was a terrorist. Where do you place him? Prabhakaran certainly had a cause when he plunged into Tamil militancy in the 1970s, a dream shared by many Tamils in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, as it often happens in history, he squandered it all by turning his weapons against the very people he claimed to represent and killing Tamils who too believed in the Tamil Eelam cause but who did not agree with him. It is easy to glorify Prabhakaran as long as you have not been a victim. If you ask Tamil parents whose children, mainly from poor families, were forced to enlist in the LTTE and wage war, they are not going to praise Prabhakaran. Ditto for the Tamils, moderates and militants, who were hunted down and killed at various stages by the Tigers. Prabhakaran believed in violence as so do many revolutionaries/terrorists depending how you perceive them like Hamas' Yahya Sinwar. Why do they think that the end goal can only be achieved through violence and the answer to State oppression is only retaliation by terror? A very valid question, indeed. It is a tragedy that people like Prabhakaran and Sinwar felt that violence, and that too brutal violence, was the only way to achieve their goal. The end result is horrifically tragic -- as we saw in Sri Lanka and now in Gaza. As some former LTTE fighters say, Prabhakaran had no right to decide unilaterally that Tamils had to fight till the last man and make no compromises. Did this stand achieve Tamil Eelam? A former LTTE woman fighter told me that Tamils stood on two legs even after the terrible anti-Tamil riots in Sri Lanka in 1983. A quarter century and a hundred thousand deaths later, the Tamils were on bended knees. This is the outcome of the violent politics which Prabhakaran embraced. IMAGE: Prabhakaran, left, with LTTE ideologue Anton Balasingham (in white shirt), second from left, and other LTTE members. Photograph: Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence/Handout/Reuters Why did Prabhakaran not believe in democracy even when Mahinda Rajapaksa offered that he become the ruler of North and East Sri Lanka on the condition he lay down arms? Why did he have trust issues with the Sri Lankan establishment? My reading is that Prabhakaran came to believe in his self-importance and was led to think that no one would ever be able to defeat him militarily. Otherwise, he would have never allowed a Sinhalese hardliner like Mahinda Rajapaksa to become president of Sri Lanka in 2005 by asking Tamils to boycott the presidential election, leading to the defeat of Ranil Wickremesinghe, who signed a peace pact with him. Yes, he did not trust the Sri Lankan State -- but the vice versa was true too. More than that, he thought he was destined to win and Colombo was destined to lose. When you place too much importance on the gun, you lose your political faculty. Even Oslo's peacemakers could not do anything to influence Prabhakaran? The Norwegians were very confident earlier that they would be able to bring Prabhakaran around to a negotiated settlement. In this, they meant well. But they did not reckon with Prabhakaran's intransigence, which itself arose from his cocky confidence that he was bound to win one day. Erik Solheim, the Norwegian diplomat who oversaw the peace process, told me that senior LTTE member Anton Balasingham was all for a settlement with the Sri Lankan government but he could not persuade Prabhakaran to think on similar lines. What amazes me is the kind of loyalty that Prabhakaran commanded. How did he get such trained, loyal, brainwashed youths among the Tamils? Prabhakaran certainly had a charisma that drew hundreds to his LTTE. Many were willing to die at his command -- and they did. Most LTTE combatants viewed him as one who won't compromise with Colombo. Little did they realise that this adamant refusal to shake hands with a foe would cost them terribly one day. But do note that thousands of LTTE fighters surrendered to the military towards the end of the war -- in other words they did not want to follow the Prabhakaran path any more. And thousands of fighters also gave up the gun over time and moved away from Sri Lanka to start life anew in the West. In other words, Prabhakaran had very many loyal followers; but there were plenty of dissenters too. How come no one dared to question him within the LTTE for his violent behaviour? When you preach and practise violence the way Prabhakaran did, very few will dare to oppose you. Those who did were cut down. Some drifted away over time because they could not agree with Prabhakaran any more. Even Balasingham, supposedly his advisor, bitterly differed with him over some issues, including the decision to kill Rajiv Gandhi. As some former associates have told me, Prabhakaran did not appreciate dissent. This was clear to everyone. Even if someone raised an issue he did not like, he would steer the discussion to another topic. IMAGE: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran with his wife Mathivathani, second from left, son Balachandran and daughter Duwaraka. Photograph: Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence/Handout/Reuters How were Prabhakaran's suicide squad recruited? What motivated young teenagers to give their life for their leader and their cause? As I said, Prabhakaran certainly had charisma. This drew many young Tamils to him. One reason was the unending war and the belief that Prabhakaran would lead them to victory. Among the many who joined him, there were those who were willing to die by becoming suicide bombers. It was drilled into their minds that their sacrifices would take the Tamils closer to freedom. This was akin to how Islamist groups influenced many Muslims to die for a so-called cause. But also remember that thousands of LTTE fighters chose life over death by surrendering to the military. Why do human emotions fade away from society and deaths do not matter to any side of the party, be it the LTTE or the Sri Lankan government? How did Sri Lankan society evolve in this manner from the 1980s to 2010? The Sri Lanka story should be studied in some detail by everyone, particularly in South Asia, to appreciate what happens when majoritarianism grips the larger society. If you keep aside English, Sri Lanka has only two languages; and it has only two major communities, Sinhalese and Tamils (even though Tamil-speaking Muslims consider themselves a different group). The Sinhalese mindset to impose their language on the Tamils was a disaster. No majority community anywhere should impose its views, religion, language or customs on minorities. My fear is that many Sri Lankans do not understood this even now although a lot of people on both sides of the ethnic divide now appreciate much of what went wrong in their country. Do you feel killing Rajiv Gandhi was one of Prabhakaran's biggest mistakes? Did he ever regret the decision? Without doubt, the killing Rajiv Gandhi was a monumental blunder the LTTE committed. This was a decision taken and executed by Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief Pottu Amman. Both were convinced that the assassination would not be linked to them. Before his own death by suicide weeks before the LTTE was crushed, Pottu Amman told his confidants that the LTTE committed three major blunders. One, he said, was the killing of Rajiv Gandhi. The other two were the mass expulsion of Muslims from Jaffna in 1990 and the forced recruitment of children from poor Tamil families for years. Gandhi's killing irrevocably turned the Indian State against the LTTE. It was an irony but the most powerful person in India when Prabhakaran got killed was Sonia Gandhi, a woman he had made a widow in 1991. IMAGE: A photograph of the slain LTTE chief V Prabhakaran, released by the Sri Lankan army. Why did Prabhakaran become delusional towards the end and never believed he was losing the war? This is the problem when people come to feel that they are chosen prophets and that they alone know what is good for their people. If he was not under this illusion, he would have made some compromises and reached a settlement with the Sri Lankan State. It would have spared thousands of lives. But he did not do this. In the end, did he get his Tamil Eelam? Did the LTTE succeed? Are the Tamils in Sri Lanka today better off compared to what they were a quarter century ago? Answers to these questions will reveal the success or otherwise of Prabhakaran's politics. Is the dream of Tamil Eelam permanently buried? Can Tamil separatism ever rise in Sri Lanka? Others may have different views. In any case, only perfect astrologers can speak confidently about tomorrow. My own reading is that the Tamil separatist campaign as we knew it is dead and gone. It cannot be revived. Pro-LTTE sections living abroad who fancy a revival are living in a fool's paradise. Many ordinary Tamils in Sri Lanka, including those who were in the LTTE, feel betrayed. Most Tamils do not want to suffer any more in the name of another so-called liberation struggle. What does young Sri Lankans think today of Tamils in their country? Do they feel violence and Tamil separatism can rise once again? As times change, priorities change. Many Sri Lankans understand -- this is my reading, though I may be wrong -- now that good governance is what they need, not chauvinism or majoritarianism. But a quarter century of a horrific conflict and a longer fractured Tamil-Sinhalese relationship has produced an 'us' and 'them' syndrome in Sri Lanka. It will not be easy to overcome this tragic divide, not in the short run. The 1993 Mumbai bombings were a series of 12 coordinated explosions across the city on March 12, 1993, killing 257 people and injuring hundreds. Masterminded by Dawood Ibrahim with help from Tiger Memon, the attacks were reportedly in retaliation for the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition and ensuing riots. It was the first instance of RDX being used in a terror attack in India. The blasts targeted key locations like the Bombay Stock Exchange and the Air India building. Investigations linked the attacks to Pakistan's ISI and the underworld. While some perpetrators were convicted, Dawood and Tiger Memon remain fugitives. IMAGE: Residents of Worli pay floral tribute to the many who lost their lives in the 1993 blasts at Century Bazar, March 12, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo IMAGE: School students pay floral tribute. Photograph: ANI Photo IMAGE: BEST staffers and Mumbaikars pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the 1993 blasts, here and below. Photograph: Sahil Salvi Photograph: Sahil Salvi Photograph: Sahil Salvi Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com A fresh controversy over Holi and Friday namaaz during Ramzan erupted in Bihar with the mayor of Darbhanga town advocating a "two-hour break" in celebration of the festival of colours to facilitate the Muslim prayers. IMAGE: Students celebrate with colours ahead of the Holi festival at Allahabad University, in Prayagraj. Photograph: ANI Photo The proposal was mooted by Anjum Ara at a meeting of the peace committee in the north Bihar town recently. Later, while interacting with reporters, she said, "My plea was that the time of juma namaaz cannot be deferred. So, let there be a two-hour break, from noon to 2 pm, during which Hindus shall avoid places in the vicinity of mosques." "This would enable people from both faiths to carry out their respective practices without any hassles. We understand that Holi comes only once in a year. But we also need to keep in mind that for Muslims, it is the holy month of Ramzan," the mayor added. Her remarks drew an angry response from Hari Bhushan Thakur Bachaul, a BJP MLA from the adjoining district of Madhubani, who was recently in news for asking Muslims to "stay indoors" if they had a problem with Holi. Talking to reporters on the state assembly premises, he said, "Where are the self-proclaimed secularists who were attacking me? The mayor of Darbhanga has virtually called for 'Ghazwa-e-Hind', to convert India into an Islamic caliphate." He also warned of a pratikaar (retaliation) against those who first partitioned the country and are now intruding into the social life of Hindus". He also sought "investigation into shady record" of Ara and her family, who are said to be supporters of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janaat Dal-United, a BJP ally. However, senior JD(U) leader and minister Shravan Kumar said, "The administration is not supposed to tell the people when and how to celebrate a festival. These decisions are best left to the society and the administration must always concentrate on maintaining rule of law." He also disapproved of the remarks by Bachaul, saying, "Elected representatives must never use a language that hurts a section of the society." RJD MLA Bhai Virendra, whose party is considered the first choice of Muslims in Bihar, felt the mayor of Darbhanga had come up with "a response to the polarising tactics of the likes of Bachaul, who are hell-bent upon destroying 'Ganga Jamuni tehzeeb' (communal harmony)". Less than six months after scoring a hat-trick of wins in Haryana assembly elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party swept the civic polls in the state on Wednesday, bagging nine of the ten mayoral seats. IMAGE: BJP's Faridabad nominee Parveen Joshi wins the municipal corporation polls by over 3 lakh votes. Photograph: @BJP4Haryana/X In the outgoing municipal corporations, BJP had its mayors in seven civic bodies. The Congress, which was looking to turn around its electoral fortunes after suffering a defeat in the 2024 assembly polls, failed to open its account. The party lost in Sonipat, where it had its mayor, and Rohtak, considered a stronghold of its stalwart and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Independent candidate Inderjeet Yadav was the only non-BJP nominee to win a mayoral seat. She was elected from Manesar, where municipal elections were held for the first time. Celebrations erupted in the BJP camp after the results, with party leaders in Chandigarh and many districts distributing sweets. There were early Holi festivities as jubilant BJP members applied 'gulal' (colour) to each other. After the results, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said people have put their stamp of approval on the works and policies of the BJP government and formed a "triple-engine government" which will work at a fast pace to realise the resolve of "developed Haryana-developed India". Polls to elect mayors and ward members in seven municipal corporations -- Gurugram, Manesar, Faridabad, Hisar, Rohtak, Karnal and Yamunanagar -- were held on March 2. The bypolls for the mayoral posts in Ambala and Sonipat and the elections for presidents and ward members in 21 municipal committees were also held that day. For the Panipat Municipal Corporation, polling was held on March 9 to elect the mayor and 26 councillors. According to the results available for the mayoral posts, BJP candidates registered emphatic wins in Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Karnal, Rohtak, Sonipat, Yamunanagar and Panipat defeating their nearest Congress rivals. In Manesar, Independent candidate Inderjeet Yadav defeated her nearest BJP rival Sunder Lal by a margin of 2,293 votes to become the corporation's first-ever mayor. Nikhil Madaan was the outgoing Sonipat mayor and a Congress leader. Ahead of the 2024 assembly polls, he joined the BJP and won the Sonipat Assembly seat. Senior BJP leader Rajiv Jain won from Sonipat this time. In Ambala municipal corporation, Shakti Rani Sharma was the mayor as a Haryana Janchetna Party leader. She too joined the BJP ahead of the assembly polls and won the Kalka Assembly seat. The other municipal corporations where polling was held had BJP mayors. The mayoral candidates who registered victories with big margins included the BJP's Faridabad nominee Parveen Joshi who won by 3,16,852 votes and Raj Rani from Gurugram who won by over 1.79 lakh votes. Other notable winners include BJP's Renu Bala Gupta from Karnal and Komal Saini, who won from Panipat by over 1.23 lakh votes. In Rohtak too, which is considered a stronghold of Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, BJP's Ram Avtar defeated Congress' Surajmal Kiloi by a margin of 45,198 votes. From Yamunanagar, Suman of BJP defeated Congress' Kirna Devi by a margin of 73,319 votes to become the mayor while from Ambala, BJP's Shailja Sachdeva won by a margin of 20,487 votes over her Congress rival. Haryana minister Vipul Goel, while speaking during the ongoing budget session of the state assembly here, said, "Our mayoral candidates have registered wins with a big majority in nine municipal corporations." Goel also said the Faridabad Mayor candidate has won by the highest vote margin. "More than 90 percent of our councillors have also won in the polls," he said. The results have dealt another blow to the Congress which saw workers and leaders in districts switching over to the BJP ahead of the elections. The party state unit has been, in the past, plagued with infighting and factionalism unlike the BJP, which has a well-organised and strong organisational structure at the grassroots level. Chief Minister Saini said people have put their stamp of approval on the works and policies of the BJP government. The "triple engine government", a reference to the saffron party being in power at the Centre, in the state as well as in the civic bodies, will undertake development at three times fast pace to realise the resolve of a "Viksit Haryana-Viksit Bharat", he told reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing state assembly session. In a statement in the assembly, Saini expressed heartfelt thanks to the people of Haryana. He also thanked the State Election Commission for conducting smooth and peaceful elections. The chief minister said for non-stop development, the people of the state have given a "third engine to the urban bodies". "The results prove that people of Haryana want development and they have given their vote for good governance," Saini said. With the resolve of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas and the mantra of Haryana Ek-Haryanvi Ek, we are committed to taking the state to new heights", Saini said. All the three accused, two minor boys and a 19-year-old youth, arrested in the brutal assault of a 17-year-old Dalit school student from Srivaikuntam, are relatives, police sources said on Wednesday. Image used for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo While the victim's father said the assault was due to previous enmity between the assailants and his son over a Kabbadi match, the statements made by the arrested persons to police claim that the enmity was due to the boy's "love proposal," allegedly made to a school-going girl of their family. One of the arrested minor assailants was her brother. The victim student suffered six cut injuries on his head and his three left hand fingers and the right hand thumb got severed during the attack. Tirunelveli Medical College Dean Dr Revathy Balan said severed fingers were fixed by plastic surgeons and injuries were appropriately treated. The 19-year-old assailant was remanded in judicial custody and the remaining two minor assailants were lodged in the juvenile justice home at Palayamkottai. The police probe is on and the FIR, which has attempt to murder charges, has also invoked the provisions of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the accused. On March 10, the victim, hailing from Ariyanayakipuram near Srivaikundam town in Tuticorin district, boarded a bus to go to school at Palayamkottai to appear for his Plus One public exam. While the bus was crossing the caste Hindu-dominated Kettiyammalpuram village, three youths intercepted the bus, boarded it and picked up a quarrel with the victim. Subsequently, the victim was taken out of the bus and the three assailants assaulted him with deadly weapons in broad daylight. Political sources say Modi is 'keen' on getting the NCP (SP) over to the Mahayuti to counter Eknath Shinde's 'demands' and to act as a cushion against his present allies, Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu, 'in case their relationship became untenable'. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar Chief Sharad Pawar light a ceremonial lamp at the 98th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, February 21, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo With the Mahayuti, Maharashtra's ruling coalition, in clover after sweeping the 2024 assembly polls, every party in the state faces its next major challenge: The elections to 27 municipal corporations, 232 municipal councils, and 125 nagar panchayats, all governed by local Acts. The corporations include the coveted and cash-rich BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, which has been controlled by the undivided Shiv Sena for years. The local body elections have been indefinitely deferred for the past four years. The matter is currently before the Supreme Court, following a plea seeking reservation for the Other Backward Classes. Political insiders suggest that the elections will be postponed until the end of the year. "It's not possible to conduct such a huge exercise in the blistering heat that has arrived before time in our state. It's impossible to have them in the monsoon. Then come the festivals. So this is likely to drag," a source in the Bharatiya Janata Party's Maharashtra unit said. Leading the Mahayuti is the BJP, which won 132 of the 288 assembly seats. The coalition includes the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde's breakaway faction, and the Nationalist Congress Party, which split from its original namesake after Ajit Pawar, the nephew of NCP founder Sharad Pawar, rebelled against his uncle and walked away with a chunk of the legislators to fortify a BJP-SS government in 2022. The Opposition league, which calls itself the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi, consists of the Shiv Sena (reborn as the SS-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) or NCP (SP), and the Congress. The Mahayuti suffered an unexpected setback in the parliamentary polls, securing just 17 of the 48 seats, while the MVA validated its charge against the BJP for using 'dishonourable' means to dislodge the preceding government headed by Uddhav Thackeray. The MVA won 32 seats, including one by the Samajwadi Party, but it failed to build on these gains and was so badly routed in the ensuing assembly polls that none of its constituents had enough bench strength to qualify for the Opposition leader's post in the legislature -- a first in Maharashtra in 60 years. Despite its depleted numbers, Uddhav Thackeray declared his intent to go solo in the local polls, without the MVA. The SP has already quit the coalition, although this will not make a material difference to the MVA's prospects. "Even when we had an alliance with the BJP, local elections were always fought independently. There's a huge stake at the grassroots level to get posts in the local bodies, and we cannot anger our cadre by denying their claims. We need to constantly build our organisation and infuse fresh members from the grassroots," said Sanjay Raut, SS (UBT) spokesperson. However, fault lines within the MVA were already visible for other reasons. The SS (UBT) was annoyed with the NCP (SP) for lately warming up to Eknath Shinde and the BJP. In a prelude to the All India Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held in Delhi from February 21 to 23, which was attended by Pawar as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the NCP (SP) chief felicitated Shinde with an award named after the legendary Maratha general Mahadji Shinde, prompting an outcry from Uddhav's party. Raut held a press conference in which he was quoted as saying: 'He (Shinde) is not a leader, he is a betrayer... Pawar Saheb should not have attended the function,' and expressed his 'deep hurt' over honouring those who broke the Sena. The political context for the Sena's anger stemmed from reports that the Shinde Sena wanted to poach on Sena (UBT)'s remaining MLAs as well as its Lok Sabha MPs (nine) to shore up its own and the BJP's numbers. The operation is called 'Project Tiger'. There was more evidence of a section of Uddhav's party wanting to come closer to Shinde. The presence of his MP, Sanjay Dina Patil, and three others at the literary event and at a dinner hosted by Shinde's MP and central minister, Prataprao Jadhav, in Delhi stoked speculation. "What's the point of stagnating in the Opposition for another five years? We may as well search for greener pastures," said an SS (UBT) MP. IMAGE: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde being felicitated by Sharad Pawar during a programme to honour him with the Mahadji Shinde Rashtra Gaurav Puraskar at New Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, February 12, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo The Pawar-Modi camaraderie was evident at past public events too. On February 23, when Modi arrived at the Marathi literary function, Pawar, who was the chairperson of the reception committee, greeted the PM effusively, while Modi pulled up a chair and poured a glass of water for the person he once described as his 'political guru'. As Pawar remains characteristically inscrutable, political sources maintained that Modi was 'keen' on getting the NCP (SP) over to the Mahayuti to counter Shinde's 'demands' and, from a long-term perspective, to act as a cushion against his present allies, Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu, "in case their relationship became untenable." Pawar himself does not have much of a stake in the urban local body polls but is invested in the semi-urban and rural bodies in his turf, western Maharashtra, where his nephew Ajit Pawar has emerged as a tough challenger. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, engaged in a telephone conversation today with his Iranian counterpart, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Trend reports. According to the ministry, the discussion focused on bilateral and regional issues arising from Azerbaijani-Iranian relations. During the call, Minister Bayramov underscored the significance of political dialogue in advancing Azerbaijan-Iran relations. He highlighted the strategic importance of joint projects in energy, transportation, and investment sectors between the two nations. Special attention was given to infrastructure initiatives that enhance connectivity, such as transit corridors passing through Iran and projects linking Azerbaijan's western regions with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The ministers also acknowledged the role of the intergovernmental economic commission in fostering trade and economic ties. They agreed to continue their efforts to strengthen the multifaceted partnership between Azerbaijan and Iran. Additionally, the parties exchanged views on other matters of mutual interest during the call. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The Indian embassy Bangkok in close coordination with its counterpart at Yangon in neighbouring Myanmar has ensured repatriation of 549 Indians after rescuing them from scam centres operating in areas near the Myanmar-Thailand border, officials said on Wednesday. IMAGE: 549 Indian citizens after rescuing them from scam centres operating in areas near the Myanmar-Thailand border, at the Indian mission in Bangkok, Thailand, March 12, 2025. Photograph: Courtesy @IndiainThailand on X The Indian nationals were repatriated through Mae Sot in Thailand to India on March 10 and 11 by two special flights, according to the Indian Embassy in Thailand. This is part of government of India's sustained efforts to secure release and repatriation of Indian nationals who were lured with fake job offers and were made to work in scam-centres in the neighbouring countries of Thailand, the embassy said in a post on X. Earlier on Tuesday, the Indian embassy at Yangon said in a post on X: In coordination with Myanmar's Union authorities and local groups, 283 Indian nationals at scam compounds in the Myawaddy area of Myanmar were released and repatriated yesterday through Mae Sot in Thailand. Strongly reiterate our advice against such job offers. It followed up with another post on Wednesday that pointed out how the second batch of 266 Indian nationals from scam centres in Myawaddy were repatriated to India via Mae Sot yesterday. The Indian embassy thanked the border authorities and @IndiainThailand for seamless coordination and support and reiterated: "We firmly advise against such job offers in the area." Earlier on Monday, the ministry of external affairs said in New Delhi that the government of India has been making sustained efforts to secure the release and repatriation of Indian nationals lured to various southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, with fake job offers. These persons were subsequently made to indulge in cybercrime and engage in other fraudulent activities in scam centres operating in regions along the Myanmar-Thailand border, MEA said in a statement on Monday. The post by the Indian embassy at Thailand also advised the Indian nationals to verify credentials of foreign employers and check the antecedents of recruiting agents and companies before taking up job offers. The MEA statement echoed the sentiment: "The government of India wishes to reiterate its caution, circulated earlier from time to time through advisories and social media posts, about such rackets." Indian nationals are once again advised to verify credentials of foreign employers through Missions abroad and check the antecedents of recruiting agents and companies before taking up a job offer. According to media reports, Myawaddy and Tachilek near Thailand-Myanmar border have been known as safe havens for criminal syndicates that have trapped thousands of people from across South Asia forcing them to run online scam centres. These scam centres have duped billions of dollars from victims from across the world through bogus investment promises and illegal gambling schemes. The media report also said that authorities from Thailand and Myanmar jointly carried out an operation to release more than 7,000 people from different countries from these scam centres, after which their respective governments started efforts to repatriate them. The Vikram-I rocket will fly with its maximum carrying capacity and put the satellites in a Low Earth Orbit. IMAGE: Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 rocket. Photograph: Kind courtesy Skyroot Aerospace The Hyderabad-based rocket maker Skyroot Aerospace will take to space multiple cube satellites -- foreign and Indian -- this year with its Vikram-I rocket, said a top company official. "While the exact month for the launch of Vikram-1 is yet to be confirmed, we are in the advanced stages of flight qualification tests of various systems and subsystems," Co-Founder Pawan Kumar Chandana told this correspondent. "These tests are crucial for ensuring the readiness of the launch vehicle for its maiden flight in 2025. In the coming weeks and months, we are looking forward to conducting a few major tests, including the payload fairing separation test and the stage-1 static fire test," Chandana added. According to Chandana, the rocket will have few payloads and details will be shared closer to the launch date. The Vikram-I rocket will fly with its maximum carrying capacity and put the satellites in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO), it is learnt About 15 minutes after the lift off from the Sriharikota rocket port owned by the Indian Space Research Organisation, the cubesats will be ejected using an ultra-low shock pneumatic separation system. Vikram-I's commercial flight will be the country's first rocket belonging to a private company after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government opened up the space sector for private players. The rocket derives its name after Dr Vikram Sarabhai, founder of the Indian space programme. Skyroot Aerospace has two more rocket variants -- Vikram-II and Vikram-III -- with a higher carrying capacity. In 2022, Skyroot Aerospace carried out successfully the flight test of its rocket Vikram-S in a sub-orbital mission from the Sriharikota rocket port. It was also the first test flight of a rocket belonging to a private company from Indian soil. Skyroot Aerospace was set up in 2018 with a seed funding by entrepreneur Mukesh Bansal. Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at venkatacharijagannathan@gmail.com Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Mosques on the route of the traditional 'Laat Saheb' Holi procession in Shahjahanpur have been covered with tarpaulins and strict security measures put in place ahead of the festival of colours which coincides with the Friday prayers. Image used for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo Following an 18th-century tradition, Holi in Shahjahanpur begins with revellers hurling footwear at a man impersonating 'Laat Saheb' -- a British Lord -- seated on a bullock cart. The local administration has raised barricades along the procession route and installed several CCTV cameras. "There are 18 Holi processions in the city, including the two major 'Laat Saheb' processions. To ensure security, the larger procession has been divided into three zones and eight sectors, with around 100 magistrates deployed," Superintendent of Police Rajesh S told PTI. Moreover, police have taken preventive action against 2,423 people to deter potential troublemakers, he said. "The security deployment includes 10 police circle officers, 250 sub-inspectors, around 1,500 police personnel and two companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC)," the SP added. Warning that no one will be allowed to take the law into their hands, the police officer said, "We urge everyone to celebrate Holi peacefully. Our police force will keep a close watch on miscreants and the entire event will be monitored live." Municipal Commissioner Vipin Kumar Mishra said, "We have installed around 350 CCTV and still cameras along the procession route. Additionally, about 20 mosques on the route have been covered with tarpaulin so that these are not stained by colours." Barricades have also been placed near mosques and electrical transformers for safety, he said. "Two tractor trolleys will accompany the procession to collect the discarded shoes, torn clothes and other debris. A sky lift will also be part of the procession and cameras will be positioned at 16 police picket points for video recording and it will be monitored live." Dr Vikas Khurana, a historian from Swami Sukhdevanand College, traced the origins of the tradition to 1728, when Nawab Abdullah Khan, who had left Shahjahanpur for Farrukhabad, returned to the city on Holi. "Upon his return, he played Holi with the locals, which became an annual tradition. In 1930, the procession began using camel carts. Over time, its format has evolved," he explained. Khurana further noted that in the 1990s, a petition was filed in the High Court seeking to stop the procession, but the court refused to intervene, ruling it was an old tradition. Harnaam Katihar, a member of the organising committee, detailed the procession's route and customs. "The procession starts from Kuncha Lala and reaches the Phoolmati Temple where a man dressed as 'Laat Saheb' offers prayers. It then proceeds to the police station, where the 'Laat Saheb' questions the police about the crimes committed over the past year," he said. "As customary, police offer a bottle of liquor and some cash as a bribe. The procession then continues through a seven-km route before returning at Kuncha Lala. Throughout the march, participants hit the 'Laat Saheb' with shoes," Katihar said. Poet and city native Indu 'Ajnabi' told PTI that when the "Laat Saheb" goes to police station, the personnel salute him and offer "bribes" in cash, all symbolic. "The procession is part of a tradition which was started to discourage the British colonisers. Shahjahanpur is linked with numerous freedom fighters. Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan were born here. From the freedom movement to the Kargil conflict, Shahjahanpur has served the nation with vigour," Ajnabi told PTI. PTI COR KIS Amid the Sambhal mosque controversy, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday that forcibly seizing someone's faith and trampling over their beliefs is "unacceptable", especially "when we know the truth about Sambhal" which predates Islam, with the Vishnu temple there being destroyed in 1526. IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Photograph: ANI Photo "Sambhal has been mentioned in scriptures that are 5,000 years old. They contain references to Lord Vishnu's future incarnation. Islam, on the other hand, emerged only 1,400 years ago. I am talking about something that predates Islam by at least 2,000 years," Adityanath said asserting that Sambhal represented "historical truth". "The evidence for these things has existed for centuries. Remember, in 1526, a temple of Lord Vishnu in Sambhal was demolished. Two years later, in 1528, the Ram temple in Ayodhya was destroyed," he said. Speaking at an event in Lucknow organised by RSS-linked weeklies Organiser and Panchjanya, the chief minister said both temple demolitions "were carried out by the same person". Tension has been simmering since last November in Sambhal following a court-ordered survey at a mosque believed by some to be the site of a demolished temple. Addressing a gathering at the event titled, 'Manthan: Kumbh and Beyond', Adityanath said, "I am a Yogi. I respect every sect, community and form of worship. If you visit Gorakhnath Peeth, you will see that there is no discrimination against anyone. People of all castes, regions and sects sit together and eat from the same plate and all sadhus, regardless of their religious affiliations, have meals together and receive equal respect, he said. "This is why I say that the spirit of India's Vedic tradition, as expressed in the Upanishads, is deeply ingrained in us. Every method of worship, whether associated with Sanatan Dharma or any other faith in the world, has some inherent goodness, which is why so many people follow them. But forcibly seizing someone's faith and trampling over their beliefs is unacceptable, especially when we know the truth about Sambhal." He added, "Sambhal has always been a pilgrimage site. It had 68 sacred places, and so far, we have been able to reclaim 18 of them. There were 19 ancient wells, which we have been revived. After 56 years, for the first time, there was the ritual offering of water at Lord Shiva's temple in Sambhal." Pointing at opposition parties, Adityanath said, "What were these so-called leaders doing all this time? They have only been busy dividing people in the name of religion and caste." The chief minister said they should first read the scriptures before attempting to challenge him in a debate. Adityanath said India was going to lead the world in the 21st century and the path to global welfare will begin here. "In Ayodhya, after 500 years, Lord Ram was finally enshrined at his birthplace in January 2024. The Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj in 2025 also is an example to all those who doubted (the state's management of the event)," Adityanath said. He added, "The world is following India's lead. Wherever Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi goes, the world welcomes him with great respect, feeling honoured to host him." He said India has moved in a new direction and is on its way to becoming a developed nation. "The best recent example of this comes from the President of Indonesia. His statement is of great significance. Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, celebrates 'Ramleela' as its national festival. Its currency features Lord Ganesha, and its national airline is named after Garuda. This should be a lesson for many. The President of Indonesia himself said that if his DNA were tested, it would be found to be Indian. "Those who thrive on India's resources should first get their DNA tested before making statements, and they should stop glorifying foreign invaders. Otherwise, when historical truths like those of Sambhal come to light, they will have nowhere to hide," he said. The chief minister said his government will use every opportunity it gets to serve people. "...the world may think whatever it wants about me, but I indeed wear the 'bhagwa' (saffron-coloured clothes associated with Hinduism). This is my identity, and it is also the identity of our Sanatan tradition. I take immense pride in it and mark my words - one day, the entire world will wear it," Adityanath added. Peter Orlowski is the Dean of Students at St. Michael School in Brattleboro, where he has taught all kinds of students and subjects since 2020. He took two different classical schools hundreds of miles to see the Total Solar Eclipse of August 2017 and April 2024. In 2018, Warren Patrick, then 107, of Townshend, gets a flu shot from Rena Provencher, a registered nurse with Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Sahiba Gafarova, held a meeting with the head of the delegation of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and former special representative of the Chinese government on European Affairs, Wu Hongbo, Trend reports. The meeting involved discussions on the upcoming XII Global Baku Forum. It was noted that the Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC) has become one of the leading international organizations addressing global challenges. Since its establishment, the Center has served as a platform for discussing global concerns and seeking solutions to pressing issues. Gafarova emphasized that Azerbaijans cooperation with China holds special significance and has reached the level of a strategic partnership. She highlighted the successful collaboration between the two countries in numerous areas and expressed satisfaction with the mutual support shown by both nations on various issues. The speaker also underscored the pivotal role of the heads of state and the high-level political dialogue based on mutual trust in establishing effective relations between the two countries. During the meeting, the importance of the Joint Declaration on establishing a strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and China was also discussed. The conversation touched upon the productive cooperation between the legislative bodies of both countries, with Gafarova noting that parliamentary exchanges and visits play a key role in further expanding bilateral ties. Hongbo commended Azerbaijan for successfully hosting COP29 and mentioned Chinas contribution to this process. The participants also discussed the current global geopolitical situation and various ongoing processes causing serious concern amid the existing challenges. They reiterated the importance of multilateral cooperation. The meeting concluded with an exchange of views on other issues of mutual interest. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The Commerce Commission is seeking views on its draft recommendation to remove access regulation from Chorus copper network in areas outside the national fibre footprint. This regulation has already been removed in urban areas where fibre and other more modern technologies are available. Telecommunications commissioner Tristan Gilbertson said there was now a case for removing it in more rural areas because technological change had eroded concerns about a natural monopoly that led to regulation 20 years ago. Starlink is just the most recent example of a shift thats seen better performing and lower cost wireless services being rolled out to rural consumers by national mobile, regional wireless and global satellite providers, Gilbertson said. Removing regulation would enable Chorus to start withdrawing some copper services still used by consumers who have not yet taken up alternative technologies. Most rural consumers could now access three such alternatives that were often more reliable and affordable than copper, Gilbertson said. Rural consumers continue to move off copper and onto cheaper and better performing alternatives in large numbers, he said. We consider theres now enough competitive constraint from these alternatives to warrant the removal of copper access regulation. The draft recommendation must be finalised for the minister for media and communications by the end of the year. We believe its important to have a managed withdrawal process to protect rural consumers during any change similar to the copper withdrawal code that has worked well in urban areas, Gilbertson said. Chorus chief corporate and regulatory officer Julian Kersey said the draft report recognised that copper was no longer meeting the needs of consumers and they were turning to better connectivity technologies such as wireless and satellite services. The days of regulating copper services because they were the only choice are long gone, he said. Chorus was retiring the copper network by 2030 as it was not sustainable and no longer met New Zealanders needs, Kersey said. Only 10 per cent of Chorus connections remained on copper. We acknowledge the commissions comments on consumer protection, he said. We are committed to a clear consumer-centric retirement process that supports transition of customers still on copper to modern services. However, user association TUANZ remains concerned about the possible impact of copper withdrawal on rural communities, especially with a shutdown of the 3G mobile network looming. The commission believes most rural users have up to three alternative providers, but we would like to analyse the data behind this claim to identify any gaps in coverage and capability, said TUANZ CEO Craig Young. TUANZ urged the industry to take a customer-centric approach to any transition, with clear, transparent processes and a well-funded education programme to equip users with the knowledge and support they needed, including alternative technologies, pricing and available assistance. Views on the commissions draft recommendation need to be filed by 9 April. Bosnia-Herzegovina's Prosecutor's Office has issued arrest warrants for Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and other leaders of the country's Serb entity, Republika Srpska, for ignoring a court summons and "threatening the constitutional order," a move the nationalist politician dismissed as politically motivated. Prosecutors said on March 12 warrants were also issued for the entity's prime minister, Radovan Viskovic, and parliament speaker Nenad Stevandic. The furor around Dodik has ignited a major political crisis in the EU membership hopeful, which is often referred to as the world's most complex democracy. Speaking to reporters in the regional capital, Banja Luka, Dodik repeated he would not respond to any summons for questioning, accusing the court and the Prosecutor's Office of heading up an "inquisition." "We will not respond.... If they think the solution is to see Dodik in handcuffs, that is their perogative, but that does not mean they can do it. I will do my job and I will never leave Republika Srpska," Dodik said at a press conference The arrest warrants were issued on the same day Republika Srpska's parliament was scheduled to discuss a draft constitution that seeks to redefine the entity's official status as a state of the Serbian people, grant it the right to self-determination, and establish its own army. It also would abolish Republika Srpska's Council of Peoples, which oversees decisions made by Bosnia's parliament and has a veto right. Zeljko Dragojevic, director of the Republika Srpska Court Police, said his team neither received nor could receive the order to arrest the entity's leadership, as this falls under the jurisdiction of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) and the federal Court Police. Since the Dayton peace agreement, which was signed in 1995 and ended the war in Bosnia, the country has consisted of the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the ethnic Serb-dominated Republika Srpska under a weak central government. While Republika Srpska can pass laws on internal matters, state-level laws and institutions remain supreme according to the constitution. The Office of the High Representative (OHR) oversees the implementation of civilian aspects of Dayton. Dodik, who is currently under US and U.K. sanctions for actions that Western governments say are aimed at the secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia, has refused to implement several orders from the OHR. Adopting a draft constitution would mark another secessionist move by the entity's authorities. This follows the recent enforcement of laws prohibiting the operation of the federal judicial and investigative bodies within Republika Srpska territory. The crisis in Bosnia has been deepening for weeks after Dodik was sentenced in late February to one year in prison and a six-year ban on political activities for disregarding the decisions of the OHR. Dodik signed into law on March 5 the laws adopted by the entity's parliament that banned the operation of federal judicial and investigative institutions in the entity. Two days later, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina temporarily suspended the laws, ruling they violated the constitution. Dodik, however, declared the laws would be enforced despite the court's decision. The recent developments in Republika Srpska have sparked widespread international condemnation. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and various foreign embassies in Bosnia have expressed concern over the situation. Russia reacted cautiously to a proposed cease-fire agreement announced by Ukrainian and US negotiators and held out the possibility of a phone call between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in the coming days. Speaking a day after the deal was announced, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on March 12 that Russian officials were "carefully studying" the announcement but waiting to hear more details from US negotiators before commenting further. Meanwhile, reaction on the streets of Moscow was mixed, with one man saying that "agreeing to a truce now, when the enemy is weakened, is completely inappropriate and wrong." But others welcomed the news. "We just want this to end as soon as possible so that people stop dying," said one woman in the Russian capital. "So many have already perished." The agreement, reached in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 11 specifically called for a 30-day cease-fire between Kyiv and Moscow, though it noted that would be subject to Russia's approval. It also said Washington had agreed to resume sharing intelligence with Ukrainian planners and shipments of weapons and equipment. The US suspension of weapons and intelligence sharing with Kyiv came after a contentious meeting at the White House on February 28 in which Trump and US Vice President JD Vance berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "We'll take this offer now to the Russians, and we hope that they'll say yes, that they'll say yes to peace," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in Jeddah. "The ball is now in their court." Mike Waltz, the White House national-security adviser, was scheduled to meet his Russian counterpart this week, and Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff also planned to travel to Moscow, possibly to meet Putin. Russia's Foreign Ministry made no comment, though a spokeswoman said talks with US representatives were possible in the coming days. Kremlin-linked commentators, meanwhile, portrayed the agreement as a positive outcome for Russia. Konstantin Kosachev, a lawmaker in Russia's upper house of parliament, asserted that the results of the talks were strictly American, and argued they showed Zelenskyys weakness. "Russia is advancing, and therefore it will be different with Russia," he said in a Telegram post. "Any agreements (with all understanding of the need for compromise) will be on our terms, not American," he said. "And this is not boasting, but an understanding that real agreements are still being written there, on the front line. Which Washington should also understand." "The most important thing is not to interfere with Russian-American negotiations with third-party comments. Let the negotiators work," he wrote. "Victory will be ours." Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, said Russian officials might respond with a counteroffer: a suspension on Western weapons supplies to Kyiv for the same 30-day period, from the United States and from European allies as well. "Europe must support the truce in Ukraine not with words, but with deeds -- an embargo on arms supplies to the conflict zone is a well-known formula in diplomacy," he said in a post to Telegram. Though Washington is the biggest single supplier of weaponry to Ukraine, European allies collectively provide as much weapons and other equipment. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan expressed condolences to the Pakistani side in connection with the terrorist attack on a passenger train, Trend reports. "Shocked and deeply saddened by the devastating news of the terrorist attack on Pakistans passenger train, which has resulted in tragic loss of lives. Our heartfelt condolences are with the families of the victims, and we wish a speedy recovery to all those injured. In this challenging time, we stand in solidarity with brotherly Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and strongly condemn all forms and manifestations of terrorism threat," the statement said. US President Donald Trump has urged Russia to agree to a 30-day cease-fire, warning he would slap additional sanctions on the country if it refused the US proposal, as Moscow made more gains on the battlefield. "Russia has no way out but cease-fire. If needed we will sanction it, but I hope we won't need to," Trump told reporters at the White House on March 12. "In a financial sense we can do very unpleasant, very bad things, devastating for Russia, but I don't want to," he said. His comments come a day after Kyiv agreed to the temporary cease-fire following nine hours of talks with Trump administration officials in Saudi Arabia. Trump has made ending Russia's more than three-year full-scale invasion of Ukraine a top priority since taking office for a second term less than two months ago, quickly dispatching his top officials to Moscow and Kyiv to prepare the groundwork for peace talks. He has used Washington's significant leverage over Ukraine -- namely military aid and intelligence sharing -- to get Kyiv to agree to the cease-fire proposal, which if implemented, would leave almost 20 percent of the country in Russia's hands for the time being, at least. But Trump lacks that type of leverage with Russia, which has navigated sweeping US and European sanctions placed on its economy following the invasion much better than most experts forecasted. Putin may seek to drag out talks with the US over a cease-fire to improve Russia's position on the battlefield and hence at the negotiating table when and if Moscow and Kyiv hammer out a peace deal. As Trump spoke at the White House, Putin was visiting troops in Russia's Kursk region, where fierce fighting is currently taking place and Moscow's forces are advancing. Ukraine seized a swath of the Kursk region in a stealth incursion in August seen as an effort to divert Russian forces from eastern Ukraine and use the territory as a bargaining chip during any peace talks. That strategy is now at risk of failing as Russian forces slowly push the Ukrainians out of Kursk. Russians forces have retaken more than half the territory initially captured by Ukraine. Putin's visit to Kursk was his first since the incursion and signals the momentum Russia has in that theater of the war. The Kremlin leader urged his troops to retake the region in its entirety "as soon as possible." Ukraine's top military commander, General Oleksandr Syrskiy, said that fighting continued in and around Sudzha, the largest town in the part of the region that Ukraine occupied. Unconfirmed reports on March 12 indicated that Ukraine has begun to draw back units as Russian officials claimed their troops had captured more settlements, including Sudzha. "Despite increased pressure from the Russian and North Korean forces, we will maintain the defense of the Kursk region as long as it is appropriate and necessary," Syrskiy wrote on Telegram. In a Facebook post, Syrskiy said that saving soldiers lives is a priority and that Ukrainian troops "maneuver to more favorable positions, if necessary," wording often used top describe a retreat. Concessions? Trump hinted that Ukraine would have to make concessions on land, something more and more experts say is inevitable given Russia's momentum on the battlefield. "When we talk cease-fire [with Ukraine], we talked land, who's withdrawing -- we discussed a lot of things [with Ukraine]," Trump said. "We don't want to waste time, people are dying. Russia is not in the best situation now. I hope [Putin] gets a cease-fire." Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the cease-fire proposal and said he hoped it would be used as a draft for a lasting peace deal that included security guarantees for Ukraine. "It's now up to Russia what is next," he said at a March 12 press conference, and whether "it wants to continue its aggression against Ukraine or not." On the streets of Kyiv, some Ukrainians told RFE/RL's Current Time that they doubted whether Russia would sign on to, and adhere to, a cease-fire deal. "I'm not sure what to say, but it all seems implausible, frankly speaking," said one Kyiv man, while a woman in the capital said the cease-fire talks were "meaningless without Russia taking part." Moscow has so far declined to comment on the specifics of the proposal for the 30-day cease-fire, and it's unclear whether Putin has made up his mind on the agreement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was "carefully studying" the joint US-Ukraine statement issued following the Jeddah talks and will wait to comment until Russian negotiators receive more detailed information from Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who represented the United States at the talks, said Washington "will have contact with Russians" today. Trump on March 11 said he would soon speak with Putin to secure his commitment. Mike Waltz, the White House national-security adviser, spoke with his Russian counterpart on March 12, while Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff also planned to travel to Moscow, possibly to meet Putin. CIA Director John Ratcliffe held a phone call with Sergei Naryshkin, director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, late on March 11, the Interfax news agency reported. Rubio told reporters on March 12 in first comments since leaving the talks in Jeddah that the United States hoped to have a positive answer from Russia toward the cease-fire deal and "strongly urge[s] Russians to end all hostilities. Konstantin Kosachev, an influential lawmaker in Russia's upper house of parliament, seemed to imply that Moscow would not simply accept the US-backed ceasefire proposal but attach conditions, taking into account that Russian forces have the momentum on the battlefield. "Russia is advancing, and therefore it will be different with Russia," Kosachyov said in a Telegram post. "Any agreements (with all understanding of the need for compromise) will be on our terms, not American," he said. "And this is not boasting, but an understanding that real agreements are still being written there, on the front line. Which Washington should also understand." Rubio also said Ukraine will need a strong deterrent to prevent future attacks and that Europeans will "need to be involved in this regard." He added that further discussions would need to tackle to topic of the European Union lifting sanctions on the Russian economy. "I would imagine that in any negotiation, if we get there, hopefully with the Russians, they will raise these European sanctions that have been imposed upon them," Rubio said. Moscow has so far been against a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Russia's position during an interview with three right-wing US bloggers that it will under no conditions accept the presence of NATO forces in Ukraine. Minerals Deal Washington and Kyiv could sign a framework agreement as early as this week on sharing the revenue generated from Ukraine's mineral resources. Trump and Zelenskyy intended to sign the deal during their meeting at the Oval Office on February 28. However, the two got into a heated, public exchange over security guarantees for Ukraine and the meeting was abruptly ended without any deal. Rubio cautioned that he "would not couch [the] minerals deal as a security guarantee." But he added that "if the United States has a vested economic interest thats generating revenue for our people as well as for the people of Ukraine, wed have a vested interest in protecting it if it were to be challenged or threatened." The parade of comments come after Russia and Ukraine traded air attacks overnight just hours after Kyiv agreed to accept the cease-fire proposal. Two Russian missile strikes hit the central Ukrainian city of Kryviy Rih on March 12, killing one person, while a separate attack killed four crew members of a cargo ship near the southern port city of Odesa. Russia's Defense Ministry said its air-defense systems shot down six drones overnight on March 12, one over Ukraine's Russia-annexed Crimea and five over the Black Sea. The Krymsky Veter Telegram channel reported loud explosions and air-raid sirens over Crimean towns and near Russian military sites. The United States announced after the talks in Saudi Arabia that it would immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and restore military aid to Ukraine, which could be a boost to Ukrainian forces. Ukraine's battlefield positions have been under heavy pressure, particularly in Russia's Kursk region. Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has been sentenced to an additional nine years in prison for the large-scale embezzlement of public funds, a charge he calls politically motivated. The sentence was handed down by Judge Badri Kochlamazashvili of the Tbilisi City Court on March 12 and will be served concurrently with the six-year prison term he is already serving for abuse of power. After the judge announced his decision, a commotion erupted in the courtroom with Saakashvili's supporters calling the judge a "slave" of the government. Alongside Saakashvili, the court also sentenced Temur Janashia, the former head of the Special State Guarding Service. He was handed a fine of 300,000 laris ($106,760) for abuse of power. Both Saakashvili, who was president from 2003 to 2013, and Janashia have consistently denied the charges. Their steadfast denial, echoed by the opposition United National Movement and several other political groups, has garnered sympathy and support, with many arguing the case was driven by political retribution. Saakashvili's presidency was marked by ambitious reforms to curb corruption and modernize the country, including significant changes in the police force and the judiciary. After leaving office, he became involved in Ukrainian politics, serving as the governor of Odesa from 2015 to 2016 before falling out with Ukrainian authorities. He was arrested in Georgia on October 1, 2021, after secretly returning to the country ahead of local elections. He had been convicted in absentia on charges related to abuse of power, including granting a presidential pardon to individuals involved in the murder of banker Sandro Girgvliani and the beating of opposition lawmaker Valeri Gelashvili. Since his arrest, he has been held in detention and is currently receiving medical treatment at the Vivamedi Clinic. The prosecution accused Saakashvili and Janashia of misappropriating 9 million laris ($3.2 million) in public funds. The judge ruled that while Janashia's actions did not constitute direct embezzlement, Saakashvili was guilty of misusing state resources for personal expenses. Attendees at the court session also shouted "Bidzina's puppet!"in a reference to former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, whom many opposition supporters accuse of orchestrating politically motivated trials. Several individuals, including activist Zviad Kuprava, were removed from the courtroom for disrupting the proceedings. Saakashvili had requested to be present at his sentencing but cited health concerns for failing to show up. He had previously urged the ruling Georgian Dream party to postpone the pronouncement of the verdict and the sentence. However, Kochlamazashvili stated that the trial could not be delayed indefinitely, emphasizing a defendant's absence does not prevent the court from issuing a ruling. In addition to his latest conviction, Saakashvili remains embroiled in two other ongoing trials. One of these concerns the events of November 7, 2007, when his government dispersed anti-government protests in Tbilisi. The second trial involves charges of illegal border crossing related to his secret return to Georgia in 2021. Saakashvili entered the country hidden in a truck, bypassing border controls, which prosecutors argue was a violation of Georgian law. The cases continue to fuel political tensions in Georgia, with his supporters claiming they are part of an effort to permanently keep him out of the political arena. While the eruption of violence in western Syria has raised questions about the transitional governments ability to control its affiliated factions, it has also brought Russian and Iranian involvement in Syrian affairs into sharp focus. Various human rights groups monitoring the situation in Syria have documented over 800 casualties, including civilians, since clashes erupted on March 6 between government forces and gunmen loyal to the deposed president, Bashar al-Assad. Rebel groups led by Ahmad al-Sharaa toppled the government in a lightning offensive in December 2024, bringing an end to half a century of Assad family rule over Syria. Assads government was backed by Russia and Iran. While Russia has maintained ties with the new government, Iran has been completely excluded. Through interviews and analysis of open-source data, RFE/RL can give a clearer picture of what's happening inside Syria. Men Executed By Gunshots Rights groups say among the dead are hundreds of civilian casualties, most of whom were Alawite, a minority community which Assad belongs to. The UN on March 11 said entire families, including women and children, were killed during the violence. Social-media footage analyzed by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, suggests that some of the worst violence against Alawite civilians took place in the port city of Latakia, where Russias Hmeimim air base is located. Some videos showed unarmed men being executed by gunshot from behind and others depicted victims being physically abused and humiliated, such as being forced to bark like a dog and crawl over dead bodies. Nobil, a Syrian from Latakia who currently lives in Greece, told Schemes that factions affiliated with the transitional government entered his home village of Muzayraa on the night of March 6 and indiscriminately shot at houses with large-caliber machine guns mounted on trucks. He said he lost six family members in the attack, including two aunts and two nephews, but his brother managed to escape. Schemes found the Facebook profile of one of the alleged attackers known as Abu Bakr Mork, also called Talha, whose page is filled with posts about the attacks in western Syria. In one post, he called for men to come to the area because the women in the area are widowed and there are no men left. In another, he wrote about the campaign to clear the remnants of the defunct regime, referring to Assads government. Seeking Refuge In A Russian Air Base Satellite images provided by Planet Labs and analyzed by Schemes show that, as early as March 7, people started to gather near the Russian-operated Hmeimim air base, seemingly seeking refuge from the clashes. This very well may be the only safe place for people to stay, given that neither side wants to spoil relations with Russia at the moment, Ihor Semyvolos, director of the Kyiv-based Center for Middle East Studies, told Schemes. Russia was a major backer of Assad, providing his forces and Iranian-backed proxies air support as they fought not only against Islamic State (IS) militants but also rebels opposed to Assads rule. Those same rebels are now in charge, but Moscow has managed to position itself as a critical partner to Syrias new rulers, who rely on Russia to print its local currency. The Russians have maintained a significant presence at their two military bases, especially at Hmeimim. Systema, RFE/RLs Russian investigative unit, has confirmed at least 37 flights by large Antonov An-124 cargo planes between December 2024 and March, identifying 22 arrivals and 15 departures from the air base. Each plane can carry up to 150 tons of equipment, indicating substantial movement of personnel or equipment. Analyzing images on social media from the last few days, Systema has found that Major General Sergei Gashkov, head of Russia's Center for Reconciliation and Refugee Movement Control in Syria, is currently at the air base. It is unsurprising that Russia seeks to maintain strong ties with Damascus under its new leadership, as retaining control over the Hmeimim air base and the naval base in Tartus provides strategic access to the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean Sea. What Is Irans Role? There is no solid evidence suggesting that Russia is involved in fomenting unrest along Syrias western coast, but some have accused Iran of playing a part. In Assad, Iran lost a key ally who had allowed Tehran to use Syria as a land corridor to connect its regional proxies in Iraq and Lebanon. When Syrian rebels deposed Assad, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed that Syrians would rise and resist the rebel government. Iran currently has no way of getting funds or arms into Syria, but several key figures leading the pro-Assad resistance to the new government are close to Tehran and trained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Assads surviving loyalists are led by four figures: Major General Suhail al-Hassan, whose hometown of Aita was among the first to witness clashes; Muqdad Fatiha, founder of the Coast Shield armed group; Ibrahim Hawija, former head of Syrian Intelligence; and Ghias Dalla, aformer officer in Syria's elite 4th Armored Division with links to the IRGC and the US-designated Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah. Phillip Smyth, an expert on Iranian proxies and Shi'ite militias, told RFE/RL that Iran desired an overreaction from the transitional government, and it got what it wanted. Tehran "is happy this was set off," especially since it establishes that Iran "can cause massive disruption" in Syria, Smyth said. With reporting by Olya Ivleva, Kyrylo Ovsyaniy, Anna Myroniuk of Schemes; Daniil Belovodyev, Dmitry Sukharev, Svetlana Osipova, Yelizaveta Surnacheva of Systema; and Iliya Jazaeri of RFE/RLs Radio Farda Iran said a delegation led by a senior Emirati figure has delivered a letter from US President Donald Trump to the Islamic republic's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei told the semiofficial ISNA news agency on March 12 that Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, had delivered the letter. Trump said last week that he had written to Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proposing talks to reach a deal over Tehrans expanding nuclear program. "We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon," he said, adding that "something is going to happen very soon." "Hopefully we will have a peace deal," he said, apparently meaning a peaceful resolution of tension over Tehran's nuclear program. "Im just saying Id rather see a peace deal than the other. But the other will solve the problem. Khamenei has opposed talks direct talks with the Trump administration and said after the presidents announcement last week that Tehran would not negotiate with bullying governments. "Such negotiations arent aimed at solving issues. Their aim is to exert their dominance and impose what they want," Khamenei said during a Ramadan speech on March 8. Without explicitly naming the US, he said bullying governments are not only focused on Irans nuclear program but also make new demands targeting the Islamic republic's defensive capabilities and regional activities. Negotiations are a means to impose new demands. Iran will definitely not fulfill these new demands, Khamenei said. The Iranian leader has accused Trump of being untrustworthy after US president withdrew the US from a landmark nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions that had been lifted under its terms. After abrogating the accord in 2018, Trump welcomed an offer by Japan's then-prime minister, Shinzo Abe, to mediate and in 2019 asked the Japanese premier to deliver a letter to Khamenei. The Iranian leader rejected the letter, saying it was "not worthy" of a response. Russia, which is one of the signatories to the original nuclear deal, has expressed an interest in mediating talks between Tehran and Washington, though many have questioned whether Moscow can be an impartial broker. Referencing Moscows talks with Washington, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on March 12 said the Iranian nuclear program has been discussed and that Trump has made Tehran ending its support for its proxies a precondition for a new nuclear deal. Meanwhile, China has announced that it will host a trilateral meeting with Iran and Russia on March 14 to exchange views on the Iranian nuclear issue, among other topics. The Ukrainian military is testing new drones using fiber optics on the front line against Russian forces. The low-flying drones are tied to the ground via thin fiber-optic cables that unwind as the drone flies farther from the controller. Unlike radio-controlled drones, fiber-optic drones cannot be jammed by opposing forces using "electronic warfare." The cable transmits a high-quality image back to the ground, right up to the moment of detonation. "These drones can fly up to 60 kilometers per hour, perform maneuvers, and within a range of 10 kilometers, the fiber does not break," says Serhiy Beskrestnov of the Ukrainian military. Fiber-optic drones can carry small payloads and fly low between buildings or through forests without losing signal, which means areas previously safe from drone attacks can now be hit. "Our guys used to travel along forest roads safely, because the forest blocks radio signals," says Beskrestnov. "It [was] very difficult for the enemy [drone] to descend into the middle of the forest somewhere deep inside our territory, because the radio signal disappears." But drones controlled by fiber optics have their own problems. The lines can become tangled or catch on objects, while the unwinding mechanism adds weight and reduces the loads the drones can carry. "The first tests of our drones were not very good because there were problems with the coils of optical fiber. But the latest tests showed that there are [usable] options from at least six manufacturers," says Beskrestnov. Russia was ahead of Ukraine in deploying fiber-optic first-person-view (FPV) drones on the battlefield, primarily in the Kursk region of Russia. The Ukrainian military launched a surprise incursion there in the summer of 2024. "According to reports from Chinese manufacturers, the number of orders from Russia is growing every month," says Beskrestnov. "They're producing more drones, and our video records confirm that they are being used increasingly on all fronts." A day after Ukraine agreed to a 30-day cease-fire deal, Ukrainians in Kyiv shared their doubts about whether Russia will sign on to -- and adhere to -- the proposed agreement. There has been no comment from Moscow on the details of the U.S.-brokered deal, which Kyiv agreed to during talks in Saudi Arabia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it is now up to Russia whether to engage in the peace process. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Cities and towns throughout Ukraine were hit by Russian drones on March 12 just hours after Ukraine agreed to a US proposal for a 30-day cease-fire. Military analysts told RFE/RL that they expect attacks to continue as Moscow considers its response. US military aid to Ukraine has now started moving across the border from Poland, following an agreement between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, according to Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. Sikorski was speaking to reporters alongside his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Sybiha, in Warsaw, as the latter returned from the talks in Jeddah on March 12. "I can confirm that arms deliveries via Jasionka have returned to previous levels," Sikorski said, referring to a logistics hub southeastern Poland. Washington had announced it was freezing supplies last week after a public clash in the White House between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The move caused deep concern in Ukraine, which Current Time documented in interviews with frontline troops. "Give us more weapons, and we'll guarantee our security," said one soldier, identified by the call sign Sokol, serving in an artillery unit in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. "I think things will clear up soon, and we'll keep receiving weapons and other aid." Sokol was right, with aid having now resumed following the nine-hour meeting that resulted with Ukraine and the United States adopting a proposal for a 30-day cease-fire. Washington has now presented this to Moscow, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declaring, "We're going to tell them this is what's on the table." The United States is Ukraine's single biggest arms donor, and Sokol's comments underlined how important the resumption of weapons supplies is to Ukraine's war effort. "We use a lot of weapons produced in the United States and Europe," he said. Another soldier in the unit, identified as Odin, said: "We're doing everything we can to keep [Russian forces] out of the Dnipropetrovsk region. We are inflicting huge losses to minimize their movements on our land." Speaking in Warsaw, Sybiha reiterated his country's commitment to the 30-day truce. "We are ready to create the appropriate team on our side that will work on this road map on how to get this truce, if it happens," he said. Russian officials did not immediately respond to the Jeddah proposals. Speaking on March 12, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "We have planned contacts with the Americans in the coming days, during which we count on (getting)complete information." BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. The next, fourth in row for this year, meeting of the Pardon Issues Commission under the President of Azerbaijan took place today, reviewing over 100 petitions, the commission's member Rashad Majid told Trend. He noted that the meeting reviewed petitions from persons convicted in connection with road accidents. "Each petition was reviewed and decisions were made. The commission will continue its work in the coming weeks," added Majid. Earlier this year, the commission held three meetings, reviewing more than 300 petitions. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. An armored medical vehicle, produced at a factory in Kazakhstan, has been named in honor of the National Hero of Azerbaijan, Hokuma Aliyeva, the flight attendant who tragically lost her life in the jet crash of an AZAL flight near Aktau in December of last year, Trend reports. The decision was initiated by Aibek Barys, the founder of Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering, where the vehicle was manufactured. Representatives from the Azerbaijani military attache office in Kazakhstan visited the factory where the armored medical vehicle was produced. The technical director of the factory, Mukhtar Almukhanov, shared that the vehicle is scheduled to be sent to a peacekeeping mission abroad in April of this year. Project engineer Olzhasbek Kartkuzhakov explained that this is the second such vehicle, but the first to be named after Hokuma Aliyeva. "The first vehicle was sent last year for a peacekeeping mission to the Golan Heights," he added. Kartkuzhakov noted that while no major structural changes were made, the vehicle was modified to function as an ambulance, in line with the needs of the medical department of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Defense. "This medical vehicle is based on the armored wheeled vehicle 'Arlan.' It has two configurations: it can transport either six lightly wounded individuals or two severely wounded and three lightly wounded," said the engineer. He further mentioned that the vehicle is designed to withstand a mine explosion equivalent to eight kilograms of TNT. Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering is the largest company in Central Asia, specializing in the production of modern armored wheeled vehicles. The company uses innovative technology that enables the production of armored vehicles with enhanced mine protection, similar to MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles. To note, on December 25, 2024, an AZAL passenger plane on a Baku-Grozny flight crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. Out of 67 people on board, 38 were dead. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Tomas Doherty, Ellen O'Donoghue, and Eva Osborne Summary Taoiseach Micheal Martin has met with US president Donald Trump in Washington Conversation topics between the two leaders included Ireland's housing crisis and Trump's favourite Irish people Martin presented Trump with a bowl of live Irish shamrock at around 10pm Irish time US vice president JD Vance hosted Mr Martin at the vice presidential residence for a breakfast this morning How do you think the Oval Office meeting went? Vote in our poll. 10.15pm Taoiseach Micheal Martin has presented an Irish-made crystal bowl containing fresh shamrock to the US president Donald Trump at the White House for the occasion of St Patricks Day 2025. At the shamrock ceremony, Trump introduced various figures in his Cabinet with Irish heritage. A guest also held up a green 'Make America Great Again' hat. Photo: PA During the ceremony, Micheal Martin underlined Irelands investment in the United States and the work Irish people have done in the US. Just like our peoples and cultures, our economies are deeply interconnected, he said. The Irish Times reported that Martin said he hopes to build ever-growing prosperity on the mutually beneficial two-way economic relationship that exists between Ireland and the US. Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump hailed the long and unique friendship between Americans and the Irish after being gifted the bowl of shamrock. Trump said: I love the Irish. Ive had great, great friends over the years, and I love the Irish special people and Ive been to Ireland many times. The presentation of shamrock to the White House has long been a symbol of the friendship between Ireland and the United States. This tradition dates back to 1953, when Ambassador John Joseph Hearne, Irelands Ambassador to the United States (1950-1960), first presented a bowl of shamrock to US President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Since then, the ceremony has continued annually through successive administrations. For this years ceremony, the shamrock was provided by Living Shamrock, a company based in Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry. The fresh shamrock was grown and harvested for export with the required phytosanitary certifications. The crystal bowl, presented to President Trump, was created by the House of Waterford, part of the Fiskars Group, known for its fine Irish crystal production. 8.20pm There was a strong Northern Ireland presence at the Friends of Ireland luncheon at the US Capitol despite the Sinn Fein boycott, Taoiseach Micheal Martin. Asked for his reaction to President Donald Trump saying he was unaware some parties had decided to boycott Washington, DC events, Mr Martin said: Im not going to comment on that. I note that there was a strong presence in Northern Ireland at the lunch. I saw Hilary Benn there, the Northern Secretary of State. I met with the Friends of Ireland just now, and theyre they were appreciative of the progress that has been made in respect of the relationship between the United Kingdom Government and the Irish Government and I briefed them on the progress that has been made now between the UK Government and the Irish Government and also the progress within Northern Ireland itself and the Executive over a year in existence and going well, and the chemistry between the First Minister and Deputy First Minister and so on, being very positive." 7.20pm Ireland shares President Donald Trumps unrelenting focus on peace, Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said. Mr Martin hailed the US presidents work on peace initiatives in Ukraine and the Middle East at several engagements across his Washington, DC itinerary on Wednesday. Martin has described US president Donald Trump as a "great friend of Ireland". He added: Mr President, we are forever grateful for the United States contribution to transforming our island, and we wish you well in the efforts that you are making to bring peace to the Ukraine and to the Middle East and further afield. We thank you for your leadership and indeed your ongoing friendship to Ireland. Speaking at a lunch at the US Capitol, the Taoiseach also paid tribute to House Speaker Mike Johnson as a true friend of our nation. 6.40pm Some remarks by the Taoiseach at the Friends of Ireland Lunch in Washington D.C. Micheal Martin thanked US president Donald Trump as well as the organisation chair, senators, and representatives for welcoming him to Washington D.C. to celebrate St Patrick's Day. "This is a cherished opportunity to break bread with our most steadfast friends," he said. Photo: Getty "It is now more than 40 years since Speaker Tip ONeill invited President Ronald Reagan to the Capitol for the first St. Patricks Day lunch. "Thus began a proud tradition, which I am honoured to continue today in your esteemed company." 4.50pm The pair - that being Donald Trump and Micheal Martin - have now entered private talks. Next up for the Taoiseach is the US Friends of Ireland congressional luncheon, hosted by Speaker Mike Johnson at the US Capitol at 1pm American time, 5pm Irish time. Mr Martin will be back at the White House tonight for the traditional shamrock ceremony scheduled for 5pm in Washington, 9pm Irish time, but the way today has gone, that will probably be later than scheduled too. 4.45pm Some more tidbits from the Oval Office: US President Donald Trump said it is a great honour to have Taoiseach Micheal Martin at the Oval Office. Speaking in front of reporters, Mr Trump said: We have tremendous business relationships in Ireland, and that will only get stronger. The relationship we have, personally in every other way is very, very strong and very, very good. So, I just want to welcome you to Washington DC and to our country and thank you very much. Mr Martin thanked the president for his hospitality and said it was a great honour to be in Washington DC to celebrate St Patricks Day. I commend you on the work that your doing, particularly when it comes to peace. Mr Trump also said that Ireland is of course taking advantage of the US. The EU was set up in order to take advantage of the United States, Mr Trump said. Asked if Ireland was also taking advantage of the US, he said: Of course they are. I have great respect for Ireland, for what they did and they should have done just what they did. But the United States shouldnt have let that happen. We had stupid leaders, we had leaders who didnt have a clue." He said there is a "massive" trade imbalance between the two countries, and accussed the Irish Government of taking US pharmaceutical companies through attractive taxation measures and criticised the EUs ruling that found that Apple owes Ireland billions of euro in taxes. All of a sudden Ireland has our pharmaceutical companies, this beautiful island of five million people has got the entire US pharmaceutical industry in its grasps. We dont want to do anything to hurt Ireland but we do want fairness and he understands that. He said previous presidents had lost big segments of the US economy, adding that the European Union treats us very badly. They have not been fair. They sue our companies and win massive amounts of money. They sued Apple, won 17 billion US dollars and they use that for other reasons, I guess, to run the European Union. So Im not knocking it. Theyre doing what they should be doing, perhaps for the European Union, but it does create ill will and as you know, were going to be doing reciprocal tariffs so whatever they charge us with, were charging them. Nobody can complain about that. Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office: Theres a massive deficit that we have with Ireland and with other countries too, and we want to sort of even that out as nicely as we can, and well work together. But the deficit is massive. I have property in Ireland, as you know, and I love it, it does great, but Id like to see the United States not have been so stupid for so many years, not just with Ireland, with everybody. For instance, when the pharmaceutical companies started to go to Ireland, I would have said thats OK if you want to go to Ireland, I think its great, but if you want to sell anything into the United States Im going to put a 200 per cent tariff on you so youre never going to be able to sell anything into the United States. You know what they would have done? They would have stayed here. 4.40pm And we are done, with the final question asked about Doonbeg, Co Clare, where Mr Trump owns a hotel and golfcourse. Trump says the Irish authorities gave him approval for works to be done at the resort "in about four weeks" but he was told it would take "give to seven years" to get EU approval. "I will hand it to Ireland but I dont know why the EU had to approve it," Trump says. Mr Martin told Mr Trump he has the distinction of being the only president who has invested in Ireland and describes the resort as stunning. Trump loves this comment, and makes no attempt to hide it. An Irish reporter then asks if Ireland is too close to the EU. Trump's answer is basically Ireland good, EU bad. 4.35pm Donald Trump has said that Ireland has a housing crisis because the country is doing so well. The US President was asked about how Ireland would build thousands more homes a year. You know why they have a housing crisis? Because theyre doing so well, they cant produce houses fast enough. Thats a good problem, not a bad problem. Mr Martin interjected to say that was a good answer. Mr Trump, gesturing to Mr Martin, added: I know this gentleman, hell get it solved. 4.30pm Tyump has just been asked who his favourite Irish person is and he said "I really like your fighter." The reporters ask if it's Conor McGregor he's referring to, and Trump compliments his tattoos before nodding to Martin and saying "he is great, right?" Mr Martin dodged a bullet here though because shortly after that comment, Trump mentioned that the Taoiseach's father was a fighter. I think the Irish love Trump, he said shortly before this. I have been there many times and we dont want to do anything to hurt Ireland but we want fairness." 4.15pm Micheal Martin hasn't really gotten a word in since the start of the meeting, but interjects to talk about Irish investments in the US, with the US President having said that Ireland had used its tax policies to lure away pharmaceutical and other companies from the United States, and doubled down on his vow to impose reciprocal tariffs to help rebuild U.S. manufacturing. Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office: Theres a massive deficit that we have with Ireland and with other countries too, and we want to sort of even that out as nicely as we can, and well work together. But the deficit is massive. 4.10pm An Irish reporter asked Mr Trump about the Occupied Territories Bill, to which he replies "youre not from Israel thats for sure. He then talks about the manner in which Israeli hostages were treated by Hamas. 4.05pm US President Donald Trump said he had not heard that some Northern Ireland political parties have decided to boycott St Patricks Day celebrations in Washington, DC over his administrations stance on Gaza. Sinn Fein, the SDLP and Alliance had ruled out attending such events. Asked about the boycotts while meeting Taoiseach Micheal Martin in the Oval Office, Mr Trump told reporters: I havent heard that, I really havent heard that. 3.35pm The Taoiseach has arrived at the West Wing of the White House for his bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump. Better late than never. Mr Trump greeted Mr Martin by shaking hands outside the West Wing ahead of their sit-down engagement in the Oval Office. President Donald J. Trump Welcomes Taoiseach Micheal Martin to The White House @MichealMartinTD pic.twitter.com/HCEv79M4R4 The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 12, 2025 3.15pm The Irish Times have reported that the meeting between Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Donald Trump was due to start at 2.45pm but has been pushed back. They understand that the Taoiseach is currently en route to the White House, however. The bilateral meeting set to take place in the Oval Office is expected to last an hour or so. 1.50pm Taoiseach Micheal Martin has invited US vice president JD Vance on a trip to Ireland extending a particular invite to Mr Martins native Co Cork. We would be honoured and delighted to welcome you both back to our shores before too long, Mr Martin said at the vice presidents residence in Washington DC. The Taoiseach referenced a road trip to Ireland by Mr Vance and his wife Usha, where they visited the Ring of Kerry, Skibbereen in Co Cork, Cashel in Co Tipperary and Dublin. You tasted the delights of the English Market and Id love to bring you back there in particular, Mr Martin said. Now, the vice president did say the road trip could be somewhat difficult next time around, given the number of vehicles that might have to be attached. Mr Martin said he understood Mr Vance plays golf and referenced US President Donald Trumps golf course in Doonbeg, Co Clare. We have some exceptional courses in Ireland, one of which in a remote and beautiful part of Ireland called Doonbeg President Trump could tell you a thing or two about playing. 1.30pm Micheal Martin and JD Vance have had a warm exchange of words at a breakfast meeting at the US vice presidents residence in Washington DC. Mr Vance said the breakfast was to remind people of the strength of the relationship between Ireland and the US. He said that during a visit to Ireland, he noted its beautiful landscapes and interesting technological growth. US vice president JD Vance speaking at the breakfast meeting. Photo: Niall Carson/PA One of the things we try to do with this breakfast is just remind people of the important bonds of friendship between the United States and Ireland, he said. Sporting a pair of shamrock socks which he showed to the room, Mr Vance added: The president is a very big fan of conservative dress, and so if he notices these socks, you have to defend this as an important part of cementing the Irish-American relationship. Mr Martin thanked Mr Vance for his warm welcome and hospitality and joked that he would need to adjust very rapidly his conservative dress sense after seeing Mr Vances socks. Taoiseach Micheal Martin speaking at the breakfast meeting. Photo: Niall Carson/PA The United States has been a steadfast friend of Ireland for centuries. Indeed, the United States was the first country to recognise our long-sought independence, Mr Martin said. Together, we have built deep and enduring political, cultural and economic bonds, greatly enriching our two nations in the process. Among those at the meeting are US health secretary Robert F Kennedy and Irelands ambassador to the US Geraldine Byrne Nason. 1.10pm JD Vance has used his speech at the breakfast meeting with Micheal Martin to display his shamrock-themed socks. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Photo: Niall Carson/PA Photo: Niall Carson/PA 1pm US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has also arrived at the vice presidential residence in Washington DC, where Taoiseach Micheal Martin is meeting with vice president JD Vance. A member of the Kennedy political dynasty with strong Irish links, RFK Jr is the son of Robert F Kennedy and nephew of former president John F Kennedy. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Photo: Niall Carson/PA 12.50pm Micheal Martin has said a two-way street of investment is something he intends to highlight in his discussions with Donald Trump in a bid to address concerns the US president may voice around a trade imbalance between Ireland and the US. Ireland is among countries vulnerable to changes in the global economy proposed by president Trump, with a significant proportion of employment, tax receipts and exports all directly dependent on a cluster of US multinational firms. Ireland's goods trade surplus with the United States reached a record 50 billion in 2024, according to data from the Central Statistics Office. Read more: How exposed is Ireland to the US economy and Trump's plans? 12.35pm Micheal Martin and his wife Mary have been greeted by JD Vance and his wife Usha at the US vice presidents residence to kick off a day of engagements to mark St Patricks Day. Mr Martin will have a breakfast meeting with Mr Vance at the US Naval Observatory. The Taoiseach will later take part in a highly-anticipated meeting with Donald Trump at the White House, before an event where he will hand the US president a bowl of shamrock. Taoiseach Micheal Martin and his wife Mary meeting US vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Photo: Niall Carson/PA Photo: Niall Carson/PA 12.25pm US secretary of state Marco Rubio has stopped at Shannon Airport on his way back from ceasefire talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia. Mr Rubio said the United States will have contact with Russia on Wednesday about the agreement reached with Ukraine on a 30-day ceasefire and steps toward ending the war there. "We all eagerly await the Russian response and urge them strongly to consider ending all hostilities," Mr Rubio said during the refuelling stop at Shannon. "If they say no, then obviously we'll have to examine everything and sort of figure out where we stand in the world and what their true intentions are. I think it'll be if they say no, it'll tell us a lot about what their goals are and what their mindset is." 12.15pm Micheal Martin's meeting with Donald Trump will happen amid the backdrop of a looming trade war between the US and the European Union. The EU confirmed this morning that it will impose counter tariffs on 26 billion worth of US goods from next month, ramping up a global trade war in response to blanket US tariffs on steel and aluminium. Mr Trump's increased tariffs of 25 per cent on all steel and aluminium imports took effect today. The European Commission said it will end its current suspension of tariffs on US products on April 1st and that its tariffs will be fully in place by April 13th. Read more: EU to impose counter tariffs on 26bn of US goods as global trade war looms 12.10pm Welcome to our live coverage of Micheal Martin's meeting with Donald Trump in the White House as part of the traditional St Patrick's Day celebrations. First up for the Taoiseach is breakfast with US vice president JD Vance, which is due to happen at about 12.30pm Irish time. Mr Martin will then head for a bilateral meeting with Mr Trump, where the Taoiseach is expected to highlight Irish investment in America. There will also be a lunch at the US Congress, before Mr Martin heads back to the White House for the traditional shamrock ceremony which is to take place at about 8pm Irish time. Mr Martin is the first European leader to meet with Mr Trump since Volodymyr Zelenskiy's now-infamous meeting in the Oval Office last month. Follow all the developments live here on breakingnews.ie. "Indian Farmers' Livelihoods at Risk Due to Cheap American Apple Imports" Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has urged Indian govt take immediate action to protect interests of Indian farmers. "Indian Farmers' Livelihoods at Risk Due to Cheap American Apple Imports": In view of the situation created by the reciprocal tariff imposed by the US, farmers of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are facing serious threat from the import of cheap American apples in the Indian market. In this regard, the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Union (KVFGU) has warned that the influx of low-priced apples will create a situation in the market where the livelihood of over 7 lakh families dependent on apple farming may be at risk due to the fall in prices. Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has urged the Indian government to take immediate action to protect the interests of Indian farmers. He mentioned the key demands like protective counter-tariff under which matching duty should be imposed on American apples to ensure a level playing field for Indian producers. He further said that there is a need for immediate economic relief in this direction under which financial assistance should be provided to farmers to prevent loss of income and ensure continuous production. Advertisement He further said that farmer-friendly trade agreements are needed to protect the livelihood of Indian farmers in all trade relations with the US. He stressed on strengthening agricultural infrastructure in terms of modernization of storage facilities, smooth transportation and market access to increase the competitiveness of Indian products. Kultar Singh Sandhwan said that our farmers are the backbone of the Indian economy. Their sweat and hard work nourish the country. It is not at all reasonable and acceptable that they face any difficulty due to international trade wars. He further said that if the government does not intervene in this matter, then we are in danger of losing our livelihood as well as the agricultural heritage of our generations. He further said that cheap imports of products from abroad may benefit some traders, but it will destroy the lives of many small and marginal farmers. We cannot allow profit-oriented policies to crush the farmers who feed us. Advertisement He further said that this is not just about apples, it is a matter of every Indian farmer standing shoulder to shoulder. He further said that the government should ensure that our farmers are provided with a fair price for their produce, a fair market and a fair environment. Sandhwan said that I stand with my farmers and I request the government to also ensure that the interests of the farmers are protected without delay. National Education Policy: Tamil Nadu vs Centre On the other hand, the Tamil Nadu government has been calling this condition a threat to the federal structure of the country. Editorial: The clause in the new education policy that requires school students to be taught three languages aahas become a major point of contention between the central government and the Tamil Nadu government. The central government is adamant that the condition of three languages aamust be accepted to get central funds for school education. On the other hand, the Tamil Nadu government has been calling this condition a threat to the federal structure of the country. It says that through this condition, the central government wants to force Hindi on Tamil Nadu. Advertisement In this regard, the rhetoric between Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had been going on for a month, but on Monday, this dispute took the form of an argument, sloganeering and a ruckus between Mr. Pradhan and DMK members in the Lok Sabha. During the argument, Mr. Pradhan used words like dishonest, and the DMK The members strongly objected to which Mr. Pradhan withdrew the word and the Speaker also struck it out of the record of the House. But even after this, there was no calm. DMK member Dayanidhi Maran, who is also a former Union Minister, made a vulgar remark about the BJP which did not become part of the record of the House, but of which Speaker Om Birla took strict notice and issued a warning to Mr. Maran. In the context of this development, the anti-Central and anti-Hindi remarks made by Mr. Stalin on the microblogging site played the role of adding fuel to the fire. He threatened that the entire Tamil Nadu would take to the streets to protest the imposition of Hindi. Opposition to Hindi by Tamil Nadu is not a new phenomenon. This opposition had started in the 1930s. Its tone began to sharpen in the 1940s when Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, the leader of the Swarajya Party, became the Chief Minister. He was a Brahmin and his advocacy of Hindi was seen as an attempt to Aryanise Dravidian civilisation and culture. After Indian independence 1947, the establishment of Hindi Pracharani Sabhas in all the important cities of the then Madras State fuelled fears of a threat to the Tamil language. The popular movement against Brahminical practices and casteist excesses was gaining momentum in those days. Advertisement Its leader, E.V. Ramasamy Periyar, made the supremacy of Tamil language and culture in Tamil land the main issue. C.N. Annadurai and M. Karunanidhi, who were writers and film writers by profession, continued to be Periyar's main disciples, but due to their lack of independence from the Indian nation, they broke away from Periyar's party DK (Dravidian Kadgam) and founded a new party DMK (Dravidian Munnetra Kazhagam). This party became the ruling party of Tamil Nadu state in 1969 within just five years. Political experts are of the opinion that Stalin was avoiding a clash with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, but at the same time was looking for an emotional issue with the intention of winning the assembly elections due next year in 2026. The possibility of re-delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies and the imposition of Hindi through the new education policy have given them two emotional issues. Although the delimitation issue is proving to be quite effective in mobilising public sentiments at present, it is not possible to drag it out for long as no new delimitation commission has been constituted yet. The Hindi issue has been proving effective in raising the Tamils sentiment for 80 years and now, due to the stance of the Union Education Minister, it is sure to be continuously stirred by Stalin till next year. All this is happening at a time when the number of people who read and write Hindi in Tamil Nadu is continuously increasing. Data collected by independent organisations shows that the percentage of schools offering Hindi from class 3 onwards has reached 27 Percentage in 2021, while it was 13 Percentage in 2001. Advertisement Another important fact is that while in the southern states, along with the mother tongue and English, there is a direct or indirect emphasis on teaching Hindi as a third language, there is no talk of teaching any southern language in the Hindi-speaking states. Sanskrit is being taught as a third language in these states. It is natural for Tamil leaders to smell discrimination from this. The issue of language is a sensitive matter. The Centre should abandon its rigid attitude towards it and show a sympathetic approach towards the linguistic sensitivities of the southern states. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. NATO tested its capacity to deploy the Reaction Force Flancul-Estic-12-mar-2025Steadfast Dart 25 was the most important exercise of the North Atlantic Alliance at the beginning of this year. Photo: Defense Ministry Agentia Media a Armatei, 12.03.2025, 14:00 Flancul-Estic-12-mar-2025Steadfast Dart 25 was the most important exercise of the North Atlantic Alliance at the beginning of this year. The exercise took place simultaneously in Romania, Greece and Bulgaria and was attended by over ten thousand soldiers from nine allied countries. The main objective of Steadfast Dart 25 was to test and train the deployment of the Allied Reaction Force elements in NATOs eastern flank. It was the first time that this structure practiced an operational deployment since its establishment on July 1, 2024. In Romania, the training sequences took place in the Smardan (east), Cincu (center), Bogata (northwest) and Babadag (southeast) training ranges. Among the countries participating in the exercise was France. Roger is a non-commissioned officer in the French army and is part of the contingent in the NATO Battle Group in Romania. The weather here was similar to that in Cincu, where we, the French contingent, are stationed. For this exercise, we deployed many armored vehicles here in Smardan. We brought with us everything related to the equipment of each soldier, such as weapons, helmets, protective equipment, drones and also most of the combat means in our equipment. We learned a lot about trench warfare, we did a lot of training in the firing range and in the urban combat range, together with our comrades from Romania, Spain and Scotland. In the future, we want to cooperate with other armies, to learn from their experiences related to fighting in trenches, as is happening today in the war in Ukraine, the French soldier told us. The UK provided the largest contribution of forces to this exercise, with over 2,600 soldiers. Corporal Guidel is part of the Royal Military Police of the British Army and trained at the Smardan training ground: The collaboration between us was excellent. So, we from the British Army simulated the organization of a prisoner of war camp. Basically, we showed the Romanian military police how we can capture the personnel of a foreign army, what are the procedures to be followed, how we guarantee their safety or what to do with their personal belongings. Also during the training, we showed them how we provide humane treatment and how we ensure proper transportation, so that the convoy is protected and the prisoners of war remain safe. This exercise really shows that we can be united and that we can work together, regardless of culture, language or equipment. Greek specialists in ammunition and explosive devices were present at the Smardan training ground. Captain Vassos is the commander of an EOD team in the Hellenic Army. We have a very good cooperation with our allied forces, which is very beneficial, because only this way do we know each other and we know that we can manage all the situations that may arise in the world, if NATO remains united. Our mission is to carry out EOD operations, which means that we deal with everything related to ammunition and explosive devices. Together with my team, we are constantly concerned with combating terrorism and neutralizing dangerous and suspicious areas. We have exchanged knowledge and equipment, so that we know how other allied forces work on the ground, but also how they use their technique, the Greek officer said. The Allied Reaction Force is a new concept, resulting from a political decision taken at the NATO summit in Vilnius in 2023. It serves as a rapid strategic reserve and can be deployed to deter escalation in various crisis situations. (EE) The Romanian employees mental health The two cases of workplace deaths in 2024 have drawn the attention of specialists. : Iulia Hau, 12.03.2025, 14:00 The two cases of workplace deaths in 2024 have drawn the attention of specialists. Moreover, in February 2025, a Romanian company was convicted in court for the first time for the professional burnout of an employee, and the company must pay her moral and material damages. And the data confirms that the level of stress related to the workplace does not only affect isolated cases. A recent study that analyzed the responses provided by 3,500 employees in Romania shows that 48% of them experience, often and very often, symptoms of anxiety at work, while 43% allocate at most three hours a week for relaxation. Corina Neagu has over 20 years of experience in the field of human resources and is the founder of a consulting company that helps organizations cultivate the potential of their employees, which, in turn, discover their talents. She believes that the low level of education in Romania over the last 35 years and the lack of emotional education are determining factors of mental health problems related to the workplace. Corina Neagu believes that Romanian schools still have a lot to improve in order to learn to provide students with the skills they need in the future: School in Romania has brought us to a situation where we do not prepare skills at all, we do not take care of the emotional well-being of our children. Parents who are either abroad for work, or are not emotionally available, or there are dysfunctional relationships in the families, or poverty when we are talking about the rural environment, or abuse of all kinds. Not even parents know how to be good to themselves, so that they can manage their relationship with their children. And then, all these things have led to our state, as a people, from an emotional and mental point of view, not being exactly as it should be. Yes, in a civilized, healthy, normal country there are prevention policies, there are strategies at the national level, there are programs at the organizational level, prevention and wellbeing to encourage well-being and psychological safety at work. The expert believes that in the past of our people, patterns of behavior were formed that it is time to break. In this sense, fear, as the main instrument of control during communism, still makes its presence felt in the way we relate to each other hierarchically. The lack of a culture, of teamwork, a misunderstood individualism and shame as a component of the way we relate to each other are other inherited cultural aspects: Another cultural model is that we did not have the right to an opinion. We did not know what feedback meant. If we opened our mouths, we were told go to your room, now the adults are talking. I am not talking about the instruments of coercion that existed at home and at school. Again, this is a model that has been perpetuated. Many important voices in the field of human resources increasingly say that organizations play an essential role in the well-being of employees and, therefore, of society in general. Corina Neagu: Companies are not third parties, they are run by people who have to make decisions. The decision to take care of your employees must be a priority for any kind of organization and for any kind of leaders of that organization. Why do you take care of your people? Do your people take care of your customers? Its very simple. Yes, both internal and external customers. Thats what Richard Branson said, it is not I who said it, but he said it very well. I mean, this is extremely important not just in the sense that you give a salary at the end of the month, but be careful to create the space, the culture, and the environment where they feel authentic and can come and express themselves authentically. Conscious authenticity. I mean, we dont expose everything about us in public, but we come without any kind of sword over our head and without any kind of repercussion if I give feedback, without any kind of associated trauma, if during a discussion I dont agree with you and we have divergent opinions and I feel comfortable expressing my point of view the way I think. So I express what I think without being penalized, harassed, abused, marginalized or fired. A survey conducted by the BestJobs platform last year revealed that Romanian employee satisfaction at work was at its lowest level in three years, with only three in ten respondents saying they were satisfied with their jobs. In the same study, six out of ten employees said their job negatively affected their personal lives. At the same time, there are a growing number of NGOs and trained people helping companies and employees develop healthier work environments, where healthy communication and empathy guide interpersonal relationships. (EE) Constitutional Court rules on presidential candidate The Constitutional Court rejected the presidential candidacy of the Russia-friendly extremist Calin Georgescu Photo: Facebook / Curtea Constitutionala a Romaniei) Stefan Stoica, 12.03.2025, 14:00 Since the night of November 24, when Calin Georgescu came virtually out of nowhere to win the first round of the presidential elections, overtaking high-profile politicians, his name has become the most present on TV channels and news websites. The question of how this was possible was answered by the Supreme Defence Council, although not very convincingly for some. After putting together data coming from the intelligence services, the Council concluded that the independent candidate Calin Georgescu was the beneficiary of a hybrid attack by a foreign state actor, namely Russia, mainly through very high TikTok exposure. After the first round, the general public came to learn a few things about candidate Georgescus election platform, and eventually got to know a character bordering on the bizarre and the toxic. A fierce critic of the West and of Romanias NATO and EU membership and an admirer of Putins Russia, Georgescu promoted a self-sufficient economic system reminiscent of Ceausescus ideology, and praised what he considered Romanian exceptionalism and leading figures of Romanian interwar fascism. On December 6, the Constitutional Court made an unprecedented decision in three and a half decades of democracy: it annulled the presidential elections, on grounds that the entire election process had been twisted in Georgescus favour. Backed by the countrys self-styled sovereigntist, but in fact populist and ultranationalist parties, last Friday Georgescu registered his candidacy in the upcoming presidential race, due on May 4 and 18. On Sunday, the Central Electoral Bureau rejected his candidacy, relying precisely on the Constitutional Courts ruling in December. Predictably, on Tuesday, the Court dismissed Calin Georgescus appeal as ungrounded in a final ruling. According to the Central Electoral Bureau, Calin Georgescus candidacy does not meet legality criteria, in that, by failing to comply with the election rules he breached the very obligation to defend democracy, which is based on fair, honest and impartial elections. The sovereigntists, led by AUR party, criticised what they called the abusive decision of the Constitutional Court. Practically born on TikTok, Calin Georgescus dazzling but very brief political career seems to have ended at the Constitutional Court. The overexposure, however, brought him other problems as well. The former presidential front-runner was recently placed under court supervision, in a case in which serious charges are brought against him. The first of them is one of the most severely punished in the Criminal Code, namely incitement to act against the constitutional order. Other charges include false statements regarding his campaign financing, initiating or establishing fascist, racist or xenophobic and anti-Semitic organisations, as well as publicly promoting the cult of individuals guilty of genocide and war crimes. Calin Georgescu denies all accusations. (AMP) Japan will on Wednesday release February figures for producer prices, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. Producer prices are expected to slip 0.1 percent on month and rise 4.0 percent on year after adding 0.3 percent on month and 4.2 percent on year in January. New Zealand will provide February numbers for electronic card retail sales; in January, sales were down 1.6 percent on month and 0.5 percent on year. Malaysia will release January figures for industrial production, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 2.7 percent on year - moderating from 4.6 percent in December. Indonesia will see January numbers for retail sales; in December, sales were up 1.8 percent on year. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. The Australian stock market is maintaining its early losses in mid-market trading on Wednesday, extending the losses in the previous two sessions, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 falling below the 7,800 level, following the broadly negative cues from Wall Street overnight, with weakness across most sectors led by iron ore miners and financial stocks. Gold stocks were the only bright spot. The White House overnight confirmed that Australia would not be exempt from 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminium exports to the US due to start later in the day. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index is losing 100.00 points or 1.27 percent to 7,790.10, after hitting a low of 7,733.50 earlier. The broader All Ordinaries Index is down 96.40 points or 1.19 percent to 8,007.00. Australian stocks ended significantly lower on Tuesday. Among major miners, BHP Group and Fortescue Metals are losing more than 1 percent each, while Rio Tinto is declining almost 2 percent and Mineral Resources is edging down 0.4 percent. Oil stocks are mixed. Woodside Energy is losing more than 1 percent and Beach energy is declining almost 2 percent, while Santos and Origin Energy are gaining almost 1 percent each. In the tech space, Afterpay owner Block is edging up 0.2 percent and Appen is up almost 1 percent. WiseTech Global and Xero are losing more than 1 percent each, while Zip is declining more than 3 percent. Among the big four banks, Commonwealth Bank is losing more than 1 percent, while ANZ Banking, Westpac and National Australia Bank are declining almost 2 percent each. Among gold miners, Evolution Mining and Newmont are advancing almost 2 percent each, while Gold Road Resources is adding more than 1 percent and Resolute Mining is edging up 0.5 percent. Northern Star Resources is edging down 0.2 percent. In the currency market, the Aussie dollar is trading at $0.629 on Wednesday. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Oil prices inched higher on Wednesday amid expectations of some supply disruptions in Russia after Ukraine claimed it had attacked a major oil refinery in Moscow. Investors also await the OPEC's monthly report for more insights into the cartel's plans for production. Benchmark Brent crude futures rose 0.4 percent to $9.83 in early European trade, while WTI crude futures were up 0.4 percent at $66.54. Ukrainian forces hit and damaged the Moscow Oil Refinery and a Druzhba oil pipeline facility in Oryol Oblast in a fierce overnight drone attack on Monday, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces has reported. However, the oil refinery owned by Russia's Gazpromneft is operating normally, the company said. In another significant development, Ukraine signaled its readiness to accept a U.S. proposal for an "immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire" with Russia. "A while ago, Ukraine has agreed to the ceasefire. Now we go to Russia and hopefully President Putin will agree to it also," U.S. President Trump said soon after the Jeddah announcement. Investors now await the weekly oil report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) for further direction. The American Petroleum Institute (API) report released on Tuesday showed U.S. crude oil inventories rose by nearly 4.25 million barrels during the week ended March 7, despite a 1.2-million-barrel decline in Cushing crude oil inventories. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis Ukraine has expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to enact a 30-day ceasefire in the ongoing war. The United States will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine. These breakthrough results were achieved during peace talks between the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia Tuesday. A joint statement issued by the United States and Ukraine says the ceasefire can be extended by mutual agreement of Moscow and Kiev, and is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by Russia. The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocal action is the key to achieving peace. The delegations also proposed humanitarian relief efforts during the ceasefire period, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. Both delegations agreed to name their negotiating teams and immediately begin talks toward an enduring peace that provides for Ukraine's long-term security. The United States committed to discussing these proposals with representatives from Russia. "We hope that they'll say yes, that they'll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after the meeting in Jedda. The Ukrainian delegation insisted that European partners should be involved in the peace process. President Donald Trump reportedly agreed to speak with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin about the proposals, probably in the coming days. Regarding the minerals deal, the statement said, "Both countries' presidents agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine's and guarantee Ukraine's long-term prosperity and security." For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News Close on the heels of signing an agreement with one of India's telecom majors Airtel, Elon Musk's SpaceX signed a deal with the country's another tycoon Jio Platforms Ltd, affiliated to Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries, to offer Starlink satellite Internet services in the country. In a statement, Jio announced that SpaceX would offer Starlink's high-speed broadband internet services to its customers in India. Starlink, as the low Earth orbit satellite constellation operator, would deliver reliable broadband services across the country, including the most rural and remote regions of India. With the agreement, Jio is advancing and diversifying its broadband service options to include Starlink connectivity. Jio plans to make Starlink solutions available through its retail outlets as well as through its online storefronts. It will also establish a mechanism to support customer service installation and activation. Airtel, in a statement, noted that the companies will explore offering Starlink equipment in Airtel's retail stores, and Starlink services via Airtel to customers, in even the most rural parts of India. Airtel and SpaceX will also explore how Starlink could help expand and enhance the Airtel network, as well as SpaceX's ability to utilize and benefit from Airtel's ground network infrastructure and other capabilities in India. After joining the race, Reliance Industries gained 0.8 percent on Wednesday's regular trading on the NSE in India, while Bharti Airtel dropped 1.2 percent. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News A recent study revealed that regular blood donors may develop genetic changes in their blood that could reduce the risk of cancer. Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute found that frequent blood donation is linked to specific mutations in the DNMT3A gene, which may influence how blood cancers develop. The study analyzed blood samples from 217 men in Germany, aged 60 to 72, who had donated blood over 100 times. Their genetic data was compared to 212 men of a similar age who had donated fewer than 10 times. The results showed that 50 percent of frequent donors carried mutations in their blood stem cells, compared to 30 percent of irregular donors. To investigate further, researchers genetically modified human blood stem cells with these mutations and observed their growth in lab conditions. When exposed to EPO, a hormone produced after blood loss, mutated cells grew 50 percent faster than normal cells. Without EPO, both types grew at the same rate. "It suggests that, every blood donation, you're going to have a burst of EPO in your system and this is going to favour the growth of cells with these DNMT3A mutations," said Hector Huerga Encabo from the Francis Crick Institute in London. Although the overall mutation levels were similar between the two groups, the type of mutation differed. Unlike mutations associated with blood cancers like leukemia, those found in frequent donors behaved differently under lab conditions. "It's like the donation of blood is providing a selection pressure to enhance the fitness of your stem cells and their ability to replenish," said Ash Toye at the University of Bristol, UK. "Not only could you save someone's life, but maybe you are enhancing the fitness of your blood system." While these findings are promising, more research is needed to confirm whether regular blood donation truly lowers cancer risk, says Marc Mansour of University College London, as lab models simplify the complex processes occurring in the body. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The Switzerland market closed on a buoyant note on Wednesday, in line with across Europe, as optimism about a ceasefire in Ukraine, and data showing a less than expected increase in U.S. consumer prices in the month of February lifted investor sentiment. The benchmark SMI, which climbed to 12,977.76 around mid afternoon, ended the day's session with a gain of 176.18 points or 1.39% at 12,868.43. Sandoz Group and Roche Holding climbed 3.81% and 3.64%, respectively. Roche announced that it has signed a $5.3 billion deal with biotechnology company Zealand Pharma to jointly develop and commercialize the latter's petrelintide as a potential foundational therapy for obesity. Richemont, Givaudan and Swiss Re gained 2.37%, 2.11% and 2.08%, respectively. SGS climbed nearly 2%. Julius Baer, UBS Group, Sika, Holcim and Swiss Life Holding gained 1.3 to 1.6%. ABB, VAT Group, Zurich Insurance Group, Lonza Group, Schindler Ps, Alcon, Partners Group, Adecco, Straumann Holding, Novartis and Nesle closed higher by 0.5 to 1.1%. Logitech International ended down 2.2%. Kuehne + Nagel closed 1.23% down, while Lindt & Spruengli and Swatch Group drifted down 0.67% and 0.45%, respectively. On the tariff front, U.S. President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports from its trading partners came into effect today. In response, the European Union announced "swift and proportionate" countermeasures on 26 billion euros worth of US goods. Canada retaliated too by imposing tariffs on CA$29.8 billion worth of US products. Meanwhile, the UK said it would "keep all options on the table." For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. The South Pars gas field, Irans largest natural gas reserve, reached a production record in December 2024, reinforcing its critical role in the countrys energy sector. Despite aging infrastructure, efforts to maintain pressure and maximize output remain a priority, according to Bill Farren-Price, Senior Research Fellow and Head of Gas Research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES). "The trend is still upwards, although the operator is having to work harder to overhaul older equipment and install additional pressure maintenance facilities to maximize output as the field gets older," Farren-Price told Trend. The South Pars field, known as the North Dome in Qatar, is jointly shared between Iran and Qatar and holds an estimated 51 trillion cubic meters of gas, of which 36 trillion are extractable. Irans share accounts for 14 trillion cubic meters of gas and 18 billion barrels of gas condensate. While Qatar is advancing its LNG expansion strategy with large-scale investments in the North Field, Iran continues to focus on meeting its domestic demand. "Qatar has built an array of gas-intensive industries around the North Field, but the most significant by far is LNG. While Iran has some small exports to Turkiye and Iraq, the biggest demand driver is domestic, where gas is used in power, heating, and downstream industries," the analyst explained. However, Iran has struggled with winter gas shortages, leading to periodic power outages. Despite regional tensions, production from both the Iranian and Qatari sections of the field has remained stable. "Regional tensions have not disrupted production from either side of the field -Iranian or Qatari - and I expect that to continue since both countries coordinate somewhat on their development and economic planning for the resource," Farren-Price said. Both nations manage their shared resource through a dedicated committee. Today, an event in Tehran marked the signing of key agreements aimed at increasing pressure at South Pars. The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has partnered with four domestic firms - Oil Industries Engineering and Construction Company (OIEC), MAPNA Group, Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Headquarters, and Petropars - to modernize the fields infrastructure. These agreements, as highlighted by NIOC officials, will involve significant collaboration with the private sector. With low production costs and concentrated infrastructure, South Pars remains one of the worlds most economically viable gas fields. "Since the cost of production is so low and the infrastructure is so concentrated, the economics of LNG and gas production from the field are some of the most compelling globally," Bill Farren-Price emphasized. Merchandise trade deficit of Cyprus widened in January from a year ago with both exports and imports rising strongly, preliminary data from the statistical office showed on Wednesday. The goods trade deficit increased to EUR 682.7 million from EUR 555.2 million in the same month last year. Total goods exports surged 39.5 percent year-on-year with shipments to the EU increasing and those to non-EU countries decreasing. Imports of goods jumped 28.9 percent year-on-year. The statistical office also released the final data for December that revealed a 40.6 percent surge in imports and a 13.7 percent increase in exports. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Distinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong at the Diocesan School for Girls planting a Cape Plum Tree. [PHOTO CREDIT]: DSG Communications Team By: Siqhamo Jama Distinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong was honoured at Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) in Makhanda through a tree planting ceremony - an annual tradition recognising individuals who have significantly impacted education and the community. Observed on International Women's Day, the ceremony inspires the learners at DSG as it acknowledges the inspirational women who are influencing their world. During the school assembly, a student narrated Dist. Prof Nyokongs achievements before she addressed the audience, sharing insights into her scientific journey and the role of mentorship in shaping young minds. The tree planting followed at the junior school, where Dist. Prof Nyokong planted a Cape Plum tree, chosen for its ecological benefits, including water preservation and support for local bird species. The event concluded with a tea session, allowing Dist. Prof Nyokong, her family, DSG staff, and learners to engage in meaningful conversation. The ceremony highlighted Dist. Prof Nyokong's invaluable contributions to science and education. Her work in nanotechnology, particularly in cancer detection and treatment, is internationally recognised. Reflecting on her research, she explained, We are working on diagnosing diseases earlier before they manifest into severe conditions. In the future, I foresee a time where we can screen people based on their biochemistry, identifying potential health risks before they develop. Professor Philani Mashazi, Deputy Director of the Tebello Nyokong Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation, urged DSG learners to consider Rhodes University a premier institution for scientific advancement. If you are interested in nanotechnology, there is no better place in the world to do that work than Rhodes University, he emphasised. Beyond her scientific achievements, Dist. Prof Nyokong spoke about the importance of mentorship and teachers' role in shaping young minds. She reflected on teachers' influence in shaping her career, stating, Teachers have a huge role in our lives. My teachers influenced me a lot. One of them was very young, and you know, you can adore a teacher, and they can influence you. She also shared a humorous narrative about her early fascination with chemistry, noting, Why did I choose chemistry? The teacher was cute. He made the subject come alive. Her legacy extends beyond the laboratory, as she actively encourages young people to embrace media platforms to share their stories and accomplishments. Dont shy away from media. It helps build your profile and spreads awareness of your work, she advised. DSG has long recognised Dist. Prof Nyokongs influence, with her image displayed in the schools science corridors and her story featuring in junior school inspiration campaigns. Former DSG student assistants, such as PhD candidate Dr Lindo Nene, have also spoken about her profound impact on their academic journeys. I remember a moment that changed the way I saw myself. She once told me that she does not sleep, so that we can. In those words, I understood the weight of responsibility she carries, said Dr Nene. Head of School, Jannie De Villiers, expressed gratitude for her visit: We are so grateful that you have taken the time to share your wisdom, story, and passion. Your visit will leave a lasting impact, sparking curiosity, ambition, and a belief that we, too, can push boundaries and make a difference. As the newly planted Cape Plum tree takes root at DSG, it stands as a lasting tribute to Distinguished Professor Nyokongs contributions, symbolising growth, knowledge, and the power of perseverance in pursuing excellence. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. The expansion of the fleet of the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) abroad is one of the priorities of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Head of the EBRD in Azerbaijan Natali Mouravidze said at the 1st National Financial Accessibility Forum held in Baku today, Trend reports. "Recently, our board of directors approved a new strategy for Azerbaijan for the next five years. Among the key priorities are supporting economic diversification by enhancing the competitiveness and corporate governance of local businesses, developing financial sustainability through local financial markets, promoting the transition to a green economy, and improving regional connectivity. We are implementing these goals through large-scale investments from solar and wind energy projects to the expansion of the ASCO fleet abroad. However, our main task in Azerbaijan, which has always remained unchanged, is to support the private sector," she said. Mouravidze pointed out that the bank provides direct financing to local businesses, but the primary tool for supporting small and medium-sized businesses is cooperation with Azerbaijani banks. "Our priorities for the coming years will be increasing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses, expanding initiatives in 'green' finance, supporting women in business, and enhancing youth employment opportunities in the country," added the bank representative. The Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping merged the countrys main fleets, the Azerbaijan State Caspian Sea Shipping Company and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republics Caspian Sea Oil Fleet. The Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping has two shipyards and offshore support and commercial fleets. The merchant fleet has 51 ships: 20 tankers, 12 ferries, 16 dry cargo, one Ro-Ro, and two Ro-Pax. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. TotalEnergies has signed an agreement with German developer RWE to supply 30,000 tons of green hydrogen annually to the Leuna refinery in Germany, starting in 2030, Trend reports. This partnership supports TotalEnergies goal to decarbonize hydrogen used in its European refineries by 2030. The green hydrogen will be produced by a 300 MW electrolyzer, operated by RWE in Lingen, with local storage. A 600 km pipeline will transport the hydrogen to the Leuna refinery, helping to reduce the refinery's CO2 emissions by approximately 300,000 tons annually. Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, highlighted the significance of this agreement in reducing CO2 emissions at Leuna and praised German authorities for their support in developing the necessary infrastructure for green hydrogen. Markus Krebber, CEO of RWE, noted that this agreement is a key milestone in the development of green hydrogen, demonstrating its viability with the right customer incentives. TotalEnergies aims to reduce its carbon footprint and has already contracted over 200,000 tons of green and renewable hydrogen annually to decarbonize its European refineries. This initiative is part of the company's broader strategy to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 3 million tons per year by 2030. With Australia's National Assessment Program (NAPLAN) beginning today, new research from the University of South Australia highlights a critical but often overlooked factor in student success -- wellbeing. In a world first* study of more than 215,000 students, UniSA researchers found that while standardised tests measure academic skills, different dimensions of wellbeing -- emotional wellbeing, engagement, and learning readiness -- can play a crucial role in performance. Specifically, the study found that learning readiness - which includes foundational skills such as perseverance, confidence, and engagement -- was not just a desirable outcome, but a catalyst for academic success. UniSA researcher Dr Rebecca Marrone says there is an intricate relationship between student wellbeing and academic achievement. "Wellbeing is increasingly recognised as a crucial factor that can shape students' academic success and overall development. Yet, it is often overlooked because education systems tend to focus on standardised academic achievement," Dr Marrone says. "In this research we show how wellbeing factors, particularly learning readiness, can influence students' learning and academic performance, especially when under test conditions. "When we talk about learning readiness, we mean how prepared a child is to learn, not just academically, but also in their ability to stay focused, to overcome challenges, and believe in their ability to succeed. It's about having good learning habits, and a motivation to learn, which together can help them perform better at school." This study draws on data from the South Australian Wellbeing and Engagement Collection (WEC) to assess the impact of student wellbeing and engagement of students in Years 4-10, and their academic achievement in NAPLAN and PAT tests between 2016-2019. UniSA's Benjamin Lam says the results show that schools need to shift towards a model that values both student wellbeing and academic achievement as integral components of a holistic education. "Student learning is complex, and it is affected by a range of contextual and individual differences," Lam says. "When students are mentally and emotionally healthy, they're more likely to be engaged and motivated and perform better academically. But the relationship is certainly not linear, and we can't infer that low-achieving students have low levels of wellbeing, or high-achieving students have high levels of wellbeing. "This means that schools must look beyond test scores and take a more personal, holistic approach to supporting students' confidence, perseverance and learning readiness. "They can do this by adopting learner profiles that incorporate wellbeing and engagement metrics alongside traditional grades, so that schools can better understand and respond to each student's needs. "Now, as students prepare for their pending NAPLAN tests, this research serves as a reminder that education is about more than just scores -- it's about building confidence, resilience, and readiness to learn." Department for Education Chief Executive Martin Westwell says that learning and thriving go hand-in-hand, and both must be supported by schools. "Academic achievement and learning readiness are intrinsically interconnected, and that is recognised through our Strategy for Public Education," Westwell says. "We not only have to build the academic knowledge of each student, but also build their confidence, resilience, and engagement to ensure they thrive both at school and in life beyond that. "This research highlights that it is critical to have a well-rounded picture of young people to help them succeed at school." Minister for Education, Training and Skills, Blair Boyer says South Australia is focused on supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools. "If a student is struggling with their mental health, we know they will be less able to focus on school, they lose connection with their friends and they start to disengage from study," Boyer says. "This research from UniSA -- the first of its kind in the world -- confirms that South Australia's focus on mental health and wellbeing in public education, supports academic achievement. "That's why we have invested $50 million to recruit 100 mental health and learning support specialists who are based on-site at schools -- the largest investment of its kind. By addressing concerns at the coalface, we have the best chance of supporting our students to achieve academically." Astronomers have revealed new evidence that there are not just one but four tiny planets circling around Barnard's Star, the second-nearest star system to Earth. The four planets, each only about 20 to 30% the mass of Earth, are so close to their home star that they zip around the entire star in a matter of days. That probably means they are too hot to be habitable, but the find is a new benchmark for discovering smaller planets around nearby stars. "It's a really exciting find -- Barnard's Star is our cosmic neighbor, and yet we know so little about it," said Ritvik Basant, Ph.D student at the University of Chicago and first author on the study. "It's signaling a breakthrough with the precision of these new instruments from previous generations." The finding adds weight to a November study by a team using a different telescope, which had found strong evidence for one planet around Barnard's Star and hints at others. The new study, which included scientists with the Gemini Observatory/National Science Foundation NOIRLab, Heidelberg University, and the University of Amsterdam, is published March 11 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Star wobbles For a century, astronomers have been studying Barnard's Star in hopes of finding planets around it. First discovered by E. E. Barnard at Yerkes Observatory in 1916, it is the nearest system that has the same configuration we do -- i.e., with only one star. (The absolute nearest star system to us, Proxima Centauri, has three stars circling each other, which changes the dynamics of planet formation and orbits). Barnard's Star is a type called an M dwarf star, which we now know are extremely numerous in the universe. Scientists, therefore, would like to know more about what kinds of planets they host. The trouble is that these faraway planets are far too tiny to be seen next to the brilliance of their stars, even with our most powerful telescopes. That means scientists have had to get creative to search for them. One such effort was led by UChicago Prof. Jacob Bean, whose team created and installed an instrument called MAROON-X, which is attached to the Gemini Telescope on a Hawaiian mountaintop and designed specifically to search for distant planets. Because stars are so much brighter than their planets, it's easier to look for effects that planets have on their stars -- like monitoring the wind by watching how a flag moves. MAROON-X looks for one such effect; the gravity of each planet tugs slightly on the star's position, meaning the star seems to wobble back and forth. MAROON-X measures the color of the light so precisely that it can pick up these minor shifts, and even tease apart the number and masses of the planets that must be circling the star to have this effect. Basant, Bean, and the team rigorously calibrated and analyzed data taken during 112 different nights over a period of three years. They found solid evidence for three planets around Barnard's Star. When the team combined their findings with data from the November experiment by a different team, which was taken by an instrument called ESPRESSO at the Very Large Telescope in Chile, they saw good evidence for a fourth planet. These planets are likely rocky planets, rather than gas planets like Jupiter, the scientists said. That will be difficult to pin down with certainty; the angle we see them from Earth means we can't watch them cross in front of their star, which is the usual method to find out if a planet is rocky. But by gathering information about similar planets around other stars, we can make better guesses about their makeup. However, the team was able to rule out, with a fair degree of certainty, the existence of other planets in the habitable zone around Barnard's Star. 'Really exciting' Barnard's Star has been called the "great white whale" for planet hunters; several times over the past century, groups have announced evidence that suggested planets around Barnard's Star, only for them to be later disproved. But these latest findings, independently confirmed in two different studies by the different instruments ESPRESSO and MAROON-X, mean a much larger degree of confidence than any previous result. "We observed at different times of night on different days. They're in Chile; we're in Hawaii. Our teams didn't coordinate with each other at all," Basant said. "That gives us a lot of assurance that these aren't phantoms in the data." These are among the smallest planets yet found with this observing technique. The scientists hope this will mark a new era of finding more and more planets in the universe. Most of the rocky planets we've found so far are much larger than Earth, and they appear to be fairly similar across the galaxy. But there are reasons to think the smaller planets will have more widely varied compositions. As we find more of them, we can begin to tease out more information about how these planets form -- and what makes planets likely to have habitable conditions. The find itself was exciting, too, the scientists said. "We worked on this data really intensely at the end of December, and I was thinking about it all the time," Bean said. "It was like, suddenly we know something that no one else does about the universe. We just couldn't wait to get this secret out. "A lot of what we do can be incremental, and it's sometimes hard to see the bigger picture," he said. "But we found something that humanity will hopefully know forever. That sense of discovery is incredible." Additional University of Chicago authors on the paper were postdoctoral fellows Rafael Luque, Lily L. Zhao, Tanya Das, and David Kasper; graduate student Madison Brady; postbaccalaureate student Nina Brown; and masters student Rohan Gupta. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. New projects are being developed by the Entrepreneurship Development Fund (EDF) regarding the scope of fund usage, said Rustam Aliyev, Head of the division of Partners Relations, Trend reports. Speaking today at the First National Financial Accessibility Forum in Baku, Aliyev kept his cards close to his chest regarding these projects, but he did shine a light on some aspects. "I will not reveal the exact details, but I believe there will be special privileges regarding both the term and the amount in 'green projects' in the upcoming projects. There are exceptions in financing 'green projects.' If an entrepreneurial entity wants to finance its 'green project' with up to 10 million manats, they can use 75 percent of the amount from the Fund's concessional loans, requiring only 25 percent of personal funds," Aliyev added. The Entrepreneurship Development Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan was instituted in 1992. The fundamental objective of the fund is to deliver fiscal backing to commercial entities in Azerbaijan, facilitating the enhancement of synergies between governmental bodies and entrepreneurs while fostering an ecosystem rooted in reciprocal trust through the advocacy of optimal global methodologies for the refinement of state support frameworks aimed at advancing entrepreneurial initiatives. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Azerbaijan's fuel consumption costs in the first two months of 2025 rose sharply, with the total expenditure on gasoline and diesel fuel reaching 523.1 million manat ($307.7 million). Data obtained by Trend from the State Statistics Committee indicates that the revenue from the sale of gasoline and diesel fuel to consumers increased by around 73.7 million manat ($43.3 million) compared to the same period last year. In the meantime, the population shelled out about 449.4 million manat ($264.3 million) on gasoline and diesel fuel during that stretch in 2024. The report also shone a light on the fact that fuel expenditures made up 5.7 percent of the total retail turnover in Azerbaijan during the reporting period. In terms of overall retail trade turnover, consumers spent a total of 9.2 billion manat ($5.4 billion), which included 5 billion manat ($2.9 billion) on food products, beverages, and tobacco goods, and 4.2 billion manat ($2.4 billion) on non-food items. Compared to the previous years figures, retail trade turnover saw a real increase of 3.8 percent, with food products, beverages, and tobacco goods growing by 1.8 percent and non-food items by 6.2 percent. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Ayvens, a global leader in sustainable mobility, have signed a financing agreement to deploy 19,000 electric light commercial vehicles (eLCVs) across Europe, with a focus on Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands, Trend reports. This agreement, finalized in December 2024, includes a 350 million euro credit facility from the EIB and a 350 million euro co-investment by Ayvens. The financing will help companies transition to electric fleets. The adoption of low-emission zones (LEZs) across Europe has become a key factor in the growth of electric LCVs, driven by the need to improve air quality and meet EU climate goals. However, challenges remain, including vehicle availability, affordability, charging infrastructure, and grid capacity. Patrick Sommelet, Deputy CEO of Ayvens, highlighted that the financing will provide greater access to eLCVs at competitive prices, supporting businesses in their transition to electric fleets. EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle emphasized the bank's role in providing innovative financial solutions for decarbonizing Europe's vehicle fleet and supporting SMEs in their electrification efforts. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Azerbaijan has allocated concessional loans worth over 32.1 million manat ($18.8 million) to fund a total of 547 business projects in the first two months of 2025, the Entrepreneurship Development Fund (EDF) told Trend. According to the Fund, these financial instruments are projected to catalyze the generation of 509 new employment opportunities as an outcome of the capitalized initiatives. The Fund also noted that for the entire year of 2024, concessional loans totaling over 248.1 million manat ($145.9 million) have been allocated to finance more than 5,700 entrepreneurial projects. Last year, the Entrepreneurship Development Fund reported that over half of the concessional loans (53.3 percent) were directed towards agricultural product production. Additionally, 38.1 percent of the loans supported the manufacturing and processing of industrial products, while 2.1 percent was allocated to tourism, and 6.5 percent was directed towards other sectors. The Entrepreneurship Development Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan was instituted in 1992. The fundamental objective of the fund is to deliver fiscal backing to commercial entities in Azerbaijan, facilitating the enhancement of synergies between governmental bodies and entrepreneurs while fostering an ecosystem rooted in reciprocal trust through the advocacy of optimal global methodologies for the refinement of state support frameworks aimed at advancing entrepreneurial initiatives. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) has set two targets for the current year aimed at minimizing shortcomings in emission prospectuses, said Asaf Mammadov, CBA Head of Licensing and Securities Registration Division, Trend reports. In his address at the 12th International Caspian Investment Forum in Baku, Mammadov emphasized that preparing an emission prospectus is a complex process. We have always tried to provide necessary support to issuers. Last year, we approved a record number of emission prospectuses, totaling 65. But we are not stopping there. This year, we have set two main goals for minimizing the shortcomings in this field. The first goal is to hold presentations for market participants addressing the most common issues. We have already started working on this and plan to organize a comprehensive presentation with investment companies and active issuers in the coming months. The second plan is to provide methodological support related to emission prospectuses. This will include preparing documents and presentations for both the emission prospectus and the market prospectus. Additionally, the use of artificial intelligence technology in this process is also being considered for the future," he said. The department head further explained that the role of companies should go beyond just supporting issuers market entry. Their effective activity could significantly aid in producing higher-quality prospectuses and speeding up the registration process. Recently, we have noticed that issuers and underwriting companies sometimes prepare the prospectuses separately, which leads to more errors. We recommend that issuers and underwriting companies collaborate closely when preparing these prospects, as this will reduce the number of issues. Sometimes underwriting companies impose conditions that are not in line with the issuers' plans or strategies. This can lead to shortcomings in the process, which we assess as errors, he added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel After a year hiatus, the South Dakota Mines student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is bringing back the popular Dublin Dash. The 5K fun run/walk, in its 18th year, is Saturday, March 22. Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. with the race starting at 10. The race will start at the Memorial Park bandshell and head east to Roosevelt Park and back. The Dublin Dash, in its 18th year, is a fundraising for Mines AIChE and supports travel expenses and other conference-related expenses. It helps fund our ability to attend conferences and present our research, said Emily Randolph, junior chemical engineering major and AIChE president. The AIChE skipped the 2024 race because the chapter was busy hosting the regional conference around the same time. Patrick Gilcrease, professor in the Karen M. Swindler Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, started the Dublin Dash in the early 2000s. As the new advisor for AIChE, he was looking for new fundraising opportunities. At the same time, the Black Hills Runners Club wanted a local St. Patricks Day race. Gilcrease, also a member of the Runners Club, volunteered AIChE to host the race. It was a win-win relationship the running community got a new race with ready volunteers, and AIChE got a nice fundraising event. The race has been a community staple since. The registration fee for adult participation is $25 or $20 for children 10 and under or with a Mines student ID. All participants can register here. Participants are encouraged to wear St. Patricks Day attire. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Azerbaijan's Minister of Finance, Sahil Babayev, received a delegation headed by Nikolay Podguzov, Chairperson of the Board of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), on March 12, the Ministry of Finance told Trend. During the meeting, Podguzov provided detailed information about the creation, operations, current members, and the projects financed by the bank in member countries. He emphasized the great potential for cooperation between the Bank and Azerbaijan, noting that the country could benefit from financing projects in various sectors. Babayev articulated Azerbaijan's strategic intent to enhance synergies with global financial entities and signaled that the partnership with the EDB would undergo a comprehensive evaluation. The meeting encompassed deliberations regarding the financial institution's operational dynamics, project funding methodologies, and additional synergistic interests shared by both parties. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Related California Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Vanderboom, left, and President Gino Canori show off a view of the Paramount a Related California development at 680 Mission St. from their office at 44 Montgomery St. Professing faith in both San Franciscos luxury office market and a wider downtown recovery, executives with Related California are pushing ahead with ambitious plans for a $750 million, 41-story luxury office-and-hotel tower development in The Citys north Financial District. The project, which is being co-sponsored by The City, would demolish an aging fire station at the corner of Sansome and Washington streets. It would deliver, free of charge to San Francisco, a new $40 million firehouse on the other side of the block, which is located between the Transamerica Pyramid and One Maritime Plaza. We believe this is one of the best locations in The City for the best office building, said Gino Canori, president of Related California, which is a subsidiary of the national real estate titan Related Companies. A rendering of the proposed 41-story luxury office and hotel tower that Related California is proposing to build at 530 Sansome Street in the north Financial district. Related California, which hopes to start construction in 2027 and finish by 2030, is charging ahead even though city office vacancy rates have been very high since the onset of COVID-19, and the local hotel market has yet to recover fully. Despite such dour indicators, company officials say demand for the highest-quality office spaces with views is actually very high. They contend their towers offices all on upper floors and featuring 11-foot tall windows will offer vista galore across the low-slung North Waterfront neighborhood to the Golden Gate Bridge and beyond, as well as east toward the Bay Bridge. Related California has taken drone photographs to let people see the sweeping views from aloft, said Nicholas Vanderboom, Related Californias chief operating officer. He provided data showing the vacancy rate in Class AA offices with views at 6.9%, versus 36.7% for the market as a whole. The proposal for 530 Sansome St. is thus a very contrarian bet, but its not one based on a whim, said Matthew Witte, the companys executive vice president of acquisitions and development. San Francisco has among the oldest office stocks of any major metropolitan city in the country, with many buildings from the 1950s and 1960s that are really quite outdated, Witte said. He said thats particularly true north of Market Street, where many of the buildings are even older. There has been a similar paucity of new top-tier hotels, he said. Related Californias hotel and office project would thus satisfy strong demand for premium office space that is in short supply, Witte said. Top-tier companies around the country want to provide employees with enjoyable places to work, in part to incentivize people to come to offices, said Witte, who used words like bespoke and hospitality-oriented to describe the Sansome Street plans. Witte cited the example of The Cove, a $20 million center under development at 525 Market St. that promises to offer coworking space and other hospitality services for building tenants. What everybody wants is to get their employees back in the office, Witte said. Landlords want it. The City wants it, the companies want it, and youve got to make it attractive. Related California is also banking on the growing popularity of the nearby Jackson Square neighborhood, an area filled with historic buildings that has been increasingly popular with venture capitalists and tech companies, among others. Another attraction is the neighboring Transamerica Pyramid complex just across Sansome Street with its redwood grove accessible on foot via Mark Twain Street. Its owner recently completed a $250 million renovation of the property, including the tower and grounds. View of the Transamerica Pyramid and the Financial District from the rooftop of the International Hotel in Chinatown, San Francisco on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Relateds proposal calls for converting all of Merchant Street between Battery and Sansome streets into privately owned public open space and using landscaping and other elements to create continuity with the Transamerica complex. Related California won city approval in 2021 to build a roughly 200-foot tall, mixed-use hotel-and-office tower at 530 Sansome with a roughly 200-room hotel, a fitness club, office space and a ground-floor restaurant, among other amenities. That plan called for a new fire station in the base of the structure. The companys thinking continued to shift following the pandemic, after which Related California executives took note of the so-called flight to quality downtown, particularly offices with views. That is why the offices are all on the top part of the building, and the design incorporates a number of outdoor terraces, while the hotel is lower down, Witte said. Last August, Related California put forward a revised vision for a 574-foot tall tower on the block bounded by Sansome, Washington, Battery and Merchant streets. In December, the Board of Supervisors endorsed the key terms of the new plan. It would feature a cafe and chef-driven restaurant, concierge services, a five-star luxury hotel run by an as-yet unnamed operator, conference space and various other amenities, such as a spa and fitness center. The building would also have relatively small floor plates which are in demand particularly toward the top, where the structure would taper. The company would build a separate, four-story firehouse, including the basement, on a plot it acquired through a deed-in-lieu at the corner of Merchant and Washington streets. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the new firehouse would include a roof deck. City fire and real-estate officials are listed as cosponsors of the project, which would require the demolition of three nearly 118-year-old buildings, each two or three stories in height. One building would have to be delisted from The Citys register of historic structures, according to a Related California spokeswoman. That site would house the new fire station. A draft environmental impact report on the proposed project, required by the California Environmental Quality Act to identify potential effects and alternatives, is set to be released Tuesday. That will kick off a period of public comment leading to hearings before The Citys Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, which would have to approve waiving the sites 200-foot height limit, the company spokeswoman said. Officials at Related are confident enough in the projects prospects that they have started meeting with brokers to line up tenants and are seeking out potential hotel operators. They previously agreed to pay roughly $4.5 million toward a senior housing project in Chinatown, whether the project gets built or not, and half of it within six months of getting the project entitled. Anne Taupier, director of development for The Citys Office of Economic and Welfare Development, said in a prepared statement that city officials see the development as a catalytic opportunity for downtown San Francisco. Related California is being creative in their approach to this project, particularly in the way they are proposing to provide public infrastructure with both affordable housing funding and a new state of the art turnkey fire station, Taupier said. This is exactly the kind of development that sends a signal that San Francisco is back and we are solidly on our path of transforming Downtown into a 24/7 mixed-use neighborhood. The San Francisco Planning Department building at 49 South Van Ness Ave., pictured in 2022, is one of 17 San Francisco projects Related California lists on its website going back nearly 30 years. Related California says it has completed more than 20,700 residences in the state, and it has more than 4,600 affordable and 7,200 market-rate units in predevelopment. The company has long roots in San Francisco. William Witte, the companys chairman and CEO, was deputy mayor for housing and neighborhoods under former Mayor Art Agnos, as well as director of housing and economic development under ex-Mayor Dianne Feinstein. He was also an appointed San Francisco Housing Authority commissioner. The company on one page of its website lists 17 San Francisco projects going back nearly 30 years that include luxury condominium and affordable-housing developments built in partnership with nonprofit developers. Related California is also partnering with various city agencies and Mercy Housing on the redevelopment of The Citys Sunnydale-Velasco area, an effort that will ultimately construct 1,700 new residential units, including 775 replacement public-housing units, another 200 affordable units and up to 700 market-rate units. Last October, California Gov. Gavin Newsom also announced that Related California and the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation had been chosen to build about 372 homes with a range of affordability levels on the site of the state Department of Motor Vehicles office at 1377 Fell St. That project is currently in the planning stage. Berenberg initiated coverage of Glencore on Tuesday with a 'buy' rating and 380.0p price target, offering 21% upside, as it said self-help can drive improved returns and a better rating. The German bank noted that Glencore shares have lagged peers since 2023 despite being a consensus long. "This is likely due partly to the market overhang of it being a large producer of thermal coal, which is not a pure energy-transition commodity (albeit it helps facilitate the energy transition), while the companys poor governance history (although now being addressed) also has not been helpful for sentiment," the bank said. "However, at 0.84x NAV and 3.4x EBITDA, we think the valuation is compelling, and we believe that Glencore has a number of self-help levers that it can pull to create value for shareholders and drive the rating higher, without having to consider moving its primary listing away from London, which it has stated that it is considering; but it is important for management to execute on the strategy to drive the rerate." Berenberg reckons that Glencore should sell the Kazzinc asset in Kazakhstan while gold prices are helping to drive better returns, it also thinks Glencore should explore the sale of a minority stake in its marketing business to showcase value, and should use its internal cash flows and funds from the sale of assets to continue to return funds to shareholders in the form of dividends and buybacks and fund lower-risk growth. Citi has renewed its coverage of Anglo American with a 'neutral' rating, saying that the mining giant's portfolio restructuring is progressing well but appears priced into the stock. Nevertheless, the bank sees some upside with a target price of 2,600p, compared with Monday's closing price of 2,257.5p, despite a decent performance over the past year as the company continues to "optimise" its business through demergers and disposals of certain divisions. "AAL has made decent progress on its portfolio optimization with coal and nickel business disposals already sealed, while PGM demerger is on track. Diamond remains the last piece in the pack of non-core assets," Citi said in a research note. "This marked shift in the investment case has led to a c30% share price outperformance since the announcement in May24, implying a sharp re-rating of the remainco business." The stock's current valuation puts it trading at 6.1 times 2025 estimated EBITDA, which is a premium to others in the diversified mining sector. However, further upside could be seen in a potential rally in commodity prices or renewed M&A interest from global peers, Citi said. Analysts at Canaccord Genuity slashed their target price on mining services firm Capital from 130.0p to 60.0p on Tuesday and dropped the stock from 'buy' to 'hold' following disappointing FY25 revenue guidance. Capital announced FY25 revenue guidance of $300.0-320.0m, weighted to H2, implying an 8-14% decrease versus. Canaccord noted the revenue decline could be attributed to lower mining revenues, while MSALABS growth has also been slower than anticipated and not enough to offset the broader decline. Canaccord stated that when it initially formed its thesis, a key component was the company's ability to operate in a difficult jurisdiction, where the competition was more fractured and margins were higher, which led to higher capital efficiency than drilling peers. Since then, however, the company has pivoted towards lower margin businesses, and the US, which has required a significant increase in capital investment. The Canadian bank also noted that the company's NGM drilling contract has seen delays, which has negatively impacted group margins. Similarly, Capital has also consistently missed its revenue guidance for the MSALABS business since 2022, with the latest FY25 guidance of $50.0-60.0m significantly lower than the $80.0m previously targeted. Barclays has downgraded Europes flag carriers, including the owner of British Airways, on the back of potential weakness in the US market. In a note on European airlines published on Wednesday, the bank cut its rating on British Airways-owner International Airlines Group and Lufthansa to 'underweight' from overweight, and reiterated its underweight rating on Air France-KLM. Barclays said it was a "simple macro call". It continued: "European flag carriers are highly reliant on North Atlantic profitability. While they do not disclose regional profitability we estimate that well over half of their EBIT derives from the North Atlantic. "We think that the revenue weakness flagged by the US full-service airlines in profit warnings may spread from the domestic market to the international markets. We also see macro threats to North Atlantic demand." A number of US airlines cut their estimates this week, including Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, on the back of mounting economic uncertainty. Barclays argued that the North Atlantic remained a "good market" and said the major European and US airlines would likely continue to make profits from it this year. But it continued: "We now think they will be less profitable than we thought they would be two weeks ago. We do expect demand to weaken on each side of the Atlantic and hence unit revenues to weaken. "Against strong comparison data from last year, and against high company and investor expectations for Atlantic unit revenues this year, we foresee downward momentum to European flag carrier earnings. "We recognise this call may be early. We hear only confidence about the Atlantic from the airlines to date. "However, we still think a weakening trading environment on the North Atlantic will likely soon emerge." Donald Trumps trade war escalated on Wednesday, after worldwide tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to the US came into effect. The 25% duty, which the White House announced last month, came into effect in the early hours of Wednesday morning, A further 25% on Canadian imports was also announced, but was rowed back just an hour later, after Ontario suspended its own 25% surcharge on electricity exports. In response, the European Union has confirmed "countermeasures" on 26bn of US goods, ranging from steel and plastics to bourbon and agricultural goods. Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, said: "We deeply regret the US tariffs imposed on Europe. Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and even worse for consumers. Today Europe takes strong but proportionate countermeasures." In the UK, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds called the tariffs "disappointing", but declined to respond with immediate countermeasures. Instead, Reynolds said the government was "focused on a pragmatic approach" and would continue to try and negotiate a broader trade deal with the US. Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said the duties were "entirely unjustified" and went against the spirit of the two countries "enduring friendship". Trumps at times chaotic imposition of tariffs, including on key trading partners like Canada, has unnerved markets and threatened the global economy. Fears are also mounting that higher prices could push the US into recession. America imports more steel than any other country, the bulk of which is from Canada. The UK, meanwhile, is a leading supplier of specialist steel products which are critical to its defence and aerospace sectors. However, US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick dismissed those concerns, telling CBS on Wednesday: "These policies are the most important thing America has ever had. "The only reason there could possibly be a recession is because the Biden nonsense that we had to live with. These policies produce revenues. They produce growth. They produce factories being built here. "Its not chaotic." Trump, meanwhile, told Fox News the US was in a "period of transition", adding "What were doing is very big. "It takes a little time, but I think it should be great for us." ING said: "Markets have been looking for some reprieve from the tariff story, but there are very few signs that stock instability can press Trump to scale back protectionism noise just yet." MUFG said: "The steel and aluminium tariffs are likely to be the first act on all US trading partners and the first actions taken beyond China that are likely to stay. "So escalation is more real now and points to probable action by the US on 2 April, which looks like the date when we could get a real significant uplift in the escalation of the trade conflict." The EUs countermeasures are due to come into effect on 13 April. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, March 12. Trade turnover between Uzbekistan and France exceeded 1 billion euros for the first time last year, while the number of joint ventures quadrupled, Trend reports. This milestone was highlighted during talks between President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace. The two leaders held discussions both one-on-one and with their delegations, focusing on further expanding the multifaceted partnership between their countries. They noted with satisfaction that agreements reached during their previous summit in Samarkand in November 2023 are being successfully implemented, with bilateral cooperation continuing to grow across various sectors. Several leading French companiesincluding Orano, EDF, Total, SUEZ, Voltalia, and Veoliaare actively operating in Uzbekistan, contributing to the countrys development in energy, infrastructure, and environmental management. Meanwhile, collaboration with the French Development Agency has reached a new level, with a fresh cooperation program now in place. In preparation for this high-level visit, the two sides held a productive session of the Intergovernmental Commission and organized a business mission led by the French business federation MEDEF. Additionally, the newly established Uzbek-French Business Chamber has begun its operations, further strengthening trade and investment ties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had fruitful talks with his Mauritian counterpart, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, in Port Louis, taking stock of bilateral ties and discussing new ways to further deepen the long-standing relationship between the two countries. After their discussions, PM Modi posted on social media, "Had a great meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam this evening. Appreciated the invite to join Mauritius' National Day celebrations and his special gestures during my visit. Conveyed thanks to PM Ramgoolam for the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean". In a symbolic expression of friendship, the two leaders made a joint trip to a banquet honoring PM Modi, which reaffirmed the solid nature of the association that has blossomed in the last decade under Modi's watch. PM Ramgoolam had also greeted PM Modi at the airport during the day in person, underscoring the friendly nature of their tie. PM Modi highlighted India's pride at being a reliable development partner of Mauritius, and he asserted once again that the two nations would cooperate closely in advancing the cause of the Global South. Areas of primary importance discussed were defense, security, economic cooperation, and cultural exchange, pointing to a promise to increase collaboration across critical fields. Subsequently, PM Modi spoke at a lively community event at the Trianon Convention Centre, highlighting the long-standing cultural and emotional bonds that exist between India and Mauritius. "Mauritius is not a partner country. For us, Mauritius is family", he expressed, eulogizing the common heritage and family-like relationship that exists among the citizens of both countries. The occasion was further special due to the attendance of PM Ramgoolam and his spouse, Mrs. Veena Ramgoolam. PM Modi personally presented the OCI cards to the couple, underlining the importance of India-Mauritius friendship. In a first-of-its-kind step, Airtel has collaborated with Elon Musk-owned SpaceX to make satellite-based internet services in India affordable by utilizing Starlink. Sunil Bharti Mittal, the Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, said that this deal was the beginning of a new age of interruption-free global connectivity that would make it possible for people to be always connected, even in the farthest areas of the world, including the sky and sea. In an address to the 'Mobile World Congress 2025' at Barcelona, Mittal called for telecom and satellite sectors to collaborate their capacities for filling gaps in connectivity around the world. "I am heartened that this is being put into action through active declarations of collaborations among satellite companies and telecommunications operators", he said, while stressing on extending coverage to difficult areas and disconnected zones. The alliance is the first of its kind in India, subject to SpaceX securing required permissions to offer Starlink in the country. Mittal remembered his 2017 appeal to cut roaming prices, which brought cheap international tariffs and more home network usage overseas. He was confident that the sector would adopt SAT-G technology in addition to 4G, 5G, and future 6G networks as well. high-quality, high-speed internet. Airtel and SpaceX aim to sell Starlink hardware via Airtel's retail outlets, provide satellite service to commercial customers, and connect remote villages, schools, and health clinics. The partnership will also discuss the use of Airtel's ground infrastructure network to widen Starlink reach so that even the remotest places have access to This strategic partnership will revolutionize connectivity, merging satellite and ground-based technologies to produce an actually borderless digital world, as envisioned by Mittal for a completely connected world. Patricia Marciante, 74, of Staten Island, died and Salvatore Marciante, 76, was critically injured in an alleged hit-and-run crash in Pompano Beach, Florida, on March 7, 2025. (Advance File Photo) Advance File Photo STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. An alleged drunk driver accelerated while turning into a crowded intersection where a 74-year-old woman from Princes Bay was fatally struck and her husband critically injured in Pompano Beach, Florida, according to shocking allegations in court documents. Ashley Bowman, 37, of Fort Lauderdale, was driving the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck that struck Patricia Marciante and her husband, Salvatore, in the intersection of East Atlantic Boulevard and Pompano Beach Boulevard on Friday around 9 p.m., according to the criminal complaint and the Broward Sheriffs Office. The couple were rushed to Broward North Health Medical Center. The woman suffered internal bleeding and underwent emergency surgery but succumbed to her injuries at 11:50 p.m. Her husband was listed in critical condition with a brain bleed, according to the complaint. The tragedy comes just weeks after the Marciante family marked 25 years since the passing of the couples son, Benny, an NYPD officer who suffered a fatal heart attack. A neighbor told the Advance/SILive.com that the Marciantes were snowbirds who wintered in Florida and only lived in Princes Bay for about a year. Defendant allegedly turned into crowded intersection The intersection where the pedestrian crash occurred is near a beach, public parking, a tavern and other attractions. Bowman of S. W. 25th Avenue was heading northbound on Pompano Beach Boulevard approaching the intersection filled with heavy pedestrian traffic, according to the complaint affidavit. The Marciantes were walking southbound within the crowded crosswalk when Bowman proceeded to accelerate and make a left turn onto East Atlantic Boulevard, the complaint alleges. The couple was struck by the drivers side of the pickup, the complaint states. The defendant then fled the scene without stopping or rendering aid, according to the complaint. Patricia Marciante, 74, of Staten Island, died and Salvatore Marciante, 76, was critically injured in an alleged hit-and-run crash in Pompano Beach, Florida, on March 7, 2025. (Courtesy of Google Maps) Courtesy of Google Maps Broward Sheriffs officers spotted Bowman driving the pickup and pulled her vehicle over at N.E. 28th Street and N.E. 14th Street in Pompano Beach. The complaint alleges that officers detected several signs of impairment in Bowman, including red bloodshot and glassy eyes, mood swings, as well as smelling an odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from her person. Although the defendant initially consented to having her blood drawn, she ultimately refused to comply, authorities said. Bowman was under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and/or a chemical substance at the time of the crash, the complaint alleges. Bowman now faces several charges, including driving under the influence, causing manslaughter and serious injury, and failure to stop or remain at an accident causing death and serious injury, according to the complaint. Police Officer Benny Marciante standing watch in the mobile police command truck parked across from the West Brighton Public Houses (Staten Island Advance/Hilton Flores) Hilton Flores Marciante family buried hero NYPD member When told about the tragic crash, a shocked neighbor in Princes Bay said, Theyre a nice couple. Salvatores brother, Antonio Marciante, said to NBC 6 South Florida: Obviously my brother was struck, but unfortunately Patricia was run over by the truck. Those two were inseparable, you talk about being best friends, they were best friends. They went everywhere together and they were just enjoying the best part of their life and enjoying retirement. The couple had been married for almost 55 years. The Marciantes 27-year-old son, Benjamin (Benny), who was assigned to the Staten Island Task Force, suffered a fatal heart attack while off duty on Jan. 17, 2000, in Queens. He was lauded as a dedicated officer known for his positive attitude and making others feel good. Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik joined family members and officers assigned to the Staten Island Task Force in honoring Police Officers John M. Kelly and Marciante during a memorial plaque dedication ceremony at the commands headquarters located at One Edgewater Plaza in December 2001. Kelly was killed in the line of duty on July 17, 2000, while pursuing a stolen motorcycle in Staten Island. This is an altogether fitting tribute to two fine police officers, Giuliani said in 2001. Both Officer Kelly and Officer Marciante exemplified the very best qualities of New Yorks Finest. One made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty for the people of the City of New York; the other had his life cut far too short and was taken from his family, friends and colleagues. Todays dedication will help us to remember that John and Benjamin had a positive impact on our lives, and that their memory will live on. Joining Giuliani and then Police Commissioner Kerik for the memorial plaque unveiling was Kellys widow, Patricia Duffy, as well as Marciantes widow, Amy. Last Thursday, Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon joined College of Staten Island President Dr. Timothy Lynch and the universitys Title IX Team for a contract re-signing to reaffirm the Staten Island Comprehensive College Sexual Assault Initiative. (Richmond County District Attorney's Office) Richmond County District Attorney STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon joined College of Staten Island President Dr. Timothy Lynch on Thursday to re-sign the Staten Island Comprehensive College Sexual Assault Initiative, reaffirming the offices commitment to fighting sexual assault on campuses. The action plan began amid a spike in sexual assaults reported on campuses nationwide in 2017 ensuring that McMahons office provides the college with investigative resources and support services for survivors. In the eight years since we have adopted this agreement, the men and women of my office, in tandem with university faculty and leadership, have strived to ensure that everyone on our college campuses feels safe and protected, McMahon said in a statement announcing the signing. It is a shared mission between the College of Staten Island, Wagner College, and my office that we are proactive in preventing sexual misconduct from occurring to our boroughs young people, and that victims of sexual assault are listened to and cared for when these incidents tragically occur. Last Thursday, Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon joined President Timothy Lynch of the College of Staten Island and the universitys Title IX Team for a contract re-signing to reaffirm the Staten Island Comprehensive College Sexual Assault Initiative. (Courtesy of the Richmond County District Attorney's Office) Richmond County District Attorney Under the initiative, assistant district attorneys from the DAs Special Victims Bureau will, at the survivors request, help explore all of their options within and outside the criminal justice system. This includes counseling, medical resources, discussion of legal options, and providing a dedicated support person to guide them should they wish to report the incident. The DAs office also maintains an on-campus presence at student orientations and events to share resources available to sexual assault survivors. The re-signing of the Staten Island Comprehensive College Sexual Assault Initiative agreement reaffirms our unwavering commitment to the safety, well-being, and dignity of every student, said Lynch in a prepared statement. Our ongoing partnership with the Staten Island District Attorneys Office ensures that survivors have access to critical medical, counseling, legal, and support services resources that are essential to healing and justice. We are proud to continue this vital collaboration and remain dedicated to fostering a campus community where all students feel safe, supported and empowered. The collaboration has reportedly improved coordination between local colleges and the DAs office while supporting victims in the way they need to be supported following an attack. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, over 90% of sexual assaults on college campuses go unreported across the country. By bridging the gap between students, faculty and law enforcement, the District Attorneys Office has fostered trust that encourages more survivors to come forward. The case of Richard Acosta last year showed the initiatives impact when he was caught unlawfully recording two victims in a campus bathroom, the announcement said. The teamwork and timely response between the College of Staten Islands Public Safety Team, the DAs office, and NYPD secured a successful prosecution and justice for the victims, the announcement said. Both universities have done an exceptional job in ensuring the safety of their students, and this comprehensive plan serves as another piece to the puzzle and a shared commitment to that common goal, McMahon said. Together, we will continue to help survivors of sexual assault explore the variety of options available to them. And we will continue to work together throughout the year to raise awareness toward this important issue and prevent crime from happening on our campuses to begin with. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Law enforcement authorities across New York will be on high alert the week preceding St. Patricks Day, according to an announcement by Gov. Kathy Hochul. From March 10 through March 17, New York State Police and other local law enforcement groups will increase their patrols through the holiday in an attempt to combat drunk, impaired and reckless driving. As part of this annual traffic safety enforcement period, law enforcement will conduct driving while intoxicated (DWI) checkpoints and increase road patrols to seek out drivers who are speeding, distracted or violating the Move Over Law. Additionally, as part of this Governors Traffic Safety Committee-funded campaign, State Police will conduct checks at retail stores in an effort to curb underage drinking and unlawful sales to minors. When I became governor, I promised to make New York safer for everyone, Hochul said. Impaired driving can shatter lives just as it did for Atoria Elem, who had turned 21 the day before an impaired driver crashed into her after leaving a St. Patricks Day parade. That crash changed the trajectory of Atorias life and the young life of the driver who was also 21 at the time and spent several prime years of his life behind bars because of it. These traffic enforcement periods are critical to holding motorists accountable and preventing tragedies on our roadways. In the 2018 collision, Elem was hit head-on and suffered serious injuries, including a broken femur and shattered kneecap. At the time, Elem wanted to become a New York State Trooper, however, this crash forced her to rethink her future. Through education and enforcement, the New York State Police continuously work to keep drunk and impaired drivers off the road and remind people of the dangers of drinking and driving, said New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James. I thank our partners at the Department of Motor Vehicles for their shared mission in keeping New Yorks roads safe. This St. Patricks Day, dont make a fatal decision that costs your life or someone elses. During last years crackdown, officers effected 935 arrests statewide for DWI. Police across the state also issued 24,699 tickets - 4,600 of which were for speeding. In referring to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission, the governors office revealed that about 37 people in the U.S. die in drunk driving crashes each day; Thats one person every 39 minutes. The governors office warns that those who drink and drive face jail time, license suspension and fees of up to $10,000. There is absolutely no excuse for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, said Mark J.F. Schroeder, New York State Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner and Governors Traffic Safety Committee chair. Put your safety and the safety of others first. Designate a sober driver to get home. The simple steps of having a plan for a safe ride saves lives. The NYPD is asking additional victims to contact police following the arrest on March 6, 2025, of Jose Barahona of Egbert Avenue in West Brighton. Barahona faces charges for multiple alleged sexual offenses in the 120th and 122nd precincts on Staten Island. Courtesy of NYPD STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The NYPD is asking for any additional victims to come forward following the arrest of a 37-year-old male teacher accused of multiple sex abuse incidents on Staten Island. Jose Joaquin Diaz Barahona of Egbert Avenue in West Brighton was recently relieved of his duties as a teacher at Susan Wagner High School in Sea View, where two of the alleged incidents occurred, according to a law-enforcement source. Barahona was arrested by the Special Victims Squad on Thursday. He was charged in connection with multiple sex abuse incidents, according to a statement from the NYPD. Barahona sexually abused multiple girls and women at a high school, a church and businesses from November through January on the borough, according to the criminal complaint. Barahona groped the victims breasts and genitals, in some cases touching the victims over their clothing, the complaint alleges. On separate dates, two female students inside Wagner High School at 1200 Manor Road in Sea View were abused by the defendant, according to the complaint and a law-enforcement source. A woman was victimized inside a church building at 151 Saint Austins Place in West Brighton used by La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias, according to the complaint and the source. The complaint alleges that a woman was groped by the defendant in the vicinity of the U.S. Post Office on Manor Road in Castleton Corners. A woman also was groped by the defendant inside a business in the vicinity of Richmond Terrace and Heberton Avenue in Port Richmond, police allege. The defendant has been charged with three counts of forcible touching, three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, five counts of sexual abuse in the third degree, and five counts of harassment in the second degree. The NYPD supplied a photo of Barahona to the media. Barahona has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors had requested that bail be set at $45,000/$15,000 cash, but the defendant was released on non-monetary considerations, according to public records. He is due to appear in Criminal Court in St. George on April 17, according to public records. An attorney for the defendant did not immediately respond to a request for information. The NYPD is asking any other victims to step forward by calling the NYPDs Sex Crimes Hotline at 1-212-267-RAPE (7273), the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on X @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential. In the spirit of spring and St. Joseph's Day on March 19, pasta con sarde is a highly anticipated dish made with sardines (either fresh or from a can) and strand pasta like bucatini or perciatelli. The deliciousness of its ingredients comes from the sweetness of raisins and licorice notes from fennel fronds. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri) Silvestri STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Be you a Beppe, Pepe, Yossi, Vanya, Joanne or Joe, Wednesday, March 19, is dedicated to you. The day comes courtesy of the saint himself, filled with delicacies and lucky traditions, including wearing the color red. Flashback to a 2006 procession when St. Josephs Church paraded St. Joseph's statue through the streets of Rosebank. From St. Joseph Hill Academy in Arrochar to St. Joseph By The Sea in Pleasant Plains, the patron saint of the worker has a special place in the hearts of those affiliated with schools. (Staten Island Advance File Photo) Pamela Silvestri To put St. Joseph into context: He is the father of Jesus Christ. The date of March 19, by the way, is Fathers Day in Italy. He was the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and serves as the patron saint of workers. Joseph was a carpenter by trade and, as a nod to his woodworking craft, breadcrumbs can be found liberally on foods this day. And that leads us into the foods for such a feast day. Here are nine essentials for a proper St. Josephs Day celebration: Artichokes are a thing of spring in various corners of the world. Fill large varietals with toasted breadcrumbs, then steam them in chicken broth or salty water with a little lemon juice. The lemon keeps the 'chokes' green hue. (Staten Island Advance/File Photo) Pamela Silvestri Breadcrumbs: Starting with breadcrumbs, the item can be a topping for pasta or for the stuffing in an artichoke. And theyre a conversation piece. Not only do they resemble sawdust (think carpenter work) but they also can be likened to dry soil. St. Josephs Day was established in Sicily to thank the saint, to whom the locals prayed, to relieve a drought. Fava beans shown here are fresh and shucked from their pod. But dried are the mode in which the beans are intended for keepsakes in a wallet, an Italian tradition for luck and prosperity. (Advance File Photo) Silvestri Fava beans: Ask a priest to bless some fava beans Sicilian custom says if you carry a dried one around for the year, you will be blessed with good fortune and youll never go hungry. - Pasta con sarde by Vic Rallo and Josh Laurano at Pastavino in Stapleton at Urby. Pamela Silvestri Pamela Silvestri Fish, specifically sardines: St. Josephs Day should be a meat-free day and fish is typically the focus particularly sardines. Strand pasta is the classic vehicle for serving pasta con sarde, with sardines and a combination of sauteed fennel fronds, raisins and pignoli nuts. Sometimes the dish includes a bit of tomato sauce, but there are always breadcrumbs on top. For Good Friday, there is a can of ready-made Pasta Con Sarde. Meanwhile, cooked wheat for Italian grain pies are also instant-style. Find these ingredients at some pork stores and Met Foods in Grasmere and Castleton Corners. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri) Staff-Shot As a shortcut, cooks can buy the Cuoco brand of seasoning for macaroni with sardines. Hollow pasta such as bucatini No. 6 and perciatelli are perfect picks in the way of pasta shapes. Not so much of a cook? Try Italian eateries like Villa Paradisio in Great Kills (Villaparadisorestaurant.com) and Brioso of New Dorp (Briosoristorante.com), where the dishes are a mainstay on the menu. Oranges cut through fat and refresh the palate after a fish-centric meal. They also prime and appetite for the sweetness of dessert to come zeppole and sfingi, both St. Joseph's day treats. (Staten Island Advance File Photo) Silvestri Seasonal produce: Perfectly in season in March, one may offer asparagus, artichokes or spinach as part of an antipasto paired with fresh mozzarella and olives, roasted or atop risotto. Citrus is a great way to give the palate a break with its sweet and cleansing properties. Just in time for St. Josephs Day, try the sfingi, left, and zeppole at Renatos Pastry Shoppe in Port Richmond Center. Silvestri St. Josephs Day pastries: There are two to include for this special day zeppole (custard piped into a deep-fried pastry) and sfingi (filled with cannoli cream). Fennel bread with raisins can be brushed with butter or olive oil, then toasted for a sweet and savory treat with crunch. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri) Silvestri Special bread: San Giuseppe Bread can be found in most Italian bakeries. La Dolce Pastry Shoppe 1 & 2 in Rossville and Pleasant Plains (Instagram.com/ladolcepastryshoppe) bakes loaves with fennel. A semolina baked at those businesses can be found on the North Shore on weekends at Beyars Market in Willowbrook (Beyarsmarket.com). Remember this guy? Vittorio Isoli was the owner of the former Trattoria Romana, Dongan Hills. In this image, he gestured at his special St. Josephs Day table adorned with a replica of St. Joseph, an event that commemorated the Feast of St. Joseph March 19. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri) An altar: Take all of those food elements fennel, artichokes, fava beans, bread and pastries, plus citrus like oranges and build yourself a three-tiered altar with St. Joseph at the top or prominently in the background. Commonly included are photos of cherished family members named Joseph who may have passed. Red is a significant color on March 19. It indicates good luck. (Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer) The Plain Dealer Red: Red is good luck on March 19, by Italian standards. Express it with a tie, a blazer, blouse or maybe via a flower in a boutonniere. Tug an ear. It's a gesture that is endearing to many of us although to the late comedienne Carol Burnett it was a way to say 'hello' to her grandmother on air as an inside joke. (Photo by Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP) Greetings: Show a Joe/Jo/Joey/Josephine that he or she is special by tugging his or her ear. Its a way to say, Happy day to you! And keep a blessing in mind for March 19 each year: May St. Joseph always smile upon you. If you're looking for fava beans in all the right places in a market but don't feel like cooking them, here on display at Seabass Taverna they are wrapped up into cakes and infused with a olive oil. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri) Silvestri Pamela Silvestri is Advance/SILive.com food editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, March 12. Uzbekistan and France are set to advance joint projects across several key sectors, with a total investment of 6.5 billion euros, Trend reports. This commitment was a major outcome of high-level talks between Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace. During their discussionsheld both one-on-one and with delegationsthe leaders focused on expanding trade, investment, and financial cooperation. A new Program for Innovation and Industrial Partnership was introduced, outlining projects in critical mineral extraction and processing, energy, infrastructure, transport, and other key industries. Overall, the portfolio of Uzbek-French joint projects now exceeds 12 billion euros, reflecting the deepening economic ties between the two nations. The talks also highlighted the importance of strengthening financial support mechanisms to facilitate these initiatives. To foster long-term cooperation, President Mirziyoyev proposed establishing an Uzbekistan-France Investment Council, with its first meeting to be held at the Tashkent Investment Forum in June. Additionally, to boost interregional collaboration, the two sides agreed to organize the first Uzbekistan-France Regional Forum in Samarkand next year. Dr. Roderick Palton has officially been named superintendent for District 31 schools, after serving as interim since September. (Staten Island Advance/Jason Paderon) Staten Island Advance STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Dr. Roderick Palton has officially been named the new superintendent for Staten Island schools in District 31. Palton, who has been serving as the acting interim superintendent since September, made the announcement on Monday in a letter to the school community. He took on the role after former superintendent Dr. Marion Wilson transitioned into a new position with the New York City Department of Educations (DOE) central office. I am honored to officially serve as the Superintendent for District 31, said Palton in the letter. Having spent my career committed to education, leadership, and student success, I know that meaningful progress happens when we work together when educators, families and the community align with a shared purpose." Palton joined the District 31 community in 2023 as deputy superintendent after 12 years as a principal for District 75. Over the past months as acting superintendent, Ive had the privilege of seeing the strength of our district firsthand, said Palton. Ive met with passionate educators, dedicated families and students who are eager to learn and grow. Our schools are filled with possibility, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that every child receives the education and support they deserve. In the letter, Palton said his focus remains clear to strengthen the instructional core, expand college and career opportunities, and ensure that every student from District 31 graduates ready for their next step. This will happen through working with others, Palton explained, through collaborating, challenging each other, and pushing for excellence. Under New York state law, all schools are overseen by superintendents, and New York City has 45 superintendents. Some are tied to the citys geographic school districts, some to school grade level, and others to the special needs of their students. The District 31 superintendent oversees all general education public schools on Staten Island. Superintendents have the following roles: communicating Department of Education policy to schools and the public; supporting communities through teams, councils and associations; supervising and evaluating school principals; appointing and approving principals, assistant principals and teacher tenure decisions, and approving school budgets. New York state lawmakers are pushing back on Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposal to ban cellphones in schools by proposing more flexibility. (Lauren Long | llong@syracuse.com) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. As Gov. Kathy Hochul aims to instate a statewide cellphone ban in schools from bell-to-bell, New York state lawmakers are proposing changes that would allow more flexibility for students to use devices and prohibit suspensions due to cellphone violations. Earlier this year, Hochul announced a proposal to ban cellphones in classrooms to create a distraction-free environment in schools across the state. By the start of the 2025-2026 school year every student will be required to disconnect from their device during school hours bell-to-bell. That means during class, at lunch, in the hallways, our kids will finally be free from the endless interruptions of social media and all the mental health pressures that come along with it, Hochul said. In its Senate budget resolution released Tuesday, the New York State Senate proposed to modify the governors plan. The modifications include allowing students to use cellphones during non-instructional time which would go against Hochuls bell-to-bell proposed policy. The resolution also proposed to prohibit schools from suspending students for cellphone use violations, and require consultations of local representatives and families. According to the governor, schools will have flexibility in how they implement the cellphone restriction. Districts will decide how they want to store devices and ensure compliance. Hochul said there will be exceptions for students who need devices for medical reasons, to assist non-English language speakers, and students with learning disabilities. The state will provide financial support to help this transition a $13.5 million budget as every school must establish a cellphone restriction policy. This will go toward helping schools purchase pouches, cubbies, or other infrastructure to store student cellphones during the school day. The cellphone ban in New York schools would be in place starting in the 2025-2026 school year and apply to all schools in public school districts. Charter schools and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services would also be under this requirement. By Aug. 1, each school and district would need to publish on its website its cellphone restriction policy. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. She may have mastered the art of pageantry, but amidst all the glitz, glamour and sparkly gowns, Nicole Doz-Pillarella knows full well what it means to be a true winner both on and off the stage. The 30-year-old ultimate pageant contender, whos a New York City Department of Sanitation supervisor by day, swept the pageant circuit last weekend when she claimed the title of Mrs. New York International 2025. She wowed a panel of judges during the stiff competition that unfolded at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Princeton, N.J., where her husband, Michael Pillarella a member of New York Citys finestx escorted her onto the stage in his NYPD uniform. Then later, when she was declared the winner, Michael was thrilled to descend the stage once again, and place the glistening crown on his wifes head. NYPD Officer, Michael Pillarella crowns his wife, Nicole Doz-Pillarella, Miss New York International 2025, before a crowd at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Princeton, N.J. (Courtesy/Krisna Goodwin Photography) Staten Island Advance The pageants motto is to make a difference and getting to do it at a glamorous state pageant background alongside my husband made it all the more wonderful, Nicole gushed. It was really an amazing competition. Michael, 31, and her greatest pageant supporter, has been deeply involved in Nicoles training and exercise regimen and he couldnt be more proud of his role. Nicoles diligence and perseverance But then again, the 30-year-old city leader who calls Westerleigh home, is no stranger to the world of pageants. She did Staten Island proud when she nabbed the titles of Miss Staten Island 2018, Miss Big Apple 2019 and Miss New York for America Strong 2021 with poise, grace and style. Nicole Doz reacts as she is crowned Miss Staten Island 2018 by Miss Staten Island 2017 Allison DeLuca and Miss Staten Island Outstanding Teen 2017 Amanda Alicia during the Miss Staten Island Scholarship Pageant and Miss Staten Island Outstanding Teen Pageant Sunday, January 21, 2018 at Congregation B'nai Jeshuran. (Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons) Staff-Shot After being crowned Miss Staten Island, she went on to compete on the state level for the title Miss New York within the Miss America program. And though she didnt advance, she continued to test her mettle in whats referred to as open pageants. Then, in October 2022 after Nicole and Michael said their Idos, she tried her hand at the Mrs. International Pageants, which are comprised of married women ages 21 to 56. Nicole recounted she became familiar with the Mrs. Pageant program after she connected with Mary Moulds, the current director of the Northeast International Pageant. She entered as a Mrs. last year for the very first time draped in a dramatic floor length, off the shoulder silver sequin and beaded evening gown and placed as first runner-up meaning if the state titleholder won the national title, she would take on the role of state titleholder. So this year we wanted to come back to win the whole thing, she noted in an Advance interview. And since her favorite silver gown brought her such good luck last year, Nicole chose to sashay onto the stage in the same glittery number. To add to the excitement, Nicole was also named Miss Photogenic 2025 and walked away with the Overall Interview Award for scoring highest in that phase of competition. During my interview I got to talk about a male-dominated role and a not-for-profit that I work with called Natural Resources Protective Association, a Staten Island-based group, she said, referencing a group she was involved with even before her position with the city Department of Sanitation. The organizations mission is to make all marine activities safe and environmentally secure for all generations. Nicole is also centered around her pageant platform called Grits and Glam that zeroes in on environmentalism. She went on to explain that this particular pageant was composed of 20 contestants, from all over the states of New York and New Jersey. Theres a lot of physical and mental prep, as far as the competition goes, she continued. Theres the evening gown competition, fitness competition and on-stage interview, in addition to a private interview before a panel of judges thats worth 50 % of your final score. Nicole Doz-Pillarella sported a purple pink sports bra and black leggings for the fitness portion of the competition. ((Courtesy/Krisna Goodwin Photography) Staten Island Advance A serious contender, Nicole made it a practice to work out in the couples home gym, and runs two miles a day four to five times a week as she prepped and polished for the big day. My husband loves the pageant so much, she added. He helps me with the prep. And has such a good time. Hes actually a part of the competition. And he got to put the crown on my head when I won. Now, the awesome twosome will travel to Kinsport, Tennessee for the Mrs. International Pageant finals in July, where Nicole will compete against some 60 women from across the country and throughout the world. Nicoles job description And in speaking about her supervisory role in the department, she noted that it employs some 10,000 workers, but only 10% are women and that being in an industry composed mainly of males is a challenge but thats a good thing. Nicoles job description includes directing operations of her district and supervising street cleaning, waste collection, and snow removal operations and the operation of an entire garage. About Nicole Nicole is an alumna of Brooklyn College, where she earned a bachelors degree in English. She was somewhat familiar with the ins and outs of the City Department of Sanitation, since her dad, John Doz, had been a Sanitation worker for more than 20 years but has recently retired she told us. And her uncle, Jayson Doz, has been with the force for some 15 years. And we all live on Staten Island, she stated. I certainly enjoy my job, she exclaimed and went on to speak about the tons of congratulatory greetings she received from staffers and friends as soon as she got back to work at her garage in Brooklyn. And even on Staten Island, she added. The outpouring of love has been amazing. She reported that her mom, Carrie Gonzalez, in addition to her dad, are also thrilled to be a part of the whole incredible moment. When queried about keeping in touch with her fellow beauty queens in a special sisterhood in which they share, she stated that she certainly still does especially on social media. Ever since I was a kid, I watched the Miss America Pageant on TV, she recounts, And I just loved the glamour attached to it. So when I got older I investigated and found out about the Miss Staten Island Pageant. She competed about five times in local pageants coming under the Miss America umbrella before she branched out to International Pageants. And from here, theres no telling just where Nicole will land in the vast pageant road that lies ahead. Barnes & Noble stores in New York City became the first three to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. Shown is the Staten Island store, which is not unionized. (Staten Island Advance/Toniann DiCostanzo) Toniann DiCostanzo STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Three New York City Barnes & Noble stores have ratified the chains first union contract with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), it was recently announced. The union, which represents nearly 40% of locations of large booksellers in the city, raised the standard for safety, wages and health care for the newest members, the announcement said. The contracts collectively cover more than 200 workers across three New York City stores, including the Flagship Union Square store below the corporate headquarters. The other New York City stores are the Park Slope store at 267 Seventh Ave, Brooklyn, and the store at 2289 Broadway, Manhattan. The Staten Island Barnes & Noble location, in New Springville, is not involved in the deal, a union spokesperson said. When asked if negotiations concerning the store are ongoing, the spokesperson replied by email: The SI store isnt unionized ... yet .... And on Monday, The RWDSU announced the ratification of a first union contract at the Bloomington, Illinois, Barnes & Noble store. Currently, Barnes & Noble Inc. workers are organized at seven stores across the United States to date. Safety was at the center of the organizing for workers at Barnes & Noble. During bargaining, the union was also pushing for the enactment of the historic retail safety legislation, which was signed into law by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in September 2024, adding safety measures for all retail workers. The safety gains in this first union contract use the Retail Worker Safety Act as a floor, but go well beyond the law, the union announcement said. Before ratification, the minimum starting wage for new employees was $18 per hour. With the ratification, it is now $19 per hour, and at the end of the three-year agreement, the minimum wage for new employees will rise to $21 per hour. Similarly, under the new terms, minimum wages for employees in other classifications will increase from $23 to $25 an hour by the end of the contract. In addition to the added general protections a union contract provides, workers have secured the following in their new three-year agreements: Union health-care coverage. Safety equipment, including back braces, wrist guards, anti-slip mats for the cafe area, stools for workers to sit at every information desk and cash register, and on the sales floor, booksellers and baristas will be allowed to sit to get relief when needed. Safety language that protects the workers, including a safety committee, de-escalation trainings, the ability to walk away from unsafe situations without fear of reprisal, and a clear process of banning customers who harass or behave inappropriately toward workers. Paid auto transport during late inventory shifts. Seniority and layoff protections for transferring to other Barnes & Noble stores covered by RWDSU. Job security if the store closes and relocates elsewhere. Pay security for store emergency closing situations. A conference room will be turned into a breakroom for workers to have lunch, instead of the small closet in the basement with three chairs workers were previously permitted to use for a staff of 120 workers at the Union Square store. Annual anti-discrimination and other trainings. Workers at Barnes & Noble should be incredibly proud of what theyve accomplished together in these historic first union contracts, said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the RWDSU. United in their fight for increased safety in their stores, it was their voices among others across our union that won increased protections for everyone in the industry through the Retail Worker Safety Act. Finally having a ratified contract is immeasurably meaningful, said Bear Spiegel, a bookseller at the Barnes & Noble Flagship Store, in the union announcement. The bargaining committee and the unit as a whole have put so much into securing our rights and that work is finally paying off, he said. Im most excited about the many safety provisions we were able to include in the contract in order to keep me and my coworkers as safe as possible while we do our jobs. The contracts are individual to each store and have some slight specifications to each location. A $50,000 donation from the Northfield Bank Foundation was recently presented in support of the Pipeline Programs at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital. (Courtesy of Staten Island University Hospital) Courtesy of Northwell Staten Island University Hospital STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A recent $50,000 donation from the Northfield Bank Foundation was presented in support of the Pipeline Programs at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH), which aims to expand health-care education to Staten Islanders of all backgrounds. Since the inception of the Pipeline Programs, more than 200 Staten Islanders from diverse neighborhoods, educational backgrounds and experiences have gained access to health-care training, education and employment opportunities that might have otherwise been out of reach. At Northfield Bank Foundation, we believe in empowering the next generation, said Diane Senerchia, executive director of the Northfield Bank Foundation. By supporting SIUHs Pipeline Programs, we are helping create opportunities for individuals who may not have had access to careers in health care otherwise. Investing in people is investing in the future of Staten Island. On Monday, March 3, Steven Klein, CEO of Northfield, joined Senercia in presenting a check to Dr. Joseph Basile, vice president, deputy hospital president, and chair of Emergency Medicine and Northwell Staten Island University Hospital, on the Ocean Breeze campus. The Northfield Bank Foundation is proud to partner with SIUH and supports this important program to develop our future health-care leaders on the Island, said Klein. It is through these types of initiatives that we ensure Staten Islands health-care system remains strong and sustainable for years to come. The SIUH Pipeline Programs encompass seven distinct initiatives, each aimed at fostering local talent and equipping individuals with the skills and experience needed to thrive in the health-care sector. The Executive Healthcare Internship (EHI) is a paid 10-week summer internship offering college students from Staten Island hands-on experience in health-care administration, finance and operations. The EMT Scholarship Program provides 10 scholarships annually to Staten Islanders aged 17 and older, enabling them to complete EMT training at the Training Institute for Medical Emergencies and Rescue. The Evergreen Experience offers retired community members per diem employment opportunities at SIUH, responding to local workforce needs identified in the annual North Shore Summit. The School Partnership Program empowers high school students through year-long health-care exposure programs, engaging 10 different SIUH clinical departments across eight local schools. P-Tech is a six-year collaboration with SIUH, the City University of New York and the city Department of Education, allowing Port Richmond High School students to graduate with a high school diploma and an associates degree in information technology or liberal arts. F.R.E.S.H. fosters workforce re-entry for formally justice-impacted community members through mentorship, job readiness training and employment at SIUH. Project Search provides developmentally disabled students with intensive work-site immersion opportunities in partnership with the city Department of Education and non-profits that support those with developmental disabilities. These programs started as a hospital-led effort, but through partnerships like this, we can expand access, reach more people, and create lasting change in our community, Basile said. The Northfield Bank Foundation was established in 2007 with a mission to support not-for-profit organizations on Staten Island, and in Brooklyn and Central New Jersey. A recent study found that New York and Vermont were the only two states to see an increase in the number of car accidents last year. (Staten Island Advance/Scott R. Axelrod) Scott R. Axelrod STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The good news for New York drivers is that the state landed in 20th place in 2024 when it comes to the number of fatal accidents, according to a recent study. But the bad news is that the Empire State is one of only two U.S. states to see accident numbers increase from 2023 to 2024, according to a study that analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Car accidents have risen since the pandemic, as drivers increasingly engage in risky behavior, the Insurify study revealed. To better understand this trend, the auto insurance company explored how many car crashes and fatalities happen per year, and which factors contribute to them, the company said in its announcement of the study results. Insurify analyzed its proprietary data, along with the latest data from the NHTSA, to uncover which states experience the most crashes each year, the announcement said. Here are the key findings: In 2024 In the first nine months of 2024, an estimated 29,135 people died in car crashes. In 2024, Massachusetts had the highest crash rate (6.07%) of any state. Michigan had the lowest crash rate (1.68%) of any state. Gen Z had the highest accident rate (6.84%), and baby boomers had the lowest (3.12%). In 2024, Lincoln (6.73%), Dodge (6.82%), and Mitsubishi (6.84%) were the car makes with the lowest average accident rates. Change in accident rate by state New York and Vermont were the only two states in the country to see an increase in accidents from 2023 to 2024, the study found. New Yorks accidents were up by 10.16%, while Vermont saw an increase of just 2.01%, the study found. Wisconsin saw the biggest drop in its annual percentage of traffic accidents 33.5%. New York recognized the sharp rise in traffic fatalities in a 2024 report by the New York state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The state enacted Sammys Law to give New York City the ability to utilize calming zones to help reduce speed. In these slow zones, the city can reduce the speed limit from 25 mph to 20 mph and from 15 mph to 10 mph. New York also enacted a controversial Congestion Pricing Program in January 2025, and motorists must now pay a fee to drive into the congested midtown Manhattan area. This law aims to reduce congestion by deterring people from driving in the city during busy traffic times. Less congestion could curb the number of future collisions, increase revenue from public transportation, and result in cleaner air, the study authors predicted. Car crashes by age and gender Age and gender are risk factors in driving, many studies, including this one, have confirmed. Motorists between the ages of 16 and 19 are most at risk of being involved in a car crash. Drivers younger than 25 have higher insurance rates due to this increased accident risk. When it comes to gender, males in all age groups have a higher risk of being in a fatal crash than females, the study found. New York State Attorney General Letitia James was one of more than 50 people to have their security clearances revoked by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Monday. Gabbard announced the revocations on the social media app X, saying the action was on the directive of President Donald Trump. Trump ordered the revocations last month, the New York Post reported. James has long been a thorn in Trumps side. She brought a civil suit against Trump claiming he misled banks by lying about his net worth and the value of his assets, and a judge levied a $454 million judgement against Trump. Since Trump returned to the presidency, James has pushed back against Trump orders regarding transgender care as well as diversity, equity and inclusion programs. She also joined with attorney generals in 19 other states to sue the Trump administration over the firing of thousands of probationary federal workers. Along with James, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg also had his clearance revoked. Bragg was the prosecutor when Trump was found guilty of 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump claimed it was a rigged, disgraceful trial. In addition to James and Bragg, more than 50 others had clearances revoked, Gabbard said in her post on X. Per @POTUS directive, I have revoked security clearances and barred access to classified information for Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Lisa Monaco, Mark Zaid, Norman Eisen, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, and Andrew Weissman, along with the 51 signers of the Hunter Biden disinformation letter. The Presidents Daily Brief is no longer being provided to former President Biden the post read. When Trump first ordered the revocations last month, James brushed it off. A spokesperson for the AGs office said to USA Today, What security clearance? Anyway, this is just another attempt to distract from the real work the attorney general is doing to defend the rights of New Yorkers and all Americans. Support the Peninsulas only locally-owned newspaper. Subscribe! Subscribing annually brings you big savings. We also offer monthly and weekly subscriptions. Premium Subscription As low as $8.25 per week Premium Includes: -- Access to the Daily Journals e-Edition: a digital replica of our daily newspaper including crossword puzzles, games, comics, classifieds and ads. You can download a digital replica of the Daily Journal for offline reading. You can also clip & download articles or images from the e-edition to share with others The most recent 90 issues are available at any given time. -- Unlimited access to our award-winning online content -- Commenting access on all stories as a valued member of the DJ community -- NEW! Access to our online-only digital crossword puzzle. A new puzzle every day, seven days a week! BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. The construction of four new tanks is planned at the Kulevi terminal, owned by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), SOCAR told Trend. "EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) proposals have been received for the construction of four additional 20,000 m tanks for oil and oil products at the terminal, and they are currently undergoing technical evaluation," the company said. SOCAR also stated that a total of 2.5 million tons of cargo were handled through the Kulevi oil terminal in 2024. "Of this volume, 0.95 million tons were of Azerbaijani origin, while 1.55 million tons were transit cargo. For comparison, in the same period of 2023, the terminal handled 2.16 million tons of cargo. Thus, in 2024, the cargo volume increased by 349,000 tons compared to 2023," the company said. The Kulevi Terminal and Sea Port, which has been operated by the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan since its launch on May 16, 2008, plays a pivotal role in the transportation and transshipment of hydrocarbons and petrochemical products. The terminal provides a comprehensive range of services, including the receipt of goods via rail, transportation to storage tanks, safekeeping, loading onto vessels, and the overall operation of port facilities. Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn Australias panic about the Trump-imposed crisis in our steel industry is as misdirected as it is overblown. Our meagre steel exports to the US make the threat of Trumps 25 per cent tariffs wildly exaggerated in terms of economic significance. Sure, tariffs introduce distortions but so do governments that prop up uneconomic businesses. The combined value of our steel and aluminium exports to the US is less than $1 billion. Thats less than half the $2.4 billion that the federal and South Australian governments have promised to bail out the chronically loss-making Whyalla steelworks. President Donald Trumps no-exemptions tariffs are unnerving Australian companies and investors. Credit: AP Taxpayers probably wont feel a ripple from the US tariff decision. But if the Whyalla rescue plan was confounding a few weeks ago, it now seems ludicrous in the light of Trumps import levies. Vivid Sydney has unveiled a radically remodelled program for this years festival, with fewer ticketed events from private sponsors and a 46 per cent increase in projections and installations at a wider range of sites across the city. On the advice of NSW Police and Transport for NSW, there will be no repeat of last years drone show, which caused a potentially dangerous crowd crush around Circular Quay. Other elements that wont return for the 15th festival include Lightscape at the Botanic Garden, Dark Spectrum in the Wynyard tunnels, which was sponsored by Sony, and the Tekno Train, all of which attracted controversy for charging entry fees. A digital render of how David McDiarmids work will look on the Sydney Opera House sails. Credit: Arts Minister John Graham stressed the wider range of free offerings this year. Australias ambassador to the United States says the country still has bargaining chips after the US refused to grant an exemption to wide-ranging tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Kevin Rudd told the ABCs 7.30 critical minerals are central to negotiations on the tariffs. Ambassador to the US and former prime minister Kevin Rudd. Credit: AP If you do the maths, its pretty interesting, Rudd said. America designates itself as having 50 categories of critical minerals, which it needs for the future. They see themselves as being vulnerable in 12 of those, and they are import-dependent in 40 of those for Australia. If you look at those 50, we are currently supplying 28 and can supply 36 of them ... we are uniquely positioned to be able to do this. Rudd, who has requested another phone call between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, said the US was much more transactional in its approach to negotiating compared with the first Trump presidency in 2017. Loading This administration is more nationalist on questions of foreign policy, more protectionist on trade policy, and much more transactional in its overall approach to international negotiations, Rudd said. These are deep-seated, fundamental changes in this different America, which every one of the 36 countries who negotiated tariff exemptions on steel and aluminium last time round back in 2017 have had to contend with this time round. Sydneys Metro West train line is at risk of costing more than its $25.3 billion budget as mega-rail projects across the city face construction pressures, analysis provided to the state government shows. Under questioning at a parliamentary hearing, Sydney Metro chief executive Peter Regan confirmed that analysis showed the rail line between the Sydney CBD and Parramatta risks costing more than $25.3 billion. Im aware that there is, of course, a range of outcomes on the project, some of which are above and some of which are below the budget, he said in response to questions from the Coalition at budget estimates. A tunnel-boring machine on the Metro West underground line between Sydney CBD and Parramatta. Credit: Nick Moir However, Regan said Metro West was still tracking within its $25.3 billion budget, as was the new metro line to Western Sydney Airport, which was budgeted to cost $11 billion. North Shore Rapist Graham James Kay is facing fresh charges of breaching his supervision order by meeting with sex workers in the days and hours before he allegedly attacked a 16-year-old girl in a busy Sydney shop. Seven new charges will be laid when the 73-year-old faces court on Thursday over the alleged assault on the schoolgirl, when he was being supervised under the strictest possible conditions, including an ankle monitor and schedule of movements. Graham Kay, the North Shore Rapist, has been hit with fresh charges on the eve of his court appearance for allegedly attacking a teenager in Sydney. Credit: They all centre around failing to comply with the Extended Supervision Order (ESO) imposed by the court to manage the notorious sex offenders behaviour last year. Kay spent almost two decades in prison after attacks on eight women and girls in the late 1990s. Police from the Sex Crimes Squad ESO team allege Kay saw a sex worker and exchanged almost 100 messages with her in the two weeks leading up to the alleged attack on the teenager at Chemist Warehouse on George Street in late February. A former FIFO worker has been denied bail by a Perth judge ahead of his sentencing over a bizarre incident at a popular hardware store last year. Paul Andrew Hart, 51, has pleaded guilty to one count of causing a poison to be administered after he dispersed a chilli and alcohol spray known as Satans Spit into a crowd of people at Bunnings in Northam on April 25. Bunnings in Northam. The court heard the incident caused burning eyes, noses and sore throats to 15 people, 11 of whom required treatment in hospital for their injuries. Two victims were children. Hart previously told the court he had intended to release fart spray into the crowd to lighten the mood because he was going through a rough time, but claimed he inadvertently reached for the chilli spray instead. Rising student debt, fuelled by the misguided Job-Ready Graduates package, is compounding young Australians sense of a cost-of-living crisis, and the feeling they are being short-changed. Thats one of the key findings from the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centres report Youth in Focus: Navigating Wellbeing in a Changing World. Students attending university feel short-changed as their debt continues to grow. Credit: Dionne Gain Drawing on views voiced during a youth forum held in late 2024, the report sheds new light on the issues that matter most to young people loosely defined as 15 to 24-year-olds. These included mental health, experiences of discrimination based on gender, race, sexual orientation and body image, and the effects of social media. As a global issue, climate change was their key concern. Indigenous elders from Arnhem Land have won a historic victory in their 60-year fight for land rights, after the High Court found that Northern Territory native titleholders were entitled to fair compensation for property seizures in one of the most significant decisions since the Mabo case. The case brought by the late Indigenous elder and land rights pioneer Yunupingu exposes the Commonwealth to multimillion-dollar compensation claims over land it acquired in the Northern Territory during the 20th century. The High Court on Wednesday upheld a Federal Court decision from last year over the Commonwealths objections, allowing the Gumatj people of Arnhem Land to seek compensation for mining leases granted over the Gove Peninsula in the 1960s and setting a precedent for other Indigenous groups. Justice has been served in this country for my people and the people of north-east Arnhem Land, the late Yunupingus brother, Djawa, said outside the court on Wednesday morning. Its for the future of my people, and our children and their children. Weeks of diplomatic negotiations have, at least for now, failed, and Australia will be whacked with a 25 per cent tariff on steel and aluminium imports to the United States. But should we really be surprised? Trump, as international and political editor Peter Hartcher puts it, is a man from another time who believes a countrys prosperity is measured by its trade balances. And Australia, Hartcher says, is not special. Today, Hartcher speaks to Samantha Selinger-Morris, host of The Morning Edition podcast, on how the tariffs might affect Australias economy and its relationship to the United States. And if our government can reverse the decision. There has been no bigger flashpoint in the wave of hate sweeping Sydney than the extraordinary discovery of an explosive-laden caravan in sleepy Dural. But just as quickly as those stunning revelations broke, which Premier Chris Minns immediately labelled a potential mass-casualty event, his mentions of the caravan and the catastrophic risks it possibly posed evaporated. Caught off-guard when the details emerged via News Corp, Minns called a snap press conference to deliver the strongest of warnings. Theres only one way of calling it out, he said on January 29, and that is terrorism. Minns chose to be unequivocal. Premier Chris Minns and Deputy Police Commissioner David Hudson address a press conference about the Dural discovery on January 29. Credit: Nine News The Jewish community was, and still is, hurting deeply, and the caravan development further fuelled its fear. But the premier also calculated that saying anything less would have left him exposed politically. He chose to be tough and unflinching, even if he risked stoking more fear. Now it appears this is what happened, even though that was not his intention. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Turkmenistan plays a vital role in regional connectivity, said Secretary General of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Asad Majeed Khan in an exclusive interview with Trend. Turkmenistan, as a strategic nexus at the intersection of significant commercial routes, is essential for regional connectivity and engages actively in the transport projects of the ECO. ECO is extending its partnership with Turkmenistan in the transportation and transit sectors by advancing critical infrastructure initiatives, optimizing transit protocols, and improving policy alignment, he said. According to him, ECO is dedicated to enhancing current transit corridors, like the Tejen-Sarakhs-Mashhad and Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway connections, while investigating innovative strategies to advance multimodal transport networks. "Future initiatives will concentrate on incorporating these routes into the comprehensive ECO transport framework, enhancing trade efficiency, and reinforcing regional economic connections. ECO seeks to promote regional collaboration, guarantee sustainable and efficient transit connectivity, and strengthen Turkmenistans crucial role in enhancing the regions transportation and commercial networks," he said. Khan also observed that throughout the years of collaboration, agreements have been established and pivotal decisions taken to augment regional integration and optimize the regions economic potential. "Recently, I had a very productive meeting with Rashid Meredov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, and discussed concrete steps to deepen our cooperative engagements," he added. Khan also noted that ECO prioritizes the development of the East-West transport corridor (Trans-Asian railway). "This corridor connects the ports of the Persian Gulf with Central Asia, facilitating trade between East and West. Here, the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) railway and road corridor is an important initiative to enhance connectivity and trade between Pakistan, Iran, and Turkiye, as well as the larger ECO region, making the transport of goods quicker, cheaper, and more reliable," he said. According to Khan, ECO also prioritizes the construction of the North-South transport link. "This route links the Central Asian states to the ports of the Persian Gulf, enhancing connectivity between northern and southern regions. The development of this corridor aims to improve trade routes and economic interactions among member countries," he said. The secretary-general mentioned that the ECO is rolling up its sleeves to develop and enhance these vital transport corridors, aiming to bridge the gaps in regional connectivity and grease the wheels of trade among its member states. These initiatives are designed to grease the wheels of economic integration and pave the way for sustainable development throughout the region. "The ECO region's strategic location between Asia and Europe necessitates the establishment of seamless transport networks, particularly for its landlocked member states, in order to address their geographical challenges and unleash their economic potential," he emphasized. The official also added that the ECO Secretariat has initiated studies to identify and strengthen regional transport corridors and border crossings (gates). The outcomes are expected to serve as a roadmap for enhancing cross-border trade and supporting sustainable economic growth in the ECO region. "The ECO focuses on developing transport and communications infrastructure that links member states with each other and with the outside world. This includes promoting well-developed transport infrastructure, safe cross-border transit, digitalized procedures, and integrated road, rail, maritime, and air networks," Khan said. According to him, ECO seeks greater and deeper engagement with Turkmenistan in the implementation of the ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA). Given its strategic geography, Turkmenistan is in a special place to advance the development of trade, as well as connectivity, trade, and energy cooperation within ECO. Turkmenistan has a strong trade profile within the organization, while its economy, as well as its trade with the ECO region, is growing steadily. In this regard, ECO seeks greater and deeper engagement with Turkmenistan in the implementation of the ECO Trade Agreement and the ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement, Khan said. As a member of the group, Turkmenistan is also in favor of creating border trade zones in the area, he claims. Inspired by the successful Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan border zones to improve regional trade, Turkmenistan suggested undertaking a feasibility study on a shared border zone between Turkmenistan and Iran. Currently actively exploring this approach through the feasibility study and closely collaborating with Turkmenistan to explore how it might be duplicated in the area, he said. The Secretary General underscored that the revamped infrastructure from these projects will be a magnet for investment in Turkmenistan, helping to spread the economic wings beyond just the energy sector for growth. He observed that the TTFA, in operation since 2006, serves as the foundation of ECO's legislative structure for transport and transit collaboration. The objectives encompass the optimization of administrative procedures through the simplification of customs and border-crossing processes to mitigate delays and expenses, the enhancement of visa facilitation for drivers and transport professionals, and the alignment of rules with international standards, including the TIR and e-TIR systems. The TTFA improves regional connectivity by activating key corridors and removing non-physical obstacles, while promoting the use of contemporary methods and technologies in transit transport among member states. Khan emphasized that the ECO commerce Agreement is expected to significantly influence future regional developments, particularly in promoting economic integration, increasing bilateral commerce, and improving transportation networks. "By diminishing tariffs and trade obstacles, these two agreements may enhance trade flows among nations and are anticipated to foster a more cohesive regional economy, facilitating easier access to each other's markets and diversifying export portfolios. The agreements will enhance bilateral trade by rendering the interchange of goods and services more economical for member states. Reduced tariffs, optimized customs processes, and standardized rules will foster an atmosphere conducive to trade expansion, free from bureaucratic inefficiencies," he said The secretary general emphasized that in enhancing connectivity, the agreements can promote multimodal transport solutions (combining road, rail, and sea transport) for more efficient trade routes in the region. "Jointly, the ECO TTFA and Trade Agreement hold great promise for enhancing bilateral trade, improving transportation networks, and fostering deeper regional integration. Over time, this could lead to a more interconnected and prosperous region, though success will depend on addressing logistical challenges that may arise," he stressed. In order to improve regional trade and connectivity, Khan added that ECO is determined to improve border infrastructure and streamline customs procedures. Efforts focus on modernization, digitalization, and policy harmonization to create more efficient and smooth cross-border movement. Key initiatives include ECO-TIR, ECO Gate, the Freight Forwarders Association, and others, all aimed at reducing delays, lowering costs, and strengthening economic integration across the region, he said. He noted that under the leadership of the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the country is taking a comprehensive approach to implementing the Social Development Goals (SDGs). Achievement of SDGs in the region is a key priority for us. Yet, unfortunately, limited progress was achieved, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and some geopolitical developments afterward, which hindered global economic prospects, the Secretary General said. Khan added that Turkmenistan will hold the first ECO Forum on Sustainable Development in Arkadag on April 28-29, 2025, with the goal of addressing obstacles and exploring solutions to achieve the SDGs in the ECO area by 2030. He stated that this is a long-overdue conversation inside ECO and thus extremely pertinent. In addition to the ECO Member Countries' Ministers of Planning and Economy convening to discuss regional sustainable development, the Forum will bring together the private sector and other stakeholders to deliberate on inclusive, resilient, and sustainable strategies to accelerate SDG progress. The Forum is expected to boost regional cooperation, encourage creative and resilient solutions, and enhance knowledge sharing among ECO member countries. It will also focus on improving finance channels for SDG implementation, encouraging digital inclusion, engaging the commercial sector, and addressing climate change and disaster risk reduction, he concluded. A group of hardcore, recidivist young criminals is invading homes, stealing cars and traumatising families across Melbourne and in some of our regional centres. Too often, they are caught, charged, bailed and released to offend again. It is a destructive cycle that frustrates police, makes people feel unsafe in their homes and leads to the sort of tabloid outrage the Herald Sun has channelled towards an unpopular state government with potent effect. Crime statistics tell part of the story but as Kilkenny reflected on Wednesday, it is only when you sit down and listen to the victims of these crimes as she has done in recent weeks that the full, heartbreaking impact becomes clear. She described meeting one woman whose family had been terrorised by gang of young criminals in her home. She looked at me and said the people who did this were out on bail. How did this happen? And I didnt have an answer for her. Allan said the current bail laws are failing to stop this pattern of offending and failing to meet community expectations. It is unacceptable to see these repeat home invasions, she said. It is unacceptable to have families traumatised in the way that they have been. She said the government had got it wrong with the 2023 law changes that made it more difficult for judges and magistrates to lock up young offenders. Loading This is not the first time Allan or one of her deputies has offered a mea culpa about bail. In 2023, it was a contrite Carbines who told parliament the governments tightening of bail laws in 2018 got it terribly wrong. These were changes that resulted in a trebling of the number of people in Victoria on remand, overcrowding of our jails, and the death of Veronica Nelson, an Aboriginal woman who died in custody while on remand for a series of minor offences. We know that the changes we made have had a disproportionate impact on people who were already experiencing significant disadvantage, with a particular impact on Aboriginal people, people with disabilities, children and women, Carbines said. On Wednesday, Carbines struck a very different tone. He said he made no excuses nor apologies for legislation intended to lock up more young people. In any changes to the law, on any given day, there are risks for vulnerable people, he said. What are the risks of these law changes? The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, which represented the family of Veronica Nelson during a coronial inquest into her death, said the proposed reform package, which again makes it offence to commit an indictable offence while on bail, would result in more Aboriginal people and especially more Aboriginal women going to jail. The Federation of Legal Centres, the Les Twentyman Foundation, the Australian Lawyers Alliance and the Justice Reform Initiative warned that the changes would entrench more children in the criminal justice system, increase re-offending and leave communities less safe. These groups also made it clear that none of them had been consulted about legislation they variously described as kneejerk and a backwards step. Good governments dont do this. In 2023, before Victoria changed the bail laws in response to the damning coronial inquest into Nelsons death, the government consulted at length with legal experts and more broadly with the community. This is the fifth time in 10 years the Victorian government has considered substantial changes to the Bail Act. It is the first time it has done so with such reckless haste. Liberty Victoria senior vice-president Sam Norton, a solicitor who has spent his entire career working in the criminal justice system, pointed out that the governments press release announcing the changes used the words tough or toughest 32 times. Loading The naked politicisation of this is overwhelming, Norton said. What I would like to see is for them to take a deep breath, consult with the various bodies that have contributed to law reform over a long period of time and make decisions based on what is going to achieve the best outcomes. It is what a good government would do. Brussels: The European Union on Thursday (AEDT) announced retaliatory trade action with new duties on US industrial and farm products, responding within hours to the Trump administrations increase in tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to 25 per cent. The worlds biggest trading bloc was expecting the US tariffs and prepared in advance, but the measures still place great strain on already tense trans-Atlantic relations. Only last month, Washington warned Europe that it would have to take care of its own security in the future. EU officials have made clear that the tariffs are aimed at products made in Republican-held states, such as beef and poultry. Credit: AP The EU measures will cover goods from the United States worth around 26 billion euros ($45 billion), and not just steel and aluminum products, but also textiles, home appliances and agricultural goods. Motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter and jeans will also be hit, as they were during US President Donald Trumps first term. The EU duties aim for pressure points in the US while minimising additional damage to Europe. EU officials have made clear that the tariffs taxes on imports are aimed at products made in Republican-held states, such as beef and poultry from Kansas and Nebraska and wood products from Alabama and Georgia. Yet the tariffs will also hit blue states such as Illinois, the No.1 US producer of soybeans, which is also on the list. London: Having humiliated and belittled the most brave and heroic political leader of our generation, the charade of a Donald Trump-led peace deal with Russia has reached a milestone. Having spent months debating what kind of concessions Ukraine might be willing to make to secure peace, it turns out a 30-day cease-fire was a good starting point. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously rejected any ceasefire without strict monitoring, enforcement, and security guarantees, seeing it as a trap Moscow would exploit. Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Tuesday. Credit: AP His refusal sparked fury in Washington, leading to a fiery showdown with Trump on February 28 and the suspension of military aid and intelligence-sharing. Zelensky has since signalled he is prepared to conclude an accord on sharing Ukraines mineral wealth with the US, but that agreement hasnt been completed. Dear Editor, As a concerned citizen and supporter of the Democratic Party DP, I am deeply troubled by Nicole Marlin's recent appointment as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Finance to the Resolution Fund Committee of the Central Bank. This move raises serious corporate governance red flags, particularly regarding conflicts of interest, transparency, and due process. The Resolution Fund Committee has a critical role in overseeing the Ennia saga and the agreements made by Minister Marinka Gumbs on behalf of St. Maarten. However, appointing Marlin, who directly reports to Gumbs, to review her own bosss decisions is a clear conflict of interest. How can we expect independent oversight when the appointee is politically and professionally tied to the very person whose agreement she is supposed to evaluate? Moreover, the lack of transparency in this appointment is alarming. The article states that the Central Bank approved Marlins appointment before it was even discussed with the Council of Ministers. This begs the question. Who initiated this appointment? Was the position publicly advertised, and were other qualified candidates considered?d Why was the Council of Ministers seemingly sidelined in a decision of this magnitude? This is not how a responsible government operates. Good governance requires independence, transparency, and accountability, none of which are reflected in this decision. If the government truly believes in accountability, it should ensure that independent professionals fill key oversight roles, not political insiders with direct ties to the Minister. The people of St. Maarten deserve better. This appointment should be reversed immediately, and a proper open selection process should be conducted to find a truly qualified and impartial candidate. We must hold our leaders accountable and demand governance that serves the people, not political interests. If this administration truly cares about ethical leadership, it must rectify this mistake before public trust is further eroded. Sincerely, A Concerned DP Supporter Name Withheld upon Request. THE NETHERLANDS (THE HAGUE):--- Minister Plenipotentiary Drs. Gracita R. Arrindell attended the launch of the Cari-Aire Aviation Internship Program last week at the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Curacao at the Curacao House in The Hague. The launch was attended by the ministers of plenipotentiary from Aruba and Curacao. This internship program focuses on strengthening the aviation sector across all six islands of the Dutch Caribbean. It is an initiative by the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) and the Caribbean aviation authorities, implemented in collaboration with the WeConnect Foundation. I think this internship program is a great initiative that has opportunities for Sint Maarten prospective students interested in the aviation sector. The information gathered will be passed on to the ministers in charge of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, and the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications. We look forward to such an internship opportunity be established on Sint Maarten as well, especially given our geographical hub position in regards to the aviation sector, Minister Plenipotentiary Drs. Gracita Arrindell said. Stichting WeConnect is an educational non-profit foundation founded in 2013. WeConnect connects the Netherlands with Curacao, Aruba, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius through educational (multimedia) projects. Students and young professionals are central to its projects. Three interns will begin a six-month internship this week with the aviation authorities of Curacao and Aruba. Cari-Aire aims to enhance safety within the aviation sector. Specifically, the focus is on promoting expertise related to governmental tasks, such as aviation inspection and expertise in legislation and policy. The selected interns will gain hands-on experience while bringing fresh, innovative knowledge, skills, and energy to support local employers in the aviation sector. This is particularly important as the aviation industry faces challenges, including the need for qualified personnel and an aging workforce. The three interns are studying Aviation at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA). For example, 22-year-old Ghyslaine Sambo is in her third year and will undertake a shadowing internship to explore various aspects of the aviation authorities. Aruban Charles Huntington (24) is excited about his internship at the Department of Civil Aviation Aruba (DCA). For Abdullah Kendir (27), this internship marks the completion of his Aviation studies at HvA. With extensive work experience, including at Schiphol, he looks forward to his introduction to Curacao. PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Public meeting on March 12, 2025. The Public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport, and Telecommunication will attend. The agenda point is: Deliberations with the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport, and Telecommunication regarding the issuance and regulation of licenses for casinos and other gambling activities (IS/671/2024-2025 dated March 5, 2025) Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules. The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg. The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament and www.pearlfmradio.sx PHILIPSBURG: --- Member of Parliament representing the National Alliance Ardwell Irion, who called the meeting on the issuance of casino and lotteries licenses, asked the Minister of TEATT Grisha Heyliger Marten several questions on the moratorium and its procedures. Ardwell first informed the parliament of St. Maarten that the current coalition government does not have an approved and published budget for the year 2025 and their governing program has been released by the governing coalition. The Member of Parliament said that because these things are not in place, it is difficult for members of parliament to say if this government intends to grant more casinos. On the issuance of the casino to the owners of Port de Plaisance MP Ardwell asked the minister several questions regarding the issuance of the license. He informed the minister that it is not possible for any government to execute COVID-19 policies during a regular year. He also informed parliament that the former government never waived the total amount of fees from any businesses; however, fees for casinos were waived for the months they remained closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ardwell asked the minister if the decision to issue the new license to Port de Plaisance was discussed prior to it being granted. He asked the Minister to provide a breakdown on the number of standalone casinos and how many are attached to hotels or resorts. The National Alliance Member of Parliament also asked the minister to provide parliament with the number of moratoriums enacted on St. Maarten and the procedures for opening and closing moratoriums. Ardwell asked the Minister to provide parliament with the letter or letters that former ministers sent to the businessman promising him another casino license. Member of Parliament Francisco Lacroes informed the parliament of St. Maarten that the United Peoples Party that his party is not against any type of business and, in this case, casinos. He asked the Minister to provide the statistics on the amount locals working in casinos, while he asked the minister to also provide parliament with the number of gambling addicts in St. Maarten and how many of them checked in at Turning Point. Lacroes said he heard that the Minister always refers to wanting a pound of flesh, and he also wants to see from whom that pound of flesh will be taken. Member of Parliament Omar Ottley also referred to the lack of a governing program and the fact that the Minister did not provide any presentation to the parliament of St. Maarten when the meeting started on Wednesday morning. Ottley said that even though the Minister is now a member of the Democratic Party, he knows that she came from the UPP party, and back then, she supported economic growth and businesses on St. Maarten. Ottley asked the Minister if the Port de Plaisance asked the Minister to provide parliament with the facts pertaining to the issuance of the new license and if Port de Plaisance meets the requirement as stipulated by law, which states that hotels and resorts must have 200 hotels rooms operational when the license was issued. Ottley also asked the Minister of TEATT if the businessman even has 65% of room operation,l as stated in the promissory letters. Member of Parliament Lyndon Lewis asked if there are sufficient casino workers currently on duty to carry out inspections in all casinos during the designated time period. Lewis asked the Minister to list how many casino controllers the Ministry TEATT currently employs. He further asked the minister if she believed that the current number of casino controllers is sufficient to cover the shifts at each casino and ensure that locals are kept out. He asked if the casino controllers were genuinely there to protect locals and ensure they complied with the laws regarding the number of times they could enter the casino. The NOW Member of Parliament asked if there was a system or log-in place for the casino controllers to track local visitation to the casino. Therefore, he wants the Minister to clarify what the tablets are being used for regarding the ones given to the department. Lewis called on the TEATT Minister to explain to the public the difference between a stand-alone Casino and a Hotel Casino. ~ No one, even this present coalition could change my stance on casinos on St. Maarten~ PHILIPSBURG: ---Member of Parliament Rayehon Peterson made clear that no one or any government, including the coalition government he supports, will change his stance on casinos in St. Maarten. Peterson said he said it before, and he will say it again that the government should close down all standalone casinos on St. Maarten, the member of parliament said that it is his opinion that the parliament should bulldoze the government with a law, because these casinos does not benefit any local person. The Member of Parliament said he could live with casinos attached to hotels due to the countrys dependency on tourism as its main source of income. However, the Member of Parliament said he knows someone who has been working in the casino industry for over 18 years, yet this person is unable to secure a loan because these workers are not permanent workers. National Alliance leader MP Egbert Jurendy Doran also asked about the budget for 2025 and the coalition governing program. Regarding the licenses for casinos and lotteries, the Member of Parliament asked the Minister of TEATT, Grisha Heyliger Marten, to provide an overview of the current licensing process for establishing a casino in Sint Maarten, detailing each step and the criteria used to evaluate applications. He asked for clarity on Licensing and Operational Status and asked that the minister confirm whether the new casino in Simpson Bay, Sunset Port de Plaisance, is operating under an official, independent casino license or is still relying on a comfort letter. Doran asked if it is accurate that the Sunset Port de Plaisance (PDP) casino is using Princess PDP's license. If so, what are the legal ramifications, especially given that Princess PDP Casino is operational? He further asked that given that a comfort letter from a previous administration is being used to justify the opening of a casino, does the minister believe that such a document should carry the same weight as the official licensing procedures? Employment of Local Workforce: How much of the new casino industrys workforce is comprised of Sint Maarteners, and what measures are being implemented to ensure that local workers benefit from the increase in new casinos? How can parliament ensure that casinos are not just creating low-wage jobs for foreigners while leaving local citizens without opportunities? Social and Economic Impact: He said given that coalition partners like MP Raeyhon Peterson and MP Sarah Wescot-Williams have historically opposed gaming expansions, what measures is the government putting in place to address the social consequences of expanding the casino sector? Pending Casino License Applications: Can the minister provide an update on the number of casino license and operational license applications currently pending processing at the Department of Licenses (DEL)? How many casino and operational licenses for casinos have been requested in 2024 and 2025? Compliance with Regulatory Requirements: Can the minister clarify Princess PDP Casino's operational status? Given the established regulatory requirements, particularly the minimum number of hotel rooms needed to qualify for a casino license, does the casino meet these requirements? If not, what steps are being taken to address this issue? Addressing Public Concerns: In light of recent public concerns and criticisms regarding casinos' proliferation and potential social impact, how does the government plan to address these issues? Specifically, what measures are being considered to prevent market saturation and mitigate the risks associated with increased gambling facilities? Revenue Collection and Allocation: Doran said considering reports that casinos pay a fixed annual fee that may not reflect their actual revenues, what steps is the government taking to ensure casino operators contribute a fair share to public finances? Are there plans to revise the fee structure or implement stricter enforcement to improve revenue collection? Support for Gambling Addiction: With the increase in gambling establishments, what initiatives are being implemented to support individuals struggling with gambling addiction? Is there funding allocated for addiction treatment programs, and how does the government plan to promote responsible gambling? Regulatory Oversight and Reforms: Given recent controversies surrounding casino licensing and operations, are there plans to reform the gambling industry's current regulatory framework? How does the government intend to enhance oversight and ensure transparency in issuing and monitoring casino licenses? Cupe Coy:--- On February 28, 2025, during the kickoff meeting for the upcoming Disaster and Emergency Response Conference, the Honorable Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labor, Richinel Brug, met with representatives of the Bjorn Steiger Foundation for the official handover of 30 CPR training Dolls. The Bjorn Steiger Foundation, a renowned advocate for emergency patients for over 50 years, has been at the forefront of the fight against sudden cardiac death. This donation aligns seamlessly with the Ministrys vision of strengthening preventative healthcare initiatives and enhancing emergency preparedness across the nation. Training in resuscitation and CPR is a crucial skill that can save lives, said Minister Brug. CPR training should not be limited to medical professionalsit should be introduced in schools and community organizations because, in an emergency, every second counts. With a strong emphasis on prevention, the Ministry is committed to rolling out a CPR preparedness training program that will empower individuals across all sectors of society. The initiative will help ensure that more people are equipped with the lifesaving skills needed to respond effectively in critical situations. The donation of the CPR training dolls comes at a pivotal moment, reinforcing the governments ongoing efforts to build a resilient and health-conscious community. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, March 12. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Mahri Byashimova, held a meeting with the Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to Turkmenistan, Stanislav Chepurnoy, Trend reports, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. During the discussions, both sides expressed satisfaction with the effectiveness of Turkmen-Belarusian relations in bilateral, regional, and international formats. The diplomats put their heads together to sift through the key areas of cooperation, especially in the realms of science, education, culture, and the arts, shining a light on their unwavering commitment to bolster cultural and humanitarian bonds. Turkmenistan and Belarus have long-standing diplomatic and economic relations, with cooperation spanning trade and industrial sectors. Belarus has been actively involved in supplying agricultural and industrial machinery to Turkmenistan. The two countries collaborate in areas such as construction, energy, and the chemical industry, with Belarusian companies involved in various large-scale infrastructure projects in Turkmenistan. The countries continue to explore new avenues for collaboration, reinforcing their partnership on multiple levels. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, March 12. Uzbekistan and France signed a comprehensive package of over 20 agreements and contracts, Trend reports. The documents were signed following the French-Uzbek business forum held in Paris. The signed agreements aim to boost cooperation in agriculture, energy, the green economy, urban development, water supply, mining, healthcare, education, and other sectors. During the forum, Uzbekistan's Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade Laziz Kudratov outlined prospects for further cooperation, focusing on developing transport and logistics, diversifying trade corridors, advancing geological exploration, and adopting French technologies to meet Uzbekistan's needs. Claude Imoven, Chairman of MEDEF International and Orano's Board Chairman, praised Uzbekistan's ongoing reforms and encouraged French businesses to actively participate in the Uzbek market. The forum featured B2B and G2B meetings, offering participants unique opportunities to discuss and explore new collaboration avenues. Meanwhile, bilateral trade turnover reached $1.1 billion in 2024, marking a 14 percent increase from the previous year. Uzbekistan's exports to France nearly doubled to $800 million, while imports totaled $330 million. Currently, over 50 French companies are operating successfully in Uzbekistan across various sectors such as energy, infrastructure, environmental services, aviation, food production, and tourism. Notable participants include Orano, SUEZ, Veolia, TotalEnergies, Voltalia, EDF, Lactalis, Airbus, and MND. Macron urges allies to plan 'credible security guarantees' for Ukraine Paris, March 11 (AFP) Mar 11, 2025 French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday called on military chiefs from across Europe and beyond to draw up a plan "to define credible security guarantees" for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, the presidency said. His appeal, in a closed-door Paris meeting of top brass from more than 30 allied states, came as Ukraine endorsed an American proposal for a month-long ceasefire and agreed to immediate negotiations with Russia, in pivotal talks in Saudi Arabia. Macron has sought to rally a European response to Washington's shock policy shift in US-Russia relations. The Paris meeting gathered representatives from 34 countries -- most of them from Europe and NATO, but also from Australia, New Zealand and Japan. There was no representative from the United States, which is the leading member of NATO. "This is the moment when Europe must throw its full weight behind Ukraine, and itself," Macron told the meeting, according to the Elysee. "In view of the acceleration of peace negotiations," it was necessary to start planning to "define credible security guarantees" to make a lasting peace in Ukraine a reality, the French presidency reported Macron as saying. Macron has teamed up with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to lead efforts to form a "coalition of the willing" to enforce an eventual ceasefire in Ukraine. According to the Elysee, the military chiefs of staff from European and NATO nations -- including Britain and Turkey -- agreed that the security guarantees "should not be separated from NATO and its capabilities". Such guarantees should be "credible and long-term, and should be accompanied by unfailing support for the Ukrainian army", according to the Elysee. More than three years since Russia invaded its neighbour, Europe is scrambling to boost its defences and break free from dependence on the United States. It has been unsettled by Trump renewing contacts with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and criticising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, raising fears that the US president may try to force Ukraine to accept a settlement favouring Russia. Trump suspended military aid and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, though his administration late on Tuesday indicated it would lift the freeze after Ukraine endorsed then American proposal. Macron later posted on X that "the ball is now clearly in Russia's court", and hailed the "progress" made in peace talks in Saudi Arabia. Ahead of the Paris defence meeting, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said: "We will reject any form of demilitarisation of Ukraine." "It is simply a question of looking ahead and thinking about what the Ukrainian army should be in the future," Lecornu added. - 'Rearmament of Europe' - On Friday, the French president, who has pushed his country's defence industry to switch to "war economy mode", is set to meet with defence manufacturers, according to a member of his team. Defence ministers from Europe's five main military powers -- France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Poland -- are to meet in the French capital on Wednesday. EU and NATO representatives and the Ukrainian defence minister will also take part. Those talks will centre on the "necessary rearmament of Europe" and military support to Ukraine, one of Lecornu's aides said. Starmer will, in turn, host virtual talks on Saturday with leaders of the nations willing to help support the ceasefire. Macron has said any European troops in Ukraine would be deployed only "once a peace deal is signed, to guarantee it is fully respected". He has also said he would be ready to discuss extending France's nuclear deterrent to European partners. Last week, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a plan to mobilise around 800 billion euros ($843 billion) for Europe's defence and help provide "immediate" military support for Ukraine. France also plans to raise defence spending, with Lecornu referring to a target of around 100 billion euros ($109 bn) a year, compared to 50.5 billion euros in 2025. mra-fff-jmt-as/rmb/gv/bc Taiwan premier says hiking defence budget to 10% of GDP 'impossible' Taipei, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2025 Taiwan's premier said on Wednesday raising defence spending to 10 percent of the island's gross domestic product is "impossible", despite US calls for such a hike. Taiwan is a potential flashpoint for a war between China and the United States, which is the island's most important backer and biggest arms supplier. Beijing claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring the self-ruled island under control. Premier Cho Jung-tai, asked by an opposition lawmaker if Taiwan could increase defence spending to 10 percent of GDP, or about NT$2.6 trillion ($78.88 billion), said "it's impossible given our current budget scale". The government estimates 2025 gross domestic product of about NT$26.88 trillion. However, the government's total budget for 2025 was cut to around NT$2.9 trillion, from a proposed NT$3.1 trillion, by the opposition-controlled parliament in January. The opposition bloc rejected Cho's call to reconsider the budget cuts. US President Donald Trump called during campaigning last year for Taiwan to raise its military spending to 10 percent of GDP. Elbridge Colby, a senior defence adviser to Trump, also raised the issue in a Senate hearing this month. "President Trump has made the same demand not only for Taiwan but also for many countries," Cho told lawmakers. "At this stage, the Republic of China (Taiwan's official name) absolutely does not have the capacity to compile a defence budget of NT$2.6 trillion". Taiwan's government was planning to increase defence spending to a record NT$647 billion in 2025, or around 2.5 percent of GDP. However, some items were cut or frozen, including a 50 percent freeze on spending for a submarine programme and drone industry park. President Lai Ching-te's party warns that the budget cuts will hamper Taiwan's ability to govern and harm its security. Lai has said his government will prioritise "special budgets" to increase defence spending to more than three percent of GDP to show the island's self-defence determination. China has increased pressure on Taiwan in recent years with military drills and near-daily dispatches of warplanes and naval vessels around the island. Army colonel joins Swiss govt after defence minister quits Bern, Switzerland, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2025 Swiss lawmakers voted army colonel Martin Pfister into the seven-member government on Wednesday, with the incoming minister warning that Switzerland faces major geopolitical challenges in the years ahead. Pfister will replace the outgoing defence minister Viola Amherd on April 1. The government will now meet and quickly decide which of them will take over the defence ministry. Pfister, 61, is the health minister in his native Zug canton in central Switzerland and cuts a rare figure in the Swiss government, having never served in the national parliament. "I know the barracks better than the Federal Palace," he said, in his first speech before lawmakers. "Switzerland's foundations -- trust, cooperation and stability -- have recently undergone some upheavals, both at home and abroad. "We may be facing major geopolitical changes that will be particularly challenging for Switzerland in the coming years," notably in security policy, he said. The seven seats in Switzerland's government are shared out 2-2-2-1 among the four main parties, under the so-called "magic formula" tacit agreement. The centre-right party The Centre put up two candidates to replace their outgoing member Amherd, who in January announced her surprise resignation. Pfister was the surprise winner, beating the better-known Markus Ritter, a lawmaker and president of the powerful Swiss Farmers' Union. - European security - Amherd had been criticised by the conservative right, who accused her of having undermined traditional Swiss neutrality during her six years as defence minister by seeking closer ties with NATO. When serving as Switzerland's president last year -- a one-year position that rotates among the government members -- Ahmerd hosted the June 2024 Summit on Peace in Ukraine. "Worldwide, the law of the strongest is increasingly prevailing. Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, the geopolitical situation has changed fundamentally," she said, in her farewell speech to parliament Wednesday. "Europe must be able to rely on a secure Switzerland. We are therefore called upon to guarantee our own security and to make a significant contribution to the security of the continent." Switzerland's long-standing position has been one of well-armed military neutrality and the country has mandatory conscription for men. A historian and a trained teacher, Pfister became the Zug region's health minister in 2016 and chaired the cantonal government in 2021 and 2022. Before that he was in the Zug legislature from 2006 to 2016. Swiss government ministers earn an annual gross salary of 477,688 Swiss francs ($541,650), plus an annual lump sum of 30,000 francs. They also get two vehicles, a first class railway pass and a general pass on Switzerland's ski lifts. Iraq investigating attack on Syrian workers Baghdad, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2025 Iraq said Wednesday it was investigating an attack on Syrian workers in the country after a newly formed Iraqi group vowed to avenge the mass killing of Alawite civilians in Syria. For several days, Syria's Mediterranean coast was engulfed in extreme violence, with mass killings of members of the Alawite minority community, to which ousted president Bashar al-Assad belongs. A previously unknown group in Iraq posted a video showing masked men beating two bakery employees. In an earlier statement, the group had condemned Syrians in Iraq "who support crimes against humanity" against Syria's Alawites and warned that they would escalate their attacks. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani denounced the attack on the workers in a statement, calling it a "shameful act of violence" and ordering an investigation. "The law will be fully enforced against anyone involved in these attacks," he added. Iraqi forces have in recent days arrested at least 13 Syrians accused of "promoting terrorist groups" and supporting the mass killing in Syria, two interior ministry officials told AFP on condition of anonymity. Syria's foreign ministry on Wednesday slammed the violence against its citizens, urging Baghdad in a statement to take "necessary measures to ensure the security of Syrians residing in Iraq". Supporters of pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq have launched an online campaign against Syrians who they say support the mass killings. Iraq has kept a cautious distance from Syria since Islamist-led rebels toppled Assad in December. Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa led the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which grew out of Al-Qaeda in Syria, and engaged with that jihadist group's branch in Iraq. More arrests reported in Israeli West Bank raids West Bank, Palestinian Territories, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2025 Israeli forces reported fresh arrests as they kept up raids in the northern occupied West Bank on Wednesday, a day after troops shot dead three Palestinians as part of an ongoing military operation. Overnight, Israeli troops conducted raids in the villages of Qabatiya and Arraba, arresting about a dozen Palestinians allegedly "involved in terrorist activity" and seizing around 100 kilograms of materials used to make explosives, the military said in a statement. The detainees were handed over to the Israeli police and the Shin Bet security agency for further investigation, the military added. Several of those arrested, their eyes blindfolded, were escorted by Israeli soldiers to military vehicles before being taken to a building in Arraba that was used by troops as an interrogation centre, an AFP correspondent reported. In Qabatiya, army bulldozers were seen tearing up sections of road, the correspondent added. The Israeli military frequently destroys roads in the West Bank, saying it is to prevent their use for planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The raids followed the military's announcement on Tuesday that it had killed three militants in a "counterterrorism" operation in Jenin. The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority confirmed the deaths and reported that a Palestinian woman was also killed Tuesday by Israeli forces. The Israeli military has been conducting a sweeping offensive across multiple areas of the West Bank since January 21, two days after a fragile ceasefire took effect in the Gaza Strip, largely halting 15 months of war there. The operation, dubbed "Iron Wall", has resulted in dozens of deaths, including Palestinian children and Israeli soldiers, according to the UN. Additionally, around 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced from areas where the army was operating. Violence in the West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967, has escalated since the start of the war in Gaza, triggered by Hamas's unprecedented October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. Since then, at least 910 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or settlers, according to the Palestinian ministry of health in Ramallah. Meanwhile, at least 32 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during military operations, according to official Israeli figures. Prince William to visit UK troops in Estonia London, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2025 Prince William will visit Estonia on March 20 and 21, where he will meet with British troops deployed as part of NATO's deterrent against potential Russian aggression, Kensington Palace announced Wednesday. The eldest son and heir of the UK's head of state, King Charles III, will meet members of the Mercian Regiment at the Tapa base to "learn about how they are bolstering NATO's eastern flank", the palace said in a statement. William, 42, will also meet Estonian soldiers. There are approximately 900 British military personnel in Estonia, the country's largest permanent deployment abroad. The visit comes as several European countries, including the UK, have expressed a need to strengthen the continent's defence as the United States shifts resources and focus to other parts of the world. The prince's visit to Estonia -- his first to the EU and NATO member country -- will begin with a meeting with President Alar Karis. He will also visit a school for Ukrainian children who fled their country after it was invaded by Russia. William, whose Earthshot Prize initiative champions measures to combat climate change, will also attend a workshop with a series of startups specialising in renewable energy. The Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia completed their integration into the main European electricity grid in February, after disconnecting from the Russian-controlled grid over fears it opened them to blackmail from Moscow. The move gives them the opportunity to integrate more renewables into their energy mix, the palace said. Iran's Khamenei says US threats of military action 'unwise' Tehran, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2025 Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that US threats were "unwise" after President Donald Trump sent him a letter urging negotiations and warning of possible military action if Tehran refused. "The US is threatening militarism. In my opinion, this threat is unwise," Khamenei said in a meeting with students. "Iran is capable of retaliating and will definitely inflict a blow." The remarks came as local media in Iran reported that foreign minister Abbas Araghchi had received Trump's letter, which was delivered by senior United Arab Emirates official Anwar Gargash. Khamenei, who noted he had not yet personally received the letter, said its invitation to talks was aimed at "deceiving the world's public opinion" by presenting the United States as ready to negotiate and Iran as unwilling. "We sat down and negotiated for several years, this same person threw the finished, completed and signed agreement off the table and tore it up," he added, referring to Washington's withdrawal from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal during Trump's first term in office, which ended in 2021. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has called for a new nuclear deal with Tehran while reinstating his "maximum pressure" sanctions policy over concerns Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran denies the allegations. Iran has officially ruled out direct talks as long as sanctions remain, and on Wednesday Khamenei said talks with the US "will not lift sanctions... and will make the sanctions knot tighter". "Regarding nuclear weapons, it is said that we will not let Iran obtain nuclear weapons. If we wanted to make nuclear weapons, America could not stop us," Khamenei said. "The fact that we do not have nuclear weapons and are not seeking nuclear weapons is because we ourselves do not want them." Khamenei, who has final say in state matters, said Iran "was not seeking war, but if someone takes action, our response will be decisive and certain". 'Very broad consensus' emerging among Europeans on Ukraine: France Paris, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2025 A "very broad consensus" is emerging among European nations on boosting Ukraine's long-term security through the Ukrainian armed forces, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Wednesday after a meeting of Europe's five key defence powers in Paris. The defence ministers of France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Poland addressed reporters after meeting for talks in Paris. They acknowledged the challenges posed by the new administration of Donald Trump in the US -- which is seeking direct talks with Russia to end the war sparked by the Russian 2022 invasion of Ukraine -- while insisting Europe was ready to stand on its own feet. "There is obviously a very broad consensus emerging... that the first of the security guarantees for Ukraine is obviously the Ukrainian army itself," Lecornu told reporters, ruling out any postwar "demilitarisation" of Ukraine. "The word 'demilitarisation' is emerging, but it is not the case. On the contrary, the real guarantee of long-term security will be the capabilities that we will be able to give to the Ukrainian army," Lecornu, a top ally of President Emmanuel Macron, added. Lecornu said that "at this stage, about fifteen countries have shown an interest in continuing this process," referring to proposed options for a "security architecture" with a view to a lasting ceasefire" in Ukraine. He warned against seeing Ukraine's post-war security solely in terms of European troops who could be deployed there, repeatedly insisting that this was not an issue to be decided on now. Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz also welcomed a "real unity of the continent", referring to the threat from Russia. In his view, it was a matter of "keeping Russia at a distance from all our states as much as possible, and to do that, we must help Ukraine". - 'US engagement is essential' - German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that, despite the rapid pace of change, the current situation could help Europe. "I am convinced that if we act now, if we choose security in Europe over the nitty-gritty of national interest, we will emerge from this situation strengthened," he said. UK Defence Secretary John Healey said Britain and its allies knew that "we must step up" and re-arm. "We are looking to build a coalition," he said. "We are accelerating this work." He added: "In the coming weeks you will see European allies coming closer together." He also spoke of "decisive days in the push for peace in Ukraine", but added that after Tuesday's agreement between Ukraine and the US it was up to Russia to show it was serious. "I say to President (Vladimir) Putin 'it is over to you now'. You said you wanted talks. Prove it. Accept the ceasefire, start negotiations, and end the war" "Make no mistake: the pressure is now on Putin," he said. The defence ministers spoke after Ukraine on Tuesday gave the nod to a US-backed plan for a 30-day ceasefire, at talks in Saudi Arabia. They also released a joint statement saying they had decided to "remain committed to NATO as the cornerstone of collective defence." "US engagement is essential in that regard," the joint statement said. Ukraine's deputy defence minister, Serhii Boiev, took part in the meeting by video link, according to the statement. Wednesday's meeting came after Macron on Tuesday called on military chiefs from across Europe and beyond to move "from concept to plan" and draw up a plan "to define credible security guarantees" for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, the Elysee said. That rare meeting on Tuesday in Paris gathered representatives from 34 countries -- most of them from Europe and NATO, but also from Australia, New Zealand and Japan -- but excluded officials from the United States. US envoys head to Moscow for Ukraine ceasefire talks Washington, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2025 President Donald Trump expressed optimism Wednesday that US negotiators headed to Moscow could secure a ceasefire in the Ukraine war, with officials saying the United States wants Russia to agree to an unconditional halt to hostilities. The Kremlin said it was awaiting details of a US-Ukrainian proposal agreed this week, and gave no indication of its readiness to stop fighting that has left tens of thousands dead in the past three years. President Vladimir Putin visited Russian troops who have made gains against Ukrainian forces battling to keep Russian territory seized in an offensive last year. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was ready to embrace a deal, and the United States had indicated it would issue a "strong" response if Putin refuses an accord. "People are going to Russia right now as we speak. And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia," Trump told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Ireland's prime minister Micheal Martin. The White House said that Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, a mediator in the Gaza and Ukraine wars, would be in Moscow this week. Trump on Wednesday did not mention whether he would speak with Putin, but added that there had been "positive messages" from Moscow, saying: "I hope he's going to have a ceasefire." - 'Horrible bloodbath' - Trump said that if the fighting could be halted, "I think that would be 80 percent of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath finished." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington wanted Moscow's agreement with no strings attached. "That's what we want to know -- if they're prepared to do it unconditionally," Rubio said on a plane heading to a G7 meeting in Canada. "If the response is, 'yes', then we know we've made real progress, and there's a real chance of peace. If their response is 'no', it would be highly unfortunate, and it'll make their intentions clear," he added. Russian news agencies reported earlier that the heads of the CIA and Russia's SVR foreign intelligence agency had held their first phone call in several years. Rubio was to give an update on the initiative at the G7 meeting in Charlevoix, Canada. The defense ministers of France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Poland met in Paris to discuss how they could support Ukraine, and any ceasefire. While the Kremlin made no immediate comment on the US-Ukraine proposal -- agreed at a meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday -- the Russian foreign ministry said earlier this month that a temporary ceasefire would be unacceptable. Trump said "devastating" sanctions were possible if Russia refused a deal but added: "I hope that's not going to be necessary." - 'None of us trust the Russians' - "I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don't want to do that because I want to get peace," Trump said. The latest dramatic diplomatic swing came less than two weeks after Trump kicked Zelensky out of the White House complaining about the Ukrainian leader's attitude to US assistance. Trump halted military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv, but that resumed after the truce proposal was agreed on Tuesday. Trump had previously said he was ready to welcome Zelensky back to the White House and speculated he could speak with Putin this week. In Kyiv, Zelensky said the United States would pile pressure on Moscow if it did not accept a ceasefire. "I understand that we can count on strong steps. I don't know the details yet but we are talking about sanctions and strengthening Ukraine," Zelensky told reporters. "Everything depends on whether Russia wants a ceasefire and silence, or it wants to continue killing people," the Ukrainian leader added. He said Ukrainians had no confidence that fighting would stop. "I have emphasized this many times, none of us trust the Russians." Ukraine is increasingly suffering on the battlefield, losing ground in the east and south of the country, where officials said eight people were killed on Wednesday. Russia has also reclaimed territory in its western Kursk region, pushing back Ukrainian troops who staged a shock offensive last August. Putin was shown on Russian television visiting troops in Kursk on Wednesday. "I am counting on the fact that all the combat tasks facing our units will be fulfilled, and the territory of the Kursk region will soon be completely liberated from the enemy," Putin said. Russian chief of staff General Valery Gerasimov said that 430 Ukrainian troops had been captured and Putin called them "terrorists." Ukraine military commander-in-chief General Oleksandr Syrsky indicated that some forces in Kursk were pulling back to "more favorable positions." burs-jc/tw/jgc TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, March 12. National Bank of Uzbekistan and Frances Natixis bank signed a 200 million credit line agreement, Trend reports. The document was signed during the Uzbek-French business forum in Paris. As part of Uzbekistans state investment program for 2025, the National Bank of Uzbekistan has been tasked with attracting credit lines from international financial institutions totaling $1.2 billion. The newly secured funds will be allocated to financing priority investment and infrastructure projects, including tourism, transportation, housing construction, services, renewable energy, the development of modern clinics, airport modernization, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The credit line is provided under the insurance coverage of European export credit agencies and does not require a state guarantee from Uzbekistan. The signed agreement is expected to further strengthen trade and economic cooperation between Uzbekistan and France. Natixis is a leading French corporate and investment bank founded in 2006. It is a subsidiary of BPCE Group, the second-largest banking group in France, with a global network spanning 30 countries. US urges UN Council to condemn Iran nuclear activity United Nations, United States, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2025 The UN Security Council must unite to call out Iran's "brazen behavior" related to its nuclear program, the United States said Wednesday after a closed-door meeting on Tehran. Several Council members requested the meeting over the latest report from the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, which said Iran had significantly increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to 60 percent purity -- close to the 90 percent needed for an atomic bomb. US President Donald Trump "has made clear that Iran's nuclear program poses a threat to international peace and security, which the Security Council is charged with protecting," the US mission said after the meeting. It accused Tehran of continuing to "flagrantly defy" the Council and violate IAEA safeguards. "The Council must be clear and united in addressing and condemning this brazen behavior," the US statement said, adding that Washington would persist with Trump's "maximum pressure strategy" to keep Tehran from getting a nuclear weapon. Since his return to the White House in January, the Republican president has called for a new nuclear deal with Iran, but Tehran says no such agreement is possible as long as punishing sanctions remain in place. Trump said he sent a letter to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urging negotiations -- and warning of possible military action if Iran refuses. The government in Tehran has received the letter, Iranian media said Wednesday. Khamenei meanwhile reiterated that his country was not seeking to develop atomic weapons and called US threats "unwise." He also said Trump's offer of talks was aimed at "deceiving the world's public opinion" by presenting the United States as ready to negotiate and Iran as unwilling. Back at UN headquarters in New York, Britain's deputy UN ambassador James Kariuki evoked the possibility of activating the so-called "snapback" mechanism -- which would allow for the reimposition of international sanctions on Tehran. "We are clear that we will take any diplomatic measures to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, and that includes the use of snapback if needed," Kariuki told reporters after the Council meeting. Britain, France and Germany had already sent a letter to the Council in December warning of the "snapback" possibility. In 2015, Iran reached a landmark deal on its nuclear program with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, which calls for a lessening of sanctions targeting Tehran. But in 2018, during his first White House term, Trump withdrew from the deal and reimposed heavy sanctions. China said Wednesday it would host three-way nuclear talks with Russia and Iran later this week. Mr Stace added: It is essential that the UK Government not only continues efforts to negotiate exemptions with the US but also takes decisive action to bolster our trade defences. We greatly appreciate all the efforts that have been made so far and will continue working closely with our Government to secure the best possible outcome. We will now consider the full range of thousands of responses we have received through our consultation on a new approach. No decisions will be taken until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that delivers each of our objectives. The story begins in the 1990s, before Putin ascends to power at the turn of the century. In 1994 newly independent Ukraine agreed to give up its large, but largely useless, nuclear arsenal for guarantees of sovereignty, witnessed by Russia, the US and Britain in an agreement at Budapest. The sovereignty was explicit, but implicit in the deal, according to the Moscow narrative, is that Nato would not extend its membership further east. The three Baltic states became full members in 2004, and Finland and Sweden joined in 2023. Where to live Golden Visas: the four European countries where you can still get citizenship by buying property Four European countries still offering golden visas to property buyers TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, March 12. French Voltalia, an international leader in renewable energy, has announced the signing of a power sales agreement (PPA) for its hybrid project in Uzbekistan, Trend reports. The agreement was finalized with the state-owned JSC Uzenergosotish1 within the framework of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyevs official visit to France. The agreement, signed under the auspices of the Uzbek Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade, marks a significant milestone for the Artemisya project, located in the Bukhara region. This ambitious project combines 126 megawatts of solar energy, 300 megawatts of wind power, and 100 megawatts/200 megawatt-hours of battery storage. The power sales agreement spans 25 years for solar and wind energy and 15 years for storage, ensuring the long-term profitability and financial stability of the Artemisya cluster. The project is expected to help meet Uzbekistans growing electricity demand, particularly addressing peak consumption during the early and late hours of the day, thanks to its advanced storage capacity. The annual production of the Artemisya cluster is equivalent to the electricity consumption of approximately 2.5 million people in Uzbekistan, while preventing the emission of 598,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year in the country. The construction phase is scheduled to begin in te first quarter of 2026 for solar and storage, followed by wind power in the third quarter of 2026. The review is considering how best all associations and networks can support the Met to deliver for the public, which includes whether any full-time roles, of which there are currently four, should continue. And now, because of that, and because of what happened under her last governments watch, those international students are not coming any more. She should again look to her colleagues in the Senedd, the education budget, her party voted against. She needs to talk to her colleagues in the Senedd. Russia is the country that conducted an illegal and barbaric invasion of a sovereign territory and we now have to hold firm, we have to be resolute, we are unwavering in our support for President Zelensky. I think its self-evident that for there to be a peace in Ukraine at the end of that process, theres going to have to be some decision made by the Europeans about what theyre going to do with these sanctions and so forth. He said: One of the more robust areas for us to work on with our Irish friends in the years to come is going to be technology and particularly artificial intelligence, as we really take the next stage in an important level of technological progress. SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. (AND NO SPAM!) Just click here. JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia The Trump administration lifted its pause on military and intelligence support for Ukraine on Tuesday after Kiev endorsed an ambitious U.S. ceasefire proposal aimed at initiating an end to the three-year war. The agreement, resulting from more than eight hours of meetings between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, dramatically improves Kiev's war footing and lessens a transatlantic divide between U.S. and European allies that had plunged to new lows. "The Ukrainian delegation today made something very clear, that they share President Trump's vision for peace, they share his determination to end the fighting, to end the killing, to end the tragic meat grinder of people," White House national security adviser Michael Waltz said after the meetings. The mere fact that U.S. and Ukrainian officials were able to agree on a joint statement, much less one of substance, marked a significant improvement in relations after the row between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office and the abrupt suspension of U.S. support for Kiev. Ukrainian officials came to the meeting offering a limited ceasefire that would ban Kiev and Moscow from launching aerial and sea-based long-range attacks. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the talks, made clear that the U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire governed the entire conflict, including the front lines, where the vast majority of fatalities have occurred. "You have to stop shooting at each other, and that's what the president has wanted to see, and that's the commitment we got today from the Ukrainian side," Rubio said. "We'll take this offer now to the Russians. We hope the Russians will reciprocate," Rubio added. It is far from clear whether Moscow will accept the proposal, but analysts called the agreement a savvy move by Zelensky, whose position of strength had been greatly diminished by the public chasm between Ukraine and its most powerful backer, the United States. "It effectively puts the onus on Russia to accept an arrangement they otherwise would have rejected out of hand or risk Trump's ire," said Sam Charap, a senior political scientist at Rand, a think tank. Once implemented, the ceasefire can be extended "by mutual agreement of the parties," said the joint statement issued by Ukraine and the United States. The statement also said the two countries agreed to conclude as soon as possible a "comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine's economy and guarantee Ukraine's long-term prosperity and security." Absent from the statement is the type of security guarantee Ukrainians say is necessary to deter Russia from invading following a cessation of hostilities. The Trump administration has ruled out allowing Ukraine into NATO, viewing that as placing new burdens on the United States and obviating a path to peace with Moscow. The agreement Tuesday was immediately praised by U.S. allies in Europe, including the leaders of the European Commission and the European Council. "This is a positive development that can be a step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine," the leaders said in a joint statement. "The ball is now in Russia's court." Many challenges to concluding a deal remain, as evidenced by the uptick in fighting between the two sides. Russian authorities said Ukraine targeted Moscow and other cities with a massive drone attack Tuesday, killing three people. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 337 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said it was the largest drone attack on the city during the war. The attack came days after intensive Russian missile and drone strikes that killed 20 Ukrainians and injured dozens more. Elsewhere on the battlefield, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have retaken more than 38 square miles from Ukrainian forces in Kursk, in southwestern Russia, an area seized by Kiev in August as a possible bargaining chip in any peace talks. A critically important aspect of Tuesday's agreement is the resumption of weapons deliveries to Ukraine. The United States had stopped the transfer of any of the $3.85 billion in remaining military equipment available for Ukraine and halted delivery of weapons already in transit that had been approved by the Biden administration. Waltz said that aid will now "proceed to the Ukrainians." Also crucial to the deal is the perception that the United States still backs Ukraine after Trump and Vice President JD Vance derided Zelensky as an obstacle to peace. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha hailed the agreement as a "step that proves Ukraine is ready to move forward on the path to a just end to the war. Ukraine is not an obstacle to peace; it is a partner in its restoration." Charap, at Rand, said the agreement "goes a long way toward repairing the U.S.-Ukraine relationship given that Kiev and Washington are now on the same page on the war." TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, March 12. The Central Bank of Uzbekistan (CBU) registered three new microfinance organizations. According to the data obtained by Trend from the CBU, the new microfinance organizations are BARAKALA MICROFINANCE LLC, ENTERPRISE FINANCE MIKROMOLIYA TASHKILOTI LLC, and FINANZA" Microfinance Organization LLC. Earlier, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a law that introduces amendments to several legislative acts, paving the way for the creation of microfinance banks in Uzbekistan. The law aims to establish a strong link between microfinance organizations and commercial banks while enabling microfinance institutions to attract additional financial resources, including deposits. It introduces the concept of a microfinance bank, authorized to provide banking services under specific conditions. Moreover, the law creates a legal framework for transforming microfinance organizations into microfinance banks, microfinance banks into commercial banks, and vice versa. An amendment to the law on banks and banking activities allows microfinance organizations, microfinance banks, and commercial banks to shift their activities between these categories based on the new provisions. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The ES Best Shopping team put these eco-friendly yoga mats to the test, using each mat across a variety of yoga classes, from gentle restorative flows to sweat-inducing vinyasa sequences, assessing their grip, comfort and durability under real conditions. To determine the best mats for different needs, we tested them on both hardwood and carpeted floors, checking how well they stayed in place and whether they provided enough cushioning for joints. We also looked at how easy they were to clean, whether they absorbed moisture or repelled bacteria, and how quickly they dried after a more intense session. Photo: Official website of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 13. As part of the program of his stay in Paris, a ceremony was held to award the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev with the Legion of Honor, the highest award of the French Republic, Trend reports. The high award was solemnly presented to Shavkat Mirziyoyev by the President of France Emmanuel Macron. The President of Uzbekistan was awarded the order for his significant contribution to the development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and France, strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, sincerely thanking the head of France for the award, noted with satisfaction the high results of fruitful cooperation achieved in recent years, evidenced by the elevation of relations between the two countries to the level of strategic partnership. The Legion of Honor was established in 1802. The awarding of the order is the highest mark of distinction, honor and official recognition of special merits in France. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. China will hold the Beijing meeting between China, Russia, and Iran on the Iranian nuclear issue on March 14, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, Trend reports. "Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the meeting, and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov Sergey Alexeevich and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi will attend the meeting in Beijing. The three parties will exchange views on the Iranian nuclear issue and other issues of mutual interest," the Ministry's statement reads. The Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is an agreement in which Iran, in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions, agreed to limit its nuclear program, excluding the development of nuclear weapons. The deal was signed in Vienna in the summer of 2015, with Iran on one side and the E3 countries, along with China, Russia, and the United States, on the other. In 2018, during his first term, President Donald Trump announced that the United States was pulling out of the JCPOA and reimposing additional sanctions on Iran. Tehran continued to honor its commitments for another year before suspending them in 2019. Under President Joe Bidens administration, efforts were made to restore the deal, but they have so far been unsuccessful. Chairman of the Romanian Academy Ioan-Aurel Pop on Wednesday paid homage to late academician Solomon Marcus, saying that the latter dreamed of a world with educated and cultured people, with concern for school, for physical and spiritual health, for people and kindness, for Romania and for humanity. In the opening speech to the homage session "Solomon Marcus Centenary" in the Auditorium of the Romanian Academy, the historian recalled a time when authorities tried to take out History, Geography and Latin from the school curriculum, a moment when he approached the commemorated academician. "From time to time, as you know, the classical school subjects, in the sense of models, inherited from the Renaissance onwards, are attacked, condemned, blamed for the evils of Romanian education. In a way, it is understandable, because you have nowhere to put all kinds of new educations, hygienic, sexual, entrepreneurial, financial-banking, circulation on public roads, I have heard now that it has been proposed in Parliament, you have nowhere to put them all, because time does not dilate and students' schedules do not dilate. And then, the most vulnerable subjects that had to be removed, in order to make room for others, were History, Geography, and also the Latin language, considered by some to be useless or almost useless. Given the circumstance, I approached academician Solomon Marcus, after hearing him praise the Latin language," said Pop. He added that he has rarely heard in his life "praises of the Latin language as academician Solomon Marcus knew how to do, a language that he always regarded as the language of universal culture, as the mother tongue of Latinity, of the Romance languages and, implicitly, of the Romanian language." "The academician's efforts bore fruit then, because his impeccable logic conquered most of the decision-makers. And you know that Latin has remained in the seventh grade, an hour a week. Anyway, it was not a good time, the seventh grade is not suitable for children to learn Latin. He spoke to us here, in the auditorium and in other places of the academy, about the role of the Greco-Roman heritage, about the classical linguistic heritage, which we find in the technical sciences, in Pharmacy and in Medicine, in general, in Botany, in Law and Legal Sciences, in Linguistics and even in the science of computers that he was mostly in charge of and that he knew from the depths. He presented the Grammar of the Latin Language as a logical framework capable of disciplining the mind. Some notions of Latin grammar, he said, become a key to the logical acquisition of the Romanian language, of other languages and not only of the Indo-European ones." he chairman of the Academy said that he counted, together with academician Solomon Marcus, the words of Graeco-Latin origin on the front page of "World" and the result was surprising, about 80% of them being Latin or Graeco-Latin. "Then how can we stop learning Latin and for what purpose? To ignore our origins? To increase knowledge? To increase illiteracy? Academician Solomon Marcus then stopped the avalanche of modernisation of education and showed those who had the power in their hands what the point of Latin, History, Geography, Romanian Language, Foreign Languages, that is, those disciplines that form the general culture and the horizon of the living man among people. A mathematician had to do this. But what a mathematician! Academician Solomon Marcus dreamed of a world with educated and cultured people, with concern for school, for physical and spiritual health, for people and kindness, for Romania and for the humankind. Today he has reached the centenary age, he is contemporary with us, he watches over us from above with his inquisitive spirit, he guides and helps some of us, who want to listen to his message, not to make mistakes. We remain eternally grateful to him," concluded Pop. Organised as part of the UNESCO 2025 anniversaries by the Mathematical Sciences Section of the Romanian Academy and the Romanian National Commission for UNESCO, the homage session "Solomon Marcus Centenary" commemorating the illustrious mathematician on his 100th birth anniversary brought together, among the speakers, personalities from the academic and cultural world. An accomplished scholar, Solomon Marcus (1925 - 2016) impressed with his vast research activity, covering multiple fields of thought: mathematical analysis, mathematical linguistics, theoretical computer science, mathematical poetry, semiotics, history and philosophy of science, mathematical models in the natural sciences and in the social-humanistic sciences. His work is said to impresses by depth and rigor of the ideas, which awaken in the reader a desire for deep knowledge, the word that best defines his activity being interdisciplinarity. Acting President Ilie Bolojan welcomed on Wednesday at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace a delegation of the Romanian banking associations consisting of members of the Romanian Banking Employers' Council (CPBR) and the Romanian Banking Association (ARB). The meeting took place as the acting president expressed openness for engaging in a constructive dialogue with the business milieu, aimed at improving the financial-banking climate in Romania, the Presidential Administration said. "The discussions focused on ways to support cooperation between the state, the banking sector, the business milieu and the citizens. Among the topics approached were the need for a courageous approach on the part of banks, by facilitating lending for investments, but also by creating a system that supports the absorption of European funds through banking services intended for enterprises or local public governments that implement projects financed from non-reimbursable European funds," the cited source said. The meeting also looked at other topics of relevance to the banking sector, considering the diversification of service portfolios and supporting economic growth. President Ilie Bolojan stressed the importance of banks taking up an active role as partners of the state for the country's economic development, expressing his support for the messages conveyed by the representatives of the two umbrella bodies of Romania's financial-banking sector. The representatives of the banking associative environment expressed their willingness to collaborate to identify solutions that benefit both the citizens and the Romanian economy. "As a banking system, we are here to give out loans, we are here to grow our country's economy, we are here to contribute to the growth of prosperity. This is something that we all need to understand. We have assimilated this role and would be very happy if together we could set in place the premises, for example, for growing financial intermediation as it is defined in theory, specifically loans referenced to GDP, as Romania has one of the lowest intermediation rates in Europe. I must also say that although the European trend is for a decrease in the so-called financial intermediation, we are still at a very, very low level, but our task is to loan the economy, to lend to the population," said the president of the Romanian Banking Employers' Council Sergiu Manea. AGERPRES The Constitutional Court of Romania unanimously rejected on Wednesday the appeals filed against the registration of Crin Antonescu's candidacy for May's presidential election. The Central Electoral Bureau decided on Tuesday to register Crin Antonescu's candidacy in the presidential election. Crin Antonescu, the candidate of the "Romania Forward" electoral alliance, filed his candidacy last Sunday, with a list signed by 1.7 million supporters. Also on Wednesday, an appeal against the non-registration of Maria Marcu's candidacy was also rejected. AGERPRES The Constitutional Court of Romania has registered two appeals against Crin Antonescu's candidacy in the May presidential elections, sources from the CCR told AGERPRES on Wednesday. According to the same sources, the constitutional judges are to analyze the appeals on Wednesday. The Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) decided on Tuesday to register Crin Antonescu's candidacy in the presidential elections. Crin Antonescu, the candidate of the "Romania Forward" Electoral Alliance, filed his candidacy on Sunday, with a list signed by 1.7 million supporters. A challenge against Maria Marcu's candidacy will also be discussed on Wednesday. The Department for Romanians Everywhere on Wednesday launched a non-reimbursable funding session for projects intended for Romanians abroad. The associations, foundations, religious institutions, non-governmental organizations of Romanians abroad, authorized individuals or legal entities under public or private law from Romania or abroad can submit financing applications. The financing guide includes six programmess: education, culture, spirituality and tradition, civil society, media and community, according to a press release sent on Wednesday by the DRP (Department for Romanians Everywhere) to AGERPRES. "We are opening the annual funding session for projects aimed at Romanians living abroad who wish to preserve their linguistic, cultural and spiritual identity. We are waiting for projects from all those who seek to get involved in supporting Romanian communities everywhere, to inspire the younger generations and to promote Romanian values and traditions," stated Cristina-Lavinia Arnautu, head of the DRP. An applicant can submit a maximum of two projects, provided that they fall under different programmes. The deadline for submitting funding applications will be announced after April 30, on the DRP website. The announcement will be published five business days before the closing date of the submission phase. Funding applications are evaluated periodically, and the results of the evaluation will be published on the DRP website. The grant guide and documents of interest, in editable format, can be downloaded from the address: https://dprp.gov.ro/web/comunicate/departamentul-pentru-romanii-de-pretutindeni-lanseaza-sesiunea-de-finantare-nerambursabila-2025/. The DRP team will provide additional information and clarifications at the email address proiecte@dprp.gov.ro. MEP Diana Sosoaca, president of S.O.S. Romania, sent an open letter to US President Donald Trump in which she speaks at length about what she describes as abuses by the authorities by banning inconvenient candidates from the presidential elections and using Romanian state institutions as a political weapon. To U.S. President Donald Trump The intervention of the Romanian Constitutional Court against the candidates for the presidential elections represents an unprecedented fact and a de facto annulment of democracy in Romania, an EU and NATO member state and strategic partner of the United States. The fact that the CCR prohibits some people from Romania from running for president, although there is no final criminal conviction prohibiting them from running for office, is proof that democracy is dead in Romania and is a signal to citizens around the world to stop believing in democracy. Surely Romanians already have no confidence in this concept that has become empty of content! Romania was a good business for the great powers, but not for Romanians. Enough that the big transnational companies and the European Union have profited from my country, they should at least let the Romanians elect their own president as they see fit. Now that they have been denied this right, the revolt of the population is at unsuspected levels, and the apparent silence should not deceive anyone: discontent can generate a new revolution at any time, and this means destabilization and insecurity, which is in no one's interest. Romania can and must be a pole of stability in the region and a promoter of peace, but this cannot be achieved in the absence of democracy and by the categorical refusal of the power to allow candidacies for presidential elections according to the law. On October 5, 2024, I was the first candidate to be banned from running for the presidential elections by the CCR. I warned then that the precedent created would be used again and again when the Deep State needed to settle its accounts. As a result of the CCR's intervention against me, based on political statements for which I benefited from immunity, the elections in Romania ended up being canceled, and now their resumption is called into question again by the CCR's intervention against some candidates. On Thursday, March 13, I will submit again my candidacy for the presidential elections, fulfilling all the legal conditions. The CCR or, more recently, the Central Electoral Bureau, these two institutions that are not courts of law and do not have the right to prohibit any candidacy, have become unconstitutional censors that annul without the right of appeal the right of some Romanians to run and the right of other Romanians to vote for those they consider deserving. Romania has thus become an experiment in the destruction of democracy by forcefully intervening against constitutional rights, and this has long gone beyond the country's borders. For the return to democracy, it is necessary that all candidates who meet the legal conditions be allowed to run, and the people are sovereign and have the right to elect their president as they see fit. Otherwise, we must take note of the end of democracy in Romania and the uselessness of elections that turn into a useless expenditure of money. And the effects on the EU and NATO are incalculable: citizens around the world will see that democracy is just a facade that no longer even keeps up appearances! MEP Av. Diana Iovanovici-Sosoaca President of the S.O.S. Romania Party Banned candidate in the 2024 presidential elections Foreign Affairs Minister Emil Hurezeanu participated on Wednesday in a working meeting with the EU heads of mission accredited to Bucharest. Against the backdrop of the security situation in Ukraine and the latest decisions of the EU political leaders, Emil Hurezeanu emphasized Romania's support for the goal of strengthening the European Union's security and defense policy actions, underlining the need for relevant steps to be carried out in complementarity with NATO, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a release. The Romanian top diplomat reiterated the importance of a solid transatlantic partnership, which is key for European security and prosperity, and also emphasized Romania's support for the continuation of the multidimensional support for Ukraine, referencing Romania's contribution to date, inclusively for the goal of achieving a just and lasting peace, in accordance with the principles of international law. The foreign minister reiterated Romania's support for the continuation of the EU enlargement process and highlighted the importance of the accession to the Union of both Eastern and Western Balkan partners, based on their own merits, mentioning in this context the steps taken by the Republic of Moldova to advance its European path, and the need for continued EU and member states' support for the Moldovan authorities' European integration efforts. The Romanian top diplomat also welcomed the recent developments, with the European Parliament approving the Growth Facility for the Republic of Moldova. Hurezeanu underlined the importance of the goal of developing European economic competitiveness by strengthening the Single Market, promoting innovation and connectivity, as well as the need for the future Multiannual Financial Framework of the Union to respond to the strategic priorities agreed at European level through the 2024 - 2029 Strategic Agenda. He also stressed the important role of the Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy as essential instruments for creating a solid basis for implementing competitiveness policies and for achieving European convergence. The meeting was organized in the context of Poland holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union. AGERPRES BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Iran is always open to discussions regarding its nuclear program on an equal basis, said Irans Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of today's Cabinet meeting in Tehran, Trend reports. Araghchi noted that past talks on Irans nuclear program led to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). While discussions continue, he pointed out that the U.S. has withdrawn from the agreement. He also mentioned that Iran held the latest round of talks with the three European countries (the UK, France, and Germany) two weeks ago, and another round will be held soon. Additionally, Iran continues its discussions with China and Russia, with a trilateral meeting between Iran, China, and Russia scheduled for March 14. The first round of talks between Iran and the three European countries (the UK, France, and Germany) at the level of deputy foreign ministers was held in Geneva on November 29, 2024. The second round took place on January 13-14, 2025, also in Geneva, followed by the third round on February 24, 2025. These discussions mainly focused on Irans nuclear program. In January 2016, the Comprehensive Joint Plan of Action (JCPOA) was implemented between Iran and the 5+1 group (the U.S., Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany). In May 2018, the U.S. withdrew from the agreement and reimposed sanctions on Iran. In 2020, Iran declared that there would be no limitations on its nuclear program. Additionally, at the end of 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to implement a strategic nuclear plan aimed at lifting sanctions, citing the sanctions imposed on Iran. As part of this decision, Iran suspended additional steps and protocols outlined in the nuclear agreement starting February 23, 2021, reducing the IAEA's monitoring by 20-30%. Iran officially states that its strategy is not to pursue nuclear weapons, and it does not support the production of weapons of mass destruction. The Romanian prison system has made some progress in the past three years, including a drop in the recidivism rate and an increase in confinement capacity, Justice Minister Radu Marinescu said on Wednesday as he attended the presentation of the 2024 activity report of the National Penitentiary Administration. "The National Penitentiary Administration has reached an all-time high staffing number, at 13,300 personnel. We are aware of the fact that there is still need for additional staff and we will act with all the instruments at our disposal to achieve this goal too. There has been a continuous decrease in the recidivism rate across the units of the National Penitentiary Administration from over 46% in 2008 to a steady under 37% in the last three years," Marinescu said, stressing also that the confinement capacity has reached a high, and the investment budget is at a peak RON 255 million. "A record-high 329,924 people in confinement participate in social reintegration activities and programs. 2,292 people - the highest number of prisoners attending school in the last five years, accounting for approximately 10% of the total number of prisoners. 6,319 - the highest number of prisoners assigned to work in the last five years. These positive developments must (...) continue," the JusMin said. He cautioned that prison overcrowding remains "a challenge" and welcomed the fact that the ANP has initiated or continued the process of modernizing the infrastructure with 700 new prison places financed through the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 and the state budget. Marinescu also noted that a project for over 5,000 new prison places is under execution and that works began in January 2024 for the construction of two new penitentiaries that will add approximately 1,900 new detention places. "The number of cases pending before the ECHR concerning detention conditions has decreased as a result of the creation of new detention places, as well as of adequate conditions, so that the ECHR standards in the matter are met. I also ask you to insist on increasing the income from own activities in order to have the best possible financing, and to put in sustained efforts to create and develop sources for such incomes," added Radu Marinescu. AGERPRES The Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity (MMFTSS) will collaborate with the Council of Foreign Investors so that employees in Romania have the best skills and employers benefit from a predictable and stable environment for development, according to a social media post published on Wednesday. "Maintaining and increasing competitiveness through adequate training programmes and support to attract highly qualified labour force are essential. We need to invest more in active employment measures. We will also cooperate with specialists from the Council of Foreign Investors in Romania to find the best solutions, so as to ensure that employees have the best skills, and employers have a predictable and stable environment for development," said Minister of Labour Simona Bucura-Oprescu during the meeting with the council's specialists. Under this partnership, a series of important points will be followed, such as: what real needs the Romanian labour market has and what expectations employers have in relation to the level of skills of employees; what jobs are sought after and how highly qualified employees can be attracted and maintained in Romania; how to increase labour competitiveness and what the solutions are to reduce the labour shortage in Romania; what the public policies are in the field of labour essential for Romania's attractiveness to foreign investors to increase. Another subject discussed regards the most appropriate measures to lead to the reintegration with the Romanian labour market of as many Romanians overseas as possible. It was established that partnerships will be entered with the private sector to adapt skills to market demands, digitise hiring, capitalise on the National Employment Agency (ANOFM) mechanism for anticipating qualification needs and that joint teams will work on updating Romania's Classification of Occupations in in line with the European system of skills and qualifications. Integrated energy producer OMV Petrom announced the completion of a stake transfer between its subsidiary OMV Offshore Bulgaria and NewMed Energy Balkan, a subsidiary of NewMed Energy, to the effect that both partners now hold an equal stake of 50% in the Han Asparuh project located in the western Black Sea in Bulgaria, south of the Neptun Deep area in Romania. The partners aim to start drilling an exploration well in 2025, subject to obtaining all necessary permits. "OMV Petrom, the largest integrated energy producer in Southeastern Europe, announces the completion of the transaction for the transfer of a stake between its subsidiary OMV Offshore Bulgaria and NewMed Energy Balkan, a subsidiary of NewMed Energy. NewMed Energy is Israel's leading joint venture in the exploration, development, production and sale of natural gas and condensate. After the completion of the transaction, the two partners hold equal stakes in the project - each 50%, with OMV Petrom (through OMV Offshore Bulgaria) being the project operator. The transfer of the stake to NewMed Energy Balkan has been approved by the Bulgarian Council of Ministers," OMV Petrom said in a statement. This collaboration allows both parties to share the risks and costs associated with the project, thereby facilitating the advancement of exploration efforts, the cited source states. Han Asparuh is an exploration block located in the western Black Sea in Bulgaria, south of Romania's Neptun Deep block, and has an area of 13,712 sq.km with water depths slightly below 2,000 m. Exploration activities started in 2012 and included geological and geophysical surveys and the drilling of three exploration wells. An extensive 3D seismic campaign was finalized in May 2020 to identify potential drilling targets. "Access to local resources is essential for energy security, and through the upcoming exploration activities we are opening new perspectives in the Bulgarian Black Sea area. It is a complex process, with high investments, and we count on the support of all stakeholders to progress with the exploration according to our ambitious schedule. We are pleased to welcome NewMed Energy into the project; their extensive experience in the energy sector will enhance our capabilities and contribute to the project's success," said Cristian Hubati, member of the OMV Petrom Management Board, responsible for Exploration and Production, as cited in the release. In his turn, NewMed Energy CEO Yossi Abu showed that the company believes in the potential of operations in Bulgaria, due to the probability of discovery and proximity to key markets. "We believe in the potential of operations in Bulgaria, due to probability of discovery and proximity to key markets - especially in light of rising global demand for natural gas and the need for a reliable and diversified supply. We are pleased to collaborate with OMV Petrom, a company with a proven track record in the region, and we are committed to moving forward swiftly along the defined milestones," said Yossi Abu. OMV Petrom is the largest integrated energy producer in Southeastern Europe, with an annual Group hydrocarbon production of approximately 40 million boe in 2024. The Group has a refining capacity of 4.5 million tons annually and operates an 860 MW high-efficiency gas-fired power plant. The Group is present on the oil products retail market in Romania and neighbouring countries through approximately 780 filling stations under two brands - OMV and Petrom. As of end-2024, Romanian shareholders hold over 43% of the shares (with the Romanian state controlling 20.7%, through the Energy Ministry, and 22.5% are owned by pension funds in Romania, to which almost 500,000 individual investors and other Romanian entities add). OMV Aktiengesellschaft, one of the largest listed industrial companies in Austria, holds a 51.2% stake in OMV Petrom, and the remaining 5.6% are held by other foreign investors. Of the total OMV Petrom shares, 28.1% represents the free float on the Bucharest Stock Exchange. AGERPRES The Social Democratic Party's (PSD) National Political Council convened in a meeting on Wednesday approved a working group headed by the party's First Deputy Chair Daniel Baluta which will run the campaign of the governing coalition's presidential candidate Crin Antonescu on behalf of the party, informed Social Democrat Radu Oprea. "The decisions we made today in the meeting of the National Political Council were mainly about the electoral campaign that is about to start. A group was appointed that will handle the campaign and that will be headed by Mr. Daniel Baluta, PSD First Deputy Chairman, together with other colleagues, on various topics of competence from communication to public policies and all our campaign activities. It will be multiplied in each county, so that we have a very good representation and a strong campaign for the coalition candidate Crin Antonescu," Oprea declared at the end of the meeting. AGERPRES Sixty-six quilts featuring 66 famous sites along Route 66 will be displayed at the Fanfare of Quilts show in Queeny Park this weekend. But thats not the extent of the quilting magic that will be at the show. Not by a long shot. Some 400 quilts of all types will be exhibited at the show, which is presented every other year by the Bits n Pieces Quilt Guild. Old-fashioned, homey quilts that kind that your grandmother may have folded over the bottom of a brass bed will hang next to modern, more contemporary styles. Most will be made by sewing machines, but some will be sewn by hand. Some are meant to cover beds, some are meant for wall hangings or doors, and quite a few were created as gifts to celebrate an occasion, such as a wedding or the birth of a baby. People say, Why would you cut apart a perfectly good set of fabrics and then turn around and sew them together again? says Wendy Richards, of Manchester, who is the coordinator for Art Bits. Art Bits, with around 25 members, is a subgroup of the 240-member Bits n Pieces Quilt Guild. The Art Bits folks have a special interest in making art quilts, which can be influenced by different aspects of modern art. The Arts Bits quilts must be original patterns, Richards says. Quilting is a creative outlet, she says, but while quilters are creating works of art they are also making something that is often functional. But there is another part to quilting, too. Almost like anybody with a hobby, if youre a quilter and you meet a quilter, you are pretty much guaranteed to have something in common, she says. The portion of the show devoted to Route 66 was created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Mother Road, which will take place next year. It includes a quilt of the routes beginning, the Art Institute in Chicago (including a hand holding a cell phone marking the location as the beginning of the route), and one of the end, the Santa Monica Pier near Los Angeles. The quilts cover stops in each of the eight states along the way, with several featuring familiar local sites: the Gateway Arch, the worlds tallest ketchup (or catsup) bottle in Collinsville, Ted Drewes ice cream stand, the Chain of Rocks bridge and many more. Around 60 quilters contributed the 66 Route 66 quilts, with a handful making more than one. Richards made two: One depicts Stella Atom, a giant statue of a space cowgirl in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the other shows the Blue Whale of Catoosa, a beloved concrete-and-rebar sculpture of a blue whale that stands as a roadside attraction in Catoosa, Oklahoma. Another exhibit at the show, the Magic of Fabulous Faces, features the work of local quilters Jean Impey and Freddy Moran. Each makes quilts of fanciful faces, which are then given names and stories. The show will offer quilting demonstrations and what is called an antique bed turning. This is when a group of antique quilts is placed on a bed and pulled off one by one for discussion. Only a few of the quilts that will be displayed will be for sale, Richards says, but there will be other ways to spend your money. A food truck will be available, and more than 30 vendors will be on hand to sell fabric, notions, sewing machines and other helpful quilt-making items. One booth will be devoted to sharpening scissors. In addition, there will be raffles including a sewing machine raffle. Proceeds from the bag raffle this year will go to support Crisis Nursery. The group is proud of its charitable efforts, Richards says, and often donates quilts to senior citizens groups, childrens organizations, hospitals, hospices and honor flights. If you go What: Fanfare of Quilts When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. March 15, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. March 16 Where: Queeny Park, 550 Weidman Road How much: $10 (cash preferred) More info: bitsnpiecesguild.com/special-events/ The Chamber Music Society of St. Louis is getting its Irish up. Known for its intimate concerts, the organization is going green with Celtic Salute, a special St. Patricks Day themed program. Blending humor and Celtic music, the concert mixes both traditional and contemporary composers. It also features five works that the society has never performed. While the concert is not an annual event, executive and artistic director Marc Gordon, a French horn player and oboist for the St. Louis Symphony for 33 years, explains how the concert came about. Each February, when I start planning the next season, one of the first things I do is go through and see what special days or holidays come up that will work for specific concert nights. We hit the jackpot this year because we could perform this concert on St. Patricks Day, he says. Knowing how important St. Louis connection to Celtic culture is Gordon took great care in planning Celtic Salute. For this concert I did a lot of research to choose what works we would play because its not just about slapping pieces by Irish, Scotch, or any of the Celtic ethnicities on the program. I spent time searching for things that fit the size of the ensembles we have, Gordon says. I found a lot of Irish composers, but many of them were from the early Baroque period and that didnt fit the program. We would need a harpsichord to perform some of those, and I must pay attention to budget, and how many musicians Im going to have in a specific program. Also shying away from the traditional pub songs of the holiday, Celtic Salute celebrates music that is often overlooked. It features three pieces by John Field, an Irish composer and pianist known for pioneering the nocturne, a musical form that influenced composers like Frederic Chopin. Charles Villiers Stanfords 5 Bagatelles in Valse Form, Op. 183 features graceful piano miniatures that highlight his rhythmic style and stirring melodies. Also scheduled is Farewell to Stromness by contemporary composer Peter Maxwell Davies. Written in 1980 to protest uranium mining in the Orkney Islands, its elegant melody has made it a popular work for chamber orchestras. This is an absolutely gorgeous short piano work that we have featured in our programs before, Gordon says. Berceuse for Violin and Piano by John Ireland will also be performed. This evocative work was inspired by traditional Irish folk music. English composer, violist and conductor Frank Bridges An Irish Melody for String Quartet The Londonderry Air is also included on the program. Beginning in the early 20th century, this composition was adapted for the beloved Irish song Danny Boy. Finishing things up is Rossiniana String Quartet No. 19, a technically challenging work from Ian Wilson, a contemporary composer that Gordon is excited to feature. It is really funny. He weaves a whole bunch of Giacomo Rossinis themes into this string quartet. This one will have the audience in stitches. Joining the Chamber Music Society of St. Louis for this event is University City native Brian Woods. Now an internationally acclaimed pianist, he released his first album, Wanderings, in 2024. In addition to only having two rehearsals to learn the repertoire, Gordon and his musicians faced several other challenges in preparing for this concert. Because some of these pieces are unfamiliar it is more difficult to put together in the rehearsals, he says. The other challenge was that there are a lot of contemporary Irish composers, and we dont specialize in that. We play everything from music thats 300 years old up to music that was written earlier this year. But thats not what our focus is. We leave that to other organizations who have composers in residence for that. Stepping out of his comfort zone as a programmer, Gordon is excited for audiences to experience the concert. I look forward to sharing the connections between classical tradition and Celtic folk heritage and the interaction between this string quartet and our audience. If you go What: "Celtic Salute" When: 7:30 p.m. March 17 Where: 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Avenue, University City How much: $42 More info: chambermusicstl.org/ Joe Holleman | Post-Dispatch Political correspondent/columnist Follow Joe Holleman | Post-Dispatch Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Six Republican U.S. senators, including both from Missouri, have picked a fight with the American Bar Association, headed by a St. Louis lawyer. Led by U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, with colleague Josh Hawley signing on, the sextet contends that the association has becoming little more than a partisan-politics vessel. The letter was first obtained and reported on Monday by The Federalist. Calling the ABA a hive of leftist thought and activism, the senators letter urges their colleagues to quit using the associations recommendations when deciding to confirm U.S. judges. The lawmakers also are calling on President Donald Trump and the Department of Justice to remove the association entirely from the judicial nomination process. It is a failed institution that is incapable of impartially rating nominees and making legislative recommendations, states their letter to William R. Bay, the associations president. Bay is a partner with the St. Louis office of Thompson Coburn. He is a former president of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and member of the Missouri Bar Board of Governors. Currently, he co-chairs the Missouri Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness. Bay was not available for comment. Though not in response to the senators letter, Bay told National Public Radio on Tuesday that the Trump administration is targeting judges and lawyers who make decisions with which it disagrees. The senators go on to claim that as we saw during the Biden Administration, the ABAs ratings were little more than political endorsements for the most radical, left-wing partisans. The letter then goes further to take the association to task for its opposition to the Trump administrations slashing of funds for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The senators claim that during the ABAs fight against the cuts, it did not disclose that it had received more than $18 million from USAID since 2008. It is questionable whether the ABA is committed to defending liberty or its own sources of funding, the senators said. Along with Schmitt and Hawley, the letter was signed by GOP U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah and Bernie Moreno of Ohio. ST. LOUIS Missouri Attorney General Andrew Baileys office on Wednesday issued an order prohibiting Missouris Planned Parenthood clinics from providing medication abortions, even though the clinics are not yet providing medication abortions. Planned Parenthood leaders say they are awaiting approval of complication plans they have submitted to the state health department, which they say theyve been told is necessary before providing medication abortions. But Baileys office issued cease-and-desist orders to Planned Parenthood Great Rivers and Planned Parenthood Great Plains, arguing that because of alleged violations of state regulations around 2018, that they will likely violate regulations again in the future. Especially in light of Planned Parenthoods recent, pervasive and knowing violations of Missouri law, it is necessary to issue this Temporary Restraining Order to prohibit future violations, read the order sent to the Planned Parenthood affiliates. It is unknown how long the order will be in place. Bailey first sent a letter to the affiliates on March 5, warning them of his intent to send desist orders because, he said, they were providing medication abortions without an approved complication plan. He gave them two days to respond. The affiliate leaders called the threat baseless. AG Baileys attempt to gin up a fake story and score political points is a clear attempt to threaten and intimidate the states only abortion providers, but Planned Parenthood will not be deterred, leaders stated Wednesday in a press release before the desist order was issued. The Planned Parenthood affiliates each submitted complication plans to the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services on Feb. 20 and Feb. 21, as required according to their interpretation of a recent court ruling on the states medication abortion regulations. Affiliate leaders also announced to the public that they are unable to provide medication abortions until they receive approval from DHSS. Medications abortions involve taking two kinds of pills. The first medication would be taken at the Planned Parenthood clinic after consultation and the second up to two days later at home. The medications can be taken up to 12 weeks gestation. A complication plan requires providers of medication abortions to have a written contract with an obstetrician who is on-call and available twenty-four hours a day to treat complications. Bailey, however, sent his March 5 warning and issued a press release stating, I will not stand by while Planned Parenthood continues to flout the law and put womens lives at risk. The warning read: Whenever it appears to the attorney general that a person has engaged in, is engaging in or is about to engage in any method, act, use, practice or solicitation declared to be unlawful under Missouris consumer-protection statute, the Attorney General may issue an order prohibiting such person or persons from engaging or continuing to engage in such unlawful method, act, use, practice or solicitation. The Planned Parenthood leaders responded with letters within two days. They shared those letters Tuesday with the media. Margot Riphagen, CEO of Great Rivers, wrote: Great Rivers has stated repeatedly, and publicly, that it is waiting for DHSS to approve its complication plan before providing medication abortion. To date, Great Rivers has received zero response from DHSS despite our repeated follow-up inquiries. In addition, Riphagen went on to argue that the statute Bailey uses to issue his warning only covers consumer merchandise, not the provision of health care. Your choice to ignore both law and fact demonstrates that care for the law and patient health are not your true motives here, she wrote. Rather, your aim is to try to harass and intimidate Great Rivers out of providing the safe, essential, constitutionally protected care its patients need. Great Plain CEO Emily Wales sent a nearly identical letter. We look forward to hearing back from DHSS about our proposed complication plan, they each wrote. We would welcome your assistance in urging them to respond to our communications. A week after the complications were submitted, DHSS spokeswoman Sami Jo Freeman told the Post-Dispatch, I do not have an anticipated timeline for approval or denial of the pending complication plans. Missourians in November approved Amendment 3, protecting the right to an abortion up to fetal viability. The Planned Parenthood affiliates have filed a lawsuit, seeing to remove multiple state regulations that have made it too difficult to provide abortions. The judge has temporarily halted some regulations as the case plays out, but not others. Great Plains clinics in Kansas City and Columbia have begun offering procedural abortions on a limited basis up to 12 weeks gestation since procedural abortions do not require a complication plan. Great Rivers is not yet offering procedural abortions in Missouri, saying its staff is currently concentrated at its busy clinic across the Missouri border in Fairview Heights, where providers face few restrictions. ST. LOUIS A man was shot to death during an altercation with his brother shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday at a U-Haul storage facility in the 400 block of South Tucker Boulevard downtown, police said. Police said the victim, Brion Robinson, 28, of the 3500 block of Bingham Avenue, died at the scene. His 22-year-old brother, whose name wasn't released, was shot in the arm and taken to a hospital. Police said a preliminary investigation indicated that the brothers fired shots at each other during the incident. Further details were not released. Updated at 5:50 p.m. Wednesday with more details BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. European countries have followed incorrect policies regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) related to Irans nuclear program, said Irans Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi after todays Cabinet meeting in Tehran, Trend reports. He noted that after the U.S. withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, European countries failed to meet their commitments to Iran. Araghchi pointed out that European countries are now facing an uncertain situation and should be held accountable for the JCPOA issue. These issues are being addressed in our ongoing talks with European countries, he added. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was implemented in January 2016 between Iran and the P5+1 group (U.S., Russia, China, U.K., France, and Germany) regarding Irans nuclear program. In May 2018, the U.S. withdrew from the agreement, and sanctions on Iran were re-imposed in November of the same year. In 2020, Iran declared that there would be no further restrictions on its nuclear activities. In late 2020, Irans parliament decided to pursue a strategic plan to lift the sanctions imposed on Iran. As part of this decision, Iran suspended the additional measures and protocols under the nuclear deal, starting on February 23. This led to a 20-30% reduction in the IAEAs monitoring mechanisms. Iran has consistently stated that its goal is not to acquire nuclear weapons and that it does not support the production of weapons of mass destruction. Additionally, the first round of talks between Iran and three European countries (the UK, France, and Germany) at the deputy foreign ministers level was held in Geneva on November 29, 2024. The second round took place on January 13-14, 2025, and the third round is scheduled for February 24, 2025. These discussions primarily focus on Irans nuclear program. ST. LOUIS A suspect in a weekend bank heist has been captured, police say, after the man's sister told police what he had done. Court documents say Billy Earl Washington got $2,000 in a robbery Saturday of a Commerce Bank, at 6327 Chippewa Street. Washington, 29, was charged Tuesday with first-degree robbery. A judge ordered that he be held without bond. Authorities say Washington walked in to the bank and handed the teller a note, demanding cash and threatening to shoot him if he didn't comply. Several people in the bank saw the robbery, and the bank's surveillance camera recorded it too. Police say they recognized Washington from the video. The teller identified Washington from a photo lineup, court records said. In addition, Washington's sister went to the police Central Patrol and told them her brother had robbed a bank, police said. Washington surrendered to police. He said he spent the cash at Target and a mall, police said. Washington was out of jail on bond in unrelated cases, including charges of stealing in St. Louis and sodomy in Perry County, according to court records. ST. LOUIS In his career, Jerryl Christmas has seen many sides of the legal process. But in recent months, he has gained yet another perspective: the brother of a victim in a homicide case. And hes not pleased with the way it went. His brothers killer got a seven-year sentence. Christmas called it a sweetheart deal. I was opposed to this, Christmas said Tuesday. St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gores office said the plea agreement was reached after careful review by the most senior members of staff. Still, he acknowledged the immense pain this tragedy has caused Christmas family. We understand that they would have liked to have seen Mr. Warren receive a longer sentence, he said in the statement. Resolving cases such as this with plea agreements is a difficult but necessary part of our work. Trevell M. Warren shot John Christmas, 51, at a Phillips 66 gas station on North Kingshighway and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in June 2024. Warren tried to steal a pistol from Christmas waistband while Christmas argued with the Phillips 66 clerk, police said. The two men fought over the gun, and Christmas was killed. Warren was initially charged with second-degree murder, robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm and two counts of armed criminal action. The case worked its way through the process. Then, last week, Jerryl Christmas was in Alabama when he got a call from his sister-in-law. She told him prosecutors had reached a deal in his brothers case. There would be a hearing the next day. I didnt even know that they were in plea negotiations, he said. Christmas called the prosecutor and asked if they could move the hearing back so he could attend, he said. He also learned the substance of the deal: involuntary manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm. Seven years in prison. Christmas was angry and confused. From his viewpoint, the case matched the charges. His brother was killed during a robbery, he says. And the shooter had multiple prior convictions, including for weapons-related offenses. A jury should ultimately decide what punishment Warren should face not prosecutors, he said. You dont capitulate on things like that, he said. Prosecutors said in court Tuesday that Warren tried to disarm not rob John Christmas before the struggle. Warren apologized and said he didn't intend to kill him. John Christmas was the life of the party, Jerryl Christmas said. He was a father of two with the type of mind that allowed him to build things without instructions. He loved to work at food pantries and help people find shelter. He always remembered loved ones birthdays. His death has left Jerryl Christmas feeling victimized twice once when he lost his loved one and again by a legal system that didnt serve him. Dont disrespect the value of our lives with this plea agreement, he said. Jerryl Christmas said he hopes his experience will help people like him better participate in their loved ones cases. He urged fellow victims to regularly call prosecutors or victims services representatives for updates. Ask them to keep you involved in the process, he said. As victims, we have a right to know whats going on. ST. LOUIS A long dispute about illegal dumping at a popular Catholic parish here has boiled over into assault charges after police say a maintenance worker was nearly run over by an octogenarian. Roland Clubb, 80, a neighbor of St. Raphael the Archangel in the quiet St. Louis Hills neighborhood, has been charged with second-degree assault. Clubb is accused of trying to run over a St. Raphael maintenance worker, Robert Schlueter, 66, on Friday morning after Schlueter told him not to dump in the churchs trash bins. St. Raphael the Archangel is at 6000 Jamieson Ave. Clubb owns duplexes in the area and is alleged to have been filling St. Raphaels trash bins over the years to dispose of belongings from former tenants. Items included some appliances and large amounts of trash, prosecutors said. The church had to hire a private company to empty the bins. The bins overflowed many times, and Schlueter, who has worked at St. Raphael for 18 years, repeatedly told Clubb not to use them. Instead, Clubb began persistently harassing Schlueter, police said. Then, on Friday, Clubb tried to run down Schlueter in Clubbs GMC Canyon pickup truck, police said. Schlueter jumped out of the way. Clubb then stopped the truck and yelled profanities at Schlueter in the presence of the children, police said. The schools video surveillance captured the incident, police said. Clubb is charged with second-degree assault of "special victim" because the victim is considered a senior citizen. The special victim status means the felony is more severe. It is punishable by five to 15 years in prison. The Rev. Thomas Molini of St. Raphael wouldnt discuss the incident or say if he had ever intervened in the matter. Molini referred questions to Brecht Mulvihill, a spokesperson for the archdiocese. Mulvihill said Schlueter was uninjured but certainly upset by the situation. The children in the lot were never in any danger, he said. The incident took place near the Jamieson entrance, and children on recess were more toward the back of the property, he said. The incident itself was so brief that I dont know that the folks that were out on the parking lot even know it had occurred, Mulvihill said. The school principal did not return messages seeking comment. On Monday, two neighbors came to court to speak on Clubbs behalf, as did his daughter. Clubbs lawyer, Peter Bruntrager, said the supporters mainly were speaking about his character and what he does for people in neighborhood. Twice a week, he brings bread to an inner-city church, Bruntrager said. Bruntrager said his client had no criminal history to speak of. Hes a longtime St. Louis resident who is very active in the community and has the support of his neighbors, Bruntrager said. But Schlueter said, in a statement read in court, that he asked Clubb a year ago to stop dumping in the church dumpsters. Since then, Clubb has been a menace, Schlueter said in his statement. He has threatened Schlueter with obscene hand gestures and yelled threats, even in front of the children at school. Schlueter felt like Clubb was stalking him and feared for what Clubb might do to him. He has every minute of every day to make bad decisions, according to Schlueters statement read in court. I am in fear, he wrote. Clubb was arrested Friday and spent three nights in the St. Louis jail. Prosecutors asked Judge Catherine Dierker on Monday to hold him in jail until trial without bond. They said it would be nearly impossible for him to have no contact with the church because he lives directly across the street. If released, however, prosecutors asked that someone sponsor Clubb and pledge to check on him so he doesnt break the rules. They also asked for electronic monitoring and a no-contact order with Schlueter or the church. Dierker allowed Clubb to be released on bond with electronic monitoring on house arrest. He is prohibited from driving and cant have contact with Schlueter or the church. JEFFERSON CITY Republican-aligned business groups asked the Missouri Supreme Court Wednesday to overturn the results of a voter-approved increase in the states minimum wage. Although no formal decision was made, three members of the high court, including Chief Justice Mary Russell, signaled that the case may be better suited to be decided in a lower-level courtroom before the Supreme Court is asked to weigh in. Despite winning the backing of more than 57% of voters in the November election, the ballot measure paving the way for a higher wage and a provision offering workers family leave was fatally flawed and should be tossed out, the business groups say. Supporters of Proposition A, which was pushed by the Missouri Jobs with Justice Ballot Fund, said the high court should let the election results stand. This is an extraordinary request, and it requires an extraordinary showing that contestants do not come close to making, supporters said in a legal brief. Starting Jan. 1, the minimum wage in Missouri is set to increase by $1.45. The new minimum hourly rate will be $13.75 with provisions that will allow it to rise to $15 per hour with guaranteed time paid off. The increase would add an estimated $1,083 each year to the paychecks of qualifying Missouri workers, according to the Missouri Budget Project. Arguing on behalf of the business groups, attorney Marc Ellinger said the measure violated the constitutional rule that ballot questions be limited to a single subject. They said the proposal made multiple changes to the minimum wage, paid sick leave and paid domestic violence leave. There is no one subject in the title, Ellinger said. The constitution was not complied with. Voters were misled. The organizations fighting the wage hike include the Missouri Grocers Association, the states restaurant association, Associated Industries of Missouri and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The groups also argued the measures fiscal note prepared by Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick was flawed, with some costs not included in the summary given to voters. In a brief, Fitzpatricks attorneys said the groups provided no proof that was the case. Contestants offered no expert opinion to attempt to establish that different fiscal impact information might have made an impact on a voters decision to support or reject Proposition A, the auditors brief noted. Attorney Robert Tillman, representing the auditor, said the language was solid and the hurdles are too high to overcome for the court to set aside an election. Not all businesses are opposed to the changes. A brief filed by five Missouri business owners said the lawsuit wrongly seeks to overturn the will of the strong majority of voters. The businesses contend that raising the minimum wage boosts consumer spending at local businesses and, along with paid sick leave, will reduce costly employee turnover and lead to increased productivity, improved health and safety, and better customer service. As a Mom and Pop business, Yellow Dog Bookshop stays competitive by treating employees well and providing a better customer experience, said Joseph Chevalier, owner of the Columbia used bookstore. The shop has experienced low turnover over the years, which saves time and money that would otherwise have to be spent on hiring and training new people. Action in the courtroom came a day after the Republican-led Missouri House gave preliminary approval to a plan to gut the initiative by delaying the raise and eliminating the paid leave element. Democrats blasted the move, saying it represents another example of the Legislature ignoring the will of the voters. A vote in the full House is expected on Thursday. Republicans also have renewed discussions on legislation that would make it harder for Missourians to place questions on the ballot, as well as raising the threshold needed to win passage. The legislation is House Bill 567. ST. LOUIS COUNTY The Rockwood school board member accused of stealing from two area Target stores has resigned from the board. Izzy Imig, 41, has also dropped her bid for reelection in the April general election, according to a message to constituents from the Rockwood Board of Education on Wednesday. We have received notification from Board Director Izzy Imig that she has resigned as a Board Director as of March 11, 2025 for health and personal reasons, the message reads. Ms. Imig has also indicated that she no longer wants to be considered a candidate for the April 8 Board election. Please note, with the election only weeks away, it is not possible to remove Ms. Imigs name from the ballot, but we wanted to inform you of her resignation and withdrawal from the race. Imig did not immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday afternoon. She was arrested March 4 over allegations that she stole a vacuum cleaner from the Target in Chesterfield. Also, on Friday, Ballwin Police issued her a court summons for allegedly stealing about $300 worth of merchandise from the Ballwin Target in February. The accusations rocked the Rockwood community, whose Board of Education was previously roiled in controversy during the height of culture war battles on school boards. In her resignation letter to district leaders, Imig said the decision to resign did not come easy as she genuinely enjoyed serving on the board. However, due to ongoing health and personal issues, I believe it is in my best interest to step down and focus on my well-being and family, Imig wrote. Imig was elected to the board in 2022 amid a wave of conservative candidates seeking school board seats in races across the area. At the time, she said she was running to get Rockwood out of politics and back into academic excellence. She received the most support out of any other candidates for the board that year, including Jessica Laurent Clark, who also won a seat on the board. Clark garnered infamy for promoting sugaring, a term for young people exchanging emotional intimacy for money. Clark resigned from the board in April. There are now two candidates for the two open seats on Rockwoods board. Imigs former opponents in this Aprils race, Sarah Boyer and Mara Voracheck-Warren, declined to comment on the stealing allegations on Tuesday and did not immediately return messages on Wednesday. Imigs campaign Facebook page was deleted by Wednesday afternoon. In her resignation letter, she said she was grateful for the opportunities shes had at our amazing district. I wish you and the team continued success, Imig wrote. ST. LOUIS Developer Paul McKee agreed in September to repay a union that had loaned him money for GreenLeaf Market, the now-shuttered grocery at 13th and Cass north of downtown. But he didnt pay by the December deadline, and when the union tried to ask him how much money he had, he invoked his constitutional right not to testify. McKees use of the U.S. Constitutions Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination is the latest tactic the controversial developer and his legal team have used as they try to keep control of hundreds of acres of real estate north of downtown. In a lawsuit filed in November 2023, the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council sued McKee and companies connected to the grocery store over a $1.5 million loan it extended to them in January 2020. The union told the court last year McKee and the grocery companies had agreed to pay $2 million in unpaid principal and interest by the end of December nearly two years after the loan was due. When they missed the deadline, the union hauled McKee in for a Jan. 27 deposition to find out what assets were available to pay back the loan. What bank accounts, certificates of deposit, stock and investments does St. Louis Grocery Group hold? Sherrie Hall, an attorney for the Carpenters union asked McKee during the deposition. I plead the Fifth, McKee responded. What is the value of those assets? she continued. I plead the Fifth, he responded. That was the back-and-forth for an hour and a half as McKee, the controversial developer behind NorthSide Regeneration, invoked the Fifth Amendment 381 times. Also taking the Fifth in response to the unions questions during the January deposition was McKee associate Glenn Mitchell, who is listed as a member and manager of several limited liability companies tied to the GreenLeaf grocery. GreenLeaf closed in December 2023. The month before the store closed, the Carpenters union sued McKee and several companies tied to the grocer over the $1.5 million loan. Among the allegations was that McKee had put up as collateral on the loan his interest in an OFallon, Missouri, office building at 2342 Technology Drive. But in December 2020, Simmons Bank foreclosed on that building. When it made the loan to McKee and the GreenLeaf companies, the union was known as the St. Louis-Kansas City Carpenters Regional Council and was led by Al Bond. Bond used a union loan fund to make millions of dollars in loans to St. Louis companies and developers, among the largest of which went to McKee and his companies. In addition to the grocery loan, the Carpenters union under Bond also loaned $1.5 million to help fund McKees Homer G. Phillips medical clinic, a loan whose balance has since grown to nearly $3 million. The medical clinic shuttered in December. The loan fund was meant to help construction projects that would employ union members. Bond made the GreenLeaf loan more than six months after the store opened, and it was used for operating expenses, not construction costs. The unions national president fired Bond in September 2021 and dissolved the St. Louis-based union, merging its operations with the Chicago regional office and renaming it the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council. McKee refused to answer questions about whether he believed answering questions about his assets legitimately exposed him to criminal liability. But both McKee and Bond have been tied to federal criminal investigations before. Three years ago, Bond faced a federal criminal investigation, according to court documents filed in a lawsuit the union filed against him. It was seeking to recover more than $3 million paid for billboard advertising contracts he allegedly gave to his friend, advertising executive James Neumann. In an April 2022 court filing in that case, a lawyer for Bond said he faced Department of Justice issues and was interviewing criminal defense attorneys. Its unclear whether the feds are still investigating. McKees NorthSide was also once the target of an FBI investigation into paper-only real estate transactions that NorthSide used to obtain millions of dollars in Missouri tax credits meant to reimburse him for money spent to purchase and maintain land. The Post-Dispatch obtained a copy of that 2018 FBI investigation, which documented instances in which NorthSide put no money down and used seller financing to acquire real estate essentially writing an IOU and transferring the ownership on paper in order to trigger millions in tax credits. The newspaper had previously reported other instances of such transactions. In 2011 and 2012, NorthSide took title to land near the Dome at Americas Center known as the Bottle District for no money down. It had been owned by McKee business partners Larry Chapman and Claycos Bob Clark. The paper-only transfer triggered some $9 million in tax credits, the proceeds of which NorthSide split with Chapman and Clarks companies. Even though the property is still technically in NorthSides name, Clark as recently as 2021 indicated he still controlled the Bottle District real estate and could transfer it to the city. Ultimately, no one was charged in the paper-only state tax credit deals. The federal five-year statute of limitations on wire fraud had expired. Whether McKee truly believes he still faces criminal charges from his business activities, the Missouri Supreme Court has given debtors broad leeway to invoke the Fifth Amendment. In 2012, the states high court overruled a St. Louis County Circuit Court judge who ordered two debtors to testify and reveal their assets. Regardless, the Carpenters union says McKee and Mitchells use of the Fifth Amendment is unjustified, and it is asking a judge to compel them to answer questions about their assets. Their refusal to answer deposition questions about Mitchells telephone number, the business status of the Grocery Group Defendants and the McKee Entity Defendants, their roles in those companies, their title and ownership in the companies, the names of employees or those associated with the companies, and even basic information such as the companies addresses, was improper, the union said in a February filing. None of these questions sought information that could have incriminated them or linked them to any criminal activity. A McKee lawyer at law firm Stone Leyton and Gershman referred questions to Steven Goldstein of Goldstein and Pressman, who represented McKee and Mitchell during the depositions. I only litigate in a court of law and not in the court of public opinion, Goldstein said in an email. Likewise, I share my thoughts on strategy only with my co-counsel and my clients. McKee is facing legal action from multiple directions. The St. Louis Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority has begun eminent domain proceedings on dozens of properties owned by NorthSide Regeneration around the nearly complete National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. And last year, NorthSide faced foreclosure on roughly 1,000 properties for years of unpaid property taxes. It managed to pay the roughly $1 million tax bill by a December deadline. JEFFERSON CITY A plan to slash the states income tax rate, eliminate taxes on capital gains, boost tax credits for pregnancy resource centers and more is headed to the Missouri Senate. The House on Wednesday approved the wide-ranging tax cut plan, which would also cut the corporate income tax rate from 4% to 3.75%. The legislation also does away with state income tax brackets, instituting a flat income tax. The current top rate is 4.7%, but that could fall to a flat 3.7% by 2035 if certain revenue thresholds are met. The legislation would also exempt capital gains from the state income tax starting for the 2025 tax year. Also, people who contribute to pregnancy resource centers would see increased tax benefits under the bill. The current 70% tax credit on such donations would rise to 100% allowing someone to eliminate a $1,000 state income tax bill by donating $1,000 to a pregnancy resource center. In addition, donations to diaper banks and maternity homes would also be eligible for the 100% tax credit. The legislation also increases the Missouri standard deduction, which is currently set at the amount of the federal standard deduction ($14,600 for single filers in 2024). The legislation voted on Wednesday would allow state taxpayers to deduct $4,000 from their taxable income, in addition to the federal standard deduction amount. In all, according to a nonpartisan fiscal analysis, the omnibus tax-cut package could cost the state $442 million in general revenue in fiscal 2027 and over $1.2 billion in fiscal 2036, once it is fully implemented. The measure could be pared back in the Senate. Members of the upper chamber have signaled the capital gains cut may be too costly to the state. The legislation is House Bill 798. KINLOCH Damille Dixsons dog circled around her feet Tuesday as the Kinloch native watched a convoy of heavy machinery clear away mountains of brush, mattresses, abandoned toys and construction debris from the top of the hill on Scudder Road. Dixson and her neighbors have struggled for years against people from across the region who come at night to use this small, impoverished citys streets, fields and ditches as one giant trashcan. The excavators, bulldozers and trucks in Kinloch this week are part of one the largest cleanup efforts in this historic Black town that became an impoverished dumping site after years of upheaval. Its like a breath of fresh air, said Dixson, 30. There is some major muscle in this cleanup that we havent had before. It makes me hopeful. Officials say the work is part of a revitalization plan for Kinloch, one they hope can help spur new development in the city for the first time in years. This is just the beginning, City Manager Justine Blue said in an interview. Kinloch is still here, and were hoping to rebuild it. The latest effort, led by the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, brings together St. Louis County and St. Louis agencies, the nonprofit Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and private corporations for a week of cleanup work. The first town in Missouri to be incorporated by Black residents, Kinloch was once a thriving town of 10,000 people, nestled in between Ferguson, Berkeley and Lambert Airport, just northeast of Interstate 170 and Interstate 70. It had its own theater, post office, businesses and schools. But in the 1980s, residents started leaving the city as St. Louis Lambert International Airport bought more than 1,000 homes for a noise-mitigation program. The population plummeted, Kinlochs tax base dwindled and buildings rotted, leaving hundreds of vacant parcels, many of them still owned by the airport. The city was beset by political scandal for years and struggled financially, including a lawsuit by the regions sewer district alleging the city hasnt paid $400,000 in delinquent bills. Today, Kinloch is home to fewer than 300 people who live in an area of less than a square mile. The median household income here is about $28,600 and the poverty rate 51%. The latest cleanup followed years of calls for help from local officials. Officials have installed cameras and cordoned off some streets. The St. Louis County Parks Foundation launched a $2.5 redevelopment of the county-owned Kinloch Park, a 9-acre centerpiece of the community, paid for largely through private donations and federal parks grants. And the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership launched an effort to spur new commercial development in the city. (Federal regulations bar residential redevelopment of land bought by the airport.) This effort is bigger than anything in the past in the number of partners working together, the resources we have, the length of time were committing to it, said Blue, the city manager. We are just overjoyed with the amount of support we have. The cleanup is expected to last until Friday. A second round, this time using hundreds of volunteers to tidy up what machines cant pick up, is planned for May. Along Scudder Road on Tuesday, an excavator worked its way through mounds of tires. Down the street, Alandon Pitts, a project manager with the Regional Business Council, waved through trucks loaded with debris. Workers had cleared about 147 tons of trash since they started work Monday, he said. A car drove up to Pitts and the driver asked how he could help. Atif Mahr Sr., of St. Louis, said he learned about the cleanup from the Urban League, and wanted to volunteer. This is a part of our community, he said. We have to help take care of it. At Second Missionary Baptist Church, Pastor Jefferey Gilyard Sr., waved to a deacon installing a fence around the churchs properties, as a plane landing at Lambert roared overhead. The fence, and a gate on Rev. Dr. Earl Miller Street, is meant to keep illegal dumpers away. Gilyard Sr., of Fairview Heights, leads a congregation of about 60 people that includes former residents like him, he said. Kinloch, despite its troubles, remains a great source of pride for anyone who grew up there, he said. While it may never be the city it once was, its still important to care for, he said. Kinloch is not gone, its just been dumped on, said Gilyard Sr., 70. It feels like a mighty Phoenix rising out of the ashes. Across Kinloch, illegal dumping leaves trash in roadways and overgrown lots, including land owned by St. Louis City of St. Louis owns more than 400 lots in Kinloch and some officials look to the city to help lead the clean up. Photos: Cleanup in Kinloch removes mounds of illegally dumped trash JEFFERSON CITY When Missouris attorney general says hell seize Chinese-owned assets to force China to pay a $24.5 billion award won by the state in a lawsuit over COVID-19, the threat might be more important than actually collecting any money. Similarly, when Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued Starbucks last month, alleging that the coffee shop chain with a white male CEO discriminated against white men in hiring, the point might have been less about winning in court than the fight itself. Hes attacking the diversity, equity and inclusion programs that liberals have championed and his Democratic counterparts have supported. Over the past decade, state attorneys general have become increasingly visible for suing presidential administrations of the opposite political party and pursuing policy goals through warnings and public demand letters. They are not only their states top law enforcement officials but now also chief advocates for a variety of causes and few seem as busy at it as Bailey. If youre suing everybody, why not China? said Benjamin Wittes, the editor-in-chief of the nonprofit Brookings Institutions Lawfare publication. Lower-profile offices become focused on national politics For decades, attorneys general promised to fight crime by advocating tougher criminal sentences and defending convictions in serious cases while enforcing consumer protection laws and ousting the occasional errant local official. They still do, but lawsuits and threats of lawsuits over national issues now get far more attention. Attorneys general argue that theyve been pushed into it by presidents and federal agency heads. North Dakotas Drew Wrigley, a Republican, said environmental rules pursued under President Joe Biden compelled agricultural and energy-producing states like his to ask courts to force the Democratic administration to respect appropriate constitutional and legal boundaries. The Biden administration routinely abused executive authority, and regularly exercised power that Congress did not give them, Wrigley said. Our court victories have been victories for the rule of law in this nation. The shift started in the 1990s, when 46 attorneys general banded together to sue tobacco companies. A settlement led to annual payments to states exceeding $165 billion as of 2024. That was really what gave AGs the experience to realize that they could make a major difference on the national level, even if the executive branch and even if Congress didnt act, said Paul Nolette, a Marquette University political scientist. Later, with Democrat Barack Obama in the White House, Republican attorneys general filed legal challenges against his administration. Democratic AGs did the same during Republican President Donald Trumps first term. As the United States has become much more polarized, thats been matched by the politicization of the attorney generals office, said Drury University political scientist Daniel Ponder. Lawsuits may be derided but they reap political benefits Critics deride such tactics as grandstanding, but attorneys general have incentives to pursue them. In 2022, Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro won the Pennsylvania governors race after touting more than 20 legal challenges to Trump administration actions, and he was a leading contender for his partys 2024 vice presidential nomination. Kansas Republican Kris Kobach lost races for governor in 2018 and the U.S. Senate in 2020 but resurrected his political career in 2022 by winning the attorney generals race after promising to spend each breakfast thinking about potential lawsuits against the Biden administration. Baileys two predecessors in Missouri, both Republicans, won U.S. Senate seats: Eric Schmitt in 2022 and Josh Hawley in 2018. Baileys own headline-grabbing work helped him get an audience before Trump as a potential U.S. attorney general appointee, although ultimately he didnt get the job. He defended Missouris lawsuit against China filed by Schmitt, his predecessor, and inherited by Bailey by pointing to the result, though Wittes and other experts believe it will be difficult to seize assets and collect money from China. Missouri claimed that China hoarded personal protective equipment during the pandemic, harming the state. This historic victory is a significant first step in holding wrongdoers accountable, Bailey said. Missouri has had plenty of targets besides China Of course, China is far from Missouris only target. Bailey has threatened private gyms over bathroom policies, demanded that public schools ban drag shows and sued New York state, claiming that Trumps 2024 hush money criminal trial was overt meddling in the election that limited Missouri voters information. Bailey was in office less than three weeks in January 2023 when he joined a multistate lawsuit against the Biden administration over immigration policy, and the next day, he was challenging a policy allowing 401(k) managers to use environmental, social and governance principles in their investing. Missouri kept joining lawsuits against Bidens administration: four over immigration policy, three over efforts to forgive college student loan debt, two over environmental rules, two over gun safety initiatives and two over transgender rights measures. Even after Biden left the White House, Bailey wasnt done with him. In a Facebook post last week, Bailey called for the Trump administration to investigate Bidens mental fitness late in his term and whether it undercut the legality of executive orders, pardons, and all other actions issued in his name. Suing Starbucks: Diversity goals as alleged discrimination Baileys lawsuit against Starbucks came weeks after Trump ordered an end to the federal governments DEI programs. The lawsuit alleges the companys DEI programs are pretexts for quotas limiting the number of white, male employees, resulting in a more female and less white workforce since 2020, when CEO Brian Niccol, who is white, took over. Bailey argues that Starbucks practices, including actions against managers who dont meet DEI goals, violate state and federal laws against making employment decisions based on race or sex. I have a responsibility to protect Missourians from a company that actively engages in systemic race and sex discrimination, Bailey said. Starbucks did not respond to a request for comment and has until April 7 to file its response to the lawsuit. Even if these suits are ultimately unsuccessful, they can have other effects in terms of changing behavior on the part of the defendants, in some cases delaying policy for a long time, Marquettes Nolette said. Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas. Associated Press writer Jack Dura also contributed reporting from Bismarck, North Dakota. JEFFERSON CITY A Republican proposal to give a break to Missourians who pay federal capital gains taxes hit a bipartisan roadblock in the Missouri Senate on Tuesday. The proposed legislation would allow Missourians to deduct 100% of all capital gains income reported to the IRS from their state income tax liability. Capital gains are the profits made from the sale of assets, such as land, stocks and bonds. But the cost to the state would be hefty: an estimated $334 million in the short term and over $200 million annually afterwards, according to a nonpartisan fiscal analysis. The bill sponsor, Sen. Curtis Trent, R-Springfield, argued it would spur business and therefore help all Missourians. In essence, every Missourian (will benefit), from workers whose labor is now more valuable because theyre able to work with more capital inputs, to small businesses and family farms, who can make decisions based on whats good for business rather than what minimizes their tax liability, Trent said. Democrats were quick to criticize the proposal. Sen. Barbara Washington, D-Kansas City, said the bill would harm Missouris working-class citizens and allow the wealthy to make America worse again. Some Republicans also objected, arguing the policy unfairly benefits the richest Missourians. (When) people sell a million dollars with a Microsoft stock, Im not sure paying 4.7% of that in taxes is awful, Sen. Mike Cierpiot, R-Lees Summit, said. In the 2022 tax year, just over 8,000 Missourians claimed $7.2 billion in capital gains. Thats over half of the $13.3 billion claimed in capital gains across 2.9 million filings that year. In other words, about 0.2% of Missouri taxpayers claimed over half of the capital gains reported. Cierpiot argued that allowing Missourians to use capital gains to cut their state tax liability would make it difficult to reduce the state income tax rate, something that would help all Missourians. The income tax rate cuts signed into law by former Gov. Mike Parson are tied to state revenues. If state revenue declines the income tax rate wont go down. Cierpiot added he would be supportive of limiting the capital gains measure so that it benefits just those who inherit a family farm. Agriculture groups back the proposal because it could spur older farmers to sell their land to younger farmers and ranchers rather than hold on to it to avoid taxes. The House passed the legislation along party lines, with only one Democrat, Rep. Raychel Proudie, D-Ferguson, voting for it. After a few hours of debate, the Senate moved on to other legislation. The legislation is House Bill 594. JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri House on Wednesday gave final approval to a proposed state takeover of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, sending the plan to Gov. Mike Kehoe. Kehoe, a Republican, is expected to sign the plan, which has been a top priority for the new governor. The legislation passed Wednesday is part of a wide-ranging crime bill touching on numerous topics. The action hands Kehoe his first major legislative victory as governor and represents a final blow to Democratic opponents of the plan, including St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. The state takeover will take effect when Kehoe signs it, and the governor will be required to appoint four members to the new Board of Police Commissioners within 90 days after the signing. The St. Louis mayor, who currently appoints the citys chief of police, will also be a member of the board, along with a sixth member who wont have voting power. Kehoe, in a statement, praised legislators for prioritizing public safety at the start of this legislative session. I look forward to seeing this legislation on my desk, he said. Jones, in a statement Wednesday, said her administration has spent the last four years addressing the realities of crime in the city. We continue to improve 911 response times, weve introduced call diversion programs, weve invested in community organizations that address the root causes of crime, and all this has resulted in a historic decrease in crime, she said. St. Louis gained local control of its police department following a 2012 statewide vote. But in more recent years, moves to do away with the change have gained traction. All this bill does is halt and reverse our progress in service of allowing a small number of non-city-residents to pat themselves on the back because they succeeded in taking away the will of the voters once again, Jones said. This bill is disrespectful, its pathetic, and its cowardly. The 113-39 vote Wednesday, with seven legislators voting present, followed one last round of emotional debate on the House floor. Kehoe has argued the takeover would increase accountability and oversight of the department. But on Wednesday, state Rep. Kimberly-Ann Collins, D-St. Louis, called the bill a slap in the face to the city. Individuals want to take over our police department because we have an African American female mayor who currently serves the city of St. Louis, she said. I personally believe that state control is about mass incarceration. But Rep. Brad Christ, R-south St. Louis County, said the takeover is a great tool though not a cure-all. Were going to ensure that the governor and Legislature can appoint and approve a set of people who are serious about public safety, Christ said. The four new commissioners will need to be St. Louis residents, while the nonvoting member could come from St. Louis County if they own and pay taxes on real property in the city. Christ said no one should wait minutes for a 911 dispatcher to pick up or an hour for an officer to arrive. Rep. Mark Sharp, D-Kansas City, said he wants to improve response times but that there wasnt language in the bill dedicated to that. Transferring the oversight of the St. Louis Police Department from local elected officials to the state is not an automatic improvement to response times, Sharp said. Rep. Del Taylor, D-St. Louis, said the bill does nothing to address crime. He noted a police board oversaw the department for years and that there was a statewide vote to undo state control. But not all Democrats voiced opposition. Rep. Steve Butz, a south St. Louis Democrat who is running for state Senate, said St. Louis County also has a police board, though one not appointed by the governor. If we pass this bill, and there is good bipartisan support ... it will dramatically improve the morale of the men and women of the St. Louis city police department who overwhelmingly support his bill, Butz said. In the end, seven Democrats broke with most of their party to back the wide-ranging crime bill, while two Republicans voted against the bill. In addition to Butz, other Democrats who voted for it were Nick Kimble, of St. Louis; Mark Boyko of Kirkwood; Ian Mackey of Clayton; and Ken Jamison, Martin Jacobs and William Jobe, all from the Kansas City area. Republicans who voted against the measure were Bryant Wolfin of Ste. Genevieve and Rep. Mazzie Christensen of Bethany. Prior to the 2012 vote, state control of the department dated to the start of the Civil War, when pro-Confederate state officials wanted to contain the pro-Union city police department. The House vote Wednesday followed final action in the Senate on Monday on the bill. Multiple Democratic priorities were added to the omnibus crime bill that included the state takeover, including a state task force on missing and murdered African American women, a limit on how much jails and prisons may charge inmates for phone calls, and a measure allowing more exonerees to seek restitution from the state. The legislation also would require the sheriff of the city of St. Louis to have a valid peace officer license within two years of being elected as sheriff. The bill also includes a new law against stunt driving and requirement that officers report information on immigration or citizenship status for people arrested for certain crimes. This legislation gives law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on crime and illegal immigration and enacts a citizen board to oversee the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Kehoe said. St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy, in a statement after the vote, said the departments mission remained unchanged. Public safety is and will always remain our top priority for our community. The brave men and women of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are fully committed to protecting and serving the City of St. Louis. SLMPD currently has 883 commissioned employees and 32 police trainees, Tracy said. The legislation is House Bill 495. BERKELEY Berkeley Mayor Babatunde Deinbo, a fixture in government and politics in the north St. Louis County city for three decades, died Monday at his home. He was 73. Deinbo had been fighting gall bladder cancer for the past year, family members said. He was re-elected as mayor last April. Because of his worsening condition, he had recently submitted his resignation, which took effect earlier Monday, his family said. Deinbo first served as mayor from 2000 to 2004, then was elected again to the post in 2020. He was a city councilman from 1996 to 2000 and councilman at large from 2004 to 2014. His wife, Marian Deinbo, said he was active in politics for so many years because he loved it so much. And, she said, it was kind of in his blood. His dad was a tribal leader in Nigeria, where Deinbo grew up. In his recent terms as mayor, she said, he was proud of his efforts to upgrade city parks and streets. Deinbo came to the United States in 1977 to attend the University of Missouri-St. Louis at the urging of his sister, who already was living here. She died several years ago. At UMSL he earned a bachelors degree in speech communications and a masters in political science. Earlier he had studied at the Sorbonne in France and in Great Britain. At UMSL he was a founder and president of the International Students Organization which helped foreign students at the school. For 32 years Deinbo worked for the St. Louis Public Schools, much of that time as cultural resources coordinator at Soldan International Studies High School. He also was an assistant principal at Soldan, his wife said. Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced. Among other survivors are two sons, David Deinbo of St. Charles and Howard Washington of Torrance, California, and a daughter, Ajike Deinbo of Jennings. Under Berkeleys city charter, Councilwoman-at-Large Rita Crawford-Graham will serve as acting mayor until a new mayor is chosen by voters at a special election. The City Council sets the election date. Climate change is already causing all sorts of problems on Earth, but soon it will be making a mess in orbit around the planet too, a new study finds. MIT researchers calculated that as global warming caused by the burning of coal, oil and gas continues, it may reduce the available space for satellites in low Earth orbit by anywhere from one-third to 82% by the end of the century, depending on how much carbon pollution is spewed. That's because space will become more littered with debris as climate change lessens nature's way of cleaning it up. Part of the greenhouse effect that warms the air near Earth's surface also cools the upper parts of the atmosphere where space starts and satellites zip around in low orbit, That cooling also makes the upper atmosphere less dense, which reduces the drag on the millions of pieces of human-made debris and satellites. That drag pulls space junk down to Earth, burning up on the way. But a cooler and less dense upper atmosphere means less space cleaning itself. That means that space gets more crowded, according to a new study in Nature Sustainability. We rely on the atmosphere to clean up our debris. Theres no other way to remove debris, said study lead author Will Parker, an astrodynamics researcher at MIT. Its trash. Its garbage. And there are millions of pieces of it. Circling Earth are millions of pieces of debris about one-ninth of an inch and larger the width of two stacked pennies and those collide with the energy of a bullet. There are tens of thousands of plum-sized pieces of space junk that hit with the power of a crashing bus, according to The Aerospace Corp., which monitors orbital debris. That junk includes results of old space crashes and parts of rockets with most of it too small to be tracked. There are 11,905 satellites circling Earth 7,356 in low orbit according to the tracking website Orbiting Now. Satellites are critical for communications, navigation, weather forecasting and monitoring environmental and national security issues. There used to be this mantra that space is big. And so we can we can sort of not necessarily be good stewards of the environment because the environment is basically unlimited, Parker said. But a 2009 crash of two satellites created thousands of pieces of space junk. Also, NASA measurements are showing a measurable reduction of drag, so scientists now realize that that the climate change component is really important, Parker said. The density at 250 miles above Earth is decreasing by about 2% a decade and is likely to intensify as society pumps more greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, said Ingrid Cnossen, a space weather scientist at the British Antarctic Survey who was not part of the research. Cnossen said in an email that the new study makes perfect sense and is why scientists have to be aware of climate change's orbital effects so that appropriate measures can be taken to ensure its long-term sustainability. Is the US becoming uninsurable? How climate change affects insurance costs Is the US becoming uninsurable? How climate change affects insurance costs Severe storms cause the most damage nationally each year Aerial photograph of the waterfront facilities on campus at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., Nov. 2, 2023. (Matthew Thieme/U.S. Coast Guard) NEW LONDON, Conn. (Tribune News Service) A U.S. Department of Homeland Security order banning climate change activities and the use of climate change terminology in DHS policies and programs caused a stir among Coast Guard Academy alumni last month. After receiving several letters of concern, the academys alumni association sought a response from the academys provost, a senior academic official, who said the academy was required to heed the order. The Coast Guard falls under the Department of Homeland Securitys jurisdiction. This is a lawful directive with which we are obligated to comply, and we are doing so, the provost, Amy Donahue, said in a statement posted Feb. 28 on the Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association website. Further, in order to be fully mission capable, the Coast Guard needs officers who understand and are prepared to function effectively in the operating environment of a maritime military service. Donahue said academy faculty have worked to satisfy the requirements of the directive, which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem put out Feb. 14. The directive stemmed from an executive order President Donald Trump issued Jan. 20 that rescinded a series of executive orders his predecessor had signed. I directed our faculty to review the Academys academic curriculum to identify and revise any instances where our course content does not meet the Secretarys intent or does not align with the Presidents Executive Orders to ensure we come into full alignment, Donahue said in her statement. My guidance to them was that we will not use climate change or related terminology about contemporary human-induced rise in global temperatures in our class assignments and materials. Instead, we focus on particular scientific phenomena and the impacts that are pertinent to Service needs and missions. Donahue said the academy has revised courses that had been addressing climate change. That said, she added, we have not and will not abandon science education. She said the academy will continue to teach cadets about weather patterns, atmospheric phenomena, paleoclimatology, meteorology, oceanography, geospatial sciences, the conditions of sea ice, ocean conditions, the characteristics of coastal environments, energy generation methods, marine ecology and fisheries, the hazards like storms and flooding, and other similar topics, not to mention the fundamentals of physics, chemistry, and civil engineering. The academy referred questions about the Noem directives impact on the academys curriculum to the Coast Guard media relations office, which did not respond. In an interview with Inside Climate News, a news organization that covers climate, energy and environment, retired Adm. Paul Zukunft, commandant of the Coast Guard from 2014 to 2018, said cadets need to be educated about climate change. If were not smart about the environment that we operate in, were going to be a much less capable Coast Guard, he said. Adm. Linda Fagan, whom Trump removed as commandant shortly after his second inauguration, addressed the importance of preparing for climate change in The Coast Guard Climate Framework, a January 2023 report. Climate change and its impacts will continue to define the 21st Century, Fagan wrote in the report. From episodic events like flash floods and wildfires to long-term trends of rising sea levels and temperatures, climate-induced risks threaten national security, economic prosperity, and the safety of communities across America. These risks have long-term effects on Coast Guard operations, missions, and infrastructure. 2025 The Day . Visit www.theday.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Construction vessels float on Oura Bay at the site of a future U.S. Marine Corps airfield at Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Jan. 23, 2025. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes) A fire broke out Tuesday aboard a ship towing construction materials for a new Marine Corps airfield in northern Okinawa, but no injuries or environmental damage were reported, according to Japans coast guard and local media. The blaze began around 6 a.m. about 10 miles east-southeast of Cape Henoko in Nago city, the coast guard said in a news release Tuesday. The vessel, Marumasa 1, was towing a barge loaded with sand when oil leaked from its engine room, sparking the fire. The sand was intended for the airfield under construction at Camp Schwab, the Okinawa Times reported Wednesday. A spokesman for the Okinawa Defense Bureau, an arm of Japans Ministry of Defense, declined to comment, stating that Marumasa 1 was not directly contracted by the bureau. We will proceed with construction carefully, he said by phone Wednesday. Some Japanese government officials speak to the media only on condition of anonymity. Crew members extinguished the fire, and the ships captain reported the incident to the coast guard at 6:08 a.m., according to the news release. However, the vessel was left unable to navigate on its own. A tugboat began towing Marumasa 1 to Kin Bay at 10:05 a.m., accompanied by the coast guard vessel Awagumo. The vessel anchored in the bay at around 1:30 p.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation, the coast guard said. The incident follows two oil spills in January from vessels working on the airfield project. The new airfield is being built on land reclaimed from Oura Bay to replace Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in densely populated Ginowan city. The U.S. and Japanese governments agreed to the move in 1996, but legal challenges by the Okinawa prefectural government delayed construction until recently. The construction site is divided into two main sections: 279 acres on Schwabs north side and 91 acres on the south, according to Okinawa Prefectures website. Work on the northern section had been stalled since April 2020, when Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki refused to approve design changes meant to stabilize the seabed, citing safety and environmental concerns. The Japan Supreme Court in January rejected an appeal in a lawsuit filed by Okinawa prefecture in September 2022 seeking to block changes to construction permits required by the Ministry of Defense to complete the project. The ruling marked the conclusion of a series of 14 lawsuits filed by both sides since 2015. Greenlands voters unexpectedly picked a party backing a slower approach to independence in a general election overshadowed by Donald Trumps plans to take over the Arctic Island. The social liberal Demokraatit party emerged as the biggest with 29.9% of the ballots as counting was completed, adding more than 20 percentage points from four years ago, according to the tally published by the government on Wednesday. Naleraq, the party seeking the fastest breakup with Denmark, finished second, underscoring how split the population is on the topic. The group, which had led the count early on, came out with 24.5% of the votes up from 12% in the prior election. Its expected that Demokraatit, which sees independence as a longer-term goal, will start coalition negotiations to form a governing majority in the coming days. There is a need for unity, so we will enter into negotiations with everyone, party leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen said during the election night coverage on local broadcaster KNR. Greenland needs to stand together in a time of great interest from the outside. All parties in the election are in favor of independence, but disagree on the how and when. The new 31-member parliament will now be crucial in defining Greenlands path to become its own nation, expanding from its current self-rule within the Kingdom of Denmark. The election took place just a week after the U.S. president in a speech to Congress reaffirmed his interest in the worlds largest island, voicing confidence he will be able to take control over it. During a debate aired on KNR ahead of the election, Nielsen was among party leaders that expressed concern that Trump cant be trusted. Greenland is not a house you can buy. When you see the way Trump is speaking, we need to be tougher in our tone, he said in the debate, according to KNR. Nielsen, 33, was elected into the Greenland parliament for the first time in 2021 and has since campaigned on a platform to support local businesses, particularly in the fishing, mining and tourism industry. Greenlands parliament has historically been dominated by socialist and left-leaning parties, and a win for Demokraatit was highly unexpected. The party stood to become the third largest with about 19% support in a Verian poll, commissioned by Danish newspaper Berlingske and Greenlands Sermitsiaq publication at the end of January. The result is an upset for Prime Minister Mute B. Egede, who emerged as Greenlands top diplomat, standing up to Trump. His leftist Inuit Ataqatigiit party fell to third place and with its coalition partner Siumut got about 36% of the vote between them, compared with about 66% four years earlier. While both parties have distanced themselves from Trumps advances, they have still campaigned on increasing independence from Denmark. Egede earlier this year urged Greenland to remove the shackles of the colonial era. Siumut, a social democratic party, has indicated it wants to start independence talks with Denmark in the coming election term. The vote comes as Greenlands geopolitical importance is rising. Located in the far north between the U.S. and Europe, the island is home to an American military base that monitors space and detects missile threats, and it holds large reserves of the critical minerals used in electronic devices, which are becoming more accessible as its vast polar ice sheets melt. It is also expected to be a key part of global shipping routes in the coming decades. All in all, 28,620 people in the sparsely populated territory cast a ballot, bringing turnout to 70.9%, up from 65.9% in the previous election. Outside the voting venue in Nuuk, political parties held small rallies, handing out cake and merchandise to people passing by in the sunshine. Niels Kronholm, a 48-year-old public sector worker living in the capital, said he had planned to vote in the evening to avoid queues, but still was met with huge masses of people when he arrived about an hour before the polling station was about to close. There have been outside voices that make people want to cast their vote, he said afterward. It should be a given to vote, but I think Trump has actually gotten people off the couch this time. With assistance from Thomas Hall and Ott Ummelas. 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Prosecutors, not police, decide formal charges under Japan's justice system. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes) Japanese prosecutors dropped their case against a U.S. airman accused of breaking into and smashing up an Okinawa liquor store last year, a spokesman said Wednesday. Police in Naha city filed a report of unlawful entry against Airman 1st Class Orlando Osuna to the Naha District Prosecutors Office, which ultimately decided against filing charges, an office spokesman told Stars and Stripes. Prosecutors, not police, decide formal charges under Japans criminal justice system. Osuna, then 23, was arrested on suspicion of breaking into the store in Nahas Makishi area on March 3, 2024, a Naha police spokesman said the following day. The prosecutors spokesman did not explain why the case was dropped. Some Japanese officials are required to speak to the media on condition of anonymity. Osuna did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment Wednesday. Japanese navy divers detonate two dozen shells believed to be from World War II at Naha Port, Okinawa, March 12, 2025. (Brian McElhiney/Stars and Stripes) NAHA, Okinawa Japanese troops detonated 24 suspected U.S. shells off the coast of Okinawas capital Wednesday, the third disposal of World War II ordnance in a month on the former island battleground. Eleven explosive ordnance disposal divers from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces Sub Area Activity Okinawa unit set off the explosives underwater at 1 p.m., about 2,300 feet offshore from Shinko, one of four wharves at Nahas civilian port. The blast, which destroyed more than 1,630 pounds of ordnance, shook the two-story Naha Ecoisland waste disposal building near Pier 10, where Self-Defense Force personnel and media gathered to observe. Vessels were barred from entering a 980-foot radius around the site, and swimmers and divers were restricted within a nearly two-mile radius starting at 9:30 a.m., according to an announcement posted Feb. 27 on Naha citys website. Restrictions were lifted at 2 p.m. The shells were discovered during construction work in the ports harbor between January and November 2024 and had been stored underwater near the detonation site, the citys announcement said. The recovered ordnance included three 275-pound bombs, seven 5-inch shells, one 5-inch shell casing, one 4-inch shell, four 3-inch shells, seven 81-mm mortars, and one 110-pound bomb fragment. Divers secured the shells with sandbags 50 feet below the surface before using C-4 explosives to destroy them, a Maritime Self-Defense Force spokesman told Stars and Stripes before the detonation. He did not specify how much C-4 was used. The site has been used before for multiple detonations. Naha officials destroyed a 14-inch shell and a 5-inch shell in January 2024 and a 550-pound bomb in December 2023. Similar operations have taken place elsewhere on Okinawa. On Feb. 13, ordnance disposal divers destroyed 461 U.S.-made, WWII-era shells a mile offshore of Nakagusuku Bay Port in Uruma. The following day, Japans Ground Self-Defense Force detonated 138 shells on land on Ie Shima, an island off the Motobu Peninsula, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. On Feb. 25, members of the Ground Self-Defense Forces 101st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit defused a U.S.-made 5-inch shell found in January by construction workers in Urasoe. The Japanese government has increased efforts to locate unexploded ordnance at airports nationwide. Authorities began surveys in October at Miyazaki Airport on Kyushu the southernmost of Japans four main islands after a WWII-era bomb exploded on a taxiway. Magnetic surveys followed in December at Naha Airport and airports in Sendai, Matsuyama and Fukuoka. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Iran is surprised by the UN Security Council's calling non-plenary meeting on the country's nuclear program, said Irans Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of today's Cabinet meeting in Tehran, Trend reports. According to him, the convening of a non-plenary meeting of the UN Security Council on Iran's nuclear program is a new and strange process, as it causes suspicions in the goodwill of the countries calling for this meeting. "Iran hopes that the Security Council will properly fulfill its duty to maintain international peace and security and will not allow some countries to create a negative situation," he added. To note, the UN Security Council will hold a closed-door meeting today on Iran's increase in highly enriched uranium. France, Greece, Panama, South Korea, the UK, and the US have requested this meeting. On March 3, Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the IAEA, mentioned during the IAEA Board of Governors' meeting that Iran has increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity by 93 kilograms, from 182 kilograms to 275 kilograms compared to the previous quarter. Iran remains the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to this level, raising significant concerns. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel German soldiers prepare a Leopard 2 A7V tank to take part in a NATO exercise in Italy in 2023. (Martin Glinker/NATO) STUTTGART, Germany An aging German military is facing a manpower crisis, with overall troop levels down despite a recruiting effort aimed at building a force to deal with growing security threats, according to a new government report. The report released Tuesday by the German parliaments commissioner on the armed forces said the countrys military, known as the Bundeswehr, also faces shortages in ammunition and supplies. Meanwhile, housing barracks are run down and in short supply, Eva Hogl, the commissioner, said in her report. The Bundeswehr is shrinking and getting older, Hogl told reporters in Berlin on Tuesday. This development must be urgently stopped and reversed. In 2024, Bundeswehr troop levels shrunk by 340 people, for a total of 181,174 personnel. The decline came despite a recruitment push that seeks to increase the military to 203,000 troops by 2031. The average age of a soldier is now 34, up from 32.4 years of age in 2019, according to the report. German soldiers drive a Leopard 2A6 tank during an exercise in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, in 2023. (John Schoebel/ U.S. Army National Guard) In comparison, the average age of U.S. active duty service members was 28.6 as of 2023, according to a DOD demographics report. The difficulties come as Germany tries to bolster its military to deal with concerns about growing instability in Europe. NATO officials have said Russia is on a wartime economy footing and could pose a threat to the alliance within five years. U.S. President Donald Trumps ambivalence toward NATO also has intensified calls in Berlin for Germany to become more self-sufficient. While Germany has increased its defense spending, hitting NATOs 2% of gross domestic product benchmark in 2024, top German officials want higher levels of investment. The anticipated next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is pushing for a budget deal that would lift constitutional limitations on deficit spending to increase defense expenditures by hundreds of billions of dollars. Merz ahas said Europe must work toward military independence from the U.S., citing the White Houses unpredictability. There also are discussions about reviving some form of mandatory military service, which was abolished in 2011 in Germany. Hogls report said it is necessary to reactivate a registration system for conscription. However, she said an across-the-board draft would overwhelm the military given a shortage of barracks and equipment. Instead, the report suggested a blended model as an alternative that calls for a year of social service, which can be carried out in the military or other institutions. A country that can respond to a possible attack with an excellently trained and equipped army is a deterrent to potential aggressors, Hogl said in the report. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019. (Susan Walsh) Russia should work to weaken the U.S. negotiating position on Ukraine by helping stoke tensions between the Trump administration and other countries while pushing ahead with Moscows efforts to dismantle the Ukrainian state, according to a document prepared for the Kremlin. The document, written in February by an influential Moscow-based think-tank close to Russias Federal Security Service (FSB), lays out Russias maximalist demands for any end to the conflict in Ukraine. It dismisses President Donald Trumps preliminary plans for a peace deal within 100 days as impossible to realize and says a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis cannot happen before 2026. The document also rejects any proposal to dispatch peacekeepers to Ukraine, as some in Europe have proposed, and insists on recognition of Russian sovereignty over the Ukrainian territories it has seized. It also calls for a further carve-up of Ukrainian territory through the creation of a buffer zone in Ukraines northeastern territory on the border with Russian regions such as Bryansk and Belgorod, as well as a demilitarized zone in southern Ukrainian regions near Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, including in the Odessa region. In addition, the document discusses the need for the complete dismantling of the current Ukrainian government. The document, which was obtained by a European intelligence service and reviewed by The Washington Post, highlights the challenges still facing Trump in reaching any agreement with Russia over a peace deal on Ukraine, now that Kyiv has endorsed Washingtons proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, appearing to bridge a divide between the two countries. While Russia has yet to signal it would sign up to any ceasefire, analysts warned that Moscow still had a multitude of ways it could drag out agreeing to even a temporary pause in hostilities and said the road to any long term peace agreement was still treacherous. Russia is not interested in an early resolution of the Ukraine crisis, said Thomas Graham, former senior director for Russia for the White Houses National Security Council under George W. Bush, now a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. They consistently talk about the root causes, which as you know are about the domestic politics in Ukraine, and even more important than that, the European security architecture which would be the role of NATO. And a simple ceasefire which doesnt take that into account is of no interest to Russia. And Trump doesnt appear to understand. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin was not aware of such recommendations, calling them extremely contradictory, and adding, we are working with more considered options. The document was prepared by a think tank working closely with the FSBs Fifth Service, the division that oversees operations in Ukraine, in the week ahead of talks between Russia and the United States in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 18. A Russian academic close to senior Russian diplomats said that the main thrust of the recommendations in the proposal reflect the broad consensus in Moscow, but added it is never clear to what degree the Kremlin leadership reacts to documents being prepared for it. While hawkish members of the Russian elite were pressing the Kremlin to continue the war and use the current situation to advance further, other groups were pressing for a speedier resolution of the conflict and for a ceasefire at least, he said. The FSB-linked document lays out ways in which Russia can boost its negotiating position by exacerbating tensions between the United States and both China and the European Union, and by proposing U.S. access to Russian minerals including in the territories it occupies in Ukraine, such as the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas, where it says there are reserves of rare earth metals. In an interview on Feb. 24 Russian President Vladimir Putin said much the same when he suggested Moscow could invite U.S. companies to develop Russian mineral deposits, including in the occupied territories in Ukraine. That appeared to be an effort to undermine a proposed accord on mineral resources development between Ukraine and the United States. The document says Russias efforts should first be focused on normalizing relations between Washington and Moscow, through the restoration of full diplomatic staffing levels at both countries embassies and the appointment of Alexander Darchiev as Russias ambassador to the United States suggestions that emerged publicly following talks between Russian and U.S. officials in Istanbul on Feb. 27, which apparently focused on the operations of their respective diplomatic missions. The document proposed that Russia agree not to station its Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missiles in Belarus, on the border with Europe, while in return the United States would agree not to place new missile systems on the continent. It suggests too that Russia stop weapons supplies to countries considered unfriendly to the United States, while in return the United States would stop arming Ukraine but adds that ending Russian arms supplies to Moscows allies would be difficult to realize. The document dismisses what it says are initial proposals made by Trumps special envoy on Ukraine, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, for a peace agreement in which one suggested element would be Ukraines ceding of territories taken by Russia and Kyivs agreement not to attempt to regain them in the future through military or diplomatic means. The FSB-linked document says however even this type of settlement does not go far enough and without official recognition of Russian sovereignty over the seized region, it is fairly likely the armed conflict will resume in the medium term, for example after the next change of administration in the U.S. The document also dismisses any potential political concessions by Ukraine such as Kyivs rejection of NATO membership and the holding of elections in which pro-Russian parties are allowed to participate as not being far-reaching enough. In reality, the current Kyiv regime cannot be changed from inside the country. Its complete dismantling is needed, it says. The presence of any peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine is also dismissed as absolutely unnecessary since any force would be under serious Western influence, while U.S. plans to continue arming Ukraine following any peace deal are absolutely unacceptable as is maintaining the Ukrainian army at its current 1 million strong level. Efforts to entice Russia into a peace deal by offering to partially lift sanctions were also dismissed in the document. Its not clear what would be the benefit for Russia, it says, since the importance of the factor of sanctions against our country has been clearly exaggerated. Boris Bondarev, a Geneva-based former Russian diplomat, said Russia was trying to lure Trump into talks by demonstrating its openness and flexibility while Putin would try to drag out the negotiations by positioning himself as a real, true friend to Donald Trump, who understands him completely, who wants to help him, who wants to help him achieve his goals in United States. But of course he would need something from him because he cannot do it just free. Dmitri Alperovitch, chairman of the Silverado Policy Accelerator, a national security think tank, said that it could now be difficult for Putin to reject the ceasefire proposal outright as otherwise he could risk Moscows potential realignment with Washington. The stakes now (in his view) are much more than just Ukraine - the bigger prize is the US-Russia diplomatic normalization, dropping of sanctions, driving a wedge within NATO, Alperovitch said in a post on X. Potential U.S. military recruits take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery at Yokota Air Base, Japan, in 2021. (Yasuo Osakabe/U.S. Air Force) Defense Department restrictions on civilian travel mean that some potential recruits will have to travel farther to take the militarys entrance exam, as remote testing centers cut back hours or close entirely. The Armys U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command, which administers the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery for all branches of the military, gave details about the reductions in a Facebook post. The command can no longer transport test proctors to all testing sites due to the departments recent requirement that travel by civilian employees be curtailed, according to the announcement on Friday. The DOD uses the test sites to administer the ASVAB, the entrance examination taken by all prospective enlisted troops, and other proctored tests deemed necessary by recruiters. Scores on the multiple-choice ASVAB help determine what jobs may be available to incoming service members. Test administration sites are typically classrooms on military installations or community college campuses, providing exam spots for potential recruits who live far away from one of the commands 65 Military Entrance Processing Station facilities. In the absence of an alternate testing site, prospective recruits must test at the nearest MEPS location, which could be hours away by car. The command is conducting analysis to determine which MET sites can remain operational using alternative means, the Facebook post said, adding that the goal is to finish the analysis as soon as possible. A Defense Department memo issued March 5 outlines the restrictions on civilian travel, including the immediate suspension of all travel not in direct support of military operations or permanent change of station. The commands ability to provide testing access is being impacted as a result of the directive, the Facebook post said. MEPCOM did not comment on whether the travel restrictions would affect the availability of ASVAB tests at U.S. and DOD high schools, which are also proctored by civilian employees. The command doesnt expect a significant change to the number of applicants being shipped out to recruit training, according to a MEPCOM official who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity. In February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on the social media platform X that Army recruitment has reached its highest level in 15 years. The Office of the Secretary of Defense did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday about the reduction in ASVAB testing site availability. Rescue teams work on the capsized hull of the USS Oklahoma in an attempt to save crew members trapped inside after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. (U.S. Navy) John G. Connolly, the chief pay clerk who died aboard the USS Oklahoma in the 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and became the namesake of a warship that served off Iwo Jima and Okinawa, will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on March 27. Connolly, a chief warrant officer, was 48 years old at the time of his death, according to a Navy news release on Tuesday. Connollys remains were buried as an unknown at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with almost 400 other crew members who could not be positively identified in the wake of the attack. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, which is tasked with retrieving and identifying the nations war dead from World War II to the present, began exhuming the graves of Oklahoma unknowns in 2015 to try and identify them using advanced forensic techniques and DNA matching. DPAA identified Connolly in December 2020, according to a database on its website. Chief Warrant Officer John G. Connolly, shown here in an undated photo, will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on March 27, 2025. His remains were unidentifiable after he died aboard the USS Oklahoma in the 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. (U.S. Navy) The Navy Casualty Office then worked to identify the appropriate primary next of kin to make funeral arrangements, a sometimes lengthy process that in recent years was hampered by the coronavirus pandemic. John Gaynor Connolly was born April 28, 1893, in Savannah, Ga., according to the Navy news release. He enlisted in 1913 in Boston and by 1926 was a chief pay clerk. His 28-year career aboard various ships took him to China, Russia and the Philippines, the service said. The Oklahoma was moored on Battleship Row on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese torpedo bombers descended on military installations on Oahu. Several made direct hits on the ship, capsizing it and killing 429 crew members. The remains of 394 sailors and Marines who died that day all too badly burned, disfigured or decayed to identify were laid to rest in 46 plots for the unknown in 1950 in the Honolulu cemetery. All but 32 have since been identified. Crewmen clean the 14-inch guns of the USS Oklahomas forward turret in this undated photo. (U.S. Navy) Connolly was honored before the wars end by becoming namesake to a destroyer escort. The USS Connolly, formally designated DE-306, was launched Jan. 15, 1944, from the Mare Island Navy Yard in California and was sponsored by his widow, Mary Francis Connolly, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command. It was commissioned in July 1944 and in January 1945 was dispatched to waters off Iwo Jima. It patrolled off the island to protect shipping and provide support for the amphibious landings. The ship subsequently guarded convoys to Okinawa and conducted antisubmarine patrols there. It was decommissioned in late 1945 and sold as scrap a year later. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Iran doesn't recognize any restrictions outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), said Irans Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of today's Cabinet meeting in Tehran, Trend reports. He asserts that Iran persists in its nuclear agenda while maintaining its status as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Araghchi articulated that Iran's nuclear initiative functions in accordance with the parameters established by the NPT accord. To note, Iran says its nuclear program does not deviate from the NPT agreement and continues within the framework of this agreement. Iran notes that the level of enriched uranium increases and decreases within this framework. Iran has in some cases used uranium enriched to 20 percent, 60 percent, and higher for the Tehran Research Reactor. On March 3, Rafael Grossi, the Director-General of the IAEA, mentioned during the IAEA Board of Governors' meeting that Iran has increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity by 93 kilograms, from 182 kilograms to 275 kilograms compared to the previous quarter. Iran remains the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to this level, raising significant concerns. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Roger Bishop appeared in court charged with two smuggling related offences connected to the alleged illegal entry of the woman A 75-year old Co Clare man provided a fraudulent French ID card to a 22 year old woman he met online in order to assist her to gain illegal entry into Ireland last year, it has been alleged in court. At Ennis District Court today, Roger Bishop of Crown, Lissycasey, Co Clare appeared in court charged with two smuggling related offences connected to the alleged illegal entry of the woman, who was living in Turkey at the time, into the State in March 2024. Solicitor for Mr Bishop, Colum Doherty told Judge Grainne Malone that his client wished to enter guilty pleas to the two charges. However, Judge Malone told Mr Doherty that before she could accept the guilty pleas, she had to decide on the issue of court jurisdiction in the case. After hearing an outline of the alleged facts in court from Det Garda Karen Barker from the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), Judge Malone declined jurisdiction meaning that the case will now be transferred to the circuit court where more serious penalties apply on conviction. Judge Malone said It is a serious offence. Declining jurisdiction, Judge Malone said: I appreciate that it is somewhat marginal but in all of the circumstances particularly the age discrepancy between the two and the element of preparing a fraudulent ID card I am refusing jurisdiction. Giving an outline of the facts, Det Garda Barker stated that on March 1st 2024, it will be alleged that Mr Bishop travelled to Turkey where he met a female. She said: He purchased tickets and a French ID card and assisted her in travelling to Dublin airport where he presented his passport and the French ID card with her details on it and gained entry. Dt Garda Barker said: It was subsequently found that the French ID card was false in the name of the female. She is 22. The nationality of the woman was not disclosed in court. Asked by Judge Malone how did Mr Bishop come to meet the woman who is 53 years younger than him, Det Barker said: They were in an online relationship. Asked by Judge Malone where is she now, Det Garda Barker said: She subsequently claimed asylum. She attempted to leave the jurisdiction in May-June and Luxembourg returned her back to Dublin airport on the false French ID card she had gained entry with previously. Asked by Judge Malone did Mr Bishop stand to make any financial gain, Det Barker said: No judge - she was culpable. She wanted to come to Ireland and she got in a relationship. He basically thought he was in a relationship with her but when she arrived here, it didnt go to plan. Det Garda Barker said that it wouldnt be one of the more serious cases we have dealt with. Det Garda Barker said that the DPP had directed that the case be dealt with in the district court. Judge Malone said that the DPP has the benefit of all of the papers in this case but said that she was refusing jurisdiction. Mr Bishop - who turns 76 in May - is charged with possessing a fraudulent French ID card at T1 at Dublin airport on March 1st 2024 with the intention of assisting another person entry into the State in breach of Section 5 of the Immigration Act 2004 contrary to Section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons Act) 2021. Mr Bishop is also charged with on March 1st 2024 at T1, Dublin airport with intentionally assisting the entry of another person into the State which was a breach of Section 5 of the Immigration Act contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Act 2021. A Book of Evidence will now have to be prepared for the case to go to the circuit court and Judge Malone further remanded Mr Bishop on continuing bail to appear before Ennis District Court to April 23rd. Manning who currently lives in a nursing home on Dunsink Lane, in Blanchardstown, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Court A former Christian brother and teacher has been jailed for four years for the continual sexual abuse of eight boys he was teaching in first class in primary school in the 1970s. The court heard that Jack Manning (88) would call each of the boys up to the top of the class and make them read a book that was sitting on his desk. He would then bring the boy in close and sexually abuse them by touching their bottom, penis and genitals both inside and outside of their clothing. He would call up the next boy when that boy had returned to his seat. Manning who currently lives in a nursing home on Dunsink Lane, in Blanchardstown, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Court to 14 charges of indecent assault at CBS, Westland Row, Dublin 2, on dates in 1973 and 1974. The court heard that there were 74 charges in total and these pleas were accepted on the basis that they represented sample charges. The men, who were classmates, have indicated they wish to retain their anonymity but are happy for Manning to be named in reporting of the case. The maximum penalty for the offence is two years but a judge has discretion to impose consecutive sentences. In July 2021 Manning was jailed for three years in relation to the indecent assault of four young boys at the same school who were of a similar age to the victims in this current case. He had pleaded guilty pleaded guilty to nine counts of indecently assaulting his pupils on dates between 1972 and 1973. Judge Martin Nolan said Manning had taken advantage of his position as a teacher to abuse all eight injured parties on numerous occasions, at least 100 times collectively, if not more and continued abusing them and made school a terrible place for them. Judge Nolan said the victim impact statements that were either read into the record by Detective Garda Tara Power, read by the men themselves in court today or handed into the court to be read privately by the judge were believable and realistic and indicated that Mannings behaviour had a huge impact on their lives. They were entitled to be protected in school and they were not protected. There was no place for these children to go to and nobody within the school supervising him so it continued for a long period of time, Judge Nolan added. He acknowledged that Manning pleaded guilty and has given an instruction, through his legal team, that he is remorseful and I must accept that, the judge said. Judge Nolan further accepted that Manning is too old and incapacitated now and as such is no longer a danger to children. He obviously deserves to go to prison, but the judge said he needed to consider if Manning should be sent to prison by reason of his age and particular infirmities. He said he believed it would be unjust not to imprison him. He had power of these eight individual children and he abused that power in a most outrageous manner. He deserves a prison term even at this point in his life and even taking into account his infirmities, Judge Nolan said before he imposed two consecutive terms of two years in prison. His behaviour was totally outrageous. He had no regard whatsoever for these children and he was only interested in his own perverse behaviour, Judge Nolan said before he addressed each of the victims who came to court and thanked them for coming. He also thanked Det Gda Power for her work that led to the prosecution. Det Gda Power told Grainne ONeill BL prosecuting that the eighth victim was actually the first of the men who contacted the gardai in relation to Manning but he had misremembered his abusers name. He told gardai that Manning would call him to the top of the class and make him read a book. He said Manning would have him stand very close to him and make the other children read their books in front of them so their heads would be down and they would not be able to see what was happening. Manning would then molest him. He said he would try and read his book as quickly as possible so he could get back to the safety of the class, adding that if you tried to move away Manning would slap you across the head. Det Gda Power agreed that Manning was arrested in March 2012 and interviewed in relation to this complainant but he denied the allegations and instead made self-serving statements. He said the allegations shocked him. Ms ONeill said each of the men were sexually abused in a similar manner and that Manning used his desk to shield his behaviour from the rest of the class. One of the men told gardai that he recalled having to pull up his underwear and school trousers after Manning molested him before he returned to his own desk in the class. One of the men said he believed he was abused three times and he was not called up to the desk again because on one occasion when Manning was molesting him the child urinated himself. Each of the men indicated that many boys were called to Mannings desk on a daily basis. Some of the men described Manning as smoking while he molested them, others recalled a stale, dirty smell off Manning and another spoke of how Mannings whiskers brushed off his own face. The garda investigation was recommended after two of the men had spoken to the charity One in Four. Manning was arrested again in May 2023 but denied having molested anyone. John Moher BL defending said his client instructs him to apologise for his behaviour. He said he is currently a resident in a nursing home and asked the court to consider that a return to custody at this point in his life would be a greater hardship on him. He told the court that Manning joined the Christian Brothers when he was 14 years old and left in 1977 to get married. Manning continued to work as a lay teacher after that. Mr Moher acknowledged the courageous victim impact statements of the men before the court but submitted to Judge Nolan that his clients pleas of guilty spared the men having to give evidence during a trial. VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENTS Det Gda Power read a number of victim impact statements into the record, while two of the men chose to read their own. Another victim impact statement was handed into the court for Judge Nolan to read himself. Det Gda Power read the first victim impact statement in which the man said he doesnt recall exactly when Manning first started to abuse him but he said it occurred on a regular basis. He said he was terrified to go to school and spoke of feeling anxious, powerless and vulnerable. He said his parents insisted he attend school which meant that he had to deal with what he described as the vile and horrific actions of Manning. He said he didnt think anyone would ever believe him and described later mitching school and getting in trouble both in school and with his parents as a consequence. He said he never told his parents that he was too afraid to go to school. The man said it wasnt until he read of the other case before the courts that he got the courage to report the abuse. He said the abuse affected his life at the time and continues to do so. He left school at the age of 15 without a proper education and finds himself being fanatic about his own childrens safety. He has a compulsion to be in control. He has tried counselling but found it didnt work and he said recalls the abuse on an almost daily basis. My dear mother passed without knowing, the man said adding that she often asked him what had happened to him as a child or what she had done wrong as his mother. The next victim impact statement the detective read said the man was terrified in Mannings class and described his heart bursting and thumping in his chest. He said he cannot remember anything he was taught in Mannings class and described the man as weaponizing the trust he had been given as the boys teacher. He said the abuse stayed in his heart and mind for decades. He described Manning as an opportunist who abused the innocence of himself and his classmates in an environment that should have nurtured it. He described trying to reconcile the man he may have been had Manning not abused him referring to how his school life suffered as a result of the abuse. He said Mannings depraved selfish cruelty altered the course of his life. The first man to read his own victim impact statement said that he had buried the abuse deep inside himself for the last 50 years. He said he was never the same again after that first day Manning called him up to read and molested him. He said he thought it was his fault that it had happened and now he cannot understand how Manning managed to get away with the abuse for so long. He said his only regret was that he did not get to tell his parents because he was too afraid. The second man to read his victim impact statement spoke of the fear, emotional confusion, anger and shame the abuse caused him. He said as he grew older he wondered why he did not tell Manning to stop or why he never told his parents but he now realises that he was a child at the time and was terrified to say anything. He said as he got older he thought if he met Manning he would confront him and one day when he was 20 years old he did see Manning, but he said he was frozen in fear. The man said he was still afraid of Manning at that time and he is ashamed that he let him away with it. This man also spoke of his guilt in not reporting it beforehand adding it haunted me for not doing so. He said he didnt do so until he saw the reports of the previous court hearing and spoke of how he would be forever grateful to Det Gda Power for helping to prosecute the so called man of God and teacher for sexually abusing children. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. U.S. President Donald Trump's letter to Iran is expected to arrive soon, said Irans Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of todays Cabinet meeting in Tehran, Trend reports. Araghchi confirmed that the U.S. President had written a letter to Iran, though it has not yet been delivered. He added that the letter will soon be sent to Iran through one of the Arab countries. On March 10, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei mentioned that despite reports of a letter being sent by the U.S. on March 5, Iran had not yet received it. Earlier, on February 5, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reimpose maximum pressure on Iran, while expressing hope that this pressure would not be applied too frequently. He also stated his willingness to engage in dialogue with the Iranian president. While working for the hospital, Gerard Russell fraudulently used a company credit card to make 22,353 in personal purchases A former St Vincent's University Hospital official prosecuted for theft and deception after an RTE Investigates expose has been fined 1,250 for not providing records to income tax authorities. While working for the hospital, Gerard Russell fraudulently used a company credit card to make 22,353 in personal purchases. In 2022, he received a three-year suspended sentence after he repaid the money and pleaded guilty to theft and deception offences. But a fresh prosecution with the risk of a one-year prison term followed a separate revenue probe into his tax affairs His charge stated that on or about October 4, 2021, he failed without reasonable excuse to comply with the provisions of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 to provide a statement of affairs for income tax purposes. Last month, prosecutor Matthew Holmes BL told Judge Halpin at Dublin District Court that Russell's guilty plea had been indicated some time ago, but correspondence back and forth delayed the case. Mr Holmes said that Revenue commenced several investigations following a 2015 broadcast by RTE Investigates about a firm called Eurosurgical Limited, its directors and beneficiaries. Russell, now 58, was identified as a person who benefited from malpractice. The court heard that revenue officials contacted him in 2015 to tell him that his tax affairs from 2005 had been placed under investigation. They requested various information and records from him. At the time he had a PAYE job at St Vincent's University Hospital. He had no prior convictions for revenue offences. During the February court hearing, Mr Holmes said that the records had now been received, and the prosecution withdrew a second charge. Defence solicitor James MacGuill said the case had a "long history", which happened during a significant bad period of general chaos in his client's life. Urging the judge to demonstrate maximum understanding, the defence said the accused is now and likely to remain on invalidity. He faced the possibility of a maximum 5,000 fine and 12 months in jail Judge Halpin had noted Russell's guilty plea and, due to his financial circumstances, fined him 500 to be paid within a year. However, the case was re-entered yesterday under what is known as the "slip rule" when Judge Halpin noted the fine for this offence could not be reduced below 1250, and he amended the order, increasing the fine to that amount. Matin Zolfaghari, Fabio Vicente and Anthony Hickey will be sentenced later this month after being convicted of rape The three men facing jail later this month for a brutal rape were known as respectable members of their local communities who ran a string of successful businesses. Matin Zolfaghari, Fabio Vicente and Anthony Hickey were convicted last month following a Central Criminal Court trial during which a jury heard details of a group sex attack on an intoxicated woman. Fabio Vicente in uniform They had pleaded not guilty to offences which took place in a car and in a Dublin house on August 31, 2019. But a jury of eight men and four women returned guilty verdicts on six of the seven charges after deliberating for a total of 13 hours. The three, who do not accept the jury's verdicts, the court heard, have been remanded in custody as they await their sentences at the end of March. On Monday, their brave victim told of the toll their horrific actions has had on her life. It has since emerged that all three men had been heavily involved in their local communities through the operation of various businesses. It can be revealed that Matin Zolfaghari ran a pizza restaurant in Dublins north city. He was a director of the business that has since been dissolved. Zolfaghari (34), of Marley Court, Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin, was convicted of the oral rape of the woman in the house. The jury found him not guilty of sexually assaulting her in the car. Vicente on holiday with business partner Anthony Hickey He has two children and no previous convictions. We previously revealed how he was an almost obsessive social media follower of MMA fighter Conor McGregor who was found guilty by a jury in a civil rape trial in December. Zolfaghari, who trained with Straight Blast Gym, posted an image online of him celebrating a lightweight belt with McGregor back in 2013. His Twitter account, which was active between 2012 and 2013, focused almost exclusively on the fighting career of McGregor. Vicente, of Little Newtown, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, was found guilty of raping the woman in the car and raping her in Hickey's then-home. Anthony Hickey was also convicted The Sunday World previously revealed how Vicente who posted images of a party-animal lifestyle on social media, including one where he had a sex toy attached to his head was formerly a serviceman with the Portuguese navy. Vicente, who is originally from Alenquer in Portugal, previously served with the Corpo de Fuzileiros a special operations unit with the Portuguese navy. We previously revealed that while under investigation for the gang rape, Vicente worked as a male stripper and was regularly hired to appear at birthday parties for women. Vicentes behaviour as a stripper has been described as shocking and witnesses have described how he would often get naked even when not requested to do so by the people who hired him. The Sunday World has also been shown a video where the ex-soldier did the Full Monty in front of a group of young women at a birthday party. It was so uncomfortable and awkward, one Dubliner told our reporter. Vicente poses with sex toy Social media and company records indicate he has lived in Ireland for well over a decade. Vicente, who most recently made his living as a personal trainer, registered a company offering other personal services activities out of an industrial unit in Bray on February of 2017. The company was the second Vicente had set up since relocating to Ireland. He also registered a personal training company, Hiit Fit, operating out of Ballybrack in Dublin in 2014. Images posted by Vicente on social media during these years reveal the former marine enjoyed a party lifestyle attending nightclub foam parties and enjoying watersports activities with close pal and fellow convicted rapist and business partner Anthony Hickey. Both Hickey and Vicente were named as officers of a third company set up by Vicente, Fabios Fitness Management Ltd. Vicente held the position of sole company director while Hickey was named as company secretary. The pair set the business up in 2018. According to the companys most recent filings from April of this year, it was in the red with debts of just under 2,000. Hickey, of Ballyogan Square, Carrickmines, Dublin 18, was convicted of raping the woman in his then address in Dundrum, and of orally raping and sexually assaulting her in a car. On social media, Hickey describes himself as a personal trainer. A source has told the Sunday World Hickey worked out of a gym in south Dublin, where he ran a popular fitness class. People are genuinely shocked at the news. He was running a class up until a few weeks ago they were always the most popular ones with local women. In fact, his class was nicknamed Antos Angels for that reason. Karl Finnegan SC, prosecuting, told the court that the Director of Public Prosecution's view is that this falls into the highest category of sentencing of 15 years to life imprisonment, due to the circumstances of the case and the gravity of the offending by the three men. Before the accused men were brought into the courtroom, a large number of family members and friends were initially in court to support them. Mr Justice Paul Burns noted that the men were entitled to some support, but the court didn't want the victim or her family feeling intimidated or overawed by the sheer number of people in the courtroom. The courtroom was then cleared, with two supporters remaining for each man. Vicente at court Defence counsel asked the court to consider their clients' personal circumstances and testimonials submitted on their behalf from family members, friends, clients and others. Defence counsel also suggested that the case falls into the sentencing category of 10 to 15 years. In a powerful victim impact statement, the woman said the three men were complete strangers who watched my movements, and took advantage of me and used me and my body as if I was an object that they were entitled to. Reading her statement, the woman said she had been a young woman in my 20s who loved fun, describing herself as joyful, fearless and carefree. She said this changed after she was raped by the three men, that they robbed her of her freedom, her own body and her love for life. Not knowing what these men looked like protected me in some ways, but for months on end I would think every man who looked at me could be them. She said she exists in a heightened state of fear and while she used to find the good in everyone, you turned me into someone who thinks that everyone I meet is a threat and is capable of what you were capable of. The 70-year-old tycoon was not in court in the French capital as judgment was handed down against him Billionaire businessman Paddy McKillen Sr was today convicted of attacking a female bailiff in his 30m Paris apartment. The 70-year-old tycoon was not in court in the French capital as judgment was handed down against him. He was fined 10,000 for violence against public official Anna Cohen-Bacri (33) and ordered to pay her a total of 1,500 in damages and costs. Judge Fanny Huboux, sitting in the 33rd Chamber of the Paris Correctional Court, said Belfast-born McKillen was guilty as charged. She rejected prosecution calls for an eight-month suspended prison sentence for Mr McKillen. In turn, defence lawyers launched an immediate appeal, saying in a statement that McKillen strongly denies the accusations against him, adding that they were based on outright lies. The lawyers said a shocked and distressed McKillen was on a plane somewhere but would travel to Paris for any future proceedings. They also indicated that they would be launching a complaint against Ms Cohen-Bacri for breach of professional ethics. It followed Ms Cohen-Bacri offering evidence against McKillen during a one-day trial on January 22. She told how she was set upon by McKillen on June 25 last year after he returned from a business trip to Japan. Ms Cohen-Bacri said he flew into a rage after she legally entered the property in the prestigious Place Vendome, next to the Paris Ritz and Frances Ministry of Justice, with the aid of a locksmith. She was acting in relation to the alleged non-payment of a loan to the Qatari-linked Quintet private bank, it was alleged. McKillen found her inside his home with the door ajar, said Ms Cohen-Bacri. She said he then shouted f***ing bailiff and f*** you, bailiff. She claimed she was so scared that she phoned local police, who arrived within minutes. Ms Cohen-Bacri was testifying at McKillens trial for violence against a public official one that can be punished by up to a year in prison in France. Referring back to the alleged assault by McKillen, she said: Mr McKillen knew a bailiff was present but became extremely aggressive. He tried to stop me doing my job, and was physically and verbally violent. He was truly aggressive. Im very small and was very scared. He put his hand up menacingly, and then began to swear repeatedly. He was insulting me the whole time and then become even more violent. A total of four witnesses were present, said Ms Cohen-Bacri, including the locksmith. Today neither Ms Cohen-Bacri, nor her lawyer Marina Ruta commented on the verdict. McKillen is currently also involved in a long-running legal dispute with Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, who is also known as HBJ. He helped furnish HBJs $118 million mansion in Bel Air, California, with expensive art, including pieces by Damien Hirst, another of McKillens friends. The Bel Air case is one of seven that the property magnate and hotelier is pursuing against HBJ and other members of the Qatari royal family. McKillen used to be a part owner of Claridges, the five star hotel in Londons Mayfair. The appeal by McKillen in the case involving Ms Cohen-Bacri is likely to be heard in the autumn. The womans family alongside other services had worked hard to help the woman enjoy as much independence as possible, but these efforts were undermined and negated by targeted and predatory attack A man who targeted a vulnerable young woman, controlling her movements for two hours and forcing her to give him money and buy him an iPhone worth more than 1,300, has been jailed for four years. Sinore Iosca (25), of Sheephill Green, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to false imprisonment on May 14, 2018. He has no previous convictions. Detective Garda Cathal Feeney gave evidence today that the then 23-year-old woman, who has Down syndrome, encountered Iosca (then 18) on Aungier Street on the afternoon of May 14, 2018. He told her he'd been robbed and had no money. He walked her to a nearby ATM where she withdrew 20 and gave it to him. Iosca then walked her to another ATM, where she withdrew 400, which she also gave to him. He then took the woman and led her onto a bus before they got off at College Green. He then took her to the CompuB store, where she bought an iPhone X, costing around 1,349. Iosca then brought the victim to Weirs jewellers on Grafton Street, where they looked at Rolex watches. Iosca and the woman left the store. The victim returned a short time later, after which her mother and gardai were alerted. Grainne O'Neill BL, prosecuting, told the court the State's case is that the woman was targeted, directed, and controlled by Iosca and she was unable to use her free will from the moment she encountered him during her ordeal, which lasted for around two hours. An extract from the woman's interview with specialist gardai was played to the court during the sentence hearing. During this clip, the victim said Iosca told her he'd been robbed, but she noticed his coat pockets were full. CCTV stills were handed to the court. Iosca was identified from this footage and arrested a few days later. The victim's parents and sibling were in court. A victim impact statement prepared by the woman's parents was read to the court by her father. He said their cherished and beautiful daughter had suffered deep and distressing psychological injuries as a result of this incident and is now fearful for her safety. He said the family alongside other services had worked hard to help the woman enjoy as much independence as possible, but these efforts were undermined and negated by this targeted and predatory attack. He said his daughter has withdrawn socially, become isolated and has trust issues. The woman's father noted that she had been a victim of a serious crime years before this incident, and that trauma had resurfaced for her and her family. He said the family are fearful for her and her future. He added that the woman was not safe that day in the city and it saddens the family that this cruelty was inflicted on the woman while she was walking the streets in daylight. When interviewed, Iosca denied stealing from the woman, saying that she gave him the money and the phone as presents. Iosca identified himself on CCTV and told gardai that he didn't notice the woman had Down syndrome and she looked beautiful and normal to him. He said he didn't force her or tell her to buy anything, and she wanted to buy it to help him. A property was searched and the phone was recovered, where Iosca said it would be found. Michael Hourigan SC, defending, noted this was a distressing and mean incident, for which his client is apologetic. He said Iosca has a mild to moderate intellectual disability and neurological issues, but understands the difference between right and wrong. Iosca's family were in court to support him and they acknowledge his wrongdoing. Counsel asked the court to take into account his client's age at the time, his guilty plea, and expressions of remorse. Mr Hourigan told the court Iosca's family had 3,000 to 4,000 available. He noted the cost of the phone had been covered and suggested this money could be used to repay the 420 in cash taken from the victim, with the balance to be donated to charity. Imposing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said: We Irish think we live in civilised society, but one burden of any court system is to protect the vulnerable. He said the woman was minding her own business when Iosca took advantage of her. Judge Nolan said the court had to infer Iosca did this to gain materially. He said the court regarded this as serious wrongdoing and people are entitled to enjoy their liberty and freedom. Judge Nolan said he was satisfied Iosca knew the difference between right and wrong. Having considered Iosca's personal circumstances and the mitigation, Judge Nolan handed him a four-year prison sentence, backdated to October 9 last when he went into custody. The judge said the court's view wss that compensation was not appropriate in this case. Addressing the woman's family, he said this was a sad situation, which must have been devastating for them and wished her well for the future. Stephen McKeever (49) of Errigal Road, Drimnagh, pleaded guilty A man has been jailed for three years for assaulting his neighbour in a supermarket carpark leaving him with a broken nose, a fractured eye socket and nerve damage. Stephen McKeever (49) of Errigal Road, Drimnagh, pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm to the man in the carpark of SuperValu Walkinstown on November 22, 2023. A charge of threatening to kill or cause serious harm was taken into consideration. McKeever, who has no previous convictions, has 10 children and 10 grandchildren, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. Detective Garda Keith Brannigan gave evidence that a warrant was obtained the following day and when gardai arrived at McKeevers home after midnight he said he knew why they were there saying: its me youre here for, sorry I saw red. CCTV from SuperValu in Walkinstown showed the injured party walking towards his car when he saw McKeever exiting his vehicle. McKeever kicked and punched the victim for up to two minutes, the court heard. When interviewed, McKeever said hed had a few pints. I just saw my wifes face in my head, he said, referring to a previous incident between the injured party and McKeevers wife. McKeever said he had been on the beer all day yesterday. He was shown CCTV of him getting out of his vehicle and said so f*****g sorry and whatever words came out of my mouth Im not a gangster. Photos of the injuries sustained by the victim were handed in to the court. The injured party suffered a broken nose, fractured eye socket and three of his teeth were chipped. He had to go to the Eye and Ear Hospital, had bruising on his body, and had to spend three days in St. James Hospital where he had surgery. In a victim impact statement handed into the court, the victim, who did not attend, said he was deeply affected and struggled to feel safe when out in public. He said he was waiting to collect his daughter and granddaughter at the time of the assault. He said he suffered a broken nose, fractured eye socket, nerve damage, but the most profound impact was on his mental wellbeing. Under cross-examination, Det Gda Brannigan agreed with Oisin Clarke BL, defending, that McKeever has been on strict bail conditions. He further agreed McKeever was 100 per cent co-operative in interview, entered an early guilty plea and made full admissions. It was also agreed McKeever said it was a moment of madness and he saw red. The garda agreed it was out of character for McKeever who previously had a pro-social life. In mitigation, Mr Clarke said it was a complete and utter moment of madness. McKeever drank 17 to 18 pints on the day before, the court was told. Mr Clarke said his client was an almost 50-year-old man who had never come to attention of the court before. He said the assault happened following an altercation between McKeevers wife and the injured party. Counsel said he was a man well regarded by his family. He has 10 children and 10 grandchildren with two more on the way. References handed into court stated he is the bedrock of the family. A newspaper article was handed into court about McKeevers involvement in the raising of a lot of money for children with special needs. This is a man who is a strong family man, with a charitable nature, Mr Clarke told the court. Mr Clarke said his client had a drinking problem that got worse over Covid. He has since regulated his drinking. McKeever has a cardiac issue and is booked for an angiogram, the court was told. Counsel said 90 seconds or two mins of madness that has destroyed his life. Mr Clarke said a probation report put McKeever at moderate risk of re-offending because of elements used in the offence itself, and this was not based on an analysis of his previous good character. Counsel said McKeever has regulation difficulties and is still drinking but the Probation Service are willing to deal with him. Judge Patricia Ryan said it was an aggravating factor that it was a protracted attack causing the injured party to sustain a head injury and lasting nerve damage. In mitigation, she took account of McKeevers early plea of guilty, his previous good record and his expression of remorse. She said he was a man with an excellent work ethic and he was a family man who provides support to all members of his family. The judge set a headline sentence of seven years but reduced it to four with the final year suspended. The judge said McKeever is to remain under the supervision of the Probation Service for one year post-release and to keep away from the injured party for three years. The judge reiterated that he is to have no contact whatsoever with the injured party. Martin Ball (36) of Springfield, Tallaght, appeared at Dublin District Court Martin Ball was identified through RTEs Crimecall programme, it is alleged Gardai have six weeks to get the Director of Public Prosecutions' instructions over a man charged with attacking a woman on a bus in Dublin after being identified through RTE's Crimecall programme. The alleged incident in Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, on May 29, 2024, featured in a public appeal for assistance in January. Martin Ball, 36, of Gleann na hEorna, Springfield, Tallaght, appeared at Dublin District Court later that month charged with assault causing harm to a woman at Grange Road, Rathfarnham, D14. He was granted bail with a condition not to travel on a specific bus route. He appeared again today when Judge Shalom Binchy noted gardai did not have the DPP's directions on the case yet, and the defence consented to an adjournment. Mr Ball, who remained silent during the proceedings, was remanded on continuing bail and ordered to return to court on April 23. He has yet to indicate a plea. Martin Ball At his first hearing on January 29, there was no objection to his bail with conditions, most of which had been flagged to defence counsel Fergal McMorrow. No evidence about the alleged assault was given so far during his appearances in court. Mr Ball is to have no contact directly or indirectly with the alleged injured party or any witness, reside at his current address, sign on three days a week at his local Garda station and stay off the S8 Go Ahead bus, which the court was told goes through Rathfarnham to Cabinteely. Mr McMorrow had argued that the signing-on condition was "a little onerous" for his client, who worked full-time and had no prior convictions. The defence was agreeable to all the other terms. The court sergeant asked it to be part of the bail due to the nature of the charge, and he added that the accused had been identified through Crimecall. Because of the lengths gardai had to go to locate him, Judge Paula Murphy, then presiding, left the requirement for Mr Ball, who has been granted legal aid, to sign on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. However, she added that the issue could be revisited. CRIME WORLD | Episode 922: New IRA ceasefire possibility as dissident republican shot Allison Morris tells Nicola about the fascinating positions of two different terrorist factions trying to drag Northern Ireland back to its bloody past. Sean O'Reilly was attacked in Poleglass last month Nicola Tallant Wed 12 Mar 2025 at 08:45 Foley was told that the CAB will be selling his Dublin home in 18 months time unless he comes up with almost 1m From surviving multiple gangland shootings to applying for the Garda Reserves, Martin The Viper Foley has had a colourful criminal career, with his legal woes in the courts now stretching across 59 years. On Monday, Foley was told that the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) will be selling his Dublin home in 18 months time unless he comes up with almost 1m to pay off outstanding tax debts. Born on November 24, 1950 in Derry, Foleys family later relocated to the south Dublin suburb of Crumlin. He first came to garda attention in his teens as a street delinquent; recorded his first criminal conviction at the age of 16 for being drunk and disorderly; and went on to rack up more than 40 convictions for assault, robbery and firearms offences. Also living in the same parish was another hoodlum nearly two years his senior, named Martin Cahill. He would soon lead a loyal gang of armed robbers and earn himself the nickname The General. Foleys intimidating presence and reputation as a street fighter led him to become a central figure as an enforcer in the gang, as it carried out bank heists and cash-in-transit raids. In 1983, Cahills crew netted 2.5m after targeting OConnors jewellery store in Harolds Cross. These criminal exploits put the gang in the crosshairs of the Tango Squad, a specialist unit of young gardai tasked with conducting round-the-clock surveillance on Cahill and his associates, both to gather intelligence and put them under pressure. Martin Foley has fallen foul of the authorities and criminal gangs over the years In the case of Foley, the pressure began to tell. While under surveillance from the Tango Squad he assaulted two of the gardai, leaving one knocked out with a broken jaw, and threatening the other with a crossbow. He later fled to the UK, but was extradited to face the charges and was tried before the non-jury Special Criminal Court, given his links to organised crime. He was later jailed for two years. Foley was kidnapped by the IRA in 1984, but freed after a shoot-out with gardai in Phoenix Park. In 1995 Foley stared down the end of a gunmans barrel when he was shot while getting into his car at Fatima Mansions in the inner city, suffering injuries to the arm and stomach. It was the first of four serious attempts on his life. He was again targeted in 1996 and survived another shooting after leaving a swimming pool at Terenure College in September 2000. He earned the nickname The Viper and featured heavily in the print media, not least in the pages of the Sunday World, where he took exception to their reporting of his activities. In November 2003 a hoax bomb was placed under the car of crime journalist Paul Williams, with Foley suspected of giving the order. As the Crumlin/Drimnagh feud was claiming the lives of several young men on his doorstep, Foley avoided becoming directly involved, although he did have links to one of the gangs: the Gavin/Thompson grouping. Intelligence at the time indicated that Foley was running his own criminal operation separate to the feuding gangs, and had a network of around 40 associates. Foley also relied on his familial connections to operate a criminal network in Dublins southside, with his nephew James Quinn a key enforcer for him. Crime godfather Martin 'The General' Cahill was a mentor to Martin Foley Quinn was later jailed over the Hutch/Kinahan feud murder of Gary Hutch, the Monks nephew. Always a man of mischief, in 2006 Foley applied to join the Garda Reserves, which was undergoing a recruitment drive. He didnt pass the vetting stage and his application was declined. Foley continued to draw the ire of his criminal contemporaries. On January 26, 2008, as he left the Carlisle gym in Kimmage in his Audi A6, he was approached by a gunman, who blasted the car with eight shots. Foley was struck in the shoulder, leg, face and stomach but once again survived and laid the blame at the door of the Kinahan crime group. After the Regency Hotel murder, he was served with a Garda Information Message known as a GIM form informing him that his life was once again under threat from the Kinahan cartel. Martin Foley and his wife Sonia Despite reaching the pensionable age of retirement, Foley had no plans to stop, and continued to work at his debt collection business, which has been in operation for two decades. His overzealous approach led to him receiving a suspended prison sentence and being banned from Wexford town for engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour during an incident in relation to a 4,000 debt recovery in 2020. In his latest legal battle, 59 years after Foleys first criminal conviction, the Criminal Assets Bureau was granted permission in the civil courts to sell his home on Cashel Avenue in Kimmage after 18 months if he doesnt come up with almost 1m to pay off outstanding tax debts. After five decades in the limelight, this is unlikely to be the last well see or hear of The Viper. Stumptown stormed home late in a tight race on the second day if the festival. Stumptown, who was a 5-2 favourite, won the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase on the second day of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival. The eight-year-old stormed home late in a tight race after being expertly taken around the course by jockey Kevin Donoghue Stumptown is owned by a Tralee-based grouping, called the Furze Bush Syndicate, which comprises Ger Teahon, George Savage and Dillon brothers, Garrett and Brian. Nathan McDonnell, who is currently serving a 12 year sentence for his role in a 32m drugs plot, had previously been a member of the syndicate. Shamed businessman McDonnell was a keen horse racing fan and was photographed at the famous racing festival with his family a number of years ago. Last year, the group issued a statement after McDonnell was arrested and charged over the massive crystal meth haul which was seized by gardai at a port in Co Cork. A spokesman for the Furze Bush Syndicate said that "Nathan McDonnell is no longer a shareholder of Stumptown, and has been removed from the syndicate. The group confirmed McDonnell had been a 10 percent shareholder, but was not an owner at the time of the horse's entry for Cheltenham in 2024. Keith Donoghue, aboard Stumptown, celebrates after winning the Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase on day two of the Cheltenham Racing Festival at Prestbury Park in Cheltenham. Photo by Sportsfile The statement read: He was previously a 10 per cent shareholder. He was not an owner at the time of entry to the Ultima (handicap chase ). No prize monies have ever been redistributed to shareholders. The Irish Independent has reported that the Tralee syndicate are now setting their sights on the Grand National itself, with the Dillons confirming that they are planning to run Stumptown in the race on April 5 over the famous Liverpool course. The Gand National in three weeks time but I think were going to enjoy tonight first and we'll make a plan then after that, Brian Dillon said. Winning connections, including owners Ger Teahon, Brian and Garrett Dillon, and George Savage, celebrate after Stumptown won the Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeple Chase under jockey Kevin Donoghue, centre, on day two of the Cheltenham Racing Festival at Prestbury Park in Cheltenham. Photo by Sportsfile McDonnell is currently behind bars in Portlaoise Prison where he has served more than a year of his 12 year sentence. The Special Criminal Court heard of links between a transnational organised crime group based in Kerry, with the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. It was this Kerry-based organised crime group, the State has submitted, that McDonnell assisted by storing and then arranging to export the drugs. Under direction from Senior Counsel for the prosecution John Berry, Detective Sergeant Dave Howard agreed that the seizure of crystal meth in Cork in February 2024 had resulted from a year-long investigation into a transnational organised crime group based in Kerry. Sub-machine guns, also seized are still subject to ballistic analysis. This organised crime group has connections with the Sinaloa Cartel, which Sgt Howard said is one of the worlds biggest drug cartels. Gardai gained access to this local gangs communications network after phones and SIM cards were seized in 2023. Gardai say they had received a report of a group of men attempting to interfere with a parked vehicle at approximately 2.15am Three teenagers have been arrested in Dublin after a car was stolen in the early hour of this morning. Gardai say they had received a report of a group of men attempting to interfere with a parked vehicle outside a residential complex on Snugsborough Road in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 at approximately 2.15am. Gardai arrived at the scene a short time later and intercepted a car matching the reported vehicle description attempting to exit the area. Three teenage males were arrested and detained at a Garda station in the Dublin Metropolitan Region under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, a Garda spokesperson said. Two of the arrested males, adults in their late teens, have since been charged and are expected to appear before Blanchardstown District Court at a later date. The third arrested male, a juvenile, has been released pending a referral to the Garda Youth Diversion programme. Gardai added that the vehicle was removed from the scene for technical examination by the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit. Investigations are ongoing. BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Magdalena Grono, the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, has wrapped up her visit to Turkiye, where she engaged in discussions with Turkish officials on a range of regional issues, Trend reports. "Concluding a positive visit to Ankara. Grateful to counterparts in Turkiye for open and constructive exchanges on South Caucasus and regional topics, including Azerbaijan - Armenia normalization, conflict-related issues in Georgia, and Turkiye - Armenia normalization. Also discussed connectivity and regional cooperation opportunities, which may benefit South Caucasus countries, Turkiye, Central Asia and the EU. In the context of increasing global challenges, it is crucial to redouble efforts for progress towards regional stability, security, and sustainable peace," she wrote in a post on X. The horrific incident happened in Northampton on Monday The scene from the home where a 13-year-old girl has been charged with murder and arson A 13-year-old girl is due in court today charged with murdering a woman whose body was found after a house fire. Northamptonshire Police said the body was discovered at a property in Wellingborough, in the early hours of Monday morning. Detectives believed the victim was Marta Bednarczyk, 32, a mother of three children. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has also been charged with arson with intent to endanger life. What we do know is that police and firefighters were called to the house shortly after 3am following reports of a fire and the victim was declared dead within minutes. A post-mortem examination gave the preliminary cause of death as a sharp force injury. Det Ch Insp Johnny Campbell, senior investigating officer from the East Midlands special operations unit, said he wanted to thank officers and staff who had worked "tirelessly" since the "very tragic events". "And, in particular, all our thoughts are with Marta's family who have been fully co-operative throughout what has been a devastating couple of days for them," he added. There are multiple plaques on the wall at the front door and they highlight the impressive awards Flynns pub has received since our last visit 12 years ago. The exterior of P. Flynn's bar in Carrick-on-Shannon has had a job done since our last visit Almost 12 years ago, Pub Spy and the Commandos rocked up to P Flynns pub in Carrick-on-Shannon and enjoyed one hell of a session. With a few more grey hairs and slightly larger waistlines than we had in 2013, we left Dublin on a two hour journey to the party capital of Ireland, as the Young Commando calls it. This must be one of the few towns left in Ireland with a booming pub trade, the Old Commando joked as we arrived on the Main Street and parked our pub-mobile on St Marys church lane. The Young Commando was giddy with excitement and would have gladly visited any pub in the town, as hes not sure theres such thing as a bad one. His excitement grew even more as we walked along the Main Street past a hen party. Oh the place will be full of hens today, he said, like a lovestruck teenager. It probably will be, the Old Commando replied, but itll also be full of stags. As we made our way along the Main Street, the Young Commandos assessment of any pub will do seemed quite accurate as they all appeared to be enjoying good trades. P Flynns was the pub we had decided upon, so we carried on walking until we reached our destination. The exterior has certainly received a facelift since our last visit when the facade was white, but it has now been painted a dark orange and it looks lovely. There are multiple plaques on the wall at the front door and they highlight the impressive awards Flynns pub has received since our last visit 12 years ago. Connachts Best Local pub 2024, Best Pint of Guinness in Leitrim 2022, Connacht Pub of the Year 2018, Leitrim Pub of the Year 2018 and 2022 and Connacht Pub of the Year 2024 are just some of the awards theyve won in the last seven years. With the competition in Carrick-on-Shannon alone, never mind the rest of the county and province, thats very impressive, the Old Commando said. As we stepped inside the front door we were immediately impressed with the surroundings and remarked that this pub has definitely undergone a facelift since our previous visit. I cant remember thinking it needed a facelift from the last time, but its a smashing little boozer now, the Young Commando remarked as we took our seats just inside the front door. A youngish barman, just over six-foot tall, served us immediately and the creamy pints of stout cost 5.70. Harp, Tuborg, Birra Moretti and both Rockshore cider and lager are available on draught too. The dark green leather bench seating and red leather barstools were all in good condition and there are two nice intimate sections at either end of the pub known as The Snug and Flynns Corner. The timber flooring was clean and there are at least three TVs in the bar. They serve food in this pub between Wednesday and Sunday and there is live music four nights a week. A framed Steven Gerrard jersey sits proudly on the wall under a TV and the Young Commando got even giddier with excitement as he discussed the upcoming league cup final for his beloved Reds. There is another bar located in the fabulous smoking area at the rear of the pub, which includes an open space and two snug type sections, all of which have their own TV. The toilets are small but they were clean and we couldnt find any fault with them during our stay. We were enamoured with Carrick-on-Shannon in general and that love can be extended to P Flynns pub too. Weve no intention of leaving it another 12 years before returning. In fact, the Young Commando mightnt leave it another 12 weeks. Rating: Four pints out of Five One for the road: McHugh Carrick-on-Shannon Its a long time since we experienced an atmosphere like we did recently in McHughs bar. There was live music and a packed boozer with dancing, singing and pints galore. The Young Commando loved it. Emma was the barmaid who served us and she took our order without delay. There was a mixed clientele of all ages and hardly an empty seat in the house. The brown leather bench seating where we sat was in good condition and the open fire in the stone faced chimney kept us nice and toasty. San Miguel, Corona Extra and their own McHughs lager are all available on draught, but we were happy enough to stick with Arthurs finest stout. The other section of the bar also had a fireplace and TV and a younger crowd was assembled in this area. The toilets were small but they checked out fine. Well certainly be calling to McHughs again. Rating: Four pints out of Five The funeral for motorcyclist Christian Rasmussen, who died in a collision on the M50 in Dublin last weekend, will take place on Friday morning. Mr Rasmussen, who is originally from Denmark but was living in Kilmeaney, Co Carlow, for many years, was known affectionately as Danish Paddy to his friends and was a member of the Devils Disciples Motorcycle Club. The motorcyclist died in a collision on the motorway in west Dublin on Sunday afternoon. He is sadly missed by his heartbroken father Soren, Sorens partner Mary and the Quinlan family, uncle, aunts, cousins, relatives and his motorcycle friends especially those in the Devils Disciples MC. Riding with the angels, his death notice reads. He is predeceased by his brother Henrik. He will lie in repose in R Healy and Son Funeral Home on Thursday evening from 5pm to 7.30pm, with removal on Friday morning. His funeral mass will take place at the Church of the Holy Family in Askea, Co Carlow on Friday morning at 11am, followed by private cremation. Devils Disciples Motorcyling Club said members will have the pleasure and honour of escorting our brother Danish Paddy 1% on his final ride from the holy family church Askea, Co Carlow to his final destination, Newlands Cross Crematorium, where we will part ways with our brother. "Anyone who would like to join us on his last ride on your motorcycles is more than welcome. Mr Rasmussen has been remembered as a true gentleman and friend who was always trying to help others, with many tributes shared from across the biker community. "Danish had the biggest heart - always the first to offer a helping hand, often showing up unannounced, just because he cared, one wrote. "That was something special, something rare these days. He had an infectious smile and never spoke a bad word about anyone. He was truly one of the most unique and genuine souls Ive had the privilege to know. "Heaven has gained one of the best. Theres no doubt he will continue his kindness up there, looking after those who went before us. Fears guns could be smuggled into jails using the technology Drones are getting bigger, more powerful and more capable of carrying heavier loads. Stock image Prisoners have succeeded in getting drugs delivered to their cell windows by drones after supplying outside operators with their exact geographical co-ordinates. Prison officers fear advances in technology and a proliferation of mobile phones in jails could lead to weapons, including firearms, getting into cells. In one recent incident at Mountjoy Prison, a delivery of drugs was flown straight to a cell window and a prisoner used a DIY hook to retrieve it from the hovering drone. Despite the successful execution of the elaborate plan, the drugs were seized by prison authorities. The windows in the prison cannot be opened wide enough to allow inmates out known as the Limerick design but it is understood that in the case in Mountjoy, the window had been compromised over a period to allow the drugs drop to take place. With advances in technology and prisoners always trying to find new ways to get contraband into prisons, there now exists the technology to use a smuggled mobile phone to establish exact co-ordinates and text them to someone on the outside who then uses them to program a flight path for a drone, said Gabriel Keaveny, deputy general secretary of the Prison Officers Association. Our fear is that the same technology could be used to get a firearm into a prison, directly into a cell. In the UK, drones dropping drugs and weapons into prisons have been deemed a threat to national security. In January, the UKs chief inspector of prisons called for urgent action to tackle drones, which are frequently bringing in drugs and weapons to prisons holding some of the most dangerous men in the country, including terrorists and organised crime bosses. A fortnight ago, there were drone deliveries into Mountjoy every day on four consecutive days More traditional routes of getting drugs into Irish prisons, such as through visits with family or friends, have now largely been curtailed with the use of scanners. The throwover of drugs over prison walls into yards is being tackled using netting. However, the advent of drone technology is the latest method the authorities are trying to block. While drones have been used for a number of years to get drugs and blades into prisons, the increased sophistication of drone design means large quantities of contraband can be dropped to within centimetres of a given location. A fortnight ago, there were drone deliveries into Mountjoy every day on four consecutive days, and prison officers operating searches are finding more and more contraband that hasnt even been unwrapped, Mr Keaveny said. Drones are getting bigger, more powerful and more capable of carrying heavier loads. Stock image There are so many phones getting into the prisons now and prisoners are even finding ways of adapting lights and equipment in their cells so they can charge them. The phones are being used to organise drops to very specific areas like bins and areas not covered by netting. We have a constant battle with technology. A prison source said: One drone drop of drugs could have a value of 60,000 on the prison landings. Thats the level these people are operating at now. Its not just a few tablets or a few grams of drugs any more, and the weight a modern drone can carry increases the risk of dangerous weapons getting to dangerous criminals. Motion-sensor cameras and evolving technology such as signal-jammers have previously been explored A spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service said: The service is committed to preventing the access of contraband into prisons and it continues to be a high priority. We are committed to continuing to invest in new technologies and measures to support our efforts to keep contraband out of prisons. The prison service continues to have high-level engagement and the sharing of intelligence with An Garda Siochana on a regular basis. This is resulting in the seizure of contraband, arrests and significant disruption to organised crime involved in smuggling contraband into Irish prisons. An Garda Siochana continues to support the Irish Prison Service with ongoing operations in each relevant garda division. Operations such as Operation Throwover are intended to disrupt, interdict and prosecute attempts to introduce contraband into prisons. Motion-sensor cameras and evolving technology such as signal-jammers and interception techniques have previously been explored by prison authorities, yet the drones are still getting through. It is understood that a new form of mesh, which is metal in composition, is being deployed across prisons in Dublin, where it is used to cover exercise yards to prevent drone drops to the prison population. Previous netting was being compromised by drone operators dropping flaming packages on to them, which burned holes and allowed the contraband to drop through. Trump said it is a great honour to have Mr Martin at the Oval Office. Taoiseach Micheal Martin met US President Donald Trump today in a hotly anticipated meeting as part of St Patricks Day celebrations. Mr Martin was keen to emphasise the economic and emotional ties between Ireland and the US ahead of the Oval Office visit. Burke family spotted near White House Four members of the Burke family have arrived at the White House security cordon. They are holding posters, though it is unclear what they say. Father Sean, mother Martina and daughter Ammi, joined by one brother, flew from Dublin to Washington this week ahead of Micheal Martin's visit to the White House. The Evangelical Christians are known for their protests and doorstepping of high-profile figures. The Burke family have become familiar faces in the media in recent years, especially for their son and teacher Enochs court battles. He owes around 80,000 to the State in unpaid fines for contempt of court. The dispute can be traced back to an instruction by the then principal of Wilsons Hospital School in Co Westmeath he worked at in May 2022 that staff were to address a transgender child by a new name and they/them pronouns. U.S. President Donald Trump greets Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheal Martin at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 12, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein Micheal Martin: Trump meeting was 'very positive' Taoiseach Micheal Martin has described his meeting with US president Donald Trump as very positive. Mr Martin said he was focused on presenting the narrative that there is a two-way trade relationship between Ireland and the US. Speaking to reporters following the Oval Office meeting, he said: Its very clear that the president likes Ireland. He has strong affection for the Irish people. In a reference to Mr Trumps comments about Ireland taking US pharmaceutical companies, Mr Martin said: He was particularly complimentary in terms of the Irish approach in terms of economic management over the last number of decades. I think he put it in a fairly different way than perhaps people might have expected but nonetheless, he was clear. And he spoke about to us in terms of the impact of the Irish on the US, his own experiences in New York in terms of the Irish influence. He added: My overriding objective was to try and present the narrative and the story that Irelands relationship with America is a two-relationship economically. It is believed that the toddler died as a result of choking. Sudden death in the Burnvale Crescent area of Cookstown on the March 9, 2025 (Credit: Luke Jervis) Police attend the scene of a sudden death in the Burnvale Crescent area of Cookstown March 9, 2025 (Credit: Luke Jervis) Sudden death in the Burnvale Crescent area of Cookstown on the March 9, 2025 (Credit: Luke Jervis) A toddler believed to have died as a result of choking in Co Tyrone has been named as Emily Whinnery. The 15-month-old girl died suddenly at a property in Cookstown on Sunday afternoon. Emergency services attended the scene on Burnvale Crescent including the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) and the Air Ambulance. A Service of Thanksgiving for Emilys Life will take place in Derryloran Parish Church on Friday, March 14 at 1:30pm, followed by burial in Cookstown Cemetery. Mourners have been asked to wear bright colours to celebrate Emilys life with any donations going to the Air Ambulance charity. Police attend the scene of a sudden death in the Burnvale Crescent area of Cookstown March 9, 2025 (Credit: Luke Jervis) He added that the entirety of the Co Tyrone town has been heartbroken and shocked by the news. The people of Cookstown are in complete shock at what happened on Sunday and my thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time. Its absolutely terrible. Sudden death in the Burnvale Crescent area of Cookstown on the March 9, 2025 (Credit: Luke Jervis) A death notice states that baby Emily Whinnery passed into Gods Heavenly Kingdom. "Beloved Daughter of Stacey Whinnery and Blane Gordon, much adored Sister of Rhys, Charlie and Riley, loving Granddaughter of Hazel (Keith) and Stephen (Joyce) and cherished Niece of Laura, Kirsty (Corey), Nicole (Ryan) and Nikita (John), it adds. Forever loved and missed by the entire Whinnery, Holdsworth, Donaghy and Gordon Family Circle. Burnvale Crescent area of Cookstown (Credit: Luke Jervis) The smallest of feet have the power to leave big and everlasting footprints on our hearts." The Belfast Telegraph understands the toddler died as a result of choking. Local Ulster Unionist councillor Trevor Wilson said the absolutely tragic accident is every parents worst nightmare. Its unbelievable, he told this newspaper. An absolute nightmare. Mr Wilson added that the entirety of the town has been heartbroken and shocked by the news which is the latest in a string of tragedies to hit mid Ulster. The people of Cookstown are in complete shock at what happened on Sunday and my thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time. Its absolutely terrible. Police have said they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the sudden death and that enquiries are continuing at this time. Fellow Mid Ulster Councillor, Kerri Martin, who lives near the estate where the incident occurred, also sent her thoughts and condolences to the childs family and all of their loved ones. Mid Ulster has been battered with tragedies in recent weeks, particularly with so many deaths of young people, the SDLP representative continued. It's just awful. My thoughts and prayers, and everyone in Cookstowns thoughts and prayers, are with everyone involved. Politicians have further called for those on social media to not speculate over the conditions and names of people involved. Mid Ulster has been battered with tragedies in recent weeks" On Monday, SDLP Councillor Denise Johnston also said that she is absolutely shocked to once again hear that another child has died in Mid Ulster and referenced Caitlin-Rose McMullan (11) who was recently buried on Sunday. The Bellaghy schoolgirl died shortly after being struck by a car last Wednesday afternoon. The incident happened just outside the village of Castledawson, near her family home on Broagh Road, shortly after she had exited a school bus. She was rushed to hospital in Belfast but sadly succumbed to her injuries. The funeral of teenager Callum Quinn also took place on Sunday morning at The Church of The Holy Family, Platers Hill. The 18-year-old from Coalisland passed away after a single-vehicle crash involving a black Peugeot 207 on Coalisland Road outside Dungannon, shortly before 11pm last Tuesday night. In a separate crash last month, police confirmed that a woman who died in a crash just outside the Cookstown area was 43-year-old Leanne Thomas. Elsewhere in Mid Ulster, almost a fortnight ago, murder victim Adam Krzan (71) was found dead in Dungannon. He died as a result of serious injuries following an assault at a flat in Corrainey Park. All four people arrested in connection with his murder have been released by police. Inspectors also served orders on businesses due to a lack of cleaning Seven enforcement orders were served on businesses last month for breaches of food safety legislation, including the discovery of six mouse carcasses on a warehouse floor in one premises. Inspectors also served orders on businesses due to a lack of cleaning, a lack of hot water available for washing surfaces and food equipment, and the absence of a food safety management system in other premises. A wholesaler and distributor in Portlaoise, Universal Food Wholesale Distribution Limited at the Unit 3B National Enterprise Park, was served with a closure order on February 28 when rodent droppings and six mouse carcasses were found on the premises. A number of spillages were providing a food source for the mice after they had not been cleaned up and gaps around the storage area were found to be obvious entry routes for mice. The inspector also noted that no documentation regarding pest control checks was available. A closure order was also served on the retailer Day to Day on the Boyne Road in Hayestown in Navan, Co Meath and later lifted on March 3 when an active rodent infestation was found by an inspector in a rear storage area and at the front service counter near the deli and the main shop floor. Foodstuffs like ice cream cones, coffee beans, sugar sachets, and hot chocolate sachets, and materials like napkins, ice cream tubs, coffee cups, and lids, were not protected against contamination and were stored in a room where there was evidence of a rodent infestation. The level of cleanliness at the time of an inspection at Lams at 286 Ballyfermot Road in Dublin 10 was not acceptable, with a closure order served on the business when there were also issues found with the ventilation system, the storage of raw and cooked food in cardboard or containers with no distinction of its use and the recommendations from a pest control company that were not followed. "The level of cleanliness observed at the time of inspection was not acceptable. The inspection was expected and the standard was still well below acceptable levels, they said. "The business has demonstrated a lack of concern regarding hygiene for an extended period of time, which cannot be tolerated. The closure order served on Lams on February 14 was lifted on February 20. Far East Restaurant, which is also based in Ballyfermot at 339 Ballyfermot Road, was served with a closure order as a hole in the wall of a food store and at a skirting board needed to be sealed, food stored in open containers needed to be destroyed and the premises as a whole required a deep clean. The order was served on 13 February and was lifted on February 17. An inspector visiting Bombay Kebab House at 3 Bridge Street, Carrick-on-Suir in Co Tipperary found the premises was in an unclean condition overall and observed poor hygiene practices, while they also found the presence of food allergens used as ingredients was not declared for any menu item. They said the business had a long history of non-compliance with food safety regulatory requirements and noted that the hygiene standards at the time of the inspection demonstrate a lack of awareness of food safety hazards. .It was served with a closure order on February 18 that was lifted on March 3 There was no supply of hot water to sinks at Tank and Skinnys @ Number 6 at the Courtyard Shopping Centre in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, where an inspector also noted that there was a lack of effective cleaning and food safety procedures were being observed. It was served with a closure order on February 18 that was lifted on February 20. Meanwhile, the Burren Smokehouse on the Kincora Road, Lisdoonvarna in Co Clare, had a prohibition order served on a number of product batches for reasons that included a failure to notify the competent authority of the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. A number of batches were recalled and instructed for supervised destruction. FSAI chief executive Greg Dempsey said the orders serve as an important reminder that food safety must always be a top priority for all food businesses. "Regular checks and adherence to food safety and hygiene standards are essential to protect consumers health and maintain public trust. "There are no excuses for failing to comply with legal requirements, and any lapse in food safety practices puts consumers at direct risk. Implementing a food safety management system is straightforward, especially with the supports available from the FSAI, yet some businesses continue to neglect this crucial legal requirement, he said. "Consumers have a right to safe food and it is imperative that all food businesses uphold the highest standards of food safety and hygiene at all times. A postmortem showed James Kailedzi had died as a result of traumatic blunt force head injury. Nobody is to face prosecution over the death of a hotel chef whose body was found at his home a few hours after he was believed to have been involved in an altercation in Dublin city centre two years ago, an inquest has heard. James Kailedzi (31), who came originally from Malawi, was pronounced dead at his home on Hatch Street, Dublin 2 on March 25, 2023. Detective Inspector Maeve OSullivan told a sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court on Wednesday that the DPP had directed that no prosecution should arise over Mr Kailedzis death following an examination of a Garda file on the case. A previous sitting of an inquest into the chefs death heard that a postmortem showed he had died as a result of traumatic blunt force head injury. It is understood the deceased may have suffered the fatal head wound after falling to the ground during the incident in the early hours of March 24, 2023. Although Mr Kailedzi managed to get up and walk home, he was found dead in his bed by his friends sometime later. Gardai subsequently issued a public appeal for anyone who had been in the area of Coppinger Row and South William Street between 1.15am and 2.30am on March 24, 2023 who may have witnessed an altercation between a number of males. It is understood that the deceased had been out in Dublin city centre socialising with other friends from Malawi. Two men aged in their 20s and 30s were arrested by gardai as part of their investigation into Mr Kailedzis death but they were later released without charge. Det Insp OSullivan told the hearing, which was attended by the deceaseds brother, Charles Odilo, that the period for an appeal against the DPPs decision had now elapsed so that a date for the full inquest could be fixed. The coroner, Aisling Gannon, noted the family of Mr Kailedzi had sought for the case to be given a priority hearing and set aside a full day for the inquest to be held on October 2, 2025. Singer Gary Lightbody says his pal played with two broken hands The guitar hero had been playing gigs through the pain at their two sell-out Belfast shows after two separate accidents including injuring a hand after the Thursday night gig in the SSE Arena. Johnny McDaid and Courteney Cox Frontman Gary Lightbody revealed: Johnny McDaid had hurt his hand at the start of the tour, we were going from Switzerland to Frankfurt on a train. We did the whole European tour on the train, it was really fun except for this thing which happened, where Jonny got his hand caught in a door. And it wrecked his hand. He ended up getting surgery on his hand. Never missed a show. And then the Thursday night in Belfast, at midnight or so, he fell and wrecked his other hand smashed his knuckles on his other hand. When we came in for soundcheck on Friday, he couldnt move the fingers on his right hand. And he still played the show on Friday night. He has just last Sunday gone to get surgery on his hand. Its insane. He had two broken hands on Fridays show and he played the gig. Unbelievable hes made of different stuff from the rest of us, absolutely. Johnny McDaid, Gary Lightbody and Nathan Connolly make up Snow Patrol Gary (48) was interviewed by Brendan OConnor on RTE radio and spoke about his new book The Forest Is The Path, a companion piece to Snow Patrols latest album, which was influenced by the 2019 death of his father Jack, who had suffered from dementia. He said: In my youth he was more of a sort of a stoic figure. He was a very funny man but he wouldnt have been too emotional. I never saw him cry or anything like that, he was kind of a tough guy. He wouldnt be running around telling people his feelings or anything like that, which probably would have been the opposite of me, I was more like my mum. Him and I were a bit sort of chalk and cheese. I think the most guilt I feel is about the arguments that we had over so many years. I wasnt arguing with him in the Alzheimers years, our arguments were long gone before his mind started to fade a little and then a lot, but I did argue with him from I was 16 to I was way too old to be arguing with my dad, 35, something like that and we were still arguing the bit out about everything, politics mostly! And now I realise it was such a waste of time. Also my mum would end up kind of being referee and what a waste of energy and time it was to have so much anger. You cant get that time back and I think about it all the time. Gary left his home town of Bangor to go to university in Dundee, where he formed his first band, before finding fame with Snow Patrol and his way back to live in Co Down after a stint in California. He said: My love of Northern Ireland partly came from being away and missing the place and returning to the place to live and Im deeply in love with Ireland but at that time in my life I probably was running from things that I didnt understand. The house Im standing in right now Ive had for 20 years, so this has always been my home here but Ive spent a lot of time away as well. About four years ago I decided just to stay here, for this to be the only place I lived, and I might decide to go and live somewhere else at some point but I love the place so much. Im looking out at Belfast Lough right now, I swim in there every day. I walk the coastal path every day that Im home and my family are nearby and my friends, its a beautiful place to live. Its very simply and I love it that way. Gary Lightbody Gary, who said he would like to write another book, opened up about the moment he decided to quit drinking, after finding himself alone in a bar in the States and admitted living the rock star life had got out of hand. He said: Yeah, very much so. My dad, bless him it all comes back to him I guess, he used to say, Never drink alone, son. That was one of his catchphrases and I always took it to heart until I didnt. Thats when things kind of did get off the rails a wee bit. I was in a bar in Santa Monica where I lived over there and this was the nadir, it was five oclock in the afternoon or whatever, it was still daylight, and I was sitting on my own drinking. I only saw this out of my peripheral vision, I didnt look over or anything at any point, but this couple sat sown at the table beside me and I saw them both turn and look at me and look at the state of me. And they both silently, they didnt say anything, they both took their drinks, stood up and walked to the other side of the room. And for whatever reason that just got through to me. I was like, You look a sight Lightbody, get your life together. There was a few people in my life that really helped me get sober, I wouldnt have been able to get through it without them and I havent looked back. I havent had a drink in eight and a half years, or drugs for that matter, neither of them. So it has changed my life dramatically and it has made the days so much brighter. He also revealed that Bono famously made a guest appearance when Snow Patrol played Bangors Ward Park in 2019 for a performance of U2 hit One, the megastar moved his life around just for them. He added: Bono had a bunch of meetings that day and he moved them all from wherever they were in the world to Belfast. He got people to come to meet him in Belfast so that he could come and do our show that night. Which is absolutely amazing. The 62-year-old actor shared a video on TikTok on Tuesday to confirm that she has left America and moved to Ireland The American comedian and former talk-show host Rosie O'Donnell has moved to Ireland to avoid the Trump presidency, she has revealed. The 62-year-old actor shared a video on TikTok on Tuesday to confirm that she has left America and moved to Ireland. She also clarified that she and her 12-year-old daughter moved here on January 15, only five days before Donald Trump took office as the 47th US President. Talking about how she quietly left the US in a video posted to TikTok on Tuesday she said: It's been heartbreaking to see what's happening. Rosie in Ireland O'Donnell explained how the political climate following President Donald Trump's election inspired her relocation. It's been pretty wonderful I have to say," O'Donnell said in the nearly 10-minute clip. "The people are so loving and so kind, so welcoming. And I'm very grateful." However, she added: "The personal is political, as we all know. I just felt like we needed to take care of ourselves and make some hard decisions and follow through. And now as we're getting settled, I was ready to post this and to tell everybody what's been going on." However, she admitted that she had since felt homesick. "I miss my other kids. I miss my friends," O'Donnell said. "I miss many things about life there at home, and I'm trying to find a home here in this beautiful country, and when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that's when we will consider coming back." The comic wrapped up her Tuesday video by encouraging Americans to "protect your sanity as much as you can" and to advocate for their civic values when possible. "I encourage everyone to stand up, to use their voice, to protest, to demand that we follow the Constitution in our country, and not a king not a man and we don't have cruelty as part of our governing style," O'Donnell said. ODonnell, who has been an outspoken critic of Trump, also shared that shes in the process of getting her Irish citizenship since she has Irish grandparents. Rosie has fled Trump's America I was never someone who thought I would move to another country. That's what I decided would be the best for myself and my 12-year-old child. And here we are, she added. Later in the video, ODonnell shared that while she and her daughter whom she referred to as Clay are happy, she misses her other children in the U.S. ODonnell and ex-wife Kelli Carpenter share three adopted children: Parker, 29, Chelsea, 27 and Blake, 24 and Viviene, 22, who is Carpenters biological daughter, conceived by IVF. ODonnell adopted Dakota with her second wife, Michelle Rounds. They split up in 2015. The Now and Then star shared that with the help of her friend, she has been exploring her new hometown, Dublin. ODonnell also apologised to those who were worried about her and missed her. She also expressed why she waited to make this announcement. The TV host continued her video by reiterating how much she has enjoyed traveling through Ireland, and that she now wants to get back into photography. Days before announcing her move, ODonnell hinted about the big change on Instagram, according to The Independent. She posted a photo of herself behind the wheel of a car, indicating in the caption that she wasnt in the US. Bought a little used car to tool around the countryside on the wrong side of the road," she wrote in the caption of her post shared last week, as reported by People. "Hit the curb three times thought I hit a cat !!! #newadventures. Her post also included a picture of Dakota in the backseat of the car next to her backpack. ODonnell also mentioned in the caption that she was taking her child to school and that she couldnt wait to walk to school with Dakota. O'Donnell isn't the only celebrity to express political disillusionment following Trump's election victory in November 2024, CNN reports. Stars such as Christina Applegate, Stephen King, Billie Eilish, Bette Midler and Sophia Bush have previously shared their grievances on social media. SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. (AND NO SPAM!) Just click here. I have never been to Mar-a-Lago. But I can imagine some of the things I might see if I were to explore President Trump's mansion. In the pantry, I would surely find coffee from Colombia or Kenya, tea from China or Sri Lanka, and olive oil pressed in Greece or Spain. Perhaps I would find the dining rooms well stocked with glassware from Austria or the Czech Republic; the porcelain dinnerware might be Wedgwood or Royal Doulton from England. Trump doesn't drink, but in his cellars there are likely cases of French and Italian wines for his guests who do, along with Russian vodka, Mexican tequila, and Scotch whisky. I wouldn't be surprised to see handwoven Turkish rugs on the floors, a Swiss watch or two on the dressers, and original silk hangings from Venice on the living room wall. All that, of course, would be in addition to the palatial dwelling itself, which was built of Doria limestone imported from Genoa, marble blocks from Cuba, and tens of thousands of antique Spanish tiles. Trump may be a fervent protectionist who deems "tariff" the most beautiful word in the English language and believes as he told Congress on Tuesday that Americans are being "ripped off" by the flow of imports into the United States. Yet his homes contain plenty of imported goods, equipment, materials, and foods just as yours and mine do. In Trump's outlook, international trade is a zero-sum game, in which exporting is winning and importing is losing. But his own home demonstrates the absurdity of that view. Mar-a-Lago, which exports nothing except perhaps some Trump-branded gift items to visitors from abroad, is running a lopsided trade "deficit" with the world. Does that mean its owner is getting ripped off? Of course not. Its owner is a powerful billionaire! Trump's ability to exchange dollars for such a vast assortment of household goods is a sign of his economic vitality and success. Nevertheless, Trump has long persisted in believing that the way to expand American wealth is to make it harder for Americans to import goods from abroad. Hence his new trade war, launched with the imposition of a 25 percent tariff on most imports from Canada and Mexico and now scheduled to take effect on April 2. "The tariffs are going to make us very rich and very strong," the president said when he announced the new import taxes last month. He repeated the claim on Capitol Hill last week. But that can only be true if the way to enrich Americans is to reduce their choices and raise their prices. It's crackpot economics, and even if Trump's most devoted acolytes can't see that, the market can. When the new tariffs kicked in, Wall Street began hemorrhaging; by the end of the first trading day, the US stock market had shed more than $3 trillion in market value, wiping out all of the post-election "Trump bump." Trump's rhetoric about trade oozes with nationalistic resentment. "We support Canada $200 billion a year in subsidies one way or the other," he said at his recent Cabinet meeting. "We let them make millions of cars. We let them send us lumber. We don't need their lumber.... We have the best lumber there is. We don't need their lumber. What do we need their lumber for?" None of that makes sense. To begin with, Trump's basic facts are wrong: The US trade deficit with Canada is $63 billion, not $200 billion. More important, a trade deficit is not a subsidy. When US consumers and companies buy goods, services, equipment, and commodities from Canadian suppliers and manufacturers, they aren't bestowing a gift or paying above the market price. They are spending their wealth to buy things they want or need and can afford to pay foreigners to supply. The United States is not being cheated when it imports products from Canada and around the world; it is being enriched. Just like Mar-a-Lago. Contrary to Trump's petulant claim, we do need Canadian lumber. Otherwise, American construction firms wouldn't buy tens of millions of cubic feet of it each year. They may want it for its particular quality, or for its proximity to northern US markets, or because of domestic supply constraints, or to take advantage of more favorable exchange rates or production costs. What matters is that they import Canadian lumber because doing so is good for Americans. The same is true of all international trade, just as it's true of all trade across state lines and municipal lines. Both sides benefit or there would be no deal. For most of the past 50 years, the United States has run a trade deficit with the world. For most of those 50 years, the US economy has rocked. Curtailing Americans' ability to do business with their neighbors will not make America great again. It will only make it poorer, no matter how much Trump insists otherwise. Jeff Jacoby is a columnist for The Boston Globe, from which this is reprinted with permission. (COMMENT, BELOW) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Russia and the United States will hold a meeting on a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, US President Donald Trump said while answering questions from reporters at the White House, Trend reports. Trump said the meeting would take place on March 11-12. "We are talking about a complete ceasefire. Ukraine has agreed to this, I hope Russia will agree too. We will meet with them (Russia) later, today and tomorrow, and I hope that we can reach an agreement," Trump noted. This has enabled us to reduce the Kawerau paper mills carbon footprint by 66% since 2009, including a 25% reduction with our new technology upgrade. Essitys Australasia managing director Sid Takla said it had invested $20 million to upgrade its paper machine , which is the worlds only tissue machine using 100% geothermal steam drying. More than 100 people were expected at the official opening of the newly-upgraded tissue machine, including New Zealand and Australian business leaders from the manufacturing, distribution, sustainability and retail sectors, as well as Kawerau business and community representatives. The worlds first tissue machine operating entirely on geothermal steam instead of gas is being unveiled today at Essitys Kawerau paper mill. Thats the equivalent of removing 2200 cars from the road annually. The company enlisted the help of 25 international experts in engineering, operations and safety management, including 120 local contractors. The machine was upgraded over 12 weeks which included removal of old equipment, civil work, installation of new equipment and then commissioning. Essity's tissue machine commissioning team at its Kawerau paper mill. Photo / Supplied Essity - a global hygiene and health company headquartered in Sweden - is the only tissue manufacturer in New Zealand making paper on-site and converting it into finished product. The mill produces products each year for brands such as Sorbent, Purex, Handee and Tork. Takla said its operation contributed about $40m into the Bay of Plenty economy every year. Kawerau had access to geothermal steam - a renewable energy resource managed by the companys geothermal steam partner and supplier Ngati Tuwharetoa Geothermal. The geothermal reservoir and the infrastructure in place through Ngati Tuwharetoa Geothermal are unique to Kawerau, and we are so pleased to invest more into this smart, natural solution. Beyond the positive environmental impact, the project also delivers socio-economic benefits to the local economy with the partnership helping to fund local marae, housing, and education initiatives. The New Zealand Geothermal Association acknowledged the significance of the project as an example of industrial decarbonisation. By replacing fossil fuels with geothermal steam, this project demonstrates how New Zealand businesses can achieve energy security while significantly reducing carbon emissions, chief executive Kennie Tsui said. To celebrate the mills upgrade, Essity commissioned local artist Sarah Hudson, (Ngati Awa, Tuhoe and Ngati Pukeko) to create two bespoke designs for the limited-edition packaging of Tork paper towels. Hudson said her designs celebrated the unique geothermal energy that powered the mill - one drew on the natural elements symbolising sustainability and the other reflected the swirling steam. Its an honour to contribute my mahi to this project and support the future of sustainability in this industry. Pathlab says it understands staffs frustrations, but its funding model was different from the public sector which limits what we are able to offer. The next Pathlab strike will be from March 24 to 26. More than 850 laboratory scientists and technicians nationally are taking part in rolling strikes between March 22 and March 31. One worker said he would earn an extra $30,000 annually for the same job at Waikato Hospital while another said it was difficult to attract and retain staff given the wage gap. Apex union members took strike action on February 5 and 7 after bargaining claims for pay parity were rejected. It said medical laboratory workers were paid on average 28% to 32% less than their Health NZ counterparts, despite performing the same work. Pathlab workers in Tauranga and Rotorua will strike for the second time in two months after their last strike resulted in only modest progress towards achieving pay parity. Health NZ says planning is under way to minimise any impacts on hospitals and community-based health services and it expected life preserving services to be in place. We didnt get what we wanted at all Pathlab Rotorua senior scientist Casey Lowe said the pay increase offered - about $3000 annually - wasnt great. We are some of the lowest paid healthcare members in New Zealand and its just not good enough. They want us to have university degrees but then theyre not willing to sort of pay for that expertise and experience. She said members had been on the same wages for a year-and-a-half amid rising insurance, rates, and power bills. Were all struggling. Lowe said members did not like striking but it was our only means to enact any sort of change. We do realise there [are] patients at the end of all of this. Members forfeited pay during the strike, but the benefits of getting better pay outweigh the short-term loss of income. Steven Clements (front left) pictured alongside other Pathlab workers who went on strike in April 2024. Photo / Alex Cairns Pathlab Tauranga senior medical laboratory scientist Steven Clements said members were offered a small raise after last months strike. We didnt get what we wanted at all. We feel like theres a lot of blame being passed between our employer and the Government. Clements said the Government made its standard statement about it not being involved in private laboratory negotiations. They actually provide almost all of our funding so we feel like the Government hasnt particularly listened. We also feel like our employer maybe isnt really supporting us ... so its led to another strike. An Apex media release said strike notices were issued to Pathlab, Awanui, and Medlab on March 6 after the February strike resulted in only modest progress in collective bargaining. Apex national secretary Dr Deborah Powell estimated more than 123,000 tests would not be performed during the strikes. Apex wanted to work with laboratory employers to resolve the dispute. We are in the weird situation where the employers agree with us - pay parity between public and corporate employed lab scientists and technicians is the only fair, just and sustainable solution to this dispute. Unfortunately, the lab triopoly are refusing pay parity without further government funding. Powell said the unions view was further funding should be forthcoming but conditional on Health NZ taking an ownership stake in these laboratory corporations. Pathlab responds In a statement, Pathlab said it made an offer reflective of available funding, but it was not accepted. It continued to work with Apex and within its funding constraints to find a way forward. Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga collection rooms and Tauranga and Whakatane Hospitals would remain open during the strike. Eastern Bay of Plenty and Whakatane region collection rooms would be closed. The strikes would cause disruptions to services and testing, particularly in the Eastern Bay and Whakatane. Patients should continue to attend any hospital outpatient appointment or surgery, unless contacted directly. The statement said there would be no microbiology testing during the strike which included some urines, all sputum, swabs, seminal fluid and fungal scraping testing. Pathlab advised people to check its website for updates. In response to workers and Apexs comments, Pathlab said it understood why staff felt disappointed and frustrated and it recognised their financial pressures. We value their work and have engaged with Apex in good faith, doing everything we can within the funding we receive. The challenge was Pathlabs funding model was different from the public sector, and that limits what we are able to offer. We remain committed to finding a workable solution while continuing to provide the high-quality services our communities rely on. Pathlab chief executive Brian Millen said it played an essential role in the provision of healthcare services and apologised to those would be affected by the industrial action. Millen said when the Government agreed to a pay equity settlement with public sector laboratory workers, it resulted in a substantial pay gap with their private sector colleagues. The problem is that private laboratories, including Pathlab, receive the vast majority of their funding through long-run bulk-funded contracts with Health NZ that pre-date the settlement and are inflexible when it comes to unforeseen cost increases, such as this one. Millen said Pathlab continued to work with the Government to ensure patients received quality, efficient pathology services and remained engaged with Apex. Pathlab was working with Apex to ensure life-preserving services were maintained, and with health officials to minimise the impact on patients, Millen said. Health NZ responds Health NZ Te Whatu Ora director of living well, planning, funding and outcomes Martin Hefford said it was notified of planned rolling strike action by Apex members from March 22 to March 31. Health NZ was aware Apex members were in collective bargaining. Health NZ was not involved in this as they did not employ the private sector workforce. Hefford reassured New Zealanders extensive contingency planning was under way to manage and minimise any impacts on hospitals and community-based health services from the strikes. He said the strikes would have varying impacts on health services, depending on the region. All our hospitals and emergency departments will remain open, and we are liaising with the private laboratories to ensure patients who require urgent and critical care receive the services they need, including testing carried out at hospitals and in the community. Unless contacted directly, patients should attend Health NZ outpatient appointments or surgery as planned, he said. We respect the right of workers to take strike action and any questions about this matter should be directed to the employers or the union. Hefford said Health NZ expected the private laboratories to work with the union to ensure contingency plans and life preserving services were in place. The strikes would have varying impacts on Health NZs ability to deliver planned care during these 10 days across its hospitals, including Rotorua, Taupo and Whakatane. It will also affect community laboratory services, but effects are not expected to be acute. The ExportNZ ASB Bay of Plenty Export Awards will take place at Mercury Baypark on July 18. After a hiatus since the Covid-19 lockdowns, the event returns to celebrate the exceptional achievements of Bay of Plenty businesses exporting goods and services to global markets, a statememt from ExportNZ said today. With a 1920s-themed gala, this years awards promise a night of elegance, glamour and celebration, honouring the resilience, innovation and success of the regions exporters. ExportNZ BoP Executive Committee chairman Warwick Downing, said the event was a platform to recognise outstanding businesses but also as a prime opportunity for networking and knowledge-sharing. These awards shine a well-deserved spotlight on the incredible exporters in the Bay of Plenty who work tirelessly to bring New Zealand products and services to the world, Downing said. Equally important is the opportunity they provide to bring the exporting community together, to share stories, challenges, and insights that help drive the sector forward. Awards judge Greg Jarvis said the awards underscored the importance of recognising success in the region. The Bay of Plenty has a rich history of innovative and forward-thinking exporters who have built a reputation for excellence on the global stage. These awards are a chance to celebrate that success while also fostering a culture of learning, community and connection across the BOP export sector. From its world-renowned kiwifruit and avocados to high-quality timber and dairy products, the Bay of Plenty showcases a diverse range of goods that reach international markets. The awards are organised by the EMA on behalf of ExportNZ. EMA GM of Marketing and Communications Lisa Dean said the awards highlighted the dedication and skill of the people who drove this success. ExportNZ is proud to recognise the Bay of Plentys role in bolstering New Zealands export sector. Harnessing the spirit of the roaring 20s the ExportNZ ASB Bay of Plenty Export Awards promises to be a night of celebration, fashion and fun. ExportNZ ASB Bay of Plenty Export Awards categories: Best Emerging Business (Air NZ Cargo) Celebrating early-stage export success. Excellence in Innovation (Page Macrae) Acknowledging businesses that have successfully commercialised innovation internationally. Exporter of the Year (Sharp Tudhope) Recognising established businesses with a strong track record in export markets. Export Achievement Award (Zespri) Honouring an individuals impact on export growth and profitability. Services to Export Award (Orbit Travel) Recognising an individuals outstanding contribution to exporting. Key dates: March 14 Launch & entries open; tickets go on sale April 18 Entries close (5pm) May 9 Finalists announced May 12-23 Judging & site visits July 18 Awards event Businesses looking to enter the awards or purchase tickets can visit https://exportnz.org.nz/event/exportnz-asb-bay-of-plenty-export-awards-2025/ - Supplied copy -Bay of Plenty Times The body of the first New Zealander killed in Ukraine nearly three years ago is finally being returned home. Dominic Abelen was killed in August 2022 while fighting in the East of Ukraine on leave without pay from the Defence Force. He was working to take over a Russian trench line in the Vuhledar region when he was wounded and died in battle. The soldier's body ended up in Russian hands after his team came under intense fire while trying to retrieve him. Today he was finally returned to Ukraine where fellow soldiers and former members of his unit performed a haka before the body is repatriated from Kyiv to New Zealand. His coffin was covered with both New Zealand and Ukrainian flag and he was presented with two medals, the GUR award "Ukraine above all", as well as the medal "For military merits" . The body was initially expected to be returned to Ukraine in October 2022 during a two hour ceasefire arranged for a handover. But only the body of American, Joshua Jones was given back. He had died alongside Abelen. It was unclear why the New Zealander was excluded from the exchange and kept at a mortuary in the Donetsk region. RNZ understands there has been continued work from multiple agencies over the past 2.5 years to get the body returned. Abelen operated under the callsign 'Tolkien' and arrived in Ukraine 2022 where he started with the GUR Legion as a military instructor before joining a combat unit as a machine gunner. The Military Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine posted on Instagram "The Ukrainian nation will always remember the feat of the proud son of the Maori people - a true warrior, man, hero of Ukraine and New Zealand." Abelen was a close friend of former NZDF soldier Kane Te Tai who was also killed in combat in March 2023. Harry Horman was in tears describing the devastation of a mystery fire that destroyed his caravan and all but one of his nine classic cars. Horman, a classic and muscle car collector and local panel beater, lost everything but the clothes on his back. On Sunday emergency services were called to a fire on Ainsworth Road at 7.03pm. The Fire and Emergency crews were there until 2am on Monday extinguishing the blaze which was classified as third alarm level. More than 10 crews and fire trucks attended the blaze, a spokesperson told SunLive at the time. Horman, who managed to save one of his cars at the start of the blaze, said: "One minute youre fine, the next youve got nothing. The remains of Harry Horman's caravan after the fire. Now he has nowhere to live. Photo / Ayla Yeoman I do not really know how it started, but I was just watching TV in my home, my caravan thats all I had and I saw smoke coming around the side of the building [shed]," Horman said. "I went round and the side of the building was on fire. I used up three fire extinguishers to try and put it out, but it wasnt going out. The fire got bigger and spread quickly, he said. Inside the shed were several gas canisters like LPG bottles and welding bottles. They all blew up and all the fuel in the cars eventually blew up. These caused several explosions and firefighters told him the fire reached 1000C. The wreckage of Harry Horman's property in Te Puna. Photo / Ayla Yeoman Hes been trying to keep himself busy mowing the lawns and sifting through rubble to salvage whatever he can find. Ive been dragging out some tractors that were at the back of the shed, which are slightly scorched but okay. He had been living out of his caravan, and when it was completely burned to the ground, he was left without a roof over his head. Everything that I owned went up in about a few minutes. All Ive got is the clothes I was wearing and bare feet. At least Im alive. I could be dead, but no, Im still here with a few battle scars. On Wednesday, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said they considered the blaze accidental. Since the blaze the Te Puna community has rallied around Horman. A friend offered him a place to stay, and several people visited him, bringing shoes, clothing, food, and support. Horman is amazed by the level of support he has received from the community. It really blew me away. There are nice people out there. Owner and operator of Dominos Bureta, Harkirat Singh has organised a fundraiser for Te Puna man Harry Horman who lost everything in a fire. Photo / supplied After learning about the incident on Facebook, the owner and operator of Dominos Bureta, Harkirat Singh, wanted to help. On Thursday, March 13, for every pizza sold from 11am-8pm at the establishment, one dollar will go towards fundraising. We believe that by raising awareness of Harrys situation, we can encourage more members of our community to come forward and offer their support, Singh said. To support Horman, visit Dominos Bureta on Thursday, March 13, between 11am-8pm. People can also donate via a GiveaLittle Link here. Ignacio Lillo Malaga Wednesday, 12 March 2025, 19:54 Compartir She has been named Gypsy, although her real name is not really known because, like so many other animals in the Malaga province countryside, she does not have a identification microchip. Although she is an old acquaintance in the Sexmo area of Cartama in the Guadalhorce valley, where she survives with the help of local residents and spends her time chasing cars and motorbikes, she has now become an internet sensation thanks to her adventurous side. It seems that the German Shepherd cross wanted to explore and see the world and a few days ago she decided she'd catch the C2 Cercanias train service at Cartama Estacion to see what was so interesting about Malaga city for the other passengers who catch the train every day. Her fellow passengers wasted no time in taking photos of Gypsy and sharing her adventure on social media. Gypsy, who is a social dog and used to being around people, obliged. Force majeure Coincidentally, Donata Jurgaityte was on her way to work on the same train. Originally from Lithuania, Donata has been in Spain for 25 years and is a specialist in training and a volunteer at the Perritos del Higueron shelter in Pizarra. The centre cares for some 200 abandoned animals, including dogs, cats and horses. Zoom Donata Jurgaityte with Gypsy, at the Cercanias train station. SUR "I was on my way to Malaga on the 8am train when a German Shepherd cross got on at Cartama station on her own, so I took her to work. I couldn't leave her alone and it was a force majeure," Donata explained. Once back at the shelter, they posted a photograph of Gypsy on social media in case an owner came forward. Several people responded to say that the dog had been seen wandering around the Sexmo area of Cartama for several days: "From there she went to Cartama and then decided to go to Malaga on a trip. She jumped up and slipped into the train and sat very quietly on the floor," Donata smiled. Overcrowded shelters Donata admits that on the return journey to Guadalhorce Gypsy was all barking all the way. "It's obvious that the dog doesn't want to be in the village," she joked. Since she was already in the city, they first tried to take Gypsy to the Sociedad Protectora de Animales shelter, but its president, Carmen Manzano, said that they had recently taken in a lot of other animals from a shelter that had been flooded in the recent rains. "So far this Monday morning we have received five reports of abandoned dogs from all over the province, and last week 17 were rescued from a person with Noah's syndrome. We are overflowing and we are getting calls from all over the province, abandonment has increased exponentially. The Protectora can't take any more," Manzano said. The situation is identical at Perritos del Higueron, where Gypsy has ended up. "We are a small shelter and we have about 200 animals, we lack space and we have very few donations or adopters, while animals keep coming in," Donata explained. More difficulties with the new law In her opinion the new state law is making pet ownership more difficult, to which is now added the issue of veterinarians, who are obliged to carry out costly tests to prescribe antibiotics, which makes any treatment more expensive because an analysis must first be carried out. "Having animals is going to become a luxury, unfortunately," she said. So, if anyone would like to share their life with an active, clever dog who knows her way around Malaga's public transport system, Gypsy is available for adoption at the Perritos del Higueron shelter in Pizarra. Juan Soto Malaga Wednesday, 12 March 2025, 16:51 Compartir The Shakespeare pub in Malaga city has closed its doors. The popular haunt among locals and foreigners alike and named after the English Baird closed just ahead of what would have been its tenth anniversary. The closure of the establishment located on Calle Muro de Puerta Nueva has left a legion of Malaga's Spanish and foreign residents bereft of a meeting point. The English pub opened its doors in mid-2015 and was run by Peter Edgerton, a musician from Liverpool who decided to set up his own business in the city centre. The beginnings, however, were not easy. A lack of financial resources forced him to set up in a side street in the centre which had few passers-by. "When we opened we were the only premises open in the whole street," Peter recalls. It was so complicated that after a year he considered closing down. "I gave myself six more months and then we were up and running," he says. Peter explains that there were several factors that encouraged this change: the opening of a business opposite which gave more life to the street, taking on another member of staff and the launch of a pub quiz that was popular to the end. Culture and community From that first moment The Shakespeare was committed to cultural activities. It hosted live music, photography, ceramics and painting exhibitions and even informal science talks ('Pint of Science'). "I'm proud of the cultural offer we have given the city for many years," Peter reflects. Zoom Interior view of the bar when it was still open. SUR The pub was forced to close because the contract expired and the owner decided not to renew it. But Peter remembers the "wonderful customers" he says he had for so many years. "We created a community of Malaguenos and foreigners living in the city, since only 20 percent of the visitors were tourists," he sums up. "What memory would I like to leave? That it has been a small refuge in the centre." Now Peter plans to resume his love of music and continue writing stories, his other passion. He has not considered - at least for the moment - reopening the pub in another location because this would require a major investment that he says he can't afford. "The Shakespeare was the activity I did for the most years and it has come to an end," he concludes. Chance arrival in Malaga Peter's connection with Malaga is entirely coincidental. He arrived in the city with the intention of spending just one night there after a trip around Europe and never left again. That night, back in 1995, he went for a drink at the old O'Neill's pub and met three girls who were looking for a man to share a flat with them because they were afraid of a neighbour. Peter obliged. What was meant to be a temporary stay of a few weeks was extended because O'Neill's hired him as a musician. He then got another job at Morrissey's and decided that Malaga was where he belonged. "If I hadn't gone to the pub that night and stayed in the guesthouse, I would have gone back to Manchester and my life would have been completely different," he reflected. Vanessa Melgar Wednesday, 12 March 2025, 11:53 Compartir Around twenty mayors from the Serrania de Ronda are met at Ronda town hall on Tuesday 11 March to ask the Junta de Andalucia for "priority" in the repair of the boulder-blocked road between the mountain town and San Pedro Alcantara on the Costa del Sol. The road was severely damaged by a landslide that happened in the municipality of Benahavis on Saturday 8 March due to heavy rains rom storm Jana. The landslide has cut access for a total of 9,000 thousand people who travel for work between the Serrania and the coast. Until the road is reopened, they will have to use the Ardales or Gaucin detour to get to their workplace, which significantly increases their commute. This will cause major economic damage to the area, as well as a drop in tourist activity. After the meeting, the mayor of Ronda Maria de la Paz Fernandez announced the institutional manifesto that the municipal bodies of the area have sent to the Junta's administrations. It includes measures that have been put on table to help alleviate the situation for those workers who cannot use the road by setting up additional public transport services direct to the Costa del Sol, that companies such as those on the Parque Tecnologico de Andalucia (PTA) in Malaga will facilitate working from home, for the regional government to temporarily drop the toll on the motorway between Malaga and Manilva. They have also clalled for irect aid for the self-employed and SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises) affected. Permanent solution As spokesperson for all the mayors that signed the manifesto, Fernandez also stated that the Junta has been asked to "definitively fix" the A-397 and to activate the preliminary project already drawn up, which includes the creation of lanes for slow traffic, the widening of verges and the improvement of the road surface. "It is a mountain road that needs major repairs," said Fernandez. She also stated the importance for buses to leave Ronda around 6 or 6.30am "to be able to reach the coast at 8am". The idea to extend the work from home option to more people seeks to reduce traffic on the Ardales connection to Malaga, as well as the one between Gaucin and Manilva, as they are currently used as alternative routes to the A-397. "We all have a common objective: that the road is fixed as soon as possible," said Fernandez. A "surprising" majority of authorities stand behind the manifesto, regardless of politics. Politicians unite Malaga PSOE (socialist party) representatives joined the demand to fix the A-397 and asked the regional government to include municipalities from the Guadalteba district and the province of Cadiz in meetings regarding decisions about the road. They reminded the public that a project for the work was already awarded in 2021, without any execution since then. Malaga PSOE also asked companies to improve public transport connections and for the costs of certain journeys to be covered. The Partido Popular (conservative party) has also echoed the need for the A-397 to be repaired "as soon as possible, (...) as this situation is detrimental to many Ronda residents and people who live in the mountains". Ignacio Lillo Malaga Wednesday, 12 March 2025, 15:39 Compartir Don't put away your umbrellas just yet, there's more rain to come. The storm train has given a brief respite today but tonight and on Thursday the rain will return to Malaga province, following the arrival of a new high-impact Atlantic storm, which has been christened Konrad by the authorities in neighbouring Portugal, which will sweep across Spain on Thursday. In the case of Malaga, the state weather agency (Aemet) has activated a new yellow warning (slight risk) for the 13 March, due to a combination of various phenomena. First the rain, with up to 15mm accumulated in one hour, and up to 40 in twelve. This could happen in Malaga city, on the Costa del Sol, the Guadalhorce valley, Axarquia and Ronda areas. The statistical probability of this happening is quite high, from 40 to 70 per cent. In addition to possible heavy downpours, there will be warnings for thunderstorms and winds, with maximum gusts of up to 70 km/h. In addition to the above, Aemet also warns of possible coastal phenomena, with winds from the west and southwest of 50 to 60 km/h (force 7) and waves of 2 to 3 metres in significant height. Furthermore, in this case the sea storm will be worse, as it will be combined with "combined sea", which is combination of wind and swell, to give rise to a westerly swell that may reach four metres in height. For the past decade, British actress Kate Winslet, 49, had been patiently deciding which of Lee Millers three life stages she wanted to portray. On March 7, 2025, the film Lee was finally released in Spain, after a 2023 premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Directed by Ellen Kuras, it stars Winslet, whos also one of the producers. In the prologue to the book Lee Miller: Photographs (2023), by Antony Penrose, the actress writes: Lee Miller was a woman who made things happen [...] I wouldnt have made the film if I didnt feel such a deep passion for it. [As for] Lee... I couldnt get her out of my head. Winslet faced years of financial challenges to make the movie happen, according to an interview she gave to Vanity Fair, which was published on March 9. The feature film focuses on Millers time working as a war correspondent, when she was armed with her Rolleiflex camera for Vogue magazine. But before becoming a photojournalist, she was a model: first for her father, then for Vogue and Vanity Fair, owned by Conde Montrose Nast. In 1927, the media mogul saved Miller from being hit by a car. That life-saving encounter led to a modeling career that was short-lived, due to the controversy that followed some photos of her advertising feminine sanitary products in the spring of 1929. After Millers interest in modeling and painting waned, she felt that photography could offer her an exciting experience. So, she moved to Paris and insisted on becoming a student of Man Ray, a renowned surrealist photographer. At first, he didnt want to take her on as a student. But, in the end, they spent three years together as teacher and pupil and also as lovers. Together, this artistic couple discovered the photographic technique of solarization. Miller learned so much and so quickly from Ray that she opened her own photography studio. Before the outbreak of World War II, she met Roland Penrose, who became her lover and, later, her husband. Instead of returning to the United States, she stayed in Europe. In London, she tried to return to work for Vogue as a photographer something she had done previously thanks to Rays connections. In her new role, her photographs transcended handbags and shoes: she didnt ignore the material and human damage caused by Adolf Hitlers dehumanization. After London was bombed, Miller took to the streets and used the rubble that the British capital had become as a backdrop for her models. Dissatisfied with the texts that accompanied her photographs, she began writing them herself. In this way, her reports went beyond fashion: she began to investigate other topics, such as the work of American nurses and that of female searchlight operators. Dozens of rolls of film and thousands of words would follow, eloquently portraying and recounting field medicine, war, and the suffering of civilians. Model and photographer Lee Miller in a 1930s archive image. George Hoyningen-Huene (Conde Nast via Getty Images) In 1942, she wanted to become an accredited war correspondent, something that was unattainable for a woman at the time. She met a young man who became her co-worker in covering the war: Life magazine photojournalist David E. Scherman. Thanks to her American citizenship and her status as a photojournalist and with a little support from Scherman Miller obtained a permit from the U.S. army that allowed her access to the military zone. Officially accredited and armed with her Rolleiflex camera and her surreal photographic eye, she portrayed the horror as closely as she could. Regarding Millers photographs, Winslet writes, in the aforementioned prologue: Whats extraordinary about them is that very few of them are war photographs [in the style that] one might expect. In late July of 1944, after D-Day, Miller was at La Cambe, on Omaha Beach in Normandy. In addition to covering the field hospital that treated wounded soldiers at the rear of the battlefield, she worked at an evacuation post for the wounded on the front lines. From Saint-Malo, she went to Paris, which was liberated from the Nazis on August 24, 1944. But the worst came at the end of her journey. In April of 1945, Miller and Scherman arrived just a few days after the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration and extermination camps, near Weimar and Dachau. Millers photographs spoke for her, because, for a long time, she wasnt able to describe what she had seen although she never forgot the nauseating smell. She photographed the gas chambers, the morgue with its piles of unburned bodies, as well as the huts where the living lay next to the corpses, too weak to move. In Germanys concentration and extermination camps, she became aware of the true magnitude of the war. From then on, she was never the same woman. Kate Winslet recreates the photo David E. Scherman took of Lee Miller in the bathroom of Hitler's Munich apartment. Photograph courtesy of Sky UK Ltd. Kimberley French The night of the same day they were in Dachau was spent in Hitlers apartment, in nearby Munich. In the bathroom, Miller and Scherman composed a picture. With her camera, he photographed her, naked, in the bathtub. In the same photo, you can see her boots, soiled by the Dachau dust. David and Lee agreed that a photograph isnt just taken: its made. They both arranged things, moved them around, to create a better image, Winslet explains in her prologue. In mid-May, Miller and Schermans paths diverged. He returned to New York, while she continued eastward, visiting Vienna, Budapest, and Bucharest. In 1946, she reunited with Roland Penrose. They married and settled in the English countryside, in a house on the Farley farm, where the protagonist of this story traded photography for cooking. She barely mentioned her traumas, which included having been raped as a child, or her memories of the horrors of World War II, particularly Dachau. She kept these traumas at bay with the help of her intellect, her sense of humor, her Rolleiflex camera and a blender (among other kitchen utensils). Miller died from pancreatic cancer in 1977. Antony and Ami Bouhassane her granddaughter are responsible for safeguarding and publicizing her archive. Winslet considers the photojournalists legacy to be extraordinary. If we dont keep making films about people like Lee Miller, how the hell are we ever going to change the culture and peoples attitudes towards complex, interesting women who have lived lives and wear all of their marks and their scars on their faces? she asked, in her interview with Vanity Fair. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Chus Heredia Wednesday, 12 March 2025, 19:25 Compartir Recent images in the press have highlighted decades of neglectful investment that the authorities are now trying to repair. La Concepcion reservoir on the Costa del Sol has to discharge a variable volume of water to maintain the flattened curve of runoff from the tail and the rainfall that pours in to be finely balanced against the measured outflows from the sluice gates. All the evidence points to the fact that the 57 million cubic metres it can store are insufficient for a western Costa del Sol that bears no resemblance to the one when the dam was opened in 1972. In Spain's national hydrological plan it was proposed to increase La Concepcion's storage capacity. Two alternatives were studied: the first was to raise the height and body of the dam and the second was to place another dam further downstream. These were ruled out for different technical, budgetary and environmental reasons. One of those reasons was that it would greatly increase the reservoir's flooding footprint, which would affect the Sierra de las Nieves National Park. The budget was well over 200 million euros. Decades of waiting The alternative, which was proposed decades ago, but which has been taken up by the current regional ministry of agriculture, is the Gibralmedina reservoir, to regulate the flows of the Guadiaro river. The project, which has already been completed, estimates a required investment of 778 million euros (including Spain's IVA sales tax). Of this, just over half would be for the dam itself. The rest would be for a powerful system of pipes to supply up to 15 million cubic metres a year back to the Costa del Sol. This volume would guarantee water for two months, given that, between Torremolinos and Manilva, some 90 million cubic metres are needed annually. This supply now comes from La Concepcion, the desalination plant in Marbella (its extension and renovation is in the final stages of completion) and from the wells in Fuengirola and Guadalmansa. Treated water Initially, the option of raw water to be treated by Acosol to make drinking water was considered. However, technical sources explained to SUR that the chosen alternative consists of connecting the Gibralmedina and Guadarranque dams, having the water treated by Arcgisa (the public water company of Campo de Gibraltar) at the DWTP (drinking water treatment plant) in Arenillas (Cadiz), then transporting it from there to the reservoir in San Enrique de Guadiaro (a work inaugurated by the Junta last Tuesday) and finally from this reservoir to Acosol's western branch of the mains supply network. Operations and exchanges of water supplies between Arcgisa and Man have been commonplace for a long time, albeit at obviously much lower flows, typically less than 4 million cubic metres. This idea would mean creating a real drinking water highway between the provinces of Cadiz and Malaga with key elements such as the pending extension of the Verde water treatment plant in Marbella and the pumping stations of Rojas (Churriana) and La Rosaleda that are now in operation. This would allow a continuous connection between Campo de Gibraltar and Axarquia. All this work falls to the responsibility of the Junta. Juanma Moreno's announcement The budget figure and more details were announced by Junta president Juanma Moreno during his recent visit to Campo de Gibraltar for the inauguration of the San Roque water supply pipeline. Moreno announced the start of the environmental impact assessment of the project, which will be key for Cadiz and Malaga as it will be located between the two provinces. The Typsa-Inproes joint venture (the companies involved in the Gibralmedina project) has drafted the document at a cost of 2.2 million euros. During the work there was a modification to take into account certain requests from Acosol, the water company of the Mancomunidad de la Costa Occidental, to receive flows from the new build. The modifications took the project to 437,000 euros, an increase of 19.2% on the initial budget. Transfer "It is an undertaking that will allow the transfer of flow from the Guadiaro [river] to the Gibralmedina stream, which would provide a valuable 25 million cubic metres extra to the Guadarranque-Charco Redondo system, which in very dry years could increase this supply to 48 million cubic metres, which in turn would cover the existing demand of 28 million cubic metres per year for irrigation water", said Moreno, who was accompanied by regional agriculture minister, Ramon Fernandez Pacheco. Government aid The work is declared to be of interest to the wider state and, for this reason, the Junta wants to negotiate with central government to support the building of this dam. The budget, which includes IVA sales tax, as SUR has learned, includes three parts to it. The first consists of transferring the flow of the Guadiaro river to the Gibralmedina stream. The second involves building the dam itself, which will be made of loose materials and located between the Gibralmedina stream and Vina del Indiano. To give an example of the type of dam needed, El Limonero has similar characteristics. Dams of loose materials are those formed by rocks or loose, uncemented earth. The third leg is the network of pipes. Agricultural uses The design of the reservoir gives the same level of priority to agricultural use and supply to the east of Cadiz province as it does to Malaga province. The widening of the purpose to this reservoir to meet the aforementioned requests of Acosol has required new calculations for the pipelines, new geological studies, other tests, a revision in modelling the dam and the safety of the environment. The dam will reach a height of 80 metres wth a retaining wall length of 1,400 metres. Clara Alba A Coruna Wednesday, 12 March 2025, 16:26 Compartir Inditex - Spain's multinational fashion group and owner of the Zara, Stradivarius, Pull&Bear and Bershka brand, among others - once again closes a historic financial year with a 9% increase in net profit, reaching almost 5.9 billion euros. This record figure is attributed to greater cost control and a 7.5% increase in sales, although the latter represents a more moderate growth compared to recent years. The company, founded by Amancio Ortega, earned 38.6 billion euros. The slower growth rate becomes more noticeable if we compare current figures with those from previous years. This is the first time since the pandemic that neither profits nor sales have grown in double digits. Even so, the gross margin (the profit the group makes on each sale) stood at 22.3 billion euros, 7.6% higher than in 2023, and already representing 57.8% of sales. In addition, the textile giant has confirmed that its Spring/Summer collections are already receiving positive feedback from customers. Sales from 1 February to 10 March 2025 have increased by 4%, compared to the same period in 2024. "The excellent sales and profit figures show Inditex Group's profitable growth, the efficiency in all operations and the constant innovation with which our teams drive a business model that continues to show its ambition and strength 50 years after the opening of our first shop," said Inditex CEO Oscar Garcia Maceiras. Good business performance allows the company to fulfil a great desire of its own: the board of directors will propose a dividend increase of 9% for 2025, to 1.68 euros per share. Inditex also maintains its investment plan and growth strategy and, despite reducing the number of brick-and-mortar shops, the annual gross space in the period 2025-2026 is estimated at around 5%. "The logistics expansion plan remains on schedule: this extraordinary two-year investment programme focused on business expansion is earmarking 900 million euros to increase logistics capacity in each of the 2024 and 2025 financial years," said Inditex. More sales, fewer shops Despite the slowdown in its growth rate, also heavily influenced by the currency effect, the Galician textile giant remains consistent in its ability to sell more with fewer physical shops. The company closed the year with 5,563 shops, 129 fewer than the previous year. However, its retail space grew by 2%. Online sales continued to gain ground, with almost 10.2 billion euros, more than 26% of the total compared to 25.2% in 2023. In physical shops, growth was 5.9%, two points lower. Zara remains the company's flagship and, together with Zara Home, already accounts for more than 70% of turnover. Stradivarius, another of its most recognised brands, is already outpacing the 11.8% growth rate of Bershka and Oysho, with 14%. Performance by region By region, Spain once again gained weight, contributing 15% of turnover, while the rest of Europe also grew strongly. On the other hand, the US dropped from 19.6% to 18.6%, while Asia fell from 16.9% to 15.7%. In terms of new markets, Inditex plans to open its first shops in Iraq in 2025. Bershka will open its first shop in Sweden. Stradivarius will premiere in Austria, while Oysho will do the same in the Netherlands and Germany. What remains to be seen is the strategy Inditex Group will implement in the US, where it has put much of its international expansion efforts. The state of unpredictability caused by Donald Trump's geopolitical and tariff measures makes the future of Inditex across the Atlantic uncertain. Marina Ortiz Madrid Wednesday, 12 March 2025, 12:56 | Updated 13:06h. Compartir The rain continues to fall in Spain. With the exception of some northern provinces, cloudy skies and precipitation in the form of rain have been the general weather pattern in recent weeks. Storm Jana has been the cause of the latest fronts that have lashed the country with heavy downpours, leaving numerous incidents in many parts of Spain, such as increased river flows, floods and even the disappearance of a man in Murcia. The large accumulations of water that have fallen in recent days have been announced in advance by the state meteorological agency (Aemet) in the form of warnings, issuing both yellow and amber warnings and red warnings, the most extreme ones, for cases in which hundreds of millimetres were expected to be recorded in a short period of time. As we enter the middle of this week of March, the situation does not seem to be very different, as Aemet has warned of the arrival of a new storm. The name of this one is Konrad and it was the Portuguese meteorological service which has given it this name, making it the eleventh storm of this season. It is associated with fronts that "will leave abundant rain on the Iberian Peninsula on Wednesday and Thursday". Aemet has indicated. When and where will it rain in Spain? This new storm called Konrad enters this Wednesday, 12 March through the west of the Spanish mainland: "It will introduce a mass of humid air that will make the skies, which initially are not very cloudy in most of the country, become very cloudy or overcast, with widespread rainfall, more likely in the northern third and in the southwest quadrant. Rainfall during the afternoon is likely to become persistent and/or heavy in the Strait of Gibraltar". Zoom The severe weather warnings issued by Spain's state weather agency for Thursday, 13 March. Aemet Looking ahead to Thursday, Aemet forecasts heavy and/or persistent rainfall in the southern third of the Spanish mainland, where heavy accumulations could occur. "It is possible we will see the appearance of scattered thunderstorms and hail often accompanying the showers," said the agency. In Andalucia, for example, there are yellow warnings throughout the day for rain, wind and thunderstorms, a situation that is also forecast for the autonomous Spanish city of Ceuta, bordering Morocco on the North African coast. For Friday, 14 March, storm Konrad is expected to move eastwards, "so that rainfall, although it will continue to be widespread, will be less intense on the Atlantic coast, while in the Mediterranean, Balearic Islands and around the Alboran Sea off the Costa del Sol and Strait of Gibraltar, may be locally strong and/or persistent and be accompanied by storms, with hail often". In addition, a "humid northerly flow in the Cantabrian Sea" may bring rain to this coastal area. Regarding the temperatures, not too many noticeable changes are expected overall, although they will gradually decrease as Friday and the weekend approach. Snow returns to these areas of Spain Although it will only occur in mountain areas, snowfall is expected with this new storm and will intensify as the days go by. From today, 12 March, it may fall in mountains in the northern half and southeast, with the elevation between 1,300 and 1,800 metres, from north to south. The following day, snowfall will continue in the main mountain environments of the northern and south-eastern half, with an elevation around 1,200/1,600 m at the beginning dropping at the end of the day in the north to 800/1,000m. Therefore, on Friday this level is expected to remain low, leaving snow accumulations that may become significant in almost all mountain areas in the northern half of the country and their surroundings. Demokraatit, a liberal party that advocates a gradual independence from the Kingdom of Denmark, won Tuesdays elections in Greenland with around 30% of the vote. The list led by Jens-Frederik Nielsen, a 33-year-old badminton player, surprised everyone by garnering more than triple the votes obtained four years ago. The second-highest-voted party was Naleraq, a populist and radically pro-independence party that advocates beginning the self-determination process as soon as possible. The two parties in the current governing coalition, the leftist Inuit Ataqatigiit and the social democratic Siumut, have plummeted, losing almost half of their seats. The elections on the planets largest island, which have generated unprecedented international media attention, have been deeply influenced by Donald Trumps threats. In recent months, the U.S. president has expressed his intention to annex this autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, a land of enormous geostrategic value, vast natural resources, and just 57,000 inhabitants. Five of the six parties that ran in the elections support secession from the Danish kingdom. The main differences lie in when and how to initiate the break with Denmark. The Statute of Autonomy, approved in a referendum in 2009, provides for the right to self-determination. If a majority in the Inatsisartut (Greenlandic Parliament) were to vote in favor of activating the independence process, an agreement would first have to be reached with Copenhagen on how the separation would take place; then, Greenlanders would have to approve it in a referendum; and finally, approval by the Danish Parliament would be necessary. Demokraatit (The Democrats) advocates for Greenland to become an independent state and a new member of the United Nations, but does not set a date and believes that many steps still need to be taken before the self-determination process can begin. The islandabout 50 times the size of mainland Denmarkis economically dependent on Copenhagen, which sends an annual subsidy equivalent to more than 500 million, representing around half of Greenlands public budget. The party that won the election maintains that for an independent Greenlands economy to be viable, mining (there are only two active mines), hydrocarbon extraction, and tourism must first be developed. Naleraq, a party that advocates the immediate severance of all ties with Denmark and which during the election campaign advocated signing a free association agreement with the United States in exchange for economic support and security, garnered nearly 25% of the vote, more than double the figure from four years ago. The party led by Pele Broberg, a businessman and pilot, comfortably led the count for much of the early morning. It swept many of the smaller settlements, but obtained much more modest results in Nuuk, the capital, and the rest of the major towns. Qulleq, the only party that, together with Naleraq, is committed to secession from Denmark, received little more than 1% of the vote and will not be represented in the House. Supporters of Naleraq celebrating their party's result in Nuuk in the early hours of Wednesday. Marko Djurica (REUTERS) Inuit Ataqatigiit, the green and left-wing party of Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede, who turned 38 this Tuesday, came in third with just over 20% of the vote, compared to 36% in 2021. Its governing partner, the Social Democrat Siumut, performed even worse, garnering only 15% of the vote, half of what it did four years ago. Tuesdays elections were the first to be won by neither Siumut nor Inuit Ataqatigiit, the only two parties to have led governments so far on the gigantic Arctic island. Atassut, the only Greenlandic party that supports maintaining the union with Denmark, finished in fifth place with 7% of the vote, a very similar result to that of 2021. At the conclusion of the vote count, at 3.30 a.m. local time, Nielsen, the leader of Demokraatit, declared to Greenlandic television that he will hold talks with all parties to form a government. Asked specifically about Naleraq, he said that he could not leave aside a list which obtained one out of four votes. The winner of the elections underlined that it is essential to adopt a calm strategy towards the United States and that it is necessary to start building a base before being able to talk about the creation of an independent state. Demokraatit will have 10 of Inatsisartuts 31 seats. If it were to add the support of the eight Naleraq MPs, or the seven Inuit Ataqatigiit MPs, it would reach the majority needed to govern. Shortly after the final results were known, Prime Minister Egede extended his hand to Nielsen in a Facebook post. Greenland was a Danish colony from the early 18th century until 1953, when it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Denmark. The island, geographically part of North America, became an autonomous territory of the Nordic country following a referendum in 1979, and its powers were significantly expanded in 2009, although defense, foreign policy, and monetary matters still fall entirely under the jurisdiction of the Scandinavian country. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The largest gun show in New York returns to the NYS Fairgrounds this weekend, but with a new location. For years the show was held in the Center of Progress Building. This year it will be held in the Exhibit Center, better known as the Dairy Building where all the dairy cows are kept during the Fair. The show runs from March 15, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. through March 16, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, seniors $8, under 12 free with adult. There is no military discount. Vintage bayonets, ranging in price from $150 for a Portuguese "Kopatcheck" model 1886 to $350 for a .30-40 Krag (also fits 1903 Springfield). Steve Featherstone | sfeatherstone@syracuse.com All firearms, including concealed carry, must be unloaded and tied down at the show unless youre paid security. Members of the Onondaga County Sheriff Office Pistol License Unit will be there to answer questions regarding state pistol license applications issued by the county. Deputies will also be processing amendments to acquire handguns to county-issued pistol license holders. Box of memorabilia from U.S. serviceman who served in England during WW2, where he met his wife, including V-Mail correspondence, photos, a diary, and lots of other neat stuff. $50. Steve Featherstone | sfeatherstone@syracuse.com Hosted by the New York State Sportsmen Association, the Syracuse Gun Show will have 800-1,000 tables featuring firearms and memorabilia from gun collectors and dealers from all over the U.S., including: U.S. military arms Colt revolvers high-grade double barreled shotguns Remingtons, Smith & Wesson, Sharps, Springfields, Winchesters muskets Kentucky rifles gun parts and accessories frontier and western paraphernalia swords, bowie knives, bayonets, custom knives targets, optics, powder horns, ammo, books, art Pre-Revolutionary War military relics and equipment Most items are for sale on a cash basis. Come prepared to haggle and barter for the best deal. Gun show vendors still adhere to the old-fashion trade and barter ways of doing business. The public is encouraged to bring in old and unwanted guns and military items for trade or purchase by collectors. Sign up for the CNY Outdoors Newsletter Enter your email address to get weekly updates on CNY outdoors news delivered to your inbox: Steve Featherstone covers the outdoors for The Post-Standard, syracuse.com and NYUP.com. Contact him at sfeatherstone@syracuse.com or on Twitter @featheroutdoors. You can also follow along with all of our outdoors content at newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/ or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/upstatenyoutdoors. The Buffalo Bills are reportedly signing veteran defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi to a one-year contract to bolster the defensive line. NFL.coms Ian Rapoport is reporting that the deal is for $8.3 million with $8 million fully guaranteed. There are also incentives built into the deal that could push it up to $10 million. Thats a sizable number for a soon-to-be 31 year old without a ton of production over the past few seasons. Ogunjobis athletic profile fits what the Bills usually look for in players. Hes fast and explosive. That just hasnt led to a ton of big plays in Pittsburgh. Its important to note that Ogunjobis best seasons came in Cleveland and Cincinnati where he played in a 4-3 defense. The Steelers play a 3-4. The Bills return their starting duo of tackles in Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones, along with second-year tackle DeWayne Carter. Ogunjobi, 30, joins the group as a proven three technique who can help as a pass rusher and against the run. Ogunjobi played the last three seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played in 48 games in Pittsburgh and totaled six sacks and 15 tackles for a loss. Ogunjobi was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2017 draft. He played four seasons with the Browns and then spent one year with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021 before heading to Pittsburgh. Ogunjobi was entering the final year of his contract with the Steelers but Pittsburgh decided to release him earlier this week to add roughly $7 million in cap space. The Bills prioritize players who were released around free agency because the addition doesnt factor into the compensatory draft pick formula. Buffalo also signed veteran pass rusher Joey Bosa on Tuesday after he was released by the Los Angeles Chargers. Ogunjobis best season came in Cincinnati when he posted career bests in sacks (7) and tackles for a loss (12). The 6-foot-3, 305-pound tackle gives the Bills another versatile piece on the interior. Jones is going into his age 34 season and Buffalo is still expected to be aggressive in the draft to add depth at defensive tackle. Bills coach Sean McDermott said at the end of the season that a really good defense starts up front. Winning games, winning the line of scrimmage is critical, McDermott said. And I felt like we did that at some times this year, not enough. ... I believe that moving forward, in order to move forward just as a team in games where Ive been in the Super Bowl, its your front is what gets you there. ... the O-line, the D-line, those are the guys that are getting you there and they impact the game more than any position ... That is an important spot for us. TV personality DeAnna Pappas (L) and husband Stephen Stagliano attend the 2015 Baby2Baby Gala presented by MarulaOil & Kayne Capital Advisors Foundation honoring Kerry Washington at 3LABS on November 14, 2015 in Culver City, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images) Getty Images Former The Bachelorette star DeAnna Pappas has been arrested in a dispute with her ex. E! News reports the Bachelor Nation alum was taken into custody early Feb. 27 after an altercation with ex-husband Stephen Stagliano. She was released on $20,000 bond that same day, according to the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department. The former couple, who shares kids Addison, 11, and Austin, 9, finalized their divorce in June after 11 years of marriage. Pappas, 43, filed for a domestic violence restraining order against Stagliano, last week after his mother, Lynn Stagliano, filed court documents claiming she smelled alcohol on DeAnnas breath while picking up Austin from Pappas' home for school. Pappas denied drinking and said the Feb. 27 incident occurred when Stephen, 40, grabbed her and refused to leave her home. Pappas also alleged multiple incidents of verbal and physical assaults by Stephen Stagliano, and said he had been falsely claiming she was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Stephen has gaslit me, manipulated me, and emotionally abused me for years, she said in a petition. This is just another way he is trying to control me. He has tried to paint me as a drunken alcoholic since we started this divorce process. Pappas starred on season 11 of The Bachelor and season 4 of The Bachelorette in 2008, when she famously rejected Jason Mesnick and accepted a marriage proposal from Jesse Csincsak. Their engagement was called off months later and Mesnick went on to star on The Bachelor in 2009. MORE BUZZ: Rosie ODonnell says she moved to Ireland after Trump won election ( E! Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires finalize divorce ( RS Lilo & Stitch live-action Disney remake trailer released ( SR Ghost Adventures stars wife pleads not guilty to murder-for-hire plot ( ET Hacks season 4 trailer released ( RS Ed Sheeran accusers ask Supreme Court to review Lets Get It On' case ( BB Buzz is a daily roundup of entertainment news about movies, TV, music and celebrities. A full bay of ambulances outside the emergency department at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com) N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com Albany, NY -- State lawmakers have thrown their support behind Upstate Medical Universitys request for $450 million in this years budget to replace its outdated, dangerously overcrowded emergency room. RELATED: Inside Upstates overwhelmed ER: Where miracles happen and dignity is a casualty Rome, N.Y. A woman walking along Central New York train tracks unintentionally hitched a ride on a passenger train. Somehow, the womans backpack caught on the train, which had just departed the Rome train station, according to a news release from the Oneida County Sheriffs Office. The woman had been trespassing, walking along the CSX train tracks by the state Barge Canal in Rome at about 3:40 p.m. Monday when the accident happened. Ontario Premier Doug Ford today confirmed that he will impose a 25% tariff on electricity exported to New York and two other states. March 4, 2025, file photo. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) AP AP One day after hitting New Yorkers with a new 25% tariff on electricity imported from Ontario, the leader of the Canadian province suspended the surcharge. Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on X that he is making progress in negotiations with U.S. officials and has suspended the tariff in response. Here is Fords statement. Today, United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Premier of Ontario Doug Ford had a productive conversation about the economic relationship between the United States and Canada. Secretary Lutnick agreed to officially meet with Premier Ford in Washington on Thursday, March 13 alongside the United States Trade Representative to discuss a renewed USMCA ahead of the April 2 reciprocal tariff deadline. In response, Ontario agreed to suspend its 25 per cent surcharge on exports of electricity to Michigan, New York and Minnesota. Meanwhile, New York officials are trying to figure out whether they will have to start collecting a 10% tariff on imported Canadian electricity that President Donald Trump said he may impose beginning next month. Gov. Kathy Hochul and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer issued a joint statement Monday calling for an investigation into what such a tariff would cost consumers and how it would affect energy security. Hochul directed the Public Service Commission, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Division of Homeland Security to issue a preliminary report within seven days. Hochul and Schumer said Trumps tariff on energy is so poorly written that it remains unclear whether electricity imports are subject to the tariff, leaving our grid operators and utilities in limbo. This is unacceptable. Following Fords suspension of his tariff, Hochul called on Trump to do the same. Theres no end in sight to this chaos, the governor said in a prepared statement. President Trumps trade war is already sending the financial markets into a tailspin and tanking the 401(k) accounts of middle-class New Yorkers. Hes injecting pointless uncertainty into our economy and refusing to rule out a recession. Its time for President Trump to rescind the tariffs and put our economy back on stable footing." Syracuse has struggled to get violators of its building and safety codes to correct citations, with about half of all cases that result in a fine going into default because the owner never paid. (Don Cazentre | dcazentre@syracuse.com) Syracuse, N.Y. A city of Syracuse agency launched in 2019 to put more bite into code enforcement could be getting some additional teeth to collect as much as $1 million in lost fines and penalties. The Syracuse Common Council is considering legislation that would empower the citys Bureau of Administrative Adjudication to roll unpaid code violation tickets onto a property owners tax bills. The bureau launched in 2019 following a two-year process to get legislation passed in the state Legislature and common council. The agency conducts a judicial review process for code violations that are not corrected on time, typically within 45 days of a citation. Violators who are found guilty in the bureaus proceedings face financial penalties that are legally enforceable. Before the city formed the bureau, ignored code violations were turned over to the citys corporation counsel office for possible prosecution through the courts. But the office lacked the resources to keep up with the case volume and to pay the court filing fees involves with thousands of potential cases. The Bureau of Administrative Adjudication is able to handle the workload, but its run into the same problem persistent violators who ignore fines and dare the city to spend money and resources taking them to court. The bureau issued more than 4,000 tickets in each of the previous two fiscal years, but about half of those defaulted on paying fines. City officials estimate theyre losing out on about $1 million annually from defaults. The bigger goal, though, is to get chronically neglectful property owners to correction violations and make neighborhoods safer and more inviting. The data shows that the more you get people engaged and youre going to get them engaged when they see it on their tax bills the more likely they are to fix the underlying violations," said Leah Witmer, the bureaus director, at a common council committee meeting on Feb. 24. The city also may seize properties owned by code violators who refuse to pay the fines even when levied through taxes. The city thought it had that option at one point. When the bureau was being formed, Syracuse officials worked with state legislators to get a bill passed allowing it to roll unpaid fines onto tax rolls, but they later discovered that the state laws language did not mesh with the property tax foreclosure program adopted by the city. Efforts to get that law amended have been futile. We believe our best option now is to amend our local law, Witmer said. While agreeing with the goal of getting slumlords to comply with codes, some common councilors are concerned that mostly responsible homeowners could end up losing their homes. Councilors Rasheada Caldwell and Patrona Jones-Rowser said theyve heard from constituents who found themselves facing penalties they could not afford but never understood the process they were going through. If its slum landlords, per se, that we know have continuously ignored things, thats not a big concern for me, Jones-Rowser said. Im talking about the person who is a homeowner occupant who may be struggling to pay their bills, who cant afford to take on extra fines and fees or just may need help to understand the mail that they just received. Those are my concerns. Both councilors also are worried that people will not be aware that they could face bigger property tax bills than what theyre used to seeing. The corporation counsels office said it will include language in large, bold font in both codes division and bureau correspondence warning property owners about the tax rollover potential. In addition, property owners who end up having code violations put on tax bills will have received at least four warning letters over a period of several months, and they have opportunities for an administrative law judge hearing to contest a potential penalty and an appeals process after that. Councilor Pat Hogan urged councilors not to lose sight of the legislations purpose. This is probably the most important legislation we have to deal with the deteriorating housing situation in this city, he said. Another supporter is Councilor Corey Williams, who views the legislation as a way to chip away at the citys chronic budget deficit. I think that we need to give all the tools at our disposal to our financial team in the city to kind of right the ship, he said. The proposed legislation was formally introduced at the common councils March 3 meeting. Councilors could vote on it as early as its March 17 meeting. City reporter Jeremy Boyer can be reached at jboyer@syracuse.com, (315) 657-5673, Twitter or Facebook. A 55 year-old snowmobiler from Hillsdale was found unconscious on Indian Lake after crashing his snowmobile on March 4. NYS DEC On March 4 at 11:30 a.m., a 55 year-old snowmobiler from Hillsdale was found unconscious on Indian Lake. A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation police officer arrived first at the scene, followed by a DEC forest ranger and an Indian Lake Paramedic. The snowmobiler had hit an ice heave and flew approximately 150 feet in the air on the vehicle before he was ejected and traveled nearly 150 more feet, bouncing off the ice a couple of times in the process. The snowmobiler suffered a traumatic brain injury and injured his left arm. First responders and bystanders wrapped him in a hypo wrap and transported him in a snow ambulance. Indian Lake Fire and EMS then carried him to a Life Net helicopter, which flew him to the hospital. Rangers also assisted in rescuing a 23-year-old from Schenectady who struck a tree and was ejected from his snowmobile while riding on Uncas Road in the town of Inlet on Feb. 28. The snowmobiler temporarily lost consciousness. Rangers packaged the man, and an Inlet ambulance transported him to a hospital for treatment. Also on Feb. 28, a 70-year-old snowmobiler from New Jersey got separated from his partners during a ride near Mason Lake in Hamilton County. Rangers searched the area and Indian Lake as well but darkness, snow, and heavy winds made tracks impossible to follow. Shortly after midnight, two rangers following a faint set of tracks found the snowmobiler on the east shore of the lake. Rangers replaced the drive belt on the mans snowmobile and assisted him to Lake Shore Road for evaluation by Indian Lake EMS. A NY state police chopper lowers a forest ranger to the site of a small plane crash in vermont that injured three passengers on Feb. 26. NYS DEC The following reports are excerpted from DEC: On the morning of Feb. 26 New York State Police Aviation flew two rangers to the site of a plane crash on Mt. Equinox in Bennington County, Vermont. Three passengers were aboard the plane at the time of the crash. Once lowered to the site, rangers packaged the patients who were then hoisted into the helicopter. An ambulance took two of the patients to the hospital and a MedFlight transported the third patient. Two hikers from Queensbury ages 25 and 30 were overdue on March 8 while attempting to summit Upper Wolfjaw Mountain in whiteout conditions. Rangers hiked the Wedgebrook Trail and A.W. trail. Then Johns Brook Lodge called to report the two hikers were at the lodge and in good condition. They had lost the trail and encountered other hikers in the morning who told them about the lodge. While the hikers multiple electronic devices for navigation, the batteries all died. DEC encourages hikers to always travel with a map and a compass. On March 2, a 25-year-old from Manhattan hurt his arm at Kaaterskill Falls after he slipped on icy stairs. NYS DEC On the afternoon of March 2, a 25-year-old from Manhattan hurt his arm at Kaaterskill Falls while hiking with a friend down to the middle pool area. Although he was wearing microspikes, he slipped on icy stairs leading to the lower falls. Rangers provided care and assisted the hiker to Route 23A where his friend picked him up. Sign up for the CNY Outdoors Newsletter Enter your email address to get weekly updates on CNY outdoors news delivered to your inbox: Steve Featherstone covers the outdoors for The Post-Standard, syracuse.com and NYUP.com. Contact him at sfeatherstone@syracuse.com or at @featheroutdoors. You can also follow along with all of our outdoors content at newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/upstatenyoutdoors. President Donald Trump received poor marks from respondents in a new poll. Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Washington. (Pool via AP) Pool via AP Americans are giving President Donald Trump poor marks for his handling of the economy, according to a new poll from CNN. A majority of those in the poll 56% disapproved of Trumps approach to the economy so far. Thats a worse mark than at any point during his first term, according to CNN. Economic matters continue to dominate the list of topics Americans are concerned about, CNN said. A total of 42% of those in the new poll chose the economy as their top issue from a list of seven choices. That was more than double the percentage received by any other topic on the list, including U.S. democracy, the way the federal government works, immigration, health care, foreign policy and climate change. A separate poll from Emerson College Polling, released just after Trump had been in office for 50 days, also found poor performance for Trump on the economy. In that poll, 48% of respondents didnt approve of the presidents economic approach while 37% approved, according to The Hill. Trumps overall approval rating in the Emerson poll was 47%, down 2 percentage points from the start of his term. The CNN poll found an overall approval rating for Trump of 45%, with 54% of respondents disapproving. Those numbers match his highest ratings from his first term in office, CNN said. Despite not yet delivering on the economy in voters minds, Trumps support remains strong, Spencer Kimball, the executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a news release, according to The Hill. However, the true challenge will be how voters perceive their financial future. While little has shifted since the election, the initial honeymoon phase seems to be coming to an end. Americans agree across party lines that Trumps use of presidential power is a break from historical norms, CNN said. A total of 86% of those in the CNN poll said Trump is taking a completely different approach than his predecessors. Among respondents, 49% said that was a bad thing while 37% felt it was positive, CNN said. Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 Russian authorities are avoiding making an open statement on the U.S.-Ukraine ceasefire proposal to buy time for negotiations. Meanwhile, Russian ultranationalists are seething, disappointed with Donald Trumps latest feint. Youre getting a little ahead of yourselves, Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters when asked what the Kremlin thinks of the proposal, urging them to wait for Washington to provide more details. The Foreign Ministry, for its part, has stated that Russias position will be adopted in Russia. However, the fear among war propagandists and politicians is that the truce will only strengthen Ukraine. Some dared to speak out even before the Kremlin issued an official response: Any agreement [must be] on our terms, not American, warned Konstantin Kosachev, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council, the Russian Senate, in a Telegram post. Putins spokesman urged them to wait. Both [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio and [National Security Adviser Mike] Waltz said that they would pass on detailed information to us through various channels about the essence of the conversation that took place in Jeddah. First, we must receive this information, Peskov said. Hours later, Rubio announced that Washington and Moscow will meet Wednesday to discuss the truce proposal. Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the situation is fluid. Although the Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine has stalled in recent months, the recapture of its own territory in the Kursk region, partially occupied by Ukrainian forces since last August, is progressing in leaps and bounds. Russian troops raised their flags over Sudzha, the main municipality in the region, on Wednesday. Victory will be ours, Kosachev added. The two powers maintain contacts in various spheres. This Wednesday, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergey Naryshkin and John Ratcliffe, his CIA counterpart, spoke by phone. According to the Russian intelligence service, the objective was to help ensure international stability and security, as well as reduce the confrontation in relations between Moscow and Washington. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized that the final decision on a ceasefire will be made by Moscow. Russias position will not be formed abroad through any agreements or efforts of certain parties. Russias position is shaped within Russia, she stated. The veteran diplomat stressed once again in a separate interview that Moscow will only accept measures that satisfy its interests. For the Kremlin, any proposal regarding Ukraine must focus on eradicating the root causes of the conflict, and this includes the disarmament of Kyiv. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov did not comment on the truce agreed Tuesday between Ukraine and the United States in Saudi Arabia, but he asserted in an interview with American bloggers that Donald Trump will not provide security guarantees to Kyiv while the current Ukrainian president remains in office. Trump does not want to provide American security guarantees to a Ukraine led by [Volodymyr] Zelenskiy. He has his own view of the situation, which he regularly and openly expresses, Lavrov said. He also criticized the United Kingdom and the European Union for increasing their military support for Ukraine, but did not address the U.S. promise to rearm Kyiv in exchange for accepting the temporary truce. The Russian Foreign Minister also categorically rejected the deployment of European peacekeepers in Ukraine. If NATO expansion is recognized, at least by Donald Trump, as one of the root causes [of the conflict] then the presence of troops from NATO countries under any flag, in any capacity, on Ukrainian soil is the same threat, Lavrov said. Moscow has avoided commenting on the truce proposal, despite insisting in recent months that it does not want any temporary solution. Still, some politicians have openly criticized the idea of a ceasefire. Its unacceptable; it will only allow Ukraine to regroup and rearm, said General Viktor Soboliov, a member of the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, hours after the agreement was announced. Kosachev, in turn, pointed to Russian progress on the front lines to emphasize that any ceasefire will be on the terms dictated by Putin. This is not boasting, but understanding that real agreements are still being written there, at the front. Which they should understand in Washington, too, Kosachev wrote on his Telegram channel. Fyodor Lukyanov, the head of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, an organization that advises the Kremlin, noted that the truce contradicts Moscows repeated position that there will be no ceasefire until the foundations for a lasting peace are agreed upon [...] In other words, we will fight until a comprehensive plan is developed. Meanwhile, Russian ultranationalists are lamenting Trumps alleged concessions to Ukraine, including rearmament and intelligence advice. No MAGA-projects, no JFK documents, no Epstein list. Continue to fight evil Russians narrative. Give still more money to fraud midget Zelensky. Great result of American Conservative Revolution... wrote Alexander Dugin, one of the ideological beacons of Russian ultranationalism and a Trump defender until now, on X. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Students take a break from the game to check their phones during the General Brown vs. Canastota football game Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, at Canastota High School. (Mark DiOrio | Contributing photographer) Mark DiOrio | Contributing photographer New York state senators want to give schools the option to allow cell phones during non-instruction time, a modification to Gov. Kathy Hochuls proposed bell-to-bell ban. In the senates one-house budget resolution, a response to Hochuls proposed executive budget, lawmakers argued that school districts should be able to determine if phones will be allowed outside of the classroom. The resolution, released Tuesday, also prohibits schools from suspending students for using their phones. In January, Hochul carved out $13.5 million to help schools implement restrictions on cell phones and other devices. Her proposal requires districts to restrict phones on school grounds during instructional and non-instructional time. That includes homeroom, lunch, recess, study hall and passing time. The proposal allows schools to determine how to enforce the ban. It also requires them to propose at least one way to store the devices during the day. The senate has heard from superintendents who want more flexibility in the policy, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said during a press conference Tuesday. But Hochul said she plans to fight for a bell-to-bell policy that includes instructional time despite the Senates proposed changes. This is what the experts say, this is what the parents want, this is what the teachers want, she said at a press conference Tuesday after the senate released its resolution. The state Senate, general assembly and governors office will negotiate the details of each proposal in the coming months. The assemblys one-house budget resolution did not mention the cell phone ban. Maggie Hicks covers education, including the Syracuse City School District and Syracuse University. She can be reached at mhicks@syracuse.com or follow her on X @maggie_hickss. An airline is ending its most popular policy for the first time in 54 years. Southwest Airlines announced Tuesday that it will no longer offer free checked baggage for all passengers. Starting May 28, only Southwests Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred members and passengers who pay for Business Select fares will receive two free checked bags; A-List Members and Southwest-branded credit card holders will be allowed one checked bag. Everyone else will have to pay for all checked bags starting May 28, ending the companys bags fly free policy. The move comes just six months after Southwest CEO Bob Jordan promised the airline would continue offering free checked luggage, calling it the third most important offer customers look for after fare and schedule. Southwest had been the only major airline to offer free checked bags since JetBlue changed its policy in 2015. Southwest did not say how much it will charge for checked bags, but prices are expected to be similar to other carriers. This is how you destroy a brand. This is how you destroy customer preference. This is how you destroy loyalty. And this, I think, is going to send Southwest into a financial tailspin, airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt, of Atmosphere Research Group, told CBS News. Southwest, with these changes, becomes just another airline... This is the equivalent of deliberately sailing a ship into an iceberg. Jordan defended the move in a statement Monday. We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future customer needs, attract new customer segments we dont compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our shareholders expect, Jordan said. According to the Associated Press, Southwest Airlines has struggled recently and is facing pressure from investors to boost profits and revenue. Last month, the company eliminated 1,750 jobs, or 15% of its corporate workforce, in its first major layoffs in more than half a century of operation. Last year, the Dallas-based airline said it was ending another tradition open-seating and planning to require assigned seats. Extra legroom seats will be sold for an additional fee. GREEN OAK TWP., MI A woman was arrested in Michigan Tuesday morning after police found her in bed with a dead man on top of her. Green Oak Township police were called around 11:13 a.m. March 9, about a possible death in the Woodland Ridge mobile home park on Shady Brook Court near South Lyon, according to a release from the department. When police arrived, they found a woman in her bed with a the man on top of her. The man had been struck several times in the head, as well as stabbed in the chest and neck, police said. The pair, whose ages were not immediately available, had been in a long-term relationship and were living at the mobile home park with their son, police said. The son was unharmed. The woman was taken to the University of Michigan Hospital for evaluation and ultimately lodged in the Livingston County Jail. The investigation is ongoing. Green Oak Township police were assisted on scene by the Green Oak Township Fire Department, Livingston County Ambulance, Livingston County Central Dispatch, Livingston County Sheriffs Office, Hamburg Township Police Department and Michigan State Police. Workers clear away the remnants of a building at Kirk Automotive on Madison Street and Ridge Street as the community cleans up storm damage Wednesday, July 17, 2024 a day after a severe system spawned a tornado that tore through Rome, N.Y. (N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com) N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com Syracuse, N.Y. -- Staffing cuts of 10% or more at the parent agency of the National Weather Service could endanger the safety of New Yorkers, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said today. Schumer said that layoffs and spending cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration could lead to less reliable weather forecasting and dirtier Great Lakes. I am deeply concerned these continuing drastic cuts will harm the emergency preparedness and safety of New Yorks communities that face extreme weather, Schumer said in a letter to a top NOAA official. The public will suffer if these public services are not re-established. Schumer said that the Albany weather service office, one of five in New York state, has already suspended some of its twice-daily weather balloon launches that help forecast storms. Those balloons provide information from high altitudes, where weather systems develop. Schumer said New York residents and farmers depend on weather service forecasts to help prepare for severe weather. Upstate New York communities uniquely rely on these lifesaving federal services for storm tracking and emergency preparedness, whether it be for lake effect snowstorms, flooding or even extreme wind storms and tornadoes as we saw devastated communities across the state last summer, Schumer wrote in a letter to Vice Admiral Nancy Hann, acting undersecretary of NOAA. A strong tornado struck the Oneida County city of Rome last July. In February, more than 10 feet of lake effect snow fell in two weeks in southern Oswego County. Schumer also said the Michigan-based Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, which conducts research and monitors water quality, has now taken an indefinite hiatus from public communications. In the letter, Schumer asked for more information on the cuts and the agencys plans to maintain and restore already suspended services. A weather service spokeswoman did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Get the full Proton Mail and Calendar experience from the convenience of your desktop. Most popular email providers, such as Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo, scan the content of your emails and use your email address to create a detailed profile on you and profit from your data. Proton Mail's end-to-end encryption and zero-access encryption ensure only you can see your emails. 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Open source and independently audited All Proton services are open source and independently audited for security. We also maintain open-source encryption libraries used by millions of people around the world. What's New Android In brief: TSMC has reportedly proposed a joint venture that would see it take a stake in Intel's foundry business alongside Nvidia, AMD, Broadcom, and Qualcomm. We've been hearing that TSMC has been eyeing some or all of Intel's plants for weeks now, and the Trump administration has requested that the Taiwanese chip giant help turn around the troubled US firm. The proposal would see TSMC run Intel's foundry division operations, but it would not own more than 50%, Reuters writes. The Trump administration does not want either Intel or its foundry business to be entirely foreign-owned. Earlier this month, government officials met with TSMC executives to raise the idea of a deal between the company and Intel. TSMC was said to be receptive, which likely came as a relief to the administration as it looks at contingency plans in the event of Intel crashing even further. Bloomberg reported at the time that any potential deal may see US firms take equity stakes in Intel's manufacturing business, stopping it from being entirely owned by a foreign company. Not only could TSMC provide a financial boost, but its operational knowledge would also be a huge benefit for Intel. Intel's foundry division reported a loss of over $13 billion on $17.5 billion in revenue last year, a stark contrast to the $41.1 billion in operating profit and $90 billion in revenue TSMC reported. Intel's overall net loss for the year stood at $18.8 billion, its first annual loss since 1986. The Trump administration would still need to approve any final deal. No word on how much it would be worth, though a company filing revealed that the foundry division's property and plant equipment had a book value of $108 billion as of December 31. It's still unknown whether the companies will agree to TSMC's proposal the prospect of investing in a business losing billions might not be too appealing. AMD in particular understands the difficulties associated with this area, having sold its foundry business in 2009. It was reported late last year that Qualcomm had approached Intel with an acquisition offer. It backed off from a full acquisition in November, though buying select divisions remain a prospect. Intel has been awarded approximately $7.86 billion in direct funding under the Chips Act, which will go toward building and upgrading semiconductor fabrication facilities in Chandler, Arizona; New Albany, Ohio; Hillsboro, Oregon; and Rio Rancho, New Mexico. It also received a $3 billion contract for producing chips for the US military, bringing its total Chips funding to $11 billion. TSMC this month announced that it would be investing an extra $100 billion in the United States' chip manufacturing industry, adding to a previous $65 billion commitment. The money will go toward building new chip facilities and an R&D center, creating 40,000 construction jobs and tens of thousands of "high-paying, high-tech jobs" over the coming years. Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years.TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust In brief: Malware making its way past Google's checks and onto the Play Store isn't a new phenomenon, yet it keeps happening. The latest incident involved spyware that was uploaded to the Android app store by a group of hackers believed to be linked to the North Korean regime. Lookout Threat Lab researchers discovered the spyware, dubbed KoSpy, attributing it with medium confidence to North Korean APT group ScarCruft, also known as APT37. The spyware was hidden in the type of fake apps we so often see in these cases: file managers, software update utilities, and security software. KoSpy is able to pilfer an extensive amount of sensitive information from devices it infects. This includes SMS messages, call logs, device location, access to files and folders on local storage, Wi-Fi network details, and a list of installed applications. The spyware is also able to perform even more sinister actions: recording and taking photos with a device's cameras, capturing screenshots or recording the screen while in use, and recording keystrokes by abusing accessibility. Lookout explains that the collected data is sent to Command and Control (C2) servers after being encrypted with a hardcoded AES key. KoSpy also leveraged Firebase Firestore, Google's cloud-hosted database, to receive initial configuration data. At least one of these infected apps made it onto the Google Play Store and was publicly available for a while. A cached snapshot of the Play Store listing page for the File Manager app shows it was downloaded more than 10 times. Some of the malicious apps were also found on third-party app store APKPure. The goals of this campaign beyond the information gathering are unknown. Christoph Hebeisen, Lookout's director of security intelligence research, told TechCrunch that the low number of downloads from the Play Store and elsewhere suggest the spyware app was likely targeting specific people, probably those in South Korea who speak English or Korean. Google spokesperson Ed Fernandez told TechCrunch that Lookout shared its report with the company, and all of the identified apps have now been removed from the Play Store. The Firebase projects have also been deactivated. Last month, Dubai-based crypto exchange Bybit was targeted in a heist perpetrated by notorious state-sponsored North Korean hacking crew Lazarus Group. $1.5 billion in digital assets were stolen, making it the largest crypto heist in history. A hot potato: Meta is embroiled in a groundbreaking AI lawsuit that could change how courts view copyright law. The case seems open-and-shut from the plaintiffs' view. However, if a judge sees otherwise, it could set a monumental precedent allowing corporations to pirate copyrighted material to train AI systems. In January 2024, a group of writers filed a lawsuit in California against Meta for using their works to train various versions of the Llama large language model. Meta openly admitted to using the Book3 dataset, a well-known 37GB compilation of 195,000 copyrighted books used by developers to train LLMs since 2020. The company defends its actions, citing the Fair Use doctrine. Earlier this year, the court unsealed documents Showing that Meta had used torrenting to gather its AI training data. On Monday, the authors filed for a partial summary judgment in a California U.S. District Court, arguing that Meta's alleged use of pirated data leaves no room for legal ambiguity. The plaintiffs claim Meta's use of torrenting to acquire copyrighted books for artificial intelligence training amounts to clear-cut copyright infringement. "Whatever the merits of generative artificial intelligence, or GenAI, stealing copyrighted works off the Internet for one's own benefit has always been unlawful," the authors stated in their filing. According to the unsealed documents, Meta initially attempted to download pirated books individually, but this process was too slow and placed excessive strain on its networks. The company then allegedly turned to torrenting an infamous file-sharing method long associated with copyright infringement to acquire terabytes of copyrighted books in bulk far beyond the scope of the Books3 dataset. The authors claim that Meta was fully aware of the legal risks involved and took deliberate action to obscure its activities. The company allegedly ran the torrent client through Amazon Web Services rather than Meta's infrastructure an action that is not standard practice for the social media giant. The heavily redacted motion, obtained by Ars Technica, points out that torrent users typically download (leech) and upload (seed) chunks of a file to allow faster downloads. Leeching and seeding are widely considered illegal if the files contain copyrighted material. Furthermore, by seeding a torrent, Meta may have actively facilitated piracy by distributing copyrighted books. The plaintiffs feel that a trial is no longer necessary and seek immediate judgment. The authors contend that the company's actions clearly violate copyright law, falling far outside Meta's fair-use defense. A decision in Meta's favor could set a dangerous precedent going far beyond books, allowing AI developers to infringe on copyrights without compensating the IP owners. "[The court] should nevertheless grant summary judgment under the four fair use factors regarding Meta's decision to make available to other P2P pirates millions of copyrighted books in exchange for faster download speed," the motion argues. While it seems like a relatively open-and-shut case, presiding judge Vince Chhabria admitted that he was unfamiliar with torrenting and related terminology like seeding and leeching. For this reason, Judge Chhabria may deny the motion for summary judgment, choosing to hear experts testify and explain the case so that he can make a fair and honest ruling. The final decision in the lawsuit will be ground-breaking no matter which way it goes. If Meta prevails, it opens the door for other AI developers to pirate books, images, or videos to train their models. If the authors win, it sets a precedence for similar cases, including those currently in the judicial system. It could also lead to further copyright reform akin to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Chinese social media platform TikTok has introduced new features that are looking to help make the experience better for everyone, especially the family. The new update from TikTok assures that all members of the family will get a "balanced" and "safe" experience on social media. While the big aspect of this latest update from TikTok is expanding parents' control over their kids' social media access, teens are also given the chance to get more out of the platform, which needs their parents' consent. TikTok Brings New Family Features for Parents, Teens TikTok released a new update that expands the Family Pairing feature on the platform that helps both parents and their children, especially teens, to have a safe and enjoyable experience online. Certain tools are now in place to give parents the peace of mind they need when allowing their kids to use the platform. Time Away is a new feature on TikTok that allows parents or guardians to set the schedule for teens' social media use, deciding on the time they can use the platform and when not to use it, which is especially useful during school nights and more. Teens may ask for more time via the Family Pairing feature, but parents will have the final say on it. TikTok also introduced capabilities for parents to review their child's Following list, their followers, as well as the accounts that their kids blocked. Balanced, Safe Social Media Experience on TikTok TikTok stressed the importance of keeping the balance in this latest update, and it also gave teens control over certain experiences and helped them decide on their social media usage. The company has introduced the Wind Down feature, which will disrupt their feed after 10 p.m. as it will play calming music to remind them that it's time to sleep. Next, when teens report content on the platform, they may choose to share this alert with their parents and help them with their situation, especially if they find it disturbing. TikTok and Its Family-Centered Improvements Social media platforms like TikTok have been introducing parental controls and child restrictions that look to improve the experience for families. Over the years, TikTok, in particular, has introduced new features that focus on offering a wholesome experience for the family, especially when it comes to restricting harmful content. There has been massive controversial content circulating all over TikTok that tackles mature or harmful themes that are not for children to see. Because of this, TikTok has been enhancing its parental controls so the legal guardians can set parameters or limitations to the kind of content they get to access. TikTok has also faced criticism over their platform's safety offers and how they affect not only the overall wellness of all users and not just those who are underaged. Due to this criticism, TikTok is being more mindful of how they affect families, with their latest update offering expanded features for a more balanced and safe experience. TOKYO - A lawmaker of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party called Wednesday for the replacement of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, expressing concern that it will not win a crucial parliamentary election this summer under his leadership. Shoji Nishida, a House of Councillors lawmaker who belonged to a faction led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, made the call during a closed-door meeting of LDP members, a participant said. "We cannot fight the upper house election under the current leadership. We should hold a presidential race and choose a new leader," Nishida was quoted as saying at the meeting. Nishida told reporters afterward that former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, who was defeated by Ishiba in the LDP's presidential election last year, would be a leading candidate. Nishida endorsed Takaichi in the election. "Voters already delivered a verdict when we were defeated in the House of Representatives election last year. It's unthinkable that he can be the public face of our party again," Nishida said. Half of the 248 upper house seats will be contested this summer, with the focus on whether the ruling coalition of the LDP and the Komeito party will be able to maintain control of the chamber after losing its majority in the more powerful lower house in October. Ishiba's minority government has faced an uphill battle in securing support from opposition parties for bills and budgets. Last week, he decided to shelve a plan to raise medical costs in response to stiff resistance from opposition lawmakers and patients worried they would no longer be able to afford the treatment they are currently receiving for cancer and other medical conditions. The about-face has added to growing concern within the ruling party about Ishiba's ability to lead a minority government, with his public support ratings low. Shigeharu Aoyama, also an LDP upper house member, told a radio program on Wednesday that Ishiba must take "political responsibility" after the recent change on medical costs. At a party convention on Sunday, Ishiba called for party unity in the run-up to the upper house election, saying the LDP must humbly listen to the people and restore trust following a slush funds scandal. Takaichi was among LDP members who expressed dissatisfaction with the speech, saying it lacked a "punch line" showing a policy vision. Related coverage: Japan PM tells ruling LDP to unite, be humble to bring election success Japan lower house OKs minority gov't's revised FY2025 draft budget Japan ruling bloc, small opposition party reach deal to pass budget The legal battle between Media Matters for America and X continues, but this time, the nonprofit organization has taken against Elon Musk's social media company by suing them back. Media Matters is now asking a San Francisco court to intervene, particularly as the nonprofit received multiple lawsuits filed in two different countries. Its legal battle with X stems back from two years ago when the social media company filed a complaint in three different courts against Media Matters for their alleged campaign against the platform, threatening its relationship with advertisers. Media Matters Files a Lawsuit Against X For 'Harassing' Them Media Matters for America (MMFA) recently filed a lawsuit against X in a San Francisco court that to counter the multiple lawsuits from Musk's company that were filed in three different countries. According to the nonprofit, X is violating its terms, particularly as it is stated on their policy that lawsuits should only be field with courts located in San Francisco County, California. When X and Musk filed the lawsuit against Media Matters, they brought the complaint to a federal court in Texas, as well as in Ireland, and Singapore, which are all outside San Francisco. However, it seems that the Texas lawsuit will remain as X changed its terms last year and clarified that all disputes may be directed to the Northern District of Texas courts, following the social media company's move from California to Texas. X's Multiple Lawsuits Outside the US Against Media Matters According to The Verge, Media Matters is now actively seeking payment of damages against X for having spent millions of dollars in defending itself against X's multiple lawsuits in three different countries. Moreover, the nonprofit organization is also seeking the help of the San Francisco court to prevent X from pursuing more litigations outside the United States, and in this case, from Ireland and Singapore. Elon Musk, Antisemitic Posts, and Media Matters Almost two years ago, the entire antisemitic fiasco against Elon Musk and X sparked massive outrage and public outcry against the billionaire, with many condemning him for what he said on the platform he owns. This led to many advertisers dropping their partnerships with X, suspending their ad placements, and leaving the platform for good, with the White House also speaking out against Musk and his platform. However, what followed was a lawsuit that X launched against Media Matters, with Musk calling them out for their actions that led to X losing millions in advertising revenue. Musk and X went as far as to claim that Media Matters is looking to destroy X by driving away advertisers from the platform. Despite the actions done by Musk to clarify his stance on antisemitism, specifically by going to the Auschwitz concentration camp, the lawsuit remains against Media Matters. A ransomware attack on Tata Technologies has taken a new turn, with cybercrime group Hunters International leaking sensitive data reportedly stolen from the company. More than a month after the Indian multinational tech firm acknowledged the cyberattack, the hackers have released a part of the stolen data. This has alarmed the company regarding the safety of its data. Hunters International Leaks Tata Technologies' Sensitive Data As TechCrunch discovered, the disclosed data, posted on the ransomware gang's dark website, comprises intimate information about active and former workers at Tata Technologies. The breached data also encompasses sensitive company papers, including orders for purchases and agreements with Indian and American clients. As per Hunters International, the leaked dataset holds more than 730,000 files, encompassing Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and PDFs. What's even more alarming is that it's not only a set of simple data: about 1.4 terabytes of sensitive data were published on the dark web. Is the Previous Tata Hack Connected to the Current Ransomware Attack? Tata Technologies made a public announcement of a ransomware attack that had impacted some IT assets two months ago. Then, the company assured stakeholders that their client services were "fully functional and unaffected throughout." Nevertheless, the most recent data leak by Hunters International generates concerns over the full scope of the breach. Even after repeated requests for comment from TechCrunch, Tata Technologies has not responded yet, leaving it unclear if the leaked information is connected to the previously reported attack. What is Tata Technologies? Started as an automotive engineering division of Tata Motors in 1989, Tata Technologies evolved into an independent company in 1994. Today, it is a Tata Group subsidiary and one of India's largest multinational conglomerates. Tata Technologies is a product engineering, research, and development services company across various industries, such as the automotive, aerospace, and engineering sectors. Tata Technologies has a presence in 27 countries with 20 delivery centers and employs over 12,500 personnel. Who Is Hunters International? The Ransomware Group's Shady Origins Rising in late 2023, Hunters International is a fairly new ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) threat group. This cybercrime group makes money by renting out its infrastructure to affiliate hackers who carry out ransomware attacks, for a cut of the ransom payments. Security researchers have associated Hunters International with the notorious Hive ransomware group, which was largely disbanded by law enforcement authorities in 2023. Hive perpetrated several high-profile cyberattacks, such as a 2022 attack on Tata Power, another Tata Group subsidiary. The patterns of similarity in attacks indicate that Hunters International might be exploiting Hive's remaining network and resources. The Growing Threat of Ransomware Attacks on Cross-Continental Enterprises Tata Technologies hack is another reminder of rising ransomware group threats. Hacking has intensified over the past few years, with corporations, government entities, and healthcare organizations being increasingly targeted. Of course, if the companies can invest millions or even billions in their resources and products, they should also invest in cybersecurity to avoid huge losses of company and financial assets. Cybercrooks are always adapting their modus operandi. In return, companies must intensify their cybersecurity measures. Without an official word from Tata Technologies on the leaked information, it is not certain if the company will pursue legal action or negotiate with the hackers. If the breach is confirmed to be connected to the January ransomware attack, it could mean a more serious security failure than initially reported. TOKYO - The Japanese government plans to increase the country's rice exports by nearly eight-fold to 350,000 tons, worth 92.2 billion yen ($623 million), in 2030 from 2024, according to a policy presented to a ruling party meeting Wednesday. The plan to boost exports through improved production is also seen as a way to secure sufficient domestic supply of the Japanese staple to avoid shortages. In its draft for a medium- to long-term basic plan for agriculture, the government kept intact its goal of raising the country's food self-sufficiency rate to 45 percent on a caloric intake basis by 2030 from 38 percent in fiscal 2022. The figure refers to the ratio of domestically consumed food supplied by producers in the country. The draft of the basic plan, revised roughly every five years, highlighted the need to enhance productivity in addition to expanding exports, noting that geopolitical risks and a decline in domestic farmers have destabilized food production and supply in the country. The government aims to increase the total value of agricultural and food exports from 1.5 trillion yen in 2024 to 5 trillion yen in 2030, while boosting food-related spending by inbound tourists from 1.6 trillion yen to 4.5 trillion yen. For rice production, the plan presented to the Liberal Democratic Party gathering aims to increase the number of farmers managing fields of 15 hectares or larger and reduce production costs from 11,350 yen to 9,500 yen per 60 kilograms to compete with cheaper imports. Japan consumes approximately 6.6 million tons of rice a year, meaning the 350,000-ton export target would be equivalent to around half a month's domestic consumption. While there is currently a domestic rice shortage, long-term demand is expected to decline due to Japan's shrinking population, making expanding exports a key focus. Previous basic plans have used the food self-sufficiency rate as a key numerical target, but the latest one will feature several goals following the amendment to a related law last May. The government will seek Cabinet approval by the end of the month. Related coverage: Japan rice prices remain high despite government plans to release reserves Japan's farm exports up 3.7% to 1.5 tril. yen in 2024, new record Japan looks to cash in on matcha boom to boost green tea exports UK makes manslaughter arrest of ship captain over North Sea crash Grimsby, United Kingdom, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2025 British police on Tuesday arrested on suspicion of manslaughter the captain of a ship that crashed into a tanker in the North Sea, sparking a massive blaze and leaving one crew member missing, presumed dead. Investigations have already started into what led the cargo ship to strike the tanker carrying jet fuel on Monday, as fears remained of possible harm to the area's marine and wildlife. The UK Coastguard, which led the operation, rescued 36 people on Monday, including all of the 23 crew on the US-flagged Stena Immaculate tanker, which had been chartered by the US military. But a missing member of the Solong cargo vessel crew was "likely deceased", UK under-secretary for transport Mike Kane told parliament. Humberside Police in northeast England said they had arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision. Ernst Russ, owner of the cargo ship, then issued a statement saying that it "can confirm that the master of the... Solong has been detained by Humberside police in the UK". "The master and our entire team are actively assisting with the investigations," it added. Kane said the fire on the Stena Immaculate "appears to be extinguished" but this was not immediately confirmed by the Coastguard. "The Solong is still alight and the fire on board the Stena Immaculate has greatly diminished," the UK Coastguard said. The Coastguard was closely monitoring the Solong, which had broken free of the tanker overnight and was limping southwards, accompanied by four tugboats, including one which had a line attached to the stricken vessel. - No sodium cyanide - Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she met the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's chief executive Virginia McVea on Tuesday and was "pleased to have been informed that early indications suggest that both vessels are now expected to stay afloat". AFP photos taken during a helicopter fly-over showed smoke still pouring from the Solong, while a large hole could be seen in the side of the Stena Immaculate. The accident occurred at around 09:48 am (0948 GMT) on Monday when the Portuguese-flagged cargo ship ploughed into the tanker, anchored about 13 miles off the northeastern port of Hull. According to data collected by website VesselFinder, the collision displaced the tanker by "more than 400 metres". The Stena Immaculate was on a short-term US military charter with Military Sealift Command, according to a spokesperson for the command, which operates civilian-crewed ships for the US Defense Department. Crowley, the US-based operator of the Stena Immaculate, said the crash had "ruptured" the tank "containing A1-jet fuel" and triggered a fire, with fuel "reported released". The Stena Immaculate was carrying around 220,000 barrels of jet fuel, Crowley confirmed. In a later statement, the company said it was unclear how much fuel had been released but that an initial review suggested it was "limited" due to evaporation and exposure to fire. There was "no evidence of foul play", Kane said in his statement to parliament. The German owners of the Solong on Tuesday said that the container ship was not carrying sodium cyanide, as had been reported the previous day. "We are able to confirm that there are no containers on board with sodium cyanide (inside)," Ernst Russ said. Kane said that "no signs of pollution from vessels is observed at this time", but that the situation was being monitored. - Environmental concerns - Dutch maritime servicing company Boskalis told the Netherlands' ANP news agency it had been tasked with salvaging the Stena Immaculate and was also measuring the atmosphere around the vessel for potential toxic fumes. UK Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said the investigation was being led by US and Portuguese authorities, since the vessels were sailing under their flags. "We're obviously very alive to the potential impact on the environment," he told Times Radio, but added that the Coastguard was well equipped to deal with any oil spills. Paul Johnston, a senior scientist at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories at Exeter University, said: "We are extremely concerned about the multiple toxic hazards." There are several nature reserves along the Humber estuary. "The good news is it's not like a crude oil spill," Ivor Vince, founder of environmental risk advisory group ASK Consultants, told AFP. "Most of it will evaporate quite quickly and what doesn't evaporate will be degraded by microorganisms quite quickly," he said. Crowley said in its later statement that UK agencies were closely monitoring air quality and possible public health impacts, but "both are currently measuring low or within normal levels". bur-jkb/tym/fox Lake Geneva's fish threatened by warming waters: experts Thonon-les-Bains, France, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2025 Fish in Lake Geneva -- Western Europe's largest lake -- are under threat as its waters warm and become increasingly stagnant. "Little by little, the lake's temperature is increasing," contributing to a lack of oxygen in its depths, said Nicole Gallina, corporate secretary of the International Commission for the Protection of the Waters of Lake Geneva (CIPEL). CIPEL is a joint French-Swiss organisation that monitors the picturesque, crescent-shaped body of water shared between both countries. France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment analyses water samples collected by CIPEL. "If there is less and less oxygen in the water, there is less and less viable space for living organisms," explained Viet Tran-Khac, laboratory manager at the research institute's facility in the Thonon-les-Bains, on the lake's southern shore. Typically in winter, the surface temperatures cool to a density comparable with the lake's deeper layers, facilitating a mixing of waters between the levels. This natural cycle is essential for maintaining aquatic ecosystems as it transfers oxygen to the lake's lower levels. However, this full-scale winter mixing is becoming rare, as ever-milder winters, which scientists attribute to global warming, prevent the surface waters from cooling sufficiently. "With climate change, we no longer have the extremely cold winters needed for this natural mixing to take place," Gallina told AFP. In the current winter, the minimum average temperature measured in the top 10 metres (30 feet) of the lake was 7.8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahreinheit): an increase of 1.5C compared to the 1991-2020 reference period. - New record - Data published Wednesday by CIPEL showed that, this year, the waters only mixed down to a depth of 110 metres -- but the lake's deepest point is 309 metres down. Thirteen consecutive winters without complete mixing marks a "historic record", warned Gallina, surpassing the previous longest spell set between 1987 and 1999. "During the last complete mixing in 2012, the oxygen level in the deep waters was seven milligrammes per litre," the biologist said. It has now dropped to 2.4 mg per litre -- below the critical threshold of four mg necessary for living organisms. However, Gallina stressed there remained "hope" for the re-oxygenation of deep waters. Last year, a study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology university in Lausanne showed that the complete vertical mixing in 2012 also benefited from lateral mixing flows -- a phenomenon which was previously unknown. However, an entire ecosystem is starting to change, warned CIPEL. The lack of oxygen also impacts the growth of phytoplankton plants, which are eaten by zooplankton organisms -- which themselves serve as the food base for fish. The future of Arctic char, fera and other emblematic Lake Geneva fish is under threat. "Salmonids like fera need cold water to spawn. Before, it spawned at a depth of three to six metres; now it spawns at 20 to 25 metres," said Alexandre Fayet, president of the Swiss inter-cantonal association of professional Lake Geneva fishermen. "For the moment, we are not too worried" but "we are trying to diversify and commercialise fish that like warmer and less oxygenated waters, such as carp, tench and bream," he told AFP. - 'Transformation' phase - LeXPLORE, a floating scientific platform, has been carrying out research on Lake Geneva since 2019, studying 44 different parameters down to a depth of 110 metres. Natacha Tofield-Pasche, its project manager, said that besides the rising lake temperatures, global warming also leads to "extreme events" that wash a lot of polluting particles down into Lake Geneva, as witnessed during major floods last year in Switzerland's Wallis region. Such events can also knock out wastewater treatment plants, while the lake provides drinking water to around a million people. CIPEL is "very worried because it sees that Lake Geneva is going through a transformation phase," marked by long periods without complete mixing, said Gallina. Added to this are other challenges, such as pollution invisible ot the naked eye, such as micropollutants and microplastics, or the invasion of quagga mussels. In addition, high heat episodes increase the risk of proliferation of cyanobacteria, which can be toxic. The lack of mixing also promotes the accumulation of nutrients such as phosphorus in deep waters. In the event of increasingly exceptional complete mixing, the phosphorus could rise to the surface, causing algae blooms. Captain of cargo ship in North Sea crash is Russian Grimsby, United Kingdom, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2025 The detained captain of a cargo ship which struck a tanker chartered by the US military is a Russian national, the owners of the container vessel said Wednesday, as questions lingered over the cause of the rare North Sea crash. Monday's collision triggered huge fires aboard the two ships, which were still burning two days later although they had been greatly reduced by a huge fire-fighting effort. Investigations are continuing into how the Portuguese-flagged Solong cargo ship ran into the US-flagged Stena Immaculate which was anchored about 13 miles (20 kilometres) off the coast of the northeastern UK port of Hull. UK police on Tuesday arrested the captain of the Solong, owned by German company Ernst Russ, on suspicion of manslaughter after the crash left one crew member missing, presumed dead. "Ernst Russ confirms that the master is a Russian national," the Germany-based company said in a statement to AFP. "The rest of the crew are a mix of Russian and Filipino nationals." The detained 59-year-old "remains in our custody having been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter", Humberside police said Wednesday. The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday that Irish officials had found the Solong's emergency steering compass was deficient during a routine safety check last year. It was one of 10 deficiencies noted in the inspection carried out when the ship visited Dublin in July 2024. Something went "terribly wrong" for the crash to happen but that there was "no evidence" of foul play, UK under-secretary for transport Mike Kane told MPs on Tuesday. At least one tank containing some of the 220,000 barrels of jet fuel on board the Stena Immaculate was "ruptured", according to the tanker's US-based operator Crowley. That sparked concerns for the surrounding environment and wildlife. But there were "no further reports of pollution to the sea" following the "initial incident", Virginia McVea, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said Wednesday. - 'Narrowly averted' - Environmental campaign group Greenpeace, which had raised the alarm at the potential fallout in the wildlife rich Humber estuary, said an "environmental disaster may have been narrowly averted". "Though an incident of this scale is rare, any such accident has the potential to become an environmental disaster," said Paul Johnston from the Greenpeace Research Laboratories. Aerial AFP images on Tuesday showed a gaping gash in the middle of the 140-metre-long (460 foot) tanker, and smoke billowing from the Solong, which was reduced to an almost burnt-out wreck. There were "no visible flames on board" the tanker as of Wednesday morning, according to the Coastguard. The Solong, which had been drifting southwards was "being held in a safe position off shore", McVea said, adding the fires on the cargo ship had "greatly reduced". Maritime expert Abdul Khalique told AFP such a collision between an anchored ship and another on a "routine" journey was "very rare". "It's still not known why was MV Solong unable to take action to avoid collision," said Khalique, head of the Maritime Centre at Liverpool John Moores University. The vessel missed "multiple opportunities" to change course, he said, adding the full reasons for the crash would only emerge after the investigation. The Stena Immaculate was on a short-term US military charter with Military Sealift Command, according to a spokesperson for the command, which operates civilian-crewed ships for the US Defense Department. According to data collected by website VesselFinder, the impact of the crash displaced the tanker by "more than 400 metres". February deforestation in Brazilian Amazon lowest in years Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2025 Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon recorded a nine-year low for February, according to satellite data Wednesday, heralding good news for the world's largest rainforest set to host UN climate talks this year. The National Institute for Space Research (INPE) said it had tracked deforestation over 80.95 square kilometers (31.25 square miles) -- the lowest for a month of February since the system was launched in 2016. The figure was 64 percent lower than in February 2024. Tree logging in February also dropped by a quarter in Brazil's Cerrado, the most species-rich savanna in the world, though the figure remained high with 494 square kilometers lost, the data showed. Destruction of the world's forests, which play a key role in absorbing planet-warming carbon dioxide, contributes to global warming. Over the last century, the Amazon rainforest -- which covers nearly 40 percent of South America -- has lost about 20 percent of its area to land clearing for agriculture, logging, mining and urban sprawl. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, host of the COP30 UN climate conference to be held in November in the Amazonian city of Belem, has committed to eradicating illegal deforestation by 2030. It has already been reduced significantly since Lula returned to power in 2023, having surged under his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro. According to INPE figures, deforestation halved in 2023. The latest data does not take into account forest loss due to fires, with 30.8 million hectares lost in Brazil last year -- a surface area larger than Italy. The loss was 79 percent more than in 2023, according to the MapBiomas monitoring platform, and the worst since 2019. According to INPE data, more than 140,000 fire hotspots were registered in the Brazilian Amazon in 2024 -- a number not seen in 17 years and a 42-percent increase on 2023. Brazil experienced a historic drought last year that experts have linked to climate change and the El Nino warming phenomenon. Parched lands provided fuel for fires caused mainly by human activities, according to authorities. TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is arranging to attend a memorial service later this month at the site of a fierce World War II battle with the United States on Iwoto Island, sources close to the matter said Wednesday. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are also considering attending the ceremony slated for March 29 on the Pacific island, according to the sources. With this year marking the 80th anniversary of the war's end, Ishiba hopes to highlight the strength of the Japan-U.S. alliance by attending the annual event, a rare move for a Japanese political leader, the sources said. The last Japanese prime minister to visit Iwoto was Shinzo Abe, who, in April 2013, observed efforts to recover the remains of war dead on the islet, about 1,250 kilometers south of Tokyo. In the Battle of Iwojima, as the island was previously known, fighting continued for about a month after U.S. forces landed in February 1945. Only about half of the approximately 21,900 Japanese soldiers killed in the battle have been recovered, while some 7,000 U.S. military personnel also died. Washington returned Iwoto to Japanese sovereignty in 1968. Related coverage: Japan marks 14th anniversary of quake-tsunami, nuclear disasters Tokyo marks 80th anniversary of U.S. air raid in WWII Hiroshima A-bomb museum logs record 2 million visitors in FY 2024 Captain of cargo ship in North Sea crash is Russian Grimsby, United Kingdom, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2025 The detained captain of a cargo ship which struck a tanker chartered by the US military is a Russian national, the owners of the container vessel said on Wednesday, as investigators sought to determine why the North Sea crash happened. Monday's collision triggered huge fires aboard the two ships, which were still burning two days later although they had been greatly reduced by a huge high-seas fire-fighting effort. Investigations are ongoing into how the Portuguese-flagged Solong cargo ship ran into the US-flagged Stena Immaculate which was anchored about 13 miles (20 kilometres) off the coast of the northeastern UK port of Hull. UK police on Tuesday arrested the captain of the Solong, owned by German company Ernst Russ, on suspicion of manslaughter after the crash left one crew member missing, presumed dead. "Ernst Russ confirms that the master is a Russian national," the Germany-based company said in a statement to AFP. "The rest of the crew are a mix of Russian and Filipino nationals." The detained 59-year-old "remains in our custody having been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter", Humberside police said. Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute to the rescue services in parliament on Wednesday, hailing "the bravery and dedication of all those responding to the ship collision off the East Yorkshire coast". - Deficient equipment - Last year Irish officials had found the Solong's emergency steering compass was deficient during a routine safety check, documents from the port authorities revealed. It was one of 10 issues noted in the inspection carried out when the ship visited Dublin in July 2024. Ernst Russ told AFP on Wednesday that all of the detected deficiencies "were promptly rectified". Something went "terribly wrong" for the crash to happen but there was "no evidence" of foul play, UK under-secretary for transport Mike Kane told MPs on Tuesday. At least one tank containing some of the 220,000 barrels of jet fuel on board the Stena Immaculate was "ruptured", according to the tanker's US-based operator Crowley. That sparked concerns for the surrounding environment and wildlife. But there were "no further reports of pollution to the sea" following the "initial incident", Virginia McVea, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said. Environmental campaign group Greenpeace, which had raised the alarm at the potential fallout in the wildlife-rich Humber estuary, said an "environmental disaster may have been narrowly averted". "Though an incident of this scale is rare, any such accident has the potential to become an environmental disaster," said Paul Johnston from the Greenpeace Research Laboratories. - Concerns for wildlife - Ana Cowie, marine advocacy manager at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, told AFP they were still waiting to see what the environmental impact would be, although the trust had not received any reports of damage as yet. "Because the oil (jet fuel) is lighter than water, it will create a film on the top and there is a risk of wildlife like birds, like porpoise, like dolphins ingesting that," she said. There were also concerns that any oil could coat the wildlife's feathers and fur which would mean they were not able to fly, or feed themselves properly. Aerial AFP images on Tuesday showed a gaping gash in the middle of the 140-metre-long (460 foot) tanker, and smoke billowing from the Solong, which was reduced to an almost burnt-out wreck. Ernst Russ said Wednesday that "the vessel continues to emit smoke with occasional reports of flames" and it was working with the investigators "to more fully understand these events". Maritime expert Abdul Khalique told AFP such a collision between an anchored ship and another on a "routine" journey was "very rare". "It's still not known why was MV Solong unable to take action to avoid collision," said Khalique, head of the Maritime Centre at Liverpool John Moores University. The vessel missed "multiple opportunities" to change course, he said, adding the full reasons for the crash would only emerge after the investigation. The Stena Immaculate was on a short-term US military charter with Military Sealift Command, according to a spokesperson for the command, which operates civilian-crewed ships for the US defence department. According to data collected by website VesselFinder, the impact of the crash was so severe that it displaced the tanker by "more than 400 metres". Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The sheer amount of butter, cream and, of course, potatoes, used in the making of Poppy OTooles new cookbook is quite astounding. Actually, the word OToole uses, with a wicked laugh, is heinous. Heinous amounts! she says. We came into the studio to shoot the book and one whole fridge shelf was just blocks of butter, and another shelf was just cheese and cream. I was like, Wow, this is what dreams are made of. This is incredible. There was, like, 50 kilos of potatoes under the counter, and then just cheese and butter everywhere. It was beautiful. All of it was in service of her new ode to the spud, The Potato Book, a collection of recipes that take the humble potato and elevate it to levels of previously unseen glitz and glamour. Theres whipped clouds of mash displayed in coupe glasses, confit garlic butter potatoes cooked over 15 hours and crisped into Turner Prize-worthy sculptures, and a potato cake that is a tiered, wedding cake alternative, complete with potato smiley faces which she now makes for her birthday each year. Potatoes are so not glamorous, so I really wanted to do them justice, says OToole affectionately. Her love of the starchy tuber is completely understandable. Theyve brought me everything, says OToole, who is better known as Poppy Cooks on TikTok, where her potato videos first went stratospheric. In lockdown, unable to do her day job as a Michelin-trained chef, OToole began posting recipes online, and its her potato ones that most struck a chord. Since then, her videos have totted up a colossal 1 billion views and launched her as a cookery book writer. open image in gallery An entire book dedicated to the worlds greatest carb? Finally ( Bloomsbury ) Its quite unbelievable, she says, noting that 200 people or even 20,000 people in a stadium she can just about imagine, but for her videos to have been viewed 1 billion times, with people possibly be able to recreate the recipes, or enjoy them, or even if they hate it, theyve still watched it. Its quite amazing. The spud has changed the 31-year-olds life. I have always been a potato fiend. I just didnt realise it could also be a career, she says. The doyenne of the food world, Nigella Lawson, has dubbed her the High Priestess of Potato (I will never recover from that,), OTooles done a skit with Elmo off Sesame Street: Theyd made their own special potato just for that, they didnt have a potato puppet prior, which is just like, wow! Elmo is iconic. And shes been able to work with chefs who she grew up watching and admiring, like Michel Roux Jr, who she did a YouTube potato cook-off with (Hilarious,) and Rosemary Shrager: I loved her, and now Im at her birthday party! Its like, what on earth is going on?! And thats all genuinely down to potatoes. The taters might have something to do with all this success, but really, its OToole, who grew up in Bromsgrove near Birmingham. She radiates fun, is positively gleeful in all her videos, and makes you feel included, capable and worthy of making an effort for yourself when it comes to cooking. open image in gallery Not all heros wear crowns ( Ellis Parrinder ) A good meal can really change your day, your attitude, everything. It does for me. If I have a bad meal, Im like, Oh, it ruins the whole evening, she says. I just want to help show people that they can achieve really good food at home. And it doesnt have to be that intense. It can just be a really good jacket potato. It doesnt have to be like wagyu steak with gold leaf and all this jazz, because that isnt what foods about. Food is about enjoyment, embracing each other, the way you feel and the way the food makes you feel. Its that idea that got her into cooking in the first place, as well as wanting to eat loads of food! The way she tackles unsolicited comments from internet trolls, as well as sexism in her industry is also majestic. OToole recently rebutted claims from a prominent male chef (Jason Atherton) that sexism isnt rife in the restaurant world, and in a video titled Nobody asked, called out someone that had commented on her weight. I do quite enjoy them a little bit. Sometimes theyre good for content, she admits ruefully of such comments. Anyone can always ask me about food, ask me about how things are done, or maybe a recipe didnt work for them. Im all good for that. Saying, Oh, you look like youve put on weight, thats completely irrelevant to everything thats happening in the world right now. Why is that of any importance to you? But generally, her content is full of joy and potatoey goodness. If she could only eat one type of spud for the rest of her life, roast potatoes would be my go-to. Its a shame that we dont have them more regularly, she says. They should be just an everyday occurrence. And dont worry, she truly doesnt expect anyone to make every single recipe in the book, however delicious they might be. I dont really mind if people dont use any of the recipes as long as they take, maybe its a new way of cooking, a new ingredient theyve never used before but they love, or maybe its a spice blend that they like, she says. Taking away those small nuggets of information that they can use in their everyday cooking, which hopefully makes it better, is all I can ask for. The Potato Book by Poppy Cooks (Bloomsbury, 22). TOKYO - Multiple bodies have been found in the wreckage of two Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol helicopters salvaged from the Pacific Ocean, the MSDF said Wednesday, after they fatally collided in April 2024. Work is ongoing to identify the bodies, the MSDF said. Eight personnel were on board the two SH-60K helicopters that crashed during a night drill. Only one body had been recovered prior to the salvage operation. The MSDF said it recovered the aircraft from the seabed at a depth of around 5,500 meters. One helicopter was salvaged late Tuesday, the other early Wednesday. The choppers collided on April 20 last year during a submarine detection drill over waters east of Torishima Island in the Izu Island chain, about 600 kilometers south of Tokyo. In July 2024, the MSDF released an investigative report into the accident, indicating that a misjudgment of the distance between the two helicopters may have occurred. The MSDF signed a $10 million contract with the U.S. Navy to salvage the choppers. Related coverage: 2 Japan SDF helicopters found on seabed after fatal April crash Fuselage of 1 of 2 SDF helicopters in April crash found Crew failure to keep lookout behind midair SDF chopper collision: ministry Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Director Mei Fa Tan spoke out about her experience working with the son of Prince Robert of Luxembourg and Princess Julie of Nassau, Prince Frederik, after he died last week at the age of 22. Frederik tragically died of POLG Mitochondrial disease, a rare disorder he was diagnosed with eight years ago. His death was announced by his dad Robert on March 7 in a lengthy message online. With tributes to the late royal pouring in, Tan spoke to Us Weekly about the time she spent working with Frederik. [He was] so interested in so many topics. He would love to talk about basically anything, she told the outlet. Mostly film and musicBut his body would not allow him to do as much. So that was really painful to watch because he was trying his best. open image in gallery Prince Frederik of Luxembourg tragically passed away last week after suffering from POLG Mitochondrial disease for years ( The POLG Foundation ) In Roberts heartbreaking message about his sons death, he opened up about Frederiks diagnosis and explained that its symptoms arent easy to detect from an early age. He wrote: Frederik was diagnosed with POLG at the age of 14, when his symptoms were showing more clearly and when the progression of his disease had become more acute. Because POLG disease causes such a wide range of symptoms and affects so many different organ systems, it is very difficult to diagnose and has no treatments, much less a cure. POLG Mitochondrial disease is described as a genetic disorder that robs the bodys cells of energy, in turn causing progressive multiple organ dysfunction and failure on the POLG Foundation website. The condition is very uncommon and the symptoms, which are hard to spot, include liver failure, muscle weakness, and epilepsy. open image in gallery Director Mei Fa Tan says it was painful to watch Frederiks body not allow him to do much before he died ( The POLG Foundation ) As a young person with POLG Mitochondrial, Frederik sought to raise awareness by creating an official foundation, encouraging new research and widespread fundraising efforts. Roberts statement went on to describe Frederiks unwavering positivity and commitment to happily living each day without letting the disease control more of his life. Tan met Frederick when she was commissioned to direct the foundations short film, The PolG Foundation Film. This is the battle that Frederik fought, and this is the burden that he had to carry throughout his life. He always did so with grace and with humour, Robert wrote. When we asked him if he wanted to create a foundation to find a cure and help others like him, he jumped at the opportunity. Though he always made it very clear that he did not want this dreadful disease to define him, he nonetheless immediately identified with and helped define the mission of The POLG Foundation. Frederik was able to star in the organizations first production, The PolG Foundation Film, before he died, for scenes of him watching his own childhood videos. When youre a kid, youve got all these dreams, all these aspirations, these things you want to do. The possibilities are endless, he said in the films voiceover. Im not sure I understood all the consequences of PolG when I first got diagnosed. Its more subtle, where slowly, the world is getting smaller and smaller. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice An American Airlines passenger launched an attack on a fellow traveler and a flight attendant while swallowing rosary beads to ward off a satanic disciple he believed had stowed away on the flight. Delange Augustin, 31, was approached in the cabin after flight attendants feared he was suffering from a seizure, before he began his spiritual battle against them and the evil he believed was on board the aircraft. According to a criminal complaint and supporting affidavit obtained by The Independent, the incident took place on March 10 on a flight from Savannah, Georgia, with an intended destination of Miami, Florida. Less than one minute after take-off, the complaint states, an attendant observed Augustin in what appeared to be a fit of epilepsy as he was stomping, incoherent yelling, and shaking. When two attendants approached to check on him, Augustin turned in his seat and delivered a powerful two-footed kick to the chest of one, sending them flying across the aisle and row of seats, into the far window. open image in gallery Delange Augustin, 31, was approached in the cabin of the American Airlines flight after attendants feared he was suffering from a seizure, before he launched his spiritual battle against them and the evil he perceived on board the aircraft. ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Augustins actions appeared purposeful, contrary to the prior belief that he had been in medical distress, the affidavit states, which caused the attendants to be afraid. The commotion was heard from the cockpit by the pilots, who agreed to return to Savannah. This decision, however, enraged Augustin further, and he began punching and kicking the seat and passenger in front of him, eventually causing the seat to collapse. He later calmed down. When the flight landed back in Georgia, Augustin removed his seatbelt and stormed the front while clutching his sister, his traveling companion, to him, the affidavit stated. At the front of the aircraft, he cornered a flight attendant in the galley and threw several haymakers, at least one of which belted her upper arm. Three passengers intervened, pulling both Augustin and his sister to the ground. Airport Police then boarded the plane and subdued Augustin, and he was later transported to the hospital by EMS for evaluation due to the violence as well as the ingestion of rosary beads. Speaking to authorities afterwards, Augustins sister, Medjina Augustin, said her brother had been trying to protect her as they had been on their way to Haiti to flee religious attacks of a spiritual nature. She told police that the evil comes out in the darkness, adding that she had never experienced as much darkness as was on the plane that evening, the affidavit stated. open image in gallery During his in-flight rampage Augustin kicked the seat in front of him so hard that it collapsed ( United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia ) Once on the plane, she said, Augustin had told her to close her eyes and pray because Satans disciple(s) had followed them onto the plane and the legion did not want the Augustins to make it to Haiti. Medjina continued to pray while he launched his double-footed kick and the subsequent violence on the crew members. Augustin had swallowed the rosary beads because they are a weapon of strength in the spiritual warfare, his sister said. Medjina indicated Augustin was not suffering from any medical or mental health issue or impairment. Rather, Augustin needed to fight for both him and his sister, the affidavit stated. Augustin was booked into Chatham County jail on a misdemeanor battery charge, a misdemeanor obstruction of law enforcement charge, and a felony count of criminal property damage, according to the jails records. A lawyer or place of residence was not listed. According to the affidavit, there is also probable cause to charge him with interference with flight crew members following the incident. We appreciate the professionalism of the entire crew and thank our passengers for their understanding, American Airlines said in a statement. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A federal judge in Louisiana has blocked the states first-ever death row execution by nitrogen gas, which was due to take place next week. U.S. District Court Judge Shelly Dick issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday, stopping the state from immediately moving forward with the execution of convicted murderer Jesse Hoffman Jr. The execution of the 46-year-old would have been Louisiana's first in 15 years. Lousiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she disagreed with the decision and would immediately appeal the decision. In her ruling, Dick wrote that it was in the "best interests of the public" to be able to examine the state's "newly proposed method of execution on a fully developed record." She added she was particularly troubled that the state released only a redacted protocol to the public until the day before the preliminary injunction hearing on Friday. open image in gallery A federal judge in Louisiana has halted the states first ever death row execution by nitrogen gas, which was due to take place next week ( AP2008 ) "The public has paramount interest in a legal process that enables thoughtful and well-informed deliberations, particularly when the ultimate fundamental right, the right to life, is placed in the government's hands," she wrote. Dick said Hoffman cannot be executed until his claims are "decided after a trial on the merits and a final judgment is issued." Last month, Hoffman, who was on death row following his conviction in the 1996 murder of Mary Molly Elliott in New Orleans, filed a lawsuit against the state and sought to block his March 18 execution date. During a hearing last week, his attorneys argued that the execution method of nitrogen hypoxia is cruel and unusual punishment under the U.S. Constitution and infringes on Hoffmans freedom to practice his religion, specifically Buddhist breathing and meditation exercises. They also said the method, which involves an industrial, full-face mask, will ignite and worsen his diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder and claustrophobia, causing mental torture. State attorneys argued that nitrogen hypoxia has proven to be successful in Alabama, saying the method is seemingly painless and an approved method under Louisiana law. Murrill told The Associated Press last month that she expects at least four people to be executed this year. There are 56 people on Louisianas death row. Louisiana is following in the footsteps of Alabama, which has executed four people using nitrogen gas. During last weeks hearing, state officials described Louisianas execution protocol using nitrogen gas to be nearly identical to Alabamas. Under the protocol, the subject is strapped to a gurney, forced to breathe pure nitrogen gas through a mask placed on their face, depriving them of oxygen. Hoffman was just 18 when, prosecutors say, he abducted his victim, Elliott at gunpoint from a New Orleans parking garage on the night before Thanksgiving Day in 1996. He allegedly forced her to withdraw $200 from an ATM, then raped and shot her to death. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A prom dress sale at a gas station in Georgia spiraled into a fight that ended with three women being arrested. The 18-year-old victim, who was not named, had agreed to meet her former friend, 20-year-old Morgan Flinchum, at the gas station in Gwinnett County to sell a prom dress, according to police reports obtained by WSBTV. Gwinnett County Police said the dress originally belonged to Flinchum, but the victims mother helped pay for it. Two of the women went into the stores bathroom so Flinchum could try it on, but a third woman grabbed the dress and ran off. The victim also ran outside after her and found herself surrounded by the three women, according to police. Her boyfriend showed up and managed to get the dress back, but the tensions escalated, and a physical fight broke out. open image in gallery Morgan Flinchum is charged with battery and theft by taking ( Gwinnett County Police Department ) Surveillance video from the gas station showed the victim being choked by one of the suspects and then the victim flipping her to the ground in self-defense, police said. There was a dispute, which ultimately was a civil issue between the dress and money owed to one of the parties. Obviously, in the video, you can see it became physical, and thats when 911 was called. open image in gallery Leila DeJager is charged with battery and theft by taking ( Gwinnett County Police Department ) Another fight broke out as they waited for police to arrive in which Flinchum allegedly swung at the victim, though the boyfriend stepped in to separate them. Flinchum was charged with battery and theft by taking, Leila DeJager is charged with battery and theft by taking, and Kaylee George was charged with theft by taking. open image in gallery Kaylee George is charged with theft by taking ( Gwinnett County Police Department ) Cpl. Juan Madiedo advised that person-to-person sales should occur at designated Gwinnett County Police locations, Fox5 Atlanta reported. Here in Gwinnett County, all of our police precincts, including our headquarters here, have designated e-commerce parking, Madiedo said. We invite any citizen out there, if youre looking to make a transaction, sell any items or purchase an item online, meet that person at one of our designated e-commerce locations. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Harvey Weinstein is due in court Wednesday ahead of his #MeToo retrial, nearly a year after his 2020 conviction on rape and sexual assault charges was overturned. Weinsteins retrial is expected to be a shorter version of the original case. However, there will be one major addition: An accusation from an alleged victim who was not a part of the 2020 case. More details about how the prosecution will unfold are expected to be made clear on Wednesday. Judge Curtis Farber will issue rulings on a range of issues related to the case, including potential expert witnesses and the scope of testimony from Weinsteins accusers. Weinstein, 72, is expected to be in court for the Wednesday rulings. His retrial is scheduled to start in state court in Manhattan on April 15. At his last court appearance, in January, Weinstein begged the judge to move that date up. open image in gallery Harvey Weinstein at a court appearance in January ( AP ) He told the judge "I don't know how much longer I can hold on" with cancer, heart issues and harsh conditions at New York City's Rikers Island jail complex, where he is imprisoned. The retrial includes charges that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on a movie and TV production assistant in 2006 and raped an aspiring actor in 2013. The additional charge, filed in September, alleges that he forced oral sex on a different woman at a Manhattan hotel in 2006. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office said in court papers that the woman, who has not been identified publicly, came forward to prosecutors just days before the start of Weinstein's first trial but was not part of that case. Prosecutors said they did not pursue the women's allegations after Weinstein was convicted and sentenced to 23 years in prison, but they revisited them and secured a new indictment after the state's Court of Appeals threw out his conviction last April. Farber ruled in October to combine the new indictment and existing charges into one trial. open image in gallery Weinstein has added one of Bill Cosbys lawyers to his legal team ( AP ) Weinstein's lawyers contend that prosecutors prejudiced him by waiting nearly five years to bring the additional charge, suggesting they had elected not to include the allegation in his first trial so they could use it later if his conviction were reversed. Weinstein has denied that he raped or sexually assaulted anyone. In February, Weinstein added Jennifer Bonjean, a lawyer who has represented Bill Cosby and R. Kelly, to a legal team that includes defense attorneys Arthur Aidala, Diana Fabi Samson and former judge Barry Kamins. In vacating Weinstein's conviction, the Court of Appeals ruled that the trial judge, James M. Burke, unfairly allowed testimony against him based on allegations from other women that were not part of the case. Burke is no longer on the bench and such testimony will not be part of the retrial. Weinstein was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 of another rape. His 16-year prison sentence in that case still stands, but his lawyers appealed in June, arguing he did not get a fair trial. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Scott Peterson, who in a high-profile case was convicted of killing his pregnant wife and their unborn son in 2002, was injured in a California prison on Sunday, according to officials. Scott Peterson was involved in an incident with another person at Mule Creek State Prison and suffered minor injuries, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a statement on Tuesday to the Sacramento Bee. Peterson was beaten up after hitting a pickleball directly at another inmate, TMZ reports, citing unnamed prison sources. The injuries were such that Peterson didnt need to go to the prison hospital, according to the outlet. Peterson was convicted for the killing of his wife Laci and their unborn son Connor in Modesto in a trial that got national media attention. Prosecutors say Peterson dumped Lacis body in the Berkeley Marina on Christmas Eve 2002, then reported her missing. open image in gallery Peterson was sentenced to death in 2005 but has maintained his innocence Peterson initially helped police search for Laci but became a suspect when it was discovered he had been having an affair. The Modesto man was arrested near the Mexican border with dyed hair, $15,000 in cash, and multiple cell phones, according to police. Laci and Connors bodies were found in the San Francisco Bay four weeks after the woman had been reported missing. Peterson maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty. The trial, in which Peterson ultimately was sentenced to death, became a national media spectacle, attracting hundreds of people outside the courthouse during proceedings. In 2020, the California Supreme Court overturned Petersons death penalty, finding that the trial court made errors in juror selection by excluding jurors who disagreed with capital punishment. open image in gallery Prosecutors allege Scott Peterson killed his pregnant wife Laci (left) then attempted to make it look like a disappearance ( Netflix ) The following year, he was resentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In January of 2024, the Los Angeles Innocence Project took up Petersons case, arguing he had been denied access to potentially exculpatory evidence and that a burglary near the Petersons home could be tied to Laci and Connors deaths. By October of that year, a court ruled the group could access decades-old evidence in the case, including DNA and forensics. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Nearly a week since University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki vanished, Virginia authorities say they have interviewed a person of interest. Konnanki, a 20-year-old pre-med student, was last seen at 4.15 a.m. on March 6 entering a beach while vacationing with five female college friends on spring break in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Now, the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office, where her family lives, has identified Joshua Riibe, 22, a person of interest in the missing person investigation, a spokesperson confirmed to The Independent. This particular individual may have been the last one to have seen her, so is of particular interest, the spokesperson said. This is not at this time a criminal investigation, so to be clear, he is not a suspect, the spokesperson added. Riibe, from Iowa, is believed to have been vacationing in Punta Cana, although was not a part of the group Konanki was traveling with. open image in gallery Police are interviewing a person of interest, who may have been the last person to see Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pennsylvania student, alive in the Dominican Republic, where she was vacationing on spring break with friends ( Facebook ) The sheriffs office interviewed Riibe at length, Fox News Digital reported Tuesday. Riibe allegedly provided three different accounts to authorities, the New York Post reported. However, CNN said there were "no inconsistencies" in the person of interests recounting of events, and that translation issues may have been to blame. The outlet did not name Riibe. The Independent has reached out to the sheriffs office for clarification. Its not immediately clear if or how the pair knew one another before meeting on the Caribbean Island. Riibe is a senior at St. Cloud University in Minnesota, according to the New York Post, citing his LinkedIn. A number of people have been interviewed by the Dominican National Police, the spokesperson added. In an update on Monday, the sheriffs office said the wide-ranging investigation includes reviewing surveillance footage and phone records. open image in gallery Military personnel search for the college student from U.S. the who disappeared on a beach in Punta Cana. Police are now interviewing a person of interest in the missing person case ( AP ) Konanki was staying at the Riu Republica Hotel, the Dominican National Police said in a March 9 statement. Surveillance footage captured her entering the hotels beach in the early morning hours of March 6 along with her friends. The group had been drinking in the hotel lobby an hour earlier, police told CNN. A surveillance video showed Konanki appearing to stay behind with a man, who is later captured leaving the beach area alone just before 9 a.m., sources told the outlet. Her friends reported her missing around 4 p.m. after she didnt return to her room, a source told CNN. Her sarong-style cover-up was found on a lounge chair on the beach, but there were no signs of violence, the outlet reported. open image in gallery Civil defense boats search for Konanki on March 10. Her father fears she was kidnapped or trafficked as the search for the 20-year-old is still ongoing. ( AP ) The Dominican police said Monday it was interviewing a young man who entered the waters of the beach and were trying to corroborate the version that he offered in a preliminary way, but the man was not identified further. Police began the process of re-interviews of the persons who were previously with the missing person in time and space, including hotel employees, in order to gather information that allows corroboration of their movements, interactions and any relevant data in this search process, authorities said Tuesday. A day earlier, they had conducted an exhaustive search by sea, air, and land. The FBI is also assisting with the investigation. The missing 20-year-olds father, Subbarayudu Konanki, told CNN that his daughter is a very nice girl and wanted to pursue a career in medicine. He previously suggested that she had been kidnapped, as her body hadnt washed up on the shore. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Scientists in China have built the worlds most powerful spy camera, capable of recognising peoples faces from low-Earth orbit. The technology, developed by a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Aerospace Information Research Institute, could set new standards for global surveillance, offering millimetre-level resolution from 100km (62 miles) away. First reported in the South China Morning Post, the optical imaging technology could also allow Beijing to observe foreign military satellites and Earth-based defence structures in unprecedented detail. The laser-imaging system was able to achieve levels of detail that are 100 times better than the leading spy cameras that use lenses. A test carried out by Lockheed Martin in the US in 2011 achieved a resolution of 2cm from 1.6km away. When the new camera was tested across a 101.8km stretch of Qinghai Lake in northwest China, it revealed details on the other side of the lake that measured just 1.7mm across. The lowest altitude that low-Earth orbit satellites operate at is around 170km, though most are launched to an altitude of around 800km. The scientists noted that the test across the lake took place during near-perfect weather conditions, meaning poor weather or even light cloud cover could impact the accuracy of the camera. The spy camera was detailed in a new study, titled Synthetic aperture lidar achieves millimeter-level azimuth resolution imaging at a distance of 100 kilometres for the first time, in the Chinese Journal of Lasers. US satellite imaging startup Albedo Space is also working on technology to zoom in on individual humans on Earth, though the founders claim it will not be capable of facial recognition. The company has already secured multiple defence contracts with the US government, prompting concerns from privacy advocates. In 2019, the Electronic Frontier Foundation called for regulation on spy satellites, arguing that they went against peoples civil liberties. With the advent of real-time video, private satellites could subject the entire world to continuous 24/7 surveillance, the group warned. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A cybersecurity expert has cautioned against prematurely pointing the finger at Ukraine after Elon Musk said Xs outage had links to the country. Mr Musk claimed the platform, formerly known as Twitter, was under a "massive cyberattack" by those who had "IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area," in an interview with Fox Business Network. The widespread access issues led to more than 40,000 user reports on Downdetector.com, which peaked at 11am UK time and again four hours later on Monday. Jake Moore, global cybersecurity adviser at software security firm Eset, said he was confident it was a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, which uses multiple IP addresses flooding a server or website with internet traffic. He said it would be "dangerous to point the finger" at Ukraine solely based on IP address location. Unfortunately, X remains one of the most talked about platforms making it a typical target for hackers marking their own territory, he said. All that can be done to future proof their networks is to continue to expect the unexpected and build even more robust DDoS protection layers. IP addresses can also be directed via software to be seen to have originated anywhere in the world. Therefore, even if their analysis suggests Ukraine, it would be dangerous to point the finger so early on. open image in gallery Elon Musk said there was a cyberattack on X ( PA Archive ) Mr Moore added that simple analysis of the IP addresses would point towards their location, but that this can be tampered with to make it seem that the origin is in a different country. Without seeing the report of the investigation it would be difficult to agree with this accusation either way. The former chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Ciaran Martin, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that it was a remarkable incident. Mr Martin said: I am very surprised that X fell over as a result of a DDoS attack, its a very large-scale DDoS attack but its not that sophisticated, its a very old technique. He said that he could not think of an example of a company the size of X falling over due to a DDoS attack for a very long time, adding that it doesnt reflect well on their cybersecurity. Mr Martin said that Mr Musks claim that the attack had links to Ukraine was wholly unconvincing based on the evidence so far and pretty much garbage. Toby Lewis, of cybersecurity firm Darktrace, said: This appears to be a fairly standard DDoS attack on X essentially an overwhelming amount of traffic designed to disrupt the service. Like all DDoS attacks, the effect is temporary, and so users to X this morning may well not spot anything wrong at all. Importantly, these sorts of attacks are almost always delivered by botnets. Globally distributed networks of computers that have been unknowingly recruited to take part in the attack typically through some form of compromise or the use of malware. open image in gallery The Tesla CEO bought the site, formerly Twitter, in 2022 ( AFP via Getty Images ) Meanwhile, David Mound, of third-party risk management platform SecurityScorecard, said: Beyond technique evolution, DDoS motivations are shifting. Hacktivism has resurged, with groups like Killnet and Anonymous Sudan launching politically motivated disruptions against governments, financial institutions, and infrastructure providers. Meanwhile, ransom DDoS campaigns have increased, with attackers extorting businesses by threatening prolonged downtime. Nation-state actors are also employing DDoS as part of broader cyber influence and disruption campaigns, particularly in geopolitical conflicts. Mr Musk, who is acting as an adviser on federal spending to Donald Trump, previously said Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is running a fraud machine feeding off the dead bodies of soldiers, suggesting limited appetite for continued American support for Ukraine. The Tesla CEO bought the site, formerly Twitter, in 2022. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Vodafone has apologised to customers after broadband users reported problems with their service, with a significant number suffering a total blackout. More than 800 customers reported issues with the provider since just before 8am on Wednesday, according to service status website Down Detector. Of those customers who reported problems on Down Detector, 14% said they had experienced a total blackout. Vodafone said: Were sorry to customers for the inconvenience, adding that partner CityFibre experienced an outage which affected some customers. A spokesman said: We can confirm the issue was resolved quickly with all customers back up and running by 9.30am. Vodafones broadband partner CityFibre had been experiencing service outages since around 2.40am. A CityFibre spokesman said: A configuration issue was causing intermittent problems on our network this morning. The issue was quickly identified and resolved, with everyone back up and running by 9.30am. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Several customers took to X to discuss their situation. One wrote: Hi @VodafoneUK is your Vodafone not working? Even the 4G back up hasnt kicked in? Another added: @VodafoneUK @cityfibre any idea when your issues will be fixed (in Reading)? I take it something major has failed? The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Ukraine ready to accept U.S. proposal for 30-day cease-fire WASHINGTON - Ukraine on Tuesday expressed readiness to accept a U.S. proposal for a 30-day cease-fire with Russia, according to a joint statement from Washington and Kyiv after a meeting involving senior officials from the two countries in Saudi Arabia. "Ukraine has agreed to it and hopefully Russia will agree to it," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House, adding he will talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin possibly later this week. ---------- Nissan names new CEO after failed merger talks with Honda TOKYO - Nissan Motor Co. said Tuesday it has appointed Chief Planning Officer Ivan Espinosa as CEO, replacing Makoto Uchida, as the ailing automaker seeks to revive its business under new leadership after the collapse of merger talks with Honda Motor Co. Espinosa, who has primarily worked in product planning at Nissan in regions including Southeast Asia as well as Central and South America, will assume the top role on April 1, while Uchida, 58, will remain a director until a June shareholders' meeting. ---------- U.S.-Canada disputes continue in blanket steel tariff imposition WASHINGTON - Trade disputes between the United States and Canada continued Tuesday in connection with the imposition by President Donald Trump's administration of a 25 percent levy on all imports of steel and aluminum. The blanket implementation of the levies starting Wednesday is among the trade measures launched during Trump's nonconsecutive second term in a bid to prop up American industry while hitting manufacturers from many other countries such as Japan. ---------- Ex-Philippine leader Duterte held on ICC warrant over drug crackdown MANILA - Philippine authorities on Tuesday served an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against former President Rodrigo Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity over the killings during his administration's drug war, the presidential office said. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told reporters later in the day that the presidential office received the warrant through Interpol on Tuesday and transferred the former president to the court in The Hague by airplane. ---------- Woman fatally stabbed in Tokyo while livestreaming TOKYO - A 22-year-old woman died Tuesday after being stabbed on a street in downtown Tokyo and a man believed to have had a financial dispute with her was arrested at the scene, police said. Airi Sato was attacked at around 9:50 a.m. while walking alone in a residential area near JR Takadanobaba Station in Shinjuku Ward. She was livestreaming when a man assaulted her with a survival knife about 13 centimeters long. ---------- Japan marks 14th anniversary of quake-tsunami, nuclear disasters SENDAI - Japan on Tuesday marked 14 years since a devastating earthquake and tsunami rocked the country's northeast, triggering a nuclear crisis, with residents in one of the hardest-hit areas again reeling from the impact of a natural disaster. The commemoration came at a particularly hard time for residents of Ofunato in Iwate Prefecture, who have evacuated due to a massive wildfire that broke out in late February. The blaze has been contained, with all evacuation orders lifted by Monday. ---------- Japan, U.S. top diplomats to hold talks in Canada this week TOKYO - Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya is arranging a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Canada later this week as Tokyo seeks an exemption from President Donald Trump's new tariffs, government sources said Tuesday. The talks would take place on the sidelines of a three-day Group of Seven foreign ministerial gathering from Wednesday in Charlevoix, Quebec, according to the sources. ---------- Suspended bullet trains to resume from Fri. after decoupling incident TOKYO - Suspended coupled bullet train services in northeastern Japan will gradually resume later this week, the operator said Tuesday, after safety concerns arose when linked trains decoupled in motion on the Tohoku Shinkansen line for the second time in less than six months. JR East said services will restart Friday in stages after securing couplers with metal fittings to prevent disconnections, with full operations resuming Saturday. The railway company is the only operator that links shinkansen trains of different compositions. Video: Japan marks 14th anniv. of quake-tsunami, nuclear disasters Clinic Team Leaders Karrie Arceneaux, left, and Natalie Jeske work at their front-lobby desks in the newly remodeled Ochsner Community Health Center Monday, January 24, 2022, in Lafayette, La. The building, which was opened in 1937 as St. Ann's Infirmary, later housed the Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic which closed in 2016. The building was then donated to the Lafayette General Foundation. It is truly sad to hear that the Louisiana BESE members have agreed to the current U.S. president's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. They would have done much better for the Louisiana people by standing up for what makes sense and not bowing down to what seems to be merely one person's isolationist ego trip. The News in Brief Wednesday, March 12, 2025 Three Georgian citizens were unlawfully detained by Russian occupying forces near the village of Plavismani in the Gory municipality, located within the occupied territory. According to the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), one of the detainees has been released and is now in Tbilisi-controlled territory, while the other two remain in illegal detention.The SSSG reported on March 11 that after learning about the incident, it promptly activated the "hotline" managed by the EU Monitoring Mission. Additionally, the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) and international partners were notified of the situation.Efforts are underway to secure the swift release of the detained Georgian citizens, with all available mechanisms being utilized, according to the SSSG.The agency emphasized that responsibility for such unlawful actions in Georgia's occupied territories and along the occupation line falls on the occupying power.Batumi City Court Judge Mariana Fomaeva has fined 18 protesters GEL 5,000 each for walking on a zebra crossing, according to Batumelebi.The Ministry of Internal Affairs accused the protesters of obstructing traffic by creating an artificial barrier at the crossing.The publication noted that the judge did not provide a clear explanation for the decision to impose fines.The case stems from a rally on January 31, 2025, when police officers told demonstrators that their numbers were insufficient and ordered them to clear the roadway. The Georgian Young Lawyers Association, which represented the protesters, argued that their actions were fully within the scope of freedom of expression. Local accident has national ramifications. Three Kyodo News reporters -- Peter Masheter, Eduardo Martinez and Takaki Tominaga -- talk about a sinkhole which emerged in a city just outside Tokyo. Listen as they discuss how it happened, how it has raised concerns about Japan's aging infrastructure and its impact on government policy. Article mentioned in the podcast: Large sinkhole swallows truck near Tokyo, man trapped Kyodo News presents a bilingual podcast for English learners about the ins and outs of news writing and how to translate tricky Japanese phrases into English. Have fun listening to journalists discuss recent articles as they occasionally go off on unrelated tangents. Related coverage: Podcast [English World] Episode 87: Japanese school experience Podcast [English World] Episode 86: Niseko ski resort Podcast [English World] Episode 85: Japan looks to cash in on matcha boom Sarytogan Graphite has identified its third copper prospect only a year after the company pegged an extensive tract of ground on the western flanks of the Baynazar Caldera in east Kazakhstan. Initial exploration of the 51.5-kilometre north-south axis of tenure last year involved flying a high-resolution aeromagnetic survey, followed by a 6000 sample multi-element soil geochemical program across selected magnetic anomalies. Sarytogan Graphite has identified a third copper anomaly from aeromagnetics and soil geochemistry at its Sanabi prospect in Kazakhstan, where it has found malachite in silicified felsic rocks. Several distinct aeromagnetic anomalies were defined along the entire tenement block, with a northernmost 14.5km-long belt of magnetic anomalism running along the southwest margin of the main 26km-diameter Baynazar Caldera. A more diffuse 6km-long magnetic trend links the northern zone with a further 20km- north-south belt of circular anomalies associated with at least five small calderas up to about 10km in diameter. Household electricity bills are set to jump by as much as $200 a year in parts of the eastern states, raising cost-of-living pain and turning the upcoming election into a referendum on Australias shift to clean energy and the impending closures of coal-fired power stations. Energy regulators released draft decisions on Thursday to lift price caps for hundreds of thousands of customers by up to 8.9 per cent in NSW and up to 5 per cent or $68 in parts of Victoria. Sharp increases in power prices have intensified cost-of-living pressures in Australia in recent years. Credit: Paul Jones The changes to the so-called default offers the maximum prices retailers can charge customers on standing power plans were attributed to higher costs in the grid in the past year amid breakdowns at coal-fired power plants, elevated fossil fuel prices, rising infrastructure costs and stretches of low wind. The news set off a furious political debate in Canberra, as the Albanese government and the Coalition head to the federal election with competing plans for the future of the electricity grid. At 92 years of age, Ellen Burstyn could be forgiven for wanting to stay home in her native New York, but instead, the Oscar winner has touched down in Australia to shoot the new movie Place to Be, alongside Taika Waititi. Filming began in Sydney this week at Disney Studios in Moore Park, with five-time Cannes laureate winner Kornel Mundruczo directing. The drama documents the unlikely friendship of an elderly woman (Burstyn) and a middle-aged man (Waititi) as they travel from Chicago to New York to return a racing pigeon to its home. Ellen Burstyn and director Kornel Mundruczo as the cameras roll at Disney Studios in Moore Park. Credit: Simon Harsent For Burstyn, a long-time critic of US President Donald Trump, the film not only provided an opportunity to revisit Australia (she made her Australian stage debut in the play 33 Variations in 2019) but also a timely escape from the presidents second term. Oh, I cant tell you how wonderful it is to be away from whats happening in my country right now, there is no better time to escape America, says Burstyn, whose film credits include The Exorcist, Requiem for a Dream, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Interstellar. Advertisement Eating outRestaurant news Sydneys love for Greek restaurants hits fever pitch with a wave of openings (and a hot new pop-up) From a souvlaki bar on a rooftop to village-style cooking at Olympic Meats, the city is embracing all things Greek. Scott Bolles March 13, 2025 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share When Greek chef Ntinos Fotinakis swaps his restaurant on the Athenian Riviera this month for a two-week takeover at Manta restaurant at Woolloomooloo Wharf, hell land in a city amid an unprecedented explosion of Greek food. It has felt like Greek week in Sydney for the past 12 months, as the city ran a fever for Greek restaurant openings. Fotinakis moussaka croquettes at Manta will need to be impressive; hes competing with dishes such as the lambs brains tiganita at Redferns sizzling hot Olympus Dining, which opened in December. And theres the shellfish saganaki at Ammos, the sprawling restaurant Australian Greek chef Peter Conistis opened last year at Brighton-le-Sands. Conistis has also been busy in the Sydney CBD, opening Ela Ela restaurant at the Bristol Arms hotel late last year, after launching a souvlaki bar on its rooftop. Greek chef Ntinos Fotinakis will pop up at Woolloomooloo Wharf. Sydney Restaurant Group Last week, Olympic Meats joined the party in Marrickville, punching out gyros made with the sort of care you might find on the Peloponnese: meat prepared for three days wrapped in hand-made sourdough pita. Bondi Beach will also get in on the opening act, with Kazzi restaurant announcing it will open there in May, after gaining a fast following in Manly and Balmoral. It even appears Sydney might have overtaken Melbourne with its giant Greek diaspora as the vanguard of innovative Greek food. When restaurant operators from another city with a massive Greek population, Chicago, came looking for talent, they headed to the harbour city. Advertisement They found a leading figure in next-wave Greek-Australian cooking, David Tsirekas, a former owner of Perama restaurant in Petersham. Tsirekas has spent the past few years consulting at Greek restaurants in Chicago. Hes currently working on a start-up in the US he describes as Fishbowl meets Greek. Chicago might look to Sydney now, but it wasnt always that way. Tsirekas recalls an era when dolmades were made with cabbage rather than vine leaves, and European dishes such as steak diane would pop up on menus. Ntinos Fotinakis is bringing his dishes from Greece to his curated pop-up at Manta. Sydney Restaurant Group Conistis made a great leap for Greek when his Darlinghurst restaurant, Cosmos, became Sydneys first chefs hatted Hellenic restaurant. Sydney diners played as big a role in the success of Greek food. We can evolve things quickly because Australians are open to new flavours. We have ADHD with food, always [looking] for the next thing, Tsirekas said. Advertisement So, whats all the fuss with Greek food? An uptick in Australians travelling to Greece has undeniably helped drive the taste for the countrys food. The Greek consul general in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis, argues the healthy balance of vegetables with fish and meats along with its famous olive oil is a big part of the appeal. A dedicated food-lover with a career that has posted from New York to Niscosia, Mallikourtis is impressed by the number of Greek food options in Sydney. However, Mallikourtis remains diplomatic when it comes to divulging his go-to Sydney Greek favourites: While it would be inappropriate for me to comment on specific venues, I would say that there is Greek cuisine for all tastes, reflecting somewhat the trends that exist back home. Olympus Dinings retractable oculus glass ceiling. Jennifer Soo Advertisement In other words, if you are on a low budget and you want something quick, there are places you can get a souvlaki or gyro wrap. If you want something more traditional, there are Greek restaurants which have been running here for decades; then there are also more modern twists, or fusion Greek restaurants. That diversity across Sydney Greek food venues impressed Tsirekas. Home after his latest stint in Chicago, the chef made a point to try the new crop of venues. He found the food at Olympic Meats in Marrickville as authentic as somewhere youd find in a Greek village, and was impressed with Kazzi, both its Balmoral and Manly restaurants. They didnt hold back on the flavour, Tsirekas said. One restaurant missing from the Sydney Greek checklist is Ploos, at The Rocks. Ploos chef Peter Conistis told The Herald hes checked out of the waterfront restaurant and is no longer involved. I asked [the owner] that my name and menu be removed, he said. Ploos is currently listed online as temporarily closed. Related Article A Greek grill house where the gyros actually taste like they do in Greece Not that Tsirekas had to look far to find Conistis cooking. I loved the space at Ammos [at Brighton-le-Sands], its like a Greek Icebergs. And Ela Ela in the city is a great package. Peters food is really good, the price is on point and the room is contemporary Athenian. Advertisement Fotinakis fortnight-long kitchen takeover at Manta, which starts on March 21 (set menu $85/$105 a head) is part of a bigger plan to introduce more Greek dishes at the Woolloomooloo seafood restaurant. Owner Bill Drakopoulos Sydney Restaurant Group has a large stable, including Sails at Lavender Bay and Ormeggio at The Spit, but has until now been cautious about dipping his toe in Greek waters. Drakopoulos said Fotinakis short residency would sew the seeds for cross-pollination of contemporary food ideas between the countries. Theres a lot of fusion, a lot of raw fish used in Greece today, and pastas with seafood. And the climate in Greece is warm [like here], he said. Timothy Cassimatis, owner and chef of Marrickville grill house Olympic Meats. Steven Siewert Fotinakis, who cooks at Bungalow 7 at the One&Only Aesthesis resort in Athens, will bring his signature astakomakaronada (lobster pasta) and taramasalata with yuzu to Sydney. Con Dedes is another Greek Australian chef with a large stable of restaurants which include Flying Fish and Sala Dining to tap the cuisine. Last year, Dedes snapped up Alpha, the modern Greek restaurant on Castlereagh Street in the Sydney CBD. Advertisement Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up I invited her to the group dinner afterwards and she sat next to my mum. Mum is indecisive about ordering and Kawai helped her. Afterwards, heading home, I rang a close friend, Lea, and told her I thought Id met my future wife. Kawai didnt believe this when she heard it later, but Lea doesnt lie. We went on a few dates, but Kawai was completely disinterested. Once, we went out for dinner and she left halfway through to watch a DVD at a friends house. David: I met Kawai in 2009 after a presentation I gave at the Australian Institute of Architects in Sydney. Id been living like Robinson Crusoe in the Solomon Islands, working for Emergency Architects Australia on post-disaster reconstruction after a huge earthquake one of the largest ever recorded hit in 2007. I was rarely in Sydney, so friends and family came to the talk. Kawai came up afterwards and asked a question; I thought she was cute. Kawai Yeung and David Kaunitz. Kawai has a special kind of charisma, says Kaunitz. Shes incredibly positive, with the openness and optimism you need to get through life. Credit: Louie Douvis After Sydney architects Kawai Yeung, 45, and David Kaunitz, 48, met in 2009, he was completely besotted, whereas she couldnt have been less interested. It took an extraordinary effort, on his part, to win her over. I went back to the Solomons, working on Ranongga and Simbo, two very remote islands in the countrys Western Province. One day, on a group email, Kawai unexpectedly said shed like to visit. I went to extraordinary efforts to woo her while she was there. A friend, who lived in Honiara [the capital], and I rang the head of the airline to change the time of Kawais connecting flight to Gizo [Western Provinces capital] so that shed have to stay with him and his family in Honiara for a night and gain a good impression of me. One of the kids gave her a block of chocolate and said, Can you give this to David? Its his favourite. When she reached Ranongga a community that had been at its lowest ebb for two years 500 people were waiting to welcome her. It was like an Elvis movie. Two months later, she picked me up at Sydney airport and that was the start. Kawai has a special kind of charisma; shes incredibly positive, with the openness and optimism you need to get through life. Shes authentic and loyal; theres no sugar-coating. Im the only grandchild of four Holocaust survivors. My father was born while my grandmother was in hiding during the Nazi occupation of Budapest. I feel the importance of making life count. Were very different people, but we share the same values. We have two sons now, 9 and 7, and Kawais an amazing mum. She taught herself piano to teach it to our oldest; she taught him to read music. Her only fault is her untidiness. I was raised by a single mum, so everything got put away. When we design our house, it will need to be free of all horizontal surfaces because anything in Kawais hand is put down and never put away. Living and working in the Solomons changed the entire course of my life. The whole foundation of our architectural practice [Kaunitz Yeung Architecture, which focuses on humane architecture for disadvantaged communities] really came out of that time. When we started the business, it was a fantasy a delusion, maybe but it works; we employ people. Without Kawai, none of it would have been possible. Wolfram Elsner, a professor at the University of Bremen and an expert on China, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Bremen, Germany, March 3, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Yan) BREMEN, Germany, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The resilience of the Chinese economic system enables China to set an impressive economic growth target of around 5 percent for 2025, a German economist has said. This resilience is not only supported by the country's vast market and strong policy measures, but also by a "cluster of potentials," namely a network of high-value contributors, including well-established supply chains, fast-growing tech firms and unicorns, as well as highly skilled talent, said Wolfram Elsner, a professor at the University of Bremen and an expert on China. "This is one of the key advantages that large German corporations operating in China benefit from," he added. Elsner depicted China's 5-percent economic growth in 2024 as "a quite remarkable achievement." He emphasized that while China remains an engine of global growth, its economic model has evolved. "China was once known as the 'world's export champion,' driven largely by trade surplus. Now, its economy is primarily driven by domestic consumption and investment, demonstrating greater resilience and stronger self-balancing," he said. One policy shift that impressed Elsner was China's removal of all restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector last year. The move signals a more open market and reflects China's confidence in its economic resilience and competitiveness, he said. Elsner expects China to focus on policy continuity and predictability so as to ensure steady progress toward its high-quality development. "China's high-quality development is the path to the future," he said, adding that policy continuity has stabilized China's domestic economy and strengthened international confidence in the Chinese market. "Western capital knows very well that it can trust China's development, and it is voting by feet," he noted. Beyond sustaining its own growth, Elsner highlighted China's role in supporting the Global South. He pointed to the country's zero-tariff treatment on imports from all least developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations, particularly industrial products from Africa, as an innovative approach to global economic cooperation. "By eliminating import tariffs, China is actively supporting industrialization in Africa and Latin America, helping these regions achieve sustainable development," he said. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the March 15 edition of Good Weekend. See all 15 stories . Andrew Caillard is aghast. In his recently published history of Australian wine, The Australian Ark, the former fine wine auctioneer tells the untold tales behind some of the countrys oldest working vineyards most of them planted in the half-century to 1920 in the Barossa Valley. Theyre such beautiful stories, says the English-born Master of Wine, one of the few tertiary qualifications in which study can be aptly described as addictive. Our oldest surviving grapevines, at Langmeils Freedom Vineyard, go back to 1843 for goodness sake. The energy needed to complete the three-volume, 1500-page project required some serious emotional fuel. If it wasnt for Caillards own heritage, it might never have been written. His remarkably durable English accent conceals a pioneering Australian family history. Caillard is a direct descendant of John Reynell (1809-1873), who planted the first commercial vineyard in South Australia and gave the family name to the town of Reynella, now part of Adelaides sprawling southern suburbs. While The Australian Ark is, as its author explains over a glass or three of crisp Margaret River chardonnay at his inner-western Sydney home, a social history of Australia told through the prism of wine and viticulture, its also a homage to his winemaking ancestors. Their aspirations, successes and misfortunes I learnt of as a child growing up in the UK. Arriving in Adelaide in 1983 to study wine at Roseworthy Agricultural College, the shy 23-year-old saw few traces of the Reynell dynasty only the winery buildings at Reynella and a couple of distant cousins. A profound sadness hung in the air. At the turn of the century the Reynella vineyards extended as far as the eye could see, he says. The land has since been carved up for housing estates and shopping centres, thanks to post-war population growth and the suburbanisation of Adelaide. But theres nothing elegiac about The Australian Ark. While it traces the ups and downs, booms and busts, of an industry facing the cluster-threat of climate change, wowserism and its own misdirection, the story it decants is one of optimism and, to borrow the Dickensian title of one of the early chapters, great expectations. Caillard describes the genesis of the Australian wine industry as a magnificent and romantic story. The Australian Ark is also a fine example of history with an edge. It upends all the cliches about New World Australian wine, and challenges the industry itself with a back-to-the future vision. Those old vineyards hold the key. Our oldest grapevines are, ironically, more ancient than most of Europes and beyond, he tells me. The Barossas Clifton Vineyard was established in 1854 one year before the 1855 classification of Bordeaux. Yalumba still uses it for its top-end The Octavius Shiraz. Advertisement Wine historian Andrew Caillard. His ancestor, John Reynell, planted the first commercial vineyard in South Australia. Credit: Ben McPherson French wine enjoys unassailable prestige among connoisseurs, yet its an oft-ignored truth of Gallic indeed European viticulture that the majority of those premium grapevines are anchored to the earth with American roots. Its been this way since the late 19th century after phylloxera ripped through the vineyards of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, the Rhone and beyond. The great French wine blight, as it came to be known, triggered a crisis in European wine markets and opened the doors for Australia to export its wines to the mother country. The invasive phylloxera is a tiny, aphid-like bug a native of the US that dines on the roots of Vitis vinifera grapevines, causing them to wither and die. Desperate for a fix, European vignerons and scientists in time discovered that grapevines grafted onto imported American rootstocks could resist phylloxera. Old World vineyards were replanted en masse with American vine roots grafted with the desired grape varieties: cabernet sauvignon, syrah (shiraz), chardonnay and pinot noir to name a few. Thanks to this infusion of American viticultural blood, French vineyards were slowly nursed back to health. The vine killer arrived in Victoria in 1877 but, thanks to rigorous quarantine regulations, never made it as far as Adelaide. As a result, our 19th- and early 20th-century South Australian vineyards represent the most significant plantings of pre-phylloxera vines in the world, says Caillard. Our oldest vineyards were established with cuttings taken from some of the best vineyards and nurseries of France, Spain and Germany, England, South Africa, and theyve never been subject to a scorched-earth rebuild with New World American rootstocks. There is no other country in the world that can boast such significant plantings of pre-phylloxera grapevines. Its incredible. A vine leaf covered with tiny phylloxera bugs. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo His point about Australias old vine treasures is sharpened by a retro moment in global wine connoisseurship. A new French association called Francs de Pied has galvanised those few French vignerons working with old, ungrafted heirloom vines planted on their own roots and untainted by American rootstocks. The most outspoken avatar of this heritage vine movement is Loic Pasquet, who makes the worlds most expensive wine. His Liber Pater $40,000 a bottle on release, thank you very much comes from a small plot of vines on scrappy land in Bordeauxs Graves wine region in south-west France. Pasquet boasts that with ungrafted vines uncontaminated by American roots the connection between the soil and the vine is total and the taste of the wine is totally different. His movement is the viticultural equivalent of a pure bloodline fetish: nostalgia in a bottle. In response to quibbles about Liber Paters eye-watering price, Pasquet shoots back: What is the price you are ready to pay to have dinner with Napoleon? Wine aficionados who share this view including the movements patron, Prince Albert of Monaco see a bottle of Francs de Pied wine as a time-travelling Tardis. Advertisement We really dont market ourselves very well. We dont tell our inspiring story. Andrew Caillard Caillard becomes mildly infuriated when he squares Australias 170-year-old viticultural legacy with all the hoo-hah surrounding the Francs de Pied push and its heritage wines. The Liber Pater brand shows what self-belief, a little bit of chutzpah and a great story can achieve. But Pasquets wines are made from vines planted just a few decades ago. In Australia, weve got thousands of hectares of the same kind of stuff, he declares, and many of our vineyards are well over 70 years old. Australias earliest vineyards were in many cases planted with cuttings from some of the truly great French vineyards of the 1830s, before they were hit by phylloxera. These include Clos de Vougeot (which has a starring role in the film Babettes Feast), the Hill of Hermitage and Chateau Lafite. Our forefathers believed that Australia would become the France of the southern hemisphere, he says. Their imagination, resourcefulness and magnificent ambition have given us something massively meaningful and substantial to build on. Loading Caillard takes another sip, and his mild tone returns. We really dont market ourselves very well, he sighs. We dont tell our inspiring story very well. His lavishly produced and painstakingly researched book is, at heart, an attempt to address this absence, fill the void. The core of the argument is both rock-solid and spot-on: the reputation of Australian wine suffers from the silence surrounding its living heritage. Funded by friends, family and wine patrons, and self-published via Longueville Media, The Australian Ark cost more than $1 million to produce and chiselled 17 years out of its authors life. In a set of concise panels in the books extensive colonial chapters, Caillard details some of Australias old extant vineyards most but not all of them in the Barossa. These pre-date the Francs de Pied movement by many decades. They include the ancient surviving shiraz vines in the Barossa Valleys Moorooroo vineyard, likely planted as early as 1847. The equally venerable Cirillo Estate Vineyard home of what is believed to be the worlds oldest grenache vines dates back to circa 1848. Then there is the 1850-planted Torbreck Hillside Vineyard, which still makes a contribution to Torbrecks RunRig Shiraz. Advertisement THE FORUM Acting in self interest Thank you for the editorial on Clive Palmer (Political irritant back with bigger war chest, 13/3). While he blows his horn on patriotic themes, Clive Palmer is politically active for one reason: self interest. His income from coal, one of his many mining ventures, will dry up if the Australian government pursues the elimination of greenhouse gases. Palmer uses a Trump lite approach seeking support from unhappy, disenchanted voters. He is prepared to say anything, promote division, place hateful advertisements and mock minorities to attract attention. Palmer occasionally preferences Labor in safe ALP electorates where it wont make any difference, which allows him to claim that he is not aligned with either of the major parties. However, as with previous iterations of the Palmer and United Australia parties, his aim is to channel voters preferences through to the Coalition in marginal seats. A $100 million investment in the coming election is small beer compared to the billions he can make from expanded coal operations. James Young, Mt Eliza Offensive wart I could not agree more with your editorial comment: Clive Palmer is a persistent wart on the foot of Australian politics. Unfortunately, his luridly offensive advertisements are, likewise, a recurrent and persistent wart at the foot of The Ages front page again. Surely The Age can forgo the money? Particularly when taking it arguably diminishes your editorial stance? Michelle Goldsmith, Eaglehawk Irresponsible ideas I am deeply offended that The Age would publish an advertisement from Clive Palmers Trumpet of Patriots saying there are only two genders on the front page while running an article about the same (Backlash over Clive Palmers Trumpet of Patriots gender advertisements, 11/3). As someone deeply connected to members of the LGBTQI+ community, it is irresponsible to promote ideas aligned with the far right and encourage attacks against diversity. What is The Age thinking? Irene Proebsting, Tyers Prompted to write Regarding that hateful ad on The Age front page, this is my first letter to the editor in years and Im disgusted it would be for this reason. Especially with an article right above it showing how damaging it is to some of our most vulnerable people the transgender community. Marnie Lassen, Glen Iris Some consolation Among all the angst created by the Strumpet of Patriots advertisements in The Age, I take some consolation from the irony that the very large sums of money spent by Clive Palmer help to fund the quality reporting, articles and serious investigative journalism we expect from The Age. Every yellow cloud has a silver lining. April Baragwanath, Geelong Suburban riding I was interested in reading the various letters relating to oversized vehicle parking, encouraging bike riding among all ages. My husband and I joined an outer eastern suburbs riding group 13 years ago when he retired at 65. Our group ranges in age from late 30s to early 90s on all types of bikes with planned rides up to three times per week, so we average 80 to 100 kilometres per week. The local council has invested in more than 100 kilometres of shared paths and adjoining councils have also made bike riding very accessible. The social interaction and exercise have been invaluable as well as supporting local cafes. As far as car parking goes, my 20 year old Getz gets us to the local shopping centres and we use public transport where possible. Judi Rosevear, Wantirna Two-wheel limits Your correspondent has it right older people need a car if they are to be able to live an ordinary existence. I can function well with my small car even though I have bilateral hip replacements and seemingly a new malady arriving each week. Do people really expect the elderly and parents with prams etc to ride a bike? Doris LeRoy, Altona Cars, small but perfect The Tonka truck nearby has a 6.6-litre turbocharged V8 diesel and various models come in between 2 and 3 tonnes. As your correspondent notes (Letters, 12/3) perfect for drivers weighing around 70 to 80 kilograms. Spare a thought for our trusty 1977 Corolla wagon (1166 cc no less!). Departed after 29 years, 485,000 kilometres, good mileage, left exposed but no rust and always a joy to drive. A design of engineering excellence where everything was easily accessible, allowing maintenance at home. (You could do the brake pads and shoes in two hours). Clearly a responsible use of the planets finite resources. Wish wed kept her a perfect recipient for an EV conversion. Ronald Elliott, Sandringham Hazards of riding Bad manners and poor design prevent more people from riding bikes. On my five-kilometre commute this morning there were four situations in which the bike lanes were either blocked by construction or cars using prescribed bike lanes. On other days, despite a footpath being provided, joggers and dog walkers create danger by using bike lanes, which causes riders to serve around them into car lanes. Unfortunately, this is the norm for a bike commuter in Melbourne. Michael Carroll, Kensington Community space lost The Allan government sells air space via new height limits, all along the Suburban Rail Loop route and elsewhere. Delighted developers are grateful for their windfalls while massive community debt and questionable public planning processes are imposed. Now we discover that 700 community housing and affordable private rentals will replace 360 existing public housing units in Flemington. In North Melbourne the numbers are even worse (Flemington and North Melbourne towers to be redeveloped with no public housing, 11/3). The result will be far less open space for tenants and the community, no public housing and no government responsibility. A win-win for the Allan government, which will no doubt claim it is addressing the public housing problem. Unfortunately, it is the public housing tenants and local community who suffer. Haydn Moyle, Flemington Help the homeless The homeless sleep outside my apartment in St Kilda all night every night, during all weather and all seasons. Shelter might be under the hardware shop verandah; the toilet might be in the local cafe and food might sometimes be provided by locals. Its very grim, it is confronting and worst of all life has little dignity. Homeless people are not bad people, just very disadvantaged. And I read that the Flemington and North Melbourne towers are to be redeveloped with no public housing. What world are we living in? Governments must and should provide public housing for the most vulnerable. This governments plan continues decades of dis-investment and privatisation of public housing, with little benefit to the most needy. It favours wealth transfer from property development to the private sector and away from the public sector. Ian Gibb, St Kilda Forgotten people So the Allan government are demolishing the homes of the most needy and informing the tenants with a letter drop. I am saddened for the current tenants having their communities, stability and hope pulled from under them. I guess, communities are no longer as important. The local kids from the flats walking to the local schools, gone. This will go down in history as the time the state government turned its back on the forgotten people of Melbourne. Sharon Hendon, Glen Iris We want to feel safe Good on the premier for tightening bail laws. I have had my views on the matter challenged by people who are untouched by crime suggesting tightening criminal legislation does not address underlying issues. As victims of crime, my family and I dont care about underlying issues; we want offenders locked up so we can feel safe again. Put victims first and make the law work for victims. Lavan Ruban, Truganina Fake news The Ages report on the Coalition complaining about The Gazette (Coalition makes formal complaint over pro-teal spin in fake newspaper, 12/3) is a demonstration of the desperation of the LNP to win back seats from independents. If we are to believe Liberal senator Jane Hume that a news outlet aligning itself to a particular political group is fake then what about the Murdoch media, which is shameless in its support of Peter Dutton and LNP? As a volunteer for the independent Zoe Daniel, I can confirm there is no shortage of scurrilous claims regarding her. Volunteers are regularly falsely accused of not being genuine volunteers but on the payroll of Simon Holmes a Court. Liberal Party flyers have made false claims on Daniels voting record and her corflutes are regularly removed or defaced. Bring on this election. Caitriona Prendergast, Black Rock Integrity the key In reference to the opera now ballet, Carmen, Age critic Andrew Fuhrmann writes it was still unsettling to applaud the staged murder of a woman by her ex-partner on the night before International Womens Day, no less. But no right-minded person has ever applauded the murder of a woman by her ex-partner, in Carmen or beyond it, no more than they applaud the murder of King Duncan in Shakespeares Macbeth. What is applauded is the veracity of these timeless stories and the degree of integrity brought in the telling of them. Without such, the pursuit of art itself becomes a nonsense or worse, best done away with. William Hennessy, Clifton Hill AND ANOTHER THING Credit: Matt Golding Trumpet of Patriots Taking a line from the latest Clive Palmer ad, there are two kinds of people the sensible and the silly. Barrie Bales, Woorinen North Why would Clive Palmer think the number of genders is an election issue? There are two. If some people think that they are somewhere in between, or wrongly assigned, thats their business. Sandra Torpey, Hawthorn My first reaction to his front page advert was horror and shock that The Age would accept it. But then I figured that the average Age reader is probably unlikely to support him anyway, so I just tuned it out and thought that it helps fund proper journalism. Dave Torr, Werribee Loading Are Clive Palmers ads part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival? Rosslyn Jennings, North Melbourne Its the sad reality of capitalism that a great publication like The Age has to run such drivel on the front page. Pete Garfield, Echuca Oh Clive! I detect a simple spelling mistake. Surely you meant Trumpettes of Parrots. John Bye, Elwood Trump tariffs Anthony Albaneses patience in dealing with the Trump tariff shows great strength. Stephen Baldwin, Frankston Australians should take the lead from Canadian consumers and boycott American goods. Dan Drummond, Leongatha Maybe we can put tariffs on those big US-built utes. James Lane, Hampton East I have a dream. One day I will read my beloved Letters to the Editor section and there will not be one mention of Donald Trump. Oops, lets hope thats tomorrow! Mark Hulls, Sandringham Dear Canada, you will get on my calculation 54 Electoral College votes. Do it for the rest of us. Vern OGrady, Park Orchards McLindon referred questions to his lawyer, Nicolas Karamouzis, who said the action taken against the mayor by the CEO was extraordinary. To have an employee restrict or fetter an elected representative, is the same thing as the bureaucrats who work in Canberra stepping up and telling the prime minister that he cant come to parliament, he said. The claims against McLindon were unsubstantiated, Karamouzis said. Theyre just allegations, he said. We know they cant prove it because its not true. Aidan McLindons political career included time in Katters Australian Party in Queensland. He is pictured with federal MP Bob Katter. Credit: In the first letter sent by Lloyd to McLindon, on February 11, the Whittlesea Council CEO cited several examples of alleged poor conduct, including that staff had submitted several psychological incident reports expressing fear and trauma at having to deal with the mayor. Members of the councils pride group had also raised concerns about McLindons social media posts, according to Lloyd, and his derogatory comments about the pride flag and transgender community. Loading Lloyd wrote that other councillors had reported feeling intimidated by McLindon and did not feel safe in the workplace. He also cited his own experiences of interactions with McLindon. You have directly attacked the organisation and me specifically, verbally alleging that the organisation is politically corrupt and making a wide-ranging attack on us for a perceived lack of support for you, he wrote. This has resulted in me feeling unsafe to meet with you alone. A WorkSafe report about this interaction has been made. Lloyd warned McLindon in the February 11 letter that, unless his behaviour improved, Lloyd might take action under the councillor code of conduct, including barring the mayor from meetings. In a subsequent letter sent on February 24, Lloyd laid out eight more allegations against McLindon, including that he had continued to intimidate councillors during phone calls by threatening them with integrity agency investigations. Lloyd also wrote that there was evidence of possible serious misconduct by McLindon relating to the leaking of confidential and personal information. City of Whittlesea deputy mayor Daniela Zinni and mayor Aidan McLindon. Credit: City of Whittlesea Lloyds personal address was among the details leaked, according to the letter. As a result of the alleged behaviour, Lloyd told McLindon that he was taking several steps to protect staff, including barring him from in-person attendance at all council meetings and briefings. Loading McLindon was also given instructions not to contact councillors except from his official email address. All contact with staff, except the CEO, was banned. Contact with the CEO must be by official email, he was told. The measures were put in place until March 24 and would be reviewed, Lloyd wrote. He told McLindon not to share the letter or its contents with anyone. The City of Whittlesea declined to comment as the letters were confidential. Local Government Minister Nick Staikos said monitors were appointed at Whittlesea to oversee the transition from administrators to elected councillors at the October election, and he was awaiting a report from them. Loading I am aware of issues that have arisen in Whittlesea and take these matters very seriously, he said. The monitors will provide a report to me on these matters soon. Under legislation introduced in 2020, the local government minister can intervene to stand down a councillor if they believe the councillor is creating a serious risk to the health and safety of councillors, council staff or other persons or is preventing the council from performing its functions, according to the Local Government Inspectorate. Schools have been left without regular classroom teachers well into term one, blaming administrative delays that prevented teachers from registering weeks into the school year. Relief teachers have been called in to plug the gaps left by new staff who have been hired but had their registration process stalled, putting additional staffing pressures on Victorian schools already experiencing a nationwide teacher shortage. Multiple schools were relying on relief teachers weeks into the school year due to registration delays. Credit: iStock Lilydale High School principal Wendy Powson paid a casual teacher to be in a classroom for weeks, despite also having her newly hired permanent teacher there, as the new staff member awaited registration. The double up is costing us more than it should. But I cant afford to lose him either, she said. Loading Under changes to the Bail Act proposed by the government, remanding youth offenders in custody would no longer be a last resort for judges and magistrates. Instead, community safety would become the overarching principle when deciding bail for children and adults. Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said the laws aimed to reduce the risk of young people committing serious crimes while on bail. Under the new legislation, it would also be a separate crime to commit an indictable offence while on bail for both children and adults. But the legislation is likely to face fierce resistance from civil libertarians, defence lawyers and backbenchers within Allans Labor Left faction. The states Victims of Crime Commissioner Elizabeth Langdon told The Age she had written to Kilkenny requesting to be consulted in the bail laws review, announced just six months after new bail laws were passed. Having victims at the centre of all policymaking is what we know makes the best policy, Langdon told The Age. I am concerned that consistently I hear from victims that they dont feel sufficiently included in the justice system. Michael and Pauline Hodder with their daughter Elise. Langdon will oversee the first major review of the Victims Charter, a series of legislated protections that victims say have not significantly improved the culture of the criminal justice system after 18 years of operation. Since stepping into the role last August, Langdon said her office had been inundated with feedback, including from victims of crime, who wanted to be consulted and informed about bail decisions. It is concerning for people who learn after the fact that theres been a bail decision, Langdon said. On Wednesday, after the Victorian governments announcement, she added: Any changes to bail laws should provide an opportunity to better embed the views of victims of crime in bail decisions. This includes making sure victims of crime are aware of decisions and conditions of bail. Victims of Crime commissioner Elizabeth Langdon. Credit: Penny Stephens The push for victims to have a say on bail decisions and criminal proceedings is one of several reforms Langdon, a former health complaints commissioner and chief executive of the royal commission on Crown casino, is examining during her five-year term in the role. The Victims Charter sets out 17 principles guiding the way that people affected by crime should be treated. These include being treated with courtesy, dignity and respect, that their needs are responded to with timely information to help them participate, and that they are safe in the court. Loading As reported by The Age in December, the consultation documents show the review could recommend specific entitlements for victims of sexual violence, and asks whether victims should in some cases have the right to seek an independent review of police or prosecution decisions, for example if a prosecution is abandoned. The overhaul marks the first since the charters introduction in 2006, and will seek feedback from victims, their families, justice agencies and the community. Ive heard stories from mothers and their children about the deep desire for women to protect their children, and how hard its been in some circumstances, Langdon said. Langdon also wants a more robust process for investigating complaints from victims of crime. The hours after Elises death are forever etched in her parents mind. Her mother Pauline remembers being taken into a small room at the Coroners Court. The body of her loving, kind, funny and beautiful daughter, an aspiring model whose career was about to take off, was laid out on a gurney. Elise Hodder has been remembered as a beautiful, caring and supportive woman. Pauline said every day without her daughter, who was passionate about Indigenous and disability rights, was filled with pain and grief. She wasnt a kid any more, but she lived with us still, and three of us were so close we were in each others lives every single day every morning, every night, she said. Loading Elise was just the most softest, loveliest person. She had a real ear and really listened to people when they spoke to her. She was silly, she was goofy and kind. The pain of missing her never fades. We cry every day it has utterly devastated us, her two brothers all of her friends. Mathiasson allegedly recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.178, more than three times the legal limit. The 23-year-old is facing several charges, including dangerous driving causing death, driving while unlicensed, and dangerous driving causing serious injury over the incident, in which Elises friend was also seriously injured. Loading The Hodders believe there is a bias towards the rights of offenders over victims in criminal proceedings in Victoria. I realise jail is not the answer for everyone, Michael Hodder said. But in the criminal arena, victims of crime are being completely neglected. We should be consulted and have the right to reply in writing where decisions are being made along the process. The imbalance needs to change. Family violence survivor Macy Choudhury has applied for four intervention orders to protect herself and her child from an abusive partner over the years. Loading Choudhury, who is a social worker, now helps other survivors of violence navigate the system. Its often about getting the victim-survivor from a crisis into safety, but then they get there, and nothing happens next there is not enough ongoing supports for them, she said. Victim survivors are often left wondering after the court process, was it all worth it? The Crime Statistics Agency revealed late last year incidents of crime had reached the highest level since records began in Victoria. Staying with Barnetts interview now, and the former WA Liberal premier has lambasted the government for outsourcing the running of the state election, calling on the Liberal Party and the states media to step up its pursuit of information on who made the call. Loading Recruitment firm PersolKelly the firm that secured an $86 million contract to manage election staff has come under fire over its handling of the election amid claims it was plagued by lengthy queues, insufficient ballot papers, untrained staff, and a slow vote count. While much of the attention had centred on the WA Electoral Commission and Commissioner Robert Kennedy, who the Nationals have called on to resign, Barnett told those at Wednesdays 500 Club Lunch he believed it was the Labor government that should be fielding questions. The media needs to pick it up ... and the Liberal Party needs to be sharper, he said. Which minister agreed to outsource the running of an election? Who did it? Did Roger know about this? Was it a cabinet decision? Did he agree? Why arent you owning up to it? Why arent you apologising? Some have blamed the electoral commissioner, but I dont think he would have signed off on a $86 million contract to a Singaporean company it doesnt have that power. On Wednesday, WAtoday revealed a subsidiary of the company had donated more than $67,000 to WA Labor in 2024. NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley has repeatedly refused to say when she was informed that the caravan laden with explosives found at Dural was a con job organised by crime lords rather than a legitimate terrorism threat. As Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday he had known about the fabricated caravan plot for some time, a government source said the prime minister was aware that a hoax was a key line of inquiry since at least February 8 and largely explained his reticence to weigh into the issue. Yasmin Catley has refused to say when she was told the Dural caravan was not a legitimate terrorism threat. Credit: Rhett Wyman The announcement by NSW Police on Monday that the Dural discovery and 14 other antisemitic attacks across Sydneys east were a con job set up by organised crime triggered a firestorm within Macquarie Street. Labor MPs and crossbenchers have demanded answers about whether Premier Chris Minns was aware of the ruse before he rammed through controversial hate-speech laws designed to stop attacks on the Jewish community. On Tuesday, Minns said he could not recall when he was briefed but defended his handling of the discovery, which he described as terrorism in the immediate aftermath. She also said she did not receive any payment for her part in the transactions, which she said had been approved by Revenue NSW. The property, at 270 Gilmour Street, Kelso, was among dozens that Racing NSW bought around racetracks and elsewhere at a cost of more than $125 million over the past decade. A year earlier, in September 2020, records show Racing NSW outlaid $1.35 million for an 11-hectare strip of land with a three-bedroom house just two doors down, at 252 Gilmour Street. It was purchased directly from the vendor, unlike the 2021 sale, when the owner and real estate agent had no idea who Cooke was really buying the property for. I only discovered her position with Racing NSW after the sale went through, said Bathurst selling agent Mitchell Bestwick. She didnt disclose a lot of information, but some buyers dont. Not everyone wants to tell an agent everything. I didnt go digging around in her history and background I took it on face value. Diane Butcher, who sold the property adjoining Bathursts Tyers Park Racecourse to Cooke, said she felt there was something cagey about the whole thing. Her uneasiness was such that she told her neighbours Cookes name and particulars after the sale just in case they were approached to sell their places. The house at 270 Gilmour Street, Kelso, which Cooke bought in her name after an auction in June 2021. Credit: Pip Farquharson I just cant understand that she took the tactic that she did instead of just being upfront, she said. There is nothing illegal about Cookes failure to disclose her connection to RNSW, and there is no obligation on buyers to offer this information. Latham, however, asked Harris in parliament if it was ethical for a board member to purchase a property and then transfer it to the organisation for which she is on the board for $1 in what he called an extraordinary property arrangement. Harris told the hearing he was not sure we can investigate ethics, but well look at the whole issue. Racing officials had also been interested in the nine-hectare property between 252 and 270 Gilmour Street, but its owner did not want to sell. Cooke said Racing NSW had acted appropriately at all times and the non-disclosure of it as the real buyer of 270 Gilmour Street was executed via a bare trust structure used to keep the identity of the real purchaser confidential. According to Racing NSW, the strategy was devised to try and avoid it being run up on the price at auction. I received legal advice both from Racing NSW solicitors and my personal solicitor. Nothing unethical was done, as the method used is a common practice in real estate transactions, said Cooke, who became deputy chair of Racing NSW in December 2021 before the $1 land transfer. Revenue NSW is the only party to whom a bare trustee owes a legal obligation to disclose details of a bare trust arrangement in such a circumstance. The relevant disclosures were made to Revenue NSW in this instance. She said Racing NSW paid the stamp duty on the initial $985,000 purchase when she bought it, and gained an exemption from Revenue NSW from paying a second time when the turf body took over the title. Racing NSW acquired two properties next to Bathursts Tyers Park Racecourse, in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Credit: Pip Farquharson Derwent Coshott, a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney and an expert in sale of land contracts, said the justification for using the trust appeared deceptive. The trust is a legitimate legal device used to obscure who the real beneficial owner is, but the idea it was done for confidentiality reasons is completely spurious because ultimately the property was transferred to Racing NSW, he said. Confidentiality is you want to keep something private because you dont want someone to know about your confidential affairs. For a business, it might be that youre protecting a trade secret. But this is not about confidentiality its about trying to hide something from the vendor. Helen Bird, a corporate governance expert at Swinburne University, said it was an unusual approach for such an entity, but there was no requirement for the real buyer to have been disclosed by Cooke as a director. I cant see any particular reason to be concerned this creates a governance problem, presuming that they did make the proper disclosures and approvals of their actions at board level [and] providing the government approved the action, she said. Racing NSW says it has bought properties around tracks to safeguard the future of the industry. Credit: Pip Farquharson Neil Matthews, a conveyancing lawyer in Sydneys eastern suburbs, said bare trust structures were sometimes used by publicity-conscious clients looking to maintain their privacy. I am not sure why a statutory body would use this structure, but it may have been because Racing NSW was making a number of acquisitions in the area and did not want the land-owners to gain additional bargaining power, he said. According to Racing NSW, it was the first and only time it had deployed such a manoeuvre to add to its property empire, and it had mostly steered clear of auctions, concerned that it would end up paying a premium. Loading Racing NSW has maintained it was the beneficial owner from the outset and had collected all income from tenants in the property, even though it was put on the rental market while still in Cookes name. Asked whether it was appropriate for a director of a statutory body such as Racing NSW not to have been transparent with the seller, a spokesperson for Harris said the Minns government was committed to ensuring the racing industry operated with the highest probity standards. Racing NSW is an independent body not subject to direction of the NSW government, the spokesperson said. The Thoroughbred Racing Act 1996 and Racing NSW board code of conduct include obligations for Racing NSW members regarding conflicts of interest and disclosure of pecuniary interests. The minister has sought advice from the department. The WA Labor caucus is headed for a significant factional rebalancing as a result of Saturdays election, but this will not be reflected in Roger Cooks new cabinet. After the last election, Labors success in securing a majority 22 seats in the upper house drove a huge but unexpected number of left-faction MPs into the partys caucus room, taking its number up to about 40 of 74 MPs and giving it an outsized say on internal party matters. Premier Roger Cook and his wife Carly after his victory speech on Saturday. Credit: Trevor Collens But during this election, Labor has lost about six seats in the upper house and brought more right-faction MPs known as Progressive Labor into the fold. Progressive Labor is aligned to unions like the Australian Workers Union, CFMEU, the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association and the Transport Workers Union. TOKYO, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi on Wednesday expressed regret over the U.S. decision to impose additional tariffs without exempting Japan, stating that such broad trade restrictions could significantly impact Japan-U.S. economic relations, the global economy, and the multilateral trade system. At a press conference, Hayashi emphasized that Japan had conveyed to the United States that its steel imports from Japan posed no threat to American national security. The remarks came as the United States imposed a 25-percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports on Wednesday. Earlier this week, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoji Muto met with U.S. officials in Washington to seek exemptions from the tariffs but failed to secure assurances, local media reported on Tuesday. Following talks with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Muto said the officials acknowledged Japan's importance to the American economy, but did not offer guarantees regarding tariff exemptions, Kyodo News reported. Muto said Japan will continue to try to protect companies from being hit by the proposed tariffs. "Based on the latest discussions, we will be in close consultation on how we can make the national interests of Japan and the United States a win-win situation," Kyodo cited Muto as saying. I hurried through the streets to catch the evening performance at al-Nofra, a 300-year-old corner cafe on a street of ancient stones. From a wood-panelled room, I enjoyed shisha and tea while a bard with a salt-and-pepper moustache and a crimson fez intoned passages from the Thousand and One Nights, twirling a slender baton like a fencer with a foil. As the performance was in Arabic, he could have been reading the evening news for all I knew. And yet ripples of laughter from the rapt local audience told me this was the real deal: its a universal though rarely acknowledged truth that the news is no laughing matter. Loading The next day, we descended on the richly decorated eighth-century Umayyad Mosque: a Christian basilica in a previous life, a Roman temple to Jupiter before that. Somewhat disconcertingly, the women in our tour group were compelled once inside the mosque to don pale blue hooded robes as revealing as space suits; there was an entire wardrobe department dedicated to feminine concealment. Equally unsettling was the map of the Middle East in the national museum, with Israel studiously excised. And yet heres the cheering thing one of the splendours of the museums collection was a third-century synagogue, or at least a to-scale reconstruction fitted with frescoes from the original. The frescoes were recovered from an ancient settlement called Dura-Europos perched high above the Euphrates River east of Damascus along the Iraqi border. Back in the 1920s, the desert sands yielded the remains of something beautiful out in these borderlands: a late-antique multicultural civilisation, a mash-up of Judaism, Christianity and Paganism. One look at the dead city on its barren plateau and the cliche godforsaken springs to mind, and yet Dura-Europos, in its pomp, was anything but. The gods had converged on this desert way station. Most of the Dura-Europos synagogue frescoes, radiant with naive charm and poetic enchantment, tell Old Testament stories. Theres the parting of the Red Sea replete with Gods wonder-working hands; Samuel anointing David; the rescue of the infant Moses from the Nile by Pharaohs daughter, who wades into the river completely starkers. Her unashamed nudity strikes a curious note in a land of the hijab and the niqab. The archaeological site of Dura-Europos, before the civil war. Credit: Alamy The characters in these beautifully preserved third-century frescoes gaze straight ahead with mystical, outsized eyes that look to have witnessed wonders. Not long after I saw the frescoes in Damascus, the archaeological site of Dura-Europos their source, their origin was trashed. ISIS led the charge. Looters feeding the international antiquities market soon followed. I think of Dura-Europos as an inversion of Shelleys famous sonnet to lost time in which a traveller to the desert encounters a bust of the great king Ozymandias half sunk, a shattered visage and an inscription proclaiming his worldly magnificence to the lone and level sands. But the emperor, historically speaking, has lost his clothes as no trace but this fragment has been preserved, its as if he never existed. No grand monuments survive from Dura-Europos, but the vibrant record of mixed faith speaks to us. The Jewish synagogue and the Christian house church are barely 200 metres from one another; sprinkled about the town are shrines to Persian deities such as Mithras and the Greek gods Zeus, Adonis and Artemis. Loading Unlike Ozymandias, consigned to oblivion, the message from Dura-Europos is blazingly relevant to a country whose best version of itself lies in some form of religious and cultural pluralism. A visitor to Dura-Europos in the third century, shortly before its fall to the Persians, would have walked into a Star Wars bar of religious and cultural diversity: a Roman legion bolstered by Palmyran archers defending a town where business was done in Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Middle Persian, Parthian, proto-Arabic and Hebrew. Damascus, first settled in the third millennium BC, is an improbably rich layer cake of civilisation. She measures time not by days and months and years, but by the empires she has seen rise and prosper and crumble into ruin, observed Mark Twain after a tour of the Levant in 1867. She is a type of immortality. She saw the foundations of Baalbek and Thebes and Ephesus laid; she saw these villages grow into mighty cities and amaze the world with their grandeur and she has lived to see them desolate, deserted, and given over to the owls and the bats. She saw the Israelitish empire exalted, and she saw it annihilated. She saw Greece rise and flourish two thousand years and die Damascus has seen all that has ever occurred on earth, and still, she lives. She does, indeed. Though it was a close-run thing. If the seemingly moderate rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaas blitzkrieg hadnt caught Assad and his Kremlin bosses napping, the country might have torn itself apart. Loading Looking at Syria through the fish-eye of her immense history Twain thought she had a better claim than Rome to the title Eternal City I find myself searching for grandiloquent metaphors of resurrection and rebirth. She is the Phoenix risen from the Ashes. But a saltier metaphor seems more appropriate. Lets just say shes got out of the jail into which shed been plunged. As Syria navigates a path of its own in one of the worlds most volatile regions, it could do worse than look for inspiration to the lone and level sands of Dura-Europos: a mash-up of pagans, Christians and Jews, a mingling, a blending; a chorus of different voices; a community united not by one belief but a tolerance for many. ATLANTA, March 11, 2025 -- The monthly new-vehicle average transaction price (ATP) report from Cox Automotive's Kelley Blue Book was released today. Key takeaways from February include: The estimated February new-vehicle ATP from Kelley Blue Book was $48,039 , a year-over-year gain of 1.0%, but lower by 1.3% from January. was , a year-over-year gain of 1.0%, but lower by 1.3% from January. Sales incentive levels were mostly flat month over month but higher compared to February 2024 by 18.6%. The average incentive package last month was equal to 7.1% of ATP, or roughly $3,392 . A year ago, it was 6%. Incentives for electric vehicles (EVs) increased. by 18.6%. The average incentive package last month was equal to 7.1% of ATP, or roughly . A year ago, it was 6%. Incentives for electric vehicles (EVs) increased. In February, sales of the Mitsubishi Mirage the only vehicle in the U.S. with an ATP under $20,000 fell to 2,323, down 15% from January. The average incentive package on the Mirage, the most affordable new vehicle, was just 2.0% of ATP and well below the industry average of 7.1%. Reports indicate the Mirage has been discontinued. The Mitsubishi brand ($30,410) had the lowest average ATP in the industry in February, followed by Nissan ($32,262) . fell to 2,323, down 15% from January. The average incentive package on the Mirage, the most affordable new vehicle, was just 2.0% of ATP and well below the industry average of 7.1%. Reports indicate the Mirage has been discontinued. The Mitsubishi brand had the lowest average ATP in the industry in February, followed by Nissan . The volume of six-figure vehicles continues to boom, according to the latest Kelley Blue Book data. Through the end of February, more than 52,000 new vehicles transacted at prices above $100,000 , up from 46,000 in the first two months of 2024. Five years ago, in January and February of 2020, just over 12,000 six-figure vehicles were sold. Last month, Land Rover's Range Rover was king of the hundred-grand jungle, with sales in excess of 3,800 units. data. Through the end of February, more than 52,000 new vehicles transacted at prices above , up from 46,000 in the first two months of 2024. Five years ago, in January and February of 2020, just over 12,000 six-figure vehicles were sold. Last month, Land Rover's Range Rover was king of the hundred-grand jungle, with sales in excess of 3,800 units. In the hyper-competitive Compact SUV segment including Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 the ATP last month was $36,198 . The February ATP was higher year over year by approximately 0.5%. More than 220,000 Compact SUVs sold, representing 18% of all vehicle sales. . The February ATP was higher year over year by approximately 0.5%. More than 220,000 Compact SUVs sold, representing 18% of all vehicle sales. Last month, 11 of nearly 40 brands tracked by Kelley Blue Book had ATPs that were lower year over year. All four of the major Stellantis brands Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram had notably lower ATPs in February compared to one year ago. Jeep prices were lower by more than 11%, the most of any brand. Ram ATPs were lower by nearly 7%. Quote from Erin Keating, Executive Analyst Cox Automotive "February marks the five-year anniversary of the last 'clean month' of data prior to the global COVID pandemic that shifted the automotive landscape. Compared to February 2020, ATP is up 25% while incentives are down 13% and monthly sales are down 9%. Auto loan rates are higher now as well, making new-vehicle affordability a real challenge for most households." "While affordability is a challenge for many households, six-figure vehicles continue to sell well and have experienced a four-fold increase in sales volume since early 2020. The income divide remains a key issue for new-vehicle sales momentum, as the industry continues to count on high income households with prime and super prime credit scores to drive sales." Electric Vehicle Prices Higher Year over Year by 3.7%; Incentives Hit Record High In February, at $55,273 , new-electric vehicle prices were lower by 1.2% from January generally aligned with the industry and higher by 3.7% versus February 2024 . The January EV ATP was revised higher by 0.06% to $55,929 . , new-electric vehicle prices were lower by 1.2% from January generally aligned with the industry and higher by 3.7% versus . The January EV ATP was revised higher by 0.06% to . Compared to the overall industry ATP ($48,039) , EV ATPs in February were higher by 15.1%, an increase from the 14.9% gap recorded in January. , EV ATPs in February were higher by 15.1%, an increase from the 14.9% gap recorded in January. The average incentive package for a new EV was 14.8% of ATP, or approximately $8,162 , the highest level in more than 5 years. Incentives for EVs are more than twice the overall market. A year ago, EV incentives were 10.2%. EV incentives, as a percentage of ATP, have increased by 44% in the past year. , the highest level in more than 5 years. Incentives for EVs are more than twice the overall market. A year ago, EV incentives were 10.2%. EV incentives, as a percentage of ATP, have increased by 44% in the past year. For EV market leader Tesla, ATPs increased 1.8% year over year in February to $53,248 but were lower by 3.7% compared to the revised-lower January ATP. Model 3, Model Y and Cybertruck posted price declines in February compared to January; Model S and Model X had month-over-month increases. As sales cooled, the Cybertruck ATP in February declined by more than 10% from January to an estimated $87,554 . Data tables are available for download. About Kelley Blue Book Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource, is the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry for nearly a century. As the industry standard for generations, Kelley Blue Book provides transparent, objective information and data-driven, innovative tools for consumers, automotive dealers and manufacturers. Kelley Blue Book publishes millions of market-reflective values weekly on its top-rated website KBB.com, from its famous Blue Book Trade-In Values to the Kelley Blue Book Price Advisor tool, which offers a range for what consumers reasonably can expect to pay for a vehicle in their area. KBB.com editors rate and review hundreds of new vehicles each year to help consumers understand the Best Cars and Best SUVs to meet their needs. Kelley Blue BookSM Instant Cash Offer provides a redeemable trade-in offer to transaction-ready consumers and conveniently connects them to local participating dealers. Kelley Blue Book's Service Advisor provides guidance on how much to pay for service and repairs, allowing consumers to schedule service with local dealers on KBB.com. Kelley Blue Book also provides vehicle values to finance and insurance companies as well as governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book is a Cox Automotive brand. About Cox Automotive Cox Automotive is the world's largest automotive services and technology provider. Fueled by the largest breadth of first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets. The company has 29,000+ employees on five continents and a portfolio of industry-leading brands that include Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, vAuto, Dealertrack, NextGear Capital, CentralDispatch and FleetNet America. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately owned, Atlanta-based company with $22 billion in annual revenue. Visit coxautoinc.com or connect via @CoxAutomotive on X, CoxAutoInc on Facebook or Cox-Automotive-Inc on LinkedIn. BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- China hopes all parties involved in the Ukraine crisis will engage in dialogue and negotiation, and find a sustainable and lasting peace plan that accommodates their respective concerns, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular news briefing when commenting on Ukraine's readiness to accept a U.S. proposal for an "immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire" following talks with a U.S. delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Since the onset of the Ukraine crisis, China has advocated political settlement through dialogue and negotiation -- and made efforts to promote peace and dialogue, Mao said. A joint statement issued after hours of consultation between senior officials from the United States and Ukraine, said the truce could be extended by mutual agreement, while adding that "the United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace." World in worse situation due to inaction NEW DELHI : CLIMATE impacts are unfolding faster than expected and scientists have been surprised by the speed of temperature rise, the chief of the United Nations climate science panel has said. In an interview with PTI on the sidelines of TERIs World Sustainable Development Summit, InterGovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Chair Jim Skea said the world is in a worse situation than three years ago due to inaction on climate change. If you look back over the last, say, five years or so, I think scientists have been surprised by the speed at which temperatures have risen globally and by the very obvious nature of climate impacts we have already seen... Wildfires in some parts of the world, floods and more extreme events. So things do appear to be happening, perhaps more quickly than people expected, he told PTI. The year 2024 was the hottest year on record and the first with a global average temperature of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. According to the World Meteorological Organisation, the past decade (2015-2024) was the 10 warmest years on record. Skea said scientists are now focusing on attribution science to determine how much human activity has influenced specific climate events, with growing evidence that many would not have occurred without greenhouse gas emissions. He said the IPCCs target of a 43 per cent emission reduction by 2030 from 2019 levels is now outdated due to inaction, meaning the actual reduction needed is even higher. The 43 per cent figure is now about three years old and because we have not acted in the interim, it may have changed. If you were to recalculate it using new information but the same methods, the number would likely be different. So, we really are in a worse situation than we were three years ago when that number was produced, Skea said. The IPCCs Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) Working Group III, published in 2022, said global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 43 per cent by 2030 (compared to 2019 levels) to limit the average global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Asked why Governments are not acting with urgency, Skea said scientists have made the urgency of climate action clear, but it is up to policymakers to implement solutions. Scientists can sometimes say things in ways that are incomprehensible or difficult to understand. I think our messages have been absolutely clear. We have pointed out the available measures, the options (including) renewable energy, changes in land use patterns, all of these things could contribute to constraining the increase in emissions. I think you can even blame scientists for many things, but not for actions not taking place, the IPCC chief said. The problem, he said, is not scientific messaging but broader social and political factors that influence public and policy decisions. Asked whether scientists have failed to convince people that climate change is real, Skea said many resist climate policies because they feel imposed on them. I dont think we have failed in actually doing the job... Climate action takes place in the context of other social changes, other things that are going on. And one of the messages that we have put across in the reports that probably doesnt get so much attention is that we need to take societies and people with us in climate change action, he asserted. Climate change action should not be something thats forced on people from above and some of the reaction we are getting to climate change policies comes because it appears to ordinary people that they are being forced to do things, forced to change, Skea added. On allegations of bias against the Global South in IPCC reports, he said scientific literature is increasingly shifting towards developing countries. (While) we have historically had strong scientific institutions in the North, that picture is changing. Climate-related publications increase by about 10 per cent per year in every IPCC cycle and the amount of literature we assess is roughly doubling. Much of this growth is occurring in developing countries, with Europe and China among the largest sources of new published research on climate change, he said. Skea added that the United States is declining as a proportion of total publications, even though the absolute number is growing. Days after praising Aurangzeb, Abu Azmi pays tribute to Sambhaji Maharaj PUNE : SAMAJWADI Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi, who has been suspended from the Maharashtra Assembly over his remarks eulogising Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, on Tuesday paid tributes to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj on his death anniversary and hailed him has a valiant warrior. Sambhaji Maharaj, son of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, engaged in military campaigns against the Portuguese and Mughals, and was captured and killed in Sangameshwar. Azmi on X said, On the martyrdom day of the second Chhatrapati of Swarajya, the valiant warrior, Dharmveer Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, I pay my humble tribute. Last week, the Samajwadi Party legislator was suspended from the Maharashtra legislative Assembly till the ongoing Budget session ends on March 26, over his remarks praising Aurangzeb. Aurangzebs praise amounted to insult of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his warrior-son Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, said the members of the treasury benches. Crying injustice, Azmi later said the action against him was taken despite him retracting his remark. The SP leader had said that during Aurangzebs reign, Indias border reached Afghanistan and Burma (Myanmar). Our GDP accounted for 24 per cent (of the world GDP) and India was called a golden sparrow (during his regime), claimed the MLA. Asked about the fight between Aurangzeb and Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Azmi had termed it a political battle. His comments rocked both houses of the state legislature on March 4, with members of the ruling side demanding his suspension and filing of treason charges. DCM Shinde to form committee on Gunthewari Staff Reporter : Committee will discuss problems related to NIT, NMRDA, open space etc MLA Pravin Datke demands dissolution of NIT Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde, in State Assembly on Tuesday, announced to constitute a committee that will discuss various issues related to Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), Nagpur Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (NMRDA), open space, Gunthewari and other issues. He said the committee will take all aspects into account and submit a detailed report. He was replying to the issues raised by Nagpurs MLAs Pravin Datke, Krishna Khopde and Vikas Thakre related to NIT and NMRDA. Datke also demanded that NIT should be dissolved. During the first term of Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister, Datke had made the same demand and the Chief Minister had assured him of dissolution. But Maha Vikas Aaghadi Government revived NIT, pointed out Datke. Datke said, There are 1.5 lakh plot-holders who bought land in NMRDA. Under Gunthewari Act under Section 3(2) (A), the land-owners need to leave 10 per cent land for Public Utility (PU). Many land-owners have left that much land. Still, NMRDA is asking them to leave more land. In the same section, it is said that the condition of PU land is applicable for those who havent sold the land or done any construction on it. Now, the 1.5 lakh plot-holders are waiting to get Release Letters (RL) from NMRDA. This issue should be resolved immediately. Vikas Thakre, MLA from West Nagpur constituency and President of Nagpur City (District) Congress Committee has alleged that there is a RL scam in NIT and problems are being faced by hundreds of citizens due to lack of regularisation of their unauthorised houses and plots under the Gunthewari Act. The State Government announced that the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) has been given powers to regularise unauthorised houses and plots also on reservation lands if it feels in public interest. MLA Krishna Khopde and some others moved a call attention motion pointing out various issues related to NIT and NMRDA. Many citizens in Nagpur city are building houses on open space, park and other reserved land of various types and their houses should be regularised under the Gunthewari Act. On this, Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde has asked the Nagpur Improvement Trust to regularise the reserved land under the Gunthewari Act and has also sent a letter to that effect. MLA Krishna Khopde said in the House that for the last 40-50 years, citizens have been building houses on open space/park and many types of reserved land. When a representation has been made to the Nagpur Improvement Trust many times for regularisation, NIT is delaying it, citing the High Court reason. Lakhs of citizens have filed applications with the NIT for regularisation by paying Rs 3000/-. Even though the Nagpur Improvement Trust has the power to regularise through Gunthewari under Section 3 (1), it has ignored this and has been reluctant to remove reservations for years. Khopde pointed out, A committee should be formed once again. For the last 50 years, Congress leaders have worked to get the votes of the citizens by making false promises. They have never even made a simple attempt to remove reservations. Similarly, the Congress government also misled the slum-dwellers in the name of land allotment. In 2014, Devendra Fadnavis became the Chief Minister and in 2017, he took a decision to give ownership rights to the slum-dwellers. Also, many minor reservations including ring railway, market, parking plaza, police establishment and many minor reservations were excluded under the leadership of Fadnavis. And now, Eknath Shinde, while replying took an important decision to exclude many reservations. Thakre alleges RL scam in NIT MLA Vikas Thakre alleged NIT regularised five unauthorised plots of a builder on 40,000 sq mt land approved as playground. He also alleged that there is RL scam running in NIT. Speaker Rahul Narwekar asked Minister Uday Samant to take information from Thakre, hold meeting and take satisfactory decision in this regard. Accordingly, Samant accepted to comply with the directions. Replying to Thakre, Samant said letter has been issued by Urban Development Department to NIT on March 5, 2025. In the letter, Urban Development Department cleared NIT can regularize unauthorised houses and plots on reservation lands if it feels it is in public interest. Urban Development Department also cleared Development Plan and Regional Plan will stand modified if regularisation done under Gunthewari Act. Thakre said it will pave way for regularisation of hundreds of houses and plots developed on reservation lands. NIT is main culprit as done nothing when unauthorised plots and houses cropped up. Purpose of reservation ended up as houses and plots constructed to a great extent that too for last many years. Gangster Aman Saos reign of terror ends in encounter The slain gangster Aman Sao. Staff Reporter Raipur/Palamu (Jharkhand) Notorious gangster Aman Sao, also known as Aman Sahu, was killed in a police encounter on Tuesday morning at Andhari Dhoda under Chainpur Block of Palamu district, Jharkhand, around 566 kilometres from Raipur, capital of Chhattisgarh. Sao, a key figure in organized crime across Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, orchestrated extortion, contract killings, and terror racketeering. According to senior Chhattisgarh Police officials, based on information shared by their Jharkhand counterparts, the encounter occurred while Sao was being transported from Raipur, Chhattisgarh, to Ranchi, Jharkhand, on a transit remand related to multiple heinous crimes. The vehicle carrying Sao overturned, and his aides launched an ambush to free him. Taking advantage of the chaos, Sao snatched an INSAS rifle from a security personnel and opened fire, a senior Chhattisgarh Police official stated. In retaliation, our team neutralised him on the spot, the official added. Sao was being brought to Ranchi for questioning in connection with the March 7 shooting of coal businessman Bipin Mishra in Bariatu and the March 8 shooting of NTPC DGM Kumar Gaurav in Hazaribagh. Both incidents had stirred panic among business circles and prompted high-level security operations. Sao had been operating his criminal network from Raipur Central Jail. His influence extended beyond bars. He maintained control through social media and coded messages, a senior police official disclosed. The gangsters influence was not limited to Jharkhand. His gang actively operated in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, targeting businessmen and residents through extortion and contract killings. Four shooters from Saos and Lawrence Bishnois gangs were previously arrested in Raipur, reportedly planning attacks. The arrests provided us with key information about Saos ongoing operations despite incarceration, a senior Chhattisgarh Police official confirmed, based on information shared by Jharkhand counterparts. Sao had even expressed political ambitions by filing a nomination to contest the 2024 Jharkhand Assembly elections from Barkagaon Assembly Seat despite over 150 criminal cases pending against him. However, the Jharkhand High Court rejected his plea, labeling him a grave threat to public order. On Monday, Jharkhand DGP had stated, Three gangsters Vikas Tiwari, Aman Srivastava, and Aman Sao are running their operations from inside jails, and raids have been conducted in the jails of Simdega and Hazaribagh. Saos gang primarily targeted coal traders, transporters, contractors, real estate businessmen, and builders, extorting money from them. After committing crimes, the gang would post updates on social media and inform the media through virtual numbers, claiming responsibility for the incidents. In October 2024, 40 policemen escorted Sahu to Raipur Central Jail on a production warrant related to an attack on businessman Prahlad Rai Agarwals car. Despite incarceration, Sahu continued orchestrating killings and extortions remotely. Sao also had multiple extortion cases registered in Raipur, and had been lodged in Raipur Jail for the last three and a half months. Even from inside the jail, he expanded his extortion operations to Chhattisgarh, compelling high-level police surveillance. Govt to consider uniform norms for Naturopathy NEW DELHI : NATUROPATHY education systems run by State Governments follow different syllabi as well as course durations and there is a need to bring uniformity, the Centre told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Responding to supplementaries during the Question Hour, Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav admitted the anomalies and said candidates in States with five-year course duration get doctors titles, but those who do their course in States with four-year duration do not get the title. Jadhav said there is a need for uniform rules and regulations as well as registration for the Naturopathy course, and the ministry will consider it. On the shortage of Ayush medicines, Jadhav also admitted that the majority of Ayush doctors are offering their services in rural areas where there is a shortage of Ayush medicines, forcing doctors to prescribe allopathic alternatives. The Government is taking steps to enhance the availability and affordability of Ayush medicines in the country, he said. According to the Minister, the Ayush Ministry has collaborated with 24 countries for research and 51 such collaborations have been done at institution level. Besides, the Minister said to strengthen the educational background for Ayush internationally, Ayush Chair has been established in 15 countries such as Australia and Malaysia. We are committed to publicising and disseminating Ayush at the international level. The Ayush Ministry is ready to contribute to the mission of Viksit Bharat by 2047, Jadhav said, adding that the WHO has set up a global traditional medicine centre in Gujarats Jamnagar. Jadhav also said the Government has also taken the initiative to offer Ayush visa. Talking about five research councils under the Ministry of Ayush, Jadhav said that these are: Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN), Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS) and Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH). Govt to open 200 day cancer care centres in country in 2025-26: Nadda K C Bajaj College conducts seminar The K C Bajaj College of Pharmacy and Research, Sindhu Education Society Campus, Jaripatka, recently conducted a two-day national conference on Natural to Synthetic: The Convergence of Traditional Medicine to Modern Medicine. More than 360 participants from different parts of the country presented their research articles through poster and oral presentations. Chief guest of the function was Dr Milind J Umekar, Principal, SKB College of Pharmacy, Kamptee and National President, Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India, while the guest of honour was Dr Gourishankar Parashar, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur. Deepak Bajaj, Secretary, and Dimpy Bajaj, Director of the society, and Board Members of Sindhu Education Society were also present. Surbhi Bhope and Shweta Awatade, Staff of KCBCOPR, respectively conducted the proceedings and proposed the formal vote of thanks. New Man In EVEN as Mr. Mark Carney prepares to take over as Canadas Prime Minister, he is up against massive challenges that will test not only his but also his countrys tenacity and tact. For, if he has the task of repairing bilateral relations with countries like India, he also has the tough challenge of handling the aggressive Trump regime in Washington that threatens to mount high tariffs in his stated attempts to get it (the US) back after it had been ripped off by every nation. And bigger than challenge is an American hint of taking over Canada -- if the need be. There is no doubt, Mr. Mark Carney, a celebrated central banker, is sitting in a position nobody would ever envy. For, occupying the hot seat vacated by the controversial Mr. Justin Trudeau for long is certainly not going to be an easy task. If survives the initial cynicism, then Mr. Carney may prove to be the man of the moment for Canada. If that does not happen, he may push Canada into a deeper existential crisis. But considering his overall political personality, Mr. Mark Carney does not seem to be the man weighed down by a troubled legacy. His personal popularity is high -- and does not seem to depend upon the support of any one single ethnic group. Thus, in a way, he is considered to be a man without the baggage of the past -- which must prove one of his strengths in the long run. Of course, Mr. Carney has stated unequivocally that his Government would make every endeavour to befriend India whose partnership on multiple fronts Canada always needed -- though Mr. Justin Trudeau had used India as a whipping buoy for his survival in domestic politics. Mr. Trudeau had tried to whip up the Sikh communitys emotional identity by berating India unnecessarily. That policy led to his ultimate political debacle. Mr. Mark Carney is expected to rise above those legacy-laden issues to extend a hand of reasonable friendship with India. With Mr. Trumps US, however, Canada may have to put up a tougher battle in the immediate future. For, having angry with what the US had been doing -- pandering to the whims and needs of most countries -- President Mr. Donald Trump is now all set to retrieve the lost glory and advantage of being America. He carries an impression in his head that the whole world exploited Americas goodwill and goodness -- which drove the US to a great disadvantage. That reign needs to be brought down, Mr. Trump feels. Hence his terse initiatives involving Americas two immediate neighbours -- Canada and Mexico. In Toronto, Mr. Mark Carney will have to contend with an aggressive White House in Washington . Of course, what Mr. Trump intends doing is as per his perception of what and how America should be. So, in that direction, he now wishes to direct his energies and let the world know the tough side of US diplomacy in which economy is one leveraging bar. Things need not have to such a pass, frankly speaking. Mr. Trump could have addressed the issue in a calibrated and rather patient manner -- instead of exploding on the scene with threats to launch multiple tariff wars in so many countries all at the same time. Canada is going to be one of those countries that will suffer the most on multiple fronts as Mr. Donald Trump slaps higher and prohibiting tariffs on trade with Canada. Mr. Mark Carney, known as a liberal and mild-mannered person, will have to deal most critically with such an American administration whose insolent language in the past some time has ruffled many a feather all over the world. Only time will prove who is able to rise to the top -- Trumps America or the multiple forces of the world, Canada being one of those with Mr. Mark Carney in the lead. PM Modi gifts Mahakumbh Jal to Mauritius President in Port Louis PORT LOUIS : PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met President of Mauritius Dharam Gokhool and gifted him Gangajal from Mahakumbh. Modi, who arrived in Mauritius early Tuesday on a two-day State Visit, also gave Gokhool several others gifts. Earlier, Prime Minister Modi received a warm welcome at the airport upon his arrival in the country after nearly a decade. Modi last visited Mauritius in 2015. His Mauritius counterpart Ramgoolam and other leaders gave a ceremonial welcome, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. This shows the strong relationship of India and Mauritius, he posted on X After paying homage to Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Modi met the President and will participate in the State lunch, Jaiswal said. Mauritius PM bestows countrys highest honour on PM Modi PORT LOUIS MAURITIAN Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam on Tuesday announced that his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi will be conferred with the nations highest honour, The Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean. Prime Minister Modi is on a two-day state visit to the island nation. Ramgoolam made the announcement at a community event addressed by Modi. The Prime Minister extended gratitude to the people of Mauritius for the honour. The people and the government of Mauritius have decided to confer upon me their highest civilian honour. I humbly accept this decision with great respect. This is not just an honour for me, it is an honour for the historic bond between India and Mauritius, he said while delivering his speech at the event attended by over 3,500 people. Prime Minister Modi is the first Indian to receive this prestigious award, which recognises his contributions to strengthening ties between India and Mauritius. Ramgoolam said Modi is the fifth foreign national to receive this distinguished recognition. This marks the 21st international award conferred upon PM Modi by a foreign nation. TEHRAN, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Tuesday condemned a terrorist attack on a passenger train and the subsequent hostage-taking in Pakistan. Baghaei extended his sympathies to the government and people of Pakistan. He reaffirmed Iran's stance against all forms of terrorism, saying that Iran is ready to assist Pakistan in bringing terrorism to an end. The attack targeted the Jaffar Express train, which was carrying over 450 passengers from southwest Quetta city to northwest Peshawar when militants launched the attack in the Kacchi district of Balochistan province. A banned terrorist outfit, Balochistan Liberation Army, claimed responsibility for the attack via social media. Russia shoots down 337 Ukrainian drones over 10 regions in a night MOSCOW : THE Russian military said its air defences shot down 337 Ukrainian drones over 10 Russian regions overnight in what ppears to be the biggest Ukrainian drone attack on Russia in three years, hours before key Ukraine-US talks were to start on Tuesday. The attack, which killed one person and wounded several, came as a Ukrainian delegation was to meet with Americas top diplomat in Saudi Arabia about ending the three-year war with Russia. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials on the attack. The talks in Saudi Arabia reflect a new diplomatic push after an unprecedented argument erupted during President Volodymyr Zelenskyys February 28 visit to the White House. Most of the drones 126 of them were shot down over the Kursk region across the border from Ukraine, parts of which Kyivs forces control, and 91 were shot down over the Moscow region, according to a statement by Russias Defence Ministry. Other regions listed in the statement included Belgorod, Bryansk and Voronezh on the border with Ukraine and those deeper inside Russia, such as Kaluga, Lipetsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol and Ryazan. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said over 70 drones targeted the Russian capital and were shot down as they were flying toward it. The Governor of the Moscow region surrounding the capital, Andrei Vorobyov, said that one person was killed and nine were wounded in the attack, which also damaged several residential buildings and a number of cars. Another person was wounded on a highway in the Lipetsk region, Governor Igor Artamonov said. Sobyanin said the roof of a building in Moscow also sustained damage, which he described as insignificant. Footage of the building, published by RIA Novosti, showed a charred spot on the facade of a multi-story residential building near the roof, with bits of the buildings lining stripped off. Flights have been temporarily restricted in and out of six airports, including Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky just outside Moscow, and airports in the Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod regions. Train traffic through the Domodedovo railway station in the Moscow region has also been briefly halted, local officials reported. Local authorities also reported downing drones in the Tula and Vladimir regions adjacent to the Moscow region. It wasnt immediately clear why those regions werent mentioned in the Defence Ministrys statement. In the Saudi city of Jeddah, there was no immediate US response to the drone barrage as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his delegation, including national security adviser Mike Waltz, were preparing to meet Zelenskyys team. Ukraine is expected to propose a ceasefire covering the Black Sea and long-range missile strikes, as well as the release of prisoners, according to two senior Ukrainian officials. The officials also said Kyiv is ready to sign an agreement with the United States on access to Ukraines rare earth minerals a deal that US President Donald Trump is keen to secure. On his plane to Jeddah, Rubio said the US delegation would not be proposing any specific measures to secure an end to the three-year conflict but rather wanted to hear from Ukraine about what they would be willing to consider. Im not going to set any conditions on what they have to or need to do, Rubio told reporters accompanying him. I think we want to listen to see how far theyre willing to go and then compare that to what the Russians want and see how far apart we truly are. Rubio said the rare earths and critical minerals deal could be signed during the meeting but stressed it was not a precondition for the United States to move ahead with discussions with either Ukraine or the Russians. He said it may, in fact, make more sense to take some time to negotiate the precise details of the agreement, which is now a broad memorandum of understanding that leaves out many specifics. Tgana tunnel collapse: Robots join search op NAGARKURNOOL : ROBOTS on Tuesday joined the operation to locate the seven persons who remain trapped inside the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel here since February 22. The team of a Hyderabad-based robotics company along with a robot went inside the tunnel Tuesday morning. 110 rescue personnel also went into the tunnel. The Telangana Government has decided to deploy robots to avoid any danger to the rescue personnel as the conditions inside the tunnel, including water and slush, posed a challenge. State irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on March 8 said the Government would spend Rs four crores to undertake the operation by utilizing the services of robot experts (of the Hyderabad-based private company). Fragments of the huge Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) got submerged under water, soil and stones inside the tunnel caused hazard to the rescue team, he had said. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who visited the tunnel on March 2, suggested to the officials leading the operation to use robots inside the tunnel if necessary, to avoid any danger to the rescue personnel. The search operations have been continuing with teams from NDRF, state-run miner Singareni Collieries, rat miners and others working at specific spots indicated by cadaver dogs and radar survey to locate the seven persons. Rescue personnel guided by the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys conducted by the scientists of National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad are focusing efforts at suspected locations. The search was further aided by Human Remains Detection Dogs (HRDD) of Kerala police. Two days ago, the rescue personnel recovered the dead body of Gurpreet Singh, a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) operator who worked for a foreign company involved in tunnel works. The body was sent to his native place in Punjab in a hearse van. The Telangana Government has provided an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh to his family. Apart from Gurpreet Singh, seven others trapped include Manoj Kumar (UP), Sunny Singh (J&K), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab) and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, and Anuj Sahu, all from Jharkhand. The eight persons -- engineers and labourers -- got trapped in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project tunnel after a portion of it collapsed on February 22. Ukraine top arms importer in 2020-24, India 2nd: SIPRI global think tank report NEW DELHI : UKRAINE, Which is embroiled in a prolonged conflict with Russia, was the worlds largest importer of major arms during 2020-24, when its imports increased nearly 100 times as compared to the figures for 2015-19, a new global report said. India was the worlds second largest arms importer during the period under review, with its imports reflecting perceived threats from both China and Pakistan. However, Indias imports decreased by 9.3 per cent between 2015-19 and 2020-24, according to a statement by independent global think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which published the report. European arms imports overall grew by 155 per cent between the same periods, as States responded to Russias invasion of Ukraine and the uncertainty over the future of US foreign policy, it said. The US further increased its share of global arms exports to 43 per cent, while Russias exports fell by 64 per cent, as per the new data on international arms transfers published by SIPRI on Monday. The Ukraine-Russia conflict began in February 2022 and efforts are currently being made by certain quarters to resolve it and bring lasting peace in the region. Ukraine became the worlds largest importer of major arms in the period 2020-24, with its imports increasing nearly 100 times as compared to 2015-19, SIPRI said in the statement. The overall volume of arms transfers globally remained at roughly the same level as in 201519 and 201014 (but was 18 per cent higher than in 20052009), as increasing imports in Europe and the Americas were offset by decreases in other regions. The top 10 arms exporters in 202024 were the same as those in 201519, but Russia (accounting for 7.8 per cent of global arms exports) fell to third place behind France (9.6 per cent), while Italy (4.8 per cent) jumped from 10th to sixth place, the statement said. At least 35 states sent weapons to Ukraine after Russias full-scale invasion in 2022, and substantial further deliveries are in the pipeline. Ukraine received 8.8 pc of global arms imports in 202024. Most of the major arms supplied to Ukraine came from the US (45 per cent), followed by Germany (12 per cent) and Poland (11 per cent). Ukraine was the only European state among the top 10 importers in 202024, although many other European states significantly increased their arms imports during the period, SIPRI said. Russia delivered major arms to 33 States in 2020-24. Two thirds of Russian arms exports went to three nations -- India (38 per cent), China (17 per cent) and Kazakhstan (11 per cent), as per SIPRI data. France became the worlds second largest arms supplier in 2020-24, delivering arms to 65 States. Frances exports of major arms to other European States almost trebled between 2015-19 and 2020-24 (+187 per cent). This was mainly due to deliveries of combat aircraft to Greece and Croatia, and arms supplies to Ukraine after Russias full-scale invasion in 2022, it said. India received by far the largest share of French arms exports (28 per cent) -- almost twice the share that went to all European recipients combined (15 per cent). The second largest recipient of major arms from France was Qatar (9.7 per cent of French arms exports), the think-tank said. China was the fourth largest exporter of arms in 2020-24, with 5.9 per cent of global arms exports. Despite Chinas efforts to increase its arms exports, many large importers do not buy Chinese arms for political reasons, the statement noted. The largest share of Indian arms imports (36 per cent) came from Russia, a significantly smaller share than in 2015-19 (55 per cent) and 2010-14 (72 per cent), it said. Arms imports by Pakistan grew by 61 per cent between 2015-19 and 2020-24. China became even more dominant as its supplier, accounting for 81 per cent of Pakistans arms imports in 2020-24, compared to 74 per cent in 2015-19, SIPRI said. With the sharp drop in Chinas arms imports, and marked decreases in imports by Taiwan (-27 per cent) and South Korea (-24 per cent), arms imports by East Asian states shrank by 22 per cent between 2015-19 and 2020-24. Japan (+93 per cent) was the only East Asian state that saw an increase in its arms imports, the think-tank added. SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. DAMASCUS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A newly reached agreement between Syria's new interim government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) could mark a significant turning point for the country, potentially stabilizing the war-torn nation and reshaping its political landscape. However, its success hinges on effective implementation, cooperation and compromise among all parties. The deal, finalized earlier this week between interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF's top commander Mazloum Abdi, involves merging all Kurdish-controlled civil and military institutions into state institutions, reported state news agency SANA. This integration covers border crossings, airports, and oil and gas fields. It also includes provisions for a nationwide ceasefire, official recognition of the Kurdish community as integral to Syrian society, and protection of displaced Syrians returning home. Mohammad Nader al-Omari, a Damascus-based Syrian analyst and international relations expert, said that the agreement represents a crucial step toward maintaining Syria's territorial integrity, easing concerns about division. "It's a positive move for uniting Syria's geography," al-Omari said, stressing the logistical challenges and the need for genuine commitment from both sides. "Implementation requires serious efforts, cooperation and mutual concessions," he added. Anas Joudeh, founder of the Damascus-based Nation Building Movement, said that the agreement is "very important," highlighting the political importance of the SDF's involvement, calling it a "crucial pillar" in Syria's national political process. "The SDF has achieved most of its immediate objectives," Joudeh said. However, he cautioned that practical outcomes would determine the agreement's true impact, as "the devil lies in the details." The agreement outlines the establishment of executive committees tasked with fully implementing the agreement by the end of this year, according to a joint statement by the two sides. But analysts cautioned that hurdles remain, particularly regarding the integration of SDF forces into the Syrian army. Options under discussion range from dissolving SDF forces, creating a specialized brigade in northeastern Syria, or integrating its fighters into existing army units. The United Nations welcomed the agreement after a violent escalation in the country's coastal region last week, a UN spokesman said on Tuesday. Geir Pedersen, UN special envoy for Syria, expressed his hope in a statement that the agreement could support and feed into a broader, credible and inclusive political transition process in line with the key principles of Security Council resolution 2254, which envisions a new constitution and free and fair elections. Pedersen also urged key international stakeholders, including the United States, Turkiye and regional partners, to support Syria's efforts. "That includes supporting a nationwide ceasefire and ensuring genuine compromises that enable peace and stability to take hold in the northeast part of Syria," he said. If successfully implemented, experts believe the agreement could encourage other factions, notably in Syria's southern regions, to follow suit, fundamentally altering Syria's political and security landscape. "A successful implementation would represent a qualitative shift in Syria's broader situation," al-Omari said. MOSCOW, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Russian forces recaptured five settlements in the Kursk region over the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. "Forces of the north group have liberated the settlements of Kazachya Loknya, 1-y Knyazhiy, 2-y Knyazhiy, Zamoste, and Mirnyi during offensive operations," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the Ukraine side lost over 260 soldiers in the region's battle over the day. Meanwhile, according to a Tass report, Russian forces have taken control of the central districts of Sudzha city, the main population center in the contested Kursk region. Armed men loyal to the Houthi group participate in an armed tribal rally supporting the resumption of attacks against Israeli ships, in Sanaa, Yemen, on March 11, 2025. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) SANAA, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group announced Tuesday night the resumption of attacks against Israeli ships in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Bab al-Mandab Strait. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV that the attacks were resumed to support the Palestinians and pressure Israel to reopen the border crossings for the entry of aid into Gaza. On Friday, Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi issued a four-day ultimatum to Israel, demanding the allowance of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave, or his group would resume naval attacks. Previously, al-Houthi had warned of resuming attacks on Israeli cities and Israeli-linked commercial vessels in the Red Sea if Israel continued to violate the Gaza ceasefire. The Houthis had launched numerous drone and missile attacks targeting Israeli cities and commercial ships in the Red Sea in support of the Palestinians between November 2023 and Jan. 19, 2025, when the Hamas-Israel ceasefire took effect. The group also attacked U.S. aircraft carriers and naval vessels, vowing to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait if the United States continued military shipments to Israel. Armed men loyal to the Houthi group participate in an armed tribal rally supporting the resumption of attacks against Israeli ships, in Sanaa, Yemen, on March 11, 2025. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) NEW DELHI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- India's largest telecom service provider Jio Platforms Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, Wednesday announced a partnership with Elon Musk's SpaceX to bring Starlink's high-speed internet services to India for its customers. The announcement came a day after India's multinational telecommunications company, Bharti Airtel, announced a similar agreement with SpaceX. Jio Platforms said the agreement is subject to SpaceX obtaining the necessary permissions to operate in India. "This agreement, which is subject to SpaceX receiving its own authorizations to sell Starlink in India, enables Jio and SpaceX to explore how Starlink can extend Jio's offerings and how Jio can complement SpaceX's direct offerings to consumers and businesses. Jio will make Starlink solutions available through its retail outlets as well as through its online storefronts," Jio said in a statement. The indian company said it will not only offer Starlink equipment in its retail outlets but will establish a mechanism to support customer service installation and activation. "We applaud Jio's commitment to advancing India's connectivity," said Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX. "We are looking forward to working with Jio and receiving authorization from the Government of India to provide more people, organizations and businesses with access to Starlink's high-speed internet services." Starlink's collaboration with two Indian telecommunication companies came weeks after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Musk in Washington. Momar Diongue, director general of Senegalese News Agency, receives an interview with Xinhua in Dakar, Senegal, March 3, 2025. (Xinhua/Si Yuan) DAKAR, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Africa can draw valuable development inspirations from Chinese modernization and needs to learn from China's strategic resolve, said a Senegalese media leader. China's "two sessions" have shown the world how a country with 1.4 billion people can achieve sustainable development through scientific planning, said Momar Diongue, director general of Senegalese News Agency, in a recent interview with Xinhua. He noted that China's leadership has a far-sighted vision and the Chinese people have worked tirelessly to overcome numerous challenges, achieving remarkable development. Deeming China's progress as "a strong example for African nations," Diongue said that African countries seek to establish equal and mutually beneficial partnerships, "and China is exactly that kind of partner." Given the enormous infrastructure needs of Africa, "China not only is an important market for African products but also invests significantly across the continent, driving economic diversification and making key contributions in sectors such as health care and education," he said. "Africa views China-Africa cooperation as not only a win-win economic relationship but also an exchange of development philosophies. Africa looks forward to working with China to address global challenges and promote sustainable development," he added. With regard to China's "two sessions," Diongue said he closely followed discussions on rural revitalization, technological innovation, new quality productive forces and climate change. He perceived China's targeted poverty alleviation strategies as highly relevant to countries like Senegal. "Over 40 percent of Africa's population lives below the poverty line. The key to addressing poverty lies in transforming resource advantages into development momentum. China's approach -- through infrastructure development, industrial support and technological empowerment -- offers valuable lessons for Africa," he said. Senegal is actively advancing its digital transformation and its national strategy, he said, expressing hope that Chinese companies will increase investment in Africa's digital infrastructure, telemedicine and education to help Africa bridge the digital divide. As one of the regions most affected by climate change, Africa is particularly interested in China's green development initiatives, Diongue said. "China's experience in the green economy is immensely valuable for Africa, and China-Africa cooperation can play a greater role in areas such as environmental protection and sustainable development," he said. He noted that while Africa has abundant solar energy resources, their development remains limited. China's expertise in photovoltaics, energy storage and smart grids could help Africa turn its natural advantages into economic growth while contributing to global climate governance, he said. Diongue also observed that multilateralism and the Global South have become key topics in China's "two sessions" in recent years. While Western countries impose their development models on Africa, "China respects our development path. This kind of equal partnership is exactly what Africa needs most," he said. Regarding some Western media's claims about a so-called "debt trap" in Africa, Diongue said, "African countries know clearly who is truly helping them develop." Citing major Chinese-built projects in Senegal, such as the Foundiougne Bridge and the Thies-Touba highway, he said they have created tens of thousands of jobs and boosted regional economic growth. Additionally, China-funded rural roads, medical centers and agricultural demonstration projects are helping remote areas of Senegal overcome development bottlenecks, he said. "China has always regarded Africa as an important partner. We look forward to more Chinese technology, talent and industrial chains complementing Africa's resources and markets, deepening cooperation in areas such as agricultural modernization, vocational education and public health," Diongue said. He said Senegalese News Agency will continue to promote objective reporting on China to help African audiences gain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of China and foster greater consensus on building an all-weathered China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. A member of the 20th batch of the Chinese medical team to Senegal checks a patient in Touba, in the central region of Diourbel, Senegal, Feb. 20, 2025. (Xinhua) This photo taken on May 13, 2023 shows a toll station of Thies-Touba highway near Thies, Senegal. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) This photo taken on March 3, 2025 shows the scenery of Dakar, Senegal. (Xinhua/Si Yuan) China will hold the Beijing meeting between China, Russia and Iran on the Iranian nuclear issue on March 14. Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the meeting and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov Sergey Alexeevich and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi will attend the meeting in Beijing. The three parties will exchange views on the Iranian nuclear issue and other issues of mutual interest. The New York Times: Chinese media reports say the Ministry of Commerce has summoned Walmart for pressuring Chinese suppliers to lower prices in response to tariffs. Can you confirm if this is true? And if so, can you offer more details? Mao Ning: Id refer you to competent Chinese authorities on that. Peoples Daily: The two sessions just came to a conclusion in China. We noted that many in the international community said the two sessions are a window for the rest of the world to understand Chinas whole-process peoples democracy. Chinas democratic practice leads to a political path different from that of Western countries, and provides valuable experience and inspiration to the world, especially Global South countries. Whats your comment? Mao Ning: The two sessions are a vivid practice of Chinas whole-process peoples democracy. This years two sessions have brought together nearly 3,000 NPC deputies and over 2,000 CPPCC members from diverse backgrounds who represent peoples voice on the top-level platform for the deliberation of state affairs and integrate peoples aspiration into the top design of national development. Nearly 4,000 suggestions and over 2 million online opinions were solicited for the draft of the Report on the Work of the Government, with the aim of most extensively pooling collective wisdom and representing peoples will. After the two sessions were concluded, government departments will comprehensively implement tasks. This is a complete process of public opinion soliciting, consultation and implementation. Democracy is a common value of humanity and the right of people of all countries. Whole-process peoples democracy is the model of democracy in its broadest, most genuine, and most effective form. It is the peoples democracy most suitable for Chinas national conditions and has made important contributions for enriching humanitys political civilization. Bloomberg: President Donald Trump rolled out 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports today. How does China respond and will Beijing retaliate? Mao Ning: China believes that protectionism leads nowhere, and trade and tariff wars have no winners. This has been widely recognized in the international community. What the U.S. did severely violates the WTO rules, harms the rules-based multilateral trading system, and does no good to solving problems. China will take all necessary measures to defend its lawful rights and interests. The New York Times: Does China feel that it has had adequate communication with the Trump administration, particularly on trade and other economic issues? Mao Ning: China believes that the right way is to address each others concerns through dialogue and consultation on the basis of equality and mutual respect. China-U.S. trade ties are based on reciprocal interactions. Cooperation will bring about mutual benefit and win-win, and China will definitely take countermeasures in response to arbitrary pressure. NBC: There are some analysts who compare Chinas rhetoric and countermeasures against President Trump and his tariffs and rhetoric and countermeasures from Canada and Mexico for example, and they say Chinas responses are actually relatively more restrained. Would you agree? Mao Ning: China has repeatedly made clear its opposition against the U.S. imposing additional tariffs on Chinese imports, and has taken legitimate and necessary countermeasures to defend Chinas rights and interests. Let me reiterate that China-U.S. business relations are based on two-way and reciprocal interactions. Cooperation will bring about mutual benefit and win-win, and China will definitely take countermeasures in response to arbitrary pressure. Dragon TV: Its reported that on March 11, terrorists hijacked an express train carrying around 450 passengers in Sibi, Balochistan province of Pakistan. The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack. During the ongoing operation to rescue hostages, Pakistans security forces freed 104 passengers and gunned down at least 16 terrorists. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, saying that the security forces are eliminating the terrorists. Whats Chinas comment? Mao Ning: We noted the reports and strongly condemn this terrorist attack. China firmly opposes terrorism in any form. We will continue to firmly support Pakistan in combating terrorism, maintaining solidarity and social stability, and protecting the safety of the people. China stands ready to strengthen counterterrorism and security cooperation with Pakistan and jointly keep the region peaceful, secure and stable. AFP: Ukraine said it is ready to accept a U.S. proposal for an interim 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia. Whats your response? Mao Ning: We noted relevant reports. China has been calling for political settlement through dialogue and negotiation since the first day of the crisis, and has been actively working for peace and pushing for talks. We hope that parties concerned will find a sustainable and lasting solution for peace that accommodates each others concerns through dialogue and negotiation. SARAJEVO, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) ordered the detention of Serb leader Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska, along with others, on Wednesday. The detention order was issued by Prosecutor Cazim Hasanspahic, who accused Dodik and his aides of "attacking the constitutional order," according to the Serb Republic television network RTRS. This action comes two weeks after Dodik was sentenced to one year in prison for defying the rulings of Christian Schmidt, the international peace envoy to Bosnia, according to a spokesperson from the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA). In response, the Prosecutor's Office issued an arrest warrant to the judicial police and sought assistance from the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior, as well as SIPA. However, the Republika Srpska government has imposed a ban on SIPA's operations within its territory. Yes Significant efforts are being made No Much more needs to be done Some progress But there are still critical gaps Vote View Results Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with journalists who covered the third session of the 14th NPC, extending his appreciation for their efforts, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 12, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji on Wednesday met with journalists who covered the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), extending his appreciation for their efforts. Zhao, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, commended major news outlets for their well-planned and well-organized coverage. He noted that their reports conveyed confidence and strength while highlighting the country's pragmatic and efficient democratic process. Zhao encouraged the media to continue exploring and utilizing the rich news resources related to the system of people's congresses as well as NPC work and deputies, helping to effectively tell the story of China and its whole-process people's democracy. The NPC session was held from March 5 to 11. A woman watches the news about former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in Quezon City, the Philippines, March 12, 2025. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) MANILA, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos confirmed that a chartered jet carrying former President Rodrigo Duterte to the Netherlands took off on Tuesday night. The plane is en route to The Hague in the Netherlands, Marcos told a press conference shortly after the plane exited Philippine airspace. Marcos said that Duterte was earlier placed in government custody at Villamor Air Base in the Philippine capital after Duterte returned to Manila on Tuesday morning. Duterte was detained on Tuesday morning on an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his "war on drugs" campaign, a move that Duterte questioned. On Tuesday night, Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte arrived at the Villamor Air Base but failed to see her father. DAMASCUS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 1,383 civilians have been killed in the recent wave of violence in Syria's coastal region, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Wednesday. The violence erupted on March 6, triggered by coordinated attacks by armed groups loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad on security forces in the coastal Latakia province, which killed at least 16 security personnel, according to Syria's Defense Ministry. The violence quickly escalated into broader sectarian clashes, predominantly targeting Alawite-majority towns and villages, UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said on Tuesday. He added that initial investigations suggest perpetrators included fighters aligned with Syria's interim authorities as well as pro-Assad factions. The Alawite community is a minority sect that dominated Syria's power structures under Assad. The Britain-based observatory has documented at least 1,383 civilian deaths so far, cautioning against improper burial procedures as the scale of violence strains local capacity to manage the crisis. It added that the toll would likely rise as more bodies were found, with the latest deaths recorded in the provinces of Latakia, Tartous, and Hama. On Sunday, Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa ordered the formation of an independent national committee to investigate the violence and hold perpetrators accountable. The committee is required to complete its mission within 30 days. On Monday, the Defense Ministry announced the conclusion of its military operation in the coastal region, confirming in a statement that all "strategic objectives" had been achieved, with security restored, hostile elements neutralized or repelled, and key infrastructure safeguarded. The historic Rainbow Bridge linking Bridge City to Port Arthur will be closing for renovations Friday, March 21. Westbound traffic will be re-routed to the Veterans Memorial Bridge, which will be carrying two-way traffic. The Texas Department of Transportation, which oversees the bridges and highways, estimates the work will take 18 months, depending on weather. The Rainbow Bridge for 30 years has been taking one-way traffic westbound on Highway 87 (73) from Orange County into Jefferson County. The nearby and newer Veterans Memorial Bridge has been for one-way traffic eastbound from Jefferson County into Orange County. During the closing of the Rainbow Bridge, the Veterans bridge will carry two-way traffic, with two lanes for westbound and two lanes for eastbound. TxDOT has built two temporary lanes to take westbound traffic over to the Veterans Memorial Bridge. The two lanes are a change from what TxDOT announced a year ago for a plan to close the Rainbow Bridge in the fall of 2024. The Bridge City City Council formally complained that the original planned detour would cause a traffic hazard. TxDOT later announced the closing and renovations for the Rainbow would be postponed until Spring this year. The Rainbow Bridge opened in 1938 as the span across the Neches River and marshlands of Sabine Lake. Before the bridge, travelers had to cross from Orange County into Jefferson County by ferry. For more than 50 years, the narrow bridge carried two-way traffic, which led it to be considered a dangerous bridge. If a vehicle crossed over into the wrong lane, there was no way to avoid a head-on crash. The Veterans Memorial Bridge opened in 1991 to serve with the Rainbow Bridge. Soon after the Veterans bridge opened, the Rainbow Bridge was closed for major repairs. The Veterans bridge for that period carried two-way traffic. The renovated Rainbow Bridge opened in October 1997 and began taking westbound traffic, leaving the Veterans to carry eastbound traffic. The Rainbow Bridge is 220 feet tall with a vertical clearance from the water to the roadway of 177 feet. The bridge has been awarded a Texas Historical Marker and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. St Mary Catholic Church in Orange, invites everyone to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Joseph this Saturday and Sunday. The celebration includes a 4:30 p.m. Holy Mass on Saturday followed by the blessing of the Altar and Chaplet Rosary dedication ceremony and continues on Sunday with a 10 a.m. Holy Mass led by Bishop David L. Toups. After the Mass, an Italian-style meal will be served in the Parish Hall located at 912 W. Cherry Ave. The meal is free, but donations are accepted. Proceeds will go to local charities. This year's celebration is dedicated to Peace and Harmony across the World. VIENTIANE, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Laos' National Assembly (NA)'s ninth legislature will convene its second extraordinary session to address important national issues. At a press conference on Tuesday, Secretary of the National Assembly Amphayvone Lombounpheng announced that the session is scheduled to take place from March 17 to 20. During the session, lawmakers will discuss and approve amendments to the Law on Local Governance and the Law on Civil Servants. They will also review the government's organizational structure. Additionally, the session will address an investigation report on special policies for investors in the industrial sector. The National Assembly will review five key items, including the approval of the 2025 Public Governance Improvement Report, amendments to the Local Governance and Civil Servant Laws, the government's administrative work, and the investigation into policies for industrial sector investors. BUENOS AIRES, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Argentina's government has included the terms of its proposed loan agreement with the IMF into a Necessity and Urgency Decree, officials said Tuesday. The decree, published in the Government Gazette, will be submitted to the National Congress for approval, according to a statement from the President's Office. Under the decree, the agreement with the IMF falls under an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program, which provides interest payments over a 10-year period, with a grace period of four years and six months. While the decree does not specify the loan amount, the government emphasized its objective to bolster international reserves by enabling the Central Bank of the Argentine Republic (BCRA) to settle its debt on treasury bills. The decree stresses the need "to reverse the situation of the international reserves" of the central bank by canceling non-transferable treasury bills. The government said when it took office in December 2023, the central bank had a net international reserves deficit of 11.2 billion U.S. dollars. However, as of March 6, reserves had recovered by approximately 7 billion dollars. "To ensure economic stability, it is imperative to urgently reduce a significant portion of the National State's debt to the BCRA, thereby improving its financial position and international reserves liquidity," read the decree. Argentina's current IMF debt, estimated at around 44.5 billion dollars, originates from a 2018 Stand-By Arrangement signed amid severe capital flight and currency devaluation. In 2022, the two sides agreed to an EFF program, which officially ended last September. WASHINGTON, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Tuesday reversed its plan to impose extra 25 percent tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, after the Canadian province of Ontario dropped tariffs on electricity exports to three U.S. states. "After President Trump threatened to use his executive powers to retaliate with a colossal 50 percent tariff against Canada, Ontario Premier Doug Ford spoke with (Commerce) Secretary (Howard) Lutnick to convey that he is backing down on implementing a 25 percent charge on electricity exports to the United States," White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement. Earlier on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media that he would impose an additional 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum from Canada, raising the total tariff to 50 percent, in response to tariffs on electricity exports from the Canadian province of Ontario. Shortly after, Ontario agreed to suspend its 25 percent surcharge on electricity exports to three U.S. states. According to a joint statement from Ontario Premier Doug Ford and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Ford will travel to Washington on Thursday to meet with Lutnick and discuss "a renewed USMCA ahead of the April 2 reciprocal tariff deadline." Previously, Trump announced the imposition of a broad 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico, which took effect on March 4. However, just two days later, Trump reversed his position and adjusted the tariff measures, exempting goods that meet the "United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement" (USMCA) preferential conditions from the tariffs, effective until April 2. According to NBC News, a senior U.S. government official estimated that about 38 percent of goods imported from Canada to the United States qualify for the exemption. On March 4, the Canadian government announced that it would implement a 25 percent tariff on U.S. goods worth 155 billion Canadian dollars (about 107 billion U.S. dollars) in phases, with the first round of tariffs on goods worth 30 billion Canadian dollars already in effect. In retaliation to the broad tariffs on Canadian goods, Canada's Ontario government on Monday officially applied a 25 percent surcharge on all electricity exports to three U.S. states: Michigan, Minnesota and New York. Desai also said in the statement that pursuant to Trump's previous executive orders, a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum "with no exceptions or exemptions" will go into effect for all trading partners at midnight, March 12. On Feb. 10, Trump signed proclamations to raise tariffs on aluminum from 10 percent to 25 percent, aligning them with the existing tariff rate for steel. He also decided to eliminate duty-free quotas, exemptions, and exclusions for steel and aluminum tariffs. Qamar U Zaman (R) observes the growth of rice with his colleague in a rice field located in Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province on Feb. 21, 2025.(Xinhua/Luo Jiang) by Zhong Qun, Luo Jiang, Misbah Saba Malik HAIKOU, China/ISLAMABAD, March 12 (Xinhua) -- In the rain-soaked fields of Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City in south China's Hainan Province, Pakistani postdoctoral researcher Qamar U Zaman waded through the mud in rain boots, carefully inspecting rice plants and occasionally plucking rice ears for closer examination. A researcher at the Yazhouwan National Laboratory, Qamar arrived in China in 2017 to pursue his doctorate. He has since gained extensive experience at various agricultural research institutions, specializing in rice breeding with a particular focus on combating rice blast disease (RBD). Keen to apply his expertise in Pakistan, Qamar is determined to develop effective strategies to help rice growers tackle the disease upon his return. "Rice blast disease poses a significant threat to yield and production in Pakistan," he told Xinhua. "Pakistan is still lagging in adopting modern techniques to combat RBD effectively." To bridge this gap, Qamar aims to enhance rice blast tolerance through advanced molecular approaches, reducing dependence on chemical treatments and improving overall productivity for sustainable rice farming. Rice plays a crucial role in Pakistan's economy and food security, and China's leadership in hybrid rice research made it a natural choice for Qamar's studies. "I chose to conduct my research in China because of its strong commitment to science and technology," he said. "Moreover, the Yazhouwan National Lab has provided essential resources and valuable collaboration opportunities, enabling me to pursue my research goals." As agricultural cooperation between China and Pakistan deepens, more Pakistani researchers are coming to China to study and work. Among them is Faisal Mehdi, who does research on sugarcane breeding at the Sugarcane Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences in Sanya. "I work with my colleagues on joint research projects, combining our expertise in molecular breeding, plant pathology and bioinformatics," Faisal said. His colleague Ahmad Ali also praises China's leadership in agricultural innovation, research and technology. "China offers excellent laboratory facilities and outstanding teaching staff. It is truly a land of opportunity, especially for agricultural scientists," he said. At the Sugarcane Research Center, five Pakistani postdoctoral researchers contribute to various research groups. "The center has established partnerships with multiple universities and research institutions in Pakistan," said Que Youxiong, the center's director. "In the future, we plan to enhance cooperation in germplasm resource exchange and joint research and development." The benefits of this collaboration extend beyond laboratories. In Pakistan's Punjab province, fields of oilseed rape are in full bloom at a farm operated by Wuhan Qingfa-Hesheng Seed Co., Ltd. Zhou Xusheng, the company's international business manager, leads local employees in observing and recording field data while providing technical guidance. After two decades of development in Pakistan, the company has established a test station and invested heavily in variety research and technological innovation. These efforts have led to the breeding of new rice varieties capable of withstanding high summer temperatures and addressing the challenge of low seed-setting rates. Looking ahead, Zhou said the company aims to expand the rape planting area to 400,000 hectares, targeting an annual production of 1 million tons of high-quality edible oil -- about one-third of Pakistan's total demand. Faisal sees vast potential in agricultural cooperation between the two countries. "Joint training programs and technology transfers could strengthen the capabilities of Pakistani researchers and farmers," he said. "By leveraging each country's strengths, China and Pakistan can enhance agricultural productivity, sustainability and food security for both nations," he added. Qamar U Zaman observes the growth of rice seedlings in a laboratory located in Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province on Feb. 21, 2025.(Xinhua/Luo Jiang) This photo provided by interviewee shows staff members working at Wuxi Beita Pharmatech Co., Ltd. in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 12, 2025. (Xinhua) NANJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- In the latest step to clean energy technology, a Chinese company said that it has developed a prototype of ultra-longevity carbon-14 (C-14) nuclear battery, named Zhulong-1, making progress in the micro-nuclear battery innovation quest. Wuxi Beita Pharmatech Co., Ltd. which is located in east China's Jiangsu Province, said it made the achievement in collaboration with Northwest Normal University in Gansu Province in the northwest of China. Nuclear batteries convert radioactive decay energy into electricity, differing fundamentally from conventional chemical batteries. Wuxi Beita has established a whole C-14 industry chain system, covering C-14 labeling products and labeling technologies, laying foundation for developing Zhulong-1, according to the company. Zhang Guanghui, technology leader of the battery project, who is from Northwest Normal University, told Xinhua on Wednesday that the core innovation of Zhulong-1 lies in the use of C-14, a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 5,730 years, which is paired with a silicon-carbide (SiC) semiconductor to generate power. As C-14 decays, it emits beta particles that interact with the semiconductor, producing a steady flow of electrons. This approach addresses key technical challenges, including the preparation of high-specific-activity C-14 sources, and the low energy conversion efficiency and stability of transducer devices, said Zhang. In a live demonstration at Wuxi Beita's laboratory, a Zhulong-1-powered LED has operated flawlessly for nearly four months, sustaining over 35,000 pulsed flashes. Researchers further validated its utility by integrating the battery with a Bluetooth chip -- which successfully transmitted and received wireless signals. The research team named the battery after Zhulong, the mythical Chinese dragon deity symbolizing eternal light and energy in China's ancient text Shan Hai Jing, reflecting both the richness of Chinese culture and the battery's enduring energy supply characteristics, said Cai Dinglong, head of the battery project. The battery can operate steadily within a temperature range of minus 100 degrees Celsius to 200 degrees Celsius, with an energy density 10 times higher than commercial lithium-ion batteries, and a degradation rate of less than 5 percent over a designed lifespan of 50 years, said Cai. The Hefei Institutes of Physical Science under the Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted the battery tests. Han Yuncheng, a researcher at the Institute of Nuclear Safety Technology, told Xinhua that tests indicate that Zhulong-1's core technological indicators -- including power levels, energy conversion efficiency, and stability -- are advanced. As a new generation micro-power solution, C-14 nuclear batteries have a wide range of applications in healthcare, the Internet of Things sector and space exploration. Notably, they can power permanent implants like brain-computer interfaces or cardiac pacemakers and support networks of trillions of sensors for the Internet of Things, Zhang said. In addition, in extreme environments including the deep ocean, Antarctica, and on the moon and Mars, these batteries can serve as maintenance-free continuous power batteries -- while they can also enable interstellar spacecraft to operate consistently, added Zhang. The research team is already advancing a second-generation model, Zhulong-2. Cai said that efforts will focus on reducing production costs and shrinking the size. "Zhulong-2 is expected to be launched by the end of this year or early next year, measuring only the size of a coin," he said. This photo provided by interviewee shows a prototype of ultra-longevity carbon-14 (C-14) nuclear battery, named Zhulong-1, in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, March 12, 2025. (Xinhua) My hometown is a depiction of the phrase unity in diversity. Every stroll across Ernakulams Jew Town fills my heart with pride. A Jewish Synagogue, a mosque, a church and a temple all situated less than a kilometre from each other. History has seen the residents of this area rise to the prayers recited aloud at these places. To the old-timers, this place was viewed as a blessing for the rest of their community, which faced harsher realities elsewhere. This thought must be pondered upon amidst discussions about The Places of Worship Act of 1991. People, religion, and worship Communication is key to most religions. Most faiths demonstrate values that stem from conversations between individuals. The Bhagavad Gita, for instance, is essentially a conversation about several facets between Krishna and Arjuna. The Bible too highlights conversations between Jesus Christ and his disciples. Islamic texts such as the Quran also contain similar components. Indeed, these texts promoted the idea of conversations as a means to resolve disputes and foster harmony. Ramana Maharshi once said a person prays owing to being helpless and thus seeking a Higher Powers help. Some others believe prayers to be a conversation with God. Worship in the legal sense refers to offering honour and adoration to the Divine Being. If religion stems from talks (or as common parlance would deem it - chat sessions), then the pertinent question would be does a High Power need conversations to be within closed walls? In 2013, the former judge of the Allahabad High Court Justice Sunil Ambwani explained how religion entails faith, belief, and principles concerning a persons spirit. Further, it must be capable of expression in words or deeds, such as worship. A cursory glance at ancient text highlights no such mandate about a dedicated space the same, nor are they opposed to such an idea. So what led to the establishment of specific places of worship? The common thread that strings these institutions is the sense of community. A Hindu temple is instrumental in ensuring the survival of various traditions, customs, etc. and the people adhering to them. This perception applies to mosques, churches, monasteries, gurudwaras, and more. Indeed, India is home to various communities and the presence of different establishments stands testimony to the same. Places of Worship Act, 1991 does it facilitate communication? The Places of Worship Act, 1991 was enforced in July 1991 amidst commotions over the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid. While it strives to protect religious property (such as temples, mosques, churches, etc.) in its truest form, it contains several ambiguities. To begin with, Section 5 of this law excludes the contested Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid. Further, the phrase as it existed on August 15, 1947 is arbitrary given the countrys past accounts. Most importantly, it does not foster communication between members of the communities who are associated with such issues. This paved the way for excessive interference by lawmakers and the judiciary in matters related to faith, culture and identities. Can conversations resolve religious property disputes? A glance at the lives of many Indians could answer this query. Uttar Pradesh has witnessed the active participation of many Muslims and Hindus during the Dussehra festivities. Additionally, an Imambara or a Muslim congregation hall in the States Gorakhpur district also depicts similar sentiments. In West Bengal, many Muslims express their gratitude to a Bengali Hindu family for taking care of a mosque built on their land many years ago. A village in Punjab saw Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus help one another to restore a mosque and temple as well as celebrate Gurupurab, Shivratri, and Eid. Back home, in Kerala, a Church permitted the performance of certain Hindu rituals upon discovering the remnants of an old temple. Question would any of these be possible without people talking to each other? What do the laws state? Article 25(1) of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to practice, profess, and propagate ones religion. Further, it assures all people to right to manage and establish institutions for religious and charitable purposes under Article 26(1). Then again, disputes related to deities have not been brought under the ambit of alternate dispute resolutions like mediation. This has been explicitly explained in the First Schedule of the Mediation Act, 2023. However, property disputes within the realm of the Transfer of Property Act of 1882 can be resolved through such methods. These differences result in numerous court cases sneaking through the legal system. Needless to say, their resolution remains questionable. So, talk in everlasting words Acceptance and fraternity are key in these circumstances. Courtrooms provide ample room to test ones legal acumen. But no legal procedure can outdo the miracles of conversations between two or more parties. Long-drawn disagreements often after a 30-minute chat between the parties! This saves the parties time, money, and the fear of ruining healthy personal relationships. The presence of mediators can help break those cultural barriers between the parties and cut through their cluttered thoughts. This would help crystallise the scope of the dispute and trigger quick problem-solving mechanisms. It will also help keep power and influence at bay by creating a neutral platform for everyone to voice their views. Policymakers, thus, must foster the idea of community communication. They must initiate projects to reach out to native residents and their representatives to understand their needs. These views must be analysed objectively but without impacting their identities or culture. It might amaze you to know that a heartfelt apology from a descendant of a family or a community guarantees closure better than a court-decree. More importantly, one must not shy away from ones history. It must be discussed openly to gather a holistic understanding of our past, present, and future. Such practices can strengthen communal harmony. This would eventually result in peace and sustenance in a diverse setup like India. Passengers rescued by security forces arrive at a railway station in southwest Pakistan's Quetta on March 12, 2025. Pakistani security forces have killed 27 terrorists and rescued 155 passengers during an ongoing operation to rescue hostages following a train attack in the country's southwest Balochistan province, security sources said on Wednesday morning. The incident happened in Kacchi district of the province on Tuesday when the train Jaffar Express, carrying about 450 passengers in nine bogies, was traveling from provincial capital city of Quetta to the country's northwest city of Peshawar on Tuesday when an unknown number of terrorists stormed the train and took passengers hostage, security forces told Xinhua. (Str/Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani security forces have killed 27 terrorists and rescued 155 passengers during an ongoing operation to rescue hostages following a train attack in the country's southwest Balochistan province, security sources said on Wednesday morning. The incident happened in Kacchi district of the province on Tuesday when the train Jaffar Express, carrying about 450 passengers in nine bogies, was traveling from provincial capital city of Quetta to the country's northwest city of Peshawar on Tuesday when an unknown number of terrorists stormed the train and took passengers hostage, security forces told Xinhua. The security sources said the operation to eliminate the terrorists is underway, who split into small groups with hostages and used them as human shields to hinder the operation. "The terrorists wearing explosive vests, have positioned suicide bombers near innocent hostages, making the rescue operation increasingly challenging," the sources added. Security sources further revealed that the terrorists are in contact with their facilitators in Afghanistan, coordinating their actions as security forces intensify efforts to neutralize them and ensure the safe recovery of the remaining hostages. The noose around the terrorists has been tightened, and the operation will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated, the sources added. Earlier, railway officials confirmed that 57 rescued passengers were transported to Quetta in the early hours of Wednesday, while 23 others remained in Mach, a town of Balochistan. In response to the crisis, the Balochistan government has declared an emergency and mobilized all relevant institutions to manage the situation, provincial spokesperson Shahid Rind said. A relief train, along with security reinforcements, was dispatched to the site to assist in the rescue operation, he added. Additionally, emergency measures have been enforced at Sibi and Civil Hospital Quetta to provide immediate medical aid to those affected. "The attack occurred in a mountainous region where communication is severely restricted due to the lack of mobile service. In the last contact with the train, the driver reported that an explosion hit the railway track, forcing the train to stop. Immediately after, the militants opened heavy fire, injuring the driver and several passengers," Senior Pakistan Railways official Muhammad Kashif told Xinhua. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack on the train, praising the security forces for their bravery and professional expertise in confronting the terrorists. "Despite the difficult terrain, the morale of the security forces involved in the operation remains high. We will continue this war against terrorism until this menace is completely eradicated from the country," the prime minister said. Sharif added that every conspiracy aimed at spreading unrest and chaos in Pakistan would be foiled, and "we will never allow the evil intentions of anti-state elements to succeed." The proscribed terrorist outfit Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on a social media platform. Passengers rescued by security forces arrive at a railway station in southwest Pakistan's Quetta on March 12, 2025. Pakistani security forces have killed 27 terrorists and rescued 155 passengers during an ongoing operation to rescue hostages following a train attack in the country's southwest Balochistan province, security sources said on Wednesday morning. The incident happened in Kacchi district of the province on Tuesday when the train Jaffar Express, carrying about 450 passengers in nine bogies, was traveling from provincial capital city of Quetta to the country's northwest city of Peshawar on Tuesday when an unknown number of terrorists stormed the train and took passengers hostage, security forces told Xinhua. (Str/Xinhua) Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today at Kerala House in Delhi. This marks her first visit to Kerala House. Though the meeting was termed "unofficial", sources indicate that Vijayan raised several official matters with the finance minister. Last month, the Union government informed the Supreme Court that Kerala is among the most financially unhealthy states in the country, further accusing it of negatively impacting Indias credit rating due to its rising debt. While Keralas Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal claimed in his last budget that the state had managed to survive the financial crisis, concerns over its financial stability persist. With the financial year ending this month, the state treasury is under strain, and Kerala is seeking Centres approval to borrow an additional 12,000 crore. Had a warm interaction with Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs @nsitharaman, in the presence of @KeralaGovernor, at Kerala House in New Delhi. Keralas Special Representative in Delhi, Prof. KV Thomas, also attended the meeting. pic.twitter.com/PiWanEmkec Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) March 12, 2025 It is learnt that the states overall financial situation was a key topic of discussion during the meeting. Additionally, Kerala is facing a cash crunch in implementing the Mundakkai-Chooralmala rehabilitation programme for landslide victims. The Vizhinjam International Seaport project was also brought up in the discussion. Kerala has urged the Centre to reconsider its decision requiring the state to repay 817.80 croresanctioned as a viability gap fund (VGF) for the projectin net present value (NPV) terms. The state argues that since it is making a significant investment of 5,554 crore in the project, and as the ports returns would benefit the nation as a whole, the repayment requirement should be waived. Sources suggest that while Sitharaman acknowledged the concerns, she did not make any firm commitments on the matter. Notably, Keralas new Governor, Rajendra Arlekar, who recently assured that he would support the chief minister in effectively presenting the state's demands before the Centre, was also present at the meeting. The Governor gave this assurance during a meeting at Kerala House in Delhi with Vijayan and MPs from the state on March 11. China, Russia and Iran will hold a meeting in Beijing to discuss the "Iranian nuclear issue." The three parties will exchange views on the Iranian nuclear issue and other issues of mutual interest, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said. The two countries will be sending their deputy prime ministers to attend the meeting, scheduled for Friday. China's Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the meeting attended by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov Sergey Alexeevich and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi. Both Iran and Russia share good relations with China. It is to be noted that both the US and Israel have warned Iran against pursuing a nuclear programme. ALSO READ: China, Russia, Iran, begin 5-day war game near Chabahar, Indias port of interest The reports of a meeting come a day after the three countries conducted joint naval drills Tuesday in the Middle East. The joint drills, called the Maritime Security Belt 2025, took place in the Gulf of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all crude oil traded worldwide passes. This is the fifth year the three countries took part in the drills. Both China and Russia have deep interests in Iran. China has continued to purchase Iranian crude oil despite facing Western sanctions. Beijing also remains one of the top markets for Iranian imports. Russia, meanwhile, has relied on Iran for the supply of bomb-carrying drones it uses in its war on Ukraine. Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh called for rapid capability enhancements of India's armed forces to counter emerging security challenges in the evolving geo-strategic landscape. Addressing student officers from the Indian armed forces who are undergoing the 80th Staff Course, along with the permanent faculty at the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington in Tamil Nadu, he urged them to be ready to welcome change, critically assess evolving threats, and design adaptive strategies for future conflicts. Highlighting the importance of jointmanship, he said integrated training and operational synergy among the three services is the need of the hour to boost combat effectiveness. ALSO READ: Drones disrupting warfare economics like never before, says CDS General Anil Chauhan The CAS offered a strategic perspective on the Indian Air Force (IAF), the ongoing capability development initiatives of the force, and stressed the importance of unified operations in modern warfare. During his visit, the CAS was briefed on the DSSCs training activities and its emphasis on fostering jointmanship among the armed forces, which is a key aspect of modern military preparedness. He hailed the institutions role in shaping future military leaders through rigorous academic and professional training, a statement from the defence ministry said. The visit reaffirmed the IAFs commitment to enhancing joint operational capabilities and strengthening inter-service cooperation, ensuring a well-prepared leadership for the challenges of tomorrow, the ministry further stated. In recent developments in the Ranya Rao gold smuggling case, the actress confessed to purchasing the gold from Dubai late last year. In the arrest memo obtained by News18, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) reported that Rao admitted to purchasing gold from the emirate on two occasions, on November 13 and December 20. The Kannada actress also stated that she had plans to travel to Switzerlands Geneva, with the gold, but her travel records show she travelled to India instead. Rao further acknowledged travelling to India from Dubai twice prior to her arrest on the night of March 3 at Bengalurus Kempegowda International Airport, during her supposed third attempt. The DRI has accused her of evading customs duty worth Rs 4.83 crore. Last week, Rao admitted to carrying 17 gold bars on her person, concealed within her jacket, hidden in her belt, and strapped to her thighs. Raos arrest earlier this month was the result of her frequent round trips to Dubai being flagged by the DRI. Since the intelligence agency received a tip-off about her activities, officials were able to detain her just as she exited the airport, and found her in possession of 14.2kg of gold worth Rs 12.56 crore. The investigation extended to her Bengaluru abode, where she resides with her architect husband Jatin Hukkeri, where police uncovered gold jewellery worth Rs 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs 2.67 crore. Her prior arrivals at the Bengaluru airport saw her escorted by an officer who assisted her in bypassing security, avoiding customs duty and mandatory checks. The DRI believes that Rao is part of a larger gold smuggling syndicate. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched a probe, reviewing wedding footage from her marriage to Hukkeri last November, analysing the guest list, and investigating who presented the couple with expensive gifts. Filmmaker Gareth Evans injected new life into the action genre when he unleased his extremely bloody, high-octane Indonesian action thrillers The Raid (aka The Raid: Redemption) and its sequel, The Raid 2: Berandal, starring Iko Uwais. Ever since, fans have been eagerly awaiting a new feature-length project from the Welsh filmmaker who also dabbed in the series format with Gangs of London, which saw him direct a couple of episodes and the action sequences. Evans has been quietly working on an English-language thriller, Havoc, led by Tom Hardy (Venom, The Dark Knight Rises), which hits Netflix on April 25, 2025. In an interview with Empire, Evans shared that, unlike The Raid films, Havoc is not a martial arts film: it's more gunplay-centric and makes use of all kinds of objects. Evans had words of praise for Hardy, who came to him "fully physically prepared" in a "f-----g beast mode". I tapped him on the shoulder and it was just like granite," adds Evans, who described Hardy's character Waker as a detective going through a bad night. Walker is not silky-smooth. Hes gonna cause as much carnage and as much mayhem as possible. Hes not grabbing your wrist and turning you into an arm lock. Hes grabbing you by the scruff of the neck and driving your face into the nearest heavy object. One of the most promising sequences in the film, says Evans, is one in a fishing shack where "its like an onslaught, a relentless attack. Every corner of this place someones going to pop up with a gun, someones going to pop up with a knife, and theyre going to come from under the floorboards, around the corners, through this window, through that window, he teases. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday set an example of secularism and inclusivity by celebrating Dolyatra and Holi Milan Utsav with representatives from multiple communities. She was seen dancing to Dandiya before joining in on the Bhangra moves. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, state ministers Chandrima Bhattacharya and Indranil Sen, industrialist Harsh Neotia, along with a host of other dignitaries attended the event which was organised by Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) at the Dhano Dhanyo Auditorium in Kolkata. A few days after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath remarked that visiting a mosque for prayers on Holi was not essential, his West Bengal counterpart stressed the importance of celebrating festivals together in harmony. Highlighting that this year Holi coincides with the holy month of Ramadan and falls on the holy day of Friday, she urged everyone to uphold peace and unity. She emphasised that the festivities should remain peaceful and free from any unpleasant incidents. Our tradition is that everyone should celebrate their festival. Please celebrate your festival with the humanity inside you. Remember, this is a festival of colour for everyone, CM Banerjee said. Celebrate your festivals peacefully and dont pay heed if someone says something provocative. Mamata Banerjee participating in a Dandiya dance performance at Dhana Dhanya Auditorium in Kolkata as part of pre-Holi celebrations | Salil Bera She further mentioned that Bengal thrives when people live together in harmony. She highlighted that a prosperous Bengal contributes to the nation's growth, as the state holds significant importance for the country. She stressed the need for peace over conflict, stating that collective happiness leads to overall progress. The official Holi celebration, attended by representatives from various communities, along with the chief minister's message of unity, comes against the backdrop of allegations from the opposition BJP, which has claimed that Hindus in West Bengal face communal persecution. Additionally, the BJP sought to introduce an adjournment motion in the assembly, citing concerns over communal unrest in the state. The dust has still not settled in TASMAC, the state-owned liquor marketing department. The Enforcement Directorate raids and the investigation, which ran for over five days, to dig into the entire gamut of liquor policy and trade in Tamil Nadu seem to have shaken the DMK-led government in Tamil Nadu. Searches were conducted at the distilleries and breweries in Chennai and Coimbatore, at the residence and offices of friends of Excise and Prohibition Minister V. Senthil Balaji at Karur, at the head office of TASMAC at Egmore in Chennai, regional offices and residences of TASMAC managing director S. Visakan IAS, and few other top officials linked to TASMAC. The raids which began on March 6 went on till March 9. #WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Raid by Enforcement Directorate (ED) underway at Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited (TASMAC) office in Chennai More details awaited pic.twitter.com/tmC4E2D086 ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2025 Though the searches have come to a close and the ED officers have left the premises, TASMAC district officers across the state were asked to gather and collate data about bar licences, purchase and sales indents, licences of breweries and distilleries. The data, according to sources, has been submitted to the probe agency. The district managers also collected data on daily sales and other financial records of all the 4,829 TASMAC retail outlets in the state and submitted the same to the agency through the managing director's office. The CAG report tabled in the state assembly in June 2024 revealed that outlets of TASMAC did not pay the differential excise duty of close to Rs 30.5 crore due to the revision of rates of Indian Made Foreign liquor, even as the MRPs were revised. It also flagged several other issues like cash-based billing, over-charging and lapses in e-procurement system, which sources say, were looked into during the five-day searches by the ED officials. The officers asking for data on sales and financial records of the 4,829 TASMAC outlets apparently point to the issues flagged in the CAG report. While TASMAC fetches Rs 44,000 crore as annual revenue for the government, the ED officers had questions on the liquor policy followed by the state and how the trade is executed. ED officials questioned Visakan IAS on policy, trade, purchase from distilleries, sales and billing. The officers also conducted raids at distilleries like Accord, SNJ and Kals. Accord is owned by DMK MP Jagathrakshakan, while SNJ is owned by S.N. Jeyamurugan who is said to be close to the DMK first family. Sources say that at least 41 FIRs resisted by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) against the discrepancies in purchase and sales in TASMAC, in the past 15 years, were taken as the basis for the investigation by the ED officials. Out of the 41 FIRs only seven have been filed after the DMK came to power in 2021. Most FIRs pertain to the days when AIADMKs Natham R. Viswanathan and P. Thangamani were ministers. It may be recalled that the ED had conducted raids at TASMAC outlets in key districts and seized several incriminating documents then. However, the investigation also extended to the bar licences issued through a tender process across the state in 2023. The ED enquired about the details with regard to the selection process for giving out bar licences, details of the bar owners across Tamil Nadu, their political affiliations, MRP violations, bar procedures, liquor procurement, and information on breweries, distilleries, and FL2 (Recreation Clubs) and FL3 (Star hotels) licensees, including their addresses. Sources say that the ED searches actually hint at a broader probe to look for a Delhi liquor policy scam like case, while investigating the TASMAC operations as a whole, the financial dealings and the revenue management. ED also raised questions over the QR-code based billing system implemented by the retail outlets. The searches were also conducted at Kongu Mess, Sakthi Mess and at the residences of the owners of these outlets on March 6; but these did not yield any results.The owners of these two restaurants in Karur are also friends of Senthil Balaji and have been under the ED scanner even before the arrest of Balaji in the cash-for-job scam case. Searches were also conducted at the residence of Shankar Anand, in Karur, who is considered to be a close aide of Balaji, Sources say the raids were conducted at their residences only to intimidate Balaji, even when they weren't directly linked to the liquor trade in the state. A team of around 35 officers from Kerala, Delhi and Andhra conducted searches simultaneously to assess the financial irregularities in TASMAC. However, DMK sources say that the raids did not yield anything as expected by the agency, and this was a prelude to the upcoming raids and searches in the run up to the 2026 elections. The raids, sources say, were targeted at Balaji who is already on bail in the cash-for-job scam case. Balajis return from the jail and his performance in Coimbatore and Karur in the past six months are expected to help the party win big in West Tamil Nadu where it had lost close to 41 seats in the 2021 elections. According to sources, the DMK is aiming to win at least 30 out of the 41 seats in this region and trounce the AIADMK and the BJP. The Governor of Telangana, Jishnu Dev Varma, underlined the ambitious plans of Telangana government in his address to the state assembly on the first day of the budget session on Wednesday. The Governor said through prestigious projects of the government, Hyderabad will transform into the first net-zero city of India. The expansion of metro rail networks, the ambitious Musi River Rejuvenation Project, and the development of Future City are set to redefine urban living and economic potential. My government is planning to establish Future City Development Authority to actively promote the planned development of a world-class city that is not only sustainable but aspires to emerge as the first net-zero city in India, he said. He went on to talk about the Future City, being actively promoted by the Congress government. Spanning 765 sq. km, the project integrates smart urban infrastructure, sustainable industrial development, and inclusive residential planning, he said. Anchored by AI City, Pharma, and Manufacturing Clusters, along with multimodal mobility and metro access, the Future City is designed to boost economic activity, create employment opportunities, and enhance quality of life, according to him. The Future City Development Authority will ensure seamless execution, making this initiative a model for next generation urban development in India, the Governor said. In attendance were members of the Legislative Council and Assembly on the first day of the budget session. Former Telangana CM and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) President, K. Chandrashekar Rao was also present during the session making an appearance after more than six months. The BRS was critical of the Governors speech and alleged that parts of the speech were plain lies. BRS working president and MLA, K.T. Rama Rao spoke to the media after the Governors address. For failing to implement a single guarantee, or fulfilling any poll promise, without laying a single brick for a new project and for taking debts of Rs 1,62,000, we thought the Governor would pull up Revanth Reddy (CM) but instead it felt like a speech read out by a party worker from Gandhi Bhavan. They made him tell lies regarding investments too, he said. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday extended his support to Tamil Nadu's resistance against the Centre's proposed delimitation exercise. Siddaramaiah reiterated Karnataka's support after a delegation led by Tamil Nadu Forest Minister Dr. K. Ponmudi and Rajya Sabha member Mohammed Abdullah Ismail met him at his official residence in Bengaluru. ALSO READ | Delimitation: Amit Shah's words not trustworthy, meant to create confusion, says Siddaramaiah Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin discussed the issue with Siddaramaiah over the phone, which was followed by a discussion with the delegation. "We condemn without hesitation all the actions of the central government that are against the interests of Karnataka, weaken democracy, and go against the federal principle of the Constitution," Siddaramaiah said. This move is seen as a significant show of solidarity among southern states, which are concerned that the delimitation exercise could reduce their parliamentary representation. Stalin, in his letter (dated March 7, 2025) to Siddaramaiah, argued that the delimitation exercise, which may be conducted based on the 2026 census population, would unfairly penalize states that have successfully controlled their population growth. He also emphasised that the delimitation exercise would lead to a democratic imbalance, where states with superior governance indicators would have reduced representation in the Parliament. ALSO READ | Damocles sword over southern states: TN CM Stalin to chair all-party meeting on delimitation With the 2021 Census delayed, the delimitation exerciseoriginally expected after the 2031 Censuscould now take place much earlier than anticipated. This acceleration gives us very little time to protect our interests. The question is no longer if delimitation will happen, but when and whether it will honour the contributions of States that have advanced our national priorities. Post-2026, the situation may become drastically skewed if the exercise is conducted based on the next census population. Stalin who speculated over the two potential approaches for the delimitation - redistribution of the existing 543 among the states and increasing the number of seats beyond 800 seats, said, in both scenarios, all the states that have successfully implemented population control measures stand to lose significantly if the exercise is based on post-2026 population. He also expressed concern that once implemented, the democratic imbalance could persist for decades, leaving the concerned states with diminished capacity to advocate for their people's interests, secure rightful resources, and influence critical national decisions. ALSO READ | Telangana: Will political rivals Congress, BRS join hands against proposed delimitation? Stalin also clarified that Tamil Nadu was not against delimitation itself, but was opposed to its weaponization against states that fulfilled their national duties, thus punishing progress. Proposing the formation of a Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, West Bengal, Odisha, and Punjab to coordinate a unified response to the issue, Stalin has invited Siddaramaiah to join the JAC and nominate a senior representative to help develop a strategy, besides proposing an inaugural meeting in Chennai on March 22. The Opposition has found a common ground to unite against the Centre on the issues of voter ID duplication and fears of the delimitation. The members have been raising these issues in the parliament as the second part of the budget session convened on Monday. As the House dispersed for the Holi break, the issues are likely to cause strain between the treasury and opposition benches in the Parliament when it again meets on Monday. The parties are seeking a discussion within the house on the issues. Nine opposition MPs moved an adjournment motion in the upper house, which were disallowed by the deputy chairman. Within Rajya Sabha, RJD MP Manoj Jha raised the electoral photo identity cards (EPIC) row during the Zero Hour saying a large number of duplicates have been found across the country. Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien also asked the chair to allow discussion on the issue. In Lok Sabha, DMK MP Kathir Anand raised the issue of impending delimitation. He said the exercise penalises states like Tamil Nadu and asked whether the union government was deliberately betraying Tamil Nadu through delimitation, despite their success in implementing the population control policies. Delimitation should not become a secret weapon, he said. He said that the states like UP and Bihar which did not take population measures stand to gain through delimitation with increased number of seats, he added. Earlier, DMK leaders including Dayanidhi Maran met Biju Janata Dal chief Navin Patnaik to rally his support on the issue of delimitation. The DMK has convened a meeting of the like-minded parties on March 22 to discuss the issue in Chennai. The Joint Action Committee has been seeking support from other parties. On Wednesday, DMK leaders also met YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy and invited him to the meeting. Similarly, another DMK delegation met Karnataka CM Siddaraiah and also invited him. The argument against the delimitation exercise is that it will take into account the existing population of states to reorganise the Lok Sabha seats. In the process, the southern states which have progressively followed the population policies will stand to lose against their northern counterparts who have much higher populations. If the exercise is carried out in this manner, the northern states will gain more Lok Sabha seats thus tilting the balance of power in their favour limiting the value of southern states at the Central level in the government formation and allocations of resources and monetary help. Tamil Nadu government has also been in war of words with the BJP leaders and union ministers on the issue of National Education Policy which promotes a language formula as the state government has refused to implement it terming it against the federal principles. The Opposition MPs had also staged a walkout in Lok Sabha after Congress MP Manish Tewari raised security concerns over a renewable energy project in Gujarat. The Congress and DMK members staged a walkout saying the union minister Pralhad Joshi did not provide a satisfactory answer. As the EPIC matter has been heating up, the Election Commission has also invited suggestions from all national and state political parties by April 30, to discuss any unresolved issues. The ECI had also written to the individual parties presidents inviting them for an interaction to further strengthen electoral processes in accordance with the established law. Christian Leaders Letter to President Trump Calls for Urgent Action on 24 Christian Hostages NEWS PROVIDED BY Save Armenia: A Judeo-Christian Alliance March 11, 2025 WASHINGTON, March 11, 2025 /Standard Newswire/ A coalition of American Christian leaders has sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging decisive action to free 24 Christian hostages23 Armenian Christians and one Azerbaijani Christian convertheld by Azerbaijani authorities. Among them is Ruben Vardanyan, who remains in extremely critical condition as his hunger strike extends into its 21st day, leaving his health rapidly deteriorating in Azerbaijani detention. In their appeal, the signatories cite credible reports of torture and ongoing abuse, emphasizing their belief that President Trumps leadership is uniquely positioned to resolve this crisis, and that swift action is needed to save Christian lives. In the letter, the Christian leaders wrote: We believe you are the only one who can rescue these Christian hostages. Almost two years ago, Azerbaijan ethnically cleansed more than 120,000 Christian Armenians from their ancestral homes, while the Biden administration refused to take action. Since then, 23 Christian Armenian hostages and one Azeri Christian convert have been subjected to routine torture. The International Committee of the Red Crossthe only organization permitted to check on their well-beingwas ordered to leave the country in recent days. They further praise President Trumps previous support of Armenia and persecuted Christians, stating: Thank you for your support for Armenia and persecuted Christians during your campaign. Your statement was powerful and sent a clear message to those who would undermine Armenias security and their rich Christian heritage as the first country in the history of the world to embrace the gospel of Christ. The statement that the signatories referred to is a Trump Truth Social post from Oct. 23, 2024 which read: Kamala Harris did NOTHING as 120,000 Armenian Christians were horrifically persecuted and forcibly displaced in Artsakh. Christians around the World will not be safe if Kamala Harris is President of the United States. When I am President, I will protect persecuted Christians, I will work to stop the violence and ethnic cleansing, and we will restore PEACE between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The full list of signatories to the letter includes: Dr. Alveda King, Chair, Center for the American Dream Hon. Michele Bachmann, Dean, Robertson School of Government Sohrab Ahmari, US Editor, UnHerd Rod Dreher, Journalist and Author Troy Miller, President & CEO, National Religious Broadcasters Ambassador Sam Brownback, Co-Chair, IRF Summit Sean Feucht, Missionary, Musician, Activist, Author, and Speaker William Wolfe, Executive Director, Center for Baptist Leadership Bob Vander Plaats, President and CEO, The FAMiLY Leader Dede Laugesen, Executive Director, Save the Persecuted Christians Suzanne Bock Grishman, Executive Director, Mercury One, Inc. & The Nazarene Fund Ambassador Alberto Fernandez, Vice President, Middle East Media Research Institute Dr. Jim Garlow, CEO, Well Versed Rev. Rosemary Schindler Garlow, CEO, Schindlers Ark Dr. David Curry, USCIRF Commissioner Nadine Maenza, President, IRF Secretariat Denise Bubeck, Board Member, Save Armenia Dr. Paul Murray, International VP, Global Peace Foundation The text of the letter can be found here. SOURCE Save Armenia: A Judeo-Christian Alliance CONTACT: Dan Harre, Deputy Director, contact@resonate-strategies.com PHNOM PENH, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia made a total of 211 million U.S. dollars from the exports of milled rice and rubber latex during the first two months of 2025, according to official reports on Wednesday. A Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) report showed that the kingdom exported 135,074 tonnes of milled rice to 51 countries and regions during the January-February period, earning 106 million dollars in revenue. "About 86.03 percent of the exported milled rice was fragrant rice, 8.65 percent was white rice, 2.99 percent was parboiled rice, 1.87 percent was organic rice, and 0.46 percent was other types of rice," CRF secretary general Lun Yeng said. Meanwhile, the General Directorate of Rubber reported that Cambodia exported 54,587 tonnes of rubber latex in the first two months this year, down 6.3 percent year on year. The kingdom made 105 million dollars in revenue from rubber latex exports, up 24 percent compared to the same period last year. "A tonne of rubber latex averagely cost 1,926 U.S. dollars during the first two months of 2025, roughly 475 dollars higher than that of the same period last year," Khun Kakada, acting director general of the General Directorate of Rubber, said. Both rice and rubber are among the country's potential cash crops in addition to cashew nuts, cassava, yellow bananas, mangoes, durians, and longans. People's Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Waheed Parra on Wednesday raised the issue of the Centres ban on the Awami Action Committee (AAC), led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and the Jammu and Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM), headed by Masroor Abbas Ansari, in the Assembly. Making a brief intervention, Parra called for a discussion on the matter and urged the House to intervene to have the ban reversed. He argued that it suppresses political dissent and emphasised the need for dialogue and peaceful means to address issues in Jammu and Kashmir. PDP legislator Waheed Ur Rehman Parra raises the issue of MHA ban on Mirwaiz Umar Farooq led Awami Action Committee and Masroor Abbas Ansari led Ittehad ul Muslimeen during the question hour in the assembly. pic.twitter.com/KQ5cg6j8QU Kashmir Dot Com (KDC) (@kashmirdotcom) March 12, 2025 The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has outlawed both organisations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA), citing their involvement in activities that threaten Indias sovereignty. The ban will remain in force for five years. The AAC, a key separatist group in Kashmir, has been accused of spreading anti-India narratives, raising funds for separatism, and calling for election boycotts. It has also been linked to organising public protests. Several criminal cases, including charges of sedition, unlawful assembly, and inciting violence, have been registered against its members at police stations in Nowhatta, Safakadal, and Kothi Bagh, Srinagar. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against AAC spokesperson Aftab Ahmad Shah and others for alleged anti-national activities. Similar allegations have been levelled against JKIM, which has been accused of promoting public unrest, encouraging violence, and questioning Jammu and Kashmirs accession to India. The MHA argues that allowing these organisations to function would disrupt public order, support militancy, and further separatist movements in the region. The ban is part of a broader crackdown on groups accused of separatism and militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. Observers believe that by banning the AAC and JKIM, the Centre has signalled its unwillingness to allow Mirwaiz, the chairman of the now-defunct separatist Hurriyat Conference and considered a moderate, to operate in Kashmir. Mirwaiz draws influence from his role as the custodian of Jama Masjid, Kashmirs largest and most revered mosque. However, since the abrogation of Article 370, authorities have often kept the mosque closed for security reasons. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday lauded Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar for hosting all MPs from the state for a dinner discussion. The dinner was hosted at the Kerala House in New Delhi on Tuesday. "Greatly appreciate the gesture of Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar in hosting all Kerala MPs to a dinner discussion last night on the problems being faced by the state and the need for collective action," Tharoor wrote on X. Noting that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan attended and spoke briefly at the discussion, Tharoor said this unusual gesture augurs well for the combined efforts to develop the state, beyond political differences. Tharoor also shared selfies with the Governor and the chief minister. Greatly appreciate the gesture of @KeralaGovernor Rajendra Arlekar in hosting all Kerala MPs to a dinner discussion last night on the problems being faced by the state and the need for collective action. @CMOKerala @pinarayivijayan also attended and spoke briefly. This unusual pic.twitter.com/zasV4brMhv Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 12, 2025 According to reports, this is the first time a Governor has hosted a dinner discussion with MPs from the state. The Thiruvananthapuram MP's appreciation of the Governor and selfie with the CM came days after he wrote a newspaper article praising the industrial policy of the CPI(M)-led government, ruffling feathers in the Congress Kerala unit. Later, in a podcast interview with a newspaper, Tharoor said the Congress would have to sit in the opposition for the third consecutive term in Kerala if it did not try to expand its appeal. Tharoor, a four-time MP from the state capital, even added that if the Congress party did not need his services, he had "other options", a remark which many media outlets interpreted as his intent to switch parties. The Congress leader, however, later clarified that he meant the literary options and was not talking about political options. It has been 15 days since Lakshma Reddy, a farmer from Karimnagar district of Telangana ate or slept properly. His son Madhukar Reddy, is among the 540 Indians who are on the plane to India from Thailand. All of them, including 42 Telugus, were trapped and forced to execute cyber crimes targeting Americans and other nationals from different locations inside Myanmar. I have been eating only one meal a day. I just could not sleep all these days. How can I? I was very scared for my sons life. Lakshma Reddy said. His ordeal is set to end on Wednesday evening at Hyderabad airport as he will be reunited with his son. At least for the past two years, the modus operandi of fraudsters running the well-organised cyber crime remains the same. Gullible job seekers are lured to Thailand with the promise of legal jobs with hefty salaries. As soon as they reach Thailand, the victims are ferried through the Moei River, a riverine border between Thailand and Myanmar, and then dropped at Myawaddy on the other side. Madhukar Reddy also went through a similar experience. According to his father, he was working in Dubai when he started a business with hard-earned savings but failed. With the pressure to make up for losses amounting to 20 lakhs, he decided to work after coming across an online post offering a lucrative job in Thailand. He contacted the agents, paid them commissions and landed in Thailand and then in Myanmar in December. Only then did he call up his father and share his harrowing experience. For 15 days, he did not complain much. After that, he told us that they are forcing him to commit fraud online and he was not liking it. They stopped giving him food and even beat him up. He said that they were demanding 4 lakhs to let him return to India. Lakshma Reddy ran from pillar to post, contacting his relatives in the media and politicians. Hopes were rekindled after he formally submitted a letter to Karimnagar MP, Bandi Sanjay, who is also the Minister of State for Home and the latter assured him help. He took up the matter at the highest level and wrote to the External Affairs Ministry. Recently, Indians along with other foreign nationals, were rescued from the cyber-crime factories in a joint operation of Thailand and Myanmar governments and brought back to Delhi. Reddy is one among them. The family shared the location where Reddy was held captive and forced to work against his wishes. The geographical coordinates matched the information provided by previous victims. Google Earth reveals that the structures resembling warehouses and corporate buildings had come up after 2022 and are located bordering the water body. Despite dozens of complaints rescue missions and awareness campaigns from the government, the youth desperate for employment continue to be deceived and pushed into the cycle of crime playing out on the other side of the Moei River. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said numerous mythological sites in Prayagraj had been illegally captured through "land jihad" under the previous governments. The chief minister was speaking at a programme called Manthan: Kumbh and Beyond in Lucknow on Tuesday. Among the sites he referred to were the Akshay Vat, Saraswati Koop and Shringverpur. All these, he said, were now liberated, which was a symbol of gratitude towards Sanatan. The organisation of the Mahakumbh, he said, had shown the world the true strength of Sanatan dharma and also changed the negative perception of the state. The chief minister claimed that devotees of every caste, creed and region taking dips together in the Sangam was an embodiment of the spirit of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat (One India, Best India). The successful organisation has made the world curious and also surprised, he added. Taking jibes at the opposition, he said that it was useless to expect positivity from those whose thinking was negative. He mentioned the chaos that took place during the reign of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) from the first Kumbh (1954) of independent India to the Kumbhs of 1974, 1986, 2007 and 2013. In 1954, more than a thousand deaths occurred; in 2007, a natural disaster caused loss of life and property; and in 2013, the then Prime Minister of Mauritius had shed tears after seeing the filth of Sangam, he noted. He also said that the previous governments had made Kumbh a den of disorder and filth. Today the same people were questioning the clean Mahakumbh. Their persistent negativity had made them fall in the eyes of the public. People responded to the opposition by reaching Prayagraj in huge numbers, the chief minister said. Attacking those who consider Aurangzeb as an ideal, he said that this was the result of mental disorders. All those who admire him insult the heroes of India, he added. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is in the news again after its fighters seized the Jaffar Express and took hundreds hostage in Pakistan's Bolan on Tuesday. Pakistan's security forces are in the middle of a rescue operation and claimed to have eliminated at least 30 insurgents involved in the hijack. While the BLA fighters had earlier released several women, children and local Baloch citizens, the condition of at least 200 passengers remains unknown. The Pakistan government claimed that the separatist group were using civilians as human shields and had positioned suicide bombers near hostages. We strongly condemn the attack on the Jaffar Express train, and the hostage-taking of passengers in Kacchi, Balochistan, claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army, a U.S.-Specially Designated Global Terrorist group. We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the victims, U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) March 12, 2025 Declared a terrorist organisation by the United States in 2021, the separatist BLA has been active in the resource-rich Balochistan province for decades. Although it had lost its connection with locals after the fall of the Soviet Union, it has managed to win back the attention of the province's younger generation recently. The "armed revolutionaries" preach that Baluch is being exploited sans giving the locals its share of benefits and the economic crisis in the country has attracted people towards the extremist group. ALSO READ | 'We hid under seats': Rescued hostages aboard hijacked Pakistan train recount harrowing ordeal They have stepped up attacks on Pakistani security forces in the province and have particularly targeted Islamabad's ambitious multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Some of their recent activities include the murder of nine Punjabi bus passengers in Noshki, the attack on the Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) oil and gas exploration site in the Kalat district, the assassination of the deputy commissioner of Panjgur and the bombing of a Chinese convoy outside the Karachi airport among many others. Soviet Union and India: The early villains Historically, Pakistan has accused India of fuelling separatist movements in Balochistan. In his book, My Enemy's Enemy: India in Afghanistan from the Soviet Invasion to the US Withdrawal' author Avinash Paliwal declared junior Indian intelligence officials as confirming that, "we gave Baloch everything, from money to guns, during the 1970s, everything". Visuals of the attack and seizure of Jaffar Express by Baloch Liberation Army have emerged, highlighting the violence and turmoil in Balochistan. The world must pay attention to the plight of the Baloch people. Video Courtesy - HAKKAL MEDIA#Balochistan #HumanRights pic.twitter.com/gu7JlwYfbd THE SQUADRON (@THE_SQUADR0N) March 12, 2025 Pakistan's supporting Afghanistan during the communist invasion forced Russia to grow separatism in the province. Baloch militias received training in Moscow as a part of the Soviet agenda to weaken Pakistan internally. However, in the post-Cold War era, India has been doing the same, Pakistan alleges. Baloch rebels and Pakistan's accusations against India According to a report published by the Journal of Law & Social Studies (JLSS) in 2023, Pakistan is positive that the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is involved in not just the formation of BLA, but other Baluch separatist groups like the Baloch Students Organization (BSO) in the 1960s and the Baloch Republican Army(BRA) 2000s. Just like the Soviets, Islamabad holds India responsible for providing training to Baloch insurgents. WATCH | Original video of Jaffar Express attack released by Baloch Liberation Army amidst rescue operation India not only funded their operations but also supplied arms the JLSS report titled 'A Historical Examination of Raw's Funding of Baloch Insurgents and its Representation in Pakistani Media' said. "All types of weapons and logistic support were provided by India, through the areas of Kishangarh and Shahgarh to the Pakistani side. This all was assisted by RAW. The training camps were increased from 45 to 55 with 300 trainees. These insurgents were also paid in Dollars monthly or after some successful operation," it states. "A number of youths picked up by Russians and Indians to make these insurgencies faster. Weapons were firstly supplied by Russia through Afghanistan. But later, India opened its way," it added. After Bangladesh's liberation, India turned its focus to Baloch, deploying several RAW agents and sources in the province, Pakistan maintains. "After the separation of East Pakistan, India's interference in the region continued, with RAW allegedly coming closer to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and training its members." Instances linking India to Baloch insurgency Balaach Pardili, a senior leader of Baloch rebels has been living in New Delhi for over a decade now. In 2015, Pardili reportedly made a public appearance which angered the neighbour. "India has always been home to persecuted people from all over the world," the MEA had reacted while confirming the rolling red carpet to confidants of Baloch leader Nawabzada Hyrbyair Marri. India is a known destination for medical aid for senior Baloch separatists. Senior commanders of the groups had sought hospitalisation in New Delhi as late as 2017. It is also confirmed that efforts were made by some activists to establish a Government-in-exile for Balochistan in India. ISI and arrest of Kulbhushan Jadhav The arrest of former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav needs special mention in this context. Jadhav, who was captured by ISI from Iran and brought illegally to Pakistan, was framed for spying for India and given a death sentence. However, India appealed to the International Court of Justice to stay his execution. The ICJ stayed the execution on July 17, 2019, and ordered Pakistan to provide India with consular access. Pakistan accused Jadhav of financing various separatist groups including those based in Baluchistan "Jadhav claimed to have started working for RAW in 2001 and was inducted to sabotage the projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)," the JLSS report said. The Pakistan security forces have rescued over 104 passengers and killed 16 militants in Quetta where a train was by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) on Tuesday. Security sources claimed a gun battle was ongoing with Pakistani security agencies and militants on Wednesday morning. The incident unfolded on Tuesday afternoon in the Mushqaf area of the Bolan district. The train with 400 passengers onboard in nine bogies was on its way from Quetta to Peshawar when it came under attack. The incident happened around 157km from Quetta. The rail route from Quetta to Peshawar runs parallel to the highway but diverges near the town of Mashkaf. It then passes through the mountains through a series of tunnels. The Mashkaf Tunnel, where the train was hijacked, is the eighth tunnel, located in a rugged terrain. The attackers stormed the train before it was to enter the tunnel. They bombed the railway track and opened fire on the locomotive, injuring the driver before taking over the train into the tunnel located in the remote, mountainous area which borders Afghanistan and Iran. Pakistan's Attack Choppers have been deployed in clearance operation against BLA terrorists after train hijack. State should come to its senses, it's a 3rd intense attack by BLA in 2025. Smoke them out! No matter What!!! pic.twitter.com/E3xFvGrFrF AM Raad (@Raad_Pak) March 11, 2025 #WATCH: Coach arrives at Mach Railway Station after security forces free 104 hostages from train attack in Pakistans Balochistan https://t.co/aLIAxFcHnH pic.twitter.com/zrzvrjTnc8 Arab News Pakistan (@arabnewspk) March 11, 2025 Armed men have taken 35 passengers hostage in an attack on a train in southwest #Pakistan, and nearly 350 passengers are believed to be safe. Some of the hostages were released by the gunmen and escorted by security forces to a railway station in Mach. The #BalochLiberationArmy, pic.twitter.com/WEV5fbUkIN DD News (@DDNewslive) March 12, 2025 The security agencies rushed to the area after receiving word of the attack. Though they were faced with the challenging terrain, they managed to cordon off the area. Some passengers were freed as security forces began reaching the site. The Baloch militants are communicating with their international handlers via satellite phones and have since split into several groups. Pakistani agencies claim they have used women and children as human shields, further complicating the operation, according to Pakistani media reports. They also reported intense firing and explosions near the tunnel. Rana Muhammad Dilawar, the district police officer in the area where the train was stopped, said the security forces had surrounded the area. "There were around four to five government officials on the train," he added. The rescued people include 58 men, 31 women and 15 children. They were rescued in another train. Over 17 injured passengers were shifted to a nearby hospital for immediate medical treatment. The Philippines on Tuesday arrested its former President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila at the request of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague for crimes against humanity. The arrest warrant reportedly holds Duterte responsible for the murder of at least 43 people between 2011 and 2019 as part of his war on drugs during his stint as the mayor of the southern city of Davao and later as the president between 2016 and 2022. The arrest grabbed attention as it was uncommon for a country to arrest its former leader on demands of the ICC, especially since the Philippines is no longer a member of the ICC and is not obliged to do so under international law. Though the warrant implicates him in the murder of only 43 people, police count pegs the figure at 6,200 suspects. But Human Rights groups say tens of thousands of unarmed suspects were murdered in extrajudicial killings during Dutertes 'war on drugs', a campaign that defined his presidency. "Bakit kami, binigyan niyo ba kami ng due process? Mildred Ocampo, 47, fired back at Dutertes camp for calling his arrest unlawful. She said her brother, Martin Ocampo, was gunned down in their computer shop in 2016 after being falsely accused of drug involvement. | via pic.twitter.com/Eb8Cbt2ui8 ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) March 12, 2025 'Death squads' On the eve of his May 9, 2016 election, Duterte, who was the mayor of Davao for 22 years, told his supporters: "If I make it to the presidential palace I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, holdup men, and do-nothings, you better get out because I'll kill you." He did exactly that. Duterte's 'death squads' that existed under his watch to control crime when he was Davao City mayor, went on a rampage killing tens of thousands. The 'death squad' began work on the first day of Duterte's Presidency on July 1, 2016. Twelve people were killed on the first day and the next six months saw over 5,000 people, including 2,041 drug suspects, get killed in police operations, according to data gathered by Al Jazeera. Many bodies were found bound in polluted creeks, garbage dump sites and grasslands. The campaign went on for another six years pushing the toll to over 6,200 people, including women and children. The members of the "death squad" also confessed to receiving money for every kill. Arturo Lascanas, a retired police officer, who confessed before the Senate, said he had personally killed "about 200 people". The squad was formed under the guise of an anti-crime unit within the Davao police and took direct orders from Mayor Duterte about who to kill and how to dispose of the bodies. Duterte confessed to the squads in 2024. While appearing before a Senate inquiry into his war against drugs, Duterte confirmed the existence of the squad, identifying its "commanders" which included former national police chief-turned-senator Ronaldo dela Rosa. He also justified their actions, stating "that was the job of the police." Though he first claimed they were made of police officers, he then stated they were run by gangsters. Duterte said he had never ordered the death squad to kill "defenceless suspects" but did instruct them to "encourage criminals to fight back, and when they fought back, kill them so my problems in the city will be solved." As per the Amnesty International report in 2017, most of the people who were killed were living under the poverty line. In choosing Jeddah in Saudi Arabia as the location for Tuesdays high-octane US-Ukraine talks for a possible ceasefire with Russia, President Donald Trump may have signalled the same line of thinking influencing oil-rich Qatar and Egypt to mediate between Israel and Hamas that is, in prompting the Arab countries to accept significant mediating roles, much to the chagrin of USs traditional allies in Europe. Understandably so, as US-Europe relations is at its worst in recent times, particularly after the onset of Trump 2.0 and also because Saudi Arabia is the leader in the Muslim world with somewhat of a challenge being posed by Iran, the USs bugbear. I received a report from our delegation on their meeting with the American team in Saudi Arabia. The discussion lasted most of the day and was good and constructiveour teams were able to discuss many important details. Our position remains absolutely clear: Ukraine has been pic.twitter.com/7EZXTVA52C Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) March 11, 2025 At Jeddah on Tuesday, America was represented by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz while the Ukrainian side had Andriy Yermak, top aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov. After the meeting, President Trump, in his trademark abrupt style, announced on Tuesday evening in Washington, D.C.: Ukraine ceasefire, just agreed to it a little while ago. Now we have to go to Russia, and hopefully, President (Vladimir) Putin will also agree to it. People are being killed in the cities as things explode throughout the cities. We want to get that war over with. A joint statement said the US will immediately lift its suspension on intelligence sharing and military assistance to Ukraine. But that is where the problem begins as Russia may have already smelt victory and would have no reason to accept a ceasefire at this stage. Four reasons why Russia may not accept ceasefire with Ukraine First, Russia is on a serious offensive with military and territorial gains, most recently during a three-day offensive in Kursk. It has no legitimate reasons to back off to a ceasefire deal now as it would only mean a breather to the weary Ukrainians. And a breather to Kyiv at this point of time would mean an opportunity to regroup and re-energise which will work to the detriment of Russia strategically and tactically. Secondly, Europes military industrial complex, the key supporter of the counter-offensive to the Russians, is in a depleted state. To tide over the disarray, the European Commission has proposed to set up a 150-billion euro ($157.76 billion) fund to majorly rearm Europe as it no longer seems sure of US support against Russia. The money will focus on air defence, missiles and drones and is part of a bigger package that could garner 800 billion euros for the European military buildup. Thirdly, since the beginning of 2025, despite the ongoing war, the Russian economy is witnessing a resilient surge with rising stock value, unlike in Europe where major stock markets are heading southwards, with the economies too in a spot of crisis. It implies that the fragility of western economies at this point of time is far more than that of the Russian economy. Fourthly, a main military aim why Russia embarked on this war in Ukraine in the first place, was to gain a land corridor to Transdniestria, a Russian separatist enclave in Moldova. That aim has not been achieved yet. US Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance are scheduled to visit India later in March. This comes amid looming tariff row between the two countries as the Donald Trump administration accused New Delhi of imposing exhorbitant duties on imports from Washington, DC. Vance's visit to India was first reported by the Politico. This will be the US veep's second trip abroad after his European visit last month. In the first tour, he visited France and Germany. During the Munich Security Conference in mid-February, he called out European governments over free speech and illegal migration. .@VP: "The average income it takes to buy a new house is nearly 2x the average salary of your typical American family... Thats just not acceptable or sustainable in the United States of America. We want Americans to be a will to afford the American Dream of homeownership." pic.twitter.com/EL8MPbo9Qe Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 10, 2025 With Vance turning against the European allies and the US threatening tariffs on neighbours Canada and Mexico, it is not clear how the vice-president's India visit would unravel. He had earlier pledged that the Trump administration would make it a priority to make the life of Americans better. The upcoming visit will be also be significant with Vance's Indian-origin wife Usha Chilukuri coming to her ancestral homeland. While Vance's America First policy raises concerns for New Delhi, Usha's India heritage could be a win-win for soft diplomacy between the two nations. She is the first Indian-American Hindu Second Lady of the US. However, Vance's agenda for the India visit is yet to be announced. Reports suggest that besides tariff talks, the two sides could also discuss defence and security ties. During his visit to France last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Vance to discuss issues of mutual interest on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit. Modi also shared coffee with the vice president and his wife Usha. The PM presented gifts to Vance's children, wish his son Vivek a happy birthday. The Criminal Court of Ghent on Tuesday ruled that Flemish best-selling author Herman Brusselmans was not guilty of antisemitism and incitement to hatred despite his statements that he wants to kill every Jew over the war in Gaza. In a column published in a Belgian magazine last summer, Brusselmans wrote that when he saw an image of the destruction in Gaza, he became so enraged that I want to ram a pointed knife straight down the throat of every Jew I meet. The court ruled that Brusselmans expressions of opinion are protected by the right to freedom of expression as set out by the Belgian constitution. Rabbi Menachem Margolin, president of the European Jewish Association (EJA), slammed the verdict, calling it a deeply alarming message about the state of the fight against antisemitism in Belgium and Europe. Today, the Belgian justice system has established a grave precedent: hate crime laws are flexible and when it comes to Jews, they suddenly become malleable, he said. This ruling effectively legitimizes a person, read by hundreds of thousands, to openly call for the murder of Jews without facing any legal consequences. It deems it permissible to publish in a national media outlet the desire to stab a knife into the throat of every Jew encountered, all under the pretext of anger over the situation in Gaza. By issuing such a verdict, the Belgian judiciary sends a dangerous message: incitement to murder and hatred can be reinterpreted, excused, and ultimately legitimized at least when the targets are Jews. Michel Kotek, chairman of the Jewish Information and Documentation Center, which filed the claim against Brusselmans, called the ruling a disgrace to Belgian jurisprudence. Someone who has been making such statements since 1993 we are no longer talking about an incident. This is a constant repetition of moves in which antisemitic statements predominate. We too are for freedom of speech. But where it spills over into hatred and the deprivation of safety, thats where a government must intervene. And thats where it fails. Brusselmans still faces further court hearings on additional complaints filed over his column, including a claim filed by three Holocaust survivors that he violated Belgiums anti-racism and negationism laws. Jewish organizations have also filed a civil case against Brusselman, saying that his statements are fuel for antisemitism and hostility toward Belgian Jews. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) People buy cooking oil offered by Cheap Food Market Program at Setu village in South Tangerang, Banten Province, Indonesia, March 12, 2025. Cheap Food Market Program offers residents basic food with prices that are much cheaper than the market price. The Indonesian authorities are pushing to strengthen food stocks and maintain price stability during the holy month of Ramadan. (Photo by Agung Kuncahya B./Xinhua) People buy packed food offered by Cheap Food Market Program at Setu village in South Tangerang, Banten Province, Indonesia, March 12, 2025. Cheap Food Market Program offers residents basic food with prices that are much cheaper than the market price. The Indonesian authorities are pushing to strengthen food stocks and maintain price stability during the holy month of Ramadan. (Photo by Agung Kuncahya B./Xinhua) New York City Mayor Eric Adams, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch & Deputy Chief Richie Taylor paid a notable visit to Hatzolah headquarters in Williamsburg, where they witnessed first-hand as emergency calls came in and were dispatched out, all in real time. Community leaders and activists greeted them with enthusiasm, offering the commissioner a plaque in recognition of her commitment to Hatzolah and the local community. Interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda terrorist, says he is trying to respond to Israeli military actions in Syria with patience and wisdomthough it remains unclear how much of either a terrorist leader can truly muster, particularly after his forces just executed a bloody purge that left more than 1,000 dead across Syria. Speaking to Reuters, Sharaa dismissed Israeli concerns that his new regime poses a security threat, despite his well-documented extremist past. Israel, which has secured a buffer zone along the border to prevent incursions, has vowed to keep southern Syria demilitarized and has been vocal in its warnings about the new government, repeatedly referring to Sharaa as an al-Qaeda terrorist. Israel has also carried out a series of airstrikes aimed at crippling the Syrian armys military capabilities. We are trying to use patience and wisdom as much as possible, Sharaa claimed, seemingly unfazed by the thousands of lives lost at the hands of his own forces in recent weeks. If there are fears, we have announced from the first moments that Syria will not pose a threat to any state in the region or the world. In response to Israeli concerns that his forces might attempt a cross-border attack, Sharaa scoffed at the idea, dismissing it as paranoia. A delusional person can say whatever they want. Every person can imagine that he is suffering from some danger and carry out a preemptive strike and kill. But that is not justifiable. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) In a fiery declaration underscoring the deepening tensions between Iran and the United States, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has rejected any negotiations with Washington under duress, delivering a blunt message to President Donald Trump: Do whatever the hell you want. The defiant remarks, reported by Iranian state media, come as the U.S. ramps up its pressure campaign against Tehran, with Trump seeking a fresh nuclear agreement while simultaneously tightening economic sanctions. It is unacceptable for us that they [the U.S.] give orders and make threats, Pezeshkian said. I wont even negotiate with you. Do whatever the hell you want. The Iranian leaders fiery rhetoric was reinforced by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who doubled down on Irans refusal to be coerced into diplomacy. Last weekend, Khamenei declared that Tehran would not bow to pressure, just a day after Trump claimed to have sent a letter urging Iran to return to the negotiating table. Despite expressing willingness to strike a deal with Tehran, Trump has revived his notorious maximum pressure strategyan aggressive economic and diplomatic squeeze aimed at crippling Irans economy by slashing its oil exports to near zero. The move echoes the policies of his first term, which saw relations between Washington and Tehran spiral into a state of near-constant brinkmanship. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Frum conservative commentator Ben Shapiro tore into Tucker Carlson on Monday, slamming the former Fox News hosts stance on neoconservatism and accusing him of pushing Qatari propaganda while distorting Middle Eastern history. Shapiro, never one to hold back, took direct aim at Carlsons claim that U.S. foreign policyspecifically, the actions of so-called neoconsbears responsibility for the plight of Christians in Syria. Calling Carlsons perspective bizarre and twisted, Shapiro accused him of fundamentally misreading history and exonerating brutal regimes in the process. This is a bizarre and twisted reading of history, at best, Shapiro said, dismantling Carlsons argument that the decline of Syrias Christian population was the direct result of Western intervention rather than the bloody realities of Middle Eastern dictatorships. The notion that Christians have generally been targeted by neocons in the West in the Middle East is a complete reversal of how history actually has worked. The clash comes after Carlson, who has been touring the Middle East, posted a message on X claiming that neocons vilified anyone who acknowledged that Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad had protected Christian minorities. Carlson suggested that U.S. foreign policynot regional tyrants and jihadist movementswas responsible for the suffering of Christian communities in the region. Assad protected the Christians, Carlson insisted. The weaker Assad was, the more Christians died. He went on to argue that Western-backed efforts to depose Assad led to an exodus of Syrian Christians and the destruction of their holy sites, with neoconservatives in Washington either indifferent to or complicit in their suffering. Shapiro was having none of it. I have suspicions as to what Tucker means by quote, unquote neocons, he fired back. The idea that Christians can live safely in the Middle East, outside of Israel, is absurd. Shapiro pointed to the grim reality for Christian populations across the region, including in Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabiaplaces, he noted, where Carlson has recently taken a more conciliatory tone. Shapiro continued, accusing Carlson of doing a bit of propaganda work on behalf of the Qatari regime and peddling a narrative in which America and Israel shoulder all the blame for Middle Eastern conflicts while absolving Iran, Hezbollah, and other regional actors. Shapiro and Carlsons bitter ideological feud has been simmering for months, particularly in the wake of Hamas brutal October 2023 attack on Israel. The animosity boiled over when Carlson hosted former Daily Wire commentator Candace Owensan open antisemitein what many saw as a deliberate jab at Shapiro. Shapiro, in turn, has accused Carlson of spreading ugly and misleading rhetoric about him. Your browser does not support the video tag. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Iran is believed to be involved in the detention of Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov who was abducted in Iraq almost two years ago by the Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi official told Ynet. Its possible she was moved there secretly, or Iranian intelligence agents were brought in to interrogate her, he said. Its a miracle shes still alive. Usually, hostages are executed during interrogations. Her foreign identity is working in her favor. We believe Iran is involved and giving the ordersonly they will decide her fate, he concluded According to the report, two senior Trump administration officials have joined efforts to secure Tsurkovs release: Trump hostages envoy Adam Boehler and Rep. Mike Waltz. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Boehler traveled to Iraq last month to pressure Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani to find Tsurkov. According to the Qatari daily Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Boehler threatened Sudani with sanctions and emphasized that the U.S. holds the Iraqi government responsible for securing her release. Boehler told the Saudi Al Arabiya outlet that the U.S. is pressuring Sudani, who continues to claim he doesnt know where Tsurkov is being held, but has acknowledged that Kataib Hezbollah abducted her. According to the Ynet report, Iraqi social media reports claim that Iran is pushing for a prisoner exchange deal in return for Tsurkovs release, including the release of Emad Ahwaz, a naval officer linked to Hezbollah and captured by Israel; Iranian terrorist Reza Nouri, imprisoned in the U.S.; and an Iranian infiltrator held in Cyprus. Tsurkov entered Iraq on her Russian passport and Israel reportedly appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to intervene, to no avail. Thats why the Americans are emphasizing her Israeli citizenship and threatening Iraq with sanctions if it doesnt act quickly, the Iraqi official said. He claimed that Sudani would like to comply with the USs request but genuinely doesnt know where Tsurkov is being held. Elizabeths sister, Emma Tsurkov, scoffs at Iraqs claims that her sister was transferred to Iran, telling Ynet: Ive heard that before. If I had a dollar for every time an Iraqi official told me that, I could buy Iraq. Its a convenient excuse they keep repeating, but its not true. She is not in Iran. The Iraqi government knows exactly who is holding her because the terror group detaining her is part of the Iraqi system. Tsurkov also expressed her gratitude to the Trump administration, saying: Ive spoken directly with Adam Boehler several times, and Ive also met his team. The updates are encouraging. Its amazing that in just a few weeks of determined effort, theyve made more progress than in the previous two years. I really hope this pressure from the Americans works soon so I can hug my sister again. Theyre very careful not to give me false hope but in all my conversations with Boehler, hes been incredibly kind and patient. I dont know how he finds the strength to speak with hostage families with such empathy. He told me the same thing Steve Witkoff said when I met him in Washington a week and a half agothat they are working on this, that my sister is important to them, and that its unacceptable to them for a Princeton student to be held captive in a country allied with the U.S. Were afraid to be optimistic too soon, she added. Until Im holding her in my arms, its not over. But for the first time since the kidnapping, theres reason for hope. Shes alive. Shes in Iraq. Emma also issued a statement to Reuters: The Trump Administration has done more in just a few weeks than the previous administration did in almost two years, she said, adding that Biden administration officials told Tsurkovs family that there was little they could do since she is not a US citizen. I am especially grateful to SPEHA (Special Envoy) Boehler for going directly to meet with Prime Minister Sudani in Baghdad. His engagement with Sudani makes it clear that the U.S. holds him responsible for finding a way to get my sister home. A State Department spokesperson at Boehlers office said: The United States cannot tolerate hostage-taking of U.S. nationals or those of our partners such as Israel. We have and will continue to underscore with the Iraqi government the urgency of securing Elizabeth Tsurkovs release. Boehler also wrote on X last week: Elizabeth Tsurkov is a Princeton student held hostage in Iraq! The @IraqiPMO consistently made false promises to the prior administration about releasing her. BUT NOW @realDonaldTrump IS ON TO YOU, Boehler said, tagging the official handle of Sudanis office. He threatened that if Tsurkov is not released, then the Iraqi prime ministers office is either incapable and should be FIRED or worse COMPLICIT. Bring Elizabeth home now! (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) An Israeli political source said on Wednesday that the US-mediated talks on border issues currently taking place between Israel and Lebanon are aimed at achieving diplomatic relations between Israel and Lebanon. Currently, Israel considers Lebanon an enemy country and has no relations with it. The political source told reporters that Israel is interested in reaching a normalization agreement with Lebanon. The discussions with Lebanon are part of a broad and comprehensive plan. The Prime Ministers policy has already changed the Middle East and we want to continue the momentum and reach normalization with Lebanon. The Trump administration and Israel announced on Tuesday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to resolve their outstanding land border issues through negotiations. Israel agreed to free five Lebanese detainees as part of the arrangement. Yisrael Hayom reported that at the next meeting, an Israeli diplomat will already replace the IDF representative. The first meeting was attended only by military representatives of both countries. The source said that Israel is interested in strengthening the Lebanese president vis-a-vis the army forces and in coordination with the US, and perhaps later leading to normalization with Lebanon as well. Israel is relying on the fact that Lebanons government has undergone a change and Hezbollahs political presence has weakened. Israel wants to work with Lebanons moderate elements and strengthen them, while keeping in mind that Hezbollah is still present and continuing to maintain IDF forces at five points inside Lebanon. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) IDF soldiers on Tuesday identified a four-year-old Gazan approaching an IDF position in the security zone inside the Gaza Strip. Gazan civilians have been repeatedly warned not to approach the security zones at the risk of being shot and killed. The soldiers spoke to the boy who told them that he was sent to the post by Hamas men. The child was returned to Gaza with the assistance of the Defense Ministrys Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit and in coordination with international organizations. The IDF condemned Hamas for its exploitation of civilians. It is clear to everyone that Hamas does not hesitate to use any means to cynically exploit children and civilians, turning them into tools in a war game, said the IDF spokesperson in Arabic Avichay Adraee. This is a severe violation of every moral and international norm and the international community must wake up and act decisively against the use of children as a tool of warfare. Hamas often uses children for terror purposes. There have been multiple incidents in which children were sent to border crossings, used as messengers to transfer explosives, and even recruited for espionage activities for the organization. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) El Al has reported its 2024 profits, and its staggering 4.7 times higher than in 2023. The airlines $3.4 billion revenue in 2024 marks a 37% surge, fueled by soaring ticket prices and a near-monopoly on flights to and from Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war. As international airlines suspended operations, citing security concerns, El Al became the lifeline connecting Israel to the world. However, with that dominance came fierce criticism, as desperate travelers faced skyrocketing fares, limited availability, and accusations that the airline was exploiting the crisis for profit. With most foreign carriers grounded, demand for El Al flights exploded. Many Israelis, fearing cancellations by foreign airlines, chose El Al regardless of price, leading to a 14% average fare increase. The company also ramped up its operations, increasing seat availability by 12%, and filling planes to an astonishing 94% capacity, compared to 86% in 2023. El Als fourth-quarter revenue alone hit $851 million, a 26% jump from the same period in 2023. By the end of 2024, the airlines equity swelled to $527 million, a dramatic turnaround from the $209 million debt it carried just a year earlier. Despite its financial success, El Al is facing mounting backlash. Customers have accused the airline of price gouging, with ticket prices surging to levels far beyond pre-war rates. Many Israelis who had once seen El Al as a national symbol of resilience now question its commitment to the public, particularly after the company marketed itself as a pillar of support during wartime while simultaneously raising fares. The year 2024 presented us with complex national and business challenges, but we demonstrated our ability to successfully overcome them, said El Al CEO Dina Ben Tal Ganancia, defending the airlines record-breaking profits. In response to public outcry, El Al capped ticket prices on select routes, attempting to ease consumer frustration. However, for many, the move came too late, as families had already struggled to afford flights home or had missed crucial travel opportunities. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) How the Woke Left is Energizing Their Base By: Dovid Gold Their goal is to silence our power. They do not want men and women to pray together at the Kotel; they want the education system in Israel to recognize only orthodox Judaism, and they do not want synagogues to allow women to serve as prayer leaders. This was the rallying cry at the Conservative movements conference held in advance of the upcoming World Zionist elections. The leaders of the non-Orthodox streams of Judaism are scared. Their hold on the World Zionist Congress and the billions at its disposal is disappearing. In the words of Dr. Yizhar Hess, head of the Conservative Mercaz party: The only source of funding that non-Orthodox movements [receive] is from the National Institutions; the Zionist Congress and its daughter companies. These two movements, Reform Judaism and Masoriti Conservative movements [are] now at risk. These are not empty words. These religiously bankrupt movements are on their last legs. Thriving movements dont rely on one source of funds. From Ignoring Israel to Exploiting It From their inception, the non-Orthodox movements have practically ignored Eretz Yisroel. Finding the concept of a Jewish homeland to be ideologically at odds with their vision of the modern Jew, the Reform movement in particular refused to have anything to do with it. But this has changed. Beginning in the 1970s, they started talking about Israel and its importance to Judaism. Their ideology didnt change. What they realized was that they were rapidly becoming irrelevant and to save their movements they piggybacked off the success of the State of Israel and its place in the hearts of the Jewish people. Suddenly, they started claiming they cared about it too. To this end, they joined the WZO and became active in Israeli politics. In 1978, the Reform Movement established the Association of Reform Zionists in America (ARZA) as its representative body in the WZO. At the same time, the Conservative Movement redoubled its efforts to grow its party, MERCAZ Olami. These alternative forms of Judaism began to grow in influence within the WZO and demanded that large amounts of money be given to causes aligned with their values. Unfortunately, they were largely successful. By positioning themselves as the exclusive representatives of American Jewry, they secured leadership positions that allowed them to influence the budgets of the National Institutions. Based on an investigative review of the entire WZO budget, the total annual amount transferred to the Reform movements by the National Institutions is approximately 46,500,000 NIS. For example, a Reform summer camp received not only direct funding from KKL/JNF but also operated at an official KKL/JNF facility as part of a partnership with the Reform movement. These activities have an unfortunate effect on thousands of unsuspecting Israelis who are just looking to add religion to their lives. This reality went unchecked for decades. In 2020, concerned frum activists, guided by Gedolei Yisroel including Rav Chaim Kanievsky and Rav Gershon Edelstein, decided to take action. They founded Eretz HaKodesh, a party dedicated to representing Torah values in the WZO. In their very first election, they secured 25 seats in the Zionist Congress, finally giving a voice to those who oppose the agenda of the Reform and Conservative movements. Their effect was felt immediately. As Dr. Hess describes it: What happened to us in the last elections to the Congress was a tragedy The Chareidim ran a slate for the first time in history and became a very serious party in the Congress. And it changed the forces in the Zionist movement. For the first time the pluralistic side became a minority. The ramifications are serious. The Coming Election In preparation for the next election, these organizations have launched audacious campaigns. In the last election, they received about 50,000 votes combined. They know they need to do better. Nothing gets out the vote like a good bogeyman. And apparently, we serve that purpose for them. On ARZAs election website, the copy screams their fear of a weak vote turnout: To let ultra-nationalist and ultra-Orthodox extremists win these elections, set the agenda, and control billions in Israel. In a campaign video, Josh Weinberg, Vice President of the Union for Reform Judaism, warns: If we dont vote and we dont show up, we know who will. Our extremist ultra-Orthodox opponents stand against [our] values. They have opposed us at every turn and are mobilizing to roll back any progress weve made. We need all of us to stop them. Not to be outdone, Arza Canadas video has Michael Dogin, Rabbi at the Reform Temple Sinai in Toronto saying: There is a new organization called Eretz HaKodesh that is working hard to transfer funds and people to jeopardize all of our achievements in Israel. The changes led by this dangerous movement are trying to silence us. We must act now so that our movement will strengthen and we will be able to fight them. Now, more than ever, we need your voice! In a recent Times of Israel article titled Billions at stake: WZO vote sees Orthodox-liberal struggle, opportunity for N. American Jews (02/11/2025), Dr. Hess doubled down: Generally speaking, the Haredi parties in Knesset do not send delegates to the Zionist Congress, but this new [American] party, Eretz HaKodesh, is associated with the United Torah Judaism party, and they managed to win 25 out of 152 seats. A very strong showing for a new party. All of a sudden, the liberal movements became a minority for the first time, while Haredi Jews, who make up only about 5% of American Jewry, have more than 16% of the vote. While his statistics may be questioned, his message is clear. It is only as a result of Eretz Hakodesh that the liberal movements he champions are now a minority in the Congress. Billions of dollars hang in the balance. Beezras Hashem, those of us who care about the future of Am Yisroel in Eretz Yisroel will raise our collective voice March 10 May 4th, and take action to ensure that Torah values remain at the heart of our nation. The final word goes once more to our friend Dr. Hess: When you dont vote, all these billions and all this influence go to those who do. Not voting is voting. VOTING HAS BEGUN! VOTE NOW ERETZHAKODESH.ORG The WZO is the umbrella term for the National Institutions which include Keren Kayemeth LeYisrael, (KKL/JNF), the Jewish Agency (JAFI), and Keren Hayesod (United Israel Appeal), the official fundraising arm of the State of Israel. Collectively, these bodies have a $2.3 billion annual budget. Britons will have the chance to win their very own dream renovation project chateau in France thanks to a new television show. Chateau DIY: Win the Dream will see aspiring chateau owners compete in challenges to prove they have what it takes to win a French chateau. Contestants in the series will be challenged to showcase their design, renovation skills and business acumen in a series of heats throughout the show. The chateau up for grabs has yet to be selected, but will be worth up to 250,000 and have multiple bedrooms, living quarters and outbuildings. After three weeks of heats, a select few will be put through to the final weeks of the competition. Only one pair will win their dream chateau. The new show will be on Channel 4 and is being created by Spark Media North, the team behind Channel 4's hit show, Chateau DIY. A lot of work: The character properties have sometimes been neglected for decades Anyone keen to take part as a contestant in the series can visit an online page to find more about how to apply. Joff Hatfield-Powell, of Spark Media North, is the executive producer of Chateau DIY: Win the Dream. Speaking to This is Money, Joff said: 'Finding the perfect property has been challenging but I have managed to narrow it down. 'Not only do I need something that delivers the 'wow' factor for filming purposes, but we need a tangible asset that can be renovated with enough still to be done in the future that we can continue to follow their progress. 'Some DIY just isnt television worthy, so I want a property which is already connected to water with an electricity supply so that we can get stuck in with the renovation from the start. 'Geographically, your money goes further in the north, so this was also a consideration, though there are some absolute steals in the south of France, if you know where to look.' Joff Hatfield-Powell: The exec producer of Chateau DIY reveals his five tips to consider if you're tempted to buy a French chateau He added: 'This new series is our most ambitious yet - a high stakes competitive reality show that will captivate audiences and offer one of the biggest prizes in daytime TV history.' Channel 4's senior commissioning editor, Jayne Stanger, said: 'Chateau DIY has been one of Channel 4's most popular daytime series and we're very excited to bring this grand competition to life. 'It will offer the perfect blend of glorious escapism and real-life twists and turns that our viewers love to follow.' Chateau DIY launched on Channel 4 in 2021 following the huge success of Escape to the Chateau and Escape to the Chateau DIY. Both titles were created by Spark Media Partners, the production entity founded by Mark Baker and Steve Havers. Winning a chateau in France sounds like a dream, but buying and renovating property overseas is not for the feint hearted. Although the prosect of buying a bargain chateau is appealing, some may have been uninhabited for decades resulting in poor insulation, damaged roofs and general neglect. It can take a lot of money and effort to restore chateaus into something that will make you a profit or a decent home. Joff's five tips for Britons tempted by a French chateau Joff has five tips for Britons looking to purchase a chateau in France. 1. Know your intention and legal requirements Post-Brexit, you can only spend 90 days out of each 180 in a European country if you are not relocating permanently. If you're retiring to live in a chateau in France, you'll have to prove you have money in your bank to support your lifestyle. If you're moving out to run the chateau as a business, you'll have to supply a business plan to prove income and then secure a Carte de Sejour which is a 10-year visa to live and work in the country. 2. Be aware if business registration is required If you are buying the chateau to set up a business, you will need to register this business and get all relevant licenses and visas approved, whether running the chateau as a chamber d'hote or an events venue. On top of this you will also need to check which liquor and food licenses may be applicable. 3. Use a local agent If you're in the UK, a French agent knows the local areas and can view multiple properties for you without incurring travel costs for you from the offset. You will pay them a fee, but it will save you time and money in the long run and ultimately, they take a commission on any property you offer on regardless. 4. Get a survey When you have found your dream chateau or castle, make sure you get a detailed, structural survey completed on the property. These historic buildings can often have a multitude of hidden issues that can quickly become very expensive to rectify post completion. Check sewage, electric supply, the roof, flooring and any water damage to the building. Also be sure of what your land perimeters are and any right of access across this land. 5.Think ahead Unlike in the UK, once you have exchanged on a property in France the vendor is contractually obliged to sell the property to you. Before you exchange, make sure you are aware of all the taxes, fees, visa requirements and licenses you will need for whatever purpose you are buying the chateau for. As a footnote, I also advise learning the language for a more comfortable life in France. Imtiaz Ahmed, executive director at the Center for Alternatives, introduces the survey "National Image of China in Bangladesh," in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 11, 2025. Around 90 percent of Bangladeshi respondents have favorable stance on China and their satisfaction is increasing over the past three years, according to a leading local think-tank survey. The survey, "National Image of China in Bangladesh," released on Tuesday, found that the overall image of China in Bangladesh has improved and shows consistent trends in several areas, including Bangladesh-China economic relations, people's perception of the Chinese society and economic situation. (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua) DHAKA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Around 90 percent of Bangladeshi respondents have favorable stance on China and their satisfaction is increasing over the past three years, according to a leading local think-tank survey. The survey, "National Image of China in Bangladesh," released on Tuesday, found that the overall image of China in Bangladesh has improved and shows consistent trends in several areas, including Bangladesh-China economic relations, people's perception of the Chinese society and economic situation. This finding has been used to compare the three surveys conducted in 2022, 2023 and 2024, which were aimed at understanding the perceptions of the Bangladeshi people about China in general and their perceptions of the different aspects of the Bangladesh-China relationship. The Center for Alternatives conducted the survey and found that it reflects a growing acknowledgement of the country's cultural heritage and global influence, with dominant power perceptions remaining the key theme. And most respondents lauded China's emerging role in solving the Rohingya crisis and mitigating the protracted conflict situation in the Middle East. The survey showed that diplomatic ties have been marked by mutual respect, with China being a key development partner for Bangladesh. The findings also suggest a real need and scope exists for more significant cultural, educational, and social interactions between the people of China and Bangladesh. This survey was conducted from October to November 2024 among 5,335 respondents across all eight divisions from different socio-economic backgrounds. Imtiaz Ahmed, executive director at the Center for Alternatives, told Xinhua that in several areas, particularly regarding bilateral relations, there has been consistent positive sentiment. And there has been quite a good positive count on the Belt and Road Initiative. He said that people expect more investment and people-to-people exchange. One new thing that has come up is regarding the health sector. People expect that more collaboration and more changes can be done in this area, where the Bangladeshi health sector can develop as much as China's health sector has done. For his part, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said these surveys have showcased the Bangladeshi people's perception of China in social, economic, and cultural fields, as well as their friendly sentiments towards China. They particularly highlight some trend-based changes and positive developments over the past three years, Yao added. Yao stated that these data reflect the support and endorsement from the Bangladeshi people for China's friendly policies towards all Bangladeshi people. Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen delivers a speech at an event to release the survey "National Image of China in Bangladesh," in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 11, 2025. Around 90 percent of Bangladeshi respondents have favorable stance on China and their satisfaction is increasing over the past three years, according to a leading local think-tank survey. The survey, "National Image of China in Bangladesh," released on Tuesday, found that the overall image of China in Bangladesh has improved and shows consistent trends in several areas, including Bangladesh-China economic relations, people's perception of the Chinese society and economic situation. (Photo by Habibur Rahman/Xinhua) BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- China's centrally-administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have intensified their investment efforts in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to bolster regional development. According to a conference hosted by the Xinjiang regional government on Wednesday in Beijing, more than 40 central SOEs carried out 336 projects in the region last year, with an actual investment of over 280 billion yuan (about 39.1 billion U.S. dollars), a 63.7 percent annual surge. The investments span multiple sectors such as petroleum, natural gas, coal, new energy and transportation. Notable projects include a shale oil base that exceeded an annual production output of 1 million tonnes in 2024, marking a breakthrough in China's shale oil exploitation. Furthermore, the 22.13-km Tianshan Shengli Tunnel -- the world's longest expressway tunnel -- completed tunneling last year. Once operational, it will reduce travel time across the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains from several hours to just about 20 minutes. In 2025, over 40 central SOEs will invest more than 380 billion yuan in Xinjiang, said Chen Weijun, vice chairman of the regional government. Project cooperation will cover energy storage, intelligent computing centers, equipment manufacturing and medicine, among other fields. Central SOEs have played a pivotal role in promoting employment, improving livelihoods, and fostering industrial development and economic growth in Xinjiang, said Chen. Xinjiang's GDP grew by 6.1 percent last year, surpassing the 2 trillion yuan mark. As the region celebrates its 70th anniversary of establishment this year, it aims for strong social and economic development in 2025. VIENTIANE, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Laos' Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare will host the fourth National Skills Competition next month to promote skilled professions among youth and identify top-skilled workers to represent the country at the 14th WorldSkills ASEAN Competition in the Philippines later this year. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Lao Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Phongxaysack Inthalath stated that the event will take place from April 28 to 30, under the theme "Lao Skills Advancing to Regional and International Levels." The competition will feature five skill categories, including electrical installation in buildings, graphic design technology, food preparation, wood cabinet making, and website technology. The national skills competition is a key initiative to enhance workforce capabilities and prepare skilled Lao workers for regional and international labor markets. It also provides a platform for young people, vocational students, and workers from all backgrounds to showcase their talents. It encourages youth to recognize the value of vocational training and skills development, fostering a new generation of highly skilled professionals. Phongxaysack highlighted that the competition emphasizes the importance of vocational education and helps workers develop skills that meet international standards. The goal is to improve product quality, increase employer confidence in skilled labor, and strengthen cooperation between businesses and vocational institutions, ultimately contributing to the growth of Laos' workforce. Books are displayed during the London Book Fair in London, Britain, March 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ying) LONDON, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The London Book Fair (LBF), one of the world's premier publishing events, opened on Tuesday, highlighting China's publishing achievements, global collaborations, and growing influence in the industry. Running through Thursday, the fair is expected to draw more than 30,000 publishing professionals and over 1,000 exhibitors from around the world. "Book fairs like this and working with publishers globally, including those from China, are essential for sharing knowledge," said Martin Liu, chief operating officer and publisher at LID Publishing. His London-based company is responsible for the English edition of The Power of Time, a Chinese publication. Liu noted that after the book's launch, he and his colleagues were "amazed" by the diversity and world-class quality of books from China, emphasizing that Chinese publishers play a crucial role in bringing Chinese literature and ideas to global readers. At the China stand, more than 50 Chinese publishers and book trade companies are showcasing over 4,000 high-quality publications. The three-day event features approximately 40 activities, including book launches, copyright signings, and reader seminars, underscoring China's commitment to fostering international literary dialogues. Yang Hao, author of Diablo's Boys, expressed excitement ahead of her book's English edition launch. "I have waited a long time for this translation and publication, and I am extremely excited," she told Xinhua, adding that despite language differences, the essence of the book remains intact. She said she hopes international readers will appreciate the "different texture" of the translated version. Amid the evolving global publishing landscape, Richard Charkin, former president of the International Publishers Association, told Xinhua that the publishing industry has a responsibility to act as a "gatekeeper and purveyor" of quality information in an era where the reliability of information is increasingly being challenged. First launched in 1971, the LBF remains a key event for the literary world. Its theme for this year is "Defining the Future of Creative Content." This photo taken on March 11, 2025 shows a view of London Book Fair in London, Britain. (Xinhua/Li Ying) Exhibitors attend London Book Fair in London, Britain, March 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ying) An exhibitor attends London Book Fair in London, Britain, March 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ying) A man reads at a booth displaying China-themed books at London Book Fair in London, Britain, March 12, 2025.(Xinhua/Li Ying) People talk at a booth displaying China-themed books at London Book Fair in London, Britain, March 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ying) China-themed books are displayed at London Book Fair in London, Britain, March 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ying) A woman walks past a booth displaying China-themed books at London Book Fair in London, Britain, March 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ying) China-themed mini books are seen at London Book Fair in London, Britain, March 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ying) A proposed law to help thousands of mother-and-baby-homes survivors accept compensation without losing access to benefits has been tabled in the UK Parliament. Labour MP Liam Conlon moved Philomenas Law, named after survivor and campaigner Philomena Lee, as he warned that many survivors living in Britain have been deterred from making an application to the compensation scheme operated by the Irish government. Mr Conlon said current rules mean any money accepted through the scheme would be considered as savings and could see the survivor lose means-tested benefits and financial support for social care. He added that ministers in Westminster could help up to 13,000 women by amending UK law to remove the risk, in line with similar changes made to help victims of the 7/7 London bombings and payments made under the Windrush compensation scheme. Family members of Ms Lee watched in the House of Commons as Mr Conlon presented the Bill on Wednesday. Oscar-winner Dame Judi Dench portrayed Ms Lee in the 2013 film Philomena, which documented her 50-year search for her forcibly adopted son, Anthony. Mr Conlons Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme (Report) Bill would require the UK Government to examine the potential merits of making the change. The MP for Beckenham and Penge told the Commons: Philomena is one of tens of thousands of women and their infant children who spent time in mother-and-baby homes across Ireland for the perceived sin of becoming pregnant outside of marriage. The women were regularly used as unpaid labour and infant mortality was alarmingly high. They experienced harsh conditions, mistreatment and abuse, both physical and psychological. In certain homes, women were routinely separated from their children, with some being adopted against the wishes or knowledge of their mothers, as happened to Philomena Lee and her son Anthony. As a direct result of the abuse and trauma they experienced, many mother-and-baby-home survivors moved to England. In some cases they came here because they thought that disappearing from their home country was the only way to protect their familys reputations. And so for decades, thousands of survivors, including here in Britain, lived in secrecy and shame. Mr Conlon said the Irish government later apologised and the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme opened to applications last year. He said: Ultimately, the scheme aims to acknowledge the suffering and improve the circumstances of former residents of mother-and-baby homes, which is why its wrong that up to 13,000 survivors living here in Britain today risk losing their benefits if they accept this compensation. Under our current rules, any money accepted through this payment scheme would be considered savings and could see them lose means-tested benefits and financial support for social care. For some, it is deterring them from making any application at all, its one of the reasons why only 5% of survivors in Britain have applied so far. And for others, having received the compensation offer, they are now having to weigh up whether its worth accepting the money or if to do so would sink them into a worse financial situation overall. Mr Conlon said for many survivors the payment scheme had become an additional burden but noted there was a relatively simple solution. He said: The introduction of an indefinite capital disregard, which my Bill is proposing, would remove any risk to an applicants benefits and there is also strong precedent for this with the same arrangements having been applied to similar special compensation schemes in the recent past. They include those introduced for the victims of the 7/7 London bombings and payments made under the Windrush compensation scheme. Mr Conlon asked for his Bill to be considered at second reading on March 28. Laura Harmon, a Labour member of the Irish parliaments upper house, said in a statement: I welcome this Bill and Philomenas Law will deliver justice to thousands of mother-and-baby homes survivors living in Britain. She added: No amount of money can rectify the wrongs that were inflicted on survivors but access to this scheme should be uncomplicated for all survivors. Have to admit . . . We're a bit jealous because TKC will NEVER get one of these fancy profiles form the city college . . . Check high praise and our TKC perspective . . . What Kangaroos don't know or won't show is that Ms. Kander is almost singularly responsible for shaping the politics of the Mayor's office over the past 20 years and she's done it whilst evading almost every kind of public scrutiny. Now, enjoy the cover story . . . This family motto has seen Diana Kander throughout her life: fleeing the Soviet Union as an 8 year old, to a debate-scholarship student who graduated from UMKC in two and a half years, to a Georgetown-educated attorney, university professor, the founder of 10 companies, consultant to Fortune 500 companies and government leadership teams, and on top of all that, a New York Times bestselling author. I came from a country that encouraged conformity and memorization while harshly discouraging individuality or academic curiosity, Kander said. UMKC embraced my inner entrepreneur and opened my eyes to what was truly possible in America. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Two things . . . THIS LOW TURNOUT VOTE IS UP FOR GRABS & ACTIVISTS KNOW THIS IS THEIR BEST CHANCE TO TORPEDO A NEW KANSAS CITY JAIL!!! Moreover . . . LOCAL ANTI-POLICE RHETORIC CAPITALIZES ON FRUSTRATION WITH FEDERAL CUTS!!! Agree or disagree . . . Understanding (anti-police) arguments against the tax is important as Kansas City activist rhetoric seems to be gaining traction by way of their contention that cash for the jail takes away community funds. Check-it . . . Members of the police and fire departments gave a packed South Kansas City Alliance meeting details Monday on how the $20 million - $25 million the tax generates each year has traditionally been spent. Decarcerate KC and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference both oppose the tax, saying this time around its not clearly supporting police, fire or EMS. "We are trying to make it clear and let people know that if they are voting for this you are actually voting for a defunding of resources, so that the majority of the resources will be going to a city jail," Decarcerate KC's Amaia Cook said. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Last week there was an outpouring of sympathy for legendary Kansas City DJ Johnny Dare after his show was abruptly cancelled after 32 years on air. Long after the dust settled . . . Former Kansas City Star scribe Hearne Christopher offered his two cents on the media future of his far more beloved cowtown MSM counterpart. For those who might not remember . . . In the 1990s Mr. Christopher was the top gossip columnist in Kansas City and he's the son of a former KC power broker and investment firm owner that, at one time, achieved B-list elite status right under the likes of the Kauffman & Kemper families. Translation . . . Hearne was KC's favorite "nepo baby" before the term was popular amongst the Gen Z scumbags. Fun fact, half of that top photo comes from a DUI bust mug shot that earned a surprising bit of local media coverage in the heady daze of 2009 wherein the former scribe still had a long list of enemies waiting to lash out over grievances from mostly forgotten dead-tree media columns. Full disclosure . . . More than a decade ago TKC filed quite a few posts for Christopher's blog. It was a fun time and we met a few nice people through it that we wouldn't have encountered otherwise. As far Hearne Christopher is concerned . . . In fact, he does have an insider perspective here given that he was buddies with the late, great KC comedy club owner Craig Glazer who was the constant target of Johnny Dare's cruelest jokes. Here's the quote that inspired this post and casts shade on Dare's future . . . "Does anybody with a brain much larger than a pea that knows how to use a computer or iPhone wanna get down and dirty with 90s radio humor?" In fairness to Johnny Dare . . . That's a cynical take that doesn't give much credit to an incredibly successful broadcaster and his ability to change & adapt to the new media landscape. The www.TonysKansasCity.com perspective . . . Johnny Dare has a lot to offer online audiences and this turning point in his career offers an opportunity wherein he could finally expand beyond Kansas City's borders by way of online podcasting & streaming. Consider . . . Dare already has a substantial social media following that outpaces anything that Hearne Christopher or most local media outlets have achieved. Also . . . It's simply bad form to try and hit somebody when they might be down or imagine that they can't find success where Hearne's blogging adventures were substantial but eventually fell off after a decade of promising his loyal readers a more consistent/interesting effort. Developing . . . MEXICO CITY, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday that she will send a diplomatic note to the United States after a U.S. envoy criticized her at a UN conference for holding a political rally Sunday in Mexico's capital. The rally was meant to inform the public about the latest U.S.-Mexico negotiations that led Washington to agree to pause some trade tariffs on Mexican goods. Cartwright Weiland, U.S. envoy to the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, said that it is too soon to celebrate when women and children are shot to death in Mexican places. "The truth is there is no reason why, at a United Nations event, he is offering his opinion on an event in Mexico," the president told her daily press conference. U.S. President Donald Trump has said the trade tariffs are designed to pressure Mexico into doing more to crack down on immigration and drug trafficking along the U.S.-Mexico border. Already there's a dearth of local home building . . . Here's another factor that could make the situation worse . . . Check-it: As homes go up around the Kansas City area, there are concerns prices could go up, too. President Donald Trump is considering a steep tariff on Canadian lumber, which comprises about 30% of all lumber used in U.S. home building, including many homes in Kansas City. But beyond the price, the uncertainty these tariffs have created in the stock market and other parts of the economy will also play a role in homebuilding. I dont think theres any question that its going to have some effect, said Will Ruder, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Weather Alert Take action to protect yourself and others extreme heat can affect everyones health. Determine if you or others around you are at greater risk of heat illness. Check on older adults, those living alone and other at-risk people in-person or on the phone multiple times a day. Watch for the early signs of heat exhaustion in yourself and others. Signs may include headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst, dark urine and intense fatigue. Stop your activity and drink water. Heat stroke is a medical emergency! Call 9-1-1 or your emergency health provider if you, or someone around you, is showing signs of heat stroke which can include red and hot skin, dizziness, nausea, confusion and change in consciousness. While you wait for medical attention, try to cool the person by moving them to a cool place, removing extra clothing, applying cold water or ice packs around the body. Drink water often and before you feel thirsty to replace fluids. Close blinds, or shades and open windows if outside is cooler than inside. Turn on air conditioning, use a fan, or move to a cooler area of your living space. If your living space is hot, move to a cool public space such as a cooling centre, community centre, library or shaded park. Follow the advice of your regions public health authority. Plan and schedule outdoor activities during the coolest parts of the day. Limit direct exposure to the sun and heat. Wear lightweight, light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing and a wide-brimmed hat. Never leave people, especially children, or pets inside a parked vehicle. Check the vehicle before locking to make sure no one is left behind. Humidex values reaching 40 are expected. A heat event is expected Saturday to Sunday. What: Daytime highs of 31 to 33 degrees Celsius and a humidex of 40. Overnight lows of 21 to 25 degrees Celsius, providing little relief from the heat. When: Saturday to Sunday, coming to an end Sunday night. ### For more information: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/climate-change-health/extreme-heat/how-protect-yourself.html https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/climate-change-health/extreme-heat/who-is-at-risk.html Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to ONstorm@ec.gc.ca or post reports on X using #ONStorm. Join IT Nature Club this June for an exciting birding trip to Kyrgyzstan. (TRAVPR.COM) INDIA - March 11th, 2025 - IT Nature Club is excited to announce a birding trip to the beautiful landscapes of Kyrgyzstan this June. This trip offers a unique opportunity for bird enthusiasts to explore the diverse avian species in the region, including the majestic Lammergeier, the elusive Himalayan Snowcock, and many more. Participants will enjoy guided tours led by experienced ornithologists, ensuring an enriching and educational experience. The trip will also include visits to stunning natural habitats such as the Tien Shan mountains and Issyk-Kul Lake, providing breathtaking views and excellent bird-watching opportunities. Join us for an unforgettable adventure filled with nature, learning, and camaraderie. Don't miss out on this chance to connect with fellow bird lovers and discover the avian wonders of Kyrgyzstan! For more details and registration, please contact the IT Nature Club. ### MyDesertSafariDubai.com has rolled out exclusive Liwa desert safari packages for travelers seeking a core Arabian adventure, attracting photographers, culture enthusiasts, and adventure lovers. (TRAVPR.COM) UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - March 11th, 2025 - MyDesertSafariDubai.com has rolled out exclusive Liwa desert safari packages for travelers seeking a core Arabian adventure, attracting photographers, culture enthusiasts, and adventure lovers. Abu Dhabi, UAE: 11th March 2025: MyDesertSafariDubai.com, one of the UAE's top desert tour operators, has introduced a new range of luxurious Liwa desert safari packages designed for travelers looking for an authentic Arabian experience. The packages offer an immersive adventure in the heart of the wonderful Arabian Desert, catering to a variety of travelers, from photographers and culture lovers to thrill seekers. About the Latest Liwa Desert Safari Packages The Liwa Desert is celebrated for its deep-rooted Bedouin culture, quiet ambiance, and soft golden dunes. My Desert Safari Dubai has meticulously crafted these packages to provide the right mix of cultural enrichment and pure adventure. Adventure: For seekers of core adventure, this package presents a wonderful action-packed experience, from camel rides to sandboarding and dune drives. Travelers can conclude their adventure activities with overnight camping, making the most of a cozy campfire and stargazing in the desert. Photography: This package, for photography admirers, comprises sunrise and sunset photography sessions, guided trips to camera-friendly spots, and, above all, overnight camping to capture the marvelous desert night sky. Culture Lovers: This package is for culture enthusiasts. It features Arabian meals, Bedouin culture experiences, and a camel farm tour to Liwa Oasis trip, bringing out the deserts full heritage. Speaking about the inspiration behind the launch of this safari package, MyDesertSafariDubais spokesperson said, We have aimed to craft an experience that beautifully captures the Arabian hospitalitys essence while showcasing the deserts mystique. 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To make a reservation for this exclusive package or to get the most recent information on MyDesertSafariDubai.com's offerings, interested persons may access the company's official site/social media pages, write to info@mydesertsafaridubai.com, or call up the customer service desk 9714208744 for a personalized consultation. About the Company MyDesertSafariDubai.com is a famed desert safari tour company offering personalized safari tours throughout the UAE. Committed to excellence, safety, and outstanding client service, the company offers numerous packages that present the mystical appeal of the Arabian Desert. ### BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese textile trade group on Wednesday called on major U.S. retailers to address international trade issues fairly and reasonably. The China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles made the remarks after it received complaints from members that certain U.S. retailers were pressing Chinese suppliers to cut prices. The chamber said it is verifying these claims and will take action to protect its members' legitimate interests if the situation is confirmed. Attributing issues currently arising in international trade to the unilateral tariff hikes imposed by the U.S. government, the chamber said Chinese and American businesses are all victims of these policies. "We hope companies from both countries can resolve shared concerns through friendly consultations and mutually beneficial solutions, and work together to deal with current difficulties while avoiding using market dominance unilaterally to disrupt supply chain stability," it said in a statement. BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A brief and solemn ceremony was held in Beijing Wednesday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Sun Yat-sen, a Chinese revolutionary and statesman. The ceremony in Zhongshan Park at the center of Beijing, named in honor of Sun, was attended by representatives from all sectors of society in the capital city. At 10:30 a.m., attendees stood at attention, observed a respectful silence, and bowed three times in front of Sun's statue. Representatives from the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK) Central Committee, the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Beijing municipal government, and the Beijing municipal committee of the RCCK presented floral baskets to Sun's statue. Sun was born in 1866 and passed away in 1925. He is known to the Chinese people as a great pioneer of China's democratic revolution for his leading role in the 1911 Revolution, which ended more than 2,000 years of feudal rule in China. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home International Space Station celebrates 150,000th revolution around Earth The International Space Station (ISS) Tuesday March 11, 2025 made its 150,000th revolution around the Earth since the beginning of its space mission Wednesday March 12, 2025 3:19 PM , ummid.com News Network [International Space Station as viewed from Space Shuttle. (NASA Image)] Moscow: The International Space Station (ISS) Tuesday March 11, 2025 made its 150,000th revolution around the Earth since the beginning of its space mission. "The station's anniversary revolution around our planet lasted from 1:32 pm Moscow time to 3:05 pm Moscow time, which was a flight from Indonesia's Sumatra Island to the Indian Ocean," Roscosmos said in a statement published on its Telegram channel Tuesday. "6.4 billion kilometres" The station has flown a total of 6.4 billion kilometres during its entire operation, UAE based WAM reported citing the statement issued by the Russian space agency. "This is 30 times more than the average distance from Earth to Mars, four times more than from Earth to Saturn and almost as far as the orbit of Pluto," it said. The starting point is 20th November 1998, when the first ISS module of the Zarya functional cargo block was inserted into orbit. "The ISS makes an average of 16 revolutions around the Earth every day", it said. About International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is a joint project of five space agencies and their contractors including - NASA (U.S.), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and CSA (Canadian Space Agency). The station was designed between 1984 and 1993. Elements of the station were in construction throughout the US, Canada, Japan, and Europe beginning in the late 1980s. The International Space Station (ISS) ends its operational life in 2030, and to usher the station to its doom NASA has awarded a contract to Elon Musk owned SpaceX to build a Deorbit Vehicle. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Two journalists arrested over 'abusive post' against Telangana CM Hyderabad Cyber Crime Wednesday March 12, 2025 arrested two female journalists for posting and amplifying allegedly abusive content against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy Wednesday March 12, 2025 8:25 PM , ummid.com News Network Hyderabad: Hyderabad Cyber Crime Wednesday March 12, 2025 arrested two female journalists for posting and amplifying allegedly abusive content against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. The journalists have been identified as Managing Director of Pulse News Pogadadanda Revathi and Thanvi Yadav, a reporter associated with the same channel. "The CEO of Pulse News, was arrested alongside a reporter, Tanvi Yadav, for allegedly posting derogatory comments on X against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy", the Crime Branch officials told media. The journalists, along with another person, were arrested after Telangana Congress Social Media Chief lodged a complaint with the Police against the three. According to the complaint, the Pulse News reporter in a purported video is interviewing an individual, who allegedly seen making "derogatory" and "abusive" comments about the Chief Minister. "Prima facie, the investigation revealed that there is a nexus between the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Pulse News. The video was shot at Telangana Bhavan," Additional CP Vishwa Prasad stated at a press meet. "Illegal Arrest" The BRS however denied the allegations and claimed Pulse News MD Pogadadanda Revathi had been arrested illegally. "The arrest of journalists who posted a video of a farmer talking about the hardships he faces under the Congress government is the culmination of this government's restrictive rule", KT Rama Rao of the BRS wrote on social media platform X. "Is this the constitutional rule that Rahul Gandhi is talking about?" he asked. Incidentally, Pulse News MD was arrested in a similar manner when the BRS was in power. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Charles Wong, Sun Yat-sen's great-grandson, pays tribute to his ancestor at the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, March 12, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Fei) TAIPEI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A century after Dr. Sun Yat-sen's passing, his legacy of pursuing the revitalization of China is still commemorated in Taiwan. On Wednesday, groups in Taipei paid tribute to the late leader to mark the centenary of his passing. They included Eric Chu, chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, which was founded by Sun; Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the KMT; and Chang Ya-chung, president of the Sun Yat-sen School in Taiwan. Charles Wong, Sun's great-grandson, bowed before a statue of his ancestor in Taipei. In a media interview, Wong said the correct path for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is realizing and transcending Sun Yat-sen's thought. Sun was born in 1866 and died on March 12, 1925. He is known among the Chinese people as a great pioneer of China's democratic revolution for his leading role in the 1911 Revolution, which ended more than 2,000 years of feudal rule in China. Sun visited Taiwan three times -- in 1900, 1913 and 1918 -- when the island was a Japanese colony. Inspired by his discourse, many young patriots emerged in Taiwan, some of whom headed to the mainland to participate in the revolution while others organized anti-Japanese efforts on the island. Lin Kuang-hway, who founded an association for the relatives of anti-Japanese patriots in Taiwan, told Xinhua that his grandfather, Lin Tsu-mi, had long been involved in planning and supporting the armed resistance against Japanese rule in Taiwan. "My late grandfather understood that it was only through national unity and a strong country that the Japanese colonial rulers could be expelled, and Taiwan could be reclaimed," Lin said. "This was his lifelong aspiration." Today, a number of counties and cities across Taiwan and the mainland have roads or parks named after Sun. In one such park in downtown Taipei, a memorial hall displays historic items related to Sun's life and work. While drafting the charter of Xing Zhong Hui, which translates to "Revive China Society" and was the antecedent of the KMT, Sun made the call for "revitalizing China," embodying the idea of national rejuvenation. "Unification is the hope of all Chinese nationals. If China can be unified, all Chinese will enjoy a happy life; if it cannot, all will suffer," Sun once said. Wednesday also marks Tree Planting Day, which is observed on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. For days, the KMT has been promoting tree-planting activities across the island. It has also organized events such as symposiums, exhibitions and concerts to commemorate the centenary of Sun's death. It is only by adhering to the 1992 Consensus and recognizing that both sides of the Strait belong to one China that a foundation for peaceful development can be built, said Lee Chien-rong, secretary-general of the Sun Yat Sen Academic and Cultural Foundation, adding that this will also enable joint efforts to fulfill Sun's vision of "revitalizing China." The two sides of the Strait should move toward each other, and Chinese people on both sides should work together to pave a broad path for national rejuvenation, said Hsieh Chih-chuan, a current affairs commentator in Taiwan. "Efforts should be made to promote the complete reunification of the motherland at an early date to fulfill the great aspiration Sun Yat-sen laid out a century ago," Hsieh said. This photo taken on Feb. 27, 2025 shows the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial House in the Yat-Sen Park in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan. (Xinhua/Liu Fei) By Akber Novruz The European Parliament has recently released a draft resolution on the so-called unlawful detention and sham trial of Armenian hostages in Azerbaijan making several proclamations of undying and shameful interest. The document, filled with inflammatory rhetoric and outright falsehoods, once again demonstrates how some members of the European Parliament (MEPs) continue to push anti-Azerbaijani narratives, largely influenced by the Armenian diasporas financial backing. One of the most striking aspects of the resolution is its use of the non-existent geographical entities Artsakh and Nagorno-Garabagh. This terminology, long abandoned even by Armenia itself, since the day of its 'contamination', reflects the height of hypocrisy and cynicism. While Yerevan has never officially recognized the separatist regime, the European Parliament now appears to be more invested in its so-called representatives than Armenia itself. The persistence of this fabricated narrative suggests that certain MEPs may have had financial ties to this separatist structure, making the imprisonment of its former leaders inconvenient for them. War criminals, not political prisoners The individuals in question are not political figures being persecuted but war criminals who have openly admitted their crimes. The Armenian-origin war criminals have confessed in their own words to the great crimes they committed. While one might argue that these individuals are helpless or coerced, the separatist leader himself stated that no one forces them to do this. The crimes committed here know no bounds, and their confessions only confirm this. Ruben Vardanyan, a key figure in funding separatist and terrorist activities in Azerbaijans Garabagh region, has been directly implicated in war crimes, crimes against humanity, terrorism, and the financing of armed groups. Eyewitness testimony has provided damning evidence of Vardanyans role in organizing military resistance and supporting terrorist activities against Azerbaijan. During court proceedings, Armenian-origin resident of Garabagh, Hayrapetyan Kamo Eduardovich, detailed how Vardanyan funded the construction of three military warehouses in Khankendi and Asgaran. He further testified that Vardanyan sponsored and financed armed groups, some composed of individuals aged 45-50, actively engaged in fighting Azerbaijani forces. Additionally, the court established that Vardanyan facilitated the transport of landmines from Armenia to Garabagh via the Lachin corridorclear evidence of his involvement in orchestrating military operations against Azerbaijan, ...and so on. The list continues; perhaps every detail about the court is available in English, not just on our website but throughout the entire internet. These testimonies expose the absurdity of the European Parliaments portrayal of Vardanyan and other detainees as victims of political persecution. The European Parliaments undying and endless selective approach to human rights is glaring. The same body that fails to take decisive action on human rights abuses in other parts of the world suddenly rushes to defend individuals who have confessed to funding terrorism. The call for sanctions against Azerbaijani judges and officials overseeing the trials is yet another demonstration of the EUs double standards and its refusal to acknowledge Azerbaijans sovereign legal system. Moreover, the European Parliaments condemnation of Azerbaijans decision to close the offices of UN bodies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is misleading. These institutions were not expelled but rather requested to align their operations with Azerbaijani lawsomething that should be expected in any independent state. This resolution is not an isolated incident but part of a broader campaign driven by deep-seated Turkophobia and anti-Azerbaijani sentiment among certain EU politicians. These same forces that remained silent during decades of Armenian occupation and war crimes are now attempting to pressure Azerbaijan to restore its territorial integrity. Despite this, Azerbaijan remains firm in upholding its sovereignty and will not be swayed by foreign interference. The trials of individuals like Ruben Vardanyan are being conducted transparently, with evidence available not only on Azerbaijani platforms but also across international sources. We are well aware of EP's behavior, which has not only soured but has also become utterly predictable. Perhaps, attempts by the European Parliament to distort the narrative will not change the reality: those responsible for war crimes must and will face justice. GARDEZ, Afghanistan, March 12 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and five others sustained injury, all members of the same family, as a lightning struck a house in the eastern Afghanistan's Paktia province on Tuesday night, provincial police spokesman Munib Zadran said Wednesday. The natural disaster took place late Tuesday night in Sayed Karam district, leaving a 14-year-old boy dead and injuring five others, including four of his siblings and an aged man, the official added, saying all the injured have been shifted to a hospital in the provincial capital Gardez. A similar incident claimed one life and injured four others in the Spinghar district of the eastern Nangarhar province a couple of months ago. Parts of Afghanistan, including Paktia province and the national capital Kabul, have experienced snowfall and heavy rains with thunder and lightning over the past one month. BEIRUT, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) urged Lebanon on Wednesday to adopt a unified financial reform program to facilitate economic recovery and restore investor confidence. During a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace in Beirut, Ernesto Ramirez Rigo, head of the IMF mission to Lebanon, outlined the IMF's vision for Lebanon's exit from its financial and economic crisis. According to a statement released by the Lebanese presidency, Rigo stressed that a coordinated plan, developed in partnership with Lebanese institutions and the IMF, would accelerate the country's recovery. For his part, Aoun thanked the IMF for its support and reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to implementing the necessary reforms, which he described as a national priority before being an international demand. In April 2022, the IMF reached a staff-level agreement with Lebanon to provide the country with 3 billion U.S. dollars in a 46-month financing program. However, it listed a series of reform measures in the country as a precondition for a final agreement to unlock the loan. KABUL, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The body of a seven-year-old boy, who went missing some 45 days ago in northern Afghanistan's Badakhshan province, was found on Monday, and his father demanded the authorities bring to justice those behind the heinous crime, local media reported on Tuesday. The boy named Osman who went missing in the Argo district of Badakhshan province was brutally killed by unknown persons, and his body was discovered from nearby hilltops, his father told local television Tolonews on Tuesday night, adding he has no enmity with anyone. This is the third heartbreaking incident of brutal attacks on children reported recently, according to locals. Police have earlier reported arresting two persons on charges of murdering an 11-year-old child in the northern Takhar and another four-year-old child in the neighboring Kunduz province a couple of days ago. In the meantime, police spokesman of Badakhshan province Ehsanullah Kamgar has vowed to make all-out efforts to bring those behind the murder of Osman to justice. Although the rate of crimes has been reduced over the past more than three years in the impoverished Afghanistan, criminal elements still attempt to kidnap members of well-off families for ransom in parts of the post-war country. Vietnam Briefing has developed into a premium source for insight on doing business in Vietnam. It publishes business news concerning foreign direct investment into Vietnam, including the most important tax, legal and accounting issues. The Vietnam Briefing Magazine was first published in 2009, and is contributed to by investment professionals based in Vietnam. Following the recent attacks carried out against civilians in the Alawite-majority region in Syrias coastal region, many Kurds are expressing fears that Syria is heading into yet a new wave of violence, especially targeting the countrys ethnic and religious minorities. In the city of Kobani in northern Syria, residents said the attacks against Alawites in western Syria were reminiscent of Islamic State atrocities against Yazidis in Sinjar, Iraq, and Syrian Kurds in Kobani. Click here for the full story in Kurdish. KATHMANDU, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Sichuan Airlines of China will launch regular commercial charter flights on March 18 to Pokhara, a popular tourist attraction and the second-largest city in Nepal. The first flight from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, will land at the Pokhara International Airport on March 18, and the airport shall have the first regular charter flight after it came into operation in January 2023, Wang Xin, a counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, said on Wednesday at a press conference in Pokhara. The charter flight shall be operated once a week on Tuesdays. The move is important progress in strengthening connectivity between China and Nepal, and will certainly further strengthen personnel exchanges and cooperation in various fields, as 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Wang said. The U.S. will resume military support for Ukraine after it agreed to a ceasefire plan. European leaders hold their own meetings on defense as U.S. priorities shift. The latest on U.S. trade tariffs and a look at the Economy following another day of losses on Wall Street. The impacts of foreign aid cuts are felt in Africa, and a visit to a remote island in the Indian Ocean at the center of a geopolitical tug-of-war. Michael Makuei Lueth, South Sudans information minister, has publicly dismissed concerns about the countrys instability, claiming that rumors and social media fuel the fears. That claim is false. Several events on the ground and key assessments directly contradict Lueths assertion. United Nations assessment The United Nations has reported that the situation in South Sudan has deteriorated significantly. According to U.N. reports, tensions have been rising due to internal conflict, particularly between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those aligned with Vice President Riek Machar. The U.N. has also highlighted the fragile nature of the 2018 peace agreement that ended South Sudans civil war, with fighting taking place in regions such as Upper Nile and Nasir. Attacks on UN personnel On March 7, a U.N. helicopter evacuating South Sudanese troops was attacked, resulting in the deaths of U.N. personnel and several South Sudanese soldiers, including a senior general. This attack highlights the ongoing violence and risks to personnel operating in South Sudan. Regional military involvement The Ugandan military has deployed its special forces to assist South Sudans government in securing Juba and addressing growing instability. This move underlines the severity of the situation; deployment of foreign troops is usually a sign that the situation has reached a critical point. Militia activity and political tensions The White Army militia, associated with Machars forces, overran an army base in Nasir on March 4, killing soldiers and taking control of the city. This event is part of a larger pattern of militia activity throughout the country, fueling fears of renewed civil war. In addition, political tensions between Kiir and Machar are running high, with arrests of generals linked to Machar. US travel advisory The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 4 travel advisory for South Sudan, the highest warning possible. This advisory specifically states that there is a greater risk of life-threatening danger. The United States has advised Americans not to travel to South Sudan due to the presence of armed conflict and ordered nonessential personnel to leave the country. International Crisis Group The Brussels-based International Crisis Group, or ICG, said, Tensions are running dangerously high in South Sudan. The ICG has raised concerns over the possibility of renewed civil war, especially with militias such as the White Army taking control of strategic areas such as Nasir. The ICG also warned that fighting in Upper Nile could spill over into other regions, including Sudan. The 2013-2018 civil war in South Sudan claimed the lives of some 400,000 people. Conclusion Lueths claim that there is no fear and that the situation is under control is false. Independent and international assessments provide a much different picture. These sources indicate a rapidly deteriorating security situation, with growing violence, political instability and the possibility of renewed civil war. The presence of foreign military forces, such as the Ugandan special forces in Juba, along with the U.S. travel advisory, further underscore the serious and escalating nature of the crisis in South Sudan. Bosnian state prosecutors on Wednesday ordered the arrest of Russian-backed Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and his aides for ignoring a court summons, raising the stakes in a standoff that threatens the Balkan country's stability. The decision was taken two weeks after a separate case in which Dodik was sentenced to a year in jail for defying the rulings of an international peace envoy, a spokesperson from the state security agency, SIPA, said. Prosecutors have sought the help of Bosnia's State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) in the arrest, which comes after Dodik and aides ignored a court summons. It was not clear if the plan was to detain Dodik or to accompany him to answer the summons. The state prosecutors' office was investigating Dodik, the pro-Russian nationalist president of Bosnia's autonomous Serb Republic, for what it described as an attack on constitutional order after he initiated the adoption of laws barring state judiciary and police from the region after his sentencing. "We have received a request from the court police of Bosnia and Herzegovina to assist them," SIPA spokeswoman Jelena Miovcic said. Serb Republic television, citing the regional government, reported that the state prosecution has also ordered the arrest of Serb Republic Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic and regional parliament president Nenad Stevandic over ignoring summons in the case of the attack on constitutional order. The Serb Republic is one of two regions created to end a 1992-95 war that killed more than 1000,000 people in multi-ethnic Bosnia. They are linked by a weak central government in a state supervised by an international authority to stop it slipping back into conflict. Encouraged by the enthusiastic reception to its DeepSeek artificial intelligence platform in January, China's leaders are going all out to encourage AI companies to harness the power of this technology to compete with the United States and other countries in business and military spheres. China considers AI an important tool to handle U.S. restrictions on Chinese business, particularly after DeepSeek shook up Wall Street, resulting in a loss of $589 billion for Nvidia stockholders in late January. "The government in China works directly with the private sector and universities in the advancement and deployment of AI technology and are reducing their dependence on imports of high-technology products," said Lourdes Casanova, director of Cornell University's Emerging Markets Institute. The past few weeks have seen China rolling out several new AI models, including Manus, which experts say can rival the latest model of ChatGPT. Industry experts were more than surprised to find that DeepSeek was equally efficient as ChatGPT, though it used older generation Nvidia chips. The U.S. has banned the supply of advanced chips. "China and the U.S. have pulled way out front in the AI race. China used to be one to two years behind the U.S. Now, it is likely two to three months," Jeffrey Towson, owner of Beijing-based TechMoat Consulting, told VOA. "Alibaba's Qwen is now a clear leader internationally in LLMs [large language models]. Chinese Kling AI and Minimax are arguably the global leaders in video generation," Towson said. Government involvement In 2017, China released an AI development program to make the country a world leader by 2030. The government's Next Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan said that AI would be adopted across different sectors and drive economic transformation. "China has the most elaborate AI strategy compared to any other country," Rogier Creemers, assistant professor in Modern Chinese Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands, told VOA. China has established a National Computing Power Grid somewhat like electricity grids making it possible for Chinese AI companies to invest less in their own computing power. In the U.S., each company must fend for itself, Creemers said. Competition ChatGPT's updated GPT4 large language model has gotten the attention of several top-ranking CEOs of Chinese tech companies. Baidu chief Robin Li recently said his firm was under "huge pressure and a sense of crisis" after seeing the updated ChatGPT. Baidu, which has launched Ernie Bot, said "the gap [between China] and leading international levels [in the field] has widened." "AI plus robotics is likely where China will take a commanding lead over the U.S., just like in EVs, Towson said. Chinese companies like Unitree are already pulling ahead. Watch for China to surprise everyone in personalized robots, industrial robots and speciality robots, he said. Communist Party control Chinese President Xi Jinping recently convened a meeting with heads of private companies, including tech firms, calling on them to "show your talent" in overcoming challenges such as an economic slowdown and U.S. restrictions on Chinese business. "There are discussions that the growth of large language models the technology behind chatbots like DeepSeek and ChatGPT may be hindered by media censorship, because the models will have less diverse data to work with," said Creemers. On the other hand, the government's control ensures industrial policy coordination, which is helpful in the growth of AI in China. China is focusing more on specialized software for health and other industries, which can largely tolerate political censorship. Chinese AI models are improving diagnostic accuracy in diverse areas from detecting rib fractures to cancer. US ban on advanced chips "It will take some time, but it would not be a surprise if China is also soon capable of building advanced chips for AI," Cornells Casanova said. Companies such as Huawei have shown that they can design and manufacture advanced chips successfully, thereby overcoming restrictions imposed by the U.S., she said. Towson said China is 100% dedicated to building an independent semiconductor supply chain. "It is advancing faster than anyone thought possible. But the frontier is always advancing, and it's unclear how this will play out over time," he said. "But you can do a lot with software, Creemers said. China can work with more chips with less computing power or with fewer sophisticated chips." The risk for China is not limited to chips, because the Trump administration could impose restrictions on the Chinese AI model. It could also react to Chinas restriction on the use of ChatGPT, because it can violate its censorship rules. AI and the military China's air force is using AI-powered biometric tests to screen potential pilots as part of a rigorous hiring process, according to state broadcaster CCTV. "AI now plays a crucial role in interpreting candidates' biological signals, revealing underlying health risks that might not be immediately apparent to human evaluators," CCTV said. "This data-driven approach allows the air force to predict long-term risks, ultimately ensuring that only the most suitable candidates are chosen." Chinese researchers have also revealed that the Chinese army has been using Meta's publicly available Llama model to develop an AI tool for potential military applications. China, Iran and Russia conducted joint naval drills Tuesday in the Middle East, offering a show of force in a region still uneasy over Tehran's rapidly expanding nuclear program and as Yemen's Houthi rebels threaten new attacks on ships. The joint drills, called the Maritime Security Belt 2025, took place in the Gulf of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the worlds crude oil passes. The area around the strait has in the past seen Iran seize commercial ships and launch suspected attacks in the time since President Donald Trump first unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. The drill marked the fifth year the three countries took part in the drills. This year's drill likely sparked a warning late Monday from the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which said there was GPS interference in the strait, with disruptions lasting for several hours and forcing crews to rely on backup navigation methods. "This was likely GPS jamming to reduce the targeting capability of drones and missiles," wrote Shaun Robertson, an intelligence analyst at the EOS Risk Group. "However, electronic navigation system interference has been reported in this region previously during periods of increased tension and military exercises." US-patrolled waters Russia's Defense Ministry identified the vessels it sent to the drill as the corvettes Rezky and the Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov, as well as the tanker Pechenega. China's Defense Ministry said it sent the guided-missile destroyer Baotou and the comprehensive supply ship Gaoyouhu. Neither offered a count of the personnel involved. Neither China nor Russia actively patrol the wider Middle East, whose waterways remain crucial for global energy supplies. Instead, they broadly cede that to Western nations largely led by the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet. Observers for the drill included Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates with the Americans likely keeping watch as well. However, China and Russia have deep interests in Iran. For China, it has continued to purchase Iranian crude oil despite facing Western sanctions, likely at a discount compared with global prices. Beijing also remains one of the top markets for Iranian imports. Russia, meanwhile, has relied on Iran for the supply of bomb-carrying drones it uses in its war on Ukraine. Iran highlights drills The drills marked a major moment for Iran's state-run television network. It has aired segments showing live fire during a night drill and sailors manning deck guns on a vessel. The exercises come after an Iranian monthslong drill that followed a direct Israeli attack on the country, targeting its air defenses and sites associated with its ballistic missile program. While Tehran sought to downplay the assault, it shook the wider populace and came as a campaign of Israeli assassinations and attacks have decimated Iran's self-described "Axis of Resistance" a series of militant groups allied with the Islamic Republic. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was also overthrown in December, further weakening Iran's grip on the wider region. All the while, Iran has increasingly stockpiled more uranium enriched at near-weapons-grade levels, something done only by atomic-armed nations. Tehran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes, even as its officials increasingly threaten to pursue the bomb. Iran's nuclear program has drawn warnings from Israel and the U.S., signaling that military action against the program could happen. But just last week, Trump sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei seeking a new nuclear deal. Iran says it hasn't received any letter but still issued a flurry of pronouncements over it. Houthis renew threats As a shaky ceasefire holds in Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yemen's Houthi rebels said they were resuming attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as well as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the two waterways. The rebels' secretive leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, warned Friday that attacks against Israel-linked vessels would resume within four days if Israel didn't let aid into Gaza. As the deadline passed Tuesday, the Houthis said they were again banning Israeli vessels from the waters off Yemen. Although no attacks were reported, it has put shippers on edge. The rebels targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors, since November 2023. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from the U.S. state of New Hampshire, will not seek reelection next year, a decision that will end the longtime senator's historic political career and deals a significant blow to Democrats who were already facing a difficult path to reclaiming the Senate majority. Shaheen was the first woman elected to serve as both governor and senator in the United States. She turned 78 in January. A spokesperson confirmed her decision through email. Even before Shaheen's move, Democrats were facing a challenging political map in next year's midterm elections especially in the Senate, where Republicans now hold 53 Senate seats compared with the Democrats' 47, including two independents who caucus with Democrats. The party that controls the Senate majority also controls President Donald Trump's most important political and judicial nominations and his legislative agenda. At least for now, Maine represents the Democrats' best pickup opportunity in 2026. Senator Susan Collins, the sole Republican senator remaining in New England, is the only Republican serving in a state Trump lost who's up for reelection. But with a four-seat advantage in Congress' upper chamber already, Republicans have legitimate pickup opportunities in Georgia, Michigan and now New Hampshire. Shaheen has been a political force in New Hampshire for decades and climbed through the ranks of Senate leadership to serve as the top Democrat on the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She likely would have been easily reelected had she sought another term. Former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, who served as ambassador to New Zealand in the first Trump administration, was considering a New Hampshire Senate bid even before Shaheen's announcement. Brown challenged Shaheen unsuccessfully in 2014. New Hampshire has narrowly favored Democrats in recent presidential elections, but the state has a long history of electing leaders from both parties. Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte was elected last fall, when Trump lost the state by less than 3 percentage points. Shaheen became the first woman elected New Hampshire governor, in 1996. She served for three terms and was later elected to the Senate in 2008. Direct peace talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels will begin in the Angolan capital on March 18, Angola's presidency said in a statement on Wednesday. The Southern African country has been trying to mediate a lasting ceasefire and de-escalate tensions between the DRC and neighboring Rwanda, which has been accused of backing the Tutsi-led rebel group. Rwanda denies those allegations. Angola announced on Tuesday that it would attempt to broker the direct talks. Congo's government has repeatedly refused to hold talks with M23 and on Tuesday said only that it had taken note of the Angolan initiative. There was no immediate comment from Kinshasa on Wednesday. The Russia-Ukraine war is on the agenda Thursday as foreign ministers from the G7 group of leading industrial nations meet in Canada amid a push to secure a ceasefire in the conflict. The talks in Quebec follow U.S.-Ukraine talks that included a U.S. proposal for "an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire," which Ukrainian leaders said they were ready to accept. "We must move toward peace. We must move toward security guarantees," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during his nightly address Wednesday. "The key factor is our partners ability to ensure Russias readiness not to deceive but to genuinely end the war." The Kremlin has said it was waiting to hear about the ceasefire proposal from U.S. officials. The White House said Wednesday that national security adviser Steve Witkoff was heading to Moscow for talks in the coming days. The G7 talks bring together ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, who is hosting the meetings, said Canada welcomes the U.S. proposal to halt the fighting in Ukraine and that a ceasefire is "the first step toward a just and lasting peace." "The ball is now in Russias court to show that it is likewise ready for a ceasefire and to put an end to the bloodshed. The world is watching," Joly said in a statement. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters en route to Canada on Wednesday that the U.S. will have "multiple points of contact" with Russia to assess its willingness for the peace deal. "Now, we all eagerly await the Russian response, and urge them strongly to consider ending all hostilities so a process can begin to find a permanent peace," Rubio told VOA on Wednesday. Rubio added there is a need for monitors if Russia agrees to a ceasefire. "If they [Russians] say yes, one of the things we'll have to determine is who do both sides trust to be on the ground to sort of monitor some of the small arms fire and exchanges that could happen," Rubio told reporters. At the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said it was "up to Russia now" to respond. "And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia," he said. "And if we do, I think that would be 80% of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath finished." Trump is hosting NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte for talks Thursday at the White House. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been imprisoned since 2021, was sentenced on Wednesday to nine more years in jail after being found guilty of embezzlement. Saakashvili, in office from 2004 to 2013, had been convicted of embezzling $3.3 million via expenses claims for what prosecutors called "luxury" spending. In a post on X after the sentencing, Saakashvili, who denies the charges and says the expenses were legitimate, called the verdict an "outrageous case of political persecution." Saakashvili was already serving a six-year sentence for abuse of power, having been jailed after returning to Georgia in 2021. He has spent much of that time in a prison hospital. The sentences will run concurrently, so Wednesday's ruling will keep him in jail until 2030. He is also on trial for entering Georgia illegally in 2021 and, separately, for a crackdown on protesters in 2007. Georgian television showed a commotion in court after the verdict was announced, with Saakashvili's supporters calling the judge a "slave" of the government. Now a deeply polarizing figure, Saakashvili rose to power on a tide of acclaim in the 2003 Rose Revolution. He reorientated Georgia towards the West and introduced public sector reforms that delivered rapid improvements in governance and the economy of the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million. However, the latter part of his tenure was marked by authoritarianism, police brutality, and a disastrous 2008 war with Russia. In 2012, his United National Movement lost an election to a coalition headed by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire businessman who is still Georgia's de facto leader. After leaving office, Saakashvili moved to Ukraine, where he briefly served as governor of the Odesa region. He returned in 2021, despite having been convicted in absentia of abuse of power, and was jailed on arrival. The ruling Georgian Dream party regularly accuses all opposition parties, including those critical of Saakashvili, of having links to him. In recent years, Georgian Dream has clamped down on opposition and steered the former Soviet republic closer to Moscow again. The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to block the ability of Congress to quickly challenge tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump that have rattled financial markets. The 216-214 vote, largely along party lines, delays lawmakers' ability for the rest of the year to force a vote that could revoke Trump's tariffs and immigration actions. Trump has made a blitz of tariff announcements since taking office, upending relations with key trading partners, including Mexico and China. This week he has ramped up a trade war with Canada, sending markets reeling and prompting business leaders to warn of weakening consumer demand. Trump has said the tariffs will correct unbalanced trade relations, bring jobs back to the country and stop the flow of illegal narcotics from abroad. Tuesday's vote effectively derails an effort to challenge Trump's Canada and Mexico tariffs, sponsored by Democratic Representative Suzan DelBene of Washington, which had been due to take place later this month. "Every House Republican who voted for this measure is voting to give Trump expanded powers to raise taxes on American households through tariffs with full knowledge of how he is using those powers, and every Republican will own the economic consequences of that vote," DelBene and a fellow Democrat, Representative Don Beyer from Virginia, said in a statement. Rule changes governing the House voting processes in the majority's favor are a common affair on Capitol Hill. "This is an appropriate balance of powers and we trust this White House to do the right thing, and I think that was the right vote and it was reflected in the vote count," House Speaker Mike Johnson said when asked by Reuters why he was comfortable giving more trade power to the executive branch. The provision was tucked into a procedural vote related to the Republicans' six-month stopgap funding bill. DelBene had sought to force a vote under the National Emergencies Act, which gives the president special powers in an emergency and was cited by Trump in his tariff actions. That law also allows for representatives to force a vote in the House within 15 days to revoke the president's emergency authority. The Senate would have to also pass the resolution for it to take effect. But Tuesday's vote tweaks how the House will count calendar days for the remainder of 2025, effectively blocking a vote of this kind this year. The voting change is the latest example of the legislative branch offloading its constitutional trade authority to the executive branch. "The international emergency economic powers have not been used before to impose tariffs, and many members want to have a chance to weigh in," said Greta Peisch, former general counsel to the U.S. Trade Representative. "Without a fast-track voting process, they are unlikely to have an opportunity to do so." People wait to get information at a railway station in Quetta, Balochistan province, Pakistan, on March 11, 2025. (Str/Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani security forces have killed at least 16 terrorists during an operation to rescue hostages following a train attack in the Kacchi district of the country's southwest Balochistan province on Tuesday, security sources said. The security sources told Xinhua at the wee hours of Wednesday that the military operation divided the terrorists into small groups, and an intense exchange of gunfire continued between the security forces and the attackers. According to the sources, the security forces successfully freed 104 hostages from the terrorists, including 58 men, 31 women, and 15 children. At least 17 injured passengers have been shifted to a nearby hospital, said the sources, adding that efforts are going on to ensure the safe release of remaining passengers. "Additional security personnel are participating in the ongoing operation. The noose around the terrorists has been tightened, and the operation will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated," the sources added. Earlier, official sources reported that a group of armed men opened fire on the Jaffar Express passenger train, which had about 450 passengers onboard, with several injured. Senior Pakistan Railways official Muhammad Kashif told Xinhua that the train was running from the southwestern city of Quetta to the northwestern city of Peshawar when militants launched the attack. "The attack occurred in a mountainous region where communication is severely restricted due to the lack of mobile service. In the last contact with the train, the driver reported that an explosion hit the railway track, forcing the train to stop. Immediately after, the militants opened heavy fire, injuring the driver and several passengers," Kashif said. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack on the train, praising the security forces for their bravery and professional expertise in confronting the terrorists. "Despite the difficult terrain, the morale of the security forces involved in the operation remains high. We will continue this war against terrorism until this menace is completely eradicated from the country," the prime minister said. Sharif added that every conspiracy aimed at spreading unrest and chaos in Pakistan would be foiled, and "we will never allow the evil intentions of anti-state elements to succeed." The proscribed terrorist outfit Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on a social media platform. People gather at a railway station in Quetta, Balochistan province, Pakistan, on March 11, 2025. (Str/Xinhua) Photo taken with a mobile phone shows an injured man getting treatment near Quetta, Balochistan province, Pakistan, on March 11, 2025. (Str/Xinhua) A policeman stands guard at a railway station in Quetta, Balochistan province, Pakistan, on March 11, 2025. (Str/Xinhua) Policemen work at a railway station in Quetta, Balochistan province, Pakistan, on March 11, 2025. (Str/Xinhua) A self-described member of a Russian organized crime group told a court on Tuesday that he tried to kill the Iranian American journalist and VOA host Masih Alinejad in New York in 2022. Khalid Mehdiyev told jurors that he was arrested in July 2022 in his car in Brooklyn while in possession of an AK-47 rifle and a ski mask. The 27-year-old made the admission in testimony at a trial in New York of his associates Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov, who are facing murder-for-hire and conspiracy charges. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran was allegedly behind the plot, according to prosecutors. Amirov and Omarov, both from Azerbaijan, have pleaded not guilty. If convicted, they face decades in prison. Media advocates say the case highlights how far the Iranian government will go to silence its critics. Irans Foreign Ministry did not immediately reply to VOAs email requesting comment. Prosecutors say Amirov, 45, and Omarov, 40, hired Mehdiyev to kill Alinejad, a vocal critic of Tehrans human rights abuses. She left Iran in 2009 and now lives in New York, where she is a host with Voice of Americas Persian Service. During opening statements on Tuesday, federal prosecutor Jacob Gutwillig said Tehran offered to pay Amirov and Omarov $500,000 to plan Alinejads murder. The defendants were hired guns for the government of Iran, Gutwillig said. Masih Alinejad was almost gunned down on the streets of New York City by a hitman sent by the defendants. In his testimony Tuesday, Mehdiyev said he observed Alinejad during a seven-day stakeout outside her home. He tracked when she watered her flowers and where and when she bought coffee, he said. I was there to try to kill the journalist. I know her as Masih, Mehdiyev told jurors. Mehdiyev, who is Azerbaijani, said he is cooperating with prosecutors after pleading guilty to attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm. He faces at least 15 years in prison. Prosecutors told the court they would present substantial electronic communications documenting the plan found on Omarovs accounts and devices. Amirovs lawyer, Michael Martin, said the evidence was circumstantial, while Omarovs lawyer, Michael Perkins, said the evidence would not show that his client planned to kill Alinejad. Alinejad, 48, told VOA she could not comment while the trial is ongoing. In a Tuesday afternoon post on X, Alinejad said that while Mehdiyev was testifying, she was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. As a witness, Im not allowed in the courtroom, so Im sitting outside, reliving the moment when that man stood with a loaded gun in front of my home, Alinejad wrote in the post. Alinejad is scheduled to testify later in the trial, Gutwillig said. Masih Alinejad inspires others in Iran and around the world to do the same thing. That is why they want to kill her. And you will hear all of that from Ms. Alinejad herself, he told the court. Alinejad has been targeted over her work for years. In 2018, Iranian officials allegedly offered to pay Alinejads relatives in Iran to invite her to Turkey, with the apparent goal of then bringing her to Iran for imprisonment, according to court documents. The relatives refused. Then, in 2021, Iranian operatives were accused of planning to kidnap Alinejad. An indictment described a plan to bring her from New York to Venezuela, which has close ties with Iran. Tehran has previously called the abduction allegations baseless. Iran ranks among the worst countries in the world in terms of press freedom, according to rights groups. The country is also among the top perpetrators of transnational repression. Security sources said Wednesday a Pakistani military operation rescued 190 passengers and killed 30 terrorists, a day after an attack on a train in Pakistans restive southwestern Balochistan province. The Jaffar Express, with roughly 450 people on board, was traveling north from Quetta, Balochistan, to Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, when it came under a bomb and gun attack Tuesday. As the operation continues beyond 24 hours, the train remains blocked in a tunnel near Sibi, Balochistan since Tuesday afternoon. Authorities dispatched coffins from Quetta railway station Wednesday afternoon, expecting casualties as forces moved ahead with efforts to take control of the train. Injured in the initial attack, the driver of the train has died. At least 37 injured people are in hospitals for treatment. The Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, quickly claimed responsibility for the brazen attack. In a statement to media, the banned separatist militant group claimed to be holding more than 200 hostages, which it said were security and intelligence personnel. Without sharing details about the number of hostages or their background, security sources said Wednesday that potential suicide bombers were holding hostages in three different places. Suicide bombers are wearing suicide jackets, security sources said, adding that suicide bombers were using innocent people as human shields. Threatening to kill the hostages, BLA demanded the release of political prisoners, missing persons, and what it called resistance workers held in Balochistan prisons. In the statement released hours after the attack, the group gave authorities 48 hours to comply. Reaction Officials have not publicly responded to BLAs demands. The attack on Jaffar Express is an attack on national security and will be responded to with full force, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said, condemning the attack. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the Ramadan attack shows, terrorists have no link with Islam, Pakistan or Balochistan. Freed passengers shaken by the incident told media they heard a blast and gunfire soon after the train entered a tunnel. Dont look back, Shafiq-ul-Rehaman said armed men who boarded the train told passengers, ordering them to leave with their families. We took cover under the seats, Ghulam Nabi, another freed passenger, told media about the moments soon after the attack. Earlier, Imran Hayat, divisional superintendent railways in Quetta told VOA that 70 passengers had arrived at Paneer train station Tuesday evening, about 6 kilometers from the site of that attack. Militants said they released dozens of women, children and Baloch passengers early on. However, security sources say the military rescued all the passengers freed so far. Difficult terrain Although just around 150 kilometers from the provincial capital Quetta, the scene of the attack, located in barren mountains, is hard to reach. "So far, it's no foot on the ground," railway official Hayat told VOA, noting the inability of railway staff to reach the scene. "It's a no signal area. They [attackers] stopped the train at a spot where there is no signal support," Hayat said. Provincial spokesperson Shahid Rind, earlier, told media that security forces, a rescue train and ambulances had been dispatched. An emergency was declared at the government hospital in Sibi, to facilitate receiving the injured. BLA surges The United States and Pakistan have both designated BLA as a terrorist group. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2025 released last week, Pakistan experienced a 45% increase in terrorism deaths last year, compared to 2023. That is the largest year-to-year rise in more than a decade. The BLA emerged as one of the top two militant groups driving the increase. According to the report, the separatist group and its ideological allies launched 504 attacks in 2024, compared to 116 in 2023. Deaths in the attacks surged from 88 in 2023 to 388 in 2024. The separatist group has been fighting a deadly insurgency against the Pakistani state, accusing it of exploiting the rich natural resources of the impoverished province. The group also opposes Chinese investment in Balochistan, which is home to the China-funded Gwadar port and the countrys biggest, yet largely unused airport. Both Pakistan and China reject the claims that their joint ventures are depriving ethnic Baloch from economic opportunities and their share in the province's mineral wealth. Security sources have said those involved in Tuesday's attack are based in Afghanistan. Islamabad has blamed several recent attacks on militants present on Afghan soil. Afghan Taliban routinely deny providing sanctuary to anti-Pakistan fighters. Recent attacks Since the beginning of the year, the BLA has ramped up attacks on security forces, settlers and workers, primarily from the eastern Punjab province. Earlier this month, a female suicide bomber detonated her explosive devices near a military convoy in Balochistans Kalat district, killing at least one security worker and injuring four others. Last month, BLA insurgents ambushed a bus transporting a paramilitary force in Kalat and killed 18 of those on board. Days later, a roadside bomb blast killed 11 coal miners in the city, while the BLA took credit for attacking a military vehicle securing a supply convoy for a mining company operated by China. Pakistani authorities reported the convoy was passing through Kalat when it came under attack, resulting in injuries to eight security personnel. Murtaza Zehri of VOA's Urdu Service contributed to this report from Quetta. The images shared by Kremlin-controlled media were shocking: Russian troops hunched, dirt on their faces, as they crept through an empty gas pipeline under Ukrainian defense lines. Since Kyiv launched its audacious cross-border assault into the Kursk region last August, Moscow has been pushing back hard, using unconventional tactics and deploying thousands of North Korean troops against the Ukrainian army. They have since stepped up their advances. In the past five days, Moscow has broken through Kyiv's defensive lines, reclaiming dozens of square kilometers of territory, according to military bloggers. Russian military bloggers reported Tuesday that Moscow's troops had entered the town of Sudzha, the largest settlement in the region under Kyiv's control. "The enemy is retreating in panic and disorder without [having] received any orders. That's it. It's a collapse," a Russian serviceman, who identified himself as Zombie, told Kremlin-run television. The result is that Kyiv may have lost one of its only bargaining chips on swapping land with Russia, which has seized and occupied around a fifth of Ukraine since it took Crimea in 2014 and launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. For Ukraine, which has painted a more controlled picture of the fighting, the stakes of its difficult operation in Kursk could hardly be higher. The assault last summer injected a much-needed morale boost into the Ukrainian war effort and represented the first and only incursion by a foreign army into Russian territory since World War II. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the operation was key to future negotiations on ending the war and that holding Russian territory would give Kyiv vital leverage. But that leverage just as Washington starts rounds of talks with Moscow and Kyiv is dwindling as Russian forces press forward. Franz-Stefan Gady, a military analyst, said Russia had built up its force in Kursk over recent weeks and escalated strikes on Ukraine's supply route. "The result is that now that the Russians are pushing a lot. Parts of the front line are actually giving way," he told AFP. The British defense ministry estimates Ukraine controls around 300 square kilometers of Kursk, a five-fold territorial loss since Kyiv launched its gambit. On Monday, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky conceded the situation was worsening. He dismissed reports Ukrainian troops were in danger of being encircled but acknowledged they had been forced to fall back and that he was sending forward reinforcements. One Ukrainian soldier who had been deployed in Kursk told AFP on Monday his unit had "fortunately" withdrawn five days earlier and described fighting there as "very" hard. Another, who had overseen operations from inside Ukraine and also asked not to be identified to speak freely about the dynamics of the fighting, said Russia's use of drones to disrupt logistics was a key problem. "It was the end, so to speak. And we started to get out of there because if we didn't, we would have been surrounded," he said, recounting the decision of some troops to leave Kursk because of resupply problems and Russian advances. From the outset, analysts were skeptical of the purpose of diverting thousands of Ukrainian troops and key military assets from front lines inside Ukraine that were under immense Russian pressure. With Moscow now clawing back land, this question remains. Russia last week even claimed to have captured a village inside Ukraine, Novenke, which lies just several kilometers from the vital Ukrainian resupply route into Kursk. The Institute for the Study of War has said that Moscow is consolidating its gains and likely preparing to attack the largest town still under Ukrainian control, Sudzha. Ukrainian officials said Wednesday a Russian missile attack hit the southern port city of Odesa overnight, killing four Syrians and injuring several other people. Oleksiy Kuleba, vice prime minister for reconstruction, said on Telegram that the missile struck a cargo ship that was being loaded with wheat set to be exported to Algeria. Russia is attacking Ukraine's infrastructure, including ports that are involved in ensuring the world's food security," he said. Another missile attack hit Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskyys hometown in the Dnipropetrovsk region, killing at least one person and injuring nine others, according to the regional governor. Governor Serhiy Lysak said the region also came under attack from Russian drones, and that the assaults damaged high-rise and administrative buildings, as well as a school. Officials in the Zaporizhzhia region said a Russian drone struck a medical van. Ukraines military said Wednesday it shot down 98 of the 133 drones that Russian forces launched overnight. The intercepts took place over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia and Zhytomyr regions, the military said. Russias Defense Ministry said Wednesday it destroyed 21 Ukrainian drones, with air defenses downing the aircraft over the Bryansk, Kursk and Kaluga regions, as well as the Black Sea and Russia-occupied Crimea. Officials in those areas did not report casualties or damage from the Ukrainian attacks. Some information for this story was provided by Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Security forces in Somalia say they killed all six attackers who laid siege to a hotel in the central town of Beledweyne and later killed at least 50 al-Shabab militants in airstrikes. Speaking to reporters, Beledweyne District Commissioner Omar Osman Alasow confirmed that the hotel siege ended early Wednesday. Our security forces successfully got rid of six militants who attacked a hotel where traditional elders and security officials were meeting, he said. Al-Shabab, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the hotel attack on Tuesday. Alasow said the government soldiers backed by African Union troops worked through the night to rescue elders, military officers and civilians trapped inside the hotel. During 18 hours of siege, our brave soldiers shot dead two militants, and four of them desperately blew themselves up when they realized that they could not escape, he said. Seven other people, including government security officials and two prominent traditional elders, were killed. Since August 2022, when Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called for a total war against al-Shabab, Beledweyne, a town near Somalias border with Ethiopia in Hirshabelle state, about 300 kilometers north of Mogadishu, has been the center of a local community mobilization against al-Shabab. The city has suffered more terrorist attacks than any other in Somalia except Mogadishu. Since 2009, hundreds of people have been killed in suicide attacks and car bombs on hotels, restaurants and government bases. The single biggest attack, in 2009, killed at least 25 people and injured 60 others. Airstrikes kill 50 militants Hours after ending this weeks hotel siege, Somalias National Intelligence and Security Agency, or NISA, said the countrys security forces killed dozens of al-Shabab members elsewhere in Hirshabelle. Coordinated airstrikes by the Somali army and international partners in the Middle Shabelle region have killed at least 50 al-Shabab militants, including senior leader in charge of the coordination of the groups combat vehicles, the NISA statement said. NISA said the airstrikes targeted the Damasha and Shabeelow areas and killed Mansoor Tima-Weeyne, a senior al-Shabab leader who masterminded the preparation and use of combat vehicles for terrorist attacks. In a separate statement, the Somali Military Command said, The operation was a significant blow to the group's combat capabilities and part of ongoing efforts to weaken terrorism in the region. Media outlets closed On another counterterrorism front, NISA said Wednesday that it closed 12 media outlets and websites linked to the Khawarij, a derogatory term referring to al-Shabab that loosely translates as those who deviate from the Islamic faith. This latest announcement followed another crackdown on over 30 al-Shabab-related websites. The operation targeted platforms spreading extremist ideologies, inciting violence, and disseminating false information. During the operation the government seized critical data and identified individuals involved, said a statement posted by the governments National News Agency. This story originated in VOA's Somali Service. U.S. and Ukrainian officials met Saudi Arabia, for talks on efforts to end Russias war with Ukraine, with both sides saying Kyiv supports a U.S. proposed 30-day ceasefire. Ukrainian and U.S. officials held talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to find a path towards ending the war with Russia. Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to travel later this week to Moscow. We speak with Thomas Graham, a distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday that he is launching a robust review of the world body to improve its efficiency and cut costs as it faces a worsening liquidity crisis. Resources are shrinking across the board and they have been for a long time, he told reporters. He said the initiative called UN80 and pegged to the organizations 80th anniversary this year seeks to expand and intensify reforms he has introduced since taking office in 2017, to make the world body more effective and cost-efficient. The U.N. chief did not give details on how much money his proposals could save or how many jobs it might cost, but said he plans to move quickly in areas where he has the authority and will send proposals to the 193 member states to review on decisions that are up to them. The effort will be led by a 14-person internal task force, which Guterres made clear will not be a U.N. version of DOGE the Elon Musk-run Department of Government Efficiency that has slashed the jobs of thousands of federal workers in the United States. We are talking about completely different processes, methodologies and objectives, he said. This is a continuation and an intensification of a work that we have always been doing. Since taking office seven weeks ago, the Trump administration has substantially reduced its voluntary contributions to U.N. funds, agencies and programs through its near-elimination of foreign aid programs and the initiation of the year-long withdrawal process from the World Health Organization, raising financial anxieties at the United Nations. Washington is the world bodys top donor. But Guterres noted that since he took office seven years ago, the U.N. has faced a growing cash crisis for many reasons, including because many countries do not pay their mandatory dues in full or on time. The secretary-general said his main concern is for the vulnerable people who will be cut off from help as a result of the cost cuts. Budgets at the United Nations are not just numbers on a balance sheet they are a matter of life and death for millions around the world, he said. The U.N. secretariat is a big bureaucracy, having around 9,000 staffers. Funds, agencies and programs have thousands more. The organizations regular budget for 2024-2025 was about $6 billion, but billions more are poured into the agencies, funds and programs. Guterres acknowledged that thousands of U.N. agency staffers have already been laid off as a result of shrinking contributions not just from Washington, but also by other countries. The new task force will be looking to cut redundant programs and people. One way, Guterres said, he will save money is by moving services from high-cost countries where the U.N. has large offices New York, Geneva, Vienna to less expensive locations, including its hub in Kenyas capital. We have been investing in Nairobi, creating the conditions for Nairobi to receive services that are now in more expensive locations, he said. And UNICEF will be transferring soon some of the functions to Nairobi, and UNFPA will be essentially moving to Nairobi. UNICEF is the U.N. childrens fund and UNFPA is the U.N. Population Fund, which deals with womens health and reproductive issues. The United States has cleared out the last migrants being held at its naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, sending them back to the U.S. mainland as they await deportation. Two U.S. defense officials told VOA on Wednesday that 40 detainees, including 23 high-threat illegal aliens incarcerated at the bases detention center, were flown to Louisiana on Tuesday. The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the operation, said the detainees were flown aboard a nonmilitary aircraft at the direction of officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Neither ICE nor its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, have responded to requests for comment. Last week, in response to a request for updates on the detainees being held at Guantanamo, an ICE spokesperson declined comment due to pending litigation. ICE and DHS, which has been spearheading the U.S. deportation efforts under President Donald Trump, have repeatedly declined to respond to questions about the identities of the detainees, their countries of origin or the crimes with which they are charged. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on social media that many of the high-threat illegal aliens sent to Guantanamo are members of the Venezuelan street gang Tren de Aragua and have confessed to or been charged with murder, attempted murder, assault, weapons trafficking and drug crimes. The Trump administration announced plans to use the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay to hold migrants slated for deportation in late January. At the time, Noem told reporters that the facilities would be used to house the worst of the worst. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, also speaking in late January, called the detention center at Guantanamo Bay the prefect place to hold criminals slated for removal, but also said the bases migrant operations center, first built in the 1990s, would also be opened for nonviolent migrants awaiting deportation. The first detainees began arriving at Guantanamo Bay in February aboard U.S. military cargo jets, some staying for days or weeks before being deported. At times, the base held nearly 200 detainees between its prison and migrant facilities. Last month, ICE at one point deported 177 detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Honduras, from which they were to be taken to Venezuela for repatriation, before bringing in more detainees. Immigration rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have filed multiple lawsuits against the U.S. government over its use of Guantanamo Bay. One suit, filed earlier this month, seeks to stop U.S. officials from transferring migrants to the base, alleging the moves violate U.S. law. An earlier lawsuit filed in February alleged the U.S. government had prevented family members and lawyers from contacting the detainees. DHS has dismissed the allegations in the lawsuits. The American Civil Liberties Union appears far more interested in promoting open borders and disrupting public safety missions than in protecting the civil liberties of Americans they should consider changing their name, a DHS spokesperson told VOA in a statement earlier this month. In the meantime, we will continue working with DOJ (Department of Justice) to fend off these baseless legal challenges. U.S. lawmakers welcomed Tuesdays announcement that Ukraine had agreed to a 30-day ceasefire as a step toward peace in Europe. I'm very encouraged the parties have reached an agreement. I think the president now has decided to lift the freeze on intelligence and weapons very significant, Republican Representative Michael McCaul, former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told VOA. The United States announced last week that it would cease military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, following the Oval Office clash between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Feb. 28. Following the announcement of the ceasefire agreement, the United States said Tuesday that it would resume cooperation with Ukraine. That actually should never have happened in the first place. That never should have been a pause that has real life consequences for Ukrainians who are fighting for their freedom and for democracy and for national security. So it's positive that that was lifted by the administration, Democratic Representative Jason Crow told VOA. The United States and Ukraine were supposed to sign a minerals deal, although that was called off after the two leaders publicly disagreed over U.S. aid to Ukraine. The next step will be for President Zelenskyy to come hopefully back to the Oval Office to sign the economic cooperation agreement. Then everything is going to turn to Mr. Putin, McCaul said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia has not agreed to the ceasefire, but Trump said Tuesday that he had representatives on their way to Moscow for discussions. I'm hoping the Trump administration will start reaching out to Putin and Russia, bring them to the table and make sure they make some concessions that are reasonable and beneficial to the Ukrainian people, Democratic Representative Glenn Ivey told VOA. But Steven Pifer, a Brookings Institution senior fellow and former diplomat, told VOA there was still a great deal of uncertainty. Russia, unfortunately, does not have a good record of living up to ceasefires, Pifer said. We saw what happened between 2014 and 2021 in Donbas, but this is going to be the challenge now, and if the Russians cannot abide by the ceasefire, I think that will be a signal to Washington that the Russians are not serious about finding a solution to this war. Trump and Zelenskyy also publicly disagreed about who was responsible for starting the three-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine. "We have to understand that Vladimir Putin is the aggressor. He's the one who started this war. He's the one who can end it by withdrawing his troops. So we're going to see whether this administration can force him to the table on terms that are favorable to the United States and Ukraine, Crow told VOA. Secretary of State Marco Rubio led more than eight hours of peace talks with Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to reach the agreement. Republican lawmakers praised Trump and his Cabinet for their strong negotiating stance. For three years now, theres been too much killing and too much destruction in Ukraine and in Russia. So this is a very, very positive thing, and I'm very proud of Secretary Rubio, also Mike Waltz, national security adviser, Republican Representative Derrick Van Orden, told VOA. Lawmakers also expressed hope that economic cooperation between the United States and Ukraine could resume. President Trump is right, and President Trump's proposal to enhance and deepen U.S. investment in Ukraine and critical minerals, oil, natural gas will strengthen deterrence against Russian aggression, Republican Representative Andy Barr told VOA. Pifer noted the ceasefire deal also has language where it talks about continuing to work between Washington and Kyiv on Ukraine's long-term security. I think that's important, because I think one of the key demands, as I understand from Ukraine, is that there has to be some guarantee for Ukraine security so this war does not resume at some point in the future. Kateryna Lisunova and Iryna Shynkarenko contributed to this report. The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions against the Foxtrot Network, a Sweden-based gang accused of carrying out attacks against Israeli interests in Europe on behalf of Iran. Describing Foxtrot as one of Sweden's "most notorious criminal gangs," the U.S. Treasury and State Departments also placed sanctions on its leader Rawa Majid, with both agencies saying in statements that he had "specifically cooperated with the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security." "Iran's brazen use of transnational criminal organizations and narcotics traffickers underscores the regime's attempts to achieve its aims through any means, with no regard for the cost to communities across Europe," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. The sanctions, which usually include asset freezes and U.S. entry bans, were issued in line with President Donald Trump's reinstated "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, the agencies said. Sweden's Sapo intelligence service announced last May that it believed Iran had recruited Swedish criminal gang members as proxies to commit "acts of violence" against Israeli and other interests in Sweden. That announcement came weeks after nighttime gunfire was reported outside Israel's embassy in Stockholm, and three months after police found a live grenade lying on the grounds of the Israeli compound. At the time, Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported that both Majid's Foxtrot and arch-rival gang Rumba had been recruited by the Iranian regime, citing documents from Israel's intelligence agency Mossad. DN said the Mossad documents showed Majid a Swedish-Turkish dual national nicknamed the "Kurdish Fox" had been arrested in Iran and ordered to cooperate with the Iranian regime or go to jail. Later, in October, the embassy was hit by gunfire, while the day after two explosions occurred near the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen. Swedish nationals have been arrested over the suspected grenade attack, according to Danish police. The attacks in Europe last year occurred as tensions soared between Iran and Israel over the devastating war in Gaza. But Sweden has struggled to contain surging gang violence in recent years, with shootings and bombings frequently occurring across the country. BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A Party-wide education campaign has been rolled out to implement the central Party leadership's eight-point decision on improving work conduct, according to a meeting held by the Central Leading Group for Party Building in Beijing on Wednesday. Approved by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the campaign will run until July this year, the meeting said. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Central Leading Group for Party Building, presided over the meeting and delivered a speech. Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy head of the Central Leading Group for Party Building, attended the meeting and also made a speech. The meeting called for alignment with the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee in both thinking and action, for the persistent improvement of the entire Party's conduct, and for work to ensure that these decisions and plans are implemented in full. The meeting also urged efforts to examine issues hampering the sound implementation of the eight-point decision, refine relevant systems and regulations in a targeted manner, and guard against pointless formality and perfunctory attitudes. Singapore and Vietnam on Wednesday agreed to enhance cooperation in subsea cables, finance, and energy, marking an upgrade in their relations to Vietnam's highest level, during a visit by its Communist Party Chief To Lam to the city-state. Singapore is the third Southeast Asian nation, after Malaysia and Indonesia, with which Vietnam has established a "comprehensive strategic relationship." In a joint statement released following the upgrade, Lam and Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong witnessed the exchange of six agreements and discussed cooperation in undersea cable development, digital connectivity, and cross-border data flows. Southeast Asian countries, a major junction for cables connecting Asia to Europe, aim to expand their networks to meet the surging demand for AI services and data centers. Vietnam alone plans to launch 10 new submarine cables by 2030. In December, Reuters reported that Singaporean asset manager Keppel and Vietnamese conglomerate Sovico Group were discussing plans for new undersea fiber-optic cables to boost the region's data center industry, according to sources familiar with the matter. In April last year, Vietnam's state-owned telecom company Viettel and Singapore's Singtel announced a preliminary agreement to develop an undersea cable linking Vietnam directly to Singapore, although no construction contract has been announced yet. The two leaders also discussed green development, industrial parks expansion, and peace and stability in the region. Singapore pledged to support Vietnam in developing international financial centers, the joint statement said. Singapore ranks among Vietnam's top foreign investors, having invested $10.21 billion last year, which accounted for 27% of Vietnam's total foreign investment, official data showed. After Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement with Ahmad al-Sharaa let the Syrian Democratic Forces join the Syrian army, political reactions were swift and divided. Some observers translate this move as a Kurdish concession to the demands of both Turkey and the Syrian government. Others argue the agreement is a necessary step to reduce internal and external pressures on the Kurds in Syria. In her report, Snur Krim spoke with political observers and representatives of the Self-Administration in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to explore the potential implications of this agreement and what it could mean for the future of Kurdish autonomy in Syria. Click here for the full story in Kurdish. The recent agreement between Syrias interim government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces has received strong support from Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials. KRG leaders view the deal as an important step toward peace, stability, and protecting Kurdish rights in Syria. Click here for the full story in Kurdish. The Committee to Protect Journalists is calling on the Kurdistan Regional Government to immediately release Bashdar Baziani, a journalist with Media21, who remains in detention more than 10 days after his arrest in Sulaimani. Baziani was taken into custody Feb. 28 with three of his colleagues, who have since been released on bail. Click here for the full story in Kurdish. Greenland's pro-business opposition Demokraatit party won Tuesday's closely watched parliamentary election, beating the incumbent left-wing coalition in a vote dominated by U.S. President Donald Trump's pledge to take control of the island. Demokraatit, which favours a slow approach to independence from Denmark, secured 29.9% of the votes with all ballots counted, up from 9.1% in 2021, ahead of the opposition Naleraq party, which favours rapid independence, at 24.5%. Since taking office in January, Donald Trump has vowed to make Greenland - a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark part of the United States, saying it is vital to U.S. security interests, an idea rejected by most Greenlanders. The vast island, with a population of just 57,000, has been caught up in a geopolitical race for dominance in the Arctic, where melting ice caps are making its resources more accessible and opening new shipping routes. Both Russia and China have intensified military activity in the region. "People want change ... We want more business to finance our welfare," said Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Demokraatit's leader and a former minister of industry and minerals. "We don't want independence tomorrow, we want a good foundation," Nielsen told reporters in Nuuk. He will now hold talks with other parties to try and form a governing coalition. The ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit party and its partner Siumut, which also seek a slow path towards independence, won a combined 36% of votes, down from 66.1% in 2021. "We respect the election outcome," Prime Minister Mute Egede of the Inuit Ataqatigiit said in a Facebook post, adding that he would listen to any proposals in upcoming coalition talks. Greenland is a former Danish colony and has been a territory since 1953. It gained some autonomy in 1979 when its first parliament was formed, but Copenhagen still controls foreign affairs, defense and monetary policy and provides just under $1 billion a year to the economy. In 2009, it won the right to declare full independence through a referendum, even though it has not done so out of concern living standards would drop without Denmark's economic support. "I strongly believe that we will very soon start to live a life more based on who we are, based on our culture, based on our own language, and start to make regulations based on us, not based on Denmark," said Qupanuk Olsen, candidate for the main pro-independence party Naleraq. Inge Olsvig Brandt, a candidate for the ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit party, said: "We don't need the independence right now. We have too many things to work on. I think we have to work with ourselves, our history, and we are going to have a lot of healing work with us before we can take the next step." Voting had been extended by half an hour at some of the 72 polling stations across the Arctic island, where some 40,500 people were eligible to cast their ballot, although the final turnout was not immediately available. Inuit pride Trump's vocal interest has shaken up the status quo, and coupled with the growing pride of the Indigenous people in their Inuit culture, put independence front and center in the election. In the final debate on Greenland's state broadcaster KNR late on Monday, leaders of the five parties currently in parliament unanimously said they did not trust Trump. "He is trying to influence us. I can understand if citizens feel insecure," said Erik Jensen, leader of government coalition partner Siumut. A January poll suggested a majority of Greenland's inhabitants support independence, but are divided on timing. Early on, the election campaign focused on the anger and frustration aimed at historical wrongdoings by Denmark, according to Julie Rademacher, a consultant and former adviser to Greenland's government. "But I think the fear of the U.S. imperialist approach has lately become bigger than the anger towards Denmark," said Rademacher. Reuters spoke to more than a dozen Greenlanders in Nuuk, all of whom said they favored independence, although many expressed concern that a swift transition could damage the economy and eliminate Nordic welfare services like universal healthcare and free schooling. "We don't want to be part of the U.S. for obvious reasons; healthcare and Trump," said Tuuta Lynge-Larsen, a bank employee and Nuuk resident, adding that this election was especially important. "We don't like the attention, to put it short." The island holds substantial natural resources, including critical minerals such as rare earths used in high-tech industries, ranging from electric vehicles to missile systems. However, Greenland has been slow to extract them due to environmental concerns, severe weather, and China's near-total control of the sector, which has made it difficult for companies elsewhere to make a profit or secure buyers. Investment pledges Trump initially declined to rule out military force to take control of the territory, alarming many Greenlanders, although he later softened his stance, stating he would respect the will of the local people and was "ready to invest billions of dollars" if they joined the U.S. Egede has stressed the island is not for sale and advocated for a broad coalition government to resist external pressure. In an interview aired on Monday by Danish broadcaster DR, he dismissed Trump's offer as disrespectful, expressing willingness to cooperate with other countries instead. Denmark's prime minister has said Greenland is not for sale, but made it clear that it is up to the local people to decide their future. All six main political parties support independence but differ on how and when it could be achieved. The pro-independence Naleraq party, the leading opposition force, gained momentum ahead of the election, bolstered by U.S. interest and fresh accusations of Denmark's historic exploitation of Greenland's mineral wealth. The party believes the U.S. attention strengthens Greenland's position in secession talks with Denmark and aims to bring a deal with Copenhagen to a vote before the next election in four years. The White House on Tuesday defended President Donald Trump's deportation policy after the weekend arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and U.S. legal permanent resident, who played a prominent role in last year's university protests over the Gaza war. White House officials echoed Trump's vow on Monday to "find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country never to return again." Trump doubled down on his language on Tuesday. "We ought to get them all out of the country," he said. "They're troublemakers. They're agitators. They don't love our country. We ought to get them the hell out." Khalil, who remained in detention Tuesday, has not been charged with any criminal offense. It is not a criminal offense to disagree, even openly, with the U.S. government's policy or actions, and the Bill of Rights protects free speech and the right to assemble. "This is an individual who organized group protests that not only disrupted college campus classes and harassed Jewish American students and made them feel unsafe on their own college campus but also distributed pro-Hamas propaganda fliers with the logo of Hamas," said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. "That is the behavior and activity that this individual engaged in." According to the U.S. government database that tracks immigration arrests, a man by the name of Mahmoud Khalil, who is listed as being born in Syria, is being held in an ICE facility in rural Louisiana. Khalil was a student at Columbia University in New York City and a prominent figure during last year's protests at the university. Trump also promised, in his Monday social media post, that more arrests would come. When asked how many more, Leavitt did not provide a number. "But I do know that DHS is actively working on it," she replied. "And I also know that Columbia University has been given the names of other individuals who have engaged in pro-Hamas activity, and they are refusing to help DHS identify those individuals on campus, and as the president said very strongly in his statement yesterday, he is not going to tolerate that, and we expect, expect all America's colleges and universities to comply with this administration's policy." Last week, the U.S. government announced the immediate cancellation of about $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University, due, they said, "to the school's continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students." 'Step in the right direction' In a statement, the Heritage Foundation, whose Project 2025 document has effectively become a policy playbook for the Trump administration, praised both the move to defund and Khalil's arrest, saying, in a headline, "Heritage Praises Trump Administration's Decision to Defund Columbia University, Arrest Pro-Hamas Student Leader." "This is a great step in the right direction," said the foundation's Jason Bedrick, a researcher on education policy. "For far too long, universities like Columbia have allowed radicals to engage in targeted harassment of Jewish students, incite violence, openly support terrorist organizations, and break campus policies with impunity." 'Straight from the authoritarian playbook' On Capitol Hill, Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin said the arrest was a violation of Khalil's First Amendment rights. Raskin said he was "closely monitoring" the situation. While Leavitt said Tuesday that the secretary of state has the authority to revoke a person's Permanent Resident Card, also known as a green card, over issues of national security, critics question the legality of such a move. "The detention of Mahmoud Khalil is ripped straight from the authoritarian playbook," said Raskin, a constitutional law professor, in a statement. "His arrest sets an extremely dangerous and chilling precedent from an administration that is hellbent on wielding fear and intimidation as weapons to crush political dissent. All Americans, including those who strongly disagree with Khalil's speech, should be outraged by this brazen attack on our fundamental freedoms." The Council on American-Islamic Relations told VOA via email that they are comforted by a judge's decision to block Khalil's deportation. "What ultimately happens to Mahmoud may set a precedent for countless other lawful permanent residents and possibly even American citizens targeted in this anti-American war on free speech and peaceful activism," said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, CAIR national deputy director. "Free speech for everyone in our nation, including lawful permanent residents, is a cornerstone of American democracy." The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee told VOA via email that this case prompts many questions. "They are constantly moving the goalposts on what is antisemitism and what isn't," National Executive Director Abed Ayoub told VOA. "There is no proof Mahmoud committed a crime. What is the statutory authority they are using? What about the [First Amendment]? How far is the administration going with this? Will they be targeting naturalized U.S. citizens? These seem like obvious questions, but they haven't been asked." U.S. District Court Judge Jesse Furman on Monday ordered that Khalil not be deported for now and set his next hearing for Wednesday. UNITED NATIONS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations welcomes a joint statement following the U.S.-Ukraine talks, in which Ukraine has agreed to the U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, and hopes it will pave the way for a just peace in the country, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday. "First of all, in relation to the ceasefire, we of course will welcome a ceasefire in Ukraine," Guterres said at a press conference when commenting on Ukraine's readiness to accept the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. "Too many people have died. A ceasefire is indeed a positive thing, and we hope that it will materialize," he said. The UN chief expressed his hope that the move will pave the way for a just peace in Ukraine that abides by the UN Charter and international law. Ukraine agreed on Tuesday to the U.S. proposal for an "immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire" following talks with a U.S. delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to the joint statement. As I said when I recapped the first two episodes of Denise Richards & Her Wild Things, I root for Denise. That means, by default, I root for this show. I was even fairly kind in my assessment of the first hour, which didnt come anywhere near the heights of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the series its been paired with. But there are some things I cant defend lines that I wont cross and a memorial for a lizard is near the top of that list. Not since Tom Schwartz forced us to endure a poolside memorial for his lizard, Daug, during the worst-ever season of Vanderpump Rules, have I felt such despair over what I was watching. Denise has given us another lizard memorial, this time for Brooke Muellers longtime companion Godzilla. The best thing I can say about the Godzilla storyline of Drop Dead Gorgeous Lizard, the first of two new episodes aired back-to-back, is that it at least resembles plot, which is more than can be said for anything else that happens. Following the resolution of the Sami-Lola conflict at the end of the second episode, the show seems to be scrambling for direction. We get a scene of Denise taking her eldest daughters rock climbing, which is about as dynamic as it sounds. (I did enjoy Denise bragging to the instructor about her time filming Special Forces and her disappointment when he hadnt heard of it.) Denise tells Sami and Lola theyll have to plan the memorial for Godzilla, because Brooke has requested it she calls Godzilla her little soulmate in a flashback and because (though this parts unspoken) they need something to do if theyre not going to fight with each other. I appreciate Lola not wanting to tell her employer she has to miss work for a non-human memorial, even as I agree with Denises advice to just flub the details. As Im coming to learn with Denise Richards & Her Wild Things, its the darkness lurking under the surface thats most compelling. Im already over all the reminders of how totally wacky these people are. This is not normal, says Denise of all the pets theyve had, but theres nothing normal about us or about our family. The constant insistence on weirdness is starting to feel like the shes so crazzzzzzzy! Love her! meme. Give me more of Sami and Lola not knowing if Brooke ever married their father (she did) or Denise mentioning that Godzilla was dropped off on her doorstep without warning when Brooke was being taken to rehab. I certainly dont need this show to be an onslaught of trauma I do believe this family has been through enough but it has to be willing to dive into the ugly stuff sometimes if it wants to keep us invested. Its the shows desire to steer clear of mess that makes Denises long-awaited sit-down with Erika Jayne such a disappointment. Erika is currently having a stellar season on RHOBH, and I was looking forward to the spark she could bring to this show. Unfortunately, she spends more time listening to Denise explain Godzillas memorial than anything else. They do also make up following their explosive fight on season 13 of RHOBH, but neither of them brings up the real root of their estrangement. Erika and I were starting to become friends, and then from there, it went super sideways for some reason, Denise says in a confessional. That reason, as far as I can tell, is Brandi Glanville accusing Denise of having a clandestine affair with her, culminating in a Denise takedown by Lisa Rinna. Erika may not have been the ringleader, but she was on Rinnas side, and thats clearly central to Denises feelings here its why she left RHOBH! Of course, there is no way in hell Denise would ever let Brandis name come up on her own show, so instead we rehash the drama about Erikas potty mouth around a much younger Sami and Lola. Erika says she felt judged, and they apologize to each other. I didnt expect thrown glasses of Casamigos, but was it too much to hope for something a tiny bit more substantive? At the same time, Ill take an uneventful Denise and Erika scene over Sami and Lola going to the frame store to get a giant photo of Godzilla framed for the memorial. You cant just take cameras along on your errands and call it a show! We do get some hints of ongoing strife between Sami and Lola, but it all seems like normal sister stuff: Sami not letting Lola use her fancy hairbrush, Sami flipping Lola off, Sami asking Lola if there are any good prayers for lizards. Okay, so its really mostly Sami antagonizing Lola, though she also gets very protective on Lolas behalf when a guy who does not make Jesus the center of his life wont stop blowing up Lolas phone. Sami feels like she always has Lolas back, and that Lola doesnt do the same for her. Again, this strikes me as a completely standard sibling complaint, but Ive been told this family is wild and crazy, so maybe Im wrong here. Heres what Ill say about the lizard memorial itself: Its actually lovely. There is a framed photo of Godzilla along with a framed photo of Stevie Nicks (he loved Fleetwood Mac). Theres a cake made out of Fig Newtons, his favorite food. Everyone gets up to talk about their memories of Godzilla. I really miss this little guy, Aaron offers. I saw him and Im like, that guys really special. While Denise is mildly bothered that her daughters didnt get a rabbi, probably because they didnt remember Brooke was Jewish (or their fathers third ex-wife), Lola is forced into delivering a prayer. She speaks from the heart about Brookes grief: The fact that she was able to find love from Godzilla, I pray that she continues to find love flowing into her life from the Lord. Before I spend too much time pondering whether or not Denise Richards & Her Wild Things counts as faith-based programming, were wrapping things up. Denise is glad she got her daughters to work together, and now thinks they can plan her funeral when she dies. Sami finds this morbid, but as Denise loves to remind us, life is short. Personally speaking, Life is short is not something I want to hear when Im watching a subpar reality series, though the second new episode of the show is a slight improvement. Im probably being overly generous (or just feeling grateful about not having to sit through another lizard memorial) because theres really not much more going on in OnlyPans. In fact, a huge chunk of the episode is taken up by Denise filming herself making homemade pasta with Sami and Eloise. Its fairly disastrous, but this is all part of Denises audition for her own cooking show. I just think it would be fun and something different, she says, being someone that is not trained at all. While I support her in all her endeavors, I do wonder why shes not focusing on doing a better job with the show shes currently filming. When the pasta-making is done without any pasta to show for it Denise says, This video isnt even worth posting. Cant argue with that, so why did we spend several minutes watching it on TV? But I do think this is a better episode for Denise overall. There is a great scene where we meet Eloises homeschool teacher, Miss Angie, and learn a little bit more about her communication skills and limitations. Eloise can say eight to ten words, though she usually whispers them, and shes learning how to respond yes or no via text. Denises third daughter also finally gets to join her mom for a confessional, and you can really see what a supportive and loving mother Denise is. I appreciate how the entire segment never feels condescending its respectful and compassionate, and the producers are meeting Eloise where shes at in getting her involved in the show. Seeing this side of Denise helps me forgive a lot, including the revelation that her OnlyFans photos were briefly synced to Eloises iPad. Hey, nobodys perfect. Meanwhile, Denise is clearly struggling with what kind of example shes set for Sami, who is enthusiastically going under the knife for a new nose after getting breast implants. She says these are surgeries shes wanted for as long as she can remember, which is a dark thing to hear coming from a 20-year-old. Also dark: Sami revealing shes paying to get a nose that looks more like her mothers. In a confessional, a tearful Denise says, I feel bad that she feels she has to live up to my nose or whatever the fuck, cause I dont want them to feel they have to look a certain way. Thats a lovely sentiment, although its one I wish she would express more directly to Sami and perhaps she has! Its clear from Samis insistence that Denise not come with her to the surgery, and that Lola be kept in the dark, that she sometimes keeps her family at arms length. On a practical level, Sami doesnt want too many people to know about her nose job, because she told a lot of people about her implants, and they encouraged her to opt for a smaller size, which she now regrets. Denise is, however, allowed to come with Sami to the pre-op appointment, during which Dr. Dugar explains that hes going to do a finesse rhinoplasty. This sounds very chill to me until he uses the phrase, We just filet your natural anatomy. Denise and Sami are both visibly horrified by this, and I would like to never think about it again. Im honestly sorry to even put it in writing. Mercifully, we dont see Samis surgery at the end of the episode, but we do see her wish she had told Lola, who could have said an 85-minute long prayer for her. (I am interested in Samis true feelings about Lolas born-again Christian identity, despite the fact that the show is already becoming bogged down in Jesus talk. Lola even says, I can do all things through Christ while assembling a dog crate.) Regardless, Lola does find out about the nose job because Denise accidentally spills the beans at the end of the episode. Like Lola, I fail to see why this is a big deal. Wasnt she going to find out imminently anyway? Or was Sami planning to hide until she was fully healed and then hope she could credit any facial changes to contouring? The only other notable event in the episode (and I use the word notable loosely) is Denises OnlyPans photoshoot, where she forces Aaron to take photos of her covering her boobs with pans. People would be like, Okay, Denise Richardss cooking show boring, she says when explaining her rationale for the saucy pics. Denise being topless except for pans, on the other hand, is an attention-grabber. Listen, I love the shamelessness and the naked (no pun intended) ambition. I like when Denise admits that after making Wild Things, she was told to go in a different direction to avoid being pigeonholed as a sex symbol, and now she balances her OnlyFans with Christian and conservative movies. (Im dying to see Angels Fallen: Warriors of Peace.) But we are four episodes into this reality show, and I feel the need to reiterate that Id really like to see Denise focus on the task at hand. While Im not giving up hope on Denise Richards & Her Wild Things, I cant pretend my attention isnt fading. VULTURE NEWSLETTER Keep up with all the drama of your favorite shows! Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. Snow White, obviously. Photo: Walt Disney Co./Everett Collection Disney is acting a bit grumpy in how its managing the promotion of its upcoming movie Snow White. Or maybe the movies stars are just feeling a bit bashful! Disney is not allowing actual journalists onto the red carpet for the premiere of Snow White, instead inviting just photographers and house interviewers, per Variety. Typically, there are dozens of media outlets invited. The premiere will happen on March 15 and be held at El Capitan Theater, with both Rachel Zegler (Snow White) and Gal Gadot (the Evil Queen) predicted to attend. The list of things Disney might not want journalists to ask its cast about with this movie is long and of varying levels of importance. The most obvious is the ongoing conflict in Palestine Gadot is Israeli and has posted in support of Israel since the October 7 attacks, while Zegler has posted in support of Palestine. However, there are other controversies surrounding this movie, including some Disney fans negative reaction to Zeglers casting because she is Latina and controversy over Zegler characterizing the original films romance negatively, saying that Prince Charming literally stalks Snow White at the 2022 D23 Expo. Additionally, when the film was announced, Peter Dinklage criticized it, calling the story backwards for its depiction of seven dwarfs living in a cave together. In response, Disney said at the time that We are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community. Would be interested to hear about how that process worked on set if anyone were allowed to ask Susan Sarandon. Photo: Stefan Jeremiah/AP On Wednesday, March 12, a hearing was held in a Manhattan federal court regarding ICEs detainment of Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident of the United States and a graduate of Columbia University. A large crowd gathered outside the courthouse to protest the detention and attempted deportation of the Palestinian student activist leader, who is married to an American citizen. Among the crowd was Susan Sarandon, who gave a statement in solidarity with Khalil. No matter where you stand on genocide, freedom of speech is an issue, is a right, that we all have, she told reporters. And this is a turning point in the history and the freedom of this country. The Six Triple Eight actor has long used her celebrity platform to support leftist causes ranging from Bernie Sanderss presidential campaign to climate-change action. A month after the attacks of October 7, 2023, she spoke at a rally for Palestine. On March 8 of this year, Khalil was arrested at his home by the Department of Homeland Security as part of a government campaign to crack down on campus protesters and was transported to a detention facility in Jena, Louisiana. Other celebrities who have expressed solidarity with Khalil include Finneas, Cynthia Nixon, Ramy Youssef, and Pauline Chalamet. Temptation Island Bring on the Temptation/Testing the Waters/Playing with Fire Season 1 Episodes 1 - 3 Editors Rating 2 stars * * Previous Next Previous Episode Next Episode Photo: Netflix In many ways, it seems like the Temptation Island reboot which just debuted on Netflix after more than two decades on Fox and USA is primed to be a hit. It takes Netflixs reality mainstay The Ultimatum and strips it back to basics, reminding fans that were all horrible people because were rooting for couples to cheat on each other. The Spanish iteration even just had a major viral moment with Montoya, a man whose flair for the dramatic is so intense that it transcended language itself. But unfortunately, that clip may have given newer viewers (like myself) expectations that simply couldnt be matched. A brief history lesson: Americas Puritan roots have caused television to be far more censored than many other countries programming, even in the age of streaming. From 1952 to 1983, the Television Code prohibited profanity, a negative portrayal of family life, sex, and even the negative portrayal of cops from airing on TV; even now, television nudity remains rare, aside from the classic example of HBO. Meanwhile, in Europe, were ogling full cock and balls on Naked Attraction. The Temptation Island reboot is no different: In the first few episodes, the couples are reluctant to break the promises they made to their significant others, so the biggest blow-up stems from Kay giving Tyler a fully-sober, lights-on lap dance. If you go into this season of Temptation Island expecting to see Montoyas ex humping her way to a break-up, dont get your hopes too high. Still, the series hits all the high points that veteran fans have come to know and love. In some aspects, its been stream-ified the slow-motion shots of the singles are over-the-top and glamorous, while the cast appears to be varying levels of influencers-in-training. The signature chime that viewers hear during the Temptation Island title card even signifies that this is part of the NRTVU (Netflix Reality Television Universe). But in many ways, its the same old TI, from the beachfront villa to the consistent format to longtime host Mark L. Walberg, who appears to have been given grey hair from two decades of therapizing adulterers. Lets get into it. In the first few episodes, fans are introduced to four couples Brion and Shante, Ashley and Grant, Tayler and Tyler, and Alexa and Lino all of whom are at a breaking point in their relationship. Pretty much all of the women are ready to be settled down, steady, and committed, while the guys are just not. Grant cheated on Ashley one month into their relationship and shes never quite gotten over it. Brion did the same thing, plus he wont shut up about wanting to have threesomes. Tyler is jobless and immediately jumped into this relationship after his divorce. Lino still feels like a second choice because Alexa was dating two guys at the beginning of their relationship. (Are we not calling that cheating?) The answer to all of this? A herd of sexy singles, of course! The singles are Glamazons, marching into Mark L. Walbergs field with all the confidence of someone whos never wondered if their hairline is thinning. Some producer ordered a 48-pack of corded black bracelets on Amazon, so each single gives a bracelet and innuendo to their contestant of choice. Some highlights include, I used to be a cheerleader, so Im not afraid to be tossed around, I hope your Thanksgiving is your favorite holiday because Ill be serving all the yams, and the poetic, My guilty pleasure is sucking dick. The girlfriends arent happy about this, but unfortunately, they cant do much more than insult the single girls dye jobs. (Hey, thats my thing!) Its time for the couples to say goodbye, which cues up the waterworks. Nows a good time to go over boundaries: All of them bar physical intimacy besides Alexa and Lino, who dont have any rules. (Can you see where this is going?) Also, did I mention that Grant has a daughter watching at home that he wants to make proud? This is a recipe for disaster. After a night of journaling, crying, and Grant wailing on the guitar he inexplicably brought, the ex-couples choose their first dates, which are as follows: Alexa selects Quinten, who is 36 years old. At what point do we age out of things like Temptation Island and get a 9-to-5? Apparently, 36 is a perfectly acceptable age to fuck off to Hawaii for 2-4 weeks in the pursuit of love. Tayler asks Chris, the personal trainer who would love to stretch you ladies out. Smart move on her part. Shante picks Hashim, a dual-sport Princeton grad and one of the many self-described teddy bears on this show. Ashley picks a 22-year-old named Logan. I wonder what he and Quinten talk about. Lino selects Natalie, who looks like the human version of a TikTok filter. Tyler picks Courtney to spite Tayler, who thought he was going to pick someone blonde. Just give him time, Tayler! Brion picks Amiah, the girl who did a dance in place when introduced to the couples. Grant picks a blonde woman named Olivia. Please dont come for Tylers job. Theres not much room for temptation on these first dates, considering theyre put on in massive groups. The boys go on a boat while the girls dance in a hula show. Back at the guys villa, the single girls are popping champagne in lingerie, as I am wont to do on a Tuesday night. Side note: For fans of the chronically underappreciated reality series FBoy Island (hosted by the fabulous Nikki Glaser), Mia was one of the leads! Oh, how the mighty have fallen. She starts directing a sexy game involving strawberries and body shots because she knows exactly how this song and dance goes and ends up licking chocolate off Brions neck. Somewhere, Mark L. Walberg just woke up in a cold sweat. The next morning, the ex-couples are as Kylie Jenner once said Realizing Stuff. After Grant cheated on her, Ashley doesnt think shell ever be able to trust him. Alexa wants to feel independent and confident after jumping from relationship to relationship. Brion wants a threesome. If you ever need to write a paper on the psychology of men, Temptation Island is assigned reading. The producers decide that not enough scandalous things have happened, so the single guys and girls are tasked with doing some sexy dances. Amiah and Melissa do a choreographed routine that reads like you and your elementary school bestie begging your parents for a sleepover with a talent show. Heres where we start to get some single standouts: Natalie teases Grant about his dancing and twerks for him, while Kay gives Tyler that aforementioned sober grind sesh. (Just as Tayler predicted, shes blonde.) Tyler is tempted enough by this that he takes Kay on a room tour. Tyler, Kay isnt interested in your bare-ass AirBnb walls shes interested in your bare ass. The next day is the first bonfire, where Mark L. Walberg gets to flex everything he learned in his Foundations of Marital Therapy class last year. The boys see their girlfriends venting about everything wrong in their relationships, save for Shante, whose dancing clip gives the vibe of someone whos thinking about making an excuse to leave the club early. Tyler seems to be the most hurt by his video, which shows Tayler saying that she buys the groceries while he leaves the toilet seat up. These seem like pretty easy fixes to me, but in Temptation Island, theyre all the permission that Tyler needs to start flirting with a certain tall blonde. Meanwhile, the girls get hit with some atomic bombs. Shante is once again subjected to Brions threesome obsession, while Tayler watches Tyler get a dance from Kay and tell her that shes trouble. On the surface, this doesnt seem too bad until Tayler says that these were the exact words Tyler said to her before they shared their first kiss. The lack of creativity in this line only adds insult to injury. After the bonfire, the couples overanalyze their clips with the singles, who seem to only exist to help these people unpack their relationships. A couples counselor might be more convenient, but this works too! Tayler says Tyler has bitch tendencies (I laughed, sorry), while Ashley wonders why shes even here if Grants questioning their relationship. In the other house, Grants doing a bit more than questioning: He and Natalie have an extremely sexy staring contest in the dark. The loser has to have a threesome with Brion! The next day, the couples are tasked with asking different singles on dates. Heres the B-team: Grant picks Natalie, the 22-year-old hes been eye-fucking for 24 hours. Ashley selects the mulleted Danny, who is also 22 years old. When Grant does it, its weird; when Ashley does it, its chic. I dont make the rules! Tyler writes a note to Kay that unfortunately looks like a toddler wrote it. Tayler asks out Cody, a guy who just revealed to the group that he likes his ass eaten. Shante selects a man Ive never seen before in my life. I later learn his name is Gio. Brion swipes Courtney from Tyler. Alexa selects another unknown, a guy named Max who has the worst case of hat hair Ive ever seen. Lino asks out Alex, whos also been flirting with Brion. Keeping track of all this? For these dates, the groups are cut in half Tyler and Brion are bowling, Shante and Ashley are driving ATVs, Grant and Lino are doing partners yoga, while Alexa and Tayler are stuck wading into some knee-high water. As punishment to their men for this half-hearted date, Alexa and Tayler spend their entire date talking about their boyfriends. Gotcha! Meanwhile at partners yoga, Grant and Natalie have snuck away to a rock for some alone time. Grant has basically decided that a clip of Ashley crying about their relationship is all the permission he needs to start macking on Natalie. They furiously make out. This is the first time a member of one of the couples has explicitly broken their rules, and the dramatic needle drop signifies that it wont be the last. In all our Puritan glory, Mark L. Walbergs cameras are there to capture it all. I saw Goody Grant sucking face at the kissing rock! This week, on our favorite television program, Rich Women Doing Things, the rich women did things. They invited everyone on a trip to St. Lucia, the only country named after a woman but only because Ireland is named after a goddess (named Meghan King Edmonds) and brought them gift bags in neon, translucent Telfar purses. Did you know I used to hang with Telfar back in the day? Yes! He was good friends with my friend DJ Michael Magnan, and we all used to hang out at Slurp on Tuesday nights at the Cock with Linda Simpson, who is sort of like the Kathy Hilton of drag. Oh, what a time we had as poor young gays. Oh! Yes! The rich women. What else did they do? They refused to climb stairs to their villas, they were unsure whether or not to eat the candy that exploded all over their luggage, and they unpacked all of their 90 La Mer bottles for a four-day stay. Really, these rich women are stretching this season thin. Can we get some vacation shenanigans happening so theres something fun to talk about? Mostly the rich women had awkward conversations with their partners. Lets start with Boz and Keely, who sit down with Bozs daughter, Leal, who asks Keely all of the questions that both Boz and the fans want to know: Is he going to move in before they get married? Is he coming to Beverly Hills, or are they moving to San Diego? Does he want one kid or a bunch? If he were going to be one of the Sex and the City girls, who is he going to be and why is it Miranda? This was a nice, simple chat, and Im glad that were progressing on Bozs relationship without having to get into the baby talk again. No, not goo goo, ga ga, pee pee, poo poo baby talk like, talk about this baby that Boz is going to have. The next chat is between Dorit and PK a colorless, odorless, noxious gas that somehow still manages to be as dark as a mildew manifestation and as stinky as halibut farts for which they meet at a restaurant to discuss getting a divorce. He is so over this thing he is defying gravity. PK, a pint of lager poured from Elphabas tit, says they need to get to a place where theyre friends again, because they really lost that. When she point-blank asks him if he wants a divorce, he tells her that in six months they might be friends again and everything is good with the kids, and they decide theyre better not married. Okay, but what is the alternative? If theyre friends and good with the kids, could they still decide to get back together? It seems not. PK, a Shirley Temple made with kombucha and menses, doesnt offer a positive outcome, no road map for them getting back together. This meeting seemed less about whether or not they were going to get divorced he seems to have made his mind up already and more about whether or not they are going to do it amicably. And by amicably, I mean whether or not Dorit is going to follow the timetable and orders set out by PK, a sea urchin whose stingers are rusted hypodermic needles from a methadone clinic. She brings up the 18-page email he sent, and he said that it was a summary of all the terrible ways she has treated him and what will happen if they dont settle this amicably. This all seems like a threat; it all seems like negotiation tactics. Dorit shouldnt be cowed by this man (who is more of a cow than a man); she shouldnt go along with everything he wants just because it will be easier. She should come out fighting, take control of the situation, and get everything that she possibly can, which is most likely half of their joint debt and all of the pre-poured Red Bullandvodkas he has stored in their fridge. The final conversation is between Kyle and Mauricio, who comes to her house and stirs his coffee so noisily its like he is trying to get her to fall into the Sunken Place so that he can take over her body and mind. Kyle asks how his trip was, and he says that it was lots of spas, lots of sound healing, lots of spiritual healing. I will ask Google Translate to tell us what all that means in the language he is currently speaking, which is Newly Divorced Hot Rich Dad. According to the app, spas means fucking young women whose names he doesnt remember, sound healing means taking MDMA at raves on the beach, and spiritual healing is ketamine. Sure. Right. Got it. Mo says he loved being without his family so that he could just run around and make decisions at the last minute. What does Google Translate say that means? Oh, that means choosing which of the three women he made out with that night whom hes going to take back to his hotel suite. There really is an app for everything. Mo apologizes for hurting Kyle when she saw the pictures, but he rightfully doesnt apologize for his behavior because he has done nothing wrong. Theyre separated, theyre allowed to do whatever they want, and he was well within his rights. Kyle knows this, too, and she keeps saying that the pictures were a turning point and that shes finally going to allow herself to move on with her life. Well, if she has turned, its a full 360, because she has turned right back to where she started. Where are we with the worlds slowest-moving divorce? No one has filed. If Kyles dating anyone, then we dont know about it, unless its Morgan and shes still keeping that in Mos vacated half of the closet. As revelatory as I continue to find these conversations, its as if were in some holding pattern, like were a broken-down Isuzu stuck in the muck and the spinning tires are just flinging mud all over everyone as we all sit here and wait for that stupid truck to just totally sink to the bottom. The rest of the episode is everyone arriving at St. Lucia and setting up a Dorit-Sutton-Erika showdown that were going to see in the next episode. At the start of this episode, we get Boz, Dorit, and Erika talking about all of this at Erikas house and Garcelle and Sutton having a similar conversation at Suttons. Erika brings it all back to her, saying that Sutton and Garcelle gave me no breaks when I was going through the worst period of my life, but now Sutton wants all of this sympathy because Dorit made a crack about her drinking. I think this is the root of the ladies (and my) problem with Sutton this season. She says there are different rules for Kyle than everyone else, and it seems as though she wants those rules to apply to her as well. She wants to be able to attack, attack, attack, but whenever anyone comes at her, then its somehow out of bounds. Why? Well, the only reason she has given us is because her wallet is thicker than everyone elses, and Im sorry, but thats not a real reason. During these conversations, Garcelle brings up how when she had dinner with Dorit, she asked Dorit if she would be friends with Sutton if Sutton gave her a Kelly bag. Dorit, of course, said that she would. We all know that Dorits sense of humor is about as developed as a Polaroid stuck in the camera, but she was clearly joking. The way Garcelle tells the story and the way Sutton receives it, its as if Dorit really could be bribed by a bag. She probably could be, but that also wasnt the spirit in which the line was delivered. Speaking of Garcelle, its curious how her continued defense of Sutton is becoming a detriment to the women, particularly because both Sutton and Garcelle have been skeptical of Boz and Dorits very similar dynamic. I have some of the same annoyances with how Garcelle lets Sutton get away with bad behavior. The one thing I wanted Garcelle to tell Sutton from her dinner with Dorit is that Garcelle said her wallet comment was cruel, but either that wasnt brought up or it was left out of the edit. I wouldnt mind Garcelle blindly defending Sutton in front of the other women if we ever saw her trying to guide Sutton to be better when they talk alone, but all of Suttons bad stuff gets hidden, like PKs offshore assets. Theres also some chat about Suttons continued infatuation with Kyle and why that upsets Garcelle so much. I feel like Sutton wants that kind of Greater Los Angeles acceptance that Kyle represents, where she can roll with the Kathy Hiltons and Kris Jenners and Morally Corrupt Faye Resnicks of the world. Sutton wants what she never had: to be the cool girl. I think she also wants to be close to Kyle to get closer and closer to that center diamond that shes never going to hold as long as Kyle is part of the cast. You can tell Garcelle is annoyed by this, as if she isnt enough by Sutton. Garcelle also asks, That is the million-dollar question: Why does Sutton continue to stand up for Kyle when Kyle doesnt stand up for her? I have a simple answer for her: because Sutton is so often wrong. Whether its storming out of Magic Mike Live, shouting at Crystals ugly leather pants, or using her wallet against Dorit, its hard for Kyle to stick up for Sutton when so much of what she does is indefensible. I think that Garcelle still defending her through all this says more about Garcelle than it does about Kyle. But why does Sutton want to be the cool girl so badly? How about just unapologetically being herself? Thats what Jennifer Tilly keeps doing, and she is winning this season. She sits down and tells Garcelle and Sutton that the group is very cliquey and that she is finding it hard to slot herself into the group. She thought they were all going to be sisters; instead, it was lots of sniping and backstabbing based on years and years of rotted dynamics. Yes, Jen may be struggling, but shes a star. The cast seems to love her (despite tabloid reports I dont believe), the fans seem to love her, and she seems to be having more fun than Mauricio three mushroom caps deep on the last day of Burning Man. This is whom she should emulate this is whom she should want to be though that defeats the point. Just be yourself, unapologetically and bizarrely, and I think Sutton might find that the fans will come running faster than last nights vindaloo seeping out of PKs ass. Paul Mescal and Patsy Ferran in A Streetcar Named Desire at BAM. Photo: Julieta Cervantes The woman behind me gasped when Paul Mescals shirt came off. Meanwhile, I was getting a little breathless over Tennessee Williams. There are certain plays that, no matter the production, leap straight through your ears to your soul every time. Like listening to a Mozart aria, the experience is astonishing even if the performer isnt quite a match for the material. But how much more thrilling it is when the whole orchestra is tuned up and ready for the downbeat, poised to pump life into a deathless score. Thats the case with Rebecca Frecknalls swift, muscular revival of A Streetcar Named Desire, now visiting BAM after an Olivier-showered London run. Mescal, the bedroom-eyed star of Aftersun, All of Us Strangers, and the Gladiator sequel, might be a big part of the draw and his Stanley Kowalski is certainly a performance to raise pulses but whats really exciting is that hes far from throwing off the balance of the show. Neither he nor the productions Blanche DuBois, played by the elfin powder keg Patsy Ferran, is a preening soloist, subordinating their fellow actors. Instead, Frecknall revivifies Streetcar as a true ensemble piece a haunting jazz symphony with a devastating trio at its center. The musical metaphors are going to keep coming because a large part of what Frecknall has done with Williamss 1948 Pulitzer winner is to strip it back to its essential rhythms the ecstatic, intertwining poetry of its characters and then to push the tempo. Theres no Spanish moss or quaintly ornamented gables to be seen on her stage, no meticulously rendered New Orleans architecture, no sounds of tinny piano or rumbling streetcars in the distance. Instead, scenic designer Madeleine Girling has provided the ten actors with a raised wooden platform and a simple wraparound balcony on the back wall (though its true that, inside the spacious proscenium of the BAM Harvey, the production team has replicated that curving brick wall from Londons Almeida Theatre, where Frecknall serves as associate director and where this Streetcar premiered). The platform is everything its outer lip becomes a threshold where characters can hover on the periphery of a scene or balance precariously as they navigate around it. At the same time, its limited size and its spareness convey both the claustrophobia of the home where Stanley lives with his wife, Stella and where her sister Blanche arrives via the titular streetcar for one hot, catastrophic summer and the lack of boundaries within it. But theres no door between the two rooms , frets Blanche to her sister when she arrives, Will it be decent? No, poor, soulsick Blanche, it will not. In Frecknalls hands, it will often be, to steal more words from Williamss high-strung heroine, downright bestial. Frecknall doesnt just treat the plays whitewater dialogue like a score; she adds a complementary live soundtrack of her own. Atop that balcony, often shrouded in thick, summery haze, sits a drummer (Tom Penn) at a full kit. He drops us smack into the top of the play with a resounding crash, and then were off like blazes. (Angus MacRae composed the driving percussion music, which also symbolically supplies any and all sounds the play calls for, from screeching street cats to the racket of an upstairs fight.) The lights sear and the actors caterwaul and jostle around the space, turning the plays opening lines into a chaotic jazz riff, an evocation of the heat and hustle of summer in New Orleans. Stanley swings Stella (the thoughtful, radiant Anjana Vasan) around by the waist; their upstairs neighbors, Steve (Alexander Eliot) and Eunice Hubbel (Janet Etuk) chase and slap at each other; the men well come to know as Stanleys poker buddiesPablo (Eduardo Ackerman) and the lonely, guileless Mitch (Dwane Walcott)form a kind of vigorous, verging-on-menacing dance corps, sweeping around the space as the drums rattle and clash. Only two bodies remain still: Ferrans, in one corner of the platform, and that of a young man (Jabez Sykes) diagonally across from her, tall and willowy and pale two statues that seem moonlit while the rest of the world writhes and sweats around them. Death, shivers Blanche late in the play, after we know all about that young man, who he was to her and why his ghost still lingers. The opposite is desire. Without wasting an instant, Frecknall captures that inciting dichotomy in her first frenzied beats. The broiling drums will always urge us onwards, and Blanche will always be caught somewhere in the half-light, trapped in a different dance under a paper moon. Streetcar isnt a short play, and among this productions achievements is a tenacious commitment to pace. Frecknall sets her metronome fast faster than our American ears are used to hearing Williamss filigreed dialogue, and the payoff is extraordinary. She sacrifices none of the plays sweltering heat, but unlike so many evocations of that crucial atmosphere, hers never becomes lugubrious. No one lolls or drawls in this Streetcar; theres no Vaseline on the lens. Even Blanche enters the action amped up to a place that, for a moment, I worried might cut Ferran off from continuing to build throughout the characters long arc. But it didnt take long, even with her slightly jangly Mississippi accent, for her to hook me. Her birdlike, dark-eyed form practically vibrates with anxiety and why not? Blanche begins the play with what Williams describes as faintly hysterical humor and ends her first scene stammering, Im afraid Im going to be sick! Why not strip away some of the plush, performatively genteel veneer the role has acquired and really play the circumstances? Blanches tendency to retreat into mood lighting, her assertion that soft people have got to put on soft colors, the colors of butterfly wings, and glow, has stuck in our communal consciousness but what of her earlier declaration to Stanley, which I heard anew out of Ferrans mouth: I like an artist who paints in strong, bold colors, primary colors. I dont like pinks and creams and I never cared for wish-washy people. Thinking back, I dont think Ive ever seen Streetcar directed by a woman: What Frecknalls hand means here is that Blanches journey is scarier from the offset, less veiled in sexiness, her complicated but fierce bond with her sister foregrounded, her desperation closer to the surface and Stanleys predatory determination to unmask her therefore all the more cruel. What makes Mescals performance so riveting is that, without ever blunting or apologizing for Stanleys cruelty, he also reveals the soft belly of the role, the vulnerability and hurt that, for a man in his world with his upbringing, can naturally lead to violence. When we first met, me and you, you thought I was common, he reminds Stella, who was raised with Blanche as part of the fading Southern aristocracy, at a former plantation called Belle Reve. How right you was, baby. I was common as dirt. You showed me the snapshot of the place with the columns. I pulled you down off them columns and how you loved it And wasnt we happy together, wasnt it all okay till she showed here? Its easy to play language like this with a thick nasty streak, a kind of bullish, spiteful triumph, but Mescal chooses a different path. He gives in to the memory; we can hear the desperate nostalgia, the pleading for a return to a time when his marriage felt whole. He and Vasan share real, tender chemistry, the kind that feels a little voyeuristic to watch so crucial to the play yet so often swapped out for a more aggressive form of attraction. His voice is low, almost soothing when hes not on a tear, and his movements are guarded, inquisitive, soft-footed. Most Stanleys are dogs, leading with the chest, barking and biting at the first opportunity. Mescals is a big tomcat watchful and beautiful to watch, sleek and almost loveable until he proves himself very, very dangerous. Ive never seen an actor make more of the horrible moment when Stanley and Blanche finally encounter each other unleashed, late in the play, and as she tries to fend him off with a broken liquor bottle, he purrs, Tiger tiger! Mescal doesnt say the word he becomes it, dropping to all fours and stretching voluptuously, fingers spread, eyes flashing, drawing out the syllables as if hes playing some terrible game of hide-and-seek. The animal is fully present, merciless and hungry. Its always lurking in a play like Streetcar, and Frecknall and her company have found a visceral new way to dance with it. A Streetcar Named Desire is at BAM through April 6. Williams. Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Image Clap if you want to know whats going on with Wendy Williams. The former Wendy Williams Show host, who has been in a court-ordered guardianship since 2022, went to a hospital on March 10 after being escorted out of her assisted-living facility by police, and later said that she passed a mental-capacity test with flying colors. After leaving the hospital, Williams spoke in her first interview on video, hitting back at her conservatorship. Why did Wendy Williams go to the hospital? Williams and her caretaker Ginalisa Monterroso, who is not connected to the guardianship, wanted her to get an independent medical evaluation because they do not believe she needs to be in the assisted-living facility she has previously compared to prison due to allegedly isolating and restrictive conditions. The New York Post previously reported that the NYPD had shown up after Williams dropped several notes that read Help! Wendy!! out of a window in her assisted-living facility the morning of March 10. During a Tuesday interview she did with Williams on The Breakfast Club, Monterroso clarified that she personally called the police and asked them to conduct a welfare check. I am not incapacitated as Ive been accused, and this floor that I live on is the memory unit, Williams recalled telling officers upon their arrival. The people who live there dont remember anything, unlike me. Why am I here? What is going on? Its a cry for help. The police ultimately escorted her from the building into an ambulance that took her to a local hospital. And she said she passed a psychiatric evaluation? Yes. While calling into Good Day New York from the hospital on March 11, Williams claimed that she took mental-competency tests at the hospital and passed with flying colors. TMZ previously reported that she scored a 10 out of 10 on a psychiatric exam. On The Breakfast Club, Monterroso explained that Williams passed two tests to determine that she had competency and could make decisions, one of which involved ten questions that she answered correctly. According to Williams, the queries included simple things like who the current president is and when her birthday is. Monterroso who alleged that Williamss guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, was at the hospital and attempted to prevent the tests from taking place suggested that the results can be used in court to help Williamss case. What has Williams herself said? Accompanied by her niece Alex Finnie, Williams spoke with Entertainment Tonight on March 13, taking the opportunity to criticize her guardian, Morrissey. We came back from dinner, and apparently police were called because Coterie here was saying that I took my aunt from this facility and whisked her away, Finnie says in the video, referencing the senior-living facility where Williams resides. Finnie says this contradicts Morrisseys statement to TMZ claiming Williams is free to leave the facility as she pleases. They are lying to me when they say I can go out and do what I wanna do, Williams says. This is my niece, Alex, she just flew in from Miami, okay. I just came from the hospital, so we are going out to celebrate. What do we know about her diagnosis? Williams was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and progressive aphasia in 2023, a press release announced last year. However, she later publicly denied the diagnosis and has maintained that she is not cognitively impaired. Morrissey, her guardian, recently affirmed to Vanity Fair that she sees issues with Williamss speech when its not scripted; Williams scoffed at that suggestion on The Breakfast Club. Why is she in a guardianship? Her guardianship was instated in 2022 on the grounds that she needed to be protected from financial abuse. Her bank believed that she had been exploited, and Morrissey was appointed as her guardian. When asked on Good Day New York if she would be willing to get a financial adviser if she were released from the guardianship, Williams replied, Ive had that for years. Of course, [I will get] a financial adviser, of course, somebody to look over my money. The money I have right now is all with my guardian person. Williams previously alleged in Lifetimes 2024 documentary Where Is Wendy Williams? that Morrissey had stolen money from her. (Morrissey later filed a complaint alleging that Williams did not have the capacity to consent to the doc.) What does Williams want to do next? Williams said on Good Day New York that getting out of her guardianship is her number one most important thing. Beyond that, she has hopes of staying in New York and going back to work. In the more recent future, she is scheduled to call into The View on March 14. As of her Tuesday Breakfast Club interview, Williams said she was still in the hospital. Its currently unclear if and when she will have to return to the assisted-living facility. LUANDA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Angola's presidency said on Tuesday it will contact the M23 rebels to facilitate direct negotiations with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government to pursue peace in eastern DRC. The announcement followed a meeting in Luanda between Angolan President Joao Lourenco and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi. This was Tshisekedi's second visit to Angola for peace mediation talks within a month. Tina Salama, spokesperson for the DRC president, said on social media that the DRC is awaiting the implementation of Angola's mediation initiative. Additionally, the Southern African Development Community announced that it will hold an extraordinary summit of heads of state and government on Thursday to discuss the security situation in the DRC. The ongoing conflict between the M23 rebels and the DRC government has led to massive population displacements and worsened the humanitarian crisis. Tensions remain high despite diplomatic and military efforts to end the hostilities. HARARE, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Jenfan Muswere said on Tuesday that the country is seeking to strengthen environmental cooperation with China. Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing, Muswere said Zimbabwean Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife Sithembiso Nyoni visited China last month to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the environmental sector. "The visit was aimed at strengthening bilateral relations with China on environmental policy in general, and specifically to share experiences in hosting high-level events," he said. According to the official website of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP 15) will take place from July 23 to 31 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Muswere said the Zimbabwean government has put in place a number of measures to strengthen preparations for hosting the meeting, adding that an inter-ministerial committee has already been established to spearhead the preparations. The government has said it will take advantage of the meeting to expand its influence and leadership on the global stage in environmental governance, stewardship, and diplomacy. Mid-week train strike to affect rail services across Italy. Train passengers in Italy face disruption to rail services on Wednesday 19 March, from 09.00 until 17.00, due to a national strike by railway workers. The eight-hour strike has been called by the UGL Ferrovieri, FAST-Confsal and ORSA Trasporti trade unions to demand the renewal of collective labour agreements in the rail sector. The strike is set to impact regional and long-distance services operated by national rail provider Trenitalia and private rail company Italo, however minimum train services will be guaranteed. The walkout is also expected to disrupt Trenord services in the northern Lombardia region around Milan as well as rail connections to and from Rome's Fiumicino airport. The strike action will not affect local public transport services. Trenitalia informs that from 9am to 5pm on Wednesday, March 19th, due to a national strike, rail connections to and from Fiumicino Airport may experience delays or cancellations. pic.twitter.com/n4ZhwIUX8I Aeroporti di Roma (@AeroportidiRoma) March 18, 2025 A separate 24-hour rail strike called by the USB trade union, originally scheduled from 21.00 on Tuesday 18 March until the same time the next evening, has been called off. Wednesday's train strike action comes ahead of two planned strikes affecting local public transport services in cities across Italy, on Friday 21 March and Tuesday 1 April. We update our news of strikes in Italy regularly. For official information about public transport strikes in Italy see the transport ministry website. Article first published 12 March, republished 18 March. Temple University Rome is hosting an Open Day on Sunday, April 6, 2025, at its campus located at Via di San Sebastianello, 16, 00187 Rome. This event offers prospective students and their families an opportunity to explore the university's offerings and facilities. Information sessions are scheduled at 11:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 3:30 PM, and 4:00 PM. These sessions will provide insights into the Temple Rome Entry Year Program and Pre-College Programs designed for high school students. Attendees will also have the chance to tour the new campus facilities and dormitory areas. Temple University, with campuses in Rome, Philadelphia, Tokyo, and Kyoto, combines real-world experience with outstanding academic programs led by expert faculty. Temple University Rome offers culturally immersive, hands-on learning through for-credit internships and volunteer opportunities. The campus provides personalized academic advising, student life support, and a variety of student activities, including cultural labs, site visits, and excursions in Rome and beyond. To attend one of the information sessions, interested individuals are encouraged to register in advance. This Open Day is an excellent opportunity to discover what Temple University Rome has to offer and envision your future as part of this vibrant academic community. Tomas Doherty and Reuters US president Donald Trump will host Taoiseach Micheal Martin in the White House on Wednesday, in a highly anticipated meeting which is expected to touch on Irelands trading relationship with America. Mr Martin said that a two-way street of investment is something he intends to highlight in his discussions with the US president in a bid to address concerns he may voice around a trade imbalance between the two countries. Ireland is among countries vulnerable to changes in the global economy proposed by president Trump, with a significant proportion of employment, tax receipts and exports all directly dependent on a cluster of US multinational firms. Employment Mostly US-owned foreign multinationals, mainly in the technology and pharmaceutical sectors, employ about 11 per cent of Irish workers after successive governments over decades prioritised their jobs and tax dollars. That does not include those employed by the large accountancy and legal industries here that support the US firms and jobs in the wider economy dependent on the multinational firms' highly paid employee's spending. Trade deficit Ireland's goods trade surplus with the United States reached a record 50 billion in 2024, according to data from the Central Statistics Office, driven by a surge in drug exports to the US. The goods trade surplus for the whole of the EU totalled 156 billion in 2023. While Ireland had a much larger deficit in services with the US of 134 billion in 2023 mainly due to US companies importing valuable intellectual property and royalties the focus of Trump's trade wars has been on closing US goods deficits through the imposition of tariffs. Corporate tax take A jump in corporate tax revenue from 4.6 billion in 2014 to 28 billion last year, or 26 per cent of all tax collected even before an extra 14 billion of back taxes from Apple is included has transformed the Irish public finances into the healthiest in Europe. The surge coincided with highly profitable multinationals "onshoring" their valuable intellectual property (IP) assets to Ireland. The State's fiscal watchdog estimates that 75 per cent of all corporate tax is paid by large US multinationals, with three firms responsible for almost 40 per cent alone. Trump's election pledge to slash the US corporate tax rate to the top Irish rate of 15 per cent could threaten Ireland's highly concentrated corporate tax bounty, particularly if any move to bring production back to the US included incentives for the IP to come with it. Tech companies Several of the largest US technology firms have their European headquarters in Ireland, including Google, Facebook owner Meta, Apple and Microsoft, with each employing thousands of staff. Trump has complained about EU regulation of US companies, which includes the powerful Irish data protection commissioner, which regulates firms with EU headquarters in Ireland. It has so far fined Meta, among others, almost 3 billion for breaches under the bloc's strict data protection laws and has a number of investigations open. The country's online safety regulator also has a role in policing illegal content and disinformation on some major internet platforms. Pharmaceuticals The world's 10 largest drugmakers, including US companies Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Merck, all have large plants in Ireland, which is also a major exporter of medical devices. Trump has threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on pharmaceutical imports. Ireland's foreign investment agency says just 16 per cent of Irish pharmaceutical exports are finished products and around 75 per cent of Ireland's multinational produced goods are exported to international markets outside North America, potentially limiting the impact of any duties. This file photo taken on Feb. 27, 2025 shows Armed forces of the M23 rebel group patrolling in Bukavu, South Kivu Province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The DRC government and the M23 rebel group will hold direct peace talks in Luanda, Angola's capital, on March 18, the Angolan government announced late Wednesday. (Photo by Zanem Nety Zaidi/Xinhua) LUANDA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government and the M23 rebel group will hold direct peace talks in Luanda, Angola's capital, on March 18, the Angolan government announced late Wednesday. Angola's Presidency confirmed the talks in a Facebook statement. The announcement followed a meeting between Angolan President Joao Lourenco and visiting DRC President Felix Tshisekedi on Tuesday, after which Angola pledged to mediate direct negotiations between Kinshasa and the M23. The DRC government has not yet commented on the matter. Fighting between the DRC government and the M23 has escalated in recent months, with the rebels launching major offensives and seizing large chunks of land in the eastern North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. The Congo River Alliance, a politico-military group allied to the M23, has established a parallel provincial administration in these provinces. The Luanda Process has been in limbo since last December, when an Angola-brokered summit in Luanda between Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame was called off at the last minute. Kagame did not show up, and Kigali blamed the DRC's refusal to have "direct dialogue with the M23." Meanwhile, the DRC has signaled its intent to revive the Nairobi Process, a peace initiative led by the East African Community and facilitated by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. The process provides Kinshasa with a platform to engage with various armed groups active in the country, including the M23. However, Kenyatta's spokesperson Kanze Dena said in early February that the Nairobi Process has reached an "impasse." The DRC government kicked the M23 out of the process because it views the rebellion as a proxy for foreign interests, particularly Rwanda. The conflict between the M23 and the DRC government traces back to the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide against Tutsi and ongoing ethnic tensions, particularly between the Tutsi and Hutu populations. The DRC has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23, while Rwanda says the DRC's military has allied with the Rwandan rebel group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, which is accused of involvement in the 1994 genocide. The fighting raging on multiple fronts of the DRC, fueled by the M23's continued offensive, threatens to spiral into a wider regional conflict. "If it continues like this, war risks becoming widespread in the region," Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye warned in early February. A judge at Waterford District Court has refused jurisdiction in a case where a man was arrested for breaking into hotel rooms while in possession of an imitation firearm. Judge Kevin Staunton objected to the DPP instructions to deal with the matter by Summary Disposal. I am astonished that the DPP took the position it took, and I will, of course, refuse jurisdiction, said Judge Staunton. Bryan Law Jai Le, (25), of no fixed abode, was before Waterford District Court charged with several offences, including burglary, multiple counts of theft, handling stolen property and possession of knives. Sergeant Michael Hickey told the court that on January 2, 2025, at around 11pm, gardai were alerted to an incident at Treacys Hotel. It is alleged that the defendant, who was wearing a balaclava, was observed opening guests' doors. When gardai apprehended the defendant, he was carrying a five-inch kitchen knife and a flick knife. Waterford Courthouse The court heard he was found with room card keys, one belonging to the hotel manager, and a pair of shoes a guest identified as their own. The rooms the defendant was allegedly observed entering were occupied. Acting for the defendant, solicitor Hilary Delahunty told the court that his client was given the room card keys and sent to the rooms. He said this was planned by people who were making little of his client and that trying to establish the logic of his actions was futile. The court was told that when he was arrested, the defendant was also found to be carrying an imitation firearm. A file was sent to the DPP, who recommended summary disposal. Judge Staunton put the matter back to May 27 for the serving of the Book of Evidence. A 27-year-old man will spend six months in prison for triggering the suspended sentence he received at a Waterford court. Jamie Barnes, of Stanaway Avenue, Crumlin, Dublin, appeared at Waterford Circuit Court before Judge Eugene O'Kelly. Barnes committed a Section 6 Public Order offence in Dublin, by exhibiting threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour in a public place. Barnes had previously been given a two-year suspended sentence by Judge O'Kelly in 2023, for committing a Section 3 assault against a person in Waterford City. On March 21, 2021, he assaulted a person on John's Lane, Waterford. The victim sustained injuries to the head and had to undergo a CT scan. At his sentencing in 2023, Barnes apologised to the victim and paid a sum in compensation. Triggering sentence However, his offence in Dublin triggered the suspended sentence. On September 11, 2024, on St Andrew's Street, Barnes shouted at a tourist taking a photo of the famous Molly Malone statue. Barnes shouted at the tourist, asking them to fight. Barnes was quickly arrested and conveyed to Pearse Street Garda Station. Defence counsel Tara Geoghegan BL requested an updated probation report for her client, but Judge O'Kelly emphatically declined. Judge O'Kelly said: "I was told on that occasion of very serious injury caused to the victim, that your client compensated him in court and he apologised." He noted that he had warned Barnes in 2023 that he would invoke the sentence if he appeared before him again. 'Nasty incident' Judge O'Kelly continued: "This was a nasty incident, verbally attacking a tourist and trying to start a fight with them. This court has been very lenient on him." Judge O'Kelly activated six months of the original sentence. Barnes will be subject to 12 months supervision post release. At the March meeting of the Piltown Municipal District, Councillors heard the latest updates on the various road schemes throughout the surrounding areas of Waterford. For the N24 Waterford to Cahir scheme, the closeout of Phase 2 is imminently approaching. As of March 5, 2025, the scheme is not expected to receive any additional funding to move on to Phase 3. Regional meeting At the Piltown meeting, Senior Engineer for Kilkenny County Council Seamus Kavanagh gave an overview of the road schemes. On the subject of the N24 Waterford-Cahir scheme, he said: There was a regional meeting between Waterford, Kilkenny and Tipperary, us (Kilkenny) as the lead authority. We wrote a very strong letter with the three Chairpersons of the local authority and the three Chief Executives. We got a response from Minister OBrien on that; he didnt rule out the scheme. He said he was looking at funding for 2025. Mr Kavanagh noted the recent allocation of Greenway funding from the TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland), saying: I imagine that the national road allocations are imminent so hopefully well hear some good news in the next few days. Road schemes Mr Kavanagh followed up with the updates on other road schemes, including the N24 Carrick Road Mooncoin Safety Scheme. He said: An application for a Judicial review of the decision by An Bord Pleanala was lodged with the High Court by three applicants in May 2024. Based on current information available the timeline for the Judicial Review process will extend into 2025. Listed in Court to seek a hearing date May 12, 2025. The detailed design on the N29 Port Road upgrade is currently at the preliminary design options. The Piltown RRDF is currently completing its Detail Design. "Additional surveys are being procured as the topographical survey is outdated. Non-statutory public consultation scheduled for Q2 2025. "For the N25 speed camera, civil/site clearance works are to begin this month, as a contractor has been appointed. ESB is expected to carry out enabling works to provide power at the site." For newborns and their families, being in hospital can be especially distressing but a new joint initiative is setting its eyes on helping staff at UHW create a nurturing and supportive environment for both infants and their families. A partnership of Waterford Libraries, Garter Lane Arts Centre and Waterford Healing Arts have worked with the Neonatal Unit at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) to create a childrens book trolley full of stories carefully curated by our local librarians. The organisations say that the initiative has been designed to help to bring a sense of normalcy and comfort during a challenging time and that the trolley will provide families with the opportunity to read aloud to their babies, share stories, and create meaningful memories. Funding was provided by the Well Festival of Arts & Wellbeing to purchase a variety of children's books. "When the idea for the trolley was introduced to us by the collaborative partnership, we recognised the invaluable opportunity this would present, to provide moments of peace, connection, and warmth to families during their time here, said Julie Moriarty, Clinical Nurse Manager 2 at the Neonatal Unit UHW. I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for the incredible new initiative that has been introduced to the Neonatal Unit, to foster bonding between babies and parents through reading books aloud during a time that can be emotionally taxing for them." Ms Moriarty said that the initiative will contribute significantly to the well-being of families and noted that the Neo-Natal Unit team have already started to witness the positive impact of the project. Mary Conway, City and County Librarian & Head of Culture at Waterford Libraries, said she was "delighted" to support the initiative. This meaningful initiative will foster a love of reading in both parents and babies and promote shared reading experiences, while also promoting early literacy. Sandra Kelly of Garter Lane Arts Centre said she was driven by her own personal experiences to support the initiative. Earlier in 2024, my little boy, Alex, spent six weeks in the NICU and SCUBU in Waterford after being transferred from Holles Street. During our brief stay in Dublin, we found solace in the beautifully illustrated books available in the parents' room, which we read to Alex every day." "These books became a source of comfort and connection in a time fraught with uncertainty and anxiety. Once we returned to Waterford, we continued this ritual, exploring a book of poetry together, focusing on one poem each day." Ms Kelly said she was inspired by our experience in the Neonatal Unit and the invaluable support we received, I felt compelled to give back. Waterford Coast Guard's Rescue 117 made its first-ever night landing at the new helipad at Cork University Hospital on Sunday night, March 9. The newly constructed helipad was officially opened last month by Taoiseach Micheal Martin and has moved to 24-hour operation in recent weeks. Neville Murphy, the veteran Winch Operator of Rescue 117 said he was "delighted to be a part of the first SAR operational night landing at Cork University Hospitals new helipad last night" in a statement on social media. "Fantastic facility allowing us to deliver patients directly to the emergency department. The last time I landed in a CUH helipad was over 20 years ago, great to have it back. Onwards and upwards!" Taoiseach Micheal Martin was the first European leader to meet with Mr Trump since Volodymyr Zelenskiy's now-infamous meeting in the Oval Office last month. The pair met on Wednesday as part of the Taoiseach's visit to the US for St Patrick's Day celebrations. They discussed trade, peace, Ireland, and the European Union, amongst other things. Mr Martin had a breakfast meeting with Mr Vance at the US Naval Observatory this morning before his meeting with the US President, and later, will present him with a bowl of shamrocks, as is tradition. But how do you think the meeting went? Take our poll below. Gordon Deegan Operating profits at the firm operating the countrys most expensive private fee-paying day school last year almost doubled to 498,740. The top annual fees for students attending Nord Anglia International School (NAIS) at Leopardstown in south Dublin have risen to 24,464 in the past year. New accounts for Nord Anglia Education (Ireland) Ltd show that operating profits increased by 86% to 498,740 in the 12 months to the end of August last. The school increased its operating profits after revenues surged by 22% to 11.38 million. The school did record a pre-tax loss of 1.28 million through interest payments of 1.78 million that were made up of 301,965 interest payments to group undertakings and 1.48 million in lease liabilities. The pre-tax loss of 1.28 million was a 42% decline on the pre-tax loss of 2.19 million for fiscal 2023. Since opening in 2018 school numbers have increased steadily, with the school having 580 students at the end of June 2024, an increase of 30 on the 550 students one year prior. The school teaches students from 60 different nationalities with the largest student nationalities coming from Ireland, the United States and China. The school teaches the International Baccalaureate diploma programme (IBDP) for students aged from three to 18 and the directors state that the company expects to grow significantly over the coming years. A spokesman for the Nord Anglia said: Demand for places at NAIS Dublin continues to grow every year as more families choose our personalised approach to teaching and learning. He said: We are the only international school in the city to offer the IB curriculum and now teach students from 60 nationalities. He said: Since 2018, weve established a close-knit school community and our focus on helping students develop their confidence, creativity, and resilience alongside academic growth is one of the many reasons were seeing student admissions grow across all year groups. He said that enrolments for September 2025 are looking very healthy. The loss last year also takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of 1.77 million. Numbers employed increased from 116 to 129, comprising 106 teachers and 23 in administration. Staff costs increased by 14% to 6.25 million. The companys income comprises 10.67 million in gross tuition fees, 185,334 in enrolment fees and 517,587 in other income. Annual fees for students attending secondary school classes, Grade Six to Grade 12 classes range from 22,349 to 23,523. The school offers a 5% sibling discount for families who enrol more than one child at NAIS Dublin. At the end of August last, the company had a shareholders deficit of 22.88m that included accumulated losses of 22.98 million offset by contributed capital of 1.1 million. Cash funds increased from 3.04 million to 3.2 million. The company had net liabilities of 21.88 million, including 17.02m owed to a fellow group company, Nord Anglia Education Ltd. Nord Anglia Education Ltd has confirmed that it will not seek repayments of those monies until the Dublin-based company had sufficient funds available to repay those amounts. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Were at the halfway point of The White Lotus and things are heating up in Mike Whites sharp satire of overprivileged white people at play. Some critics, including our own, have said this season feels repetitive, but Im not so sure. After the giddy heights of season two and the gays are trying to murder me, White has reset the table, going for a darker tone thats building like a tropical storm. Hes making us sweat and wait, which in this era of one-and-done streaming drops, is something audiences have forgotten how to do. With that in mind, its time to pull up a deckchair and have a look at whats happened and take a guess at what lies ahead in the last four episodes. What we know Laurie (Carrie Coon), Kate (Leslie Bibb) and Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) are definitely not on a midlife crisis trip. Theres a gun and there is, at least, one body. But did one lead to the other? We dont know! There were multiple gunshots heard at the beginning of episode one and multiple guns have been seen at the resort (the one that was stolen by Timothy from the security gatehouse after Gaitok left it out; the guns carried by hotel owner Sritalas bodyguards; and the guns carried by the men in the hotel robbery). We also know theres a murderer in and around the hotel shady Gary/Greg, who is still wanted in connection with Tanyas death and now seems to have Belinda in his sights. Relaxing? I think not! Get me a bottle of Victorias Lorazepam, pronto. What is the deal with Gary/Greg? Greg (Jon Gries) with Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) in season two of The White Lotus. We know he is in hiding, refusing to return to Italy and face questioning over Tanyas death. We know hes loaded after his crazy billionaire wife conveniently drowned. Advertisement We know hes googled Belinda, and we know shes googled him and we know they know each other. But there are still known unknowns, so who knows whats going to go down. Any clues? Look to the opening credits! The ornate designs that appear at the beginning of The White Lotus are filled with representations of our favourite characters. Lonely lady in a tower with a monkey on leash in season two? Thats Tanya! Monkey smoking a pipe in season three? Thats Victoria! The designs are created by US studio Plains of Yonder, which designed the clue-laden credits after reading the script. Loading For season threes design, the studio was inspired by the interior of three Bangkok temples and combined these into the one work. There are eyes and faces and creatures lurking around every corner and every tree, both human and animal. We were trying to say everything is beautiful, yes, but there is danger everywhere, the studios co-founder Mark Bashore told design site Its Nice That. Advertisement So what should you look out for? Theres a floating body, for starters, as Sam Nivolas name flashes up (he plays the youngest Ratliff Lochlan), while Jason Isaacs, who plays Lochlans father, Timothy, his name is shown next to a man sitting in a tree filled with knives. Things also arent looking great for darling Chelsea (Ricks long-suffering girlfriend) as Aimee Lou Woods name appears over a picture of dog being eaten by a tiger. Thats not to mention the hordes of monkeys, people-eating fish and warring humans. Does it mean anything? Who knows! Monkey business Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil: Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sarah Catherine Hook and Sam Nivola. Speaking of opening credits, monkeys feature prominently in all three seasons of The White Lotus credits. In season three, they are also in the trees watching our guests every move, while monkey statues are scattered throughout the resort grounds. Advertisement The biggest monkeys of all could be the Ratliff siblings, as they are often positioned as the three wise monkeys from the hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil proverb. In Mike Whites world, nothing is a coincidence. Whats everyone talking about? The first four episodes have featured a few moments that have sent fans scrambling: the change in theme tune (settle down, people, it changes every season), the voice cameo by Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan in episode two (he was Kenny on the other end of the phone to a very stressed Timothy); and Patrick Schwarzeneggers, um, bum and, er, front bum. Are there Australians in it? Australians Liddy Clark (front) and Wendy Strehlow in season three, episode four of The White Lotus. Sure are! When the three friends Jaclyn, Laurie and Kate needed some fun, their butler Valentin sent them down the road to another resort filled with older Australian tourists with dead husbands. Liddy Clark and Wendy Strehlow delivered a wonderfully deadpan performance, while over on Gary/Gregs boat, Rob Carlton popped up as one of the sleazy guys with a much younger Thai girlfriend. Advertisement As Carlton told website TV Tonight: Nobody does suspicious Aussie blokes better than me! Can I visit The White Lotus? If fictional cursed hotel chains are your thing, you can stay at the five-star Four Seasons Koh Samui, where season three was filmed. Just make sure your accounts arent frozen like the Ratliffs, as accommodation starts from $2000 a night. So whos going to die? Rick (Walton Goggins) is suffering in The White Lotus. The short answer is, I really dont know. White doesnt make it easy he delights in sending his audience down the wrong path. But what we do know is that Buddhism is playing a big role this season and Buddhists take the role of karma very seriously. Its not just what goes around comes around (Gary/Greg), but that life is circular. Advertisement Up to one in five Australians have been unable to afford specialist medical appointments or recommended treatments due to rising out-of-pocket fees, according to a survey of thousands of patients. The alarming findings, collated by La Trobe University, also found 40 per cent of private hospital patients are being slugged with out-of-pocket specialist fees of more than $1000. Almost one in four of those patients say they were only informed of all costs once at the hospital or after they were discharged. Luan Lawrenson-Woods paid $30,000 in out-of-pocket fees for surgeries and treatment related to breast cancer despite having private health insurance. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer The 2025 Patient View report, commissioned by advocacy group Patients Australia, surveyed more than 5400 Australians on their experiences with and views of out-of-pocket fees in general practice and specialist care. Almost half of respondents who paid out-of-pocket costs for a GP visit paid an average gap fee of $51 or more. And for those who saw a specialist in their private rooms and had to dip into their own pocket, one in three paid $201 or more. China's top legislature concludes annual session Xinhua) 08:01, March 12, 2025 Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders including Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attend the closing meeting of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, concluded its third session Tuesday. Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders including Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attended the closing meeting of the session at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Entrusted by the session's presidium, Li Hongzhong, executive chairperson of the presidium, presided over the meeting attended by 2,884 NPC deputies. Lawmakers approved the government work report. They adopted a decision to amend the Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels. President Xi signed a presidential order to promulgate the decision. Lawmakers approved a report on the implementation of the 2024 plan for national economic and social development and the 2025 draft plan, and approved the 2025 plan. They approved a report on the execution of the central and local budgets for 2024 and the draft central and local budgets for 2025, and approved the central budget for 2025. They also approved the work reports of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. Addressing the meeting, Li Hongzhong urged rigorous implementation of the arrangements made at the NPC session and high-quality accomplishment of the goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. Li also called for practicing whole-process people's democracy, focusing on managing China's own affairs well, and working tirelessly to build China into a strong country and advance national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization. A presidium meeting and an executive chairpersons meeting were also held on Tuesday before the closing meeting. Entrusted by the presidium of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), Li Hongzhong presides over the closing meeting of the session at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) Entrusted by Zhao Leji, executive chairman of the presidium of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), Li Hongzhong, executive chairman of the presidium, presides over the fourth meeting of the presidium at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xiang) Entrusted by Zhao Leji, executive chairman of the presidium of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) and chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, Li Hongzhong, executive chairman of the presidium and vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presides over the third meeting of executive chairpersons of the presidium at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) By Akbar Novruz Micro, small, and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Azerbaijan contribute about 15% of the added value in the country's economy, according to Nataly Mouravidze, Head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Representative Office in Azerbaijan. Speaking at the 1st National Financial Access Forum in Baku, Mouravidze highlighted the EBRD's expanding role in trade finance and SME lending in Azerbaijan. "In the coming years, together with our partners, we will pay special attention to increasing the competitiveness of SMEs, developing initiatives in the field of 'green finance,' supporting women entrepreneurs, and increasing youth employment opportunities," she stated. Mouravidze emphasized that Azerbaijans SMEs employ 50% of the workforce but contribute less to GDP compared to OECD countries. Many of these enterprises are concentrated in trade, transport, and hospitality, but she sees innovation-driven companies as key to the next stage of economic development. "Digitalization is a key factor in this transformation. Technologies open up new opportunities for small businesses: they increase efficiency, expand access to markets, and create conditions for competition with large companies," Mouravidze said, adding that the EBRD is committed to supporting digital transformation through financing and advisory services. The EBRD, which has been active in Azerbaijan since 1991, has invested over 4 billion in more than 190 projects. "Our key priorities include promoting economic diversification, strengthening local businesses, increasing financial sector resilience, supporting the transition to a 'green economy,' and improving regional integration," she noted. The bank remains focused on private sector development, particularly through partnerships with Azerbaijani financial institutions. "By investing in financial institutions, we are enabling them to expand lending to the private sector. We are already working with Bank Respublika, AccessBank, and the International Bank of Azerbaijan, and we look forward to the opportunity to engage more financial institutions," Mouravidze concluded. JAKARTA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government is emphasizing stricter regulations and increased supervision to protect children from harmful content and online bullying on social media, Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid has said. "We see this disaster happening right in front of our eyes. Our children are losing focus, becoming addicted to social media, and are increasingly vulnerable to online exploitation," Hafid was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the ministry on Wednesday. Speaking at a meeting with representatives of global digital platform providers at the ministry's headquarters on Tuesday, Hafid underscored the need for stricter regulations to ensure children's safety in the digital space. "This is not just about platform self-regulation; it also requires active government involvement," she noted. She highlighted the need to strengthen child protection measures on digital platforms, noting that many children under the age of 13 continue to use social media despite existing restrictions. "If rules exist but remain ineffective, then there are loopholes that must be addressed. We want to ensure that platforms truly enforce age restrictions instead of relying on self-regulation mechanisms that are not strong enough," she added. In addition to enforcing stricter access controls based on user age, the government is also considering additional measures, such as limiting screen time for children and implementing more accurate age verification systems. Last month, Hafid announced that her ministry is establishing a task force to develop policies on strengthening child protection in the digital space. The task force will include representatives from various ministries, academia, child education experts, psychology institutions, child protection organizations, and other relevant stakeholders. The Gold Coasts iconic, skyscraper-lined surf beaches have been all but obliterated by ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, with an estimated 80 per cent of the sand washed out to sea. Queenslands second-largest city entered the recovery phase on Tuesday after several days of wild weather closed schools and businesses and left more than 60,000 properties without power. Powerlines were blown down, traffic lights were out, and trees toppled at the height of the slow-moving storm, which was downgraded from cyclone status before it reached the Australian coast. Gold Coast locals Cade Wenngren and Samantha Stubbs inspect the beach erosion. Credit: Justin McManus But the damage to the Gold Coast was most stark along its beaches, where the ocean has gouged sheer, two- to three-metre cliffs into the golden sand in many places. A woman who ran a healing retreat where a participant died after drinking magic mushroom tea has been fined $3000 and will not have a criminal record after pleading guilty to trafficking the illicit substance. Deanne Mathews, 54, faced Bacchus Marsh Magistrates Court on Wednesday, almost a year after hosting the fatal retreat at Clunes. Deanne Mathews, 54, outside Bacchus Marsh Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Credit: Nine News Mathews was charged with trafficking drugs but has not been charged over the death of a participant, Ringwood mother Rachael Dixon, 53. Police prosecutor Kerrie-Ann Moroney said that on April 13, 2024, Mathews had hosted a $500-a-head healing ceremony where the hallucinogenic substance was weighed and provided in a tea. A Perth council is using potted plants in their battle against rough sleepers occupying an iconic tourist attraction. The City of Fremantle has placed two large lemon trees in pots in the entrance to the former Hungry Jacks site along the popular Cappuccino Strip to deter rough sleepers from setting up camp in the doorway. Two large potted lemon trees are being used to deter rough sleepers along Fremantles iconic Cappuccino Strip. Credit: Roel Loopers Local Roel Loopers said the site had become a blight on the landscape but called for a better solution than hostile architecture, a style of urban design that prevents rough sleepers from using public spaces in ways that disturb the public. The site has been an eyesore, with two to three men occupying the space the whole day and making it look very messy, he said. A policy mix-up has exposed a fissure between Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and his most senior colleagues on his threat to break up big insurance companies, as internal documents show Coalition MPs were told it was not their policy. Coalition talking points leaked to this masthead show that senior Liberals believed the party was not in favour of a divestment policy until Dutton backed the idea more strongly on Tuesday. Peter Dutton and his shadow treasurer Angus Taylor have made contradictory statements on insurance. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The mixed messages have raised questions about the sharpness of the oppositions campaign operation before an imminent election, with some Liberals laying blame on the leaders office. Consider it official. The era of special favours is over, even for one of the United States most trusted allies. With Donald Trumps decision not to provide an exemption to his steel and aluminium tariffs, the US-Australia alliance has entered a new era: one defined by transactions rather than trust. Its implications stretch beyond trade and will prompt confronting, in many ways overdue, questions about our relationship with our most important security partner. Did Australias exemption pleas count for anything with Donald Trump? No. Credit: Getty Images Yes, we have fought in every major conflict with the US since the First World War. Yes, the Pine Gap joint defence facility near Alice Springs provides invaluable intelligence. Yes, we are planning to spend tens of billions of dollars on US Virginia-class submarines. Did any of that count for a brass razoo with Trump? No. Even the supposedly magical card in Australias deck that we traditionally run a trade deficit with America no longer has the same potency. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin was not aware of such recommendations, calling them extremely contradictory and adding, we are working with more considered options. The document was prepared by a think tank working closely with the FSBs Fifth Service, the division that oversees operations in Ukraine, in the week ahead of talks between Russia and the United States in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18. A Russian academic close to senior Russian diplomats said the main thrust of the recommendations in the proposal reflected the broad consensus in Moscow, but added it was never clear to what degree the Kremlin leadership reacted to documents being prepared for it. Soldiers of Ukraines 5th brigade hold a poster thanking the US for support at the front line near Toretsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine. Credit: AP While hawkish members of the Russian elite were pressing the Kremlin to continue the war and use the current situation to advance further, other groups were pressing for a speedier resolution of the conflict and for a ceasefire at least, he said. The FSB-linked document lays out ways in which Russia can boost its negotiating position by exacerbating tensions between the US and both China and the European Union, and by proposing US access to Russian minerals including in the territories it occupies in Ukraine, such as the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas, where it says there are reserves of rare earth metals. In an interview on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin said much the same when he suggested Moscow could invite US companies to develop Russian mineral deposits, including in the occupied territories in Ukraine. That appeared to be an effort to undermine a proposed accord on mineral resources development between Ukraine and the US. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the media during a refuelling stop at Shannon Airport in Shannon, Ireland. Credit: AP The document says Russias efforts should first be focused on normalising relations between Washington and Moscow, through the restoration of full diplomatic staffing levels at both countries embassies and the appointment of Alexander Darchiev as Russias ambassador to the US suggestions that emerged publicly following talks between Russian and US officials in Istanbul on February 27, which apparently focused on the operations of their respective diplomatic missions. The document proposed that Russia agree not to station its Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missiles in Belarus, on the border with Europe, while in return the US would agree not to place new missile systems on the continent. It suggests, too, that Russia stop weapons supplies to countries considered unfriendly to the US, while in return the US would stop arming Ukraine but adds that ending Russian arms supplies to Moscows allies would be difficult to realise. The document dismisses what it says are initial proposals made by Trumps special envoy on Ukraine, retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, for a peace agreement in which one suggested element would be Ukraines ceding of territories taken by Russia and Kyivs agreement not to attempt to regain them in the future through military or diplomatic means. The Druzhba hotel in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine was badly damaged in a Russian missile attack which killed one person and wounded nine others. Credit: Getty Images The FSB-linked document says, however, even this type of settlement does not go far enough and without official recognition of Russian sovereignty over the seized region, it is fairly likely the armed conflict will resume in the medium term, for example after the next change of administration in the US. The document also dismisses any potential political concessions by Ukraine such as Kyivs rejection of NATO membership and the holding of elections in which pro-Russian parties are allowed to participate as not being far-reaching enough. In reality, the current Kyiv regime cannot be changed from inside the country. Its complete dismantling is needed, it says. The presence of any peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine is also dismissed as absolutely unnecessary since any force would be under serious Western influence, while US plans to continue arming Ukraine following any peace deal are absolutely unacceptable, as is maintaining the Ukrainian army at its current 1 million-strong level. Efforts to entice Russia into a peace deal by offering to partially lift sanctions were also dismissed in the document. Its not clear what would be the benefit for Russia, it says, since the importance of the factor of sanctions against our country has been clearly exaggerated. Loading Boris Bondarev, a Geneva-based former Russian diplomat, said Russia was trying to lure Trump into talks by demonstrating its openness and flexibility while Putin would try to drag out the negotiations by positioning himself as a real, true friend to Donald Trump, who understands him completely, who wants to help him, who wants to help him achieve his goals in United States. But of course he would need something from him because he cannot do it just free. Dmitri Alperovitch, chairman of the Silverado Policy Accelerator, a national security think tank, said that it could now be difficult for Putin to reject the ceasefire proposal outright because he could risk Moscows potential realignment with Washington. The stakes now [in his view] are much more than just Ukraine the bigger prize is the US-Russia diplomatic normalisation, dropping of sanctions, driving a wedge within NATO, Alperovitch said in a post on X. Washington Post ULAN BATOR, March 12 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed and two others injured after two vehicles collided on Tuesday night in central Mongolia, according to the country's National Police Agency (NPA) on Wednesday. The accident occurred at around 7:00 p.m. on a highway in Undurshireet Soum (administrative subdivision) of Tuv province in Mongolia when an ambulance carrying five patients collided with a passenger bus traveling from Ulan Bator to the western Mongolian province of Zavkhan, the NPA said in a statement, adding that the injured people were hospitalized. The decedents included the ambulance driver and five patients, including two children. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation. The WCO Anti-Corruption & Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme held its annual coordinators meeting at the WCO headquarters in Brussels on 5-6 March 2025. This gathering marked a significant milestone as the Programme enters its last phase under its current schedule that enjoys funding from Norway (via the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) till September this year. The meeting was opened by the WCO Deputy Secretary General Ricardo Trevino, who expressed hope for future donor support and highlighted commitment to a renewed drive and boost for integrity through the WCOs new strategy. The meeting provided an opportunity for participants to reflect on key achievements since the A-CIP Programmes initiation in 2019, detailing the concrete changes achieved within the 16 current partner administrations. Country-level A-CIP projects were shown to have delivered measurable results and have fostered greater transparency and integrity within Customs. These achievements are a testament to the relevance and impact of the WCO Revised Arusha Declaration on their integrity efforts. More on these specific achievements can be seen in A-CIP testimonials, latest annual report, and throughout the WCO integrity news. Discussions also looked forward to sustaining integrity in Customs operations globally. There was a consensus that integrity efforts need to be long-term commitments, requiring continuous innovation and adaptation. Partner administrations shared their experiences in embedding integrity practices within their daily operations, ensuring that these initiatives remain impactful in the future and further explored new ways that integrity can be integrated into the core work of Customs, such as valuation, classification, enforcement and trade facilitation. Ideas were also shared that would shape a new phase for the A-CIP Programme, taking into account financial constraints but also leveraging the new tools and resources already developed by the Programme and now available to WCO Members, including the WCO CIPS Online Tool, and extensive new training materials now available on the WCO CLiKC! platform. A few more snapshots of interventions from the meeting are available here. The WCO A-CIP Programme, currently funded by Norway, is a comprehensive initiative that provides technical assistance and capacity-building support to WCO Member administrations implementing integrity-related initiatives in line with the WCO Revised Arusha Declaration. For more information, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org The WCOs Customs Integrity Perception Survey (CIPS) is now available for all Customs administrations to utilize via an online tool (CIPS-OT). During the WCOs 24th Integrity Sub-Committee session held on 3-4 March 2025, Argentina Customs (DGA) presented their experience being the first WCO Member administration to pilot this tool. The CIPS was developed under the WCO A-CIP Programme and aims to assess quantitatively the perception of integrity in Customs collecting inputs from Customs officers and private sector stakeholders, helping participating Customs administrations target and adjust anti-corruption and integrity promotion measures. Argentina Customs used the CIPS-OT to collect 1169 responses from private sector stakeholders within a ten-day period from 19 to 29 November 2024. Between 10 and 24 February 2025, 441 responses from DGA staff were collected. These response numbers were statistically significant, allowing the administration to be 95% confident that the results reflected the views of the entire target populations, with small margin of errors of 2.79% and 4.40%, respectively. Attaining the statistically significant sample sizes for both Customs officials and the private sector owes its success to the communication campaign. Argentina Customs used multiple channels, including roundtable discussions, email notifications, internal system alerts, and its intranet. Users of the CIPS-OT shared their testimonials, praising the surveys clarity, structured approach, and role in fostering transparency and dialogue. The CIPS findings, currently under analysis, will guide Argentina Customs to improve their integrity strategies and intensify their integrity efforts, in alignment with the WCO Revised Arusha Declaration (RAD). As the WCO continues to promote integrity in Customs, Argentinas successful implementation of CIPS-OT demonstrates its potential to drive meaningful change. By adopting this tool, Customs administrations worldwide can reinforce ethical practices, strengthen anti-corruption efforts, and build a culture of integrity that enhances public confidence. More information on the CIPS itself can be found in the WCOs Methodological Guidelines for CIPS. WCO Members interested in making use of the new CIPS Online Tool can send official requests to the Secretariat via: integrity@wcoomd.org The World Customs Organization (WCO) successfully delivered a green multi-regional Pre-Accreditation Workshop (conducted without the use of paper) on Time Release Study (TRS) in Lusaka, Zambia, from 3 to 7 March 2025. Hosted by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), the workshop brought together English-speaking participants from the West and Central Africa (WCA) and the East and Southern Africa (ESA) regions. It was supported by the WCO Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, funded by the United Kingdoms His Majestys Revenue and Customs. Ernest Sigande, Commissioner of Customs, ZRA, officially opened the Workshop, welcoming participants and expressing hopes for a successful outcome. The WCOs TRS accreditation process for Technical and Operational Advisor (TOA) which consist of three phases, aims at strengthening the pool of high-level technical experts who can assist WCO members in implementing TRS and independently deliver capacity building activities on behalf of the WCO. The pre-accreditation workshop was Phase II of the TRS accreditation process for English speaking candidates from the WCA and ESA regions. Following a competitive selection process, twelve candidates were shortlisted to participate in Phase II. During the workshop, candidates engaged in intensive exercises and holistic assessments were carried out to not only test technical proficiencies on TRS methodology (project planning and scoping, business process mapping, data analysis, TRS report, monitoring and evaluation, and action plan development) but also their professional competencies. A total of five candidates were successful who will now advance to Phase III, the final stage of the WCO TRS TOA accreditation process. In this final phase, they will be invited to participate as a co-facilitator in an in-country mission, a national or regional workshop, to demonstrate their technical expertise and professional competencies to become a WCO TOA on TRS. Violet Shawl, Acting Assistant Commissioner of the ZRA, officially closed the workshop, congratulating participants for the successful workshop and emphasized that this marked the beginning of a journey to further enhance their capabilities as they apply the lessons learned. For more information, please contact us at TRS@wcoomd.org. As part of the WCO Women in Customs campaign, the WCO Secretariat spoke with Havva Eksilmez, Central Anatolia Customs and Foreign Trade Regional Director at Turkish Customs. Her journey showcases the importance of adaptability, leadership, determination and courage in the face of adversity. In this interview, she shares the lessons shes learned along the way and offers advice to young individuals aspiring to make their mark in Customs and beyond. WCO: Havva, thank you for joining us. Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself and how you began your career in Customs? Havva Eksilmez: Thank you for inviting me to talk to you today. Its an honour to represent my country and women in Customs. I was born in Ardesen, a town in the Black Sea region in the northeast of Turkiye, close to the border with Georgia. My father was a self-employed worker, and my mother a housewife. In 1988, when I was only 15 years old, I started at Gazi University in Ankara, where I studied finance. Courses covered mathematics, economics and statistics, and I learned about public finance management, taxes and duties as well. When I graduated four years later and started looking for a job, I realized that, although working for the Department of Customs may be an unusual career path, it would allow me to put to good use the knowledge I had acquired. In 1993, I passed the Customs entrance exam and started working as a Trainee Customs Inspection Officer. As part of my traineeship, I followed theoretical courses and gained practical work experience at Customs in Izmir, which is located on the western coast of Turkiye and is home to one of the countrys biggest seaports. After completing my traineeship, I passed the final written and oral exams and started working as a Customs Inspector Officer. When I think back to my childhood, I remember there being a busy main road near our house that was used for transporting goods cross country. I used to wonder where those trucks were headed and what were they carrying. Little did I know at the time that, one day, my work would involve dealing with those trucks and seeking the answers to those questions. WCO: Over the years, how has your role evolved in Customs? Havva Eksilmez: I was first posted as a Customs Inspection Officer in Adana, situated in southern Turkiye. After that, I moved to Kars in the eastern part of the country, closer to where Im originally from. In 2000, I was posted to Ankara, where I worked at Esenboga Airport, then at the Ankara TIR Customs Directorate and later in the Ankara Postal Services Customs Directorate. In 2003, I passed an exam to become an Assistant Customs Manager and became part of the administrative staff. Between 2003 and 2006, I worked as an Assistant Customs Manager for airport and truck operations, still in Ankara. I took another examination in 2006 to become a Customs Manager at the Ankara Customs and Enforcement Directorate. I held various positions dealing with the traffic of passengers and cargo via air, railway and road. Then, in August 2012, I was appointed as Regional Director of the Malatya Firat Customs and Foreign Trade Regional Directorate, which is located in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkiye. After seven years, I was moved to the Central Anatolia region, and I still hold this position, based in Ankara. As you can see, I had to relocate regularly. It enabled me to gain hands-on experience in various Customs and trade operations. Today, Im responsible for supervising some 860 officers working in my Directorate. WCO: You were initially a field officer and then moved on to managerial positions. How did you experience this change? Havva Eksilmez: Becoming a manager after working for a number of years as an inspector officer is sort of a natural progression. With the experience and knowledge gained from working in the field, its easier to make decisions. When I was first promoted to a managerial position, Id already had experience of many different situations, tasks and people. One key element in my leadership is communication. I like to share my experience, consult with my staff and explain my decisions to them so that they can learn from me, just as I had learned from my managers. Although, after 12 years experience in senior positions, the work is certainly easier, Customs is such a diverse field that youre forced to keep learning all the time. Regulations and tools evolve, and we all have to keep up with the pace of change. About 20 years ago, our Customs Code was reviewed substantially in order to align our procedures with international standards, and a great many small changes are regularly made to regulations and processes. While I was still working, I also went back to Gazi University in 2010 to do a Masters degree in finance; my thesis was entitled Analysis of the Legal, Economic, Financial and Social Effects of Customs Exemptions in Imports. WCO: Can you think of a project or initiative in which you participated and which you consider as having been instrumental to your career? Havva Eksilmez: When I was working as a Customs Manager in 2012, I participated in the paperless declaration project. We had to digitalize the Customs declaration procedures, which was an extremely challenging task. Working in Firat in Malatya as a Regional Director was another unique and enriching experience for me. My role involved managing the construction of the new service building and of the Customs area, from the design stage right through to the construction phase. On a lighter note, I also had the opportunity to visit the Aslantepe excavations in Malatya and meet the director of the archaeological site. I developed a keen interest in the ancient Customs seals that had been unearthed the oldest examples ever to have been discovered. I contributed a chapter to a book entitled Memories Passing through Customs, which is a collection of memories from a number of Customs officers. In my chapter, which I called A seal story, I wrote all about those ancient seals. WCO: How did you manage to balance your career and family life? Havva Eksilmez: I got married when I was in Kars, and, soon after, we moved to Ankara and started a family. My husband works in the Police Department, and he was able to follow me wherever I was posted. We had our two children while we were in Ankara. We spent 12 years there. Living for so many years in the same place made life easier for our family. Studying for the Assistant Manager examination while taking care of a two-year-old was challenging, however. Moreover, like all inspection officers, I would work shifts, covering any time of day or night, seven days a week. Night and weekend shifts were simply a part of the job. We were lucky enough to have the help of my mother-in-law when my first child was born. Family support is priceless. When my second child was only a year old, I was studying for my thesis and working at the same time. That period was certainly both interesting and challenging in terms of life experience. WCO: What is the balance like between men and women in the Administration today? Do women face any specific difficulties? Havva Eksilmez: In the region that I manage, the ratio of men to women is 60:40. Theres been a significant increase in the number of women working in Customs over recent years, including in management positions. Managers try to encourage women to plan their career path and put themselves forward for examinations to help advance their career. I didnt encounter any specific difficulties. I think many women possess certain qualities that make them good managers. They usually pay attention to detail, they are persuasive, they have a problem-solving attitude, and they learn from adversity. Ive seen this in others, as well as in myself. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019. It was caught at an early stage, and Im currently in remission. I chose to continue working during my treatment, and both my senior managers and my family supported my choice. This period was transformative. I now feel more relaxed; Im still very demanding of others and myself, but I take things a lot easier. WCO: Thank you for sharing your personal story with us. What advice would you give to young women and men who are thinking of joining Customs? Havva Eksilmez: The most important thing is to love what you do to value your job. Everything flows from that. I know its a bit cliche, but Id also tell them that difficulties and challenges are opportunities to discover more about who you are, and to test and grow your strength and resilience. Embracing change, rather than fearing it, can lead to growth, opportunity and a more fulfilling life. Therefore, its important that they find a job that will challenge them. Customs is a particularly interesting environment where theres very little routine and plenty of opportunity to grow. When you start working for Customs, you know that youll be expected to relocate regularly, youll need to adapt to new situations, youll have to understand new regulations and new working methods. All of this will prepare you to hold more responsibilities and will enable you to have a good career. Customs also offers meaningful jobs. Im particularly proud of what we achieved during the COVID-19 pandemic, or after the devastating earthquakes that struck southeastern Turkiye on 6 February 2023, destroying 13 cities. We had to work around the clock to manage the import of equipment and goods needed by the rescue and humanitarian teams. Customs is also a job with an international dimension. I had the opportunity of working with the WCO to organize the PICARD Conference back in 2018 which brought together Customs officers and researchers from all over the world. I also enjoyed meeting colleagues from other countries during international forums. This international aspect was especially rewarding. WCO: Thank you for taking the time to share your story and aspirations with us. Havva Eksilmez: Thank you for inviting me to take part in this campaign. Talking to you today has meant a lot to me, and I hope that I was able to communicate my enthusiasm for a job that has been so rewarding to me on both a professional and personal level. MANILA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte departed for the Netherlands on Wednesday, local media said. The Office of the Vice President confirmed that Sara Duterte left Manila at 7:40 a.m. local time and is heading to Amsterdam, multiple news outlets reported. The vice president earlier said she would follow her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, to The Hague for the International Criminal Court (ICC) trial. On Tuesday night, the vice president tried to enter Villamor Air Base in Pasay City to meet her father but failed. FlightRadar24, a live flight-tracking website, said on Tuesday night through social media platform that the plane carrying the former president became the most tracked flight in the world. BANGKOK, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Wednesday emphasized her government's dedication to an investor-friendly environment to strengthen confidence as an effort to drive Thailand's economic expansion. Speaking at an investment forum held by the country's Board of Investment (BOI), Paetongtarn said that key infrastructure initiatives, including high-speed rail systems, airport expansions, and the further development of the country's largest Laem Chabang Port, are all designed to solidify Thailand's position as a regional logistics hub. She also underscored Thailand's focus on high-tech industries such as semiconductors, digital services, and data centers, stressing the importance of investing in technology education and attracting global talent. The government is enhancing the ease of doing business by streamlining regulatory frameworks and strengthening investor support services, she said. "In the new global economy, nations must adapt quickly to technological changes and sustainability demands," said the prime minister. "Thailand is fully committed to being at the forefront of these shifts, with a clear strategy to attract high-value investments and build a thriving innovation ecosystem." According to BOI, Thailand has witnessed a surge in investment applications, reaching a 10-year high of 1.13 trillion baht (33.4 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024, a 35 percent increase from the previous year. This growth has been fueled by significant foreign direct investment in data centers, cloud services, and advanced electronics manufacturing. The Thai government is targeting more foreign investment to boost economic growth. The Finance Ministry said in January that the economy is expected to accelerate to a 3 percent growth in 2025 from 2.5 percent in 2024, supported by private consumption, exports and tourism. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Instinctively, when a pack gathers to hunt down a quarry whether hounds braying for a kill or a human being cornered by his or her critics the fear (whatever its origin) is usually evident in the eyes of the hunted. Recently when Verona Murphy, on her first day as the newly-elected Ceann Comhairle of Dail Eireann, was shouted down by a pack of braying TDs (mostly men), her fear was evident. As was the fear in the eyes of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, when he found himself in the Oval Office in Washington, the subject of a mugging by President Trump and Vice-President Vance and a stander-by who set the ball rolling by dressing down Zelensky for not wearing a suit and a tie! It was a run-in to an historic interlude designated by one commentator as five minutes that changed the world during which the long-vaunted close relationship between America and Europe that had survived the test of centuries lay broken on the floor of the Oval Office. Suddenly secure political entities (since 1949) like NATO on which the safety of the world depended no longer held firm. And presiding over the incipient fracturing of NATO was the haunting spectre of a Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin, licking his lips in anticipation of pursuing his campaign to polish off a weakened Ukraine and one by one to set his sights on whatever pickings were next in line in Europe. The historic sway exerted by the United States of America as the driving force keeping the totemic Russian Bear under the cosh was no more. A political Armageddon (it seems) is on hand. What we witnessed on television was a recalcitrant bully surrounded by fawning supporters and annoyed that the president of Ukraine was not prepared to join a compliant consensus and concede what his (Trumps) narcissistic personality demanded in rifling Ukraine of its minerals and delivering that country into the convenient arms of Putin. Trump, presented regularly now as a classic case of narcissism, is only happy if he is in the centre of every stage with a spotlight fixed definitively on himself. A nightmare to work with, Trump has an insatiable need to dominate the headlines every day regardless of how bizarre or outlandish his position and what matters is not whether any of it makes any sense but how it makes Trump feel. Maureen Dowd, a columnist in the New York Times, concluded: "Everyone is so obsequious around Trump that he now gets huffy at the least pushback. If anyone points out that he is wrong, he blows a gasket." The historian, Max Hastings, recently pointed to a more chilling truth: "With the Americans offering shameless support to Putin and shameless animosity to Zelensky, the Europeans lack the military power and, probably also the will, to protect Ukraine." And Trumps bullying attitude to Zelensky in the Oval Office stood in marked contrast to Zelenskys modest ambition (as he told Fox News, a pro-Trump media voice) that all he (Zelensky) wanted was "to hear that America is for our side, not for the Russians". The problem is that Trump, even though the voters of the USA have democratically invested him with supreme executive power, is no ordinary president for whom words mean what the rest of us mean by them and reality (as we know it) is for him a moveable feast. What Zelensky and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the rest of the obviously sane politicians are dealing with is a man who lives in a bubble of acquiescence, a dream world where he is always right and cannot be told that he is wrong or ever made a mistake. Trumps personality has sometimes been described as pathologically damaged. Thus he casually cancels articles in the American Constitution in relation to citizenship because he finds them inconvenient. He governs by issuing executive orders as if he were an absolute monarch. And truth and lies mean what he wants them to mean. And, of course, peace for Ukraine is important for Trump not because it would save lives or end a long nightmare for Ukraine but because he wants to be lauded as a peace-maker and, it is said, he has high expectations of winning the Nobel Prize for his peace-making achievements. No wonder he had to resort before the eyes of the world to bullying Zelensky who is, after all, just the President of Ukraine so his views or those of Ukraine dont really matter in the grand scheme of Trumps narcissistic plans for himself. For Trump, Zelensky is no more than an irritant whose role is to thank (and to keep thanking) Trump and America for what theyve done for Ukraine. Outrageously, as far as Trump is concerned, Zelensky believes that the Ukranian people have a right to a say in their future. When he attempted to make this simple and indisputable point in the Oval Office debacle, Trump told him that he was starting World War Three and Trumps acolyte Vance (whose only role now in American politics is to make Trump feel good about himself) chimed in accusing him of supporting Kamala Harris in the presidential election. What is truly extraordinary is that Trump has now aligned American policy with that of the Kremlin. Even though all the polls are indicating that Americans oppose Putin by a consistently huge majority 80% to 90% Trump, under the guise of bringing peace to Ukraine, decided, to pause and review Americas aid to Ukraine, a decision which has forced Zelensky to grovel to Trumps ambition to substantially undermine the Ukraine war effort and deliver Ukraine to Putin. It prompts the $60,000 question as to why Trump is apparently in Putins pocket. Lara Marlowe asks it in a recent Irish Times piece. And on BBC 2s Newsnight programme, the journalist, Michael Wolff, who has long charted Trumps political fortunes most recently in his book All Or Nothing, concludes that Putin must have something on Trump'. Hard times are on their way, a la Trump. Animosity between two sisters boiled over into a violent mass brawl on the streets of Ballina. Eleven members of two factions of the Collins family from Barnadearg and Oaklawn in Ballina were embroiled in the fracas with seven people coming before Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court. Maureen Collins, aged 43; Martin Collins Snr, aged 45; Martin Collins Jnr, aged 20; Stephen Collins, aged 23 (all with an address at 29 Oaklawns, Killala Road, Ballina); Ellen Collins, aged 54, and Michael Collins, aged 56, of Barnadearg, pleaded guilty to affray. Danny Collins, aged 18, also of Barnadearg, pleaded guilty to affray and assault causing harm. Gda Chris Barrett told the court he was on mobile patrol in Ballina on February 13, 2023, when he received a report of an altercation at Barnadearg. He went to the scene and met with husband and wife Ellen and Michael Collins and their sons outside their Barnadearg home. They alleged that their relatives Stephen and Martin Collins Jnr arrived outside their home and a fight broke out on the street. Ellens sister Maureen and her husband Michael also went to the scene and a large brawl broke out between all the persons involved. Ellen Collins alleged to Gardai that Maureen had pulled her to the ground. Shane Collins (who is not before the court) told Gardai he had been assaulted by Stephen Collins. Eleven people were involved in the dispute but a number were minors and were dealt with under a Juvenile Liaison Order. One of Ellens sons took a video of the incident on his mobile phone which was handed over to Gardai. The footage showed Danny Collins holding a large knife before lunging at Martin Collins Jnr and stabbing him. Martin Collins Jnr required 12 stitches to his left forearm. The video also showed Maureen and Ellen Collins on the ground fighting and pulling each others hair. Martin Collins Snr (Maureens husband) attempted to pull the sisters apart. Michael Collins (Ellens husband) became involved and was pushed to the ground by his brother-in-law. On the video clip, Stephen Collins can be seen holding a claw hammer. It was alleged he assaulted Ellen Collins with the hammer but he was not charged with that offence. Gda Barrett said the involvement of Michael Collins and Martin Collins Snr was relatively minor. The families live two kilometres apart. Michael Collins has 27 previous convictions. His wife Ellen has three. The other people involved have no previous convictions. The court heard the Collins sisters had historical differences and there was a social media background to the case. The melee broke out after it was alleged that a rock was thrown at Stephen Collins car by one of his cousins as he drove home from work. The court was told that both families are involved in the Traveller mediation process and a peace agreement has been signed. This was a pretty unsavoury event on the streets of Ballina, said Judge Eoin Garavan. There was a social media background to this in which one sister felt insulted and of course family pride, a bit of arrogance, and natural aggression manifested itself. Nobody would walk away from anything, he added. The judge said the younger generation started the fight before the parents let themselves down by joining in. Judge Garavan said the incident escalated into a violent orgy on the street. Maureen and Ellen Collins each received an eight-month suspended prison sentence. Their husbands Martin Collins Snr and Michael Collins were given the benefit of the Probation Act. Stephen Collins was handed down a one-year suspended sentence. His brother Martin Collins Jnr was given a 10-month suspended prison term. Danny Collins received a 15-month suspended jail sentence. KABUL, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Two siblings lost their lives and their father was injured in intense clashes between nomads and local residents in eastern Afghanistan's Wardak province, local media reported on Wednesday. The incident happened late Tuesday in Shanez area in Sayedabad district of the province, killing two siblings on the spot and leaving their father injured, TOLO news quoted a local official as saying. Security forces have taken into custody six fugitive suspects in connection with the case in Wardak's neighboring Ghazni and Logar provinces. The reason behind the conflict was unknown. In Afghanistan, conflicts are common between local residents and nomads over pastures and agricultural lands, which can result in deaths and injuries for both sides. A man who sent explicit images and messages to people he believed were teenage girls has been jailed. Brendan Glynn, aged 57, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court to charges of attempting to send explicit material to a child. Det Gda John Lynskey told the court that on February 21, 2023, Gardai were contacted by a member of an online group known as the Child Protection Agency. This person had set up a fake Facebook profile for a 14-year-old girl. Between February 3 and 19, 2023, there was contact between Glynn and the fictitious profile on Facebook and through WhatsApp. The accused was told the girl was 14 from the outset but he continued to send sexually explicit messages. On February 22, 2023, Gardai were contacted by a member of the UK-based Predator Exposure group. They had set up a false Facebook profile for a 13-year-old girl. On February 2, 2023, Glynn sent the profile a friend request. A 334-page chat log was shown to Gardai. The log contained 11 images of a male penis as well as sexually explicit messages. On February 24, 2023, Glynn was arrested at the Ivy Tower Hotel in Castlebar where he was staying at the time. He admitted sending a photo to one of the decoys and said he regretted sending the messages. Two mobile phones were seized and some of the images sent by Glynn matched the background of the hotel room he was staying in. Soon after he was released, Glynn was in communication with another online decoy. A different member of the Predator Exposure group created a Facebook profile under the guise of a 13-year-old girl. A chat log of messages between the decoy and Glynn from April 23 to 30, 2023, was handed over to Gardai. Its astounding that after he was questioned, he would do the same thing in April, commented Judge Eoin Garavan. Between April 21 and May 7, 2023, the accused sent messages again to one of the profiles and was re-arrested, this time at the Ellison Hotel in Castlebar. Defending barrister Diarmuid Connolly said his client, who has no previous convictions, went through a marriage break-up and appears to have gone off the rails in middle age. He had worked in the hospitality industry in the UK for many years. Glynn has been in custody since last July. When arrested Glynn told gardai he was caught in another paedophile hunter sting in the UK. He travelled to Devon and claims he was assaulted at a train station by members of an online organisation. He was questioned in a police station but released. Judge Eoin Garavan said Glynn is a paedophile regardless of whether his victims were fictitious. He was told the girls were 13 or 14 years old and had taken minimal responsibility for his actions. Imposing a three-year jail term, Judge Garavan backdated the sentence to reflect time already spent in custody. He said Glynn is clearly a risk when he gets out and directed him to come under the supervision of the Probation Service upon release. Once again the Ballinrobe Musical Society produced an outstanding show with their production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which was staged in Ballinrobe Community School from Sunday, February 16, to Saturday, February 22. The Ballinrobe Community school gymnasium was transformed into a theatre and the excellently constructed stage, set, and lighting, helped the audience feel that they were well and truly in 15th-century Paris. The music and singing were simply incredible, with the big choruses adding something extra to the show. The amazing orchestra which included the drums and percussion of Terry Cooke were also key elements of what was a truly memorable production. The final show was performed to another sell-out crowd and the cast and members of the Ballinrobe Musical Society were in a buoyant mood afterwards. Edward Scott played the role of the arrogant but charming Phoebus de Martin, the new captain of the cathedral guard and he enjoyed the versatility. I dont normally get to play a character as versatile, so it is nice to have that bit of contrast. "When it comes to musicals sometimes people in the audience are bouncing out the door singing and happy, but this is a very different type of musical and I think it adds to the authenticity of the actual musical itself. I think it would be an awful injustice if it was a happy ending. I think it is one of those shows where to do it justice there has to be a sad ending." Angela Stauntons role in the musical was Clopin Trouillefou, Queen of the Gypsies. Clopin was originally a mans role and I am so honoured to get the opportunity to play this role. Clopin comes across as a strange character, but really deep down in the heart of it, her main focus is family and Clopin is very protective of her group." She described the energy in the show as "unbelievable". "We have such a superb chorus, orchestra, and all of the production team have put such an amount of effort into this show." Ballinasloe native Sarah Corcoran produced an excellent performance as Esmeralda and said the show was a real rollercoaster. The audience have made a huge difference all week as it has been such a long run, and we can feel the energy on stage and it gives us all such a boost." The sadness was evident in the audience at the end of the show and Sarah explained that perhaps some people werent expecting such an emotional ending. There is a dark side to the musical; however, there is also some comedy as well. Some people are emotional when they are leaving the building, but that could also be down to the music as well, as the chorus and orchestra have been amazing." Ballinrobe Musical Society chairman Richard Crumlish played the role of Father Dupin and the Donegal native was delighted with the response that this years production has received. We have sold out five of the seven nights, and the other two nights were close to full capacity. People have said that it has been the best show in Ballinrobe in years and the choice of show has proven popular." Keith Hanleys portrayal of Quasimodo captivated those in attendance and the 20-year-old Galway native explained that it has been an enjoyable experience performing in Ballinrobe. There has been great fun and great energy throughout the week and the crowds have been impressive and overall it has been a positive experience. It was one of the most challenging roles that I have ever done, as physically you have to maintain the hunch throughout the show and it can be quite tiring, and singing can also be a little bit difficult when you are in that position. You also have to take into consideration that he was a sheltered character and is also half deaf and it was a challenging role. However, we have all really enjoyed this production. It is different to the Disney movie as the movie has a happy ending, and people might have been expecting a happy ending. However, our production is a bit different and whilst there is comedy, it is also balanced with the sadness and darkness, and that balance can make a great show as well." For stage manager Kenneth McCarthy, it has been a busy but thoroughly enjoyable week. The whole town has been buzzing during this week and everyone is behind us. The cast, crew and everyone behind the scenes are really happy with how this week has panned out." Once again the award-winning Ballinrobe Musical Society has produced another epic show and one which captivated audiences throughout the week. After the last show, one audience member even compared the production to a show that you would see in one of the top theatre venues in Dublin or the West End in London. MANILA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese animated movie "Ne Zha 2," the highest-grossing animated film of all time, hit Philippine movie screens on Wednesday. Filipino movie-goers will have a chance to experience the breathtaking animation, spectacular action sequences, and rich mythology that have captivated audiences worldwide. Filipino Claude Play was one of the lucky few who watched "Ne Zha 2" during a recent pre-screening in Manila. "I am very familiar with the Chinese mythology behind it. Watching 'Ne Zha 2' showed me a bigger lore about Chinese mythology," he told a TV interview. The film, the sequel to 2019's "Ne Zha," was first released in China on Jan. 29. It continues the tale of the iconic boy god from Chinese mythology, as Ne Zha and his ally Ao Bing struggle to rebuild their physical forms and secure their fate with the help of the immortal Taiyi Zhenren. "Ne Zha 2" has become the first non-Hollywood film to exceed 2 billion U.S. dollars in global earnings, including presales, according to data from ticketing platform Maoyan. The arrest of a Palestinian activist who helped organize campus protests of the war in Gaza sparked questions about whether foreign students and green card holders are protected against being deported from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil on March 8. Homeland Security officials and President Donald Trump indicated the arrest was directly tied to his role in the protests last spring at Columbia University in New York City. Khalil is held at an immigration detention center in Jena, Louisiana, while he awaits immigration court proceedings that could eventually lead to deportation. His arrest drew criticism that he's being unfairly and unlawfully targeted for his activism while the federal government essentially described him as a terrorist sympathizer. Is deportation possible? A green card holder is someone who has lawful permanent residence status in the United States. Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer, a law professor at Cornell Law School who teaches immigration law, said lawful permanent residents generally have many protections and "should be the most protected short of a US citizen." Still, that protection isn't absolute. Green card holders can be deported for committing certain crimes, failing to notify immigration officials of a change in address or engaging in marriage fraud, for example. The Department of Homeland Security said Khalil arrested as a result of Trump's executive orders prohibiting antisemitism. Trump argued that protesters forfeited their rights to remain in the country by supporting the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza and is designated as a terrorist organization. Khalil and other student leaders of Columbia University Apartheid Divest rejected claims of antisemitism, saying they are part of a broader anti-war movement that also includes Jewish students and groups. But the protest coalition, at times, voiced support for leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Islamist organization the U.S. designated as a terrorist group. Experts say officials seem to indicate they are trying to deport Khalil on the grounds that he's engaging in some sort of terrorist activity or somehow poses a threat. Khalil has not been convicted of any terrorist-related activity nor even charged with wrongdoing. Still, experts say the federal government has fairly broad authority to arrest and try to deport a green card holder on terrorism grounds. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, green card holders do not need to be convicted of something to be "removable," Kelley-Widmer said. They could be deported if the secretary of homeland security or the attorney general have reasonable grounds to believe they engaged in, or are likely to engage in, terrorist activities, she said. Kelley-Widmer said she's never seen a case where the alleged terrorist activity happened in the U.S., and she questioned whether taking part in protests qualifies. What did ICE say? One of the key issues in Khalil's case is what ICE agents said to his lawyer at the time he was arrested. His lawyer, Amy Greer, said the agents who took him into custody at his university-owned home near Columbia initially claimed to be acting on a State Department order to revoke his student visa. When Greer informed them that Khalil was a permanent resident with a green card, they said they would revoke that documentation instead. Kelley-Widmer said that exchange raises questions about how familiar the agents who arrested him were with the law or whether there was a "real disregard for the rule of law." "I think we should be really concerned that this is happening," she said. What are the next steps? Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a social media post that the administration will revoke "the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported." If someone is in the country on a student visa, the State Department has authority to revoke it if the person violates certain conditions. For example, Florida immigration attorney John Gihon said, it's quite common for the State Department to cancel visas of foreign students who get arrested for drunken driving. But when it comes to someone who's a lawful permanent resident, that generally requires an immigration judge to determine whether the person can be deported. Gihon said the next step is that Khalil would receive charging documents explaining why he's being detained and why the government wants to remove him, as well as a notice to appear in immigration court. Khalil's lawyers filed a lawsuit challenging his detention. A federal judge in New York City ordered that Khalil not be deported while the court considers his case. JAKARTA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian security authorities have intensified their search for 26 prisoners who remain at large after escaping from a state prison in Aceh province on Monday. A total of 52 inmates fled from the prison in Kutacane, a town in Aceh, during dusk on Monday. By Wednesday morning, 26 had been recaptured and returned to custody, according to Yan Rusmanto, the province's director general for corrections. To prevent further jailbreaks, Aceh police have reinforced security at the prison while ramping up efforts to locate the remaining fugitives, provincial police spokesperson Joko Krisdiyanto said. "We urge the public to immediately report any sightings or information regarding the escaped prisoners," he said. Authorities have also called on the fugitives to surrender voluntarily to avoid harsher legal consequences. PHNOM PENH, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia is projected to receive 7.5 million air passengers in 2025, an expected rise of 20 percent from 2024, Mao Havannall, minister in charge of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), said on Wednesday. Havannall made the remarks during the closing ceremony of a two-day conference in Phnom Penh. "Air transport has played a very important role in boosting tourism, business, trade and Cambodia's socio-cultural connectivity with the world," he said. According to the minister, Cambodia currently has direct flights with 12 countries and regions. He said that 31 international and domestic airlines operated a total of 58,354 flights to the kingdom's three international airports in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 14 percent. He added that the Southeast Asian country also recorded a 40 percent surge in air cargo volume to 77,800 tons last year. The agency's secretary of state and spokesperson Sinn Chanserey Vutha was confident that the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, which was put into official use in November 2023, and the Techo International Airport, which is scheduled to open to commercial operations in July 2025, would help attract more international airlines and passengers to Cambodia. "The two new international airports are capable of handling the landing of almost all kinds of aircraft from across the world, so I believe that they will be able to attract more reputable international airlines to operate direct flights to Cambodia," he told Xinhua. ALMATY, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan will soon adjust its oil production to fully comply with the limits set by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, collectively known as OPEC+, the country's Energy Ministry announced on Wednesday. "The Republic of Kazakhstan has taken the necessary measures to compensate for the temporary increase in production. In the near future, production volumes will be adjusted to fully comply with the established limits," the Ministry of Energy said in a statement. The ministry emphasized that Kazakhstan accounts for only 1.5% of global oil production and about 3% of OPEC+ production. "These indicators show that Kazakhstan does not have a critical impact on the global balance of supply and demand; however, our country remains a reliable partner and fulfills its obligations," the statement said. Kazakhstan, which contributed more than half of the overall OPEC+ oil production rise in February, has consistently exceeded its output quota of 1.468 million barrels per day (bpd) under the production-curbing deal struck by OPEC+, the organization's data showed on Wednesday. According to OPEC data, Kazakhstan produced 1.767 million bpd of oil in February, up from 1.570 million bpd in January. By Laman Ismayilova During her visit to Warsaw, the President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Aktoty Raimkulova, has met with Vice-Marshal of the Senate of Poland Micha? Kami?ski. The meeting discussed the enhancing of cultural ties between the Turkic world and Poland through collaborative projects aimed at preserving cultural heritage. Raimkulova highlighted the Foundation's efforts to protect and promote the cultural and historical assets of the Turkic world and explored potential avenues for cooperation with Poland in this domain. She stressed the significance of joint initiatives to study and safeguard the cultural heritage of the Turkic communities residing in Poland, specifically the Tatars and Karaites. Vice-Marshal Kami?ski expressed Polands commitment to preserving its historical and cultural heritage, stressing the importance of fostering cultural exchanges with the Turkic world. The conversation also touched on additional issues of mutual interest. The event was attended by the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Poland Nargiz Gurbanova and the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Poland Alim Kirabayev. Established in 2012, the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation focuses on the preservation of the Turkic heritage in member countries as well as conducting projects in collaboration with partners in third nations. The foundation provides assistance in the protection, study, and promotion of Turkic culture and heritage through supporting and funding various activities, projects, and programs. The organization carries out its activities in cooperation with TURKSOY and the Turkic Academy. KIEV, March 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. military aid to Ukraine has been restored, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Wednesday. The agency cited Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of the Ukrainian President's office and a member of the delegation to talks with the United States held in Saudi Arabia's port city of Jeddah. Palisa also noted that the agreements reached during the negotiations "are beginning to be implemented." Meanwhile, the local Ukrainska Pravda media outlet reported that the United States has also lifted its pause on intelligence sharing with Ukraine, citing U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. On Tuesday, the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations held talks in Saudi Arabia. After the meeting, they issued a joint statement announcing that the United States would resume security assistance to Ukraine and restore intelligence sharing. The United States suspended its military aid for Ukraine earlier this month after a rare shouting match at the White House between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in late February. MOSCOW, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia does not rule out contact with the United States in the coming days, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday. "We do not rule out contact with U.S. representatives in the coming days," Zakharova was quoted by TASS news agency as saying. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his plan to call Russian President Vladimir Putin in the next couple of days to discuss the situation surrounding Ukraine. According to the joint statement issued by the Ukrainian and U.S. delegations following their meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal for an immediate interim 30-day ceasefire. The statement, issued after hours of consultations between senior officials from the two countries, said the truce could be extended by mutual agreement, adding that "the United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace." Washington has agreed to "immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine," the statement said. OSLO, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Greenland's opposition Demokraatit (Democrats) party won Tuesday's parliamentary election, according to preliminary data released by the Central Election Committee on Wednesday. Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, saw the Democrats win 29.9 percent of the vote, becoming the largest party in the Inatsisartut. The governing coalition partner Naleraq followed with 24.5 percent. The ruling party, Inuit Ataqatigiit, led by incumbent Prime Minister Mute Egede, secured 21.4 percent of the vote, a sharp decline of 15.3 percentage points from the 2021 election. The Siumut party received 14.7 percent while the Atassut party secured 7.3 percent. With no party winning an outright majority, the Democrats will have to negotiate with other parties to form a coalition government. Over 28,000 registered voters participated in the election, which saw a 70.9 percent turnout across 72 polling stations in Greenland. The election drew global attention after U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his intention to take control of the island "one way or another." by Xinhua writer Xing Jianqiao PARIS, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine agreed on Tuesday to a U.S. proposal for an "immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire" following talks with a U.S. delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to a joint statement. The talks, notably held without European participation, resulted in the statement that Ukraine would receive renewed U.S. security assistance and America got preliminary approval for access to Ukraine's mineral resources. Despite being left out of negotiations, European leaders welcomed the progress made between the United States and Ukraine while continuing efforts to strengthen the continent's defense capabilities. "BALL IN RUSSIA'S COURT" After the joint statement, European leaders showed their support for the proposed ceasefire, looking forward to a hopeful response from Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the meeting as "good and constructive" on the social media platform X. "Now, it is up to the United States to convince Russia to do the same. If Russia agrees, the ceasefire will take effect immediately," he stated. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer both welcomed the ceasefire proposal. On X, Macron voiced his support for the discussions, stressing that "the ball is now clearly in Russia's court." He reaffirmed France's commitment to a "solid and lasting peace, backed by robust security guarantees for Ukraine." Similarly, Starmer described Ukraine's acceptance of the ceasefire as a positive step, adding, "As both American and Ukrainian delegations have said, the ball is now in the Russian court." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also praised the U.S.-Ukraine talks as a potential step toward "a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace for Ukraine." She reiterated that the EU was prepared to play an active role in the upcoming peace negotiations. EUROPE PREPARES LONG-TERM SECURITY GUARANTEES As diplomatic efforts continue, Europe is also preparing for long-term security guarantees for Ukraine. On Tuesday, France hosted a meeting of some 30 military chiefs of its partner nations to draft a plan for credible security guarantees in the event of a peace agreement with Russia. According to Le Monde, Macron urged military leaders to "move from concept to plan" to ensure stable and lasting peace in Ukraine. The report said participants agreed that security guarantees must align with NATO's capabilities and provide "credible, long-term support for the Ukrainian army." However, the United States, NATO's most powerful member, was absent from the discussions. Beyond Ukraine's security, Europe is also working to enhance its own defense capabilities amid concerns over the reliability of U.S. support. On Wednesday, defense ministers from France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and Poland will meet in Paris to discuss European rearmament and military aid for Ukraine. Last week, European leaders endorsed the ReArm Europe plan, introduced by von der Leyen, marking a major step toward greater EU defense autonomy. The plan includes an 800-billion-euro (873 billion U.S. dollars) initiative to boost military spending across the bloc, with a 150-billion-euro (164 billion U.S. dollars) loan program to help EU nations invest in critical military assets. DEBATING EUROPE'S DEFENSE FUTURE As European leaders push for stronger military capabilities, analysts remain divided over the feasibility of these plans. Croatian geopolitical analyst Vlatko Cvrtila told Bulgarian daily newspaper Dnevnik that while Europe is taking steps toward military independence, major challenges remain. "Europe has woken up, that is evident, but it is still wandering," he said. "Where will these billions come from? And do we even have a European defense industry capable of meeting our needs?" He warned that fully developing Europe's defense industry could take a decade. Armand Gosu, a professor at the University of Bucharest, acknowledged the obstacles to rearming Europe in an interview with Romanian news website Contributors.ro. Recalling NATO's history, he noted that every time the idea of "a European army" - often championed by France and Germany - surfaced, "the Americans have launched deterrence campaigns, manipulating and maneuvering between European countries to bury any project of this type." However, Gosu stressed that Europe "can and must do something." Rather than forming a European army, he suggested that a core group of European nations - Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Poland - could develop a more integrated defense framework capable of responding to future threats. Highlighting the weakening influence of the United States, Gosu argued that the American shield no longer works. "Europe will have to learn to do without America, though it will be difficult." An IG Metall rally in Berlin The Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and Social Democrats (SPD) are rapidly preparing a huge increase in armaments spending, financed by gigantic borrowings, which will be paid for by massive cuts in social spending and wages. The name special fund is intended to disguise what it is really about: war credits. At over 1 trillion, the planned rearmament programme is 10 times as high as the special fund for the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) that the outgoing coalition government decided on three years ago and described as heralding a new era. The warmongers have lost all inhibitions. Initially, there was talk of an increase in military spending of 400 billion, then of at least 500 billion. Now, there is no limit at all to military spending. In addition, there is to be a so-called infrastructure programme costing another 500 billion. This will also mainly serve to make Germany fit for war again, as Defence Minister Pistorius (SPD) is demanding. While millions of workers watch the news in bewilderment and horror, the IG Metall union executive board declared its approval immediately after the announcement of the gigantic rearmament programme. In a press statement headlined, Speed and decisiveness are a good signal, IG Metall Principal Chairwoman Christiane Benner went on to say, The special funds and measures that have been announced show that the politicians have understood that we need to act quickly: Politicians have understood that action must now be taken quickly and decisively. IG Metall had been calling for the need for high investment in infrastructure, the energy transition, industry, bridges, railways, roads and education for some time, she said. Benner seeks to emphasise the improvement of infrastructure but leaves no doubt that she is primarily referring to preparations for trade war and war. She stresses that the economic, social and geopolitical situation requires foresight and concludes: We therefore clearly welcome the current initiative. In the name of the union and without any discussion or consultation with its members, let alone a vote, the head of IG Metall arrogates to herself the right to support a military build-up and a war programme that can only be compared to the build-up of Hitlers Wehrmacht (Armed Forces) on the eve of the Second World War. Benner thus makes it clear how closely the trade union apparatus is linked to the government and the state apparatus. The union leadership is the instrument with which the government and corporations ensure peace and order in factories and offices, while enforcing mass redundancies and social attacks. This is nothing new, but it has become much more pronounced since the election of Donald Trump as US president. The aggressive nationalism of Trumps America First policy, the introduction of protective tariffs and trade war measures in defence of national economic interests are magically attracting union bosseson both sides of the Atlantic. In the US, Sean OBrien, head of the Teamsters transport workers union, appeared at the Republican Party convention last summer, even before Trumps election, and gave a speech that was copied from Hitlers textbook. After Trumps inauguration, the president of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, Shawn Fain, who had previously supported the Democrats and appeared together with Joe Biden, also switched to Trumps side. Last week, Fain said, We look forward to working with the White House to shape the auto tariffs in April in a way that benefits the working class. The UAW president knows very well that neither the auto tariffs nor other trade war measures benefit workers, but only serve the interests of the super-rich oligarchs who determine the policies of the Trump administration. In Germany, all governing parties, past and future, are reacting by accelerating the return of German great power politics. IG Metalls support for the incoming governments gigantic rearmament programme shows that the trade unions are also reacting to the rapid political changes here by shifting further to the right. They are rushing to the aid of the government, which has been thrown into a deep crisis by the Trump administration and its measures. Hardly any other country is as dependent on global trade as Germany, which has long described itself as the worlds leading exporter. The trade war that has begun is having a catastrophic impact on the German economy. IG Metall and the other trade unions are ready to fight this brutal trade war on the backs of the working class. Three years ago, at the beginning of the Ukraine war, it fully supported the governments war policy as part of the corporatist Concerted Action and has since pushed through brutal wage cuts and redundancies in order to strengthen German companies in the trade war and squeeze billions for armaments out of the workforce. Now, the unions are taking their efforts to an even higher level. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are to be cut: At least 35,000 at VW, 20,000 at Mercedes, 11,000 at Thyssenkrupp Stahl. Thousands of jobs are also on the line at Ford, Opel, Audi and Porsche, and at suppliers Bosch, ZF, Continental, Schaeffler, etc. The same applies to the mechanical engineering and chemical industries, construction, the railways, the public sector and postal service. No sector will be spared, with 40 percent of companies planning to cut jobs this year. In industry, the figure is even higher. Workers are prepared to fight against this. But the trade union apparatuses everywhere are trying to suppress the willingness to fight and to prevent and sabotage industrial action. The EVG railway workers union recently agreed to cuts in real wages and a 33-month strike ban for over 190,000 Deutsche Bahn employees without organising a single warning strike. In the current wage negotiations in the public sector, at Deutsche Post and Berlins public transport company (BVG), Verdi is also trying to push through job cuts and wage reductions. In the automotive industry, IG Metall has set the course at VW, the flagship corporation for Germanys much-vaunted social partnership. The union and the works council it dominates have agreed to the biggest job losses and wage cuts since the Second World War. In addition to the destruction of 35,000 jobs, real wages will be reduced by up to 20 percent. The works council at Mercedes has just concluded a similar agreement for over 90,000 Mercedes employees. The bloated trade union bureaucracy and its army of staff and works council reps act like a corporate police force. Toothless noisy protests serve the purpose of letting the growing opposition among workers to the attacks run into the ground. Workers who rebel against this are put under pressure to silence them. It is urgently necessary to break this dictatorship of the trade unions in the companies. The integration of the unions into the government and their support for the policies of rearmament and war are not simply a result of theundoubtedly widespreadcorruption of the trade union bureaucrats. Rather, this development, which is not limited to Germany, has deep objective causes. Globalisationthe worldwide integration of the economy and transnational production processeshas deprived the trade unions of the national ground upon which they were able to agree to limited social reforms in the past. Now, in the battle for raw materials, sales markets and cheap labour, they are backing the German corporations and government without reservation, dividing workers and supporting rearmament and war. The right-wing development of the trade unions knows no bounds. Their support for the horrendous war credits and their co-operation with the presumed future chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) means that they tooas Merz and the CDU/CSU already made clear during the election campaignare prepared to co-operate with the right-wing extremists in order to push through the policy of rearmament to fight war abroad, and stepping up the powers of the state to repress all opposition at home. This is why the establishment of independent rank-and-file action committees is now of great importance and urgency. The common front of government, corporations and trade unions must be countered by the international unification of the working class. Those who create all the wealth in society and bear the entire burden of war and crisis must intervene independently in political events and oppose the big banks and corporations as well as their henchmen in the government. The declaration of the IG Metall executive board in support of the war credits makes it clear that the struggle against rearmament and war cannot be waged with, but only against, the trade union apparatuses and their control in the workplaces. The attacks from above must be countered by the struggle of the working class from below. By building independent action committees, it is possible to unite workers across all borders and fight for a perspective that places the rights and interests of the working class above the profit interests of investors, speculators and the super-rich. Last year, the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) called for the struggle against job cuts to be coordinated worldwide and directly linked to the fight against war and rearmament, because the race for raw materials, markets and supply chains is driving US and European imperialism to war. The WSWS is calling on all readers to take part in setting up independent action committees in the face of the intense arms build-up. Now is the time to take action to prevent a catastrophe. The repression of students protesting Israels genocidal assault on Gaza is being mounted as a co-ordinated operation between university management, the police, including counter-terrorism units, and the highest levels of the state. A joint Liberty Investigates/Sky News report, Uncovered: the worsening crackdown on pro-Palestine activism at UK universities, was accompanied by independent assessments of the findings. Demands made by students protesting the Gaza genocide at UCL university The report states, Alongside interviews with students and staff at universities across the UK, reporters from Liberty Investigates also submitted a series of [Freedom of Information] FOI requests to more than 150 institutions, asking for emails discussing Gaza protest activity with police or other security departments between October 2023 and August 2024. The FOI requests asked if the university had communicated with police/private intelligence, launched disciplinary investigations against students/faculty, or both. Liberty Investigates reports at least 28 universities are now known to have launched disciplinary investigations against students and staff in connection with their Palestine activism since October 2023, with as many as 113 people affected. Sky News states that we found that at least 40 universities discussed Gaza protest activity with police forces or private intelligence organisations. Thirty-six universities had direct communication with the police. Liberty Investigates notes 13 universities met at least once with police to discuss Gaza protests, including the University of London, Cambridge, and Manchester. Repression on campus, aimed at criminalising protests against the genocide, is even wider. While there were 107 complete responses, Nearly 50 universities refused to respond to at least one of the FOI requests put to them, often citing health and safety or security concerns, or saying to do so could compromise law enforcement efforts. Sky News explains, Weve seen instances of universities reporting protesters to police, starting dozens of disciplinaries, and in some instances we found universities collaborating with private surveillance firms. Liberty described how at Newcastle University on May 29 last year, police broke up a peaceful rally, with officers swiping at protesters with batons. Security staff also tore down childrens paintings and snapped a Palestinian flag, according to staff eyewitnesses. It added, Staff at Newcastle University are demanding answers from bosses as to why an estimated 70 officersincluding dog handlersattended a peaceful building occupation in May, accusing them of inviting police brutality onto our campus. Sky News reported, From footage obtained for our investigation from protesters who were there, more than 40 officers including dog handlers are seen attending a building being occupied by students. Dozens of officers were earlier seen pushing and struggling with crowds of agitated protesters outside the entrance, before drawing their batons as the police line collapsed and skirmishes broke out. Footage taken outside a different entrance to the universitys Armstrong building shows police carrying and dragging limp protesters out of a building by their limbs. You can make out one student collapsingwho we found out was later taken to hospital by paramedics after having a fit. Leicester University management claimed that last November students erected barricades that posed a risk to life, leaving them with no other option than to involve the police. Police then made a number of arrests on suspicion of aggravated trespass. The research found, Six students have been subjected to police bail conditions such as a ban on visiting any UK campus other than for [their] studies, and an 8 p.m. curfew which has since been lifted. Five reportedly remain temporarily excluded pending disciplinary investigations. Bail conditions were impacting their education, said a member of the Leicester Action for Palestine group, as the students involved were scared to go onto campus outside of lecture time, for example to use the library or to meet with tutors. Universities now routinely monitor the political activity of students, involving not only collaboration with private security operations but also with firms specialising in collecting intelligence, and the counter-terrorism police. Liberty Investigates notes that Oxford University received intelligence reports on pro-Palestine protest activity from private firm Horus Security Ltd, Oxford Brookes from private firm Mitie and that the two universities security teams share protest briefings with each other. Suffolk University received advice from Counter Terror Policing after leaflets for a March for Palestineon 18 November 2023 were posted on campus, while police sent the University of South Wales a photo of protesters it was seeking to track down in relation to the distribution of Palestine literature, asking for help locating them. Palestine protest activity has been discussed by the universities of Bedfordshire and Chichester at meetings held as part of the UKs Prevent counter-terror programme. One of the most brutal crackdowns was at the University of Londons School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). In October 2023, students walked out of lessons, with an encampment established later as one of more than a dozen across the country. The Gaza protest encampment at SOAS, May 7, 2024 Liberty Investigates reported, SOAS security compiled lists of students and staff activists involved in unauthorised Palestine protests on 29 September and 9 October 2023 At least four of the students appeared to be highlighted for standing on the steps of the universitys main building as part of a group holding flags, their images circled in the dossier. Liberty Investigates points to the crackdown extending beyond the student body: In London, anyone involved in unauthorised pro-Palestinian protests in the vicinity of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) risks breaching an injunction granted in October, which can result in prosecution for contempt of court and a potential two-year prison sentence Other universities may also be following suit in tightening up their protest rules. Cardiff vice chancellor Wendy Larner informed staff last October the university was developing a new procedure relating to the right for peaceful and lawful process [sic], according to internal documents seen by reporters. A spokesperson said the university was finalising guidance on legal and peaceful protest to provide clarity on behaviours which are unacceptable. The crackdown seeks to criminalise left-wing, anti-capitalist sentiment against war and militarism. Members of left-wing groups and independent journalists have been arrested and charged, utilising anti-terrorism legislation passed by Labour and Conservative governments in preparation for a general assault on the democratic rights of the working class. A House of Commons Library paper, published February 2024, noted over 900 protests occurring from 7 October 2023 to 6 December 2023, including public assemblies (such as sit-ins and vigils), and public processions (such as marches). Since the nominal ceasefire in Gaza, Sir Keir Starmers genocide-supporting government has doubled down on efforts to outlaw national anti-war marches in London. On the January 18 March for Palestine, the Metropolitan Police refused to allow the protest to move out of the confines of the Whitehall road near Parliament and carried out 77 arrests, including a 10-man police snatch squad jumping and apprehending Chris Nineham, a leading figure in the Stop the War Coalition. Two of the speakers at the rallyformer Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his former shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, both MPs, were subsequently requested to attend a police station to explain their actions on the day. Other January 18 attendees, Stop the War Coalition officers Lindsey German, Alex Kenny and Andrew Murray, CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt, Friends of Al-Aqsa Chair Ismail Patel, actor Khalid Abdalla, and Stephen Kapos, an 87-year-old Jewish Holocaust survivor, were also asked to attend police interviews. The planned March for Palestine set for March 15 was only allowed to proceed after the Metin consultation with Zionist groupsbanned it from assembling at Park Lane, a location used on many occasions, using the pretext that synagogues were nearby. In the midst of the Alawite massacre in Syria, in which nearly 1,000 civilians were killed, an agreement was reached between the Western-backed Sunni Islamist regime of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by the US-backed Kurdish nationalist forces that control the north-east of the country. The agreement, which provides for the integration of the armed forces of the SDF and the de facto autonomous administration under its control with the Damascus regime, is part of the efforts of US imperialism, together with Israel, to reshape the Middle East under its domination. This includes the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank, the attack on Lebanon and the preparation for war against Iran. Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chief Mazloum Abdi signed a landmark agreement on March 10, 2025 [Photo: Syrian Presidency] Since 2011, Sunni Islamist and Kurdish nationalist militias have acted as proxies for US and NATO forces in the war to overthrow of the Russian and Iranian-backed regime of President Bashar al-Assad, and have been glorified internationally by pseudo-left forces as fighters of the democratic revolution. This agreement, made in the wake of a massacre of Alawites and other minorities, documents the reactionary, pro-imperialist character of the proxy forces and their defenders. The agreement, signed by HTS leader Mohammed al-Jolani (Ahmed al-Sharaa), who has been declared interim president, and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, consists of eight articles. According to the second article, which stipulates a ceasefire in all Syrian territories, The Kurdish community is an indigenous community in the Syrian state, and the Syrian state guarantees its right to citizenship and all its constitutional rights. In return, it will be provided integrating all civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria into the administration of the Syrian state, including border crossings, the airport, and oil and gas fields. It is unclear how the Kurdish forces will be integrated into the Syrian army and what their constitutional protections will be. The details of the agreement are known only to the team working with Abdi, said Bessam Ishak, head of the Syrian Democratic Councils Washington office, claiming that the United States mediated between Abdi and Jolani. Salih Muslim, foreign affairs spokesman for the Democratic Union Party (PYD), to which the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF, belong, responded to the question of whether Rojava (northern and eastern Syria) had gained status, in an interview with ANF: After so much struggle and resistance, we are now partners in everythingthis much is clear. We are partners in everything related to this state: its administration, constitution, daily life, economy, everything. In the sixth article of the agreement, to be implemented by the end of the year, the SDF endorses the sectarian HTS regimes justification for the massacre of Alawites in the north-west of the country. The Syrian state will be supported in its fight against the remnants of Assad and all threats to its security and unity. In fact, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), an organisation opposed to ousted President Bashar al-Assad, has documented the death of 973 civilians in recent days, executed and killed in cold blood. Cemil Diyarbekirli, director of the Assyrian Monitor For Human Rights, told Rudaw that the killings of civilians did not target only Alawites and that at least eight Christian civilians were killed. According to the Monitor, 40 mass killings took place in three days. Mass protests against the massacre of Alawites were organised in the Turkish provinces of Hatay and Adana despite police attempts to prevent them. In Istanbul, a three-day protest ban was imposed in the Sisli district on Sunday to prevent the mass march to the Syrian consulate. In his article on the massacres of civilians in Syria, the Lebanon-based Al Ahbar writer Mohammad Nureddin stated that the Kurds and Druze are not being targeted by the new regime because they have the support and protection of the US and Israel; however, the Alawites are not in a similar situation and have not formed a special armed force of their own. According to Nureddin, the new regimes bloody attacks on the Alawites are aimed at preventing them from achieving a special status like the Kurds or the Druze. The new regime considers the Alawite regionthe only gateway to the Mediterranean for the whole of Syriato be strategically critical. For this reason, it does not want the Alawite coast to be linked in any way to an autonomous administration. It therefore flatly refuses to recognise any special status for the Alawite mountains and coastal region. After the change of regime in December, when Israel dismantled almost all of Syrias military infrastructure and its army advanced to the outskirts of Damascus, it faced no resistance from the HTS regime, which was embraced by NATO forces, notably Turkey. On January 6, the Nagel Commissions report, which was presented to the Israeli government, stated, Turkey has become the most influential power in Damascus and ... the Sunni-Turkish axis has replaced Irans Shiite axis. Israel, which is in competition with Turkey in Syria, has threatened to expand its intervention, claiming to defend the democratic rights of Kurds and Alawites as well as Druze. In early March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Syrias new government as radical and said, If the regime harms the Druze, it will be harmed by us. Defence Minister Israel Katz said on March 1: We will not allow the extreme Islamic regime in Syria to harm the Druze. If the regime harms the Druze, it will be struck by us. Leaders such as Abdi and Muslim of the Kurdish forces, which Israel has declared its natural ally, have expressed their openness to support from the Zionist regime. The agreement between the Damascus regime and the SDF is also linked to Ankaras negotiations with the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, to get the PKK to lay down its arms. Ocalan, recognized as a leader by the PYD and the YPG, called on the PKK to lay down its arms and dissolve itself in a letter at the end of February. The PKK accepted this and declared a ceasefire. Ankara has been advocating that the Syrian Kurdish forces dissolve and subordinate themselves to the new Damascus regime without gaining any legal status, and has been relying on its influence over HTS to achieve this. In an interview with ANF, Muslim said: we have not deviated from what was stated in the letter. We have not exceeded the points mentioned by Reber Apo [Leader Abdullah Ocalan] Essentially, we accept making peace and being part of this state. Of course, we will take our place in this state while protecting our rights and identity. We have always said this, so we are not excluded. Debate in Britains Parliament on March 3 was given over to discussion of the Labour governments plans for a military/political response to US President Donald Trumps unilateral opening of negotiations with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was reporting back from the summit the previous day of European Union leaders, plus Canada, where he pledged to create a coalition of the willing, led by himself and President Macron of France, to defend Ukraine that would put UK boots on the ground and planes in the air following any future peace deal. Starmer was confident of a friendly response from the Opposition benches, speaking of how our country spoke with one voice and was leading from the front. A veritable love-in followed, led by Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, with dissent from the Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party only over Starmers continued efforts to bridge the gulf between the unreliable ally in Washington and Europe, rather than siding unambiguously with the UKs democratic partners. It was under these circumstances that Labour MP Richard Burgon and later Jeremy Corbyn, who now sits as an Independent, spoke as the supposed voice of opposition to Starmers warmongering. They may as well have not bothered. Jeremy Corbyn speaking in the House of Commons, September 6, 2024 [Photo by House of Commons/Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Burgon welcomed the growing push from numerous countries for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, before expressing his alarm over deploying British troops on the ground in Ukraine and British military planes in the skies over Ukraine. Warning that this would risk our country coming into a direct military conflict with a nuclear-armed Russia, with consequences that really do not bear thinking about, his only proposed course of action was to ask whether Starmer would commit to ensuring a vote in the House of Commons before any such deployment, in keeping with the important principles of our parliamentary democracy? Corbyns comments were more insipid still, speaking of a ghastly conflict before asking Starmer, Under what circumstances does he envisage British troops being deployed in Ukraine, under what circumstances does he envisage them taking part in fighting activity against a belligerent, and will he guarantee that any such decision will come to the House before it is taken? Starmer had little difficulty in replying that, should the need arise, he would ensure there was a parliamentary votegiven that this would leave the decision to MPs who had just spent the entire afternoon proclaiming their support for his proposals. Corbyns continued advice to the warmonger Starmer Corbyns polite question to Starmer has nothing to do with the restrictions imposed by parliamentary protocol. That same day, Tribune magazine, now owned by Jacobin, contained an article by Corbyn, Guns Before Butter where he made an appeal in the same style. Alluding to Tony Blair without naming him, Corbyn advised Starmer to take a moment to pause, reflect and ask himself what happened the last time a Labour Prime Minister appointed himself the messiah of the free world. Screenshot of Corbyn's article, "Guns Before Butter" in Tribune magazine [Photo: tribunemag.co.uk] On the third anniversary of the Ukraine war, Parliament too should take a moment to reflect on the hundreds of thousands of lives that have been lost and heed his call for an end to the conflict: Think of the kind of society we could build if politicians had the slightest interest in building a world of peace. Corbyns sermonising has one aim only: not to persuade the Labour government or Parliament of the error of their ways, but to allow Corbyn to pose as an advocate for peace while continuing the refusal to mobilise against the warmongers that characterised his time as leader of the Labour Party between 2015 and 2020 and since his expulsion by Starmer in 2024. In the 2024 general election, Corbyn stood as an Independent in his Islington North seat and supported a handful of other candidates who stood against Labour in protest at its backing for Israels genocide in Gaza. Everywhere else he called for a Labour vote. After a convincing win in his old seat, he formed a parliamentary bloc with four other successful Independents pledging once again to support Labour when it did anything positive. Corbyn has repeatedly refused entreaties from various pseudo-left groups to take the leadership of a new party to Labours left, making clear that he has no intention of mobilising opposition to Starmer and the Blairites no matter what crimes they commit: Not over the Gaza genocide, and certainly not over plans to send British troops to Ukraine that risk war with Russia. On March 5, Corbyn wrote an opinion column for the Metro, Keir Starmer says theres no moneyI dont believe him. He noted his expressed concern over the prospect of British troops in Ukraine and insisted Keir Starmer must tell us what impact this increase in military spending will have on budgets for housing, education, healthcare and beyond. Early signs are not good, he suggested, amid reports of the biggest cuts in welfare benefits and social expenditure in post-war British history. In response to a catalogue of Labours crimes, Corbyn then reiterated his election pledge that I would congratulate the government when it made positive changes to peoples lives, but call it out where it fell short. On the positive side, he cited his welcome for the Renters Reform Bill, which ended no-fault evictions, which was slightly offset by the governments continued refusal to implement rent controls, its expansion of private healthcare, scapegoating of refugees, and, though Corbyn says nothing to this effect, its support for genocide and war. He ended with the pathetic statement, Millions of people in this country voted for Keir Starmer because he promised change. They are still waiting. The rout of the Socialist Campaign Group over war in Ukraine It is Corbyn that is still waiting on Starmer. In the long history of ineffectual leaders of the Labour leftwhose rhetoric never led to any action against the partys right-wingCorbyn is the leader of the pack. But he is also the last of a dying breed. When he became leader of the Labour Party, Corbyn won the backing of around half a million workers and young people who flocked to the party because they wanted to fight the right-wing and the Tory government. What they got was a retreat by Corbyn and his allies on every issue for which they had won popular support, opposing war above all. By the time Starmer took back leadership of the party, the nominally anti-war Labour left organised within the Socialist Campaign Group (SCG) was made up of around 11 MPs who signed a Stop The War Coalition (STWC) statement opposing NATOs eastward expansion and calling for a negotiated settlement in Ukraine. All withdrew their endorsement after Starmer threatened to remove the party whip from them on February 24, 2022, with Corbyns former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and former Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott also withdrawing from attending a planned No to War in Ukraine rally. Jeremy Corbyn (right) the then leader of the Labour Party embraces Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell at Labour's Conference at the Brighton Centre in Brighton, England, September 23, 2019 [AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth] McDonnell was already playing a double game, supporting pro-Ukraine rallies, and would likely have delivered a speech to that effect had he attended. Once he and Abbott pledged their support for Starmer and NATO, he emerged as the most prominent advocate for increased arms supplies to Ukraine. Only a small minority of the 26 members of the SCG would support Corbyn. McDonnells position would carry the day with the rest. John McDonnell advocates the Labour left policy for British imperialism McDonnell issued his own Advice to Keir Starmer on March 5, in the pages of the fanatically pro-war Guardian, summed up in the headline Stop the fawning over Trump. Then help plan for a better world without him. His advice was framed in the same language used by Starmer: We need a coalition of the willing capable of bringing together those in Europe and the global south. Britain should facilitate that. Screenshot of John McDonnell's March 5 Guardian article: "Advice to Keir Starmer: stop the fawning over Trump. Then help plan for a better world without him" [Photo: theguardian.com] Trumps America First policy meant he had no qualms in supporting, dealing with and sometimes installing authoritarian regimes such as Vladimir Putins across the globe, just as the US had for decades. What has surprised European political leaders and commentators is that this is the first time a US president has done so on European soil since Franklin D Roosevelt carved up Europe with Stalin at Yalta in 1945 and that, unlike then, now there is no Churchill figure even to be invited to sit in the chair for the post-conference-deal photograph, he continued. The special relationship with the US was fictional and efforts to maintain it should be abandoned. Seeking to avoid direct diplomatic conflict with the US was still necessary for the purpose of buying time, but That time needs to be used wisely. Europes leaders must first prevent a peace being imposed by Trump and Putin against the wishes of Ukraine. In the longer term, it is clear that Trumps behaviour since re-election is forcing on to the political agenda across Europe and the global south a discussion of what alternatives there are to a politics and economics dominated by the whims of US presidents and the aggressive self-interest of China. According to McDonnell, for British and European imperialism the challenge is now to meet the triple threat from the US, Russia and China. To do so there must be a much greater and more longer-sighted coalition of the willing capable of bringing together both Europe and the global south. This could be ensured by abandoning plans to cut British overseas aid, which was undermining the UKs soft power. Addressing Starmer directly, he suggested that bringing about a world reordered without the malign influences of Trump and China would really be a place in history worth having. McDonnell dresses up plans to forge a European military axis independent from the US in fake progressive clothing. And it is not so far removed from the position of the Stop the War Coalition in which Corbyn still plays the leading role despite tactical differences. Though the STWC backs a Trump deal with Putin, its long-term goal, as argued by co-convenor the Stalinist Andrew Murray in the February 13 Morning Star, is to then start to think about a new European security architecture. The Labour left, to the extent it is still possible to speak of one, doesnt advance an anti-imperialist and socialist opposition to war, but proposes a foreign policy for British imperialism including soft power strategies, oriented to Europe against the United States and avoiding too-savage cuts to social spending that could provoke mass opposition in the working class. There are sections of the ruling class prepared to entertain this perspective for their own political ends. The Blairites look for a left cover No less a figure that John McTernan, Tony Blairs former Director of Political Operations, wrote on March 10, in the Tory party house organ the Telegraph, of the danger that a party to the left of Labour could emerge that could finally shatter British politics. Boasting that he had been in the frontline of the fight in the 1980s against the Militant Tendency and then against Corbyn when he became Labour leader in 2015, McTernan proposes that Labour now faces a different challengehow to make friends with the Left in order to save itself from being wiped out in its heartland. John McTernan, 2022 [Photo by Policy Exchange/John McTernan / CC BY 2.0 To maintain support among workers and young people, Labours right-wing leaders need their left apologists wherever they can be foundwithin the party, or by securing the support of the Greens, Scottish and Welsh nationalists, and Liberal Democrats. The only issue to be decided was what level of compromise was necessary to buy such loyalty, on spending cuts for example, or even to provide them with more convincing excuses to support stepped up militarism. The skill in political storytelling is in selling the purpose of a choice, he writes. Labour need to take its destiny in its own hands by creating an electoral coalition of the willing to match the military version Starmer is trying to create: if a journey of a thousand miles starts with one pace, the building of this new electoral coalition starts with Labour understanding it has friends to its Left. McTernan has not been suddenly overcome by warm and fuzzy feelings towards Corbyn. That will not happen. But what he makes clear is that the amorphous and unprincipled petty-bourgeois milieu in which Corbyn lives, and to which he lends political expression, represents no genuine opposition or threat to the Starmer government. Jeremy Corbyn (left) and Sir Keir Starmer at an event during the 2019 General Election when Corbyn was party leader and Starmer his Shadow Brexit Secretary [AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File] No matter how many times Corbyn professes his desire for peace, there is no possibility of realising this goal without setting out to break the stranglehold of the Labour Party, the trade union bureaucracy, and their myriad hangers-on in the pseudo-left and Stalinist groups. A genuine, socialist opposition to war Writing just over a year ago on the role played by Corbyn and Stop the War over Gaza, now extended to Ukraine, the Socialist Equality Party cited Leon Trotskys comment: The left criticizes the government within such limits as do not interfere with its role as exploiter and robber. The left gives expression to the dissatisfaction of the masses within these limits, so as to restrain them from revolutionary action. In case the dissatisfaction of the masses breaks through to the outside, the left seeks to dominate the movement in order to strangle it. Were the left not to criticize, not to expose, not to attack the bourgeoisie, it would be unable to serve it in its own way. We argued of the STWCs call for an all-inclusive security architecture, that should such a move ever be made by the European powers this would not be a move against war but would represent a commitment by the European imperialists to wage war on their own terms and in furtherance of their own predatory interests. What was and is necessary is: The development of a mass socialist anti-war movement requires new organisations, a new perspective and the building of a political leadership aiming for the conquest of power by the working class, the overthrow of capitalism and imperialism, and the establishment of socialism on a world scale. The International Committee of the Fourth International and the Socialist Equality Party provide this new axis of struggle for workers and young people in Britain and throughout the world. Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on Tuesday at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant charging him with crimes against humanity. Within twelve hours of his arrest, Duterte was flown to The Hague. A plane carrying former President Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague takes off in Manila, Philippines on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. [AP Photo/Aaron Favila] The 15-page warrant issued by the ICC panel of three judges charged Duterte with acts of murder against the civilian population of the Philippines, under the auspices of his so-called war on drugs, both during his terms as mayor of the southern city of Davao and as President. Duterte organized, encouraged, funded, and oversaw a network of murder, involving the police and vigilantes, that killed tens of thousands. The arrest and immediate extradition of Duterte expresses the intensity of the ongoing political warfare among the Philippine elite over the countrys geopolitical orientation. The country is in the midst of a midterm election, scheduled to be held in May, that is being fiercely contested by the forces allied to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, on the one hand, and those allied to his rival, Vice President Sara Duterte, daughter of the former president, on the other. Rodrigo Duterte is the most influential figure, the political godfather, of the slate opposed to Marcos. Washingtons accelerating preparations for war with China are fuelling the conflict in the Philippine elite. It has become entirely impossible to balance between economic relations with China and political relations with the United States. During his term as president, Duterte attempted to orient Philippine foreign policy away from Washington, announcing an end to a number of joint military exercises with the United States and refusing to pursue sovereignty claims against China over disputed waters in the South China Sea. Over the past three years, Marcos, the son of the countrys former dictator, has reintegrated the Philippines in Washingtons war drive. He has opened military bases for US forces, allowed the Pentagon to supervise confrontations with China in the South China Sea with drones, and authorized the US deployment of an intermediate range Typhon class missile launcher system to the country with the capacity to target nearly all of China. The war on drugs is not a divide between Marcos and Duterte. Marcos has continued Dutertes policies. While the unrestrained bloodshed under his predecessor has been curtailed, the repressive apparatus created by Duterte remains in force, and the police and vigilantes continue to kill scores. If Duterte stands charges for crimes against humanity, Marcos should as well. Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte takes oath during a senate inquiry on the so-called war on drugs during his administration at the Philippine Senate, on Oct. 28, 2024. [AP Photo/Aaron Favila] The uncertainty surrounding US policy under the new Trump administration has sharpened the political volatility and widened the schism in the Philippine elite. The question of Manilas geopolitical orientation has been compounded by intense speculation over the slashed funding of USAID and its impact on basic social amelioration programs, and, above all, the impact of possible tariffs on the Philippines economy. Rice prices in the country are at record highs. The Marcos administration declared a national food security emergency last month. Rodrigo Duterte made rice prices, and Marcoss inability to control them, a key election issue. The midterm election, which most critically will select half of the Senate, became a referendum in the elite over the countrys geopolitical orientation and response to deteriorating social conditions. On the last day of the congressional session prior to its adjournment for the duration of the election, impeachment charges were abruptly filed against Vice President Duterte, charging her with corruption and with having called for the assassination of President Marcos. Congress voted to impeach, and the charges will be sent to the incoming Senate for trial. The Marcos-headed campaign has issued repeated statements calling on Filipinos not to vote for pro-China candidates. Baseless allegations of massive Chinese spying are being used to whip up an atmosphere of war hysteria and racist nationalism. The function of these lies is to attempt to divert mass anger away from the immense social crisis. Rodrigo Duterte, running to again become mayor of Davao, headed the opposition slate. On Sunday he travelled to Hong Kong, along with the vice president and other candidates of the opposition, for a political rally among the large community of Filipino workers there. On Tuesday morning, he was arrested when his return flight from Hong Kong landed in Manila. The Marcos administration, in a press conference on Tuesday, reported that they received an arrest warrant from the ICC, served by Interpol, at three in the morning on Tuesday and authorized the Philippine police, with an Interpol representative, to make the arrest of the former president. Hundreds of police officers filled the airport. Duterte was taken, not to police custody at Camp Crame, but to the Villamor Air Base, headquarters of the Philippine Air Force. Dutertes legal representative filed an emergency case with the Supreme Court, claiming that the international warrant was invalid, as the Philippines had withdrawn its membership in the ICC. The Supreme Court did not convene, saying that it would hear the case the following day. On Tuesday, a private chartered plane flew Duterte to The Hague. In 2018 Duterte withdrew the Philippines from membership in the ICC, rejecting any international investigation into the ongoing human rights violations of his administration. President Marcos in his brief press conference on Tuesday, absurdly pretended that the decision to arrest and extradite the former president was not a political decision but simply compliance with Interpol. The Philippines was not recognizing the jurisdiction of the ICC, he claimed, but simply responding to a request from Interpol. Interpol asked for help, he said, and we obliged, because we have commitments to the Interpol. News of Dutertes arrest was greeted with immense enthusiasm by wide layers of Philippine society, particularly among students and families of the victims of the war on drugs. Duterte is unquestionably guilty of the crimes of which he is accused. Duterte publicly instructed the police to shoot people accused of drug dealing, rather than arrest them. He explicitly and repeatedly stated that he was extending immunity from prosecution to all police accused of murder in this campaign. The police, under Dutertes instructions, began to pay vigilantes money for every person they killed. Mutilated corpses were left in the streets, cardboard signs reading Im a pusher laid across their lifeless bodies. The best estimate for the number killed by police and vigilantes under the Duterte administration, based on a careful tally of the official death toll and the ratio of vigilante killings to police murders, is around 30,000. The victims were drawn exclusively from the most impoverished and oppressed layers of Philippine society. Dutertes war on drugs was a war on the poor. It was the fascist face of the ruling elite in suppressing the worsening social crisis and the threat of unrest. Duterte did not create this apparatus of murder alone. Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, then head of the Philippine National Police, oversaw the daily operations of repression. Dutertes legal team justified it. A network of businessmen, cabinet officials and religious figures sat on his Anti-Terror Council and oversaw the stripping away of the democratic rights of the population. An overwhelming majority of the legislature, the largest supermajority in Philippine history until then, backed the president. Many of those on the Marcos ticket, who now denounce Duterte, were in fact his enablers. The Obama administration provided millions in funds earmarked for Dutertes war on drugs in 2016, after the body count was already in the hundreds, and as Duterte publicly spoke of killing a hundred thousand. The Obama White House only discovered its concern for human rights when Duterte oriented Philippine foreign policy to China. The Trump administration in 2017 enthusiastically endorsed Dutertes policies. Trump told Duterte in a phone call that he hoped Duterte could teach the US how to use his methods for dealing with the immigrants on the southern border. Joe Biden invited Duterte to a Summit for Democracy with a letter that read we recognize and appreciate your partnership in working to build democratic and human rights-respecting societies that allow all citizens to thrive. Political culpability for Dutertes rise to power rests with the Stalinist Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the various national-democratic organizations, such as Bayan, that follow its political line. The CPP long supported Duterte as mayor of Davao. The organization Bayan campaigned for his election in 2016. Jose Ma Sison, head of the CPP, hailed Dutertes election, calling Duterte a socialist, and selected three members of Dutertes cabinet. In the early stages of his war on drugs, the CPP and Bayan defended the president. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself faces international charges for human rights violations. He was an integral part of his parents military dictatorship, serving, among other things, as governor of Ilocos Norte. When Marcos was elected president in 2022, Biden arranged immunity for Marcos against an outstanding arrest warrant in US courts on charges of human rights violations. The legal case justifying the arrest and extradition of Duterte was presented by Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile. Now over 100 years old, Enrile was the architect of martial law and the head of an entire apparatus of military torture and murder under the Marcos Sr. administration. The content of the ICC warrant and, above all, the timing of its release are of a highly political character. While details have yet to emerge, the arrest of Duterte could not have occurred without the endorsement and support of Washington, even though the US has not ratified the Treaty of Rome and is not a member of the ICC. However exactly the decision to arrest and extradite Duterte was arrived at, it clearly serves the interests of US imperialism. Washington defends and funds war criminals when it serves its interests. It threatens sanctions against anyone who aids the ICC in serving its outstanding warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes in Gaza. It backed Dutertes crusade of murder as long as he served US interests. Dutertes arrest is part of a political war being waged by Washington for the geopolitical loyalty of Manila in its drive to war with China. COPENHAGEN, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Greenland's opposition Democrats party have won the parliamentary election, according to preliminary data from the Central Election Committee released on Wednesday. An online meeting of the Educators Rank-and-File Committee in defense of public education will be held Saturday. Click here to register. The U.S. Department of Education building is seen in Washington, Tuesday, December 3, 2024. [AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana] On Tuesday, the White House moved to slash nearly half of the Department of Educations workforce in preparation for its outright elimination. The ED began a reduction in force (RIF) that, through a combination of resignations, buyouts and terminations, will cut the number of jobs from 4,133 to 2,183. In a press release, Trumps Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said, Todays reduction in force reflects the Department of Educations commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers. The resources that McMahon is speaking about are to be removed from public education and handed over to private for-profit schools. The press release stated that employees facing termination will be placed on administrative leave starting March 21. It also noted that some staff had accepted voluntary resignations or retirements over the past seven weeks. The remaining 1,378 workers will remain on administrative leave with pay until June 9, after which they will be officially unemployed. The press statement also absurdly claimed that the department will continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agencys purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell Grants, funding for special needs students, and competitive grantmaking. The ED announcement came shortly after department employees were told that their officesincluding those in the National Capital Region and other regional locationswould be closed for the day on Wednesday. An email sent to staff and obtained by ABC News cited security reasons for the fact that department buildings would be inaccessible starting at 6:00 p.m.. The email said: You must vacate the building by that time. All ED offices in the NCR and the regions will be closed to employees and contractor employees on Wednesday, March 12th. Department officials later said the safety precautions were meant to protect remaining employees, who will retain their positions with the ED. The email continued: Please take your laptop with you when you depart on Tuesday. Employees will not be permitted in any ED facility on Wednesday March 12th for any reason. All offices will reopen on Thursday, March 13th, at which time in-person presence will resume. ABC News interviewed one ED employee, who said: People are petrified to do their jobs. People are worried about like, if I push back on something that somebody wants to do, right, and I say, thats not really what the law says or is legal, am I going to get a bad performance and now they use a bad performance to kick me out? As explained by the WSWS on Saturday, the Trump administration and Education Secretary McMahon are not only eliminating the Department of Education but dismantling the public education system in the US. A major component of this plan was articulated in Trumps January 29 Executive Order, Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families, which would divert $5-10 billion in public funds to a private, parochial and homeschooling voucher system. In a Board of Education meeting on Tuesday evening Detroit Public Schools Community District Superintendent Nikolai Vitti laid out the catastrophic impact of the federal budget cuts that are coming to public schools across the country. Vitti said the assumption is that there will be a 25 percent reduction across the board of all K-12 federal budgets and revenue streams. Vitti said: So internally right now, we have started to look at, you know, from a line item point of view, obviously, what are we funding in? Title One, Title Two, Title Three, Title Four, and what those cuts may mean. I dont believe right now were looking at things like closing schools, but there will be scenarios with maybe accelerating the phase out [of] schools, closures, looking at small high schools, and possibly looking at layoffs. The attack on the Department of Education is just one component of the Trump administrations sweeping assault on social programs and democratic rights. From gutting Medicaid, Social Security and public education to mass deportations and draconian budget cuts, the administration is systematically dismantling the basic social infrastructure that tens of millions rely on. Also Tuesday, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to fund the government through September 30. The House vote to avoid a government shutdown was 217 to 213, with one Republican, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voting against the bill, along with all but one Democrat. In a late night post on his Truth Social platform, Trump attacked Representative Massie for his opposition to the bill, saying he should be primaried in the next election cycle. The passage of the bill was in part the result of the intervention of both the president and Vice President JD Vance among House Republicans on Monday and Tuesday morning. In a private meeting on Tuesday morning, Vance reportedly told Republican representatives they would be blamed for a government shutdown, saying, We already lost one vote, we cant lose another, referring to Massie. According to unnamed sources, Vance told House Republicans they needed to pass the stop-gap funding measure to lay the basis for a domestic policy bill now in preparation. The temporary funding bill, known as a continuing resolution, would maintain spending at levels approved last year, plus increase military funding by $6 billion while decreasing non-military spending by $13 billion. The cuts would come from eliminating any special projects in lawmakers districts or states and a forced reduction of more than $1 billion from the District of Columbias budget for the rest of the fiscal year. Most significant, however, are provisions in the bill that grant the Trump administration broad authority over the next six months to accelerate the dismantling and defunding of major government departments through Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This aspect of the resolutionwhich feeds into Trumps fascist assault on the constitutional separation of powerswas more than enough for sycophantic Republicans, including the House Freedom Caucus, to bury their supposed opposition to stop-gap funding measures that fail to address the massive US government deficits. Among the provisions in the bill, for example, is one that allows the Trump administration to steer money away from combating fentanyl and use it on the mass deportation of immigrants. Before the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson said, This clean CR contains no poison pill riders. No policy riders there at all. No cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security. Zero. No cuts to veterans benefits. Zero. In reality, the bill legitimizes Musks DOGE taking a hatchet to the staff and operations of these programs without congressional authorization. The Democratic Party has enabled Trumps massive attack on the jobs of federal workers and his efforts to dismantle what remains of the New Deal and Great Society reforms. In the Democratic Partys official rebuttal to the State of the Union address last week, Senator Elissa Slotkin vowed to help Trump attack bedrock social programs. You wanna cut waste? Ill help you do it, declared the former CIA agent. Attend the IYSSEs public meeting this week, Free Mahmoud Khalil!, Friday, March 14 at 6:30 p.m. at The Center (208 W 13th St., Room 310, New York City). An online meeting will be held Saturday with the Educators Rank-and-File Committee. Click here to register. Hundreds rally in New York City to to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, March 11, 2025. On Tuesday, hundreds of peopleincluding students, teachers and community membersrallied in New York City to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a legal resident of the United States who has been kidnapped by the Trump administration for protesting the genocide in Gaza. Khalil, a Columbia graduate, has not been charged with any crime, yet he remains incarcerated in an ICE detention facility in Louisiana, more than 1,000 miles away from his wifean American citizen who is eight months pregnant with their child. The kidnapping of Khalil is not an isolated incident but a harbinger of escalating repression. On Monday, the US Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights sent letters to 60 colleges and universities, warning that they are under investigation for alleged violations related to antisemitic harassment and discrimination. Far from opposing the Trump administrations attacks on democratic rights, members of the Democratic Party have responded with either perfunctory statements or complete silence. As of this writing, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who refuses to acknowledge the mass slaughter and forced starvation of Palestinians in Gaza as a genocide, has yet to issue a statement condemning Khalils detention. At the rally, students and professors spoke with World Socialist Web Site reporters about the unconstitutionality of Khalils detention, the Democratic Partys role in paving the way for these attacks and the fascist transformation of the US government. Interviews have been lightly edited for clarity and content. A graduate student said she came to the rally because The genocide in Gaza has been ongoing and it is quite frankly inhumane to take political prisoners now for exercising their freedom of speech. That is not right. Students are just trying to exercise their right to free speech. They are trying to look out for their families. They are trying to look out for their communities. Because of exercising their free speech and of their rights to [oppose] something that is inhumane, they now have to worry about if they can even go to school. She continued: [The Trump administration] are authoritarian pigs. They want to take our rights away. They want to take everyones rights away. For people who think that the genocide in Gaza isnt going to ultimately end up affecting them, it is, it already has... The [Democratic Party] should have done more [to protect democratic rights]. They didnt. She added, This could have stopped a long time ago. This should have stopped at its inception. It didnt, and I think regardless of the administration, multiple people have had a hand in it... On what way forward, the student concluded: I think the current government within the United States needs to be abolished. I dont see room for reform. Reform is just another way to cover up for the same crimes. I think we are at a point where it has to go, and I think that is the only way forward. I understand that may sound radical to many, but if you look at the situation, I dont think there is another feasible solution there. So pick your side. There is only one right one in my eyes. An educator at the rally told the WSWS she came to defend freedom of assembly and freedom of speech. There is fascism happening in this country and we are being suppressed, our press is being suppressed. We are being suppressed, and Mahmoud Khalil, who is a permanent [resident] of the United States, is being disappeared, just like every other fascist country does. So I am here because I am angry. A student at New York University said it is really horrific how the Trump administration is using Jewish identity as a way to promote pretty fascist and authoritarian policies, them saying, Shalom Mahmoud. They want people to blame Jewish people for fascism when its really that they want to suppress freedom of speech for everyone, particularly when it comes to American foreign policy and anything to do with the Middle East. Asked to comment on the role of the Biden administration and Democratic Party more broadly in paving the way for these attacks, he replied: Oh, absolutely horrific. I mean, Biden, the rhetoric he was using was pretty much, you know, the speeches he was giving could have been given by Richard Nixon in the 60s and 70s. They smeared the student protesters who were protesting one of the worst crimes since World War II as comparable to the Charlottesville Nazis. That was Karrine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary said that. And this was a comparison Biden made himself multiple times. Utterly vile and horrific thing to say, particularly when Biden at least claimed Charlottesville was what got him to run for president again. Students and community members call for the release of Mahmoud Khalil in New York City, March 11, 2025. He continued: And then Senator Rubio asked the Biden administration, Can we deport Hamas supporters? Supposed Hamas supporters? And they said, Yes. So every bit of suppression, the suppression of these university protests, suppression of freedom of speech, the use of riot police, NYPD Special Response Group, absolutely has paved the way for Trump to do this now. When it comes to the Democratic Party of New York, I mean, thats just horrific. You can say [Mayor] Eric Adams, Well, you know, hes his own entity, but between [Gov. Kathy] Hochul and the congressional leadership and [New York Rep.] Hakeem Jeffries, I mean, just absolutely horrific. I think the Biden presidency really revealed a level of just rot in our institutions, and I think it made it clear that you know it made a lot of people cynical in a way that even the Trump presidency didnt because the people we thought were our allies are proving themselves to be collaborators in this new regime. I think whats clear is that politics isnt just every four years or every two years you pull a lever in the voting booth or touch a screen. The Democratic Party wants you to think that its limited to those circumstances, when really its organizing rallies, organizing your schools, your workplaces, etc. It should be a constant and it should be an independent activity done in solidarity with people on your... material level. He concluded: Elevenlabs AudioNative Player COVID-19 patients are treated inside a non-invasive ventilation system at the municipal field hospital Gilberto Novaes in Manaus, Brazil, on May 18, 2020. [AP Photo/Felipe Dana] Five years ago, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. This marked a critical nodal point in what would become the worst global public health crisis since the 19181920 flu pandemic, profoundly impacting the health and lives of the entire worlds population and destabilizing social and political life in every country. This somber anniversary has been met with near-universal silence from the political establishment and corporate media of every country. Virtually every column published has minimized the catastrophic character of the pandemic and referred to it in the past tense, despite the fact that COVID-19 continues to disable and kill millions of people globally each year. The cumulative toll of the pandemic is difficult to both quantify and fathom. Excess death estimates indicate that roughly 30 million people have now died globally from acute COVID-19 infection or the myriad adverse health impacts the virus has on the body. Long COVID, first documented by patients in May 2020, now affects over 400 million people globally. Numerous studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can persist in every organ system and even cross the blood-brain barrier, producing over 200 documented symptoms that are often debilitating. COVID-19 infections have been definitively linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, lung damage, immune dysregulation, a wide range of neurological disorders and more. Multiple scientific studies have shown that the risk of developing Long COVID is compounded by each reinfection. Wastewater data, now the only reliable metric to track the spread of the pandemic, shows that the average American has been infected by COVID-19 nearly four times. At the current trajectory, this figure will reach eight infections per person by March 2030. A similar reality undoubtedly exists throughout the world. What caused this disaster, and who bears responsibility? In the most fundamental sense, the capitalist systembased on the division of the world into rival nation-states and the subordination of social needs to private profitis the source of the socially criminal policies implemented globally in response to the pandemic. The corporate-financial oligarchy who run society decided at the outset that nothing would be done to disrupt the flow of profits and the rise of the stock market. Their aim was to use the pandemic to establish that the principal interest and policy aim of bourgeois governments under all conditions is to augment their wealth and increase exploitation. By the time the WHO declared a pandemic, just over two months had passed since the scientific community became aware that a dangerous new coronavirus had been detected. From the very beginning, critical time was lost. As was later revealed, the Trump administration and other governments were informed in early February 2020 of the immense dangers posed by COVID-19 but deliberately chose not to coordinate an international response, adopting instead a policy of malign neglect. By mid-February, it had become clear that the US and the world were confronting a deadly pathogen, and if rapid action was not taken, its spread would potentially result in the deaths of millions of people worldwide. By the time this was recognized by the population, shortly after the first death in the US took place on February 29, 2020, there was general shock. Hospitals in the initial epicenters of viral transmission were quickly inundated with patients, with healthcare workers strained to the breaking point, if not infected or killed due to inadequate or nonexistent protections. The overflow of morgues and digging of mass graves were becoming ubiquitous. These horrifying scenes in the US, Italy and throughout the world dominated public consciousness, with the expectation that the government would react and take the necessary measures to prioritize life. But the only country in the world which initially implemented the necessary measures to save lives and protect the population was China. Mounting anger within the Chinese working class in January 2020 forced the government to pioneer the historic Zero-COVID policy in Hubei province on January 23, 2020, involving lockdowns, mass testing, rigorous contact tracing and other long established public health measures. Seventy-six days later, China emerged from lockdowns and resumed relatively normal life while maintaining vigorous test-and-trace policies for the following two-and-a-half years, before world imperialism pressured the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to scrap this life-saving policy, leading to 1-2 million deaths. Outside of China, by mid-March 2020 the coronavirus was ripping through workplaces and schools in every metropolitan region of the globe. This prompted autoworkers, educators and other sections of the international working class to force the shutdown of nonessential workplaces and schools in order to save lives. As the stock markets plunged on Wall Street and global financial centers, all efforts by the political establishment were directed towards bailing out the banks. Rather than implementing a systematic program to save lives and counteract the virus, the ruling elites main priority was saving capitalism and stopping the free-fall on Wall Street. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference about the coronavirus in the Rose Garden of the White House, Friday, March 13, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) On March 22, 2020, the New York Times published an Op-Ed by itsimperial messenger Thomas Friedman, coining the new mantra for the back-to-work campaign: The cure cannot be worse than the disease. This campaign gained steam the following week after the passage of the CARES Act, which initiated the funneling of trillions of dollars to the rich while thousands of workers and retirees were soon dying every day. The entire official narrative shifted from supposedly saving lives towards the rapid reopening of the economy. This coincided with the widespread promotion of the herd immunity policy of deliberate mass infection pioneered in Sweden. This pseudoscientific policy was based on the fraudulent claim that people, once infected with COVID-19, would be forever immune to the disease. Aside from its inhumane character, this made totally false assumptions about the virus, while ignoring the historical data on the wide-ranging consequences of infection with coronaviruses, as documented after the 2002-2004 SARS-CoV-1 outbreak. Warmed-over eugenicist and fascistic conceptions were put forward, with a modern day survival of the fittest ethos permeating every speech and policy of Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, Jair Bolsonaro and their co-thinkers internationally. The modern promotion of Malthusianism acquired the character of a celebration of death. In the US, the election of Joe Biden brought no fundamental change. Despite pledges to follow the science, Biden perpetuated the subordination of public health to the demands of Wall Street. The rollout of life-saving vaccineswhich were a truly massive achievement of modern sciencewas subordinated to private profit and vaccine nationalism. To this day, the vast majority of people in low-income countries have never received two doses of anti-COVID vaccines, including 68 percent of Africans. After initially pursuing a vaccine-only strategy and actively discouraging masking and other public health measures, in November 2021 the Biden administration greeted the emergence of the highly infectious and vaccine-resistant Omicron variant with undisguised glee. Over the subsequent period, it steadily dismantled the entire pandemic surveillance system, and by the following summer the White House explicitly adopted the forever COVID policy of unending mass infection, death and debilitation. The bipartisan assault on science in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has crippled the field of public health, setting the stage for the next pandemic. Over the past year, the Biden administration did nothing to stop the spread of the H5N1 bird flu among dairy cattle, despite the fact that bird flu historically has a 50 percent fatality rate among humans. Bidens disastrous policies, including the normalization of mass death and debilitation from COVID-19, created the conditions for the return of Trump to the White House and the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the 13 agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Kennedy, the most notorious purveyor of anti-vaccine disinformation in the world, is already casting doubt on vaccines in response to the growing measles outbreak in Texas and the Southwest, which has killed two people so far. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks after being sworn in as Health and Human Services secretary in the Oval Office at the White House on Thursday, February 13, 2025 in Washington D.C. [AP Photo/Alex Brandon] Last week, the Senate held confirmation hearings for Jay Bhattacharya, Trumps pick to head the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Well-known as a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, the herd immunity manifesto, Bhattacharya was not questioned by a single Democrat about his criminal role during the pandemic. The initial weeks of the second Trump administration have been marked by a series of alarming actions, including: The withdrawal of the US from the WHO, undermining global efforts to track and respond to pandemics; An unprecedented gag order imposed on all 13 agencies within the HHS, suppressing vital public health information; and The firing of over 5,000 employees at HHS, the CDC, NIH, and FDA, targeting scientists and public health professionals. A central aim of the Trump administration is to destroy Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, programs upon which tens of millions of Americans rely for their survival. This is the logical extension of the bipartisan pandemic policies aimed at culling the elderly and lowering life expectancy, which a recent study estimates has saved $156 billion in social spending. The pandemic revealed that the position of substantial sections of the ruling elite was that more people should have died. From that faction, represented in the US by Trump, the Republicans and their backers like fascist billionaire Elon Musk, the measures taken to save lives were seen as a missed opportunity to cull the elderly and slash expenditures on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Throughout the pandemic, the World Socialist Web Site has waged a relentless struggle for scientific truth. We have exposed the lies of governments and the media, defended principled scientists against attacks, and championed a scientific policy of global elimination, the only viable strategy towards the pandemic. The Global Workers Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic, initiated by the WSWS, stands as a testament to our commitment to uncovering the truth and holding those responsible accountable. The pandemic is by no means over. New variants continue to emerge, and the threat of new pathogens like bird flu looms large. This winter, the convergence of COVID-19 with other respiratory illnesses has once again overwhelmed healthcare systems, with over 20,000 Americans dying of seasonal flu. In this context, the WSWS reiterates the following demands: For an immediate end to the forever COVID policy and the implementation of science-based public health measures! This includes universal masking, comprehensive testing and contact tracing, improved ventilation in all public spaces, and financial support for those affected by the pandemic. For a massive investment in research and development of next-generation vaccines and treatments! This must be coupled with a global effort to ensure universal access to these life-saving tools. For a fundamental reorganization of society based on socialist principles! This is the only way to ensure that public health is prioritized over private profit and that the needs of all people are met. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the incapacity of capitalism to deal with the problems of mass society, and that this social system is in an advanced state of regression. The working class must draw the necessary conclusions and take up the fight for a socialist future. This is the only path to ending the pandemic and building a world free from exploitation, oppression and preventable death. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens speaks during a news conference at City Hall in support of "Cop City" on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, in Atlanta. [AP Photo/R.J. Rico] Despite popular opposition from city residents, the Atlanta city administration led by mayor Andre Dickens, a Democrat, is pushing ahead with formally opening a massive 85-acre militarized police training center this spring. The facility has been built at a cost of over $115 million in the ecologically crucial South River Forest. To push ahead with the project, appropriately dubbed Cop City by its opponents, the Dickens administration, working in close consort with the utterly reactionary Georgia Republican governor Brian Kemp, has constantly unleashed police violence against protesters. The citys Democrats have formed an alliance with their state Republican colleagues over the past three years to force through the project with at least $67 million of city funds allocated to construct this facility. So determined have been the Dickens and the Kemp administrations to suppress any opposition to Cop City, that they have given orders to suppress any form of opposition, including from peaceful demonstrators exercising their constitutional right to protest against the further militarization of police and the destruction of the environment. It was within this wanton atmosphere in January 2023 that Georgia State Patrol troopers, who are well-known for their propensity for violence, killed 26-year-old protester Manuel Esteban Paez Teran in a hail of 57 bullets. He had peacefully encamped in the forest where the police training center was yet to be built. The month of March marks the second anniversary of the indiscriminate mass arrest of 35 music festival attendees, which took place as part of a protest. The concert was held about a mile away from the police training center construction site. About an hour earlier, at around 5:30 p.m. that day, on March 5, 2023, several police and construction vehicles were set ablaze at the construction site. Several masked individuals clashed with the police at the site. It is not out of the question, and indeed very likely, that the masked group were agents provocateurs working with the police. Out of the 35 who were arrested, whose only crime was to attend the music festival as a part of a week-long protest against Cop City, 23 were absurdly charged with domestic terrorism and were thrown in prison for months without bail. This was in addition to three others who were arrested on the same day the police murdered Teran. The 23 arrestees were charged under the states RICO (Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations) statute, which is ostensibly aimed at organized crime syndicates such as the mafia. Subsequently, the city and the state rounded up several dozen protesters, some of them for distributing leaflets, and charged them under the same RICO act. This legal intimidation and suppression of basic democratic rights has been spearheaded by the notorious right-wing Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. In the indictment which Carr released with great fanfare during a press conference in September 2023, the overwhelming majority of the defendants have not been accused of committing violent acts but instead are accused of trespassing, camping, sitting in the trees in the forest and distributing flyers. So blatantly outrageous are these draconian charges, carrying up to 35 years in prison, that one of the activists, Jamie Marsicano, filed a lawsuit this month in federal court accusing the Atlanta police of illegally targeting Stop Cop City protesters for years. Marsicano was arrested at the music festival in March 2023 and slapped with RICO charges. He was a third-year law student studying at the University of North Carolina (UNC) and was barred from entering the campus by the school chancellor. To justify this draconian move, the chancellor cited the bogus terrorism charges against Marsicano by the Atlanta authorities. Despite experiencing extraordinary hardship, Marsicano completed his law degree remotely and graduated from UNC Law School in 2024. The lawsuit notes that Marsicano has had difficulty finding a job and securing housing because of the fraudulent charges against him. The lawsuit also accuses the Atlanta authorities of treating any critic of the police training center as a criminal. It cites in support that the Atlanta city authorities have repeatedly made arrests without cause, depriving protesters of their First Amendment rights and their civil rights protections against false arrest and malicious prosecution. Marsicanos attorneys emphasized that he was not involved in attacking the construction site which was the pretext used by the police to indiscriminately arrest the 35 music festival attendees. The attorneys stated that Marsicano never left the festival grounds until he was arrested while walking back to his vehicle. According to the lawsuit, Marsicano was caught up in an indiscriminate mass arrest of legitimate festival attendees that was part of a pattern targeting the Stop Cop City movement, spearheaded by Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. Atlanta city authorities have consistently used their power to muzzle any form of dissent, violating free speech rights that are guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution. For example, as part of the action against Cop City, opponents demanded that city residents be asked in a referendum if they approve of the police training center. They collected more than 116,000 signatures in 2023 to put this issue to a vote. The city authorities refused to count and validate the signatures and it ended up in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals where it has remained in a legal limbo. On February 24, Atlanta city attorneys urged the Circuit Court to throw out the referendum altogether. They arrogantly declared that any referendum on the ground lease ordinance will not remove the Center from the site or prevent its use by the city for these purposes. They stated that the construction of the militarized police training center is an accomplished fact and any outcome of such a referendum would be merely academic at this pointthe Center has been built and will not be torn down. The city has been working in public private partnership with the Atlanta Police Foundation (APF), the largest of the 150 such foundations raising funds for police forces across the country. The APF is to contribute $59 million from fundraising and donations from corporations for whose benefit the militarized police center is being built. The APF, whose governing board and trustees are all corporate executives, collected funds from sponsors such as Coca Cola, Norfolk Southern, Home Depot, Delta Airlines and UPS, who are all big supporters of the law and order campaign. The city recently revealed that the cost of construction has now risen to $115 million, a 21 percent cost overrun. It is not clear as to who is footing the $25 million in additional funds. Despite construction on the police training center being complete, the authorities continue their repressive measures. In February of this year, observation cameras were mounted on utility poles located outside the homes of several activists who organized protests against Cop City. It is not clear who placed the cameras and under what authority, since they are completely unmarked. Three of the cameras are pointed toward the homes of activists raided in February of 2024 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)a heavily armed and notorious federal armed forceand the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This terrifying pre-dawn raid was purportedly to collect evidence possibly related to the burning of several Atlanta police motorcycles in 2023. All of these developments demonstrate that the authoritiesDemocrat and Republicanwill go to any lengths to steamroll any and all opposition to the Cop City project. Under conditions where capitalism is impoverishing the majority of workers and youth, and the ruling class is abandoning any pretense of upholding democratic rights, violent repression becomes the sole solution available to the ruling class. HELSINKI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt has filed for bankruptcy in Sweden, the company announced on Wednesday, citing financial difficulties. Once considered a flagship of Sweden's green transition, Northvolt has faced persistent losses in recent years. According to Swedish Television (SVT), the company submitted its bankruptcy application to a Stockholm court. "Northvolt has encountered a series of compounding challenges in recent months that have weakened its financial position, including rising capital costs, geopolitical instability, supply chain disruptions, and shifts in market demand," the company stated in a press release. In November 2024, Northvolt sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States. Despite these efforts, financial struggles persisted. Industry experts point to the company's difficulty in scaling up production as a key issue. "The main problem is that they have not been able to accelerate production," said SVT's business analyst, Kristina Fagerstrom. The Swedish Engineers Union warned that the bankruptcy would have significant economic repercussions. "This will have an unprecedented societal impact," said Ulrika Lindstrand, Chair of the union, expressing concerns over Sweden's competitiveness in the industry. Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch stated at a press conference on Wednesday that the government is prepared to support Northvolt in its search for a new long-term owner following its bankruptcy. Northvolt's major stakeholders include Volkswagen Group, investment bank Goldman Sachs, and Swedish insurance company Folksam. The bankruptcy affects Northvolt AB, the main legal entity, along with several Swedish subsidiaries, including Northvolt Ett AB, Northvolt Labs AB, Northvolt Revolt AB, and Northvolt Systems AB. With approximately 5,000 employees in Sweden, this marks one of the largest corporate bankruptcies in the country's history. Founded in 2016 by former Tesla executives, Northvolt specialized in lithium-ion battery cell production for electric vehicles and energy storage solutions, striving to create sustainable, high-performance batteries using recycled materials and renewable energy. PARIS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Defense ministers from Europe's top five military powers, France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Poland, met on Wednesday in Paris and voiced support for the Ukrainian army. In a joint declaration published after the meeting, the ministers agreed to strengthen European support for peace in Ukraine, including accelerating defense industrial cooperation projects with Ukraine. Speaking at a joint press conference, French defense minister Sebastien Lecornu told reporters that the defense capacity of the Ukrainian army would be "one of the first security guarantees" for Kiev. According to Lecornu, "the true guarantee of long-term security will be the capacities that we can provide to the Ukrainian army." Italian defense minister Guido Crosetto said that there would be no future for Ukraine "without the ability to defend itself." The ministers also agreed to consolidate their common approach to European defense within the frameworks of the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). They said in the joint declaration that they would maintain a "strong" transatlantic bond while significantly increasing Europe's contribution to the continent's deterrence and defense. When asked if the ministers discussed how to develop an independent European defense system in case of the U.S. withdrawal, German defense minister Boris Pistorius said that it was a topic that has already "preoccupied" Europe for a while. He proposed that Europe should work on administrative simplifications both at national and European levels to standardize weapon systems in different European countries. For him, European countries need to work together on European security. Ukraine agreed on Tuesday to a U.S. proposal for an "immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire" following talks with a U.S. delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to a joint statement. The talks, notably held without European participation, resulted in the statement that Ukraine would receive renewed U.S. security assistance and America got preliminary approval for access to Ukraine's mineral resources. Despite being left out of negotiations, European leaders welcomed the progress made between the United States and Ukraine while continuing efforts to strengthen the continent's defense capabilities. By Duncan Miriri and Karin Strohecker NAIROBI (Reuters) - A pan-African payments infrastructure provider designed to facilitate trade on the continent is piloting an African currency market platform to boost commerce across borders in the region, its chief executive said. The Pan-African Payments and Settlement System (PAPSS), backed by 15 central banks on the continent, expects to add the platform later this year to complement its payments infrastructure that it says is currently integrated with 150 commercial banks. "The rates will be market driven, and our system is able to do a matching based on the rates offered by the different participants in our ecosystem," Mike Ogbalu, the CEO of PAPSS, told Reuters in an interview from Cairo. Africa's foreign exchange markets are often shallow and liquidity is limited, with South Africa and Nigeria dominating geographically and much of the wider trading centred around local and hard currency pairs. Those seeking other African currencies must typically secure dollars first. However, the region has also seen some major currency reforms with countries such as Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia pushing ahead with efforts to move to more market-based regimes. The Africa Currency Marketplace, as the platform will be known, will allow parties to exchange local currencies directly, Ogbalu said. He cited the example of an Ethiopian airline selling naira-denominated tickets in Nigeria, which could then exchange its naira revenue with a Nigerian company trading in Ethiopia using the birr. "Our system will intelligently match them and then party A will get Naira in Nigeria and party B will get birr in Ethiopia. The transaction just completes without any third-party currency being involved at all," Ogbalu said. There have been frequent case of companies not being able to repatriate their revenue from other countries in the region, whenever violence or economic problems cause dollar shortages in markets like South Sudan or the Central African Republic. Companies operating in the region have been forced to take a writedown every financial year to account for currency revaluations in markets with volatile currencies, Ogbalu said. Others have invested in assets like real estate to try to preserve the value of their assets in such markets. There have been attempts to use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to get around that problem but their usage is still low, partly due to lack of legal frameworks to support their use in markets like Kenya. "Those are some of the things we think that this African currency marketplace will unlock," he said, saying it would be "transformational" without giving details on expected size or trading volumes. (Reporting by Duncan Miriri and Karin Strohecker; Editing by Christina Fincher) By Anton Bridge, Abigail Summerville and Kane Wu TOKYO/NEW YORK (Reuters) -Japanese suitors face a heightened chance of U.S. targets baking in hefty termination fees to protect against a deal collapsing due to regulatory or political reasons, following Nippon Steel's stranded $14.9 billion bid for U.S. Steel. A reputation for reliability has long given Japanese firms almost a bye when so-called reverse break-up fees are broached in M&A talks, yet an increasingly protectionist U.S. has left deals at the mercy of national security and fluid trade policy. Nippon Steel is challenging the U.S. decision, taken under the administration of President Joe Biden, to block its purchase of U.S. Steel citing security concerns. If it fails, it has to pay U.S. Steel $565 million as previously agreed to cover costs incurred by the latter throughout the acquisition attempt. That prospect will do little to dampen Japanese interest in their biggest target nation yet the increased chance of outside forces scuppering deals has meant reverse break-up fees are looming larger in negotiations, said lawyers and bankers. The risk of Japanese suitors being unable to close a deal has long been seen as far lower than for companies from many other nations. Even so, U.S. boardrooms are now likely to point to the Nippon Steel deal and demand "protection" in transactions, said U.S. law firm Skadden partner Kenton King. "I think what's going to happen for a while is you will see more reverse termination fees. You'll see them at levels that aren't crazy, not 10% levels, but manageable levels that aren't too scary to people," King told Reuters. Reverse break-up fees were once almost non-existent in deals involving Japanese suitors to the extent that Western targets were even advised against negotiating them higher, lawyers said. They now feature in one in 20 domestic and cross-border deals involving listed Japanese firms, said Managing Director Tosh Kojima at DC Advisory, the international investment banking arm of Daiwa Securities. "Once extremely rare, they are occasionally seen these days, but the vast majority of Japanese boards typically do not approve them," Kojima said. "Culturally it still doesn't fly." Median reverse break-up fees worldwide over the past two years have been 4% to 5% of the target's enterprise value, including debt, but are generally lower for Japanese firms, bankers and lawyers said. Nippon Steel's $565 million is 3.8%. TAKING ON RISK Japanese merger-and-acquisition deals in the U.S. totalled $54.5 billion last year, up 35% from the year earlier, showed data from LSEG. Of deals overseas, the U.S. accounted for 53% of targets, the data showed. By Arpan Chaturvedi, Aditya Kalra and Neha Arora NEW DELHI (Reuters) - ArcelorMittal's India joint venture has sued New Delhi for rejecting imports of a steelmaking raw material, saying it was incorrectly imposing import curbs retroactively, escalating its fight over a policy change that is hurting its business, documents show. India's government imposed curbs on imports of low-ash metallurgical coke, or met coke, starting in January, with country-specific quotas to help domestic suppliers. That has spooked big players like ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India which are concerned about quality issues with local met coke. ArcelorMittal Nippon has already warned New Delhi privately that it may have to severely curtail steelmaking and delay any expansions due to the curbs. In an escalation of the tussle, the company challenged Indian authorities at the Delhi High Court on March 5 for rejecting 168,300 million tonnes of met coke import orders from Indonesia and Poland which were placed before the restrictions kicked in. India's government rejected its import request, saying the company had sufficient quantities of met coke already, but that decision "militates against" the country's free trade policy which allows for the import of already placed orders before restrictions are imposed, ArcelorMittal Nippon said in its court filing, which Reuters is the first to report. New Delhi was seeking to apply its policy change retroactively, and this "creates uncertainty and lack of confidence among traders and investors regarding the policy assurances," the 290-page filing said. The company, a 60-40 joint venture between Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal and Japan's Nippon Steel, did not respond to a request for comment. India's government also did not respond. A March 6 court order shows officials have to respond to ArcelorMittal Nippon's plea by next week. Bigger rival JSW Steel also has dragged the Indian government to the Delhi High Court over delays in clearing earlier met coke imports worth around $90 million, saying the proper implementation of policies is essential for "businesses to plan and operate effectively," court papers show. A decision on that plea is pending. JSW declined to comment. India's Steel Secretary Sandeep Poundrik told reporters on Wednesday enough domestic met coke was available and companies only want to resort to imports as they are $50-100 per tonne cheaper. ArcelorMittal Nippon argued in its court filing that New Delhi's move would impact its production and expose "it to significant financial harm (both on account of breach of contractual obligations to its suppliers and customers)." Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told reporters that foreign diplomats accredited in the country attend court sessions in Georgian courts. "This is a direct political interference in the independence of Georgian justice. It's as clear as day. I urge everyone to respect the Constitution of Georgia and its principles. And also comply with the conventions on deterring foreign ambassadors. To this day, unfortunately, these principles and constitutional norms are not respected. We hope that this will be resolved in the future," Kobakhidze said. I must say, foreign diplomats stationed in Georgia have strange preferences. For them, trials seem to be something like concerts or movies, where you can buy a ticket at will for any session. The excessive influence of Western "democracy" in Georgia, which existed until recently, has led to such strange phenomena. Diplomats from certain states who considered themselves Georgia's guardians felt like masters in a foreign country. Their ambassadors opened the doors of the courts almost with their foot, and the foreign ministers of these countries shamelessly interfered in the affairs of a sovereign state, organizing and supporting internal political confrontation. It seems that if Azerbaijan had not closed this shop in time, representatives of the "democracies" would have tried to do the same here. Now there are many who want to interfere in the work of the judiciary of the republic and impose their own rules when trials of Armenian cases are underway in Baku... Well, we will not give definitions yet, so as not to violate the presumption of innocence. Everyone knows who these people are and what kind of mark they have left on Azerbaijani soil. Various human rights activists, parliamentarians and biased politicians demand that Azerbaijan open the doors of the courts to the so-called observers. Last week, a Pakistani human rights activist announced that she was going to Baku to attend the trial of Ruben Vardanyan. This woman received the Vardanyan prize in the amount of 100,000 a few years ago and feels obligated. More precisely, the Armenians who awarded her the prize believe that she is now obliged to work out. On March 12, the European Parliament is going to consider the "illegal arrests of Armenians in Azerbaijan" and adopt a resolution on the trials in Baku, which will definitely also call on the international community and international organizations to take these cases under their control in order to secure the release of the "prisoners" and bring them out of the courtroom. Do third-party organizations, individuals, and countries have the right to interfere in the functioning of the judicial system of a sovereign country, which is Azerbaijan? This question was addressed to Namik Aliyev, Doctor of Law, Professor, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Head of the Department of International Relations and Foreign Policy at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. "Of course not," the lawyer said. According to him, no one has the right to interfere in the judicial proceedings in cases of crimes committed on the territory of Azerbaijan. The whole world knows what happened during the Armenian occupation and who did it, our interlocutor stressed. In addition, the international community itself recognized Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan, recognized the occupation of Azerbaijani territories. This is evidenced by 4 UN Security Council resolutions adopted back in 1993, the UN General Assembly resolution "On the situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan" and other international documents, which have been mentioned and written about hundreds of times. "The question today is different. There are a lot of supporters who demand that Azerbaijan and its leadership release the people of Armenian nationality who are on trial and most of them admit their guilt. They are called "prisoners of war", "hostages", "innocent sufferers for an idea", etc. To begin with, these individuals do not fall under the definition of "prisoners of war" provided by humanitarian law. There is no way to use "hostages" either, because Azerbaijan did not take them as "collateral" and is not going to exchange them for anyone or anything. They called their "ideas" myths in the courtroom, where hundreds of observers are present, and you can't recognize them as "sufferers" after reading the materials of the criminal case, and in particular, their own testimony," Namik Aliyev said. The Professor of International Law emphasized that European, and indeed Western, democracy is built on principles, one of which is the independence of a third power, justice. Another principle is the rule of law. At the same time, in the midst of the trial, individuals appear who position themselves as "democrats" and "human rights defenders", allowing them to make demands for the release of "innocently convicted", and the demands are addressed to the President of Azerbaijan. "I think it would be a rhetorical question to ask, where were these intercessors, to put it mildly, when the Armenian armed forces occupied and mined the territories of Azerbaijan, committed ethnic cleansing, atrocities, mass killings of civilians? Why were they silent when the Khojaly genocide was committed and the UN Security Council resolutions were not implemented? These "fighters for justice" need to familiarize themselves with the basics of both international law and the principles on which both Armenian and Azerbaijani national legislation is based. Actually, these principles are taken from the laws of developed European countries. They are based on the principle of separation of powers, when one authority has no right to interfere in the competence of the other. For example, the president of a democratic state cannot interfere in the affairs of the court, and even in the process of considering a criminal case. Only after the completion of the trial, after the criminal case has gone through all possible steps to the last instance and the final verdict has entered into legal force and has begun to be executed, will the executive have the right to pardon the convicted person if it finds grounds for doing so. There is a trial underway against individuals who themselves know perfectly well that they have committed acts stipulated by the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. It is enough to look at the photographs displayed in the media and on the networks to make sure that hundreds of people are present in the courtrooms. Many of them are victims of the actions of the accused. All this is a guarantee of objective consideration of criminal cases by the court. And finally. The demand to release war criminals from responsibility is evidence of bias, lack of commitment to the principles of separation of powers, democracy, principles of justice and fairness, and in some cases, an indicator of the susceptibility to corruption of those who voice these calls," Namik Aliyev summed up. It should be recalled that on January 17, 2025, the Baku Military Court began criminal proceedings against citizens of the Republic of Armenia Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Davit Babayan, Lev Mnatsakanyan and others accused of committing numerous crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including preparation and waging aggressive war., genocide, violation of the laws and customs of warfare, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, forcible seizure of power or forcible retention of power, etc. The case of "ex-Minister of State" Ruben Vardanyan has been separated into a separate proceeding. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone finance ministers are worried that the change of policy under the new U.S. administration to embrace cryptocurrencies could affect euro zone monetary sovereignty and financial stability, top officials said on Monday. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump, who vowed to be a "crypto president" in his campaign, signed an executive order to establish a strategic reserve of cryptocurrencies by using tokens already owned by the government, in a policy pivot from the previous administration. "Policy developments in other jurisdictions can have important consequences for us here in Europe," the chairman of the ministers Paschal Donohoe told a news conference after the ministers discussed U.S. cryptocurrency developments. "These discussions are fundamentally linked to our own autonomy and to the resilience of our currency," he said, adding the creation of a digital euro by the European Central Bank was now critical to staying ahead of the curve. The ECB has been working on creating a digital euro since 2020, after Facebook announced a year earlier it wanted to launch its own digital currency called Libra. The Facebook plan raised concerns among regulators in the U.S. and in Europe. The Libra project was later renamed Diem and fizzled out at the start of 2022, but Pierre Gramegna, the head of the euro zone bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism, told reporters the U.S. embrace of cryptocurrencies could spur big technology companies to again launch their own payment systems. "(The) discussion ... highlighted that what is at stake here is also European sovereignty," Gramegna said. "The U.S. administration's stance on this compared to the past has changed: the U.S. administration is favourable towards cryptocurrencies and especially dollar-denominated stablecoins, which may raise certain concerns in Europe that it could reignite foreign and U.S. tech giants' plans to launch mass payment solutions based on dollar-denominated stablecoins," he said, referring to digital assets pegged to the greenback. "If this were to be successful, it could affect the euro area's monetary sovereignty and financial stability," he said. (Reporting by Jan Strupczewski; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) Armenia has just earned the title of Destination of the Year for Adventure Tourism at the PATWA International Travel Awards 2025, held at the prestigious ITB Berlin on March 5, 2025. This honor highlights the countrys growing reputation as a top spot for thrill-seekers and adventure enthusiasts. From towering mountains and scenic hiking trails to rock climbing and paragliding, Armenia offers an array of adrenaline-pumping activities for anyone looking to explore beyond the ordinary. This recognition is a testament to Armenias natural beauty, diverse adventure tourism offerings, and the dedication of our tourism sector, said Lusine Gevorgyan, Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Armenia in a statement. We invite travelers from around the world to explore Armenias stunning landscapes and experience the thrill of adventure in a land rich with history and hospitality. Adventure tourism in Armenia Armenia is a hidden gem for adventure enthusiasts, offering plenty to explore in its diverse landscapes. With more than half of the countrys territory elevated between 3,000 to 6,500 feet above sea level, its a paradise for hikers. One must-see spot is the cave village of Khndzoresk, believed to have been inhabited for thousands of years until the 1950s. For rock climbing lovers, Noravank Canyon provides the perfect spot to test your skills while taking in amazing views. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beyond adventure, Armenia is dedicated to promoting sustainable and responsible tourism. The country is investing in eco-friendly infrastructure, developing new adventure experiences, and engaging local communities to ensure that its natural beauty remains preserved for generations to come. The post This Asian country was just named the Destination of the Year for Adventure Tourism appeared first on The Manual. The Finnish prefab builder uses locally sourced spruce and pine, touting them for their performance in a range of climates. Welcome to Prefab Profiles, an ongoing series of interviews with people transforming how we build houses. From prefab tiny houses and modular cabin kits to entire homes ready to ship, their projects represent some of the best ideas in the industry. Do you know a prefab brand that should be on our radar? Get in touch! Since 1958, Honka has manufactured an astounding number of prefab log cabin kitsmore than 90,000, claims the Karstula, Finland, company. Today, its work spans everything from a lodge in Finlands frigid Lapland region, to a luxury spa under the hot Kenyan sun, and a mountain resort in Japan blanketed in heavy humidity. According to the company, the geographical breadth of their work can be attributed, in part, to their use of solid natural wood. "We use pine and spruce sourced from PEFC-certified Finnish forests. Finnish pine grows slowly, which makes it one of the densest coniferous woods on Earth. Its the perfect material for building a house" in a variety of climates, says Honka U.S. representative Mark Jermano. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here, Jermano explains more about what sets Honkas log cabin kits apart from other prefab homes. Honka, a log cabin manufacturer based in Karstula, Finland, makes prefab homes using mass timber. Photo by Johanna Myllymaki What does your base model cost and what does that pricing include? In the U.S., an estimated turn-key build for a Honka log home ranges from $400 to over $600 per square foot. The cost depends on the complexity of the design, site development costs, local codes, labor rates, and builder fees, as well as product selections. The mass timber Honka uses is created with Finnish wood, which it says is hardier than others because of how slowly it grows. Photo by Johanna Myllymaki What qualities make your prefab stand apart from the rest? Custom Homes: We offer customizable, ready-made designs and fully custom homes that suit a clients needs and lifestyle. Honka Fusion: Our proprietary concept combines mass timber with other building materials like glass, stone, and steel. The non-settling Honka Fusion CLT log allows us to build bold, diverse structures. It allows for the architectural appearance of a timber frame without the problems typically associated with timber frame construction. Honka Fusion houses are suited for modern architecture and urban settings. Finnish Wood: Our log homes are designed and built to withstand harsh conditions in many climates and geographical circumstances. Our homes are created in Karstula, Finland, as a result of experience spanning more than 65 years, 90,000 projects, and numerous innovations. Healthy Living: Honka houses provide a healthy living environment with organic building materials, high indoor air quality, and a welcoming atmosphere. Massive building logs retain the heat from the low sun during the winter, thereby enhancing the warmth and comfort during those cold winter months. Conversely, the logs retain the coolness of summer nights, allowing the home to quickly expel any trapped solar radiation and thereby creating a natural cooling effect without air conditioning. In addition, the logs filter the air and control the humidity inside the home, maintaining an average of 30 to 50 percent humidity, which is optimal for humans. Mass timber is also a fire-resistant material. A log house can also be a good choice in seismic areas. Honka prepares their building system so that logs arrive on site pre-cut to their exact sizes, drilled for electrical wiring, sealed, and tagged with an ID that notes the assembly location. Photo by Johanna Myllymaki See the full story on Dwell.com: Honkas Log Cabin Kit Homes Are Made From "the Perfect Material" Related stories: When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Images courtesy of designers. Art by Jamie Brown. The American fashion industry finds itself in a moment of profound uncertainty, struggling under the weight of challenges that feel as if they're pulling it in every direction. Independent designers, once the beating heart of the country's creative landscape, are now caught in a battle for survival. With financial support often flowing in favor of Europe's luxury giants, smaller, independent labels are left to navigate a marketplace where innovation is sometimes overshadowed by the loudest voices and the deepest pockets. Every season, you'll hear chatter that New York Fashion Week is dead and not worth resurrecting, with brands and buyers prioritizing shows in Milan and Paris over their home base. The Council of Fashion Designers of America, or CFDA, has made it a mission to revitalize New Yorkthe recent appointment of Thom Browne as chairman is a large step in the right direction. "At a time when the role of designers is questioned [every day], we have to ignore the noise and focus on what matters the most to us," the designer wrote on Instagram the night before the fall 2025 shows kicked off in New York. Despite these efforts, many of this nation's great designers are flocking away in a real-time fashion brain drain. For many emerging designers, particularly those from marginalized communities, the dream of breaking through feels increasingly distant, even as they pour every ounce of creativity and passion into their work. "Compared to other industries, fashion's adoption of DEI as an initiative came only in 2020," Sheena Butler-Young, senior correspondent at Business of Fashion told Who What Wear. By and large, many designers we spoke with for this article only began to see both industry and customer reception to their ideas and stories in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Retailers were on board, dedicating sacred shelf space to Black-owned businesses, and industry-led pledges like the 15 Percent Pledge began to hit the mainstream. The industry's recognition of Black talent seemed to have a ripple effect, empowering and uplifting other designers of color. But, as Butler-Young suggests, most of it was a farce. By 2022, funding seemed to dry up, leaving marginalized designers scrambling to scale back orders or rethink their production means. "Fashion's formation of diversity, equity, inclusion as a business category was a reaction. It was emotional," Butler-Young added. "And, at worst, it was performative." At a time when the role of designers is questioned [every day], we have to ignore the noise and focus on what matters the most to us. Here in 2025, it's created a harsh reality where economic pressures, shifting consumer behaviors, and an ever-changing political climate seem to threaten the very foundation of what American fashion once stood fora professional outlet for society's visionary creatives. Even in this broken state, there remains an undeniable spirita raw, unrelenting energy that refuses to be extinguished. Independent brands, armed with little more than their vision, are still pushing boundaries, weaving together identities, cultures, and stories that have often been overlooked or silenced. To them, fashion is about much more than selling clothingit's about crafting worlds, rewriting narratives, and challenging the expectations of what luxury and success should look like. "I do hope that American designers, just broadly, wherever they produce, do stay encouraged through the next couple of years. Sure, this administration will do things that have long-lasting effects, but we have to keep in mind that the world and life is so much bigger than these next four years," Butler-Young added. "One fact that I always like to mention is that per the U.S. census, by 2045, this country will be majority non-white. That's who you're going to have to speak to [as a designer] in the next 20 years." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the daunting odds, there's a sense of determination, a quiet optimism that pulses through this fractured industry. In the face of economic instability, shifting trends, and the weight of an unforgiving market, these designers are finding ways to hold their ground. They are drawing on their roots, their communities, and their ingenuity to keep going. It's a testament to their resiliencean affirmation that even in the most challenging times, creativity still has the power to thrive and perhaps, just perhaps, redefine the future of American fashion. Credit: Courtesy of Agbobly, Getty Images; Togo Vivi Na collection shot by Phi Vu Jacques Agbobly was born and raised in Lome, Togo, surrounded by local seamstresses and tailors who cut, sewed, and fit garments in extra rooms rented out by Agbobly's grandmother. After moving to the United States and attending Parsons School of Design, Agbobly established their knitwear brand in an effort to bridge the gap between their Lome roots and newfound career in New York. "Having grown up between cultures, I use fashion to craft a universe that feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking, where African craftsmanship meets contemporary design," the designer tells Who What Wear. "Agbobly isn't just about garments; it's about storytelling, identity, and redefining what luxury means for a global, diasporic community." Their whimsical, colorful designs are pulled from personal and collective memorieschildhood games, vibrant textures, and sacred moments of joy that don't make it into the mainstream when representing Black life. I want to create a world where Blackness isn't confined to narratives of resilience but is also seen through the lens of whimsy, nostalgia, and innovation. In 2024, Agbobly became a semifinalist for the prestigious LVMH Prize, aimed at supporting and uplifting independent and emerging labels. Despite the assumption that a large corporate stamp of approval would be a permanent solution for young brands to gain recognition and financial support, Agbobly admits they still struggle with the weight of the industry. Of course, larger brands with financial support will always be there, but the key in remaining focused and resilient, according to Agbobly, is by leaning into the brand's community of loyal supporters, buyers, and craftspeople who are working together on the brand's larger-than-life storytelling. Each woven piece, stitch, or crochet adds to the Agbobly world, centering joy and Afropolitans. "There's often an expectation that Black designers must center our work on race or struggle. While those themes inevitably shape my perspective, Agbobly exists beyond them," they add. "I want to create a world where Blackness isn't confined to narratives of resilience but is also seen through the lens of whimsy, nostalgia, and innovation." Despite the financial struggles, like most other designers, Agbobly remains hopeful. Sure, brands are coming and going (most notably uprooting to the European capitals, as several labels have recently done), but there's still undeniable grit and spirit behind the independent labels in New York. "We just need to keep pushing forward, and with the right support and resources, I believe the future of American fashion is bright," Agbobly added. "We have to keep going, especially in these tough times." Credit: Courtesy of Sergio Hudson, Launchmetrics/Spotlight Sergio Hudson derives all of his collections from joy and Black excellence. The designer, who officially started showing on the New York Fashion Week calendar in 2020, was raised in the South, where prim-and-proper American couture was the foundation for his tight-knit Black community. What once was joy, though, has turned into a more realistic gaze at the state of the industry. Although Hudson is an established veteran on the scene (he began his label in 2014), the American sportswear designer only had one word to say about the state of affairs of the fashion business in this country: "Scary. That's the first thing that comes to mind to me," Hudson admits. "We have our supporters and people who do really see us, but when you look at the marketplace, as an American designer, that category is marginalized compared to the luxury houses of Europe. And then, when you are from a marginalized group or come from an ethnic background, it marginalizes you even more." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For years, American fashion designers have been compared to those at the helm of Europe's conglomerate-backed luxury maisons. The truth is, though, you can't really compare itAmerica feels like the Wild West of the fashion industry, with innovation, grit, and craftiness coming above all else as a lagging retail industry feels like it's creeping to a halt. (Hudson nods to the controversial news that came from American retailer Saks the other day, with the brand announcing that it was extending the amount of time it took to pay vendorssome of which are independently backed labels that are already struggling to survive.) "As time goes on, the goalposts to success just get farther and farther away." Despite the monetary challenges that come from being an independently owned American brand, Hudson is still doubling down on his commitment to support United States garment workers. Naturally, it comes at a higher burden to bear, financially. "Maybe that's why some designers don't stay in business, but I just can't allow my integrity to be overtaken by being money hungry," he says. "I'm a young Black man from South Carolina. I was always taught you have to be better. You have to do more to be considered as equal. So that's how I operate in life and everything that I do." Support an independent brand, and you'll continue to see this industry grow. During our conversation, Hudson is honest about the pursuit of the business and his dreams: He's tired of being put into a box as a Black designer, with the industry at large often thinking Black designers' aesthetics must align with a certain vision, whether it be streetwear or clothes pulling from traditional African motifs and prints. "I feel like when people look at me as a human being, they see a Black man first; they don't see an American sportswear designer. And that's the problem," Hudson adds. "People put me in a box by saying I can't be just an American sportswear designer that makes a great trench coat or a suit that a woman would want to wear. There's no space in that, because that's how [the industry] views Black designers." It's not all bleak, though. There's a beauty in surviving, Hudson says. It's hard not to acknowledge that we're in a dark time in history, given the state of the economy and politics, but Hudson says he plans on making it through by any means necessary. "The art form of making beautiful clothing for women to wear has kind of been lost, and I feel like the support needs to come back for that," Hudson says. "So support an independent brand, and you'll continue to see this industry grow. When we stop supporting independent brands, that's when, to me, the industry dies." Credit: Launchmetrics/Spotlight, Getty Images You might recognize Jackson Wiederhoeft's whimsical, otherworldly designs before you recognize the designer themself. Tucked away in the heart of the Garment District in New York is where the Wiederhoeft world takes flight in a fantastical saloon covered in boned corsets and gowns dripping in jewels. Although Wiederhoeft has long been in the industry (the designer famously worked for CFDA Chairman Thom Browne), it wasn't until 2019 when the label came to life. "There wasn't a business plan out the gate; it was more of a creative project," Wiederhoeft explained. "But after that first collection, I saw a way that it could actually work out." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First and foremost, Wiederhoeft is a queer brand. In terms of the storytelling, vision, and collaborators, the designer explains every choice is thoughtfully and intentionally strange and out of place, nodding to the true definition of queer in a literal sense. "We are people who really celebrate things that seem to be misplaced or precariously placed," Wiederhoeft explained. "Everything is beautiful and lovely, but there's always a sense of danger that is inherently tied to everything." It's worth noting that the brand's surge in popularity within the bridal space also comes at a delicate time given that the current presidential administration has signed a series of anti-trans executive orders into law . (When asked if the designer has struggled with coming to terms with the anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric that's surging in the country, Wiederhoeft responds cooly. They're fighting the good fight for as long as it takes, whether or not rights get taken away. "It's disheartening, but I think revenge [by simply existing] is sweet, so there's that, too," they say.) One of the most important things I can do is also supporting American manufacturing and New York City manufacturing. Just last year, Wiederhoeft was a finalist for the prestigious CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award that aims to highlight emerging American designers with a unique point of view. At this point, the brand doesn't need the press when it comes to doubling down on what makes American fashion so great. (Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, and Ice Spice are all friends of the house.) But when asked what the future of American fashion looks like, especially given the fact that the brand produces everything in the Garment District, Wiederhoeft practically lights up. "Being an American designer, I think one of the most important things I can do is also supporting American manufacturing and New York City manufacturing. Almost every business I work with in New York is immigrant-owned, woman-owned, which is so New York and so badass," Wierderhoeft says. "I think supporting that is such a privilege that I get to engage in, and I really want to do that forever." Credit: Images Courtesy of Allina Liu, Getty Images Allina Liu attributes her drive and love of design to the chip on her shoulder she had as a kid. The 33-year-old New Yorkbased designer jokes that her Chinese immigrant parents might be partly to blame for her rebellious phase. After stints at The Row, J.Crew, and Rebecca Taylor, she decided to start her own label based on exploring the female form and the BDSM community. Enter the self-titled label that's become a fashion darling among New York City's young scene. Flowy dresses tied together with bows and voluminous skirts aren't just pretty means to an endfor Liu, the brand is about tapping into the strange. (The brand's last presentation during New York Fashion Week featured creepy smiles, doll-like silhouettes, and innocent-seeming models all in reference to religious cults.) After a couple years in business, though, Liu quietly shut down due to financial constraints. It wasn't until she pivoted into the tech sector that she had the funds to relaunch years later in 2020. It's a stark reminder that, for most designers of color in the United States, there are no inventors or conglomerate funding to help small designers stay afloat. That's why Liu produces in Guangzhou, China, known as one of the largest manufacturing hubs on the planet. Without exporting the majority of her business overseas, there's no way she would be able to sustain her brand. Given most Americans' reliance on fast fashion and hyper-fast retailers like Amazon, there's a sticky association between the perception of Liu's production and unethical, subpar garment factories. Right now, it's difficult, and it's complicated to identify as an American designer. "I'm ethnically Chinese, and I take a lot of pride in the term Made in China. Do people see my last name and just assume I'm producing garbage made by 2-year-olds for pennies?" Liu asks out loud. "I've been to my factoryI know the people, and I've seen the conditions. Ethics are massive for me. China is so much more than just sweatshops. I think it's really, really wildly racist to lump an entire country of people together for a couple people's mistakes." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What does being an American designer mean to her? It's heavily tied to being an American in general. "It's tough," Liu admits. The looming threat of a catastrophic trade war alongside reverberating impacts of anti-Asian rhetoric would lead most people to err on the side of pessimism. But, above all, being an American designer means being nimble and working with what you've got, despite it all. "Right now, it's difficult, and it's complicated to identify as an American designer. I think that we have been put in a position where our administration doesn't reflect our personal beliefs. All I can do is use whatever small platform I have to really embrace my community that believes in me and that I believe in them right back." Credit: Courtesy of Santos by Monica. Monica Santos Gil was tired of seeing everyone in New York wear black, so naturally, she started her own label. While the intentions behind the brand might have been rooted in a slight joke, the designer's love for color isn'ther brand, Santos by Monica, established during the pandemic at her small studio in her parents' home in Puerto Rico, is inspired by the rich, vibrant colors of the Caribbean island she grew up on. After stints in California and New York, the ready-to-wear and handbag designer began to focus on sustainability and biomaterials, another nod to her roots. "As an independent designer, I think a lot about representationand not just in terms of who wears my pieces but also how they're made and what stories they tell, down to the materials I'm using." Santos Gil explains. Being in the American fashion industry right now means being solution-driven, regardless of what's going on politically or economically. As the immigrant daughter of two creatives who prioritized their lush, tropical home, Santos Gil knew she had to be intentional about the structure of her business when she first started. As an American founder, like many other young designers, there are limited funds available to make your dreams a reality. Santos Gil prioritized high-quality biomaterials like cactus leather in lieu of massive first-run batches, opting to sew and cut everything herself for the first few launches. Although she now has two factories working on the labelone in the United States and another in Mexicoat her core, Santos Gil believes being an independent brand is about being resourceful and nimble. "Being in the American fashion industry right now means being solution-driven, regardless of what's going on politically or economically," she added. "It's at the cornerstone of what an emerging or young brand is, especially if you don't have the capital or a factory or financial backing." Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to create and execute a brand right now, even if the marketplace is so tough, she adds. You might pull out your hair in the process, but it's all worth it. "It's all the more rewarding when everything falls into place," Gil Santos finishes. It's a reminder that even in challenging times, creativity, perseverance, and resourcefulness can make your vision a realitysomething she's living proof of with every collection she brings to life. Credit: Courtesy of Taottao. Yitao Li lives between two worlds. The 26-year-old has spent half of her life in China, only moving to the United States at 13 years old. Her label, Taottao, was born out of a passion project for geometric design and patternmaking. (She was on the math team during high school, she jokes.) While Li might not see herself as a fully born-and-bred American designer, her brand is quintessentially American, relying on New York aesthetics and edge, born out of her schooling from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Like most young designers whose customer base lives in the United States, Li is playing on the narrative of what the modern girl wants to wearnot the modern woman. There are micro miniskirts layered atop leggings, sherpa-lined neck pillowstyle scarves, and baggy pants that are definitely Dimes Square approved. Although the brand is only three years old, Li has already garnered a sizable following both in New York and abroad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Growing in America is nowhere near as hard as growing in China," Li admits. While her small team produces between Guangzhou and Jersey City, the bulk of the brand's efforts are concentrated in seeping into the niche, alternative market in the United States. "The markets are so differentfrom influencer collaborations to working with Asian stylists." Growing in America is nowhere near as hard as growing in China. In the midst of economic tariffs imposed by the United States, it's hard not to spiral. Li admits that, although exporting and importing garments might become more expensive and challenging, there's still an advantage as a small, independent designer producing overseasit's still a net positive as it pertains to profits and being on-site to see production firsthand. Regardless, there are certain privileges that come from being an America-based designer. "I don't have as much creative freedom in China as I do in the United States. Copyright protections also don't really existI can post something on social media, and then soon after, 10 stores are selling the same thing using my image," Li says. "I can't post as freely. There's nowhere near as much freedom of speech [in China]." Despite the challenges, Li sees the experience as a valuable learning curve that has only strengthened her determination to push her brand forward. The contrast between the two worlds she navigatesChina's competitive fashion landscape and the creative freedom she enjoys in the United Stateshas given Li a unique perspective on the industry as a global-first designer. If youre looking for a truly unique travel experience, mark your calendars for the Pineapple Festival in Gregory Town, Eleuthera, happening June 6-7, 2025. Held every June, this celebration is all about honoring the islands culture, and its one of the most fun and distinct festivals in The Bahamas. Set against Eleutheras stunning coastline, the festival offers a mix of everything, from creative cooking competitions and thrilling eating contests to traditional Bahamian games and the fascinating art of pineapple pole plaiting. Enjoy live performances, eat delicious Bahamian dishes, and mingle with locals and visitors alike. Now in its 36th year, this event promises an incredible weekend for everyone. Plus, its more than just a party. Every dollar raised goes to local infrastructure projects, making it a true celebration of community. Visiting the Pineapple Capital of The Bahamas Eleuthera, known as the Pineapple Capital of The Bahamas, is a beautiful hidden gem thats perfect for anyone looking to escape the crowds. Famous for its pineapple farms and soft pink sand beaches, its a paradise thats both peaceful and full of adventure. For those into water activities, Surfers Beach offers some great waves, while Ocean Hole, a natural inland swimming spot, lets you swim alongside tropical fish and turtles. Advertisement Advertisement The island also boasts luxury resorts like Pineapple Fields Resort and French Leave Resort, where you can stay in one of their 20 villas located on a breathtaking 270-acre preserve. Whether youre here for the festival or just to unwind, Eleuthera has a little something for everyone. The post This Pineapple Festival in the Bahamas is the party you didnt know you needed appeared first on The Manual. (Bloomberg) Elon Musks fans are known for their commitment to Tesla Inc. (TSLA), but in the current rout of the stock even long-term believers are backing away. Most Read from Bloomberg The retreat from Musks electric vehicle company, which has been the biggest decliner in the S&P 500 Index this year, has been so extreme that on Monday night President Donald Trump intervened, saying he would buy a new Tesla to support Musk. On Tuesday, Trump chose a red Model S from the Teslas that were delivered to him at the White House. The stock rose in New York on Wednesday, putting it on track to extend gains as it attempts to stage a rebound following Mondays 15% rout. But despite the presidential purchase and the apparent opportunity to buy the dip Musks faithful are nervous to wade in and scoop up shares on the cheap, fearing that the bloodbath may be far from over. The stock was down 52% from the all-time high touched in mid-December as of Tuesdays close and it has given back all of the gains it experienced after the election, back when traders were betting that Tesla would benefit from Musks close ties to the new president. This stock is trading on feelings right now and the downside pressure is winning; there is more room for the stock to fall in the next 30-60 days, said Brian Mulberry, client portfolio manager at Zacks Investment Management Inc., which oversees about $21 billion in assets. The shares can easily go down to $200 or even below in the short term. Zacks held more than 270,000 Tesla shares as of Dec. 31. and Mulberry said he could see the stock getting back above $400 next year. But he is staying on the sidelines for now. He isnt alone. As the price fell under $230 this week, down from over $400 less than two months ago, Wall Street analysts even some of those with a buy-recommendation have been taking a more cautious stance. Just over the past week, at least four analysts lowered their price targets on Tesla, while two other long-term bullish analysts warned about poor sales and negative sentiment. One of the few sources of support have been the retail traders who are among Musks most reliable fans. These small investors have, on net, purchased $2.8 billion of Tesla stock since last Tuesday, according to Emma Wu, a global quantitative and derivatives strategist at JPMorgan Chase & Co. JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) A person was killed in a three-vehicle wreck that happened on Pinson Valley Parkway on Tuesday evening. According to Chris Horn with the Center Point Fire District, the crash happened around 6:45 p.m. One victim was pronounced dead. Two victims were taken to Childrens of Alabama, while two others were transported to UAB Hospital. One victim was released at the scene. Authorities are investigating the crash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42. House Budget Committee Chairman Dirk Deaton, a Republican from Noel, speaks during a Jan. 30 news conference with House Speaker Jon Patterson. (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications) The failures of a new $100 million Missouri state accounting system disrupted plans for the House Budget Committee to put its imprint this week on the spending plan for the coming fiscal year. The system purchased in 2022 from Accenture was supposed to be in the final phase of implementation at this point, with all financial processes including tracking for state appropriation decisions in the legislature fully operational by September 2024, the contract states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Budget Committee Chairman Dirk Deaton cancelled a meeting Tuesday where he was supposed to present his revisions to the state budget. At that point, he said in an interview with The Independent, he would have given members a deadline for submitting amendments for consideration at an all-day meeting on Thursday. But the system, called MOVERS, was unable to produce the appropriation bills. So far, the state has paid Accenture more than $60 million. Its safe to say MOVERS isnt moving very well, Deaton said. Im not the expert on it and Ive not been totally read in myself, but its certainly been a challenge. Its not the only challenge, but it hasnt helped. Accenture did not respond to emails seeking comment on the criticism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, when Deaton was able to deliver a spreadsheet of his proposed changes to Gov. Mike Kehoes proposed budget, one of the items he cut was $410,000 for post-implementation staff for the new system. Ive only grown in my belief that we shouldnt do anything more until we get what we have right, and were far from it, Deaton told members of the committee. The system has failed to deliver on any of its promises, said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Lincoln Hough, a Republican from Springfield. I havent seen anything come out of the thing yet, Hough said. This is far beyond the old, its a new system, and so theres gonna be some growing pains, and were gonna have to tweak this and tweak that. It doesnt work. State Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield (photo courtesy of Missouri Senate Communications). State Budget Director Dan Haug wasnt as critical of the new system as the legislators, but did say it is having problems meeting expectations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres certainly been some hiccups, Haug said. Im not going to say that there arent problems with it, but were trying to work through it the best we can. During a 90-minute meeting Wednesday, Deaton read through about one-third of his proposed changes to the $53.7 billion spending plan Kehoe proposed in January. Deatons proposal cuts about $2.2 billion from operational spending, including a cut in general revenue of about $750 million. The committee recessed for the morning floor session with plans to finish working through Deatons proposals in the afternoon. In items he did reach in the morning, Deaton proposed cutting Kehoes state employee pay plan in half, allowing a 1% raise for every two years in state service up to 10 years for a 5% cap. Kehoe proposed giving the raise for service up to 20 years with a 10% cap. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deaton also cut $106 million intended to make federal child care subsidy payments based on authorization of slots rather than actual attendance by children. The current system, also changed to new computer software, has been plagued by delays and missed payments. The money is coming from federal sources now but will have to be paid from general revenue in the future, Deaton said. Its not a sustainable funding source, Deaton said. Deaton also did not include $300 million needed to fully fund the state foundation formulas State Adequacy Target, and he made $15.2 million added to school transportation funds a one-time item. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement General revenue is not growing at the rate it had in previous years and budgeting is becoming tighter, Deaton said. We need to understand that just because somethings maybe added this year, it wouldnt be right to go ahead and budget that in for future years, Deaton said. Rejecting Kehoes proposal for prospective payments to child care providers is going to continue a system that isnt working well, said state Rep. Betsy Fogle, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee. Having those dollars stripped out was a disappointment, not only for myself, but to families and to child care providers back home who have been living in the throes of a very difficult fiscal reality because of the actions of this body, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats will continue to push for prospective payments and to fully fund the foundation formula, Fogle said. That is another thing that weve been very vocal on as members of the House Democratic budget team, she said. The problems blamed on MOVERS upended plans to get the committees work finished this week. If that timeline had been met, it would have been the first time since 2020 when the House Budget Committee finished work before the break. In the 10 years prior, the budget was finished in committee only once after the break and in two years, it was sent to the Senate before the break. Instead, the mark-up meeting will take place after lawmakers return from the upcoming mid-session break, depending on how quickly formal budget bills can be produced Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The delay is frustrating for Hough, who now does not expect to receive the budget until the week of April 7. When I was in the House, it was pretty much customary that we got the budget over to the Senate before we left for spring break, Hough said. Fogle said it is difficult to wait for solutions to the computer system rather than discuss spending. It hasnt lived up to the expectation that weve set for it, and that frustration, I think, the chair did a good job of echoing today in the committee, Fogle said. For decades, Missouris financial administration was conducted on a mainframe computer running a program written in COBOL called SAM II. It drew complaints for years but accomplished the tasks needed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The upgrades that were supposed to be available with MOVERS were intended to speed up the budget process, among other improvements. In the old system, decisions as they were made in committee hearings were entered into a computer program called BRASS, then exported to a spreadsheet where calculations were checked before being written out as a text document in formal bill form. The new system was supposed to reduce the complexity of that process. It seems to work at this point, but not necessarily as good as the system that we had, Deaton said. A step backwards seems less than acceptable. The Washington state Capitol on Nov. 11, 2024. (Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard) Democrats in the Washington state House on Tuesday approved a revamped plan to provide $100 million in grants to local police departments to hire more officers. The vote on House Bill 2015 gets lawmakers one step closer to accomplishing a core wish of Gov. Bob Ferguson, who has said he would veto a budget that doesnt include the money for new cops. Washington ranks last in the country in police staffing per capita, a statistic Ferguson and others have pointed to in making the case for the funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to creating the state grant program, the bill offers a new path for local governments to adopt a 0.1% sales tax without voter approval to pay for criminal justice expenses. The measure aims to strike a balance by allowing for spending on more than just police hiring. Some Democrats are skeptical that adding cops is the best path to improve public safety. Crisis intervention training and other areas, like emergency management planning and community assistance programs, are among the additional spending options. The local sales tax revenue could go toward costs such as public defenders, domestic violence services, and programs to help connect formerly incarcerated people with jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think that this is a compromise for me, because when I came to this Legislature, I was concerned about the number of police officers that we had in the community and the increased call for more law enforcement officers in their community, said Rep. Debra Entenman, D-Kent. For me, there wasnt enough community support, community resources and a different way of thinking about policing, added Entenman, the bills lead sponsor. Passage of the House legislation could signal an approaching conflict with the Senate. A bill awaiting a floor vote on the other side of the rotunda proposed the $100 million for state grants, but not the 0.1% sales tax. However, amendments made to the House bill do align it closer to the competing proposal, Senate Bill 5060. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most bills face a Wednesday deadline to pass out of their chamber of origin. In floor action Tuesday, House lawmakers nixed a requirement in their bill that local governments implement the new sales tax to qualify for a piece of the $100 million in grants from the state Criminal Justice Training Commission. Instead, cities and counties can access the money if theyve already imposed either of two existing public safety sales taxes. Lawmakers also decided governments cant impose the new tax if voters have rejected a similar tax proposal in the past two years. The bill sets other criteria for qualifying for grant dollars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For example, 25% of officers would have to complete a 40-hour crisis intervention training. The bill originally set this benchmark at 80%. Other hurdles departments must clear to access the money include implementing model policies on use-of-force and other issues, completing trauma-informed training for all officers and complying with a law that restricts police from helping with federal immigration enforcement. The latest bill also strips out language that would have allowed for grant funding to be used for bonuses to newly recruited officers. Democrats turned down Republican amendments to require voter approval of the new local tax and to focus the revenue from the tax specifically on hiring police officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans uniformly opposed Entenmans bill, arguing the sales tax would fall disproportionately on lower earners and provide little money to fund new officers in smaller communities. The bill passed on a 54-42 vote. Five Democrats joined Republicans against it. I dont doubt that we have other aspects of the criminal justice system that could benefit from some additional funding, but to do that is to not put new officers on the street, said Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama. Orcutt also argued that the bill leaves open the possibility for local governments to tap the new funds and then shift existing dollars out of police budgets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If lawmakers dont include $100 million for the state grants in the next two-year budget, the entire bill will be null and void. Also on Tuesday, legislators in the state Senate gave the go-ahead on a measure dealing with existing sales taxes for public safety and criminal justice. Senate Bill 5775 expands how the tax dollars can be spent, including for diversion programs to keep people out of jail and prison and mental health and addiction services. A dozen people were arrested during a Manhattan protest demanding the release of Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil from ICE custody, police said Wednesday. The 12 protesters were taken into custody as scores of people rallied outside City Hall Park in lower Manhattan on Tuesday evening. Eleven of them were given summonses for disorderly conduct. A 25-year-old man was held overnight pending arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on charges of obstructing government administration and disorderly conduct, an NYPD spokesman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protesters were demanding the release of Khalil, who remains detained at a processing center in Jena, La., four days after his arrest by plainclothes cops for the Department of Homeland Security at his Columbia-owned apartment in Morningside Heights. The Palestinian activist is a green card holder. His wife, a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant, was threatened with arrest if she didnt leave the scene, according to Khalils lawyers. The White House doubled down Tuesday on its decision to detain Khalil, accusing him of organizing protests where Hamas propaganda was distributed. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt alleged Khalil played a role in organizing demonstrations at which flyers were handed out bearing a logo for Hamas, which she did not display. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mahmoud Khalil was an individual who was given the privilege of coming to this country to study at one of our nations finest universities, Leavitt said at a press briefing, declining to provide examples of Khalils alleged involvement with the flyers. He took advantage of that opportunity, of that privilege by siding with terrorists. More than a thousand New Yorkers took to the streets Monday over Khalils detention. On Tuesday, some 150 protesters led by Jewish students at Columbia gathered on campus, demanding the school ban federal immigration agents from campus. Related Articles Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Columbia must commit to protecting its students and their right to free speech, one protester who declined to share their name said. We insist that the university immediately institute a policy prohibiting university officials from sharing information about students or staff to ICE or complying with ICE investigations into Columbia students or staff in the absence of a judicial warrant. Manhattan Federal Judge Jesse Furman on Monday temporarily slammed the brakes on Khalils deportation, saying he could not be removed from the country unless and until he orders otherwise. Furman is expected to render a final decision on the matter Wednesday. Khalils legal team has asked the judge to rule on the lawfulness of his detention and order his return to New York while his immigration matter separately plays out. NEW YORK A dozen people were arrested during a Manhattan protest demanding the release of Palestinian activist Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil from ICE custody, police said Wednesday. The 12 protesters were taken into custody as scores of people rallied outside City Hall Park in lower Manhattan Tuesday evening. Eleven of them were given summonses for disorderly conduct. A 25-year-old man was held overnight pending arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court for obstructing government administration and disorderly conduct, an NYPD spokesman said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protesters were demanding the release of Khalil, who remains detained at a processing center in Jena, Louisiana, four days after his arrest by plainclothes cops for the Department of Homeland Security at his Columbia-owned apartment in Morningside Heights. Khalil is a green card holder. His wife, a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant, was threatened with arrest if she didnt leave the scene, according to Khalils lawyers. On Tuesday, the White House doubled down on their decision to detain Khalil, accusing him of organizing protests where Hamas propaganda was distributed. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt alleged Khalil played a role in organizing demonstrations at which flyers were handed out bearing a logo for Hamas, which she did not display. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mahmoud Khalil was an individual who was given the privilege of coming to this country to study at one of our nations finest universities, Leavitt said at a press briefing, declining to provide examples of Khalils alleged involvement with the flyers. He took advantage of that opportunity, of that privilege by siding with terrorists. More than a thousand New Yorkers took to the streets Monday over Khalils detention. On Tuesday, some 150 protesters led by Jewish students at Columbia gathered on campus, demanding the school ban federal immigration agents from campus. Columbia must commit to protecting its students and their right to free speech, one protester who declined to share their name said. We insist that the university immediately institute a policy prohibiting university officials from sharing information about students or staff to ICE or complying with ICE investigations into Columbia students or staff in the absence of a judicial warrant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Manhattan Federal Judge Jesse Furman on Monday temporarily slammed the brakes on the student activists deportation, saying he could not be removed from the country unless and until he orders otherwise. Furman is expected to render a final decision on the matter Wednesday. Khalils legal team has asked the judge to rule on the lawfulness of his detention and order his return to New York while his immigration matter separately plays out. COTTONWOOD FALLS (KSNT) A local developer is inviting people to an upcoming open house in Cottonwood Falls later this month as a historic Kansas school reopens. Frontier Development Group (FDG), based out of Manhattan, significantly renovated the interior of a former Chase County school to transform it into the Cottonwood School Lofts living space. Now, the FDG is inviting locals to swing by the school to see the changes firsthand. The FDG will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25 at 401 Maple Street in Cottonwood Falls. This will be followed by an open house that lasts from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the same day at the nearby community center just west of the Cottonwood School Lofts. The Kansas Historical Society (KSHS) recognizes the old two-story limestone school building as being the former site of the Cottonwood Falls Grade School. The building, constructed in 1904, was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2021 for its connections to education and its architectural significance, according to the National Park Service (NPS). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Controversial FAFSA high school graduation requirement removed in Kansas Tyler Holloman with FDG told 27 News earlier this year that a more than $2 million investment was made in renovating the old building and turning it into modern living spaces. Traces of the buildings former purpose as a school can be found in the buildings architecture and living units which contain original chalkboards. You can learn more about the project on the FDGs website by clicking here. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. In just the last year, three shipwrecks have been found in the Great Lakes that each had remained hidden for 130 years or more. The Margaret A. Muir was discovered by Wisconsin maritime historians Brendon Baillod and Bob Jaeck in May after its remains were undetected for 131 years. The 130-foot, three-masted schooner sank on Sept. 30, 1893, after taking on water from a massive wave near Algoma, in Kewaunee County. It was bound for Chicago with a cargo of bulk salt. The same historians discovered the John Evenson, a wooden steam tug built in Milwaukee, last September. The Evenson capsized and sank instantly after being struck by the steambarge I.W. Stephenson while assisting it into the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal on June 5, 1895. The remains of the Evenson lie five miles northeast of Algoma. And Monday, it was learned that perhaps the most sought-after shipwreck of the three, the Western Reserve, was discovered last summer off the shores of Lake Superior after remaining hidden 600-feet beneath the surface for 132 years. One of the first all-steel freighters on the Great Lakes, it was discovered by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Historic all-steel ship that went down in Lake Superior 132 years ago, killing 27, finally found How many people died in the the three shipwrecks? No one died in the Muir, although the captain's beloved dog was lost. When the Evenson went down, four members of the crew were rescued. Martin Boswell, the fireman, was below deck and was carried down with the tug. The Western Reserve was a tragic event. Twenty-seven people died when the 318-foot freighter broke in half and sank in a matter of minutes. Among the dead were the ship's owner and captain, Peter Minch, his wife Anna, their children, Charlie, 9, and Florence, 6, as well as Annas sister, Mary Englebry, and her daughter, Bertha, 10. The ships other captain, Albert Myers, and his 19-year-old son also perished. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The only survivor, wheelsman Harry W. Stewart, had to jump over a 3-foot crack in the freighter to reach the aft where the two lifeboats were stored. He joined the crew on the metal lifeboat, then made it to the second lifeboat, made of wood, when the metal one capsized. He finally swam a mile to shore when that boat capsized after floating for about 10 hours. Where was the Western Reserve found? The Western Reserve began to break apart roughly 60 miles north of Whitefish Point in Lake Superior The roughly 80-mile stretch of water between Munising and Whitefish Point in Michigans Upper Peninsula is infamous for its dangerous conditions, so much so that it has become known as Lake Superiors Shipwreck Coast. Any ship traveling to or from the big lake, heading for the Soo Locks, had to pass this stretch. And with the lakes fetch stretching hundreds of miles, there is little to slow the waves. Its estimated that more than 200 ships have sunk in Whitefish Bay, according to Lynn. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: We know more about the surface of Mars than about the floor of Lake Michigan. But what we do know is remarkable. How many shipwrecks are still not found? Although the Western Reserve was found in Lake Superior, estimates suggest there are more than 1,700 ships resting just at the bottom of Lake Michigan, and most of those have not been discovered. In Wisconsins portion of the lake, there are approximately 780 shipwrecks, but only 250 have been identified, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. Last year, 17 total shipwrecks were discovered off Wisconsin's Lake Michigan shores a new record thanks to a federal mapping effort and maritime historians. Of those, 15 were confirmed off Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties last summer. The previous record was set in 2023 with 13 shipwrecks found. Though some individual researchers place the number much higher, the official estimate is that slightly more than 6,000 ships lie on the bottom of the Great Lakes. Roughly half of them fell victim during the legendary gales of November, like the well-known Edmund Fitzgerald. What else is at the bottom of Lake Michigan? In addition to shipwrecks, everything from an underwater forest to a shipload of cars to aircraft can be found on the bottom of Lake Michigan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In August, scientists confirmed there also are more than 40 sinkholes at the bottom of Lake Michigan in the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Scientists say the sinkholes in Lake Michigan, ranging from 300 to 600 feet across, formed as water dissolved limestone bedrock, causing surface collapse. Groundwater erosion creates caverns beneath the lake, and ceiling collapses eventually form the circular depressions. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Locating ship after 132 years is third major Great Lakes find in a row Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig enjoys ice cream from the Iowa State University Creamery. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) AMES Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced 15 Iowa dairies Wednesday that were awarded a combined $750,000 in grants to expand production and save labor. Naig made the announcement at the Iowa State University Creamery, which was one of the grant recipients and also the first member of the Choose Iowa network. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Choose Iowa is a state program, with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, that promotes and markets local producers. Naig said membership has been gaining about one member a day since the start of the year. It shows a tremendous interest in local foods, of course, and also we love the fact that we get a chance to tell stories about Iowas agriculture and connect consumers to farm families across the state, Naig said. The dairy innovation grants required a cost share on behalf of the dairy operations and the 15 projects represent a total investment of more than $4 million, according to IDALS. Eligible dairies have fewer than 50 employees and create products that are completely made in Iowa. Dairies were awarded up to $100,000 in funding for equipment that increased on-farm processing, like the creamery at ISU that will increase its cheese and ice cream production with a larger batch pasteurization vat, or for technology upgrades to reduce labor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Labor-reducing technology that grant recipients will be introducing, or expanding, include milking robots, rotary parlors, feed pushers and manure collectors. Naig said labor has always been a huge challenge for dairy producers. Feeding systems and robotic milkers are just amazing pieces of technology that can really take the pressure off of a farm family because theres so many jobs to do, Naig said. That can literally mean the ability for a farm to continue to produce, because theyre able to bring that technology in. Robert Horst, the Iowa State Dairy Association president, said some of these innovations will cut the personnel needs by 50%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Horst said the other grant that was awarded for a processing upgrade, $11,688 for a semi-automatic bottle filler and capper in Plainfield, is the type of project that not only grows a dairy operation, but brings people to town. Students process ice cream at the Iowa State University Creamery in Ames. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) That brings people out there and other things will pop up maybe somebody has a vegetable stand or maybe theres some on-farm tourism down the road, Horst said. It not only brings the money back into that community, but it draws people in. Sarah Canova, ISU creamerys business manager, said the new vat purchased with the help of around $25,000 from the Choose Iowa grant, will allow the creamery to nearly triple its current production, which frequently sells out during the fall and summer months. The creamery trains 25 undergraduate students a semester, which Horst said is where a lot of the future begins for Iowa dairy farmers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The more that they can get the hands on (experience) and engagement in the dairy and the processing here at the university, the better our chances are for the industry continuing at the pace and even growing, Horst said. Horst called the grants seed money for several dairies that he said will use the upgrades to facilitate a transition to the next generation. Choose Iowa also allocated $750,000 in small dairy innovation grants last year, with 20 recipients. Naig said there is a tremendous amount of interest in the Choose Iowa program, which makes him excited for the future. Earlier this week IDALS informed partners that federal funding for programs supported local food purchases for schools, food banks and other institutions, which would have allocated an estimated $11.3 million to the state, had been terminated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Naig said there was no guarantee the extended funding, authorized by USDA in October 2024, was going to remain through the change in administration. Naig said the programs brought forward a lot of good connections between producers and communities and he hopes there can be a permanent place for the programs, or something similar, in the upcoming farm bill. What were trying to do is look to the future, Naig said. We do have some programs here theyre not nearly to the scale that they were funded by USDA but were bringing pilot programs at the state level. We continue to ask for assistance and investment (on) the part of the Legislature for these important programs. IDALS announced Monday a pilot program with $70,000 to allocate to school districts to purchase Choose Iowa products for school meals. Recipients for the program will be announced in April. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE More than 160 Democratic lawmakers, officials and activists have drafted a letter to party leaders opposing ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomos comeback bid for New York City mayor and urging them to do the same. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and 13 other liberal lawmakers, including Democratic Socialist of America members, were among the signees to the letter, which comes little more than a week after Cuomo officially jumped in the race and immediately attained frontrunner status. After corruption cases derailed Mayor Eric Adams administration, New York City needs a mayor who will focus on the needs of our city, not his own legal battles, obsession with power, and self-centered political comeback, the draft letter, initiated by the progressive New Kings Democratic Club said. Over 160 Democratic Party officials have drafted a letter to party leaders opposing ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomos bid for New York City mayor and wants them to follow suit. Lev Radin/Shutterstock The letter was signed by City Councilmember Tiffany Caban, State Sens. Julia Salazar and Jabari Brisport and about 150 district leaders, state committee members, county committee members and Democratic clubs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The stop Cuomo coalition did not say who they are backing in the crowded June Democratic primary for mayor. The letter cited Cuomos baggage and scandals, including his resignation as governor in 2021 when he stepped down under the threat of impeachment following a slew of sexual misconduct accusations. Cuomo denies the claims. The critics also cited investigations that concluded Cuomo intentionally undercounted thousands of COVID-19 deaths of nursing home residents, resulting from his policy of forcing nursing facilities to accept recovering COVID patients discharged from hospitals. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso was among 13 other lawmakers, including Democratic Socialist of America members, who were signees of the letter. Stephen Yang They also complained that he used state resources to write his $5 million profit-making book about his leadership during the pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cuomo maintained he acted appropriately and followed the law. Now is the time for Democratic leaders to show our constituents that we are the party of integrity, accountability, respect, transparency, and inclusivity, the anti-Cuomo Democrats said. The legislation of the letter comes a little more than a week after Cuomo officially launched his campaign. Michael M. Santiago We must have a vision for a brighter future based on new ideas and fresh thinking, not nostalgia for a broken era and failed leadership that created many of the problems we face today. And we must govern in a way that builds trust and shows how government can be a force for good in peoples lives. the letter added. For these reasons and more, we oppose Andrew Cuomos campaign for mayor of New York City, and we urge all of our Democratic colleagues to pledge the same. Cuomo is seen as the favorite to become the next mayor of New York City. Paul Martinka Cuomo campaign spokesman Rich Azzopardi dismissed the letter as an act of desperation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a clear, desperate reaction to the governor, whos only been in this election for 10 days, leading the endorsement race, Azzopardi said. New Yorkers see right through these silly astroturf stunts and they know Andrew Cuomo had the record of accomplishments, the skills and the experience to save this city in crisis. The letter was signed by nearly 150 district leaders, state committee members, county committee members and Democratic clubs, including City Councilmember Tiffany Caban, State Sens. Julia Salazar and Jabari Brisport. Paul Martinka Cuomo has rolled out numerous endorsements in recent weeks, alarming critics within the party to his surging institutional support. The letter is being sent Wednesday to state Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs and the five county chairpersons Rodneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn of Brooklyn, Gregory Meeks of Queens, Keith Wright of Manhattan, Jamaal Bailey of The Bronx and Laura LoBianco Sword of Staten Island, said Tony Melone, president of the New Kings Democratic Club. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Staten Island Democratic Party has already endorsed Cuomo, as has former city Comptroller Carl McCall, Bronx Rep. Rep. Ritchie Torres, former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and a string of labor unions. I dont think Cuomo should be elected mayor. He has a bad record on public safety, said former Brooklyn Councilman Sal Albanese. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) 2025 will mark the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. We remember and honor those 168 who lost their lives on April 19, 1995, when a bomb went off in front of the Murrah building in downtown Oklahoma City. 168 Days to remember those lost in the OKC bombing: Christy Rosas. Image courtesy Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum. We want to remember Christy Rosas, while honoring those who survived and thanking those changed forever. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Apple and Meta Platforms are set to face modest fines for allegedly breaching landmark rules aimed at reining in their power, people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday. Both companies have been in the European Commission's crosshairs since last year for potential breaches of the Digital Markets Act which could cost companies as much as 10% of their global annual sales. The act, which became law in May 2023, seeks to make it easier for people to move between competing online services like social media platforms, internet browsers and app stores, allowing smaller companies to compete with Big Tech. The EU antitrust enforcer is focused on making sure the companies comply with the law rather than sanctioning them, the sources said, explaining the rationale for modest fines. Other reasons are the short duration of the alleged violations - the DMA came into force in 2023 - and the geopolitical climate, they said. U.S. President Donald Trump in a memorandum last month threatened to impose tariffs against countries that impose fines on U.S. companies. The EU has denied picking on U.S. tech giants. The sources said a final decision on the size of the fines has not yet been taken and the situation could still change. A decision is expected this month, in line with what EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera told Reuters in February. The Commission declined to comment. In a compliance report published last week, Meta said that despite its concerted efforts to comply with EU regulation, it has continued to receive demands from regulators that go beyond what is written in the law. Apple's DMA compliance report dated March 7 reiterated its argument that changes imposed by the law bring greater risks to users and developers, including new avenues for malware, fraud and scams. (Reporting by Foo Yun CheeEditing by Tomasz Janowski and Christina Fincher) A woman departing from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was found with more than 18 pounds of meth in her carry-on, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The 33-year-old woman was headed to Seoul, South Korea, on February 28 when CBP officers and Port of Seattle officials searched her bag and found bundles of a white crystal substance, CBP said in a press release. Officials say the substance tested positive for meth and the woman, who is a U.S. citizen, was arrested by Port of Seattle Police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CBPs border security mission not only protects the homeland from dangerous narcotics, but it also helps prevent these deadly substances from reaching communities in countries around the world, Greg Alvarez, Director of Field Operations, Seattle Field Office, said. March 12 (UPI) -- Pakistan freed 190 hijacked train passengers held hostage Wednesday as the battle to free remaining hostages held by the militant group Baloch Liberation Army continued. Pakistan security officials said Wednesday that 30 of the militants had been killed while roughly 130 hostages were still held by the militants after the BLA attacked the Jaffar Express train and blew up train tracks Tuesday, killing 11 people. Attempts to rescue them have so far been fought off by the militants. The BLA blew up the train tracks as the train entered a tunnel in the mountainous Balochistan province. Many of the BLA militants reportedly wore explosive vests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They are using these hostages as human shields," a senior Pakistani security official told NBC News. Approximately 214 soldiers and security personnel were onboard the attacked train. Eighty hostages were released Tuesday evening and had to walk for hours at night to board a cargo train. "Targeting innocent passengers during the peaceful and blessed month of Ramadan clearly reflects that these terrorists have no connection with Islam, Pakistan or Balochistan," Pakistan Prime Minister Shebez Sharif said in statement. The BLA said it wants what it called Baloch political prisoners and activists released within 48 hours. They threatened to kill the hostages if the government failed to agree to the releases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The BLA has waged an armed struggle for independence of Balochistan against Pakistan. In a statement, they said the train attack was "a direct response to Pakistan's decades-long colonial occupation of Balochistan and the relentless war crimes committed against the Baloch people." The militant attackers used rockets, grenades and guns. "There was a huge blast. Everyone was scared and people were screaming and crying loudly. We laid down during the blasts. Everyone laid down in the train as there was firing too," Witness Yousaf Bashir told The Guardian. In 1972, the comedian George Carlin identified seven words you couldnt say on television. These were: shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits. Last Friday The New York Times identified 199 words and phrases you cant say in the Trump administration (197 in todays print edition). These include: biased, climate science, female, women, socioeconomic, underprivileged, and cultural heritage. Obscenity sure aint what it used to be. The Times list of Trumps banned words, the paper said, is necessarily incomplete. It does not, for instance, include Enola Gay, banned as part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseths DEI purge for the hilarious reason that it included the offending word gay. (The dropping of the first atom bomb has long been controversial, but never for being woke.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump ban isnt absolute. Some words and phrases, the Times reported, are barred outright from the federal governments websites and government-funded school curricula, but others may be used with extreme discretion. Where encountered, this latter group is automatically flagged for review not only on government websites and in school curricula but also in grant proposals and contracts. As I understand it, when applying for a government grant its OK to say, Give me some fuckin money but not OK to say, Give me some money to study trauma suffered by at-risk minorities, because trauma, at-risk, and minorities are on the forbidden list. Liberals are of course no strangers to playing Word Cop, and indeed in February 2021 the Times reported that the Biden administration nixed illegal alien and required that the word tribal, as applied to Native Americans, be spelled with a capital T. But these were mostly reversals of Trump policies that exiled phrases like undocumented immigrant and climate change. The phrase climate change is now back on Trumps taboo list. With undocumented immigrant, its a bit more complicated. Both that phrase and illegal immigrant can no longer be used because the word immigrant is forbidden. Is that to encourage usage of the nasty pejorative illegals? Also, Trumpies, despite their own manifest tribalism, may not say Tribal, even with an unassuming lower-case t. Say goodbye to pregnant person, a phrase the Biden administration favored as a nod to the transgender community. On similar grounds, LGBT and LGBTQ are now demoted to LGB. Regarding pregnancy, Trumps Word Cops created an interesting problem for themselves. Pregnant women would be the logical substitute for pregnant person, but with women and females both on the taboo list were stuck calling them pregnant ladies? Thats a strikingly inapt term to describe a 12-year-old rape victim who, because the Trump-appointed majority on the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, couldnt get an abortion in the state of Mississippi, and consequently began seventh grade as a 13-year-old mother. The solution here may be the indescribably sad term pregnant preteen. Men is not on the taboo list, in deference to the political ascendency of the Manosphere. Men who have sex with men is on the taboo list, even though we have persuasive evidence that at least some within this homophobic subculture are gay. Men who have sex with men is a circumlocution for male homosexual, which, happily, is not on the taboo list; neither is gay. The Trumpies, pace Hegseth, appear to tolerate gay culture somewhat, so long as it excludes transexuals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The terms equality and inequality are banned. May I remind our president that the Declaration of Independence and Lincolns Gettysburg Address both state that all men are created equal? Will Trump functionaries yank these foundational documents from the National Archives and Library of Congress? Variations on the word equal appear seven times in the Constitution. To be on the safe side, perhaps Trump will remove all three to that john at Mar-a-Lago. Some of the words on the Times list are just baffling. The Trump administration wont let anybody say prostitute? That sounds like a Biden holdover; the left is the only precinct I know where the word prostitute is taboo. Youre supposed to say sex worker, but thats out because the Trump Word Cops put sex on their taboo list. I guess theyll have to go back to courtesan or tart. Returning to the question of how a woke taboo became a Trump taboo: Perhaps what Trump intends to prevent is usage of the word prostitute as a verb to describe the groveling behavior of Lindsey Graham, JD Vance, Mike Johnson, and so many other Republican politicians who once scorned Trump. Also, whats wrong with advocate? Thats a neutral term. Conservatives advocate things all the time! Is it because theres a gay magazine called The Advocate? The Advocate also happens to be the title of a play my late father wrote about the Sacco and Vanzetti case that ran for a week on Broadway in 1963. So yes, this is getting personal. In the same vein: I served in the late 1970s on the prose board of an undergraduate literary magazine called The Harvard Advocate, which (at least then) was apolitical to a fault. Maybe Harvard set off a trip wire; its not on the taboo list, but the Trump Justice Department hates the place and just put it under investigation for alleged antisemitism. Never mind that DOGE chief Elon Musk gave a Sieg Heil salute on inauguration night and that mimicking Musks gesture (which Musk insisted was misinterpreted) became all the rage among the Trump faithful at last months Conservative Political Action Conference. Physician, heal thyself. Another entirely neutral word the Trumpies have banned is institutional. We all know Trump is determined to destroy every government institution he can get his hands on, but to forbid the word itself raises matters to a higher level of fanaticism. You also cant for some reason say MSM, even though that term (which stands for mainstream media) is entirely pejorative. Reporters for CNN dont thrust out their chests to declare themselves representatives of the MSM. If Trump wants to ban a self-congratulatory term for the media, he should forbid fourth estate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you work in the Trump administration and want to get fired, post something online that includes the phrase gender diversity. Diversity is the single most banned word on the Trump taboo list, appearing no fewer than 10 times (15 if you add diverse). Gender places second, appearing nine times. And yes, the Trump administration specifically bans the phrase gender diversity. Apparently, there is nothing Trump loathes now more than gender diversity. With that in mind, late Tuesday I searched the website of a government agency for gender diversity and was delighted to find no fewer than 193 entries. I wont identify this agency because I dont want to get its employees in trouble. But it seems the anti-Trump resistance is alive and well in the belly of the beast. As Carlin might say, we must continue to explore every means possible to stop this motherfucker. LAWRENCE COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) Lawrence County deputies teamed up with authorities in Giles County and Alabama to arrest two suspects connected to a tractor theft. Officials said the incident began after a farmer in Lawrence County reported his tractor was stolen and made a post about it on social media. An individual saw the social media post and reportedly called law enforcement after spotting the stolen tractor behind a house in Giles County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man accused of floating stolen timber down the Red River for profit When authorities arrived at the home, they found multiple people standing around outside. Along with those outside the home, bodycam video obtained by News 2 shows officers also observed a vehicle with two people inside. However, when the driver was ordered to stop the vehicle things took a turn. As seen on video, a deputy taps on the car and then uses her baton to break the drivers side window. Officials later identified the driver as 30-year-old Camryn Cagle. According to the Department of Correction, Cagle was convicted of criminal simulation, failure to appear, contraband in a penal facility and two counts of theft of property in 2017. Records show she was also sentenced to probation in Lawrenceburg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An arrest affidavit states additional suspects at the scene told investigators that they knew the driver as Star an exotic dancer who worked in Alabama. CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime-related reports from across Middle Tennessee Cagle reportedly fled toward Alabama leading law enforcement on a chase. Deputies with the Limestone County Sheriffs Office later picked up the chase and performed a pit maneuver, leading to Cagles arrest. Back at the home in Giles County along Myrick Branch Road, deputies began investigating the tractor theft. At some point during the investigation, authorities arrested 34-year-old William Reynolds for theft of the tractor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to DOC officials, Reynolds previously served time for theft and weapons charges. He was reportedly convicted of two counts of theft of property in 2017 and felon in possession of a weapon in 2019. Most recently, he was sentenced to misdemeanor probation in Lawrenceburg. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com An arrest report states Reynolds was willing to sell the tractor for $2,000. During a search, deputies found burglary tools and drugs, which Reynolds later admitted was cocaine. This is what we call a good news story, Lawrence County Sheriff John Myers told News 2. This is probably a $10,000 tractor, or maybe even more, that was stolen from this guys property. Luckily, somebody on social media saw it and reported it, and it wound up being the tractor we were looking for, and we caught the person who stole it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Giles County deputies are reportedly considering charges against Cagle that include, resisting arrest, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. A pair of Ojibwa casinos in Michigan's Upper Peninsula soon will join a growing list of smoke-free gaming locations across the state. The tribal casino announced the move in a recent Facebook post, with the indoor smoking and vaping ban set to take effect at its two locations in late March. "The health benefits of smoke-free facilities are well-documented, ranging from improved air quality to a significant reduction in exposure to secondhand smoke, which can cause serious health risks," the post read. "This initiative reflects Ojibwa Casinos' dedication to the well-being of all who visit or work at the properties." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here's what to know. What Upper Peninsula casinos are going smoke-free? Ojibwa Casinos, in Baraga and Marquette, are operated by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. They will go smoke-free March 24, the Facebook post said. Indoor smoking and vaping will be banned at all casino venues, including the restaurants and hotel. "This change applies to the entirety of Ojibwa Casino Baraga and Marquette, including Superior Eats, the Pressbox, and the Baraga Hotel," the post said. "By creating a smoke free environment, Ojibwa Casino aims to ensure that guests and employees can enjoy clean air and a welcoming atmosphere throughout their visit. More: Major retailers are cutting back. Here are chains closing stores in Michigan Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This decision underscores our commitment to providing a healthier, more comfortable environment for all guests and team members," Ojibwa Casinos said in the post. Where else are Michigan's smoke-free casinos? Smoking is already banned indoors at more than 10 Michigan tribal and commercial casinos: More: Will Michigan Walgreens be affected by company buyout? What we know about the sale Where can you smoke indoors at Michigan casinos? Some Michigan casinos allow indoor smoking on their properties. Check with the casinos for their policies, as smoking may be limited to designated areas: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What does Michigan law say about smoking inside businesses? Beginning May 1, 2010, Michigan law forbid smoking in most public places in Michigan. The law covers any workplace and any food service establishment. Some locations are exempt from the law: Cigar bars, tobacco specialty retail stores, and the gaming floors of casinos may be granted exemptions from Public Act No. 188 of 2009, as amended. Only the gaming areas of Detroits three casinos are exempted from Public Act No. 188 of 2009, as amended. State law does not govern Native American land, so smoking may be allowed at tribal casinos. Why doesn't state smoking law apply to Native American casinos? Federally recognized tribes have inherent rights and a political relationship with the U.S. government that do not derive from race or ethnicity, the National Library of Medicine said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement American Indians/Alaska Natives are members of 566 federally recognized sovereign tribal nations that have sovereign status and that establish their own civil laws and are not subject to the tax, licensing, and smokefree laws of the states where they are located, according to the article. Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Where to find smoke-free, smoking-friendly casinos in Michigan POOLER, Ga. (WSAV) Two people were injured after a crash involving a Pooler Police officer responding to a traffic crash, officials said Tuesday. Georgia State Patrol (GSP) troopers responded to a crash on Pine Barren Road at its intersection with Long Leaf Circle Tuesday afternoon. According to a GSP spokesperson, the officer was responding to a traffic crash with their emergency equipment activated and was trying to pass a car when the car attempted to make a left turn. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The police vehicle struck the car, a gold Mercury Marquis, on the driver side. Both occupants of the Marquis had to be extricated and were transported to the hospital unconscious, the GSP spokesperson told WSAV. The Pooler Police officer was not injured. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (WPRI) Two machetes and various other objects were seized from the car of a Massachusetts man arrested last month as part of a drug investigation in Middletown. Prosecutors said on Feb. 27, undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents arranged to meet with 39-year-old Justin Deprospo in a parking lot on West Main Road to buy methamphetamine. As they moved in to make the arrest, Deprospo rammed his car into other vehicles in the lot and hit one of the agents, according to police. The agent was pinned between Deprospos vehicle and another car. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The officers opened fire on Deprospos car as he fled the area, which ended in a crash on Ridgewood Road. He was then taken into custody. BACKGROUND: 2 drug suspects ordered held after officer-involved shooting in Middletown After officers obtained a search warrant, they found two machetes, two throwing stars, marijuana, and four phones in Deprospos car, among other items. He was arraigned on assault and drug charges and ordered held without bail. He is due back in court this month. Court records show Deprospo also faces a dozen felony charges out of Portsmouth, most of which involve drug possession. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His girlfriend, Melanie Higgins, 35, was also arrested and charged by Middletown police. According to prosecutors, Higgins was dropped off at a gas station in front of the shopping plaza before she was scheduled to meet with undercover agents for an alleged drug sale. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) Police in Waterbury are investigating an incident at Wallace Middle School where two Muslim students were allegedly assaulted because of their religion. Farhan Memon, the chairman of the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, has been in touch with the family. He told News 8 the twin sisters were in gym class when they were hit by two other seventh-grade students. One sister had a bloody nose and bruises. The other was cut with something sharp. 6 arrested in North Haven street takeover Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre scared to go back to school, said Memon. They havent been to school in over a week. I think part of that is because they dont know whats going to happen if they do go back, after all, they were beaten at school, a place where theyre supposed to be safe. The Juvenile Division Criminal Investigations Bureau within the Waterbury Police Department is looking into this incident. They said that a 12-year-old girl was determined to have initiated the altercation. As a result, the school resource officer sent her to a youth diversionary program as an alternative to arrest. Additionally, the school has initiated disciplinary action against the 12-year-old and 11-year-old girls involved in the incident. Memon said the school needs to implement a student safety support plan to protect these kids. He adds that the perpetrators should be held accountable under the districts Discipline & Student Conduct Policy. Its unacceptable for children to go to school and feel unsafe and be targeted because of their religion or their ethnicity, he said. At the same time I will tell you that we get a call from a parent in Connecticut every day about their Muslim child being bullied at school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the school district said they cant discuss a students disciplinary action to anyone other than the students family. Vincent Balsam, the principal of Wallace Middle School, sent an email about the incident to parents on Friday. It said in part: We take incidents of this nature very seriously, and any actions that target individuals will not be tolerated. The email also said there will be student assemblies at school about respect, inclusivity and kindness. Albert Selamni, a parent of a Wallace Middle School student, believes the incident is concerning. Its very sad and I cant believe people would do that, he said. Im a little petrified about it. Its hard because Im Muslim myself. I dont mind saying it, its what you love to do, its what your beliefs are. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Waterbury Mayor Paul K. Pernerewski, jr. said: I am very concerned about the allegations concerning the part religion may have played in this incident. I have therefore met with Chief of Police Fred Spagnolo and Interim Superintendent of Schools Darren Schwartz to be sure that they are taking all necessary steps to fully understand what occurred. I am confident that they are proceeding appropriately. We remain committed to assuring that our schools continue to be safe places for our all our students to learn and thrive. Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said: The Waterbury Police Department takes these claims very seriously and is conducting a thorough investigation in partnership with the City of Waterbury Education Department. Our goal is to ensure that every student feels safe at school and that the school remains a welcoming environment, respectful of all beliefs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. By Georgina McCartney and Arathy Somasekhar HOUSTON (Reuters) - Market upheaval from U.S. President Donald Trump's protectionist trade policies has not dampened foreign investment interest in the U.S. energy industry, executives said this week, as they lauded his promise to cut regulations and support fossil fuels. Trump has made energy dominance a pillar of his administration, declaring a national energy emergency on his first day of office and pulling the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement. He has urged energy companies to boost fossil fuel production and promised to bring down prices for consumers. The U.S. oil and gas industry, which has focused on returning capital to shareholders and reined in exploration and investment, has broadly welcomed Trump's pro-energy stance, even though lower prices typically hurt company bottom lines. The foreign companies did not yet commit a dollar amount to new investment in the United States. Oil prices hit a three-year low in early March. On Monday global Brent crude futures settled under $70 a barrel as investors worried a trade war would slow economic growth. Foreign energy companies see opportunity in America's vast natural resources and Trump's pro-energy policies. Their interest follows years of slower U.S. spending as investors pushed companies to focus on returns rather than explosive growth. United Arab Emirates energy company ADNOC on Tuesday said it intended to make significant investments in the coming months in the U.S. through its fully-owned international investment arm XRG, which has about $80 billion in assets and is considering options for an initial public offering. "Investing in the United States through XRG is not a priority; it's an absolute imperative," ADNOC CEO Sultan Al Jaber said on Tuesday. He said those investments would include the natural gas supply chain. The UAE is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Australian oil and gas producer Santos also said it planned to increase its investment in the U.S., citing the Trump administration's pro-energy policies. That could include further capital toward its Pikka oil project in Alaska. Last year, Australian company Woodside Energy acquired U.S. liquefied natural gas company Tellurian and plans to make a final investment decision on an LNG export project in Louisiana this year. The company also recently acquired an ammonia plant in Beaumont, Texas. Santos on Sunday evening attended a dinner with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and executives from other major oil and gas firms. Wright promised to speed up permitting and support the industry. AUSTIN (KXAN) The Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation (TDLR) said it helped prevent more than $5.2 million in potential losses to victims after an operation in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. According to TDLR, two Romanian citizens were arrested Saturday after law enforcement officers uncovered a fully operational credit card skimmer factory inside the suspects residence after executing a search warrant. TDLR said the suspects, who were identified as Petruta Camelia Ciuperca, 34, and Alexandru Constantin, 34, were actively constructing and assembling skimming devices designed to attach to ATMs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities seized hundreds of altered credit cards containing stolen victim information, approximately $16,000 in cash and tools and equipment used to manufacture skimming devices, TDLR said. Both Ciuperca and Constantin were booked into the Dallas County jail Saturday. Jail records showed Ciuperca was charged with: Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity Fraud Poss/Use Credit Or Debit Card =>50 Poss Cs Pg 1/1-B <1g Unl Inter/Use/Disc Wire/Oral Elec Communicate Fraud-Inprsnate Obtn Cdt M According to jail records, Constantin was charged with: Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity Fraud Poss/Use Credit Or Debit Card =>50 Poss Cs Pg 1/1-B <1g Unl Inter/Use/Disc Wire/Oral Elec Communicate Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ciuperca was held on a bond of $120,000, and Constantin was held on a bond of $76,500. According to jail records, the two were living in the U.S. illegally. TDLR said authorities were still seeking an unnamed third suspect. This case highlights the critical importance of collaboration among law enforcement agencies in combating financial crimes, said Special Agent Jerry Alvarez of the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center. Our joint efforts have significantly disrupted an organization that posed a severe threat to individuals and businesses in Texas. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Two Southern Californians are among three people charged by the United States Department of Justice with trying to defraud FEMA in the wake of the Eaton and Palisades fires. Tyrone D. Barnes Jr., 38, of Paramount, and Hedeshia Robertson, 36, of Lakewood, were arrested Tuesday, the DOJ said in a news release. The third alleged fraudster, Joyce Turner, 55, of Rosharon, Texas, was arrested Friday. Barnes submitted a disaster relief claim to FEMA for an Altadena property owned by other individuals who did not know Barnes, the DOJ said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The true owners of the property contacted FEMA about potential assistance, which is when they learned another person had already submitted an application in relation to their property, the release added. Robertson is accused of seeking benefits related to a damaged residence in the Pacific Palisades that she did not own, did not rent, and in which she did not reside or work, resulting in her obtaining just short of $25,000 in FEMA benefits. The Texan Turner tried a similar scheme, prosecutors said, submitting an application claiming her home had been destroyed in the Eaton fire, but she appears never to have lived in California and in fact had no connection to the address she claimed was destroyed in the fire. Instead, she allegedly forged a lease making it look like she lived there, and she received more than $25,000 from FEMA because of the fraudulent submissions, the release said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This also isnt Turners first time being accused of similar frauds. Turner submitted at least ten other applications to FEMA for disaster relief (so eleven total) related to seven other federally declared disasters, e.g., Hurricane Katrina (2005), Hurricane Ike (2008), Hurricane Isaac (2012), Hurricane Harvey (2017), and Hurricane Beryl (2024), and otherwise has a criminal history showing previous arrests and convictions for fraud offenses, prosecutors said. The three face charges of fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency, which carries a prison term of up to 30 years, and making a false, fictitious or fraudulent claim against the United States, which can result in a prison sentence of up to five years. Criminals will seize every opportunity to defraud the government, even at the expense of those who have lost everything, said Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles Acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco. We strongly urge the public to report any suspicious activity related to disaster relief claims to the HSI Los Angeles El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force and our law enforcement partners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) Its been five years since the world was changed forever. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spread rapidly, taking millions of lives globally and forcing many more into lockdown. Schools and jobs went remote, medical facilities became overwhelmed and normal life was put on pause. Illinois Fire Service Institute offering active shooter course in Champaign Five years from when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic, researchers have a better understanding of the virus but know theres still more work to be done to understand its long-term effects and lingering social impact. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chris Brooke, University of Illinois microbiology associate professor, said the world hadnt seen anything like COVID-19 in a long time. We hadnt seen anything like this since the 1918 flu pandemic, Brooke said. He and other scientists said it wasnt a matter of if, only when, something like that would strike again. 2020 was kind of the worst-case scenario for many of us, said Becky Smith, U of I epidemiology associate professor and health innovation professor. We knew that it was likely, and it could happen, but we thought we would have a better way to control it. As scientists like Brooke and Smith worked furiously to understand the virus, people around the world went online instead of into their offices and used masks covered familiar faces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The plan was basically to address it as an upper respiratory infection similar to other strains of coronavirus of the influenza virus, said Awais Vaid, U of I McKinley Health Center executive director. But very soon, we found out that this was not similar to anything we had seen. The WHO said millions have died around the world. However, science has come a long way from the initial shock of the virus ability to spread and mutate. Downtown Champaign hotel sold to Dallas-based hospitality group We started knowing virtually nothing about this pathogen, and at this point, we know more about it than almost any other virus, Brooke said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, researchers are still left worrying about the pandemics social implications. When politics and science interact with each other, nobody wins, Vaid said. Some researchers said the misinformation that stemmed from the pandemic made it harder for their findings to be accepted. I think we need people to be a lot more cautious about what science theyre taking in, Smith said. As the vaccine has been administered and cases have gone down, theres still a lot that remains unknown about the virus. We still dont understand how this virus was able to evolve so quickly, Brooke said. I dont think any of us were expecting this onslaught of variant, after variant, after variant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement COVID-19s long-term effects, seasonality and impact on certain organs are still largely unknown. Those questions and more will only be understood with time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) Hundreds of people have donated to help the family of a New York City woman found dead in a suitcase. Pamela Alcantara, 26, was reported missing on March 2 and her body was found a few days later, loved ones said. Now, her family is trying to bring her body back to the Dominican Republic to bury her near her younger sister. More Local News Our hearts are heavy with the loss of Pamela, loved ones wrote on a GoFundMe that raised over $12,200. A second GoFundMe raised another $7,340. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 46-year-old Junior Perez Diaz has been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and first-degree kidnapping related to the womans death, police said. Alvantaras family said the man is her ex-boyfriend. Perez Diaz is accused of holding her inside her apartment building for 15 hours before he was seen taking her body out inside a red suitcase, according to an NYPD detective. The suitcase was later found along the Sawmill Parkway, police said. Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. (KRON) A $20,000 reward is being offered for information on a grisly discovery at Doran Regional Park in Bodega Bay on Christmas Day. NOAAs Office of Law Enforcement is investigating after a man was reported to be seen cutting the head off of a California sea lion. The dead sea lion, still intact, was found on Doran Beach by park staff on Dec. 25, 2024. Later that day, NOAA Fisheries said an eyewitness came forward and told law enforcement that they saw a man remove the dead mammals head with a black 8-inch knife and place it in a clear plastic bag before riding away on a black fat tire e-bike. The suspect was described as a tan-complexioned male, approximately 3040 years old, dressed in all black, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reward of up to $20,000 is for information leading to a civil penalty or criminal conviction, NOAA said. Anyone with information is asked to call NOAAs 24/7 enforcement hotline at 800-853-1964. The Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits the harassment, hunting, capturing or killing of marine mammals. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Japanese police investigators work Tuesday near the scene of a fatal stabbing in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo. Kyodo News via AP A 22-year-old social media influencer was killed Tuesday after being stabbed dozens of times while livestreaming in Tokyo. The Tokyo police arrested 42-year-old Kenichi Takano on charges related to the killing of the young influencer, Airi Sato. According to local outlet Kyodo News, the stabbing occurred when Sato was livestreaming on an app called WhoWatch and walking alone about 9:50 a.m. near the JR Takadanobaba Station in Shinjuku Ward. Local reports indicate that the attacker tracked down Sato by looking at her surroundings on her stream. Jiji Press said that Takano learned the day prior that Sato would be in Tokyo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to The New York Times, bystanders heard Sato shouting for help. Around the same time, Satos stream went dark as sirens rang out, prompting her followers to urgently post Where did she go? and Someone help! The New York Times reported that bystanders posted images online of her lying on the ground after the attack. Likewise, local outlets reported that the attacker had also beaten her as she lay on the ground, and appeared to take pictures or video of her. When the authorities arrived, Sato had stab wounds on her face, neck, chest and abdomen, according to local reports. She was then taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Takano was arrested while standing next to Sato. He allegedly had two knives in his possession, a survival knife covered in blood and another in his backpack. He admitted to killing Sato to the police but claimed that he didnt mean to, The New York Times reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The police charged him on suspicion of attempted murder, but Jiji reported that the police intend to up the charge to murder. According to Kyodo News, Takano had been one of Satos followers since 2021 and began giving her money in 2022. Takano told police that he lent Sato the equivalent of $13,500, which she never returned. Kyodo News also reported that Takano and Sato had previously consulted with police outside of Tokyo. While Japan is renowned for having low rates of violence, the stabbing of Sato mirrors another instance in which a 33-year-old female influencer was fatally stabbed by a 26-year-old ex, according to The New York Times. The man was sentenced to 17 years behind bars. Related... The DeKalb County Police Department are investigating a shooting where a man was shot multiple times. Police say at 3:56 p.m., they responded to the area in the 3800 block of English Valley Drive. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] When they arrived, they found a 22-year-old man who had been shot multiple times. The man was taken to the hospital after suffering what police are describing as moderate to serious injuries. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before being taken to the hospital, police say a witness who was a nurse stopped the help the man as he awaited an ambulance. Police say their investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made nor has motive been determined. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] DENVER (KDVR) A man was shot and killed after he met up with the suspect to complete an online marketplace transaction, Aurora police said. The Aurora Police Department said officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 10800 block of East Bethany Drive at about 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday. The area is north of Cherry Creek Reservoir. When officers arrived in the business district, they located an adult male suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The officers performed lifesaving measures before the victim was taken to the hospital with what police called life-threatening injuries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Colorado Boulevard near City Park closed for 3-car crash On Wednesday at around 8:15 a.m., Aurora police provided an update and said the 23-year-old victim died from his injuries at the hospital. He will be identified by the coroner at a later date. Following an initial investigation, Aurora police said the victim went to the area after facilitating a transaction made through an online marketplace. The Major Crime Homicide Unit is now investigating. Detectives are investigating the homicide as an isolated incident and do not believe the shooting is connected to any schools, businesses or places of worship in the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aurora police do not have suspect information at this time, and no arrests have been made. Anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or has information is asked to contact the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) The second man convicted of killing a 24-year-old woman in a drive-by shooting nearly four years ago will spend the rest of his life behind bars, according to R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha. Shawn Mann, 34, has been sentenced to double life in prison, plus 60 years, the first 10 years of which are non-parolable. He was found guilty last year of first-degree murder, assault with intent to commit murder, committing a drive-by shooting, and various firearms offenses for the August 2021 shooting death of Miya Brophy-Baermann. Miya Brophy-Baerman Brophy-Baermann was gunned down while standing next to her parked car on Olney Street with her boyfriend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Manns accomplice, 27-year-old Isaiah Pinkerton, was found guilty of first-degree murder last year and is also serving a double life sentence. Though Miyas loss will forever be deeply felt by her friends and family, I hope they feel a sense of peace knowing that justice has been served for both defendants responsible for this senseless crime, Neronha said in a press release. On Aug. 1, 2021, prosecutors believe the men were driving around Providence looking for revenge after Manns younger brother was shot and killed by a rival gang. Prosecutors said Pinkerton opened fire on the couple, believing Brophy-Baermanns boyfriend was responsible for the death of Manns brother. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It took more than a year for detectives to track down Mann and Pinkerton. Prosecutors said it was a routine traffic stop that broke the case open when officers found a ghost gun wrapped in a bandana near where the suspects were pulled over. Pinkertons DNA was found on the ghost gun, which was eventually connected to Brophy-Baermanns murder. Both Pinkerton and Mann were taken into custody nearly a month later. RELATED: Murder victims mom reacts to suspects conviction Michelle Brophy-Baermann, Miyas mother, is relieved that justice has finally been served for her daughter. There are people who dont ever find out, when their child is killed, who did it. There is no justice, Michelle said. I think were very fortunate in this case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its been a long time since Miya was killed, she added. Its justice. But justice doesnt, as everyone says, bring your child back. Michelle also believes Pinkerton and Mann both got what they deserved. I think their punishments are fair for what they did, she said. Prior to her death, Miya had just graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in speech pathology and started a job in her field. Her parents created a scholarship fund in her name, which provides financial assistance to traditionally under-represented students studying communicative disorders. ALSO READ: 2 students receive scholarships in murder victims memory Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. Uncertainty about the global economy and Trump's tariff plans have triggered a sell-off in the US stock market. And with this volatility in markets, strategists at BNP Paribas expect gold to be a beneficiary amid what it calls "Trump tariff chaos and geopolitical shifts." In a note to clients on Wednesday, BNP senior commodity strategist David Wilson said the firm expects gold prices to breach $3,000 per ounce for the first time and ultimately reach $3,100 in the coming months. "The Trump administration issuing a slew of tariff threats and the realigning of international relationships have added a new layer of macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, providing a significant boost to gold," Wilson wrote in a note on Wednesday. BNP's strategists raised their average 2025 forecast average by 8%, with prices expected to push above $3,100 per ounce during the second quarter of 2025, noting tariff fears have "dramatically" tightened the physical gold market. On Wednesday, gold futures (GC=F) rose above $2,940 per ounce as US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from all countries took effect. Canada and the EU have responded with reciprocal tariffs. "Physical tightness due to the surge in demand for moving gold into the US ahead of tariffs, a pick-up in central bank buying and an acceleration in physically-backed ETF gold demand have been key YTD gold price supportive factors, and we expect this to continue through 2025," Wilson wrote. However, Wilson forecasts that in the second half of 2025, "the gold market will price in or normalize" Trump-driven trade risks. The strategist argues that without an ongoing escalation in trade tensions, gold prices will struggle to maintain further upside momentum in the second half of the year. Gold futures have rallied more than 10% year to date, hitting multiple record highs since January. Wall Street has attributed much of these gains to continued central bank buying and tariff uncertainty, including the possibility that even imports of the precious metal into the US won't be spared. Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet Institutional investors have shipped elevated amounts of physical gold bars to vaults in New York in a move to front-run tariffs and take advantage of a price disparity between London and New York. Last month, Goldman Sachs analysts raised their year-end gold price forecast to $3,100 per ounce, up from their prior projection of $2,890. Over the past year, the safe-haven asset has handily outperformed the US stock market, with the price of an ounce of gold rising more than 35% while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) has gained just over 8% in that period. FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) Florence police arrested a second suspect Wednesday in connection with a deadly 2024 shooting at a hookah lounge on Second Loop Road. Nathaniel Gurley is charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in connection with the Sept. 14, 2024, incident at the Absoleum lounge, police said. He is being held at the Florence County Detention Center pending a bond hearing. Robert Fields of Florence died in the shooting, which happened at about 2 a.m. When officers arrived, police said witnesses were trying to help Fields. The officers began to assist until EMS arrived and took Fields to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities arrested Trevor Johnson in February. He is facing the same charges as Gurley and remains in jail without bond, according to online jail records. Trevor Terrell Johnson Florence County Detention Center This concludes our investigation into this case and no further suspects are sought at this time, police said Wednesday in a news release. We appreciate the community support we received, which helped bring resolution to this incident. We are also thankful to the family of Mr. Fields for their patience as we investigated this matter. No additional details about the incident were available from police. * * * Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) Three of the four people arrested last month in an abuse investigation involving the Maranatha Christian School in Florence County asked a judge Wednesday morning to amend the conditions of their bonds. Jessica Elmore, the day cares director, is charged with two counts of failing to report child abuse or neglect. Principal Dawn Kirven and Lee Patrick, a pastor at the First Free Will Baptist Church, which operates the school, are charged with failing to report child abuse or neglect and criminal conspiracy. They were all arrested on Feb. 10 and released after posting $6,000 bonds. When their bond was set, the magistrate ordered the three could not go on the campus of the school or church, defense attorney Shipp Daniel told News13. Laurin Boyce Florence County Detention Center On Wednesday, they asked only if they could be allowed to attend church on Sundays and Wednesdays and if Elmore could pick up her three children from campus, according to Daniel, who said Judge William Seals would let them know of his decision by Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fourth suspect, Laurin B. Boyce, 72, of Florence, was also arrested on Feb. 10. She was initially denied bond after appearing in Effingham Magistrate Court in Florence County and again later at a hearing held in Marion County. * * * Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. * * * Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) Three people are without a home after a fire broke out at a townhouse in Sterling on Tuesday night, leaving over $600,000 in damages. According to the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Service (LCFR), just before 7:40 p.m. on March 11, the countys emergency communications center received multiple 911 calls for a reported house fire in the 45800 block of Peach Tree Oak Terrace. Were still in shock: Fredericksburg man surprises wife with $1M Powerball ticket on birthday Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crews from around Northern Virginia and numerous command officers responded to the scene. Upon arriving, they found a heavy fire coming from the front of a middle-of-the-row townhome, and more firefighters were called to provide support. (Courtesy: Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Service via X/@LoudounFire) The fire department said crews knocked down the bulk of the fire, which was contained in the garage, about 10 minutes after arriving. They then moved inside to check for and extinguish any remaining flames. Upon investigating, fire officials determined the fire was accidental and was caused by a mechanical malfunction in the engine compartment of a car parked in the homes garage, according to the LCFR. The blaze left behind about $650,000 in damages; however, no one was injured. The American Red Cross is assisting two adults and one child displaced by the fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. On 12 March, three civilians have been killed and two others injured as a result of Russian attacks on Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad in Donetsk Oblast. Source: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office Quote: "On the morning of 12 March 2025, the residential area of Pokrovsk has been attacked by the army of the aggressor state, where a woman, 50, sustained a shrapnel wound to the head." Details: Later, the Russians bombarded the city again, killing a man aged 38. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Russians also hit Myrnohrad, killing a man aged 39. In addition, another attack on a residential building killed a man, 62, and injured his wife, 61, in the back. The sort of weapon utilised is currently being determined. The prosecutor's office initiated criminal procedures for war crimes under Article 438.1.2 of Ukraine's Criminal Code. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! (KRON) Three Martinez Police Department officers were fired in the wake of a deadly police shooting. Two brothers, Tahmon Wilson and Tommy Wilson, were shot by MPD officers on August 18, 2023, outside Velvet cannabis dispensary at 4808 Sunrise Drive in Martinez. Tahmon died. Tommy survived his gunshot wounds and was taunted by then-Officer Giani Arone at the scene, according to the police chief. Arone told Tommy, Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, according to the chief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, the Martinez Police Department confirmed three officers were terminated, including Arone. MPD also released additional records, police reports, videos, and photos related to the police shooting. The brothers were suspected of attempting to burglarize Velvet, and they triggered a security alarm on August 18, 2023, police said. According to attorneys, the brothers were driving away from the cannabis store when four officers shot Tahmon in the back of his head. Tommy was shot twice in his back by police, attorneys said. Tahmon Wilson (Image courtesy Pointer and Buelna law firm) Martinez Police Chief Andrew White identified the four officers as: Cole Bennett, Marc Kahue, Raul Ceja-Mendez, and Alexander Tirona. Police say the brothers were trying to flee the scene when the sedan crashed into a fire hydrant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MPD wrote, In the days following the August 18, 2023 incident, the Martinez Police Department became aware of alleged misconduct that occurred at the scene, after the shots were fired. Tommy was a passenger in the sedan. Officer Arone, who arrived on scene after the shooting, struck Tommy with his knee while Tommy was handcuffed, police said. Chief White wrote in a letter to Arone, You violated several Martinez Police Department policies during this incident. One of the suspects who had been shot exited the vehicle at the direction of officers and was then handcuffed without resisting. While pulling him, you delivered two or three knee strikes to the suspects head/face area. Force was not justified because the suspect was handcuffed, not resisting, and not disobeying any commands. After Arone learned that Tommy had been shot by officers, Arone taunted the wounded man, telling him, Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, according to the police chief. Taunting a person who had just been shot by police, handcuffed, and victimized by excessive force, was disgraceful conduct, the chief wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officer Arone then agreed to hide two knives for Officer Tirona, one of the officers involved in the shooting. One of the knives is a type that is prohibited to be worn on duty, the chief wrote, and Arone hid the knives for Tirona to conceal them from investigators. Tirona and a second officer in the shooting, Bennett, were booted from the police department for the alleged knife cover-up. Chief White said, It is disappointing that misconduct occurred at the scene of this incident after the shooting and understandably adds a layer of complexity to the officer-involved shooting investigation. Once we learned of the misconduct, we took immediate action, conducting thorough investigations, and ultimately imposing termination as a disciplinary measure. The newly-released records include transcripts of interviews with the four officers who opened fire on the brothers. The four officers are still being investigated by the California Department of Justice. MPD said its waiting for the DOJ to complete its investigation into the officers use of deadly force. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tommy is represented by civil rights attorney Adante Pointer of Pointer and Buelna law firm. Pointer previously told KRON4, There is no reasonable or lawful explanation for the lethal force employed by the four officers involved. State law prohibits using deadly force against a fleeing vehicle that does not pose an immediate threat. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO) Attorneys for three South Dakota murder suspects want their clients to undergo mental health evaluations. Attorneys have filed for a mental health evaluation to be done on John Mitchell, Craig Nichols Jr, and Tyson Christians. The evaluations will look at several things, including whether the suspects understood that what they were doing was wrong at the time of the crime and whether they are capable of standing trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Depending on the results, it could give the suspects the ability to be found not guilty by reason of insanity or guilty but mentally ill. John Mitchell is accused of beating and strangling a Sioux Falls woman last October. The victim Carie Coyle was hospitalized in a coma and later died of her injuries. Mitchells attorney filed the request on Monday, March 10. Attorneys for 32-year-old Craig Nichols Jr. filed paperwork requesting a mental health evaluation last week. The Yankton man is accused of killing 41-year-old Heather Bodden in January and cutting off her head. In the third case, a judge has approved a mental health evaluation for 24-year-old Tyson Christians. Hes charged with murdering of 23 year old Emily Eirinberg last month, and leaving her body in a car outside the Empire Mall in Sioux Falls. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. A 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine may be finalized within "days," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 12. The temporary ceasefire agreement is contingent on whether Russia agrees to halt hostilities. Ukraine agreed to the U.S.'s proposal for a 30-day truce during talks in Jeddah on March 11, after which Washington resumed military and intelligence support for Kyiv. The U.S. is expected to discuss the proposal with Russia in the coming days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Heres what wed like the world to look like in a few days: Neither side is shooting at each other not rockets, not missiles, not bullets, nothing, not artillery" Rubio said in an airport in Ireland when asked about potential discussions regarding Ukraine ceding territory. "The shooting stops, the fighting stops, and the talking starts." Reuters reported on March 12, citing Russian sources, that Russia is unlikely to agree to a temporary truce in Ukraine proposed by the U.S., feeling it has the upper hand on the battlefield and viewing the ceasefire as a trap. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov gave an evasive answer when asked about the U.S. proposal, explaining that the topic must first be discussed with the American side. Any ceasefire agreement would have to take Russia's battlefield advances into account and provide "guarantees" to Moscow, sources told the news agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the past, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top officials have ruled out a temporary ceasefire that would freeze the conflict along the current front lines. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that Russia could face "devastating" financial consequences if it chooses to continue its all-out war against Ukraine. "There are things you can do that wouldn't be pleasant in a financial sense," Trump said. "It would be very bad for Russia. I don't want to do that, because I want to get peace." Russia continues to occupy roughly 20% of Ukraine's territory and made steady advances in Donetsk Oblast in late 2024. While Russia's advance in Ukraine's east has reportedly stalled earlier this year, Moscow's troops seemed to have made rapid gains in Kursk Oblast, the Russian border region where Ukraine has been fighting since August 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Trump said Ukraine is more difficult to deal with than Russia that might be about to change Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A 30-day ceasefire plan agreed upon between the U.S. and Ukraine "is not a frozen conflict" but the "beginning of the path toward a just peace," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on March 11. Kyiv agreed to the temporary ceasefire proposed by Washington during the talks in Jeddah on March 11, provided that Russia abides by it. The talks in Saudi Arabia also led to the U.S. restarting key military and intelligence support for Ukraine. "Ukraine is not an obstacle to peace; it is a partner in restoring it," said Sybiha, who was present at the talks. Ukraine's agreeing to the proposed truce demonstrates "who is really interested in peace," he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The deal is a surprising turnaround for Kyiv. Ukrainian officials have often warned about the dangers of a temporary pause in the fighting, arguing that it will provide Russia with a chance to recover strength and launch further attacks. "The U.S. side will now talk to Russia about its willingness or unwillingness to end the war," Sybiha noted. In the past, Russia has also ruled out a temporary ceasefire that would freeze the conflict along the current front lines. Russian nationalist voices and pro-war bloggers have already spoken out against the U.S.-backed proposal. U.S. President Donald Trump said that Washington would seek to engage Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin this week to discuss the plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It takes two for tango, as I have already said, so I hope he (Putin) will also agree as well, and I really think that would be 75% of the way, the rest is getting it documented," Trump said on March 11. "We will have a big meeting with Russia tomorrow." Read also: Ukraine agrees to 30-day ceasefire if Russia abides by it, Kyiv says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (FOX40.COM) A man accused of orchestrating a burglary at a Northern California Ulta Beauty store was recently arrested, according to the California Highway Patrol. Video above: Sacramento officials discuss implementation of retail theft laws Around 4:25 a.m. on March 5, CHPs retail crime task force responded to a commercial burglary at the Ulta Beauty in Lincoln. There, officers said they arrested a suspect who may be connected to a series of similar retail thefts. Northern California deputies use new law to crack down on retail theft, nearly 200 busts Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Retail theft impacts our communities, but we are committed to holding offenders accountable and working with our allied agencies to keep businesses and residents safe, CHP said. According to CHP, 137 Ulta Beauty items were recovered. Photos from the incident show a trunk full of designer colognes and perfumes such as Gucci, Valentino, YSL, Burberry and more. Police said the total merchandise loss totaled about $24,000. Additionally, there was $10,000 worth of store damage. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40 News. The Army and Navy may soon use alternative methods for building barracks, including 3D printing, in an effort to reduce the financial burden, according to a Defense Department release. Top engineers for the respective services met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to discuss the potential use of 3D printing and mass timber construction as a means of maximizing cost efficiency. Dave Morrow, director of military programs for the Army Corps of Engineers, and Keith Hamilton, chief engineer for Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, spoke with members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group also discussed the use of high-performance cement, geosynthetics, composite materials, tension fabric structures, and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers, according to the release. Boeing begins 3D-printing Apache helicopter parts In an increasingly complex global security environment, our commitment to innovation in military construction is not just about building structures, its about building the resilience and readiness our forces need to prevail, Morrow said. He emphasized the importance of using cutting-edge construction methods to deliver sustainable and cost-effective infrastructure to provide service members with high-end facilities. Morrow said the technologies they seek to implement have already been put to use in several military installations. Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, and Fort Bliss, Texas, have already both used 3D printing, he pointed out, the latter specifically for projects involving barracks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Navy had already employed the use of mass timber, Hamilton said, to build a child development center in Hampton Roads, Virginia. The practice of mass timber construction involves sourcing structural beams that come from smaller lumber. The first Army barracks made using mass timber structural elements was recently completed, according to Hamilton, with another potential mass timber project on the horizon at Mountain Home Air Force Base. Hamilton also cited the use of high-performance concrete to build a F-35 Lighting II hanger at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, as a viable method for future construction. SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) Santa Rosa County Schools Workforce Education Department gave out Career and Professional Education bonus funding to schools across the district, according to a press release. Man sentenced after assaulting woman in Santa Rosa County The Florida CAPE Act gives bonuses to schools when students earn industry certificates. This funding prepares students for both college and the workforce by giving them access to important resources and training. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News 5 has learned the funding goes towards access to new opportunities for students and the improvement of specific programs. The CAPE funding was presented to the following schools in recognition of their achievements in career and technical education and earning their industry certifications: Chumuckla Elementary School $1,999.12 Jay Elementary School $1,865.84 Pea Ridge Elementary School $1,865.84 East Bay K8 School $57,441.31 Wallace Lake K8 School $39,849.08 Avalon Middle School $182,186.24 Gulf Breeze Middle School $172,057.38 Holley Navarre Middle School $164,727.28 Hobbs Middle School $69,436.01 King Middle School $154,598.42 Sims Middle School $159,796.13 Woodlawn Beach Middle School $298,934.70 Central School $93,691.97 Gulf Breeze High School $546,425.45 Jay High School $90,093.56 Milton High School $797,514.61 Navarre High School $663,707.01 Pace High School $444,070.63 Santa Rosa High School $7,996.47 Locklin Technical College $207,908.22 We are extremely proud of the industry certifications our students are earning, said Director of Workforce Education, Charlin Knight. Through these certifications, students are gaining real-world skills that will set them up for success in their future careers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This funding directly supports our programs by providing the tools and training necessary to prepare students for high-demand careers within our local workforce, said Jennifer Hines, Coordinator of Workforce Education. During the 2023-2024 school year, SRC earned a total of $4.1 million in CAPE funding, and county students earned nearly 10,000 industry credentials in biotechnology, information technology, culinary, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and more. For more information on Workforce Education in the county, visit Santa Rosa County Career Pathways website. Walton County Sheriffs Office moves to next phase of investigating wrong organ removal Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To see photos of the bonus check presentations, visit the SRCDAS Facebook. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. (WWLP) A fire Tuesday night in North Adams killed one child and left two others badly injured. Chicopee fire leaves one dead, seven without home Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Spokesperson Jake Wark told 22News that the fire began at a duplex at 11:46 p.m. on West Shaft Road. When firefighters arrived, the two-story house was fully in flames. MAP: 188 West Shaft Road The Berkshire District Attorneys Office states that both sides of the duplex were occupied during the fire. One side of the duplex had one person inside, who was able to leave the house with minor injuries. The other side of the duplex contained a family of five. Four people were able to successfully leave the duplex, while a fifth person was located inside after firefighters arrived. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An adult and a minor received serious injuries, while two other members of the family, an adult and a minor, sustained minor injuries. One four-year-old child died inside the duplex. The identities of those injured and the child have not yet been released. Everyone injured was sent to North Adams Regional Hospital. The two people who received serious injuries were flown to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Credit: Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Credit: Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Credit: Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Credit: Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Mutual aid from Clarksburg and Williamstown was requested to help out the fire. The cause of the fire is being investigated by the North Adams Fire Department, North Adams Police Department, State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshals office, and State Police assigned to the Berkshire District Attorneys office. They are being assisted by the Department of Fire Services Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On behalf of the North Adams Fire Department, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the family that lost a loved one and their home, said North Adams Fire Chief Brent M. Lefebvre. This is a terrible loss for them and our community. A GoFundMe page was set up to help aid the family in rebuilding their lives. Within one day, nearly $75,000 has been donated. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. A man was hurt after a shooting in Dayton Monday night. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] As reported on News Center 7 Daybreak, The shooting was reported in the 600 block of Whitmore Avenue at approximately 10:18 p.m. When officers arrived they found a 43-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound, according to Lt. Eric Sheldon with Dayton Police Department. Police on scene told News Center 7 that a male sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A neighbor said he was coming home when he saw a police presence in his neighborhood. At first, I thought it was an accident, but once I parked my car back to my house and saw that it was around this corner here, so I noticed that there was more going on here. Another neighbor told News Center 7 that he hopes his security cameras can help investigators. I may have security cameras at my home that record everything that links to the authorities in case anything you know affects my home and as well as my family, the neighbor said. We will continue to follow this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] More than 50 school spelling bee champions from across the region meet Friday to compete in the annual Joplin Globe Spelling Bee. The bee will take place at Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School, 3401 Newman Road in Joplin. Katherine Miller, Globe publisher, said: The Globe and its partners understand the importance of encouraging young students to develop crucial literacy skills such as spelling, vocabulary and reading comprehension. The Joplin Globe Spelling Bee has been a rite of passage for so many of us growing up in the area and we are so proud to continue this tradition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Globes Newspaper in Education Department is presenting the event, which is open to the public. It is the Globe's 46th annual spelling bee. Registration starts at 8 a.m. with a practice round scheduled to begin around 8:45 a.m. As the contest is expected to last a few hours, there will be an intermission with refreshments provided for competitors. Students in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades were eligible to compete. Contestants come from the Four-State Area. All participants will receive a school champion trophy. First-, second- and third-place finishers will receive a larger trophy. Clayton Carnahan, an English teacher at Thomas Jefferson, will serve as the spell master this year, providing a variety of challenging words for the contest. Andy Ostmeyer, editor of the Globe; Della Croft, with TAMKO Building Products; and Lisa Brown, with the Joplin Public Library, will be the judges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are so excited to be able to organize this event for our students in Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas, said Daniel Kuhns, circulation director and Newspaper in Education coordinator. The event would not be possible without our sponsor, TAMKO, and support and use of the facilities at Thomas Jefferson. This group of students has worked hard to study and prepare for the spelling bee, and it is incredible to watch the contestants determination and efforts leading up to and during the competition. Auriel Ulibarri, a fifth grader at Joplins Jefferson Elementary School last year, was the 2024 winner after correctly spelling matriarchal and ambrosia. It turns out that educational disruptions are bad for kids. Perhaps you already knew that? In a series of posts in 2020 and 2021, I wrote about the research on past educational disruptions and predicted what they might mean for children going through COVID-19. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter This month marks the fifth anniversary of the pandemic. What have we learned since then? Heres my analysis of what I got right and what I got wrong: Prediction No. 1: Lost learning time will translate into lost learning. As I wrote in 2021, Years and sometimes even decades after a disruption in schooling, researchers are able to detect noticeable differences in student outcomes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement COVIDs effects were so large that they showed up immediately. And they were worse for students who missed more school. For example, a recent international analysis in Nature concluded that, countries with the shortest closures experienced relatively small losses and countries with the longest closures, experienced losses of 9 to 12 months of learning. Here in the States, a team of researchers led by University of Washington economist Dan Goldhaber found that remote instruction was the primary driver of widening achievement gaps. Predictions No. 2 and 3: The losses are likely to be large. Their full extent may not show up immediately, but small losses can grow over time. In 2020 and 2021, I was looking at localized events like an earthquake in Pakistan or teacher strikes in Argentina. Researchers found noticeable negative effects from these events, but there was no modern precedent for the scale and length of the COVID-related disruptions. Related Analysis: What Lasting Academic (and Economic) Effects Could Coronavirus Shutdowns Have on This Generation of Students? Some Alarming Data Points From Research on Previous Disasters Here in the States, the average student fell behind by the equivalent of half a grade level in math and one-third of a grade level in reading. Today, with federal COVID funding ending, student performance is still far below where it was. Prediction No. 4: Learning losses are likely to be larger in younger children. Based on prior research, I anticipated that kids in middle school and high school might transition to remote learning better than their younger siblings. But its hard to know which age group ultimately struggled the most. ACT scores for high schoolers fell to 30-year lows, but so did fourth and eighth grade math and reading scores. Curriculum Associates data point to ongoing gaps among younger kids, while NWEA data suggest middle schoolers are the furthest behind. In other words, theres no biggest loser here; achievement is down across the board. Prediction No. 5: Math scores are likely to drop the most. Math skills are generally picked up at school, while in English Language Arts, proficiency is more closely linked to a students home environment. That shows up in the data: Math scores declined more when students were learning remotely and have shown more signs of recovery since then. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, reading scores have continued to decline. That could partly reflect broader societal trends, but state leaders should be looking toward Mississippi and other Southern states for ideas on how to get those back on track. Prediction No. 6: Beyond academic losses, students are at risk of disconnecting from education. In 1916, schools in many parts of the country closed for weeks in the midst of a polio outbreak. Researchers later found that those shutdowns caused some students to drop out of school and never return. More than a century later, COVID magnified this to an extreme, changing the relationship kids had with school and leading to huge spikes in chronic absenteeism. While those rates have come down a bit from their highs in 2022, I didnt anticipate just how much COVID would break cultural norms around school attendance, and how hard it would be for schools to restore those (good) habits. Prediction No, 7: Higher-income students may not suffer any noticeable effects. I underappreciated how much a districts decisions about in-person versus remote schooling would have on all students. The Goldhaber paper found that, even at low-poverty (high income) schools, students fell behind growth expectations when their schools went remote or hybrid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related Analysis: 10 Lessons from Past Educational Disruptions, and How They Can Help Students Make Up Lost Learning After COVID-19 Still, higher-income and higher-performing students have managed the post-pandemic recovery better than others. For example, in eighth-grade math, the top 10% of students made noticeable gains from 2022 to 2024, while scores continued to fall for lower-performing students. At the high school level, the percentage of students who took and passed an Advanced Placement test dipped in the wake of COVID but has now surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Similarly, the percentage of high school students who are also taking credit-bearing college courses is hitting all-time highs. In other words, even as average achievement scores are down, many more high school students are finding ways to take more advanced courses. However, this leads to Prediction No. 8: Low-income and disadvantaged students will suffer the biggest losses. The virus may have been the same, but it did not affect everyone equally. As I noted last year, all kids missed more school in the wake of the pandemic, but those increases varied substantially. For example, the kids with the best attendance records missed about one extra day of school per year, while the kids with the worst absentee rates missed multiple weeks worth of school time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The same trends appear in achievement scores: The bottom has fallen out across a variety of tests, grades and subjects. Prediction No 9: The COVID-induced recession will affect children, families and schools in many ways. The pandemics effects on students have the potential to be long-lasting. For example, the study of teacher strikes in Argentina found that the children of strike-affected students were more likely than their peers to be held back in school. That is, the effects passed on to later generations. But beyond the students themselves, no one could have anticipated all the downstream effects of the COVID school closures. They are at least part of the story behind public school enrollment declines, families moving away from blue states and urban areas, and declining satisfaction with the nations public schools, not to mention broader political realignments. Prediction No. 10: Without any action, the losses are likely to have long-term consequences. To its credit, Congress provided states and school districts with $190 billion in 2020 and 2021. As hard as it is to fathom, the best research suggests it would take a lot more money to get kids fully back on track. The achievement declines were that large. The money is now gone, and the national conversation has moved on. But Im struck by what I wrote a few years ago: that if policymakers dont act to get kids back on track, they will be, condemning a generation of children to worse academic and economic outcomes throughout their life. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Masking up. Distance learning. Social distancing. No one could have predicted the profound changes that followed the World Health Organizations declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic five years ago Tuesday. Dozens of essential care workers and advocates gathered outside the State House to remember Rhode Islands nearly 4,500 victims of the pandemic and address the ongoing challenges their field still faces. A year-long investigation by The Guardian and Kaiser Health News found that 3,607 U.S. healthcare workers died while fighting COVID-19 on the frontlines in the first year of the pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dawn Williams, a registered nurse at Butler Hospital, emphasized the resilience and dedication of local health care workers, despite the immense surge in mental health issues, compounded by the fear and isolation brought on by COVID-19. We were hailed as heroes in the darkest days of the pandemic, Williams said. We provided critical support to patients grappling with anxiety, depression, and other mental health crises, often at great personal cost. A union representing thousands of New England health care workers is calling for increased resources and state funding to support frontline staff who risked their lives in the pandemics early days. These health care workers, these essential workers, they got out of their house, they went to work, they cared for us in the worst of moments, Jesse Martin, executive vice president of SEIU 1999 New England, said. We cant abandon them now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On March 1, 2020, former Gov. Gina Raimondo announced the states first confirmed case of the virus. Just over a week later, Raimondo declared a state of emergency, saying it was necessary to put more tools in our toolbox to take the necessary steps. RELATED: 5 years since first COVID-19 case announced in RI March 9, 2020 Former Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo declares a state of emergency COVID-19 was declared a national emergency on March 13, 2020, following the WHOs global pandemic announcement. Distance learning in Rhode Island began on March 23, 2020, and five days later, a stay-at-home order was issued. To prevent the spread of the virus and slow the curve, social distancing measures were put in place and masking policies introduced. In December 2020, the first COVID-19 vaccines were developed and made available to the public, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several events and public establishments, including schools, restaurants, and workplaces, required proof of vaccination for entry. Since September 2021, vaccine booster shots have been offered, with the CDC advising everyone to stay up to date with the yearly dose. Although the pandemic may feel like a distant memory for some, and many of these practices are no longer enforced, its effects remain fresh for others. Rhode Islanders say the changes have left a lasting impact. Healthcare workers rally at RI State House on five-year anniversary of WHO declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic The change in the young people who had to miss the social contact, Providence resident Maryann Daley said. I think thats really profoundly changed our culture and Im really sad about that. North Providence resident John Samuel said he still struggles with the idea of working from home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont meet a lot of people. I mean, we cant even see each other, who were working with. Especially for me, I prefer going to work, Samuel said. Scott Rivkees, who specializes in pandemic preparedness and response at Brown University, previously served as the state surgeon general and secretary of health in Florida at the start of the pandemic. The nation, really, was gripped with fear at this time, Rivkees reflected. He said COVID-19 is now a campaign issue, as people seem to have forgotten the pandemics devastating effectsincluding the death toll. Its almost as though its a forgotten pandemic, Rivkees said. We forget what we went through during those early times to keep people safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In total, nearly 4,500 Rhode Islanders and almost one million Americans lost their lives to the virus. While COVID-19 is no longer as widespread, it continues to affect the U.S., with 22 deaths reported in the first two months of 2025. AHEAD: Flu activity now highest in 15 years Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) Cash rewards are being offered for information leading to the arrest of ten suspects wanted for various crimes in Abilene. Police are seeking these suspects for the following offenses: Savion Azel Guerrero Aggravated Assault Kody Stone Child Endangerment Tony Watkins Burglary of Habitation Eugene Zapata Aggravated Assault w/Deadly Weapon Juan Peralta Fuentes Burglary of Habitation Ashely Nicole Brooks Evading Arrest, Unlawful Carrying of Weapon, Unlawful Possession of Weapon by Felon Keighvoucia Lamb Aggravated Assault x3, False Report Jose Luis Cardona Impersonating Public Servant, Aggravated Assault Cynthia Shadden Aggravated Robbery Ivonyai Cashaun Lamb (FEATURED FUGITIVE) Aggravated Assault Ashley Nicole Brooks Cynthia Shadden Eugene Zapata Jose Luis Cardona Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Juan Peralta Fuentes Keighvoucia Lamb Kody Stone Savion Azel Guerro Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tony Watkins Ivonyai Cashaun Lamb CrimeStoppers is offering $500 cash rewards for information that leads to the capture any of the suspects, and a $1000 cash reward for information that leads to the capture of the featured fugitive. Cash rewards will only be given if the information is received during the week their mugshots are aired on Abilenes Wanted Criminals. Abilenes Wanted Criminals is a police-run social media segment that will highlight wanted suspects from around the City each week. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Most Americans have a negative opinion of tech billionaire Elon Musk and question his qualifications as the key White House adviser works to overhaul the federal government, according to a new poll. The CNN/SSRS survey, published Wednesday, found about 38 percent of respondents believe Musk, who has emerged as a key ally for President Trump, has the experience and judgement to make changes to the way government works. On the opposite side, 62 percent of respondents said Musk lacks the experience needed for the role, and 61 percent doubt the Tesla CEOs judgment, including 28 percent who agree that changes in the federal government are needed, according to the poll. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump originally tapped Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which seeks to weed out government waste, fraud and abuse. DOGE has since taken on new leadership, according to the administration, but is still supported by his guidance. DOGEs controversial moves thus far have included mass firings of federal workers, the shuttering of foreign aid programs and funding freezes, among other sweeping actions. When it comes to approval, just 35 percent of those surveyed said they have a favorable opinion of Musk, compared to 53 percent who said the opposite. Another 11 percent said they had no opinion, the survey found. The negative marks spanned most age, gender and race demographics, except white respondents without college degrees, who were split evenly on the question, the data shows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musk, who was born in South Africa, has often appeared at Trumps side at the White House, including during a recent Cabinet meeting and an Oval Office event with reporters. Hes also frequented Mar-a-Lago, the presidents private home and resort in Palm Beach, Fla. Trump remarked on the political rise of Musk, who was a major backer of his 2024 campaign, during his victory speech in November. We have a new star, Trump said. A star is born Elon! But, as the latest poll indicates, the public largely hasnt shared that vision. Musk, who owns six businesses including Tesla, SpaceX and the social platform X said during a Fox Business interview on Monday that hes maintaining his business interests with great difficulty amid the White House spotlight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump announced plans over the weekend to personally buy a Tesla vehicle as a show of support for Musks companies amid political blowback over the billionaires role in the administrations dramatic government overhaul. This man has devoted his energy and his life to doing this, and I think he has been treated unfairly, Trump told reporters while standing next to Musk and a row of Tesla vehicles parked outside the White House, including a bright red Model S Plaid sport sedan that Trump picked to purchase. Protesters have vandalized Tesla automobiles, and the companys stock has plummeted suffering its largest drop in more than four years on Monday. Musk, who had largely shied away from the political world in the past, endorsed Trumps reelection bid in July after the president survived an apparent assassination attempt at a campaign rally. He said last month that while the shooting sped up his support, he was going to do it anyway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The New York Times, citing anonymous sources in the administration, reported Tuesday that Musk plans to contribute $100 million to groups aligned with Trumps political operation. The latest CNN poll surveyed 1,206 U.S. adults from March 6-9, and it has a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Six Americans who were imprisoned in Kuwait have been released in an agreement with the United States, a representative for their families confirmed to ABC News. The Americans, many of whom are veterans and former military contractors, were convicted on drug charges, Jonathan Franks, a crisis management consultant, said. For years, however, the prisoners have "vigorously" maintained their innocence, Franks said. PHOTO: Six Americans who were imprisoned in Kuwait have been released in an agreement with the United States. (Jonathan Franks) MORE: 2 Americans freed from Afghanistan in prisoner swap, family and Taliban say Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several more prisoners are expected to be freed in the coming weeks as part of the agreement, Franks added. "This morning, the Kuwaiti government released six of my clients as part of an agreement that will ultimately free fifteen of my clients in short order. Each was convicted on drug charges, and each vigorously maintains their innocence," Franks said. Convictions for possession of drugs in Kuwait may include long jail sentences or the death penalty, according to an advisory by the U.S. State Department. MORE: Journalist, American among 3 prisoners freed from Belarus ABC News has reached out to the State Department for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the U.S. Embassy of Kuwait website, American citizens are subject to Kuwait's laws and regulations. Those laws can "differ significantly from those in the United States," and the U.S. government may only be able to offer limited assistance to those charged, the website says. Kuwait is a small Middle Eastern country borders Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The prisoners' release comes amid President Donald Trump's emphasis on freeing Americans held abroad. In February, three prisoners, including an unnamed American and a journalist dubbed a political prisoner, were released from Belarus. 6 American prisoners in Kuwait released, land back in US, representative says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com By Daniel Leussink YOKOHAMA, Japan (Reuters) -Nissan on Tuesday named Ivan Espinosa its next chief executive, tapping the two-decade company veteran with deep product experience to revive a once-storied brand now tarnished by years of scandal, management turmoil and faltering sales. The appointment of 46-year-old Espinosa, a Mexican national and Nissan's chief planning officer, ends weeks of speculation over who would succeed Makoto Uchida at the head of Japan's third-largest carmaker. He will start his post on April 1. Espinosa first joined Nissan in Mexico in 2003 and has also held positions in Southeast Asia and Europe. Uchida had come under increasing pressure to step down following Nissan's worsening earnings and the collapse this year of merger talks with Honda, sources have said. It was not clear whether Espinosa's appointment, part of a broader shake-up of Nissan's top management, would put the merger talks back on the table or open the possibility of investment from another partner. The automaker has been badly hurt in key markets such as China, where fast-rising local players like BYD have gobbled up its market share, and in the United States, where its ageing line-up is long overdue for an overhaul. "He's a very passionate product guy," said Christopher Richter, Japan auto analyst at brokerage CLSA. "I think it sends a good signal that Nissan wants to give product a higher priority because the Nissan brand has been drifting for a long time and not really standing for that much." COMPANY VETERAN Espinosa has experience in product planning and development and has managed Nissan's global product strategy and portfolio. He has been in his current role since April 2024, a job he took up as part of a shake-up aimed at accelerating the pivot to electric vehicles. After Nissan's announcement of the appointment, Espinosa said he was still digesting the news. "We can unlock a lot of possibilities," he said, declining to comment on the possibility of restarting talks with Honda. The nomination committee had narrowed down the possible candidates to a handful of people, and thought Espinosa was the most suitable as CEO, Nissan chairman Yasushi Kimura said. Other senior Nissan executives who are stepping down from their positions include Hideyuki Sakamoto, who oversees manufacturing and supply chain management, and chief technology officer Kunio Nakaguro, Nissan said in a statement. The company has been beset by years of faltering sales and management turmoil, never fully recovering from a hit to its brand following the 2018 ouster of former chairman Carlos Ghosn, who was accused by Tokyo prosecutors of financial misconduct. Mar. 12All six of Maine's active federal judges have recused themselves from a Republican state lawmaker's lawsuit against the speaker of the House. Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, and six of her constituents filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Bangor on Tuesday in response to Libby's party-line censure by the Legislature last month. Democrats argued Libby crossed a line by including photos of a transgender high school athlete as part of her criticism of Maine's policy of allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls sports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an unusual move, Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker issued a statement Wednesday night explaining that the recusals occurred because a court employee has a connection to the case. Libby's lawsuit against Democratic Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau and House clerk Robert Hunt has now been assigned to U.S. District Judge Melissa R. DuBose of Rhode Island, who will be assisted by Magistrate Patricia Sullivan of Rhode Island. The case will still be heard in Maine, according to an order Walker issued Wednesday morning. "The recusal of all the judges on this court gives rise to an 'emergency,'" Walker wrote, citing a federal law over judges. Maine has an agreement with New Hampshire and Rhode Island that allows the courts to send and receive cases when judges aren't locally available. Walker noted that the court typically avoids commenting on its orders, but cited "circumstances unique to this case" in the written statement he issued just before 7 p.m. Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Judges of the District of Maine independently concluded that they are compelled by the Code of Conduct for United States Judges to recuse themselves because an employee of the District of Maine is involved in or directly impacted by the controversy underlying this litigation," he said. Under federal law, judges have a broad ability to remove themselves from any case where there could be a potential conflict. They're obligated to step away from a case if they have a personal bias against a party, have personal knowledge of disputed facts, were an attorney for the matter in controversy, have a financial interest in a controversy, or have a spouse involved in a case. Judges are not required, however, to offer any insight into their decision. They have the option to suggest there is a potential conflict and give the parties a chance to decide for themselves if a judge can be impartial. They can also explain why they might choose not to recuse themselves, if challenged to do so. The decision to recuse by Maine's entire active federal bench who have been nominated under both Democratic and Republican administrations is unusual. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A RARE OCCURRENCE "It's rare but not rarer than you would think," said Professor Carl Tobias from the University of Richmond School of Law, who follows judicial happenings around the country. He said this is more common in places with a smaller number of judges and that's why there is a legal process in place to bring in judges from other states. Dmitry Bam, a professor at the University of Maine School of Law, said Wednesday that he has never seen the entire court make such a move. He has seen instances in Maine and other states where more than one judge will move to recuse themselves from cases where they have a financial interest (like those involving waterfront property), but never a full court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The typical case would be a financial conflict ... or some are political," said Tobias. "The way this dispute is described, it seems like it just may be too hot to handle for the Maine judges. They may just know too many people and feel like it's very political, and it's something they don't want to be involved in even if they don't (recuse themselves from) taking on any other controversial cases." Recusals can help judges avoid a perception of bias, Bam said. But even though there's no obligation to disclose their reason for recusals, he said the lack of clarity might be problematic for the people involved in the case, future judges weighing similar issues and the public. "I think, just kind of from the public perception, I don't know is it going to create public confidence that these judges are so cautious that they all stepped aside? Or does it kind of go the other way, where the public might have skepticism?" Bam said. Libby and her attorney, Patrick Strawbridge, were not aware Tuesday, after the first set of judges had recused themselves, what their reasoning was. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This many recusals are quite unusual, but because none of the judges have specified the reason they are refusing, I am unable to provide any insight or comment on it," Strawbridge said before Walker released his statement Wednesday night. A spokesperson for Fecteau declined to talk about the recusals. He has until April 1 to file a response to Libby's complaint with the court. The Office of the Maine Attorney General, which is defending Fecteau, said it does not comment on pending litigation. Staff Writers Rachel Ohm and Daniel Kool contributed to this report. Copy the Story Link FACTORYVILLE, WYOMING COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) A local borough council president has reached new heights. Soaring through the Pennsylvania skies at 80 years old, faith and community are what keep this woman grounded. Meet this weeks Remarkable Woman. They always said I was a daredevil anyway, 82-year-old Gerrie Carey said. 82-year-old Gerrie Carey jumped, quite literally, at the opportunity to go skydiving with her granddaughter Lauren Berry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And she went first. I cant tell you how insane it was to see your grandmother float down from the sky like the true angel that she is, Lauren said. Sporting a costume just days before Halloween 2024, the video captured Gerrie free-falling before her skydiving partner opened their parachute. I just felt like God was right on my shoulders. I had no fears, nothing, Gerrie added. Shes an enigma. I promise if youve met Gerrie Carey, youve never met a woman quite like her. Shes one of a kind, Lauren explained. 28/22 News sat down with the adventurous Lackawanna County woman to learn more about her leap of faith. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wilkes-Barre Woman dedicates life to early childhood education I was born and raised in Clarks Summit. So, this is definitely where my roots are, Gerrie stated. Rows of accolades hang by the fireplace in the Carey household. Pictures with Pennsylvania governors, awards, and proclamations for her work over the years as a democratic woman, and numerous photos from her time on Clarks Summit Borough Council, a seat shes held for 27 years. Im over at the borough quite a bit because there are checks to be signed and papers, Gerrie continued. Gerrie Carey was the first Democrat elected to the Clarks Summit Borough and elected the first female President for the borough in 2008. Gerrie says she felt moved to run for council after her home was destroyed by a fire in 1997. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The town all came to us. I want to be able to give back to the town now. Over the years, Gerrie has been a staple in Clarks Summit, working to help keep the downtown thriving. We have a lot of events pulling people into Clarks Summit, our ice festival, and so on, Gerrie stated. She proposed the boroughs Hometown Hero banners to honor local veterans and maintains an open-door policy for all borough residents. Nominate a Remarkable Woman today! They know that they can call me day or night, and I would go to bat for whatever their needs are, and Ive proved that to them, Gerrie explained. In her free time, Gerrie wears multiple hats: a eucharistic minister, attends Rotary Club meetings, volunteers at the firehouse, is a member of the Society of Irish Women, named Honorary Grand Marshal of the Saint Patricks Parade in 2007, the list goes on and on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shes always on the move; she never stops, she dedicates her whole entire life to other people, Lauren said. Most recently, shes been named board president of the Clarks Summit State Hospital. Thats an organization that we are working with the governor on to get more effective buildings there filled with maybe drug & alcohol or a womens resource center type thing, Gerrie said. Its just fantastic to even walk around with her and realize the impact shes made on the community. I always feel like Im walking around with a celebrity, Lauren added. But topping Gerries priorities are faith and family; blessed with five grandchildren she loves to keep up with. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They said to me, Sister, how did you like it up in heaven? And I said, Saint Peter said you have 25 more years on Earth, so Im back,' Gerrie explained. Gerrie Carey is a Remarkable Woman. Each week, as part of Womens History Month, 28/22 News will highlight another Remarkable Woman in your community. 28/22 News will announce this years winner on April 1. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. Ukraine says it is ready to accept a temporary ceasefire with Russia. Also, the House passed a bill to avert a government shutdown and now the Senate will vote on it. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joins Ana Cabrera to weigh in on both. ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) Just over a year ago, BigCountryHomepage spoke with Jack Kaikratoke, owner of the China Star restaurant on South 1st Street, about the massive amounts of debris piling up just along the edge of his property line. Unhoused residents camping in the nearby wooded area of Elm Creek and passing under the South 1st Street overpass left debris there. Following a large-scale clean-up project by the city, Kaikratoke says some things have improved, but not enough to keep the issue from returning. Needles all kinds of stuff: Abilene restaurant owner overwhelmed by trash from growing homeless camp Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They dont come camping here no moreThe major one is under the bridgeMy business has dropped big time Once a week, I have to come and clean this, Kaikratoke said as he patrolled the property line with a bucket and garbage grabber in hand. The citys clean-up efforts have dramatically transformed the wooded area near his parking lot. He says homeless residents returned to the area underneath the South 1st Street overpass bridge almost immediately or, if not returned, continued to tell others about the spot. The old ones that you see are gone, and the new ones come replace itIt just. It seems like an issue that we cannot solve, said Kaikratoke. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His repeated encounters with unwelcome campers continue to be an issue for his business and safety. A couple of weeks ago, he installed motion-activated exterior lights and is now considering a security camera system. Kaikratoke says he has called the city and police on multiple occasions. Still, the campers continue to return, unwilling to pick up after themselves and, at times, becoming aggressive or even racist towards him, a Thai man who has owned and operated his restaurant in Abilene for about 40 years. They know where my property line is, so they stay just outside, so I cannot do anything about it. I ask them nicely, Please can you leave? But if they dont leave, theyll be aggressive. They say, Well, Im not on your property. Some of them even say, You should go back to where you came from. I dont know what we can do but the city and whoevers in charge, Kaikratoke shared. The clean-up efforts on Elm Creek were part of a larger project by the city to clear out known encampments around town. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement GALLERY: Homeless camp cleanup efforts have cost City of Abilene $100,000 The Abilene City Council will discuss the Abilene Homeless Initiative at their next meeting on March 13 at 8:30 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. ST. LOUIS A man suspected of robbing a Commerce Bank branch last weekend turned himself in after being identified by a family member. According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Departments probable cause statement, officers responded to the Commerce Bank in the 6300 block of Chippewa Street around 10:20 a.m. on Saturday, March 8. Police learned a man walked into the bank, handed the teller a demand note and threatened to shoot the teller if they didnt comply. The teller acquiesced and the robber left the bank with $2,000 in cash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After reviewing surveillance footage and speaking with witnesses, investigators described the suspect as a man with short hair, wearing a grey jacket, jeans, and carrying a black backpack. Police later identified the suspect as Billy E. Washington, 29. 18-year-old charged for racist graffiti in Affton School District During the course of the investigation, a member of Washingtons family went to police and reported the robbery. Washington later surrendered and admitted to robbing the bank, police said. He told investigators he spent the money at a Target store and a local mall. The St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office charged Washington with first-degree robbery. Washington remains jailed without bond. No future court dates were found in online records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to police, Washington was on bond for multiple pending felonies, including a first-degree sodomy case in Perry County and stealing over $750 in St. Louis City. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Three advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against UNC-Chapel Hill on Tuesday, alleging the university violated pro-Palestinian protesters rights to free speech and due process when it banned the demonstrators from campus in connection to their involvement with a multi-day tent encampment last spring. The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, Emancipate NC and Muslim Advocates filed the complaint on behalf of five plaintiffs: Laila Dames, a student at Duke University; Emily Rogers, a professor at Duke; Kathryn Newman, an alumna of Meredith College; and Mathangi Mohanarajah and Anshu Shah, both UNC students. All of the plaintiffs participated in the Gaza solidarity encampment that stood on Polk Place, in the center of the UNC campus, for four days last April. Over multiple weeks last spring, pro-Palestinian demonstrators established similar encampments on college campuses around the country in protest of the Israel-Hamas war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the morning of April 30, police from UNC and other campuses in the public UNC System forcibly disbanded the encampment and charged 36 protesters with trespassing plus additional charges, in some cases after the group refused to comply with orders from police and university administrators to remove their tents. In ordering the group to disperse, a statement from UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts and provost Chris Clemens warned that those who did not comply could face possible arrest, or suspension or expulsion from the university. Dames, Rogers and Newman, who were not UNC students, were all arrested and cited with second-degree trespassing as police disbanded the encampment. Although their charges have been dropped, the lawsuit states, they each remain banned from campus. Mohanarajah, who was on a leave of absence from her studies at UNC at the time of the encampment, did not face charges for her role in the encampment, but was suspended from UNC without a hearing and remains banned from campus for her involvement, per the lawsuit. Shah did not face charges, nor disciplinary action, for his participation in the protest, but has been hesitant to exercise his First Amendment rights since police disbanded the gathering, the lawsuit states. Roberts and several other UNC administrators, including UNC Police Chief Brian James, Dean of Students Desiree Rieckenberg and Vice Chancellor Amy Johnson, are named as defendants. Several police officers who arrested protesters, including those at UNC and one with the Greensboro Police Department, are also listed as defendants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, ACLU of North Carolina staff attorney Ivy Johnson said that administrators actions against the plaintiffs run counter to the missions of higher education and the deep-rooted protections of the First Amendment. The right to protest and speak freely is a fundamental pillar of our democracy and is especially important on university campuses, which often serve as social, cultural, and community gathering spaces for members of the public, Johnson said. Universities are and must be testing grounds for sharing, challenging, and defending the ideas that help shape a healthier democracy. Spokespeople for UNC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Plaintiffs not afforded hearings, due process The suit states that the plaintiffs who were not affiliated with UNC, either as students or faculty, were all indefinitely banned from campus without an opportunity to be heard, which the suit claims is a violation of the right to due process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Similarly, Mohanarajah did not receive a hearing or any form of process regarding her suspension, the suit states, which is contrary to university policy on disciplinary proceedings. The suit also states that a university notice informing Mohanarajah of her suspension cited a trespass charge against Mohanarajah as the reason for the disciplinary action, even though she was not given a citation. In letters informing the plaintiffs of their bans from campus, the lawsuit states, they were notified of a 10-day appeal process that provided them their only opportunity to be heard and challenge the decisions. James, the university police chief who issued the bans and holds the sole authority over the appeals process, upheld the bans for Dames, Rogers and Newman, with the only exception for their coming to campus being if they are seeking medical treatment at the emergency department of UNC Hospitals. The university lifted Mohanarajahs suspension in October, the suit states, but she remains partially banned from campus. Under the terms of a partial ban approved by James in December, Mohanarajah can come to campus as necessary but is required to get permission from James for campus-based activities, including classes, on a case-by-case basis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit outlines personal and professional impacts that the plaintiffs have experienced as a result of being banned from campus. For example, Rogers, the Duke professor, has been unable to attend academic speaking engagements she has been invited to on the UNC campus because of the ban, the lawsuit states. Were she not banned from campus, Plaintiff Rogers would attend and speak at multiple professional obligations and opportunities and would also continue to participate in First Amendment protected activities, such as protesting and gathering with fellow activists in the open, outdoor spaces of UNC Chapel Hills campus, the suit reads. Mohanarajah, meanwhile, has been unable to seek medical treatment at UNC Health facilities or obtain prescriptions on campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit further alleges that James oversight and maintenance of the bans amounts to unconstitutional censorship. Suit claims excessive force The suit also details injuries that some of the plaintiffs sustained during their arrests, which the advocacy organizations said was a violation of the right to be free from excessive force by law enforcement. Rogers, who uses a cane to mitigate a mobility disability, suffered torn cartilage during her arrest that later required physical therapy, the suit states. Dames sustained bruising and lacerations to her wrists during her arrest, while Newman suffered a concussion, the suit states. Compared to several previous protests throughout UNCs history, the suit claims, protesters who were arrested from the pro-Palestinian encampment faced a far more hostile reaction from campus administrators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suit notes that the Chapel Hill and Carrboro police departments did not assist UNC in its disbanding of the encampment, which the suit claims was due to concerns over the legality of the universitys actions. Despite Carrboro and Chapel Hill police emphatically rejecting UNCs request, police departments all over the State, including as far away Boone, eagerly showed up to engage in violent, excessive force against individuals who were peaceful and committing no crime, EmancipateNC staff attorney Jaelyn Miller said in a statement. UNC has been criticized for its treatment of Palestinian protesters and students, as well as that of Jewish students with separate investigations by the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights currently open into complaints alleging that the university engaged in shared ancestry discrimination against both groups. On Monday, the Office of Civil Rights sent a letter to UNC System President Peter Hans regarding the open investigation into whether the university is violating Jewish students rights. The letter, one of 60 sent to colleges around the country with similar open investigations, warned that the universitys federal funding could be in jeopardy if it allows illegal activities and harassment that result in Jewish students losing equal access to school facilities. One day ahead of a court hearing for Mahmoud Khalil -- the Palestinian activist who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the campus of Columbia University, despite possessing a green card -- his wife and attorney both released statements shedding more light on Khalil's detainment and the days leading up to it. Khalil's wife, who is eight months pregnant, issued a statement speaking of the outpouring of love she has received and the urgent need for him to be home in time for their baby's birth. PHOTO: Demonstrators hold placards during a protest following the arrest by U.S. immigration agents of Palestinian student protester Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia University, at Foley Square in New York City, March 10, 2025. (Jeenah Moon/Reuters) In it, she said that Khalil "begged" Columbia University for legal support one day before his arrest, explaining that he was fearful that ICE might target him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khalil allegedly sent an email to the university urging them to intervene, his wife said. "I haven't been able to sleep, fearing that ICE or a dangerous individual might come to my home. I urgently need legal support and I urge you to intervene," he reportedly said in his email. His wife claimed that the university never responded. MORE: 14 House members demand release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil after arrest at Columbia ABC News reached out to Columbia for comment and has not independently reviewed the reported emails. Khalil's wife also said in her statement that a "doxxing" campaign began targeting her husband about six days ago and anti-Palestinian groups were also spreading "false claims" about him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She recalled the moment she was also threatened with arrest when she refused to leave her husband with the agents, claiming that the couple was never shown a warrant. "I was born and raised in the Midwest. My parents came here from Syria, carrying their stories of the oppressive regime there that made life unlivable. They believed living in the US would bring a sense of safety and stability. But here I am, 40 years after my parents immigrated here, and just weeks before I'm due to give birth to our first child, and I feel more unsafe and unstable than I have in my entire life," her statement said. The Trump administration said it detained Khalil, who was a leader of the encampment protests on Columbia's campus, alleging he was a supporter of Hamas. Baher Azmy, one of the lawyers representing Khalil, called his client's alleged alignment with Hamas "false and preposterous." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a joint letter filed in court and obtained by ABC News, the government and Khalil's attorneys conferred on Monday but were unable to agree on how to proceed. Khalil's side asked the court to first decide a pending motion to compel the government to return him to New York; the government indicated that it intends to move to dismiss or transfer the case for improper venue and is asking the court to address that first. "For everyone reading this, I urge you to see Mahmoud through my eyes as a loving husband and the future father to our baby. I need your help to bring Mahmoud home, so he is here beside me, holding my hand in the delivery room as we welcome our first child into this world. Please release Mahmoud Now," the statement from Khalil's wife concluded. PHOTO: Student negotiator Mahmoud Khalil is on the Columbia University campus in New York at a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on April 29, 2024. (Ted Shaffrey/AP) Attorney Amy E. Greer said she spoke with Khalil on Tuesday and that he is "healthy and his spirits are undaunted by his predicament." "He also greatly appreciates, and, typically for him, is moved by the extraordinarily broad and steadfast support he has received from a variety of communities that understand what is at stake," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greer also hinted that some of the administration's comments about Khalil, including President Donald Trump's social media posts, may be used by his legal team to argue for his release. MORE: Judge blocks removal of Palestinian activist who was detained at Columbia University "The remarks by government officials, including the President, on social media only confirm the purpose and illegality of Mahmoud's detention. He was chosen as an example to stifle entirely lawful dissent in violation of the First Amendment. While tomorrow or thereafter the government may cite the law or process, that toothpaste is out of the tube and irreversibly so. The government's objective is as transparent as it is unlawful, and our role as Mahmoud's lawyers is to ensure it does not prevail," Greer said. The court has scheduled a hearing on the habeas petition on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khalil's team will be asking the court to order the government to return him to New York to while the legal battle plays out. Khalil is currently being held in Louisiana -- a move that Greer claimed is a "blatantly improper but familiar tactic designed to frustrate the New York federal court's jurisdiction." Activist Mahmoud Khalil asked Columbia University for legal support day before ICE arrest, his wife says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) An Addis woman was arrested and charged in connection with a major crash that left one dead in April 2024. Khira Marionneaux, 41, was booked into jail on March 11 and charged with negligent homicide, maximum speed law and reckless operation of a vehicle. An affidavit states that East Baton Rouge Parish deputies were called to an area near ONeal Lane and Centurion Avenue about a major crash on April 26, 2024. Before the deputies arrived, emergency medical services reportedly took two female drivers to a local hospital. Deputies were notified shortly after that an elderly woman died of her injuries at the hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the investigation, detectives learned Marionneaux was headed north on ONeal Lane in a 2021 Hyundai at high speeds when her vehicle struck another vehicle in the roadway. A search warrant of the Hyundais airbag control module showed Marionneaux was traveling at 92 mph in a posted 45 mph zone at least five seconds before the crash. Upon braking, Marionneauxs vehicle still struck the victims vehicle at 70 mph. Jail records show a bond amount of $25,000 was set. Latest News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. BALTIMORE A Baltimore judge is scheduled to formally re-sentence Adnan Syed on Friday, just over a week after ruling he should not serve any more prison time in connection with the 1999 killing of Hae Min Lee. The official end to the Serial subjects life prison sentence which included a slew of appeals and his 2022 release from prison will be issued via Zoom. Circuit Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer already decided last week that she would reduce Syeds sentence to time served, plus five years of supervised probation. Schiffer made her ruling under the Juvenile Restoration Act, which allows people convicted of crimes that occurred before they turned 18 to ask a judge to reduce their sentence. During an emotional hearing the week before, Syeds attorney called several witnesses testifying to the 44-year-olds character since his arrest in 1999. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Syed still stands convicted of first-degree murder and other offenses for the death of Lee, his high school girlfriend who was found dead in Leakin Park in 1999. He has been out of prison since 2022, when Baltimore prosecutors moved to vacate his conviction though the Maryland Supreme Court reinstated his conviction, and new Baltimore States Attorney Ivan Bates, who believes Syed is guilty, said he wont try again. _____ An etf.com poll finds that market volatility isn't turning investors sour on the markets. Instead, it's inspiring them to buy ETFs. Just over 50% of readers polled said market volatility makes them "more likely" to invest in ETFs, compared to just 9% that said they would be less likely. etf.com poll results of buying ETFs Source: etf.com poll Investors Stay the Course A large number39%said that the market's down days aren't impacting their decision to buy, suggesting that many investors are staying the course in their portfolios. Current market volatility could prove a buying opportunity. Legendary investor Warren Buffettthe Oracle of Omahaonce famously said to get greedy when others are fearful. The ProShares VIX Short-Term Futures ETF (VIXY) has jumped more than 16% over the past month as broad market funds have remained under pressure. VIXY tracks the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), also known as the market's "fear gauge." SPY's Very Bad Week Last week, the S&P 500 had its worst trading week since September. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) dropped more than 3% from the prior Friday. Investors pulled $3.8 billion from the fund during that same time. Over the past month, the fund's performance has dipped by more than 4% as trade war fatigue and the back-and-forth on tariffs have caused markets to whipsaw. Despite poll respondents showing that they're more interested in investing in ETFs during market turbulence, fund flows data show that investors at scale haven't yet followed suit. Total market flows for last week totaled just $11.7 billion, according to etf.com data. The numbers are a large step down from the week prior when investors poured $49.6 billion into ETFs. While investors added more than $4.5 billion to equity ETFs last week, fixed-income ETFs raked in nearly $7.8 billion as uncertainty in the markets caused investors to turn away from risk. The iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) pulled in the most out of any fund on Friday, bringing in just over $1 billion. Permalink | Copyright 2025 etf.com. All rights reserved WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) Advocates in the Muslim community joined parents Wednesday in Waterbury to speak out against an alleged assault on two Muslim middle school students. Two 13-year-old Wallace Middle School students were assaulted by fellow students for their religion, according to the family. 2 Muslim students allegedly assaulted at Wallace Middle School The Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) held a news conference Wednesday afternoon. Farham Memon, the chairman of CAIR was joined by State Rep. Geraldo Reyes, members of the Waterbury Human Rights Commission and Muslim parents and students. Memon said the school district and city should do more to address Islamophobia in schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Punishment is warranted in this circumstance, he said. We cannot have a school system that allows kids to be bullied and beaten up at school, especially at a time now when there is rampant Islamophobia happening around the country. Memon said the girls were bullied for two weeks leading up the assault. The family believes they were targeted for being Arab and Muslim. I cant call it anything other than a hate crime, State Rep. Geraldo Reyes Jr., (D) 75th district said. And people just picking on people just because theyre different. The school district says the students accused of assault were disciplined at the highest level and will no longer be at the school. The 12-year-old who started the fight was referred to a youth diversionary program instead of arrest, according to police. Memon said the students should be charged with a hate crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They had formed an intent to say were different from you and were going to hurt you, he said. The school is implementing a safety plan for the students when they return to school. West Hartford school paraprofessional charged with sexual assault Fahd Syed, a parent and chair of the citys Human Rights Commission, said Islamophobia is a problem in the schools. I did have my older daughter who did have her hijab ripped off before also along with her cousin, he said. Both of them were students at Crosby High School. So this is not an isolated incident. He worries his daughter Sumaya, a sixth grader at Wallace Middle School, will be bullied for wearing a hijab. She started wearing it when Ramadan started. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This happened to my generation after 9/11, now its happening to my childs generation, said Syed. One day and its going to happen to my kids kids generation. This needs to stop. Memon proposed a training for teachers and students, so this doesnt happen again. He also mentioned that the city should create an Islamophobia taskforce to prevent bullying. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Advocates gathered at the Rhode Island State House Tuesday afternoon to urge lawmakers to pass legislation that would require correctional officers to be equipped with body-worn cameras. The Stop Torture Rhode Island Coalition is pushing for the legislation in the name of transparency. We would like to hold our correctional officers accountable for their actions and have more transparency for us out here in the community, Brandon Robinson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RELATED: Families demand answers after recent ACI inmate deaths The legislation, also known as the Willie Washington Jr. Act, would also require administrators and staff to be equipped with body-worn cameras as well. Washington Jr. passed away last year while serving a five-year sentence for drug trafficking. Hes no longer here with us, Robinson said. He was a bright young man. Washington Jr. was found unresponsive in his cell and was rushed to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. His mother believes the ACI didnt take her sons flu-like symptoms seriously. Its neglect, Leigh Jones previously told 12 News, adding that her son was a perfectly healthy 25-year-old. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation states that footage from the body-worn cameras would remain accessible for a minimum of 60 days. If an incident occurs, the footage would be reviewed and investigated by an oversight committee. While some are pushing for the legislation to move forward, others are not so sure. Richard Feruccio, president of the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers, told 12 News the body-worn cameras arent needed since there are already hundreds of cameras throughout their six facilities. The only place there arent cameras is in minimum security, he added. Its the cost, Feruccio said. Its going to be a significant amount of money. Were hurting right now as a state and department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The public will soon be able to testify for and against the legislation in front of the R.I. House and Senate Judiciary Committees, though a date has not been set yet. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) Albuquerque Fire Rescue crews have put out nearly 1,000 outside fires since the beginning of the year, which have threatened nearby homes and businesses. Now, the Albuquerque Police Department is helping hold fire starters accountable. The city calls it a proactive tac plan where APD and AFR both respond as firefighters put out the flames, police are now increasingly citing the people who sparked the fire. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zero tolerance is what Albuquerque police officers and fire fighters have for the growing number of outdoor fires theyre seeing in 2025. Theyre now two months into a new plan, teaming APD with AFR crews with the hope of cracking down on dangerous fires. Theres an enforcement element because it is illegal to have burning on sidewalks and parking lots and all those places that were finding those fires, said Fire Chief Emily Jaramillo, AFR. AFR has now seen 900 outside fires since January 1. When crews arrive on scene, APD is there to address anyone who might have a history but also to issue misdemeanor citations for improper handling of a fire. Talking to our firefighters, they feel safer on the nights APD is out, said Jaramillo. Along with police, AFR said its often calling Albuquerque Community Safety to fire scenes to offer other help for the homeless living outside in the cold months. Theres the human element that these are people that are trying to stay warm and need to get to shelter, so its really a complicated issue, said Jaramillo. While there is an increased citation component to the outdoor fire tac plan, Fire Chief Jaramillo said its for a good reason. Were really trying to keep the community safe as a whole, whether were talking about the people at encampments that are lighting the fires, but also our businesses or residents that are suffering from some of the consequences when those fires are unattended, said Jaramillo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Albuquerque police couldnt tell KRQE News 13 exactly how many people theyve cited as part of this tac plan, but they gave us an example saying on one night across five different scenes they cited 11 people for improper fire handling. Those citations can lead to a $500 fine or up to six months in jail. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. If youre a wild turkey in Brookline, police are watching your moves very closely. Police on Wednesday morning issued a public warning about aggressive turkeys during mating season, after one of the wild fowls chased a parking enforcement officer into a building and then began pecking on the glass door. The harrowing chase happened at around 8:30 a.m. Police received reports about several aggressive turkeys spotted along Babcock Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An animal control officer responded to the scene to assist. Brookline residents should be aware that wild turkey mating season is currently underway, and some turkeys may display aggressive behavior, police said in a Facebook post shortly before 10:30 a.m. Police offered the following tips about aggressive turkeys, and their behaviors during mating season: During mating season (typically March through May), male turkeys (toms) become territorial and may perceive humans as threats or competitors. They may chase, peck, or attempt to intimidate people entering what they consider their territory. Safety Tips Maintain distance when encountering wild turkeys Never feed wild turkeys, which reinforces bold behavior If approached, appear large by opening your coat or raising your arms Make loud noises to discourage approaching turkeys Use an umbrella as a shield if necessary Keep small children and pets close when in known turkey areas Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone who encounters an unusually aggressive turkey is asked to report it to the Brookline Police Departments Animal Control unit at 617-730-2222, and to include the location, time, and description of the turkeys behavior. This is a temporary seasonal occurrence, police said. Turkey aggression typically subsides after mating season ends. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW An agreed order was entered by London Mayor Randall Weddle in his official capacity in the defamation case brought by resident Elijah Jarvis. The agreed order states that the City of London does not possess any records related to the expunged Laurel Circuit Court Case No. 12-CR-34 for which Jarvis served as a witness. Jarvis had been only 16 at the time. Mayor Weddle, as well as his personal attorney Jeremy Bryant, recently discussed and distributed the documents at a Feb. 27 press conference. The order clarifies that Mayor Weddle did not obtain such records through the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any documents that Randall Weddle may have in his possession regarding that Laurel Circuit Court Case No. 12-CR-34 did not come from the City of London, commented attorney Jeff Mando, who represents the City of London and the mayor in his official capacity. The order comes after Jarvis filed a motion for injunctive relief in Laurel County Circuit Court, requesting a restraining order and temporary injunction against Weddle, Bryant, and the City of London. The motion had been filed Tuesday, March 4. Jarvis recent lawsuit alleges that Weddle and Bryant unlawfully retained and distributed expunged legal records related to an interview with Jarvis when he was a minor. The interview, conducted by the London Police Department, pertains to the aforementioned Case No. 12-CR-34. Doug Phelps, the subject of the case, stated that all related records were ordered to be expunged following the case's dismissal. Under Kentucky law, possessing or distributing expunged records is prohibited. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jarvis argues that Weddle and Bryant sharing the records resulted in defamation, irreparable harm, and violations of state law. Those documents were ordered to be expunged, said Jarvis. It [the motion of injunctive relief] was just to stop them from spreading expunged records. Although this agreed order is in place, Jarvis has reiterated numerous times that he will not back down from the suit. There has yet to be a response to the complaint. Now, weve got the amended complaint we filed and were just waiting for it to be answered by the defendant, said Brandon Voelker, Jarvis attorney. The Sentinel-Echo failed to receive comment from Weddle as of press time Tuesday afternoon. NOTE: This article has been updated to clarify that, according to Doug Phelps, Laurel Circuit Court Case No. 12-CR-34 was dismissed rather than pardoned. AirBaltic CEO Martin Gauss has defended the firms decision to partner with Space Xs Starlink to provide in-flight internet to customers. It madesome controversial headlines because Elon Musk is the owner of that company. But the technology, of course, is outstanding, he told Euronews. Im sure if we look ahead ten years from now, this kind of high-speed internet will be a standard in our industry, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Latvian airline announced in late February that it would equip its Airbus A220-300 fleet with Wi-Fi powered by Starlink, making it the first European airline to integrate the technology. Half of the 50-craft fleet will be equipped during the first six months of the year, while the rest will be upgraded by the end of 2025. While many outlets offered positive coverage of the airBaltic Starlink collaboration, some individuals were unhappy with the decision to partner with billionaire Elon Musk. Musk's actions threaten the very existence of Latvia, one user wrote on X, the social platform owned by Musk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You shouldn't sponsor him. Was looking forward to flying via Riga with Air Baltic, but this ruined the fun, have to rethink, added the user. Another individual claimed that they were boycotting the airline: No support for Musk & Trump during these times. Others were more supportive of the news, with one user stating: Congrats on pushing boundaries of aviation and space tech, huge milestone for airBaltic and SpaceX. A number of airlines outside of Europe have also partnered with Elon Musks Starlink to offer in-flight Wi-Fi. Qatar Airways and Hawaiian Airlines are already offering the service, while US firm United Airlines is currently in the installation process. Musks political activism Musk, who also owns EV firm Tesla, has become more politically active over the last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sales of Tesla vehicles have been dropping recently, a trend which some analysts link to Musks political rhetoric. The South African entrepreneur is notably a supporter of US President Donald Trump, donating at least $288 million (264mn) to help elect the President and other Republican candidates. Related Musk now heads up the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created by Trump to slash state spending. Outside of the US, the entrepreneur has also shown his support for the far-right AfD party in Germany, as well as for the British far-right extremist Tommy Robinson. Robinson is currently in prison in the UK for contempt of court. Support for Ukraine With regards to Russias war in Ukraine, Musk has not always been a defender of the smaller country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Tesla CEO created a Twitter poll in 2022, suggesting that Crimea should be formally recognised as part of Russia. Musk has also acknowledged that he restricted his Starlink satellite service to Ukrainian officials during the same year, thwarting a Ukrainian drone attack. If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation, he wrote on X. Earlier this week, Musk said that Ukraines entire front line would now collapse if he turned the Starlink satellite system off. The EU is now working with major satellite operators to look for alternatives to Starlink, viewing Musk as an unreliable backer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Luxembourgs SES, Spains Hisdesat, Viasat - owner of the UKs Inmarsat - , and Frances Eutelsat/OneWeb told the Financial Times last week that they are in talks with EU officials. AirBaltics investment in Ukraine CEO Martin Gauss told Euronews that airBaltic is a very strong supporter of Ukraine and really committed to investing in the country post conflict. In the Baltic states, we have a very special relationshiptherefore we will really want to help in the early phase of rebuilding Ukraine, he said. Gauss explained that airBaltic has been working with airports in Ukraine, specifically in Kyiv and Lviv, to make sure that they are ready to start operations as soon as it is safe to do so. This could be the same day as a ceasefire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We were the last ones out and we will be the first ones in, he said. But you know, its not about the sport of who is the first. I think lasting support is needed. A number of airlines will be looking to cater to Ukraines post-war travel market, including Ryanair and Wizz Air, as well as local operator Ukraine International Airlines. Gauss said he expects demand to be high, not only from Ukrainians but also from individuals working to rebuild the country. Expectations of an approaching ceasefire in Ukraine are growing as US President Donald Trump pushes for an end to the war. This story has been updated with new information McCallum High School was placed "in a hold" for about an hour on Wednesday afternoon while police investigated a bomb threat on the campus, according to an Austin school district spokesperson and McCallum parents. The hold delayed dismissal until about 4:30 p.m. At 3:27 p.m., parents received a text message saying that students and teachers were being kept inside classrooms while a police K9 unit swept the school grounds. About 15 minutes later, parents were again informed via text message that police were investigating a bomb threat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The Hold has been lifted and we will begin dismissal," a third text message, sent at 4:27 p.m., said. "Thank you for your patience as we thoroughly investigated the threat." This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin ISD: All clear at McCallum High School after bomb threat *Attached video: Fire prevention safety AKRON, Ohio (WJW) A family was displaced from their home after a fire in Akron on Tuesday evening. According to a press release from the Akron Fire Department, crews responded to a report of a house fire around 6:20 p.m. in the 400 block of East Park Boulevard in Goodyear Heights. SEE IT: Truck fire sends smoke across I-480 At the scene, crews arrived to heavy smoke and fire at the back of the home, which extended to the roof and attic. While no one was home during the fire, two adults, a 10-month-old child and two dogs were displaced. The Red Cross was called to assist, according to the release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Four dead, car split into pieces, in crash Crews acted quickly to extinguish the fire, the release said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. ALABAMA (WHNT) A bill in the Alabama House would require students to start their school day by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and then saying a prayer. Alabama House Bill 231 defines the type of prayer as needing to be consistent with Judeo-Christian values. The bills sponsor Rep. Reed Ingram said he believes the U.S. was founded on Christian principles. VBC to host national robotics competition this week Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve got to get back to the basics of who we are in this country, Ingram said. This country was built on God. This country was built on the flag. State lawmakers have taken steps to bring religion into schools before, and Alabama voters have been supportive in the past. In 2018, more than a million people voted to allow the Ten Commandments to be displayed at state-owned properties, including public schools. Rev. Julie Conrady, a minister of the Unitarian Universalist Churches of Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, said Alabama students represent a wide variety of religious values. None of these religious groups have one way to pray, Conrady said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeKalb County murder trial ends in hung jury, mistrial Conrady pointed out that even Christian sects disagree about how best to pray. Conrady also serves as the president of the Interfaith Alliance of Central Alabama. The organization unites leaders from different faiths, supporting religious freedom and democracy. Interfaith Alliance leaders spoke in Montgomery this month, concerned that HB 231 would violate the freedom of religion guaranteed by the First Amendment. Certainly mandating a prayer for students in a captive situation, in a public school setting, is placing legislators, teachers and principals in the place of clergy leaders making the best decisions for their communities, as well as parents getting to make the decision, Conrady said. You know, how and if and when their children pray and learn how to pray. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the bill, a school could lose 25% of its funding from the state if students are not saying the pledge and a prayer. Ingram said he is considering amending the bill, loosening some of the language that would strictly require students to pray. However, he said he believes it is good to expose students to Christian prayer. At least theyll have that option to where they can pray or not pray, Ingram said. Itll help on peoples ethics. It will help on peoples crime. Itll help on patriotism as far as this country. The legislation proposes an amendment to the state constitution, so if it passes the legislature, Alabamians will have the opportunity to vote on it. The bill has passed a House committee, and Ingram said he hopes it will be voted on by the full House soon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's central bank has proposed regulating certain cryptocurrency investments for wealthy individuals, it said on Wednesday, outlining plans for "specially qualified" investors to trade crypto assets. The bank has gradually softened its strong opposition to cryptocurrencies, backing a law last year that allowed businesses to use cryptocurrencies in international trade, part of efforts to skirt Western sanctions imposed against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine. The central bank's proposal states that, under an experimental legal regime, certain investors and companies would be able to take part in a three-year crypto-investing experiment. "This is a new status that ... citizens will receive if their investments in securities and deposits exceed 100 million roubles ($1.15 million) or if their income over the past year was more than 50 million roubles," the bank said in a statement. The bank said the experiment was aimed at increasing transparency of the cryptocurrency market and reminded potential investors of the risks of losing funds when trading crypto. Cryptocurrency will still be banned as a form of payment, the bank said. ($1 = 87.0455 roubles) (Reporting by Elena Fabrichnaya and Alexander Marrow. Editing by Mark Potter) Boone Kinard, executive director of external affairs for the Alabama Community College System, speaks at the monthly board meeting on March 12, 2025, in Montgomery, Alabama. Kinard presented a legislative update to the ACCS Board of Trustees. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama Community College System approved its legislative agenda at its monthly board meeting on Wednesday. With the Legislature almost halfway through the 2025 session, some of ACCS priorities have already made it through both chambers of the Legislature. Boone Kinard, executive director of external affairs, told the board that HB 102, sponsored by Rep. Jeanna Ross, R-Guntersville, passed and is awaiting a signature from Gov. Kay Ivey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every kid in the state, regardless of your zip code, who wants to take advantage of a dual enrollment course, this bill will allow them to do that, Kinard said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The legislation prohibits school districts from preventing students from entering dual enrollment programs, which allow high school students to take college courses for college credit at community colleges and universities. A request for comment from Iveys office was sent Wednesday afternoon. Kinard also highlighted HB 266, sponsored by Rep. Mat Woods, R-Jasper, also known as the Restoring Educational Advancement of Completing High School (REACH) Act. The legislation would create a program for high schoolers that drop out of high school to get their high school diploma from their previous high school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So this bill would expand this program and would allow more students to take advantage of it, Kinard said. It would also require us to work with the State Department of Education to get better data. The bill has passed the House and is awaiting a vote in the Senate. Kinard also said the system requested an amendment for a paid parental leave bill that would include community college educators. SB 199, sponsored by Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, would provide up to eight weeks of maternity leave and two weeks of paternity leave to state employees in most cases. Community college employees were inadvertently left out of the original version of the bill. Weve engaged with the governors office, Kinard said. Weve been able to add an amendment to the bill to add our community college employees to make sure that they can receive this benefit should this bill pass. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The systems agenda also supports the creation of a state lottery to fund scholarships for any Alabama resident to attend a state public, two-year community and technical college. Legislation for a state lottery and gaming failed on the last day of the 2024 session. So far, there have not been any bills filed to create a lottery. The board will meet on April 9 at Jefferson State Community College for its next meeting. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville (left), the chair of the House Ways and Means Education Committee, speaks with Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, the chair of the Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Committee, in the Alabama House of Representatives on May 8, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Garrett sponsors legislation to reduce the grocery tax rate to 2%. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) House Republicans last week filed a bill that would cut the state sales tax on groceries from 3% to 2%. HB 386, sponsored by House Ways and Means Education Committee chair Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, would accelerate a timetable of a 2023 law that cut the tax on staple food items but left further reductions dependent on growth in the Education Trust Fund (ETF), which pays for public education in the state and which gets most of the grocery tax revenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have been consistently reducing taxes since 2015 and 2016, so we are looking for opportunities to always maintain our status as the lowest cost in the country, Garrett said in an interview Tuesday. We were constantly analyzing our situation. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Democrats will propose their own legislation to reduce the state portion of the grocery tax, but the bill has yet to appear on the legislative website. If approved, the state sales tax on groceries would go to 2% on October 1. Local grocery tax levies would not be directly affected by the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move represents something of a change for Garrett. Last September, state budget officials said growth in the ETF was expected to be below the 3.5% required under the 2023 law to cut the state share of the grocery tax. Garrett was reluctant to support additional reductions to the grocery tax because of the potential impact on the ETF. The House education budget chair said Tuesday that there are enough revenues and reserves to accommodate a decrease to the states portion of the grocery tax. We are looking at the revenue projections, our spending, and our reserves, Garrett said. We believe we can adequately fund this tax cut. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, a major advocate of the grocery tax reduction in 2023, said Tuesday he believed the grocery tax cut will be funded in part by allowing an income tax exemption for overtime wages to expire. The law, also passed in 2023, was enacted with a sunset provision for this June. The overtime exemption bill was expected to cost the ETF roughly $34 million. But the law is estimated to have cost more than $230 million and counting. Jones said Tuesday he never got the impression the education budget chairs did not want to cut the grocery tax. My impression was, whenever you have a budget chairman, you want them to be someone who is conservative-minded, and someone who is going to make sure that they are very careful that our budgets are going to sustain whatever cuts we get because those cuts will be in perpetuity, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kirk Fulford, deputy director of the Legislative Services Agency Fiscal Division, said Tuesday the ETF is in great shape because of the Rolling Reserve Act. There is currently a significant difference in what can be spent vs. current ETF revenues, he said. The act has also allowed the balances in reserve funds to increase to protect the ETF, if there is a downturn in the economy that impacts revenues. So, if the spending limitations of the Rolling Reserve Act are maintained, the ETF could absorb some tax cuts. Advocacy groups such as Alabama Arise support the bills that Garrett introduced. We have always continued to beat the drum for cutting the remainder of the grocery tax, but it was a pleasant surprise to see this, said Robyn Hyden, executive director of Alabama Arise. A long-standing tax Alabama has taxed groceries since the state sales tax was introduced in 1939. It is one of 13 states that taxes groceries. Until the 2023 law passed, it was one of only three states that fully taxed food. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The current 3% levy, combined with local taxes, means that Alabamians pay up to 9% of the cost of their groceries on taxes. A family buying $600 worth of groceries each month would, in some cities, pay an additional $54 on top of that. Both liberal and conservative groups have been urging lawmakers to not only reduce the tax but eliminate it altogether. HB 387, also sponsored by Garrett, removes the limit that local municipalities such as cities and counties may reduce the portion of their sales tax on food. The legislation that lawmakers enacted to reduce the states sales tax on food happened in tranches, with the first reduction in September 2023 going from the current 4% rate to 3%. The goal was to eventually reduce the sales tax on food by half, to 2%, by 2024, but lawmakers inserted language into the legislation that the second reduction could only happen if the sales tax revenues that contribute to the Educational Trust Fund increased annually by 3.5%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HB 387 leaves much of the law the same but imposes that additional 1% reduction by the start of the coming fiscal year this fall. The most significant change removes the requirement that the ETF revenues increase by 3.5%. HB 387 eliminates the $0.25 cap for reducing the local grocery tax and the stipulation that their general fund budgets for municipalities need to increase by 2%. A fiscal note estimates that HB 386 would reduce revenues to the ETF budget by almost $122 million and reduce General Fund budget by almost $300,000. The fiscal note from legislation enacted in 2023 estimated a loss of about $152 million to the ETF budget because of the initial rate cut and another $318 million from 2025 on. The bills will go to the full House. Hyden said her group is urging lawmakers for further reductions until the grocery tax is completely eliminated and made permanent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Correction: Article has been updated to correct a quote from Rep. Danny Garrett that was misstated. In his quote Alabama has been reducing taxes not producing taxes. The bills also passed committee and will go to the full House. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE A sperm whale is seen in an undated photo published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (NOAA photo) A federal judge in Juneau has sentenced a Southeast Alaska fisher to six months in federal prison after pleading guilty last year to one count of misreporting a fish catch and one count of violating the Endangered Species Act for directing his crew to kill a sperm whale. Dugan Paul Daniels had previously agreed to the sentence as part of a plea agreement, and Judge Timothy Burgess confirmed the imposition of sentence in a hearing Monday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The six-month sentence was at the top of the sentencing range allowed by the plea deal and in line with what prosecutors had requested. While it isnt clear whether Dugan Paul Daniels crew successfully killed the whale after Daniels ordered them to shoot it, federal law prescribes the same punishment for an attempted kill and an actual one. In addition to the prison sentence, Daniels will pay a $25,000 fine and be banned from commercial fishing for one year. He also must perform 80 hours of community service. According to court filings by prosecutors, Daniels was fishing in Southeast Alaska waters in March 2020 when a whale began taking fish from his fishing gear, damaging it. Similar behavior has been seen up and down Alaskas coast, but prosecutors believe this is the first time that a fisher has tried to kill a whale in retaliation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to messages sent via his GPS unit, Daniels directed a crew member to shoot the whale, tried to ram it with his fishing boat, then tried to kill it by reeling in his fishing gear while the whale was trapped in it. In a written statement about the sentencing, newly appointed Alaska U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman said, Let this sentence serve as an example that these violations will not go unpunished. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) An Alaskan woman has been charged after allegedly hiding a juvenile from being taken into state custody in Monongalia County. On Feb. 5, deputies with the Monongalia County Sheriffs Department were contacted by Child Protective Services about a missing juvenile. According to a criminal complaint, the Department of Health and Human Services had been granted an emergency order to take custody of the juvenile. Laura Jensen Deputies learned that the juvenile had been seen at a hotel on Lawless Road with Laura Jensen, 42, of Anchorage, Alaska. When deputies made contact with Jensen, she stated that the juvenile flew back to Alaska the previous day, deputies said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, deputies were able to gain access to the juveniles TikTok account and learned that the child was actually at a hotel on Grafton Road, according to the complaint. $1 billion in unclaimed tax returns to expire soon: How to claim your money in West Virginia When deputies arrived, they spoke with an individual who stated that Jensen disappeared during the evening; deputies stated that Jensen knew the location of the juvenile and withheld that information. Jensen has been charged with kidnapping and is being held in North Central Regional Jail on $50,000. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. Albania is blocking access to the video platform TikTok for one year from Thursday, Albanian media reported, citing the Authority for Electronic and Postal Communications (AKEP). Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the TikTok ban in December, although he did not specify at the time when it would come into effect. TikTok is owned by the Chinese-based company ByteDance. Rama explained that the ban was based on the assertion that content on TikTok poses a danger to children and young people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Discussion about the potential harmful effects of TikTok emerged in Albania after a 14-year-old pupil was killed in a stabbing incident at the end of last year. The two groups of youths involved had antagonized each other on TikTok and arranged a fight that ultimately turned deadly. The media reports from Wednesday said that the AKEP has instructed all internet service providers in Albania via e-mail to block access to TikTok by Thursday and submit written documentation of their actions to the authority. Internet blocks in a country can generally be circumvented by protected network connections, known as virtual private networks (VPN). VPN tunnels can make it appear as though a user is in a different country. Gzim, an Albanian who saw no future at home, did what thousands before him had done: paid a smuggler, crossed the Channel and checked into a taxpayer-funded hotel. Britain, ever the land of opportunity, had work waiting illegal, lucrative, and just risky enough to be worthwhile. He became a cannabis farmer. In doing so, Gzim (not his real name) provided a public service of sorts: hes not just another migrant but a walking indictment of Britains immigration system. Criminals and the law-abiding alike respond to incentives. And time and again, the British state has rewarded those who game the system while punishing those who abide by the rules. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Britains cannabis trade, now dominated by Albanian gangs, is effectively state-subsidised. Many of its workers skip the hassle of visas and citizenship, are handed free accommodation, and have enough spare time to build criminal careers. With a steady stream of cheap labour, Albanians have displaced the Vietnamese also arriving illegally in droves as Britains main cannabis suppliers. The life-blood of this industry is workers like Gzim. The UK appeals to them because its laws are easy to bend and break. When Gzims cannabis farm was robbed, he briefly tried legal work in construction. But the wages were, in his words, unbearable. So he left. He is not an outlier. Albanian asylum applications have plummeted by 95 percent since their 2022 peak, when nearly 13,000 arrived in small boats. A 2023 cooperation agreement between Britain and Albania combined with stricter enforcement and over 2,600 deportations last year drastically reduced the numbers. Targeted advertisements of journeys ending in disappointment also seems to have deterred others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a rare success in an otherwise bleak record of immigration failures. And it was achieved not through broad-brush policies from Brussels, but through bilateral agreements and the recognition that Albania is a safe country. This makes deportation legally straightforward. The model works. Extend it to Afghan and Pakistani asylum seekers the largest group of arrivals last year and Britain could take a decisive step toward regaining control of its borders. But stopping small boats is only half the battle. The real issue is not just how many arrive, but who they are. Albanian migration was a priority in part because of its disproportionate involvement in organised crime. Newly compiled crime data, published in these pages, reveal that Albanians are the nationality most likely to be arrested in Britain. This is followed by Afghans, Iraqis, Algerians, Congolese, Moroccans and Somalis. The availability of such data long dismissed as politically inconvenient forces a fundamental rethink of our immigration policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Should Britain take a more actuarial approach to migration from high-risk regions? If crime patterns can be predicted with reasonable certainty, then the state has a duty to act rather than forcing the public to bear the cost of its inaction. Of course, the majority of arrivals do not engage in serious criminality. But we should not be blind to broader patterns. Those at higher risk of criminality are also more likely to become lifelong net recipients of welfare and other public services. The economic burden is not an abstract concern it is a tangible cost imposed on taxpayers. Gzims story now advertised in Albania to deter other young men from making the trip should be a wake-up call for Britain, too. Yet human rights laws make it near impossible to deport or reject asylum seekers from countries that are deemed unsafe, often because they are impoverished, while shielding the foreign criminals who make Britain less safe and prosperous from being deported. Britain can no longer afford to subsidise its own destruction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CORRECTION: This article was originally illustrated with a picture of the walled garden on the Hardwick House Estate. We wish to make clear that The Hardwick Estate has no connection with either drug farms or illegal immigrants. We apologise for this error. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. (Photo credit: iStock via Getty Images Plus) This commentary originally appeared in The Conversation. When John Adams became the second president of the United States in 1797, he inherited from George Washington a new experiment in government and a bit of a mess. The countrys two political parties the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans were increasingly hostile to one another, and the young nation was sinking deeper into a foreign policy crisis with its onetime ally France. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adams Federalist Party wanted to fight; the Democratic-Republicans did not. As the situation with France, caused by the seizure of American merchant ships, deteriorated, Adams had to prepare his country for war. In an attempt to silence the Federalists political opponents, he signed the Sedition Act of 1798. The new law attempted to crack down on critical writings about government officials, and it was aimed at Democratic-Republican newspaper editors in particular. Signing the Sedition Act was a reputation-ruining decision. This one act painted Adams as a man who put national security and his reputation above freedom of speech and the press. Yet the real story behind the Sedition Act, which I know from my work as a John Adams and American Revolution scholar, reveals a more complicated calculus. At a time when the current presidential administration is tightening control of the media and even invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 which Adams signed into law alongside the Sedition Act it is important to understand this first attempt to control what kind of news the American people received. Little choice but to sign The Sedition Act made it illegal to write, print, utter or publish any false, scandalous and malicious statements, particularly those that might stir up sedition within the United States, or to excite any unlawful combinations therein, for opposing or resisting any law of the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was one of four laws Congress passed in 1798 in an attempt to solve a perceived threat from the French and their supporters in the U.S. The other three acts affected immigrants, increasing residency requirements for citizenship from five to 14 years and giving the president broad authority to detain or deport aliens deemed dangerous. Collectively, this legislation is known as the Alien and Sedition Acts. The Democratic-Republicans opposed the whole package as unconstitutional, but it was the Sedition Act that tainted Adams reputation. I cant let Adams off the hook for restricting freedom of the press, even temporarily the Sedition Act expired in 1801 but context is important. While drafting the Bill of Rights two decades prior, James Madison and his congressional colleagues could not agree on the exact language for the First Amendment, which guarantees the rights to free speech and a free press. Between 1791, when it was adopted, and Adams signing of the laws in 1798, no court case had put those rights to the test and hashed out its meaning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1798, the question was: Should there be restrictions on these rights, or should the press have free rein to print whatever it wanted? Neither Congress nor Adams knew exactly how to interpret the First Amendment. The Supreme Court would not take up freedom of speech and the press until decades later, in 1821. Reluctant decision in a crisis My research and that of other scholars suggest that Adams was never an advocate of the Sedition Act. He neither asked for the legislation, nor did he lobby for it. I regret not the repeal of the Alien or Sedition Law, which were never favorites with me, he told his son in later life. He never indicated why he made the poor decision to sign the law. But he was acting in a time of crisis, and I suspect he felt he had no choice. The U.S. was preparing for war. The newly built USS Constitution was ready to set sail for the Caribbean to protect American merchant ships from French privateers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sedition Act wouldnt be the last time a fearful U.S. Congress preparing for war would try to silence opposition. In 1918, during World War I, Congress passed and President Woodrow Wilson signed a new Sedition Act that imposed harsh penalties for speech abusing the U.S. government, the flag, the Constitution or the military. Because the Sedition Act was used to silence critical media, historians and free press advocates tend to take a dim view of it. Scholars have described the Alien and Sedition Acts as reprehensible, and many quote Thomas Jefferson, who feared they could mean the end of the republic. I consider these laws as merely an experiment on the American mind to see how far it will bear an avowed violation of the Constitution, wrote Jefferson, who succeeded Adams in 1801. If this goes down, we shall immediately see attempted another act of Congress declaring that the President shall continue in office during life [and] reserving to another occasion the transfer of succession to his heirs, Jefferson concluded. Judges abuse the law Ultimately, 10 people were convicted under the law, most of them Democratic-Republican newspaper editors. They were tried by Federalist judges who made no secret of their political alliances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chief among them was Samuel Chase, who presided over the trial of scandalmongering journalist James T. Callender. Callender was convicted of sedition and jailed in the spring of 1800. During this and other trials, Chase abandoned all pretense of impartiality, openly siding with federal prosecutors. A republican government can only be destroyed in two ways, Chase said during the 1800 sedition trial of writer Thomas Cooper, sounding more like a prosecutor than a judge. The introduction of luxury, or the licentiousness of the press. Yet Chase was George Washingtons appointee. Adams could scarcely interfere with judicial independence, which was already a well-enshrined principle by the late 18th century. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The parameters of free speech, however, were still nebulous and untested. Indeed, seditious libel speech that might undermine respect for the government or public officials had long been outlawed under the English Common Law system, which the U.S. inherited. Unlike British laws around free speech, the Sedition Act allowed truth as a defense. It shall be lawful for the defendant, the law read, to give in evidence in his defence, the truth of the matter contained in publication. In other words, critical press about public officials remained permissible in the U.S., so long as it was accurate. Seen in that light, the Federalists claimed the Sedition Act actually improved upon British Common Law. Mixed record Ultimately, Adams saved the U.S. from what would have been a disastrous war by pursuing peace negotiations with France. The Federalists were furious that Adams, in 1799, had sent a peace mission to France without consulting his party. But he chose peace with France rather than subject the American people to another war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By doing this, he put country above party and sacrificed personal popularity for the common good. Adams other achievements as president include creating the Naval Department and establishing the Library of Congress. And he made tremendous contributions to the independence of the U.S. as a Founding Father. He served in both Continental Congresses, got loans from the Dutch for the war effort and helped to shape the framework of government for the states. The Alien and Sedition Acts were mistakes that Adams lived to regret. Reviving any of them today would be, in my opinion, a worse one. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) An Allegany County man was sentenced Monday for killing his parents in November 2019 in Clarksville, officials confirmed to WIVB News 4. William Larson Jr., who was 17 years old when he killed his mother and father Lisa Larson and William Larson Sr. was sentenced to 20 years with five years of post-release supervision for first-degree manslaughter and 15 years to life in prison on a murder charge. Officials said the sentences will run concurrent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After firefighters responded to a fire on Nov. 21 in the basement at a home in Clarksville, they found his parents bodies. Larson was spotted at the scene and then left on foot. After he was apprehended, Larson said in an interview with police that his father killed his mother and then threw a knife at him. Larson admitted to firing at his father in the driveway of their home. He later claimed he took action after being abused by his parents. Autopsy reports for the parents revealed they were shot and stabbed. Larson originally faced two counts of murder and two counts of manslaughter. He pleaded guilty in October 2022 to first-degree manslaughter in his fathers death and second-degree murder in his mothers death. Latest Local News Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) There are new developments in the case of a now-fired Department of Human Services employee accused of kidnapping a child. The suspect, Xander Faison, is now blaming the whole thing on an alternate personality. Police said the crime started to unfold back in December after Faison took a call at DHS from the babys mother. Former DHS employee arrested for kidnapping child, falsifying documents Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court papers said her alternate personality named Phoenix was worried about the health of the baby. In January, police said Faison showed up at the mothers home and claimed she was a DHS worker. While there, court papers say she gave the mother an emergency custody form, was working on getting a protective order from the childs father, and took the one-year-old baby. The affidavit says the childs mother claimed she was getting updates throughout the weekend, but eventually started becoming concerned that something wasnt right. During interviews, officers learned Faison claimed Phoenix created a fake cell phone number and email to convince her partner a family member wanted them to raise the baby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police also believe she had been planning the alleged kidnapping since January based on fake DHS documents found as evidence. Police also claim this isnt the first time Faison has tried to kidnap a child. Oklahoma Mans Dream Car Turns Into Nightmare exposes lack of enforcement of Oklahomas Lemon Law In 2024, she allegedly posed as a homeless alliance worker and tried to kidnap a different young girl. The Director of Human Services sent the following statement to News 4 in February: This former employees alleged actions are absolutely shameful and violate the core values of our agency. Let me be clearthere is zero tolerance for this kind of misconduct. The safety and well-being of Oklahomas children is our highest priority, and we will act swiftly and decisively to uphold that commitment. While this is an isolated incident, we remain vigilant in ensuring the integrity of our workforce, and any employee who engages in such behavior will be immediately terminated. Jeffrey Cartmell, Director of Human Services Faison no longer works at DHS and is in the Oklahoma County Jail. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. STEYR, Austria - March 11, 2025 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - Steyr Motors AG (ISIN AT0000A3FW25), one of the world's leading companies in the field of customized engines for mission-critical defense and civil applications, has signed a substantial framework agreement with Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH. Strategic partnership for future-proof technology Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH, a subsidiary of Rheinmetall AG, is a leading manufacturer of tactical vehicles and focuses on innovative technologies to increase the performance and efficiency of defence platforms. Steyr Motors AG is contributing its many years of experience and technological expertise in the development of high-performance diesel engines and power generators to this partnership. Cooperation with added value "The cooperation with Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH underlines the innovative strength of both companies and sets new standards in the development of modern military platforms. We at Steyr Motors AG are pleased to be able to contribute our technological capabilities to this pioneering project and to work together with our customer on forward-looking solutions for the defence industry," comments Julian Cassutti, CEO of Steyr Motors. Company profile of Steyr Motors AG Headquartered in Steyr, Austria, Steyr Motors AG is a global leader in the development and production of high-performance customized special engines with high power density and durability. The Company's engines are primarily used for military special vehicles, boats (both military and civilian) and as auxiliary power units ("APU") for main battle tanks and locomotives. In the full year 2024, Steyr Motors generated revenue of EUR 41.7 million and EBIT of EUR 10.1 million. For 2025, Steyr Motors is aiming for a year-on-year increase in revenue of at least 40%, an adjusted EBIT margin of at least 20% and a production volume of more than 1,250 units. For further information, please contact: Steyr Motors AG Investor Relations Phone: +436766222367 E-mail: ir@steyr-motors.com www.steyr-motors.com Press Contact in Germany, Austria, Schweiz CROSS ALLIANCE communication GmbH Susan Hoffmeister Phone: +49 89 125 09 0333 E-mail: sh@crossalliance.de www.crossalliance.de Press Contact in France CLAI Matthieu Meunier Phone: +33 06 26 59 49 05 E-mail: matthieu.meunier@clai2.com Press Contact in UK 14:46 Consulting Tom Sutton Phone: +44 7796 474940 E-mail: tsutton@1446.co.uk CONROE, Texas (KLFY) The suspect in the mass shooting that occurred on Mardi Gras in Mamou is subject to arrest warrants in St. Martin Parish, authorities said. Trealand Tyrell Castille, 19, is awaiting extradition to Evangeline Parish for arraignment on charges in connection with the Mardi Gras shooting. The St. Martin Parish warrants, in connection with a shooting Jan. 7, include six counts of aggravated property damage and six counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, ten counts of attempted second-degree murder and five counts of aggravated assault with a firearm in connection with the Mamou shooting. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Castille was found hiding at an apartment complex in South Montgomery County, Texas and is being held there pending extradition. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Latest news Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. The first vacant lot in Altadena went up for sale in late January. The listing promised "great opportunity to build" after the Eaton fire destroyed the home previously on the site. A few weeks later came half a dozen more listings. Now the floodgates appear open. "There is so many to choose from," said Jeremy Hardy, a real estate agent with Craig Estates & Fine Properties. Two months after fires that tore through Los Angeles County and destroyed or seriously damaged more than 12,000 homes, property owners in Altadena and Pacific Palisades are increasingly selling their burned lots rather than undertake a time-consuming and costly rebuilding process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of Monday morning, there were 49 burned lots for sale in Pacific Palisades, according to Zillow. In Altadena, there were 32. Real estate agents said their clients who chose to sell, or are debating it, are doing so for a variety of reasons. Some doubt they have the money to rebuild. Others are elderly and don't want their last years consumed by construction. A few had owned rental properties and decided keeping them was not worth the hassle. Many if not most of the people interested in buying burned lots have been developers, according to agents. It's perhaps not surprising. Vacant land is typically bought with cash. Construction is time consuming, stressful and expensive in normal times, let alone in a disaster zone with toxic waste. A lot for sale in the 400 block of East Marigold Street in Altadena. (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times) "Building a house is one of the most complex and highly regulated activities you possibly can engage in," said Brock Harris, a Keller Williams real estate agent who had the first burned lot listing in Altadena, which sold to a builder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The developer influx could help communities build back quicker. But it's also raising fears about gentrification and whether longtime owners are getting a fair price. Those concerns are particularly high in middle-class Altadena where residents have proclaimed that "Altadena is not for sale" through signs and rallies. At least eight burned lots have been sold in Altadena, with most selling in the $500,000 to $600,000 range, according to Zillow. Lisa Haussler, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker who lost her Altadena home in the fire, estimates those lots are selling for around two-thirds of what the land would have fetched before the fire. Haussler said that while she understands why people want to sell now, she's recommending they pause at least until the cleanup is further underway and it may be easier to attract higher bids. She said the fact developers are buying shows they believe there's money to be made. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "For our clients, we are really counseling to take a beat and let's see what happens," said Haussler, who plans to rebuild her house. In the years before the fires, Altadena home prices soared, which boosted existing homeowners' wealth but also priced out many people who grew up here. A lot for sale in the 2900 block of Emerson Way in Altadena. (Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times) Research suggests home values could escalate further. Disaster recovery experts say it's usually people of more modest means who hit a wall in the rebuilding process and end up selling their lots to developers and high-income individuals who build pricier homes. In the process, fire victims can see their wealth stripped if they sell too low, especially if they were underinsured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heavenly Hughes, who grew up in Altadena, said that given the nation's income disparities, she has particular concern about the town's long-standing Black community, which was already dwindling because of pre-fire gentrification and saw its homes severely damaged or destroyed at higher rates than other groups during the blaze. "Will we, as a Black community, be wiped out?" said Hughes, who runs the Black-focused mutual aid organization My Tribe Rise. Nicole Lambrou, an urban planning professor at Cal Poly Pomona, studied rebuilding efforts in Paradise, Calif., where the Camp fire destroyed more than 80% of the towns homes in 2018. She and her colleagues from UC Merced and UCLA found that five years after the destruction, incomes, education levels and home prices were all higher. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Everyone was telling us that there is just a new demographic of people moving in, Lambrou said. The process would start with lot sales. Berkshire Hathaway agent Kurt Frejlach said he had about four offers all from developers on a nearly 9,000-square-foot lot that he listed for $625,000. He said his client's mom had moved out of the property before the fires into an assisted living facility and the family decided to sell after the house burned and "before the market is inundated with lots." The lot sold last month for $680,000. Frejlach said he isn't sure exactly what the winning bidder will build, but he estimated they'd spend $600,000 to build a house and sell it for $1.7 million, about $300,000 more than what Zillow estimated the now-burned house was worth before the fires. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lambrou said policies that limit absentee homeownership could blunt gentrification, but some agents said developers play a needed role, because many homeowners might not have the resources to rebuild. "You don't want to live in a neighborhood where you just have empty land everywhere," said Ramiro Rivas, a real estate agent with the Agency who is also a member of the Altadena Town and Country Club, which burned down. "The real estate community, we are not trying to sell properties from under people people are personally reaching out, because they need that help." Hughes of My Tribe Rise said she's working to help the community in a different way. She said she is trying to match fire victims with nonprofits that can offer funding to help people keep their land. She's also trying to match people who really need to sell with people from Altadena who want to buy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We want them to have options," Hughes said, "to let them know this is available." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. One of the most prominent national Jewish advocacy groups weighed in on the New York City Democratic primary for mayor Tuesday night effusively praising Andrew Cuomo and ripping Brad Lander and Zohran Mamdani as members and supporters of the antisemitic, anti-Israel Democrats Socialists of America. The American Jewish Congress, founded in 1918, noted that it is a non-partisan, tax-exempt group that doesnt endorse candidates but works to keep Jewish voters informed and engaged and emphasized that the Big Apples mayoral race is highly significant for its large Jewish community. In a Dear Friend e-letter to members and supporters, the AJC then goes on to mention Cuomo, the ex-governor, five times, including in the heading, Governor Cuomos Mayoral Race Announcement. The American Jewish Congress, one of the most prominent national Jewish advocacy groups, praised Andrew Cuomo while calling out Brad Lander and Zohran Mamdani. Michael Nagle Last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his candidacy, highlighting his longstanding commitment to combating antisemitism. The American Jewish Congress applauds Governor Cuomos strong stance against antisemitism and his long standing support for Israel, the AJC said in its message. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We particularly value his clear message that nothing justifies racism and antisemitism and that `the law must be aggressively enforced to protect Jewish New Yorkers. The AJC, in one mention, also praised Mayor Eric Adams for being a vocal advocate against antisemitism. In contrast, several Democratic primary opponents have downplayed the need to address anti-Jewish hate and prejudice and unfairly criticized Israel, the group continued. Alarmingly, some, including Comptroller Brad Lander and State Rep [Assemblyman] Zohran Mamdani, have been members and supporters of the antisemitic, anti-Israel Democratic Socialists of America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lander, who is Jewish, is running for mayor in a crowded field including Mamdani who has DSAs backing, Cuomo, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, former city Comptroller Scott Stringer and Mayor Adams who is seeking re-election. The organization identified Lander and Mamdani as members and supporters of the antisemitic, anti-Israel Democrats Socialists of America. Matthew McDermott The group then goes back to touting Cuomo. We trust Governor Cuomos campaign will foster a robust and meaningful discussion with the other candidates on the most effective ways for New York to confront this growing threat. It is clear that his staunch support for the Jewish community and Israel distinguishes Governor Cuomo from some of the other Democratic primary opponents, the groups said. AJC makes no mention of Cuomos baggage or scandals, such as resigning as governor under the threat of impeachment in 2021 following a slew of sexual misconduct accusations he denies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One city Jewish activist who is familiar with AJC and not a fan of Cuomo was stunned by what he viewed as a partisan statement. Its the opposite of non-partisan. It raises questions about the non-partisan nature of the American Jewish Congress, said the source, who requested anonymity. Lander, who is Jewish, and Mamdani, who has DSAs backing, are part of a large group of candidates running to be the next mayor of New York City. Ron Adar / M10s / SplashNews.com Its a coup for Cuomo. No doubt about it. Stringer, who is also Jewish, was not mentioned in the AJC statement. The AJC was founded by famous Jewish Americans and leaders including Albert Einstein, former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, Rabbi Stephen Wise, and U.S. Supreme Court Justices Louis Brandeis and Felix Frankfurter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AJC members were outspoken supporters of the founding of the State of Israel, and warned of the danger of Nazism in the 1930s and helped save German Jews during World War II. During the 1960s, AJC joined the civil rights movement. The groups current leadership includes president David Rosen, a Manhattan resident who is the CEO of Rosen Partners, an international real estate development firm, and chairman Jack Rosen, a businessman who describes himself as a long-time friend of President Biden, President Clinton, and President Bush. The Post reached out to Lander and Mamdani for comment. Landers campaign dismissed the AJCs criticism of him and praise for Cuomo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not surprising that Andrew Cuomo would use an organization that endorsed Donald Trump to attack the highest ranking Jewish elected official in NYC government, said Alison Hirsh, Landers Jewish campaign manager. Mamdanis campaign did not immediately respond. GREIG, N.Y. (WWTI) American Red Cross officials are helping out two people after a Monday afternoon fire in Lewis County. Volunteers from the Central and Northern New York Chapter of the American Red Cross provided immediate emergency aid to two people after a fire on the Sweeney Road in Grieg. The Red Cross provided financial assistance which can be used for necessities such as shelter, food, and clothing to two adults. Volunteers also offered emotional support and comfort kits containing personal care items. One pet was lost in the fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the coming days, Red Cross staff and volunteers will remain available to help those affected by the fire as they navigate the road to recovery. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWTI - InformNNY.com. ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) The American Red Cross is preparing to install more than 400 free smoke detectors in Rockford homes. The Red Cross has teamed with the Rockford Fire Department for the annual Sound the Alarm event, which will distribute free smoke alarms by appointment in the neighborhood near Fire Station #3, between Klehm Arboretum and Lincoln Avenue. Were hoping to install 400 smoke alarms that day. And to do that, we need about 80 community volunteers to step up and spend a few hours that day helping right here in your community, said Trish Burnett, of the American Red Cross. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rockford Fires arson investigator, Michael Schnaper, said each year the number of homes without active smoke detection equipment continues to grow. Its almost at the epidemic level. How many people dont have the kind of smoke detectors they need? I couldnt give you an exact number, but its its very common for people to have either improperly installed smoke detectors, expired batteries, old smoke detectors, Schnaper said. He continued, If you have a properly maintained smoke detector thats been installed where we recommend it being installed, your chances of dying in a fire are more than cut in half. Volunteers will be trained on how to set up and install smoke detectors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burnett said, The really meaningful thing to this is, when you help us install these smoke alarms, youre literally giving a gift to a family for the next ten years. So, if they would have a need for that tonight, or five years from now, that family has that smoke alarm. Youre helping save lives for a number of years. In addition to a working smoke detector, Burnett recommends families have an emergency escape plan in place. Its a good time of year to really stop and think about that and make sure your family has a good plan. So if something would happen, your family members can get out safely, she said. Volunteers will go door-to-door in Rockford neighborhoods on Saturday, March 22nd. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you are interested in volunteering, call 815-963-8471 extension 7. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. Lucas Hunter loves to kite surf, so along with his sister Sophie he planned a trip to Colombia to take advantage of the good waves in the north of the country in late December last year. After an illness left Sophie unable to go on the trip, Lucas traveled alone for what was supposed to be two-and-a-half-week long vacation. Sophie hasnt seen or heard from him for more than two months, after he was detained close to the border with Venezuela. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sophie said her brother, an American citizen who lives in London, had gone to that part of Colombia because thats where they are kite surfing competitions. Lucas Hunter - Courtesy Sophie Hunter Its quite remote, so you have to basically get a motorbike to go to the different spots, she told CNN, noting that she was in constant communication with him. On January 7, 2025, in a remote area close to the border, Lucas saw a checkpoint in the distance, and reversed, he told Sophie. But it was too late. He said he got kidnapped, abducted by Venezuelan military forces who took him across the border, she recounted to CNN. He said, Im sending you this pin location from where Im detained, Sophie said. He was telling me, Its been four hours. I dont understand whats going on. I dont speak Spanish. But they are writing reports saying that I had no intention to cross. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He sent me another message on the eighth, and he said, Theyre writing a report saying that I had no intention to enter Venezuela. I think its fine. I should be out soon, she said. That was the last time Sophie heard from him. She told CNN this week that she has no idea where he is being held. He has not been put on trial for any alleged crime. CNN has reached out to Venezuelas Ministry of Communications. The Venezuelan Attorney Generals Office declined to comment. Asked if she believes Lucas was detained because he is an American citizen, Sophie noted he had been carrying his US passport when he was detained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I do think that carrying the passport is quite good on the shopping list, she said. Lucas also has French citizenship. Venezuela has a history of detaining American citizens as apparent bargaining chips. Under the Biden administration, the US negotiated prisoner swaps to bring home a number of Americans who had been wrongfully held in Venezuela, some for years. US Special Envoy Ric Grenell traveled to Caracas in late January to meet with strongman leader Nicolas Maduro and secured the release of six Americans who were detained there. Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated nine Americans in Venezuela as wrongfully detained. According to Sophie, her brother is one of the nine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prior to his designation, Sophie said she had been working with the US Embassy in Bogota. Now that he has been deemed wrongfully detained, his case will be handled by the office of the US Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. The designation provides the US government more tools to try to negotiate his release. It also opens up access to resources for families of the wrongfully detained. Sophie said she was disappointed that Lucas was not among the six brought home in late January. However, she is hopeful that he will soon be released. Lucas Hunter - Courtesy Sophie Hunter It is unacceptable that the regime has arrested and jailed Americans under questionable circumstances and without respect for their rights, a State Department spokesperson said. All Americans unjustly detained by the Maduro regime must be released immediately. The United States continues our efforts to secure the release of any remaining Americans unjustly detained by the regime in Venezuela, the spokesperson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The US warns Americans not to travel to the Colombia-Venezuela border region due to crime, kidnapping, and risk of detention when crossing into Venezuela from Colombia. I think that it should be a massive campaign, especially to university students, or to people my age who might want to explore the world, and just say, do not take the risk, Sophie said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The Ames National Laboratory will welcome its new director this summer after Adam Schwartz announced his transition to part-time work. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) The U.S. Department of Energy Ames National Laboratory will welcome a new director this summer to lead the lab in its work developing new materials and finding solutions for problems impacting the U.S. and the world. Iowa State University said in a news release that Karl Mueller has been chosen to lead the Ames National Laboratory after current director Adam Schwartz announced his intent to step down. Mueller will start at the university on June 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Schwartz has served as director since 2014 and will move to part-time work supporting business development for critical materials research at the lab and with its partners, according to the release. For more than 75 years, Iowa State University has operated the Ames National Laboratory, producing scientific breakthroughs that have shaped history and addressed societys most pressing challenges, ISU President Wendy Wintersteen said in the release. I am confident Dr. Mueller is the right person to advance this legacy of excellence. Ames National Laboratory Director Karl Mueller (Photo courtesy of Iowa State University) Mueller will leave his director position at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington, to come to the Ames lab, according to the release. There he headed the Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate program development office. Other positions hes held include chief science and technology officer for the lab directorate and chemistry professor at Pennsylvania State University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to his work directing the lab, the release stated Mueller will also work in the universitys chemistry department as a tenured professor. I am honored to join Ames National Laboratory, an institution renowned for its pioneering work in rare earth elements, quantum materials, and sustainable energy technologies, Mueller said in the release. The laboratorys excellence in materials discovery and characterization, combined with its deep integration with Iowa State University, creates unique opportunities to address our nations critical science and technology challenges. I look forward to building on Ames distinguished legacy of scientific innovation to advance both fundamental research and strategic technologies. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE PIERRE, S.D. Summit Carbon Solutions is seeking to put its application to build a carbon sequestration pipeline on hold in South Dakota, a key state in the Ames-based company's plan for the $8.9 billion project, which also would extend to Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and North Dakota. Summit filed a motion Wednesday with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission to suspend its permit application for the pipeline "indefinitely," saying it "asks that the proceedings be paused for review and adjustment of the schedule until such time as the Applicant is prepared to proceed." The request comes on the heels of the South Dakota Legislature passing legislation prohibiting developers from using eminent domain to acquire land, construct or operate a carbon dioxide pipeline. Under eminent domain, governments and companies they authorize can take private property, with compensation, for projects that will benefit the public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden signed the bill March 6 and the legislation will go into effect July 1. In the Wednesday filing, Summit Carbon wrote that the legislation affects the company's ability to perform needed land surveys. Pipeline developers conduct civil, biological and cultural surveys in order to determine the suitability of the land and the feasibility of constructing subsurface pipelines, as required by the state regulator's permitting process. "With the passage of HB 1052, the Applicant's ability to obtain survey permission has changed," the company stated. "However, the project must survey the route completely in order to inform the Commission of the constructability prior to obtaining a permit. The surveys which are necessarily required to inform the route decisions as to right of way will be significantly delayed." The company added that "the timelines involved in Commission action on this application are unrealistic." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Wednesday motion would pause Summit Carbon's permit application, which had a one-year window. The company indicated it could resume the process at a later date. "Given these challenges, we have requested a review and adjustment of the schedule accordingly," the company said in a statement. "Summit Carbon Solutions remains committed to working through this process and advancing the project in states that support energy and innovation." Can Summit Carbon bypass South Dakota? The state regulator denied the company's first permit application in September 2023 after 19 months of hearings, but had said it was open to reconsideration. Another company, Navigator, dropped plans for a competing carbon pipeline after South Dakota also denied its permit application. Summit has won permits in Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota, and doesn't need one in Nebraska, which has no state-level permitting process. It and its supporters have touted the pipeline as a way to extend the viability of ethanol, the production of which is a major consumer of the Midwest's corn crop. It would carry carbon dioxide emissions from ethanol plants to an underground sequestration site in North Dakota. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Summit spokeswoman Sabrina Zenor said Wednesday the company is considering "all options," including completing the project without a route through South Dakota. But it's not clear how viable that option would be. For one thing, Iowa's permit is conditioned on Summit receiving a permit from South Dakota, home to Poet, the biggest U.S. maker of ethanol. The state has the second-largest share of the 57 ethanol plants on the pipeline route after Iowa. It's also the planned conduit for the 2,500-mile pipeline to reach North Dakota. Safety of carbon dioxide pipelines a major concern This photo shows the spot where a carbon dioxide pipeline ruptured in Satartia, Miss., in February 2020, leading to the evacuation of 200 residents and the hospitalization of 45 others. No one was killed. Summit has faced stiff opposition in South Dakota, largely from rural, conservative landowners whose properties would be affected. The company attempted to claim its right to the use of eminent domain when it filed more than 80 eminent domain lawsuits against South Dakota landowners in April 2023. Opponents often criticize the purported safety risks of carbon dioxide pipelines by pointing to a February 2020 emergency near Satartia, Mississippi, where a pipeline leak resulted in plume of carbon dioxide drifting to the nearby town, forcing the evacuation of about 200 residents and sending 45 people to local hospitals. Though not regarded as toxic, carbon dioxide is an asphyxiant, displacing oxygen in the air. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a 2022 Congressional Research Service report, prior to the Satartia accident, CO2 pipeline operators reported only one injury and no fatalities caused by regulated carbon pipelines from 2002 to 2022. The pipeline is not without opponents in Iowa, though the Iowa Utilities Commission granted it a permit, including the right to use eminent domain, in November. In addition to safety concerns, Iowa landowners said they were concerned about the effects of pipeline construction on farmland it would cross. The Iowa House has passed bills like South Dakota's, and is considering more. But they have failed to advance in the state Senate. (This article was edited to clarify that Summit has asked for a pause in its applicaiton.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Des Moines Register staff writer Donnelle Eller contributed to this article. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Summit Carbon pauses permit application for South Dakota pipeline Shes a big problem blared a tweet featuring a photograph of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Given the opposition she faced from Democratic senators and the broader left during her confirmation hearings in 2020, one might suspect that the post came from a progressive critic. But the post, which has been liked more than 117,000 times, was one of many by supporters of President Donald Trump in response to Barretts vote not to lift an order by a federal judge directing the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to pay out nearly $2 billion in foreign aid. She has also faced accusations that she was a DEI hire and calls to step down. Popular though such takes may be, they not only mischaracterize Justice Barretts record but betray a more fundamental misunderstanding of the job of a Supreme Court justice. Reasonable minds can disagree about the correct action the Supreme Court should have taken here. Indeed, Justice Samuel Alito wrote an impassioned dissent arguing that the order should have been lifted. A careful look at Justice Barretts overall judicial record suggests that criticism that she broadly votes with the left is at best peculiar. She voted to overturn Roe v. Wade and its constitutional protections for abortion; for stricter constraints on affirmative action in university admissions; for strengthened gun rights; and for First Amendment protection for website designers who have conscience objections to participating in gay weddings. She also voted to end judicial bias toward federal regulatory agencies, said that Congress did not grant the Environmental Protection Agency broad authority to enact its ambitious Clean Power Plan, and elected for a common-sense interpretation of the Clean Water Act that allows property owners to build. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nor has she been reflexively anti-Trump. She voted that Trump was not disqualified from running for office under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment and that, as president, he has immunity from prosecution for official acts. Of course, not everyone will agree with her votes in every case. I know what its like to believe deeply that the court made the wrong call. I was part of the litigation team that brought Coalition for TJ v. Fairfax County School Board to the high court, first on a motion for emergency relief and then for a decision on the merits. Coalition for TJ was a constitutional challenge to the restructuring of admissions at a prominent magnet school in Fairfax County, Virginia to disfavor Asian-American students. Though other members of the court voted to grant Coalition for TJs emergency motion and petition, Justice Barrett was not among them. Both the emergency motion and petition were ultimately denied. A few months later, some of my Pacific Legal Foundation colleagues brought a similar case, Boston Parent Coalition v. Boston School Committee, to the Supreme Court. Again, a school board charged with managing admissions at prestigious magnet schools reengineered admissions criteria to produce their desired racial outcomes. As in Fairfax County, the Boston School Committee did this indirectly rather than directly. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas voted to take up the case, and Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in a concurring statement that he did not only because post-lawsuit changes to Bostons admissions policies greatly diminished the need for the courts review. Once again, however, Justice Barrett was not among the justices voting to take up the case. These decisions are disappointing. Because of them, some Asian-American and white students will be shut out of their dream high schools for no reason other than their skin color. Still, I do not conclude that the court failed to take up the cases because Justice Barrett secretly longs for the favor of the political left. She had, after all, voted in a landmark case just a year earlier that Harvard and the University of North Carolinas affirmative action policies that discriminated against Asian American students were unconstitutional. There are myriad reasons other than agreeing with a lower courts ruling that a justice may vote against granting certiorari in a particular case, and Barrett may well have been motivated by one or more of them in Coalition for TJ and Boston Parent Coalition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rather, Barretts overall voting record suggests that she decides cases based on what she understands the Constitution and relevant statutes to compel, rather than out of allegiance to her supposed political team. Sometimes (as with the long list of cases cited above), thats led her to vote for an outcome thats generally seen as conservative. In other cases (as with the USAID case that touched off this whole fracas), its led her to vote for whats considered the liberal side. In our constitutional system, this is exactly what judges are supposed to do. Many courthouses feature statues of Lady Justice. Traditionally, she is shown blindfolded, symbolizing the judges commitment to deciding cases without showing favoritism toward either side. There is no exception to this longstanding norm that encourages a justice to take off her blindfold and wink at the face of the president who appointed her. Flyspeck individual decisions as you will, but Barrett deserves praise and not condemnation for hewing to the ideal of what independent judges are supposed to do under constitutional separation of powers. Alas, the recent attacks on Barrettas well as threats by House Republicans to impeach lower court judges for ruling against the administrationrepresent the worst kind of bipartisanship. The left has spent the last several years threatening to impeach justices they dislike over dubious ethics allegations. Theyve voted to withhold security resources from justices despite increasing and direct threats to their safety. And theyve threatened to pack the court, not because they believe that a 13-justice court is better at deciding cases than one with nine, but because they are unhappy with the outcome of certain high profile cases and think adding more justices would garner different outcomes. (One United States senator even filed an amicus brief that essentially made this last threat explicit.) The recent embrace by some conservatives of the lefts playbook to cow the court into submission ought to trouble everyone who values the Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All Americans, regardless of their political views, benefit when judicial independence is respected. And we all stand to lose profoundly if both sides progressively escalate attacks on the court to avoid losing a game of chicken. Our constitutional system of separation of powers has made America the extraordinary place it is. As Justice Kavanaugh has said, the independent judiciary is the crown jewel of our constitutional republic. Partisans court calamity by undermining that independence in the hope of short-term political gain. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. By Tom Balmforth and Max Hunder LONDON/KYIV (Reuters) - By agreeing to Washington's ceasefire proposal, Ukraine achieved some major short-term objectives, not least salvaging a tattered relationship with President Donald Trump, though the underlying issues at the heart of the conflict with Russia remain unresolved. Washington resumed military aid and intelligence sharing in a boost for Kyiv on Tuesday after more than eight hours of talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah about ending the war with Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Ukraine agreed to a U.S. proposal of an interim 30-day ceasefire, the United States said it will take the offer to Russia, putting the ball back in Moscow's court and easing what had been mounting pressure on Kyiv. Reuters spoke to a senior member of the Ukrainian delegation in Jeddah, two senior former officials, a lawmaker, a source close to the government and a military analyst for this article. The bilateral meeting was the first since Zelenskiy's fraught encounter with Trump in the Oval Office last month. The Ukrainian delegation entered the talks with several negotiating positions, including the idea of a "truce lite" that would have involved a ceasefire in the air and at sea, said Ihor Zhovkva, a senior Ukrainian official who took part in the talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the meeting, U.S. officials proposed a broader ceasefire, he said. The Ukrainians agreed after a pause in talks allowed the delegations to consult their leaders, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told reporters on Wednesday. "For us, it was very important to have the understanding that the truce would go along with two very important things: an immediate lifting of the pause of military assistance and intelligence sharing," Zhovkva, Zelenskiy's foreign affairs adviser, told Reuters by telephone. "It was done immediately," he said, describing these steps among the "most significant results" of the talks and joint statement. He praised the overall "constructive" atmosphere of the meeting that he said went well beyond repairing bilateral relations to coordinated action between equal partners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The talks did not include much about territory, with the ceasefire a first step in the peace process, he said. Russia holds just under one-fifth of Ukraine. "Ukraine will never cede any territories. It's very simple. You cannot have this statement or declaration, no one can have it because it needs a change of the constitution," Zhovkva said. FUNDAMENTALS UNCHANGED Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a military analyst who was defence minister from 2019 to 2020, noted the marked improvement in U.S. relations. But he cautioned that the challenging underlying fundamentals remained, weeks after the United States began its direct diplomatic engagement with Russia and upended U.S. policy on the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We still don't understand what Russia will want in exchange for peace. We still don't know whether the U.S. will take the Ukrainian position or the position that Ukraine's opinion is basically not as important as Russia's," he said. Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at the Russia and Eurasia programme at London-based think tank Chatham House, flagged that and other risks. "Putting in place a cementing of the front lines in their current position without any long-term guarantee of ensuring that the war will actually come to an end, risks rewarding Russia by making the current zone of control permanent and freezing the conflict in place as opposed to resolving it," he said. The Kremlin said on Wednesday it was awaiting details from Washington about the ceasefire proposal, while senior Moscow sources said a deal would have to take account of Russia's advances and address its concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But a source close to the Ukrainian government said the mood in the Zelenskiy camp after the talks was upbeat and that there was a feeling Russia had been caught off guard by the ceasefire proposal. "It's a strong check on the chess board," the source said. A former senior Ukrainian security official who requested anonymity said things had so far developed predictably in terms of a phased peace process. "However, it is likely that Russia will derail the agreement, and we will have to watch the American reaction. The Russians may offend Trump with their outbursts. And then we will have a chance for strong arms assistance." (Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Reuters TV in London, Max Hunder and Pavel Polityuk in Kyiv; Editing by Christian Lowe and Rod Nickel) By Akbar Novruz Azerbaijan and North Macedonia took a significant step in strengthening their diplomatic relations as Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his North Macedonian counterpart, Tim?o Mucunski, held high-level talks in Baku. Coinciding with the official visit of North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, the meeting resulted in the signing of an agreement to exempt holders of diplomatic and service passports from visa requirements, a move aimed at boosting diplomatic and economic cooperation between the two nations. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, announcing the agreement on X, described it as a key milestone in fostering closer ties. Beyond official discussions, President Siljanovska Davkova also visited key Azerbaijani landmarks, including Victory Park, the Alley of Honorable Burial, and ADA University, reflecting the cultural and historical dimensions of the growing partnership. As Azerbaijan and North Macedonia continue to expand cooperation in trade, education, and cultural exchange, this latest agreement sets the stage for closer engagement in multiple sectors. This is The Takeaway from today's Morning Brief, which you can sign up to receive in your inbox every morning along with: The chart of the day What we're watching What we're reading Economic data releases and earnings Red, ugly charts on our platform are capturing the unease of the moment. But economic growth is also on the chopping block. In recent interviews, President Trump has expressed a stony, unmoving outlook toward the stock market, as if his goals for the American economy are more important than the whims of Wall Street. He and his economic advisers have advanced a long-term view, acknowledging supposed short-term pains through a variety of euphemisms and metaphors like "detox," "disturbance," and transition. But if there is a method to the market madness, we won't see its fruits for some time. All the while, current measures and forecasts of the "real" economy are getting darker. Economic teams have lowered their 2025 GDP expectations. Morgan Stanley now predicts 1.5% growth in 2025, down from 1.9%, while Goldman Sachs dropped its expectations from 2.4% to 1.7%. To a certain extent, Trumps America First team has a point to make: Why should a select group of investment bankers and money managers dictate a nations economic agenda? The stock market, in its worst light, is also a collection of trend chasers and buzzword vultures, a vortex of fickleness and insatiable cravings. (A more holistic reading of the market taking into account regular folks' retirement accounts is gently brushed to the side here.) But it also expresses something that neither bully pulpit cajoling nor DOGE threats can touch: If most people actually believed Trumps decisions would lead to long-term growth, the stock market would move up, not down. If GDP figures match the increasingly dismal forecasts, the president's aims may prove to be too ambitious to be worth the effort. In the initial phase after the inauguration, a sympathetic view among strategists was that in exchange for the negative impacts of tariffs and public sector job losses, the economy overall would benefit from deregulation, lower energy prices, and a more business-favorable tax regime. But the market is catching up to the idea that the painful shocks will come first, while the anticipated benefits may only arrive later. "The pain is worth the gain down the road ... That is the new narrative coming out of Washington," Mohamed El-Erian, president at Queens College, Cambridge, and former PIMCO CEO, told Yahoo Finance earlier this week. Nesbett Courthouse in downtown Anchorage on Oct. 7, 2024. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon) An Anchorage Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline as incompatible with the state constitution. The suit, filed last year, alleges that the founding laws of the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. are incompatible with the Alaska Constitutions guarantee of equal access to natural resources because the liquefied natural gas pipeline would result in so much climate change that it would destroy access to fish and wildlife. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state had moved to dismiss the lawsuit, and the plaintiffs made a countermotion, leading Judge Dani Crosby to rule on summary judgment. In her ruling Tuesday, Crosby sided with the state of Alaska, whose attorneys had argued that the lawsuit is substantially similar to previous cases decided by the Alaska Supreme Court. In a written statement, the law firm Our Childrens Trust which has been representing the plaintiffs said it would appeal Crosbys decision to the Alaska Supreme Court. When the lawsuit was filed, the eight plaintiffs ranged in age from 11 to 22. Todays ruling is a clear miscarriage of justice with enormous implications. Alaskas Constitution expressly guarantees equal access to and sustainable yield of the critical natural resources Alaskas youth need to sustain their lives, health, and cultures, wrote attorney Andrew Welle for the plaintiffs. Todays decision eviscerates these protections by placing not only the Alaska LNG Project but all natural resource management decisions beyond review by Alaskas Courts, upending decades of precedent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The AKLNG project envisions a pipeline running from the North Slope to Cook Inlet, with industrial-scale facilities at either end to handle the natural gas. As yet, construction work on the pipeline has yet to commence due to a lack of funding. The Alaska Department of Law, said in arguments that state law and precedent set by the Alaska Constitution mean that the court lacks jurisdiction to decide the issue. We appreciate the courts dismissal of this case, said Attorney General Treg Taylor in a written statement. This implicates how our democratic system works, and where decisions should be made. In this case, decisions regarding climate change and how to address it lie firmly in the purview of the legislature and the executive branch. They are not decisions to be made by few individuals through the court system. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) The Anderson County Sheriffs Office is hosting a memorial blood drive Wednesday to honor a deputy who was killed in the line of duty 20 years ago. According to deputies, Wednesday, March 12 will mark 20 years since the passing of Deputy Alex Burdette. In 2005, Burdette was hit while directing traffic around a disabled motorist on Highway 81 South in Anderson. Deputies said due to one of Burdettes last acts revolving around selflessness, its only fitting that his legacy of giving back to the community continues by donating blood, which in turn will save lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The blood drive will be held in the back parking lot of the sheriffs office at 305 Camson Road in Anderson from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, has announced his intention to succeed Rich Anderson as the chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. (Photo by Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury) Republican Party of Virginia chairman Rich Anderson has been tapped by President Donald Trump to serve as the assistant secretary of the Air Force, and the party could select his successor next month. RPV executive director Ken Nunnenkamp said the central committee members of the party could vote as early as April 12, when their next meeting is scheduled. Meanwhile, Anderson awaits the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committees confirmation hearing and U.S. Senate vote to officialize his federal role. With Republicans dominating Congress, he likely will be confirmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So far, only longtime state Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, has announced his intention to chair the party. His announcement also comes with endorsements from Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Attorney General Jason Miyares. With Youngkins term coming to a close, Earle-Sears is running for governor and Miyares is seeking another term as the states top lawyer. If chosen, Peake said he would jump in immediately to support statewide and House of Delegates candidates that are on the ballot this year. Ive been in politics for a pretty good while now, Peake said in a Wednesday call with The Mercury. Im from a ruby red district, but I try to get along with all parts of the Republican Party. Peake shared that his inspiration to seek the RPV chair rolestems from his experience in the legislature during the Democratic trifecta of 2020 and 2021, when Democrats had majorities in both the House and Senate as well as a governor from their party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those majorities ushered in a series of law changes, many of which opposed Republican or conservative ethos. As RPV chair Peake hopes to bolster the statewide ticket and help Republicans regain control of the House of Delegates. The chamber is crucial to both parties this year. For Republicans, its a counterweight to the Democrat-controlled Senate, which is not up for election until 2026. For Democrats, retaining the House is paramount to continue passage of constitutional amendments that would enshrine reproductive rights, voting rights and same-sex marriage rights into the states constitution. While the efforts to restore voting rights to people who have completed prison sentences for felony convictions and to remove a same-sex marriage prohibition from the constitution advanced with bipartisan support, the reproductive rights measure passed because of the Democratic majority. Those bills have to pass again before appearing on statewide ballots for final approval or rejection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The party that holds the governors office can signal which legislative efforts are most likely to be signed into law. While the Senate is not up for grabs this year, Peake stressed his passion to help Republicans gain grounds in other areas. His bid to chair the party comes as the Democratic Party of Virginia will soon select a new chair following current chair Susan Sweckers announcement that shes stepping down. DPVA will choose among three contenders later this month that include Zack Pruckowski, a member of DPVAs steering committee, activist and DPVA organizer Josh Stanfield and Sen. Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico. Like Bagby, if Peake were to chair his party, he does not plan to step away from his role as a state senator. An often vocal member of the chamber, Peake said that hed apply his outgoing nature to his role as RPV chair. I think thats part of being chairman, he said. Youve got to get out there and talk to people and get them motivated. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SEBRING, Ohio Sebring McKinley High School launched its annual fundraiser to honor the memory of former student and classmate Emily Waseman. Emily lost her battle with cancer in 2014, when she was only in first grade. Each year, Sebring students choose a different cause to support in her honor. This years chosen charity is 50 Legs, an organization dedicated to providing prosthetics to individuals in need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fundraising campaign kicked off earlier this month with guest speaker Mrs. Fox, who shared her personal story of resilience after facing a life-altering experience in 2020 that resulted in the loss of both her arms and legs. We are incredibly grateful to Mrs. Fox for joining us and sharing her inspirational story, said Nicole Mathias, teacher at Sebring McKinley and advisor for the annual fundraising project. Her strength and determination are a true inspiration for our students to kick off their efforts to raise money for 50 Legs, working together to make a difference in the lives of others. Weve named our annual fundraising effort Emilys Project as a way to unite our students, staff, and the Sebring community in keeping her memory alive while supporting others, Mathias said. The class officers have organized various activities this month, including dollar days, penny wars, a bake sale, and t-shirt sales. At the end of the month, theyll have an assembly to reveal the amount raised. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you would like to make a contribution or learn more about the fundraiser, contact Nicole Mathias at nmathias@sebring.k12.oh.us or Carolyn Hollback at chollback@sebring.k12.oh.us. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. A major storm system is expected to roll across the U.S. over the next week, putting millions of Americans at risk of severe weather and threatening major flooding, blizzard conditions, strong winds and a possible tornado outbreak. According to USA Today, this storm could impact every region of the country. The system will first hit the Pacific coast on Wednesday and will continue to spread through the Central and Eastern states on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As the storm moves across the U.S., it is expected to stretch across the country from north to south. How will this storm affect Utah? Through Thursday and Friday, it is expected that Utah, along with Nevada and Arizona, will receive heavy snow, per USA Today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to ABC4.com, Utah is expected to start receiving mountain snow by early Thursday, especially in southern mountain areas. People enjoy fresh snow at Solitude Mountain Resort in Brighton on Thursday, March 6, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News There has been a Winter Storm Watch issued for Utahs mountains, including the Wasatch, Western Uintas, Northern Central and Southern mountains. This watch will start at 6 a.m. on Thursday and will be in effect for 24 hours. The Winter Storm Watch is likely to evolve into warnings or advisories, per ABC4.com. Severe weather threats across the country When the storm first hits the Pacific coast, heavy rains and snows will bring a risk of rock and mudslides to California, per USA Today. There will be severe weather advisories on Friday stretching from Texas to the Dakotas, warning residents of a risk of severe thunderstorms, per AccuWeather. These thunderstorms in the central U.S. will also bring high winds with gusts of 65 to 75 mph, as well as large, damaging hail and torrential downpours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Should the storm develop to its full potential, it could be one of the strongest on record for the region in terms of low pressure. The more intense the storm, the greater the amount of energy will be available for severe weather, rain, snow and winds in general, per AccuWeather. Along with thunderstorms, there is also the potential high risk for tornadoes to manifest through the Great Plains and the Mississippi Valley on Friday and Saturday. As the storm system moves east on Saturday, the severe weather threat will extend from the central Gulf coast north to the Great Lakes region. This will bring heavy thunderstorms to states such as Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Midwest will also be threatened by damaging wind gusts, large hail and torrential rains. There is also a risk of flash flooding in the southern Appalachians and the Tennessee Valley. According to AccuWeather, as the storm reaches the Atlantic coast on Sunday, the severe thunderstorms are likely to bring more flash floods. DONA ANA COUNTY, New Mexico (KTSM) Dozens of residents who live near a 50-acre parcel of land in Anthony, New Mexico are worried that the lands property owner is seeking a permit from Dona Ana County (DAC) to operate a cannabis business. A sign posted by Dona Ana County off of 1240 Gardner Road, where the property is located, states that the establishment would include space for retail, cultivation and a consumption lounge for cannabis. The sign also states there will be a public hearing held by the DAC Planning and Zoning Commission at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 13 at 845 N. Motel Blvd. in Las Cruces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We use the road as an avenue to be able to walk our dogs, be out with our families. And so from our standpoint, that quality of life is certainly something thats very important to us. When it comes to the marijuana, I dont think thats really what our opposition is. Its about the commercial development of having a lounge and a retail store here, said Mitch Morgan, who lives near the property. Clark and other nearby residents shared a number of concerns about the proposed cannabis business. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chief among those concerns was how a cannabis business could lead to increased traffic in the rural area. They are worried that narrow and poor road conditions and the potential for impaired drivers could cause problems for them and pose a danger to public safety. Residents said theyre also concerned that the smell of cannabis will be prevalent throughout the area, and that the business may attract property crime. It just doesnt involve the growth of some marijuana plants. But there are greenhouses there. Theres going to be a processing plant. Theres going to be retail sales, and theres also going to be a consumption lounge, which means people are going to be smoking here and then getting back on our streets. As you can tell, the streets really arent set up for commercial and extensive retail. And were also concerned (that) its going to look like a prison yard with high fences and barbed wire and gates and high intensity lighting for security purposes, said Chris Clark, who also lives nearby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clark said the proposed cannabis business would only be a small part of the 50-acre parcel and this business, if OKd by the County, could open the doors for more retail businesses to move into the area. Since this is such a large parcel, 48.33 acres, theyre only using a small portion of it to start. But once thats in place, if it is, then we have to worry about the possibility of precedent setting. If a business has been allowed in here, maybe the next ones coming and then the next one, and all of a sudden weve got a strip shopping center right here on a small rural road, Clark said. Clark said they have created a petition that now has over 130 signatures from nearby residents opposing the rezoning of the property. He also said there is a neighboring church thats been doing a similar petition to oppose the zone change. KTSM reached out to Acoma Hill Investment LP, the owners of the property, but we have not heard back from them yet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement County Commissioner Gloria Gameros, who represents the area, said she has heard concerns from residents and encourages them to attend Thursdays meeting of the County Planning and Zoning Commission. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. LONGMEADOW, Mass. (WWLP) An antisemitic hate speech was found written inside the boys bathroom at Williams Middle School in Longmeadow on Tuesday. It is impactful in ways that a lot of folks dont understand to the Jewish community in western mass, said State Representative and Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts Chair, Aaron Saunders. In a letter sent to family members of students on Tuesday from Principal Nicole Forys and Superintendent of Schools Marty OShea, a police report has been filed after Heil Hitler was written in large print on the outside of a boys bathroom stall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Westfield Middle School to raise awareness of antisemitism after swastikas found The superintendent says the public school system is committed to creating school environments free from hate, racism and discrimination in any form. Resources have been shared within the letter for educators and parents for combatting hate in schools. This act of hate speech is profoundly troubling and disheartening. Certainly, antisemitism, like all forms of racism, bias, hate, and discrimination, is not tolerated. It is not consistent with the policies or values of Longmeadow Public Schools and it is not aligned with the Williams Middle School charter to be a welcoming and affirming community that celebrates all. This painful incident reminds us that our efforts toward respect, inclusivity, and tolerance are essential and must be ongoing, states in the Superintendents Newsletter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This instance isnt the first time this year that Anti-Semitic hate speech was found at a middle school in Western Massachusetts. In January, a swastika was found drawn on a students notebook at Westfield Middle School along with the symbol also being draw inside of school-issued device and on an eraser. Seemingly every day we hear another incident and sometimes its vandalism. Sometimes its more severe than vandalism, said Saunders. He said after the attack on October 7th, the world has seen an explosion of Anti-Semitism, and for the Jewish community it is a priority to protect their youth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just Tuesday, the state legislatures special commission on Anti-Semitism was in Western Massachusetts at the JCC, talking about how schools teach about the holocaust. When were talking about kids in their formative years, Its incredibly important that they understand not only the complexities of our situation nowadays, said Saunders, but the history of Anti-Semitism and how destructive its been for so many in our region and across the world. In the letter, they wrote about a No place for Hate initiative which allows student leaders to plan events that promote a safe and supportive school environment. They also said a police report has been filed from this incident and are investigating thoroughly. To report antisemitic incidents or threats, the school urges to submit an anonymous online tip at SandyHookPromise.org. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. A watchdog has slapped an ethics complaint against Squad Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, accusing her of misusing taxpayer funds on dance training. Americans for Public Trust, a private watchdog group that targets corruption, alleged that Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), 35, tapped into her Member Representational Allowance to shell out $3,700 to Juan D Gonzalez and $850 to Bombazo Dance Co Inc for what was described as training in December. The watchdog on Tuesday sent a complaint to the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) and argued that the rep made the payments in contravention of federal law and the standards of the House of Representatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ocasio-Cortez had dismissed concerns about the two December 2024 payments and seemingly implied they were campaign expenses, which the watchdog argued supports its case that the funds were misappropriated. 100% wrong. None of this is taxpayer money, this is an FEC filing. Be loud and wrong about something else. Try again next time, she wrote on X Saturday in response to a critique. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez initially appeared to claim that her campaign footed the bill for the expenses. AP 100% wrong. None of this is taxpayer money, this is an FEC filing. Be loud and wrong about something else. Try again next time Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 8, 2025 The Post was unable to find references to Juan D Gonzalez or Bombazo Dance Co Inc in Federal Election Commission records of Ocasio-Cortezs congressional campaign disbursements. Americans for Public Trust disputed Ocasio-Cortezs assertion that the payments were made with campaign cash by pointing to a section in the 1,120-page list of House disbursements between Oct. 1, 2024, and Dec. 31, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Representative Ocasio-Cortez has made expenditures from her official office account that she herself contends should have been reported to the FEC, presumably because they were made for campaign purposes, the watchdog wrote in its complaint. If it is revealed that Representative Ocasio-Cortez has demonstrated a pattern of using her taxpayer-funded MRA to pay her campaign expenses, we further request a full investigation be commenced by your office. Bombazo Dance Co Inc. is a Bronx-based youth dance organization. Video posted on Bombazo Dance Co Inc.s Facebook page showed the progressive darling banging on drums and dancing with patrons at the company in December. Records indicate that the congresswoman used her taxpayer-funded allowance to pay the dance company. Details of the Juan D Gonzalez who received payments are not immediately clear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Member Representational Allowance is a fund that the House provides members to help foot the bill for official expenses related to staff compensation, travel, rent, printing documents, mail, equipment and more. In fiscal year 2023, the House allocated roughly $810 million for the Member Representational Allowance, according to the Congressional Research Service. Americans for Public Trust is calling on the OCE to conduct a more thorough review of the congresswomans use of allowance funds. The Post contacted Ocasio-Cortezs press team for comment. Ocasio-Cortez has faced ethics complaints in the past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two years ago, she was probed over the 2021 Met Gala and revelations that she received a free ticket to attend the star-studded New York City charity event. AOCs Tax the Rich dress drew a lot of attention during her 2021 Met Gala appearance. Getty Images For The Met Museum/Vogue She also received a discounted rate for renting a white Brother Vellies dress designed by Aurora James that featured the bright red words Tax the Rich as well as a handbag that she carried at the gala. Reps are restricted under ethics rules from receiving free gifts, barring certain exceptions, but the Met Gala was not one of them. Staffers could not explain the discount, and the OCE unanimously recommended that the House Ethics Committee conduct further investigation of whether she had accepted impermissible gifts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bronx- and Queens-based rep was also hit with a complaint backed by the Heritage Foundation in 2023 claiming that she was falsely accusing and defaming Chaya Raichik, the woman behind the Libs of TikTok X account. The congresswoman was the subject of a viral video that resurfaced in 2019 of her dancing back in her college days. Twitter / @RepAOC At the time, Ocasio-Cortez publicly accused Raichik of lying in a 2022 post with her claim that a hospital in Boston was offering gender affirming hysterectomies for young girls. The Heritage Foundation accused the congresswoman of lying and disseminating disinformation about Raichik. Austin police are still searching for the person, or persons, involved in the Sunday shooting death of a writer for the far-right conspiracy website InfoWars. Detective Jason Jones, who is leading the investigation into the homicide of 36-year-old InfoWars writer Jamie White, said at a press conference Wednesday that either one or multiple individuals were trying to steal White's Kia from the parking lot of his apartment complex when the writer "interrupted" the burglars. White was then shot and left in the parking lot, where authorities found him. He was pronounced deceased at 12:19 a.m. Monday at a local hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jones said White's car had been broken into about two months prior to the homicide, leading police to believe the burglars are specifically targeting Kias that are easier to steal due to manufacturer defects. Officers found a separate vehicle associated with the suspected burglars, in South Austin, and determined it had been stolen a few days before White's homicide, the detective said. During the altercation that led to White's death, Jones said one of windows of White's car was broken and that at least one of the burglars "appeared to have been cut in some way as blood was found inside Mr. White's vehicle." The Chandelier apartments on the 2300 block of Douglas Street in Austin, Texas, March 11, 2025. Jones demurred on Wednesday when asked by a reporter whether White was explicitly targeted due to his affiliation with InfoWars as alleged by the site's founder, Alex Jones. The detective, who is not related to the divisive conspiracy theorist, said the homicide unit would look into any and all leads that developed, but that ultimately they are "independent finders of facts." The detective cautioned community members against approaching anyone burglarizing vehicles, and urged them to call police instead. He also asked that anyone in Southeast Austin who might have had their vehicle burglarized on Sunday or Monday, to come forward. Photos, videos or other potential evidence can be submitted online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The individuals responsible for Mr. White's murder are known to be armed and have no regard for human life," the detective said. "If you discover someone breaking into your vehicle, please call 911, immediately and provide the call taker with a good description of the suspects and their vehicle, including a license plate, if possible, and give the direction of travel, if possible." Anyone with information about the homicide can contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: APD still searching for suspects linked to slaying of InfoWars writer LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will not impose retaliatory trade tariffs in response to U.S. duties on all steel and aluminium imports which are due to come into force on Wednesday, a British government official said on Tuesday. While the European Union plans to hit back against the 25% US tariffs on imports of the metals, the official - who asked not to be identified - said Britain would continue to engage with the U.S. in an attempt to secure an exemption. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's official spokesman said on Monday that the UK and the US had a strong economic relationship which was "based on fair and balanced, reciprocal trade." U.S. President Donald Trump said during a visit by Starmer to the White House last month that his administration and Britain would negotiate a trade agreement which could help to avert U.S. tariffs. Britain's trade minister Jonathan Reynolds made the case for a British exemption from tariffs to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in a recent phone call. The U.S. accounts for about 5% of UK steel exports and 6% of aluminium exports, according to British government data. U.K. steel exports to the United States are worth over 400 million pounds ($518 million) a year, according to industry body UK Steel which has said the introduction of U.S. tariffs "would be a devastating blow to our industry". ($1 = 0.7727 pounds) (Reporting by Andrew MacAskill, writing by Sachin Ravikumar, Editing by Sarah Young and William Schomberg) The Massena First United Methodist Church will be hosting an Italian Buffet and Silent Auction on Saturday April 5. The event will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with the doors opening at 5:30 p.m. The cost of the event is $25 with cash or check accepted. Advanced tickets can be purchased by calling 315-769-8036. Keep up to date on the latest events in NNY with our Community Calendar Early viewing and bidding for the silent auction is from March 25 until April 5 with the hours 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. until noon on Fridays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dinner will have entrees of chicken parmesan, spaghetti and meatballs, vegetable lasagna and fettucine alfredo. Appetizers include bread, salad, beverages and dessert. The event will benefit the churchs volunteer work at the Red Bird Mission in Beverly, Ky. in August of this year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWTI - InformNNY.com. The News The CEOs of two of the worlds largest energy companies Amin Nasser of Saudi Arabias Aramco and Sultan Al Jaber of the UAEs ADNOC touched on similar themes at CERAWeek, the oil and gas industrys main annual conference: humanity must not choose between renewables and fossil fuels. We need it all. Al Jaber, the former COP28 president, said that consensus from the 2023 summit injected energy realism into the climate process and that in order to cater to the needs of a growing global population we need an and-and approach that includes hydrocarbons, renewables, and nuclear. (The remarks reiterated an argument Jaber has made previously, including in a Semafor piece.) Nasser speaking after US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, himself a former energy executive who was bullish on the industry carried on the feeling of triumph for oil and gas. We can all feel the winds of history in our industrys sails again, Nasser said. While stressing that Aramco is investing in both conventional and renewable energy, he criticized the $10 trillion in global spending on renewables, arguing they were uncompetitive, especially as much of the growth in energy demand will come from poorer countries that he said couldnt afford the higher costs of electric vehicles and green hydrogen. Know More The remarks, while unsurprising for energy executives, come as global climate action recedes and demand for energy rises: Power demand in the US, for example, is on the rise after decades of stasis. Its also a moment when many countries are concerned about energy security after wars and sanctions disrupted supplies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oil demand is growing, liquefied natural gas and chemical sales are projected to rise by more than 40% by 2035, and electricity will surge by 70%, Al Jaber said. A big driver is artificial intelligence. The true cost of AI is not just in code, its in kilowatts. The race for AI supremacy is essentially an energy play, he said. Nasser said policies and investments should consider growing demand, and serve the needs of developed and developing nations alike, in reference to renewables. Technology also has a role, he added, to make the consumption side more efficient and reduce emissions during the extraction and production of hydrocarbons. It wasnt exactly drill, baby, drill but Al Jaber concluded with: Lets make energy great again. A 13-year-old boy called 911 after an intruder forced his way into an Arcadia home and fatally shot his father Tuesday evening. Police in tactical gear and with weapons drawn descended upon the neighborhood on the 50 block of Woodland Lane while responding to the call shortly before 6:30 p.m. Investigators said the boy called police after he and his mother arrived home to find a suspect had forced his way in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspect took them inside the home where the 61-year-old father was shot in the stomach after some type of altercation, Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department Lt. Steven De Jong confirmed. It was unclear if the father was shot in front of the family. Police arrive in tactical gear after a fatal shooting in Arcadia on March 11, 2025. (RMG News) I cant imagine what that must feel like. If he actually did witness his father get murdered, De Jong said. The unidentified father was transported to a local hospital where he died from his wounds. Obviously, a very frightening situation for the entire family and unfortunately a man lost his life, Dejong said. It appears that this is possibly personally motivated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The boy and his mother were not harmed and nothing appeared to be taken from the home. Investigators plan to review security footage to help identify a suspect and want to talk with witnesses. Anyone with information was asked to contact the Sheriffs Departments Homicide Bureau at 323) 890-5500. Those who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or go to the lacrimestoppers.org website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) A grassroots group in Wilmington raised nearly $7,000 for its Ukrainian sister city, Merefa during a fundraiser last month. According to our partners at the Wilmington News Journal, the money was raised in an effort to provide humanitarian aid to the area. A fundraiser was held by the Clinton County Alliance for Compassion and Truth in February to recognize the third anniversary of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They had sent out a very particular appeal leading up to the 3rd anniversary, said Elaine Silverstrim, with the alliance. They needed chainsaws, and they needed chainsaws to help clear away the debris from the bombing. Plus they have no energy grid, so theyre literally cutting down wood to stay warm because its still winter in their neck of the woods. $69,750 has been raised for Merefa, in total, since 2022. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. On a Friday afternoon in downtown Philadelphia, dozens gather on the corner of South 2nd and Chestnut streets. A mix of retirees and fired federal workers, they are teeming with fury, but not just toward President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the early actions of the administration. They are also acutely angry at a fellow Democrat: Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. These people represent the roughly 73% of Democratic voters in a recent CNN/SSRS poll who say the partys caucus in Congress is doing too little to oppose Trump. In their view, Fetterman and other Washington Democrats are enabling illegal firings across the federal workforce and the erosion of the rule of law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I understand the importance of bipartisanship in normal times. But these arent normal times, said Robert Lipartito, a 69-year-old retired music librarian from Pennsport. Lipartito argues the party needs to be more dogmatic and is not sympathetic to the needle that purple-state Democrats believe they must thread. Its not just a matter of trying to find consensus when someone is literally dismantling our institutions right before our eyes and turning on our allies. I mean, theres no middle ground for that, he said. The group of protesters, organized by a local offshoot of Indivisible, a progressive movement created in 2016 after Trump first took the White House, marched from Fettermans Philadelphia field office to Independence National Historic Park chanting Stand up for us as people passing by honked and cheered. If we elected you, then you need to fight, you need to grow a spine and fight for us, said 64-year-old Joyce Meder of Abington Township. Meder, dressed in a Fetterman costume, held a sign calling on her senator to hold a town hall to hear constituents concerns and to show up for votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats have begun sounding the alarm over Republican plans to pay for extensions of tax cuts by slashing hundreds of billions of dollars in government spending, possibly including cuts to Medicaid. Joyce Meder protests near Sen. John Fetterman's office in Philadelphia. - Eva McKend/CNN More immediately, the federal government will shut down Friday if Congress doesnt pass funding legislation. Democrats are weighing whether they should help pass a GOP-drafted spending measure that they dislike or whether they should demand some concessions in exchange for their support. Fetterman has always ruled out supporting a government shutdown as a mechanism to slow down the Trump agenda. Thats chaos. Ill never vote for chaos. To burn the village down in order to save it thats one of our core responsibilities to keep the government running, Fetterman told CNN. Its a matter of persistence Its not just progressives who are peeved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Longtime Philadelphia attorney Michelle Flamer describes herself as a centrist. Still, she feels compelled to protest her own party because the people she voted for, she says, should feel accountable to her. In my view, our nations on fire and we are actually in a constitutional crisis now, the 68-year-old said in an interview on her porch in West Philadelphia. She was in disbelief when House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wondered at a news conference last month how much power Democrats have in Trumps Washington. Michelle Flamer, former senior attorney for the city of Philadelphia. - CNN Im trying to figure out what leverage we actually have. What leverage do we have? Jeffries asked. Republicans have repeatedly lectured America. They control the House, the Senate and the presidency. Its their government. Jeffries was trying to indicate it was not on Democrats to bail out Speaker Mike Johnson on government spending negotiations since Republicans are in the majority. His message: Democrats would work with Johnson on a bipartisan basis, but conservatives must take responsibility for whatever materialized. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some Democratic voters received Jeffries comment as party leaders prematurely conceding defeat. In the middle 1800s, if you look at Philadelphia, we had 20,000 free Black people living in Philadelphia at the time. They were very much engaged in Underground Railroad activities. How much power did they have? Flamer said. But still these people persevered. Its a matter of persistence, added Flamer. Many Democrats want more from their party. In Clarion, local Democratic organizers are strategizing to find candidates to mount primary challenges against sitting Democrats they say are failing them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their message? Fight harder. Gum up the works. Throw up every conceivable procedural roadblock. Stop confirming Trumps nominees. And do a better job messaging to conservatives in rural America about how they too could be harmed by Trumps policies. Well, they definitely need to be doing all of the procedural warfare. Just everything they can do to obstruct anything thats harmful to Americans, said Kali McLaughlin, who lives with multiple sclerosis but still works to turn out voters in her rural community. Kali McLaughlin in Clarion, Pennsylvania. - CNN Aware of the unrest among the party faithful, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin and Jeffries held a national call last week to lay out actions they are taking to address voter concerns. We have a plan and we understand that we need to execute it with the fierce urgency of now, Jeffries said as he detailed a road map that included using the courts to stall Trumps agenda and a messaging battle to persuade voters so Democrats can recapture the House. Rural Democrats say no ones fighting for them The raw anger from Democratic voters isnt just concentrated in urban centers. The outrage is palpable in rural America, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In her 30s, Bobbi Erickson is a funny and feisty cook at an elementary school in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. In the two hours between the time she clocks out and when she gets her son off the bus after school, she volunteers by collecting signatures, organizing rallies and knocking on doors for local Democrats. Theres a war being waged in America, in rural Pennsylvania, and were fighting and were scrapping every single day to get volunteers, to get Democrats on the ballot, to get votes out. Were scrapping every day, and if they would work half as hard as we do, I would have no complaints, Erickson said. Brockway Area Elementary School cook Bobbi Jo Erickson, left. - CNN She said cuts to Medicaid and nutritional assistance programs would decimate her community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We already dont have hospitals. We already have places where you have to drive over an hour to get to a maternity ward. We already dont get the care that we need in these areas, and we need someone to fight for us, Erickson said. Her school is one of the thousands with a federally funded Head Start program, which provides child care and early education services to low-income families across America. The program has been thrown into uncertainty since the Trump administration froze its federal funding, a decision thats being litigated in federal court. Erickson worked hard to get Fetterman elected in 2022, even dressing up as a broccoli in a Fetterman campaign video to poke fun at his rival, Dr. Mehmet Oz. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think if he put in half the work I did to get him elected right now, I wouldnt be showing up at his office and protesting him, she said. When CNN reached out to Fetterman to ask him about the discontent among some Democratic voters in his state, including over his support for confirming Attorney General Pam Bondi, he pushed back against the premise. Theres a lot of Democrats in Pennsylvania, Fetterman said, adding that he wouldnt act like members of his party who held up signs during Trumps recent address to Congress. Im not going to be one of those guys, but my values havent changed, and Im going to be a reliable Democrat. Im going to keep fighting for wins in Pennsylvania. Abigail Grimes-Haldiman of Elk County often joins Erickson knocking on doors. As a transgender woman, she feels the weight of this political moment but wont cower, believing it is her duty as a citizen to canvass for causes and candidates aligned with her values. She grew up in a split political household, so she understands the complexity of coexisting with various ideological views. But when it comes to her own identity, she wishes Democrats would have more of a backbone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Democrats have allowed the Republicans to take that narrative away from us and for us to be demonized to the point that everyone thinks theres going to be a trans person thats going to attack you on the corner when were less than one and a half percent of the population, she said. Frustrations like that are why some Democrats are training their ire on their own party. Were the ones that put them in office, right? McLaughlin said. Were kind of responsible for them. Thats who we should be going after. CNNs Andrew Seger and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com LITTLE ROCK, Ark. One of the main targets of the Trump Administrations Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been USAID by reducing its funding and workforce. A humanitarian organization with roots in Arkansas says theyre seeing a reduction in aid as theyre working to help families in Syria. Court asked to intervene after email tells USAID workers to destroy classified documents Officials with DOGE say they have cut billions of dollars and more than 5000 programs from the main agency tasked with distributing US foreign aid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the U.S. Department of State, The United States is the single largest foreign aid provider to Syria and USAID reaches millions of Syrians every month. For years Natalie Larrison, the director of humanitarian programs for the Syrian Emergency Task Force based in Arkansas says theyve been boots on the ground in Syria helping families and educating children impacted by a civil war. However recently she says theyre seeing a noticeable difference. We have seen a huge need increase in Syria, Larrison said. The humanitarian situation has become more and more dire. On social media, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said they are canceling 83% of programs at USAID along with thousands of contracts. He added it spent billions of dollars in ways that did not serve. Which comes after President Donald Trumps attempts at a foreign aid freeze. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Secretary of State Rubio says purge of USAID programs complete, with 83% of agencys programs gone Larrison says theyre seeing specific aid that families need but are having a hard time getting. They really need medical assistance, Larrison said. There are people who live in horrible populations with bad quality water, things that affect the health of their youth. The United States is the single largest foreign aid provider to Syria and USAID reaches millions of Syrians every month. Larrison says their organization wouldnt be directly impacted because they do not use federal money but adds some of their partners may be at risk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White Helmets who are the first responders in Syria and have taken on that role for the whole country. She goes on to say, The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) has also had funding cuts and they provide so much lifesaving aid. She says Syria is going through a leadership change aiming for normalcy and aid uncertainty will not help. She is hoping despite all the changes the families will still get the help they need. Inside Trumps federal worker firings Secretary Rubio says the remaining USAID programs will be under the State Department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Allowing people to vote for or against water fluoridation is the goal of a bill that passed in a Senate committee on Tuesday. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Clint Penzo (R-Springdale). Ultimately this is about giving our constituents a voice on whether or not they want it in their water supply, Penzo said. Do you need fluoride after a teeth cleaning? Dental experts weigh in There are a couple of ways counties can vote on this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A majority vote of the quorum court can trigger this to go on the ballot, or a petition signed by no less than 5 percent of the total number of votes cast within the county for the county judge in the last election, Penzo said. Penzo told the committee he believes there is new research coming that shows fluoride could be a neurotoxin. A bill debated earlier in the session wouldve repealed the statewide water fluoridation mandate. It failed in committee after debate and testimony from dentists opposed. Fluoride bill fails in Arkansas Legislature committee KARK 4 News did reach out to the Arkansas State Dental Association they said they support the efficacy of community water fluoridation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They passed on a voice vote without discussion and it now heads to the Senate floor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. LITTLE Rock, Ark. A bill restructuring how electric utilities charge construction costs passed the Senate on Wednesday in a 23-9 vote, with one not voting. Senate Bill 307 was initially defeated last week but was restored through a procedural motion by its sponsor, Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy). Dismang filed two amendments to the bill on Tuesday, integrating input from the Public Service Commission (PSC) into the bills language. Arkansas electric utility bill fails Senate vote, due to return later Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill changes how early in the process a utility can charge a ratepayer for new project construction. In the current model, the rate increase accompanying a new power plant, for example, would come after a project was completed. In SB307, a utility could charge a ratepayer while construction was underway, leading to an incremental increase in rates over time, compared to a sudden and more significant rise from the model it would replace. In presenting the bill, Dismang pointed out that the PSC would retain control over utilities and projects. He also pointed out that with the state scheduled to lose two of its coal-fired power plants in 2030, Arkansas would move from being an exporter of electricity to an importer, indicating the need for more utility construction. Arkansas Public Service Commission submits proposed changes to Arkansas utilities legislation Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill will now move to the House. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. LITTLE ROCK, Ark.- The Whorton family is sharing their sons journey of healing after a duck hunting and boating accident left him fighting for his life. On January 10th, Ben Whorton went to do the thing he lovedduck huntingbut that same day changed his life forever. Ben is just such a happy person, loves to be around people, and enjoys all parts of his life, Bens girlfriend, Macie Petty, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arkansas family shares sons journey to healing following a duck hunting accident Ben and his friends were trying to make it back in as the snow began to fall. The boat went under a bridge, and Ben raised his head too soon, leaving him with severe head traumainitially being taken to UAMS. They saved his life, and then now we are on that second phase where we are in rehabilitation, Bens Mom, Amy Whorton, said. Now Ben is in Houston, Texas, and has made great progress, Tuesday being day 60 of his healing journey. Yesterday, he communicated with us. So you know he was able to communicate by turning his head to the right for yes and the left for no, and we were overjoyed, Bens Dad, Greg Whorton, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prayer vigil held in Little Rock for 21-year-old involved in duck-hunting accident The familys journey has been full of highs and lows, but the creation of a Facebook community has provided comfort through prayers, allowed others to share their stories of survival, and raised awareness for the hunting and boating communities. When you go under a bridge, that is a no-wake zone, Greg said. Ben is probably where he is because they were probably going too fast when they went under it. Greg Whorton shared that he thinks this rule is often forgotten, but there is a reason for it. His family says they remain hopeful of Gods plan for their son. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We plan on Ben walking out of here, and we are at the right place to get that journey started, Greg said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. Senate Minority Leader Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville, speaks against House Bill 1489 on the Senate floor on March 11, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) State lawmakers on Tuesday sent a bill to the governors desk that would allow executions by nitrogen gas in Arkansas. If Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signs House Bill 1489 into law, Arkansas would become the fifth state to authorize this method of execution. Alabama, the only state to have used nitrogen gas, has executed four inmates in this manner since January 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legislators in Nebraska and Ohio have filed bills similar to Arkansas as officials search for alternatives to lethal injection because of the challenges theyve faced in securing the necessary drugs. South Carolina last week carried out the nations first execution by firing squad since 2010. Arkansas last conducted executions in 2017 when the state put four men to death over the course of a week in advance of its drug supply expiring. Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning, listens to debate on House Bill 1489 on the Senate floor on March 11, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) Co-sponsor Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning, told the Arkansas Senate Tuesday that HB 1489 is needed because the state has a responsibility to citizens and death row inmates to take this issue seriously and administer the death penalty. Im not here to advocate for a death for death; we are preserving life by protecting life, Johnson said. These individuals, if they walk in our society, can take lives, and I will protect life through this method. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are currently 25 inmates on death row in Arkansas, 11 of whom have exhausted all of their appeals, according to Department of Corrections Communications Director Rand Champion. The longest standing death row inmate is Bruce Ward, who was sentenced in 1990. The department does not have a stance on House Bill 1489, Champion said. Senate Minority Leader Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville, said hes opposed to capital punishment not just because of his Catholic faith, but because its punishment that you cannot undo, noting that approximately 200 people sentenced to die since 1973 were later exonerated. Speaking in opposition to HB 1489, Leding argued that execution by nitrogen gas is not a painless death and that the colorless, odorless gas could accidentally kill prison staff if not administered correctly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont know that theres a humane way to take a persons life, but if we are going to take on this responsibility, I dont believe we can do it carelessly. We have to take it seriously, he said. We cant just reach for whats most convenient. I understand the challenges in trying to do this, but our response to a horrific act of violence cannot be a horrific act of violence. Let us know what you think... Speaking in favor of the bill, Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, acknowledged there are people who may have been wrongly executed, but he urged his colleagues to remember the victims of crime while deciding how to vote on the bill. I want to also acknowledge that we need to stand up for the victims because they didnt want to be in the position they were put on in the first place anymore than you and I want to be put in the position that today were going to vote for this bill, Hammer said. Kaleem Nazeem with the nonprofit group DecARcerate advocated for focusing on rehabilitation instead of retribution during the Senate Judiciary Committee discussion of the bill on Monday. Nazeem was incarcerated for nearly 29 years, but was released following a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that juveniles convicted of murder cannot receive a mandatory life sentence without parole. I think every human has a redemptive spirit, and I think as a society we should look for alternatives to killing people instead of rehabilitating people and try to look at the humanity in them, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members of the public who testified against the bill last month and again Monday, called nitrogen gas executions inhumane, experimental and expensive. Opponents also criticized the lack of implementation details in HB 1489, including whether nitrogen gas would be administered through a mask or in a gas chamber, what purity of gas would be required and the criteria of who and how nitrogen gas would be selected as the method of execution. Dylan Jacobs, deputy solicitor general for the Arkansas Attorney Generals office, told the House Judiciary Committee last month that the exact protocol of the execution, including how to keep staff and witnesses safe, will be promulgated by the state Department of Corrections. Jacobs said it wasnt necessary to include those specifics in the bill, which could tie the departments hands to perform the execution in a particular way. The Arkansas Senate approved HB 1489 by a vote of 26 to 9. Republican Sens. Justin Boyd of Fort Smith, Jonathan Dismang of Searcy and Clint Penzo of Springdale joined all six Democrats in voting against the bill. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX By Curtis Williams and Chen Aizhu HOUSTON/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Several U.S. LNG producers are trying to renegotiate higher prices with buyers as a result of rising construction, labor and borrowing costs, according to sources and company statements reviewed by Reuters. Higher prices would eat into the competitive advantage of U.S. liquefied natural gas on the global market, at a time U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to expand the industry already the world's largest. "The competitiveness of U.S. LNG could face a double whammy," said Alex Munton, director of global gas and LNG research at consulting firm Rapidan Energy Group. Rising liquefaction costs, a tighter domestic gas market, and falling prices for rival supplies indexed to oil could all impact U.S. LNG competitiveness, said Munton. Four sources said Mexico Pacific and Venture Global are seeking to renegotiate their supply purchase agreements with buyers, while Energy Transfer's co-CEO told an earnings call that negotiations were underway. Mexico Pacific, which is developing a 15 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) facility in Western Mexico to market U.S. natural gas, has been trying to renegotiate higher liquefaction fees with Chinese buyers Zhejiang Energy and Guangzhou Gas, according to two Chinese industry officials with knowledge of the matter. Mexico Pacific wants to renegotiate the prices because U.S. engineering firm Bechtel, the company building the plant, wants a construction price that has made the project too expensive, the sources said. Mexico Pacific and Bechtel declined comment. Zhejiang and Guangzhou have so far rejected Mexico Pacifics proposal, the sources said. They did not provide details of Mexico Pacific's liquefaction costs or how much the company wanted to lift them. Guangzhou, meanwhile, has asked to cut its take from the project from 1 MTPA to 700,000 tons per annum, one of the two sources, who has direct knowledge of the matter, told Reuters. Zhejiang Energy didn't respond to emailed requests for comment. Guangzhou Development Group, parent of Guangzhou Gas, did not immediately comment. Venture Global, the second-largest U.S. LNG exporter, has also been trying to renegotiate higher prices for supply and purchase agreements for its CP2 project in Louisiana, even though the plant is yet to start construction and has not gotten the financial go-ahead, according to two separate sources. Venture Global did not reply to a request for comment. In January the firm told investors that liquefaction fees could rise above $4 per million British thermal unit (mmBtu) from around $2.25 today. From left: Office of Personnel Management Director Kay Barnhill, Secretary of Transformation and Shared Services Leslie Fisken, Republican Sen. Breanne Davis of Russellville and Secretary of Finance and Administration Jim Hudson present a proposed overhaul of Arkansas' state employee pay plan during a meeting of the Joint Budget Committee's personnel subcommittee on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) Arkansas lawmakers will vote next week on a proposed overhaul of the state employee pay plan, which is expected to cost a total of $139 million, the bills lead sponsor said Tuesday. Sen. Breanne Davis, R-Russellville, presented the proposal in Senate Bill 392 to the Joint Budget Committees Personnel subcommittee alongside executive branch officials Tuesday. The meeting was for discussion only, and the subcommittee will be first to vote on the bill March 18. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The full Legislature is responsible for approving the plan, which is part of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders proposed fiscal year 2026 budget. Roughly two-thirds of state agencies workforce more than 14,000 state employees will receive pay raises that make their salaries competitive with the private sector, Sanders said in November when she announced the proposed pay plan. She said one of the main goals of the pay plan is to recruit and retain employees in hard-to-fill positions, particularly nurses, social services workers, corrections officers and state troopers. Sanders also said the plan will clarify the promotion ladders in each state agency and consolidate roughly 2,200 job titles into roughly 800 without reducing the number of available jobs. The state has typically had separate job titles for the same job, such as accountants, in different agencies, Office of Personnel Management Director Kay Barnhill told lawmakers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They all required the same type of skills, and they may not have been paid consistently across departments previously, Barnhill said. That was one of our major thrusts here with this plan, trying to ensure that we had equity and consistency across state government. Barnhill and Davis echoed the governors promise to bring some state employees entry-level salaries up to labor market rates in order for the state government to compete with the private sector. State employees with years of government experience whose salaries are above the minimum labor market rate would not receive raises under the new plan, Barnhill said in response to a question from Rep. Denise Ennett, D-Little Rock. Nearly 18% of 66,000 Arkansas executive branch and higher education jobs remained unfilled in 2024, the Advocate reported in December. The pay plan is part of Sanders Arkansas Forward initiative, which is meant to increase government efficiency. State officials devised the proposed pay plan with help from McKinsey, a Washington, D.C., consulting firm the state hired in February 2024 under a three-year, $5.5 million contract. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sanders initially projected the pay plans base cost to be $102 million, with $60 million coming from the states general revenue and the remaining $42 million from other sources. The base cost estimate is now $123 million, plus a $23 million match from each state agency, Barnhill said. She added that the initially projected match was $14.5 million. We did meet with agencies and departments one more time in December, and they brought forth some [job] classifications they thought we had missed, Barnhill said. Finance and Administration Secretary Jim Hudson repeated Sanders statement that agencies must find the money within their own budgets to cover as much of the pay plan as possible. The state has a $72 million performance fund that agencies can use to fulfill the plan if they exhaust their existing resources, he said. The subcommittees House chair and vice chair, Republican Reps. Jim Wooten of Beebe and Frances Cavenaugh of Walnut Ridge, both expressed concern that the officials presenting the pay plan legislation did not have an estimate for how much its proposed Arkansas State Employee Student Loan Program would cost. Rep. Frances Cavenaugh, R-Walnut Ridge, comments on a proposed overhaul of Arkansas state employee pay plan during a meeting of the Joint Budget Committees personnel subcommittee, of which she is the House vice chair, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) The program would provide up to five installment payments of $2,000 toward a state employees unpaid student loans if the employee used the loans to get a degree in the field related to his or her job. Barnhill said she did not have data on how many state employees would qualify. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As somebody who looks at numbers all the time, throwing out a program for a benefit and [no] idea of what it might cost us creates a little heartburn for myself, Cavenaugh said. The program would not be implemented without a clear picture of how it would impact agency budgets, Hudson said, but he believed the state should see how it goes and adjust as needed. Wooten said he remained skeptical of leaving a program open-ended because if we start something in government, it never ends. Video: Report on changes to the electric utilities bill and the withdrawal of the moratorium prevention bill LITTLE ROCK, Ark. A bill that would end an Arkansas agencys ability to place a moratorium on issuing permits in watersheds was pulled by its sponsor in committee on Tuesday. Senate Bill 290 would end moratoriums along waterways, such as the one currently in place by the Department of Environmental Quality on issuing permits for confined animal feeding operations along the Buffalo River. The bill was withdrawn by its lead sponsor, Sen. Blake Johnson (R-Corning), after testimony by both supporters and opponents to the Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New bill introduced in Arkansas legislature to end Buffalo River, watershed protections After the testimonies, Sen. Jimmy Hickey (R-Texarkana) expressed concern about the bills potential conflict with the Administrative Procedures Act, telling Johnson he could not support it in its current form. Johnson responded by withdrawing the bill. Other Senators on the committee voiced concern about its structure and terms before Hickeys statement. Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy) pointed out that the bill would essentially empower four committee members to have power over moratoriums in the state. Committee members Sen. Ben Gilmore (R-Crossett) and Sen. Jamie Scott (D-North Little Rock) also had questions about the bill, including its ability to contend with a possible emergency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arkansas reaches deal to shutter hog farm near Buffalo River This is Johnsons second attempt to create a law ending watershed moratoriums. An earlier version of the bill, Senate Bill 84, required approval by the legislative council for a moratorium to be in place. The new version of the bill, Senate Bill 290, mandated approval by the Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. The Arkansas Justice Building on the state Capitol grounds in LIttle Rock on Jan. 14, 2025. The building houses the state Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals and the Administrative Office of the Courts. (Photo by Sonny Albarado/Arkansas Advocate) Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Karen Baker on Monday fulfilled a request from her colleagues to provide them with a human resources report into her behavior in the Justice Building on Dec. 4-5, 2024, according to court records. The report is not available to the public because the court has not ruled on pending allegations outlined in it, Supreme Court Clerk Kyle Burton said in an email. Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Karen Baker (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate) Similarly, the response filed Tuesday afternoon by Attorney General Tim Griffins office is also not publicly available, Burton said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Griffins office is representing Administrative Office of the Courts Director Marty Sullivan, the defendant in an administrative civil appeal Baker filed Jan. 23. Her attorney, Tom Mars, asked the Supreme Court to dismiss Sullivans findings and recommendations from the human resources investigation. The investigation spawned from Baker entering Sullivans office in the Justice Building when he was not present on Dec. 4, which Arkansas Business reported later that month. She reportedly left Sullivans office disheveled and harassed AOC staff, both claims she has disputed. After the investigation concluded, Sullivan sent Baker a memo on Jan. 13, asking her to stay away from AOC offices and not to communicate with his staff, pending the conclusion of a judicial disciplinary review against her. Baker and Mars argued in their court filings that the chief justices visits to the Justice Building were for completely legitimate reasons. The Supreme Court, with the exception of Baker and Associate Justice Courtney Hudson, responded that it was impossible to know this, since Baker had not filed the HR report. In Thursdays order for Baker to file the report, the high court also said Sullivan would have until this Friday at noon to provide additional information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since being sworn in Jan. 1 as Arkansas first elected female chief justice, Baker has publicly butted heads with the rest of the court, with the exception of Hudson. The other five justices blocked Bakers attempts to fire 10 judiciary employees, including Sullivan, and appoint three new judges to the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission within three days of taking the oath of office. The justices stated that Baker was acting beyond the scope of her authority as chief justice; Hudson did not participate in the orders blocking Bakers actions. Baker has repeatedly maintained that state law and the state Constitution give the chief justice the authority to act unilaterally in personnel and appointment matters. The JDDC investigates complaints about the conduct of judges and the justices and is currently investigating Baker. The panel will hold a special meeting Friday. Arlington police are monitoring organized crime rings that are reportedly involved in a series of thefts and scams around the area. Officers with the Arlington Police Department say they continue to receive reports of organized crime rings operating in the Arlington area, particularly around Safeway, Walmart, the Pilot Travel Center, and Off-ramps along the north I-5 corridor. According to police, the crime rings consist mainly of people from Southeastern Europe, who have been known to disguise their identities, often presenting as tourists from various regions, including the Middle East, India, or Spanish-speaking countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They reportedly use a variety of tactics to scam and steal, including distracting staff while others shoplift or posing as stranded motorists to sell fake gold for quick cash. Arlington police say these scammers have been known to use women and children in their operations as props for distraction, and sympathy, and to avoid physical arrest. For example, women will hold signs indicating they are mothers with multiple hungry children or signs that indicate they have a child in desperate need of a life-saving medical procedure. Police say they tend to target locations they have previously victimized or new targets with different members, and that they pose a serious threat to both residents and businesses. Arlington PD urges everyone to stay alert and report any suspicious activities immediately, Your cooperation is crucial in helping us address this public safety issue. Military helicopter pilots are switching off a life-saving safety system in a move that makes them practically invisible to passenger jets, a whistleblower has claimed A serving navy pilot, who asked not to be named, spoke to The Telegraph after it emerged the same system had been disabled in the army Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into a passenger jet over Washington DC in January, killing all 67 people on board. I was waiting for something like that to happen, the whistleblower said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials have confirmed the Black Hawk helicopter was equipped with tracking technology that helps to share more accurate data with air traffic controllers, known as an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, or ADSB. The technology allows air traffic control to not rely solely on radar tracking, which can have a delay of several seconds, and therefore provides an extra layer of protection against crashes. The military is permitted to turn off ADS-B when conducting sensitive operations related to national defence, homeland security, intelligence and law enforcement. However, it has been claimed that some military commanders mistrust the technology and apply an extremely broad interpretation of the rules, which sees almost all flights qualify for the GPS software to be switched off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The whistleblower is not the only one campaigning for this change. Following a closed-door briefing last month with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, Senator Ted Cruz said: This was a training mission, so there was no compelling national security reason for ADS-B to be turned off. All 67 people on board were killed during the collision - The Washington Post Last month, Representative Tom Barrett of Michigan, who flew for the US army for 21 years before being elected to Congress, said he was working on legislation to require all military aircraft to have the system installed. The whistleblower first grew concerned following a near-miss with a colleague whose ADS-B system was switched off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My co-pilot screamed; I saw the grey [of the helicopter]; I saw the other pilots faces; I thought we were dead and the blades had hit because they were so close. But I was alive. Having received the GPS system for their units helicopters in 2023, the pilot described the technology as revolutionary and said it had saved their life countless times. There are two sides to the technology an ADS-B OUT transmitter that is built into the aircraft, and an optional ADS-B IN system, which consists of a GPS puck and an iPad. The former alerts other aircraft and air traffic control to a pilots position, while the latter provides a 3-D map of every nearby aircraft. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the near miss, the whistleblower encouraged fellow pilots to start using ADS-B OUT. They claimed they were met with resistance from colleagues who told them it should remain switched off because everything we do should be considered national security. I felt crazy, I was horrified, the pilot said, adding colleagues rolled their eyes and said: What are we worried about? Airliners? Although official guidance is understood to require pilots to turn on ADS-B OUT for training missions, the pilot said rules are interpreted differently from unit to unit, and that some never turn it on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, ADS-B IN is not a requirement, meaning a lot of pilots fly without it. I think its completely unsafe in this day and age, the whistleblower said. Despite the armed forces investing heavily in ADS-B, the pilot said there is a shortage of iPads, with just eight available for their unit of 30 pilots. They added that some senior commanding officers are suspicious of the technology and struggle to use it, meaning that iPads and the GPS pucks are left sitting in locked rooms untouched. Ive heard older commanding officers say: Thats not my navy. In my navy, we just looked outside. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its so uneducated, because technology can help you so much, and the iPad has saved my life countless times, the pilot added. Accident could have been prevented In the case of the Washington DC collision, they said that the Black Hawk crew would have seen the airplane had they been using ADS-B IN because they would have received a collision alert. The whistleblower added the collision course would have been spotted sooner by air traffic control if the military helicopter had turned on its ADS-B OUT system, which reports the aircrafts position every 25ft compared to every 100ft using the older system known as an IFF transponder. This accident could have been prevented if they had had this system on, the pilot said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesman for commander naval air forces, said: The safety of our aviators and the readiness of our aircraft are top priorities for naval aviation. We are committed to addressing maintenance challenges, modernising training pipelines, and enhancing supply chain resilience to ensure mission success. Naval aviation is focused on delivering a combat-credible force by prioritising safety, maintaining fleet readiness, and sustaining a force that is trained, equipped, and ready to deter and win in any contested environment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The ex-president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, could soon become the first Asian former head of state to be tried at The Hague. The populist politician was arrested on Mar. 11, 2025, after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant relating to his war on drugs. Some 6,000-plus people were killed during the crackdown. But despite the controversy surrounding his policies and the end of his presidency in 2022, Duterte remains an influential figure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Conversation U.S. turned to Lisandro Claudio, an expert on Philippine politics and history at the University of California, Berkeley, to explain how the arrest could impact domestic politics and whether this could mean the end of Dutertes sway. What do we know about the arrest and charges? The arrest warrant issued by the ICC states that Duterte is charged with crimes against humanity relating to events that happened between Nov. 1, 2011, to Mar. 16, 2019. This is important as it covers a period not just when Duterte was president but also when he was mayor of Davao City the richest city in the island of Mindanao. Duterte went on to serve as president from 2016 to 2022, but he pulled the country out of the Rome Statute, the treaty that set up the ICC, in 2019. Nonetheless, the ICC says the alleged crimes fall within their jurisdiction as they were carried out before the Philippines ended its relationship with the ICC. Duterte is alleged to have overseen the systemic use of murder, torture and rape against civilians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is accused of acting as the de facto leader of the Davao Death Squad, a group that was responsible for summary executions and the murder or disappearance of more than 1,000 people in and around the city. But importantly, the prosecution is also of Dutertes nationalization of the strategy of death squads. On coming to power, he incorporated the war on drugs into the policy of the national police. A plane carrying former President Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague takes off from Manila, Philippines, on Mar. 11, 2025. AP Photo/Aaron Favila Based on the way the ICC warrant was written and reporting in the Philippines, it appears that former members of the Davao Death Squad and police officers may be testifying for the prosecution, including, it is thought, hit man-turned-whistleblower Edgar Matobato and ex-Davao City police officer Arturo Lascanas. What role did the government play in the arrest? Dutertes arrest and rendition, for want of a better word, to the Netherlands appears to have taken place with the cooperation of the Philippine government. President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr., the man who succeeded Duterte, held a press conference following the arrest in which he explained that despite no longer being part of the Rome Treaty, the Philippines is committed to supporting the International Criminal Police Organization, or Interpol. And it was Interpol that asked Manila to enforce the warrant after receiving it from the ICC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The indication from Marcos was that the Philippine government had no choice but to comply with Interpol for two reasons. First, it is the expected behavior of a democratic nation to comply with international norms, and second, Interpol has helped the Philippines arrest fugitives in the past including former mayor and suspected Chinese spy Alice Guo. In short, Marcos is saying it is in the national interest to comply with the ICC arrest warrant. Is it in President Marcos political interests, too? The Philippines cant dictate to the ICC when to issue a warrant, or to whom. And it appears ICC prosecutor Karim Khan requested the warrant on Feb. 10, so the timing wasnt determined by Marcos. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But that isnt to say that it isnt fortunate timing. There is an important midterm election in May, and Marcos is keen to use it to consolidate his power amid an ongoing feud with Vice President Sara Duterte the daughter of the now-arrested former president. In 2022, Sara Duterte and Marcos ran on the same ticket for vice president and president. But this coalition between two family dynasties Bongbong Marcos is the son of former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos and still powerful matriach of the family, Imelda broke down rather quickly. Fighting between Sara Duterte and Martin Romualdez, the speaker of the House of Representatives and a cousin of President Marcos, strained the relationship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But beyond the personality issues, there has been a divergence in policy between the Dutertes and Marcoses. Notably, under Marcos Jr., the Philippines has pivoted back to the U.S. by allowing American troops back into the country and taking a more aggressive stance in regards to China in the South China Sea. This approach has been challenged by the Duterte family, which has been closer to China. In the first year of the Marcos administration, Rodrigo Duterte served as a sort of envoy to Beijing, although it became increasingly clear that this was more of an independent relationship between the former president and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. So could this be the end of Dutertes influence? That is certainly what President Marcos may be banking on. The ICC prosecution of the father paired with a forthcoming impeachment of the daughter will neuter the Duterte clans power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reason this is so important for Marcos is that Sara Duterte has made it clear she wants to be the next president, and given the ill feeling between the two, there is a widespread assumption that if in power she will go after various members of the Marcos family. With Duterte busy defending his case in The Hague, he will be unable to focus his efforts on helping his senator choices get elected in the midterms. It will also, presumably, end his bid to return as mayor of Davao City a position that would give him a powerful bully pulpit. No one should underestimate the charisma of Rodrigo Duterte; he is like a Donald Trump figure in that way. Many critics dont fully understand the power of his charisma, his humor and the warmth that he displays to supporters but it propelled him to high levels of popularity while in power. And the public doesnt see that charisma in his three children, including current Vice President Sara Duterte. Part of this is due to sexism there is a lot of sexism in Filipino politics, so people are more likely to support a brash-talking man like Rodrigo Duterte, compared with his daughter. And Sara Duterte has problems of her own notably the impeachment charges relating to alleged corruption while she was secretary of education. Could this lead to a more polarized politics? Your guess is as good as mine here. In the short run, the arrest of Rodrigo Duterte is clearly very good for President Marcos. And the small scale of the pro-Duterte protests suggest no great uprising against the arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But what happens next and how it is reported is crucial. Filipinos love a political martyr. We saw this when former President Joseph Estrada was arrested and prosecuted over stealing public money in 2001 his mughshot was adopted by supporters around the country. The same could happen to Duterte it could go both ways. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Lisandro Claudio, University of California, Berkeley Read more: As Chair of UC Berkeley's Center for Southeast Asia Studies, Lisandro Claudio oversees funding from the US Department of Education, the Luce Foundation, and the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs AMES, Iowa An arrest has been made in an Ames shooting that left a 19-year-old injured. On February 27 at around 1:15 a.m. the Ames Police Department received a report from a 19-year-old male saying he had been shot in the abdomen. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital via private vehicle. Man charged with murder in connection to Iowa womans 1989 disappearance Maliek Dut. According to police, the victim reported he had been robbed and shot by two men in the 2500 block of Jensen Avenue. After the shooting, the two suspects fled from the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, the police department announced an arrest had been made in the case. Maliek W. Dut, 22, was arrested and charged with first-degree robbery and attempted murder. No additional information or arrests have been announced. Iowa News: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. An approaching storm that could bring thunderstorms and heavy rain to Southern California prompted officials to issue an evacuation warning and close a portion of Pacific Coast Highway through the Palisades Fire burn area Wednesday. Due to the forecasted high rains which have the potential to trigger mudslides and debris flows on March 12-13, the City of Los Angeles is issuing EVACUATION WARNINGS for several areas, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. The order will go into effect at 7 a.m. Wednesday and continue through 6 p.m. Thursday and impacts areas within the Palisades, Sunset and Hurst fire burn areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Palisades Fire Area: Getty Villa area Highlands near the burn areas Bienveneda area near Temescal Canyon Park Rivas Canyon/Will Rogers State Park area Mandeville Canyon above Tanners Road Old Ranch Road and Rustic Creek Sunset Fire Area: East and South of Runyon Canyon Hurst Fire Area: Olive Lane in the Oakridge Mobile Home Park Residents within the warning areas at high risk will be visited by Los Angeles police officers Wednesday to issue specific evacuation orders, the Fire Department said. If you are not home, they will leave a flyer with important evacuation information. The warnings come as the National Weather Service says thunderstorms are possible late Wednesday into Thursday and could bring rain rates near 1 inch per hour at times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Caltrans has also decided to close a portion of Pacific Coast Highway especially susceptible to mudslides and debris flows. Map of Pacific Coast Highway closure. (Caltrans District 7) PCH to FULLY CLOSE between Chautauqua Boulevard and Carbon Beach Terrace starting at noon Wednesday. Only emergency vehicles will be allowed to access, Caltrans District 7 stated on X. Heavy rain caused a river of mud and rock to flow across the highway in February, even causing a Los Angeles firefighter and his SUV to be swept into the Pacific Ocean. Video taken the day of the crash showed the unidentified firefighter/inspector walking back to safety and climbing over a fence as his astonished colleagues came over to check on him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Public works crews have been preparing for the upcoming storm by clearing debris basins and flood channels. K-rails and sandbags have also been in strategically placed locations for several weeks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) With prom season approaching, Ascension Public Schools and the Ascension Parish Sheriffs Office are working together to ensure students make responsible choices. Their annual campaign, One Bad Decision Can Impact Your Future, is designed to serve as a strong reminder that reckless decisionssuch as drinking and driving or distracted drivingcan have life-altering consequences. Its going to be a fun night with a lot of different things going on, but we want to make sure they make the right choice at the right time, said Barry Whittington Jr., principal of Dutchtown High School, which will hold its prom on March 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of the campaign, students across Ascension Parish will see banners, school signage, and public service announcements reinforcing the importance of making safe choices. But one of the most impactful elements will be the wrecked car displays placed in front of campuses in the days leading up to prom. This year, we wanted to bring kind of a visual element of that wrecked car to help remind them as a visual cue that this is not what you want to happen while youre out celebrating these wonderful milestones, said Jackie Tisdell, Director of Communications for Ascension Public Schools. In addition to the school-led initiatives, officials are urging parents to have open discussions with their teens about prom night safety. Making sure that if they have any parties or anything like that, theyre being responsible and acting responsibly, said a Dutchtown High School official. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The campaign will continue through graduation season, reinforcing the message that responsible choices today lead to a bright future tomorrow. Latest News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. ASPERMONT, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) A Big Country mother and her newborn child are currently separated because of a drastic medical emergency. Kendra Olson was forced to give birth by cesarean to her daughter one month before her due date, but because of Kendras declining condition, the mother and newborn are now at separate hospitals. What initially appeared to be just a simple headache led 23-year-old pregnant Kendra Olson on a harrowing journey that spanned three different medical facilities. In just a few short days, she experienced the premature birth of her daughter, slipped into a coma, and ultimately underwent a liver transplant to address her severe medical decline. Holly McLaury is Kendras boss at the District Clerks Office for Stonewall County. In addition to her role at the office, she is organizing various events in the area to raise money for Kendras medical expenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are having a silent auction, doing a goat roping, and there was a t-shirt fundraiser. People have just been sending monetary donations to the bank, to her mother and dads account, just to try to help them with the expenses of being in Dallas, not getting to work, McLaury shared. The goat roping fundraiser will take place on Saturday, March 15, at the Stonewall County Livestock Sale Barn. Cody Myers, the County Agricultural Extension Agent, is assisting in organizing the event. Agent Myers noted that after the announcement of his involvement, many community members quickly reached out to him to offer their support for the fundraiser. The minute we set this thing up, theyre sending text messages or phone calls. Hey, what can I do to help? What can I do to help? We just want to get the word out, and I hope this whole parking lot is full, Myers said. The extreme nature of the circumstances surrounding Kendra Olsons medical journey has caught attention state-wide and beyond. Olsons family say they are bombarded with messages on social media from those in other states sending their prayers and well wishes to Kendra. Kendras mother, Mylinda Olson, spoke to an encounter she had while tending to her daughter at a Dallas hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A girl came up to me, a young lady thats having cancer treatments there, and she said, excuse me, I dont mean to bother you. I just want you to know I recognize you from social media and Ive been praying for you. All of the medical treatments that Kendra has undergone has left her with memory loss from the past two weeks, so she does not remember the delivery of her daughter. Kendra is currently in a hospital in Dallas recovering from the vital liver transplant needed to save her life, but her daughter is still in the NICU department at Hendricks in Abilene. Luckly, the infant girls health is well and will soon be discharged from the NICU in order to finally reunite with her mother this week. For anyone looking to help Kendra and her family you can do so by contacting Holly McLaury at the Stonewall County District Clerks office in Aspermont. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. The Arkansas Storm Team has issued an alert day for Wednesday and Friday regarding two rounds of severe weather this week. Below is a breakdown of what to expect from each round. The Arkansas Storm Team has issued two Alert Days this week. One for Late Wednesday and the other for late Friday. Round One: Wednesday Night Early Thursday Morning The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a slight risk for parts of west-central, southwestern and western Arkansas during this early round. In central, north-central and far-eastern areas, the risk is very low. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Round One Timing: As of now, it looks like storms could move in around 9 p.m. for far western Arkansas on Wednesday, pushing into central/southern portions of the state by midnight, and continue until 2 a.m. Thursday. Short-range guidance indicates that round one will move in late Wednesday. Round One Threats: There is a low risk for severe winds and hail. Tornadoes and flash flooding remain at a very low risk. The Arkansas Storm Team will be monitoring this closely. Strong winds and large hail threats remain low for late Wednesday, while the tornado and flash flooding threats are very low. Round Two: Friday Evening The SPC has placed central and northeastern Arkansas in a medium risk of severe weather. Round Two Timing: Stay tuned for more details and timing later this week. For now, expect storms to develop early Friday evening.. Lightning will be more prominent in storms during round two. As of now, timing looks to be late Friday evening into the overnight hours Round Two Threats: Medium risk for severe winds, large hail and tornadoes, while flash flooding is forecast at very low risk because the system is expected to move quickly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some guidance suggests that storm development will begin in north-central Arkansas before shifting toward northeastern and eastern parts of the state. Keep in mind that while some areas may see discrete storms at first, which is where we would need to look for the highest tornado threat. These cells should eventually merge into a line towards eastern Arkansas later into the evening. There is a moderate threat for damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes, while the flash flooding threat is minimal. The Arkansas Storm Team will provide updates as we get close to these events this week. Stay updated by downloading the Arkansas Storm Team weather app. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. Rep. Bethany Soye, R-Sioux Falls, speaks on the House floor on Jan. 16, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) PIERRE The South Dakota House of Representatives voted 36-34 Tuesday at the Capitol to accept Senate amendments to a controversial bill originally intended to hold librarians criminally accountable for knowingly providing obscene materials to minors. The amended version of the bill removes the criminal penalty and instead requires an appeals process for challenging materials in school and public libraries. The Senate wholly replaced the language in the measure on Monday, stripping provisions that would have repealed a legal exemption protecting librarians from prosecution for distributing content deemed harmful to minors. Instead, the revised bill allows people to challenge librarians decisions about what material should be available to children, first through the school board or a public librarys governing body, and ultimately through the courts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House supporters of the original bill asked fellow representatives to vote against the Senates changes, which would have sent the bill to a conference committee of members from both chambers for further deliberation. This bill does absolutely nothing, said Rep. Bethany Soye, R-Sioux Falls. She introduced the original version of the bill. Opponents of the original bill said criminalizing librarians is not a measured approach to alleviate concerns about inappropriate books. Everybody says we want to get these books out of schools, said Rep. Drew Peterson, R-Salem. Locking up librarians if they accidentally give a book to a minor isnt going to do it, but this bill will do it. The bill now heads to Gov. Larry Rhoden for final consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX LEWISBURG Attempted homicide and related charges filed against a Lewisburg man involved in a drive-by shooting in East Buffalo Township in 2020 have been abandoned in Union County Court. Union County District Attorney Brian Kersetter filed to have 14 criminal charges, including attempted homicide, dismissed for Mark Parrilla, 34, of Lewisburg. Union County Judge Michael Piecuch granted the request this week. "The Commonwealth does not have sufficient evidence to prove the elements of the crimes charged beyond a reasonable doubt," Kerstetter wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The decision comes after two trials where Parrilla's co-defendants were found guilty of some of the charges filed against them. Parrilla was originally charged by Buffalo Valley Regional Police with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure and criminal conspiracy 14 total counts. Julio Gonzalez was convicted in November following a trial of shooting Daevon Bodden in the leg and firing a bullet that grazed Jaheem Lewis neck, in a targeted attack on June 1, 2020, outside of a home along West Market Street (Route 45), just west of the Lewisburg Borough line. Police said Stephen Reid had a dispute with Bodden over an unpaid debt. Reid, Gonzalez, Justin Calzada and Pedro Pagan left Northumberland and picked up Reids brother, Parrilla, with the intention of confronting Bodden at a home on West Market Street in Lewisburg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When they approached the residence in two vehicles, Gonzalez used a black revolver to shoot at Bodden and Lewis. Bodden shot back and the other five fled the scene, according to testimony. A jury on Feb. 28 found Reid, 33, of Lewisburg, guilty of three felony counts of aggravated assault with serious bodily injury of Daevon Bodden, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure. Reid was found not guilty of two counts of attempted criminal homicide, two counts of conspiracy to commit attempted criminal homicide and three felony counts of aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit the discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure. In February, Piecuch sentenced Gonzalez, 28, of Lewisburg, to 29 to 67 years in state prison and ordered him to pay $15,000 in total fines plus court costs and fees. A jury in November found Gonzalez guilty of one count of attempted criminal homicide of Daevon Bodden and three felonies: two counts of aggravated assault and one count of discharging a firearm into an occupied structure. Calzada pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy to discharge a firearm into an occupied structure. He is scheduled to be sentenced at 2:30 p.m. April 23 in front of Piecuch. Bodden, in September 2021, pleaded guilty to a felony count of discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure and was sentenced in November 2021 to 22 to 72 months in state prison, according to court documents An investigation is underway after a report of an attempted kidnapping of a juvenile on Tuesday afternoon. Brockton Police say an elementary school student reported the incident while she was walking through the woods by Davis Commons after school. A person allegedly tried grabbing the students book bag, but the girl was able to get away. School police canvassed the area following the report, attempting to identify a suspect, but were unsuccessful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There will be an increased police presence in the area on Wednesday and students are being advised to avoid the woods. Boston 25 News reached out to Brockton Public Schools for comment. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) Community leaders and legal advocates are calling for transparency in the settlement process for victims of the Brave Cave. A press conference Wednesday at Baton Rouge City Hall was led by attorney Ryan Thompson, Ronald Greenes mother Mona Hardin, the NAACP Louisiana State Conference, and community advocacy group PREACH. The group claims that victims and their legal representatives were not notified of settlement offers that appear on the Metro Councils agenda. The Metro Council met at 4 p.m. to consider six proposed settlement amounts ranging from $15,000 to $100,000 for individuals who filed lawsuits against the city following alleged abuses at the now-defunct police processing facility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the victims stood in front of the council and expressed her frustration and anger on what the parish attorney considers a reasonable amount. Thompson, who represents multiple victims, says the process lacks transparency and that victims deserve a say in the decision-making. Baton Rouge Police Department Brave Cave: Timeline of investigations, lawsuits and arrests Background on the Brave Cave case The Brave Cave, a warehouse facility once used by the Baton Rouge Police Departments Street Crimes Unit, became the focus of lawsuits and a federal civil rights investigation in August 2023 following allegations of illegal detentions, beatings, and unconstitutional strip searches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fallout from the scandal led to: The disbanding of BRPDs Street Crimes Unit in 2023. Multiple federal lawsuits filed by victims. Four officers arrested and charged in connection to alleged abuses. The FBI launching a civil rights investigation into the facilitys practices. The officers placed on administrative leave pleaded not guilty to charges in August 2024. A federal judge recently denied a motion by police officers to dismiss a lawsuit in February 2025, allowing civil litigation to proceed. The Baton Rouge Metro Councils decision on the proposed settlements is expected to play a key role in resolving at least some of the legal claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisiana attorney general attending court hearing in TikTok lawsuit Latest News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. (Bloomberg) -- Australian climate activist and financier Simon Holmes a Court has called on voters frustrated by major parties to support independent lawmakers at the forthcoming election, giving them more influence in a potential hung parliament. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The son of Australias first billionaire, Holmes a Court used his familys wealth in 2022 to win traditional center-right seats from the Liberal Party by financing professional women to run as independents with a pro-climate message. These Teals succeeded in wealthy electorates where voters had been put off by the then-ruling Liberal Partys lack of action on global warming. Holmes a Courts Climate 200 group donated almost A$6 million ($3.8 million) to the Teal independents campaign three years ago. With just over two months until an election must be held, he is urging Australians who are now frustrated with Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses center-left government to again back independent candidates. The numbers dont lie. One-in-three voters in this country now rejects the major parties, Holmes a Court said in a speech in Canberra on Wednesday. How can you blame them when the major parties are more focused on fighting each other than fighting for Australia? Australia must hold an election by May 17, with Albaneses Labor government struggling to overcome mounting voter dissatisfaction with cost-of-living pressures and a housing crisis. Albanese holds a parliamentary majority by just a few seats, raising the prospect he may have to work with minority parties and independents to hold onto power after the ballot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Should Liberal leader Peter Dutton win more seats, he would likely also have to negotiate with independents. A Newspoll survey this week showed Labor trailing the opposition Liberal-National coalition by 49% to 51% in two-party preferred terms. If those numbers were replicated in an election there would be a hung parliament, where neither side is able to secure a majority. In 2022, Climate 200 won seats that were once considered invulnerable. This included the electorate of then-Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who had been considered a future contender for prime minister. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2025 Bloomberg L.P. FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) The Warner Brothers film Mickey 17 debuted in theaters last Friday. The sci-fi dark comedy, directed by Bong Joon-ho, is based on the book Mickey 7, written by Edward Ashton, who grew up in Fairmont. 12 News interviewed Ashton to hear his thoughts on the movie adaptation and his feelings about growing up in the Mountain State. I dont think my memories are idyllic or idealized, said Ashton in an interview with 12 News via Zoom. Fairmont had its issuesevery place you live has issues. But I think it was a wonderful place to grow up and Im really glad to be able to call myself a West Virginian. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ashton graduated from Fairmont Senior High School in 1986. He attended college at Loyola University in Baltimore and later earned a PhD from the University of Rochester, but wrote some of his earliest stories in Marion County. Almost Heaven Swing added at Tygart Lake There certainly were people who helped me along the way, said Ashton. And in particular, there were two English teachers at Fairmont Senior High School and I still keep in touch with them; Carol Amos and Linda Morgan were huge influences on my life and I wrote some of my first stories for them in their classes. Ashtons newest book, The Fourth Consort, was released at the end of February, and parts of that novel are set in Fairmont. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont live in West Virginia anymore, but West Virginia will always be a part of me, said Ashton. If youre from Fairmont, pick up that bookyoull recognize some of the things that I talk about. Its still definitely a big part of my life and a big part of my world. A place that even if I dont live there anymore, I will never forget. You can see the entirety of 12 News interview with Edward Ashton in the player below: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Twenty-seven people accused of distributing large amounts of drugs in central Arkansas were arrested Tuesday by federal and state authorities. Federal officials with the Eastern District of Arkansas said the alleged members are accused of distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. Officials added that the organization was believed to have trafficked hundreds of pounds of fentanyl to people in Arkansas. Arkansas methamphetamine ring bust results in 18 arrests, federal charges in Poinsett County Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials said an unsealed indictment shows that 44-year-old Eric Dillard and 49-year-old Jimmie McDaniels of Little Rock are accused of heading the drug organization. Officials added that 29 defendants were listed in the indicted, with most of them being from Little Rock and surrounding towns. The defendants that were arrested are facing several charges, including conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Six of those defendants are also facing money laundering charges. Little Rock man sentenced to 18 years for fentanyl possession with intent to distribute Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The arrests are a result of an investigation that began in September 2023. Officials said during the investigation, law enforcement agents intercepted phone calls where alleged members discussed drug trafficking and money laundering. Federal officials said more than $100,000 and 19 guns were seized during the investigation. Officials said the arrestees will appear in court Thursday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -Wells Fargo (WFC) sued JPMorgan Chase (JPM)on Monday to recover losses for investors in a $481 million commercial real estate loan that was allegedly based on a fraudulently inflated financial metric. The lawsuit pits the fourth-largest U.S. bank against the largest, with Wells Fargo accusing JPMorgan of turning a blind eye during due diligence in pursuit of millions of dollars in fees. JPMorgan made the loan to finance the 2019 purchase by the Chetrit Group, a private Manhattan real estate development firm, of 43 multifamily properties with 8,671 apartments in 10 U.S. states. Wells Fargo, in its role as the investors' trustee, said JPMorgan and Chetrit learned before the $522 million purchase closed that the seller overstated the properties' historical net operating income, a key commercial real estate metric, by 25%. But according to the complaint in Manhattan federal court, JPMorgan went ahead with the loan, knowing it would eventually be sold in pieces to unwitting investors. The borrower defaulted in 2022 and still owes more than $285 million, while investors have lost tens of millions of dollars, Wells Fargo said. "JPM had an obligation to engage in due inquiry to determine the scope of the fraudulent reporting" after learning about the inflated metric, Wells Fargo said. "Instead, JPM plowed ahead as if nothing unusual had happened," Wells Fargo added, "without even bothering to correct known errors in the numbers." The defendants also include Meyer Chetrit, a Chetrit Group principal who provided a loan guaranty. JPMorgan and the Chetrit Group had no immediate comment. Wells Fargo wants New York-based JPMorgan to repurchase the loan, less amounts the trust received from sales of underlying properties, or else pay damages for breach of contract. Lawyers for San Francisco-based Wells Fargo did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment. The case is Wells Fargo Bank NA as trustee v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 25-01943. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis) A massive seizure of nearly 7,000 smuggled songbirds in Indonesia has exposed the country's ongoing battle with illegal wildlife trafficking, reported Mongabay News. What's happening? Indonesian authorities intercepted 6,860 songbirds from West Nusa Tenggara province on Feb. 1 at Tanjung Wangi Port in East Java. The birds, including zebra finches, red avadavats, and streaked weavers, were packed into 134 boxes on a truck, with 579 already dead when discovered. This bust follows a similar October 2024 seizure in Sumatra, suggesting traders are now seeking alternative supply routes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The major traders are now looking for new sources of supply, including from West Nusa Tenggara, Bali and Kalimantan [Indonesian Borneo]," said Marison Guciano, executive director of a bird trafficking watchdog group called Flight. Despite violations of permit and health certificate requirements, the suspect was released because the birds weren't specifically protected by law. Guciano noted this reflects how authorities often view the songbird trade as a "trivial crime" compared to the trafficking of tigers, elephants, and rhinos. Why is the songbird trade concerning? The popularity of keeping songbirds, especially among ethnic Javanese households, has created a massive market that's pushing many species toward extinction. Flight reported that at least 300,000 songbirds have been seized in Indonesia over the past five years alone. "Government protection for songbirds is still very weak. But the trade is so massive that some songbird species are rarely seen in the wild," Guciano explained. "If this is not stopped, the populations of many songbird species in Indonesia will decline drastically, and even become extinct from the wild." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beyond the environmental toll, this trafficking creates serious public health risks. "The illegal trade in songbirds also increases the risk of zoonoses that could pose a threat to public health," Guciano warned. When birds are smuggled without proper health screening, they can transmit diseases to other animals and, potentially, to humans. This creates a dangerous pathway for new illnesses to spread. What's being done about songbird trafficking? Conservation groups like Flight continue monitoring trade routes and providing authorities with information to support enforcement efforts. In this case, quarantine officials returned surviving birds to their native habitats in West Nusa Tenggara after health checks. Better regulation is needed to protect these vulnerable species. While current efforts focus on high-profile endangered animals, advocates push for stronger legal protection of all wild birds regardless of conservation status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can help by choosing not to purchase wild-caught birds, supporting organizations that combat wildlife trafficking, and raising awareness about the dangers this trade poses to wildlife and human health. Supporting sustainable alternatives to wild bird ownership, such as bird-watching tourism, also creates economic incentives for protection rather than exploitation. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. UPDATE @ 1:13 p.m. The Attorney Generals office spokesperson Phil Bacharach has responded to the incident saying, This afternoon OAG agents working in conjunction with OKCPD served a search warrant on a medical marijuana dispensary at 8613 S. Western in OKC: Green Plus Dispensary and Twice Baked Edibles. Around the same time, OAG agents served a search warrant at a medical marijuana waste disposal in Logan County. Both actions are related to the same ongoing investigation being conducted by OAG, OMMA, OBN and OKCPD. No arrests as of yet. ORIGINAL STORY OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Police officials are on the scene of a dispensary raid near Southwest 87th & Western. Investigators on scene of dispensary raid in SW Oklahoma City. Image KFOR. Investigators on scene of dispensary raid in SW Oklahoma City. Image KFOR. McIntyre Law Chopper 4 pilot reporter Mason Dunn was over the scene showing Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Oklahoma Highway Patrol already taking plants out of a location behind the scene of a dispensary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City of Stillwater announces Google land purchase for data center project Investigators on scene of dispensary raid in SW Oklahoma City. Image KFOR. KFOR has a team headed to the scene. This story is developing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. For the record: 9:05 p.m. March 11, 2025: A prior version of this article incorrectly attributed a statement by Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman. State and local authorities announced felony charges Tuesday against three alleged Mexican drug cartel affiliates accused of plotting to sell 50 pounds of fentanyl in Los Angeles. L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman touted the bust alongside state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta during a news conference at the downtown Hall of Justice, with officials estimating the street value of the drugs seized at $55 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This is our biggest bust yet," Bonta said. Read more: California seized enough fentanyl last year to kill everyone in the world 'nearly twice over' Bonta said the operation began in January when investigators received "reliable information" suggesting Torrance resident Priscilla Gomez, 43, was a drug courier. She was arrested after a search during a traffic stop by Downey police uncovered fentanyl in her car, officials said. Another cache of drugs was found in a Downey apartment, said to include "indications of a Mexican cartel." In addition to the 50 pounds of fentanyl, authorities found nearly 12 pounds of opium. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There's no telling how many lives would be tragically cut short and how many communities would have been devastated had these drugs been distributed," Bonta said. "Thankfully, this time, we won't have to find out." Read more: Hollywood woman convicted of running delivery service dubbed 'Uber, but for drugs' Gomez is in federal custody facing three counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance and one count of sale, transportation or offer to sell a controlled substance. A preliminary hearing for her brother, Gustavo Omar Gomez, 47, and another trafficking suspect, Carlos Manuel Mariscal, 35, is scheduled for March 20 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, a news release said. Both men are charged with two counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance, and Mariscal is also charged with unlawful possession of ammunition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If convicted, Mariscal faces 31 years in prison, while Priscilla and Gustavo Omar Gomez face 28 and 24 years, respectively. Hochman said the charges served as a stern warning to fentanyl traffickers, whom he called "fentanyl poisoners." "Our collective message is clear," Bonta said. "It's consistent to those distributing illicit fentanyl throughout our communities and, in the process, inflicting pain, suffering and death on Californians: We will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."In 2023, drug fatalities plateaued in L.A. County for the first time in a decade, but overdoses remain the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 44. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. An autopsy for a 3-year-old boy whose body was abandoned at a Brooklyn hospital was inconclusive Wednesday as cops continue to search for the childs mother, officials said. Further testing will need to be done to determine how little Kyng Royal Foster died, a spokeswoman for the city Medical Examiner said. Cops want to question the childs mother and her boyfriend, who they believe dropped the tot off at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in East Flatbush just before 11:25 a.m. Sunday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The couple took off in a four-door sedan with Pennsylvania license plates that dont match the vehicle, according to police sources. Medical staff pronounced Kyng dead shortly after he arrived. The boy was in rigor mortis when he arrived at the hospital, indicating he had been dead for at least a couple of hours, police sources said. He had extensive bruising on his body, which could be linked to lividity, a postmortem condition in which blood pools in the lower parts of the body, causing a purplish discoloration of the skin, the sources added. The childs family is hoping Kyngs mother turns herself in to police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Idk wtf is going through your head right now but this not you, wrote Tiqua Blockwood, who identified herself in the Facebook post as the boys godmother. Aint no fing wayyyyyy my godson didnt deserve that I just got this feeling its more to this. If youre seeing this baby, turn yourself in, Sabrina Johnson, who also identified herself as the boys godmother, told PIX11 outside the hospital Monday. Its easier for you to turn yourself in and explain yourself, versus them finding you. Its a sad situation that the life of a 3-year-old is gone. And were going to miss him. The case has not been deemed criminal as police await the results of the autopsy. Ayo Edebiri called Elon Musk an "idiot" on her Instagram story for spreading a fake casting rumor. The rumor claimed Edebiri was being eyed for a new "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. Musk shared the fake info on X, writing, "Disney sucks." Edebiri said it triggered online attacks. "The Bear" star Ayo Edebiri has some choice words for DOGE overseer Elon Musk after he helped spread a fake casting rumor last year that she said triggered a slew of attacks against her. "Just remembering when I got some of the most insane death threats and racial slurs of my life (idk if it's the #1 moment, but for sure top 3) for a fake reboot of a movie I had never even heard of because of this man LMAO," Edebiri wrote on her Instagram story Tuesday night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "So not only is he double s**g h**l-ing fascist, he's an idiot," she added, alluding to gestures that Musk performed at President Donald Trump's inauguration rally that many interpreted as Nazi salutes; "seig heil," meaning "hail victory" in German, was a rallying cry adopted and popularized by the Nazi party. (After his gesture sparked backlash, Musk told Joe Rogan he is "not a Nazi.") Edebiri also shared a screenshot of the rumor in question, which was circulated last February by the X account @unlimited_ls, which is dedicated to sharing political news and "social injustice" from a conservative angle. The rumor claimed that Edebiri was being eyed as a "replacement" for Johnny Depp in a new "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. Depp last starred as Captain Jack Sparrow in the fifth installment of the franchise, "Dead Men Tell No Tales," released in 2017. He was set to appear in a sixth film, but according to court testimony, plans for "Pirates of the Caribbean 6" were scrapped after Depp's ex-wife, Amber Heard, wrote an op-ed about domestic abuse. A screenshot of Ayo Edebiri's Instagram story from March 11, 2025. Ayo Edebiri/Instagram Musk reshared the rumor on his own X account, writing, "Disney sucks." The original post has since been deleted, but Musk's is still live. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The person who runs @unlimited_ls shared a reaction to Edebiri's criticism on Wednesday morning, calling the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor "unhinged." "Ayo Edebiri waited over a year to address rumors and credible reports circulating in Hollywood from trustworthy sources. And, of course, she attacks Elon Musk," the post reads. The @unlimited_ls user also clarified that their original post with the unverified rumor was deleted by mistake. "I never made any claims; I clearly stated 'reportedly' because it was the latest information coming from credible Hollywood sources," they wrote in a follow-up post. "And yes, I am a HUGE fan and supporter of Mr. Musk. He has my loyalty for LIFE, and I don't say that lightly." I never made any claims; I clearly stated reportedly because it was the latest information coming from credible Hollywood sources. And yes, I am a HUGE fan and supporter of Mr. Musk. He has my loyalty for LIFE, and I dont say that lightly. pic.twitter.com/dd0UYaTZpo Unlimited L's (@unlimited_ls) March 12, 2025 The casting rumor about Edebiri was not reported by any reputable trade publications; it seems to have originated with Daniel Richtman, a self-styled Hollywood insider who shared unverified details on his Patreon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Richtman's blog post was picked up by Comic Book Resources, but the rumor gained more traction in the wake of Musk's repost, finding its way onto film blogs like JoBlo and ComingSoon.net. After the post by @unlimited_ls went viral, Richtman chimed in to say its framing was disingenuous. "There's no 'Replacing Depp' or anything like that. She's only the 'Type' they're looking at for the lead in one of the planned spinoffs," he wrote. Outrage over the claim that Edebiri, a Black woman, would be "replacing" Depp, a white man, seemed fueled by the ongoing right-wing backlash to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, also known as "DEI," which are designed to prevent discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, sexuality, or other protected classes. Many opponents of DEI have conflated antidiscrimination efforts in the workplace and government with Hollywood's recent push for more inclusive casting. Female actors who've joined major movie franchises in the last decade, including Kelly Marie Tran ("The Last Jedi") and Brie Larson ("Captain Marvel"), have recounted similar experiences with sexist and often racist abuse on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musk has long been a vocal opponent of diversity initiatives in the corporate world, even before the second Trump administration officially launched its anti-DEI campaign. As Business Insider reported, Musk's DOGE office has recently been working to pause and, in some cases, entirely cut government programs by flagging keywords like "equity," "gender," and "gay." Representatives for Edebiri and Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider Gov. Kelly Ayotte speaks at a press conference to urge the passage of House Bill 592, which would undo large parts of a 2018 bail reform law, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Photo by Ethan DeWitt/New Hampshire Bulletin) Advocates on both sides of New Hampshires bail law debate have waged competing influence campaigns ahead of a pivotal House vote Thursday on a bill to roll back the states 2018 bail reform laws. House Bill 592, supported by Gov. Kelly Ayotte, would tighten the standards for determining bail for people who are arrested, and would eliminate a magistrate system created last year intended to allow bail hearings on weekends. That would undo much of what passed in 2018 in a bill intended to reduce the number of people held in jail the ability to pay bail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For people charged with a series of violent offenses, the bill would require courts to find whether there is probable cause that they are a danger to themselves or others, or that they are likely not to appear at future court hearings. Currently the standard for dangerousness is clear and convincing evidence. The bill received a recommendation of ought to pass from the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee in late February, but it will need a majority approval vote from the full House Thursday to advance to the Senate. One influential libertarian group, the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance, has called on representatives to vote it down. On Wednesday, Ayotte held a press conference packed with state police, local police officers, lawmakers, and county attorneys, urging the Legislature to pass the bill. An amendment recommended by the committee last month aligns the bill to Ayottes own proposed bail law in her budget trailer bill. The 2018 law it came from a national movement, Ayotte said. And what happens sometimes is these national movements dont fit our state. And I think thats what happened here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking to reporters, Ayotte said she is recommending eliminating the magistrate system because inserting non-judges into the bail process created more issues than it solved. She argued the positions, which were intended to help accused people obtain bail certainty on weekends, are not necessary. In my experience as a prosecutor, judges do work weekends. Ive been to many judges houses in the middle of the night to get a search warrant, she said. The press conference came a week after Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais penned a letter to lawmakers in support of the law with seven other mayors, including Paul Callahan of Rochester; Robert Carrier of Dover; Byron Champlin of Concord; Robert Cone of Berlin; Dale Girard of Claremont; Jay Kahn of Keene; and Desiree McLaughlin of Franklin. Like many municipalities, we have vacancies in our police departments that make an already trying job more difficult, the letter stated. This problem compounds itself when criminals cycle through a process of arrest and release, only to be arrested again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But critics of the law say it will make it far too easy and likely for courts to hold people in jail ahead of their trials. That change, they say, could increase the states incarceration rate and cause people to lose employment or custody of their children even if they are later proven innocent. This is a criminal legal reform issue that keeps people from immediately being held in jail after being arrested because they cannot afford to pay bail, or because they were arrested on a Friday night and now need to wait until Monday, or because they havent been able to address tickets or pay fines, et cetera, said Amanda Azad, policy director at the New Hampshire ACLU, which is recommending representatives vote no. So if people are not deemed dangerous, they shouldnt be incarcerated before theyve even been convicted or had a trial. The Liberty Alliance is also seeking to encourage no votes. The group publishes a document known as the Gold Standard ahead of House voting session days, in which the group lays out recommendations for how its members should vote on certain bills. In this weeks document, members of the Liberty Alliance are recommended to vote against the bill. This bill does many things that are bad for civil liberties, the document states, citing the elimination of the magistrate system and the change of the standard of proof to hold defendants as among the problems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked Wednesday his reaction to the Liberty Alliances recommendation, House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, an Auburn Republican, said he was confident HB 592 would pass on Thursday The governor was very gracious and gave us a lot of time to try to negotiate with all of our members about all of their concerns, he said. At the end of the day, not every word in the bill that came out of the committee is to every members liking, but I do believe that Republicans as a whole will stand behind the product that was produced. DISCLAIMER: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) Authorities say a three-year-old is in critical condition after she allegedly found a gun and shot herself at a unit on Rasberry Lane in the Westwood Village Apartment complex. According to the Shreveport Police Department, a friend of the girls stepfather laid a gun down on a table in the apartment and both men went outside. Police say the toddler was left inside the apartment unsupervised with the weapon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The firearms owner, identified as Cedarius Mims, initially fled the scene, taking the weapon with him, said SPD. On March 12, detectives arrested Mims on one count of Obstruction of Justice and one count of Second-Degree Cruelty to a Juvenile. Cedarius Mims (Shreveport Police Department) The preliminary investigation indicated that the three-year-old then took the gun and accidentally shot herself in the stomach. SPD says she is in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. Shreveport Police have detained the stepfather. This is an ongoing investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. Mar. 11Charles William Davis, Jr., 77, confessed to the 1975 killing. He is in prison serving life sentences for other murders. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here. Originally Published:March 11, 2025 at 12:37 PM EDT Steve Bannon isnt taking 2028 off the table. In an profanity-laced interview on Wednesday with POLITICO, the MAGA firebrand repeatedly refused to rule out a presidential bid, as GOP sources close to him are increasingly speculating he is serious about running should President Donald Trump himself not campaign for a third term a constitutionally barred idea Bannon has proposed. I dont think like a politician, Bannon said. All I do is back President Trump and try to move the populist national agenda and the America First agenda. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked why he simply wouldn't say that he would not be a candidate in 2028 should Trump not run, Bannon said that the question was too absurd. The interview comes as the once-exiled Bannon is seeing renewed popularity and influence on the right amid the ascendance of the MAGA movement with his fans floating him in a straw poll at a high-profile conservative gathering last month as a potential presidential candidate, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential Democratic presidential contender, featuring him on his new podcast. One person close to Bannon and granted anonymity to speak freely said Bannon has privately discussed a potential 2028 campaign. I think hes serious, the person said. And he has long harbored presidential ambitions for himself, said three other people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bannon said in the time after he left Trumps White House that he would never return as a staffer and the only time he would go back is if he were president, according to a Republican consultant who worked on Trumps 2016 campaign. He also speculated about the possibility of businessperson Mark Cuban running on a ticket with him, the person said. The consultant saw his comments as not kidding around more so like, Im good enough to do this. The person added that Bannon, however, never got to the point where he was strategically mapping out a run. (After publication, Bannon denied ever speculating about returning to the White House as anything but a staffer.) Bannon has established a reputation as both a mercurial provocateur and frequent pot-stirrer whose actions dont always match his rhetoric. A potential 2028 presidential run for Bannon, who served four months in prison in Connecticut on two counts of contempt of Congress, would activate a pre-existing fault line on the MAGA landscape. Last November, Vice President JD Vance who is actively positioning himself as the heir apparent to the movement on X called Grace Chong, chief financial officer and chief operating officer for Bannons show War Room, "a mouth breathing imbecile" after she criticized him for missing a Senate vote to confirm judicial nominees. Vance later deleted the post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bannons remarks come amid larger speculation within the party that he could run as a kind of keeper of the MAGA ideological flame against an ascendant tech right. At an annual gathering of conservatives outside Washington in February, Bannons fans were openly encouraging people to vote for him in one of the most closely watched political barometers on the right, the straw poll for the next presidential contest. Bannon who was treated like a celebrity at the Conservative Political Action Conference, where viewers of his show lined up to meet him could have, of course, killed the effort. He didnt, and his supporters catapulted him to a distant second place behind Vance, putting him ahead of big names like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the president's own son, Donald Trump Jr. As we learned from the 2024 lawfare, if Bannon was elected, he certainly wouldn't be the first convict to become president, said Jack Posobiec, a MAGA activist who often appears on Bannons War Room show. In any other time frame, it would surprise me, but I dont think there are any surprises anymore. A third person close to Bannons said hes primarily focused on the threat posed to MAGA by tech mogul and Trump adviser Elon Musk, whom he has called a parasitic illegal immigrant . Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Thats what he does all day long: He's 100 percent focused on purging Elon Musk from MAGA, this person said. Still, Bannon would not address his plan after Trump's second term. My guy in 2028 is Donald J. Trump a guy like this comes around once in a century, okay, and we got to get everything out of President Trump we can get. Im on [air] four hours a day," he said. "I say it four hours a day, and then eight to 10 hours behind the scenes. This is another kick up the dust, kick up the controversy because Im in a huge fight with Elon. He added, I have one podcast with Gavin Newsom and you're running around with your hair on fire. Of Newsom, he said, he agrees with me on everything. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bannon said he is not a politician, and added that he has held one political office in my life, referring to when he was student body president 60 years ago. I went to fucking prison to back this president, and to back this movement in a low-security fucking prison, Bannon said. Here are the things I care about: I care about my country and this movement, and I care about President Trump. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) Barbara Norton has been encouraging people on her weekly KOKA radio show for more than 30 years now. She uses her platform to inform and motivate. You are somebody. You are a hero, Norton shared with her audience. There is no giving up. There is no quitting. There is no stopping. Its that perseverance that helped her create change and provide long lasting traditions and resources for the Shreveport community. She has a long list of accomplishments including the creation of the annual African American History Parade which celebrated its 37th year in February. She has given away more than 30,000 shoes to children in need over the past 20 years, during her back-to-school giveaway. Remarkable Woman Finalist Dr. Jaya McSharma: Physician, Actress, Entrepreneur, Activist In 1989, she spearheaded an effort to create a community library in the Airport Park Recreation Center. That effort led to the opening of the Shreve Memorial Library Mooretown Branch in 2003. Without education, we cant survive. Its impossible, said Norton. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She accomplished this while juggling a career and raising three children. She still felt there was more to be done. I said if I become an elected official, I will be sitting at the table and I can speak up for not only you all, but for those persons who does not have a voice, Norton recalled. She served as State Representative from 2008 to 2020. During that time, she worked to improve District 3, which included a beautification project to make neighbors feel proud of their community. Carolyn Pinkney has been friends with Barbara for years and nominated her to be a Remarkable Woman of the ArkLaTex, to give back to someone who has given so much to others throughout her lifetime. Carolyn says she is inspired by Barbaras strength. Shes one of those people who cares about everybody, from the youngest to the oldest, said Pinkney. She is like a jack in the box, no matter how hard you push her down shes gonna keep popping up. Theres nothing you can do to her to stop her or to break her or to shake her because she knows who she is. I think a woman is strong when she stands up for whats right, said Norton. Barbara and the African American Parade Celebration Committee will host the 3rd annual Womens Celebration on Sunday, March 23rd at 2:00 p.m. at Riverview Hall in Downtown Shreveport. The event is free and open to the public. Everyone is encouraged to wear white to the event. If you would like to be recognized with a certificate and pin during the celebration, email holli225@yahoo.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. BUTLER, Mo. The Bates County, Missouri Commission says it wont have to give back the more than $3 million in COVID relief funds that residents were concerned about. Presiding Commissioner Jim Wheatley waited until Monday, March 3 to start filling out the necessary federal paperwork as a deadline neared. In an interview with FOX4 Tuesday, Northern Commissioner John Gray admitted to us the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) situation seemed to be over. Wednesday, March 5, the Bates County Commission met to discuss the ARPA situation with residents. Local news outlet Mid America Live posted some of the meeting on their Facebook page. Wheatley did not attend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im really disappointed that Jim Wheatley isnt here because this is mostly directed at him, one of the residents said to Gray and Southern Commissioner Trent Nelson. Changes visible at Ridgeview, Kansas City Road Snaps location Tuesday, FOX4 talked to Gray at the Bates County Administration Building. Trent stood behind him for four years. He followed him. He supported him. He had his back. He was there for everything, Gray said of Nelsons relationship with Wheatley. Then Wednesday when Jim didnt show up, he just fed him to the wolves. Trent took all of Jims abuse and his. The last week of February, Wheatley still hadnt submitted the necessary information to the federal government on how the countys spent $3 million in COVID relief funds. Those issues werent corrected until Monday, March 3 and Tuesday, March 4. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wheatley wouldnt talk to FOX4 on camera Tuesday. Wednesday, March 5, he posted on his Facebook page, alleging that the majority of the people who went to the meeting earlier in the day were there to publicly chastise him. I admit that I dropped the ball as I was the one who had the sign into the account, Wheatley added in his post. For that, I apologize and realize the detriment that it could have caused the County and the citizens. Oh, absolutely, Gray said when asked if he felt like people in the county have lost trust in Wheatley. Ive had some of his friends even call me and tell me. Even if the countys not going to have to give back about $3.1 million, business owner Cody Morris has started a petition to try and get Wheatley to resign. In an interview with FOX4 Tuesday though, he admitted that his work so far on that may not carry much weight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FOX4 Newsletters: Sign up for daily forecasts and Joes Weather Blog in your inbox We have sought some legal advice and gathered that there can be an affidavit filed, Morris said. Then from there on, there is a process to seek removal, so there are some people looking into that to see if thats a route that we would want to take. In Wheatleys Facebook post, he added that he wont resign. If he decides to run for reelection, hell be up again in 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. On this bonus Battle Lines episode, Roland Oliphant speaks with Reza Pahlavi, the son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran who was overthrown in 1979. The Crown Prince has lived in exile ever since, but he now believes the regime could be heading for collapse and is positioning himself as the potential figurehead of a democratic transition. We asked him why he thinks Iran is headed for a revolution like the one that overthrew his father, why he believes he could lead such a change, and what he thinks Western governments should do at this delicate moment in Iranian history. Listen to Battle Lines using the audio player in this article or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your favourite podcast app. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Mar. 11WASHINGTON Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, gave a bipartisan boost Tuesday to a bill that aims to help federal workers who have lost their jobs as part of the mass firing led by Elon Musk's U.S. DOGE Service. The Protect Our Probationary Employees Act is co-sponsored by dozens of House lawmakers, but so far only two Republicans: Baumgartner and his fellow freshman, Rep. Jeff Hurd of Colorado. Its lead sponsor is another first-term lawmaker, Democratic Rep. Sarah Elfreth of Maryland. The bill would clarify regulations that apply to a federal worker's probationary period the first year on the job, or in some cases two years so that fired probationary employees could keep the seniority they had accumulated if they are rehired. In a brief interview at the Capitol, Baumgartner said his support for the bill shouldn't be construed as criticism of President Donald Trump or his administration's effort to rapidly downsize the federal workforce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There are some workers who were fired by mistake, and those workers shouldn't lose their accrued probationary status," he said. "I think it's just a good, common-sense bill." "We want good people spinning turbines and guarding our nuclear stockpiles," Baumgartner said, referring to the seemingly arbitrary termination of hundreds of workers at the Bonneville Power Administration, which runs hydroelectric dams in the Northwest, and the National Nuclear Security Administration, which manages U.S. nuclear weapons. Trump has empowered Musk, a billionaire adviser who has ignored government ethics rules and continues to run multiple companies with billions in federal contracts, to fire workers without specific reasons through an entity dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency. The group, largely composed of software engineers and other business associates of Musk, isn't technically a department something only Congress can create and has taken over the offices and the acronym of a small agency formerly called the U.S. Digital Service, which was also referred to as USDS. Pointing to a story published by Politico on Tuesday, Baumgartner emphasized that his backing of the bill is not "some specific pushback against Elon Musk." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "That's not how the bill is intended," he said. "It's just a bill that says we need good federal employees, and if they're mistakenly fired, let's just have common sense." Even Trump, Baumgartner pointed out, has come to endorse a more targeted approach to cutting the government workforce, whose salaries account for about 5% of federal spending, according to the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute. In a social media post on Thursday, the president called Musk's DOGE project "an incredible success" and said he had directed his cabinet secretaries to continue the staff cuts. At the Department of Veterans Affairs, for instance, Musk led the termination of about 2,500 probationary employees, including more than a dozen at Spokane's Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center. Then, on March 4, VA Secretary Doug Collins directed his department to lay off approximately 70,000 to 80,000 more employees within six months. "As the Secretaries learn about, and understand, the people working for the various Departments, they can be very precise as to who will remain, and who will go," Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We say the 'scalpel' rather than the 'hatchet.' The combination of them, Elon, DOGE, and other great people will be able to do things at a historic level." Orion Donovan Smith's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor. BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) A Parker man who chose to have a judge decide his fate rather than a jury has been found guilty of Lewd and Lascivious Molestation on Tuesday. According to State Attorney Larry Basford, 37-year-old James Matthew Hernandez of Parker faces up to Life in prison at his sentencing before Judge Dustin Stephenson on March 24. Instead of a jury hearing the case, Hernandez asked for a bench trial, which means that his testimony and evidence would be presented directly to Judge Stephenson without a jury present. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man charged in fatal crash killing a mother and 8-month-old daughter Prosecutor Morgan McAfee called 4 witnesses and presented evidence showing the defendant sexually molested the child in 2022. The victim, who was under 10 years of age, was one of the witnesses called. Judge Stephenson heard closing arguments from McAfee and the defense before giving his guilty verdict 20 minutes later, officials wrote in a news release. Under Florida law, the defendant faces a minimum of 25 years. Basford thanked the Parker Police Department and Gulf Coast Childrens Advocacy Center for their work on the case. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) Scuba diving has always been big business for the dive centers here in Bay County. But some are worried are that having the worlds largest artificial reef a few counties away could make their businesses much smaller. If they dont put it in that corner that were asking for, then it wont be reachable from Panama City. So itll be reachable by Destin only, Panama City Dive Center owner Patrick Green said. Remarkable Women: Jamie Gary gives women beauty for ashes Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The SS United States arrived from Philadelphia last week. Okaloosa County commissioners are gambling the last of the great ocean liners will be a major tourist attraction, once its sunk off their coastline next year. Theyre considering 3 proposed sites as the ships final resting place. The furthest site is 55 nautical miles away from Panama City, which is too far for dive boat operators to reach efficiently. The closest is about 35 nautical miles from the St. Andrews Pass. Thats the one the local diver operators are supporting. They say that location would benefit everyone. If we look at the economic impacts of similar type ships that have been deployed before, its something between doubling the existing business or roughly doing like another 7000 passengers a year, which is huge. Its a big deal for us, Green said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local tourism officials also recognize the significance of the project. Its going to sit in 180 feet of water. But the superstructure and the decks itself are going to be accessible just to, you know, folks who can dive 60, 70 feet of water. So, I mean, it really is going to be a great dive for all sorts of different divers, Bay County Tourist Development Council Executive Director Dan Rowe said. Over 400 Auburn University students spend Spring Break volunteering in Port St. Joe In fact, some TDC members believe the SS United States will be enough of a game changer, that they want to invest in the project, to help get that closer location. The Bay County TDC approved a request to expend up to $3 million over two fiscal years for the promotion and marketing of the SS United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement $2 million will go towards the ships deployment and $1 million will be spent in promotion. Okaloosa County commissioners will make the final decision on the artificial reefs location. Theyve told me that this is a decision that they will make sooner than later, Rowe said. $1 million dollars of the countys investment will build a land-based museum to display the ships artifacts. Okaloosa county officials believe the SS United States will even draw tourists that dont dive. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. Editors Note: In the original video, a statement was inaccurately attributed. We regret the error OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Next month, Oklahomans with severe asthma who are insured with BlueCross and BlueShield of Oklahoma (BCBSOK), may have to give themselves life-saving shots at home after a policy change. Right now, patients can have their doctor give them the shot if they choose. This is what they do. They do this all the time, said Dr. Dean Atkinson, with Oklahoma Allergy and Asthma Clinic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Atkinson treats asthma patients. Most of them use an inhaler, but a small number need a shot, likely from medications such as Fasenra (benralizumab), Tezspire (tezepelumab), Nucala (mepolizumab) and Xolair (omalizumab). BCBSOK notes they are FDA approved for self-administration. Two probable measles cases reported in Oklahoma Atkinson said some patients would rather go to a doctors office for several reasons. They may have an allergic reaction or simply forget to take it. It may be one to two weeks or four weeks, said Dr. Atkinson. It could make their asthma exacerbate, make it worsen. Others may have trouble storing it properly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If theyre not refrigerated and refrigerated properly, they will deteriorate, said Dr. Atkinson. On April 15, BCBSOK is changing its policies on these medications, saying it will, review the medical necessity of administering drugs in a health care setting when they could appropriately be self-administered. BCBSOK sent News 4 the following statement: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma is committed to expanding access to quality health care. We are updating medical policies for some medications that are FDA-approved for self-administration. Our policy revision is being made with the interests of our members in mindpromoting access to treatment that is convenient and effective. Starting April 15, 2025, if not medically necessary to be administered in a health care setting under a members medical benefit, the drugs may be processed under a members pharmacy benefit for self-administration. The impacted drugs are: Fasenra (benralizumab) Tezspire (tezepelumab) Nucala (mepolizumab) Xolair (omalizumab) These medications have already been covered under the standard pharmacy benefit for members with pharmacy coverage. This medical policy update promotes access to the treatment via the most convenient and effective benefit for the member. These changes do not apply to Medicare. If a member has questions, they can call the number on their member ID card or log on to Blue Access for MembersSM. BCBSOK This does not impact Medicare or Medicaid. If youre requesting to have a doctor administer the shot for you, an appeal can always be filed with documentation. It can be a nightmare, said Brad Traverse, Executive Director of the Infusion Providers Alliance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Traverse said the alliance advocates for companies that treat patients with asthma. [The policy change is] yet another example of, you know, the insurance companies taking away choice and driving a wedge between the physician and the patient, said Traverse. Its really a money issue. The alliance said BCBSOK makes more money when patients give themselves the shot. Image courtesy of the Infusion Providers Alliance They benefit financially every time these drugs are shipped, said Traverse. Dr. Atkinson agrees. They move it out of their medical benefit into a pharmaceutical benefit, which means theyll basically make more money, said Dr. Atkinson. Its trying to take control, making the insurance company the one thats in control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News 4 has been asking BCBSOK for an interview since Monday morning, specifically asking about profits. The insurance company did not address how the change would impact their profits. Instead, BCBSOK sent us the following statement. This medical policy update follows FDA guidelines and promotes access to the treatment via the most convenient and effective benefit for the member. There is not one singular pharmacy benefit manager or specialty pharmacy that would be used by all our members eligible for self-administration of these asthma medications. When asked, the Alliance and the Asthma Clinic said the change would impact their profits only slightly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both Traverse and Atkinson believe policy changes wont just stop at asthma injections. Theres always more to come, said Atkinson. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. BEAUREGARD, Ala. (WRBL) Beauregard High School has rescheduled its prom due to a forecast of severe weather, including the potential for tornadoes, this weekend. Principal Richard Brown says the Lee County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) has advised hazardous weather conditions are expected on Saturday, March 15. With student safety as the top priority, the school has decided to move prom to Friday, March 14, at 7:00 p.m. The event will still take place at Lazenby Farms. We realize that this decision may affect appointments and other prom-related reservations, but we are making this move for the safety of our students, Brown stated in the memo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The school administration expressed appreciation for the communitys understanding and cooperation as they prioritize student safety. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) Senate Bill 3145 would require homebuyers to sign a buyers agreement with any real estate agent before the agent takes the homebuyer to see a property. The agreement would lock the buyer into a time period of working exclusively with the real estate broker who holds the contract, and it would set up a payment agreement and confidentiality between the homebuyer and their agent. The National Association of REALTORS already requires members in West Virginia to have their buyers sign the agreement, which typically lays out the responsibility of the homebuyer to compensate the agent a percentage of the sales price, if the home seller does not agree to pay both the selling agents and buying agents commission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agreement may also lay out an hourly rate the homebuyer will pay the agent and set a time period for the exclusive agent/buyer relationship. Previously, home buyers did not enter contracts to view homes, but NAR passed the policy as part of a lawsuit settlement. A REALTOR is an agent who belongs to NAR, but real estate salespersons in the state who do not belong to the organization are not bound by the NAR policy. WVDOH crews gearing up to repair slip along Prosperity Road A non-NAR real estate agent may decide to have a homebuyer sign a buyers agreement but may also show houses to a buyer without requiring a commitment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supporters say the bill is better for consumers, because it lays out confidentiality and payment agreements between agent and buyer. David Chinn, a broker with Altruist Realty in Beckley, said on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, that he does not support the bill. Its not fair to the consumer to have to sign a buyers agreement to go look at a house, and thats why we are against it, because theyre trying to make it look like a consumer advantage, but its definitely not, said Chinn. Blood Worm Moon: Total Lunar Eclipse set to delight two Virginias Thursday Night He said that under such contracts, an agent could snare a homebuyer for a period of six months and that the homebuyer could not leave the brokerage if she was unhappy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chinn said it is ideal for a seller to pay commission for both the selling and buying agent, so that the home sells more quickly and the homebuyer does not have an extra cost. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) The Bedford County Sheriff is asking for help identifying a man accused of breaking into a local business in the Stewartsville area of Bedford County on March 11. According to the sheriff, early on Tuesday morning, a man wearing a mask allegedly gained entry to a local storage unit business by cutting a hole in a fence and then broke into 11 storage units. EBT scams on the rise in Lynchburg area, police said Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriff is asking the public for assistance with identifying the man in the images below in connection to the investigation. (Photo Credit: Bedford County Sheriffs Office) If you have any information regarding the incident or the man in the images, please contact Investigator Hinton at 540-586-4800. You can also leave an anonymous tip with Central Virginia Crime Stoppers at 1-888-798-5900, online at http://p3tips.com, or by using the P3TIPS app on your mobile device. Crime Stoppers callers remain anonymous and could receive a cash reward up to $1,000.00. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) Police have arrested a New Bedford woman accused of shooting a dog with a pellet gun earlier this month. Officers were called to a Clifford Street home on March 1 after a woman reported her dog had been shot with what appeared to be a pellet gun. Yolanda Todman told 12 News her 1-year-old dog named Zuri was outside in their back yard when she was shot. Its not like she was a danger to anyone, Todman said, referring to Zuri. She was just sitting in here minding her business, in her own yard. Todmans home security footage captured the moment Zuri was shot. Two loud bangs can be heard in the footage just seconds before Zuri yelps and starts limping in pain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives were able to identify 32-year-old Lynette Ayala as the person responsible for the dogs injury. She has since been taken into custody and charged with animal cruelty. Todman told 12 News that, although Ayala lives just a few houses away, she doesnt know her personally. It doesnt give me peace, Todman said of Ayalas arrest. Anything inside this fence should be our safe zone, and unfortunately, its not. Todman isnt sure why Ayala would target her dog, especially since she is a gentle soul. Theres no excuse, she said. A GoFundMe has been created to offset Zuris veterinary expenses since she suffered a significant leg injury and may need to undergo surgery to repair the damage. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPMs Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. The Corruption: The Guardrails Are Gone Attorney General Pam Bondi has eviscerated the Department of Justices Public Integrity Section, NBC News reports, in another sign that rampant unrestrained public corruption will be a defining feature of the Trump era. We didnt get here overnight. A social, political, and legal transformation over the past decade has removed many of the most important guardrails to contain public corruption. The 2016 Supreme Court decision in McDonnell v. United States was the most overt early sign that democracys endemic but manageable corruption was going to be allowed to run free. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The implications of that and similar subsequent decisions are hard to isolate from the wholesale corruption that Donald Trump brought to the table beginning that same year. But the rank corruption of his first term pales next to the structural changes hes already wrought less than two months into his second term. The Trump White Houses takeover of the Justice Department writ large is the greatest boon to public corruption, but there have been a series of particularly egregious actions like Trumps executive order crapping all over the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act that have cleared the way for more wrongdoing and less accountability for wrongdoers. Bondis decision to strip the Public Integrity Section bare leaves Main Justices experienced career prosecutors on the sidelines in public corruption cases, shifts the onus to bring (and not to bring) such cases to more politically malleable U.S. attorneys, and weakens the mechanism for ensuring nationwide consistency across investigations and cases. Unrestrained public corruption creates its own perverse political culture. It feeds into cynicism and nihilism about government that in turn is exploited by figures like Trump to justify further weakening and undermining the rule of law. Its a death spiral and were now firmly in the grips of it. Ed Martin Threatens Another Dem In Congress Acting D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin now appears to be harassing people involved in the first impeachment of Donald Trump, sending one of his inappropriate letters of inquiry to Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA), the twin brother of former Trump national security aide Alex Vindman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martin purports to be seeking information about a company the brothers founded to help arm Ukraine against Russia and about the congressmans personal financial disclosures, the WaPo reports. Perkins Coie Sues Over Trump Executive Order In a full-throated defense of itself and the legal profession, Seattle-based law firm Perkins Coie filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C., to block President Trumps executive order targeting it and its clients. Appeals Court Judges Warn Of Threats To The Judiciary Two GOP-appointees to the federal appeals court warned publicly of the increasing threats to judges not just as a safety concern but as an attack on judicial independence. Judge Takes Up Mahmoud Khalil Case Today U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman of Manhattan will hold a hearing this morning on the Trump administrations detention of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a legal resident of the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first order of business will likely be whether Furman has jurisdiction over the case or whether the government spirited Khalil to Louisiana fast enough to avoid jurisdiction in the Southern District of New York. The case has roiled Columbia University but has national implications for free speech, the rule of law, and the legal protections afforded green card holders. Judge To Trump: What About The Appointments Clause? U.S. District Judge Richard Leon of Washington, D.C., declined to block the Trump White Houses takeover of the U.S. African Development Foundation but he zeroed in on the most concerning aspect of the episode: Whether President Trump can bypass the Senate in appointing a new board for the foundation after he fired the old one. Where is the presidents authority to appoint without Senate confirmation? Leon asked during Tuesdays hearing. How is that possible? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leon quickly issued a ruling in the case denying a temporary restraining order but putting the government on notice he would expect testimony from the DOGE representatives dispatched to take over the foundation and strip it bare. Document Destruction At USAID Paused For Now A highly unusual email to remaining USAID workers with instructions to shred and burn classified materials and personnel records set off a scramble Tuesday to try to stop the destruction of documents. Lawyers involved in some the pre-existing USAID lawsuits raced to obtain court orders to halt the shredding and burning of the documents, with a particular focus on those that would be relevant to the ongoing litigation over the purging of workers and the dismantling of the agency. By the end of the day, the Trump administration had agreed to stop any further destruction of documents at USAID headquarters without first notifying opposing counsel and giving them a chance to take the matter before a judge. The administration denied it had destroyed any personnel records and said it would provide later today a sworn accounting of what exactly happened. Sanctions Time Acting OPM Director Charles Ezell is willing to endure promised sanctions by a federal judge in San Francisco rather than comply with a court order to provide testimony about the Trump administrations purges of the federal workforce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. District Judge William Alsup had ruled Monday that Ezell couldnt have his cake and eat it too by submitting a sworn declaration but declining to be cross-examined about it. [T]he Trump administration Tuesday evening informed the court Ezell would not testify and withdrew his written declaration suggesting he did not order the probationary firings across government, Government Executive reports. Musk Watch NYT: Elon Musk has signaled to President Trumps advisers in recent days that he wants to put $100 million into groups controlled by the Trump political operation, according to three people with knowledge of the matter. Wired: Sources also tell WIRED that Musk has wanted a government shutdownan aim that runs contrary to the White Houses stated desire to avoid onein part because it would potentially make it easier to eliminate the jobs of hundreds of thousands of federal workers, essentially achieving a permanent shutdown. NBC News: President Donald Trump turned the South Lawn of the White House into a temporary Tesla showroom Tuesday in a conspicuous favor to his adviser Elon Musk, the car companys billionaire CEO. The Purges DoE : The Trump administration is purging the Department of Education of half of its staff NASA : The space agency has begun purging scientists ahead of a Trump administration deadline. NOAA : The Trump administration began cutting the chronically understaffed NOAA workforce by 10%, or more than 1,000 people. HHS : The Trump Administration is shuttering a half dozen regional legal offices at HHS that target fraud. EPA: The EPA plans to close all of its environmental justice offices, according to an internal memo obtained by the NYT. The Destruction The whole system of finding, diagnosing and treating tuberculosis which kills more people worldwide than any other infectious disease has collapsed in dozens of countries across Africa and Asia since President Trump froze foreign aid, the NYT reports. Johns Hopkins University is planning layoffs after the Trump administration cancelled $800 million in grants to the school, mostly through USAID, the WSJ reports. The Trump administration is considering cancelling the governments lease of the main support office for the Mauna Loa Observatory, which maintains the longest continuous record of measurements of atmospheric CO2 and contributed the data for the Keeling Curve, Reuters reports. The Trump administration has slashed the GSA division in charge of preserving and maintaining some 26,000 pieces of public art, the WaPo reports. CDC Nominee Trafficking In Anti-Vax Disinformation Dave Weldon, President Donald Trumps nominee to head the CDC, was still pushing the debunked link between vaccines and autism as recently as last month in a meeting with Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), she told Bloomberg. Quote Of The Day Johns Hopkins has bet very heavily on a century and a quarter of partnership with the federal government. If the federal government decides it doesnt want to know things anymore, that would be bad for Johns Hopkins and devastating for Maryland.Dr. Theodore Iwashyna, a critical-care physician at Johns Hopkins University House-Passed CR Heads To The Senate With a Friday deadline to fund the government, the GOP-controlled House passed a continuing resolution to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year. Attention now turns to the Senate, where Democrats are divided over whether to filibuster the CR and shut down the government to try to extract some concessions from the Trump White House. The Scale Of The Trump Carnage Is Staggering I find it useful to use longtime foreign policy and national security reporters whose voices are familiar as a gauge for how far and fast things are eroding: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a span of only 50 days, President Trump has done more than any of his modern predecessors to hollow out the foundations of an international system that the United States painstakingly erected in the 80 years since it emerged victorious from World War II. But perhaps the more remarkable thing is that Mr. Trump is eroding the old order without ever describing the system he envisions replacing it with. His actions suggest he is most comfortable in the 19th-century world of great-power politics, where he, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and President Xi Jinping of China, negotiate among themselves, and let lesser powers fall in line. Heres the big question: As Trump takes the wrecking ball to the old version of American foreign policy, what does he intend to construct in its place? His career shows little evidence of strategic thinking. He has been a disrupter and dealmaker rather than a builder. His first term was marked by constant changes in personnel and policies, with few enduring achievements. Trump seems to envision a new balance of power with three poles: the United States plus Russia and China, whose leaders he sees as kindred spirits. The rest of the world, including the United States oldest allies, must fend for itself. Neo-Manifest Destiny: Go North, Young Man President Trumps saber-rattling, bullying, expansionist rhetoric toward Canada might offer a glimpse of the ultimate destination for the runaway MAGA train: a neocolonial world with geographic spheres dominated by the United States, China, and Russia. But, as sobering as that prospect is, it comes with an insane level of stupidity and ignorance, not the least of which is a 21st century president cosplaying as William McKinley, the last president of the 19th century who oversaw American expansionism abroad at the height of the last Gilded Age: Do you like Morning Memo? Let us know! Editors Note: This article was updated on March 12, 2025, to clarify Anheuser-Buschs stance on tariffs announced by the Trump administration. (NewsNation) While some U.S. businesses and consumers are worried about their bottom lines amid President Donald Trumps trade war with Canada, Mexico and China, other companies and workers are welcoming the implementation of new tariffs. The New York Post reports Anheuser-Busch, which owns Budweiser and Michelob among other beverages, is bullish on tariffs. The beers Anheuser-Busch sells in America are also mostly made in the country, so if the prices of imported brews increase, the company could theoretically sell more of its brands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cuomo & Carlson: The Conversation continues Chief financial officer Fernando Tennenbaum told Yahoo Finance in February that any exposure to tariff is very limited. Tennenbaum also said 99% of what the corporation sells inside the United States is made domestically. Trumps steel, aluminum tariffs going into effect Wednesday New steel and aluminum tariffs go into effect tomorrow, and some executives are pointing to subsidies and lower labor costs in countries like Canada as to why the tariffs should exist. They believe these tariffs will level the playing field. Americas largest primary aluminum producer, Century Aluminum, applauded Trumps initial reinstatement of a 25% tariff on primary aluminum imports in a news release last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trumps decisive action will protect national security and help level the playing field for Americas aluminum workers, Century Aluminum CEO Jesse Gary said. US-Canada products are 99% tariff-free: Canadian ambassador to US On behalf of our employees, I thank President Trump for putting America first and strengthening the Section 232 tariffs, which will help drive the resurgence of domestic aluminum production. Some in favor of Trumps tariffs Despite concerns about an increase in the price of cars, some are in favor of the initiative.United Auto Workers Union president Shawn Fain told ABC News that tariffs will benefit his colleagues greatly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tariffs are an attempt to stop the bleeding from the hemorrhaging of jobs in America for the last 33 years, Fain said, referencing the North American Free Trade Agreement, which began in 1992. Tariffs arent the end solution, but they are a huge factor in creating, fixing the problem. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Senate Majority Whip Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, speaks on Senate Bill 2. March 12, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) This story mentions suicide. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988. FRANKFORT A high-priority Republican bill to ban the use of public funds for elective medical care for inmates is nearly law after the House Judiciary Committee voted to advance it along party lines Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans once again took issue with a Department of Corrections regulation that allowed transgender inmates to apply for treatments, arguing it was unfair to taxpayers to foot the bill. Democrats and those who testified against Senate Bill 2 said it would hurt a small population 67 transgender prisoners currently taking hormone therapies and could face constitutional challenges under the Eighth Amendments ban on cruel and unusual punishments. Chloe Atwater, an attorney with the Kentucky Equal Justice Center, testified that ending the treatments could land the state in costly lawsuits while the hormone treatments are cheap. The Supreme Court has stated that while the Eighth Amendment does not require comfortable prisons, it does not permit inhumane ones, she said. Humane conditions require ensuring that inmates receive adequate medical care, and denial of adequate medical care constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senate Majority Whip Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, SB 2s sponsor, said he isnt aware of any transgender surgeries on inmates that have happened on the public dime but wants to ensure they dont happen. These are folks that are in prison for committing crimes, Wilson said. I think we have to provide health care for them, but we dont have to provide any elective surgeries. Wilson also said it was inappropriate for the state DOC to implement the regulation in question internally. In December, Beshear said the regulation would be pulled and aligned with an opinion from Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman that there is no federal requirement for the state to provide prisoners with gender-affirming care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, Wilson and the bills supporters said they want to ensure in law the department cannot use public money to provide hormone treatments and other transition care. Those already on hormone replacement treatments would have to taper off and end them, according to his bill. House Majority Whip Jason Nemes, R-Middletown, said he has no issue with adults funding and accessing their own treatments. I want to be very clear for the taxpayer: If somebody wants to have this kind of surgery, more power to them. Thats their business. An adult has the right to do that and Ill fight for their right to do that. They have the right to have transgender surgeries, Nemes said. What were talking about here is public funding. Those who vote no think you, the taxpayer, should have to pay for these transgender surgeries. I have no problem with them paying for their own but if you vote no, you are saying the taxpayers should pay for transgender surgeries in our prisons. Thats the bottom line. No way around it. The bill passed 15-3. Having already passed the Senate, where it originated, SB 2 needs only to pass the House before heading to Gov. Andy Beshears desk for a signature or veto. Should he veto it, the legislature has the votes to override him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beshear has said he thinks inmates do not have the right to any and all medical surgeries paid for entirely by tax dollars. Rep. Jared Bauman, R-Louisville, praised the fiscal common sense that, thankfully, is sweeping our nation. Id just like to remind Kentuckians that anyone affected by this policy are certainly free to not break the laws of our great commonwealth, and thus carry on their treatment in their private life. The debate: Grandstanding or protecting public dollars? Chris Hartman, executive director of the Fairness Campaign. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) Chris Hartman, the executive director of the Kentucky Fairness Campaign, said any public savings wouldnt outweigh the cost of mental health interventions that your jail staff are going to have to deal with suicide watch, increased medications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988. If you just want to ban surgeries that are not happening in Kentucky, jails and prisons do that, but what you should not do is to deny the hormone replacement therapy that a minuscule number of Kentucky prisoners is getting, Hartman said. Youre not saving anything here. Youre playing politics with one of the smallest and most vulnerable populations in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Eric Russ, the executive director of the Kentucky Psychological Association, also testified against the bill and agreed that the savings would not balance the fallout. Gender-based discrimination and rejection creates significant harm, including increasing the risk of suicide and escalating mental health challenges, he said. In particular, obstructing access to care being currently provided risks creating a mental health crisis in those individuals with increased anxiety, depression and other consequences. These additional mental health costs will likely add up over time, surpassing any purported savings and not paying for appropriate treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Lindsey Burke, D-Lexington, said the bill is grandstanding on the back of vulnerable people while explaining her no vote. The justice system isnt perfect, and people do become incarcerated when theyre not guilty, she said. It would be a real shame to let one of those people die because we think poorly of who they consider themselves to be. Rep. Pamela Steveneson, D-Louisville, said we ought to back out of the business of telling doctors what to do. This is not about money, she said. This is about we dont like them. Committee chair Daniel Elliott, R-Danville, sees it as a straightforward issue. I think the question is: should public funds taxpayer funds be used to pay for those who are convicted of crimes, to pay for elective transgender surgeries and procedures? he said. And the answer to that is: no. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Senate lawmakers voted to move forward with a bill that would ban certain green energy companies from using eminent domain on private property. Senate Bill 352 states that eminent domain can not be used by wind energy facilities, solar energy facilities, battery storage facilities, or hydrogen gas facilities on private property. Private property owners must have protections, said Sen. Todd Gollihare (R-Kellyville). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gollihare authored the legislation. He was asked how he identified these businesses as ones to restrict. Bill locking the clock on standard time in OK passes committee These green energy facilities and all the conflict thats going on in rural Oklahoma with wind turbines as well as solar projects, said Gollihare. He cited recent projects in northern Oklahoma, where companies used eminent domain to move forward. He said his bill adds safeguards for landowners. These landowners want to have a say in whos taking their property and whos using their land for what. Thats how we identified that, said Gollihare. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation would also require electric companies to get approval from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission on high-voltage line projects. Senator Mary Boren (D-Norman) said she started looking into the states eminent domain laws after having to deal with the possibility it would be enforced for a turnpike in her district. I learned that Oklahoma has some of the worst eminent domain laws in the nation as far as private property owners, said Boren. Gollihare said the legislation would strengthen those statutes while protecting private property owners. Since 1915 no significant changes have been made to the eminent domain statute. Other than prohibiting its use for wind turbine in 2011, said Gollihare. Senate Bill 352 is the first step in updating this statute to protect private property rights in the modern era. News 4 received the following statement from Oklahoma Power Alliance Executive Director, Mark Yates: Every renewable energy project in our state has been developed through voluntary agreements with participating landowners, which generate more than $50 million in lease payments to Oklahomans each year. To be clear, companies have never had the ability to utilize eminent domain to develop renewable energy projects, which means the majority of SB 352 is merely political theatre and another attempt to solve a problem that does not exist. Oklahoma Power Alliance Executive Director Mark Yates The measure passed the full Senate and will now make its way to the House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) House Bill 208 is headed to the Senate after a unanimous vote. The bill would require every public school district to implement a policy prohibiting cell phone usage during instructional time. Kentucky lawmakers may take tougher stance on school cell phone policies Rep. Josh Bray, R-Mount Vernon, said studies show limiting student cell phone use at school improves mental health and test scores. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres been a lot of research done on cell phones with kids and the damages it causes to their mental health and to their ability to learn when theyre near, Bray said. There have been studies done that show in school districts that have implemented policies to prohibit their usage during instructional time, test scores have jumped up by 6% pretty immediately. The bill would also direct the school districts to block access to social media websites on school computers and school internet networks. Teachers would be allowed to authorize cell phone use for instructional purposes, and students would be allowed to use their phones during an emergency, Bray added. Rep. Anne Gay Donworth, D-Lexington, noted she may also not be very popular with her children by voting in favor of HB 208, but she believes it is the right thing to do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several Kentucky districts adopted much stricter policies regarding cell phones for the 202425 school year. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Jessamine County Schools announced a change in its policy in July, citing that phones are becoming too much of a distraction. Our goal is to limit student distractions, negative teacher/student interactions, and decrease social media-fueled conflict by giving students the opportunity to disengage from cellphone use during class time, school officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the new policy, all personal devices must have airplane mode activated and turned into a centralized location within the classroom at the beginning of each class period. Devices will be returned to students at the end of each class period but not for in-class restroom breaks. Bourbon County Schools adopted a similar procedure. Kids could be texting each other, not focused on what the teacher is teaching. They could be playing a game on the phone; they could be watching someone on the phone on YouTube. They could be on social media, on the phone. Ive seen it previously in other schools where its beenit was an issue with that, Bourbon Co. Middle School Principal Littleton Ward told FOX 56 in 2024. Read more of the latest Kentucky news Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A comparable bill was introduced last year that eventually died in the House. House Bill 208 was passed unanimously in the Senate on Friday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. Photo via Getty Images A Republican measure that would waive certain state regulations to allow data centers and other large industrial energy users to build small nuclear reactors in rural Arizona inched closer to coming law Tuesday. House Majority Leader Michael Carbone told the Senate Natural Resources Committee on March 11 that his legislation is about removing state regulation and beating foreign adversaries who are doing similar things. Multiple other countries have begun to pursue the technology, including allies and adversaries to the United States. Carbone gave his colleagues in the House a similar pitch last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX His House Bill 2774 would do that by letting large industrial energy users place a small modular nuclear reactor in their facility without having to get a certificate of environmental compatibility. And in rural Arizona, they would also be exempt from local zoning restrictions. Nuclear reactor advocacy groups have raised more than $1.5 billion to push for these style of reactors amid the ongoing AI boom. Generative artificial intelligence, like Chat GPT, is generally only possible with large amounts of power and the use of data centers. Other states, including neighboring Utah, are also investigating the use of small nuclear reactors, often called SMRs for short. (SMR stands for small modular reactor, and the industry largely downplays the fact that the reactors are nuclear powered.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The point is to have a conversation. We should not be afraid of this, Carbone told senators, adding that the technology is safe. We are not going to be able to have these conversations in a couple of decades, I dont think. Carbone admitted to the committee that there are currently no SMRs in operation anywhere in the United States, and the few American projects have been marred by high costs or have been outright terminated. Carbone attempted to compare SMRs to nuclear powered submarines, though the comparison isnt a great one. SMR technology is still relatively new and the very few operational SMRs that exist are significantly different from those used on naval vessels. Groups like the Union of Concerned Scientists have said that many of the perceived benefits have either not been proven or are not true at all. For example, there are still debates about what to do with waste created by nuclear facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is basically another gift to data centers, which are already pretty unaccountable, said Sandy Bahr, director of the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club, pointing out that data centers are large users of water in the state. The bills sponsor, as well as other Republicans on the committee, said that SMRs are needed to make Arizona competitive, adding that they believe renewable energy cannot meet the demands of data centers, although Carbone contended that all energy options need to be considered. I just feel that we shouldnt be left behind when other folks are talking about this conversation across the country, Carbone said in response to a question from Sen. Priya Sunderashen, D-Tucson, about why a new technology should not be subject to regulations. Deregulation has to occur in Washington, first off, but lets start having the conversation so we arent left off the map. Republicans on the committee applauded the idea, with Sen. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista, saying that he believes that SMRs should not be limited to rural areas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We could introduce these around the state itself. I think it is good everywhere, Gowan said. Others, like Sen. Tim Dunn, R-Yuma, said they saw SMRs as an opportunity for areas of the state that will soon be impacted by the closure of coal plants. And advocates said Arizonas burgeoning semiconductor industry, led by the promise of a $100 billion investment by chip manufacturer TSMC in Arizona, will significantly increase energy demands. Semiconductors use a hell of a lot more energy than data centers, said Russ Smoldon, a lobbyist representing the Arizona Municipal Power Users Association. But critics said the state would be wise not to move too fast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This bill removes critical oversight and public oversight creating unnecessary risks for Arizona, said Sen. Rosanna Gabaldon, who voted against the bill. The Green Valley Democrat said she is not opposed to nuclear energy but wants to see it applied responsibly, a sentiment echoed by her colleagues. I think there is a lot that is exciting about SMRs, but we need to make sure that the process does not skip any steps, Sundarashen said. The bill passed out of committee along party lines and will head to the full Senate for a vote next. It passed out of the House of Representatives along party lines, and if the Senate approves it, the bill will head to Governor Katie Hobbs. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Rep. Rande Worthen, R-Lawton, left, is the author of a bill that would specifically criminalize the theft of shopping carts. Worthen is pictured during the legislative session on May 30 at the state Capitol. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY House lawmakers on Wednesday advanced legislation that would specifically criminalize the removal of shopping carts from businesses, a move that critics said targets homeless Oklahomans. House Bill 1689 would make possessing or removing a shopping cart from the parking area of a retail establishment illegal, whether permanently or temporarily. It is already illegal to steal property, but bill author Rep. Rande Worthen, R-Lawton, said this legislation is clarifying that shopping carts are property and to take it is illegal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Worthen said a Walmart in his community is losing 1,000 to 1,200 shopping carts, at a cost of about $250,000 per year to replace them. He said he hopes his legislation will lead to cleaner and safer communities without shopping carts discarded in ravines or along the side of a road. He said his legislation is not meant to target the unhoused, but the purpose of the measure still drew skepticism from House Democrats who said it will disproportionately affect the poor. This is not a problem of cartels running shopping cart rings, said Rep. Michelle McCane, D-Tulsa. Were talking about impoverished people taking carts to either carry all of the belongings that they own because they are experiencing homelessness or to get their items from one place to another. As someone who has spent a significant amount of their life in poverty, or close to it, and knowing that many of our constituents are much closer to homelessness than wealth, I greatly encourage a no vote on this bill. The penalty for stealing a shopping cart would be a misdemeanor with up to one year in county jail, a fine not to exceed $1,000, or both. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The measure faced bipartisan questions about how law enforcement would enforce it and if Oklahomans could be prosecuted if they find and decide to keep discarded shopping carts. Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, said lawmakers spent nearly an hour of their time Wednesday discussing the life and death of a shopping cart in a municipality. Rep. Forrest Bennett, D-Oklahoma City, replied that discussion is one of the few instances that Democratic lawmakers have a say. This is an important one to discuss, because, as the author himself reiterated several times, this is already the law, he said. And from our perspective, and the educator perspective of some of my caucus members, we know that this is a tool that will be used to target those experiencing homelessness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Jared Deck, D-Norman, said he was born into a family retail business and keeping track of the stores property is the responsibility of the owner. This is something that we should be taking care of in the private sector, and leave the government out of it, he said. The bill passed 54-33, with bipartisan opposition. It heads to the Senate for consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Nebraska is one of many states where lawmakers are considering caps on EpiPen costs. (Peter Dazeley/Getty Images) LINCOLN Lawmakers took a step Wednesday to cap the out-of-pocket cost for epinephrine injectors and ensure Nebraska schools and licensed child care programs have policies to respond to allergic reactions. Legislative Bill 457, from State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, advanced 31-0 to the second stage of debate. It would limit out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary epinephrine injectors, including EpiPens, to no more than $60 for a two-pack, regardless of the type. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bostar said some generic injectors can cost between $320 and $750, while name brand injectors can cost between $650 to $730. If passed, the cap would take effect Jan. 1, 2026. The absence of a cure for life-threatening food allergies underscores the critical importance of epinephrine auto injectors for preventing fatal anaphylaxis, which is a life threatening allergic reaction that, without prompt administration of epinephrine, the consequences can be dire, Bostar said at his bills Feb. 10 hearing. State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln listens to testimony during a Revenue Committee hearing. July 29, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) Dr. Hanna Niebur, a board-certified physician specialized in pediatrics and allergy immunology, spoke in favor of the bill at its hearing. She represented the Nebraska Medical Association and the Nebraska Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Niebur said LB 457 would save lives and that shes seen firsthand the terrifying speed at which anaphylaxis can take hold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Starts with itching or swelling but within minutes, a child may struggle to breathe as their airway swells shut, Niebur testified. Without immediate access to epinephrine, anaphylaxis can be fatal. Bostar noted at the hearing that an eighth-grader in a Papillion school died three years ago at the age of 14 after a severe allergic reaction from eating a granola bar with peanuts that his teacher had given him. Papillion-La Vista Public Schools paid a $1 million settlement in connection to the teens death. Roughly 200,000 Nebraskans have food allergies, and more than 36,000 are children, Bostar said. Nebraska State Board of Education President Elizabeth Tegtmeier, left, and state Education Commissioner Brian Maher. March 8, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LB 457 would require the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and the Nebraska Department of Education to create model policies for preventing and responding to anaphylaxis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The policies would need to include: Procedure and treatment plans, including emergency protocols and responsibilities for child care staff, school nurses and other school staff. Appropriate guidelines for developing and implementing an individualized health care plan for children with an allergy that could result in anaphylaxis. Communication plans for the intake and dissemination of information provided by the state regarding children with an allergy that could result in anaphylaxis, including methods, treatments and therapies to reduce the risk of allergic reactions. Strategies for reducing the risk of exposure to allergens. Communication plans for discussing with children and all parents or guardians of children attending the school district or a licensed child care program about foods that are safe and unsafe and strategies to avoid exposure to unsafe food. Licensed child care providers or schools without an anaphylaxis prevention and response policy would need to adopt one by July 1, 2026. Officials could adopt the model policy put forward by the state. Niebur, speaking at the hearing, said financial barriers should never determine whether a child lives or dies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the Department of Education already requires schools and approved early childhood education programs to have an emergency response plan for life-threatening asthma or anaphylaxis, there is no universal standard, Niebur said, so the bill would provide consistent, medically sound guidance. About 11% of schools report at least one episode of anaphylaxis each year, she added. Robert Bell, executive director for the Nebraska Insurance Federation, said many health plans already cap out-of-pocket costs for EpiPens. His organization was neutral on the bill, because the Federation understands the lifesaving nature of EpiPens in emergencies but generally opposes health care insurance mandates. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A recently introduced Ohio bill would increase penalties for animal abuse and add limitations for offenders who seek to own or live with a pet. Senate Bill 64, introduced in February by Sen. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield), would upgrade multiple animal cruelty offenses to a greater charge and require judges to impose the maximum prison term for offenders. The bill applies to companion animals, which are defined in state law as any animal that is kept inside someones residence, as well as any dog or cat. Teens push lawmakers for stricter tobacco regulations Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As an attorney, and fellow dog owner, it is difficult for me to objectively view the current criminal punishments for these acts of animal cruelty and be satisfied, Cutrona said at the bills first hearing last month. Dogs, cats or any other pets for that matter are the backbone and foundation of our families and the law should reflect that. Although state law currently classifies knowingly committing an act of cruelty to a companion animal as a first-degree misdemeanor on a first offense, the bill would upgrade the charge to a fifth-degree felony. It would also upgrade negligently committing an act of cruelty to a companion animal from a second-degree misdemeanor to a first-degree misdemeanor. Similarly, the charge for dog kennel owners or workers who knowingly commit an act of cruelty against a pet would rise from a fifth-degree felony to a third-degree felony. For kennel employees who negligently commit an act of cruelty, the bill would upgrade the penalty from a first-degree misdemeanor to a fifth-degree felony. The legislation would also require courts to impose the maximum sentence for offenders convicted of an animal cruelty charge. For example, under Ohio law, a third-degree felony is punishable by nine to 36 months in prison. If a kennel worker was convicted of or pleaded guilty to knowingly committing an act of cruelty against a dog a third-degree felony the court would be required to sentence the offender to the maximum term of 36 months in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Financial expert warns of overracting to stock market volatility NBC4 reached out to multiple criminal justice reform organizations for their viewpoint on the bill, but they either did not respond or said they did not have a stance on the legislation at this time. Under current state law, felony animal abuse offenders cannot own or reside in a residence with certain animals for three years after their release from prison, or after their imposed punishment is complete. The current prohibition includes dogs older than 12 weeks old who have not been fixed, and any dangerous dog. The bill would change this part of the law to apply the prohibition to all companion animals. In support of the bill, Cutrona cited a 1997 study by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Northeastern University that found people who abuse animals are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is my strong belief, along with countless other Ohioans, that the act of committing violent, abusive crimes against companion animals should be subject to increased criminal punishments, Cutrona said. SB 64 was assigned to the Judiciary Committee, where it awaits opponent and proponent testimony. For the full list of charges that would be affected by the bill, see the document below. Bill-analysis-for-Senate-Bill-64Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. HONOLULU (KHON2) The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands said hundreds of millions of dollars are needed now along with billions of dollars in the future to help clear the wait list for Native Hawaiians. Lawmakers have concerns about the allocations of taxpayer funds, however. Hawaiian Home Lands: Why is it taking so long? Close to 30,000 Native Hawaiians remain on the DHHL wait list for homes, the Department estimated it will take over $6 billion to clear it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The DHHL has been underfunded for decades, its over 100 years old, and its never been fully funded and meanwhile, the Hawaiian diaspora continues to grow, cutting families from their Aina for generations, said Ka Lahui Hawaii Political Action Committee Chair Healani Sonada Pale. $600 million was appropriated to the DHHL in 2022 and the funding was expected to get about 2,500 names off the wait list. Latest data shows just over 1,600 have been removed, but a House Standing Committee report said $600 million more dollars will be needed in the current session. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news And if what youre telling me is out of the first allocation of the $600 million, you were only able to award 1,600 leases, the math is not mathing, said Sen. Samantha DeCorte. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Please know that we havent spent all of the 600 million yet, said Kalani Fronda, DHHL Land Development Division acting administrator. Hawaiian Home Lands: Is there hope for the future? $129 million from the 2022 appropriation has yet to be spent and lawmakers say that needs to get done before the department asks for more money. The DHHL said hundreds of more leases on homes will be doled out in the current fiscal year, but one applicant who has been waitlisted for 40 years said taxpayers should not be footing the bill to build them. Just give them their land, allow them to build their own if its such a problem with the money. All we want is our property, our land, said Maysana Aldeguer, an applicant. I have eight, nine siblings and theyre all on the waitlist and we are still waiting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news An exact dollar amount that the DHHL is requesting from the Legislature this session has not yet been written into the bill. The proposal will be heard again in committee on March 18. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. Mar. 11LIMA Following a third incident of alleged racial discrimination in and around Lima in nearly as many months, the local chapter of the NAACP is urging Blacks and other minorities to stand up for their constitutional rights. Chapter President Ron Fails called a press conference Tuesday to address the most recent incident of alleged discrimination. He called Raymond Spears, a retired member of the Black community and a veteran of the U.S. armed services, to the podium. Spears told of an incident he recently experienced at a Speedway gas station in Elida. Spears said he was declined service by a young, white woman for no apparent reason. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "She said I was being rude and told me I was not getting gas at the station. She told me to get off the property or she would call the police," Spears said. "And I knew I hadn't done anything wrong." So Spears called the police himself. Officers from the Elida Police Department and the Allen County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene, "and they couldn't have been more respectful to me," he said. Spears then reached out to the NAACP and Fails, who in turn reached out to the gas station's district corporate office. "We filed a discrimination notice and let them know what happened," Fails said. "We felt it was better to expose the situation than to just walk away." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two previous incidents of racial discrimination were addressed by Fails. In one instance, a Black female pastor who had been subjected to racial taunts took her complaints to Lima City Council. In another incident at a gas station at the intersection of Pine and Kibby streets, a Black customer who was subjected to verbal abuse opted for a different response and became physical with the station employee. Criminal charges resulted. Fails said that type of reaction is not the way he hopes the Black community will handle racial discrimination. In the Elida case, he said Speedway has been asked to adopt mandatory diversity training for its employees, "and if the corporation does not respond we may be forced to boycott Speedway stations." While violence is never the answer, the NAACP president said, neither is simply giving up. "Walking away is something we (Blacks) have done all our lives. If we continue to walk away, will our kids have to walk away as well? Walking away is never the answer," Fails said. "This behavior (exhibited at a few local businesses) is unacceptable. If we don't stand together, we participate in the disrespect of all of us." Featured Local Savings bluefield After nearly a decade of helping the city of Bluefield grow, the Bluefield Economic Development Authoritys director announced Tuesday that he will be retiring in April this year. Jim Spencer, executive director of the Bluefield Economic Development Authority, was the Tazewell County Administrator before he became the citys new Community and Economic Development Director after the Bluefield Board of Directors voted unanimously to hire him on April 17, 2015. Spencer oversaw more than $130 million in capital projects for Tazewell County and initiated several programs for area businesses. During his many years of service in Tazewell County, he was successful in securing multiple grant and loan funding awards for numerous infrastructure-improvement projects, and had a hand in dozens of economic development and tourism-related initiatives in Tazewell County, including the Spearhead Trail system for Southwest Virginia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spencer officially announced his plans Tuesday to retire during a meeting of the Bluefield Board of Directors. It was both an exciting opportunity and a significant challenge for me, Spencer said about joining the city back in 2015. I wanted to be part of something new, something that could bring positive change to this community. The timing was perfect, because we had a city board that was hungry for growth a spirit that still thrives today with our current board of directors. Spencer said that he had a lot of support during his 10 years with Bluefields municipal government. Ive had the privilege of working alongside some great people, he said. The city has been blessed with incredible board members and, of course, the formation of the Bluefield WV EDA in 2019 brought even more dedicated individuals into the fold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bluefield is not just a city to me its deeply personal, Spencer said. My family has strong ties here, with many of my relatives who graduated from college having attended Bluefield State. The community always has a special place in our hearts. When what became the Bluefield Economic Development Authority was started, there was first a three-prong approach beginning with an inventory of assets, he said. Looking back, if anyone has suggested that we would create a mixed-use incubator like the Commercialization Station, focusing on manufacturing, or that wed have award-winning entrepreneurial programs, a Food Truck Incubator, ongoing development at Exit 1, Intuit/Alorica in our downtown and a new planned development in the heart of the city, most would have thought it sounded crazy, Spencer said. With hard work, dedication and faith, those dreams became reality. Spencer said his faith has been a guiding force. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a Christian, I prayed every day for Gods guidance in the direction of the city and the region, he said. I truly believe that you can see Gods hand in the projects weve been able to complete, and I give credit where credit is due. His blessing has been evident every step of the way. As the Bible reminds us in Ecclesiastes 3:1, To everything there is a season, and time to every purpose under heaven., Spencer said. And so, today, it is time for me to announce my retirement, effective April 23, 2025. Spencer thanked the city and its residents for their support. Words can never fully express the love and gratitude I have for this community, he said. Bluefield has been such a blessing to me and my family. The Bluefield WV EDA is made up of a fantastic group of board members and staff, and I have no doubt that even greater things are ahead for the city. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for your support, your trust, and for allowing me to be part of this wonderful journey. So Im submitting that officially today and the BEDA board is already aware of it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mayor Ron Martin thanked Spencer for his time with the city. We appreciate the things that youve done, Martin said. I asked you to put together a list of the things that have been done while you were here. The numbers are pretty impressive when you look at it. Close to $20 million in grant funds and another $45 million in private investment from folks who have brought here, lured here, by some of the grant funds that were done, some of the individuals in the city who have worked with you, Martin said. Its pretty impressive, what youve done for us, for the citizens of Bluefield. Now you have to help find someone to replace you. Now Jims moving on to another position that has the ability not only to help the city of Bluefield but the entire region, so its going to be awesome to work with you in the future. I look forward to seeing you a lot in the city as well. Thats hopefully going to be announced in the next few weeks, Spencer said about a future position. Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) A body was recovered from the San Francisco Bay on Wednesday near the Ferry Building, according to officials. The San Francisco Fire Department responded at 9:36 a.m. to reports of a body in the water around Pier 14 and the San Francisco Ferry terminals. Firefighters searching the area located one body, fire officials confirmed to KRON4. (KRON4) The body was extracted from the bay and brought to the Fireboat Station at Pier 22.5. The person was declared deceased following a medical assessment, SFFD said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The identity of the body was not released. No further information on the incident was immediately available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said she stands by her comment referring to Rep. Al Greens (D-Texas) walking aid as a pimp cane, even as she faces a censure resolution for her remarks. In a Tuesday interview with Real Americas Voice, Boebert brushed off Rep. Chrissy Houlahans (D-Pa.) censure resolution, which quotes Boebert saying, For him [Green] to go and shake his pimp cane at President Trump was absolutely abhorrent. The censure resolution describes Boeberts remarks as disparaging, derogatory, and racist toward another colleague, and are a breach of proper conduct and decorum of the U.S. House of Representatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boebert mocked her colleague in response. Rep. Houla-whatever Houlahan, Houla-ha she has decided that she was getting far too many attacks from her base for voting against the censure of Rep. Al Green and decided to attack me for referencing his cane as a pimp cane, Boebert told host Grant Stinchfield. And, Grant, I stand by it, Boebert added. Houlahan was, in fact, among the 10 House Democrats who supported the resolution to censure their fellow Democrat over his repeated disruption of President Trumps address to a joint session of Congress. Boebert said her pimp cane quip was a little slight to Greens cane and his gesture. His cane that was wielded at the president of the United States, Boebert added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And you know what? If she wants to censure me over it, go ahead and try, girlfriend, the Colorado Republican continued. I have the American people who will show up, who will donate and who will reelect me. Even as a handful of Democrats have criticized Greens disruption, many have praised him for standing up against cuts to Medicaid. Some Democrats have also pointed to similar outbursts that Republicans, including Boebert, have made in previous presidential addresses to Congress. Congressman Al Greens decision to protest President Trumps words during the Joint Address on Tuesday was one of conscience, and he maintains the full support of our Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. Americans around the country are showing up to town halls to express their outrage over Republicans complete disregard for the needs of the American people and Congressman Green gave voice to their concerns, Clarke continued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boebert, in the latest interview, suggested Houlahan and others who say race was a factor in her original comment are, themselves, perpetuating racist stereotypes. I have never seen Al Green actually use his cane as a support to walk. I have seen him shake it for years, all throughout the Capitol, during any meeting that Ive ever been present with him in, Boebert said, and if that gold-plated cane isnt a pimp cane, I dont know what is. But maybe Houla-hoo is really the racist here. Are only Blacks pimps? Is that what Im hearing? Are there no cisgender white pimps in America? she added. Green, who is Black, regularly uses a cane to walk around the Capitol and has done so for years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. MAGA House Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) suggested that a colleague in the House who walks with a mobility aid does not actually need it, days after she was accused of racism for saying he was shaking his pimp cane. Rep. Al Green (D-TX), 77, was the subject of national attention last week after he heckled President Donald Trump during his address to Congress, which Green said was to stand up for those who need Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. Green, who uses a cane and held it in the air as he gestured toward the president, was drowned out by an ovation from Republicans and removed from the chamber. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two days later, the House voted in favor of a GOP move to censure him, with 10 Democrats lending their support. During an appearance on the far-right network Real Americas Voice, Boebert blasted Greens protest with charged language. For him to shake his pimp cane at President Trump was absolutely abhorrent, she said. Critics immediately called the remark racist and ableist. On Tuesday, Boebert doubled down after House Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) introduced a motion to censure the Colorado Republican over her remark, adding an allegation that Green doesnt need his mobility aid. I have never actually seen Al Green use his cane as a support to walk, she said, in a follow-up appearance on Real Americas Voice. I have seen him shake it for years all throughout the Capitol during any meeting that Ive ever been present with him in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Video filmed as recently as last week shows Green does use the cane to help with mobility as he navigates the halls of Congress. The congresswoman insisted her previous attack was an accurate characterization: If that gold-plated cane isnt a pimp cane, I dont know what is. Boebert is no stranger to heckling or ejections. In 2022, she repeatedly interrupted former President Joe Bidens State of the Union address, earning rebukes from members of her own party. A year later, in 2023, Boebert was ejected from a Denver theater for causing a disturbance that included vaping, dancing, singing, and groping her date during a performance of the Beetlejuice musical. She initially denied any inappropriate behavior and only apologized after surveillance video surfaced showing that she also gave the middle finger to ushers as they escorted her out of the venue. (COLORADO) A Pennsylvania representative has introduced a resolution to censure Colorado representative Lauren Boebert after she allegedly made disparaging and racist comments about another representative from Texas. On March 7, during an interview with Real Americas Voice News, Republican Representative Boebert (R-CO) said For him to go and shake his pimp cane at President Trump was absolutely abhorrent and is showing even with Democrat voters, about Representative Al Green (D-TX). Three days later, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) introduced a resolution, H.Res.202, to censure Boebert. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After my discussion on the House floor last week when Speaker Johnson told me hed have to censure half the members if he actually enforced the rules of the Congress, I decided to help, and tonight introduced a resolution to censure Representative Boebert for her racist and derogatory statements about Representative Al Green (D-TX), said Houlahan. According to Houlahans resolution, Boeberts words are a breach of proper conduct and decorum of the U.S. House of Representatives. The resolution calls for: Boebert to be censured. Boebert to present herself in the well of the House of Representatives for the pronouncement of censure. Boebert to be censured with the public reading of this resolution by the Speaker. On March 11, Boebert was back on Real Americas Voice News and said that she stands by her comment, as she has never seen Al Green actually use his cane to walk and rather only sees him shaking it for years at the Capitol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Listen, it was a little sly to his cane and his gesture, his cane that was wielded at the President of the United States and you know what, if she wants to censure me over it, go ahead and try, girlfriend, Boebert said on Real Americas Voice News. I have the American people who will show up, who will donate, and who will re-elect me. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) saves the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) attempts a goal while Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) saves the puck and Wild defenseman Jake Middleton (5) guards the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy (12) and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) vie for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) saves the puck while Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin, left, looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) saves the puck while Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin, left, looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) saves the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) attempts a goal while Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) saves the puck and Wild defenseman Jake Middleton (5) guards the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy (12) and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) vie for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) saves the puck while Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin, left, looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Mats Zuccarello scored the winner in the shootout after also scoring in regulation to give the Minnesota Wild a 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night. Matt Boldy scored the second goal in the shootout for the Wild, while Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves. Joel Kiviranta scored and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 22 shots for the Avalanche, whose six-game win streak came to an end. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zuccarello opened the shootout with a goal, and Gustavsson stoned Nathan MacKinnon on the other end. After Boldy scored, Martin Necas' rush trickled off the end of his stick to give Minnesota the win. The Wild took a 1-0 lead midway through the second when they capitalized on a turnover by Necas. Boldy poked the puck to Marco Rossi, who pushed it ahead to a charging Zuccarello. His high wrist shot beat Blackwood over the shoulder. Kiviranta tied it at 14:20 of the third period when he tipped Samuel Girard's long backhander past Gustavsson. Takeaways Avalanche: After scoring 31 goals during a 6-0-0 homestand one that included a 5-2 win over the Wild on Feb. 28 Colorado hit the road and narrowly avoided being shut out. Kiviranta's goal and Blackwood's strong play helped the visitors leave with a key point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wild: They are 1-1 at the start of a stretch in which they'll play 10 of 11 games at home. The victory gave them 78 points, three fewer than the Avalanche, who hold the third playoff spot in the Central Division. Key moment Shortly after Zuccarellos goal, Gustavsson kept it tied as he slid over to deny Necas a backdoor opportunity. Key stat MacKinnon had posted two or more points in five of his last six games, but the Wild kept the NHL's scoring leader off the board. Up next The Wild host the New York Rangers on Thursday night, while the Avalanche visit Calgary on Friday night. ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl Former national security adviser John Bolton said on Wednesday that a ceasefire deal with Russia is not in Ukraines interest, but the war-torn countrys president, Volodymyr Zelensky, had to agree to the U.S. framework after his disastrous Oval Office meeting last month with President Trump. I dont think, frankly, a ceasefire is in Ukraines interest, Bolton told CNNs Wolf Blitzer. I think Zelensky had to agree to the ceasefire in Saudi Arabia because he needed to get U.S. military assistance, intelligence assistance, turned back on. He had to try and repair the damage from the debacle in the Oval Office. So, of course, he agreed to it, and he did get the military assistance turned back on, Bolton added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. and Ukrainian officials met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and emerged from the talks with a Ukraine-backed proposal for a 30-day truce. For the first time, the U.S. shifted the pressure to Russia in Trumps push for a ceasefire, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying the geopolitical ball was now in Russian President Vladimir Putins court. Lawmakers expressed skepticism that Putin would endorse a ceasefire, but Bolton said Putin is likely to want to consider his options carefully especially since hes enjoyed an elevated status on the world stage since Trump has reentered the picture. Well, I certainly wouldnt trust Russia to negotiate in good faith, and up until now because Donald Trump has effectively flipped the American position to be supportive of Russia the Russians have had no incentive to negotiate, Bolton said. Now, I think after the meeting in Jeddah yesterday, Putin wants to be careful he doesnt lose what hes got from Trump, so hell have to think about this pretty carefully, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bolton noted that a ceasefire agreement based on the front lines as they are now would benefit Russia, since it occupies 20 percent of Ukraines territory, according to Bolton. He suggested Putin might agree in principle to a ceasefire but then prolong the talks sorting through details. Its one thing to sit in a conference room somewhere and say, lets have a ceasefire, Bolton added. Its another thing for the people on the ground to know exactly what that means, and negotiating the specifics can take quite some time if you dont have the parties both willing to do it. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) A local drivers license service center appears set to move from Boones Creek to a site in Gray, but Johnson City planning commissioners deferred a related annexation and zoning request Tuesday in order to get more financial information about the project. Downtown Johnson City last call bill sails through first committee vote John Davenport, who purchased 3.9 acres at 5480 Bobby Hicks Highway (State Route 75) in July 2024, told planning commissioners the Tennessee Department of Safety has contracted with him to build a facility and lease the space and building for a new center. Davenport said the state requires the center to be open and operating by April 2027, but it could open sooner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davenports property, which is a little more than two miles east of Exit 13 (the Gray exit) will replace the center at 4717 Lake Park Drive just off Exit 17 in Boones Creek. Its about a quarter mile from the intersection of Highway 75 and State Route 36. The property would be zoned B-5 (planned business district). The annexation and zoning must be approved on three readings by the City Commission prior to becoming final. Had the request been approved Tuesday as city staff recommended, final approval could have come by the first May City Commission meeting. Now any decision would extend at least to the second May meeting. City staff estimated a cost to the city of almost $300,000, mostly in the form of a $290,000 sewer line extension that will also make sewer available to a nearby existing business. In response to a question from commissioner Benjamin Dutton, water and sewer staff member Travis Olinger said the extension would not be built were it not for the drivers license center proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davenport told commissioners he was doing a built to suit for the Tennessee Department of Safety. Its a combination of your personal drivers license, plus theyll also be doing commercial drivers license testing on site, he said. Its here now (at Boones Creek), theyll just be relocating to this spot once we get it constructed. He said that because the state wants sewer extended to the site, it included language in its bid packet that it would pay county and city property taxes. Thats also the case at the Boones Creek location, which is currently appraised for tax purposes at $1,160,000. The annual commercial tax on that property is $6,283 for the city and $7,935 for Washington County. Were hoping to break ground maybe by the first of May, thinking about 11 to 12 months construction period, Davenport said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Commissioners asked staff to get an estimate of property tax revenues, which was not provided in the initial materials. When were committing to extend a sanitary (sewer) line where were committing to spend $300,000, it would be just nice to know from a comfort perspective that thats within a reasonable payback period based on property taxes, Dutton said. Chairman Chris Dagenhart then offered the option of deferring the decision so commissioners could have more accurate numbers on revenue. Commissioner Bob Cooper agreed, saying the commission had a responsibility to make sure that at least the finances are halfway reasonable. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. Three people were injured early Monday morning in Akron, Ohio, in a shooting that brought a party hosted by rapper Boosie Badazz to a screeching halt. The Akron Police Department said in a report that the incident occurred at a bar on Paul Williams Street where a large crowd was in attendance, according to NBC affiliate WKYC. Police said a fight broke out and an "unidentified male suspect fired multiple shots, striking the victims." The suspect reportedly fled the venue after the shooting. Cleveland news station WOIO reported that police said the shooting occurred around 2 a.m. Monday and "off-duty, uniformed officers working security for the business heard the gunshots and called for assistance." The officers found two of the three victims: an 18-year-old man and a 36-year-old man, according to WOIO. The two men were in critical condition and taken to a local hospital. The third person, a 25-year-old, reportedly went to an emergency room with a graze-gunshot injury. The identities of the victims were not revealed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Bay Area rapper wounded in shooting at Hollywood recording studio, LAPD says A spokesperson for the Akron Police Department did not immediately respond to The Times' request for an incident report on Wednesday. Boosie Badazz (born Torence Ivy Hatch Jr.) brought his Millennium tour to Cleveland's Rocket Arena (formerly Rocket Mortage Fieldhouse) the evening of March 9. The concert also featured Trey Songz, Omarion, Bow Wow and Rick Ross. Boosie advertised a postshow party celebrating the tour stop on social media. "MY OFFICIAL AFTER PARTY TONIGHT IN #AKRON #OHIO AT FIELD HOUSE 370 PAUL WILLIAMS STREET," he wrote on Instagram. "DOORS OPEN AT 9PM | GET THERE EARLY." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Video shared by TMZ shows the "Wipe Me Down" and "Set It Off" musician ducking to the ground after gunshots rang out. Akron Police Deputy Chief Michael Miller told the website "at least one shot was fired" while the rapper was onstage. The Fieldhouse Lounge and Status8 Elite Bar & Grille, located on the 300 block of Paul Williams Street, lamented the "tragic incident that took place at our establishment" in social media posts Monday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone affected by this event," the statement added. Read more: Essay: Three years later, rapper Drakeo's killing leaves behind more questions than answers The missive informed patrons that the eateries are committed to guests' safety and will "fully cooperate with the City of Akron to ensure the safety of our community." In another statement Wednesday morning, Status8 said it will remain closed until Friday, and the Fieldhouse Lounge is temporarily closed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shortly after noting in the second statement that "additional regulations will be put in place," Status8 released a third post outlining a dress code and security measures. The restaurant said it will no longer permit certain clothing and styles of shoes, large bags and lighters, among other prohibited times. The latest statement added: "Metal detectors will be on premises." Read more: Rapper ASAP Rocky acquitted of assault charge over alleged Hollywood shooting Police say there is an ongoing investigation to "put the pieces together and identify the shooter," according to WKYC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boosie has not addressed the incident on social media. It also seems, as of Wednesday morning, he will carry on with upcoming commitments. He is still set to host his Spring Fling event in Philadelphia on Friday and will perform at his hip-hop festival Boosie Bash in Baton Rouge, La., later this month. A representative for Boosie Badazz did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment Wednesday. Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. ALBANY, New York President Donald Trumps border czar came to Gov. Kathy Hochuls doorstep Wednesday with a message: New York State, you gotta change the sanctuary status. If you don't, get out of the way. Because we're going to do our job. Tom Homan, an upstate New York native whom the president tasked with overseeing his deportation plans, rallied Wednesday at the state Capitol with lawmakers in the states minority Republican party. Homan ostensibly visited Albany to rail against New Yorks Green Light Law, a 2019 measure the Trump administration is suing to stop. The measure allows undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses and blocks federal authorities from accessing the DMV database. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's border czar also voiced support for a New York version of the Laken Riley Act, which faces little possibility of becoming law. That bill would allow New York law enforcement to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And he used the appearance to praise Trump-friendly New York City Mayor Eric Adams who he's reportedly expected to meet later this week and take aim at Hochul for exploring whether to fire Adams. Homan sees Adams, a Democrat, as a partner in his work to deport dangerous undocumented immigrants. But Adams has faced tremendous political backlash over cozying up to Trump and Homan, who pledged in a Fox & Friends interview to be up his butt if he doesnt abide by federal immigration policies. The Trump administration moved last month to dismiss the federal corruption charges against Adams. A lead prosecutor resigned in protest, alleging the deal amounted to a quid pro quo for Adams cooperation in Trumps deportation agenda something Adams attorney has denied. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As far as all this, Oh well hes making a deal because of his criminal issues Ive been talking to him since November It has nothing to do with that, Homan said Wednesday. Far as I'm concerned, I'm happy that the mayor of New York City, the largest city in the world, is actually sitting down with law enforcement to make that city safer. He said Adams wanted to get federal immigration authorities back into Rikers Island to talk to illegal aliens who committed a crime against a citizen." Homans visit comes as Hochul is gearing up for reelection in 2026. While Hochuls favorability ratings are consistently low 40 percent in a Monday Siena poll criticism from Homan could present an opportunity for her as she approaches whats expected to be a competitive election season. The same poll of New York voters found 72 percent of Democrats disapprove of the job Trumps doing to fix immigration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the drama unfolded, Hochul was 150 miles south, attending the funeral services for late NAACP New York President Hazel Dukes. "Governor Hochul has been clear with New Yorkers: she supports secure borders and deporting violent criminals, but won't let New York help the Trump Administration tear babies away from their parents, Hochul spokesperson Avi Small said in a statement. This isn't the first time Trump Administration officials have lied about our policies and it probably won't be the last but Governor Hochul is staying focused on keeping New Yorkers safe." In 2007, when she was a county clerk, Hochul was among the top opponents to then Gov. Eliot Spitzers push to let undocumented immigrants obtain drivers licenses. As governor, she is all but being forced legally and politically to defend that law. Meanwhile, pro-immigrant groups werent fully prepared for Homans appearance, which they didnt learn about until Wednesday morning. But as Homans event dragged on, scores of protestors filled the Capitol hallway in anticipation of his exit. They encircled his security detail as soon as he left the room and erupted with jeers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do you believe in the First Amendment? Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, a New York City mayoral candidate, repeatedly shouted at Homan while tussling with a state trooper who was attempting to hold him back. The border czar casually walked through the chaos eating an apple. He just smirked which is the Trump administrations response to cruelty, Mamdani said afterwards. Bill Mahoney contributed to this report. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) U.S. Border Patrol agents in the El Paso sector arrested an undocumented immigrant with what they are calling an extensive criminal history and the individual is now facing a felony charge of illegal entry after being previously removed, a Border Patrol spokesperson said. The migrant was arrested on Tuesday, March 4, in Southeast El Paso after Border Patrol agents, including their tactical team, executed a federal bench warrant. Agents subsequently apprehended a person who was in the country illegally from Mexico, the spokesperson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This person had two prior convictions for indecent sexual contact with a child and an extensive criminal history that included assault, DWI, theft, selling alcohol to minors, resisting arrest and attempting to take a weapon from a law enforcement officer, the Border Patrol spokesperson said. The Border Patrol spokesperson did not specify if the person was a man or woman. Border Patrol Chief Michael W. Banks had originally posted a social media message about this incident, identifying the person who was caught as a male. Criminals, you will be found. You will be removed, he said in his post on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The person will be prosecuted for illegal re-entry after being previously removed, which is a felony, the Border Patrol spokesperson said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. (NewsNation) Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he has always been confident that United States President Donald Trump could get the Ukrainians to sign up to some sensible things. On Tuesday, Ukraine agreed to accept a deal for a temporary ceasefire in its war with Russia in exchange for the U.S. resuming intelligence sharing and security assistance. Ive been one of the tiny minority of European commentators, politicians, Turners, to think that actually there was method in the madness of Donald Trump, and that he did have a plan, Johnson said on On Balance Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Military experts skeptical Putin will accept US-Ukraine ceasefire deal Im a believer in the president, Donald Trumps ability to get things done, Johnson said. When I was Foreign Secretary, I saw how he dealt with Ukraine. While Johnson said he may be proved wrong, he added that Trump is the kind of President who has the guts to stand up to Putin. I think hes in a very strong position to exert leverage on the Russians, Johnson said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. BOTETOURT, Va. (WFXR) The Botetourt County Public School announced on Tuesday they have begun the process of hiring a new superintendent and is seeking the publics input. The school board has opened an online survey for residents to participate in and will be a public hearing for additional input. Former Botetourt County Chamber of Commerce director indicted on embezzlement charges A public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Central Academy Middle School located at 367 Poor Farm Road in Fincastle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We want to make sure we include and involve as many stakeholders as possible in this process, said School Board Chair Anna Weddle. The Botetourt County School Boards highest priority is selecting the next leader for the school division, and we will work tirelessly to ensure the right fit. The Virginia School Boards Association is assisting in the superintendent search. You can access the survey online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BotetourtSearch25. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. The boyfriend of the mother of a 3-year-old boy abandoned dead at a Brooklyn hospital has been charged with slapping the toddler multiple times two weeks before he died, police said Wednesday. Robert White, 38, is facing charges of assault and acting in a manner injurious to a child for the Feb. 22 incident at an apartment in Brooklyns Spring Creek Towers in Starrett City, cops said. He has not been charged in connection with the childs death, cops said. An initial autopsy was inconclusive and the city Medical Examiner is conducting further tests to determine how little Kyng Royal Foster died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While White, his girlfriend, and Kyng were living in the mans car, the toddler urinated on himself, causing White to go into a violent rage, prosecutors charged at his arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court Wednesday night. He slapped Kyng more than 10 times with an open hand in front of at least one family member, police said. The boy suffered redness and bruises to his face. Ow that hurts! prosecutors said the toddler cried out as the 5-foot-8-inch White repeatedly struck him. The complaint against White wasnt filed the day of the incident but on Monday, a day after Kyng was dumped dead at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in East Flatbush, cops said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Following the arraignment, White was held without bail. He has three prior arrests dating back to 2018, including for robbery and assault, police sources said. Cops have been seeking to question White and Kyngs mother about the childs death. Police believe the couple brought Kyng to the hospital just before 11:25 a.m. Sunday then left without talking to medical staff. The couple fled in a four-door sedan with Pennsylvania license plates that dont match the vehicle, according to police sources. Doctors pronounced Kyng dead shortly after he arrived. The boy was in rigor mortis, indicating he had been dead for at least a couple of hours, police sources said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He had extensive bruising on his body, which could be linked to lividity, a postmortem condition in which blood pools in the lower parts of the body, causing a purplish discoloration of the skin, the sources added. It was unknown Wednesday if the blows struck by White two weeks earlier played any role in the childs death, police said. Kyngs death has not been deemed criminal as police await the results of an autopsy. White was nabbed by cops Tuesday and brought to the 67th Precinct stationhouse, where they charged him for the Feb. 22 incident. It was not immediately clear if Kyngs mother has been found by police and questioned about her childs death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her loved ones have been calling on her to come forward and tell police everything she knows about what happened. Idk wtf is going through your head right now but this not you, wrote Tiqua Blockwood, who identified herself in a Facebook post as little Kyngs godmother. Aint no fing wayyyyyy my godson didnt deserve that I just got this feeling its more to this. If youre seeing this baby, turn yourself in, Sabrina Johnson, who also identified herself as the boys godmother, told PIX11 outside the hospital on Monday. Its easier for you to turn yourself in and explain yourself, versus them finding you. Its a sad situation that the life of a 3-year-old is gone. And were going to miss him. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Bakersfield Assistant Chief of Police, Jeff Burdick, addressed current issues such as crime statistics, marketplace shooting and much more on 17 News at Sunrise. A recent crime statistic released by the department demonstrates a significant decrease in crime in recent years. To this, Assistant Chief Burdick says studying data and how to better deploy resources attributed to the decrease. 19-year-old dies of injuries suffered in Lamont crash; woman, child uninjured: CHP Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tuesday, the Bakersfield Police Department re-submitted its report on the deadly shooting at the Marketplace to the District Attorneys Office. No charges have been filed. Although no charges have been filed towards the 15-year-old shooter, Albert Briseno Jr., Assistant Chief Burdick says, charges for homicide and manslaughter are being requested. Members of the community are welcome to attend the BPDs 2nd annual Motors Skills Competition, free of charge and taking place on March 14 to March 15 at the Park at River Walk on Stockdale Highway. Never miss a story: Make KGET.com your homepage On March 14, the course will be open to the public around 5 p.m., for those who want to test their skills on bicycles, according to organizers. Participants will need to bring their own bike and helmet to participate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17 News. JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) Catherine Bishop, with the Brain Injury Association of Mississippi and United Spinal Association of Mississippi, joined us to discuss Brain Injury Awareness Month. The mission of the organization is to enhance the quality of life for brain and spinal cord injury survivors and their families along with developing programs to prevent these injuries. Click here for more information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun answers reporter questions about two new executive orders on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Indiana Gov. Mike Braun took on environmental justice and overregulation in dual executive orders Wednesday and said President Donald Trumps timber production goals arent aimed at Indiana or its Hoosier National Forest. Indianas environmental policy will be based solely on sound science, not on a political agenda, Braun told reporters. He defined environmental justice as making environmental policy based on factors other than the environment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, he ordered state agencies and officials not to use environmental justice including considerations of race, ethnicity, educational attainment or other social factors as a determining factor in permitting, enforcement or grant decisions. The executive order asserts that there is no legal foundation for using environmental justice in decision-making and requires that decisions instead be based on scientifically sound data, objective standards and legal requirements. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency previously defined the term as the just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of income, race, and more in agency decision-making. Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources Suzanne Jaworowski talks to reporters after Gov. Mike Brauns executive order announcement on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) The agency sought to protect Americans from disproportionate impacts and promote equitable access to a healthy environment, according to an archived webpage. The Trump administration has since taken it down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asked if the order was intended to take out existing policies or be proactive, Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources Suzanne Jaworowski said, Its a little bit of both. We dont necessarily have environmental justice policies, Jaworowski told reporters after Brauns news conference. But, she said, There can be individuals who take it upon themselves to interpret existing policies through that lens while working at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management or Department of Natural Resources. The order establishes that that is not part of our job here, she added. Its backlash to pressure that environmental agencies received under former President Bidens administrstion, Energy and Natural Resources Chief of Staff Parvonay Stover said. Cutting red tape A second executive order seeks to pare back Indiana environmental policies that go beyond the federal baseline, according to Braun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We can grow our economy and protect our environment, he said, and I believe the federal standards are an appropriate baseline to strike that balance. The order blocks Indiana from adopting any new environmental rules, regulations or programs more stringent than national requirements, unless a state law or Brauns administration says theyre needed to address specific, unique needs. It also directs agencies that enforce environmental policies to ensure proposed regulations dont impose unnecessary burdens on businesses, communities and more. Those agencies must also identify existing policies that are burdensome, raise cost of living, arent supported by law or science or dont benefit the environment. A report on opportunities to revisit or rescind such policies is due to Braun by July. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another review, this one of environmental policies going beyond federal requirements without explicit statutory permission, must be complete by the end of October. A written report, justifying any more-stringent provisions or recommending pared-back versions, is due to Braun and the Legislative Council by the end of the year. Asked if any specific policies inspired the order, Jaworowski recalled numerous farmers and others complaining of overstep as Braun traveled the state. We heard those kinds of examples over and over again, and it was not part of state policy, she said. And so it really protects everybody to set the tone of: this is how far we go, in terms of regulation. Braun said his order would boost economic development but cautioned, I would never be in a place where we werent maintaining what weve done over the last 50 years. Hoosiers need to do better on water-polluting agricultural runoff, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not the governors first push to deregulate. Federal logging, burning set for Indianas forest Less than a month after Braun opposed a federal logging and burning plan for the Hoosier National Forest, Trump pushed to increase logging in such forests, The New York Times reported. The presidents March 1 order directs various agencies to approve forestry projects faster, root out timber-related permitting delays and undue regulatory burden, set an annual target for timber logged from federal lands to expand timber production, convene a committee capable of overriding the Endangered Species Act, and more. The U.S. Forest Service already plans to cut back the Hoosier National Forest. The Buffalo Springs Restoration Project would log 5,000 acres and burn 15,500 acres of the southern Indiana forestland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hoosier advocates, like the Indiana Forest Alliance, have described the proposal as the largest and most destructive project in the forests history. Braun, in a Feb. 6 letter, called on the U.S. Forest Services plans to immediately withdraw the plan. On Wednesday, he sought to separate the two matters. With the forest project, he said, Youre burning and logging in a watershed that doesnt make sense. Ive been, one, in our unique forest, which is totally different from what I think President Trumps referring to, which would be the vast forests in the West, where theyve got a lot of management they need to do around fires. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our own Hoosier National Forest has not done a plan thats reflecting changing needs and desires for the forest. And I think whats happening nationally is mostly being referred to states like Utah, Nevada, Braun said later. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Large swathes of Amazon rainforest have been cut down to make way for a road that will bring tens of thousands of delegates to this years UN climate conference, Cop30, in Brazil. The construction of the highway has prompted accusations of hypocrisy for a global summit that is meant to be saving the environment, cutting emissions and preserving biodiversity. The Amazon rainforest is credited with absorbing enormous amounts of carbon and hosting extraordinary biodiversity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Locals have said the new road is destroying their livelihoods while conservationists claimed it would prove a danger to wildlife trying to move through the forest. The eight-mile, four-lane highway is being built on the outskirts of Belem in northern Brazil, the Amazon city which will hold the event in November. Cop30 is expected to attract about 50,000 delegates. Tens of thousands of acres of rainforest have been felled to make way for the road, which is aimed at reducing congestion in the city. Part of the highway will cut through what is supposed to be a protected area which is home to about 800 species of plants and fungi. The highway under construction in the northern city of Belem - BBC We lost our income Everything was destroyed, said Claudio Verequete, who lives about 200 yards from the new road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He used to make a living harvesting acai berries, but many of the trees have now been felled. Our harvest has already been cut down. We no longer have that income to support our family, he told the BBC. He is concerned that the building of the road will spur further development something that has been seen many times in other parts of the Amazon. Mr Verequete added: Our fear is that one day someone will come here and say: Heres some money. We need this area to build a gas station, or to build a warehouse. And then well have to leave. The construction of the highway was first mooted by the state government of Para more than a decade ago but it was held up by concerns over its environmental impact. Work finally began last June. There are about 30 projects in the city of Belem to improve the area and prepare it for Cop30 - Ricardo Lima/Moment RF It is one of about 30 projects that Belem is undertaking to prepare for the summit later this year, including the construction of new hotels, the expansion of the airport and the redevelopment of the citys port so that cruise ships can be accommodated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state government insists the road is a sustainable project, saying that it will be flanked by cycle lanes and will have wildlife crossings to help animals traverse in safety. Adler Silveira, the state infrastructure secretary, has pointed out that it will be illuminated with solar-powered lighting. The city as a whole is being improved, it is being repaired and a lot of people are visiting from other places, said Dalci Cardoso da Silva, who runs a leather shoe stall. The highway was previously put on hold owing to environmental concerns - BBC Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, insists that the November summit will be a Cop in the Amazon, not a Cop about the Amazon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were similar accusations of double standards when the last Cop (Conference of the Parties) was held in Baku, the capital of oil and gas-producing Azerbaijan. Ilham Aliyev, the countrys president, told delegates at Cop29 in November that oil and gas are a gift from God. He criticised what he called Western fake news about the countrys emissions, after reports saying that Azerbaijan planned to expand gas production by up to a third over the next decade. There has also been criticism of past Cops for the carbon emissions caused by the tens of thousands of delegates who fly in from all over the world. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. WATTS, Ky. (FOX 56) A Breathitt County man is facing a murder charge following a barricade situation on Tuesday morning. Kentucky State Police said that at 6:40 a.m., troopers received a call requesting an ambulance for a man suffering from a mental health disorder in the Watts community. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before arriving, KSP said a second call came in claiming that the man had barricaded himself in the home. Troopers said they found Jessica Campbell-Hyde, 44, dead inside the home. Troopers said Jessica appeared to have puncture wounds to her torso. Read more of the latest Kentucky news Lance Hyde, 42, was placed under arrest and taken to the Kentucky River Regional Jail, where he was charged with murder/domestic violence. Records show he is being held on a $1,000,000 cash bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. This column first appeared in The Amendment, a biweekly newsletter by Errin Haines, The 19ths editor-at-large. Subscribe today to get early access to her analysis. Breonna Taylor didnt play about getting her hair done. An emergency medical technician with dreams of becoming a nurse, Taylor was a vivacious 26-year-old who liked to look good while she worked hard. She loved just taking care of herself and how she looked, her mother, Tamika Palmer, said in an interview last week. Palmer laughed as she recalled a photo from her daughters beautician that popped up recently as a social media memory, with Taylor proudly showing off a rare short hairstyle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She just was so happy, she was so just in awe of herself and her hair that day, Palmer said. I just remember her energy and her spirit and her smile. Five years after Taylor was killed by police officers, her mother is still mourning all that she had to bury, still trying to adjust to the reality that she will never see her daughter walk through the door, full of energy, and eager to show off her latest look. Palmer spoke to The 19th ahead of the fifth anniversary of Taylors death about her fight to seek answers and her continued fight to seek justice. For her mother, every day is the anniversary of Taylors death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I cant get used to this new way without her, Palmer said. I cant get used to her not being around, not calling. Its unbelievable. Before the shooting, Palmers greatest worry for Taylors safety was that she was washing her hands and avoiding the unfolding coronavirus. It didnt occur to Palmer particularly in the midst of the pandemic that her daughter could become one of the hundreds of Black women who have been killed by police. Taylor, an essential worker who was on the front lines in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, was shot eight times by Louisville, Kentucky, police officers in her apartment on the night of March 13, 2020. That night, after 13 hours at the scene of Taylors apartment, Palmer left not knowing what had happened to her oldest daughter; she discovered on the news that Taylor had been shot by police. Palmer learned little else in the days that followed about how or why Taylor died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For weeks, as the rest of the country and the world was focused on the growing pandemic, Palmer pushed for accountability from the Louisville police department. It was hard to get answers, it was hard to get people to help, it was hard to have a funeral, Palmer said. It was the beginning of a terrible time for us. We were so consumed with learning about the pandemic. For the world to continue on, as if she didnt matter, was heartbreaking. It would be nearly two months after Taylors shooting before much of the country would learn of her death. On May 11, 2020, The 19th published an interview with Palmer as part of the first national story on her case. Taylors death, along with those of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and George Floyd in Minnesota, sparked national outrage, protests and a racial reckoning in the midst of the pandemic. Palmer began to get answers and feel less alone as millions of Americans learned of her daughters case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Six months after Taylors death, the city of Louisville agreed to pay the family $12 million and enact police department reforms. Legislation named for Taylor that would ban no-knock warrants was passed in Louisville and proposed at the federal and state levels. But a Jefferson County grand jury in September of 2020 declined to hold any of the officers criminally responsible for Taylors death. In March of 2021, Palmer called for the Department of Justice to investigate her daughters case. In 2022, the department brought civil rights charges against one of the officers, Louisville Metro Police Detective Brett Hankison. His first trial ended in a mistrial; in November 2024 a federal jury convicted Hankison. His sentencing is scheduled for April 8. Getting to a guilty verdict for one of the officers took so long, Palmer said, describing the moment as historic. Demonstrators protesting the police killing of Breonna Taylor paste a WANTED flyer featuring officers involved in her death onto a statue in Louisville, Kentucky, on August 1, 2020. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post/Getty Images) Id started to believe that moment was never coming, she said. Id lost hope, I didnt know how to believe anymore. In that moment, I remember gasping and finally feeling like I could breathe again. I felt like I could not catch my breath for over four years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No officers have been charged at the state or federal level with fatally shooting Taylor. Palmer said there are moments when she feels like it is her daughter who is on trial. Even after a guilty verdict, I still feel like theres people who still choose to not believe the truth, that the police can do no wrong. I hope they never know what it feels like to have your child killed by the people who are supposed to protect them, and people not care. In December, the Justice Department signed a proposed consent decree with the Louisville police department laying out policy and training changes. But days after taking office for his second term, President Donald Trump issued a memo halting consent decrees that could negate the Louisville proposed agreement. It is the latest setback in Palmers push for accountability, but she said she is determined to continue seeking justice for her daughter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It absolutely feels like were in a different country, and I just dont know whats going to happen now, Palmer said. I want people to continue to do the right thing. I would want to meet with anybody who would want to learn about Breonna and who would want to take the time to understand that what happened shouldnt have. Shes not the only victim of this type of crime. Breonna is the face for me, but it is so much bigger than Breonna. She wasnt the first face, she hasnt been the last face. This is something that should never happen to anyone, ever, Palmer said she would be open to meeting with Trump to discuss Taylors case. But after sharing Taylor with the world on March 13 for the past few years, she said she wants to mark this anniversary privately. Preonia Flakes (left) and Kori Baskin (center), cousins of Breonna Taylor, release blue star-shaped balloons at Jefferson Square Park in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 13, 2022, marking the second anniversary of Taylors death. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post/Getty Images) I just want to honor her myself, Palmer said. I dont want to argue with the world, I dont want to share her with the world, I dont want to have to prove that she deserves justice. For the rest of the country marking the tragic milestone, Palmer said she hopes they will remember the beautiful person Taylor was. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I miss Breonna, Palmer said. She died that day, but every day I dont get to see her, or talk to her or be a part of her life, I feel like Im dying. I want people to take a moment of silence for her, but still demand justice for her. The post Breonna Taylors mother remembers appeared first on The 19th. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter. 27,523 people played the daily Crossword recently. Can you solve it faster than others? 27,523 people played the daily Crossword recently. Can you solve it faster than others? BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN)- Drivers are urged to use caution on Interstate 680 after a garbage truck hit a bridge Wednesday morning. Emergency crews were called at about 6:10 a.m. to Walker Mill Bridge after it was struck by a garbage truck. The truck was traveling on I-680 northbound between Western Reserve Road and U.S. 224 before it hit the steel structure. The bridge is compromised and will be closed indefinitely. ODOT is assessing the damage and determining necessary repairs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We will not reopen until we deem it safe to do so, Ray Marsch with ODOT said. I-680 northbound is going to be be reduced to one lane for the foreseeable future. The detour is South Avenue to U.S. 224 to State Route 170 to North Lima Road. No injuries were reported. Police do not know what caused the crash. ODOT says the bridge was built in 1972 and carries about 2,200 vehicles per day. Michael Reiner, Kristen Hephner and Patty Coller contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WBOY) The Bridgeport Farmers Market, United Hospital Center, and the City of Bridgeport have announced the return of the popular farmers market for its 17th season. This year, the City of Bridgeport and UHC are joining forces with the Bridgeport Farmers Market to combine their farmers markets, creating an even bigger and better event for the community. The Bridgeport Farmers Market provides an opportunity to highlight the agricultural diversity of Northcentral West Virginia and serves as a showcase for the importance of creating more and better markets for local food and building community where we work and live, Bridgeport City Councilman Clayton Rice said. We are excited to welcome our farmers, new vendors, as well as past favorites, to the Bridgeport Farmers Market. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Almost Heaven Swing added at Tygart Lake The market continues its tradition of providing fresh, healthy food from local farmers while celebrating the agricultural diversity of north central West Virginia. Rice said that the market highlights the importance of supporting local food producers and building community. Hes excited to welcome both new and returning vendors this season. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. BRISTOL, Conn. (WTNH) A Bristol man was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on Tuesday for his role in a multistate identity theft and vehicle theft scheme, according to the department of justice. Man accused of trying to kidnap 2 juvenile girls at Bristol Dollar Tree The suspects co-conspirator, Tyshon Walker, would use personal information stolen form residents of Connecticut and other states and used it to apply for vehicle loans at dealerships in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once the loan was approved by the dealership, Walker would hire runners to pick up the cars using a fake drivers license. In early 2023, 48-year-old Ryan Testa was hired to be a runner. Testa used stolen identities to acquire at least nine vehicles with a total value of $500,000. On Feb. 27, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. By Alimat Aliyeva Software giant Microsoft plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary by unveiling new consumer products powered by artificial intelligence and showcasing the future of its proprietary AI-based assistant, Microsoft Copilot. Microsoft has already begun sending out invitations for a special media event, scheduled to take place on April 4 at the companys headquarters in Redmond, Washington. The upcoming event will provide an opportunity for media representatives and serve as a celebration for the company's employees, who will also be invited to explore the new products. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, AI lead Mustafa Suleiman, and other key company figures will speak at the event. It is still unclear which Copilot and AI-related products Microsoft might announce. However, rumors suggest that the tech giant is working on integrating its generative artificial intelligence and more advanced Copilot features into the Windows operating system. Given that the event is aligned with Microsofts 50th anniversary, it's expected that the company will make several important announcements to shape the next 50 years of innovation. Sources indicate that in recent months, the collaboration between Microsoft and OpenAI has intensified. As a result, reports have surfaced about Microsofts intention to reduce its reliance on OpenAI by developing its own AI algorithms. Additionally, Copilot may soon integrate with major language models from other developers, including Meta Platforms and DeepMind. Last year, Microsoft revamped Copilot with a new user interface that made interacting with the AI assistant easier. The company continues to work on making Copilot a central feature across all of its products, including Office, Azure, and Windows. Microsoft's goal is to introduce even more advanced capabilities to Copilot, transforming the AI assistant into a constantly available tool that helps users optimize workflows and manage applications, files, and devices more efficiently. Microsofts increasing push to integrate artificial intelligence into its core products might signify a major shift toward AI-driven ecosystems in the future, making Copilot not just a tool, but a key part of daily work and productivity for millions of users worldwide. A one-story-high home such as this one on East Caramillo Street would be ideal for an accessory dwelling unit in the backyard of a larger single-family home. That is the opinion of a group of Colorado Springs homeowners associations that want ADUs to be limited in size to one story high and less than 1,000 square feet. The City Council will decide the issue. Britain stands alone in a brutish world. Our small, impoverished yet special nation has spent too long lying to itself. The horrifying reality is that we have no real friends, just interests and beliefs. If we want to ensure the security, liberty and prosperity of the British people, and as Lord Palmerston put it, be the champion of justice and right, we will have to do it ourselves. Nobody, least of all the greater or lesser powers, has our back, or any interest in fair play. Donald Trumps America is putting itself first, reshaping the world, trashing allies and waging idiotic trade wars. Europe, mired in decadence and welfarism, is interested primarily in our military know-how, nuclear umbrella and, as always, our fisheries. Russia is a fascistic empire whose advances must be halted. China is a hostile civilisation. India doesnt really care. International institutions and courts serve as useful idiots for proto-Marxists keen to destroy the West. We comfort ourselves with tales of how we can serve as a bridge between Europe and the US, or build a coalition of the willing in Ukraine. Its inspirational stuff, but it would be madness to cling to the certainties of the past. Its time for a total reset of our assumptions, of our understanding of history, of our modus operandi, of our international role. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We must reconstruct our economy, military and society for an era of trade wars, diplomatic blackmail, banditry, spheres of influence and power politics. We must embrace a neo-Gaullism with British characteristics, centred around a renewed love of country, a turbocharged, technologically advanced capitalist economy, much larger and more modern Armed Forces, a fully independent nuclear deterrent and a focus on resilience. We need to be able to operate our own military without having to rely on parts from unreliable providers, to withstand embargoes or sanctions or cyber-attacks or pipelines being blown up or star wars. We must learn from how Trump treats Ukraine, or how Biden treated Israel, suspending arms sales. We must be able to project power and defend trade routes worldwide. We must retain as much free trade as possible, and slash tariffs further on friendly nations, but make sure that we can always get hold of essential goods and commodities. We can no longer be naive, and assume that mercantilists who leverage trade for warfare are in fact followers of Milton Friedman or David Ricardo. In many cases, we will have to produce more military equipment in Britain, requiring reindustrialisation and greater steel manufacturing; in others, ensure a diversity of trading partners, buying weapons from Israel and Poland as well as the US, or food from Argentina rather than Spain. The Atlanticists and the pro-Europeans alike are wrong. We should be friendly to the US and EU, but beholden to neither. America saved Britain during World War I; it rescued us from totalitarianism in World War II; it destroyed Soviet tyranny in the Cold War. It earned the eternal gratitude of mankind. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But those of us who love America must acknowledge how the US ruthlessly exploited its participation in the wars to demolish Britains financial, maritime and geopolitical power. It treats its allies as vassals, rather than equals. In Stalins War, Sean McMeekin recounts how Roosevelt suggested to Stalin in 1943 that India be taken away from Britain. It was best not to discuss the question of India with Mr Churchill, the US president said, arguing that America and Russia should remake India from the bottom, somewhat on the Soviet line. Stalin couldnt believe his luck, or the way Roosevelt spoke of the greatest Englishman of all time. John Maynard Keynes was sidelined at Bretton Woods. The 1947 sterling crisis was precipitated by America. The US betrayed us over Suez. Ronald Reagan disappointed on the Falklands, and invaded Grenada, a Commonwealth member, without properly informing Lady Thatcher. The IRA spent decades fundraising in the US while murdering in Britain. The UK sacrificed much in Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11 for no return; the special relationship started to feel abusive. Barack Obama and Joe Biden disliked the UK, and removed Churchills bust from the Oval Office. Obama took the EUs side over Brexit. Trump is an Anglophile, and may offer us a trade deal, but has no interest in our perspective. Yet while America is now explicit in its leveraging of power for transactional purposes, Europe isnt the answer. The EU is an imperialist technocracy with an obsession with Hegelian dialectics and a hatred for traitor-nations that have thrown off the shackles of the acquis communautaire. Membership of the EU crippled Britain: our parliamentary tradition, common law and what Hayek called our true individualism, the source of much of our exceptionalism, were eroded; our ties with the Commonwealth largely severed. The French (via agricultural subsidies and the containment of Germany) and the Germans (via a Germanic euro and the single market in goods) got far more out of the EU than we did; the European services sector was never liberalised, discriminating against Britains comparative advantage. The EU treated us abominably when we left, seizing partial control of Northern Ireland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We were regarded as enemies during Covid. In December 2020, France shut its borders to Britain, imposing a blockade that could have led to shortages of food and vaccines; the excuse was the Kent variant. In March 2021, Ursula von der Leyen threatened to block vaccine exports to the UK and to cancel private contracts. We remain too dependent on the EU, and on the Calais-Dover bottleneck. Any military help we offer Europe must come as a quid pro quo for easier trade. The Government should immediately launch a Year Zero review of all policies, on the postulate that we cannot rely on anyone. We need to decouple from China when it comes to high-tech. We must scrap net zero, and produce more of our own energy. Faster productivity growth is required, necessitating a bonfire of regulations, a smaller state and reduced tax. We need to pull out of the ECHR and UN conventions to restrict migration and forge a cohesive civic nationalism. Our early 21st-century settlement was predicated on an imaginary utopia in which we expected fair dealing from friends. In todays dog-eat-dog world, we must stand up for ourselves. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. The past few weeks have hardly been a ringing endorsement for the state of Britains Armed Forces. Former chief of the defence staff General the Lord Richards has just warned that the brigade he commanded in the late-1990s had more firepower than the whole of todays Army, while General the Lord Dannatt has lamented that the UK has taken several peace dividends too many. Our stockpiles have been reduced to little more than a few brooms and an oxidised rake. Our approach to hiring, where the minority who might still want to fight have been discouraged in the pursuit of diversity, has left us with a recruitment and retention crisis. Last year we spent around twice as much servicing the national debt as we did on defence. Britain is physically unprepared for war, with military aid to Ukraine leaving gaping holes in our supplies. If Russia invaded a Nato ally, it is estimated we only have enough munitions to last the first eight to 10 days of the conflict. Yet arguably the bigger issue is psychological. Half of Gen Z believe the country is racist, so it naturally follows that just 11 per cent now say they would be willing to fight for it in a war. After all, who wants to defend imperialism and inequality? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When General Sir Patrick Sanders last year suggested that young people should prepare to join a civilian army not to mention when Rishi Sunak announced his national service policy there were howls of injustice from the under-25s and amused indifference from the rest of us. Other European nations are taking what even sleepy Joe Biden described as unchecked tyranny more seriously, particularly those in the Baltics and Scandinavia. Estonia has made defence training mandatory in all secondary schools and nearly two-thirds of young people have said they are prepared to participate in defence activities. Some 85 per cent of Finns agree they would engage in national defence tasks were the country attacked. Sweden has not been involved in hostilities for more than two centuries, yet over half of its population would fight, and, since 2017, every young person in the country is liable to conscription. In Switzerland, national service is compulsory for able-bodied young men. When asked in 2013 if they wanted to keep this tradition, 73 per cent of the Swiss electorate agreed. In Britain, were less once more unto the breach more gentlemen [and women] in England now a-bed. War has appeared inconceivable for so long that people do not understand our vulnerability nor comprehend that our way of life could be over in a few weeks should things go badly wrong. Yet, speak to military insiders and they will caution that, though the Ukraine war has weakened Putin, Trumps apparent appeasement has served to embolden him. Putin has mobilised Russia onto a semi-permanent war economy footing, and managed to exceed the combined military spending of all Europe, on a purchasing-power parity basis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A minor incursion in a Baltic state, perhaps by a deniable group of patriots aiming to free their fellow Russians, as happened initially in Ukraine, could trigger Natos Article 5. What then? Do we respond, or turn away in embarrassment? And though we may think China far away, Xi Jinping is building a powerful navy which will soon be able to deploy vast strength anywhere in the world. Soberingly, its new supercarrier will outgun the entire UK Armed Forces. A dramatic switch to rearmament could mitigate these grave dangers, yet, even in this area, too many of our citizens and other residents are shamefully complacent, cowardly and moralistic. Consider the activities of Palestine Action, a group of anti-Israel halfwits who protest, vandalise and destroy property in an attempt to shut down and disrupt multinational arms dealers. According to analysis by The Sunday Times, the network has claimed responsibility for more than 350 actions since 2020, causing millions of pounds-worth of damage to factories making equipment for our military. And what about the supposed grown-ups? Our banks and pension schemes are signalling their oh-so-ethical stance by starving the defence industry of funding, refusing to invest in the armaments and fossil fuel industries both of which we need if we are to bolster our defences. The Labour Government has put its net zero goals at the heart of its defence industrial strategy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were beginning to grasp that the status quo is reckless. But Britain cannot simply tweak public spending by a few fractions of a percentage point and then get back to boosting trade union rights and nationalising the railways. A potentially existential crisis cannot be ignored. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Britain warned on Wednesday that it would trigger a return of U.N. sanctions on Iran, if needed, to prevent it from getting a nuclear weapon as the Security Council met to discuss Tehran's expansion of its stock of uranium close to weapons grade. Iran has denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon. However, it is "dramatically" accelerating enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% weapons-grade level, the U.N. nuclear watchdog - the International Atomic Energy Agency - has warned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Western states say there is no need to enrich uranium to such a high level under any civilian program and that no other country has done so without producing nuclear bombs. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful. "We are clear that we will take any diplomatic measures to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, that includes the use of snapback (of sanctions), if needed," Britain's deputy U.N. Ambassador James Kariuki told reporters ahead of the meeting. The closed-door meeting was called by six of the council's 15 members - the U.S., France, Greece, Panama, South Korea and Britain. Iran's U.N. mission accused the United States of seeking to weaponize the U.N. Security Council "to escalate economic warfare against Iran," adding in a post on X: "This dangerous abuse must be rejected to protect the council's credibility." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. mission to the U.N. said in a statement after the council meeting that Iran was "the only country in the world without nuclear weapons producing highly enriched uranium, for which it has no credible peaceful purpose." It accused Iran of defying the Security Council and violating IAEA obligations, calling on the council to "be clear and united in addressing and condemning this brazen behavior." 'SEIZE THE LIMITED TIME' U.S. President Donald Trump last month restored a "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran in a bid to stop Tehran from building a nuclear weapon. But he also said he was open to a deal and was willing to talk to Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump wrote a letter to Iran calling for nuclear talks, which was delivered on Wednesday, but Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected holding negotiations. China will hold a meeting on Friday in Beijing with Russia and Iran on the Iranian "nuclear issue", its foreign ministry said, with both nations sending their deputy foreign ministers. "We still hope that we can seize the limited time we have before the termination date in October this year, in order to have a deal, a new deal so that the JCPOA can be maintained," China's U.N. Ambassador Fu Cong told reporters ahead of the Security Council meeting. "Putting maximum pressure on a certain country is not going to achieve the goal," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iran reached a deal in 2015 with Britain, Germany, France, the U.S., Russia and China - known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - that lifted sanctions on Tehran in return for restrictions on its nuclear program. Washington quit the agreement in 2018 during Trump's first term as U.S. president, and Iran began moving away from its nuclear-related commitments. Britain, France and Germany will lose the ability to trigger the so-called snap back of all international sanctions on Iran on October 18 when the 2015 U.N. resolution on the deal expires. Trump has directed his U.N. diplomats to work with allies to snap back international sanctions and restrictions on Iran. Under the complex two-month JCPOA dispute resolution process, the European parties to the deal effectively have until early August to trigger a snapback of U.N. sanctions on Iran. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Diane Craft) This week, Scouting Boston hosted a special luncheon at the Hampshire House, where David Clay, the British Consul General to New England, was welcomed to celebrate the 115th anniversary of Scoutings founding in the U.S. The event highlighted the strong, shared history of Scouting between the United Kingdom and the United States. The gathering was hosted by Tom Kershaw, owner of the historic Beacon Street mansion, which now serves as an elegant event space. Kershaw, a longtime Scouting supporter and Eagle Scout since 1954, opened the event with a nod to the deep-rooted connection between the two nations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Consul General Clay and Scouting Boston Scout Executive John Judge reflected on Scoutings beginnings, from its 1907 founding in Britain to its arrival in the U.S. in 1910. They noted that both countries ongoing commitment to the movement is one of the many shared values between them. It was in 1909 that Chicago publisher William Boyce, lost on a foggy London street, was guided by an unknown Scout, Judge shared. That single act of service inspired him to bring Scouting to America, forever changing the landscape of youth development. The luncheon also featured Kim Kulasekaran, volunteer leader of Cub Scout Pack 617 in Chinatown, who praised the positive impact of Scouting programs on Bostons youth. Kulasekaran showcased several videos of young Scouts sharing their favorite activities and what they have learned through their experiences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kims heartfelt story reminded us why Scouting is more relevant than everbuilding character, fostering friendships, and connecting young people with the outdoors, Judge said. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Britains steel industry has demanded protection in the face of Donald Trumps tariffs, warning that the 25pc border tax couldnt come at a worse time for embattled manufacturers. Gareth Stace, director general of industry group UK Steel, called on the Government to tighten so-called safeguard quotas which limit the amount of the material coming into Britain without tariffs. Industry leaders fear that President Trumps tax raid will force the likes of China to seek out other markets, flooding Britain with cheap steel that domestic manufacturers are unable to compete with. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Stace said: These tariffs couldnt come at a worse time for the UK steel industry, as we battle with high energy costs and subdued demand at home, against an oversupplied and increasingly protectionist global landscape. Whats more, the EU is also pushing ahead with trade restrictive action that will amplify the impact of US tariffs. It is essential that the UK Government not only continues efforts to negotiate exemptions with the US, but also takes decisive action to bolster our trade defences. He urged Mr Trump to recognise that the UK is an ally, not a foe. The White House has argued that the tax, which applies to imports from around the world totalling almost $150bn (116n) per year, is necessary as imports of steel have reached such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year Britain sold 180,000 tonnes of steel, worth 370m, to the US. William Bain at the British Chambers of Commerce called the tax a difficult day for transatlantic trade and plunges businesses, in both the US and UK, into a new age of uncertainty. John Foster of the Confederation of British Industry said tariffs are deeply concerning and urged politicians around the world to resist the siren calls of protectionism. Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, called on the Government to buy UK steel when it needs supplies. She said: Our government must act decisively to protect the steel industry and its workers following the announcement of US tariffs. This is a matter of national security. Steel should be immediately designated as critical national infrastructure to properly protect it. PM promises pragmatic response Sir Keir Starmer declined to impose retaliatory tariffs on the US immediately. The Prime Minister said: Like everybody else Im disappointed to see global tariffs in relation to steel and aluminium. But we will take a pragmatic approach. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are ... negotiating an economic deal which covers and will include tariffs if we succeed but we will keep all options on the table. Jonathan Reynolds, the Business and Trade Secretary, said: I back industrys application to the Trade Remedies Authority to investigate what further steps might be necessary to protect UK producers. Andrew Griffith, Mr Reynolds Conservative shadow, said the Government has taken too long to set out its trade strategy. He said: Whilst we do not support an approach of tit for tat, after naively trying to cosy up to the EU with nothing to show for it, it is clear now that Labour have no plan. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) After weeks of protests and negotiations, the Brooklyn Museum and District Council 37 have reached a breakthrough agreement to prevent layoffs for nearly 50 workers. The deal, finalized late Sunday night, introduces a voluntary separation package designed to offer alternatives to layoffs while addressing the museums financial challenges. More Local News The voluntary separation package includes several benefits for employees who choose to participate: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three weeks pay for every year of service A reference letter from museum leadership to assist in finding new employment COBRA health insurance paid by the museum for up to four months Retirement incentives for eligible employees This agreement comes as the museum faces a $10 million budget deficit, which had initially led to plans for widespread layoffs. The voluntary separation plan aims to reduce costs while minimizing the impact on staff. District Council 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido praised the agreement as a victory for union advocacy. We secured an agreement that is fair and results in no layoffs for our members. The outcome of these negotiations is a testament to the power of union representation. When we fight together, we win, Garrido said. He also emphasized the need for sustainable funding for New York Citys cultural institutions moving forward. The Brooklyn Museum expressed its satisfaction with the resolution, stating, We are pleased to reach a mutual agreement on a voluntary separation program with our unions. However, the museum noted that depending on participation in the program and additional funding from the city, further workforce reductions might still be necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agreement follows weeks of protests by union members and a special oversight hearing at City Hall. Union leaders had criticized the museums initial layoff plans, citing insufficient notice and a lack of exploration into alternative cost-saving measures such as furloughs. The delay in layoffs provided additional time for negotiations and discussions about potential city funding. While this deal provides temporary relief, the museums financial challenges remain significant. New York City Council members are still considering allocating additional funds to help close the institutions budget gap. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) Brown University scientists are receiving some sweet recognition after positively identifying a meteorite that shattered a car window and landed in a carton of ice cream in Pennsylvania nearly two years ago. The meteorite came crashing down to Earth back in May 2023 around the same time a couple was loading groceries into their car in a Walmart parking lot, according to Pennsylvania Geology Magazine. It smashed through the cars rear window and landed in a 1.5-quart container of Breyers Natural Vanilla Ice Cream. Though officers initially investigated the ordeal as an act of vandalism, security footage only revealed a smoky trail streaking across the sky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perplexed by the rocks origin, the cars owner decided to seek out an experts opinion. He reached out to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, which assembled a team of geologists and meteorite specialists to examine the rock. That team included Brown University professor Dan Ibarra and graduate student Riley Havel, who both have expertise in geochemistry. Ibarra, Havel and visiting student Jiquan Chen sampled the meteorite for advanced analysis at the Ibarra Isotope Laboratory in Providence. Havel stressed the importance of identifying meteorites from meteor-wrongs. Meteorites have unique scientific value and can be used to answer questions about our solar system in ways that many terrestrial rocks cannot, Havel said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trio was able to determine the rock was indeed a meteorite by examining its chemical makeup. The meteorite has since been informally dubbed the Ice Cream Drop and has been entered into global scientific record. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg joins NewsNation to discuss a brutal attack on a Florida nurse. Leelamma Lal, 67, was beaten so severely by a patient at Palms West Hospital that every bone in her face was broken. She couldnt breathe on her own and may lose her sight. The alleged attacker, Stephen Scantlebury, had called 911 hours earlier, reporting paranoia. Police met him and his family at a Dunkin Donuts but said he was belligerent and refused help. He later walked into the hospital with chest pain, where staff witnessed his erratic behavior. Despite the attack, Lal is no longer intubated but faces a long recovery. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. Waco, Tx (FOX 44) The victim of a Waco burglary told police a man they detained outside the house was wearing clothes taken from the house. Police were called to the 3800 block of Pine Avenue late Tuesday afternoon when an alert neighbor reported seeing someone inside the house next door. The homeowner arrived at the scene the same time as police. The neighbor who had made the call said a man had been in the house and had come out and had been looking into the neighbors truck before going back inside. An arrest affidavit stated that has police approached the right side of the house, a man was seen coming out of the garage and was immediately challenged by the officers who instructed him to get on his knees and then his stomach. The man told officers there was another man and a woman inside the house, at which time additional officers were called. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was also at that time that the homeowner told police that the clothes the man was wearing were from inside the house. As officers cleared the home, they found no others inside, but determined that the shower had been used, the bed had been slept in and items of clothing that did not belong in the house were in the kitchen. Man held after knife incident at Copperas Cove motel Officers noted in their report that the man appeared to be under the influence of some substance and kept saying his wife and another man were in the house, though there was no one else there. Officers found a My Little Pony wallet in the house while gathering up clothing left in there that contained an Arkansas drivers license that matched the name given by the suspect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police took a man identified as 36-year-old Michael Robert Walker to the McLennan County Jail where he remained Wednesday held on a charge of burglary of a habitation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KWKT - FOX 44. LAYTON, Utah (ABC4) Two people were hospitalized after a man had a medical incident while driving in Layton on Tuesday, March 11, according to the Layton Police Department. Police said a 75-year-old man was driving with a 79-year-old female passenger when he had a medical incident behind the wheel. Witnesses told authorities that the vehicle sped up and veered off the road, hitting a sign and a boulder before rolling over. New lawsuit claims Girl Scout Cookies contain heavy metals and pesticides Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities said the vehicle started to spark and a bystander put it out before a fire could start. The bystander then helped authorities extricate the man and woman from their vehicle, after which they were transported to local hospitals. Police said the driver had minor to moderate injuries and the passenger had a significant head injury. Their current condition is unknown. This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as new information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. While it has been over nine months since Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill exempting the General Assembly from much of the state's open meetings law, the angst over the lack of transparency resulting from the law is far from having cooled. CALDWELL COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) Caldwell County received a $100,000 grant to update its Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, which was designed to help protect citizens and property from natural disasters. According to the county, the plan will include new recommendations for projects and equipment to help reduce risks to property and life caused by natural disasters. The county said the plan would include: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Caldwell County City of Lockhart City of Luling City of Martindale Lockhart ISD Luling ISD Prairie Lea ISD Five Emergency Services Districts Local water districts The possible effects of a natural disaster often impact every aspect of the community with devastating consequences, Caldwell County Judge Hoppy Haden said. Having a hazard mitigation plan in place helps communities identify risks, develop strategies to reduce risk, and get grant funding for mitigation projects. While the plan incorporates input from a CORE Planning team and other stakeholders, public meetings will also be held to identify residents top concerns. Haden said he hoped residents would provide feedback on what they consider essential. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This process offers an opportunity for open dialogue regarding what needs to be reinforced to enhance our County and communities resilience to natural disasters, Haden said. RELATED | Evacuation center coming to Caldwell County, able to take in hundreds The countys last hazard mitigation plan helped develop the Caldwell County Evacuation Center, which broke ground in December. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. (NewsNation) A California father is raising the alarm after he said his ambulance bill more than doubled after providing his insurance information. Robert Witt, whose TikTok video detailing the price jump went viral, told Morning in America that there has to be a more simple way to handle insurance in the United States. The first bill we got without the insurance was $600, and then the second one was almost $1300, Witt said in the TikTok, which has garnered millions of views. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Okay, yeah, so that the first thing you received, thats a discount that you received if youre uninsured, an unknown representative said in response. So, youre not eligible for the discount since you are insured. Girl Scouts sued over alleged heavy metals, pesticides in cookies The representative pointed to AB 716 as the source of the so-called discount. Its a law signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom aiming to prevent surprise ambulance bills by capping the cost of a ride at an insured persons in-network cost. Uninsured patients are instead capped at the Medi-Cal or Medicare rate. In the TikTok, the representative explains that the full bill for the ambulance ride was $2,342.14 and that his insurance only paid $1,078.85, leaving him with a nearly $1,300 bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By providing his insurance information, Witt became ineligible for the uninsured cost cap provided by AB 716. The father told NewsNation he was absolutely shocked to find out the bill which came about because his young daughter had an allergic reaction only grew once insurance got involved. He said hes found many people with similar stories since making his post. I make comedy skits online, and I dont have the answers to these questions, Witt said. But what I do have, like you mentioned, is millions of people who have said, I cant stand my insurance. We need to do something in this country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CDC launches conflicts of interest page about vaccine advisory panel Witt said making the health care landscape less complicated should be a priority, but he feels as though politicians with medical-leaning stock portfolios might not have patients best interests at heart. Witt went on to make two subsequent TikToks to call out what he described as insider trading among politicians. It feels like they might, when they go to legislate, try to pad their own bank accounts a little bit, Witt said. And that really just doesnt sit well with anybody. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. As the Trump administration cracks down on illegal immigration, California farm groups are working behind the scenes to influence legislative measures that would ensure a stable supply of laborers for the state's farms and ranches, an industry long reliant on a foreign-born workforce. The administration's vows of mass raids targeting undocumented immigrants, combined with its new tariff-induced trade wars, have farmers and labor groups united behind the need for legislation that ensures the U.S. continues producing an ample food supply and has sufficient workers to tend its crops. But beneath that shared goal a rift has opened around a singular question: Which workforce should be prioritized? Should farming interests push to protect and retain the undocumented workers who have toiled in the countrys fields for years and who, in many cases, have families and community roots? Or should they focus on solidifying the foreign guest worker program that provides a legal channel for importing seasonal laborers on a temporary basis, but offers no path to legal residency and has proved vulnerable to exploitation? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The issue is crucial in California, which grows more than one-third of the countrys vegetables and more than three-quarters of the nations fruits and nuts. Although a growing number of the states farmworkers are hired temporarily through the cumbersome H-2A visa program, at least half of an estimated 255,700 farmworkers are undocumented immigrants, according to UC Merced research, and many have been in the country for more than a decade. It has been nearly 40 years since federal lawmakers passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 strengthened border security and introduced civil and criminal penalties for employers who knowingly hired undocumented workers. But it also paved the way for nearly 3 million immigrants in the country without authorization to gain legal status. Many major farm interests think it's time for another such reset. But immigration remains one of the most charged topics in the nation's Capitol, and any agricultural labor bill would need to garner support in a Republican-controlled Congress and White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The California Farm Bureau, which advocates for farmers and ranchers, and the influential United Farm Workers union have for years called for reforms that would strengthen the legal pipeline for importing a temporary seasonal workforce and also provide a pathway to legal residency for undocumented laborers already in the U.S. They supported the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill that has twice passed the House before stalling in the Senate. The measure, written by Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat, and Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Washington state, included a pathway to legal residency for farm laborers who have been working in the U.S. for an extended time period and who pass criminal background checks. It would have amended the agricultural guest worker visa program to streamline the hiring process, improve the availability of decent worker housing and establish a mandatory E-Verify system through which agricultural employers would electronically verify eligibility of their workers. Though billed as a compromise, the legislation was ultimately sidelined by concerns from the powerful American Farm Bureau Federation and a faction of Republican lawmakers over a provision they feared could expose H-2A employers to lawsuits by workers. There were also concerns that a mandatory E-Verify provision would have significant impacts for farmers. But with the Trump administration intent on upending the existing immigration system, leaders of California-based farming groups said the timing may be right for getting a comprehensive immigration measure passed. The bills lead authors say they expect to reintroduce a version of the bill soon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sometimes, its these kinds of widespread concerns that open the door for an opportunity to fix the issues that just truly havent been dealt with for many decades, said Ryan Jacobsen, chief executive of the Fresno County Farm Bureau. Read more: Kern County immigration raid offers glimpse into new reality for California farmworkers Meanwhile, the National Council of Agricultural Employers which advocates for farmers and ranchers involved in labor-intensive agricultural production, and represents about 95% of employers using the H-2A program has drafted legislation that aims to make the visa program more efficient, according to President and CEO Michael Marsh. It doesnt provide a pathway to legal status, but Marsh said such a component could potentially be added in upcoming negotiations. The legislation proposes to expand the types of labor covered under the visa program and allow for year-round employment of H-2A workers, according to a summary shared with The Times. It would eliminate a controversial minimum hourly wage structure for guest workers laid out under the current program unless the Government Accountability Office finds that the employment of H2-A workers undermines the domestic workforce. It would provide over $1 billion for construction and repair of farmworker housing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its intended as a marker bill, Marsh said, meaning it contains policy ideas that could be folded into larger pieces of legislation. The challenge, Marsh said, is to craft a bill that meets the needs of employers, encourages workers already in the country illegally to come out of the shadows and can earn enough Republican votes to pass out of Congress. How do we thread the needle, so that we can make sure that we retain the existing workforce in some type of status that is not offensive to those folks who think its just amnesty, but at the same time allow farmers and ranchers in the United States to maintain a workforce and still produce food here? Marsh said. An H-2A-focused bill might be a palatable solution in states that are less reliant on undocumented workers and already more dependent on the visa program. But in California, rumblings of such a bill have stirred opposition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under H-2A, agricultural employers can hire workers from other countries on temporary permits, so long as they demonstrate an inability to find a sufficient number of available U.S. workers. The employer is required to provide imported workers with food, housing and safe working conditions. Although the Golden State had among the highest number of certified H-2A workers in 2022, many California growers say the costs of providing housing and a required wage of nearly $20 an hour make the program economically unfeasible in its current form. Farmworker advocates have also called for changes, saying the program is ripe for exploitation because a workers permission to be in the country is tied to the employer and should be bolstered with additional protections. Manuel Cunha Jr., president of the Fresno-based Nisei Farmers League, said he would heavily oppose an H-2A-focused bill if it doesnt also provide a path to legal residency for longtime farmworkers, including those who were deemed essential amid the pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you were to say youre going to do a guest worker bill before you take care of the people that are here I will fight that to the bitter end, he said. Ill join the advocacy groups. Ill even join the UFW. Farming and labor groups say they are still formulating their strategies for pushing significant legislative changes. The Times was unable to reach several members of Congress who represent communities in California's agricultural heartland. Spokespeople for Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) and Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) did not respond to requests for comment; a spokesperson for Rep. Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) said he was unavailable for an interview due to his schedule. Rep. Adam Gray, a Democrat from Merced, said he supports the Farm Workforce Modernization Act and would like to see a pathway to citizenship for agricultural workers. At the same time, he said, he would be open to working on a bill that reforms the H-2A visa program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We need to progress on this issue, he said. I think a lot of those strident positions that you see in Washington are not reflected when you go out in the real communities. I think you find a lot more Americans on both sides of the aisle that say, Look, get something done. This article is part of The Times equity reporting initiative , funded by the James Irvine Foundation , exploring the challenges facing low-income workers and the efforts being made to address Californias economic divide. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Inmate firefighters housed in California's county jails and state prisons would earn an hourly wage of up to $19 under legislation being considered by state lawmakers. Assembly Bill 247 would raise the hourly wage of jail inmates assigned to work on active fire scenes. "They put themselves on the front lines," Assemblymember Isaac G. Bryan (D-Los Angeles), the vice chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, said during a news conference Tuesday morning. "We have thanked them, given thoughts and prayers, we've gone to visit and tweeted out, but we haven't paid them fairly or justly." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 1,100 inmates in the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation a group that has historically made up 30% of the California wildfire force helped battle the Palisades and Eaton fires. They currently earn $5.80 to $10.24 a day, according to the department's website. Advocates, politicians and celebrities, including John Legend and Kim Kardashian, have called for higher pay for inmate firefighters on the front lines of the wildfires. Read more: 'This has been really devastating': Inside the lives of incarcerated firefighters battling the L.A. wildfires Those incarcerated in state prison or county jail battling the fires are able to reduce some time off their sentences by earning one or two days of credit for every day of work or training. They are trained and hired through the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations Conservation Fire Camps Program. There are 35 fire camps that operate throughout the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Paying inmates these higher wages under this bill would cost the state tens of millions annually, Bryan said, and that could vary based on the intensity of the fire seasons and the need for labor. The California State Sheriffs' Assn. opposes the bill, saying it could create significant fiscal pressure on counties that are required to pay the higher wage. At Tuesday's news conference, former inmates spoke about their experience working and training on fire crews. They said their work went beyond battling fires to also responding to car accidents and medical emergencies. Read more: Incarcerated firefighters offer aid, find potential career path battling L.A. blazes Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We worked long in dangerous conditions just like the other first responders, but we're paid low wages," Laquisha Johnson, a former inmate firefighter, said. Adam Cain, another former inmate who worked for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection while incarcerated during the 2020 wildfires, said he experienced difficulties breathing due to wildfire smoke and "helping others survive" traffic collisions. Cain said higher wages would help prisoners pay for food and hygiene, pay restitution that they owe to victims and their families, or save money for after they are released. "Whether you're incarcerated or not, people deserve to be paid for their dedication," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee with bipartisan support. It is headed to the Assembly's Appropriations Committee for consideration. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A California man is accused of trafficking a 17-year-old girl for sex in the Boston area and in other states, after the girl was reported missing from her Ohio home, the U.S. Attorney said. Ibrahim Abdul-Alim Bin Hajj Yahya Abdul-Malik, 37, of San Jose, Calif., was arrested and charged with sex trafficking a minor, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement on Wednesday. Abdul-Malik was arrested on March 10 in California and made his initial appearance in a California courtroom, Foley said. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the charging documents, on Dec. 11, 2024, law enforcement received information that a 17-year-old girl was being advertised for commercial sex acts online in the Boston area. The girl had previously been reported missing from her home in Ohio in August. Investigators identified advertisements containing photographs of the victim and a phone number used to use to arrange commercial sex acts with the girl. Undercover officers responded to the sex ad and the responding telephone number, and arranged for a commercial sex date at a hotel in Cambridge, prosecutors said. There, law enforcement recovered the teenage girl and seized her iPhone as evidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A subsequent investigation found that, around Nov. 13, 2024, Abdul-Malik began trafficking the girl in other states, posting commercial sex ads for the girl on various websites, Foley said. Prosecutors allege that Abdul-Malik falsified the girls age on those websites, stating that she was 20, to avoid detection by law enforcement. During a search of the girls phone, investigators allegedly found messages from Abdul-Malik about the girl engaging in commercial sex acts with sex buyers, Foley said. On multiple occasions, prosecutors allege that Abdul-Malik directed the teenage girl to have sex buyer payments sent to a Zelle account he controlled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the sex buyer sent the payment, Abdul-Malik would confirm receipt of the money and keep all of the profits, prosecutors allege. Abdul-Malik is said to have fled the Boston area immediately after the Dec. 11, 2024 undercover operation in Cambridge. Prosecutors said he bought an airline ticket to fly from Boston to San Jose, Calif. on a flight that departed at 6 a.m. on Dec. 12. If convicted of the charge of sex trafficking of children, Abdul-Malik faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. If you or someone you know is a victim of commercial sex trafficking, investigators urge you to contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) A California man, who previously pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a child, is back in the Wichita County Jail after allegedly violating the conditions of his community supervision. Keith Syvinski, 30 of Chula Vista, Calif., pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a child on August 16, 2024 for incidents dating back to 2019. Syvinski was originally arrested on one charge in March 2019 after Burkburnett detectives interviewed him at Fort Sill about alleged charges of improper activities with a 15-year-old girl in Burkburnett earlier that year. RELATED STORY: California man now has 2 assault charges of Burkburnett girl Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to legal documents, the terms of his plea bargain included ten years of community supervision in which he would have to participate in the Sex Offender Treatment Program, do community service and pay various fines. Syvinski admitted to California authorities in November 2024 that he had met multiple underage girls through various sites and platforms and exchanged nude photos with them. He also admitted to exchanging sexually graphic photos through text messages and accessing pornographic materials online. These admissions, along with Syvinskis failure to pay fines, report community service hours and his failure of a polygraph, led California law enforcement to arrest him on November 27, 2024. On February 11, 2025, Wichita County District Attorney John Gillespie filed a request for an arrest warrant and a judge signed off on it, before they began the process of extraditing Syvinski. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of the publication of this story, Syvinski is in the Wichita Co. Jail without bond. This is a developing story. Stick with Texomas Homepage for updates as more information becomes available. All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Texomashomepage.com. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) A California man was sentenced to two decades in prison after he tried to steal more than $1 million during a gold bar scheme in Maryland, according to the Montgomery County States Attorneys Office. On Tuesday, March 11, a judge in Montgomery County sentenced 35-year-old Wenhui Sun, of Lake Arbor, Calif. to 20 years in prison. The judge suspended part of Suns sentence, so he has to serve 6.5 years. In October of 2024, Sun pleaded guilty to a theft scheme over $100,000, theft over $100,000, attempted theft over $100,000 and conspiracy to commit theft over $100,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS COVERAGE | California man helped steal more than $789K in gold from elderly woman, Montgomery County police say This comes after he tried to swindle over $1.1 million from an elderly woman living in the Leisure World gated community in Silver Spring. According to court documents, the woman told the Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) about the theft in early March of 2024. She reported that a person who initially identified himself as being with the Office of the Inspector General Federal Trade Commission had contacted her and said that she had been the victim of identity theft. The person told the woman that she would need to transfer all her assets into gold bars, and an FBI agent would pick up the money and take it to the U.S. Department of Treasury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NTSB calls for changes to helicopter operations around DCA following deadly midair collision The woman agreed and gave up nearly $800,000 in the form of gold bars to couriers on two separate deliveries. Sun was identified as one of the couriers. The attorneys office noted this scheme is believed to be part of an international organized crime ring. Similar incidents have been reported in Montgomery County and across the United States. After Suns release, he will be placed on five years of supervised probation. He was ordered to pay $457,410.34 in restitution. This was the first conviction in connection to the gold bar scheme in Montgomery County, according to the attorneys office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. High-security prisons across California have tightly restricted movement, calls and visits while officials probe a surge in violence this year. The restrictions started Saturday and affect the top-security sections of nearly a dozen lockups including the California Correctional Institution, California State Prison-Los Angeles County and California State Prison-Sacramento. Under the protocols, meals must be delivered directly to housing units and showers and any other movements must be done in a controlled manner, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Calls by telephone and ViaPath tablet are also restricted, as are visitations. Prisoners still have access to medical care, legal proceedings and other critical appointments, corrections officials said. It is important to note this modified program is distinct from a lockdown and applies exclusively to Level IV housing units, the statement said. Asked for more information about the restrictions, CDCR spokesperson Terri Hardy said only that officials are conducting a comprehensive investigation into underlying causes of violent incidents at Level IV facilities throughout the state. The investigation continues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Corrections officials are investigating seven deaths since the beginning of the year as homicides. Three of those happened the day before the restrictions were announced by the Corrections department. Joshua L. Peppers, 39, was attacked by another prisoner at the Los Angeles County institution March 7 and died at a medical facility, corrections officials said in a statement. He was serving a sentence for second-degree robbery. That same morning Jake T. Kennedy, 32, was found stabbed multiple times in his cell at the Sacramento prison, according to corrections officials. He died at a triage and treatment area, and an improvised weapon was found. He was serving time for carrying a concealed bladed weapon and for a subsequent prison assault. And hours later German M. Merino, 37, died after he was attacked by two inmates in Kern Valley State Prison, authorities said. He was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prison violence is a longstanding problem as people serving life sentences have little to lose. In January, for example, Mario Campbell, 36, was attacked on the main exercise yard at the Sacramento prison by two inmates serving live with the possibility of parole, according to corrections officials. He died at a medical facility about an hour and a half later, and officers found three improvised weapons. The restrictions will stay in place until the investigation is completed. Its unclear how long that could take. Last year there were 32 homicides in state lockups, according to the California Correctional Health Care Services. Kathy Strong lays a brick honoring Sgt. 1st Class James Moreland atThe Pacific War Memorial by the entrance of Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Tuesday. (Kevin Knodell /Star-Advertiser ) 1 /4 Kathy Strong lays a brick honoring Sgt. 1st Class James Moreland atThe Pacific War Memorial by the entrance of Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Tuesday. (Kevin Knodell /Star-Advertiser ) (Kevin Knodell /Star-Advertiser ) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 2 /4 (Kevin Knodell /Star-Advertiser ) Kathy Strong wore the memorial bracelet she received in 1972 bearing Sgt. 1st Class James Moreland 's name until his remains were identified in 2011 and he was buried later that year. (courtesy photo ) 3 /4 Kathy Strong wore the memorial bracelet she received in 1972 bearing Sgt. 1st Class James Moreland 's name until his remains were identified in 2011 and he was buried later that year. (courtesy photo ) Kathy Strong looks at the names on bricks at the Pacific War Memorial by the entrance of Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Tuesday. (Kevin Knodell /Star-Advertiser ) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 4 /4 Kathy Strong looks at the names on bricks at the Pacific War Memorial by the entrance of Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Tuesday. (Kevin Knodell /Star-Advertiser ) Kathy Strong lays a brick honoring Sgt. 1st Class James Moreland atThe Pacific War Memorial by the entrance of Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Tuesday. (Kevin Knodell /Star-Advertiser ) (Kevin Knodell /Star-Advertiser ) Kathy Strong wore the memorial bracelet she received in 1972 bearing Sgt. 1st Class James Moreland 's name until his remains were identified in 2011 and he was buried later that year. (courtesy photo ) Kathy Strong looks at the names on bricks at the Pacific War Memorial by the entrance of Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Tuesday. (Kevin Knodell /Star-Advertiser ) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kathy Strong is on a mission to honor a fallen Vietnam War soldier she never met. This week that mission brought her to Hawaii. In 1972 at the age of 12, she got a metal bracelet in her Christmas stocking bearing the name of Sgt. 1st Class James Moreland, a Green Beret who was last seen alive Feb. 7, 1968, while defending the American-operated Lang Vei Special Forces camp in Quang Tri province, South Vietnam. The bracelet was one of millions distributed by the group Voices in Vital America, each engraved with the name of a missing soldier and the date they went missing in Vietnam, meant to honor those missing and held prisoner. Those who wore the bracelets promised to leave them on until the serviceman named on the braceletor their remainsreturned to the United States. The bracelets were worn by politicians, entertainers and fashion models, but few actually kept their promise, treating it as a fad. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Strong, who lives in California, who did not come from a military family and at that time didnt know anyone who had gone to Vietnam, took her vow more seriously. I put it on that day, on my left wrist, and I promised to wear it until he came home, she said. Of course, I had no idea at the time that Id end up wearing it over 38 years. My goal was when he came home, I was going to meet him at the airport and give the bracelet to him and give him a hug and tell him welcome home. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. The military declared Moreland dead in 1978 after he was not included in any prisoner swaps with communist Vietnamese forces and no remains were recovered. In 1995 a team searching for remains found some at the Lang Vei Special Forces Camp and brought them to Hawaii. In 2011 the remains were finally identified as Morelands after DNA matched samples taken from relatives. He was buried that year in Alabama, along with Strongs bracelet. But now, after keeping her promise, Strong is still intent on honoring Moreland and has been traveling the country leaving a memorial brick at war memorials across the country, with the goal of placing one at a memorial in every state. On Tuesday that journey took her to Kaneohe Bay to lay a brick at the the Pacific War Memorial by the entrance to Marine Corps Base Hawaii. It was an intimate ceremony attended by Strong and a handful of base staff on a sunny, breezy day as salty air blew in from the bay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Strong stood looking at the memorial and paced around, reading the names of others commemorated on other memorial bricks surrounding it. Initially erected to commemorate Marines who fought in the Pacific during World War II, the memorial, which is modeled after the famous Iwo Jima flag raising, has come to represent more. The names of service members from every branch and multiple conflicts now adorn bricks surrounding the memorial, including the names of merchant mariners who died serving aboard Matson vessels during World War II. Christopher Sereno, manager of the Marina and Outdoor Recreation and Equipment Center at MCBH, said anyone who has someone they want to honor can lay a brick. Currently there is no restrictions on that whatever youre putting in, he said. We do monitor them in terms of the writing on it to ensure its within reason on what we have in the military. With Hawaii, Strong has now left bricks at memorials in 44 states. The remaining ones are Delaware, South Carolina, North Dakota, Maine, Wyoming and Maryland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im hoping that I can invite some VIPs in Washington, D.C., like my senator and my congressman, and some local people to come and go to the ceremony, she said. So thats my goal. But I should be done by Veterans Day. At each place she has been, Strong has taken pictures to send to surviving members of Morelands unit as well as his last surviving sibling, a sister. I want people to think of Memorial Day as more than just a three-day weekend, she said. Its a really important day, and James gave his life for his country and I just think he should be honored for that sacrifice. His family has been through a lot waiting this long, 43 years, for him to come home. So I want them to know that I care. Canada has announced countertariffs in response to the 25% tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on all steel and aluminium imports. From midnight (0400 GMT), tariffs will be applied to US products such as computers and tools, amounting to approximately $20 billion, several Canadian ministers said at a press conference in Ottawa on Wednesday. Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Trump's tariffs were "unjustified and unjustifiable," Canadian public broadcaster CBC reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We will not stand idly by while our iconic steel and aluminium industries are being unfairly targeted," CBC quoted LeBlanc as saying. "The excuse for these tariffs shift every day," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said at the same press conference, according to CBC. "The only constant seems to be President Trump's talks of annexing our country through economic coercion. "We will not back down and we will not give in to this coercion. "We need to fight back against this nonsense," Joly said. Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne accused the US government of creating chaos that he said raises the costs of everyday items for people on both sides of the border. Trump argues that excessive steel and aluminium imports threaten the national security of the US. President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night was music to the ears of Colorado's Republican lawmakers, but the state's Democrats turned their thumbs down, with one walking out midway through and another skipping the speech entirely. Canada is responding to President Trumps tariffs against steel and aluminum with $20.7 billion in tariffs against U.S. goods. A senior Canadian government official told the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity about the plan Wednesday. The move follows Trump claiming victory for getting Ontario Premier Doug Fords decision to back off tariffs on electricity the province provides to select U.S. states, after Trump threatened to double the metal tariffs from 25 percent to 50 percent. Canadas fresh round of sanctions is in response to Trumps decision to plow ahead with 25 percent tariffs on metal imports. The country is the largest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The European Union also hit back against Trumps tariffs Wednesday with its own tariffs of $28 billion of U.S. goods including steel and aluminum, textiles, home goods, agricultural products, motorcycles, alcohol, and even jeans, with a focus on Republican-led states. Meanwhile, Trumps incoherent economic measures are causing consternation within the Republican Party and even among Trumps own staff. It seems that the U.S. is waging a full-fledged trade war on multiple fronts with the EU, Mexico, China, and Canada, punctuated by Trumps wild idea that Americas northern neighbor should be the fifty-first state. Trump claims that this is all necessary to change the U.S. economy, regardless of the negative effects on American consumers. Meanwhile, the stock market has continued to drop as a result of the chaos. On Tuesday, Trumps press secretary struggled to explain how tariffs would save the U.S. economy, lashing out at Associated Press reporter Josh Boak, saying its insulting youre trying to test my knowledge of economics and the decisions this president has made. As Trump stubbornly continues to double down on tariffs without a real plan, regular people across the world will end up paying higher prices in an unstable economy. The European Union and Canada on Wednesday placed new trade duties on about $49 billion worth of U.S. goods in response to President Donald Trumps metals tariffs. The U.S. at midnight began imposing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports from all trading partners without exception, the White House said. For years, the European Union has opposed the United States efforts to reindustrialize. The EU has rejected attempts under successive U.S. administrations to cooperate effectively on dealing with global excess capacity on steel, aluminum, and other sectors, employing measures that are too little and too late, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a news release. If the EU acted as quickly to address global excess capacity as it does to punish the United States, we likely would be in a different situation today. The EUs punitive action completely disregards the national security imperatives of the United States and indeed international security and is yet another indicator that the EUs trade and economic policies are out of step with reality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The EU has responded to Trumps metals duties with countertariffs on $28 billion in U.S. goods. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, defended the EUs actions. The European Commission is the primary executive arm of the European Union. As of this morning the United States is applying a 25% tariff on imports of steel and aluminium. We deeply regret this measure. Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and even worse for consumers. These tariffs are disrupting supply chains. They bring uncertainty for the economy. Jobs are at stake. Prices will go up. In Europe and in the United States. The Commission must act to protect consumers and business, von der Leyen said in a news release. Canada on Wednesday announced tariffs on $21 billion worth of U.S. goods in response to Trumps steel and aluminum duties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. administration is once again inserting disruption and disorder into an incredibly successful trading partnership and raising the costs of everyday goods for Canadians and American households alike, Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canadas minister of innovation, science and industry, said at a news conference, according to NBC. Ontario, Canada, on Tuesday dropped a 25% surcharge it had planned to place on electricity sold to the U.S., in response to an announcement by Trump that he would impose a 50% rather than 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, The Associated Press reported. NBC News later reported that Trump appeared to back away from imposing the 50% tariff. The EU said it will allow the suspension of existing 2018 and 2020 countermeasures against the U.S. to lapse on April 1. Those tariffs target a range of U.S. products that respond to the economic harm done on $8.7 billion of European steel and aluminium exports, the European Commission said. In response to new U.S. tariffs affecting more than $19.6 billion of EU exports, the EU is moving forward with a package of new countermeasures on U.S. exports that will come into force by mid-April. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to steel and aluminum retaliatory tariffs announced by Canada and the EU, both countries are implementing duties that could affect U.S. exports such as beef, motorcycles and whiskey. Trump paused until April 2 across-the-board tariffs that had been set for March 4 on goods from Canada and Mexico that comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. However, he said he is considering imposing reciprocal tariffs on Canadian lumber and dairy products soon. Trump imposed a 10% tariff on Chinese goods in February and doubled the rate to 20% on Tuesday. China has responded with up to 15% duties on U.S. foods such as beef, chicken and pork that began Monday. The import duties on goods from Canada, China and Mexico are aimed at forcing more cooperation from those countries on stopping illegal immigration and drug smuggling into the U.S., the White House said. The post Canada, EU hit back at US with tariffs as trade war escalates appeared first on FreightWaves. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) The White House is backing off President Donald Trumps threat to double tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports from Canada. The latest development follows Ontarios decision to suspend its plan to increase the cost of electricity it exports to the United States. Im gonna look at this. Im gonna make a decision, Trump said, indicating he is still weighing future tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum after Ontario withdrew its surcharge threat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive agreed to suspend temporarily, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said. Hes a gentleman, Trump responded. The White House said Ontarios earlier decision to implement a 25% tax increase on electricity exports to the U.S. sparked outrage from the administration. The president saw that and has an obligation and a responsibility to respond accordingly and represent the interests of the American people, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Ontario agreed to suspend its planned tariff after discussions with the Trump administration. Ford acknowledged that both sides may have acted too quickly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have both agreed that cooler heads prevail. We need to sit down and move this forward, Ford said. Ontario supplies electricity to about 1.5 million customers in New York, Michigan and Minnesota. Rep. John Mannion (D-N.Y.) said any increase in rates would hurt his constituents. I hope this administration and the leaders in Canada come to an agreement so that we dont have these additional unnecessary costs on central New Yorkers and people who live in the Mohawk Valley, Mannion said. Ford said he and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are scheduled to meet in Washington on Thursday to discuss new trade deals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Kathleen Martens APTN Canada is offering more than a billion dollars to settle a class-action lawsuit seeking damages for mistreatment of former patients in federal Indian hospitals, APTN News has learned. The proposed out-of-court settlement is to be announced Thursday by Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree and representative plaintiff Ann Cecile Hardy in Ottawa. Details shared with APTN show more than a billion dollars because there is no cap would be made available to compensate an estimated 100,000 Indigenous survivors of the segregated medical and tuberculosis-treatment facilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There would be $150 million for healing, wellness, reconciliation, protection of languages, education and commemoration, as well as $235.5 million to support research, education, and preserve the history of the hospitals and locate burial sites connected to the hospitals, according to a news release. Indigenous Services Canada would also receive $150 million to extend existing mental health and wellness supports to Hardy class members. Its exciting, said Marilyn Buffalo, who is Cree from Alberta, of the proposed settlement. This could lead to healing. Buffalos grandmother and great-grandmother were patients at the Charles Camsell Hospital in Edmonton, one of 29 federally operated hospitals that treated First Nations and Inuit patients for TB and other conditions during the first half of the 20th century. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed settlement still requires Federal Court approval and would recognize 33 hospitals and tuberculosis sanatoria, including some that began as federal institutions and ended as provincial entities. Inuk Sarah Arragutainaq, whose Nunavut family saw several members sent to southern Canada for treatment, said news of a settlement is bittersweet. Its about time, she said. At least there is something being done about this. People are dying. Its a sentiment echoed by lawyer Steven Cooper of Cooper Regel in Alberta, one of three firms suing the federal government on behalf of former patients and their family members. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People have died, said Cooper, and are aging. Lawsuits arent perfect but hopefully this will bring some closure. The class-action was certified in 2020. Academic Mary Jane McCallum of the University of Winnipeg has done extensive research on the Indian hospital-system that began as Christian missions on reserves and was closely linked to residential schools. She said the federal Indian hospitals operated between 1945 and 1981. When I speak about it people are surprised, she said. We really dont know the history of segregated hospitals. The medical facilities were, in fact, established to isolate Indigenous patients from non-Indigenous patients during TB outbreaks, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People were worried about getting TB from (Indigenous people). The hospitals operated on the cheap and so did the burials when patients died, McCallum added. The federal government didnt want to pay to ship bodies (home) so the cheapest option was to bury them on reserves nearby. Finding missing patients to reunite families will be the next wave of unmarked grave searches in Canada, she predicted. TB, which is highly contagious and spreads quickly in close quarters, is now treated with antibiotic drugs. But originally doctors prescribed bed rest in a sanatorium often for years. Patients lost contact with their families, language, culture and communities. Many say they were emotionally, physically and sexually abused. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Author Gary Geddes documents some of the shocking experiences of Indigenous patients in his book Medicine Unbundled. Such as the 17 years Joan Morris, who is Songhees in B.C. said her mother spent in the Nanaimo Indian Hospital on Vancouver Island. (Joan) is the real hero of this class-action lawsuit, said Geddes, having spent over 30 years fighting to tell the story and get justice for her people. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized in 2019 for the way Canada managed TB involving Inuit. Arragutainaq noted elders are still traumatized by the treatment. Buffalo says her stepfather remembers digging graves at Camsell when he was a student at the nearby Edmonton Residential School. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These are people who suffered, said Cooper. TB is still prevalent in a number of Nunavut communities. This story contains information that may be upsetting for some readers. The Hope for Wellness Help Line provides immediate, toll-free and online chat-based emotional support and crisis intervention for all Indigenous Peoples in Canada. The service is available 24/7 in French, English and, upon request, Cree, Ojibwe and Inuktitut. Call 1-855-242-3310 or online at www.hopeforwellness.ca. OTTAWA Foreign Minister Melanie Joly plans to welcome her G7 counterparts to Charlevoix, Quebec, with a warning: If the U.S. can do this to us, their closest friend, then nobody is safe. On the official agenda this week as Canada hosts the G7 foreign ministers: Ukraine, the Middle East, Haiti and Venezuela, but nothing about President Donald Trumps trade war or sovereignty threats. Yet Joly told reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday that she plans to raise the issue with the European and British members, while advising them that Canada is the canary in the coal mine." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive fresh from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he was negotiating the terms of a 30-day Russia-Ukraine truce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaking to reporters from Ireland on Wednesday, he pointed out that G7 leaders will have plenty to talk about when they assemble. It is not a meeting about how were going to take over Canada. But amid Trump's steep tariffs on his northern neighbor, Joly is not standing by. She plans to meet with Rubio on Thursday morning in an effort to apply maximum pressure over the protection of Canadas sovereignty and way of living. We have done nothing to justify Trumps attacks on our country, on our economy and our identity, Joly said. Canada is your best friend, best neighbor and best ally. Rubio told reporters his expectation for the G7 is that the U.S. will work in a constructive way with our allies and friends and partners. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Canadians increasingly express that they feel like the U.S. is abandoning a longstanding friendship, with some even calling it an enemy country. Rubios bilat will take place amid the latest fallout in an ongoing trade war. On Wednesday, Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum the latest in rolling tariff threats and announcements. In response, Joly delivered a blistering speech in Ottawa, arguing Trumps tariffs are an excuse for taking Canada by economic force. Canada has also lodged new counter-tariffs on about $20 billion worth of imports of American goods. The only constant in this unjustifiable trade war seems to be President Trumps talks of annexing our country through economic coercion, Joly said. He called our border a fictional line and repeated his disrespectful 51st state rhetoric. Well, Canadians have made it very clear that we will not back down, and we will not give in to this coercion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for Canadas sovereignty, Joly said that in the G7 meetings, she is looking to find new ways to cooperate with Europe on military exercises and purchasing weapons and other defense equipment. Rubio told reporters hes focused on discussing such issues as Ukraine and the defense of North America through NORAD. This week Trump reiterated that the U.S.-Canada border is an artificial line that looks like it was drawn with a ruler. When you take away that, and you look at that beautiful formation of Canada and the United States, theres no place anywhere in the world that looks like that, Trump said Tuesday. Rubio downplayed Trumps annexation comments, saying Trump believes Canada should become the 51st state from an economic standpoint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He says if they became the 51st state, we wouldnt have to worry about the border and fentanyl coming across because now we would be able to manage that, he added. Joly is leading the charge on Canadas tariff response alongside Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, as Canada prepares to swear in a new prime minister. Outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has spent the week packing up his office. Prime Minister-designate Mark Carney has identified Trumps trade assault as an economic and sovereign crisis and has vowed to stop the president from his goal of dominating the hemisphere by taking Canada and Greenland. The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country, he warned Sunday as he claimed victory in the race to replace Trudeau. Think about it. If they succeed, they will destroy our way of life. During his farewell speech, Trudeau said Canada is in a nation-defining moment. Democracy is not a given. Freedom is not a given. Even Canada is not a given, he said. By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Canadian Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson told CNN on Tuesday his country will respond shortly to any tariffs from the U.S. while also adding Canada was not looking to escalate or provoke trade tensions between the two countries. The energy minister said Canada was not interested in being a competitor to the U.S. while responding to White House comments that Canada was viewed as a competitor by Washington. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House said on Tuesday the previously planned 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum products from the United States' northern neighbor and all other countries would take effect on Wednesday. President Donald Trump reversed course on Tuesday afternoon on a pledge to double tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada to 50%, just hours after announcing the higher tariffs, in rapid-fire moves that scrambled financial markets. The switch came after a Canadian official also backed off his own plans for a 25% surcharge on electricity. The back-and-forth between the U.S. and Canada further unsettled financial markets already battered by Trump's focus on tariffs. Canada sought a positive outcome and would watch if the tariffs would come into effect, the energy minister told CNN late on Tuesday. When asked if he felt the tariffs may not go into effect, he cited lack of predictability from the previous back and forth. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Raju Gopalakrishnan) Candidates throughout Lackawanna County who met Tuesdays filing deadline to appear on primary election ballots set up spring contests in several high-profile municipal races. Scranton voters will decide contested primaries for mayor and city council, as Democratic incumbents face challenges within the party and Republicans vie for GOP nominations. For Scrantons four-year mayoral term, incumbent Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti and former Scranton School Board President Bob Sheridan will battle for the Democratic nomination, while businessman Bob Bolus Sr. and newcomers Trish Beynon and Lynn Labrosky each seek the Republican nomination. Former Scranton Sewer Authority Executive Director Gene Barrett had originally announced a Democratic run in the primary, but did not file by Tuesdays 4 p.m. deadline. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Barrett instead confirmed plans to run for mayor as an independent candidate in Novembers election. Looking at the numbers, with three Democrats in a primary race splitting up the votes its to the advantage of the incumbent, Barrett said. Bolus has run as a Republican for Scranton mayor before, but his status as a convicted felon precludes him from holding that office. In 2021, a state appeals court judge agreed with a Lackawanna County judge who removed Bolus from the Republican ballot for Scranton mayor, ruling Bolus falsely claimed he was eligible to serve if elected when he wasnt because of past felony convictions. Meanwhile, the makeup of Scranton City Council is set to change with incumbent Democratic Councilman Bill King not seeking reelection. There are three seats on the five-member council those currently held by King and fellow Democratic incumbent councilmen Gerald Smurl and Tom Schuster up for grabs this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schuster, Smurl and five other Democratic candidates Virgil Argenta, Patrick Flynn, Frankie Malacaria, Sean McAndrew and Todd Pousley will vie for that partys three nominations. On the Republican side, Marc Pane was the only candidate to file for a GOP council nomination. With four seats up for grabs on the Scranton School Board this year, six of the seven candidates who submitted petitions cross-filed as Democrats and Republicans, meaning they seek both parties nominations in the primary. The cross-filing candidates include incumbent Scranton School Director Danielle Chesek and Joe Brazil, John Howe, Jenna Strzelecki, Mary Walsh and Julien Wells. Former Scranton School Director Carol Cleary is also running to recapture a seat on the board, but seeks only a Democratic Party nomination this spring. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Incumbent Democratic candidates for Lackawanna County row offices will not face primary challengers this year. The only Republican candidate to file a petition for a row office was Sharon Soltis Sparano, who seeks the GOP nomination for county Recorder of Deeds. The last day to file objections to nomination petitions filed as of Tuesday is March 18. The last day for candidates who filed nomination petitions to withdraw is March 26. The primary election is May 20. Winners of primaries will advance to the Nov. 4 general election. Those who hope to appear on the November ballot as independent or third-party candidates can begin circulating nomination papers Wednesday. The last day to file those papers is Aug. 1, and the last day to object to them is Oct. 8. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some of the offices and seats that will be on the ballot in the May 20 primary election and candidates who filed to run include: Lackawanna County offices; each is a four-year term: District attorney Democrat: Brian Gallagher of Scranton Sheriff Democrat: Mark McAndrew of Mayfield Recorder of deeds Democrat: Evie Rafalko McNulty of Scranton Republican: Sharon Soltis Sparano of La Plume Twp. Register of wills Democrat: Fran Kovaleski of Scranton City of Scranton Mayor: one four-year term Democrat: Paige Gebhardt Cognetti, Bob Sheridan Republican: Trish Beynon, Bob Bolus Sr., Lynn Labrosky City council: three open seats, each a four-year term Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrat: Virgil Argenta, Patrick Flynn, Frankie Malacaria, Sean McAndrew, Todd Pousley, Tom Schuster, Gerald Smurl Republican: Marc Pane Scranton School Board: four open seats, each a four-year term Democrat/Republican cross filed: Joe Brazil, Danielle Chesek, John Howe, Jenna Strzelecki, Mary Walsh, Julien Wells Democrat: Carol Cleary Tax collector: one four-year term Democrat: Cathy Nealon Wechsler PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Oregon coast town often praised for its stunning views and family-friendly atmosphere has been sued over its sometimes-poopy water. The Northwest Environmental Defense Center filed its lawsuit against the City of Cannon Beach in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon on Monday. The organization is accusing the beach town of violating the federal Clean Water Act, which prohibits pollutants like human waste and bacteria from being discharged into bodies of water. Search ends for Dane Paulsen after volunteer diver recovers body Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive, NEDC alleges these pollutants have hit Cannon Beach for more than a decade gradually worsening its water quality and hindering public health overall. The Citys sewer system is aging and in poor physical condition, and the Citys past and ongoing failure to properly manage and repair it has caused significant leaking and discharges of untreated waste (including human fecal wastes) onto public beaches and into nearby surface waters, including the Pacific Ocean, Wild and Scenic Law Centers Jamie Saul wrote in the complaint. The Oregon Health Authority has issued several public health advisories at Cannon Beach and the neighboring Tolovana State Recreation Site over the years. An advisory issued in late October 2022 warned visitors against entering the ocean water after officials detected unsafe levels of fecal bacteria at both locations. Cannon Beach was also named among the 10 Oregon destinations that were most likely to have potentially unsafe levels of fecal bacteria in the water that year, according to Environment Americas Safe For Swimming report. The organization found that the beachs water could have contained unsafe fecal bacteria levels during 10 of the 16 days it was tested by officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later in September 2024, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality revealed that factors like busy beach parking lots with flush toilets, failure to pick up dog scat from public areas, stormwater runoff, nearby wastewater treatment plants and elk freely roaming on the beach and upstream likely contributed to the contamination issue. Not sustainable: OHSU, UnitedHealthcare near end of contract amid ongoing negotiations The lawsuit against Cannon Beach is aiming to prohibit any further Clean Water Act violations. NEDC suggested a penalty of $68,445 for each day the city unlawfully discharges pollutants. KOIN 6 has reached out to officials for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) The Illinois Auditor General released a report showing the state drastically overspent on a program to give non-citizens access to health care based on initial estimates. Capitol Connection: Tradeswomen take over the capitol, call for clearer pathway to careers The program was expanded to include people from 42 to 64 years old. That branch of the program ended up costing four times more than the original estimate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Auditor General Frank Mautino joined Capitol Connection to discuss the findings of the report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) There is still a massive gap in the number of men and women with careers in the trades. A huge group of women came to the Illinois State Capitol, asking lawmakers to try and clear some barriers to these jobs. Impacts of USDA cuts, tariff flip flops take center stage at Illinois Capitol They want lawmakers to commit to that task, but it was also a training day of sorts, as they learned how to lobby their lawmakers and make sure their voices are heard. Beth Berendsen with Chicago Women in Trades joined Capitol Connection to discuss the effort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. A Capitol gift shop is set to reopen June 2 on the first floor of the building where Nebraska laws are made. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN A Capitol gift shop run by the Nebraska State Historical Society is set to make a comeback in June, following a pandemic-era shutdown. Director Daryl Bohac told the Legislatures Appropriations Committee last week that salaries of two full-time staffers devoted to the store will be absorbed in the agencys general fund budget, which he said would remain flat under Gov. Jim Pillens recommended biennial financial package. The gift shop in the Capitol will offer some of the same merchandise visitors find in the Nebraska State History Museum gift shop. (Courtesy of Nebraska State Historical Society) Bohac, in response to a question by a committee member, said the Capitol Commission would help with startup costs, including merchandise to stock up the first-floor gift shop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesman for the historical society said the shop likely would sell Nebraska-centric items similar to that of the gift shop in the societys main museum. While many other agencies expect to see reduced funding over the next two years, Bohac said the historical societys unchanged general fund budget should allow the agency time to explore and expand other revenue streams. The society immersed in controversy for the past couple of years operates with a mix of funds including from the state, federal government and donors. It also provides time for us to build donor confidence in the activities of the historical society, said Bohac, who was appointed to his position by Pillen in November and confirmed in February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among his goals, Bohac said, is to return permanent exhibits to the Nebraska History Museum in Lincoln, an effort he hopes will increase donations. The agency, overall, collects and preserves state history, is the official state archives, publishes a quarterly magazine and operates a half-dozen other historic sites across the state. Daryl Bohac, former adjutant general for Nebraska, takes the podium with Gov. Jim Pillen, right, after being appointed director of the Nebraska State Historical Society. Nov. 21, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) Bohacs remarks came during a public hearing last week at which he presented highlights of the 147-year-old historical societys budget. No one else spoke either in favor or in opposition. Pillen tapped Bohac to direct the historical society after Bohac already had been retired 18 months from leading the Nebraska National Guard. The governor said at the time that he needed someone to steer the historical society that he said had veered off the tracks. The historical society has been scrutinized and restructured, and recently became part of the governors cabinet following a state audit and criminal charges filed against a former executive director. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In December, a Lancaster County district judge dismissed the felony theft by deception charged against former director, Trevor Jones. The judge ruled that prosecutors with the Nebraska Attorney Generals office had violated Jones right to a speedy trial. The AGs Office in February appealed the dismissal of its case alleging that Jones had illegally transferred funds donated to the agencys private foundation. The appeal was accepted by the Nebraska Court of Appeals. A Capitol gift shop is to reopen in June, says Daryl Bohac, director of the Nebraska State Historical Society. Shown here is the gift shop at Chimney Rock Museum in western Nebraskas Morrill County that also is run by the Historical Society. (Courtesy of Nebraska State Historical Society) SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) Capitol police are investigating after a person was shot early Wednesday morning. The shooting happened on Winter Street in Jackson around 2:00 a.m. on March 12. 19-year-old killed, two others injured in Vicksburg shooting Bailey Martin, press secretary for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS), said officers located an individual suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No arrests have been made. Anyone with information can contact Capitol police at 601-359-3125. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) A Freedom Estates resident crashed into the leasing office of the housing complex Tuesday, March 11, according to Sheppard Air Force Base officials. The wreck happened around 1 p.m. Officials said the driver was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. There were no employees inside the office at the time of the crash. The French gate and a water pipe were damaged during the crash. However, the main entrance was not damaged and no residents will be affected by the water pipe damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials said the cause of the crash is not know, but there is not a threat to residents or Sheppard Air Force Base. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Texomashomepage.com. FORT COLLINS, Colo. (KDVR) At least five Colorado State University students lost their home and all their belongings after a driver crashed into their home early Friday morning. Around 1:30 on March 7, five students and two guests were in the living room of their home on Evergreen Drive in Fort Collins hanging out, when they all collectively decided to go to bed. Truck crashes into side of Holiday Inn near Centennial Airport Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We were probably in there for five minutes and then we all heard, like, the biggest crash, longest crash Ive ever heard in my entire life, said Bella Yanez. She looked down the stairs and couldnt believe what she saw. Her roommate, Samantha Pottinger, whose bedroom was downstairs, said she could just barely make out a car in the midst of the smoke and rubble. I saw somebodys hand and face reaching through all the smoke. And I was like, Oh, thats a person. Thats a man. Oh, Im looking at a car in my house,' Pottinger said. Then, suddenly, their house quickly started to become engulfed in flames. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was basically prohibited: Aurora police permit chases for stolen cars The fire started pretty much immediately after, Pottinger said. You always hear about how fast house fires start but seeing it in real time, it grew and it grew fast. Yanez said her boyfriend was able to help the driver and passenger out of the car while the others climbed out the windows. I punched out my window downstairs and we climbed out the window, said Ammalynn Greenfelder. I was going to jump out of the window and they were going to catch me from down below, Jaedyn Calicchia said with a chuckle. And then I got freaked out that I was going to break anything, and so Amma came up and got me which Im so grateful for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once they were safe, Poudre Fire Authority and the Fort Collins Police Department arrived. Fire crews quickly got the fire under control, but the inside of the house and all the girls belongings, including clothes and school supplies, were destroyed. Neighbors concerned by citys plans to remove cul-de-sac in northwest Aurora Everythings gone upstairs, Greenfelder said. Our laptops, they were melted, Calicchia said. They brought me my wallet. I saw a circle of my debit card. They are in the process of slowly getting back the things they lost like clothing and toiletries. Some of their family members have started GoFundMe fundraisers, including one of their older sisters and mother. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None of the people living in the house were injured, except for a few bruises while they got out of the house. The driver and the passenger were both transported by ambulance to a local hospital. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Care homes are to be forced to recruit staff in England first in a foreign visa crackdown. Care providers must prove they have tried to employ a worker already living in the country before attempting to hire someone from overseas, under rules that take effect next month. The change is designed to wean care homes off overseas recruitment and combat exploitation in the sector, the Home Office said, To qualify for a care worker visa, a person must have a certificate of sponsorship from their employer with information about the role they have been offered in the UK. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the sponsor loses their licence the certificate is cancelled and the person has limited time to find a new one or leave the UK. The rule, coming into force on April 9, will require an employer to prioritise recruiting international care workers already in the country who are in need of new sponsorship. The latest figures, published last month, showed the number of visas issued for health and care workers and their families coming to the UK fell from 348,157 in 2023 to 110,833 last year a decrease of 68 per cent. The drop is likely to reflect changes in legal migration rules introduced since January 2024 by the previous Conservative government, including a ban on overseas care workers bringing family dependants, and a steep rise in the salary threshold for skilled workers to 38,700. Enforcement could be difficult Dr Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, said that while the rule change might help to address exploitation to some extent, enforcement could be difficult. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added: One problem workers have faced is that if they lost their job because an exploitative employer did not provide the work theyd promised or was struck off, they often struggled to find a new one. This is despite the fact that employers were still recruiting thousands of new care workers to come from overseas. The move to require employers to recruit in-country before hiring from overseas might help to address this problem to some extent. That said, these policies can be difficult to enforce so the proof will be in the implementation. The Observatory said the care worker visa route was, in 2023, pretty much the Wild West. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said that even with more opportunity to find a new job in the sector, care staff on work visas will likely continue to be vulnerable to exploitation for other reasons, such as debt and difficulties finding a new job if they continue to be employed in poor conditions but have not officially lost their job. The Home Office said more than 470 sponsor licences in the care sector had been revoked between July 2022 and December 2024 in a crackdown on abuse and exploitation. More than 39,000 workers had been associated with those sponsors since October 2020. Crackdown on rogue operators Seema Malhotra, the migration and citizenship minister, said: Those who have come to the UK to support our adult care sector should have the opportunity to do so, free from abuse and exploitation. We have already taken action to ensure employers are not able to flout the rules with little consequence or exploit international workers for costs they were always supposed to pay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are now going further, requiring employers in England to prioritise recruiting international care workers who are already here and seeking new sponsorship, before recruiting from overseas. Stephen Kinnock, the care minister, said: As we crack down on shameful rogue operators exploiting overseas workers here in the UK, we must do all we can to get the victims back into rewarding careers in adult social care. Prioritising care workers who are already in the UK will get people back to work, reducing our reliance on international recruitment, and make sure our social care sector has the care professionals it needs. The Government said minimum salary thresholds were being updated to reflect the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, ensuring those working on the skilled worker visa, including care workers, are paid a minimum of 12.82 per hour. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Its the accounting maneuver that could break the Senate, upend the federal budget process and explode the national debt. Thats according to critics of a fiscal tactic that congressional Republicans are now seriously considering as they struggle to figure out how to deliver on all of President Donald Trumps policy demands. Adopting the current policy baseline, as its called, could be the only way for the GOP to make Trumps 2017 tax cuts permanent and avoid painful cuts to federal programs, as well as pile on new income tax exemptions for tips, overtime and Social Security. Trump is expected to discuss the move with members of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee at a White House meeting Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If lawmakers adopt the change, it would essentially make it appear as though extending current tax rates, set to expire at the end of the year, would cost nothing rather than the roughly $4 trillion over 10 years that nonpartisan scorekeepers estimate. But while some Republicans argue that continuing current tax rates shouldnt be counted toward the deficit, critics of the maneuver including prominent GOP budget experts say that it would be a recipe for disaster, a fiscal Pandoras box that once opened could be used to forever excuse huge ongoing deficits. I would caution my friends, my Republican friends and senators up there, be careful about this, said Bill Hoagland, the former GOP staff director for the Senate Budget Committee. Someday you may be in the minority. The tactic is so tempting because it would solve a very difficult political problem for Republicans. Budget hawks in the House who do not want the party-line domestic policy bill adding to federal deficits want to ensure that planned tax cuts are closely tied to the amount of spending cuts Republicans can achieve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even then, the $4.5 trillion upper limit the House put on tax cuts does not leave enough room for a permanent extension of expiring tax cuts, in addition to all the other tax-related asks Trump has made. For instance, adding on Trumps other tax-related asks, such as income tax exemptions for overtime, tips and Social Security benefits, could add up to another $5 trillion, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Critics say members of either party could use the maneuver to disguise trillions of spending through tax policies. Democrats argue that if Republicans move forward, they would be doing away with decades of precedent and reneging on decades of anti-deficit rhetoric to enact tax cuts for the wealthy. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren called it magic math in an interview and said going in that direction would end the congressional budget process as it has existed for more than 50 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They cant repeal the underlying reality, a $4.7 trillion giveaway to billionaires and giant corporations will cost $4.7 trillion, she said, referring to how much the tax cut extensions are estimated to cost with interest. Said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who signed onto a recent letter with Warren questioning the GOPs strategy, If this was done in the accounting world, you wouldnt be an accountant for very long. Meanwhile, the leading advocate of moving to a current policy baseline, Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), argued that it would rectify budget scoring rules that favor higher spending over keeping taxes low. If youre not changing the tax code, youre simply extending current policy, you are not increasing the deficit, Crapo said on Fox Business in January. Weve got to get some kind of sensibility into the way that we score. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a Budget Committee member, brushed off the idea that Republicans were undermining the budget procedures in place since 1974 but also acknowledged that turnabout could be fair play when Democrats get their next governing trifecta. They will probably use current policy themselves in the future when theyre back in the majority, he said. Besides being controversial from an accounting perspective, the current policy baseline represents a major political gamble for Republicans, with the fate of potentially all of Trumps tax agenda hanging in the balance. Thats because the GOP might not know for weeks, if not months, if the maneuver will pass muster with the Senates parliamentarian. With a permanent extension of the expiring tax cuts moving toward the center of the Republican must-do list, an adverse ruling could create a huge hole in the GOPs math. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It would complicate making the tax cuts permanent, said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who chairs the Budget Committee. That could create pressure for Republicans to overrule or even fire the parliamentarian a move that would upend the delicate balance senators of both parties have adhered to for decades: Only bills that comply with strict fiscal rules aimed at reducing deficits can be exempted from the chambers 60-vote requirement for ending debate and moving to a final vote. As far as Im concerned, that might as well give away the filibuster in the Senate, Hoagland said. Republicans, for their part, say they arent doing anything out of compliance with the longstanding budget rules. And theres widespread skepticism inside the Senate GOP that they would ever vote to overrule the longtime parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We can say its a $4 trillion deficit that were going to add into this, or we can say its current policy, but everyone knows its the exact same the next day, said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) in an interview. So its nomenclature. Key GOP staff are already quietly meeting with the parliamentarian to try to get informal vibe checks on what she is thinking. Though senators wont get a formal ruling until they go through whats called a Byrd bath when the reconciliation bill is vetted to make sure it complies with the rules that allow them to pass it by a simple majority they can and frequently do have conversations with the parliamentarians office before that as they try to game out their procedural strategy. We think the law is pretty clear but these things are all subject to discussion and arguments made in front of the parliamentarian, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in a brief interview, while cautioning that they were a long way away from that point. But theres skepticism from former longtime congressional staff and budget experts that the Senate GOP plan will fall within the rules of reconciliation. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, predicted the parliamentarian wont green-light the GOP strategy because it "seems like a pretty big stretch" of the rules. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement George Callas of Arnold Ventures, who served as former Speaker Paul Ryans top tax aide during the drafting of the 2017 law, said adopting the current policy baseline would amount to a huge gimmick. My understanding is that the Senate parliamentarian gives a great deal of weight to the existing rules and the precedents and takes a skeptical look at just expedient reinterpretations of those rules for political reasons, he said. The captain of the Solong cargo ship who was arrested after crashing into a US-flagged tanker off the English coast is a Russian national, the vessels owner said Wednesday, as maritime experts search for answers. The Solong careered into the Stena Immaculate while it was at anchor in the North Sea and carrying huge amounts of jet fuel for the US military, setting fire to both vessels and prompting emergency rescue efforts by the British coastguard. British police have since opened a criminal investigation into the crash and arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for Ernst Russ, which owns the Solong, confirmed to CNN that the arrested man is the ships captain and that he is a Russian national. The rest of the crew are a mix of Russians and Filipinos, the spokesperson added. Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the nearby Port of Grimsby East, had expressed disbelief that such a crash could have happened, given the sophistication of modern shipping technology. It seems a mystery, really, because all the vessels now have very highly sophisticated technical equipment to plot courses and to look at any obstacles or anything theyve got to avoid, Boyers told CNN on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How did that vessel (the Solong) continue plowing into the berth vessel? There must have been some warning signs. They must have been able to detect it on the radar, he said. A firefighting ship tries to extinguish the blaze after Monday's collision in the North Sea. - Bartek Smiaek/AP The Portuguese-flagged Solong was still burning more than a day on from the crash, while the fire on the Stena Immaculate was put out earlier Tuesday. A missing crew member from the Solong is presumed dead, according to Britains maritime minister Mike Kane, after a search and rescue operation was called off late Monday. The cargo ships other 13 crew members were rescued, along with the full 23-person crew of the Stena Immaculate which, Kane said, was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Stena Immaculate, which is managed by the United States logistics firm Crowley, is part of a fleet of 10 tankers involved in a US government program to supply its military with fuel. The Department of Defenses Tanker Security Program, according to Crowley, ensures a commercial fleet can readily transport liquid fuel supplies in times of need. Oceanu UK, an environmental group, warned of huge potential damage if jet fuel spills into the sea. The fuel can cause a huge amount of damage to wildlife as well as fish populations, they said. Environmentalists were also concerned by reports Monday evening that the Solong was carrying large amounts of sodium cyanide. But Ernst Russ later denied the claims, saying that the ship was carrying four empty containers that had previously contained the hazardous chemical. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Mar. 12JAMESTOWN Carmichael Classical Christian School in Jamestown has launched a capital campaign for a physical location of a K-12 school with the goal of it opening in the fall of 2026, according to Rebekah Drahosh, head of the school. "Our hope is to have a good portion of the funds by the end of this spring raised so that we can move forward and kind of have our first couple year's deficit covered and then continue to fundraise just while the school is up and running," Drahosh said. "We will be tuition funded so eventually when our enrollment is high, our model tuition will cover all expenses for the school." The goal is for Carmichael Classical Christian School to open in fall 2026 with an enrollment of 58 students in grades K-12 and employing 14 full-time staff in the first year, Drahosh said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the capital campaign, she said the school needs about $2.5 million for a rented space, salaries and benefits for K-12 teachers and all upfront costs of furniture, technology and the school's curriculum. "It really covers through year six when we would be deficit free," said Brianna Taylor, curriculum director. Drahosh said the school is seeking an additional $1 million in scholarship funds to offset tuition costs for families who need help. Carmichael Classical Christian School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is affiliated with two accrediting agencies Classical Latin School Association and the Association of Classical Christian Schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The school's mission is to train students to love God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength by partnering with parents in their children's education, according to the school's website. Drahosh said Carmichael Classical Christian School currently exists as a homeschool co-op with six families involved. The school has 16 school-aged children and seven who are preschool and younger. She said the school has students in every grade through ninth grade except first-grade and eighth-grade classes. "We meet four days a week currently and just homeschool together," Drahosh said. "So all moms are present and a variety of other volunteers and helpers are present as well." She said the school started as two families who wanted to homeschool their children about three years ago. She said more families joined over the years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "One of the things we care deeply about is parental responsibility and involvement," Drahosh said. "Something that I think drove us all to homeschool was not dissatisfaction necessarily with public schools. There were some things we wanted to be a little different, but I don't think any of us homeschooled primarily because we were upset about something or we were afraid and we needed our kids to be sheltered." Drahosh said parents chose to homeschool with Carmichael Classical Christian School because they are responsible for their children. "For us to impact our community of Jamestown in the most potent way, part of that is raising responsible adults who are virtuous people," she said. Drahosh said classical Christian education is based on the methodology of trivium. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The trivium basically looks at the whole of a child's developmental life from the time they are born from the time they kind of reach adulthood," she said. She said classical Christian education is based on the pursuit of virtue and holistic development of a child. She said the education model helps children grow physically, intellectually, spiritually and emotionally in virtue so they become a well-rounded whole person. "The emphasis is not simply to gain skills to get a job or to perform but actually to become a certain type of person," Drahosh said. She said the trivium breaks into three stages grammar, logic and rhetoric. She said the grammar stage is for elementary-aged children, the logic stage would be for middle-school students, and the rhetoric stage is for teenage students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drahosh said the grammar stage helps set a foundation for learning when they move out into their middle school years and want to express their opinions more. "Now we've spent these six years of what we call the grammar stage, giving them a lot of exposure to the world in a variety of areas, helping them memorize a lot of things in a way that's fun and engaging and really ingrained on them," she said. When the students get to the middle-school age, they are taught logic and reasoning, how to present an argument and how to take facts and what they have learned to come up with their own ideas and thoughts about the world. "Once they have been taught some of those logic skills, then the next step of that is the high school years, which we call the rhetoric stage, which is where they begin to express themselves, their own ideas, their own thoughts," she said. "Now we've given them both the tools to memorize and to learn things and we've shaped them to be virtuous people and we've taught them how to reason, how to think logically and now they are in this stage where they really are turning around and giving that instruction to people younger than them." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drahosh said one main element of classical Christian education is learning Latin. "Latin really intersects with everything," she said. " ... There is not an area where Latin doesn't have some influences. It is the mother of all our modern languages. So the children start Latin in second grade and they learn all of their English grammar though their studies of Latin." Carmichael Classical Christian School is holding a monthly public forum on Saturday, March 15, at Center Counseling at 312 2nd Ave. SW in Jamestown. A spring program and dessert fundraiser is set for April 5 at The Arts Center in Jamestown where attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about Carmichael Classical Christian School. To contribute to the school's capital campaign, email Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement director@carmichaelclassical.com or visit Bank Forward where accounts for the capital campaign are set up. For more information on Carmichael Classical Christian School, visit www.carmichaelclassical.com or the school's Facebook page. HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) The still-burning Carolina Forest wildfire highlights the need for more investments into education and prevention programs, the states top forestry officials told lawmakers Wednesday. The agencys risk of losing these important positions reduces its ability to implement successful prevention campaigns, and (to) assist communities with wildfire mitigation projects which would result in more, larger wildfires and more damage to homes, Scott Phillips told a Senate Finance subcommittee. Phillips $11.6 million budget request for the 2024-25 fiscal year came even as firefighters from his department were working to knock down the 2,059-acre Covington Drive blaze that began March 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said single-engine air tankers approved last year quickly proved their worth once they were added to the fleet. Thats a new asset for us. They took to the skies earlier this year, and theyre already making a significant difference in our wildland firefighting efforts, Phillips said. Weve used those on multiple fires, including Covington Drive. Phillips said his top priority was a $345,000 allocation for wildfire prevention staff, who help at-risk communities get ahead of potential hazards. I want to give you a real-world example. At the Covington Drive fire, there were two communities that were severely impacted: Walkers Woods and The Reserve at Walkers Woods, Phillips said. Those two communities had very different outcomes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While no structures were destroyed, Phillips said homes in The Reserve were damaged, while those in Walkers Woods werent, since the latter is part of Firewise USA a nationwide preparedness program spread across 42 states. Phillips said wildfire prevention teams can help bring more neighborhoods up to speed. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) The Mount Rogers Health Department confirmed Tuesday that a case of pertussis (whooping cough) has been identified at E.B. Stanley Middle School in Washington County, Virginia. According to a release from Washington County Schools, the system received a letter from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Tuesday afternoon confirming the case, and district administrators quickly notified parents and staff members at E.B. Stanley. We have a 99% vaccination rate based on age for this vaccine but as a reminder upcoming 7th graders need a booster before next school year, the release states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The school system said it is doing the following to ensure the health and safety of students and staff: Custodial staff will be increasing cleaning and disinfecting efforts throughout the building, with a specific focus on high-traffic areas. A health services team will be closely monitoring for any signs of illness or symptoms associated with pertussis. The school system encourages parents and guardians to monitor their childrens well-being for symptoms of whooping cough, such as severe coughing fits, difficulty breathing, and the characteristic whooping noise emitted when a child coughs. If a child exhibits any of the above symptoms, their parent is urged to contact their primary care physician or local health department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More information about whooping cough can be found at cdc.gov/pertussis/about/index.html. EBStanley_PertussisLetter_3.10Download Pertussis-Whooping-Cough_FactSheetDownload Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. Catawba County father and son arrested on fentanyl trafficking charges DENVER, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A father and son were charged with selling fentanyl after a traffic stop in Denver Monday. According to the Catawba County Sheriffs Office, investigators with the Narcotics Division and Special Enforcement Group conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling on N.C. 16 South. Deputies say they spotted a motor vehicle regulatory violation. Catawba County man sentenced for attempted statutory rape of 13-year-old Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The stop led to the alleged discovery of illegal drugs. The sheriff says investigators found and seized: 31.5 grams of fentanyl 362 dosage units of alprazolam 1.6 grams of crack cocaine 3.1 grams of powdered cocaine Drug paraphernalia, and $9,163 in cash. The driver, Gregory Kain of Newton, and his son, Spencer Kain, were arrested and charged with: Trafficking Opium/Heroin by Possession, Trafficking Opium/Heroin by Transportation, Maintaining a Vehicle for a Controlled Substance, Possession with Intent to Sell and Deliver a Schedule IV Controlled Substance, Conspiracy to Traffic Opium/Heroin, Felony Possession of Cocaine, Possession with Intent to Sell and Deliver a Schedule II Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gregory Kain is being held in the Catawba County Detention Facility under a $500,000 secured bond; Spencer Kain was handed a $600,000 secured bond. Both had court appearances scheduled for Tuesday, March 11. This seizure has taken these dangerous substances off our streets and disrupted an alleged trafficking operation here in Catawba County, said Catawba County Sheriff Donald Brown in a statement. I commend the hard work and dedication of our Narcotics Division. Our office remains committed to safeguarding our community and combating drug trafficking. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. In 2021, President Joe Biden launched an app with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) CBP One. CBP One mainly served as a way for migrants to schedule asylum hearings, thereby reducing illegal border crossings, per USA Today. This week President Donald Trump repurposed the app. Rather than facilitating immigration, CBP Home, as CBP One has been rebranded, plans to facilitate self-deportation. The CBP Home app strengthens our mission to secure the border and provides illegal aliens with a straightforward way to leave now, before facing much harsher consequences later, Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, told reporters in a press briefing on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration asserts that illegal aliens abused the app during the Biden administration claiming that 1 million people took up residency inside the United States while their asylum requests were only pending. The CBP Home app gives aliens the option to leave now and self deport, so they may still have the opportunity to return legally in the future and live the American dream, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem told Fox News. If they dont, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will never return. What is the Intent to Depart feature, and how does Trump want undocumented immigrants to use it? The CBP Home App offers an orderly and defined process for illegal aliens (to leave the country), Leavitt told the White House press pool. Martha Rosales walks along a street to the Tijuana airport to pick up an arriving migrant who will stay at Rosales' home while waiting an appointment to apply for asylum in the United States through the CBP One app Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024, in Tijuana, Mexico. | Gregory Bull If a CBP Home user intends to depart, they may select the Intent to Depart button. From there, they submit a photo of themselves to prove their identity, report whether or not they have a passport from another country and divulge if they have enough money to depart the United States, per USA Today. CBP Home also gives users the option to apply for I-94s, request cargo and luggage inspections, check border wait times and submit travel manifests for crossing the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government has not yet provided information concerning when people should report their self-deportation plans. Because CBP Home tracks users' locations, immigration officials may use the apps data to target people with plans to leave but who have not yet departed. Nevertheless, advocates for the app say that the previous system was heavily misused, including by migrants who would ignore court hearings and rulings after submitting asylum requests. Status of illegal immigration to the U.S. During the press conference on Tuesday, Leavitt endorsed CBP Home and offered other data on Trumps success in limiting illegal immigration. A Bloomberg report published on March 10 found that the number of migrants trying to reach the United States by traveling through the jungle from Panama to America, including through the Darien Gap, plummeted by 99% last month. Numbers have fallen lower than they have since borders shut in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In February, Border Patrol Chief Mike Bikes also told CBS News that illegal border crossings have dropped 94% from where they were in February 2024. He credited the dramatic reduction to Trumps aggressive policy stances concerning unlawful immigration. In remarks he delivered to Congress on March 4, Trump also said that he had sent Congress a detailed funding request, complete with plans to fully eliminate illegal immigration and to complete the largest deportation operation in American history. We must finish this job and continue to carry out the largest deportation campaign in American history, Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The 11 members of the Clark County School District Board of Trustees questioned the three finalists for the superintendent job in the last round of interviews. CCSD superintendent candidates take questions from the public Jhone Ebert, Ben Shuldiner, and Jesse Welsh gave their final pitch to trustees Tuesday night at a special school meeting, where each candidate participated in a 45-minute question-and-answer session. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ebert started the night. She is the current State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the first question a trustee asked her was about special education. School board begins interviews for next CCSD superintendent We know that we have a shortage with special education educators, special education bus drivers, paraprofessionals. The whole adult pipeline is short in that area. So number one, which the school district has already done this last school year, is providing the additional stipend, Ebert said. 8 News Now obtained an email CCSD sent to staff members notifying them that the state money that was used as a stipend, which Ebert mentioned, is running out. Ebert said shed lobby lawmakers for more money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CCSD superintendent candidate fired from previous position as CEO of Chicago schools We have a hundred more positions filled this year, Ebert said. Shuldiner is the superintendent of the Lansing School District in Michigan. When a trustee asked Shuldiner about his vision for CCSD, he said hed focus on goals. The first would be increasing the current graduation rate of 81%. CCSD narrows superintendent search to 4 candidates Theres no reason why youre not at 85% in the next year or two. And I think you can get to 90% in about two and a half, three years. The other one is the 120 One Star Schools. You have to address that. If a third of the schools are at One Star, that means a lot of children arent being served, Shuldiner said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Welsh is the chief executive officer of Nevada State High School, a charter school based in Henderson. On the day the U.S. Department of Education announced it was laying off 1,300 employees, a trustee asked Welsh what he would do if federal funds were eliminated. I think we need to be proactive and make sure we have some plans in our back pocket should there be a disruption, or a termination of federal funding. Again, I would hope that does not occur. But we need to be prepared for that, especially given some of the things that are happening right now in Washington, Welsh said. Out of the three superintendent candidates, Shuldiner is the only one without connections to CCSD. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Towards the end of Tuesdays meeting, there was tension among trustees over a survey from the Global Economic Alliance that was included in the school boards reference material. 03.11.25-Additional-Ref.-2.02ODownload The group is comprised of several Las Vegas-based Chambers of Commerce. The survey outlined its pick for the best superintendent, which was Ben Shuldiner. But some trustees believed it shouldve been part of public comment, so they voted to remove it. Trustees are scheduled to hire a superintendent Thursday during a regular school board meeting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that his acceptance of a ceasefire proposal should show that Ukraine is willing to work towards peace. "I think that today we had to demonstrate to the whole world our readiness," Zelensky said at a press conference in Kiev. At a meeting in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah on Tuesday, Ukrainian negotiators agreed to a US proposal for a temporary ceasefire if Russia is on board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the press conference, Zelensky said he "did not care" whether or not the United States had discussed this form of ceasefire with Russia in advance. Zelensky was vague about the situation in the Russian border region of Kursk, where Ukraine is reportedly losing territorial gains it made during a surprise counteroffensive in August. "Our troops are fulfilling their mission in the Kursk area. The Russians are trying to exert maximum pressure," he said, adding that the Ukrainian military leadership is taking measures to protect its troops. Earlier on Wednesday, pictures had circulated on social media of Russian soldiers in the centre of the small Ukrainian-occupied town of Sudzha in the Kursk region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement that Russian troops have also pushed Ukrainian units out of five other locations. According to Ukrainian military observers, Kiev now only controls less than a sixth of the more than 1,200 square kilometres it occupied in August. Andrii Yermak, Head of the Ukrainian President's Office, has stated that discussions on the details of a ceasefire will begin next week. Source: Ukrainian President's Office, citing Yermak; Ukrinform Quote from Yermak: "We have agreed that teams will begin discussing all the details at technical expert level next week." Details: Yermak said various security guarantee options had been discussed during the meeting between the Ukrainian and American delegations in Jeddah. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote from Yermak: "We considered different options today and various [options] are currently on the table. I would not like to talk about any specifics today since these consultations and talks are still ongoing... But these [must definitely be] guarantees that will one hundred per cent prevent any aggression in the future." Details: Yermak noted that the United States will now discuss with the Russian side the proposals formulated during the meeting with the Ukrainian delegation. Quote from Yermak: "After this meeting, it is the Russian side that holds the key. And the whole world will see who wants peace and who does not, but only talks about it." Background: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the talks in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine said that it is willing to implement a 30-day ceasefire, provided that Russia also adheres to it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that this would apply "not only with regard to missiles, drones and bombs, not only in the Black Sea but also along the entire front line". US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would submit a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine to Russia and that he hopes Russia will agree to it. US President Donald Trump stated that he plans to speak with Russian leader Vladimir Putin regarding the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! The prospect of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is "in Moscow's hands," a top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said following successful U.S.-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Andriy Yermak -- the head of Zelenskyy's office -- was part of the Ukrainian delegation that met with American representatives in Jeddah, where both teams agreed to pursue a 30-day ceasefire and use the pause in fighting as a launchpad for full peace negotiations to end Russia's three-year-old invasion of its neighbor. "Ukraine is ready to accept a 30-day ceasefire if Russia agrees," Yermak wrote on Telegram on Wednesday morning. "This is a necessary step to begin work on real security guarantees and preparing the final terms of a peace agreement." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "But now the key is in Moscow's hands -- the whole world will see who really wants to end the war and who is simply playing for time," he added. Moscow was readying itself to hear details from Tuesday's U.S.-Ukraine meeting, with officials "scrutinizing" the publicly released statements, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. He added that Russia "doesn't want to get ahead of itself" on the potential ceasefire, saying the Kremlin will want to first get specifics directly from Washington. A "summit phone call" may be in the cards, he said. PHOTO: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz meet with the Head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Mar. 11, 2025. (Andriy Yermak-Telegram/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock) MORE: US and Ukraine call for 30-day ceasefire following Saudi talks Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump's return to office has put Ukraine in a strategic bind, no longer able to rely on the "ironclad" -- if at times hesitant, according to many Ukrainians -- American support during former President Joe Biden's time in office. Trump has aligned with Russian narratives about the conflict, framing Ukraine as the key impediment to peace, falsely blaming Kyiv for starting the war, undermining Zelenskyy's legitimacy as president and seeking to recoup years of American aid via a controversial minerals sharing deal. Last week, the Trump administration announced a freeze on U.S. military aid to and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Tuesday's meeting in Saudi Arabia saw that pause lifted, officials said. Moscow has welcomed the radical U.S. shift in rhetoric and policy, which culminated in an explosive Trump-Zelenskyy Oval Office meeting last month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kyiv has been striving to prove its readiness for peace while stressing that no deal can succeed without American security guarantees to deter repeat Russian aggression. Ukrainian leaders have also cast doubt on President Vladimir Putin's readiness to end the fighting and urged their U.S. partners to be wary of the Kremlin. PHOTO: Members of the National Police Special Purpose Battalion of Zaporizhzhia region fire a howitzer toward Russian positions in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, on March 7, 2025. (Stringer/Reuters) MORE: Ukraine bombards Russia with largest drone barrage of war, Moscow says Zelenskyy says US needs to 'convince' Russia to accept proposal Following Tuesday's talks, Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram of the 30-day ceasefire plan, "Ukraine accepts this proposal, we consider it positive, we are ready to take this step. The United States of America needs to convince Russia to do so." "We agree, and if the Russians agree, the silence will take effect at that very moment," he added. "An important element in today's discussions is America's readiness to restore defense assistance to Ukraine and intelligence support." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Ukraine is ready for peace," Zelenskyy wrote. "Russia must also show whether it is ready to end the war -- or continue it. The time has come for the whole truth. I thank everyone who helps Ukraine." Speaking in Kyiv on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said he is "very serious" about a ceasefire. "For me it is important to end the war," he added. "I want the president of the United States to see it, I want Americans to see and feel it," Zelenskyy said. "I want Europe and all to be in alliance in order to do everything to force Russia to end this war." PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the media during a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 12, 2025. (Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images) "As for the security guarantees, we will talk about them in more details if there is ceasefire for 30 days," the president continued. "These 30 days are given to prepare a draft. We have our proposals, but we will draft the steps that we will agree on with our allies and formats of security guarantees which Ukraine will have after the war is over." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Today, everything depends on the fact whether Russia wants to cease fire or to continue killing people. Today, it fully depends on this country. United States of America demonstrated its steps and position. Ukraine demonstrated and outlined its positions in a very direct way, without any reservations. And Russia will have to answer to that." "I believe that the meeting itself in Saudi Arabia ruins Russian plans to escalate relations between Ukraine and United States," Zelenskyy said. "On the contrary, there is de-escalation." MORE: US 'just about' ready to lift Ukraine intel freeze, Trump says ahead of Saudi meet Trump says he could pressure Russia financially but doesn't want to Trump told reporters on Wednesday that the administration hasn't spoken to Putin yet "with substance" regarding the ceasefire proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We haven't spoken to him yet with substance because we just found out and we just were able to get Ukraine to agree," he said. "So, we're going to know very soon. I've gotten some positive messages, but a positive message means nothing. This is a very serious situation." Trump would not comment on whether he has a meeting with Putin scheduled. "But we had a great success yesterday," he said. "It's up to Russia now," Trump said. "But we've had a good relationship with both parties, actually. And we'll see. People are going to Russia right now as we speak. And hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump declined to get into specifics when asked what he can do to pressure Russia to agree to the ceasefire proposal. "We can, but I hope it's not going to be necessary," he said. "There are things you could do that that wouldn't be pleasant in a financial sense," he added, without providing any specifics. "I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don't want to do that because I want to get peace." The president then reiterated his previous claim that Ukraine would be a bigger obstacle in negotiations. "We've got Ukraine done. And, as you as you know, I've always said that Ukraine might have been the more difficult party," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump said he is pressing for peace amid mounting casualties in the war, which he claimed was "over nothing." "We're all working hard to get this thing finished," he said. "It's crazy, over nothing, and it's not going to go anywhere. It's just a terrible situation. And I think, and I think we have a chance to get it done." PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he meets with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Mar. 12, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) MORE: Ukraine under severe pressure in Russia's Kursk region Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington, D.C., will pursue "multiple points of contact" with Russia to see if Putin is ready to negotiate an end to the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The ball is truly in their court," Rubio said during a refueling stop in Shannon, Ireland, as quoted by The Associated Press. Rubio also said he hopes Russia will end attacks on Ukraine in the coming days. "We don't think it's constructive to stand here today and say what we're going to do if Russia says no," Rubio said, adding he would avoid statements that "are abrasive in any way." Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff -- who took part in the recent U.S. talks with both Ukraine and Russia -- is due to visit Moscow "in the coming days," according to a source familiar with the plans. Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency also reported Wednesday that CIA Director Jim Ratcliffe spoke by phone with Sergey Naryshkin, the head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service. Fierce combat continues PHOTO: A view shows a hotel hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on March 12, 2025. (State Emergency Service Of Ukrai/via Reuters) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, said in an interview published Wednesday that he does not believe Trump wants to provide security guarantees to Ukraine. "He has his own view of the situation, which he regularly and directly states," Lavrov said. "This war should never have started." Despite apparent progress in Jeddah, the fighting continues. Fierce combat is ongoing all along the front lines, particularly in the western Russian Kursk region, where Moscow's forces are pushing Ukrainian troops back from positions seized in a surprise August offensive. The general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces confirmed in a briefing on Wednesday that Ukraine has lost a significant part of the territory in Kursk. Putin met with troops at the Russian control center in Kursk on Wednesday, where he called for them to defeat Ukrainian forces in the region "as soon as possible," according to the Kremlin. "Your task is to completely destroy the enemy, which has entrenched itself in the Kursk region and is still conducting warfare here, and fully liberate the Kursk region's territory within the shortest possible time," Putin said. Overnight, both sides launched drones across the shared border. Russia's Defense Ministry reported the downing of 21 Ukrainian UAVs. Ukraine's air force reported three missiles and 133 drones launched into the country overnight. The air force said 98 of the drones were shot down and 20 were lost in flight without causing damage. Odesa, Kharkiv, Sumy and Kyiv regions were affected, the air force said. Five people were killed and 12 injured due to shelling in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian emergency officials. One person was killed and 15 more were injured in strikes on the city of Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy's hometown, in central Ukraine, according to Ukrainian emergency officials. ABC News' Alexandra Hutzler, Kelsey Walsh, Joe Simonetti and Will Gretsky contributed to this report. Ceasefire 'in Moscow's hands,' Ukraine says after US meeting in Saudi Arabia originally appeared on abcnews.go.com DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) This is a big week for one professor at Cedarville University. Susan Troth is heading to the United Nations in New York City. Shes bringing a very important message with her. I want to take hope to the United Nations, said Susan Troth, Associate Professor of Worship at Cedarville University. Thursday, Susan Troth will deliver a speech at the United Nations Fourth World Conference On Women. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its out of my realm because Im a voice professor, Troth said. Ive never given just stood up and just given a speech before. But this speech is nothing compared to the challenges of the last eight years. I was widowed at the age of 54 in 2017, Troth said. My husband of 32 years died instantly, and Id struggled for 20 years through infertility. I didnt have children, so I was up in here in Ohio alone. Share your good news with 2! Then, just as the grief was starting to ease, Susan nearly died herself in 2020. Double pneumonia. Renal failure. Sepsis. I came out of the hospital and I was using a cane to walk and I was broken in and and bitter, Troth said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But she didnt want to stay that way. I just said, You know what? Im going to surrender to God. I dont understand His path for me, but Im going to surrender. Im going to let go of the anger,' Troth said. It was then that she started to get better. People asked me how I was doing and I said, Im so blessed. Im so blessed by God. I feel spoiled,' Troth said. And I just made up this word and all of a sudden that word just kind of kept growing. Splessed. Her made-up word became the name of her book Stressed to Splessed. Thursday, Susan will have the opportunity to spread her message to women around the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The last chapter is discovering hope, Troth said. And we take a little rock and we write the word hope on it. And this is a bedrock, and its the Holy Bible, obedience, prayer, and endurance. So when everything else fails in your life, thats the bedrock. Troths book is available on her website. As well as at major retailers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. NUUK, Greenland (AP) Greenlands likely new prime minister on Wednesday rejected U.S. President Donald Trumps effort to take control of the island, saying Greenlanders must be allowed to decide their own future as it moves toward independence from Denmark. Jens-Frederik Nielsens Demokraatit, a pro-business party that favors a slow path to independence, won a surprise victory in Tuesdays parliamentary election, outpacing the two left-leaning parties that formed the last government. With most Greenlanders opposing Trumps overtures, the campaign focused more on issues like healthcare and education than on geopolitics. But on Wednesday Nielsen was quick to push back against Trump, who last week told a joint session of Congress that the U.S. needed Greenland to protect its own national security interests and he expected to get it one way or the other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont want to be Americans. No, we dont want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders, and we want our own independence in the future, Nielsen, 33, told Britains Sky News. And we want to build our own country by ourselves. That didn't stop Trump from suggesting during a Thursday Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that Greenlands election that it was very good for "us and the person who did the best is a very good person, as far as were concerned. Moving toward independence from Denmark Greenland, a self-governing region of Denmark, has been on a path toward independence since at least 2009, when the government in Copenhagen recognized its right to self-determination under international law. Four of the five main parties in the election supported independence, though they disagreed on when and how to achieve it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The island of 56,000 people, most from Indigenous Inuit backgrounds, has attracted international attention since Trump announced his designs on it soon after returning to the White House in January. Trump is focused on Greenland because it straddles strategic air and sea routes in the North Atlantic and is home to the U.S.s Pituffik Space Base, which supports missile warning and space surveillance operations. Greenland also has large deposits of the rare-earth minerals needed to make everything from mobile phones to renewable energy technology. Trump said during the meeting with Rutte that Denmarks very far away from Greenland and questioned whether that country still had a right to claim the world's largest island as part of its kingdom. A boat landed there 200 years ago or something. And they say they have rights to it, Trump said. I dont know if thats true. I dont think it is, actually. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump said U.S. control of Greenland could be important for national security reasons and even suggested NATO should be involved, but Rutte demurred. Trump nonetheless noted that the U.S. already has a considerable military presence in Greenland and added, Maybe youll see more and more soldiers going there. I dont know. Despite that, Trumps overtures werent on the ballot. The 31 men and women elected to parliament on Tuesday will have to set priorities for issues such as diversifying Greenlands economy, building infrastructure and improving health care, as well as shaping the countrys strategy for countering the presidents America First agenda. Demokraatit won 29.9% of the vote by campaigning to improve housing and educational standards while delaying independence until Greenland is self-sufficient. Four years ago, the party finished in fourth place with 9.1%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nuuk resident Anthon Nielsen said the partys victory would be good for the country. Most politicians want Greenland to be independent, he said. But this party who won, they dont want to hurry things so everything must be done right. Carina Ren, head of the Arctic program at Aalborg University in Copenhagen, said the results show that Greenlanders tried to ignore Trump and focus on issues that were important to them. The voters have been able to drag down all the drama, all the alarmist talk from the outside to say, Well, this is about our everyday lives, our everyday concerns as citizens. Where are we going, how are we going to develop our society from the inside. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now Demokraatit will have to turn its attention to forming a governing coalition. Naleraq, the most aggressively pro-independence party, finished in second place, with 24.5% of the vote. It was followed by Inuit Ataqatigiit, which led the last government, at 21.4%. What approach to independence will win the day will ultimately depend on if Demokraatit decides to form a coalition government, and if so, with which party, said Dwayne Menezes, managing director of the Polar Research and Policy Initiative. An unexpected victory Nielsen appeared to be surprised by Demokraatits gains as the results came it, with photos showing him sporting a huge grin and applauding at a post-election party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He later said Demokraatit would reach out to all the other parties to negotiate Greenlands future political course. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen congratulated Demokraatit and warned that Greenlands new government would likely have to deal with massive pressure from Trump. Its not the case that you can just take part of the Danish Realm, Danish broadcaster DR quoted him as saying. The future of Greenland is based on what the Greenlandic people and government want. Greenland Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede last month called early elections, saying the country needed to be united during a serious time unlike anything Greenland has ever experienced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, after the results were known, Egede used a Facebook post to thank voters for turning out and said the parties were ready to turn to negotiations to form a government. ___ Associated Press writer Will Weissert contributed to this report from Washington. Two employees of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) testified Tuesday that top officials plans to fire hundreds of workers remain intact, as a federal judge weighs whether to block the apparent dismantling of the agency. The Trump administration initially planned to cut nearly 1,200 CFPB employees in early February before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson issued an order blocking officials from conducting mass layoffs. One top CFPB official, Adam Martinez, the agencys chief operating officer, suggested over two days of hearings that the CFPB had gone through chaos, but was now essentially functioning at the level required by law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, two witnesses on Tuesday painted a much darker picture. These witnesses said top CFPB officials are moving forward with efforts to completely shutter the agency through a large-scale workforce reduction plan. Workers are also not being given a chance to apply for other positions in the government while reductions are done. Typically, laid-off employees can seek to be reassigned to competitive areas in the government that might offer them similar jobs. There would be no competition because there would be no jobs to compete for, said Alex Doe, a CFPB employee who was allowed to testify under a pseudonym. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Matthew Pfaff, chief of staff for CFPBs Office of Consumer Response, said his office, which completes statutorily required work, handles roughly 350,000 consumer complaints per month. That shifted dramatically when acting CFPB Director Russell Vought assumed leadership and instituted a stop-work order. CFPB employees at that time closed our laptop lids and walked away, Pfaff said. When they returned, they found a backlog that Pfaff said would take weeks, if not months, to work through. Chaotic is generous, he said. People have been out of work for three weeks. There was a lot of confusion about what was happening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justice Department lawyer Liam Holland questioned Pfaff on cross-examination about his failure to flag to top officials that urgent matters within the office were left unattended. But Pfaff said that, given the agency-wide shut down, he understood urgent to reference matters exceeding the agencys typical operations. The evidentiary hearing took place in the context of a suit brought by the National Treasury Employees Union and other groups against the Trump administration. The groups requested a preliminary injunction that would stop further efforts to unwind the agency while litigation continues. The administration has maintained that it does not plan to eliminate the consumer watchdog, emphasizing President Trumps decision to tap Jonathan McKernan to serve as CFPB director. I want to preserve an agency that could be revived, if necessary, Jackson said, noting that doesnt mean it has to be the agency it was but it has to be something like it is now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martinez on Monday took the stand to detail what he described as the chaos and confusion inside the agency when the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) arrived at the consumer watchdog last month. However, he signaled that DOGEs initial hard fist has since softened as the agencys new leadership has become more familiar with its work. I think theres less confusion today, said Martinez. I have hope for the future. Completing his testimony Tuesday, Martinez said DOGEs appearance at the agency felt like a hostile takeover. I now realize how much damage can be done just within a couple days, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Does testimony at times contradicted Martinezs. While Martinez testified that a hearing the court held last month did not affect plans to execute mass firings, Doe said she notified Martinez of the hearing and, soon after, was directed to speed up work. Once the court entered an agreement between the parties temporarily retaining the status quo, Doe said she told her superiors that they had to stop work. A senior adviser, she said, told her to press on because Martinez had not heard from Mark Paoletta, CFPBs chief legal officer, about whether they really needed to stop. I said, These cannot go out today, and I hope Mark Paoletta knows how to read a court order, Doe said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martinez, however, suggested DOGEs desire to unload staff from the agency was already pressing, and they would have been equally as happy if we terminated people on Wednesday versus Friday. Doe also said she had been given no indication that plans to fully dismantle the agency had ceased, while Martinez signaled a much murkier future for the agency though, he didnt count out an outcome like the one suggested by Doe. I have absolutely no idea as to what the end result is for the bureau, Martinez said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The two candidates for Wisconsin Supreme Court take part in their first and only debate Wednesday night, less than three weeks out from the April 1 election that will again determine whether the court leans liberal or conservative. The debate is an important chance for both candidates to share their backgrounds and stances on key legal and political issues. Many voters haven't yet heard enough to form an opinion of either of them, according to a Marquette University Law School poll released last week. In the poll, 51% of voters said they had a clear view of conservative candidate and Waukesha County Court Judge Brad Schimel's positions in the race, but 35% said they hadn't heard enough. Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford and Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel. For liberal candidate and Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, 41% said they knew where she stood on the issues, while 42% said they were unaware of her stances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judicial candidates are somewhat limited by a code of conduct in how they talk about issues. Generally, they can express their views on topics, as long as they don't promise to rule on a case a certain way. Four out of five Wisconsin voters in the poll said they want to hear Supreme Court candidates talk about the issues. That included majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents. Here's how to tune into the debate, where it's taking place and who the moderators are: What time does the Wisconsin Supreme Court debate between Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel start? Where is it held? The debate begins at 7 p.m. CT and is expected to last an hour. The candidates will debate in front of a live, invitation-only audience at the Lubar Center at Marquette University Law Schools Eckstein Hall in Milwaukee. Where can I watch the Wisconsin Supreme Court debate between Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel? The debate is hosted by WISN. It will be broadcasted on WISN 12 in southeastern Wisconsin and livestreamed on the station's website and app. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other local ABC affiliates in Wisconsin will also air the debate, including Green Bay (WBAY), Madison (WKOW), Wausau (WAOW), Eau Claire (WQOW) and La Crosse (WXOW). More: Here's what to know about Wisconsin's April 1 election, Supreme Court race Who are the moderators for the Wisconsin Supreme Court debate between Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel? WISN political director Matt Smith and anchor Gerron Jordan will moderate the debate. They co-host "Upfront," the station's Sunday morning political talk show. Both candidates have been interviewed on the program. More: Who is Brad Schimel? Where Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate stands on voter ID, abortion, redistricting and more More: Who is Susan Crawford? Where Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate stands on voter ID, abortion, redistricting and more What did Susan Crawford's, Brad Schimel's campaigns say about the Wisconsin Supreme Court debate? Both campaigns welcomed the debate when it was announced in February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Voters deserve an opportunity to hear from both candidates, and on stage, they will hear directly from Judge Crawford about her experience protecting our communities, her commitment to common sense and impartiality, and her dedication to protecting the rights and freedoms of all Wisconsinites," Crawford spokesman Derrick Honeyman said in a statement. In a statement, the Schimel campaign said the debate would offer voters a chance to contrast the candidates. "There are clear differences between the two candidates and voters deserve this opportunity to hear directly from each candidate," the campaign said. "We look forward to highlighting those differences during the WISN March 12th debate that will be broadcast across the state." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters Alison Dirr and Dan Bice contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Watch Wisconsin Supreme Court debate tonight: Channel, time, TV ST. LOUIS Missouri lawmakers have approved HB 495, giving control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department back to the state in a vote of 113-39. All it needs now is the governors signature. Gov. Mike Kehoe has already indicated that he will sign it. The St. Louis Police Officers Association sent out a statement Wednesday in regard to the news. With this change, St. Louis will begin to realize the vision of Governor Kehoe for a safer St. Louis for its citizens, a better environment for businesses to flourish and a more supportive administration for the officers who serve the citizens of this great city, the association wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News STL Mayor Tishaura Jones, however, opposed this bill from the beginning. There are so many questions that havent been answered about this so-called transition and its going to cost the citizens $40 million more, Jones said. Thats going to take away from employee raises. Its going to take away from basic city services. This is not the panacea that people think its going to be, she said shortly after Wednesdays vote. Jones says this move could reverse recent crime trends. SLMPDs 2024 crime stats showed 150 homicides last yearthe lowest number since 2013. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SLMPD declined an interview Wednesday, but police Chief Robert Tracy sent out a statement. Our mission has not changedpublic safety is and will always remain our top priority for our community, Tracy said. Jones added that if this bill is signed, it will reverse the progress she and her administration made for the city. No ones talked about the details, and you know what they say, the devils in the details and no ones talked about how this is going to affect all of the progress that weve made and Im afraid that were going to go backwards, Jones said. The St. Louis mayoral debate moments everyone is talking about Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Kehoe signs the bill, it will create a six-member board to oversee the SLMPD. The citys mayor gets one seat. The rest will be appointed by the governor. It is a process already used in Kansas City. I asked the mayor of Kansas City if hes been able to affect change and policy and 9 times out of 10, he gets out voted. Hes been over here to see what we do, focusing on prevention, intervention and enforcement, our alternative response models and hasnt been able to implement most of what weve been able to do in Kansas City, Jones said. The Ethical Society of Police also sent out a statement on Wednesday. It read, The vote to return the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to State Control is a win for all City officers, who will finally get more support to do the tough job of deterring crime and protecting our citizens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked, Mayor Jones did not rule out litigation to stop HB 495. The bill could be implemented as early as August. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) Deputies in Charleston County will soon be able to serve and execute civil immigration warrants at the Al Cannon Detention Center, according to an announcement from the Charleston County Sheriffs Office. The law enforcement agency said Tuesday that it has rejoined the Section 287 (G) program in partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This program is a voluntary partnership between ICE and the county, allowing deputies to perform limited immigration actions within their jurisdiction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CCSO said they have signed a memorandum to participate in the Warrant Service Officer (WSO) program, which is one of three models offered under 287 (g). The warrant service model allows ICE to train deputies to serve and executive civil immigration warrants in jails, in this case, Al Cannon. It enables our agency to assist in the removal of individuals in custody who have committed serious crimes and are in the U.S. unlawfully, the sheriffs office said in a statement. The Charleston County Sheriffs Office remains dedicated to public safety, law, and order, and serving the community while cooperating with state and federal agencies in accordance with the law, the agency added. Our approach remains unchanged: We prioritize public safety and collaborate across all levels of government to serve Charleston County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano dissolved the 287(g) agreement between the sheriffs office and ICE as one of her first official acts after taking office in 2021. According to ICE, four other agencies in South Carolina were enrolled in 287(g) programs as of March 11. These include the Chester County Sheriffs Office, Horry County Sheriffs Office, York County Sheriffs Office, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Since taking office, Trump has signed several executive orders to crack down on immigration. He deployed military personnel and federal law enforcement to the southern border, froze the U.S. refugee admissions program, and reinstated policies that restrict pathways for asylum seekers. He also ordered an end to birthright citizenship, though a federal judge quickly blocked the executive order, deeming it blatantly unconstitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In February, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson sent a letter to the states 46 sheriffs encouraging them to work with ICE on immigration enforcement efforts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2. CHICAGO (WGN) Without debate, alders on Wednesday approved nearly $3 million to settle three cases involving the Chicago Police Department and chases that resulted in death and injury, and $280,000 to a demonstrator who was injured during a protest. The largest approved settlement, $1.5 million, will go to the estate of Ezell Ricky Island. Island was killed in 2020 while riding in the back seat of a car that was chased by police in an umarked vehicle. The Ford that Island was in crashed into another vehicle and a pillar supporting Chicago Transit Authority tracks and was ripped apart. Chicago City Council rejects effort to limit sale of new fur products Another $1 million will go to the estate of Mignonne Robinson. Robinson, a nail salon owner and mother, was killed in February of 2020 when she was struck by a car that was fleeing police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A settlement of $400,000 was approved for Eyraechel Meiang. Meiang was hit by a police car when the driver blew a red light in 2020. The officer that was driving, Charles Gavin, is no longer on the citys payroll. Finally, a 280,000 was OKd to settle a lawsuit from Miracle Boyd, who was injured by a Chicago police officer during a violent confrontation at a demonstration in 2020. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. CHICAGO Aldermen rejected an effort Wednesday to ban the sale of new fur products in Chicago. The failed ordinance aimed to fight animal cruelty with compassion and empathy, sponsor Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, said. But the opponents who won out argued the regulation would put family-owned fur stores out of business in an act of government overreach. The City Council struck down the measure in a 26-to-19 vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ald. Stephanie Coleman, chair of the aldermanic Black Caucus, argued furs are an important part of Black culture about embracing elegance in a world that has not been kind to us. Lets support policies that uplift businesses rather than shut them down. Lets respect consumer choice rather than dictate decisions, Coleman, 16th, said. And lets focus on policies that actually matter to people in Chicago. The measure breezed through a first vote in the City Councils License and Consumer Protection Committee last week, but faced tougher scrutiny Wednesday as the Black Caucus organized to strike it down. A critical bloc of 15 Black aldermen voted against the measure, while several progressives joined Lopez and his allies in its support. Mayor Brandon Johnson appeared to remain neutral as aldermen jockeyed for votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the vote, Lopez argued his ordinance was a compromise and said there were 97 other business regulations up for a vote during the meeting. That is the job of this body. To regulate, to set guidelines for what expectations are in our community, he told colleagues. That isnt new. The ordinance would help an industry on the decline prepare for the future, Lopez added. This body knows how to walk and chew gum at the same time, he said. This is a principle moment. This, yes, is about morality. This is our moment to show how things are all related. Ald. Matt OShea, 19th, joined Coleman and a group of Black pastors before the Wednesday meeting to argue the vote is about personal choice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Are we going to ban leather next? Are we going to ban beef? Are we going to put Ronald McDonald out of a job? he said. I cant believe were here today, that this is actually going to come to a vote at this time in our city. We need to be focused on public safety, on public health, on our schools, on attracting business, on supporting business. To drive his point home, OShea later sang to his colleagues the song made locally famous in the advertisements for one of his wards two furriers: Feel the worth and luxury that you deserve, Andriana Furs. Michael K. Harris Jr., government manager for the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, predicted the ordinance would have banned the sale of shearling and sheepskin products, such as the popular Ugg boots. Lopez told the Tribune he does not believe the ordinance would ban such products and was not intended to. Gentlemen, every woman in your life has Ugg boots, Coleman said during the floor debate to laughs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ordinance would have allowed the sale of used fur products and included clear exceptions for leather, cowhide and deerskin products. It also intended to make exceptions to allow the sale of secondhand fur products, as well as new fur products used in religious and cultural practices. Lopez is the latest Chicago City Council member to court controversy with a proposal aimed at animal rights. North Side Ald. Joe Moore in 2006 got the council to ban foie gras, prohibiting restaurants from serving the delicacy made by force-feeding ducks and geese to enlarge their livers. Mayor Richard M. Daley at the time called the foie gras ban the silliest law the City Council has ever passed and warned it would hurt economic development. Two years later, restaurateur Ald. Tom Tunney led a successful effort to overturn it. Gerard Brown, owner of Beverlys 31-year-old Island Furs, said before the vote a ban would put his store out of business. It is one of three black-owned furriers in the country, according to OShea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I can understand if people dont want to wear my product. Thats okay, thats what makes my country, freedom of speech, freedom of choice, Brown said. My creativity will stop because theyve dictated to me how I should create my fashion. Aldermen also approved in a 34-to-15 vote Wednesday a $280,000 deal to settle a lawsuit against the city from Miracle Boyd, an activist whose front tooth was knocked out when a police officer punched her at a July 2020 protest. ____ Aldermen rejected an effort Wednesday to ban the sale of new fur products in Chicago. The failed ordinance aimed to fight animal cruelty with compassion and empathy, sponsor Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, said. But the opponents who won out argued the regulation would put family-owned fur stores out of business in an act of government overreach. The City Council struck down the measure in a 26-19 vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ald. Stephanie Coleman, chair of the aldermanic Black Caucus, argued furs are an important part of Black culture about embracing elegance in a world that has not been kind to us. Lets support policies that uplift businesses rather than shut them down. Lets respect consumer choice rather than dictate decisions, Coleman, 16th, said. And lets focus on policies that actually matter to people in Chicago. The measure breezed through a first vote in the councils License and Consumer Protection Committee last week, but faced tougher scrutiny Wednesday as the Black Caucus organized to strike it down. A critical bloc of 15 Black aldermen voted against the measure, while several progressives joined Lopez and his allies in its support. Mayor Brandon Johnson appeared to remain neutral as aldermen jockeyed for votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the vote, Lopez argued his ordinance was a compromise and said there were 97 other business regulations up for a vote during the meeting. That is the job of this body. To regulate, to set guidelines for what expectations are in our community, he told colleagues. That isnt new. The ordinance would help an industry on the decline prepare for the future, Lopez added. This body knows how to walk and chew gum at the same time, he said. This is a principle moment. This, yes, is about morality. This is our moment to show how things are all related. Ald. Matt OShea, 19th, joined Coleman and a group of Black pastors before the Wednesday meeting to argue the vote is about personal choice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Are we going to ban leather next? Are we going to ban beef? Are we going to put Ronald McDonald out of a job? he said. I cant believe were here today, that this is actually going to come to a vote at this time in our city. We need to be focused on public safety, on public health, on our schools, on attracting business, on supporting business. To drive home his point, OShea later sang to his colleagues the song made locally famous in the advertisements for one of his wards two furriers: Feel the warmth and luxury that you deserve, Andriana Furs. Michael K. Harris Jr., government manager for the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, predicted the ordinance would have banned the sale of shearling and sheepskin products, such as the popular Ugg boots. Lopez told the Tribune he does not believe the ordinance would ban such products and was not intended to. Gentlemen, every woman in your life has Ugg boots, Coleman said during the floor debate to laughs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ordinance would have allowed the sale of used fur products and included clear exceptions for leather, cowhide and deerskin products. It also intended to make exceptions to allow the sale of secondhand fur products, as well as new fur products used in religious and cultural practices. Lopez is the latest City Council member to court controversy with a proposal aimed at animal rights. North Side Ald. Joe Moore in 2006 got the council to ban foie gras, prohibiting restaurants from serving the delicacy made by force-feeding ducks and geese to enlarge their livers. Show Caption1 of 7 Gerard Brown, owner of Island Furs, in the workroom of his 31-year-old store in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood, March 4, 2025. (Audrey Richardson/Chicago Tribune) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Expand Mayor Richard M. Daley at the time called the foie gras ban the silliest law the City Council has ever passed and warned it would hurt economic development. Two years later, restaurateur Ald. Tom Tunney led a successful effort to overturn it. Gerard Brown, owner of Beverlys 31-year-old Island Furs, said before the vote a ban would put his store out of business. It is one of three black-owned furriers in the country, according to OShea. I can understand if people dont want to wear my product. Thats OK, thats what makes my country, freedom of speech, freedom of choice, Brown said. My creativity will stop because theyve dictated to me how I should create my fashion. Aldermen also approved in a 34-to-15 vote Wednesday a $280,000 deal to settle a lawsuit against the city from Miracle Boyd, an activist whose front tooth was knocked out when a police officer punched her at a July 2020 protest. Update: By 1:10 p.m., CDOT confirmed the crash was cleared and lanes are back open. A crash on Interstate 25 has closed the right southbound lane, the Colorado Department of Transportation reported Wednesday morning. The lane closure is between South Academy Boulevard and Mesa Ridge Parkway delays up to 15 minutes are expected, according to CDOT. Officials ask travelers to be cautious and watch for emergency vehicles. No estimated time to when the lane will reopen was provided. As of 12:13 p.m., the estimated delay time was five minutes. This article will be updated. John Ratcliffe, Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, and Sergei Naryshkin, Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, held a telephone conversation on 11 March. Source: European Pravda, citing Russian newspaper Kommersant and the press service for Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service Details: Ratcliffe and Naryshkin reportedly agreed to maintain contact in order to promote "international stability and security" and alleviate tensions between Moscow and Washington. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The discussion centred on collaboration between the two intelligence services in areas of mutual interest, as well as crisis resolution measures. The last phone discussion between Naryshkin and a CIA chief occurred in the summer of 2023. Background: In autumn 2022, Naryshkin met with his American counterpart in Turkiye at a time when the CIA was led by William Burns. The US Senate approved Ratcliffe's nomination as Director of the CIA in late January. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! A 12-year-old child was airlifted to a Chicago hospital in the wake of a Munster house fire on Tuesday night. Fire Chief Mark Hajduk said firefighters arrived at a residence in the 8100 block of Hohman Avenue around 7:30 p.m. for a report of a fire in a bedroom. Firefighters were able to rescue the 12-year-old within 6 minutes, Hajduk said. Two firefighters did suffer cuts and a puncture wound and were treated at a local hospital, then released. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hajduk said the child is at University of Chicago Comer Childrens Hospital and doing well. He said that hes unable to to comment on the cause of the fire. The fire was mostly extinguished by 7:43 p.m. Carlos Reyes-Couvertier spent the past quarter century trying to find his missing daughter. There were multiple trips to Mexico, where police believed she was living after having been abducted by her mother. Local and federal authorities worked the case, while national missing person groups helped with publicity pleading for information. Andrea Reyes was nearing her second birthday in 1999 when her mother, Rosa Tenorio, who did not have custody rights, illegally fled with the girl from a scheduled visitation in New Haven, Connecticut, police said. The search for Reyes went cold, but Reyes-Couvertier never gave up hope. Years later, news finally came: a detective who had renewed the investigation in 2023 discovered that Reyes, now 27, was living in Mexico, and DNA testing would confirm they were father and daughter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now the two are hoping to meet in-person soon after talking on the phone and messaging. Reyes-Couvertier spoke at a news conference Wednesday in New Haven with police, FBI agents and others. It was a moment of joy, the father, now 55, said about reconnecting with his daughter for the first time in more than 25 years. We have some sense of happiness, but the chapter is not closed yet. Theres a lot of steps that we have to take. Reyes was in Mexico and was not present Wednesday. A message seeking comment was sent to an Instagram account for an Andrea Reyes who lives in Puebla, Mexico, southeast of Mexico City, where authorities say Reyes-Couvertier's daughter now resides. Reyes-Couvertier, a second-grade teacher in New Haven, had legal custody of Reyes. After she disappeared, New Haven police worked with the FBI to try to find her. City police obtained an arrest warrant for Tenorio for alleged felony custodial interference. The warrant is still valid today, but only within the U.S., authorities said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the spring of 2000, officials in Puebla notified authorities in Connecticut that Reyes and her mother had been located, but they declined to take any action, New Haven police said. Mexican officials said they did not consider parental kidnapping an extraditable offense under a treaty between Mexico and the U.S., police said. The case eventually went cold, despite multiple visits to Mexico by Reyes-Couvertier, investigative work by New Haven police and the FBI and efforts by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. In 2023, New Haven Detective Kealyn Nivakoff renewed the investigation, as part of her work focusing on missing persons in the department's Special Victims Unit. Officials said Nivakoff identified a woman in Puebla she believed could be Reyes-Couvertier's daughter and contacted her, through the use of search warrants, interviews and social media. Working with the DNA testing company Othram, Nivakoff persuaded Reyes to send in a DNA sample, and a comparison with a sample provided by Reyes-Couvertier confirmed they were father and daughter, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nivakoff said she believed from the outset that there was a good probability of solving the case. Im really pleased with the outcome. At the same time, for us as a police department, this might be closure on our end but its certainly not closure on their part. This is really just the beginning of a whole healing process for them, she said. Neither Nivakoff nor Reyes-Couvertier would discuss specific communications with Reyes. Reyes-Couvertier, who was New Haven's Teacher of the Year for 2017, and his wife, Lucia Rafala, thanked police, federal authorities and missing persons groups for all their help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After 25 years, God has answered our prayers and blessed us with the chance to know her again, Rafala said. We recognize that this reacquaintance will have challenges. However, we are confident that God is building the path before us and leading our steps. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is helping to prepare the father and daughter for an in-person reunion, said John Bischoff III, vice president for the center's missing children division. As you can imagine, its a very emotional time for the family, Bischoff said in a phone interview. He found his daughter that he had not seen, not spoken with for 25 years. One task for setting up the reunion is finding an appropriate place for them to meet that will be comfortable for both of them, he said. Another is helping them through the range of emotions from such a traumatic separation long ago, he said. Its absolutely going to be, Im sure, a scary time for everyone involved," Bischoff said. A lot of unknowns. But its all positive in the end because shes been found. Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia University, was detained Saturday by agents of the Department of Homeland Security and sent to a private prison in Louisianadespite the fact that hes a legal resident of the United States and has not been charged with a crime. Khalils attorney was unable to contact him; his wife, who is eight months pregnant, had no idea where he was for hours. He was being prepared for deportation when, on Monday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from doing so and scheduled a hearing for Wednesday. President Trump, his Cabinet officials, and anyone authorized to speak on behalf of the administration have been remarkably forthright about what they are doing: Khalil, a leader of the most prominent pro-Palestinian campus protest movement, was detained for espousing opinions the administration did not like. This is the start of a larger crackdown not just on free speech but on dissent: Anyone holding an opinion deemed un-American by the administration will be targeted. These are the enemies from within that Trump has railed about for years, and now hes delivering on his promise to persecute them. Soon, more activists like Khalil will be ensnared in this flagrantly unconstitutional and blatantly authoritarian crackdown. We know this because the administration has explicitly said so. We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, antisemitic, anti-American activity, Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social. We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our countrynever to return again. And a White House official told The Free Press that Khalils detention was just the start of a larger crackdown on foreign student activists: I suspect well have other schools roped into this. (The official also admitted that Khalil had not committed a crime. The allegation here is not that he was breaking the law, said the official, instead arguing that Khalil is a threat to the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even if the effort to deport Khalil failsand it might, given that he has not apparently violated the conditions of his green cardthe administration has already successfully advanced its larger mission, which is to create an environment where anyone who holds an opinion that is deemed threatening or simply contrary to the administration and its allies is terrified of speaking out. Foreigners and college students are already in the crosshairs. But this is not just about college campuses or Gaza. As Emily Tamkin argued in The New Republic, it is also not simply about antisemitism or the desire to make pro-Israel Jewish students feel safe at places like Columbia University. This is just the beginning of a larger effort to crush dissent everywhere in America. The extralegal detention of a lawful resident on spurious grounds is alarming in and of itself. But the response to it from those who are ostensibly dedicated to protecting speech, combating the administration, and preserving the larger democratic order has transformed this into a moment of crisis. The subject of Khalils activismPalestinehas cowed nearly everyone who should be opposed to it. Most Democrats, terrified of saying anything that could possibly be construed as support for pro-Palestinian activists, have hemmed and hawed. Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, issued a lengthy statement that effectively accepted the logic underpinning the Trump administrations actions (that Khalil is a bad guy who deserves to face consequences). To the extent his actions were inconsistent with Columbia University policy and created an unacceptable hostile academic environment for Jewish students and others, there is a serious university disciplinary process that can handle the matter, Jeffries said, adding that DHS should produce facts and evidence of criminal activity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jeffries said nothing in Khalils defensenot even a shred of concern about this flagrant violation of the Constitution. Due process demands that the people arresting and deporting Khalil provide compelling evidence that justifies those actions before they do them. That Jeffries disagrees with Khalil is entirely beside the point. The point is that the administration is trying to disappear people whose beliefs it deems un-American and that it is doing so with no other justification than its insistence that they are un-American. Jeffriess statement sums up his larger failure to meet the moment. Like many in his party, Jeffries is so afraid of providing ammunition to critics who insist that the party is pro-Hamas (or, for that matter, pro-trans, pro-federal employee, or really pro-anything) that he misses what is so outrageous and dangerous about the Trump administration. But at least he said something. Many Democrats havent. Chuck Schumer, Jeffriess counterpart in the Senate, only released a statement on Monday afternoon, after an avalanche of criticism. (It was, like the one issued by Jeffries, defined by its reluctance to say anything of substance.) On the right, the Trump administrations assault on free speech and due process has been largely greeted with applause (minus some grumbling about civil liberties from libertarian-leaning has-beens like Ann Coulter). Thats to be expected, given the right-wing political and media ecosystems slavish loyalty to Trump. But the response from supposedly freethinking types has been more tellingdisappointingly so. Over the last few years, a handful of ostensibly nonpartisan outlets have emerged, citing the need to defend liberalism and free speech from threats on the right (Trump) and left (college students). Khalils arrest checks a number of boxes important to these outlets. It is not only a clear violation of due process, a term these outlets typically throw around when discussing cancel culture, but clear evidence that free speech is under threat; that Khalil was being punished for voicing an opinion that was controversial and unpopular. If one had only read these sites mission statements and none of the work they published, one could reasonably expect them to adopt Khalils cause. That has not been the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In fact, the Trump administration chose the most prominent of these outlets, The Free Press, to tease its nationwide crackdown on college campuses. It was further evidencenot that we needed anythat the outlet, like its founder, former New York Times editor Bari Weiss, is not devoted to protecting free speech, but policing discourse. Since its launch in 2022, The Free Press has devoted dozens of columns to decrying illiberalism on college campuses, the ostensibly chilling effect that activism surrounding issues like trans rights and Israel has on discourse on those issues, and the larger threat to the First Amendment it represents. And yet, after the leaders of our government ordered the detention of an activist in a blatant effort to squash dissent, the outlet produced one piece between Khalils arrest on Saturday and late Tuesday night: a triple-bylined report that relays the White Houses justificationand future planswhile quoting both critics and supporters of Khalils arrest without context or a point of view. For an outlet like the Times to do this is frustrating but defensible; for one ostensibly founded to protect discourse and free speech it is unconscionable, especially when one compares its coverage of other issues. The Free Press has spent the past year giddily naming and shaming college protesters as illiberal radicals, if not Jacobins readying the guillotine for all those who dare disagree with them. When one of those protesters is the subject of a wildly unconstitutional deportation order while the administration lays out a plan for detaining campus activists around the country? Well, thats complicated. There is absolutely nothing complicated about the arrest and attempted deportation of a legal resident. It is an outrage on legal and constitutional grounds, as well as on moral grounds. Some observers have failed to recognize this because they disagree with Khalil; others have failed because they are afraid that defending him will make it seem like they support his politics. But Khalil is just the first of many cases to come. The administration has promised a nationwide crackdown, one that will begin with pro-Palestinian foreign student activists. That alone is frightening and reprehensible. But what will the freethinkers and weak-kneed Democrats say when Trump expands his roundup of dissidents to anyonenot just legal residents but U.S. citizenswhose opinions he deems dangerous or unacceptable? Will they continue to quibble and cower? Trumps ultimate goal is to make everyone in America afraid of speaking out about any of the horrific things hes doing. So far, its working. And the longer he gets away with it, the worse it will get for all of us. China is currently planning to build a gigantic solar power station in space. To get parts of the array out of our atmosphere, scientists are working on a reusable heavy lift rocket called the Long March-9. The solar array project is just one small part of Chinas larger space mission. The Three Gorges Damlocated on the Yangtze River in Chinais the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. Though there is discourse over whether the dam has negative ecological effects, it is an impressive hydropower project, with over 20 times the energy-generating capacity of the Hoover Dam. Now, China wants to build another revolutionary energy source: a solar array in space. It is as significant as moving the Three Gorges Dam to a geostationary orbit 36,000km (22,370 miles) above the Earth, Long Lehao, a rocket scientist and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), said in a lecture reported by the South China Morning Post . This is an incredible project to look forward to. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Space-based solar power (SBSP) stations work by using a system of mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto panels, which then generate electricity. The electricity is then converted to microwave radiation and beamed to a fixed antenna on Earth. SBSP panels are more reliable than the solar panels on your roof because they arent affected by seasonal weather or nights. They can generate much more electricity than terrestrial panels, as sunlight is exponentially more intense in space than on Earths surface. A recent NASA study even predicted that one model of space-based solar power could generate power for a full 99% of the year. As Long said in his lecture: The energy collected in one year would be equivalent to the total amount of oil that can be extracted from the Earth. Sounds like the perfect solution to our non-renewable energy crisis, right? Well, there are a few drawbacks holding space companies backnamely, the transparent size of the project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The solar array is predicted to be a kilometer wide once fully assembled. According to the South China Morning Post, many are calling space-based solar power stations the Manhattan Project of the energy world. And yet, China seems set on succeeding in this endeavor. The European Space Agency explains that it took dozens of launches to construct the International Space Station in low-orbit, and would likely take many more to assemble a SBSP station (though, the cost of launches worldwide continues to decline). To get their array into space, Long and his team are working on developing the Long March-9 (or CZ-9)a reusable heavy-lift rocket with a lifting capacity of at least 150 tons . Thats like lifting a full-grown blue whale into space. The solar array isnt the only plan China has for space researchit also plans to reach the Moon and build an International Lunar Research station in partnership with Russia by 2035. Japan is also on track to beam space-based solar power to Earth in the next year . SBSP stations, it seems, might just be the next challenge in the space race. You Might Also Like China has built the equivalent of the entire Royal Navy in just four years as Beijing races to become a global maritime power, according to a Washington-based research group. Between 2019 and 2023, four shipyards in the country Dalian, Guangzhou, Jiangnan and Hudong-Zhonghua churned out at least 39 warships with a combined displacement of around 550,000 tonnes. This is more than the Royal Navys battle force fleet, which includes 19 surface ships and 10 submarines and displaces around 440,000 tonnes, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The yards are among Chinas biggest, and built another 19m gross tonnes of commercial vessels over the same period, underlining the blurred lines between civilian and military production, the CSIS said. In a report, the think tank warned that foreign companies account for 75pc of the ships built at such dual-use facilities, meaning they are unwittingly paying billions of dollars in revenue towards the Chinese navys expansion. The huge expansion of Chinese shipbuilding, which now accounts for 53pc of the global total, also raises troubling questions for the US government, as Beijing continues to menace Taiwan, the independent island territory that it claims. Under President Xi Jinping (left) the Peoples Liberation Army Navy has undergone a period of rapid expansion to surpass the size of the US navy - Li Gang/Xinhua Already, the Peoples Liberation Army Navy boasts more warships than the US Navy and by 2030 it is on track to have a fleet of 425, significantly higher than the 300 expected by America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of 2022, it operated a battle force fleet of 351 vessels compared to the US Navys 294, the CSIS said. However, the US held an edge in destroyers and guided missile cruisers. Chinas transformation from a peripheral player in shipbuilding 20 years ago to the worlds biggest producer now means it can replace ships far more quickly in a war, posing a concerning challenge to deterrence, the CSIS added. A robust shipbuilding sector signals the capacity to sustain operations during a protracted conflict, particularly one with the high losses that would almost certainly result from a full-scale US-China kinetic war, the report said. Leaders in Beijing may calculate that Chinas vastly greater ability to mobilise its shipbuilding ecosystem to surge production or restore and replace sunk and damaged vessels would allow it to continue a conflict to victory despite heavy losses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even short of all-out war, this disparity could alter Beijings risk perceptions and shift escalation dynamics in unpredictable ways. Addressing this disparity is thus as much about preventing a war as it is about winning one. The report singles out the China State Shipbuilding Corporation as being at the heart of this transformation, operating 35 shipyards in total. Of these, 12 were identified as having built warships along with commercial vessels while the remainder maintained close ties to military projects and personnel. A Chinese aircraft carrier leaves Dalian, one of the shipyards involved in churning out Chinas warships - CHINA STRINGER NETWORK/Reuters Overall the state shipbuilder churned out 1,093 hulls from 2019 to 2024 and accounted for 40pc of tonnage produced in China. Three quarters of its sales came from foreign companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CSIS urged US lawmakers to counter the use of these dual-use yards by imposing higher docking fees on the ships they produce, even if they are controlled by non-Chinese shipping companies. Researchers also urged a crackdown through the financial system on the China State Shipbuilding Corporation and greater support by the US government in domestic shipbuilding capabilities and those of its allies. The US accounts for just 0.1pc of global shipbuilding today, with Japan having about 13pc and South Korea 29pc. Donald Trump last week vowed that his administration would resurrect the American shipbuilding industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We used to make so many ships, the US president said. We dont make them any more very much, but were going to make them very fast, very soon. It will have a huge impact. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. China will host high-level talks with Russia and Iran in Beijing this week to address Tehran's nuclear programme. Chinese foreign vice-minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the trilateral meeting on Friday, joined by Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov and Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi. The delegates would exchange views on Iran's nuclear activities and regional security issues, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. China is deepening strategic ties with Russia and Iran, with all three countries taking part in the "Security Belt-2025" naval drills this week. The Chinese naval fleet arrived in the waters near Iran's Chabahar Port and completed the naval assembly with the Iranian and Russian navies on Sunday morning, marking the beginning of the joint exercise. Beijing's defence ministry described the joint exercises, which end on Thursday, as aimed at boosting military trust and featuring simulated maritime attacks, search-and-rescue operations and intercept drills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This military cooperation occurs alongside diplomatic overtures by US President Donald Trump, who recently sought to revive direct nuclear negotiations with Iran. Trump last week said he had sent a personal letter to Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging renewed talks and advocating a diplomatic solution. "We're down to final strokes with Iran," Trump said, stressing his desire to achieve a peace agreement rather than confrontation. Tehran, however, dismissed Trump's initiative as a "repetitive show", reflecting continued deep mistrust towards Washington. Iran has, however, indicated a conditional willingness to discuss its nuclear programme after Trump proposed reducing nuclear stockpiles. According to a statement on Sunday, Tehran's UN mission said talks could proceed if limited to military aspects. It appeared cautiously open despite Khamenei's previous strong rejections. Trump's outreach aligns with his broader goal of denuclearisation, as he seeks to engage both Russia and China in discussions to substantially reduce nuclear arsenals and defence budgets. He highlighted an ambition to halve military spending, questioning the rationale behind continued nuclear arms development. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There's no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last month and pointing out that existing arsenals could already "destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over". Chinese foreign vice-minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the trilateral meeting on Friday. Photo: Reuters alt=Chinese foreign vice-minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the trilateral meeting on Friday. Photo: Reuters> Yet previous US attempts to involve China in nuclear arms reduction have consistently met resistance from Beijing. China maintains that the US and Russia must first significantly downsize their much larger nuclear stockpiles. During his first presidential term, Trump unsuccessfully tried to include China in nuclear arms reduction talks linked to the US-Russian New START treaty extension. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The strengthening strategic partnership among China, Russia and Iran has come under growing Western scrutiny as the major powers compete for influence in the Middle East. Moscow previously offered to mediate between Washington and Tehran despite strained US-Russia relations over Ukraine. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. (Bloomberg) -- China said it would host nuclear talks with Iran and Russia, days after US President Donald Trump urged Tehran to negotiate a new deal over its atomic work or face military action. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The three parties will exchange views on the Iranian nuclear issue and other issues of mutual interest, Chinas Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The meeting will take place in Beijing on Friday and be attended by deputy foreign ministers from Moscow and Tehran, it said. The summit comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activity on Irans expanding nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency said last month that Tehrans uranium enrichment has surged since Trumps election victory in November. While Iran insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only, the West has longstanding concerns that the country wants to develop atomic weapons. Last week, Trump said he had written a letter to Irans leadership, urging it to enter talks on a new agreement. The US President walked away from an earlier deal during his first term in 2018 and little progress has been made since then to revive the accord. An official from the United Arab Emirates delivered the letter to Iran on Wednesday, Iranian media said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iran has signaled its not ready for talks with the US. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says his country wont be bullied into negotiations and that Trumps decision to tear-up the original 2015 accord showed he cannot be trusted or taken seriously. Still, the countrys economic strains have led some senior officials to conclude that negotiations are needed to get sanctions eased. Fridays gathering in Beijing comes after two rounds of preliminary nuclear talks between Iranian and European diplomats in Geneva in recent months. It will bring together three key members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, an alliance formed to promote Eurasian economic security. It underscores the stronger ties that have developed between Iran and Russia during Trumps absence from the White House. Militant Groups Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Beijing meeting also raises questions over the extent to which Russia can influence the US presidents demands for a much broader deal with Iran including curbing its ballistic-missile activities and support for proxy militias in the Middle East which is at odds with Moscows view. Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday said Moscow wants to return to the original format of the nuclear deal that Trump jettisoned in 2018. Any US bid to widen its scope were worrying and unrealistic, Lavrov said. There are some indications that the Americans would like this new deal to be accompanied by political conditions, insisting that there should be some verifiable arrangement for Iran not to support groups in Iraq, in Lebanon, in Syria, anywhere, which I dont think is going to fly, Lavrov said, according to comments published on Russias Foreign Ministry website. The IAEA, the UNs nuclear watchdog, has urged the US and Iran to settle their differences and avoid further escalations in tensions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After Trump abandoned the Obama-era nuclear accord with Iran, he started a so-called maximum-pressure policy against Tehran. That triggered an economic crisis in the Islamic Republic, with inflation accelerating and the currency plunging, and raised fears of a war between the two countries. Those concerns have heightened over the past year after Iran twice fired missiles at key US ally Israel. Israel has threatened to strike Irans nuclear sites, a move it would probably need to coordinate with the US to ensure its successful. --With assistance from Jonathan Tirone and Arsalan Shahla. (Updates throughout with comments from Russias foreign minister and context.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. The News Chinese universities are recruiting top researchers away from Western institutions, as the global battle for talent heats up. The South China Morning Post found that a number of acclaimed academics of Chinese origin, with decades of combined experience working in the US in physics, semiconductors, and mathematics, have now returned to China. It comes after Washington alienated Chinese researchers through a now-disbanded program scrutinizing scholars with links to China, ostensibly to fight economic espionage. SIGNALS China woos talent in push to win tech race with US Sources: The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, American Affairs Journal Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China is already ahead of the US in most strategic technology areas, one research institute found, and its success in attracting talented workers is likely to accelerate these efforts. Beijing has made clear that recruiting is a priority, The Wall Street Journal wrote. Chinese companies are bombarding tech talent with job offers in hubs like Taiwan, parts of Europe and Silicon Valley. By contrast, bureaucratic hurdles actively deter skilled migration to the US, The Economist wrote: Though it has the worlds most attractive labour market, [the US] has one of the worlds most dysfunctional immigration systems. No more than 7% of work-based green cards can go to any one country each year, limiting immigration from more populous nations. If the US wants to dominate in global technology, a comprehensive overhaul of how it attracts talent is essential, two analysts argued. Anti-immigration sentiment threatens the Wests talent supply Sources: Bruegel, The New York Times, The Guardian Rising anti-immigration sentiment across Europe and the US is likely to threaten the Wests talent supply, upending assumptions that rich countries will always be able to pick and choose among the most talented people and turn away the rest, The New York Times wrote. Although cross-border migration will rise this century, the geography of migrant flows is changing, a Bruegel analyst wrote, with Europe set to face increased competition for skilled labor from faster-growing economies, including Gulf countries. Attracting foreign-born talent is key to securing economic growth: As Western birthrates stagnate, societies will age even faster without immigration. Those countries that manage to hold the line against demands to cut working-age immigration will be in a stronger position economically in the long run, a Centre for European Reform analyst told the Guardian. Russia's restrictions on the transit of dual-use goods have led to a sharp decline in the flow of cargo by rail from China to Europe. Source: The Moscow Times Details: Chinese suppliers have lost confidence in the route after Russian customs officers massively confiscated their goods. "We have not dared to ship goods by rail since November," said Andrew Dang, CEO of Shanghai-based Air Sea Transport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia increased transit controls in October, particularly for mechanical and electronic products that could be used for military purposes. Due to Western sanctions, some confiscated goods remained in Russia. This has paralysed logistics flows up to 80,000 containers are transported to Europe through Russia every month. Amid the problems, China and Kazakhstan opened a new railway route bypassing Russia. Trains will run through Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkiye to Europe. Beijing is also developing alternative routes through Central Asia and the Caspian Sea. Background: China made it harder for Russians to purchase equipment and chemicals for Russian businesses. Chinese banks started blocking payments from Russian credit institutions that have been subject to new sanctions imposed by the US Treasury. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! China, Russia and representatives from the Iranian government are set to meet in the Chinese capital for discussions on Friday in light of growing tensions surrounding Iran's nuclear programme. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated on Wednesday that the talks in Beijing would address the "Iranian nuclear issue and topics of mutual interest." The discussions would be conducted at the level of deputy foreign minister, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed the meeting to reporters. Recently, the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme has escalated once again with Donald Trump back in the White House. During his first term in office, President Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Vienna nuclear deal in 2018, which was intended to limit Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. Subsequently, Tehran also stopped adhering to the deal's stipulations. Iran's government is increasingly relying on support from Russia and China amid its dispute with the West. (Bloomberg) -- China said it has forcefully cracked down on the fentanyl trade and condemned President Donald Trumps tariffs, as the worlds two largest economies remain at odds over the conditions for any talks to cool tensions. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials from Chinas Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Public Security said in a briefing on Wednesday the country has achieved success in controlling the drugs and done all it can for the US. The officials asked not to be identified discussing sensitive matters. A Foreign Ministry official said Beijing has done the US a favor and Washington should have said a big thank you instead of slapping levies on Chinese imports. He also called on the Trump administration to return to dialogue and expressed willingness to continue working with the US. Talks between the US and China on trade and other issues are stuck at lower levels, with both sides failing to agree on the best way to proceed. Beijing said the US hasnt outlined detailed steps they expect from China on fentanyl in order to have the tariffs lifted, Bloomberg News reported citing people familiar with the issue. A person familiar said Trumps team rejected the assertion, saying the White House had sent messages to China through diplomats in Washington. In an executive order hiking tariffs on China last week, Trump said Beijing had done too little to alleviate the drug crisis and called the alleged flow of drugs into the US an unusual and extraordinary threat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China in turn accused the Trump administration of using the issue as a pretext to raise tariffs, and published a white paper outlining its efforts to control fentanyl and related substances. Chinese officials handed out copies of the document to reporters Wednesday and largely reiterated its commitment to fighting drugs. Trump really cares about fentanyl and isnt just using it as an excuse for tariffs, according to Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. I think for China to take this seriously and not just try to fix it with white papers and offers to have dialogue, but actual crackdowns and regulatory changes to get to the root producers thats the only way to take this chip off the table, he said. 2019 Convictions Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In late 2019 China sentenced nine people for smuggling fentanyl to the US, the first convictions to arise from joint investigations with American law enforcement into the flow of the highly addictive painkiller. However, cooperation fell off after that, and didnt formally restart until last year. The two nations had a working group that met regularly from January 2024 to discuss how to cooperate on the problem. As part of that effort, China took various actions including arresting a money launderer working with a Mexican drug cartel and scheduling more precursor chemicals to better control exports, the Biden administration said in August. However, since 2019 Chinese officials have not notified the US of any convictions related to the fentanyl trade, according to a US embassy official who asked not to be named discussing non-public matters. In the Wednesday briefing, the Chinese officials said that some of the information the US provided on alleged illegal activity hasnt been accurate, giving examples of American intelligence that led to a bankrupt catering firm and a maker of bicycle parts and toys. Since the beginning of 2023, the US has sanctioned and indicted 40 Chinese companies and 59 individuals over the fentanyl issue. But the officials said most of these firms were found to have never engaged in the trade of scheduled chemicals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For indicted individuals, the US should provide evidence that they have violated Chinese laws, an official said. If thats the case, they would be punished in accordance with the law, he said. In a separate statement, Chinas National Medical Products Administration said authorities will strengthen the supervision of fentanyl-related drug production and enforce strict export approval process to prevent diversion into illegal channels. Illicit fentanyl has contributed to a rise in overdose deaths in the US over the past decade. A 2021 report by a congressional panel said China was the primary country of origin for the drug and related substances trafficked into the US. --With assistance from Foster Wong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Updates with details on convictions.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top lawmaker and the third-ranked leader of its ruling Communist Party, Zhao Leji, spoke to journalists covering parliament on Wednesday, state media reported, a day after he unexpectedly missed a key session he had been due to open. Zhao, 68, was not among the party leaders in the Great Hall of the People on Tuesday, marking the first time in almost two decades that a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, the party's top echelon, was not at the high-profile event. The session Zhao missed was the plenary meeting of the National People's Congress attended by hundreds of delegates from across China. It was led by Zhao's deputy, Li Hongzhong, who said Zhao was absent due to a respiratory infection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The announcement was a departure from the Communist Party's customary secrecy regarding the health of senior leaders. While there was no official suggestion that Zhao's absence was caused by anything other than illness, China's former foreign minister, Qin Gang, missed a 2023 diplomatic summit in Indonesia for unspecified "health reasons", a foreign ministry spokesperson said at the time. He was later ousted from his job after a mysterious one-month absence from duties, allegedly due to an extramarital affair. Zhao met state media journalists who covered China's parliamentary sessions on Wednesday afternoon, state television CCTV reported, adding that Zhao thanked the journalists for their coverage. He commended the reporters for having highlighted "the important activities of General Secretary Xi Jinping". Officials from the Communist Party's publicity department, and reporters from several state media outlets attended the meeting. (Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Alex Richardson) Church community mourns and honors Ricky Floyds death MEMPHIS, Tenn. A Memphis community is mourning the loss of Pastor Ricky Floyd of The Pursuit of God Church after he was tragically shot and killed outside of a south Memphis bar early Wednesday morning. The church community describes Floyd as an innovator who leaves behind a legacy of hard work. Reverand Doctor Bill Adkins of Greater Imani Church says he was devastated when he heard the news. Adkins has known Floyd since 1990. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pastor Ricky Floyd dead, woman charged after shooting at Memphis bar According to Adkins, he and Floyd saved souls through countless mentorship programs. He said that Floyd talked gang members into dropping their colors and coming to Christ. While Floyd knew the risks and dangers of spreading the gospel to high crime areas, but that didnt stop him. Certainly, it was more than just a shock. I was devastated by the news. I considered him a son in the ministry, a person thats been close to me for over 30 years and, me, my wife, my family and my church family, and we all got hurt because he was so close to all of us and especially think about his wife, Sheila, his children. Its just devastating to us to have lost him like this, said Adkins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How Pastor Ricky Floyd tried to make Memphis better Adkins said that Floyds efforts will be remembered by the communities he served, and those who fight hardest against gun violence unfortunately become victims. He said Wednesday nights Bible study live stream at 6:30 will be dedicated to the life and legacy of Floyd. County Commissioner Charlie Caswell said Floyd was his pastor and his friend, and he recently rejoined Floyds church. He saw Floyd yesterday, when Floyd attended a district meeting in his neighborhood. It was pastor Ricky Floyd, 23 years ago, that saw something in me when he became my pastor, that most people wouldve given up on me for, Caswell said. When I think of the impact on this city, this long outlives what were hearing today of Ricky Floyd. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Men with pythons wanted for gas station theft Members of The Pursuit of God Church in Frayser say he was more than a pastor. They say he was a man dedicated to his faith who left behind a legacy of love that will impact many for years to come. They helped me. They guided me and showed me the way. He was a good person. He was a good person, Carolyn Settles, church member. I did a whole 360 and when I joined this church I never looked back. I never looked back. Im here every Sunday, said Settles. Terrence T.B. Boyce hosted a Fire Proof Open Gym in remembrance of the late pastor. High school boys gathered to pray, reflect, and share their testimonies Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some say while Floyd knew the risks and dangers of trying to reach people in high crime areas, it didnt stop him from continuing the mission of spreading the gospel. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Russia's intelligence agency said its chief spoke to his CIA counterpart on Tuesday. It's a marked shift in posture and is the first reported contact between the pair in over two years. It comes as a US-proposed cease-fire deal between Russia and Ukraine is on the table. Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service said that its chief had spoken to the head of the CIA, in the first reported contact between the pair in over two years. In the Tuesday call, it said the two agency chiefs agreed to maintain regular contact in the future, a marked shift in relations that comes at a time when a cease-fire deal with Ukraine is on the table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It came the same day that Ukraine signaled that it was ready to accept a US proposal for an immediate 30-day cease-fire deal with Russia. Emily Ferris, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told BI that the call was "significant," as the two senior leaders had not spoken in several years. According to the Russian intelligence agency, known as the SVR, its director, Sergey Naryshkin, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe spoke about how they could interact on matters of common interest and the resolution of crisis situations. The CIA did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tulsi Gabbard who has shared anti-Ukraine talking points in the past was confirmed as President Donald Trump's Director of National Intelligence last month, a rule that oversees multiple intelligence agencies, including the CIA. The latest move comes amid a general rapprochement between Trump and Russia, while relations between the US and its traditional allies in Europe have soured. The US temporarily paused all US intelligence-sharing with Ukraine last week, but reversed that on Tuesday. Ferris told BI that the US may be using the calls with Russia as a "carrot" in negotiations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Russia's desire to be regarded on an equal footing with other countries it considers to be major powers, particularly the US and China, often drives its foreign policy decision-making," she said. But she added that the link "could be severed at any time, especially should Russia delay on a decision about the cease-fire." Edward Hunter Christie, a senior research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, told BI that "America is deliberately opening itself to being influenced by official Russian voices." "Russia will exploit this," he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Christie said that the announcement of resumed contact between the SVR and CIA "is the further confirmation of the Trump administration's openly stated intention to have a completely new relationship with Russia, based on collaboration and coordination between the two states on what they can agree on." Read the original article on Business Insider Northern Kentucky resident Mary Sargent was being discharged from a ten-day hospital stay at St. Elizabeth when she learned about their Paws for Patients program the initiative connecting fuzzy, four-legged therapy animals with those receiving medical treatment. She did a little research and found out St. Elizabeth recruits its therapy animals (namely, dogs and two beloved rabbits) from the Greater Cincinnati chapter of Pet Partners, a nonprofit deploying therapy animal teams across the country. Sargent didn't get a chance to visit with a therapy animal during her hospital stay, but she remembers thinking how nice it would've been to cut through the emotional hardship with a cameo from a furry friend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Soon after that, in 2019, Sargent bought an eight-week-old Shetland Sheepdog named Dax, better known today by his online persona Dax the Therapy Dog. Once he was old enough, the pup was certified to do therapy work under the same program, Pet Partners. Dax tackled in-person workshops and a final evaluation where his behavior was tested in different scenarios, like responding to someone with a walker or in a wheelchair, Sargent said. Therapy dogs Dax and Rosie with Pet Partners of Cincinnati visited The Cincinnati Enquirer newsroom Tuesday, February 25, 2025. Securing his certification in November 2022, Dax had his first visit at Florence's Gateway Community and Technical College under his belt come December. Since then, the now five-year-old Dax has followed his honorable therapy-dog quest across the Tri-State region, logging over 200 total visits with students in K-12 schools, colleges and universities and with patients at hospitals like St. Elizabeth. "Someone could be sitting and getting the worst news of their life and (the dogs) walk in and the mood instantly changes," Sargent said about Dax's hospital visits. The therapy dogs can sense who in a crowd needs some love and comfort, Sargent added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dax's therapy prowess has also earned him a spot on Pet Partners' crisis response team, which brings therapy animals to sites of natural, manmade or technological disasters. Locally, Dax has been dispatched to fire and police departments and a 911 call center to comfort first responders. Reporter Bebe Hodges hugs Dax, a Shetland Sheepdog, Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at The Cincinnati Enquirer newsroom. Dax is a therapy dog with Pet Partners of Cincinnati. 'He was just a little mascot' Sargent's journey with Dax is a familiar one she previously had a sheltie named Loki certified as a therapy dog. Upon retiring from being a high school administrator, Sargent wanted to give back to the community, so she started teaching part-time at a middle school in the Boone County School District, and Loki came along with her. "The kids were amazing with (Loki). They'd be quiet in the halls and come in and pet him ... He was just a little mascot, and I enjoyed watching people's behavior with him, including the teachers, and I just wanted to continue doing that," Sargent said. She says she started bringing Loki into the school one day a week, then the principal asked to bump up the visits to multiple times a week, which soon became nearly every day of the week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Attendance is better, the kids are better when he's in the building ... even the teachers are (less) stressed," Sargent remembers the Boone County Schools principal telling her. Sargent knew Loki's impact on students and teachers was special, and she wanted to continue that therapy work after Loki died five years ago. Her two beagles at home weren't suited for therapy work, she says. So along came Dax. Mary Sargent of Independence with her dog, Dax and Trish Smith of Montgomery with her dog Rosie Tuesday, February 25, 2025. Sargent and Smith along with their therapy dogs volunteer with Pet Partners of Cincinnati to bring joy to hospitals, nursing homes and other places in the Greater Cincinnati area. Dax joins two other Cincinnati dogs in the running for Pet of the Year For the second year in a row, Dax boasts a nomination for Pet of the Year, a six-week Pet Partners fundraiser supporting its Therapy Animal Program (Dax fell short of claiming the title last year, losing to a miniature horse named Darby). Dax is joined by fellow Greater Cincinnati therapy dogs Elvis and Rosie in the competition, which runs from March 3-April 14 and features pets of all shapes and sizes, from cats and dogs to rats and guinea pigs. The organization's goal is to raise over $100,000 to help therapy animals like Dax continue visits across the U.S. Whichever pet raises the most funds will earn the prestige of Pet of the Year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those interested can donate toward Pet Partners' fundraising efforts and vote for Elvis here, vote for Dax here and for Rosie here. Meet all the pets currently in the running for the national title at petpartners.org/petoftheyear. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincy therapy dog nominated for Pet of the Year by national nonprofit CHANDLER, Texas (KETK) The City of Chandler is recognizing one of their own for revealing the true power behind a genuine act of kindness. Even before earning the title, Chandler resident Rylee Taylor proved herself a true hometown hero by noticing something wrong and taking action. If you see someone who needs help, you would like to do what you can to help them, Taylor said. You may not have all the means to help them, but somebody out there does and everybody knows somebody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement VIDEO: Hawkins officials release footage of dispute between resident, police officer Taylor was working at the Best Western plus hotel when an elderly couple was abandoned in the building. She noticed they didnt have proper luggage and were wandering around the area. It led her to post a call to action on Facebook asking others for help for the couple. Taylor explained why she felt obligated to help the elderly couple who were in obvious need of assistance. Ive been to places where I needed help and there wasnt really anyone to help me, Taylor said. So, I wanted to be someone that could help them. PHOTOS: Chapel Hill Red Devils break ground on 2024 bond projects Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The City of Chandler recognized Taylors heroic actions during Tuesdays city council meeting as the city issued a proclamation to officially make her a hometown hero. Chandler Mayor Cy Ditzler said he was honored to recognize Taylor and the entire community who heard her initial call and showed up in huge numbers to support her. She had nothing to gain out of it except for the goodness she did, and she did it out of the goodness of her heart, Ditzler said. Thats huge. I love that. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com. AUSTIN (KXAN) Austin City Council Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes is responding to a growing homeless encampment that has neighbors concerned. People living nearby have talked about drug use, trash piling up and vandalism. South Austin homeless camp drawing concerns as drug use, open fires continue The area is on Bluff Springs Road near William Cannon Drive in southeast Austin. Fuentes district covers this area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement KXAN reported last week on the property and how it is filled with trash, fires out in the open, drug paraphernalia and more. On Monday, Fuentes followed up on social media saying she was working with city and county staff for months to resolve this. Fuentes went on to say that the city of Austin cannot enforce trespassing laws without the owners consent. She noted the city has been working to contact the owners representation. Fuentes added that the Austin Police Department, as well as Travis County law enforcement continue responding to 911 calls for emergencies and criminal activity in the area. APD is authorized to enter the property in response to 911 calls. HEBs Security Team is also monitoring the area, Fuentes said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Furthermore, Fuentes said code enforcement is working to secure a contractor to do consistent clean-ups. She said her office is going to follow up with the city attorney about legal actions. Her office is working with the Homeless Strategy Office on outreach efforts, while she also understands shelter space is limited. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. (FOX40.COM) The final draft for the Active Transportation Plan was released by the Department of Public Works, and now city officials are asking for community feedback before the plan is finalized, according to the City of Sacramento. The Streets for People Active Transportation Plan aims to make walking, biking, and rolling easier for residents. City of Sacramento to expand active transportation network Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From now until April 6, the draft plan is available for online public review and comments. The community can mark the document, leave comments, engage with other community members comments, and give a thumbs-up to ideas they support. We want to hear from as many people as possible because this plan is about making it easier for everyone to get around Sacramento, said transportation planner Jeff Jelsma. Most of our daily trips are under three miles, yet most of us drive. This is an opportunity to create more comfortable and connected options for people walking, biking, and rolling in our neighborhoods. The latest draft of the plan focuses on the larger Active Transportation Network, following recent approval of the Neighborhood Connections Network. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adoption for the full plan is expected in the Summer of 2025. The draft plan can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40 News. OXFORD The civil wrongful death trial of a Tennessee man who has already pleaded guilty criminally to driving under the influence and causing a fatal wreck could resume in two weeks, if not sooner. That would allow the family of the victim to continue their search for whoever supplied the underage driver with alcohol before the Tennessee statute of limitations runs out in two months. In January, Connor Milhorn, 20, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, pleaded guilty in federal court to DUI-death and DUI-maiming for a May 11, 2024, two-car wreck near Marietta that killed Alan Lee Langford, 42, of Tupelo, and severely injured his juvenile son. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About three months after the wreck, Langfords widow, Jacqueline Langford, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Milhorn and his father, James Milhorn, who owned the bright yellow Hummer. Milhorns attorneys argued if both trials happened simultaneously, it would prevent Milhorn from selectively invoking his Fifth Amendment privilege in the civil case without weakening his defense in both the civil and criminal cases. Milhorns attorneys asked a judge to pause the civil case until the criminal case concluded. Senior U.S. District Judge Glen Davidson granted the stay in November 2024. He said the civil case would be put on hold until there was a verdict or plea in the parallel criminal matter or March 30, whichever was sooner. After Milhorn pleaded guilty to two of the three counts and the government agreed to drop the other charge, the Lanfords asked the judge in late February to lift the stay. They argued that by pleading guilty criminally, Milhorn waived his right to remain silent and other constitutional rights this Court was aiming to protect with the stay. The Milhorns argue that the court has not formally accepted the plea and will not until the May 13 sentencing. Since the court has the right to accept, reject or defer the plea agreement until a presentencing report is filed, Milhorns attorneys argue the stay should remain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any activity or discovery in the civil matter that occurs at this time before the finalization of the plea would threaten (Connor Milhorns) constitutional rights, wrote attorney Jeremy Hawk. According to court documents filed by the plaintiffs Monday, the Langfords believe the defendants (the Milhorns) are stalling to prevent them from discovering how the underage Milhorn came to possess alcohol until it is too late to hold those people accountable. Common sense dictates that Connor Milhorn, a minor, did not obtain the alcohol legally, or by himself, wrote Langford attorney Brandon Leslie. Someone was responsible for obtaining this alcohol for this minor. We intend to hold that person or entity responsible. If Milhorn gained possession of the alcohol in Tennessee, the Langfords would be bound by that states tort laws. If they want to file a complaint, they must do it before May 11, the one-year anniversary of the crash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During his change of plea hearing on Jan. 31, Milhorn admitted under oath that he hosted a party for friends at his home where he consumed alcohol. Photos from the party showed the same type of alcoholic beverages later found in his vehicle at the wreck site. He also admitted that after the party, he left his home near Nashville to drive to Oxford to meet a female friend. There is no timeframe for Davidson to act on the motions by the plaintiffs or the defendants. He could lift the stay now or let it expire on its own at the end of this month. A third option would be for the judge to extend the stay, at least until after Milhorn is sentenced in the criminal case. HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11) An emotional gathering will be held in Harlem on Wednesday as long-time civil rights champion Dr. Hazel Dukes is laid to rest during her funeral. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rev. Al Sharpton are all expected to pay tribute to Dukes who fought for racial and social justice for over 70 years. More Local News She made history as the first Black American to work for the Nassau County Attorneys Office and the first layperson in the U.S. to administer the oath of office to a governor for Hochul in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She served as president of the NAACP New York State Conference and was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Key to New York City. She was a force to be reckoned with, let me say that. She meant business and she fought for what was right. She wasnt letting it go. She would make sure that we got the outcome that we looked for, said Barbara Powell, the president of the Hempstead branch of the NAACP. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Dukes is also credited with launching the Head Start program, fostering early education and healthy families under former President Lyndon B. Johnson. Shes advocated for voting rights, economic development, fair housing and quality education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dukes died at 92 years old. Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11) A long list of political standouts came out to memorialize the late Dr. Hazel Nell Dukes, the civil rights leader who was the national president of NAACP for three years and New York State NAACP president for five decades. In an uplifting and emotional homegoing funeral service on Wednesday, they said a final farewell. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, and Rev. Al Sharpton all spoke at the service at Mother AME Zion Church in Harlem. More Local News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the service, a variety of boldfaced names shared their feelings and memories about the New York civil rights icon. She and I have gone to jail together, and to the White House together, said Sharpton, before entering the church. We are here to salute someone who is the glue to civil rights in New York. The best we can do is to take up her challenge to continue to speak out, Clinton said before walking into the sanctuary. To speak out for what we know is right, for justice, for equality, for opportunity, to keep our country from being pushed backwards by a lot of the political winds that are blowing. From Clinton to Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, many elected officials spoke about Dukes before entering the church. They shared fond memories of the guidance, work, and assistance she gave them over her 70 years in the NAACP and New York public life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New York City Mayor Eric Adams declined to make any comment outside of Mother AME Zion Church but did have a remembrance from the pulpit during the service. Mama Dukes was good to the last drop, the mayor said, referring to her by her popular nickname. Drops in Head Start, drops in the NAACP, drops in young people, drops in making sure Harlem remains strong. She put an ounce in me. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Her homegoing service was standing room only, with hundreds of attendees having to watch the event remotely from the basement of the church, which is one of the citys largest. Some members of the public had to be turned away due to the church reaching its capacity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dukes passed away on March 1 at 92 years old. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. [Watch in the player above: Is violent crime going up in America?] CLEVELAND (WJW) A 61-year-old Cleveland man pleaded guilty to traveling to New York and sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl he met on Snapchat, the Department of Justice announced on Tuesday. He also pleaded guilty to child exploitation and child pornography charges. According to court documents, David Greulich started talking with a teen living in Jefferson County, New York, on the social media platform in February 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Cleveland pharmacy tech sentenced for possessing drugs to illegally sell On April 20, 2024, Greulich drove more than 400 miles to pick up the teen from her New York home and took her to a hotel, court documents said. Greulich kept her at the hotel for two days, where he violently and sexually abused her which he recorded on a digital device, the Department of Justice said in a press release. He returned to New York on May 11, 2024, where he took the teen to the same hotel and assaulted her again, as FOX 8 previously reported. Investigators said Greulich took photos and videos of the victim and emailed them to himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives looked over hotel surveillance video and saw Greulich with the girl. They also reviewed license plate readers that captured his car along Interstate 90 between Ohio and New York. Investigators conducted a federal search warrant at Greulichs Cleveland home, where they found a cell phone with more than 100 photos of the victim on it. Video shows moment young kidnapped victim was found in NE Ohio Detectives also found 14 sexually explicit video files of the teen on Greulichs cloud storage account. Greulich will be sentenced on June 23, facing a maximum prison term of up to 180 years, the Department of Justice said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal officials urge anyone to report child exploitation to cybertipline.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) In a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, House Democratic Caucus leaders rebuked what they called an appalling lack of transparency this legislative session. FOX 56s Bode Brooks reported that its a crucial week for the state legislature. There are only days left for Kentucky lawmakers to work out their differences on pending legislation before a veto break. Read more of the latest news in politics Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We ask our chairman to really be judicious with what they do, but still, theres going to be some give and take, and theres going to be some things we dont understand the rationale for moving. So, a lot more discussions between us and them and then vice versa, they wont understand the rationale of why we would do something. So, the dialogue between the two chambers has increased, and the movement of the bills have increased, Sen. President Robert Stivers told FOX 56 on Tuesday. Caucus Whip Lindsey Burke of Lexington provided a look at what this movement looks like. Yesterday we saw a 100-page bill with major income tax changes clear committee and the house before the public could even read it online, she said. Last night, there were three rewritten education bills sent to committee members after 8 p.m. As a result, our members barely know whats in these bills, and the public doesnt know at all, as reportedly some have not been made available to the public. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burke cited the following examples: House Bill 755 made it through committee and the House on Tuesday in a matter of hours before it was uploaded online. Lawmakers were given 25 minutes to discuss Senate Bill 89; no questions were reportedly taken. House Health Services Committee rushed through another rewritten bill negatively affecting reproductive care. Our caucus, staff, and the public need to know whats in these last-minute bills, Rep. Burke said. Only about five percent of this years expected laws had been sent to Gov. Beshear by Friday, when there were just six working days left this legislative session. Thats not how government should work. Our caucus is fighting for greater transparency and for Kentuckians to have the information they need and the voice they deserve. Rep. Al Gentry suggested that a former procedure, a three-day posting rule, be implemented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think we need to seriously consider going back to that because it gives time for the people to see what is going to committee; give them time to come to committee if they would like to testify even or if they just would like to express their opinion, Rep. Gentry said. Read more of the latest Kentucky news He affirmed that several Republican members have been open to amending their legislation when necessary, but when we rush processes and the public does not know whats coming, people that are getting harmed are not letting us know, and theres no way to fix a bill. Burke attributed the time crunch to the amount of bills theyre seeing this year, calling the quantity unprecedented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Click here to watch the press conference. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. A crime lab analyst with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department will soon find out if they will face criminal charges. According to the Charlotte Observer, the analyst is accused of intentionally manipulating the DNA testing process. Last March, Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather asked the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to determine if the analyst broke the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS COVERAGE: DA asks SBI to investigate crime lab analyst for alleged irregularities The Observer then obtained a letter that CMPDs crime lab director sent last year. It said the analyst intentionally manipulated DNA testing. The SBI has now turned over its findings to the district attorney, but his office said it could take weeks to review. VIDEO: DA asks SBI to investigate crime lab analyst for alleged irregularities An innocent bystander was shot during one of many illegal street takeovers in Charlotte last weekend, according to police. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said the takeovers involved around 400 vehicles, multiple fires, fireworks, and dangerous stunts in public roadways and parking areas. Charlotte police said 100 cars participated in the first illegal gathering on March 7. ALSO READ: State law helps CMPD combat street takeovers Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The following day, attendees from an event at the Rockingham Dragway traveled back to Charlotte to gather again. Overnight on March 8, CMPD said the group started fires, shot off fireworks, lit flares, and performed stunts around the fires across the metro. While officers were breaking up a group in the 8100 block of University City Boulevard, the participants regrouped on Neal Road. During that takeover, police said multiple shots were fired and an innocent bystander was struck in the hip. CMPD has not released any more details about that persons condition. Channel 9 spoke with a resident who lives near University City Boulevard and Neal Road where there were still tread marks on Wednesday. It sounded like I was at the motor speedway, the Charlotte Motor Speedway, said the man who didnt want to be identified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He called police when he heard gunshots. It was like, Pop, pop, pop, pop and then someone else would join in, then somebody else would go, Boom, boom, boom, he said. Over the course of the weekend, police said they made two arrests, issued 18 citations, seized five vehicles, and recovered one stolen vehicle. Cortavian Winston, 21, was charged with participating in a street takeover, flee to elude and resist/delay/obstruct. KiJuan Thompson, 23, was charged with participating in a street takeover, flee to elude, resist/delay/obstruct and hit-and-run. (L-R) Cortavian Winston and KiJuan Thompson The takeovers happened at several locations across Charlotte including: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 9500 block of South Boulevard Wilkinson Boulevard/Sam Wilson Road 2500 block of Sardis Road North Kenilworth Avenue/I-277 4900 block of Gibbon Road 8100 block of University City Boulevard University City Boulevard/Neal Road Charlotte police said the incidents underscore their ongoing efforts to take action against illegal street takeovers and ensure public safety across the metro. They tried to make our city their playground, said CMPD Capt. Stephen Fischback. Officers knew they were coming and responded. Police sent a message after the dangerous weekend on the streets. This will not be tolerated, Fischback said. WATCH BELOW: CMPD: 2 arrested, 10 cited for street takeovers that hospitalized spectator Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is trying to make the most of a tight budget next year as it seeks to retain and recruit top educators. The budget may include a potentially controversial new incentive: performance-based bonuses of up to $15,000 for math teachers at some high schools. The move is in line with the CMS Board of Educations goal to increase scores in Math I. Though, its being debated as the district projects shortfalls in local, state and federal funding sources. The Math I Excellence Bonus is an incentive designed to increase the quality of math instruction and reward educators who demonstrate excellence in teaching, CMS executive director of federal programs Elenia Daniels said at Tuesdays board meeting. This bonus is for teachers who have demonstrated the ability to move the needle in terms of student outcomes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district wants to increase the proportion of students scoring in the highest rung of achievement on state exams in Math I from 27% in 2023 to 57% in 2029. CMS projects 32% of students will score in that category this year. The new bonus program would target the districts 14 high schools that receive federal Title I funding schools with a high number of economically disadvantaged students. It would be paid for with Title I funds. In total, it could apply to 32 educators and 960 total students at the 14 schools. The maximum bonus would be around $15,000. Leaders didnt rule out expanding the program down the line, however. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were thinking about this as a pilot program to see if we could get a return on our investment, said CMS Chief Financial Officer Kelly Kluttz. If we did see that return on investment, then next year we would look at the budget to see if we could duplicate that in non-Title I schools. Only teachers with four or more years of teaching experience, two or more years of high progress in student outcomes and a principal recommendation would qualify for the bonus, Daniels said Tuesday. The district still plans on asking the county for additional funding to increase pay for each of the districts educators in its next budget. Some teachers and former educators, including CMS board member Melissa Easley, worry a bonus only for teachers of one subject could cause tension and affect morale among other educators in the district without the same opportunity for additional pay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state does math and language arts bonuses for teachers, but an unintended consequence of that is it pits teachers against one another and creates animosity in the schools. If you have a principal, for example, who doesnt care for you personally, then theyre not going to recommend you, Easley said. I want to make sure that we have an even playing field and we arent pitting teachers against each other for a financial bonus that they each so desperately need. Teacher pay landscape Teacher pay in North Carolina is set by the state, with a base salary schedule applied to all educators, regardless of the cost of living in their district. This year, for example, starting teachers in North Carolina made a base salary of $41,000, dropping the state to 41st nationally. School districts add a supplement to base teacher salaries from the state, in large part, to compete with other districts for the best talent. Money for that comes from the county. This school year, for example, beginning teachers in CMS made a supplement of $7,636, bringing the salary for a beginning teacher in the district to $48,636. Meanwhile, in neighboring South Carolina, starting teachers are making a minimum of $50,000 this year in Fort Mill School District, for example. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mecklenburg County presents the added challenge of a higher cost of living than many areas of the state. The current estimated living wage in Mecklenburg County is just over $55,000, according to Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Living Wage Calculator. CMS Superintendent Crystal Hill hasnt made her official budget recommendation to the board of education yet, but shes previously said she plans to recommend increasing average teacher supplements by 5% an average of $10,801 during the 2025-26 school year. The district projects around a 3% pay raise for teachers from the state. Our budget for this year is tight.but if our assumptions hold true, we will be in really good financial standing, Kluttz said. The fate of federal funds The elephant in the room is a $73 million one. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats how much Title I funding CMS currently is allotted. However, CMS leaders say, under the Trump administration, funding could be in jeopardy. CMS also receives just over $10 million and $5 million in federal Title II and III grants, respectively. We believe these funds may be more at-risk than other federal funds, said Kluttz. In total, over 8% of the districts budget comes from federal funding, and over 10% of district employees are paid using federal dollars. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Education, which oversees the administration of education grants like Title I, II and III, announced Tuesday that it would be laying off 1,300 of its around 4,000 total staff. Kluttz said while this potential bonus would be affected by the loss of federal funding, if Title I goes away, the district will have larger issues to address. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the Title I budget was cut, we would have significantly larger problems than this bonus that we would have to deal with in a structured way and determine whats best for our district at that time, Kluttz said. CMS already learned that three other grants totaling over $6 million for teacher professional development initiatives had been cut Feb. 18. Kluttz says the district is in the process of appealing those terminations. The superintendent wont present her official budget recommendation to the board until March 25. The board will vote on it April 22. CNBC reporter Steve Liesman blasted President Trump over his trade policies and broader economic strategy in the wake of a struggling stock market this week. Im going to say this at the risk of my job, but what President Trump is doing is insane, Liesman, CNBCs senior economics reporter, said during a segment on the cable channel Tuesday. And now hes saying hes putting 50 percent tariffs on Canada unless they agree to become the 51st state. That is insane. Theres just no other way of describing it. Trumps demand of Canada, Liesman added, shows there are no bounds around President Trump from the first administration, where there were people around him that would smooth over some of the edges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The longtime financial news analyst said Trumps posture toward the Constitution and the rule of law could also be bad for the attraction of capital. It seems as if this administration is doing everything it can to chase foreign capital away, he said. Trump has this week said he does not see a recession coming and dismissed concerns about the sagging stock market. His allies and economic advisers have argued the current pain on Wall Street will eventually lead to long-term financial benefits for investors and American workers. During a briefing with reporters Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said business leaders, investors and American workers should bet on President Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. New London A U.S. Department of Homeland Security order banning climate change activities and the use of climate change terminology in DHS policies and programs caused a stir among Coast Guard Academy alumni last month. After receiving several letters of concern, the academys alumni association sought a response from the academys provost, a senior academic official, who said the academy was required to heed the order. The Coast Guard falls under the Department of Homeland Securitys jurisdiction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a lawful directive with which we are obligated to comply, and we are doing so, the provost, Amy Donahue, said in a statement posted Feb. 28 on the Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association website. Further, in order to be fully mission capable, the Coast Guard needs officers who understand and are prepared to function effectively in the operating environment of a maritime military service. Donahue said academy faculty have worked to satisfy the requirements of the directive, which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem put out Feb. 14. The directive stemmed from an executive order President Donald Trump issued Jan. 20 that rescinded a series of executive orders his predecessor had signed. I directed our faculty to review the Academys academic curriculum to identify and revise any instances where our course content does not meet the Secretarys intent or does not align with the Presidents Executive Orders to ensure we come into full alignment, Donahue said in her statement. My guidance to them was that we will not use climate change or related terminology about contemporary human-induced rise in global temperatures in our class assignments and materials. Instead, we focus on particular scientific phenomena and the impacts that are pertinent to Service needs and missions. Donahue said the academy has revised courses that had been addressing climate change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That said, she added, we have not and will not abandon science education. She said the academy will continue to teach cadets about weather patterns, atmospheric phenomena, paleoclimatology, meteorology, oceanography, geospatial sciences, the conditions of sea ice, ocean conditions, the characteristics of coastal environments, energy generation methods, marine ecology and fisheries, the hazards like storms and flooding, and other similar topics, not to mention the fundamentals of physics, chemistry, and civil engineering. The academy referred questions about the Noem directives impact on the academys curriculum to the Coast Guard media relations office, which did not respond. In an interview with Inside Climate News, a news organization that covers climate, energy and environment, retired Adm. Paul Zukunft, commandant of the Coast Guard from 2014 to 2018, said cadets need to be educated about climate change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If were not smart about the environment that we operate in, were going to be a much less capable Coast Guard, he said. Adm. Linda Fagan, whom Trump removed as commandant shortly after his second inauguration, addressed the importance of preparing for climate change in The Coast Guard Climate Framework, a January 2023 report. Climate change and its impacts will continue to define the 21st Century, Fagan wrote in the report. From episodic events like flash floods and wildfires to long-term trends of rising sea levels and temperatures, climate-induced risks threaten national security, economic prosperity, and the safety of communities across America. These risks have long-term effects on Coast Guard operations, missions, and infrastructure. b.hallenbeck@theday.com Cold Case: OSBI offers $10,000 in 2020 homicide of Jennifer Jesse UNION CITY, Okla. (KFOR) The Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation is offering $10,000 for information regarding the suspicious death of 30-year-old Jennifer Jesse. According to OSBI, on March 11, 2020 authorities were notified of Jesses body near Southwest 44th Street and Gregory Road. The ME confirmed Jesse had been shot multiple times. OSBI announces $10,000 reward for information into Jennifer Jesses death, Image courtesy OSBI Authorities say, today marks five years since Jesses death and is offering a reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible for Jesses death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information is asked to contact OSBI at tips@osbi.ok.gov or 1-800522-8017. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. A Colerain Township officer fatally shot a dog and injured another near Northbrook Wednesday afternoon after the department says a pack had attacked a man, killed chickens and were roaming the area. Officers went to a home at Grasscreek Court around 1 p.m. after a man called and said he was attacked by three large dogs, according to a news release. Police searched the area but were unable to find the animals. About an hour and a half later, another man on Adams Road called to report three dogs were in his backyard, had killed his chickens and then bit him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers arrived and tried to keep the three dogs in the backyard until the Hamilton County Dog Warden arrived, but one of the dogs became aggressive and charged toward an officer. The officer fatally shot one of the dogs and injured another using his service pistol in self-defense, the department said in the news release. Once the dog warden arrived, the dead dog and uninjured dog were taken away, while the injured dog was released to its family to get medical attention. The Enquirer has reached out to Hamilton County Dog Warden Beth Ward's office for additional information. At the time the dogs were reported roaming in the area, school buses were releasing students on their way back home. Police stopped the school busses and individually escorted kids home in their patrol cars to avoid any risk of them being attacked by the dogs, Colerain Township spokeswoman Helen Tracy-Noren told The Enquirer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This dog attack is the second in a week in Colerain Township. Last Friday, two dogs severely mauled a woman and injured a man near Applevalley Court. More: 'It looked like a murder scene.' Why Ohio dog wardens want harsher penalties for attacks Dogs bite about 17,000 people a year in Ohio severely enough to require medical attention or to prompt calls to law enforcement. Experts estimate the actual total is double that because so many bites go unreported. A joint investigation by The Enquirer, the Columbus Dispatch and the Akron Beacon Journal found that gruesome dog attacks happen despite warnings, complaints and previous attacks that went unheeded by dog owners and unpunished by the legal system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under Ohio law, the owner of a dog that disfigures or even kills someone is likely to pay a fine thats little more than a traffic ticket. The law also does not require that a vicious dog be euthanized after such an attack, even if it results in a fatality. This is a developing story and will be updated. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Colerain Twp. cop fatally shoots dog after pack of three attacked man NEW YORK (PIX11) Ben Javanfar has been out of work for the past month. A yellow cab driver in the city for three decades, the 60-year-old was beaten on the job over a $14.35 cab fare. More Local News I said, No, you have to pay,' Javanfar recalled. When the passenger ran, Javanfar said he tried to stop him. As he confronted the 39-year-old customer, he said things took a violent turn. We were arguing, punching, and kicking, he said. I knew he was going for my face. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then, police say, Joan Navas Cardenas stomped on Javanfars right leg, severely fracturing it. I collapsed and screamed, My legs! My legs! The pain is crazy!' he said. Witnesses stopped the attacker and held him at the corner of Ninth Avenue and West 22nd Street until police arrived. Were really thankful for the New Yorkers who stepped in and held the assailant, said Bhairavi Desai of the Taxi Workers Alliance. Without them intervening, I dont want to think about what would have happened to Ben. Javanfar underwent surgery but doesnt know if hell be able to drive again. Its decimated his livelihood, Desai said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With his family in Iran, Javanfar is alone and has fallen behind on rent. When Desai visited him, she found he had no food. When they showed up with food, I said, God, thank you, Javanfar said. After a life-altering injury, the kindness of New Yorkers is carrying him through. Im very lucky its in America, he said. If it was a foreign country, they would leave me in the street. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State The suspect is facing charges of robbery and assault. A judge released him on his own recognizance after he pleaded not guilty. Cardenas could face a tougher penalty if convicted of assaulting a cab driver. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Richard Kahlenberg occupies a unique space amongst higher education reformists. A Harvard-educated progressive whose heroes include Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., Kahlenbergwho is director of the American Identity Project at the Progressive Policy Institutehas spent decades advocating for the rights of economically disadvantaged Americans. But in recent decades, as liberals have prioritized race over socio-economic status when it comes to who gets a leg up in the world, Kahlenberg began to fall out of step with some of his civil rights compatriots. This was never more so than when he became an expert witness for the conservative advocacy group Students for Fair Admissions, which sued Harvard University and the University of North Carolina for allegedly discriminating against Asian American applicants. The group claimed that those institutions, hiding behind the veil of holistic admissions, were docking high-performing Asian American applicants for lacking qualities such as leadership and grit over other applicants. The case, of course, went all the way to the Supreme Court and resulted in the 2023 law banning affirmative action in college admissions. The milestone turned the limelight on Kahlenberg, who, however controversial amongst some liberals, nonetheless had pragmatic, left-leaning solutions for universities that suddenly had to come up with new ways to achieve racial diversity on their campusesamong them are banning legacy preference ; expanding financial aid programs; and recruiting from community colleges. The case also validated much of what Kahlenberg had been saying all alongthat elite schools efforts to diversify their classes through racial preference ultimately amounted to virtue signaling. Despite billion-dollar endowments, schools like Harvard have been loathe to dip into financial aid, instead boosting their diversity numbers by tapping wealthy kids from underrepresented ethnic groups, creating what Kahlenberg calls a multi-racial aristocracy on campuses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two years after the SCOTUS decision propelled Kahlenberg into the national discourse around affirmative action, he has a new book, Class Matters: The Fight to Get Beyond Race Preferences, Reduce Inequality, and Build Real Diversity at Americas Colleges , which chronicles his personal and professional journeys through the increasingly combustible debate over equity in college admissions. He spoke with Town & Country about the current admissions landscape and where he sees things headed in the new world order under President Trump. So far weve seen one, full college admissions cycle following the ban on affirmative action. There have indeed been drops in African American studentsat Harvard, M.I.T., Tufts and Amherst, for example. Yet at places like Duke, Yale and Princeton, numbers remained relatively stable. How do you feel about the results youve seen so far? RH: Ive been generally pleased that a number of universities have been able to sustain high levels of racial diversity without hopefully resorting to racial preferences. The truth is, we dont know whats happening behind closed doors. But there is good evidence that universities are, for the first time, really opening their doors to working class students in meaningful numbers. A number of universities reported that they had record levels of socio-economic diversity, and that can help explain why they were also successful in achieving racial diversity. The backdrop here is that universities were almost uniformly predicting catastrophe. They said that if they couldnt use racial preferences that racial diversity would plummet everywhere. That did not happen. There were variations. Some universities did see declines in racial diversity, but a number were able to get as much racial diversity, in some cases more racial diversity in the past. Its just they can no longer do it the cheap and easy way, which is to bring together rich kids of all colors. Owen Franken - Getty Images What about Amherst and M.I.T., which made headlines in national news outlets when their numbers were released? I just wish thered been a fuller picture provided by the media showing the complete set of results. That, yes, some universities did see declines. But many if not most were able to preserve high levels of racial diversity. As to why Amherst and Tufts saw declines, I cant know for sure because I dont know what was going on behind the curtain. But at the very least we can say confidently that there are plenty of examples of successful universities. Amherst and Tufts should try to learn what they can from what Yale and Duke and the University of Virginia did right. Duke doubled its percentage of Pell (Grant)-eligible students in just a two-year time period. Yale and Dartmouth reported record levels of socio-economic diversity. Harvard tripled the percentage of students who are first-generation college students over about a 10 year period. So when the litigation was filed at Harvard only 7% of students were first-gen college students; now about 21% are. So these are all signs of universities making progress on socio-economic diversity and also preserving high levels of racial diversity. I want to be careful though and say it is possible that some of those universities were also cheating. I dont know. Id like more data. But from the outside its clear that a number of universities made new efforts to increase economic diversity and also saw high levels of racial diversity. At the time of the SCOTUS decision, much was made of the so-called personal essay loophole, whereby the Court allowed that students could talk about race within certain parameters, or for certain motivations, in their personal essays. What did you make of the loophole and do you think colleges are exploiting it too flagrantly? I think the Supreme Court had no choice but to allow students to write about their experiences with race in their essays. Its unimaginable that a censor would have to go through and black out any reference to race. But having said that, a fair reading of the Supreme Court decision is that the personal essay loophole is extremely narrow. I find its easier to talk about this in terms of concrete examples. So if a university says, Were going to value and give credit to a Black student who talks about overcoming discrimination because the university values grit and determination. Then they need to apply that universally. That is to say, an Asian American student who faced discrimination would also have to get credit, even though Asian Americans are overrepresented at a lot of selective universities. And if the underlying value is grit and determination, then low income students of all races should be receiving credit for that quality, too. So a university that only values grit and determination in overcoming anti-Black discrimination would be violating the Supreme Court decision in my view. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The other thing to note is that the dissenters in the caseJustices Sotomayor, Kagan and Jacksoncalled the essay provision in the Supreme Court decision lipstick on a pig. So they minimized the significance of it and did not think that if universities were following the decision they could achieve a lot of racial diversity. So my hope is universities are not employing the essay in a way unintended by the Supreme Court, but I simply dont know. In your book you talk about becoming a pariah amongst the liberal establishment because of your views on affirmative action. Where do things stand now? Interestingly, Im actually now in alliance with some of my liberal friends because of Trump and his Dear Colleague letter that went out to universities. In that Dear Colleague letter, the Trump administration took a very unpopular position, which is that race-neutral strategies are themselves illegal if racial diversity is part of the motive. So what that means is that if a university got rid of their legacy preferences because they wanted to promote racial diversity or if they gave a bigger break to first-gen college or low-income students because that was a way of promoting racial diversity, under the Trump administrations extreme theory, that is itself illegal. In other words, Trump has gone after not only racial preferences but what Ive advocated as well. And so in a sense Im back with my people in support of finding a way to get racial diversity through new means. Im not perfectly aligned with the left because they still want racial preferences. But the pragmatists among them recognize that considering economic disadvantage is the best way to produce racial diverse in a legally sustainable manner. Boston Globe - Getty Images One of the solutions you propose for helping achieve diversity with affirmative action gone is for colleges to get rid of legacy admissions. In recent years, a number of schools made headlines for adopting this policy, including Tufts, Occidental and Amherst. But the movement seems to have gone quiet as of late. How are you reading that? Im happy that there was a lot of progress. For context, there was a lot of discussion after the Varsity Blues scandal about getting rid of legacy preferences and it petered out very quickly. By contrast, after the SCOTUS decision on affirmative action, we saw several states enact legislation. So California, Virginia, Maryland and Illinois all eliminated legacy preferences and some of those laws extended to private schools as well as public schools. And we have seenessentially in the last decade, as the challenge to affirmative action made its way through the courts and we got the court decisionthat the percentage of schools using legacy preference has been cut in half. Thats in a new study from Ed Reform Now. So Im very grateful that theres been progress. Having said that, the entire Ivy League has stubbornly held on to legacy preferences. I think they do so at their peril because there will be another wave of litigation to enforce the Students For Fair Admissions decision. I want to be careful here, because Im not drawing a moral analogy, but after Brown vs. Board of Education, there was fierce resistance from Southern states and some Northern jurisdictions and decades of enforcement litigation to ensure that the schools and districts followed the law. There will be something similar with respect to the Students For Fair Admissions decision. And the Trump administration has said theyre going to join that effort to enforce the decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reasons for (doing away with) legacy preferences is as follows. If youre a university that preserved racial diversity, the best defense you have in court is to say yes, we preserved racial diversity but we did not cheat. The way we achieved racial diversity was to get rid of legacy preferences, was to expand financial aid, increase our consideration of socioeconomic disadvantage. If by contrast a university hangs on to legacy preferences, doesnt make progress on socio-economic diversity and somehow magically manages to make their racial numbers work out, that looks like theyre cheating. So its an affirmative defense against the charge of cheating to take steps like eliminating legacy preferences. One of the most scathing messages in your book is that elite universities have used affirmative action as a fig leaf to hide what you describe as a cheap and easy way to grow diversityby admitting students from underrepresented backgrounds who are financially well off. The Harvard case really blew the lid on this, as have other reports that have revealed shocking data: such that rich students have been outnumbering poor students by 25 to one at elite colleges despite their increasing diversity. Where do things stand today? There was an interesting book written by a former president of Harvard, Derek Bok. He said in essence that that litigation had exposed the system and that elites could no longer continue the practices that they employed to elevate wealthy and advantaged applicants; that eventually that system was going to fall. In essence, that the litigation had blown the cover and the jig was up. Now universities were under attack for being so economically segregated and using practices that benefit the wealthy that they would need to change. To be clear, Derek Bok presided over Harvard University for two decades. He did nothing to change any of those policies. But hes a respected voice. He said the handwritings on the wall, we need to change. And certainly the troubled political position that higher education finds itself in today has exposed them, so I think they need to reform in order to survive. The horrific response of elite universities to the massacre of Jews on Oct. 7th really exposed the moral rot behind some of the race-essentialist thinking, which says the world divides into oppressed and oppressors and raping and murdering children isnt inherently wrong, it depends on whos doing it. And thats a position that very few regular Americans can abide. You Might Also Like A College Park police officer is talking only with Channel 2 Action News about his run-in with an accused serial killer and how close he came to dying. Edward Cherry is an accused murderer. Cherry pleaded guilty to four different cases, including murder, in Fulton County. College Park police Lt. Charles Landrum said he has often thought about how close he came to becoming one of the list of murder victims allegedly tied to Cherry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Where did he shoot you? Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Mark Winne asked Landrum. In the neck, right here, he responded. When I called out that Id been hit I called out for Jesus to protect me and when I saw that I literally felt him come down all around me. I tell people not with me, not beside me, but in somewhere I cannot describe. Landrum said a license plate reader alerted College Park police that a car tied to a homicide case was in their jurisdiction. He chased the car and an instant before Landrum rammed the car for the second time, Cherry shot him in the neck, just millimeters away from his carotid artery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Landrum said the collision knocked the gun out of Cherrys hand and out of the car. If he had still had that gun with me holding with my gun hand holding the blood back, Landrum said. He mightve got over on me. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Mr. Cherry last week pled guilty to four cases, the lead case being a murder case here from a jail stabbing at the Fulton County Jail, Adam Abbate, the lead prosecutor on Cherrys Fulton County cases said. Abbate said on March 5, Cherry pleaded guilty to four Fulton County indictments, including the 2024 jail stabbing of Leonard Fortner and the aggravated assault on Landrum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abbate said Cherry also pleaded guilty to a 2022 non-fatal jail stabbing and a 2020 kidnapping and armed robbery. Judge Robert McBurney sentenced Mr. Cherry for all four of his cases for a total sentence of life plus 15 years, Abbate said. Clayton County Chief Assistant District Attorney Bonnie Smith said Cherry is indicted for two 2020 murders in Clayton County for which he has pleaded not guilty. The trial for those crimes has been set for August. Smith said that Cherry is a suspect in two murders in or near Jacksonville, Florida and in one of them, the victim was his grandmother. Currently, there are no charges in the Jacksonville cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We hope that with the sentence it will provide some closure for these victims and it is the beginning of justice for society, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said. A spokesperson said that concerning the Clayton County case, The Clayton Public Defender Office represents Mr. Cherry. Their attorneys are preparing a strong, effective defense on his behalf. The Fourth Circuit States Attorneys Office in Florida said, We understand the developments that have taken place in Georgia and will provide updates on any Jacksonville cases when they become publicly available. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] BOGOTA (Reuters) -Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Tuesday that he would call a national referendum so that voters can weigh in on his embattled health and labor reforms amid a lack of support for the proposals in the country's legislature. The president did not immediately specify whether the reforms would be withdrawn from Congress, where he has struggled to push through the bills, which he says are necessary to fight deep inequality and lower poverty. "Let the people decide," Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, told reporters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The long-stalled reform to the health sector aims to strip power from insurers and expand access to healthcare, while the labor reform would reduce working hours and boost overtime pay. Petro's decision came hours after eight members of a 14-member Senate committee announced they would present a proposal to reject the government's proposed labor reform for a second time. (Reporting by Nelson Bocanegra; Editing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle) BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Tuesday he will call for a special election in which voters will be able to approve or reject labor reform and health reform, which have been stalled for months in congress. In a nationally televised speech, Petro accused Colombias senate of mocking voters and siding with the nations oligarchy by turning down his efforts to reform the nations labor laws and its health system. With dozens of activists and pro-government politicians standing behind him, Petro called on his supporters to mobilize in favor of his governments reforms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have searched in our constitution for a path that will enable people to make decisions without intermediaries, Petro said. Now the people must decide if they want to be slaves, or if they want to be free and respectable. Petros proposal came just hours after a group of eight senators issued a statement saying they would reject the presidents health reform in a crucial committee vote. The Colombian president has often struggled to get legislation passed by the nations congress, where his party lacks a majority of seats. During his presidential campaign in 2022, Petro promised he would transform Colombias health system by eliminating insurance companies that handle obligatory social security payments and put a government agency in charge of administering those funds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Petro has accused insurance companies of mishandling millions of dollars. But his health reform has been turned down several times by legislators who argue it would give too much power to government bureaucrats and say the government does not have the capacity to administer millions of patients. Petro, a leftist who has long advocated for more government intervention in the economy, has also struggled to get his labor reform through congress. He has proposed increasing pay for nocturnal workers, and making it harder for companies to hire workers on short-term contracts. The special election that the president has called for is known as a popular consultation" in Colombian legislation. To be carried out it must be approved by a majority Colombias senate. In the consultation, voters must be presented with questions that have yes and no answers. At least a third of all registered voters must participate in the consultation in order for the results to be implemented. Ukraine has expressed its willingness to accept a 30-day interim ceasefire with Russia, contingent on Moscow's agreement and simultaneous implementation, according to a joint statement released after Kyiv-Washington talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The United States, which facilitated the discussions, will relay the proposal to Russia in hopes of securing a mutually agreed cessation of hostilities. Additionally, Washington will resume intelligence sharing with Ukraine and restart security assistance to Kyiv. During the talks, Ukraine emphasised the need to involve European partners in the peace process. Both delegations agreed to form negotiating teams and begin discussions on a long-term security framework for Ukraine. The statement also underscored humanitarian relief efforts during the proposed ceasefire and highlighted a new agreement between Ukraine and the US to develop Ukraines critical mineral resources, aimed at bolstering its economy and security. The meeting followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys visit to Saudi Arabia, where he held discussions with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The word unprecedented has appeared in legal filings to describe more than one of President Donald Trumps actions in the opening days of his second term. Ditto alleged attacks on the rule of law. One of the latest examples presenting both claims comes in response to the Trump Justice Departments bid to intervene in the Colorado state criminal case of Tina Peters. Shes the former county clerk who was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison for tampering with voting machines in a failed bid to prove they were used to rig the 2020 election against Trump. So, what does the federal government have to do with this case? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arguably nothing. But the DOJ still filed a statement of interest in Peters case, in which the government requested prompt and careful consideration of her claims. The governments filing last week said [r]easonable concerns have been raised about various aspects of Ms. Peters case, citing, among other things, her exceptionally lengthy sentence and the First Amendment. The filing also said the DOJ is reviewing cases across the country for abuses of the criminal justice process and that Peters case will be included in that review. Colorado Attorney General Philip Weisers office responded to the statement on Tuesday. He called the DOJs unprecedented and extraordinary intervention a naked, political attempt to threaten or intimidate either this Court or the attorneys that prosecuted this matter. He further noted that the federal statement cites not a single fact to support its baseless allegations that there are any reasonable concerns about Ms. Peters prosecution or sentence, or that the prosecution was politically motivated in any way. Rather, Weiser said in the filing signed by state solicitor general Shannon Stevenson, what appears politically motivated and a grotesque attempt to weaponize the rule of law is the very statement the United States has filed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state said its unnecessary and unwarranted for the federal government to weigh in here because it has an interest in fairness in all cases but has singled out this case in which to wield its power for the benefit of a party who has aligned herself politically with the President. While the Peters matter is pending, the Trump administration is separately defending his executive order targeting a disfavored law firm in Washington, D.C., as we await word from a federal judge in New York on the DOJs quest to dismiss New York Mayor Eric Adams case in a way that would give the Republican administration continued leverage over the Democrat. Against that backdrop and the rest of the administrations actions in this nascent term and Trumps first one, the Peters intervention seems to fit well within his view of law and order. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in the Trump administrations legal cases. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com DENVER (KDVR) Before reversing the move, President Donald Trumps threats of a double tariff on Canadian steel rattled the markets and local businesses. The presidents latest move on tariffs on aluminum is not sitting well with businesses in Colorado and beyond. Unfortunately, tariffs are the presidents tool of choice. But I dont think its a very effective tool in helping our economy. If anything, it might be hurting it, said Karen Gerwitz, World Trade Center Denver CEO. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Uncertainty surrounding potential tariffs sent shockwaves through the stock market and among local businesses Tuesday. Trumps approval dips amid concerns over economy: Poll Staying on top of all those tweets and notices that we are getting from the media about how tariffs are doubling or tripling your cost. This is no way to plan a business. You know? Companies need stability, they need some surety to set prices and work with their counterparts, said Gerwitz. Gerwitz said Colorado businesses dont know how to plan for this. This chaos of on again, off again tariffs is a disaster to try to run a global business right now. Companies are calling us around the clock to get support, to try to know how to mitigate and manage those risks. Its even hard for us to advise sometimes because the news is changing so much, she explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement University of Denver Supply Chain Program Manager Jack Buffington said other countries are using tactics to spur manufacturing in their nations tooBut he says a more tailored strategy could be more effective. Trump loves the Gilded Age and its tariffs. It was a great time for the rich but not for the many The theory is right: its a long-term play. It should be a strategic play. But when its chaotic and its across the board and we dont take into consideration the impact on exporting that we have a healthy exporting economy on exporting and energy, it could sometimes miss the mark, Buffington said. Gerwitz is doubtful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont believe tariffs are going to bring back manufacturing. Let me just give an example: tariffs were imposed on steel and aluminum before in his administration. Not only did no new steel plants open up in the United States, actually some closed. So its not a method to bring back manufacturing, what will bring manufacturing is investment into our industries here, allowing them to build up our infrastructure to be able to attract more manufacturers, Gerwitz said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil will remain at a Louisiana detention facility for the time being following a brief court hearing Wednesday as a crowd of more than a thousand demonstrators gathered to condemn his arrest by Homeland Security agents. Manhattan Federal Judge Jesse Furman handling a habeas corpus petition from the student activists attorneys and a request he be transferred back to New York did not rule on those motions but ordered Khalil be permitted to speak with his lawyers, who said they hadnt connected with him since immigration authorities swept him up. The judge temporarily halted Khalils removal earlier this week and ruled that he would remain in the country while his motions are unresolved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ramzi Kassem, the co-director of CLEAR, a legal clinic at CUNY, said his client had been identified, targeted and detained solely based on his advocacy for Palestinian civilians. The attorney said it was impossible to represent him adequately, absent means to communicate, which is the normal thing to expect for a lawful permanent resident who has no criminal convictions. We literally have not been able to confer with our client once since he was taken off the streets of New York City, Kassem said. Khalil, 30, has been accused by Trump of being a terrorist sympathizer but has not been accused of a crime. He was detained by plainclothes agents from the Homeland Security Department around 8:30 p.m. Saturday as he returned home to his Columbia-owned apartment from an Iftar dinner with his wife, a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant, and was also threatened with arrest for attempting to intervene. His attorney, Amy Greer, told the agents by phone that he was not in the U.S. on a student visa but on a green card. The agents said the green card was being revoked and hung up on Greer, according to the lawyer and Khalils wife, who has requested anonymity. As a green card holder, Khalil is protected by the First and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Agents took Khalil to a detention center in Elizabeth, N.J., prompting his lawyers to challenge his detention. Soon after, he was transported more than 1,000 miles away to Jena, La. A prosecutor for the Manhattan U.S. attorneys office, Brandon Waterman, told Furman that the government believed the matter should be moved to a different jurisdiction, like in Louisiana or New Jersey. Furman said the venue was determined by where Khalil was when his lawyers filed their petition. Referencing a need for speed here, he told the government to file their motion to dismiss or transfer the matter by midnight Wednesday. Khalils lawyers said they would file an amended version of their bid for his release on Thursday. Furman, who wont handle Khalils immigration case, ordered both sides to submit further legal arguments addressing myriad aspects of his detention by Friday and Monday. The student activist, the grandson of Palestinians who grew up in Syria, completed his studies at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia in December and had been set to graduate in May. He played a prominent role in the widely publicized demonstrations at Columbia last year, where students protested the universitys investment ties to Israel, the bombings in Gaza, and U.S. involvement, acting as a mediator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration has framed Khalils advocacy for Palestinian civilians as antisemitic and supportive of Hamas, which the U.S. and several other countries consider a terrorist group. Trump has said his arrest will be the first of many foreign student activists whose political views are unaligned with the administrations. Speaking from Albany on Wednesday, Trumps border czar Tom Homan called Khalil a national security threat and said, Free speech has limitations. Khalil has denied he has expressed support for the Hamas group or hatred toward Jews in his calls for a ceasefire in the region. The case has provoked sharp criticism from free-speech advocates, with Wednesdays hearing attracting a massive turnout. Among those in attendance was actress Susan Sarandon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In comments that were blasted on speakers throughout Foley Square, Khalils attorneys addressed throngs of demonstrators waving Palestinian flags and placards bearing Khalils photo. Kassem said the government was justifying his clients detention by relying on a rarely used provision granting the secretary of state the power to revoke a noncitizens lawful status if they are determined to pose adverse foreign policy consequences. That provision is not only rarely used, it is certainly not intended by Congress to be used to silence dissent, the attorney said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the matter to reporters in Ireland on Wednesday, saying it was unrelated to free speech, The Associated Press reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rubio said it was about people that dont have a right to be in the United States to begin with, adding, No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card. But Khalils lawyers said the facts spoke for themselves. They noted that the government has not repeated in court the allegations against Khalil coming out of the White House, including by Trumps press secretary that hed organized protests where Hamas propaganda was distributed. Kassem said Khalils detention should alarm all Americans, no matter their political views, and that it was based on suppression, not national security. It simply cannot be the case that you can be disappeared at night off the streets of New York City simply because the current U.S. government, the current administration at the White House, dislikes what you have to say. NEW YORK Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil will remain at a Louisiana detention facility for the time being following a brief court hearing Wednesday as a crowd of more than a thousand demonstrators gathered to condemn his arrest by Homeland Security agents. Manhattan Federal Judge Jesse Furman handling a habeas corpus petition from the student activists attorneys and a request he be transferred back to New York did not rule on those motions but ordered Khalil be permitted to speak with his lawyers, who said they hadnt connected with him since immigration authorities swept him up. The judge temporarily halted Khalils removal earlier this week and ruled that he would remain in the country while his motions are unresolved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ramzi Kassem, the co-director of CLEAR, a legal clinic at CUNY, said his client had been identified, targeted and detained solely based on his advocacy for Palestinian civilians. The attorney said it was impossible to represent him adequately, absent means to communicate, which is the normal thing to expect for a lawful permanent resident who has no criminal convictions. We literally have not been able to confer with our client once since he was taken off the streets of New York City, Kassem said. Khalil, 30, has been accused by Trump of being a terrorist sympathizer but has not been accused of a crime. He was detained by plainclothes agents from the Homeland Security Department around 8:30 p.m. Saturday as he returned home to his Columbia-owned apartment from an Iftar dinner with his wife, a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant, and was also threatened with arrest for attempting to intervene. His attorney, Amy Greer, told the agents by phone that he was not in the U.S. on a student visa but on a green card. The agents said the green card was being revoked and hung up on Greer, according to the lawyer and Khalils wife, who has requested anonymity. As a green card holder, Khalil is protected by the First and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Agents took Khalil to a detention center in Elizabeth, N.J., prompting his lawyers to challenge his detention. Soon after, he was transported more than 1,000 miles away to Jena, La. A prosecutor for the Manhattan U.S. attorneys office told Furman that the government believed the matter should be moved to a different jurisdiction, like in Louisiana or New Jersey. Furman said the venue was determined by where Khalil was when his lawyers filed their petition. Referencing a need for speed here, he told the government to file their motion to dismiss or transfer the matter by midnight Wednesday. Khalils lawyers said they would file an amended version of their bid for his release on Thursday. Furman, who wont handle Khalils immigration case, ordered both sides to submit further legal arguments addressing myriad aspects of his detention by Friday and Monday. The student activist, the grandson of Palestinians who grew up in Syria, completed his studies at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia in December and had been set to graduate in May. He played a prominent role in the widely publicized demonstrations at Columbia last year, where students protested the universitys investment ties to Israel, the bombings in Gaza, and U.S. involvement, acting as a mediator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration has framed Khalils advocacy for Palestinian civilians as antisemitic and supportive of Hamas, which the U.S. and several other countries consider a terrorist group. Trump has said his arrest will be the first of many foreign student activists whose political views are unaligned with the administrations. Speaking from Albany on Wednesday, Trumps border czar Tom Homan called Khalil a national security threat and said, Free speech has limitations. Khalil has denied he has expressed support for the Hamas group or hatred toward Jews in his calls for a ceasefire in the region. The case has provoked sharp criticism from free-speech advocates, with Wednesdays hearing attracting a massive turnout. Among those in attendance was actress Susan Sarandon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In comments that were blasted on speakers throughout Foley Square, Khalils attorneys addressed throngs of demonstrators waving Palestinian flags and placards bearing Khalils photo. Kassem said the government was justifying his clients detention by relying on a rarely used provision granting the secretary of state the power to revoke a noncitizens lawful status if they are determined to pose adverse foreign policy consequences. That provision is not only rarely used, it is certainly not intended by Congress to be used to silence dissent, the attorney said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the matter to reporters in Ireland on Wednesday, saying it was unrelated to free speech, The Associated Press reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rubio said it was about people that dont have a right to be in the United States to begin with, adding, No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card. But Khalils lawyers said the facts spoke for themselves. They noted that the government has not repeated in court the allegations against Khalil coming out of the White House, including by Trumps press secretary that hed organized protests where Hamas propaganda was distributed. Kassem said Khalils detention should alarm all Americans, no matter their political views, and that it was based on suppression, not national security. It simply cannot be the case that you can be disappeared at night off the streets of New York City simply because the current U.S. government, the current administration at the White House, dislikes what you have to say. _____ An extraordinary escalation, decried the Chronicle of Higher Education the USs leading industry publication for universities in reporting the Trump administrations decision to withdraw $400 million in federal government funds from Columbia University. But there is nothing extraordinary about it. The government funds were ordered to be pulled after an investigation by the Department of Justices newly-created Task Force to Combat Antisemitism determined that Columbia has not sufficiently protected its Jewish students from discrimination. Under applicable US federal law, namely Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, universities that do not provide adequate civil rights protections are at risk of losing federal funds, theoretically in their entirety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Finding that Columbia inadequately protected Jewish students will hardly have taken much detective work. Since Hamass Oct 7 2023, attack on Israel, a number of elite US universities, including Columbia, witnessed openly anti-Semitic protests that called for the destruction of Israel, the death of Jews, praise for Hamas and terrorism in general, and numerous incidents of verbal and physical harassment that would easily fall under any legal or administrative understanding of discriminatory conduct. The protests also included a range of related crimes that American institutions have the power to prevent and police themselves, as well as the ability to call in local, state, and federal authorities. When invited to a Congressional hearing on the issue of campus anti-Semitism held in early December 2023, Columbias then-president Minouche Shafik gave it a miss, pleading a scheduling conflict. Three presidents of other elite institutions who did testify beclowned themselves with testimony in which they failed to state unequivocally that their institutions codes of conduct prohibited calling for the genocide of Jews. Just four days later, University of Pennsylvania president M Elizabeth Magill was out the door. Within a month, Harvards president Claudine Gay followed her in disgrace, having reportedly lost her institution as much as $1 billion in charitable donations; she also faced large-scale accusations of plagiarism in her academic work. Columbia appeared to learn no lessons, even as prominent alumni withdrew support, with one donor, the billionaire investor Leon Cooperman, pronouncing on national television that students have s for brains. In the spring of 2024, renewed protests rocked Columbias campus, again including assaults and a violent building occupation by protesters. Protests rocked Columbias campus in April 2024 - MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO/AFP Columbia appeared to implement minimal disciplinary measures, suspending a handful of student protesters and investigating several faculty members for misconduct. Several deans who were revealed to have engaged in apparently anti-Semitic banter over text message were removed from their posts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But seemingly unable to guarantee campus security, Columbia moved many of its spring 2024 semester classes online and cancelled last years main commencement ceremony. Shafik finally appeared before Congress to answer for the climate at her institution but was judged to perform poorly. Last August she resigned, after just 13 months on the job, and became an international development adviser to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who, perhaps fittingly, had come into office a few weeks earlier touting a pronounced anti-Israel line. Shafiks temporary replacement Katrina Armstrong has fared little better. Faced with renewed protests in recent weeks, she appears not to have acted any more decisively than the unfortunate Shafik. That was until Columbia received a letter from the Justice Department, now led by Donald Trumps Attorney General Pam Bondi, announcing a civil rights investigation to determine whether Columbia was in violation of the law, a measure Joe Bidens administration appears never to have considered. Only at that point, it seems, did Armstrong find the courage to begin expelling disruptive students, the first time Columbia had expelled students since 1968, at the height of the violent anti-Vietnam War protests. But it was too little, too late. The Trump administration announced the dramatic funding cut, with newly confirmed Education Secretary Linda McMahon issuing a factual statement that universities must comply with all federal anti-discrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding. The Trump administration also arrested and initiated legal proceedings to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian national who, as a Columbia student, led on-campus pro-Palestinian protests. His was the first arrest of many to come, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform. Nevertheless, his press secretary Karoline Leavitt alleged at a press briefing that Columbia was refusing to cooperate with other Department of Homeland Security inquiries into its student body and stated that the president is not going to tolerate that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for imperilled university funds, the Trump administration literally doubled down on Tuesday, withdrawing $800 million from Johns Hopkins University. This decision appears connected to the elimination of funds provided by the recently gutted United States Agency for International Development (USAid), but it followed an announcement that 60 American institutions of higher education, including Johns Hopkins, are now under Justice Department investigation for failing to prevent campus discrimination. Armstrong, Columbias interim president, suggested in a public message that she has finally seen the light about what she now prudently calls the administrations legitimate concerns. Whether she and her fellow university presidents can grovel convincingly enough to get their funds back, however, is anyones guess. But in a country where only 36 per cent of the public has a great deal of confidence in higher education, their battle will be an uphill one. Paul du Quenoy is President of the Palm Beach Freedom Institute Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Journalism may be the first draft of history, but in wartime, it is also the most dangerous draft of history for reporters on the front lines. On June 27, 2023, in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, one of Russian President Vladimir Putins missiles, which sometimes seek out the gathering places of journalists, struck a restaurant where award-winning Ukrainian novelist and poet Victoria Amelina was meeting with Colombian journalists covering the war. Amelina was working with human rights group Truth Hounds, which is recording atrocities committed against Ukrainians. Among the 13 dead, including three children, was Amelina, who, when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, left her home of relative safety in Kyiv to become a war crimes researcher. She interviewed witnesses and collected testimonies from Ukrainians bearing the full brunt of the war. She was survived by her husband and son. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amelina predicted her fate and warned that Putins invading army would target artists and writers to hollow out Ukrainian culture, just as the loss of tens of thousands of men and women fighting and dying in the Russian assault will hollow out a future Ukraine dependent on community leaders, providers of families, business leaders and men and women in the professions and other walks of life. At the time of her death, Amelina was writing a book that would be published posthumously this year, Looking at Women Looking at War: A War and Justice Diary. Based on interviews with women who were also documenting war crimes since the Russian invasion, the front cover has a beautiful photo of 37-year-old Amelina that belies how courageously she approached her work, no matter how dangerous her war-torn surroundings. The only reason Amelinas book survived her death is the dedication of fellow writers Tetyana Teren, Yaryna Grusha, Sasha Dovzhyk and her husband, Alex Amelin. They edited and completed the book, sharing Amelinas legacy and the power of her written word. In an afterword to the book she will never see, they listed her many contributions to the defense of Ukraine before her death. She worked for a humanitarian warehouse in Lviv, sourced medicines, raised money to buy vehicles and drones for the troops and helped evacuate people and pets from all corners of Ukraine, many of which wound up in her apartment in Lviv. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the many tributes her colleagues pay her valiant war effort, there is one that screams from the pages of her book. Amelina, they say, was endowed with an extraordinary empathy that enabled her to listen and provide support and become friends with those who shared their accounts of the war. If there was ever a contrast between the sycophantic behavior of President Donald Trump and the bold and courageous Amelina, it centers on empathy. Trump and Vice President JD Vances display of arrogance and haughtiness in their recent ambush of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office marks them as the ugly Americans of the 21st century, organically incapable of sensing or feeling the pain and suffering of others and incapable of distinguishing right from wrong. Trump berated Zelenskyy, who visited him to secure military aid critical to Ukraines success against Russian forces, drones and missiles. Trump has responded by cutting off military aid to Ukraine and denying Americas intelligence-sharing with Ukraine. Whether Putin has something on Trump he threatens to reveal, or whether Trump is just descending to a manic desire to settle old scores, the result is the same. America is no longer viewed as the beacon of freedom across the globe; it now holds the distinction of having sold out freedom-loving Ukrainians who are fighting and dying at Putins hand. Behavior such as that shown in Zelenskyys visit to the Oval Office that day is learned. Trump teaches this crass behavior to his MAGA minions so that many Americans can no longer distinguish true from false, right from wrong, justice from injustice. Trumps servile devotion to Putin becomes the new norm overnight as Republicans cower in support of Trumps new Putin policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A party that once reinforced allies facing existential threats now remains silent or amplifies Trumps praise for Putin. A party that followed the lead of the late Republican Sen. Arthur Vandenberg, who declared that partisan politics must stop at the waters edge in providing bipartisan support to the Truman Doctrine, NATO and the Marshall Plan, now lies in subservience to the Russian strongman who kills and maims without qualms. Amelinas powerful pen documents Putins savage attack on Ukrainian innocents. Her courageous work in eastern Ukraine stands in direct contrast to Trump and Putin, who heap praise on each other and ignore the devastation to Ukraine, an ignorance that not even death and injury to women and children can penetrate. Amelinas work of principle and courage must override the din of capitulation emanating from the White House. Glory to Ukraine! ____ Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bob Kustra served two terms as Republican lieutenant governor of Illinois and 10 years as a state legislator. He also taught political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Loyola, Roosevelt and Northwestern universities. He is now host of Readers Corner on Boise State Public Radio and a regular columnist for the Idaho Statesman. ___ According to Americas Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) an estimated 48.7 million people age 12 or older (17.3 percent of our population) had a substance use disorder (SUD) in 2022. The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics also reports that 50 percent of Americans 12 and older have used illicit drugs at least once and drug overdose deaths since 2000 are nearing one million people. On Sunday, March 30, Congregation Mickve Israel will host a rare and compelling musical that has traveled across the country focused on the prevalence of addiction and the gift of recovery. Its called, Freedom Song. Rabbi Robert Haas of Congregation Mickve Israel and Carol Pine, founder of Interfaith Addiction and Recovery Coalition Savannah, sat down with WSAVs Kim Gusby on todays Community Corner to talk about the unique production and how its raising awareness while helping to erase the stigma surrounding addiction. Freedom Song Sunday, March 30 4 p.m. Congregation Mickve Israel 20 E. Gordon Street, Savannah FREE and open to the public (age appropriate for teenagers and older) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Freedom Song is co-sponsored in Savannah by BeitShuvah.org addiction treatment center, California; Congregation Mickve Israel and the Interfaith Addiction and Recovery Coalition, based in Savannah. For more information, email: savannahiarc@gmail.com Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. The budget cuts continue on Capitol Hill, as the Trump Administration doubles down on plans to eliminate the federal deficit. The latest cuts are coming from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The agency announced plans to eliminate more than a billion dollars in funding for two food aid assistance programs. The cuts are expected to have an impact in Washington state. Food Lifeline, a hunger relief organization, tells KIRO 7 the USDA cuts will amount to about $1.2 million in cuts to their budget. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We continue to advocate and ask that food insecurity not be part of those budget cost-saving measures because it is such an important lifeline for so many people in our communities, says Ryan Scott with Food Lifeline. He tells KIRO 7, that one in four Washingtonians are food insecure. State Representative Jim Walsh, who heads the Washington GOP, says the federal cuts promote agency efficiency, not food insecurity. What the Trump administration is trying to do, and certainly DOGE, is put healthy pressure on the system, so that agencies like USDA are more streamlined, and a better bang for the taxpayer buck, Walsh said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to food banks, USDA cuts are headed to schools, with concerns about the impact of free and reduced lunch programs. The two USDA programs on the chopping block were created during the pandemic, but Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the programs were never meant to be long-term. In a statement to KIRO 7, a USDA spokesperson writes in part about this weeks cuts: This isnt an abrupt shiftjust last week, USDA released over half a billion in previously obligated funds for LFPA and LFS to fulfill existing commitments and support ongoing local food purchases. Adding, The COVID era is overUSDAs approach to nutrition programs will reflect that reality moving forward." Condo boards would be able to get loans without the approval of their wider association membership, according to a wide-ranging bill aimed at shoring up condo safety that received unanimous approval from a House panel Tuesday. The legislation (HB 913), sponsored by state Rep. Vicki Lopez, R-Miami, is the third generation of legislative attempts to repair the cracks in condo repair and maintenance that were exposed in 2021 with the Surfside condo disaster that killed 98 people. The first set of rules passed in 2022, which mandated inspections and required levels of condo savings, have resulted in unforeseen upheaval. Sky-high assessments pushing fixed-income seniors from their homes, inspections revealing concrete so loose it could be moved by hand, inspectors immediate calling 911 to evacuate buildings and most condos missing the first deadline are among the results. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lopezs legislation seeks to clarify the requirements further, give boards more tools to meet the requirements and refine which buildings must comply. Not many details from the 99-page bill or debate emerged at Tuesdays hearing of the House housing, agricultural and tourism subcommittee, but its the first bill dealing with condo governance to clear its first committee hearing for this legislative session; two others have been introduced dealing with similar issues. SPECIAL REPORT: Why Florida's new safety inspection law is creating havoc for condo owners Testimony featured praise for the bills author, Lopez, who acknowledged that condo governance is a work in progress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the third iteration of condo bills, and it probably won't be the last, Lopez said. I did not come to the Florida House to be affectionately known as the Condo Queen, but I'm here, and I'm committed to doing the work. Many clarifications, details Also under the bill, condo associations would: Be required to purchase adequate insurance and be blocked from getting it from the state-backed insurer of last resort, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., unless it had complied with the states inspection requirements. Be allowed to levy special assessments without prior membership approval and hold membership votes to secure a line of credit for up to 35% of the reserves required. Be required to post on its website the adopted minutes of the association from the past seven years. Be exempt from the states requirements for a structural integrity study if governing an association comprised of four-family dwellings with three or fewer habitable stories above ground. One bit of testimony noted that the bill changes the dynamic between democratically elected condo boards and their membership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's something we want to be very careful of, as were dealing with peoples homes, said Travis Moore, a lobbyist. Fellow lawmakers, however, had nothing but applause for Lopez and her proposal. Its pretty incredible to watch somebody be so passionate about their community in particular, but on this issue especially, said Rep. Kaylee Tuck, R-Lake Placid. The partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside, Florida Thursday, June 24, 2021. The building partially collapsed at 1:30 a.m. Thursday. (Lannis Waters/The Palm Beach Post/TNS) The Florida Legislature has been grappling with how to prevent the tragedy that unfolded since the 12-story, 40-year-old condo in suburban Miami collapsed as most of its occupants slept. Soon afterward, it came to light that the disaster could have been avoided: Infighting on the condos board had delayed $9 million in repairs to the oceanfront building. Tragedy brings governance into focus The legislature in 2022 passed a law that required any residential complex 30 years or older be inspected for structural integrity and once every 10 years thereafter. Buildings within 3 miles of the coast have even shorter timelines, according to the law. The deadline for submitting the first report the law required came Dec. 31 and, in Palm Beach County alone, 91 buildings with about 3,200 units blew past that deadline without filing a report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lopez told reporters after Tuesday's meeting that just 35% of condos have complied with the law. Look, they've had 2 1/2 years to get a structural integrity reserve study done. It literally doesn't take that much " she said. So how else can I get them to actually just get the study done? I mean, I'm not even trying it to, you have to start reserving (money). The law has been blamed for sky-high assessments and dropping condo unit values. Other bills up for consideration during this years 60-day legislative session would provide grants for low-income seniors to pay their assessments for condo repairs, allow for investment boards to be created to invest an associations reserve funds and exempt buildings less than six stories from required structural integrity inspection and reserve fund requirements. This story contains reporting by USA Today Florida Network staffers Mike Diamond and C.A. Bridges and the News Service of Florida. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anne Geggis is the insurance reporter at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at ageggis@gannett.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Condo boards would get more power in leading legislation DAKAR, Senegal (AP) The government of Congo will hold peace talks next week in Angola with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group that has captured key areas of Congos mineral-rich east, mediator Angola announced Wednesday. A statement from Angolan President Joao Lourenco's office said the parties would begin direct peace negotiations in the Angolan capital, Luanda. Angola has acted as a mediator in the conflict in eastern Congo, which escalated in late January when the Rwanda-backed rebels advanced and took control of the strategic eastern Congo city of Goma. In February, M23 seized Bukavu, eastern Congo's second biggest city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congo President Felix Tshisekedi was in Angola on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of peace talks. Following the diligence carried out by Angolan mediation in the conflict affecting the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Government of the Republic of Angola makes public that delegations from the Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 will begin direct peace negotiations, on March 18, in the city of Luanda, Lourencos office said in a statement on Wednesday. The Congolese government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. We acknowledge and look forward to the implementation of this Angolan mediation initiative, Tina Salama, the spokesperson for President Tshisekedi said on social media on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The announcement comes after several canceled peace talks hosted by Angola that had previously excluded M23 and instead focused on their Rwandan backers. Peace talks between Congo and Rwanda were unexpectedly canceled in December after Rwanda made the signing of a peace agreement conditional on a direct dialogue between Congo and the M23 rebels, which Congo refused. M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda, in a conflict that has created one of the worlds most significant humanitarian crises. More than 7 million people have been displaced. The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to U.N. experts, and at times have vowed to march as far as Congos capital, Kinshasa, over 1,000 miles away. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.N. Human Rights Council last month launched a commission to investigate atrocities, including allegations of rape and killing akin to summary executions by both sides. ___ AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa LUANDA (Reuters) - Direct peace talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels will begin in the Angolan capital on March 18, Angola's presidency said in a statement on Wednesday. The Southern African country has been trying to mediate a lasting ceasefire and de-escalate tensions between Congo and neighbouring Rwanda, which has been accused of backing the Tutsi-led rebel group. Rwanda denies those allegations. Angola announced on Tuesday that it would attempt to broker the direct talks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congo's government has repeatedly refused to hold talks with M23 and on Tuesday said only that it had taken note of the Angolan initiative. On Wednesday Tina Salama, spokesperson for Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi, told Reuters the government had received an invitation from Angola but did not confirm its participation. M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa in a post on X boasted of forcing Tshisekedi to the negotiating table, calling it "the only civilised option to resolve the current crisis" that has intensified dramatically since January. The rebels have seized east Congo's two biggest cities since January in an escalation of a long-running conflict rooted in the spillover into Congo of Rwanda's 1994 genocide and the struggle for control of Congo's vast mineral resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congo's government has said at least 7,000 people have died in the fighting since January. At least 600,000 people have been displaced by the fighting since November, according to the U.N. humanitarian affairs office. Congo's neighbours, including South Africa, Burundi, and Uganda have troops in East Congo, raising fears of an all-out regional war reminiscent of the Congo wars of the 1990s and early 2000s which killed millions. Eastern Congo is home to vast reserves of strategic minerals such as coltan, cobalt, copper and lithium, resources that are central to the world's race to develop new technology and green energy. (Reporting by Congo newsroom and Sonia Rolley. Writing by Robbie Corey-Boulet. Editing by Gareth Jones, Mark Potter and Diane Craft) WASHINGTON D.C. (WNCT) Congressman Greg Murphy of North Carolina issued a statement after he voted in favor of H.R. 1968, the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act. Murphy said Shutting down the government helps no one and would hurt President Trumps impressive pace of action in turning our country around. While funding our federal government through continuing resolutions is not ideal, I voted in favor of the funding package and look forward to our important work ahead to enact an agenda that puts Americans first. Further, Congress cannot delay protecting Medicare beneficiaries access to affordable, high-quality care any further. I appreciate Speaker Johnsons leadership and his commitment to addressing these harmful cuts through budget reconciliation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT. GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) North Carolina Congressman Greg Murphy issued a statement on the closures of Social Security Offices in the Third District which he represents. He said I have received many questions about Social Security office closures in Greenville and Elizabeth City. After reaching out to the Social Security Administration advocating for our offices, I have been informed that the closures will only impact small hearing rooms within another SSA office, and not the public facing field offices. Most hearings are held virtually, and these Permanent Remote Sites are no longer needed. Here is a link to see the full list of closures and justifications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT. BURLINGTON, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) A Connecticut man was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to distributing crack cocaine and fentanyl. Jahking Allah, 45, of Quaker Hill, CT had reportedly sold cocaine base to another person in Burlington twice in January 2024. Police executed a search warrant on January 19 at the place Allah was staying, 195 St. Paul Street. Inside the residence officers say they found seven handguns, with three of them previously reported as stolen. Digital scales, cocaine base and fentanyl were also found on-scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Allah will have a three-year period of supervised release after his 37-month sentence. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC22 & FOX44. A conservative commentator on Wednesday asked Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin why he allowed American comedian Rosie ODonnell to move to the country. Ireland is known for very happy, fun-loving people, Brian Glenn, a conservative commentator for the digital media company Real Americas Voice, began a question to Martin during an Oval Office meeting with President Trump. Why in the world would you let Rosie ODonnell move to Ireland? Thank you, I like that question, Trump interjected as Martin nervously laughed while seated next to the president in the Oval Office. Did you know you have Rosie ODonnell? Do you know who she is? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martin did not respond before Trump added, Youre better off not knowing. ODonnell, a longtime critic of Trumps, said this week she has moved to Ireland, citing U.S. politics as her reason for leaving the country. Its been heartbreaking to see whats happening politically and hard for me personally as well. The personal is political, as we all know, she said. Trump famously blasted ODonnell during a Republican primary debate in 2015 when he was pressed about offensive comments about women by then-Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly. Updated 2:15 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) Election day in Louisiana quickly approaches. Voters are tasked with deciding whether to overhaul the states tax system. Constitutional amendment two is considered the most controversial of the four amendments facing voters on the ballot. It reads: Do you support an amendment to revise article VII of the Constitution of Louisiana including revisions to lower the maximum rate of income tax, increase income tax deductions for citizens over sixty-five, provide for a government growth limit, modify operation of certain constitutional funds, provide for property tax exemptions retaining the homestead exemption and exemption for religious organizations, provide a permanent teacher salary increase by requiring a surplus payment to teacher retirement debt, and make other modifications? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Election to decide constitutional amendement on March 29 Learn what they are This amendment would significantly change the current tax structure. It is the result of the special session on tax reform. Democratic lawmakers say the bill was initially 117 pages long and not every detail is included in the ballot description for voters. Free time? Read the full text of Constitutional Amendment Two here. Governor Jeff Landry is asking residents to pass the amendment. Amendment two is a game changer, and it will build upon the successes that we have had in lowering crime and fixing education. Amendment two will also streamline government by merging duplicate savings accounts, and it creates a permanent government growth limit, which helps us build on our efforts to eliminate government waste and inefficiencies, Landry (R) said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amendment two would give teachers pay raises through their retirement, with cuts to several early childhood education funds. Residents file lawsuit challenging Louisiana constitutional amendments State Representative Tammy Phelps said shes not in favor of the amendment because of this and the way it is written. Those funds would be repealed in the same amendment. So, as were saying yes, teachers, you will get this $2,000 increase. But we will be repealing three of these educational funds. Its very misleading. I think its outright a false narrative, Phelps (D) District 3 said. Election day is March 29. Early voting is March 15 through the 22. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. Amid the persistent calls from community leaders around the country to boycott the big box retailer, Target has unveiled the return of its Target Circle Week. The annual promotion, akin to Amazon's Prime Day, will take place from March 2329 in-store and online, offering seven days of promotions for members of the chain's free-to-join Target Circle program. The 2025 edition will include up to 40% off items like apparel, patio furniture, beauty products, and groceries, as well as its "Deal of the Day" promotion that offers higher discounts on featured items. TargetMike Mozart/Flickr Target Circle 360 members, a paid program launched roughly a year ago, will get early access to sale prices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company has not revealed specific deals but has shared the broader categories of discounts that will be offered when the discounts start at 2 a.m. on March 23. That includes a $15 gift card when you spend $50 on household essentials, a $10 gift card when you spend $40 on beauty and self-care products, and a $5 gift card when you spend $30 on Ulta Beauty products. It'll also offer buy-one-get-one-half off on grocery items, including Frito-Lay chips, Good & Gather ground beef, frozen pizza, coffee, teas, and a variety of Pepsi 12-packs. As it serves up discounts in what it undoubtedly hopes will be a big week, calls for a boycott continue. Protestors at TargetIsabella Canizares for Bring Me The News Community leaders in Minneapolis have organized protests outside Target's downtown headquarters in response to it rolling back the majority of its diversity programs, which were launched in response to the killing of George Floyd almost five years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Outside of Minnesota, religious leaders this week launched a 40-day boycott throughout Lent, dubbed "Target Fast." Organized by Rev. Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church near Atlanta, the boycott's website says participating is "a spiritual act of resistance" against the shuttering of the company's highly publicized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, which sought to counter discrimination. Many calling for boycotts have noted that Target's announcement came just days after President Donald Trump took office and signed an executive order aimed at ending DEI programs in the federal government amid a broader attack on similar programs across the country. Activists contend that Target is appeasing the president with its actions. Target has said that its decision to end the programs was made prior to Trump's executive orders. Related: Twin Cities Pride ejects Target from 2025 festival after retailer scraps equity initiatives My boyfriend and I were in our front yard in South Lake Tahoe the other day, enjoying an unseasonably warm afternoon, when a friend approached on his bike. We had met when we all worked at the same U.S. Forest Service station; we were on a fire crew, and he was on a trail crew. He slowed and waved, and I asked him how things were despite knowing the answer. Oh, you know, just got fired, he confirmed. Our friend had worked at the station for more than a decade longer than we had, but like the vast majority of federal trail workers, he had been a seasonal employee for most of his career. He had finally scored a coveted permanent position last year part of a Forest Service effort to stabilize the workforce under the Biden administration but that was gone now. Along with thousands of other federal employees who keep public lands functional and accessible, he was informed that his employment was deemed no longer in the public interest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Contributor: How federally funded research saved my son's sight and his life from a rare cancer Last month, Brooke Rollins, the newly minted secretary of the Agriculture Department, which includes the U.S. Forest Service, released a statement thanking the agencys firefighters for their service. I am committed, she said, to ensuring that you have the tools and resources you need to safely and effectively carry out your mission. The same day, the Forest Service fired around 10% of its highly versatile workforce , many of whom were qualified to respond to fires and integral to their prevention. The dismissals were paused last Wednesday while a personnel board investigates whether the department acted legally. If the firings proceed, they will affect not just fires but every aspect of recreation on public lands, including maintenance of roads, trails, restrooms and campsites; the availability of guidance from rangers; and search and rescue capacity. And those who live near public lands will be affected even if they dont use them. Rural areas are particularly vulnerable both to fire and to the economic fallout of lost jobs . Read more: What did I do last week? I took care of your family, friends and fellow citizens Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What happens to our public lands will be felt in cities and suburbs too. The most destructive wildfires, including those that just laid waste to parts of Southern California, are fought mainly in the interface between urban areas and public lands with the help of employees like those who were just dismissed. Wildfire smoke, moreover, causes health problems in metropolises such as L.A., the Bay Area, Chicago and New York City . The health of the watersheds we all drink from also depends on forest and range management. The attempted kneecapping of the Forest Service comes at a time when we should be doing everything we can to bolster responsible land management. Climate change, fuel accumulation and an ever-increasing number of homes in vulnerable areas have made fire suppression the primary focus of the agencies that manage public land. But suppression is a large part of how we ended up in this predicament in the first place. For decades, the Forest Service adhered to a policy of total fire suppression to protect valuable timber harvests. This disrupted a cycle of fire that had been part of the American landscape for millennia, leading to a dangerous buildup of fuel that can feed catastrophic fires. We now understand that prescribed, managed and cultural fire are the best tools we have to weather our Pyrocene era. But because of the threatened layoffs, our capacity to use them is facing drastic reduction . Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About an hour after we said goodbye and good luck to our friend, Elon Musk announced that he would be asking federal employees to describe what they had accomplished at work the previous week or be terminated. Many of the people who received the subsequent email to that effect probably spent the week felling trees and clearing brush a particularly bitter irony given the spectacle of the billionaires undoubtedly soft hands fumbling a chrome-plated chainsaw, which he brandished overhead with neophytic enthusiasm at the Conservative Political Action Conference. This, he declared, is the chainsaw for bureaucracy! But if the Trump administration is after efficiency, the elimination of thousands of employees who are happy to do multiple essential jobs for a relatively low wage seems like an odd place to start. The federal land management agencies are a puzzling target in general: The combined budgets of the Forest Service, the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management accounted for about 0.2% of federal spending last year. So what are Musk, Trump and the congressional right really after? Anyone who works in land management knows these agencies have long gone underfunded and unsupported by Republicans, rendering them less and less effective as the demands on them grow ever more pressing. Now this bloodletting is accelerating, and soon it will be time to go for the throat. As these agencies flounder, turning their lands over to private administration to timber, mineral and oil extraction or to private ownership and development will begin to seem logical and even appealing. The Trump administration is charging toward this paradigm, having appointed a former timber executive to lead the Forest Service and issued an executive order calling for expanded timber production (even though our lumber production infrastructure cant keep up with our current supply of raw timber). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While sustainable logging can be a valuable forest management tool, research shows that when lands are managed primarily for resource extraction, they become less resilient to wildfire . This is a shortsighted, profit-driven turn toward a land-use model that is ultimately unsustainable. What will the public be left with? Will we still have places to hike, fish, hunt, dirt-bike and ski? Will the watersheds that sustain us be clean and healthy? Will ranchers be able to graze livestock for $1.35 per head per month? Or will a new landlord be setting new rates? Public lands are one of Americas greatest, most defining resources. I hope we dont let an unelected billionaire and his minions jeopardize them without a fight. Zora Thomas is a former U.S. Forest Service firefighter who now works as a freelance writer and EMT. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Securities and Exchange Commission is scaling back its cryptocurrency enforcement unit. Why does this matter? Because crime pervades the crypto industry. Just last month, a hacker stole about $1.5 billion from the crypto exchange Bybit in the biggest theft the industry has ever experienced . As this incident suggests, crypto crime seems to be getting worse, not better. Indeed, crypto crime likely broke records last year. Illicit crypto addresses received an estimated total of $40 billion to as much as $75 billion in 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Contributor: Great documentaries reveal history's truth. Unregulated AI threatens to distort it Cryptocurrency is being used to perpetrate crimes that affect all Americans. One of the best examples is ransomware , malicious software that prevents users from accessing their computer files, systems or networks unless they pay a ransom. Crypto is the dominant form of payment demanded in these attacks because it enables cybercriminals to receive money anonymously and quickly transfer their illicit gains overseas. Ransomware attacks reached an all-time high in 2024, targeting sectors that Americans rely on every day. In February 2024, for example, the insurer UnitedHealth Group experienced an attack that affected hospitals, doctors offices, pharmacies and millions of patients across the nation. UnitedHealth paid a ransom of about $22 million in bitcoin . Read more: Silicon Valley's shift from blue to red is a mirage Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like ransomware attacks, meme coin rug pulls can have many victims. A meme coin is a cryptocurrency that is inspired by a celebrity, meme or internet trend. Theyre highly volatile, speculative assets that are susceptible to fraud. In a rug pull , insiders buy up a large share of meme coin tokens in advance and then dump them after the price soars, leaving regular investors with tokens that are essentially worthless. One recent example is the case of Haliey Welch, who gained internet fame as the Hawk Tuah Girl when she was featured in a TikTok video that went viral. In December, after parlaying her newfound celebrity into a merchandise line and podcast, she launched a meme coin. The coins price initially surged, but its value quickly plummeted by more than 90% after a small group of owners sold off more than 80% of the token's supply. One investor wrote on social media, I am a huge fan of Hawk Tuah but you took my life savings . While rug pulls dupe multiple investors at a time, many crypto crimes target individual victims. One particularly devastating crypto fraud is known as pig butchering or romance baiting. These scams involve online criminals luring their victims into fake romances and then stealing their money by inducing them to invest in cryptocurrency. Many people lose their life savings to these scams. One California victim, Shai Plonski, said he thought he had found the "perfect woman" on Facebook. Plonski and Sandy traded messages about their supposedly shared interests in yoga and poetry until Plonski revealed that his business was struggling, at which point Sandy suggested he invest in crypto with her guidance. Plonski eventually put his life savings into what he thought was a cryptocurrency investment and, when he became concerned, found he couldnt withdraw his funds. He was one of more than 40,000 victims of these scams in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another scam on the rise involves bitcoin ATMs. A scammer persuades a victim to deposit cash into a bitcoin ATM by using a QR code. The ATM then converts the cash to bitcoin that is immediately transferred to the scammers digital wallet. Seniors are particularly susceptible to bitcoin ATM scams. Beaufort County, S.C., which has a large senior population, reported $3.1 million in losses to crypto scams last year, including several involving bitcoin ATMs. One retired healthcare worker got a call purportedly from the sheriffs office, informing her that she had missed her jury duty and must post a $7,500 bond to remain free until her court date. She deposited the cash into a bitcoin ATM and lost the money. These are just a few of the ways in which criminals use crypto to harm ordinary Americans. Unfortunately, there are many others, some of which are used to finance terrorism . This is why we should be strengthening our efforts to prevent crypto crime, not weakening them. The SECs new leaders say they dont want crypto to be a haven for fraudsters . Unfortunately, it already is. Its up to them and other regulators to protect the American people from the crime that pervades this industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Benjamin Schiffrin is the director of securities policy for Better Markets. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A Duke Energy coal fired power plant near Roxboro, NC (Photo: Courtesy of the Southern Environmental Law Center) The North Carolina Senate Rules Committee voted on Wednesday in support of a controversial bill that would lift Duke Energys requirements to meet a carbon reduction deadline, sending it to the floor. More than a dozen Republican lawmakers, including Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and Senate Majority Leader Paul Newton (R-Cabarrus), introduced Senate Bill 261 the Energy Security and Affordability Act on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation passed through the Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee on Tuesday, despite pleas from Democratic lawmakers that the measure be delayed until it could receive a more thorough vetting and lawmakers could hear more from environmental advocates. Newton, a retired Duke Energy executive, presented the bill to both panels. The interim goal, which is an arbitrary goal, it doesnt improve the climate whatsoever, but it just sort of it drives behavior near term, Newton said. Under current state law due to a bipartisan measure from 2021 there are two deadlines for Duke Energy to meet specific carbon dioxide emission standards. The utility company must reduce emissions by 70% of 2005 levels by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newtons bill would remove the arbitrary first deadline, meaning Duke Energy would not need to meet the 70% cut by any deadline. The carbon neutrality deadline for 2050 would still stand. Newton told colleagues that modeling suggested that ratepayers could save $13 billion by removing the interim carbon reduction goal for Duke. While representatives from Duke Energy did not speak at Wednesdays hearing, the bill won the support of both ElectriCities of North Carolina and North Carolinas Electric Cooperatives. We believe that removal of the interim goal will help public power to provide our communities and our customers with more affordable and more reliable electric power, said Jay Morrison, chief legal officer for ElectriCities. The NC Justice Center warned that SB 261 has the potential to make customers pay up front for expensive and risky energy projects. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When South Carolina had a similar policy in place 10 years ago, ratepayers paid billions of dollars to fund the construction of a nuclear power plant that never produced a single unit of power, said Claire Williamson, the Justice Centers senior energy policy advocate. What other industry requires customers to pay for a service without any guarantee of receiving it? Mark Swallow from Democracy Out Loud said the bill fails to take into account global warming and ever-increasing temperatures that lead to a greater demand for electricity. I want my children, grandchildren, who live in an environment in North Carolina and be able to thrive here, Swallow said. Its not going to happen if the climate keeps warming. Other environmental advocacy groups argued the measure simply benefits Duke Energys shareholders at the expense of its customers. North Carolina families deserve better than having their energy bills raised for big power plants without customer protections and without proper scrutiny from the utilities commission, said David Neal, senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. The last thing we need is to force customers of the monopoly utility to finance more carbon polluting projects when we are already suffering from climate-fueled disasters like Hurricane Helene. Scott Peterson got "beat up" after apparently getting a little too aggressive during a game of pickleball while behind bars in California. TMZ reported that the 52-year-old got attacked on Sunday in the yard near his housing unit at Mule Creek State Prison. Peterson was reportedly playing pickleball with a fellow inmate. Citing multiple sources, TMZ reported that Peterson hit the ball directly at the other inmate and all hell broke loose. The outlet reports that Peterson's injuries were not so serious he needed a trip to the hospital. People confirmed via prison officials that Peterson sustained minor injuries in an incident involving another inmate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Peterson is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was convicted in 2005 for the 2002 murder of his wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner. Peterson went fishing on Christmas Eve, the day Laci vanished and was reported missing. He initially told cops Laci planned to walk the couple's dog, McKenzie, while he was away. He claimed he returned home only found McKenzie still wearing a leash. Related: Fisherman Uncovers Evidence in Decade-Old Murders, Leading To Conviction About a month after Laci was reported missing in January 2003, Amber Frey dropped a bombshell during a press conference where she revealed her affair with Peterson. Some three months later, Laci and Conner's bodies were found a mile apart after they washed up on the San Francisco Bay. Peterson was subsequently charged and convicted of first-degree murder. He continues to maintain his innocence, and the case has been the subject of numerous documentaries, including Netflix's American Murder: Laci Peterson. LARNED, Kan. (KSNW) A convicted sex offender who had already been sentenced in 2015 for crimes against a child has been sentenced to life in prison under Jessicas Law. James Edwin Speer, 33, formerly of Scott City and Larned, was found guilty in July at a bench trail, on charges of rape of a child under 14 and aggravated oral sodomy of a child under 14. The crimes occurred sometime in late May of 2013. The victim told their mother about the crimes in 2020, reporting that it happened when they were 8 years old, at a party that her father had brought her to. The mother contacted the Pawnee County Sheriffs Office, and the child received a formal forensic interview at the Child Advocacy Center in Great Bend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speer claimed to have an alibi for the days in question. His defense argued that it could not have been him because, at the time, he was with his child victim in another child sex crime case, for which he was sentenced in 2015. In that case, Speer was sentenced for two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a 14-year-old child. Those crimes happened between May 24 and June 7 and June 7 to June 30, 2013. 17-year-old arrested in acid attack on Wichita woman, DA says Due to the age of the victim, Jessicas Law stipulates a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for 25 years. At Wednesdays sentencing hearing, Speer continued to deny the crimes, asked the court to consider his efforts to reform himself, and requested a reduced sentence that would see him released in 2027. The Pawnee County Attorneys Office argued that because of Speers prior convictions, he is a habitual violator and must be sentenced to live without the possibility of parole under Jessicas Law. District Judge Bruce Gatterman agreed and sentenced Speer to life without parole. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speer has remained in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections since he was sentenced in 2015. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) Two convicted criminals living in the United States illegally are going to be deported after they were caught stealing tens of thousands of dollars from residents in a scam, the District Attorney said. Digvijaysinh Chauhan, 23, and Hemal Patel, 26, were detained by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) after their sentencing Wednesday for theft and conspiracy charges from the scam, according to District Attorney Pier Graf. They previously pled guilty to their charges. Creepy Box Demon identified by York County police Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Entry into the United States is a privilege and not a right, Graf said. To exist in this country illegally, and then to pry upon our citizens, is unconscionable. We will continue to work with ICE and HSI to deport any illegal criminal within our county. The DA said the duo waived any appeal to rights, which means they can be immediately deported. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now WHTM Daily Digest They were charged following the investigation that started in January 2024. The duo sent elderly victims messages that their bank accounts were hacked and to withdraw large amounts of money from their accounts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victims took $50,000 out of their accounts, and then additional messages told them to deposit $24,000 into a Harrisburg Bitcoin machine, which the victims did, the DA said. Police were then contacted because the victims began to get suspicious and began to monitor more attempts by the scammers. The victims were instructed to retain $30,000 cash and to give that to a man who would show up at their home. Both Chauhan and Patel arrived in a vehicle, and then drove away after getting the cash but eventually, police pulled them over and took them into custody. Full restitution has been paid to the victims, the DA said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. LINCOLN, Ala. (WIAT) The Alabama Wildlife Federation Wild Game Cook-Off at Talladega Superspeedway was postponed from Saturday to March 29 because of the threat for severe weather. According to the AWF, the event will now start at 4 pm. on the last Saturday in March. All tickets that were purchased for the originally scheduled Saturday cook-off will be accepted for the new date. To buy tickets, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42. GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) The Peace Center is hosting the Tony Award-winning Broadway show Shucked this week. This comedy musical follows small-town farmer Maizy as she leaves her home in Cob County to find a fix for the towns failing corn crops. The Wall Street Journal called the show flat out hilarious with its quirkiness and corny puns. So, theres all kinds of things that happen, said Miki Abraham, who plays Cob Countys local whiskey distiller Lulu. Theres weddings that dont happen. Theres mistaken identity. Theres all kinds of the standard musical theater things that we all know and love. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The show is recommended for ages ten and up. Shucked will be at the Peace Center this week, with its final show on Sunday, March 16. Along the way you just kind of discover that we have more capacity for love than we think we do, and change isnt as scary as we think it is, Abraham said. Tickets can be purchased at the Peace Centers website or in person. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. SHARON, Mass. (WPRI) The grand opening of the new Costco in Sharon is officially here. The store at 160 Old Post Road, which is just over the Foxboro line, opened at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Police told 12 News that officers will be helping direct traffic outside the store for at least the first four days since the location is expected to draw shoppers from around the area. BACKGROUND: Sharon police prepare for new Costco opening Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department also plans to have a couple of extra officers nearby. Those interested in shopping at Costco must have a membership. Fees cost between $65 and $130 a year. This store is Costcos seventh location in Massachusetts. Rhode Island is one of only three states that doesnt have a Costco. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. An ex-aide to former President Barack Obama might be stepping into the next presidential race. Rahm Emanuel, who served as White House chief of staff and recently as Japanese ambassador, is mulling a return to executive mission but this time as the top guy in charge, according to Politico. Im not done with public service and Im hoping public service is not done with me, Emanuel, 65, told the outlet as part of a magazine profile. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Emanuel has held numerous positions throughout his adult life: Chicago mayor, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus as an Illinois representative, and Wall Street banker. Former U.S. ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel at the annual ceremony at the Zojoji temple in Tokyo to honor the victims of the Nagasaki atomic bomb, in August last year (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) His proponents suggest his unique experience may give him a sweeping advantage over other potential Democratic candidates, like Maryland Governor Wes Moore and California Governor Gavin Newsom. Who has more relevant experience? David Axelrod, former White House official and a friend of Emanuel, told the magazine. He understands how to win and speaks bluntly in an idiom that most folks understand. Apart from his diplomatic and political connections, Emanuel has built strong relationships with business, military, media and Hollywood leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are signs that the former White House aide might be serious about the run. The outlet reported Emanuel is testing out a stump speech and looking for an issue he can make his own. One that could be a hallmark of his campaign is education, or the lack thereof. The potential candidate has become increasingly frustrated with new data showing two-thirds of eighth graders cant read at a grade level. Barack Obama thanks Emanuel as he steps down as his chief of staff in 2010, as his interim successor, Pete Rouse, looks on. Emanuel stood down to run for mayor of Chicago (Reuters) I am done with the discussion of locker rooms, I am done with the discussion of bathrooms and we better start having a conversation about the classroom, Emanuel said during a Democracy Forward conference in Washington, D.C. last month. We can lead a discussion and force a topic onto the agenda of this country thats worthy of having a debate about. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The best time for Emanuel to test his presidential hopes could be now, the Politico article stated, especially after the Democrats recent calamitous election loss. Democrats are as demoralized as any time in modern history, their voters desperately want to win and were open to untraditional candidates even before Trump, the profile pointed out. There are few downsides to Emanuel running, the outlet argues. Even if he doesnt win, he could score a key position in the upcoming administration in the State Department or Pentagon. California Governor Gavin Newsom, left, has been touted as a possible Democratic presidential candidate. He has recently raised his profile with a new podcast series where he interviews high-profile right-wingers like Charlie Kirk (iHeartRadio) One concern could be whether hell be considered a candidate of the past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His connection to Barack Obama is decades old, Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a South Carolina Democratic lawmaker, told the outlet. Were in a different time. Presidential candidates typically launch their campaigns two years before the general election. A hunter was looking for deer on a West Texas ranch last season when he came across an unusual object sticking out of a dry creek bed. The hunter told the ranch manager, Will Juett, that he thought it was some sort of fossil. Juett had his doubts, so he reached out to two people who might know more, Dr. Bryon Schroeder and archaeologist Erika Blecher with the Center for Big Bend Studies at nearby Sul Ros University. The two researchers recruited a few more experts and headed to Juetts property, the O2 Ranch, where they verified the hunters find as a prehistoric mammoth tusk, according to a university press release. It paid off big time, Juett said of his decision to bring the researchers out. When they confirmed what they had uncovered, I couldnt believe it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schroeder explained in the universitys announcement that there were no other bones nearby. He called it an isolated tusk that had somehow been separated from the rest of the mammoths remains. Read Next: Alabama Fossil Hunter Finds 34-Million-Year-Old Whale Skull on Her Family Farm After unearthing the prehistoric fossil, the team spent two days covering it in protective plaster and building a frame to transport it back to the Sul Ros campus in Alpine. The tusk is now being carbon dated, and those results are expected within the next few months, the press release notes. The only other mammoth tusk thats been found in the Trans-Pecos region and carbon dated was uncovered in 1960, not long after the method was developed. There was a big range of error back then, Schroeder said. Now we can get it down to a narrower range within 500 years. Some Columbian mammoth bones found at the dig site in Waco, which lies roughly 500 miles east of the most recent discovery in West Texas. Photo by Tricia / Adobe Stock This could help expand our understanding of mammoths in Texas and their natural history in the region. Although its a long way from the Arctic, where most wooly mammoth bones have been found, the Lone Star State was the long-ago home of Columbian mammoths, an even larger species that roamed across North America during the last Ice Age. Columbian mammoth fossils have been unearthed in several states, including California, Utah, and Nevada, and even as far south as Costa Rica, according to Smithsonian Magazine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read Next: The Earliest Alaskans Built Hunting Camps Along Woolly Mammoth Migration Routes One of the biggest and most interesting concentrations of mammoth bones lies in Central Texas between the Bosque and Brazos Rivers, roughly 500 miles east of the O2 Ranch. Now the site of Waco Mammoth National Monument, the protected five-acre area is where archaeologists found the first (and, so far, the only) evidence of a nursery herd of Columbian mammoths. Although larger concentrations of bones have been found in other places, like South Dakota, the Waco discovery is significant because researchers now believe that all 26 of the mammoths died in a single catastrophic event most likely a flash flood roughly 29,000 years ago. Correction: This story was updated on March 19. Will Juett is the ranch manager, not the ranch owner. Neighbors are reacting to the Tuesday arrest of a Clay County husband and wife, who are facing nearly 100 charges for animal cruelty. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Action News Jax told you about the investigation in November, after investigators responded to the home. The investigation all started after the pair brought dead dogs to a Jacksonville veterinarians office to be cremated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That raised concerns with staff. And thats what led to law enforcement searching the home on Ashton Street. Relief swept over the Clay County neighborhood, after Antonio and Jocilyn Delua were arrested Tuesday. To do what they did to those pets is terrible, said neighbor David Jones. He said he saw deputies arrest the couple. Two days before that happened, the lady that was there, she came out and said, hes such a nice dog. She was talking about my dog Crypto. And Id never think a person like that would be doing that, said Jones. A state website that lists all Florida businesses shows the couple was running at least two operations on dog training and dog rehabilitation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detective Gary Winterstein led the months-long investigation that started in November. There were 39 animals seized from that house. Dogs, prairie dogs, and exotic animals, said Winterstein. He said its one of the worst cases of animal abuse and neglect hes seen. There were 39 animals seized from that house, from dogs, prairie dogs, and exotic animals. The detective said he talked to one man who hired the couple to train his dog. The owner never saw the dog alive again because the pet had to be put down. The dog was in filth, and he had open sores on him, and the dog just got very aggressive and violent, possibly from being caged, said Winterstein. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Action News Jax called a phone number listed for the couple, to see what they had to say, but no one answered. I couldnt imagine that happening to my own dog. Theyre like family members. When you hear someone does something like that, its just horrendous, said Jones. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) During a meeting held on March 11, the Tom Green County Commissioners agreed on a tax abatement program for a solar company. After hearing a presentation from Cold Creek Solar, a company based in Philadelphia, the commissioners agreed toa plan that will include funding revenue to the county for megawattage produced. County Judge Lane Carter shared that this is a pilot payment with a completion date of either 2027 or 2028. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of the 5,000-acre solar farm ranch located on Highway 277, 1,000 acres are in Tom Green County. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com. Stefania Silvestri, a registered nurse at Greenville Center in Smithfield, listens to a fellow long-term care worker speak during a COVID-19 memorial event outside the Rhode Island State House on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Silvestri spoke about her own experience working amid understaffing during the pandemic. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) Its been five years, but registered nurse Stefania Silvestri can still recall the smell of plastic. I placed body after body in a bag, day after day. That smell of plastic still paralyzes me, Silvestri, who works at Greenville Center in Smithfield, recalled for a crowd gathered outside the Rhode Island State House Tuesday for a memorial event for the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tuesday marked the fifth anniversary of the World Health Organizations official declaration of the pandemic. During the height of the pandemic, Silvestri said her workplace usually had four staff members on duty to care for 30 older COVID patients. That ratio made for a severe challenge in delivering care to the residents, who Silvestri said were often alone and scared, crying for help. Silvestri recounted the powerlessness she felt back. Nobody is coming to help them, she said. I cant get to them either, and neither can anyone else. How? How can you save them all? How do you ease their pain and suffering? Her experience is one reason she continues to campaign alongside her fellow unionized frontline workers for Rhode Island to adopt nursing home workforce standards passed by the legislature back in 2021. Tuesdays COVID-19 memorial also served as a protest against Gov. Dan McKees fiscal 2026 budget and his veto of legislation last year that would have set minimum statewide compensation and quality of care standards for nursing home workers by establishing a Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board. The General Assembly did not call a special session for a vote to override the veto. Jesse Martin, the executive vice president of SEIU-1199, shouted into a megaphone that the governor opposes improving working conditions of resident care workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What happened to the time five years ago when every house had a sign on the front lawn that said Health care workers and essential workers are heroes? Five years later, under the governors proposed budget, he wants to cut money off of our backs, from our units, from our supplies, from our workplaces. Is that OK? Martin No! the crowd roared back. Nursing home advocates were livid when McKee vanquished the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board Act last year. The bill would have established a 13-member advisory body to help the General Assembly and state labor department craft and enforce regulations in line with the 2021 legislation. McKee wrote in his June 2024 veto memo, Rhode Island needs comprehensive solutions to resolve its critical nursing home emergency and support residents, workers, and the long-term health of facilities. This Act does not meet that need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McKee added that the nursing home crisis is more than a labor issue, with closures, receiverships and Medicaid reimbursement rates unaffected by the proposed legislation. A crowd of SEIU-1199 members and supporters exits the Rhode Island State House on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. The crowd first rallied outside for a COVID-19 memorial event and protesting Gov. Dan McKees fiscal 2026 budget and veto of nursing home workforce standards legislation. (Photo by Alexander Castro/ Rhode Island Current) Yet in January, McKee proposed a fiscal 2026 budget that seeks to limit the annual increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates, which states tether to federally defined reimbursement rates for providers. Rhode Island hospitals, for instance, were expecting Medicaid reimbursement rates to rise 3.4% for inpatient services and 2.9% for outpatient services in the new fiscal year that starts July 1. But McKee wants to cap the hike at 2.3%, a number more closely aligned with the states projected revenue growth. About two-thirds of nursing home residents in Rhode Island have their stays paid for by Medicaid, a population of about 5,000 people overall. At a press conference last month at Bannister Center in Providence on possible federal Medicaid cuts, Martin expressed concerns about the continued underfunding of nursing homes, which have seen a lot of hardship in the last five years because of Medicaids underfunding. Martin echoed the need for more funding to the crowd on Tuesday, dozens of whom sported the distinctive purple shirts with SEIU-1199 branding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were still dealing with poverty level wages. Were still dealing with understaffing. Were still dealing with for-profits or nonprofits that act like for-profits that take money away from the bedside, Martin told the crowd at the State House Tuesday. That is not where we should be five years after this pandemic. The Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board Act has been reintroduced this year in both chambers of the General Assembly. In the House, the bill is led by Rep. Scott Slater, a Providence Democrat, while Sen. Bridget Valverde, a North Kingstown Democrat, leads the charge for the senate version. The House version has not yet been scheduled for a committee hearing, but the Senate version had its initial hearing on March 6. As is standard practice, it was held for further study. Testifying on the bill before the committee, Valverde remarked on the assertion in McKees veto memo that the bill was not a comprehensive solution. I dont think that is something anybody has ever said that this bill is going to do, Valverde said. McKees office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Farmer Jason Schmidt took a photo with his longtime dairy cow friend, Buffalo. (Photo courtesy of Jason Schmidt) The other day, my old cow friend, Buffalo, died. She was the kindest, gentlest dairy cow that Ive ever known, and I cannot remember mourning the loss of a cow more than I am mourning Buffalo. She has been by my side almost the entirety of my dairy farming career, and it is difficult to imagine the farm without her presence. Small-scale, traditional dairy farming is unique among all sectors of agriculture due to the degree of intimacy between cow and farmer. I am with my cows from the first minutes of their lives every day until the last minutes of many of their lives. We endure it all together. Rain or shine, I am with my cows every single day, feeding, milking, breeding, calving, fighting them and loving their company. Its not always romantic. The power imbalance can be brutal. But I always strive to give my cows the best possible lives I can afford to give them under the constraints of the dairy industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some cows are just special. Every cow has a distinct personality, and every year I have a couple cows who just love people. As a kid, my sisters and I called these cows the pets. Some of these pets are aggressive animals who dont understand their own size and will bowl me over in their enthusiasm. Occasionally, Ill run across a naturally timid cow who also wants to be my friend. These cows are the best. They make my job as a farmer particularly enjoyable, and Ive long called them my therapy animals. Twelve years ago, soon after the first crop of my calves hit the ground after I returned to the family farm, Buffalo was born. When I returned to the dairy farm 15 years ago, my parents and I worked out an arrangement where I would artificially inseminate their cows and I could keep the offspring to begin growing my own dairy herd. My parents had big black and white Holsteins, and I wanted to transition the herd to the smaller brown Jersey cows. The first generation of the crosses between these two breeds are normally born as solid black or chocolate-colored animals. In the early part of 2013, Buffalo was born. This little, chocolate-colored, furry creature looked just like a little bison, so I named her Baby Buffalo. As this timid yet friendly calf grew up, her name became just Buffalo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As someone who spends more time with animals than people, I tend to anthropomorphize my animal friends. I am convinced many animals (especially mammals) have similar emotional responses to life as humans. Buffalo was one of those cows who always seemed to have a sunny disposition. She would greet me with a rough lick to the face or would gently sidle up to me for a hug or a scratch. She went about her life with ease and without complaint. Im not sure if she was one of the aggressive boss cows, because I rarely remember her being a bully to younger cows. She definitely associated with the top boss cows of the herd who always bullied their way to the front of the line first to get into the milk barn, first at the feed bunk, first out to fresh pasture. She had nine calves over her lifetime and almost always was one of my top milking cows. She never had a sick day in her life. She had a beautiful udder and was one of the gentlest cows Ive ever had in the milk barn. If I ever had visitors who wanted to milk a cow, Buffalo would be the cow I took them to. Last year, during her eighth lactation, Buffalo had her first bout of mastitis. One of the front quarters of her udder never really came back in milk production after that. This past fall, when she had her ninth calf, I decided that rather than trying to milk her bad mastitis quarter, I would make her a nurse cow for raising baby calves. Ive been playing around with turning my old cows into nurse cows as their retirement plan from the milking herd. Keeping nurse cows seems to be a kinder and gentler way to raise baby dairy calves, different from the industry standard of separating babies from their mothers and bottle feeding the baby calves. Because dairy cows produce way more milk than a single calf can handle, most milk cows can raise three to four calves. Finding cows with the right temperament to adopt calves can be tricky. Because the maternal instinct has been selected out of many dairy breeds, some cows have zero interest in caring for calves. Buffalo was the exception. She eagerly adopted each calf I put in her pen. I meant to stop with four calves, but I kind of accidentally put a fifth calf in with her. I thought about pulling the fifth calf but did some quick calculations. Buffalo had produced between 80 to 100 pounds of milk (10 gallons) daily her whole life. If any cow could raise five calves, it was her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So she raised these five with the joy that she always seemed to have. When the calves were a couple months old, I moved Buffalo and her babies into a small pasture with other young calves and another nurse cow. I would still hear her low guttural calls to her babies as she led them around. Some joined in the shenanigans with the other calves while others were more clearly attached to mom. This winter, through a brutally cold January on the Kansas plains and a couple of blizzards, I noticed Buffalo was losing weight. Im still figuring out this nurse cow thing, but it does seem that once calves start growing bigger, they take a toll on the nurse cow. Their ravenous nursing sucks all the energy stores out of the cow. I think weaning at this point could be beneficial to allow the cows to recover. But I had my hands full with the hard winter weather and didnt pay close enough attention to my old bovine friend. She still eagerly greeted me each day when I fed her and the calves their daily allotment of grain. Buffalo continued to lose weight. On a cold blustery February morning, I noticed Buffalo laying by herself out in her pasture with one or two of her calves occasionally coming over to her. From a distance, I knew the signs of a drooping head and a sunken frame that indicates a very sick cow. About noon, I pulled together some vitamins, grain, and other medication to go see if I could doctor her up. When I reached her side, I was alarmed by just how rough she looked. She greeted me with an outstretched neck. I knelt down and let her eat some grain, chasing away the other critters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once I gave her an injection, she struggled to her feet and continued to gingerly eat the grain. I had the fleeting idea of trying to bring her into the shed and making a small comfortable sick pen for her. As she continued to lick the grain and I, by her side, was stroking her and shoeing away the other calves, her body all at once went ridged and she fell flat on her side, barely missing me. It took me a second to realize this was the end. I took her big head in my lap and stroked her face as she moaned and struggled for a minute or two before her breathing stopped. Buffalos ending was sudden and unexpected. I had a big lump in my throat as I said goodbye to my old friend. I was mad at myself for not intervening sooner. However, it was most likely an infection or cancer that finally took Buffalo. She was an old cow. In an industry in which the average dairy cow only lasts one and a half lactations (3.5 years of age), a 12-year-old cow is as old as Methuselah. Her death after a good, long, honest life should not have come as a shock. Old Buffalo, I will miss you. It was an honor to be by your side these last 12 years. You were the best cow this dairy farmer could have ever asked for. I hope I gave you the best life I could have given you. Wishing you greener pastures, dear friend. Jason Schmidt is a fifth-generation Kansas farmer near Whitewater. This piece was originally produced by the Kansas Reflector, a sister newsroom within States Newsroom to the Daily Montanan. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here. There was a moment while I binge-watched the ITV drama, A Cruel Love, about Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain, when I put down my coffee and sat bolt upright, silenced. I watched as a black cap was placed on the head of the judge and he passed sentence, telling Ellis of her death by hanging for the murder of her lover. It was the moment of reckoning. I would not for one moment urge the return of capital punishment. The story of Ellis, hanged in 1955, is a reminder that the legal system was right to later introduce the defence of diminished responsibility while other cases showed how dreadful mistakes can be made about guilt. But the passing of a sentence, even without capital punishment, matters. It is the outcome of judgment and tells the victims family, and indeed, all of us, that justice has been done. The convicted criminal faces avenging terrible deeds. Except now we have a growing trend for those convicted to avoid such reckoning. On Tuesday, Kyle Clifford, found guilty of the murder of Carol Hunt, wife of the BBCs racing commentator, John Hunt, and of their daughters, Hannah and Louise, refused to come to court to listen to the judge pass sentence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clifford is the latest in a line of killers who have declined to attend court for their sentencing. Think of Thomas Cashman who shot dead nine year old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, or Jordan McSweeney, who sexually assaulted and murdered 35-year-old law graduate Zara Aleena. Sometimes killers who profess their innocence do this, such as Lucy Letby, but others where there is indisputable proof, like Kyle Clifford, just refuse to listen. Surely the time has come to put a stop to the cowardly copycats who want to follow in the footsteps of their fellow murderers and evade this moment when they hear their fate. One reason for this growing refusal of convicted murderers to attend sentencing may well be the introduction of Victims Personal Statements being given in court, introduced by the Victims Charter in 1996. Lawyers for the prosecution and the defence continue to outline the case in major criminal trials, and interrogate witnesses, but nothing brings home the consequence of someones evil actions more powerfully than hearing from those most directly affected. As John Hunt and his daughter Amy read their statements, those in court, including police officers, wept as they listened. Clifford, however, avoided hearing something so harrowing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The previous government attempted to put an end to these refusals by pledging to introduce a criminal justice bill which would allow reasonable force to be used to make criminals appear in the dock. But that bill, due to the calling of the general election, fell. Families, including Cheryl, the mother of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, have campaigned for killers to be compelled to attend sentencing. But it can be difficult. In Kyle Cliffords case, the judge said he did not insist he came to court because he did not want him potentially disrupting proceedings. But the Starmer government must surely legislate some means of doing this, such as keeping a convicted killer refusing to attend court in their prison cell, while sentencing is broadcast to it. On Tuesday, John Hunt said in his impact statement how much he regretted not being able to speak directly to Kyle Clifford: I so wanted to deliver these words, eye to eye, with Kyle. We no longer have eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, Old Testament-style punishment in this country. There is no judge with a black cap on his head telling the killer in the dock May God have mercy on your soul, as they pronounce death by hanging. But we must surely have eye to eye sentencing for the sake of families like the Hunts, and for all of us, wanting justice to be done. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judges have raised concerns and rightly that bringing a screaming criminal with force to the dock would be highly disruptive. But there should surely be ways and means, such as broadcasting sentencing to their prison cell if they refuse to attend court. The Sunak government planned to introduce legislation about this but it fell because of the election. It must be revived. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Conservative Political Action Conference host Mercedes Schlapp suggested on Tuesday night that the Trump administration should deport Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) alongside Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, even though Tlaib is an American-born citizen. Following ICEs arrest and threatened deportation of Khalil who is a legal permanent resident of the United States for helping lead anti-war campus protests against Israel, 14 members of Congress signed a letter demanding Khalil be released. Tlaib, a member of The Squad and a Palestinian-American who has been outspoken about Israels military campaign in Gaza, was one of the signatories. Khalil has not been charged or convicted of any crime. As the Trump Administration proudly admits, he was targeted solely for his activism and organizing as a student leader and negotiator for the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on Columbia University's campus, the members of Congress wrote in the letter addressed to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khalils constitutional rights have been violated, the letter added. He has been denied meaningful access to counsel and any visitation from his family. This is absolutely unacceptable and illegal. CPAC host Mercedes Schlapp floated the idea of deporting Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) alongside activist Mahmoud Khalil. (Newsmax) President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has defended the arrest and promised many more to come while his administration claims it has the authority to remove Khalil under the Immigration and Nationality Act, even though he has not been charged with any actual crime. The secretary of state has the right to revoke a green card or a visa for individuals who serve, or are adversarial to the foreign policy and the national security interests of the United States of America, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday. Mahmoud Khalil was an individual who was given the privilege of coming to this country to study at one of our nation's finest universities and colleges and he took advantage of that opportunity, of that privilege, by siding with terrorists, Hamas terrorists. While Khalil has been transferred to a Louisiana prison facility where hes being staged for removal, hundreds of demonstrators have taken to the streets of New York to protest his detention. Khalils case headed to a Manhattan court on Wednesday, where his lawyers called the arrest completely unprecedented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With MAGA media backing Trumps attempted deportation of a green card holder over political speech and threats to national security, Schlapp went further during an appearance on Newsmaxs primetime panel show The Right Squad by floating the notion of U.S.-born citizens getting sent out of the country for their political positions. Speaking of the pro-Hamas Rashida Tlaib, and who doesn't talk about our pro-Hamas Rashida Tlaib she was the lone vote, the only vote against a bill in the House of Representatives yesterday requiring an annual report to Congress on the cross-border cartel smuggling tunnels, Right Squad host Chris Plante said. You know, like the ones under Gaza, but under the border from Mexico to the United States. 402 people voted yes, he continued. And Rashida Tlaib was the single no vote, the single no vote when it comes to the tunnels coming from Mexico into the United States smuggling children and adults, human trafficking, fentanyl killing. After Plante added that Tlaib is not on our side, Schlapp who is married to CPAC organizer Matt Schlapp and is a former Trump adviser chimed in to call for the Detroit-born congresswoman to be removed from the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I'm thinking that maybe they should deport Rashida Tlaib as well, she groused. Just take her out along with Mahmoud at this point. I mean, it's just outrageous. Schlapp added: It just shows how she has been someone who has supported terrorists and has been, what I say, not putting America first or Americans first. And I don't know why they keep sending her back to Congress. YORK, Pennsylvania (KFOR) Homeowners in York, Pennsylvania, got quite a scare when they checked their doorbell camera. A creepy person waves to the camera and says, Im the Box Demon, while dropping off a large, empty cardboard box. Thieves fake seizure to steal puppies from pet store I believe this gift, this box, is a gift for you, the woman continues. In the early hours of March 11, the homeowners called police, saying they do not know the woman, nor recognize her voice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police are now asking anyone with information to give them a call. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Crews across Middle Tennessee battled fires Tuesday. VIDEO: Family displaced after accidental house fire in Murfreesboro, TN Earlier Tuesday afternoon, the Kingston Springs Volunteer Fire Department responded to a brush fire that spread to a wooden deck. In a Facebook post, the department said firefighters were able to bring the situation under control within an hour and less than an acre burned. (Courtesy: Lobelville Volunteer Fire Department) (Courtesy: Kingston Springs Volunteer Fire Department) (Courtesy: Kingston Springs Volunteer Fire Department) (Courtesy: Kingston Springs Volunteer Fire Department) (Courtesy: Mt. Juliet Fire Department) (Courtesy: Mt. Juliet Fire Department) (Courtesy: Mt. Juliet Fire Department) (Courtesy: Mt. Juliet Fire Department) (Courtesy: Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department) (Courtesy: Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department) (Courtesy: Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department) (Courtesy: Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department) (Courtesy: Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department) Courtesy: Rutherford County Fire Rescue Courtesy: Rutherford County Fire Rescue Courtesy: Rutherford County Fire Rescue The Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department contained a large grass fire Tuesday at Virtue Avenue and Effie Seward Drive. Crews reportedly arrived to find fire and smoke surrounding several homes in the neighborhood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to the large grass fire, multiple fire agencies in Rutherford County including Rutherford County Fire and Rescue, Christiania Volunteer Fire Department, Eagleville Fire Department worked to contain multiple brush fires Tuesday afternoon. READ MORE | Latest headlines from Murfreesboro and Rutherford County Officials said the fire were located in the areas of Halls Hill Pike, Ocala Road, Panther Creek Road and Hooper Street. All fires were reportedly investigation by the Rutherford County Fire Marshals Office. To avoid starting a grass fire, the agency shared the following tips: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dont toss cigarette butts on the ground or out the window of a car Avoid barbecues and other open flames in grassy areas as embers can carry and ignite dry vegetation Dispose of disposable barbecues properly Report any signs of a grass fire immediately The Lobelville Volunteer Fire Department responded to a forest fire Tuesday evening in the area of Crooked Creek Road. The Tennessee Department of Agricultures Forestry division put fire breaks in place and started a back burn to help stop the spread. The department added the land owners would keep an eye on the fire. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com The Mt. Juliet Fire Department responded to a fire at a small barn in the 3000 block of East Division Street, which was extinguished and contained, according to a social media post from the agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) An investigation is underway into a fire that broke out inside a commercial building in downtown Providence Wednesday morning. Providence Deputy Fire Chief Robert Butler said firefighters were called to the intersection of Westminster and Dorrance streets after someone inside the building pulled the fire alarm. Butler said it took dozens of firefighters roughly an hour to knock down the flames, which spread through the walls and into a void near a fireproof stairway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [The damage is] mostly in a stairway where everybody accesses the third and fourth floor, Butler explained. Im not sure what was going on over there, but thats where it is. Butler said the building houses a number of businesses on the upper floors, as well as a TD Bank at ground level. He expects employees will be allowed back into the building within the next week or so. Everyone inside the building was able to evacuate and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains unknown at this time. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. MANCHESTER, Conn. (WTNH) Crews battled a brush fire near I-84 in Manchester, according to state police. The fire had shut down three lanes on I-84. Manchester Fire Department said that the fire was threatening homes on Bryan Drive, but was able to be put out quickly by multiple mutual aid trucks. The scene was cleared at 8:50. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) was called and said that they were satisfied with the efforts by fire officials and did not send personnel to the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. TROY, Ohio (WDTN) Last December, a massive fire severely damaged the oldest building in Troy. As crews began work to salvage the building, they discovered something they werent expecting. In December of 2024, the Overfield Tavern Museum went up in flames, nearly destroying the interior of one of the oldest buildings in Ohio. The structure was salvageable and now museum employees are working hard to restore the historic building. Cedarville student involved in Pennsylvania plane crash Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As crews begin work to save the museum, they started removing the exterior parts of the structure that were destroyed. These additions were not part of the original building, but added later to improve the integrity of the structure. By removing those exterior pieces, clean-up crews uncovered parts of the initial structure, finding that the original walls and back log were in tact and visible. Those portions of the building covered by those additions were protected for a number of years, about 175 years, said Chris Manning, executive director of the Overfield Tavern Museum. And thats why we can still see the original siding. These portions of the wall appear to be untouched by the fire and still in fair condition. Manning says this is great news, as restoring the building is very important for the city of Troy and its history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They recognize that it is part of the core history of the community. In fact, we like to say it is where the community of Troy was born, said Manning. The museum says they are hoping to have a portion of the building back open to the public in time for July 2026, when the United States will celebrate 250 years since signing the Declaration of Independence. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) No one was hurt after a fire broke out at a business in Georgetown Township overnight. A fire alarm was reported around 2:25 a.m. Wednesday at Nu-Wool, an insulation manufacturer located on Port Sheldon Street in the area of Chicago Drive, Georgetown Township Fire Chief Matt DeWitt said. The fire alarm was upgraded to a structure fire after employees had reported to central dispatch they had smoke in the building, he said. Everybody evacuated. Everybody got out safe. Crews respond to a fire at Nu-Wool in Georgetown Township on March 12, 2025. Crews respond to a fire at Nu-Wool in Georgetown Township on March 12, 2025. Crews from several fire departments in the area responded. When they arrived, they found flames on the east side of the building and extensive damage through about half of the structure, according to DeWitt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said technology like drones played a crucial role in responding to the fire. We utilized drone technology from Marne, which was nice. They have a drone unit. We had them come in right away, DeWitt said. Also, Ottawa County sheriff is here. We have two drones up, so we could split our crews on both sides of the building and be able to get a good visual of where the fire is. And that helps us get to the fire and get it out quicker. Crews stayed on scene for most of Wednesday morning working on hot spots. Its not clear how the fire started. The president of Nu-Wool Co. and its sister company, Cellulose Material Solutions, released a statement Wednesday afternoon. Last night, a fire broke out in part of our manufacturing plant that CMS and its sister company, Nu-Wool, operate out of in Jenison, Michigan. Most importantly, all our employees and first responders are safe, and no injuries have been reported. The fire was contained to the CMS portion of the building, causing limited damage to its infrastructure and sparing the section of the building Nu-Wool operates out of. We are working closely with the authorities to determine a cause and gathering all available information to take the necessary actions and assess the impact on CMS operations. Matt Henderson, president of CMS and Nu-Wool Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) Crews contained a wildfire in Sevier County, east of Sevierville and Pigeon Forge, that burned 30-40 acres of sage brush, the city of Sevierville reported. Around 2:16 p.m. on Wednesday, the city of Sevierville government posted that the fire was 100% contained. The Division of Forestrys website states that the fire is in the area of Red Bank Circle. The road is located off of Pittman Center Road and is just outside of Sevierville city limits, according to Google Maps. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump pardons former TN Senator after 2 weeks in prison The TN Department of Forestry and elements of the Wildland Task Force are on scene dealing with a few hotspots and monitoring the area, a city spokesperson wrote. Portable wildfire sensors will be used to alert firefighters if the fire was to restart. (Photo shared by the city of Sevierville) (Photo shared by the city of Sevierville) Around 1:20 p.m., a spokesperson with the City of Sevierville said the fire is in a large grassy area and was initially estimated to be about 30 to 40 acres in size. He added that the fire is 90% contained. LIST: Multiple local schools show interest in voucher program so far The Tennessee Division, the Sevierville Fire Department and the Sevier County Wildland Task Force all responded to the fire. This is a developing story. Download the WATE 6 News app or sign up for our email alerts for updates. Wednesday morning, Sevier County Fire and Rescue advised the public that there was a very high fire danger for the day, with and that the risk of a wildfire would continue to elevate until the area sees significant rainfall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sevier County residents and visitors are encouraged to register for Sevier Countys CodeRED alerts at https://sevierema.org/ or by downloading the CodeRED Mobile Alert app. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side. Editors Note: The Abilene Police Department supplied the following arrest and incident reports. All information below comes from reports made by responding officers, and all suspects are considered not guilty unless determined otherwise in a court of law. Incidents 1100 block of Westheimer Road Harassment A victim reported a known suspect was harassing him. 3000 block of Catclaw Drive Assault Family Violence A victim wished to pursue charges for assault. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 600 block of S San Jose Drive Unauthorized Use of Vehicle A victim reported a rental truck was stolen from his residence 4400 block of Buffalo Gap Road Theft of Property A south Abilene business reported a suspect was seen concealing $54 worth of food items in her purse then leaving with the stolen items. 1500 block of Pecan Street Assault A victim reported she was assaulted at her residence. 3500 block of Curry Lane Assault Family Violence Police responded to a call for service at a south Abilene apartment complex. 1900 block of Pine Street Aggravated Assault Serious Bodily Injury An aggravated assault report was taken at the hospital for an incident that took place in south Abilene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 200 block of W Stamford Street Burglary of Building An unknown suspect forced entry into a closed business and stole cash and possibly merchandise. 1100 block of Westheimer Road Harassment Arrests Jared Boggs Warrant Ricardo Rivera Aggravated Assault Serious Bodily Injury with Weapon Jeremy Allen Warrant Felisita Donaghey Tampering/Fabricating Physical Evidence, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Ely McCarty Assault Family Violence Vance Smith Salazar Manufacture Delivery of Controlled Substance Adam Mallard Warrant Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Felonies The following people were booked into the Lee County-Tupelo Adult Jail in connection with felony charges ending Monday at 11 a.m. Terrence Terrell Albert, 24, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, aggravated domestic violence. Mike Green, 26, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriffs Office, sale of a Schedule II drug. Randy Holloway, 49, of Thaxton, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriffs Office, felony capias warrant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rodney L. Lynk, 49, of Corinth, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriffs Office, capias for the sale of methamphetamine. Gregory Maxcy, 65, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, capias for possession of cocaine. Charles E. McPherson, 41, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriffs Office, capias for aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a felon, violation of probation. Jadarrian Omarion Miller, 18, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Mississippi Highway Patrol, felony fleeing, child endangerment, failure to comply, DUI-other. Reginald Mosby, 47, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriffs Office, violation of probation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Victor Leeantonia Shannon, 45, of Jackson, Tennessee, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a Schedule II drug. Raphial M. Shumpert, 39, of Fulton, was arrested by the Plantersville Police Department, possession of a firearm by a felon, fleeing, speeding, disregard of a traffic device, no license, no insurance, resisting arrest. David Spencer, 53, of Tupelo, was arrested by the Tupelo Police Department, possession of a Schedule II drug, improper equipment. Aundreauna A. White, 23, of Saltillo, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriffs Office, burglary of an auto. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lee County Sheriff's Office The following reports were filed Monday by the Lee County Sheriff's Office. A man said a dump truck got stuck off County Road 931 and he needed traffic assistance. Deputies blocked the roadway from through traffic long enough for the man to pull the dump truck out of the ditch. A County Road 811, Saltillo, woman said she was asleep after 1 a.m. when a random individual woke her up by banging on her bedroom window. Deputies arrived, searched the property but found no one. A County Road 49, Tupelo, woman said overnight, someone went through their vehicles parked outside in a carport. A pair of boots were stolen from the carport. The security camera showed an unknown male entering their van and stealing a Capri Sun from the cooler. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A County Road 1948, Tupelo, man said an unknown white male was captured on security cameras pulled on the door handles of his cars around 4:30 a.m. Since the cars were locked, the suspect was unable to steal anything. He wanted authorities to be aware of the incident. A Mooreville man said he was renovating a State Park Road house but now uses it just for storage. When he checked on it, he discovered someone had pried open the door and ransacked the place. He said he had things in boxes, but now the items are scattered everywhere. He was unaware if anything was stolen but said some of the furniture was damaged. A Highway 363, Guntown, woman said a white male keeps coming back to her property and taking things. This time, he loaded some old metal starters in a wheelbarrow. The woman said they returned to the property before he could leave with the items. A man said he saw a suspicious vehicle drive up to the cellular tower on County Road 41. He said the tower owners asked him to call 911 if he noticed anyone at the tower. Deputies responded but man and woman in the white four-door car was already gone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Shiloh Road, Mantachie, woman said someone in a black Nissan Sentra has been driving by her house continuously. Her daughter saw a light outside her window around 1 a.m. The woman then saw a shadow outside her window, followed by her dogs barking and acting erratically. A County Road 1752, Saltillo, woman said a white Husky jumped their fence and tried to attack their dog. They heard their dog barking and looked out to the see the Husky chasing her. The dog had a collar, so it is not a stray. They had no idea who the dog belonged to. Anyone with information on any of these reports is urged to call the Lee County Sheriff's Office at 841-9041, the Tupelo Police Department at 841-6491 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Mississippi at (800) 773-TIPS or download the P3 Tip App and leave an anonymous tip that way. [In the player above, watch FOX 8 News coverage on the Restaurant Revitalization Fund from 2021.] CLEVELAND (WJW) The owner of a shuttered Ohio City restaurant spent more than $800,000 in pandemic business relief funds from the federal government on his personal expenses and debts, according to the Cuyahoga County prosecutor. A county grand jury handed up an indictment charging the owner of Crop Bistro & Bar, Marcelo Fadul Neves, 59, of Westlake, with 15 felony counts, including aggravated theft, telecommunications fraud, tampering with records, grand theft and passing bad checks, according to a Wednesday news release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watch: New video of protesters blocking Hopkins Airport Neves in 2021 applied for relief through the Restaurant Revitalization funding, administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration to help struggling restaurants keep their doors open during the COVID-19 pandemic, and received $846,720 for his business. But Crop Bistro, along Lorain Avenue in Clevelands Ohio City neighborhood, had already closed, according to prosecutors. In the restaurants last Facebook post in December 2020, operators said it would be closing for two weeks due to unforeseeable circumstances. Neves instead used the funding for personal expenses, to pay off debts and to buy another restaurant in Olmsted Falls, called Bistro on the Falls, which was also later closed, according to prosecutors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Separate from the federal funding theft, he also allegedly wrote bad checks to multiple people, including employees, totaling more than $140,000. Several of the bounced checks, totaling $105,000, were made out to DeWitts Jewelry, according to his indictment. Dept. of Education laying off more than 1,300 employees, terminating leases in Cleveland, other cities Neves was arrested Tuesday, March 11, by agents with the U.S. Secret Service Money Laundering Task Force, with help from Westlake police, according to the release. He is set for arraignment on Thursday, March 13, court records show. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. PANAMA CITY (AP) They crossed oceans to get to the U.S., fleeing conflict, religious persecution, poverty and government crackdowns in countries such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Cameroon, China, Pakistan and Iran. After flying to Central and South America, they bused through countries where they didnt speak the language and walked through unfamiliar jungle to get to the U.S.-Mexico border. Within days, they were detained and put on military aircraft that flew nearly 300 of them to Panama as U.S. President Donald Trump sought to accelerate deportations to more complicated destinations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Panama was supposed to be a stopover. But for those unwilling to return home mostly out of well-founded fear Panama sent them to a guarded camp without access to lawyers in the same Darien jungle many had crossed months earlier on their way north. Over the past week, under legal pressure, the Panamanian government dropped them off at a bus station in the capital with 30 days to figure out where they will go next. It feels like the whole world is crushing down on me. Its like everything is stopping, said Isha Len, a 29-year-old from Cameroon. I risked everything, my life, everything, crossing the Darien Gap, just to be sent back. Here are the stories that some of the deportees told The Associated Press: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Isha Len, 29, Cameroon After conflict broke out in her small town, Len crossed Cameroon by car and minibus, then a fisherman friend carried her four hours by boat to Nigeria. Len, a schoolteacher, flew to Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she said authorities detained her for a month in the airport. From there, she wound north through South America by bus, following other migrants until they reached the Darien Gap. She walked days through the dangerous jungle that divides Colombia and Panama before boarding buses that carried her through Central America. After being kidnapped for days by a gang in Guatemala, she crossed into southern Mexico, where she took a boat along the Pacific coast to evade authorities. After she landed, she rode eight hours to Mexico City, continuing on by bus and car to Tijuana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She crossed the U.S. border and presented herself to American authorities. Artemis Ghasemzadeh, 27, Iran Artemis Ghasemzadeh left her country in January, fleeing after converting from Islam to Christianity something that could cost Ghasemzadeh her life in Iran. She flew to Dubai, where she stayed two weeks and then took a flight to South Korea. From there she flew to Mexico City, staying there for three weeks before going to Tijuana. She crossed the U.S. border on Feb. 9, and was detained for five days, including her birthday. For changing your religion, your punishment is death," she said. We dont know what will happen." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wang Qiu, 53, China Wang Qiu said he left home after he was imprisoned for three years for speaking out about democracy and human rights issues. He flew from Beijing to Cuba, then to the small South American country of Suriname. From there, he traveled by land: through Guyana, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, before trekking through the Darien Gap. He moved up through Central America and Mexico before being detained after crossing into the U.S. in San Diego. Qamar Abdi, 19, Somalia Qamar Abdi, left for the U.S. on Aug. 17, due to warfare between the government and militants of al-Shabab, which the U.S. recognizes as a terrorist group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She hopped from buses to shared cars for nearly a month until she reached South Africa. From there, she flew to Sao Paulo, Brazil, and spent the next six months riding buses north. When she arrived at the northern tip of Colombia, she traveled six days through the Darien Gap, landing in Panama on New Year's Day. She took buses to the southern Mexican border city of Tapachula, where she was temporarily kidnapped and robbed by a gang. To avoid immigration authorities, she traveled hours packed on a boat with other migrants along Mexico's Pacific coast, then took a bus to Mexico City. She spent two weeks there before driving to Tijuana, where she crossed into the U.S. Ebrahim Ghezelgechi, 36, Iran Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ebrahim Ghezelgechi fled Iran with his wife, Sahar; 10-year-old daughter, Aylin; and 11-year-old son, Sam, on Nov. 21. The family flew to Brazil, then to Panama and finally Nicaragua. From there, they took buses north to Guatemala, then crossed into southern Mexico by boat. They rode on top of trains and in buses and vans to get to Tijuana. After Mexico authorities sent them back to the southern part of the country, they took a plane to the resort area of Los Cabos. There, they were detained, had their passports taken and were sent back south again. They tried getting north a number of times, punted back by Mexican authorities, before eventually paying a driver to take them to Tijuana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After crossing into the U.S., they were detained in San Diego for a week. Samin Haider, 21, Pakistan Samin Haider left for Dubai in 2023 after violence surged in his region of Parachinar, which borders Afghanistan and has been plagued for decades by conflicts between Shiite and Sunni Muslim communities. Haider was there for 1 1/2 years before the United Arab Emirates canceled visas for Pakistanis. Haider then flew to Mexico and traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border with the hopes of seeking asylum. Now deported to Panama, he still hopes to reach the U.S. Elham Ghaedi, 29, Iran Elham Ghaedi left on Oct. 21, flying to Brazil and then to Venezuela's capital Caracas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She traveled to Colombia, where took a bus north and then walked five days through the Darien Gap. She stayed 15 days in a migrant camp in southern Panama before taking a bus through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and to Mexico's southern border. There, migration authorities detained her for six days. She traveled north to Mexico City, where she spent a month, before boarding a flight to Tijuana. U.S. authorities detained her when she crossed to San Diego. Hayatullah Omagh, 29, Afghanistan Omagh fled Afghanistan in 2022 after the takeover of the Taliban because he identified as an atheist and was part of an ethnic minority, something that could put his life in danger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He first went to Pakistan, where he got a visa for six months, and struggled to get a new one due to his Afghani passport. He then went to Iran and worked there for 1 1/2 years. But the country wouldnt accept him as a refugee. He managed to get a visa to Brazil, which offered a number of Afghan people refuge after the rise of the Taliban, and flew to Sao Paulo in 2024. Hoping to reunite with friends and family in the U.S., Omagh paid smugglers to move him north through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. He trekked through the Darien Gap, then took buses north through Central America to southern Mexico. Mexican authorities detained him and dropped him back in southern Mexico a few times before he managed to take a flight to Mexico City and later to the U.S., where he was detained. After so much time, Ive lost hope, he said. A Hartford man faces charges after state police said he crashed an unregistered and uninsured vehicle on Interstate 84 on Tuesday and fled the scene when he was picked up by another driver. The crash was reported at 6:42 a.m. when state police received numerous 911 calls about a single-car collision on I-84 West near Exit 40 in West Hartford, according to Connecticut State Police. While troopers were en route, state police began monitoring the scene using a Connecticut Department of Transportation camera, which showed that the vehicle was facing sideways in the right lane and created a potential hazard. Police also alleged that the driver of the Honda Accord got out of the vehicle and jumped into an Acura TSX that arrived at the scene, state police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Troopers who responded to the area were able to find the Acura and conduct a traffic stop. According to state police, the driver of the Accord was identified as 21-year-old Chaviel Gonzalez. Gonzalez allegedly initially denied being involved in the collision but ultimately admitted that he took off in the Acura, state police said. Troopers found that both the Acura and the Accord were unregistered and uninsured and had license plates on them that belonged to another vehicle, according to state police. Both vehicles were towed. Gonzalez was charged with a single count of evading responsibility and interfering with an officer and two counts each of operating/parking an unregistered motor vehicle, misuse of a registration plate and illegal operation of a motor vehicle without minimum insurance. Gonzalez was later released on a $2,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on April 4. A Griswold man faces a felony larceny charge for allegedly accepting a $4,000 deposit from a woman while working for a gas company last August and never returning to complete the job. Victor A. Jorge Jr., 55, turned himself in on Monday in connection with a warrant charging him with second-degree larceny, according to Connecticut State Police. The warrant affidavit supporting the charge said state police on Sept. 24 received a complaint from a Mansfield woman who said she hired a contractor to perform work at her home that was never done. She said she contacted a gas company in Franklin shortly after moving into her home in July and requested service to her furnace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two technicians later went out to the womans home and one of them allegedly informed her that the furnace would need to be replaced due to extensive mouse damage, the warrant affidavit said. The job was estimated to cost about $6,000. The woman told state police she did not hear anything for a few weeks and reached out to the company again on Aug. 13, according to the warrant affidavit. About an hour later she claimed that she received a call from a man who identified himself as Victor Jorge who said he would send her a quote, the warrant affidavit said. The woman alleged that she was later emailed a quote that indicated the work would cost $6,912 and that a $4,000 deposit would need to be made upfront, according to the warrant affidavit. Ten days later, the woman told state police, a man who identified himself as Victor arrived at her home and described the work that would need to be done. She claimed that she gave him a $4,000 check which was made out to Alpha Gas, the warrant affidavit said. After the check cleared, the woman alleged that she could not get in touch with Jorge, according to the warrant affidavit. She contacted the gas company on Sept. 20 and spoke to someone who said they had no record of a job involving her furnace, the warrant affidavit said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The woman claimed that she contacted her bank and was told by a representative to try to contact Jorge again and to report the incident to the state police if she did not hear back, according to the warrant affidavit. When a trooper went out to the gas company on Oct. 11, he was allegedly told by a manager that the company was under the impression that the woman had hired another company to complete her furnace work, the warrant affidavit said. The manager also said Jorge had worked there for a little less than a year and acknowledged that he had previously owned Alpha Gas, though the manager was under the impression that it was no longer in business, according to the warrant affidavit. The manager also allegedly told state police this was the first time an issue like this was reported involving Jorge and that the company would conduct an internal investigation, the warrant affidavit said. The woman told state police she was contacted by the gas company on Oct. 17 and was asked to provide a copy of the contract she had. After sending the contract, the woman alleged that she was contacted by Jorge who asked her when she wanted her furnace replaced, according to the warrant affidavit. She allegedly told him she already had another company inspect her furnace and they told her it did not need to be replaced. The woman also allegedly asked for her deposit back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The woman claimed that Jorge then insisted that no one told her she needed to have her furnace replaced and that it was actually her idea because she did not like the smell of it, the warrant affidavit said. She alleged that Jorge admitted to being one of the technicians who originally visited her home, but he continued to deny telling her the furnace needed replacing, according to the warrant affidavit. The woman claimed that Jorge eventually agreed to give her the deposit money back, but he allegedly explained that he only cut checks twice a month and that she would need to wait until the end of the month, the warrant affidavit said. As of mid-November, the woman claimed that she had not received any reimbursement from Jorge. She also alleged that she researched Alpha Gas with the Better Business Bureau and found that other customers had similar experiences, the warrant affidavit said. According to the BBB, Alpha Gas is not accredited by the bureau and received an F rating based on its failure to respond to two complaints filed against the business. On Dec. 17, state police arrested Jorge in Preston and charged him with breach of peace in connection with a disturbance, the warrant affidavit said. The trooper investigating the contracting allegations asked fellow troopers to seize Jorges cell phone. They seized two phones from him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trooper said he was later contacted by Jorge who claimed that all of the contact he had with the woman was through a different phone number and that there would not be anything useful for the investigation on either of the phones police seized, the warrant affidavit said. He also allegedly told the trooper he had recently been in contact with the woman and had paid her $500 with plans to pay her another $500 soon. He claimed that the two had arranged a plan for him to reimburse her for the $4,000 deposit, according to the warrant affidavit. State police later confirmed with the woman that Jorge had allegedly agreed to pay her the deposit money back and found that he began communicating with her a few days after his cell phones were seized, the warrant affidavit said. The warrant for Jorges arrest was signed by a judge on Feb. 5. He was released on a $25,000 bond following his arrest and is scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court on March 27. A man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly fleeing a traffic stop in South Windsor late last year as an officer was speaking to him at the window of his vehicle. Victor Flores, 40, of Hartford faces charges of engaging police in pursuit, operating under suspension and refusal to show license, according to the South Windsor Police Department. He was charged at 10:30 a.m. in connection with the traffic stop warrant while he was being held in custody on unrelated charges, police said. According to police, Flores was pulled over on Route 5 in December. After initially stopping, he allegedly took off quickly as an officer was speaking with him at the window of the vehicle, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators were able to identify Flores through his job at the Aldis Distribution Center on Rye Street, according to police. They then obtained a warrant for his arrest. Flores was expected to appear in Manchester Superior Court on Tuesday following his arrest. As the Roundhouse rounds third base on this years legislative session, lawmakers are racing to bring home a few measures aimed at reforming New Mexicos troubled child welfare system. The lead runner seems to be Senate Bill 42, a measure unveiled late last week that bundles multiple other bills addressing child welfare issues and which is already headed to the Senate floor after unanimously clearing the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday evening. Other notable measures such as House Joint Resolution 5, which would overhaul CYFDs leadership structure, and House Bill 5, which would establish a new oversight office for the agency have moved slower. With time left in the session dwindling, its unclear what will make it through. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Given the length of time that we have left, it becomes more difficult as each day passes, said Rep. Eleanor Chavez, D-Albuquerque and a sponsor of HJR 5. SB 42 marks an apparent compromise between Democrats, Republicans and the executive branch. CYFD and the governor have thrown their support behind the bill after being at odds with legislators over other proposals this session, including HJR 5 and HB 5. While the child welfare reform package leaves out large-scale oversight or leadership reforms, it would implement priorities laid out by the Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham during her State of the State address: namely, moving management of the federal Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, or CARA, out of CYFD and holding families accountable to following through with care plans for substance-exposed children. CYFD spokesperson Andrew Skobinsky said in an email the New Mexico Department of Health, which would take over CARA, is better equipped to manage the healthcare and medical implications of children born substance-exposed/dependent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republican lawmakers and others have also criticized state law for not requiring families with babies exposed to substances to follow through on care plans prescribed to them. SB 42 would bolster the states response to those families, requiring CYFD to assess whether a family that does not follow through with a care plan is able to keep that baby safe. Skobinsky said that could lead to an abuse and neglect investigation and, possibly, the child being taken into CYFD custody. SB 42 also incorporates other reform efforts, including one requiring identifying information to be released when a child dies or nearly dies while in the care of a foster family under investigation by CYFD. Another would require the agency to enact a plan pursuant to a federal plan allowing states to use more dollars on prevention services. Though the federal Family First Prevention Services Act was passed in 2018, CYFD has yet to have a plan adopting the legislation be approved by the federal government. The agency resubmitted its plan late last year, and hopes to hear back in April. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other measures While SB 42 has backing from leaders on both sides of the aisle, as well as from the governor and CYFD, HB 5 and HJR 5 have less broad support. HB 5, which seeks to establish an Office of the Child Advocate under the New Mexico Department of Justice tasked with monitoring the services CYFD provides to children and receiving complaints about issues at the agency, has faced opposition from CYFD. The agency has argued that while it welcomes oversight and accountability, HB 5 is not the way to do it. Still, the bill, which was identified by House Democrats before the start of the session as a priority for the caucus, has garnered some Republican support. House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena, said HB 5 and SB 42 are examples of everyone finally on the same page and trying to get something across the finish line. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This administration has had six years to fix this, and I think that everyone finally [has] come to the position of, They need help, and they need lots of ideas and lots of cooks in the kitchen, and hopefully we get an answer this year, Armstrong said in an interview. If we dont, its on the majority its not on me. HB 5 cleared the floor last week and awaits passage in the Senate Judiciary Committee. That said, a similar iteration of HB 5 failed in 2023. But HJR 5, which passed out of the House Judiciary Committee the same day HB 5 and other CYFD-related measures did, has lagged behind its peers and is still awaiting passage by the full House. The resolution is ambitious, asking lawmakers and voters who would also have to approve HJR 5 should it clear the Roundhouse to remove CYFD from the Governors Cabinet and install a commission that would hire a director to manage the agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to stiff opposition from the executive branch, the resolution also drew concerns from field experts tasked with tracking the states progress in the landmark Kevin S. settlement, reached after over a dozen foster children sued New Mexico for failing to fulfill its duty to kids in state care. The experts argued in a letter child welfare systems in other states actually benefited from moving away from commission-style governance structures and that keeping CYFD under the purview of the governor better facilitates communication between state agencies. Chavez, however, sees the resolution as a way for the Legislature to take matters into its own hands, noting that several years have passed since the Kevin S. settlement was reached with little to show for them. That agency has had some extreme turnover related to politics, she said. ... The other piece, too, is that and I dont want to say that any of the secretaries dont work hard but they dont have the child welfare experience thats needed to guide this agency not just through the current struggles but also provide the kind of leadership that that expertise and experience would provide. A lieutenant was indicted Tuesday for allegedly tampering with a 2024 police report involving a drunk sheriffs office employee nearly striking an officer head-on in their car, according to authorities. 54-year-old Francis Goode Jr., a Chelmsford Police Lieutenant, is charged with tampering with a record for use in an official proceeding, intimidation of a witness and violating the standards of conduct as a public employee for allegedly altering dispatch records and instructing a subordinate officer not to charge an arrestee in connection with an operating under the influence offence because of the arrestees employment in law enforcement. Employment as a member of law enforcement does not include being allowed to escape responsibility for breaking the law as a professional courtesy, said Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the DAs office, on March 16, 2024, 42-year-old Michael Caprigno of North Reading was allegedly driving in Chelmsford Center when he got pulled over for almost hitting a patrol officer head-on. During the course of their interaction, the patrol officer allegedly noticed signs of intoxication and arrested Caprigno. Investigators say Caprigno became hostile and told officers theyd regret arresting him because he was employed by the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office. Caprigno was transported back to the police station where the arresting officer was met by Lieutenant Goode. Caprigno told Lt. Goode while in the booking area that he worked for the Suffolk County Sheriff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At this point, Lt. Goode allegedly ordered the arresting officer to write a citation for marked lanes only and take no further steps related to the arrest and not discuss it with anyone else. Caprigno was not booked at the time. According to the DAs office, this incident came to the attention of the Chelmsford Police Chief Colin Spence in December 2024. Upon learning of potential wrongdoing by a member of the leadership team, the Department retained highly regarded outside firm of Matthews & Matthews LLC of Boston to conduct a full and fair internal affairs investigation and a review of the facts, Chief Spence said. As part of the external firms review, I agreed to accept the investigators findings in full and take all appropriate steps as a result. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chief Spence said he placed Lt. Goode on paid administrative leave on December 3, 2024, pending the outcome of the investigation. The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission was also notified. On December 9, 2024, Chief Spence said Matthews & Matthews LLC informed him that it learned during its investigation about an incident in March 2024 that was unrelated to its initial investigation and that included possible allegations of unlawful conduct. Given the nature of the incident, the chief said he ordered the firm to suspend their investigation and share their findings with the Middlesex District Attorneys Office. As a modern, accredited law enforcement agency, we strive to serve our community with professionalism and integrity every time we put on a uniform. I am proud of the men and women of our Department who work to ensure the trust of our community every day, Chief Spence said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The offenses which underlie todays indictments stand in direct contradiction to the very oath which police officers are sworn to uphold. We must ensure that everyone is held to accountability equally, regardless of their occupation, said District Attorney Ryan. Caprigno was indicted Tuesday on charges of operating under the influence of alcohol and a violation of the standards of conduct as a public employee. Arraignments for both men have not yet been scheduled. According to the states payroll website, Caprigno is a sergeant jail officer for the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office and collected a $143,596 salary in 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boston 25 News has reached out to the sheriffs office for confirmation of Caprignos employment status and a comment about his indictment. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW The ball is in Vladimir Putins court today after the US and Ukraine reached a ceasefire proposal at a meeting in Saudi Arabia. Kyiv said it is ready to accept a US proposal for an immediate 30-day ceasefire. Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky said it was now up to the US to convince Russia. It marks a pretty dramatic change in tone from Washington, which had previously met only with Russian officials to discuss ending the war. The pause on weapons deliveries to Ukraine has also now officially been lifted. The US secretary of state Marco Rubio spoke to reporters earlier and even seemed to suggest Washington is now considering security guarantees for Ukraine as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So what is Putins next move? Kamal and Camilla ask Kremlinologist Emily Ferris about the Russian presidents thinking and whether there is any kind of succession plan in Moscow. Elsewhere, in a remarkable development, it transpires that the captain of the Portuguese-flagged ship that crashed into an oil tanker transporting American fuel in the North Sea on Monday was Russian. We ask former Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe, who wrote for The Telegraph about the incident that saw both ships catch fire and the loss of one crew member, about this latest twist. Watch episodes of the Daily T here. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe to The Daily T newsletter for updates. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A convicted registered sex offender, who is listed as a sexually dangerous predator on the GBIs sex offender registry, is back in jail. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Skylar Johnson is charged with child molestation and accused of giving a false name and birthdate to Smyrna police. Police told Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell they were called to Riverline Park on Feb. 27 after parents called 911. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Johnson is accused of performing a sex act on himself about 15 to 20 feet away from children, according to the arrest warrant. Parents told police they approached Johnson after they noticed him acting strangely near their children. The parents definitely noticed that something was wrong. They immediately called police we immediately responded. Luckily, the parents were paying attention and supervising the children, said Meredith Holt who is the Public Information Officer for the Smyrna Police Department. Investigators say parents provided police with evidence of what happened. There were multiple parents on scene and they had taken video footage, said Holt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police say it was initially difficult to get accurate information from police regarding who he really was. He was still at the park and they questioned him and he provided them with a false name and false date of birth. Even with the false name and birthdate they were able to track this person to his real name and they determined that he is a registered sex offender, said Holt. Johnson was convicted of attempted statutory rape, attempted child molestation and other crimes in fulton county. His criminal background dates back to 2013. In Georgia, a sexually dangerous predator is an offender who is at risk of committing sexually dangerous offenses in the future. You can find a find registered sex offenders near you at the following link https://gbi.georgia.gov/services/georgia-sex-offender-registry [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] In the 1920s, some Americans concern for a U.S. in decline led to a rise in various discriminatory policies and movements that hurt vulnerable minorities. (iStock/Getty Images Plus) As promised, the second Trump administration has quickly rolled out a slew of policies and executive orders that the president says are all aimed at Making America Great Again. This takes on different forms, including Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency quickly laying off thousands of workers at various federal agencies, and President Donald Trump pausing all funding for Ukraine. Trump says that, among others, there are three groups that are making America not-great: immigrants, people with disabilities, and people who are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These administration efforts began at a time when many Americans expressed an overall rising sense of dissatisfaction with the state of the country and politics. Just 19% of Americans said in December 2024 that they think the country is heading in the right direction. This perspective is striking not only because it is so dark, but because it strongly resembles how Americans felt during a pivotal decade 100 years ago, when peoples dissatisfaction with the state of the country led to a series of discriminatory, hateful policies by the federal government. Its a period of American history that I think offers something of a mirror of the current political situation in the U.S. A registry room is seen at Ellis Island in New York Harbor in 1924. ( Associated Press The Roaring 20s? In the 1920s, the economy was good, the U.S. had won World War I, and a terrible pandemic ended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But many Americans did not see it that way. They entered the 1920s with a growing sense of paranoia and a feeling that they had been robbed of something. Winning World War I had come at a terrible cost. More than 116,000 American soldiers died and twice that number came home wounded. As the war came to a close, the U.S. and the world was in the throes of the flu pandemic that ultimately claimed tens of millions of lives, including about 675,000 in the U.S. Other Americans were concerned about the possible rise of communism in the U.S., as well as the arrival of many immigrants. This led extremists to introduce and implement hate-based policies at the federal and state level that targeted nonwhite immigrants and disabled people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the most significant results of that political moment was the 1924 Johnson-Reed Act, a restrictive immigration policy that, among other changes, prohibited immigration from Asia. Another pivotal movement was the Supreme Courts 1927 Buck v. Bell decision, which affirmed that the state of Virginia had the right to sterilize intellectually and developmentally disabled people. Discrimination against marginalized groups The Johnson-Reed Act prompted a major shift in American immigration policy, based on the fear of something that former President Theodore Roosevelt and others called race suicide. The law introduced rigid restrictions keeping people out of the country who were not from Northern and Western Europe. The immigration quotas that it established would continue to be enforced into the 1960s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. politicians who lobbied for this law were successful because they supported their effort by presenting evidence that showed purportedly scientific proof that almost all people in the world were biologically inferior to a group they called the Nordic Race meaning people from Northern Europe and their American descendants, who formed a group they called the American Race. By restricting immigration from all other groups, these legislators believed they were counterbalancing a crushing period where war and pandemic had killed off what they saw as the countrys best people. Different groups preyed on Americans grief about the war and pandemic and directed it against minority groups. Ku Klux Klan members parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington on Aug. 8, 1925. ( Bettman/Contributor From Maine to California, a revived Ku Klux Klan attracted millions of followers with its belief that white people were superior to all others, and that Black people should remain enslaved. At the same time, a group of scientists, doctors and psychologists found enormous success in persuading the public that there were scientific reasons why hatred and discrimination needed to be incorporated into American government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their proof was something called eugenics, a pseudoscience which argued that humans had to use advanced technology and medicine to get people with good traits to reproduce while stopping those with bad traits from having the opportunity to do so. Harry Laughlin, a eugenicist based at a research laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, was one of this movements most vocal representatives. Laughlin worked for several different eugenics research organizations, and this helped him become successful at creating propaganda supporting eugenics that influenced public policy. He then gained a spot as an expert eugenics adviser to Congress in the early 1920s. With his position, Laughlin then provided the pseudoscientific data that gave the supporters of Johnson-Reed the claims they needed to justify passing the measure. A push for sterilization In Laughlins influential 1922 book Eugenic Sterilization in the United States, he detailed a road map for passing a law that would allow governments to sterilize disabled people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After so much death during World War I and the influenza pandemic, Laughlin found fertile ground for making a case that the U.S. needed to stop people who might be considered feeble-minded from passing down inferior traits. In the mid-1920s, Laughlin and his allies pressed a court case against a teenage woman whom the state of Virginia had deemed an imbecile and incarcerated at a massive Virginia institution for the feeble-minded. This woman, Carrie Buck, was incarcerated after she gave birth to a child in 1924 who was conceived as a result of rape. If Buck, who was 18 years old at the time, had any hope of being released, the officials who ran the institution demanded she be sterilized first. All across the country, states had begun legalizing forced sterilization. Now, this case of Buck v. Bell made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1927, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. issued the courts ruling, which had only one dissent. In it, he wrote that three generations of imbeciles is enough and extended the scope of a previous ruling that allowed the government to compel people to get vaccinated to include forced sterilization of disabled people. Buck was forcibly sterilized in October 1927, shortly after the courts ruling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While it is unquestionable that sterilization and other discriminatory policies found common cause with Adolf Hitlers rising Nazi movement which used the eugenic ideas of sterilization and mass extermination they persisted, largely unchallenged, here in the U.S. Some people, including myself, argue that the spirit of these discriminatory policies still exists in the U.S. today. A familiar story Following stalemated wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2000s and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the American economy has been growing. But sensing a grave decline, some white Americans have turned their sights on people with disabilities, immigrants, transgender and nonbinary people, and people of color as the source of their problems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump regularly encourages this kind of thinking. In January 2025, he blamed an air collision that occurred over the Potomac River and killed 67 people on disabled Federal Aviation Administration employees, implying that they did not possess the intelligence to do their jobs. Trump falsely said the Jan. 1, 2025, New Orleans terror attack was caused by illegal immigration, even though a Texas-born man drove a car into a crowd of people, killing 14. At a policy level, Trumps administration has made significant changes to the immigration system, including taking steps to remove legal protections for 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants in the U.S. And he has launched an unprecedented challenge to birthright citizenship. There are limits to what history can say about the current situation. But these similarities with the early 1920s suggest that, contrary to many claims about the unprecedented nature of the current times, the country has been here before. Alex Green is a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. CHICAGO (WGN) A grieving Chicago family voiced their frustrations Tuesday after the man convicted of murdering their 14-year-old loved one in the citys Back of the Yards neighborhood received decades behind bars. Speaking exclusively with WGN News, the family of Savannah Quintero says the sentence issued to Edgar Martinez is simply not enough, believing the convicted murderer got off easily. My goddaughter was only 14, walking out of the convenience store. She just went to get chips and a pop, Crystal Youssef, the victims godmother, told WGN News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man convicted in Hadiya Pendleton death to remain in custody as he awaits new trial Savannahs mother, Crystal Quintero, lamented that her daughter never returned home. I dont get to see her. I dont get to hear her voice. I dont get to hug her, she said. My daughter had just turned 14. It broke me. I had cracks, but that broke me. Chicago police say Savannah suffered a gunshot wound to the head in the 1700 block of W. 48th Street in June of 2021 after leaving the store with her boyfriend. While walking, cellphone video captured the moments a group of assailants followed the teen for blocks, demanding to know if she had a gang affiliation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Savannah denied any connections, pleading for her life, her family says, before Martinez callously fired the deadly shot. FILE: Crime scene near the intersection of West 48th Street and South Wood Street on Wednesday, June 2, 2021. (PHOTO: WGN) Savannah died three days later. On Tuesday at the Cook County Criminal Courts Building, a judge sentenced Martinez to 22 years in prison. The victims mother said her killer lacked remorse. Tourist from Connecticut struck by gunfire in Chicagos Streeterville I couldnt understand, Crystal Quintero said. Gang members get more time for killing another gang member, and my daughter was innocent. Prosecutors also set their sights on another suspect in Savanahs murder. The Great Lakes Regional Task Force arrested Michael Aguirre of New Lennox in 2021. Prosecutors charged Aguirre with first-degree murder and attempted murder of another victim, after allegedly trying to hire someone to kill a witness in the Quintero shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aguirre is due back in court on April 14. Savannah Quinteros loved ones say theyll be at Aguirres upcoming trial to demand justice and seek closure. Savannah Quintero Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Responding to a WGN News inquiry, Cook County States Attorney spokespeople said they would not comment on whether Martinez, who also received four years for an aggravated weapon discharge, agreed to testify in Aguirres trial. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. There were no firefighter injuries reported from a house fire in Davenport. According to a release, on March 11 at approximately 11:46 a.m., the Davenport Fire Department responded to the 2400 block of Nevada Ave. for a structure fire. The first fire crew on scene discovered heavy smoke coming from the attic area of the home. Fire crews entered the structure and searched for occupants, but all were outside prior to fire department arrival. The fire was accessed by pulling down the ceiling and extinguished with a single hose line. There was heavy fire damage to the attic space with smoke and water damage to the floor below. Crews remained on scene for about two hours. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The occupant of the home was assessed by Medic EMS of Scott County and released. Mid-American assisted with controlling of the utilities. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. David Kozak, the longtime Gannon University public policy professor who was a U.S. Air Force officer, taught at the National War College of Washington, D.C., lectured internationally, served as a national political commentator and advised elected and civic leaders in Erie for decades, has died. He was 80. Kozak died Sunday in Fort Collins, Colo. following a lengthy illness, according to his obituary. He and his wife of 57 years, MaryAnne Mandeville, met at Gannon and moved to Colorado following Kozaks 2016 retirement from the university. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was the last stop in a 44-year teaching career for Kozak that began at the U.S. Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs. David Kozak. It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of Dr. David Kozak, a cherished member of the Gannon University family, Gannon University President Walter Iwanenko said in a statement. His commitment to education and public discourse extended beyond our campus His legacy of leadership, scholarship and service will continue to inspire future generations. Obituary: David C. Kozak, 80 Ian Murray, 73, now lives in Maine and was a close friend of Kozaks for decades. A former member of Erie City Council, Murray was a longtime member of the Pennsylvania State Democratic Committee and a former chairman and executive committee member of the Erie County Democratic Party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was a politically astute guy who always saw the big picture and was always there to lend his advice and counsel to anyone who needed it, Murray said of Kozak. He was a student of the art of politics, but he never presented himself as if he was above it. He cared deeply about the issues that affected everyone. One of the last great ones is now gone, and I will miss him. Kozak offers perspective: Nov. 22, 1963: Erie and President John. F. Kennedy. 'How could this happen?' A life of service, teaching Born in Lackawanna, New York, Kozak graduated from Gannon in 1966 and went on to earn a masters degree in political science and public administration from Kent State University where he entered the U.S. Air Force ROTC program as a graduate student and a doctorate in Political Science and Public Policy from the University of Pittsburgh. Kozak then began a 20-year Air Force career during the Vietnam War era. He served first as a missile officer, then as a teacher at the Air Force Academy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He would also serve in the Cold War, at a secret location in Wichita, Kansas as part of the Strategic Air Command that had responsibility for firing Titan II nuclear missiles should the call ever have been made. More: How Joe Biden won Erie County: City, 'burbs, mail support; competitive in some rural areas Kozak was a deputy commander and a commander between 1968 and 1972, at the controls about 300 feet underground. David Kozak delivers his lecture "Road to the White House 2016: Analysis Not Advocacy" at Gannon University shortly before his retirement in 2016. I was the guy at the button, Kozak said in a 2016 Erie Times-News interview. It was the most important job I had. After retiring as a lieutenant colonel, Kozak taught at the National War College, where he scheduled former presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and then-Vice President George H.W. Bush to speak to his students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kozak returned to Gannon in 1988, teaching undergraduate and graduate political science and leadership courses. He also lectured annually at Chautauqua Institution for 25 years and taught classes at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Kozak also frequently served up political commentary not only for Erie-area media outlets, but on CNN, the BBC and C-SPAN as well. Retired Erie Times-News reporter/editor Jeff Pinski, 80, was another close friend of Kozaks. He wrote columns for us sometimes and brought students to help with some of our newspaper political polls, Pinski said. His students loved him because of the force of his personality and the passion he had for politics. He could make you really understand it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive never really encountered anyone who was so successful in life but at the same time, so unassuming and unaffected by their own success, Pinski said. Whether he was talking to a student or a presidential candidate, he showed the same respect. 'The philosophy of leadership' Bishop Dwane Brock agrees. Brock was part of the 1991-92 graduating class of Leadership Erie, a broad-based program led by Kozak which aimed to develop a diverse cross-section of community leaders. He was a giant of a man physically, spiritually and intellectually who walked with kings but never lost the common touch, Brock said of Kozak, who stood roughly 6 feet 5 inches tall. He taught us a lot about the philosophy of leadership Leadership Erie was something that was extraordinarily unique at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was about learning what made Erie tick, what good leaders were about and why we need them, Brock continued. He taught us not just to talk the talk, but how to walk the walk. I will always be appreciative of that. Prior to his retirement from Gannon, Kozak also led the transition teams of former Erie mayors Joyce Savocchio and Joe Sinnott. Kozak's obituary states: "His family and friends delighted in his many interests, including model railroads, aquariums, professional wrestling, auto thrill shows, Buddy Holly, fireworks, and good food. His enormous sense of humor, larger than life presence, and one of a kind voice and laugh will be deeply missed." In addition to his wife, Kozak is survived by a two sons; a daughter; a brother; and four grandchildren. Burial will be private with full military honors in Fort Collins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Contact Kevin Flowers at kflowers@timesnews.com. Follow him on X at @ETNflowers. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Political commentator, retired Gannon professor David Kozak has died If you're the parent of a teen, you might have noticed that TikTok just announced new parental-control safety measuresincluding a meditative shut-down prompt that teens will face if they're scrolling past 10 p.m., as well as a way for the adult in charge to block their kid from the app during set times. That was on Tuesday. On Wednesday, a digital safety expert and mom to a 16-year-old demonstrated on social media just how easy it would be for a savvy (and even not-so-savvy) teen to bypass. "I can't believe that all the smart people working at TikTok think that the general population of parents will, A, accept this; B, use this; C, find this meaningful in any way, shape, or form," Titania Jordan, chief parent officer at online safety company Bark Technologies and author of a brand-new book about raising kids in the digital age, Parental Control, posted in the caption of an Instagram reel. "Seriously, what are they thinking?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new parental-control features are designed to work within an existing Family Pairing safety framework, through which parents link their account with their child's to better monitor and control their use of the app. Some experts have already weighed in on the features with Fortune, with Jill Murphy of Common Sense Media calling them "a step in the right direction" while emphasizing they are not the only answer. "In general," she said, "parental controls are just not a set-it-and-forget-it solution. Jordan, meanwhile, begins her new reel by declaring, "TikTok must think that every parent is just a complete idiot." She goes on to explain how a Google alert about the new safety features piqued her interest on Tuesday, prompting her to examine the details. "I read it over, it seemed super fluffy, especially the meditation part," she said. "Like, no, you're not going to get kids to meditate within Tiktokespecially if you've curated an addictive algorithm of things they are most interested in!" What she really wanted to investigate, though, was the new family pairing feature that "supposedly" gave parents more tools, such as controlling kids' time spent on the app. Jordan demonstrated how, to test it, she created the new TikTok account of a fictitious 15-year-old and then had that account follow her real adult account. She then linked her adult account to the fake teen account through the new pairing feature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I was really hoping that TikTok finally did something right. They did not," she said, reporting that, within a few taps, the 15-year-old account was able to unlink the account that the parent, a.k.a. Jordan, had just linked. "No warning, no blocker, no 'Hey, you need a PIN code password to make this happen.' No permission needed." A TikTok spokesperson, though, raised many objections to the author's criticisms for Fortune, including: If a teen chooses to unlink, TikTok sends prominent notifications to the parent account including a push notification and an inbox notification. Further, it locks the settings for 48 hours, "which enables parents to have a conversation with their teens." TikTok created the meditation feature because "research shows that mindful meditation can improve sleep quality," and that teens, specifically, saw a decrease in anxiety and rumination when exposed to a meditation app. The Family Pairing feature allows extensive parental controls, such as the abilities to: set a teen's account to private or public; restrict who can comment on the teen's videos; restrict who can send private messages to the account; set the amount of time spent on the app daily; see the teen's time spent on the app; restrict the teen's ability to search for content; restrict push notifications to the teen during certain times; add hashtags or key words to block certain topics from the kid's For You feed. It also allows for the enabling of TikTok's STEM feed on the teen's account. Finally, in an attempt to encourage the type of conversations stressed by Murphy and other experts, TikTok partnered with the Family Online Safety Institute to launch the Digital Safety Partnership for Families, which is part of the platform's Guardian's Guide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's also worth noting that other platforms, not just TikTok, also allow children to unpair their accounts from their parents, including Google, Snapchat and Instagram. More on teens and smartphones: This story was originally featured on Fortune.com WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The owners of Cloakroom, a strip club in downtown D.C., are in hot water after D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced a lawsuit against them Tuesday, alleging they have created a hostile and exploitative work environment for female employees. Cloakroom, located in the heart of Mount Vernon Triangle in Northwest, is owned by Antonios Cavasilios and Carlos Horcasitas and employs dozens of people most of whom are women. In Tuesdays announcement, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) said that for years, Cavasilios and Horcasitas have maintained a workplace where female employees are routinely subjected to sexual harassment, inappropriate touching, insults and physical assault. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elderly woman conned out of over $130,000, Prince William County police say The OAG says that Cloakroom managers and employees, including Cavasilios, regularly sexually harass female employees by calling them demeaning, sexist names and touching them inappropriately. Owners and managers wield their hiring, firing, and scheduling power to maintain a coercive, exploitative workplace, preying on younger and less experienced workers in particular, said the OAG, in part. On at least one occasion, Cavasilios himself sexually assaulted a club employee. None of the clubs male employees experience this type of mistreatment and abuse. In addition, the complaint alleges that club management has stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars in tips and wages from employees, failed to pay for overtime and all hours worked, failed to provide paid sick leave and retaliated against workers who spoke out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In total, the OAG says the Cloakroom violated several D.C. laws, including the District of Columbia Human Rights Act, Minimum Wage Revision Act, Wage Payment and Collection Law, Consumer Protection Procedures Act, Sick and Safe Leave Act and Wage Transparency Act. 2025.03.11 DC v Cloakroom Complaint FINALDownload Schwalb said one way the clubs owners have stolen wages is through Cloakbucks, a Cloakroom-branded fake currency that management encouraged customers to use to tip. When the bucks were converted to real cash, the owners allegedly pocketed 10% of the earnings. When the OAG began investigating the club, the bucks were discontinued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cherry blossom bloom watch: Cherry trees along Tidal Basin reach stage one of six The document also alleges that Cloakroom and its owners steal wages by forcing entertainers to pay club managers 10-20% of their earned commission when they perform in private rooms, even though they are promised a fixed percentage commission, typically 40% of the amount charged to the customer. In a statement sent to DC News Now, a Cloakroom representative said, We are reviewing the allegations of the Districts lawsuit. We look forward to proving in court that we run an upstanding District business providing top-notch service to our customers and treat our employees with professionalism and dignity. Schwalb added that the lawsuit aims to bring the business into compliance with the Districts civil rights, employment and consumer protection laws and seek damages for employees who were abused and denied tips, wages and paid sick leave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cloakroom and its owners flagrantly disregard the most basic workplace protections and decencies, routinely subjecting female employees to degradation and abuse while deploying a variety of schemes to steal their pay. As the Districts independent Attorney General, we will put an end to this type of exploitative combination of sexual harassment and wage theft, said Schwalb. My office will always fight for the dignity, safety, and livelihood of District workers. The OAG asks former or current Cloakroom employees who have experienced or witnessed illegal conduct to call (202) 724-7730 or email workers@dc.gov or trabajadores@dc.gov. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) A woman pleaded guilty on Tuesday for her involvement in a Southeast D.C. stabbing that caused a woman to lose her eye in September 2023. The U.S. Attorneys Office (USAO) said the incident happened at around 11 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2023, when 36-year-old Marquita Holloman got into an argument with another woman in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE. The two were hanging out there at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the argument concluded, the victim walked away from Hollomon and toward her daughter, who was nearby. Man arrested for setting house on fire, Fairfax police say Holloman got up from her chair, however, and lunged toward the woman, stabbing her daughter in the neck in the process. She then attacked the woman and stabbed her multiple times in the face and head. She was stabbed a total of six times, according to court documents obtained by DC News Now. The victim and her daughter were both taken to local hospitals for treatment. The woman suffered severe damage to her right eye, which was ultimately removed during surgery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) identified Holloman as a suspect after reviewing surveillance video from nearby Savoy Elementary School. She was arrested on Jan. 8, 2024, and pleaded guilty to aggravated assault while armed on March 11, 2025. Holloman is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Greene County Clerk Shane Scholler is reminding county residents that the voter registration deadline is coming up for Aprils election. Eligible residents have until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12 to register to vote for the April 2025 General Municipal Election on Tuesday, April 8. To register to vote in Greene County, you can visit one of three places: The Historic Courthouse at 940 N Boonville Ave., Room 113 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday Any Missouri Department of Revenue vehicle license office or branch of the Springfield-Greene County Library The Missouri Secretary of States website Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When registering to vote, the Greene County Clerks Office says you must have a copy of a birth certificate, a Native American tribal document, or other proof of United States citizenship. You must also present a valid Missouri drivers license or other form of personal identification to register. The Greene County Clerks Office also encourages anyone who has moved within the county or changed their name to contact them to make sure there are no unnecessary delays and ensure a good voting experience during the election. Voter registration information is also available online at the Greene County Clerk website and sample ballots for the April 8 election can be found online at vote.greenecountymo.gov. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. By Sarah Morland (Reuters) - Caribbean leaders this week rejected U.S. accusations of Cuban labor exploitation after the United States announced it will restrict the visas of officials tied to a Cuban government program that sends medics abroad. The U.S. announced the measure late last month, arguing that the labor export programs run by Cuba's government, which include many medics, "enrich the Cuban regime." It further argued that those involved are complicit in the "exploitation and forced labor of Cuban workers." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cuba's leaders, however, reject the U.S. stance as Secretary of State Marco Rubio's "personal agenda... based on falsehoods" and said the measure could affect millions of healthcare beneficiaries. Rubio is the son of Cuban immigrants who fled the island to Florida, where President Donald Trump's top diplomat would later win a Senate seat. Since Cuba's 1959 revolution, its medics have been dispatched to countries around the world, treating diseases that wreak havoc on poor countries, from cholera in Haiti to Ebola in West Africa. The program is also a key source of hard cash as the island nation endures its latest deep economic crisis. Cuba says a decades-long U.S. embargo, opposed by the vast majority of the United Nations, is the key driver of the crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Out of the blue now, we have been called human traffickers because we hire technical people who we pay top dollar," said Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley at a hospital event. Rowley added that he was prepared to lose his U.S. visa. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves noted at least 60 people in the small island nation are on a Cuban-run haemodialysis program used to treat kidney failure. "If the Cubans are not there, we may not be able to run the service," he said, adding Cuban personnel are paid the same as locals. "I will prefer to lose my visa than to have 60 poor and working people die." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, Jamaican Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith told reporters that her government views Cuban medics as important. "Their presence here is of importance to our healthcare system," she said, pointing to 400 doctors, nurses and medical technicians currently working in the country. In a social media post, Bahamian Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell also vouched for the program, saying his government "follows all international best practices in the recruitment of labor." (Reporting by Sarah Morland in Mexico City; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Aurora Ellis) DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) Prosecutors say the trial for a man accused of murder in 2023 has ended in a mistrial. Ninth Judicial Circuit District Attorney Summer Summerford said the jury in the murder trial of Keith Sullivan announced they were deadlocked on Tuesday. The DA said that due to the deadlock, often referred to as a hung jury, Circuit Judge Shaunathan Bell declared a mistrial in the case. Man charged with attempted murder in Huntsville Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We appreciate the Grand Jury that considered this matter, as well as the jury who sat through a week of testimony and arguments, Summerford said. It is the duty of this office to seek justice for those who have been harmed, regardless of their background. Deciding whether a defendant is guilty of murder is not a task to take lightly. This jury deliberated for some time in trying to reach a verdict, and we appreciate their time and attention. Sullivan was indicted by a DeKalb County Grand Jury for the May 2023 killing of his neighbor Gregory Bagwell in February of 2024. Sullivans defense attorneys have maintained that he acted in self-defense, while the prosecution says Sullivan had no claim to self-defense because any dispute or confrontation made on the porch was over after they say Bagwell started to leave once he pulled out a gun. According to court documents, the murder trial began on March 3. The mistrial declaration comes just a day after the defense in the case asked for a juror to be dismissed in the case due to the juror discussing the case on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. By Tom Hals WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) - A year after Elon Musk urged U.S. companies to abandon Delaware as their legal home and follow Tesla to Texas, legislators in the two states on Wednesday considered bills in an unusual battle over corporate law that critics say benefits powerful shareholders. Until recently, Delaware was the undisputed home to Corporate America, even though few companies have significant operations in the state. Most large public companies charter their business in Delaware to take advantage of its corporate law governing relations between boards of directors and shareholders. More than 20% of state budget revenue comes from corporate fees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, after a Delaware judge rescinded Musk's $56 billion pay package as CEO of electric car maker Tesla, a trickle of companies departed the state. Delaware leaders fear that could turn into a stampede -- dubbed "DExit." In February, state lawmakers proposed major changes to the corporate law. On Wednesday, witnesses told the Delaware Senate Judiciary Committee the bill was not driven by Musk but by recent court decisions that created uncertainty about the corporate law. "His commentary had a megaphone effect, but the legislation expressly doesn't help him, and we're addressing the deeper concerns from many companies and investors beyond just one person," Amy Simmerman, a corporate attorney in Delaware, told the committee. The Delaware bill creates "safe harbors" from litigation for transactions involving controlling shareholders, such as buying a controlling shareholder's business or restructuring a class of stock, although it will not impact a takeover of the company by the controlling shareholder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If a deal is approved by a board committee that has a majority of independent directors or by a vote by unconflicted shareholders, the deal cannot be reviewed by a court. Currently, litigation can only be avoided if both steps are used and the committee must be entirely made up of independent directors. The bill also makes it harder to challenge whether a director is independent. It defines "controlling shareholder" and limits records available to shareholders who want to investigate a deal for conflicts. The bill aims to give Wall Street dealmakers confidence that they can structure deals involving controlling shareholders to avoid lengthy legal challenges by investors. Sponsors said it also protects shareholders. Opponents call it a "billionaires' bill," that favors powerful controlling shareholders like Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg and makes it harder for public shareholders to monitor conflicts. Meta is reportedly considering leaving Delaware. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Christopher Foulds, a Delaware attorney who represents shareholders, told the senate committee that investors holding trillions of dollars of capital oppose the bill, which he said prevents stockholders from challenging conflicted transactions. "The controlling stockholder could put their best friend on a committee and negotiate against them, and that's fine, according to their bill," he said. State Senator Bryan Townsend has said the bill was drafted with support from Governor Matt Meyer and is sponsored by the legislative leadership of both parties. The committee ended the hearing without taking action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday morning in Austin, Texas, state legislators discussed Texas House Bill 15, which would enshrine in the code the so-called business judgment rule. This protects boardroom decisions, even if they turn out poorly, as long as they were taken in good faith by independent directors. The bill also allows companies to bar derivative lawsuits unless they are brought by an investor with at least 3% of the company's stock. Derivative lawsuits are cases brought by investors against the directors for the benefit of the company. Musk's pay case was a derivative lawsuit, which was brought by an investor with nine Tesla shares. Governor Greg Abbott has said he would sign the bill. Its sponsor, Representative Morgan Meyer, told a state House of Representatives committee the bill would "make Texas the best state to incorporate in," although only a few large companies have. The committee heard testimony without taking action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brian Quinn, a professor of corporate law at Boston College Law School, said there is no recent precedent for states to compete so openly over corporate law. "That's like an old topic from the 1930s," he said. "That's over, because Delaware won the race." (Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by David Gregorio) This story was produced by Spotlight Delaware as part of a partnership with Delaware Online/The News Journal. For more about Spotlight Delaware, visit www.spotlightdelaware.org. Last week, political signs were posted across Wilmington that called out in bold letters, NO to Elon Musk! NO to SB 21. The signs likely elicited strong feelings from sharply divided Americans over Musks actions in the Trump administration. But, instead they related to a separate controversy brewing within Delaware over legislation that proposes to change the rules that govern the control that powerful shareholders can have over some of the biggest companies in the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And as the debate has grown to a budding national controversy in recent weeks, one question has repeatedly emerged. Will the bill allow Musk, the worlds richest person, to reclaim a $56 billion pay package from Tesla that last year was nullified by a Delaware judge? In January, Musk appealed the ruling to the Delaware Supreme Court. Senate Bill 21, in its current form, defines what a controlling shareholder is within a Delaware registered company and codifies various levels of scrutiny that constrains those controllers actions within the company. Under those rules, Musk does not appear to be a controller of Tesla. The debate surrounding Senate Bill 21 is largely centered around whether Delaware lawmakers are acquiescing to the complaints of Elon Musk, which has sparked a backlash on both sides of the debate. Many believe the proposed rules, if applied to Tesla, would allow Musk to win his upcoming appeal to the Supreme Court a belief that has sparked outcry from critics, including from an alliance of consumer advocacy groups that appear to have placed the political signs in Wilmington. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, the bill only could impact Musk, if its rules can be applied retroactively. The current legislation does not indicate when the rules would go into effect, if passed. Then, last week, a new draft rewritten from the original version by a group of private Delaware attorneys was released publicly. In part, it appeared to be an attempt to answer Musks billion-dollar question. But, instead of calming the controversy, critics contended that the new language muddies what they say is an already hasty piece of legislation that tilts the balance of power in companies toward big stockholders and away from mom-and-pop investors. SB 21 will take rights away from stockholders to eliminate accountability for billionaire executives, said a group of five attorneys, who bring shareholder cases against companies, in an open letter to Delaware lawmakers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bills sponsor Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend said the legislation responds to controversial court decisions in recent years that he said had disrupted a careful balance previously struck by Delaware judges between protecting the rights of big controlling shareholders and those of much smaller investors. Delaware Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, vice chair of the Senate Health and Social Services Committee, participates in the committee's hearing to consider Senate Bill 5 at Delaware Legislative Hall in Dover, Monday, March 3, 2025. Sen. Townsend and House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown are co-sponsors of Senate Bill 5, the first leg of a constitutional amendment that would enshrine reproductive freedom into the Delaware Constitution. He also said he intends to get final language into his bill before a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, where it is scheduled for roughly 90 minutes of debate. Public comment is available in person at Legislative Hall or remotely via Zoom. Townsend did not say whether his final version would be materially different from the rewritten draft of his bill. The answer to the question could impact the health of a Delaware economy that has increasingly depended on the jobs and taxes provided by the states corporate franchise, an industry that caters to the more than 2 million companies that maintain their legal home in Delaware. A nudge to judges? Tesla CEO Elon Musk departs after taking the stand to defend Tesla Inc's 2016 deal for SolarCity in a case before the Delaware Court of Chancery in Wilmington on July 12, 2021. Within the proposed rewrite of Senate Bill 21, two sentences speak to the question of its retroactivity to past cases, including to Musks fight over the $56 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first sentence says the bill cannot be applied retroactively to past or pending cases an indication that Musks pay dispute is not in its crosshairs. But the next sentence says that judges hearing pending cases still can make a decision that is in line with the new rules, if they can support it with pre-existing case law. Townsend said the language is an effort to make clear to the world that judges have discretion, and that the bill should not be applied retroactively to past or pending legal disputes. Others dont see the language the same way, and some critics have claimed it amounts to a legislative nudge to Delaware Supreme Court judges to rule in favor of Musk. Brian Quinn, a professor at the Boston College of Law, wrote in a prominent corporate law blog that the new language signals to the court how it should decide on a pending case, reminding readers that Musks case is up on appeal. He further concluded that the entire bill appears to be about dictating an outcome for Musks appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent days, Spotlight Delaware asked two additional law professors about their interpretation of the new language. They both indicated that overall the draft bill is not written clearly, with University of Pennsylvania law professor Jill Fisch calling it not a model of good craftsmanship. But, the professors disagreed on the question of whether the draft bill would apply new rules to Musks case. Columbia University law professor Dorothy Lund said the language appears to be a message to the court to rule in favor of Musk in his pay dispute appeal. Fisch said she doesnt believe the draft bill directs judges to apply its rules retroactively. Is there a DExit? According to data from Carta, an online platform that matches private equity funders to startup companies, there has been no significant move away from Delaware, nor has any single other state gained significant market share at Delawares expense, despite efforts by Nevada and Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the controversy began in January when Gov. Matt Meyer first told the business world that Delaware needed to change some laws to respond to announcements from several high-profile companies that they would leave or were considering leaving Delaware and legally incorporating elsewhere. Matt Meyer gives remarks after being sworn in Delaware's Governor on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. Those companies included DropBox, Meta, and Pershing Square Capital Management. The departure of companies from Delaware was coined DExit, and conversations about the phenomenon spread in recent weeks on social media, particularly on the Musk-owned X. Its really important we get it right for Elon Musk or whoever the litigants are in Delaware courts, Meyer said in an interview with Business Insider in early February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weeks later, Townsend, the Senate Majority Leader, introduced Senate Bill 21, and presented it as a joint proposal with Meyer and Republican lawmakers. Since then, backers of the bill have repeatedly stated that the changes within it are necessary to maintain a Delaware economy that has increasingly depended on the jobs and taxes provided by the states corporate franchise an industry that caters to the more than 2 million companies that maintain their legal home in Delaware. But, almost from the start, the bill was also ridiculed as a billionaires bill, by critics, including law professors and attorneys who bring lawsuits on behalf of small shareholders. At least one of the prominent critics has also argued that Delawares corporate franchise is at stake, but he said it is Senate Bill 21 that threatens it. Charles Elson, the founding director of University of Delawares Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, told Spotlight Delaware that the U.S. government could step in and mandate that corporate law is dictated by federal law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Such a move could eradicate Delawares legal industry that propels much of downtown Wilmingtons economy. Elson is also among the critics who see Senate Bill 21 as a way from the Delaware legislation to acquiesce to the demands of Musk. Elon Musk, is he really worth throwing away your reputation for him? He will blow himself up the next couple of months anyway, Elson said. Boosting that claim that Senate Bill 21 was about Musk was reporting last month that an attorney from Richards Layton & Finger, a firm that has represented Tesla, was among the drafters of the bill. While Townsend and other backers of the bill have sought to distance it from Musk, he acknowledged that the Tesla case is the elephant in the room in the current debate. Controversial decisions lead debate Townsends introduction of the bill came more than a year after a top Delaware judge, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick, first nullified Teslas massive $55.8 billion payout to Musk on grounds that he had effective control over the companys board of directors, whose job it is to negotiate his pay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The companys shareholders later voted to uphold the payout, but in December McCormick again overruled it, calling Teslas board a perpetrator of fiduciary misconduct that is not allowed to hit reset through stockholder vote. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear Musks appeal this summer. Beyond Musks dispute, Delaware judges have also recently ruled on other cases involving small shareholders challenging powerful individuals within companies. Last month, a New York City workers retirement fund argued in a Delaware court that an $8 billion merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media must be stopped, claiming it would unfairly enrich Paramounts chairwoman Shari Redstone. Last week, McCormick, the chief judge in Delawares Court of Chancery, issued a ruling in which she said she may pause the deal as it gets closer to finalizing. The decision comes about a month after another Delaware judge ruled that former Meta executive Sheryl Sandberg had destroyed evidence that would have been useful in a case filed in 2018, in which a trade union pension fund demanded that her company turn over reams of documents related to a controversy involving the British data mining company Cambridge Analytica. Get stories like this delivered to your email inbox by signing up for the free newsletter at spotlightdelaware.org/subscribe. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware lawmakers to hear legislation derided as billionaires bill Ride-alongs canceled. Administrators asking for recusal. A script for fire department employees to follow when answering calls from outraged citizens and a $1.4 million replacement fire truck. It has been nearly three months since the violent crash between a Delray Beach Fire Rescue engine and a Brightline train on Dec. 28. Emails between fire department and city officials newly released to the South Florida Sun Sentinel show more details of the fallout in the days following the crash and the steps taken early on to manage it. There was confusion for days afterward about whether or not the crew involved was responding to an emergency call at the time, the emails show. At least one elected official was left in the dark for more than a week about whether the employee driving the fire truck had an active license that day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some questions that surfaced in the aftermath have since been answered: A Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office investigation confirmed the crew was responding to an apartment fire at the time of the crash. While all of the employees involved in the crash had active licenses that day, another recently concluded investigation found that several Delray Beach Fire Rescue employees had been driving fire engines and rescue trucks with suspended licenses at some point without supervisors knowledge because the process used to review the status of licenses was convoluted and inadequate. Driver Engineer David Wyatt has been issued a noncriminal traffic citation for failing to use due care by driving over the railroad tracks despite the lowered crossing gates as the Brightline barreled toward it at nearly 80 mph. Two top fire department administrators who were placed on leave have been cleared of any wrongdoing. And the city has also since bought a replacement truck. But some things are still unresolved. The fire department has yet to finish its investigation of the Dec. 28 crash itself, and Delray Beach Police are still investigating their handling of a 2023 off-duty crash involving Wyatt. Chief Ronald Martin said in one email that he was reviewing the fire departments Training Division to identify deficiencies that could have contributed to the incident. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement City officials are also actively considering making safety changes to the railroad crossing at the intersection where the crash happened, Vice Mayor Juli Casale told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Tuesday. Replacement truck It would have cost the city about $2.3 million to replace the destroyed 2009 Pierce aerial platform firetruck with a similar vehicle, according to officials emails. Chief Martin within days of the crash told city commissioners and City Manager Terrence Moore that he recommended buying a $1.4 million smaller apparatus with a 75-foot ladder with the caveat that it could potentially downgrade the fire departments Insurance Service Office Public Protection Classification rating. Martin wrote on Dec. 30 that in a worst-case scenario the downgrade could potentially minimally increase residential and some commercial property insurance rates. Casale said the city has since approved the purchase and entered a lease-purchase agreement for the smaller firetruck. She said Tuesday she did not believe that it would affect the departments ISO rating. Leaders asked for recusal Wyatt and Capt. Brian Fiorey, who also was on the firetruck on Dec. 28, as well as Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Green and Division Chief Todd Lynch were placed on administrative leave following the crash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prior to the crash, Wyatt had driven city vehicles with a suspended license from August to December 2023, according to the fire department investigation of drivers licenses that concluded last month. He was one of several employees who had a suspended license while at some point working for the fire department, the report showed. Lynch and Green were investigated to determine their involvement in how licenses were reviewed and whether they knew of the suspensions. The investigation found that the departments process, which required scrolling through hundreds of pages of a PDF document from the DMV, was confusing for even experienced people to determine the actual status of licenses, according to the report. Lynch was placed on leave on Jan. 3, records previously obtained by the Sun Sentinel show. Just days before that, Martin had tasked Lynch with working as a liaison for an investigator from the State Fire Marshals office. Lynch, as a member of the departments own safety committee, was to conduct a review for the committee at the same time, the emails show. Lynch asked that he be excused from the assignment to avoid any perceived conflict of interest because he was Wyatts family liaison, he said in his reply to Martin. The chief asked who he thought should take the assignment instead. Lynch replied that it would depend on how involved they would need to be, the emails show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These are 19- and 20-year employees and most if not all of our Chief Officers have significant personal relationships with both Captain Fiorey and DE Wyatt, Lynch wrote in one response to Martin. I dont know any of us would pass an impartiality review from the outside. The other administrator who Martin gave the same assignment, a captain who was also a member of the departments safety committee, similarly asked to be excused. My relationship with Capt. Fiorey and D/E Wyatt would not allow me to be impartial. I was hired with Dave and he was in my wedding party. I have also been friends with Brian for nearly 20 years. In addition, I was working on one of the 1st arriving Engines and was involved in scene management as well as patient care of the injured firefighters. For these reasons I request removal from this assignment, the captain wrote. A different division chief was given the assignment by the next day, the emails show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lynch recently announced his reinstatement on social media, while blasting the way the fallout was handled. Green has retired. Student riding on another truck A student observer was riding with a crew on a different, uninvolved Delray Beach Fire Rescue truck on the day of the crash, leading Martin to temporarily suspend all ride-alongs, the recently released emails show. In my professional judgment, this action is prudent, warranted, and in alignment with Best Practices for risk management, Martin wrote to the city manager, city attorney and human resources director on Dec. 30. He issued a general order suspending the ride-alongs later that day, in place until the departments internal investigation of the crash is finished, the emails show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investigation into the crash itself was put on hold while the investigation of licenses was underway, according to Martins emails. The city has not provided an estimated timeframe for when it will be completed. The Federal Railroad Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are both still investigating the crash, spokespersons for those agencies told the Sun Sentinel on Tuesday. We have collected information on this event but do not have plans to publish any information at this time, Sarah Sulick, an NTSB spokesperson, said in an email. If asked about responsibility Martin was slammed by the union on social media and in an email to commissioners on Jan. 3 for prematurely releasing the names of the employees placed on leave. He wasnt the only one feeling the heat, the emails show. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two days after the crash, a fire department executive emailed the citys spokesperson and Martin asking for a scripted response to use when answering phone calls. The short script emailed in response directed employees to say that the firefighters and Brightline passengers injured were receiving care, that no one died and that the cause of the crash was under investigation. One part of the script said personnel if asked about responsibility should reply with: We understand there are many questions, but the investigation is still ongoing, and we cannot comment on the cause at this time. The City is fully cooperating with all investigating agencies, according to the email. Days later, Martin emailed civilian administrators, acknowledging they had been on the frontlines of receiving and listening to some profanity, obscenity, and demeaning messaging since Dec. 28. He directed them to follow the messaging developed by the citys spokesperson, to report it to Martin if anyone became threatening and to hang up the phone if someone becomes intolerably abusive. I like a saying from former First Lady Michelle Obama that helps me: When they go low, we go high! Martin wrote in the email to civilian administrators. I reiterate this saying to myself to help keep my attention and response to these difficult times gauged and appropriate. Therefore, I share it with you in the hopes you can find some solace in it as well. In remote fishing villages in Zambia hit by poverty and drought, women and girls are falling victim to exploitative practices where fishermen pressure them into sex in exchange for fish. They dont ask for money, said Martha*, a fish trader in Zambia who experienced this first hand: They demand sex. Since 2023, international charity ActionAid has run a programme to target these exploitative practices in the western provinces of Zambia and further afield. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the Trump administrations blanket cut of US foreign aid programmes has crippled projects like this one worldwide, which were providing vital protection for women and girls suffering gender-based violence. In December, the programme entitled Resilient Inclusive Sustainable Environment (RISE) received $400,000 (309,000) in funding from USAID via the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to extend the project for another two years and expand it in remote villages across Zambia. But when US president Donald Trump entered office in January and froze global aid, on-the-ground projects went into panic. The RISE programme, which protected women and girls through preventative and direct measures, was shut down immediately. Martha*, a 38-year-old fish trader in Zambia, has faced pressure to trade sex for fish, the most valuable resource. She now volunteers in a community watch group to protect women (ActionAid) The loss of the programme highlights just one way in which women and girls worldwide will suffer from the sudden cuts to global aid; with millions already losing access to contraception, HIV care and midwives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Faides TembaTemba, the country director for Action Aid Zambia, warns that the sudden halt of operations has damaged trust and hindered the charitys ability to implement new programmes in the future. For us this was a very unique project, and we hoped we were going to make a lot of positive change. Especially since some of these areas are so difficult to penetrate, Ms TembaTemba tells The Independent. Families in this village in the Western Province of Zambia, kept anonymous for the womens safety, rely on fish as the primary source of income and food security in the area. Environmental crises such as the extreme recent droughts have made farming unsustainable; meaning that the fish trade becomes all the more essential to survive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All the while, the ongoing droughts have made fish more scarce. Women dont have enough purchasing power; and for those that refuse sex, their business in the fish trade is restricted, explains Ms TembaTemba. While the men go out fishing for the day to bring back food, the women are mostly responsible for buying and selling fish at the markets. The women often have to camp overnight away from home to have first access to the fish when the boats arrive in the morning. In remote fishing villages, men hold the resources and the power. And women are often forced into exploitative relationships. The power lies with the fishermen. This creates perpetual vulnerability among women, in terms of violence, risk of [sexual] diseases, and also pregnancy, says Ms TembaTemba. Fish are an increasingly valuable resource in remote villages, where ongoing droughts have driven food security to desperate levels (ActionAid) In some cases, men increase the price of the fish to unpayable amounts, in order to force the women into sex or else go home empty-handed. In others, cheaper prices will be offered. Sometimes the fishermen will not accept money at all, instead demanding sex. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The fishermen lure women outside of the market to settle the transaction, says Ms TembaTemba. Palekelo*, a woman which ActionAid worked with through their programme, turned to the fish trade when farming was no longer an option. The fisherman told me I could come with my money but if I didnt pass by his house to spend the night, I was not going to get any fish, she said. Now, Palekelo is a member of a watch group set up by the programme, to help protect other women like her from being exploited. Ive faced fear and difficulties in the fish trade. Its not easy for me as a woman, she said. Palekelo* is a survivor of the harmful sex for fish practices, and credits the RISE programme with bringing the exploitation to light (ActionAid) The consequences for women in Zambia who have been forced into non-consensual or transactional sex are manifold, and go beyond the physical and emotional impacts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Women in remote villages face a culture of shame when it comes to sexual assault and rape; which leads many to hide their experience rather than report it to the authorities. You become a laughing stock in the community, adds Ms TembaTemba. Whats more, the shame of this sexual exploitation extends to their husbands, she explains; many of whom would divorce their wives if the incidents became public. These women always suffer a double tragedy. Their husbands know exactly what is happening in these fish camps. They enjoy the income the woman is bringing back to the table, but at the same time abuse them, because of their reputation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a community like this one, divorce can be ruinous; since divorcees are labelled as prostitutes by other women, and men hold the monopoly on land ownership and economic opportunities. First and foremost, the men are mostly the breadwinners. In these remote places, most of the land is owned by men, said Ms TembaTemba. If you are divorced, you have no access to land, and your food security is affected. Targeting sexual exploitation Martha*, 38, now raises awareness of the predatory practices among the fishermen and traders; warning that the exploitation is commonplace but unspoken, even among the women. The sex for fish exchange practice is rampant. We all know it, but it cant be discussed openly, said Martha. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Targeting such ingrained exploitative practices is challenging, particularly in remote areas. ActionAids project brought together multiple community groups to raise awareness of sexual exploitation and how to identify it, and created community watch groups to keep women safe. The project gave training to local women on how to negotiate and protect themselves from manipulative tactics, as well as raising awareness among fishermen to foster a culture of understanding. In southern Africa in general, social norms mean that women are looked at as sex objects. We wanted to engage with men and boys to address harmful gender norms, and promote positive masculinity, said Ms TembaTemba. The loss of RISE and similar programmes targeting gender-based violence will leave a void in communities worldwide (ActionAid) There was also a strong focus on encouraging women to report instances of sexual exploitation or rape, working with authorities to target gender-based violence, and collaborating with local Christian groups to provide safe houses and refuges in instances of danger. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2024 alone, Zambia faced more than 42,000 reported cases of gender-based violence; which ActionAid warns is just the tip of the iceberg. But now, like many others, the RISE project has come to an abrupt stop, putting the future of women and girls around the world into uncertainty. The reckless decision to slash USAID funding is having an immediate and severe impact on the worlds most vulnerable, said ActionAid USAs executive director, Niranjali Amerasinghe. This is not about efficiency; its about a callous disregard for those in need, driven by political maneuvering and the influence of an unelected billionaire. Aid must be restored immediately. *Names have been changed at request Mar. 11DEMING Melvin Cordell appeared in 6th Judicial District Court on Monday, where he declined to challenge prosecutors' request that he remain in custody as he faces 24 felony counts involving child abuse, sexual molestation of his children, aggravated battery and tampering with evidence. Prosecutors added new counts in an amended complaint as police executed search warrants Monday at the property north of town where police say Melvin and Valerie Cordell, made their children live and sleep outdoors in holes in the ground or in a van, without toilet or bathing facilities. In court records, police said they found the property strewn with clothing and open containers holding human waste. Prosecutors stated in court records that "the living conditions ... were so appalling that it was beyond comprehension." New Mexico State Police arrested the couple in February following an investigation begun last October. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new complaints add detail to allegations that the Cordells molested or allowed other adults to molest the children and punished them by withholding food for up to two days at a time. Melvin Cordell, 50, faces two counts of criminal sexual penetration of a minor. Police allege that one child was impregnated twice. Two charges of aggravated battery involving great bodily harm accuse the father of performing non-consensual abortion procedures on one daughter, three years apart, according to the complaint. The evidence-tampering counts stem from disposing of the remains, prosecutors allege. Valerie Cordell, 41, has been charged separately with 16 counts of child abuse, plus one count of criminal sexual penetration of a minor and conspiracy to commit abuse of a child, in an amended complaint. Prosecutors are seeking to join the cases. District Judge Jennifer DeLaney, presiding over both, had already granted prosecutors' request to hold Valerie Cordell through trial, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the children's safety. The eight children, spanning the ages of 6 months and 16 years, are in foster care, and the parents are being held at Luna County Detention Center. Melvin Cordell's attorney, Mario Carreon, did not indicate whether the defendant would waive a preliminary hearing to examine the evidence and witness testimony, which prosecutor Cynthia Clark indicated would require a full day in court, currently set for early April. Democratic Representative John Larson erupted during a Department of Government Efficiency House Oversight Committee hearing Wednesday, verbalizing the immense frustration felt by much of the country. Wheres the independence of the committee? Larson yelled at House Republicans. Wheres the legislature? Were an equal branch of government. Musk did not attend the meeting, which infuriated Larson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wheres Elon Musk? he asked, pointing to Musks empty seat. Im sure hes a genius and is a very credible person because of the wealth hes accumulated. But that does not put him above the law, or the responsibility to come before this committee and this Congress. Since Donald Trump took office, Musks DOGE has fired thousands of federal workers, gutted the United States Agency for International Development, and cut more than $500 million in funding to the Department of Education. The billionaire has also attacked Social Security through a number of fraudulent claims, and admitted that the social safety net program is on the chopping block in a recent Fox News interview, despite Trump promising not to touch Social Security. If hes so great, if these plans and all the fraud and abuse that hes found are so eminent, why isnt he here explaining it? Larson demanded of Republicans. You know why. Because he wants to privatize Social Security. State Rep.-elect David Gottfried, who won a special election in House District 40B in the north metro area on March 11, 2025. Courtesy photo. Democrat David Gottfried decisively won a special election in the north metro area Tuesday night, bringing the Minnesota House to a 67-67 tie. The seat was empty because the winner of the November election, Democrat Curtis Johnson, was not a resident of the district, a judge ruled in December. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The President is sowing chaos that is increasing the price of basic needs like food, energy and health care. Its never been more urgent that we work together in Saint Paul, Gottfried said in a statement. After Gottfried is sworn in, likely on Monday, committees will be co-chaired by one Republican and one Democrat, with membership split evenly, except for a new anti-fraud committee that will remain under Republican control. Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, will remain in her position as the House speaker through 2026, under a power sharing agreement negotiated earlier this year. A bill requires 68 votes to pass in the House, so all bills will require some amount of bipartisan support to pass the chamber. Bills will also require bipartisan support to get a committee hearing, House DFL caucus leader Melissa Hortman said this week. Per a prior agreement, Republicans will retain their majority on the Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee, which was formed to address the theft of hundreds of millions of public dollars in recent years. Lawmakers must pass a two-year budget by June 30 to avoid a government shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans, who have controlled committees during their temporary one-seat advantage, have just a few more days to hold hearings on their bills that have no DFL support. The one-seat advantage though temporary has paid dividends for Republicans, who secured the speakership and the permanent majority on the anti-fraud committee. And, they were able to get bills on the floor to push their political message, even if they had no chance of passage, like delaying the implementation of paid leave, overturning the duty to retreat, and banning transgender athletes from girls sports. While the seat was empty, Republicans considered using their one-vote advantage to block the seating of DFL Rep. Brad Tabke, who narrowly won his south metro election. Democrats held out from the legislative session for several weeks, preventing the chamber from reaching the number of present members required to conduct business. Democrats returned to the chamber in early February after reaching a deal with Republicans on the details of the power-sharing agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was always going to be an uphill battle to win in a dark blue Democrat seat, but we look forward to having the House back at full strength, Demuth said. I want to thank Paul Wikstrom for running an incredible race and ensuring that District 40B is represented by someone who actually resides in the community. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) candidate David Gottfried has won the special election for a seat in the Minnesota House, according to a Decision Desk HQ projection. Gottfried, a pro bono specialist at a law firm, defeated Republican candidate Paul Wikstrom, an engineer manager and instructor pilot, for Minnesota House seat 40B, which includes portions of Shoreview and Roseville. Gottfried was expected to win the seat, which has voted overwhelmingly Democratic in past election cycles. The Minnesota DFL candidates win now brings the state House to a 67-67 tie. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The special election was prompted after DFL candidate Curtis Johnson won the seat in November but was later found to not have met the district residency requirements. Johnsons initial win put the state House at an even 67-67 tie, but after the judge ruled he was ineligible, the GOP had a temporary 67-66 edge in the lower chamber. The state House then had a tumultuous start to the session, with DFL members refusing to head to work at the state Capitol as the two parties couldnt come to an agreement over how to proceed, given the GOPs temporary majority that would later be brought back to a tie in. Republicans sought to elect a Speaker and conduct business without the DFL members, arguing 67 members constituted a quorum an interpretation of the state Constitution that was later struck down by the Minnesota Supreme Court. The two parties ultimately came to a power-sharing agreement last month that included electing Republican Lisa DeMuth as Speaker. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. WASHINGTON New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said on Wednesday she will not run for re-election in 2026, putting another competitive race in play for her party ahead of a critical mid-term campaign where President Donald Trump's agenda will be front and center for voters. "I ran for public office to make a difference for the people of New Hampshire. That purpose has never and will never change," Shaheen said in a video statement. "But today, after careful consideration, I'm announcing that I've made the difficult decision not to seek reelection to the Senate in 2026. It's just time." She added that she is "not retiring" and will continue working to make a difference for New Hampshire and the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shaheen has served in the U.S. Senate since 2009. She previously served as the state's governor and as a member of the state senate. Her retirement puts one more Democratic seat on the map in what will likely be a competitive 2026 senate campaign for Democrats. Two other Democratic senators Gary Peters of Michigan and Tina Smith of Minnesota previously announced that they, too, would not seek another term in the Senate. What the Trump administration means for your community: Sign up for USA TODAY's On Politics newsletter. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) speaks with Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), left, at a press conference about the Nation Security Supplemental on Dec. 6, 2023 in Washington, D.C. Peters' swing state seat is considered a "toss up" by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, as is the Georgia seat currently held by Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Shaheen's New Hampshire seat and Smith's Minnesota seat will both be competitive, though more likely to go to Democrats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That leaves Democrats with four competitive seats to defend, compared with two for Republicans in Maine and North Carolina. National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., wrote on X that Shaheen's departure is "welcome news" and expressed confidence Republicans would be able to flip her seat. Republicans already control the Senate 53-47, after Democrats lost four seats to Republicans in the 2024 senate elections in a year when Trump led the ballot. (This story has been updated with more information.) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen will not seek reelection Democrats are deeply conflicted over the Trump administrations arrest of a Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University who faces deportation for his prominent role in campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war. Senate and House Democrats have condemned the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil as a violation of his First Amendment rights to protest but have tempered their criticism to avoid supporting campus protests that at times featured harassment and assault of Jewish students. They are also being careful to condemn Hamas, which attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250, and prompting an Israeli response that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths in Gaza, including many civilians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I abhor many of the opinions and policies that Mahmoud Khalil holds and supports, and have made my criticism of the antisemitic actions at Columbia loudly known, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote in a post to X on Tuesday. But the New York Democrat challenged the Trump administration, which has called Khalil a supporter of Hamas, to justify his arrest by immigration agents outside his New York apartment over the weekend. If the administration cannot prove he has violated any criminal law to justify taking this severe action and is doing it for the opinions he has expressed, then that is wrong, they are violating the First Amendment protections we all enjoy and should drop their wrongheaded action. Khalil is a Palestinian from Syria who entered the U.S. on a student visa and had obtained legal permanent residency, commonly referred to as a green card. His wife, an American citizen, is eight months pregnant, his lawyers said in court papers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump, who has said he wants to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses, celebrated the arrest in a social media post, saying it was the first of many to come. A federal judge halted the Trump administrations efforts to deport Khalil on Monday, and scheduled a hearing on the case for Wednesday. Schumers statement echoed a similar one from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries released Monday. To the extent his actions were inconsistent with Columbia University policy and created an unacceptable hostile academic environment for Jewish students and others, there is a serious university disciplinary process that can handle the matter, Jeffries wrote. Absent evidence of a crime, such as providing material support for a terrorist organization, the actions undertaken by the Trump administration are wildly inconsistent with the United States Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other prominent Democrats are similarly wrestling with the arrest. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state said he had concerns about some of the campus protests that erupted around the nation after the Oct. 7 attack. But he noted in a social media post that Khalil committed no crime and shouldnt be locked up for expressing his political views. A small number of Democratic representatives have taken a less nuanced view, demanding Khalils release while expressing support for the pro-Palestinian movement in a letter sent Tuesday to Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. We must be extremely clear: this is an attempt to criminalize political protest and is a direct assault on the freedom of speech of everyone in this country, said the letter, whose signatories include Palestinian-American Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. Khalils arrest is an act of anti-Palestinian racism intended to silence the Palestinian solidarity movement in this country. Other Democratic House members to sign the letter include Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, New York Rep. Nydia Velazquez, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar and Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress, was censured for her comments about the Israel-Hamas war in November of 2023. Omar was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in 2023 for remarks she previously made denouncing the Israeli government. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report misspelled the last name of Rep. Ilhan Omar. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan plans to fight for increased access to abortion services for military members and a better emphasis on support programs for women and minority veterans, even if she knows neither is likely to gain traction this year. Elections have their consequences, and right now the Republicans have the majority in the House and the Senate and the White House, said Houlahan, D-Pa., and the senior Democrat on the House Armed Services Committees military personnel panel. So I wont be able to determine whether or not that piece of legislation gets to the floor for consideration. But its really important that people out there hear that there are people in Congress who very much believe in your right as a person, either who is wearing the uniform or a family member, to be able to travel for that care that you need. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Houlahan, who served as the ranking member of the committees special quality of life panel last year, took over the key minority leadership role for personnel issues this year and will be a featured foil for many Republican social issue priorities in military policy. In a recent interview with Military Times, she expressed frustration over moves already to deemphasize recruiting of women and minorities and undermine the last administrations family support policies, including travel stipends to help troops access abortion services. I do worry that with an elevated conversation about minorities in the military or women in the military, that this will suppress people who are interested in joining, Houlahan said. I have specific evidence that people who had intended on either going to the academy or enlisting, who happened to be women, are making different choices than they would have. And thats a tragedy. House military personnel panel eyes reforms to recruiting efforts Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Houlahan served for 15 years in the Air Force, both active-duty and reserve. Encouraging women to enlist now is a hard conversation, she said, but she remains hopeful that the total number of female enlistees will continue to grow because you cant make progress if youre not there, if you dont have a seat at the table. She plans to work with colleagues on highlighting those kinds of challenges and priorities in the committees annual defense authorization bill debate later this spring, even if the issues face an uphill political battle. Houlahan also said she is optimistic there are areas of partisan compromise in improving troops quality of life. Both Republicans and Democrats are looking for ways to boost housing stipends for military families and enhance base services, like child care and medical care, she said. Last year, I was really surprised at the pushback that we got from some of the senior members of the military on increasing pay for junior enlisted people, Houlahan said. I understand that they have to make really tough choices on where to put the resources in dollars. But there is no more important place to them than in the men and women who serve us. Hearings on personnel issues for the budget policy bill are expected to begin in coming weeks. Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, the new chairman of the committees military personnel panel, has said he hopes to focus heavily on recruiting issues in those hearings. During his address to Congress last week, Donald Trump promised that he was just getting started." Trump is Americas first elected autocrat. His just getting started means an escalation in his neofascist campaign to end Americas multiracial pluralistic democracy and turn the country into a version of Viktor Orbans Hungary or Vladimir Putins Russia, nullify the rule of law, ignore and stain the Constitution (and especially the Bill of Rights), make the country into a white Christian authoritarian state, betray Americas allies and friends, take even more of the American peoples money and give it to the richest corporations and individuals, and pull apart an already threadbare social safety net which will include gutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. At his core, Trumps political vision and style are driven by political sadism. Trumps will to power and his personality demand that he not stop his shock and awe campaign against American democracy and a humane society. Some Americans are starting to rise to the challenge. At town hall meetings across the country, thousands have begun to demand that Democrats take a more aggressive posture and become a true opposition party. By comparison, the Republicans are no longer holding such meetings because of the publics growing hostility in response to the harm that the Trump administrations policies are causing (and will cause) to huge swaths of the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This growing discontent with Trump has not yet translated into a significant change in American public opinion. President Trumps base of support remains stable: approximately 47 percent of Americans approve of his performance so far. Civil society organizations are using the courts to slow down some of the Trump administrations most egregious assaults on the rule of law and the Constitution. In what appears like a concerted effort to force a constitutional crisis, the Trump administration is refusing to fully comply with many of the courts judgments against it. The Democratic Party continues to be unfocused and lacking a unified strategy and vision for how best to oppose President Trump and the MAGA Republicans, and the larger American fascist movement and their allies. Donald Trump is more than a man; he is a symbol and a character. But Trump, both the man and the symbol and the almost mythic leader for his MAGA followers and others who are so devoted to him is not a supervillain or all-powerful God or prophet (despite how many of his followers would like to believe that he is). At the American Prospect, Robert Kuttner highlights how Trumps recent pivots "suggest a certain vulnerability" that presents an opportunity for Democrats: Having to repeatedly countermand your own incoherent policies is a sign of weakness. It invites more pushback. Republican critics of Trump, European allies, federal judges, and Democrats facing a big budget battle should all keep that in mind. Trump is far from invincible. Ultimately, Donald Trump is a high-dominance leader. To have any chance in a political battle against such a leader and his authoritarian populist MAGA movement, the Democrats, the so-called Resistance and other defenders of democracy and American freedom and honor need to get some momentum and move from being on the defense to the offense immediately. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an attempt to make better sense of the Democratic Partys low-dominance leadership style, ineffective approach to political battle in the Age of Trump (and beyond), and their ongoing failures of strategy and messaging and potential ways to correct them and win victory I recently spoke with M. Steven Fish, a professor of political science at the University of California, Berkeley. Fish has appeared on BBC, CNN and other major networks, and has published in The New York Times, The Washington Post and Foreign Policy, among others. His new book is Comeback: Routing Trumpism, Reclaiming the Nation, and Restoring Democracy's Edge. This is the second part of a two-part conversation. For Trumps Cabinet and the rest of his appointees, fealty to Trump is all that counts. Trumps Cabinet is an extension of his high-dominance leadership style. Your thoughts on this? I agree with your assessment, but its important to bear in mind the implications of your observation that Trump has turned the whole show and the whole government over to lackeys. Because their authority and identity are just extensions of their Dear Leaders, the government is now staffed mostly by supplicants, people who lack strength. Much the same can be said of the multitude of Republican members of Congress who have sacrificed every last bit of their dignity and principles to follow Trump into the darkness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What this all means is that if the Democrats can take down Trump himself, the whole MAGA operation is left rudderless, bereft of figures with minds, principles or expertise of their own. The Democrats cant just stand by and hope Trump sabotages himself or suffers a fall in public approval. Theyve got to overmatch his dominance and bring him down themselves. Whether its FDR taking on the plutocracy and whipping its Republican abettors, JFK confronting Americas foreign enemies and challenging Americans to sacrifice for the country, or LBJ and MLK smacking down bigots and dismantling a centuries-long edifice of racial injustice, the Democrats have plenty of high-dominance role models to inspire us. How did you read Trumps meeting with Zelenskyy? Trump attempted to publicly humiliate Zelenskyy and make him beg for Americas continued assistance in Ukraines freedom struggle against the Russian invaders. Trump, Vance, Rubio and the rest thought that theyd humiliated Zelenskyy, but thats not what at least half of Americans and most of the rest of the world saw. They saw a mighty man of consummate integrity and courage defend his country, decency and democracy in the face of a farcical onslaught. They saw Trump and Vance forfeiting their own nations power, honor and global leadership to please a man, Vladimir Putin, whose greatest career passions have been to undermine American power and prestige in the world and conquer former Soviet territories, starting with our staunch ally, Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps antics are not popular at home; in the Russia-Ukraine war, 52 percent of Americans support Ukraine while 4 percent back Russia (the rest register neutrality). A slight majority supports continuing to supply Ukraine with weapons, and 96 percent consider West European countries as allies or friendly powers, while four percent consider them unfriendly or enemies. Trumps foul attacks on Zelenskyy are intended for an audience of one: Vladimir Putin. Donald Trump is determined and will not stop, which is why his followers and MAGA followers love him so much. His resilience and compulsion to power and his mastery of being Donald Trump, the character. His sense of humor and timing make him very compelling. What Trump is doing to the United States (and the world) is contemptible and unconscionable. But as a main character in a story - a horror movie, political thriller and dark comedy all in one Trump is very compelling. He is also honest and direct. I dont think the Democrats and other pro-democracy Americans can defeat him and the larger authoritarian and fascist project unless they accept these facts and get past their normative priors and outside their Trump is bad and how could anyone support him! echo chamber. Why are these aspects of Trumps appeal so difficult for many liberals, progressives, centrists and other normal-politics types to understand? Among the Democrats normative priors you mention, I think the most significant and damaging is the notion that high-dominance politics is essentially anti-democratic since Trump is both illiberal and high-dominance. Specifically, goes the story, since Trump is always on the offensive, we, here meaning the Democrats and the resistance should avoid aggression. Since he plays us-versus-them politics and treats opponents with disdain, we must avoid othering our opponents. Since hes an entertaining showman, we should avoid drama and spectacles. Since he goes low, we must go high. Since he makes it all about himself, we need to shun personalism and charisma in our ranks and make innocuous policy engineers and personnel managers like Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries the faces of the Democratic Party. But this mentality or what you aptly call Democrats normative priors makes for purely reactive politics. It hands Trump the laser pointer while we play the cats. It also ignores the fact that high-dominance politics is innately neither virtuous nor wicked. Its just a tool you need if you want to win, all the more against high-dominance opponents. You can wield it like FDR and Churchill did to crush autocrats and would-be autocrats, or you can use it to crush democracy like Putin and Trump are doing. I have a prediction that seems more and more likely: Donald Trump is going to be given a third term because the Constitution and rule of law increasingly no longer apply. He will declare a holiday in his own honor: American Renewal Day or MAGA Day or the like. Some of his Republican supplicants are already proposing something like this. Trump will also give the American people more "stimulus" money with his face and name on it $1,000 at least. Most Americans do not have $500 for an emergency. If all that occurs, Trump easily wins a third term and is regarded by many Americans as one of the countrys greatest presidents ever. When the Supreme Court ruled for Trump in Trump v. United States, effectively immunizing him from violations of the law, it trashed the founders intentions and destroyed our democracys most important institutional safeguard, that being constraints on executive power. The decision was 6-3 in favor of Trump; had Biden been under indictment for or at risk of indictments, the decision of course would have been 9-0 in favor of the United States, with the six Republican justices siding with the rest. That decision, along with a host of other Supreme Court rulings and congressional Republicans refusal ever to stand up to even Trumps more egregious acts, leads me to agree that the Constitution and the rule of law increasingly no longer apply. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But enabling Trump to stand for a third term would require amending the Constitution to void the 22nd Amendment, which states: No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice. Getting two-thirds of both houses of Congress and three-quarters of state legislatures to approve of Trumps scheme would be impossible, so the only clear route to a Trump third term would be Congress passing a law allowing it, and then when the law is challenged, the Supreme Court declaring it constitutional. The decision would effectively end even the pretense of the courts status as a guardian of the Constitution, which makes me skeptical that any of the justices besides Alito and Thomas would back it. As for Republican governors, members of Congress, and other elites, being the Trump supplicants they are, many will at least feign support for such an authoritarian move for a time, but the fact remains that many of them want to run for president themselves in 2028, and retiring Trump is key to their ambitions. I think there are reasons to doubt that Trump, stimulus checks or not, is going to be popular enough to be reelected in 2028, though it cant be ruled out. Remember, too, that voiding the 22nd Amendment means that Obama could run again. For now, at least, I think we should treat Trumps third-term threats as another attempt to drive the libs to distraction, and my hope is that they dont take the bait. The Democrats are floundering in their search for a new message. Any suggestions? I think the Democrats should forget about having a united message and drop the idea that everyone in the party must be on the same page before we can step out with a message at all. Thats never going to happen, and whatever compromises party elites could make to try to force it would amount to nothing more than a pile of platitudes. In 2016, the Republican Partys message could not have been less united, since most Republican leaders still couldnt stand Trump, but he was elected anyway. The Democrats dominated politics during the middle third of the 20th century, even as the party couldnt even agree on whether to let Black people vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Take DEI and trans issues, which the Republicans bludgeoned the Democrats with during the election and are now using as a distraction from Trumps autocracy-building project. Democrats are tearing themselves to pieces over how to respond to Trumps attacks and to grapple with polls showing, for example, that most Americans think that people who are born male shouldnt compete in girls and womens sports. Goodness me, whats our party to do?! The best course of action is for the Democratic Partys leaders to speak their own truths. For example, a Democratic Party leader who is genuinely tired of what she sees as woke excesses can stick up for everybodys right to be protected from discrimination while also poking fun at universities and government agencies changing breastfeeding mothers to lactating employees in their statements on maternity leave policies (presumably to avoid excluding chest-feeding trans men). As we did before the election, if the Democratic Partys leaders asked you for concrete advice about what they should do right now to slow down Trump and get some momentum back, what would you tell them? Id say the same thing I said in my book "Comeback," which was published in May of last year. First, instead of treating Trump as a terrifying, offensive beast whos bound to eat us all alive, treat him as being ridiculous, insecure and hostile to the best of what America is and should be. As long as the Democrats make it all about big, bad Trump, they are sticking with the low-dominance strategy that has cost them election after election and now threatens to cost us our democracy. Second, and relatedly, quit reading polls and feverishly adjusting the message to them. Trump tells people what he thinks and aims to change the way we think, while the Democrats wait for polling results and tell people what they think they want to hear. Consequently, Trump seems like a real leader and armed with that reputation, he has literally bent the arc of history toward injustice. The Democrats look like anxious, reactive petitioners and panderers who need polls to tell them how to define justice. Seize the flag and hammer at Trumps betrayal of our allies, national interests, security and devotion to Putin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On language and broader messaging: Lets shut down the pablum about defending the middle class, sticking up for working families and other such drivel. Democratic elites are addicted to this language, and it has demonstrably done nothing to win anyone over. Do you swell with pride at being a member of the middle class? Are you ready to go to the barricades to fight for the middle class? Do you think working-class people exalt in the pity parties that well-heeled, overeducated liberals throw for them? Why not take a page from FDR, who said on the eve of his first landslide reelection: Most of us whether we earn wages, run farms or businesses, are in one sense businessmen. All they seek and all we seek is fair play based on the greater good of the greater numbers. Imagine that! Calling wage-earners businessmen instead of struggling working families. In that same speech, FDR also defended each of his progressive reforms as nothing more than the American thing to do, repeating the refrain over and over. Never mind that his radical reforms had never been tried in America or anywhere else, for that matter. In the minds of his listeners, Roosevelt made them the American thing to do much like Trump is now tragically making stripping people of their rights and joining with Americas enemies the American thing to do. Further: Stop talking to Black people primarily as Black people and Hispanics as Hispanics and Asians as Asians and women as women and immigrants as immigrants and LGBT people as LGBT people. How much more evidence do we need that the Democrats identity-group-targeted messaging doesnt work, still more when its tinged with pity? Liberal elites dont seem to know it, but the data show that Black Americans are as proud to be Americans as whites are, and nobody is prouder of being American than first-generation Americans from all over the world. Speak of and for America as a whole and address everyone, first and foremost, as Americans. Then we can talk about specific groups concerns but here weve got to avoid any hint of the condescension that so often seeps into our message. Above all, the Democrats need to avoid demoralization and remember that our country is still the greatest experiment in self-government, the greatest cultural and technological innovator, and the most prosperous nation in the history of humankind. It is still the light of the world. The main reason the world seems to be darkening dramatically right now is that the light of America is flickering. A senior Democratic senator is leading an effort to pass legislation designed to cut down on a particular kind of health care fraud and, in the process, to shore up the Affordable Care Act. On Wednesday, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced a bill to stop brokers who sell Obamacare insurance from engaging in a series of deceptive of fraudulent practices, like luring customers with misleading advertisements or enrolling people in plans without their full consent. When that happens, people can discover they are on the hook for higher out-of-pocket costs than they expected, or that they have more limited access to providers and drugs. In some cases, people end up owing back taxes because they unwittingly got financial assistance the federal government makes available based on income and for which they were not eligible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation would impose new civil and criminal penalties for such broker behavior, require new auditing procedures and take other steps that go beyond anti-fraud measures the federal government has taken already. Wydens bill has nine co-sponsors, all of them Democrats. Reps. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) and Deborah Ross (D-N.C.) have introduced a companion version in the House. But the legislation isnt just an effort to address a well-documented policy problem. Its also an attempt to shape a coming political debate about the Affordable Care Acts future and, in particular, how much financial assistance should be available for people who buy insurance through it. Since 2021, people buying insurance through Obamacare have been eligible for extra subsidies, thanks to a temporary boost President Joe Biden and the Democrats enacted as part of their COVID relief efforts and then, one year later, extended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That money runs out this year. At that point, the extra subsidies will go away and insurance will become more expensive unless President Donald Trump and Congress decide to extend the assistance in some form. Neither Trump nor the Republican lawmakers in charge of Congress have said much about the issue. But conservatives have argued against extension, citing not just the overall cost (somewhere between $30 billion and $40 billion a year in federal expenditures, based on Congressional Budget Office estimates) but also what they say is widespread waste and fraud in the program. Their solution is to let the provision of the enhanced subsidies lapse, as planned, on the theory that extra money gives brokers and individual consumers more incentive to exploit or defraud the system. The only way to meaningfully reduce waste and fraud is for Congress to permit the enhanced part of the subsidies to expire, Brian Blase, a former Trump administration official who is now president of the Paragon Institute, wrote in a newsletter last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But without those additional subsidies in place, premiums would be higher and several million more people would go without insurance altogether, according to CBO and otherindependentanalysts. Citing that possibility, Wyden and his colleagues say the federal government should keep providing the enhanced subsidies perhaps through a bill Democrats introduced earlier this year while focusing anti-fraud efforts on the rogue brokers. The best way to fight fraud is to go after fraudsters, Wyden said in a prepared statement. Republicans have been talking a lot about waste, fraud, and abuse lately this legislation is a great place to start rather than taking away health insurance from working Americans and increasing premiums for millions of families. If President Trump and Congressional Republicans were serious about addressing fraud in our health systems, they would support this critical legislation, said Ross. Trump Is Already Making Obamacare Changes Its not clear when or if Republican leaders in Congress will take up this issue. But this week the Trump administration took some steps toward changing the Affordable Care Act on its own, through executive action: It proposed to reverse Biden-era rules that made Affordable Care Act enrollment easier, especially for lower-income Americans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the Trump proposal becomes final, the open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act insurance will be shorter, while people signing up for coverage will have to provide more information about their income status. The Trump proposal would also undo a Biden decree making so-called Dreamers undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as young children eligible to buy subsidized coverage through the Affordable Care Act. A Trump administration press release described this proposed rollback of the Biden rules as critical and necessary to protect people from being enrolled in Marketplace coverage without their knowledge or consent, promote stable and affordable health insurance markets, and ensure taxpayer dollars fund financial assistance only for the people the ACA set out to support. Among those who see it differently are Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under this banner of trying to crack down on the bad actions of some insurance brokers, they are penalizing consumers, particularly low-income consumers, with more burdensome requirements and more limits on their access to coverage, Corlette told KFF Health News, which has done extensive reporting on Affordable Care Act enrollment fraud. Government estimates suggest that reverting to the old, pre-Biden rules could reduce federal spending significantly by between $10 billion and $14 billion a year, the Trump administration said in its press release. Of course, government estimates suggest the change could also mean between 750,000 and 2 million people losing health insurance, several critics of administration policy said on social media. The rule proposes these changes under the guise of preventing fraud, but punishes enrollees instead of targeting marketplace bad actors, Sarah Lueck, vice president for health policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, posted on X. Federal efforts to address fraud and abuse should target fraud and abuse not penalize marketplace enrollees. MARTIN COUNTY What was once considered a Democrat stronghold in southern Indiana is now drifting in search of a new party chairman. Political leaders throughout the country have been organizing and re-organizing from the national down to the local level in the past couple of weeks. Martin County, though, is one of the few where the search is still on for a chairman. We had the former chair retire before his term was over. We are hoping to get them re-organized in the next few weeks if we can get an entire slate of candidates. We have one or two who have expressed an interest but we need all four, said Eighth District Democrat Chairman Dave Crooks. The number one focus is who is going to chair the party in Martin County. I have had one person reach out and express an interest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The empty leadership position is not lost on long-time Democrats like former Loogootee mayor Noel Harty. Its hard to imagine. There was a time in Martin County if you were not a Democrat, you could not win, said Harty. Now, its hard for a Democrat to win in Martin County. Its a shame to find the party to be in the position it is in. Crooks says he sees a transition coming and that it is important that Democrats have leaders in place. We want to make sure every county in the state has a Democrat organization. Martin is one of just a couple that are not organized, said Crooks. If the Democrats are ever going to pull out of this funk we are in, it is all about voter participation. Indiana is dead last in voter participation. Thats embarrassing, but the Republicans in their super-majority dont want to make it better, because this works for them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crooks says that with Martin County being home to Crane and thousands of jobs being dependent on the actions happening in Washington, D.C., the Democrat chairmanship takes on additional importance. Martin County is getting noticed across the country right now, because they have such a high percentage of federal workers who work at Crane and all of the contractors up there, said Crooks. Some of these cuts in Washington are going to hit here. We just dont know yet or how deep it will be. People interested in becoming the Martin County Democrat Party Chairman need to be a resident of Martin County with a Democrat voting record. People who are interested can reach out to Crooks to apply for the post. This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPMs home for opinion and news analysis. As far as most American families were concerned, schools post-pandemic reopening brought an end to an era of uncertainty in public education. In reality, the end of that era was never all that clearly defined. Now, as the Trump administration sweeps into office with reams of radical proposals, a new era of uncertainty for teachers and families has clearly arrived. On Tuesday night, news broke that the U.S. Department of Education would purge nearly half its staff. Earlier, it was widely reported that the administration planned to ultimately go even further, and would imminently publish an executive order to wind down the U.S. Department of Education to the greatest extent possible while calling on Congress to eliminate it entirely. The order hasnt yet materialized, but, in addition to 1,300 jobs, the administration has already slashed $900 in education research funding, over $600 million in professional development for teachers, and $350 million in grants sustaining centers for studying and sharing best practices in schools. Its next steps arent clear, but they range from making significant cuts to core federal K12 funding for high-poverty schools, English learners, and students with disabilities to zeroing these funds out entirely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These antics couldnt come at a worse time. Schools were entering an era of significant financial pressures before Trump, DOGE, and new Education Secretary Linda McMahon began hurling wrenches into the federal governments gears. Factors ranging from the expiration of the Biden Eras pandemic recovery funds, public dollars increasingly flowing to conservative school voucher programs, falling birth rates, and heightened immigration enforcement mean that public schools finances are already hurting. Against that backdrop, the administrations threat to evaporate federal education programs has become just the latest, broadest front in a comprehensive attempt to defund public schools. Pandemic Recovery Funding Ending This school year, $190 billion in federal pandemic recovery funds wound down meaning that many school districts are going to have to make cuts to return to their pre-pandemic budgets. This one-time splash of federal K12 cash was more than 10 times the size of the federal governments annual budget for supporting schools in low-income communities. That public investment allowed many districts to maintain, expand, and/or enhance their offerings during an uncertain moment in U.S. schools and society. These funds sustained tutoring programs, afterschool programming, new technology, social-emotional learning programs, and much more. Many districts used these dollars to add staff. The coming fiscal year will likely be particularly painful in their communities. Investments in Exotic Conservative School Choice Programs As those federal funds neared their expiration date, conservative state policymakers have been seeking ways to shift public education dollars to private schools. States like Georgia and Wyoming have grown their school voucher programs, allowing families to divert public education funding to private schools of their choice. Texas is pushing in the same direction. Meanwhile, other states are experimenting with novel school choice policies like education savings accounts that allow families to use public education dollars for a range of educational expenses, including technology, instruments, and vacations. Similarly, dozens of states offer tax-credit scholarship programs that allow individuals and organizations to garner tax benefits when they donate to non-profits subsidizing private school tuition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While these programs appear to have mixed at best results for improving student achievement, they generally result in decreased funds available for public schools. Analysts at the Education Trust argue that Arizonas expanded school choice program dramatically overshot its budget and reduced funding for public schools. The latter is a relatively common problem with these programs, particularly in rural areas where school budgets often cannot sustain the funding cuts that can come with the voucher-fueled reductions in student enrollment. Flagging Birth Rates Thats a key element often overlooked in school funding arguments: in general, local education budgets are tied to the number of children attending a particular school and/or district. States usually provide K12 funding on a per-pupil basis, sending more money to larger schools and districts particularly those enrolling larger numbers of students with special needs, English learners, low-income students, and other so-called weighted student groups. In other words, local K12 budgets generally go down when local enrollments shrink. In Michigan, for instance, where state per-pupil funding averages nearly $8,800 and local per-pupil funding averages around $5,300, a schools enrollment drop of 23 children represents a future budget reduction of around a third of a million dollars. This spells trouble for schools, because in many communities, there just arent as many kids as there used to be. U.S. birth rates have dropped for decades, which is producing drops in the number of school-aged children. Naturally, school enrollment is also dipping. The impacts of this longstanding trend were less visible while the aforementioned American Rescue Plan pandemic recovery dollars were still available to float school budgets. But fewer students means less state education money which will be particularly challenging for schools in communities with dwindling economic opportunities to attract families to come, stay, and raise children. Immigrant Detentions and Deportations And The Economic Headaches That Result This population swoon isnt unique to the United States birth rates have been falling across the world, particularly in developed countries. But the U.S. has been uniquely effective at attracting and integrating immigrants, which has helped to sustain school enrollments and fill in labor market gaps. Federal estimates suggest that these new members of the U.S. community are producing trillions in economic growth and federal revenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Naturally some of that additional revenue will go to public schools so that school-aged children of immigrants who number around 18 million in the U.S. can learn, succeed, and grow into their own places in American society. From Kansas to Iowa to Michigan, immigrants and their families have been stanching, or even reversing, demographic decline in rural communities with small and aging populations. Their arrivals are stabilizing school enrollments and budgets in those communities. Their families are joining their communities as taxpaying workers and marketplace consumers. The Trump administrations immigration policy changes target that healthy feedback loop in multiple ways. First, many children will leave the country and their schools because members of their family are detained as part of the administrations mass deportations efforts. Its difficult to put a precise number on how many students will be affected, but there are hundreds of thousands of undocumented students in U.S. schools and at least six million children living in households with at least one undocumented family member. If even a fraction of those children leave school, that will produce K12 budget crises in many communities. Second, one of Trumps first acts as president was to revise federal immigration enforcement guidelines to permit armed agents to conduct raids at churches, hospitals, and schools. And indeed, late last month, federal immigration officials arrested a father as he dropped his children off at school, alleging that he was in the country illegally, had prior criminal convictions, and had been previously deported. Third, conservatives in states like Texas and Tennessee are pushing to unwind more than 40 years of legal precedent by charging undocumented immigrant children tuition for attending public schools. In its 1982 Plyler v. Doe decision, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that the 14th Amendments equal protection clause applies to everyone in the United States, and does not permit discrimination on the basis of national origin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Finally, changes like these have produced a chilling effect, with children of immigrants attendance dropping in large numbers. In California, where schools funding is tied to enrolled students average daily attendance, state lawmakers are sufficiently worried that theyre proposing reforms to ensure that local K12 budgets dont crater. A New Era Of Crisis For Public Schools Theres never a good time to trim, let alone slash, education budgets. Public investments in childrens development and learning are amongst the most important things a humane society can do. But given the present context expiring pandemic recovery funds, dropping enrollments, conservative lawmakers investments in private schools, and more its time to call the administrations Department of Education-slashing federal efforts what they are: the capstone of a comprehensive effort to defund public schools. In the coming era of tight public school budgets, even relatively small changes to federal education funding would have produced extra heartburn in school districts across the country. But small reductions feel like a baseline minimum right now, so students, families, and educators should expect to feel much more punishing cuts. HARRISON COUNTY, Texas (KETK)- A power plant in Harrison County is expected to be demolished in a controlled explosion on Thursday. The Harrison County Sheriffs Office posted a notice on Facebook informing residents that the Pirkey Power Plant will be blown up on Thursday at 9 a.m. Residents have been advised to stay indoors during the demolition of the plant. City of Chandler recognizes hometown hero for helping abandoned elderly couple Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriffs office stated that proper safety measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of all residents near the plant. The explosions will produce loud, sudden noises that may be heard throughout the surrounding area, The Harrison County Sheriffs Office said. These blasts are part of the demolition process, and safety measures are in place to ensure public safety. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com. WASHINGTON (NewsNation) The House passed legislation Tuesday to avert a partial government shutdown and fund federal agencies through September. In the Senate, the bill will need support from at least eight Democrats to get it to President Donald Trumps desk. Its one of the biggest legislative tests so far of the Republican presidents second term. Senate Democrats say the six-month government funding resolution that passed the House on Tuesday is a horrible bill, but theres growing sentiment within the Senate Democratic conference that it would be too risky to block the legislation and risk a government shutdown that could drag on for weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump administration bets on continued consumer spending: Stirewalt Senate Democrats battled behind closed doors Tuesday over how to handle the House bill, with a number of Democrats especially those in swing states arguing a government shutdown must be avoided, even if it means reluctantly voting for a House GOP-drafted bill. Senate Democrats spent well more than an hour debating how to proceed at their weekly caucus lunch meeting in the Lyndon Baines Johnson Room just off the Senate floor. The conversation today was divided. I cant say we have a strategy, said a Democratic senator who requested anonymity to comment on the internal deliberations. There are a lot of people who havent made a decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawmaker said Democrats are worried they would get the blame for a shutdown if they voted to defeat the House bill. The House is out of session for the rest of the week, upping the pressure on Senate Democrats. NewsNation affiliate The Hill and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. Money from the U.S. Department of Education, whose new leader backs calls for its closure, pays for a variety of functions in the Palm Beach County School District. President Donald Trump was expected to sign an order as soon as Wednesday, March 12 that starts the process of putting newly confirmed Education Secretary Linda McMahon out of a job by dismantling the department. The agency announced on Tuesday, March 11 that it had cut its workforce in half, firing about 1,300 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To abolish the department fully, Trump would need Congress. And McMahon is prepared to do that. His directive to me, clearly, is to shut down the Department of Education, which we know well have to work with Congress, you know, to get that accomplished, she told Fox News on Tuesday. More: Loss of U.S. Education Department money could affect half of Palm Beach County students Here's a closer look at how that money is used in a Florida K-12 school district: Title I: Help for schools with more low-income students Title I: The district got $58 million in 2024-2025 to help it educate the roughly 100,000 students who attend schools with a high-percentage of low-income students. That money is used to help pay for teacher professional development, encourage parental involvement, curriculum, instructional and technological supplies, to provide for extra time for teachers to work with students, for attendance programs and community engagement. Title II: Recruiting teachers Title II: The district got $7 million in 2024-2025 to help it recruit, train, retain and mentor teachers. Title III: Title III: The district got $4.5 million in 2024-2025 to help it educate students learning English. According to a state summary, Title III money provides "academic and linguistic support through additional bilingual staff, supplemental instructional materials, and language acquisition software." IDEA: Help for students with autism, speech issues, other disabilities IDEA: The district got $48 million to help it educate students with some form of disability. The range of those disabilities is large, including students who are autistic, have hearing, speech or vision limitations, intellectual or emotional disabilities, physical or learning disabilities and those with traumatic brain injuries. IDEA money is used to provide technical and instructional support, staff development and encourage parental involvement. Source: Palm Beach County School District This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Department of Education cuts: How they affect Florida's K-12 schools The Department of Education announced Tuesday that it's firing over 1,300 employees. This will slash the agency's workforce in half, a senior administration official said. The official said that these terminations will not impact student aid or grant disbursements. The Department of Education said on Tuesday that it's firing over 1,300 employees, leaving the agency with just over half the number of workers that were in place before President Donald Trump's took office for his second term. A senior administration official confirmed to reporters that the department is beginning to send termination notices to 1,315 employees beginning at 6 p.m. EST on Tuesday and that the department's focus with this reduction in force was eliminating full teams the agency deemed redundant or unnecessary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The official said that of the 4,133 total staff at the department, 259 took the administration's deferred resignation offer, and 313 accepted the department's $25,000 voluntary buyout. About 2,183 employees will remain at the agency after these terminations, the official said. Fired employees will have 90 days until they are officially terminated, and they will receive full pay and benefits during that time, along with severance payments to follow. These terminations are in addition to the 63 probationary employees who were already fired from the agency, the official said, and they will not impact key functions like the administration of federal student aid, grants for special needs students, and civil rights investigations. "Today's reduction in force reflects the Department of Education's commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers," Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. "I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department. This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system." The department said that terminated employees will be placed on administrative leave beginning March 21 until the reduction in force is complete on June 9. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One Education Department employee told BI that the news "makes me sick." "I'm just waiting for 6 p.m ET to roll around to see if I get an email," the employee said. "Of course there will be no rhyme or reason to it. They will indiscriminately fire people without regard to tenure, program, project, performance, impact, or any other useful metric." The terminations are coming just over a week after McMahon outlined the "final mission" for the department, which she said would include removing "bureaucratic barriers" within the agency. They signal a step toward President Donald Trump's overall goal to eliminate the Department of Education altogether. Following news of the terminations, the American Federation of Government Employees local chapter president, Sheria Smith, said in a statement that the union will "fight these draconian cuts." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We will not stand idly by while this regime pulls the wool over the eyes of the American people," Smith said. "We will state the facts. Every employee at the U.S. Department of Education lives in your communities we are your neighbors, your friends, your family. And we have spent our careers supporting services that you rely on." Got a tip? Contact this reporter via Signal at asheffey.97 or via email at asheffey@businessinsider.com. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely . Read the original article on Business Insider The Department of Education announced Tuesday it was firing nearly half of its workforce, the latest Trump administration move to shrink the federal government that could face swift legal challenge. A senior department official said 1,315 staffers will be let go and received the notification Tuesday. The Education Department started President Trumps second term with more than 4,000 employees, but even before Tuesday, hundreds had already been put on leave or had taken a buyout offer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After this reduction, there will be 2,183 employees left with the department, which Trump has repeatedly called to shutter completely. The senior official said the reduction in employees will not impact student aid, Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms, formula funding to states, operations for students with disabilities, civil rights investigations or any statute-mandated obligations from Congress. The department focused this layoff on teams that were reductive or unnecessary, they said. Every part of the department will be impacted in some way but this is primarily a streamlining effort for internal facing rules, not external facing roles, the official said, giving examples such as finding six separate strategic communication functions for different offices that will be consolidated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The announcement comes after the federal agency told staffers to leave the offices by 6 p.m. EDT Tuesday and that offices would be closed Wednesday due to security reasons. The official said the decision was made to keep the remaining employees safe and that those laid off will be scheduled to come in before March 21 to collect their things. While the complete abolishment of the department cant happen without an act of Congress, which is unlikely due to the 60-vote threshold needed in the Senate to overcome a filibuster, the administration and Education Secretary Linda McMahon can make changes to significantly weaken it. The day she was confirmed, McMahon sent a final mission memo to staffers warning of significant layoffs and changes in the department, saying removing red tape and bureaucratic barriers will empower parents to make the best educational choices for their children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The battle now could now shift to how small the department can become before a court says it is interfering with mandated requirements from Congress. I think that the president also has the authority to hire and fire people within the confines of the budget. So, he cant hire a whole bunch of people he doesnt have money for, but I think he can fire people even if he has money to pay them. I think, conceptually, the limit is, if he fires so many people that he cant do the jobs that Congress has given him, then he will have violated the Constitution, Neal McCluskey, director of the Center for Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute, previously told The Hill. Advocates were already gearing up to fight to preserve the department through lawsuits and civic action when reports came in that Trump was going to sign an executive order directing the dismantling of the federal agency but then canceled the plans. I expect that any actions to shutter the agency or to dismantle it will be challenged in the courts, and those challenges will prevail, said Julie Margetta Morgan, a former deputy under secretary of Education during the Biden administration. I think the other thing to think about here is that the decision to dismantle the Department of Education is incredibly unpopular, and people need to continue to voice their concerns about that and their displeasure with the Trump administrations efforts and to hold policymakers accountable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Updated at 6:16 p.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. COMSTOCK TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) Deputies in Kalamazoo County say a man was taken into custody overnight after two people reported that he fired a rifle in their direction during an altercation. Around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to the 5000 block of Francis Street, near River Street, in Comstock Township for a report of shots fired, according to a release from the Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Office. There, deputies spoke with two people, who said they had gotten into an altercation with a man while they were outside his home. As they were getting back in their car, they said the man leaned out his window and fired a rifle at their car, according to the release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities surrounded the house, but the man refused to come out, deputies say. Eventually after deputies got a search warrant he exited the house and was taken into custody, according to the release. No injuries were reported. Deputies say when they searched the home, they found several guns. The man, 46, was jailed for felonious assault and a conditional bond violation, according to the sheriffs office. His name was not released Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. The bomb squad responded after dynamite was found at an Ohio property. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Lorain Police and the Lorain County Sheriffs Office were dispatched to reports of found dynamite just before noon Tuesday, according to a social media post. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Technicians rendered the suspected dynamite inert with the use of kerosene regularly utilized in this process, the sheriffs office said in a Facebook post. The Sheriffs Bomb Squad deemed the scene and surrounding neighborhoods safe. Deputies were in the neighborhood there for 24 hours. The sheriffs office stated they wanted to ensure completion of the remediation process before the dynamite was removed. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] LAURENS COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) A high school employee was arrested Tuesday for allegedly letting students to use nicotine and THC products in her classroom. According to the Laurens County Sheriffs Office, the investigation began on February 28, when the school resource officer at Laurens District 55 High School was told an employee was letting students use the products in class. Additionally, the employee was accused of letting students skip class and stay in her classroom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials said the employee, identified as Miranda Burton Stone, was fired on March 4. Stone was arrested and charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk of or cause harm, four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and providing tobacco to a minor under 18. Deputies said Stone was an ISS, or in-school suspension teacher at the school. This is a developing story. Stay up to date with 7NEWS on the air and online as more information is made available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. DES MOINES, Iowa A Des Moines man has been jailed in connection with a Prospect Park neighborhood shooting Monday night that seriously injured a woman, police say. Demonie Smith Demonie Smith, 18, is being held in the Polk County Jail on charges of attempted murder and going armed with intent. Des Moines Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Paul Parizek said Smith used an AR-15 rifle to shoot a woman in the 2600 block of Boston Avenue a little after 10:30 p.m. Criminal complaints filed in the case say Smith was dating the sister of the victim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iowa man stabbed victim and then set victims home on fire, sheriff says Police were initially called to the area on a report of gunfire. While officers were responding, they learned a woman suffering gunshot wounds had driven herself to Broadlawns Medical Center. Sgt. Parizek said the victim was shot three times and the vehicle she drove herself to the hospital in had been hit seven times. Investigators found shell casings in the roadway at Boston Avenue. As part of the investigation, a search warrant was executed in a South Central Des Moines neighborhood where several firearms were seized. Criminal complaints filed in the case say Smith turned himself into police about 13 hours after the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 32-year-old victim remains hospitalized. The investigation into the shooting continues. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. White House Border Czar Tom Homan speaks to reporters outside of the White House on March 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Homan spoke to reporters about the U.S. southern border amid President Trumps efforts to implement strict immigration policies. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been added to a program discussing immigration policy scheduled for next week at New College of Florida in Sarasota. Tom Homan, President Trumps border czar, and Chad Wolf, former acting Secretary of Homeland Security in Trumps first term, were already slated to appear at the event, billed as Borders, National Sovereignty, Rule of Law: Whats Next for U.S. Immigration Policy. The conversation will be moderated by school president Richard Corcoran. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The event takes place two years after DeSantis transformed the small, formerly progressive liberal-arts campus into a beacon of conservatism by overhauling its board of trustees and naming Corcoran, the former Florida House Speaker and Education Commissioner, to serve as its president. Saying it is important to act immediately upon Trumps executive orders to begin mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, the governor pushed the Legislature into a special session last month that created a new State Board of Immigration Enforcement, consisting of the governor, the commissioner of agriculture, the attorney general, and the chief financial officer. This new board will distribute $250 million in grants to local law enforcement agencies that work with federal officials to enforce immigration laws. The immigration discussion is scheduled to take place on March 20 at 12 noon at the Mildred Sainer Pavillion at New College. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Jeanette Nunez, until recently lieutenant governor, is becoming interim, and likely permanent, president of Florida International University. (Photo via FIU) Florida governors have long held sway over the selection of state university presidents, but Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken extra care to install political allies with limited higher education experience in these well-paid jobs, including his former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez. Now, a bill filed for the 2025 regular session of the Florida Legislature would limit the governors authority, giving universities more autonomy in selecting their leaders. Sen. Alexis Calatayud of Miami and Rep. Michelle Salzman of Escambia County introduced the measure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HB 1321 in the House and SB 1726 in the Senate would strip the State University Systems Board of Governors (BOG) and State Board of Education of their power to approve university and college presidents, leaving it up to the institutions trustees and search committees. The bill would prohibit Board of Governors members from sitting on search committees. Since 2023, five of Floridas 12 public universities have hired new presidents the University of Florida, New College of Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida Polytechnic University, and Florida Atlantic University. Four Florida International University, the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, and Florida A&M University are in the process of finding new presidents. UF hired former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse as president in February 2023, but he stepped down in July 2024 and reports of profligate spending followed, requiring a fresh search. Each university has 13 trustees, six appointed directly by the governor and five by the State University Systems Board of Governors. The governor appoints 14 of the 17 members of that board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FAU chose Adam Hasner as its president this month. The former state House majority leader faced pushback from College Democrats because of his partisan background, although he pledged during forums that he would stay away from politics as president. Nunez stepped away from the DeSantis administration to become interim president at her alma mater, FIU, this month, two years before her term in office was set to end. Trustees from both institutions applauded their new presidents for their connections in Tallahassee and perceived political influence over appropriations. Jose Oliva, a member of the Board of Governors, said moments before that panel approved Nunez that when he was speaker of the Florida House and Nunez was lieutenant governor, it was very standard to see her during budget time in the speakers office advocating for FIU and making sure that FIU received not just the proper support from the Legislature, but also the proper recognition for its many successes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People who protested Hasner, Nunez, Sasse, and former House speaker Richard Corcoran at New College largely focus on fears they would politicize the institutions. DeSantis has been plain that he wants to convert the formerly progressive New College into the Hillsdale of the South, referring to the conservative Christian college in Michigan. DeSantis has hinted that similar transformations may be coming at the University of West Florida, which just underwent a big shake-up of its board of trustees, and elsewhere within the system. Kassandra Toussaint, an FIU student, speaks in opposition to trustees voting to name Lt. Gov. Nunez as interim president during a virtual meeting Feb. 7, 2025. (Screenshot via FIU trustees livestream) The governors office and BOG have made no secret of their motives, making clear they want to prune ideological study stuff, want no more indoctrinating concepts, are putting certain degrees under the microscope for their return on investment, now that colleges and universities must undergo DOGE Florida audits. I want to say that we are fully aligned with the Board of Governors vision and mission because ultimately we recognize that FIUs success is also the BOGs success, Nunez said Feb. 20 in front of governors about to vote for her confirmation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor reached out to FIU to advocate for Nunez. Earlier, DeSantis reportedly positioned now-state Sen. Randy Fine for FAUs post (although that fell through), and his office guided Sasse to Gainesville, Politico reported. The newly proposed legislation would reverse heightened secrecy that the Legislature and DeSantis imposed for presidential searches in 2022, reopening records about presidential searches under Floridas public records laws. Among the other requirements, Calatayud and Salzmans bill would impose term limits on State Board of Education members (two four-year terms), college trustees (eight consecutive years), university trustees (10 consecutive years), and Board of Governors members (one seven-year term) and require them to disclose their financial records. Members of the Board of Governors would have to be residents of the state. Calatayud declined to comment about the legislation, nor did Rep. Demi Busatta, chair of the House higher education appropriations commitee, respond to requests for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill has support from the two Democrats on the Senate Higher Education Appropriations committee, Sens. Carlos Guillermo Smith and Tracie Davis. Ive been concerned for many years that the governor has used his power to influence decisions on provosts and university presidents really to reward his most loyal soldiers, and its not getting us great leaders at our higher education institutions. In fact, its resulted in a lot of grift and a lot of corruption, Smith told the Phoenix. Davis called the Calatayuds bill refreshing, saying DeSantis has basically weaponized the appointments of presidents here in the state of Florida. Being an educator myself, many of them dont have the qualifications to be presidents of universities, Davis told the Phoenix. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, too, supports a move toward independence for universities. That legislation, I think, is going to be in tension with the governor, Driskell told reporters on the opening day for the legislative session last week. She added: I really appreciate that to the extent that we can get away from the governor having such a heavy hand on these appointments, I think that would be better for the people of Florida, too. University of Florida, Florida A&M University, and University of South Florida have open searches for president, as has FIU, although Nunez is seen as the favorite to take over the permanent position. Long history of nontraditional candidates Critics see DeSantis exertion of control as worrisome for the universities and academic freedom but BOG vice chair Alan Levine counsels calm. He is a former deputy chief of staff to former Gov. Jeb Bush. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It really isnt new. I know people want to hang this on Gov. DeSantis, I just dont think thats fair, Levine told the Phoenix in an interview before Salzman and Calatayud filed their identical bills. Gov. DeSantis is not the first governor to be interested in who university presidents are, Levine said, adding that he believes some of the best presidents in Florida were not academicians. Hasner, selected unanimously over two career-academic finalists, and Nunez have no experience in higher education administration, while Corcoran previously served as Florida education commissioner and Sasse was president of Midland University, a small, private institution in Nebraska. State University System Gov. Alan Levine speaks during a Board of Governors meeting in Orlando on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Screenshot via The Florida Channel) When he served under Bush, Levine said, a new president didnt get hired unless we were aware of who it was and we were comfortable with who that person was. The Board of Regents now replaced by the Board of Governors would keep the governors office informed about presidential searches he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres a long history of people that are nontraditional candidates who proved exceptional presidents, Levine said, listing former House Speaker John Thrasher (FSU 2014-2021); former House Speaker T.K. Wetherell (FSU 2003-2010); former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney (UNF 2003-2018, Flagler College 2021-present); and former Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan (FAU 2003-2009). He also listed attorney Marshall Criser, who served on the Board of Regents and as president of University of Florida for five years starting in 1984. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX How does Florida stack up with the rest of the nation? Politics in higher education is happening most in red states, Judith Wilde, a presidential search researcher at George Mason University, told the Phoenix, listing as examples Virginia, Texas, and Georgia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its those sorts of southern red states where we see politics come in most. The most egregious by far is in Florida, Wilde said. DeSantis makes it clear what he wants, and his people make sure thats what happens. Theres not much more to say about that. It was exacerbated in a way by Sasse himself, when you look at the reasons that he was forced out of the position, Wilde said. When he took on the role, he said he would not bring politics into the position and yet he hired people who had been on his staff when he was a senator to do things. He hired some firms that he knew from his days in Washington. So, he brought politics right back into it. UF responded to Sasses administrative practices by implementing new HR policies for the office of the president. DeSantis himself claims the universities are heading in the direction quite frankly that Florida voters have been very favorable towards in the last many elections. We believe in the mission, but we also have a responsibility to make sure [presidents are] operating in ways that are consistent with the states best principles and best ideals, DeSantis said during a news conference last month. So, when you have somebody that has already proven that they have a dedication to classical mission of the universities, that they have opposed efforts to use universities for ideological indoctrination, I just think it gives people a little more confidence that theyre going to do that as they go in. Wilde argued that presidents selected through nonpolitical processes can produce conservative leadership, but that relying on politicians may not always lead to the desired result. I think its sort of naive to say that having a politician, you know what theyre going to do and that they will remain conservative, she said. I dont feel that thats necessarily a rule, and if they really want somebody conservative, then they should be able to get that with a regular search. Most politicians dont seem to really have a clue about what a university does, and so how can they really lead it? Fear of political payback could prevent search committees from advocating for candidates other than the one preferred by the governor, Wilde said. Judith Wilde is a professor at George Mason University. (Photo via George Mason University) Its going to take a lot of thinking and cogitating on the part of the members of the search committee to go against the governor, because they know that if they go against him and choose somebody else without having a really good reason, or being able to convince that this other person would be better, that they may lose their positions in whatever it is they do. Wilde said. More presidents than in the past across the country are stepping down before their terms end, one reason being the increased frequency of secret searches and another lack of support from the university community, she said. When the search is done in secret, it means that the people at the university dont know whos coming and, at the end, kind of like the Wizard of Oz suddenly a curtain has pulled aside and with a roll of drums, heres your new president, Wilde said. At UF, Sasse was the sole finalist named notwithstanding a state law requiring a shortlist of finalists to be made public. Wildes research into the 2015-16 academic year found that 92% of searches nationwide involved an outside search firm, the vast majority of which suggested secret searches. During 1975-76, only 2% of searches were done in secret; the rest were done locally and involved alumni, faculty, students, and local stakeholders. According to a 2022 nationwide survey of college presidents by the American Council on Education, since 2006, presidentss tenure has decreased by 2.6 years. Presidents surveyed had been in their position an average of 5.9 years. Im not aware of any specific effort for this to happen, its just sort of a natural evolution, Levine said. Whats it take? According to Artis Hampshire-Cowan, a search consultant hired by FAMU, university presidents must be business executives to be successful tenacious, with an understanding of the complexity of university finances and the scramble for resources. About 80% of presidents will serve in that capacity at only one school in their career; 17% will serve in a second presidency, Wilde said. [Search firms] claim you need to have someone whos been president, and yet there arent very many of those who choose to be president again, she added. Sen. Gayle Harrell via Florida Senate Sen. Gayle Harrell, chair of the Senate Higher Education Appropriations Committee, said she believes political experience can help a president but isnt everything. They have to be the complete package. Political experience may give you a leg up, but its only one aspect of all the credentials that you have to present, Harrell told the Phoenix. There are insights gained from having legislative experience or administrative experience in Tallahassee that perhaps someone coming from out of state or from another university system might not understand, Harrell said. Financial Hasner and Nunez are set to make hundreds of thousands of dollars more than their predecessors did. Hasners contract is for five years with an annual base pay of $875,000 and $150,000 bonus if he receives an exceptional or outstanding review. In addition, theres a retirement supplement of $100,000 and $19,800 per year in an automobile allowance, as well as a $30,000 relocation reimbursement. For the current year, outgoing interim President Stacy Volnick was set to earn a base salary of $551,250. She now serves as the VP for administrative affairs and COO earning a $450,000 base salary. Nunezs interim contract will give her annual base salary of $850,000 with a performance bonus of up to $127,500, a $12,500 annual automobile allowance, and paid insurance premiums. In Jessells contract, signed in 2022, which was set to expire this November, he and the university agreed to a $650,000 base salary with a $175,000 annual bonus, $130,000 annual retirement supplement, $12,500 automobile allowance, and a $10,000 moving stipend. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives. On March 12, 2003, Elizabeth Smart, the 15-year-old girl who vanished from her bedroom nine months earlier, was found alive in a Salt Lake City suburb with two drifters, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. The news was almost too good to believe. But it was true, and Utahns as a whole were relieved at the outcome. Shes home, read the big bold headline in the Deseret News. There were lots of hugs. A memorial sprang up along State Street in Sandy when young Elizabeth was found with her abductors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Family, friends, an entire state and many, many more offered prayers of thanks for the outcome. Too often, abductions end much differently. In the ensuing days and months, now years stories detailing aspects of the saga have been shared. Smart, now married and a mother of three, wrote a memoir and has been a tireless advocate for missing persons and victims of sexual assault. Here are some stories from Deseret News archives related to the abduction and return, and how Utahns and the media reacted to the news: Elizabeth Smart Shes home! About Utah: Smart: Happy end to a sad saga Smart story makes media history Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Timeline: The Elizabeth Smart kidnapping 15 years later Elizabeth Smart kidnapping timeline President George W. Bush speaks before signing a wide-ranging package of child safety measures in the Rose Garden of the White House on April 30, 2003, in Washington. With Bush on stage are the Smart family, left to right, Ed Smart, Elizabeth Smart, and Lois Smart. | Ron Edmonds, Associated Press Our Smart tireless, dedicated Elizabeth Smart details kidnapping in new memoir Photos: Found! Elizabeth Smart Elizabeth Smart wants more college students to get self-defense training For information, Mitchell is serving a life sentence for kidnapping Smart. Barzee was released from prison in September 2018. By Alimat Aliyeva On March 14, a meeting will be held in Beijing with the participation of China, Russia, and Iran to discuss the Iranian nuclear issue, Azernews reports. This was announced during a briefing by the official spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning. "On March 14, a meeting will be held in Beijing with the participation of China, Russia, and Iran to address the Iranian nuclear issue, which will be chaired by Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu," she said. This trilateral meeting underscores the growing diplomatic engagement between these countries regarding the ongoing nuclear tensions in Iran. With global concerns over Irans nuclear program, the involvement of China and Russia highlights their role in shaping the discourse around non-proliferation and the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Given the geopolitical weight of these three nations, the outcome of the meeting could have significant implications for regional stability and international diplomacy. PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) The Peoria County Highway Department has watched the nearly 70-year-old Medina Township bridge for a couple of years, and Tuesday was the day. The structure of the Staab Road bridge has deteriorated enough to the point where it is no longer drivable. It might seem extreme for a known quantity, like watching the wood deck and timber piles that support the bridge deteriorating over time. But its not that simple. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a township bridge that carries about 50 cars a day, according to the last Illinois Department of Transportation traffic study. It connects to Hicks Hollow Road, which is about a mile long, and is dotted with a few houses. Assistant County Highway Engineer Jeff Gilles says he inspected the bridge Tuesday afternoon. He says the wood piles, that are a lot like a wood utility poles, have reached a point they are no longer able to do the job of adequately supporting the structure. Gilles estimates the wood and steel beam bridge will cost about $800,000 to replace. The highway department has responsibility for township bridges. But there are limited pots of money for such bridge projects and competing interests. It takes a while to save up enough to replace such structures, with a relatively low traffic volume. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gilles says after inspecting it Tuesday, he made the call to close the bridge. IDOT officials agreed. For those traveling south, leaving Hicks Hollow Road, they will now have to detour north instead, adding an estimated three- to four-mile detour. The county is looking options as to whether the bridge can still be repaired or will need to be completely replaced. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. The family of a 12-year-old girl killed by a runaway vehicle outside her middle school are voicing their frustration with her school district. On Thursday, Arsema Mekonnen, 12, was walking outside Washington Middle School in Seattles central district with her classmates during their lunch period when a vehicle that had been left in a no-parking zone rolled backwards 75 feet down a hill and hit her, according to Seattle police. She died as a result of the accident. Arsema's family told Seattle news station KIRO 7 that they felt abandoned by the Seattle Public School district following their daughter's death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who killed my kid? Berihun Mekonnen, Arsema's father, asked. Why you dont tell me? Why? The vehicle was left in the no-parking zone by a 51-year-old woman who has not been publicly identified. Police said the vehicle was not fully parked when it began to roll. Local police are still determining whether the driver will face charges in the girls death. A 12-year-old middle school student was killed by a runaway car while she was walking near the campus on March 6, 2025 (Google Maps) Tigist Yitna, Arsemas mother, said she and her family moved to the United States from Ethiopia to provide a better life for their daughter, but now feel abandoned as they search for answers. I brought my daughter here from Ethiopia to have a better life, to go to a better school, get better education. And then I send my child to school and I dont get my child back, she told KIRO 7 through a translator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The family said they have not been permitted to see their daughter since the day she was killed. Wintan Halie, a friend of the Mekonnens who translated for them during their interview with KIRO 7, said that no one from the school reached out to them after Arsemas death and accused the officials of leaving the family to fend for themselves. After the incident, Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Brent Jones released the following statement: "My heart is heavy with sorrow as we face the devastating loss of a Washington Middle School student. I am deeply saddened by this tragedy, and my thoughts and condolences are with the students family, friends and the entire Washington community during this incredibly difficult time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesday, Seattle Public Schools chief of staff Bev Redmond contacted KIRO 7, assuring reporters that the district planned to meet with the family "as early as possible this week," and insisted that it was "committed to supporting this family." Arsema's funeral is planned for Sunday, March 16. A GoFundMe has been established for the family by parents of other students attending the middle school. "To support [Arsema's] grieving family during this difficult time, parents are collecting donations big and small to support them through this horrible loss and cover funeral expenses," a message on the GoFundMe states. The fundraiser has already collected $43,000 of its $45,000 goal. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) The developers looking to renovate downtown Youngstowns tallest building are having trouble getting financing. Tuesday they showed up looking to the city for some help. Three men from New York City sat amongst Youngstown City Councils Community Planning and Economic Development Committee meeting, touting their plan to redevelop the First National Bank building downtown. This is a beautiful, beautiful building and its an important part of Youngstowns history, said Patrick Ciccone with FNB Youngstown. They plan to spend $10 million renovating the 96-year-old building into apartments, condos and office space. Theyve secured historic tax credits of $2 million which must be used within 18 months but theyre having trouble getting a loan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is skepticism in the lending community at large about housing in downtown Youngstown, period, which I think is one of the hurdles were trying to overcome, Ciccone said. The developers wanted the councils approval to make the building a Community Reinvestment Area, which would give them 12 to 15 years of no property tax on the increased value of the improvements they plan to make. It is very difficult to make it work without some form of support from the city, said Ciccone. Councilman Julius Oliver was surprised they were having issues with financing. Oliver says downtown has improved. A major corporation moving its headquarters in Steelite into downtown Youngstown, securing an innovation center is a $26 million investment already, Oliver said. Approving a Community Reinvestment Area will not cost Youngstown any money out of pocket which may be one reason no council member spoke against the idea. Councilman Mike Ray asked that the city administration draw up the legislation so the full council could approve it as quickly as possible. It was noted that the First National Bank building is currently only 40 percent occupied and the bank does plan to continue occupying the first floor. The developers could not say when the project would begin or when it would be finished. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. Minnesota Democrat David Gottfried won a special election for House District 40B on Tuesday in a landslide, restoring a 67-67 split in the House of Representatives. The special election for the district, which is in Ramsey County and covers most of Roseville and Shoreview, was organized after the November winner DFLer Curtis Johnson didn't meet residency requirements following a court challenge. Gottfried defeated Republican Paul Wikstrom, who also ran for the seat in 2024 and challenged Johnson's residency in court. Gottfried received 70.15% of the vote (9,352 total). Wikstrom received 3,966 votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This marks an increase in the margin of victory compared to November's election, when Johnson received won by a 65%-34% margin over Wikstrom, albeit with lower turnout. Gottfried said in a statement the victory is "for Roseville, Shoreview, and every constituent who hasn't been represented for weeks." "I couldnt be more thrilled to be headed to Saint Paul as soon as possible to get to work for this district and Minnesota. Our teams efforts during the many phases of this campaign have been astounding. Im so proud of the work of everyone who knocked doors, made phone calls, sent postcards, chipped in a few bucks, and did everything they could to make sure we won tonight," Gottfried said. We never lost sight of whats at stake. The President [Trump] is sowing chaos that is increasing the price of basic needs like food, energy, and healthcare. Its never been more urgent that we work together in Saint Paul to shield Minnesotans from the chaos, lower the cost of prescription drugs, and make a smart plan to protect our shared futures in Minnesota. Related: Tuesday special election to decide Minnesota House power balance Democrats already hold a one-seat majority in the Minnesota Senate. Given that 68 votes are needed to pass anything in the House, bipartisan teamwork will ultimately be needed to get most bills passed onto Walz's desk for his signature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DFL Chairman Ken Martin provided the following statement after Gottfried's victory: As a proud Minnesotan, Im honored to congratulate David Gottfried on his crucial special election victory. Minnesota is a shining example of what can happen under Democratic leadership: providing free breakfast and lunch for K-12 students, investing in mental health services, strengthening worker protections, establishing paid family and medical leave, and enshrining protections for reproductive freedom into law. Since Novembers election, Democrats continue to fight and win in communities across the country. House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, also issued a statement following Gottfried's win, saying it "was always going to be an uphill battle to win in a dark blue Democrat seat." "I want to thank Paul Wikstrom for running an incredible race and ensuring that District 40B is represented by someone who actually resides in the community," Demuth said. While the House will return to a 67-67 tie after tonight, House Republican priorities remain unchanged: we will continue our effort to stop the fraud, protect Minnesotans from harmful tax increases, and work with our Democrat colleagues to pass a responsible and balanced budget. In a speech on Thursday, the Prime Minister is expected to set out his plans to rewire the British state. Rumours of a bonfire of the quangos - in a nostalgic nod to 2010 - are also circulating, with the Prime Minister having directed his cabinet earlier in the week to take greater responsibility instead of outsourcing decision making to outside regulators and arms length bodies. Few examples illustrate the perils of taking decision-making powers away from elected representatives and into the hands of unaccountable quangocrats better than the current furore over the Sentencing Councils new guidelines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sentencing Council costs taxpayers just under 2 million a year. As far as quangos go some might argue this is a fairly modest amount, though that is half the amount which the Government felt the need to claw back by cancelling funding for Latin at state schools in the middle of the academic year. But the true cost of this particular quango to the country lies in its power to fundamentally alter the definition of justice under British law. Magistrates and judges have been directed in new guidance from the Sentencing Council that they should normally consider ordering a pre-sentence report on an offender if they came from an ethnic minority, cultural minority, and/or faith minority community. It is widely accepted that a pre-sentencing report results in a more lenient sentence. The Council places no requirements for similar reports on offenders who are white and Christian, thus giving rise to criticisms of creating a two-tier approach to sentencing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Having willingly surrendered their privilege to govern, our politicians are now scrambling around to find a way to take back control, as the Chairman of the Council Lord Justice Davis refused to review and update the proposed guidelines despite the Justice Secretary expressing her opposition to them. The Sentencing Council in its current iteration was established in 2009 for the purpose of preparing sentencing guidelines. One of the objectives of these guidelines is to promote consistency in sentencing. There is value in consistency, Public Law expert and barrister Francis Hoar tells me. It cannot be desirable that sentences would vary wildly from court to court. However, while the guidelines may seek to provide more details to that extent, they cannot result in a box-ticking diversity and inclusion exercise, strait-jacketing judges into deciding on sentences based on race or religion. Which is exactly why the defiant letter from Lord Justice Davis in response to Shabana Mahmoods objections appears to contradict itself. Mr Hoar points out that while Lord Justice Davis accuses the Justice Secretarys intervention of launching an attack on judicial discretion, it is actually the Council which is seeking to take away this discretion from judges across the country by imposing these narrow guidelines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So what can a reportedly incandescent Shabana Mahmood do, faced with a Council on a war path? Mr Hoar puts forward a fairly straightforward reform which takes the ultimate authority on the matter back to an accountable politician rather than an unaccountable quango. The Sentencing Councils guidelines could be made subject to authorisation by either the Lord Chancellor or the Home Secretary, who would retain the right to either veto the guidelines or send them back to the Council for review. If the Council still refused, the Lord Chancellor or the Home Secretary would have the right to refuse to authorise guidelines, partially or completely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is in many ways similar to the Bill which the Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick presented to Parliament on Tuesday, with the support of the Conservative Leader, Kemi Badenoch. Mr Jenricks Bill would give the Justice Secretary powers to veto guidelines and amend them before they are issued. But Ms Mahmood refused to give the Bill her support, instead accusing Mr Jenrick of looking for a bandwagon to jump on. The House was told that she intends to meet the Council next week and make it very clear I will consider their role and their powers, and if I need to legislate I will do so. Given that the Council includes, amongst others, the Lady Chief Justice herself and several other senior judges, it is unclear to me what a meeting and the threat of dismissal is expected to yield which her strongly-worded letter failed to. This embarrassing episode ought to be a wake up call for both Labour and Conservative politicians. To govern is a privilege with which their electorate have entrusted them. To surrender that privilege to unelected, unaccountable quangos is a dereliction of duty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for the rest of the country, we need to ask ourselves the deeply problematic question: how do we have a Sentencing Council with judges, magistrates, police officers, academics and social workers whose idea of justice is a system which openly believes some are more equal than others? Please share share examples of public spending in your personal and professional lives which you consider to be a waste of taxpayers money. You can email us your stories either in writing or as voice notes at wastewatch@telegraph.co.uk Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A cold case from 1990 that left a brother and sister dead has finally come to a close as the suspect was captured. Not only was he apprehended, but a Georgia jury just reached a verdict in his case. Kenneth Perry was found guilty in the murder of siblings John and Pamela Sumpter who were found dead in a DeKalb County apartment the night of July 15, 1990. Police claim John was killed that night. They said Pamela was sexually assaulted and stabbed but escaped Perrys grasp in time to call police before she died weeks later. DeKalb County Police Department kept her rape kit. However, they never found whose DNA was on those samples, causing the case to go cold. However, in 2024, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation sent the DNA to be tested again with forensic genetic genealogy, finding a match to Perry who was subsequently arrested in connection to the crime, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was found just a county over from where the siblings were found dead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perry was charged with two counts of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, one count of rape, four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated battery, one count for possession of a knife, one count of possession of a knife during the commission of a felony and one count of theft by taking. Boldly, he took the stand during his trial, arguing that he was drugged and sexually assaulted at the apartment while the Sumpters were present, per WSB-TV. He also claimed another man was there armed with a knife. He said after he fled the apartment, all three individuals were alive. However, he never told the police of the incident, the report said. After two hours of deliberation and 35 years of the Sumpter family awaiting justice, the jury found Perry guilty of all charges on Tuesday, March 11. While we are satisfied make no mistake this verdict was not just for me or my office, the jurys verdict today was for Pamela, John and the entire Sumpter family, said DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston during a press conference Tuesday afternoon. A family that has waited decades for their loved ones murderer to be brought to justice. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) GPS features, no stickers and possibly a way to pay your vehicle registration in installments. Those were some of the reasons that digital license plates might get support at the Nevada Legislature. Democratic Assem. Howard Watts presented Assembly Bill 296 (AB296) Tuesday in Carson City, along with a representative of Reviver, one of two companies that are active in the digital license plate market. The bill would let the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles allow digital plates as an option on vehicles registered in the state. Regular metal plates would still be available for people who arent interested in the move to digital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Digital license plates allowed under proposal in the Nevada Legislature Digital plates have screens similar to the display on a Kindle e-book. If the bill becomes law, Nevadans could purchase a plate from an approved vendor and use it on their vehicle. They wouldnt ever have to apply a new sticker, because the plate would update itself when the registration went through. The possibility that the bill will expand to include an option to pay vehicle registrations on installments had a lot of attention in the Assembly Committee on Growth and Infrastructure. I believe that we have some of the highest registration fees, total, in the country, Watts said. And so it makes it more important for Nevada to kind of be a leader on this than others where those fees are a little bit lower. Democratic Assem. Howard Watts presents AB296 Tuesday in Carson City. (Courtesy: Nevada State Legislature) Registration on a new vehicle can be more than $1,000, he said. Thats a problem in many households if the bill comes due at a bad time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is a struggle for folks. We know were all annoyed by folks who dont have their cars registered to Nevada. Were all annoyed by folks that have expired registrations, and all the enforcement that causes to try and address that. For a lot of people, they simply cannot afford to pay, Watts said. Sometimes, they decide to risk it, and delay registering their car. Watts is looking at options to form a partnership with a third party that would essentially become a lender, fronting the registration fee to the Nevada DMV and collecting from the customer in installments. But Watts doesnt want to allow it to work like most loans. He wants it to be fee-based rather than involving interest. That would be added to AB296 as an amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DUI punishments higher under 2 bills introduced Monday in Nevada Senate Currently, California, Colorado, Georgia, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Michigan and Illinois allow digital license plates. How soon could Nevada join that list? DMV representatives said it might take a while yet. If the bill passes, the effective date could be off in the future for a frustrating reason: The DMVs ancient computer system. DMV currently runs two systems, but the option for a digital plate would have to be set up in both systems. The cost of programming in the old system would be a major problem, so the DMV is asking for a delay in introducing digital plates. Theres another important part of Watts bill. The state needs information about how people use electric vehicles. A 2019 bill that allowed collection of mileage data is expiring in 2026, so Watt put in a provision to allow that collection to continue under AB296. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That information will be critical when lawmakers go about setting up a structure for EV drivers to contribute to funds used to maintain highways. Right now, they pay nothing because they dont buy gasoline. The fuel tax thats part of every purchase at the pump goes toward road maintenance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The Hope Border Institute, Bishop Mark J. Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso, and local community leaders will hold a March and Vigil in Solidarity with Migrants next Monday, March 24 in Downtown El Paso, the Catholic Diocese of El Paso said in a press release. The Diocese says the mass march and vigil will take place at 6 p.m. in San Jacinto Plaza on Monday, March 24. The Diocese says the march and vigil will take place regarding the closure of the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, harsh rhetoric against those who have immigrated to the United States, and threats of mass deportation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An international delegation of Catholic bishops, including bishops from the United States, Mexico, Canada, and the Vatican will also be present at the march and vigil, the Diocese said. Community leaders and organizations participating include Ruben Garcia of Annunciation House, Melissa Lopez of Estrella del Paso, Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Celino of the Diocese of El Paso, the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande, Iglesia Delta, Trinity First United Methodist Church, Abara, El Paso faith, civic leaders and others, the Diocese said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Director Mei Fa Tan spoke out about her experience working with the son of Prince Robert of Luxembourg and Princess Julie of Nassau, Prince Frederik, after he died last week at the age of 22. Frederik tragically died of POLG Mitochondrial disease, a rare disorder he was diagnosed with eight years ago. His death was announced by his dad Robert on March 7 in a lengthy message online. With tributes to the late royal pouring in, Tan spoke to Us Weekly about the time she spent working with Frederik. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [He was] so interested in so many topics. He would love to talk about basically anything, she told the outlet. Mostly film and musicBut his body would not allow him to do as much. So that was really painful to watch because he was trying his best. Prince Frederik of Luxembourg tragically passed away last week after suffering from POLG Mitochondrial disease for years (The POLG Foundation) In Roberts heartbreaking message about his sons death, he opened up about Frederiks diagnosis and explained that its symptoms arent easy to detect from an early age. He wrote: Frederik was diagnosed with POLG at the age of 14, when his symptoms were showing more clearly and when the progression of his disease had become more acute. Because POLG disease causes such a wide range of symptoms and affects so many different organ systems, it is very difficult to diagnose and has no treatments, much less a cure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement POLG Mitochondrial disease is described as a genetic disorder that robs the bodys cells of energy, in turn causing progressive multiple organ dysfunction and failure on the POLG Foundation website. The condition is very uncommon and the symptoms, which are hard to spot, include liver failure, muscle weakness, and epilepsy. Director Mei Fa Tan says it was painful to watch Frederiks body not allow him to do much before he died (The POLG Foundation) As a young person with POLG Mitochondrial, Frederik sought to raise awareness by creating an official foundation, encouraging new research and widespread fundraising efforts. Roberts statement went on to describe Frederiks unwavering positivity and commitment to happily living each day without letting the disease control more of his life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tan met Frederick when she was commissioned to direct the foundations short film, The PolG Foundation Film. This is the battle that Frederik fought, and this is the burden that he had to carry throughout his life. He always did so with grace and with humour, Robert wrote. When we asked him if he wanted to create a foundation to find a cure and help others like him, he jumped at the opportunity. Though he always made it very clear that he did not want this dreadful disease to define him, he nonetheless immediately identified with and helped define the mission of The POLG Foundation. Frederik was able to star in the organizations first production, The PolG Foundation Film, before he died, for scenes of him watching his own childhood videos. When youre a kid, youve got all these dreams, all these aspirations, these things you want to do. The possibilities are endless, he said in the films voiceover. Im not sure I understood all the consequences of PolG when I first got diagnosed. Its more subtle, where slowly, the world is getting smaller and smaller. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) House Republicans are preparing to vote on a stopgap funding bill Tuesday in an effort to prevent a government shutdown. But D.C. leaders said the continuing resolution, or CR, will have devastating effects on the districts budget. This will be damaging to District residents, District businesses, damaging to the nations capitol and to no benefit of the federal government, said D.C. Chairman Phil Mendelson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NTSB calls for changes to helicopter operations around DCA following deadly midair collision According to language in the CR, D.C. would be required to revert to its 2024 budget for the remaining six months of the fiscal year. Thats despite Congress already approving D.C.s 2025 budget, which it has been operating under for the last six months. District officials said this would result in a near immediate $1 billion cut to D.C.s budget. A billion dollars over a year is a problem, but this is a billion over half a year. And thats a significant problem. Its like taking a catastrophe and doubling it in its damage, Mendelson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To make up the costs, District departments would face massive cuts, including public safety agencies. Its incredibly concerning, said David Hoagland, President of Local 36 of the IAFF, which represents DC Fire and EMS. Were a very busy, well-staffed department. It never slows down for us. We just got through the inauguration, then the Potomac plane crash. Hoagland said if the CR passes through Congress, the fire department could see cuts of 16 to 20%. Practically speaking, I know that will be challenging, he said. I dont know if well be faced with brownouts, which would mean they would close neighborhood fire houses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cherry blossom bloom watch: Cherry trees along Tidal Basin reach stage one of six According to a memo from District officials, the Metropolitan Police Department could face a $67 million cut. D.C. public and charter schools could see an impact of nearly $400 million in cuts. If we lose that amount of money, that would mean we would have to lose teachers, said Jacqueline Pogue-Lyons, President of the Washington Teachers Union. She believes this will decimate the Districts ability to retain teachers. Knowing we have to worry about teachers getting furloughed, its just a disaster. I cant imagine where were going to go, she said. We cant say were going to furlough you and hopefully, well bring you back in a year or two, we cant afford that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DC teachers union expresses concerns over Trumps plan to dismantle Department of Education Republican House leaders vowed Tuesday that they would pass the continuing resolution. If that happens, District officials would then need to lobby the Senate. I think the Senators are much more receptive, and I think they have an uphill battle in the Senate to get this CR passed. The political dynamics are different, Hoagland said. Congress has until the end of the day Friday to pass a spending plan, or the government will shut down. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A mail truck tipped over and spilled packages onto the street in South Memphis Wednesday morning, police say. The call came in just before 4 a.m. at South Parkway Street and South Bellevue Boulevard. The MPD says the vehicle tipped over while making a sharp turn, spilling packages and package containers onto the street. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Human remains that washed ashore on the Olympic Peninsula in 2008 have been identified as a 17-year-old who went missing from British Columbia a year before. On April 29, 2007, Jeffrey Surtel was reported missing by his family. They believed he left the house on his bike while they were asleep, but noted he left most of his belongings. The disappearance was out of character for him, and he never returned, the family said. Then, in August 2008 human remains washed ashore on the Olympic Peninsula, in Clallam County. Investigators at the time tried to run DNA tests to identify the person, but no matches were found. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2024, the Clallam County Sheriffs Office raised funds to get the DNA sent to a private laboratory in Texas. That lab used advances in forensic genetic technology to link the DNA to someone who ended up being an extended family member of Surtels. Through additional follow up, they were able to link the DNA of the human remains to Surtel. His family has been made aware of the findings. While there is no indication of criminality, the circumstances of his disappearance and death are unknown. We would like to thank all the people who supported us over the years and were involved in the search for Jeff. Special mention to Jeffs classmates and teachers at Hatzic Secondary School that searched the Fraser River Heritage Park. Also, our thanks to the dozens of people that showed up for the grid search of the Mission area, us family said in a statement. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of Health and Human Services, testifies during his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Jan. 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images. Thirty-five years ago, I diagnosed measles in a one-year-old while rotating in pediatrics at the old Ramsey County hospital in St. Paul. It was the cusp of an outbreak that ultimately sickened over 400 patients in St. Paul and caused three deaths. Measles had been thought to be eradicated years before in Minnesota with an effective nationwide vaccination program and knowledge that a 95% vaccination rate successfully prevented infections even in those people who had fallen through the cracks. While it was surprising to see it resurface, there were known financial, cultural, language and educational barriers to universal vaccination. These were addressed in part in the year 2000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We in the U.S. felt we had eliminated measles, even if weve had occasional small outbreaks since then. Fast forward to today and Texas is now the epicenter of a new preventable measles outbreak; already with one heart-wrenching pediatric death. Cases continue to escalate and migrate into neighboring and distant states. Unfortunately, there are three additional horrible alt-viruses at play that threaten to unleash a resurgent wave of measles and other preventable illnesses around the country and in Minnesota. These alt-viruses are misinformation, misguided self-interest, and willfully incompetent management of our national response to illness with an aim to undermine public trust and secure polarized votes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Misinformation has been a tricky virus plaguing humanity since gossip and uninformed opinion were invented. The ability to amplify bad information has reached a zenith, however, with the advent of the internet. The vaccine for this virus is critical thinking skills that include looking at study data instead of getting anecdotal evidence from an internet friend, and checking for trusted sources who preferably rely on prospective randomized double-blind scientific studies to support their conclusions rather than a gut feeling. Your helpful but hapless neighbor who once rewired a wall switch five years ago is not who you go to when your gas furnace is leaking natural gas in January, even if they are pretty sure they know what to do. So too, medical misinformation must be methodically countered by professionals entrusted, licensed and experienced in safeguarding the health of real people. Misguided self-interest is a virus that spreads fear and ultimately causes a problem understanding the math of risk, resulting in vaccine hesitancy. When there is a one in a million risk of an adverse reaction to a vaccine, but a one in a thousand risk of dying from a measles infection that historically infected every kid in our country, then it is most rational to get the vaccine. However, when one is infected by this misguided self-interest virus, the math calculations can be easily confused, and the fear of the risk from the vaccine can appear bigger than the risk of the infection. This is especially true if youve already been infected by the misinformation virus as above, and hear about false links to autism from mercury in the vaccine. That assertion was thoroughly debunked by good studies, and fails to disclose the fact that thimerosal a safe rapidly excreted ethyl mercury preservative used in multidose vaccine vials since the 1930s is not the same molecule as the potentially harmful methylmercury which is found in greater amounts in a can of tuna or a lake trout caught in Northern Minnesota than in any vaccine. And fails to disclose that thimerosal hasnt been used in the MMR vaccine and hasnt been used in most all vaccines since 2001 because the industry has gone to single dose vials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The harm is that the disproportionate fear keeps you from protecting yourself and your children from real danger: preventable illnesses like measles, which can cause several severe neurological injuries. This misguided self-interest virus has the added danger of causing the same behavior in others, which further opposes ones true self interest by decreasing herd immunity. If you and several of your neighbors avoid the vaccine because of misunderstanding risk, then the risks for all increase exponentially. The current MMR vaccination rate of kindergarten children in Minnesota is now at 87.1% and below that 95% threshold that protects you and everyone. Overcoming the misguided alt-virus by getting on the right side of risk and self-interest is what Ill call following the Golden Example Rule in health care, by which I mean your actions can improve your own health and the health of your family and community. The last virus: willful incompetence, the most pernicious and cynical. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The role of our health institutions has always been to safeguard public health. But willful incompetence in the administration of these institutions ensures that public health departments will henceforth strive to pit citizens against each other and science, in an effort to ensure chaos and votes for a party that wants to refuse to fund efforts to protect the publics health. By building on the previous two viruses, this virus creates distrust in public health services through its own incompetence at protecting public health. Much like the antidote to misinformation being reliable information, the antidote to hijacking our U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for divisive gain is leadership that has experience and success keeping the public healthy. Hiring a lawyer like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with no experience taking care of the medical needs of people or managing a department with such a mandate, but who is skilled at spreading the viruses of misinformation and misguided self-interest, is willful incompetence that dooms the HHS and the country to failure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its like getting that neighbor with precious little experience or competence to fix your gas furnace leak: He says it could save you money until your house blows up. President Trumps second withdrawal from the World Health Organization (membership mandated by Congress in 1948), cancelling the FDA Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting to review and advise on the 2025 Flu vaccine, and the appointment of RFK Jr., are all purposeful, cynical incompetent measures that are dangerous for all our health. By sowing misinformation and fear of vaccines it is a certainty that we will continue with greater vaccine hesitancy and outbreaks of preventable disease. By hampering the exchange of medical information with experts in the WHO and FDA, we have less current information for health care providers and manufacturers of vaccines and medications, ensuring we are less prepared for the next inevitable pandemic. And having a HHS secretary without a clue how to manage real health care needs will lead to needless suffering and deaths of the most vulnerable in our population. We must stop this horrible triad of alt-viruses to effectively combat real infectious diseases and protect the wellbeing of all our citizens. This commentary was republished with permission from Itascan Independent Review. Doctors remove bullet from Gazan woman's head after 4 months of agony Cairo Sarah al-Awady says she was sitting with her family early on the morning of Oct. 22, 2024, in their tent in Al-Zawaida, the town in the central Gaza Strip where the displaced Palestinians had taken shelter, when she was struck in the head by a bullet fired by an Israeli quadcopter drone. "Suddenly I felt pain in my head, like I had been hit with an iron bar or something," the 18-year-old Gazan told CBS News this week. "My family started screaming, 'a bullet, a bullet!' Everyone was panicking and they carried me and rushed me to Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital." CBS News has asked the Israel Defense Forces about its reported use of small-arms-equipped drones in Gaza, and about al-Awady's claim, specifically, that she was hit by one of the weapons in a camp for displaced civilians. In a statement sent Wednesday, the IDF said it "follows international law, targeting only military objectives and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The military said it could not give details about the various aircraft it uses, "as they are classified for security reasons, and to avoid compromising the operational capabilities of the IDF," and added that it could not provide information about al-Awady's claim without more precise information on the time and location of the shooting. Sarah al-Awady is seen not long after she says she was struck in the head by a bullet fired by an Israeli quadcopter drone as she sat in a tent with her family on Oct. 22, 2024, in Al-Zawaida, central Gaza. The bullet lodged in her skull behind her right eye. / Credit: Courtesy of Sarah al-Awady The doctors did what they could with what little they had amid the devastation in Gaza, just over a year after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack sparked the war in the Palestinian territory. They could see that the bullet was lodged in al-Awady's skull, behind her right eye, but they didn't have the capacity to remove it. Al-Awady was eventually told there was nothing more the doctors in Gaza could do, but she refused to give up hope and insisted on staying in the hospital. At the very least, she thought, inside the hospital her badly wounded eye would be protected from the dusty conditions in her family's makeshift home. So she remained, relying on painkillers to cope with the excruciating pain in her head, but without any plan for relief in sight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In early November, al-Awady was seen by a team of volunteer medics visiting the European Hospital near Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. Dr. Mohamed Tawfik, an Egyptian, was among the volunteers, and when he saw al-Awady, he thought of someone he believed could help. Tawfik called his father, a veteran ophthalmologist, to get his medical opinion. Dr. Ahmed Tawfik, the elder doctor, told CBS News he wanted to go to Gaza to try to help the young woman, but the southern Rafah border crossing between the enclave and Egypt was closed. "I followed this case almost daily. I felt this was my case," Tawfik said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But he could not find a way to travel to Gaza and, at the time, with the war still raging, Israel was permitting very few people to leave the enclave, even for medical treatment. The doctor's son returned to Egypt, and al-Awady told CBS News she started giving up hope. For months she said she lived in fear that she would permanently lose sight in her right eye. "I applied for treatment abroad, like many others. When people asked me, 'How long have you been waiting?' I'd say a month. They'd tell me, 'Forget it, we've been waiting for so much longer.'" A glimmer of hope would finally come, about three months after the bullet lodged in al-Awady's head, with the news that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire deal. It came into effect on Jan. 19, 2024, and al-Awady was able to return to her home in the decimated north of Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said she was relieved to find her family's home among the few buildings spared from the destruction. She stayed there for a week, until, on the evening of February 8, she received a call from the World Health Organization, telling her she would be leaving the following day for Egypt. "There is no electricity, so I literally packed my luggage by candlelight," she recalled. Only her mother was permitted to travel with her, but the pair reached Egypt the next day, as planned. She was sent first to the city of Port Said, on Egypt's Mediterranean coast. A week later, Dr. Tawfik managed to get her moved to the hospital where he works in Al-Sharqia Governorate, in the Nile Delta. Three teams ophthalmology, neurosurgery and radiology worked together, debating the best approach to remove the bullet that had been lodged for months right next to al-Awady's optic nerve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We ran several simulations to find the best route to avoid the optic nerve," Dr. Mohamed Khaled Shawky, of the Al Nour Radiology Center, told CBS News. He helped guide the surgery remotely via a video link from his workstation at the separate facility. A scan image shows a bullet lodged behind the right eye of Sarah al-Awady, with its entry point visible as the gunshot wound at the top of her skull. / Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Mohamed Khaled Shawky/Al-Nour Radiology Center "The bullet landed in the best possible place for the patient, but the worst place for a medical team," Shawky told CBS News. "Had it moved a millimeter in any direction, it would have caused great damage." The doctors agreed the best option was to try to reach the bullet by entering through al-Awady's eye socket, to avoid damaging her brain. Tawfik was direct, telling al-Awady there was a 50% chance of success, a risk of internal bleeding, and she could lose her eye entirely or have her vision severely impaired. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I cried. I was very scared, but I prayed and accepted the risk," she told CBS News. "His amazing medical team tried their best to improve my spirit, to make me psychologically ready, and they did. I entered the operating room laughing and full of joy," al-Awady said The surgery was carried out last week, and it was a success. Tawfik told CBS News he was surprised by the amount of infection and abscess caused by the bullet, which had rusted over time inside al-Awady's head. Dr. Ahmed Tawfik, CEO of the Al-Ferdaws eye hospital in Egypt, stands with his patient, Sarah al-Awady, after he helped to remove a bullet that had been lodged in her skull for four months. / Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Ahmed Tawfik/Al-Ferdaws hospital Even with the bullet out, al-Awady is not fully out of the woods. "Three hours later, I opened my eyes and they told me that, thanks to God, all went well," she recalled. "I started crying again." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "She is very stable now, and she is taking her meds and getting better," Tawfik told CBS News. "My goal was first to end the pain caused by the infection and, second, to preserve her current eyesight level. I am hoping that after we deal with the retinal detachment her sight will improve." The young woman's eye will never look or see the same way it did before she was shot. Like many Palestinians who have made it out of Gaza to receive desperately needed medical help, al-Awady told CBS News that her joy is incomplete. She misses the rest of her family, who she had to leave behind. Palestinian Sarah al-Awady holds the bullet that doctors removed from her head in Egypt. / Credit: Courtesy of Sarah al-Awady Asked about the rusty bullet that lived in her head for four months, she said she planned to hold onto it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I am thinking of framing it," she told CBS News. Judge blocks deportation of pro-Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University protests House's short-term spending bill heads to Senate, passage needed by Friday to avoid shutdown What led up to Ukraine's willingness to accept 30-day ceasefire "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." First comes the executive order from the Trump administration, followed by the scramble as people try to figure out what it means, and next the court order hitting pause on the order. Order, scramble, courts, repeat. Thats been the story of the Trump administrations first seven weeks. Judges have put at least 44 executive orders on pause, and last week the Supreme Court blocked the Presidents attempt to stop payments owed to international aid organizations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perhaps all this litigation, which cost the administration in time and manpower, explains why Americans still have not seen the executive order eliminating the Department of Education that President Trump has been promising was on its way. That and the fact that the President does not have the authority to close an agency that Congress created or shift its programs to other agencies, not without votes from Congress. Those votes are not forthcoming, not with the Senate filibuster requiring 60 votes and with the tiny Republican margin in the House. With the courts and Congress stacked against him, President Trump took a different direction yesterday, firing 1,315 employees of the Department of Education. This drastic cut in a staff that numbered just over 4,100 full-time employees in January follows on the voluntary departure of approximately 600 other employees, which means that the agencys staff has been cut almost in half. Its responsibilities, however, remain the same, only now 2,183 people will provide funds for under-resourced schools and students with disabilities, administer federal financial aid, protect students civil rights, conduct research, collect data, manage hundreds of grants that support things like teacher development and literacy programs, and more. Linda McMahon, the newly approved Secretary of Education, claimed that these cuts reflected the Presidents commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers. The Department of Education already had the smallest staff of any of the 15 Cabinet agencies. The agency is so small that 56 school districts employ more non-teacher full-time employees than it does. New York Citys Department of Ed was ten times larger. In January, the size of the US Departments staff was about the same as the number of non-teachers employed by the Boston school system. Now it's the size of East Baton Rouge Parish. Imagine if that one school district had to run financial aid for the country. And Title I. And IDEA. And conduct civil rights investigations. And the National Center for Education Statistics, which runs the NAEP exam and publishes the data used in this paragraph and which is said to have been wiped out by the Trump Administration. Department of Education How efficient and accountable can a stripped down Department of Education be? If the fiasco of last years launch of the redesigned Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) taught us anything, it is that the Department of Education is too small. According to former Under Secretary of Education, James Kvaal, chronic understaffing requires the agency to hire contract workers, who are much harder to hold accountable. The so-called Better FAFSA opened three months late and was plagued by glitches. When students called the Departments help center for assistance, three-quarters of their calls went unanswered. It is unclear how these severe cuts to the agency will not lead to the same or much worse problems. Noam Galai - Getty Images While most of the fundingand all the responsibility for content and curriculumfor education comes from state and local sources, the Department of Education provides crucial dollars. It will almost certainly make it difficult to enforce civil right laws and requirements around end of year exams, which are designed to let districts, states, and the nation know how our schools are doing. It will cause uncertainty in state and district budgets and could very well lead to increases in college costs. A stripped down Department of Education could very well lead to disruptions in students receiving financial aid and school districts receiving support for poor students and students with disabilities. In other words, these firings will likely lead to unhappy voters, six in ten of whom oppose the idea of eliminating the Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the President likely does have the right to fire employees, he is also required by law to make many of the Department of Educations programs work. He cannot simply walk away from them or let them collapse. The executive order trying to close the Department of Education might yet come, but it wont be necessary because the chaos has arrived. Next stop, the courts. You Might Also Like (NewsNation) President Donald Trump has vowed the arrest of a Columbia University graduate student who organized pro-Palestinian rallies at the school will be the first of many to come as immigration advocates push back against the possible deportation of a migrant who holds legal permanent resident status. Mahmoud Khalil was sent to a detention center in Louisiana, where he faces deportation after being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On Wednesday, a federal judge said he would allow Khalils attorneys to have priviledged phone calls with their client. His lawyers said they have not been able to have those conversations with Khalil since he was arrested in New Jersey over the weekend. For now, Khalil will remain detained in the Louisiana detention center, which said that attorneys would not be able to hold privileged communications with the Syrian-born activist until March 20. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think we ought to get them all out of the country, Trump said about Khalils arrest Tuesday. Theyre troublemakers, theyre agitators. They dont love our country, we ought to get them the hell out. I think that guyI heard his statements too. They were plenty bad, and I think we had to get him the hell out of the country. $20M in liquid meth found in mineral water bottles Khalil was arrested despite holding a green card, which provides him Fifth Amendment due process rights under the U.S. Constitution. Khalil is scheduled to appear at a hearing Wednesday after a federal judge in Manhattan blocked Khalils deportation earlier this week. Rosanna Berardi, the managing partner at Berardi Immigration Law, said Khalils case is concerning on several levels and sets a dangerous precedent that should be concerning to other migrants in his position. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I would gather that anyone that has a political view or has protested and also has a green card would be nervous, Berardi told NewsNation. If this is any indication of the administrations position on green card holders that their own agency vetted at a super-high level and gave a green card to, and this is the behavior of the administration, I would be gravely concerned. Why is Mahmoud Khalil facing deportation? Khalil was arrested on Saturday for leading activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, the Department of Homeland Security announced. The agency said Khalil was arrested in support of President Trumps executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism. Two people with knowledge of Khalils arrest told The New York Times that Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoked a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. The act states that any alien whom the secretary of state has reasonable grounds to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is deportable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump referred to Khalil as a radical, foreign pro-Hamas student in a post on Truth Social in which he wrote that ICE proudly arrested Khalil. We know that there are more students at Columbia and other universities across the country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump administration will not tolerate it, Trump wrote. House GOP tees up final vote on bill to avert shutdown He added: We will find, apprehend and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country never to return again. Trump wrote that the presence of those who support terrorism is contrary to our national and foreign policy interest and not welcome here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, Trumps border czar, Tom Homan, said that Khalil violated free speech limits during the campus rallies at Columbia. When you go on a college campus and you wanna start protesting, and locking down and taking over buildings, and damaging property, and handing out leaflets for Hamaswho is a terrorist organizationcoming to this country either on a visa or or becoming a resident alien is a great privilege, but there are rules associated with that, Homan told reporters, according to the New Republic. You might have been able to get away with that stuff in the last administration, but you wont under this administration. U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., told NewsNation that colleges and universities need to step up to the plate to prevent rallies like the ones Khalil organized at Columbia from happening. Walberg said that by leading campus protests, Khalil put Jews on campus at risk and kept students from their studies. This type of anti-Semitism, anti-Americanism cannot go on in our college campuses, Walberg said. Thats not what we are. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer, a Cornell Law School professor, told The Associated Press that permanent legal residents have many constitutional protections. However, she said that green card holders can be deported for committing certain crimes or failing to report a change in address or committing marriage fraud. Did Mahmoud Khalil break the law? The Center For Constitutional Rights, which is part of Khalils legal representation, called Khalils arrest, detention and attempted deportation not only patently unlawful but said it is a further dangerous step into modern-day McCarthyism repression. Khalils attorney, Amy Greer, told ABC News that ICE arrested Khalil, claiming his student visa had been revoked. But when alerted that Khalil had his green card, agents said that it had been revoked as well. Agents arrested a U.S. permanent resident as he was walking home at night with his pregnant spouse because his speech and activism are not to the governments liking, Ramzi Kassem, the co-director of Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility, said in a statement issued by the organization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If our society remains attached to the rule of law, and if speech in the United States remains free, then no one should accept what happened to Mahmoud. Florida sees first major operation under Laken Riley Act Berardi, the Buffalo-based immigration attorney, agreed. We do not want to be a country in which the government kicks people out because we dont like what they say, she said. What happens to Mahmoud Khalil next? Berardi, who has practiced law for nearly 30 years, expects a judge to place Khalils case in the immigration court system. He will likely be given a notice to appear, the charging document used in immigration court, which will allege the grounds on which the government is pushing for Khalils deportation. The immigration court process drags on for years in some cases, which could keep Khalil in federal custody until he appears before a judge on the charges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the meantime, Khalils wife, who was with him when he was arrested, is eight months pregnant. In a statement issued through the Center For Constitutional Rights, Khalils wife, who prefers not to be named in media reports, described her husbands arrest as being kidnapped from home as the couple awaits their child. But like many migrants who are arrested by federal immigration agents, Khalil faces a very uncertain future as his case enters a system that already faces a yearslong backlog of cases. Im just concerned this is going to be kicked down the road for a long time, Berardi told NewsNation. I dont see this wrapping up anytime soon, unfortunately. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) We are entering the most active time of the year for tornadoes in Middle Tennessee. This means you should already have a plan to get to a safe place if a Tornado Warning is issued over your house. But what if you live in a mobile home? A tornado shelter is the best place to go to stay safe from a tornado. If you dont have one of those, the next best place to go is the lowest level of your house farthest away from exterior walls and windows. Mobile homes or cars are not safe places to shelter, so many cities and counties have community shelters. Dr. Craig Ceecee, a meteorologist in Mississippi, created a website that shows where community storm shelters are located. Find Your Tornado Shelter, and it plots all the known community storm shelters in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement RADAR | Track weather across TN live Ceecee created the website a few years ago and in recent years it has gained popularity. I created it a few years ago because I felt there was a big gap in knowledge about tornado shelters especially since everything was sparse and usually county by county it at most, a single viewing area, Ceecee told News 2. According to the map on Find Your Tornado Shelter, there are hundreds of tornado shelters in Mississippi and Alabama, and much fewer in Tennessee and Kentucky. Ceecee said this is likely caused by funding from FEMA. One factor I believe is that a lot of these in Alabama and Mississippi were built after the outbreaks in 2011, which affected these areas in Alabama and Mississippi to an extraordinary degree, and they got a lot of FEMA funding, said Ceecee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said there could be shelters he has yet to register in Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky, but he needs help from local emergency agencies to add them. I would be very happy to work with the emergency managers who may want to work on developing plans for a tornado shelter in their communities and try to suit it for their own city, or town, or county, said Ceecee. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Dont forget to take the power and reliability of the WKRN Weather Authority with you at all times by downloading the News 2 Storm Tracker app. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Donald Trump has declared a global trade war as his administration imposed a wide set of tariffs on goods imported to the US. Dubbed Liberation Day by the US president, all nations were included in the sweeping measures with the UK hit by a 10 per cent tariff on all exports to the United States as Trump pledged America will no longer be ripped off. European Union nations face stiffer 20 per cent penalties while China will pay 34 per cent and Cambodia an eye-watering 49 per cent. Switzerland was also hit hard with 31 per cent, Taiwan, faces 32 per cent and India is getting 26 per cent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Downing Street source said: We don't want any tariffs at all, but a lower levy than others vindicates our approach. It matters because the difference between 10 per cent and 20 per cent is thousands of jobs. Sir Keir Starmer previously said that all options remain on the table, but has not followed other nations in announcing retaliatory tariffs on the US. The UK exported 59.3 billion of goods to the United States last year, most of which will now face at least a base rate of 10 per cent tariffs. The European Union (EU) has already retaliated to the first round of tariffs by imposing its own on 26 billion euros (22 billion) worth of goods from the US. The bloc says it will deliver a timely, robust and calibrated response to the upcoming announcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's 25 per cent auto tariffs will cover nearly $600 billion worth of vehicles and auto parts imports annually and extend to all computer imports into the US - including laptops. The list includes tariff codes for engines, transmissions, lithium-ion batteries and other major components, along with less expensive parts including tires, shock absorbers, spark plug wires and brake hoses. The sweeping duties would erect new barriers around the world's largest consumer economy, reversing decades of trade liberalisation that have shaped the global order. Trading partners are expected to respond with countermeasures of their own that could lead to dramatically higher prices for everything from bicycles to wine. US stock futures sank following his announcement. Sir Keir Starmer said that all options remain on the table it remains to be seen if he will retaliate (Reuters) "It's our declaration of independence," Trump said at the event in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement April 2nd 2025 will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn. America's destiny was reclaimed and the day that we began to make America wealthy again. For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike. Americans really suffered gravely. They watched in anguish as foreign leaders have stolen our jobs, foreign cheaters have ransacked our factories and foreign scavengers that have torn apart our once beautiful American dream. Our country and its taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years, but it is not going to happen anymore. Steel and aluminium The 25 per cent tariff on steel and aluminium imports to the US has been in place since the middle of March. In such a short time its hard to measure the long-term impact of the decision on the UK. However, economists say it could affect UK products worth hundreds of millions of pounds as things like cars, cans and tin foil are likely to become more expensive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The UKs steel industry is already struggling as excess capacity in the global market has pushed prices down. This large-scale production is largely coming from China, which is what is partly motivating Trump to place even higher tariffs on the countrys steel at a massive 45 per cent. The steel rolling mill at Tata Steel in Port Talbot in south Wales (PA) (PA Archive) Industry figures in the UK have publicly disagreed with Labours decision to not retaliate. Gareth Stace, the director-general of trade association UK Steel, branded the Trump administrations move hugely disappointing, and urged the government to take decisive action to protect the industry. These tariffs couldnt come at a worse time for the UK steel industry, as we battle with high energy costs and subdued demand at home, against an oversupplied and increasingly protectionist global landscape, he said. The US is the steel industrys second largest export market behind the European Union. Auto parts President Trump has confirmed that a 25 per cent import tax will be introduced on all cars imported to the US, a measure which will be a blow to the UKs automotive industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The US is the top buyer of British cars, making up 16.9 per cent of UK car exports last year, and representing a total of more than 101,000 units worth 7.6 billion. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said the tariffs come at "a very difficult time for the industry" as UK car production dropped 12 per cent in February compared to the year before. He said: "Consumer confidence is on edge, we know it's a highly competitive market, and even electric vehicles aren't perhaps quite selling as quickly as hoped. British brand Jaguar Land Rover is set to be particularly hit by the tariffs, as 100 per cent of its cars sold in the US are made abroad. Its famous Defender and Range Rover lines are popular in the US, making the nation its top sales destination worldwide. The US is an important export market for Jaguar Land Rover (David Jones/PA) (PA Archive) Reciprocal tariffs Focusing on what is has called unfairness in the USs international trade agreements, the Trump administration has imposed reciprocal tariffs at different rates for every partner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump displayed a poster that listed reciprocal tariffs, including 34 per cent on China and 20 per cent on the European Union, as a response to duties put on US goods. A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said those penalties will take effect on April 9 and will apply to about 60 countries in all. Canada and Mexico, the two largest US trading partners, already face 25 per cent tariffs on many goods. The baseline 10 per cent tariff will take effect on Saturday, the official said. While the US is the UKs largest single trading partner, the nation exports for more goods to the European Union as a whole. In the 12 months to November, the UK exported 57 billion to the US and 175 billion to the EU. Political reaction Britain's business secretary vowed to take a calm approach to Trump's decision to impose import tariffs of 10 per cent on the United Kingdom on Wednesday, as the country attempts to reach an economic deal with Washington. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The US is our closest ally, so our approach is to remain calm and committed to doing this deal, which we hope will mitigate the impact of what has been announced today," Jonathan Reynolds said in a statement after the tariffs were announced. "We have a range of tools at our disposal and we will not hesitate to act. We will continue to engage with UK businesses including on their assessment of the impact of any further steps we take." Shadow trade secretary Andrew Griffith has described the tariff announcement as disappointing news and suggested that Brexit spared the UK from higher import taxes. He called on the government to agree a fair deal with the US for the benefit of businesses and consumers, saying: This is disappointing news which will worry working families across the country... Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Chancellors emergency budget of just a week ago with its inadequate headroom is now at risk, casting uncertainty about more taxes or spending cuts. Sadly, it is British businesses and workers who will pay the price for Labours failure. He added: The silver lining is that Brexit, which Labour ministers voted against no less than 48 times, means that we face far lower tariffs than the EU: a Brexit dividend that will have protected thousands of British jobs and businesses. Sir Ed Davey has called for the UK and EU to retaliate, accusing Trump of launching a destructive trade war. The Liberal Democrat leader said: We need to end this trade war as quickly as possible and that means standing firm with our allies against Trumps attempts to divide and rule. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Prime Minister should bring our Commonwealth and European partners together in a coalition of the willing against Trumps tariffs, using retaliatory tariffs where necessary and signing new trade deals with each other where possible. If the Government gives in to Trumps threats, it will only encourage him to use the same bullying tactics again and again. A dog managed to fire a gun and wound his owner in an accidental shooting in Memphis on Monday, police said. The 39-year-old victim was relaxing and talking with a female friend on his bed when the dog jumped onto the bed, authorities said. The dog's paw got stuck in the trigger guard and hit the trigger, discharging the gun. Police said the victim was grazed in the left thigh. Officers later found a single spent shell casing on the floor. The man was treated on scene and later taken to a medical center for additional aid. His injury was not deemed critical. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim's female friend, who police have not publicly identified, left the scene after the shooting. "When officers asked the victim where the weapon was he advised that the female friend took it when she left," police said. A Memphis Police Department spokesperson said he had no further information to offer. CBS News affiliate WREG identified the dog as Oreo, a 1-year-old pit bull. A friend of the victim told WREG that the pit bull is really friendly, and that his friend was fine after the shooting. There have been several canine-related gun incidents in recent years. In 2023, a man was killed during a weekend hunting trip in Kansas when a dog stepped on a rifle and discharged the gun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a 2017 incident, a pheasant hunter in north-central Iowa was accidentally shot and wounded when a dog stepped on a shotgun's trigger guard and the gun fired. And in 2018, a New Mexico man told CBS affiliate KRQE-TV that he was shot by his dog, a 120-pound rottweiler mix named Charlie, while the pair were in the man's truck. The pup's paw got caught in the rifle's trigger, KRQE reported. The man was shot in the back, and had several bones broken in the shooting. Judge blocks deportation of pro-Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University protests House's short-term spending bill heads to Senate, passage needed by Friday to avoid shutdown What led up to Ukraine's willingness to accept 30-day ceasefire Mar. 12DIXON A fire destroyed a barn and killed a dog Tuesday in rural Dixon. The Dixon Rural and City fire departments and Advance EMS were called about 6:15 p.m. to a barn fire at 2124 Sink Hollow Road, according to a news release. When they arrived, fire crews found the barn fully engulfed in flames, with a vegetation fire affecting the surrounding area. A mutual-aid alarm was sent out to provide additional resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Firefighters were at the scene until about 9 p.m. Although no injuries were reported, one dog died in the fire, according to the release. The Dixon Rural Fire Protection District was assisted by firefighters from Rock Falls, Sterling, Oregon, Franklin Grove, Amboy, Sublette and Polo; the Lee County Sheriff's Office; CGH EMS; and ComEd. After Colerain Township officials rebuked the actions of the dog warden following a dog attack last week that left a woman severely injured, Hamilton County's top animal control official said there were no legal grounds to impound the animals. During a public meeting Tuesday morning, the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners likewise criticized the decision of the dog warden not to impound two dogs that severely injured the woman in suburban Colerain Township. The commissioners echoed concerns voiced by township officials in a letter issued Sunday, in which the township condemned what they described as the dog warden's decision to allow the dogs to remain in the community, despite the nonprofits staff relaying to police that the dogs were too vicious to take in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "When it was in our hands ... I just feel like we let it slip through," Commissioner Alicia Reece said during a public meeting on Tuesday. Hamilton County Chief Dog Warden Beth Ward said that her officers did not shirk their duty to the community and labeled as untrue the township's assertion that officers refused to take the dogs because they were too dangerous. More: Thousands of Ohioans are attacked by dogs each year. How to avoid bites, protect yourself "Our primary goal is the safety of people and animals in our community," Ward said. Hamilton County contracts its animal control and shelter services out to the nonprofit Cincinnati Animal CARE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers responded Friday afternoon to Applevalley Court after receiving reports of an attack involving two dogs and arrived on the scene to find a woman with severe injuries to her arms and a man with a small hand injury, police said. Police said the woman, Emily Rentschler, was driving down the street to pick up her children and noticed the dogs were loose. She was attacked when she tried to corral the dogs. Her boyfriend arrived as she was being attacked and placed her inside his truck. The attack was witnessed by Rentschlers children, who called 911 to report what happened. Officers eventually corralled one of the dogs inside the owners backyard and the owners were able to secure the second dog in the backyard after they arrived home, police said. Deputy dog wardens will investigate after a dog bite incident is reported to authorities and have discretion as to whether dogs spend a legally mandated 10-day quarantine period at home or in the shelter, Ward said. Such quarantines are primarily meant as a public health precaution against rabies but can also serve as a safety measure to keep dogs out of the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added that any police agency can enforce the state's animal control laws. Ward said that owners in the Colerain Township incident wanted to quarantine their dogs at home and deputy wardens determined the owners were capable of doing so. She noted that the dogs lacked any history of violence, although her officers determined the dogs to be vicious. "We took everything into account (and) made a determination that it would be safe for them to quarantine in that home," she said, adding the dogs are being crated and only allowed outside for bathroom breaks while on a leash. Ward said her office and county public health officials visit owners' homes in cases where an animal is being quarantined at a residence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The owners are also making arrangements to euthanize the dogs after the quarantine period ends, Ward said. She added the dogs' owners were cited for failure to confine, failure to license and failure to display a license. Dogs bite about 17,000 people a year in Ohio severely enough to require medical attention or to prompt calls to law enforcement. Experts estimate the actual total is double that because so many bites go unreported. An investigation by the USA TODAY Network Ohio bureau found that gruesome dog attacks happen despite warnings, complaints and previous attacks that went unheeded by dog owners and unpunished by the legal system. More: 'It looked like a murder scene.' Why Ohio dog wardens want harsher penalties for attacks Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under Ohio law, the owner of a dog that disfigures or even kills someone is likely to pay a fine thats little more than a traffic ticket. The law also does not require that a vicious dog be euthanized after such an attack, even if it results in a fatality. Ward said that while her office can impound a dog for the 10-day quarantine, it's ultimately up to a judge to decide an animal's fate, including whether it receives a lifetime designation as being dangerous or vicious, or if they're euthanized. She said that impounding a dog requires justification and a probable cause hearing might be held to determine whether the dog warden had legal authority to impound the animal. Ward said she wants the dog warden's practices and procedures to be legally upheld, adding that she'd like the state to update its laws about dangerous dogs and to have more deputies to cover the county's 52 square miles. "We want a safe community for Hamilton County," Ward said. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Dog warden defends her officers' response after Colerain dog attack Updated at 9:23 a.m. ET on March 13, 2025 This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter. Sign up for it here. On December 26, 2004, the geological plates beneath Sumatra unleashed the third-most-powerful earthquake ever recorded. A gargantuan column of water raced toward Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and Indonesia. None of these countries had advance-warning systems in place, so no one had time to prepare before the surge hit. Some 228,000 people diedthe highest toll of any natural disaster so far this century. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Setting up prevention systems would have been inexpensive, especially compared with the countless billions the tsunami ultimately cost. But governments typically spend money on preventing disasters only after disasters strike, and the affected countries hadnt experienced a major tsunami in years. After the events of 2004, USAID spent a tiny fraction of its budget to help fund an advance-detection system for the Indian Ocean, which might have saved hundreds of thousands of lives had it been in place sooner. But some people would have seen such an investment as a wasteinefficient spending that could have gone toward some more immediate or tangible end. DOGE has turned this dangerously flawed view into a philosophy of government. Last week, Elon Musks makeshift agency fired one of the main scientists responsible for providing advance warning when the next tsunami hits Alaska, Hawaii, or the Pacific Coast. The USAID document that describes Americas efforts to protect coastlines from tsunamis, titled Pounds of Preventionriffing on the adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of curenow redirects to an error message: The resource you are trying to access is temporarily unavailable. More than 800 workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have lost their job in recent weeks, including many who helped mitigate climate disasters, track hurricanes, predict ever-stronger storms, and notify potential victims. Meanwhile, cuts to volcano monitoring are crippling the governments ability to measure eruption risk. DOGE is also reportedly preparing to cancel the lease on the governments nerve center for national weather forecasts. Musk has categorized as superfluous a good deal of spending that actually makes the country more resilient, at a time when catastrophic risk is on the rise. We never see the crises that the government averts, only the ones it fails to prevent. Preparing for them may seem wastefuluntil suddenly, tragically, it doesnt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Read: The diseases are coming] The modern, globalized world is the most complex and interconnected environment that humans have ever navigated. Thats why the potential for catastrophic riskthat is, the risk of low-probability but highly destructive eventshas never been greater. A single person getting sick can derail the lives of billions. A crisis in one countrys banking sector can crash economies thousands of miles away. Now is precisely the time when governments must invest more heavily in making themselves resilient to these kinds of events. But the United States is doing the opposite. Donald Trump made the same mistake in his first term. In September 2019, his administration quietly eliminated an initiative that it saw as government waste: a $200 million program that tracked novel coronaviruses around the world. Three months later, COVID-19 infected its first victim in Wuhan. The U.S. government spent an estimated $4.6 trillion in response to the pandemic that emerged from that virusroughly 23,000 times the budget for the preparedness program that could have helped mitigate its effects. Complex systemssay, health care, or government, or industrial supply chainswithout any built-in slack or redundancy are efficient but fragile. The effects of any disruption quickly cascade, and the potential for catastrophic risk grows. In 2021, a gust of wind turned a boat sideways in the Suez Canaland upended the global economy, inflicting tens of billions of dollars in economic damage. Last years CrowdStrike outage is another example of an avalanche created by a minor problem within a system that was not resilient. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DOGE is courting these kinds of risks by automatically assuming that programs with no immediately obvious functionor at least none that Musk and his minions can discernare wasteful. Some of its cost cutting may be eliminating genuine waste; no government spends its money perfectly. But DOGEs campaign is riddled with errors, at the level of both understanding and execution. The agencys strategy is akin to a climber replacing sturdy rope with low-cost string: We may not realize the full danger until it snaps. Musk developed DOGEs playbook when he took over Twitter, where resilience matters much less than it does in government. Gutting the social-media platform may have resulted in more harmful content and some outages, including one this week, but the stakes were low compared with the crucial government services that Musk is currently cutting. When X fails, memes go unposted. When the government fails, people can die. The risks are not only to Americans but also to humanity, as technology and climate change have linked the destinies of far-flung people more closely and increased the likelihood of extinction-level calamities. It is not reassuring in this regard that Trump controls the worlds largest nuclear arsenal and that DOGE accidentally fired key people who manage it, that Trump doesnt believe in climate change and is having Musk slash seemingly every agency designed to mitigate it, and that Musk summarized his view of AI risk by telling Joe Rogan that it presents only a 20 percent chance of annihilation. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reductionan organization that DOGE would certainly eliminate if it couldcame up with a more sophisticated figure in 2023: By its estimate, there is a 2 to 14 percent chance of an extinction-level event in the 21st century. This is not a world in which the government should be running itself on a just-in-time basis. Musk may flippantly acknowledge the risk in interviews, but DOGEs fundamental ethosSilicon Valley will fix what the government cannotalmost entirely ignores it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Read: The dictatorship of the engineer] Americans cant rely on Meta, Google, and Apple to build tsunami-early-warning systems, mitigate climate change, or responsibly regulate artificial intelligence. Preventing catastrophic risk doesnt increase shareholder value. The market will not save us. As DOGE hollows out the Federal Aviation Administration, fires extreme-weather forecasters, and implodes the National Institutes of Health, Americans are left to wonder: What happens when another plane crashes, or a hurricane hits Florida without sufficient warning, or the next pandemic takes America by surprise? Many people may die avoidable deaths for the rest of us to learn that one billionaires waste is really a countrys strength. This article originally misidentified the location of the tsunami-detection system that USAID helped fund. Article originally published at The Atlantic The White House DOGE office has targeted federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs for cuts. Federal workers told BI about programs that were flagged that aren't related to DEI. Some programs, webpages, and jobs that were flagged used specific words in non-DEI contexts. Business Insider has found examples of government programs that contained keywords like "equity" but that weren't actually related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives that have been indefinitely paused after being flagged for review or, in some cases, cut entirely. This comes in the weeks following President Donald Trump's executive order ending DEI initiatives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One USAID employee told BI their program on helping people in sub-Saharan Africa "grow equity through savings accounts" was flagged to be reviewed by the DOGE office shortly after it began targeting DEI-related initiatives. The request for review happened prior to the widespread USAID cuts. The USAID employee, now on administrative leave, said they believe the review was triggered because the program's name contained the word "equity," even though it was geared toward financial equity rather than anything DEI-related. Business Insider has verified the employee's identity and others who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity. It felt like "they just used Control+F, or some AI did exactly that," they said. "My impression was it was them just being ham-fisted." Another federal employee, whose primary job function is managing relations with private equity-held businesses, was placed on administrative leave "pursuant to the President's executive order on DEIA," per a dismissal memo reviewed by BI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "My job has nothing to do with DEIA at all," the federal employee said, adding that they had attended DEI-related training, but such work was not part of their job description. BI reviewed a copy of the employee's job description and verified it did not contain any work tasks or priorities related to diversity, equity, or inclusion initiatives. It remains unclear exactly why these two jobs were flagged to be cut. Representatives for the White House and the DOGE office did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. Other DEI language While it remains unclear exactly how the employees and programs were targeted for removal, Business Insider's reporting expands a growing list of cuts initiated by the DOGE office that appear to target terms like "equity" and "gender" even when used in contexts unrelated to their meanings in DEI frameworks. The USAID employee compared the nature of the cuts to a keyboard shortcut find and replace to target DEI-related language. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Washington Post reported the DOGE office has fed sensitive data into AI software to identify programs to cut. The Associated Press reported that references to the Enola Gay, the name of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, were among tens of thousands of photos and online posts marked for deletion as the Defense Department works to purge DEI-related content. The AP reported that it appeared the photos were flagged because of the word "gay"; the Enola Gay was named after a colonel's mother. Per Bloomberg, a DOGE office review led to millions of dollars in canceled affordable housing contracts after their websites and social media posts were combed for terms linked to equity and diversity. It remains unclear what ultimately caused each of the contracts which addressed homelessness, disaster recovery, and other housing issues to be flagged. Business Insider identified over a dozen removed pages of the Internal Revenue Manuals, the official staff instructions for members of the Internal Revenue Service. The pages previously contained notes indicating that their last update made in response to a Biden-era executive order promoting equity removed "unnecessary gendered language," such as changing the phrase "he or she" to the gender-neutral pronoun "they." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Business Insider's review of the manual found that the pages were removed after the Trump executive order went into effect. The update note contained the word "gender." The Wall Street Journal reported that the IRS also removed pages from the manual about the "inequity" of holding on to taxpayer money longer than necessary and the "inclusion" of a taxpayer identification number on a form. "I feel like this must be reactionary panic at the agencies," one tax attorney told BI about the pages removed from the IRS manuals. "This doesn't seem possible or legal in some cases." DOGE office cuts reversed and rolled back Trump said during his address to Congress last week that the DOGE office is being "headed by" White House senior advisor and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. (The White House has said that Amy Gleason is the acting administrator.) The office has been tasked with rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. But though the office has publicly celebrated its wins, it has quietly reversed some of its efforts and hedged its claims of cost savings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Although not every cut has been permanent, Trump has cheered Musk on, saying he hopes the billionaire businessman gets "more aggressive" in his effort to slash federal spending. Critics have lambasted the DOGE office and Musk for employing Silicon Valley's "move fast and break things" maxim rather than a slower, more targeted strategy. The USAID employee whose equity program was flagged for review said they believed the program was likely permanently cut, along with the vast majority of USAID contracts cut through DOGE office efforts. "The program was about increasing the impact-per-dollar in these developmental impact programs," the employee said, adding that they were making things efficient "in a measured impactful way." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Have a tip? Contact Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert via email at ktangalakislippert@businessinsider.com or Signal at byktl.50. Contact Jack Newsham via email at jnewsham@businessinsider.com or Signal at jnewsham.77. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely. Read the original article on Business Insider An investigation is ongoing after a fire destroyed a home and killed two dogs that were inside. The fire happened around 11:21 a.m. Tuesday on SE 22nd Lane in Silver Springs. First responders found heavy flames and smoke coming from the home as they arrived. Photos: Dogs found dead after fire destroys Silver Springs home, firefighters say Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marion County firefighter crews from Anthony Station, Fort McCoy Station, Salt Springs Station, and Weirsdale Station worked together to battle the blaze. Firefighters sadly found two dogs dead inside of the home once the fire was out. A person inside the home was also treated for smoke inhalation. The American Red Cross was called in to assist the other occupants. Officials said the cause of the fire is under investigation. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Liz Oyer, the former Department of Justice lawyer who was fired last week, apparently because she opposed restoring Mel Gibsons gun rights, had a stark message for Americans during an appearance on All In With Chris Hayes. Americans should be terrified, she told the MSNBC host, about the current situation at the Department of Justice under the second Donald Trump administration. Oyer was until last week was a pardon attorney for DoJ. She had recently been put on a committee tasked with reviewing applications to restore the gun rights revoked from people who were convicted of relevant crime, and last Thursday was asked outright by a superior to add Mel Gibson to the list of approved restorations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oyer recommended Gibson not have those rights restored, she says, because he hadnt even applied for this through the DoJ process and because she had too many questions about his 2011 conviction on domestic violence charges. Oyer says she was then contacted by an unnamed senior DoJ official who essentially tried to strongarm her into changing her recommendation by citing Gibsons relationship with Trump, along with a veiled threat to her job. She declined to change her mind, and the next morning March 7 she was fired. She went public with her story on Monday in an interview with the New York Times, and explained this again while speaking to Hayes on Tuesday. Hayes then asked Oyer about the response from Department of Justice official Todd Blanche, who accused Oyer of violating ethical guidelines by going public, and vaguely said this would not be tolerated. The reason that Im here talking about this tonight is because whats going on inside the Department of Justice, in terms of silencing dissent, is so frightening that I felt like I needed to share this story after I was fired, Oyer said. And frankly, I think Mr. Blanches statement really just proves my point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My ethical duty as a Department of Justice employee, and now a former one, is to the laws of the United States and the people that I was entrusted to serve. It is not to the bullies who are currently running the Department of Justice, she continuted. We take an oath of office as Department of Justice employees, and that oath says nothing about loyalty to the political administration or to the political leadership of the department. And frankly, she concluded, I think that the position that Mr. Blanche is taking in his statement really just proves how terrified we should be about the current situation at the Department of Justice. Watch the whole interview below: The post DoJ Lawyer Fired Over Mel Gibson Gun Rights Says We Should Be Terrified About Silencing of Dissent Under Trump | Video appeared first on TheWrap. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. A group of citizens are taking justice into their own hands to catch predators. A Lebanon man is now charged with attempting to entice a minor online after a citizen group tipped off police. However, the group Operation Soap found itself in a controversy after Lebanon Police put out a statement about what it calls vigilante groups. This statement sparked controversy online and Ozarks First is continuing to follow the story now that charges have been filed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ozarks First asked a prosecutor and a defense attorney how they feel about these online groups. Law enforcement agencies cant partner with them, said Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson. They cant turn them into agents of the state. That can create problems for a case. And under their task force standards, they cant partner with citizen-led groups for a number of reasons. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Arrest made after citizen group brings attention to police My advice to these kind of vigilante groups is leave that sort of thing up to the police and let them do their investigation, then it would be much more likely to be upheld in court, said criminal defense attorney Adam Woody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both the Springfield Police Department and Greene County Sheriffs Office are members of the Cyber Crimes task force in Southwest Missouri. They cannot, under the standards of those organizations, work with a citizen group conducting its own investigation outside of law enforcement, Patterson said. Its prohibited by their standards. Patterson says the best approach to these cases is to support local law enforcement. So that we both protect convictions, due process, and the integrity of the criminal justice system, Patterson said. Under Missouri law, theres a statute that says the bait must be an actual minor or a police officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the statute was originally written, it had some language about it not being an offense that a police officer was posing as an underage person, Patterson said. As the law evolved, the Supreme Court basically said this is a poorly written statute and they kind of unwrote that part of the statute. Ozark County Jail enters into contract with ICE If the state were to try to pursue actual enticement of a child charges with a vigilante group as the victim, thats not something that would that would pass muster, Woody said. That would be dismissed relatively quickly because its contrary to the statute. While thats still part of the statute, it has changed to include an attempt at the crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the person believes theyre communicating with an underage person and they take a substantial step to committing whatever crime it is, then it could be prosecuted, Patterson said. Again, the key is the integrity of the investigation. Woody explained the circumstances further. Even if the other person is not an actual minor or a police officer masquerading as a minor, prosecutors can still proceed under an attempt provision for the person making an attempt to commit the offense, Woody said. It was through this statute that 29-year-old Michael Rupe of Lebanon was arrested and now charged. Court records show a local civilian group was able to provide evidence to Lebanon Police of Rupe messaging who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Id encourage any citizen, if you believe theres a child whos being enticed or aware of an offender whos using the internet in that manner to make a tip to the Springfield Police Department, the sheriffs office or the task force on Internet Crimes Against Children, Patterson said. Patterson says none of these civilian-led cases have come across his desk. I know that some reports have been made to the Springfield Police Department, Patterson said. Weve not received any of those for investigation. Citizens can file a report with the MoICAC task force online. We have to provide due process to the defendant and convict them in a courtroom, not in a Facebook video, Patterson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. Come, all ye workers, from every land, come, join in the grand industrial band. There is Power In a Union was originally written in 1913 for the Industrial Workers of the World, a union that focused its efforts on organising migrant workers in lumber and construction camps. Trying to unionise these workers made perfect sense to the socialist ideals of the IWW, who saw it as a way to preventing employers from using them to undercut native labour. Such were the foundations the unions of old were founded upon. But the self-interest of members can no longer be taken for granted as the raison d etre of modern unions. Take the example of the hapless London Renters Union. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In reply to shadow Home Secretary Chris Philps assertion that 48 per cent of Londons social housing is occupied by people who are foreign-born, suggesting that The UK cannot serve as the worlds social housing provider, the union argued that only 75 per cent of London social renters hold UK passports. That 75 per cent of London social renters hold UK passports does not disprove that 48 per cent of Londons social housing is occupied by people who are foreign-born, nor that they are proportionally more likely than private renters or owner occupiers to be economically inactive. Moreover, it is not a stunning victory for the London renter that 1 in 4 people enjoying massively subsidised housing does not have a UK passport. Surely we ought to be outraged that nearly half of the social housing in our nations capital, some of the most expensive real estate in the world, is occupied by those who were born abroad. It will surprise no one that the London Renters Union places the blame for the UK housing system and the extortionate rates London renters pay squarely at the foot of the Government, banks, developers and landlords. Their point is that NOBODY should be forced to live at the whims of rip-off private landlords, NOBODY should be priced out of their communities. EVERYBODY should have access to public housing. This is an interesting idea to explore. Public housing, despite the claims of the Left, does not come cost-free; it is sustained by taxpayers. Given that those being charged extraordinary rates by private landlords and those supposedly represented by the LRU are the ones most likely to be providing the tax base to fund it, one would expect the union to advocate for policies that actually reduce rents, like building more housing and reducing immigration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But by insisting on a universal and unrestricted right to social houses, regardless of tax contribution or national belonging, they are agitating against the interests of their own members; the more social housing is allocated to first-generation migrants who are net fiscal drains, the greater the tax burden on those London renters who have to shoulder the costs. Housing is a scarce resource: more demand with a static supply raises prices. When immigrants first arrived in large numbers into London during the 1960s, they often lacked the local connections necessary to secure a spot on the housing list, leaving them in low-quality private rentals. Many saw this as unjust and advocated for reform, leading to the current needs-based system. Under the new rules, a large Bangladeshi family living in substandard conditions could accumulate enough points to be prioritised over young local white residents, who may have been waiting for years. This may explain why boroughs like Tower Hamlets have a massive over-representation of those with migrant heritage compared to the native population. The London Renters Union, in defending a housing model that prioritises those who are more likely to be economically inactive rather than workers struggling under to pay private rents, serves capital rather than its members. It was once said that mass migration meant you had to compete with the worlds richest on the housing market and the worlds poorest on the labour market: the LRU is proving that renters have to fight their own union too. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. During a recent event at the White House, Donald Trump told reporters that he is not allowed to drive. His statement came as he announced his decision to purchase a Tesla in support of Elon Musk. This has left many wondering why the President cannot drive. In this article, we will delve into the details of Trumps interaction with the reporters present. Heres why Donald Trump cant drive Recently, Donald Trump announced his decision to buy a Tesla but admitted that he wouldnt be able to drive it. Speaking at the White House, he explained that he hasnt driven in years. The President said, Im gonna buy one, now heres the bad news. Im not allowed to drive. And I love to drive cars. Instead, he said he would keep the vehicle at the White House for his staff to use, adding that they were excited about it. Trump also added, Im not allowed to use it. Can you believe it? Trump: Im not allowed to drive because I havent driven a car in a long time. I love to drive cars. But Im going to have it at The White House and Im going to let my staff use it. Im not allowed to use it pic.twitter.com/75aKIJa6yR Acyn (@Acyn) March 11, 2025 Like all former U.S. presidents, Trump is prohibited from driving on public roads, a restriction that applies even after leaving office. The Former Presidents Act of 1958 enforces this rule, ensuring that ex-presidents remain under constant Secret Service protection and other security measures, including monitored mail screening. (via TATC) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump announced his decision to purchase a Tesla as a gesture of support for Elon Musk, whose company has been facing backlash due to his political involvement in the administration. Protests have taken place at Tesla showrooms, with the company struggling with declining sales and stock prices. On Tuesday, Trump inspected several Tesla models outside the White House before selecting a red Model S. He was joined by Musk, who also leads the Department of Government Efficiency. While exploring the options, Trump pointed at the Model S and said, The one I like is that one. He confirmed that he would pay with a check and insisted, I dont want a discount. Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on ComingSoon. The post Donald Trump Explains Why He Cant Drive Cars appeared first on Mandatory. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi will be his next ambassador to Tunisia. In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Bazzi for his military service, working with diplomats around the world and work as an engineer with Ford and Boeing. This is the second mayor from metro Detroit that Trump has named as an ambassador to an Arab country over the past week: On Friday, Trump picked Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib to be his ambassador to Kuwait. "Bazzi is a decorated U.S. Marine, who honorably served our Country for 21 years, collaborating with U.S. Embassy Ambassadors, Diplomats, and Leaders throughout the World," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Bazzi also worked at Boeing as a quality manager, and Ford Motor Company as a product development engineer. ... I look forward to seeing the great things he will accomplish for our Nation." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An immigrant from Lebanon who served in the U.S. Marines and once worked for Ford Motor Co., Bazzi, 61, has been mayor since January 2021 when the city council voted 4-3 to make him mayor after Mayor Dan Paletko died. Bazzi was elected later that year in November to a four-year term with 72% of the vote. Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi shown in his office in City Hall on October 25, 2021. President Donald Trump announced on March 11, 2025, he had picked Bazzi to be ambassador to Tunisia. Bazzi has partnered with the State Department and other groups on programs exploring different countries, including a 2023 trip to Jordan through the State Department and Arab American Institute. Bazzi did not return a voicemail left Tuesday from the Free Press. In a Facebook post at about 7 p.m., Bazzi said he was honored by Trump naming him to be ambassador, saying he has visited Tunisia before. More: Donald Trump picks Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib for ambassador to Kuwait Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Among the distinct countries I have visited over the years, I hold a great affinity to Tunisia and its honorable parliament members along with the people I met while touring orphanages, womens career institutions, schools, and a multitude of companies which distinguish the countrys rising presence in the region," Bazzi wrote Tuesday. "With my visits oversees, the parliament cohorts visits to the U.S., and the relations we have established over the years, I am excited to return and honorably represent our Country in Tunisia as its U.S. Ambassador." Ghalib endorsed Trump in September and hosted a rally with Trump in Hamtramck on Oct. 18. On Oct. 21, Bazzi publicly endorsed Trump in a press call with other Trump supporters in the Arab American community. Bazzi said during the call that Trump will bring peace in the Middle East and end unauthorized immigration, saying the "illegals ... coming in" who commit "atrocities against the American people" are "pretty disgusting." About 39% of Dearborn Heights' population is of Arab descent, many of them immigrants. Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi shown working in City Hall on October 25, 2021. President Donald Trump picked him in March 2025 to be ambassador to Tunisia. Bazzi also expressed concern about Israel's attacks in Lebanon, where he and thousands of others of Lebanese Americans in Wayne County have roots. "The home that my grandparents built was just destroyed a few days ago in south Lebanon," Bazzi said on the October press call held by GOP leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bazzi is part of the Shia Muslim community in Michigan, often attending events at mosques and Lebanese centers in Dearborn Heights and nearby cities. Southern Lebanon is heavily Shia and has often been in conflict with Israel over the decades. Bazzi spoke at some of Trump's rallies, including one in Novi that featured a number of imams standing on stage with Trump. He spoke in Grand Rapids at Trump's last rally in Michigan. "Bazzi worked hard during the 2024 Presidential Election to help us secure our Historic Victory," Trump said in his Truth Social post. Tunisia is a nation in northern Africa with about 12 million people. The uprisings known as the Arab Spring started in Tunisia about a decade ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ghalib and Bazzi must both be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before becoming ambassadors. Born in Lebanon, Bazzi immigrated to the U.S. when he was 10 years old and graduated from Fordson High School in Dearborn, according to a biography with the Association of Patriotic Arab Americans in Military. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps after high school, serving in active duty from 1984 to 1988. "After 22 years with Ford, Bazzi took an early retirement to serve his City as Mayor of Dearborn Heights," Trump said. There is an August primary and November general election this year in Dearborn Heights for the four-year mayoral term, a non-partisan position. If Bazzi is confirmed as ambassador and were to step down as mayor before the election, the 7-member council is asked under the city charter to select a mayor through a majority vote to fill out the unexpired term, which ends in January 2026. It's unclear when the Senate confirmation of Bazzi would take place and when he would resign. Dearborn Heights City Council Chair Mo Baydoun, a frequent critic of Bazzi, announced last month on Instagram he's running for mayor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city of Dearborn Heights has been known for years for its frequent infighting among officials. Bazzi has been in an ongoing dispute with younger members of the city council, some of whom accuse him of being too deferential to the city establishment as they push for more Arab American representation in city government. Bazzi was trying at times to act as a mediator between the two factions. A lawsuit filed last year by some Dearborn Heights police officials accuse some Arab Americans on city council of having a bias against whites. Bazzi in December appointed the city's first Muslim and first Arab American police chief in history, Hussein Farhat, who became interim chief. But the following month, the city then announced Farhat was no longer chief and named Officer Ahmed Haider as the new chief, sparking outrage from some residents. At a contentious city council meeting on Jan. 30 reported by WXYZ-TV (Channel 7), Bazzi did not appear, but a t-shirt was wrapped on his chair, reading: "I can't talk about it." Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi named ambassador to Tunisia by Trump Donald Trump made a public show of support for Elon Musk by posing with Tesla vehicles at the White House amid the ongoing boycott against the company. The President praised Teslas designs and defended Musk, emphasizing his contributions to the industry. His show of support came as Musks company faced criticism and declining sales. Read on to know more details. Donald Trump supports Elon Musk amid Tesla boycott Donald Trump has voiced his support for Elon Musk and Tesla, pushing back against the growing boycott of the electric vehicle company. In an unusual move, he had several Tesla cars displayed on the White House South Lawn, where he personally inspected them alongside Musk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He praised the companys designs, particularly the Cybertruck, calling it the coolest design. Trump also sat inside a red Model S and described it as beautiful. Musk also joined him on the passenger side. The President said that he would write a cheque, which costs around $80,000, and leave the car at the White House for his staff to use. (via AP News) Trump expressed hope that his decision to buy a Tesla would have a positive impact on the companys stock. He defended Musk, saying he shouldnt face backlash for being a patriot. (via CNN) Despite his past criticism of electric vehicles, Trump acknowledged that Tesla had received positive feedback from his friends. However, his public endorsement of the company raised ethical concerns, as government officials typically avoid promoting private businesses. The White House has not addressed whether his actions breached any ethics regulations. Prior to the White House event, Trump expressed his support for Musk on Truth Social. He described the boycott as an unfair attack on Tesla and accused radical left lunatics of working against Musk. He further praised the billionaire as a truly great American and reaffirmed his support for the company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump also warned against any harm to Tesla dealerships, stating that such acts would be considered domestic terrorism. Tesla has been dealing with declining sales and stock value, partly due to Musks involvement in global political matters. The post Donald Trump Poses With Elon Musk at White House Amid Boycott appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) A historic vote for Alabama education, as the Dothan Board of Education votes to increase degree requirements for the superintendent. This vote comes after the current superintendent announced he will not be returning to the role at the end of the year. Dothan City Schools is still looking for someone to fill the position, as the vote unfolded. Board members voted four to three in favor of requiring superintendent candidates to have a doctorate degree. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members who opposed the change were Audie Jenkins, Amy Bonds, and Chairman Scott Childers. Melanie Hill, Franklin Jones, Brenda Guilford, and Brett Strickland said yes Dothan becomes the first school district in Alabama to require that level of college education. Alabama state law requires a superintendent to have a four-year degree and five years working in public school, with three of those years serving as a teacher, principal or administrator. Dothans current superintendent, Dr. Dennis Coe, will not be returning to the district at the end of the school year. WDHNs Robert Smith was at the meeting, which got contentious. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement View the story above to hear the comments from the meeting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. Mar. 11March 5 Vincent Rubano Aldaco, 24, 1710 N. 20th St., Apt. 2, battery, no contest plea, 18-month deferred prosecution agreement. Teresa Arlen Escabez-DelFigueroa, 54, Duluth, disorderly conduct, possession of methamphetamine, no contest pleas, 17 days jail, six months jail stayed, 18 months of probation concurrent, $638.25 fine and court costs, no contact with victim, business; possess drug paraphernalia, resisting or obstructing an officer, dismissed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spencer Richard Gudowski, 23, 2 Parmly Place, two counts first-degree recklessly endangering safety, no contest pleas, five years state prison, five years extended supervision concurrent, $5,471 restitution and fine; two counts first-degree recklessly endangering safety with use of a dangerous weapon, dismissed. Robert Allen White, 55, 1425 E. Fifth St., disorderly conduct, deferred prosecution agreement fulfilled, amended to ordinance violation disorderly conduct, no further sentence. March 6 Ambrosia Dyvonne Brown-Vos, 20, 1001 Baxter Ave., battery, deferred prosecution agreement revoked, one day jail, 90 days jail stayed, one year of probation, $443 court costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justin Michael Olenski, 36, 112 53rd Ave. E., vehicle operator flee/elude officer, resisting or obstructing an officer, no contest pleas, 20 days jail, 18 months jail stayed, two years of probation concurrent, $1,107 fine and court costs; operating while revoked, dismissed. March 10 Claire Christine Hineline, 28, Duluth, domestic battery, deferred prosecution agreement fulfilled, dismissed. Olivia Rachelle Milstead, 43, Middletown, Ohio, second-offense operating while intoxicated, no contest plea, 82 days jail, $2,528.50 fine, 15-month driver's license revocation, ignition interlock, alcohol assessment; possession of marijuana, no contest plea, $443 court costs; drive or operate vehicle without consent, dismissed; second-offense operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration, dismissed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Julie Anna Phillips, 46, Ashland, repeater possession with intent to deliver amphetamine, guilty plea, three years state prison, six years extended supervision, $748.50 fine; repeater possession of marijuana, repeater possess drug paraphernalia, dismissed. Jeremiah Ramos, 28, Round Rock, Texas, battery, amended to disorderly conduct, guilty plea, one day jail, $443 court costs. Fredrick Charles Stoddard, 57, 2415 E. Fifth St., Apt. 303, possess amphetamine, no contest plea, four days jail, 180 days jail stayed, two years of probation, $443 court costs; second-offense in three years operate without valid license, no contest plea, $150 fine; bail jumping, possess drug paraphernalia, dismissed. Cody Thomas Telega, 37, Duluth, possession of methamphetamine, no contest plea, two-year deferred prosecution agreement; resisting or obstructing an officer, no contest pleas, 10 days jail, 90 days jail stayed, two years of probation, $516 fine and court costs; possess drug paraphernalia, no contest, 13 days jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Joseph Shane Thomas, 38, Minneapolis, possession of methamphetamine, deferred prosecution agreement fulfilled, dismissed. Kristy Marie Vandamme, 43, 632 Grand Ave., domestic battery, guilty plea, 90 days jail, $543 court costs; domestic disorderly conduct, dismissed. Dylan Alan Wakefield, 33, 1706 Banks Ave., repeater possession of methamphetamine, no contest plea, one year state prison, one year and six months extended supervision, $638.25 fine and court costs; operating while revoked, dismissed. Devin Vincent James Walker, 20, Duluth, battery, amended to ordinance violation disorderly conduct, no contest plea, $200.50 fine. The Superior Telegram publishes court records as part of its obligation to serve as a keeper of the local historical record. All items are public records submitted by the courthouse in Superior. Individual requests for items to be withheld will not be granted. A downtown alderman said he will push to bump the teen curfew in Chicago up to 8 p.m. after a tourist was shot in front of a movie theater over the weekend in his ward. Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, told the Tribune he intends to advance his stalled ordinance from the Rules Committee often the de facto home for items stuck in legislative limbo by using a parliamentary move that would require a majority of his colleagues support for a floor vote to proceed. Hopkins said there was not time to compel a hearing using the maneuver this month because of laws requiring public agenda disclosure before meetings, but added he plans to make the push in April. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its time to have the debate, he said. It just cant be dismissed. It just cant be overlooked. We need to take action to prevent it from here. His efforts could meet resistance from Mayor Brandon Johnson, who was tepid at best when asked about the proposal at news conferences Tuesday and Wednesday. As far as making sure that we keep our community safe, we have to do the things that work, Johnson said Wednesday after the City Council meeting. He then cited investing in young people, improving public transportation and adding affordable housing as ways in which we are responding to disinvestment So, look, Im going to continue to have conversations with Ald. Hopkins and anyone else who is committed to ensuring we are doing things that work. The shooting unfolded about 8:10 p.m. Sunday in the 400 block of North Columbus Drive, according to Chicago police. A 46-year-old woman was shot in the arm while walking on the sidewalk, and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition. No one was in custody as of Wednesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police sources told the Tribune the woman was from Connecticut and with her son when the shooting occurred. Security footage showed a male shooter in a red hoodie firing a handgun west on Illinois Street before fleeing. Hopkins, whose ward includes that block, told the Tribune a crowd of around 50 teens was loitering in the movie theaters lobby before the shots rang out. Many fights have broken out at the theater, even as its management cooperates with police, he said. A second bullet hit the wounded womans purse, inches away from her torso, Hopkins said. People have dismissed it as a non-life-threatening injury. That may be so, but its a life-altering injury, you know? This woman was here for a convention. She was here as a guest, he said. Its a familiar discussion among Chicago leaders whenever the weather warms up. As mayor-elect, Johnson vigorously defended his calls to not demonize youth following a chaotic weekend in April 2023 when three teens were shot as hundreds of young people converged downtown and along the lakefront. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later that summer, the mayor chastised a reporter for referring to another teen gathering as a mob action. To refer to children as baby Al Capones is not appropriate, Johnson said. Under his predecessor Lori Lightfoot, backlash over downtown violence led to her successfully passing a curfew expansion in 2022, but not without controversy. The move to lower the curfew to 10 p.m. from 11 p.m. for all days of the week came on the heels of a teens fatal shooting at The Bean in Millennium Park. She also banned unaccompanied minors from entering Millennium Park after 6 p.m. Thursday to Sunday. The curfew law, passed in 1992, had imposed a 10 p.m. cutoff on weekdays and an 11 p.m. curfew on weekends, both of which applied to those ages 12 to 16. Lightfoots ordinance amendment moved up the curfew to 10 p.m. across the board and added 17-year-olds to the restrictions. For children under 12, the curfew remains 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hopkins proposal was met with swift opposition from the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois: The Aldermans call for a curfew on minors for downtown is predictable it happens every year after the first warm weekend of the spring. Rather than penalizing all Chicago youth for the misguided actions of a few, the City should focus on diversion, anti-violence, and job programs for youth, and improve our Chicago Police Department through the Consent Decree, ACLU spokesman Ed Yohnka said in a statement. Chicago Tribunes Jeremy Gorner contributed reporting. CHICAGO A downtown alderman said he will push to bump the teen curfew in Chicago up to 8 p.m. after a tourist was shot in front of a movie theater over the weekend in his ward. Alderman Brian Hopkins told the Chicago Tribune he intends to advance his stalled ordinance from the Rules Committee often the de facto home for items stuck in legislative limbo by using a parliamentary move that would require a majority of his colleagues support for a floor vote to proceed. Hopkins said there was not time to compel a hearing using the maneuver this month because of laws requiring public agenda disclosure before meetings, but added he plans to make the push in April. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its time to have the debate, he said. It just cant be dismissed. It just cant be overlooked. We need to take action to prevent it from here. His efforts could meet resistance from Mayor Brandon Johnson, who was tepid at best when asked about the proposal on Tuesday. As far as making sure that we keep our community safe, we have to do the things that work. And what works is that we have to invest in people, the mayor told reporters during a news conference about the citys summer youth jobs program. More work to be done, but I believe that by having policies in place that actually work and investing in people, thats our pathway to continue to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago. The shooting unfolded about 8:10 p.m. Sunday on the 400 block of North Columbus, according to Chicago police. A 46-year-old woman was shot in the arm while walking on the sidewalk, and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition. No one was in custody as of Wednesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police sources told the Tribune the woman was from Connecticut and with her son when the shooting occurred. Security footage showed a male shooter in a red hoodie firing a handgun west on Illinois before fleeing. Hopkins, whose ward includes that block, told the Tribune a crowd of around 50 teens was loitering in the movie theaters lobby before the shots rang out. Many fights have broken out at the theater, even as its management cooperates with police, he said. A second bullet hit the wounded womans purse, inches away from her torso, Hopkins said.People have dismissed it as a non-life-threatening injury. That may be so, but its a life-altering injury, you know? This woman was here for a convention. She was here as a guest, he said. Its a familiar discussion among Chicago leaders whenever the weather heats up. As mayor-elect, Johnson vigorously defended his calls to not demonize youth following a chaotic weekend in April 2023 when three teens were shot as hundreds of young people converged downtown and along the lakefront. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later that summer, the mayor chastised a reporter for referring to another teen gathering as a mob action. To refer to children as baby Al Capones is not appropriate, Johnson said. Under his predecessor Lori Lightfoot, backlash over downtown violence led to her successfully passing a curfew expansion in 2022, but not without controversy. The move to lower the curfew to 10 p.m. from 11 p.m. for all days of the week came on the heels of a teens fatal shooting at The Bean in Millennium Park. She also banned unaccompanied minors from entering Millennium Park after 6 p.m. Thursday to Sunday. The curfew law, passed in 1992, had imposed a 10 p.m. cutoff on weekdays and an 11 p.m. curfew on weekends, both of which applied to those ages 12 to 16. Lightfoots ordinance amendment moved up the curfew to 10 p.m. across the board and added 17-year-olds to the restrictions. For children under 12, the curfew remains 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hopkins proposal was met with swift opposition from the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois: The Aldermans call for a curfew on minors for downtown is predictable it happens every year after the first warm weekend of the spring. Rather than penalizing all Chicago youth for the misguided actions of a few, the City should focus on diversion, anti-violence, and job programs for youth, and improve our Chicago Police Department through the Consent Decree, ACLU spokesman Ed Yohnka wrote in a statement. _______ (The Chicago Tribunes Jeremy Gorner contributed reporting.) _______ The Utah software engineer drawing attention from the White House, the media and the worlds richest man will tell you the political potential of artificial intelligence is best summed up by 1 Samuel Chapter 17. By her reading, AI is not an uncontrollable threat to humanity, its the slingshot in the hands of David that defeats a government Goliath and its the gift that will save America. AI gives us the ability to take on massive, entrenched systems that would otherwise be impossible to untangle, Jennica Pounds told the Deseret News. Without it, wed be fighting blind. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pounds, a Utah resident who up until two weeks ago was known only by her X account, DataRepublican, burst onto the scene this year as the most viral pioneer of Elon Musks AI-driven takeover of Washington, D.C. With the creation of a powerful government-spending database, and a pithy online personality, Pounds has taken conservative social media by storm and attracted her own fair share of critics in the process. As some have accused Pounds of copying Musks unorthodox auditing practices which recently yielded an 83% reduction of USAID, thousands of federal layoffs and a disputed $105 billion in savings Musk, in turn, appears to have occasionally taken cues from Pounds. On Jan. 21, Pounds flagged Musks Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, with a quick billion for you to cut! that included $229 million to Global Refuge, a faith-based immigrant charity, that is 95% taxpayer funded. Musk, who has the worlds largest following on X, of nearly 220 million, responded to her message with one word: Noted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Less than two weeks later after he encouraged users to follow DataRepublican Musk announced that the DOGE team was rapidly shutting down federal payments to Global Refuge. Pounds told the Deseret News that while Musk has not reached out privately, DOGE representatives have messaged her multiple times over the past two months. But since a Rolling Stone article revealed her identity, and other personal information, to the world on Feb. 26, Pounds life as a Salt Lake City business owner, wife and mother of two has been turned on its head. The couples local distillery has been targeted with bad reviews and the family has been forced to take their elementary-age sons out of school to stay in Florida until things calm down, Pound said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In her first official news interview since her identity became public, Pounds told the Deseret News that despite the stress of public life, she has redoubled her commitment to apply her big tech background to mapping out the web of government connections that she believes has led to unresponsive leadership and wasted taxpayer dollars. The AI revolution For someone who describes herself as deaf and nonverbal, Pounds says AI technology has transformed her relationship with her children by increasing their ability to communicate. Pounds also believes AI has the power to revolutionize the relationship between citizens and their government. AI has fundamentally changed the balance of power when it comes to government transparency and accountability, Pounds wrote via email because she said her autism makes real-time sign language difficult in interviews. For too long, technology has been used by government authorities to surveil and regulate the public, according to Pounds. But with unregulated AI tools in public hands, she predicts that dynamic is about to flip 180 degrees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, everyday citizens can use AI to analyze government spending, track decisions, and uncover waste and corruption on a scale that was previously impossible, Pounds said. And Pounds has exactly the skill set to pave the way. As a child without the ability to hear, Pounds felt like most career paths were cut off from her until she discovered programming. From there, her career path became clear: she earned a graduate degree in computer science focused on big data and quickly secured high profile positions at Amazon, eBay, Snap Inc. and Upstart, specializing in massive datasets and machine-learning optimization. Eliza Anderson, Deseret News These jobs kept Pounds in the Seattle area while her husband, Brent, served in the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) Corps. But after discovering hypodermic needles used for drug injection scattered around the playground with her toddler, Pounds said she knew we needed a different environment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Pounds moved to Utah in 2019, looking for a more welcoming place to raise a family. Within a few years, Pounds found a remote job dealing directly with AI software, while she and her husband opened Spirits of the Wasatch Distillery and she began blending her knowledge of technology with her deepening interest in politics. What started in 2020 as election analysis, creating block-by-block voting breakdowns, quickly morphed into AI toolmaking, creating interactive dashboards to track how political donations are made and who are the recipients. When President Donald Trump signed DOGE into existence in 2025, Pounds decided to switch directions yet again. What is DOGE doing? Pounds learned that to cancel large portions of federal spending, DOGE would need specific ID numbers for grants awarded to nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But while the data was all ostensibly public information, Pounds found there was no effective way to search for it. Government spending data exists, but without tools to analyze and connect the dots, its nearly impossible to see the full picture, said Pounds, who has the motto, Data does not equal transparency. So, Pounds created Datarepublican.com centered around a reverse index tool that lets users search for organizations and easily find how much federal money they are receiving. It also has features that allow users to track PAC donations, NGO officer salaries and connections between influential policymakers. As the website went viral, Pounds said she realized there was a pattern of overlapping conflicts of interest between elected lawmakers and the private NGO boards they sit on, which she estimates are funded by upwards of $100 billion in taxpayer dollars. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats when the mission evolved from simply cutting waste to taking on something much larger: restoring accountability and transparency in our democracy, Pounds said. In February, Pounds announced she had resigned from her job in order to devote herself full time to DOGE-adjacent efforts, while still remaining independent from the DOGEs White House office. But Pounds told the Deseret News that since media reports have made a return to big tech no longer an option," she has decided that working within the system is the right path for her. Pounds said she is unable to discuss details about potential employers, but she hinted at a future working within the government, and previously said she is waiting on a federal background check. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While she doesnt always agree with Musk and feels that pushback from Congress and the courts are necessary checks on executive power Pounds said that Musk may be the only person who can take on the bloated bureaucracy because of his reputation of successfully disrupting the status quo in the fields of electric vehicles, space travel and neurotechnology. But the uncomfortable reality behind DOGE, according to Pounds, is that as it seeks to trim down unnecessary spending, it will likely find a much deeper problem of ruling establishment misconduct that could be much more difficult to root out. Its not just about cutting government waste its about confronting the system that enables corruption and unchecked power, Pounds told the Deseret News. If we want real, lasting change if we want a government thats financially sustainable and accountable to the people we have to take on the entire system thats choking progress. Thats what makes DOGEs work so important." Why is this happening now? Pounds ability to pull out datapoints that appear to support claims about a conspiracy among elites has made her a hero among some on the right Musk, and one of his closest social media allies, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, have both shared or responded to her posts dozens of times over the past several weeks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lee has repeatedly praised DataRepublican on X, calling her a gift to America, telling his followers to follow her to be enlightened and coming to her defense after news outlets repeated the claims made in the Rolling Stone article. The concerned citizen known as Data Republican, whose research has helped root out waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars, is experiencing the sad truth that leftist organizations will go after the families and livelihoods of Americans who dare to challenge the corrupt status quo, Lee told the Deseret News. But, unlike the liberal media, she has millions of grateful Americans on her side myself included. Eliza Anderson, Deseret News The Rolling Stone article in question alleges that Pounds, acting under her social media moniker, DataRepublican, sometimes accuses political actors of malfeasance on shaky grounds. For example, last month, Pounds said that Bill Kristol, an anti-Trump conservative commentator, preferred the deep state, because his advocacy organization, Defending Democracy Together, received money from a nonprofit, that had received money from another nonprofit that ultimately received funds from USAID. While Pounds has put her partisan leanings on display by arguing that MAGA voters need to show up in primary elections to oust incumbents in Congress, and by lobbing attacks at Democratic mega donor George Soros, she says the Republican in her social media handle is with a small r because she carries no party loyalty. In fact, one of the biggest revelations from her deep dive into the federal bureaucracy has been just how bipartisan the conflicts of interest are, Pounds said. Yet, instead of equal outrage from both sides, the attacks on me have been overwhelmingly one-sided. Pounds expressed frustration with the Rolling Stone article because it suggested she advised Musk directly and it insinuated that she was influenced by her prior companys pushback against federal regulation and the companys connection to Peter Thiel, a billionaire Republican donor. But Pounds readily admits that her newfound-fame has come as a result of the recently reelected president who has empowered DOGE in an unprecedented way. The sheer scale of government spending and federal programs is too vast for any person, or even a team of people, to fully grasp, Pounds said. Now, with the right people in place and a renewed focus on accountability, we can finally expose whats been hidden for so long. As to whether her career will remain focused on government transparency beyond DOGEs 18-month lifespan, Pounds said her future is ultimately in the Lord Gods hands. For now, at least, Pounds hopes her family can return home to Utah to enjoy its strong sense of community, emphasis on family, high standards and widely available energy drinks in peace. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Dozens of riders will finish a more than 300-mile bike from Tampa to Tallahassee. It is part of Moffitt Day, as hospital advocates head to Tallahassee for funding for cancer centers. Massive great white shark pings off Florida coast The group of advocates leaving by bus left Moffitt around 6:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, with an expected arrival of 11:30 a.m. More than 40 people traveled by bus, including patients, volunteers, caregivers, physicians, and researchers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im a PhD candidate and I try to understand the science behind how cancer cells grow and spread in the body, said Ranjini Bhattacharya. Everyone on board has some sort of tie to the cancer center, some of them are patients at Moffit, like Cari Ann Gomez. My cancer journey started two years ago tomorrow when I got the diagnosis of breast cancer, she said. Some people on the bus are volunteers, including Randy Isaacson. My wife was a patient, she passed away 6 years ago now, he said. The most horrible thing that ever happened in my life and the question is, how do you get something good out of it? How do you turn that into something positive and hopefully, make things easier and better for other people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They will all be sharing their stories with lawmakers to talk about Moffitts priorities for the year. I think the biggest thing is to have the legislators have faces to the journeys, understand how the money and dollars spent, especially for Moffitt, have impacted peoples lives, Gomez said. Funding for research, making sure more people have access, and personally, I think early detection. The earlier that people realize they need to get treatment, the better, Isaacson said. Keep the momentum of Moffitt going, Moffitt has done so much for Floridians in general. So, we want to maintain the support for Moffitt, said Bhattacharya. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On top of the bus ride, a group of cyclists pedaled 325 miles over four days to meet the group at the Capitol. They will present three checks of $40,000. Gomez said everyone going on Wednesday is advocating for every single person being treated for cancer. I work in healthcare, and I know how important it is to advocate for patients, and the treatment they need. The journey is what I like to call my cancer, its a journey, its so individualized, there is nothing that is the same for every single person, she said. The trip is all-day and all the advocates will be returning late Wednesday night. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. HONOLULU (KHON2) Teaching is one of the most impactful professions, and for those who feel a calling to make a difference in the lives of students, there are numerous pathways to entering the field. One of those paths is through Teach For America (TFA), a national organization dedicated to ensuring that all children have access to an excellent education. And the organization is celebrating 20 years of service in our communities and schools. In Hawaii, TFA has become a critical resource for those who want to dedicate themselves to education while simultaneously making a lasting impact in local communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jill Baldemor, Executive Director of Teach For America Hawaii and Senior Vice President, Regional Field Executive, has spent nearly two decades growing and shaping TFA Hawaii into what it is today. Through her leadership, TFA has not only transformed local classrooms but also empowered its corps members to create positive, lasting change. Baldemors own journey began in 1995 when she first joined Teach For America as a teacher in Washington Heights, New York. She shared her initial attraction to TFA, explaining that, The vision and mission of Teach For America to ensure that all kids have access to excellent educational opportunities was what drew me in from the start. I had a great education myself in Hawaii and at Northwestern University, and I wanted to help ensure that every child had that same opportunity. Her experience in New York was a formative one, working in a school where many students spoke Spanish, a language she did not know. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I learned so much about the brilliance of our children and their true potential, Baldemor reflected. She quickly saw how systemic barriers made it harder for marginalized communities to thrive but also how, when educators care deeply about students, they can rise to challenges. This firsthand experience reinforced Baldemors commitment to TFAs mission and later led her to return to Hawaii to expand the program. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Today, Teach For America Hawaii is celebrating its 20th year of impact. In 2026, we will mark 20 years of transforming lives in Hawaii, Baldemor said proudly. Together with the support of our partners and the dedication of our corps members, weve opened doors for so many brilliant students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the years, TFA Hawaii has grown from a small group of 100 corps members to a network of over 600 education advocates working across the state. 10 things to know about becoming a teacher in Hawaii through Teach for America 1. TFA welcomes a diverse range of applicants: You dont have to be a recent college graduate to join Teach For America. Baldemor emphasized, We are open to both college students and career changers. People from all walks of life can apply. Whether youre a recent grad or someone whos worked in a different field, if youre drawn to the mission of TFA, you can join. 2. A bachelors degree is required: To become a TFA corps member in Hawaii, you must have a bachelors degree. Baldemor clarified that applicants can be in the final stages of their college education or already graduated. We do accept juniors and seniors who are on track to graduate. 3. Teacher certification and support: One of the unique benefits of joining TFA is the support you receive to become a certified teacher. Teach For America Hawaii is a state-approved teacher education program, Baldemor explained. We provide coursework and support to help you gain the necessary credentials while you are working as a full-time teacher. This support allows individuals who dont already have an education degree to receive the proper certification without having to go back to school for another degree. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 4. Leadership development and beyond: TFA is not just about teachingits about leadership. Teaching is a direct impact on future generations, Baldemor said. But its also about leadership development. As a teacher, you have the opportunity to grow professionally and personally, learning how to lead, advocate for students, and create lasting change in your community. 5. A mission-driven network: TFAs work goes beyond the classroom. Baldemor noted, While we need educators in classrooms, we also need school leaders, policymakers, and healthcare professionals who understand the challenges our marginalized students face. Teach For America is about building a network of passionate, committed individuals who will make a difference in education and beyond. 6. A rigorous selection process: TFA maintains a high standard when selecting its corps members. Its a pretty rigorous selection process, Baldemor said, but were looking for people who are deeply committed to our mission of educational equity. We want to bring in a diverse group of individuals who care about making a difference for all kids, especially those in underserved communities. 7. Community impact is at the core: The work of a TFA corps member is deeply rooted in the community. We believe in getting close to our students and their communities, Baldemor explained. Its not just about what happens in the classroom; its about building relationships with students, parents, and the community as a whole to create lasting change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 8. TFA Hawaii embraces local culture: Hawaii is a unique and special place, and TFA embraces its local culture. Our work in Hawaii is deeply tied to the community and to Hawaiian values, Baldemor said. We want people who are committed to learning about and respecting the local culture and history. TFA is about more than just teaching; its about being part of the ohana (family) and contributing to the broader community. 9. Ongoing support and professional growth: TFA Hawaii provides its corps members with continuous support. Baldemor noted that corps members are not alone in their journey. We offer mentorship, professional development, and the opportunity to collaborate with fellow educators, both within the TFA network and in the broader school community. 10. The long-term impact of joining TFA: The work you do with TFA is not just for today, its for the future, Baldemor said. We want our corps members to be part of a movement that will shape the future of education in Hawaii and beyond. Whether you stay in the classroom or move on to another role in education or public service, the leadership and experiences you gain with TFA will help you continue making a difference in the lives of others. Teach For America Hawaii is an invaluable resource for those looking to make a profound impact on education in the state. Whether you are a recent graduate or someone looking to change careers, TFA provides a clear path to becoming a teacher while also offering the opportunity to grow as a leader and advocate for change. With its mission-driven approach and deep commitment to the community, TFA Hawaii continues to shape the future of education in Hawaii for generations to come. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Baldemor prepares to step down as executive director in 2026, she reflects on the programs journey: Weve come a long way, but our work is far from over. I am proud of what weve accomplished, but there is so much more to do. Together, well keep fighting for the educational equity that every child deserves. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. By Timothy Gardner HOUSTON (Reuters) -U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told a packed room of energy executives on Wednesday that he wants their industries to ramp up drilling and mining on America's public lands, telling the crowd: "We love you!". Burgum's comments to the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston underscored the agenda of President Donald Trump, a Republican, to unfetter fossil fuels and metals production by slashing as much red tape as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If we're going to drill, baby, drill, then we've got to be asked to also mine, baby, mine," Burgum, a former governor of the oil-producing state North Dakota, told the crowd. He said royalty payments to the government from drillers and miners operating federal lands and in U.S. waters will help pay down the national debt. Oil and gas drillers operating on federal lands paid about $75 billion from 2012 to 2022, according to the Government Accountability Office. The national debt, by comparison, is now about $36.2 trillion. U.S. oil and gas production struck record highs under the administration of former President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and it was unclear if energy companies are keen to ramp up investment with oil prices plumbing three-year lows last week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burgum said he believes the Trump administration can unwind between 20% and 30% of the country's regulations, and estimated that doing so could sharply cut the cost of producing oil. He added that speeding up energy and mining project permitting would be a crucial focus of the administration's National Energy Dominance Council, which he chairs and which is responsible for coordinating government policies to maximize production. Burgum said boosting U.S. electricity generation and transmission capacity is key to winning what he called the "AI arms race" with China. Burgum added that he believes enforcing sanctions on Iran, which are designed to bring the OPEC member's oil exports to zero, could end that country's funding of "terror groups." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MINERALS Burgum added that the council is focused on boosting U.S. production of critical minerals, which include lithium and nickel. He said the council has really big, really powerful ideas to boost U.S. mining, including using the planned U.S. sovereign wealth fund and better coordinating with allies. He did not directly say whether the wealth fund would invest in mines, although he underscored the countrys reliance on China, the dominant minerals processor globally. We put ourselves in a position of incredible risk, where we've allowed ourselves to have a major competitor control 80% of the processing for critical minerals, said Burgum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reuters reported on Monday that Trump is considering an executive order that would build metals refining facilities on Pentagon military bases as part of his plan to boost domestic production. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; additional reporting by Ernest Scheyder, Editing by Leslie Adler and David Gregorio) LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) A viewer question about temporary plates that *you might be wondering about, too And believe it or not this time were *not* talking about expired tags. Viewer Karl sent me a photo of a car he came across (the image has been altered to protect the driver/owner). He wrote: In the last 6 months, Ive seen 5 or 6 cars a day with temporary tags from New York. Many have license plate holders showing that they were bought in Las Vegas! Why would a local dealer sell a New York resident a car but allow it to be registered back there? Can you explain this to me? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Karl, I *can* explain. That photo you sent is a Nevada temporary plate, but the first two letters may be confusing. I talked to Sean Sever from the Nevada Dept of Motor Vehicles. When the DMV went to the current system of temp tags, the first two letters were N-V. After that, he says, its just number/letter sequencing. When they used up numbers after N-V they went to N-X then N-Y and he says theyre now in N-Z. Karl and anyone else wondering the same thing I hope this helps. Thanks for writing. Buckle up, drive carefully and, please put down that phone! Youre welcome to join the Driving You Crazy conversation: traffic8@8newsnow.com. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. (WBRE/WYOU) Two men have been charged after a group allegedly used the United States Postal Service to traffic drugs from Puerto Rico to northeastern Pennsylvania. After an investigation by the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Roberto Ivan Mesa Benitez, 26, listed as homeless, and Romulo Ivan Cepeda Benitez, 43, of Wilkes-Barre, were charged after agents say they found the two recovering cocaine mailed from Puerto Rico and transporting it between Luzerne and Lackawanna counties. Man charged with exposing himself to delivery driver Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Agents say they did a records search on a vehicle that was surveilling homes where the packages were supposed to be delivered. PennDOT records indicated the car was registered to a person on Madison Street in Wilkes-Barre. According to court documents, on the morning of March 10, a GPS device was installed on the vehicle. A few hours later, agents tracked the cars movement from Wilkes-Barre to Lackawanna County where they say it circled the areas of South Main Street in Taylor Borough and Sussex Street in Old Forge. This corresponded with addresses where two packages originating from Puerto Rico were expected to be delivered. The vehicle left the area and traveled to a storage unit near Wilkes-Barre. Agents say the car then drove back to the area of South Main Street in Taylor Borough where a man exited the passenger door and took one of the parcels off of the porch. The two men then returned to the storage unit. Agents say the two men left the storage unit and traveled to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It was then that investigators notified the Pennsylvania State Police of the operation. Troopers stopped the vehicle in Kidder Township, Carbon County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the stop, troopers received permission to search their vehicle. Inside the car, they say they found two kilograms of suspected cocaine wrapped in cellophane inside a FedEx box with no shipping label. Another parcel was found inside the vehicle with a USPS label that matched the Old Forge address agents were monitoring. Inside that package were three cellophane-wrapped kilograms of cocaine, according to court documents. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. An elected leader once dubbed The Punisher was handed to The Hague to face trial for crimes against humanity over his brutal war on drugs, in a breathtaking reversal of fortune for a politician who once openly boasted about killing people and placing opponents on hit lists. Rodrigo Duterte ran the Philippines for six turbulent years, during which he oversaw a brutal crackdown on drugs, openly threatened critics with death and tongue-lashed a host of global leaders from the Pope to former US President Barack Obama. On Wednesday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands confirmed the former Philippines leader was now in its custody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A former prosecutor, congressman and mayor, Duterte built his no-holds-barred reputation in the southern Philippine city of Davao. He swept to the presidency in 2016 on a populist and popular promise to replicate the hardline tactics of his hometown and wage war against drugs and drug pushers across the Southeast Asian nation. All of you who are into drugs, you sons of b**ches, I will really kill you, he told a huge crowd in one of his many characteristically profane-laced 2016 campaign speeches. I have no patience, I have no middle ground. Either you kill me or I will kill you idiots. Once in power he unleashed what rights groups called death squads to eradicate drug pushers many of the victims young men from impoverished shanty towns, shot by police and rogue gunmen as part of a campaign to target dealers. Police data said 6,000 people were killed. Some rights groups say the death toll could be as high as 30,000 with innocents and bystanders often caught in the crossfire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dutertes blood-soaked presidency ended in 2022. Three years later, only 8 policemen had been convicted for 5 of the victims killed in the war on drugs, according to court documents. The ICC launched an investigation into allegations of crimes against humanity committed by Duterte during both his time as national leader and mayor of Davao. Duterte has long denied the accusations of human rights abuses and contends the drug issue is one for domestic law enforcement. He has repeatedly said he will not kowtow to foreign jurisdiction and taunted the ICC, urging prosecutors to hurry up and move on him. Two days before his arrest, he slammed the ICC in a typically fiery speech to supporters in Hong Kong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From my own news, I have a warrantfrom the ICC or something these motherf***ers have been chasing me for a long time. What did I do wrong ? he said. Police gather outside Villamor Air Base, where former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was held after his arrest in Manila on March 11, 2025. - Jam Sta Rosa/AFP/Getty Images A sudden arrest But the tide had suddenly turned. Authorities were waiting for Duterte to return from Hong Kong, and arrested him at the main airport in Manila, sparking chaotic scenes. As the news filtered out, many were left in shock. Some flocked to churches in the majority Catholic country to attend impromptu mass to commemorate the thousands of victims of his drug war, seeing the move as a first step towards overdue justice. And just before midnight, Duterte was back on a plane this time bound for the Netherlands in what appeared to be a stunning end to a stormy and violent stint at the top of Philippine politics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a Wednesday statement, the ICC said Duterte was surrendered to its custody, and a hearing would be scheduled in due course. It is unclear when he will make his first court appearance. Shortly before landing in Rotterdam, Duterte released a defiant video message on his Facebook page. I was saying to the police and military that you do your job and I will take responsibility, so it has come to this, he said. This will be a long legal proceedings, but I say to you, I will continue to serve my country. And so be it, if that is my destiny, he added. Supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte gather outside the gate of Villamor Airbase, where Duterte was taken following his arrest on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant, on March 11, 2025 in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines. - Ezra Acayan/Getty Images Why now? The arrest likely owes more to Duterte being on the wrong side of a feud between two of the Philippines most high-profile families than the might of the ICC, which cannot carry out arrests on its own and relies on the cooperation of national governments to execute warrants Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dutertes clan was previously in an alliance with the famed Marcos political dynasty, with his daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio serving as deputy to current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. An emotional mass was held in memory of the drug war victims at a church in Manila on March 11, 2025 following news of Duterte's arrest. - Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images But in recent months the alliance collapsed, descending into public tirades and name-calling. In October, Duterte-Carpio aired a litany of grievances against the president in a two-hour livestreamed press conference, saying she wanted to chop his head off. Then she said in an online news conference on November 23 that she had contracted an assassin to kill Marcos, his wife and House Speak Martin Romualdez if she were killed, a threat she warned wasnt a joke. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marcos had said the Philippines will disengage from any contact with the ICC, as Manila does not recognize its authority over matters of national sovereignty. Thats because Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the court in 2019. But under the ICCs withdrawal mechanism, the court keeps jurisdiction over crimes committed during the membership period of a state. President Marcos said he was obliged to follow Interpols request to arrest Duterte. Interpol asked for help, and we obliged because we have commitments to the Interpol, which we have to fulfil. If we dont do that, they will not, they will no longer help us with other cases involving Filipino fugitives abroad, Marcos said in a late-night presser after the plane carrying Duterte took off. What comes next? Carlos Conde, a Philippines researcher for Human Rights Watch (HRW) Conde said Dutertes swift arrest and removal was a pleasant surprise that caught also a lot of people off guard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victims of the drug war thousands of victims have pretty much lost faith in the domestic accountability mechanisms in the Philippines. So, they were pinning their hopes on the ICC, he told CNN. Nobel laureate Maria Ressa told CNN Dutertes arrest marks a major moment for the country and signals that years of impunity can be ended. Catholic priest Flavie Villanueva comforts a woman while watching the exhumation of her father's remains at Navotas Cemetery in the Philippines on July 8, 2021. - Eloisa Lopez/Reuters Its historic for the Philippines, its the first time a Philippine president has been arrested for crimes against humanity. That an Interpol-led arrest actually ended this impunity under president Duterte that now has him going to The Hague, said Ressa, former CNN Manila bureau chief and CEO and founder of news site Rappler. Human rights campaigner Aurora Parong told CNN many advocates and drug war victims family members were elated with a momentary sense of relief after hearing Duterte had indeed been arrested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But there is this mixed feeling of joy and hope and anxiety because we do not exactly know where this will end up to what will be the outcome. Will there really be accountability? said Parong, who is also co-chair of the Philippine Coalition for the ICC (PCICC). But she cautioned it would be an excruciatingly long road to justice. It is time consuming. It will take years before there will be a conviction at the International Criminal Court. The waiting is really difficult for the victims and the families of the victims of the bloody war on drugs. What is the ICC? Located in The Hague in the Netherlands, the ICC investigates and prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and crimes of aggression against the territory of its member states, of which there are 125. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dutertes arrest and transfer is a significant victory for the body. The court cannot carry out arrests on its own and relies on the cooperation of national governments to execute warrants which often rests on domestic politics and political will on whether to follow through. Many of those on its wanted list remain at large, unruffled by the serious charges laid against them. The court has been rounded on by the United States for seeking the arrests of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for Israels military actions in Gaza following Hamas October 7, 2023, attack. The ICC simultaneously sought the arrests of top Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, who was later killed. Neither the US nor Israel are members of the ICC. The court has also issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine, although it is unlikely the warrant will be served any time soon. Putin travelled to ICC member Mongolia last year, but was not arrested. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Earl Spencers new girlfriend has claimed she was forced to reveal her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in a newspaper interview to put a stop to online gossip. The Earls partner, Cat Jarman, is suing his estranged wife, Countess Spencer, for the misuse of private information, alleging that she told an array of friends and employees about her medical condition. When she lodged the High Court claim last October, the details of her diagnosis remained confidential. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But in December, Prof Jarman, a Norwegian archeologist, gave an interview to MailOnline in which she revealed she had MS, but said she had worked very hard indeed to keep it hidden from many people she knew, including the Earl, who is Princess Dianas brother, in the early days of their relationship. The Earl, who has been married three times, announced in June last year that he and the Countess were divorcing - Max Mumby/Indigo As a result of her own public revelation, she has now withdrawn the part of her claim that involved an application for an injunction against Countess Spencer to prevent further disclosures. Prof Jarman explained in newly released court documents that she felt compelled to speak out as the case had generated a huge amount of public speculation. She said she was also concerned about her loss of autonomy and control over her own medical information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speculation surrounding the case caused both Prof Jarman and her children significant distress and she felt compelled to publicly disclose the fact of her MS, together with certain information about the nature of the condition, her claim now states. This was not a decision taken lightly, it adds. Prof Jarman was also concerned about Countess Spencers defence, which was about to become public. The Earl and Countess Spencer at Royal Ascot Ladies Day in 2015 - Max Mumby/Indigo In these circumstances, the claimant wished to regain some of the autonomy and control over her medical information, and bring an end to the harmful speculation and gossip which had been percolating online, the claim says. Prof Jarman said the Countesss admission that she could not recall exactly whom she had told only served to increase the risk of further gossip and speculation about her health. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legal battle has laid bare a deeply personal marital breakdown, as well as a wealth of private correspondence. The Countess, who was married to the Earl for 13 years and shares with him a daughter, has robustly defended herself against the allegations. Cruel and inexplicable In her 11-page defence, she accused the Earl of having an affair with Prof Jarman. She alleged that the Earl informed her by text message last March that their marriage was over, completely refusing to discuss it in person, or even to provide an explanation, behaviour that she says she found both cruel and inexplicable. She said the affair became clear after she compared notes with Prof Jarmans husband, Tom Jarman, who then told her that his wife had multiple sclerosis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Countess states that this information was volunteered by Mr Jarman because he plainly believed that it was relevant to his wifes behaviour and the fact she had embarked on an affair. It was considered a relevant and integral part of the picture. At no point was it suggested to her that the diagnosis was a secret or that she should not mention it to anyone else, she said. Earl Spencer has insisted that the Countess ended their marriage, adding: The notion that I would end my marriage by text is an absurd attempt to blacken my name. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. (KRON) Three Oakland Chevron stations were targeted by burglars early Tuesday morning in just a 15-minute period. The businesses that were hit all shared the same owner. One of the incidents was caught on surveillance camera (Watch in the player above). According to the Oakland Police Department, burglars struck the first Chevron on the 3500 block of Lakeshore Avenue just after 3:30 a.m. OPD was notified of a burglar in progress. They arrived and located evidence of a burglary, including several vehicles fleeing the area. Suspects used a vehicle to ram the building, allowing them to get inside. The suspects then fled before officers arrived. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scott Peterson injured in prison The second burglary, according to OPD, occurred just before 3:45 a.m. when the Chevron on the 4100 block of Redwood Road was hit. Officers arrived and located evidence of a burglary. An investigation revealed that multiple suspects arrived in several vehicles with one suspect using an object to break a window and get inside. Again, the suspects fled before officers arrived. The third incident occurred just 15 minutes after the burglars first struck. OPD officers responded to a burglary at the Chevron in the 6500 block of Moraga Avenue just before 4 a.m. When officers arrived, they found evidence of a burglary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Again, an investigation revealed that suspects rammed the business with a vehicle to get inside. As in the other incidents, suspects fled prior to police arriving on the scene. The Oakland Police Department declined to address whether its pursuit policy may have been a factor in the burglaries. While the burglars didnt make off with much, damage to the gas stations is extensive. All three incidents, according to police, are under investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) Seven people were indicted by an East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury in connection with the drive-by murder of 8-year-old Diellon Daniels, the district attorneys office announced Wednesday. Daniels died from his injuries after a shooting on Swan Avenue in November 2024. Police said his mother and her five children were hit by gunfire multiple times during the drive-by. Tremell Harris, Yancy Jarrell, Roger Parker, and Kendrick Profit were formally charged with first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, assault by drive-by shooting and illegal use of weapons during a crime of violence. Profit was also charged with obstruction of justice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brianna Crump and Yarnell Crump were charged as accessories after the fact to first-degree murder and five counts of attempted first-degree murder. Demarcus Parker was charged with obstruction of justice. Man arrested in Baton Rouge shooting that left boy dead, 2 children hurt being held without bond The district attorneys office confirmed that all defendants except for one are currently in custody. An arrest warrant has been issued for Demarcus. No decision has been made on if the state will seek the death penalty in this case. Officials are urging anyone with information to come forward as the investigation remains ongoing. No court dates have been set at this time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a developing story. Latest News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. Mar. 11EAST GRAND FORKS The East Grand Forks City Council discussed supporting the establishment of the West Central Regional Water District during its work session Tuesday night. The water district is currently in the preliminary stages of being established. The district covers parts of Polk, Norman and Clay counties with the goal to supply clean drinking water to rural communities. Across the region, private wells exceed environmental standards for arsenic and the water also has high levels of iron and manganese, all of which can cause health and development issues Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement . The communities partnering together could help alleviate costs of replacing aging infrastructure and the lack of qualified staff in the area. "This regionalization seems to be a really good aspect of the future," West Central Regional Water Board Chair Lucas Spaeth said. "We're not looking for a regional plant, we're looking for water supply." As the district is still in the process of formation in Clay County District Court, a process that hasn't been done in nearly 50 years, many specifics on East Grand Forks' role are still to be determined. The city could be a supplier of water to the district, whether raw water or treated water. According to Water and Light General Manager Keith Mykleseth, the city could easily support it as it is still well within its allocation of water from the Red Lake River. "Why wouldn't you want to help a neighbor?" Mykleseth said. "They have trouble with their arsenic, etc., and as long as they do things the right way and they are interested in paying our (water fees), why wouldn't we want to sell a little more water?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Potentially selling water to the district could help lower water rates in the city, as it would add an additional revenue source. The city has the capacity to produce 3.5 million gallons a day of clean water and currently only does 900,000 to 1 million gallons a day. There would also have to be discussions with the Marshall and Polk Water District to the north of the city, as the city does have agreements for using their water in case of drought. West Central is also asking the Minnesota legislature to again consider a bonding bill to help it fund infrastructure. The district has requested $9.5 million to help fund the construction of a pipeline that would connect communities along the U.S. Highway 75 corridor and has already received $3.5 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the project. The projected timeline for completion is around 2027, depending on when funding can be secured. In other news, the council: * Discussed allowing the Northstar Neighbors Community Land Trust to go with a smaller square footage home and allow the land trust Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement to buy an additional lot previously owned by the Forx Builders Association . The houses are only three square feet under what the council had previously agreed to last year. Both the City Council and Economic Development Authority have been supportive of the changes. * Discussed the request for qualification for a construction manager at risk for the city's facility improvements at the Civic Center and VFW Memorial arenas. The city had previously opened the request and had selected Construction Engineers to the project back in 2021. However, because there wasn't a construction agreement signed at that time, and state law changed the process of construction manager at risk contracts and bids, the request for proposal has to be done again. Helena Public Schools' board received three options regarding the future of Hawthorne Elementary School during a lengthy meeting Tuesday night. Two options were to close the school. And 6 1/2 hours later, no decision was made. Option one would close the school at the end of the school year, option two would close the school in the 2025-2026 school year and option three would leave the school open as is. The district's board received nearly four hours of public comment from 45 community members, teachers, parents and students. At one point, there were 168 people online watching from various locations. The size of the audience prompted the school board to move the meeting to a larger room. Superintendent Rex Weltz presented proposals for long-term planning and dealing with aging school facilities to the board. The options were based on the facilities master plan created by SMA Architecture and Design. A majority of the comments Tuesday were focused on keeping the school open due to the community it has built around it since its creation. Some pitted the possible closure against an incentive to restore physical education and music classes to the way they were before budget shortfalls and failed levies prompted changes. Sam King, a Hawthorne parent, urged the board to think about the impact a closure would have on the community and to make sure funding in the district is definite, rather than a possibility. Becca Leaphart, a community member, said the board should do what's best for kids, while describing her time attending the elementary school. She said in her third grade year at Hawthorne, classes became bigger and the year was difficult, but she remembered her fourth grade year as a joyful one. Leaphart said she acclimated to the new system, built new friendships and gained a better understanding of the situation around her. She said kids today could do the same thing. A person opposed to the closure of the Mansion District's school was Joshua Jones, a special education teacher at Hawthorne. Jones said he wanted clarity from the board in terms of a timeline if a closure would happen or not. "The culture in Hawthorne's walls is something that should be replicated in other places," he said. Jones talked about his fear of overcrowded classrooms in other schools and the trauma a closure could cause to the young students. Multiple public commenters requested the old system used in physical education and music should be reinstated with the closure of Hawthorne, but to some the "either/or" scenario was not a good one. Some members of the public claimed the district was "weaponizing" the elementary school. "In my mind, the math here is really clear. Closing Hawthorne, restaffing music and PE, benefits every single student in this district including the students currently attending Hawthorne," Sarah Dramstad, a music teacher at Four Georgians and Jefferson elementary schools, said. In a previous report, music and physical education staff spoke about the struggles of seeing hundreds of students and only seeing some every three to four weeks dependent on scheduling. Helena community member Retta Leaphart agreed with the closure of the school if it meant restoring music and physical education to the district. She said the arts in school districts benefit students and play an important role in their development. The amount of transparency was questioned by the public during the busy March 11 meeting, with some claiming previous meetings were never publicly noticed. Siobhan Hathhorn, board chair, said toward the end of the meeting the board complies with all regulations regarding open meeting laws and does post all public meetings appropriately. "I'm upset with how this topic is being presented to the community. I think it's important that you are aware that the community is being made to believe the closure of Hawthorne is a done deal," Kathryn Dunkelberger, a Hawthorne staff member, said. She believed decisions around the possible closure of Hawthorne were done behind closed doors, in violation of Montana law. "The way this is being handled has poisoned the community's confidence in the district and the superintendent," she said. School supporters said the school brought a sense of belonging to the students and community. One person called it a "gross mismanagement" of funding if the school were closed and sold. A Zoom commenter, Bryant and Helena Middle School parent Heidi Friedlander-Keaster, felt there was a different outlook to the possible decision in the coming months. "As I sit through this and hear the 'me, me, me and my child,' you are that scared. I am putting myself in your shoes now ... I would be proud of my school district looking out for the equity of all the children," she said. Hawthorne is the most privileged in this community and smallest. Hawthorne parents can afford music lessons and travel sports, so if they dont close Hawthorne, then you know what, Hawthorne parents open your pocketbooks. Talks of closing Hawthorne have continued for years, with a notable showing by the public in 2014 when parents, students and alumni rallied in protest against the idea of closing the school at 430 Madison St. in Helena's Mansion District. LEWISBURG Township officials in East Buffalo Township will work with three property owners to establish easements for the new Turtle Creek Bridge. At Monday nights public meeting, township Manager Jolene Helwig and solicitor Jason T. Brudecki said construction easements and easement/right-of-way agreements with the Eplers, Fessler and Robbins are all needed. The damaged bridge on Turtle Creek Road shifted off its foundation during a severe storm in August 2023. Theyre very small areas in the right-of-ways, Brudecki said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Epler easement is for 750 square feet, the Fessler easement for 341 square feet and the Robbins easement for 182 square feet, Brudecki said. All properties will require a permanent easement and a temporary easement for getting equipment to the site and performing work. A permanent easement will be needed because the bridge is slightly wider than originally expected, township officials said. These agreements are needed in place with the property owners so the public works crew can start marking the worksite, staging the area with materials and then the removal of the bridge once the weather changes, township officials said. Helwig said the goal is to open the bids and award the bridge construction contract at the March 24 meeting to get the project moving along. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The supervisors voted last year to apply for a Pennsylvania Infrastructure Bank (PIB) loan to pay for the $775,000 replacement of the bridge. PIB is a PennDOT program that provides low-interest loans to help fund transportation projects within the commonwealth. The goal of the PIB is to leverage state and federal funds, accelerate priority transportation projects, spur economic development and assist local governments with their transportation needs, according to PennDOT. Engineer Herbert, Rowland & Grubic Inc., of Lewisburg, provided an estimate of $775,000. The associated costs are $610,000 for construction, $50,000 for preliminary engineering, $99,000 for final engineering, $10,000 for utilities and $6,000 for right-of-ways. The bridge is closed to traffic. Design, permitting and construction will take an estimated two years, township officials previously said. Mar. 11Ector County ISD's substitutes are a key part of what makes the district go. Monday and Friday are typically the days when teachers are out the most. They can teach at virtually all the campuses and at all levels. Sulema Arredondo, substitute specialist, said after a recent training there would be 447 subs, up from 427. You must have a high school diploma or GED and your high school diploma must be accredited in Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If a campus needs a long-term substitute, ECISD requires 45 college hours, 30 of which must be in a core class. The class the substitute covers must also be a core class. "Currently, we're at $120 per day, and that's for guest instructors. That's what we call our substitutes that are subs for teachers. As long as they meet the qualification on the 11th day, they get bumped up to $198," Arredondo said. Certified teachers get $150 a day. If they are approved to cover for a long-term position, that jumps to $228, a day, Arredondo said. Long-term is nine weeks, which gives campuses time to search for someone certified. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Normally, principals email if they are looking for someone. "Then what I do is I send out a mass email to our substitute pool and then I let them know the subject, the campus (and) the start date, and then, of course, (the) requirements of them being able to get the higher pay rate," Arredondo said. She forwards the information to the principal and the principal can conduct a quick interview in person or over the phone. The principal then selects who they feel will best fit their campus need. Subs, who are considered part time, are trained once a month on the same things as full-time teachers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arredondo said there are more non-certified than certified teachers. But a lot of them find they like it and it becomes their calling. "We've had so many that came in with the high school diploma, but then started subbing and ... " decide that is what they want to do so they go back to school for it, she said. ECISD hires more than 300 teachers every year. Director of Human Resources Natalie Fitzgerald said 101 of their substitutes have gone full-time. "I think it's neat because the principals, instead of having to do maybe a 30-minute interview with someone physically, gets to see these substitutes working eight hours," Arredondo said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The principals get to see how the subs handle any difficulties they come across. "I feel like it's an advantage, especially for our campuses, because they get to know these substitutes," Arredondo said. In order to be a sub, you must attend orientation, Fitzgerald said. The orientations are held once a month. The district not only hires substitute teachers, but substitute office staff and teacher aides. She added that Arredondo does a great job at orientation. She tells the substitutes that when they go to the campus it's like a job interview every day "because you're presenting yourself." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "A lot of times they'll call and say we want them full-time. We have this open position (and) we'd like for them to be permanently on our campus," Fitzgerald said. Being a substitute streamlines the hiring process because it could be considered an assignment change. Fitzgerald said the campuses are always picking from their department because they have great candidates. "But then our goal is always to get more substitutes so that we ensure classes are covered when teachers are out," she added. Arredondo said the greatest need for substitutes is Thursday, Friday and Monday, which is what she tells substitutes during training. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There are plenty of jobs out there if a substitute wants to work every single day, especially Fridays and Mondays," she added. Fitzgerald said they issue challenges every month to encourage subs to pick up jobs. "It might be work all the Mondays and Fridays of this month. Then if they meet that criteria, we put them on a wheel ... then we go to the campus and present them with a gift certificate and an ECISD cup and we recognize them," Fitzgerald said. They also send emails letting them know what the fill rate for jobs was, broken down by days. "This is how many jobs were filled. This is how many were unfilled, just encouraging them so that they know. We require them to work at least five days a month," Fitzgerald said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arredondo, who is in her third year in her position, said this is amazing because in the past they had to pick up 20 full days for the school year. "They had from August until May to do those 20 days. My second year it was changed to 40 days. This year, we did the five days and we've seen a big difference," Arredondo said. Fitzgerald said they have had almost 2,000 more absences, but so far from last year to this year, their fill rate has increased 6.4 percent. Taking five jobs a month is more bite-size for people. Better communication has also been implemented. "With all the illnesses this year, if they've been unable to fulfill their five days for that month, they're sending Sulema documentation, doctor's notes," Fitzgerald said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There also is lots of training on classroom management, with police officers, the substitute handbook, compliance, sexual harassment, expectations, Safe Schools, and email. Arredondo said they have substitute teachers or guest instructor and substitute clerk aides, which will be office staff and also a teacher's aide. They can switch from one to another. Anytime there are issues or concerns or the teachers need support, they contact Fitzgerald or Arredondo. Sometimes the campus or the sub will let them know the sub is having trouble with classroom management. Also, if a teacher has an emergency and didn't leave a lesson plan, HR will tell them what to do. If so, Arredondo will ask the Talent Development Team to go to a campus and demonstrate what to do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If a sub feels they are being mistreated by a campus principal, they can contact Fitzgerald. "Even though they're considered part-time employees, we try to ensure that level (of) support. That's why we did that whole compliance training; got all of our subs on the same page. That way, the support's provided. That way if they have a question, say they had an issue in the classroom, did they do the right thing? We're here to support them and guide them as needed," Fitzgerald said. CLEVELAND (WJW) Economic experts are weighing in after President Donald Trump s threat Tuesday to double his planned tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50% for Canada led Ontario to suspend its planned surcharges on electricity sold to the United States. As a result, Trump pulled back on his doubling of tariffs. It is an economic game of chicken. There is a ton of back and forth. The idea is that our trading partners are more dependent on us than we are on them so they will give in first, said Scott Shane, a professor of economics at Case Western Reserve University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dept. of Education laying off more than 1,300 employees, terminating leases in Cleveland, other cities The back-and-forth Tuesday resulted in a win for Trump but also sent the stock market into chaos and only intensified concerns about a recession. This all comes as the federal government still plans to place a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports starting Wednesday. Trumps logic is the Canadian economy is smaller than ours. They are more dependent on us, and it seemed to work on the electricity imports from Ontario, said Shane. State withholds $10.8M of recreational marijuana tax revenue from cities Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shane says it appears the president is doubling down on tariffs and will point to Tuesdays outcome as proof that taxes on imports are a valuable negotiating tool, even if it causes a recession in the short term. As an idea, if you can pull productions back into the U.S., you are making more steel and more products, there will be more jobs and growth in the medium and long term, said Shane. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has announced a strategic alliance to fight organized crime with Erik Prince, the founder of the controversial private defense contractor formerly known as Blackwater. Noboa, who launched a divisive military operation against criminal groups last year, posted a photo on X and Instagram showing him chatting with Prince at an office with an Ecuadorian flag in the background. We have established a strategic alliance to strengthen our capabilities in the fight against narcoterrorism and the protection of our waters from illegal fishing, Noboa wrote on Tuesday. There is no truce. There is no retreat. We are moving forward, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The president did not provide details on the partnership. CNN has reached out to the Ecuadorian presidency for more information. CNN has also asked the Ministry of Defense for information about the partnership and whether the Armed Forces are aware of or support the move. CNN also contacted Princes office for details about the meeting with Noboa. Noboas announcement has raised eyebrows in Ecuador. Former Army commander Luis Altamirano criticized the partnership, calling it deplorable that they seek to hire the services of a mercenary army. Its truly deplorable that, under the guise of international cooperation, they seek to hire the services of a mercenary army. In the end, the announced special forces were a dubious private company. Is this announcement just another smokescreen? the retired general said on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CNN has reached out to Princes office for comment. Prince, who is the brother of US President Donald Trumps former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, founded Blackwater, which gained notoriety in 2007 during the Iraq War, when its private contractors opened fire in Baghdads Nisour Square, killing 17 Iraqi civilians. Four contractors were convicted and later pardoned by Trump. Following the massacre, the company changed its name and Prince sold the firm in 2010. He currently identifies himself on his website as an investor, entrepreneur and leader in military affair reforms. Prince was a prominent Trump supporter during the 2016 campaign. He spent time around senior transition officials and informally advised the Trump White House on some major foreign policy decisions early in Trumps first term. Ecuadors crime crackdown In his post announcing the partnership with Prince, Ecuadors president wrote: Organized crime has sown fear and believed it can operate with impunity. Their time is up. International aid begins in Ecuador. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In early 2024, Noboa launched a nationwide crackdown to stop an outburst of gang violence. But the president, who is seeking reelection this year, has insisted that his country needs foreign support to solve the security crisis driven by local criminal groups linked to international drug cartels. Armoured vehicles are seen during a joint armed forces and national police operation in Duran, Ecuador, on March 6, 2025. - Marcos Pin/AFP/Getty Images Ecuador has the highest homicide rate in Latin America, with 38.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the most recent report from the organized crime research and analysis center InSight Crime. It is followed by Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, and Brazil. The Ecuadorian Ministry of the Interior says the start to the year has been the most violent in the countrys history, with more than 1,000 homicides. The president said in a radio interview on Monday that Ecuador would receive international assistance and support in the coming days through special forces abroad that would arrive in the country to join the fight against organized crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Noboa did not specify where this new international support would come from, nor under what mechanisms foreign forces would operate in the country. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com EDDY COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) Three more cases of measles have been confirmed in New Mexico, the New Mexico Department of Health announced Tuesday. Eddy County saw its first case of 2025, and Lea County, which has reported most of the cases, saw two more infections. The total number of cases in New Mexico is now 33. Fired Veterans Affairs worker in New Mexico describes shock of losing job NMDOH said most of the cases involve unvaccinated people. To date, one of the cases has required hospitalization. The measles outbreak in Lea County has resulted in one death, NMDOH said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since Feb. 1, nearly 9,000 New Mexicans have received the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccineas compared to 5,342 MMR vaccinations in the same time period last year. NMDOH will hold a free vaccination clinic from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, March 13, at the Carlsbad Public Health Office at 1306 W. Stevens St. in Eddy County, which borders Lea County to the west. For more information, including the full vaccination clinic schedule, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Imagine Chicago and Illinois without an effective local U.S. attorneys office over the years. Michael Madigan, we believe, still would be Illinois House speaker. Ed Burke likely would be preening around the floor of the City Council as 14th Ward alderman. Rod Blagojevich could well be in office, if not as governor, then as a senator or a congressman. In a state and city so afflicted by the culture of corruption, as the Tribune reported exhaustively last year in a series of pieces tracing our sordid history, federal prosecutors have played an indispensable role in unearthing these stories and making our politicians pay for abusing their offices. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has contributed immeasurably as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Locally elected officials, dependent as they were on the Madigan-led Democratic Party of Illinois for their political careers, certainly werent going to be the ones to root out the corrupt practices of power brokers like Burke and Madigan. After winning election in 2020, President Joe Biden to his credit heeded the requests of U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both fellow Democrats, and allowed Donald Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney John Lausch to continue in that role while the monumental investigations of Madigan and several others tied to his political operation were concluded and the prosecutions were prepared. Before the first of two huge trials got underway the so-called ComEd Four in 2023 followed by Madigans trial, which concluded earlier this year Lausch stepped down. His deputy, Morris Sonny Pasqual, has served in an acting capacity ever since for nearly two years. Pasqual has kept the office functioning well, according to incisive reporting by the Tribunes Jason Meisner, but given his acting status hes been unable to set priorities the way a presidentially appointed U.S. attorney would. Its worrying, then, to see that two years of an office adrift has led to a sharp decline in indictments. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Illinois for decades has been a nationwide leader in indictments per judgeship, a key metric of productivity. Last year, the Northern District of Illinois finished last in the country in that category, according to the Tribune. Thats an astonishing falloff. We all know thats not because federal crimes, gang violence and public corruption are now minor problems in the Chicago area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The concern is that, with a federal prosecutors office not producing the way it has for as long as most can remember, a key part of our local law enforcement apparatus is running on fumes. The irony is that at the other major prosecutorial office maintaining law and order, the Cook County states attorney, voters in November elected Eileen ONeill Burke, a tough-on-crime candidate who pledged to rebuild ranks depleted by defections during the two terms of Kim Foxx. ONeill Burke seems to be off to a fast start, putting more emphasis than Foxx did on prosecuting accused criminals rather than righting the wrongs of overzealous prosecutors of the past. Wouldnt it be nice if for the first time in nearly a decade both prosecutors offices were working at top capacity? That the U.S. attorneys office in Chicago is suffering from such a leadership vacuum is due mainly to Vice President JD Vance, who as Ohio senator singlehandedly prevented a vote on April Perry, Bidens choice for top federal prosecutor locally. Vance employed informal Senate rules that permit a single senator to hold up a nomination for any reason he or she chooses. In Vances case, it was to protest the various federal prosecutions of Trump. Trump, of course, is back in the White House, so there is no reason whatsoever that this situation should persist. The good news is that U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, an Illinois Republican representing parts of northern Illinois outside the Chicago area, is compiling a list of contenders for Trumps consideration. Trumps Justice Department should make filling that slot quickly a high priority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the Tribune reports, the law enforcement priorities the Trump administration will want the office to pursue will be quite different from those of the recent past. In particular, LaHood set forth first in a list of areas of focus implementing and enforcing our immigration laws. We were gratified LaHood also included prevent(ing) public corruption in his list. The U.S. Supreme Court in a series of recent rulings has made proving public corruption cases more difficult for prosecutors. Trump hasnt exactly shown himself to be a warrior against sleazy political dealings; his pardon of Blagojevich shortly after taking office for the second time is Exhibit A. Illinois and Chicago politicians tempted to misuse their offices to enrich themselves, we expect, will be extra careful after seeing the likes of Burke and Madigan convicted. But that caution wont last forever. A reinvigorated U.S. attorneys office in Chicago is critical to ensuring the downfalls of those two political heavyweights are true turning points in the Land of Lincolns sad history of public corruption. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Democracy is dying not in darkness, but in plain sight at the Florida Capitol. Republican legislators want to make it outrageously expensive for citizens to launch ballot initiatives. In the past, voters have used their direct access to the ballot for a wide range of issues: An increased minimum wage. A ban on dog racing. Multiple initiatives on casino gambling. Term limits. The medical use of marijuana. Voting rights for people who had prior felony convictions but had paid their debt to society. Mandates for government in the sunshine and other ethical issues. Some were too minor to be in the constitution. But most were legitimate issues that legislators stubbornly ignored until voters forced their hand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawmakers have always hated these citizen-backed initiatives, and done everything possible to throw up roadblocks. But this year, they want to kill direct democracy the only alternative left for frustrated Floridians. House Bill 1205, approved on a 14-4 vote by the House Government Operations Subcommittee on Thursday, would require a $1 million bond before sponsors can begin a petition drive, restricts them to one at a time and shortens the deadlines for collecting and turning in signed petitions. Combine these changes with other measures, and the path to a successful signature-driven ballot question becomes nearly impossible, particularly for the purer-minded efforts that dont have oceans of special-interest money behind them. Fewer circulators, steeper fines These attacks include some provisions that would serve little public purpose. If it passes, even volunteer petition circulators must be Florida residents. The bill imposes $50,000 fines on sponsors for each solicitor found to not be a U.S. citizen. All that may be unconstitutional. Its unquestionably unfair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than three hours of debate and intense testimony made it clear: The intent is to deter any more campaigns like those last year to restore abortion rights and legalize recreational marijuana. Both had heavy financial support, including out-of-state interests. Both drew majority support. But both fell short of the 60% approval required. Its already very difficult to pass an initiative facing organized opposition. Both initiatives likely would have passed if Gov. Ron DeSantis hadnt misused state agencies and taxpayers money to oppose them. Overwhelming opposition In the House, more than 130 citizens signed up to speak against the bill or logged in opposition. Many were students, seeing first-hand how democracy in practice mocks its theory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So many registered to speak that the chairperson, Rep. Linda Cheney, R-St. Pete Beach, cut their microphone time from three minutes each to two, then one, and silenced overlong speakers in mid-sentence. Cheney was determined to pass the bill before the panels noon adjournment time in the sessions first week. It has only one more committee stop, in House State Affairs, before reaching the floor. One supporter, an anti-abortion activist, said the bill isnt tough enough and touted the Senate version, SB 1414, which is even worse. It would forbid sponsors from collecting signatures for their own petitions. Individual voters would have to submit them to county election supervisors, like vote-by-mail ballots. This is the more onerous, DeSantis-backed version. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senate Ethics and Elections Committee tackled that legislation Monday afternoon, with a similarly packed audience (though fewer attempted to speak) and the same outcome. Somehow, impossibly, the committee managed to make it worse by tacking on additional restrictions before passing it along party lines. Floridas iron-fisted attack on direct democracy is a back-door maneuver to repeal the 1968 constitutional reform that established the initiative process, without actually amending the Constitution to remove it. Thats harder. It requires 60% approval and it would likely fail, so the scheme is to suppress initiatives by creating a series of impossible hurdles. HB 1205 leaves the initiative wheezing. SB 1414 would strangle it. None of the other 23 states that allow initiatives, most in the Midwest and West, go so far out of their way to discourage them. Its deeply disappointing that the statewide association of election supervisors supports HB 1205 with a couple of little tweaks, as its lobbyist, David Ramba, told House members. Stay out of it, supervisors Bad idea. Election supervisors should not take sides in a political debate involving ballot access. This could easily damage their hard-earned reputations for political neutrality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its costly and time-consuming for supervisors to validate so many petitions, as nearly 900,000 valid signatures are required for an initiative to reach the ballot. But that comes with being agents of democracy. Theres no doubt that some paid solicitors forge names, but thats already a crime. Prosecuting them under that law should suffice. Election supervisors have referred cases to prosecutors. A DeSantis administration study that alleged voluminous forgeries in last years campaigns was unreliable because it was a projection based on forged petitions that supervisors had already detected in four counties. These bills are the worst assaults in a relentless, years-long campaign against initiatives. Requiring 60% voter approval for amendments was just the beginning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every Republican on the House panel voted for HB 1205 One Democrat voted with Republicans, to his discredit: Rep. Jose Alvarez of Kissimmee. Thats disheartening, as Alvarez seemed relatively supportive of voters rights during the 2024 campaign. Floridians, Republicans and Democrats alike, deserve legislators who are willing to protect their constituents voices. The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board includes Executive Editor Roger Simmons, Opinion Editor Krys Fluker and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Executive Editor Gretchen Day-Bryant, Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney and editorial writers Pat Beall and Martin Dyckman. Send letters to insight@orlandosentinel.com. The Department of Education, led by Secretary Linda McMahon, will lay off half its staff as President Donald Trump looks to ultimately shutter the agency. About 1,315 people will be laid off, a senior Trump administration official told The Washington Post Tuesday, while another 600 accepted offers to leave voluntarily. This comes on top of 63 probationary employees who were already let go. This means about half of the agencys 4,000-person staff will be leaving. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Todays reduction in force reflects the Department of Educations commitment to efficiency, accountability and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers, McMahon said in a statement. Trump has said he plans to shut down the agency, with reports last week he could be poised to sign an executive order telling McMahon to begin the process. It would take an act of Congress, however, to dismantle the agency completely. The Department of Education building in Washington, D.C. The agency is laying off nearly half its staff this week (Getty Images) Experts are warning the move could prove disastrous. Make no mistake: Todays action is a far cry from any thoughtful, comprehensive policy proposal to improve our education system, Sameer Gadkaree, president of the Institute for College Access & Success, said in a statement Tuesday night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were particularly concerned with how this move could threaten college students and student loan borrowers, Gadkaree added. Core functions of the department could experience outages or breakages, leaving students struggling to get or renew financial aid or campus-based aid. Student loan borrowers, meanwhile, will struggle to access the benefits current law provides. And they cant be sure they will get reliable, accurate advice on student loan repayment, he added. Even if the Education Department shuts its doors, there is no indication federal student loan programs will disappear. Another agency such as the Treasury Department would likely absorb the departments $1.7 trillion loan portfolio if it shuts down. But such a massive transition could prove disruptive to borrowers, McCarthy told The Independent last week. It would be an entirely new undertaking for Treasury, and so if that were to happen, it seems really unlikely that untangling all of that and redistributing the work of federal student aid in the student loan servicing space would proceed either quickly or without any disruptions, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat who previously chaired the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, similarly slammed the decision in a statement to CBS News. "Families want help to get students' math and reading scores up and ensure their kids can thrive instead, Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to the Department of Education and robbing our students and teachers of the resources and support they need, so that Republicans can pay for more massive tax cuts for billionaires," she said. But Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who currently chairs the committee, insisted the move wont be as impactful as other experts claim. "I spoke to @EDSecMcMahon and she made it clear this will not have an impact on @usedgov ability to carry out its statutory obligations, Cassidy said. This action is aimed at fulfilling the admin's goal of addressing redundancy and inefficiency in the federal government." The Independent has contacted the Education Department for comment. Closing the U.S. Department of Education a 45-year-old talking point on the political right that gained significant traction after President Donald Trump was re-elected could cost the Palm Beach County School District at least $150 million a year being used for teacher training, educating special needs students and providing extra assistance to schools with a high percentage of low-income students, who account for about 100,000 of the district's 189,000 students. Trump could sign an executive order as soon as Wednesday, March 12 to close the agency. Linda McMahon, the newly confirmed education secretary, said she is prepared to work with Congress on it. In the meantime, the department announced Tuesday that it would be firing one-half of its workforce, about 1,300 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the potentially far-reaching consequences of what the loss of federal education funding could mean for districts like the one in Palm Beach County, state legislators in Tallahassee, where federal school money is sent before being routed to local school districts, have not come up with a plan to make up the money gap if the Department of Education is shuttered and the funding pipeline from Washington is closed. "Nothing's been discussed," said state Rep. Joe Casello, a Boynton Beach Democrat who is chairman of the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation. "Right now, there's been no talk or suggestion about what would happen." The school district appears to be taking a cautious approach. Superintendent Mike Burke would not answer questions from The Palm Beach Post about how the district would handle the possible closure of the department. A statement issued by the district read: The School District of Palm Beach County remains steadfast in its mission to educate, affirm, and inspire every student we serve. Any reduction in education funding directly impacts the support services available to students. We will continue to monitor all budget and policy developments closely and, as needed, will work with the School Board to take appropriate action to best support our students, families and staff. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Burke has, for now, opted against wading into the politically fraught discussion of the possible closure of the department, the district's federal lobbyist, Rita Solnet, sounded the alarm at the Feb. 19 school board meeting. Two bills have been filed in Congress calling for the abolition of the U.S. Department of Education, Solnet told board members. "Bills such as this have been filed in the past and they weren't, for lack of a better word, taken seriously because they never saw the light of day," Solnet said. "They never went to a floor vote. But we need to consider these bills very seriously right now." Services for students with autism, speech problems, other issues will be affected Solnet urged the district to let local residents know just how much the district gets from the U.S. Department of Education to help pay for such responsibilities as helping schools with a high percentage of low-income students, providing enhanced training for teachers and other school leaders, teaching immigrant students English so they can meet state standards and educating students with disabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Such students include those with autism, developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, hearing, vision and speech problems, physical impairments, traumatic brain injuries and those with learning disabilities. In fiscal year 2023-24, the district said it received about $300 million in federal funds. A big chunk of that money, about $120 million, came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which helps provide free breakfasts and lunches to all students. All schools benefit from one kind of federal money The biggest piece of that money, about $150 million, came from the Department of Education. In the most recent budget year, the district said it received $58 million in federal money through Title I, the federal education program aimed at helping schools with a high percentage of low-income students. Some 100,000 of the district's roughly 189,000 students at 145 schools benefited from that funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The district got $7 million in funds for Title II, a federal education program that provides enhanced training for teachers and other school leaders. All schools benefited from Title II funding, the district reported. Title III, the federal education program that helps schools teach English to immigrant students so they can meet state education standards, brought $4.5 million to the district and helped 20,000 students, the district said. And IDEA, the program created by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, brought $48 million to the district, where it helped 30,000 students, the district reported. "We have to think about the possibility of reductions in Title I, Title II, Title III and IDEA funding as well," Solnet said. "We hope that's not the case. We obviously continue to lobby to keep our budget intact." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That's a taller-than-usual order in the current climate. When was the Education Department created? In 1979, former President Jimmy Carter signed the law that created the U.S. Department of Education. Its duties had been part of the old U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Since it began operating in 1980, the Department of Education has been a target of political conservatives, who objected to federal involvement in education, which was long viewed as a local responsibility. The department's growing budget reached about $250 billion in 2024, less than a third of what was allocated to the U.S. Defense Department. Still, conservatives view the Department of Education as a bastion of waste and castigate liberals who point to what they see as its importance. U.S. Rep Brian Mast, R-Fort Pierce "The only people who will cry foul about this are the same people in the pockets of the teachers unions who kept kids out of school for years by crying 'COVID,'" U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fort Pierce, said when asked whether he supports closing the department. "The Department of Education has only existed since 1979, but its already managed to become as bloated and ineffective as the rest of the swamp. Every (Education Department) program should be carefully evaluated in terms of the benefits provided to students, and those that arent delivering should be cut and the responsibility sent back to the states where it belongs." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supporters of the department have argued that federal assistance is needed to even the playing field for poor or disabled students who live in communities with a tax base that can't pay for the additional help those students often require. "Quality public education is one of the cornerstones of our democracy," said U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach. "It equips young people, regardless of their background with the knowledge, critical thinking skills, and opportunities they need to participate fully in society and contribute to our economy." Frankel said "the administration's effort to eliminate the Department of Education could have serious consequences for Palm Beach County schools, potentially reducing funding for tutoring services, teacher training, social services for students and families, and college readiness programs. This would not only limit students futures but also undermine the strength of our democracy and the prosperity of our communities." For all of the talk about dissolving the U.S. Department of Education, shuttering it has proved more popular in theory than in reality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, the long history of the United States has shown that, while government agencies are frequently created, they are very rarely closed. And even in cases where an agency is closed take the U.S. Department of War's demise in 1947 the old agency's duties are usually transferred to one or more different groups. The War Department's duties, for example, were parceled out to the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force, which both joined the Department of the Navy in eventually moving into the newly minted Department of Defense in 1949. By federal government standards, the Department of Education has a small staff 4,400 employees, compared with the 700,000 plus civilian employees of the Defense Department. Still, the idea of eliminating those jobs has had an enduring appeal for political conservatives. In the past, it has taken an act of Congress to close an agency it created, though an emboldened Trump has paused congressionally approved spending without being totally shut down by the court system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the Departent of Education is closed through an act of Congress or by presidential fiat, it is unclear what that would mean for states, which serve as a sort of middle man in directing federal money to districts, or for local school districts, which rely heavily on that money. The department could be closed with some or all of the money it typically provides sent to the states as so-called block grants. That would save the federal government some personnel costs, but state taxpayers could well end up having to pick up at least some of that slack. The federal money would need to be tracked and the effectiveness of the programs it pays for would need to be measured. Either the feds would continue doing that work or it could fall to the state government or local school districts, which would almost certainly have to significantly bolster staffing to handle additional duties. In Tallahassee, where Republicans hold sway, growing education staffing would likely be intensely unpopular. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For local school districts like the one in Palm Beach County, there is an even worst-case scenario: the closure of the Department of Education and the end of all federal funding for education. Unless the state picks up all of that slack unlikely in an environment where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is backing a plan to eliminate property taxes the extra money districts get for teacher training, to help English learners and disabled students would be gone. Districts don't have unilateral control over how much they bring in through property taxes, so they couldn't simply raise property tax rates to make up for the loss of federal funding. Solnet said she and other education advocates are working hard to keep the federal pipeline of funding open. "Regardless of what happens to the U.S. Department of Education, whether the plans are to eventually dissolve it or abolish the U.S. Department of Education, the funding is still an issue that we need to be laser-focused on because it boils down to being able to sustain our students with the highest quality possible in education and services," she said. Wayne Washington is a journalist covering education for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at wwashington@pbpost.com. Help support our work; subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Department of Education cuts: Money loss could affect Florida students The Trump administrations steep workforce cuts at the Education Department include hundreds of attorneys, student aid workers and civil rights office staff, according to agency documents obtained by POLITICO. Lawyers who worked on regulatory, legislative and education programs in the departments general counsels office are expected to be terminated alongside policy staff and technical workers in special education and information technology offices. In some cases, human resources departments for satellite locations will be hollowed out, and information technology specialists let go. The documents, which provide a detailed view of the unprecedented wave of Education Department employee terminations, account for nearly 1,000 planned staff terminations. One of the documents is an organizational chart indicating which offices the staff cuts would hit. The agency is among the first federal agencies to announce their plans for a reduction in force following President Donald Trumps broader effort to slash the ranks of government service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of them don't work at all. Many of them never showed up to work, Trump said of the departments employees to reporters at the White House Wednesday, as he praised the work of Education Secretary Linda McMahon. We want to cut, but we want to cut the people that aren't working or not doing a good job. We're keeping the best people, Trump said. And Linda McMahon is a real professional. A very, actually, very sophisticated business person. She cut a large number, but she kept the best people, and we'll see how it all works out. On Tuesday, an agency official said the cuts would hit about 1,300 people out of the roughly 4,130 people employed at the department, on top of the hundreds of others who took separate buyout and deferred resignation offers. Just hours before the reductions were announced, agency leadership directed their workers to leave government buildings and not return until Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cuts also targeted workers in the departments finance and operations office, which supervises the departments financial management, accounting and training operations. Further cuts at the departments office of Federal Student Aid include specialists responsible for reviewing financial assistance programs at colleges and universities including in major regional offices in New York, Boston, Dallas and the Kansas City region. FSAs technology services, vendor performance and executive divisions were also expected to get significant cuts. Seven of the 12 regional civil rights offices across the country were eliminated by the reductions, said Sheria Smith, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, which represents more than 2,800 workers at the department. Those offices are in Boston, Dallas, New York, Chicago, Cleveland, San Francisco and Philadelphia. Smith, who worked as an attorney for the Office for Civil Rights in Dallas, said her position was also eliminated and fewer than five union-represented employees are still working in that office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency's independent statistics and research arm which collects a range of crucial data across K-12 and universities and administers the "nation's report card" was hit particularly hard. The Institute of Educational Sciences has wholesale been eliminated with only one employee left, Smith said, adding that the employee isnt in the bargaining unit. That office in particular has received the highest percentage of RIF. A student aid team that did community outreach around financial literacy was completely eliminated, according to a former FSA official with knowledge of the cuts. Their work included FAFSA completion workshops, education around various student loan repayment plans and lesser-known forgiveness programs for incarcerated borrowers or those on permanent disability, the person said. Out of the several teams that were cut within the student aid office, their tasks ranged from testing products, responding to outages and preventing data breaches, said James Kvaal, the undersecretary of Education during the Biden administration. The recently bungled rollout of the federal student aid form families fill out for financial support showed how outsourcing these services to contractors led to poor student outcomes, he said. The net results for students are going to be delays, bugs, denial of services and potentially even data breaches, Kvaal said in an interview Wednesday. It's clear these cuts were made as an arbitrary target of cutting the department in half, which in no way was motivated by an analysis of what's in the best interest of students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department did not respond to requests for comment about the specific cuts within the agency. Other cuts targeted the departments elementary and secondary education office, as well as the agencys office for English language acquisition for immigrant students. The departments Institute for Education Sciences is slashing research analysts and statisticians from multiple divisions inside its ranks, suggesting additional major changes are in store for how the department collects and reviews data that informs education policy decisions across the country. The firings are the first step toward Trumps goal of fully shutting down the department, officials said, though such a move would require congressional approval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We wanted to make sure that we kept all of the right people, the good people, to make sure that the outward-facing programs the grants, the appropriations that come from Congress all of that are being met, McMahon told Fox News on Tuesday. And none of that is going to fall through the cracks. Education Department officials insisted that the departments reductions in force are targeted at duplicative work inside the agency and that job cuts will not affect the work of the departments Federal Student Aid office, its civil rights investigations or how the department distributes federal funding for low-income and disabled students. Our primary concern is the lack of transparency about which functional areas are being cut, why specific departments have been selected for dismantling, and how the transition will be managed without disruption to students or the nations institutions of higher education, Beth Maglione, the interim president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said in a statement Wednesday. Bianca Quilantan contributed to this report. (Bloomberg) -- The Education Department is pushing to terminate half of its more than 4,000 employees, the Trump administrations first major step in dismantling an agency it has targeted to shutter completely. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Affected employees will be notified Tuesday, according to a senior administration official who outlined the plans to reporters on the condition of anonymity. The announcement follows a directive to employees to vacate office buildings in the Washington area by 6 p.m. local time, and not to return to facilities on Wednesday, citing security reasons, according to a copy of the email seen by Bloomberg News. Recipients were asked to bring their laptops home, and perform duties remotely, if permitted. Workers will have 90 days from today until they are actually terminated. They will receive full pay during that time, as well as severance: one week salary for every year of service up to 10 years, and two weeks salary for each year of service beyond their first decade. Those workers will be expected to wrap up their work via telework by March 21, and then go on paid administrative leave for the remainder of their time as government employees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump has singled out the agency for elimination amid Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency push to reduce the federal workforce and lower spending. Trump previously said that he wanted the department closed immediately, but has acknowledged that congressional approval is needed to completely abolish it. Earlier: White House Orders Agencies to Prepare Large-Scale Staff Cuts Similar actions in partnership with DOGE have taken place at other government agencies since Trump took office, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the US Agency for International Development. Both bureaus were also established by Congress, but DOGE gutted most of the operations without legislative action. Part of the dismantling involved removing signs with those agencies names outside those facilities. Education Secretary Linda McMahon told staff earlier this month the agency would be embarking on its final mission, which would profoundly impact staff, budgets, and agency operations. McMahon has vowed to fulfill Trumps aim of placing education oversight with state and local officials, although those governments already dictate curriculum and day-to-day functions of their school systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes taking the bureaucracy out of education, so that more money flows to the states, McMahon said of Trump during an interview on Fox News Tuesday night. We wanted to make sure that we kept all of the right people and the good people, to make sure that the outward-facing programs, the grants, the appropriations that come from Congress, all of that are being met, she added. All agencies are slated to submit reports to the Office of Personnel Management on their plans for large-scale workforce reductions by Thursday, the first phase of a two-part proposal to drastically reduce the federal governments footprint. Agencies are also required to draw up plans to overhaul their organization charts and move jobs out of the Washington, DC-area by April. The Education Department currently has about 4,133 total staff, and around 600 people are planning to depart through deferred resignation or voluntary separation programs offered earlier this year. Another 63 probationary employees were terminated in February, meaning approximately 1,315 additional workers are expected to lose their jobs as part of the effort. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of the reduction, the agency is also cutting leases with buildings in cities across the country, including San Francisco, New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Cleveland, the official said. The department intends to consolidate its Washington, D.C., operations into one facility, instead of three. Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican who chairs a committee overseeing education issues, said he had spoken with McMahon earlier Tuesday and she assured him that the reductions would not have an impact on the departments ability to carry out its statutory obligations. --With assistance from Derek Wallbank. (Updates with McMahon, Cassidy, starting in ninth paragraph.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. The Education Department announced a drastic reduction in its workforce Tuesday, saying it's set to cut about half of its staff. About 1,300 career employees will receive termination notices and will be given an opportunity to return to offices to turn in government property and clean out their desks Wednesday, the Department of Education said in a news release. Another 600 people previously accepted voluntarily resignations or early retirement. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement that the layoffs reflect the department's "commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Follow live politics coverage here The job cuts will perforate a department that enforces an array of anti-discrimination laws and campus safety rules and distributes funding to assist needy students, and which has drawn scorn from conservatives calling for its elimination ever since it was established during the Carter administration. Linda McMahon oversees the Education Department, which the Trump administration says it plans to dismantle. Around 3,000 people work in the department's Washington headquarters, and roughly 1,000 are in 10 regional offices making Education one of the smallest Cabinet-level federal departments. Its $268 billion appropriations last year represented 4% of the federal budget.McMahon said in an interview Tuesday night that the layoffs were the first step on the road toward shutting down the department. "That was the president's mandate his directive to me," McMahon told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump cannot unilaterally get rid of a federal agency without congressional approval, which McMahon acknowledged. NBC News reported last month that the White House is preparing an executive order to eliminate the agency altogether. In its announcement Tuesday, the Education Department did not disclose what jobs and units were being terminated but said all divisions will be affected. The department said that it will "continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agencys purview." Democrats lambasted the layoffs. Ultimately, what they want to do is clear: fire the people who help our kids and gut funding for our students, teachers, and schools," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who serves on the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, in a statement. "This is about breaking government for working familiesand enriching billionaires like themselves in the process." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing department staff, said in a notice to its members Tuesday that it had been informed that 969 employees will be impacted by layoffs, and will lose access to their accounts "as soon as tonight." Sheria Smith, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, said the Trump administration has misled the public on what the department does and services the public relies on. "So we must ask our fellow Americans: do you want your and your childrens rights enforced in school?" Smith said in a statement. "Do you want your children to have the ability to play sports in their school districts? Do you need financial aid for college? Are you a fellow civil servant that relies on student loan forgiveness? Does your school district offset property taxes with federal funding? If yes, then you rely on the Department of Education, and the services you rely on and the employees who support them are under attack." Department employees hit by the layoffs separately received notices from the chief human capital officer Tuesday evening informing them that they will be placed on paid administrative leave beginning March 21, according to copies reviewed by NBC News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All employees working out of the department's regional offices in San Francisco, New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Cleveland will be fired as part of the layoffs. Conservatives have for decades discussed an array of ideas for how to abolish or dramatically scale down the department. The discussions included transferring key responsibilities to other federal departments, as well as moving funds and oversight to the states. For example, some proposals by conservative activists have called for moving federal student loan programs to the Treasury Department Republican-sponsored bills filed in January by Reps. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, and David Rouzer, of North Carolina, that seek to eliminate the agency proposed doing just that and moving civil rights enforcement issues in public schools to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Meanwhile, other groups including Project 2025, which had pushed for eliminating the entire Education Department have advocated for ending certain funding in phases or for converting most of the funding the department gives to states for K-12 programs into block grants, a form of funding that comes with fewer and less onerous rules and federal oversight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This news is another signal that the bureaucratic state is coming to an end in America, ushering in a golden age in American education that is centered on sending education back to the states and parents," said Tommy Schultz, CEO of American Federation for Children, an activist organization that pushes for taxpayer support of private schooling. In interviews last month, state lawmakers from both parties said state legislatures were widely unprepared to deal with and had made few plans to address how states would handle such a broad new framework. CORRECTION (March 11, 2025: 9:54 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the number of layoffs happening at the Education Department. It is 1,300, not 2,100. The latter is the number of jobs that will remain. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Education Secretary Linda McMahon affirmed late Tuesday that mass layoffs are the first step toward shuttering the Education Department a longtime goal of President Trumps since his time on the campaign trail. Actually, it is, because that was the presidents mandate, McMahon told Fox Newss Laura Ingraham on Tuesday. His directive to me, clearly, is to shut down the Department of Education, which we know well have to work with Congress, you know, to get that accomplished. But what we did today was to take the first step of eliminating what I think is bureaucratic bloat, and thats not to say that a lot of the folks you know, its a humanitarian thing to a lot of the folks that are there. Theyre out of a job, she added in her interview on the The Ingraham Angle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department terminated almost half of its workforce some 1,315 staffers on Tuesday and will now only have about 2,183 employees left. The overhaul of the workforce will not impact Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms, student aid, operations for students with disabilities, civil rights investigations and formula funding to states, a senior official said, adding the cuts were focused on unnecessary or reductive teams. But we wanted to make sure that we kept all of the right people and the good people to make sure that the outward-facing programs the grants, the appropriations that come from Congress, all of that are being met, and none of thats going to fall through the cracks, McMahon said Tuesday evening. The news of the workforce cuts came after the department told workers to leave their offices Tuesday by 6 p.m. EDT and that the offices will be closed Wednesday because of security reasons. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administrations goal to completely eliminate the department cannot take place without Congresss approval, where a 60-vote backing would be required to sidestep the filibuster. McMahon warned workers of the upcoming layoffs in the final mission memo she sent out after she was confirmed for the leadership position by the Senate. In it, she argued that removing red tape and bureaucratic barriers will empower parents to make the best educational choices for their children. McMahon also said Tuesday that the administration is not taking away education and that the moves will eventually lead to students scoring higher on tests. Hes taking the bureaucracy out of education so that more money flows to the states. Better education is closest to the kids, with parents, with local superintendents, with local school boards, the secretary said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think well see our scores go up with our students, and we can educate them with parental input as well, she added. But the move will not go down without a fight. Education advocates are now preparing to defend the federal agency through litigation and civic action while the president readies an expected executive order seeking its elimination. Last Friday, McMahon said in an interview with NewsNation that the administrations plan to decimate the department is not just an instance of closing down the agency and walking away. This is not a turn off the lights and walk out of the department, McMahon said. Its in close consultation with Congress and looking at how the needs of students can best be serviced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Cabinet member also reaffirmed that even if the agency is shuttered, the administration wants to ensure funds are flowing to schools for research and other avenues to boost performance in the classroom. Well, were looking at them all across the board, and how can they be best handled if the Department of Education does not exist. Some of that funding comes by appropriations from Congress, so thats in statute, and that money will continue to flow into the states, McMahon said. Pell grants, student loans might best be served in another department, and were looking at where that can best be handled, she added. Updated: 1:18 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. This story was originally reported by Barbara Rodriguez and Grace Panetta of The 19th. Meet Barbara and Grace and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy. Millions of American women have a different last name than whats on their birth certificates, and House Republicans have prioritized a bill that voting rights groups say could make it harder for them to vote. Several voting rights groups warn the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act which purportedly aims to block non-citizens from voting, something that is already illegal will pose a barrier for millions of American women and others who have changed their legal name because of marriage, assimilation or to better align with their gender identity. They also worry it will disenfranchise others from marginalized communities who are less likely to have the necessary documentation readily available. While the SAVE Act faces longer odds in the Senate, it may have a better chance than when it was debated last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It will make it so that people in this country who have every right to vote cant vote, and for no good reason, said Hannah Fried, co-founder and executive director of All Voting is Local, a voting rights organization. We dont need this hurdle. Only citizens are voting in this country. We have other checks and balances, and this is just a demonstrably unnecessary piece of legislation. Lauren Kunis, the CEO and executive director of VoteRiders, an organization that helps Americans obtain identification, said that getting the underlying documentation needed to register to vote can be a bureaucratic nightmare for many as is. We have lots of experience in helping people track down and order vital documents that are increasingly being proposed as required for voter registration, she said. So were watching with a lot of concern. A key Republican lawmaker who is sponsoring the bill in the House and the GOP majority on the House committee overseeing election administration dispute that characterization and claim there will be a way for American citizens to address issues they may face with identification. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation provides a myriad ways for people to prove citizenship and explicitly directs States to establish a process for individuals to register to vote if there are discrepancies in their proof of citizenship documents due to something like a name change, said Rep. Chip Roy of Texas in a statement. Roy and other Republicans have followed the lead of President Donald Trump in spreading the false narrative that ineligible immigrants vote or could be able to vote in large numbers. States have also attempted legislation to ban something that is already illegal. Laws similar to the SAVE Act in Kansas and Arizona have been struck down by judges who said they were unconstitutional and disenfranchised Americans. This is giving oxygen to a misleading narrative, to an outright lie that noncitizens are voting in federal elections, Kunis said. We know that is not happening, and its really disappointing to see this narrative being given such a prominent spot in the public discourse. The bill would require an individual to present in person a passport, birth certificate or other citizenship document when registering to vote or updating their voter registration information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Such a requirement could pose barriers for large swaths of Americans: More than 9 percent of citizens of voting age or 21.3 million people do not have documents readily available that prove their citizenship, per a study from VoteRiders, Public Wise, the Brennan Center for Justice and the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland. People of color are more likely than White Americans to lack documentary proof of citizenship, the study found. Christina Harvey, executive director of Stand Up America, a voting rights organization, noted the impact of such a bill on rural voters who may not have access to proof of citizenship. In pushing this legislation, House Republicans between poor and rural voters and married women ironically seem to be attacking the voting rights of many of their own folks who are voting for them in their states, she said. An estimated 69 million American women and 4 million men do not have a birth certificate that matches their current legal name, according to the liberal Center for American Progress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Roy, a sponsor of the bill, said the legislation directs states to create a process so people can prove their citizenship if their name doesnt match their birth certificate. Roy called questions about the bills impact on Americans absurd armchair speculation. This bill isnt being attacked because itll exclude citizens from voting it wont, Roy said in his statement. Its being attacked because the policy is wildly popular with the American people, its opponents want and need illegals to vote, and theyll use anything they can to attack it. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Republican majority on the House Committee on Administration also called claims that the bill would disenfranchise married women voters false. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As long as documentation can be provided that shows citizenship and married status, there should not be any issues when registering to vote, the spokesperson said. Providing proof of citizenship is not a new concept. House Democrats, for their part, are reintroducing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a bill to restore provisions of the landmark voting rights law that the Supreme Court struck down in 2013. The bill has little to no chance of passing in a Republican-controlled Congress, but Democratic leaders are centering voting rights in their messaging. At a news conference Wednesday, House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark called the SAVE Act an effort to trick and mislead the American people. It is built on a false premise that there are noncitizens voting in large numbers that are swaying elections. That is a complete lie, and they know it, she said. And what is the answer to that? Make it harder for women in this country to vote, who changed their names because they got married? That is voter suppression wrapped up in some sort of immigration argument. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eliza Sweren-Becker, senior counsel for the voting rights program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said that text does not establish clear rules for people who have changed their names, particularly married women. It would eliminate popular methods of voter registration, such as online, mail, and registration drives forcing people to come into election offices that are already facing staffing shortages, according to Sweren-Becker. That would be an extraordinary burden and absolute chaos for election officials, reshaping who is able to participate in the democratic process, she said. It would make new voter registration so difficult, it would make updating your voter registration so difficult that is why we absolutely need to raise awareness of the disastrous implications of this bill, Kunis said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harvey added that the bill includes penalties for election workers a predominantly women-led workforce that has already experienced years of harassment and threats due in part to election denialism pushed by Trump and others who must administer and enforce the law and any rules spelled out on discrepancies in paperwork. So any thought that, Oh, well, my local election workers know me, or If I just go in to change my address, it would be fine because Ive been voting in this state or county for years thats not going to happen when our election workers are actually facing jail time if they get it wrong and dont impose this law, she said. Kunis said the discussion over the SAVE Act, and similar bills filed in state legislatures, strikes at the heart of key questions of who belongs in American democracy. The 2026 midterms may seem very far away, but these legislative debates taking place right now will shape how and if eligible voters are able to make their voices heard, Kunis said. This is not just moving the goal posts this is like ripping the goal post out of the field and throwing it to the next town over. The post An Effort to Block Non-Citizens From Voting Could Impact Married Women, Too appeared first on Katie Couric Media. Motorists are resisting switching to electric cars because they fear being stranded by a lack of public chargers, MPs have said. The public accounts committee said patchy numbers of charge points on motorways and in regional areas was putting the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) at risk. It found that chargers have not been evenly spread across the country with almost half sitting in London and the South East. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The committee urged the Government to address the high cost of charging for electric car owners unable to power their cars at home. It added that despite the Department for Transport (DfT) being on track to reach a target of 300,000 charge points by 2030, there was a stark regional divide. This rollout is not currently taking place equally across the nation, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the committees chairman, said. Meeting numerical targets for charging points is all very well. Delivering thousands of points allowing Londoners to easily zip around the capital while leaving the rest of the UKs network patchy is obviously an outcome to be avoided. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Drivers need confidence that they can use an EV without any risk of getting stranded, or they wont make the switch. The MPs report said taxpayer funding for public chargers had failed to deliver results. The DfT has not spent any of a 950m rapid charging fund announced five years ago to connect chargers at motorways. Only 10 of 78 projects under a 450m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure programme were due to be finished by a March 2025 deadline. Ministers have also missed a target for every motorway service station to have at least six ultra rapid chargers by the end of 2023, with only 80 of 114 services meeting the target in January. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The committee said further government intervention may be needed to boost the supply of chargers in regions where they are less common. The report also pointed to the high cost of public charging in comparison to drivers able to charge at home. VAT of 20pc is levied on public charging compared to 5pc for at-home electricity. MPs said this may disproportionately affect disadvantaged groups and urged the Treasury to look at VAT on public charging. They also found that drivers with disabilities were being left behind, with no charge points in the UK fully compliant with a standard for accessibility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vicky Read, the chief executive of industry body ChargeUK, said: Charge point provision is running ahead of demand, but ChargeUKs members want to roll out even faster, especially in areas where deployment has taken place less quickly than we would like. She called for the Government to free up subsidies for chargers and remove barriers such as grid connections. The cost of running an electric car by charging solely at public stations has soared above filling a petrol car in recent months. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. MONTOUR FALLS, N.Y. (WETM) Researchers and volunteers were out in Catharine Creek on Wednesday, for Rainbow Trout sampling measuring and tracking fish to monitor their populations and ecosystems before fishing season. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation used a technique called electrofishing. According to Brad Hammers, aquatic biologist, for the DEC, its a process that temporarily stuns trout with an electric current, allowing them to study the fish before releasing them back into the water. The sweet process of maple syrup from a tree to your pancakes Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What we will do is we use electrofishing gear; its a backpack electrofishing gear. So, well put electricity in the water which will stun the fish temporarily, Hammers said. Were able to get a net on them. Well put them in a live car cage, which keeps them alive and then well get the information that we need, he said. They collected data on the Rainbow Trouts length, weight, sex, spawning stage, and any markings left by Lamprey. Hammers highlighted the importance of this data collection. It gives us a good chance to figure out whats going on with the population, how fast theyre growing, what condition theyre in, Hammers said. For Catharine Creek, it gives us a really good chance to ID what the Lamprey population is doing, he said. How to avoid problems with coyotes this spring Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lamprey, parasitic creatures that latch onto trout are a significant concern for fish populations. In rivers and streams, Lamprey are one of the biggest predators of Rainbow Trout, and once the fish migrate to lakes, they face threats from other species like Pike, other trout, and anglers. Some of these fish may have lamprey wounds or scars on them, and thatll tell us the less scars the better our program is going, to lower the population of Lamprey out in the lake, Hammers said. The more scars that means theres a lot more Lamprey out in the lake, he said. For those concerned about the well-being of the trout during the process, Hammers reassured that the equipment that was used is safe for the fish. The equipment that were using is pretty safe, Hammers said. Occasionally there will be a fish that may come succumb to the electrofishing, but generally we try not to, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rainbow Trout Sampling plays a vital role in preserving the health of local streams and fish populations. This hands-on effort also included local BOCES students who observed and assisted throughout the sampling process. According to the DECs website fishing season opens April 1 in New York State. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. The office of the Utah Attorney General at the Capitol in Salt Lake City is pictured on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Eleven people were charged on Monday with forgery and other crimes in connection to the signature gathering process that helped candidates qualify for the 2024 primary election. Candidates in Utah have two options to get on the primary ballot they can rely on their partys convention, where delegates choose their preferred candidates, or they can collect enough signatures from registered voters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the leadup to the primary election, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and a number of other candidates chose the signature gathering process, hiring a company called Gathering Inc. to help with the canvassing. Per Utah code, voters are required to sign packets approved by the lieutenant governors office, filling in their names, addresses, ages and signatures. Five of the 11 people charged on Monday were Gathering Inc. employees who, according to charges filed across three different counties, forged some part of the signature gathering process. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The signature threshold varies for each race. Statewide offices, like the governor or attorney general, require at least 28,000 signatures; congressional races require 7,000 per district; state Senate races require 2,000; and state House races require 1,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Matt Lusty, the campaign spokesperson for Cox, said in a statement that the governors campaign gathered enough signatures to exceed the states requirement of 28,000. He told Utah News Dispatch that the behavior outlined in the charging documents should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The Attorney Generals office should be applauded for its actions today, said Lusty. The Governor is also appreciative of recent legislative efforts to further strengthen trust in our elections, including the work done in this years session to increase transparency and enhance protections to the candidate signature-gathering process. Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, whose office was tasked with verifying that the signatures gathered matched the signatures on file for the voters, said in a statement Tuesday that her staff were notified of the irregularities last year. Her office conducted an investigation, then referred the matter to the attorney generals office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I commend the county clerks for flagging suspicious signature packets and the Attorney Generals office for following through with the investigation that led to criminal charges against the alleged perpetrators. We have no tolerance for cheating of any kind in our elections, Henderson said. The 11 people were charged with either forgery, communications fraud or violation of certificate of nomination procedures, with each allegation taking place between January and March 2024. Benson Angilau was charged in Utah Countys 4th District Court with nine counts of forgery and one count of communications fraud, both third-degree felonies. Angilau worked for Gathering Inc. and was initially assigned to Salt Lake County, but was then reassigned to Utah County. Of the 2,243 voter names and signatures (Angilau) submitted, only 84 signatures matched the voters official signature and were deemed valid, the charges read. Axel John-Anthony Burt was charged in Washington Countys 5th District Court with six counts of violation of certificate of nomination procedures, a class A misdemeanor. Burt worked for Gathering Inc. in St. George and the greater Washington County area. Charges say packets for at least six voters were in fact signed by their spouses. Colton Louis Drake was charged in Washington Countys 5th District Court with two counts of forgery, a third-degree felony, and eight counts of violation of certificate of nomination procedures, a class A misdemeanor. Drake worked for Gathering Inc. in St. George and the surrounding parts of Washington County, and admitted to his employer that he made the mistake of asking for people to sign for there (sic) spouse which was as high as 40% of (his) signatures, according to court documents. Robert Randall Edwards was charged in Salt Lake Countys 3rd District Court with five counts of forgery, a third-degree felony. Edwards worked for an unnamed company in Salt Lake and Tooele counties. Only 45 of the 249 signatures that were checked were deemed valid, according to the charges; 68 signatures, approximately twenty-seven percent, did not match the signatures on file with the election officials, court documents read. Rocko John Huntsman was charged in Washington Countys 5th District Court with eight counts of forgery, a third-degree felony, one count of violation of a certificate of nomination procedures, a class A misdemeanor, and one count of communications fraud, also a class A misdemeanor. Huntsman worked for Gathering Inc. in St. George and the surrounding parts of Washington County, and admitted to allowing people to sign the petition for other voters, according to court documents. That includes letting one person sign for their whole family, the Utah Attorney Generals Office said. Huntsman estimated 30 to 50 signatures on the nomination petitions he circulated were signed by a voters family member rather than the voter. He did this on each of the three petitions he circulated, for a total of 90 to 150 signatures, court documents read. Kevin W. Jeong was charged in Utah Countys 4th District Court with four counts of forgery, a third-degree felony, and one count of violation of a certificate of nomination procedures, a class A misdemeanor. Jeong worked in Utah County for an unnamed company. According to charging documents, of the 176 signatures in the packets (Jeong) turned in, only 71 were valid. Sakura Jordan was charged in Washington Countys 5th District Court with six counts of forgery, a third-degree felony. Jordan worked for an unnamed company in Washington County. Of the 115 signatures in the four packets, only 32 voter signatures were deemed valid. 62 signatures, approximately forty-nine percent, did not match the signatures on file with the election officials, charging documents read. Phyllif D. Karpeh was charged in Washington Countys 5th District Court with seven counts of forgery, a third-degree felony. Karpeh worked for an unnamed company in Washington and Iron counties. Of the 383 signatures in the eleven packets checked, only 182 voter signatures were deemed valid. 77 signatures, approximately twenty percent, did not match the signatures on file with the statewide voter registration database, court documents read. Arkemi Robinson was charged in Washington Countys 5th District Court with 10 counts of forgery, a third-degree felony. Robinson worked for an unnamed company in Washington and Iron counties, and of the 212 signatures in the eleven packets checked, only 43 voter signatures were deemed valid. 131 signatures, approximately sixty-two percent, did not match the signatures on file with the election officials, court documents read. Denton Williams was charged in Salt Lake Countys 3rd District Court with eight counts of forgery, a third-degree felony. Williams was hired by an unnamed company to gather signatures in Washington and Iron counties, but according to court documents, just four of the 99 signatures he turned in were deemed valid. Joseph Elias Wilde was charged in Washington Countys 5th District Court with four counts of violation of certificate of nomination procedures, a class A misdemeanor. Wilde was working for Gathering Inc. in the St. George area, and later admitted that some voters signed for their family members who werent home, according to court documents. He stated one or two signatures a day were signed by a family member, and he was out nearly every day for three to four weeks, according to court documents. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Unlike traditional Washington power players, Elon Musk doesnt have a deep bench of policy wonks, think tank researchers or Hill veterans feeding him white papers to bone up on policy not unlike President Donald Trump during his political debut. From the corridors of the West Wing to the steady drum of right-wing voices on his X feed, Musk has assembled a makeshift brain trust of Silicon Valley loyalists, Trump world heavyweights and online ideological allies who have helped shape his worldview. His most trusted advisers remain a tight-knit group of executives who have followed him from his companies but lack political experience, according to two people familiar with Musks circles. Among them are Musks long-time friend Antonio Gracias, former Boring CEO Steve Davis and his wife, Nicole Hollander, the former head of real estate at X, and vice president of people operations at SpaceX, Brian Bjelde. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the politicos, Musk is particularly close with his top political advisor, Chris Young, the former GOP field organizer who was originally brought in to advise Musk during Trumps campaign and currently serves as treasurer of America PAC. Young has turned into Musks right hand on all things Washington from penetrating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to handling personal logistics. Upon Musks request, Young procured a massive TV for Musks office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building so he could play video games, according to a person familiar with the situation granted anonymity to speak freely. Musk is also advised by Katie Miller, who served in Trumps first administration, and he maintains a close relationship with Generra Peck, Musks contact on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis presidential campaign. Peck, DeSantis former campaign manager, ran America PAC last summer and continues to oversee it. Musk has had a non-traditional political education devoid of experienced bureaucrats or Washington insiders. But that ad hoc approach, combined with personal circumstance and his experience leading Tesla through the Covid-pandemic, is what continues to inform the Musk we see today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think he worries that meritocracy and western liberalism are under assault, said Ryan Girdusky, a pro-Trump conservative strategist. He sees himself as a force to save it, along with countries throughout the West, by supporting populist parties. He finds himself concerned that liberty and prosperity created in the West will die as birth rates wither and wokeism becomes the state religion. Yet his business and life experiences clearly conflict with some of those opinions and his political philosophy is clearly a moving target, but theres something there. When it comes to learning the world of politics, just as Musk learns any other new domain, he is shaped most by reading or having a direct conversation, said a person who has worked with him directly at one of his companies granted anonymity to discuss him. He's extremely skeptical of getting information from people he believes have an ulterior motive, this person told West Wing Playbook. So I would often be very reticent to try to sort of teach him. It was almost always better for me to point him in the direction of reading about something or talking to sort of a primary source. Inside the Trump White House, Musk leaned on some of the administrations most ideological hardliners to get up to speed on how Washington works. Stephen Miller and Russell Vought, both long-time proponents of dismantling the administrative state, helped brief Musk, the New York Times reported. Musk also spent a significant amount of time at Mar-a-Lago during the transition, participating in discussions about how to assemble Trumps Cabinet, and forging relationships with influential figures like Charlie Kirk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Musk doesnt have particularly close personal relationships with most White House officials, hes been building rapport by attending dinners with some of the key players sometimes bringing along his DOGE staffers. Hes become close friends with Vice President JD Vance, who he pushed Trump to choose as his running mate, according to a person familiar with their relationship. Theres close ideological alignment between the two on issues including rehiring a DOGE employee who resigned after racist comments, questioning the judiciarys authority to serve as a check on executive power, and criticizing Romania's decision to cancel its presidential election in December. Perhaps Musks most unconventional advisory board is his X feed, an online ecosystem of Tesla fans and right-wing influencers and media voices, some of whom have developed personal relationships with Musk and have a direct impact on his decision-making. One of Musks closest ideological allies in that space is Ben Shapiro. The two share a mutual distrust of government overreach and an affinity for culture war politics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A few months after Hamas Oct. 7 attack, Musk traveled with Shapiro to the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, as well Israel, to study Jewish history and the Holocaust, an experience he digested onstage with Shapiro. I must admit to being somewhat frankly naive to [antisemitism], Musk said on stage at a conference organized by the European Jewish Association. Its like an absurdity at least in my friend circle, but looking at the pro-Hamas rallies in vast numbers that took place in almost every major city in the West blew my mind, including on the elite college campuses that are supposed to be enlightened. (However, Musk on Inauguration Day made a hand gesture widely interpreted as a Nazi salute. Musk has dismissed the connection.) Policy ideas from Musks X feed are making their way into the White House, although it is uncertain yet whether theyll be adopted. Just weeks ago, anti-woke investor James Fishback posted an idea about DOGE issuing dividend checks a plan to send rebate money back to taxpayers from federal budget cuts. Musk saw the post, responded that he would check with the president, and within days, the idea was being seriously discussed inside the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like the president, Elon Musk respects a strong idea, no matter where it comes from, said Fishback, who lobbied Musk in person on the sidelines of CPAC. When we met, I reiterated the how and why of the DOGE Dividend. Thats the way to pitch Elon. The dramatic shift in ideology for Musk, who used to fundraise for Barack Obama, began in earnest in 2020. During the pandemic, he railed against Covid lockdowns, fueling a pivot that only accelerated when his transgender daughter transitioned. Musk blames the woke mind virus for killing his child, and has since turned cultural issues into a cornerstone of his political identity. Musks evolution hasnt been confined to American politics. Hes now boosting right-wing political movements in at least 18 countries, per NBC News, forming personal connections with leaders like Argentinas Javier Milei, Italys Giorgia Meloni and El Salvadors Nayib Bukele. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For those who knew him in his earlier years as a Democratic-leaning donor, Musks political arc is jarring. Fast forward to today, where Elon is basically the de facto co-president, or certainly the vice president, it's shocking to all of us, said a person who has worked with him at one of his companies. Like this content? Consider signing up for POLITICOs West Wing Playbook: Remaking Government newsletter. Unelected White House official Elon Musk is reportedly hoping the federal government grinds to a halt so he can dismantle it even more ruthlessly. As Wired reports, Musk is hoping that a government shutdown could allow him to more easily fire hundreds of thousands of federal workers, a potentially existential threat for many government agencies. His purported desire could fly in the face of the interests of the Trump administration. Earlier this week, the Washington Post reported, the White House tried to convince House Republicans to vote for a stopgap measure, called a continuing resolution, to fund the government through September. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With a Friday deadline looming, the measure would need Democratic votes in the Senate. But whether they'll fall in line remains uncertain. Trump's escalating trade war has sparked a major stock market crash, straining relations with Congress. Yet a shutdown could end up being beneficial to Musk's continued plundering of the federal government. The mercurial CEO has been ransacking agencies with the help of his so-called Department of Government Efficiency. "A shutdown has been his preference," a Republican source told Wired. "I think hes boxed in there by the president. I think it would be really hard for him to get around that." As The Hill reports, Senate Democrats are caught between a rock and a hard place. They either have to fund the government and stop a potentially calamitous shutdown that could drag on for weeks or even months or oppose the continuing resolution to ensure the Trump administration doesn't get what it wants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A shutdown could prove disastrous, even without Musk firing workers left and right, leading to close to one million "nonessential" government workers being furloughed. But even putting all of those workers on ice could only save roughly $110 billion a year, falling far short of the $1 trillion Musk hopes to eliminate by 2026. Shutdown or not, Musk has been eviscerating government agencies with alacrity. The Department of Education announced this week it would cut half of its workforce, which could prove to be a debilitating blow. And a shutdown could make things far worse. After 30 days, some furloughed workers could become permanently laid off as part of "reduction in force" proceedings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There are concerns anyone deemed nonessential will be DOGEd," a State Department employee told Wired. What exactly will happen if it drags on for that long remains unclear given the lack of precedent. Only one partial shutdown has lasted over 30 days, starting in late 2018. And many other workers could eventually be forced out as they look for other sources of income. "I suspect the greatest impact of a long-term shutdown is that it will encourage federal employees to leave public service sooner rather than later," University of Minnesota School of Law professor Nick Bednar told Wired. "Even though federal law permits back pay, federal employees still need to pay for rent, groceries, and other essentials." More on DOGE: Elon Musk Has a Major Problem: Tesla Investors Are Absolutely Disgusted With Him The Los Angeles County emergency management officials responsible for sending evacuation alerts were not instructed to notify west Altadena residents until long after the Eaton fire had barreled into the area, according to two county officials not authorized to speak publicly. County fire or sheriff's officials appear to have failed to set the alerts in motion, leaving many west Altadena residents to flee as flames and terrifying swirls of embers closed in around them. All 17 of the deaths from the Eaton fire occurred west of Lake Avenue, where residents did not receive an evacuation order until around 3:30 a.m. Jan. 8. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Neighborhoods east of Lake, closer to where the fire began, got their first evacuation alert around 6:40 p.m. Jan. 7 and continued to get alerts throughout the evening. Both sections of the town, which is in an unincorporated part of L.A. County, were devastated by the blaze. Until now, it was unclear if the Office of Emergency Management, which had one person sending evacuation orders for three different fires on a new alert system that night, was warned that west Altadena was on fire but failed to send evacuation orders. According to the two county officials, emergency management staffers said they were not told to issue an evacuation order until shortly before the 3:30 a.m. alert went out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: They waited and waited for an evacuation order. The fire came first, and people died in Altadena Fire, sheriff and emergency management officials were working together at a unified command center at the Rose Bowl the night of the fire. All three agencies declined to comment or to make their leaders available for an interview, citing an ongoing investigation into the evacuation delays by an outside firm, McChrystal Group. County officials have said that the fire and sheriff's departments share the responsibility of deciding where evacuations should take place and conveying that information to emergency management officials. But they have not explained who exactly should have recognized the danger to west Altadena or why evacuation orders weren't issued earlier. Kevin McGowan, head of the Office of Emergency Management, previously told The Times that the report by McChrystal Group will be made public after it is completed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna has said in interviews that although his employees are part of the decision-making process, they defer to fire officials on which areas to evacuate. Sheriff's deputies typically focus on executing evacuation decisions, he said. We are included in the decision-making, but theyre the lead, Luna said of the county Fire Department. L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone and other top fire officials have said that their commanders worked to recommend evacuation zones, in coordination with other agencies, as the Eaton fire spread. From the start, the L.A. County Fire Department was in "unified command" with the Angeles National Forest and Pasadena fire departments. That later expanded to include the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, a federal incident management team and other nearby fire agencies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marrone has previously emphasized that firefighters on the ground that night played no role in deciding which neighborhoods received an evacuation warning or order. He praised his crews, along with sheriff's deputies, for helping about 500 people flee their homes. Read more: L.A. County had extra firefighters ready. How many were near Altadena? Im knocking on wood, but if its a failure of the Fire Department, I will own it, Marrone said in a January interview. With hurricane-force winds flinging embers across neighborhoods and aircraft grounded because of the winds, the lag in evacuation orders could have been the result of a breakdown in communication. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's also possible that fire and sheriff's officials may not have realized that swaths of west Altadena were engulfed by flames during a night that officials have repeatedly described as pure chaos. Marrone has repeatedly said that fire crews were overwhelmed by the scale and ferocity of the conflagration, as firefighters were spread thin battling three different blazes across the county. West Altadena residents reported seeing L.A. County sheriffs deputies drive down some streets with loudspeakers urging people to flee around 2 a.m. more than an hour before the 3:30 a.m. alert was issued. Luna has previously said that when sheriff's deputies decide to evacuate homes, they typically notify the unified command center. He declined to say whether that happened the first night of the Eaton fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement L.A. County firefighters poured into Altadena when the fire broke out, though it's unclear how many moved into west Altadena as the flames spread. Some residents have reported seeing no fire trucks as they fled their west Altadena homes hours before the evacuation order came, and even after the order was issued. However, radio traffic indicates that some county fire officials were aware by midnight that the fire had spread west of Lake Avenue, deepening questions about why they waited so long to order evacuation alerts. The operations team, which served as an intermediary for radio communications between the unified command post and fire battalions battling the flames, was made aware of at least half a dozen reports indicating that the fire had spread to west Altadena hours before the 3:30 a.m. evacuation order. The operations point person, typically a fire official, works with incident commanders to maintain a map of the fire perimeter, which more senior fire officials use to recommend evacuations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: The L.A. fire victims: Who they were At 11:55 p.m., a county fire official radioed in a reported fire on the 500 block of East Calaveras Street in central Altadena, the third such report west of Lake Avenue. We have a lot of resources in that area, and they're triaging the best they can, an operations team member replied. At 12:41 a.m., a county fire official called in a fire at 780 E. Altadena Drive. Both reports were more than a mile west of where the fire boundary was thought to be. That's plotting way west, an operations person said. At 2:20 a.m., incident commanders relayed reports from sheriff's deputies that they could see the fire moving west along the foothills north of Farnsworth Park. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We got a good landmark on where that thing is to the west, an operations person replied. Radio operators from the county Fire Department did not discuss whether the area had been placed under an evacuation order. Until that point, most of the radio traffic had been dedicated to trying to keep up with the fire as it spread, with little discussion of evacuations. Once the evacuation order went out to most of west Altadena around 3:30 a.m., fire personnel continued to radio in a growing list of homes ablaze as the Eaton fire spread uncontrolled toward the heart of the city. At 3:40 a.m., a fire official told operations over the radio that an elderly woman who lived west of Lake Avenue needed help getting out, referencing the recent evacuation order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One section of west Altadena that was also being threatened by flames did not receive an evacuation order until almost 6 a.m. It's not clear what caused the added delay. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) An Emirati diplomat earlier identified by Tehran as carrying a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump seeking to jump-start talks over Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program met Wednesday with Iran's foreign minister in the Iranian capital. It is unclear how Iran will react to the letter, which Trump revealed during a television interview last week. Its intended recipient, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said he's not interested in talks with a bullying government. But Iran struggles with economic woes exacerbated by U.S. and Western sanctions over its nuclear program, and Trump has imposed more since he took office in January. That pressure, coupled with internal turmoil in Iran and recent direct attacks by Israel, has put Tehran in one of the most precarious positions its theocracy has faced since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement America threatens with military action, but in my opinion, this threat is irrational, Khamenei said earlier Wednesday. Iran is capable of delivering a reciprocal blow, and it will certainly do so. A sudden visit by an Emirati diplomat Iranian state television showed Emirati official Anwar Gargash meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran. Gargash's visit had not been previously announced. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman earlier said he'd be carrying the letter from Trump. The UAE, home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, maintains close ties with the United States. The brief footage shot before the meeting did not show the letter. Gargash and the UAE government did not acknowledge his trip during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan and did not respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump last week acknowledged writing a letter to the 85-year-old Khamenei. Ive written them a letter saying, I hope youre going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, its going to be a terrible thing,' Trump said in the interview. Trump has offered no details on what, if anything, was specifically offered to Iran in the letter. The move recalled Trumps letter-writing to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his first term, which led to face-to-face meetings but no deals to limit Pyongyangs atomic bombs and a missile program capable of reaching the continental U.S. The last time Trump tried to send a letter to Khamenei, through the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2019, the supreme leader mocked the effort. Abe ended up slipping the envelope under his leg in footage widely shared by Iranian state media to this day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday before Gargash's arrival, Khamenei spoke to students during a ceremony in Tehran and called Trump's letter "an attempt to deceive global public opinion. This person tore apart and threw out of the window finished and completed, and signed, talks," Khamenei said. How could one possibly negotiate with such a person? He added: If we wanted to build a nuclear weapon, America couldnt stop us. Iran's uranium is now close to weapons-grade Trumps overture comes as Israel and the United States have warned they will never let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon, leading to fears of a military confrontation as Tehran enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels of 60% purity something only done by atomic-armed nations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes, even as its officials increasingly threaten to pursue the bomb as tensions are high with the U.S. over its sanctions and with Israel as a shaky ceasefire holds in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel and Iran have traded direct attacks during the Israel-Hamas war, while partners in Tehrans self-described Axis of Resistance are reeling after the assassinations of their leaders by Israel. In Israel, officials have suggested striking Irans nuclear program now, something Trump has threatened while insisting hed prefer reaching a diplomatic deal with Tehran. Since Trump returned to the White House, his administration has said Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons. A report last month by the U.N.s nuclear watchdog said Iran has accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium. Trumps first term in office was marked by a particularly troubled period in relations with Tehran. In 2018, he unilaterally withdrew the United States from Irans nuclear deal with world powers, leading to sanctions hobbling Irans economy. Iran retaliated with attacks at sea including one that it likely carried out and that temporarily halved Saudi Arabias oil production. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump also ordered the attack that killed Irans top general in a Baghdad drone strike in January 2020. It is unclear how Iran will handle further pressure. The Islamic Republics currency, the rial, has dramatically fallen in value. Unemployment and underemployment are rampant. Meanwhile, women have continued their defiance of laws on the mandatory headscarf, or hijab, and go without the head covering, two years after the death of a detained young woman, Mahsa Amini, sparked nationwide protests. ___ Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat and Mehdi Fattahi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Emirati diplomat that Tehran said would carry a letter from US President Donald Trump meets with Iran's foreign minister. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) A white-bellied caique parrot named Mango is back at Magnolia Wilds after being stolen during a break-in on Saturday, according to Executive Director Hunter Hullett. The East Feliciana Parish Sheriffs Office (EFPSO) confirmed that Mango was taken in what appeared to be a targeted theft at the nature preserve. Hullett said Mango was the only thing taken during the break-in. Investigators determined that the suspect removed a gate and accessed the unlocked sanctuary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sheriffs office launched an investigation and located Mango on Monday. When Mango was found, he was extremely thirsty and hungry, indicating he had not been properly cared for during his disappearance, Hullett said. EFPSO confirmed that an employee at Magnolia Wilds was arrested in connection with the theft. Shelby Alford, 29, of Denham Springs, was arrested by the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriffs Office on Denham Road. She was booked as a fugitive and will be transported to East Feliciana Parish, where she faces charges of simple burglary and theft over $1,000. Hullett described Mango as a beloved member of the Magnolia Wilds family who frequently visits elementary schools to educate students about parrots and conservation efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities have not yet released additional details about the motive behind the theft. The investigation remains ongoing. 10 next-level products to spoil your pet bird Latest News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. An Indiana University School of Dentistry employee was arrested by university police on Friday after school officials discovered that he had allegedly stolen over $158,000 worth of gold alloy dental products from the school. The theft started in August 2020, after Michael Frazer placed his first order for $1,158.16 worth of gold in the dentistry school's product ordering system, and the theft continued over the next four years, according to court records. The theft went unnoticed by university officials until March 2025, after school officials conducted an audit on the IU School of Dentistry and discovered Frazer had placed 34 "fraudulent" orders for various gold alloy dental products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These orders came as a surprise to officials in the IU School of Dentistry, as the school had an "oversupply of gold" within its secured inventory and there was no reason for Frazer to need gold in his role with the school. Officials then investigated the university's inventory tracking system and discovered that Frazer had not logged any of these purchases in the school's system, according to court documents. Each of Frazer's orders were approved by university fiscal officers, who didn't suspect anything was amiss, since fiscal officers didn't know how much gold the School of Dentistry used every month, according to court documents. According to the school investigations, Frazers placed one order for gold in 2020, five orders in 2021, six orders in 2022, nine orders in 2023, 10 orders in 2024 and three orders in 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lowest placed order was for $1,120.20 and the largest was for $16,589.37. After concluding its investigation, university officials learned that Frazer had placed an order for gold products on March 5, with an expected delivery date of March 7. Day of arrest On Friday, Frazer arrived at work expected to be greeted with an order of gold worth over $5,500. Instead, he was greeted by Indiana University Police officers who were there to investigate him for the theft of the stolen gold, according to court documents. At first, Frazer explained that he had placed the order for another Indiana University School of Dentistry employee, and that the employee had placed all of the gold that Frazer ordered inside a safe, according to court records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police then asked Frazer to take them to the safe and present all of the gold, but when Frazer opened the safe, there was no gold to be found, according to court documents. That's when Frazer asked officers to close his office doors and then confessed to stealing the gold from the school of dentistry. He explained that after he received the gold, he would go sell the gold at a gold-buying store in Avon, according to court documents. Frazer said he needed the cash in order to pay for "general life expenses" since his roommate was not working, and to help his parents with financial costs, according to court documents. However, police noted that throughout the interview Frazer had lied several times to police and believed he may have lied about possessing the gold, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Frazer was charged on March 11, 2025, by the Marion County Prosecutor's office with one charge of fraud-loss greater than $100,000 and one charge of theft for property greater than $50,000. Contact IndyStar reporter Noe Padilla at npadilla@indystar.com, follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Employee steals $150k in gold from IU Indy School of Dentistry Emporia State University president Ken Hush, who fired tenured and tenure-track faculty as part of an initiative to right-size the university, outlined his philosophy of higher education administration for members of the Kansas Senate's government efficiency committee. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA Emporia State University president Ken Hush defended Wednesday faculty and staff firings as well as academic program reallocations as overdue changes tied to imposition of a market-oriented business model at the liberal arts university. Hush, a former president of a Koch Industries company hired to lead his alma mater in 2021, said aggressive administrative reform to address ESUs financial, enrollment and political realities ran counter to an ESU culture with a vested interest in avoiding rehabilitation. He said his work showed how a higher education reformer could be punished for seeking change, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hushs allies in the Kansas Legislature approved back-to-back $9 million special earmarks to help the university endure an enrollment-decline backlash. The appropriations were denounced by at least one legislator as special-interest government bailouts. It was the ESU presidents dismissal of tenured and tenure-track faculty in 2022 that triggered three years of state and federal court litigation and introduction by ESUs general counsel a bill in the 2025 session that would retroactively undermine tenure rights across Kansas. The cost of inaction has been huge, Hush said during a presentation to the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency on his philosophical approach to university leadership. It should have been done a decade-plus ago. Its massive and its painful now. Overland Park Sen. Cindy Holscher, a Democrat on the Senate committee, asked Hush whether he was finished downsizing the faculty at ESU. I dont know, Hush said. Thats probably the honest answer to the total university. We feel comfortable where were at. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said the ability of fired ESU faculty to press their case in court meant additional dismissals were on hold. ESU relied on a process approved by the Kansas Board of Regents during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency that eased due-process guarantees of faculty at the six public state universities, including University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Wichita State University and ESU. On the faculty, were stuck, Hush said. No more efficiencies there until someone decides on litigation. In December, U.S. District Court Judge Julie Robinson rejected a motion filed by ESU to dismiss a lawsuit filed by former faculty. Robinson said court precedent demonstrated a property interest existed in tenure held by Kansas higher education faculty. In other words, Hush told legislators, ESUs use of the Board of Regents policy making it easier to jettison tenured faculty didnt work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democratic Sen. Cindy Holscher, an Overland Park member of the Senate Government Efficiency Committee, asked whether Emporia State University president Ken Hush planned to fire more tenured faculty. Hush said he wasnt certain, but defended the need to reallocate resources. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector) The ESU model During the presentation at the Capitol, Hush focused on what he referred to as the ESU model of reform that emphasized zero-based budgeting, trend analysis and profit-and-loss assessments. He said the objective was to right-size ESU rather than simply downsize the university. He said he didnt want the Legislature to cut state appropriations to ESU, but he expected to capture savings to invest in university priorities. Leaders of ESU had to be reeducated to a way of thinking that better represented interests of students and taxpayers, he said. Significant change was essential, Hush said, because community surveys showed the word salad describing ESU included mediocrity, no financial acumen, slow, no accountability, arrogant, inaction, dictators versus team, low expectations and not data driven. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We got problems, and culture problems, Hush said. Basically, what we were doing over the years we were preserving the institution. Hush said transformation was initially aided by a three-person subcommittee that allowed ESU to discuss reform ideas. The advisory panel was comprised of state Board of Regents member Wint Winter and former Board of Regents members Mark Hutton and Cindy Lane, Hush said. He said work of the subcommittee was terminated to end conflict with the Kansas Open Records Act. They were our team throughout this entire process, Hush said. Unfortunately, the three-person committee was disbanded a year ago. Were sitting here its tough because we have no one to bounce it off of. It put pressure on us not having a sounding board. Hush said decline in the U.S. college-age population meant colleges and universities were in fierce competition for enrollment. He said the shrinking supply of potential students was juxtaposed with growing demand among higher education institutions. The states research universities KSU, KU, WSU have a student recruiting advantage by offering medical, law, agriculture and aviation degree programs and because they have bigger endowments to award scholarships, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He said enrollment turf wars were ongoing: It spells out full competition. Head-on fighting for students. Sen. Douglas Shane, a Louisburg Republican on the Senates government efficiency committee, lauded Emporia State University president Ken Hushs candor. Shane, who holds a doctorate from Kansas State University, said he understood frustration Hush experienced while reforming ESU, a process that included firing tenured faculty. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector) Piled higher and deeper Hush said he reached out to Emporia and Lyon County government officials to generate additional resources for ESU. He turned to the ESU Foundation, which stepped up for the university on several occasions. My God, he said, they had $120 million sitting over there. I dont know what theyre waiting for. They ought to be reinvesting. Hush said he was frustrated ESU, Flint Hills Technical College and the Emporia public school district didnt work more collaboratively to deliver instruction in basic courses. In September, Hush sent a letter to a local economic development agency suggesting state legislators could force merger of the technical college with ESU. In that correspondence, he said the Emporia Regional Development Association ought to give $500,000 annually to ESU if it was able to offer $100,000 annually to Flint Hills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here we are we dont even work with them, Hush said. Sen. Patrick Schmidt, a Topeka Democrat on the Senate efficiency committee, asked whether Hush was considering a hostile takeover or some form of affiliation with Flint Hills. Hush said there were ongoing talks with Flint Hills through a mediator. Its a natural merge, Hush said. We dont approach it as an acquisition. Its work in progress. Its open discussion. We have to do something. Sen. Douglas Shane, a Louisburg Republican on the efficiency committee, said the presentation by Hush was welcomed anomaly. Shane is in his first-term senator. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This has probably been my favorite presentation this entire session, Shane said. Its very refreshing to hear a university president speak so candidly and having taken such a strong leadership position in their institution. Shane said conflict existed between university administrators and faculty. The senator earned from Kansas State a veterinary degree and a doctorate in pathobiology, and worked on KSUs Olathe campus as an animal health professor. Sometimes a Ph.D., for some folks, just means piled higher and deeper, Shane said. I think youve been able to see that in an academic environment, in any university environment, change is really, really hard. One of the most endangered buildings in Fort Worth home to one of the oldest African American womens fraternal organizations in the country was approved as a Historic and Cultural Landmark Tuesday. The Fort Worth City Council unanimously approved the designation for the Grand High Court of Heroines of Jericho at 3016 E. 4th St., northeast of Harmon Field Park, close to downtown Fort Worth. A designation preserves the building from being demolished, provides a 10-year freeze on city property taxes and limits changes to the property. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The building was listed on Historic Fort Worths Most Endangered Places List in 2024 and 2017. It serves as headquarters for all Heroines of Jericho chapters in Texas, a nonprofit charitable organization that has existed since the late 19th century, and holds official documents for each chapter. Historic Fort Worth describes the building as a rare historic resource representing African Americans throughout the state. R. Lucille Samuel, who lives in El Paso, is the grand most ancient matron for the jurisdiction of Texas within the Heroines of Jericho, and she having this building designated is an honor. I believe in making that building a historical landmark is something that we can show to other states, what they can also do within their communities, Samuel told the Star- Telegram. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A staff report from the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission stated the building meets 3 of the 8 criteria for designation and all aspects of integrity and identity, which makes it significant. Some of the reasons the building is significant include: it represents a rare historical resource for African Americans in the state, particularly as it identifies with a Black female organization, it shows a distinctive example of Mid-Century Modern architecture, it is associated with William Madison McDonald, an influential American politician, businessman, and banker in Texas during the late nineteenth century who was a Grand Joshua, the staff report said. The Heroines of Jerichos is an affiliation of the Prince Hall Freemasonry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Grand High Court of Heroines of Jericho was adopted in 1897 in Texas as the first female Masonic house of the Texas Prince Hall Masons and Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of Texas. The organization advocated for racial uplift and social justice for the African American community. There are over 900 members of the Heroines of Jericho in Texas. Fort Worths local court is Centennial Court No. 500, which was chartered in 1984 and has about 30 members. URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) Of the Illinois EPAs millions of dollars going toward improving water infrastructure in Central Illinois, the Urbana and Champaign Sanitary District is one that will be getting an upgrade. The Illinois EPA is providing a loan of $43 million to the sanitary district, which will be used for installing cogeneration, expanding the southwest plant and working on other equipment. IL EPA awards water infrastructure grants in Central Illinois Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WCIA talked with Executive Director Rick Manner on how this will help the community. We have some growth from industries in town that theres talk about either Kraft expanding or other businesses showing up and them needing to discharge their sewage. And we need to be ready to treat it, Manner said. He added that they are concerned about losing funding from the federal government, though this money is from the state. He also said if this happens, then there would be a price hike that could effect people in the area. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. By Valerie Volcovici WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on Wednesday that it will narrow the definition of waters that can be federally regulated to comply with a 2023 Supreme Court decision, a move cheered by Republican lawmakers in agricultural states. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency will work to craft a definition "that is simple and durable and withstands the test of time." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The previous administrations definition of waters of the United States placed unfair burdens on the American people and drove up the cost of doing business," he said. The announcement is the latest development in what Zeldin described as a "ping pong" of changing policies around the regulation of "waters of the United States" that are protected under the 1972 Clean Water Act from pollutants like fertilizers, pesticides and mining waste. Under the Obama and Biden administrations, the EPA had tried to expand the types of waters regulated to wetlands and streams amid heavy opposition from industry, the agriculture sector and Republican lawmakers who called it an overreach. The 2023 Sackett vs. EPA case created a clear standard that restricts the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers' ability to regulate certain types of wetlands that do not connect with a navigable waterway and streams. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Delivering a framework that is both clear and legally sound, refining key definitions and rescinding prior vague and inconsistent guidance brings predictability to those who rely on clear and workable water regulations," said West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito, chair of the Senate environment committee. Environmental groups have warned that narrowing the definition of regulated waterways would have a detrimental effect on wetland protection. "The Trump EPA is giving a green light for industrial agriculture to further pollute and drain valuable wetlands that currently provide substantial benefits to communities, including flood protection and clean drinking water," Stacy Woods, research director for the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said in a statement. Farm groups have long supported a rollback on what they argue are costly and burdensome water regulations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The EPA move is a "crucial step in correcting years of regulatory overreach and continuous uncertainty for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities," Glenn "G.T." Thompson, chair of the House Agriculture Committee, said in a statement. Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said in a statement that he was pleased the agency had listened to farmers' concerns. (Reporting by Valerie Volcovici and Leah Douglas in Washington; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Mark Porter) Environmental Protection Agency staff members across the country have been told by supervisors they are prohibited from communicating with grantee partners they are supposed to supervise and monitor, according to multiple sources inside the EPA and others working directly with the agency. And many nonprofit organizations and other EPA grant recipients have found themselves frozen out of accessing their federal funds without notice or explanation. "I have never experienced anything like this," said Melissa Bosworth, who runs a small nonprofit organization based out of Denver that had been administering an EPA award approved by Congress last May for tribal, school and local municipalities in the mountain west. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nonprofit leaders from across the country with EPA grants and contracts describe weeks of a communication blackout. Bosworth said her local contacts at the EPA's Region 8 office stopped responding within days of President Donald Trump's inauguration. She and her partnering organization, Montana State University, noted they reached out repeatedly to their local point of contact but got no response. ABC News reached out to the EPA's Region 8 office for comment. PHOTO: Signage at the headquarters of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, Feb. 18, 2025. (Kent Nishimura/Reuters) MORE: NIH terminating active research grants related to LGBTQ+, DEI studies Then, at the end of February, she received formal notice that her grant had been terminated. The purpose of the grant was to help cities, tribes and schools in rural Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas gain access to federal funding for projects focused on clean drinking water, disaster preparedness, emissions reduction and food security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The termination notice, reviewed by ABC News, suggested her contract might have been canceled because of the president's executive order to shutdown diversity, equity and inclusion programs. "It was about helping fight disparities on behalf of small cities and rural schools," she said. "So often it is the big universities and big institutions that have the expertise to get funds. I worry the disparity for rural America, tribes and the smallest communities will get worse." Bosworth has a son with autism, and her business partner gave birth last month to a baby with severe medical challenges. They both have now been laid off. "We thought there was a good chance they would try to terminate our contracts, but without any actual communication, we did not have anything formal to fight against," Bosworth told ABC News. "We did not know what was real, if we could spend money or how to ask questions. I wonder if the ambiguity was part of the strategy." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the communication blackout appeared to be sweeping in multiple regional offices and consequential for grant recipients, it did not seem to apply to all EPA staff nationwide. PHOTO: A sign on the headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency, Mar. 12, 2025, in Washington. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) MORE: EPA likely to move to further limit federal protections for wetlands Even before receiving the termination notice, Bosworth said she struggled to access her EPA grant. She and dozens of other nonprofit leaders from California to Tennessee said they have been frozen out of the government payment system off and on, without explanation or notice. In an EPA regional office in Philadelphia, staff members described being told in meetings with EPA political appointees based in Washington, D.C., that they are still not permitted to process new awards or even communicate with grant award recipients as late as last week. The edict came despite recent court rulings blocking the administration's proposed federal funding freeze. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And when local EPA staffers pressed their regional bosses about the communications blackout, those bosses told them to comply because they did not want to risk doing anything to jeopardize their jobs, according to multiple sources. As part of his work advising agencies to reduce spending and cut staff, Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency have promised transparency and increased oversight over how taxpayer dollars are going out the door. Experts who work in grant management as well as former EPA officials argue the lack of communication will result in the opposite -- less transparency and no oversight. "The preponderance of evidence is that many program officers are under some kind of gag order, making it nearly impossible for them to do their jobs," one former EPA official under the Biden administration told ABC News. "If you care about abuse in federal spending, this makes no sense and is absurdly hypocritical." PHOTO: Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency Lee Zeldin attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, Feb. 26, 2025. (Al Drago/Pool/EPA-EFE/Shuttersto) MORE: Supreme Court makes it harder for EPA to police sewage discharges Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Typically, EPA staff works closely with nonprofit organizations and local government partners who have been awarded grants, conducting oversight and answering and asking questions about how the government money is being spent. Rebecca Kaduru, president at Institute for Sustainable Communities, based in Nashville, said she has lost access to the payment system at least once a week for the last month. Her organization had two EPA grants until last month, when one was terminated. The effective gag order has left nonprofit leaders, local governments and tribes stunned and unsure about how to move forward in spending the EPA grants they were awarded. Kaduru explained the strain of chaos of the last few months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Do I fire staff because I can't pay payroll? But if I do, I am not compliant with the grant that says I have to have staff and keep our website," she said on the phone. "It is very high risk for nonprofits." PHOTO: Vice President JD Vance, right, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine listen as Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin speaks in East Palestine Fire Station, Feb 3, 2025, in East Palestine, Ohio, Feb. 3, 2025. (Gene J. Puskar/AP) MORE: How environmental agencies could be managed under new Trump administration On Monday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency had decided to terminate over 400 contracts with nonprofit organizations around the country. "Working hand-in-hand with DOGE to rein in wasteful federal spending, EPA has saved more than $2 billion in taxpayer money," Zeldin wrote in a statement. "It is our commitment at EPA to be exceptional stewards of tax dollars." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The EPA did not respond to questions about which contracts exactly were canceled or why, but it appeared environmental justice and community change grants were hit particularly hard in this week's cuts. Over 100 organizations received community change grants last year, totaling more than $1.6 billion, as part of environmental justice work funded through the bipartisan Infrastructure Reduction Act in 2022. The grants focus on helping low-income, disadvantaged and often rural communities fight air and water pollution, create green spaces and invest in renewable energy and disaster preparation. On Tuesday, Zeldin also sent an internal memo to all regional administrators saying that the agency planned to eliminate all environmental justice positions and offices immediately. "With this action, EPA is delivering organizational improvements to the personnel structure that will directly benefit all Americans," the memo, which ABC News reviewed, said. PHOTO: Lee Zeldin, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, appears before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Capitol Hill, Jan. 16, 2025, in Washington. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) MORE: Lee Zeldin emphasizes accountability in EPA confirmation hearing, says hell 'look into' IRA funds Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many nonprofit leaders who received termination notices in the last few weeks expressed frustration that they were not given the chance to explain their work and said the savings, in their view, were overblown. The news comes as agency leaders were also told to draft plans with a deadline of this week for further staffing reductions. In terms of savings, in a recent post, Zeldin claimed he saved taxpayers over $12 million by canceling the contract with Kaduru's organization, for example. However, in actuality, it was an $8 million grant, with over half of it already spent. Speaking to a joint session of Congress last week, Trump said his administration wants to focus on pollutants, saying, "Our goal is to get toxins out of our environment, poisons out of our food supply and keep our children healthy and strong." Both current career EPA staff as well as nonprofit partners said the cuts and the closure of environmental justice offices will make this work harder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think it is a shame they are not looking into what we do -- asking what we actually do," Kaduru said. "It is a shame because those environmental justice programs in particular are really are good programs, and I think there is an unfortunate misunderstanding about what environmental justice [is]." EPA workers silenced as agency cancels hundreds of grants originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Jeffrey Epstein described the former boss of Barclays as like family in an email to the Duke of York, a court has heard. The disgraced financier sought to reassure Prince Andrew of Jes Staleys credibility ahead of a meeting in 2010, as he claimed the banker could be trusted 100pc. The High Court was told on Wednesday that Epstein wrote to the Duke, saying: I know you are seeing Jes Staley this morning, he is like family and can be trusted 100pc. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It comes as the ex-Barclays chief attempts to overturn a lifetime ban from the City, which was handed down by the Financial Conduct Authority in 2023 owing to his ties to Epstein. The latest hearing also revealed Mr Staley referred to the convicted paedophile as uncle Jeffrey in email correspondence with his daughter. Mr Epstein was convicted in 2008 for procuring a minor for prostitution in Florida and sentenced to 18 months in prison. As part of the latest evidence, the court heard Mr Staley had forwarded an email to his daughter Alexa from Epstein in April 2009. In it, he appeared to detail how he could introduce her to influential figures in the science world as part of her career ambitions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr Staley forwarded the message and made the uncle reference to Epstein as part of the exchange, the court heard. The email read: This is from uncle Jeffrey. Mr Staley, 68, has launched a claim at the Upper Tribunal attempting to reverse a decision by the Financial Conduct Authority to ban him from financial services. The case centres on a letter Barclays sent to the regulator in 2019 claiming that Mr Staley was not close to Epstein and cut ties with him after he was appointed to Barclays in October 2015. The FCA said Mr Staley recklessly misled the agency. Invasion of my family In a testy exchange with the FCAs barrister, Leigh-Ann Mulcahy KC, Mr Staley accused the regulator of an invasion of his privacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After being shown emails in court which appeared to show how he shared Alexa Staleys academic scores with Epstein Mr Staley said: I think theres an invasion of my family here and I resent it. This exposure of my daughter is really important to you. The court has previously heard how he maintained contact with Epstein after his 2008 conviction. Mr Staley has claimed his warm words to Epstein were part of a close business relationship but he was never personal friends with him. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons hopes vacationers find the balance between having fun and respecting the county as Spring Break arrives for more and more students across the country. Former Santa Rosa County school administrator arrested on grand theft: FDLE Florida remains a top destination, including the northwest stretch of the Gulf Coast. Were going to have our bicycle units out there, said Sheriff Simmons. Were going to work with the Santa Rosa Island Authority to get more deputies out there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Be courteous to other people that are vacationing here, but also understand, again, that this is our home, and were not going to let you tear it up, he added. Pensacola Beach doesnt allow glass on beaches, but alcohol is permitted. Certainly no DUI underage drinking, Sheriff Simmons said. We will take enforcement action on people that are violating these laws. Santa Rosa County District Schools launches virtual courses for some students Those who plan to travel to Northwest Florida should expect larger crowds throughout the month of March. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. Skokie Trustee James Johnson, who has in the past brought complaints before the Skokie Ethics Commission, was himself named the subject of an ethics complaint submitted to the Commission in late February. The Ethics Commission met on March 5 to discuss the merits of a 10-point complaint filed by seven Skokie residents. The commission dropped most of the complaints raised by the complainants but decided to investigate whether Johnson violated the villages ethics code when he spoke during the public comment section at a number of Village Board meetings. Starting in January 2024, Johnson began to speak during the public comment period at the end of Village Board meetings to protest what he said was political activity in the villages legal department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since then, Johnson has spoken at the end of nearly every Village Board meeting to advocate for a non-political legal department. The complaint accused Johnson of speaking during the public comment period for political gain, as he is also running for village clerk. Mayor George Van Dusen told Johnson then that he should be careful with what he said from the lectern used for public comments, as some could see it as a campaign appearance. According to the complaint, Trustee Johnson has consistently and repeatedly used their position on the Village Board to attack and disrespect their real or imagined political opponents, and anyone they deem insufficiently in alliance with their ideas, including but not limited to elected officials, private citizens, commission volunteers and clergy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trustee Johnson did so from the dais, and from the lectern during public comments, during Skokie Village Board meetings, utilizing village resources, and while getting paid by the village using taxpayer funds, the complaint said. Johnson previously filed four complaints to the Ethics Commission. The first one alleged that Corporation Counsel Michael Lorge and Assistant Corporation Counsel James McCarthy had acted unethically when they allegedly asked Johnson to drop out of the race for village trustee in 2021. Village Board trustees and Van Dusen have long denied that Lorge and McCarthy asked Johnson to drop out of the race. After Johnson made his fourth complaint, they recommended he be fined $5,000 for making frivolous ethics complaints. The Ethics Commission ultimately decided not to fine Johnson. In a phone call with Pioneer Press, Johnson said the ethics complaint filed against him is politically motivated. He said one of the complainants, Elline Eliasoff, is Trustee Alison Pure Slovins campaign manager and treasurer, and was a slate maker for the Skokie Caucus Party in 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have been using my voice to speak in opposition to the Village Boards political hiring and misappropriation of attorneys in Skokies legal department. Everyone knows this, Johnson said. Everyone knows that I keep saying that this is the most serious, systemic problem in our village government. So the allegation that my comments are actually electioneering is completely false. The complainant is echoing the false allegation of Mayor Van Dusen and other members of the Village Board who are refusing to reform the political corruption in our legal department.. they are saying all sorts of things to misdirect My comments are about the political corruption in Skokies legal department corruption that my colleagues on the Village Board are willfully covering up, said Johnson. Van Dusen, the Village Boards liaison to the Ethics Commission, said he is not participating in the review of the ethics complaint and that Village Manager John Lockerby is taking his stead for this particular case. Were in the midst of a heated political system elections are coming up, Van Dusen said. I just want to stay out of this whole ethics complaint. We have a commission. I have full faith in the commissioners. Theyre independent, theyre intelligent, theyre good people. Let them do the case and decide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Van Dusen recalled warning Johnson that some could see his public comments as a political act. When somebody takes an oath of office, regardless of the office, you are no longer just Joe Blow living next door. You are undertaking responsibilities. What I tried to warn Trustee Johnson is that theres a very thin gray line, and that gray line gets smaller and smaller and smaller as time goes on thats the power of taking office, and you have to be extra specially careful about the way that you go about your life, Van Dusen said. The next Ethics Commission hearing for the complaint is scheduled for March 19. The European Union and Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on Wednesday after the Trump administration's metals duties went into effect, broadening a trade war with several of America's top trading partners. The U.S. at midnight began imposing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports from all trading partners, with no exceptions or exemptions, the White House said. Th S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq closed higher on Wednesday, despite the trade tensions. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed slightly lower. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials representing the European Union said member states would place countermeasures on some 26 billion euros, or about $28 billion, worth of U.S. goods. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said in a statement that the EU "must act to protect consumers and business." PHOTO: A worker moves steel product at North York Iron, a steel supplier in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, February 11, 2025. (Cole Burston/AFP via Getty Images) MORE: US imposes 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum imports "Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and even worse for consumers," von der Leyen said. "These tariffs are disrupting supply chains. They bring uncertainty for the economy. Jobs are at stake. Prices will go up. In Europe and in the United States." Canada followed by announcing tariffs on about 29.8 billion Canadian dollars, or about $20.7 billion, in U.S. goods expected to be imported, government officials said. The U.S. imports more steel and aluminum from Canada than any other country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our sole focus is to stand up for Canada interests, Canadian jobs and Canadian workers," Dominic LeBlanc, minister of Intergovernmental Affairs of Canada, said in a press conference in Ottawa. The Canadian tariffs will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, LeBlanc said. They were designed to be proportional to the U.S. tariffs, he said. The European measures were also designed to match the scope of those U.S. tariffs, which the European Union said would be worth about $28 billion. The countermeasures were expected to begin on April 1 and be fully in place by April 13, the commission said. "In the meantime, we will always remain open to negotiation," von der Leyen said. PHOTO: European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen addresses European Parliament members on new plans to ramp up defense spending agreed at last week's summit, Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France. (Pascal Bastien/AP) The countermeasures comprise two steps, the first of which is to restore on April 1 a set of previously suspended 2018 and 2020 countermeasures against the U.S. on a range of products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For step two, member states will then put in place by mid-April new countermeasures targeting about 18 billion euros worth of U.S. goods entering the bloc. Those new countermeasures will target both industrial and agricultural products, including steel and aluminum, home appliances, wood products, poultry, beef and other food imports, according to a fact sheet released on Wednesday. Maros Sefcovic, the EU's trade commissioner, said European officials would continue working with their U.S. counterparts toward a "win-win" outcome, but the "unjustified tariffs on our exports will not go unanswered." "We should be making this great relationship stronger, not weaker," he said in a statement. ABC News' Zunaira Zaki contributed to this report. Canada, Europe hit back after US metals tariffs kick in originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The European Union stepped its fomenting trade war against the U.S. with a 26 billion ($28 billion) round of import tariffs, announced almost immediately after the U.S. rolled out a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum coming from the bloc. U.S. steel, agriculture, and consumer goods are set to face steep import tariffs into the EU from April after the bloc agreed to reintroduce tariffs brought in during the first Donald Trump administration. The latest tranche of EU tariffs would account for 5% of U.S. imports to the union, which amounted to 531.6 billion ($580 billion) last year. The move came shortly after the U.S. reintroduced what it called true 25% tariffs on steel imports and a new 25% tariff on aluminum imports. Unlike during the first Trump administration, there will be no exemptions on products that are otherwise not available in the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspended tariffs will be reintroduced on April 1, while fresh tariffs are expected to be rolled out following consultation by April 13. In line with warnings emanating from the U.S., tariffs are expected to have the biggest impact on European consumers. Included in the proposed tariffs are a host of popular U.S. consumer products, including Bourbon whiskey, jeans, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The newest tariffs, which are expected to equate to 18 billion worth of goods, are intended to match the expected value of the U.S.s tariffs on the EU. European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, left the door open for negotiations with the U.S. before they are implemented next month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.K. was also hit with U.S. import tariffs but has yet to retaliate. You need both hands to clap Retaliation from the EU marks a significant step up in a trade war that has rocked global markets. Trump is determined to reshore U.S. manufacturing and said on Sunday he was prepared to let the U.S. slip into recession as part of his request to do so. Trump has taken a tougher stance against the EU in his second term, with which the U.S. recorded a 198.2 billion ($216 billion) trade deficit in 2024, according to figures released on Tuesday. Von der Leyen struck a somber tone as she delivered news of retaliatory tariffs against the EUs biggest export partner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We deeply regret this measure. Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and worse for consumers. They are disrupting supply chains. They bring uncertainty for the economy, said von der Leyen. Jobs are at stake. Prices will go up. Nobody needs that on both sides, neither in the European Union nor in the United States. The EUs Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maros Sefcovic, said the EU was part of the solution, not the problem, when it came to tackling global steel overcapacity, with prices subdued after low demand in China saw steel flood other markets. Last month, during my visit to Washington to raise these points, it was indeed clear that the European Union isn't the problem, making today's measures even more unjustified, said Sefcovic. I argued to avoid the unnecessary burden of measures and countermeasures. But you need both hands to clap. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com The European Union is to impose countertariffs on US products including whiskey, motorcycles, peanut butter and boats starting on April 1 in response to US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. "The European Union must act to protect consumers and business," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, reacting to US tariffs of up to 25% on imports of steel, aluminium and some products containing the metals, which went into effect on Wednesday. US President Donald Trump imposed the tariffs on EU exports after taking issues with the US trade deficit with Europe, alleging the bloc was formed to "screw" the US. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to EU figures, the EU ran a surplus in trade in goods with the US of 198.2 billion ($216.2 billion) in 2024, but a deficit of 109 billion in trade in services in 2023. "The countermeasures we take today are strong but proportionate," von der Leyen added. The EU will impose countertariffs on up to 26 billion worth of US goods, matching the scope of the US tariffs on the EU, the commission said. As a first step, the bloc will reinstate retaliatory tariffs, dating back to Trump's first term in office, on US products worth 4.5 billion such as jeans, bourbon, motorcycles and peanut butter from April 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Further countermeasures on products worth 18 billion are then planned for mid-April, after consultation with EU stakeholders. The member states will then be invited to approve the proposed measures before they are adopted. According to von der Leyen, the countermeasures will be "fully in place as of April 13." They are to target US industrial and agricultural products and will likely include steel and aluminium products, textiles, leather goods, household appliances, tools, plastics and wood products, as well as poultry, beef, certain seafood, nuts, eggs, dairy products, sugar and vegetables. The commission could propose adding more products at a later stage to reach an overall volume of 26 billion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business and worse for consumers. They are disrupting supply chains. They bring uncertainty for the economy," von der Leyen told journalists at the European Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg. "Jobs are at stake, prices [will go] up. Nobody needs that on both sides, neither in the European Union nor in the United States," she continued. Von der Leyen stressed that she remains willing to work with the US government to negotiate a solution. "We firmly believe that in a world fraught with geopolitical and economic uncertainties, it is not in our common interest to burden our economies with tariffs," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Von der Leyen said she has instructed Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic to resume his talks with the US in order to work out "better solutions." Sefcovic said he is ready to tackle industrial challenges jointly "if the US administration accepts [the EU's] extended hand and works with [the EU] to strike a deal." "On steel and aluminium particularly, we share some of the challenges, for instance, global overcapacities driven by non-market practices," Sefcovic said, speaking alongside von der Leyen. "Last month, during my visit to Washington to raise these points, it was indeed clear that the EU is not the problem, making today's measures even more unjustified." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trade partnership between the United States and the European Union is "well-balanced and highly profitable for both sides," the commissioner stated. During Trump's first tenure as US president from 2017 to 2021, his administration imposed tariffs on steel and aluminium from the EU. The bloc responded with retaliatory tariffs on US products such as jeans, bourbon, motorcycles and peanut butter. During president Joe Biden's term in office, an agreement was reached that suspended the tariffs. European Union lawmakers said in a non-binding resolution on Wednesday that preparatory actions on defence must be "close to those of wartime" and called for more aid for Ukraine. "Europe is today facing the most profound military threat to its territorial integrity since the end of the Cold War," the resolution read, which was adopted by 419 votes in favour, 204 against and 46 abstentions. The resolution called Russia "the most significant direct and indirect threat against the EU" and stressed how the drastic shift of US policies on the war in Ukraine has fuelled security concerns in the EU. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The resolution stated that the EU must be able "move much faster through the procedures" in the event of a war or other major security crises and called for a European pillar within NATO capable of acting autonomously if necessary. Members of the European Parliament called for stronger partnerships with like-minded parters and for diminished reliance on non-EU countries to ensure the bloc's own security. On support for Ukraine, the resolution urged EU countries, international partners and NATO members "to lift all restrictions on the use of Western weapons systems delivered to Ukraine against military targets on Russian territory," a press release said. DECATUR The view during a clear night sky is filled with bright and shiny objects. Are they stars, planets or could it be the International Space Station? Through one of the largest telescopes in the area, Millikin University can answer those questions. The public has a standing date each week when school is in session to see the celestial sights during the public observation nights. The free event is from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Requarth Observatory in the Leighty-Tabor Science Center. Decatur resident Lisa Buchanan took advantage of the first observation night of the spring semester on Tuesday. It sounded like a fun thing to do, she said. And its Millikin. We want to support our local college, added her son, Kolten Buchanan. With all the stargazing events that take place during the the year, the mother and son wanted to get a closer look at how to get a closer look. Right now theres a lot of activity going on, Lisa Buchanan said. That activity includes a total lunar eclipse that will occur early Friday, March 14. It is known as a blood moon because it makes the moon look red, and it happens when the moon passes through Earth's shadow. It will be the first total lunar eclipse since 2022, according to Smithsonian Magazine. According to NASA, the partial lunar eclipse begins at 12:09 a.m. Friday. Totality begins at 1:26 a.m. and ends at 2:31 a.m. The observation nights allow the public to view the wonders of the night sky through some of the best telescopes in the state, including the largest publicly available telescope in Illinois, said the Millikin instructor Casey Watson. Millikin physics students conduct the events each Tuesday during the school year. As the participants gather on the fifth floor of the Leighty-Tabor Science Center, they are given an introduction to the main event by viewing the sky through smaller eight-inch telescopes. Thats kind of the starter, said senior Edwin Monroe. Because the main 20-inch telescope is located inside the movable dome of the Requarth Observatory, participants are taken to that area three to four at a time. The opening of the dome can move for different views of the sky. We can rotate it around to look at something else, Monroe said. We just show them what they want to see, said freshman Ryan Mensik. Public Observation Nights Millikin Universitys Public Observation Nights are free to the public from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays (except March 18) at the Requarth Observatory in the Leighty-Tabor Science Center. For more information, visit the events website. Last years solar eclipse that was visible in Central Illinois and the most recent planet parade, in which seven of the nine planets could be seen in a straight line, have created an interest among even the beginner stargazers. While lunar eclipses happen an average of twice a year, a solar eclipse is more rare. Solar eclipse, theres always one somewhere in the world, Monroe said. Its just that when it passes over here, its not very often. Thats when we party, Mensik said. The sky offers a different celestial view nearly every month. During last semesters observation nights, the students were able to study Saturn, the moon and Jupiter. In the spring, now we can see Mars, Venus and Mercury a lot more, Mensik said. Its beautiful when there's a full moon, said Matt Kordesh, sophomore. We should have it in about a week or so. Melissa Sanderlin brought her family to the observation night. As you get older, you just find things more interesting, she said. And space is fascinating to me. Cannon Sanderlin, 12, attended an observation night two years ago, but said the viewing experience was hampered by clouds. Now, I can actually see something. They are amazing, added his 6-year-old sister Maisie Sanderlin. The common view of the moon was most impressive through one of the smaller telescopes, according to Maisie. Its kind of sunny, or shiny, she said. But its gray. Its amazing you can see that from earth, said their grandma, Julie Sanderlin. Looking up in the night sky, she admits she wondered if what she was seeing was more than just a star. They would say, no, thats a planet, she said. How do you know? The visit to the observatory gave the family a different perspective and knowledge of what they were seeing from the ground. You can actually tell what some things are, Julie Sanderlin said. The European Union has welcomed a joint statement by Ukraine and the United States following the talks in Saudi Arabia and noted that "it is now for Russia to show its willingness to achieve peace". Source: a statement by Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Quote: "The European Union is ready to play its full part in supporting the upcoming steps, together with Ukraine, the United States and other partners." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Details: Kallas noted that the EU's goal is to support Ukraine in achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the principles of the UN Charter and international law. Quote: "The proposal of a ceasefire if accepted by Russia can be an important step in this direction. It is now for Russia to show its willingness to achieve peace." Previously: Following the talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 11 March, Ukraine said it is willing to implement a 30-day ceasefire, provided that Russia also adheres to it. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the ceasefire will apply "not only with regard to missiles, drones and bombs, not only in the Black Sea but also along the entire front line". Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Washington will submit a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine to Russia and said he hopes Russia will accept it. US President Donald Trump stated that he plans to speak with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin about the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! (Bloomberg) -- The EU will pledge funds to help with reconstruction in Syria at a donors conference its hosting next week, the blocs commissioner for the Mediterranean said, as officials continue to evaluate the interim regime that holds power in Damascus. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dubravka Suica, the blocs first commissioner for the region, said in an interview that Syrias foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, will attend Mondays meeting despite recent clashes in the country. We know there are some upheavals but were trying to have some more good contacts with the current government, Suica said. We are trying to pledge not only for humanitarian aid, but for early reconstruction, she added, saying the current authorities need money in order to govern the country. Suica is tasked with developing a new strategy for the Mediterranean region, which she said would be adopted in the third quarter of 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bloc plans to organize a separate conference for European companies to pledge money for the reconstruction of Gaza if the political situation allows, Suica said, although she didnt offer any timeline. The event would include private companies from the EU, as well as institutions like the World Bank and the European Investment Bank. Europe cannot reconstruct Gaza alone, we need partners, she said, citing the international community and the Gulf countries. We are also looking for America if they want to join, but at this moment its not clear. The EU welcomed a Gaza reconstruction plan developed by Egypt and backed by Arab countries, with the blocs top diplomat Kaja Kallas calling it a serious basis for discussions. On the topic of the EU stepping in to make up for Trump administrations decision to slash most programs at the US Agency for International Development, Suica said the bloc is analyzing case by case, trying to see where our aid is most urgent. She added that the amount of global aid provided by the EU was already very substantial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. The European Union announced measures in response to new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, planning duties on over $28 billion worth of U.S. goods, according to an official statement published on March 12. The move follows U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, reigniting trade tensions between Washington and Brussels. In response, the European Commission is launching countermeasures to protect businesses, workers, and consumers from what it called "unjustified U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The EU's countermeasures could affect up to 26 billion euros ($28.3 billion) worth of U.S. goods exports, equivalent to the economic impact of the U.S. tariffs. The retaliatory steps will be introduced in two phases. Previously suspended countermeasures, first imposed during the first Trump term in 2018 and 2020, will lapse on April 1, responding to U.S. tariffs costing 8 billion euros ($8.7 billion) in EU exports. The second phase will introduce new countermeasures on April 13 in response to U.S. tariffs costing the EU 18 billion euros ($19.7 billion) in exports. "We deeply regret this measure. Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business and even worse for consumers. These tariffs are disrupting supply chains. They bring uncertainty for the economy," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The commission signaled its willingness to negotiate a resolution, saying that the measures could be lifted if an agreement is reached. Trump defended the tariffs as a means to simplify duties on metals and suggested retaliatory measures against countries imposing tariffs on U.S. goods. The dispute dates back to Trump's first term, when his administration imposed duties on nearly $7 billion of European exports in 2018, citing national security concerns. The EU retaliated with its own tariffs on American products. A temporary truce was reached in 2021 under the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden, with the U.S. replacing the tariffs with a quota system and the EU freezing its countermeasures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump's new tariffs threaten to reignite the trade conflict, with the European Commission warning that such restrictions could disrupt supply chains and raise costs for businesses and consumers. The U.S.'s tariffs threat Ukraine's industry as well. Steel production is a key sector of Ukraine's economy, the second-largest source of foreign currency after agriculture. Read also: Trump to invite Zelensky back to White House following Saudi talks Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (Bloomberg) -- Supply Lines is a daily newsletter that tracks global trade. Sign up here. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The European Union launched countermeasures on Wednesday against new US metals tariffs, with plans to impose its own duties on up to 26 billion ($28.3 billion) worth of American goods. The announcement came hours after the US administration imposed 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports in a massive escalation of the trade war between the longstanding allies. The EU will target politically sensitive goods in Republican-led states, including soybeans from Louisiana, home to House Speaker Mike Johnson, according to a senior EU official. EU metals tariffs that had been put in place during Trumps first term, and later suspended, are due to be reintroduced in full on April 1, including some levies that have never previously been in force. The EU will also immediately begin consultations with member states, with the aim of adopting the additional lists of agricultural and industrial goods subject to tariffs as high as 25% by mid-April. Officials said the idea is to allow a window for negotiations, which will be led by the blocs trade chief, Maros Sefcovic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The countermeasures we take today are strong yet proportionate, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters at a briefing in Strasbourg. We firmly believe that in a world fraught with geo-economic and political uncertainties, it is not in our common interest to burden our economies with such tariffs. While the EU announced immediately retaliatory steps, other affected countries, including the UK, refrained from immediate action and called for negotiations. European stocks rallied on Wednesday, with the Stoxx Europe 600 gaining 0.7% and Germanys DAX rallying 1.2% as traders reacted to progress toward a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine. The euro was little changed, pausing after a sharp rally in the past days. For Europe, the new levies will be nearly four times the size of similar duties imposed during Trumps first term, when the US targeted 6.4 billion of the blocs metals exports, citing national security concerns. The value of those previous levies is now 4.5 billion based on current EU-US trade volumes, according to an EU official. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The EU will target US steel and aluminum products, as well as textiles, agricultural products and home appliances. For now, the EU plan is to penalize 22.5 billion of goods in total, an official said, although the bloc has the right to raise that to match the full 26 billion value of the US tariffs. It aims to target products that will inflict damage in politically sensitive places in the US while avoiding additional economic pain for Europe. The EU is planning to hit beef and poultry from Republican-led states Nebraska and Kansas, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The blocs list will include products from its previous trade fight with Trump such as boats, bourbon and motorbikes. The EU can begin sourcing some targeted products from outside the US, such as soybeans from Brazil or Argentina, according to the official. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, Trump has announced reciprocal tariffs coming in early April based on policies of partners that are seen as obstacles to US trade, including Europes value-added tax, and has targeted certain goods including European cars. Sefcovic traveled to Washington last month to try to find an amicable solution with senior members of the Trump team including US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. He offered to lower tariffs on industrial goods, including cars, one of Trumps longstanding demands, and increasing US imports of liquefied natural gas and defense goods. The disruption caused by tariffs is avoidable if the US administration accepts our extended hand and works with us to strike a deal, Sefcovic said Wednesday. We are ready to negotiate. In the European steel market, producers are bracing for a two-fold impact, with European exports to the US set to fall, and the regions imports set to rise as metal is re-routed away from the US. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We can indeed expect the EU market already saturated with cheap steel imports from Asia, North Africa and the Middle East to be further flooded as steel intended for the US market is redirected because of the new tariffs, a spokesperson for industry lobby group Eurofer said. During the first Trump presidency, for every three tons of steel deflected from the US market because of tariffs, two tons went to the EU, the spokesperson said. Aluminum producers are also bracing for a surge in imports, particularly from Canada, which typically supplies more than half of the aluminum that the US imports. The metals tariffs apply worldwide, with effects extending to economic rivals as well as close US allies. Major Asian producers including South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia held off on retaliating. The UK said it would focus on rapidly negotiating a wider economic agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the EU, the fight over American metals tariffs started in 2018 during Trumps first term, when the US hit steel and aluminum exports with duties, citing national security concerns. At the time, officials in Brussels scoffed at the notion that the EU posed such a threat. The 27-nation bloc retaliated by targeting politically sensitive companies with retaliatory duties, including Harley-Davidson Inc. motorcycles and Levi Strauss & Co. jeans. The two sides agreed to a temporary truce in 2021 under President Joe Biden, when the US partly removed its measures and introduced a set of tariff-rate quotas above which duties on the metals are applied, while the EU froze all of its restrictive measures. --With assistance from Jack Ryan, Cormac Mullen, Michal Kubala and Blaise Robinson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Updates with tariff targets from the fourth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. THE HAGUE, Netherlands The European Union is upgrading a ground control center for its GPS satellite constellation as concerns over jamming of the vital signals by Russia run high. Europe operates its own constellation of global positioning satellites called Galileo. Made up of 27 operational satellites in medium-earth orbit, the system provides positioning accuracy down to 20 centimeters horizontally and proudly boasts of being the worlds most precise GNSS program. The Galileo system provides additional redundancy and independence from American GPS and Russian GLONASS satellites while being the only Global Navigation Satellite System, or GNSS, under civilian rather than military control. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the systems newest upgrade, the Spanish company GMV has been tapped to enhance the satellite constellations Galileo Reference Centre in Noordwijk, Netherlands, in a contract worth up to 27.5 million, or $30 million USD. Acting as one of the cornerstones of the service, this facility keeps track of the quality of signals while also functioning as the European Monitoring and Analysis Centre in a joint UN project that includes other global navigation systems like GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou. The upgrades will allow the Dutch facility to monitor vital parameters in real time. This will strengthen the centers ability to succeed in one of its core tasks, investigating service degradations. With the current version, the monitoring function is done in post-processing, GMV told Defense News in an email. This means a delay in detecting service issues. The upgrade will reduce the time needed to issue such warnings to Galileo users once problems are detected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The tech facelift also comes with the implementation of a signal authentication service, emergency warning satellite service for public disaster alerts and enhanced search and rescue capabilities, along with strengthened cybersecurity, GMVs press release said. All the upgrades, collectively referred to as V2, should be ready by 2026 while not disrupting the Galileo Reference Centres operation in the meantime. GPS signal jamming has become a significant concern in recent years, particularly in the aftermath of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Especially along the frontline and in the Baltic, interruption of signals is causing inaccurate position readings, which pose problems and safety risks to civilian flights and military applications alike. Multiple countries, including Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden and parts of Germany, have experienced GPS disruptions which are often traced back to Russian transmitters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In one of the worst episodes of satellite navigation interference ever, a 63-hour-long attack on GPS signals occurred in March 2024, affecting more than 1,600 passenger planes. Spoofing, too, has become more widespread. As opposed to jamming, where the weak satellite-based signals are overpowered by noise from ground-based transmitters, spoofing imitates the legitimate data stream to mislead the receiver into thinking its somewhere where it, in fact, isnt. The signal authentication service that comes as part of the Galileo Reference Centre upgrade package addresses this issue by helping users distinguish between legitimate and spoofed signals. Aside from the new work announced in the Netherlands, a global upgrade of Galileos entire ground segment is currently underway , with key sites in Belgium, the Indian Ocean and Norway already having been upgraded and 11 more sites slated for 2025. Alongside the ground element, GMV has also been awarded a six-year framework contract worth 35 million ($38.2 million) to upgrade the European GNSS Service Centre infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The space component is receiving upgrades, too, with two satellites launching in September 2024 and six more to follow this and next year. The new arrivals promise to strengthen the robustness and increase the performance of the constellation. A wholly new second generation of Galileo satellites is also proceeding through the pipeline, with the system moving from the design to the validation phase. EUNICE, la. (KLFY) Residents are coming together to raise money for the employees of the beloved Eunice bakery that was burned a week ago. Terry Darbonne ,Eunice City Marshal, said, This is what small communities do, we get together to help the employees that no longer have wages right now. The Eunice community is planning a benefit that will raise funds by selling burgers, chips, and drinks to those who have tickets and are interested in helping out. Event organizer Joey Trichell said this type of event, which gives all proceeds to the employees, has already seen success when they helped the employees of Nicks last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We hope to sell out, our goal is about 1,500 burgers. That may increase depending on how much traction we get. Trichell said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest To measure how many burgers are needed, Trichell asks anyone interested in a ticket to reach out to his Facebook page or local businesses around Eunice. Aside from the burger sell, there is also a non-profit bank account set up for donations that is totally dedicated to the employees of Rays Bakery. Trichell told News 10, Its called Helping Hands of Eunice. The account is set up for donations. All donations will be divided up between the employees. There are 15 Rays Bakery employees that will be benefiting from anybodys generosity. Its helping hands of Eunice, and the account is at Washington State Bank. All you have to do is say Rays Benefit and it all goes to them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That benefit is going to take place in the parking lot of Rays Bakery on Saturday, March 22. at 10 a.m. Latest news Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. By Elizabeth Pineau PARIS (Reuters) -Europe needs a much more unified approach regarding the procurement of military equipment, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday, adding that the continent could not afford to waste time on unnecessary bureaucracy. Pistorius' comments came after a meeting between the defence ministers of Britain, France, Italy and Poland in Paris aimed at boosting European defence and providing security guarantees for Ukraine as Washington pursues rapprochement with Moscow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We want to procure more, we want to procure consistently and at the same time ... we want to deregulate, at a European level, but also in our nation states," he said. "We can procure more cheaply together." Pistorius said Europe could ill afford to have bureaucracy delay its ramp up in defence spending, which could also prove a boost to Germany's lagging economy. "We don't have that time, it's superfluous and costly," he said. European Union finance ministers this week began discussing how to pay for defence through loans to governments for joint defence projects - a move Germany in particular has supported - as well as through existing EU funds and by giving a greater role to the European Investment Bank. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said about 15 countries had expressed interest in discussing a new security architecture for Ukraine, while British Defence Minister John Healey said work to build a coalition of the willing to support Ukraine's security is accelerating. France and Britain, Europe's two nuclear powers, have worked closely together over the past few weeks to rally European support for Ukraine amid U.S. unpredictability. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov was invited to Wednesday's talks, held at the Val-de-Grace former military hospital in Paris, as were EU and NATO officials. The meetings come a day after 34 army chiefs, from NATO countries as well as Japan and Australia, met in Paris for rare talks that excluded their U.S. counterparts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. President Donald Trump's moves to build closer ties with Russia and seek to rapidly end the Ukraine war have upended years of Western defence thinking, prompting European nations to pledge Ukraine support and talk of rapid rearmament. (Additional reporting by Christoph Steitz, William James, Geert De Clercq, Benoit Van OverstraetenWriting by Gabriel StargardterEditing by Peter Graff and Sandra Maler) The European Parliament has condemned any attempts to pressure Ukraines leadership into capitulation before Russia solely for the sake of announcing a so-called peace agreement. Source: European Parliament resolution "Continuing the unwavering EU support for Ukraine, after three years of Russias war of aggression" adopted on 12 March, as reported by European Pravda Details: The resolution states that MEPs condemn any attempts to force Ukraine's leadership to a peace agreement through blackmail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote: "The European Parliament deplores any attempts at blackmailing Ukraines leadership into surrender to the Russian aggressor for the sole purpose of announcing a so-called peace deal." More details: The document also reads that the European Parliament "considers that the current attempts by the US administration to negotiate a ceasefire and peace agreement with Russia over the heads of Ukraine and other European states, in which the latter are confronted with the outcome without their meaningful participation, as counterproductive and dangerous, as it leads to empowering the belligerent state, thus showing that an aggressive policy is not punished but rewarded." The MEPs stated that "taking into account the history of Russias violations of previous agreements and fundamental principles of international law, such a peace can only be reached through strength, including effective security guarantees". While welcoming the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, MEPs expressed hope that Russia would agree to it and halt its attacks on Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The European Parliament also calls for significantly increasing EU support for Ukraine, including military aid, and welcomes the formation of a "coalition of the willing" led by European states to enforce the peace agreement and security guarantees. Additionally, MEPs urged the European Union to accelerate Ukraines accession negotiations and called for the confiscation of Russian sovereign assets frozen under EU sanctions to be used for Ukraines defence and reconstruction. Notably, 442 MEPs voted in favour of the resolution, 98 opposed it and 126 abstained. Background: On 11 March, the European Parliament inaugurated a reading space named after Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina, who was killed in a Russian missile strike on Kramatorsk in 2023. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! DISCLAIMER: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) A former bookkeeper for the Evangel Christian Academy was arrested after an investigation revealed she had misappropriated five-figures in funds. On February 14, 2025, the Director of Development for Evangel Christian Academy reported suspicious bookkeeping activity to Shreveport Police detectives. Shreveport Police Departments White Collar Crimes Unit identified Angela Nichole Stevens, who served as the academys bookkeeper from April 12, 2023 to June 13, 2024, was solely responsible for handling and depositing cash payments collected from various departments within the school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisiana judge stops use of nitrogen hypoxia for executions SPD said an internal review revealed discrepancies in financial records dating from April 2023 to June 2024. Detectives determined that large sums of cash intended for deposit were missing and later traced to Stevens personal bank account. Angela Nichole Stevens mugshot (Shreveport Police Department) Due to the misappropriation of funds, Evangel Christian Academy suffered a total financial loss of $85,700.25. On March 10, 2025, Shreveport Police Patrol officers took Stevens into custody. She has been charged with one count of felony theft. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information is urged to contact the Shreveport Police Department at 318-673-7300 or Caddo Crime Stoppers at 318-673-7373. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) A local Imam is asking the Evansville City Council to pass an ordinance that would allow Muslim employees and students to take time off for Friday prayers. City of Huntingburg approves ordinance to prohibit hoarding During Mondays City Council meeting, Faraji Garth, Imam at Evansvilles Masjid As-Sunnah made the request saying that Evansville is home to hundreds of Muslims, who are obligated to attend Friday Jummah prayers. Garth says that employees and students would be gone for an hour and half to two hours to pray and would make up the time off. He also states that employees are protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which in part, requires employers to reasonably accommodate the religious practice of an employee or prospective employee, unless it would cause an undue hardship to the employer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Garth says he has attempted to contact employers in order to make requests on the behalf of local Muslims, but his emails have been ignored. Council members did not indicate if the request would be considered. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). Juli and Katie McGuire pack apples at Blue Roof Orchard in Belmont, Wisconsin. Blue Roof is among the producers that took part in the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, now canceled by the Trump administration. (Photo by Sharon Vanorny/Courtesy of Wisconsin Farmers Union) The U.S. Department of Agriculture has abruptly stopped a program that has helped more than 280 Wisconsin farmers move their products to local food banks around the state, to the consternation of participating farmers. On Tuesday, Gov. Tony Evers in a press release berated the administration of President Donald Trump for trying to walk back promises to Wisconsins farmers and producers and urged the administration to restore the 2025 Local Food Purchase Assistance program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Funding for the program was approved and signed into law years ago, Evers said. Over the past two years, 289 Wisconsin farmers took part in the program, distributing $4 million worth of food products across the state, said Julie Keown-Bomar, executive director of the Wisconsin Farmers Union, and participants were looking forward to continuing for a third season. Its very disturbing that the federal government would renege on a federal contract that was already approved by Congress, Keown-Bomar said in an interview. It was an enormous benefit to the farmers who counted on those purchases, Keown-Bomar said. The program helped farmers have some certainty about their income, she added, and some hired new employees to handle the added production and distribution of goods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It really helped strengthen the food distribution system and create local food networks that were not there before, she said. Along with the Local Food Purchase Assistance program, the USDA told school nutritionists on Friday it would end a companion program that connects farmers with local schools. Politico reported Monday on the cancellation of both programs. Politico quoted a USDA spokesperson who said funding announced in October is no longer available and those agreements will be terminated following 60-day notification. The unnamed spokesperson said the programs no longer effectuate the goals of the agency. Evers office said the loss of the two programs would cut off farmers nationwide from more than $1 billion in support and would cut Wisconsins promised funding by nearly $6 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump Administration must stop turning their backs on Americas Dairyland and betraying our farmers, producers, and agricultural industries by trying to gut funding Wisconsins farmers and producers were promised, Evers said. He also took the administration to task for tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, now on hold until early April. With President Trumps 25 percent tariff taxes that are going to cause prices to go up on everything from gas to groceries and his escalating trade wars that could affect our farmers and producers bottom lines, these reckless cuts to critical federal programs couldnt come at a worse time, Evers said. The local food programs marked the second time in less than a month that Wisconsin politicians have pushed back on Trump administration agriculture policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Feb. 26, U.S. Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin wrote to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins demanding that the department restart suspended grants for dairy farmers under the Dairy Business Innovation initiative. The program, begun in the 2018 Farm Bill, provides aid to dairy farmers to diversify and market products as well as expand their businesses. The uncertainty surrounding DBI funding is incredibly alarming because it threatens the future of many dairy businesses that were promised this support to grow and remain competitive, Baldwin wrote in her letter to Rollins. She added that the unnecessary and ill-advised disruption could have widespread economic consequences, particularly, for small dairy operations in Wisconsin that drive our rural economies. The suspension put 88 Midwestern dairy businesses on hold for $6.5 million in funds that had been appropriated in 2023, Baldwin said, including 30 in Wisconsin. On Friday, Baldwin announced that USDA had restarted the program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Evers noted Tuesday that complaints from his office, Baldwin and dairy industry leaders had successfully reversed the suspension, and called on the Trump administration to also reverse its decisions on the food bank and school food programs. The governors office also criticized Trump for having threatened to cut thousands of jobs from USDA, including firing about 6,000 federal employees who were subsequently reinstated. Evers 2025-27 budget proposal has been relying on the local food program funding, and includes a request for $770,000 over two years in conjunction with that money. His office said Tuesday that the loss of the program heightens the importance of a $30 million initiative in his budget proposal to help Wisconsin farmers and producers distribute their products across the state, and called on the state Legislature to approve that, among other items. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Former Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalils hearing in Manhattan federal court Wednesday is expected to focus on free speech. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman will weigh in on the arrest of Khalil, who is a permanent U.S. resident. Khalil, who has led some pro-Palestinian protests on the schools campus, was arrested Saturday by immigration enforcement agents in New York and was taken to an immigration detention center in Louisiana. Furman had previously ordered Khalil, who holds a green card, not be deported from the country as the case develops. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khalils counsel is expected to contend that the activists arrest is unconstitutional and that he should be freed and reunited with his wife, a U.S. citizen. Because Mahmoud has been so prominent, active and outspoken in support of Palestinian rights, hes been marked as a target, Khalils attorney Ramzi Kassem said, according to The New York Times. Whats being done to him is unconstitutional, it is unlawful, and we intend to do everything in our power to ensure the Trump administration will not get away with it in court. Khalil has not been charged with any crime. President Trump said Monday that Khalil is a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student and stated that similar arrests could be coming down the pike. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While on the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly vowed to arrest and deport international students in the U.S. who had taken part in the pro-Palestinian encampments last year. The encampments, which emerged on college campuses across the country, did force some universities to move classes online or cancel graduating ceremonies entirely. More than 2,000 arrests were made. Protests in New York City have popped up following Khalils arrest Saturday. Some Democratic Party lawmakers on Capitol Hill have also called for his release. Fourteen House Democrats penned a letter Tuesday to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, asking her to free Khalil, whom they described as a political prisoner, wrongfully and unlawfully detained, who deserves to be at home in New York preparing for the birth of his first child. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. MEMPHIS, Tenn. The former tax collector in Benton County, Mississippi pleaded guilty and was sentenced on one count of embezzlement Wednesday. Shannon Wilburn took more than $300,000 in daily collections paid to the Benton County Tax Collectors office for his own personal use, state Auditor Shad White said. Trump pardons former TN state senator Brian Kelsey Wilburn was sentenced to ten years with nine suspended, one year of house arrest, five years post-release supervision, and has been ordered to pay $158,096 in restitution, White said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dedicated team at the State Auditors office has a zero-tolerance policy for fraud and we will continue to work with prosecutors to get record results, said White. Ex-MS school worker accused of AI porn videos of students Benton County, about 60 miles southeast of Memphis, has a population of just over 7,000. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Then-Gov. Matt Bevin in 2016. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Saying they need closure, former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin and his wife, Glenna, have asked a judge to keep confidential their proposed divorce settlement making that request to the same judge who in June ordered the divorce case unsealed and open to the public. The Bevins joint motion filed Tuesday comes nearly two years after Glenna Bevin filed for divorce in May 2023. And it comes amid public attention to their treatment of their adopted son, Jonah Bevin, who alleges they abandoned him at 17 in a brutally abusive youth facility in Jamaica. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jonah, now 18, last week obtained an emergency protective order against Matt Bevin, arguing he was abused and neglected after the couple adopted him at age 5 from Ethiopia, culminating in his abandonment at the Jamaica facility closed last year by child welfare authorities. He also has filed a report with Louisville Metro Police alleging child abandonment by the Bevins. He was one of four children adopted from Ethiopia in 2012 by Matt and Glenna Bevin, who as governor and first lady made adoption and child welfare among their top priorities during his term from late 2015 to 2019. They also have five biological children all are adults except for one. The temporary protective order for Jonah was granted by Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson, the same judge overseeing the Bevins divorce case. It bars Matt Bevin from contacting or coming within 500 feet of Jonah pending a hearing March 19. The Bevins did not respond to requests for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In their joint motion, Matt and Glenna Bevin said they have reached a marital settlement agreement regarding property, finances, parenting and custody of their minor child, 15. Matt Bevin, a one-term Republican governor, and wealthy business entrepreneur, is described in court filings as self-employed and Glenna Bevin as not employed outside of the house. The Bevins, in their motion, argue that their divorce case already garnered extensive media attention and ask the court to keep their agreement secret to ensure their negotiated settlement terms, both financial and child-related, remain private and protected from public access and disclosure. It adds: The parties and their family need closure from this matter and to be able to move forward without additional public scrutiny or opinion. Then-Gov. Matt Bevin and his wife Glenna Bevin talk on KET in 2017 about their experiences with adoption. (Screenshot) Allowing the media and public to access the parties personal financial information and terms of settlement would be contrary to this goal and detrimental to the Bevin family. Further, allowing such access would only serve idle curiosity and gossip and not legitimate public interest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They ask that the judge either review their divorce settlement privately or allow it to be filed in the court record under seal. The case attracted media attention in 2023 when Glenna Bevin first filed for divorce and again in 2024 when she sought an order from the court to restrict Matt Bevin from showing up unannounced at her home in Anchorage and refusing to leave. Though the couple were separated and had separate homes in Anchorage, an affluent enclave east of Louisville, Matt Bevin persisted in coming to her home, attempting to discuss the pending divorce with her, Glenna Bevins court filing said. When I try to disengage, he follows me from room to room and even into the bathroom or my bedroom, disrespecting my privacy; to me, his conduct is aggressive and unsettling, her filing said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judge entered an order limiting Matt Bevins access to the home and directing the two to communicate through a parenting app about visits to their children. After that, the Bevins asked that the file be sealed and the court agreed. But Johnson, the judge, agreed to unseal the case and reopen the records to the public after The Courier Journal appealed, arguing such court proceedings should be open to the public. In a June 2024 order Johnson, found that in general, such court cases should remain open to the public with possible exceptions for sensitive medical or other personal information. Since then, no further pleadings have been filed by the Bevins until Tuesday, when they filed the notice with the court they had reached a divorce settlement, asking that it be kept private. Johnson is scheduled to hear the Bevins request to keep their settlement private on March 17. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Even some past allies of Donald Trump are stunned by his tumultuous administration. Former Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), a onetime loyalist who echoed Trumps baseless lie that the 2020 election was stolen, is slamming the president for his disastrous handling of the U.S. economy and Americas baffling break with its previous foreign policies. I dont understand the idea of, all of a sudden, were in alliance with North Korea and Russia, Brooks told CNN anchor Laura Coates on Tuesday. Which is what President Trump has been doing by hurting Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House last month and was set to sign an agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine regarding access to the nations rare minerals in hopes of securing further U.S. protection against Russia. The televised meeting turned into a blowout that shocked world leaders, political pundits and Americans. Just days earlier, the U.S. voted against a United Nations resolution that condemned Russias war on Ukraine. Rather than siding with its traditional allies, the U.S. joined Russia, North Korea and Belarus. The resolution, which reaffirmed the U.N.s commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine nonetheless passed, 93-18. Brooks concerns about Trumps second term go beyond foreign policy, however. The former lawmaker reminded Coates that Trump promised voters in 2016 that he would be able to balance the budget in four years and pay off all of our debt in eight years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And instead, he racked up the worst four years of deficit, accumulated debt and deficit well over $6 trillion of any president in history, continued Brooks, who couldnt help but add, until [former President] Joe Biden came along and did a little bit worse. Former Rep. Mo Brooks (left) recently slammed President Donald Trump (right) for his public blowout with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Left: Vasha Hunt/File/Associated Press; Right: Pool/Associated Press Brooks was loyal to Trump throughout the 2020 election cycle and spoke at the Jan. 6, 2021, Stop the Steal rally before the assault on the U.S. Capitol. In 2022, Trump took back his endorsement of Brooks Senate bid after the lawmaker said the 2020 election could not be overturned. Brooks said the following year that Trump had asked him to help discredit Bidens 2020 victory. Brooks is now also criticizing Trump for his tariffs against China, Mexico and Canada not for imposing them, but for flip-floppingon hisplans and told Coates: Yes, tariffs. No, tariffs. Yes, tariffs. No, tariffs. ... That kind of uncertainty causes people to freeze up and thats hurting our economy. In a recent opinion piece, however, Brooks appeared most stunned by last months blowout. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Media Debacle involving President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the worst Ive seen emanating from Americas White House, he wrote in a piece published Saturday on AL.com. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is its only winner. Related... A former U.S. Marine from western Massachusetts has pleaded guilty to submitting a fake Purple Heart application to the U.S. Marine Corps through his local Congressman, and falsely claimed injury from an IED for benefits, the U.S. Attorney said. Paul John Herbert, 54, of Shelburne Falls, Herbert pleaded guilty in federal court in Springfield to one count of making false statements, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement on Tuesday. U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for June 17. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Herbert also obtained more than $344,000 in Veterans Affairs disability benefits by falsely claiming to have been injured by an improvised explosive device, Foley said. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023. Military veterans deserve the respect of every citizen for their service to our country. Veterans know well that the Purple Heart honors those brave service members who were injured or killed in the line of duty, Foley said. Mr. Herbert knew that he did not deserve this widely recognized and respected award, but that did not stop him from lying about a traumatic brain injury and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in disability benefits, intended to take care of veterans truly in need, Foley said. Claiming valor for a false injury is an affront to all the members of the military who serve our country with courage and honor. Beginning on Oct. 13, 2010, Herbert submitted numerous false statements to the VA concerning IED-related injuries in support of a claim for disability compensation, Foley said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Based upon these false claims, between Jan. 1, 2010 and March 1, 2023, the VA overpaid Herbert $344,040. On Oct. 24, 2018, Herbert issued a request to his Congressman to assist with the application for a Purple Heart, Foley said. The request contained a notarized letter from Herbert that falsely stated he had been injured by a roadside explosion, Foley said. Todays guilty plea holds this defendant accountable for falsifying his service record to steal funds intended for our nations deserving veterans, Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector Generals Northeast Field Office said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The VA Office of Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate those who would represent themselves as something they are not in order to exploit VA programs and services, Algieri added. For the charge of making a false statement, Herbert faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW LAFAYETTE PARISH, La. (WJTV) A former law enforcement officer in Mississippi has been arrested in Louisiana for allegedly impersonating an officer. Lafayette Parish deputies said Edwin Silence, 52, was arrested on Monday, March 10 in the 200 block of Sunflower Drive. Man sentenced for wire fraud scheme in Mississippi According to investigators, Silence made statements to at least one victim identifying himself as an out-of-state law enforcement officer, displaying a badge and wearing a uniform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lafayette Parish deputies, along with Pike County deputies and Summit police in Mississippi, said they discovered Silence was a former law enforcement officer at the Mississippi agencies. They said he has yet to return several pieces of department-owned property. Edwin Silence (Courtesy: Lafayette Parish Sheriffs Office) A former law enforcement officer in Mississippi has been arrested in Louisiana for allegedly impersonating an officer. (Courtesy: Lafayette Parish Sheriffs Office) A search warrant was executed at Silences residence, along with his vehicle. Investigators said they recovered a multitude of law enforcement-related items belonging to the Mississippi agencies. The items included an agency-owned pistol and two AR-15 style firearms. Silence was booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center for two counts of fraudulent portrayal of a law enforcement officer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investigation is ongoing. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A former Corinth School District employee was arrested for using artificial intelligence to create fake pornographic videos of students, according to the Corinth Police Department. The police department shared a post by the Daily Corinthian newspaper on Wednesday morning stating that Wilson Frederick Jones, 30, had been charged with using AI to create videos depicting students engaging in sexually explicit activity. Wilson Frederick Jones (Photo courtesy of the Lafayette County Sheriffs Office) A Federal complaint states that the Corinth Middle School Principal received an alert on November 19, 2024, regarding illicit content being downloaded or shared from Jones computer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators allegedly found three videos depicting Corinth students engaging in inappropriate behavior including kissing and exposing themselves. The complaint also states that when meeting with investigators, Jones admitted to creating videos using AI, but he claimed they were not sexual. He said he got the photos from social media, and acknowledged that one of the photos used was of a local student. Jones resigned from his position at the school on November 21, 2024, just one day after speaking with investigators. Reports say eight underage victims between the ages of 14 and 16 were identified, all of which were students in the Corinth School District. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South. Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. Jones was charged in federal court with production of a morphed image of child pornography and possession of a morphed image of child pornography, said Corinth Police Chief Landon Tucker. Reports say the students did not engage in the activity depicted in the AI images, and they were unaware that their pictures were being used to produce such material. The Corinth School District made the following statement: The Corinth School District internet filtering system alerted district administration of inappropriate activity on a teachers computer. The District investigated the complaint, took action, and reported the matter, as required, to the Mississippi Department of Education Office of Educator Misconduct. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since this relates to the employment of a former school district employee and is subject to a current law enforcement investigation, the District cannot offer any additional comment at this time. The District has cooperated and will continue to cooperate with any law enforcement request for assistance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Brian Kelsey says he has received a pardon from President Donald Trump, just two weeks after the former state senator reported to federal prison to serve a 21-month sentence for an illegal campaign finance scheme he pleaded guilty to in 2022. Kelsey, R-Germantown, reported to a federal prison facility in Kentucky in late February after exhausting a string of appeals and last-ditch legal efforts to either overturn his guilty plea or delay his prison reporting date. "God used Donald Trump to save me from the weaponized Biden DOJ," Kelsey said in a social media post on Tuesday evening. "This afternoon, I received a full and unconditional pardon form an act that even my chief accuser admitted I didnt commit. Thank you for all your prayers! Praise the Lord most high! May God bless America, despite the prosecutorial sins it committed against me, President Trump, and others the past four years. And God bless Donald J. Trump for Making America Great Again!" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though Kelsey has repeatedly alleged his criminal charges were the result of a "weaponized" Department of Justice under President Joe Biden's administration, federal prosecutors began investigating him during the first Trump administration in 2019. A federal grand jury in 2021 indicted Kelsey in the campaign finance scheme related to his failed 2016 congressional bid. Prosecutors alleged Kelsey illegally shuffled money from his state senate campaigin committee to his federal campaign. Former state Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, seen here in 2021, said Tuesday he has received a pardon from President Donald Trump. In November 2022, after his co-defendant pleaded guilty in the case, Kelsey pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the federal government and another count of aiding and abetting the acceptance of excessive campaign contributions. But months later, Kelsey tried to reverse course, attempting to withdraw his guilty plea and take the case to trial. The former chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and career, Georgetown-educated attorney told a judge he was unfamiliar with the criminal justice system and stressed about personal matters when he entered the guity plea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federal judge did not buy the argument and declined to allow Kelsey out of his guilty plea. Kelsey was later sentenced to 21 months in prison, below the sentencing guideline range. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ex-Tennessee Sen. Brian Kelsey says he received pardon from Trump Two Indonesian factories, where thousands of women have for years stitched licensed college apparel for Fanatics and Nike under a cloud of menace and fear, have signed a new binding agreement to combat gender-based violence and harassment. The Central Java Agreement for Gender Justice, whose negotiation was supported by the labor watchdogs Worker Rights Consortium, the Asia Floor Wage Alliance and Global Labor Justice, follows the mold of enforceable pacts such as the Lesotho Agreement to End Gender-Based Violence and Harassment and the Dindigul Agreement to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence and Harassment. It notches another win for mandatory worker-led approaches that tackle conduct forbidden by buyer codes but are easily missed by audits and other voluntary box-checking exercises. More from Sourcing Journal Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the 6,250 women who stitch clothing at PT Batang Apparel Indonesia and PT Semarang Garment Indonesia, of late owned by Korean multinational firm Ontide but previously established by Kukdong Corporation, the change could not be more welcome. Their male overseers, they said, openly subjected them to leers and taunts. They were regularly groped, pressured to be girlfriends or second wives and exposed to crude speculation about their bodies and sex lives. When one of them asked a supervisor why he was repeatedly touching her thighs and buttocks during the day and then ringing her up at all hours of the night, he responded with a testy That is up to me! The women also faced gendered verbal attacks from their bosses if they couldnt meet quotas or whose performances were otherwise deemed unsatisfactory. Frequent epithets included stupid, fat, crazy, and dog. Some workers said they were made to kiss one particular supervisors hand each day before taking up their positions on the production floor. To avoid being falsely targeted for disciplinary action, they were forced to pool money for expensive gifts, including a cellphone and a gold ring, or extend loans that would never be repaid. But even the men who werent in obvious positions of power abused what leverage they wielded. Mechanics would decide when and if a sewing operators malfunctioning machine would get repaired, perhaps trading a timely response that wouldnt result in lost income or additional abuse for cigarettes, food or sexual favors. A woman said that when she asked a mechanic to fix her machine, he told her that her line was full of old women only; no one here is beautiful. If there was anyone beautiful here, the machine would be repaired immediately. Workers who complained said they were ignored or threatened with dismissal. An endemic problem That the state of affairs described could easily be transposed to any factory in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Turkey, Brazil or Haiti underscores the depth to which gender-based sexual violence and harassment, or GBVH, is entrenched in the garment production system, where many of the lowest-status employees are young women and managers and supervisors are typically older males. Women, for instance, account for nearly 90 percent of PT Batang and PT Semarangs workforce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement GBVH is endemic in this industry because of gendered supply chains as a cost-cutting measure, said J.J. Rosenbaum, executive director at GLJ, which like WRC is based in Washington, D.C. She noted that the International Labour Organizations Convention 190, colloquially known as the violence and harassment convention, is now in its fifth year. Theres been a lot of activity around that, with an emphasis toward beyond ratification, she added. The numbers show why doing so matters. A 2021 assessment by WRC and two local partnersthe Sedane Labour Resource Centre, which also goes by LIPS, and Serikat Pekerja Nasional, the union known as SPNfound that more than 80 percent of Indonesian garment workers said they experienced verbal abuse that was frequently gendered. Nearly half also reported facing inappropriate sexual contact and other physical violations. It was also WRC that initiated an investigation into PT Batang and PT Semarang at the behest of unions representing the workers, including SPN and Konfederasi Serikat Pekerja Seluruh Indonesia. In 2022, it brought its findings to Fanatics, which also communicated on behalf of Nike because it sources the majority of fan-facing apparel for many of the latters university partners, including Michigan State University and the University of Texas at Austin. Its audits hadnt picked up any issues, but Fanatics agreed to push Ontide to take remedial action, including dismissing the worst perpetrators of GBVH and rehiring the women who had resigned to escape the abuse. It worked. Upon learning of these troubling allegations, we moved quickly to terminate or otherwise discipline numerous individuals found to be involved in inappropriate behavior, John Yoon, sustainability director of Ontide, wrote in an email. We welcome the continued engagement with union leadership, the WRC, our buyers and other stakeholders.to provide one of the safest workplaces in the country for female garment workers. Industry precedents Indeed, the women said they felt less vulnerable after the firings, but they and their unions also wanted a more permanent solution. They looked at the Lesotho Agreement, which Levi Strauss & Co., The Childrens Place and Wrangler owner Kontoor Brands signed with the WRC and Nien Hsing Textile Co. in 2019 after the southern African manufacturers managers were found demanding sexual favors from workers in exchange for keeping their jobs or getting promoted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They also referred to the Dindigul Agreement, forged in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in 2022 following the death of 20-year-old Jeyasre Kathiravel, a garment worker at Natchi Apparel, who was brutally raped and murdered by her supervisor. H&M Group was the first to heed the call of the Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Workers Union, AFWA and GLJ, then Calvin Klein owner PVH Corp. and Gap Inc. Though the two agreements differ in details, they share the same broad strokes regarding union and worker oversight, deploying training for workers, supervisors and managers; a peer education program; multi-channel grievance mechanisms; shop floor monitors to identify and flag issues on the production line; and fair and prompt remediation of complaints. The negotiations were protracted but ultimately successful, WRC wrote in a memo seen by Sourcing Journal before its publication. Signed in July 2024 by Ontide, WRC, AFWA, GLJ and the unionsand enforced through the binding commitments that Fanatics and Nike have made to WRC-affiliated universities through licensing contractsthe Central Java Agreement draws from the best practices of those that preceded it, including what AFWA calls its Safe Circles approach to fighting GBVH. As part of the deal, the factories created GBVH-specific labor-management committees to oversee both of their programs on a daily basis, instituted a so-called global coordination dialogue to ensure effective collaboration among all stakeholdersbuyers includedand defined strong protections for whistleblowers and freedom of association. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agreement also name-checks the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry, formerly known as the Accord for Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, which not only brought about sweeping safety improvements across 1,600 factories in and around Dhaka and is now being implemented in Pakistan but it also demonstrated the effectiveness of such enforceable agreements and surfaced key learnings for the subsequent agreements, the memo said. Fanatics has committed to enforce Ontides compliance. Its this and Fanatics and Nikes ongoing backing that WRC says will be crucial to preventing a recurrence of abuses and to safeguard women workers at the factories in the short and long term. As part of our commitment to ensure that the workers who manufacture Fanatics products worldwide are treated fairly and respectfully, we are pleased to have had the opportunity to support the negotiation and implementation of the Central Java Gender Justice Agreement between our supplier Ontide, Indonesian unions, the Worker Rights Consortium, Asia Floor Wage Alliance and Global Labor Justice, Chris Fox, chief sustainability officer of Fanatics, said in a statement. The comprehensive program created by this agreement is creating a safer and more secure workplace for all workers at these factories. Nike did not respond to a request for comment. The Just Do It firm is the target of an upcoming AFWA and GLJ-organized public photo petition from 1,000 of its Asian garment workers who are demanding living wages and human rights protections after experiencing severe wage losses during the Covid-19 pandemic. A pent-up demand Complaints from women are still coming in from both PT Batang and PT Semarang, even after the first remediation, said Jessica Champagne, deputy director for strategy and field operations at WRC, signaling the pent-up demand for a broader solution that also complements existing union collective bargaining agreements. The fact that women are coming forward and actually being listened to is really exciting, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The question now, is how to get more brands to follow Fanatics lead. The brand-university licensing relationship was an important lever to pull because of the role student activism plays in battling sweatshops, which is why WRC didnt contact Outerstuff and other non-collegiate buyers during the two factories remediation process. Ontide also turned out to be more amenable to improving conditions than Kukdong Corporation was. Now, however, organizations are reaching out to urge other brands support to help scale similar agreements, particularly as due diligence legislation comes to bear. It was due to the Dindigul Agreement that Natchi Apparel, facing allegations of forced labor, was able to get a Withhold Release Order from U.S. Customs and Border Protection lifted in 2022. With the gutting of U.S. foreign aid to programs that uphold garment workers rights, leaving some of their futures in doubt, the Central Java Agreement also provides an example of how private arrangements can hold brands accountable. The hitch is that brands will have to shift from the voluntary standards to which theyre used and have so far considered adequate. This is just yet another reason why workers themselves need the tools in their hands and that are consistently available across all kinds of administrations to change their workplaces, in Indonesia and in the United States and in Europe and all around the world, today, tomorrow and yesterday, Rosenbaum said. I think this is going to call the question very sharply for brands, are they serious about change? she added. In the context of labor rights, voluntary codes without worker leadershipthats not going to work. Weve got a model. It works in very different contexts. It solves their risk assessment around forced labor. Now the question is, Are you looking for window dressing or are you looking for something real? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And not only in Central Java or even the rest of the country, said Wiranta Ginting, deputy international coordinator at AFWA, who sees PT Batang and PT Semarang as pilot casesthe first in Southeast Asiathat could yield more. There can be a tendency for brands, facing negative publicity, to cut and run from badly behaving suppliers, which can leave everyone involved worse off. He wants them to know theres a better, more effective way that allows unions and employers to redistribute power and resources. We need to bring these agreements to other countries, not only Indonesia, Ginting said. We see that the enforceable brand agreement is a way to have better working conditions, to intervene directly and to build power for the unions at the plant level. By Jonathan Allen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Two days before U.S. agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University student and Palestinian activist asked his wife if she knew what to do if immigration agents came to their door. Noor Abdalla, Khalil's wife of more than two years, said she was confused. As a legal permanent resident of the U.S., surely Khalil did not have to worry about that, she recalls telling him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I didn't take him seriously. Clearly I was naive," Abdalla, a U.S. citizen who is eight months pregnant, told Reuters in her first media interview. U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents handcuffed her husband on Saturday in the lobby of their university-owned apartment building in Manhattan. Khalil's arrest is one of the first efforts by President Donald Trump, a Republican who returned to the White House in January, to fulfill his promise to seek deportation of some foreign students involved in the pro-Palestinian protest movement. Earlier on Wednesday, Abdalla, a 28-year-old dentist in New York, sat in the front row of a Manhattan courtroom as Khalil's lawyers argued to a federal judge that he had been arrested in retaliation for his outspoken advocacy against Israel's military assault on Gaza following the militant group Hamas' October 2023 attack. They told the judge that was a violation of Khalil's constitutional free speech rights. The judge extended his order blocking Khalil's deportation while he considers whether the arrest was constitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has said, without evidence, that Khalil, 30, has promoted Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that governs Gaza. His administration has said Khalil is not accused of or charged with a crime, but Trump says his presence in the U.S. is "contrary to national and foreign policy interests." 'KIND, GENUINE SOUL' On Sunday, the Trump administration transferred Khalil from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement jail in Elizabeth, New Jersey, near Manhattan, to a jail in rural Jena, Louisiana, about 1,200 miles (2,000 km) away. Abdalla and Khalil met in Lebanon in 2016 when she joined a volunteer program Khalil was overseeing at a non-profit group that provides educational scholarships to Syrian youth. They started as friends before a seven-year long-distance relationship led to their New York wedding in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "He is the most incredible person who cares so much for other people," she said. "He is the most kind, genuine soul." The couple are expecting their first child in late April. She said she hoped Khalil would be free by then. She showed Reuters a picture of a recent sonogram: a boy whose name they have yet to choose. "I think it would be very devastating for me and for him to meet his first child behind a glass screen," Abdalla said, adding that Khalil had insisted on doing all the cooking, laundry and cleaning through her pregnancy. "I've always been so excited to have my first baby with the person I love." The government has said it has begun proceedings to deport Khalil and is defending his detention in the court proceedings until then. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has called the anti-Israel student protest movement antisemitic and said Khalil's "is the first arrest of many to come." ADVOCACY FROM CAMPUS TO JAIL Khalil was born and raised in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and came to the U.S. on a student visa in 2022, getting his U.S. permanent residency green card last year. He completed his studies at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs in December but is yet to receive his master's degree diploma. He became a high-profile member of the Ivy League university's student protest movement, often speaking to the media as one of the lead negotiators with Columbia administration over the protesters' years-long demands that the school end investments of its $14.8 billion endowment in weapons makers and other companies that support Israel's government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than 1,200 people were killed in Israel in the Hamas incursion, in which 251 hostages were taken to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's attacks have killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The Trump administration says pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, including Columbia, have included support for Hamas, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization, and antisemitic harassment of Jewish students. Student protest organizers say criticism of Israel is being wrongly conflated with antisemitism. Jewish faculty at Columbia held a rally and press conference in support of Khalil outside a university building on Monday, holding signs saying "Jews say no to deportations." But Abdalla said no one from Columbia's administration had contacted her to offer help, which she found frustrating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said her husband's focus was on supporting his community through advocacy and in more direct ways. She has had a few brief phone calls with Khalil from jail, where he told her he had been helping other detained migrants with poor English fill out forms written in legalese and donating food to his jail-mates, bought from his commissary account. "Mahmoud is Palestinian and he's always been interested in Palestinian politics," she said. "He's standing up for his people, he's fighting for his people." Abdalla ended Wednesday's interview abruptly when she saw Khalil was calling her from jail. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Additional reporting by Caitlin Ochs in New York; Editing by Donna Bryson, Paul Thomasch, Bill Berkrot) Harvey Weinstein appeared in Manhattan court Wednesday, as his attorneys and prosecutors laid out a preview of what may happen at his April trial. Judge Curtis J. Farber ruled on several motions ahead of the trial, saying that neither side can use evidence or arguments related to the reversal of Weinsteins 2020 conviction nor the jurys decision to acquit Weinstein on certain charges at that time. Weinsteins health condition will not be allowed to be brought up in court, unless he testifies on the stand. More from The Hollywood Reporter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors said they expected testimony to take about a month, with a planned 25 witnesses. Both parties made heated arguments in favor of allowing testimony of their respective expert witnesses, with the prosecutors being granted the ability to call their expert witness to testify on the psychological experience of rape and sexual assault, including why victims would wait to report an assault and potentially maintain a relationship with the assailant, as well as the issue of power imbalances. Attorneys for Weinstein want to include testimony from another expert on issues with memory as it relates to alleged sexual assault and will continue to submit further written arguments on the matter. At one point, when arguing against the expert witness for the prosecution, Jennifer Bonjean, a recently added attorney for Weinstein who has previously represented R. Kelly, argued that thanks to the #MeToo movement we have progressed as a society, and certain myths about power imbalances and why victims stay silent no longer need to be explained to a jury. The #MeToo movement was sparked by prior sexual assault allegations against Weinstein. One issue of concern for Weinsteins attorney, Arthur Aidala, was on upcoming jury selection and how to make sure jurors were not already aware of what had happened or biased against Weinstein. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People are going to know about this case, Aidala said. Weinsteins appearance in court came after he had pleaded with the judge in January to move up the April trial date due to his poor health. He was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair, as he has been for every hearing in this case, and appeared pale, but alert, as he greeted his attorneys and spokesperson in the front row of the courtroom. On Wednesday, Faber said he may be able to move up the April 15 jury selection by a few days, if the trial immediately preceding it ends early. The former mogul faces a retrial on charges related to his 2020 rape conviction in New York, which was overturned in April. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was arraigned in September on a new count of a criminal sexual act in the first degree, after an indictment was returned by a grand jury. He pleaded not guilty to the charge, which carries a sentence of up to 25 years in prison. In total, Weinstein has been charged under two indictments for three sex crimes. Weinsteins 2020 conviction was overturned on the grounds that the judge in the New York County trial prejudiced Weinstein with improper rulings, including allowing witnesses to testify about allegations that were not part of the case, as an exception to the Molineux rule, which generally prohibits using evidence of a defendants prior bad behavior prove their propensity to commit the charges in question. Ahead of Wednesdays hearing, prosecutors had argued for Molineux evidence to potentially be used at Weinsteins upcoming trial, but said their evidence would only pertain to the complaining witnesses in the case, namely as it related to prior and subsequent sexual assaults that were not part of the indictments, as well as evidence regarding defendants threatening and retaliatory behavior toward other individuals known to the victims here. The two parties met in closed chambers for about one hour and 30 minutes on this matter, as well as whether any prior, unrelated sexual activity or sexual assaults from the victims could be discussed in court. Upon returning to the bench, Farber said that those issues have been resolved but would not be made public until a protective order is lifted. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Ukraines Security Service (SSU) and the National Police have established that the terrorist attack in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk in Ukraines west on 11 March was organised by Russian secret services. They remotely detonated two recruited teenagers aged 17 and 15 who were carrying explosives to a designated drop-off point. As a result of the explosion, one of them was killed, the other sustained severe injuries and two bystanders were also wounded. Source: SSU; National Police Quote from SSU: "The Security Service and the National Police identified the circumstances and perpetrators of the terrorist attack carried out by Russia in the centre of Ivano-Frankivsk on 11 March. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The available data indicates that the Russian secret service detonated two of its own agents who were transporting an improvised explosive device near the railway station in the evening of 11 March." Details: The investigation has found that two boys from Ivano-Frankivsk had found a "job" with easy pay through Telegram. They were recruited via Russian channels by Russian secret services, which tasked them with assembling improvised explosive devices. Following instructions from their handler, the boys rented a flat near the railway station, where they manufactured explosives and prepared two devices disguised as thermoses. Photo: Ukraines Security Service The police noted that the occupiers had promised the teenagers US$1,700 for the work they would perform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the explosive devices was meant to be left at a designated location in the city. However, on their way to the drop-off point, at around 18:30, the Russian secret services remotely activated the explosives inside the boys' bag. Photo: Ukraines Security Service The 17-year-old died instantly, while his 15-year-old accomplice sustained severe injuries. The blast also wounded two bystanders who happened to be nearby a 20-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman. At present, the 15-year-old suspect is facing charges under multiple articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provide for life imprisonment with confiscation of property. Investigators are also examining the involvement of two 15-year-old girls who may have been linked to the terrorist plot. Photo: Ukraines Security Service Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ukrainian security service has urged citizens to remain vigilant, warning that the Russians have begun using their own agents "blindly": "They blow up their own agents, use them 'blindly' and then kill them as unwanted witnesses. If you or someone you know is offered a 'simple job' to deliver a package to a military enlistment office, police station or any other administrative building, be aware they are trying to kill you." Background: Explosions occurred near the railway station in Ivano-Frankivsk on the evening of 11 March, resulting in casualties and a fatality. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Extra police will be present at the Edgar B. Davis K-8 School in Brockton on Wednesday after an elementary student said someone tried to grab her while she was walking after school. Brockton Police are investigating the incident as an attempted kidnapping. According to police, the girl was walking through the woods near Davis Commons Tuesday afternoon when an individual tried to grab her book bag. The child managed to escape. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement School police immediately searched the area for a potential suspect and are now advising students to avoid the woods. Additional patrols will be in place around the school for increased safety. The school system said the increased police presence is out of an abundance of caution. They are also urging families to talk to their children about safety and encourage them to stick to main walking routes instead of cutting through the woods. The school system said theyre grateful the student got to safety and did the right thing immediately reporting this to a trusted adult. Police have not released any kind of suspect description of who they are looking for in this attempted kidnapping. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Scientists have put a face, but not an official name, to the earliest human ancestor ever found in Western Europe. This recently discovered hominin is a "new actor in the story of human evolution," says excavation coordinator Rosa Huguet, from the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution in Spain. The partial 'portrait' of the prehistoric individual is formed from the left side of a jaw and cheekbone uncovered in 2022 at the famous archaeological complex of Atapuerca in northern Spain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After years of work, an international team of experts has dated the precious bones to between 1.1 and 1.4 million years old. When reconstructed, the remains create a narrow, flat face with fewer modern features than experts were expecting. Frontal view of the virtual reconstruction of the hominin's midface. (Huguet et al., Nature, 2025) The face doesn't look like any other human species found at this time and in this part of the world. That's partly why the individual is nicknamed Pink. In Spanish, the word for 'face' is the same as 'side,' and so researchers named the half-faced hominin in homage to Pink Floyd's iconic album, Dark Side of the Moon. The name also serves as an unofficial hat tip to a key leader of the Atapuerca excavation, Rosa (Spanish for 'pink') Huguet. The jawbone of Pink with a molar attached. (Huguet et a., Nature, 2025) Atapuerca is home to the oldest evidence of humans in Western Europe. Before Pink, the earliest remains belonged to the species Homo antecessor, which dates to between 800,000 and 1.2 million years ago and has a surprisingly similar face to that of modern humans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even though Pink was found at a neighboring site to H. antecessor, this individual's flat features and underdeveloped nose are more reminiscent of Homo erectus the first humans to leave Africa, use fire, and make advanced tools. The findings suggest Pink belonged to an overlooked, older species that arrived in Western Europe before H. antecessor. Both species may have overlapped in time and space, or they may have just missed each other. Part of the jawbone that belongs to Pink. (Huguet et a., Nature, 2025) "The evidence is still insufficient for a definitive classification, which is why it has been assigned to Homo affinis erectus (H. aff. erectus)," explains Maria Martinon-Torres, director of CENIEH and a lead researcher of the Atapuerca Project. "This designation acknowledges Pink's affinities with Homo erectus while leaving open the possibility that it may belong to another species." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martinon-Torres suspects Pink's ancestors came from eastern Europe and not across the Gibraltar strait from Africa, as more archaeological evidence is scattered along the former migratory path. Archaeological excavation at the Sima del Elefante, Atapuerca, Burgos. (Maria D. Guillen/IPHES-CERCA) The earliest evidence of human activity at the "gates of Europe" dates back to around 2 million years ago, which leaves plenty of time for waves of early human migrants to make it to Western Europe by the Early Pleistocene. Previous archaeological evidence has found signs of early human tools and a single tooth in Western Europe dating to around 1.4 million years ago, however, additional human remains from this time have proved elusive. The Atapuerca complex in Spain could help us understand who these first inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula were, what they looked like, and where they lived. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the site where Pink was found, researchers also uncovered stone tools and animal remains with cut marks on them. This suggests H. affinis erectus knew how to make simple yet effective tools to exploit the wet and warm region's resources. Researchers working at the Atapuerca complex have noticed a 'chronological gap' between the site where Pink was found (called Sima del Elefante) and the neighboring spot where H. antecessor was found (called Gran Dolina). Some of the authors have argued this discontinuity represents a "depopulation" of the Iberian Peninsula, possibly because of extreme climate changes. Perhaps there was a significant decline in populations of H. affinis erectus around this time, leaving the landscape open to a new wave of early hominin migrants. Genetic research suggests there was a bottleneck in human diversity around 900,000 years ago, which also aligns with a substantial gap in African and Eurasian fossil records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With many questions left to answer, excavations of the Sima del Elefante site continue. "This discovery heralds another prodigious era for the Atapuerca Project," says Jose Maria Bermudez de Castro, co-director of the Atapuerca Project and co-author of the study. The study was published in Nature. Related News Ex-Facebook exec Sheryl Sandberg invited her 26-year-old female assistant to try on lingerie at her home and spend the night, according to a former employees memoir published Tuesday. In CARELESS PEOPLE: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism, Facebooks former director of global public policy Sarah Wynn-Williams alleges that Sandbergs reign as the social media platforms chief operating officer was marked by unspoken rules. She demanded obedience and closeness from her immediate employees, and those closest to Sheryl are rewarded, writes Wynn-Williams. At her request, an assistant allegedly spent $10,000 on lingerie for Sandberg as well as $3,000 on underwear for herself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an email thanking Sandberg, Wynn-Williams alleges that the assistant wrote, This bra is INCREDIBLY beautiful and fits perfectly. So grateful. This is my breasts equivalent of flying privately for the first time. To which Sandberg allegedly responded, Happy to treat your breasts as they should be treated. Upping the praise, the assistant added, A total Pretty Woman moment (the good one not the one where they kick her out. I feel like the fanciest twenty-six-year-old in the world. Sheryl Sandberg visits In a follow up email, Sandberg allegedly added that the assistant should come to her house to try on the underwear and have dinner. Wynn-Williams alleges that Sandberg later invited the assistant to stay over. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to allegations outlined in Wynn-Williams book, the exchange was not out of the ordinary for Sandbergwhose widely-read 2013 memoir, Lean In, became a career call to action for women to lean into climbing the corporate ladder. Yet Sandberg frequently demanded that her employees lean in and then some, according to Wynn-Williams. The 26-year-old assistant described herself as Sandbergs little doll among other favorite employees that the Facebook exec had put on a pedestal as long as they leaned into Sandbergs needs. However, Wynn-Williams writes that her relationship with Sandberg began to sour as she leaned away. When a pregnant Wynn-Williams refused to come to bed with Sandberg on a private jet, Wynn-Williams writes that Sandberg reacted coldly to her refusal. You should have got into bed, Sandberg allegedly told Wynn-Williams after the flight. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Responding to the allegations to the New York Post, a Meta spokesperson said: This is a mix of out-of-date and previously reported claims about the company and false accusations about our executives. The Daily Beast has reached out to Sheryl Sandberg for comment. Wynn-Williams adds that the pressure to rise to Sandbergs requests affected those inside and outside the company. During a trip to Tokyo to meet the Japanese prime minister, Sandberg allegedly left two makeup artists in tears and pushed to have the dignitary be photographed with her book. Later, Sandberg seemed to lie about being booked on an Asiana Airlines jet that crashed at San Francisco airport. Writing in a Facebook post that she, her family and colleagues had planned to take the plane, reported NBC News at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sheryl always flies United. Thats who she has status with. We never considered Asiana. I dont know why she posted it. I dont know why she tagged all of us, Debbie Frost allegedly told Wynn-Williams. She added, Now Ive got to deal with the incoming media queries about it, though apparently shes just emailing reporters herself. For Wynn-Williams, she writes that a breaking point in her career came when she began drafting talking points for Sandbergs meeting with Brazils president at Davos while preparing to deliver her babydespite protests from her husband and doctor. Im in the delivery room, my feet in stirrups, in labor, Wynn-Williams wrote. I put down my phone and reach for my laptop. I start drafting. When she gets the talking points finished, Wynn-Williams writes that she felt ashamed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I know how this looks, and I cant defend it, she writes. I dont like to let people down. But its also true that at Facebook, I didnt feel like I had a choice. Sandberg left Facebook in 2022, stepping down from Metas board in 2024. Wynn-Williams was fired by the company in 2017, which she implies in the book was due to her reporting sexual harassment. According to CNN, the company blamed the move over unfounded statements made by Wynn-Williams. President Donald Trump added Tuesday to his rapidly growing list of false claims about Canada, wrongly asserting on social media that Canada is ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. Canada is a low-tariff country compared to most others. In fact, figures published by the World Bank show Canada had a lower average tariff rate (1.37%) than the US (1.49%) in 2022, the most recent year for which the data is available, weighted for how much of various products each country imported. Of 137 countries for which the World Bank published these trade-weighted 2022 tariff averages, Canada was 102nd from the top. Bermuda topped the list at 29.52%. Seventeen additional countries, a dozen of them in Africa, were above 12%. To cite an assortment of other countries with tariffs higher than Canada: India was at 11.46%; South Korea was at 8.63%; Brazil was at 7.44%; Mexico was at 4.75%; China was at 3.09%; the United Kingdom was at 3.07%; and Japan was at 1.64%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are various ways to assess a countrys overall tariff picture, but Canada is also nowhere near the top when you use other standard calculation methods. Canada also had a lower 2022 tariff rate (1.83%) than the US (2.72%) in a simple-average comparison that doesnt factor in trade volumes, the World Bank data show. Trumps claim about Canada is nonsense, said Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics and trade at the libertarian Cato Institute think tank, who discussed the World Bank figures in a February article. Canada did this month impose new tariffs on imports from the US in response to Trumps own new tariffs on imports from Canada. Two days after Trumps tariffs took effect, he suspended them, until April 2, on Canadian imports covered by his US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Canadas dairy tariffs are an exception, not the norm and not actually hitting any US products As he has before, Trump pointed in the Tuesday social media post to one set of notably high Canadian tariffs dairy duties exceeding 250% on some products as a prime example of Canadas supposedly unfair trade practices. But he again failed to mention that these Canadian dairy tariffs only kick in after the US has hit a certain, Trump-negotiated quantity of zero-tariff sales to Canada. The US is not currently filling its zero-tariff sales quota in any category of dairy product, so the tariffs arent being applied. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump also did not acknowledge that Canadas supply management protectionism over its dairy and poultry industries is the exception, not the norm. The overwhelming proportion of US trade with Canada has for decades been tariff-free for both countries, noted Dartmouth College economics professor Douglas Irwin; Canada does not apply tariffs on most US goods. The US Department of Agriculture itself points out that almost all US agricultural exports to Canada faced zero tariffs or quotas under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that took effect in 1994 and continue to face zero tariffs or quotas under the USMCA that modified NAFTA in 2020. Daniel Schwanen, senior vice president at the C.D. Howe Institute think tank in Canada, said Trumps claim about Canada being a high-tariff country has a grain or an element of truth given Canadas hefty dairy and poultry tariffs on imports above the tariff-free quota thresholds but Schwanen said Trumps claim is still wrong as a general statement. It would be really unfortunate if people got the impression that Canada is in general a high-tariff country, especially vis-a-vis American products. Thats not the case. It is the case with respect to, really, a sliver of trade, Schwanen said in a Tuesday interview. Trump made the false claim in a social media post in which he said he was doubling, to 50%, his tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum in response to the Canadian province of Ontario announcing a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to three US states (which Ontarios premier said later Tuesday he was suspending, prompting Trump to abandon his own retaliation plan). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump also threatened in the post to impose car tariffs which will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada if Canada doesnt remove egregious, long time Tariffs. And he repeated his call for Canada to become the 51st US state, a notion overwhelmingly rejected by Canadians. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Claim: Warren Buffett has given more than $500 million to Ukraine. Rating: Rating: False Context: Howard Buffett, Warren Buffett's son, donated more than $800 million to Ukraine since 2022, through his own foundation. Relations between the United States and Ukraine reached a low point in early 2025 after U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an Oval Office meeting. As Trump paused military aid to the nation, Ukraine and the U.S. met for negotiations in Saudi Arabia in March. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many people online pointed to another alleged source of aid for Ukraine: billionaire Warren Buffett, claiming he sent hundreds of millions of dollars for humanitarian aid to the war-torn country. (X user @frontlinekit) The claim is false Buffett did not make a donation of $500 million. However, his son Howard Buffett donated more than $800 million to Ukraine from 2022 to 2024 through the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. The younger Buffett has long advocated for supporting Ukraine. In a 2023 Reuters interview, he warned of public "fatigue" in supporting Ukraine and worried the 2024 U.S. elections would also shift the tide of interest in Ukraine: "I do have concern about whether people can maintain the level of interest in (Ukraine). Particularly, in the U.S. one of the drawbacks will be the political campaign that we're going into." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also visited regions in Ukraine affected by the war, and said he would continue to support the country: "It's a tougher fight, but I think it goes to the point that letting the war drag on is a huge mistake. I think the U.S. and Europe have to step up even more and help Ukraine win this war and put it to end. [] People have to understand that we're committed to Ukraine, we're not going anywhere, we're not slowing down, we'll step the pace up if that's what we have to do." We reached out to the Howard G. Buffett Foundation to learn how much it donated to Ukraine since the Russian invasion of 2022, and how the aid was used. From 2022 to 2024, the foundation gave a total of $813,335,452. A spokesperson said: We started working in Ukraine after the full-scale invasion in 2022 because of the war's implications for global food security and because of the humanitarian crisis the conflict created for millions of Ukrainians. All of our contributions to support Ukraine have been made to U.S. 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations, their equivalents, in-kind donations, or for direct program expenses in the following areas: demining; emergency food assistance; support to farmers; prosthetics and rehabilitation for civilians and veterans; support to emergency responders; rebuilding critical infrastructure damaged or destroyed in the war, including building school kitchens and school bomb shelters; support for war crimes investigations; youth and other recovery programs; and education initiatives to bring more attention to the war. The spokesperson added: "We anticipate our total grantmaking in support of mitigating the war's impact on Ukraine will exceed $1 billion by the end of 2025." The foundation has not yet released its 2024 report, but per its 2023 report it had spent $510,986,831 in Ukraine since the start of the war. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Howard Buffett also praised Zelenskyy's wartime leadership in an interview with Business Insider: "Anybody who feels that Ukraine doesn't need our support is failing to recognize what Zelenskyy is leading his country against, and it's an incredible force that he's up against." Sources: Hansler, Jennifer. "Rubio Says the US Wants to Hear What Concessions Ukraine Is Willing to Make at Saudi Meeting | CNN Politics." CNN, 10 Mar. 2025, https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/10/politics/rubio-ukraine-saudi-meeting/index.html. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025. "Howard G. Buffett Foundation Annual Report." 2023, https://www.thehowardgbuffettfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/HGBF-2023-AR.pdf. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025. "Statement from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation." Email. 11 Mar. 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "US Philanthropist Buffett Warns against Ukraine 'Fatigue.'" Reuters, 20 Sept. 2023. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-philanthropist-buffett-warns-against-ukraine-fatigue-2023-09-20/. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025. "US Philanthropist Pledges $300 Million for Ukraine in 2024." The Kyiv Independent, 25 Feb. 2024, https://kyivindependent.com/us-philanthropist-pledges-300-million-for-ukraine-in-2024/. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025. Claim: In 2024, law enforcement authorities arrested the owner of a Chick-fil-A franchise location in Ohio over an alleged sexual crime against a minor. Rating: Rating: True In March 2025, reports resurfaced online that law enforcement authorities had arrested Stacy Lee Austin the owner of a Chick-fil-A franchise in Ohio on a charge that he committed a sexual crime against a minor in North Carolina. The claim appeared on multiple social media sites, including Instagram (archived), Facebook (archived), X (archived), and TikTok (archived). The claim is correct, according to a Facebook post by the Rowan County Sheriff's Office. Deputies arrested the 49-year-old on a charge of statutory sexual offense against a child. Although some social media posts in early 2025 implied Austin's arrest had occurred quite recently, it actually took place on March 5, 2024, which was a Tuesday (not a Sunday, as some tongue-in-cheek posts claimed, alluding to the fast-food restaurant's operating hours). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the sheriff's office Facebook post, dated March 7, 2024, deputies responded to a reported breaking and entering and found Austin with the resident's 15-year-old child. The post claimed he "admitted to the sexual acts" and had been communicating with the child via social media. We called the St. Clairsville, Ohio, Chick-fil-A location Austin owned, and an employee confirmed the location had a new owner and said Austin was no longer the owner. We reached out to both Chick-fil-A and the Rowan County Sheriff's Office seeking comment, and will update this story if we receive a response. It was unclear whether Austin was still being held in the Rowan County jail (the inmate directory page is not up to date, as of this writing) or what the status of his case was. Sources: 'Rowan County Sheriff's Office'. Facebook, 7 Mar. 2024, https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=356172977390864&id=100089944929528&set=a.111413901866774. Claim: U.S. Vice President JD Vance's cousin Nate Vance fought in Ukraine for three years during its war with Russia. Rating: Rating: True In March 2025, posts appeared on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky and X, alleging that U.S. Vice President JD Vance's cousin Nate Vance volunteered to fight in Ukraine for three years during its war with Russia. Some posts claimed Nate Vance was speaking out to criticize his cousin after learning about the contentious meeting U.S. President Donald Trump and JD Vance held with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Feb. 28, 2025. This is JD Vances cousin Nate Vance. Nate fought for Ukraine. Be more like Nate. pic.twitter.com/ClmDpsiQUN Anonymous (@YourAnonCentral) March 10, 2025 Snopes readers searched our site and submitted emails asking if the claim was true. While we could not independently confirm that the claim was true, several reputable news organizations from various countries, including CNN and French newspaper Le Figaro (archived), all reported that Vance volunteered to fight in Ukraine and served alongside Ukrainian forces for three years, and provided sufficient photographic evidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The story was first reported by the French-language newspaper Le Figaro on March 9. In that article, which Snopes translated to English, Nate Vance said he served for four years in the Marines between the ages of 18 and 22. He originally visited Ukraine just a few weeks after Russia began a full-scale invasion there in late February 2022 and was on the war's front lines by June 2022. He kept his familial connection to JD Vance relatively hidden and returned to the United States in January 2025, not willing to risk being captured. Nate Vance, a Texas native, also criticized his cousin's treatment of Zelenskyy during the Feb. 28 Oval Office meeting, according to Le Figaro: "Donald Trump and my cousin clearly believe they can coax Vladimir Putin. They are wrong. The Russians are not about to forget our support for Ukraine. We are Vladimir Putin's useful idiots." In the days following the publication of the Le Figaro article, Nate Vance spoke to several other news outlets, including the BBC, where he said he felt "attached to the Ukrainian issue," but would still be speaking out even without his personal connections: "If it were some other completely neutral issue ... and I saw White House officials and hack journalists that are political, belittling a foreign leader, I'd be like 'what the hell is going on?'" Nate Vance shared photos of himself on the front lines in Ukraine and family photos including both him and his cousin with Le Figaro and CNN. Vance was recognizable in the front-line photos, and both men were recognizable in the family photos. Sources: "Fact-Checking Trump and Vance's Attacks on Ukrainian President Zelenskyy." PBS News, 2 Mar. 2025, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-trump-and-vances-attacks-on-ukrainian-president-zelenskyy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement JD Vance's Cousin Criticises Him for "belittling" Zelensky. 10 Mar. 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2yl5kevrpo. ""Nous sommes les idiots utiles de Vladimir Poutine" : Le Figaro a retrouve Nate, cousin germain de JD Vance et combattant volontaire en Ukraine." Le Figaro, 9 Mar. 2025, https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/nous-sommes-les-idiots-utiles-de-vladimir-poutine-nate-cousin-germain-de-jd-vance-et-combattant-volontaire-en-ukraine-20250309. Peleschuk, Dan. "Prominent Ukrainian Army Unit Launches Own Recruitment Drive to Strengthen Ranks." Reuters, 16 Feb. 2024. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/prominent-ukrainian-army-unit-launches-own-recruitment-drive-strengthen-ranks-2024-02-16/. Perry, Alex. "JD Vance Responds to His Cousin's 'idiot' Criticism, Citing 'Failed Effort to Contact Me.'" The Enquirer, https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2025/03/12/jd-vance-cousin-nate-vance-who-donald-trump-putin-idiots/82306816007/. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025. "What They Said: Trump, Zelenskyy and Vance's Heated Argument in the Oval Office." AP News, 28 Feb. 2025, https://apnews.com/article/trump-zelenskyy-vance-transcript-oval-office-80685f5727628c64065da81525f8f0cf (Reuters) - Ukraine said it would support Washington's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia after what Kyiv said were 'milestone' talks during which the United States agreed to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. After more than eight hours of negotiations with Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. would now take the jointly-signed offer to Russia, and the ball is in Moscow's court. WHAT IS THE AGREEMENT ABOUT? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, the joint statement says. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address that the U.S. proposed taking a full interim ceasefire, stopping missile, drone, and bomb attacks, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line. "Ukraine is ready to accept this proposal we see it as a positive step and are ready to take it," Zelenskiy said. WHAT ELSE WAS AGREED? The United States said it would immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said late on Tuesday that both aid and intelligence sharing have resumed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Tuesday's joint statement, the two countries said they agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources. The minerals agreement has been in works for weeks and was thrown into limbo after an acrimonious White House meeting on February 28 between the U.S. President Donald Trump, who has long been a Ukraine aid sceptic, and Zelenskiy. Both sides also stressed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the ceasefire, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. Both sides agreed to name their negotiating teams and immediately begin peace negotiations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The agreement is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by Russia. U.S. officials said they would take the agreement to Moscow. Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, was due to meet his Russian counterpart in the coming days and Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff plans to visit Moscow this week to meet Putin. Trump said that he might speak with Putin this week and that he hoped a lasting ceasefire would be negotiated in the coming days. The Russian foreign ministry said after the U.S-Ukraine talks on Tuesday only that it did not rule out contacts with U.S. representatives. (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Michael Perry) Mar. 11A Falkville woman is facing four counts of possession of a controlled substance after police found her passed out in her vehicle behind a business in Hartselle on Monday, according to a police affidavit. According to the affidavit, a Hartselle police officer was dispatched to the parking lot of Lowe's that morning where a white female was found passed out behind the wheel of a maroon Buick sedan. The officer identified the driver of the sedan as Tonya Lashae Helms, 36, and woke her up after several attempts. "After Ms. Helms exited the vehicle, (the officer) observed Ms. Helms to have pinpoint pupils and slurred speech," the affidavit said. "(The officer) also observed an open bottle of Fireball whiskey in the front passenger floorboard of the vehicle." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A K9 Deputy with the Morgan County Sheriff's Office arrived on scene and the K9 positively alerted the presence of narcotics in the vehicle, giving the officer probable cause to search. A green pill was identified as clonazepam and the purple substance field tested positive for fentanyl, according to the affidavit. After the Hartselle police officer transported Helms to Morgan County Jail, another search at the jail revealed she had 2.4 grams of a "crystal-like substance" on her person that later field tested positive for methamphetamine. Helms was being held in lieu of $4,000 bail, according to jail records. wesley.tomlinson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The family and friends of social media star Alysha Burney are honoring her life. Alysha died on March 2 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, one day before her 25th birthday. Those closest to her told FOX4 she was always destined for greatness. Shawnee residents concerned about crashes along K-7 Her brother said that she was late for her graduation at the University of Central Missouri. Why? She was at her house helping movers because moments after the ceremony, she already had her flight booked and she was headed to Los Angeles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My girl, I am so proud of you, like you did it, you did it, you did the thing, Charles Burney, Alyshas brother, said. Bold, outgoing, outspoken. she never let anything hold her back, goal-driven, Anitra Scott, Alyshas mother, said. Even when those goals somehow came ahead of chores, her videos came first. From 1,000 subscribers, as she remarked, to celebrating the 1 million mark in another video. In terms of followers, her reach exceeded 5 million. In views and likes, she totaled more than 50 million. Alysha was a bona fide star with so much more left to give. She was driven, so dedicated, she had plans, she had goals, ambitions, and she ran for them, Charles said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV On March 2, Burney was on her birthday vacation to Cabo with her brother, or as people called him, her twin. They were only 11 months apart. Alysha died in her sleep after suffering from an asthma attack, the day before her 25th birthday. It is extremely devastating. Experiencing that and being there, I feel like I lost my heart, Charles said. Its really hard. Usually, when something happens, shes the first person I call, and now, not having her to talk to, Hiba Lukadi, Alyshas best friend, said. Her friend Nikolai Adams moved to LA in October to be closer to Alysha. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Changes visible at Ridgeview, Kansas City Road Snaps location The way that she could make anyone comfortable, the way she could make anyone be themselves is definitely magic, Adams said. The girl could even get her mom in on the fun. I joined them in their foolishness. I was like, People would never believe I was yalls mother, Scott said. Lukadi said that to know her was to love her and that God most definitely took his time with her. Her body is still in Cabo. Once theyre able to get her here, they will finalize funeral arrangements. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) A St. Petersburg family is pleading for help finding a teen who has been missing for 10 days. Allister Samer Nasr, 17, left his home on Bayou Grande Boulevard NE at 10 a.m. on March 1. He was last seen that same day riding his bike on 62nd Avenue NE. He was wearing blue shorts, a gray sweatshirt and white shoes. He was riding a tan Beach Cruiser bicycle. He also had a red backpack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For 10 days, family members have been relentlessly searching for any sign of Allister. On Tuesday, his brother Avicenne spent the day hanging flyers and canvassing neighborhoods. Were looking for dash camera footage, ring camera footage, anything. We want people to check their cameras and see if theyve seen them anywhere around Saint Pete because at this point hes been gone for 10 days now and can be anywhere around the town, said Avicenne Nasr. Allisters family found a note from him on Friday which raised concerns about his safety. St. Petersburg police are now considering him endangered due to concerns he may harm himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its very hard for us, but yeah, the police labeled him as endangered, so were just trying to find him, said Avicenne. Avicenne said the family wants anyone who spots the teen to take a photo or video and immediately report it to police. Above all he hopes Allister sees how much hes missed. Were hoping that he will be able to see it and hopefully try to come home because I miss him a lot and its been hard. Weve been awake, probably sleeping for only two hours a day maybe, and my dads been definitely having a hard time with this as well, said Avicenne. The nonprofit We Are The Essentials is assisting the family in the search. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A reward of $20,000 is being offered for Allisters return. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. (DC News Now) A Prince Georges County family is grieving the loss of their 10-year-old daughter and sister after she contracted the flu and died last month. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 100 children across the country have died from the flu this season at least two of whom are from Prince Georges County. One of the students, Minka Greene, attended John Bayne Elementary School in Capitol Heights. In an interview with DC News Now on Tuesday, her family shared their fond memories of her. She was like the familys light. With everybody she met, shed just say, Hi, Im Minka!' her mother, Kymesha White, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NTSB calls for changes to helicopter operations around DCA following deadly midair collision Minka loved making TikToks, recording podcasts, dancing and playing outside. She became sick at the end of January. We noticed her behavior changed because she normally doesnt get sick. This was like her first time getting sick, said White. Minka had not received a flu shot this past season and, after a trip to the emergency room and an initial diagnosis of the flu and a UTI, she was sent home with ibuprofen and told to rest. Following that first visit, she complained of headaches. After a second trip to the emergency room, she was given fluids and sent home again to rest. What followed, most parents cant even fathom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I heard her screaming, Mommy! And Im like, Whats wrong? Thats when she said she couldnt feel her legs and her feet, Kymesha White said. That was the last time I carried her, the last time I held her in my arms. I will cherish that for the rest of my life, said her father, David White. Cherry blossom bloom watch: Cherry trees along Tidal Basin reach stage one of six Shortly after arriving at the hospital, Minka stopped breathing. After CPR and other life-saving efforts, doctors told her parents she had no brain activity. After more treatments and waiting to see if her condition improved, her parents had to make an impossible choice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We decided we had to let our baby go, said White. Advocate for your babies. When they say theyre hurting, tell the doctors. Minkas family is now grieving her loss, including her younger brother, who is remembering her in his own special way. I told him that when he looks outside and sees the stars, thats Minka. He says, Wow, thats a lot of Minkas out there mom!' said White. While the typical flu season is winding down, Prince Georges County is hosting a flu vaccine clinic for students at James Madison Middle School in Upper Marlboro from 1-7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Did you know that Italy and Greece are among the biggest producers of kiwis in the world? The unique Mediterranean climate makes the region ideal for growing the delicious fruit. Or at least, it used to. Local harvesters have reported a drastic decline in yields due to harsher conditions destroying much of their crops, according to European Food Agency News. What's happening? In Italy, over half of the total kiwi output has been lost in the last 10 years. Advocates attribute the drop to less stable temperatures and growing conditions, as well as a surge in climate-fueled plant diseases, according to EFA News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, severe flooding has washed out 3,000 of 7,000 kiwi acres in Thessaly, Greece, where most of the nation's supply is grown, the National Herald reported. "Fruit and vegetables are the sector most exposed to the effects of climate change," said Raffaele Drei, the president of Fedagripesca Confcooperative, an Italian federation of agricultural, food, and fishing cooperatives, per EFA News. "A huge amount of production has been lost." Why are kiwi yields important? Kiwis have become a major international export for the Mediterranean, and local farmers have built livelihoods around providing the crop which is meticulous, demanding work. Yet their success depends on the specific blend of the region's air humidity and soil fertility, Greek kiwi harvester Antonis Anastasiou explained to the National Herald. Both of those environmental conditions are at risk of changing as the planet warms and extreme weather events multiply. As a result, the crop's output is at risk of further decline, which will be felt around the world at the checkout line as prices increase under threatened supply. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not to mention, when one crop is struggling, others likely are too. Sure enough, Italian pears fell from 800,000 tons in 2015 to a record-low of 184,000 tons in 2023, EFA News reported. These food chain disruptions signal wider threats to the ecosystems that support all sorts of farming. What's being done to help kiwi farmers? Harvesters in Greece are waiting on aid promised by the government to help recover from the floods and get back to growing, according to Reuters. People and businesses lowering their use of planet-heating, weather-stoking gases also helps farmers out worldwide. In Italy, Fedagripesca Confcooperative's strategy is focused on curbing pesticide and herbicide regulations in hopes that allowing freer use of toxic chemicals will help farmers combat the effects of their changing environment. Yet these substances do more harm than good for the planet and are pretty expensive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Luckily, there are clean, cost-effective alternatives to keep crops pest and disease-free. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Luxury designers are becoming even less accessible to ordinary people due to a growing fashion trend. According to The Conversation, luxury fashion brands saw a 5% decline in growth in 2024. While this number may seem small, the cause of the decline is concerning. What's happening? More affordable fast-fashion brands have caused mid-tier brands to increase prices because they want to be seen as more aspirational. In turn, high-end brands have also increased their prices to sometimes outrageous levels. For example, some Chanel bags have reached 10,000 (about $10,400). Even the prices in the secondhand market have doubled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dupes are another cause of the price hikes. Walmart recently released an Hermes Birkin dupe. At $80, it's proving to be extremely popular. According to The Street, it's already sold out on Amazon. Dupes make luxury brands want to separate themselves from the look-alikes and pump prices higher to encourage exclusivity. Why is the fast-fashion trend concerning? Luxury brands tend to be made with better materials, so they last longer. You may think that the affordable, cute top you got on the internet was great because you didn't have to spend much money on it. However, you'll be surprised to find out what you actually bought. According to the University of Pennsylvania, "To make clothing more accessible and cheaper, the quality of the materials has gone down." These clothes are made from much cheaper materials, including synthetic fibers such as acrylic, spandex, polyester, rayon, and nylon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Around two-thirds of all textiles today are made of plastic or have some plastic component," the University of Pennsylvania added. "Plastic fibers shed microplastics, and the lower quality they are, the more they will shed." While that item of clothing seems cheap, it doesn't last long, which means it isn't a good investment. The University of California explained that most items from fast-fashion companies last only 10 wears and then end up in landfills. This exacerbates the problem because it encourages more purchases. These clothes are also harmful to the environment. When you wash clothes from a fast-fashion company, microplastics come off them, and when the machine drains, those microplastics get dumped into rivers and oceans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Green America, 35% of global microplastics come from washing machines. Once in oceans, they can stunt the growth of marine animals and make it harder for them to eat. What's being done about the fast-fashion trend? While breaking up with fast fashion may seem impossible, you can save money by buying higher-quality clothes $200 or more annually. As for those worn-out fast-fashion clothes, you can send them to companies such as Trashie to recycle. In return, Trashie will give you rewards from companies such as Chewy, Uber Eats, and Allbirds. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. (Reuters) - A routine night shift ended in tragedy for Alseny Camara. The 32-year-old was working for a Chinese subcontractor building a railway to reach Simandou - the world's largest new iron mining complex, which is being developed by Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto and its partners in West Africa. Camara was unloading 1.3-tonne-bags of coal ash when the forklift he was operating hit a pillar and toppled over, crushing him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was one of six local workers killed between June 2023 and November 2024 in the construction of a port and a 670-kilometre railway leading to the mines in remote rural Guinea, according to internal reports compiled by company officials that documented more than 40 undisclosed accidents, reviewed by Reuters. Six company sources provided Reuters with the identities of a further six workers who were killed. None of the fatalities have been reported publicly. Rio Tinto on October 28, 2024 announced the death of another worker at the port site. The level of worker fatalities on the mine's rail and port infrastructure which is managed by Rio's Chinese partners, Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS) is unusually high by Western industry standards, according to a dozen experts interviewed by Reuters, including mining executives and lawyers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2023, there were 36 worker deaths worldwide in the mining operations managed by 25 members of the International Council of Mining and Metals (ICMM), an association that gathers data from some of the largest companies in the industry - including Rio - and aims to promote safety and sustainable development. The ICMM declined to comment on the toll at Simandou. Guinea's Mining Minister Bouna Sylla, asked by Reuters about the level of fatalities at the project, said in early February there was an ongoing government investigation into safety issues at Simandou that will run for some weeks. He declined to provide further information. A Rio Tinto spokesperson, asked about Reuters' findings, did not comment directly on the toll. "We extend our deepest sympathies to the people, families and communities affected by these tragic incidents," he said in an emailed statement, adding that the company is: "working each and every day with our partners...to share knowledge and expertise so safety is continuously improved across Simandou which is a uniquely complex project." A spokesperson for WCS said the consortium was "continuously enhancing its safety protocols to ensure they meet international standards." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SAFETY GUIDELINES NOT IMPLEMENTED Rio announced in December 2023 it was bringing forward the start of iron ore production at the long-delayed mine to the end of 2025 from 2026 an unusual move in an industry where the scale and difficulty of projects more commonly leads to postponements. The company first took a stake in Simandou the world's richest untapped iron ore deposit in 1997. But for years, its development was delayed by legal wrangling over ownership, by military coups in Guinea, and by the enormous scale of the infrastructure required. Then in 2022, following a coup the previous year, Rio's Simfer consortium with China's Chalco Iron Ore Holdings formed a joint venture with the new government. Chalco did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rio owns a 53% stake in the Simfer consortium, which holds the rights to half the vast Simandou concession. A separate consortium led by WCS, holds the other half and assumed responsibility for managing the construction of the railway and port facilities, via 13 subcontractors. At a London investor seminar on December 4, Rio's Chief Technical Officer Mark Davies said that the company was meeting or exceeding agreements to deliver production at Simandou on the new, faster schedule. "We're learning a huge amount from our Chinese partners, especially in relation to speed, simplification, modularization and fabrication," he said. "We're finding the quality of work comparable to our other international suppliers." However, investigations into at least nine of the accidents, conducted jointly by WCS and Rio-Simfer, found that minimum safety guidelines were not correctly implemented, the reports reviewed by Reuters showed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report into Camara's death found that the subcontractor managing the site, Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group Corporation, hadn't assessed forklift risks and had neglected equipment maintenance. "The subcontractorlacks preventative maintenance for equipment, which failed to detect equipment defects," the report stated, noting the vehicle had no mirror for reversing, had a seat belt that was not adjustable, a damaged horn and no collision warning device. Shaanxi did not respond to requests for comment. The investigation, concluded in August, also found that Camara, who had only been working on the job for two months, did not apply emergency procedures properly. Reuters was unable to reach his family for comment. Although a team of workers freed Camara within minutes of the accident at around 10.30 pm, he then had to be transported to the Mamou Provincial Hospital due to the lack of medical facilities on site. He was not admitted to the hospital until 2.30 am, and he died there two-and-a-half hours later, the report said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One supervisor on the infrastructure project, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the information, said that due to the limited medical facilities at the camps and a lack of ambulances it was common practice for injured workers to be sent by car or truck to the nearest medical clinic, often some distance away due to the remoteness of the sites. Four company officials working in Guinea for Rio Tinto and WCS, who also asked not to be named, described a lack of safety measures and health facilities. WCS and Rio did not respond to requests for comment about specific incidents, or about the quality of the on-site medical care. A spokesperson for WCS said it was supporting the families of the dead. "The Simandou project is an enormous and challenging undertaking, and we have taken all safety and compliance concerns seriously throughout its development," the spokesperson added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 'INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS TO MEET' Rio has a direct stake in the infrastructure for the mine. Its Simfer consortium owns a 42.5% share of a joint venture formed in 2022 to develop the rail and port infrastructure, the Compagnie du TransGuineen (CTG). WCS controls an equal shareholding and the government of Guinea owns the remaining 15%. Although Rio isn't directly responsible for managing the construction, its Simfer consortium has so far committed $6.5 billion in funding - around half the total for the infrastructure works. Under the CTG joint venture agreement, Rio also has around 20 staff embedded in the infrastructure project, covering functions including health and safety, environment, and community relations, it said. Reuters was unable to review the joint venture agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Because Rio Tinto has international standards to meet, we had to help WCS," said one Rio employee, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. Secondments of this type between joint venture partners to help transfer skills and capacity are not unusual, industry experts said. A spokesperson for Rio said the incidents occurred on the WCS managed portion of the project. Leadership from WCS and Simfer were meeting regularly to share learnings, discuss key issues and potential solutions, he said. Four WCS employees said the Chinese consortium and its contractors had concealed evidence of some fatalities from Rio Tinto-Simfer secondees. They did not provide any written evidence to support their case and Reuters couldn't independently confirm this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WCS did not respond to a request for comment on this point. PRIORITIZING SCHEDULE OVER SAFETY As of April, a Simandou Project Scorecard produced by Rio Tinto-Simfer to enable management to evaluate progress on the project - seen by Reuters - showed the railway line was 15.5% complete and the port 7% suggesting that work needed to accelerate to meet the new end-of-2025 production deadline announced by Rio. Reuters spoke to 15 sources including current and ex-staff at the site - who said the infrastructure project was prioritizing budget and schedule to safety. One worker, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation, said that staff were not being given enough rest as work continued around the clock. "Our situation is dangerous," he said. Reuters reviewed a previously unreported draft assessment dated November-December 2023 of compliance with standards set by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a branch of the World Bank that is a recognized authority on industry safety, in the wake of 6 worker fatalities. The assessment was undertaken at the behest of WCS to determine if international safety standards were being met. The draft assessment - conducted by French firm Artelia for WCS, according to the sources - cited poor health and safety conditions at camps. It stated that first aid training was extremely limited and the quality of medical facilities at the main camps was variable. "H&S (Health and Safety) performance is very poor and controls on the ground often do not align with industry good standards," read the draft report, reviewed by Reuters. Artelia, Rio Tinto and WCS did not respond to requests for comment on the draft assessment. Reuters could not determine if the report was finalized. Ten of the accident reports examined by Reuters show families of the deceased and seriously injured signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and waiver statements to say WCS would not be liable for harm suffered. Reuters has not reviewed any of the waivers or the MoUs. In one case, the death of temporary worker Lasso Konate at a mixing station in June 2023, the local manager and human resources assistant for WCS's subcontractor "went to town to buy rice, oil, onions, water and other food and funeral items," the report said. It added that, after the elders and villagers held a prayer ceremony for the 25-year-old, Chinese company officials handed over financial aid to family members. Reuters has not seen details of any financial settlements paid to deceased workers families. The news agency was unable to reach Konate's family for comment. The subcontractor, Winning Consortium International Engineering, did not respond to a request for comment. Three experts said these kinds of agreements were unusual by industry standards, as mining companies do not typically require families or victims to sign liability waivers following industrial accidents in return for compensation. Asked about the waivers, WCS said: "Our commitment to supporting the families involves various forms of assistance, including emotional support and logistical help, all while respecting the families' privacy. Financial or material compensation, where appropriate, is provided in line with local customs." In addition to the 13 worker fatalities, the internal Simandou accident reports reviewed by Reuters showed that at least five members of the local community were killed in traffic accidents by vehicles from the works. That includes four bystanders killed in April 2023 when the brakes failed on a truck. (Reporting by Clara Denina; Additional reporting by Helen Reid in London, Portia Crowe in Dakar, Amy Lv in Beijing; Editing by Veronica Brown and Daniel Flynn) PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) Its not in doubt that Avion Tapia strangulated his mother to death in 2023. Whats up to Chief Peoria County Judge Katherine Gorman to decide is whether Tapia truly believed he was acting in self-defense and if so, was that thought reasonable? It matters because if Gorman who is deciding the guilt of the 18-year-old because he opted for a bench trial finds he did act to defend himself, it could mean she could find him not guilty of murder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Peoria County grand jury indicts teen for strangulation death of his mother Or, if she does believe he thought that but that his decision was unreasonable, then she could find him guilty of second-degree murder, which is a far less onerous verdict than first-degree murder. After hearing testimony and arguments for two days, Gorman will reveal her verdict on April 4 at a hearing in Peoria County Circuit Court. Until then, Tapia remains in custody. Tapias age and the murder charge meant his case was automatically transferred from the juvenile division to adult court. He faces a maximum of 40 years behind bars instead of a maximum of 60 years due to rulings by the Illinois Supreme Court in the past that capped what a juvenile can face. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, if a judge finds hes beyond rehabilitation, he could receive up to 60 years if hes convicted of first-degree murder. Second-degree murder normally has a 20-year maximum, and a person is eligible for day-for-day good-time credit, which can cut a sentence in half. Probation is also an option. Second-degree murder typically occurs when a person believed they had to use deadly force, but that belief was unreasonable. In such cases, self-defense is a common argument. The case On Aug. 22, 2023, Tucker was found by first responders without a pulse and not breathing. She was rushed to OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 5:33 a.m., roughly an hour after the 911 call came. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tapia had called 911 at about 4 a.m. which was after he and his mother had gotten into a fight. The teens attorney Kevin Lowe argued that his client was defending himself from his mother and didnt realize he was killing her. The attorney also told Gorman that Tapia suffered from prior incidents where his mother had physically attacked him, even trying to choke him. It was those prior incidents, Lowe said, that could have given Tapia the idea that choking his mother wouldnt necessarily kill her. Lowe argued the state didnt prove their case for first-degree murder, but even if Gorman did think that, there was enough evidence for the lesser charge of second-degree murder. But Assistant States Attorney Brian FitzSimons assailed that, saying that any 17-year-old Tapias age at the time should know that choking a 90-pound woman would have possible life-threatening consequences. Also, the prosecutor said, it took several minutes to suffocate her and that went beyond the need for self-defense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rather, FitzSimons pointed to testimony from Tuckers coworkers who said she was afraid of her son and mentioned to one that if she were ever to end up dead, it would be due to him. He also pointed to scratches that resembled fingernail scratches were found on the teens back to show how violent the fight was. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. An Arcadia father was fatally shot during a possible home invasion robbery Tuesday night, authorities said. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, a woman and her 13-year-old son were forced into a home on Woodland Lane by a stranger about 6:26 p.m. During the confrontation, the boy's 61-year-old father was fatally shot. The teenager called 911 and reported the incident. The Arcadia Fire Department responded to the call and took the victim to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. In an interview with KTLA, sheriff's Lt. Steven De Jong said the incident may have been personally motivated but the investigation is ongoing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Obviously, very frightening situation for the entire family and unfortunately a man lost his life," De Jong said to KTLA. "It appears that this is possibly personally motivated." The woman and her son were not physically harmed during the incident and the man's killer escaped. A weapon was recovered at the scene but no other information was immediately available. "I can't imagine what that feels like, if he actually did witness his father get murdered," De Jong said to KTLA. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. DENVER (KDVR) The family of a Thornton traveling nurse has confirmed the body of their loved one has been found in a Montana river. Simon Ehrlich said that after days of searching, officials in Missoula, Montana, confirmed Sunday afternoon they found the body of Danit Ehrlich. The 33-year-old traveling nurse was based out of Thornton. Her father said Ehrlich and her dog Bamba had left for an assignment in Tacoma, Washington. En route by vehicle, she and Bamba had stopped at a dog park near the Clark Fork River. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Simon was told the dog may have gotten into a dangerous situation in the river. Anonymous donor paying to spay, neuter 120 pit bulls in Denver Its all speculation, said Simon. She slides, she fell, I dont know. She had this mothers instinct and she wanted to save Bamba. Danit Ehrlich, 33, was reported missing on Feb. 21 in Missoula, Montana. She was declared dead after extensive search efforts by Missoula officials. (Courtesy the Missoula Police Department) The Missoula Police Department shared photos of Bamba, a missing dog last seen with its owner on Feb. 21. (Missoula Police Department) Reached in Florida, Simon said his daughter was last heard from in late February. Bambas body has not been recovered and is presumed dead. They found her car in the dog park, Simon noted. Danits father said her footprints were discovered, along with nearby paw prints. Simon said the family was holding a celebration of life for Danit on Sunday near Miami when they received the news from the Missoula police. The family had loved ones in town from Australia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The family has established a GoFundMe page to help with expenses and to build a stone memorial near the site where Erlich died. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. (WHTM) A man on the FBIs Most Wanted fugitive list for a Pennsylvania murder case has been arrested. The FBI says Justin Smith was taken into custody in Atlanta on March 8 for his alleged involvement in the murder of his pregnant 21-year-old girlfriend, who disappeared on March 30, 2021, and whose body was found on April 5, 2021. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Livestream Alerts Smith was charged with murder in Philadelphia, and a warrant was issued in April 2021. A federal warrant was issued in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FBI Philadelphia thanked the following departments for their assistance in Smiths apprehension: Philadelphia Police Department, Upper Darby Police Department, Atlanta Police Department, FBI Atlanta Division, FBI Charlotte Division, FBI Newark Division, FBI Tampa Division, FBI Miami Division, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and South Carolina State Police. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Hassan Suleiman huffed in the morning sun, sweating despite the ice-cold water running up to his shins under the weight of the child sitting on his shoulders, a backpack and a full-to-bursting plastic bag he carried across the Kabir River. Behind him were his wife, mother-in-law and other relatives, gingerly making their way into the riverbed. Behind them snaked many more people, an ever-growing line, all fleeing the violence engulfing their country for the relative safety of Lebanon. It had been five days since clashes between loyalists of deposed President Bashar Assad and Syrian government forces had devolved into a sectarian slaughter, turning the villages nestled in the emerald lushness of Tartus province into abattoirs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In that time, hundreds of civilians nearly 1,000, some activists say were chased down, tortured and shot in a frenzy of vengeance predominantly against Alawites, coreligionists of Assad. Many hard-line Sunni Islamists count members of the Alawite sect as infidels. Though Syrian officials insisted the situation was now under control, and that government-affiliated groups that targeted civilians would be punished, Suleiman, an Alawite farmer, was taking no chances. Badriyah Ayyash, right, a Syrian refugee fleeing sectarian violence, came with her grandchildren to north Lebanon. They now stay in a cinder-block outbuilding attached to a village school. (Nabih Bulos / Los Angeles Times) His village, Ransiyah, was barely a mile and a half away from the river, which marks a portion of the border between Lebanon and Syria. That made it close enough for him to make furtive trips to get belongings from his home. But he kept visits brief, fearing he wouldn't have enough time to escape if state-aligned gunmen came to attack. The government are liars," he said. "Yes, maybe it's calm during the day. But at night they come and slaughter you. He glanced at people who gathered Monday on the Syrian side of the river, taking off their shoes and rolling up their pant legs before dipping their feet into the water. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Suleiman sighed. He had come to Lebanon on Friday, along with other men because men were being targeted. Were it up to him alone, he said, he would risk returning to Syria. Read more: A new Syrian government struggles to reset its corrupt, besieged economy But he had to think of his daughter: In his mind were dozens of videos feverishly circulated among villagers, depicting what was said to be pro-government fighters lining up residents and executing them with an AK-47 bullet to the head. If someone from the government comes for us and you use a rifle to kill him, youre [branded] a criminal; youre then held accountable and they slaughter you." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One the other hand, if you don't defend yourself, he said, "he kills you. Theres no solution. Near him was Abu Ali, 35, who had just crossed with his wife and three sons. He had escaped the first days of the unrest from Tartus city to his hometown village of Sheikh Saeed, 22 miles north of the Lebanese border. Then he decided to flee the village too. We left this morning because we were told gunmen came to our building in Tartus and they have been picking up fighting-age men, Abu Ali said, pointing to his sons, all young men over the age of 18. Like many interviewed, he refused to give his full name for fear of reprisals, citing relatives still in Syria. In half an hour, youll find all the villagers in this area here on this side. No Alawite will remain there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During Syrias nearly 14-year civil war, Lebanon hosted some 1.5 million to 2 million Syrians; around 260,000 of them had returned home after Assads fall in November. But the recent unrest, which has so far triggered an exodus of some 7,616 into Lebanon, was for authorities here an unwelcome reversal. Dozens of Syrians line up all day to enter Lebanon via informal border crossings like this one. (Nabih Bulos / Los Angeles Times) We've received them because its a humanitarian situation, but our situation as a municipality is below zero, said Ali Ahmad al-Ali, the mayor of Masaoudiyeh, an Alawite-dominated village near a kink in the narrow and shallow Kabir River. In fatter years, he would have an annual budget of $220,000 to deal with the refugee influx. But Lebanons multiyear currency crisis has slashed that figure down to around $4,000. We have 550 families so far, Al-Ali said, adding that they were being sheltered in Masaoudiyehs mosque and school and residents houses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And as Im talking to you, I was just told four or five new ones arriving. We cant keep up. Sitting in a drab cinder-block shed lined with wool blankets and thin mattresses was Amaar Saqo, a farmer from the village of Khirbet al-Hamam his makeshift home since Friday, when he escaped with his wife, six kids and other members of his extended family after gunmen surrounded nearby villages. We left at 4 a.m. I took nothing from my house but what you see me wearing, Saqo said, adding that the house had since been burned. They say theyre chasing regime loyalists. Is my kid a regime loyalist? Is my wife a regime loyalist? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Syrians recount terror as renewed sectarian violence leaves hundreds dead Clashes began Thursday, when 16 security personnel were killed in the rural areas of Syrias Alawite-dominated coast, in what appeared to be an armed coup attempt by Assad loyalists against interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who led a coalition of Islamist factions to topple Assad. The Syrian Network for Human Rights, or SNHR, a war monitor, counted 172 security personnel killed by antigovernment forces, who also killed 211 civilians, some in sectarian attacks. As more security forces were surrounded and killed by pro-Assad militants, the government called for reinforcements, drawing in factions and armed gunmen. Though they largely put down the putsch, many then turned their wrath on Alawites, a largely impoverished minority that constitutes some 10% of the countrys population and which dominated Assad-era security services and state bureaucracy. (Alawites say that though some did benefit from their link to the previous government, Assads cronyism was ecumenical, benefiting a tiny circle of people from all sects.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The SNHR said 420 people were killed by the government troops and allied factions, including a large number of civilians. Another war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, put the death toll among civilians at 973. Other activists say thousands are dead. In recent days, Al-Sharaa ordered the formation of a committee to investigate and punish violations against civilians. Read more: Alawites wary as a post-Assad Syria takes shape But in a climate where distrust was the dominant emotion, Saqo and many others interviewed here insisted government forces were now working to frame those they had slaughtered, dressing their corpses in uniforms and planting guns on them in an attempt to prove the military's argument that it was fighting terrorism. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There was little evidence for that, or for pro-government figures insistence that it was the Assad loyalists who committed the worst infractions in order to sully Al-Sharaas image and sabotage his attempts at gaining international legitimacy. But reports of continued attacks were eagerly picked up to bolster the competing narratives of the rival camps: On one side is a once-powerful minority unwilling to relinquish its influence, on the other an Islamist government with Al Qaeda roots finally removing its mask of civility. But for the people wading across the Kabir River, their concern is going home and being safe. We want international intervention. Russia, U.N. anyone. We wont go back home without protection, said Khadija, a woman in her 50s staying with her sons at the school, repeating a common view among the refugees here. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. (Bloomberg) -- Staff at the Federal Reserve cooperated with the Treasury Department to give Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency access to federal payment systems, according to a new court filing. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The documents paint the clearest picture yet about contact between the Fed and Treasury in the early days of President Donald Trumps administration as Musk and members of his DOGE team sought to view some of the most sensitive federal databases. In late January, officials from the Treasury Department including two DOGE team members who were also Treasury employees had meetings with Fed staff in Kansas City, according to a preliminary agenda for the event. At those gatherings, officials held technical discussions on two crucial Treasury payments systems. The Federal Reserve has only interacted with Treasury Department employees and only at the request of the office of the Treasury Secretary, according to a statement from the Fed. Federal Reserve staff are always in regular contact with staff in Treasurys Bureau of Fiscal Services because the Federal Reserve provides banking and payments services to the Treasury as its fiscal agent. Fed Chair Jerome Powell told Congress in February that the central bank has had no contact with DOGE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thomas Krause, the Cloud Software Group CEO whos acting as the Treasury DOGE team lead, was slated to attend the meetings, according to the filing. Also included: Marko Elez, the DOGE software engineer who was briefly given access to Treasury payments data before resigning after being linked to social media accounts espousing racist beliefs. Elez was later rehired. Both Krause and Elez at the time served in a dual capacity, both as Treasury employees and as members of the DOGE team. Treasury Department officials did not respond to requests for comment. The documents outlining those meetings were included in an 215-page filing by Treasury Chief of Staff Daniel Katz as part of a court case led by the Alliance for Retired Americans. That lawsuit has accused the Treasury Department of violating the Privacy Act by allowing DOGE access to payments data that contains personal information on taxpayers, beneficiaries, contractors and employees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Fed acts as the fiscal agent for the federal government, processing payments on the Treasury Departments behalf. Powell has said the central bank makes no judgments on outgoing government payments. The partially redacted preliminary agenda did not name the Fed officials participating, identifying them only as the FRB leadership team. The document stated that a final list of participants would be added later. Payment Systems DOGE access to payment systems the Payment Automation Manager and the Automated Standard Application for Payments has been a controversial subject, with lawmakers and government officials raising concerns about the privacy and security of the flow of federal money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It could also reopen the debate over prioritization the idea that the Treasury Department could decide to make some payments and not others in the event of a debt-ceiling crisis. If Congress fails to raise the $36.1 trillion debt limit before the Treasury exhausts its available cash, bond holders might still be paid, for example, while contractors, employees and perhaps even Social Security beneficiaries have their payments reduced or delayed. Kansas City is a major back-office hub for the complex web of systems that manage $5.4 trillion in annual payments by the federal government. The Treasurys Federal Disbursement Services is located there, as is the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, which effectively serves as the bank for some of those payments. A spreadsheet compiled after the meeting gave a status report on giving DOGE access to Treasury systems, including the PAM, which the government uses to process all US-dollar denominated payments. Many of the systems required both the Treasurys Bureau of the Fiscal Service and the Federal Reserve to approve access, with some access requests marked as completed. For the items that Fiscal can implement independently we will get moving immediately, and Marko should see read-only soon, said an email from Matthew Garber, who was then performing the duties of the Fiscal Assistant Secretary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the items the Fed needs to implement were working with the lawyers on the language now. Good conversations with our counterparts, so I do not currently expect any issues, according to the email from Garber. Congressional Questions The meetings came two weeks before Powells testimony to the House Financial Services Committee on Feb. 12, when the panels top Democrat Maxine Waters quizzed Powell on whether the Federal Reserve was cooperating with DOGE. When Musk comes knocking at the Feds door, you going to let him in? she asked. I dont have anything for you on that, Powell said. Would you like to tell us today that you wont let DOGE into the Federal Reserve or have access to the systems and the data? Waters followed up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve had no contact, he replied. In a memo outlining the DOGE payments project dated Jan. 24, the Treasury Department contained a stern warning for the repercussions if Musks cost-cutting efforts interrupted payments. Any disruption to daily operations, the document said, could have catastrophic consequences that could include defaults on government financial obligations and jeopardize social support payments to millions of Americans. In a Senate hearing on Feb. 11, Powell said any decision to stop payments comes from the Treasury Department, not the Federal Reserve. We make no judgments whatsoever. Those are all made upstream from us and we are, in fact, the fiscal agent of the Treasury, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement --With assistance from Daniel Flatley and Amara Omeokwe. (Updates with Fed comment in the fourth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. CoreCivic, which operates an immigrant jail in Elizabeth, alleges a state law barring immigration detention violates federal law. (Sophie Nieto-Munoz | New Jersey Monitor) A federal appeals court will hold a hearing in seven weeks to hear debate on a New Jersey law that bars immigrant detention. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals told lawyers for the state and private prison firm CoreCivic on Tuesday that the case has been scheduled for the week of April 28. Thats more than 18 months after New Jersey filed an appeal in the matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CoreCivic runs the Elizabeth Detention Center, which houses immigrants detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. After Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021 signed a law barring private and public entities from entering contracts with ICE to detain immigrants, CoreCivic sued, alleging the law is unconstitutional. A federal judge partially sided with CoreCivic in August 2023, calling the law naked interference with federal immigration enforcement as it pertains to private companies. New Jersey appealed, but the 3rd Circuit until Tuesday had not scheduled a time to hear the case. News of the upcoming hearing was first reported by the New Jersey Globe. New Jerseys initial loss in the CoreCivic case paved the way for another private firm, Geo Group, to plan a second immigration detention center in Newark at a facility called Delaney Hall. Geo Group said last month it plans to house as many as 1,000 immigrants in the facility starting as early as June. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration has touted the Delaney Hall plan as key to its mass detention and deportation efforts. Pro-immigrant advocates have vowed to prevent it from opening. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) A hearing in the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been canceled for Friday. U.S. District Judge Dale Ho, whos weighing the Justice Departments request to dismiss the charges against Adams, called the hearing off. That means a ruling could be imminent. More Local News Ho said he has reviewed filings from the parties and a court-appointed legal expert, all of whom favor the dismissal. The judge did not believe oral arguments would be necessary in a written order from Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ho will also be determining if the dismissal should be done with or without prejudice, which determines if the same charges can be brought at a later time. Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) A federal judge has blocked the state of Louisiana from executing death row inmate Jessie Hoffman by nitrogen hypoxia. According to court documents, the judge ruled in favor of Hoffman, who filed a lawsuit against the state arguing that the nitrogen hypoxia violates his constitutional rights. Hoffmans lawyers were seeking a halt on his execution. The court blocked Hoffmans execution by nitrogen hypoxia as he expressed concerns that the method causes severe psychological pain and violates the Eighth Amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Court documents state Hoffman asked the court to reconsider the denial of his Religious Land Use And Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) claim as he argues a nitrogen hypoxia execution would burden Hoffmans religious exercise to breathe meditatively since he will be deprived of air. The court rejected this claim. Hoffman is not challenging his conviction of the death sentence, he believes execution by firing squad would be an appropriate alternative. We disagree with the district courts decision and will immediately appeal to the Fifth Circuit, said Attorney General Liz Murrill. On March 6, Hoffmans legal team argued that the states secrecy around the use of nitrogen hypoxia violates his constitutional rights. This led to a federal judge ordering that a redacted version of the execution protocol be released. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of Hoffmans attorneys responded to the judges order to halt the nitrogen execution. We are grateful that the district court carefully considered all of the evidence presented and recognized the significant risks to Jessie Hoffmans constitutional rights posed by Louisianas new and untested lethal gas execution method. This order gives everyone a chance to have a full trial on the merits before Jessie is executed, and we look forward to the opportunity to continue presenting the court with evidence proving that this method risks inflicting torture on Jessie at the time of his death, said Cecelia Kappel. Hoffmans execution was scheduled for Tuesday, March 18. Latest News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. House Minority Whip Jazz Lewis (D-Prince George's), left, talks March 11 about emergency legislation he voted on in support of recently laid off federal workers in Maryland. He's a sponsor of the legislation. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) About the only thing lawmakers agreed on Tuesday was a bipartisan chorus of boos, after one House member resorted to calling Elon Musk a neo-Nazi during an increasingly contentious 30-minute debate over a bill to protect federal workers. The Protect Our Federal Workers Act ended up passing the House, but not before the debate strayed to support for farmers, the states reliance on the federal government, President Donald Trump and Musk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Right now, Republicans have empowered an unelected neo-Nazi with no security clearance or Senate confirmation to essentially determine what cuts should be made and who should be fired, Del. Gabriel Acevero (D-Montgomery) said of Musk. Thats the reality of it. It was not long after that that the House suspended debate to move to a vote. House Bill 1424 would reallocate state funds to assist federal workers affected by Trump-directed layoffs and expand the authority of Attorney General Anthony Brown to pursue related litigation. It was portrayed as necessary by Democrats and an overstep by Republicans, led by Majority Leader Jason Buckel (R-Allegany) and Minority Whip Jesse Pippy (R-Frederick). They expressed concern that Democrats were focusing too much on laid-off federal workers, and not enough on other workers in the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If Maryland is a company town, the federal government aint the company, said Pippy, noting that agriculture is the top industry in the state. He said each legislative session is a 90-day assault on our agricultural community and its workers. Pippy also accused Democrats of mounting the effort to direct funding to federal workers as a reaction to Trumps election. He called it frustrating to regularly hear about the plight of private-sector workers and then be faced with a bill that tacks on millions of dollars all of a sudden, because Trump got elected. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US By the way, Pippy added, the guy got elected because of a lot of these policies. So, dont forget that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Del. Jazz Lewis (D-Prince Georges), the bills sponsor, who identified himself as a card-carrying member of the United Steelworkers, rejected the idea that the bill is directly comparable to other instances of private-sector layoffs in Maryland. What normally happens is, if youre going to shut down a plant or something like that, youre supposed to give the state 60 days notice of all these people whore going to be laid off so we can try to find other jobs for them, Lewis said after the floor session. You know what thats not happening for? The federal government right now. Lewis said his bill, and other actions like it, are necessary in light of actions like the Department of Educations Tuesday announcement that it would lay off nearly half of its workforce in the next 10 days. We are not trying to replace or respond to everything the federal government does, Lewis said. But we live in a world where we have to. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Majority Leader David Moon (D-Montgomery) said the tense nature of the debate can be attributed to the uncharted nature of the Trump administrations actions. I think its hard not to get emotional about it, Moon said following the debate. What were seeing is a very radical departure from any governing norm that youve seen from any of the two parties, really, in the modern political era. So you have to go look at global examples of, honestly, fascism on the rise to get this sort of thing, Moon said. While the debate drifted from Maryland-specific conversation to a referendum on the Trump administration, Democrats ultimately said that the bill, and a positive vote, would serve as a message to Marylanders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This bill is not just protecting Marylanders, Acevero said, this is about showing Marylanders that we care. The bill passed 103-36. Three Republicans Reps. Stuart Michael Schmidt Jr. of Anne Arundel, Kevin Hornberger of Cecil and Jim Hinebaugh Jr. of Garrett and Allegany counties voted yes on the bill. Justice Amy Coney Barrett has been the object of the online rights rage ever since she ruled against the Trump administration last week in its bid to freeze foreign aid payments. But the person who played a pivotal role in bringing her to the court tells The Gavel the criticism is unwarranted. I wouldnt characterize his appointment of her as being a DEI hire, Leonard Leo told us in a Tuesday interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shes so well credentialed, shes so demonstrably conservative in her outlook on the role of the courts, that I just think that kind of mischaracterizes it. Other than President Trump and former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), perhaps no one has played as central a role as Leo in shaping the Supreme Courts 6-3 conservative supermajority. A longtime leader of the Federalist Society, Leo over decades formed a conservative judicial pipeline fueled by an influential network of donors. He helped compose the lists Trump used to select his three Supreme Court nominees during his first term. Though some of Trumps most fervent supporters have bashed Barrett on social media, Trump himself on Sunday defended her as very smart and a very good woman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps return to the White House has now ignited speculation that he may get to replace Justices Clarence Thomas, 76, and Samuel Alito, 74, the courts leading conservatives and its two oldest jurists. If both step down, Trump would be the first president since Dwight Eisenhower to appoint a majority of sitting justices. But Leo expressed caution, telling us it doesnt appear there will be any imminent vacancies. Notably, Trump didnt release a public list of potential Supreme Court nominees when he ran this time. If you look at the lawyers who have been appointed to serve in the current administration, both at the White House Counsels Office and some at the Department of Justice, these are individuals who are legal conservatives who understand the proper role of the court, have a lot of great contacts within the conservative legal community and I think will serve the President very well as a resource for identifying future nominees, Leo said. Youre reading The Gavel, The Hills weekly look at the intersection of courts and national politics from Ella Lee and Zach Schonfeld. If you like what youve read so far, you can follow us on social media for updates or send us news tips via email or Signal (well keep you anonymous!). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement X: @ByEllaLee, @ZachASchonfeld // Bluesky: @byellalee.bsky.social, @zschonfeld.bsky.social // Email: elee@thehill.com, zschonfeld@thehill.com // Signal: elee.03, zachschonfeld.48 Todd Blanches career gamble pays off Two years ago, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche made a gamble. A registered New York Democrat, Blanche gave up his cushy partnership at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, leaving the world of Big Law to take on a new client: President Trump. Fast-forward two years, and Blanche holds all the aces. He is now a registered Republican in Florida and attended the Republican National Convention. And after winning Senate confirmation in a party-line 52-46 vote last week, hes now the Justice Departments No. 2 official. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blanches new role turns the tables after he felt slighted by both his law firm for refusing to associate with Trump and the broader criminal defense bar and TV legal punditry for their public attacks. Reflecting during an interview last year with his friend and defense attorney David Oscar Markus, Blanche invoked Jeffrey Epstein and Hunter Biden. They can have Big Law represent them, and the Big Law lawyers get awards. They get to go to galas, they get to speak. Theyre posting on the LinkedIn how amazing they are, Blanche said. But then if youre representing somebody like the former president of the United States in a white-collar case, then I have to leave my law firm, he lamented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Already, Blanche and his right-hand man, Principal Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, are getting the last laugh. The duo is moving to dismantle of one of the highest-profile prosecutions brought by their former office of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York. Blanche and Bove were the sole signatories on the governments latest brief Friday asking a federal judge to toss New York City Mayor Eric Adamss (D) criminal charges. Their filing detailed previously unreported text messages among federal prosecutors, warning that any additional inquiry will not reflect well on SDNY. Judge puts foot down on OPM heads testimony A battle is brewing over a judges order that Charles Ezell, the acting Office of Personnel Management (OPM) head, fly to San Francisco to testify at a Thursday hearing. Ezell played a central role in the OPM instruction that federal agencies mass fire employees in their probationary period. A coalition of government unions has sought to cross-examine Ezell after he submitted a sworn declaration in their lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Monday, the Justice Department announced it does not wish to produce Ezell or 12 other government witnesses for Thursdays hearing. In exchange for dropping their testimony, the government said it would agree to indefinitely extend a block on the OMB directive. U.S. District Judge William Alsup, a Clinton-appointed judge who oversees the case, quickly rejected the proposed exchange, noting that the government previously embraced the idea of Ezell testifying or being deposed. If Ezell does not appear in violation of that order, then the Court will have to decide the sanction, including whether or not to strike or limit his sworn declaration, Alsup wrote, though adding that the other government employees need not show up for the March 13 hearing as he weighs whether their testimony is necessary. The unions have raised concern that the Trump administration is preparing to ignore the judges order. At a hearing last week, Justice Department attorney Kelsey Helland pushed back on that notion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are not contemplating simply ignoring your honors ruling or not complying with it. We will either comply or we will seek relief from it in advance of the hearing. I want to be very clear about that, Helland said. The Justice Department has not yet sought to appeal the judges order. The limits of Trumps Jan. 6 pardons Jan. 6 rioters granted sweeping pardons by President Trump are pushing the limits of his clemency in courts across the country. In the weeks since Trump wiped clean the slates of nearly all 1,500-plus defendants charged over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, several rioters facing other criminal counts have sought to convince judges that the broad pardons encompass those alleged actions as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps Justice Department initially opposed many efforts to drop non-Jan. 6 charges. But in some cases, theyve changed their tune. Prosecutors once said that the firearm convictions of Daniel Wilson, a Kentucky defendant, were not covered by the language of Trumps pardon. In later court filings, they sought dismissal of those charges after having received further clarity on the intent of the Presidential Pardon. Jan. 6 defendant Jeremy Brown was separately convicted of weapons charges after federal law enforcement found stolen grenades and classified information in his home while investigating his role in the Capitol attack. Prosecutors similarly said that after consultation with Department of Justice leadership, they determined that conviction should also be covered by Trumps pardon. But the rules not hard and fast for all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Justice Department opposed the dismissal of charges against Edward Kelley, a Tennessee rioter who was later convicted of conspiring to kill the federal agents who investigated him. U.S. District Judge Thomas Varlan, an appointee of the younger former President Bush, on Monday agreed, declining to toss that conviction, but pointed out that DOJs change in position should signal to courts that they must interpret the pardons themselves, instead of relying solely on the governments representations. In addition to Kelley, the Justice Department has so far declined to drop unrelated charges for at least two other rioters: David Daniel, who faces child pornography charges, and Taylor Taranto, accused of targeting former President Obamas Washington home with two firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a machete in tow. Judiciary wont give up on more judgeships The federal judiciary isnt giving up on its ask that Congress add more judgeships to address growing caseloads. Last year, it seemed their years-long wish was about to be granted as the JUDGES Act garnered broad support from both parties. And then, the election. After Trumps political victory, then-President Biden vetoed the bill, which wouldve gradually added new federal judgeships through 2035. The federal judiciarys policymaking arm, the Judicial Conference, began a new push at its biannual meeting Tuesday by asking Congress to approve two new judgeships in the courts of appeals and 69 judgeships in district courts. U.S. Circuit Judge Jeffrey Sutton, who chairs the conferences executive committee, noted caseloads have increased 37 percent over the past three decades, and the average case now takes longer to resolve. So thats a problem. Justice delayed is justice denied, Sutton told reporters. Other notable moments from the briefing: After the Trump-era General Services Administration (GSA) included several courthouses on a list of buildings it may seek to sell, Sutton said the conference has had communications to make sure the work GSA is doing is coordinated with the judiciary. Sutton declined to answer whether the Trump administration can sell federal courthouses without the judiciarys permission, saying hes had no reason to even consider that question. U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Sullivan , who chairs the Judicial Conferences security committee, said threats to judges continues to be a problem and it remains a top priority, but he didnt have specific data on how many threats have been investigated. Sullivan also cautioned Republican lawmakers who have vowed to impeach judges whove ruled against Trump, saying impeachment shouldnt be a short circuiting of the appeals process. In or Out: The Order List At its recent conference, the Supreme Court took up two new cases. Regular readers of The Gavel will be familiar, as both were highlighted in Cert Watch in previous editions. In: Conversion therapy ban challenge In a major case for its next term, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a First Amendment challenge to conversion therapy bans for LGBTQ+ minors. The justices said they would hear a challenge to Colorados ban brought by Kaley Chiles, a licensed counselor and practicing Christian. The courts decision in the case, Chiles v. Salazar, stands to impact similar laws in more than 20 states. Chiles is represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a conservative Christian legal powerhouse that has notched many significant high court wins in recent years. The group has a history of taking lawsuits against Colorados LGBTQ+ protections to the Supreme Court, including on behalf of a cake baker and a wedding website designer. Read more from The Hills Brooke Migdon. Separately, in Berk v. Choy, the court will examine the scope of state laws that, for certain lawsuits, require plaintiffs to attach an expert affidavit confirming the suit has reasonable grounds. The justices will decide whether such laws apply to lawsuits filed in federal court, not just state court. Out: Firing the Christian fire chief The court declined to take up an appeal from Ronald Hittle, the former Stockton, Calif., fire chief who claimed his firing amounted to religious discrimination. The city says Hittle showed favoritism toward Christian employees and improperly selected a religious program after the city ordered him to attend leadership training. Lower courts ruled against Hittles challenge. The case gave the justices an opportunity to revisit the McDonnell-Douglas framework, a burden-shifting test used to prove employment discrimination cases that dates back 50 years to the Supreme Courts decision in McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green. Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by fellow conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, voted to take up the case, saying the framework was distorting the lower courts analysis and that Hittle more than likely had shown enough evidence to move ahead in his lawsuit. I am not aware of many precedents that have caused more confusion than this one, Thomas wrote. Looking ahead Today: A federal judge in New York will consider a habeas petition filed by Mahmoud Khalil, who led pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University and was arrested by immigration authorities. A federal judge in Chicago will hold a status conference in a challenge brought by Chicago Women in Trades to three executive orders Trump signed on his first day in office. A Washington, D.C., federal judge will hold a preliminary injunction hearing after transgender members of the military challenging Trumps apparent ban filed a renewed application for relief. Another federal judge in D.C. will hold a temporary restraining order hearing in a lawsuit Catholic Charities Forth Worth brought against the Department of Health and Human Services for not paying millions owed under an existing grant for refugee resettlement efforts. Another temporary restraining order hearing will be held before a D.C. federal judge in Climate United Funds lawsuit over its Environmental Protection Agency grant funding. Thursday: A federal judge in Baltimore will hold a hearing over injunctive relief in a challenge by three teachers associations to the Education Departments freeze of several programs. An evidentiary hearing is set to be held before a federal judge in San Francisco, but the Justice Department is opposed to producing the key witness: Ezell, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management. Friday: A federal judge in D.C. will hold hearings for injunctive relief and efforts to stay removal of noncitizen detainees in cases involving custody at Guantanamo Bay. A Maryland federal judge will hold a hearing for injunctive relief in a coalition of government unions challenge to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)s access to the Social Security Administration. Monday: A preliminary injunction hearing is set to be held by a federal judge in Virginia in IRS probationary employee Rebeccah Thornocks challenge to her termination. Shes representing herself in the lawsuit. A federal judge in Maryland will hold a preliminary injunction hearing in a challenge by six individuals and unions to DOGEs takeover efforts and access to personal identifying information. A D.C. federal judge will hold a preliminary injunction hearing in a coalition of pro-immigration groups lawsuit challenging Trumps executive order directing a review of all grants supporting undocumented migrants and to pause those grants during the review. What were reading The New York Timess Adam Liptak: Aftershocks of Supreme Courts Immunity Ruling Echo in New Trump Cases Los Angeles Timess James Queally, Hannah Fry and Richard Winton: Menendez brothers bid for freedom hits roadblock: D.A. Hochman opposes resentencing Well be back next Wednesday with additional reporting and insights. In the meantime, keep up with our coverage here. Questions? Tips? Love letters, hate mail, pet pics? Email us here: elee@thehill.com and zschonfeld@thehill.com. Securely reach us on Signal here: @elee.03 and @zachschonfeld.48. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. MADISON, Wis. (WFRV) United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin Timothy M. OShea announced on Tuesday that a 23-year-old Wisconsin man was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison on an illegal firearm possession charge. According to the release, U.S. District Judge William M. Conley sentenced Donald Spivey Jr. of Madison after a guilty plea on December 18, 2024. Former Green Bay tennis coach convicted of child enticement, sexual exploitation after no contest plea, sentencing in May Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On July 15, 2024, Spivey Jr. abused his partner following her kicking him out of the house, during the incident, he strangled her and grabbed her phone to stop her from calling police. He also pointed a gun at her and stole a Glock 19 nine-millimeter from her. Police found him two days later sleeping in a stolen Jeep, and subsequently tried to bring him into custody. Spivey Jr. drove away, forcing officers to jump out of the way, and he led them on a pursuit at speeds reaching 115 miles per hour; however, he crashed, rolling the vehicle into landing on top of two parked cars as he tried to flee. Through the assistance of a K9 unit, officers were able to bring him under arrest, and found the victims stolen Glock 19 nine-millimeter along his path near the stolen vehicle. Officers also located a Glock 20 10 millimeter handgun, equipped with a machine gun conversion device in the Jeep. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Spivey Jr. is a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from legally owning any firearms, and owning a machine gun conversion device, or switch, is also illegal, as it is considered a machine gun, converting handguns to fully automatic. Judge Conley noted at sentencing that Spivey Jr.s criminal history began in his youth, including assaults he committed against the two mothers of his children, where he shot at them. He had already spent time in prison and was currently on state supervision, and he once again committed acts of domestic violence. Wisconsin man gets three years in prison for attempts to distribute cocaine Judge Conley concluded the sentencing, noting Spivey Jr. is a danger to society. The case was brought forth partially through Project Safe Neighborhoods, a United States Justice Department program to reduce violent crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No additional details were provided. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) FEMA has canceled all classes at the premier training ground for firefighters in Frederick County. The National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg serves first responders from across the country, offering free training programs aimed at reducing the number of deadly fires. Family remembers 10-year-old who died from flu in Prince Georges County The academy serves 90,000 to 100,000 firefighters every year, both in person and online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We think of the National Academy like the War College, or the Naval Postgraduate School, for the military, those two things. They are the upper level learning, said Marc Bashoor, former Prince Georges County Fire chief. Former U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell said the classes help first responders go above and beyond just fire suppression. It has been our premier training academy for the professional side of firefighting, Moore-Merrell said. What I mean by that is officer development, incident command. But those classes at the National Emergency Training Center were canceled after an email went out to students and instructors in which FEMA said theyre in the process of evaluating agency programs and spending to ensure alignment with administration priorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Frederick County faces budget challenges from shake-up of federal workforce; contracts in limbo Many of them were at the airports either on their way. They purchased tickets that may or may not be reimbursed, Moore-Merrell said. Students come from across the country to the academy, which Moore-Merrell oversaw for more than three years as the former U.S. Fire Administrator from Oct. 2021 to Jan. 2025. This is a travesty to have this kind of shut down for a service thats supplied to firefighters across the nation, Moore-Merrell said. Bashoor, who attends two or three courses a year, said the courses come at no cost, which is especially important for smaller departments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While they might be able to find a similar program at the state or local level or through a vendor, its going to cost and its going to be cost-prohibitive for the firefighters across the country, Bashoor said. Bethesda food pantry honors life of former Bullis School student Moore-Merrells hopes the Trump administration understands that the fire service is an absolute necessity. DC News Now reached out to FEMA for comment but did not hear back in time for publication. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Daisy Markley found her child's limp body slumped over at the end of their bed. One pill was all it took to kill Jax Markley, a transgender teen from Santa Clarita who overdosed on fentanyl just months after graduating from high school. "I'll never forget the sound of my wife's scream calling me upstairs," Matt Markley said, recalling his child's death in November 2022. "I dropped everything and came running. It was my worst nightmare." It's a nightmare the Markleys wake up to every morning. But on Monday, the grieving parents received some measure of relief when U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson sentenced the drug dealer responsible for Jax's death to six years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The sentence triggered fiercely mixed emotions for the couple. On one hand, they were grateful to be among the few parents who have lost a loved one to fentanyl and been able to see the dealer put behind bars. On the other, they were furious that Wilson sliced the government's recommended 12-year sentence in half. The shorter sentence caught the parents off guard after the dealer's own attorney recommended 10 years, but Wilson said less time was reasonable because the defendant was a low-level dealer with a tough upbringing and a history of addiction. "We are absolutely disappointed," Daisy said. "We were expecting more, but I know that there are so many other parents that did not get justice." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Justice was "minimally served" for Jax, said Matt, who stormed out of the court, suspending the room in silence as the door slammed behind him. Matt and Daisy Markley were disappointed by the sentence for the dealer who gave their child a fentanyl-laced pill. It was less than what was suggested by the dealer's own attorney. (Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times) "It was almost more of a disservice because we failed to send a message to other dealers," he said later that day. The successful prosecution of a drug dealer for an overdose death is relatively rare, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Bobby Dean said. But it has become more common in Los Angeles since the Sheriff's Department launched its Opioid Overdose Response Task Force in 2022 and began investigating these deaths with the same rigor as a homicide investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Historically, for many departments, overdose deaths were just treated as accidental; it's sad, but it is what it is," said Dean, who heads the task force and assisted with Jax's case. "We take a different approach where we try to identify the person who furnished the lethal dose and hold them accountable." The goal is to get justice for families and disrupt narcotics networks by securing lengthy prison sentences that serve as a deterrent to other dealers, he said. His team currently has about 35 cases in various stages of criminal prosecution. Jax's dealer, Skylar Lynn Mitchell, admitted to knowingly selling the counterfeit fentanyl-laced Percocet pill that killed Jax in 2022. At the time, Jax was 18 and Mitchell was 23. According to court documents, Mitchell began selling drugs to the Santa Clarita teen when they were 16. She also admitted to witnessing a friend overdose and almost die from fentanyl before selling the fatal pill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In July, she entered a plea deal for one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The prosecutor, U.S. Atty. Kedar Bhatia, recommended a 12-year sentence, saying that her "craven crime" prioritized profit over life. Daisy Markley wears a ladybug necklace for Jax, who she says was a "ladybug magnet." (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times) "A lengthy term of imprisonment is critical to sending a message of general deterrence: Those who sell fentanyl will face meaningful punishment," he wrote in his sentencing recommendation. But Wilson saw the situation differently, citing a series of factors about Mitchell's traumatic upbringing in the foster-care system, history of addiction and "believable remorse" as justification for a shorter sentence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The defendant was a low-level dealer selling drugs to supply her own addiction," Wilson said. "If the victim had not tragically overdosed and died, we probably wouldn't be here." Mitchell said she takes "full responsibility" for her crime and called her time in custody "a blessing" that helped her become sober and set her on a better path in life. "Not a day goes by where I don't think about what happened," she said in court. "If I could give my life to bring the victim's back, I would do it in a heartbeat." Her six-year sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. Wilson questioned why a low-level fentanyl dealer should serve a 12-year sentence when there are many high-level dealers, who are likely responsible for a greater number of deaths, whom the U.S. attorney's office does not pursue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dean told The Times that the Sheriff's Department does not care whether the dealer is considered high level or low level, and investigates any case that results in death. "If you furnish a lethal dose, I don't care if it's one pill or 1 million pills, we will absolutely put together a case, present that to prosecution and put you in prison," he said. He views the sentence against Mitchell as a victory, and said his team had seen evidence that sentences against dealers, even small ones, spread fear through regional drug-dealing networks. A culture shift around the handling of overdose deaths also appears to be underway in the L.A. County district attorney's office, where new Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman has vowed to prosecute fentanyl dealers more aggressively than his predecessor, George Gascon. During his campaign, Hochman advocated for charging fentanyl dealers with voluntary manslaughter or murder if someone dies as a result of the drugs they are selling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Matt said the Sheriff's Department presented Jax's case to the U.S. attorney's office after learning that Gascon's office probably would pursue only a charge of involuntary manslaughter, which carries a two- to four-year sentence. Matt said he was grateful for the "heroic efforts" of the Sheriff's Department, without which there would have been no hope of justice for Jax. Most of the other people in their support group of parents who lost loved ones to fentanyl have to live with the knowledge that their child's killer is still out there, he said. Matt Markley holds a poster with photos of Jax, who died not long after graduating from high school. (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times) Among those parents is Amber Royer of Hemet, whose son Richard died just like Jax from a fentanyl-laced fake Percocet pill in 2020. He was 18 years old. "The police department didn't do an investigation, they did not seize his phone, they didn't look into see where the product came from," she said. "There was nothing, and I feel that the system failed my son." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sam Chapman, whose 16-year-old son, Sammy Berman Chapman, overdosed in 2021, said there were no charges filed against the dealer who brought the fentanyl-laced pill to their Santa Monica home "like delivering a pizza." Now, Chapman and his wife must grapple with the fact that "Sammy's killer still walks the streets of Los Angeles" while their son will never walk again. Jax, Sammy and Richard purchased the pills that killed them on social media, as is often the case in teen overdose deaths. Sixty-four families who lost loved ones to fentanyl are suing Snap Inc., arguing that the Santa Monica company is responsible for drug sales to teens that are facilitated through its app Snapchat. Read more: Parents are blaming Snapchat for their teens' fentanyl deaths. Will an L.A. lawsuit shape the future of social media? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In court, Daisy said Jax's death serves as a warning that "children can be taken advantage of, that social media is not safe, and that experimenting with drugs, even once, can be deadly." She described Jax as a "magical, unique and colorful" human being who was empathetic, deeply emotional and generous to a fault. In their early teens, Jax told their parents that the gender assigned to them at birth didn't feel right. Daisy and Matt supported Jax embracing a nonbinary gender identity but said the outside world was not as accepting. Jax struggled to find their place in the world as a transgender teenager, suffering from anxiety and depression that was exacerbated during the isolation of the pandemic. Jax's parents knew they were struggling but did not realize the extent of their drug use and continue to battle feelings of guilt on a daily basis. "The thought that I am a failure as a mother, as a physician and as a human is never far away," said Daisy, who works as a family doctor. "I know that I will mourn Jax until my last dying breath." Jax was adored by animals and was "a butterfly magnet," said Daisy, who carries around a small plush butterfly with Jax's ashes. Whenever she sees the polka-dotted insect flying by, she knows it's Jax's way of saying hi. Daisy Markley keeps a reminder of Jax close at hand: a small urn with their ashes. (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times) Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. (WHTM) The Lancaster County Coroners Office says it recovered a fetus buried in a yard earlier this week. Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni says the fetus was buried in the yard of a Maytown area home. The fetus was determined to be severely premature and had not reached the age of viability. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This Week in Pennsylvania The ruling of death is undetermined at this time, however, Diamantoni says the fetus would not have survived outside of the womb. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement abc27 has reached out to the Lancaster County District Attorneys office and was told they would not be commenting on the case, at this time. This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more information becomes available Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. A fight broke out during a House Subcommittee meeting when Republican Rep. Keith Self deliberately misgendered Delaware Rep. Sarah McBride, the first transgender congresswoman. Self went out of his way to call McBride Mr. McBride and the gentleman from Delawareto the shock of other congress members. McBride retorted, thank you, Madam chair, before another representative jumped to her defense. A horrified Rep. Bill Keating called Selfs actions out of order. He asked, Mr. Chairman, have you no decency? This is not decent. As things grew tense, Self tried to continue the hearing, but Keating cut him off. You will not continue it with me unless you introduce a duly elected representative the right way, he said. Self then adjourned the hearing and the representatives marched away. McBride made history as the first out transgender person elected to congress in 2024. When she was elected, she called the night a testament to Delawareans that here in our state of neighbors, we judge candidates based on their ideas and not their identities. LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) Sunday, March 16, will mark the final drug overdose awareness walk for a mother who lost her daughter to fentanyl. Eight years ago, Millie Harvey died from a fentanyl-laced drug. Since then, Millies mother, Lilly Harvey, has traveled across the state to spread awareness about the dangers of this epidemic and drug overdosing in general. This Sunday, Harvey will participate in the last Millie Mattered Drug Epidemic Walk at Girard Park in Lafayette. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harvey is dedicated to raising awareness about drug overdoses and the dangers of fentanyl. In honor of her late daughter, Harvey initiated an advocacy walk called Millie Mattered. This movement also supports others who have lost loved ones. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest The final Louisiana Drug Epidemic Walk is scheduled for March 16, at 2 p.m. at Girard Park. I have made the decision for this to be the last year because I believe that us advocating and causing awareness about the drug epidemic has opened many other avenues here in the state of Louisiana, Harvey said. We have many other advocate groups now. A lot of the people who were chairmen for Millie Mattered are branching out. Millie Mattered is a river; its not a pond. That was our intent to flow throughout the state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harvey believes the fight is shifting more towards policy and education. Her next goal is to engage with the youth. Im trying to collaborate with a few college students, she said. Were thinking about starting at the college level because that is the generation where were losing the most of our 18, 28 and 30-year-olds. Harvey intends to meet younger people where she can connect with them. You know, when we have the walks, we do have some young people come out, but I believe we will be more effective meeting them on college campuses, at places they like to attend, maybe music concerts and things like that, she explained. The final walk this weekend marks the fifth year of walks for Millie Mattered'. Latest news Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has stated that the Finnish government is against sending troops to Ukraine to guarantee a future ceasefire. Source: Finnish newspaper Suomenmaa, as reported by European Pravda Details: During parliamentary debates on 12 March, Orpo stated that peacekeeping, the reconstruction of Ukraine and its European path cannot be aligned without Europe, and Finland, among other things, has proposed a number of steps for the peace process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Our president [Alexander Stubb ed.] was very active in this area. We are ready to participate in any way that suits us, but we will not send soldiers to Ukraine," emphasised the Finnish prime minister. Orpo said that Finland, as a country bordering Russia, cannot do this. "On the other hand, it would be risky for Finnish soldiers to risk entering into conflict with soldiers from a neighbouring country. Therefore, the line of our government is clear," Orpo stated. Background: The UK and France have prepared a plan to deploy up to 30,000 European troops in Ukraine to guarantee a potential "peace". Not all European countries have expressed willingness to participate in such a contingent. Among the opponents is Poland. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! FRIENDSVILLE A fire Tuesday afternoon in Friendsville destroyed a mobile home and numerous vehicles before spreading to nearby woods. It was the second fire in as many days that destroyed a home in the Friendsville community. The Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal said the 3:30 p.m. blaze at 2011 Friendsville Addison Road owned by Timothy Sines Jr. resulted in a loss of about $90,000. The fire marshal's office said the fire started in the kitchen and the cause remained under investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators said Sines was working outside when he saw fire on the roof. It spread to dried foliage and numerous cars on the property before crossing the road and burning about five acres. About 60 volunteer firefighters from Friendsville Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department and mutual aid companies extinguished the blaze. The Maryland Forestry Division also assisted. On Monday, a Friendsville woman was left homeless after fire destroyed a single-story, manufactured home at 846 First Ave., the fire marshal's office said. Tucked beneath snow-capped mountains in Montana, the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory is unlike any other lab in the country. It's where scientists are starting fires to better understand how they burn and how to manage them. The U.S. Forest Service built the fire sciences lab in 1960, inspired by a forest fire that killed 13 firefighters. The facility includes a 66-foot-high combustion chamber that allows for intense burn tests in controlled conditions. Today, about 80 employees are carrying on that mission of wildfire research, and keep coming back to one controlling principle. "We're definitely part of the problem," said fire scientist and lab leader Mark Finney. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Finney believes we still don't implement some of the basics that could limit the flames, like clearing away dead and dry vegetation with more prescribed burns including near urban areas. In his view, some smaller wildland fires should also be left to burn to eliminate fuels that would feed larger fires. "The harder we fight fire, the harder we try to remove fire, the more the fuels build up in a given location...we've actually created conditions that make those fires worse," Finney said. The fire lab allows the uncontrollable to be controlled and studied. Finney took CBS News to a silo where his team assembled dry logs and lit them on fire to simulate wind-fueled flames on the forest floor. What they're learning in the lab has never been more important, following a slew of massive wildfires including ones that recently destroyed thousands of homes in the Los Angeles area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The California governor's office called the fires "unprecedented," but Finney disagrees. "It's the same fire events over and over again. And yet, decades go by and those lessons and those impacts are often forgotten," Finney said. He hopes what the team learns from studying the flames can change the way we approach wildfires. When asked how to convince a community that lighting a fire near their homes is a good idea, Finney said, "The question is, what risks do you want? To experience the very low risk of having problems with prescribed burning, or do you want to basically roll the dice and just wait until circumstances overwhelm emergency response?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He continued, "We've proven that we can't eliminate fire. The only choices we really have are when to have it and what kind to have." That will require a change in perspective looking at fire as an ally, not an enemy. Judge blocks deportation of pro-Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University protests Wildfire researchers replicate "firenado" and other fire conditions in Montana lab Reporter's Notebook: "Animal spirits" and the stock market WATERBURY, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) Vermonts health department has confirmed the first case of measles in the state this year. A Lamoille County child tested positive Monday night after returning from an international trip. Health officials believe that the risk is low because the child has remained mostly isolated. The only known exposure site is the hospital this child visited March 9. Anyone who was inside Copley Hospitals Emergency Room room between 3:15 p.m. and 6 p.m. that day should follow the health departments guidelines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Measles is popping up in the US. Heres how to avoid one of the worlds most contagious viruses Prior to this case of measles, there were two cases reported in Vermont last year. Over 200 cases have been reported across the United States this year. Health officials highly recommend getting vaccinated against measles. Its considered one of the most contagious diseases and can be particularly dangerous for children under five years old. While there is no treatment for measles, it is detectable. Symptoms typically include runny nose, high fever, coughing and a rash of flat spots. Anyone with these symptoms should stay home and contact their healthcare provider as soon as possible Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Vermont Department of Health has information about how measles spread, symptoms and more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC22 & FOX44. The heads of the DOA and DSPS both spoke with lawmakers Tuesday. Wisconsin State Office Building. Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner. The Wisconsin Assembly Government Operations, Accountability, and Transparency (GOAT) Committee questioned leaders of government agencies about telework policies, use of work space and cybersecurity during its first public meeting Tuesday. The committee was formed this session to serve as the Wisconsin version of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project launched by President Donald Trump and led by billionaire Elon Musk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are some similarities between the efforts. The acronyms come from internet pop culture: GOAT refers to the greatest of all time and DOGE comes from a 2013 meme and a later cryptocurrency. Both are purported to address potential waste, fraud and abuse in government. But whereas Musk and DOGEs work has been quick and widespread, with attempts to fire thousands of federal employees and a goal of ending $1 trillion in government spending, the GOAT committee is starting off more slowly. Committee chair Rep. Amanda Nedweski (R-Pleasant Prairie) said that Tuesdays informational hearing was scheduled due to increased demand from the public for transparency and efficiency in government and to look at telework practices in state agencies. She also repeated her intent for the committee to be very close to the public and ensure there is transparency for how taxpayers money is being used. The extent of remote work by state employees has been an ongoing point of criticism among Republican lawmakers since the COVID-19 pandemic. Nedweski and Sen. Cory Tomczyk (R-Mosinee) recently introduced a bill to require state agency employees to work in person at state agency offices starting on July 1. During the hearing, the committee heard from the Legislative Audit Bureau about a 2023 audit on telework. Hearing witnesses also included leaders of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Department of Administration (DOA), Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS), Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Universities of Wisconsin, as well as some leaders of private businesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Testifying for DPI, Deputy Superintendent Tom McCarthy said that telework policies have been helpful for allowing the agency to hire employees. DPI Superintendent Jill Underly was absent, which Rep. Shae Sortwell (R-Two Rivers) pointed out multiple times during the meeting. Were never going to compete. Were never going to be able to punch dollar for dollar at salary for the private sector, especially in IT or high demand fields, so the flexibility that we can provide staff is the thing that continues to allow us to pull larger applicants around the state to some of those very hard to fill jobs, McCarthy said. McCarthy also said the department has made changes since the audit. We are constantly trying to find ways to improve the productivity of our workforce and make sure that we are serving our partners well in the field, as well as taxpayers in general, being available and being current with best practices, McCarthy said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the biggest changes, he said, was that the agency looked at the amount of time employees were working in-person versus remotely and said they have tied reductions in the amount of time working in person to a reduction in available work space. While Nedweski sought to keep conversation focused on telework throughout the hearing, Sortwell, who serves as vice-chair, asked about spending related to a diversity, equity and inclusion conference DPI hosted. Sortwell recently launched inquiries to county and city governments in Wisconsin about their DEI policies. Nedweski sought to cut that conversation short, however. We have lots of people here today, totally, and were going to try to stay on topic, she said. Department of Administration Secretary-designee Kathy Blumenfeld agreed that allowing more remote work has helped the state fill openings more easily. She said the vacancy rate for the Division of Enterprise Technology, which is the agencys IT department, dropped from 12% to under 6% after the start of its Hire Anywhere in Wisconsin program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blumenfeld also noted that the agency has made some changes since the audit by updating its space standards. Permanent desks are reserved for employees who typically need to be in the office three days a week, she said, while those in the office less than three days a week have access to smaller work stations. She said the state has also revised its policy for documenting work agreements. Nedweski questioned how the agency is managing its employees who work remotely and how Wisconsin taxpayers can know that they are getting maximum productivity from state employees. Blumenfeld turned the question back on the public. Are they getting the services that they expect? she asked. I mean, when something goes south we usually hear about it and we investigate and look is it a people issue? Is it a process issue? Is it a technology issue? Whats causing this? She added, I would say to the people of Wisconsin, if youre not getting the services you expect, let us know. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Mike Bare (D-Verona) asked what the consequences could be for rolling back state policies to what they were pre-pandemic. Blumenfeld said that the agency has worked to decentralize decision making when it comes to remote work so that people can evaluate each position and the amount of in-person versus remote work is necessary for the job. She said that eliminating remote work policies would also affect the agencys ability to compete for employees with private sector businesses. Blumenfeld noted that young employees especially have different expectations from those of older employees. The way they work is so different. Of course, they expect to have flexibility in their job and they expect remote, Blumenfeld said. Theyve tasted it. They felt it. Its what they know, and it is totally in our future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman told lawmakers that in his perfect world everyone would be in the office every day, but that it would be hard to put the genie back in the bottle at this point. Rothman said the UW System has to be an attractive employer and would have trouble attracting and retaining people with a strict five-day in office work policy. He said the UW system is also looking at combining office spaces. The cost of losing people is often more expensive, Rothman said. Nedweski pushed the question of productivity. Has there been an analysis performed in positions as to is a job done more productively in person or remotely or in hybrid? she asked. Has an analysis been performed or are we just moving into this hybrid, telework world permanently because its what the workforce is demanding? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rothman said there isnt a simple way to measure productivity in the university systems work. He said employees have specific objectives that theyre required to fill and that guide evaluations. We dont measure how many widgets did we manufacture today, because thats not what we do, Rothman said. We dont have the ability to check keystrokes Im fine if people are sitting there thinking about something really creative and something new to do. They may not touch a keyboard for two hours. They may have been incredibly productive in that environment, so I think it comes down to an individual by individual determination Im proud of the work that they are doing in support of the 164,000-plus students. Nedweski also brought up the capital requests from the UW System. Gov. Tony Evers announced a sweeping proposal this week that includes $1.6 billion in investments for UW System capital projects. If people are going to be teleworking more and more, I have a hard time justifying investment in new buildings that house people who are mostly going to be teleworking, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rothman noted that the majority of the systems capital requests were not for administration, but are rather for students and staff. Were not trying to build substantial edifices for our administration, he said. Were focused on our students. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX MERRILL, Iowa (KCAU) With warmer weather coming up, many residents are going to be wanting to spend it outside. And what better way to spend it then with a bike ride on the PlyWood Trail? Officials with the project discussed what their expectations are for this 18-mile trail. Were excited to have it open for all types of recreational use, executive director Ryan Schaap said. Biking, running, walking, and anything that people want to do. I think were going to have a great year with the trail open this spring. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Phase 1 of the PlyWood Trail, which connects Merrill to Le Mars, is nearing completion. Ryan Schaap says theres just a few minor projects left to finish up. Sioux City business park certified by state for industrial development We have some things that were caused by weather and other circumstances that we need to take care of this spring, Schaap said. So well have a few brief periods of time where well have contractors out working on the trail. But other than that, its going to be open. This phase of the PlyWood Trail project was on track to be completed last year, but the June flooding caused leaders to shift focus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When the flooding happened, you know, several other areas in our community took priority, especially for the Department of Transportation and different contractors or crews that were working on things, Schaap said. We just decided that the trail work was important to be put on the backburner for a few moments so that those suffering in our communities could be taken care of. Merrill Mayor Bruce Norgaard hopes the trail will provide safer recreational opportunities. I would rather see people on the bike trail than see them riding on the sides of the highway like Highway 12, he said. Highway 12 has always seemed kind of dangerous to me for a bicycle because there are so many hills and theres so many blind curves. And with the falling rock stuff along there and stuff, you never know what youre going to run into. And theres a lot of truck traffic on Highway 12, so maybe theyll take the bike trail and ride clear to Le Mars. Who knows? Norgaard also wants the trail to bring in new people to Merrill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Country artist Gabby Barrett to perform in Sioux City I think there will be quite a few people going back and forth between Le Mars, and weve got an Italian restaurant here in town, he said. A lot of people come down here, you can walk in, they dont care what you wear. They dont have a dress code, so to speak, so I think well have a lot of people coming down to have some. Schaap says theyre getting ready to start Phase 3, which will connect Sioux City to Hinton. Well have crews out there starting work again here in the spring, he said. Expect substantial completion of the construction in 2025, and we hope to have that portion of the trail between Sioux City and Hinton open in early 2026. Weve had really, really great support from local businesses, local communities from Phase 1 and for Phase 3, and were very thankful for the community support weve had so far. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials with the project have applied for a $10 million grant to start the final phase of the trail, which would go from Hinton to Merrill. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. The Department of Education announced that it was laying off half of its workforce on Tuesday, a move that Secretary of Education Linda McMahon called "the first step" toward completely dismantling the department. A press release from the DOE said that nearly 2,000 employees of the department would be placed on administrative leave on March 21. The mass layoffs will leave the department with 2,183 employees, down from 4,133 at the beginning of President Donald Trump's term. "Todays reduction in force reflects the Department of Educations commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers, McMahon shared in a statement. "I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department. This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department head struck a much harsher tone while speaking on Fox News Tuesday night. McMahon agreed with host Laura Ingraham that the layoffs were an opening salvo in the Trump administration's attempts to shutter the department and called the soon-to-be jobless employees as "bureaucratic bloat." "The president's mandate as directed to me clearly is to shut down the Department of Education," she said. "We'll have to work with Congress to get that accomplished." Ingraham: Is this the first step on the road to a total shutdown? McMahon: Yes. That was the presidents mandate as directed to me to shut down the Department of Education pic.twitter.com/cwEJpJAhiC Acyn (@Acyn) March 11, 2025 The shocking move to cut the Department of Education in half drew immediate condemnation from elected Democrats. "The president is letting unelected billionaires like Elon Musk and Linda McMahon eliminate the Department of Education," Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., shared on X. "Taking away opportunities from students in low-income or rural schools in order to give massive tax breaks to the wealthy is wrong." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, said the Trump administration was "stealing from our children to pay for tax cuts for billionaires," a sentiment that Bill Clinton Cabinet member Robert Reich agreed with. "As Trump guts the Department of Education, remember that his plan to cut the corporate tax rate to 15% would give the 100 largest corporations a tax cut larger than the entire department's K-12 budget," Reich wrote on X. "Really think about how twisted this all is." Defence ministers from five EU countries gathered in Paris on Wednesday 12 March and pledged to take concrete steps to strengthen European defence and provide security guarantees to Ukraine. Source: Reuters, as reported by European Pravda Details: Defence ministers from the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Poland John Healey, Sebastien Lecornu, Boris Pistorius, Guido Crosetto and Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz met in Paris. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was also noted that Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umierov had been invited to the first meeting to discuss assistance to Ukraine, while the second meeting will focus on enhancing European defence capabilities. "European nations are stepping up. By deepening our defence cooperation, boosting spending and enhancing our collective strength, we send a clear message: we will not waver in standing with Ukraine and defending our shared values," said UK Defence Secretary Healey. Background: The meetings took place a day after 34 army chiefs from NATO countries, along with those from Japan and Australia, gathered in Paris for talks that did not include their American counterparts. They focused on supporting Ukraine and providing security guarantees for a future peace deal, including possible European peacekeepers. In his speech last week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a meeting of the chiefs of staff from the "coalition of the resolute" regarding Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Defence ministers from five major European NATO member states met on Wednesday in Paris to discuss military security guarantees for Ukraine, including the possible deployment of peacekeeping troops, in the event of a peace deal with Russia. The defence ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom did not provide any details on the specific design and strength of the potential force following the talks. "The UK and France are jointly leading work on planning to drive the push for peace and drive the arrangements for security guarantees for Ukraine," British Defence Minister John Healey said at a press conference after the meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are looking to build a coalition of the willing from Europe and beyond," he said, adding that the group would need to increase its strength on all fronts. French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu emphasized meanwhile that "the first guarantee of security for Ukraine is the Ukrainian armed forces." He said that allies were looking to strengthen Ukraine's military over a longer period of time, as they had done from the beginning of the war. "We cannot ask European troops to do the work of the Ukrainian armed forces," he said. Lecornu hinted, however, that Europe might consider sending troops to the Polish-Ukrainian border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The defence ministers also discussed increased armaments efforts and better coordination between their militaries. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that European countries needed to work for European security and overcome national interests, adding that they need to procure standard military equipment on a larger scale and more quickly than before. The Paris meeting follows a joint announcement by the United States and Ukraine on Tuesday of an immediate resumption of US military and intelligence aid and a Ukrainian agreement to a 30-day ceasefire - if Russia is on board - after a high level meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday evening, the army chiefs of 36 countries met in Paris to discuss peacekeeping troops for Ukraine. Defence ministers from five major NATO states in Europe will discuss further support for Ukraine in a meeting in Paris on Wednesday afternoon. Their meeting follows Tuesday's joint announcement by the United States and Ukraine of an immediate resumption of US military and intelligence aid and a Ukrainian agreement to a 30-day ceasefire - if Russia is on board. That was the result of a high level meeting between the two countries in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Paris meeting involves representatives from France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom. Ukrainian Defence Mininster Rustem Umerov, who was at the Jeddah meeting, will attend via a video link. Representatives from the EU and NATO will also participate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The talks will focus on strengthening European defence, according to the French Ministry of Defence. On Tuesday evening, the army chiefs of 36 countries met in Paris to discuss peacekeeping troops for Ukraine. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Five people were arrested Monday night after police say they blocked a downtown intersection with their dancing. Police said they saw a 2016 Chevy Malibu stopped at a green light at South Second Street and Union Avenue and spotted four men twerking around the car and a one man dancing on the hood. MeKell Sanders, 18, Rashaun Bryant, 22, Jordan Smith, 19, MandreCo Mays, 18, and Desmond Subbery, 18 were all charged with obstructing a highway or passageway. Sanders, Bryant, Smith, Mays, and Subbery (SCSO) According to the affidavit of complaint, the suspects were transported to jail so that the offense would not happen again. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wild Bills arrested for violent 2024 robbery, police say Police said Smith also had a warrant for vandalism. Smiths bond was set at $2,100, and the others were released on their own recognizance. They are all scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) Five years ago, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. That same day, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson announced the citys largest downtown gathering was canceled. Out of abundance of caution for public health safety and welfare, Savannahs St Patricks festival and parade will not go on as planned to prevent transmission from large open area events, Mayor Johnson said on March 11, 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today, Johnson said this was a hard decision for council to make, but ultimately it was the right one. We knew it was airborne, he said. We knew that people were sick. People were dying around the country and around the world. It was a very scary time. Had we had a large gathering like were having this weekend, itd have been a disaster, Dr. Connelly said. Johnson echoed that, I would have cast a death spell on our community. Since 2020, nearly 1,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Chatham County, according to Georgia DPH. It was not a good time. It was not a fun time for anybody, but it was a time where we came together as a community, Connelly said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both men called this the hardest time of their lives. Dr. Connelly was spending long hours away from his loved ones, providing care to those with the disease. Mayor Johnson told WSAV, he was trying his best to lead the city in the right direction. I really reflect on how blessed the Savannah-Chatham County community is and how blessed we were during that time, Johnson said. Im grateful for that journey. It was a very difficult journey. We lost a lot of good citizens of Savannah during this journey. But the fact is we learned some lessons. Those lessons include how to handle outbreaks like this, keeping up with hygiene and physical health, mandating masks and getting vaccines, according to Johnson. The parade was canceled again in 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Connelly believes that in five more years, people will look back on COVID-19 from a historical standpoint, however he doesnt believe the illness will ever go away completely. Currently, Memorial Health has four patients being treated for Covid. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) Much of Southern California will be under a flood watch this week and San Diego officials are prepping for the rain and reminding residents that sandbags are available. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for much of San Diego County and Southern California from 10 p.m. Wednesday through 6 p.m. Thursday, and cautioned residents to keep an eye on alerts if it were to be upgraded to a flood warning. The rain will come in two storm systems, one Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, with the second storm expected to drop more rain on the area Thursday into Friday. NWS says San Diego has the highest chances locally of developing thunderstorms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The atmospheric river is expected to bring rainfall between 0.5 and 0.75 inch/hour, up to 1 inch/hour locally, at its peak Wednesday night into Thursday. More rain, snow headed toward San Diego: How much could the region get? National Weather Service (NWS) map shows areas in green forecast to be under a flood watch Wednesday evening through Thursday afternoon (Photo: National Weather Service San Diego) Rainfall forecast for San Diego County Wednesday afternoon through Friday morning (National Weather Service) The San Diego mountains will also see up to a foot of heavy, wet snow this week. The City of San Diego said its Stormwater Department was out Monday and Tuesday placing no parking signs in low-lying and flood-risk areas throughout the city, along with clearing debris from storm drains and inlets. They have also been street sweeping to clear trash from the roads so it doesnt enter the waterways. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sand and bags will be available for free for residents and businesses in the unincorporated areas at fire stations listed online here. Sandbags are also available at these recreation centers located in each of the nine City Council Districts. The City noted those bags do not contain sand and residents must supply their own. While the rain remains in the forecast, the citys Inclement Weather Shelter Program has been activated for Tuesday and beds are available for San Diegans experiencing homelessness at Father Joes Villages and the Living Water Church of the Nazarene. Residents should report storm-related issues like flooding or downed trees through the Get It Done app or by calling 619-527-7500. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Dont mess with Texas, could be the mantra for the 2024 dairy statistics, as Texas has firmly taken a foothold as a powerhouse dairy state. Texas has been making headway over the last several years to move up the national dairy statistic rankings, and 2024 was the year it overtook Idaho for number three in total pounds of annual milk production. At the beginning of 2015, Texas was down on the national production list at sixth place. In those days, Texas stood behind California, Wisconsin, New York, Idaho, and Pennsylvania. Just short of a decade later, Texas edged out Idaho to take third place behind the perennial number one and two, the Golden State and the Dairy State, respectively. The Lone Star State also jumped on another top 10 ranking last year as the state with the second-largest improvement in new cows. According to USDA data, the Lone Star State added 15,000 head in 2025. Additionally, Texas overtook Colorado on milk production per cow, sliding into third place in that ranking, where it finished at an average of 25,932 pounds. Also coming in bronze, Texas was third for the most cows per herd, right behind Arizona and New Mexico. As one might expect, this correlates highly with the most milk per herd, where Texas also ranked in third place. As Texas skyrocketed in the rankings, the question might be asked, how long before it bumps Wisconsin to number three? The answer is: It isnt going to be soon. Approximately 1.27 million head of dairy cattle call Wisconsin home. This number is nearly double the number of cows that reside in the Lone Star State. The same can be said for milk output, as Texas will need to add more than 15 million pounds of production to overtake the Dairy State. Wisconsin milk production has risen by more than 5% in the last five years. If those trends continue, Wisconsin will maintain the second-place ranking while Texas holds its place on the dairy title podium. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2025 March 10, 2025 TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis announced on Tuesday that the states Disaster Fraud Action Strike Teams have been dispatched to central Florida after a tornado touched down in Seminole County on Monday. The tornado, which was designated an EF-2, had peak winds of 120 mph and left extensive damage in its wake. Florida house collapses with 2 people inside during tornado Three DFAST teams, comprised of 14 law enforcement members, were deployed to the affected areas to help educate the public and prevent storm-related fraud. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it is, Patronis said in a press release. The teams, equipped with specialized knowledge of homeowners and auto insurance, will be sharing information on consumer rights and signs of fraud. Some of those signs include promises of waived or discounted insurance deductibles or offers of cash-only discounts. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Department of Financial Services or called into the Insurance Fraud Hotline at 1-800-378-0445. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) Florida lawmakers are considering a bill that would have a direct impact on our area. Back in November, right after the election, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said Donald Trump would remove fluoride from the water supply on his first day in office. But it looks like the federal government wont have to, at least not in Florida. The state senate is considering a bill that would prevent local governments from adding fluoride to the water supply. But not just fluoride. The bill would prevent any additive thats for primarily health-related purposes. About 75% of the nations water systems add fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral, to strengthen teeth and prevent cavities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mexico Beach takes steps to protect beach dunes and wildlife Fluoride has been added to Bay Countys water supply since the 1950s. Back in November, we asked the countys water division superintendent what would happen if lawmakers passed a fluoride ban. He said it would be easy to institute and would actually save the county a small amount of money, about $150,000 a year. This became a hot topic last August after a federal agency reported a link between high levels of fluoride exposure and a host of heath issues like lower IQ scores in children, arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, neuro-developmental disorders, and thyroid disease. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A number of Florida communities have already removed fluoride from their water, including Boca Raton, South Dade, Pinellas and Hernando counties, and Winter Haven. Republicans in at least 11 other states have introduced bills to ban or limit fluoride. Utah legislators have passed their bill and their governor is expected to sign it, making that the first statewide fluoride ban in the United States. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. KENTUCKY (FOX 56) A cold case mystery is one step closer to closure. In September 1988, the body of a transgender woman was found alongside a Florida Highway. The Lake County Sheriffs Office said the victim had been dead for two to four weeks by the time the remains were discovered in the rural, heavily wooded area. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim was initially thought to be female until 2015, when DNA testing revealed the victim was biologically male, the sheriffs office wrote on Monday. The victim was wearing a skirt and had breast implants, and there is evidence she may have been taking female hormone injections. It is unknown if the victim had undergone any other gender reassignment surgery. In 2019, the Lake County Sheriffs Office contacted the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit that works to identify Jane and John Doe victims with investigative genetic genealogy. Since its inception, the DNA Doe Project has solved 134 cases. Authorities at the time suspected she had been sexually assaulted and murdered, the DNA Doe Project wrote. She became known as Julie Doe. The sheriffs office was connected with the Trans Doe Task Force, and the DNA Doe Project said it took five years of diligence and persistence by a team of volunteers to narrow Julie Does family tree. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The team faced just about every possible hurdle, from unknown parentage, matches who were adopted, to endogamy, said team co-leader Eric Hendershott. Even up to the end, when we suspected that she was adopted, the team was stuck. It was clear from the start that our Doe had strong family ties to Kentucky, but we didnt know for sure if she was born there or if she ever lived there, said Lance Daly, investigative genetic genealogist. While searching Fayette County records, we discovered the names of two key relatives who were crucial to unraveling the mystery. Read more of the latest Kentucky news The team found that Julie Doe had been adopted when she was 5 years old and grew up with her adoptive family in Kentucky. Her name was officially changed in her mid-20s, likely around the time she began hormone therapy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After over five years of dedicated genealogy research by nearly 50 volunteers, a familial DNA comparison identified Julie Doe as Pamela Leigh Walton, born Lee Allen Walton, the Lake County Sheriffs Office announced on Monday. Pamelas story includes many common themes that trans people face, said Pam Lauritzen, executive director of media and communications at the DNA Doe Network. From derogatory notations left in high school yearbooks about her to a headstone pre-carved with her former male name, its heartbreaking to know that the community was not willing to accept her and the identity she chose. Read more of the latest Lexington & central Kentucky news Its unknown how Pamela came to be in Florida. Pamelas manner of death is undetermined, and the Lake County Sheriffs Office is continuing efforts to gather information regarding the circumstances of the death, the sheriffs office wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you have any information, contact the Lake County Sheriffs Office at (352) 343-2101. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. TALLAHASSEE, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has frequently praised Elon Musk and his efforts to find waste in federal government spending. He's repeated how Florida was "DOGE before DOGE was cool" a reference to the Department of Government Efficiency led by the billionaire. But key Florida House Republicans are now calling out the DeSantis administration on spending and hiring decisions. They criticized one agency because it cant tell legislators how many cars the state owns. Agency secretaries were found to be working remotely even though their main headquarters are in Tallahassee. And a House panel discovered one agency spent tens of thousands of dollars on travel expenses for four state employees who arent living in Florida. Other budget panels are also asking questions about the number of vacant positions across multiple state agencies and whether those jobs can be eliminated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The search for overspending is yet another sign of growing strife between the governor and the state's GOP-led Legislature, tensions that have come to a boil this year. We are the guardians of the taxpayer, state House Speaker Daniel Perez said during the opening day of the legislative session, when he called on members to explore state spending. Perez has already countered DeSantis assertions that Florida has kept spending in check in recent years, although the governor last year used his veto pen to keep state budget levels relatively flat between 2024 and 2023. So far, the initial inquiries represent a return to an era of legislative panels skeptical about actions of the executive branch. While some DeSantis agency heads would clash at times with Democratic legislators, it has been rare to see GOP lawmakers challenge top administration officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governors office did not respond to a request for comment about the House actions. Amelia Angleton, a spokesperson for Perez, said, "He is interested in our budget subcommittees ensuring that the taxpayers are receiving value for what they spend and hes encouraged subchairs to find savings and efficiencies in government." On Tuesday, a state House budget panel spent time sharply questioning a Department of Management Services deputy secretary over spending issues in that agency, such as four employees including the states chief data officer who is paid more than $200,000 a year who dont live in Florida. DMS wound up spending nearly $60,000 on travel expenses for these employees, much of it to cover trips to Tallahassee. The House State Administration Budget Subcommittee also questioned why Florida Lottery Secretary John Davis traveled to Paris late last year for a convention of lottery operators. That same committee a week ago went over an audit of DMS that raised questions about whether the state knows how cars it currently owns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A different House panel the House Government Operations Subcommittee also on Tuesday advanced a bill (HB 1445) that would bar any state agency head from working in a county outside of the agency's home county. Such a restriction would apply to several top DeSantis appointees, including state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who just last week noted at a press conference he lives in Pinellas County, not Tallahassee. I dont think we ought to be paying somebody travel expenses to fly down here once every two weeks to put out the fires he could have put out two weeks ago had he been in the office, said state Rep. Griff Griffits, a Panama City Beach Republican. State Rep. Vicki Lopez, the chair of the House State Administration Budget Subcommittee, agreed. The secretary of the Lottery lives in Orlando, the secretary of DMS lives in Miami, Lopez said. I see more and more people being called back to the office, and so I dont see why they need to live anywhere. If you accept the job as the secretary, you should live here where your agency his housed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Florida does not generally allow state workers to work remotely, except for when they are sick or deemed to have specialized skills unavailable in Tallahassee. DMS Deputy Secretary Tom Berger told Lopez panel the four out-of-state employees were brought in to work on the states cybersecurity efforts. But he could not say whether there was an open search for the positions or how many people applied for them. Berger also drew sharp criticism from Lopez after he said one reason DMS doesnt have an up-to-date accounting of how many cars the state owns is reliance on other agencies to submit information. The Legislature earlier this year sparred with DeSantis over immigration, and although they resolved their differences, there remain abundant signs of a strained relationship between the governor and legislative leaders. The same bill that would bar agency heads from living outside of Leon County also requires appointees of the governor to be U.S. citizens and Florida residents a requirement that could derail appointments such as that of Scott Yenor to the University of West Florida board of trustees. Yenor, an university professor in Idaho, has come under fire for some his past comments including about women in the workplace. Members of the public shoot guns at a firing range. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) A proposal to lower the age for individuals in Florida to purchase shotguns and rifles from 21 to 18 advanced in its first hearing before a House committee in the 2025 session on Wednesday. The bill also would allow someone 18 years old or older to purchase a handgun from a private seller. (Federal law prohibits anyone under 21 from purchasing a handgun from a federal firearms licensee). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Similar legislation which would remove a key provision of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act has passed in the Florida House in the past two legislative sessions, but has been blocked in the Senate. But the mood in Tallahassee when it comes to this particular law is different this year, as the new leadership in the GOP-controlled Legislature has expressed more interest in supporting a repeal of the law. Gov. Ron DeSantis has been outspoken in wanting to see the prohibition eliminated. This years bill (HB 759) is sponsored by Republicans Michelle Salzman from the Panhandle and Tyler Sirois from Brevard County. As an indication of its strength in the House, its co-sponsored by eight additional Republicans and has been assigned to just one other committee before it could make its way to the full chamber for a floor vote. As has often been the case with the law passed just weeks after 17 people were shot and killed in Parkland, testimony from members of the public and lawmakers was charged with strong feelings. FSU student Andres Cubillos testified against the gun measure in Tallahassee on March 12, 2025. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix) Here we are yet again, as concerned members in the community, begging this committee to not pass this bill, said Andres Cubillos, a graduate student attending Florida State University and member of FSU Students Demand Action. To some of you, and to some of the people from our community, [the incident at] Marjory Stoneman Douglas was one of the worst days in Floridas history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tampa Democratic Rep. Dianne Hart said the measure was a slap in the face to the families who suffered through the Parkland shooting. We say brains are not developed until youre 25, but we want to hand 18-year-olds long guns, she said. Guns of any kind. Are we not following statistics to see whats happening with guns? Its almost as if though we dont know that these guns are dangerous. Second Amendment Advocates for the repeal, however, argued the law violates the Second Amendment and that it doesnt make sense to prohibit 18-year-olds from purchasing guns. As a father, I want my daughter to be armed when shes under the age of 21 and shes living outside of my house and shes able to protect herself, because right now this [law] disarms women, disarms our college students, and disarms our children, said Luis Valdes, Florida state president of Gun Owners of America. We are messing with the bill of rights, and thats why were having these problems, added Lake County Republican Taylor Yarkosky. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Responding to criticisms about the maturity of individuals under 21, Rep. Salzman said this cohort is already legally allowed to perform significant responsibilities, such as voting, serving on juries, and enlisting in the armed forces. South Florida Democratic Rep. Kelly Skidmore, who like every other Democrat on the committee voted against the measure, said she wouldnt have a problem allowing 18-year-olds to purchase firearms if they have been trained properly. I admit, we send 18-,19-, 20-year-olds off to war, she said. Theyre in the military, where they are trained to use a weapon of destruction. If youre going to have something as powerful as a gun, in my mind, why wouldnt we want to teach you how to use it? House Speaker Daniel Perez told reporters last week that he was receptive to returning the eligibility age to purchase a long gun to 18 years, while Senate President Ben Albritton said on Wednesday that he was continuing to take a very cautious approach to the proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats a different stance than former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo took over the past two years, to the extent that no such companion measure was even filed in the Senate last year. Thats not the case this time around, as a companion measure has already been filed in the Senate by Hillsborough County Republican Jay Collins (SB 920). SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Dozens of states could face severe weather toward the end of the week in what AccuWeather is describing what could become the biggest severe weather and tornado event of the year so far. Florida is on the southern fringe of the storm system, with the Panhandle and North Florida facing the possibilities of tornadoes, damaging winds and hail, according to the Florida Department of Emergency Management. Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of Wednesday, there remains some uncertainty on timing and what impacts could be felt in Florida. Here's what meteorologists know so far to help you prepare. National weather radar: Track storms as they move across US Weather alerts issued in Florida Tornadoes, damaging winds could affect several Florida counties "There has been increasing confidence for the potential for severe weather Saturday and into Saturday night across the Panhandle," according to the Florida Department of Emergency Management. The western Panhandle could see "damaging winds, hail and tornadoes," meteorologist Stephen Miller with the National Weather Service Mobile in a telephone call Wednesday morning. Rainfall totals of 1-2 inches can be expected across the Panhandle Saturday and into Saturday night, with locally higher totals upwards of 2-4 inches possible, according to the Florida Department of Emergency Management. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those heading to the beach also should be care of a higher rip current risk over the weekend and the possibility of higher surf, Miller said. The timing couldn't be worse since many Florida public schools will be on spring break. Tornadoes, damaging wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain are possible in the Tallahassee area late Saturday into Sunday morning, although the timing remained uncertain Wednesday, according to meteorologist Israel Gonzalez with the National Weather Service Tallahassee. In Northeast Florida, the timing shifts to Sunday afternoon into Sunday evening, with the main risk for damaging winds within squall lines. "We also can't rule out an isolated tornado or hail," said meteorologist Angie Enyedi with the National Weather Service Jacksonville in a telephone interview Wednesday morning. Farther south along the Florida peninsula, severe weather at this time are currently not in the forecast. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Along the west coast and in Southwest Florida, there are no major concerns about a severe weather threat at his time, said meteorologist Ross Giarratana with the National Weather Service Tampa Bay. He warned bands of showers and thunderstorms, along with gusty winds cannot be ruled out for Sunday night. On Florida's east coast, as of Wednesday morning, there was some uncertainty over how strong storms could get when they arrive Sunday afternoon or evening and possibly continuing into Monday morning. There could be isolated thunderstorms and gusty winds with the stronger storms, along with locally heavy rainfall and wind gusts up to 40-50 mph, said meteorologist Zach Law with the National Weather Service Melbourne. The front is expected to pass through South Florida Monday, with the possibility of scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms, said meteorologist Robert Haley with the National Weather Service Miami. NWS radar: See storms as they move into Florida Stay informed. Get weather alerts via text What's next? We will continue to update our weather coverage as conditions warrant. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Florida weather forecast: Severe weather, tornadoes, hail possible CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) The one-time Chesapeake school teacher who was found to be storing child porn on his personal devices was sentenced to 25 years in prison Tuesday afternoon. Jordan Palomares, 25, pleaded guilty to 24 counts related to child porn back in December. Under the terms of his plea deal, the maximum sentence was capped at 25 years. The judges sentence also included additional years of suspended time. Palomares was arrested in October after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children flagged his Snapchat account for child sexual abuse material. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chesapeake teacher arrested for possession of child sexual abuse material A detective in the case specializing in digital evidence testified that they found two devices containing images of child sexual abuse material when they executed a search warrant at Palomares home. One computer contained over 300 images. Investigators also found 200 to 300 photos taken with his iPhone of the students in his classroom. The photos contained GPS metadata that confirmed they were taken at Deep Creek Middle School. The detective explained that he recognized the school, because he had attended it as well. Outraged Chesapeake mother on charges against teacher: It was disgusting Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The detective also noted that none of the photos showed any nudity, but many were taken at weird angles, suggesting Palomares was trying to conceal that he was taking them. No charges were filed related to the classroom photos, which arent considered child porn. Another detective testified that he confronted Palomares with those images during his initial arrest. He said Palomares initially suggested his accounts had been hacked, but later admitted the photos were his, saying they were highly inappropriate, and I shouldnt have them. The first detective also testified about Palomares search history, saying that on one day, just 30 minutes before showing up for work at the school, he searched for teacher-student-related porn. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That borders on a fantasy that is very dangerous, the prosecutor said in closing arguments. This is literally a parents worst nightmare, she reiterated in closing arguments. The Commonwealths Attorney also tried to show that Palomares lacked remorse, drawing large distinctions between the responsibility he purported to be taking in pretrial documents and the lies he told to assuage his family. She noted that he had made more than 400 calls from jail. Around the time of his preliminary hearing, she said Palomares told his family he was innocent. This is just Chesapeake being Chesapeake, he said in another call, according to testimony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In closing arguments, Palomares defense attorney suggested he may have lied to protect his own safety while being held in jail. For his part, Palomares apologized for lying, saying in a lengthy allocution that he had come to terms with his actions while incarcerated. He also said he had been the victim of child sexual abuse at the hands of a Boy Scout leader as a minor, and had grown up in a digital world without guardrails. Strangely, it felt comforting seeing the same abuse I had endured, he said, describing his viewing of child porn while as an adolescent. He also said his parents werent to blame and couldnt have done anything to prevent the abuse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oftentimes the victim becomes the offender, Palomares testified, describing the trauma circle of abuse. The prosecutor requested the full 25-year maximum sentence, adding that it was probably less than what he deserved. These are not preteen children [who] could be mistaken for adults, she stressed, describing the identified victims in the child sexual abuse material on his computer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. (Getty Images) Jeremy Cubas, a former policy adviser to Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, has filed a libel lawsuit against two reporters and three news organizations, according to an Anchorage Superior Court filing dated Feb. 24. In 2023, Cubas resigned from the governors office after the reporters questioned him for an article about a podcast in which he made multiple inflammatory comments, including that divorce was worse than rape and that it was impossible for a husband to rape his wife. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cubas, representing himself in court, alleges in his filing that reporters Nat Herz and Curtis Gilbert acted with malicious intent when they paraphrased Cubas as having said its fine for a man to force himself on his wife. In court filings, Cubas states that he said, I dont think its possible to rape your wife. I think that thats an impossible act, but then immediately clarified that violent penetration of a wife is wrong. Cubas taught philosophy classes at the University of Alaska Anchorage for four years and his podcast was devoted to discussions of philosophy. He said by phone on Tuesday that what Herz and Gilbert wrote isnt the same as what he said. One is an ontological claim, a claim of reality, while he then says that I made a normative claim, or a moral claim, Cubas said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cubas also claimed in the filing that a second section of the article incorrectly characterizes his position on rape. Whats more important for me than any of the money that Im asking for is really I want an apology, he said by phone. I want a public apology from them. Cubas filing did not dispute sections of the article that discuss Cubas defense of Adolf Hitler, casual use of a racial slur, disparaging remarks toward transgender activists, and his labeling of Martin Luther King Jr. as a loser. By phone, he said that those conversations involved discussions about the dichotomy of good and evil and how historical figures have more nuance. While he doesnt agree with the articles description of them, I find that part to be a little more difficult to (legally) argue, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The filing is taking place two years after his resignation, Cubas said, because he needed to take care of personal matters first. He has nine children, and having lost his job, he said his family took priority. In his filing, Cubas said his children suffered emotional distress due to targeted harassment as a result of the news articles, and claimed the articles gave information about the school that they attended. The article Cubas referenced in his filing does not identify his childrens school. In his filing, Cubas seeks $5.3 million in compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys fees. In addition to Herz, an Alaska journalist who worked on the article for Alaska Public Media, and Gilbert, who co-wrote the article while working for American Public Media, the lawsuit also named three organizations as defendants: Alaska Public Media and American Public Media, which co-produced the story, and the Anchorage Daily News, which republished the article. Reached by phone in Norway, Herz declined to comment on the lawsuit. An editor at American Public Media also declined to comment. The Alaska Beacon regularly republishes articles by Herz and his newsletter, Northern Journal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorney John McKay is representing Alaska Public Media and the Anchorage Daily News. The ADN had no comment on the case, McKay said, but on behalf of Alaska Public Media, he said, We are confident this suit is without merit and will defend it vigorously. McKay has represented the Alaska Beacon in other matters. The case has been preliminarily assigned to Judge Christina Rankin. No court date has been set. Correction: This article has been updated. Cubas disparaging remarks were directed toward transgender activists, not transgender people. In addition, Cubas claimed the articles gave information about the school his children attended. The article Cubas referenced in his filing does not identify his childrens school. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A bill that would allow school districts to ban undocumented students continues to move through Tennessees legislature. Protesters rallied at the Tennessee State Capitol on Tuesday, March 11 against HB 793, which would allow local education agencies to choose whether or not to enroll students who are unlawfully present in the U.S. This gives an option to the local districts to require that proof of citizenship just as they require proof of residency or immunization, House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland), the sponsor of bill, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill passed in a House subcommittee Tuesday, which prompted more protests. PREVIOUS: TN bill allowing school districts to ban undocumented students passes House subcommittee With a lot of the children I saw there, the children crying with their families when the bill passed, I just saw myself and a lot of my colleagues in them people who grew up in search of a better life, Raymond Ni, who was among those protesting at the State Capitol, said. For Ni, his passion for education stems from his own experience as a second-generation immigrant. He took English as a Second Language (ESL) classes in Kindergarten and first grade through Metro Nashville Public Schools before moving to Wilson County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Being in ESL class was able to help prep me to be a productive member of this community, Ni said, adding that it allowed him to learn English more quickly and eventually take challenging classes in high school before going to his dream college. SEE ALSO: Tennessee bill to let school districts deny undocumented students narrowly passes Senate committee Ni told News 2 his parents immigrated from China so they could give their children a better education: My mom wanted to be a doctor, but she couldnt because her family was in poverty, and she just didnt want this idea of broken dreams to happen to her children in the future. According to Ni, no matter your citizenship status, education should be a guarantee for all students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Education is a gateway to a better life for someone to achieve their dreams, and a gateway for someone to serve their community, Ni said. Read the latest from the TN State Capitol Newsroom If someone is here illegally, they are not the responsibility of Tennesseans to pay for their education. They are here illegally, Lamberth said in the past. HB 793 moved out of the House K-12 Subcommittee on a 5-3 vote. It now moves onto the full House Education Committee. The Senate version of the bill narrowly moved out of the Senate Education Committee last week with an amendment that would let families pay tuition to attend class if they cannot prove their citizenship. The amended version will move on to the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. March 12 (UPI) -- A court in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, on Wednesday sentenced the country's former president, Mikheil Saakashvili, to nine years in prison after being convicted of embezzling millions of dollars of public funds for his own use. The prison term imposed by Tbilisi City Court Judge Badri Kochlamazashvili will run concurrently with a six-year sentence Saakashvili began serving in 2021 for abuse of power. As the sentence was read out protests erupted among the supporters of the 57-year-old Saakashvili, who served two straight terms as president after coming to power in the so-called Rose Revolution more than two decades ago, alleging it was politically motivated and accusing the judge of being a puppet of the administration of the authoritarian Georgia Dream party. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Special State Guarding Service head, Temur Janashia, who was jointly charged with Saakashvili with misappropriating $3.2 million of public money, was fined $106,000 at the same hearing for a lesser offense of abuse of power. Both men denied the charges. The reformist Saakashvili, noted for standing up to Russia, anti-corruption policies, including firing the entire police force, slashing taxes and growing the economy, was arrested during a clandestine visit to Georgia ahead of elections in 2021 eight years after he left the country under a cloud following violent crackdowns on public protests, scandals and allegations of political violence. Saakashvili is fighting additional ongoing prosecutions, including a charge alleging he crossed the border into Georgia illegally. He returned despite a threat of prison saying he had to come back to "save the country" by helping the opposition United National Movement he founded oust the Georgian Dream party, following 2020 elections UNM claimed were stolen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, refuted Saakashvili's claims of political persecution when it looked at his case last year, backing authorities' handling of the matter and saying it was line with legal standards in Europe. The populist Georgia Dream party has veered sharply to the right in recent year and turned its back on Europe, with which it had been pursuing closer ties, pivoting toward Russia in the wake of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The European Union suspended a bid by Georgia to join the 27-member country bloc in July due to concerns over a deteriorating human rights situation in the country and a controversial law forcing NGOs and media operating in Georgia that were wholly or partly Western-funded to register as foreign agents. Opponents of the Dakota Access Pipeline camp north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation on Nov. 30, 2016, outside Cannon Ball, N.D. Greenpeace employees helped winterize the camp and provided training sessions to protesters, but the organization denies encouraging violent tactics. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) A former Greenpeace employee who trained demonstrators during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests told jurors Tuesday that he never engaged in underhanded efforts to undermine the pipeline. Greenpeace has spent the last two weeks on trial in Morton County District Court related to its involvement in the protests against the pipeline in 2016 and 2017. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thousands of protesters camped in south central North Dakota just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, where the pipeline now crosses under the Missouri River. The demonstrations were started by tribal members who oppose the pipeline out of the belief that it threatens the tribes water supply, has harmed sacred cultural sites and infringes on unceded Sioux Nation land. Pipeline developer Energy Transfer claims that Greenpeace encouraged protesters to cause millions of dollars of damages to the pipeline, and that it deliberately defamed the company in order to get banks to divest. Energy Transfer has held out Navajo activist and former Greenpeace employee Cy Wagoner as a key figure in this plan. Greenpeace hijacked what was otherwise a peaceful and locally led movement, the company claims. Attorneys for Energy Transfer say Greenpeace paid thousands to send Wagoner and others affiliated with the Native activist group Indigenous Peoples Power Project to teach protesters to use tactics including vandalism, trespassing and intimidation to stop the pipeline. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wagoner on Tuesday said none of this is true. He said that he and his fellow trainers were committed to nonviolence, and that their training sessions reflected this. Wagoner said during the trainings, he told attendees to follow the leadership of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and to conduct themselves respectfully at all times. The training included admonitions against using violence, as well as instruction about deescalation tactics, he said. He also said the trainings he and others provided were not Greenpeaces idea. The tribe asked him to come to Standing Rock to educate people about nonviolent protest tactics, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wagoner said he then sought grant money from Greenpeace to support the effort. The grant included money for travel, lodging, food, camping supplies and winter gear, he said. Wagoner said that if Greenpeace hadnt agreed to provide that grant, he and the other trainers would have found other funding. Over the course of the trial, attorneys for Energy Transfer have repeatedly brought up a text that Wagoner sent to a colleague about the nature of the protests. I would not be OK to replicate things that happened there, he wrote. Wagoner said Tuesday that the message was taken out of context. He said he was referring to challenges to the Indigenous Peoples Power Project faced providing nonviolent direct action training. By the time he first arrived at the camps, he said other groups not affiliated with the Indigenous Peoples Power Project or Greenpeace were already providing training of their own. He said he believes that training did not place the same emphasis on nonviolence or safety, though he acknowledged he did not attend any. As a result, demonstrators were putting themselves in danger and getting arrested, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trey Cox, an attorney representing Energy Transfer, questioned Wagoner over whether the trainers encouraged protesters to use lockbox devices also known as sleeping dragons to tie themselves to construction equipment and render it unusable. Energy Transfer has placed a considerable amount of emphasis on lockboxes as evidence of the lengths Greenpeace allegedly went to stop the pipeline. Some Greenpeace employees acknowledged during previous testimony that the organization brought lockboxes to the protest camps, though Wagoner said Tuesday he was not aware of this. He said that he never instructed anyone to use the devices. Cox showed Wagoner photos from the protests that appeared to show three other Indigenous Peoples Power Project members using lockboxes, including one who was receiving money from Greenpeace to train protesters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wagoner said he never used lockboxes and did not encourage others to do so. They made decisions on their own, he said. Greenpeace started presenting its case Monday afternoon. On Tuesday, an attorney representing Greenpeace said the defense could wrap up its case as early as Friday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran speaks at an April 4, 2024, cybersecurity conference at the University of Kansas. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) Dear Jerry: We go back decades, to law school days when we were figuring out where to head with our careers. After graduation, I was glad to join you at the Stinson law firm in Kansas City, where we learned about law practice and you met your wonderful wife, Robba. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have remained friends, though not always in touch after I moved into a nonpartisan career as a judge, and you obviously were not in a similar mode. (Reader: I left the bench in 2020, so I am now free to comment on public events.) So much about what you have done in your career is admirable. As the congressman from the Big First, you made sure that you visited every county, even ones with only 2,000 residents, for a town-hall-style meeting every year. Even now, you dont hide, and you have committed to continuing your public presence. We disagree about lots of things, and thats fine. Im a Democrat; youre a Republican. On many issues, I dont expect well agree. But I think weve always agreed on many of the big-picture things: The United States should be the leader of the free world, and it should keep its word when commitments are made. Just as Kansans do locally, the United States should help others when they are in need and we can help. We should follow the rule of law, and everyone should be treated equally in our justice system. Youve often spoken about things like this. Last week, youve spoken in support of Ukraine and free trade. But this is a time when more than words are needed from our leaders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While you spoke about support for Ukraine, the Trump administration voted against a United Nations resolution condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine; we voted with Russia, not Ukraine and our European allies. The Trump administration canceled a U.S. Agency for International Development grant to fix the Ukrainian electrical grid, which is under constant Russian attack, then paused military support for Ukraine, and now has stopped sharing vital intelligence information. While you spoke about free trade, the Trump administration instituted large tariffs against two of our closest allies, Canada and Mexico, making a mockery of free trade in North America something that you have said is clearly in the interest of Kansans (and the national interest too). Theres much more going on. Lets take two recent decisions: Originally listing 443 federal properties for sale, including the headquarters for the FBI, the Justice Department, the Labor Department, and the Red Cross plus one of the buildings occupied by the Agriculture Department. Canceling leases on buildings for other key governmental services, such as the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction headquarters in Maryland. Presumably, the administration plans to move various offices around the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats not about good management. No good manager, within two months of taking over a business, would do something like that unless the business was in bankruptcy. Nor does it make sense to sell buildings when the administration just ordered federal employees to return to work in person. Consider the treatment of federal workers. Like you and me, they chose to work in the public sector because they wanted to do something good for their country. They deserve our thanks, not indiscriminate firings and requests to move all over the country as the buildings they work in are sold out from under them. And if there are more government workers than we need, they deserve a decent exit, not an email to clear out their desks in 30 minutes (or less). But theres more here thats worth fighting for our justice system, our national security and our place in the world. President Donald Trump pardoned more than 1,500 people for Jan. 6, 2021, offenses, including those who entered with a weapon and assaulted police officers. One could imagine pardoning some of the nonviolent offenders, even though they committed federal offenses. But pardoning violent offenders who attacked police officers? That was a betrayal of justice and the rule of law. Nor was the rule of law involved when the Department of Justice argued in recent court pleadings that the Jan. 6 pardons covered unrelated offenses, like unlawful possession of guns and classified documents at defendants homes in California and Florida. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Someone interested in running the military in the national interest does not come in and fire the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the top naval officer, and the second in command of the Air Force unless there has been some malfeasance or refusal to follow lawful orders. Nor do you fire the top legal officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force if you want to uphold military discipline and order. You and I both know the type of people who reach positions like that. Our law school classmate, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Clyde J. Butch Tate II, a Leavenworth native, was the No. 2 person in Army JAG before he retired. Hes a perfect example of the type of person who gets to that level: honest, highly capable, patriotic and a leader. I have not talked with Butch about any of this. I mention him only to say that we both know the type of people who were fired here. And it wasnt about their job performance. Nor was the cancellation of nearly all USAID foreign assistance about performance or efficiency. Despite Congressional appropriations of funding vital to people throughout the world, that aid was simply turned off. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov now says that President Trumps foreign policy closely aligns with Russias. Thats not the America that you and I want. Thats not the America most Kansans want. And its not the America that most people voted for, whether they voted for Trump or for Kamala Harris. You have held elected public office since 1989, and you have been a United States senator since 2011. You were the campaign chair for Republicans in 2014 and led the party back to the majority with a gain of nine seats. You have earned political capital throughout your career. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now is the time to use it. As a United States senator in a 53-47 majority, you have power. Please use it. Fight for justice, for the rule of law, for honoring our international commitments and real interests, and against chaos. Stand against the erosion of justice. Defend the rule of law. Demand accountability for those who attack our democracy. Push back against reckless foreign policy decisions that weaken our national security and embolden our adversaries. Fight for Kansas farmers and businesses by rejecting damaging tariffs on our closest trading partners. Speak out against the politicization of our military leadership and federal agencies. Our nation needs principled leadership. You have spent your career building trust across the state and in Washington. Now is the moment to prove that principle still matters more than partisanship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If not now, when? Steve Leben is a law professor and a former Kansas state appellate judge. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here. A now-former Lincoln County correctional sergeant has been charged with assaulting an inmate at the Lincoln County Jail, according to statement from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Jason H. Meister, 44, of Pearson, faces one count of abuse of residents of penal facilities and one count of substantial battery following a late February incident. According to the complaint, on Feb. 28, at roughly 5:15 p.m., an unnamed inmate at the jail being held on a warrant was involved in an altercation with Meister. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a result, the inmate required medical attention after sustaining multiple broken ribs and a laceration above her right eye that required stiches. Due to the inmate's injuries and a preliminary investigation, the Lincoln County Sheriffs office contacted theWisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation requesting a criminal investigation into possible excessive use of force by Meister. The inmate told DCI she remembered having her head "banged" and "felt extreme pressure on her head," the complaint alleges. She later described being thrown onto a cell bunk and then "dragged onto the ground," where she said Meister punched and kicked her. DCI watched surveillance footage, which showed Meister grabbing the inmate by the hair or back of the head and slamming her head into the clear window of the cell, according to the complaint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meister was then described as throwing the inmate down onto the jail bench or bed. The complaint described that blood could be seen on the wall when she was pulled away to the bench or bed. Meister then pulled the inmate to the cell floor, punching and kneeing her multiple times, according to the complaint, which said footage did not show the inmate being actively resistive or fighting back. The inmate's medical records confirm her injuries and subsequent treatment at the hospital. Following the internal investigation, the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office terminated Meisters employment as a correctional sergeant with the agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DCI is leading the independent investigation into this incident and the Lincoln County District Attorneys Office is handling prosecution of this case. Meister had his initial appearance Monday, with a $2,500 bond set. If convicted, both counts each carry a fine of up to $10,000 and a maximum of 3 years of imprisonment. Contact Vanessa Swales at 414-308-5881 or vswales@gannett.com. Follow her on X @Vanessa_Swales. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Lincoln County correctional sergeant charged with assaulting an inmate Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte landed in The Hague on Wednesday, where he is to be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands. The 79-year-old is accused of crimes against humanity amid the "war on drugs" during his time in power, including the murder of at least 43 people between 2011 and 2019. Duterte was detained at the airport in Manila on Tuesday on a warrant issued by the ICC, and flown out of the Philippine capital in a chartered aircraft the same day, with a stopover in Dubai. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Duterte was president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, during which time he led a ruthless fight against drug-related crime. Police figures show that around 6,000 people were killed during the drug campaign, but human rights organizations estimate that the number was as high as 30,000. Suspects were often executed without trial. The arrest warrant states that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Duterte was individually responsible for murders that may be considered crimes against humanity, first as mayor of the city of Davao and later as president. A bus was waiting at Rotterdam The Hague Airport to take Duterte to the ICC prison, where he is to undergo a medical examination before being brought before the judge. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It will take a few months, however, before the indictment will be examined in a preliminary hearing. The ICC has been investigating the alleged crimes in the Philippines since 2018. The country announced its withdrawal from the court's founding treaty shortly after the preliminary investigation began, but remains responsible for prosecuting crimes until 2019, when the withdrawal took legal effect. Duterte is the second former head of state to be indicted by the court, after former president of the Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo, who was acquitted in 2019. A political rift between Duterte's family and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr could be a reason for the swift extradition. Vice President Sara Duterte, the former president's daughter, is currently facing impeachment proceedings. By Elizaveta Gladun and Luiza Ilie BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Former Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta joined the race for May's presidential election re-run on Wednesday as the hard right worked to ensure they had a candidate in the contest after the ban on pro-Russian Calin Georgescu threw the vote wide open. Romania is set to repeat its two-round presidential election on May 4 and 18 after the Constitutional Court voided the initial ballot in December following accusations of Russian meddling in Georgescu's favour, denied by Moscow and Georgescu. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cancelling the ballot placed the European Union and NATO state at the centre of a dispute between Europe and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump over free speech and suppressing political opponents. With the hard right scrambling before Saturday's deadline to replace Georgescu, who had been leading the opinion polls, Ponta, a former Social Democrat Party leader who has moved to the right in the past year, could pick up votes from across the political spectrum. "Victor Ponta will steal some votes from the left and the ultranationalists," said Sergiu Miscoiu, a political science professor at Babes-Bolyai University. "He aims to prove to U.S. conservative lobbyists that they have an alternative to Georgescu, one more experienced and reasonable." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Romania's president has a semi-executive role which includes chairing the council that decides on military aid and defence spending. They can also veto EU votes that require unanimity, making the role particularly important at a time when the bloc is trying to increase defence spending and develop its Ukraine strategy as the U.S. works towards brokering a peace deal. The hard right meanwhile tried to ensure that at least one of their number would be put to the voters. Georgescu himself has stopped short of endorsing a replacement. George Simion, leader of Romania's second largest party, the Alliance of Uniting Romanians, and Anamaria Gavrila, the leader of the Young People Party, said in a joint statement they would both submit candidacies to the central election bureau to ensure at least one of them gets accepted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Once our candidacies are definitively accepted, one of us will withdraw," Gavrila said in the statement with Simion after meeting Georgescu. "We must give all chances to this (ultranationalist) movement." All candidacies need to be validated by the election bureau. SECOND ROUND Simion is under investigation for inciting violence after Georgescu was barred. He says the investigation is an attempt to associate him with a violent protest he did not attend. Neither Simion nor Gavrila have made overtly pro-Russian statements such as those of Georgescu. But all three hard right parties in parliament voted against a law that enables Romania to shoot down drones breaching its airspace - something which has happened repeatedly as Russia attacks Ukraine across the river Danube from Romania. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Analysts say that if Simion's bid is accepted, he has a good chance of reaching the second round. There he could face Nicusor Dan, the centrist mayor of capital Bucharest, who had been showing as Georgescu's main contender in some of the polls. Ponta, who resigned as prime minister in November 2015, said he backed what he called the "radical change" taking place in the U.S. and courted voters with an ultranationalist leaning - while also backing the country's role in the EU and NATO. "Power must be returned to the people, taken back from systems, organisations, and parties that have seized it over the years," he said as he launched his bid. "I believe that only through this change can we have a future both in Romania and in Europe." Crin Antonescu, a centrist backed by the three parties in the ruling coalition, is also running for the presidency. (Reporting by Elizaveta Gladun and Luiza Ilie, and Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk in Warsaw; Editing by Alison Williams) GERMANTOWN, Tenn. (WKRN) President Donald Trump pardoned a former Tennessee senator convicted of campaign finance violations Tuesday afternoon. In a post to X, formerly Twitter, Brian Kelsey said Trump issued a full and unconditional pardon after being convicted of campaign finance violations. Kelsey pleaded guilty in Nov. 2022 to violating campaign finance laws and conspiring to defraud the Federal Election Commission during his 2016 bid for U.S. Congress. JANUARY: Former state lawmaker files motion to vacate conviction for campaign finance violations Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thank you for all your prayers! Praise the Lord most high! the post reads, in part. May God bless America, despite the prosecutorial sins it committed against me, President Trump, and others the past four years [sic]. And God bless Donald J. Trump for Making America Great Again! Kelsey had been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for the campaign violations weeks ago. Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) responded to Kelseys announcement on X, saying, Dude plead guilty, but sure. Representative Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) also responded on X. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Breaking the law is wrong, but the law that put Kelsey behind bars is unjust, Faison said. Congress passed that law just to keep out competition, which is exactly what they need! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Former Tennessee state Sen. Brian Kelsey, who was sentenced to 21 months on campaign finance violations, says he has received a presidential pardon after serving two weeks in federal prison. Kelsey announced on his X page Tuesday night and said President Trump had saved him from the weaponized Biden DOJ. This afternoon, I received a full and unconditional pardon form an act that even my chief accuser admitted I didnt commit. Thank you for all your prayers! Praise the Lord most high! May God bless America, despite the prosecutorial sins it committed against me, President Trump, and others the past four years. And God bless Donald J. Trump for Making America Great Again, said Kelsey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former state senator Brian Kelsey now in federal prison Kelsey, a former Republican state senator from Germantown, was indicted on five counts of campaign violations related to his failed 2016 run for the U.S. House of Representatives. FILE Former Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey, left, arrives at federal court, Nov. 22, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) He pleaded guilty to two counts in 2022 and was sentenced to 21 months in prison. In 2023, he withdrew his guilty plea, saying he was confused and inexperienced with the criminal justice system. Former senator Brian Kelsey sentenced to 21 months in campaign finance case Last month, a federal judge denied Kelseys motion to stay out of prison while the court considered a request to vacate his sentence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The court said it did not believe the Georgetown-educated lawyer and former state senator did not understand the law. Kelsey appealed the sentence, but it was upheld. Kelsey, 47, was serving his time FCI Ashland in Ashland, Kentucky. Worth Morgan, chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party, said he was surprised by the news. My initial response is, I think I was surprised like everybody else, Morgan said. President Trump has been in office for several months now, and this case has been going on for years, so you would think a pardon would come before he turns himself into prison. Morgan argued that Kelseys sentence did not match his crime in this case, and politics could have been involved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These are good laws, they should be in place. If somebody breaks them they should be held to account. But the questions is, when that prosecution becomes so excessive that it starts to take a vengeful or political tint to it, what is to be done? Morgan asked. He also speculated that this pardon could set a political precedent. This might not be the end of a long line of pardons, regardless of who is in office, Morgan said. Might be just the beginning. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Former Tennessee state Sen. Brian Kelsey exits the federal courthouse in Nashville after pleading guilty on two federal counts on Nov. 22, 2022. (Photo: John Partipilo) President Donald Trump has pardoned former state Sen. Brian Kelsey just weeks after Kelsey entered federal prison to serve what was to be a 21-month sentence on federal campaign finance charges. Kelsey, who pleaded guilty in 2022 to two counts of violating federal campaign finance laws in a scheme to bolster his failed 2016 congressional campaign, in a statement blamed political weaponization by the Department of Justice under former President Joe Biden for his conviction. Like President Trump, Ive seen how the justice system can be weaponized to target conservatives who challenge the status quo, Kelsey said in a press release. His understanding of this injustice, born from his own experiences with lawfare, has restored my freedom and reaffirmed my faith in true leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ex-senator funneled more than $90,000 from his state account to his congressional campaign through two political action committees, illicitly using soft money not governed by federal laws. Kelsey, an attorney, attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, saying he wasnt of sound mind because his wife had recently given birth to twins and his father, who later died, was sick. Kelsey reported to FCI Ashland in Kentucky on February 25 after exhausting all appeals to reverse his plea, appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear an appeal. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) A Cresson man is now facing charges after he allegedly stole money from a club while he was their treasurer. Matthew Snyder, 45, is facing charges after the Slavish Citizens Club of Lilly came forward about stolen funds, according to a criminal complaint. In April 2024, the club reported to the Pennsylvania State Police that they believed Snyder had stolen funds from the club during his time as treasurer. In May 2024, the club was contacted by their bank and informed that Snyder had allegedly cashed out a deposit and forged the signature of the clubs president. Once this happened, the club relieved Snyder of his duties and began investigating all their accounts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former secretary accused of stealing $50K from Cambria County club In June 2024, the club hired accountants to complete a forensic audit of the time Snyder was treasurer. He was found to be responsible for the following shortages and charges, according to the affidavit: $129,151 in Skill Games deposit shortages $143,643.93 in cash shortages (bar, dues, tickets) $674.59 in penalties $234 in back charges (insufficient funds) In total, Snyder is accused of taking $273,703.52 from the club and using it for his own personal gain. In Feb. 2025, Snyder was interviewed by police and allegedly admitted to stealing from the club. Adding that while he was treasurer, he would falsify treasurer reports to make it seem as though he was correctly depositing funds for the club, troopers noted in court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Snyder was arraigned and released on $100,000 unsecured bail. Hes facing charges of theft by unlawful taking, forgery, theft by failure to make required deposits and theft by deception. Get the latest news, weather forecasts and sports stories delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for our newsletters. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 15. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ - www.wtaj.com. Ruth Marcus, who recently quit The Washington Post after more than four decades at the storied newspaper, unveiled in The New Yorker on Wednesday the rejected column about Jeff Bezos new opinion mandate that led to her resignation. My job is supposed to be to tell you what I think, not what Jeff Bezos thinks I should think, Marcus wrote in the opinion piece that she claims was nixed by the Posts embattled publisher Will Lewis. Besides revealing the column that led to her abrupt departure from the Post, Marcus asserted in a separate piece for The New Yorker that her former employer also didnt run another critique of Bezoss edict that his papers opinion section will concentrate on supporting personal liberties and free markets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Noting that other columnists successfully tested Bezoss new demand, such as Dana Milbanks clever column that said if they were to defend Bezoss twin pillars then they must redouble our fight against the single greatest threat to personal liberties and free markets in the United States today: President Donald Trump, Marcus wrote that another writer was not so lucky. Our media critic, Erik Wemple, was less fortunate, she asserted. His straightforward column disagreeing with the Bezos announcement I read it in our internal system, and found it perfectly reasonable never ran. Jeff Bezos recently handed down a mandate that the Washington Posts opinion section will devote itself to defending two pillars: free markets and personal liberties. (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) A spokesperson for The Washington Post did not respond to a request for comment. Wemple declined to comment. Explaining why she decided to write her column that respectfully dissented with the billionaire owners new opinion direction, Marcus pointed out that she had already spoken out forcefully against Bezoss decision to kill the editorial boards endorsement of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, which inevitably led to hundreds of thousands of canceled subscriptions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Censoring columnists was way worse. Having written then, how could I stay silent and live with myself now? Still, I hesitated, she noted. Since Trumps Inauguration, I had been writing at a furious pace, assailing his blizzard of executive orders, his assaults on the rule of law, his dismantling of the Justice Department, which I had covered as a young reporter. Was speaking out on Bezos important enough to risk losing the platform that the Post provided? She added that she gave her editors a way to get to yes in approving the column, insisting that it was meek to the point of embarrassing as she did not mention Bezos post-election efforts to cozy up to Trump. Still, she felt it was important for her to put her reasons for disagreement on the record, arguing that running it would enhance the Posts credibility, not undermine it. After submitting the column to her editor, she stated, silence ensued for more than two days as it was reviewed by management. In the end, she was informed that Lewis had said no to the piece. Pause here for a moment: I know of no other episode at The Washington Post, and I have checked with longtime employees at the paper, when a publisher has ordered a column killed, Marcus asserted. According to Marcus, she asked editor Mary Duenwald who handed down the verdict from Lewis if she could discuss the matter with the publisher directly. I asked to speak with Lewis, she wrote. He declined to see me, instructing an editor to inform me that there was no reason to meet, because his decision was final. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marcus concluded: I wish we could return to the newspaper of a not so distant past. But that is not to be, and here is the unavoidable truth: The Washington Post I joined, the one I came to love, is not The Washington Post I left. As for the nixed Post column itself, which Marcus provided to The New Yorker, she conceded that while its Bezoss prerogative to shape the opinion coverage. At the same time, she wrote that narrowing the range of acceptable opinions is an unwise course, one that disserves and underestimates our readers. Noting that the Post broadened its conservative offerings to include the point of view of Trump voters after his first election win, Marcus felt that the readers benefited from that diversity of opinion. How does the new focus on personal liberties and free markets fit into this? What viewpoints opposing those pillars consist of is a mystery. Compliance is in the eye of the beholder, whomever that might turn out to be, she stated in the rejected piece. We have been assured by our interim managers that decision-making will proceed unchanged as we await a new opinion editor to implement the Bezos vision. But that is merely a postponement of sentence, unless we are to believe that it means no change at all, which does not seem to be Bezoss intent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While pondering what opinions would or wouldnt pass the smell test of Bezoss mandate, Marcus suggested that Bezos was handcuffing the papers writers with his narrow policy. On top of that, she contended that the Amazon founder was leaving an opening for critics to accuse him of advancing his own interests. It was one thing when the owner chose to dispense with Presidential endorsements. The editorial page, consisting of unsigned editorials, reflects the views of the owner. Signed opinions express the views of their creator, she stated. My job is supposed to be to tell you what I think, not what Jeff Bezos thinks I should think. Marcus added: And now comes the dicey part, because the Bezos missive does not arrive in a vacuum but in the context of the owners repeated overtures to Trump. Whatever his internal motivations, it is asking a lot of readers not to suspect that Bezoss personal business interests play no role here. Meanwhile, amid Bezoss increasingly friendly relationship with the media-bashing president, the Blue Origin owners opinion mandate has not only been pilloried by journalists but has also resulted in at least another 75,000 canceled subscriptions from infuriated readers. Still, it would appear that the White House and MAGA world are impressed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ostensibly talking about the Post recently overhauling its newsroom structure to broaden the outlet's coverage and reach a wider audience, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made a point of commending the paper at the top of her press briefing on Tuesday. It appears that the mainstream media, including The Post, is finally learning that having disdain for more than half of the country who supports this president does not help you sell newspapers, she said. Its not a very good business model. A Fort Mill man was accused of being a predator in a speech by South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace. Rep. Nancy Mace accuses ex-fiance, associates of assaulting her, raping others in House speech Hes one of four men she made accusations against on the House floor. In the video at the top of this webpage, Brian Musgrave spoke with CNN about how the allegations have impacted him and his family. (WATCH: U.S. Rep. Nancy Maces full speech) Video in the player above shows what to do if you witness a crash on roads and highways. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) The Fort Tejon Area of the California Highway Patrol welcomed its lieutenant as a new commander at the begining of March. Lieutenant Rudy Alcarez was transfered to the Fort Tejon Area after serving as the Field Operations Lieutenant in the Bakersfield area. Highway patrol officials said Alcarez began his career as a California Highway Patrol officer in the Newhall Area and from there, he was selected to be an academy instructor for the academy. In 2016, Alcarez was promoted to sergeant in the CHP Bakersfield Area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kern County Supervisors were not informed of ongoing EBT theft by District Attorneys office In 2023, Alcarez served as the Administrative and Field Operations Lieutenant in the CHP San Diego Area. In a written statement Alcarez said: It is my privilege to introduce myself as the Commander of the CHP Fort Tejon Area. Our mission is to provide the highest level of safety, service and security through the Tejon Pass region with dedication and integrity. I look forward to fostering trust, building strong relationships, and working with my allied partners to provide exceptional public service in the community and to travelers. Lieutenant Alcaraz CHP officials said Alcarez has lived in Kern County for over two decades and graduated from the California Highway Patrol Academy in 2009. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17 News. The Fort Worth Independent School Districts board voted Tuesday to hire longtime district administrator Karen Molinar to do the job shes been doing on an interim basis for five months superintendent of schools. Molinar, a 26-year veteran of Fort Worth ISD, was appointed interim superintendent on Oct. 8, about a week after Superintendent Angelica Ramseys resignation. Tuesdays 8-0 vote came nearly a month after the board voted to name Molinar the lone finalist for the job. At a news conference after Tuesdays vote, Molinar said improving academic performance, particularly in reading, would be her top priority. Literacy will remain the districts top priority until it closes the achievement gaps for Black students and students who are learning English, and until the district doesnt lag behind the rest of the state on state tests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Molinar acknowledged that the district has a long way to go to reach those goals. For the past several years, Fort Worth ISD has consistently been the lowest-performing big urban district in Texas. But in the district and elsewhere, there are examples of schools that have helped Black students and those who are learning English make progress, she said. She pointed to Alice Contreras and De Zavala elementary schools in Fort Worth ISD as bright spots in the district. By looking at what those campuses and successful schools in other districts are doing right, district leaders can replicate those ideas elsewhere, she said. As district leaders and board members work on a budget for the next school year, theyll also be reallocating money to give more support to the districts reading programs, Molinar said. District leaders are already looking at summer training programs for principals and assistant principals in how to handle reading instruction, she said. We have a long way to go a very long way to go, she said. Reading instruction is key priority for FWISD Molinar has made reading a priority since taking over as interim superintendent. At the first board meeting after she took the interim job, she spoke frankly about the districts shortcomings, saying the district was at risk of another year of lackluster academic progress if teachers and district leaders didnt act immediately. Among other steps, she announced a plan to send central office staff out into the district to work with students who need extra support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At a meeting in January, the board adopted a resolution naming literacy as its top priority and directing the superintendent to put together a plan to get students up to grade level in reading. During a news conference before the meeting, Molinar said literacy rates represent a crisis in Fort Worth and Tarrant County. She outlined the early details of a plan to get students on track, including developing a district-wide framework for how schools handle literacy instruction, aligning budgets and school resources behind literacy priorities and monitoring students progress. Fort Worth ISDs reading scores have been stagnant for more than a decade. The percentage of students scoring on grade level in reading on the state test has generally hovered between 28-33% since 2014. More than half the districts fourth- and eighth-graders scored below basic proficiency in reading on last years National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly known as the Nations Report Card. That designation means those students havent even partially mastered the skills they need to be proficient readers. More top stories from our newsroom: Sheriff blames clerical error for failure to report jail death to AG Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Suspect accused of killing roommate arrested after police chase Grief lasts for mom who lost daughter to domestic violence [Get our breaking news alerts.] During the public comment section of Tuesdays meeting, Steven Poole, executive director of United Educators Association, said Molinars hiring represented the first time in a very long time that he felt hopeful for the district. Poole said the Fort Worth ISD teachers in his organization represents support her hiring, as well. Poole pointed to the board meeting in late August when Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker spoke to the board, calling for a city-wide effort to boost academic performance in the district. Without steady board leadership, the district could easily have spun out of control, he said. But instead, the board found an effective leader in Molinar, he said. Molinars experience as a teacher and administrator in Fort Worth ISD gives her credibility with teachers and staff in the district, he said. She doesnt need to go on a listening tour, he said. They know her and she knows them. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Four civilians were killed and two others wounded in a Ukrainian attack on Wednesday on a feed mill in Russia's western Kursk region, the governor said. Three men and one woman, employees at the mill in Kozyrevka, died, Alexander Khinshtein wrote on Telegram. One of the injured had been hospitalised, he said. Battles between Russian and Ukrainian troops are under way in Kursk, where Russian troops have made major gains in recent days in their push to drive out Ukrainian forces who have been clinging onto a slice of the region since last August. (Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) Cleveland police are investigating a crash that left four people dead. Police confirmed that two of the victims were 18 and 14 years old. 4th teen identified in deadly Cleveland crash It happened around 12:40 a.m. Wednesday along W. 106th Street between Western and Madison avenues. Cleveland EMS said that four people, two males and two females, were confirmed dead at the scene. All of the victims were believed to be in their 20s, but later, Cleveland Chief of Police Dorothy Todd said the victims may be teenagers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cleveland police said the vehicle, a Hyundai Sonata, was stolen. According to Todd, the vehicle was reported stolen on February 27 from a home on Wichita Drive. She said the owner of the vehicle last saw it on the street in front of his home. It is unclear what caused the car to crash into a tree. Officials said the crash was not the result of a police chase. FOX 8 pictures and video from the scene show the car split into pieces and shattered when it slammed into the tree. The car was taken away in pieces on two different tow trucks, and chunks of the tree are missing. Embalmer charged with castrating sex offenders corpse FOX 8 photo FOX 8 photo FOX 8 photo FOX 8 photo FOX 8 photo FOX 8 photo FOX 8 photo FOX 8 photo FOX 8s Stacey Frey spoke with a neighbor, who said they heard a car racing down the street and then the violent crash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Cleveland Division of Police Accident Investigation Unit was on the scene. So far, they report, the vehicle was traveling northbound at what appears to be excessive speed when it lost control and went off the roadway, slightly colliding with a tree and eventually crashing into another tree. Police said that three of the occupants were thrown from the car. The driver was not. All four were pronounced dead at the scene. No other vehicles or homes on the street were hit. Big lottery win at local Giant Eagle This is an absolute tragedy to have 4 young people killed in this type of tragic accident, Todd said during a press conference Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. March 11 (UPI) -- Four Dominican nationals have been sentenced for attempting to smuggle tropical birds from San Juan, Puerto Rico, into the Dominican Republic, and then drowning them to "cover up their crime." Many of the birds -- including white-crowned parrots, golden-capped parakeets and green-cheeked conures -- are internationally protected species. Red-crowned parrots, also found in the defendants' possession, have the highest level of international protection due to their risk of extinction. According to court documents, the four Dominican nationals were traveling with more than 100 tropical birds aboard a boat on May 3. They did not have wildlife export licenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the U.S. Coast Guard approached the boat north of Puerto Rico, they saw the crew throwing wooden cages overboard. The USCG boarded the boat and recovered 113 dead birds from the ocean. "Defendants were caught in the act of smuggling tropical birds from Puerto Rico, and then drowned them to cover up their crime," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "Whether it's wildlife or other natural resources or goods, smuggling is illegal." Four defendants were sentenced for smuggling wildlife after throwing caged crates with tropical birds into the ocean to "cover up their crime." Photo courtesy of U.S. Justice Department/Indictment Franglais Varela De Jesus was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, while Domingo Heureau Altagracia was sentenced to eight months in prison. Waner Balbuena and Juan Gravel Ramirez Cedano were each sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison. "This was a unique case for our Coast Guard crews who usually enforce fisheries laws to protect living marine resources in and around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The successful prosecution and sentencing in this case are a testimony to our strong partnerships and collaboration to secure our maritime borders and to deter illicit trafficking that fuels criminal enterprises," said Commander Matthew Romano, Coast Guard Sector San Juan chief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In this case, endangering the welfare of animals for personal gain was not only cruel -- it was illegal," said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. "I commend the excellent collaboration of the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners who remain steadfast in their commitment to protecting our wildlife," Muldrow added. "Because of their hard work, justice was served." Press Release March 12, 2025 Statement of Senate President Francis Chiz G. Escudero The peaceful and orderly service of the Interpol warrantcarried out without incidentreflects our nation's commitment to upholding international agreements, as well as the maturity, civility, calm, and professionalism of all those involved: our law enforcement authorities, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, his lawyers, and his supporters. As this legal process unfolds, we expect the International Criminal Court (ICC) to respect the rights of former President Duterte and to ensure that he is afforded due process in accordance with the Rule of Law. This development will undoubtedly elicit diverse reactions shaped by differing perspectives on the allegations against the former president, from the families of victims of extra-judicial killings to his loyal supporters. Debate and disagreement are natural in a democracy, but as we move forward, I urge our kababayan to approach this moment with the restraint and respect displayed yesterday by the protagonists from both sides. I also call on those running in the midterm elections to refrain from using this issue to fan the flames of partisanship in order to further their candidacies as this is a serious issue that involves lives and should not be trifled with for petty personal or political gain. It is in our nation's best interests to demonstrate our strength not by division, but by our capacity to rise above our differences and to collectively and peacefully uphold justice and accountability. (Reuters) - A Russian missile attack on Tuesday damaged a grain vessel in the Black Sea port of Odesa, killing four people, Ukrainian authorities said. A ballistic missile struck the MJ Pinar bulk carrier that was loading wheat for Algeria, killing four Syrian nationals and injuring one other Syrian and a Ukrainian, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram. "Russia is attacking Ukraine's infrastructure, including ports, which are involved in ensuring the world's food security," Kuleba said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Global grain merchant Louis Dreyfus Company said in an emailed statement that the vessel had been loading at its Brooklyn-Kiev terminal at Odesa port, with terminal infrastructure also damaged. LDC said its terminal employees were safe, with the dead among the crew of the chartered vessel. Kuleba said another vessel was also damaged, without giving further details. Ukraine, like Russia, is a major grain exporter. It has managed to re-establish large-scale maritime exports during the war, despite Russian strikes on ports. Chicago wheat futures, a global price benchmark, were little changed on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine also reported other Russian strikes overnight as fighting continues in the three-year-old war in parallel to U.S. efforts to negotiate a ceasefire. (Reporting by Yuliia Dysa, Pavel Polityuk and Gus Trompiz; Editing by Hugh Lawson) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) Several Tri-Cities private schools are among those that have shown early interest in participating in Gov. Bill Lees newly expanded school voucher program. The Tennessee Department of Education on Tuesday released a list of 162 private schools that had already signaled an intent to participate in the program. Department of Education lays off nearly half of workforce Four Tri-Cities schools were on the list: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement St. Dominic Catholic School Lakeway Christian Schools: Tri-Cities Christian Academy St. Mary School Johnson City Lakeway Christian Schools: Boones Creek Christian Academy A quality education has the power to change the trajectory of a childs life, and Im grateful that Tennessee parents will have the opportunity to choose the best school for their child through the Education Freedom Scholarship Program, Lee said in a release. I commend the participating schools for their partnership to deliver excellent educational choices for parents in the coming school year. In January, state lawmakers passed the governors Education Freedom Scholarship Act, which expanded the states school voucher program to all 95 counties. The program will provide scholarships of around $7,000 to parents to help cover tuition and costs of sending their children to private schools. The complete list of schools that have expressed interest in the voucher program can be found on the departments website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. Fox News Jessica Tarlov clashed with Jeanine Pirro, co-host of The Five, on Tuesday for defending President Donald Trumps trade war with Canada. Pirro as part of a panel discussion claimed that Trump is protecting American industries as she pressed that the U.S. needs to bring manufacturing back to the country in order to benefit American workers and preserve jobs. So stop with the tariffs, its the leverage that we need to protect said Pirro, before Tarlov interjected: He needs to stop the tariffs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No, no, no. No. Im glad he did what he did with Canada because they Pirro said. Because you have enough money to survive it, said Tarlov of Pirro, again interrupting. Thats not the point, Pirro responded. Trumps on-again, off-again plans for tariffs have sparked economic uncertainty in recent days as the president has ignited a trade war with Americas neighbors up north. On Tuesday, the president took to his Truth Social platform to share his plans to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada. Just hours later, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick would announce that Canadas plans to drop a 25% surcharge on electricity to U.S. states were off, as were Americas plans for a larger tariff on aluminum and steel imports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elsewhere on The Five, Tarlov hit her co-host Jesse Watters with a quote from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who called it insulting for an Associated Press reporter to test her knowledge on economics after she called tariffs a tax cut for Americans on Tuesday. Ill test your knowledge on economics, Jesse. Are tariffs a tax on the American consumer? Tarlov asked. Watters went on to argue that tariffs on foreign products makes American workers richer, claiming that every president has done it to bring back domestic jobs. Did you know that Richard Nixon ... began the pickup truck industry in this country because of a tariff on the Europeans? Did you know that Reagan slapped tariffs on Japan and ended up triggering a semiconductor renaissance in this country, Watters said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Did anyone slap tariffs on Canada? Tarlov asked. He is protecting American industries Pirro chimed in. From the Canadians? Tarlov replied. Related... FRANKLIN, La. (KLFY) Authorities are asking for assistance in locating Elijah Smith, who is wanted for attempted murder and other charges, said Franklin Police Department. Police said Smith is wanted for the following alleged charges: attempted first degree murder, illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities, and simple assault. Authorities believe Smith is involved in the investigation from March 8. regarding calls of shots fired in the area of Iberia Street, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This investigation is still ongoing and additional arrests are pending. If there is anyone has information on Smiths whereabouts, they are ask to contact the Franklin Police Department at 337-828-1716. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Elijah Smith Latest news Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. Its an elusive dream for so many docmakers: to impact legislation, to find justice, to make a difference. To change the world. With Free Leonard Peltier, filmmakers Jesse Short Bull (Lakota Nation vs. United States) and David France (How To Survive a Plague) achieved their eponymous goal: Seven days before the world premiere of their film at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in January, President Joe Biden, in his last act before leaving office, issued a clemency order, commuting Peltiers sentence to home confinement. The Native American activist had served nearly 50 years in a federal prison, having been convicted of murder of two FBI agents in a shootout at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota in 1975. Peltiers attorneys and supporters would wage a decades-long battle through appeals, writs and petitions to circuit courts, federal courts, the U.S. Supreme Court and three U.S. presidents, alleging numerous incidents of misconduct by the FBI in Peltiers case. His cause became a global cause celebre, attracting the support of Nobel Laureates, scholars, artists, and civil rights leaders. More from Deadline Free Leonard Peltier The Free Leonard Peltier team rushed back to the editing room to add this happy ending, working at a feverish pace to craft a new DCP for the January 27th premiere. Peltier was released on February 18 from a federal correctional facility in Florida to home confinement at the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota. The film screens Wednesday at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival after celebrating its international premiere at TiDF Tuesday night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Jesse Short Bull and David France hadnt worked together before, they both came to the project with a long history of activismand a deep admiration for Peltier and his iconic stature. France was in the audience at a 2022 screening of Short Bulls previous film, Lakota Nation vs. United States. Short Bulls producers, Jody Archambault, Jane Myers and Bird Runningwater, made the introduction between the filmmakers. PARK CITY, UTAH JANUARY 27: (L-R) David France, Jesse Short Bull, Amber Morning Star Byars, Jhane Myers and Jodi Archambau attend the Free Leonard Peltier premiere at Sundance France has had a distinguished career as a journalist, activist and filmmaker, having focused primarily on the LGBTQ+ movement. He was very much aware of, and inspired by, the American Indian Movement (AIM) during its heyday in the 1970s. The American Indian Movement was in my childhood, a very significant force, drove a lot of news coverage and animated a lot of peoples interest in justice, France tells Deadline. I saw it as a natural outgrowth of the kind of political activism that Ive covered from the queer perspective, to see where those parallels were. Short Bull, a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe, grew up in South Dakota, near the Pine Ridge Reservation. Over the past decade, hes been active in his community, helping to provide support for Native college students and participating in filmmaking workshops. How did the two filmmakers complement each other? My philosophy is, How can I best serve the story? he says. David had a pretty extensive background with Leonards story, and I didnt have anywhere near that level of understanding of some of the events. However, Im from Pine Ridge. I live here, in southwestern South Dakota. Im active within my tribe. Im really rooted here in the community. Once I started to familiarize myself with Leonards story, then it became whatever we can do to make it the most effective that we can. I became a servant to the story, in that sense. 'Incident at Oglala' poster The story of AIM, Peltier and the conflicts at Pine Ridge have been the subject of several documentaries over the past few decades, including Michael Apteds Incident at Oglala (1993) and Stanley Nelson and Julianna Brannums Wounded Knee (2009). Much has come to light in the decades since those films, including, most recently, a letter from U.S. Attorney James H. Reynolds that sharply criticized Peltiers trial and how federal authorities handled the case. We wanted to use the advantage of having hindsight, to be able to tell the full story, says France. We wanted to ask the question, Why did this happen? As far as our division of labor went, Jesse really led the research initiative to try to get to those answers. Jesse brought all of that to the interviewing; I was more involved in the shaping of the archive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a 2024 interview with Julianna Brannum in the Oklahoma-based publication Luxiere, Brannum points out that in making Wounded Knee, Nelson had admitted that he didnt know much about Native history but as an African American, he knew about generational trauma, and he understood that there are differences in trauma and how it affects different people. For France, generational trauma figured largely in joining the Free Leonard Peltier project. At one of our meetings, I realized that all of us who were principally involved were either Native or queer or both, France recalls. We all brought a tremendous history of personal trauma to all of these questions that we were taking on. That united us in our dedicated pursuit of truth in this story. What we all shared was the experience of having things go remarkably badly based on prejudice in our personal lives, in our collective communities. It wasnt hard for us to see where that happened in the story of Leonard Peltier, where he was carrying the weight of punishment that the federal government wanted to burden the entire movement with. In the process of interviewing the witnesses, survivors and elders, Short Bull deployed a style rooted more in the Lakota culture of storytelling than in common journalistic practice. What was ingrained in me being around Pine Ridge was how you communicate with people. Essentially, every word that you speak should be viewed like a prayer. So you have to be really careful about what you say and how you talk to people that are older than you. In this process of filmmaking, its a delicate balance, Short Bull continues. You want to try to get to the story, but you also have to take into account that theres a spiritual component to every action that we do. How I navigate that balance is by trying to treat everyone like I would my grandparents or my closest relative. Some of these things are so intense that how you talk about them has to be done with great care, great purpose Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For France, this protocol meant rethinking the art of interviewing, as informed by his longtime journalistic practice. When I first started on the project, Id spent some time on the reservation in Pine Ridge, but [this] was my first time as a storyteller, as a journalist, and I recognized that it was a world that was very different from the one I come from. One of our producers suggested that we begin our process with a prayer for the production. We reached out to a spiritual leader, who gathered us together and offered a prayer for us, but it was also a kind of a master class in how we had to go about our research on this project. The key thing that he said to me was, Dont ask for anything; wait for it to come. He also said something that they tell us in journalism school: Leave yourself behind. I attempt to practice what I sometimes call radical empathy in my journalism, France continues. Its an effort to really remove my own perspective and point of view in order to try and feel what the person feels, whose story Im telling, or what their community feels. I knew it was going to be difficult for me in this story. Just watching Jesses remarkable interviewing patterns and how deep he was able to penetrate the story, without really asking for the story. And often, Jesse would keep his eyes closed through the interview, and didnt ask follow-up questions. Banner calling for freedom for Leonard Peltier Speaking of interviews, journalist Kevin McKiernan, who covered the Pine Ridge episode and its aftermath, spoke to Peltier in 1990, and that conversation serves as a narrative throughline for the film. Short Bull and France used other audio sources, such as phone conversations friends and family had surreptitiously recorded. Thanks to AI technology, the filmmakers enhanced the quality of all of the recordings. We were able to take the vocal data set from that interview that Kevin did and use Leonards voice to re-voice Leonards voice, and put it all into this kind of singular vocal environment to make it seem as though it were a master interview that drove the entire thing, France explains. And there was a small part where we used his writings to address an area that he hadnt covered. This was all done with his permission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to the interviews and footage, the filmmakers availed themselves of massive amounts of material compiled by both AIM and the NDN Collective, a South Dakota-based Indigenous-led activist organization. President Bidens 11th-hour clemency culminated a positive series of circumstances: Biden had also appointed the first Native American cabinet secretary, Deb Haaland, as Secretary of the Interior, and just weeks before the U.S. presidential election, he issued a public apology for the U.S. Indian Boarding School Program, a notorious chapter of cultural erasure, forced assimilation and rampant abuse. In addition, the filmmakers and their impact team presented a work-in-progress screening of Free Leonard Peltier on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC in December that was well-attended and well-received. People really felt the need to do something on Leonards case, France maintains. Bidens legacy is that he has been the most pro-Indigenous president in U.S. history, and that he could really seal that with clemency for Leonard. I think that that conversation, of which we played a very small part, was really beginning to ramp up after December. But now, given the current administrations turbo-charged authoritarian proclivities, the team is facing significant headwinds. Nonetheless, they are fielding invitations from festivals, are in talks with prospective distributors, and as part of their impact campaign, they will take Free Leonard Peltier on a reservation tour, with significant support from the California-based San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the films presenting partner. There is hope, Short Bull asserts. Back in the 70s, things got so bad. There was no justice; it was just so dangerous, but especially to a lot of the people that I know from Pine Ridge, who keep history and stories. Weve seen darker days, where our people were hurting each other regularly. But a lot of positive activity grew out of that. So you can look to history to see how you can get through times where these things seem scary. If we can crawl out of that, we can get out of any situation. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Mar. 12By Laura Hancock Cleveland.com (TNS) COLUMBUS A coalition of anti-hunger advocates and students is calling for the Ohio General Assembly to pay for universal free school meals in the budget. Hunger-Free Schools Ohio began organizing two years ago, during the last state budget cycle, for the legislature to better fund school breakfasts and lunches. Hunger-Free Schools Ohio is a coalition of over 50 organizations, including the Ohio Children's Hospital Association, Kroger Co. and CVS Health, all dedicated to ending childhood hunger by ensuring all students have access to nutritious school meals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This year's ask from the coalition would cost $300 million a year to pay for both breakfast and lunch for students in public, private and charter schools that participate in the school lunch and breakfast programs, it announced during a Tuesday morning press conference. If the legislature balks at the price tag, the coalition proposes to fund just universal breakfasts, said Cyndy Rees, executive director of the Council for a Strong Ohio and member of the anti-hunger coalition. That would cost about $50 million a year. The request comes as the state, while still operating in the black, hasn't recently met tax revenue projections. That, coupled with the loss of federal COVID-19 funds, has resulted in a tighter budget bill this year. In fact, if the legislature adopts Gov. Mike DeWine's budget recommendations, schools will see $103 million in cuts over the next two years. "It's an uphill battle, for sure, but to be honest with you, if you really think about it, it isn't extraordinary. We haven't been feeding our kids," Rees said. "How many of us go to meetings for our work and there's always a box lunch?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the Ohio Senate, a bipartisan bill to provide universal free meals would cost around $297 million a year, said sponsor state Sen. Louis "Bill" Blessing, a Cincinnati-area Republican. When considering the billions in the state budget, the meal cost "really isn't all that much money in the grand scheme of things," Blessing said. It's a matter of choices. Do we do that? Or do we do an income tax cut? I would be much more in favor of that than I would be of an income tax cut." John Fortney, a spokesman for Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, didn't say whether McColley supported universal free meals or the bipartisan bill. "School meals are a topic for operating budget discussions," Fortney said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The operating budget bill currently is being debated in the Ohio House. Once it passes that chamber, it will move to the Ohio Senate. In the last two-year state operating budget, lawmakers directed $26.3 million over the biennium for school meals. This allowed students who were eligible for reduced-price meals to get them for free, Fortney said. "Ohio made significant increases in expanding funding for school meal programs in the current budget recognizing the importance of nutrition for children, and that will continue to be a topic in developing Ohio's next two-year budget that is already underway," he said. This year, DeWine is urging every school district to apply for the Community Eligibility Provision. That's a federal program in which each student in a school gets free meals if at least 25% of the students come from families with incomes at or below the federal poverty level, which is $32,150 for family of four. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Schools with the Community Eligibility Provision get federal government reimbursements for meals, which can be up to $4.69 per lunch and up to $2.84 per breakfast. The higher the poverty rate is, the more federal funds are available. The state reimbursement is $0.30 per breakfast and $0.40 per lunch, regardless of poverty levels. Some schools meet the 25% threshold, but don't apply for the Community Eligibility Provision because their poverty rate isn't high enough to get significant U.S. Department of Agriculture reimbursements, which leaves them on the hook to cover the remaining cost of free meals, Rees said. That's why the $300 million annual state funding would help, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hunger-Free Schools Ohio is encouraged that the governor wants all schools to apply for the Community Eligibility Provision. But Deanne Kelbley, Lorain County's Amherst Exempted Village Schools' nutrition services supervisor, said it doesn't go far enough. "For many children, school breakfast and lunch are the only consistent nutritious meals that they receive," Kelbley said. "I have seen students rush in the cafeteria on Monday morning, sometimes not having eaten all weekend, just so they can come get breakfast. I watch kids actually pack away food in their backpacks to take home later." Without the distraction of hunger, students behave and perform better in class. Giving everyone free meals would take away the stigma lower-income students face, coalition members said. Several students spoke in favor of universal free school meals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CJ Eaton, a junior at Antwerp High School in Paulding County, said the issue is personal. His mother entered the workforce late last year, and he lost his free lunch eligibility. "Unfortunately, even with both of my parents working, as is the case for many Ohio families, money is still tight," he said. Georgianna Damschroder, a student at Shawnee High School in Allen County, said she's watched friends skip meals during the day, so they have enough money for other expenses. "As I walk through the school cafeteria with one of my good friends, I grab my full tray of food. He grabs just a bag of chips. I ask him if he wants anything more and he replies, 'I'm not that hungry,'" said Connor Morrison, a senior at Olentangy Orange High School in Delaware County. "My friend is one of the students across Ohio and across the nation who struggle to pay for a school meal every day. School meals are more important than you can imagine. Hungry kids can't learn." germi_p In this op-ed, Elevate Us founder Manju Bangalore explores the need for menstrual justice during Women's History Month and beyond. In 2019, 14-year-old Jackline Chepngeno, died by suicide after being shamed for a period stain at school in Kenya. That same year, a 21-year-old Nepali woman, Parwati Bogati, died from suffocation after being banished to a hut during her period. Menstrual injustice is pervasive across the world including here in the United States. Lack of access to period education anywhere, especially about toxic shock syndrome, can lead to fatal complications. Lack of access to period products can lead to infections, and with nearly 1 in 4 American teens reporting that they cant afford or dont have access to period products, period poverty remains a critical issue here in the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When teens dont have access to menstrual products, they are more likely to miss school or lack concentration and participation in class, which can lead to suspension or expulsion in extreme cases. For marginalized people, the impacts of menstrual injustice are magnified. Disabled menstruators face heightened challenges from public restroom inaccessibility, to menstrual product design limitations, to medical ableism. Trans and nonbinary menstruators often face the impossible choice between affirming their identity and accessing menstrual products in public restrooms, all while contending with the increasing erosion of LGBTQ+ protections. And, it extends beyond just the act of menstruation. When teens dont have access to comprehensive health education, they are more at risk for pregnancy at a younger age increasing the risk of maternal mortality. For Black and Hispanic menstruators, this risk is exacerbated. Menstrual equity, or equitable access to menstrual products, should be an inherent right for all menstruators. But I believe we need to go a step further. We must address the root causes of why menstruators dont have access to basic necessities in the first place. That's why we need menstrual freedom. Menstrual freedom, a term coined by our team at Elevate Us (formerly Operation Period), advocates for the abolition of any system or barrier that prevents someone from experiencing their period with dignity. Menstrual freedom calls on us to center the most marginalized among us, and it demands that we fight for systemic change because menstrual equity is the floor, not the ceiling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since founding Elevate Us in 2015, my mission has been to help create a world that fights for, protects, and cares for menstruators. We have distributed hundreds of thousands of products to those in need; held more than 75 events in collaboration with partners to connect with and engage our communities; named the month of May as International Period Month; advocated at the local, state, and federal level; and worked to educate thousands of young people on their bodies and their rights. In 2023, we built out the Youth Institute for Gender Justice to train and equip the next generation of leaders with the knowledge and resources they need to fight for menstrual freedom in their communities. Were also working on a short film with Unincarcerated Productions to bring awareness to the injustices incarcerated menstruators face. So, what do I believe menstrual freedom looks like for us? Its a world where menstruation isnt a barrier to anyone's education, health, or sense of self. Its a world where menstrual products are as freely available as toilet paper in every public restroom. Its a world where education systems provide comprehensive, inclusive menstrual health education, free from stigma and misinformation. It means designing menstrual products and facilities that cater to the diverse needs of all menstruators and ensuring that no one is excluded due to inaccessibility. It means creating policies and protections that affirm the identities of trans and nonbinary menstruators, ensuring they feel safe and supported in every space. At its core, menstrual freedom demands that we dismantle systems of oppression that uphold menstrual injustice. It envisions equitable healthcare access, where menstruators receive unbiased, compassionate care, regardless of their background, identity, incarceration status, or socioeconomic status. It calls for an end to the shame that perpetuates silence and exclusion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Menstrual freedom is a future where menstruators can participate fully in their communities without fear, shame, or barriers. Its a collective commitment to equity, justice, and dignity. With a new Presidential administration that's actively restricting certain protections for women, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, and others, it is even more urgent that we fight for and prioritize menstrual freedom for all. And young people must lead this movement because it is our future at stake. Now more than ever, its time to create a world where menstruation holds no one back. Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) Students at the University of Illinois now have access to free, comprehensive test prep courses, meant to help them prepare for graduate admissions and licensing exams. Beginning on Sunday, campus enrollment began under the Prepare for Illinois Future Program, an initiative which makes more than 40 test prep courses available for free. Some of the test prep includes the GRE, LSAT, MCAT, and NCLEX as well as professional skills and licensure courses in data analytics, project management, real estate and more. PREVIOUSLY: New program saves Illinois public college students thousands of dollars Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In February, Illinois became the first state to provide this free service to public university students (as well as five community colleges). So far, the U of I said the program has saved students more than $1 million that they would have otherwise spent on test prep. By providing free access to Kaplans test preparation resources, U of I will better prepare its students to excel in graduate admissions and professional licensing exams, further enhancing the universitys tradition of academic and professional success, said Chantelle Thompson, assistant vice chancellor for strategic operations in student affairs at U of I. This program gives students a head start on their careers, whether theyre pursuing advanced degrees or want to hit the ground running in their first post-collegiate roles. Three Illini earn All-Big Ten mens basketball honors This program was created through a partnership between Illinois, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) and Kaplan, an education company. The organizations hope itll boost in-state enrollment at public universities, create career pathways for students from underserved communities and address Illinois shortages of doctors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To access the free test preparation course, visit U of Is website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. PARIS (Reuters) - French government plans to increase defence spending must be designed in a way that does not push strained public finances off course, Finance Minister Eric Lombard said on Wednesday. In the face of threats from Russia and the prospect of a reduced U.S. security role in Europe, President Emmanuel Macron said this month that European countries should increase defence spending to 3-3.5% of economic output. With French defence spending now at 2%, that would imply an increase of at least 30 billion euros ($32.75 billion) annually, a considerable sum to raise against a difficult financial backdrop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Given our current budget situation, these new funds can only be put in place from within our deficit reduction plans," Lombard told senators. The government plans to reduce the public sector budget deficit from 5.4% of economic output this year - one of the biggest fiscal shortfalls in the European Union - to the bloc's 3% ceiling in 2029. Lombard said that work was underway to boost defence spending in a way that neither adds to France's debt burden nor undermines the country's cherished but costly welfare system. The government is due to outline plans on March 20 to funnel more private savings towards the defence sector through existing investment vehicles, many of which benefit from tax incentives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some lawmakers have called for a new class of tax-free savings accounts to be created so deposits could be lent to defence firms, using as a model popular for accounts that fund social housing. Lombard said he preferred using existing investment vehicles and the French banking federation said that a new class of savings account would do little to help undercapitalised defence firms. ($1 = 0.9161 euros) (Reporting by Leigh Thomas; editing by Philippa Fletcher) French publishers and authors said Wednesday they're taking Meta to court, accusing the social media company of using their works without permission to train its artificial intelligence model. Three trade groups said they were launching legal action against Meta in a Paris court over what they said was the company's massive use of copyrighted works without authorization to train its generative AI model. The National Publishing Union, which represents book publishers, has noted that "numerous works" from its members are turning up in Meta's data pool, the group's president, Vincent Montagne, said in a joint statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meta didn't respond to a request for comment. The company has rolled out generative-AI powered chatbot assistants to users of its Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms. Montagne accused Meta of noncompliance with copyright and parasitism. Another group, the National Union of Authors and Composers, which represents 700 writers, playwrights and composers, said the lawsuit was necessary to protect members from AI which plunders their works and cultural heritage to train itself." The union is also worried about AI that produces 'fake books' which compete with real books, the union's president, Francois Peyrony, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The third group involved in the lawsuit, the Societe des Gens de Lettres, represents authors. They all demand the complete removal of data directories Meta created without authorization to to train its AI model. Under the European Union's sweeping Artificial Intelligence Act, generative AI systems must comply with the 27-nation bloc's copyright law and be transparent about the material they used for training. It's the latest example of the clash between the creative and publishing industries and tech companies over data and copyright. British musicians released a silent album last month to protest the U.K. government's proposed changes to artificial intelligence laws that artists fear will erode their creative control. Media and technology company Thomson Reuters recently won a legal battle against a now-defunct legal research firm over the question of fair use in AI-related copyright cases, while other cases involving visual artists, news organizations and others are still working through U.S. courts. Genetec Inc. (Genetec), the global leader in enterprise physical security software, has announced the winners of its 2024 channel partner awards at the companys regional ElevatePRO'25 Asia-Pacific conference held in Bali, Indonesia. In celebrating another year of growth and excellence, the event attracted almost 60 Genetec APAC distributors, channel partners, and technology alliance organisations and recognised the organisations leading performing partners for their contributions in driving revenue growth and unlocking business value for their customers during 2024. The awards program honours and recognises top channel partners for their performance and implementation of Genetec solutions to increase the scale and velocity of physical security delivery while gaining operational efficiencies and increasing profitability. Melbourne-headquartered Fortis Security took home the ANZ Partner of the Year for achieving the highest revenue in FY24 and collaborating seamlessly with Genetec to support customer success. PMT Security, also headquartered in Melbourne, won the Unified Partner of the Year award based on its work with positioning Genetec Streamvault servers and workstations, as well as SharpV, with a state-based public sector law enforcement service. JD Security in collaboration with ParkAid based in Sydney won the Project of the Year Award for its complex work at one of the largest retail shopping centres in New South Wales. Convergint Technologies Australia, headquartered in Perth, was awarded Access Control Partner of The Year for achieving the highest revenue in access control solution deployments as well as for certifying more than 15 engineers with valid Synergis Technical Certifications. In addition, the company also played a crucial role in rolling out the Genetec Access Control System (ACS) to a global Genetec customer. Genetec Technical Excellence of the Year Award was awarded to Sydney-based Exact Technologies for its close collaboration with the Genetec engineering and customer experience teams and in delivering an outstanding proof of concept in the logistics sector which was ultimately instrumental in winning a deal. Finally, Cairns-headquartered Simplifi Communications won the Rising Star of the Year Award owing to its success in winning new business deals across diverse business sectors. George Moawad, Country Manager for Oceania at Genetec said, In 2025, were excited about the channel opportunity for our hybrid cloud solutions which support organisations to modernise their access control infrastructure, with feature-rich, cyber-secure systems coupled with strong integration capabilities. In the year ahead, we believe that our partners will be poised for super charged growth based on our recent completion of an Infosec Registered Assessors Program (IRAP) which enables Genetec to deliver our cloud-based physical security solutions to Australian government agencies and critical infrastructure providers, strengthening their ability to protect people, property, and data. Ultimately, these awards recognise local capability for delivering solutions that enable customers to realise rapid returns on their Genetec investment. We congratulate all our 2024 award winners and honour our entire ANZ partner channel for their ongoing support in building exceptional momentum and working alongside Genetec to consistently support customers with solutions and ongoing product development to solve the most pressing physical security challenges. About Genetec Genetec Inc. is a global technology company that has been transforming the physical security industry for over 25 years. The companys portfolio of solutions enables enterprises, governments, and communities around the world to secure people and assets while improving operational efficiency and respecting individual privacy. Genetec delivers the world's leading products for video management, access control, and ALPR, all built on an open architecture and designed with cybersecurity at their core. The companys portfolio also includes intrusion detection, intercom, and digital evidence management solutions. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Genetec serves its 42,500+ customers via an extensive network of accredited channel partners and consultants in over 159 countries. Severe storms might not stretch as far north as Minnesota on Friday, but there's enough of a chance that the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center is monitoring the potential and Twin Cities officials are comparing the approaching system to a storm that produced the earliest known tornado in Minnesota history. "Rain and thunderstorms are expected Friday/Friday night. A few storms may be severe, especially in southeastern MN," says the NWS Twin Cities. "During Saturday, rain will change over to snow as strong winds bring in colder air. Western MN has the best chance for accumulating snow." The forecast discussion from the NWS Twin Cities says "this system looks to be similar in strength" to a powerful spring storm that produced Minnesota's earliest tornado on record on March 6, 2017. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eight years ago, an EF-1 tornado touched down on March 6 west of Zimmerman and traveled about nine miles before dissipating west of Hwy. 169. Damage from Sherburne County near Elk Lake, Minnesota on March 6, 2017.National Weather Service Twin Cities However, the anomalously strong system for Friday looks to be tracking a few hundred miles further south than the one from 2017, which means the threat for severe storms is highest in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and points south. On the left is the severe weather probability outlook from Colorado State University's machine-learning, and the official severe outlook from the Storm Prediction Center is on the right.Colorado State University Machine-Learning Probabilities "The way things are looking now, our threat for surface-based storms is relatively low, but an elevated hail threat could be something to watch for. A few weak tornadoes cannot fully be ruled out, but strong winds would be the bigger concern," the NWS Twin Cities says. The models aren't in complete agreement on the placement of an arc of supercells that could rip across Iowa Friday evening. The NAM model keeps the severe weather in Iowa, while the European and American models are bringing the strong arc of storms into southern Minnesota. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What's fueling this early spring severe threat? A big part of the equation are temperatures and dew points. High temps in southern Minnesota on Friday are forecast to soar into the 70s, with dew points reaching the 50s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The result will be ample energy for storms to tap into. But again, how far north will the best energy get? The European model brings excellent energy (CAPE) all the way up to the Twin Cities, while the NAM is keeping the best juice in Iowa. Meanwhile, there could be accumulating snow in western Minnesota, which will be on the cold side of the low pressure system. When you blend all the models and take the average snowfall output, you end up with a decent shot of plowable snow. WeatherBell We're still a couple days away from the event unfolding, so expect some changes in the forecasts ahead. (Bloomberg) -- The US Federal Trade Commission quickly walked back comments that resource constraints at the agency will hamper its ability to start a trial in September challenging Amazon.com Inc.s Prime subscription practices, following a hearing Wednesday morning. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier Wednesday, FTC lawyer Jonathan Cohen told US District Court Judge John Chun in Seattle that there is an extremely severe resource shortfall in terms of money and personnel. He asked to delay the Sept. 22 trial date, citing shortages in staff due to voluntary resignations and current caps of $1 on charges on government credit cards. Within hours of the hearing, Cohen submitted a letter to the court to clarify his comments at the hearing. I was wrong, wrote Cohen, who has worked at the agency since 2002. The Commission does not have resource constraints and we are fully prepared to litigate this case. Please be assured that the FTC will meet whatever schedule and deadlines the court sets. Cohen did not specify whether the FTC still plans to seek a delay of the trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday evening, Trumps new FTC chair Andrew Ferguson said that while the agency is engaged in the streamlining process, it has enough resources to aggressively pursue big tech companies. I think a lawyer had a bad day in court. He was wrong, Ferguson said during a live taping of the Odd Lots podcast from Bloomberg, which will air on Monday. The delay request and then the statement of readiness for trial highlight the strain agencies across the government are facing under the Trump administration as it seeks to reduce federal staff and budgets. President Donald Trump appointed Elon Musk to oversee the effort to reduce spending and the chief executive officer of Tesla Inc. and SpaceX has publicly targeted $1 trillion in cuts in the next year. The efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Musk, have resulted in some changes to the FTC which laid off some probationary workers earlier this month. But Trumps executive order establishing the group exempts law enforcement from some cuts. How Elon Musks DOGE Is Reshaping the US Government: QuickTake Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FTC sued Amazon in 2023 alleging the e-commerce giant duped consumers into signing up for its Prime membership service and deliberately made it hard to cancel. The FTC said Amazons tactics violate a 2010 consumer protection law designed to protect online shoppers. At the hearing, Cohen said Amazon could face penalties of $1 billion or more. During the hearing, Cohen was candid in describing the FTCs resource issues, saying the agency may not be able to purchase the transcript from Wednesdays hearing. The FTC has laid off some of its probationary workers and Cohen cited the limits placed on expenses as hampering agency staff. Amazon has defended the Prime enrollment and cancellation processes, saying that the company gets consent from customers to enroll in the program and provides simple mechanisms to cancel Prime. John Hueston, a lawyer for Amazon, said any such constraints should not impact the case and urged Chun to keep the September date. Chun did not delay the trial at Wednesdays hearing and instead asked the FTC to submit its request in writing with Amazon given a chance to respond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Chun asked what would change if the trial would be delayed by a few months, Cohen said it would reduce the immediate strain on the lawyers. I cant guarantee that things wont be even worse, Cohen said, but we may have been through the brunt of it. Well see. (An AI summary of this story was removed because it misidentified the party that would face potential penalties.) --With assistance from Leah Nylen and Sabrina Willmer. (Updates with comments from FTC Chair Ferguson in sixth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. An aerial photograph of LSU's campus circa 1938. (LSU Hill Memorial Library photo) This is part one of a two-part investigative series about the long-held relationship between the fossil fuel industry and LSU and was reported in partnership with WWNO, WRKF and Floodlight. You can listen to the accompanying Sea Change podcast here. To LSU administrators 55 years ago, the front yard of fraternity houses seemed like the least objectionable location on campus to drill seven oil wells. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats according to the Oct. 2, 1970, minutes of the LSU Board of Supervisors Oil and Gas Committee, which is now defunct. Seven months later, The Advocate reported a wildcat well was drilled at the junction of Dalrymple and West Lakeshore drives. For decades stretching back to at least the 1930s, the committees task was to decide where on university-owned land drilling would be done, what companies would get the leases and how to use the money the drilling brought to the university. The Illuminator has reviewed hundreds of pages of historical documents and interviewed historians and geographers to examine LSUs relationship with the fossil fuel industry. What started as a simple business transaction in the early 20th century money for the mineral rights to university land has grown over nearly a century into a full blown-partnership, with leading oil and gas companies donating tens of millions of dollars for research and other university priorities in the 21st century and getting influence over that research in return. The partnership of today, and where it will go in the future, will be explored in part two of this series. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Throughout the decades it was active, the Oil and Gas Committees membership included major players in the fossil fuel industry in Louisiana, including Patrick F. Taylor, a philanthropist responsible for the creation of the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, or TOPS. A building bearing his name houses LSUs engineering school. Former Gov. John McKeithen, an attorney who managed an oil and gas company, also served on the committee after his two terms in office. Drilling took place on LSUs main campus, which is built on whats referred to on maps and in geological documents as the University Oil Field. During the 20th century, dozens of wells drew oil from beneath the ground where students lived and studied and on land the LSU AgCenter maintained. A United States Geological Survey map of LSUs campus Circa 1950s. Each small circle denotes an oil well. Throughout hundreds of pages of meeting minutes, there was very little hesitation about drilling on this land. In one 1954 meeting, a proposal to drill under the Mississippi River raised objections from the dean of the Ag School and from the head of LSUs dairy department, but the committee unanimously moved forward with the drilling anyway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a 1984 meeting, Helen Crawford, who later served as board chair, asked if the lease being debated would unduly deter people from wanting to do business with LSU. In response, Ruth Miller, the first woman to serve on the Louisiana Mineral Board and the first woman to be chair of the LSU Board of Supervisors, pointed out that the discussion involved highly sensitive agricultural lands that LSU had a duty to preserve and protect. But each time these concerns surfaced, documents show the discussion quickly moved on and no one objected to the numerous drilling proposals. Each year, reports show the university brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars from these drilling deals a small but strong beginning to LSUs ongoing relationship with the fossil fuel industry. Throughout its history, LSU has looked to oil and gas to help fill its coffers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX As the university grew, it sought funding beyond meager state appropriations. The money LSU brought in from its mineral leases was not enough, so in the 1950s its board created a private fundraising arm to solicit money from the oil and gas industry: the LSU Foundation. The LSU Foundation of today is something of a black hole. As a private nonprofit organization distinct from the university, it doesnt have to disclose its donors and is not required to provide any records related to its work to the public. Only an annual tax document provides some information on its spending. But in 1955, the LSU Board of Supervisors began holding public meetings to create the foundation, which was officially launched in 1960. Those meeting minutes as well as its incorporating documents and minutes of early LSU Foundation board meetings paint a picture of an organization created with oil and gas in mind. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These records, and other documents reviewed for this report, are housed at LSUs Hill Memorial Library, which preserves documents related to the universitys history. One document from a 1958 meeting has two columns filled with names and blank spaces, each representing a potential member of the board who would guide the LSU Foundation. Among the names were major oil and gas leaders such as Murphy J. Foster, a son of and father to Louisiana governors with whom he shared a name. Under each blank was typed the name of a company from which they sought to recruit a board member: Shell, Cities Service (now Citgo), Conoco, Delta Tank, Gulf States Utilities and more a sort of corporate funder wish list. Instead of hiring a foundation staff, the board mulled over borrowing an executive from the oil and gas industry to run the organization and using employees from their companies to do its administrative work. The industry-heavy board of the infant foundation looked to the oil and gas industry at every turn, according to archived records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For its first fundraising project, LSU Board chairman and former Democratic state Rep. Theo Cangelosi of Baton Rouge, who helped mold the foundation, suggested seeking donations for a theater from the petro-engineering industry. Plans for the building would include a mural celebrating oil and gas. While this particular dedication to industry didnt come to fruition, LSUs campus is littered with buildings, study rooms and other facilities named for petrochemical companies and industry leaders. The foundations first Founding Company Member a title bestowed upon donors giving at least $10,000 was Standard Oil, one of the first companies to discover oil in Louisiana. Today, it is known as ExxonMobil, a company LSU recognizes today as among the most generous corporate donors to LSU. This industry money has been sought throughout LSUs history to fill the gap between state funding provided to the university and the resources needed to achieve university leaderships dreams. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legislative appropriations can be relied upon to furnish the bread and meat of a universitys program, but the sauce, which represents the difference between the great and the mediocre institutions, will come from benefactors, reads a 1955 report to the Board of Supervisors from the a committee looking into the value of creating a foundation. In the early 20th century, the goal was to make LSU the Harvard of the South an aspiration of former Gov. Huey Long. In 2025, the goal LSU President William Tate has set is to join the American Association of Universities, a prestigious group of the nations top-tier research institutions. To achieve this lofty goal, LSU has to increase its research spending by tens of millions of dollars. Most of that spending will come from government grants, which university officials are urging professors to pursue more. But some will come from industry partners, such as those in the energy sector. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its time for a partnership in significant fashion to link the work at LSU in our energy areas, including alternative energy and creating ways to keep that industry vibrant here in this state and for our country, Tate told reporters in 2022. Energy is our leading industry in this state. We must protect it, Tate added. While critics disagree with LSUs role as a protector of industry, it is a key role the university has played for several decades. Amid the energy crisis of the 1980s, which had a significant impact on the states oil-dependent budget, lawmakers created the Center for Energy Studies at LSU. Though the center is independent of the legislature, its work was intended to inform policy decisions. Part of its early mission was to study ways to keep pulling as much oil and gas from the ground as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After this decades-long partnership, many students and faculty think its time for a change. Students are calling for LSU to divest the foundations endowment from the fossil fuel industry and researchers are sounding the alarm that universities intertwined with the oil and gas industry risk their credibility. Despite this warning, LSU is bringing in more oil and gas money than ever before. Part two of this investigation will explore what that money is costing the university. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE A historic federal investigation into sexual abuse within the nations largest Protestant denomination is officially over after yielding just one conviction. The U.S. Department of Justice notified the Southern Baptist Convention its not pursuing additional criminal charges against the convention or SBC-affiliated agencies, called entities. The news confirms earlier speculation surrounding the conclusion of a case last week when a federal judge in Manhattan sentenced former Southern Baptist pastor and seminary professor Matt Queen, who pleaded guilty to lying to federal authorities. But some abuse survivors and allies hope for more serious criminal proceedings evaporated with the news of the inquirys official conclusion. Outside legal counsel and staff for the SBC Executive Committee, which manages business for the Nashville-based denomination outside the two-day SBC annual meeting, confirmed the news in response to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were grateful that we can close this chapter in our legal proceedings and move forward, Jeff Iorg, chief executive for the SBC Executive Committee, said in a statement Wednesday. Lawyers for the executive committee who specifically handle abuse-related legal proceedings, Gene Besen and Scarlett Nokes, said the DOJ notified them earlier Wednesday of the investigation's closure. Besen and Nokes then relayed the news to Iorg and his team. "We are pleased that the matter has been resolved without any charges or further expense against the EC or other SBC entities," Besen and Nokes said in a statement. SBC Executive Committee Chief Executive Jeff Iorg, speaks at the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, at Hilton BNA Nashville Airport in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Lorg is the highest-ranking staff for the SBC's administrative arm, which manages denomination business outside the two-day SBC annual meeting. One of the likeliest charges to apply in this scenario would have dealt with racketeering, commonly referred to as a RICO case an abbreviation for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Unless there was trafficking across state lines, the prosecution of most incidents of clergy sex abuse is under the jurisdiction of state attorneys general or local district attorneys. A May 2022 report from third-party investigator Guidepost Solutions on cover-up and neglect by top Southern Baptist leaders prompted the DOJ to pursue an investigation across the denomination and its 11 major entities, which are based in different states. But the SBCs hierarchy local churches, regional associations and state conventions are autonomous and voluntarily partners with the national convention long presented a dilemma for a RICO prosecution, for example. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Churches must remain vigilant, Megan Lively, an abuse survivor whom the FBI interviewed as part of the DOJ investigation, said in a statement Wednesday. A report from the DOJ does not automatically make your church safe. Explainer early on: What it means for the Southern Baptist Convention to be under federal investigation for abuse Fits and starts, and the official end The SBC Executive Committee announced 18 months after the federal investigation began in August 2022 the administrative entity was no longer a target of the DOJ investigation, sowing confusion among survivors who said FBI agents were reassuring them an inquiry remained underway. Tiffany Thigpen, a survivor who like Lively closely communicated with the FBI during the investigation, said the DOJ fully closing the investigation into all SBC entities doesnt undermine the factual findings of wrongdoing that Guideposts report initially publicized and that federal investigators further examined. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am certain upon speaking with investigators that theres plenty there showing lack of transparency and indeed a willingness to protect the institution, Thigpen said in a statement Wednesday. Consider how long this has been open, and the money and resources used to pursue thisIt does not mean the history hasnt been exposed, may it always be remembered. Shortly after the commotion last March about which SBC entities the DOJ was continuing to investigate, U.S. attorneys announced charges against Queen related to a January 2023 incident at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, where Queen was an interim administrator. The incident involved another seminary administrator named Heath Woolman instructing dean Terri Stovall to destroy evidence containing information about an abuse report. Queen later lied about what he witnessed Woolman tell Stovall. Southern Baptist Convention at the New Orleans Ernest N Morial Convention Center. Tuesday, June 13, 2023. Federal prosecutors did not pursue charges against Woolman, despite questions about whether Woolmans reported actions violated a grand jury subpoena requiring SBC entities' staff to retain documents containing information about abuse reports. With the DOJ concluding its investigation, it also means that subpoena is closed. Following the SBC Executive Committees statement confirming federal prosecutors closed their case, Southwestern said in its own statement on Wednesday the DOJ notified the seminary about the same news. For more than two years, Southwestern fully cooperated with the DOJ throughout the investigation and is pleased that there were no findings of wrongdoing against the institution or current employees, Southwestern said in its statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time the Southwestern-related prosecution wrapped up with Queens conviction and sentencing, the U.S. attorneys office for the Southern District of New York that housed the Southern Baptist investigations was experiencing upheaval surrounding President Donald Trumps election and inauguration. Damian Williams, former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, resigned in November, and in recent weeks other staff in that office have resigned in protest after they received a directive to drop criminal charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams. That directive, amid accusations of a quid pro quo between the Trump administration and Adams to assist with federal immigration enforcement, is one shake-up among others within the Justice Department under its new leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi. Although the DOJ inquiry into the SBC is now over, the fact the investigation happened in the first place was historically significant. Though state attorneys general have launched inquiries into sex abuse in the Catholic Church, federal prosecutors have never investigated a major religious denomination for the same reason. Liam Adams covers religion for The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at ladams@tennessean.com or on social media @liamsadams. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: DOJ inquiry into SBC abuse ends with no additional criminal charges Funeral arrangements have been scheduled for an Indiana firefighter who died Sunday.. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] As previously reported by News Center 7, Don Hev Caylor died Sunday while answering the call of duty, the Randolph County Sheriffs Office said on social media. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Clarks Office in Ridgeville, Indiana, announced in a Facebook post that a viewing will be Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at MJS Mortuary at the 100 block of North Walnut Street. There will be a Friday viewing from 11 a.m. to noon. The funeral is scheduled to start at noon. FEMA said on its website that he collapsed while responding to a structure fire. Other Ridgeville Volunteer Fire Department firefighters found Assistant Fire Chief Caylor upon their return to the station after the fire and pronounced him deceased, they added. The Randolph County Coroners Office previously told Indianapolis TV stations Fox 59 and CBS 4 that Caylor died at the Ridgeville Fire Station. The coroner indicated that his fellow firefighters found him lying on the floor at the station. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) Fire destroyed a metal building in south Abilene late Tuesday night. The fire happened at a building on the 2400 block of Ross Avenue around 11:45 p.m. First responders arrived at the scene and found a metal building fully involved. A press release from the Abilene Fire Department reveals several handlines were used to control the blaze. Investigators are still working to determine the cause of this fire, which has caused an estimated $3,000 worth of damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No further information is available at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) A powerful gang coalition has launched new attacks on Haitis capital, driving dozens of families from homes as police vowed Wednesday to hold the gunmen back. Authorities evacuated students at a Catholic school in western Port-au-Prince as heavy gunfire continued in the area near the renowned Oloffson Hotel, which once attracted international celebrities in the 1970s and '80s. Meanwhile, cries for help emerged on social media for a group of priests trapped inside a church in the Carrefour-Feuilles neighborhood, which endured much of the attack by the Viv Ansanm gang coalition that began late Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre trying to take more areas, but police are there, making sure that doesnt happen, Lionel Lazarre, deputy spokesman for Haitis National Police, told a press conference. He said police have new plans to fight gangs that already control 85% of Haitis capital, but declined to provide details, citing safety reasons. Lazarre noted that police recently seized 10,000 bullets, weapons and drugs from a minibus in the town of Mirebalais, northeast of Port-au-Prince. He said two of the four people carrying the ammunition were lynched by a mob on Sunday, while the others escaped. The latest attacks come days after William ONeill, the U.N.s human rights expert on Haiti, visited the troubled Caribbean country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The risk of the capital falling under gang control is palpable," ONeill said Tuesday, even as Haitian police work with a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police to help quell gang violence. ONeill and others have called for a reinforcement of the mission, which the U.S. has said lacks funding and personnel. Last year, more than 5,600 people were reported killed across Haiti. Gang violence has left more than one million homeless in recent years. ___ Associated Press reporter Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico contributed. A grand jury in Oklahoma has indicted Texas megachurch founder Robert Morris, accusing him in five felony counts of lewd acts with a girl beginning when she was 12 years old in the 1980s. Robert Morris, who was once a spiritual adviser to President Donald Trump, resigned as senior pastor of Gateway Church in June after admitting to "inappropriate sexual behavior" in the 1980s. His accuser has said she was 12 when Morris first sexually abused her on Christmas in 1982 during a visit to her home in Hominy, Oklahoma. He was then 21. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child," Cindy Clemishire said after the indictment was made public. "Now it is time for the legal system to hold him accountable." The state's multicounty grand jury returned the indictment Wednesday after hearing two days of testimony in secret sessions. Grand jurors charged Morris, now 63, with five counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child. Grand jurors alleged the offenses started when the girl was 12 and continued while she was 13 and 14. The former pastor's Oklahoma attorney, Mack Martin, declined comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorney General Gentner Drummond, whose assistants advise the grand jury, said "there can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children." This case is all the more despicable because the alleged perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position," Drummond also said. "The victim in this case has waited far too many years for justice to be done. His assistants said time restrictions on prosecuting sex crimes against children do not apply because Morris did not live in Oklahoma at any time. More: Gateway Church removes elders, aiding criminal investigation: 'We denounce sexual abuse' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morris admitted to wrongdoing after his accuser spoke out by name to the The Wartburg Watch, a blog about sexual abuse within the church. In statements to the media last year, Morris said he was involved in his early 20s in "inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying." "It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years. In March of 1987, this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of." Clemishire, now 55, told USA TODAY last year that she came forward publicly to encourage others who may be victims to tell their stories. "I've always just trusted that God's timing would take it wherever it needed to go," she said about Morris. "Why hide?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clemishire told the blog that she and her family met Morris at a youth revival in Tulsa, when he was 20 and she was 11. She described him as a traveling evangelist. She said he was invited to do a youth revival in Hominy and after that he would regularly preach at their church on Sundays. She said he often stayed at her family's home, sometimes with his wife and son. "Cindy viewed them as safe and friendly," the blog reported. "Their families would often go on trips with each other." She said he first sexually abused her on Christmas after asking her to come to his room. She said he warned her afterward: "Never tell anyone about this because it will ruin everything." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Robert Morris repeated this behavior until March 1987," the blog reported. "This would happen in Texas and Oklahoma. ... Things changed when she was sixteen. He would take her out in his car and attempt to have sexual intercourse." Morris was then a pastor at Shady Grove Church in Texas. He stepped away from the ministry in 1987 for two years after Clemishire told a close friend and her parents what happened, according to the blog. Morris in 2000 founded Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, a suburb of Dallas and Fort Worth. It would grow to multiple sites. The church said in a statement Wednesday its members continue to pray for Clemishire and "for all of those impacted by this terrible situation." Morris had a television program that aired in over 190 countries and his radio program aired in more than 6,800 cities, according to his biography on the Gateway Church website. His YouTube page, which is no longer online, had 80,000 subscribers and included videos with titles like "Freedom Through Forgiveness" and "Did You Know You're Made Perfect By God's Grace?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morris was on Trumps spiritual advisory board during the 2016 campaign and during the first term of his presidency. He did not have a role in the 2024 reelection effort, Trump's campaign said last year. The indictment was filed for prosecution Thursday in Osage County District Court. Morris is expected to turn himself in there Monday and surrender his passport. His bond was set at $50,000. Grand jurors alleged in the indictment that he touched her "in a lewd or lascivious manner" while she was 12, the first time on Christmas 1982. They alleged he lewdly looked at her private parts two days later after removing her clothing. Grand jurors also alleged he lewdly touched her further while she was 13 and 14. He is accused in the final count of rubbing against her leg over his clothes after removing hers while they were in a vehicle parked on an Osage County road. He faces up to 100 years in prison if convicted of all five counts. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Megachurch founder Robert Morris indicted on sex abuse charges with Oklahoma child California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) faced criticism for his unforgivable and insane decision to have Steve Bannon, chief architect of the MAGA movement, on his podcast. Bannon, an influential White House aide during Donald Trumps first term as president, appeared on the fourth episode of This Is Gavin Newsom, which was released Wednesday. During the 72-minute podcast, Bannon opined on a series of largely economic issues with good-natured disagreement from Newsom, who is seen as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At one point, Newsom, while critical of Trumps scattershot tariffs policy, made a defense of targeted import taxes, pointing out former President Joe Bidens hiked tariffs on aluminum and steel during his time in office. Democrats werent screaming and yelling about that, Newsom said, adding he was not a tariffs absolutist. But it was less the discourse, and more the choice of guest, that caused controversy, with Bannons appearance coming soon after Newsom had right-wing pundit Charlie Kirk as his first guest. Newsom raised eyebrows after agreeing with Kirk on transgender girls and women in sports, saying that their participation is deeply unfair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said he was in shock at the stupidity of Newsom hosting Bannon. Many of us on the right sacrificed careers to fight Bannon, and Newsom is trying to make a career and a presidential run by building him up, he wrote on Bluesky. Unforgivable and insane. The next guest on California Governor Gavin Newsoms podcast: Steve Bannon. pic.twitter.com/cSjitbF4VJ Yashar Ali (@yashar) March 12, 2025 Just last month, Bannon was accused of giving a Nazi salute at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Bannon defended the gesture as merely a wave. As for the podcast, the pair avoided culture war flashpoints in favor of economic takes, with Bannon joking the conversation was the start of trying to unwind you from being a globalist to make you a populist nationalist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is part of the deprogramming, is it? Newsom quipped. Newsom had no pushback as Bannon, when explaining how the MAGA movement had to reboot when Trump was booted out of the White House, stated erroneously that Trump beat Biden in 2020. Bannon said, We disagree on this, but President Trump won the 2020 election, and we were kind of shattered as a movement when he left Washington, D.C., and we had to go back to basics. Newsom did offer a correction when Bannon referred to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as Pocahontas, a well-worn racist Trump insult. Toward the end of the episode, Newsom raised the fallout between Bannon and Elon Musk, now Trumps White House right-hand man, after Bannon called the billionaire a parasitic illegal immigrant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We may share some commonality in terms of concern about what hes doing, Newsom noted of the Musk-led federal cutbacks, before Bannon interjected that you loved all the oligarchs, and particularly Elon, until they flip to the Republicans. Newsom went on to press Bannon on whether Musk is a little scared of you. No, Bannon replied. Im just a Mick [questionable nickname for an Irishman] that yells into a microphone. Newsom wrapped up the episode by saying he really enjoyed this conversation. I think its incredibly valuable, and I appreciate the spirit to which we were able to engage, he continued, before praising Bannon for calling balls and strikes on the Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newsoms podcast launch comes as Democrats wrestle with how to communicate to voters in a rapidly changing media landscape. Received wisdom now holds that Trump swept back to power with help from young men who heard his message through podcasts hosted by Joe Rogan, Theo Von and other content producers. Related... "While some outlets are calling this a hack. its an attack. It underscores how disruptions to availability can be just as damaging as breaches of confidentiality or integrity. Taking platforms offline can be just as damaging as stealing information. But beyond the attack itself, whats interesting is the chaos of attribution and how multiple threat actors may be involved or simply capitalizing on the moment. Cyberattacks today are like crime scenes with multiple fingerprints. Were seeing a trend where hacktivist groups, cybercriminals, and even nation-states blur togethersometimes working in parallel, sometimes just stealing credit. The DDoS on X is a perfect example: is this a well-coordinated, state-backed effort, or is it just multiple groups piling on, each trying to own the narrative? Claiming credit is easy. Proving responsibility is hard. Anonymous-affiliated groups like Operation DreadNought and others love making bold statements, but cybercrime is full of false flags. The fact that multiple actors are rushing to take credit tells us one thing: disruption itself is the goal, not just the message. Social media platforms are the new battlegrounds, but they arent battle-ready. X, like many platforms, is built for engagement, not resilience. Critical serviceswhether social media, finance, or government infrastructureneed to plan for coordinated digital sieges, not just random attacks. Bottom line? This attack isnt just about one platform or one groupits a sign of things to come. The more essential online platforms become, the more theyll be targeted, both for operational disruption and narrative control." QUOTE by Andy Thompson, Senior Cyber Researcher, CyberArk Labs "This incident highlights a pivot were seeing in the motivation behind cyber threats: what used to be straightforward data theft and exfiltration has shifted to full-scale digital disruption. Weve seen this play out in critical infrastructure sectors like energy, but social media platforms like X are now emerging as a new form of critical infrastructure and should be treated as such. The problem is that these platforms are built for engagement, not resilience. Attackers know this and are treating them as digital battlegrounds, because taking a platform offline can be just as damaging as stealing data. Complicating matters further is the chaos of attribution were seeing play out. Cyberattacks today resemble crime scenes with multiple fingerprints, as hacktivist groups, cybercriminals and nation-states are all working in parallel or jockeying for credit. Claiming responsibility is easy, but proving whos behind it is far more difficult. And when multiple actors rush to take credit, one thing becomes clear: the real objective is disruption itself, not just the message." Generational labels have long served as a shorthand for understanding workforce trends, but they often miss the mark in accurately representing the complexities of these cohorts. Gen Z, the cohort that entered the workforce during a pandemic, continues to be defined by sweeping generalizations that don't fully capture the range of their experiences. As we still attempt to define Gen Zs role in the workplace, discussions about a new cohort"Generation Beta"are already gaining traction. But is it too soon to apply another label? Some believe the generational divide could start as early as the mid-2020s. Among them is Mark McCrindle, the Australian demographer who coined the term Generation Alpha to define the cohort following Gen Zand who also introduced Generation Beta as its successor. A more apparent distinction might not come until the 2040s, argues Jessica Kriegel, chief strategy officer at workplace culture advisory firm Culture Partners. She contends that generations need more than just a shift in technology or social trends; they require defining historical moments with real cultural significance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mausam Kumar Garg, an expert in demography and quantitative research, echoes this sentiment, warning that a rush to define new generations might lead to an oversimplified view of complex, ongoing societal changes. "We havent yet pinpointed a clear technological or societal change that allows us to draw a definitive line marking the start of Generation Beta," he says. Workplace realities vs. generational myths The problem is not unique to Generation Beta. Similar issues arose with Gen Z. Initially, their generational starting point was assigned to the mid-90s. However, the boundaries shifted repeatedly to fit emerging narratives rather than a clear, well-documented historical moment. These shifting definitions highlight how generational labels are often adapted based on external factors rather than being grounded in rigorous, long-term societal change. For Kriegel, generational labels aren't just impreciseshe says they can be a destructive way of simplifying the complexity of human behavior into buckets of stereotypes, undermining the unique qualities of individuals within these groups. Why, then, do generational labels persist in workplace conversations? Employers and analysts often rely on them to predict behaviors, values, and work ethics. This is especially true when strategizing about recruitment and retention. However, the portrayal of Gen Z in the workplaceespecially in the mediaproves how flawed this approach can be. At first, Gen Z was hailed as the tech-savvy, socially conscious, and adaptable generation set to take the workforce by storm. However, as they started filling roles, the narrative began to shift. Gen Z was suddenly labeled as entitled, difficult to manage, and prone to quiet quitting. These contradictions arent the result of inherent flaws in Gen Z but of how generational labels are applied without acknowledging the diversity of experiences within any given cohort. The labels are often more about reinforcing a narrative than reflecting any concrete, verifiable trends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead of asking how Gen Z differs from millennials or predicting how Gen Beta might behave, a better question would be: What workplace conditions help all employeesregardless of their generationthrive? Overgeneralizing workers based on birth year creates artificial divides that overlook more pressing issues affecting people in the workforce today. Wage stagnation, work-life balance, and evolving workplace norms are just a few examples of factors that affect people of all ages, often in ways that are more meaningful than simple generational divides. The problem with premature labels When new generational labels are pushed before we've fully examined the impact of previous ones, we risk perpetuating stereotypes that do more harm than good. The truth is that social and technological changes dont adhere to neat 15- or 20-year cycles. We can't assign a fixed time period to each generation, says Garg. It should be based on the significance and impact of changes occurring in the world. Given that Generation Beta has already been named, what are the consequences of officially adopting this label moving forward? For todays young peoplethose who are growing up in a world marked by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, automation, and climate changethe premature labeling of their future could create misguided expectations before theyve had the opportunity to shape their own paths. It could lead businesses to make assumptions about how they will behave in the workplace instead of addressing the evolving needs of a workforce that spans multiple generations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its crucial to consider the long-term impacts of these labels. If we hastily assign a generational title, we risk framing an entire group of workers according to assumptions that may not stand up to reality. History has shown that generational divides, while convenient, are far from perfect predictors of behavior. What might be more productive is focusing on the changing dynamics of the workforce as a whole and how companies can adapt to meet the diverse needs of workers across all age groups. Time to shift the conversation Generational labels may offer some convenience in broad discussions, but theyve outlived their usefulness when navigating the modern workplace. Instead of defining workers by the year they were born, the focus should shift to the economic, technological, and social conditions that shape the professional experiences of all workers. Before we jump to conclusions about who Generation Beta is, lets take a deeper look at Gen Zbeyond the headlinesand understand how theyre contributing to the workforce. Perhaps more importantly, its time to ask whether generational labels are still helpful at all in the ever-evolving world of work. Instead of further dividing workers into categories that may not reflect their reality, the conversation needs to shift to the structural issues that affect every generation in the workplace. The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune. Read more: This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Funk pioneer George Clinton has sued his former business partner Armen Boladian to reclaim ownership of his music catalog for alleged fraud and copyright infringement. In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in Florida federal court, Clinton claims Boladian and several of his companies engaged in a decades long scheme that involved forging his signature on deals that surrendered his rights to his music. As part of the fraud, which includes withholding tens of millions of dollars in royalties, Boladian has accrued ownership of roughly 90 percent of Clintons catalog, according to the complaint. More from The Hollywood Reporter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clinton seeks an immediate court order to block Boladian from soliciting bids for the rights to Clintons music, which hes allegedly been shopping, as well as unspecified damages. He takes advantage of a provision in copyright law that allows creators to claw back the rights to their works after a period of time. In a statement, Richard Busch, a lawyer for Boladian, said hell move to dismiss the complaint and seek sanctions. He added, This is just the latest in a series of lawsuits that Mr. Clinton has filed against Bridgeport and Armen Boladian over the last 30 years raising the same exact issues. He has lost each and every time. Clinton the frontman for Funkadelic, Parliament and the P-Funk All-stars whose music has been sampled across several genres has maintained through multiple legal actions that paperwork transferring ownership of his works was forged. In 2001, a Florida federal judge ruled in favor of Bridgeport over the rights to several of his songs. Baladian has said that he doesnt owe Clinton money because he hasnt recouped expenses and advances paid to the musician over the years. The lawsuit details numerous ways through which Boladian, who was Clintons business partner and agent from 1968 to 1975 and 1981 to 1990, engaged in fraud. This includes Boladian misleading Clinton into signing blank and boiler plate agreements that granted him the rights to his clients catalog. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For a four year period starting in 1982, Boladian forged multiple deals assigning his companies additional rights and shares to Clintons music, the lawsuit says. These agreements, Clinton alleges, increased Boladians shares in royalties. The lawsuit also claims that Boladian inserted fake songwriters, like L. Crane and B. Blaine, in copyright registrations for Clintons songs to dilute royalties. In addition, Boladian would also pay third parties to claim ownership of Plaintiffs work to defraud Plaintiff of royalties derived from such works, the complaint states. For example, Boladian paid Mark Bass to have him falsely claim Anybody Get Funked Up as his own to Defraud Plaintiff of royalty shares in this song. Boladians companies named in the lawsuit Bridgeport Music, Westbound Records, Nine Records, Southfield Music and Eastbound Records are holding companies with no assets other than copyrights to songs owned by various artists. They frequently file lawsuits against artists who sample Clintons songs without licenses. Clinton says hes never received payments from the litigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his lawsuit, Clinton advances claims for copyright infringement, fraud and breach of fiduciary duty, among several others. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. GEORGE COUNTY, Miss. (WHLT) George County deputies arrested a man and a woman after a chase and drug seizure. The incident occurred on Highway 98 near Highway 63 on Monday, March 10. Deputies said they attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a silver Ford sedan, but the driver refused to comply, fleeing at speeds exceeding 100 mph. They said the suspects discarded items from the vehicle, and deputies were eventually able to bring the vehicle to a stop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jones County deputies seek man who stole packages from home The driver, Kaitlyn Smith, 35, of Richton, was arrested and charged with fleeing or eluding law enforcement in a motor vehicle. She was booked on an outstanding Justice Court warrant for failure to appear. The passenger, Curtis Remley, 26, of Leakesville, was also detained. Kaitlyn Smith (Courtesy: George County Sheriffs Office) Curtis Remley (Courtesy: George County Sheriffs Office) Following an investigation, deputies said they recovered a large quantity of methamphetamine, a substantial amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia from the vehicle. Remley was arrested and charged with trafficking of a controlled substance. He was also booked on an outstanding warrant from the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) for violation of parole. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both Smith and Remley were transported to the George County Regional Correctional Facility pending their initial appearance before a George County Justice Court Judge. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. The U.S. Department of Education announced it plans to cut about half of its staff. Now, some metro Atlanta educators said they are concerned about the future of certain school programs. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] A federal department of education is necessary to ensure that all students receive the resources that they need, Lisa Morgan, President of the Georgia Association of Educators, told Channel 2s Audrey Washington on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morgan fought back tears as she spoke about the planned cuts to the Department of Education. Are you scared? Washington asked. I am scared. The fear and the emotion comes from my students, Morgan said. In a news release, the department said it planned to lay off about 1,300 employees but will continue to deliver on its key functions. TRENDING STORIES: Georgia GOP chair, Josh McKoon, said the cuts are necessary to get rid of the red tape. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A shift more to a block grant where basically this money gets sent to states to administer so there will be less red tape out of Washington, McKoon explained. As for possible cuts to certain school programs, McKoon told Washington thats unlikely. Theres no evidence that Ive seen for a reduction in programs, McKoon said. But Morgan said she is not convinced. We know that there is a risk to the Title I funding, Morgan said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Not only am I worried, I feel like we all should be worried, Jasmine Crowe-Houston said. Crowe-Houston is the founder of Goodr, a hunger solutions organization that services metro Atlanta. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These programs are vital for the success of our kids who are our future, Jasmine Crowe-Houston explained. In the news release, the Department of Education said the agency will continue to oversee student loan management and Pell grants. The agency also said that all impacted department staff would be placed on administrative leave beginning on March 21. A bill preparing Georgia code for the end of the U.S. Department of Education is moving toward a House vote after passing the Senate. Getty Images A bill aimed at preparing Georgia for the potential dissolution of the U.S. Department of Education passed through a House subcommittee Wednesday with an addition from a Democratic state representative. Senate Bill 154 changes references to the department throughout state code, adding or its successor. Sen. Bo Hatchett. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder The bills author, Cornelia Republican Sen. Bo Hatchett, said the change will allow Georgia to keep accrediting professionals like dentists, nurses, optometrists and others if the agency is abolished. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who its successor is, we are not aware of right now, he said. It may be kicked back to the states or maybe another federal agency, but thats not for us to decide. Whats for us to decide is do we want Georgia to be prepared or not? And this will help Georgia to be prepared if and when the U.S. Department of Education is disbanded. Hatchett said he began work on the bill after President Donald Trump made campaign trail pledges to get rid of the department, but recent developments have made the measure more urgent. Timing is everything, and I had no way of knowing this was going to happen, but if you havent seen the news lately, I think the U.S. Department of Education is probably on its last few weeks if not days, he said. On Tuesday, the department announced it will be cutting about half of its current workforce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats and education advocates say gutting the department would risk programs Georgia students benefit from like speech services, career counseling and after school programs. Newly sworn-in Education Secretary Linda McMahon has indicated she intends to wind the agency down and return its duties to the states, though eliminating it entirely will require an act of Congress. Powder Springs state Rep. David Wilkerson said thats not likely to happen. Rep. David Wilkerson. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder Defunding something does not remove the agency, he said. And I can pretty much be assured, as much as the president has made promises, youre not going to get the votes in the (United States) Senate to do this. So you may have an empty building, you may have half of the staff, but I would be shocked if one side of the aisle decides to abolish the Department of Education. And they need that in the Senate, as we know how it works there. So is this just encouraging the behavior that we see coming from D.C. to say, Look, states are already passing things to anticipate this? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I dont know of any other state that has done this yet, Hatchett said. So every other state is going to be out of work, except for Georgia? Wilkerson asked. I honestly havent looked at other states laws, Hatchett answered. What Im doing is just trying to make sure I mean, I looked at our laws, and the way theyre written, we would not technically be able to license a nurse moving forward if we dont make this change. What happens in D.C., like you said, I cant read their mind, but at least we know and it looks like its going in this direction were gonna be ready. And if nothing happens, were still gonna be ready. Wilkerson moved to amend the bill so that the relevant parts of it would not go into effect unless the department is officially abolished. He pitched it as a way to get Democratic support in the House after it passed along mostly party lines in the Senate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hatchett demurred at first, but eventually gave his support to the amendment because he said it would mean the bill could go into effect sooner if the Trump administration drops the ax on the department before the summer. Now that Im thinking about it, I probably support this, because if it is to be dissolved faster, if it were to be dissolved tomorrow, his amendment would help that. So right now its effective on July 1, 2025, and if it were to be dissolved in the next couple of weeks, this would actually help us out. Before the bill can become law, it will need to pass out of the full House Education Committee as well as the full House before April 4 and receive Gov. Brian Kemps signature. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Georgia lawmakers are questioning the accuracy of an audit of MARTA that led to allegations of overcharging the City of Atlanta tens of millions of dollars. The latest look at the More MARTA Atlanta audit by state lawmakers presented a drastically lower debt than what City of Atlanta officials claimed was due. In August 2024, the City of Atlanta accused MARTA of overcharging them for the More MARTA program to the tune of about $70 million. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The accusations followed an audit performed by Mauldin & Jenkins at the request of the Atlanta Mayors Office. That assessment found that over the five years of the More MARTA Atlanta program, bus services had been enhanced at a significantly lower level than what was budgeted, while the transport agency continued to transfer funds from the city reserve to pay for capital programs. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] MARTA strongly disagreed, saying that they had transferred leftover funds back to the City of Atlanta when they were there, and that the audit by Mauldin & Jenkins was flawed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, a joint committee of Georgia state lawmakers from both the Senate and House of Representatives are questioning the Atlanta audit and saying that a new assessment of the program and the impacts of service changes during the COVID-19 pandemic had presented a more realistic and equitable approach to the transit system and its debts in Atlanta. As we review the findings of KPMG, its evident that the threshold methodology, while initially suitable, did not adequately account for service changes during the COVID-19 pandemic and led to misleading conclusions, state Rep. Deborah Silcox said in a statement. RELATED STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Silcox chairs the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Overview Committee. The proportional methodology offers a more realistic and equitable approach by considering the shared nature of our transit system and spreading costs across all routes, she added. As far as a more realistic calculation, the new assessment by KPMG was determined to provide a more accurate cost allocation. So far, MARTA has paid Atlanta about $20 million from the debt highlighted by the city. Silcoxs statement also said under the threshold method, approximately $82 million was calculated as owed by MARTA to the City of Atlanta, while the proportional method suggested this amount was instead approximately $865,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement to Channel 2 Action News, a MARTA spokesperson said KPMGs independent audit of the More MARTA Atlanta Program, which found that among other things MARTAs enhanced bus service calculations from 2017 to 2019 were correct, disproving the City of Atlanta and Mauldin & Jenkins previous erroneous calculations. Referring to two back-and-forths between the City of Atlanta and MARTA, the transit agency said that with the findings of the MARTOC assessment, and an accusation that Atlanta officials had ignored their responses during the Mauldin & Jenkins audit, MARTA urged faster approval of permits for new construction projects. In particular, MARTA said they want to take this opportunity to urge Atlanta officials to expedite the approval of permits for the Five Points Station Transformation Project so that we can begin deconstruction. Because of the delays, it is already behind schedule, and it is critical that we begin work to deliver this transformational project for our riders, our system, and the downtown area. MARTAs spokesperson said they hope to work with the City of Atlanta to deliver a safe, clean and reliable experience for their customers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Responding to a request by Channel 2 Action News, Atlanta officials said they were reviewing the new information. We received the document, and it is currently under review by our Finance team. We will provide further details once the review is complete. We stand by our initial audit and look forward to working with MARTA on the remaining $60 million dollars owed to Atlanta taxpayers, a spokesman for the city said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] TBILISI, Georgia (AP) A court in Georgia on Wednesday convicted imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili on embezzlement charges and handed him another prison term of nine years. Saakashvili, who served as Georgias president in 2004-13, is already serving a six-year prison term for abuse of power. He was convicted in absentia in 2018, and arrested in 2021 upon his return to Georgia. In the new case against Saakashvili, Georgia's prosecutors accused him of embezzling and spending 9 million Georgian lari (roughly $3.2 million) worth of state funds funneled through Georgia's State Security Service on various personal expenses, including luxury services and his sons education. Saakashvili's defense has denied the charges and insisted they were politically motivated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new sentence, handed down by the Tbilisi City Court in the Georgian capital, means that Saakashvili, 57, will likely remain incarcerated until 2030. Wednesday's ruling also ordered Teimuraz Janashia, the former head of the State Security Service, to pay a fine of 300,000 Georgian lari (about $108,000). Saakashvili rose to fame after he led the so-called Rose Revolution protests in 2003 that drove his predecessor out of office. As president, he enacted a serious of ambitious reforms tacking official corruption in Georgia, a South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million. He also presided over a short but fierce war with Russia in 2008 that ended with the humiliating loss of its last footholds in two separatist territories, and he cracked down on protesters who charged that his zeal had mutated into autocracy. In 2012, Saakashvili's United National Movement party lost the election to the Georgian Dream party established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia. Georgian Dream has remained in power ever since, tightening its grip on democratic freedoms and drawing accusations from the opposition of steering the country away from the path toward European Union membership and back into Russia's sphere of influence. Saakashvili left for Ukraine in 2013, obtained Ukrainian citizenship and served as a governor of the country's southern Odesa region in 2015-16. He returned to Georgia in October 2021 to try to bolster opposition forces before nationwide municipal elections and was quickly arrested. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The former president spent much of his time behind bars in a prison hospital after going on a hunger strikes and later claiming that he had been poisoned. He is currently receiving medical treatment at the Vivamedi Clinic, where he is being monitored for several chronic conditions, and his health reportedly worsens periodically, according to the clinic. Saakashvili was not present at the Wednesday's court hearing for health reasons. The verdict elicited protests from his supporters in the courtroom, who shouted Bidzina's slave at the judge, referring to Ivanishvili. In a statement posted on his social media pages, Saakashvili sarcastically called the verdict a huge surprise and the will of the oppressor. He has argued that the authorities "have practically sentenced me to life imprisonment for official presidential office expenses. Tina Bokuchava, chairman of the United National Movement, said that the verdict shows that Ivanishvilis Russian regime sees the Georgian state and the idea of the Georgian state as its enemy." They are fighting against president Mikheil Saakashvili, who dedicated his whole life to the Georgian state, she said. They will not frighten anyone with this verdict, nor will they stop anyone. On the contrary, we will fight till the end. A team of Georgia Tech engineers and researchers are making U.S. history, installing the first bridge made out of a wind turbine blade. The Re-Wind Network developed the bridges, breathing new life into sections of wind turbine blades. Russell Gentry , professor in the School of Architecture at Georgia Tech, leads the United States team. Gentry, alongside other project members, gathered Tuesday in Buckhead to install a BladeBridge at Beaverbrook Park. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These fabulous materials dont recycle well so when they come out of service, you cant really grind them up. You cant use them for anything and theyre amazing structures, Gentry said. Two other BladeBridges were installed in Ireland a few years ago, but the bridge in Buckhead will be the first of its kind in the United States. The idea was instead of trying to recycle these materials, were repurposing them. Keeping them intact and using them structurally for another use, added Gentry. Gentry says the blades were donated by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Company and brought in from Colorado. The Beaverbook Park bridge will feature a deck on either side and is expected to be ready for pedestrian traffic by next month. Gentry says their team is working on bringing a second BladeBridge to the area. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A new report and survey into Australias "largest sector" - family businesses - reveals that despite a third of respondents reporting cash flow challenges, over 55% of respondents said they are actively investing in and adopting new tech, highlighting the sectors commitment to continual growth and staying ahead of the curve. Family Business Association and Pronto Software have released the results of the biennial Family Business Barometer survey report titled - What matters to family businesses The largest sector in Australia., which uncovers how those businesses are performing in terms of adopting new technologies and embracing innovation. Family Business Association and Pronto Software have released the results of the biennial Family Business Barometer survey report titled: What matters to family businesses The largest sector in Australia. According to the report, almost half (48%) of survey respondents, said the future vision of their company, goals and strategy is the main thing keeping them up at night, and 54% said providing financial security for future generations is a top priority. And, over half (55%) of respondents said they are actively investing in and adopting new technologies, revealing the innovative flair of the sector and their ability to adapt to changing circumstances. The report also notes that other factors on the minds of family business leaders include improving business efficiencies and operations (47%), and succession planning complexities (37%). The two companies say that the report aims to uncover the unique experiences, opportunities and challenges for the family business sector which includes small, medium and large businesses. Catherine Sayer, CEO, Family Business Association, said family businesses make up 70% of businesses in Australia and need to be represented at the policy decision-making table. Their strength in long-term thinking and building their balance sheet resilience to navigate the peaks and troughs of the economy also sets family businesses apart from other sectors. The results reflect current challenges business leaders are facing including external economic factors, cost of labour, and cash flow. The report uncovered key factors for family businesses success including strong family values (73%), dedicated team of employees (68%) and customer loyalty (56%). These factors have allowed the sector to continually navigate extremely difficult situations, as they stand strong in their values and purpose to deliver the highest quality products and services. This is why 70% of consumers prefer to buy from family businesses they are highly trusted and known to have integrity. With a unique set of needs, the voices of family businesses need to be heard - for their success directly impacts half of Australias population and the national economy, said Sayer. Chad Gates, Managing Director, Pronto Software, said family businesses are leaders in embracing and adopting new technologies to support more efficient practices. Although the economy has presented challenges, its positive to see over half of survey respondents investing in new technologies, even during economic downturns. This is smart business, as it ensures youre ready to accelerate when things turn around. Like all businesses, acquiring talent remains a key challenge, so investing in technology that streamlines processes and relieves pressure from teams is key to managing workflows and retaining staff. To successfully implement and integrate technology, its essential to have a strategic plan that details digital adoption. Businesses that overcome these challenges will reap the rewards, says Gates. According to the two companies, the results clearly show the family business sector is driven to succeed and focused on the key tools to ensure long-term growth in 2025. Download the full report here. By Felix Light TBILISI (Reuters) -Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been imprisoned since 2021, was sentenced on Wednesday to nine more years in jail after being found guilty of embezzlement. Saakashvili, in office from 2004 to 2013, had been convicted of embezzling 9 million Georgian lari ($3.3 million) via expenses claims for what prosecutors called "luxury" spending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a post on X after the sentencing, Saakashvili, who denies the charges and says the expenses were legitimate, called the verdict an "outrageous case of political persecution". Saakashvili was already serving a six-year sentence for abuse of power, having been jailed after returning to Georgia in 2021. He has spent much of that time in a prison hospital. The sentences will run concurrently, so Wednesday's ruling will keep him in jail until 2030. He is also on trial for entering Georgia illegally in 2021, and separately for a crackdown on protesters in 2007. Georgian television showed a commotion in court after the verdict was announced, with Saakashvili's supporters calling the judge a "slave" of the government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now a deeply polarising figure, Saakashvili rose to power on a tide of acclaim in the 2003 Rose Revolution. He reorientated Georgia towards the West and introduced public sector reforms that delivered rapid improvements in governance and the economy of the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million. However, the latter part of his tenure was marked by authoritarianism, police brutality, and a disastrous 2008 war with Russia. In 2012, his United National Movement lost an election to a coalition headed by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire businessman who is still Georgia's de facto leader. After leaving office, Saakashvili moved to Ukraine, where he briefly served as governor of the Odesa region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He returned in 2021, despite having been convicted in absentia of abuse of power, and was jailed on arrival. The ruling Georgian Dream party regularly accuses all opposition parties, including those critical of Saakashvili, of having links to him. In recent years, Georgian Dream has clamped down on opposition and steered the former Soviet republic closer to Moscow again. ($1 = 2.7450 laris) (Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Kevin Liffey) Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has been sentenced to an additional nine years in prison for an alleged large-scale embezzlement of state funds, the Tbilisi City Court ruled, as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Georgian service reported on March 12. Judge Badri Kochlamazashvili found Saakashvili guilty of misappropriating 9 million lari (about $5.4 million at the time) from the state budget between May 2009 and February 2013 for personal expenses, including luxury hotels, cosmetic procedures, and designer clothing. Teimuraz Janashia, former head of the Special Guard Service, was also convicted in the case and fined 300,000 Georgian lari ($108,000) for abuse of office. Both men denied the charges, calling the trial politically motivated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Saakashvili, Georgia's president between 2004-2007 and 2008-2013, sought to take his country on a pro-Western path but lost elections to the Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party a few years after the defeat in the Russia-Georgia war in 2008. The politician was detained upon returning to Georgia in 2021 and is currently serving six years in prison on charges of ordering the beating of opposition lawmaker Valery Gelashvili in 2005. He was also given a three-year sentence for abuse of power charges for pardoning four police officers convicted of murder in 2008. The former president, a longtime critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has accused oligrach Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the Georgian Dream party, of orchestrating his prosecution on Moscow's orders. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on May 23 that there were no grounds to believe that Saakashvili's criminal proceedings were unfair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In February 2023, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Georgian government was "killing" Saakashvili after photos surfaced showing his deteriorating health and significant weight loss. Saakashvili holds Ukrainian citizenship and served as the governor of Odesa Oblast between 2015 and 2016. The ruling follows mass protests in Tbilisi over the disputed October election results, which saw the Kremlin-friendly Georgian Dream party retain power. Since the election, a number of Western countries have imposed sanctions on Georgia over the perceived democratic backsliding. The political crisis deepened after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia's EU integration could be delayed until 2028. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Despite Russian-backed Georgescu barred from presidential race, Romanias far-right still aim to win Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has stated that the G7 countries played a crucial role in preventing Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin from achieving his objectives in Ukraine. Source: German Foreign Ministry, as reported by European Pravda Details: Before departing for the G7 meeting in Canada, Baerbock said that since Putin brought war to Europe, the G7 has been a "workhorse in crisis management as it is a powerful and reliable format". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote from Baerbock: "The fact that Putin has still not achieved his war aims in Ukraine is due first and foremost to the courage of the Ukrainians, but it is also thanks to the united support of the G7." Details: Baerbock noted that after the Munich meeting on the sidelines of the security conference, this would be the second G7 meeting under Canada's presidency and with the new US administration. She described such close exchanges as not only important but also urgently necessary. Quote from Baerbock: "We will do more to promote our security and defence in Europe in the future. After all, a new age of ruthlessness has dawned. A time when those around the world who do not share our values, who do not want peace, who believe only in the law of the strong, are watching very closely to see whether we are able to maintain our unity and rules-based order." Background: In February, the G7 countries failed to approve a joint statement on the third anniversary of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine due to sharp disagreements with Washington's position. Earlier, it was reported that the US had refused to name Russia as the aggressor in the G7 statement on the third anniversary of the full-scale war. On 11 March, reports indicated that the United States opposed using harsh language in joint G7 statements in order not to hinder its efforts to persuade Russia and Ukraine to come to the negotiating table. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! German police carried out raids against a suspected car-smuggling ring on Wednesday that illegally sold high-end German vehicles to Russia in violation of strict EU sanctions. A 46-year-old Belarusian woman was arrested and five vehicles seized as part of the raids, which targeted locations in Berlin and in the district of Landshut in the southern German state of Bavaria. Prosecutors in Berlin said they believe the woman is a flight risk and will ask a magistrate to order her kept in custody as the case moves forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the investigations so far, 192 cars with a total value of around 21.4 million ($26.3 million) are involved, police said. In addition to the woman, police are also investigating two suspected accomplices for trying to evade the sanctions imposed on Russia over the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The Berlin public prosecutor's office said that the trio is believed to have exported numerous cars to Russia since April 5, 2022. The EU outlawed exports of luxury goods to Russia on March 15, 2022, including cars valued at 50,000 or more. Those sanctions were tightened on June 24, 2023, to ban the sale of any car to Russia, no matter the value. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In order to circumvent the EU sanctions, the car dealer allegedly faked paperwork to give the impression that the vehicles were being exported to Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. However, according to the investigations, the cars were actually registered directly in Russia. A total of 186 vehicles are said to have ended up in Russia in violation of the sanctions. FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's foreign intelligence service in 2020 put at 80%-90% the likelihood that the coronavirus behind the COVID-19 pandemic was accidentally released from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology, two German newspapers reported on Wednesday. According to a joint report by publications Die Zeit and Sueddeutscher Zeitung, Germany's spying agency BND had indications that the institute had conducted gain-of-function experiments, whereby viruses are modified to become more transmissible to humans for research purposes. It also had indications that numerous violations of safety regulations had occurred at the lab, the papers said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The spy agency assessment's was based on an unspecified intelligence operation code-named "Saaremaa" as well as on publicly-available data. It had been commissioned by the office of Germany's chancellor at the time, Angela Merkel, but never published, the report said. BND declined to comment. When asked about the report in a press conference, outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz also declined to comment on Wednesday. The papers reported that the assessment was, however, shared with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in the autumn of 2024. A CIA spokesperson said in January that the CIA has assessed that the COVID-19 pandemic is more likely to have emerged from a lab than from nature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The CIA said at the time it had "low confidence" in its assessment and that both scenarios - lab origin and natural origin - remain plausible. Chinas government says it supports and has taken part in research to determine COVID-19s origin, and has accused Washington of politicizing the matter, especially because of efforts by U.S. intelligence agencies to investigate. Beijing has said there was no credibility to claims that a laboratory leak likely caused the pandemic. China's foreign ministry said last month that the Wuhan Institute of Virology never carried out any gain-of-function research on coronaviruses and that it was not involved in the creation or leakage of the COVID-19 virus. (Reporting by Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt and Andreas Rinke in Berlin, Editing by Angus MacSwan) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised the European Commission's tough response to the US tariffs on steel and aluminium on Wednesday, but also called for an amicable solution to the growing trade conflict. "We must use our strength and therefore respond strongly and appropriately, but always with the prospect of reaching an agreement," Scholz said following a meeting with European Council President Antonio Costa in Berlin. The outgoing German chancellor pointed out that the rules of free world trade largely originated in the United States, and urged US President Donald Trump to reverse course from his protectionist agenda. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If tariffs are now put in their place, this will harm the American economy the most, but also many others," Scholz said. The European Commission announced that it is to impose countertariffs on US products including bourbon whiskey, games consoles, motorcycles, boats and peanut butter starting on April 1. Further measures are to follow later. According to the European Commission, the new US tariffs of 25% will affect EU exports with a total value of 26 billion ($28 billion), which corresponds to around 5% of the EU's total goods exports to the US. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed on Wednesday the proposal from Ukraine and the United States for a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia. Scholz said that a short ceasefire could be linked to further steps such as an exchange of prisoners or the return of abducted people. The outgoing German chancellor, speaking after a meeting with European Council President Antonio Costa in Berlin, said that a ceasefire would also offer the opportunity to explore ways to achieve longer-term peace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scholz also acknowledged the US commitment to resume the temporarily suspended arms deliveries to Ukraine. In doing so, US President Donald Trump's administration made it clear "that the Russian president cannot hope to simply win on the battlefield because support is being withdrawn from Ukraine." The focus of further peace efforts must now be on ensuring that Ukraine remains a democratic, sovereign nation and has its own strong army, Scholz said. Moscow, however, has yet to agree to the ceasefire proposal. Scholz emphasized that Washington's European allies are also "intensively" involved in the peace efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In particular the UK, France and Germany, who are working very hard, both with the US and with Ukraine, to drive these things forward," Scholz said. He called the progress made so far "very significant." A 13-year-old girl charged with the murder of a mother of three clutched a teddy bear as she appeared in court for the first time. Marta Bednarczyk, a 43-year-old from Poland, was found dead by police in the early hours of Monday at her torched home in Wellingborough, north-east of Northampton. Police arrested the teenager that same day on suspicion of murder and arson with intent to endanger life. A post-mortem examination of Ms Bednarczyk, a warehouse worker, gave a preliminary cause of death as the result of sharp force injury. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The teenager, who cannot be identified because of her age, spoke only to confirm her name and date of birth during her appearances at Northampton magistrates court and Northampton Crown Court on Wednesday. Girl clutches bear for support Wearing a grey sweater and jogging bottoms in the glass-panelled dock, she trembled and clutched a small teddy bear for support as she listened to the charges read aloud. The girl sat on the second row of the barristers benches and was accompanied by three dock officers. Judge Adrienne Lucking KC remanded the girl into youth detention accommodation and the case was adjourned to April 11 at the same court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms Bednarczyk was pronounced dead by paramedics at 3.29am on Monday. The terraced home where she was found remains cordoned off by police. Her family, in a tribute released by the police, described her as the matriarch of the family. It said: She was a very caring woman, a loving mother, and a supportive friend who could never do enough for those she loved. She moved from Poland to the UK in 2010 first to London and then to Wellingborough in 2012, where she worked in a warehouse in order to bring money home for her family. She was engaged to her long-term partner Eugene and had a small but tight network of friends and family. Missed beyond words She was so loved by all of us and the tragic circumstances in which she died will haunt us forever. We dont think we will ever come to terms with it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are heartbroken at the thought of never seeing our lovely Marta again. She will be missed beyond words, and she will never be forgotten. Finally, wed like to thank the police for the support they have provided us with since Sunday. They have been very kind and for that, we are really grateful. Det Chief Insp Johnny Campbell, the senior investigating officer from the East Midlands special operations unit, said on Tuesday evening: I want to take a moment to thank the many police officers and staff who are working and continue to work tirelessly on this investigation since the very tragic events of early yesterday morning. And, in particular, all our thoughts are with Martas family who have been fully co-operative throughout what has been a devastating couple of days for them. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. MARTINEZ, Ga (WJBF)- Wednesday, the Girl Scouts of America is celebrating its 113th birthday. Camps across the country are preparing for an influx of girls, except for one local one. The Girl Scouts are wrapping up cookie season and preparing to head to camp. But with tens of thousands of dollars of work to do on Camp Tanglewood, its not likely it will be open in time for summer camp. I mean, 113 years of legacy. And that is amazing, exclaimed Shawn Risher, Community Engagement Manager for Girls Scout of Historic Georgia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Girl Scouts is a global organization that empowers young girls to become leaders in their communities. But the organization had humble beginning, starting in Savannah with 18 girls on March 12, 1912. All the volunteers and all the staff work really hard to give the girls such a positive pathway into entrepreneurship and self-motivation and, you know, just willingness to be that empowered young lady, Risher said. Cookies and camp are two words that are synonymous with Girl Scouts. Camp Tanglewood in Martinez has been a fixture for more than 80 years. During Helene it sustained major damage, losing 11 structures. For many who love the camp seeing the damage was devastating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We were actually supposed to be camping the day after, our troop and another troop. We were supposed to be camping there. The cabins we were going to be in had a tree in it. And so just shock and awe and it still, like, makes me cry or get teary, because that would have been awful. But then all the memories, explained Mona Cox, Youth Coordinator and Troop Co-Leader. We checked in with Camp Tanglewood in November and saw the devastation for ourselves. Now, 4 months later, the camp looks much different with the storm debris cleaned up. Weve got most everything cabin wise and structure wise tore down and ready to be replaced. Were just waiting on the proper channels to clear up, said Risher. The Girl Scouts organization has insurance on the camp, but Risher explained that its not enough to cover the cost of the work. Theyve set up a GoFundMe, asking for the communitys help to raise the $50,000 they still need to rebuild. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These cabins that were destroyed are being replaced at the value of those cabins. So, you know, you can imagine how old those cabins were. So we you know, we just need a little extra help. While they wont be open in time for summer camp, the organization is hoping to be ready for one of its big annual events in September. It gives you hope. Everythings going to be okay. Its all going to work out. Were going to rebuild. Well make new memories. Everythings going to be fine, said Cox. If you are interested in volunteering or would like to make a donation to the cleanup effort at Camp Tanglewood, you can find their website HERE and the GoFundMe page HERE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also, in honor of its birthday, the Girl Scout of America will be gifting baby girls born March 12, 2025 with a year of membership once they turn 5. Locally it will be given to baby girls born at Doctors Hospital. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF. The government of Canada has announced new measures to make 5G millimetre wave spectrum available for a range of new services. Millimetre wave (mmWave) spectrum is high-frequency spectrum, typically ranging between 24-47 Ghz for 5G applications, that can carry large quantities of data over short distances. Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada is publishing an addendum to the Non-Competitive Local Licensing Framework that will add millimetre wave spectrum in the 27.528.35 GHz band. ISED will be consulting from March 06 to June 04, 2025, on millimetre wave spectrum in the 26 GHz and 38 GHz bands for an upcoming spectrum auction. While mmWave spectrum can be cranked up to support massive speeds and throughput, the signals have the disadvantage of only being able to travel short distances and being subject to obstruction by solid objects. However, mmWave spectrum can support highly localised mobile services, new applications such as automation in manufacturing and transportation, and fixed wireless services for internet in homes typically located in rural or remote areas. The Canadian government says the mmWave spectrum that it is making available will support services such as smart agriculture, industrial automation and private networks. The emergence of new wireless technologies is supporting the creation and expansion of new spectrum applications across different industries, including manufacturing, health care, public safety and more," said Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. "Making new millimetre wave spectrum available will encourage the development of new and disruptive business models, drive ongoing investment in networks, increase competition and improve affordable connectivity options for Canadians across the country. Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, said making additional spectrum available will improve connectivity for Canadians in rural and remote areas. Whether for accessing health care, enhancing safety in communities or growing a business, reliable connectivity is a necessity, no matter where you live in Canada," Hutchings said. ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) A woman has been arrested in connection to the murder of a Seneca man. According to the Anderson County Sheriffs Office, detectives arrested 20-year-old Nakia Geer. Geer, deputies said, is the girlfriend of Daeshawn Marquize Wilson. Wilson is accused of murdering Jimmy Ramey, who was found shot to death in wooded area near Wilsons family property on February 26. Ramey was reported missing on February 18, after not picking up his wife from work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wilson, 18, was arrested on March 3. Search for murder suspect leads to 5 drug-related arrests in Oconee Co. Officials said Geer knew of Rameys murder, but didnt tell investigators after being questioned multiple times. Geer has been charged with misprision of a felony, though detectives said more charges are possible. Deputies arrested Geer and booked her at the Anderson County Detention Center. She is being held on $5,000 bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. (Bloomberg) -- Supply Lines is a daily newsletter that tracks global trade. Sign up here. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump is unleashing sweeping import tariffs that he says will reverse the decline of Americas steel towns. But the US isnt the only nation rushing to protect its factory heartlands. The global steel market is barreling toward a war on multiple fronts as politicians pursue measures to stem imports of the industrial staple. South Korea and Vietnam are raising the barricades, the European Union is tightening safeguards, while mills in Latin America are angling for more protection. More often than not, the target is China the dominant producer whose exports surged close to a record last year. The risk for steelmakers around the world is that Trumps tariffs worsen oversupply, piling pressure on producers and governments at a time when demand for the alloy is struggling. If there are barriers into the US then at least some of that steel will be diverted, at least in the short term, said Tomas Gutierrez, an analyst at consultancy Kallanish Commodities Ltd., who has tracked the industry for more than 15 years. More mills will be looking for other markets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The gray metal is a cornerstone of the world economy. Most major nations aspire to have a steel industry, and its entrenched political links have left it prone to bursts of protectionism from the 19th century onward. For Trump and others, it is a symbol of manufacturing might, even today. Trumps 25% tariffs on all imports of steel as well as aluminum come into force on Wednesday. The latest steps bolster trade measures introduced in his first term, removing exemptions for many nations and extending them to new categories of products. Hours after the metals tariffs came into force, the European Commission pledged swift countermeasures on US imports to Europe including steel, aluminum and other industrial products. The response will apply to US goods exports worth up to 26 billion ($28.4 billion), matching the economic scope of Trumps new levies, the commission said. The latest trade barriers are the most extensive since 2015-2016, and risk driving up the cost of everything from making cars to building infrastructure, threatening dislocation and job losses in troubled steel-dependent sectors. Whereas previous moves had been targeted, the current round uses blanket measures, affecting larger volumes and key trade routes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The result, steel producers fear, will be to reroute even more excess supply from China and elsewhere into already pained markets. Thats what worries European steelmakers. Under the first Trump administration, for every three tons that did not land in the US, two arrived in Europe, according to Eurofer, the organization representing EU steel producers. The 18 million tons, which the US is today importing with exemptions, they will have to find another place. Theyre looking for an open market, which is the European Union, Director-General Axel Eggert told reporters in Brussels last week. Bad Timing Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A key plank of Trumps case for tariffs is China. He argues that Beijings steel is flooding other countries, in turn spurring them to ship more to the US, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina have been cited as culprits. The president has also blamed other nations for not doing enough to address Chinas bloated steel sector. That industry does overshadow most of the world. It expanded aggressively over the first two decades of this century to help build the nations cities and manufacturing might. But while demand has faded in the past five years, in part a consequence of the pandemic and the nations property crisis, annual output has remained stubbornly above 1 billion tons pushing exports higher. That export surge has already triggered a wave of pushback from trade partners who now fear they will have to bolster protection still further. Vietnam and South Korea, the two biggest buyers of Chinese steel and themselves major exporters, have put duties on hot-rolled coil, a widely used product that features heavily in global flows. Taiwan has also launched an anti-dumping probe. And Indias trade authority has recommended broad tariffs on steel imports, according to a local report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Producers of Thai steel products will face much tougher challenges. We are already enduring a difficult period with the influx of Chinese steel products even with some anti-dumping measures by the government to protect local producers, said Petrung Maesincee, president of Thailands Metal Tube and Cold-Forming Steel Association. Another concern is the tariffs on other countries steel products may also prompt countries other than China to offload their products into Thailand. We see a visible increase in steel products from Vietnam. The EU, meanwhile, is reviewing its import controls after increased flows from unusual destinations coincided with a slump in European demand. Shanghai Metals Market, a Chinese researcher, estimates that the total volume of Chinese steel caught up in anti-dumping cases stood at more than 30 million tons by the end of February over a quarter of last years exports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China has weathered export squeezes before, by switching to different steel products or finding new destinations, said Kallanishs Gutierrez. If it cant do so this time, it would deal a heavy blow to the domestic industry. The risk is that things become so restricted that it reaches a kind of tipping point, he said. More than 30 new anti-dumping cases were recorded in 2024, according to the China Metallurgical Industry Planning and Research Institute, a government-linked body, which warned of worsening conditions for exports. Commodities consultancy CRU Group expects Chinese steel exports to fall by as much as 17% this year, partly because of the global pushback. All of this is adding to pressure on Chinas steel industry to rein in excess production. At the governments annual legislative meetings in Beijing last week, policymakers pledged to trim overcapacity in steel and other industrial sectors, roughly a decade after their last big push on so-called supply-side reform. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is less state stimulus support this time, but the economy has also matured to become less steel intensive in the interim. China could see the reckoning for the industry that Trump and his supporters may feel is long overdue. --With assistance from Jorge Valero, Heesu Lee, Jack Ryan, Anuchit Nguyen and Jake Lloyd-Smith. (Adds European Commission response in seventh paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. A purge of U.S. Department of Education staff Tuesday night left deep cuts to programs long critical to its mission, from investigating student discrimination complaints to measuring academic performance. Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced the elimination of over 1,300 employees, meaning that, along with buyouts and early retirements, the department is roughly half the size it was when President Donald Trump took office just eight weeks ago. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Everyones crushed, said Denise Joseph, a management and program analyst in the Office of Postsecondary Education. She was put on leave in January and received her final termination notice Tuesday. I cant do the work that I really want to do, that was making a difference in my community and the nation. Education Secretary Linda McMahon appeared on Fox and Friends last week in advance of cutting the Department of Educations workforce in half. (Noam Galai/Getty Images) McMahon said the cuts and reorganization are necessary to succeed in this final mission to sunset the agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The programs that took the biggest blows include its much-criticized Federal Student Aid office, the research and statistics arm that runs the test known as the Nations Report Card and its Office for Civil Rights. The move fell short of Trumps promise to shutter a department he dismissed as a con job, leaving relatively intact deeply funded programs hed need Congress to eliminate, like aid for low-income students and those with disabilities. But there was no doubt the move left the department hobbled in a way many Republicans have longed for since its doors first opened in 1980. The Education Departments student aid and civil rights divisions were hardest hit by layoffs Tuesday, according to a spreadsheet of fired union employees that was posted to social media by a Institute of Education Sciences staffer who was let go. The most important function of the staff in the civil rights office is to monitor and investigate issues of discrimination that kids and families experience at the local level, said Jonathan Collins, an assistant professor of education and political science at Teachers College, Columbia University.Now, its highly likely that any cry against injustice sits in an unchecked inbox. And the cumulative effects of that are frightening. Much of the reaction Wednesday fell along party lines. For many conservatives, the department is a byzantine bureaucracy that has proved difficult to tame. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement David Cleary, a former Republican education staffer for the Senate and now a principal with The Group, a Washington lobbying firm, said the department doesnt need hundreds of staff members to distribute formula funding programs like Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Education Department layoffs affected employees based across the country, according to a spreadsheet of fired union employees that was posted to social media by an Institute of Education Sciences staffer who was let go. Theyre delightful and lovely and very nice people, but do they really add value to the implementation of IDEA at the state level? he asked. People do process and procedure because of history and habit. He predicted legislators would mostly focus on whether the department has enough people to effectively run the programs authorized by Congress. Related The Political War Over the Department of Education is Only Beginning The Republican complaint for 40 years, he said, has been, Its a formula grant; just send the money out the door. Why do you need this massive bureaucracy to come up with new rules, new procedures, new requirements, new mandates, new interpretations? Double talk The large-scale reductions are part of Trumps across-the-board effort to downsize the government. Every agency is expected to submit plans for reducing staff by March 13. The layoffs in education, while less dramatic than those at larger agencies like the Veterans Administration and the Social Security Administration, received outsize attention due to Trumps promise to abolish the 45-year-old agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, the department temporarily closed its Washington, D.C. and regional offices in part to give employees a day to process the cuts, but also as a precaution. We expect protests, spokeswoman Madi Biedermann said Tuesday night. Its just better and more considerate of staff to keep the department closed. Related An Unprecedented Start for Ed Departments Latest and Perhaps Last Secretary While lawsuits are inevitable, Tuesdays actions may have made it difficult for the department to defend against them: Cuts included 38 staff members in the general counsels office. The amount of double talk thats coming out of the administration is astonishing, said Johnathan Smith, chief of staff at the National Center for Youth Law and a former deputy assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice during the Biden administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For example, the elimination of at least 243 OCR employees comes days after the office announced a comprehensive investigation into the District of Columbia Public Schools for having over 10,000 complaints from parents of children with disabilities. Officials said they also planned to prioritize a backlog of antisemitism complaints and restart other civil rights investigations that were temporarily on hold. Further, after canceling an upcoming national test for 17-year-olds last administered in 2012 the department said it was committed to the core math and reading tests that make up the National Assessment of Educational Progress. But the sweeping cuts to the National Center for Education Statistics and the Institute for Education Sciences leave the future of the Nations Report Card unclear. For many observers, the cuts also call into question Trumps nomination of well-respected educators to key positions, including Penny Schwinn, former Tennessee education chief, as deputy secretary, and Kristen Baesler, North Dakota superintendent, as assistant secretary in charge of K-12 education. You would think that if those people are going to come in, they would have been given some assurance that theyre going to have something to do, said Charles Barone, a former Democratic House staffer and now director of the Center for Innovation at the National Parents Union, an advocacy organization. Civil rights The layoffs spread far outside Washington, shuttering seven of the 12 regional OCR offices, where investigators talk to families and school officials at the center of discrimination complaints. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am sick about these staff losses, said Catherine Lhamon, who led OCR during both the Obama and Biden administrations. She called Tuesday her worst day. OCR has 14,000 to 15,000 cases in investigation right now, she said. Any notion that the Office for Civil Rights does not need seven of its 12 regional offices to do the work Congress charged [it] to do is pure nonsense. Related After Outcry, Education Department Walks Back Diversity Guidance One OCR employee who received a reduction-in-force email told The 74 that some of the terminated employees had decades of experience at the department despite federal personnel rules that place recent hires at the front of the line for layoffs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youre going to RIF people, people with seniority that have been here 30 years should not be on this list, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing retaliation from the administration. This is totally illegal. Ironically, among the eliminations to the general counsels office were attorneys who provide advice on how to downsize the department in a legally compliant way, said one laid-off attorney who spoke on the condition of anonymity for the same reason. In addition to making the department more vulnerable to litigation, the attorney said, gutting the general counsels office could hinder efforts to ensure federal programs, including those for special education services, are implemented in a fair, transparent, legally supportable manner. The Nations Report Card Over 100 positions were sliced from IES, which collects data from early childhood to higher education and evaluates programs intended to improve student performance. But the cuts leave experts wondering who will administer and analyze its most important prize: the NAEP test. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related NAEP Costs May Have Played Role in Move to Sideline Testing Official Peggy Carr Harvard University assessment expert Andrew Ho is a former member of the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the test. He knows many of the NCES staff members who were cut and called them essential to NAEP operations. When students still havent recovered from pandemic learning loss, he argues that its critical not to undercut the program. Congress, the department, and the NAEP board must act quickly and boldly to restore core assessment expertise, he said. Or I cant see why any state governor, let alone parents of kids, would trust NAEP results. K-12 education Tuesdays action means that once North Dakotas Baesler is confirmed as assistant secretary, she could be largely on her own in the office that oversees K-12 education. Forty-nine union employees, including its front office, were cut from the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, which oversees Title I and runs programs to improve K-12 learning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Keith McNamara, a data governance specialist who was on the termination list, and his colleagues, monitored and audited data for K-12 school grant programs to ensure accuracy and states compliance with rules on spending federal funds. Related Reading Champion Penny Schwinn Expected to Keep Ed. Dept. Focused on Achievement Our office was essentially trying to connect the dots across the office to make sure that things were more efficient than they would have been otherwise, he said. We made sure that the data was accurate, complete, reliable and timely. I dont know whos going to be doing that anymore. Cleary, the former Republican staffer, suggested the task is not as daunting as some make it out to be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If states come in and say, Hey I want a waiver for X,Y or Z, do you need 30 people to do that, or is it one policy person and a lawyer? Student aid The office of Federal Student Aid the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation, which processes more than 17.6 million applications each year was hardest hit, losing at least 326 of its approximately 1,400 employees. Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency recommends replacing many of those staffers with artificial intelligence, according to The New York Times. The office just recently emerged from a challenging year, following a botched rollout of the new FAFSA form, which was meant to simplify the historically complicated application for federal student aid. The process was marred by embarrassing delays and technical glitches, particularly for students whose parents are undocumented and dont have Social Security numbers. Related Looking to Fall Applications, Ed Dept. Wont Rule Out New Financial Aid Delays You cant cut that many people from the department and not expect that services will decline, said Katharine Meyer, a fellow at the Brookings Institutions Brown Center of Education Policy. When you have fewer people in that office, people are going to get slower services. They may not get their questions answered at all. Meyer said last years debacle demonstrated that even when the office is fully staffed, it can be incredibly challenging to get a nuanced response or any response to complicated questions. She noted that springtime, when high school seniors start to get acceptance letters, is typically when large volumes of calls begin pouring in. This is go time, she said, and its pretty much the worst time you can imagine to be understaffed to address those questions. Mix of emotions In a letter Tuesday night to the U.S. Department of Educations remaining staff, McMahon acknowledged the emotional impact of eliminating hundreds of employees. I understand that seeing valued colleagues and friends depart is never easy, she wrote in an email shared with The 74. These changes can bring a mix of emotions grief for those we will miss, uncertainty about the future and concern for the work that lies ahead. One career employee who took early retirement said the environment at the department has been oppressive, and predicted further defections among those still left standing after Tuesdays mass firing. Theyre just going for blood, said the employee, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing benefits. Everybody is looking. Renter advocates gathered in Annapolis in February to call on lawmakers to pass Good Cause Eviction legislation. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters) Supporters of good cause eviction laws may finally get their bill this year but it might come at the cost of other renter protections, as local jurisdictions could have to pick between rent-control measures or good cause evictions under a plan being considered by Senate leaders. Advocates are going on 10 years trying to get the legislature to make it harder for landlords to kick out tenants without citing a good reason for doing so so-called good cause or just cause evictions and were hopeful this might be the year that Senate Bill 651 finally got out of the Senate committee where it had languished. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Senate leaders say that, with the state facing a 96,000-unit housing shortage, they fear that too many local renter protections will drive developers away at a time when the state is desperate to bring in new housing options. We are most focused on finding ways to increase supply of affordable homes, Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said Tuesday. And so any new policy we are considering, we are viewing from a lens of not inhibiting future investments in affordable housing. Sen. President Bill Ferguson discusses Senate priorities for the 2025 session in his office inside the State House in Annapolis. Photo by William J. Ford. Ferguson and Judicial Proceedings Chair Will Smith (D-Montgomery) are pushing an amendment that would let counties choose either good cause evictions or rent stabilization efforts but not both. What were looking at in the Senate is, one or the other, Ferguson said. If a jurisdiction already has the vacancy protections in place that would not allow for the increase in rents with a vacancy then good cause would not be permissible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vacancy control is an element of rent stabilization that limits rent increases in between tenants. And so, if a jurisdiction adopted good cause, it would preempt any local policy for rent capping in any way, he said. Having them both really creates an impractical solution. As drafted, SB 651 would protect tenants against lease non-renewal if the landlord does not cite from a broad list of reasons that say why the tenant is getting kicked out. Such reasons for a good cause eviction would include not paying rent, engaging in disorderly conduct or breaching the lease agreement, among other issues. But during bill hearings on the legislation in both House and Senate committees, housing developers and representatives for landlords said that theyre less likely to do business in areas where they have to navigate a bunch of regulations and renter protections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are a lot of conversations about the regulatory burden that is preventing the increase in supply of affordable housing, Ferguson said. Part of the housing discussion right now is that we have too many local regulations that prohibit ongoing investment, and if you look at places like Montgomery County in particular, there is a huge disincentive to invest in affordable housing. Judicial Proceedings was scheduled to vote on SB 651 Tuesday afternoon, but Smith pushed the committee vote to later in the week. He said that the amendment in the works balances the dire need to create new housing and incentivize the creation of new housing while also creating protections for renters. We, as lawmakers, have an obligation to ensure that were going forward and creating new housing so that housing prices come down while at the same time providing vital protections for renters, Smith said Tuesday. Thats the balance were trying to strike amid a massive housing crisis. Somethings got to give, he said. False choice But advocates in Montgomery County say the choice between good cause evictions and rent control efforts would undermine the effectiveness of the renter protection policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a false and unnecessary choice, Montgomery Councilmember Kristin Mink (D) said Tuesday. It does not make sense to put those opposed to each other. The amendment being discussed by senators would mean that Montgomery County would have to throw out its current rent stabilization policies in order to implement a good cause law, which Mink said is not a workable deal. She and dozens of other local leaders signed on to a letter to the Judicial Proceedings Committee urging members to pass a clean good cause bill and reject any amendments that force counties to make a decision between good cause and rent stabilization efforts. Matt Losak, executive director of the Montgomery County Renters Alliance, said the goals of rent stabilization and good cause evictions serve different purposes. Rent stabilization keeps rent costs down, while good cause protects tenants against needless evictions, to prevent homelessness and instability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were concerned that there is no good solution and that renters will pay the price, said Losak, whos advocacy groups is one of the main organizations supporting the good cause eviction effort. Matt Losak, executive director for the Montgomery County Renters Alliance, urges lawmakers to support a Good Cause eviction bill. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters). I hope there is time for cooler heads to prevail and for JPR [Judicial Proceedings] to do the right thing, Losak said. I am deeply dismayed that the leadership of JPR would not lend its full-throated support in opposition to these poison amendments. Ferguson said its hard to see it moving in the Senate without having some determination to allow one policy or the other in a jurisdiction, not both. The legislative process is about compromise. Theres no such thing as a perfect bill, he said. Were trying to balance a lot of different interests. And I think this is a good example where theres been a lot of work done to try to find a path that works, that has moved the ball down the field. And I think incorporates a lot of the concerns from all parties involved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mink disagrees that the proposed policy choice is a compromise. The idea of trading off vacancy control for good cause is some kind of compromise it is absolutely not the case, she said. This amendment would be a huge deal. Protesters in a Tuesday House K-12 Education Subcommittee hearing on a bill that would allow public schools to bar students in the country illegally. (Photo: John Partipilo) A bill allowing Tennessee public schools to exclude children without legal immigration status cleared a House subcommittee Tuesday as protestors gathered outside the hearing room chanting stop hurting kids and shame on you. The bill by Republican House Majority Leader William Lamberth would give public K-12 and charter schools the option of enrolling or refusing to enroll a child who cannot offer proof of legal immigration status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It differs substantially from its companion bill in the Senate, carried by Sen. Bo Watson, a Hixson Republican. Amended last week, the Senate version would require public schools to verify student immigration status. Schools could then opt to charge tuition for children unable to prove they lawfully reside in the United States. As chanting protestors clogged the hallway outside the House K-12 Subcommittee meeting, inside Giselle Huerta pleaded with lawmakers to vote against the bill. Is this the Tennessee we want to be, a state that turns its back on children who pledge allegiance to our flag every morning? said Huerta, co-founder of the child advocacy group, Hijos de Inmigrantes. Think about the message we are sending to young children who have known no other home but Tennessee that they dont deserve an education, that they dont belong in a classroom alongside their friends and neighbors, she said in her testimony before lawmakers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Knoxville sixth grader Damien Felipe Jimenez told lawmakers he dreamed of one day owning his own restaurant or perhaps becoming a scientist. I am the son of immigrant parents who have shown me to respect and value everyone, he said. Just like me and all the kids in this country, we have the right to dream and make those dreams come true. The right to an education should not be taken away from us because of our immigration status, he said. Lamberth called it false hope to provide an education to children who would go on to face barriers to their professional dreams as adults as a result of their immigration status. It is false hope to give children the best education available in the world and then tell them they can be licensed professionals, they can be licensed doctors, they can be lawyers, they can be accountants, they can run for office, because it is not true, Lamberth said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If they are illegally present, their dreams at some point will have a ceiling and that is inappropriate, Lamberth said. The bills sponsors have said they intend for the measure to serve as a test case of whether the Supreme Court will revisit its 1982 Plyler v. Doe decision establishing the right to a public education regardless of a childs immigration status. If enacted, the measure faces a certain legal challenge. Lamberth noted the bill was discretionary and stressed it was about local control. Some counties grappling with education budget shortfalls or overcrowded classrooms may decide that theres just no more children they want to admit and begin excluding children without legal status, while others may opt out of the law and likely make their communities a magnet for immigrant families, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With this bill there is nobody that will force any school district to disenroll even one child, he said. It is entirely their decision. Opponents of the measure have countered the argument that educating immigrant children is a burden to Tennessee taxpayers, noting that immigrants without legal status pay the same taxes on gas, groceries and retail purchases that help fund public schools as every state resident. The bill was approved 5-3 Tuesday, with the committees two Democrats Rep. Yusuf Hakeem of Chattanooga and Rep. Sam Mackenzie of Knoxville joined by Republican Rep. Mark White dissenting. In a previous vote on the Senate version of the bill last week, three Republicans also joined the lone Democrat on the presiding committee in voting against the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sometimes I think we dont look at human beings as human beings but as numbers or not like us, Hakeem said Tuesday. I look at the parents, the road theyve taken to try to improve the lives of their children and, here we are, talking about taking that away, he said. The bill will be heard next in the House Education and the Senate Finance, Means and Ways Committees. Those hearings have not yet been scheduled. Photographs by John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout 2025 A mother and child enter House Room 1 Photographs by John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout 2025 Rep. Yusuf Hakeem (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Doctors and medical students with Kentucky Physicians for Reproductive Freedom gather at the Kentucky Capitol to advocate for a full restoration of abortion access, March 12, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) FRANKFORT With four days left in the 2025 legislative session, Kentucky Republicans are pushing to reassure health care providers that they are free to treat complex pregnancies, despite the states near-total abortion ban. House committees on Wednesday amended two different bills adding language aimed at clarifying what is not an abortion, in the words of Addia Wuchner, the executive director of Kentucky Right to Life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wuchner testified before the Senate Licensing & Occupations Committee during a meeting after the Senate adjourned. The committee added the proposed clarification to House Bill 90, which would pave the way for freestanding birth centers in Kentucky. HB 90 has already passed the House in its original form and needs Senate approval. Wednesday morning, the House Health Services Committee voted along party lines to add the same language to House Bill 44, which originally required insurance coverage for and referrals to perinatal palliative care programs in cases when newborn babies are unlikely to live long. Both bills now state that there is a need to clarify the distinction between an elective abortion and illegal termination of the life of an unborn child protected under Kentucky law and medically necessary interventions that affirm the fundamental right to life. Democrats voted against the amended bills, arguing the language doesnt go far enough and further muddies the waters for medical providers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If I thought this was the fix, even though it doesnt go as far as I would like it to go I would so happily vote for it, said Rep. Lisa Willner, D-Louisville, during the morning meeting. Im not convinced. Having not heard from hospital attorneys, Im not convinced that this protects doctors, and Im sure that it does not protect pregnant people. The proposed clarification comes in response to reports from across the country, including in Kentucky, of women who say they were denied access to medication to treat miscarriages and other complications because of state abortion bans, leading in some cases to preventable deaths. Kentucky OB-GYNs have said the states abortion ban is forcing them to violate their oath as physicians and causing devastating consequences for patients. Also on Wednesday, doctors and medical students with Kentucky Physicians for Reproductive Freedom came to Frankfort to advocate for a full restoration of abortion access. They brought with them a letter signed by more than 400 health care providers asking the legislature to repeal its ban on abortion. Dr. Nicole King told her fellow physicians gathered in the Capitol annex that they are stuck between doing what is right and doing what is legal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A military veteran and anesthesiologist with high-risk obstetrical experience, King said Kentuckys law is not just cruel, it is medically dangerous. Delayed care increases the risk of severe blood loss, uterine infection, multi organ failure and death, King said. We must continue to fight, not just for the patients who are able to speak out, but for the countless others suffering in silence, trapped by unjust laws. In a terrible state. In the morning committee meeting, Majority Whip Jason Nemes, R-Middletown, said the proposed reassurances for medical providers in HB 414 will save lives and acknowledged the bill is a compromise for many. I know that some people want elective abortions, said Nemes, who in 2023 attempted to add exceptions for rape and incest to the ban. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But he said restoring abortion rights is not politically feasible in the Kentucky legislature. Theres a baby involved, Nemes said, and thats not going to pass this General Assembly. Dr. Jeffrey M. Goldberg, the legislative advocacy chair for the Kentucky chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), testified in support of the new version of HB 414 over Zoom. While he reiterated the language in HB 414 isnt perfect, current statute has a tremendous amount of ambiguity and needs updating, he said. Were all in agreement that the current situation for caring for women in the commonwealth who have complications of pregnancy is in a terrible state, he said. While it may not have been the intention of the legislature when writing laws either restricting elective abortion when it was still legal or subsequently making it against the law to make it difficult to properly care for women who have pregnancy complications that have nothing to do with elective abortion, nonetheless, that has been the outcome. Dr. Jeffrey M. Goldberg, the legislative advocacy chair for the Kentucky chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, testifies via Zoom in support of proposed clarifications to Kentuckys abortion law, March 12, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) HB 414 sponsor Rep. Nancy Tate, R-Brandenburg, said the latest version gives us the opportunity to provide additional care for women and their families in the event that they have a pregnancy that turns out to be not exactly perfect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Addressing several Democratic lawmakers who questioned the language in the bill, Goldberg said, We already work within statutory restrictions that are, from a medical perspective, very ambiguous. Theres a great deal of work to be done. This is not perfect. I dont want to give anybody the illusion that we all think this is great, he said. We think its an acceptable short term solution for dealing with a really serious problem thats in front of us. There isnt much time for it to pass. Wednesday marked the 26th day of the 30-day session. Lawmakers break Friday for a veto period, then return on March 27-28 to override vetos. In order to be veto-proof, the bill would need to clear the House, a Senate committee and the full Senate in two days time. Whats in the bills? The two bills, as amended in committee, propose striking several phrases from abortion law. For example, it would replace the no abortion shall be performed withno action that requires separating a pregnant woman from her unborn child shall be performed, except the following when performed by a physician based upon his or her reasonable medical judgment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those exceptions are laid out to include: Lifesaving miscarriage management, which includes medically necessary interventions when the pregnancy has ended or is in the unavoidable and untreatable process of ending due to spontaneous or incomplete miscarriage. Sepsis and hemorrhage emergency medical interventions required when a miscarriage or impending miscarriage results in a life-threatening infection or excessive bleeding. The removal of a molar pregnancy. The removal of an ectopic pregnancy or a pregnancy that is not implanted normally within the endometrial cavity. And more. The legislation still directs medical professionals to make reasonable medical efforts under the circumstances to preserve both the life of the mother and the life of the unborn child. Wuchner, of Kentucky Right to Life, said that although weve always said that current model does not restrict medical care for miscarriage management, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, sepsis (and) hemorrhage, the bill is to address confusion around these conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Health committee chair Kim Moser, R-Taylor Mill, agreed. This is a step in the right direction for medical clarity, she said. Doctors rally against abortion ban Doctors and medical students with Kentucky Physicians for Reproductive Freedom came to Frankfort to advocate for a full restoration of abortion access. March 12, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) After the health committees discussion of Tates bill, 19 members of Kentucky Physicians for Reproductive Freedom gathered in the Capitol Annex and lamented the states extreme stance on abortion. Among them was Dr. Janet Wygal, a Kentucky OB-GYN. No physician should be forced to wait until a woman becomes seriously ill to intervene with basic necessary health care because the government says so, Wygal said. These laws create an environment of fear and uncertainty, not only for doctors and their patients seeking abortion care, but also for those needing the full spectrum of health care, including IVF, contraception and cancer screenings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that established abortion as a constitutional right, allowing an abortion ban to immediately take effect in Kentucky. It includes exceptions only for rare and life-threatening situations. Lawmakers of both parties and organizations have attempted to loosen or undo Kentuckys abortion bans, to no avail. In 2022, Kentucky voters defeated the anti-abortion Amendment 2, which would have specified theres no right to an abortion in Kentuckys Constitution. Chaos and fear During the evening committee meeting, Goldberg said the need for clarification arose out of the fact that there were many ambiguities created in the laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unfortunately, because these laws were crafted by people who might not have understood the nuances of conditions that most people have never heard of that have nothing to do with elective pregnancy termination, but because of the way the laws were written, created barriers, some perceived and some very real, to the treatment of women with these common complications in pregnancy, Goldberg explained. Sen. Karen Berg, D-Louisville, cited misspeak when voting against the committee substitute. When you say that were talking about abortions that arent abortions, they are abortions, said Berg, who is a physician. The definition of an abortion is the termination of a pregnancy prior to viability. You can talk about spontaneous abortions, you can talk about elective abortions, you can talk about emergent abortions. Theyre still all abortions. She said the legislation will lead to chaos. This is a makeshift attempt at fixing problems that we ourselves made by passing bad legislation to begin with, Berg said. Sen. Donald Douglas, R-Nicholasville, who is also a physician, said the clarification is a really good start toward addressing fear people have. I agree there is confusion between medical, legal and common terms, but that confusion is more than just confusion. Its fear, he said. If you never start, youll never make it to the finish line. Sen. Cassie Chambers-Armstrong, D-Louisville, passed on the committee vote and said the change speaks to why we need to make our committee subs publicly available so that folks can reach out to us and give us feedback. There are enough red flags up for me that I hope are wrong. I hope that there are no red flags here, and its just my spidey sense being activated, but I need to look this over more, she said. Lawmakers break Friday for a veto period, then return on March 27-28 to override vetos. This story may be updated. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX On Saturday, March 15, Utah residents around the state are encouraged to fill a bag of food and set it on their porch for the fourth annual Feed Utah food drive. A kickoff event for the statewide food drive was held on Wednesday at the Utah Food Bank. The event featured a few speakers, including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. The Feed Utah food drive is being put on by the Utah Food Bank in partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Associated Food Stores and the governors office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a part of the kickoff event, the governor presented the first ceremonial donation to the food drive. Before making his donation, Cox read an official proclamation declaring March 15, 2025, as Feed Utah Day. No child should have to go to bed hungry, no parent should have to send a child to school hungry, no family should have to choose between a roof over their head or food on their table, and no elderly persons health should be compromised by a lack of access to adequate nutritious food, Cox said. He added that Utah leads the nation in statistics around generosity, and he hopes that this year wont be an exception, and that people will step up for this food drive. Were fortunate to live in a state where we care deeply about our communities, we care deeply about our neighbors and giving back, Cox said. Please, please, please, just fill a bag of food and set it on your porch this Saturday. The state of food insecurity in Utah There are about 415,000 Utahns who suffer from food insecurity, according to Kent Liston, chief financial officer of Utah Food Bank. That means that 1 in 6 children and 1 in 8 adults dont know where their next meal will come from. The statewide Feed Utah food drive kicked off at the Utah Food Bank in South Salt Lake on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. The Utah Food Bank is collecting nonperishable food donations Saturday, March 15, for its statewide Feed Utah food drive. You can donate in two ways money sent directly to the food bank will be matched dollar for dollar or you can have your donation out on your front porch by 9 a.m. on Saturday. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News We hope that we keep the shelves stocked, that we have enough food to help get us through the rest of the year for those who are in need all across the state, and eventually, we hope again that this helps people to get back on their feet, Cox said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Liston said that typically the food bank sources food by the truckload, which means that there isnt a ton of variety in the food they have available. The Feed Utah event helps give more variety to the food they can provide to those in need. You could have thousands and thousands of different product types, different product brands, and that helps us both in terms of supplementing nutrition, but also variety, Liston said. How to participate in the food drive So we invite all our friends, all faiths, all civic society, of all communities, to please participate as volunteers and be generous givers of your funds as well as your food, said Elder Hugo Martinez, a member of the Utah Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Hugo Martinez, first counselor of the Utah Area Presidency with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speaks at the kickoff of the Feed Utah food drive at the Utah Food Bank in South Salt Lake on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. The Utah Food Bank is collecting nonperishable food donations Saturday, March 15, for its statewide Feed Utah food drive. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News Utahns are being asked to fill up their own grocery bags with nonperishable food items from their pantry. The bags need to be placed on their porch by 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 15. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lot of the items that are a priority would be things like peanut butter, canned meats, stews, vegetables, canned items like that, Liston said. But also, we also want what people have, and what people eat, and so Top Ramen, you know, mac and cheese, those types of things are welcomed as well. Volunteers around the state will come by and pick up the food that people set out, and will take the food to collection centers. The donations will then be distributed to food pantries and people in need across Utah. Jonathan Badger, owner of Lees Marketplace, also spoke at the event and shared that people will be able to bring donations to grocery stores across the state from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. All of Utahs Lees Marketplace, Maceys Grocery and Lins locations across the state will be taking both food and financial donations during this time. Donations can also be made online. Food is not just a nice thing to have, its actually a necessity that we all need, Badger said. YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) Governor Shapiro was at Voith Hydro Tuesday afternoon discussing Pennsylvanias energy future, or as he likes to call it, the Lightning Plan. We determined working together that were powerful enough to run our system, to be able to lower costs, protect and create jobs, and take meaningful action to address climate change, Gov. Shapiro said. Along with that is building next generation power in the commonwealth, which includes wind, solar and hydro power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Natural gas industry experts such as Jim Welty, the president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition a statewide trade association representing the natural gas industry in Pennsylvania, arent digging the governors plan. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter You cant run a full-time economy on part-time power, Welty said. Welty believes there is plenty of untapped potential underneath Pennsylvanians feet. We sit on top of one of the largest natural gas basins in the world, Welty said. We arent having any conversation about how to include private investment into natural gas generation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement York County live music venue announces upcoming closure Legislation for the Lightning Plan will be pitched next week. Democratic state representative Danielle Friel Otten (Chester Co.) will sponsor one of the bills involved. We must act now to increase and diversify our energy supply to meet that demand, or Pennsylvania consumers and ratepayers will soon be forced to bear the substantive cost of our inaction, Friel Otten said. More natural gas investment dollars are going to states like Ohio and West Virginia according to Welty, as Pennsylvania isnt investing in-state like it used to. Weve seen over $15 billion of private capital investment up into the pandemic in natural gas generation facilities, Welty said. Weve seen almost $0 since then. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein is delivering his first State of the State address Wednesday night. Gov. Stein will lay out his plans for the next two years from the N.C. Legislative Building in Raleigh. ALSO READ: Gov. Stein visits western NC after Senate approves round of Helene disaster relief One honored guest expected at Wednesday nights address is from Mecklenburg County. Debbie Dalton lost her son, Hunter, to a fentanyl overdose in 2016. Since then, shes founded the The Hunter Dalton HDLife Foundation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The foundation provides education and resources to help prevent drug use. Following Steins address, N.C. House Speaker Destin Hall will offer the Republican Partys response. You can watch the governors address on wsoctv.com, or our free WSOC-TV App, beginning at 7 p.m. WATCH BELOW: CMS faces $100M funding cut as federal COVID stimulus expires The U.S. government is seeking to move Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalils case from New York, where a hearing into his status happened Wednesday, to Louisiana or New Jersey. Khalil is a Palestinian activist who is a permanent legal resident of the U.S. in the country on a green card, but the Trump administration is seeking to revoke his green card on its accusations that he is Pro-Hamas and engaged in pro-terrorist, antisemitic activity. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Khalil at his university residence on Saturday, but U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman blocked efforts to deport him, leading to the Wednesday hearing in New York. But prosecutors requested that the case be moved from New York to New Jersey or Louisiana, where Khalil is currently being held, in a letter sent Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khalil was first held in New Jersey but was moved to an immigration detention center in Louisiana. The 30-year-old did not attend Wednesdays hearing. Khalils attorneys are pushing for him to be returned to New York and released under supervision, while attorney Brandon Waterman, representing the Justice Department, argued that the case should be moved to New Jersey or Louisiana because thats where Khalil has been held. If Khalils case is transferred to Louisiana, it would go through the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, the most conservative court in the country. Furman ruled that the DOJ should file its motion to move the venue before midnight Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ramzi Kassem, an attorney for Khalil, raised during the hearing that the legal team hasnt yet been able to have an attorney-client-protected phone call with the client. Furman ruled that Khalils attorneys must be allowed to speak with him at least once, for a period of at least an hour, on Wednesday and Thursday. Furman also directed both sides to submit a joint letter by Friday at noon EDT detailing when they plan to submit written arguments in the case. Khalils arrest has sparked widespread protests among critics of the administrations move and stirred progressive calls for his immediate release. The Associated Press contributed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Ohio State is one of 60 universities listed to receive a formal warning from the Department of Education, alleging the institutions have not properly protected students from antisemitism. According to the Department of Education, the letters were sent to all U.S. universities involved in the departments Office for Civil Rights investigations relating to antisemitism on campus. Although the federal department has been clear it will not tolerate universities that allow antisemitism to persist, administrators have not provided specific guidance as to how to prove their compliance. Ohio State and the University of Cincinnati were the only two Ohio schools named as letter recipients, although Ohio State chief spokesperson Ben Johnson said the university has not yet received the letter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Teens push lawmakers for stricter tobacco regulations Ohio State strongly condemns antisemitism and has no tolerance for acts of hatred or violence, Johnson said. We will pursue all action possible against anyone committing hate crimes on or near our campus. Why is OSU under investigation? Among other incidents of antisemitism previously covered by NBC4, two Jewish students were assaulted on campus in November 2023 because of their identities. Around the same time, Jewish student organization Hillels offices were vandalized. Ohio State released a statement condemning both actions, but it faced two federal complaints in the coming months alleging it failed to adequately address antisemitism on campus. See previous coverage of antisemitism allegations at OSU in the video player above. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first came from the Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights, which opened a Title VI investigation into the school in January 2024. Ohio State was required to submit a definition of antisemitism, its anti-discrimination policies, how those policies are communicated to students and staff, and details about all formal and informal complaints of national origin discrimination the university received since the 2021-2022 school year. According to the universitys website, it uses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances definition of antisemitism. The second came from three prominent Jewish organizations, who filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights in April 2024. Ohio State said in a response that the complaint contained falsities. Telehealth abortion care provider launches in Ohio, drawing backlash It is very disappointing that the April 9 filing with the Office of Civil Rights mischaracterizes what is occurring on our campus and dismisses the universitys strong, student-focused response, including outreach and meetings with student groups, additional safety measures, compliance investigations, assisting law enforcement investigations and student conduct referrals, OSU wrote in response to the April complaint. How are students responding? According to Hillel, there are 2,777 undergraduate Jewish students at Ohio State, comprising 6.2% of the undergraduate population. Nate Grossman, director of external relations for OSU Hillel, released a statement regarding the Department of Educations letter: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are aware of the Department of Educations letter to Ohio State and 59 other schools. We remain in constant communication with university leaders, and we will continue to partner with them to ensure that Ohio State is a safe and welcoming environment for Jewish students, Grossman said in the statement. We believe that everyone has a critical role to play in countering antisemitism and ensuring Jewish life on OSUs campus is strong and vibrant. How Ohios proposed budget could change how public schools are funded Ohio State is on spring break this week, so many student groups are taking the week off. Ohio Students for Israel celebrated Ohio State and Cincinnati receiving the letters via social media, but did not provide an official statement. What does this mean for the university? If the university does not fulfill its Title VI obligations to protect Jewish students, it could risk losing its federal funding. The Trump administration canceled $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University last week, saying the New York university did not properly address antisemitic incidents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to OSUs 2024 fiscal year summary, federal grants and contracts increased by $72 million to the university last year. Federal funding for research and grants specifically has risen over the past few years, hitting $700 million last year, according to the university. Johnson said Ohio State is committed to combatting antisemitism. Although the letter states funding could be compromised if the universities do not fulfill their Title VI obligations, it does not specifically say how they are expected to show their compliance. An unofficial copy of the letter sent to OSU says funding will be cut if universities allow illegal activities and harassment that result in Jewish students losing equal access to school facilities. The letter also mentions encampments and protests blocking Jewish students from freely exploring campus as examples of universities permitting antisemitism. Simultaneously, Ohio State is involved in litigation from pro-Palestine protesters arrested by university police in April 2024, who sued the institution and President Ted Carter in December. Carter and Ohio State have moved for the lawsuit to be dismissed, although the litigation continues. According to court documents, the court will hold a virtual pretrial conference about the lawsuit on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. CLINTON, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new road project is underway in the village of Clinton on Wednesday. The project announced Wednesday, March 12 and estimated at just under $9 million is scheduled to begin in the spring and will focus on restoration of surfaces along Routes 12B and 412 in the Village of Clinton. The conditions of our roadways directly impact connectivity, which is why investing in infrastructure improvement projects is important to create a safer and more connected New York, Governor Hochul said in a statement. The traveling public is going to see significant improvements in Oneida County prioritizing the safety of both pedestrians and motorists, strengthening the Village of Clinton and furthering economic opportunities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The project is expected to restore road surfaces and add new sidewalks to the stretch of road also known as College Street. The project will fix pavement beginning from the southernmost intersection with Furnace Street in the town of Kirkland and continue north. Rehabilitation work will also take place along State Route 412 from State Route 12B to the intersection with State Route 233. During the project, the Department of Transportation will also be adding new sidewalks on both State Route 412 and 12B. According to the governors statement, the sidewalks along Route 12B will connect the business district in Clinton with the shopping district in the Town of Kirkland. Curb ramps, signage, and a traffic signal will also be installed to enhance safety and mobility. The Village of Clinton is proud to have worked with the NYS DOT Team on the design and engineering of this significant project for Clinton and Kirkland, Clinton Mayor Elizabeth Tantillo said in a statement. The improvements will be transformational not only in the roads, but also, for the sidewalks, pedestrian crosswalks, new sewer, hydrants and more. The Village of Clinton is glad to participate in this major renovation project with the DOT Construction Team. We patiently await the wonderful results! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Funding for the project is coming from a mix of federal and state grants, while also incorporating funding from the village that will allow the village to include several other smaller projects, including: Sidewalk replacements, sewer work, and Hydrant replacements in the area. During the project, the intersection between State Route 12B and College Street will be closed beginning Monday, July 7 and continuing for approximately four weeks. Motorists will be asked to follow a signed detour. Further travel advisories will be provided by the New York State Department of Transportation as the project progresses. I recognize the importance of modernizing, rehabilitating and investing in our infrastructure, which is why I am pleased that this project has commenced, Senator Joe Griffo said in a statement. This endeavor will result in enhanced safety, better mobility and connectivity for pedestrians and motorists and improved utility service. It also will help to drive economic opportunities in the community and region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Utility and pre-construction work has already begun on the project, which is expected to begin in the spring. The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2026. Im pleased to see this much-needed investment in the Village of Clintons infrastructure move forward, Assemblyman Brian Miller said in a statement. The rehabilitation of State Routes 12B and 412 will enhance safety, improve accessibility, and support local businesses and residents in the Village of Clinton. By incorporating local funding for additional sidewalk replacements, sewer work, and hydrant upgrades, this project maximizes efficiency and resources while ensuring that our community receives the long-term benefits. As the Assembly Ranker on the Transportation Committee, I look forward to seeing the improvements take shape and will continue advocating for smart investments in our regions transportation network. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WUTR/WFXV - CNYhomepage.com. RALEIGH, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) N.C. Gov. Josh Stein is set to give his first State of the State address Wednesday evening. The governor will outline legislative priorities while highlighting his plans for growing North Carolinas economy, improving public education and investing in public safety. One of the primary focuses of Steins first 70 days in office is securing funding for Helene-damaged areas and industries in Western North Carolina. While legislators agree relief efforts are crucial, how much money to allocate and how quickly are still points of contention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement READ MORE: Gov. Stein visits storm-damaged Yancey County as he prepares to sign $500M Helene relief bill Stein has also been outspoken about the need for more affordable childcare options. He referred to the issue of accessible care options as a crisis Monday while visiting a childcare center in Durham. We do not have enough childcare slots to meet the needs of the state, he said. Stein said he plans to propose raises to childcare subsidy rates in his draft of the state budget, set to be released in late March. The governors office announced the guests of honor during the State of the State address will include a drug-awareness advocate from Mecklenburg County. Debbie Dalton of Cornelius founded The Hunter Dalton #HD Life Foundation after losing her son in 2016 to fentanyl poisoning. Stein recognized Daltons work while he was the state attorney general in 2018. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Steins address is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Viewers can stream the speech online here. State Republicans will provide a rebuttal after the event. House Speaker Destin Hall (R-87) will deliver the remarks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. A person walks into the Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters in Washington, D.C. The department, with offices in every state, announced it is cutting about 80,000 jobs, part of a large-scale effort to reduce the federal workforce. States are stepping up to hire laid-off workers. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Among the thousands of federal workers whove been forced out or taken buyouts in the past month, surely some would be perfect fits for the many vacancies in Pennsylvanias state government. That, at least, is the thinking of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, who recently directed his state to not only offer aid to laid-off constituents, but also to repost some job openings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hes catching up to governors in other states from Hawaii to Maryland who see opportunity, even as theyre scrambling to help panicked residents. The Trump administration and Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency task force have been culling federal workers across agencies while also threatening anyone who doesnt list in an email how theyre making good use of their time. The number of announced terminations tracked by global data company Statista exceeded 16,000 as of Feb. 25. Thats in addition to the 75,000 federal employees who accepted buyouts offered by the administration in its earliest days. And President Donald Trump has directed Cabinet agencies to continue mass layoffs. States are looking to hire those workers, though officials face challenges, such as offering lower salaries and having slower hiring processes. In Maryland alone, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore estimates about 10,000 of his constituents could lose work in the shake-up. There are more than 5,000 openings in state government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pennsylvania has some 5,600 critical openings, from accountants to registered nurses, now described on a newly created website tailored to federal employees. Were your neighbors, your friends, and the people you see walking down the street. We got into government because we wanted to serve. Victoria, a laid-off Federal Aviation Administration worker This is an act of self-interest for the people of Pennsylvania, because I believe the commonwealth can benefit from the experience and expertise of these federal workers who have been forced out of their jobs, Shapiro said. Officials in New Mexico, New York and Virginia among the states with the highest numbers of federal workers say theyre offering a silver lining for all that displaced talent, providing ways to streamline the transition from federal government to jobs at the state and local level. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, made her recruitment pitch clear, stating, The federal government might say, Youre fired, but here in New York, we say, Youre hired. Hawaiis Operation Hire Hawaii is working to fast-track former federal employees into state agency jobs. Washington state lawmakers have introduced legislation to prioritize these displaced workers in hiring processes. In Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, launched the Virginia Has Jobs program a website designed to help laid-off federal workers quickly connect with available state jobs. Despite these efforts, states face significant hurdles in matching federal workers to state jobs. There are differing skill sets, mismatches in salaries, and the time it takes for a job application to wind its way through a state bureaucracy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For workers, though, a lot of the difficulty is about coming to terms with the mind-boggling turn of events. Emotional turmoil For Victoria, who asked that she be identified by her middle name out of fear of retaliation, working for the federal government wasnt just a job it was a commitment to nonpartisan public service. She worked for three years as a contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration before being hired last year to a permanent federal position. The reason I wanted to be a federal employee in the first place is because its supposed to be nonpartisan work, she said. Were supposed to serve the public in pursuit of a mission, and for the FAA, that mission is aerospace safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her probation was to end in April. She didnt make it. I got a call from our office manager at 6 p.m. on a Friday night, telling me I was being let go, Victoria recalled. She got her official termination email hours later, minutes before midnight. It included a list of resources she couldnt access because they were, for her, suddenly behind a government firewall. For people trying to assist workers such as Victoria, the scale and speed of the firings outpaced even what they figured was coming. Caitlin Lewis is executive director at Work for America, a nonprofit that runs the new Civic Match initiative to help state governments recruit former federal workers. She foresaw a need for the project following the 2024 election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When we launched Civic Match in November, we anticipated about 4,000 political appointees and campaign staff seeking new jobs after the election. But what weve seen in the new year is a massive surge in laid-off civil servants looking for work, said Lewis. One of the biggest obstacles? State hiring is slow. The average time to hire in state government is 90 days. In local government, its 136 days. Thats a long process for workers who need jobs now. If states dont act quickly, they risk losing experienced talent to the private sector, which moves faster in recruitment, she said. Many former federal workers are already transitioning into corporate roles, nonprofits and consulting firms rather than waiting for state job openings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beyond slow hiring, another challenge is that not all laid-off federal employees want to stay in government. Im not actually 100% sure that every single one of those workers who may be impacted is looking for another job in government, said Nicole Overley, commissioner of Virginia Works, a state agency focused on reemployment. Virginia has over 4,500 open state jobs. But Im not sure every individual who is transitioning from the federal workforce is necessarily looking for a state job. Overley added that many federal employees may not even be aware of state job resources available to them. In the last 48 hours, weve had over 1,000 job seekers register for the March 5th virtual job fair, she said early this month. I dont know if all federal workers who are impacted know about the resources that are out there and thats where workforce development comes in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some states are working to speed up the process. Hawaii, for instance, has expedited its state hiring process through an executive order from Democratic Gov. Josh Green. In Pennsylvania, Shapiro has told the states hiring office to compare federal work favorably to state work for the purposes of notching experience. Marylands schools desperately need substitute teachers now, Moore said in announcing resources recently, and anyone with an associates degree can apply. New Mexico is launching statewide initiatives that include a resource webpage, recruitment events and access to education and training programs. In Washington, D.C., Mayor Murial Bowser has encouraged laid-off workers to consider district job openings, but she also wants to ensure they have access to unemployment benefits and housing support. The federal government is the districts largest employer, and the layoffs could devastate the citys economy. Lower salaries Another key hurdle is pay disparities between federal and state jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In many states, federal workers make, on average, significantly more than state employees. They include Maryland, where federal workers earn 183% of state worker salaries, Virginia (175%), West Virginia (163%) and Idaho (157%), according to a Stateline review of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. In states where federal workers earn less than state employees, such as New York (77% of state workers salaries) and California (97%), the transitions might be easier, though the costs of living in those states are among the highest in the nation. For Hawaii, the challenge is particularly stark. The state has one of the highest concentrations of federal employment outside the District of Columbia and Maryland and federal jobs in Hawaii pay about three times more than state government positions. To ensure laid-off federal employees can move quickly into state roles, Hawaii has set up an expedited timeline of 14 days from job application to hiring. That means, for example, passing along resumes from human resources to hiring departments on a daily basis and cutting some processes down to hours or days, Brenna Hashimoto, director of the states Department of Human Resources Development, wrote in an email to Stateline. Its too early to say how the system is going, Hashimoto wrote, but the state will collect data and report to the governors office. Some success Despite the hurdles, there are signs of success in transitioning federal employees into state jobs. Shane Evangelist, CEO of Neogov, which manages hiring software for state and local governments, said the potential scale of transitions is significant. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Evangelist shared examples of successful federal-to-state career transitions, including a former IRS employee to a state internal auditor, a federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employee to a state epidemiologist, and a Census Bureau employee to an IT support analyst. However, he warned that states risk losing the most skilled workers to the private sector unless they hire right away. The most talented workers move first, said Evangelist. The ones who are smart, experienced and articulate the kind of employees the government needs most will be the first to go. There are thousands of potential new job applicants. On Jan. 19, federal civil servants made up only 8% of Civic Matchs candidate pool. By late February, that skyrocketed to 45.1%. More than 3,300 former federal workers have signed up for Civic Match in just weeks, according to Lewis. These are not entry-level employees, Lewis said. Many of them have spent over a decade in government roles, gaining deep expertise in policy, finance, environmental management and IT. Struggles ahead Despite state efforts, some former federal employees say they are struggling to find equivalent jobs in both government and the private sector. Ive heard from people with 20 years in government who are being told their experience isnt transferable, said Victoria, the laid-off FAA worker. Its a nice gesture that the states are saying all of them want us to work for them, but how many state or private sector jobs actually have an equivalent to what I was doing at the federal level? she said. Its not a one-to-one match. Some private-sector employers are undervaluing federal work experience, she noted, forcing federal employees to start at lower levels. Ive heard from people with 20 years in federal government who were told theyd have to start three or four steps behind where they were, she said. These companies know were desperate, and theyre using it to devalue our skills and pay us less. For Victoria and others like her, the hardest part isnt just losing a job its the way federal employees have been portrayed. Were not some faceless deep-state bureaucrats, she said. Were your neighbors, your friends, and the people you see walking down the street. We got into government because we wanted to serve. And if we were in it for the money, we wouldnt have chosen public service in the first place. Stateline reporter Tim Henderson contributed to this report. Stateline reporter Robbie Sequeira can be reached at rsequeira@stateline.org. Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Atmosphere by The Weather Channel curates products and services for all seasons. If you buy something from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Its time to bust out your green shirts, face paint and holiday decor to celebrate for a little luck of the Irish. Saint Patricks Day will be on Monday, March 17, 2025, so its time to start prepping your wardrobe and party supplies, especially if you plan to celebrate all weekend long. A religious and cultural holiday for Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, its often celebrated with festivals, parades and green beer (as long as youre over 21, of course). But whether you have Irish heritage or just simply enjoy a great party, were rounding up some of our party-going favorite products. St. Patricks Day Decorations Price: $12.99 at Amazon St Patricks Day Window Clings Shop It At Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Decorate your windows or sliding glass doors with 109 reusable stickers and window clings. Theres no glue or sticky residue to worry about, and the package comes with eight different pages of shamrocks in various shapes and sizes. Price: $6.99 at Amazon Two-Pack Green Streamers Shop It At Amazon If youre looking for the perfect photo-op backdrop, look no further. This two-pack of green streamers is ideal for a doorway, wall or photo booth, and the green tinsel streamers will add a nice pop of color to your St. Patricks Day party. The strip has an adhesive back for easy stick-on for your doorways. Each pack runs 3.28 ft. x 6.56 ft. Price: starting at $13.99 at Amazon Artoid Mode Plaid Shamrocks St.Patrick's Day Table Runner Shop It At Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Made from polyester, this St. Patricks Day table runner will be the perfect backdrop for your corned beef and cabbage, shepherds pie and Irish soda bread. Theres multiple table sizes, starting at 13 inches by 36 inches, and up to 102 inches long. And after your dinner party has wrapped up, its machine washable for cleanup. Price: $13.99 at Amazon Twinkle Star 33FT 100 LED Silver Wire String Lights (2-pack) Shop It At Amazon This 33 foot, 100 LED light set turns your evening into a fairy light wonderland. Made from bendable silver wire, you can shape it around plants, signs, furniture, glass and more. It requires three AAA batteries (that are not included). Price: $24.99 at Amazon St Patrick's Day Plush Gnomes Shop It At Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We love this little pair of St. Patricks Day gnomes, adding a flair of sweetness to your living room decor. With a weighted base and flexible hat, you can bend and pose this pair on bookshelves, side and coffee tables, or even your TV stand. Price: $19.99 at Amazon Irish Clover LED Window Lights Shop It At Amazon If the fairy lights werent your cup of tea, consider this Irish clover LED light instead. It comes with a hook for a wall or window hanging, and can use a USB cable or three AA batteries for its power supply. St. Patricks Day Accessories Price: $13.88 at Amazon Needzo St. Patrick's Day Sequin Headband Shop It At Amazon Channel a little luck of the Irish with this tulle and sequined St. Patricks Day headband, festively decorated with shamrocks and little green top hat. All of the reviewers agree its the absolute cutest addition to your holiday outfit. One said, This headband is just what I wanted for my St. Patrick's Day festivities. Well made, not flimsy, highly recommended. Price: $16.99 at Amazon Newsboy Tartan Check Plaid Flat Cap Shop It At Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This one-size-fits-most adjustable plaid flat cap is a gentlemanly accessory for any St. Patricks day outfit. It comes in a variety of color options, and customers say it has a stylish look, and find it a decent quality for the cost. There are snaps at the back to tighten or loosen the hat for an even better fit. Price: $9.99 at Amazon CCBeauty Green Face and Body Paint Stick Shop It At Amazon Channel your inner leprechaun with a little green body paint for your St. Patricks Day party or sporting event. Manufactured using cosmetic-grade ingredients, the company claims its vegan and cruelty free, gluten free, and safe for sensitive skin. Its suggested to use setting powder with this particular makeup, as oil-based makeup can be hard to dry and easy to smudge. Reviewers mentioned its long lasting, and you should make sure you have a good face cleaner to get all of the product off. Price: $8.99 at Amazon ROSTIVO Shamrock Earrings Shop It At Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And to top off your accessories, these dangly shamrock earrings certainly wont break the bank. Made from acrylic with green glitter, they add a little shimmer and pop of color to your outfit. St. Patricks Day Clothing Price: starting at $9.99 at Amazon Spadehill St Patricks Day Women V-Neck Short Sleeve T-Shirt Shop It At Amazon Glow up in green this holiday with this classic V-neck short sleeve t-shirt. Theres green, black and white color combinations and various prints to pick from, starting at $10. Price: $19.99 at Amazon Retro Irish Four Leaf Clover Shirt Shop It At Amazon For those who want to match with their ladies, check out the retro-inspired four leaf clover mens shirt. It is made from 100% cotton and it will shrink a little after washing, so consider sizing up if youre close or between sizes. Price: starting at $19.95 at Amazon Tipsy Elves Fun St. Patrick's Day Leggings Shop It At Amazon Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stretch out the fun with the huge assortment of St. Patrick Day leggings by Tipsy Elves, with a variety of color combinations and prints available. Some patterns are available in high-waisted, mid-waisted and even high-waisted flare cuts. Price: starts at $49.95 at Amazon Tipsy Elves Classic Fit Pants for Men Shop It At Amazon If you love a vibrant, festive set of pants, these Tipsy Elves St. Patricks Day pants for men will knock your socks off. Available in three prints and color combinations, youre sure to attract some admiring (and jealous) glances all night long. Price accurate and items in stock at time of publish. Mar. 12GRAND FORKS Several public affairs releases and social media posts focused on race and the LGBTQ+ community have been taken down by the Grand Forks Air Force Base following a Trump administration order. Last month, the Pentagon ordered a review of Defense Department websites, social media accounts and media releases to purge those platforms of "news articles, photos and videos promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" by March 5. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ahead of that deadline, the Herald reviewed the Grand Forks Air Force Base's website, Facebook, Instagram and X accounts and identified content that likely would be removed to comply with the Pentagon order. As of Monday, March 10, Grand Forks Air Force Base has removed content commemorating Black History Month, LGBTQ+ Pride events and some content relating to a naturalization ceremony for 319th Reconnaissance Wing airmen. Base spokesperson Lea Greene said the base public affairs office was reviewing and archiving content dating back to 2021. Links and screenshots of the content were being provided to the base historian for preservation. "We are removing some previously published content in accordance with presidential executive orders and Department of Defense priorities," Greene wrote in an email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Removed content includes a news release and a Facebook post on Pride Month celebrations held on-base in 2023 and a Facebook video featuring Black airmen discussing the significance of Black History Month in February 2021. A video posted on Facebook commemorating a naturalization ceremony held for several 319th airmen was also taken down, though a media release remained available on the air base's website as of Monday. Among the posts removed from the base's website is a retrospective written ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2024 defending diversity and inclusion initiatives as a bulwark against political polarization. Reflecting on King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," Master Sgt. Maura Dennehy wrote that diversity efforts were necessary to address division in the military, a "microcosm of American society." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Division within our country represents a threat to U.S. National Security," she wrote. "This division will be increasingly exacerbated by an adversary eroding our will as an American people to unite in the event of war, which would result in the end of our democracy and the American way of life." President Donald Trump has moved to erase federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs since taking office in January, and sought to fire federal employees in DEI roles. The Pentagon's order specifically orders the removal of content "related to critical race theory, gender ideology, and identity-based programs." A Defense Department spokesperson referred the Herald to the Pentagon order in response to a request for more information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grand Forks Air Force Base's content purge includes releases from the broader Air Force hierarchy, including a 2021 update on a review of racial disparities in that service branch by the Air Force inspector general. Some content focused on women and non-citizens remains online, like a 2022 X post and media release on a Panama-born airman and a Facebook post on a professional development event for female service members. Diversity-focused content published prior to 2021, like a series of media releases from 2018 profiling airmen born outside the U.S., also remains accessible on the base's website and social media accounts as of Monday. The Associated Press is reporting that tens of thousands of photos and online posts have been flagged for deletion by the Defense Department, including more than 26,000 images. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among the photos flagged for removal as of late last week, per the AP, include photos of the Tuskegee Airmen; the first woman to complete Marine infantry training; and the Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortress that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945 possibly because of the inclusion of the word "gay" in the bomber's moniker. The Trump administration has also sought to fire probationary employees in the Defense Department and other federal agencies and offered government-wide buyouts to other employees. Several senior military leaders have been fired, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chief of naval operations, and the judge advocate general, the senior judicial officer in the U.S. military. Gen. Jim Slife, who visited Grand Forks only weeks ago alongside North Dakota Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, also was fired from his position as vice chief of the Air Force. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) A Grand Rapids nonprofit dedicated to teaching trade skills to adults facing homelessness and addiction has received a significant financial boost. Next Step of West Michigan, part of Mel Trotter Ministries, was awarded a $300,000 grant from Lowes. The organization is one of only 15 nonprofits nationwide to receive the funding. The grant will support Next Steps programs, particularly the expansion of its carpentry initiative. The nonprofit currently offers a seven-week training program in wood manufacturing and general construction, helping graduates secure employment. With the new funding, it plans to develop the carpentry program into a full on-the-job training model of equal size within the next couple of years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Racing simulator, indoor pool, 140 apartments: Whats next for Fifth Third building in downtown GR It really is a full campus now, said David Bult, executive director of Next Step of West Michigan. Weve got wood manufacturing. Weve got training. Weve got housing. Weve got a new carpentry center. Its just exciting to see (that). Weve got partners that come visit and do tours. Its really a place where people are coming to find employment to find housing (and) take the next step in their journey. We want to be able to help them in that journey. In addition to program expansion, the grant will help Next Step upgrade its equipment, including adding steel workbenches and computer numerical control machines to increase cabinetry production for Hope Village a tiny home community thats currently under construction and other projects. A rendering of Hope Village. (Courtesy Next Step of West Michigan) A rendering of Hope Village. (Courtesy Next Step of West Michigan) A rendering of Hope Village. (Courtesy Next Step of West Michigan) Hope Village will provide stable housing for program participants. Workers are assembling wall panels and learning carpentry skills as part of the initiative. Among them is Darion Boyd, a program graduate who previously helped build vendor stalls for the Christkindl Markt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can gauge the process a lot more finely because were actually right here doing it, said Boyd, now a carpentry community builder at Next Step. So, it makes it a lot easier to also teach the students and participants that come in and want to learn how to build walls and stuff also. Hope Village remains on track, with 10 homes expected to be completed this year and the remaining six by 2026. As Next Step expands its training programs, it aims to further its mission of equipping individuals with skills for long-term stability and employment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. The command overseeing U.S. special operations forces in the Middle East wants to buy an unspecified number of first-person view (FPV) drones and associated training to help Green Berets clear caves. U.S. Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) is seeking these weapons to augment the use of military working dogs (MWDs) because it considers drones safer and more effective. The concern is of increasing relevance as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran have all utilized caves, tunnels and other underground facilities as attack vectors, weapons and personnel hiding facilities and command and control nodes. Currently, the absence of dedicated unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for cave clearing operations forces reliance on Military Working Dogs (MWD) or partner forces, significantly increasing risk to both personnel and mission success, U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) wrote in a request for a single-source FPV drone contract for SOCCENT posted on the SAM.gov U.S. purchasing portal. Caves present confined, complex spaces with limited visibility and unpredictable terrain, increasing the danger to personnel and potentially hindering MWD effectiveness. SOCOM is looking for FPV drones for cave warfare because it considers them safer and more effective than Military Working Dogs. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) In its justification for the single-source procurement, SOCOM notes that the fast and highly maneuverable FPV drones would provide real-time visual intelligence from inside caves, reducing the risk of having troops inside them when much of the mission can be accomplished by a drone. In addition, FPV drones with communications relays enhance coordination between teams inside and outside the cave, facilitating smoother operations and faster response times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Operating drones underground, in confined spaces with no line-of-sight, is a challenge the U.S. military has been working to overcome for years. While the request doesnt specify what kind of FPV drones are required, SOCOM could very well be looking for a number of options, including those guided by a fiber optic cable, given the difficulties of operating in these areas. Both Ukraine and Russia have been increasingly using hard-wired fiber optics for control links because the connection cannot be jammed by electronic warfare equipment but also because the link isnt degraded when flying low over the ground or amongst obstacles and terrain since there is no line-of-sight connectivity requirements. This allows them to maneuver with full picture and control fidelity inside of buildings and tunnels. You can see examples of this from Ukraine below and in this past story: Russian fiber-optic FPV drone strikes Ukrainian soldiers resting inside a building. The drones can easily enter through doors and windows. pic.twitter.com/gJUGuSpwK9 Visegrad 24 (@visegrad24) September 6, 2024 Fiber optic drones are future in the drone warfare. Cable attach for signal and the anti-drone equipment doesnt work on them. Only the good all shotgun works on everything, even on optic drones. pic.twitter.com/HU0Yc0huLY Tuth (@TUTHorchestra) January 14, 2025 Seems like Fibers have effectively replaced Lancets pic.twitter.com/EssmR6ATRt WarVehicleTracker (@WarVehicle) March 10, 2025 There are also small drones that have FPV capability that are tailored to urban environments and can use publicly available cellular data and other wireless networks to provide a connection to its operator. The introduction to AI will also allow even small drones to be able to navigate at least partially on their own, which could help significantly for operating in tunnels and other areas where the connection can be spotty at best. Drones with spherical cages around them and other unique alterations also allow them to fly more freely in tight spaces without clipping their propellers. SWAT and other police units have pioneered the use of drones in such circumstances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to seeking the hardware, SOCOM also wants SOF operators to be trained how to use them, considering how much work it takes to fly them effectively. You can read about how the Ukrainians, leaders in FPV drone innovations, have trained on them in our story here. SOCOM redacted the cost of the request but said the investment will significantly improve the safety and efficiency of cave clearing operations, ultimately contributing to mission success and force protection. The funding will come from the commands Fiscal Year 2025 Operations and Maintenance (O&M) account. Weve reached out to the command for more details and will update this story with any pertinent information provided. Part of SOCOMs justification for seeking a single-source contract for FPV drones. (SOCOM) The commands pitch has redacted the specific location where the drones would be used and the exact unit that would operate them. However, it does state that they would be operated by ODAs Operational Detachment Alphas, or A-Teams, the basic building block of the U.S. Armys Green Berets. The request also notes that the redacted unit has limited UAS capabilities and is reliant upon external agencies to provide specialized assets. The equipment enables ODAs to gain a visual on the risks present on an obscured objective, prior to engagement. Without this capability, ODAs accept undue risk to the force by entering an objective without detect and defeat capabilities. U.S. special operations forces are increasingly being trained to operate underground. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Rose Gudex) Staff Sgt. Rose Gudex Green Berets have already been training with FPV drones largely based on lessons learned in Ukraine. Last year, the Army announced it had hired private contractor Flymotion to provide drone and non-standard vehicle training services to a Green Beret A Team from the 2nd Battalion of the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), or 10th SFG(A), out of Fort Carson, Colorado. Since Flymotion received a sole-source deal, Army officials had to provide detailed justifications for not using typical competition contracting processes. That is the type of process SOCOM is seeking for the FPV drones. You can read more about Green Beret FPV drone training in our in-depth story here. A US Army Green Beret operates a FPV drone during an exercise in Greece in 2024. (SOCEUR) SOCEUR Though SOCOM has redacted the area where these drones will operate, given that the request is being made on behalf of SOCCENT, it most likely involves operations in the U.S. Central Command Area of Operations (AOR). That covers 21 nations in the Middle East and Central Asia, including Afghanistan, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, and Yemen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the so-called war on terror, U.S. and allied troops frequently found themselves battling the Taliban, ISIS and other jihadi groups in caves. Weaponized FPV drones, which were not in use back then, would be beneficial in any future U.S. SOF underground operation in that region. Soldiers from the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division search a cave Jan. 30, 2003 in the Adi Ghar mountains, Afghanistan. (Photo by Leopold Medina Jr/U.S. ArmyGetty Images) U.S. Army The ability to fight underground is such a concern for SOCOM that in 2020 it requested more than $14 million to build a nearly 20,000-square-foot subterranean training site for Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) units like the U.S. Armys Delta Force and the U.S. Navys Naval Special Warfare Development Group, better known as SEAL Team Six. US special operations forces during training. (DoD) www.twz.com Israel has gained extensive experience in cave and tunnel fighting against Hamas and Hezbollah. Beyond Gaza and Lebanon, Israel also carried out a raid against an Iranian underground missile facility. That raid served as a warning to Iran that its underground facilities were not invincible. You can read more about that mission here. IDF special operations training for hostage rescue in dense urban environments. (IDF) The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have used FPV drones in Gaza mostly to survey buildings and underground tunnels, given that this is the most precise method of navigating such spaces, the Institute for National and Strategic Studies (INSS) noted last year in a report on FPV drone usage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, however, it was unknown whether there has been any additional IDF procurement of drones, whether they have been deployed more widely and whether troops have been specially trained in their use for intelligence gathering or attacks, even though the IDF makes widespread use of other kinds of drones, INSS posited. However, the Israeli Ministry of Defense Department of Production and Procurement wants to procure thousands of FPV drones from Israeli companies for a wide range of offensive purposes, according to the Israeli Globes media outlet. The initial solicitation called for 5,000 FPV drones, but that could expand to 20,000, the publication noted. So far, about 25 Israeli drone suppliers that work with the Ministry of Defense have registered for the tender. As for SOCOM, the command says only one company is capable of providing the FPV drones and training required. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After conducting market research and a comprehensive and thorough review of available options, SOCOM said that it has selected the vendor, but that companys name is redacted in the SAMs request, which does not state a specific timeline for fulfillment. Though SOCOM is concerned about the risk of continued reliance on MWDs, it must be noted that no drone has the keen senses of sight and smell like that of a highly trained dog. These animals have frequently accompanied SOF teams on missions, including the 2019 raid that killed then-ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in his Syrian compound. Al-Baghdadi died after running into a dead-end tunnel with three children, chased by an MWD later identified as Conan. The ISIS leader detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and the three children, collapsing the tunnel and injuring Conan. We have declassified a picture of the wonderful dog (name not declassified) that did such a GREAT JOB in capturing and killing the Leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi! pic.twitter.com/PDMx9nZWvw Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2019 The U.S. military in general is pushing drones to smaller units, an effort ramped up by lessons from Ukraine, Gaza and elsewhere. U.S. Army soldiers training to use the Anduril Ghost drone. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Scyrrus Corregidor) However, American forces are still lagging behind in many ways when it comes to the ubiquity of FPV drones on the battlefield, regardless of the domain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That SOCOM wants to purchase them, as well as the training it will take to make operators proficient, is another way U.S. special operations forces are working to close that gap. TWZ Editor-in-Chief Tyler Rogoway contributed to this story. Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) With the case of a Columbia University graduate making national headlines, some may be left wondering what a green card is or how someone who is a permanent resident can be deported. In this weeks Ask Isaacs, 6 News Lori Tucker and Attorney Greg Isaacs discuss the Mahmoud Khalil case. In the United States, a green card, or what is sometimes called a permanent resident card allows someone who is not a citizen to live and work permanently in the U.S., according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Some of the common individuals who are eligible for green cards include: Spouses of a U.S. citizen Academic professionals Religious workers International media broadcasters Asylees (people seeking asylum) or refugees Victims of crime or human trafficking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the case of Mahmoud Khalil, he came to the United States under a student visa in 2022 to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Columbia. In 2023, he married his wife, who is a U.S. citizen, and became a legal permanent resident last year. What to know about Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia protester arrested by ICE and facing deportation Khalil was detained by U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Saturday, March 11 in upper Manhattan. The agency has since accused Khalil of leading activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. One of the perplexing points of the case is that agents told Khalils pregnant wife that he was being detained because his student visa had been revoked, and that his green card was also revoked, a lawsuit from Khalils attorneys filed challenging his detention claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Khalil has not been charged with a crime, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that the administration is moving to deport him through a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that gives the secretary of state the power to deport a noncitizen on foreign policy grounds. Khalil was a leading pro-Palestinian activist at Columbia University, President Donald Trump has argued on social media that Khalil is a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student. How does an insanity defense work? Lawyer breaks down former Kentucky sheriffs case Generally, green card holders can be deported if they are convicted of certain crimes, such as using or abusing drugs, failing to advise immigration authorities of a change of address within 10 days of the move, or providing material support to a terrorist group. The Isaacs Law Firm explains that they can also be deported without a criminal convictions if they are proven to abuse drugs or be addicts. Some convictions are also grounds for a persons green card to be revoked and for them to be deported. Those offenses include: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aggravated felonies such as murder, drug trafficking or rape Crimes involving moral turpitude or that are considered immoral, unethical or [an] unjust departure from ordinary social standards such as fraud, theft, or assault Any firearm offense Trafficking Or crimes of domestic violence, stalking, violation of a protective order, or child abuse, neglect or abandonment. Lawyer explains new charges against 2023 Sweetwater shooting victims mother If you have a legal question, send it to AskIsaacs@wate.com. To watch full episodes of Ask Isaacs, click here. WATEs Lori Tucker and Attorney Greg Isaacs answer your legal questions from the WATE Alert Desk on Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. and on WATE Channel 6 at 5:30 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side. STEELTON, Pa. (WHTM) The demand for green jobs is growing. Steelton-Highspire students explored environmental careers on Tuesday at Green Careers Discovery Day. Industry professionals were on hand and hands-on experiences were offered. A lot of the students really are interested in working hands-on, says Kelly Palmer with PPL Electric Utilities. We talked about some of our line worker programs and construction programs as well. There are plenty of careers that are available for all levels of learning, says Partnership for Career Development CEO Lynda Morris. Weve had even a group of special needs students out here to learn what its like to smash their trash. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mechanicsburg Area School District student hospitalized after being struck by vehicle A live trash compacter demonstration was given. Students got to try using the controls. Steelton-Highspire School District received six electric buses with charging infrastructure in time for the 2024-2025 school year. Superintendent Dr. Mick Iskric says the district was awarded during the first round of funding in the EPAs clean school bus program. The high school and elementary school are powered by a solar field that was installed in 2021 through a partnership with McClure Company. Iskric says that through a partnership with Harrisburg University, students can take two enrollment courses with an aquaponics and hydroponics greenhouse at the school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Being able to utilize our green careers here that are on campus and exposing them to what the possibilities could be outside these four walls is a definite plus, says Dr. Iskric. McClure Company explained the variety of career paths students can take to work in solar panel installation. A lot of times people think about just straight up engineering as the opportunity for being involved in a construction space, green engineering, our green building products, etc., but really our job here is to show that everyone from a marketing background, an accounting background, a legal background, political science, etc., theres all opportunities. We all work together to really build these projects as a whole, says Marketing Manager Matt Custer. Close Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter Students got to learn how plants and fish grow in the aquaponics lab and how AI can help. They could take a picture of the plant and see exactly what plant it was and like what species it was and if it was invasive or not, says sophomore Jaxon Brosnahan. Dr. Iskric says the hope is to incorporate electric buses into more STEM lessons at Steelton-Highspire. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Greenlands Tuesday night election shows the countrys shift toward wanting independence from Denmark and wanting to shrink public spending. In what was the highest voter turnout in over a decade, the European Conservative called the election results a massive political defeat for the left-wing establishment parties. Greenlands two previously dominant social democratic parties, the Inuit and the Siumut, lost significant representation in parliament, scoring 22% and 15% of the vote respectively. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This election marks an all time low for the long-reining political powerhouse, the Siumut. This socially democratic party has held a political majority for nearly 35 of the 45 years since Greenland gained home rule. But the party walking away with the most control for the next four years is the Demokraatit party, which brought in 30% of the vote, up from 9% in 2021, per Courthouse News. A billboard shows pictures of representatives of the Demokraatit party, with leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen in the center, in front of the Godthaabshallen polling station during parliamentary elections, in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. | Mads Claus Rasmussen The party is center-right and pro-business, and has pushed back against Trumps public statements encouraging Greenland to join the U.S. During Trumps joint address to Congress on March 4, he took a moment to speak to Greenlanders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We strongly support your right to determine your own future, and if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America, he said. We need Greenland for national security and international security. And were working with everybody involved to try and get it. Met by some boos and some laughs among members of Congress, Trump added, I think were gonna get it one way or the other were gonna get it. Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Demokraatit leader and incumbent prime minister told reporters after his victory that his partys win sends a clear message to him (Trump) that we are not for sale, per NBC. Lars Joergen Kleist in Godthaabshallen, wearing a MAGA hat, waits in line to cast his vote in the parliamentary elections to Inatsisartut in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. | Mads Claus Rasmussen We dont want to be Americans. No, we dont want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders. And we want our own independence in the future. And we want to build our own country by ourselves, not with his hope, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an letter to the editor of U.S. News, Naleraq party leader Pele Broberg described the urgent need for Greenland to become its own independent country. He cited a late January 2025 poll that found 84% of Greenlanders want to be independent from Denmark. Broberg told The New Yorker that Trumps comments jump-started talks of the countrys independence. It is extremely helpful. It short-circuits all the usual narratives of why we cant become independent, Broberg said. However, while Broberg praised Trumps comments for making room for a conversation about independence from Denmark, he explained, This is not about choosing between Denmark and the U.S. This is about Greenlands right to exist as an independent nation. An Airbus A330 of Air Greenland lands in airport of Nuuk, Greenland, March 12, 2025. | Evgeniy Maloletka What is Greenlands parliamentary seat breakdown after the election? Of Greenlands 31 parliamentary seats, pro-independence Demokraatit and Naleraq now fill 18. The Inuit party fills 7, the Siumut fills 4 and the Atassut fills 2. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Greenland has a population of 56,000, and the difference in votes between Demokraatit and Naleraq, which earned enough seats to be first and second place, was only around 1,500, according to The New York Times. Four of the five parties on the ballot list independence as one of their initiatives, but it appears as though Greenlanders have gotten tired of waiting for the Inuit and the Siumut to keep their independence-related campaign promises. (Bloomberg) -- Greenlands voters unexpectedly picked a party backing a slower approach to independence in a general election overshadowed by Donald Trumps plans to take over the Arctic Island. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The social liberal Demokraatit party emerged as the biggest with 29.9% of the ballots as counting was completed, adding more than 20 percentage points from four years ago, according to the tally published by the government on Wednesday. Naleraq, the party seeking the fastest breakup with Denmark, finished second, underscoring how split the population is on the topic. The group, which had led the count early on, came out with 24.5% of the votes up from 12% in the prior election. Its expected that Demokraatit, which sees independence as a longer-term goal, will start coalition negotiations to form a governing majority in the coming days. There is a need for unity, so we will enter into negotiations with everyone, party leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen said during the election night coverage on local broadcaster KNR. Greenland needs to stand together in a time of great interest from the outside. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All parties in the election are in favor of independence, but disagree on the how and when. The new 31-member parliament will now be crucial in defining Greenlands path to become its own nation, expanding from its current self-rule within the Kingdom of Denmark. The election took place just a week after the US president in a speech to Congress reaffirmed his interest in the worlds largest island, voicing confidence he will be able to take control over it. During a debate aired on KNR ahead of the election, Nielsen was among party leaders that expressed concern that Trump cant be trusted. Greenland is not a house you can buy. When you see the way Trump is speaking, we need to be tougher in our tone, he said in the debate, according to KNR. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nielsen, 33, was elected into the Greenland parliament for the first time in 2021 and has since campaigned on a platform to support local businesses, particularly in the fishing, mining and tourism industry. Greenlands parliament has historically been dominated by socialist and left-leaning parties, and a win for Demokraatit was highly unexpected. The party stood to become the third largest with about 19% support in a Verian poll, commissioned by Danish newspaper Berlingske and Greenlands Sermitsiaq publication at the end of January. The result is an upset for Prime Minister Mute B. Egede, who emerged as Greenlands top diplomat, standing up to Trump. His leftist Inuit Ataqatigiit party fell to third place and with its coalition partner Siumut got about 36% of the vote between them, compared with about 66% four years earlier. While both parties have distanced themselves from Trumps advances, they have still campaigned on increasing independence from Denmark. Egede earlier this year urged Greenland to remove the shackles of the colonial era. Siumut, a social democratic party, has indicated it wants to start independence talks with Denmark in the coming election term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The vote comes as Greenlands geopolitical importance is rising. Located in the far north between the US and Europe, the island is home to an American military base that monitors space and detects missile threats, and it holds large reserves of the critical minerals used in electronic devices, which are becoming more accessible as its vast polar ice sheets melt. It is also expected to be a key part of global shipping routes in the coming decades. All in all, 28,620 people in the sparsely populated territory cast a ballot, bringing turnout to 70.9%, up from 65.9% in the previous election. Outside the voting venue in Nuuk, political parties held small rallies, handing out cake and merchandise to people passing by in the sunshine. Niels Kronholm, a 48-year-old public sector worker living in the capital, said he had planned to vote in the evening to avoid queues, but still was met with huge masses of people when he arrived about an hour before the polling station was about to close. There have been outside voices that make people want to cast their vote, he said afterward. It should be a given to vote, but I think Trump has actually gotten people off the couch this time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement --With assistance from Thomas Hall and Ott Ummelas. (Writes through with details added throughout) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Greenland is set to start talks on building a coalition after voters backed a slower path to independence, spurning US President Donald Trumps approaches. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pro-business Demokraatit which seeks boosting the territorys economy before breaking away from Denmark secured just under 30% of the total tally, more than tripling since four years ago and shaking up a political system that for decades has been dominated by centrist-left forces. The ruling bloc would get to define Greenlands path to become its own nation, a process complicated by the islands reliance on nearly $600 million in annual grants from Copenhagen. The coalition would also have to balance its diplomatic relationship with the US after Trump has vowed to get the semi-autonomous territory of 57,000 people one way or another. What the Trump Factor Means for Greenlands Election: QuickTake 75% of the voters in a way voted for the pragmatic solution of no independence before the economic baseline is basically there, Rasmus Leander Nielsen, head of centre for foreign and security policy at the University of Greenland in capital Nuuk, said in a news briefing Wednesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Having campaigned on a platform to support the fishing, mining and tourism industries, Demokraatit won 10 out of the 31 seats in parliament, a result met with loud cheers and clapping at the partys election event late on Tuesday. It now needs to find one or more partners to secure a majority of at least 16 seats. Minority governments arent the norm on Greenland, meaning Demokraatit is expected to form a coalition with the leftist Inuit Ataqatigiit and possibly a more pro-Denmark force Atassut, according to Leander Nielsen. He sees it unlikely the coalition would involve Naleraq, the party which came second with almost 25% by running on a platform of seeking a fast breakup with Denmark. Demokraatits top management will hold a meeting on Wednesday and then invite the other parties for discussions in coming days, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, leader of the Demokraatit, told local newspaper Sermitsiaq. The 33-year-old has positioned himself as an opponent of Trump, recently expressing concern that the US leader cant be trusted. Greenland is not a house you can buy, public broadcaster KNR cited him as saying in a debate ahead of the election. When you see the way Trump is speaking, we need to be tougher in our tone. Nielsen did not respond to a request for an interview. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leander Nielsen also sees the election outcome as a rejection of Trump, with Greenlanders rebuffing the idea the US could replace Denmark as their new best friend. More than a dozen voters Bloomberg spoke with in Nuuk expressed a growing wish for stability after Trumps comments, with some citing concerns that a rushed independence would allow the US president to interfere more with local politics. The election brought a sense of relief in Copenhagen thats been giving concessions to Nuuk in recent months in an attempt to salvage the relationship. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she looks forward to cooperating with the future government in Greenland, while foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen welcomed that Demokraatit has a realistic approach to gaining independence. That, I hope, can restart a good relationship in the Commonwealth, Lokke Rasmussen told broadcaster TV2. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement --With assistance from Christian Wienberg. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Greenland voters sent a strong signal Tuesday that they support leaders who will support the Arctic islands sovereignty, even as President Trump pushes to annex the territory. Greenlands center-right Demokraatit party, whose leaders have been critical of Trumps takeover talk, won nearly 30 percent of the vote a dramatic jump from the last election four years ago. Naleraq, the most aggressively pro-independence party on the ballot, came in second with nearly 25 percent of the vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The incumbent ruling party, the democratic socialist Inuit Ataqatigiit led by Greenland Prime Minister Mute Bourup Egede, came in third with about 21 percent of the vote down from 36 percent it won four years ago. Greenland is a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. All of the major parties on Tuesdays ballot have supported some form of breakaway from Denmark, but with different paths. Demokraatit has cautioned against fast-tracking the sovereignty movement. We dont want independence tomorrow, we want a good foundation, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Demokraatits leader and a former minister of industry and minerals, told reporters after votes were counted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Polls have shown widespread support among the islands residents for Greenland to become an independent country, but concerns over the impact on its economy and foreign policy remain. While the parliamentary election has lofted sovereignty supporters, its unclear when Greenlanders will have a vote on the broader issue. Once the new coalition is formed, Greenlandic parties will likely begin internal negotiations on how to advance the process of increasing independence from Denmark while ensuring economic and social stability, Anne Merrild, a professor at Denmarks Aalborg University, told USA Today. Since reclaiming the White House in January, Trump has ramped up calls for the U.S. to take control of Greenland. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think were going to get it, Trump said during his speech to a joint session of Congress on March 4. One way or the other, were going to get it. Trump and his allies argue U.S. control of the natural resources-rich land is an absolute necessity for national security. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Tom Little NUUK, Greenland (Reuters) -Greenland's pro-business Demokraatit Party surged to victory in a shake-up that could boost U.S. President Donald Trump's attempts to tap the island's mineral wealth, with the victors keen for reforms favouring private enterprise and mining. The Democrats, which favour gradual independence from Denmark, more than tripled their seats to 10 in the 31-seat Inatsisartut parliament, according to results released on Wednesday, and will begin talks to form a coalition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The strongly pro-independence Naleraq doubled their seats to eight from the prior election, while the ruling coalition lost almost half of its share of the vote. "People want change," the Democrats' leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen told reporters in Nuuk after the final vote count. "We don't want independence tomorrow, we want to build a good foundation." Independence became the central campaign theme in Tuesday's election after Trump's repeated insistence that the semi-autonomous Danish territory is vital to U.S. national security and will eventually become part of the United States. At three times the size of Texas, with a population of just 57,000, the Arctic nation contains vast mineral resources, including rare earth minerals critical for high-tech industries, ranging from electric vehicles to missile systems. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite gains for rapid independence advocate Naleraq, Rasmus Leander Nielsen, associate professor at the University of Greenland, said the Democrats were more likely to form a broad coalition with one or both of the outgoing ruling parties, Inuit Ataqatigiit and Siumut, in a show of national unity. GOOD NEWS FOR TRUMP? In the election campaign, the Democrats' Nielsen rebuffed Trump's interest in acquiring Greenland, calling it "a threat to our political independence". However, in campaign documents, the party said it would be open to dialogue with the U.S. on commercial interests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The election result has moved business development and the mining agenda to the centre of Greenlandic politics. "If you add up the election result, voters were driven by business development and independence. And that's good news for Trump," said Mikkel Vedby Rasmussen, a professor in political science at the University of Copenhagen. "From a White House perspective, this is probably the best result you could hope for." "If Trump can negotiate an agreement that gives the U.S. assurances that Greenland will not open up its society to Chinese bases, Chinese mines or Russian influence, then it's sort of under control. And then Trump can... say that he has gained access to minerals." Greenland has been a formal part of Denmark since 1953. In 1979 it gained some autonomy, although Copenhagen still controls foreign affairs, defence and monetary policy and contributes nearly $1 billion annually to the economy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The island won the right to seek full independence through a referendum in 2009, but so far has chosen not to do so, on concerns over the economy's ability to be self-sufficient. A poll in January showed the majority of Greenlanders want independence but are divided as to how fast it should happen. Denmark, which has seen relations with Greenland worsen in recent years due to revelations of historic wrongdoing by the former colonial ruler, congratulated the Democrats. "The Danish government will await the results of the negotiations that will now take place in Greenland," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the Democrat's victory signalled a desire for continued cooperation between Nuuk and Copenhagen. "In difficult times we must stick together," he told Danish broadcasters DR and TV2. There was no immediate reaction from Washington. FISHERIES Previous election campaigns in Greenland have focused on how to allocate the funds - accounting for half of its budget - that the island receives from Denmark. Fishing remains its top industry, accounting for about 95% of exports, and although it contains mineral wealth, it has been slow to extract it due to environmental concerns, severe weather and competition from China, which dominates the rare earth sector. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Democrats want reforms that will help create a self-sustaining economy by stimulating private sector growth, particularly in the mining sector, and to create incentives for entrepreneurship while reducing bureaucratic obstacles. "It is a question of making small tweaks and introducing some elements of a market economy into the system, rather than drop a nuclear bomb that turns Greenland into Alaska," said Ulrik Pram Gad, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies. The party, which has also advocated for closer ties with Europe, voted against a 2021 ban on uranium mining that halted development of Kvanefjeld, one of the world's biggest rare earth deposits. Greenland's public sector currently plays a substantial role in the economy, holding stakes in numerous companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Tuesday's election the ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit party lost four of its 11 seats, while its coalition partner, the social-democratic Siumut party, lost six of its 10 seats. Overall turnout was 70.9%, up 5 percentage points from the previous election four years ago, voting data showed. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen and Tom Little in Nuuk; additional reporting by Stine Jacobsen, Isabelle Yr Carlsson and Louise Rasmussen in Copenhagen, writing by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Gwladys Fouche; Editing by Sharon Singleton) GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) Deputies responded to a home in Greenville to execute a search warrant on Tuesday night. According to the Greenville County Sheriffs Office, deputies were at the 500 block of Sumter Street at around 10:45 p.m. Details are limited at this time. 7NEWS will provide an update once more information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. Democratic incumbent Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs and her Republican challenger, Judge Jefferson Griffin. (Courtesy photos) Appeals Court Judge Jefferson Griffin is opposing a request to bar a Republican colleague whose campaign fund contributed to his legal defense from considering his Supreme Court election lawsuit. Griffin, a Republican, wants to throw out more than 60,000 votes cast in last falls election in an attempt to unseat incumbent Democratic Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs. Her 734-vote lead was confirmed by recounts, but the election remains undecided while Griffins case moves through the courts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His case has reached the state Court of Appeals. Republican Judge Tom Murry was elected to a seat on the Appeals Court in November. Judge Tom Murry (File photo) Murry contributed $5,000 to Griffins legal defense fund from a campaign account hed set up for an Attorney General campaign. Murry announced a run for Attorney General before he switched to a Court of Appeals race. Last month, Riggs lawyers filed a motion to have Murry recused from hearing the case. Murrys contribution appears to be directly related to Griffins court case, the Riggs brief said. By contributing to that legal defense fund, Judge Murrys campaign committee provided material aid to Judge Griffin and showed a preference for Judge Griffin in this specific dispute, the brief said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murry did not return a Tuesday phone call seeking comment. Republicans hold a 12-3 majority on the court. Griffin has recused himself. The Appeals Court usually hears cases in teams of three. Griffins lawyers said in a court brief that it was premature to ask that Murry be prevented from hearing the case because members of the three-judge panel havent been announced, and there is currently no reason to believe that Judge Murry will be on the panel. The Judicial Code of Conduct does not require recusal for making political contributions and its unclear whether a contribution from a campaign fund to a legal defense fund is prohibited, the Griffin brief said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Riggs lawyers made the request to bar Murry from hearing the case on the same day they asked the full Appeals Court to hear it. Having the first hearing before the full Appeals Court is unusual. Riggs brief said an initial full-court hearing is warranted because the case involves an issue of exceptional importance that must be concisely stated, and having the full-court hearing would be quicker. Parties can ask for a full-court hearing after a loss before a three-judge panel. Griffins lawyers opposed the request to have the entire court hear the case at the outset, saying it would invite procedural chaos. With Griffin recused, a full-court might result in a deadlocked 7-7 decision, and its not clear what would happen after that, Griffins brief says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Griffin is challenging three sets of ballots. He claims more than 60,000 votes were cast by people who are not legally registered because they did not include partial Social Security numbers or drivers license numbers on their registration applications. In the last few months, voters Griffin is challenging have come forward to declare they did include the information, but it was not attached to electronic voter rolls due to data mismatches or typos. Griffin is challenging about 5,500 military and overseas absentee voters because they did not include photo ID with their ballots. The state Board of Elections does not require these voters to submit photo ID. His is also challenging voters who have never lived in North Carolina but are connected to the state through their parents. Last year, the state Appeals Court rejected an appeal from the NC GOP and the Republican National Committee, which wanted elections officials to set aside ballots from some overseas voters and reject some of their registration forms. Republicans claimed that the Board of Elections allowed people living overseas who are ineligible to vote to register. She wasnt suspect number two for nothing: Two people have been arrested after allegedly using an unthinkable diversion to make off with stolen goods. According to TMZ, a Florida couple, who is now referred to as Mr. Clean and Ms. Dookie by authorities, has been charged with retail theft after this bizarre distraction. Heres how it reportedly went down. In December 2024, Nikevee Curry and Tina Joyce allegedly made off with a cart full of goods from a Family Dollar store in Mulberry, Fla. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The duo allegedly loaded up a cart with cleaning supplies and beer, according to the Polk County Sheriffs Office. But before leaving the store, Joyce, 57, reportedly defecated on the stores floor intentionally to serve as a stinky distraction to store employees. While an associate cleaned up the mess, thats when Curry, 36, allegedly walked out with unpaid goodies, including piles of Gain, Tide, Clorox products and beer. Per law enforcement, the duo hopped in a white Ford van and drove off. They were later identified after police investigated with tips from the community. CRIME: RETAIL THEFT CRIME SCENE: FAMILY DOLLAR - MULBERRY POLK COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE CASE: #24-50686 At around noon on December 18th, two people walked into the Family Dollar store at 2170 Bailey Rd, Mulberry, and commenced to thievery. The suspects were a man and a woman, pic.twitter.com/7dizOABylQ Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd (@PolkCoSheriff) January 9, 2025 The floor was her restroom. And an employee had to clean that...stuff up. We....kid you not, the Polk County Sheriff said in a tweet on Jan. 9 along with footage after the incident. TMZ reported that Curry was already in police custody for an unrelated battery investigation. After Curry was shown surveillance footage from the incident, he reportedly admitted to his involvement. His counterpart Joyce, the one who pooped on the floor, has been convicted over a dozen times for theft. Its unknown if this is the first time she used a bowel movement during a crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspects were a man and a woman, and they played different roles as they conspired in their retail theft, Sheriff Grady Judd said, per the New York Post. Very different roles. And now yall in some deep s**t, wrote one Instagram user under The Neighborhood Talks post of the incident. So yall coudnt steal the regular way, another asked, while a third social media user demanded to know how you even find someone willing to poop on command tho? Operation Poop & Scoop, a fourth penned, while a fifth person wrote how they seen the header & said they gotta be from Florida and sure enough they are, with a laughing emoji. Another follower teased: Ice Spice has 24 hours to respond. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A group of around 100 senior figures from Syria's Druze are expected to visit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Friday, members of the community said, in a further sign of Israel's support for the minority group. The group is expected to meet Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, as well as other members of the community and to visit a shrine. There was no immediate confirmation of the visit from the Israeli foreign ministry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Druze, an Arab minority present in Syria, Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Lebanon, practise a faith that originated in Islam but which has a distinct identity. In Israel, many Druze serve in the military and police, including during the war in Gaza, and some have reached high rank. Friday's visit is the latest sign of Israeli support for the Druze since a ceasefire in Lebanon and the shock overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad in Syria towards the end of last year. Israel has called repeatedly for the rights of Syrian minority groups including the Druze to be protected. This week Defence Minister Israel Katz said Druze from across the separation line would be allowed to enter the Golan Heights for work and even that Israel would be ready to defend the community, following days of violence in Syria. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israeli ministers have expressed deep mistrust of the new Syrian government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, describing his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham movement as a Jihadist group. The group was formerly affiliated with Al Qaeda but later renounced the connection. (Reporting by Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh, writing by James Mackenzie, Editing by Angus MacSwan) GROVEPORT, Ohio (WCMH) The Groveport Chief of Police has been placed on administrative leave due to conduct against city policy. According to Fraternal Order of Police President Brian Steel, he was informed that Groveport Chief Casey Adams was placed on leave for allegedly sexually harassing a Groveport police officer. Steel, and Law Director for the City of Groveport Kevin Shannon confirmed that Adams was placed on leave effective March 4. Shannon stated the matter stems from an alleged violation of city policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Defendant in Gaudreau trial moves for dismissal Captain Kurt Blevins has been named acting chief in Adams absence while a third-party investigation takes place. If this disturbing allegation is true, we expect him to be held accountable, Steel said. I applaud the Groveport Mayor for taking swift action and conducting an independent investigation rather than brushing under the rug. Adams, who joined the Groveport Police Department in 2001 and named chief in 2021, remains listed as Chief of Police on the Groveport Police Departments website, with Blevins listed as Captain. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A growing sinkhole in a University City neighborhood is raising concerns among residents who worry incoming rain will worsen the problem. The sinkhole sits on a popular trail right in the middle of the neighborhood on Syracuse Avenue. Neighbors said they first noticed it after rain last March and recently the city put up a fence blocking access to the site, but a permanent fix has yet to be seen. As rainwater cascades down the hillside, it steadily gathers inside the expanding sinkhole along with dirt, just yards away from Jason Nielsens family home. Its something he and other neighbors have been monitoring for months. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Flooding possible in the San Diego area this week: Where to get sandbags It was probably about 30 feet deep or so the last I checked just a week or so ago, but then with this last storm the sides really caved in, said Nielsen. Since at least October, city crews closed off access as the ground keeps giving way with incoming moisture. Sinkhole on Syracuse Avenue in University City is seen from October 2024. (KSWB) The goal is to keep people that normally use the trail away from a potentially hazardous situation, but some residents have noticed otherwise. The whole time bikers have been riding through there and just around it, even before the fences were put up originally, said Brendan Graham who lives across the street from the sinkhole. So yeah, I think at some point its just going to wash out the canyon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The standing water could also present other issues down the road. Pushback over GUHSD cuts continues Im very concerned about any sort of vector from mosquitoes forming, said Nielsen. Each time it rains, those that live nearby notice changes. It seems like the whole thing could collapse at any moment, said Graham. The sinkhole is on a list of others the city is monitoring for repairs. From their point of view its just, sort of, we dont have the money to fix all of them. From my point of view, this is the only one sinkhole I know about so Im hoping this gets fixed soon, added Nielsen. In a statement, a spokesperson for the city of San Diego said, The sinkhole on Syracuse Avenue is the result of deteriorating metal pipes underground that need to be replaced. City crews were scheduled to begin repairs at the site this week, but the rain delayed that work. Stormwater Department staff is evaluating the site to assess damage and make any adjustments for the repair project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) Theres more insight into a case involving the death of a 16-year-old and the couple charged with her murder. The suspected accomplice in the kidnapping, murder, and dismembering of Miranda Corsette turned herself in Saturday morning. Missing in Tampa? Mother of missing Wisconsin woman pleads for help Michelle Ayleen Vega, 37, who went by the name Michelle Brandes, surrendered after her accomplice, Steven Gress, 35, appeared in court asking where she was. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Corsette was beaten and tortured for days inside a duplex, according to investigators. Investigators say Gress connected with the Gulfport teen on Valentines Day on a social media app. Through their investigation, detectives learned that 16-year-old Miranda Corsette was lured through a social media app to meet 35-year-old Steven Gress on February 14, a statement from the St. Petersburg Police Department read. Police conducted a welfare check before Gress met Corsette. According to detectives, Corsette was killed sometime between Feb. 20 and Feb. 24. Corsette was homeschooled and lived with her grandmother before she was reported missing to Gulfport police on Feb. 24. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives said Gress loaded Corsettes body into a car before driving to a house at Mallory Drive in Largo where evidence suggested she was dismembered. Her body was then driven to Hillsborough County and placed in a dumpster in Ruskin. Detectives are still trying to locate Corsettes remains. Gress was arrested on March 5 for possession of drugs and pointing a harpoon at Vega. As of March 6, Gress was charged in the kidnapping and disappearance of Corsette. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) A man will spend the next decades of his life in prison for shooting and killing another man on Valentines Day in West York Borough three years ago, according to officials. Ronald Boyd Jr., 33, was sentenced Monday to spend an aggregate of 24.5 to 49 years in state prison after he pled guilty to his charges, the York County District Attorneys Office wrote on Facebook. Boyd pled guilty to charges of murder of the third degree, recklessly endangering another person and firearms not to be carried without a license. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter Angel Perez II, 30, was attending a party with multiple people at a nearby business when he was shot multiple times at close range by Boyd in the 400 block of West Market Street on Feb. 14, 2021, according to police. Perez was rushed to the hospital where he died. Boyd was identified as a suspect and police issued a warrant for his arrest two days later. He was captured by U.S. Marshals months later. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. TUPELO Advocates, neighbors and volunteers alike crowded inside Pam Morris new Tupelo house, sharing in the joy that comes with home ownership. Built with the help of volunteers with Northeast Mississippi Habitat for Humanity, the South Green Street House was officially handed over to Morris during a short dedication ceremony on Tuesday. This was the groups first dedication of 2025. It feels good. It is a blessing, Morris said during the event. I couldnt have done it without Habitat and the volunteers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morris, 44, is a self-described workaholic, with three children and four grandchildren. She currently works at Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi. Her advice for those interested in homeownership through Habitat for Humanity: get involved, apply for the program and volunteer. Northeast Mississippi Habitat for Humanity Director Mary Ann Plasencia praised Morris for her hundreds of hours volunteering while also working a full-time job. In an opening prayer, Plasencia asked everyone to take a minute to reflect upon the many hands that touched the house, from volunteers and contractors to those that donated the land and make monetary contributions. We are so delighted to have worked on this house with you, Pam, Plasencia said. Events like this symbolize the goodness in our community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morris brother-in-law, Rev. Steven Conway, of First Calvary Baptist Church in Okolona, spoke of her work ethic before blessing the home, a longstanding tradition for the organization. Ive known her for a long time. When I came into the family, she was only 16 years old. Ever since then I knew she was hard core; she was all about business, he said. When she took on this project, I already knew that she was going to finish it. I just thank God. Her neighbor, April Cayson, is the owner of the last house the organization completed in 2024, attended this dedication as well. SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) A prolific San Francisco retail theft suspect charged in nearly two dozen separate incidents is being held in jail without bail, SF District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Wednesday. Miles Thomas, 26, is accused of 21 thefts that occurred between May 2024 and March 2025 at two Walgreens locations and one CVS location within the city. The DAs office said Thomas almost exclusively stole dental hygiene products. On Aug. 28, 2024, Thomas stole multiple items from Walgreens at 1344 Stockton Street and pushed an employee who was trying to stop him, prosecutors said. He then returned shortly after and again allegedly shoved an employee who was trying to recover merchandise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arrest made in organized retail theft of $779K worth of merchandise from various Bay Area businesses San Francisco Police Department officers arrested Thomas on March 6 after he was caught stealing $135.55 worth of dental products from the CVS at 701 Portola Avenue, according to the DAs office. In each of the 21 retail theft incidents, prosecutors said employees identified Thomas as a habitual thief who often carried a skateboard and wore distinctive sunglasses. Thomas pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to one count of second-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree commercial burglary, two counts of grand theft, 12 counts of commercial shoplifting and seven counts of petty theft with two or more priors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A judge granted the DAs motion to detain Thomas in jail pending trial and set no bail. His next court date is March 21. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Almost half of the people who were working at the Department of Education when President Donald Trump took office just over 50 days ago are now former employees of the embattled agency. On Tuesday, the Education Department announced plans to lay off over 1,300 of its employees. Add in the number of employees who have left in recent weeks through buyout offers or were terminated because they were probationary employees, and the departments staff is now roughly 50% of its previous 4,100. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Todays reduction in force reflects the Department of Educations (DOE) commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers, said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in an agency statement. I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department. This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system. The statement added that the Department of Education will continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agencys purview including formula funding, student loans, Pell Grants, funding for special needs students, and competitive grantmaking. The employees who received todays pink slips will be placed on administrative leave beginning Friday, March 21. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pursuant to regulatory requirements and the Departments collective bargaining agreement, all impacted employees will receive full pay and benefits until June 9th, as well as substantial severance pay or retirement benefits based upon their length of service, according to Tuesdays DOE press release. All divisions within the department are impacted by the reduction, added the release, with some divisions requiring significant reorganization to better serve students, parents, educators and taxpayers. Trump: The DOEs a big con job While Tuesdays force reduction is dramatic in size, it comes as little surprise. During last years campaign and following his inauguration, Trump has made no secret of his disdain for the 46-year-old federal agency that, among other duties, allocates funds to public education programs such as Title 1 and others that support low-income students and those with disabilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Educations a big con job, Trump said last month. And the president has added he wants McMahon who is just a week into her role as the countrys education chief to put herself out of a job and shutter the Department of Education. Eliminating the Education Department would require cooperation from Congress. President Trump understands that well be working with Congress, McMahon said during her recent confirmation hearing. Wed like to do this right. During his campaign, Trump called for shifting education functions to the states. He has not offered details on how the agencys core functions of sending federal money to local districts and schools would be handled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Education does not dictate what educators teach in the classroom. Instead, the agencys primary role is financial. The departments largest K-12 task is overseeing implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which requires states to monitor their schools progress and intervene in poorly performing schools in exchange for federal money, including funding from Title I, an $18.4 billion program, according to Education Week. The department also administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act a $14.2 billion program that helps schools pay for special education services for students with disabilities. Those federal programs support services that allow for lower class sizes with additional teaching positions and pay for social workers and other non-teaching roles in schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At her recent confirmation hearing, McMahon said she would preserve core initiatives including Title I money, Pell Grants for low-income college students and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. She added that the goal is not to defund key programs but to have them operate more efficiently, the AP reported. But she also questioned whether some programs directed by the DOE should be moved to other federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Justice Department. Utah education leaders in a holding pattern In Utah, more than 108,000 Utah K-12 students benefit from federal funds allocated by the DOE through programs such as Title 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked recently how the Utah State Board of Education would respond to the possible elimination or overhaul of the DOE, a spokesperson said the board is not taking any action until we have that order just because we want to make sure we know exactly whats going on and how we need to address it. The National School Lunch Program, which reimburses Utah schools and other states for students receiving free or reduced school meals, is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture not the DOE. Dr. Theodore Jack Iwashyna was in Chicago this week for a medical conference, but his thoughts werent far from his work at the Hopkins research and treatment facilities that now face federal funding cuts. Next Monday, Ill be back at Bayview [Medical Center], taking care of patients with sepsis, bringing the research to the bedside, said Iwashyna, a critical care physician and researcher at the Hopkins medical and public health schools. But its very challenging to maintain my focus on science when it feel like a small group of people without an electoral mandate are trying to destroy the public-private partnership that has made the U.S. biomedical system the envy of the world, and why so many people from around the world come here to get care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is among the researchers working under a cloud of uncertainty these days as the Trump administration, through advisor Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, slashes the federal spending that Hopkins, more than any other institution, depends on to understand and treat ailments from cancer to Alzheimers to traumatic brain injuries and beyond. Hopkins President Ron Daniels, in a letter recently posted on the universitys website, warned of a fast and far-reaching cascade of executive orders and agency actions that may result in a significant reduction in research work. Any cuts in federal funding will have an outsized effect on Hopkins, which comes in first of all universities in federally funded research and by extension, Baltimore and Maryland, where it is the city and states largest largest private employer. From the salaries it pays to the local businesses that construct its buildings or stock its supply closets, Hopkins says it accounts for more than $15 billion in economic output in the state Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is difficult to overstate the significance of Johns Hopkins University as a cornerstone of Marylands economy, Carter Elliott IV, spokesman for Gov. Wes Moore, said in a statement to The Baltimore Sun. As one of the states largest employers, Johns Hopkins is not only a vital source of jobs but also a powerful engine for economic growth, innovation, and technological advancement, Elliot said. Its influence extends far beyond Baltimore, shaping industries across the state and driving Marylands reputation as a global leader in research, healthcare, and education. Saying the administration strongly opposes these funding reductions and the devastating impact they will have on Marylanders, Elliott decried the immediate and profound consequences of funding cuts. Students, faculty, and researchers at Johns Hopkins will bear the direct burden of these reductions, but the ripple effects will extend far beyond campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prospect of losing some of its federal money, which Daniels said accounts for nearly half of JHUs incoming funds, comes at a time when the state is facing a budget deficit. That is expected to be exacerbated by cuts in the federal workforce, a sizeable portion of which lives in Maryland. Already, Hopkins researchers have been hit by the dismantling of the USAID agency, which has also led to layoffs and cutbacks at the multiple global humanitarian groups that are headquartered in Baltimore. One Hopkins researcher, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation, said they expected to be let go soon now that their USAID-funded project on a new regimen to treat children with an infectious disease has been terminated. Its been hard to sleep for many of us for several weeks now, the researcher said. Everyone that works in global health does this because we want to make the world a better place. We want to save lives, and we believe in the power of science. Were concerned how that work will be funded now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hopkins receives more money from the National Institutes of Health than any other institution, and has joined litigation challenging cuts to the Bethesda-based agencys fund. (JHU, including its Applied Physics Lab, also tops the list of the National Science Foundations annual survey of federally financed higher education research and development expenditures at more than $3.3 billion for fiscal 2023.) Hopkins received more than $1 billion from the NIH in fiscal 2024, according to a court filing by Laurent Heller, the universitys executive vice president for finance and administration. A federal judge has temporarily blocked those cuts. The federal grants allow Hopkins to conduct critical and cutting-edge medical research, which millions of Americans benefit from and depend on, Heller wrote. There are currently 600 NIH-funded clinical trials currently underway, he wrote, and funding reductions would have immediate and devastating consequences. In its own filing in support of the legal action against the NIH cutbacks, the City of Baltimore called Hopkins a cornerstone institution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A drastic reduction in funding would significantly harm the economy of Baltimore City, a majority-minority urban area that is already fiscally disadvantaged, and it would derail the incredibly important medical research performed by a world-class institution, the brief said. Iwashyna currently has NIH grants supporting his research, including one to help patients recover from the prolonged effects of pneumonia. He said he believes Trump administration statements on cutting fraud and waste is a distraction, because there was never a systematic review of programs to see if there actually could be cost savings. Was that ever a good faith rationale? he said. Daniels letter said the scope of the cutbacks, and how the various branches of the university will address them, remains to be seen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have little choice but to reduce some of our work in response to the slowing and stopping of grants and to adjust to an evolving legal landscape, he wrote. There are difficult moments before us, with impacts to budgets, personnel, and programs. Some will take time to fully understand and address; others will happen more quickly. But, Daniels noted, the loss of foreign aid funds has led to the end of most of the programs funded by USAID, which totaled more than $800 million, at Jhpiego, which focuses on womens health; the Bloomberg School of Public Healths Center for Communication Programs; and the School of Medicine. Because of these funding terminations, we are in the process of winding down USAID grant-related activities in Baltimore and internationally, he wrote, including impactful work to provide maternal and infant care, prevent the spread of diseases, and provide clean drinking water. For Hopkins, the cuts hit close to the bone. Research is baked into the schools DNA, which as Daniels noted in his letter, is the nations first research university. Approaching its150th birthday next year, the school was founded to provide what was then deemed lacking in the U.S. educational landscape: a place where research would flourish and knowledge was expanded, according to the book Leading the Way: A History of Johns Hopkins Medicine, by Neil A. Grauer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the years, Grauer writes, the federal governments influence was pervasive. He notes that the Hopkins medical school received more than $2.6 million in federal grants in 1947, a figure that grew to $7 million a decade later and $28 million by 1968. Today, with Hopkins NIH grants exceeding $1 billion, finance officials are working closely with deans to plan for how to continue its work even amid whatever funding cuts are on the way, Daniels said Research is our hallmark, he wrote, and its essential instruments freedom of inquiry and expression, academic excellence, marshaling of evidence, rigorous and open debate, and an embrace of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints form our core values. Have a news tip? Contact Jean Marbella at jmarbella@baltsun.com, 410-332-6060 or @jeanmarbella.bsky.social. BALTIMORE Dr. Theodore Jack Iwashyna was in Chicago this week for a medical conference, but his thoughts werent far from his work at the Hopkins research and treatment facilities that now face federal funding cuts. Next Monday, Ill be back at Bayview (Medical Center), taking care of patients with sepsis, bringing the research to the bedside, said Iwashyna, a critical care physician and researcher at the Hopkins medical and public health schools. But its very challenging to maintain my focus on science when it feel like a small group of people without an electoral mandate are trying to destroy the public-private partnership that has made the U.S. biomedical system the envy of the world, and why so many people from around the world come here to get care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is among the researchers working under a cloud of uncertainty these days as the Trump administration, through adviser Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, slashes the federal spending that Hopkins, more than any other institution, depends on to understand and treat ailments from cancer to Alzheimers to traumatic brain injuries and beyond. Hopkins President Ron Daniels, in a letter recently posted on the universitys website, warned of a fast and far-reaching cascade of executive orders and agency actions that may result in a significant reduction in research work. Any cuts in federal funding will have an outsized effect on Hopkins, which comes in first of all universities in federally funded research and by extension, Baltimore and Maryland, where it is the city and states largest largest private employer. From the salaries it pays to the local businesses that construct its buildings or stock its supply closets, Hopkins says it accounts for more than $15 billion in economic output in the state Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is difficult to overstate the significance of Johns Hopkins University as a cornerstone of Marylands economy, Carter Elliott IV, spokesman for Gov. Wes Moore, said in a statement to The Baltimore Sun. As one of the states largest employers, Johns Hopkins is not only a vital source of jobs but also a powerful engine for economic growth, innovation, and technological advancement, Elliot said. Its influence extends far beyond Baltimore, shaping industries across the state and driving Marylands reputation as a global leader in research, healthcare, and education. Saying the administration strongly opposes these funding reductions and the devastating impact they will have on Marylanders, Elliott decried the immediate and profound consequences of funding cuts. Students, faculty, and researchers at Johns Hopkins will bear the direct burden of these reductions, but the ripple effects will extend far beyond campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The prospect of losing some of its federal money, which Daniels said accounts for nearly half of JHUs incoming funds, comes at a time when the state is facing a budget deficit. That is expected to be exacerbated by cuts in the federal workforce, a sizeable portion of which lives in Maryland. Already, Hopkins researchers have been hit by the dismantling of the USAID agency, which has also led to layoffs and cutbacks at the multiple global humanitarian groups that are headquartered in Baltimore. One Hopkins researcher, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation, said they expected to be let go soon now that their USAID-funded project on a new regimen to treat children with an infectious disease has been terminated. Its been hard to sleep for many of us for several weeks now, the researcher said. Everyone that works in global health does this because we want to make the world a better place. We want to save lives, and we believe in the power of science. Were concerned how that work will be funded now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hopkins receives more money from the National Institutes of Health than any other institution, and has joined litigation challenging cuts to the Bethesda-based agencys fund. (JHU, including its Applied Physics Lab, also tops the list of the National Science Foundations annual survey of federally financed higher education research and development expenditures at more than $3.3 billion for fiscal 2023.) Hopkins received more than $1 billion from the NIH in fiscal 2024, according to a court filing by Laurent Heller, the universitys executive vice president for finance and administration. A federal judge has temporarily blocked those cuts. The federal grants allow Hopkins to conduct critical and cutting-edge medical research, which millions of Americans benefit from and depend on, Heller wrote. There are currently 600 NIH-funded clinical trials currently underway, he wrote, and funding reductions would have immediate and devastating consequences. In its own filing in support of the legal action against the NIH cutbacks, the City of Baltimore called Hopkins a cornerstone institution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A drastic reduction in funding would significantly harm the economy of Baltimore City, a majority-minority urban area that is already fiscally disadvantaged, and it would derail the incredibly important medical research performed by a world-class institution, the brief said. Iwashyna currently has NIH grants supporting his research, including one to help patients recover from the prolonged effects of pneumonia. He said he believes Trump administration statements on cutting fraud and waste is a distraction, because there was never a systematic review of programs to see if there actually could be cost savings. Was that ever a good faith rationale? he said. Daniels letter said the scope of the cutbacks, and how the various branches of the university will address them, remains to be seen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have little choice but to reduce some of our work in response to the slowing and stopping of grants and to adjust to an evolving legal landscape, he wrote. There are difficult moments before us, with impacts to budgets, personnel, and programs. Some will take time to fully understand and address; others will happen more quickly. But, Daniels noted, the loss of foreign aid funds has led to the end of most of the programs funded by USAID, which totaled more than $800 million, at Jhpiego, which focuses on womens health; the Bloomberg School of Public Healths Center for Communication Programs; and the School of Medicine. Because of these funding terminations, we are in the process of winding down USAID grant-related activities in Baltimore and internationally, he wrote, including impactful work to provide maternal and infant care, prevent the spread of diseases, and provide clean drinking water. For Hopkins, the cuts hit close to the bone. Research is baked into the schools DNA, which as Daniels noted in his letter, is the nations first research university. Approaching its150th birthday next year, the school was founded to provide what was then deemed lacking in the U.S. educational landscape: a place where research would flourish and knowledge was expanded, according to the book Leading the Way: A History of Johns Hopkins Medicine, by Neil A. Grauer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over the years, Grauer writes, the federal governments influence was pervasive. He notes that the Hopkins medical school received more than $2.6 million in federal grants in 1947, a figure that grew to $7 million a decade later and $28 million by 1968. Today, with Hopkins NIH grants exceeding $1 billion, finance officials are working closely with deans to plan for how to continue its work even amid whatever funding cuts are on the way, Daniels said Research is our hallmark, he wrote, and its essential instruments freedom of inquiry and expression, academic excellence, marshaling of evidence, rigorous and open debate, and an embrace of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints form our core values. _____ The committee heard from constituents who described using small doses of psilocybin to deal with migraines. (Photo by Akchamczuk/Getty Images) After briefly considering legalizing the drug entirely for people 21 and older, a bipartisan group of New Hampshire lawmakers are trying to lessen the legal penalties for psilocybin, the recreational, hallucinogenic, and psychedelic drug commonly known as magic mushrooms or shrooms. The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted unanimously, 16-0, this month to recommend the entire House vote to approve House Bill 528, which is sponsored by Deerfield Republican Rep. Kevin Verville. The bill would reduce the penalty for people 21 and older to obtain, purchase, transport, possess, or use psilocybin in New Hampshire from a felony to a simple violation with a small fine and no jail time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Psilocybin is currently outlawed in New Hampshire under the Controlled Drug Act. Originally the bill called for psilocybin to be legalized entirely for people 21 and older, but the committee ultimately amended the bill to simply lessen the punishment. In a hearing last month ahead of the March 7 vote, Verville argued psilocybin was different from more dangerous drugs like narcotics, amphetamines, and opioids. He described the bill as harm reduction as it prevents people from suffering long-term consequences of felony convictions for something he doesnt believe is truly harmful. He argued the drug is readily available on the black market anyway. He also said that because the drug is still illegal federally, it wouldnt be openly mass produced. I dream of a day when we have medical psychedelics available, Verville said. I dream of that day. There are demonstrated medical benefits with depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, (and) interestingly enough, addiction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The committee heard from constituents who described using small doses of psilocybin to deal with migraines, and members appeared to find this testimony compelling. Not only is this not really a dangerous drug, but it also has medicinal benefits that people are unable to take advantage of currently because of its classification under the Controlled Drug Act, Rep. Alissandra Murray, a Manchester Democrat, said Friday. While entirely removing it might be too big a step for this Legislature to take right now, I think this is a good compromise to start with. Rep. David Meuse, a Portsmouth Democrat, said psilocybin is increasingly analogous to what we saw with cannabis a decade ago. Cannabis, which was once an illegal drug in all 50 U.S. states, is now legal for medicinal purposes in 39 states and for recreational use in 24. It is still illegal for recreational use in New Hampshire, though it is decriminalized and legal for medicinal purposes. Verville is also behind another bill, House Bill 75, seeking to legalize recreational cannabis; that bill passed through the state House in February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its time to break the log jam, and I hope we pass this, Meuse said of the psilocybin bill. A few of the bills supporters were torn though. Rep. Jennifer Rhodes, a Winchester Republican, said she supported the bill because she has tremendous respect for Verville, the sponsor, and because he is the one person I dont want to go up on the House floor against. However, she said she doesnt believe psilocybin should be considered medicine as some had suggested. If were doing this because were trying to take away the penalty, thats one thing, but doing it because were trying to say were making it be medicine, thats the part Im not OK with, she said prior to voting in favor. Psilocybin was illegal in all 50 U.S. states in 2019. However, Oregon legalized the drug which had recently been decriminalized in a handful of cities including Denver, Colorado, and Santa Cruz, California in 2020. Colorado followed suit and legalized it in 2022. Currently, it is illegal in the remaining 48 states. A former Hanford nuclear site subcontractor and its owner will pay a total settlement of just over $1.1 million to resolve accusations they defrauded the federal government through a COVID pandemic loan program. On Wednesday, U.S. Judge Stanley Bastian in Yakima sentenced BNL Technical Services, owned by Wilson Pershing Stevenson III, to pay nearly $494,000 restitution to the federal government, as proposed in a settlement agreement. That is in addition to $611,000 Stevenson, of Nashville, Tenn., already agreed to pay in a civil settlement to resolve his liability in the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BNL, which faced a likely ban from federal government contracting, has been dissolved, according to a federal court document. However, the judge still sentenced it to one year of probation to ensure the restitution is paid promptly and in full. BNL received nearly $494,000 in 2020 from a Paycheck Protection Program loan through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Yakima U.S. Courthouse The money was intended to retain and maintain payroll for Hanford site workers assigned to the nuclear reservation in Eastern Washington and also a few Department of Veterans Affairs workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the federal government continued to cover the costs of those employees as part of a commitment to keep the federal governments contracted workforce in a ready state during the pandemic, according to a court document. BNL overhead costs associated with the workers also were reimbursed with federal government funds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BNL, which had an office in Richland, hired staff and deployed them to Hanford nuclear reservation and other federal contractors, a service called staff augmentation. Hanford staff paid with federal tax dollars were assigned to work for former contractors Washington River Protection Solutions, Mission Support Alliance and CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Co., according to court documents. During the early part of the pandemic the number of workers reporting for environmental cleanup at the Hanford nuclear reservation was limited, with most workers telecommuting or paid with Department of Energy money to wait for more work to resume. Workers paid with DOE to be kept in readiness included BNL workers, according to court documents. The Hanford nuclear site adjacent to Richland was used to produce almost two-thirds of the plutonium for the nations nuclear weapons program, leaving massive environmental contamination on the 580-square-mile site. COVID loan money spending Within 48 hours of BNL receiving the Paycheck Protection Program loan at least $453,000 had been spent to pay off Stevensons personal and family debts, according to an indictment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That included $100,000 transferred to Stevensons father and $48,600 to a family trust, according to court documents. Much of the rest of the money was used to pay off credit card debt, according to the indictment. The federal government later forgave the loan, which cleared it from having to be repaid. BNL and Stevenson later applied for and received another Paycheck Protection Program loan of nearly $820,000. Most of that loan, which also was forgiven, was used correctly for employees who were not assigned work on federal projects, according to new federal court documents. Hanford was used to produce plutonium for the nations nuclear weapons program during World War II and the Cold War. Environmental cleanup is underway now. But some of it also was used to pay off another federal loan, a $150,000 COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan, which was not an approved use of the money, according to court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The misuse of critical emergency funds intended for those personally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic defrauds taxpayers and deprives legitimate recipients of important assistance at a time it was needed most, stated Lewe Sessions, assistant inspector general for investigations at the DOE Office of Inspector General. The Eastern Washington District U.S. Attorneys Office is continuing to pursue COVID fraud cases, said Rich Barker, acting U.S. attorney. The case was investigated by the DOE Office of Inspector General Richland Field Office and the Small Business Administration and VA Offices of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Tornabene and Dan Fruchter prosecuted the case. The news of Seattle radio icon Bob Rivers death has left his fans and loved ones mourning. A beloved voice in morning radio for over two decades, Rivers built a loyal following. Even after his retirement in 2014, he remained active in creative projects. Now, many are concerned about the reason behind his death. In this article, we will delve into the details of Rivers death. Bob Rivers passes away at 68, claims report Bob Rivers, a well-known Seattle radio host, has reportedly passed away at the age of 68 due to complications from esophageal cancer. His wife, Lisa Rivers, confirmed his passing. She said, I have everything that Bobs done and that weve done together to be grateful for. I will miss him tremendously but I can push play on his voice and our memories will live on. (via The Seattle Times) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rivers had a significant presence in the Seattle radio industry for over 25 years, famously known for The Bob Rivers Show and his popular Twisted Tunes parodies. Having grown up in Connecticut, it seems Rivers discovered his passion for radio at an early age. He was already working professionally in broadcasting by the time he turned 16. His career took him from Boston and Baltimore to Seattle in 1989, where he became a morning radio favorite. In 2023, he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. After leaving the radio industry professionally in 2014, Rivers moved to Vermont and pursued maple syrup farming and podcasting there. Despite a cancer diagnosis a few years ago, he remained active, attending concerts, creating music, and working on film projects. His final collaboration was with his son Keith Rivers, producing a video for one of his Twisted Tunes classic parodies. Rivers is survived by his wife Lisa, their children, and grandchildren. A private memorial service will soon take place in New Hampshire, while a public memorial will be planned in Seattle later. The post What Happened to Bob Rivers? Seattle Radio Host Passes Away appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Authorities responded to reports of rapid fire that broke out at a Chicago airport. However, according to videos and several witness statements, chaos ensued before the shots rang out. Around 12:55 a.m. the morning of March 12, a group of people began arguing at OHare International Airport, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. A dispatcher said the incident began at arrivals in Terminal 2A. At some point, police said six to seven males wearing all black broke out into a fight, per ABC 7 Chicago. Video footage believed to be from the night of the incident shows a group of men scuffling by the airport exit. One individual appeared to charge toward a black vehicle. Shortly after, shots were fired. An airport employee confirmed to the Sun-Times that he actually saw the person go into a car and emerge with a firearm. One 25-year-old man was shot and injured while the other bullets flung elsewhere. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have no clue how I did not hear this and when I woke up I saw all the cops. I was terrified, so I honestly, these ear plugs saved my life. Getting up would have made me more scared and put me in a worse scenario, so Im just really grateful to be alive right now, said traveler Raquel Barajas to ABC 7, who was sleeping in the airport and woke up to see a bullet-pierced window. Screenshot: Chicago Sun-Times (YouTube) That wasnt the only person who heard the shots either. Hotel guests from across the way heard the commotion. I heard a bunch of rapid fire and I opened up my curtain and I looked and I saw people scattering and then I heard a bunch of individual pops, not sure how many for sure individual ones, but I would say half a dozen to a dozen, said hotel guest James Van Schaick via ABC. Little to no details are known about the suspected shooter. However, the Sun-Times reports the police believe the gunman donned dreadlocks and fled in a black sport-utility vehicle. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. HARDEEVILLE, S.C. (WSAV) The Hardeeville Police Department said are seeking the publics assistance in gathering information related to a 2023 homicide. Perry Smith, 33, was pronounced dead at the Mercy Circle Apartments in November 2023. He was shot at least once, the Jasper County Coroner said. A Hardeeville Police Department (HPD) spokesperson said they have recently uncovered evidence that has advanced their investigation. Resolving this case, securing justice for Smith and providing answers to his loved ones is a top priority, the official said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We urge anyone with information, regardless of how insignificant it may seem, to come forward, a Hardeeville PD spokesperson said. Your cooperation could be instrumental in bringing this case to a resolution. If you have any information, contact the Hardeeville Police Department at 843-784-2233 or submit information anonymously through their Submit a Tip website by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. DES MOINES, Iowa Students at Harding Middle School now have additional funds to go towards their higher education. The non-profit By Degrees Foundation received $140,000 from the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation to expand 529 savings account programs to Harding students. Originally, enrollment with the By Degrees Foundations was only available to students who began their education at Findley Elementary, but with Mid-Iowa Health Foundations investment, eligibility is now expanded to all Harding students. Highlights from day 2 of Iowa boys state basketball Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, these 529 accounts will be opened for all 640 kids at Harding, with an initial $200 investment in each account. Students will also be able to continue earning money for those accounts as they go through school, allowing students the opportunity to bank more than $1,000 before high school graduation. There is so much research that shows that these accounts are powerful, not so much because of how much money is in the accounts, theyre powerful because of the way students start identifying as college going, whatever that means [for them]. Especially when you put these accounts in the hands of elementary students, they identify as college going, whatever that means, at an early age, said Emily Westergaard, CEO of the By Degrees Foundation. I think the idea that you have community investing in you gives a boost of understanding and your ability to be able to obtain something like that, a better grade or do better on that test, or apply to colleges that challenge you. So, its that idea that we can help spur folks wanting to thrive, wanting to succeed, wanting to challenge themselves. We absolutely want to be a part of those efforts, said Nalo Johnson, President and CEO of Mid-Iowa Health Foundation. Metro News: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. Horn honks and chants by protestors could be heard by attendees of the London City Council meeting Monday as community members lined the sidewalk outside to demand justice for Doug Harless. It has been nearly 80 days since the fatal London Police officer-involved shooting of 63-year-old Harless, which remains under the investigation of Kentucky State Police Post 11 at this time. In a show of solidarity, community members gathered outside of the recent special-called city council meeting to send a clear message regarding the Dec. 23 shooting. The protest began at 5 p.m., just 30 minutes before the meeting, and continued throughout. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protestors held signs pertaining to the incident as they chanted, Justice for Doug, and Wrong person, wrong address. Among attendees was Angie Martin, Harless sister. Martin learned of her brothers death after receiving a phone call on the morning of Christmas Eve last year. It was pure devastation, Martin stated. We had to try to make it through the next few holidays trying to put together what had happened, and were still 77 days later trying to figure out what happened. Harless was killed at his home in the Lily community when the police attempted to execute a search warrant at what turned out to be an incorrect address, leaving the community with unanswered questions. The agencys only statement on the incident indicated Harless had been armed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martin urged, We want to know: What are you going to do to make sure this never happens again? What measures are you taking as community leaders? He was a normal blue-collared worker, Martin said of her brother. He got up and went to work every day, then he came home. He loved his daughters. He loved his grandkids. He loved his family. He minded his business and didnt bother anybody. Following the incident, a Facebook group called Justice for Doug emerged. In the group, members remember Harless and organize events to call for justice for him. Mondays protest was the latest in a series of events held by the group, with the initial one taking place Jan. 4. The support of the community is amazing, Martin commented. Its not just us [the family] and losing my brother. The citizens of the community are scared; they want change. They need change. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group has garnered at least 3,800 members at this time. Accountability thats what we would like to see, Martin said on behalf of the group. We will not give up until its done. To stay updated on gatherings such as this one, join the Justice for Doug Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/926585912785706. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Harrison Township has appointed its new development director. Robert A. Watson will begin the role Monday, March 31. He brings a career of over 25 years in local government. His specialties include code enforcement, floodplain management, historic preservation, permitting and construction management. Watson earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from Franklin University. He has worked throughout Ohio and North Carolina. His history will support Harrison Townships future growth. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Roberts expertise in code enforcement and land use planning will be a tremendous asset to our township, said Administrator Shannon Meadows. His leadership will help us continue to strengthen our community and enhance development efforts. Watson said hes looking forward to driving progress in the township. Im excited to join the Harrison Township team and eager to work with the community addressing the needs of our residents and businesses, Watson said. Providing a collaborative environment and high-quality service to ensure Harrison Township remains successful, independent, and strong. To learn more about Harrison Township, click here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) A Hartford man plead guilty to federal drug and firearm charges at U.S. District Court on Tuesday in Hartford. Christopher Dancy, 35, was arrested on Aug. 18, 2022, for violation of his state parole. A search of his apartment revealed a loaded Glock model 45, a 9mm pistol, about 20 grams of fentanyl mixed with xylazine, and items used to process and package narcotics for distribution. Hamden police make 2 arrests for illegal drug sales Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On May 3, 2023, Hartford police officers observed Dancy in the area of Albany Avenue and Edgewood Street, engaging in suspected drug activity. Police seized a car which Dancy was occupying. A later search if the vehicle revealed a loaded Glock model 26 and a 9mm pistol, and DNA testing connected the firearms to Dancy. Dancys criminal history includes state drug and firearm convictions, and his possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon is a violation of federal law. Dancy pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Dancy has been detained since June 5, 2023. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) A Hartford neighborhood is getting its own urban farm and farm stand. A vacant lot in Hartfords North End is being transformed into a farm. Levo International uses empty urban spaces to grow vegetables for the community. The whole idea started as Christian Heidens Eagle Scout project. Lawmakers pushing for yellow envelopes bill for those with cognitive disabilities to be passed Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Levo International uses hydroponic farming to bring fresh produce to people and neighborhoods with few options for healthy food. I was 16, and I wanted to build a hydroponic greenhouse for an organization in Haiti, explained Heiden, Levo Internationals founder. That was nine years ago. He and his family have continued that idea, grown it, and brought it to their local Hartford area. The latest is on Homestead Avenue, where there are no good options for fresh produce. Where were standing right now is actually the seventh-largest food desert in the United States of America, Heiden said. The North Hartford Promise Zone has struggled for decades with food access. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hydroponic farming does not require soil. The plants grow directly in water. Levos system uses long PVC pipes with holes cut in them, out of which the plants grow. Those pipes can then be stacked on wood frames several feet high. Within weeks, those pipes will be overflowing with vegetables. The Homestead Avenue site will grow 50,000 pounds of produce just this year. It will all be sold there, as well. This is a permanent farm stand, Heiden said. A permanent retail location where people can buy affordable, healthy food options, and were on a really high traffic street. The build got a huge boost Wednesday thanks to a team of volunteers from Travelers. Weve got 100 volunteers here today, and its just another example of the way we engage in our communities where we live and work, said Michael Klein, President of Personal Insurance at Travelers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So many of those communities could have their own farms, with a little work. All of the vacant lots that we drive by, theyre ugly, theyre hideous, theyre blighted. They can be urban farms, Heiden said. The plan is for this latest one to open for customers by June first. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) A Hartford woman was arrested Saturday night after driving the wrong way on Route 2 in East Hartford, state police say. Cindy Yohanny Ramirez Franco, 31, was allegedly driving west on Route 2 east before being stopped by police at approximately 11:25 p.m. Police say that Ramirez Franco was operating on a suspended Rhode Island registration and an invalid drivers license. Hartford suspects found guilty in 2021 triple shooting that left 1 dead, 1 paralyzed Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ramirez Franco was allegedly non-compliant with police instructions but was eventually arrested without incident, according to police. She was charged with reckless driving, driving the wrong way on a limited access highway, operating a motor vehicle without a license, operating an unregistered motor vehicle and interfering with an officer. Ramirez Franco was released on $1,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court on March 28. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) A New Haven doctor accused of using his own sperm to artificially inseminate multiple women has died, according to court records. New Haven doctor sued for allegedly using own sperm for insemination, 22 half-siblings found A woman named Janine Pierson took a 23 and Me test in 2024 to discover that she had 19 half-siblings. She knew that her parents went to a fertility doctor, but she thought that her fathers sperm was used. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 36-year-old and her mother filed a lawsuit against Dr. Burton Caldwell, who was a doctor at Yale New Haven Hospital in the 1980s. Caldwell died on Feb. 28. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) New Haven police have reconnected a father and his daughter who was kidnapped decades ago from New Haven. Authorities said Andrea Michelle Reyes was abducted as an infant in 1999 by her non-custodial mother. Reyes was recently found safe and living in Mexico. Child missing from Connecticut since 1999 found living in Mexico Imagine your 2-month-old daughter vanishes one day, and you search for her tirelessly year after year. Authorities said that 25 years later, the search has finally come to an end. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reyes, who is now 27 years old, was abducted from New Haven by her non-custodial mother, Rosa Tenorio. Officials said she was taken to Mexico, where she and her mother have lived in the city of Puebla for the last 25 years. Othram, a company involved in this investigation specializing in forensic genetic genealogy, said Reyes father searched tirelessly over the years, even going to Mexico several times to look for her in person, but found nothing. Law enforcement began to make some progress when New Haven Police Det. Kealyn Nivakoff reopened the cold case. Through interviews, search warrants and social media, Nivakoff was able to connect the dots and find Reyes. Police used DNA testing to confirm it was her. DNA leads to burglary arrest in Woodbury Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The arrest warrant for Tenorio remains active but is only valid within the United States. According to police, she is believed to still reside in Mexico. A retired FBI special agent said cases like this are an incredibly difficult feat. If a child is kidnapped here in the United States by a parent and taken to Mexico, its very hard to get them back from Mexico, retired FBI special agent Ken Gray said. And if the mother remained in Mexico, it would be difficult to get her into the United States to prosecute her. On Wednesday afternoon, city officials, Reyes father, and members of the police department and FBI held a press conference. Watch in the video player below. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the event, Reyes fathera teacher in New Havensaid they felt some happiness, but the chapter was not closed yet as he tried to reconnect with his daughter. It was a moment of joy, but with the understanding the process is not over, he said. His wife echoed the sentiment. After 25 years, God has answered our prayers and blessed us with the chance to know her again. We recognize that this reacquaintance will have challenges, however we are confident that God is building the path before us and leading our steps, she said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) New Haven police have reconnected a father with his daughter who was kidnapped decades ago from Connecticuts capital city. Imagine your 2-month-old daughter vanishes one day, and you search for her tirelessly year after year. Authorities said that 25 years later, the search has finally come to an end. Child missing from Connecticut since 1999 found living in Mexico Authorities said Andrea Michelle Reyes was abducted as an infant in 1999 by her non-custodial mother. Reyes was recently found safe and living in Mexico. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials said Reyes, who is now 27, was taken to Mexico, where she and her mother, Rosa Tenorio, have lived in the city of Puebla for the last 25 years. On Wednesday afternoon, city officials, Reyes father, and members of the police department and FBI held a press conference. You can see that in the video player at the top of this story. Othram, a company involved in this investigation specializing in forensic genetic genealogy, said Reyes father searched tirelessly over the years, even going to Mexico several times to look for her in person, but found nothing. Law enforcement began to make some progress when New Haven Police Det. Kealyn Nivakoff reopened the cold case. Through interviews, search warrants, and social media, Nivakoff was able to connect the dots and find Reyes. Police used DNA testing to confirm it was her. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During Wednesdays press conference, Reyes father, Carlos, a teacher in New Haven said they have some sense of happiness, but the chapter is not closed yet as he tries to reconnect with his daughter. It was a moment of joy, but with the understanding that the process is not over, he said. His wife, Lucia, echoed the sentiment. After 25 years, God has answered our prayers and blessed us with the chance to know her again. We recognize that this reacquaintance will have challenges, however, we are confident that god is building the path before us and leading our steps, she said. The arrest warrant for Tenorio remains active but is only valid within the United States. According to police, she is believed to still reside in Mexico. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A retired FBI special agent said cases like this are an incredibly difficult feat. If a child is kidnapped here in the United States by a parent and taken to Mexico, its very hard to get them back from Mexico, retired FBI special agent Ken Gray said. And if the mother remained in Mexico, it would be difficult to get her into the United States to prosecute her. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. UNICOI COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) The Unicoi Police Department arrested a man who was wanted on several sex crime charges out of Hawaii. The Unicoi Police Department, with assistance from the Erwin Police Department, served felony indictments Monday on Joel Bladimir Mendez Gomez, 27, according to a release from Unicoi police. Downtown Johnson City last call bill sails through first committee vote The police department said it received a request from the Hawaii County district attorneys office in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gomez is wanted in Hawaii County on charges of continuous sexual assault of a minor under the age of 14, five counts of sexual assault in the third degree, and two charges of attempted sexual assault in the third degree, according to the release. The Unicoi Police Department also charged Gomez with being a fugitive from justice. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. HAYS, Kan. (KSNW) Hays Regional Airport tallied a record number of passenger flights in 2024, highlighting its role as a key transportation hub in northwest Kansas, airport officials said. The airport offers passenger jet service operated by SkyWest Airlines for United Airlines, and 15,032 enplanements were reported last year. That means that fewer passengers drove to Denver, Kansas City, or Wichita to catch a flight. This achievement is incredibly exciting for everyone involved, Jamie Salter, Hays Regional Airport Director, said in a news release. Weve worked diligently to ensure Hays Regional Airport is an inviting and reliable option for residents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Salter said that the airports performance has a ripple effect on the local economy. Tree trimming mishap leads to local man stuck 35-feet up a tree We host business and general aviation aircraft operators daily who fuel our local businesses, purchase supplies, and even stay overnight in Hays-area hotels. The synergy between the Airport and the larger community is a real driving force behind our success, she said in the release. Officials credit community feedback with shaping flight schedules and services. Melissa Dixon, the director of the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau, praised the airports role in connecting northwest Kansas with the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each passenger represents a point of connection to global destinations, but it also means were bringing new visitors in, Dixon said in the release. She called it a win for the community, saying that people attending conferences, college, family reunions, or just exploring Kansas can easily fly into Hays. Its a major win for local tourism, she said in the release. An affordable, convenient way to travel ultimately benefits all aspects of our community, from cultural events to local businesses. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. For the first time, the Lee County Education Foundation will soon announce a Head of Class winner for a middle school. Back in 2010, when the Foundation launched its Head of Class program, the focus was squarely on elementary schools. That Head of Class award, a unique teacher incentive which included a $50,000 cash prize for the winning school, has been awarded 11 times, most recently on Jan. 29 to J. Glenn Edwards Elementary. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All the while, though, the Foundation had its eye on growing the program to include middle schools. We know that Head of Class has made a difference; principals at our middle schools have repeatedly told us that. And weve also always had a desire to find a way to expand it in our middle schools, to have two Head of Class prizes, said Dennis Wicker, who led the formation of the Foundation in 2003. That opportunity has come. LCEF, in partnership with the McSwain Worthy Lands Trust, has earmarked up to $50,000 to begin annually bestowing Head of Class honors to one of Lee Countys three middle schools West Lee, East Lee or SanLee. The inaugural Ernest and Ruby McSwain Middle School Head of Class prize will be announced in the coming weeks, said Susan Keller, foundation chair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LCEF and Lee County Schools utilize EVAAS the states Education Value-Added Assessment System software tool which provides school systems with an array of student performance measurements. Those include growth and proficiency data, which have been used to determine the elementary school Head of Class winner each year. At the middle school level, Keller said, the exact amount of the Head of Class gift will be determined by the number of staff at the winning school. Enrollment at West Lee (525) and East Lee (530) is well under that at SanLee, which has 836 students. In addition to EVAAS data, other factors including teacher attendance will help rank the middle schools. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wendy Wicker Phillips, the Foundations executive director, described the expansion of the Head of Class program. We recognize middle school offers its own unique set of challenges and we are excited to honor the dedication and achievements of students, teachers and staff, said Phillips, who was recently named to the position. Theres no Head of Class program for Lee Countys two high schools, but at that level, LCEF has two programs: first, Sloan Scholars, which provides up to $9,000 per year in college tuition grants to a Lee County student pursuing a teaching degree at a North Carolina college or university. And second, the soon-to-launch LocalLee Teacher Academy, which will expose interested high school students to curriculum and experiences geared toward a career in education. LCS Superintendent Chris Dossenbach said the expansion of Head of Class serves as another way to honor excellence. The acting head of the Social Security Administration admitted that he doesnt know exactly what the DOGE kids have been doing with Americans sensitive data, according to a bombshell audio recording. An hour-long meeting last week led by the departments acting commissioner, Leland Dudek, was captured on an audio recording shared with ProPublica, where he repeatedly referred to young staffers at the Department of Government Efficiency as the DOGE kids, and confirmed they had broad access to Social Security numbers and personal data. Addressing what DOGE staffers had been doing with Social Security data, Dudek reportedly asked at one point in the meeting: Are we going to break something? I dont know. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But he added that he actually like[s] having the kids around despite them being unfamiliar with the nuances of the department. Theyre learning. Let people learn. Theyre going to make mistakes, Dudek reportedly said. Theyre thinking about work differently. One of his deputies in the meeting added it was a victory that there was not more misinformation because the DOGE staffers are being educated. In a bid to reassure employees, Dudek reportedly said that if Elon Musks techies did anything illegal with Americans Social Security numbers or data, he would investigate and have them potentially prosecuted. Elon Musks DOGE kids have access to Social Security numbers and personal data, the head of the agency reportedly confirmed (AP) The Independent has contacted the Social Security Administration and DOGE for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency is currently undergoing deep cuts in the drastic shake-up being driven by DOGE, Dudek reportedly confirmed in the meeting. When asked who is in charge, Dudek responded: Its DOGE not the DOGE kids, its the DOGE management, CNN reported. Dudek, who was promoted by the Trump administration to acting commissioner last month, alluded to tough choices [he] didnt agree with that the president wanted but did not specify what they were. I work for the president. I need to do what the president tells me to do, the recording of Dudek said, according to ProPublica. I dont want to fire anyone, he added. But a lot of the structural changes that youve seen me make at headquarters, Ive had long conversations with the White House about, and the DOGE teamAnd thats not to say I dont have some more hard choices to come. The president has an agenda. Im a political appointee. I need to follow that agenda. If DOGE staffers do anything illegal with Social Security data, acting head of the Social Security Administration Leland Dudek reportedly said hed have them investigated and potentially prosecuted (AP) Dudek also used the meeting to dispel false claims of fraud within the agency, peddled by Musk and the president, who have stated that millions of dead people are collecting Social Security. Dudek said that the claims were B.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the end of February, the agency announced plans to cut roughly 7,000 staff from its 57,000-strong workforce, sparking concerns that the loss of so many experienced employees could trigger technical faults and interrupt the benefits payments systems. Martin OMalley, Social Security commissioner under the Biden administration, warned that DOGE was driving the agency to collapse. It will lead to interruptions in service, and that will ultimately cascade into more frequent system interruptions for the processing of claims, ultimately leading to system collapse and eventually the interruption of benefits, OMalley told CNN. The concerns were addressed in the meeting. I dont want the system to collapse, Dudek reportedly said. It would be catastrophic for the people in our country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration has pushed back on accusations that people will lose their entitlement to benefits. The Trump Administration will not cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits, the White House said in a statement Tuesday. President Trump himself has said it (over and over and over again). The leaked audio comes after an ousted Social Security civil servant warned DOGES haphazard takeover of the agency risked data of millions of Americans leaking into the wrong hands. Tiffany Flick, a civil servant of 30 years, detailed the speed with which a DOGE associate was parachuted into the administration to access sensitive data. Flick, who was forced out last month, said she was seriously concerned that Social Security programs can continue to run without disruption and did not rule out that benefits could be delayed or not paid out at all as a result of DOGEs takeover. President Donald Trumps health officials want you to take your vitamins. Mehmet Oz, the nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, has fed calves on camera to tout the health wonders of bovine colostrum on behalf of one purveyor in which he has a financial stake. Janette Nesheiwat, the potential surgeon general, sells her own line of supplements. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of Health and Human Services, said he takes more vitamins than he can countand has suggested hell ease restrictions on vitamins, muscle-building peptides, and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their affection for supplements might lead to tangible consequences for Americans health regimens. Late in the 2024 campaign, Kennedy claimed the federal government was waging a war on public health by suppressing a vast array of alternative therapiesmany of them supplements, like nutraceuticals and peptides. In February, Trump announced the Presidents Make America Healthy Again Commission with Kennedy at the helm, calling for fresh thinking on nutrition, healthy lifestyles, and other pathways toward combating chronic disease. Spokespeople for Kennedy did not reply to multiple requests for comment. Supplements can be beneficial, particularly in aiding fetal development or warding off anemia, said Pieter Cohen, a general internist at the Cambridge Health Alliance, who researches supplements. I recommend supplements routinely, he said. Still, the majority of use is not necessary to improve or maintain health, and due to only light regulations, supplement makers may make claims about their benefits without sufficient evidence, Cohen said. No supplement needs to get tested or vetted by the FDA before its sold. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Consumer watchdogs, regulators, and researchers have reported cases of finding traces of lead and other toxins in supplements. And a 2015 analysis from a team of federal health researchers attributed about 23,000 emergency department visits annually to supplement use. (The Council for Responsible Nutrition, the industrys lobbying group, challenged the findings, arguing some visits were due to over-the-counter and homeopathic medicines that should not have been included.) Nevertheless, many Americans are ready to buy in. Internet forums populated by biohackers, weight lifters, and enthusiasts of alternative medicine, along with supplement producers, applauded Kennedys elevation to health secretary. Many express hopes that hell loosen what they perceive as unwarranted restrictions on these products. The Natural Products Association saluted Trumps health nominees as a victory for health freedom. For the first time in our industrys history, the top healthcare political appointees think it is important that Americans have the right to use nutritional supplements, wrote Kyle Turk, the associations vice president for government affairs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The worlds of supplement users and the Trump team overlap substantially when it comes to being skeptical of the traditional health system. Supplement use is part of a broadening sort of health populist movement, said Callum Hood, the head of research at the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a nonprofit that researches online disinformation, pointing to influencers who criticize conventional public health measures and offer alternatives like supplements, powders, or peptides. To many supplement enthusiasts, Kennedys views align with theirsparticularly his dislike for Big Pharma and Big Food, which he characterizes as corrupt, profiting from Americans ill health. Kennedy promotes supplements as a key part of good health. In a prerecorded interview aired this month, amid a growing measles outbreak that started in West Texas, he said doctors had had very, very good results by treating those patients with cod liver oil, which can be delivered in pill form, along with a steroid and an antibiotic. (Separately, he wrote in a Fox News op-ed that parents should discuss the vaccine with their doctors, adding, The decision to vaccinate is a personal one.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What were trying to do is really to restore faith in government and to make sure that we are there to help them with their needs and not particularly to dictate what they ought to be doing, Kennedy said in a Fox News interview. Kennedy spoke of federal officials delivering vitamin A to affected communitiesa treatment he pushed in past remarks as chairman of the anti-vaccine group Childrens Health Defense. What is the cure for measles? he told an audience in 2021 at an Amish country fair in Pennsylvania. Chicken soup and vitamin A. And neither of those things can be patented. The World Health Organization advises people who contract measles to take vitamin A, which can prevent blindness and deathbut it also strongly urges all children be vaccinated against the disease. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the image of natural wellness has long evoked organic supermarket-patronizing, liberal types, supplement use is bipartisanand now slightly more popular with Republicans. A December 2024 poll from Ipsos and Axios found that 63% of Republicans take supplements daily or most days, versus 58% of independents and 52% of Democrats. Supplement companies sometimes explicitly court right-wing customers. In the days before Trumps inauguration, the brand Nugenix posted an ad on the social platform X for its testosterone supplement with the presidents trademark red hat perched on the bottle, bearing the slogan Make Your T-Levels Great Again. (Adaptive Health, Nugenixs parent company, did not respond to requests for comment.) Some industry observers think the shift rightward happened during the pandemic. During the covid era, Democrats became the party of science and establishment, said John Roulac, a California-based supplements entrepreneur. In his telling, the party and especially its elected officials were more likely to trust the FDA and other big institutionsand to discount any potential contribution to health from supplements. Under RFK, you have people associated less with pharmaceutical drugs and more with healthier lifestyle choices, whether that's eating organic food or using herbs or taking vitamins, Roulac said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kennedy and others in Trumps orbit have found a particularly warm reception among some of the biggest supplement evangelists: influencers, who often promote personal responsibility, in the form of vitamins and other products, as the key to healthand have provided plenty of airtime in recent years for Trumps newly minted health officials. On popular podcast host Lex Fridmans show in 2023, Kennedy accepted praise for being in great shape and attributed it, in part, to his vitamin regimen. I take a lot of vitamins, he said. I cant even list them to you here because I couldnt even remember them at all. In November, Oz endorsed Kennedys nomination on his TikTok channeland then, in his next post, told viewers they need an alphabet soup of vitamins to protect their brains and power their organs. Oz, who at the time had not yet been named to lead CMS, pointed viewers to a trusted source of vitamins: iHerb. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal ethics rules generally bar public officials from using their office for financial gain. Last month, in a letter to the health agencys ethics official, Oz disclosed that he is an adviser to iHerb and holds a financial stake in the company. He wrote that, if he is confirmed, he plans to resign and divest from iHerb, as well as recuse himself from policy matters directly involving the company until I have divested. Oz is expected to appear this month for his Senate confirmation hearing. A spokesperson for Oz did not reply to multiple requests for comment. Nesheiwat, Trumps pick for surgeon general, has touted BC Boost, a combination of vitamins promising to toughen ones immune system and rev energy. The supplementwhich advertising claims was formulated by Nesheiwat herselfbears her name and portrait on the package. After years of educating my patients, now I made it a little easier to get all the nutrition you need to live strong and stay healthy, reads a marketing quote attributed to Nesheiwat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The surgeon general, considered the nations doctor, does not set policy but rather acts as a spokesperson for public health. During the Biden administration, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy outlined the ills from alcohol, loneliness, and social media. Nesheiwat, whose financial disclosures are not yet public, did not reply to an inquiry to her website, nor did an HHS spokesperson reply to a request for comment. Its unclear what moves the administration might take to boost supplements. Industry officials say they hope the government will make it easier for everyday consumers to use health savings accounts to buy vitamins and other products. The FDA could also decide to allow manufacturers to make more aggressive claims about their wares health benefits. Contrary to Kennedys claim of a war on public health, in recent years the supplements industry has seen its fortunes grow, and attempts to increase regulations have fallen short amid pressure from supplement makers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Nutrition Business Journal, revenues for the supplement industry surged during the pandemic, as customers became more invested in their health, said Journal analyst Erika Craft. Revenues have continued to increase since then, outpacing earlier industry expectations and boosting product sales to some $70 billion per year, she told KFF Health News. One FDA attempt to put more stringent regulationslike registrationon businesses, during the 1990s, was defeated soundly after the industry and its clients lobbied Congress. It was one of the largest campaigns to Congress imaginable, David Kessler, the FDA commissioner at the time, said in an oral history. Grace Sparks, a survey analyst at KFF, the health policy research, polling, and news organization that includes KFF Health News, provided research assistance for the Ipsos-Axios poll. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com CONNECTICUT (WTNH) On the five year anniversary of COVID being declared a pandemic, health care workers across Connecticut are reminiscing on that day that changed the world as we know it. Health care workers gathered at Minute Man Park in Hartford remembering those lost from the pandemic and reliving the spread of COVID. Watch the full video in the player above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. LA CROSSE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) The La Crosse County Health Department is offering lead tests at no cost for families. As of January 1, 2024, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services updated testing recommendations so that all children should be tested at age 1, and again at age 2, and all children between the age of 3 to 5 years old should be tested if they have not been already. After seeing 14 cases of childhood lead poisoning last year, La Crosse County Public Health Nurses are encouraging families to take advantage of free lead testing services. Health officials say poisoning can come from older homes that have lead-based paint. The health department wants more families to have their children tested after over 1,500 children aged one or two in the county did not get tested last year. Public Health Nurse, Shana Steedle explains, The effects of elevated lead levels in little ones can be permanent. It can cause developmental delays. Physical, cognitive, or behavioral delays can happen when a child has elevated lead levels. Unfortunately, the only way to know is by testing them. For more information on lead tests and how to get them, you can contact the La Crosse County Health Department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX2548 & WIProud. AUSTIN (KXAN) The scene was cleared at McCallum High School Wednesday after a report of a bomb threat at the campus. A spokesperson for the Austin Independent School District told KXAN the campus, located at 5600 Sunshine Drive, was placed on a hold after a bomb threat was called in around 2:30 p.m. A hold is when hallways are cleared and students stay in their classes. Instruction also continues as normal. KXAN arrived to the scene shortly after the threat was made to find a heavy police presence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Austin ISD police, the Austin Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and EMS were all blocking off streets and surrounding the school. We got a text message recently that said please stay inside, said Jeff Koepp who lives across the street from the school Please stay off Grover Avenue. There is a lockdown. Didnt say anything else. After the all clear was given the students were aloud to leave campus around 4:30 p.m. When I hear stuff like this it kind of startles me, but I have heard about it, said a student leaving the school. It is kind of concerning. Police responding to McCallum High School (KXAN Photo/Jordan Belt) Police responding to McCallum High School (KXAN Photo/Jordan Belt) Police responding to McCallum High School (KXAN Photo/Jordan Belt) Austin-Travis County EMS responds to McCallum High School (Courtesy Colin Beatt) Austin-Travis County EMS responds to McCallum High School (Courtesy Colin Beatt) Some people living nearby received a reverse 911 call. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A reverse 911 call is when residents within the area are notified by emergency services, which is not a typical 911 call when residents contact emergency services. Police sources told KXAN this was not an active shooter situation. The district said it will have an increased presence of law enforcement at school on Thursday. AISD will also have counselors available for anyone who needs to talk to someone. McCallum High School sent this message to parents following the hold: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Nashvilles skyline may be booming, but for many young people, the view is far less hopeful. Behind the bright lights and rapid development, many struggle to find stability, facing challenges that often go unnoticed by the rest of the city. Without support systems in place, circumstances like family rejection, the loss of foster care assistance, or financial hardship can leave them with no place to turn. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a result, many end up without secure housing, facing overwhelming odds from exposure to violence to severe mental health struggles. Legal rulings and legislation are limiting options for homeless youth According to Nashvilles Office of Homeless Services, 10,874 individuals experienced homelessness in Nashville over the past 12 months, nearly 1,000 of whom were between the ages of 18 and 24. LGBTQ+ youth and those exiting foster care are particularly vulnerable, often lacking affirming housing or family support. Without secure shelter, these young people face heightened risks of violence, mental health challenges, and long-term instability. Addressing youth homelessness is a community-wide challenge, made more urgent by recent policy changes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2024, the Supreme Courts ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson upheld the right of cities to penalize individuals for sleeping in public spaces, further endangering those without stable housing. In Tennessee, the Equal Access to Public Property Act of 2012 already made sleeping or camping on state-owned property a class E felony punishable by up to six years in prison and a $3,000 fine. In 2022, legislators extended this law to all public property. By criminalizing survival on the streets, these measures force the unhoused especially vulnerable youth into hidden or unsafe situations, increasing their risk of violence, exploitation, and chronic homelessness. LAUNCH PAD is an example of an organization that helps at-risk youth While city resources and traditional adult shelters are not always equipped to meet the unique needs of youth, local initiatives are stepping in to help. Launch Pad, a "street-free sleep" initiative that strives to provide open and affirming safer sleeping shelters for homeless youth in Davidson County was named the recipient of a $100,000 A Community Thrives grant from the Gannett Foundation. The board of directors gathered to discuss the future in this January 2019 photo. One such effort is LAUNCH PAD, a volunteer-driven organization, providing emergency shelter and transitional housing for young adults. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Established in 2014, LAUNCH PAD has worked on creating a safe, inclusive environment filling critical gaps in support services for youth at risk of being overlooked. Executive Director H.G. Stovall and his team at LAUNCH PAD offer three core programs tailored to different levels of need. Its Emergency Shelter runs from November through March, providing meals, overnight accommodations, and hygiene facilities. The Mobile Housing Navigation Center supported by Metro funding offers short-term stays coupled with help connecting to long-term housing options and case management. Finally, the Independent-Supported Living Program ensures a more stable environment where young adults can focus on employment, education, and eventually securing permanent housing. Yet even with these resources, the demand for youth-specific housing and support continues to outpace supply. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lasting solution must go beyond a bed for the night and address broader needs like education, employment, and mental health care. Without a comprehensive approach to solving youth homelessness, cities like Nashville will likely be unable to get a handle on chronic homelessness long term. Heres how you can help alleviate youth homelessness Volunteer: Whether youre assisting at shelters or mentoring youth as they transition into stability, every hour of your time makes a difference. Donate: Financial contributions and essential suppliessuch as clothing, toiletries, and nonperishable foodhelp sustain organizations that serve unhoused youth. Advocate: Reach out to local officials and attend public meetings to push for policy changes and increased funding for youth-focused services. Support initiatives that expand affordable housing and mental health resources in your community. Youth homelessness is about more than just finding a bed for the night; its about ensuring all young people have a pathway to stability and success. By investing in youth, Nashville invests in its future and that begins with making sure no young person is left without a safe place to call home. Authors: Austin Hilvert, MD/MBA Student, Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Zachary Scharlau, MBA Student, Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management. Melissa Ortiz-Feliciano, MBA Student, Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management. Ananya Sarkar, MBA Student, Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Homelessness in Nashville affects young people harshly | Opinion Demonstrators rallying against proposed anti-immigration legislation packed in front of Jacksonville City Hall Monday night, with protests led by Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Among local faith leaders, activists, and protestors, there was one group noticeably absent. Maria Garcia, organizer for Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance, or JIRA, said undocumented immigrants at the center of these proposed bills are living in fear. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These people live in our communities day in and day out. And above all, theyre human beings, just like me and you, said JIRA organizer, Maria Garcia. Theyre helping our community, and theyre making our community great, and they dont deserve to be scared to move around in their own community in order to gain political points, said Garcia. Council member Rory Diamonds legislation wants to block taxpayer money from being used on anyone until theyre confirmed to be here legally. He said in a statement to Action News Jax: My bill requires we only use Jacksonville taxpayer money on people in Jacksonville. The vast majority of people in Jacksonville support this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dragon Belloit, who demonstrated at Tuesdays rally, thinks differently. The fact is that we as people have greater needs than putting in an ordinance that says if you help people like this, you cant have our money, said Belloit. Council member Kevin Carricos bill says those who are in the country illegally and enter Duval County would face a minimum of 30 days in jail. He responded to activists concerns over mass deportations. This is just fear mongering from the left. There are no instances where police officers will be going into communities and schools and looking for people who are illegal. This is really to help when illegal immigrants commit crimes, Carrico told Action News Jax on the phone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Demonstrators also spoke at Tuesday nights meeting, to share their concerns with the bills, in front of city council. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Hennepin County Medical Center in downtown Minneapolis. Courtesy photo. A majority of the more than 200 resident physicians at Hennepin Healthcare announced their intent to unionize on Wednesday, joining a wave of organizing campaigns by doctors and advanced health care providers across the country. Hennepin Healthcare resident physicians say they earn low wages while being pushed to the breaking point during long days treating some of the states sickest and poorest residents at the major Level I trauma center in downtown Minneapolis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its really important that residents have good working conditions and feel that they are heard, said Allyssa Jonsson, a third-year resident in family medicine at Hennepin Healthcare. I think that will result in better patient care because well have more of ourselves to give to our patients. In a statement, the health system said it recognizes residents legal right to consider union representation. Our institution deeply values our residents and their contributions to patient care, medical education, and research. We are committed to providing a supportive learning environment, fair compensation, and the necessary resources to help our trainees thrive in their careers, the statement said. Resident physicians work under the supervision of attending physicians for several years after medical school, often putting in grueling 80-hour weeks. With a starting salary of around $67,000, residents complain they earn around the Minneapolis minimum wage of $15.97 an hour. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jonsson said residents have little power over their pay or working conditions because of the national process through which newly minted doctors match with residency programs. Once you match to a program, you do not have the option of negotiating anything after that point, Jonsson said. Most people stay at the same program for their entire residency because its very challenging if not impossible to change. Jonsson said she hopes the union will be able to win higher wages and correct for disparities, like how much parental leave residents are able to take. She said men may only be allowed two weeks of paid leave while women are allowed six, although it depends on which unit theyre working in. Attending physicians are not unionized at Hennepin Healthcare, and its still rare for doctors traditionally the most privileged and valued of hospital staff to pursue collective bargaining to improve their wages and conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the consolidation of health care is making doctors increasingly feel more like workers on assembly lines than masters of their own practices. In 2023, more than 550 primary and urgent care clinicians including doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners across dozens of Allina Health facilities voted to form what was then the nations largest private-sector union of advanced health care providers. Just a few months later, the union of more than 130 Allina Health doctors at Mercy and Unity hospitals was certified over the health systems objections. SEIUs Committee of Interns and Residents, which represents more than 37,000 doctors nationwide, says its one of the fastest growing health care unions in the country, having doubled in size since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The union won six elections with 250 or more workers across the country in January 2025 alone. If successful at Hennepin Healthcare, the doctors would be the first resident physicians to unionize in Minnesota. The petition will be reviewed by the Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services, which oversees public sector unions. If the agency verifies that a majority of the bargaining unit has signed in support of unionizing, then the union will be certified without holding another election. Happy Wednesday. Get outside, do something fun. The yard can wait. GREENSBORO - Anger is perhaps too strong of a word to describe what Anne Jones felt after exercising her rights of free speech and assembly guaranteed - for now - under the Constitution. But vexed, annoyed or disturbed? Those fit. Jones, a Winston-Salem resident, joined a group of dissatisfied voters at a peaceful protest Thursday at the office of Sen. Thom Tillis. Nothing unusual in that; plenty of Americans choose that path to petition their government for redress of grievance. The recent blitzkrieg of legally dubious actions undertaken by Elon Musk at the behest of President Trump and with the tacit blessing of Congress - threatening Social Security and Medicaid, firing federal employees at agencies such as the Veterans Administration, shaking down Canada and abandoning Ukraine, say - will do that. Town halls, constituent meetings, ribbon cuttings and lawmakers district offices are all fair game. Hell, more than 50 demonstrators lined U.S. 158 across from Sen. Ted Budds office in uber Republican Davie County Friday to voice dissent. All of which is fine. And perfectly proper. Whats not - and this is what annoyed Jones - is misrepresenting the nature of such dissent. Following a protest outside Tillis office in Greensboro, the senator issued a critical statement larded with buzzwords aimed at shoring up his right-wing bonafides. Today a number of left wing activists were shamefully disruptive and disorderly in a center that hosts our office, a mental health crisis center, and numerous other medical offices, the statement read. It is not a surprise that they exhibited the same kind of behavior the nation witnessed from a handful of Democratic members of this Congress during President Trump's speech this week, where shouting down others took precedence over civility and respect of opposing viewpoints. (Even if they did - videos shot by various local news outlets throw shade at that notion - none of them smashed windows, assaulted police, chanted in favor of lynching an elected official or defecated in a sacred place, say.) I was there, Jones wrote in an email immediately afterward. Tillis was NOT. Jones and two friends went to the senators office about 11 a.m. to hand-deliver a letter signed by some 250 Winston-Salem residents outlining their concerns about whats happening in Washington. Cordial staff members, Jones said, greeted them, accepted the letter and said theyd make sure Tillis got it. No outrage, no bad language. Just concerned constituents sharing our feelings with our senator. Afterward, they joined a larger gathering outside the office. Some were younger, some older with white hair like me, Jones said. Some were veterans worried about cuts to the VA, others worried that Social Security is in the crosshairs. Everyone is concerned that our senator is in lockstep with Trump, Jones wrote. That he may not be listening to us. We are protesting because we need to capture his attention. Clearly they did because Tillis - or someone in his employ - felt compelled to issue a statement ripping the protestors, and ironically pandering to a base thats largely OK with pardons for actual rioters and insurrectionists. Which seems odd. Until you consider the political pickle Tillis finds himself in. Hes a decent, moral man, a former speaker of the state House of Representatives who made sure living victims of the states heinous eugenic-sterilization program were compensated when none of the more than 30 other states that similarly butchered poor, disabled and vulnerable women would do so. But hes also a politician prone to political calculations. Hes facing re-election in 2026 and in all likelihood will have to run against Roy Cooper, a popular two-term Democratic governor. In order to keep his cushy job in the Senate, Tillis is going to need conservative support. Remember, the state GOP censured him in 2023 for helping broker sensible gun legislation about background checks and protecting interracial and same-sex marriages. And one way to do that these days is demonize and belittle opposition as rowdy left-wing activists unable to maintain civility. The only surprise from his statement is that the word woke couldnt be worked into it. Mr. Tillis completely misrepresented what actually happened there (Thursday), Jones wrote. We went out of our way not to be disruptive, not to interfere with traffic or do anything that could be misconstrued as illegal or disrespectful. He is trying to suppress our First Amendment right to speak out and share our concerns. Long way to go to reach record highs If you missed out on enjoying a 75-degree afternoon Tuesday, fear not. Plenty of other opportunities to rejoice in early springlike temperatures exist over the next several days. Todays high, per various forecasters, prognosticators and wooly worms, could top out in the upper 70s and reach similarly pleasant levels through Saturday. Running, dog walking, yard work, laying in a hammock, whatever your outdoor pleasure, have at it. It may not last and the warm temperatures are nowhere near record levels. The previous high for March 12 - thats today - measured at Piedmont Triad International Airport was 86 degrees in 1990. It reached 85 on March 13, 1990, 82 degrees on March 14, 2012 and 87 on March 15, 1967. Yeah, those stats that appeal mostly to nerds and stat-geeks. I enjoy knowing them and Im pretty sure Im not alone in that. Feel free to work any or all of them into your small talk, water-cooler chats and awkward silence fillers at any point over the next four days. Youre welcome. Hialeah became Tuesday night the second city in Miami-Dade County to enter a partnership with the Trump administration to deputize local police officers to perform duties typically handled by federal immigration agents. The city council unanimously gave Mayor Esteban Steve Bovo the green light to authorize a partnership agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with six members voting in favor and one absent. With the approval of Tuesdays resolution, the mostly Hispanic city, where a majority of residents were born outside the U.S., is now among the first jurisdictions in South Florida to localize the crackdown by President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis on illegal immigration. Its also a development in the citys evolving response to newly arrived immigrants that officials say have strained city resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bovo told the council the decision is a fine line in a city like this one that has been built by legal immigrants, a very fine line as opposed to illegal immigrants.... The person that comes into the country illegally, illegally has already violated our laws, the laws of this country. Under the federal 287(g) agreement, which allows state and local police to assist ICE in immigration enforcement, Hialeah police officers will gain the authority to stop, interrogate and arrest individuals suspected of violating immigration laws. The decision comes days after the Coral Gables Police Department signed a similar agreement. The agreement does not weaponize our Hialeah Police officers against our city of Hialeah residents, said Police Chief George Fuente. It remains to be seen how the policy will play out in predominantly immigrant Hialeah, where five of the council members who approved the agreement are the children of immigrants, and the sixth was born in Cuba. Several residents denounced the agreement amid worries that recent arrivals to the United States, many of whom have made a home in Hialeah, will be targets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement READ MORE: Hialeah, a city of immigrants, is set to have its cops take on immigration enforcement Fuente told the council that he wants all victims and witnesses to report crimes and said the officers selected for the program will be trained to understand their protocols and what can or cant be done when it comes to certain operations that they perform. According to Fuentes interpretation, the agreement does not mean Hialeah officers are going to do immigration raids, or stop people and ask for their documents. However, the agreement signed between the department and ICE explicitly grants city officers the authority to interrogate anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally. It also allows them to arrest individuals without a warrant, detain those attempting to enter or already in the U.S. unlawfully, execute immigration arrest warrants and prepare documents that initiate deportation proceedings for ICE. Officers are also authorized to take and maintain custody of those arrested on behalf of ICE. This isnt the first time Bovo and other Hialeah officials have taken a hard line on immigration and backed Trumps policies. When Trump visited the city for a campaign event in 2023 and announced he would conduct mass deportations, Bovo announced at the rally that the city would be renaming its main street in honor of Trump. Days later, the council unanimously renamed Palm Avenue Donald J Trump Avenue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2024, the mayor claimed that 80,000 Cubans had arrived in the city and strained local resources. He compared the influx to the 1980 Mariel boatlift, which brought 125,000 Cuban refugees to Florida. In response, the city council voted to formally criticize the Biden administrations open border policies and urged the federal government to implement stricter immigration measures to address the surge in migrants to northwest Miami-Dade. Do not terrorize your community On Tuesday, Hialeah residents shared their concerns with the council before its members voted on the agreement with the feds They said that in a city where residents predominantly have roots in Cuba, leaders have fast-tracked a deal that could jeopardize the future of immigrants who call the city home. Since coming into power, the Trump administration has moved to terminate the legal status of hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Venezuelans, Nicaraguans and Haitians. I urge you, my city council, to not terrorize your own community with this wasteful, harmful, and unnecessary agreement, said Tony Marcial Olivera, 21. He pointed to Justice Department investigations and academic research that shows that 287(g) agreements have led to extreme racial profiling and discrimination towards Hispanics. Tony Marcial Olivera, a 21-year-old Hialeah resident, urged the City Council not terrorize your own community with this wasteful, harmful, and unnecessary agreement between Hialeah Police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Residents argued that the partnership with ICE would be costly for Hialeah and make the city less safe because people will not come forward to report crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What happens when a victim of domestic violence is scared to report? said Jacqueline Gilbert. What about when a victim of a crime is scared to report because they are scared to be detained? One of the residents told council members the decision on an immigration agreement should be put on the ballot, and leave to residents to decide if city resources should be used to deport their neighbors, family and friends. Local law enforcement agencies can enroll in one of three 287(g) models. Hialeah and Coral Gables opted into the Task Force model, which allows police officers to conduct immigration enforcement functions during routine work. ICE describes the model as a force multiplier. Floridas sanctuary city law requires local law enforcement agencies to fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Bovo told reporters that Hialeah must cooperate with the states decree and that he doesnt see any difference between how Hialeah police operate now with the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The police have always cooperated, but I think its also important to point out to people that our police will not be arresting people or asking for documents. Bovo said. Thats not our role, and I dont see that as their role. Bovo, once again pointed fingers at the Biden administration as the reason for the influx of undocumented immigrants in Hialeah. How many additional people do we have who dont have papers, who dont have that status? he said. We understand why they come sometimes, but the reality is that theyre here illegally. U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, a Centennial Democrat, spoke about Department of Homeland Security operations at Buckley Space Force Base on Feb. 3, 2025. (Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline) Two Colorado Democrats in Congress are backing a bipartisan bill that would preserve Air National Guard units, including one in Colorado, by planning replacements or improvements for aging aircraft. The Fighter Force Preservation and Recapitalization Act, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, a Centennial Democrat, and Democratic U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, instructs the Air Force to develop recapitalization plans for air squadrons scheduled for divestment, including the 140th Wing based at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora. The base sits in Colorado 6th Congressional District, which Crow represents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX According to a news release from Hickenloopers office, the Air Force currently intends to retire Air National Guard legacy equipment without a plan to restore or replace them. A strategy for the future of our Air National Guard fighter fleet strengthens our national security, Hickenlooper said in a statement. Our bipartisan bill directs the Air Force to update all National Guard fighter squadrons, including the Buckley-based 140th Wing, in order to preserve their flying missions and retain their experienced pilots. The bill was originally introduced in 2023, and some of its language passed in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every day the men and women of the Colorado Air National Guard go to work to help protect Americas national security, Crow said in a statement. Colorados servicemembers are some of the most experienced pilots in our country, and we cannot afford to lose these units. I will continue fighting to protect the 140th Wing and keep their mission operational. Colorados servicemembers are some of the most experienced pilots in our country, and we cannot afford to lose these units. U.S. Rep. Jason Crow Co-sponors include U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, an Idaho Republican; U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican; U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, a Michigan Republican; U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth, a Maryland Democrat; U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, a Maryland Republican; U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat; U.S. Rep. John James, a Michigan Republican; U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, a South Dakota Republican; and U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, an Ohio Democrat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a news release from Crows office, the Air National Guard leads 94% of domestic air defense missions and accounts for 30% of the Air Forces total fighting force. Major General Laura Clellan, who leads the Colorado National Guard as adjutant general, said Air National Guard wings cost a third of what active-duty fighter wings cost, while maintaining the ability to activate urgently as needed. She said these wings are an efficient use of taxpayer dollars. By acting as a retention net for talent exiting active duty and serving as a cost-effective model to both develop and retain fighter pilots, the Air National Guard presents the nation with an unrivaled value proposition, Clellan said in a statement. Throw in the secondary uses of Air Guardsman domestically such as wildfire mitigation, homeland airspace defense, and manpower for civil support all for a fraction of the cost of an active-duty Wing; the Air Guards value proposition truly is unparalleled. Its simple, we provide more for less, without sacrificing capability, she added. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE For the record: 8:56 a.m. March 26, 2025: An earlier version of this column incorrectly stated that Yale researcher Akiko Iwasaki responded to a tweet by Paul Thacker by stating that a study she co-wrote did not show that millions of long-COVID patients may actually be vaccine injured. The tweet she responded to was posted by another account holder who cited Thackers Substack post making a similar assertion about COVID vaccination. Under normal circumstances, the study of health problems after COVID vaccinations posted online on Feb. 25 might not have generated much controversy. Its principal authors were well-respected scientists at Yale. The study was explicitly preliminary: Its sample size was only 42 people whose claims to have suffered long-term medical problems after vaccination were assumed to be accurate representations of their medical condition, defined by the researchers as "post vaccine syndrome," or PVS. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This study is early-stage and requires replication and validation," the authors wrote. The study was conducted from late 2022 through late 2023. Suppressing studies because of concerns about how they might be misused sets a dangerous precedent. Harlan Krunmholz, Yale School of Medicine Among the limitations acknowledged by the authors are that they couldn't be sure that the subjects' ailments might have stemmed from infections with COVID itself, rather than vaccination. Nor could they be sure that conditions other than COVID vaccination might have accounted for the subjects' illnesses. Despite those limitations, and the fact that the study was a preprint published online without first having been vetted via peer review the paper has been seized upon by anti-vaccination activists and the far right as confirmation that the COVID vaccines are dangerous, despite government assurances that they're safe and effective. It has been cited by Alex Jones and Joe Rogan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Misinterpretation of the study's findings has become so widespread that some scientists have questioned whether it should have been posted at all, much less promoted via a Yale publicity release not merely because it fed into the politicization of scientific research but because its findings were too premature to warrant publication. "The consequences of putting out out a press release on a preprint especially this poor quality study is wildly irresponsible & does serious harm to scientists & the public alike," virologist Angela Rasmussen of the University of Saskatchewan posted on Bluesky. The study's principal researcher, Yale's Akiko Iwasaki, has taken to social media to debunk the flurry of misrepresentations online. After the right-wing vaccine critic Paul Thacker posted a tweet stating that the authors had posited that "millions of long COVID patients may actually be vaccine injured," Iwasaki tweeted a crisp reply: "No. This is not what our study shows." Read more: Hiltzik: Trump's assault on science will make Americans dumber and sicker Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There's no question that vaccine science has become poisoned with disinformation and right-wing ideology. The anti-science threat only intensified when Donald Trump appointed anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services. In a recent interview on Fox News, Kennedy responded to a burgeoning measles outbreak in West Texas which already has brought about the first measles death of a child in the U.S. in 10 years by promoting ineffective nostrums such as cod liver oil and steroids. He questioned the safety of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine, which has been in use for more than a half-century and is known to confer lifetime immunity to measles after two doses for the vast majority of people. The National Institutes of Health, which falls under the jurisdiction of HHS, has terminated grants for research into vaccine hesitancy, according to the Washington Post, even though the Texas measles outbreak has been attributed to low measles vaccination rates in the religious community where the outbreak began. And at a Senate confirmation hearing March 5, Jay Battacharya, a Stanford professor who is Trump's nominee to head the NIH, said he endorsed further research on the purported link between the MMR vaccine and autism, even though the link was first posited by a British study that has long been retracted and no evidence of any such link has been found despite decades of intensive study. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The anti-vaccine movement's targeting of COVID vaccination has long been underway, even thought the vaccines were estimated by the Commonwealth Fund to have averted 18 million hospitalizations and 3 million deaths in the U.S. in just their first two years of availability, during which 655 million doses were administered. The politicization of anti-COVID policies has led to laws prohibiting mass vaccinations and vaccine promotion in Louisiana and Texas, and a proposal mounted by Gov. Ron DeSantis in Florida. In eight states Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas, Iowa, Montana, Idaho and Washington legislative efforts are underway to ban the mRNA COVID vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer, the leading vaccines in the U.S. Read more: Hiltzik: Can Stanford tell the difference between scientific fact and fiction? Its pandemic conference raises doubts The Yale study's authors defend their decision to post the preprint online even as a preliminary study of post-vaccine medical conditions. "We were aware from the outset that this is a highly politicized research topic," co-author Harlan Krumholz, a professor of medicine at Yale, told me by email. "The reality is that vaccine safety like all areas of medicine benefits from rigorous, open research, and suppressing inquiry would be counterproductive." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Krumholz added, "We were fully aware that our research could be misrepresented. That is precisely why we preprinted it so that the full study could be read and scrutinized in context, rather than discussed based on speculation.... Suppressing studies because of concerns about how they might be misused sets a dangerous precedent." That brings us back to the study itself, which aimed to explore what the authors termed "post-vaccination syndrome." Their goal was to pinpoint what biological conditions might predispose some people to the problem. It's true that some people have experienced adverse reactions to the COVID vaccines as also happens with other shots. "Vaccines are medicines, and all medicines have side effects even when the net benefit is large," observes Adam Gaffney, a Harvard medical school assistant professor who has been critical of the study. Two people listed as co-authors on the Yale paper say they have experienced long-term aftereffects from COVID vaccinations. (Neither was among the subjects of the Yale study.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Within an hour of receiving a COVID vaccine as a subject of an early clinical trial of a vaccine developed by AstraZeneca in 2020, Brianne Dressen says she began to experience symptoms such as brain fog, neuropathy (the feeling of pain or a pins-and-needles sensation in the limbs) and food sensitivities. "I feel like I'm rolling around in cactus all the time," she told me. The AstraZeneca vaccine has been taken off the market due to competition from vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which are more effective. Read more: Hiltzik: Opposing vaccine mandates, Trump exposes kids to disease Another listed co-author, retired Southern California gastroenterologist Danice Hertz, told me she began feeling similar reactions after receiving the Pfizer vaccine after it was rolled out to the public in 2021. "I walked into the facility healthy and feeling fine, and within 24 hours I became severely ill. I had severe burning in my face, tremors, twitching; I felt like I was being electrocuted." Both say these symptoms have improved, but some haven't fully disappeared. Both say they had trouble persuading their doctors to examine the connection between their symptoms and the shots. "It was very hard to get medical care," Hertz says. "Nobody knew anything about these reactions. You really couldn't get medical care." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The difficulty of finding medical treatment prompted Dressen to co-found REACT19, a tax-exempt organization that provides grants to patients and providers; Hertz is listed on its website as a research advisor. Although critics have labeled REACT19 as an anti-vaccine organization, both say that's untrue it aims to support research into PVS. Dressen and Hertz both say they are fully vaccinated against other diseases. "We are an organization of 36,000 people, 100% vaccinated," Dressen says. "In reality this is nothing more than a medical condition, and there should absolutely be nothing political about it. It's been extremely abhorrent and hurtful for people suffering from chronic conditions to have their illnesses politicized." Read more: Hiltzik: Trump and RFK Jr. want to make the world safe again for polio and measles. You should be terrified Still, that leaves open the question of what the Yale study tells us. Its critics say the answer is not much. The term "post vaccination syndrome" itself is a problem, in Gaffney's view, because it takes as a given the connection between vaccination and the symptoms. That connection needs to be proved, not assumed, he argues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "By assuming the cause-and-effect relationship," he says, "you seem to give grounding to a new medical diagnosis that may not actually be a proven cause-and-effect." That's especially so because the described symptoms chronic fatigue, brain fog, insomnia, and dizziness among them are not uncommon and often arise from other causes. Indeed, they have often been attributed to long COVID the lasting symptoms of infection by the COVID virus itself. Not all the PVS group suffered the same symptoms, raising questions about whether PVS can be accurately defined. As it happens, the Yale researchers found that 26 of their PVS cohort, or about 62%, had antibodies in their system indicating that they had previously had COVID, but only 15 told the researchers that they had been infected at least once. In the control group of 22 people without symptoms, 46% had the post-infection antibodies. Other critics have argued that the sample size is simply too small to extrapolate any of the Yale findings to the population at large. Moreover, the researchers divided their samples into subgroups based on whether they had been previously infected (27 of the PVS cohort group and 11 of the control group) or uninfected (15 of the PVS sample and 11 of the control group). That arguably makes it even harder to apply the findings to the general population. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The study's authors don't disagree that much more extensive research is needed. This work is still in its early stages, and we need to validate these findings, Iwasaki told Yale's publicity department. But this is giving us some hope that there may be something that we can use for diagnosis and treatment of PVS down the road.... This is far from a final answer on PVS. That cautionary note may be lost on the anti-vaccine brigade that has taken the study as virtually the last word on the supposed peril of COVID vaccines. In the current partisan environment, the threat to public health from a concerted movement to undermine the public's trust in science and vaccines is real. The authors of the Yale study sincerely see themselves as heralds of empirical science, whatever the political ramifications. "If we only published research that aligns with prevailing narratives or avoids controversy, we would be failing in our responsibility as scientists," Krumholz told me. "Our obligation is to pursue the truth, even when it is inconvenient." But what if the truth becomes not merely inconvenient, but weaponized by unscrupulous actors in a war against the public interest? Unfortunately, we may now have reached that point. Get the latest from Michael Hiltzik Commentary on economics and more from a Pulitzer Prize winner. Sign me up. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) NATOs visit in May will be a historic moment for Dayton, and a project is looking to preserve the past and present moment. According to U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, oral history accounts will be gathered during the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session, which runs May 23-26 The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training is collecting the accounts as part of a project on the Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the Bosnian War 30 years ago. The project will be preserved in the Library of Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Five Rivers MetroParks announce NATO-related closures ADST representatives will be at the Roger Glass Performing Arts Center at UD to interview dignitaries about their part in the historic peace accords. Collecting oral histories to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords is essential to preserving the lessons of diplomacy and conflict resolution, said Turner. This project highlights the pivotal role the accords played in bringing peace to the Balkans. As Dayton prepares to host the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session in May, our city once again has the unique opportunity to shape the future of transatlantic security. Over $4 million has been allocated for NATO Assembly Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ADST President Susan R. Johnson said this collection will capture a critical part of American diplomatic history. Oral histories capture the backstory of American diplomatic history that official accounts miss, said Johnson. ADSTs oral histories serve as invaluable primary sources for journalists, documentarians, academics, and current and aspiring diplomatic practitioners; they humanize the work of diplomacy and make it come alive for the American people. ADST is honored to collaborate with Congressman Turner on capturing the important work that went into the Dayton negotiations and the subsequent efforts to implement the DPA. NATO officials eager to return to Dayton for summit in May Eric Nelson, former U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, called the project a wonderful opportunity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ADSTs oral history projects are a wonderful opportunity for everyone to enter into the room where it happened, said Nelson. A project around the Dayton Peace Accords is a wonderful opportunity to learn from the history of a uniquely successful combination of US diplomatic and military power to end a war and stop a genocide. The DPA gave Bosnia and Herzegovina an opportunity to rebuild a country where all citizens could be secure and prosper. The partnership with Congressman Turner and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly helps focus on the responsibility of BiHs Parliament to build a better future on the foundations of DPA. Trumps pick as NATO ambassador says US commitment to the alliance is ironclad Manager of the Dayton Peace Accords Oral History Project Fran Leskovar said knowledge of history is a tool. As Winston Churchill famously said, Study history. In history lie all the secrets of statecraft, said Leskovar. By understanding the Dayton Peace Accords and their implementation in much more detail, future generations of American leaders will be more than equipped to efficiently and effectively promote our national security interests abroad and manage the conflicts of the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. President Donald Trump's "trust" in Russia's Vladimir Putin now faces a major test as the world waits for Moscow to respond to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the U.S. and accepted by Ukraine. Trump said after Tuesdays breakthrough in Saudi Arabia that he would speak with Putin soon, though declined to comment on Wednesday when asked if anything had been scheduled. "I've gotten some positive messages, but a positive message means nothing," he said from the Oval Office, where he was peppered with question on what comes next. "This is a very serious situation." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Kremlin has cautiously said it is reviewing the proposal and it will not be pushed into anything. MORE: Ceasefire 'in Moscow's hands,' Ukraine says after US meeting in Saudi Arabia PHOTO: President Donald Trump sits with Vice President JD Vance and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles during a meeting with Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheal Martin in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Mar. 12, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) The Trump administration placed significant pressure on Ukraine in recent weeks in stopping military aid and pausing some intelligence sharing -- both resumed only after Ukraine agreed to the ceasefire on Tuesday. U.S. officials, including Trump himself, have also set limited expectations amid broader negotiations on Ukraine's borders and expressly ruled out NATO membership for the Eastern European ally. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, they've not publicly demanded any concessions from Putin -- and it's not clear how far Trump is willing to go in pressuring Russia to accept the 30-day ceasefire. "We can, but I hope it's not going to be necessary," Trump said on Wednesday when asked about that very issue. "There are things you could do that wouldn't be pleasant in a financial sense," he added without divulging any specifics. "I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don't want to do that because I want to get peace." Trump last Friday threatened sanctions on Russia until it reached an agreement with Ukraine. The Biden administration imposed hundreds of sanctions on Moscow over the course of the conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier on Wednesday noted that Russia is already "pretty sanctioned up" as he was asked what pressure the administration would be ready to apply. "As far as I am aware, the United States has not provided armaments to Russia," Rubio said as he largely sidestepped the inquiry. "The United States is not providing assistance to Russia. Every single sanction that has been imposed on Russia remains in place ... So my point being is that there's been no steps taken to relieve any of these things, these things continue to be in place." "We don't think it's constructive for me to stand here today and begin to issue threats about what we're going to do if Russia says no, let's hope they say yes," Rubio said. PHOTO: Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the media during a refueling stop at Shannon Airport in Shannon, Ireland, Mar. 12, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP) Trump has also often praised his relationship with Putin, saying he knows him "very well" and declining to call him a dictator despite using the term to describe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think he wants peace. I think he would tell me if he didn't," Trump said of the Russian leader in mid-February. "I trust him on this subject. I think he'd like to see something happen." MORE: Trump claims Putin will be more 'generous' in peace talks than 'difficult' Ukraine Just last week, in an interview with Fox News, Trump claimed Putin was "more generous" and easier to work with than Ukraine. Now, the administration is saying the ball is in Russia's court after Ukraine agreed to an immediate, monthlong stoppage in hostilities should Moscow do the same. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We'll see what their response is," Rubio said. "If their response is yes, then we know we've made real progress and there's a real chance of peace. If their response is no, it will be highly unfortunate and then it'll make their intentions clear." ABC News' Patrick Reevell and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report. After hitting Ukraine hard on peace talks, how far will Trump go to pressure Putin? originally appeared on abcnews.go.com HOBOKEN, N.J. (PIX11) New Jersey State Senator Raj Mukherji took note of the difficulties the nation is currently facing. With costs skyrocketing under current economic conditions, people in need in Hoboken, New Jersey, received a nice financial boost. They received almost three million dollars in grants that will expand the reach of the citys food pantry and provide additional units of affordable housing. At a time there is a war on empathy and compassion going on in Washington, empathy and compassion is alive and well in Hoboken, New Jersey, said Mukherji. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More Local News Community leaders turned out to thank the state and Hudson County for demonstrating their compassion for people in need. A 1.8 million dollar grant from the county will go toward building a 5,000 square foot Client Choice food kitchen, to replace the aging pantry that has been in place at Hobokens Community Center. The new facility will be like a supermarket, providing families in need with groceries, meats and other proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as personal care items and pet supplies. Hudson County Executive Craig Guy noted, When we can put food on the table in a new facility like that, thats what all of us are supposed to do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since 1927, the Hoboken Community Center has been providing shelter in this building for just under 100 low-income single men. A million-dollar contribution from Trenton will now go toward renovating and updating the facility. According to Craig, Were taking 96 people off the streets, were housing them, training them, theyre going out to get a job and were also feeding them. The grants will also go toward the construction of ten new affordable one-, two-, and three-bedroom housing units in Hoboken. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State The funding will address affordability issues that many Hudson County residents face, specifically food insecurity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Senator Mukherji, Its a story of a community coming together and saying were going to help the vulnerable in our community, were going to do something about food insecurity and were going to show in Hoboken, New Jersey compassion and empathy are alive and well at a time people need it. Meeting the needs of the community, thats what Hoboken Community Center has been doing since the pandemic when it served just 400 local families. Now its serving 43 hundred. The new pantry and housing units were told should be ready by Christmas of next year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Three people have been arrested and charged with fraudulently trying to obtain tens of thousands of dollars in federal disaster relief by making false claims involving properties destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades wildfires, federal authorities announced Wednesday. Joyce Turner, a 55-year-old Texas resident; Tyrone D. Barnes Jr., 38, of Paramount; and Hedeshia Robertson, 36, of Lakewood were arrested Tuesday after being charged with defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles. Authorities allege the defendants took advantage of a FEMA program created after the Eaton and Palisades fires, disasters that began tearing through the Los Angeles area in early January and collectively burned nearly 37,600 acres, destroyed more than 16,000 structures and resulted in the deaths of 29 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "These false claims resulted in badly needed disaster-relief money being denied to actual wildfire victims while these defendants allegedly used property information to illegally line their own pockets, said acting U.S. Atty. Joseph McNally. Read more: Teams being deployed to prevent, prosecute insurance fraud after fires The defendants could not be reached for comment. It is unclear whether Turner has legal representation. Barnes and Robertson's public defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Turner submitted an application on Jan. 9 claiming that a Pasadena rental property on Walnut Street had been damaged in the Eaton fire, according to a federal criminal complaint. The following day, Turner called the FEMA disaster center hotline to modify the address to a townhouse on Del Rey Avenue, the complaint alleges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turner received more than $25,000 from FEMA after forging a lease to make it appear as though she lived at the home on Del Rey Avenue, according to federal authorities. The Walnut Street address was not damaged in the fire. Although the Del Rey Avenue property was damaged, its owners had not applied for disaster assistance. The Del Rey Avenue home had been listed for sale in 2024 and was vacant before the fires, according to the complaint. Federal authorities said Turner appears never to have lived in California. Read more: LAPD says wildfire-relief scammers are on the prowl, offers tips, resources Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the complaint, Turner submitted at least 10 other applications to FEMA for disaster relief linked to Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, Isaac, Harvey and Beryl. Her criminal history includes prior arrests and convictions for fraud offenses, authorities said Wednesday. Turner also applied for unemployment insurance benefits from the California Employment Development Department in August 2020 and again in January of this year, according to the complaint. EDD paid her more than $50,000 in connection with one claim, authorities said. Barnes, who has been charged with a false, fictitious, or fraudulent claim against the U.S., submitted a disaster relief claim to FEMA for an Altadena property owned by other individuals who did not know Barnes, according to a federal indictment. The owners of the property on Harding Avenue learned of the fraud after contacting FEMA about potential assistance. The victims, identified in the indictment only by their initials, M.S. and A.S., were told someone else had already submitted an application for their property, according to the indictment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Robertson is suspected of filing a fraudulent application with FEMA on Jan. 28, seeking benefits involving a damaged residence in Pacific Palisades. Authorities said Robertson didn't own, rent, reside or work at that property. As a result of the application, Robertson obtained nearly $25,000 in FEMA benefits, according to authorities. In February, Robertson also submitted a letter to FEMA requesting additional assistance, stating, "I have lost both my home and workplace, leaving me in an extremely difficult financial and personal situation," according to a criminal complaint. At the time of her arrest, Robertson also attempted to obtain additional FEMA benefits for a purported property lease in San Francisco, authorities allege. A charge of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits could result in up to 30 years in prison, according to the U.S. attorney's office in L.A. A charge of false, fictitious or fraudulent claim against the U.S. could result in up to five years behind bars. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. HONOLULU (KHON2) Big changes are coming to Oahus beaches, which were unveiled at City Budget hearings on March 11. Honolulus brand new Ocean Safety Department shared their plans for faster response times and better resources for lifeguards across the island. For the first time, Honolulus lifeguards will be operating under their own department, separate from Emergency Services. Lifeguards train for evolving life-saving techniques Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With 227 miles of coastline and thousands of rescues a year, department leadership says the funding is critical. OSD presented a budget of $27.9 million dollars, much of it going towards personnel and equipment. Among the biggest investments two new lifeguard substations in Kailua and Waianae. The Kailua facility is expected to be completed this summer. Kailua Neighborhood Board Chair, Bill Hicks, says the facility will make a difference. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Were pleased by the progress being made by this new department and and appreciate it because it is so critical to the safety and well being of Kailuans and visitors alike, Hicks said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A new million dollar Waianae facility is expected to be built behind the Waianae fire station. Due to restrictions for coastal erosion set back and flood zones, were going to have to build on the same property, but its going to have to move further inland so it will be a brand new property, said Kurt Lager, Department of Ocean Safety acting director. OSD also plans to purchase six new solar powered lifeguard towers, mostly to replace aging towers, but is also considering adding a tower on Oahus North Shore. And the department plans to spend more than $288,000 to upgrade a dozen jet skis. Part of our reorg is to have a rescue unit, and similar to how fire rescue works, I would like to have some rescue jet ski units that would service the hours outside of our normal operating hours, which is 8 in the morning to 6:30pm. So we can truly cover dawn to dusk, Lager said. The city council has until June 15th to approve a new budget for the next fiscal year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. MAHOMET, Ill. (WCIA) Many schools across Central Illinois are getting ready for spring break. Away from the classrooms and cafeteria, an organization is working to make sure kids have a guaranteed meal. Operation Get Down got its start in Southern Illinois, but it made its way to Mahomet. Every day during Mahomet-Seymours spring break, theyre handing out free lunches to kids of every grade, every age. Tolono hopes to improve, but area leaders have different perspectives Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its good to show kids there is good in the world, and maybe we can get some kids going in the right direction, Operation Get Down Founder Christopher Dirks said. The Open Room in Mahomet is where theyre setting up shop for the week. Come Monday, community members and religious leaders will be there giving out food and advice to kids in the school district. Dirks hopes it gives kids peace of mind, and something to look forward to. My mom raised four boys on her own and she worked constantly, and I remember what it was like trying to get something to eat, Dirks said. I had younger brothers so I felt like I had to provide for them. This kind of takes the stress off kids because growing up as a kid, I have kids, I know schools stressful, life is stressful this is kind of just a little break from reality for the week. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Again, the lunches are just for kids in the Mahomet-Seymour school district, but hes hoping to expand it going forward. Last year Dirks handed out about 75 lunches. This year, he has an even bigger goal. Free test prep courses now available for U of I students Hopefully we can feed all of Mahomet, thats our plan, Dirks said. Were not going to turn anyone away. Were not going to tell anyone no. The lunches will be available Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Open Room. Dirks said organizers are willing to drive meals to families if they cant make it to the pick-up location. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more information, you can contact 217seeds@gmail.com. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. A Canadian couple who regularly spends about $30,000 a year on vacations to the U.S. revealed to CNN that their upcoming travel plans are now off the table due to U.S. President Donald Trumps insults and tariffs toward their country. Weve never had an issue with any individual in the U.S. ... but we are furious and horribly insulted by the lack of respect and demeaning comments coming out of the Oval Office, said Gary Cruise who was joined by his wife, Carol Cruise, in an interview that aired Tuesday with CNNs Natasha Chen. It is like weve been gut-punched by our best friend the last month, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The couple told Chen that they hadnt seen snow in four years except for now as Trump with his talk of making Canada the 51st state and his on-again, off-again tariff policies fuels a trade war with Americas northern neighbor. The couple isntaloneindialing back their trips to America, either, as data shared by Statistics Canada on Monday shows the number of Canadian return trips via car from the U.S. dropped by 23% in February compared with one year prior. There was also a slight drop of 2.4% among return trips by Canadians via air travel last month compared with the number in February 2024. Canadians made 20.4 million visits to the U.S. and generated $20.5 billion in spending last year, the nonprofit U.S. Travel Association noted in a press release last month. The group noted that a 10% drop in travel would result in $2.1 billion of lost spending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Canadian airline and travel companies have also noticed sinking interest in U.S.-bound trips as Flight Centre Travel Group Canada recently told the Toronto Star that travel for leisure to the states dropped 40% in February compared with the same month in 2024. The Cruises annually spend five months at time during their U.S. trips to escape the winter in Canada, Chen noted in her CNN report. The couple canceled trips this spring to Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California over Trumps tariffs. We love our American friends and we love your country. We have seen almost all of your country, said Carol Cruise. This is really horrible, this is upsetting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gary Cruise told CNN that he plans to retrieve his RV in Florida and drive it back to his home up north. The couple still has a trip planned for November as they hope for a resolution between the countries leaders. Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated how many times Canadians visited the U.S. last year. It was 20.4 million, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Related... HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) Horry County Police Chief Kris Leonhardt on Wednesday requested the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the FBI to review evidence in a deadly road rage shooting involving a North Myrtle Beach business owner in September 2023. An Horry County police report showed 33-year-old Scott Spivey had allegedly initiated the Sept. 9 shooting before he was killed. However, about a week later, 15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson asked the South Carolina Attorney Generals Office to review the shooting after Weldon Boyd, who owns Buoys on the Boulevard in North Myrtle Beach, posted a thank you message on Facebook shortly after the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The South Carolina Attorney Generals Office in April 2024 declined to prosecute Boyd due to insufficient evidence. Spiveys family two months later sued Boyd. Late last week, Horry County was made aware of continuing questions related to a shooting incident on Camp Swamp Road in September 2023, police said Wednesday in a news release. The incident was investigated by SLED and reviewed by the South Carolina Attorney Generals Office. Oh my God, hes shooting!: 911 calls describe chaotic scene from deadly Highway 9 shooting in Horry County The county takes such questions seriously. Out of an abundance of caution, and in pursuit of ensuring the integrity of the Horry County Police Department, Chief of police Kris Leonhardt has requested the case be reviewed once more by both SLED and the FBI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No additional information was immediately available. * * * Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. By Joshua McElwee VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis will on Thursday mark the 12th anniversary of his election as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, but he will do so from Rome's Gemelli hospital where he has been treated for double pneumonia for almost a month. The latest bulletins from the Vatican on the 88-year-old pope's condition have said he is improving and is no longer in immediate danger. They have not said when he will be discharged from hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Francis was elected pope by the world's Roman Catholic cardinals on March 13, 2013. His continued stay in hospital - he was admitted on February 14 - is changing the tenor of how Catholics are celebrating the day. Cardinal Michael Czerny, a senior Vatican official known as close to Francis, called the pope's anniversary "a reason for gratitude". He said: "This year, his illness makes us especially aware (of the anniversary), especially grateful to God, and redoubling our prayers for his full recovery." Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, is the first pope from the Americas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elected pontiff at age 76, he moved quickly to make an impact. Over 12 years, he has reorganized the Vatican's bureaucracy, written four major teaching documents, made 47 foreign trips to more than 65 countries, and created more than 900 saints. Overall, Francis is widely seen as trying to open the staid global Church to the modern world. Among major decisions, he has allowed priests to offer blessings to same-sex couples on a case-by-case basis and has appointed women to serve as leaders of Vatican offices for the first time. He has also held five major Vatican summits of the world's Catholic bishops to discuss contested issues such as women's ordination and changing the Church's sexual teachings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement David Gibson, a U.S. academic who has followed the papacy closely, said Francis "has come to seem like the indispensable pope" for many Catholics. "Francis has really reset the expectations for what a pope should be: a pastor who welcomes all and judges no one of good will," said Gibson, director of Fordham University's Center on Religion and Culture. However, the pope's agenda has upset some Catholics, including a few senior cardinals. They have accused him of watering-down the Church's teachings on issues such as same-sex marriage and divorce and remarriage, and of focusing excessively on political issues such as climate change. Some survivors of Catholic clergy sexual abuse have said he should do more to protect children in the Church. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Francis created the first papal commission on the issue, survivors' groups have questioned its effectiveness and have called on the pope to create firmer zero-tolerance policies. 'WHAT OUR WORLD NEEDS' Francis is known to work himself to exhaustion and has continued his work from hospital. But as he starts his 13th year as pope, it is unclear if he will be able to keep up his normal pace once he is discharged from hospital. Doctors not involved in his care said he is likely to face a long, fraught road to recovery, given his age and other medical conditions, which have severely limited his mobility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His prolonged public absence has stoked speculation that he could choose to follow his predecessor Benedict XVI and resign the papacy. But his friends and biographers have insisted he has no plans to step down. Much of the pope's schedule for 2025 centres around the Catholic Holy Year, which has filled his calendar with audiences with groups of pilgrims coming to Rome. The Church expects 32 million pilgrims during the year. Francis has also been planning at least one foreign trip. He wants to travel to Turkey for the celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of a major Christian council of bishops in ancient Nicaea, now the modern day town of Iznik. Vatican officials expect he will push to make the trip, even if it must be postponed beyond May, when it was planned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many Catholics are also hoping Francis will continue speaking out on political issues known as important to him, such as the treatment of immigrants, and on global conflicts. Just three days before going into hospital, Francis sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in an unusual open letter to America's Catholic bishops. "Pope Francis has offered the world both vision and leadership," said Marie Dennis, a Vatican adviser and former leader of an international Catholic organization focused on issues of world peace. "He is exactly what our broken, violent, confused world needs right now," she said. (Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Janet Lawrence) House Minority Leader Jason Buckel (R-Allegany) spoke against a revised Blueprint for Maryland's Future education measure to no avail Tuesday. The bill passed on a 100-39 party-line vote. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) As expected, the House of Delegates approved an amended, comprehensive education plan Tuesday night that rejected cuts proposed by Gov. Wes Moore (D). The 100-39 party-line vote sets up a potential showdown with the Senate over the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act. Senate leaders have indicated that, in the face of a projected $3 billion deficit for fiscal 2026, they may be more sympathetic to the governors version of the bill to amend the states multiyear, costly Blueprint for Marylands Future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Democratic leaders have consistently pushed back against the governors plan, saying that any cuts would negatively affect the Blueprint, now in its third year of implementation. But House Ways and Means Committee Chair Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard) said after Tuesday nights floor vote that the House and the governor agree on the goals of the plan, but disagree on how to get there. He [Moore] was looking at the Blueprint also as a means to solve budgetary issues, and we did not, Atterbeary said. I think in large part we disagreed when it comes to funding. But I think policy wise, we agreed primarily with the governor. The debate put House Republicans in the unusual position of defending the governors bill against Democratic amendments. Didnt agree with everything in it, but it was a compromise that suggests we can, in future years, account for the realities that we will not have to spend as much well amend, in particular, the collaborative time, said House Minority Leader Jason Buckel (R-Allegany), before voting against the amended House version of the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think that we would have been best served to support Gov. Moores bill, rather than the bill as amended currently before the House, he said. Three Republicans Dels. Kevin Hornberger (R-Cecil), Susan K. McComas (R-Harford) and Chris Tomlinson (R-Frederick and Carroll) who signed on as co-sponsors of the previous version from the governor, asked to have their names removed from the amended bill, which opposed. Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard) talks about her support for the Blueprint for Marylands Future education reform plan. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) Some of the proposals in the original bill included a four-year pause in the phase-in of collaborative time for teachers, a freeze in funding for community schools located in low-income neighborhoods and a lower increase in per pupil funding. Atterbearys committee and the Appropriations Committee amended the governors bill to restore funding to community schools and to reduce the four-year delay in collaborative time to a one-year pause to give the states 24 school systems time to prepare for a fiscal 2027. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The House did keep language from the governors version that would allow for the state Department of Education to establish a national teacher recruitment campaign to start in July and end by July 1, 2029. It also kept a $2,000 relocation grant that would be provided to incentivize an out-of-state licensed teacher to move to the state, in an effort to reduce the teacher shortage and the number of conditionally licensed teachers. Administration officials defended their position during a joint hearing last month, saying it would be impractical to institute the increase in collaborative time next school year because it would require the hiring of at least 12,000 teachers at a time when the state and nation face a teacher shortage. The administrations proposal sought to hold community school at current levels for the next two years, instead of allowing it to increase as the Blueprint calls for. On the House floor Tuesday, a few Republicans said the Blueprint plan is a vehicle the state cant afford right now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If this is the Mercedes of education C class, it feels a little bit more like a Pinto that were selling for a Mercedes price, said Del. Lauren Arikan (R-Harford), who voted against the bill. Meanwhile, the Senates Budget and Taxation Committee which took part in a joint hearing on the bill last month with the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee and the two House panels could vote on the Senate version of the bill this week. Senate Majority Leader Nancy King (D-Montgomery), a member of the Budget and Taxation Committee, has said she supports a pause in collaborative time, especially with the teacher shortage in the state. And Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-Lower Shore), a member of the Triple-E Committee, has said the Blueprint needs some restructuring that provides more autonomy to local school systems. Del. Ben Barnes (D-Prince Georges and Anne Arundel), who chairs the Appropriations Committee, told reporters Tuesday night hes confident the two chambers will find a solution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its because we all share the same values. We want to certainly protect these kids and make sure the funding is there and the policies are there, he said. Well get to a compromise in the end. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX State Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland) answers questions during a March 12, 2025 meeting of the House Education and Workforce Committee after testifying on his proposal to allow the governor to appoint the state superintendent. | Kyle Davidson Members of the House Education and Workforce Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a recently proposed state Constitutional Amendment supporters say would bring additional accountability to the states public education system. House Joint Resolution E, introduced by Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland) would amend the state constitution to allow the governor to appoint the state superintendent, whereas the position is currently appointed by the eight members of the State Board of Education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This resolution, its letter E, but I think its appropriate. If you think about the grade our state is receiving in public education, it should be an F, a failing grade, our third grade, reading scores, our math and our testing results, they do not measure up, Schuette said. According to a report from Kids Count, an annual report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Michigan placed among the bottom ten states for education. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as The Nations Report Card, raised similar concerns, noting that 25% of fourth graders and 24% of eighth graders were considered proficient in reading. By adopting this resolution and having a superintendent who was appointed by the governor, who is elected by the people, we can restore some form of accountability to that department, Schuette said. Rep. Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park) raised concerns that directly tying the superintendent to the governors office could make the position more partisan and less consistent, noting the state tends to go back and forth between Democratic and Republican governors. Reps. Erin Byrnes (D-Dearborn) Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park) and Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth) during a meeting of the House Education and Workforce Committee on March 12, 2025. | Kyle Davidson However, Schuette argued that allowing the State Board of Education whose members are nominated at each political partys convention before they are elected by Michigan voters is already subject to a hyperpartisan selection process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think having a governor who is elected by the people every four years improves the accountability of that process, because when were looking at how are the metrics of how our public schools are performing, or if we have a governor who wants to implement reforms or changes, and [the superintendent] has a mandate directly from the people and the governor, I think that is a better way to execute that accountability and make sure that its starting from the top with the governor, and the buck stops there, Schuette said. The resolution would also alter the constitution so the superintendent reports to the governor rather than the state board of education, Schuette said, noting that he would also support eliminating the state board of education entirely, or allowing the governor to appoint those positions as well. Rep. Brad Paquette (R-Niles) noted that Michigans first governor appointed the states superintendent, suggesting the state could benefit from returning to that model. Schuette agreed, noting that the states ranked highest by the National Assessment of Educational Progress have a governor-appointed head of education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Weiss emphasized her concerns on the stability of changing the process, warning that when lawmakers create systems where things are constantly changing in education, its hard to adapt to those changes. My concern really here is youre setting up a system in which youll have, because of the, again, the purpleness of our state, a Republican governor appointing someone, and then a few years later, a Democratic governor, and then the constant push and pull, I think, would be detrimental for outcomes in our state. And again, whether or not I agree with the change, constant change is not good when it comes to education, Weiss said. Schuette responded noting that Michigan is 42nd in the nation for education, saying a change is warranted. While members of the committee did not vote on the resolution, they voted on other policies on their agenda, including an effort from Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan) seeking to improve representation from the states various regions, telling the committee that the partisan nominating process used in selecting candidates for the Board of Education leaves northern Michigan and the rural areas of the state vastly underrepresented. Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan) testifies before the House Education and Workforce Committee on March 12, 2025 on his proposal to change how candidates for the State Board of Education are selected. | Kyle Davidson What this bill does is simple. It divides our state into four districts, ensuring that when political parties nominate candidates for the State Board of Education, those candidates represent every corner of Michigan, not just a few cities, Cavitt said. It mandates that parties nominate candidates from all four districts on a rotating schedule, guaranteeing that rural, northern and less populated regions have a fair shot at representation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our schools in Northeast Michigan face vastly different challenges than those in Wayne County. Our rural districts struggle with transportation funding, declining enrollment and broadband access, challenges that are rarely front and center in discussions at the State Board of Education. By requiring that nominees come from different regions. This bill ensures that the lived experience of students and educators in all parts of the state are represented at the table, Cavitt said. Additionally, the bill would force party leaders to recruit and elevate voices from northern Michigan, the Upper Peninsula, and rural Michigan rather than defaulting to candidates from major metropolitan areas, Cavitt said. Cavitts House Bill 4148 was referred back to the House floor in a 7-4 party line vote. Schuettes resolution, meanwhile, has an unlikely path to becoming reality. It would have to pass through committee and then receive approval from two thirds of both the House and the Senate, before being placed on the ballot where Michigan voters would have the final say on whether the change would be implemented. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics teams latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In todays edition, we dive into the next steps on Capitol Hill after the House passed a short-term funding bill with a government funding deadline fast approaching. Plus, Steve Kornacki looks into voter trends that are shaping Wisconsins upcoming Supreme Court election, the first major battleground state race of 2025. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adam Wollner We want to hear from you! Have a question for the NBC News Politics Desk on the flurry of Trump administration moves, Elon Musk and DOGEs activity, or what comes next on Capitol Hill? Send your questions to politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com and we may answer them in a future edition of the newsletter. The pressure is on Senate Democrats after the House passes a funding bill to avert a shutdown Speaker Mike Johnson passed another major test today in the narrowly divided House, muscling through a stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown. It puts Senate Democrats in a politically precarious position, with government money sent to run dry Friday night. The six-month funding bill passed 217-213, Scott Wong, Kyle Stewart, Sahil Kapur and Rebecca Kaplan report from Capitol Hill. Just one House Republican, the conservative Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voted against it. And just one Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden, who represents a district President Donald Trump carried in Maine, voted for it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The outcome is a victory for GOP leaders and the White House, who do not want to see a shutdown in the first two months of the new administration and are eager to move on to advancing Trumps agenda on the border, taxes and other policy areas. Over the past several days, Trump and his top aides called undecided Republicans to urge them to back the funding bill, multiple sources familiar with the calls told NBC News. And ahead of the vote Tuesday morning, Vice President JD Vance huddled with House Republicans at the Capitol to rally support. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., one of the Republicans who were on the fence, voted for the bill after she said she visited the White House earlier in the day. But the drama is far from over. Republicans control 53 seats in the Senate, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has made clear hes firmly against the funding bill. That means at least eight Democratic senators would have to support it to cross the Senates 60-vote threshold and send it to Trumps desk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Democratic leaders were staunchly against the bill. They blasted Republicans for drafting the bill on a partisan basis and argued they gave the Trump administration too much discretion in how to spend certain pots of money. Senate Democratic leaders, however, have stayed mum. After an unusually long Senate Democratic lunch meeting on Tuesday, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., declined to state his position on the bill, a sign that his members lack consensus on the path forward. Publicly, many Senate Democrats said they wanted to see how the House voted first before weighing in. But Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said he would vote for the bill. I refuse to burn the village down and to claim to save it, Fetterman said. I probably wont agree with many facets of that CR, but when the choice is about shutting the government down, I dont want to be involved with that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more Massie fallout: Trumps patience appears to be running thin with Massie, who also voted against the House GOPs budget resolution last month. Trump said on Truth Social he would lead the charge to find a primary opponent to challenge him next year. But as Melanie Zanona reports, that didnt sit well with Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas. During a closed-door House GOP caucus Tuesday morning, Roy said he didnt appreciate Trumps threat, according to two sources in the room. Roy also called on Republican leadership to stand up for Massie, which Johnson later did at a news conference. Read more What to know from the Trump presidency today The Education Department is preparing to lay off roughly half its workforce. The U.S. will immediately lift a pause on intelligence sharing and resume providing security assistance to Ukraine after delegates from Kyiv agreed to accept the Trump administrations proposal for an interim 30-day ceasefire with Russia. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he had agreed to suspend a 25% surcharge on electricity imports into the U.S. after conversing with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in the wake of Trumps threats to hike steel and aluminum tariffs on the nation by 50%. Tesla delivered five of its vehicles to the White House and parked them on a driveway for Trump to personally inspect, hours after he said on Truth Social that he planned to buy a Tesla to demonstrate his support for Elon Musk and for the slumping car company. The U.S. Agency for International Development is instructing its staff in Washington to shred and burn documents, according to an email obtained by NBC News. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, said that she had stripped security clearances of dozens of former Biden officials and attorneys involved in Trump-related cases. The voter trends shaping the first big battleground state race of 2025 By Steve Kornacki In three weeks, well get our first battleground state readout of the post-2024 political landscape. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wisconsins election on April 1 for a seat on the state Supreme Court is nonpartisan in name only. Prominent Republican donors and activists are squarely behind conservative Brad Schimel, while Democrats are with liberal Susan Crawford. Turnout will be far lower than in November, and the electorate figures to be skewed toward voters who are more politically engaged and partisan, making this an imperfect test. But the outcome will at least offer clues about how the political winds might be shifting in what is arguably Americas premier swing state. There are a few key patterns and trends that enabled President Donald Trump to flip the state in November that will be under the microscope next month. Where Republicans made gains Eight of the 10 counties where Trump improved his performance the most from the 2020 elections are in the southwestern part of the state, in what is called the Driftless Area (a nod to the unique topography that resulted from the lack of glacial coverage more than 10,000 years ago). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Politically, it represents a significant growth opportunity for the GOP, having remained loyal to Democrats until more recently than other small towns and rural parts of the state. It was Trumps emergence in 2016 that triggered the areas movement toward the GOP. Does this represent a partisan realignment that is ongoing and that will allow Republicans to build an even bigger advantage here going forward? Or is it more tentative and Trump-specific, offering Democrats a chance to stabilize and improve their performance without Trump on the ballot? Notably, the area did return to its Democratic roots in recent state Supreme Court races. Where Democrats are in growth mode The WOW counties of Washington, Ozaukee and Waukesha outside of Milwaukee have historically been the biggest vote bank in the state for Republican candidates, and all favored Trump by double digits last year. But the GOPs advantage has been receding. The GOPs declines here match the national trend of the last generation or so of highly educated, professional-class, white suburbanites shedding their previous Republican allegiance which accelerated drastically with Trumps emergence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even while losing ground statewide, Democrats modestly improved their performance in the WOW counties last November. In Ozaukee and Waukesha, Harris won a higher share of the vote than any Democratic presidential nominee there since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. That the Democratic gains have been particularly stark in Ozaukee is no surprise. Outside of Dane County (home of the University of Wisconsin-Madison), it has the highest concentration of white, college-educated voters in the state. Last November, Democrats were banking on even bigger gains in the WOW counties, which could have pushed Harris over the top statewide. Still, Democrats see an opportunity to make further strides here and to cement them, with Republicans hoping to arrest their slide without Trump at the top of their ticket. Read more from Steve Todays other top stories Taking stock: Trump has previously pointed to the stock market as a key indicator of his administrations economic success. Now, as markets dip, hes changing his tune. Read more Taking stock, cont.: Speaking of, the S&P 500 failed to escape another day of losses Tuesday amid a roller-coaster trading session. Read more Hes running: Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist launched his campaign for governor, joining a growing Democratic primary in a closely divided battleground state. Read more Shes running: Former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter announced that she is running for governor of California, but a potential bid from former Vice President Kamala Harris looms large. Read more If its Tuesday: Greenland is holding its parliamentary elections, a test for the territorys independence as Trump sets his sights on acquiring it. Read more Thats all From the Politics Desk for now. Todays newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Bridget Bowman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you have feedback likes or dislikes email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com And if youre a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up here. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The House passed a bill Tuesday, 217-213, that would keep the government funded through September. The measure next heads to the Senate where prospects for passage remain uncertain as the threat of a shutdown looms. House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday hes confident a funding bill will pass this week ahead of the Friday deadline because no one wants to shut the government down and we are governing, doing the responsible thing as Republicans. Heres how the vote broke down by party. For a detailed breakdown of how each member voted, filter or sort the table below: For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Congress is one step closer to avoiding a government shutdown. The House passed a bill Tuesday night to keep agencies funded through September. It was an extremely close vote 217 to 213, with one Democrat voting for it and one Republican voting against it. House Republicans cheered Tuesday night after passing a bill to fund the government through September 30. We did our job today, said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Speaker Mike Johnson praised the plan. It freezes funding. Its the responsible thing to do, said Johnson. The $1.7 trillion bill boosts defense spending by $6 billion and cuts nondefense programs by about $13 billion. Republicans say passing it buys time to work with the president to come up with bigger cuts in next years budget. The way that we need to do in order to keep the Trump administration, Elon Musk and DOGE, to continue its promise to the American people to fight fraud, waste and abuse, said Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.). Democrats say theyre worried the bill gives the president and Elon Musk more control over future spending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Republican majority just voted to hand a blank check to Elon Musk, said Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.). House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) says hes concerned major programs could soon be on the chopping block. This partisan and reckless Republican spending bill fails to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, said Jeffries. The bill the House passed does not cut Social Security benefits or make changes to Medicare or Medicaid. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. The House on Tuesday passed a funding bill to avert an end-of-the-week government shutdown, teeing up the measure for consideration in the Senate. The chamber cleared the continuing resolution (CR) in a largely party-line 217-213 vote, with just one Democrat Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) bucking his partys leaders to back the measure. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) was the lone GOP no vote. The legislation would fund the government through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year, while boosting funds for defense programs and imposing cuts to nondefense funding. Current funding expires at 11:59 p.m. Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This was a big vote on the House floor, the Republicans stood together and we had one Democrat vote with us to do the right thing, and that is to fund the government, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said after the vote. The bill now heads to the Senate, where its future hangs in the balance. While several Senate Democrats have slammed the legislation raising concerns about spending cuts included and instead pitching a shorter stopgap to allow more time for bipartisan negotiations on full-year bills a number of vulnerable members are withholding judgment, weighing their concerns with the bill against the political reality of potentially forcing a shutdown. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), for his part, has walked a careful line when it comes to the politically prickly vote. Asked about the House GOP stopgap bill shortly before Tuesdays vote in the lower chamber, he was coy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were going to wait to see what the House does first, the top Democrat told reporters. Passage of the stopgap in the House puts a pin on the first funding fight of Trumps second term in the lower chamber, which largely revolved around the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), overseen by Elon Musk. Republicans many of whom are typically averse to continuing resolutions (CR) rallied around the stopgap in the name of allowing DOGE to continue its work in reducing the size of the government. Democrats demanded, albeit unsuccessfully, to include language that would limit the DOGEs power. The successful vote marks a massive victory for Johnson, who unveiled the bill over the weekend, convinced nearly a dozen GOP holdouts to support the legislation, and ultimately muscled the CR through his razor-thin majority. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The near-unanimous Republican support for the legislation came together in the final hours before the vote, with a handful of hard-line conservatives who expressed opposition to the bill ultimately throwing their support behind the effort. And in a significant boost, the House Freedom Caucus, which typically opposes stopgaps, formally backed the legislation. President Trump and Republicans in Congress will stop at nothing to deliver on that agenda, Johnson told reporters following the vote. We are gonna continue to work hard, we will continue to stick together and get this job done, and its an essential one. Approval of the measure is also a win for President Trump, who endorsed the stopgap and spoke with GOP opponents in the final hours before the vote, helping to flip the holdouts and get the measure over the finish line. Additionally, Vice President Vance talked to House Republicans during their closed-door conference meeting Tuesday morning, delivering a final pitch in support of the legislation. I spoke with @POTUS earlier today. Voting for a CR goes against every bone in my body, but I am placing my full trust in the Presidents long-term commitment to getting our fiscal house in order, Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) wrote on X . Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bills passage in the House is the culmination of a months-long effort in the lower chamber to settle spending for fiscal 2025, which has included two stopgaps and extensive negotiations. Top appropriators worked behind the scenes to strike a deal on top-line numbers for the 12 spending bills to no avail. Democrats, concerned about DOGEs cuts to large swaths of the government, demanded language that would require Trump to direct funds as appropriated by Congress, which was a nonstarter for Republicans. At the same time, Republican leadership faced growing pressure from its right flank for more aggressive action to curb government spending. Some hard-line conservatives, including Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), also warned last month that his support for a larger, multitrillion-dollar package to cut taxes and spending would be contingent upon how much funding increased under a bipartisan spending deal for fiscal 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans have touted the measure ultimately passed Tuesday as a clean continuing resolution that increases defense spending while keeping overall spending close to fiscal 2024 levels. Republicans say the bill would also give the Defense Department flexibility to start new programs and move funds around. At the same time, Republicans have highlighted additional funding for the federal supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children, or WIC, already authorized pay increases for junior enlisted military personnel and increases to support air traffic control efforts. However, Democrats in both chambers strongly opposed the bill, accusing Republicans of shortchanging programs and agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, nuclear weapons proliferation programs, agricultural research efforts and some farmer assistance at the United States Department of Agriculture. The bill would also yank back another $20 billion for the Internal Revenue Service. Democratic criticism has extended beyond the Capitol, as D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and local officials have also sounded alarm over what theyve described as an omission of a long-standing provision that would allow the district to continue spending at its local budget levels for fiscal 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bowser has said the plan would immediately have the effect of cutting $1 billion out of D.C.s budget. But it remains unclear whether the move was intentional. Asked about the claims on Monday, House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told The Hill a lot of that stuff, again, was inaugural stuff, but he added that he has to go through and look at it in more detail than I have. Im sorry if everything wasnt perfect, and Im sorry the Democrats werent on the table to talk to us, but it just is what it is. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Mar. 11WASHINGTON House Republicans on Tuesday passed a bill that would fund the government through the end of September and bolster President Donald Trump's effort to reshape the federal government, daring Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and her fellow Democrats in the Senate to endorse the GOP legislation or let the government run out of money at the end of the week. If a funding bill isn't passed by both chambers and signed into law by Trump by Friday night, a government shutdown will begin on Saturday. Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, introduced her own bill on Monday with her House counterpart, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., that would avert a shutdown without giving what she called a "slush fund" that the Trump administration could use to enact its agenda. "If House Republicans don't think they need us when writing a bill, why should they expect us to support the bill?" Murray said on the Senate floor on Tuesday. "Instead of working with Democrats to invest in working people all across the country, and make sure our constituents have their voices heard in government funding, Speaker Johnson abandoned talks and rolled out a bill that includes major cuts." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., unveiled the GOP funding bill on Saturday, less than a week before the government funding deadline. It includes language that would give Trump greater latitude to redirect funding from programs he opposes and toward those he supports something the president has already sought to do without congressional approval. Congress faces the unusual mid-March deadline because Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk killed a bipartisan funding deal in December, when Democrats held the Senate majority and Murray was still chair of the Appropriations Committee. That panel, along with its House counterpart, normally passes 12 annual bills to fund the government with adjustments based on the nation's evolving needs and priorities, but Johnson scrapped that process in favor of continuing funding at current levels for the remainder of the current fiscal year. In a brief interview on Tuesday, Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, said he supported the House bill because he backs his party's effort to cut government spending and he wants to avoid a government shutdown. "The government provides a lot of essential services for folks," Baumgartner said. "I am someone that certainly came to Washington, D.C., with the goal of participating in right-sizing government, reducing waste, fraud and abuse, and I'm somebody that's excited about the goals of the administration when it comes to trying to take a real hard look at unsustainable spending." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The House bill passed on a nearly party-line vote, with just a single Republican voting against it, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and one Democrat in favor, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat who represents a heavily Republican district in southwest Washington, often votes with Golden but joined the rest of her party in opposing the funding bill on Tuesday. Rep. Emily Randall, D-Bremerton, said in an interview that she was open to a short-term spending bill as long as it "didn't do damage to the programs that my neighbors depend on." "But when I was at town halls this weekend, I heard loud and clear from my constituents, including my federal workers, that they didn't want me to vote for this," said Randall, whose district includes the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and an unusual proportion of government employees. "I also feel like we needed safeguards against Musk's dangerous activity, and Patty Murray and Rosa DeLauro have been at the table for months asking for that, and there was no willingness to give." Orion Donovan Smith's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor. Yemens Houthis claim they will resume attacks on Israeli ships in the Red Sea after Israel did not lift its blockade of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson of the Yemeni Armed Forces, said Tuesday night that the militant groups ban on vessel passage through the waterway would take effect immediately. The Houthis had threatened last Friday that they had set a four-day deadline for Israel to end the blockade, or they would restart naval operations. More from Sourcing Journal Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any Israeli ship attempting to violate this ban shall be targeted in the declared zone of operations, which also includes the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, Saree said in a statement. The ban will remain in effect until the crossings to the Gaza Strip are reopened and aid, including food and medical supplies, is allowed to enter. While no actual attacks have at this point been reported, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) received reports of electronic interference from multiple vessels on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, east of the Arabian Peninsula. The disruptions lasted several hours, affecting navigational systems and requiring vessels to use backup methods. Such concerns come nearly two months after Israel and Hamas came to a ceasefire, in which the Houthis said they would cease military operations against vessels in the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an email to various industry shipping organizations, fleet operators and news agencies, the Houthis Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) is targeting vessels wholly owned by Israeli individuals or entities, and/or sailing the Israel flag. While the Houthis identified Israeli ships as the offenders, the Iran-backed group had a history of indiscriminately targeting vessels that were unaffiliated with Israel throughout 2024. It is unclear what the Houthi approach will be as the second phase of the ceasefire kicks in and negotiations including Israel, Hamas and the U.S. continue in Qatar. More than 130 Houthi attacks occurred throughout the region since November 2023, according to crisis mapping and data collection firm Armed Conflict Location and Event Data. But ahead of the ceasefire, the group curbed the attacks, with the U.S. Navy intercepting their last attempt in between Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None of the major ocean carriers have shown much interest in returning to the Red Sea with so much uncertainty involved, citing the security risks and the lack of guaranteed safety for a return. Since late 2023, soon after the Houthi attacks started, container ships have mostly avoided travels through the Suez Canal, instead opting to travel around southern Africas Cape of Good Hope. This has lengthened container transit times by one-to-two weeks, in most instances. According to data from Lloyds List Intelligence, transits through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Suez Canal declined 11 percent year over year in January and 21 percent in February. Container shipping represents a small portion of the returning vessels, accounting for 186 of the 1,309 voyages recorded since the Jan. 19 ceasefire. Israels largest ocean carrier, ZIM, did not mention the Houthi statement in its Wednesday earnings call, but said its base scenario assumes the Red Sea will not open earlier than the second half of the year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As we speak, we are still thinking it is more likely than not that the Red Sea will reopen sometime this year, said CEO Eli Glickman in the call. In assuming a significant decline in freight rates throughout 2025 due to the projected reopening, ZIM forecasts more of the profit to come in the first half of the year as rerouting still absorbs more shipping capacity. Glickman said carriers have tools to manage short-term overcapacity as needed, including slow steaming, blank sailings or putting vessels on idle. On that call, Glickman also deflected market reports that the company would be taken private on a management-led buyout. Our policy has been since we went public in 2021 to not comment on market rumors, so we are not going to start today, Glickman said. What I can say is that management clearly continues to be focused on executing the strategy that we laid out for ourselves already since quite some time, which aims at ensuring that we build resiliency within the company for the longer term. (Bloomberg) -- The Houthi militant group in Yemen said it would resume attacks on Israeli ships for the first time in about two months after demanding the country end a ban on aid entering Gaza. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The decision, which the Houthis said would take effect immediately, will likely further deter container ships and tankers including non-Israeli ones from sailing through the Suez Canal and southern Red Sea. The militants began maritime attacks in late 2023, ostensibly in solidarity with Hamas following the outbreak of its war with Israel in Gaza. The assaults led to most Western shippers avoiding the area and going around southern Africa instead a much longer route for vessels traveling between Asia and Europe. Global freight rates rose. Any Israeli ship that tries to defy the ban in the announced operation areas will be targeted, Yahya Saree, a Houthi spokesman said late on Tuesday. Israeli vessels will be targets until aid, including food and medicine, is allowed into the Palestinian territory, he added. The Houthis are, like Hamas, backed by Iran and designated as terrorists by the US. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Houthi threat to resume attacks on Israel is credible, said Jack Kennedy, an analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence. A resumption of Houthi maritime attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden would represent a severe risk to all vessels in transit, regardless of affiliation with Israel, due to uncertainties around targeting selection. Late last week, the group gave a four-day ultimatum to Israel to allow aid into Gaza. That announcement led to a rise in the shares of shippers such as A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S and Hapag-Lloyd on Monday, with traders anticipating an increase in freight rates. The stocks pared most of their gains on Tuesday. After a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict started in January, the Houthis suggested they would pause attacks on Israeli as well as US- and UK-linked vessels. All three countries have carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen since early 2024 in an effort to stop their assaults on ships and on Israel. Those strikes have been halted since the truce in Gaza began. Despite the pause in maritime attacks, most major Western shipping companies said they would need more reassurance before sailing through the region again. Traffic through the Suez Canal has changed little since January, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latest Houthi announcement will also be a setback for Egypt. Revenue collected from traffic through the Suez Canal is a key source of hard currency for the government. The waterways receipts have dropped by about 60% as a result of the assaults. Egypt says losses will be around $7 billion for the current financial year ending in June. Israel said it stopped aid and power supplies to Gaza to put pressure on Hamas to disarm and release the roughly 65 Israeli hostages its still holding. The war was triggered by Hamass attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people. Israels air and ground assault on Gaza has killed more than 48,000 people, according to the territorys Hamas-run health ministry. If the Houthis do attack Israeli or other ships again, thats likely to lead to a resumption of US-led strikes on the group in Yemen, according to Kennedy of S&P Global Market Intelligence. The group could retaliate against neighboring Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates if they supported such operations, he said. Prior to 2022, the Houthis regularly targeted the kingdom and the UAE with drones and missiles. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Updates with comments and context.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. HOWLAND, Ohio (WKBN) In Trumbull County, Howland High School is honoring seniors who have chosen to serve our country after graduation. Its very important to me to see that you guys are recognized, said Joe Simko at Howland High School. A special event was held for students choosing a future of service to our country. I am a little psyched. You could say Im a little ecstatic, said Brock Denno who is enlisting in the army. There are seven Howland seniors enlisting in various branches of the U.S. Military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We probably have three or four more that will in the coming weeks, said Student Services Specialist Sean Borawiec. Josh and Jesse George, Brock and Brody Denno, Tylor Clonch and Cadin Barbutes took part in the schools first Military Signing Day. Weve talked about it for a couple of years. This year we decided to pull the trigger and move forward with it, Borawiec said. Two sets of twins are among the group. Josh and Jesse George are following in their fathers footsteps by joining the Air Force Reserves, while Brock and Brody Denno are heading to different branches of the military. Its definitely gonna be different I mean hes not gonna be there to argue with but well still be in contact, said Brody Denno. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brody is enlisting in the Navy for its Nuclear Propulsion Program. He received a $75,000 signing bonus. I was just expecting just to be the nuclear engineer. I wasnt expecting that huge bonus, he said. Brodys twin brother Brock is joining the Army as a combat engineer. I just always wanted to serve. Thats all Ive always liked, the military. I always dreamed about joining so I thought now or never, Brock Denno said. The school plans to take part in Military Signing Day again in the years to come. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Nearly a week after a Fairborn family filed a lawsuit against it, a Huber Heights day care has responded. Early Beginnings Child Care and Learning Center was sued Thursday, March 6, in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court for alleged negligence leading to the injury of a child. In its statement, the day care said it is dedicated to high standards and maintaining transparency. Suspects use wheelchair to steal $2K worth of merchandise from mall Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are aware of the recent lawsuit filed in Montgomery County concerning allegations involving a former employee, wrote the day care. The safety, well-being, and development of the children in our care remain our highest priorities. The day care said that due to the lawsuit and privacy concerns, it couldnt offer further details or comment. Sean Alto, an attorney with Cooper Elliot representing the family, alleged the 3-month-old baby was injured at the day care, suffering a brain injury. In addition to the center, the lawsuit also names one employee as a defendant. The suit claims one witness saw the employee shaking a baby. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to public records, the Huber Heights Police Department filed charges against the same employee on Jan. 31 in Montgomery County. WPAFB operations could be affected by Congress stopgap funding bill The employee is charged with endangering children and has entered a plea of not guilty. Alto said he believes more serious charges should be filed in the case. The prosecutors office had and has an opportunity to do the right thing by filing more serious charges for all the victims, he said. Alto said the familys experience could have been avoided if the issue had been addressed more quickly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats the responsibility and obligation of day care is to protect the kids that are entrusted to their care, absolutely, said Alto. Didnt happen here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rejected Hurricane Helene repair efforts in Asheville, N.C., because the citys proposed recovery plan features a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program that conflicts with President Trumps January executive order. HUD looks forward to helping thousands of North Carolinians rebuild after Hurricane Helene by directing funding assistance to impacted businesses, non-profit organizations and neighborhoods, HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a statement on Monday. However, Ashevilles draft action plan incorporated DEI criteria to prioritize some impacted residents over others, which was unacceptable, he added. After HUD informed Asheville that its plan was unsatisfactory and it would not be approved, the city assured us that it was updating its draft action plan to be compliant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Asheville rolled out a draft 2025 Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery action plan last Tuesday, with the HUD allocating $225 million. The 125-page plan said the funds would be spent on economic recovery, infrastructure and housing. The biggest portion of it, $130 million, would be spent on infrastructure. The HUD slammed one portion of the plan, on page 76, where it said, Within the Small Business Support Program, the City will prioritize assistance for Minority and Women Owned Businesses (MWBE) within the scoring criteria outlined within the policies and procedures. DEI is dead at HUD. Looking into this, Turner wrote Wednesday last week on the social platform X, less than a week before officially rejecting Ashevilles recovery efforts. On his first day in office, Jan. 20, Trump penned an executive order seeking to eliminate DEI practices in the federal government. The order directed the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget to work with agencies to end all discriminatory programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene. The storm left an estimated $59.6 billion in damages, according to the states Office of State Budget and Management report, which was published in December last year. Western North Carolina, and particularly the area in and around Asheville, suffered some of the worst damage in the state with mudslides and flooding, leaving dozens of people dead and wrecking roads and buildings. Once again, let me be clear DEI is dead at HUD. We will not provide funding to any program or grantee that does not comply with President Trumps executive orders, Turner said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Downriver father arrested by immigration agents last week is getting support from several advocates, including a prominent chef known for his humanitarian work who is asking President Donald Trump to release him. Jose Guadalupe Jaimes, 55, of Trenton, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on March 5 after he had dropped off his 8th grade child at Arthur Middle School. Born in Mexico, the immigrant father of five has lived in the U.S. for 30 years and doesn't have a criminal record, according to his children and Wayne County records; ICE says he is an illegal alien who was ordered by a judge in 2014 to be removed. Jose Andres, a chef who received the presidential medal of freedom from Joe Biden in January for his work feeding millions of people in need after disasters, wrote in a recent post on X that tagged and addressed Trump: "Sir please release this man.Mr. Jose Jaimes is a hard working immigrant." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his post on Sunday, Andres also asked Trump to help pass immigration reform, writing: "please can you pass asap Immigration reform? Could be your biggest contribution to USA..remember the immigration issue is not a problem for you to solve but an opportunity for you to seize." 'Immigrants make America great': Rally in southwest Detroit seeks end to deportations [ STAY UP TO DATE: Sign up for our Daily Briefing newsletter today to get the Free Press in your inbox. ] Trump has vowed to carry out a record number of deportations, linking the influx of immigrants from the southern border to crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since his arrest, Jaimes has received support from some state lawmakers including State Sen. Darrin Camilleri, D-Trenton, who said he was appalled and concerned that he was targeted while outside a school. State Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, who often speaks out on immigration issues, also expressed concern, writing in a Facebook post: "Why was he targeted?? Schools should be places for learning, NOT immigration enforcement. This one instance will impact not just one man, but his family, customers, and community." A GoFundMe account set up by his family to help pay for some of his legal defense has received more than $12,000 as of Tuesday afternoon. A spokesperson for GoFundMe, Angelique McNaughton, confirmed on Tuesday the account is legitimate. A rally was held Sunday at Memorial Park in Lincoln Park in support of Jaimes and others who face possible deportation. A daughter of Jaimes, Ana Jaimes, said at the rally she wants to bring awareness for all immigrants who have been arrested, a livestream of the rally showed. She said her father, who is currently in St. Clair County Jail, is aware of the support he's getting. "He's watching everyone," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement USA TODAY contributed to this report. Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com This story was updated to add a gallery. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Chef Jose Andres asks Donald Trump to release ICE detainee Jose Jaimes A Columbia University graduate and green card holder was arrested and marked for deportation by Donald Trumps administration solely for his advocacy for Palestinian rights, lawyers for Mahmoud Khalil said in a federal courtroom in Manhattan on Wednesday. Khalil who is being processed for deportation in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Louisiana was identified, targeted, detained and is being processed for deportation on account of his advocacy for Palestinian rights, according to Ramzi Kassem, an attorney with the Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility (CLEAR) project at CUNY School of Law. Attorneys for Khalil, a prominent organizer for pro-Palestine demonstrations on campus, made their first appearance in a case to determine the legal basis for Khalils shocking arrest in New York, where he was pulled away from his U.S. citizen wife, who is eight months pregnant, and sent to a detention facility in Louisiana, more than 1,300 miles away. Mahmoud Khalils attorney Ramzi Kassem speaks to reporters on March 12 after a first hearing in a critical case to determine whether the Trump administration can deport a green card holder over pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University (Getty Images) On Monday, District Judge Jesse Furman temporarily halted his removal from the United States, and is barring the government from deporting him. But Khalil will remain in Louisiana, for now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The attempt to deport a legal permanent resident for their political views has drawn international scrutiny and raised fears of a crackdown on free speech by the Trump administration. His detention has severely limited his attorneys access to him, Kassem told the judge. Khalils lawyers were able to schedule one attorney-client privileged call on March 20, more than two weeks after his arrest. We have not been able to confer with our client once, Kassem said. Government lawyers said that was the first were hearing of client access issues and will look into it. But Khlalil has been processed for deportation and will be placed in removal proceedings in a Louisiana court, according to assistant U.S. attorney Brandon Waterman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judge ordered Khalil access to two privileged calls one on Wednesday and another on Thursday. Khalil was first detained in a New Jersey facility in the early morning hours on Sunday before he was moved to Louisiana that night. His arrest has been widely condemned by Democratic officials and civil rights groups, questioning how a legal permanent resident could be deported, without facing any criminal charges, and without any evidence from the government of the allegations against him or any other demonstrators. Administration officials have argued that Khalil doesnt need to be charged, let alone convicted of a crime, to be removed from the country, alleging without evidence he was aligned with Hamas thus providing material support to a terrorist organization. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His attorneys plan to submit a new filing this week to flesh out grave constitutional violations and expand on their arguments after the Trump administrations statements, Kassem said. A court sketch depicts lawyers for Mahmoud Khalil speaking to District Judge Jesse Furman on March 12 (Jane Rosenberg / REUTERS) A timeline of his arrest and detention and when attorneys intervened could ultimately determine where Khalils case can be heard. He was detained in New Jersey shortly after 3 a.m. on Sunday. A petition for his removal was filed after 4 a.m. Later that night, he was moved to Louisiana. But the judge appeared somewhat skeptical that Khalil should remain in Louisiana as his attorneys fight for his return to New York. Judge Furman suggested there could be an exception if there was bad faith in an attempt to intentionally deprive a court of having jurisdiction, or if the government's constant movement of a person in custody intended to prevent them from even knowing where to file their case, pointing to concurrence written by former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy more than 20 years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Outside the court, hundreds of people joined a rally demanding Khalils release. David Maloof, a 68-year-old lawyer and Columbia graduate from 1988 who wore a red Make America America Again hat to Wednesdays rally, said he was concerned about the implications for free speech. If we don't stand up now, citizens are next, he said. I mean, how close is that line for somebody like Trump? This thing may go all the way to the Supreme Court, and hopefully they'll reach the right decision, which is you need more than just the word of a politician like [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio, to remove somebody, to take away their liberty. Hundreds of people gathered outside federal court in Manhattan during Khalils hearing (Richard Hall / The Independent) Miriam Osman, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, said she was enraged by what she described as the illegal detention of Khalil. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No matter what your political opinions are in this country, you have a right, constitutionally, to be able to express them, and that is exactly what Mahmoud Khalil was doing, she said. For the Trump administration to come and say you, as a green card holder, can just be picked up from your home one night with no due process, this should be completely appalling to every single American, she added. From the steps of the Thurgood Marshall courthouse, actress and activist Susan Sarandon told reporters that freedom of speech is a right we all have, and this is a turning point in history. Actress and activist Susan Sarandon called Khalils case a turning point in history (EPA) Kassem called the governments grounds for revoking Khalils green card absolutely unprecedented, he told reporters after Wednesdays hearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It cannot be the case that you can be disappeared at night, off the streets of New York city, simply because the current administration in the White House dislikes what you have to say, Kassem said. Essentially they are a form of punishment and retaliation for the exercise of free speech, he added. We think it wont fly in federal court. We think it wont fly in immigration court. And it certainly should not fly in the court of public opinion. Protesters demanded the immediate release of Khalil, who is being detained in Louisiana and processed for deportation proceedings (AFP via Getty Images) Baher Azmy, legal director of the Center of Constitutional Rights and a member of Khalils legal team, compared his arrest to McCarthyism and the Red Scare, a grim period in 20th-century American history when the U.S. government suppressed and persecuted its own citizens for their political beliefs. Mr. Khalils detention has nothing to do with security. It is only about repression, Azmy said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Joseph Howley, associate professor of classics at Columbia University, invoked Martin Niemollers quote about the rise of Nazism in 1930s Germany as he drew comparisons to the current landscape for civil rights in America. Where exactly are we in the poem that begins, When they came for the communists, I did not speak out? Well, theyve already come for the asylum seekers, he said. Theyve come for the migrant families. Now theyve come for Mahmoud Khalil. Its not a very long poem, so how far down the list do you think you are? HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) A Madison County Judge has sentenced a man to life in prison for a 2023 murder. Madison County Circuit Judge Ruth Hall sentenced Jason Everett Moore to life in prison for the murder of Damian Kenneth Collins Sr. Moore was found guilty in December 2024. Jury finds man not guilty in 2017 North Courtland shooting Collins sister gave a statement during the hearing and called Moore a coward for shooting her brother in the driveway of his mothers house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shooting happened in April 2023. At the time, the Huntsville Police Department went to the 4800 block of Blue Haven Drive where they said they found Collins with gunshot wounds. Collins was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. According to HPDs Major Crimes Unit Investigators, they believe the shooting started as a verbal argument that escalated. Download the WHNT News 19 App to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WHNT News 19 newsletters to have news sent to your inbox. Moore is set to spend life in the Alabama Department of Corrections. Moores legal team couldnt comment following the hearing but said he plans to appeal the conviction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. ST. MARTINVILLE, La. (KLFY) A New Iberia man was killed Tuesday morning when he was hit by two vehicles while walking on La. 31 in St. Martin Parish, authorities said. The crash claimed the life of Trey Comeaux, 33, of New Iberia. Troopers with Louisiana State Police Troop I began investigating a crash at around 5 a.m. Tuesday involving a pedestrian on La. 31 near Lady of the Lake Road in St. Martin Parish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators said Comeaux was walking south on La. 31 while pushing a bicycle in heavy fog. At the same time, a 2012 Dodge Ram was also traveling south. For reasons still under investigation, the Ram struck Comeaux, causing him to enter the northbound lane. Shortly after the initial crash, a northbound Dodge Charger also struck Comeaux. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Police said Comeaux died at the scene, the two drivers were uninjured. A routine toxicology sample was obtained from Comeaux and submitted for analysis. The driver of the Dodge Ram was not suspected of being impaired and voluntarily provided a breath sample which revealed no alcohol detected, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This crash remains under investigation. Latest news Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has arrested over 32,000 migrants who are living in the United States without legal status since Jan. 21, a day after President Donald Trump was inaugurated, according to Department of Homeland Security officials. Those numbers include at-large arrests made by ICE, arrests made in the Criminal Alien Program and a partnership program called 287g, according to a senior ICE official. In the first 50 days of the Trump administration, immigration officials arrested over 14,000 convicted criminals, 9,800 migrants who have pending criminal charges 1,155 suspected gang members and 44 foreign fugitives, according to a senior ICE official. PHOTO: In this Feb. 5, 2025, file photo, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detain a man after conducting a raid at the Cedar Run apartment complex in Denver, Colorado. (Kevin Mohatt/Reuters, FILE) MORE: During immigration raid, DHS Secretary Noem says ICE bringing 'consequences' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But on a call with a group of reporters on Wednesday, senior ICE official called the remaining 8,718 "immigration violators." During previous interviews with ABC News and other outlets, ICE has referred to these arrests as "collateral damage" -- people who are not necessarily the target but get swept up in the process. "We ended catch [and] release, and we have returned ICE to its core mission, which is arresting people who violate our immigration law," acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said. "Secretary Noem and I are changing the culture of ICE to one of action and accountability." PHOTO: In this Feb. 5, 2025, file photo, a 47-year-old Mexican man with three convictions for driving under the influence, is arrested by federal law enforcement agents led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Rex, south of Atlanta, Georgia. (Carlos Barria/Reuters) MORE: Trump's immigration crackdown ripples across the US During the call, ICE officials were pressed on future detention space and deportation numbers. They didn't given any new details on deportations but did admit some people have been released under their watch due to "judicial release" and through "medical conditions and other humanitarian factors." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ICE also said it is maxed out on detention facilities, with approximately 47,000 beds taken, and the official said ICE is growing potential space through partnerships with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is also pushing Congress to act and provide more funding for its efforts. PHOTO: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detain a Honduran citizen in York, Pa., Feb. 14, 2025. (ICE) MORE: US to require Canadians who are in the country for longer than 30 days to register with government This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. ICE arrests over 32,000 migrants in US illegally in 1st 50 days originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Iceland will allocate over 2 million euros ($2.17 million) to Ukraine's Energy Support Fund, the Energy Ministry reported on March 11. This will bring Icelands total contributions to Ukraines energy sector to more than 5.6 million euros ($6.09 million) thus far. According to Ukraine's Energy Ministry, Iceland made four tranches of contributions between 2023 and 2024. The funds have been used to buy equipment for energy companies in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Herman Halushchenko, Ukraines Energy Minister, stressed the importance of contributions like these for returning light and heat to the homes of Ukrainians, and for restoring infrastructure that was damaged by Russian attacks. Each contribution of partners to the Energy Support Fund of Ukraine is extremely important, Halushchenko said. We are grateful to Iceland for its support and another contribution to Ukraine's energy sustainability. The Icelandic parliament, Althing, adopted a resolution on long-term assistance for Ukraine from 2024 to 2028. The resolution aims to support the independence, sovereignty, borders, the safety of civilians, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction work in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Ukraines DTEK gas production facilities shut down after Russian attack Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Members of the Idaho House of Representatives hold a floor session on March 10, 2025, at the Idaho Capitol Building in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) The Idaho House on Wednesday rejected a resolution that wouldve called for a never-before-used method of amending the U.S. Constitution. House Concurrent Resolution 10, sponsored by Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur dAlene, wouldve called for Idaho to submit three separate applications to amend the U.S. Constitution through a convention of the states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Critics say a constitutional convention could put the entire Constitution up for change. But supporters argue a convention is needed to rein in the rising federal deficit and an increasingly powerful federal government. The more than hour-long debate among House lawmakers Wednesday largely fell into those two buckets. Idaho Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, asks a question of Rep. Bruce D. Skaug, R-Nampa, during the House State Affairs committee meeting at the State Capitol building on Jan. 11, 2023. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) It will destabilize our country, said Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, who opposed the bill. And it will also be virtue signaling to these other countries, that maybe were not as strong as were being portrayed in the public. I want to stand with this new administration. I want to give our government the chance, and our country the chance, to be the best country in the entire world to take leadership. The House rejected the resolution on a 26-44 vote, and on a similar vote rejected a related proposal by Redman, House Concurrent Resolution 9, which wouldve outlined a process for the Idaho Legislature to select and remove Idahos delegates for a convention of the states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While DOGE is doing a lot of great things federally, and hopefully here in Idaho were going to see some good stuff from our DOGE committee, Redman told House lawmakers, I believe that an Article V convention of the states will cement things in our Constitution that would otherwise be left at the whims of the next administration. And the next administration could simply undo all the good work that weve seen already. Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur dAlene, speaks from the Idaho House floor on March 10, 2025, at the Idaho Capitol Building in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) Past attempts at Idaho applying for constitutional convention failed Past attempts at getting the Idaho Legislature to call for a constitutional convention have failed. Last year, representatives of the Idaho Republican Party and the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance opposed an Idaho resolution to apply for a convention of the states. Idaho House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, (right) leads an Idaho Democratic Caucus press conference on Jan. 6, 2025, at the Statehouse in Boise. (Pat Sutphin from the Idaho Capital Sun) Absolutely everybody of every political stripe believes in our Constitution to the fiber of their being, Idaho House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, told House lawmakers, referring to a column she wrote with Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, opposing a constitutional convention. We dont agree on anything in America anymore. There is no unity. No people cant agree what color the sky is or which way is up. But we all agree that we love our Constitution and would die for it. And we would lose that. The U.S. Constitution has never been amended using a convention of the states, a process outlined in the U.S. Constitution that requires applications by 34 states. Amendments proposed in that convention must be ratified by 38 states to take effect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nineteen states have applied for a convention of the states over the past decade, according to the advocacy group Convention of States Action. In a 2012 report, the Congressional Research Service wrote that a convention of the states is one of few provisions of the Constitution that has never been implemented, and the process presents many questions for Congress. Redmans resolution if it had passed the House and Senate wouldve prompted Idaho to submit to Congress three applications for a convention of the states, which would be limited to: A balanced federal budget amendment Amendments that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress; and An amendment to set a limit on the number of terms that a person may be elected as U.S. House of Representatives member or U.S. Senate member. (Courtesy of Idaho in Session) SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Idaho Gov. Brad Little gives his annual State of the State address on Jan. 6, 2025, on the House floor at the Statehouse in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) The Idaho Legislature widely in less than two weeks passed a bill that proposes sweeping policy changes to control Medicaid costs. House Bill 345 calls for Idaho to seek work requirements for able-bodied Idahoans on Medicaid, and to give Idahoans eligible for Medicaid expansion access to tax credits to buy insurance on Idahos health care exchange. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bills proposal for Medicaid work requirements which requires federal approval to implement has drawn the bulk of opposition. In both chambers of the Idaho Legislature, the bill passed on party-line votes, with all 90 Republican state lawmakers supporting it and all 15 Democratic state lawmakers opposing it. The Idaho Senate passed the bill on a 29-6 vote Tuesday, with all Senate Republicans backing it and all six Senate Democrats opposing it. The new bill had unanimous support from House Republicans when the Idaho House passed it last week, and unanimous opposition from all nine House Democrats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Less than two weeks ago, the Medicaid cost bill was first introduced in an Idaho House committee. The bill is a revised version of another Medicaid cost bill introduced days earlier. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The new bills came after Senate Health and Welfare Committee Chairwoman Julie VanOrden, R-Pingree, stopped another bill from advancing, which wouldve likely repealed Medicaid expansion. The new bill would also call for Idaho to plan to shift management of all Medicaid benefits to private companies, which is called managed care and is used by most states Medicaid programs. Idaho state Sen. Julie VanOrden, R-Pingree, works from the Senate floor before legislative action begins on Jan. 7, 2025, at the State Capitol Building in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) The Idaho Legislature has a Medicaid Review Panel to review contracts, VanOrden told the Idaho Senate on Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is a lot to do. Theres a lot (of) people to be involved. And I assure you, there will be a lot of eyes on these, said VanOrden, who is cosponsoring the bill along with Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur dAlene, House Health and Welfare Committee Chairman John Vander Woude, R-Nampa, and Sen. Carl Bjerke, R-Coeur dAlene. When the new Medicaid cost bill is transmitted to Gov. Brad Little, he has five days, excluding Sundays, to decide on it. He has three options: sign it into law, allow it to become law without his signature, or veto it. If passed into law, the bill would take effect immediately through an emergency clause. The bill could save Idaho $15.9 million in fiscal year 2026 and even more in the future, the bills fiscal note estimates. But the timing depends on federal approval, the fiscal note says. Bill proposes broader Medicaid changes Beyond Medicaid expansion, the bill proposes broader policy changes for the entire Medicaid program a health care assistance program that covers about 262,000 Idahoans, including low-income earners, people with disabilities, pregnant women, and some older people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Almost 89,400 Idahoans are enrolled in Medicaid expansion, a voter-approved policy that raised the income eligibility cap. In the Senate Health and Welfare Committee hearing Monday, several members of the public said they worried about the bills provision to repeal agency administrative rules for Medicaid. In that hearing, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Deputy Director Juliet Charron, who oversees Idaho Medicaid, said the agency plans to stand up temporary rules if the bill passes. Idaho Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, (right) and Minority Caucus Chairwoman Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise, respond to questions at an Idaho Democratic Caucus press conference on Jan. 6, 2025, at the Statehouse in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, said she believed the bill will actually increase costs and she noted how quickly the bill sailed through the Legislature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres so many moving parts to it. Had one week for stakeholders to get their input. And it was really unsettling for a lot of folks, especially the disability community. Because in the bill, we actually repeal two sections of rules in their entirety that were created and finalized in 2022 by the disability community to ensure that the services that they get are maintained. And this bill repeals it, Wintrow said. Bill estimates millions in savings. But critics say Medicaid work requirements will be expensive. Other states experiences and a federal watchdog report suggest costs for Medicaid work requirements are high, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Some advocates say Medicaid work requirements are costly and are effectively just administrative barriers to access the program since almost half of Idahoans on Medicaid are already working. And many other Idahoans on Medicaid, advocates say, would be exempt from work requirements under exceptions the bill spells out, such as for parents of children age 6 and under, people with disabilities, college students, volunteers and caretakers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the Trump administration, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved work requirements in 13 states for the first time in Medicaids history, according to KFF. The Biden administration rescinded the approvals. Several courts struck down states work requirement policies, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Idaho hasnt gotten federal approval for work requirements, exchange tax credit option Many of the bills proposals require federal approval, and would likely take years to implement. In 2019, Idaho failed to receive federal approval then by the Trump administration for Medicaid work requirements and an exchange tax credit option, which are similar to the new bills provisions. If the federal government cuts down on covering 90% of Medicaid expansion costs while the Idaho Legislature isnt in session, the new Medicaid cost bill would give the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare director broad power to enact cuts to the program until the Legislature reconvenes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congressional House Republicans recently approved a budget plan that calls for steep spending cuts that policy experts anticipate will require deep cuts to Medicaid. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE State senators listen to legislative proceedings from the Idaho Senate floor on Jan. 7, 2025. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) The Republican-controlled Idaho Senate voted along party lines Tuesday to pass a Texas-style immigration bill that for the first time would allow local law enforcement officials to check and enforce the documentation status of people who are being detained or investigated for a crime. Less than two hours after the Idaho Senate voted to pass the bill, the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho issued a written statement promising to sue the state if the bill becomes law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If passed into law, House Bill 83aa would do several things. First, it would create a new state law called illegal entry into this state. The bill states, in part: A person who is an alien commits an offense if the person enters or attempts to enter this state directly from a foreign nation at any location other than a lawful port of entry or through another manner of lawful entry. The bill also states, A violation of this section shall be a misdemeanor upon a first conviction. A second or subsequent conviction shall be a felony. Under the bill local law enforcement officers would only be able to enforce the crime of illegal entry into Idaho if the person was being detained or investigated for another crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill also creates another state crime called illegal reentry by certain aliens. If House Bill 83aa becomes law, it would be illegal to attempt to enter Idaho or be found in Idaho if a person Has been denied admission to or excluded, deported, or removed from the United States; or Has departed from the United States while an order of exclusion, deportation, or removal is outstanding. Finally, the bill would allow a magistrate judge in Idaho to issue a written order for a person to return to the foreign country they attempted to enter Idaho from, even if a person wasnt convicted. Beginning on line 25 of page three, the bill states: The judge in a persons case at any time after the persons appearance before a magistrate pursuant to section 19-514 or 19-615, Idaho Code, may, in lieu of continuing the prosecution of or entering an adjudication regarding an offense pursuant to section 18-9002 or 18-9003, Idaho Code, dismiss the charge pending against the person and issue a written order. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX In order for the judge to issue an order for a defendant to return to their foreign country before a conviction, the defendant must agree to the order, must not have been convicted of a previous crime and must not be facing another offense that is punishable by a felony. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In cases where there is a conviction, an Idaho judge shall issue an order requiring the defendant to return to the foreign country from which they attempted to enter Idaho after they complete their prison sentence, according to the bill. Idaho Republicans say failed federal immigration policies require a response at the state level Republican Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa, co-sponsored and presented House Bill 83aa. Lakey and Republicans who supported the bill said it was a way to take a tough stand on undocumented immigration. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Now we as states, we are faced with the consequences and the fallout of failed federal policy in our towns and in our communities, Lakey said. Those consequences and impacts necessitate a response at the state level. We have the responsibility to protect our people and our communities and our state. I think that is a sovereign obligation that we have as a state. Idaho Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa, listens to the action on the Senate floor at the State Capitol in Boise on Jan. 9, 2023. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) Lakey admitted passing the bill was not without risk, saying that portions of the bill were modeled after Texas Senate Bill 4, which has been blocked from taking effect as part of a challenge in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Idaho House voted 61-9 to pass the original version of the Idaho bill on Feb. 10. Since then, the Idaho Senate voted to amend the bill to combine House Bill 83 and Senate Bill 1039, which is also related to immigration. House Bill 83aa next heads back to the Idaho House for consideration of the Senate amendments. All 29 Senate Republicans voted in favor of House Bill 83 while all six Democrats voted against. Idaho Senate Assistant Minority Leader James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, answers questions at a press conference on Jan. 6, 2025, at the Statehouse in Boise. Also pictured is Idaho House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, said the bill wrongly inserts the state into immigration enforcement, which is the responsibility of the federal government. We are asking our magistrate judges to act in these areas, to issue orders to send individuals back over the border; thats not something our magistrates have been trained to do, or have any experience in doing, Ruchti said. ACLU of Idaho threatens to sue if Texas-style immigration bill becomes law Officials with the ACLU of Idaho said House Bill 83aa is similar to immigration bills passed in Texas, Iowa and Oklahoma. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont want to sue on this bill, ACLU of Idaho Executive Director Leo Morales said in a written statement. But if the bill passes, we must sue to protect immigrant families in Idaho and to stop legislation like H.B. 83, that so flagrantly disregards the U.S. Constitution. Officials with the ACLU warned the bill would lead to racial profiling. This bill does not make anyone safer, Ruby Mendez-Mota, campaign strategist with ACLU of Idaho, said in a written statement. In fact, it will do the opposite. Rather than target criminals, it would impact anyone who may be stopped by the police. This bill will fuel racial profiling, weaponize accusations against Latinos in Idaho, and make anyone who doesnt appear to be white feel less safe. An attorney with the ACLU of Idaho flagged language in the bill that allows a magistrate judge to issue an order even without a conviction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill language is clear that no conviction of a crime needs to be present before the state involves itself in immigration, so claims that this only targets criminals is incorrect, ACLU staff attorney Emily Croston said in a written statement. This bill would be devastating to Idahoans. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE In this file photo, David Burr displays the bud on a growing marijuana plant at Essence Vegas' 54,000-square-foot marijuana cultivation facility on July 6, 2017, in Nevada. On July 1, 2017, Nevada joined other states allowing recreational marijuana sales. In fiscal year 2023, sales of cannabis products in Nevada generated more than $10.6 million in tax revenue. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) The Idaho Senate signed off on a proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution on Tuesday that, if approved, would make it so that only the Idaho Legislature has the power to legalize marijuana and other narcotics. House Joint Memorial 4 puts the proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution up for a vote in Idahos November 2026 general election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If a majority of voters pass the amendment, Idaho voters would no longer have the power to legalize marijuana through a citizens ballot initiative. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The proposed amendment that will go before Idaho voters states: Shall Section 26, Article III of the Constitution of the State of Idaho be amended to provide that only the Idaho Legislature shall have power and authority to legalize the growing, producing, manufacturing, transporting, selling, delivering, dispensing, administering, prescribing, distributing, possessing, or using of marijuana, narcotics, or other psychoactive substances? Supporters of constitutional amendment say measure is a way to be tough on marijuana Sen. Scott Grow, R-Eagle, co-sponsored the proposed amendment. He and other supporters said it is a way to be tough on marijuana and differentiate Idaho from the majority of surrounding states that have legalized either recreational cannabis or medical cannabis. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grow also said advancing the proposed amendment was a way for the Idaho Legislature to exert its authority on the subject of cannabis and other drugs. Too many legislatures across this nation have sat back and just waited as initiative after initiative would come after them, until they finally overwhelm it and overwhelm the legislature, Grow said. We are acting because thats our responsibility. Grow also cited an existing section of the Idaho Constitution that states, The first concern of all good government is the virtue and sobriety of the people, and the purity of the home. The legislature should further all wise and well directed efforts for the promotion of temperance and morality. However, opponents said the proposed amendment shows a distrust in voters by asking them to give up their own powers available through the ballot initiative process. In Idaho, a ballot initiative is a form of direct democracy where the voters of Idaho not the Idaho Legislature decide whether to pass a proposed law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The people have a right under the initiative and the referendum process to weigh in on these issues, Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, said. We have been clear in the Constitution that all political power is inherent in the people, and we have been clear that the people reserve to themselves the power to propose laws and enact the same at the polls independent of the Legislature. We should respect the people. So far, organizers have been unable to gather enough signatures to bring a marijuana decriminalization ballot initiative forward Organizers have routinely attempted to gather signatures over the past 10 years attempting to place a medical marijuana or decriminalization initiative on the ballots, but have failed to meet the threshold to qualify their initiative for an election. Organizers are currently attempting to qualify an initiative to decriminalize marijuana for the November 2026 election. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for the proposed anti-marijuana amendment to the Idaho Constitution, it takes a two-thirds supermajority of both the Idaho House of Representatives and Idaho Senate to advance a proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution. The Idaho Senate voted 29-6 to pass the amendment Tuesday afternoon. The Idaho House previously voted 58-10 to approve the amendment on March 5. When it goes before voters in November 2026, it will take a simple majority of voters to approve the amendment to the Idaho Constitution. This is the second major piece of anti-marijuana legislation the Idaho Legislature has put forward in 2025. On Feb. 24, Gov. Brad Little signed a new law creating a mandatory minimum fine of $300 for anyone convicted of simple marijuana possession. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Apparently, being inclusive is a little divisive for officials of one Idaho school district. Sarah Inama, a middle school teacher in Meridian, learned that lesson the hard way when she decided to post some signs in her classroom that read, Everyone is welcome here. Although the idea of making everyone feel welcome seems like the least offensive thing a teacher could do, officials for the West Ada School District reportedly thought otherwise and ordered her to take down the signs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reasoning? District officials claimed that posters saying Everyone is welcome here violate a policy that requires classroom content to be neutral, per Inama. They told me that they were in violation of district policy because, in todays political environment, theyre considered a personal opinion, Inama told Boise NBC affiliate KTVB. At first, she complied with the unwelcoming edict, but she said she changed her mind because she believes the message of the signs represents a core value of public education. However, Marcus Myers, the districts chief academic officer, told KTVB via email that policy dictates district facilities be content neutral and respect others right to express differing opinions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Inama pointed out that her signs actually align with posters made by the district that encourage students to welcome others and embrace diversity. Not surprisingly, she is concerned about the message being sent by the removal of her signs.I just feel like as a teacher ... I would do anything to protect my students. I love all of them unconditionally, Inama told KTVB. HuffPost reached out to district officials for comment, but no one immediately responded. The episode echoes a national trend since Donald Trump became president and immediately ordered the dismantling of programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Along with private companies scaling back or ending their DEI programs, federal agencies are no longer celebrating holidays and history months like Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pride Month and Holocaust Days of Remembrance. The results have occasionally been comical. For instance, the Defense Department recently flagged more than 26,000 photos and online posts on its website for deletion because they were determined to have some kind of connection to DEI. One of the items considered for deletion was a photo of the Enola Gay, the World War II aircraft that carried the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Needless to say, the plane was not celebrating the LGBTQ community. Its pilot, Col. Paul Tibbets, Jr., named it after his mother, Enola Gay Tibbets. Related... SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) As a part of an annual Early Childhood Advocacy Day, a group of parents and childcare providers gathered at the state Capitol to call on legislators to increase funding for programs that affect young children and families. On Tuesday, March 4, in the middle of the Capitol rotunda, children and adults raised banners and signs written Fund the ECACE scholarship and Fund Early Intervention. Educators spoke at the podium urging stronger investment in the states early education workforce. Capitol Connection: Tradeswomen take over the capitol, call for clearer pathway to careers Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The gathering was planned by a coalition of organizations including Illinois Action for Children, Start Early, We the Village Coalition, Raising Illinois and others asking for an increase in home visiting programs, early intervention and funding for scholarships for individuals to complete their educational programs and professional development. Advocates are seeking more funding for the $5 million for the home visiting program, $75 million for the Early Childhood Block Grant and $15 million for the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity Scholarship which is currently funded at $5.7 million, a drastic cut from the initial $76.4 million fund from federal pandemic relief. They also request $60 million for early intervention, to provide better support to children with disabilities who are on a long waiting list to access the crucial care they need. Impacts of USDA cuts, tariff flip flops take center stage at Illinois Capitol Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Early intervention is a state-funded service for children up to three years old who have developmental delays and disability. This includes speech, physical and occupational therapy. Assistant Advocacy Director at Illinois Action for Children Neoma Nagawatte said these funds are not just a number but a lifeline. Children are experiencing delays in accessing speech therapy. Children are being delayed in accessing service providers that can help them overcome the developmental issues they are experiencing Nagawatte said. There are extremely long delays from the time that they call the hotline to be able to access services to the time that they get services. So, children are losing time that could be put towards improving in these areas. According to the Division of Early Childhood under the Illinois Department of Human Services, service delays have doubled, and 9 out of every 100 families were still experiencing delays as of last year. Service coordinators also face a high caseload, up to 65 compared to the recommended 45 including intake cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DOJ gets involved in lawsuit over new Illinois law Bri Stormer, senior policy and engagement specialist at Illinois Action for Children and the co-chair of the We the Village Policy Committee said time is wasted when there isnt enough money to provide full services. Illinois is facing a shortage of child workers due to many centers struggling to hire and keep staff. In addition, the pre-pandemic money allowed thousands of people to receive their degrees, however with recent cuts, less money is appropriated for the scholarship programs. This means only a few applicants will receive the support compared to the over 3000 applicants last year. Very few people are going to be able to avail themselves of that education and the training that they may require to not only be able to advance in their field but also provide more for families and children in the state, Nagawatte said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advocates said they are worried that without enough money for these programs the effort to eliminate early child care deserts will be difficult. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. An illegal Iraqi Kurd migrant has been allowed to stay in Britain because his ID documents were stolen by the agent who got him into the UK. The 31-year-old, who has not been named, has lost contact with his family since coming to Britain in 2016. Upper tribunal judge Sarah Pinder said this meant that he could not expect any family members to help him retrieve the necessary identity documents to be able to return to Iraq. Nor was he likely to be able to get new ID papers from the Iraq embassy in London. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Returning to Iraq without documents to prove his identity would put him in danger because of the tough border controls and security checks operated by the state. Judge Pinder ruled that this would put the migrant at risk of treatment that would breach his human rights under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which states that no one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in all circumstances. She granted the Iraqi Kurds appeal against his deportation by the Home Office, allowing him to remain in the UK on humanitarian protection grounds. The disclosure, in court documents, sets a potential precedent for Channel migrants with data showing as few as one in 50 arrive with passports, often after being told by people smugglers to destroy them. Iraq was one of the top seven nations for Channel crossings last year with 2,064 reaching the UK in small boats. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Labour has negotiated a new returns agreement with Iraq to swiftly deport illegal migrants who reach the UK from the country. It is part of a security pact for sharing intelligence and co-operation to crack down on people-smuggling gangs, which include many led by Iraqi Kurds. The case is the latest example exposed by The Telegraph where illegal migrants or convicted foreign criminals have used human rights laws to remain in the UK or halt their deportations. They include an Albanian criminal who avoided deportation after claiming his son had an aversion to foreign chicken nuggets, and a Pakistani paedophile who was jailed for child sex offences but escaped removal from the UK as it would be unduly harsh on his own children. Defies common sense Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the ruling was ludicrous. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We cannot allow an illegal immigrant to stay in the UK simply because he claims to have lost his papers anyone could make this claim. The Government should simply ask the Iraqi embassy to issue the new relevant travel documents, he said. Once again, we see a decision by an immigration judge that totally defies common sense. It is time judges in the immigration tribunal started applying some common sense and ensuring illegal immigrants with no right to be here are actually removed, rather than being allowed to stay on spurious or flimsy grounds. The court was told the Iraqi Kurd was 10 when he was taken in by his uncle after his mother remarried. She is believed to have moved to Iran. In the eight years since he came to Britain, he had lost contact with his uncle. Efforts to track him down by the Red Cross, and an Iranian friend who travelled to Iraq, had failed. I do not accept that the appellant can resort to his family members in order to assist him with retrieving any existing identity documents nor with otherwise meeting and/or vouching for him at any arrival in the Iraqi Kurdish Region (IKR) to permit his entry into the IKR, said Judge Pinder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She also said the level of information provided by the Iraqi embassy was not sufficient for me to find that the appellant would be likely to secure identity documentation. Judge Pinder concluded: Thus, I am satisfied that the appellant is reasonably unlikely to secure an Iraqi identity document, whether in the UK or on arrival in the IKR, which would permit him to enter the IKR and to travel internally without subjecting him to treatment, contrary to Article 3 ECHR. Judge Pinder has made controversial rulings including allowing a Zimbabwean paedophile to stay in Britain because he would face hostility in his home country. She was also one of two judges to declare that a Sudanese asylum seeker was a child despite the Home Office saying he was at least 23 with a receding hairline. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. EAST PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) Financial concerns regarding the updates and repairs to the housing units on Illinois Central Colleges East Peoria campus will result in their closure after the end of the May semester. That means about 150 students will have to find other housing options if they return to school in the fall. And its also the first time in about two decades that ICC will not have people living on its campus. A campus-wide email was sent out by Sheila Quirk-Bailey, the schools president, saying the dorms, which house roughly 250 people, will not be used in the fall. Illinois Central College Student Housing LLC, which owns the buildings, recently notified the school about the closures. The complex requires a number of significant facility updates, principally the stair replacement throughout the complex, that will exhaust financial reserves for the student housing project. The LLC group worked with the Bond Insurer but was not able to secure adequate resources to fund the upgrades, Quirk-Bailey said in her email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under state law, community colleges are not allowed to own housing units and as such, the schools educational foundation formed the limited liability corporation to handle the house some 20 years ago when the dorms opened. Bruce Budde is the foundations chief financial officer as well as the colleges executive vice president for administration and finance. He said there are about 250 people who are currently housed in the apartments. From a college perspective, our interest is what is in the best interest of supporting the students who are in the units. We have had several meetings with the students who are impacted by the decision who are returning next semester. Our issue is just to ensure they have options for the fall semester, he said. The units, which are located in the middle of the campus, house student-athletes, international students and several who are in company sponsored programs like the Caterpillar Dealer Service tech program. Some are local students who just want to stay in the housing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of the 249 people currently in the dorms, about 100 or so are set to graduate or complete their program of study in May. The rest have been to several meetings with school officials to go over their options, said both Budde and Mike Unes, the vice president for institutional advancement over the foundation, Unes said the goal was to inform the students as soon as possible so theyd have time to find new housing or to explore what options they have for the fall. Right now, our top priority is the concern of trying to help those students who have been impacted with that, he said. The college is working very hard to find options and other options for students who are impacted. Thats where our focus is. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) Illinois legislators have advanced a bill that would ensure sexual assault victims are not charged a co-pay for forensic medical examinations. House Bill 2805 passed the Illinois House Insurance Committee on Tuesday. Although the Illinois Sexual Assault Survivor Treatment Act prohibits sexual assault survivors from being charged for forensic medical exams, House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) said there is nothing in the law that does not prohibit insurance companies from charging a deductible or insurance co-pay for the services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This will make sure that victims are not victimized on any level, McCombie said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced the state will open a new REAL ID Supercenter in Chicagos Loop to meet unprecedented demand. The facility, at 191 N. Clark Street, will be equipped with 30 service counters for non-appointment, walk-in services from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Giannoulias said demand for REAL IDs stemmed largely from confusion around the federal governments requirements and enforcement date. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most Illinoisans do not need one before May 7 and they can still get one after that date. Before visiting the supercenter or any of our DMVs, I urge you to confirm that you actually need a REAL ID by visiting realid.ilsos.gov, he said. Starting May 7th, 2025, Illinois residents will need a REAL ID instead of a standard drivers license to board a domestic flight or enter certain government buildings, such as a military base or a federal courthouse. But that doesnt mean all Illinois residents are required to get one. You will not need a REAL ID to drive, vote, apply for federal benefits like Social Security, enter a federal facility that otherwise does not require an ID (like a post office), go to a hospital, or participate in law enforcement proceedings or investigations, like jury duty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A valid US Passport will also allow residents to fly. REAL ID cards look like drivers licenses but contain a gold star, in addition to using technology that makes them more difficult to forge. After May 7, 2025, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will no longer accept identification that does not meet the standards established in the REAL ID Act. Note, a valid passport or passport card will also be accepted by the TSA. To obtain a REAL ID, residents must visit a Secretary of State Drivers Service facility with the correct documentation. According to the Illinois Secretary of State, a person must provide: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Proof of identity. This can include: U.S. birth certificate, a U.S. passport, an employment authorization document, a permanent resident card or a foreign passport with an approved I-94 form. Proof of full Social Security number . This can include a SSN card, a W-2 or a pay stub with full SSN.) Two current residency documents with the applicants name . Examples include a utility bill, rental agreement, deed/title or a bank statement Proof of signature. Examples include A credit/debit card, canceled check or current Illinois ID. A full checklist can be found on the Illinois Secretary of States website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. CHICAGO The St. James Community Church, a traditionally Black congregation on this citys South Side, holds a family brunch on the first Sunday of each month that has attracted immigrants struggling to find their footing in the city. The new arrivals would come by the church to share the meal and participate in Bible study, using Google Translate to communicate with parishioners, said Pastor William Hall, whos also the city alderman representing the Chatham neighborhood, a middle class Black community known for its long blocks of single-family bungalows, family-run restaurants and mural of poet Gwendolyn Brooks. That changed after President Donald Trump took back the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since Trump was elected, we dont see any of them anymore, Hall said, adding he doesnt know whether the migrants have moved out of the area or are in hiding. We do know there was fear about massive deportations. Chicagos South Side, renowned for its rich Black history that dates back to the Great Migration, saw an influx of new arrivals since 2022 when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott started bussing thousands of border crossers to Chicago as a way to highlight and attack the citys deference to immigrants. More than 51,000 migrants mostly Venezuelans, and largely undocumented now call Chicago home, sparking tensions among some longtime residents. Many new arrivals found inexpensive housing on the South Side and could be easily spotted at bus stops, schools and churches, or outside of big box stores looking for work. Families doubled-up in homes that have been left vacant in recent years, a result of many of the areas Black residents leaving the city. But since Trumps Jan. 20 inauguration, raids in the city and the specter of more far-reaching sweeps have caused fear in the South Sides burgeoning immigrant communities, and many new arrivals have gone virtually underground, say observers. The deportation crackdown prompted some parents to keep children home from school and adults to miss days at work. The upheaval has exacerbated the challenges faced by local officials in trying to address the needs of a population that was already difficult to help due to language and legal issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One new arrival, Jose, talked about the journey that took him through the jungles of Venezuela to the Texas border, where he was dispatched by Abbott to Utah before coming to Chicago. He spoke on the condition that he be identified by a pseudonym for fear of retribution since he is an undocumented immigrant. It is frustrating, very frustrating, he said, speaking of the legal challenges and threat of deportation that he faces. It is not an easy life. South Side Tensions Jose was a machine operator at a food distribution company in Venezuela when he decided to leave for the United States. Through an interpreter, Jose said his older brother was running for a council seat with the areas opposition party when he was shot dead. So he decided to move to the U.S. for safety and to earn enough money to send home to his mother, who is caring for his son. After landing in Utah, he worked odd jobs and sought a lawyer to help him with the legal paperwork to gain citizenship. But the attorney wasnt cheap, Jose said, so he took a bus to Chicago, which has a wider safety net for new arrivals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I heard that in Chicago there were organizations that help people, he said through an interpreter with Onward Neighborhood House, a group that is helping him manage the bureaucratic maze of trying to get legal status. After arriving at a landing zone in downtown Chicago, Jose lived in a migrant shelter for nearly a year. Then he moved into a home on the South Side with two other immigrants. He has since found a job working at a laundromat. Jose applied for asylum but paperwork problems derailed the process. So now he is starting over with an attorney. One has to go through so many things to come to the United States, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Farther south in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, Timothy Thomas Jr., who is African American, says the influx of Venezuelan immigrants like Jose in recent years was striking in the predominantly Black community. Youd really see it around the schools. Im retired and Id see school drop-off and pick-up. Latino moms would walk their kids to school. And youd look at the playground during recess and it was a melting pot, said Thomas, who worked for a decade in the local U.S. Department of Homeland Security office. The changing environment of his neighborhood and other Black communities on the South Side hasnt been smooth. The city couldnt keep up with the stream of migrants that arrived between 2022 and 2024, forcing many to sleep on police station floors before shelters were popped up. City and state officials worked to solve the problem by approving six months of free rent for some new arrivals in unoccupied homes, many of which were located on the citys Black South Side. It was a gesture that caused tension in a city whose population is about a third white, a third Black and a third Latino. South Side residents who have long struggled to make ends meet protested at City Council meetings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We did not have the luxury and opportunity to cross the border, said a resident during one of the councils public comment periods last year. We came here chained in the bottom of slave ships. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has tried to navigate the tensions by taking steps to make housing opportunities equitable for all struggling residents. He often speaks about the city increasing the number of youth jobs, reopening a publicly funded mental health facility and funneling monies from a $1.25 billion bond toward housing projects on the South and West sides as examples of his commitment to longtime residents. These are points Johnson tried to address last week in the politically charged congressional hearing that saw him and three other big-city mayors defend sanctuary city status that prevents local law enforcement from helping federal authorities in deportations. Tensions in Chicago have persisted, despite these efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Migrants have had trouble paying rent after their six-month vouchers have run out. And some neighborhoods have seen more incidents of open-air drug use, garbage thrown out on the street or public urination, said Alderman Raymond Lopez, whose ward straddles Chicagos Latino South West Side and the African American South Side. Theres frustration that they don't fit in, and Im hearing it from Black neighbors, Latino neighbors and white neighbors, Lopez said. South Side pastors have found themselves navigating the tension, supporting their Black congregants angry that their needs were being ignored while being supportive of new arrivals who had little more than the clothes on their backs. There was empathy [for migrants] but people also pointed out that theyve been suffering this way the whole time, said Father David Jones of St. Benedict the African Parish in the Englewood neighborhood. His Catholic church found itself helping some migrant families who had jobs and a place to stay but little else. The parish found mattresses and clothing and prepared meals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then the 2024 election came and threats of deportation. By January, Jones said, Venezuelan immigrants stopped coming by. He and others on the South Side say tensions have since subsided as migrants have acclimated more to the community. They are finding shelter, establishing themselves in the community albeit behind closed doors likely for fear of deportation, he said. But other groups say theyre still seeing a steady influx of immigrants seeking assistance. Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, a community organization thats been helping immigrant workers and other residents in Chicago since 2007, moved offices to the South Side in 2023, only coincidentally at the same time Abbott started sending immigrants to Chicago. The group has joined in a lawsuit to prevent the Internal Revenue Service from disclosing private tax return information to immigration enforcement authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont ask about their status and dont keep track of that. But weve definitely seen an increase in clients, said Ana Guajardo, the groups executive director. Normally we have outreach efforts; now people are coming to us. CORRECTION: A previous version of this report misstated the number of migrants who have become Chicago residents in recent years. It is more than 51,000. Again and again the Trump White House has turned to a 73-year-old legal statute to defend its immigration crackdown. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt cited the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 on Tuesday to explain the arrest and planned deportation of a Palestinian activist and legal U.S. resident with a green card. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem cited it in late February when announcing that anyone living in the U.S. illegally would have to register with the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The act has been mentioned in presidential orders, press releases and speeches. But what is it? Why do officials keep talking about the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952? The act comes up so frequently because it is the legal foundation of modern immigration law, encompassing a vast range of regulations and procedures. It has been amended hundreds of times since it was passed, during the Truman administration. Decades of sweeping changes in immigration law link back to the act. These were all massive public laws in their own standing, but they were all amending the 1952 legislation, said Niels Frenzen, an immigration expert at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The law, also known as the McCarran-Walter Act, came amid the anti-communist fears of the early Cold War. While it eased some race-based immigration restrictions, particularly for Asians, it effectively limited most immigration to Europeans. It also codified rules allowing ideology to be used to deny immigration and allow deportation. How has the Trump administration used the act and its many provisions? Most recently, the Trump White House used the act as the basis to arrest Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist who helped organize campus protests at Columbia University against the Israel-Hamas war. Khalil, a Palestinian who was born and raised in Syria, became a legal permanent resident, also known as a green card holder, last year. He is married to an American citizen. But the administration says he still can be expelled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the Immigration and Nationality Act the secretary of state has the right to revoke a green card or a visa for individuals who are adversarial to the foreign policy and national security interests of the U.S., Leavitt told reporters Tuesday. The reality is more complicated, legal scholars say. The provision the White House is using Section 237 (a)(4)(C) - is rarely invoked, requires extensive judicial review and is intended for unusual cases when someones presence in the U.S. could cause diplomatic turmoil. The deportation has to have some seriousness to it, said Richard Boswell, a University of California San Francisco law professor whose work often focuses on immigration. The burden is on the government to show the person should be deported. Scholars often point back to the Clinton administration for a recent, high-profile example. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mario Ruiz Massieu was a former deputy attorney general in Mexico when he was arrested in 1995 for trying to leave the U.S. with $26,000 in undeclared cash. Then-Secretary of State Warren Christopher said that not deporting Ruiz-Massieu would jeopardize our ability to work with Mexico on law enforcement matters. When else has the act been invoked? -Under Section 212(f) , the president may block entry of any aliens or class of aliens into the United States whose presence would be detrimental to the interests of the United States. Donald Trump used that broad language to impose a travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority countries during his first term and, on the first day of his second term, laid groundwork for a renewed travel ban. His advisers are expected to make recommendations later this month. -In late February, Noem said in a statement she would fully enforce the Immigration and Nationality Act, and would require anyone living in the U.S. illegally to register with the federal government, with those who dont facing fines, imprisonment or both. - Joe Biden used the act's humanitarian parole provision more than any president to allow temporarily allow people into the U.S. from countries including Ukraine, Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Specifically, it allows the president to admit anyone on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. The Trump administration is facing a lawsuit for ending the long-standing legal tool. After eight months in a packed prison teeming with heat, disease and hunger, Peterson Rosier should have felt free. Instead, he felt fear. Immediately upon arrival in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital where the United States deported him in 2022, Haitian authorities illegally imprisoned him without charge. He had not lived in Haiti since age 4. Now, finally freed, he knew no one. He was stranded in a country where political upheaval and gang violence have become so dire that its capital is now ranked as the most dangerous city in the world. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Haiti, one's status as a deportee brings an added level of risk. Deportees, especially those deported for criminal matters, have long been viewed by authorities and citizens as outsiders and are blamed for bringing crime and violence to Haiti. Targeted by police, deportees said they had been imprisoned without charge, surveilled and harassed. Armed watch groups dont want them in their neighborhoods. Gangs have tried to kidnap them for ransom or draft them into their ranks. Hostilities have escalated to extortion, violence and even lynching, said advocates and researchers who work with deportees in Haiti. Fearing for their safety, deportees said they stayed out of the public eye. Im still in prison; Im in Haiti, said Rosier, 37, who grew up in Florida. Ill be honest. I stay inside the house. I dont like to move around. Anything is possible. Everything is a threat. If I leave, people will be watching me, thinking Im going to do something. If people don't know me I'm new in town they will assume I'm in some type of gang." Peterson Rosier of Florida was deported to Haiti in April 2022. As a deportee, he said he faced threats and illegal imprisonment while in Haiti. As violence in Haiti escalates, advocates worry that a growing number of deportees will now be in the same predicament: targeted by a U.S. president who ran on a campaign to deport dangerous immigrants, then sent to a country where many view them the same way, often with devastating results. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump has signed a series of executive orders laying groundwork for mass deportations, including Haitian American communities. In February, administration officials announced they will end temporary protected status for 521,000 Haitians starting in August. The status, known as TPS, gives temporary permission for migrants to live and work in the U.S. because their native country is deemed unsafe for return. In Haitian communities, the announcement sparked fear, protests and lawsuits. The U.S. is preparing to deport thousands, even as it imposes a do not travel advisory on Haiti, citing widespread kidnapping, crime, sexual assault, civil unrest and limited health care. NorthJersey.com and The Record spoke with four men who had been deported to Haiti under the Biden administration after serving time for criminal offenses, including drug possession, assault and burglary. Unable to get work, they rely on help from friends and family in the U.S., but they often go hungry. Some have fled Haiti for safety in other countries. People displaced by armed gang attacks take refuge in a school of the Kenscoff neighborhood in Port-au-Prince on February 10, 2025. According to official sources there were more than 3000 internally displaced people in Kenscoff. Haiti has been mired for decades by political instability, made worse in recent years by criminal gangs that have grown more powerful. Gangs now control 85 percent of the capital Port-au-Prince and children -- some as young as eight years old -- now make up to half of all armed groups, UNICEF spokesman James Elder told reporters in Geneva. (Photo by Clarens SIFFROY / AFP) (Photo by CLARENS SIFFROY/AFP via Getty Images) Unwelcome in Haiti The United States first granted TPS to Haitians after a massive earthquake in 2010 and extended it multiple times. A new wave of migrants arrived in recent years, as Haiti plunged into political turmoil and violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After President Jovenel Moises assassination in 2021, gangs increased control across Haiti and now reportedly have overtaken 85% of the capital. Violence and kidnappings are at record levels. More than 5,600 people were killed in gang violence last year, the UN reported. Half the population faces acute hunger. Children who fled gang violence in the Delmas 30 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince take shelter at a public works facility on February 27, 2025. Amid spiraling gang violence in Haiti, the United Nations should provide logistical and financial help to the multinational police mission there, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on February 26, 2025, dismissing calls for immediately deploying peacekeepers. (Photo by Clarens SIFFROY / AFP) (Photo by CLARENS SIFFROY/AFP via Getty Images) They tried to burn my house one time, said Patrick Julney, 41, a deportee from New Jersey who stayed with family after his release from Haiti's National Penitentiary in 2022. I diffused the situation because I know people around here. Wherever you go, its Were watching you, were going to kill you, this aint America, its Haiti They hate us. Im like, I just came here. I dont even know nobody. Political turmoil is not new in Haiti, nor is discrimination against deportees. Haitian officials and the press have long blamed them for crime and gang violence, advocates said. Read: Our coverage of Haitian deportation and the deplorable conditions in Haitian prisons Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We didnt even make it out of the airport, said Saguens Bernabe, 36, who lived in Georgia and Ohio and was deported in 2022. They said, Look at the deportees. They came to ruin the country. Theyre the reason why all these gangs are terrorizing the population. They said other crazy stuff about us taking their women and daughters. "The Haitian government, including prime ministers and presidents, have denounced the criminal deportees, saying they are a big threat," said Michelle Karshan, executive director of Alternative Chance, a support program for criminal deportees in Haiti. TOPSHOT - A woman carries a bundle on her head as residents flee their homes to escape gang violence in the Delmas neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on February 25, 2025. The United Nations on February 20 launched an appeal for more than $900 million to help 3.9 million people in 2025 in Haiti, a country ravaged by gang violence where nearly half the population suffers from acute food insecurity. (Photo by Clarens SIFFROY / AFP) (Photo by CLARENS SIFFROY/AFP via Getty Images) The criminal deportees are seen "as killers," and that "they should be detained when they first arrive to teach them a lesson," Karshan said. Many have lived in the United States since childhood and stand out because of their speech and appearance, from tattoos to hairstyles. "They are often the most dreaded sector of Haitian society," she said. "Now it's gangs. They see all criminal deportees as being part of gangs, and I see that very few are." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The University of Miami School of Law Human Rights Clinic also found that deportees "have been robbed, denied jobs and housing for which they were qualified, shunned in their neighborhoods, and physically attacked on account of their physical appearance and speech, denoting their status as deportees from the U.S." Chelsey Kivland, an associate professor of anthropology at Dartmouth College, whose research is focused on Haiti, said discrimination has included "not renting a property, not offering employment and not welcoming one into the community." If they don't have family or friends in Haiti, she said, they are at risk of social abandonment. People displaced by armed gang attacks take refuge in the town hall of the Kenscoff neighborhood in Port-au-Prince on February 10, 2025. According to official sources there were more than 3000 internally displaced people in Kenscoff. Haiti has been mired for decades by political instability, made worse in recent years by criminal gangs that have grown more powerful. Gangs now control 85 percent of the capital Port-au-Prince and children -- some as young as eight years old -- now make up to half of all armed groups, UNICEF spokesman James Elder told reporters in Geneva. (Photo by Clarens SIFFROY / AFP) (Photo by CLARENS SIFFROY/AFP via Getty Images) "Not being able to get a house, a job, a car, these are things that will leave the deportee at greater risk of engaging in other activities that would put the deportee at risk, whether they are stealing from others or joining the 'baz,' or gangs in Haiti," Kivland said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Immigrant advocacy groups have sued over the cancellation of TPS. They argue that Trump's order is discriminatory, citing dehumanizing and disparaging statements he has made against Haitian migrants. Trump has maintained that the TPS program, which the Biden administration expanded, had been exploited and abused and that it unfairly benefited people who entered the U.S. illegally. Asked about reported abuses against deportees, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said: "We are working with receiving countries to facilitate a humane response. We refer you to the receiving countrys government authorities for further information." Police patrol Port-au-Prince, Haiti on February 13, 2025, near Toussaint Louverture International Airport after reports of more gang shootings, Haiti's capital could become overrun by criminal gangs if the international community does not step up aid to a UN-backed security mission there, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned in a January 2025 report. (Photo by Clarens SIFFROY / AFP) (Photo by CLARENS SIFFROY/AFP via Getty Images) The Haitian government's communications office and its embassy in Washington, D.C., did not respond to requests for comment. William O'Neill, expert on Haiti for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said at a press conference Tuesday that the United States and other nations should halt deportations to Haiti. "You cannot guarantee a dignified safe return, which is required under international law to deport people, O'Neill said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Haiti is facing extreme violence, he said. Gangs have set up tolls along the roads and demanded payment from passerby, crippling transport of goods and making travel dangerous for all, including deportees, O'Neill added. If they have family or support networks in the capital, how do they get back?" he said. "The FAA just announced no U.S. airplanes until September using the main international airport of the country, so they land in Cap-Haitien. How are they going to get back and what do they face in the capital, with violence and shortages of everything, and a million already displaced? TOPSHOT - Men load a couch onto a truck as residents flee their homes to escape gang violence in the Delmas neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on February 25, 2025. The United Nations on February 20 launched an appeal for more than $900 million to help 3.9 million people in 2025 in Haiti, a country ravaged by gang violence where nearly half the population suffers from acute food insecurity. (Photo by Clarens SIFFROY / AFP) (Photo by CLARENS SIFFROY/AFP via Getty Images) From plane to prison For some deportees, problems started as soon as soon as they landed in Haiti on flights chartered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On Feb. 4, the first group of Haitian migrants deported since Trumps return to the White House 21 men in total were brought to police holding cells and held for eight days without charge. They landed in Cap-Haitien; U.S. flights to Port-au-Prince were suspended in November after three civilian planes, operated by Spirit, JetBlue and American Airlines, were hit with gunfire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They included 12 men convicted of crimes in the U.S. and nine who had no criminal record. Authorities told the Haitian Times that they were investigating possible gang affiliations among some of the men, and that a police delegation that was supposed to screen the men on Feb. 6 did not show up. Karshan said she believes police held them under false pretenses to extort payment. People who fled gang violence in the Delmas 30 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince take shelter at a public works facility on February 27, 2025. Amid spiraling gang violence in Haiti, the United Nations should provide logistical and financial help to the multinational police mission there, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on February 26, 2025, dismissing calls for immediately deploying peacekeepers. (Photo by Clarens SIFFROY / AFP) (Photo by CLARENS SIFFROY/AFP via Getty Images) They had no right to hold those people, Karshan said, stressing that detaining deportees without charge is illegal under Haitian and international human rights law. The 21 were held in a crowded cell with no beds, no provisions and forced to use the travel monies they were given, which equals $38, to buy food and water, Karshan said. Their imprisonment sparked fears that Haiti was reviving a banned practice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Haitian authorities routinely imprisoned deportees who had criminal convictions in the U.S. and extorted relatives for thousands of dollars, The Record revealed in a 2022 investigation. One deportee, Roody Fogg of Florida, died of cholera while detained during an outbreak in prison. TOPSHOT - People displaced by armed gang attacks take refuge in the town hall of the Kenscoff neighborhood in Port-au-Prince on February 10, 2025. According to official sources there were more than 3000 internally displaced people in Kenscoff. Haiti has been mired for decades by political instability, made worse in recent years by criminal gangs that have grown more powerful. Gangs now control 85 percent of the capital Port-au-Prince and children -- some as young as eight years old -- now make up to half of all armed groups, UNICEF spokesman James Elder told reporters in Geneva. (Photo by Clarens SIFFROY / AFP) (Photo by CLARENS SIFFROY/AFP via Getty Images) Deportees said they were still haunted by their time in prison, where they saw dozens die of starvation and cholera. Cells were so overcrowded they slept sitting or standing, and rats crawled on them as they slept. Authorities demanded that deportees pay thousands for supposed legal fees, to appear before a judge or for paperwork for their release requests that advocates decried as extortion. Their families in the United States worked extra shifts, depleted retirement savings and borrowed to help them. Human rights groups and lawmakers intervened to end their detention, but it has continued on and off in a system rife with corruption, Karshan said. 'We're watching you' Julney had lived in the U.S. since age 2. He did not know his mother, and his father, who wrote political music, was killed in Haiti when he was a boy. Homeless at 12, an aunt in New Jersey took him in. A legal U.S. resident, Julney was deported following drug and robbery convictions and jail terms among more than 27,000 Haitians that the Biden administration deported to the Caribbean nation. He made mistakes, he said, but he has paid for them. Im a changed man, said Julney. Im older, I did my time, and I paid my dues to the community. Why I got to come to Haiti and go through this? Haitian police pursued him after his release, asking for more money and even trying to re-arrest him, Julney said. He moved eight times until he finally fled to the Dominican Republic. Other deportees have also struggled. With his American accent and tattoos on his face and arms, Rosier said he is easily identifiable as a deportee. He rarely goes out. Most days, he has one meal, usually rice and beans. Last month, a friend sent him $25, so he went to a park and bought a dish of plantains and ground beef. The park was full of homeless families who had fled other parts of Haiti, he said. Ongoing gang violence has displaced more than a million people, nearly a tenth of the population, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti said in February. Brigades from the area point out the hideouts of armed gangs in the Kenskoff neighborhood of Port-au-Prince on February 10, 2025. According to official sources there were more than 3000 internally displaced people in Kenscoff. Haiti has been mired for decades by political instability, made worse in recent years by criminal gangs that have grown more powerful. Gangs now control 85 percent of the capital Port-au-Prince and children -- some as young as eight years old -- now make up to half of all armed groups, UNICEF spokesman James Elder told reporters in Geneva. (Photo by Clarens SIFFROY / AFP) (Photo by CLARENS SIFFROY/AFP via Getty Images) At the park, two police officers arrested Rosier and detained him overnight, accusing him of gang involvement. Discrimination and vigilantism grew as gang violence escalated across Haiti, Karshan said. Police have targeted criminal deportees not in the act of a crime." In November, police in an armored vehicle shot and wounded Shyler Registre, a deportee, as he walked through a park near the National Palace, Karshan said. No one came to his aid, and a health clinic asked for an "exorbitant amount" that he could not pay. In December, police detained Edzer Rene, a deportee living in Port-au-Prince. His body was found in the street a few weeks later, Karshan said. Deportees are often the first suspects in local crimes, Kivland said. In one such case in August, neighborhood residents accused a deportee of involvement in a home burglary. He was "shot and killed as a result without any due process," and no one was arrested for his shooting, she said. Fleeing Haiti Bernabe was deported in April 2022, after serving two years for drug possession. He also was promptly imprisoned and pressured to pay thousands in fees, a burden that fell on his family. He found shelter with relatives in Haiti, but some did not want him around and asked that he not visit their homes. Some deportees have gotten involved with gangs, including offenders who "turn back to crime" and people who have no opportunities and no local support, he said. But most are just trying to rebuild their lives, he said. All have been scapegoated, he added. Saguens Bernabe of Ohio was deported to Haiti in April 2022. As a deportee, he said he faced threats and illegal imprisonment while in Haiti. Bernabe and others deportees said they also were targeted for speaking to media and protesting over their illegal imprisonment. Eventually, he moved to Haitis countryside, but gangs had spread there too. Last fall, he boarded a plane to Nicaragua, then crossed by foot into Mexico, hoping to gain asylum in the United States. Bernabe decided to stay in Mexico, where he legalized his status and has a factory job. Hes not ready to return to the United States, worrying about the uncertain status of Haitians. You have the Conventions Against Torture act, and this is exactly what you are sending people to, Bernabe said. Ive written to a judge a detailed letter or what would happen to me if I got deported. Everything in that letter happened to a tee and then some. In an interview last year, another deportee, Bergson Morin, 35, of Philadelphia, said he had fled to the Dominican Republic and hoped to reach Mexico. If not for his sister and her husband in Haiti, he said, "I absolutely would not have made it out alive," and "would not have been able to eat." "As a deportee it doesn't matter the case or anything like that they just see everybody as the worst animal," he said. "It's the worst thing you can think of when it comes to Haiti." ""They just deport you and leave you there," he said. "They dont care what happens to you." Julney is laying low in the Dominican Republic, where Haitians have also been rounded up for mass deportation. He cant legally work, he said, but he is relieved to have escaped the violence that plagued Haiti. His wife visited in February, which he called a blessing. His dream is to one day return to New Jersey to be with her and his three stepchildren. People who fled gang violence in the Delmas 30 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince take shelter at a public works facility on February 27, 2025. Amid spiraling gang violence in Haiti, the United Nations should provide logistical and financial help to the multinational police mission there, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on February 26, 2025, dismissing calls for immediately deploying peacekeepers. (Photo by Clarens SIFFROY / AFP) (Photo by CLARENS SIFFROY/AFP via Getty Images) Peterson, too, dreams of returning to the United States and helping to raise his 12-year-old son. His father was not in his life, he said. His mother died when he was 12. He did not realize he was not a citizen until he was arrested for assault when he was 18. While on probation, he was arrested for robbery, court records show. He was not deported then. The United States halted deportations in 2010 after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti. But 21 years after the earthquake, police pulled him over and found a controlled substance in his vehicle. It was Xanax, he said, and he didn't have a prescription. He was arrested and deported. He made mistakes, he said, but feels like is paying every day. Like other deportees, he served a criminal sentence, then was held in immigration detention, and then imprisoned in Haiti before being released into a country both unsafe and unwelcoming. Kivland called for a public information campaign in Haiti and in the United States to counter misunderstandings about deportees who are perceived as violent criminals, when in fact many have been deported after minor offenses, she said. The University of Miami School of Law Human Rights Clinic also called on the United States in a 2023 report to act to ensure deportees' human rights are respected. The law clinic, in consultation with human rights groups, called for ending deportations to Haiti and granting asylum to those who could face jailing or persecution in Haiti. The U.S. must also ensure deportees are not imprisoned and take steps to end abuses, such as public anti-discrimination campaigns, the report states. Peterson said Haiti should have support programs and shelters for deportees. Some have been in the U.S. for so long that they don't speak the language or have connections there. They are coming back where they are not prepared for the conditions or situation, he said. Ill be honest. Peoples lives are in danger here. They dont have the necessities they need to survive. There is no government here. There is no help. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: US deportees to Haiti: Why gangs, police are targeting them Indian authorities have arrested a Lithuanian man wanted by the US for allegedly running a $96 billion cryptocurrency exchange that allowed terrorist organizations, drug traffickers and cybercriminals to launder money. The arrest caps an intense US-led manhunt for Aleksej Besciokov, that escalated last week with the seizure of the crypto exchange, the freezing of $26 million in assets and the unsealing of an indictment against Besciokov and an alleged accomplice. The US is expected to pursue Besciokovs extradition to the US Eastern District of Virginia in what would be a big win in the yearslong battle against money laundering services that allegedly fuel global crime and terrorism. The arrest shows that while the Trump administration has eased up pressure on Russia in some areas, such as offensive cyber operations, the Justice Department is still aggressively pursuing accused criminals with a connection to Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Besciokov had been living in Russia, according to the Justice Department. It is unclear why Besciokov traveled to India. Police in the southwest Indian state of Kerala arrested Besciokov this week, Indias Central Bureau of Investigation said in a statement that referred to Besciokov as a fugitive. This screenshot shows the Garantex website which the US Justice Department, in coordination with Germany and Finland, disrupted and took down. The cryptocurrency exchange website allegedly facilitated money laundering by transnational criminal organizations including terrorist organizations and sanctions violations, according to the US Justice Department. - From Garantex.org I can confirm Aleksej Besciokov, one of the administrators of Garantex, was arrested in India at the request of the United States, US Justice Department spokesperson Nicole Navas Oxman told CNN in an email. She declined to comment further. CNN has been unable to reach a lawyer representing Besciokov. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The arrest comes less than a week after the Justice Department unsealed an indictment against Besciokov and Aleksandr Mira Serda, a Russian man, for allegedly running Garantex. Besciokov was in charge of keeping Garantex online and running its infrastructure, while Mira Serda was the exchanges co-founder and chief commercial officer, according to the Justice Department. The Besciokov case is an example of how putting accused money launderers in handcuffs is the surest way to disrupt their activity. The US Treasury Department sanctioned Garantex in 2022. In response, Besciokov and others redesigned Garantexs operations to evade sanctions and dupe US businesses into working with Garantex, according to the Justice Department. The exchange processed $96 billion in transactions between 2015 and 2019, according to the indictment. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Indiana's Attorney General appeared to signal his opposition to a court order to provide gender-affirming surgery for a state inmate. (Getty Images) Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita appears to have signaled his defiance to a court order that would compel the Indiana Department of Correction to provide gender-affirming surgery for a transgender inmate. Convicted murderers dont get to demand that taxpayers foot the bill for expensive and controversial sex-change operations. It lacks common sense. We wont stop defending our states ban on using taxpayer funds to provide sex-change surgeries to prisoners, Rokita wrote on X Tuesday. Convicted murderers dont get to demand that taxpayers foot the bill for expensive and controversial sex-change operations. It lacks all common sense. We wont stop defending our states ban on using taxpayer funds to provide sex-change surgeries to prisoners. https://t.co/mPjC4fWRRO AG Todd Rokita (@AGToddRokita) March 11, 2025 Rokitas post comes on the heels of a court ruling last week extending a September preliminary injunction that blocked a state law prohibiting gender-affirming surgeries for transgender inmates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On March 5, U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young again ordered that the department secure gender-affirming surgery for Autumn Cordellione. Young said Cordellione has demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits of her Eighth Amendment claim that Indiana (law) which bans gender-affirming surgery for transgender inmates is unconstitutional. Specifically, Ms. Cordellione has shown that her gender dysphoria is a serious medical need and that, despite other treatments Defendant has provided her to treat her gender dysphoria, she requires gender-affirming surgery to prevent a risk of serious bodily and psychological harm, Young continued. Not providing such necessary medical care to address a serious medical need could be a violation of Cordelliones Eighth Amendment right protecting her from cruel or unusual punishment. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the core of the case is a 2023 law that prohibits spending any state or federal funds on gender-affirming surgery for transgender inmates. Since the September motion, the state has repeatedly appealed court rulings ordering Indiana to secure gender-affirming surgery for Cordellione. In that time, the court also ordered a mental health evaluation after finding Cordellione to be in controversy. A February status report indicated that a doctor with Indiana University declined to perform Cordelliones surgery and that the department would find an out-of-state provider in order to comply. Court documents have chronicled Cordelliones history of self-harm and suicide attempts, including attempts to remove her genitals. Cordellione, who has received hormonal therapy since 2020, is currently being held at New Castle Correctional Facility, a male prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cordellione was sentenced for murdering her stepdaughter in 2002, with the earliest possible release date being Dec. 29, 2025. gov.uscourts.insd.209485.158.0 SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A new national report on sexual harassment in U.S. state legislatures includes two lawmakers in the Indiana statehouse - Democratic state Sens. David Niezgodski and Greg Taylor - among 11 new cases nationwide revealed in 2024. The "Abuse of Power" report, from the National Women's Defense League, reported that the new allegations reported in 2024 in nine states including Indiana are part of at least 398 incidents of sexual harassment allegedly committed by 144 sitting state lawmakers since 2013. The organization estimates that actual incidents are likely much higher due to underreporting by survivors, which is common in sexual harassment and assault cases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two Indiana cases were revealed by IndyStar reporting in 2024 and led to Taylor being removed from a legislative leadership post and the Indiana Democratic Party creating an ethics committee. Niezgodski described the matter as a private personnel matter and has said he regrets how he acted. Taylor initially apologized after allegations were revealed before categorically denying the accusations. Emma Davidson Tribbs, director of the National Women's Defense League, a nonpartisan group that aims to prevent harassment and protect survivors, said there needs to be more action taken and accountability in state legislatures in order to address the problem. Our latest research reinforces what we already knew: the problem of sexual harassment in statehouses is pervasive, damaging and covered up, Davidson Tribbs said. These abuses of power that not only inflict trauma, but impede policy making, waste taxpayer resources and disproportionately impact the leadership of women and minorities in government." The report also revealed that one in three U.S. state lawmakers in a recent survey reported experiencing or witnessing sexual harassment in their statehouse. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The extent of the problem in Indiana is unclear. IndyStar reported last year that legislative leaders are refusing to reveal the number of harassment complaints received. "As an advocate for women in Indiana and an active participant in Hoosier political workspaces, Im appalled by the ongoing pattern of sexual harassment and the lack of appetite to make the substantive, common sense changes necessary to fix it," said Elise Shrock, a Democratic strategist and former Indiana Statehouse staffer, as part of the report. The report also mentions sexual harassment allegations impacting Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett's office. IndyStar reporting in 2024 revealed former Hogsett's chief of staff Thomas Cook allegedly sexually harassed three subordinates over a decade. The mayor knew about at least one of the allegations and another case involving Cook's relationship with a subordinate but continued to work with Cook. Lauren Roberts, one of the people who said she was harassed by Cook, said that she's spent more than a decade dealing with the situation, which was made worse by "negligent choices made by Mayor Hogsett, the Indiana Democratic Party, and others at the highest levels of power." Those choices allowed Cook to prey on other women, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We need a radical shift away from the culture of abuse that exists at all levels of government and politics, and we need systems that protect survivors and hold abusers fully accountable," Roberts said. Though the recent reporting in Indiana has focused on allegations against Democratic officials, the national report makes clear that it's a bipartisan problem. Between 2013 and 2024, instances of harassment are nearly equal between the Republican and Democratic parties, according to the report. Indiana was highlighted in the 31-page report, the only state to get its own "close up" page describing the extent of the issue in the Hoosier state and its political ramifications. "Indianas government workspaces, including the state legislature, were rocked by a series of sexual harassment accusations that spanned multiple levels of leadership, exposing deep cracks in accountability and ethics," according to the report." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@indystar.com. Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, curated by IndyStar political and government reporters. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana cases part of national report on 'pervasive' sexual harassment INDIANAPOLIS The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has confirmed two cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wild deer one in LaGrange County and the other in Posey County. Michigan recently had seven deer test positive for CWD on a farm in Osceola County. Right now, there is no way to cure, prevent, or get rid of CWD once it takes hold. Because of that, IDNR is focusing on monitoring the diseases spread to keep hunters informed and help Hoosiers adjust to its presence in local deer populations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CWD is not limited to deer; it also infects mule deer, elk and moose. It hasnt been shown to infect humans but the meat from these infected animals is a possible risk, the IDNR said in a release. Since the Posey County case popped up in an area where CWD hasnt been found before, IDNR is setting up a CWD Enhanced Surveillance Zone in Posey, Gibson and Vanderburgh Counties. They are working to determine how many deer have been impacted and how widespread it is in those areas. CWD testing will still be available at participating Fish & Wildlife areas, State Fish Hatcheries and National Wildlife Refuges during deer hunting season. Hunters are encouraged to take advantage of these resources to help track the disease. Theres no evidence that CWD can infect humans, but hunters should follow recommended guidelines when handling and processing deer, the IDNR said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CWD is a disease that attacks the nervous system of white-tailed deer and is fatal. Its a disease that is similar to diseases like mad cow disease and scrapie in sheep. Its caused by abnormal proteins, prions, that attack the brain. CWD spreads from deer to deer (and other cervid species) by direct contact, as well as through contaminated environments (equipment, soil, plants, etc.) and bodily fluids. Prions can linger in the environment for years, making the disease tough to control. CWD has been detected in free-ranging white-tailed deer in over 30 states, including Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. Indiana DNR staff collect tissue samples from wild deer year-round whether theyre harvested by hunters or found sick or dead to keep an eye on CWD in Indiana. They suggest that hunters send in the meat for testing before consumption. More information is available at www.in.gov/dnr/ or from the local DNR office at www.in.gov/dnr/contact-us/. Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, leads an energy committee on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Indiana legislation boosting early forays into nuclear power earned utility company support on Tuesday, but passionate opposition from ratepayer groups. It advanced from committee on a bipartisan 10-3 vote. With demand on the rise, Hoosier political and energy leaders are increasingly eyeing emerging technology small modular nuclear reactors, or SMRs as a possible solution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The United States hosts no operational SMRs. Across the globe, only China and Russia have functional ones. Some want Indiana to lead, but nuclear development is pricey. Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, told the Houses energy committee that he hopes to incentivize earlier deployment by removing what I understand to be the single-biggest barrier. His Senate Bill 424 would offer public utilities bringing SMRs to Indiana a path to recover pre-construction costs including anticipated spending from their customers before they obtain certificates of public convenience and necessity from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. Included are expenditures for design; engineering; environmental analyses and permitting; federal approvals, licensing and permitting; equipment purchases and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once the IURC gives a utility permission to start spending, the company would be able to request approval of a rate schedule to pass those costs on to customers. Regulators would have to approve if they find the costs reasonable in amount, consistent with their best spending estimate, and necessary to support SMR development. Indiana Michigan Power President and CEO Steve Baker testifies in committee on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) A utility could recover 80% of approved costs under the resulting rate schedule within three years at most. It would defer the remaining 20% for recovery as part of its next general rate case. Indiana Michigan Power one of the states big five investor-owned, regulated monopolies featured heavily in discussion. Two of the states largest incoming data centers, for Amazon Web Services and Google, will be in I&M territory. President and CEO Steve Baker said tax incentives and other economic development efforts are drawing more big customers and big loads into Indiana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our customers are concerned about our ability to supply these loads and do that in a sustainable sort of way, Baker told the committee. I&M is considering an SMR at its coal-fueled Rockport power plant, he said, which is set to shutter in 2028 by federal consent decree. A state-funded Purdue University report last year found the plant is among eight Indiana coal plant sites well-suited to SMR development. Several representatives from Spencer County, which hosts the plant, said the legislation would ensure a major property tax contributor, charitable giver and employer stays in their community. That prompted Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, to remark later, I can understand why, from the perspective of the locals, they would certainly want to have that project built, particularly if the cost of the project is borne by people outside of their area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ratepayer advocates maintained opposition. Say no, no, to subsidizing financially healthy, investor-owned utilities (and) tech behemoths who have deep, deep pockets, Citizens Action Coalition Executive Director Kerwin Olson said. Olson expected I&M to begin its cost recovery asks once the bill becomes law although an SMR wouldnt come online at Rockport until at least 2036, in the utilitys estimate. If they make a filing in 2025 or 2026, whatever they file for, this bill says they have to recover that by 2029 for a project that may never, ever happen, Olson said. Where are the provisions that require the utilities to refund customers their money? Citizens Action Coalition Executive Director Kerwin Olson testifies in committee on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Koch previously said his proposal contains important consumer protections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under Senate Bill 424, costs exceeding the IURCs best estimate wouldnt get passed to ratepayers unless regulators deem the spending reasonable, necessary, and prudent in supporting reactor development. Expenditures for canceled or abandoned projects wouldnt be recoverable without the same reasonable, necessary, and prudent finding. Even so, a utility wouldnt earn returns in such cases unless regulators also find the decision was prudently made for good cause, that profit is appropriate to avoid harm to the utility and its customers; and that costs will be offset or reimbursed through other, listed means. Olson and others werent convinced. I think reasonable and prudent are my least favorite words in the English dictionary; (theyre) written by lawyers for lawyers, Olson said. He noted that the legislation doesnt define those terms. His other concern: Its the shall provisions. The bill is littered with, The utility shall recover, (and) The commission shall approve.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Delaney Barber Kwon, the community and government affairs manager for Indiana Conservation Voters, asked the committee to consider alternative ways to support SMR development, like tax credits, public-private partnerships and more. Joe Rompala, representing Indiana Industrial Energy Consumers Inc., similarly requested that lawmakers pursue other forms of cost recovery, like the partnership-heavy pilot program in Senate Bill 423. The trade organization includes more than 20 of the states largest energy consumers, he said. Sam Carpenter, executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council, noted that Virginia has capped SMR development cost recovery totals to just $125 million over five years and limited rider increases for the typical residential customer to $1.40 monthly. Disagreements abounded over the legislations timing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pierce, the Bloomington Democrat, said SMR is not quite proven and that Indiana should wait for the technology to get better and cheaper. Advancing Kochs proposal now, he said, would make ratepayers into guinea pigs for this experiment called an SMR. But I&Ms Baker previously feared that if Indiana moves too slowly, it may struggle to compete for power-needy economic development projects. Baker said I&M wants to ensure that were not too far in front, but were not so far behind that we dont have the ability to act on this. Energy and Natural Resources Secretary Suzanne Jaworowski listens during an energy committee hearing on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muniz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) The legislation earned a full-throated endorsement from Energy and Natural Resources Secretary Suzanne Jaworowski, one of Gov. Mike Brauns cabinet appointees. She said this chance to deploy proven technology aligns with Brauns agenda and all-of-the-above approach to energy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is (such) a unique moment in time that I dont want to see Indiana miss out on the opportunity to have federal support, private-public partnership support, Jaworowski said. Not only do we have a demand signal from industry that they want this technology, theyre also willing to help pay for it so that it is not all on the backs of the ratepayers. Identical language within another measure, House Bill 1007, has also crossed into the Senate. Thats after the committee on Tuesday stripped out the only difference: a 2035 expiration date on the cost-recovery provisions. Chair Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, said he convinced Koch to remove it because we dont know when these are going to come online. The Indiana General Assembly meets often enough that it can enter a date later if needed, he said. The twinned language is necessary because lawmakers plan to push both across the finish line, Soliday told the Capital Chronicle, citing powers above my head. Carbon sequestration proposal at the mercy of budget leaders The committee didnt take up detailed edits filed for a carbon dioxide storage and transmission measure or accept testimony before a vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Author Sen. Sue Glick, R-LaGrange, has dubbed it a clean-up effort for previous legislation. Lawmakers authorized a pilot project, led by Wabash Valley Resources, in 2019 and revisited it in 2023. In between, in 2022, they established regulations for carbon sequestration projects and exempted the pilot from those requirements. Glicks Senate Bill 457 seeks to build on those endeavors. It would exempt pipeline companies from needing to get certificates of authority in certain cases. The legislation would also create a permit for exploratory wells and well conversions; add inspection provisions; charge new fines for legal violations; and tweak other fee amounts. It would direct fee and fine proceeds away from topic-specific funds toward the states General Fund changes made by Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka, who leads the powerful Senate Appropriation Committee. An exhaustive amendment filed ahead of the committees meeting wouldve undone that, redirecting monies back to carbon sequestration trust and administrative funds and specifying that the funds exist to defray state spending to manage and monitor projects. It wasnt called. The chair will not be accepting any amendments, Soliday said during the meeting. There will probably be an amendment as a trailer to another bill. The debate is who can create funds. We are at the mercy of the Appropriations Committee, as you all know, and (the) Ways and Means (Committee), Glick added later. So well live with whatever they decide we can do. Senate Bill 457 will head there next for a finance-focused review, after committee members advanced it in an 11-2 vote featuring bipartisan support. Rep. Tim Wesco, R-Osceola, critiqued the concept but voted in favor. Carbon sequestration, in my view, is likely the most expensive boondoggle of this decade. It is wasteful and pointless but, I feel, otherwise harmless, Wesco said. Companies want to spend money to do it, so, well let them. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Gig Harbor readers, rejoice: another independent bookstore is moving downtown. Invitation Bookshop announced its upcoming relocation to 3119 Judson St., next to Il Lucano Ristorante Italiano, on Facebook March 2. The store, which sells new books, is currently located at 5125 Olympic Dr., which owner Allyson Howard described as a little off the beaten path and an area that doesnt get significant foot traffic. The waterfront really is the historic and community heart of Gig Harbor, Howard told The News Tribune in a phone interview March 6. And when you look at the role of bookstores in communities ... so much of what we do and so much of our mission as a bookstore is tied to community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The stores name comes from the first poem in Shel Silversteins Where the Sidewalk Ends poetry collection, Invitation, which Howard said is the way she views the relationship between book and reader. She and her husband Jason opened the bookshop in September 2020, according to their website. The space on Judson Street opened up after national boating supply company West Marine closed its Gig Harbor location, according to Howard. Invitation Bookshops move will bring them closer to two used bookstores in downtown Gig Harbor, No Dearth of Books at 7803 Pioneer Way and Gig Harbor Book Company at 3226 Harborview Dr. She doesnt have an exact opening date yet, but customers will be able to continue visiting their Olympic Drive location until at least April 2, she told The News Tribune in a text message. Theyll close temporarily for the move and reopen between April 12 and 17. The store will share updates through their newsletter and on their website and social media. The new space is going to be about 1,000 square feet bigger, Howard said. Their sales floor isnt expanding by much, but the new location will have a small dedicated event space for book clubs, writing groups, storytelling and craft sessions for kids, and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Having that separate space will allow customers to browse the store while the bookshop hosts events, community outreach manager Michaela Devine told The News Tribune. Right now, staff have to roll the bookcases away to clear space for events. Theyll be able to host events during store hours in the new space, not just after, according to Howard. Invitation Bookshop has previously hosted events for authors including Marie Bostwick, a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of historical and womens fiction who lives in Gig Harbor, Wash. And theres a whole lot of events coming down the pipeline. The store will host a pre-launch party April 17 for local author Marie Bostwicks book The Book Club for Troublesome Women, a novel set in the 1960s about a woman in northern Virginia who invites three other ladies to a book club and sparks a feminist revolution in her buttoned-up suburb, according to the authors website. Tickets are required and available on the bookshop website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tacoma-based author Mary Boone will host a storytime and craft session at the bookshop on April 19. Shell read from her picture book Pedal Pusher about Annie Cohen Kopchovsky, the first woman to ride a bicycle around the globe. Invitation Bookshop is also coordinating the third annual South Sound Book Crawl from Saturday, April 26 to Sunday, May 4. Eleven participating bookstores throughout the South Sound will have passports for participants to get stamped at each location. A complete passport earns you 20% off a single purchase at each store for the next year, and a chance to win a grand prize swag bag. Its free to participate. Books line the shelves inside Invitation Bookshops existing location on Olympic Drive in Gig Harbor, Wash. Other upcoming events include a romantasy book club launching this summer, a preview event in mid-May where customers will have a chance to pre-order summer releases after listening to staff present their favorite picks, and a writers group recruitment event where people can meet groups looking for new members, according to Devine. Footage has surfaced showing a so-called hunting influencer grabbing a wild baby wombat and running with the frightened animal toward a cameraman, leaving the critters mother in distress. According to News.com Australia, the footage was originally posted to Instagram by a U.S.-based user named Sam Jones, a hunting advocate who describes herself as a wildlife biologist and environmental scientist. Jones page, samstrays_somewhere, is now private and the clip reportedly has been deleted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the clip, obtained by 10 News First and posted below, Jones is shown posing in front of a cameraman, who at times is laughing hysterically, while the critter struggles to free itself from her grasp. I caught a baby wombat! Jones boasts. Jones is later shown returning the baby wombat to its mother, but that wasnt enough to satisfy people who considered her actions to be cruel and potentially illegal. She should be banned from Australia for life, reads to top comment beneath the 10 News First post. News.com Australia quoted Tania Bishop, a veterinarian for a wildlife rescue group, as saying the baby wombat a joey perhaps 8 months old would be completely dependent on its mother at that age. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It would be with the mum at all times, relying on her for protection, Bishop said, adding that baby wombats are fragile and this animal might have been injured being carried in such a manner. This is just an extremely unacceptable way to treat our wildlife, which is already under incredible pressure right now, Bishop said. There were calls on online forums for Jones to be deported, if she hadnt already left Australia. According to News.com Australia, Jones addressed the criticism before deleting her video, stating: For everyone thats worried and unhappy, the baby was carefully held for ONE minute in total and then released back to mum. They wandered back off into the bush together completely unharmed. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Video shows woman running across road with frightened baby wombat OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is not sharing where in Oklahoma two likely measles cases are, despite notifying the public about them on Tuesday. The department shared in a news release Tuesday that the two cases are being reported to the CDC as probable cases because there was reported exposure associated with the Texas and New Mexico measles outbreak. OSDH says both patients experienced symptoms consistent with measles. They also say that both cases lack a confirmed test result. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department has been working with the Minnesota Public Health Laboratory for measles testing since 2015 with a typical turnaround time of around 72 hours. Two probable measles cases reported in Oklahoma Weve been waiting for the first case, said Dr. Donna Tyungu, the Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at OU Health Childrens Hospital. So, its not a huge surprise, especially with the cases not being controlled in Texas yet. Tyungu says if you are vaccinated in Oklahoma you shouldnt worry too much about the measles, saying that the vaccine is very effective. If you are unvaccinated, then you should probably talk to your provider about considering vaccination, said Tyungu. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tyungu said not being vaccinated could contribute to the growing problem across the country. The less vaccination that you see happening within the community, the more likely this disease is to kind of arise, said Tyungu. A big concern about the measles cases for some health leaders and Oklahomans that News 4 spoke with on Tuesday, was transparency. OSDH announced it was not releasing any geographic details about where the cases are in Oklahoma because they dont pose a public health risk and to protect patient privacy. A spokesperson said neither of the individuals tested were in a public setting during their incubation or contagious period, preventing the risk of community spread. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some Oklahomans say theyre concerned about the lack of transparency. I mean, I just feel that information is key and that people can make better decisions when they have the most information, said Verna Street. Another Oklahoman that News 4 spoke with disagreed. Its probably better for the families to keep these things private, as this is probably a very trying time for them, said Meghan Weeks. Dr. George Monks, former president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, told News 4 on Tuesday that he believes its a mistake not to share the information. Theres no privacy concerns whatsoever if you just disclose the county its in, even without disclosing any information about the patient that has measles, said Monks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News 4 looked into at least 12 states identified by the CDC on March 6 as having confirmed cases of Measles: Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington. Of the list of 12, only Florida, Pennsylvania, and Washington had state health departments that had put out minimal information about their confirmed cases. Every other state had shared more than Oklahoma, some of the information as vague as what county the case was in. Other states included very specific information about what city the patient lived in or what public places they had visited. Hopefully, well learn more, but I think it is really important for Oklahomans not to be kept in the dark, said Monks. An OSDH spokesperson said that if a risk of spread to the public is identified, the department will notify the public and share any information necessary to protect Oklahomans health. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News 4 pressed further about specific information OSDH shared in 2018 tied to a measles case in Pottawatomie County. A spokesperson said the 2018 information was shared with the public because, at the time, OSDH identified a public health risk. News 4 reached out to Texas and New Mexico Health Departments for more details since theyre both mentioned in the OSDH release. The Texas Department of State Health declined to comment, saying the matter was in OSDHs court. A spokesperson for New Mexicos Department of Health said they have not seen any data on their side showing any link from their measles cases to any cases in Oklahoma. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A 62-year-old hiker suffered injuries and was rescued on Tuesday from the Eternal Flame Trail at Chestnut Ridge Park, the Erie County Sheriffs Office said. Officials said police received the call from the park just after 2:10 p.m. The Orchard Park Fire Company said the hiker was brought out from the trail by a utility terrain vehicle. Ropes were needed to help bring her out due to icy conditions. She was then transported to ECMC by Mercy Flight to be treated for a broken pelvis and femur, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Erie County Parks said the trail is currently closed and will reopen as conditions improve. Latest Local News Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. UPDATE: Man, 39, reported missing from Mountain Iron is found dead Original story An appeal has been issued to find a 39-year-old man reported missing by his wife in Mountain Iron. Benjamin Sherwood was last seen at 10 a.m. Tuesday at his home on the 8800 block of Main Street, and it sparked aerial and ground search efforts continuing into the early hours of Wednesday. "Sherwoods wife indicated that her husband left on foot, had sustained an injury to his back and neck after recently slipping on some ice and suffers from a prior traumatic brain injury," the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office said. St. Louis County Sheriff's Office There was a possible sighting of Sherwood around 4 p.m. Tuesday near 8th Avenue West and 16th Street North in Virginia, Minnesota. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Residents and businesses located in Mountain Iron, Walmart, L&M, Parkville and the northwestern part of the city of Virginia are urged to check their security cameras for images of Benjamin and report them to 911," the sheriff's office said. Sherwood is described as white, 5'8" tall, weighing 180 lbs., with a bald head and beard. He was last seen wearing a blue coat, with an orange fur-lined hood, khaki pants, dark brown boots, and an orange hat with a wide dark green stripe on it. It is also believed that he may be wearing a camouflaged backpack like the one pictured below. NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) New Haven police say a subject has been located and is back in custody after escaping from state law enforcement Wednesday morning. Around 11:45 a.m., New Haven police said they assisted state police with apprehending a prisoner who escaped from the area of the Whalley Correctional Center. The prisoner, who was identified as 44-year-old David Tate, was detained that day due to having an outstanding arrest warrant by state police, police said. At around 10:45 a.m., state troopers responded to the New Haven Police Department to take Tate into custody. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The warrant was for another investigation where Tate left the custody of a half-way house in New Haven, where he was mandated to stay by court order. While parked at New Haven Correctional, Tate allegedly managed to manipulate himself while handcuffed, unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door handle of the cruiser transporting him. He escaped from CSP custody at 11:02 a.m. The trooper transporting him immediately chased him but lost sight of him shortly after. Multiple troopers, New Haven officers and K9 teams searched for Tate before ultimately finding him on Dixwell Avenue at 11:35 a.m. New Haven police reconnect father and daughter who was kidnapped decades ago Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some nearby schools went into lockdown, but were lifted shortly. He was transported back to the New Haven Correctional Center and processed for the outstanding warrant and is facing new charges from the incident. He was charged with: Escape 1st Degree Interfering with an Officer Failure to Comply with Fingerprint Requirements (2 counts) He was issued a total bond of $525,000 and will be arraigned on March 13. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. A man who was among four inmates that escaped the Bibb County Jail in 2023 will spend more years behind bars. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] In Oct. 2023, Johnifer Dernard Barnwell, aka Whoop, aka Malixe, 38, of Macon, was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base; and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was sentenced to life in prison. On Monday, a judge sentenced Barnwell to serve the statutory maximum of five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of escape from custody in July 2024. TRENDING STORIES: The conviction stems from when Barnwell, Joey Fournier, Marc Kerry Anderson, and Chavis Demaryo Stokes escaped from the Bibb County Detention Center. Barnwell was found inside a home on Alpine Drive in Augusta almost a month later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to court documents, when Barnwell was taken into custody he was allegedly in possession of an AK-47 rifle with a loaded magazine, a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with 14 rounds, a .45 caliber pistol with a loaded magazine, an extended capacity magazine, a drum magazine, 23,000 grams of methamphetamine; and more than 3,200 grams of fentanyl. Despite his attempts to escape justice, Johnifer Barnwell has been held accountable for his criminal actions, said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. Law enforcement officers risked their lives to ensure that a repeat felon was brought to justice and to prevent the distribution of some of the deadliest drugs in our state. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] SOCORRO COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) A former inmate is getting a multi-million-dollar payout after he said he was held in a New Mexico county jail cell for days without food and water. Jessie Chavezs attorney said his client was tormented for days and now he hopes the money will help Chavez turn his life around. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chavez was arrested in June 2022 for missing court on a pending misdemeanor charge. Chavezs attorney claims he was mistreated while he was experiencing mental health symptoms. His attorney said he was placed in a cell without a toilet, water, or food for days. He wasnt receiving the medical care or the mental health care that he needed. Instead, they put him in this tiny closet and let him rot there, said Director of the New Mexico Prison Project Steven Robert Allen. Allen said his client was inside a cell forced to live in his own feces. Allens firm filed a lawsuit against the Socorro County Detention Center, staff, and county. The lawsuit said the treatment Chavez received violated his rights to medical and mental health help. He was arrested again months later for failing to appear in court again. His attorney said he experienced the same treatment when he was kept in a cell without basic needs day after day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, the county has agreed to a $2 million settlement in that case. Thats what justice means for someone like Mr. Chavez. He didnt get it. He had a right to it. And this is the result, said Allen. Chavez has a long criminal history, with charges including burglary, larceny, drug trafficking, and resisting an officer. However, in his more recent cases, he was found incompetent to stand trial. According to Allen, this shows the change that needs to happen within the justice system. He said Chavez has struggled with mental health throughout his life. Allen hopes the money will help him get the care he needs. We want him to have a stable home, the transportation he needs, the enjoyment for the rest of his life he often hasnt had, said Allen. Court records show Chavez has not accrued any new charges for the last two years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The County of Socorro sent this statement to KRQE News 13: The County of Socorro is proud of its caring and attentive detention staff. Our staff provides quality care to all detainees, as the detainees are members of our community. Although we do not comment on litigation, the County disagrees with statements made by Plaintiffs Counsel and the allegations in the complaint. The County continues to implement additional standards in the facility to improve the quality of care. The County is also continuing to effectuate positive change through the implementation of our welding program and other educational opportunities for our detainees. We, like every other entity in New Mexico and especially rural New Mexico, strive to address our communitys need for mental healthcare in an environment of extremely limited resources. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. A small California city just showed the country how to make reusable cups part of everyday life. The Petaluma Reusable Cup Project, the first citywide program in the U.S. to offer reusable to-go cups at no cost to customers, has proven that switching from throwaway cups can work at scale. The initiative brought together major companies like Starbucks, The Coca-Cola Company, and PepsiCo with local businesses to replace single-use cups with purple reusable alternatives. A statement revealed more than 220,000 cups were returned throughout the three-month program, with enough successful returns to create actual environmental benefits compared to single-use options. This matters for your wallet and your community. Americans purchase and throw away an astonishing 50 billion single-use cups each year. Most of these end up wasted in landfills. By proving reusable systems can work across an entire city, this project opens the door to programs that could help you avoid wasteful purchases while keeping your neighborhood cleaner. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What made Petaluma's approach different was its focus on making reuse accessible to everyone. Thirty businesses participated, from national chains to local coffee shops, automatically serving every to-go beverage in a reusable cup at no extra cost. This removed the barriers that often limit similar programs. "The best part was that this project got the whole community involved," said Mayor Kevin McDonnell of the City of Petaluma. "Deep public-private partnerships, including commerce and non-profits collaborating, demonstrated that it is possible to launch an inclusive and accessible reuse system that supported our residents. People got into it, and it was the talk of the town." The project's success has the NextGen Consortium planning to expand to other cities. "The Petaluma Reusable Cup Project demonstrated an ambitious, innovative vision of reuse as an everyday reality, paving the way for the Consortium to scale reuse in California and other markets," said Carolina Lobel, Senior Director at the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. EAST ORANGE, N.J. In their thrift store in East Orange, Mark, and Joi Smith arent in it for the money, they want to serve their community. You know, the Bible says God created each and every man equal, said Mark Smith, so we want to make sure everyone is being treated equally. More Local News Thats one reason why The Angel Spot is officially designated by the City as a Safe Place. I believe that everybody should be safe and nobody should be subject to a hate crime, I dont care who you are, said Mark Smith. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are one of more than a dozen businesses in the City -from gas stations to flower shops- to be part of an initiative to be a safe place for victims of hate crimes. In East Orange, we are committed to ensuring that everyone who lives here, works, or visits our City feels secure and welcome, said Mayor Ted R. Green. Created by the Seattle Police Department in 2015, Safe Place is a national initiative that looks to address the low reporting of hate crimes, bullying, and harassment. Businesses in East Orange with this label are to help victims should they enter their store to seek help. The owners of the store agree to call 9-1-1 and allow the victim to stay on the premises until police arrive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Cities like East Orange have to go through a rigorous application process to be recognized as being part of the program. Were ensuring the safety of a person who is a victim of a hate crime, a bias crime, said East Orange Police Chief Phyllis Bindi. It is a big thing. They want to know were going to actually follow through and complete what we say were going to do. Police say more businesses are already on their way to signing up. They hope by the end of the year to have 80% of the Citys businesses on board. The program was brought to East Orange by Detective Elaine Settle, who just last week retired after 40 years of service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I live in the City too, said Settle, so Im concerned about how people are treated. After four decades, she leaves on a high note, answering one last call. Absolutely. This was the best way to end my career. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Nevada's House Democrats said the Republican legislation further empowers Elon Musk and Donald Trump to run roughshod over Congress. (Photo by Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. House Tuesday approved legislation to fund the government through September 30. Now the legislation must pass the Senate by a Friday night deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown. The offices of Nevada Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen did not respond to requests for comments after the House vote Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Nevadas three House Democrats all issued statements blistering the legislation, which passed with all but one Republican vote (Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky) and support of a sole Democrat (Rep. Jared Golden of Maine). House Democrats had warned the bill was not a typical continuing resolution, but a White House power grab, and they wanted provisions added to the bill ensuring that the Trump administration would have to spend the money Congress appropriates as directed. The Trump administration has repeatedly come under fire for flaunting that constitutional requirement, and the actions of the administration as well as Elon Musks so-called DOGE have generated multiple lawsuits. The House Republican legislation cuts funding for nondefense programs and services by $13 billion while increasing defense spending by $6 billion compared to fiscal year 2024 enacted levels, according to an analysis from Democrats on the the House Appropriations Committee Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This bill gives Elon Musk carte blanche to continue to steal from the middle class to pay for tax breaks for himself and his billionaire buddies, said Nevada Rep. Dina Titus in a statement after Tuesdays vote. Several federal programs would lose funding as a result of the legislation, Titus said, including rent subsidies, assistance for veterans exposed to toxins, and a Defense Department account that prevents terrorists from obtaining nuclear weapons. Republicans have also removed $13.1 million in funding for Community Projects in Clark County, including: $7.9 million for projects to assist seniors in need, improve road safety, and enhance emergency response capabilities; $3.4 million for Boulder City to combat the impacts of drought and to save enough water to supply an additional 4,000 homes; and $1.7 million for the City of Henderson to improve resources for crime victims and their families, Titus said. Elon Musk and President Trump are already shutting down the government, and congressional Republicans are sitting back and letting it happen, said Nevada Democratic Rep. Susie Lee in her statement after the vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the cost of gas, groceries, and housing continues to rise, Lee said. Describing the continuing resolution to fund the government as anything but clean, Lee warned that the legislation defunds police, cripples our national defense, cuts veterans health care, and slashes programs Nevadans rely on. The legislation cedes congressional authority to Trump, read the statement from Nevada Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford. Days after Elon Musk threatened the Social Security benefits my constituents have earned, this bill makes it easier for Musk and Trump to fire thousands of Social Security Administration workers, Horsford said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And as veterans and military-connected families reel from news that Trump wants to fire 83,000 people from the VA, this bill drops $22.8 billion that was intended for veteran medical care, and creates an opportunity for the Trump Administration to redirect Veteran Health Administration funds to other causes, or eliminate them entirely, Horsford said. I voted no, and Im calling on my Senate colleagues to reject this partisan sham, he said. Horsford also noted that Republicans hold the House, the Senate, and the White House, and yet by having to resort to a continuing resolution, theyre acknowledging that they failed to provide a budget. One of the House Republicans more responsible than most for seeing that a budget is provided is Rep. Mark Amoedi, Nevadas only Republican in Congress, and chair of the subcommittee on homeland security in the House Appropriations Committee ostensibly the committee charged with ironing out federal department and agency budgets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A fundamental duty of Congress is to ensure the federal government remains open and operational, Amodei said in his statement issued after the vote, adding a long-term continuing resolution is necessary to preserve the continuity of critical services and programs while avoiding unnecessary increases in taxpayer spending. The Appropriations Committee will work at breakneck pace to develop a budget for fiscal year 2026, Amodei added. In the meantime, while its not the ideal solution, this legislation, free of hidden agendas, allows Congress to focus on working with the President in implementing his agenda and restoring fiscal discipline to our nation, he said. Following a continuing resolution to keep the government running in October and another one in December, the legislation passed Tuesday was a third CR to fund the federal government through the rest of the fiscal year, instead of having leaders on the Appropriations Committees negotiate full-year spending bills. States Newsroom reporter Jennifer Shutt contributed to this report. HAMPTON, Iowa With almost daily talk of adding tariffs or pausing tariffs, the atmosphere for Iowa farmers is one of uncertainty. You know thats what makes it really hard is when theres no plan laid out for us, said April Hemmes, a Franklin County farmer. He says its gonna hurt for a while. OK. Well, you know, what are we gonna do? In the meantime, you know so thats, thats whats really hard and the indecision of tariffs are on tariffs are off. Iowa State University Economist Dr. Chad Hart said the immediate impact might be on steel imports from Canada. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Iowa man stabbed victim and then set victims home on fire, sheriff says As we look at Canada and were seeing a lot of discussion around those steel and aluminum tariffs, which wont impact agriculture, said Hart. They will potentially increase the cost of a lot of machinery that we can purchase because we do tend to bring a lot of steel and aluminum from Canada. Those who make a living from farming have been dealing with now five years of drought, which can impact profits. This round of tariffs, which were just announced today, 15% for corn and 10% for soybeans and thats whats important to us Iowa farmers is you know that means a lot to us especially now our inputs are a lot higher than they were in 2017, said Hemmes. On corn, we can maybe make a little bit of money, soybeans its not looking so good. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hart said the timing on the tariffs so far is good for farmers. At least right now most of the sales that we would be making from China we have already made, said Hart. Had this hit last fall, wouldve had a much bigger impact than right now. If these tariffs continue, they will have a major impact as we look towards harvest. Iowa News: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. (Main photo by simpson33 via iStock / Getty Images Plus; seal courtesy State of Iowa) A central Iowa lawyer, with his license already suspended for misconduct, has been publicly reprimanded for telling a womans friends and associates she was a swinger while detailing for them her alleged sexual activities. The Iowa Attorney Disciplinary Board alleges that attorney David Leitner of Johnston violated the Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct by sending out a letter in which he levied the accusations against a woman who had dated one of his clients for about a year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the woman ended the relationship, Leitner allegedly sent a letter, on his law office letterhead, to the woman and 13 other individuals, some of whom were the womans friends, relatives or acquaintances. The letter began, As you well know, (the woman) was in a relationship with (Leitners client). Recently it has come to our attention that (she) has been spreading mistruths about my client and false allegations, therefore we are going to set the record straight one time, in the hope this ceases or we will all be subject to litigation very soon. According to the board, the letter went on to allege the woman was a swinger and it provided details related to the womans alleged sexual exploits and infidelity. The letter also alleged the woman attempted to engage Leitners client in a sex act in May 2023 and that she had a consensual sexual encounter with the client in July 2023. Less than a week after sending the letter, Leitner filed two civil lawsuits against the woman on behalf of his client, alleging defamation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In deciding to publicly reprimand Leitner, the board said that regardless of the truth of his letter, Leitners decision to send it to the womans associates violated the Iowa Rule of Professional Conduct for lawyers. In its decision, the board stated that Leitners claimed reason of sending the letter to advise the defamer just to stop doing it as well as to notify those persons with whom she has been known to have contact was disingenuous. Your intended purpose could have been accomplished without including details of (the womans) sex life The clear purpose of sending this letter to complainant, her family, her friends, and her acquaintances was to embarrass and harass her. The board stated that in light of the fact that Leitner was already serving a two-year license suspension that was imposed early last year, a public reprimand was the appropriate sanction. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Leitner for comment. But in response to the boards written notice of reprimand, Leitner sent an email to the director of the Attorney Disciplinary Board in which he likened the board to Englands notorious Star Chamber of the 1600s, which was known for its lack of due process and secretive court proceedings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While it is clear that you do not have all relevant information, Leitner wrote, considering how I was treated by your star chamber last time, I have elected not to bother protesting. Board: Leitner tried to swindle federal taxpayers Leitners email appears to reference his 2022-24 disciplinary proceedings. In that case, Leitner was accused of dishonest behavior and attempting to swindle taxpayers. As part of that case, the Grievance Commission of the Iowa Supreme Court recommended that Leitners license be revoked, in part for the potentially criminal act of helping a client hide assets from the federal government and to what the commission called Leitners long pattern of deliberate misconduct and dishonesty. Leitner contested the commissions recommendation that his license be revoked, arguing that the disciplinary boards actions were abusive. The board countered that while Leitner stood accused of wrongdoing in four separate cases, his conduct in just one of those cases warranted a license revocation on its own. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leitner, the board alleged, had helped defraud the federal government by hiding a clients assets and taking active steps to keep the government from ever finding out the money existed. Leitner, the board says, effectively swindled the federal government out of money that it rightfully should have possessed. The case in question involved Leitners representation of Iowa seed dealer Marvin Mitchell and the creation of a limited liability company called Foodprairie. In 2007, Mitchell was convicted of bankruptcy fraud and sentenced to 18 months in prison after it was found that he had hidden assets from creditors by creating various business entities just before he declared bankruptcy. In 2013, while still owing at least $70,000 to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and with federal liens against his properties, Mitchell allegedly hired Leitner to create Foodprairie and had Leitner declare himself to be the managing member of the corporation. Mitchell was selling seed at that time and allegedly routed his income from the business to Foodprairie, where he could access the money while concealing it from the federal government. The creation of a company to hide assets could be criminal and certainly fraudulent, dishonest (and) deceitful, the disciplinary board said. The whole point of Leitners Foodprairie scheme was to deprive the federal government of the funds to which it had rights. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In February 2024, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that a two-year suspension, rather than a revocation, of Leitners license was the appropriate sanction. Leitner is a 1979 graduate of the University of Iowa Law School. He began practicing law in Iowa later that year. GREENE COUNTY, Iowa A Paton man allegedly stabbed a man and then set the victims house on fire, the Greene County Sheriffs Office said on Tuesday. At around 2:09 p.m. a 911 call was received from a male reporting he had been stabbed in the 300 block of State Street in Paton, just northeast of Jefferson. The victim was transported to a hospital via private vehicle for treatment. LGBTQ Iowans rally less than two weeks after being stripped of civil rights protections Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the sheriffs office, while the victim was enroute to the hospital he received a call from the man who allegedly stabbed him. In the call the suspect allegedly threatened to light the victims home on fire. Deputies arrived at the victims home roughly 30 minutes after the initial 911 call from the victim and found the house in flames. The suspect had already fled from the scene. The sheriffs office said deputies later located the suspect in a vehicle south of Paton near the intersection of U Avenue and 185th Street and attempted a traffic stop. The suspect drove off and returned to the 300 block of State Street, where he was eventually taken into custody. Devin Christopher Hackfort, 28, was booked into the Greene County Jail on charges of attempted murder, first-degree harassment, second-degree arson, and two counts of assault on person in certain occupation. Iowa News: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. (Iowa Capital Dispatch) The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship launched a $70,000 pilot program Monday to help schools purchase local meat, poultry, produce, dairy, eggs or honey through the Choose Iowa program, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. Schools are eligible for a dollar for dollar match up to $1,000 per building, which means up to $2,000, per participant will go to local food producers. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig called the program a win for everyone involved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Students are served fresh, locally produced foods. Schools can support and build relationships with Choose Iowa members in their communities, Naig said in a press release. School food service programs create new markets for small and beginning farmers to sell their products, and that helps generate economic activity in rural communities. Iowa Flood Center, geological survey see federal funding cuts hit programs Choose Iowa is a state-run program that identifies, brands and promotes Iowa grown and raised foods, beverages and products. The pilot purchasing program was authorized by the Legislature in 2024, and its first tranche, which helped food banks in Iowa purchase from local producers, launched over the summer. This pilot program allocated $225,000 in total to food banks that purchased from local growers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Specialty crop growers and local food advocates hope to see the purchasing programs, which are currently in the pilot stage, funded permanently. Naig also stressed the importance of Choose Iowa when talking to lawmakers about the departments funding for the upcoming fiscal year in an appropriations subcommittee. According to a 2021 study by researchers at Iowa State University, about 95% of table food consumed in Iowa is grown outside of the state. The Iowa Food System Coalition said local food purchases made by institutions like schools, hospitals and food banks are essential to strengthening a local food system and supporting more farmers to grow fruits, vegetables and other crops that end up on Iowa tables. The coalition has listed a number of 2025 legislative priorities, including a push to make the Choose Iowa purchasing program permanent. Choose Iowa has 215 members across the state who sell Iowa-made products from meat and vegetables to prepared foods and goods. Schools must purchase from Choose Iowa members to be eligible for the funding Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I strongly encourage schools around the state to apply for participation in this purchasing program, Naig said. Betty Strong Encounter Center to host St. Patricks Day-themed Whats on Wednesday event Iowa producers can become Choose Iowa members online. Interested schools can apply for the pilot purchasing program online through April 7. IDALS said participating schools will be announced in April, and reimbursement for schools will begin in the fall school semester. This article has been updated to reflect an increase in Choose Iowa members. Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter. This story was republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. (Bloomberg) -- Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said his country is not pursuing nuclear weapons and dismissed US President Donald Trumps calls for negotiations as a trick. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While doubling down on his position opposing talks with the Trump administration about Tehrans atomic activities, Khamenei said he isnt after a war but that Iran would definitely hit back in the event of a military attack. Khameneis latest statement comes as a top advisor to the United Arab Emirates visits Tehran to deliver a letter from Trump addressing the Islamic Republics leadership, according to Iranian state TV. Earlier on Wednesday, China said it would host talks with Russia and Iran about the latters nuclear activities. Khamenei said in his speech that the letter has yet to reach him. The cleric, whos been Irans head of state for almost four decades, said the experience of sitting down to nuclear talks with the administration of former US President Barack Obama ultimately led to disaster for the Islamic Republic, after the deal they agreed in 2015 was abandoned by Trump three years later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Why isnt Iran willing to negotiate? Take a look at yourselves. We sat down and negotiated for years, and this very same person then took a complete, signed agreement and tore it up, Khamenei said in comments referring to the US and Trump. When the US president says were ready to negotiate with Iran and invites us to talks, its a trick to deceive the worlds public opinion, he said in a speech shown on Iranian state TV on Wednesday. Trump has repeatedly said he wont allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. The Islamic Republic has long denied its interested in acquiring a bomb and the 2015 nuclear agreement that Trump abandoned had imposed tight limits on Tehrans atomic work in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran has since significantly ramped up its uranium enrichment activity, stoking fears in the West that its closer to establishing the capability to produce a nuclear warhead. Trump has also revived his so-called maximum pressure strategy on Iran since returning to the White House by increasing sanctions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reason we dont have nuclear weapons and arent pursuing them is simply that we dont want to. Weve explained and discussed these reasons before. Its our own decision, and if we had wanted to, they wouldnt have been able to stop us, Khamenei said on Wednesday, again referring to the US. Talks with the current government in Washington wont lead to sanctions relief for Iran and will make the knot of the sanctions tighter and increase the pressure, Khamenei said. (Updates with more comments from Khamenei, background and context.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. The News Iraq is building a permanent offshore liquefied natural gas terminal, joining a growing list of nations turning to LNG imports for long-term energy needs. Baghdad was forced to accelerate construction, according to news site AGBI, after the US revoked a waiver allowing purchases of Iranian gas via pipeline, part of Washingtons efforts to reapply maximum pressure on Tehran. Baghdads shift to LNG imports comes as global production surges. Iraq is in talks with Qatar, which plans to expand overall output by 85% by 2030, for supplies. ADNOC Gas is also doubling its capacity. And the US now the worlds top LNG exporter is ramping up production and is expected to capture a third of global market share by the end of the decade. SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Ireland announced on Wednesday a donation of 15 million euros ($16.3 million) to Brazil's Amazon Fund, the Brazilian government said. The donation to the fund, which aims to stop deforestation and preserve the world's largest tropical rainforest, will be made over the next three years, Brazil's Environment Ministry said in a statement. The donation is Ireland's first to the fund, raising the list of donors to eight countries, the statement added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Amazon fund, which is managed by Brazil's development bank, supports the prevention, monitoring and combat of Amazon deforestation and fosters sustainable development. It has funded 123 projects with a total investment of 3.1 billion reais ($534.6 million), the ministry said. Norway, Germany, United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Switzerland and Japan have also donated to the fund. The announcement of Ireland's donation was made in a meeting in Sao Paulo between Brazil's Environment Minister Marina Silva and Ireland's Transportation Minister Sean Canney, according to the statement ($1 = 0.9185 euros) ($1 = 5.7989 reais) (Reporting by Andre Romani; editing by Diane Craft) Every year, Irelands leader gleefully accepts a coveted invitation for an audience with the sitting US president in the Oval Office. However, this years St Patricks day trip to the White House is a cause for dread in Dublin. When the Irish-American Joe Biden was president, the annual exercise of soft power was a cinch. But close relations with Mr Biden now pose a risk and Micheal Martin, an unshowy Cork man, faces a dizzying diplomatic tightrope instead of a slam dunk when he meets Donald Trump for the first time on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Taoiseach is the first EU leader to visit Mr Trump since the US president humiliated Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office and the first since he triggered what may became a trade war with the EU on Wednesday morning. Micheal Martin shared an easy relationship with Irish-American Joe Biden - Brian Lawless Its not surprising Mr Martin consulted with Keir Starmer, who has forged an unlikely reputation as a Trump whisperer, before travelling to the States. Ireland is not a member of Nato but, according to Mr Trumps world view, it has benefited from the US protection of Europe since the end of the Second World War. Mr Trump wont be impressed that Dublin spends just 0.22 per cent of GDP on defence, the lowest in the EU, despite recent moves to buy jets and ships. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Americas trade imbalance with Ireland is likely to be the main source of contention between the two leaders. Driven by a surge in drugs and chemicals exports, the surplus reached a record 50bn in 2024. On the very day of their meeting, Mr Trump followed through on his threat to hit the EU, which he claimed was formed to screw the United States, with 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium. Brussels has vowed to retaliate, leaving Mr Martin in a delicate position where he has to toe the EU line and be the first European leader to try and talk Trump down. Mr Martin will try to press home the argument that trade is a two way street that benefits both countries but that will cut little ice with Mr Trump, who wants to claw back manufacturing jobs in pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also wants to reshore jobs created by US tech giants like Elon Musks X, Facebook, Google and Apple, that have their European headquarters in Ireland. Mr Trump pulled out of the OECDs corporate tax agreement, which suggests he will soon undercut Irelands low 15 per cent rate, which is limited to the minimum by that global deal. The EUs regulation of US firms, particularly social media companies, is another bone of contention that Mr Trump may feel minded to chew over with Mr Martin. Culture warrior Republicans like JD Vance believe Ireland has gone woke. At the Munich Security Conference, the vice-president attacked the UK for arresting anti-abortion campaigners as part of a Maga-flecked tirade over free speech. JD Vance greeting Micheal Martin at a breakfast meeting he hosted at his official residence in Washington D.C. He could just as easily find a free speech posterboy Enoch Burke, the Irish Christian teacher who refused to use a transgender students preferred pronouns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burke has been jailed for repeatedly breaching a court order telling him to stay away from the school and has been backed by US evangelicals. Ultimately, the elephant in the Oval Office will likely be Israel. Ireland has formally recognised Palestine and joined South Africas genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice. Israel in response shuttered its embassy in Dublin plunging relations between the two to subzero. Israel shut its embassy in Dublin after Ireland formally recognised Palestine - Niall Carson Mr Martin was due to meet Jewish groups in Washington this week but, in a sign of tensions over Irelands support for Gazans, that meeting has now been cancelled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Opposition party Sinn Fein is boycotting Americas St Patricks Day events after Mr Trump suggested displacing Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Few expect Mr Martin to be given a Zelenksy-style dressing down. But Mr Trumps habit of turning photocalls into impromptu press conferences will have caused a few sleepless nights at the Irish foreign office. The president sent some mixed messages when he signed an executive order making March this year as Irish-American Heritage Month Theyre great people, he said, declaring Irish-Americans had voted for him in heavy numbers. You know youre not supposed to, but you have to like them, he added. Credit: Fox News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rarely have the differences between Dublin and Washington been so stark. Perhaps not since the 1950s when the Irish began the tradition of presenting the US president with a bowl of shamrocks for St Patricks Day. It was a very successful effort to rebuild relations strained by Irish neutrality in the Second World War and has since evolved into a week of gala political and economic events. Irish diplomacy should not be underestimated. Its envoys played a blinder when faced with the threat of Brexit. This is a country of about five million people that punches way above its weight globally. With Mr Biden, things were so simple. With president Trump, they are anything but. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. They run businesses. They tend bars. They pay taxes. While they are in the U.S. illegally, they are largely spared the scrutiny of that label. But still they live in fear. They are the thousands of undocumented Irish immigrants in America today. Recent estimates from the Irish government suggest that there are as many as 10,000 undocumented Irish immigrants across the United States. Many have lived in the shadows for decades, waiting for a pathway to citizenship that may never come. And with a new president that has vowed to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, anxieties have been heightened. "It's definitely a concern, definitely a worry," Mary, an undocumented Irish immigrant in New England, told CBS News. "I've heard of different people, you know, getting caught up in a swoop of undocumented people some of them may be criminals, but some of them may not be, and it's just a situation of being in the wrong place at the wrong time." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mary, and others interviewed for this story, asked that their full names not be used to maintain their anonymity. Irish privilege? While Mary fears for her own status, she says communities of color are bearing the brunt of President Trump's immigration crackdown while she can somewhat fly under the radar. "There's some very hardworking people that have set up businesses and are employing people and all of a sudden, you know, they're on a plane somewhere, their lives have changed, and it's very hard," she said. "I absolutely do feel for people." Aisling, an undocumented Irish waitress in Chicago, who has lived in America for eight years, says that while she is concerned she may become a "collateral damage" target for the administration, ICE raids in her neighborhood have targeted predominantly Latino communities something she has condemned as racist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If ICE were to walk into my work, I could definitely just blend in with the crowd, but the fear for me is getting pulled over or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time," she told CBS News. CBS News has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment as to how ICE conducts its enforcement operations and whether the characterization that they are specifically targeting Hispanic and Latino communities is a fair one. Mick, who arrived in New York from Ireland in 2000, said public treatment of Irish people in the U.S. was in many ways the opposite of what other nationalities face. "I used to find it quite unfair hearing how locals would speak about these immigrants coming here," he explained. "I'd have to remind them, say, 'Hey guys, I'm an immigrant.'" The attitude, he said, was, "'Yeah, but you're different.'" Mick was undocumented for the first few years he lived in the U.S., but he is now a citizen and describes himself as a proud New Yorker. He said there was a "much broader fear" among immigrant communities now during the second Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "There's tips being posted online for people to report businesses if they suspect there's undocumented people working. It's horrible. There's definitely a feeling here, which is new and not nice," he said. Ciara, who arrived in the U.S. before President Trump took office, said she was on a J-1 visa, which allows for educational and cultural exchange, but working illegally on the side. "There is a bit of a safety net" for Irish people in the hospitality industry, she said. "It definitely is a worry, but I think I am definitely very privileged as well. I'm a White Irish girl with a third-level [college] education, so I think I'm in a lot more secure position to a lot of other people who are undocumented." But immigration attorneys have told CBS News that it would be naive for Irish undocumented people to believe that they may be immune to deportation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "When Irish people come here, they come on what we call the visa waiver program, so that allows them to come to the United States without going to the consulate in Dublin, and they can come in for 90 days and stay for 90 days, and so most of them [who are undocumented] overstay," John Foley, a Boston-based immigration attorney told CBS News. "The waiver part means they waive all rights to judicial processing, meaning they can be removed or deported from the United States without going in front of a judge," Foley said. "If you're an ICE officer and you need to get 40 people a week, it's Thursday and you're at 27, you don't care where the last 13 come from." Contribution to the American economy Tom, a New York bar owner and legal resident in Manhattan, told CBS News that he has employed many undocumented Irish workers as well as undocumented Central and South American staff in his pub over the years. He says he couldn't operate as a business owner without them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I'd say 90% of the restaurants and small businesses in this city would close down if you took away the [undocumented] immigrants," Tom said. "The folks who want to do those jobs are people that don't have clear legal paths into America." An estimate from the American Immigration Council showed that undocumented immigrants in America contributed $75.6 billion in taxes in 2022. That included $29 billion in state and local taxes and $46.6 billion in federal taxes. Aisling, in Chicago, says her colleagues at the bar where she works are predominantly undocumented. "The business relies on it, basically people coming in applying for jobs here, it's not Americans coming in and applying. They don't want to do these jobs," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Legal pathways for undocumented immigrants are limited Mary, in New England, arrived in the U.S. in 1999. In the 26 years that she has lived in America, she has become a property owner and is self-employed. For the past 14 years, she has been trying to obtain sponsorship for legal residency through a legal petition from her brother, who is an American citizen. That process is still pending with no end in sight. "There isn't really any opportunities," she said. "There isn't a path right now for me." It's an issue facing many undocumented immigrants working in the United States today, where few legal pathways exist, and where they do, massive backlogs and bureaucracy cause long processing delays. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 2023 policy analysis from the conservative think tank the Cato Institute said that fewer than 1% of people who want to move permanently to the United States can do so legally. One young Irish woman who overstayed her visa waiver in New York and is now working in a bar in Manhattan told CBS News that she just wants to work, but the avenues are limited. "I would prefer to be legal and have legal status, but it was hard in general to get a visa, and I feel like now, it's 10 times harder to even consider trying to get a visa," she said. Mick, who eventually obtained citizenship, said he would support amnesty for people without criminal convictions who are living illegally in the U.S. and contribute to communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "A lot of the people who are coming to our countries and our shores are coming here because of policies that we've allowed to happen and that have benefited us for decades," he said. "I feel like we should be looking after people who need help the most. And I've never met any evil, nasty people who eat dogs and cats who came here legally or illegally." An Oval Office meeting, with views at odds When President Trump meets with Ireland's Prime Minister Micheal Martin on Wednesday, he will be continuing an annual Oval Office tradition in which the White House hosts the Irish Taoiseach, or leader, to mark St. Patrick's Day festivities. Ahead of that event, the White House has been sharing familiar praise about the Emerald Isle's historic contribution to the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Irish Americans have played a crucial role in our great American story courageously overcoming adversity and hardship to embolden our culture, enliven our spirit, and fortify our way of life," Mr. Trump said in a statement released by the White House as the president declared March as Irish-American Heritage Month. But amid the handshakes and shamrocks, some sharp differences on this issue may arise. While Mr. Trump has vowed to carry out the removal of millions of undocumented immigrants, the Irish government has for years lobbied for comprehensive immigration reform that would offer legitimacy to undocumented Irish workers in the U.S. U.S. Marine Band forced to cancel concert with students of color after Trump DEI order Restoring classic cars in the classroom How DOGE cuts are jeopardizing our national parks A retired Army officer who was in line for a senior intelligence position in the Trump administration has been pulled from contention amid mounting opposition over his criticism of Israel. Daniel Davis, a fellow at the Koch-funded Defense Priorities think tank, was expected to be named to the position of deputy director of national intelligence for mission integration, until his appointment was abruptly withdrawn Wednesday. Davis has been critical of Israels response to the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023, describing the militant groups assault as a convenient excuse to justify wanton destruction in Gaza. He described U.S. support for the war as a stain on our character as a nation. His views are at odds with the Trump administration and members of both parties on Capitol Hill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administration had not publicly confirmed the decision to appoint Davis, but it was confirmed to POLITICO by Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not respond to questions. A spokesperson issued a statement on social media saying that an earlier POLITICO article reporting the pending appointment was false, without providing further details. Warner described Davis as utterly unqualified for any role in intelligence analysis, particularly one as important as Deputy DNI. The planned appointment was first reported by Jewish Insider earlier Wednesday. Opposition to the move built throughout the day from lawmakers and other supporters of Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fox News host Mark Levin described the decision as bizarre and hard to understand while the Anti-Defamation League, which works to combat antisemitism, called the planned appointment extremely dangerous. Shortly after POLITICO reported on the appointment, Warners office was notified that Davis had been withdrawn from consideration. Davis views put him at odds with much of the Trump administration, though the fact that he was in line for the role suggests the presence of fault lines over foreign policy. The Trump administration has been strongly supportive of the war that Israel launched after the Hamas attack, in which militant fighters killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped 250, including some still held captive. The Israeli response has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, including many civilians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, Davis made headlines in 2012 when, shortly after returning from a yearlong deployment in Afghanistan, he publicly accused military leaders of misleading the public about the progress of the war. The Defense Priorities think tank in Washington, where Davis serves as senior fellow, advocates for a more limited use of U.S. military force overseas. The administration has tapped a number of people from Defense Priorities to serve in senior roles in the Department of Defense, including Michael DiMino, the deputy assistant secretary of Defense for the Middle East, and Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Ukraine. (Bloomberg) -- Israel and Lebanon held preliminary talks on potentially completing an Israeli troop withdrawal from the Arab country and could eventually discuss properly delineating their long-disputed land border. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Delegates from the countries, which do not have formal relations, met along with US and French mediators at a border liaison position on Monday, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office. While theres no guarantee the talks will progress, the fact theyve started suggests a truce between Israel and and Hezbollah a Lebanon-based militant group backed by Iran is likely to hold for the time being. The sides agreed to form three joint working groups, the objective of which is to stabilize the area, Netanyahus office said in a statement. Israel was to free five Lebanese war detainees as a gesture to the new president of Lebanon, it added. Morgan Ortagus, US President Donald Trumps deputy special envoy for the Middle East, told Lebanons AlJadeed TV she was optimistic the talks would be successful. Lebanons government has not commented on the negotiations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Israel and Hezbollah started a ceasefire in late November. Under the deal, Hezbollah fighters and Israeli troops were meant to leave southern Lebanon and the Lebanese national army would take over. The truce has largely held, though Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of breaking the terms. Israel has withdrawn most troops but retained five outposts just inside Lebanon, which Hezbollah and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun have criticized. The future of those positions and discussions on the Blue Line and points still in dispute will be addressed by the working groups, the Israeli statement said. The Blue Line refers to the land border between Israel and Lebanon. Its position has been a key source of tension been the countries for years. Hezbollah, designated a terrorist organization by the US and many other Western nations, started firing on Israel on Oct. 8, 2023 in solidarity with Hamas, which a day before triggered the war in Gaza by attacking Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The conflict killed thousands of people in Lebanon and forced tens of thousands of Israelis to leave their homes in the north. Israel severely weakened Hezbollah considered one of the worlds most powerful militias by destroying most of its missiles stockpiles and killing leaders including long-standing chief Hassan Nasrallah. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Israel released five Lebanese prisoners as the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that Israel and Lebanon plan to hold diplomatic talks on several contentious issues, including their disputed land border. As a goodwill gesture to newly elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and in coordination with the United States, Israel had agreed to release the five Lebanese inmates. The announcement came after representatives from Israel, the US, France and Lebanon met on Tuesday in the Lebanese city of Naqoura. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was agreed that three joint working groups would be established to "stabilize the area" and focus on five Lebanese strategic points under Israeli control, disputed issues including the Blue Line and Lebanese detainees in Israeli custody, Netanyahu's office said. US special envoy Morgan Ortagus confirmed the prisoner release in a post on X, saying that "military to military talks concluded" in Naqoura and "subsequently 5 Lebanese prisoners have been released back to Lebanon from Israel." "Everyone involved remains committed to maintaining the ceasefire agreement and to fully implement all its terms," she added. A ceasefire between the Lebanese Hezbollah militia and Israel has been in place since November. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, Lebanon's leadership views the continued presence of Israeli troops at the five contested points as a violation of the agreement. Tensions between the two nations have flared repeatedly in the past, particularly due to disputes over several areas along their shared border. The ceasefire agreement reportedly also includes provisions for negotiations regarding the contested Lebanese-Israeli border, also known as the Blue Line. Israel attacks Hezbollah targets in Lebanon Meanwhile, the Israeli military reported the killing in southern Lebanon of a Hezbollah member who had been responsible for an aerial unit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement published on X and Telegram, the army said that the man "was a significant source of knowledge" in Hezbollah's aerial array, which is a system of multiple antennas used for communication. The Hezbollah member led the rebuilding efforts of the unit, which had been significantly damaged by Israeli airstrikes, the Israeli military said. Lebanon's Health Ministry reported one man had died after being hit by an Israeli drone while travelling in a car. Separately, the Israeli military said its air force had attacked several people on a site used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Citing army sources The Times of Israel reported that the targets were Hezbollah members who had weapons. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported one person had died in that attack. Israelis gather and protest for the release of hostages held by Hamas outside the Israel Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. Demonstrators took to the streets and blocked traffic. A tent encampment was set up outside the Israel Defense Ministry. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War have pointed out that Russian ultranationalists have not welcomed the proposal for a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, but state-run Russian media outlets are "likely attempting to portray the immediate Russian reaction as moderate for domestic audiences". Source: ISW Details: ISW noted that during a meeting in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on 11 March, Washington and Kyiv had agreed to a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, contingent on Russian consent. The US has also reportedly resumed intelligence sharing and military assistance to Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the ceasefire would involve a halt to hostilities across the entire war zone, a moratorium on long-range missile and drone strikes and a suspension of operations in the Black Sea. It would take effect as soon as Russia agrees to the US proposal. During a press conference on 11 March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it should come "as quickly as possible" when asked about the deadline for Russia's response. Meanwhile, analysts point out that Russian ultranationalists and officials have expressed their rejection of the ceasefire proposal. Russian bloggers, including those close to the Kremlin, claimed that the United States and Ukraine would "abandon" peace "at the first opportunity" and that the war in Ukraine is "existential for Russia". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These bloggers also claimed that accepting the ceasefire would be "pure betrayal and sabotage". In addition, Lieutenant General Viktor Sobolev, a member of the Russian State Duma [lower chamber of the Russian parliament] and former commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army, argued that Russia should reject the 30-day ceasefire proposal, calling it "unacceptable" as it would give Ukraine time to rearm and regroup. Quote from ISW: "The Kremlin has not officially responded to the ceasefire proposal as of this publication, and Russian state media is attempting to frame earlier official Russian statements about bilateral US-Russian negotiations as responses to the ceasefire proposal." Details: The ISW also noted that after the ceasefire proposal was announced, Russian state media circulated a statement by Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, on 11 March, saying that Russia "does not rule out" contacts with the United States in the coming days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mikhail Sheremet, a member of the State Duma's Security Committee, stated before the joint statement was issued that Russia was open to a settlement in Ukraine, though it would not be deceived. Russian state media only amplified his remarks after the ceasefire proposal was announced. Quote from ISW: "Russian state media is likely attempting to portray the immediate Russian reaction as moderate for domestic audiences until Kremlin officials make public statements and provide a framing for broader Russian media coverage of the proposal." To quote the ISW's Key Takeaways on 11 March: The United States and Ukraine agreed on 11 March to an immediate 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine contingent on Russia's agreement and the US reportedly restarted intelligence sharing and military aid. Ukraine's allies and partners from Europe, Asia and Oceania continue efforts to strengthen the Ukrainian military and back Ukraine with security guarantees the most effective deterrent against future Russian aggression against Ukraine following a potential future peace agreement. Russian forces continue to make confirmed advances in Kursk Oblast and have likely begun attacking Sudzha. Ukrainian forces conducted a large-scale series of drone strikes against Russia on the night of 10 to 11 March, largely targeting Moscow Oblast. Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Toretsk and Pokrovsk and Russian forces recently advanced near Siversk and Robotyne and in Kursk Oblast. The Kremlin continues to expand social benefits for Russian soldiers who fought in Ukraine, including soldiers who have fought for the militias of the "Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics" ("DNR" and "LNR") since 2014. ["DNR" and "LNR" are considered by Kyiv to be terrorist organisations and Russian-controlled proxy states, created, armed and backed by Moscow, which, with Russian military support, illegally seized and continues to occupy Ukrainian territory ed.] Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) Law enforcement officers charged Sage Simmons with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Jaide Simmons on Mar. 6, 2025. Officers with the Jacksonville Police Department responded to a crash at Charleston Place Apartments. The initial investigation showed Sage Simmons was driving a 2014 Ford Focus in reverse in the parking lot before hitting Jaide Simmons and a parked car. Jaide Simmons was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sage Simmons has been taken to the Onslow County Jail where he is being held without bond. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Detective Bloomfield at (910) 938-6410 or sbloomfield@jacksonvillenc.gov or Crime Stoppers at 910-938-3273. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT. The woman who accused Jay-Z of sexually assaulting her when she was just 13 years old has been caught on tape admitting that the incident never happened. The anonymous accuser, who filed to withdraw the case in February, claimed her lawyer Tony Buzbee "pushed" her to sue the rapper. Jay-Z has since filed a counter lawsuit against Tony Buzbee, claiming he and his wife, Beyonce, received death threats following the "malicious and fictitious" lawsuit. Jane Doe Admits Jay-Z Never Raped Her In Audio Recording MEGA Jay-Z's anonymous accuser has been caught on an audio recording walking back claims that the rapper raped her as a minor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jane Doe filed a lawsuit through attorney Tony Buzbee in December, alleging Jay-Z and Diddy sexually assaulted her at a 2000 MTV VMAs party when she was 13, but filed to withdraw the case in February. In an audio recording by private investigators and obtained by ABC News, she admits that the alleged incident never happened. "He was just there, but he didn't have anything to do with any sexual acts towards you?" the private investigator asked. "Yeah," Jane Doe replied. When asked why she accused the "Empire State of Mind" rapper, she said that Buzbee "pushed" her to sue him. Tony Buzbee Slams His Client's Claim That He 'Pushed' Her To Sue The Rapper MEGA In the recording, the anonymous woman states that Buzbee was "the one that kind of pushed [her] towards going forward with him, with Jay-Z." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Buzbee did?" the investigators asked. "Yeah," the woman replied. In a statement shared with the news outlet, Buzbee slammed Jane Doe's claims that he put her up to suing Jay-Z, calling it a "blatant lie." "As far as the suggestion that I pushed Jane Doe to bring a case against Jay Z - That is a blatant lie that is directly contrary to all the documentary evidence," Buzbee said. Tony Buzbee Alleges Jane Doe Was 'Tricked' And 'Harrassed' MEGA The situation looks sketchy as Buzbee also handed his recording to the news outlet, where he confronted Jane Doe with these claims. In it, she replies that she never actually took back her accusations against Jay-Z. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to TMZ, he slammed the audio recording, saying that Jane Doe was "tricked" and "harassed" by the private investigators. "The tape is a fraud," he said. "They tormented and harassed and tricked that poor woman and took what she said out of context and secretly recorded her. She stands by her claim that Jay-Z assaulted her. She has never wavered on that point once." Reports that private investigators started digging into the case surfaced after it was withdrawn in February. One of the said investigators, Charlotte Henderson, filed an affidavit last week stating she met with Jane Doe on February 21, 2025, in the accuser's Alabama home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Henderson said neither Jay-Z nor his attorneys hired her to do the job, but didn't mention who, if anyone, was paying her. Meanwhile, Jay-Z's lawyer, Alex Spiro, also spoke with the news outlet, saying the rapper hopes this will end the rise of false narratives against him as he moves to sue Buzbee and Jane Doe for defamation. "The truth had to fully come out. This person cannot be allowed to sort of hide from the reality that this was a false accusation," Spiro said. Jay-Z Sued Tony Buzbee, Claims Rape Lawsuit Caused Him And Beyonce To Recieve Death Threats MEGA After Jane Doe filed to withdraw her case, Jay-Z filed a countersuit against Buzbee, detailing how the attorney's actions had affected him and his family. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his filing, the rapper claimed he and his wife received death threats due to the "malicious and fictitious" lawsuit and that Buzbee's "public statements about me and accusations against me have caused me harm." "People have said 'I can't wait until you join (Combs) in prison. Then later in hell,'" Jay-Z alleged in his complaint. "Other comments have accused me of being a 'satanist,' a 'trafficker,' a 'terrorist,' and a 'monster,' called me the N-word and threatened violence against me and my wife, including to 'kill' or 'execute' us." The allegations were notably filed against Jay-Z in December, a day before the Lion King prequel "Mufasa," which starred Beyonce and Blue Ivy, premiered in London. Jay-Z added in his complaints that Buzbee "purposely" filed the lawsuit the day before the premiere to "put me in the position of having to choose between supporting my daughter or hiding to avoid the negative press coverage." Jay-Z Accused The Texas-Based Lawyer Of Extortion MEGA Besides dealing damage to his reputation, Jay-Z claimed he lost $20 million in business contracts due to the accusations, describing the ordeal as a calculated attack against him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In court documents obtained by TMZ, he also claimed Buzbee tried to extort huge sums of money over two different allegations, one of which was the case involving Jane Doe and another that didn't make it to court. The other case in question involved an anonymous male accuser who alleged that Jay-Z sexually assaulted him at a 2015 Beverly Hills party when he was 16 years old and had been secretly drugged by someone other than the hip-hop billionaire. According to the news outlet, the rapper noted that Buzbee's letters for both clients demanded "something of substance" to address the "situation." However, Jay-Z interpreted it as a demand for a lot of money "to buy their silence," calling the letters "blatant blackmail attempts." JD Vance has broken his silence after an ex-Marine cousin, Nate Vance, issued a blistering criticism of the vice presidents treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an Oval Office meeting earlier this month. I love my cousin Nate, and never spoke publicly about his service in Ukraine because I didnt want to endanger his life more than it already was, the vice president said in a statement obtained by the Daily Beast, nodding to his cousins three years volunteering in Ukraine on the front lines of its war against Russia. As far as his criticisms, I have no interest in arguing with him in public, but I do feel the need to address one issue in particular: his failed effort to contact me, JD continued, adding that Nate could have reached out to his mother, father, or sister who hes in contact with regularly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I always considered Nate the toughest guy I knew, and no matter what he says about me, my affection for him remains. Im always happy to talk to him, the vice president added. For his part, Nate claimed in a Sunday interview with Le Figaro that he attempted to contact his cousin through his office to express his thoughts on his treatment of Zelensky, which he deemed an ambush of absolute dishonesty. The Texan later clarified to CNN in an interview Monday that he couldnt say the vice president received the message and ignored it because he wasnt sure if he got it in the first place. U.S. President Donald Trump (C) and Vice President JD Vance meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the White House on February 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. / Andrew Harnik/Getty Images But I did reach out, Nate insisted. Regardless of whether or not I reached out or not, I mean, he definitely knew I was there and at no point tried to make contact, and there were ways to do that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nate, who told the BBC that he identifies as pretty Republican, has slammed his cousin in a number of interviews this week. Regardless of the situation, theres a certain level of decorum that should be reached, Nate told CNN Monday. When you do that and you publicly, you know, kind of ridicule someone in public that they have to almost defend themselves, it was just really disappointing to see it, he continued, seemingly referring to Vances insistence that Zelensky show more gratitude for Americas aid throughout the war. For me, I disagreed with that tact. Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas is considering a run for Senate after Sen. Jeanne Shaheen announced her retirement Wednesday, while former Rep. Annie Kuster told POLITICO she would take a serious look at the seat if he doesn't run. Pappas has long been considered a likely contender for an open Senate seat, and was floated by several New Hampshire Democratic operatives Wednesday. Kuster said, "If Pappas doesnt run, I would take a serious look at the race." Democratic Rep. Maggie Goodlander is also considering running, according to a source familiar with her deliberations and granted anonymity to speak freely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shaheen, who is 78 and was first elected to the Senate in 2008, said she made the difficult decision to step aside: Its just time. There are urgent challenges ahead, both here at home and around the world, and while Im not seeking reelection, believe me, I am not retiring, Shaheen said in a video. New Hampshire will be a critical battleground in the fight over control for the Senate, but it was already a challenging map for Democrats to retake the majority even before the retirements. Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) both announced their intention to not seek reelection in February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Donald Trump carried Michigan in 2024 and former Vice President Kamala Harris won Minnesota and New Hampshire; Democrats have generally found success in recent Senate races in all three states. National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) quickly welcomed Shaheens decision. Another one! Scott wrote on X. Shaheens retirement is welcome news for Granite Staters eager for new leadership. New Hampshire has a proud tradition of electing common-sense Republicans and will do so again in 2026! Former Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said on Tuesday he was mulling a run for the seat, and with Shaheen announcing her pending retirement, candidates from both parties will need to decide quickly whether they are running. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Scott Brown, the former ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa who lost to Shaheen in 2014, also jumped in with a statement. I appreciate @jeanneshaheens service to our state and for her support and vote for me as NHs Ambassador to NZ and Samoa, Brown wrote on X. Now its time for New Hampshire to have someone in the delegation who fights for our priorities and stands with, not against, the Trump agenda. Both parties could have competitive primaries for the seat. But Democrats are projecting confidence, no matter who emerges as their chosen candidate. No Republican has won a Senate race in over a decade in New Hampshire, and that trend will continue in 2026," said David Bergstein, spokesperson for the Democratic campaign arm. "This is exactly the kind of state where the building midterm backlash against Republicans will hit their candidates especially hard. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Senator Shaheen is a trailblazer who has worked every day to put New Hampshire first and make a difference for our families, community, and economy. Thank you for always leading with integrity, determination, and effectiveness for our state and nation," Pappas said on X in a lengthy statement that highlighted his time as a volunteer for Shaheen's 1996 gubernatorial run. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) called Shaheen a good friend, a serious legislator, and a fierce advocate for protecting Americas national security interests. In the Senate, Shaheen is the ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee and was the Small Business Committee chair when Democrats last controlled the chamber. I am determined to work every day over the next two years and beyond to continue to try and make a difference for the people of New Hampshire and this country, she said in the video. From the bottom of my heart, thank you New Hampshire. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., announced Wednesday that she will not seek re-election next year, kicking off a competitive race to fill her seat. In a video, Shaheen told her constituents, "Today, I am announcing that I have made the difficult decision not to seek re-election to the Senate in 2026." "Its just time," she said. While she does not plan to run next year, Shaheen, 78, added that she would not be leaving her seat early. "Believe me, I am not retiring. I am determined to work every day over the next two years and beyond to continue to try to make a difference for the people of New Hampshire and this country." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement GOP former Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, who lost a New Hampshire Senate race against Shaheen in 2014, has reportedly been weighing another run in New Hampshire. Brown was spotted at the Capitol meeting with Senate Republicans on Tuesday, and he told Semafor that he is "thinking about" running for the Senate. Brown wrote on X that he appreciated Shaheen's service and said, "Now its time for New Hampshire to have someone in the delegation who fights for our priorities and stands with, not against, the Trump agenda." GOP former Gov. Chris Sununu told The Washington Times on Tuesday that "folks in Washington" have asked him to consider a Senate run, saying, "I have not ruled it out completely." Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who was first elected in 2018, is considering running for the Senate seat, according to a source familiar with his thinking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement First-term Rep. Maggie Goodlander, a Democrat who represents New Hampshire's other congressional district, is also considering a run for the Senate, according to a source familiar with her thinking. Former Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster, whom Goodlander replaced in Congress, also wrote in an email that she would "take a serious look at the race" if Pappas does not run. It's the third Democratic Senate retirement in a potentially competitive midterm race so far this election cycle. Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan announced in January that he would not run again, opening up the race in one of the most tightly divided states in the country, which President Donald Trump carried last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota is also retiring next year, and while her state has not been as close as Michigan in recent years, there have been a number of close statewide races there in recent years, including last year, when Trump lost by just over 4 percentage points. Republicans have a 53-47 edge in the Senate, meaning Democrats would have to net four seats to win the majority, since the GOP controls the tiebreaking vice presidency. Former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is also retiring next year, though his seat in deep-red Kentucky is highly unlikely to be competitive. The open seat in New Hampshire could make the state harder for Democrats to hold, longtime state Democratic strategist Jim Demers said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It becomes extremely competitive and a lot more expensive than it would have been had Sen. Shaheen run for re-election, Demers said. He said the state has a sizable share of independent voters who "can go either way." New Hampshire's entire congressional delegation is controlled by Democrats, but the state has a history of electing members of both parties, and the presidential race was close there last year. Former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the state by 3 percentage points. Also in 2024, Republican Kelly Ayotte won the governorship, beating Democratic former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig by 9 percentage points. Ayotte is also the most recent Republican to represent the state in the Senate, though she lost her re-election race in 2016 to Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan. Ayotte is the second consecutive Republican governor, as she succeeded GOP former Gov. Chris Sununu. Sununu was recruited to run for the Senate last year but declined Republican entreaties. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans expressed confidence that they could flip the open Senate seat, with National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott, of South Carolina, saying in a statement that the state has a proud tradition of electing common-sense Republicansand will do so again in 2026! Democrats, though, believe the states historical trends are on their side. No Republican has won a Senate race in over a decade in New Hampshire, and that trend will continue in 2026. This is exactly the kind of state where the building midterm backlash against Republicans will hit their candidates especially hard, said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman David Bergstein. Demers, the Democratic strategist, said Pappas is at the top of the list of potential Democratic candidates given his strong fundraising and his track record winning competitive House races. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Demers said the state's other Democratic House member, Maggie Goodlander, is another possible contender but noted that she was just elected to her first term in November. He also said Shaheen's daughter Stefany has considered running for office in the past and could be a possible candidate. Bruce Breton, who was a co-chair of Trump's New Hampshire campaign, said Brown could be the "logical choice" for the GOP. I think Scotts going to dominate the race as soon as he announces, if he announces, Breton said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Ukraine agrees to 30-day ceasefire during talks with U.S. in Saudi Arabia Xinhua) 08:13, March 12, 2025 U.S. and Ukrainian delegations meet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, March 11, 2025. A high-stakes meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian delegations started in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen) JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine on Tuesday signaled its readiness to accept a U.S. proposal for an "immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire" following talks with a U.S. delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to a joint statement. The statement, issued after hours of consultations between senior officials from the two countries, said the truce could be extended by mutual agreement, adding that "the United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace." Washington has agreed to "immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine," the statement said, adding that both sides discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts, particularly during the ceasefire period. Negotiators also agreed to appoint teams to begin talks aimed at reaching a lasting peace. The United States reaffirmed its commitment to engaging with Russian representatives, while Ukraine emphasized the need for European partners to be involved in the process, the statement said. Additionally, both nations' leaders agreed to finalize "as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine's economy," it added. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C), National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (L) and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud are pictured during a high-stakes meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, March 11, 2025. A high-stakes meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian delegations started in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen) The announcement followed a high-level meeting attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. The Ukrainian delegation included President Volodymyr Zelensky's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and others. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and National Security Advisor Musaed bin Muhammad Al-Aiban also took part in the discussions. At a press conference following the talks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope that Russia would accept the proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Ukraine. He said Ukraine's commitment will "be delivered to them directly through multiple channels," "through our diplomatic channels, through conversations, and other methods." "The ball is in their court," said Rubio, noting that if Kremlin rejects the proposal, "then we'll, unfortunately, know what the impediment is to peace here." Zelensky described the meeting as "good and constructive" on the social media platform X. "If Russia agrees, the ceasefire will take effect immediately," Zelensky said. U.S. President Donald Trump said he expects to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week and hopes Russia also agrees to the terms. When asked how close he thinks Ukraine and Russia are to a total ceasefire, Trump said, "I hope it'll be over the next few days." Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian state news agencies, "We do not rule out contacts with U.S. representatives within the next few days." According to Russian media reports, Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for Putin, said Moscow expected Washington to inform about the talks with Ukraine, stressing that there should not be premature celebration. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X that the European Union welcomes the U.S.-Ukraine talks in Jeddah, including the proposal for a ceasefire and the resumption of U.S. intelligence sharing and security assistance. French President Emmanuel Macron called on European and NATO military chiefs to draw up a plan "to define credible security guarantees" for Ukraine as peace negotiations accelerated. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Exhibitors attend London Book Fair in London, Britain, March 11, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] The London Book Fair (LBF), one of the world's premier publishing events, opened on Tuesday, highlighting China's publishing achievements, global collaborations, and growing influence in the industry. Running through Thursday, the fair is expected to draw more than 30,000 publishing professionals and over 1,000 exhibitors from around the world. "Book fairs like this and working with publishers globally, including those from China, are essential for sharing knowledge," said Martin Liu, chief operating officer and publisher at LID Publishing. His London-based company is responsible for the English edition of The Power of Time, a Chinese publication. Liu noted that after the book's launch, he and his colleagues were "amazed" by the diversity and world-class quality of books from China, emphasizing that Chinese publishers play a crucial role in bringing Chinese literature and ideas to global readers. At the China stand, more than 50 Chinese publishers and book trade companies are showcasing over 4,000 high-quality publications. The three-day event features approximately 40 activities, including book launches, copyright signings, and reader seminars, underscoring China's commitment to fostering international literary dialogues. Yang Hao, author of Diablo's Boys, expressed excitement ahead of her book's English edition launch. "I have waited a long time for this translation and publication, and I am extremely excited," she told Xinhua, adding that despite language differences, the essence of the book remains intact. She said she hopes international readers will appreciate the "different texture" of the translated version. Amid the evolving global publishing landscape, Richard Charkin, former president of the International Publishers Association, told Xinhua that the publishing industry has a responsibility to act as a "gatekeeper and purveyor" of quality information in an era where the reliability of information is increasingly being challenged. First launched in 1971, the LBF remains a key event for the literary world. Its theme for this year is "Defining the Future of Creative Content." BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) For the first time in at least 20 years, Jefferson County was under a Code Red air quality alert Tuesday, according to the Jefferson County Department of Health. The JCDH said the Code Red is because of a high level of particulates in the air. Despite the clear blue skies through most of Tuesday, the JCDH said the air quality was still at an unhealthy level. Its not something Im used to seeing for sure, said Mckenzie Needham, who went for a run in Railroad Park. Maybe a little alarming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The health department said the fine particles in the air came in on the smoke from a one-day prescribed burn in the Bankhead National Forest on Monday. According to the JCDH, the wind blew the smoke in almost a straight line from Winston County down through Walker, Jefferson and Shelby counties. Woman dies in house fire in Jefferson County Matt Lacke, a meteorologist at the JCDH, said in his almost 18 years at the health department, hes not seen particulate levels this high. Smoke is comprised of a lot of PM2.5, so when we had a lot of that smoke move into the area overnight [Monday] night, it got trapped within the valleys of the Birmingham metro area, and we had an accumulation of the smoke, and the PM2.5 levels to where they got to unhealthy levels for our community to breathe in, Lacke said. [The particulates are] harmful to your health because they can penetrate deep into your lungs and cause people who have asthma or COPD to have adverse health impacts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because of the effects poor air quality can have on your breathing, the health department recommends limiting outdoor activity when particulate levels are high. Despite Tuesdays Code Red, some people still got out for a walk or run in Railroad Park. They said they didnt have any issues breathing while being outside. Being a parent to someone that has breathing problems, its very nerve-racking sometimes because you want to keep them in a closed environment, but thats not even good either, said Felicia Cross while out on a walk with her family. Definitely with people that have breathing issues and especially lung problems can really tell the difference between the air. Certainly, sometimes in the summer when we get the orange air quality alerts, that can if it doesnt directly influence my behavior, at least its something Ill be thinking about, said Vincent Czerwinski after he finished a run. The Alabama Forestry Commission said springtime is the most popular time of year for prescribed burns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Your humidity is going to be lower. Your temperatures are going to be cooler, said Rickey Fields, a prescribed fire coordinator for the Alabama Forestry Commission. So basically, what that does is when you prescribe burn this time of year, it reduces the unwanted vegetation a lot better, more efficiently, than what it would typically during the dormant months, The AFC said the prescribed burn in the Bankhead National Forest was a federal burn. The JCDH said because there are more prescribed burns in the spring, we could see more days with poor air quality in the coming months. Canadian wildfires, a lot further in distance, and we did have some elevated days of PM2.5 during that in 2023, Lacke said. With this, its a lot closer and more condensed smoke plume, so we had a much higher level of particulates because of how close that smoke plume was to the Birmingham area. The JCDH releases an air quality forecast every day on its website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42. NEW JERSEY (PIX11) A New Jersey attorney is demanding New Jerseys court system clarify its rules when it comes to federal Immigration and Customs agents inside courtrooms. Nicholas Malaniak of Wishnic & Jerushalmy, LLC filed a civil action against the New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts on behalf of his client, Hugo Serrato-Gonzalez. Serrato-Gonzalez, a married father of two daughters, is undocumented and was arrested by ICE agents on February 25th as he left the Dunellen Municipal Courthouse. He had a hearing to clear up a DUI charge. More Local News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Malaniak told PIX11 News the judge overseeing the case told the ICE agents to leave the courtroom, but that one plainclothes officer remained. He said, She just looked like anyone else that day. My best understanding would be that they needed to positively identify my client and one of the easiest ways for them to do that is when the judge calls the case. Serrato-Gonzalez was arrested in front of his daughters and wife as he exited the courthouse. His wife, Sarahi, who is a DACA recipient tells PIX11 News, It was hard to realize what was going on, I just heard my girls, crying, screaming. A spokesman for the NJ Administrative Office of the Courts pointed out in an email that Courtrooms are public areas. The directive asks that ICE arrests be conducted in non-public areas. The policy directive regarding ICE further states courthouses must be viewed by the public, all parties, victims and witnesses as a neutral and safe forum More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When contacted by PIX11 News, a spokeswoman for ICE shared this statement U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been made aware of the complaint against ICE officers at the Dunellen Municipal Court Feb. 25. In accordance with an ICE directive issued January 21, ICE officers or agents may conduct civil immigration enforcement actions in or near courthouses when they have credible information that leads them to believe the targeted alien is or will be present at a specific location. When practicable, ICE officers and agents will conduct civil immigration enforcement actions against targeted aliens discreetly to minimize their impact on court proceedings. Malaniak responded: This statement conveniently omits the portion of the ICE directive which states and where such action is not precluded by laws imposed by the jurisdiction in which the enforcement action will take place. While this statement did include portions of the relevant directive, it failed to mention this very important section, which safeguards the ability of state and local jurisdictions to police conduct in their own courtrooms. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Monmouth University is shuttering its nationally recognized polling institute, citing changing political and media landscapes. Monmouth University President Patrick F. Leahy announced the closure, effective July 1, on Wednesday. The New Jersey Globe initially reported the news last week. Leahy said the decision came in collaboration with the universitys Board of Trustees following a year-long review of all of the Universitys Centers and Institutes. At its height, the Institute played a prominent role in helping to elevate the Universitys image and to amplify its reputation to households across the country, Leahy said in a statement. However, the changing political and media landscapes have made it both more difficult and more expensive for polling organizations to operate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leahy added that efforts over the years to integrate the work of the Polling Institute with both the student experience and the broader academic enterprise at Monmouth University have been met with mixed results. He referenced considerable resources required to operate the institute, and said those funds will be redeployed to other strategic initiatives at Monmouth, in particular to those activities that offer direct transformational impact on our students. Though Leahy did not explicitly mention federal funding, universities across the country have been on high alert as uncertainty about those funds looms. The closing of the institute is the latest blow for the polling industry. Last week, FiveThirtyEight, the polling analysis and aggregation site, shut down as a result of cuts at ABC and Disney. FiveThirtyEight had consistently ranked Monmouth among the countrys top polling operations. 2024 proved to be a critical test for pollsters, especially after the polls in the 2020 presidential election were so off. Pollsters have made progress since 2020, but have still encountered challenges as skepticism of polling remains among the electorate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Monmouth University Polling Institute was established in 2005 and has been led by Patrick Murray. Leahy lauded Murrays skilled analysis and media aplomb which established the Monmouth University Poll as one of the top polls in the country for both accuracy and transparency. Shutting down the institute which conducted polls both in New Jersey and nationally leaves a gap in polling ahead of this years high-stakes race for governor of New Jersey. There have been very few public polls conducted in the race so far, with mostly internal surveys from campaigns and their allies being released so far. During the 2021 gubernatorial race, Monmouth found Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy with a sizable lead over Republican Jack Ciattarelli a finding that many other pollsters had as well. Those polls were proven wrong that November, when Ciattarelli lost by just 3 percentage points. That led to Murray apologizing for the inaccuracy and questioning the value of horse race polling. Other major pollsters remaining in New Jersey include Fairleigh Dickinson University and Rutgers-Eagleton. Image via Getty Images Republican politicians who accuse public school teachers of indoctrinating students with a woke agenda are pushing to bring religious chaplains into the same schools to provide counseling to students. I think Jesus is a lot better than a psychologist, Rep. David Marshall, R-Snowflake, said during a March 11 meeting of the Arizona House of Representatives Education Committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marshall said that hes been a chaplain who provides counseling for 26 years. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Senate Bill 1269, sponsored by Flagstaff Republican Sen. Wendy Rogers, was modeled after similar legislation passed in recent years in Texas and Florida. The proposal would give school districts the option of allowing volunteer religious chaplains to provide counseling and programs to public school students. Districts that decide to allow chaplains would be required to provide to parents a list of the volunteer chaplains at each school and their religious affiliation, and parents would be required to give permission for their child to receive support from a chaplain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite ample concerns that the proposal violates the First Amendments Establishment Clause and that it would open up schools to legal liability for any bad mental health advice a chaplain might provide, the bill has already passed through the Senate on a party-line vote. The House Education Committee also approved it along party lines. Rogers told the Education Committee that the existence of any requirement for the separation of church and state in U.S. law was a myth, adding that she sees no harm in bringing religion into public schools. Rogers, a far-right extremist, has embraced white nationalism, and in 2022 spoke at a white nationalist conference, calling the attendees patriots and advocating for the murder of her political enemies. She has also said she is honored to be endorsed by a prominent antisemitic Christian nationalist and regularly trafficks in antisemitic tropes. And Rogers has advocated racist theories, appeared on antisemitic news programs and aligned herself with violent anti-government extremists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats on the committee raised the alarm that Rogers bill would violate the Establishment Clause by allowing chaplains with religious affiliations to counsel students, while not providing the same kinds of services to students who dont follow a religion or who follow a less-common religion with no chaplains available to the school. An amendment to the bill, proposed by committee Chairman Matt Gress, a Phoenix Republican, requires that the chaplains be authorized to conduct religious activities by a religious group that believes in a supernatural being. The amendment would also allow a volunteer chaplain to be denied from the list if the schools principal believes their counsel would be contrary to the schools teachings. Both of these changes would allow districts to exclude chaplains from The Satanic Temple of Arizona, a group that doesnt believe in a higher power but promotes empathy and has chapters across the country that challenge the intertwining of Christianity and government. Oliver Spires, a minister with The Satanic Temple of Arizona, voiced his opposition to Rogers bill during a Feb. 5 Senate Education Committee meeting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation, Spires said, would disproportionately impact students from minority religions who see Christian chaplains providing support to their peers while no chaplains representing their religion are available. If a district listed a Satanist on their chaplain list, would they have your support? he asked the committee members. Gresss amendment would preclude that. Gaelle Esposito, a lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, told committee members on Tuesday that school counselors are required to undergo specialized training to prepare them to help students requirements that religious chaplains wouldnt have to meet, even though theyd be providing similar services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They will simply not be equipped to support students dealing with serious matters like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self harm or suicidal ideation, Esposito said. Religious training is not a substitute for academic and professional training in counseling, health care or mental health Even with the best intentions, chaplains may provide inappropriate responses or interventions that could harm students. But as Democrats on the House Education Committee argued that Arizona should provide more funding for trained counselors and social workers to help students with mental health issues, the Republicans on the panel said that students are actually struggling with mental health issues because they dont have enough religion in their lives. Ive heard that there is a mental health crisis afflicting kids, Gress, a former school board member, said. Now, I dont necessarily think in many of these cases that something is medically wrong with these kids. I think, perhaps, there is a spiritual deficit that needs to be addressed. Rep. Justin Olson, R-Mesa, said hes been frustrated by the federal courts interpretation of the First Amendment to require the separation of church and state, claiming it has made the government hostile to religion instead of protecting it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I heard comments here today that this is going to harm kids harm kids by being exposed to religion? That is absolutely the opposite of what is happening here today in our society, Olson said. We have become a secular society, and that is damaging our society. We need to have opportunities for people to look to a higher power, and what better way than what is described here in this bill? Democratic Rep. Nancy Gutierrez, of Tucson, called SB1269 outrageous and incredibly inappropriate. And Rep. Stephanie Simacek, of Phoenix, pointed out that the courts have repeatedly ruled against allowing religious leaders to be invited to share their faith with public school students. She described Rogers bill as indoctrination that gives preferential treatment to students who have religious beliefs over those who dont No one is saying that you may not go and celebrate your God, however you see fit, Simacek, a former teacher and school board member, said. But this is not the place, in public education, where our students go to learn math, reading and writing and history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Floridas school chaplain law, which went into effect last July and is similar to Rogers proposal, has received ample pushback from First Amendment advocacy groups, as well as some church groups who said that allowing untrained chaplains to provide mental health support to students would have unintended negative consequences. The option to bring chaplains into schools in Florida has not been particularly popular, with several large school districts deciding not to implement a program allowing them. Proposed legislation similar to SB 1269 has been introduced in red states across the country this year, including in Indiana, Nebraska, Iowa, Montana and North Dakota. The bill will next be considered by the full House of Representatives. If it passes the chamber, it will return to the Senate for a final vote before heading to Gov. Katie Hobbs. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE By Jonathan Saul LONDON (Reuters) - Most of the jet fuel onboard the U.S.-flagged tanker Stena Immaculate that was hit by a container ship in a collision off Britain's coast remains contained and only two of the vessel's 18 fuel tanks have leaked, owner Stena Bulk said on Wednesday. The Portuguese-flagged Solong container ship crashed into the tanker carrying jet fuel for the U.S. military, on Monday. British police have arrested Solong's captain on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "(There's) no fire any longer" on the Stena Immaculate, Stena Bulk's Chief Executive Erik Hanell told Reuters. "We will have a much clearer picture in the next 24-48 hours on the whole salvage operation." The Stena Immaculate remains stationary at anchor and is being monitored by Stena Bulk representatives, government authorities and executives from U.S. logistics group Crowley, which manages the vessel, Stena Bulk said separately on Wednesday. Hanell said two of the vessel's 18 fuel tanks had leaked, with an estimated 10% of the cargo. "The total volume (of jet fuel) onboard is around 50,000 cubic metres, so I guess that's roughly the maximum amount ... hopefully less than that," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hanell had met with the vessel's 23 American crew members and they were in good health, he said. Ernst Russ, the German company that owned the Portuguese-flagged Solong, confirmed on Wednesday that the captain was Russian. The rest of the 14-strong crew, one of whom is missing and presumed dead, were Russian and Filipino nationals. Hanell said the fire onboard the Solong was somewhat under control based on his understanding of the situation, adding that the exact details of what happened were under investigation. US MILITARY PROGRAMME Gothenburg-headquartered Stena Bulk has around 18 active crude tankers and 40 oil products and chemical tankers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The company has two other products tankers under management with Crowley that are part of the US Tanker Security Program (TSP), which can be used by the Department of Defense to transport fuel supplies for the U.S. military. There are only 10 tankers in the TSP, so with the Stena Immaculate out of action, it is likely to cause logistics challenges for the U.S. military, shipping industry sources said. Hanell said there had been no discussions yet in terms of any back up options in relation to the TSP programme. "Commercial challenges will be discussed in the next week or so," he said. (Reporting by Jonathan Saul; Editing by Gareth Jones, Bernadette Baum and Elaine Hardcastle) Mar. 12Cuts to the Johns Hopkins University might be on the way as federal funding for the school's research is under fire from the Trump administration. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here. Originally Published:March 11, 2025 at 7:52 PM EDT JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WHLT) Jones County deputies are searching for a man whos suspected of stealing packages from a home. Investigators said the incident occurred in the 400 block of Hoskins Creek Road in southwestern Jones County on March 10. Mississippi pastor accused of embezzlement denies any wrongdoing The suspect was seen driving a blue Chevrolet Z71 pickup on the residents security camera. Jones County deputies are searching for a man whos suspected of stealing packages from a home. (Courtesy: Jones Co. Sheriffs Dept.) Jones County deputies are searching for a man whos suspected of stealing packages from a home. (Courtesy: Jones Co. Sheriffs Dept.) Anyone with information about the suspect can contact the Jones County Sheriffs Department at 601-425-3147 or Jones County Crime Stoppers at 601-428-STOP (7867). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. (WIVT/WBGH) Congressman Josh Riley made an impassioned defense of the federal CHIPS and Science Act that he says will reinvigorate Upstate New Yorks manufacturing base. Riley referenced these Endicott-Johnson boots that he has in his Congressional office while discussing the history of manufacturing in Greater Binghamton during a hearing of the House Space and Technology Committee on Tuesday. The freshman Democrat says hes responding to comments by President Trump that the CHIPS and Science Act, passed under the Biden administration, should be revoked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Riley says such a move would endanger a $145 million grant for the New York Energy Storage Hub locally as well as over $6 billion for Microns proposed computer chip making plant near Syracuse. Instead of being dependent on China for chips, were going to make them in America. Were going to make them in upstate New York. And its obvious that we shouldits a matter of national security. Seriously, how stupid is it to rely on China for something as essential as semiconductors? said Riley. Riley says the funding from the CHIPS and Science Act is also funding Menlo Micros planned $50 million facility in Lansing. He says the investments were finally giving Southern Tier residents hope about a potential resurgence in local manufacturing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WIVT - News 34. TUPELO A local neighborhood association has set up a candidates forum and Q&A next week, with a goal of informing as many voters in the All-America City as possible ahead of an April 1 primary election that will decide most races in the city. The Joyner Neighborhood Association will host a Meet the Candidates event on March 17 at 6 p.m. at the Bel-Air Senior Recreation Center at 2107 Country Club Road. Both mayoral candidates are set to attend, as are the candidates running for the Ward 2 seat on the Tupelo City Council. According to Leslie Mart, president of the Joyner Neighborhood Association, the purpose of the event is to educate members of the public on the candidates views and policies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is our opportunity or chance to have our voices heard through voting, Mart said. It is so important that people do education themselves. My hope is that through this Q&A, they will learn more about what each candidate stands for. Republican Rob Chambers, who lives in the Belden Area and is the executive director of the Mississippi Conservative Coalition, is vying to replace incumbent Republican Mayor Todd Jordan, who is seeking reelection to a potential second term. The two mayoral candidates previously spoke at an event for the Republican Womens Club as a campaign forum, but this is the first time questions will be lobbed at both candidates. The neighborhood is in Ward 2, where Republican Lucas Berryhill, who is a part of the association and lives in Joyner himself, faces incumbent Republican Lynn Bryan, who is currently winding down his third term. The two also attended the Republican Womens Club forum and fielded questions from the Daily Journal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With no Democratic or independent candidates in either race, the April 1 primary will decide both. There are two voting precincts within the ward: Parkway Baptist Church at 1302 Lee Street and Wildwood Baptist Church at 2280 West Jackson Street. While the event is in Ward 2 and features candidates running for the ward, Mart is encouraging everyone in the city to take part, as there are only a few more weeks to hear from mayoral candidates and make an informed decision on Election Day. For the Q&A portion of the event, a moderator will read questions submitted by Joyner neighborhood residents and Tupelo citizens in general. Each candidate will have two minutes to speak, and each will be asked the same questions. At the end of the questions, the candidates will give a two-minute closing statement. Each candidate, Mart said, was given the list of questions before the event, allowing for prep time. She said this will make room for more questions, as candidates will have an idea of their answers beforehand. She said because the candidates will answer the same questions and have the same allotted time, there will be no advantages to any individual. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of Monday, the neighborhood has a list of almost 30 questions ranging in topics such as animal control, homelessness, parks and recreation, government efficiency and walkability. Mart noted that many of the questions were submitted by multiple people, adding that questions with multiple askers were moved to the top of the question list. Make sure people come out to the Bel Air Senior Center to meet the candidates and listen to the Q&A, Mart said. BALTIMORE A federal judge in Maryland suggested Wednesday that he might direct that thousands of fired federal workers get their jobs back, at least temporarily, after hearing arguments that their layoffs were unlawful. "This case isn't about whether or not the government can terminate people. Its about if they decide to terminate people, how they must do it," U.S. District Judge James Bredar said at the hearing on the abrupt firings of thousands of probationary employees. The government has let go roughly 200,000 probationary employees workers who are either recent hires or had taken new positions. Move fast and break things, Bredar, referring to a seminal quote from Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg that has been used to describe Elon Musk's efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce. Move fast, fine. Break things? If that involves breaking the law, then that becomes problematic, the judge said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A coalition of states with Democratic attorneys general urged Bredar to sign a temporary restraining order that would restore the status quo from before the firings, which they maintain were illegal meaning the fired workers would get their jobs back. The states argue the move is necessary because the government ignored proper procedure for the mass termination of federal employees, known as a reduction in force. Under a RIF, "agencies are required to provide advance notice to affected employees and, in circumstances relevant here, to states and local governments. An employee 'may not be released' as part of a RIF 'unless' they receive 60 days 'written notice' that provides information on reemployment and career transition assistance," among other requirements, the states contended in a court filing. The lack of notice has left the states scrambling to help the affected employees, said Virginia Williamson, speaking on behalf of the 21 states. The states have to act now, because people are suddenly unemployed now, Williamson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government's lawyer, Eric Hamilton, denied the firings were a RIF. "It was a termination of probationary employees," Hamilton said. The judge asked him how many had been fired, and Hamilton said he could not give him a number. Asked if it was more than 100, Hamilton said, "I would imagine so." Asked if it was over 1,000, he said he didn't know. "Does anyone in the government know?" the judge pressed. "I don't know," Hamilton replied. In a court filing last week, the plaintiffs estimated that at least 24,000 probationary employees had already been fired "and that more terminations are expected any day." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hamilton urged the judge to reject the states' request for a temporary restraining order, arguing they didn't have legal standing to bring a claim. "This is not the sort of dispute designed for federal courts," Hamilton said, noting that courts refused to take action in two similar cases brought by the workers' unions. The judge repeatedly expressed skepticism that the firings were not a RIF, and said he would issue a written ruling "promptly." In a related ruling late last month, a federal judge in California found that instructions from the Office of Personnel Management to fire the probationary workers were "illegal" and should be rescinded, but did not order the reinstatement of the dismissed employees. The instructions were officially rescinded last week. The government has also argued that affected employees can take their wrongful firing claims to the Merit Systems Protection Board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, that federal civil service board found that the firing of over 5,000 probationary employees from the Department of Agriculture may have been unlawful and directed that the employees be restored to their jobs for at least 45 days. Following the initial firings of probationary workers, the administration late last month also informed agencies to prepare for large-scale reductions in force of the rest of the federal workforce. The Education Department announced Tuesday it plans to cut about half of its staff. Gary Grumbach reported from Baltimore and Dareh Gregorian from New York City. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com President Donald Trumps retaliation against a prominent Democratic-linked law firm is likely unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell blocked the Trump administration from enforcing central provisions of an executive order that seeks to punish the law firm, Perkins Coie, by barring its attorneys from interacting with federal agencies or even entering federal buildings. Howell said the retaliatory animus of Trumps order is clear on its face and appears to violate constitutional restrictions on viewpoint discrimination. The executive order, which Trump issued last week , runs head on into the wall of First Amendment protections, the judge concluded. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perkins Coie, which is based in Seattle, has often represented Democratic politicians and causes, including Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign. Trump has long targeted the firm as a political and legal adversary for its role in commissioning the anti-Trump dossier compiled by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele in 2016. That dossier, whose salacious allegations against Trump were never confirmed by federal investigators, helped fuel the long-running probe of his 2016 campaigns interactions with Russia. The executive order, if allowed to take effect, would hamstring the firms ability to represent clients who have business with the federal government. The firm claims that Trumps directive has already led clients to abandon the firm and is likely to prompt federal officials to cancel or deny meetings on a wide array of pending matters. Howell noted that the order would harm not only the firms 1,200 lawyers most of whom had nothing to do with the Russia probe but its 2,500 non-lawyer employees, from IT staff to secretaries. The judge said Trumps order was also flawed because it was issued without any notice to the firm or due process to challenge his determination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This may be amusing in Alice in Wonderland where the Queen of Hearts yells, Off with their heads! at annoying subjects and announces a sentence before a verdict, Howell said, but this cannot be the reality we are living under. The executive order also stripped security clearances from lawyers at the firm, but the firm has not challenged that provision. Under Supreme Court precedent, the president has nearly unfettered discretion to grant or remove security clearances. Dane Butswinkas, a lawyer representing Perkins Coie, described the presidents order as like a tsunami waiting to hit the firm. It truly is life-threatening. ... It will spell the end of the law firm, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Howells ruling is a temporary restraining order, meaning it blocks key provisions of the executive order while litigation continues. In emphatic remarks from the bench following an emergency hearing Wednesday, Howell expressed grave concern that Trumps order would intimidate other law firms, discouraging them from taking on causes or people at odds with the administration. I am sure that many in the legal profession are watching in horror at what Perkins Coie is going through here, said the judge, an appointee of President Barack Obama. The order casts a chilling harm of blizzard proportions across the legal profession. The hearing featured an unusual appearance by the Justice Departments chief of staff and acting No. 3 official, Chad Mizelle, who argued in defense of Trumps order. Mizelle said Trump has largely unchecked authority to single out individuals or organizations as threatening to government interests. The president of the United States is authorized under the Constitution to find certain individuals and certain companies are not trustworthy with the nations secrets, Mizelle said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mizelle said Perkins Coie was raising the alarm about a series of potential consequences that have not yet materialized and might never come to pass once agencies issue guidance interpreting Trumps order. What theyre complaining about is a series of bogeymen, Mizelle said. None of those ghosts are real. The bogeymen are not real. Howells ruling is the first legal brushback to Trump for his recent orders targeting law firms he perceives as hostile to his interests. Last month, Trump issued an executive order pulling security clearances for lawyers at the prominent firm Covington & Burling who had agreed to represent former special counsel Jack Smith, who criminally prosecuted Trump. The directive mentioned by name only one Covington lawyer representing Smith, Peter Koski. Since his inauguration to a second term in January, Trump has also revoked the security clearances of scores of former officials, including President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and more than 50 former intelligence officials who signed a letter arguing that reports about the contents of Hunter Bidens laptop bore the hallmarks of a Russian disinformation operation. Mar. 12A pretrial hearing for case involving a Hamilton man charged with involuntary manslaughter was continued after a judge denied a furlough for the accused to attend his mother's funeral. Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Kelly Heile offered her condolences to Charles Lee Sullivan III, 40, when his attorney, D. Joseph Auciello, asked he be released on a furlough to attend his mother's funeral. The attorney said he was notified Monday of the obituary. "I'm very sorry for your loss. I don't know if there's any possible way to get that done," said the judge, before explaining the multi-step and logistically involved process for the temporary release. "With the short timeframe today, I just don't see how it's going to be possible." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sullivan was indicted in December for the Aug. 13 fatal crash that killed 64-year-old Hue Nguyen, a Franklin woman. He has been charged with four felonies: involuntary manslaughter, aggravated vehicular homicide, possession of cocaine and failure to comply with an order or signal of police. Bond is set at $200,000, and he's also being held on a probation violation and failure to appear warrant, according to jail records. Heile continued the pretrial hearing for March 25, but warned Sullivan's attorney her trial schedule "is filling up." Sullivan was driving west on Ohio 129 in the eastbound lanes when his vehicle crashed head-on into Nguyen, according to the Butler County Sheriff's Office crash report. Nguyen, a nail technician at True Nails in Hamilton, was traveling from her Franklin home to Hamilton at the time of the accident, sheriff's officer investigators reported. She died of her injuries on Oct. 7. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators and prosecutors say Sullivan was pulled over for a traffic violation on Ohio 129 then fled. He drove on the wrong side of the state route and his vehicle struck Nguyen's vehicle near the intersection at Interstate 75. Cocaine was found in Sullivan's vehicle, according to police. A federal judge dismissed claims made against Fox News Channel in a lurid sexual-assault case that involved a former associate producer and a former correspondent, noting that management of the cable-news outlet had no knowledge of any conflict or relationship between the two parties until it was notified she had levied sexual harassment claims against him. Fox News had last year filed a request for summary judgement in the case, in which the former producer, Jennifer Eckhart, alleged she was raped by Ed Henry, a former Fox News correspondent who was dismissed from the Fox Corp.-backed outlet in 2020 following an investigation into a complaint about willful sexual misconduct in the workplace. Eckharts lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York in July 2020. A lawyer for Henry has in the past claimed Eckhart initiated and completely encouraged a consensual relationship. Fox News terminated Eckhart in 2020 prior to her making the allegations tied to Henry. More from Variety Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the original suit, Eckhart alleged Henry, who had been an anchor on Americas Newsroom, the networks mid-morning news program, groomed, psychologically manipulated and coerced Ms. Eckhart into having a sexual relationship with him, and that, when she would not comply voluntarily, he sexually assaulted her on office property, and raped her at a hotel where Fox News frequently lodged its visiting employees. Fox News, however, said it acted on Eckharts allegations as soon as they were made. The judge, Ronnie Abrams, said in a decision Wednesday that there is no direct evidence that Fox News was aware of Henrys alleged harassment of Eckhart before it occurred. Eckhart acknowledges that she did not tell anyone at the network about their relationship until after she was terminated in mid-2020. As for claims that Fox News was aware Henry had been involved in affairs with other female employees, the judge found that even though Fox News eventually learned about Henrys extramarital affairs, it did not know about many of them until after Eckhart and Henrys final sexual encounter in 2017, adding: Because there is no evidence that Fox News learned about these affairs until April 2017 or later, no reasonable jury could find that they put it on notice that Henry would assault her. The judge dismissed claims that Henry subjected Eckhart to revenge porn, but allowed claims of gender-motivated violence, assault, battery, sex trafficking and harassment to stand and move forward in the case. Henry has most recently been seen on Newsmax, the conservative news outlet. Best of Variety Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A federal judge ruled in favor of Fox News motion to dismiss Jennifer Eckharts 2020 lawsuit against the network over alleged sexual assault by former anchor Ed Henry. In her original suit, Eckhart alleged that Henry raped her and that Fox News condoned his behavior. She also said that the network fired her because she complained about sexual harassment and that Henry shared explicit photos of her in violation of New Yorks revenge-porn law. In a summary obtained by TheWrap, Judge Ronnie Abrams of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York wrote on Wednesday, There is no direct evidence that Fox News was aware of Henrys alleged harassment of Eckhart before it occurred. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fox News said that the firing of Eckhart could not be retaliation since she did not make claims of sexual harassment until after she had been fired and that it had legitimate, non-pretextual reasons for terminating her. We are pleased with the courts decision which speaks for itself. Upon learning of Jennifer Eckharts allegations in 2020, Fox News promptly conducted an investigation by an outside independent law firm and terminated Ed Henry within six days, a spokesperson from Fox News said in a statement shared with TheWrap. Discovery in this matter confirmed that Fox News was not aware of their relationship or of Ms. Eckharts allegations until after she left the company. The only people who know what happened between Mr. Henry and Ms. Eckhart are the two of them, the Fox News statement concluded. Attorneys for Eckhart said in a statement released Wednesday, We look forward to holding Mr. Henry accountable before a jury, and intend to appeal the decision as it relates to Fox News at the appropriate time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eckhart issued her own statement in which she said, While I am grateful that the court has recognized the need for a jury to hear my claims against my rapist Ed Henry, this fight is bigger than me. She said she will be appealing the dismissal of the claims against Fox News, adding, It is about changing a corporate culture that continues to enable abuse, fear, intimidation and silence No corporation should be allowed to protect predators while punishing survivors who dared to speak up. Henry, in his request for dismissal, said that their relationship was consensual. He also argued that the revenge porn claims were not supported since several of the photos were not of Eckhart or could not be considered pornography. The judge dismissed the revenge porn claim against Henry, but the charges of assault, battery, sex trafficking and harassment still stand. The trial is scheduled to begin on May 12. In 2022, the same judge dismissed Henrys defamation lawsuit against Fox News, citing that he had failed to prove the sexual misconduct allegations that led to his termination were false. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Court finds that Henry has failed to plausibly allege that any of Defendants statements were false, or that they gave rise to a defamatory inference, Abrams said at the time. His First Amended Complaint (the complaint) also lacks factual allegations to sustain his remaining claims for false light/invasion of privacy and tortious interference. Henry was abruptly fired from Fox News in July 2020 based on the investigative findings of the willful sexual misconduct allegations, per a statement from the network, which was shared with TheWrap at the time. His suit claimed that the statement from the company was made publicly to humiliat[e] him in the process. The post Judge Dismisses Jennifer Eckhart Claims Against Fox News in Ed Henry Sexual Assault Suit appeared first on TheWrap. By Luc Cohen, Jonathan Allen and Tom Hals NEW YORK (Reuters) -A U.S. judge on Wednesday extended his order blocking federal authorities from deporting a detained Columbia University student, in a case that has become a flashpoint of the Trump administration's pledge to deport some pro-Palestinian college activists. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman had temporarily blocked Mahmoud Khalil's deportation earlier this week, and extended the prohibition on Wednesday in a written order following a hearing in Manhattan federal court to allow himself more time to consider whether the arrest was unconstitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Homeland Security says Khalil, 30, is subject to deportation under a legal provision holding that migrants whose presence in the country are deemed by the U.S. Secretary of State to be incompatible with foreign policy may be removed, according to a document seen by Reuters. "The Secretary of State has determined that your presence or activities in the United States would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States," read the DHS document, dated March 9, ordering Khalil to appear before an immigration judge on March 27. The document did not provide additional detail. The DHS did not immediately responded to requests for comment. Khalil's lawyers say his arrest on Saturday by DHS agents outside his university residence in Manhattan was in retaliation for his outspoken advocacy against Israel's military assault on Gaza following militant group Hamas' October 2023 attack, and thus violated Khalil's right to free speech under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Mr. Khalil was identified, targeted, detained and is being processed for deportation on account of his advocacy for Palestinian rights," Khalil's lawyer Ramzi Kassem said in court. In her first media interview, Noora Abdalla, Khalil's wife, told Reuters after the hearing she hoped her husband would be free and back in New York in time for the birth of their first child, who is due next month. "It's been so hard not having him here," she said. "There's a lot of emotions and pain. He's been there for me truly every step of the way." Outside the courthouse on Wednesday, Kassem told reporters that the legal provision DHS referred to was rarely-used and was not meant to silence dissent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khalil was born and raised in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and came to the U.S. on a student visa in 2022, becoming a permanent resident last year. He was a prominent member of Columbia's protest movement against Israel's military assault on Gaza. U.S. President Donald Trump has said on social media that Khalil supported Hamas, but his administration has not charged him with a crime and has not provided evidence to show Khalil's alleged support for the militant group. The Trump administration says pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, including Columbia, have included support for Hamas and antisemitic harassment of Jewish students. Student protest organizers say criticism of Israel is being wrongly conflated with antisemitism. "This is not about free speech," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters earlier on Wednesday during a trip to Ireland. "Being a supporter of Hamas and coming into our universities and turning them upside down ... If you told us that's what you intended to do when you came to America, we would have never let you in." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 'REFUSING TO STAY SILENT' The case could ultimately test where immigration courts draw the line between protected free speech and alleged support for groups the United States calls terrorists. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the courthouse in lower Manhattan, holding signs reading "Release Mahmoud Khalil" and chanting "Down, down with deportation, up, up with liberation." At the hearing, Brandon Waterman, a lawyer for the government, said Khalil's challenge to his arrest should be moved to New Jersey, where he was held when his lawyers first sought his release, or Louisiana, where he is currently being held. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Furman also ordered that Khalil be allowed two hour-long private phone calls with his lawyers, one on Wednesday and one on Thursday, after Kassem said Khalil's sole phone call with a member of his legal team from detention in Louisiana so far was cut off prematurely and was on a line recorded and monitored by the government. Even before Furman blocked it, there was no indication Khalil's deportation was imminent. Khalil has the right to plead his case to avoid deportation before a separate judge in immigration court, a potentially lengthy process. (Reporting by Luc Cohen and Jonathan Allen in New York and by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Additional reporting by Ted Hesson and Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Michael Perry, Bill Berkrot and Christian Schmollinger) WASHINGTON (AP) A federal judge said Wednesday that she hopes to rule next week on whether to block President Donald Trumps administration from banning transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. At the end of a daylong hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said it is her strong hope that she will issue a decision next Tuesday or Wednesday. Reyes acknowledged that her ruling probably won't be the last stop in this train's journey, given the near-certainty of an appeal. I just have to do the best I can with the evidence in front of me," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reyes spent most of Wednesday's hearing peppering a government attorney with questions about a new Defense Department policy that presumptively disqualifies people with gender dysphoria from military service. Gender dysphoria is the distress that a person feels because their assigned gender and gender identity dont match. The medical condition has been linked to depression and suicidal thoughts. The new policy stems from a Jan. 27 executive order by President Donald Trump that claims the sexual identity of transgender service members conflicts with a soldiers commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in ones personal life. Roughly 2,000 transgender people serve in the military, but they represent less than 1% of the total number of active-duty service members. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Reyes frequently sounded skeptical of the administration's motives and rationale as she challenged Justice Department attorney Jason Manion to defend the order and policy. She called it a Don't Tell policy, a reference to the military's outdated Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy against LGBTQ service members. They have to essentially be in hiding while in service, Reyes said of transgender troops. The judge said the Defense Department has spent roughly $5.2 million annually over the past decade to provide medical care to treat gender dysphoria a miniscule percentage of the military's multi-billion dollar budget. As a point of comparison, Reyes noted that the military spends around $42 million per year on medication treating erectile dysfunction. It's not even a rounding error, right? she asked. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If it's a cost per service member, it does matter, Manion said. The plaintiffs who sued to block Trumps order include an Army Reserves platoon leader from Pennsylvania, an Army major who was awarded a Bronze Star for service in Afghanistan and a Sailor of the Year award winner serving in the Navy. Their attorneys contend that Trumps order violates transgender peoples rights to equal protection under the Fifth Amendment. Government lawyers argue that military officials have broad discretion to decide how to assign and deploy servicemembers without judicial interference. A federal judge is allowing President Donald Trump to move forward with his takeover of a federally funded foundation that provides aid to Africa, but he warned the Trump administration Tuesday not to use the short-term victory as a license to dismantle the agency. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon turned down the temporary restraining order U.S. African Development Foundation President Ward Brehm sought to keep him in his job and prevent State Department official Pete Marocco from taking control of the foundation. Leons decision followed the expiration of a brief stay he imposed last week allowing Brehm to remain president of the foundation. Leon, an appointee of President George W. Bush, said Brehm wasnt entitled to emergency relief because there was no indication he would suffer irreparable harm if removed from his position. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brehm has not identified any cognizable irreparable harm to himself as opposed to potential harm to the agency and its partners, Leon wrote. But Leon also hinted that the Trump administrations victory could be short-lived, noting that there is a substantial question about whether Trumps effort to install Marocco in the post temporarily overstepped his authority. The judge raised doubts about an expansive executive power claim the Trump administration leveled in response to the suit: Trump has the authority under the Constitution to name people to vacant positions on a temporary basis even when a law on the books suggests he cannot. The court has not found and the government has not identified any other statute that provides President Trump with the authority to appoint Marocco as the acting Chairman of the board, Leon wrote in his 10-page ruling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During a hearing earlier in the day, a Justice Department attorney argued that the Constitution gives Trump the power to make acting appointments for a reasonable period of time. It comes from his inherent authority under Article II to make sure the laws are faithfully executed, Deputy Associate Attorney General Abhishek Kambli said. The lawsuit Brehm filed last week rests in part on his rather arcane claim that four members of the foundations board were never fired because Trump White House aides sent emails with notice of the terminations to addresses they appear to have simply guessed at and which the board members contend they dont use. Leon declined Tuesday to address the issue of whether the allegedly defective notices were enough to leave the board members in their posts. But he did note that the Trump administration provided no evidence to counter Brehms claims the board members were never properly informed about their dismissal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Government has not provided the Court with an authenticating declaration, genuine printouts of the emails, not any sort of attestation or proof that the emails did not bounce back, the judge wrote, observing that one board members name was misspelled in a seemingly improvised email address. In a Feb. 19 executive order, Trump listed USADF among several other agencies he declared unnecessary and targeted to be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law. During the Tuesday hearing, Brehms lawyer Joel McElvain said members of Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency accessed the foundations offices under false pretenses and were certain to cripple the operation. There will be no agency to return to, McElvain said. They will destroy the records. They will destroy the database. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Leon said Brehms lawyers had no solid proof that USADF faced the same fate as the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has been essentially dismantled and folded into the State Department, largely at Maroccos direction. As far as I can tell this is speculation, the judge said during the hearing. Leon said he was accepting the governments assurances that the Trump administrations plan was not to shut down the foundation and all of its operations. And he warned that he would call members of the DOGE team into court to explain that under oath. This shuttering concern that plaintiff has, I share that concern, the judge said. A federal judge Wednesday lambasted the Environmental Protection Agencys cancellation of $20 billion in climate grants after the Trump administration was unable to offer any evidence of wrongdoing. But it was unclear whether the judge would take immediate action to offer relief to the grant recipients who warn they will have to start laying off workers and defaulting on financial agreements by the end of the week. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Tuesday night terminated the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants, including a $7 billion award to Climate United Fund. That group had sued to access those funds, a request that became more complicated after EPA terminated the grant less than 24 hours before a hearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Can you proffer any evidence that [the grant] was illegal, or evidence of abuse or fraud or bribery that any of that was improperly or unlawfully done, other than the fact that Mr. Zeldin doesn't like it? asked Judge Tanya Chutkan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Marc Sacks, a Justice Department attorney representing EPA, repeatedly pointed to the reasoning the agency used when notifying Climate United and other groups, stating that the determination is based on the information contained in the termination letter. That's pretty circular, replied the skeptical Chutkan, an Obama appointee. She asked whether EPA had alleged that Climate United had violated two federal regulations requiring it to comply with the terms and conditions of the grant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think the agency cited both of those regulations within their termination letter, Sacks replied. I can cite cases all day long, but you have to have some kind of evidence or proffer to back it up, Chutkan replied. The hearing was initially scheduled to consider Climate Uniteds request for a judicial order turning the funding taps back on after Citibank, which holds the money, closed off access in mid-February. In court documents filed earlier Wednesday, Citibank revealed it had done so at the recommendation of the FBI, and that EPA earlier this week turned that into an official order. But the case was turned upside down when Zeldin on Tuesday night announced he was terminating the entire grant, as well as seven others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adam Unikowsky, an attorney with Jenner & Block representing Climate United, expressed frustration at the termination because the plaintiffs had granted the "professional courtesy" of agreeing to a one-day delay requested by EPA. Chutkan also hinted she thought the Trump administration asked for an extra day so it could pull the rug out from under this case. There's a question as to whether the request for an additional day was made in good faith, she said at one point. I'm not even going to go into that, but I do have some questions here myself. In any event, EPAs termination of the grant sent the hearing spiraling into questions about what exactly Chutkan was being asked to do and whether she has the authority to do it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sacks portrayed the dispute over the grant termination as a simple contract dispute one that under federal law can be heard only by another court, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Unikowsky argued that the termination is not a contract dispute, but rather a fight over whether EPA followed the law, something that Chutkan would have jurisdiction over. Unikowsky said that Climate United will amend its complaint to argue the termination is a violation of constitutional due process rights and the appropriation clause, as well as the Administrative Procedure Act and "pertinent" federal regulations. "You will not hear any mention of any breach of contract claim, nor will we seek money damages," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Sacks maintained that Chutkan has no jurisdiction to block EPAs termination of the grant. I think that the government has the right to decide who it wants to contract with and when it no longer wants to contract, he said. Absolutely, absolutely, replied Chutkan. That's not what's at issue here. The government didn't decide who it wanted to contract with. A new administration came in, didn't like the contract anymore. That's what new administrations do. But there are procedures that have to be followed. And it doesn't appear, at least on the record before me, that those procedures have been followed. Chutkan also questioned Climate United on the extent of harm it will suffer without an immediate order to re-open the funding taps. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unikowsky said that the group has already had to delay paying some workers and that it will have to start furloughs Friday. That could cause staff to move on to other jobs, he said. The group also lacks funds to pay its rent at the end of the month. And ultimately, $392 million in committed funds for projects currently hangs in the balance, he said. However, Chutkan questioned whether that harm rises to the level required for a temporary restraining order, known in court lingo as a TRO. Those are economic losses that may be recoverable, and that's not really the purpose of a TRO, she said. The TRO was designed to allay imminent harm that is not recoverable. Ultimately, Chutkan said that Climate United can file its amended lawsuit by 5 p.m. on Monday. She also ordered the Justice Department to respond by that time with information about the wrongdoing it alleges, "because I don't have the credible evidence that's required." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was unclear if Chutkan would issue a temporary restraining order in the meantime. Obviously, I realize that time is of the essence, so I will try and issue some kind of ruling, Chutkan said at the end of the hearing, without specifying any time frame. The hearing comes as the Coalition for Green Capital became the second grant recipient Wednesday to sue both EPA and Citibank. The organization enjoined EPA, Zeldin and EPA Acting Deputy Administrator Chad McIntosh in its lawsuit against Citibank after the agency issued a notice of termination for its $5 billion grant. Vincent Levy, a Holwell Shuster & Goldberg attorney representing CGC, wrote in the complaint that CGC has not been able to access its funds at Citibank since Feb. 18. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Levy wrote the EPA's notice of termination did not follow necessary procedures to cancel its contract. He said the letter also "cited irrelevant statutory and regulatory authority, and was patently and plainly unlawful on its face" and that it "does not contain any findings with regard to CGC at all." He said EPA's action was "arbitrary and pretextual" because the agency had not identified any specific evidence of waste, fraud or abuse by CGC. The group had filed a previous suit against just Citibank in a federal court in New York, but it withdrew that complaint earlier Wednesday in favor of its new expanded action, which it filed in a Washington court. Zack Colman contributed to this report. A federal judge on Wednesday halted parts of President Donald Trumps executive order that targeted a Democratic-linked law firm. US District Judge Beryl Howell sided with the firm Perkins Coie, which represented Hillary Clinton in 2016 and has been involved in election litigation that Trump opposed. Howell granted the firms request for a temporary restraining order for some sections of Trumps order. The parts being blocked include its limitations on government contracts with clients of the firm and the potential restrictions it puts on the firms employees, such as bans on hiring those employees for government positions or barring their access to federal buildings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The executive order, Howell said as she read her opinion in court for more than 30 minutes, is a punishment for a singled-out entity being disloyal. When the Queen of Hearts yells off with their heads for her subjects, Howell added, that cannot be the reality we are living under. The judge, an appointee of President Barack Obama, said the case also touches on larger tests of Trumps executive authority. The executive order, she said, is an unconstitutional use of taxpayer dollars and government resources to pursue a personal vendetta. The president is certainly entitled to his own beliefs, entitled to his own causes, and entitled to his own dislikes, Howell said. But the president cannot bring the federal government down on his political opponents as he has done here. Chilling effect to legal system The judge also said she was blocking much of Trumps order because of the economic harm it would cause to the law firm and the intimidating message it sent across legal industry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Howell said the order was an extreme, unprecedented effort and had an effect of blizzard proportions across the legal profession. Delivering her decision from the bench, Howell said the justice system depends on zealous advocates on all sides being able to argue for their clients. The chilling effect of this executive order, 14230, threatens to significantly undermine the integrity of our entire legal system, she said. DOJ argues Trump should be trusted without question The ruling came at the end of a hearing where the top aide to the attorney general argued that the president should be trusted without question if he wants to blacklist or sanction businesses or people as he sees fit across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The argument from Chad Mizelle, the chief of staff to Attorney General Pam Bondi, is one of staggering presidential power. Howell was flabbergasted by Mizelles argument, saying it sent chills down my spine to hear the president could bar all government business with a particular company or person. Howell compared that type of decision by the president to Treasury Department economic sanctions that are decided by the Office of Foreign Assets Control related to national security. Your view is, Dont be chilled, judge. You can just trust the president to draw the right line, and yes, he has that power? Howell asked. And thats the governments position here? 100 percent, Mizelle said. The president has every right to take that action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mizelle also argued the courts shouldnt be able to limit the presidents authority, especially as he decides upon lawyers security clearances or other access questions related to national security. Perkins Coies lawyer Dane Butswinkas, however, said that the national security argument is a red herring, and the Trump administrations approach refers to a different Constitution from the one Im familiar with. The firm says the order will cause top clients to drop its lawyers, and ultimately will spell the end of the law firm, Butswinkas said. The president is punishing this law firm for defending free speech. He said that Justice Department prosecutors have canceled meetings with Perkins Coie lawyers, hurting their ability to represent clients in ongoing legal matters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Howell also said she was blocking Trumps order because it appears to violate several Constitutional protections, including the right for defendants to choose their lawyers, and the First Amendment right to petition the government. Perkins Coie also had no warning of the executive order or chance to oppose it before the White House issued it last Thursday, violating their due process, the judge added. CNNs Emily R. Condon and Hannah Rabinowitz contributed to this report. This story has been updated with additional developments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Imagine this: Two attending surgeons undertake a surgical procedure on a patient. The surgical residents have draped the patient; the surgical tech and the circulating nurse are ready to begin the operation. The surgical attendings enter the OR, scrub in, and move to the next order of business: How are we going to bill for this procedure? Often, there is an unspokenand spokenconsensus that the medical field is a lucrative one. However, this viewpoint is typically and conveniently held by those not burdened with the profession. Needless to say, the next order of business should be about achieving a successful operation and avoiding possible complications to ensure proper postsurgical recovery. Thus, are the attendings to blame for their mindset, or is this the fault of a system that has placed a financial yoke around the neck of physicians? In the coming paragraphs, I will highlight a few financial struggles of the medical profession and applicable solutions. Lets start with Charles Darwins principle of evolution. Regardless of its polarity among all peoples, there is a baseline level of agreement that humanity has reachedthe foundational principle, which teaches that humans and all living things evolve to accommodate the conditions of their environment. We see it today and in antiquity: how those near the equator possess more melanin and how the sickle cell trait is prevalent in malaria-endemic countries. The Darwin principle still plays a part in the micro-environment of the medical profession. What does it take to be a physician? Debts from undergraduate years plus debts from medical school plus debt from residency because you barely make enough to stay afloat, plus miscellaneous debt from life. These debts do not simply disappear when you become an attending physician. What, then, can the life of an attending physician in need of malpractice insurance and possessing all these debts look like? Getting paid based on how much one works, not based on a fixed salary. From the outside looking in, this may seem reasonable, even fair, until you examine how much work is required to justify the pay in this system. Therefore, like all of nature, all humans bend to the foundational principle of Darwinism. A system that is primarily money-minded creates physicians who are equally business-minded, concerned about coding and billing instead of the vulnerable patient before them. Are the physicians to blame? Of course notwhen, as nature has taught us, it is a basic matter of survival. It is the system that must change if we are to expect better outcomes. My proposed solution is that there should be more hospitalsteaching and nonteachingthat provide a fixed salary to their physicians. This should not be a license for mediocrity, as there should still be an evaluation system. Nevertheless, it will create a different system where physicians are less concerned about how much they are paid and more about the quality of their work and education if they supervise residents. This system has the added benefit of a work-life balance for the attending physicians and, by extension, the residents. In addition, I would be remiss if I did not address medical school tuition. It is quite exorbitant. The reasons, while complex, do not vindicate the system that they create downstream. Medical school tuition, by all means, must be reduced. This is possibleafter all, man has walked on the moon. Sarah Fashakin is a medical student. A trans woman who called 911 for help last month, saying she was kidnapped, has died from the gunshot wound she sustained from a responding Los Angeles police officer. Linda Becerra Moran, 30, who the Los Angeles Times reported was possibly a victim of sex trafficking, called authorities on the morning of Feb. 7 and said she was being held at a motel by a man in a different room. In a video announcement on Sunday, the Los Angeles Police Department released a portion of the 911 call from Becerra Moran. In it, she can be heard telling the operator in a distressed voice that her captor was bringing other men into the room. Police body camera footage shows officers arriving at the motel room, where Becerra Moran tells them she was hit in the head multiple times with a bottle. Screengrab of Linda Becerra Mora taken from LAPD body cam footage. Los Angeles Police Department In the video, police check her head for wounds, asking her about her mental state and why dispatchers told officers that she wanted to harm herself. The officers speak in a terse tone and sometimes interrupt her as she appears to grow increasingly upset. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A second segment of body cam footage shows Becerra Moran becoming increasingly agitated, crying and yelling at the officers in Spanish to leave. She then asks them not to touch her. Just tell her to calm down, a voice identified as belonging to a police supervisor tells the other officers. Becerra Moran continues to yell at the group of officers in Spanish to leave, before pulling a knife from the kitchen and holding it against her neck. Officers tell Becerra Moran to drop the knife, but she walks forward, holding it against her neck. As she walks towards an officer who is across the room, the officer shoots her, causing her to fall on the bed. She is then placed in handcuffs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was then taken to a hospital to have her wound treated, according to the video announcement. Becerra Moran was initially charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer. She died of the gunshot wound she received from the officer on Feb. 27, police said. The officers actions are under investigation, according to authorities. Becerra Morans death came after weeks spent on life support, Soma Snakeoil, executive director of the nonprofit Sidewalk Project, told the Los Angeles Times. Medical staff were unable to contact her family in Ecuador. Snakeoil said she met Becerra Moran in 2023, when she was fleeing sexual violence and living on the street, and helped her find temporary housing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She added to the Times, This has such chilling connotations for survivors in L.A. if theyre afraid to call 911, if theyre afraid that police are going to shoot them when they call 911. Related... A charred road sign still stands in front of El Porvenir Campground near Hermits Peak, pictured June 2023. The bridge was one of many damaged or destroyed by the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon wildfire or subsequent flooding. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM) How to submit a notice of loss: Download a copy here. Visit this website Send it to this email address Or mail it to this physical address: P.O. Box 1329 Santa Fe, NM 87504 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Or drop it off at any of these locations: 216 Mills Avenue Las Vegas, NM 87701 1 Courthouse Drive Mora, NM 87732 1711 Llano Street Suite E Santa Fe, NM 87505 Friday, March 14 marks the deadline to file an initial claim for damages from the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire, a huge wildfire started by the United States Forest Service nearly three years ago. Congress has extended the original November 2024 deadline twice, but has not given any indication it will be extended again. Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire Claims Office officials are urging any last holdouts to apply for compensation before the deadline by filing whats known as a notice of loss. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you know a friend, family member or neighbor who was impacted by the disaster and has not yet submitted a notice of loss, please encourage them to do so this week, New Mexico Joint Recovery Office Director of Operations Jay Mitchell said in a statement. The funds are available to help them rebuild, but they must take this first step before March 14. Congress awarded $5.45 billion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency with the goal of fully compensating people from the 534-square-mile wildfire that began as two botched prescribed burns on federal land. The wildfire in the Las Vegas and Mora area burned several hundreds of homes, and ushered in severe flooding that continues to cause damage. The claims office offers compensation for homes and other property lost in the fire, as well as erosion and reforestation; smoke and ash cleaning; lost income and more. The office also provides flood insurance for structures for five years and conservation restoration plans for damage to land. A federal judge late last year also ordered the office to pay people for so-called noneconomic damages from the fire, which could result in several hundred million dollars paid for the emotional harm of the blaze. The office could still appeal that ruling, however. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As of March 11, the office had paid more than 14,000 claims totaling nearly $2 billion, or about 36% of the total Congress awarded, according to the latest figures from the office. That leaves $3.45 billion, minus administrative costs, left for fire victims. The amount awarded so far includes $1.53 billion awarded to individuals; $257 million for businesses; $104 million for governments and smaller amounts to tribal nations and nonprofits. Those who wish to file an initial claim can do so online, by mail or email or in-person at one of three physical offices in and around the burn scar. Those offices will be open for extended hours, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday to process claims. Officials stressed that the process can take less than 20 minutes and that fire victims dont need to have all of their documentation in order before applying. The Department of Justice (DOJ) submitted its revised proposed final judgment on Friday to Judge Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in its antitrust case against Google, which now spans three presidential administrations. The DOJ and the attorneys general of 11 states brought the case against Google under the first Trump administration in October 2020, accusing the company of monopolizing the search engine market. The plaintiffs accused the company of "implementing and enforcing a series of exclusionary agreements with distributors" to foreclose rivals from the search engine market. The DOJ criticized Google for paying Apple around $10 billion every year to make Google the default search engine on Safari, Apple's default web browser, and Sirithough savvy users can change it. The Justice Department also identified Google's "anti-forking" agreements as anticompetitive. These agreements require Android manufacturers to use Google's version of the Android operating system and provide default distribution of Google's apps and search engine. Manufacturers who don't comply lose access to the Google Play services and are excluded from lucrative revenue sharing agreements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The case continued under the Biden administration, and in August 2024, Mehta ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. Instead of merely proposing monetary penalties or behavioral remedies, the DOJ also proposed structural remedies in November 2024. These included: divestiture from Chrome; prohibiting Google from "owning or acquiring any investment or interest in anyrival query-based [artificial intelligence] product"; terminating its paid partnership with Apple and self-preferencing with Android via bundling and revenue share agreements; divestiture from Android if "conduct remedies are not effective in preventing Google from improperly leveraging its control of the Android ecosystem to its advantage"; and requiring Google to make its search index and its search and advertisement data available to competitors at marginal and zero cost, respectively. The claim that these remedies would substantially diminish Google's near-90 percent share of the general search engine market is highly dubious. Geoffrey A. Manne, president and founder of the International Center for Law and Economics, described the proposed remedies as "fail[ing] to meet antitrust's requirement of a tight causal connection between offense and relief," while threatening browser competitionFirefox received 86 percent of its funding from Google in fiscal year 2021and "dissuading venture capital in AI more broadly." The revised proposal submitted on Friday mostly repeats the strong structural remedies originally proposed by the Biden administration. The most significant change was dropping the outright ban on owning and investing in AI products. However, the DOJ has maintained its mandate that Google provide publishers with a mechanism by which they may "opt-out of having the content of their web pages or domainsused to train or fine-tune any of Google's GenAI models." Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google's vice president of regulatory affairs, said the company will appeal Mehta's decision after filing its revised proposed final judgment. Manne tells Reason that the "new proposal shows that the DOJ under President Donald Trump intends to continue the highly politicized approach to Big Tech antitrust." A substantive continuation of the anti-Big Tech antitrust policy begun by the first Trump administration and intensified under former President Joe Biden bodes poorly for domestic investment, innovation, and consumer welfare. The post Justice Department Doubles Down Against Google appeared first on Reason.com. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., talks to reporters after voting in Richmond. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is one of three Democratic lawmakers spearheading a legislative effort to reinstate thousands of veterans who were fired from federal jobs as part of President Donald Trump administrations mass layoffs of government employees. Kaine, whose home state of Virginia has one of the highest populations of veterans in the country, introduced the Protect Veteran Jobs Act alongside U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Andy Kim, D-NJ, in an effort to reverse what they called an indiscriminate and unfair dismissal of those who have served. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposal comes in response to layoffs through billionaire Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that disproportionately affected veterans, who make up nearly 30% of the federal workforce. According to federal data compiled by Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee, DOGE has fired more than 6,000 veterans from federal positions. President Trump has fired more veterans in his first few weeks in office than any U.S. President. This is unacceptable, Kaine said in a statement. These men and women have made tremendous sacrifices in service to our nation, and now they are being kicked to the curb by a president who has previously called service members and veterans losers and suckers. Kaine has been one of the most vocal critics of Trumps federal workforce policies, particularly those affecting veterans. Last week, he invited Fairfax resident Jason King, a disabled veteran fired from his position in the Federal Aviation Administrations safety division, as his guest to Trumps joint address to Congress to highlight the issue. The Protect Veteran Jobs Act seeks to reinstate veterans who lost their jobs in these layoffs, ensuring they regain access to stable employment and benefits. Additionally, it mandates the White House submit a quarterly report to Congress detailing the number of veterans removed from the federal workforce and providing justifications for their dismissals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation has gained the support of several Senate Democrats, including Dick Durbin, Ill., Richard Blumenthal, D-Ct., Mark Kelly, D-Az., Amy Klobuchar, D-Mn., and Cory Booker, D-NJ, among others. In the House, a companion bill was introduced by U.S. Rep. Derek Tran, D-Ca. Co-sponsor Duckworth, a combat veteran, has also strongly condemned the firings, saying that veterans deserve opportunities to transition into the civilian workforce without fear of politically motivated dismissals. Several advocacy groups have also lined up behind the bill. VoteVets, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), AMVETS, the Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) have all endorsed the legislation, calling the mass dismissals an injustice to those who have served. Firing veterans who perform essential duties isnt government efficiency, its cruel, VoteVets said in a statement. Service members deserve opportunities to transition back into the workforce and should be guaranteed support not the added stress of unemployment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Virginia, home to the Pentagon, multiple military bases, and one of the largest veteran populations in the country, has been particularly affected by the federal layoffs. Many veterans in the state take on federal civilian jobs as a continuation of their public service, making job security in the sector a critical issue for Virginias economy. The AFGE, which represents federal workers, blasted the mass firings and called for urgent action. We should be celebrating Americans willing to wear a second uniform in service to their country. Instead, they are being treated to insults, chaos, and pink slips, AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a statement. With strong backing from veterans organizations and Democratic lawmakers, the legislation now faces the challenge of gaining bipartisan support in a divided Congress. Its fate will likely depend on whether Kaine and his co-sponsors can convince Republican colleagues that reinstating these veterans is a necessary step in honoring their service and stabilizing the federal workforce. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE TOPEKA (KSNT) Kansans are pushing for a ban that would prevent sex offenders from going to schools and school events, but others are pushing back saying it would do more harm than good. The Kansas Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony from more than a dozen people both for and against the proposal on Tuesday, March 11. Senate Bill 288, if approved, would ban certain sex offenders from being on school property. This includes stepping foot inside the building as well as attending other school events and activities. It specifically bans people convicted of sex crimes against minors. Bats, sex offenders and dangerous area prompt KBI to search for new home in Topeka Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Kansas Offender Registration Act currently has no restrictions on registered sex offenders accessing schools. Senator Kellie Warren, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, had the bill introduced after hearing concerns from voters in the Blue Valley School District. Parents there say a sex offender was recently allowed to chaperone an elementary school dance. We cant put at risk all the kids in our schools when weve got someone in the registry coming to school I think thats a risk, Warren said When you send your kid to school, you want them to be educated and you want them to be safe. Opponents of the bill say statistics dont back up the intention of the legislation. They say there is no evidence that banning sex offenders from schools prevents recidivism. They argue it would unfairly distance people from their families and community. They are not going to be able to attend any school functions such as graduations, Senate Bill 288 proponent Teresa Butell said. We are supposed to protect all citizens and we need to protect these children as well as the people who have come out of prison and they do want to do whats right and get back into society. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Controversial FAFSA high school graduation requirement removed in Kansas The committee is workshopping this bill in the coming days. The public can watch it online. For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would make it a felony for a registered sex offender to attend school events or enter school property. This follows an incident at a Blue Valley elementary school dance in February. Army Corps of Engineers employee fired after DEI posts removed There was a hearing on Tuesday on Senate Bill 288. According to the bill, it would make it a felony for any person 18 or older who is a registered sex offender to enter onto school property if their underlying offense involved a child. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill was prompted after parents were outraged after a registered sex offender attended a school dance at Blue River Elementary. I think its awesome, one parent, Colter Daubert, said in response to the bill. Daubert also expressed how he was surprised the bill wasnt already in place. I think some of the people might think this is to block every single person whos on the registry from being at a school or whatever, he said. Thats not the case, its more intended for someone whos violated a child or someone under the age 18. The bill is sponsored by Senator Kellie Warren from Leawood. During Tuesdays hearing, the committee heard from those in favor of the bill, including Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe and a representative from the chiefs of police, who say the bill is needed to keep kids safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Warren said the bill is personal, not just for the concerned parents but for her as well. This is personal as well, she said. As a mom of four kids who have gone through Blue Valley Schools, and one who is still a sophomore, it hits very close to home. I wouldnt want this situation to happen to my kids, and I wouldnt want it to happen to your kids either. Thats why, like you say, it puts a very black and white, Kelly continued. If youre on the registered sex offender registry, and you committed a crime against a minor, youre not going to be allowed on school property or at a school activity. To have a statewide policy like this will be very helpful to our school districts across the state. Its a tool they can use. Parents can know that my kids at school to learn, but we expect them to be safe, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While some opposed to the bill say it would have a devastating effect on families and the children of sex offenders who are trying to put the past behind them. The proposed law came about after a registered sex offender who lives with a woman who has children at Blue River Elementary attended a school dance and was seen taking pictures of students at the dance. View the latest headlines from Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas at fox4kc.com In 2011, that man pleaded guilty to having and sharing child pornography and went to prison before getting supervised release. The offender in question got permission to be there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the incident, the school board president reiterated in emails that there was No violation of Kansas law, district policy, or administrative guidelines. Kansas has no restrictions, but Missouri has laws prohibiting sex offenders from residing within 1,000 feet of daycare centers or schools. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Kansas City, Mo. The Kansas City, Kansas Fire Prevention Division is advising residents to use caution to prevent accidental fires due to dry conditions in the area. The fire department wants everyone to be sure to properly dispose of smoking materials and not throw them out of vehicle windows into grass or other dry areas. Carelessly discarded smoking materials can easily start a fire in dry vegetation leading to dangerous fires. Kansas Museums Association launches petition to save Sunflower Summer Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also, burning of yard waste, burning in barrels and other open burning is prohibited in KCK and subject to enforcement action. If you are interested in legal residential burning, the KCKFD allows limited yard waste burning in April. You must have a permit, and you may apply for a free permit starting at the end of March on the departments official website. You will be allowed up to three consecutive days of burning during the designated burn season. KCKFD wants to thank the community for its help in reducing fire hazards and keeping our city safe. You can get more information and apply for permits at www.kckfd.org. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Some homeowners say the impact of last weeks severe winter storm lingers in Kansas City. One east Kansas City couple complains they havent had power since the storm hit, delivering winds fierce enough to knock down a huge tree in a neighbors backyard. Theyre finding that restoring their power isnt as simple as some would think. Kansas City social media star dies while on vacation in Mexico Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement High winds that came with last weeks winter storm left this home, where Joe Robinson and Gladys Gates live, without power. Its stayed that way for seven days, as of Tuesday, March 11. Robinson showed FOX4 cameras the tree that fell from a neighbors yard and took out power lines and the platform from the house. Robinson said hes made repairs as mandated by Evergy, but the power at the house near 42nd and Tracy Avenue remains out. Wind gusts across the Kansas City metro were strong during last Tuesdays storm, which was nearly classified as a blizzard. The FOX4 Weather team measured wind speeds of nearly 70 miles per hour in some areas of the city. Many complained that snow seemed to blow sideways that night. I just want what I paid for. I pay my bills on time, Robinson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Robinson said hes followed written instructions from Evergy to the letter, but follow-up calls with the utility provider have only gotten him the runaround. Im sitting over here, and Im being patient with you, and your department and your employees calling. Half the time I call, you cut me off, Robinson said. Telephone lines are still down in the houses backyard. Robinson said hes called AT&T for that issue. Gates said that it got pretty cold in the house last week without power. She said a thermometer on the wall said 35 degrees. If your house was like that, and you got cold, we were upset. Theres nothing you can do until they come out and do what they were going to do, Gates said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man sentenced for murder in 2023 south Kansas City shooting An Evergy planner showed up to investigate about two hours after FOX4 called the company on Tuesday morning. A company spokesperson adds that Evergy has restored power to every customer who safely qualifies for restoration. That Evergy planner told Robinson that since those are new wires coming from the power platform on the house, the city has to inspect them. At that point, city workers would issue a permit for Evergy to proceed with restoring power. Robinson said two other Evergy employees have been to the house, and this is the first hes heard of this. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Family, friends and fans are mourning the death of a social media star and Kansas City native who died last week. Alysha Burney, who has over 4.5 million followers between YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, died while in Mexico just before her 25th birthday, according to public posts on social media by her family. I come with great sadness that my little sister Alysha Burney has passed, her brother Charles Burney said in an Instagram post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Charles Burney told Fox 4 News that his sister died March 2 after having an asthma attack in her sleep. He described her as a goal-oriented, creative and passionate person who graduated with a bachelors degree in digital media production and who was working on her graduate degree. Alysha Burney gained a massive following online for posting skits and producing videos and short films on YouTube and TikTok. She owned ABurneyProductions, and made several short films including Sheisty I and II, Lost Angeles and most recently, Hot Girl Get Away. He said misinformation had been spreading online surrounding what could have caused her death, but said his sister would not have been in an environment that would lead to a dangerous situation. She does not do drugs. She was a self-loving and happy individual who cherished her life and was looking forward to the upcoming years plans. She was in Mexico to celebrate her birthday. She was a very classy young woman, he said. TOPEKA (KSNT) Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued a statement Wednesday regarding an upcoming Black Mass event slated to happen later this month. Kelly released a statement on the upcoming event on March 28, stating that it will be moved outside of the Kansas Statehouse. She said no protests will be allowed inside the building on March 28. I have been informed about concerns regarding an event at the Statehouse on March 28, and I share those concerns. There are more constructive ways to protest and express disagreements without insulting or denigrating sacred religious symbols. However, as governor, I also have a duty to protect protesters constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression, regardless of how offensive or distasteful I might find the content to be. Since these rights are constitutionally protected, the Governors Office has limited authority to respond to such actions. That said, it is important to keep the Statehouse open and accessible to the public while ensuring all necessary health and safety regulations are enforced. Gov. Laura Kelly statement excerpt Property tax reform bill up for debate in Kansas For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. Rep. Rebecca Schmoe, seen here at a committee hearing on March 9, 2023, proposed legislation to sever Kansas' perceived ties with three global treaty organizations. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA Members of a House committee on Wednesday weighed a bill that would declare the World Health Organization, the United Nations and the World Economic Forum have no power to enforce any mandates in Kansas or any governing body in the state. One lawmaker touted the legislation as a way to protect state sovereignty, but its impact is unlikely to be more than symbolic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is as much a statement bill as it is anything, said Mike Heim, a legislative staffer tasked with explaining bills to lawmakers. Heim said he was unsure whether the organizations have any power in Kansas over laws, policies or governing entities. I suppose a state agency could try and implement a policy thats being promoted by one of these organizations or a local government. This would prevent that, he said. Rep. Rebecca Schmoe, an Ottawa Republican, sponsored House Bill 2204. She told committee members the legislation doesnt seek to restrict the emergency powers of the state, federal or local officials. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This only gives Kansas citizens the ability to interact with any kind of mandate or rule or regulation or tax through their elected representatives, Schmoe said. She wrote in testimony that international organizations often promote policies or initiatives that may not reflect the unique cultural, economic, or social makeup of our state. The bill had no opponents. Some states have considered or passed similar legislation, Heim said. A 2024 bill in Arizona prohibiting any public spending on the UNs sustainable development goals passed both chambers but was vetoed by the governor. The governors of Louisiana and Oklahoma signed legislation last year stating the WHO, UN and WEF have no jurisdiction in the states. President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from WHO membership in the first days of his second term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Erika Sheets, chair of the Johnson County chapter of Moms for Liberty, alleged a connection between a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention model for schools called Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child and global influence from treaty organizations. The whole child community school model is a critical component of a global plan by the World Health Organization to use health as a cover to change all sectors in all communities and to force compliance of the UNs sustainable development goals for their agenda 2030 by instituting a well-being economy, Sheets said. The UNs 2030 agenda is a plan to address global poverty, health and climate issues. Moms for Liberty is a national advocacy group focused on school issues including book banning, denouncing critical race theory and anti-LGBTQ+ practices. Sheets said the bill was necessary for the survival of our nation. The House committee has yet to vote on the bill. The Kansas Department of Commerce reached a negotiated agreement with the Peabody Main Street Association to allow distribution of the second half of a $1.5 million economic development grant. The grant was jeopardized by Jonathan Clayton's involvement in advising Peabody on the grant. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector) PEABODY The Kansas Department of Commerce made a deal with officials in Peabody to allow completion of a $1.5 million infrastructure improvement project designed to spark economic renewal in the central Kansas town. The community of less than 1,000 people was deeply shaken six months ago by alleged financial mismanagement of economic development aid and the mysterious death of a local consultant involved in monitoring state grant funding awarded to the Peabody Main Street Association. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have worked in every possible way to avoid compounding the tragedy, said Lt. Gov. David Toland, who also serves as secretary of the Department of Commerce. Its my assessment that our best approach is to allow this work in Peabody, that we believe is important and that will be catalytic for that community long term, to get done. Half of Peabodys infrastructure grant was spent rebuilding walls and roofing or replacing electrical and heating systems of architecturally endearing 1880s commercial buildings in risk of collapse. The remainder of the grant to Peabody was frozen when disturbing claims surfaced that interim Peabody clerk Jonathan Clayton, an adviser on economic development projects in Peabody and Mullinville, as well as a former administrator at the Department of Commerce with oversight of $100 million in funding, allegedly embezzled more than $100,000 of Mullinvilles $425,000 state infrastructure grant and reportedly stole $70,000 from a Mullinville cemetery association. Clayton previously had been ousted from the Department of Commerce when it was discovered that he was simultaneously controlling economic development funding at the state agency while also coordinating a Building a Stronger Economy, or BASE, grant funneled through the state to Mullinville. As that conflict-of-interest controversy percolated, it was revealed the Department of Commerce had hired Clayton in 2020 while unaware he had been sentenced in 2018 to probation for felony theft and forgery after stealing at least $210,000 in Pennsylvania. Department of Commerce officials said they were worried Clayton may have engaged in criminal behavior while collaborating with Peabody. Clayton repeatedly ignored the state agencys request for routine documentation intended to hold the Peabody grant recipients accountable, said Bob North, an attorney with the Department of Commerce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Department of Commerce officials closed in on Clayton in August 2024, he vanished. His body was found three weeks later in a wrecked truck in Harvey County. Shortly after his disappearance, a letter attributed to Clayton was made public that asserted Toland engaged in malfeasance in deciding who received economic development grants tied to government aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lieutenant governor said claims in the Clayton letter were false. Starting in July 2024, the Department of Commerce sent correspondence to Clayton saying the second-phase grant of $760,000 to the Peabody Main Street Association could be withheld. The state agency also threatened to compel the Peabody association to repay the $740,000 first-phase grant expended on refurbishing downtown buildings. Amber Cabrera, an attorney at the commerce department, sent the Peabody association a letter in August that said the agency was proceeding forward with its right to terminate the agreement and demands the return of the disbursed grant funds in the amount of $740,000. Cabrera gave the Peabody association 15 days to complete full repayment or the state would pursue any and all legal alternatives to collect outstanding amounts due and associated costs, including payment for legal fees and expenses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The repayment by Peabody didnt occur, because the association had about $1,200 in its bank account. However, Department of Commerce spokesman Patrick Lowry said in December the Peabody associations failure to comply with requirements of a grant recipient necessitated cutting off the promised funding. He attributed the action to the ongoing appearance of conflicts of interest in Peabody and lingering damage done by Jonathan Clayton in the administration of this grantees application. Though this is not the outcome that many would have wanted initially, it is important to realize that $740,000 has been invested renovating historic buildings on Peabodys Main Street that, thanks to these investments, can now be utilized for new businesses, Lowry said. Lt. Gov. David Toland, who also serves as secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce, said an agreement had been reached to resolve controversy in Peabody about management of a $1.5 million grant dedicated to restoration of 1880s-era downtown buildings so they could be used to expand business opportunities in the central Kansas community. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector) Change of heart? Toland said the Department of Commerce subsequently concluded there was no evidence of fraudulent expenditures related to the Peabody associations handling of the grant before or after Claytons death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its been audited twice and were confident the funds were spent properly, Toland said. Toland said the state decided not to seek repayment of the first phase of grant funding and entered negotiations to allow issuance of second-phase funding for benefit of Peabody. Under the approved deal, a third-party organization must administer the Peabody grant rather than leave that responsibility with volunteers at Peabody Main Street Association. If you dont have experience and background for this type of work, it can be quite difficult, Toland said. But it needs to be come through an organization that is used to administering large, complex projects. The South Central Kansas Economic Development District was selected to manage the remainder of Peabodys grant. Much of the second phase of the grant has been earmarked for rebuilding Walnut Street surfaces and sidewalks after completion of a project to upgrade water service to downtown businesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were glad to get the rest of the money, said Kelly Penner, of the Peabody Main Street Association. Were happy to make our downtown as beautiful as possible. Its unclear what could happen in terms of the Mullinville grant, but the Department of Commerce filed a lawsuit in 2024 to gain access to bank and other financial records related to Claytons administration of the $425,000 grant. The Department of Commerce could end up with a court judgment declaring Clayton absconded with tens of thousands of dollars. Its possible the Mullinville Community Foundation could be ordered to refund a portion of the grant. Weve got records through the litigation process, said North, the commerce departments attorney. Weve got a pretty good idea of how the money was expended down there. Morgan Marler, a member of the Peabody Main Street Association, said locals felt betrayed by Jonathan Clayton, who misrepresented work he agreed to perform on behalf of a $1.5 million economic development grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce to revitalize downtown buildings in anticipation of attracting new merchants to Peabody. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector) Peeling the onion Morgan Marler, a Peabody merchant and member of the Peabody Main Street Association, said at the outset Clayton appeared to be a reliable partner in the downtown development project. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said Clayton had work experience at the Department of Commerce and that Claytons spouse, Christopher King, operated CK Vintage in Mullinville before moving the store to Walnut Street in Peabody. During work on the first phase of the $1.5 million grant, Marler said Clayton complained to association board members that the Department of Commerce sought construction documents for work in Peabody that he had already forwarded to the state agency. Clayton said he complied with the states requests in anticipation of Peabody securing the second half of the grant, she said. Jonathan was telling us he filed all the reports that were required, Marler said. We continued to trust in his judgment on that. Eventually, a Department of Commerce official reached out to Penner, who was president of the Peabody Main Street Association, to explain the failure to provide the state agency with expenditure documents on the Peabody projects could jeopardize the $1.5 million grant. Members of the Peabody association scheduled an 11:30 a.m. Saturday meeting in August with Clayton to retrieve all documents he professed to have previously shared with the Department of Commerce, Marler said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clayton didnt show up, Marler said, and that was the day that he officially went missing. She was among Peabody residents to be interviewed by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation in the case. Peabody Mayor Catherine Weems sent a letter to Toland and Gov. Laura Kelly urging them to consider not sidetracking the citys BASE grant for rehabilitation of downtown buildings. The second bundle of $760,000 was to be used, in part, as a match for a $1 million Kansas Department of Health and Environment grant to improve water service. As you can imagine, Jonathans disappearance has sent shock waves through our community, Weems said. Christopher King, who operated CK Vintage in downtown Peabody, was pressured by the Kansas Department of Commerce to close the store in December due to his link to the late Jonathan Clayton, who allegedly embezzled state grant funding from Mullinville while advising Peabody on a separate $1.5 million grant. Clayton, Kings spouse, was found dead in a vehicle after the commerce department raised questions about potential misconduct. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector) Lease deadline Peabody Main Street Association member Pandea Smith, who runs a tea shop on Walnut Street and owns a separate building that had foundation work done with grant funding, said working with the Department of Commerce to fill the reporting gap left by Clayton was difficult because the state agency staff appeared to be disorganized. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She would email me saying we were in default for not providing these when it had been sent twice, Smith said. I would reply back that its been sent on these dates, and here it is again. The Department of Commerce continued to raise red flags about potential conflicts of interest because grant funds had been allocated to Peabody association board members involved in downtown businesses. Clayton had told the association these payments were allowed. In December, Marler said the Department of Commerce demanded the building lease with King, the widow of Clayton, be prematurely severed by the Peabody Main Street Association. The association reluctantly asked King if he would vacate the property by Dec. 27, and he agreed. His store included holiday decorations, and it was important to run a quitting-business sale through Christmas. I feel targeted, King said. Theyre able to get (Clayton) personally through me. And, unfortunately, I think Im just a casualty of that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Department of Commerce complained to the association that King had to be ousted from the retail space before Christmas. The Peabody Main Street Association received a letter offering full allocation of the second half of its $1.5 million grant if the lease with King at 109 North Walnut was terminated no later than Dec. 20. The association hired an attorney and decided not to accelerate Kings exit. Trail of wreckage The Department of Commerce terminated the state grant with Peabody Main Street Association before reaching an agreement on restoring the economic development aid, Toland said. This has taken some time to figure out how we thread the needle so that the work can be completed in the community in a fashion that allows compliance, he said. The lieutenant governor said work to complete commercial redevelopment sought by Peabody residents was complicated by Claytons effort to conceal his actions. Jonathan Clayton left a trail of wreckage that extended from Mullinville to Peabody, and it ensnared a lot of different people and did a lot of damage to those people who are all engaged in trying to better their communities, Toland said. He lied to a lot of people. Gov. Laura Kelly enters the House chamber to deliver her State of the State address on Jan. 15, 2025. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA All hail civil disobedience. Gov. Laura Kelly intervened Wednesday in satanists plans to conduct a black mass on March 28 at the Statehouse by declaring they would not be allowed inside. The satanists plan to defy her undivine wisdom. We will be showing up on the 28th, said Michael Stewart, founder and president of the Satanic Grotto, which organized the event. We will be entering the building and attempting to perform the mass, and if Capitol Police want to stop us, they will need to arrest us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Satanic Grottos plans to conduct a black mass in the Statehouse rotunda stimulated considerable attention online and outrage from the Catholic Church. In cheeky social media posts, Stewart describes satanists as the scariest thing in the dark. But in an interview, he said he was planning a safe event, with nothing to be afraid of. His said his group has about three dozen members, primarily from Kansas City and Wichita, and is nonviolent. The black mass is a satanic version of the Catholic mass, meant to reflect our own pain and anger of us being subjected to religion that we never gave consent to, Stewart said. It was imposed upon us. So the ritual is sort of you can think of it as therapeutic blasphemy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group describes itself on its website as an independent and nondenominational church whose members are feminist, LBGTQ+ allies, and anti-racist Nazi Satanists can f*** off. The Satanic Grottos event listing on Facebook shows 26 plan to attend and 116 are interested in the event. Chuck Weber, of Kansas Catholic Conference, said in a March 6 statement that such an explicit demonstration of anti-Catholic bigotry will be an insult to not only Catholics, but all people of good will. The Catholic Bishops of Kansas ask that first and foremost, we pray for the conversion of those taking part in this event, as well as each persons own conversion of heart during this scared Season of Lent, Weber said in the statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor entered the arena Wednesday, when she issued a statement declaring her concerns about the event. She said there are more constructive ways to protest and express disagreements without insulting or denigrating sacred religious symbols. She acknowledged the right to freedom of speech and expression regardless of how offensive or distasteful I might find the content to be and that she has limited authority to respond to the planned event. That said, it is important to keep the Statehouse open and accessible to the public while ensuring all necessary health and safety regulations are enforced, Kelly said in her statement. Therefore, all events planned for March 28 will be moved outdoors to the grounds surrounding the Statehouse. Again, no protests will be allowed inside the Statehouse on March 28. Stewart said the governors office didnt call him before issuing the public statement. This is a Democrat governor bowing to religious and Republican pressure, Stewart said. There was enough outrage that she had to do something, but shes so chicken to actually stand up for anything, the best she could do was try to shuffle us outside and make it look like she has done something to save her own hide instead of standing up for religious and free speech. Will Katie Porter run for governor as the face of a resurgent Democratic resistance to President Donald Trump? Or as a pragmatic consensus candidate who will cross ideological lines to find the best solutions? According to her campaign launch, the answer appears to be both. The introductory video from the former Orange County representative jam-packed a little something for everybody into three minutes and 11 seconds. There was plenty of Trump-bashing for her partys base (as well as a jab at the newest Democratic bete noire, Elon Musk). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Porter, who rocketed to fame as a warrior against corporate influence, also hit on notes of collaboration and compromise that may come as a surprise to those most familiar with her whiteboard takedowns. She spoke of working with businesses and protecting workers and promised an openness to good ideas no matter where they come from. Soon after her launch was official, Porter hopped on the phone with Playbook to explain her campaign theory of the case. This interview was edited for length and clarity. I was surprised to hear you talk so much about President Donald Trump in your launch video, given that you didnt talk about him very much at all in your Senate race. How will the current president factor into your campaign messaging this time around? I hear it every day in my community when I go to the University of California to teach, when I am in the grocery store I hear people worried about what Trump is doing and how it is going to affect them. I think there's a very concrete fear, and for good reason. He has made clear he's coming for health care, he's coming for Social Security. He's going to drive up the prices of goods, everyday necessities, like groceries, that people need. And so I think people are hungry for someone who understands what Trump's policies are like and have a track record of being able to take that on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As you know, I ran for Congress the first time ran for office for the very first time after Trump was elected. And I went to Congress and asked tough questions of his advisers, and I was able to get results, including free Covid testing for every single American. And so we need somebody who's going to be able to hold Trump accountable, to stand up to his bullying. When there's an opportunity to deliver for California with Trump's partnership, I'll do that. But I am absolutely willing to stand up to him, and I think that's a message you heard in the video. California Democrats got some criticism during Trumps first term that they were so focused on the resistance that they lost focus on some of the states big problems, such as housing and affordability. Do you think that criticism is valid? Is it possible to address Californias issues and at the same time, take on Trump? Absolutely, because Trump is, in many ways, trying to deepen the challenges that are on Californians minds. So look at what he's threatening to do with regard to disaster relief. Rather than help us prepare for wildfires, he's withholding aid. We are facing a cost-of-living challenge here in California, and I've seen it firsthand as a parent and as a shopper, and what he's doing with his tariffs is making that problem even worse. So I absolutely think that we need to look to advance some of the things that we started working on, like housing and homelessness prevention. We need to accelerate those areas, but at the same time, we're going to have to block and tackle when he comes for California, and I absolutely can do both. And I think that's going to be what we need in this moment. Watching your video, I was trying to figure out the ideological lane youre trying to occupy in this race. Hasnt everyone always tried to figure that out, when I won again and again in Orange County? Do you think people get you right? Many people see you as a progressive. Do you fit into that ideological frame? I am a champion for families, and one of the things families need is a thriving economy. I've seen it firsthand. If Trump drives our economy into the tank through his reckless economic policy, who gets hurt first? Who gets the deepest cuts, who recovers last? Our everyday working families. So my favorite line in that video, the one I most want Californians to hear, is when I say I have only ever been motivated by one thing: making Californians lives better. And to do that, we have to address the cost of living challenges. We have to make sure California's economy is going to create the good, high-paying jobs that we need, and that we're bringing down some of the costs for the biggest building blocks for families, which include housing and health care. This is your second statewide run in two years. Last time, the types of voters who it seemed like you were trying to motivate younger voters, independents, people disillusioned with government didnt show up in the primary. What are you going to do this time to make sure those voters show up to the polls and propel you into the top-two general election? In this moment, Californians want a toughness, they want a fighter, they want a leader. That is really at the center of why I'm running for governor the commitment I have shown over and over again to be willing to pick up new ideas, to engage in fresh ways, to engage people who really have skepticism about the Democratic Party, have skepticism about where we are. A lot of the coverage of your campaign notes that theres a big caveat that youll get out of the race if former Vice President Kamala Harris jumps in. Youve always portrayed yourself as someone who isnt necessarily deferential to the Democratic establishment. Does it cut against your brand to say youll step down if Harris runs? I'm launching today, because I'm not waiting around. Trump is inflicting real harm on Californian families. We need to start considering what comes next, how we're going to respond to that. I'm a big supporter of Kamala Harris, as you know. I worked for her. She gave me a start in California public service, helping families who were facing foreclosure back during the foreclosure crisis. And I'm grateful for that opportunity. I think if she chooses to run, as I said, it would have a powerful field-clearing effect. But right now, I'm not going to wait. I think there's a real appetite for that kind of fresh energy. How do you evaluate how Gov. Gavin Newsom is handling Trump at the moment? Hes been very critical in the past, but hes toned down the rhetoric, especially as he tries to get more federal aid for wildfire recovery. Do you think hes striking the right balance? Gavin Newsom, upon Trump being elected, began to talk to our Legislature and our mayors and other leaders to think about what this is going to mean for California on issues like our health care, for example. I think with regard to the wildfires, it's important to show the president firsthand what happened here on the ground in California. We are a long ways from Washington, and we do not always get the attention on our challenges and our problems that California needs and deserves. And so I think it was appropriate that the governor encouraged the president to be here, that he showed the president firsthand what he had been seeing from his time on the ground in Los Angeles. Like this content? Consider signing up for POLITICOs California Playbook newsletter. UPDATE: Rachel has been found and is safe. KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department is attempting to locate a 45-year-old woman who was last seen early Tuesday morning. KCPD said Rachel B. Gross was last seen in the area of Gregory Boulevard and Cleveland Avenue around 4:49 a.m. Gross is described as standing 52 and weighs 175 pounds. She has brown hair and green eyes. She was last seen wearing a green jacket and gray pants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said family and friends are concerned about her safety and well-being. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Anyone with information is asked to call the KCPD Missing Persons Unit at (816) 234-5043 or call 911. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) The Kern County Sheriffs Office is asking for the communitys help in searching for a woman who was last seen in October of 2024. Sheriff officials describe Bryttany Marie Kelly, 28, as 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing 110 pounds. She has auburn hair and blue eyes. It is not known what Kelly was last wearing. The sheriffs office did not disclose any other information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If anyone has any information regarding Kellys whereabouts they are asked to contact the Kern County Sheriffs Office at 661-861-3110, or the secret witness line at 661-322-4040. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17 News. FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) Hundreds of Kentuckians gathered at the capitol rotunda to rally against several bills being labeled as anti-LGBTQ. The demonstration comes as the state legislature debates a range of bills that some say would negatively impact the rights of LGBTQ individuals. Read more of the latest Kentucky news Gov. Andy Beshear headlined the event, acknowledging the fear many LGBTQ Kentuckians feel as the bills move through the legislature. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lot of people are scared right now about what the president is going to do next and your rights being in danger to our LGBTQ Kentuckians. Were here for you; we see you, we love you, and we support you, Beshear said. At the forefront of many peoples minds was House Bill 495, which seeks to overturn the Governors executive order banning conversion therapy. Rep. Adrielle Camuel voiced strong opposition to the bill as well as several others, saying its not just a policy issue but a personal one. Theyre designed to inflict harm and to put people in a box or to put them back in their place. These measures dont just threaten policies; they threaten people, Camuel said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beshear offered a glimmer of hope, promising that if the bill were to pass, he would veto it. However, with Republicans holding a supermajority in the General Assembly, the veto could be easily overridden. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: There are currently nearly 20 LGBTQ-related bills being proposed in the state, many of which are expected to negatively impact LGBTQ Kentuckians, according to Fairness Campaign Executive Director Chris Hartman. Emma Curtis, District 4 councilwoman for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council, said, I told you that things might get worse before they got better. And I think we can all agree theyve gotten worse but Im here today to tell you that apathy is not an option, that hope is not a distraction it is the solution, Curtis declared. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The rally was filled with energy, with attendees ready to fight against the proposed legislation. Read more of the latest news in politics Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman encouraged the crowd to hold their leaders accountable for their actions, not just their words. As people show up, dont listen to their words. Watch their actions, watch their actions, and make sure that you hold these folks accountable. Be bold, be brave, added Coleman. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. PULASKI COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) A Jackson County man is facing charges after reportedly picking up a missing kid early Tuesday and taking them to West Virginia. A deputy with the Pulaski County Sheriffs Office said he was called to a home early Tuesday on East Brown Ridge after learning that a child was reported missing. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Initial investigations showed that the kid was believed to have been picked up by an adult male, later allegedly identified as Michael Moon, 47, of Annville, per PCSO. Later that morning, a detective said that, after further investigation, Moon was arrested and charged with: Custodial interference Possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor According to arrest records, he was booked into the Pulaski County Detention Center and is being held on a $25,000 bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) During a bail review on Tuesday, for defendant Bogdan Boceanu, Judge Andrew B. Kendall maintained his order denying bail. Hes caught at DHS with 36 cloned EBT cardshes victimizing the most vulnerable members of our community, people who rely on those EBT funds to be in their account the first of every month, said Judge Andrew B. Kendall. Mr. Torres, this is not a crime of violence, but its difficult to imagine a more harmful kind of theft. Taking on the most vulnerable people in our community. During a bail review for defendant Bogdan Boceanu, Judge Andrew B. Kendall maintained his order denying bail, and was doubtful Boceanu would show up to his court proceedings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He had a felony warrant in SF021771A, so hes been caught doing this at least two times. Theres a continued investigation, he may or may not be involved in other thefts involving EBT cards, said Judge Kendall. The court finds there is clear evidence that hes a danger to the public. Court finds clear, convincing evidence that hes a flight riskset his bail at no bail. Kern County Supervisors were not informed of ongoing EBT theft by District Attorneys office Judge Kendall said Bogdans bail sponsor being in Riverside shows he lacks ties to Kern County. Prosecutor Anthony Yim said two other Romanian defendants, who have failed to appear, had the same bail sponsor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now we have the defendant here who actually has the same source of bail, and the same sponsorship of every defendant that this court has given bail to, said Yim. Which would be the Green Solution Environmental Services out of Riverside, California and the Romanian Gypsy Church of Riverside, California. Norbert Karaba would be one of the defendants Yim referred to, bailed by the church. Karaba was also arraigned on Tuesday for six felony counts, including grand theft and money laundering. Karaba is back in court on May 16. Boceanu is due in court this Friday, March 14. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17 News. New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the second-ranking Democrat on the chambers armed services committee, announced Wednesday she will not seek reelection in 2026. The 78-year-old former New Hampshire governor has been a prominent national security and military policy voice for Senate Democrats for more than a decade. In addition to her 14 years on the armed services panel, Shaheen was the first woman ever to serve as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In a statement, Shaheen said she planned to serve out the remainder of her current term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are urgent challenges ahead, both here at home and around the world, she said. And while Im not seeking reelection, believe me, I am not retiring. I am determined to work every day over the next two years and beyond to continue to try and make a difference for the people of New Hampshire and this country. Shaheen has been a vocal supporter of U.S. assistance to Ukraine and restarted the bipartisan Senate NATO Observer Group in 2018 to help strengthen U.S. support for that alliance. She has also been a driving force in efforts to expand the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program to help former foreign nationals who assisted with U.S. war efforts in Afghanistan relocate to safer areas. Senators warn more visas are urgently needed for Afghans who aided US Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shaheen has served as co-chair of the Senates bipartisan National Guard Caucus, pushing for friendlier personnel policies and increased investment in the force. And she has been a longtime advocate for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and further investment in New Englands shipbuilding workforce. Fellow Senate Armed Services Committee Democrat Gary Peters of Michigan announced last month that he also will not seek reelection next year. Both states are expected to be key battlegrounds for control of the Senate in 2027. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber, with two independent senators caucusing with the Democrats. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) An additional suspect in a reported kidnapping has been found and arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service. According to the Dayton Police Department, a 37-year-old man wanted on a kidnapping warrant was located and arrested by members of the Dayton U.S. Marshals SOFAST team. The suspect was found in Franklin County, prompting an assist by the U.S. Marshals Columbus Division. Person hospitalized after shooting in Washington Playground Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police say the suspect was wanted on a warrant along with a parole violation. The kidnapping warrant stemmed from an incident that took place on West Hillcrest Avenue and Lexington Avenue on Feb. 22. The male suspect, alongside a 33-year-old female suspect, entered a home, attacked a 12-year-old and fled the scene with the child, further assaulting them at another location. The female suspect was arrested last month. The male suspect is now being housed at Franklin County Jail. CARE House detectives continue to investigate the incident. 2 NEWS is working to learn more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. CHICAGO Lawmakers and the Chicago Teachers Union are among those weighing in on the mass layoffs at the Department of Education, with hundreds of jobs slashed in the last 24 hours. A senior department official said 1,315 Department of Education staffers will be let go and received the notification on Tuesday. The Education Department started President Trumps second term with more than 4,000 employees, but even before Tuesday, hundreds had already been put on leave or had taken a buyout offer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Department of Education lays off nearly half of workforce Amongst the latest cuts, multiple reports state the regional office in Chicago is on the chopping block. Education Secretary Linda McMahon told Fox News the layoffs are an effort to take the bureaucracy out of education and are the first step toward shuttering the department which has been a goal of President Donald Trump ever since hitting the campaign trail. Now, a complete shutdown cannot be done without Congress approval. Education secretary: Mass layoffs first step toward total shutdown Local lawmakers have been weighing on Tuesdays events, with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi saying, in part: Weakening our education system not only shortchanges our children but also undermines our workforce and economy at a time when our global competitors are investing morenot lessin education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senator Dick Durbin added, more than 1,300 dedicated public servants are out of a job, our local schools will lose resources, and our kids will suffer. Once again, thanks to President Trump, billionaires win and families lose. The CTU also briefly mentioned the layoffs during their press conference Wednesday morning, as they continue to negotiate a new contract. We need to be close because last night, Number 47 wrecked havoc on the Department of EducationWe have to protect public education and the children that need it most, said CTU President Stacy Davis Gates. Governor JB Pritzker describes the cuts as a failed test of leadership for the president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The National Parents Union is also gearing up for a fight, condemning the proposed elimination of the Department of Education as a direct attack on the future of children. WGN News also reached out to the Illinois Department of Education for a comment: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. Just over a month ago, I noticed a significant change in King Charles's confidenceand even body language expert Darren Stanton agreed, noting that he looked like "a completely different man" in one of his portraits. Then, His Majesty was all smiles and laughs during his visit to Imperial College London's White City Campus in February. But now, I'm seeing a whole new side of the 76-year-old monarch. In case you missed it, King Charles recently visited the Royal College of Nursing in London to celebrate their 1000th Kings Nursing Cadet. While there, he met with a few cadets who walked him through how to perform CPRand the royal family even shared footage on Instagram, writing, "The young cadets demonstrated some of the new skills they have learntand even encouraged His Majesty to have a go himself!" In the video, the king looked like a natural and kept a consistent rhythm as he performed CPR on the mannequin, but I couldn't help but notice his body language. Judging by the footage and videos, he's in good spirits and bursting with energy. The very first clip shows him doing chest compressions like a total pro (albeit with quite a lot of intensity), and with a genuine smile. He also shows no signs of exhaustion and he's fully engaged as the other cadets watch along. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the following footage, the king is quick to smile as he chats with the other cadets. He also leans in and uses open-hand gestures, indicating his high confidence and comfort level. In the comments, one fan wrote, "King Charles is so cute, love the way he talks to the people and how interested he is. He looks so happy. Wonderful." Another chimed in, "I am happy his majesty is in good shape." JAIMI JOY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images The king's high energy is a stark contrast to what I observed last year, after he was diagnosed with cancer in February. At the time, His Majesty postponed several royal engagements and was understandably more composed in the few times he made public appearancesincluding the Easter Sunday service at St George's Chapel in March. Great to see the king is in much better spirits. Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Subscribe here. Prince William Takes on Surprising New Role After Wife Kates Triumphant Return Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) is blasting California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) for hosting conservative media figure and President Trump ally Steve Bannon on his newly launched podcast this week. I am in shock at the stupidity of [Newsom] inviting Steve Bannon on his podcast, Kinzinger wrote in a social media post on Wednesday. Many of us on the right sacrificed careers to fight Bannon, and Newsom is trying to make a career and a presidential run by building him up. The lawmaker-turned-CNN-commentator called the booking by Newsom unforgivable and insane. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newsoms podcast has fueled speculation he is eyeing a run for president in 2028 and irked some Democrats with guests he has hosted and some comments he has made on issues such as transgender athletes. He sat down with conservative activist and commentator Charlie Kirk for the debut episode, while Bannon is the highest profile booking Newsom has landed in Trumps orbit yet. Bannon is the one who is basically the author of where we are, Kinzinger said. And because Gavin Newsom wants to run for president, he brings on this nationalist. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In early March 2025, claims emerged that U.S. President Donald Trump asked advisers about moving the original copy of the Declaration of Independence from its permanent exhibit in the National Archives to the White House's Oval Office. The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of the United States, in which the original thirteen colonies declared themselves a sovereign nation separate from the rule of Great Britain's King George III. The Continental Congress, which governed the colonies during the American Revolution, ratified the document on July 4, 1776. Internet users discussed the claim in various Reddit threads and on social media platforms like TikTok (archived), Instagram (archived), Facebook (archived) and Threads (archived). Some users jokingly compared Trump's request to the 2004 film "National Treasure," in which Nicolas Cage's character enacted a plan to steal the Declaration of Independence from the National Archives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The claim that Trump sought to move the original Declaration of Independence to the Oval Office originated from an article in The Atlantic, which reported that the information came from "people familiar with the conversations who requested anonymity to describe the planning." The article also noted that Trump had since backed down from his request to move the original document, and that "subsequent discussions appear to have focused on the possibility of moving one of the historical copies of the document." Snopes has not yet been able to independently verify these claims. Neither the White House nor the National Archives immediately responded to our inquiries about Trump asking to move the document. This article will be updated should we receive a response. The Rotunda of the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., has displayed the original documents of America's "Charters of Freedom" the Declaration of Independence in addition to the original copies of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights since 1952. Due to deterioration of the helium-filled encasements, starting in 2001 the exhibit underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation to upgrade the protective encasements and make the attraction more accessible to visitors with disabilities. The Rotunda reopened to the public following the completion of the project in 2003. According to a National Archives factsheet from the time of the renovations, the new argon-filled encasements offered increased protection for the documents as well as easier access for conservators: The design for the new encasements will allow conservators to open and reseal the cases if it's ever necessary to examine the documents or modify the interior components. The documents will be mounted so that glass never touches parchment. Ultra-smooth surfaces, new space age gaskets and the use of argon gas, rather than helium, will prevent leakage. The new design allows for flexibility to incorporate future conservation techniques as they are developed. As The Atlantic pointed out, moving the original documents would be impractical both logistically and financially, especially for an administration whose primary platform has been the elimination of excessive spending in government. White House aides recognized this impracticality, according to The Atlantic article, which read in part: Trump's request alarmed some of his aides, who immediately recognized both the implausibility and the expense of moving the original document. Displayed in the rotunda at the National Archives Building, in Washington, D.C., it is perhaps the most treasured historical document in the U.S. government's possession. The original is behind heavy glass in an oxygen-free, argon-filled case that can retract into the wall at night for security. Because of light damage to the faded animal-skin parchment, the room is kept dimly lit; restrictions have been placed on how often the doors can even be opened. We previously looked into the claim that the U.S. National Archives Records Association introduced a "Harmful Language Alert" to accompany some historical documents on its website, including the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Sources: Dapcevich, Madison. "Did National Archives Put 'Harmful Language' Alert on US Constitution?" Snopes, 10 Sept. 2021, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/national-archives-us-constitution/. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Parker, Ashley, and Michael Scherer. "Trump's Own Declaration of Independence." The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2025, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/trumps-own-declaration-of-independence/681944/. "Press Kits: Charters of Freedom Re-Encasement Project." National Archives, 15 Aug. 2016, https://www.archives.gov/press/press-kits/charters.html. "Trump Asked 'Alarmed' Aides for the Original Declaration of Independence to Be Moved to the Oval Office." Yahoo News, 7 Mar. 2025, https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-asked-alarmed-aides-original-182433292.html. U.S. Documents Again On Display - CBS News. 16 Sept. 2003, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-documents-again-on-display/. Wolf, Zachary B. "Trump's Plan for Government: 'Maximum' Cuts He Can Get Away with | CNN Politics." CNN, 6 Mar. 2025, https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/06/politics/doge-government-cuts-plan/index.html. LISBON, Portugal (AP) Portugal slid back into more political uncertainty Wednesday after its third government fell in as many years when Prime Minister Luis Montenegro lost a confidence vote in Parliament. The demise of the minority government marks the worst spell of political instability in 50 years of Portuguese democracy. Here's a look at what led up to the vote, and what is next for the European Union country of 10.6 million people: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How did Lisbon's center-right government fall? Montenegro submitted himself to the confidence vote after he was accused of a potential conflict of interest regarding a family law firm. It recently emerged that the firm was receiving payments from a company that has a major gambling concession granted by the government. Montenegro, who took power less than a year ago, held the confidence vote to dispel uncertainty." Instead, opposition parties teamed up to topple him. What comes next? Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who as head of state oversees the transition of power between governments led by prime ministers, is holding talks with the parties that make up the Parliament on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once those talks are done, the president is expected to formally dissolve the chamber in accordance with constitutional procedures and announce new elections. Many political observers expect to ballot to be set for May. Montenegro, who has denied wrongdoing, said he will try to regain his post by running again in the snap election. But he faces hurdles other than the opinion of voters. Opposition parties have demanded more detailed explanations from the conservative leader, and the Socialist Party wants a parliamentary inquiry that would dog the government for months. Why is this important? As a NATO member, Portugal is in need of strong leadership to help handle the diplomatic crisis unleashed by the United States, which is wavering after decades of solid support for Europe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Portuguese administration is also in the process of investing more than 22 billion euros ($24 billion) in EU development funds as it looks to retool its economy. What about the far right? Portugal has not been immune to the wave of far-right gains across Europe. Chega (Enough), a radical right populist party, finished third in last years election in its best ever result after it successfully tapped into voters frustration with mainstream politics. Antonio Costa Pinto of the Lisbon University Social Sciences Institute said that Chega could aspire to play kingmaker. Portuguese democracy has been marked by a minority center-right government that has made a key point of not making alliances with the radical right party, and this will also be at stake on these elections, he told The Associated Press. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not that there is a prediction for the radical right to rise greatly. But at what point will the center-right party, which is in a significant crisis, break this barrier on the radical right? We dont know. Basically everything is wide open. Why so much instability? Portugal hasn't experienced such political instability since it adopted a democratic system in the wake of the 1974 Carnation Revolution, which ended a four-decade dictatorship. Once considered a model of level-headed governance, Portugal has seen its politics fragment, leading to fragile administrations. Back-to-back minority governments have been unable to forge lasting alliances with parties in opposition and have fallen well short of finishing their four-year terms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Antonio Costa, Montenegros predecessor, stunned the nation when he suddenly resigned as prime minister in 2023 after a member of his staff came under investigation for corruption. Although he was not directly targeted by investigators, Costa immediately stepped down in an act of political responsibility that has earned him praise. He has since become president of the European Council. Some citizens are growing tired of the instability. I have a feeling that this idea of having early elections is becoming common and people start to think it is normal. But it is not normal, said Francisco Ribeiro, a 63-year-old plumber. Politicians are appearing increasingly as people less honest and this confuses people. ___ Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain. Barry Hatton in Lisbon contributed. Former Congressman Dr. Dave Weldon speaks in The Villages, Fla., on May 31, 2012. Credit - Brendan FarringtonAP President Donald Trumps nominee to head the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), former Republican Congressman Dr. Dave Weldon, was set to face questioning by Senators on March 13. But on the morning of the hearing, the White House withdrew Weldons nomination, according to Axios, which first reported the news. Weldon was due to appear before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, and members were expected to question him on topics including his past statements expressing vaccine skepticism. In an interview, Weldon told the New York Times that he just learned about the withdrawal of his nomination the night before; a White House official told him he didnt have the votes to be confirmed for the role. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It is a shock, but, you know, in some ways, its relief, he told the Times. Government jobs demand a lot of you, and if God doesnt want me in it, Im fine with that. Heres what to know about Weldon. Dave Weldon is a physician, veteran, and former Congressman Weldon, 71, served in the Army, and currently operates a private medical practice in Florida. From 1995 to 2009, he served in Congress, representing Florida. Since then, hes largely been out of the political spotlight, though hes run campaignshe lost the GOP Primary for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2012, as well as the GOP Primary for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives in 2024. He was the president of the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries From 2017 to 2020, Weldon was the president of the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries, an association of faith-based organizations that claim to offer alternatives to health insurance. The organizations have sparked controversy and criticism from state regulators, who have expressed concern that the groups marketing strategies have led to confusion among consumers over whether the ministries would fund medical claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When asked about this controversy by the Times in November, Weldon said that during the time he was president of the alliance he strongly encouraged all the ministries to get together and form an accreditation system, and I think they did, but since he left, I dont know how rigorous it really was. Read More: The Powers Trumps Nominees Will Have Over Abortion He has repeated the debunked claim that theres a link between vaccines and autism In the past, Weldon shared similar views on vaccination to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Despite years of research proving the safety and efficacy of vaccines, Weldon has previously repeated the debunked claim that some children could develop autism if they receive the measles vaccine. Dr. Peter Hotezprofessor of pediatrics and molecular virology at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Developmenthas never worked with Weldon, but says the false claim that vaccines can cause autism makes no sense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have overwhelming evidence that vaccines dont cause autism, Hotez says. Anyone who wants to reopen spurious autism and vaccine links, you have to believe either theyre misinformed or they have an agenda outside of public health. Hotez says that many of Weldons comments were made years ago, and he hopes that Weldon has since learned more about the topic and changed his views. In November, when the Times spoke to Weldon, they asked him about his past comments, but Weldon declined to state whether he still believed that there is a link between vaccines and autism. He told the Times that his two adult children have been vaccinated, and that he gives vaccines, including the flu shot, to his adult patients. Ive been described as anti-vaccine, he told the Times, adding, I give shots. I believe in vaccination. While serving in Congress, Weldon sponsored a bill that passed with bipartisan support in 2003. The bill launched a program, known as the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), that allocated $15 billion for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria prevention and treatment programs in low-income countries. In the more than two decades since, PEPFAR has saved up to 25 million lives, officials estimate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hotez says theres clearly a disconnect between Weldons support for PEPFAR and his previous anti-vaccine statements. But again, those [anti-vaccine theories] were statements he made almost 20 years ago, so what we need to find out is, where does he stand today and what are his views? So the [nomination hearing] will be very instructive in finding that out, Hotez said (before the hearing was canceled). Read More: What to Know About Marty Makary, Trumps Pick to Lead the FDA He has criticized federal health agencies Like some of Trumps other nominees to lead the nations health agencies, such as Dr. Marty Makary, who has been nominated to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Weldon has been a vocal critic of health agencies in the past. In April 2007, he said that federal agencies failed to free themselves from conflicts of interest that serve to undermine public confidence in the safety of vaccines. He accused the federal government at the time of dedicating far more resources to promoting the immunizations than in safety evaluations, and claimed that the CDC focused its vaccine safety resources on considering short-term side effects, and not enough focus was given to long-term side effects. He also proposed that the vaccine safety office be moved out of the CDC and operate instead as a separate office within HHS. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hotez says he was critical of Weldons comments back in 2007. Theres no one thats more qualified to assess vaccine safety once a vaccine is licensed than the CDC, Hotez says, adding that the CDC has multiple systems in place to monitor both the short and long-term side effects of vaccines. He introduced the "Weldon Amendment" Weldon authored and introduced the Weldon Amendment, which passed in 2005 and prohibits health agencies from discriminating against health care institutions, medical providers, and insurance plans that dont provide or fund abortion care, typically on religious grounds. Nourbese Flint, president of the reproductive rights group All* Above All, says the amendment has been incredibly harmful to abortion access. This is particularly important in places where people dont have a lot of providers to turn to, Flint says. Particularly for those in rural spaces where there are no other providers, people are stuck. Flint points out that Project 2025 encouraged the next presidential Administration to conduct abortion surveillance through the CDC, which is the agency tasked with collecting health data across the country. Project 2025 calls for HHS to ensure that every state reports exactly how many abortions take place within its borders, at what gestational age of the child, for what reason, the mothers state of residence, and by what method. Before the White House pulled Weldons nomination, Flint and other reproductive rights advocates had expressed concerns that Weldon could follow through on that Project 2025 suggestion, and that the data collected could be used to identify and penalize providers or even patients. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weldon has also shared unreliable claims about reproductive health. In 1998, he suggested that there was a connection between abortion and breast cancer; the American Cancer Society maintains that the best scientific evidence does not support a link between abortion and breast cancer risk. In 2002, Weldon suggested that federal programs focus on abstinence education, rather than teaching adolescents about contraceptives, to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs)research has found that abstinence-only education programs are ineffective. Weve seen time and time again that Weldon has used bad science, Flint says. Anybody who is worth their weight in salt has known that abstinence is not an effective policy against both STI and unplanned, untimed pregnancies, and that we have a lot of data and research on our side that having a robust sexual education and access to reproductive health care and destigmatizing has been the best ways in which we can reduce STIs and unplanned pregnancies. Flint calls Weldon dangerous for Americas public health, pointing to both his past anti-vaccine and anti-abortion comments. Flint says that when people share bad science, it can lead to the public being uninformed about important health topics, which can have fatal consequences. Contact us at letters@time.com. On March 4, 2025, Wired published an article titled "Some DOGE staffers are drawing in six figure salaries," alleging that several workers for the Department of Government Efficiency initiative were making more than $100,000, despite a claim of no salaries for the workers whose goal is to cut government spending by dramatically reducing the government workforce. A social media post sharing the claim went viral on X, and Snopes readers searched our website to see whether the claim was true. Again for those in the back. Government workers paid by strict scale. GS-1 up to GS-15. Doesn't matter if you have decades of experience or several degrees, scale tops out at GS-15. And young DOGE employees are being paid GS-15 salaries. Why isn't there bipartisan outrage? Janice Hough (@leftcoastbabe) March 6, 2025 We could not confirm or disprove any of the information reported by Wired, which was the origin of the claim. The article gave three examples of DOGE staffers with high pay rates, but did not specify how the publication obtained or verified the information though it said it had confirmed at least one of the salaries. Snopes reached out to the story's author to learn more and will update this story if we hear back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Wired article, Jeremy Lewin, who played a role in the defunding of USAID and has been involved in interactions with the National Institutes of Health and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, earns just over $167,000 per year. Nate Cavanaugh, a tech entrepreneur who has been interviewing workers at the General Services Administration for DOGE, earns just over $120,000 per year. Finally, Kyle Schutt, a software engineer, earns $195,200, the maximum annual salary for "general schedule" federal employees. According to Wired and The New York Times, all three jobs fall under the General Services Administration. Each year, the Office of Personnel Management provides a list of pay tables for all general schedule federal employees based on the job's location. A table consists of 15 pay grades, each of which has 10 steps. An agency decides what pay grade the job requires, and a newly hired employee traditionally starts at step one of a given grade. Employees can move up a step within their pay grade based on good performance and longevity, according to OPM. Looking at the pay table for the Washington, D.C., area revealed that if Wired's salaries are accurate, Cavanaugh is likely paid at step one of grade 13, Lewin is likely paid at step one of grade 15 and Schutt is paid at least step six of grade 15 (because federal law caps the highest salary, steps six through 10 of grade 15 all pay the same amount). Elon Musk, who is the public face of DOGE but does not officially lead the agency, announced the initiative in November 2024. In a post on his social media site X, he said the work would be "tedious" and the compensation would be "zero." Wired reported that some DOGE staff (including Musk, the richest man in the world) operate as "special government employees," positions that can be either paid or unpaid, and that some did not appear to take a salary. Sources: 5 USC 5304: Locality-Based Comparability Payments. https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title5-section5304&num=0&edition=prelim#:~:text=(g)(1)%20Except%20as,IV%20of%20the%20Executive%20Schedule. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Elon Musk." Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/profile/elon-musk/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025. "General Schedule." U.S. Office of Personnel Management, https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-systems/general-schedule/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025. Knibbs, Kate. "Some DOGE Staffers Are Drawing Six-Figure Government Salaries." Wired. www.wired.com, https://www.wired.com/story/doge-government-salaries-elon-musk/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025. Nolan, Beatrice. "Some DOGE Employees Are Earning Six-Figure Taxpayer-Funded Salaries from the Federal Agencies They Are Shutting Down." Fortune, https://fortune.com/2025/03/05/doge-employees-earning-six-figure-taxpayer-funded-salaries/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025. Times, The New York. "The People Carrying Out Musk's Plans at DOGE." The New York Times, 27 Feb. 2025. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/27/us/politics/doge-staff-list.html. Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who left a pedestrian in critical condition in L.A.s Koreatown neighborhood. On March 1, the male victim, identified only as a San Pedro resident, was seen crossing the road at Western Avenue and 1st Street at around 6:30 p.m. As he jogged across the street, the suspect, in a possible Toyota Camry sedan, sped through the intersection and crashed into him. Surveillance video shows the moment before a pedestrian is struck by a hit-and-run driver while crossing the street in Los Angeles Koreatown neighborhood on March 1, 2025. (Los Angeles Police Department) The hit-and-run driver, whose vehicle is described as a four-door gray sedan, possibly a Toyota Camry, crashes into the pedestrian and speeds away on March 5, 2025. (Los Angeles Police Department) The impact sent the man flying onto the cars windshield and roof before he fell onto the road as the suspect driver sped away on March 1, 2025. (Los Angeles Police Department) Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver who left a pedestrian in critical condition in L.A.s Koreatown neighborhood on March 1, 2025. (Los Angeles Police Department) Surveillance video showed the impact sent the man flying onto the cars windshield and roof before he fell onto the road. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The suspect did not stop to check on the injured man and continued speeding away. The drivers vehicle is described as a gray, four-door sedan, possibly a Toyota Camry. Paramedics responded to the scene and transported the man to a local hospital where he remained in critical condition on Tuesday night. Drivers are reminded that if they become involved in a collision, they should pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, notify emergency services, and remain at the scene to identify themselves, said LAPD. The public is also reminded that as pedestrians, they should exercise caution when crossing streets, obey traffic lights, cross within marked crosswalks, and obey the rules of the road. A reward of up to $25,000 is available to anyone who provides information leading to the suspects identification, apprehension, and conviction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Officer Hurd of LAPDs South Traffic Division at 213-321-9681. The public can also call the LAPD at 1-877-527-3247. The public can also call the LAPD at 1-877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe The Kremlin has said it will not comment for the time being on the temporary ceasefire proposed by the United States for the Russian war against Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Wednesday that Moscow would need to know all the details of the proposal before responding publicly. "First, we need to receive this information," he said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz have promised to provide Moscow with all the information about the negotiations between the US and Ukraine in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ukrainian delegation expressed its readiness at the talks in Jeddah on Tuesday to agree to an immediate 30-day comprehensive ceasefire. As a gesture of goodwill, the US administration responded by lifting the temporary halt on arms deliveries to Kiev. Russia is in no hurry to respond. Russian troops are advancing on the front lines. Recently, they were able to penetrate into the small town of Sudzha in the Kursk region of western Russia, considered the most important locality that Ukrainians managed to capture during their surprise counter-attack last year. Peskov noted that this was a "good dynamic." Despite this, contacts between Moscow and Washington are planned for the coming days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement US President Donald Trump declared that he also wants to have a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly, perhaps even this week. Peskov said such a conversation is not out of the question and could be organized at short notice. However, there is still no clarity on the location and time for a planned personal meeting between the two heads of state. Wednesdays Top Stories Wednesdays Five Facts [1] Family sues Clayton police department after man who was tased by officer dies The family of a man who died after a Clayton police officer tased him is suing the town and the department. Officer Michael Mann found 58-year-old Mark Anthony Avila naked walking through a neighborhood, searching for his granddaughter. When Avila turns and begins kicking a door, Mann puts away his gun and switches to his taser. Moments later Mann pulls the trigger, striking Avila in the back. Avila then falls, smacking his head on the concrete, which ultimately led to his death. Avilas family is now suing the Town of Clayton, the Chief of Police and Officer Mann saying they failed a man who was in the middle of a mental health crisis [2] Bill would change statute of limitations in civil cases for victims of childhood sexual assault A bill that would allow adults who have been sexually abused as children more time to seek civil damages is now heading to the Senate floor. Lawmakers on the House floor voted unanimously for a bill to extend the current statute of limitations for a person to sue their abuser from 24-years old to 58-years-old. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [3] Storm will depart but stronger system to arrive in New Mexico Several weather alerts are covering nearly the entire state of New Mexico for the next few days as more-persistent winds are in store today with one storm system weakening later this morning. Two stronger systems arrive late this week into the early weekend and will provide a drop in temperatures with even stronger winds. Western areas through central to northern areas will have more precipitation with some blowing snow in the higher elevations. [4] Eddy County reports first measles case; New Mexico total rises to 33 State officials are pushing for increased preventive measures as the measles outbreak in New Mexico continues to grow. The state health department confirmed three new cases, including one in Eddy County, marking the first case to be recorded outside of Lea County. [5] New Mexico honoring historic women with markers around the state The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs is encouraging New Mexicans to celebrate Womens History Month by visiting one of the historical markers honoring a remarkable woman. The New Mexico Womens Historic Marker Initiative includes nearly 100 of these markers around the state honoring women that have been important to New Mexicos history. To view a full list of the women honored and to see where the historical markers are located, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. A soldier from the International Legion of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), Dominic "Tolkien" Abelen, has been given a final farewell in Kyiv. Source: DIU Details: Dominic, 28, was a citizen of New Zealand and a representative of the indigenous Maori people. Tolkien's brothers-in-arms honoured him in a special way by performing a traditional Maori warrior chant known as the Haka. Warrior, traveller, a brother-in-arms Dominic was born in the New Zealand city of Nelson, and has five brothers and sisters. He was a caring uncle to his nephews, and to Ukrainian warriors, he became a loyal brother-in-arms. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Abelen had military experience, having served as a corporal in the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment and taken part in combat operations in Iraq. "He loved travelling during his life, he managed to visit more than 60 countries," Dominic's brothers-in-arms say. In 2022, hearing Ukraine's call to fight for freedom, he joined the ranks of the DIU International Legion. Initially, he served as a military instructor before later joining a combat unit as a machine gunner. On 23 August 2022, while fighting near Vuhledar, Dominic provided fire cover for his fellow soldiers. He was fatally wounded in close combat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dominic Abelen was honoured with DIU's Ukraine is Above All award and decorated posthumously with the For Military Merit medal in recognition of his service to Ukraine. Only now has Tolkiens body been brought back to Ukraine, where he is being afforded full military honours. Background: On Sunday 9 March, Taras Shevchenko, a 25-year-old Ukrainian sculptor, was killed in action. He was an employee of the Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! KYLE, Texas (KXAN) The Hays County Office of Emergency Services said the county is now under a red flag warning on Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Central Texas crews respond to multiple fires, increased staffing due to high winds It might feel a bit like deja vu, because we had the same warning last week. Be prepared In anticipation of gusty winds and low humidity, the Kyle Fire Department spent part of Tuesday making sure their equipment was working for any potential fires. The Kyle Fire Chief said all the chiefs in the county get together and discuss how well staffed they are. (Photo: KXAN) The Kyle Fire Chief said all the chiefs in the county get together and discuss how well staffed they are. (Photo: KXAN) The Kyle Fire Chief said all the chiefs in the county get together and discuss how well staffed they are. (Photo: KXAN) The Kyle Fire Chief said all the chiefs in the county get together and discuss how well staffed they are. (Photo: KXAN) The fire danger is high once again and its supposed to continue throughout the week and from what were hearing, next week as well, said Kyle Fire Chief Kyle Taylor. Last year, we didnt have the wildfire season like were seeing already starting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taylor told KXAN hes increasing crews. Staff additional brush trucks just to be prepared. Kyle Fire Chief Kyle Taylor A week ago, they experienced a similar situation. Kyle Fire responded to the Onion Creek Fire. It ultimately charred 190 acres. The Kyle Fire Department said it made sure to increase staffing for Tuesday because of the windy condition. (Photo: KXAN) The Kyle Fire Department said it made sure to increase staffing for Tuesday because of the windy condition. (Photo: KXAN) The Kyle Fire Department said it made sure to increase staffing for Tuesday because of the windy condition. (Photo: KXAN) The Kyle Fire Department said it made sure to increase staffing for Tuesday because of the windy condition. (Photo: KXAN) The fire department used new resources to bring it under control, like one of their three additional brush trucks they got this year. Emergency alert glitch Hays County said its emergency alert system is ready for tomorrow as well. Last week, the county said a software glitch caused an alert to go out. It left some confused, because it didnt mention the specific reason. Emergency alert confuses some in Hays County Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra put out a statement notifying that it was fixed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are committed to refining our processes and technology to ensure the highest level of public safety moving forward, Becerra wrote. Hays Countys burn ban lasts through Wednesday. The county said people can find the most up-to-date information on current alerts on the office of emergency services website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. (KTLA) A Los Angeles woman who lost her home in the devastating firestorm that engulfed the Palisades experienced a tearful reunion over the weekend with her beloved cat, lost in the charred remains of the neighborhood for some two months. Katherine Kiefer, 82, had continued to grieve the loss of her 5-year-old Maine Coon named Aggie, who disappeared in the flames that destroyed her home on Jan. 7. I was distraught about Aggie, fearing the worst, Kiefer told Nexstars KTLA. I just thought she was gone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Spencer Pratt returns to burned down home to retrieve cable box to cancel service After nearly 60 days alone in the burnt-out rubble of the Palisades, volunteers found Aggie in bad shape, near starvation and very scared, but alive. The cat was rushed to an emergency veterinary hospital. Kiefer got a call from the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter. Her daughter Carolyn Kiefer shared their reunion Saturday in a TikTok video that quickly garnered over 1 million likes. It shows tears pouring from Katherine Kiefers eyes as Aggie curled up in her arms. In this image provided by Carolyn Kiefer her mother, Katherine Kiefer, 82, is reunited with her cat Aggie at VCA Chatoak Animal Hospital after the Palisades Fire destroyed her home and the cat was missing, Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Carolyn Kiefer via AP) In this image provided by Carolyn Kiefer her mother, Katherine Kiefer, 82, is reunited with her cat Aggie at VCA Chatoak Animal Hospital after the Palisades Fire destroyed her home and the cat was missing, Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Carolyn Kiefer via AP) In this image taken from video provided by Carolyn Kiefer her mother, Katherine Kiefer, 82, is reunited with her cat Aggie at VCA Chatoak Animal Hospital after the Palisades Fire destroyed her home and the cat was missing, Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Carolyn Kiefer via AP) This image provided by Carolyn Kiefer shows her mother Katherine Kiefers home destroyed by the Palisades Fire on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Carolyn Kiefer via AP) This image provided by Carolyn Kiefer shows her mother Katherine Kiefer, 82, looking at her burned home destroyed by the Palisades Fire where her cat Aggie went missing on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Carolyn Kiefer via AP) It was Aggie, skin and bones, Kiefer said. I just dont know how anyone could survive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kiefer was at a medical appointment the day fire engulfed her neighborhood, and her children couldnt find Aggie who was prone to hiding when they tried to rescue her. The one thing my mom asked was: Did you get Aggie? Carolyn Kiefer recalls. Aggie was gifted to Katherine Kiefer by a friend during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media users have been so touched by the pairs reunion video that many have been asking for daily updates. A GoFundMe has been organized to help with the cost of veterinary bills while Aggie recovers. The cat has undergone several blood transfusions and is now seeing a specialist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The family will officially be reunited with Aggie when she is released from the hospital Thursday. Kiefer said shes anxiously waiting, and she has a message for other pet owners: Dont underestimate cats, she said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Labour is drafting up plans to give cohabiting couples marriage in all but name as ministers consider greater protections for those who refuse to tie the knot. The Government is set to launch a consultation on changing the law around cohabitation to support the increasingly popular lifestyle choice. Couples who live together without being married can currently only make limited claims to each others wealth during a breakup. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Labour is bound by a manifesto pledge to strengthen the rights available in particular to women in cohabiting couples amid concerns they are financially vulnerable. The campaign pledge offered little detail about how the law could be reformed in favour of cohabiters, and ministers are due to begin a consultation on the matter later this year. Tony Rucinski, director of the Coalition for Marriage, a pressure group in favour of marriage, warned legal protections for unmarried couples risked duplicating marriage laws and weakening traditional family values in Britain. By putting a legal framework around cohabitation, what you are going to do is make people commit to each other, formalise it and make promises and you will end up with something we already have. Its called marriage, so why not just get married? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The idea of a government giving legal rights to cohabitees is missing the point. Why dont we encourage people to commit to each other in order to get the rights we already have? It doesnt make sense to legislate for a situation that will reflect marriage in all but name. Estimates from the Office for National Statistics show that the number of unmarried couples who live together has risen dramatically in England in crescent years, from 2.7 million in 2002 to 5.3 million in 2022. The UKs legal protections for the unmarried are far less generous than those of neighbouring European countries. In the Netherlands, cohabiting partners register their relationship and have access to almost the same rights as they would if they were married, while France has similar protections. Mr Mucinski said that marriage was still the best way to promote social stability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres something more to marriage that you dont get in cohabitation. The safest place for a child is growing up with a married mother and father. The whole premise of cohabiting is to put up with someone until they annoy you and someone else comes along, he added. Cohabiting couples in Britain do not have an automatic right to each others property if their relationship ends, regardless of how long they have been together. Unmarried partners also cannot claim on their significant others pension and do not inherit if one dies without a will. Only if unmarried couples have children does the law permit claims to be made for child maintenance, but there is no legal duty for them to support each other beyond this. Balance with matrimonial law Lawyers said Labour could choose to implement legal reforms that would provide a framework for separating unmarried partners to seek greater financial support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lord Ponsonby last month told the House of Commons a formal consultation would begin by the end of the year to build public consensus on what cohabitation reform should look like. Nick Gova, of law firm Spector Constant & Williams, explained redress available to unmarried couples where one person is the homeowner was currently only supported by property laws. Any changes to the law governing Britons relationships would come just years from the introduction of no-fault divorce in 2022, which allows marriages or civil partnerships to be ended without assigning blame. No-fault divorce, made legal under the previous Conservative government, was the biggest change to marriage law in generations and opponents of the Christian Institute, a charity that promotes Christianity in Britain, called it a marriage-wreckers charter at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cohabitation by its nature does not lead to a claim, however, if you are cohabiting and you are contributing lets say one party has a property and the other party is making payment to the mortgages they might argue they have a claim to that, and it comes down to whether a trust of land claim could be made. Mr Gova said that the consultation would likely lead to laws that say if you are cohabiting these are the remits of what you could claim, and that this could include allocating set percentages of assets to either party in some cases. It has to tie in with all the other various pieces of legislation and the difficulty is it will be an entirely new piece of law which our system currently isnt well placed to deal with. The Government will have to balance it with what matrimonial law already looks like, he added. Sarah Jane Boon, of lawyers Charles Russell Speechlys, said any new protections to support cohabiters would be much less powerful than those available to married couples. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said: What we are now being told is there will be some form of consultation that takes place before the end of this calendar year, and that is about how the law could be reformed so as to make provision for people who are in cohabiting relationships so they can make some form of financial claim should that relationship come to an end. I dont think there is any expectation we would ever have laws that would be introduced that would put cohabiting couples on the same level as married couples. There could be claims that would allow one person to make claims if they cannot go off separately and put a roof on their head. What we would expect is that any law would allow someone who, if their relationship breaks down, can make a limited claim to help them meet their needs. A Government spokesman said: This consultation will explore how we can better strengthen these rights whilst maintaining marriage as one of our most important institutions. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (WTNH) Gov. Ned Lamont will discuss his plan for the largest expansion of preschool access in Connecticuts history. The plan now requires approval by the Connecticut General Assembly. If put into motion, this plan could allow the state to create thousands of new preschool spaces across Connecticut. Lamont says the goal is to expand affordable preschool options by making it free or low-cost for all working families. Lamont approves $3 million in funding for nonprofits Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lamont wants to pay for the program through a dedicated preschool fund. The governor has said he plans to take three hundred million dollars of cash from last years budget surplus to start and then draw on future surpluses to keep it funded. Lamont and his top early childhood official say their proposal wouldnt just make preschool free for many families but also easier to access. Some childcare advocates have questioned whether or not the governors proposal goes far enough, urging him to make the plan more Wholistic and to consider that childcare goes beyond pre-school. Some Republicans have questioned how the governor plans to pay for this plan. They say this could exhaust surpluses that could otherwise be used to pay down pension debt. Lamont, though, defended his plan. While the governor has this endowment plan, I think we need to do something more within the confines of the budget, State Rep. Vincent Candelora said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This three hundred million would not necessarily have to go to pay down pensions although were going to be paying down over a billion dollars in pension liability this year but could go to start rebuilding this fund on a long-term basis. I think we got the balance right, Gov. Ned Lamont said. The governors plan still needs to win the approval of the legislature. He is set to speak on this at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday morning in New Britain. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. Gov. Jeff Landry has established a new government efficiency task force to look at ways to cut state government spending. (Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate, Pool) Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has issued an executive order prohibiting the automatic extension of state leased buildings. The order is a product of Landrys Fiscal Responsibility Review Program, sometimes referred to as La. DOGE, in reference to President Donald Trumps so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which Elon Musk heads. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fiscal responsibility is a top priority for our administration, Landry said in a news release. Todays executive order is part of a broader effort to modernize state government operations, eliminate waste, improve efficiency, and ensure taxpayer dollars are used effectively. Before extending any lease, or entering a new lease, the executive order requires a state agency to submit a statement to the administration justifying the lease, verify the budget to support the lease and report the terms of the lease, including its estimated length. Present law requires each state agency to submit an annual report to the Division of Administration identifying all office space in state owned or leased buildings. Landrys executive order requires the Division of Administration to release this information to La. DOGE if requested. The state leases more than 6 million square feet of office space throughout the state, according to the Office of State Buildings. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Los Angeles police are asking for the publics assistance in identifying the suspect responsible for the fatal stabbing of a 24-year-old Long Beach man last year. On the evening of Aug. 6, 2024, Joey Darnell Thomas was attacked and stabbed to death near the intersection of Westlake Avenue and 6th Street near MacArthur Park. Over the past several months, investigators have exhausted all leads in the case and have been unable to determine a possible motive for the senseless murder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crime down in maligned MacArthur Park area, Bass and LAPD officials say The Los Angeles Police Department continues to investigate and is asking for the publics help for any new leads. To aid in the investigation, the Los Angeles City Council has approved a $50,000 reward for information that might bring the person responsible to justice. Anyone with information is urged to contact the LAPD Central Bureau Homicide detectives at 213-996-4118. Anonymous tips can be submitted online or by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The Las Cruces Police Department (LCPD) Community Outreach unit will help local businesses on Thursday to tackle some of the issues impacting them, such as vandalism, criminal damage, among others, the department announced in a news release. LCPD said the six-hour operation will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 13. Some of the issues impacting local businesses include vandalism, trespassing, squatting, soliciting, aggressive panhandling, criminal property damage, and abandoned shopping carts, among others, LCPD said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LCPD said business owners or managers who are experiencing any of these problems or other issues that could benefit from some attention are encouraged to email the Community Outreach unit at CommunityOutreach@lascruces.gov before 9 a.m. on Thursday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The wife of Ghost Adventures star Aaron Goodwin faces charges for allegedly soliciting his murder, court documents said. Victoria Goodwin, 32, faces charges of solicitation to commit murder and conspiring to commit murder, records said. In October, corrections officers in Florida seized a phone from Grant Amato, an inmate in custody for murder, that contained messages between him and a Goodwin, police said. The messages included planning a murder for hire plot against Victoria Goodwins husband, Aaron Goodwin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The messages talked about how much the inmate and Victoria Goodwin were in love and her husband would not accept divorce, police said. The Goodwins live in Las Vegas, records said. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA MAY 26: Victoria Goodwin (L) and Aaron Goodwin from Ghost Adventures attend the premiere of Mad Apple by Cirque du Soleil at The Park on May 26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) How did I get to this point? Am I a bad person? Because I chose to end his existence. Not divorce, Goodwin reportedly said in messages, according to police. Goodwin told the inmate her husband would be staying at a hotel in Barstow, California, and that a third person will be taking care of the situation, police said. Victoria Goodwin also allegedly provided the man payment and her husbands filming schedule. Police arrested Goodwin on March 6 when she told them she started writing to the inmate after seeing him in a true crime documentary, police said. She denied wanting her husband to be killed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Daniel Westmeyer set Victoria Goodwins bail at $100,000 during a hearing on March 7, records said. She remained in custody as of Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. The Education Departments civil rights branch is losing nearly half its staff in the Trump administrations layoffs, effectively gutting an office that already faced a backlog of thousands of complaints from students and families across the nation. Among a total of more than 1,300 layoffs announced Tuesday were roughly 240 in the departments Office for Civil Rights, according to a list obtained and verified by The Associated Press. Seven of the civil rights agencys 12 regional offices were entirely laid off, including busy hubs in New York, Chicago and Dallas. Despite assurances that the departments work will continue unaffected, huge numbers of cases appear to be in limbo. Here's the latest: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement US General Services Administration is working on a revised list of non-core federal properties The administration published a list March 4 but pulled it back following backlash. A spokesperson said the new list of federal properties that could be sold should be published in the near future after we evaluate this initial input. To be clear, just because an asset is on the list doesnt mean its immediately for sale, an email from the spokesperson said, adding that the sites will be evaluated for whats best for the needs of the federal government and taxpayer. Included in the first list was the historic site that houses the Freedom Rides Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. Freedom Riders sought to integrate bus terminal waiting rooms and restaurants throughout the South in the 1960s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Members of Alabamas congressional delegation raised concerns about the listing, saying it never should have happened. Trump showers Irish prime minister with praise at White House reception In a display of mutual flattery, Trump noted previous presidents of Irish descent, including the late great Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, while tracing the history of the U.S. through the work of Irish immigrants. We honor the bravery of countless Irish Americans who have kept our country safe, strong, prosperous and free, Trump said. In kind, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, wearing a green tie, noted that three of the signers of the U.S. Declaration of Independence were Irish born. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since then, Irish Americans have been at the heart of shaping this great nation, Martin says, crediting the U.S. with doing much to inspire Irish independence. Martin praised Trump as a peacemaker, saying he welcomes the unrelenting focus and energy you have brought to the search for peace in Ukraine and the Middle East since your first days in office. Martin ended his presentation by offering Trump a symbolic gift, a bowl of bright green shamrocks. Alabama representative says Freedom Rides Museum building listing never should have happened The Montgomery Bus Station, which houses the Freedom Rides Museum, had been listed along with hundreds of properties to be sold as part of reductions from DOGE. The list was taken down a day later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We should not have to continue to pressure this administration to protect civil rights history, U.S. Rep. Shomari C. Figures said. Freedom Riders sought to integrate bus terminal waiting rooms throughout the South in the 1960s. They encountered violence and resistance along the way. Figures and Rep. Terri Sewell introduced legislation Wednesday to prevent the sale of all federally owned landmarks listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Our civil rights history is not for sale, Sewell said in a statement. Zuckerberg visits the White House Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was at the White House on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with his visit who was not authorized to speak publicly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Facebook founder has embraced Trump in recent months, having attended his inauguration and cohosted an inaugural reception. Weeks after Trump won the election, Zuckerberg flew to Trumps Mar-a-Lago club to have dinner with him. ___ Associated Press reporter Michelle Price contributed to this report. Federal judge appears skeptical probationary firings were for performance U.S. District Judge James Bredar repeatedly sounded skeptical at a Wednesday hearing that the Trump administration fired a mass of probationary federal workers because the employees couldnt do their jobs. He said the terminations appeared to be part of a larger goal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nearly 20 states are seeking a temporary restraining order to stop any more firings of federal probationary employees and to reinstate those who have already been dismissed. They argue that the Trump administration blindsided them by ignoring laws set for large-scale layoffs, which could have devastating consequences for their state finances. This case isnt about whether or not the government can terminate people. Its about if they decide to terminate people how they must do it, Bredar said. Move fast and break things. Move fast, fine. Break things, if that involves breaking the law then that becomes problematic. Read more about the hearing House Democrats debate their comeback and criticize Musk at retreat Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Democrats gathered in Leesburg, Virginia, for an annual conference are debating how to respond to the second Trump term. Already a key target on the summits first day: Billionaire Elon Musk. The good news for Democrats is that House Republicans and Donald Trump are making our messaging work easier for us, Rep. Lauren Underwood, of Illinois, said. The chaos that Elon Musk has unleashed in our communities by laying off public servants who provided critical services is deeply unpopular. Rep. Lori Trahan, of Massachusetts, said Democrats would have been open to modernizing our systems, rooting out fraud, waste and abuse but criticized the DOGE process. That should be done in full view of the American people, she said. It should be debated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Military leaders warn of risks to forces readiness in temporary budget The vice chiefs of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force said if they dont get additional funding, they at least need the flexibility to shift money to ensure their priorities are covered. Ultimately, the Army can afford a large, ready or modern force, but with the current budget, it cannot afford all three, Gen. James Mingus, vice chief of staff of the Army, told the Senate Armed Services readiness subcommittee on Wednesday. Either we provide soldiers the capabilities needed to win or accept greater risks in other areas. He warned that the Army will pay for those risks down the road in real-world battlefield consequences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaker Mike Johnson says he and Trump hope the Senate will vote to keep the government open Johnson says they are both very happy with the outcome of the vote in the House to fund the government past Fridays deadline and are watching very closely what happens in the Senate. I hope they keep the government open, he said after an annual Irish luncheon at the Capitol. He warns that Democrats are going to regret not joining Republicans to pass the bill and that if Senate Democrats block the bill, its going to be a Schumer shutdown, referring to the Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. I dont think he wants that. Scientists see EPAs regulatory rollbacks as latest form of Republican climate denial They can no longer deny climate change is happening, so instead theyre pretending its not a threat, despite the overwhelming scientific evidence that it is, perhaps, the greatest threat that we face today, University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann said. The United States is the second largest carbon polluter in the world, after China, and the largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases. The Trump administrations ignorance is trumped only by its malice toward the planet, said Jason Rylander, legal director at the Center for Biological Diversitys Climate Law Institute. Trump and his cronies are bent on putting polluter profits ahead of peoples lives. EPA chief says removing clean-air rules will ensure American energy remains clean Zeldin said EPA will rewrite a rule restricting air pollution from fossil-fuel fired power plants and a separate measure restricting emissions from cars and trucks that Zeldin and Trump incorrectly label an electric vehicle mandate. Former President Joe Biden made fighting climate change a hallmark of his presidency, pledging that half of the new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. would be zero-emission by 2030. Zeldins EPA also is undoing restrictions on mercury and other air toxins, federal protections for wetlands and a three-decade effort to improve conditions in areas heavily burdened by industrial pollution. This isnt about abandoning environmental protection its about achieving it through innovation and not strangulation, Zeldin wrote. By reconsidering rules that throttled oil and gas production and unfairly targeted coal-fired power plants, we are ensuring that American energy remains clean, affordable and reliable. Trump administration resumes detention of migrant families after Biden-era pause Fourteen immigrant families were being held in a South Texas detention facility as of Monday, according to RAICES, a legal nonprofit providing services to migrant families at the Karnes Detention Center. Theyre from nations including Colombia, Romania, Iran, Angola, Russia, Armenia, Turkey and Brazil. Faisal Al-Juburi, RAICES chief external affairs officer, said the nonprofit noticed the shift in detention population last week after adult detainees were moved out. Detaining family members together was largely halted, but not abolished, during the Biden administration, which briefly considered restarting it in 2023. Ukraine has run out of longer-range ATACMS missiles Pentagon shipments of weapons to Ukraine have restarted, but officials acknowledged on Wednesday that Kyiv no longer has any of the longer-range Army Tactical Missile System weapons. Thats according to a U.S. official and a Ukrainian lawmaker in the defense committee. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to provide military weapons details. The American official said the U.S. provided fewer than 40 of those missiles overall and that Ukraine ran out of them in late January. Senior U.S. defense and military leaders had told Ukraine there would only be a limited number of the ATACMs delivered and that the U.S. and NATO allies considered air defense systems to be far more valuable. ___ Associated Press reporters Lolita C. Baldor and Samya Kullab contributed to this report. Read more about the Russia-Ukraine war To be combative or conciliatory? 2 Democrats diverge sharply on Trump strategy Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has tried to sound collaborative when it comes to Trump, declaring that she looks forward to talking with him about border security. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, meanwhile, began suing the Trump administration at a fast clip. I dont think you can yield to authoritarian, anti-democratic behavior when its in the White House and when our country is in as much danger as it is right now, Mayes said. Our country has never been in this much peril since the Civil War. Both seek reelection next year in a state that went for Trump. Their starkly different approaches show how Democrats nationwide are struggling to shore up winning coalitions. Read more about Democrats and Trump Theres new data on how many immigrants have been arrested since Trump took office A senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity said during a call with reporters that they have arrested 32,809 people so far, 14,111 of which were convicted criminals and 9,980 with pending criminal charges. A further 8,718 had violated U.S. immigration law, which usually means they crossed the border illegally but havent committed other crimes since arriving. The official also said there are about 47,600 people currently in ICE detention, which he described as maxed out. White House national security adviser speaks with Russian official about ceasefire proposal Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an appearance on Fox News Channel that Mike Waltz spoke Wednesday with his Russian counterpart. Leavitt also confirmed that Trumps special envoy Steve Witkoff will be headed to Moscow for talks with Russian officials. The Trump administration wants Russia to sign off on the U.S. proposed ceasefire agreement to pause fighting with Ukraine for 30 days. She did not say with whom Witkoff will be meeting. A person familiar with the matter said Witkoff is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin later his week. The person was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity EPA administrator declares most consequential day of deregulation in American history EPA administrator Lee Zeldin announced rollbacks Wednesday of 31 environmental regulations including rules on pollution from coal-fired power plants, climate change and electric vehicles. We are driving a dagger through the heart of climate-change religion and ushering in Americas Golden Age, Zeldin said in an essay in the Wall Street Journal. Zeldin says these actions will eliminate trillions of dollars in regulatory costs and hidden taxes, lowering the cost of living for American families and reducing prices for buying cars, heating homes and operating businesses. Read more on EPA regulatory rollbacks Trump says the friendship between the US and Ireland is strong and unbreakable The president made the comment during the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon on Capitol Hill. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson toasted the relationship between the two countries, and the Irish dance group Riverdance which is performing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. made a surprise appearance to round out the event. The Irish prime minister called Trump a great friend of Ireland and said he hopes to welcome him back to the country soon. Were going to do this at least three more times, Trump said of the remaining years in his term, to laughter in the room. Layoffs hit nearly half the staff at the Education Departments Office for Civil Rights The layoffs effectively gut an office that was already facing a backlog of thousands of complaints from students and families. Among a total of more than 1,300 layoffs announced Tuesday were roughly 240 in the departments civil rights office, according to a list obtained and verified by The Associated Press. Seven of the civil rights agencys 12 regional offices were entirely laid off, including busy hubs in New York, Chicago and Dallas. Some staffers who remain say theres no way to pick up all of their fired colleagues cases, which involve families trying to get school services for students with disabilities, allegations of bias related to race and religion, and complaints over sexual violence at schools and college campuses. Department officials insist the cuts will not affect civil rights investigations. Research group says state-required abortion reporting should be scaled back A research organization that advocates for abortion rights is calling on state governments to stop requiring providers to submit reports on every terminated pregnancy. Data can be collected voluntarily and in the aggregate instead, says the Guttmacher Institute, which noted that Trump has appointed abortion opponents to key federal jobs. It would be a mistake for anyone to assume now that the information a state could collect about abortion would not be used to harm people, said Kelly Baden, Guttmachers vice president for public policy. Read more about how abortions are tracked nationwide Federal Trade Commission requests delay to Amazon Prime deceptive practices trial The commission asked a federal judge for more time to prepare, citing staffing and budgetary challenges. The FTC filed the suit in 2023, and the trial is scheduled for September. Our resource constraints are severe and really unique to this moment, Jonathan Cohen, an FTC attorney, told Judge John Chun during a status hearing at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. We have lost employees in the agency, in our division and on the case team. When Chun asked if this was in reference to recent cuts in the federal government, Cohen said it was, adding that some employees who resigned could not be replaced due to the federal hiring freeze. Trump and Vance show guarded optimism about Russia accepting ceasefire proposal Vice President JD Vance says the administration believes it is in a very good place as it pushes the Kremlin to sign off on a U.S.-backed proposal to pause the fighting with Ukraine for 30 days. Trump says he has received some good feedback to the proposal. He has offered no details. Ive gotten some positive messages, but a positive message means nothing. This is a very serious situation, Trump said. This is a situation that could lead to World War III. Dems want to see the economic impact from Trumps tariffs Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and other Democratic senators are proposing a bill that would require the International Trade Commission to investigate the impact of tariffs on consumers, companies and the job market. The last thing we need are tariffs that will raise prices, Alsobrooks said in a statement. My bill will force a nonpartisan study on this Administrations tariffs and how they will impact everyday Americans. The proposed Tariff Transparency Act would force the Trump administration to provide details of the latest taxes on imports for evaluation by the commission, just as the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation evaluate the impact that Congress proposals could have on the economy. Trump says its up to Russia now as US presses for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine Hopefully we can get a ceasefire from Russia, Trump said during an extended exchange with reporters during an Oval Office meeting with the Irish prime minister. And if we do, I think that would be 80% of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath ended. The president again made veiled threats of hitting Russia with new sanctions. We can, but I hope its not going to be necessary, Trump added. Read more on U.S.-Ukraine-Russia diplomacy Catholic Charities group says Trump administration owes it $42 million and counting A federal judge is weighing a request by Catholic Charities of Fort Worth to force the Trump administration to resume payments under its contract to provide aid to refugees. The charity says the money owed is growing by the day since the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services paused payments in January. An attorney for HHS said the pause is temporary, meant to ensure the money is being spent properly. Catholic Charities attorney Edward Waters said the funding freeze appears part of an effort to grind this program to a halt. Republican rejoice that a Democratic senator is not running for reelection Sen. Jeanne Shaheens decision brings to an end the 78-year-old New Hampshire senators long political career and deals a significant blow to Democrats, who are already facing a difficult path to reclaiming the Senate majority. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who leads the Senate Republican campaign arm, wrote on the social platform X, New Hampshire has a proud tradition of electing common-sense Republicans and will do so again in 2026! The GOP holds 53 seats in the Senate compared with the Democrats 47, including two independents who caucus with Democrats. Critics say Trump, who campaigned as free speech protector, now threatens it Trump boasted in his joint address to Congress last week that he has brought free speech back to America. First Amendment advocates say theyve never seen the freedom so under attack. Trumps Republican administration has threatened to investigate Democratic members of Congress for criticizing conservatives, pulled federal grants that include language it opposes, sanctioned law firms that represent Trumps political opponents and detained a student protest organizer, which Trump called the first arrest of many to come. Your right to say something depends on what the administration thinks of it, which is no free speech at all, said Will Creeley, legal director of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonpartisan First Amendment group. Even some Trump allies seem uncomfortable with targeting people over their language Theres almost no one I dont want to deport, conservative commentator Ann Coulter wrote on X, but, unless theyve committed a crime, isnt this a violation of the first amendment? Read more about Trump and the First Amendment Election winners have a message for Trump: Greenland is not for sale Trump told a joint session of Congress last week that the U.S. would get Greenland one way or the other. The surprise winners in Greenlands parliamentary elections are pushing back, saying the results show Greenlanders alone will decide their future. We dont want to be Americans. No, we dont want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders. And we want our own independence in the future, Demokraatit leader Jens-Friederik Nielsen told Sky News. Read more about how Greenlanders in Nuuk see Trump Emirati diplomat identified as carrying Trump letter meets with Irans foreign minister Iranian state television showed Emirati official Anwar Gargash meeting with Abbas Araghchi. Garachi was identified by Iran as carrying a letter from Trump seeking to jumpstart talks over Irans rapidly advancing nuclear program. Trump said its intended recipient is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has said hes not interested in talks with a bullying government. Iran continues to struggle with economic woes, and Trump has imposed even more sanctions over its nuclear program. That pressure, coupled with internal turmoil and direct attacks by Israel, has put the theocracy in one of its most-precarious positions yet. Read more about U.S.-Iran nuclear diplomacy US Jewish groups are sharply divided over Trump effort to deport campus protester The Anti-Defamation League welcomed the detention of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, a legal U.S. resident who led pro-Palestinian campus protests that accused Israels military of genocide in Gaza and pushed the university to end investments in Israel. We appreciate the Trump Administrations broad, bold set of efforts to counter campus antisemitism, the ADL said. We also hope that this action serves as a deterrent to others who might consider breaking the law on college campuses or anywhere. Amy Spitalnick, CEO of Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said the the Trump administration is exploiting real concerns about antisemitism to undercut democracy: from gutting education funding to deporting students to attacking diversity, equity, & inclusion." "This makes Jews & so many others less safe, she posted on Bluesky. Read more on how Khalil became the face of campus protests Trump says the latest inflation numbers are very good news U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September and a measure of underlying inflation fell to a four-year low, even as widespread tariffs threaten to send prices higher. The US imposes sanctions on the Foxtrot Network The Sweden-based group is suspected of orchestrating an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm in January 2024 on behalf of Iran, and of trafficking drugs and carrying out attacks on Israelis and Jews in Europe. Irans brazen use of transnational criminal organizations and narcotics traffickers underscores the regimes attempts to achieve its aims through any means, with no regard for the cost to communities across Europe, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said. Treasury, alongside our U.S. government and international partners, will continue to hold accountable those who seek to further Irans thuggish and destabilizing agenda." Wisconsin governor: This is a clown show we have to stop Gov. Tony Evers said he expects Democratic state attorneys general to sue over the Education Department cuts. A former teacher, school administrator and state superintendent, he joined two other former teachers, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, on a conference call. Walz said Minnesota will prioritize schools, but states cant possibly replace the federal education funding being cut. He said this is undermining our economic well being for the future, as well as the moral authority that every child truly matters. Meyer said he and other governors spoke Tuesday with Education Secretary Linda McMahon, but are getting mixed messages: Im not sure they know what theyre doing, he said. Congressional hearing ends abruptly after GOP representative calls transgender colleague a man When Texas Republican Rep. Keith Self introduced the first openly transgender lawmaker in Congress as Mr. McBride," Rep. Sarah McBride responded by referring to Self as Madam Chair and tried to move on to her remarks. The subcommittees top Democrat, Rep. William Keating, called Self out of order, asking, Have you no decency? He insisted that Self introduce a duly elected representative the right way. Self adjourned the meeting instead. Republican lawmakers have targeted McBride and refused to acknowledge trans peoples identity after Trump signed executive orders declaring only two sexes. No matter how Im treated by some colleagues, nothing diminishes my awe and gratitude at getting to represent Delaware in Congress, McBride later posted. I simply want to serve and to try to make this world a better place. The United Nations secretary-general says there are no winners in a trade war Antonio Guterres was responding to a question on the threat of a trade war following tariffs imposed by Trump and retaliatory tariffs on American products, including by Canada, China and the European Union. Guterres said we all live in a global economy where everything is interlinked. And obviously one of the great advantages of having a situation of free trade is to create conditions for all countries to benefit, he told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York. When we enter into a trade war, I believe all will lose." Chinese commerce officials meet with Walmart representatives over tariffs Chinas state broadcaster CGTN says the Chinese officials warned the U.S retail giant that its demand for lower prices to absorb the impact from tariffs could disrupt the supply chain and hurt both sides. CTGN indicated in its blog post that Beijing would like to see American and Chinese businesses working together to cope with the challenges caused by the tariffs. United Nations secretary-general calls Ukraine ceasefire proposal 'a positive first step Antonio Guterres hopes Russia agrees and a ceasefire will materialize. And we hope that it will pave the way for peace a just peace he told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York. Guterres stressed in response to questions from reporters that a just peace must be based on the U.N. Charter, which requires every country to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all other countries, international law and U.N. General Assembly resolutions, which have demanded the withdrawal of all Russian troops. Canada and Europe retaliate quickly to Trumps steel and aluminum tariffs Canada will announce retaliatory tariffs that add up to $21 billion in U.S. dollars, according to a senior Canadian government official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to speak before the announcement. The European Union also announced retaliatory trade action with new duties on U.S. industrial and farm products, responding within hours to the Trump administrations increase in tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to 25%. Canada is the largest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the U.S. US inflation cooled last month, though trade war threatens to lift prices U.S. inflation slowed last month for the first time since September, and a measure of underlying inflation fell to a four-year low even as additional tariffs on steel and aluminum that kicked in Wednesday threaten to send prices higher. The consumer price index increased 2.8% in February from a year ago, Wednesdays report from the Labor Department showed. Sticky inflation could create problems for Trump, who promised while campaigning to knock the hell out of inflation. Grocery prices were unchanged overall last month from January, but the cost of eggs jumped 10.4% and are nearly 60% more expensive than a year ago. Read more about where consumer prices stand ahead of the impact of tariffs Trump pressured Ukraine for a peace deal. Will it push Russia as well? Rubio wouldnt say as he spoke with reporters en route to talks with U.S. allies in Canada. We dont think its constructive to stand here today and say what were going to do if Russia says no, Rubio said, adding he wants to avoid statements about Russia that are abrasive in any way. Rubio did note that Biden administration sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin over his 2022 invasion of Ukraine remain in place. Rubio defends arrest of pro-Palestinian Columbia student The secretary of state says that if a green card holder supports Hamas, riles up anti-Jewish activities and shuts down college campuses, were going to kick you out. Its as simple as that. This is not about free speech. This is about people that dont have a right to be in the United States to begin with. No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card, Rubio said. Mahmoud Khalil, a legal U.S. resident born in Syria who was a graduate student at Columbia until December, was detained Saturday and flown to an immigration jail in Louisiana. Student leaders say their broad anti-war movement also includes Jewish students and groups and is not antisemitic. Read more on Columbia students detention US says the ball is in Russias court on talks to end its war on Ukraine Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. is pursuing multiple points of contact to see if Putin is ready to negotiate an end to his war against Ukraine. The ball is truly in their court, Rubio said after mediation in Saudi Arabia saw Ukraine agree to start immediate talks with Russia on ending their three-year war. Rubio expressed hopes that Russia will stop attacks on Ukraine within the next few days as a first step, saying Its hard to start a process when people are shooting at each other and people are dying. Read more on Russia-Ukraine ceasefire efforts The Education Department was created to ensure equal access. Who would do that in its absence? Officials have suggested other agencies could take over the Education Departments major responsibilities once its dismantled. But the question remains about what could happen with a more lofty part of its mission promoting equal access for students in an American education system that is fundamentally unequal. Without the department, advocates worry the federal government would not look out in the same way for poor students, those still learning English, disabled students and racial and ethnic minorities. Read more about the impact of the Education Departments layoffs Education Department cuts half its staff, a prelude to Trump's elimination The Education Department plans to lay off more than 1,300 of its employees, a prelude to Trumps plan to dismantle the agency. The Trump administration had already been whittling the agencys staff, through buyout offers and the termination of probationary employees. After Tuesdays layoffs, the departments staff will sit at roughly half of its previous 4,100, the agency said. Department officials said it would continue to deliver on its key functions such as the distribution of federal aid to schools, student loan management and oversight of Pell Grants. Read more about the layoffs at the Department of Education Trumps 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports go into effect Trump officially increased tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to 25% on Wednesday, promising that the taxes would help create U.S. factory jobs at a time when his seesawing tariff threats are jolting the stock market and raising fears of an economic slowdown. Trump removed all exemptions from his 2018 tariffs on the metals, in addition to increasing the tariffs on aluminum from 10%. His moves, based off a February directive, are part of a broader effort to disrupt and transform global commerce. Trump told CEOs in the Business Roundtable on Tuesday that the tariffs were causing companies to invest in U.S. factories. The 8% drop in the S&P 500 stock index over the past month on fears of deteriorating growth appears unlikely to dissuade him, as Trump argued that higher tariff rates would be more effective at bringing back factories. Read more about Trumps tax on steel and aluminum UK calls Trump tariffs disappointing but doesnt retaliate Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, however, did not rule out future tariffs on U.S. imports and said he would continue to engage closely and productively with the U.S. to press the case for U.K. business interests. Britain is not part of the European Union, which on Wednesday announced import taxes on American goods. Center-left U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has worked to build strong ties with Trump, in hope of avoiding the tariffs levied on many other U.S. trading partners. Read more about the UK not retaliating against Trumps tariffs The EU retaliates against Trump's tariffs, slapping duties on produce from Republican states The European Union announced retaliatory trade action with new duties on U.S. industrial and farm products. The worlds biggest trading bloc was expecting the U.S. tariffs and prepared in advance, but the measures still place great strain on already tense transatlantic relations. Only last month, Washington warned Europe that it would have to take care of its own security in the future. The EU measures will cover goods from the U.S. worth some 26 billion euros ($28 billion), and not just steel and aluminum products, but also textiles, home appliances and agricultural goods. The EU duties aim for pressure points in the U.S. while minimizing additional damage to Europe. The tariffs taxes on imports primarily target Republican-held states. Read more about the EUs tariffs on GOP states Mass layoffs at the Department of Education announced Tuesday will affect every division within the agency, leaving many worried about what resources will be left to support vulnerable children. There will be approximately 2,200 employees remaining after the layoffs, down from about 4,000, according to the department. President Donald Trump has long said he would like to completely dissolve the department a goal Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has said she wholeheartedly supports, as HuffPost previously reported. Todays reduction in force reflects the Department of Educations commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers, McMahon said in a statement about the cuts. Education Department staffers being laid off will be placed on leave starting March 21, according to an agency press release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sheria Smith, the president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, which represents more 2,800 employees at the agency, said in a statement that the mass firings show that the Trump administration has no respect for the thousands of workers who have dedicated their careers to serve their fellow Americans. It is also clear that there is a rampant disinformation campaign to mislead Americans about the actual services, resources, grants, and programs that the U.S. Department of Education provides to all Americans, she added. The agency has said that programs that are written into law like Title I funding for low-income schools, resources for special education programs, and financial assistance for low-income college students would continue just with a reduced staff. But its unclear if the agency can still properly administer those programs after such dramatic cuts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lot of the work is making sure funds are spent appropriately, Jon Valant, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, told HuffPost, referring to the programs the agency has said will continue. If you just hand money to a school district and you dont pay attention to where theyre spending it, thats a huge problem. Itll be more prone to abuse. They seem hellbent on sabotaging their own department and undercutting its ability to actually fulfill its core duties, Valant added. McMahon said on Fox News that the layoffs were simply about getting rid of bureaucratic bloat. But some of the divisions that have been hard hit such as the Institute for Educational Science, the agencys research arm perform core functions. IES studies and analyzes how to produce the best educational outcomes for public school students. It had already been hit by cuts brought on by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, the Elon Musk-led advisory group that has been wreaking havoc across the federal government since Trump returned to power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the new round of layoffs threaten the very existence of IES. What theyre doing to IES, it functionally means theres no research arm, Valant said. Its collecting data to help us learn about educational outcomes, but it just cant do that anymore. The departments Office of Civil Rights, which handles complaints from students and their families about discrimination at school, is also being gutted by the layoffs, according to documents reviewed by HuffPost. The office has a yearslong backlog of complaints, which Trump already exacerbated by freezing thousands of pending complaints (about half were from kids with disabilities). The layoffs are sure to make the backlog worse McMahon has whittled OCRs 11 regional offices down to six, including the one in Dallas that handles complaints from across the South. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Is chaos and confusion that we are experiencing going to carry over to our students, especially if theyre waiting for results from our agency? Brittany Coleman, the national shop steward for AFGE Local 252, said Wednesday on a press call. Coleman and Smith both worked in the Dallas regional office before receiving termination notices. Under previous administrations, there was a step-by-step process to resolve complaints. But under Trump, the Department of Education has skipped to the end of the process and issued ultimatums to institutes and schools it feels dont align with the presidents priorities. The Office of English Language Acquisition, which helps public school students learn English, has been abolished, according to documents reviewed by HuffPost. The office doles out grants for educators who teach and support students learning English and for research that studies the best way to support these types of learners. The Trump administration has laid off every single person doing that work. The shuttering of the office comes at a time when immigrant children are increasingly under attack. Earlier this year, the administration rescinded a rule that kept immigration agents from entering schools, sparking fear and anxiety in students who come from immigrant families. Several states have introduced bills that would bar undocumented children from going to school in violation of a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officially dismantling the Education Department would require congressional approval, but these sweeping cuts bring Trump perilously close to his goal. We will still have a Department of Education. On the surface, it will have some of the same structures, but it will be hollowed out, Valant said. And whats left is going to be weaponized in ways that align with the Trump administration. The management of airBaltic is awaiting the restoration of air travel in Ukraine and has declared its readiness to return to the market. Source: Ukraines Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories, following a meeting between representatives of the airline and Deputy Minister Serhii Derkach Details: The main topic of the discussions was the current state of Ukraines civil aviation, possibilities for supporting and training Ukrainian specialists and the analysis of the risk assessment a document outlining measures to minimise risks for the partial reopening of airspace. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During the meeting, Derkach stated that at the end of last year, the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine, together with the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories, the air traffic services company UkSATSE and the military personnel, had prepared a risk assessment. This document identifies key threats during the partial reopening of airspace and the measures necessary to mitigate them. airBaltic confirmed its readiness to reintegrate Kyiv and Lviv into its route network as soon as airspace is reopened and all necessary approvals are obtained. The airline also plans to expand connections beyond Riga by linking Kyiv with other Baltic capitals Tallinn and Vilnius. "We have consistently stated our plans for airBaltic to be the first airline to return to Ukraine when it is safe, and we stand by this commitment. The safety of our employees, passengers and operations will always be our top priority, and following our second in-person visit to Kyiv, preparations for our return are in full swing," said airBaltic President and CEO Martin Gauss following the visit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement airBaltic (Air Baltic Corporation AS) is the leading airline in the Baltic states and one of Europes fastest-growing carriers. Background: The airline Wizz Air intends to resume flights to Ukraine soon after any ceasefire with Russia is announced, restoring around 30 inbound routes within six weeks. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! ANDERSON, Ala. (WHNT) Homeowners in Anderson, who say they are fed up with the condition of their road, met with a Lauderdale County engineer on Tuesday. As News 19 previously reported, Timothy Ring told us that County Road 505 (CR505) has been an issue for him and his wife Cindy. Sheffield City Schools to introduce phone-free classroom spaces in upcoming school year Cindy Ring, who suffers from COPD, is unable to spend time outdoors and the dust that spews from cars and trucks that ring says is wreaking havoc on her health, cars, home and their pets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My wifes health is my big concern right now, Ring told News 19. Getting that road paved will make a big difference and she can actually go out in our yard and enjoy our yard. Ring said he has complained for months to Lauderdale County city officials. He says that he has written letters to the mayor, the Lauderdale County Commission and even the states governor to share his concern about the unpaved road. After not receiving an answer he felt was valid, Ring reached out to News 19 for help and because of our story, Ring met with the county engineer on Tuesday. We just had a quick overview of the process on whats going on with the paving of county road 505 and so were working on that, said Eric Hill, a Lauderdale County engineer. We are working with the Rings and the other property owners out there to come to a resolution. Get breaking news, traffic and weather alerts directly to your smartphone. Download the News 19 App Hill says that all of the homeowners on CR505 would have to be willing to move their fence 30 feet or more from the center of the road in order for any paving to begin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That 30 feet from the center of the road is a 60 feet total right of way which is standard for all our road paving, said Hill. We do a 26-foot road base, thats 20-feet of actually asphalt with a 3-foot shoulder on each side and that allows enough room for a shoulder that allows for enough room for roadside ditches and utilities on top of that. After pleading for an answer, Ring is thankful to the county and hopes the mitigation plan acts soon. Theyve been receptive to me. Eric actually came out to our house and told us what had to be done, but Im so excited that Channel 19 is on my side to get things done, Timothy Ring added. Hill says there is no timetable for the road repair to begin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. (WHTM) A Pennsylvania lawmaker is calling on lawmakers to support the Department of Government Efficiency. State Senator Doug Mastriano called on the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation to support DOGE, the organization created by President Donald Trump and Tech Billionaire Elon Musk to reduce and cut government spending more efficiently. For too long, taxpayer dollars have been wasted on bloated bureaucracies, redundant programs and outrageous foreign expenditures that do nothing for the hardworking people of Pennsylvania. Government inefficiency is a hidden tax on every citizen. Billions of dollars have vanished into fraudulent programs and unnecessary contracts. Critical resources have been misallocated while Pennsylvanians struggle to make ends meet, Mastriano said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DOGE: Several government offices to close in Central Pennsylvania Mastriano added that DOGEs accomplishments so far show that the government can work for the people. DOGEs role in slashing government inefficiencies and spending has sparked some controversy since the Trump Administration took office with reports that the organization attempted to access the Treasury Department and the Integrated Data Retrieval System and its firing of thousands of federal workers. While some of the organizations practices have been deemed controversial by some, others are in full support, with some lawmakers proposing states should have their own DOGE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mastriano himself proposed Pennsylvania should have their own version of DOGE, saying that DOGE only existing at the federal level has drawn confusion and criticism. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. State lawmakers are weighing a bill that could make it easier to replace homes and businesses lost in the floodwaters as western North Carolina rebuilds from Hurricane Helene. What Helenes more than 2,000 landslides can teach us about how and where to rebuild Senate Bill 266 would exempt projects from state and local floodplain requirements if those projects involve the reconstruction or replacement of buildings destroyed in a 200-year flood event. This would allow builders to reconstruct properties without elevating them. VIDEO: Gov. Stein visits western NC after Senate approves round of Helene disaster relief Karina Burciaga (left) plays with her 2-year-old daughter, Alison Arroyo. (Photo courtesy Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors) When Karina Burciaga became a parent, she also took on a lot of worries: what should her daughter be eating, how early should she start reading, what will her future look like and what can she do now to impact that future? Burciagas daughter Alison Arroyo is only 2 years old, but Burciaga said she wants her daughter to be ready for adulthood. She opened an investment account for Alison at Charles Schwab and adds $75 to $100 to it each month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not a huge amount, right, but its adding up, Burciaga told Source NM. Its just interesting to see howin about 18 years shell have access to money that can really change her life. While trust fund babies as a concept usually implies wealthy parents, several states have passed legislation that creates a trust fund for each child born in the state, known as baby bonds. New Mexico lawmakers have proposed a similar funding program this session. House Bill 7, the Childrens Future Act and Fund, would establish a trust fund for children born in New Mexico after Jan. 1, 2025. Children would have access to the fund once they turn 18 and graduate from high school or earn a high school equivalency. Trust fund recipients also would have to maintain residency in New Mexico and complete a financial literacy program. The money can be used for education, housing, entrepreneurship or investing. Many families across New Mexico may be middle class, but theyre still living paycheck to paycheck. And so having an investment for their future is a big piece, Sponsor Rep. Linda Serrato (D-Santa Fe) told members of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee during the initial hearing on March 3. Speaker of the House Javier Martinez (D-Albuquerque) and Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero (D-Albuquerque) are also sponsors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill also creates a task force that will complete the design of the program and its implementation and report recommendations to the governor and Legislature before the end of the year. The bill does not specify how much money the state would invest for each child, but Serrato explained that based on the advocacy organizations pilot program, approximately $6,000 would be allocated for each child at birth, but the task force would determine the actual amount. By the time the children are 18, the investment will have grown to about $20,000, though the final amount is not a guarantee. Serrato noted the ultimate goal is to help generate some generational wealth among New Mexico families and set more people up for success. The advocacy organization Partnership for Community Action, in collaboration with Prosperity Works, Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors and MoneyByrd, awarded 15 pilot bonds to New Mexico children several years ago. A representative from Partnership for Community Action and parents involved in the pilot program spoke in favor of the bill during an initial hearing before the House Appropriations and Finance Committee on March 3. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I do not want [Alison] to work two jobs in college and face the same exhaustion and burnout that I faced, Burciaga told committee members during the hearing. She told Source NM that she earned her bachelors degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of New Mexico in 2015, but would like to set her daughter up to not have to work so many hours while focusing on her education. If she needs these funds to help her get through college, thats great, or I would love her to maybe buy a property whenever shes in college and save that money and not pay rent, Burciaga said, adding that investing in property could even generate some passive income for her daughter at some point in her life. Leslie Garcia Moreno, another mom who spoke in favor of the bill during the hearing, said the bill would give her children a greater chance of achieving a stress-free, debt-free education and life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our state has the resources to invest in the next generation and doing so will create a ripple effect, she said. This initiative is a direct investment in our economy, ensuring that all families regardless of background, have the opportunity to build generational wealth and thrive. Several committee members voiced concern that HB7 is not ready to be a bill, but rather a memorial to create a taskforce and research the funds feasibility. However, the bill passed the House Appropriations and Finance Committee Monday, March 10 and will head to the House floor for a vote. Senate Bill 397, the New Mexico Next Generation Act, is a similar bill proposing baby bond investments and is sponsored by Sens. Antonio Maestas (D-Albuquerque) and Leo Jaramillo (D-Espanola). The bill is also backed by the New Mexico State Treasurer Laura Montoya. According to the fiscal impact report, SB397 would apply to babies born after July 1, 2025. It would require that the Department of Finance and Administration develop rules for the program and the State Investment Council manage the investments. HB7 proposes splitting the management of the investments between the State Investment Council and the State Treasurers Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX This story has been updated since publication to accurately reflect the organizations that awarded the 15 pilot bonds. Source regrets the error. On the 10-year anniversary of a nearly catastrophic incident, California officials and local advocacy groups continue to fight for the removal of a potent chemical. On February 18, 2015, a large explosion rocked the surrounding area of Torrance, California. The explosion that originated at the ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery left four workers injured and blanketed the surrounding area in a potentially toxic dust. According to a report released by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, the incident occurred when ExxonMobil was attempting to isolate equipment for maintenance while the unit was in an "idled mode of operation." While personnel were preparing for the maintenance, a change in pressure allowed hydrocarbons to backflow through the process and ignite in the electrostatic precipitator, a pollution control device. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report also described a "near miss event" that took place when explosion debris came very close to striking nearby tanks containing thousands of pounds of modified hydrofluoric acid (MHF), which may have resulted in an increased loss of life in the immediate area of the incident. "Had the tank ruptured, it would have caused a release of MHF, which is highly toxic," a 2017 news release from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board stated. That "near miss event" left Congresswoman Maxine Waters concerned about the possibility of a future disaster involving hydrofluoric acid (HF). "Torrance Refinery should be commended for their safety investments," Waters said. "But the risks of a catastrophic release of HF cannot be eliminated as long as the refinery continues to use it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's time for the Torrance Refinery to just do the right thing and convert to a safer alternative." Waters introduced House Resolution 10441, a bill that aims to require the use of HF alternatives at refineries. Joining Waters in the fight to ban MHF is the Torrance Refinery Action Alliance. The organization is a grassroots collection of members of the Torrance community who wish to convince nearby refineries to switch from MHF to safer "commercially-proven alternatives" such as ionic liquid catalysts. Not only are ionic liquid catalysts described as environmentally friendly, but they have been proven to be less volatile than MHF. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One major roadblock to switching to alternatives is the current cost, which many local unions fear would cause refineries to reduce their workforces. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) While the governor considers moving the fairgrounds out of the International District in Albuquerque, lawmakers are now working on a plan for how to structure what could be a once in a generation redevelopment. The bill, SB 481, would set up a new district detailing how the more than 200-acre Expo New Mexico property would still be overseen by the state, if the fairgrounds pack up for a new location. Story continues below Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are redevelopment and reinvestment opportunities in surrounding neighborhoods, said New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D). So, what happens if a redevelopment moves forward? Lawmakers are now trying to set up a board to execute it. Democratic Senator Mimi Stewart is sponsoring the bill to create a new Fairgrounds District, which would keep the property in state hands, out of city and county control. Grocery stores and pharmacies will return. They have abandoned the area. Adjoining property owners will see their homes and business real-estate increase in value, said Sen. Mimi Stewart, (D-Albuquerque). Under the idea, the district could sign on contracts with neighboring governments, accept grants for redevelopment, or sell the property. This is a tremendous tool and opportunity to begin to improve the neighborhood, increase affordable housing access and do a lot of the things that the community has been hoping to do for several years, said Roger Valdez, Director of Center for Housing Economics. The bill would also make a five-member district board, made up of the governor, lieutenant governor, and Albuquerque mayor. Sen. Stewart stresses that a financial plan is needed. Masterplan is meaningless without a financial vehicle and thats what this bill would do, said Sen. Stewart. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill cleared the Senate Tax, Business, and Transportation committee Tuesday afternoon with a few changes. It now heads to Senate Finance. Theres no guarantee at this point that the fairgrounds will be redeveloped. Earlier this month, the state quietly reposted its request to private developers to create a master plan for the district. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. UPDATE: The House on Wednesday afternoon voted 56-14 to accept the Senate version that calls for allowing concealed pistols in bars and other establishments. The bills prime sponsor Republican Rep. Aaron Aylward said that the change wouldnt stop bars from individually choosing to ban concealed weapons from their premises. The Senate on Wednesday also accepted its version. HB 1218 now goes to the governor for a decision whether he wants it to become state law. PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) A proposal is moving through the South Dakota Legislature that would permit concealed pistols to be carried in any bar or other establishment that earns more than half of its total income from the sale of malt or alcoholic beverages. The change would repeal a state law prohibiting concealed pistols in those establishments thats been in effect since 2019 when state lawmakers legalized concealed carry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Concern, intense rhetoric accompany HB 1239 in Pierre Republican Sen. Mykala Voita added the repeal wording earlier this week when the Senate debated House Bill 1218. The House version of the bill called for allowing concealed firearms and ammunition in most areas of county, municipal and township buildings and spaces. Senators on Monday added the Voita amendment allowing concealed pistols in bars and then voted 30-4 to pass the bill. HB 1218 then returned to the House of Representatives for a decision whether to accept the Voita change. The House voted 35-34 on Tuesday in favor of the motion from Republican Rep. Jeff Bathke to disagree with the Voita amendment and appointed a conference committee to negotiate differences between the two versions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The conference committee met on Wednesday morning. Five of the six members showed up. The sixth, Bathke, didnt attend. The group listened to nine minutes of testimony favoring the Voita amendment from Brian Gosch, a Rapid City lawyer and former House member, who now represents the National Rifle Association. Gosch argued several points. He said people can open-carry firearms in South Dakota bars now, and neighboring states of Minnesota and Montana allow concealed-carry in alcohol establishments. He referred to mass shootings at a variety of locations in other states where guns werent allowed. Gun-free zones dont work, Gosch said. One opponent testified against the Voita amendment: Nathan Sanderson, executive director of the South Dakota Retailers. He said the Senate decision on the Voita amendment was a surprise. He suggested the committee slow down, so that he could offer another amendment that might be acceptable. One of the conference panels legislators, Republican Rep. Kevin Jensen, has served as a concealed-carry instructor for 11 years. He pointed out the vagueness of the ban. 50 percent when? he said. Its really hard to know, even as an instructor. He added, I think we have to be very specific. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jensen also raised the example of someone who can legally carry a concealed pistol into an establishment that makes less than half of its income from alcohol sales but cant carry a concealed pistol in an establishment that makes more than half of its income from alcohol sales. Why is one restricted and the other not? Jensen asked To me its just common sense that we pass it as amended. There were many county and municipal lobbyists in the audience. So was Ryan Brunner, a senior aide to Gov. Larry Rhoden. The conference committee voted 5-0 to recommend passage of the Senate version. The House voted 56-14 on Wednesday afternoon to accept the Senate version. Republican Rep. Aaron Aylward said that the change wouldnt stop bars from individually choosing to ban concealed weapons from their premises. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. California is taking another swing at an industry notorious for producing toxic waste, and its first-of-a-kind ban could strengthen protections for some of society's most vulnerable members. As reported by the Associated Press, lawmakers introduced a bill Feb. 19 that would outlaw the sale of disposable vapes beginning January 1, 2026. Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin authored the legislation. Whereas previous regulations such as the ban of flavored tobacco products focused more on limiting vape use among children, this proposal aims to reduce plastic pollution, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. PIRG Education Fund estimates that Americans discard 4.5 single-use vapes each second. If laid out, the vapes would stretch over 7,000 miles enough to go from coast to coast at least 2.5 times. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even though e-cigarette products generally have fewer deadly chemicals than traditional cigarettes, they can still contain cancer-linked toxins, heavy metals like lead, and other hazardous substances like battery acid. When discarded, vapes leach these toxins into the environment, potentially contaminating our drinking water. It's also not uncommon for people to improperly dispose of single-use vapes. The dangerous debris has punctured the tires of more than one driver. Despite these troublesome impacts, not everyone was pleased with the proposal. Neighborhood Market Association co-founder Arkan Somo worried the disposable vape ban would harm family businesses selling tobacco products. Others pointed out disposable vapes are cheaper and more accessible than refillable options, per the AP. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, upgrading to high-quality reusable products can save money in the long run, so the ban may pay dividends over time for concerned parties. Meanwhile, Californians Against Waste policy associate Tony Hackett highlighted a crucial reason why a plan to outlaw disposable vapes could be popular among Golden State residents. "While these products pollute our planet, they're also targeting our most vulnerable among us our children," Hackett said to the AP. "Disposable vapes are designed for maximum addiction and minimum accountability." "Continuing to push this conversation and highlight the costliness of this problem and how little if any benefits at all these items bring, that's going to be huge," added Carolina Saavedra, staff attorney with the Public Health Law Center at Minnesota's Mitchell Hamline School of Law. "As a person who uses a vape, I agree with this decision. Disposables are a horrendous waste of e-resources," one Redditor shared in the r/California_Politics community. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Between April 2022 and 2023, Maine had almost 24,000 rental properties with at least one reservation, according to a statewide housing study. (Maine Morning Star) Though several legislative attempts to institute taxes on short-term rentals have failed, Democratic lawmakers are trying again this session to institute these surcharges on vacation properties, specifically to support affordable housing for permanent residents and education. Among these proposals being heard Wednesday in the Taxation Committee is the second iteration of a plan from Rep. Charles Skold (D-Portland). His bill, LD 632, would allow a municipality to impose a local option sales tax of 2% on short-term lodging that is subject to the state sales and use tax, if approved by voters in that municipality. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is higher than the 1% sales tax on such properties Skold proposed last year in legislation that failed to gain support on the floor after narrowly being backed by the Taxation Committee by a one-vote margin. Similar to his previous proposal, Skolds bill would require that the revenue the tax generates be used for affordable housing in that municipality. The regulation of short-term rentals, such as Airbnbs, in Maine has largely fallen to municipalities, with cities such as Portland, Rockland and Bar Harbor taking it upon themselves to pass local rules. While noting the importance of short-term lodging on the states economy, Skold and others supportive of his plan last year, including residents along the coast, argued that each housing unit converted into a short-term rental takes away units from individuals and families who would like to stay in Maine full time but who are currently being driven away by a lack of housing supply and high prices. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This bill does not detract at all from the importance of short-term lodging in our economy, but it allows municipalities heavily impacted by this trend to recover some benefit and use that revenue to help meet their own housing needs, Skold testified at the time. But real estate, tourist groups and the states Department of Administrative and Financial Services opposed Skolds proposed tax, arguing it could deter tourists because of higher costs or disadvantage businesses in the communities that choose to enact the tax. There were also concerns over the constitutionality of the bill. DAFS testified that any local sales tax should be structured with the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. in mind, which noted the importance of a simple tax system when imposing sales tax on remote sellers. Other versions of a short-term rental sales tax are being considered this year, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Gary Friedmann (D-Bar Harbor) also proposed a bill to permit municipalities to impose a 2% sales tax on short-term lodging, if approved by referendum, to be used for affordable housing. However, Friedmanns bill, LD 746, would require 10% of revenue generated to be transferred to the Maine State Housing Authority to be used to provide subsidies through the rural affordable rental housing program or another program that supports affordable housing development in rural communities, specifically. While differing on the specifics, Skold and Friedmanns proposals to use this tax for affordable housing differ from how Rep. Michael Brennan (D-Portland) is seeking to use revenue generated from such a tax. Brennan proposed LD 225, which would create a higher tax, an additional 3% sales tax on the value of rental living quarters in a hotel or other lodging, with its revenue reserved for the Maine Department of Education to fund school construction and K-12 education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier efforts to institute statewide regulations on short term rentals have attempted to impose fees, rather than a tax. That was the case for a bill from Rep. Tiffany Strout (R-Harrington) last session, as well as another bill in the session before last that specifically tried to place fees on second homes unoccupied by a permanent resident. Both bills died. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE LAWRENCE COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) A woman has been indicted on a forgery charge after she allegedly falsified more than $36,000 worth of mileage reimbursements to Lawrence County Schools. According to the Tennessee Comptrollers Office, the Lawrence County School System (LCSS) entered a contract with Rhonda Brown in 2018 for her child to attend another school that was more appropriately suited for the childs educational needs. 2 arrested after social media post helps authorities find tractor stolen from Lawrence County Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials said the contract stated that the school system would pay tuition to the other school and also reimburse Brown for mileage for transportation to and from the school. Brown reportedly submitted falsified mileage reimbursement forms to LCSS, totaling $36,473, from March 2023 through October 2024. She allegedly claimed reimbursements for 350 more days even though her child was taken to school by the Lawrence County Senior Center bus. In addition to those claims, officials said she also submitted reimbursement requests for four days when her child was absent from school. CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime-related reports from across Middle Tennessee Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement School officials must ensure they properly monitor and review their reimbursement process, said Comptroller Mumpower. This includes confirming the accuracy of the mileage reimbursement forms and paying the correct reimbursement rate based upon its contract. Based on the investigation, the Lawrence County Grand Jury indicted Brown on one count of forgery of $10,000 to $60,0000. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. HONOLULU (KHON2) A new lawsuit seeks to hold the state accountable for the death of a 10-year-old girl allegedly killed by her foster parents. Ten-year-old Geanna Bradley was tortured, starved and abused for years before she was found dead in January 2024 according to Honolulu Police. The child endured unspeakable horrors allegedly at the hands of her legal guardians Thomas and Brandy Blas and Debra Geron. The three were arrested at their Wahiawa home just weeks after Bradleys death and are awaiting trial for her murder. Woman arrested in connection to manslaughter of adopted child Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We believe that those things should have been known and detected by the state, attorney Randall Rosenberg said. Rosenberg filed a civil lawsuit on March 11 on behalf of Geannas biological family. They are seeking damages but also want accountability and change. The goal of this law firm is to draw attention to what has happened again with another Hawaii child and to try and figure out ways that we can just incentivize the people who are involved in these kinds of cases, Rosenberg added. To pay more attention, to act better, to make better decisions. Thats what our goal is. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You The lawsuit names the Blases, Geron, and the State Department of Human Services, who Rosenberg claims failed to protect Geanna. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Communication is poor. Things dont get done. The ball gets dropped. Reports are not done on time. Investigations are done sort of haphazardly and not very thoroughly, and as a result these kids fall through the cracks and are getting hurt, he explained. Rosenberg is also litigating a civil suit in the death of 6-year-old Isabella Ariel Kalua, allegedly murdered at the hands of her adoptive parents Issac and Lehua Kalua. Isabellas body still hasnt been found. The Kaluas remain in custody awaiting trial. We want to have every tool available to prosecute them: Lawmakers to hear bill that would make torture a felony According to Rosenberg, DHS failed Isabella too. He said the Kaluas should never have been approved to extensive debt. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I cant even begin to justify the information that were seeing in that case about why they picked these two knuckleheads, he said. But its shocking. The Department of Human Services cannot comment any active case or any pending litigation. The department will respond to any pending litigation in court with the assistance and representation of the Department of the Attorney General, DHS Child Welfare Branch said in a statement. A status conference for Thomas Blas, Brandy Blas and Debra Geron is scheduled for March 13. Their trial date is set for April 14. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2. Getty Images An ally of Michael M. Bell, the Kenosha father who has been campaigning for a decade for a new look at the police killing of his son 20 years ago, is suing the Wisconsin Department of Administration for records in a dispute with the state Department of Justice and the Wisconsin Crime Victims Rights Board (CVRB). The Wisconsin Examiners Criminal Justice Reporting Project shines a light on incarceration, law enforcement and criminal justice issues with support from the Public Welfare Foundation Russell Beckman filed the open records lawsuit Tuesday in Dane County circuit court in response to the administration departments denial of billing records from a private law firm that had a contract with the victims rights board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the lawsuit, which he filed without a lawyer, Beckman states that he believes the Department of Administration is attempting to conceal these records because they may contain information that constitute evidence of misconduct and unlawful collusion between high ranking Wisconsin State officials and citizen members of the CVRB. Michael M. Bells son, Michael E. Bell, was killed in November 2004 by a Kenosha Police Department officer after an altercation in the driveway of the home where the younger Bell lived. A department internal investigation found no wrongdoing on the part of the officers on the scene. Michael M. Bell subsequently campaigned for a Wisconsin law, enacted in 2014, that requires fatalities at the hands of police to be investigated by another department Since settling a civil lawsuit with the city of Kenosha arising from the killing, the elder Bell has sought to reopen the investigation into the death of his son. The younger Bell was being physically restrained by police when an officer shot and killed him, eyewitnesses and police reports agree. The police account reported that officer fired the shot after another officer at the scene, who was standing near the 21-year-old, shouted that Bell had grabbed his holstered service handgun. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Citing discrepancies between the official police account of the incident and eyewitness testimony as well as physical evidence at the scene, Michael M. Bell has maintained that his son probably never touched the second officers weapon, none of the officers were in danger of being shot by the younger Bell, and that the killing was unnecessary. The elder Bell has said the second officer may have been sincere in his assumption that his gun had been grabbed. Based on eyewitness accounts, however, he thinks the second officer was not where his son could have grabbed the gun. Bell believes the officer who fired the fatal shot was in a position to know that the second officer was mistaken and did not need to take his sons life. Bells repeated attempts to persuade authorities to reinvestigate the events of that night have been unsuccessful, including multiple appeals to Attorney General Josh Kaul. In December 2022, Beckman, a retired Kenosha police detective who has been assisting the elder Bell for more than a decade, filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Crime Victims Rights Board on Bells behalf. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The complaint charged Kenosha police and city officials had concealed information about Michael E. Bells death, and in the process committed alleged crimes [that] included the felonies of perjury, destruction of public records, misconduct in public office and conspiracy to commit these crimes. The complaint also charged that Kaul and high ranking subordinates at the state Department of Justice repeatedly ignored attempts by Beckman and Bell to bring their concerns to the attorney generals attention. In June 2023, Madison attorney Hal Harlow emailed parties in the case Beckman, Bell and a DOJ lawyer that he had been retained to act as legal counsel to the Wisconsin Crime Victims Rights Board in the matter. In November 2023, the CRVB decided it lacked probable cause for the complaint, holding Michael M. Bell didnt have victim status in connection with the complaints allegations. The alleged conduct is against the government and its administration, not against individual persons, the decision stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After that ruling, according to the lawsuit, Beckman filed a number of public records requests with the CVRB, seeking records that may have evidence supporting his belief that Attorney General Josh Kaul and/or his staff may have colluded with the CVRB to influence their decision to dismiss the complaint. The board supplied records that have become part of the appeal that Beckman has filed on Bells behalf. The appeal is now before the Wisconsin Appeals Court District IV in Madison after being dismissed in circuit court. Meanwhile, Beckman filed an open records request with the Department of Administration seeking attorney billing records for the Crime Victims Rights Board in connection with the Bell complaint. The department issued a blanket denial of Beckmans request. DOA cited the ongoing litigation over the lawsuit against the board and asserted that those records and that information would reveal strategy and efforts that would affect the ongoing litigation. The department also denied a request to reconsider its denial, and a request for a copy of the contract for the outside law firm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit filed Tuesday argues that the denials violate Wisconsins open records law. The attorney billing records, the contract and its addendums are not attorney work product and are not privileged attorney-client communications, Beckman argues. Beckman said in an interview Tuesday he wants the billing records and contract because they might shed light on interactions between the DOJ and the Crime Victims Rights Board, which are supposed to operate independently of each other. He said hes learned other unexpected information in his work with Bell over the years that turned up by perusing attorney billing records. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX On every corner of the intersection of Broadway and Main streets Monday, people held flags and signs, sharing their displeasure about what is happening in the U.S. and world. It was the second Monday in a row that area residents gathered in protest. About 170 people attended the March 3 rally, according to organizer Mary Kaye Perrin. A similar number gathered Monday. Attendees focused on their distaste for many actions taken by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk and their support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Im fighting for democracy, said Winona resident Beth Stanford. Im very concerned about the actions that have happened in less than two months, and I just believe that people have to speak up. She said she was concerned about the future of the nation. I think were in a coup detat, I honestly do, she said. Trump has proven what hes about. Its the rich. Its about money. Its not about democracy. Its not about sharing power with Congress or the Supreme Court. He wants to be (Vladimir) Putin and Im not gonna let that happen. Participants said the rally helped them let out some steam while sharing their concerns. I think that whats happening in this country is a travesty, that we have unelected people running our country, doing illegal things, unconstitutional things, and its not OK. We did not ask for this, said Joshua van Tol, another Winona participant. This is not democracy. This is an attempted dictatorship. Winona County Board member Dwayne Voegeli said he had many reasons for attending, but cited one. Its important to stand for democracy in Ukraine. Its important to stand for democracy in the U.S. Its not two issues. Its one issue, he said. The rights of women and LGBTQ+, the war in Ukraine and the current presidency inspired Winonan Sara Wakeham to attend. Perrin and Cherie Hales organized the event. Everyone we talked to was concerned about various issues, Hales said. We just need to come together. Hales said Winona Countys DFL Party helped publicize the rallies. People had a feeling that we had to do something more than just being angry about whats going on. They wanted to protest, Perrin said. Perrin said the meeting between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelenskyy provoked them. That was a real impetus to We have to do something. We do not agree with this kind of tactic. Thats our friend, she said. The duo expressed concern about what is going on in the country. Our democracy is being threatened. The Constitution is being undermined. The actions that are being taken by the administration are illegal, Hales said. They are defying the rule of law, and theyre alienating our friends and allies around the globe. This does not make us safer. She said rural health care will be negatively affected in the budget advanced by Republicans, noting that many area residents depend on Medicaid. According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, in 2023 1.4 million Minnesota residents had Medicaid, which includes 20.4% of Winona County residents. Medicaid enrollment has grown every year from 2019 to 2023 in both Winona County and Minnesota as a whole, according to the department. The hospitals, rural hospitals, particularly, are really struggling. Services are being cut, Hales said. And if this Medicaid budget thing goes through, rural people will lose so much health care, not just people on Medicaid, because its just plain going to disappear. Both Hales and Stanford noted a disconnect with Republican representatives. Weve been trying to get our congressional representatives to stand up against the bully, the dictator, and thats just been kind of silence, Stanford said. Hales said that GOP representatives, including U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad, are refusing to meet with constituents. The Winona Daily News reached out Tuesday to the offices of Finstad, state Sen. Jeremy Miller and state Rep. Aaron Repinski about the rallies but did not receive a response. Finstad was recently asked on Capitol Hill about calls for town halls in his district, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. He said he had recently held a virtual town hall that was attended by 3,000 people. Still, many who attended the rally believe they need to take action to ensure their concerns are heard. Other issues gaining visibility because of the rallies, according to Perrin, include the recent impacts on the countrys parks, Social Security, USAID, and more. I think people are really angry about the fact that theyre going to give tax breaks to the rich, and yet theyre going to cut all these programs, Perrin said, pointing that many of the programs cut help those who are elderly or who have disabilities. Homer resident Jeanne Nelson enjoyed seeing the large amount of people come together to speak out about the wide range of issues. I love it, she said. I absolutely love it, because I have been looking for a way to find other people that feel the same way I do. She said she felt a sense of isolation as events have unfolded. I am a senior citizen, and I am not out and about so that I can voice my concerns so much, she said. But I understand history. I have read history. I understand how things can slowly slip away, but then all of a sudden, theyre gone, because people have no way to speak out. Voegeli said he saw positive energy among those gathered. Its inspiring. A lot of people have been discouraged, have been afraid, he said. So Im glad to see that people are willing to stand up and stand together, which is a great American tradition. Not everyone has been happy about the protests, according to Stanford. She recalled someone giving them the middle finger as they drove by last week. That kind of behavior isnt going to stop them, though. At least were making them think about whats happening, Stanford said. The rallies are expected to continue from 5 to 5:30 p.m. each Monday at the intersection. NEW YORK CITY Attorneys representing Mahmoud Khalil are fighting to release the prominent Palestinian activist from detention, after federal agents arrested the green card holder for peacefully leading anti-war student protests last year on Columbia Universitys campus. Lawyers for Khalil attended a hearing at the Thurgood Marshall courthouse on Wednesday for their emergency petition to return the Columbia graduate to New York City, where the case challenging his arrests validity is pending. Despite living in New York, Khalil is currently being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Louisiana. He has not been criminally charged. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The government did not yet decide whether they believe jurisdiction should be in New York or Louisiana. Khalils attorneys requested a privileged call for March 20, saying they literally have not been able to confer with our client once since he was taken off the streets of New York City. Judge Jesse Furman who previously ruled against deporting Khalil until his habeas case is reviewed said he will allow one privileged call on Wednesday between Khalil and his attorneys, and another one on Thursday. Attorneys for detained Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil speak at a press conference on Tuesday in New York City about his unlawful arrest by federal agents for peacefully leading student protests last year on Columbia University's campus. Sara Boboltz/HuffPost Khalils legal team said it will next file an amended complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union that further details the unlawful nature of his arrest, and will pursue an expedited schedule to have the court hear his case for being released. Every day that Mahmoud spends in detention in Louisiana is a day too long. We and he fully intend to vindicate not just his First Amendment rights, but those of all Americans, frankly, and all lawful permanent residents and anybody who wants to speak out, Ramzi Kassem, one of Khalils attorneys, told reporters as protesters could be heard loudly calling for the activists freedom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It simply cannot be the case that you can be disappeared at night off the streets of New York City simply because the current U.S. government, the current administration at the White House, dislikes what you have to say, he continued. That is not just un-American, its also unacceptable. On Saturday night, plainclothes agents with the Department of Homeland Security followed Khalil and his wife, who were walking to their university-owned apartment after breaking their Ramadan fast with friends. Agents entered their building without a judicial warrant, threatened to arrest Khalils wife for refusing to leave his side, put the activist in an unmarked vehicle and left without telling neither his wife nor attorney his whereabouts. My husband was kidnapped from our home, and its shameful that the United States government continues to hold him because he stood for the rights and lives of his people, Khalils wife said in a Wednesday statement read by attorney Shezza Abboushidallal. The activists wife is a U.S. citizen and expecting their first child next month. His disappearance has devastated our lives. Every day without him is filled with uncertainty not just for me, but for our entire family and community. Our loved ones are struggling with the pain and fear of his sudden absence, she continued. And yet we are not alone. So many who know and love Mahmoud have come together, refusing to stay silent. Their support is a testament to his character and to the deep injustice of what is being done to him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Attorneys also said theyre aware of several other cases of ICE approaching Columbia students. One day before his abduction, Khalil had reportedly asked the school for protection from harassment and potential ICE interference. Columbias president did not respond to his email, according to Zeteo. Police remove a protester as demonstrations continue in New York following the unlawful arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil for leading student protests last year at Columbia University. Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that his administration intends to deport Khalil, accusing him without evidence of supporting Hamas, and alleging he led antisemitic protests on the universitys New York City campus last year. During the protests, Khalil served as a peaceful negotiator between the school and students participating in what they called the Gaza solidarity encampment. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had acted to revoke Khalils green card in the name of national security. A little-used provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows Rubio to deport any non-citizen he personally believes may have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the country. The United States government has taken the position that it can arrest, detain and seek to deport a lawful permanent resident exclusively because of his peaceful, constitutionally protected activism in this case, activism in support of Palestinian human rights and an end to the genocide in Gaza, said Baher Azmy, a member of Khalils counsel and the legal director for the Center for Constitutional Rights. The government takes the position that because the secretary of state finds his dissent unacceptable or contrary to U.S. foreign policy, he can be deported, he continued. Its largely unprecedented save for ugly historical precedents, including the Red Scare and McCarthyism. Thats what were talking about. March 12 (UPI) -- Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil will remain in an ICE detention facility in Louisiana after his first court hearing to fight a potential deportation by the Trump administration. Federal authorities took Khalil, a Columbia University student, into custody Saturday under questionable pretenses at his campus apartment and promptly sent him to a detention center in Jena, La. On Wednesday, DOJ attorney Brandon Waterman told a court that Khalil, 30, is not in immediate danger of deportation while the immigration proceedings take place. Federal Judge Jesse Furman ordered that Khalil be granted at least one phone call Wednesday and Thursday to prepare for future court appearances after his lawyers expressed dissatisfaction over access to their client. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We literally have not been able to confer with our client once since he was taken off the streets of New York City," Ramzi Kassem, an attorney for Khalil, said outside after court let out. Khalil, married to an American citizen who is eight months pregnant, is a green card and student visa holder but his attorney Amy Greer said the U.S. State Department had been working to revoke both. In December, he graduated with a masters degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. Protesters rally in support of Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of the protests at Columbia University against Israel's war in Gaza, outside the U.S. Courthouse in New York City on Wednesday. ICE immigration officers arrested Khail after President Donald Trump vowed to deport foreign pro-Palestinian student demonstrators. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI "He was taken by U.S. government agents in retaliation, essentially, for exercising his First Amendment rights, for speaking up in defense of Palestinians in Gaza and beyond, for being critical of the US government and of the Israeli government," added Kassem. His deportation was temporarily stopped Monday by a federal judge ahead of Wednesday's hearing. A court will hold a hearing Wednesday on the planned deportation of Mahmoud Khaul, a Columbia student who helped lead pro-Palestinian protests on Colublia University's campus. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Khalil, a Palestinian refugee raised in Syria, was the lead student negotiator of an encampment at the Manhattan campus in 2024 when Columbia was the center of nationwide student protests held against Israel's war in Gaza, which ultimately lead to the resignation of Columbia president Nemat "Minouche" Shafik after months of protests that disrupted campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, the Trump administration announced it was revoking $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University, alleging it failed to fight anti-Semitism on its campus. Columbia officials confirmed Sunday that there have been reports of ICE around its grounds and stated the university "has and will continue to follow the law." Actress Susan Sarandon joins protesters as they rally in support of Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of the protests at Columbia University against Israel's war in Gaza, in New York City on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI "We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted Sunday on Elon Musk's X. In a social media post Monday, Trump said that Khalil's arrest was the "first arrest of many to come" and that his administration will "find, apprehend, and deport" those considered "terrorist sympathizers." New York City police keep watch as protesters rally in support of Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of the protests at Columbia University against Israel's war in Gaza, outside the U.S. Courthouse in New York City on Wednesday. ICE immigration officers arrested Khail after President Donald Trump vowed to deport foreign pro-Palestinian student demonstrators. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Although Khalil has been accused of making supportive statements for Hamas, he has not been publicly accused of providing material backing to the Iran-backed terror syndicate. His lawyers, meanwhile, say he's being punished for exercising his protected speech. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khalil's attorneys filed a petition Saturday for a writ of habeas corpus that alleges his arrest and ICE detention, based on Khalil's perceived free speech and activism, violates the Due Process Clause and the First Amendment. New York City police keep watch as protesters rally in support of Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of the protests at Columbia University against Israel's war in Gaza, outside the U.S. Courthouse in New York City on Wednesday. ICE immigration officers arrested Khail after President Donald Trump vowed to deport foreign pro-Palestinian student demonstrators. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI The White House, however, has yet to produce any evidence of a crime. "It is far less common for ICE to allege that political views or speech renders a green card holder deportable under the terrorism grounds as that raises significant First Amendment concerns," John Sandweg, former acting director of ICE, stated Tuesday. Actress Susan Sarandon tries to defuse arguments between supporters of Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of the protests at Columbia University against Israel's war in Gaza, and supporters of President Donald Trump, outside the U.S. Courthouse in New York City on Wednesday. ICE immigration officers arrested Khail after President Donald Trump vowed to deport foreign pro-Palestinian student demonstrators. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Meanwhile, the ACLU and NYCLU have since joined his legal team. Agencies across the federal government are facing a Thursday deadline to submit plans for sweeping workforce cuts and reorganizations. President Donald Trump ordered agencies last month to draft plans for large-scale reductions in force, and his administration gave agencies a March 13 deadline to hand over plans for initial agency cuts and reductions, with another round due in April. Workers inside energy and environmental agencies who have already seen colleagues terminated in the early days of Trumps term are anxiously awaiting details of the administrations next targets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theyre bracing for steep cuts. People are completely terrified, said one Interior Department employee, who was granted anonymity because they fear reprisal. There are rumors circulating about which offices and programs the administration might single out for cuts, that person said, but staffers hadnt yet heard details from management about the specifics. Were also kind of puzzled, that person said, because the expected downsizing across agencies is coming as this administration is putting a lot of work on our plates, including repealing Biden-era regulations. The Interior Department has already lost employees through the administrations Fork in the Road resignation offer and the firings of probationary staff, that staffer said. The Trump administration is gonna need staff" to enact its policy agenda, they added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Interior Department did not respond to a request for comment about its downsizing plans. The White House and the Office of Personnel Management did not respond to requests for comment about whether agencies plans will be made public or about the scope or timing of layoffs across the government. The Education Department this week announced plans to slash about half of its workforce. People are so scared Following early signals from Trump and his aides, EPA employees are girding for dramatic reductions at their agency. Trump recently suggested that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin planned to cut 65 percent of the staff at EPA a prospect the president appeared to welcome although the White House later said that Zeldin aimed to cut about 65 percent of the agencys spending, rather than its workforce. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Zeldin this week pledged to massively reduce his agencys spending and said EPA will, where necessary, reduce staff. Meanwhile, the DOGE operation led by Elon Musk announced that the leases for some EPA offices around the country have been canceled. The locations of some EPA regional offices were also included on a list of buildings the Trump administration slated for disposal before that list was taken down. Everyone is very conscious of the deadline for EPA to submit a reorganization and [reduction in force] plan, said Nicole Cantello, the president of a union local that represents EPA regional workers. EPA workers continue to be concerned that EPA will close many offices around the country, Cantello said. Our scientists and engineers know that all EPA office buildings are essential to protecting human health and the environment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marie Owens Powell, president of a union that represents EPA employees across the country, said employees at that agency fear whats coming in the Trump plans due this week. People are so scared, she said. They dont know if theyre going to fall into a RIF. Powell, who recently retired from her position as an EPA staffer after 33 years, said she never experienced a reduction in force, or a RIF, during her career with the agency. We came close. We prepared for one, but we never fully implemented one, she said. Workers are afraid of potentially losing their jobs and their livelihoods, she said. Theyre also afraid of the unknown. Theyre frantic at this point for lack of information, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement EPA did not respond to a request for comment about its layoff and reorganization plan due this week. The Trump administrations building disposal plan included the Energy Departments Washington headquarters as well as DOE offices in Germantown, Maryland. Those buildings were among the more than 400 posted online by the General Services Administration before the list was removed the following day, leaving employees who work there uncertain about their futures. Employees at the National Science Foundation are also concerned about the upcoming layoff plans, but theres nothing we can do about it, said one NSF employee who was granted anonymity because they fear reprisal. Staff at the science funding agency have been celebrating the return of probationary employees who had been terminated but were reinstated, the NSF employee said, even if its only for another month or so. An NSF spokesperson declined to comment for this story. More eliminations to come The Phase 1 goals for agency cuts due this week are just one step of the Trump administrations extensive downsizing vision. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The strategies due Thursday will identify agency offices that provide direct service to citizens, explain which parts of agencies are required by law and explain whether the agency or any of its subcomponents should be eliminated or consolidated, according to guidance provided to agency bosses. Agency leaders were also directed to describe the tools they intend to use to achieve efficiencies, including through expected staff reductions in coming years. In the Phase 2 plans due by April 14, agency bosses were directed to expand on their plans for overhauling their operations. That plan is set to include any proposals to relocate agency offices from Washington to other parts of the country, targets for subsequent large-scale RIFs, and agencies plans to renegotiate provisions of collective bargaining agreements deemed to inhibit government efficiency and cost-savings. Agencies were told to implement those second-phase plans by Sept. 30. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musk has previously suggested hed like to delete most federal agencies. Do we really need whatever it is, 428, federal agencies? Musk said in an interview prior to Trumps inauguration. I think we should be able to get away with 99 agencies, he said. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. The League of Women Voters of Arkansas submitted a proposed constitutional amendment to roll back many of the changes to ballot initiatives during the current legislature. Representatives of the group said the proposed amendment and ballot title had been submitted to the attorney general for approval. They said the proposal would reform the ballot initiative process and address concerns over transparency and accessibility. People speak out for & against bills aimed to change the way initiatives are placed on the Arkansas ballot Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The current session of the 95th General Assembly has seen numerous changes to the ballot initiative process, with more changes being proposed. The changes would make ballot initiatives, such as those in the past that have raised the minimum wage and approved medical marijuana, more challenging to accomplish. Critics of the process call out security concerns, such as the possibility of falsified signatures. League representatives said they had six key provisions in the proposal: Restricts legislative changes to citizen initiatives: Prohibits the General Assembly from amending a voter-approved constitutional amendment with a two-thirds vote. Streamlines ballot title approval: Requires the attorney generals office to approve or, if necessary, modify the language of ballot titles. Once approved, challenges must be filed within 45 days before the Arkansas Supreme Court, preventing legal disputes after signature collection. Protects referendum rights: Ensures the names and titles of referendums align with those assigned by the General Assembly to the laws they seek to repeal. Mandates separate votes on emergency clauses: Requires separate votes on legislation and emergency clauses, with at least 24 hours between them, to improve transparency. Eliminates legislative interference: Prohibits the General Assembly from amending or repealing constitutional amendments approved by voters. Simplifies signature collection: Allows canvassers to submit signatures under penalty of perjury, eliminating the need for notarization and streamlining the process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bonnie Miller, president of the League of Women Voters of Arkansas, said the amendment is necessary to protect Arkansans right to direct democracy. We believe filing this amendment is prudent because politicians have continually attacked Arkansans constitutional right to petition our government, Miller said. Attempts to weaken and dismantle the first power reserved by the people are an existential threat to democracy in Arkansas. Power belongs in the hands of voters, not politicians and lobbyists. Pressure for, against petition process changes in Arkansas legislature Attorney General Tim Griffin has 10 days to review the ballot title and popular name. If approved, supporters must collect 90,704 valid signatures to qualify the measure for the November 2026 ballot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. Before the war, I was a printer in Kyiv. I had traveled the world, met my wife and started a small business making advertising materials and T-shirts. Like many others, I had plans for the future and dreams of a peaceful life. Now, I serve in the Ukrainian army not because I am choosing war but because the violence came to my doorstep three years ago. Since Russia began its campaign to control our country, I have had no choice but to stand and defend my home, my people and our freedom. I want to share what the invasion has taught me about the value of freedom because it is essential to peace. When I think about peace, I think about my family and how it has grown. Recently, my wife and I welcomed twin daughters into this world. But instead of looking forward to their first steps or first words, I find myself asking, Will they grow up free, or in an occupied land where everything Ukrainian is erased? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, I hear U.S. thought leaders like Elon Musk ask what Ukrainians are fighting and dying for. After three years of war a war that has killed our friends, injured me and threatened my family hearing such words is unbearable. The answer to Musks question is simple: We are fighting for our right to exist as a nation. I used to think this answer was American in principle, and in the spring of 2022, most Americans stood with us. We couldnt have survived this long without the United States support. I literally owe my life to it commanding a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle supplied by the U.S. has saved me more times than I can count. The author in front of his Bradley. Courtesy of Sergii Gavryliuk Between the man-made horrors of the modern battlefield, mine explosions and drone strikes, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been pulled from combat alive thanks to American equipment, training and aid. Your countrys support doesnt just help us liberate our homes it keeps us alive and able to return to them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But since Donald Trump has come back into office, everything has changed. Watching his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Feb. 28 made one thing clear: Trump is determined to end the war at any cost, without any concern for what happens next or the destruction it may cause to my people. It appears the president of the United States has a different understanding of peace than we Ukrainians do, and he doesnt care what our country looks like the day after his deal goes through because he simply wants to be the man who ended the war. He speaks about caring for Ukrainian soldiers, but he recently blocked critical aid to Ukraine, and this led to our army being less able to defend itself as the casualties continued to mount. One soldier who was killed was a friend of mine. He died in my arms in the ruins of a house a place that was once someones home. I held his hand as he became delirious and began speaking to his wife as if she were there with him. He told her how much he loved her, that she needed to finish their home renovations, and that they would send their son to school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was a builder who joined the army voluntarily in the first days of the invasion. I held him as he died and thought about how another wife is left without a husband, another child will not have a father, and another mother will mourn her son. I think of him when I hear American leaders say Ukraine is responsible for this war. A church in Donbas destroyed by the Russian army. Courtesy of Sergii Gavryliuk Every war eventually comes to an end, and like every Ukrainian, I dream of the day when peace finally returns to our land. We want to live, build our future, and shape our nation a country with a thousand years of history. But what kind of peace are we being offered? The recent talks between Ukraine and the U.S. and the discussion of a ceasefire bring a glimmer of hope. But will Russia agree? I highly doubt it. And even if it does what happens next? History has proven time and again that agreements with Russia hold no value. I have no illusions: The Kremlin will never abandon its imperial ambitions. If left unchecked, it will regroup, rearm, and strike again. The citizens of Ukraine know the cost of Russian promises. We remember the names of people who are no longer here today because Vladimir Putin lied. Those lies mean I cant watch my children grow up. My mothers hair is turning gray from the stress of knowing her only son is at war. I dont know what the future will be for the people I love or myself. Still, I will keep fighting because I refuse to let my country be swallowed up by Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainians, Europeans and Americans cant take more time learning Putin is not ready for peace. This whole nightmare would end if Russia left Ukraine. Although the war has taught me a lot, I dont understand why Ukraine the victim is constantly pressured to compromise while the aggressor faces no real consequences. We are smaller, but we are not lesser. The United States has never shied away from standing up to tyranny. I want to know what has changed now. What security guarantees will Ukraine receive, and from whom, when the U.S. is retreating from Europe? Who will ensure that evil does not go unpunished, that the massacres, the destroyed cities and the hundreds of thousands of innocent lives lost are not forgotten? A ceasefire without justice is not peace its merely a pause before the next war. A forced freeze of the front lines, as they are today, would not end the war it would only postpone the next stage of Russias aggression. Why should we surrender our land? Why should we be asked to accept the destruction of our homes and the slaughter of our people as something to be forgiven? I cannot forget. I will not forgive. To me, this is not peace it is surrender. It is a betrayal of the free and democratic world in the face of growing dictatorships. A rushed ceasefire, driven by political expediency, will not bring stability. It will only plant the seeds of an even greater war, and as always, it will be ordinary Ukrainians who pay the price lives that seem to matter to Western politicians only in their speeches. The author saved this kitten from one of the Donbas villages, and it is now living with guys in his unit. Courtesy of Sergii Gavryliuk I know that many Americans support us and are angry with their elected politicians for turning their backs on Ukraine, and I thank them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im afraid of dying and leaving my family behind. Im afraid of being maimed while fighting and becoming a burden to my wife and children. The best of Ukraine is fighting and dying. The most honorable and the most courageous are trying to bring freedom to our people. I joined the army because of freedom. I want my people to live in our own home, on our own terms. Now that Ive met my 2-month-old twin daughters, my only dream is for them to grow up alive and in a peaceful Ukraine. I dont want to emigrate. I was born here, and I want to raise my daughters in my country. This war is horrifying, bleak and impossible to explain to civilians who dont live it. I ask for your help and pray you never find yourself in our position. Sergii Gavryliuk is a father, son, and before he joined Ukraines army, the owner of a typography business. He is currently a junior sergeant in Ukraines armed forces and a Bradley IFV commander. You can follow him on X at @GarvyliukSergi. Do you have a compelling personal story youd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what were looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@huffpost.com. Related... (Photo: Ronda Churchill/Nevada Current) The broken air conditioning unit of the apartment soaked through carpet and ruined furniture before it ultimately stopped running in the dead of summer, Kacee Atherton told state lawmakers on Monday. As a student lawyer with UNLVs Boyd Law School Tenants Rights Legal Clinic, Atherton has represented tenants living in substandard living conditions unable to get substandard conditions fixed or take legal action against their landlords. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One client in particular, who Atherton referred to as Jane, suffered for months last summer without a properly working AC unit. When first trying to identify the source of the problem, Jane found black mold and mushrooms sprouting behind the AC unit. She asked her landlord to repair these issues, and twice the landlord sent unlicensed maintenance workers to come to Janes apartment to inspect but no repairs were made, Atherton said. Jane finally sent a letter to the property manager detailing the mold and mushroom growth caused by the still unrepaired AC unit. This letter went ignored after the required 14 day period, Atherton said. Jane withheld the next months rent. Instead of addressing the issues, her landlord initiated an eviction for nonpayment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The focus of the court case became about the lack of payment rather than fixing the air conditioner. When it comes to holding landlords accountable to fix habitability issues, Atherton said Nevada law works about as well as Janes busted AC. Assembly Bill 223, heard Monday at the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee, seeks to remedy the process and give tenants more power to hold landlords accountable for failing to provide livable conditions such as running water, working air conditioning, and a functioning lock on doors and windows. It removes language that has allowed loopholes that dont require unsafe conditions to actually be fixed, said Las Vegas Democratic Assemblymember Venicia Considine, the bills sponsor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the proposed bill, a tenant could file a verified complaint with the court for expedited relief if a landlord hasnt fixed an issue within 15 days. The court must conduct a hearing within seven judicial days of the filing. Once a complaint is filed with the court, tenants can withhold rent and place it in a court escrow account. State law requires landlords to make best efforts to remedy breaches of habitability law, said Alice Samberg, another student attorney with the Tenants Rights Clinic. The legislation would replace existing statutory reference to best efforts with language requiring landlords to actually make repairs, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the current process, if a tenant withholds rent because a landlord refuses to fix habitability issues, renters can still face an eviction for nonpayment of rent. If the landlord fails to take action within this time, the tenant may lawfully withhold rent, Atherton said. This almost always prompts the landlord to initiate an eviction against the tenant for nonpayment. If the landlord does not, the tenant is often left in limbo, living in an uninhabitable home but unable to access a court. During eviction proceedings clients can bring up habitability issues, but if a tenant misses even one step in the complicated process the tenant will almost certainly be evicted, Atherton said. Tenants are required to deposit any withheld rent into the courts escrow account prior to the eviction hearing. Renters are often unaware of this requirement or how to comply with it, Atherton said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is where they typically lose their habitability defense, she said. Without putting rent in escrow, the tenants habitability defense will fail no matter how egregious or dangerous the ignored habitability issue is. AB 223 gives tenants another avenue to file habitability complaints through the court without waiting for eviction proceedings. We have all heard the stories from our constituents of black mold, broken air conditioners in the peak heat of summer, water that doesnt run or water that runs brown, Considine said. Common sense tells us that no one should have to endure those living conditions while paying rent. Republican Assemblymember Toby Yurek of Henderson asked how the legislation would determine if the landlord is at fault. The example he gave was for pests and if infestations are the result of the tenant or neighbors in the property, not the landlord. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Perhaps in these multi-family dwelling units where it isnt the landlord, but its a neighboring unit that is doing that, Yurek said. Jonathan Norman, the advocacy, outreach and policy director for Nevada Coalition of Legal Service Providers, said it would be up to the court to make that ultimate determination. State lawmakers have proposed bills over several sessions to seek to bolster tenant protections and rebalance a system legal groups say favors landlords. When tenants violate lease agreements either by not paying rent or becoming a nuisance, the landlord has the ability to evict, Considine said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the habitability issue, there is nothing a tenant can do that doesnt put them in jeopardy of eviction, she said. Low income folks tend to not do anything because they dont want to put themselves in a situation where they could be evicted, have an eviction on their record and are stuck trying to find a new place to live. Tenants, housing organizers and legal groups speaking in favor of the bill detailed countless stories of insects and vermin overwhelming apartments, broken air conditioning in the middle of summer, and overall substandard living conditions. In an hour of testimony in support of the bill, they tried to reiterate the point that sometimes landlords ignore requests to fix issues and how the current legal process doesnt empower tenants to take action. John Sande, a lobbyist for the Nevada State Apartment Association, disagreed. While speaking against the bill, alongside the Nevada Realtors, Sande said the state already has a fair system for tenants to challenge habitability issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While courts may sometimes make bad decisions, that doesnt mean the law itself is bad or in need of drastic change, Sande said. The bill doesnt fix an inherent problem in the law. It creates a new one. The committee took no action on Monday. The state has been riveted on the drama unfolding at the Piney Point phosphate mining site near Tampa Bay, but the state is littered with similar facilities, like the one pictured here, that threaten other coastal estuaries. (Photo by Getty Images) A bill that would provide new legal protections to companies that mine phosphate in Florida and leave behind radioactive spoils buried underneath the ground won unanimous approval during its first committee stop in the Legislature on Wednesday. The measure (SB 832), sponsored by Tampa Bay Republican Danny Burgess, establishes a defense for phosphate companies from the legal concept of strict liability in lawsuits related to pollution on the site of a former phosphate mine. Sen. Danny Burgess via X Strict liability is a concept applied in both civil and criminal law that holds a defendant responsible for their actions regardless of their intent. If this bill were to pass, a plaintiff would have to prove that the phosphate company was negligent to prevail in the action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Burgess introduced the proposal before the Senate Judiciary Committee by defining it as incredibly narrowly tailored compared to a measure he sponsored a year ago that would have restricted lawsuits in pollution cases. What it will do is require if a landowner of a former phosphate mine has provided a certain notice and also has conducted a gamma radiation survey then they in fact have a defense against a strict liability claim, he said. Specifically, the measure says that upon a petition by a current landowner, the Florida Department of Health shall conduct a gamma radiation survey of a former phosphate land parcel within 120 days to determine the radioactivity levels. Sen. Kathleen Passidomo via her website While the measure passed the committee unanimously, Naples Republican Kathleen Passidomo said she was troubled by bill language stating that phosphate mining is an essential agriculture activity that is necessary for the food security of the nation and this state and that, further, former mined lands are a valuable resource. The highest and best use of former mined lands is in the states interest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Passidomo judged the language gratuitous and asked Burgess why it was included. I look at it as some kind of context behind why we were putting a strict liability defense for phosphate mines in this particular case, he replied. Passidomo remained somewhat skeptical. I dont believe that there should be strict liability for a former phosphate mine, just because it was a phosphate mine, she said. Its not like a dry cleaners or gas stations. She added that when the bill comes before the Rules Committee, which she chairs, she wants the language lavishing praise on phosphate mining to be deleted. Surveys The measure also says that for individuals or companies who allege discharges of hazardous substances or conditions of pollution related to phosphate mining, the plaintiff must include a radiation survey that meets certain requirements. Such surveys must be prepared by either a health physicist certified by the American Board of Health Physics or a radiation protection technologist by the National Registry by Radiation Protection Technologies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andrew Lombardo, who testified before the committee that he is a certified health physicist with more than 40 years of experience in radiation protection, praised the measure, saying the gamma radiation surveys that have been conducted by the Florida Department of Health provide a lot of information. The more information you have, youre reducing the uncertainty in making a decision in regard to risk, he said. Florida is the largest U.S. source of phosphates, accounting for more than 60% of U.S. production. The majority of the phosphate mining takes place in a Central Florida region of the state known as Bone Valley, consisting of Hillsborough, Polk, Hardee, and Manatee counties, according to the United States Geological Survey. The House version of the legislation (HB 585) is being sponsored by Polk County Republican Jon Albert. Mar. 11An educational bill advancing in the Legislature with bipartisan support is almost sure to get a veto from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, should it reach her desk. But legislators are chugging along with it anyway to show their distaste for a 180 minimum school days rule the Public Education Department is still pursuing. A state judge last month struck down a PED policy adopted a year ago that would've required all schools to have at least 180 days of instruction, though it never actually went into effect. PED appealed the ruling last week. Meanwhile, state legislators are looking to codify the ruling by way of House Bill 65, allowing local school boards or charter schools' governing bodies to determine the number of instructional days in a school year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The legislation passed its first two committees unanimously and on Tuesday passed the full House on a 64-0 vote with no debate. Some concerns revolve around rural New Mexico schools, many of which have four-day school weeks. The other side of the argument is that more school days would improve New Mexico's academic performance, which repeatedly ranks among the worst in the nation and has been found lacking for tribal students in particular. House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena, acknowledged that Lujan Grisham, who has been a vocal advocate of the minimum 180-day rule, is likely to veto the bill. "I'm doing what's right for my constituents and what New Mexico wants, what the judge found in favor of," Armstrong told the Journal on Tuesday. "I'm codifying it in law, and if she wants to veto it, then it just gives us more reason to elect a Republican governor." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lujan Grisham's term is over at the end of next year. Last year, the governor line-item vetoed a provision in the state budget that would've barred PED from using public money to implement the 180-day rule. HB65 includes an emergency clause, meaning it would go into effect immediately if signed by the governor. If the Legislature sends the legislation to Lujan Grisham during the 60-day session, she has three days excluding Sundays to veto it, or it automatically becomes law. The Governor's Office deferred to PED for comment. PED spokesperson Janelle Taylor Garcia said in a statement the governor will evaluate the bill in its final form if it reaches her desk. She also pointed out that more than 60% of schools already operate on 180-day calendars. "While (Lujan Grisham) supports local flexibility, we must balance this with statewide educational standards that ensure every New Mexico student receives sufficient instructional time," she said. "The research is clear that consistent, quality classroom time benefits student achievement." JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. The Missouri Legislature fully passed a public safety bill Wednesday, clearing the way for St. Louis police department to be controlled by a governor-appointed board of police commissioners. House Bill 495, sponsored by St. Louis County Republican State Rep. Brad Christ, is the first piece of legislation to make it to the desk of Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe. Even though he lives in the county, Christ says he still says hes from St. Louis. He says whats happening in the City is starting to impact the rest of the state. The crime and the issues in Saint Louis affect me in the county and affect really the whole state, Christ told Fox 2. Its an economic driver for the whole state. If St. Louis goes, the whole state goes. The vote on the final bill in the House was 113-39. GOP Representatives also forced an emergency clause vote, which also passed, meaning its implementation can begin as early as August. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Christs bill merged with a similar Senate proposal spearheaded by State Sen. Nick Schroer, R-St. Charles County. One by one, representatives from St. Louis to Kansas City stood to question Christ Wednesday morning. Both Democrats and Republicans spoke on the first bill to be completely passed and agreed on. The department had been under state control since beginning of the Civil War. That was until a statewide ballot initiative was approved by Missouri voters in 2012 with 64% approving the move the department under the direct prevue of the Mayor of St. Louis, who at the time was Francis Slaya moderate Democrat who was known for working with Republicans. Even though she wasnt in the chamber, one name kept coming up: St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones. Two representatives said that her leadership forced the legislatures hands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I believe St. Louis knows whats best for St. LouisI think this is a slap in the face to the people of St. Louis, Rep. Tonya Rush, D-St. Louis County, said. This is absolutely disrespect. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News There was at least one Democrat who stood up in support for the massive bill. Rep. Steve Butz, D-St. Louis, cited safety as the main reason he believes in the bill and why he voted for it. Almost every member who rose to speak on the bill said there were provisions in the omnibus safety bill that they agreed with. Mondays final vote in the Senate was 27 to 5. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The GOP governor from north St. Louis says signing this into law is one of his top priorities. The model in place, before the 2013 swapping of power, worked for the citizens and the police officers of St. Louis, Kehoe told FOX 2 last week. We think its a good model to have happenwere taking politics out of that. When asked about the future of St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy, Kehoe signaled support for the chief, saying Tracy is moving the department in the right direction. Chief Tracy released the following statement after the legislation was passed: Our mission has not changed public safety is and will always remain our top priority for our community. The brave men and women of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are fully committed to protecting and serving the City of St. Louis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier in the week, after the Senate gave its final nod on the measure, Mayor Jones blasted lawmakers in a statement. She released a new statement shortly after the bills passing Wednesday, that reads, in part: There is one thing that the bill sponsors and I agree on that this bill is not a crime plan. My administration and I have spent the last four years addressing the realities of crime in our city. We continue to improve 911 response times, weve introduced call diversion programs, weve invested in community organizations that address the root causes of crime, and all this has resulted in a historic decrease in crime. All this bill does is halt and reverse our progress in service of allowing a small number of non-city-residents to pat themselves on the back because they succeeded in taking away the will of the voters once again. This bill is disrespectful, its pathetic, and its cowardly. Returning control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to the state is just one sliver of a much broader proposal that includes numerous other provisions. When asked what message Christ has for the citizens of St. Louis City, he remained cheerful. I would tell the citizens of St. Louis its a great day, he said. And to be extremely optimistic about the future. Christ, serving in his second term in the Houses 96th district, predicts brighter days ahead for the city. Im excited to work with city legislators and with city officials on the next steps to make sure this police board is a huge success for them, Christ said. Its gotten heated over the last few years, but now I think we can move forward with legislation that everybody can agree on and be a very positive step for Saint Louis. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. WASHINGTON The House of Representatives passed legislation Tuesday to avert a partial government shutdown and fund federal agencies through September, providing critical momentum as the measure now moves to the Senate, where bipartisan support will be needed to get it over the finish line. Republicans needed overwhelming support from their members to pass the funding measure, and they got it in the 217-213 House vote. Just one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voted against the measure. And just one Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, voted for it. We did our job today," Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said moments after the vote. In the Senate, they'll need support from at least eight Democrats to get the bill to President Donald Trumps desk. It's one of the biggest legislative tests so far of the Republican president's second term, prompting Vice President JD Vance to visit Capitol Hill to rally support Tuesday morning. Johnson moved ahead on the bill, essentially daring Democrats to oppose it and risk a shutdown that would begin Saturday if lawmakers failed to act on the continuing resolution, often referred to by lawmakers as a CR. Heres the bottom line. If congressional Democrats refuse to support this clean CR, they will be responsible for every troop who misses a paycheck, for every flight delay from reduced staffing at TSA, for every negative consequence that comes from shutting down the government, Johnson said before the vote. His strategy had the backing of Trump, who called on Republicans to remain UNITED NO DISSENT Fight for another day when the timing is right. Lawmakers said the bill would trim $13 billion in nondefense spending from the levels in the 2024 budget year and increase defense spending by $6 billion, which are rather flat changes for both categories when compared with an overall topline of nearly $1.7 trillion in discretionary spending. The bill does not cover the majority of government spending, including Social Security and Medicare. Funding for those two programs is on autopilot and not regularly reviewed by Congress. Democrats are mostly worried about the discretion the bill gives the Trump administration on spending decisions. They already are alarmed by the administration's efforts to make major cuts through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, run by billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk. They say the spending bill would fuel the effort. Spending bills typically come with specific funding directives for key programs, but hundreds of those directives fall away under the legislation, so the administration will have more leeway to reshape priorities. For example, a Democratic memo said the bill would allow the administration to steer money away from combating fentanyl and instead use it on mass deportation initiatives. This is not a clean CR. This bill is a blank check, said Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. Its a blank check for Elon Musk and President Trump. Rep. Tom Cole, the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, acknowledged the continuing resolution was not the outcome he sought but said it was time to end the cycle of short-term funding extensions. This will be the third in recent months. He blamed Democrats for trying to rein in Trumps authority on spending. Were not going to have a Republican Senate and a Republican House restrict a Republican president from the legitimate exercise of executive authority," Cole said. "And then, oh, by the way, ask him to sign the bill. Normally, when it comes to keeping the government fully open for business, Republicans had to work with Democrats to craft a bipartisan measure that both sides can support. Thats because Republicans almost always lack the votes to pass spending bills on their own. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., and chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said he supported this one because it would not lead to a massive, catch-all spending bill and would reduce spending. "This is not your grandfathers continuing resolution," Harris said. Massie, R-Ky., was still a holdout, though. He was the only Republican to vote no on the procedural vote, and said he would vote against the bill, too. Trump went after Massie on social media, calling him a GRANDSTANDER, whos too much trouble. "HE SHOULD BE PRIMARIED, and I will lead the charge against him," Trump posted online. Massie responded by saying Trump was attacking me and Canada today. The difference is: Canada will eventually cave. House Democratic leaders came out strongly against the legislation. Less clear was how strongly they would push members in competitive battleground districts to follow their lead. This Republican shutdown bill does nothing to enhance the American dream. It undermines it, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said ahead of the vote. Democratic leaders in the Senate generally seemed to be emphasizing patience at this stage and were waiting to see if Republicans can muscle the bill through the House before taking a stand. We're going to see what the House does first, said top Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York. Still, several rank-and-file Democrats criticized the measure. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said he was stunned that Republicans were trying to jam through something that is their way or the highway. Democrats also introduced an alternative bill Monday night funding the government through April 11. The bill could serve as a Plan B if the GOP-led effort falters. Both parties prepared to blame the other if the bill fails. It looks like they're going to try to shut down the government, Johnson said of Democrats. If the government shuts down with a Republican House, Republican Senate and Republican president, it will be solely because the Republicans have moved forward with a terrible, partisan, take-it-or-leave-it bill, said Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y. The spending bill could also have major ramifications for the District of Columbia's government. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, said the proposal would require the district to cut $1.1 billion in spending in the next six months since it has already passed a balanced budget and is midway through its fiscal year. That means, officials said, cuts to critical services such as education and public safety. ___ Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam, Gary Fields and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. LEHI, Utah (ABC4) A Lehi man is facing a felony aggravated child abuse charge after he allegedly choked a child after a church volleyball tournament. Nathan Jack Speaker, 42, was reportedly one of the last people in the gym along with his four children, the victim, and another adult. According to court documents, as the kids were knocking the volleyball around, the victim stepped in front of Speaker, and hit the ball away from him. This caused [Speaker] to become upset and grab the juvenile victim by the throat, a Lehi Police Department Officer wrote in arresting documents. Police say Speaker lifted the victim completely off the ground before throwing the child into his own children. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim reportedly suffered a contusion to his right eye after colliding with another child and scraped his left knee. BYU study examines toxic perfectionism in the LDS church The other adult present did not see the alleged assault, according to court documents, but heard the victim cry and scream at Speaker afterward. The witness reportedly took the victim home who later told his mother about the alleged assault. Police say Speaker later wrote an apology letter to the victim and his family apologizing for what he had done. He then allegedly sent a text message to the victims mother asking her to not report the incident to the police. Police say Speaker actively evaded apprehension after learning he would be taken into custody for the charges over the phone. According to court documents, it took four days for detectives to locate Speaker as his family members refused to tell them where he was, despite knowing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speaker was taken into custody and booked on a second-degree felony aggravated child abuse charge as well as third-degree felony tampering with a witness. Police say he was actively serving probation for a similar incident involving another child at the time of his arrest. Court records show Speaker has been ordered to be held without bail, pending a pretrial hearing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Later this year, Florida's minimum wage will go up another dollar on its way to $15 an hour for non-tipped workers. If the Florida Legislature passes SB 676, people working in apprenticeships, internships or work-study programs could choose to waive that. Because the minimum wage was so high I saw a lot of young students, teenagers missing out on opportunities like we (had), said state Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, who is sponsoring the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Critics said companies could abuse the law by labeling all entry-level jobs as apprenticeships or internships. What does SB 676, Minimum Wage Requirements do? The Florida Constitution requires all employers to pay the state minimum wage, with some exceptions. But it does not require employees to accept that amount if they choose to waive that right," Martin said. "This bill would allow employees, through a framework, to waive that right if they so choose." The bill would allow employees who participate in structured work-study, internship, pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship programs, or similar work-based learning opportunities to check a box or supply written, signed acknowledgement when applying for a job to say they were willing to be paid less than Floridas current $13 per hour. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An amendment to the bill added in the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee would first require parental or guardian approval for workers under 18 years of age. Rep. Ryan Chamberlin, R-Belleview, filed a companion bill, HB 541. What is the Fair Labor Standards Act? The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in 1938 created federal standards for minimum wage, overtime, child labor and records. The current federal minimum wage of $7.25 was set in 2009 and has not risen since, although many states (including Florida) have raised their state minimum wage amounts to reflect the rising cost of living. The FSLA allows some classes of employees to be paid subminimum wage, including: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Employees under 20 years old for their first 90 days of employment Student employees who receive a special certificate from the Department of Labor to work part-time in a vocational training program Full-time students who receive a special certificate from the Department of Labor, who are employed in retail/service establishments, agricultural occupation, or an institution of higher education Individuals with disabilities who receive a special certificate from the Department of Labor, whose earning capacity is impaired by a disability Employees who customarily receive tips as part of their job. There is also a variety of occupations and situations where the Department of Labor allows exemptions to the federal minimum wage law, including: executive positions, commissioned sales employees, farm workers, seasonal or recreational establishment workers, federal criminal investigators, informal workers such as babysitters, minors under certain circumstances, student workers, employees with disabilities if the employer has a certificate from the Department of Labor allowing it, nonprofit or educational organizations that have applied for an exemption, employes of businesses or organizations with less than $50,000 annual gross income, and more. What is the minimum wage in Florida? When does it go up again? In 2004, Florida voters chose to amend the state constitution to establish a state minimum wage "to provide a decent and healthy life for them and their families, that protects their employers from unfair low-wage competition, and that does not force them to rely on taxpayer-funded public services in order to avoid economic hardship." Sixteen years later, voters approved an amendment to gradually raise the state minimum wage ever year, starting at $10 an hour and raising another dollar until it reaches $15 an hour in 2026. After that, the state Department of Commerce the state will return to the previous method of calculating cost-of-living adjustments tied to the Consumer Price Index. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Florida minimum wage is currently $13 an hour for non-tipped employees and $9.98 for tipped employees. On Sept. 30, 2025, both those rates will go up another dollar. What is the living wage in Florida? The minimum wage is different from a living wage, however, which tries to calculate how much a person needs to earn per hour to afford the necessities housing, childcare, health care, food, etc. where they live. In February, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) living wage calculator found that the living wage in Florida is $23.41 an hour for one adult with no children, $38.72 for an adult with one child, $47.53 for an adult with two children and $59.64 for an adult with three children. When would SB 676 take effect? If the bill passes and Gov. Ron DeSantis signs it, the bill would take effect on July 1, 2025. Contributing: Gray Rohrer, USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida minimum wage bill would let some employers pay less TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) Coming off last years hurricanes, residents up and down the coast were confused and frustrated with permitting and recovery delays. Now, with another hurricane season quickly approaching, several Tampa Bay lawmakers are pitching legislation, hoping to cut through the red tape and get Floridians back into their homes. Even today, there are residents who are waiting to get their permits to get back into their homes so they can start living their normal lives again, said State Senator Nick Diceglie, R-Indian Rocks Island. VIDEO: Florida woman stuck in car as tornado passes by; debris goes flying Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Diceglie of Pinellas County shared his efforts to tackle permitting issues in the Senate Community Affairs Committee on Tuesday. Senate Bill 180 is being described as a compilation of lessons learned after the 2024 hurricane season. One of the key elements in this bill is the permitting process and we unfortunately have seen, in Pinellas County specifically, that there was just simply a lack of training, Diceglie said. Diceglie is hoping a post-storm permitting plan is a step in the right direction. Every May 1 of each year, that plan is going to be on their website. The community is going to be able to see that plan, and that training is going to be no different than when we train law enforcement, Diceglie said. The lengthy bill also requires the Florida Division of Emergency Management to maintain a statewide emergency plan that coordinates with federal, state and local agencies. The plan includes provisions for evacuation, shelters, medical evacuations, post disaster response and recovery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Waving in support of the bill, Eric Poole, executive director of the Institute for County Government and Florida Association of Counties, affirmed that Florida has the best emergency management system in the nation. The reason for it is because our system gets tested every single year. We learn from each of those storms each storm is unique and this bill, I think, apparently pulls in a lot of the lessons learned from the 2024 hurricane season, Poole said. As more and more lawmakers try a hand in tackling permitting concerns, the Florida Division of Emergency Management is now touting a first-of-its-kind statewide program that aims to elevate and harden homes. Not only is it going to help get people out of the floodway by getting them out of the floodway, thats going to reduce their flood insurance premiums, Guthrie said. Elevate Florida looks to expedite and complete residential mitigation projects. Guthrie says the program aims to help about 1,000 homes with 5,000 applications already rolling in. Were going to be fast with this. Our goal is to start raising homes by this summer, Guthrie said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Representative Lindsay Cross, D-St. Petersburg, another state lawmaker out of Pinellas County, is well-versed in permitting and recovery issues. There are a lot of places where we can have more expediency and better coordination between out federal state and local partners, Cross said. One thing I am going to be looking at is making sure our local governments have appropriate disaster preparedness plans. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. I was appalled at the total disrespect the Democrats showed for the presidency during President Donald Trumps address before Congress. I didnt see one Democrat stand when it was announced the president was entering the chamber. Then the Democrats showed just how childish their protest was by holding up little signs that looked like they came from grade-schoolers. It got worse when Rep. Al Green started yelling at the president that he doesnt have a mandate. Trump does have a mandate from the American people, and it happened on Nov. 5. There were some really touching moments when the president introduced special guests, such as D.J. Daniel, 13, a brain cancer survivor whom Trump made an honorary Secret Service agent. Jason Hartley received an appointment to West Point from the president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump recognized the mothers of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray, young women who were brutally murdered by illegal immigrants. He celebrated Marc Fogel, whom the president got released from a Russian prison. He noted the arrest of a terrorist involved in the Afghanistan terrorist attack that killed 13 U.S. service members. It showed just how pathetic the Democrats are that they could not stand and applaud these people. Their party is in complete disarray, and they are on the wrong side of every issue. The American peoples view was confirmed when the presidents speech received 76% approval in a CBS News poll. Dennis Wasser Windsor Township To the editor: We are in the middle of a constitutional crisis, as President Trump and Elon Musk try to destroy the separation of powers and wreak havoc on the federal government, cheered on by a spineless GOP Congress. And yet The Times chooses to print yet another commentary by Josh Hammer, focusing on the out-of-sync Democratic Party ("Democrats are drifting dangerously out of sync with the American people," March 6). Articles like these, while they superficially seem to reflect a both-sides approach, sharing the page with a liberal view, only dangerously distort the political landscape at what is the most dangerous time since the Civil War. What is needed is the truth. Is it the Democratic Party that is out of sync? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Consider: Hammer focused heavily on gender-identity issues. Gender is one issue among many. In reality, polls constantly reflect that the Democratic Party is far more aligned with the wishes and priorities of the general public than the GOP in gun-sensible regulation, fighting climate change, having the rich and corporations pay their fair share of taxes, reproductive rights, preserving the safety net for the elderly and those in need, not aligning with the dictators and preserving government services that protect our health and public well-being. I actually agree that my party has taken gender issues way too far and many Democrats feel the same way. But for the GOP, it has been a gift that just keeps on giving, as they use it endlessly, and the culture war generally, to distract the American public from what they are actually doing, and that, in reality, the public does not want. Steven Schechter, Thousand Oaks .. To the editor: Hammer apparently thinks that anybody who disagrees with his political position isn't really an American, because he asserts that nearly all Americans are on his side. He claims that Democrats received an "electoral shellacking" in November, never mind that Trump barely won the popular vote, the Republicans have a razor-thin margin in the heavily gerrymandered House, and the Senate is almost equally divided. But his worst allegation is his astoundingly bigoted statement that "people from Africa, the Middle East and Latin America" have "cultures and customs [that] are antithetical to our own." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Geoff Kuenning, Claremont .. To the editor: As an old, retired political science professor, I guess I should point out the historical misstatement where Hammer asserts that former President Bidens appointment of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the first DEI appointment. Ronald Reagan followed through on his explicit campaign promise to appoint the first woman to the U.S. Supreme Court, Sandra Day OConnor in 1981. And the consensus is that her career served to justify the purposes of DEI quite well. Gary Gray, San Diego .. To the editor: I would ask Hammer if there was any world in his mind in which a Black person can be hired and not qualify as a "DEI hire." What bar must they clear? In an administration awash with unqualified, inexperienced appointments, we should be so lucky to have "DEI hires" like Jackson and former Vice President Kamala Harris. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ray Lancon, San Marino .. To the editor: Hammer extols the GOPs dominance because it addresses what Americans wanted: a stable pocketbook, a stable border and a stable world stage." Trumps fixation on tariffs has caused the stock market to drop and prices to rise for consumers. Yes, the border is locked down, but there is no comprehensive immigration legislation to address anticipated labor shortages in the agriculture and construction sectors resulting from mass deportations. Europe and NATO no longer trust U.S. leadership of the free world. Free and independent ally nations are threatened with forced annexation to the U.S. The compliant GOP Congress owns Trumps dumpster fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Todd Collart, Ventura .. Two columns in Sunday's Times, "Trump wants to undo all kinds of race and gender progress. Heres what stands in his way," by Robin Abcarian and the one by Hammer, represent the yin and the yang of American politics. Most Americans are in the political center of this conundrum, rejecting the extremes of both parties as distasteful, disruptive and not in the country's best interest. Allen Humphries, Indio This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. LEWISBURG Students and staff swayed, clapped and even danced during a performance by a South African musical group that visited the Lewisburg Area School District on Tuesday. Nine members of Thula Sizwe, meaning hush and listen," performed at both the Linntown Intermediate School and the Donald H. Eichhorn Middle School for intermediate and middle school students. The performances included traditional and original songs, drumming, and traditional Zulu dance. "It was great," seventh-grade student Sullivan Tiedo, 13, said. "I'm glad we got the opportunity. I'm hopeful to see them again later in life." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sullivan and a fellow seventh-grade student Zaiden Easton, 13, were part of a group of students invited to dance with the group. "It was really fun to hear them sing and dance," Zaiden said. "This was literally the first time I volunteered for something like this. I loved it. I got to dance." Sullivan's brother Hendrix Tiede, 11, a sixth-grade student, called the performance "amazing." "I liked all the songs," he said. "I was dancing along." Thula Sizwe was formed in 1984 with four original members amid the oppressive policies of Apartheid, a state of emergency declared by the White minority government that prohibited Black South Africans from gathering; singing in public was strictly prohibited. Police and soldiers were placed in schools to enforce the law. However, Paul and his friends appealed to the school principal, and together they convinced the police and military to allow them to sing for no more than 30 minutes after school each day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Apartheid ended and Nelson Mandela became president in 1994, Thula Sizwe was called upon by the government to be cultural ambassadors for the new South Africa. The group has traveled to many countries around the world sharing Zulu culture and promoting goodwill and peace. Sarah Tiede, the middle school choral and general music teacher, said she first experienced Thula Sizwe years ago when she worked in the Montoursville School District. She also has visited South Africa. "When I heard they would be back in the area, I jumped at the chance," she said. "The last time they were in the United States was 2012." Tiede said she hoped the students will be able to take away an appreciation for other people's culture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Having something so authentic fro another culture will be an eye-opening experience fo the kids," she said. Thula Sizwe will also perform with chorus members in grades six through 12 during a concert at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Lee Saville-Iksic, the tour manager and Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus, said Thula Sizwe's tour is sponsored by the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus. Mar. 12BANGOR A Lewiston man was sentenced Wednesday for filing a fraudulent application for a loan from a COVID-19 pandemic relief program, the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Maine said in a news release. Shahied Golden, 30, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor to 12 months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, the statement said. He was also ordered to pay $24,090.82 in restitution. Golden pleaded guilty Sept. 27, 2024. The sentence will be served consecutively to Golden's 27-month state prison sentence for illegal possession of a firearm and a state probation violation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Golden filed a fraudulent loan application to the Paycheck Protection Program in April 2021 and received about $20,833, the release said. The application listed a false gross income for 2020 and falsely stated the loan proceeds were needed to make payroll payments for his alleged business. Golden also submitted a fraudulent document in support of his application, which falsely stated his gross income, among other things. Golden had the funds deposited into his personal bank account, quickly withdrew the funds, and did not use the PPP proceeds for approved expenses, the release said. Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. Copy the Story Link Son, brother of slain Farmington women found responsible in 2023 homicides Lewiston man charged with starting one of three suspicious fires overnight WILBRAHAM, Mass. (WWLP) A well-known car dealership in our area is supporting Baystate Childrens Hospital. Lia Toyota of Wilbraham presented a check worth $15,000 on Tuesday, making it the dealerships 8th consecutive year supporting the children at Baystate. General Manager of Lia Toyota Riley Campbell, explained why its so important for them to be involved in their community. We try to serve the community that gives us business, she says. Baystate Childrens Hospital is a great sponsorship opportunity and a positive impact on the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The money raised will go towards the 25th annual WMAS radiothon for Baystate Childrens Hospital. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. LIBERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) Firefighters extinguished a fire that destroyed a Liberty County womans home Tuesday afternoon. Units were dispatched to the location shortly before 4 p.m., Liberty County Fire Services Assistant Chief Charles Roney said. Upon arrival, firefighters found a mobile home engulfed in flames. The woman who lived in the home was able to exit the home safely and was not injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cause of the fire is under investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV. The U.S. funding freeze on international aid has put the development of an anti-malaria drug in jeopardy. What's happening? Scientists at Oxford University in England halted trials on two innovative malaria vaccines in January after the Trump administration put a 90-day pause on USAID payments. The Telegraph reported on the news, explaining that these vaccines aim to stop the malaria infection from reaching the blood, the most severe stage of the disease. At least 42 volunteers had started a vaccine trial, with some receiving the experimental vaccine within the month leading up to the trial stoppage. The trial was not expected to continue if aid was not received, meaning that volunteers would have put themselves at risk unnecessarily, the publication added. Though rare, possible risks for trial participants included anaphylactic shock and Guillain-Barre syndrome, according to documents cited by the outlet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are aware of the current issues affecting USAID funding and are monitoring developments," the university told the Telegraph, which also indicated funding might come from other sources if needed. "Our priority remains the safety and care of participants in any trials." In early March, Reuters reported that some decisions to withdraw U.S. funding would be reversed and that "work on the USAID-funded supply chain for malaria drugs, nets and tests could also restart." A federal judge has also ruled that the U.S. must make payments to some foreign aid contractors and grant recipients. However, it was not immediately clear if U.S. funding or funding from other sources would fully restore the Oxford trials. Why is the funding freeze concerning? Malaria killed close to 600,000 people in 2023, the Telegraph reported in December, and many of them are children in Africa. Scientists have said malaria rates may surge, at least in some places, as warming global temperatures and wetter weather in many areas are creating the perfect conditions for disease-carrying mosquitoes to thrive and expand their territory. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For instance, malaria has reached higher elevations in the Ethiopian Highlands due to rising temperatures, according to Climate.gov. Plus, a recent study predicts that several mosquito species' populations will expand their ranges in North and South America in the coming years, thanks to warming weather trends. Another vector-borne disease, dengue, exploded in 2024, with the World Mosquito Program calling it the "worst year for dengue cases on record." When you're choosing health and beauty products, which of these factors is most important to you? Cost Brand name Ingredients Packaging Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. What's being done about mosquito-borne illnesses? Scientists are working on a handful of vaccines to help beat malaria. For instance, one vaccine that was deployed during a four-year pilot program in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi resulted in a 13% decrease in malaria-related deaths among young children. Meanwhile, scientists are also working to stop mosquito populations from expanding. For instance, one team in Florida is using special X-rays to wipe out invasive mosquitoes that carry dengue, Zika, and other illnesses. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. An aerial drone photo shows cars being loaded onto a roll-on/roll-off ship for new energy vehicles at Xiuying Port in Haikou, south China's Hainan province, Jan. 14, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] China's new energy vehicle (NEV) industry has grown into a global leader in green innovation, making NEVs a focal point at this year's "two sessions." At a press conference on the sidelines of China's annual national legislative session, Zheng Shanjie, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, announced that China's NEV production has surpassed 13 million units annually, establishing a complete domestic industrial chain. One standout success is Xiaomi's latest model, the SU7 Ultra. The model made a sensational debut, securing 6,900 orders within 10 minutes of its release and exceeding 10,000 orders within two hours. However, the success of Chinese NEVs is not limited to the domestic market. According to the General Administration of Customs, China exported over 2 million electric vehicles in 2024. Notably, BYD reported impressive overseas sales of 67,025 units this February, highlighting its growing global presence. Yin Tongyue, chairman of Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. and a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), stressed the importance of building internationally competitive NEV clusters. He urged Chinese automakers to unite and expand into overseas markets through global partnerships and layouts that benefit all parties involved. Chery already demonstrated this approach by forming a joint venture with Spain's Ebro last year. The partnership resulted in innovative electric cars that combine Chery's technical expertise with Ebro's brand appeal, reviving Ebro's brand and creating many local jobs. Yin highlighted that Chinese automobiles are driving the global auto industry toward an era where fuel-powered and electric vehicles coexist with intelligent technology. To succeed in this environment, he emphasized the need to enhance research and development, especially in vehicle chips and software, while adhering to foreign regulations and meeting diverse market demands. "By leveraging safety and technology to 'pave the way,' Chinese automakers aim to access markets that others cannot reach," Yin said. Despite challenges, Yin remained optimistic. He stressed that resilience and technological innovation are essential for overcoming obstacles. "Ultimately, it's about proving our capabilities," he said. Michael Woo Kim-kong, vice chairman of the Supervisory Council of the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong and a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), underscored the need for better coordination in NEV exports. He proposed establishing automotive industry associations abroad to encourage collaboration with local governments and industries. By setting up service centers in key overseas destinations, Chinese automakers could better navigate local laws and market environments. Hu also suggested that Hong Kong utilize its advantages in international finance and trade to support the global expansion of Chinese NEVs. "As a global financial and trade hub, Hong Kong could offer essential facilitation for outbound automotive ventures," he said. Liu Yiyan, an NPC deputy and executive deputy general manager of personnel and organization at SAIC Volkswagen, noted that China's NEV expansion is increasingly driven by innovation rather than cost advantages. She urged companies to enhance their innovation capacity while strengthening intellectual property protection to match their rapid global expansion. Meanwhile, Zhu Huarong, president of Changan Auto, highlighted the importance of overseas consulting services for navigating complex regulations, diverse climates and cultural differences. He advocated for creating a unified database to consolidate key information on regulations, climate, road conditions and cultural norms, which would reduce redundancy and save resources. "Relying on this unified database, we can extend in-depth consulting services and issue risk warnings to Chinese automakers when geopolitical or regulatory changes are expected," Zhu said. Various national lawmakers emphasized the importance of advancing both quantity and quality simultaneously as China's NEV industry expands. For instance, as Chinese automakers continue to grow abroad, building robust after-sales service systems will be essential for maintaining a positive brand image, they said. Feng Xingya, an NPC deputy and general manager of GAC Group, noted that existing legal frameworks can make it difficult to recall defective parts from overseas for domestic inspection, resulting in slow responses and increased costs. To address this, Feng proposed establishing recovery pilot programs and revising regulations to streamline recall procedures. The latest installment of a provocative billboard on Phoenix's Grand Avenue uses art to criticize President Donald Trump and his relationship with billionaire Elon Musk. Located on Grand Avenue and between 10th and 11th avenues, the new artwork went up earlier this month. The double-sided billboard, owned privately by Phoenix-based artist and activist Beatrice Moore, has new artwork titled "Twitler and Putin's Puppet Do Washington" and "Liar-in-Chief." Karen Fiorito is the artist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One side of the billboard shows the moment Musk made a controversial arm gesture on Inauguration Day, deemed by some as a fascist salute, and featured the president as a marionette puppet descending from Musk's hand. It features large white text over a red background that reads "Trump, Musk and Enablers Are Shredding the Constitution and Screwing the American People." "We put up this billboard as a literal sign of resistance to Elon Musk and the Trump Regime," Fiorito said. The other side of the billboard listed warnings Fiorito pulled from Project 2025, a framework some conservatives proposed to overhaul the federal government and that Trump disavowed during the presidential race. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among those included stricter immigration policy and a rollback of rights for minorities and people identifying as LGBTQ+. "Those who resist Project 2025 and its implications must stand together and not comply in advance," Fiorito said. The billboard has denounced Trump since his first term as president with the swastika-dollar sign mash-up titled "Trumpocalypse," which was on display up until 2021. Another piece took over in 2024 when Trump was running for his second term, titled "Dictator Diaper Don Destroying Democracy." Fiorito's art has confronted politics through her billboard art at the same location since the administration of former President George W. Bush in 2004. She utilized printmaking as a means to express her activism on human rights, civil rights and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Known as the Grand Avenue Billboard Project, Moore used the independently owned billboard to counter the corporate and commercial sponsored messages in metro Phoenix. Moore funded the billboard privately, which allowed for "important public political conversations or messaging deemed controversial," according to the project's description. The billboards will be on display through 2025. Reach reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@gannett.com. Follow him on X, Threads and Bluesky @ReyCJrAZ. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: This Grand Avenue billboard in Phoenix takes a shot at Trump and Musk (NEXSTAR) Less than an hour before liftoff, the SpaceX Dragon mission to provide assistance to two astronauts was aborted yet again, this time for a ground equipment issue. The launch, which will be rescheduled, was set to carry a team of astronauts to the International Space Station on Wednesday to finally relieve Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck in space since last June. The SpaceX Crew-10 mission was scheduled for 7:48 p.m. Eastern Time from the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida, however a problem with the hydraulic system scuttled launch plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the countdown clocks ticked down, engineers evaluated the hydraulics used to release one of the two arms clamping the rocket to its support structure. This structure needs to tilt back right before liftoff. There was nothing wrong with the space shuttle itself, according to NASA, and the crew, which included two NASA astronauts commander Anne McClain and pilot Nichole Ayers was aware during the countdown that the launch might not happen. A mission specialist from JAXA (the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov were also aboard. T-Mobile customers to get payments up to $25K next month after data breach: Heres who qualifies Wilmore and Williams expected to be gone just a week or so when they launched last June aboard Boeings new Starliner capsule, making its crew debut after years of delay. The Starliner had so many problems getting to the space station that NASA ruled it too dangerous to carry anyone and it flew back empty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their homecoming was further delayed by extra completion time needed for the new SpaceX capsule that was supposed to deliver their replacements. Wilmore and Williams retired Navy captains and repeat space fliers have insisted over the months that they are healthy and committed to the mission as long as it takes. They took a spacewalk together in January. $1 billion in unclaimed tax refunds to expire soon: How to claim your money They will wear generic SpaceX flight suits for the ride back, not the usual custom-made outfits bearing their names because their trip home in a Dragon capsule was unplanned. Thats fine with them, although Wilmore hinted he might use a pen to write his name on his suit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Were just Butch and Suni, Williams said. Everybody knows who we are by now. Once Crew-10 eventually arrives in space, theyll go through a handover period with the Crew-9 mission. The handover is expected to last about a week. Then NASA astronauts Wilmore and Williams, joined by Nick Hague (also of NASA) and Roscosmos Aleksandr Gorbunov, will head back to Earth on the SpaceX Dragon. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) The trade war between the United States and Canada continues as Ontario Premier Doug Ford removed electricity price hikes on Western New Yorkers Tuesday. The move comes following President Donald Trumps threat of doubling tariffs on Canadian metals. Buffalo State Economics professor Fred Floss said Tuesdays battle on the tariff front only furthered the sense of uncertainty around how these hikes will affect the economies of both countries, something he is following closely. In both directions, people in the United States are going to pay more for goods and services, Floss said. Canadians are not going to see that price increase. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Would you be willing to pay 20 percent more for whatever you buy to bring certain jobs back to the U.S.? Do you know anyone who would? said Tony Ogorek, president of Ogorek Wealth Management. The cloud of uncertainty in recent days stems from a 25 percent price hike that Ford put on Canadian electricity, which made up only 4.4 percent of New Yorks imported power in 2023. In response, Trump said he would double steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada to 50 percent. All hes asking for at the end of the day are fair and balanced trade practices, and unfortunately, Canada has not been treating us a very fairly at all over the past several decades, said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. The uncertainty is that it doesnt seem like we have a policy, Floss said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Seeing Trumps tariff increase, Ford spoke with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in a joint statement saying they had a productive conversation about the economic relationship between the countries. In response, Ontario agreed to suspend its 25 percent surcharge on exports of electricity to the U.S. We have both agreed that cooler heads prevail, Ford said. We need to sit down and move this forward. Its not a win because he took them off as part of this tariff game that the United States and Canada are playing, Floss said. He could very easily tomorrow put them back on. Gov. Kathy Hochul responded said Ford reiterated to her that he is not interested in hurting New Yorkers and she is pleased to see he suspend this proposal. Ogorek said the trade battle risks further upsetting stock markets, with both the S&P 500 and DOW tumbling Tuesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont know from day-to-day to week-to-week what the policy is going to be, Ogorek said That creates a lack of confidence in the economy. It tends to paralyze spending, which then is going to be costing peoples jobs. Ogorek added that the best thing for people to do right now is to know what you own. If you havent looked at your 401(k) statement in a while, I think now is an ideal time to pull it out and see, you know, what you are invested in and what allocation you have to stocks and to bonds, Ogorek said. Canadian officials are planning retaliatory tariffs to specific steel and aluminum tariffs. Those are expected to be announced Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The White House says the 25 percent tariff on Canadian metals will still take effect come midnight. Latest Local News Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. BROOK PARK, Ohio (WJW) Four first responders are being saluted by the city of Brook Park for rescuing a resident in her time of need. During Tuesdays city council meeting, Mayor Edward Orcutt read proclamations honoring Fire Chief Mark Higgins and Brook Park Police officers Dave Swaffield, Mark Nikodym and John Ogle. They were recognized for their courageous effort to rescue a 54-year-old woman with disability from her smoke-filled home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Orcutt told the audience that Higgins and the police officers found themselves in the right place at the right time. It was on Feb. 24 that police responded to a report of a house fire on Sylvia Drive, and officers knew they had to act quickly. State withholds $10.8M of recreational marijuana tax revenue from cities The house was filling with smoke, and the victim was in a bedroom and unable to get out due to mobility issues. You see the people standing outside, and theyre screaming, hey, theres someone still trapped inside! You run up the ramp and you take a deep breath and you just run in, said Ogle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Battling the effects of the smoke, Swaffield picked up the woman by her arms, and Higgins, who arrived at the scene shortly after police, grabbed ahold of her legs. They carried the woman out of the smoke-filled room and then safely outside to fresh air. The smoke was so heavy, I couldnt see the officer until I got up to the knees of the woman, Higgins said. I tried to hold my breath, to be honest with you, but it didnt work too long. Once were trying to ask people questions and then you start carrying somebody, you start breathing a little harder, Swaffield added. Speeders in Ohio could soon face a hefty new fine Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are told that the family of the victim is overwhelmed by the courage of her four guardian angels, and they will be forever grateful for their life-saving efforts. Ogle said the police motto of to protect and serve is why he and his colleagues became first responders. On that day, they were acting on their training and their instincts. It was just right time, right place and when you get there, you just think, you just go in and you just go help someone who needs help, Ogle said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKBN) Working in the fire service is a Gossard tradition, Dan Gossard is a volunteer in Springfield Township as was his father Chuck before him. He was a fourth-generation firefighter. So, obviously, his dad was involved, grandfather, great-grandfather so Ive been around it my whole life, Gossard said. But Gossard said it was truly Chucks passion. He served for 33 years at the firehouse in Petersburg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anytime the tones for the bells dropped, he was going. He left birthday parties and events, but this was his pride and soul, Gossard said. Chuck died three years ago this month, just six months after being diagnosed with melanoma. Its something Gossard said was caused by decades of exposure to toxic fumes and smoke fighting fires. Gossard is now among a growing number of first responders pushing for new federal regulations to help surviving family members. Right now, its only state to state through workers comp, so there are some families out there that arent getting any benefits, Gossard said. House Bill 1719 was introduced in the last session of Congress and had the support of Valley lawmaker Michael Rulli, but it never passed. The measure will now have to be re-introduced if its ever to become law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres a lot of pushing on the back end. Theres a union for the professional firefighters, the IAFF, theyre really involved with that, Gossard said. In the meantime, Gossard said the community can show its support by sending letters to lawmakers urging them to take action. Cancer was the leading cause of death for firefighters its 73% of the deaths are occupational cancers. Its just getting worse and worse, Gossard said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) Ohio Governor Mike DeWine delivered his State of the State address Wednesday in front of a joint session of the General Assembly. His speech focused on jobs and the economy, and he shined a spotlingt on Austintown. Trustees Bruce Shepas and Robert Santos along with Township Administrator Mark DApolito were on hand for the speech. The trio said it was an honor to attend the address. and they also got a chance to make a direct pitch to keep cannabis dispensary money that can provide a valuable source of funding for the township. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When we have to spend more money on our services, the only way we can receive more money is through our residents. And in todays day in age, thats extremely burdensome on our households. Everyone is suffering as much as they can. If there is a form of funding thats not the residents, were going to fight for it, Santos said. The dispensary money would give Austintown an extra $200,000 to $700,000, Santos said. Which could offset a lot of expenditures in the township, Santos said. Representative Lareun McNally, D-Youngstown, said that DeWines budget doesnt get the state all the way to where it needs, but shes ready to work together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im very proud of Austintown Schools for their commitment to the science of reading and all the good they are doing. I think the governor is genuinely trying to set Ohioans up for quality steady work in areas like career tech. I am happy to see his continued focus on kids and families, and I look forward to working with him on those initiatives in a bipartisan way, McNally said. Majority Whip Nick Santucci, R-Niles, said that he was pleased to see workforce development highlighted. Additionally, the governors emphasis on manufacturing investment is critical for our state and will directly benefit the Lake-to-River region. Manufacturing has long been the backbone of our local economy, and continued support for this industry will drive job creation, innovation, and long-term economic growth in our communities he said. Wednesdays address marks DeWines second-to-last as he is term-limited out. Newly appointed Lt. Governor Jim Tressel has not said whether or not he will run for DeWines seat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. Mar. 11MORGANTOWN Local officials and the WVU Student Government Association are looking to lend a hand to the West Virginia Division of Highways in addressing a recurring source of frustration. Later this month, volunteers will launch a summer long initiative to assist in roadway maintenance tasks, including clearing medians, litter cleanup and weed trimming. The effort will begin at I-79 Exit 155 on the weekend of March 29. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We want to assist the DOH so they can focus on larger issues while bringing everyone together to do something positive for our communities, " organizer and Morgantown City Council member Louise Michael said. "This is an opportunity for us to take pride in where we live, work collectively, and do something we can all be proud of. We want to unite everyone around the love we have for our local towns, cities and great university." According to information provided by the state, both the DOH and local officials are hopeful the project will serve as a model for future volunteer-driven projects to foster collaboration and community improvement. Monongalia County Commissioner Tom Bloom said the county has started lining up materials and equipment to assist with the effort. "We are planning to participate. We've already bought a number of items and we're finalizing with Councilor Michael what is actually needed from us, " he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement WVU Student Government Liaison Mimi Ferguson said the SGA believes the cleanup efforts will benefit students, parents and, potentially, recruitment. "We also believe that it is important for students here at WVU to be connected with the community, and this is a great way to build a relationship there, " Ferguson said. All student organizations at the university will have the opportunity to volunteer. Star City Mayor Sharon Doyle said the town will assist with hauling away bagged trash but isn't putting employees on the ground due to liability concerns. Basic maintenance issues, particularly along major gateways into the greater Morgantown area, have been a point of contention locally for years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Words like "eyesore, " and "embarrassing " have been used to describe the state of the state-maintained roads. "Our biggest problem is that our area in District 4 currently, consistently doesn't have the ability to maintain its core maintenance program, " current Interim Morgantown City Manager Damian Davis said in November 2023, when city and county officials sat down to air their frustrations. "Every road into the city looks terrible." Those comments were from 2023. They could have been from any year going back nearly a decade. For example, representatives from across WVDOH District 4, including Monongalia County, formed the North-Central West Virginia Road Caucus in 2019 to collectively address ongoing maintenance concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, recent changes in leadership both in Charleston and in DOH District 4 headquarters in Clarksburg have renewed hope the two sides can right the course. Earl Gaskins took over at District 4 in 2024. In a December sitdown with Morgantown officials, Gaskins said he's willing to help bring down some of the territorial barriers local entities run into when looking to assist with the simplest of tasks along DOH routes. "All it takes is a permit, " he said at the time. Last week, Gaskins told The Dominion Post those permits are in place for this collaborative spring cleaning push. "The West Virginia Division of Highways is pleased to work with our community partners on this combined effort, " he said. "For our role, WVDOH provided the permits, bags, trash pickers, signage and will assist with picking up the bags of trash." CLEMSON, S.C. (WSPA) Five years ago to the day, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. The impact of the infectious disease still affects the way people live in 2025. Being told to socially distance myself from people, it was kind of difficult and definitely unexpected, said graduate student Beau Clardy. Some students said when restrictions were lifted, they were excited to get back out in their community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I remember when restrictions started to ease, I was like, Okay, get me on a plane, I want to go travel. I want to go have these experiences that I missed out on, Clardy continued. Others said they were okay with staying inside, both then and now. Ive kind of adapted to being at home, said student Steven Burnley. I just learned how to have fun at home and contact my friends through different means. I think in the future, I will maybe develop back. I cant guarantee, but Ill try. Dr. Eric Morris is a professor of City and Regional Planning at Clemson University. He said people are spending less time outside; almost an hour less per day compared to 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Human behavior studies, Dr. Morris said, indicate that when people are forced to change habits, some never switch back. A lot of us learned habits during the pandemic, such as, obviously, work from home is a major one. School from home, things like that or shopping from home, Dr. Morris said. People might have had to buy their groceries online during COVID-19 and they never had done that before. For some people, that habit is just going to stick permanently. According to Dr. Morris, the pandemic has also had a lasting effect on real estate. The office market is really in trouble right now in the United States demand is falling, Dr. Morris continued. Not here in Greenville though because were red hot right now. We actually have an office shortage but most cities such as New York, Chicago, even San Francisco have a major glut of office space and lots of vacancy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dr. Morris said that many employers are downsizing, shutting sown individual offices and are using more shared space. I do see continuing increases in e-commerce and shopping online. The trend is very linear, Dr. Morris explained. However, I dont necessarily think brick and mortar shopping is going to be completely going away. I think theres still a role for it to play. Researchers predict an office space crisis in some cities will get worse, as it takes ten years for office leases to turnover. Clemson University researchers used data from the American Time Use Survey for the study. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) A part of Clark County remains under a boil advisory. South Charleston, a village in the county, updated residents on Tuesday, informing that the boil advisory in place since March 9 will remain in effect for the time being. The Village is still waiting on the lab results before we can lift the boil advisory. As soon as we are give the result we will update everyone, the village said in a social media post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The advisory is a result of the water main break that occurred on Sunday, March 9. The boil advisory applies to residents North of John Street. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. ST. LOUIS Southwest Airlines announced today it will soon charge customers to check their bagsa major policy shift for the company. Bags Fly Free was more than a slogan for Southwest Airlines; it was company policy for more than 50 years and something that truly separated Southwest from its competitors. The company has thrived in St. Louis, with more than 60% of all flights leaving Lambert being on a Southwest jet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News The question remains: will this change cause the airlines popularity to take a hit? Customers at St. Louis Lambert International Airport who spoke with FOX 2 say its likely. The change takes effect for bookings made on or after May 28. Southwest rapid rewards A-list preferred members and business select fare passengers will still get two free checked bags. A-list members and select customers will receive one free checked bag. Rapid rewards credit card members also will still get at least one bag checked free. Southwest hasnt said how much it will cost to check a bag. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The airline announced its also adding a budget fare with restrictions, similar to other airlines basic economy tickets. We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future customer needs, attract new customer segments, said Bob Jordan, CEO for Southwest. We dont compete for today, and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our shareholders expect. Chaos will ensue: STL Mayor reacts to passage of HB 495 Last year, Southwest announced it would end open seating, another longtime policy, in 2026. The company is adding extra legroom to cabins, and it had its first-ever mass layoff last month, cutting more than 1,700 corporate jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Southwest hasnt said how much it will cost to check a bag, but FOX 2 will share that information once it is available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. On the campaign trail and in office, President Donald Trump has called for the elimination of the Department of Education. Many believed the proposal would face legal challenges because Congress created the Department by law and approves its budget. However, on Tuesday, the Department of Education announced plans to cut nearly 50% of its workforce. Even entirely eliminating the Department of Education would not considerably reduce the size of the federal government or limit bureaucracy. Its the smallest federal department by number of employees. The vast majority of its budget gets spent directly on individuals, states, and local schools through college financial aid for low-income families, grants for school improvement, and funding for special education programs for children with disabilities. Moreover, a disproportionate amount of this money goes to states that voted for Trump in the 2024 election. However, shuttering the Department of Education would fulfill the dreams of a significant part of Trump's base: Christian conservatives. For roughly a century, conservative Christian groups have claimed that education should include Christian teachings and have increasingly concluded that American public schools are unsuitedand even antagonisticto that task. And while Trump often takes unprecedented actions, this is not one of them. His latest actions are simply the latest move in an anti-Department of Education crusade a century in the making. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1926, J. Gresham Machen was the leading fundamentalist theologian in the U.S. His defense of biblical inerrancy against the modernism of mainstream Bible scholars had laid the intellectual foundation for the future of evangelical Protestantism. But on Feb. 25, 1926, Machen was not preaching to the choir. Instead, he was testifying before a joint session of the Senate and House Committees on Education against a bill to create a cabinet-level federal Department of Education. Read More: Can Trump Dismantle the Department of Education? Here's What to Know A Department of Education, Machen insisted, would negate the individual liberty of the states. More importantly, he claimed, it was an ideological threat that would result in the worst kind of slavery that could possibly be devisedslavery in the sphere of the mind. Machen wanted to limit public schooling altogether. He saw it as inimical to parental authority. To him, the responsibility for the moral and religious training of children properly belonged with individual parents. If you give the bureaucrats the children, you might as well give them everything else as well, Machen proclaimed to applause in the chamber. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The theologian and his allies succeeded in defeating the Department of Education in 1926. Yet, Machen remained concerned about the threat of federal action on educationso concerned that over the next decade, he made common cause with Catholics, a surprise in an era of rampant Protestant anti-Catholicism. As a religious minority, American Catholics had long taken issue with public schools. Now, with the rise of liberal modernist Protestantism, Machen had come to agree that Christian private schools were important for American liberty and important for the propagation of the Christian religion. He even reached out to Catholic leaders proposing that they work together to promote private religious education and oppose federal expansion of public education. Machens fellow fundamentalists and evangelicals were far less sanguine about an ideological alliance with Catholics. They considered the Catholic emphasis on parochial schools to be an ideological threat in its own right. Many still trusted the predominantly Protestant nature of American public schools to instill their religious values on the country, and wished Catholics could not so easily circumvent them. To these peers of Machen, the separation of church and state seemed to protect generically Protestant public schools from denominational or non-Protestant influence, not guarantee strictly secular education. In 1947, United Evangelical Action, the magazine of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), bemoaned a Supreme Court decision upholding a New Jersey law that allowed state funding to be used for busing students to Catholic schools as one of the darkest days for religious liberty on record. Just a year later, however, evangelicals changed their tune thanks to another Supreme Court decision. In McCollum v. Board of Education, the justices declared unconstitutional an Illinois program in which students received education in their various religious traditions on public school premises during the school day. The Supreme Court had destroyed the Christian foundation of public education, thundered Harold Ockenga, a mentee of Machen's and co-founder of the NAE to his congregation in Boston. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ockengas sermon reflected how, as the long-standing Protestant majority began to lose its influence in American public schools, evangelicals rebelled against the concept of separation of church and state. Since they couldnt immediately change the Supreme Court, a growing movement called for the formation of new Christian schools to provide a private alternative to secularized public education. This push brought them into alignment with conservative Catholics, although they initially worked in parallel rather than in tandem. The chorus of evangelical and Catholic critics of secular public education grew louder in the wake of the 1962 and 1963 Supreme Court decisions banning school-led prayer and Bible reading, respectively. America, claimed disgruntled Christian critics, was giving up its religious roots and increasingly resembling the atheistic education of the communist Soviet Union, an alarming charge at the height of the Cold War. In the ensuing years, the fight shifted from school prayer and Bible reading to battles over public school curricula in everything from American history to sex education. In 1974, in Kanawha County, W.V., conservative Christians boycotted public schools over the introduction of new multicultural textbooks. The curriculum wars reflected increasing conservative Christian fears about the growth of secular humanism as a religious heresysomething for which they blamed public schools. This concern, and their broader fears about the moral damage being done by the federal government on everything from abortion, to threatening to deny tax exemptions for Christian schools, to the Equal Rights Amendment, only intensified conservative Christian fears about the idea of greater federal influence in education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1979, Congress created a federal Department of Education. President Jimmy Carter (an old-school separation of church and state Baptist) celebrated the expanded federal support for education to meet the great challenge of the 1980s. Read More: How Oklahoma Became Ground Zero in the War Over Church-State Separation Jerry Falwell Sr he speaks before an audience at an outdoor event, Lynchburg, Virginia, September 9, 1972. Edmund EcksteinGetty Images Millions of conservative evangelicals and Catholics strongly disagreed. That same year, the fundamentalist Baptist Jerry Falwell founded the conservative Moral Majority organization, to make explicit the increasing alliance between evangelicals and conservative Catholics. Opposition to the Department of Education, which the Moral Majority called a major step toward nationalizing our schools, was a central complaint as the Christian Right mobilized against Carter and for Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980. Timothy LaHaye, founder of the similarly conservative organization Christian Voice, lamented, Since the educational system has been taken over by humanism, and since humanism is an officially declared religion, we find the government establishing a religion and giving the high priest a position in the presidents cabinet. In his 1980 campaign and throughout his presidency, Reagan promised his Christian Right supporters that he would abolish the Department of Education. Yet, he backed away from this pledge because Congress had little interest. Nonetheless, a call to abolish the Department of Education became a frequent, if not universal, promise of Republican leaders in the ensuing decadesespecially as conservative Christians cemented their place at the heart of the GOP coalition. In 2016, while Trump didnt call for abolishing the Department, he campaigned on a platform that proposed dramatically reducing its portfolio. He appointed Betsy DeVos, a conservative Christian philanthropist to serve as his as Secretary of Education. DeVos had previously promoted private Christian schools as an ideological alternative to public schools. As Secretary of Education, she worked to increase school choice and school voucher programs, and used the Department to foster the shrinking role of public education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Project 2025, the Republican party's policy vision propagated by the conservative think-tank the Heritage Foundation, pledged to go even further, and finally fulfill the dream of eliminating the Department of Education. Trumps campaign also pushed the idea. On the campaign trail, Trump claimed that the Department had been infiltrated by radicals, zealots, and Marxists. The claim makes little sense in light of the generally non-ideological work that the Department of Education actually does. But against the historical background of the long conservative Christian fight against secular public education, it makes much more sense. If Trump were to eliminate the Department of Education, he would deliver a historic win for his base. Trumps cuts to the Department of Education may also involve funding cuts for low-income schools and students and the termination of some special education programs. Additionally, his attacks are a major symbolic milestone in what is now a now nearly century long debate over how toor, how not toeducate children in a religiously pluralistic America. Austin Steelman is assistant professor of history at Clemson University. His research focuses on the connection between evangelical interpretations of the Bible and the US Constitution in the 20th century. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Learn more about Made by History at TIME here. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors. Write to Made by History at madebyhistory@time.com. At least 12 people were potentially exposed to measles on Long Island after a baby too young to be vaccinated tested positive at a medical facility, public health officials said Wednesday. The infant, who resides in Suffolk County, was diagnosed and treated last week at Cohen Childrens Medical Center in New Hyde Park, on the border of Nassau and Queens counties. Officials had initially said only that the infected child was under age 5, but on Wednesday Suffolk County health officials confirmed to News 12 Long Island that the patient was an infant. The case was thought to be travel-related, Suffolk County officials said, and the child was already home and recuperating. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The baby was younger than 12 to 15 months, which is when the first shot is usually administered. This child had not been in daycare or school, the Suffolk County Department of Health said in a statement. Measles, considered the most contagious infectious disease in the world, is transmitted via direct contact with an infected person, by touching infected surfaces and then ones eyes, nose or mouth, and via air droplets, where the virus can linger for up to two hours, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. With this in mind, Suffolk County officials said anyone who visited Cohens pediatric ER on March 3 and 4, or who was an inpatient child on the Medicine 3 unit between March 3 and March 6, were potentially at risk. These times reflect the potential exposure period when the infected individual was in the identified areas, the department said in its statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this month, two unconnected cases of measles were diagnosed in New York City, and cases have been reported in Texas, New Mexico, Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. With a vaccination rate of 82.6% among children up to age 2 in Suffolk County, health commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott said he was confident the disease would not spread, while also urging people to make sure they were up to date on immunizations. With News Wire Services ST. LOUIS The Mighty Mississippi River is a true giant of American waterways, but if youre wondering exactly how long it is, dont expect one single, definitive answer. On Wednesday, FOX 2 analyzed Google search trends for Missouri and noticed a breakout search queries for the Mississippi River, specifically with masses asking, How long is it? or searching about the river with the keyword length. Suspects mom talks about sons arrest for racist graffiti Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the National Park Service, the Mississippi River flows 2,350 miles from its source at Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico. However, a 2018 report from the U.S. Geological Surveys Water Science School lists the Mississippi Rivers length as 2,340 miles. Meanwhile, according to The Mississippi Headwaters Board, which is dedicated to preserving the rivers history at the Lake Itasca origin, the Mississippi River flows 2,348 miles from its source to its endpoint at the gulf. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News The discrepancies in the reported length of the river could be attributed to several factors. For one, the rivers path is not a straight line, so its course can change over time due to natural processes like erosion and flooding. Also, organizations may use different methods in measuring the rivers length, including what constitutes a source or endpoint. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adding to the debate, there also appears to be some question as to whether the Mississippi or the Missouri River stretches longer across the United States. The National Park Service reports that the Missouri River flows 2,341 miles from the confluence at the Gallatin, Madison and Jefferson rivers in Montana to its confluence with the Mississippi River near St. Louis. However, the NPS also considers the Missouri to be the longer river by nearly 100 miles because its officially classified as a tributary of the Mississippi River. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. A New Jersey man who shot his next-door neighbors before turning the gun on himself had been warring with the couple for years, and local residents believe he may have finally snapped over newly installed security cameras along with a No Trespassing sign that identified him by name. On Monday afternoon, John Adamo shot father-of-five Tom Kwatkoski while he was standing outside his modest Bayville home, then shot into the house, striking Kwatkoskis wife, Jill, according to the Ocean County Prosecutors Office. Adamo subsequently retreated into his million-dollar spread and engaged with police in a 2.5-hour standoff that ended after a SWAT team blew open the front door and discovered the 54-year-olds body in an upstairs bedroom. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tom and Jill Kwatkoski, ages 58 and 56, were airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Both are listed in critical but stable condition as of Wednesday. Tom and Jill Kwatkoski live in a modest home beside John Adamo's million-dollar spread (Google Maps) SWAT officers found a pressure cooker inside Adamos room, and evacuated nearby homes for fear it might detonate, but the New Jersey State Police Bomb Squad ultimately determined the device was not rigged to explode. In a text message on Wednesday, Adamos brother Joe said, We have no comment. We are asking for privacy and condolences to everyone involved. Nick Gonzalez, a landscaper who lives and works in the area, told The Independent that a client who knows the Kwatkowskis said there had been longstanding bad blood between them and Adamo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A resident who lives up the street from the Kwatkowski family, Nico Rispoli, said he spoke to two of their sons yesterday, and that Tom, who was shot in the back, and Jill, who was shot in the leg, had both undergone surgery. Rispoli told The Independent that Adamo was known for being very obnoxious, and frequently sat in his garage blasting heavy metal at extremely high volumes. There were definitely arguments that led up to this, he said. Adamo was a combative alcoholic who ripped down a surveillance camera mounted on the Kwatkoskis home before squeezing off the first round, according to the New York Post , citing a neighbor who asked not to be named. The resident said the dispute had been simmering for years, and that it involved multiple cameras pointed at Adamos home, as well as a sign out front, reading, PRIVATE PROPERTY, NO TRESPASSING, with the words, Mr. and Ms. Adamo!!!! handwritten underneath. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its been a running feud, another neighbor told the Post. And Johns a nut. There was always friction This has been going on for years. Adamo, too, had cameras pointed at the Kwatkoskis house, PIX11 reported . Gunfire erupted on Monday afternoon in Ocean County, New Jersey, a normally peaceful area (AFP via Getty Images) Gonzalez said an event like this is unheard of in the area, where everyone seems to get along. And while New Jersey is a blue state, he told The Independent that Ocean County is very conservative, and I do know that a lot of homeowners have firearms. Adamo, a Brooklyn native who used to work on Wall Street but was reportedly doing construction work in recent times, was estranged from his family due to his drinking and friction involving his late fathers estate, according to a source who spoke to the Post. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im not surprised that he killed himself, the source said, but Im more surprised that he followed through with doing something like this to somebody else. The Kwatkoskis, on the other hand, are beloved by those who know them, according to a GoFundMe campaign Rispoli set up Tuesday night. This couple has been an integral part of our community, known for their warmth, kindness, and active involvement, Rispoli wrote. They are loving parents to four sons, who now face the immense challenge of supporting their parents through recovery while managing their own lives. In light of this unforeseen tragedy, the family now faces significant medical challenges and unforeseen expenses. Editors note: This story was updated to correct the name of Denvers District Attorney. DENVER (KDVR) A 60-year sentence was handed down Monday in Denver District Court after the long-time intimate partner of a Montbello woman pleaded guilty to shooting and killing her in her own home. Karol Bedoya, 44, was shot and killed on Feb. 24, 2023. On Monday, Clemente Flores-Hernandez pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree assault, resulting in the 60-year prison sentence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement CSP to increase impaired driving checks in 2 counties for St. Patricks Day holiday According to court records, Bedoya was watching TV on the couch with her 2-year-old grandson when Flores-Hernandez shot her four times at close range. Flores-Hernandez and Bedoya had been intimate partners for a decade, according to police. Karol Bedoya (Photo courtesy of her family) FOX31s Talya Cunningham spoke with Miguel Bedoya, one of Bedoyas adult sons who tried to fight off Flores-Hernandez in March 2023, and also tracked down the vehicle that Flores-Hernandez used to flee the scene. He described hearing the gunshots and then Flores-Hernandez running toward him and pointing a gun at him before they began to scuffle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Miguel said he was strangled by his mothers attacker until he collapsed and nearly passed out. Thats when Flores-Hernandez grabbed the 2-year-old boy and drove away on Interstate 70, with Miguel in pursuit. It was basically prohibited: Aurora police permit chases for stolen cars Colorado State Patrol troopers and the Adams County Sheriffs Office caught Flores-Hernandez about 30 miles east of Denver after a high-speed chase on I-70. Miguels 2-year-old son was unharmed. Karol Bedoyas murder is yet another terrible reminder of the tragic toll domestic violence takes on our community and our families, said Denver District Attorney John Walsh in a release. We hope that todays guilty plea and sentence provide some measure of comfort to Karols family and friends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Walsh also noted that the prosecution of the case was made possible by the DAs office court-certified Spanish interpreter, Maite Lara-Roca. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) A Longs man pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter on Wednesday and was sentenced to 25 years in prison in connection with the 2022 killing of a 51-year-old in Horry County. NyQuan ZyQuez Chestnut, 25, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter through a negotiated plea for a 25-year prison sentence, the 15th Circuit Solicitors Office said. His case was scheduled to go on trial in May. Horry County police responded on Sept. 2, 2022, to a call at Dewitt Road in the Wampee area for a person in the road, the solicitors office said. Berlie Michael Jr. was found with multiple gunshot wounds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Chestnut later confessed to killing Michael and was initially charged with murder. Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Culbertson sentenced Chestnut, who will have to serve at least 85% of his sentence before being eligible for parole. The victim in this case struggled with drugs and was killed over a debt the defendant believed he owed him. Guns and drugs do not mix well together, but it should not have led to the loss of life of Mr. Michael, senior assistant solicitor Seth Oskin said in a news release. The victims family accepts the guilty plea and sentence of the court. We are thankful they feel justice has been served for their loved one. We also commend the great work of the Horry County police in this case. * * * Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. A man who became well known on Jet 24 for his political analysis has died. David Kozak died Sunday in Fort Collins, Colorado. He moved there with his wife, Maryanne, several years ago to be closer to his children and grandchildren. Kozak served in the air force, working as a professor at the Air Force Academy and the National War College before returning to his alma mater, Gannon University. He was a frequent political analyst here at Jet beginning in the late 80s Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to his obituary, Kozak died after a lengthy illness. He was 80 years old. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) Heres a look at some of the events scheduled at the state Capitol for Thursday, March 13, the 37th and final working day of the main run of the 38-day 2025 session of the South Dakota Legislature. House Government Operations and Audit at 8 a.m. CT in room 414 regarding the use and status of moneys that the state Department of Social Services received from HB 1093 from the 2024 legislative session. The Senate and the House of Representatives convene their general floor sessions at 10 a.m. CT. The Senate calendar shows two bills that set the 2026 state-government budget and adjusts the school tax levies. The House calendar shows one bill that revises the 2025 state-government budget. After each bill is considered and approved in the first chamber, it moves to the second chamber for consideration and final approval. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lawmakers are scheduled to return to the Capitol on Monday, March 31, to consider any gubernatorial vetoes and any other unfinished business. So far Gov. Larry Rhoden has issued one veto: HB 1132, which would have expanded eligibility for child-care assistance to child-care providers with children. His letter can be read here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com. Originally appeared on E! Online Lori Vallow Daybell is speaking out for the first time. The 51-year-old appeared in her first-ever onscreen interview to break her silence on being convicted of first-degree murder in 2023 in the killings of her 7-year-old son Joshua "JJ" Vallow and her 16-year-old daughter Tylee Ryan, as well as conspiring to murder her husband Chad Daybell's first wife Tamara "Tammy" Daybell. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Loriwho denies any wrongdoing in all three 2019 deathsshe said the media's portrayal of her throughout the trial was completely off base. "We all know what the media does," Lori told NBC Dateline correspondent Keith Morrison in a March 7 interview. "They exaggerate everything and they make stuff up and they twist things around. So, I don't know how it became what it is today. It's amazing to me." Describing herself as "absolutely" misunderstood, she continued, "How do you know a person if you've never talked to them in five years? How do you know anything about them? How do you know anything about their life, how it really is?" More from E! Online Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Loriwho was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole for conspiring to commit first-degree murder and grand theft by deception in the killings of her two childrenwent on to deny being present when Joshua and Tylee were murdered by her late brother Alexander Cox on the alleged orders of her and Chad, who had both become obsessed with doomsday-focused religious beliefs. As she insisted, "I was not there." John Roark/The Idaho Post-Register via AP Furthermore, the matriarch was confident she and Chadwho was convicted on all charges in 2024 for the three murders and subsequently sentenced to deathwill be proven innocent soon, telling Keith, "After I get exonerated, maybe Ill go on Dancing With the Stars and you can come." And as for the 2019 murder of her estranged husband Charles Vallow? Loriwho pleaded not guilty to accusations that she conspired to commit the killing with her brother Alexsaid she's feeling "great" about acting as her own attorney in the upcoming trial over his fatal shooting. (Alex died of natural causes in December 2019 and was never charged.) However, the Idaho native did admit that taking on the role of a lawyer has been a "difficult thing to do." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jury selection for the trial over Charles' shooting is scheduled to begin March 31. (E! News and NBC Dateline are both part of the NBCUniversal family.) For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App As Russian troops are set to push Ukrainian soldiers out of Kursk Oblast, experts say Kyiv's withdrawal from the region could be "politically significant." Ukraine's seven-month-long hold of a small portion of Russia's Kursk Oblast might be ending. On March 12, Russian troops entered the town of Sudzha, which served as Ukraine's main stronghold in the region. Fearing encirclement, Ukrainian troops have begun to pull back closer to the border. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The news comes a day after Ukraine had agreed to the U.S. proposal for a 30-day-long ceasefire. The Kremlin said "it was studying the proposal." "It feels like we're getting to a position where people are trying to settle the front lines in anticipation that we might have a set of negotiations," said Scott Lucas, a political scientist and professor of American Studies and International Politics at University College Dublin's Clinton Institute. Read also: Do US-Russia talks on Ukraine mark a reappearance of colonial power play? Western and Ukrainian experts who spoke to the Kyiv Independent said that Ukraine has already achieved certain political objectives by invading Russia in the first place and holding onto parts of Kursk Oblast for months. Kyiv will now have to decide whether it should reinforce the Kursk salient by sending more troops and resources that could be deployed elsewhere, or organize a retreat to avoid what could be a disastrous scenario on the ground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Ukraine wants to be able to show that it continues to stand and to resist, even as the Trump administration walks away," Lucas said, referring to the U.S.' cutting off its military aid and intelligence sharing earlier in March. The U.S. on March 11 agreed to lift the ban on intelligence sharing following talks with the Ukrainian side in Saudi Arabia. However, the future U.S. support and Europe's readiness to take the lead in providing Ukraine with military aid remains uncertain. Ukrainian soldiers wait underground for orders amid the Russia-Ukraine war in Sumy Oblast, Ukraine, on Sept. 30, 2024. (Fermin Torrano / Anadolu via Getty Images) And losing a foothold in Russia may have an impact on the mood both inside and outside Ukraine. Kyiv has repeatedly pointed out the success in Kursk Oblast even as Russian troops advanced significantly along the front lines in Donetsk Oblast, capturing long-time Ukrainian strongholds of Vuhledar, and Kurakhove. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both Kyiv and Western countries have labeled the partial occupation of Kursk Oblast as a crucial bargaining chip for possible peace negotiations when the time comes. "(Ukraine's) position in Kursk is an important one because certainly it's something that would factor in any negotiation that may come about in the coming year," then U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in January. Russia's inability to protect its own territory last August and its decision to pursue further invasion of Ukraine at the cost of keeping safe its own territory resulted in "negative sentiments" domestically, according to Oleksiy Melnyk, the co-director of foreign policy and international security at the Kyiv-based think tank Razumkov Center. "It's not about the city of Sudzha or square kilometers, but about Russian territorial integrity," Melnyk said. But it may have been a poor decision for Kyiv to publicly discuss its openness for trading the Kursk salient for Ukrainian territory, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier in February, President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Guardian that he planned to play the Kursk card in potential negotiations to "swap one territory for another" without clarifying which part of Russian-occupied territory Kyiv would ask for in return. Disclosing Ukraine's negotiation position has likely served "as a digger" for Moscow to concentrate its effort to deprive Ukraine of such a leverage, he stressed. A checkpoint with Ukrainian military personnel in Sudzha, Russia, on Aug. 16, 2024. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images) Moscow is currently accelerating its push in Kursk Oblast, with the Russian Defense Ministry claiming on March 11 that it recaptured 12 settlements and 100 square kilometers (40 square miles) of territory there. Ukrainian troops on the ground have told the Kyiv Independent in recent days that the situation is ever more critical, as the logistics were hampered. "Losing Kursk, people begin to question whether or not you just have to simply give up." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russian forces have gained ground south of Sudzha, potentially cutting off some Ukrainian positions from the rest of the salient. Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, denied threats of encirclement. Losing the Kursk salient would likely not result in a further decline of U.S. support as "we can't get into negative numbers in that sense," according to Steven Horrell, a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis. Hanging onto the Kursk Oblast territory is an important bargaining chip "in the international eyes," with the operation allowing Ukraine to show Western countries that it can still strike back despite battlefield setbacks, Horrell said. "I think the surge of (Western) support after the Kursk offensive was concrete proof of that," he added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, with the operation seemingly dying out slowly, Ukraine's potential retreat from Kursk Oblast can reinforce U.S. President Donald Trump and his team's point that "there is no way Ukraine can win," Horrell said. "Losing Kursk, people begin to question whether or not you just have to simply give up," Lucas said. Read also: Temporary ceasefire or redrawing borders? What territorial concessions mean to Ukraine, Russia, and the US Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) After losing one of their own, the Hendersonville Fire Department is actively working to increase awareness for cancer screenings in firefighters. Captain Don Dallenbach died in January from Stage 4 pancreatic cancer; he had only been diagnosed a few months prior. PREVIOUS | Hendersonville community mourns loss of longtime fire captain Don Dallenbach Seventy-four percent of the deaths in the fire service last year were cancer-related, detailed Hendersonville Fire Chief Scotty Bush. And that number is going to continue to increase until we bring awareness and potentially catch cancer early on. Its very obvious that early on, we can combat at a much better rate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres another firefighter, other than Captain Dallenbach, who passed away, like, 12 days after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Bush continued. Same thing, no early signs, no nothing to indicate that he was suffering from it. And so I think its huge that we start getting that message [of screenings] out. In a 2024 study, the International Association of Firefighters reported that their members have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer, and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer than the general population. Spring Hill firefighters screened for cancer Most of that risk comes, of course, from what firefighters are exposed to on a day-to-day basis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In order to better protect our people, we must maintain the security of their turnout gear, how we decontaminate at scenes, how we control decon once we get back to the stations, said Bush. We started building stations and adding gear-washing machines, and we mandate that [our firefighters] wash that dirty set of gear immediately. Additional precautions have, progressively, been put in place across firefighting. For HFD, that includes exhaust systems inside their stations, and rules for what can be inside the cabinet of a fire engine. Just phenomenal things that were doing. Were doing the clean cab initiatives in our apparatus now. Are we to the fullest level that we need to be? No, not yet, because economically, were trying to work with city council on how were going to fund that, explained Bush. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Bush is also trying to win support for a bill that would expand required cancer screenings for Tennessee firefighters. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Right now, they are screened for several blood cancers, along with colon and skin cancer. The bill would add prostate, pancreatic and breast cancer screenings. Within his department, Bush plans to crank up the focus on getting his firefighters screened. We work really closely with the doctors office here in town who does our screenings, said Bush. Were going to expand that this year with some of the scans that were going to introduce to our staff. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. CHICAGO Nathan Mason is a longtime resident of Chicagos North Side. Hes seen a lot over the years but nothing like what he recently discovered. On a cold Saturday morning in late January, Mason discovered hundreds of pieces of mail in the alley outside his building near Leland Avenue and Sheridan Road. There was a significant number of W-2s, checksa lot of financial stuff, Mason said. I walked up and down the alley and the backyard and picked up about 250 pieces of mail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That was seven weeks ago. Recent Investigates: Attorney: Couples foreclosure fight shows system is broken Since then, Mason sorted the mail and posted a list of the addresses on social media, to try and help people who were looking for lost mail. All of it appeared to be within an area serviced by the Uptown Post Office located at 4850 N. Broadway. Mason then returned it to the post office in hopes it will finally be delivered. I made the list and saw that it was I could pick out an area on the map, he said. So, it was certainly like one route. But its still not clear how the mail ended up there or who was responsible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The regular letter carrier was on vacation, said Elise Foster, president of the local office of National Association for Letter Carriers. They have not found out how the mail got there. A spokesman for the USPS declined to comment. The federal agencys Office of Inspector General investigates allegations of mail dumping. WGN Investigates: Investigating public corruption, crime & fraud The status of that internal investigation is unknown. The alleged mail dumping comes as the U.S. Postal Service faces an uncertain future. The Trump Administration has suggested that privatizing mail service could save taxpayers money. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But there are no immediate plans to do so. Data obtained by WGN Investigates shows there were 58 complaint calls regarding the Uptown Post Office over a recent 12-month span. The majority of the calls were linked to alleged mail theft and there are currently 18 open investigations, including one involving mail Mason discovered in the alley. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill attended a court hearing in the states lawsuit against TikTok on Wednesday, March 12. The hearing was scheduled for 11 a.m. at the 21st Judicial District Court in Livingston Parish. On Tuesday, Murrill posted on X, TikTok thinks they cant get sued here they can. Ill see them in court tomorrow. The Louisiana Attorney Generals Office filed the lawsuit in 2024, accusing TikTok of violating the states consumer protection laws. The lawsuit alleges that the platform misleads users about the risks posed to children by promoting addictive and inappropriate content. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Multiple states, including Kentucky, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oregon, New Jersey, Vermont, Illinois, California, Washington, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia, have filed similar enforcement actions against TikTok. A copy of the attorney generals brief is available here. TikTok extension expiring soon: Will the app be banned? Latest News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed an emergency brief with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals after a judge halted a death row inmates execution. On Tuesday, Jessie Hoffman, who was expected to be executed by nitrogen hypoxia on March 18, temporarily evaded the penalty after a judge ruled in his favor, stating nitrogen hypoxia violated his constitutional rights. Murrill immediately responded by saying, We disagree with the district courts decision and will immediately appeal to the Fifth Circuit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, the appeal was filed. Today, my team filed an emergency appeal with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Theres nothing legally that prevents or stops us from moving forward with executing Jessie Hoffman if the preliminary injunction is vacated. I believe this execution is going to go forward as planned. We look forward to getting a decision soon from the Fifth Circuit, said Murrill in a statement. She says the ruling represents the sort of last-minute intervention by a Federal Court that the Supreme Court has repeatedly criticized. Murrill argues that this is an example because it rejects precedents from the Alabama district court, Eleventh Circuit and Supreme Court based on the same method of execution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the district court were right, then the Supreme Court, the Eleventh Circuit, and the Alabama district courts have green-lighted four illegal executions, Murrill wrote. The district court believed execution by firing squad is a feasible alternative, but Murrill says it is not how the Eight Amendment or death-penalty litigation works. Lawyers representing Jessie Hoffman responded to Murrills filing. The state of Louisiana is trying to avoid scrutiny of its cruel and experimental execution protocol. The AGs appellate brief today attempts to place the blame on Jessie Hoffman for the rushed nature of these proceedings even though the State only announced it would use lethal gas for executions and set Jessies execution date last month. Furthermore, as Judge Dick noted, the State shrouded its protocol in secrecy from the public until the day before last Fridays hearing. We hope the Fifth Circuit will reject this attempted end-run around Jessies constitutional rights, consider the thoughtful fact-finding of the district judge who heard the evidence supporting Jessies Eighth Amendment claim, and leave the injunction in place to allow a full adjudication of that claim. Cecelia Kappel, attorney for Jessie Hoffman Latest News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order to end automatic extensions of state leased buildings Tuesday. The governors office said all agency heads must send justification for extensions, amendments or new leases to the Division of Administration for approval. The order mimics moves the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is making to streamline government spending. Fiscal responsibility is a top priority for our administration. Todays executive order is part of a broader effort to modernize state government operations, eliminate waste, improve efficiency, and ensure taxpayer dollars are used effectively, Landry said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Landry introduced a state version of DOGE in December 2024 called the Fiscal Responsibility Program to audit state expenditures and identify areas for financial optimization. In February, a partnership with the Louisiana Legislative Auditor was announced to implement efficiency measures. Federal watchdog DOGE terminates Louisiana agency leases as part of nationwide cost-cutting effort Latest News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. Before the Nazis sent him to a forced labor camp, young Leo Lewis grandmother paid him one last visit. I will not be here when you come back, she told the boy, who had voluntarily handed himself over in hopes the Nazis would spare his stepmother and sisters. But you will survive this. She was right: Both Leo and the woman he would marry, Zelda, were the only members of their families to survive the Holocaust, their granddaughter Sara Lewis recently told CNN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many of their loved ones, she said, were killed using gas. Today, Lewis is a member of the Jews Against Gassing Coalition, a New Orleans-area group decrying the states efforts to use nitrogen gas to execute death row inmates because, members say, such a method echoes the Holocaust, when 6 million Jews were murdered by Nazi Germany. Nearly half of them were slain using poison gas, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, at death camps like Auschwitz, Belzec, Sobibor and Treblinka. Members of the Jews Against Gassing Coalition, which does not broadly oppose the death penalty, emphasize there is no equivalence between the execution of a convicted murderer and the systemic massacre of millions of innocent people mainly using a compound called Zyklon-B. But to use a method that was a form of state-sanctioned murder and genocide of literally millions of people to re-implement that as a form of justice in 21st-century Louisiana seems to us equally abhorrent, said Naomi Yavneh Klos, a member of the group and a professor at Loyola University New Orleans, because of the way that method of execution is so horribly and intrinsically linked to the decimation of our people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisiana officials had planned to use nitrogen hypoxia for the first time Tuesday to fulfill the death sentence of Jessie Hoffman, who was convicted for the 1996 murder of Mary Molly Elliott. But a federal judge this week halted the execution, finding Hoffman had shown the method which involves depriving an inmate of oxygen by forcing him to breathe pure nitrogen would cause him psychological pain, suffering, and terror and possibly violate Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Louisiana has appealed. Indeed, critics have argued nitrogen hypoxia causes suffering, pointing in part to witness accounts that inmates shook on gurneys during recent gas executions in Alabama, the only US state that has used the method, which differs from some US states use of gas chambers to execute inmates starting a century ago. Anti-death penalty signs placed by activists line the road heading to Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, ahead of the 2024 execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith, the first known US inmate to die by nitrogen gas. - Kim Chandler/AP However the case against Hoffman a Buddhist plays out, the Jews Against Gassing Coalition remains staunchly against the prospect of nitrogen gas executions overall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We feel that as Jewish people carrying the legacy and trauma of the Holocaust, the use of gas as a form of state-sponsored murder is anathema to what we believe in, said Yavneh Klos. Its cruel and unusual punishment, and it also reflects the procedures of an authoritarian, genocidal state. Common but horrifying knowledge The Jews Against Gassing Coalition formed in response to the Louisiana legislatures adoption of nitrogen hypoxia as a legal execution method during a special session on crime called by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry in early 2024. It became the fourth state to do so, behind Oklahoma, Mississippi and Alabama. Proponents in Louisiana and elsewhere had cast the method as humane, painless and reliable in contrast to lethal injection, for which states in recent years have struggled to secure drugs or faced criticism as executions went awry of official plans. The bill, HB 6, authorized nitrogen gas executions and reauthorized electrocution as available execution methods in addition to lethal injection. Its Republican author believed the bill would provide a clear path for executions to resume for the first time since 2010, he told CNN at the time though he also expected most executions to be carried out using lethal injection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State officials have cast the return of executions Hoffmans would be Louisianas first in 15 years as an effort to uphold state law and provide justice to the victims of the states death row inmates. Louisiana has failed to uphold the promises made to victims of our States most violent crimes; but that failure of leadership by previous administrations is over, Landry said in a statement February 10. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks to lawmakers at the January 2024 start of a special session in Baton Rouge. - Michael Johnson/Pool/The Advocate/AP These capital punishment cases have been reviewed at every judicial level, have had decades of unsuccessful appeals, and the death sentences affirmed by the courts, the governor said. I expect our DAs to finalize these cases and the courts to move swiftly to bring justice to the crime victims who have waited for too long. But HB 6s inclusion of nitrogen hypoxia horrified some members of the Jewish community, they told CNN, and by the time the 2024 regular legislative session began, the Jews Against Gassing Coalition which Yavneh Klos estimated includes dozens of active members had organized with the intent of pushing a new bill to undo the addition of nitrogen gas. Its members worked to share their message, meeting with lawmakers and testifying before legislative committees. But after passing in the Louisiana Senate, the bill, SB 430, failed to pass a House committee vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lewis had been shocked and sickened, she said, when shed learned of the methods adoption. For her, the link between nitrogen gas executions and the murder of millions of Jews was obvious; growing up in Buffalo, New York, and attending a Jewish day school, she knew many children whose grandparents, like hers, were Holocaust survivors, and what had unfolded in the gas chambers was common but still horrifying knowledge. I think some of the legislators just didnt realize that this also impacted people that are technically their constituents that they may not have taken into account, she said. Rabbi Phil Kaplan of Congregation Beth Israel a Modern Orthodox congregation in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie, Louisiana was not surprised lawmakers had not made the connection. I dont necessarily expect them to be thinking about each minority community and thinking about their history in every legislation they propose, he said (about 1% of Louisianans are part of the Jewish faith community, according to a 2020 survey by the Public Religion Research Institute). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But I would hope that (with) a legitimate concern raised by one of the communities that are their constituents, that they would listen, he added. Rabbi Phil Kaplan of Congregation Beth Israel in Metairie, Louisiana, speaks during a prayer vigil and news conference held by the Jews Against Gassing Coalition in front of Touro Synagogue in New Orleans. - Kathleen Flynn/Reuters Particularly abhorrent form of execution Long before the emergence of nitrogen hypoxia, gas executions had been undertaken in the United States, beginning in 1924 when Nevada used the gas chamber to put to death Gee Jon, a Chinese man convicted of murder. Newspaper reports from the time cite doctors who claimed Gee did not suffer; some then said lethal gas was the most humane execution method ever, according to a report by the Associated Press. But the Holocaust forever (shattered) the gas chambers image as a humane method of execution, the late journalist Scott Christianson wrote in his book, The Last Gasp: The Rise and Fall of the American Gas Chamber. While the method continued to be used sparingly until 1999, it was eclipsed by others namely the electric chair and, eventually, lethal injection, which remains the dominant execution method in the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nitrogen hypoxia also differs from historical lethal gas executions in a couple key respects: First, the fatal gas is not administered in a chamber but in Alabama and Louisiana through a mask worn by the inmate, said Deborah Denno, a professor at Fordham Law School who for decades has studied the death penalty and execution methods. And second, nitrogen is a non-toxic, inert gas, and almost 80% of the air we breathe is nitrogen. Historically, states used for their gas chambers the toxic hydrogen cyanide similar to the Zyklon-B compound used by the Nazis according to Christiansons The Last Gasp. But the association of gas with the Nazi Holocaust is horrifying to people in general, said Denno. This is a cultural stigma that I think is really a challenge to overcome. Yavneh Klos wants to believe the United States has evolved away from some of the more barbaric execution methods, including the gas chamber. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our coalition now, looking back towards the Holocaust, really sees this as a particularly abhorrent form of execution because of that connection, she said. The fact that it was previously used, she added, does not mean that it was acceptable then. A visitor stands in 2014 at the entrance to a gas chamber in the former concentration camp in Dachau near Munich. - Michael Dalder/Reuters Extreme caution and respect Jews Against Gassings mission is not to argue for the abolition of the death penalty, and its members hold differing views on capital punishment beyond nitrogen executions. In Judaism, an oft-cited core teaching says that a court that executes a single person in seven years is considered particularly destructive, and some say once in 70 years, said Hazzan Kevin Margolius, a member of the clergy at Touro Synagogue in New Orleans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When a life hangs in the balance, we need to do all of this with extreme caution and respect, said Margolius, who added he personally views the death penalty with extreme skepticism. Jewish law and theology unquestionably allow for capital punishment, said Kaplan, the Congregation Beth Israel rabbi, who is personally against the death penalty. But the sages of the Talmud signaled its use should be exceedingly rare, he said, with stringent requirements for evidence and witnesses. With that guidance, members of his community today are left with troubling and important questions, he said at a news conference last month. The biggest question, he asked, (is) who gets to decide? What is the threshold of evidence that is sufficient for us as fallible human beings to make such a decision about the fate of our fellow men? And if we as a society decide the death penalty is appropriate to mete out, how should it be conducted? For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) A victory for opponents of Louisianas decision to execute a man using nitrogen hypoxia as a federal judge grants their Eighth Amendment argument that gassing is cruel and unusual punishment. Louisiana Chief District Judge Shelly Dick granted a motion for a preliminary injunction filed by attorneys for Jesse Hoffman who is scheduled to be executed by the state on March 18. Hoffmans argument is not an attempt to deny guilt or prevent the state from executing him, it questions the states chosen manner of execution and what Hoffmans attorneys call secrecy in the states explanation of execution protocol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is asking that his execution be carried out by firing squad or a life-ending cocktail known as DDMAPh. More Louisiana News The argument that was granted is based on the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual punishments. In her explanation Judge Dick said, The Court finds that Plaintiff has clearly shown a substantial likelihood that (1) making the condemned breath pure nitrogen until dead cruelly superadds pain and suffering to the execution when compared to firing squad; (2) firing squad is feasible, readily implemented, and in fact significantly reduce[s] a substantial risk of severe pain; and (3) that the State has failed to adopt firing squad as a method of execution without a legitimate penological reason. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judge noted that DDMAPh, although used in compassionate end of life care or assisted suicide, is not easily accessible for executions carried out by the state, and Louisiana has struggled to secure it previously. Ultimately the judge believed that Hoffmans claims that nitrogen hypoxia superadds psychological pain, suffering, and terror to his execution when compared to execution by firing squad. Saying the state had no legitimate reason related to the states penal system for not adopting, as the choice of which execution method the state utilizes is a decision left up to states Director of Public Safety and Corrections (DPSC). The public has an interest in knowing how its government operates. The obfuscation of the protocol by the State is deleterious to the publics interest. The United States Constitution is simply the governments promises to its citizens. The Eighth Amendment is the governments assurance that no citizen will be punished by means that are cruel and unusual. Courts are the arbiter of whether the government honors this promise to her people. It is in the best interests of the public to examine this newly proposed method of execution on a fully developed record. The public has paramount interest in a legal process that enables thoughtful and well-informed deliberations, particularly when the ultimate fundamental right, the right to life, is placed in the governments hands. Accordingly, Plaintiffs Motion for Preliminary Injunction is granted. Chief District Judge Shelly Dick Read Judge Dicks ruling here Hoffman-PI-OrderDownload Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said, We disagree with the district courts decision and will immediately appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court. Those who oppose Louisiana using nitrogen gas for state executions have argued that the cruel and unusual aspect is why it is prohibited as a method of euthanasia for companion animals in 48 states. Priest and Death Row Spiritual Advisor Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood was vocal about Hoffmans execution and executions in Alabama, the only other state that uses nitrogen hypoxia. In a statement Hood said, Lucifer didnt win today. Judge Shelly Dick has heard the cries of those of us who have actually witnessed a nitrogen hypoxia execution. Let there be no doubt, nitrogen hypoxia is one of the cruelest and most unusual forms of punishment to ever exist. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. The Louisiana mother facing criminal charges for her daughters abortion pleaded not guilty Tuesday. The woman stands accused of ordering abortion medication from a New York doctor and then providing it to her daughter. The New Paltz doctor, Margaret Carpenter, also faces criminal charges in Louisiana, but Gov. Hochul has refused to extradite her. It is believed to be the first time since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade that one state has attempted to prosecute a doctor in another state for prescribing abortion medication. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Never, under any circumstances will I sign an extradition agreement that sends our doctor into harms way to be prosecuted as a criminal for simply following her oath, Hochul said in early February. Louisiana authorities have said the woman was angry her teenage daughter got pregnant and gave her an ultimatum: take the abortion medication or find a new place to live. According to Louisiana prosecutors, the daughter took the medication but experienced a medical emergency, leading to the police investigation and charges against her mother. Earlier this year, Louisiana classified abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled dangerous substances, placing them in the same category as narcotic drugs. The abortion meds have been used safely for decades. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im charging the mother because she ordered the pill, and she paid for the pill with her credit card and she gave the pill to a minor, West Baton Rouge District Attorney Tony Clayton told the Louisiana Illuminator. Thats illegal in the state of Louisiana. With News Wire Services NurPhoto/Getty Images The Louisiana mother charged with criminal abortion for providing her minor daughter with pills to end her pregnancy pled not guilty in her first court appearance on Tuesday. The criminal prosecution of the 39-year-old marks a new escalation in the states fight to end abortion access following the fall of Roe v. Wade and is likely to be a watershed moment for reproductive rights in the US. The woman, from Port Allen, is thought to be the first to ever be charged with a felony indictment for obtaining abortion pills by mail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The mother was arraigned on the charge of criminal abortion by means of abortion-inducing drugs, NOLA.com reported. Her next court appearance for a pretrial hearing is scheduled for May 5. The indictment against her states that she knowingly did cause an abortion to occur on April 5, 2024. The state also charged Margaret Maggie Carpenter, MD, a New York Statebased doctor, for providing the mother with the pills by mail. In Louisiana, abortion is completely banned even in cases of rape or incest, although there are exceptions if the fetus is not expected to survive the pregnancy or to protect the health or life of the mother. Carpenter, who was charged along with her practice Nightingale Medical PC, is the cofounder of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine (ACT), an advocacy organization that provides information and support for doctors who want to provide women in banned states with abortion pills. After she was charged, New York governor Kathy Hochul stated that she would fight any attempt to extradite Carpenter to Louisiana, adding that the states Shield Law protects Dr. Carpenters right to provide care to women outside of New York. Louisiana has changed their laws, but that has no bearing on the laws here in the state of New York, Hochul said. I will not be signing an extradition order that came from the governor of Louisiana. Not now, not ever. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview last month, ACTs cofounder Julie Kay told Glamour that Louisianas decision to charge Carpenter will not stop them from providing women in any region with the reproductive care they need. These are human rights that transcend state borders, she said. We really need to address the human rights and public health crisis thats going on right now in many places in our country where there just isnt access to these basic services. Originally Appeared on Glamour Abortion After Roe Louisiana's two largest teacher unions are backing constitutional amendment #2 on the March 29 ballot. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) Louisianas two largest teacher unions have come out in support of a sweeping constitutional amendment Gov. Jeff Landry has backed that would rewrite large swaths of the states public tax and budget policies. The measure will appear on the March 29 ballot. The unions are backing Amendment 2 because Landry and legislators have tied public school teacher pay to its approval. It provides the only avenue to create some kind of financial stability, for teachers and school support staff, said Larry Carter, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, in an interview Tuesday evening. A temporary pay stipend teachers and school support staff workers have received for the past two years is supposed to become part of their permanent salaries if voters approve the measure. If the amendment fails, teachers and school support staff would likely lose the stipend, effectively resulting in pay cuts of $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement LFT statewide surveys consistently show that increased compensation is the number one issue for teachers and support staff, the union said in a statement provided Tuesday to the Illuminator. LFT has consistently advocated for paying Louisiana educators, both teachers and support staff, a wage that reflects what they are required and called to docaring for and educating Louisianas children. For this reason, we support CA 2, the statement continues. The decision to publicly endorse Amendment 2 came from the union board after discussions with local chapters of teachers, Carter said. The states other major teachers union, the Louisiana Association of Educators, also supports the amendment, President Tia Mills said in a short phone interview Tuesday. Amendment 2 would dissolve three education trust funds and use some of the money left over to pay down public school teacher retirement debt for local school districts. The school systems would then be required to use the money they save to give teachers and school support staff salary increases of up to $2,000 and $1,000 respectively. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For some school districts, however, the retirement debt payoff would not provide all the savings needed to cover the extra pay. Charter schools, which dont contribute to the states teacher retirement system, wouldnt receive any financial benefit. In those cases, Landry and legislators committed to providing other state funding to make sure all teachers, including those at charters, receive the salary bump. Covering those outliers will require approval from state legislators before those payments can be made, and Landrys budget officials havent said how much extra money would be required yet. Carter said his union would have preferred to see the stipend become a permanent salary increase through the lawmakers approval of a new school funding formula instead of the amendment. But the governor and lawmakers dont appear to be willing to take that step. Without the amendment passing, it would probably be that we would lose that, extra money for teachers, Carter said. Amendment 2 features dozens of other adjustments that are unrelated to teacher pay, however. For example, it would place restrictions on the states overall budget growth, which could make future teacher pay raises more challenging to execute, opponents said. This expenditure limit [contained in Amendment 2] is going to make it difficult to increase spending on a large line item like teacher pay, in future years, said Jan Moller, with Invest in Louisiana, a left-leaning think tank concerned about the ballot measure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The money being used to pay off the teacher retirement debt also supports other education programs that would face a more uncertain future if Amendment 2 passes. Early childhood education programs, for example, would lose a secure funding source. Landry has committed to keeping early childhood education funding at its current levels, but removing its permanent source of support would put the programs more at risk for cuts in the future. Turning out voters who support teachers is a key part of the governors strategy to get the amendment passed. Its likely why teacher pay was embedded into the measure in the first place. Voter turnout is expected to be low for the March 29 election, when the only other statewide measures are three other constitutional amendments. Having educators motivated to go to the polls greatly increases the amendments chances of passing. There are nearly 53,000 teachers in the state, and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers has over 18,000 members. The governor is spending this week addressing chambers of commerce to garner support for all four amendments on the ballot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How about paying down the states retirement debt and using those savings to give our teachers a much-needed permanent salary increase? Landry said in a recent video encouraging the passing of Amendment 2. You get all of that and much more with a yes vote on Amendment 2, the governor said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked Louisiana's first execution in 15 years after lawyers for the condemned man argued a new method known as nitrogen hypoxia would violate his constitutional rights. The inmate, Jessie Hoffman Jr., 46, said the use of a mask to deliver only nitrogen gas, depriving him of oxygen, "substantially burdens" his ability to engage in his Buddhist breathing practices and creates "superadded pain and suffering." Hoffman's execution, scheduled for March 18, was set to be the first in Louisiana using nitrogen hypoxia. Jessie Hoffman Jr., 46. Chief U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick of the Middle Louisiana District ruled in partial favor of Hoffman, writing that it is in the "best interests of the public" to be able to examine the state's "newly proposed method of execution on a fully developed record." She said she was particularly troubled that the state released only a redacted protocol to the public until the day before the preliminary injunction hearing Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The public has paramount interest in a legal process that enables thoughtful and well-informed deliberations, particularly when the ultimate fundamental right, the right to life, is placed in the government's hands," she wrote. She said Hoffman cannot be executed until his claims are "decided after a trial on the merits and a final judgment is issued." Attorney General Liz Murrill posted on X that "we disagree with the district court's decision and will immediately appeal to the Fifth Circuit," which her office did. Hoffman's planned execution was set for a particularly busy week of executions in America, with five states, including Louisiana, expected to carry out punishment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 1996, Hoffman was 18 when, prosecutors say, he abducted his victim, Mary Elliott, at gunpoint from a New Orleans parking garage on the night before Thanksgiving Day, forced her to withdraw $200 from an ATM, then raped and shot her to death. State Corrections Secretary Gary Westcott selected nitrogen hypoxia as Hoffman's method of execution. Last year, the state legalized the use of nitrogen gas in addition to the more widely used method of lethal injection, but officials have had trouble procuring the necessary lethal injection drugs since the states last execution in 2010. More than 50 people are on Louisiana's death row. Alabama has had similar trouble sourcing lethal injection drugs, and last year it became the first state to administer nitrogen hypoxia. It has executed four prisoners using the method, one of them last month. Louisiana corrections officials said they traveled to Alabama to study how its nitrogen system functions. Louisiana subsequently built a nitrogen hypoxia facility at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola consisting of an execution chamber, a valve and storage room, and an observation area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The state said in a court filing Sunday that "breathing in the mask is 'very comfortabl[e]'" and that "the mask is very similar, if not identical, to the one used in Alabama's system." At a hearing last week seeking a preliminary injunction, Hoffman testified that he began practicing Buddhism in 2002 after his grandmother died. He said he believed having a mask on his face would only worsen his trauma and claustrophobia stemming from having been locked in a closet as a young child by his brother. He said that his breathing recently helped him to remain calm when he was moved to a smaller cell in anticipation of his execution and that the surroundings "triggered anxiety of small spaces." Dr. Philip Bickler, the chief of neuro-anesthesia at the University of California, San Francisco, testified that the sensation nitrogen hypoxia provides is "very similar to drowning." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think for someone like Mr. Hoffman, nitrogen asphyxiation would be a particularly horrible method, a really inhumane choice for an individual who has a history of PTSD," Bickler said. The state's experts rejected the idea that death by nitrogen hypoxia would subject Hoffman to unconstitutional pain and said the "only material dispute" is how long it may take for him to become unconscious as he begins to breathe nitrogen. At the hearing, the state also cross-examined a Zen Buddhist priest testifying for Hoffman and noted that while she "maintained that air is important to the practice, she was unable to identify any doctrine within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition that required oxygen in particular." Critics of nitrogen hypoxia have included the Louisiana group Jews Against Gassing, whose members have said the method "echoes" the Holocaust. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Medical experts have also warned that if the procedure is not done properly, even a small amount of oxygen getting into the mask could lead to slow asphyxiation and prolong the time it would take to die. In previous nitrogen hypoxia executions, media witnesses have described inmates appearing to remain conscious longer than expected and thrashing and shaking on the gurney. Last month, Gov. Jeff Landry said Louisiana would remain undeterred. "We will carry out these sentences and justice will be dispensed," he said. In opposing nitrogen hypoxia, Hoffman's lawyers offered other methods they believed would reduce his "risk of harm," including a firing squad. The option is not legal in Louisiana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, South Carolina executed its first inmate by firing squad after the prisoner, Brad Sigmon, chose not to die by the alternative methods lethal injection or electrocution. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Three Southern California sisters are devastated and working to get by after they said their parents were suddenly taken away from them by immigration authorities. Its been weeks since their mother, Gladys, and father, Nelson, were detained after the couple went in for a standard appointment with immigration officials. You never think that it could happen to you and my parents were just ripped away from me like that, Gabby Gonzalez, the couples daughter, said tearfully. Then this happened on Feb. 21. I didnt even know they had the appointment and I didnt even say goodbye to my dad that morning. I didnt get to say goodbye to them. Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez are pictured with their grandson. (Gonzalez Family) Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez are seen with their three daughters and young grandson (center). (Gonzalez Family) Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez are seen with their family. (Gonzalez Family) Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez are pictured together and with their grandson. (Gonzalez Family) The Gonzalez sisters have been communicating with their parents through phone calls since they were detained on Feb. 21, 2025. (KTLA) The Adelanto ICE processing center in Adelanto, San Bernardino County, California. (KTLA) Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez moved to the U.S. from Colombia and raised a family in Orange County, California. (Gonzalez Family) Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez are pictured with their three daughters (Gonzalez Family) Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez moved from Colombia to the U.S. without documentation 35 years ago before settling down in Newport Beach in Orange County and building a life. The couple has raised three daughters and now have a young grandson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are one of thousands of undocumented immigrants who regularly report to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while seeking legal alternatives to remain in the U.S. The Gonzalez sisters said their parents were detained at their ICE appointment and then transferred to a detention center. They were put into handcuffs by their wrists and ankles and treated as criminals before getting to these detention centers, Stephanie Gonzalez told KTLAs Carlos Saucedo. All they said is they extended their stay, even though every year theyve had permission to be here and theyre law-abiding citizens who show up and are doing their duty to check in with immigration and say, Hey Im here. Im not hiding or doing anything wrong. Then they just arrested them like that. The Gonzalez family said theyre one of many who have been affected by President Donald Trump and his administrations goal to ramp up arrests and deportations throughout the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im a proud daughter of immigrant parents, Gabby said. Im very thankful for them coming here and starting from nothing and giving us the best life we could have ever imagined. We only want to make them proud. Gladys and Nelson were being held at the Adelanto detention center in San Bernardino County until they were transported to a facility in Arizona. She called us and let us know that shes in Arizona which is where my dad is as well, Gabby said. She kind of sounded a bit muffly because its a traumatizing experience. The sisters and their loved ones said theyre relying on their faith to get by while hoping their parents immigration case is sorted. They said they would be devastated if their parents were deported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A GoFundMe page to help the Gonzalez family with legal expenses or to support Gladys and Nelson if they must rebuild their lives in Colombia can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. While Intuitive Machines' Athena lander quickly met its demise after awkwardly stumbling and ending up on its side, Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost spacecraft, which touched down just a few days earlier, is leaping into action. After sending back a stunning image of the Sun rising in the distant horizon, the lander wasted no time and kicked off its Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity (LISTER) experiment. The goal is to drill into the lunar surface within the Mare Crisium, a massive basin in the northeastern part of the Moon's near side, in hopes of better understanding the geology of the Earth's natural satellite. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a video shared this week, the robot's pneumatic drill can be seen plowing through the rocky lunar surface, sending sparks and pieces of rubble flying. While it's far from the first mission to drill into the lunar surface astronauts used a drill during NASA's Apollo 15 mission over half a century ago it's an exciting kick-off to what's bound to be a flurry of activity on the lunar surface. As of right now, NASA's still looking to land the first astronauts on the Moon in a matter of years and the scientific research being done as we speak could contribute to that goal. https://twitter.com/Firefly_Space/status/1899189419996766306 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The aim of Blue Ghost's drilling is to measure the "temperature and flow of heat from the Moons interior," according to the company. By studying the thermal conductivity of the various layers of the lunar surface, scientists are hoping to glean insights into how the Moon formed and cooled over billions of years. The probe was jointly developed by researchers from Texas Tech University and the California-based startup Honeybee Robotics under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. They're hoping to drill down to a depth of just shy of ten feet into the dusty regolith, as NASA explained in a December blog post. Every 1.6 feet, it will measure the heat flow and thermal conductivity of its surroundings using a custom-built thermal probe. "By making similar measurements at multiple locations on the lunar surface, we can reconstruct the thermal evolution of the Moon," said principal investigator and Texas Tech geophysics professor Seiichi Nagihara in a NASA statement. "That will permit scientists to retrace the geological processes that shaped the Moon from its start as a ball of molten rock, which gradually cooled off by releasing its internal heat into space." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The space agency is hoping to use the data to assist during its upcoming Artemis missions to the lunar surface and eventually develop a sustainable presence there. Blue Ghost is also outfitted with nine other NASA payloads, including "active dust mitigation technology that uses electric fields to move and prevent hazardous lunar dust accumulation on surfaces," and an experiment to study "how lunar regolith sticks to a range of materials exposed to the Moons environment throughout the lunar day," according to the agency. On Wednesday, Blue Ghost is trying to stay cool during the "lunar noontime heat," per Firefly. But as temperatures plummet, Blue Ghost is preparing to ramp up to "full power again soon." More on the lander: Amazing Video Shows Spacecraft Touching Down on Surface of Moon DES MOINES, Iowa Over 400 people were in the Iowa State Capitol building for Lutheran Day on the Hill 2025. This years event comes as Lutheran Services in Iowa says that the federal government is yet to reimburse the organization for more than a million dollars in costs. LGBTQ Iowans rally less than two weeks after being stripped of civil rights protections Its important more so than ever that state advocacy helps talk to folks at the federal level to do what they should be doing, thats honoring a contract, a contract where we have at least at the minimum, we paid $1.5 million for services that weve done starting back in November, said Renee Hardman, President & CEO of Lutheran Services in Iowa. Were proud that we have supporters in this community that are stepping up to the plate, coming here, giving us money because they believe in what we do. So, were not alone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Trump froze funding for most refugee programs for 90 days after taking office. LSI will lay off nearly 30 staff members and end the resettlement program next month with the foreign aid freeze. LSI also does work in the state on mental health services, early childhood prevention, foster care and more. The organization serves around 1,400 refugees in the state according to the president. Iowa News: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com. The U.S. Army is looking at acquiring a new machine gun chambered to fire the .338 Norma Magnum cartridge, but that can also be converted to use the same 6.8x51mm ammunition as its next-generation M7 rifles and M250 light machine guns. A machine gun in .338 Norma Magnum would give Army units much greater reach than they can get now with their 7.62x51mm M240-series types. The service is eyeing conversion kits that would allow its existing M240Bs and M240Ls to fire the 6.8x51mm rounds, as well. The Armys Contracting Command-New Jersey at Picatinny Arsenal recently issued two separate contracting notices seeking information about potential options for a dual-caliber .338 Norma Magnum/6.8x51mm machine gun and M240B/L 6.8x51mm conversion kits. The Sig Sauer MG 338 seen in the video below is one .338 Norma Magnum machine gun on the market now. The dual caliber machine gun should include all hardware and instructions needed to operate as a .338 Norma Machine Gun and the conversion kit to fire the 6.8x51mm XM1186 general purpose cartridge, the notice regarding that weapon states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Presently, the M240B and M240L machine guns are 7.62[x51]mm weapons. The durability, reliability, and function of the M240 weapon platform cannot be significantly compromised with a change in ammunition, the conversion kit notice states. The conversion kit should include all hardware and instructions needed to modify a standard M240B and M240L to fire the 6.8mm XM1186 general purpose cartridge. This will include a new barrel assembly and may include changes to the weapon powering through updates to the gas regulator, drive spring, or other means. The barrel assembly must be the standard barrel length (M240B) and short barrel length (M240L). M240s are the Armys current general purpose machine guns. The B model, with its roughly 24-inch long barrel and 27.6 pound unloaded weight, is the baseline type in the services inventory today. The lighter weight L version, with its shorter barrel (just under 22 inches), collapsible stock, and titanium receiver, tips the scales at 21.8 pounds. The Army also has a M240H variant with spade grips instead of a buttstock for use as a helicopter door gun. An M240B machine gun with its top cover open and mounted on a tripod seen during training. US Army A member of the US Army fires an M240L. US Army The Army currently issues M240 variants for use by infantry and other dismounted personnel, as well as in vehicle and helicopter-mounted applications. M240s are also in widespread use elsewhere across the U.S. military in similar roles, as well as mounted on ships and small boats. An M240H mounted in the window of a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. US Army A pair of M240 machine guns in a mount on a US Navy special operations watercraft. USN Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The main benefit of acquiring a new machine gun in .338 Norma Magnum would be the additional range such a weapon would offer over 7.62x51mm M240s, as well as improved terminal effects on targets at those longer distances. .338 Norma Magnum has historically been more of a caliber option for sniper rifles. The Armys stated maximum effective range of an M240B against an area target is 1,312 yards (1,200 meters). That shrinks to around 875 yards (800 meters) when talking about engaging specific point targets, according to manufacturer FN. A .338 Norma Magnum machine gun could offer at least double the effective range, if not more, depending on the design and specific ammunition loadings. Being able to relatively readily convert any new machine gun to fire the 6.8x51mm round would also offer valuable ammunition commonality with the M7 rifle and the M250 light machine gun. The 6.8x51mm ammunition is also lighter and cheaper per round than .338 Norma Magnum, which could be beneficial, especially for routine proficiency training on shorter ranges. The ability to convert M240B/Ls to fire 6.8x51mm would provide similar benefits to the Army. A member of the US Army fires an M250 machine gun during a cold weather evaluation of the weapon. US Army It is worth noting here that the U.S. special operations community, at times in cooperation with the U.S. Marine Corps, has been actively working toward adopting a .338 Norma Magnum machine gun for the better part of a decade now. U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) was reportedly expected to issue a formal request for proposals for what it has been (somewhat confusingly) calling a Lightweight Machine Gun-Medium (LMG-M) by the end of last year, but it is unclear whether or not that occurred. A past SOCOM briefing slide regarding the LMG-M program. SOCOM SOCOM and Marines have already been evaluating multiple .338 Norma Magnum machine gun designs in recent years. This includes Sig Sauers MG 338, the design of which is directly related to the M250 light machine gun that the company is already supplying to the Army. Sig Sauer is also the manufacturer of the M7 rifle. Sig Sauer has notably also shown a version of the MG 338 with spade grips for vehicle and helicopter-mounted applications, as well as an example of standard versions of the gun in a naval mounting, in recent years. MG338s spade grip enters production. Tool-free conversion from flex mount to an infantry-carried gun in a single assembly. pic.twitter.com/AyMhFtFlpB Gregory Knowles (@2805662) October 9, 2023 SIG Sauer MG338 twin mount shows off its alternate left/right feed & left/right charging handles. Also shown is the 7.62 NATO calibre exchange kit, primarily intended for training. pic.twitter.com/vOtNTGql7b Gregory Knowles (@2805662) October 10, 2022 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As part of its LMG-M, SOCOM is known to have tested at least two other .338 Norma Magnum machine gun designs, what is now branded the RM338 from True Velocity and Ohio Ordnance Works Recoil Enhanced Automatic Rifle (REAPR). The RM338 began life at General Dynamics Ordnance & Tactical Systems as the Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG). Talk about caliber conversions for existing M240s as a tangent to the Armys adoption of its new slate of 6.8x51mm guns is not new, either. Large-scale adoption of a dual-caliber .338 Norma Magnum/6.8x51mm by the Army could aid SOCOM in its ongoing push to field such a weapon and lead to its use elsewhere within the U.S. military, while helping to spread out associated cost burdens. Similarly, M240s firing 6.8x51mm ammunition could see wider-spread use if the Army moves ahead with those plans. U.S. military small arms procurement trends often have global impacts, as well. The Army is already in the midst of a major small arms shift with its new M7 rifles and M250 light machine guns, and now a new general purpose machine gun may be closer on the horizon. Contact the author: joe@twz.com DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) A clinic that provides mental health, substance use, and primary care services is fighting back after a private school in Decatur attempted to prevent them from moving in next door. In January, St. Teresa High School filed an injunction to block Heritage Behavioral Health Center from relocating next to the school. St. Teresa is located at 2700 N. Water Street in Decatur, and Heritage recently acquired the former North Gate mall, located at 2800 N. Water Street. PREVIOUSLY: Decatur high school suing health clinic over location Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the lawsuit, St. Teresa said the clinic would be within 500 feet of their building. And, according to court documents, the school said the clinic poses a danger to the school because patients loiter around their current facility, which include sex offenders, and those with drug addictions and mental health disorders. St. Teresa also said that the police department has received over 100 calls directly to the health clinic in the last five years. In response, Heritage filed a motion to dismiss the injunction in late February. Heritage said that St. Teresas injunction should be thrown out for two reasons: St. Teresa did not provide sufficient evidence for an injunction under Illinois law St. Teresa did not allege a real and immediate injury resulting from the relocation Decaturs Heritage Behavioral Health Center receives $43M grant Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heritage said that St. Teresa has the right to operate without interference from a private nuisance, but they failed to prove that they needed to be protected from Heritage relocating. Heritage added that an example of a nuisance includes smoke, fumes, dust, vibration, or noise. And, St. Teresa did not allege that it was invaded in a substantial way, as required to claim a nuisance. St. Teresa also did not prove that the nuisance was caused intentionally or negligently. And, the third parties mentioned in the original injunction are not Heritage itself. By claiming Heritage will commit or is likely to commit a nuisance, without any facts alleging that (Heritages) specific conduct is interfering with (St. Teresas) property rights, St. Teresa fails to show that they need protection from Heritage, the clinic said. IL early childhood education advocates rally for more funding St. Teresa also claimed that Heritages relocation will harm their ability to educate students, operate a school, harm their reputation and standing in the community and reduce tuition revenue. Heritage said these potential injuries are not grounded in facts, and are neither real or immediate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No court date has been set, according to the Macon County Circuit Courts website. WCIA reached out to both Heritage and St. Teresa for comment. Though we are unable to comment on matters directly related to the current legal proceedings, Heritage Behavioral Health Center will continue to focus on serving the mental health, substance use, and primary care needs of our communities. We continue to welcome discussion with St. Teresa High School to address any continued concerns and/or fears. Mary Garrison, President and CEO of Heritage Behavioral Health Center WCIA is still waiting to hear back from St. Teresa for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. In early February, as Donald Trumps second term was just getting underway, The Washington Post reported that the president was preparing an executive order aimed at eventually closing the Department of Education. But in the short term, the report added, the Republican and his team were focused on dismantling it from within. Five weeks later, thats precisely whats happening. NBC News reported: The Education Department announced a drastic reduction in its workforce Tuesday, saying its set to cut about half of its staff. About 1,300 career employees will receive termination notices and will be given an opportunity to return to offices to turn in government property and clean out their desks Wednesday, the Department of Education said in a news release. Another 600 people previously accepted voluntarily resignations or early retirement. Shortly after announcing the layoffs, Education Secretary Linda McMahon a former wrestling company executive and failed Senate candidate with no background in education appeared on Fox News to assure the public that she and her team kept the good people at the agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sorry, 1,300 career employees who just learned that youre being fired without cause. The administration has decided that youre just not good enough. The announcement was dramatic, but it was not surprising. Shortly after being sworn in as a Cabinet secretary, McMahon sent an email to her agencys staff. The title on the message was unsubtle: Our Departments Final Mission. A few days later, McMahon was asked on Fox News whether the country needs her department. No, she replied, we dont. Theres ample evidence to the contrary. At the federal level, the Department of Education is responsible for everything from overseeing a massive federal student loan program to administering grants, collecting key data used in policymaking to enforcing civil rights laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those responsibilities havent changed, though the federal agency will now be expected to tackle the duties with a slashed workforce. Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said in a statement, Ultimately, what they want to do is clear: fire the people who help our kids and gut funding for our students, teachers, and schools. This is about breaking government for working families and enriching billionaires like themselves in the process. But as the GOP campaign against the Department of Education continues, its also worth emphasizing the simple fact that theres no great public demand for such radicalism. On the contrary, a Washington Post analysis last week noted that while there hasnt been a lot of recent public opinion research on the issue, virtually all of the polling ... suggests this is not what the American people want. Indeed, it appears to be among the more unpopular things Trump has pushed for. Evidently, the Republican administration just doesnt care. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Sheria Smith, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, talks with Rachel Maddow about Donald Trump's war on the Department of Education, the legal fight he is facing for firing half of the department's employees, and the damage the firings have done to the department's ability to maintain the services it provides. When it comes to Donald Trumps plans for trade tariffs, its been quite a five-week run. In early February, the president announced a new round of tariffs; then he reversed course; then he reversed course again; and then he reversed course again. This week, the Republican announced plans to double the tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum imported from Canada, which was followed by him saying hed probably step back, which was followed by the White House announcing that the presidential announcement was no longer operative. That said, while the plan to double the tariffs was abandoned, the administration nevertheless raised tariffs on global steel and aluminum imports to 25%. For many private-sector leaders who are responsible for making decisions about product purchases, shipping, staffing and investments about their business short-term and long-term future its all a bit much. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Washington Post reported that corporate executives are pleading with the administration for market stability. The Wall Street Journal reported that White House officials are receiving panicked calls from chief executives who are rejecting Trumps stop-and-start trade policy and uneven economic messaging. By all appearances, the president has heard the pleas, but he doesnt much care. CNBC reported earlier this week: President Donald Trump has dismissed the growing chorus of CEOs, investors and policymakers who are pleading with the White House for greater clarity about his sweeping tariff agenda. They always say that. We want clarity, Trump said in a Fox News interview that aired Sunday. But private-sector leaders always say they want clarity because and this is the important part they really do always want clarity. The president apparently doesnt want to give them any. Indeed, Trump tried to defend his tariffs at an event at the Business Roundtable, a powerful business lobbying group in Washington, D.C., telling executives that his agenda is having a tremendously positive impact, all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hours later, he made related comments to reporters, saying, Markets are going to go up and theyre going to go down but, you know what? We have to rebuild our country. Referring to himself in third person, Trump added, Remember, Trump is always right. Putting aside the fact that tariffs will not rebuild the United States, and Trump has most definitely not always been right, the message to the private sector couldnt be much clearer: Theyre urging the White House to pursue a clear and consistent agenda that businesses can plan around, and the president appears inclined to ignore them with ongoing erraticism and unpredictability for the foreseeable future. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Things could be better for Elon Musks Tesla. As my MSNBC colleague Zeeshan Aleem explained, the auto manufacturer is facing a major slump, with a drop in international sales and a sinking stock price. Its a multifaceted problem, to be sure, but as Zeeshan added, [I]ndustry analysts point to Musks emergence as a right-wing extremist meddling in politics across the West as a likely factor in the companys woes. That, of course, is the bad news. The good news, at least for Donald Trumps biggest campaign donor, is that he has an ally in the West Wing whos apparently willing to turn himself into a pitch man on Musks behalf while turning the White House into something resembling a car dealership. Late Monday night, the president used his social media platform to falsely accuse Teslas critics of illegally boycotting the company that didnt make any sense before announcing that he planned to purchase a Tesla car as a sign of support for his generous contributor and White House aide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was a bizarre and unprecedented testimonial, but it was also a precursor of things to come. NBC News reported: President Donald Trump turned the South Lawn of the White House into a temporary Tesla showroom Tuesday in a conspicuous favor to his adviser Elon Musk, the car companys billionaire CEO. Tesla delivered five of its vehicles to the White House and parked them on a driveway for Trump to personally inspect, hours after he said on Truth Social that he planned to buy a Tesla to demonstrate his support for Musk and for the slumping company. Theres never been a White House event quite like this one. The incumbent Republican president praised his megadonors vehicles as beautiful. He touted the vehicles prices. He complimented Musk for selling a great product. He expressed hope that Teslas stock price would go up. He picked out the model and color of the one he wanted. He heralded Musks patriotism. He even took a moment to express a degree of amazement with a computerized dashboard. All the while, the event what was effectively an infomercial was livestreamed on Musks social media platform. This was, by any fair measure, obscene. The White House is not supposed to be used for commercials in support of campaign donors consumer products. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just because the corruption plays out in public doesnt mean its not corruption, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said in a statement. Its an important detail. I can appreciate how easy it is to grow inured to Trumps depravity, especially when it comes to marketing gimmicks, but turning the White House South Lawn into a showroom for a donors product line was a new and nauseating low. Traditionally, Americans might expect more subtle forms of corruption, with a president placing a few private phone calls to help campaign donors who need a favor for their businesses. Trump, however, threw caution to the wind, ignored norms and ethics, and embraced a far more brazen approach to corruption. I suspect plenty of American auto manufacturers would love to get this kind of free publicity and unpaid promotional work from a sitting president but theyre unlikely to get it. Musk donated $288 million to Republicans in the 2024 election cycle, and evidently, that affords him special treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hours after the event, the public confronted a predictable coda: The New York Times reported that Musk has signaled to the presidents advisers that he intends to put $100 million into groups controlled by the Trump political operation. The Times report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, added, It is unheard-of for a White House staffer, even one with part-time status, to make such large political contributions to support the agenda of the boss. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Todays installment of campaign-related news items from across the country. * In a bit of a surprise, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire has decided not to seek re-election next year. Shes one of three Democratic incumbents whove announced theyll step down in 2026, joining Michigans Gary Peters and Minnesotas Tina Smith. * In Minnesota, Democrat David Gottfried won a state House special election, restoring a tie in the state legislative chamber. Gottfried prevailed in this St. Paul-area district with 70% of the vote, slightly outpacing support for the Democratic ticket last fall. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * The news was better for Republicans in Iowa, where GOP candidate Blaine Watkins prevailed in a state House special election. Note, however, that Donald Trump won this district by 24 points in November, while Watkins won by three points. * The latest national CNN poll found the president with a 45% approval rating, but just as notable was the fact that a 56% majority disapproves of his handling of the economy. Thats the worst the Republican has ever fared on this question. (Click the link for more information on the polls methodology and margin of error.) * Republican legislators in Indiana are moving forward with a measure that would ban the use of student IDs for voting. The proposal has already passed the GOP-led state Senate. * Arthur Schwartz, a conservative political consultant with close ties to Trumps orbit, suggested last week that Republican Sen. Thom Tillis cant win re-election in North Carolina next year and the party needs a new candidate. The incumbent senator did not take this well. Arthur Schwartz is a political hack that should probably just keep on being a smart guy and a billionaire, because hes a s----- political consultant, Tillis said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement * In the 2024 election, Republican Rep. David Schweikert of Arizona held on for a four-point re-election victory, but hes seen as vulnerable in 2026. With this in mind, Marlene Galan-Woods, a former local TV anchor and a former Republican, announced that shes taking on the GOP incumbent next year. This will be her second attempt at elected office. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Elon Musk has made no effort to hide his intense interest in Social Security. In fact, Donald Trumps biggest campaign donor and the head of the quasi-governmental DOGE operation keeps tweeting bizarre claims about alleged fraud and inconsistencies he thinks he has identified in the Social Security system. Those claims have invariably collapsed under scrutiny. Indeed, it has become rather embarrassing lately. Musk claimed, for example, that millions of people over the age of 130 were receiving Social Security checks he said it was perhaps the biggest fraud in the history of humanity but none of this was true. The Republican megadonor has not, however, limited his concerns to misguided claims about improper payments; hes also targeted the system itself. Nearly two weeks ago, Musk went so far as to label Social Security a Ponzi scheme. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview with Fox Business Larry Kudlow, he kept going. The New York Times reported: Elon Musk, the worlds richest individual, suggested on Monday that his government cost-cutting team would scrutinize Social Security and other entitlement spending, describing the expenditures as rife with fraudulent transactions and repeating a conspiracy theory that Democrats were using the programs as a gigantic magnet to attract illegal immigrants and have them stay in the country. The two men a former member of Trumps White House team interviewing a current member of Trumps White House team covered a fair amount of ground, but there was one line from Musk that stood out as especially notable. Youve got to actually take action, the billionaire said. So, I mean, the waste report in entitlement spending, which is most of the federal spending, is entitlements. So thats, like, the big one to eliminate. Thats the sort of half-trillion, maybe $600, $700 billion a year. To the extent that reality still has any significance in the political discourse, theres simply no reason to accept Musks claims at face value. As The Associated Press reported, Musks estimate for the level of fraud in entitlements far outpaces figures from watchdogs like Social Securitys inspector general, who previously said there was $71.8 billion in improper payments from fiscal years 2015 through 2022. Thats less than 1% of benefits paid out during that time period. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for the bizarre conspiracy theory that Democrats use social-insurance programs such as Social Security as a gigantic magnet to attract illegal immigrants, lets not forget that undocumented immigrants are ineligible for Social Security benefits. Whats more, they end up inadvertently strengthening Social Securitys finances by putting money into the system without taking anything out. But as important as these details are, lets not miss the forest for the trees: Musks falsehoods matter, but the fact that one of the most powerful figures in the White House if not the most powerful figure is increasingly overt in his condemnations of Social Security matters just as much. The more Trumps most generous contributor talks about the program, the more obvious it becomes that Musk sees Social Security spending as very much on the table. You dont need to scratch your head and wonder whats going on when you see that the Trump administration is decimating Social Security offices and staff, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said last week, before Musks on-air comments to Kudlow. And you dont need to ponder what might happen next when Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, says that the tens-of-millions of seniors, families, and children who depend on these earned benefits are part of some scam because thats a real threat and a real promise: They are coming for your Social Security. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The New York Democrat added, The richest man in the world and his sidekick, the President of the United States, have decided to attack the bedrock of Americas social safety net, and now your pocket is in the way. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Irelands Prime Minister Micheal Martin appeared a bit perplexed today by a question posed to him during an Oval Office visit with President Donald Trump. Brian Glenn, chief White House correspondent for Real Americas Voice, a Trump supporting news outlet, asked him why in the world would you let Rosie ODonnell move to Ireland? I think she is going to lower your happiness level. More from Deadline Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump responded, Thank you I like that question. Martin chuckled but appeared to not quite understand the question or how to respond. Do you know who she is? Trump asked. Glenn could be heard saying, Im joking, before Trump added, You are better off not knowing. During the Oval Office meeting last month between Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, Glenn asked the Ukrainian leader why he didnt wear a suit. ODonnell said in a TikTok video this week that she moved to Ireland in January and was in the process of getting Irish citizenship. When it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that is when we will consider coming back, ODonnell said. She has long been a Trump nemesis, and appeared at a rally in front of the White House during his first term. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trumps team quickly amplified the moment on social media accounts. Its been a couple of weeks since the White House took control of which reporters would be allowed to be members of the press pool, the smaller group of correspondents who cover events in the Oval Office and other limited spaces. The pool selection and scheduling process had been previously handled for decades by the White House Correspondents Association. Since the Trump White House took control, TV networks and other mainstream outlets have continued to be a part of the pool, but the White House has increasingly drawn on right-wing media publications for such access. Marjorie Taylor Greene's boyfriend asks the Irish head of government why he let Rosie O'Donnell move to Ireland. Trump commends him, saying "I like that question." pic.twitter.com/0UD6O0kuDZ Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 12, 2025 Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine welcome the Los Angeles-class-attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN 767) for a scheduled maintenance period Nov. 21, 2024. (U.S. Navy photo by Branden Bourque) Federal workers in Maine have not been untouched by the widespread workforce cuts being driven by Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration. Take the half dozen civilian employees at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery who were laid off Tuesday. Or the seven Togus Veterans Administration Medical Center workers who were fired in late February without prior notice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These cuts are not being made thoughtfully or with any regard to the mission these dedicated employees perform, said Bill Webber, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2024, which represents the shipyard employees. To help those affected by the cuts, the Maine Department of Labor created a guide for former federal employees to navigate unemployment insurance. In addition to information available online, the department is holding virtual weekly meetings at 10 a.m. every Wednesday to review unemployment insurance, health insurance options, job search resources and other key topics for people who have recently lost their jobs. A defense official could not comment on the situation, but the Maine AFL-CIO said the decision to fire the workers who performed secretarial work for department heads came from the Department of the Navy, not shipyard management. How to navigate unemployment in Maine Before filing for unemployment, the department recommends people gather as much financial information as possible. This includes printing paystubs and 2024 tax forms. There is also a frequently asked question page former federal workers can review before filing a claim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The department also said laid off workers should file their unemployment claim in Maine as soon as they separate from their employer. Even without all documents together, they can call 800-593-7660 to file their initial claim. The first one must be done over the phone, but subsequent claims can be filed weekly online. People should file even if they are appealing their termination, the department said. Since federal wages arent reported in state systems, the department said the initial claim may come back at $0. However, this will be updated after wages are verified. Once a claim has been submitted, the department advises filers to keep tabs on the online portal and their email in case state agencies reach out for additional information. They also need to be actively searching for work each week to continue receiving benefits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many states are actively recruiting fired federal workers to help fill vacant state government positions. The Maine Department of Labor is holding virtual office hours on applying to state jobs. They will be held weekly from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Thursdays starting March 20. Full guidance and other information for federal employees who have lost their jobs is available on the department website at maine.gov/labor/federalworkers/. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Signs on the approch road to Sears Island in upper Penobscot Bay opposing the proposed construction of an assembly and maintenance facility for floating wind turbines on the island. July 22, 2024. (Photo by Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star) Maine lawmakers will once again get the chance to consider whether an undeveloped island in Penobscot Bay should be transformed into a central hub for the states budding offshore wind industry. The Legislatures Environment and Natural Resources Committee will hold a public hearing Wednesday for two bills that would protect Sears Island from being developed into an offshore wind port. Both are sponsored by Rep. Reagan Paul (R-Winterport), whose district includes the island located in the town of Searsport. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, Gov. Janet Mills announced that Sears Island is the preferred site for a designated port to support the states goals to develop 3,000 megawatts of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine by 2040. Mills said the island was chosen for its economic and environmental opportunities. Though the state already owns the land, it is protected under the Natural Resources Protection Act, which prohibits new or expanded structures on coastal sand dunes. This prompted the Legislature to pass a bill that authorized the Department of Environmental Protection to grant an exception for the site, allowing permitting for the port to proceed, so long as all other applicable permitting and licensing criteria are met. The proposal drew strong pushback from local conservation and Indigenous groups and initially divided the lawmakers, but eventually prevailed. However, one of Pauls bills, LD 735, wants to roll that back and add guardrails for any future attempts at such legislation. The bill also proposes that only lawmakers who represent that district can introduce legislation to develop the island in conflict with federal environmental regulations. It also stipulates that it would need the support of two-thirds of the Legislature for enactment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, the bill would prohibit the state from authorizing any development on Sears Island without first establishing an Indigenous lands protection committee and confirming that any area to be developed isnt a sacred site to native people in Maine. Maulian Bryant, executive director of the Wabanaki Alliance, said the group does not have a united stance on the bill but she said the idea of consultation is a great place to start. Rep. Aaron Dana of the Passamaquoddy Tribe is among the cosponsors of the bill. The states plan to build an offshore wind port on Sears Island has been met with pushback since it was announced. Proponents see it as a blank canvas that will aid in the states transition to clean energy. But opponents have argued against clearing more natural land, instead calling for the redevelopment of nearby Mack Point, which currently houses a terminal owned by Sprague Energy. An October analysis from the Maine Department of Transportation found that Sears Island and Mack Point are the two best options, but the latter would be more expensive and require dredging, which some have argued would risk contaminating the bay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2009, the state placed two-thirds of Sears Island, about 600 acres, into a permanent easement. The state has planned to leave that portion untouched by the port, which will be built on roughly 100 acres outside of the protected area. However, LD 226 seeks to extend that conservation easement to cover more of Sears Island, including a portion that has been reserved for port development by the Maine Department of Transportation. As Maine has set clean energy and climate goals, developing offshore wind as a power source has been at the crux of meeting those ambitions. The Governors Energy Office recently released a technical report showing that while it is possible to meet the states goal of 100% clean energy by 2040, wind and solar are key components of meeting increased electrification demands from plug-in cars and heating options. But Republicans have pushed back with concerns that offshore wind will harm Maines fishing industry. They have also said they would like to see the state explore other energy sources such as nuclear and hydropower. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In January, Paul wrote a letter on behalf of her GOP colleagues to President Donald Trump thanking him for his actions temporarily halting new or renewed offshore wind leases in all areas of the outer continental shelf. The letter also asked him to take it a step further by revoking the existing leases and permits in the Gulf of Maine. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Very little unites Mainers as much as the rich tradition of hunting and fishing, said Maine Rep. Elizabeth Caruso of Caratunk. (Photo credit: USFWS/Ryan Hagarty) When Rep. Elizabeth Caruso saw a map of states with a constitutionally protected right to hunt and fish, she was shocked that Maine wasnt on it. That inspired the Republican from Caratunk to introduce LD 820 to establish that right in the Maine Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even though the state boasts a constitutionally enshrined right to food, which includes some hunting, Caruso said there can never be enough protection for heritage traditions that contribute to the livelihood and economy of many communities throughout the state. Very little unites Mainers as much as the rich tradition of hunting and fishing, she said. If you want to protect your childhood memories, family heritage and the Maine hunting and fishing legacy that we leave to our children, I ask you to vote ought to pass, she encouraged members of the Legislatures Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee during a public hearing Wednesday. This amendment, however, would maintain the states Sunday hunting ban. Committee members raised questions about the specific language in the bill, especially around the terms traditional and reasonable. Caruso said she was trying to use broad and inclusive terms, but is open to workshopping it. There were also questions about whether this sort of amendment is needed, given the right to food. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife opposed the bill over similar language concerns. Deputy Commissioner Tim Peabody said the department expressed those concerns with Caruso and would like to see this done right, but believes the proposal isnt there yet. The department took a more neutral stance on previous attempts to pass this sort of amendment, Peabody said. However, he noted that there has been progress on this topic in recent years, in particular the 2024 Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruling that found the states right to food includes limited rights to hunting. The department views that ruling as a win, Peabody said. Having the constitutional amendment in there is one thing, but having the Maine supreme court rule on the right to hunt is very strong for our department, he said. We see that as much stronger than having an untested constitutional amendment in there. Peabody was referring to the 2022 lawsuit filed by Virginia and Joel Parker, that argued the states Sunday hunting ban was unconstitutional after the passage of the right to food amendment. The ruling from the states highest court found that the Sunday ban does not violate the right to food because it falls under the poaching exception in the amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Sportsmans Alliance of Maine also highlighted that ruling as its reason to support Carusos proposal, arguing that it would clarify language and prevent future challenges, according to written testimony from Executive Director David Trahan. The right to hunt amendment is a legislative priority for the National Rifle Association, said state director Justin Davis. Both the Maine Forest Products Council and Maine Woodland Owners testified neither for nor against the bill because while they support hunting and fishing, they also raised concerns about the bill language and fear it could create confusion with the already established right to food. Humane World for Animals, an animal rights organization, opposed the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Constitutional amendments in Maine have high bars for passage. This bill will have to secure the support of two-thirds of the Legislature and would then be sent to the voters, who would ultimately decide. The Legislature is considering a variety of other potential amendments including an Equal Rights Amendment and one to provide for parental rights. Unless noted in the legislation, constitutional amendments passed this session would go on the November 2025 ballot. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Mar. 12All of Maine's active federal judges have, without explanation, recused themselves from a Republican state lawmaker's lawsuit against the Speaker of the House. Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, and six of her constituents filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Bangor on Tuesday in response to Libby's party-line censure by the Legislature last month. Democrats argued Libby crossed a line by including photos of a transgender high school athlete as part of her criticism of Maine's policy of allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls sports. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Libby's case against Democratic Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau and House clerk Robert Hunt is now being referred to a federal judge from Rhode Island but will still be considered in Maine, according to an order Chief Judge Lance Walker issued Wednesday morning. "The recusal of all the judges on this court gives rise to an "emergency" with respect to the referred case as that term is used in 28 U.S.C. 636(f)," Walker wrote, citing a federal law over recusals. Under federal law, judges have a broad ability to remove themselves from any case where there could be a potential conflict. They're obligated to step away from a case if they have a personal bias against a party, personal knowledge of disputed facts, were an attorney for the matter in controversy, have a financial interest in a controversy, or a spouse involved in a case. Yet judges are not required to offer any insight into their decision. They have the option to suggest there is a potential conflict, and give the parties a chance to decide for themselves if a judge can be impartial. They can also explain why they might choose not to recuse themselves, if challenged to do so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The decision by the entire Maine federal bench to recuse itself is highly unusual. Dmitry Bam, a professor at the University of Maine School of Law, said Wednesday that he has never seen the entire court make such a move. He has seen instances in Maine and other states where more than one judge will move to recuse themselves from cases where they have a financial interest (like those involving waterfront property), but never a full court. None of Maine's federal judges have an obvious financial connection to the parties in Libby's lawsuit, according to a review of their financial disclosure forms. And they've been nominated to the bench by both Democratic and Republican presidents. Recusals can help judges avoid a perception of bias, Bam said. But even though there's no obligation to disclose their reason for recusals, he said the lack of clarity might be problematic for the people involved in the case, future judges weighing similar issues and the public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I think, just kind of from the public perception, I don't know is it going to create public confidence that these judges are so cautious that they all stepped aside? Or does it kind of go the other way, where the public might have skepticism?" Bam said. Neither Libby nor her attorney, Patrick Strawbridge, were aware Tuesday, after the first set of judges had recused themselves, what their reasoning was. "This many recusals are quite unusual, but because none of the judges have specified the reason they are refusing, I am unable to provide any insight or comment on it," Strawbridge wrote. A spokesperson for Fecteau did not respond to an email Wednesday asking about the recusals. The Office of the Maine Attorney General, which is defending Fecteau, said it does not comment on pending litigation. This story will be updated. Staff Writer Rachel Ohm contributed to this report. Copy the Story Link MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) Singh Sukhjinder, the man charged with negligent homicide in relation to Kevin Latailles death in Cheat Lake, will, for the time being, remain in California, where he was arrested last week. In a press release Tuesday night, the Monongalia County Sheriffs Office announced that Sukhjinder has refused to waive his extradition regarding his negligent homicide charge. Officials with the sheriffs office said they are working with the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorneys Office to secure a Governors Warrant through Gov. Patrick Morriseys office. According to California-based law firm Eisner Gorin LLP, Governors warrants must be issued by the governor of the state where the fugitive is locatedin this case Gov. Gavin Newsom of Californiaafter a demanding state has requested that the fugitive be returned to it for trial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Woman struck 2 officers after shoplifting from White Hall Walmart, officers say Sukhjinder has been the subject of news since his identity and charges were released on March 3, including last week when a man believed to be Sukhjinder was wrongfully arrested in Phoenix, Arizona. The man was released shortly after, and the real Sukhjinder was arrested in Fontana, California a few days later. The Monongalia County Sheriffs Office said it remains committed to ensuring justice is served and will provide further updates as this process progresses. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. A man is charged with killing his girlfriend after he reported it to Milwaukee police almost three weeks after she died. Serkan Akcilad, 22, is charged with first-degree reckless homicide of his girlfriend Silan Tut in late January on the 1300 block of North 10th Street. Prosecutors say authorities found evidence of a cover-up in the two's shared apartment, but the man denied he harmed her in interviews. Tut's murder was not reported to police until Feb. 27, the day Akcilad told officers, and her death was confirmed by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office that day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man is a Turkish national, like Tut, and when asked why he waited to report the death, he said he was unfamiliar with American laws, according to a criminal complaint outlining charges. Ackilad was scheduled for his initial court appearance on Wednesday morning. His cash bond was set at $1 million, according to online court records. According to the complaint: After Ackilad reported Tut's death, authorities investigated the apartment. They used blood detection equipment to find traces of blood throughout the apartment, including under a rug and other marks which indicated the body had been moved. Investigators concluded that "an extensive amount of blood had been cleaned up" from under the rug. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a search of the apartment, police found sneakers with blood on them; a box cutter in the dishwasher; and clothes with possible blood stains on them in the washing machine. Authorities would later find cleaning supplies and receipts that showed their purchase was made on Jan. 24. Store footage was later reviewed that confirmed Akcilad purchased the cleaning supplies that day. Officers interviewed two people at the apartment building, who both said they heard the two arguing. The day Akcilad reported Tut's death to police, he told officers he previously attempted to kill himself with a nail gun and had a nail in his head, which was removed at a local hospital. Officers interviewed him regarding the circumstances of Tut's death, but he denied cleaning supplies were purchased to cover up her killing or that he did it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He told authorities he found Tut dead in the apartment after he purchase the cleaning supplies and, upon finding her dead body, he passed out. Akcilad admitted he moved her body to the spot where she was found in the days before police searched the apartment. Officers did not find any sharp knives in the apartment and Akcilad confirmed the two had them but denied knowing where they were. Ackilad told officers the two were being evicted and he would not have reported the death had the apartment property company not been scheduled to look at the premises. He also admitted to impersonating Tut in text messages to her family, to suggest she was alive and well. Tut's death is one of 17 reported homicides to Milwaukee police so far this year. That's a 23% dip from last year at this date and down 35% from two years ago at this date. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Journal Sentinel previously investigated domestic violence homicides in Milwaukee County between 2016 to 2022 and found at least 178 deaths were related to it. David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@gannett.com. This story was updated to adjust a headline. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Man charged in killing his girlfriend in January Milwaukee stabbing ORLANDO, Fla. (WFLA) A man was accused of touching a child in the lazy river at a resort near Walt Disney World. William Chatel, 72, of Rhode Island, swam up to a young girl at the Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort on Sunday and grabbed her buttocks, according to an Orange County Sheriffs Office arrest report obtained by NBC affiliate WESH. Massive great white shark pings off Florida coast Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The resort is located just feet away from Disneys Caribbean Beach Resort. William Chatel (Orange County Sheriffs Office) The girls mother called OCSO after her daughter told her about the incident. Witnesses provided deputies with videos that showed Chatel swimming up to the children, according to the arrest report. The safety of our guests and associates is our top priority. We have and will continue to work closely with law enforcement, and the guest alleged to have been involved in this incident is no longer welcomed at any of our resort properties. Statement from Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek Chatel was charged with lewd or lascivious molestation on a victim under 12 and is being held at the Orange County Jail without bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) A 52-year-old man is under arrest, charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer, after what started as an investigation into a stalking complaint. Officials said they arrested Edwin Silence, 52, Monday afternoon in the 200 block of Sunflower Drive. Silence was a science teacher at Lafayette Middle School, but is no longer employed with Lafayette Parish School System, authorities said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Silence allegedly made statements to at least one victim identifying himself as an out-of-state law enforcement officer, displaying a badge and wearing a uniform adorned with an agency logo. The Lafayette Parish Sherifs Office, in conjunction with the Pike County Sheriffs Office (Mississippi) and Summit Police Department (Mississippi), discovered Silence was a law enforcement officer at different time periods with both agencies. They said Silence has since departed from these agencies and has yet to return several pieces of department-owned property. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest During a search of Silences residence and vehicle a multitude of law enforcement-related items belonging to the aforementioned agencies were recovered. Items recovered included an agency-owned pistol and two AR-15 style firearms. Items recovered from Silences residence Silence was sent a Lafayette Parish jail for two counts of fraudulent portrayal of a law enforcement officer. The investigation remains ongoing. No bond information is available at this time. Edwin Silence Latest news Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) A man was arrested after detectives found stolen items from active investigations across Decatur, Hartselle and Athens, police say. According to the Decatur Police Department, between the months of December 2024 and February 2025, officers were called to multiple houses and businesses within the City of Decatur for reports of theft, burglaries and vehicle break-ins. DPD said Property Crimes Detectives were assigned to the case. During the investigation, with help from the Hartselle Police Department, Cody Lance Hitt was named the suspect in the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives worked together on executing search warrants for Hitts house, storage units and vehicles. During the searches, DPD said detectives found several stolen items from active DPD, Hartselle and Athens cases. The detectives also said they found drugs. DPD then received nine felony warrants for Hitt, including three counts of third-degree burglary, three counts of breaking and entering a vehicle, second-degree theft of property, third-degree theft of property and possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. On March 8, Hitt was found by the Colbert County Sheriffs Office and arrested for unrelated charges. He was then transferred to DPD for his warrants, where he was booked into the Morgan County Jail with a bond of $23,500. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hitt was previously arrested by the Cullman Police Department in February for third-degree burglary. The police department said the investigation began on Feb. 10, when Hartselle City Parks and Recreation reported a burglary. Investigator Hardin with HPD identified Hitt as a suspect and launched an intensive search. During the investigation, authorities said Hitt was linked to an infamous white truck, which was identified as the vehicle used in multiple burglaries. Detectives later found that truck in Lawrence County. HPD said Hartselle investigators worked with Moulton Police, the Lawrence County Sheriffs Department and Athens Police Detectives as Hitt repeatedly attempted to evade law enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the investigation progressed, authorities said detectives found additional leads that directed them to the City of Decatur. Decatur Police Detectives collaborated with Hartselle Criminal Investigation Division, which led to the service of multiple search warrants. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. ELLISVILLE, Mo. A Eureka, Missouri man has been charged after attempting to carjack a womans vehicle and steal her purse at a bank in Ellisville. According to the Ellisville Police Department, John Oxendale attempted to hijack the womans Mini Cooper while at First Bank located at 15965 Manchester Road on Monday. Police said Oxendale attempted to open the doors of the vehicle and demanded the victims keys and purse. When the victim refused, Oxendale fled, and the victim went inside First Bank to call police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The St. Louis mayoral debate moments everyone is talking about Police located Oxendale on Manchester Road when they attempted to stop and arrest him. Oxendale refused and walked away from police before they used a taser to stop him. Oxendale has been charged with vehicle hijacking, attempted stealing, and resisting arrest. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Police found a mans body in a dumpster behind a Wendys in Ohio early Wednesday morning, according to our media partners WCPO-9 TV. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Cincinnati police officers were called to the dumpster on Hopple Street around 2:15 a.m. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Hamilton County Coroners Office removed the body and will handle the investigation, according to WCPO-9. The mans identity has not been released. The coroners office has not announced the mans cause of death. Police on scene told WCPO-9 that they dont believe foul play was involved and think the death may have been accidental. Additional information was not immediately available. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] In the late 1980s, the bodies of six missing girls and young women were found buried in shallow graves in the desert of El Paso, Texas. Most of the bodies were too decomposed to determine a cause of death, but there were signs that some of the victims had been sexually assaulted. As the death count rose, the El Paso Police Department faced increasing pressure to find and arrest the so-called Desert Killer. There are girls being killed out there. The public wants to know what we are doing, the deputy chief of police told the El Paso Herald-Post in November 1987. The department is feeling an impact never felt before because of the notoriety of the case, the serial killer aspect. It wasnt long until the police zeroed in on David Wood, a man with a history of sexual assault convictions. The evidence against Wood was purely circumstantial, the state would later admit.Prosecutors centered their case around testimony from jailhouse informants who had incentives to lie, and on acrylic fibers from a vacuum cleaner bag in Woods apartment that were similar to fibers found on one of the victims bodies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the inconclusiveness of the evidence, in 1992, Wood was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. Wood has steadfastly maintained his innocence. Ive been trying for 30 years to tell people I didnt do this, he recently told The Texas Observer. For decades, Wood has been unable to get relief in court until now, just two days before he was to die by lethal injection in the Texas death chamber. Earlier this month, Woods longtime lawyer filed a nearly 400-page petition laying out the case for his innocence and asking a judge to halt the execution. On Tuesday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted Wood a rare stay of execution to allow time to review some of his claims. A Decision To Take Him Off The Streets Wood was born in 1957 in San Angelo, Texas. He failed multiple grades and eventually dropped out of school when he was 17. He was arrested two years later for indecency with a child. He pleaded guilty and spent two and a half years in prison. Shortly after he was released, he pleaded guilty to raping an adult woman and a 13-year-old girl. After about seven years in prison, he was released on parole in January 1987, shortly before police would find the first body in the desert. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two weeks after Woods release, a woman was blindfolded and sexually assaulted in El Paso. The victim never saw her attacker, but the mother of the girl Wood had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting called Crime Stoppers and said that the womans assailant matched Woods modus operandi. The assault victim spoke with the girl, contacted the police, and identified Woods voice in an audio lineup as the man who had attacked her. In October 1987, Wood was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a second woman. Prosecutors announced they intended to introduce the assault of the first woman as evidence of a pattern of behavior if the lab results from the first womans rape kit implicated Wood. But the rape kit excluded Wood, and prosecutors declined to raise that case at the second womans trial. The second woman, who struggled with heroin addiction and had previous convictions related to drugs and sex work, gave inconsistent accounts about her assault, according to court records. Richard Jewkes, assistant district attorney at the time, said in a recent declaration that he felt the odds of convicting Wood of the assault were a coin flip because the evidence was pretty slim. But the district attorneys office felt pressure to secure a conviction against Wood, Jewkes wrote, because a decision was made to take him off the streets. A Texas court granted David Wood a rare stay of execution two days before he was scheduled to be killed. Mike Graczyk/Associated Press Wood was convicted and sentenced to 50 years in prison. Early on in his sentence, he shared a cell with a man named Randy Wells and lived a few cells down from two men named George Hall and James Sweeney. Wood confided in the other three men about feeling harassed by the El Paso police, who were trying to build their case against Wood in the desert killings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sweeney, a jailhouse lawyer, agreed to help Wood file a civil lawsuit accusing El Paso officials of harassment and consulted with Hall, his cellmate who worked in the law library. The case was ultimately dismissed, but in the process of filing the suit, Wood gave Sweeney more than 100 newspaper articles about the killings, according to Woods petition. The four men were eventually split up by transfers and releases. But in 1990, Hall was abruptly sent to the El Paso County jail, as the Marshall Project previously reported. Soon, Sweeney and Wells showed up, too. Sweeney was still completing his sentence, but Wells had been released and rearrested on a murder charge. Wells said that after he learned he was facing a life sentence, he told his attorney he knew something about the bodies buried in the desert, Hall wrote in a declaration last year. According to Hall, Wells concocted a story about Wood, his former cellmate, being the killer, based on information he had gleaned from listening to Wood work on his civil suit with Sweeney. Wells also encouraged the police to speak with Hall and Sweeney, Hall wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the three of them sat in the El Paso jail, Wells asked if Hall or Sweeney could give him specific information about the case, but both declined. Eventually, the three of them were placed in a car with no shackles or handcuffs, contrary to usual practice. The cops gave the three men the red carpet treatment, Hall told HuffPost. They went to a hamburger joint and, once at the police station, were given coffee, snacks, cigarettes and phone access. David Wood is our suspect, the detectives told them, according to Hall. Itd be best if you tell us something because we cant let this guy walk, the detectives said, mentioning there was reward money available. According to Hall, the detectives handed the men the case files about the murders and asked if Wood had ever said anything about the killings. Wells and Sweeney each said that Wood had confessed to the killings described in the files, Hall said. Theyre just fabricating everything, Hall told HuffPost. I was really upset. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The lead detective from Woods case, who has since retired, told The Marshall Project that the idea anyone gave the informants case files to review was preposterous and insane. When Hall declined to corroborate their theory of the case, the detectives told him, We can help you, if you can help us, Hall wrote, adding that they said they might be able to do something about his parole. I said I wasnt going to lie about David Wood, Hall wrote. Hall was eventually returned to prison. Months later, he was approved for parole, but shortly before he expected to go home, someone submitted a letter to the parole board protesting his release, and he was required to serve the final years of his sentence. He suspects it was retaliation for refusing to implicate Wood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In March 1991, Hall wrote a letter to Assistant District Attorney Debra Morgan stating he would not testify for the state against Wood. If the State subpoenas me for the trial, I will have no choice but to be a witness for the defense! Hall wrote in neat cursive in a letter affixed as an exhibit to Woods recent petition. Wells and Sweeney testified at trial that Wood had confessed to the killings and described how he would lure women into his truck by offering them drugs. Some of their testimony was inconsistent with the facts of the case. For example, Wells testified that Wood had said he always used his pickup truck during the murders but his truck was damaged and sat in an auto salvage yard for about a month during the time that three of the victims disappeared. Wells murder charge was dismissed after he testified against Wood. Sweeney sought $25,000 in reward money and eventually received $13,000 after suing the city. Both men have since died. The only piece of forensic evidence the state presented at trial were orange acrylic fibers found on and near the body of one of the victims. After Wood moved out of his apartment, police obtained a vacuum cleaner bag from the garage and found similar fibers inside. A chemist with the Texas Department of Public Safety testified that the fibers from the crime scene matched those from the bag, citing their size, shape, color, polymer composition and dye composition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Woods post-conviction legal team later hired trace evidence expert Christopher Palenik, who wrote in a report that the testimony at trial describing a match was problematic and misleading. Although Wood was accused of killing six women and girls Karen Baker, Rosa Maria Casio, Ivy Williams, Desiree Wheatley, Angelica Frausto, and Dawn Smith the jury instructions only required members to find that Wood had killed Williams and one or more of the other five victims. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1992. Every Persons Gotta Meet Their Maker Since then, Wood has maintained his innocence and fought his case in court. In 2010, at his request, a court ordered DNA testing on three items that had been tested before his trial but came back inconclusive. Testing of a bloodstain on a piece of clothing worn by one of the victims contained a partial male DNA profile that excluded Wood as the contributor. Wood requested testing of more than 100 additional pieces of evidence and for the state to investigate an alternative suspect, but the state successfully fought further testing. Hall was released from prison in 1994 and went on to serve 30 years on parole. He believes in the death penalty, but he also thinks Wood was unfairly convicted. He followed Woods case over the years, and in 2009, when Texas first set Woods execution date, Hall came close to calling Woods legal team and sharing what he knew about Wells and Sweeney. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But he believed that if he spoke up while still on parole, he would end up back in prison. Last year, when Hall was finally off paper, he tracked down Woods lawyer and left a voicemail. He said he had information about fabricated testimony and invited Woods lawyers to come visit him to discuss. In October, Hall wrote a detailed seven-page declaration, describing why he believed Wells and Sweeneys testimony was false. Every persons gotta meet their maker, and I dont wanna meet mine thinking I shouldve said something, Hall said in a phone interview. Thats no different than me killing David Wood. Related... TREMONT, Ill. (WMBD) The Peoria County Coroner, Jamie Harwood, identified a man who died after a fire Monday afternoon at a Tremont apartment. Richard Hayden, 69, suffered from smoke inhalation and suffered burns in his nasal passages and the airways in his throat, Harwood said. The autopsy also showed he suffered severe second and third-degree burns on his body. According to Tremont Police Chief Robert Siwak, at around 1 p.m. on Monday, the villages fire and police departments, along with the Tazewell County Sheriffs Office, responded to a fire at the apartment which is in the 100 block of North Chestnut Street. Thats a short walk from Tremont City Playground. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once there, rescue workers found Hayden, who was rushed to OSF HealthSaint Francis Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:07 p.m. on Monday. UPDATED: Firefighters released from hospital after battling early morning blaze Siwak said the fire was put out and no other building was affected. The fire is under investigation by the Tazewell County Criminal Investigations Unit and the State Fire Marshal. No foul play is suspected at this time. This story will be updated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. DENVER (KDVR) A man was taken into custody in Arapahoe County after the Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office responded to a call of a person being held at gunpoint on March 7, according to a post on social media from the sheriffs office. The deputies responded to the scene in the 8700 block of E. Florida Avenue. The call was from a woman who said her co-worker was being held at gunpoint by her boyfriend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Deputies surrounded the building where the incident was expected to be. They did not locate the suspect and victim before expanding the search and attempting to look for the victim or her vehicle. Police find purse belonging to CU Boulder student found dead in Boulder Canyon The Denver Police Department, Aurora Police Department and South Metro Fire assisted with the incident. Aurora police were surveying the area and spotted the victims car in a parking lot in the 2300 block of S. Chambers Road. The suspect saw law enforcement arrive and attempted to flee on foot. The sheriffs office said two deputies pursued the suspect on foot into a nearby business before tackling him and taking him into custody as the remaining deputies tended to the victim. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man was identified as Jeffrey Sliter, 46. Sliter was booked into the Arapahoe County Detention Facility and faces charges that include: Kidnapping Assault False imprisonment Domestic violence There was no information stated about the condition of the victim, and no other injuries were reported. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Police found a man shot to death at a North Las Vegas business Wednesday morning. Police said the suspect in the shooting left before officers arrived. On Wednesday, March 12 at around 5:15 a.m., officers with the North Las Vegas Police Department responded to reports of a shooting at a business in the 1200 block of East Lake Mead Boulevard, near Las Vegas Boulevard North. Arriving officers found a 38-year-old man suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The suspect left the scene before officers arrived. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Medical personnel responded and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. NLVPD detectives took over the investigation. No additional information was given at the time of publication because it is an active investigation. The identification of the deceased, along with the cause and manner of death, will be released by the Clark County coroners office. Anyone who may have information about this crime is urged to contact the North Las Vegas Police Department by phone at 702-633-9111. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555, or on the Crime Stoppers website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. A man was arrested this week after police say he showed up to their station with the explicit intent of killing an office, but attacked a woman instead when he couldnt find one. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Daniel Carrillo was arrested Monday afternoon in the lobby of the Elyria Police Station in northern Ohio, WOIO in Cleveland reported. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police said a woman was standing in line to get a copy of a report when Carrillo came up to her with a belt in his hands and wrapped it around her neck. WOIO reported that the woman believed he was going to kill her after seeing the look in his eyes. Police were able to rescue the woman and detain Carrillo. The woman was treated for injuries at the station but declined further medical treatment. Carrillo told police he smoked marijuana before going to the station. He had taken off his belt before going into the station with the plan being to use his belt in the attack, WOIO reported. He also reportedly told police that if he were released, he would try and kill again. Carrillo remains booked in the Lorain County Jail. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) A man was indicted by a Peoria County Grand Jury on Tuesday for his alleged connection to a home invasion that occurred on Feb. 14. According to Peoria County Circuit Court records, Anthony Morris, 24, is facing Home Invasion and armed robbery counts for an incident that occurred at the Lexington Hills Apartments. According to Peoria County States Attorneys Spokeswoman Anna Perales, when officers arrived on the scene, the victims told police that they responded to a knock at the door and saw two men. One of the men, who was later identified as Morris, was allegedly armed with a gun, pushed the door open and forced his way into the apartment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man ordered held after alleged home invasion Morris then allegedly held a gun to the head of one of the residents and demanded car keys, credit cards, phones and a jacket. He was arrested on Feb. 28. On March 3, a Peoria County Circuit Judge approved the states attorneys petition to detain Morris until the end of his trial. Hes next scheduled to appear in court for an arraignment hearing on March 27. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. ELYRIA, Ohio (WJW) A man has been arrested after going to the Elyria Police Station with intent to kill an officer and instead attacking a woman in the lobby. According to a case report from the Elyria Police Department, officers responded to the scene of an assault that happened in the lobby of the police station Monday around 2:30 p.m. when a man was separated from a woman and handcuffed. Four dead, car split into pieces in CLE crash Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two officers arrived in the lobby to find a man, identified as Daniel Carrillo, being searched by other officers. According to the report, the man had no expression on his face and appeared unaffected by the incident moments prior. Meanwhile, the woman involved was on the ground, crying while holding her arms around her legs. The woman was escorted to an interview room, cleary frightened, breathing heavily with a small laceration on her nose as well as on her hand, the report said. The report also noted that the victim had redness around her throat and knuckles. Photos of her injuries were taken as evidence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Big lottery win at local Giant Eagle Eventually, the victim was able to describe to the police what happened in the lobby. The victim told officers she was standing in line behind Carrillo while she waited to request a copy of a police report. When Carrillo was finished speaking with the records clerk, he walked toward the phone, about 10 feet from where the victim was standing. As the victim approached the records clerk, she noticed Carrillo in her periphery approaching her slowly. She told officers that at the time, she noted the look in his eyes, believing he was going to kill her. Canada, EU announce new tariffs against US Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carrillo approached the victim with a belt in his hands and held it toward her neck. That is when the victim began to back away and call for help while Carrillo continued his approach, attempting to wrap it around her neck. She tried to fight off Carrillos attack. Footage from the lobby security camera shows the moment the attack took place. According to the report, the video shows the victim standing at the front desk with Carrillo near the phone. He is then seen approaching the victim with a belt, which he pulled taught between both hands, stretched out and held toward the victims neck. The victim backed away from Carrillo with her hands out to prevent the attack. He then continued to press forward with the belt while the victim reached out to grab it. The two began to struggle over the belt, and Carrillo released his right hand and lunged at the victims throat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim told police she believed Carrillo was trying to kill her. She said she had not spoken to and did not know Carrillo. Police in Pennsylvania seek answers about box demon Other officers were interviewing Carrillo at the time. He was mirandized and stated he arrived at the police department with explicit intent of killing an officer, the report said. When he arrived at the station, he told police that he did not find an officer in the lobby, so he decided to attack the victim instead. Carrillo then explained to police that his intent was to kill, the report said. He said he smoked marijuana before arriving at the station. He also stated that he took off his belt before entering the building with the plan to use it in the attack. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim told officers that she had heart problems and had legally died twice due to the condition. Life Care assessed the victim and found her blood pressure elevated. She declined further medical treatment and was released from the scene. Carrillo was arrested and charged with felonious assault, strangulation, assault, aggravated menacing and disorderly conduct while intoxicated. He was taken to the Lorain County Jail, where he remains without bond. Carrillos arraignment is set for March 31. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. A Florida man has pleaded guilty to assaulting security officers at a federal courthouse in Pittsburgh. Steven Seitz, formerly of Sarasota, pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting federal officers, according to the Department of Justice. The court was advised the charges stem from a July 2024 incident where Seitz entered the courthouse looking for the Central Intelligence Agency and refused requests from security guards to leave the building. When those guards tried to escort Seitz from the building, he reportedly unlawfully and forcibly assaulted, resisted, and opposed the officers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least two officers were hurt during the incident. Seitz will be sentenced in July. He faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) A Masury man pleaded guilty Wednesday to fourth-degree attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Jonathan Bellow, 45, faces a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison. He will receive his sentence following a background investigation conducted by probation officers, according to a news release from the Trumbull County Prosecutors Office. Bellow will also be classified as a Tier 2 sex offender, meaning he will have to register with the sheriffs office twice per year for 25 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Charges were filed against Bellow last January after a child predator sting operation conducted by a group known as Citizen Predator Catchers. According to a report from Hubbard city police, the group conducted a sting operation at the West Park manor apartments. One of the group members posed as a 14-year-old girl and was texting Bellow, who agreed to meet the person for sex, the release stated. Hubbard police arrested Bellow later. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKBN.com. A Texas man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of his fiance, state officials said Monday. The suspect allegedly made disturbing searches online before the shooting, CBS affiliate KHOU reported. Ty Vaughn, 31, was engaged to Luis Banos, 27, officials said in a news release. The couple lived in Baytown, a suburb of Houston. Officers were dispatched to the couple's apartment in response to reports of a deceased man on January 14, 2025. The call was placed by Vaughn, who said that he had found Banos dead from a gunshot wound. Vaughn was detained for questioning and provided "inconsistent statements," according to the news release. Ty Vaughn / Credit: Baytown Police Department Banos' death was later determined to be a homicide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Detectives discovered evidence that Vaughn had allegedly searched "is it illegal to kill an illegal immigrant" before the shooting, KHOU reported. The news release did not include information about Banos' immigration status. The Houston Chronicle reported that Vaughn told investigators that Banos was "an illegal." Investigators also found suspicious evidence at the scene, including blood on the couple's bed, even though Banos was found in another area of the home, KHOU reported. Prosecutor Michael Hanover told KHOU that the evidence indicated "that the scene had been tampered with, essentially." Vaughn was arrested and charged with murder on Friday, March 7. Vaughn appeared in court on Monday, where his bond was set at $500,000, according to KHOU. Jail records show that Vaughn is being held at the Harris County Sheriff's Department Detention Facility. His next court date is set for April 30. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investigation remains active, according to the news release, and anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact Baytown Crime Stoppers. Judge blocks deportation of pro-Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University protests House's short-term spending bill heads to Senate, passage needed by Friday to avoid shutdown What led up to Ukraine's willingness to accept 30-day ceasefire Mar. 11A man who pleaded guilty in connection to robbery at a Moraine Fifth Third Bank in September was sentenced last week. Bill Madewell III was sentenced to two years in prison and will be on probation for one to five years following his release, according to Montgomery County Common Pleas Court records. The sentence will be served at the same time as his six-month sentence for harassment by an inmate (bodily substances) in a separate case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Madewell pleaded guilty to one count of robbery earlier this month. A robbery (deadly weapon) charge was dismissed. The case stemmed from a robbery at the Fifth Third Bank at 1923 W. Dorothy Lane. Around 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 6, Madewell reportedly walked into the bank and handed a note demanding cash to a teller. The teller gave him an envelope with cash inside and Moreland fled to a wooded area near Mayberry's Moving and Storage and discarded the clothes he was wearing, according to Kettering Municipal Court records. Police arrested Moreland after he came out of the woods. Officers found a knife, crack pipe and cash that matched the amount taken from the bank in his pockets, according to court records. Madewell did not show a weapon during the robbery, according to Moraine police. SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) A Santa Rosa County man was sentenced to decades as a habitual felony offender, according to First Judicial Circuit of Florida State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden. Saraland High School graduate arrested in Louisiana hazing death case According to a news release from the State Attorneys Office, Judge Clifton Drake sentenced Damian Lee McGowan to 30 years in state prison. Damian Lee McGowan. (Santa Rosa County Sheriffs Office) The state attorneys release said McGowan struck a woman multiple times and strangled her on Oct. 23, 2023. She had lacerations requiring sutures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials with the state attorneys office said McGowan has an extensive criminal record, and hes already served time in prison for a violent felony offense. Okaloosa County municipal election results: Fort Walton Beach, Laurel Hill, Niceville The Santa Rosa County Sheriffs Office conducted this investigation, and Assistant State Attorney Kari Garrett prosecuted the case. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. A 25-year-old man is dead after being shot in the abdomen and neck Tuesday night. Jacksonville Sheriffs Office was called to the 400 block of E. 46th Street at about 9:40 p.m. in reference to a person shot. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Officers arrived at the scene located north of Downtown Jacksonville and located the victim. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department rushed him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At this time, the circumstances that led to the victims death are unknown other than a witness who heard arguing in Spanish before the gunshots, a Jacksonville police news release states. No arrests were made. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Read: Police: Woman shot by Jacksonville officers after firing at them Read: Man injured in shooting after two argue over woman in Jacksonvilles Hogan Creek neighborhood Read: Woman dead after shooting at daycare in Jacksonvilles Ribault area [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. CHICAGO (AP) A man was shot outside of a Chicago O'Hare International Airport terminal early Wednesday following an altercation among multiple people, police said. The 25-year-old suffered two gunshot wounds to the lower body, a Chicago Police Department news release said. He was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. Another person was being interviewed, police said. The shooting happened on a street outside of Terminal 2, the news release said. Local television reports showed what appeared to be a shattered window near the baggage claim area. Arrival lanes at all terminals were fully open by 5:15 a.m., O'Hare said in a statement. Airlines that use Terminal 2 include JetBlue, Air Canada and Alaska Airlines. CHICAGO (WGN) One man was injured when a fight on the street outside Terminal 2 at OHare International Airport escalated to gunfire early Wednesday morning. Witnesses described what sounded like automatic gunfire, then people running everywhere. A bullet-shattered window outside Terminal 2 became an unwanted attraction for travelers going in and out of the airport. It mustve been about quarter-to-one, I heard what sounded like just rapid-fire, like automatic fire, said James Van Schaick, who was staying at a hotel. He told WGN hes a retired police officer, though he declined to say from which department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I looked out my window and I saw people scattering in both directions. And then I heard a bunch of single shots, he said, estimating he heard a half-dozen to a dozen single shots. Chicago police put the time of the shooting at around 1 a.m. They said the single victim, a 25-year-old man, was hit twice in the leg and taken to an area hospital where he was listed in stable condition. The danger in our city particularly around illegal guns continues to pose a threat to the streets of Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson said Wednesday afternoon at an unrelated press conference. Some travelers inside the terminal said they didnt know what was happening until they saw police. Raquel Barajas said she was sleeping just feet from where a bullet hit a window. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These Dollar Tree earplugs work really well, because I have no clue how I did not hear this, she said. When I woke up and saw all the cops, I was terrified. . Im honestly just really grateful to be alive right now. Lower level access to the Terminal 2 arrivals area was closed during the initial police investigation, but all traffic lanes were reopened by about 5 a.m. Police said a person was interviewed by detectives, but no one was in custody as of Wednesday afternoon. WGN has reached out to the Chicago Department of Aviation for comment but has not received a response. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. A Pennsylvania man was caught with a turtle in his pants at Newark International Airport. The discovery occurred March 7 after the man triggered the body scanner while being screened by TSA. After receiving a pat down, the man was asked if he was concealing something under his clothes near his groin. He then reached into his pants and removed a live turtle wrapped in a small towel. He told a TSA officer it was a red-ear slider turtle an invasive species native to the Mississippi River area. Its a popular pet but owners often release them into the wild, according to the National Invasive Species Information Center. They are not an endangered species. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Port Authority Police said different wildlife agencies were alerted to the turtle, which did not appear to be harmed. The man missed his flight and was escorted away by law enforcement, but its unclear if hes facing any charges. We have seen travelers try to conceal knives and other weapons on their person, in their shoes and in their luggage, however I believe this is the first time we have come across someone who was concealing a live animal down the front of his pants, said Thomas Carter, TSAs Federal Security Director for New Jersey. A man was rushed to the hospital with serious burns while crews battled two building fires and a brush fire on the same property Tuesday afternoon. According to the Middleborough Fire Department, firefighters responding to a report of a blaze at 61 Vernon Street around 3 p.m. saw smoke and flames shooting from the roof of a barn behind the house. The flames spread to the outside of the home and into the surrounding brush in the yard, creating several fire scenes companies had to contend with. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To make matters more difficult, the closest fire hydrants were about a mile away from the home, according to officials. We had two structure fires and a grass fire simultaneously, said Chief Owen Thompson. Four people were able to escape the residence before firefighters arrived, but one man sustained second-degree burns to his lower extremities, according to authorities. The man was transported by Coastal EMS to Rhode Island Hospital. Officials say his injuries are not considered to be life-threatening. Due to the extensive flames, mutual aid was called to the scene and about 35 firefighters from surrounding towns assisted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A rotating line of tankers filled portable tanks to provide water to crews battling the blaze, which eventually helped to extinguish the flames. Our firefighters did a fantastic job, especially with the amount of fire they faced when they first arrived, with limited water, Chief Thompson said. They made sure to battle the fire consuming the home and took care of the burn victim at the same time. This was the second structure fire that our crews battled today, and they did an incredible job. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, although preliminary reports indicate the flames started outside of the barn and spread to the adjacent structures. The Lakeville, Taunton, Carver, Plymouth, Berkley, Halifax, Plympton, Wareham, Rochester, Raynham, and Freetown fire departments assisted Middleborough firefighters at the scene, along with the Middleborough Police Department, Coastal EMS, and the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Special Operations Rehab Unit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) Shreveport police say a man who was a suspect in a 2017 homicide was arrested after evading police for nearly eight years. Police say 42-year-old Keithon Lovelace was identified as a suspect in a homicide that occurred on April 27, 2017, that fatally injured Randy Taylor, 29. Keithon Lovelace (Source: Caddo Correctional Center Records) After Lovelace was identified as a suspect, Shreveport police secured a second-degree murder warrant for his arrest, but he has avoided capture, until now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SPD intelligence suggested that Lovelace had fled the Shreveport area and recently learned he lived under an alias in Panola County, Texas. Police arrested him in that region for a narcotics-related offense under a false name. When his true identity was revealed, investigators learned of his outstanding second-degree murder warrant. He was extradited to Caddo Parish where he will answer the charges related to the 2017 homicide. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com. A man wanted for murder after allegedly killing a pregnant woman in Philadelphia in 2021 has been caught in Atlanta. According to the Philadelphia Police Department, Justin Smith is accused of killing Dianna Brice, who was 21 at the time and three months pregnant. Brice was reported missing to Upper Darby Police on March 30, 2021 after being seen with Smith earlier in the day. Police said Brice had last been seen at 1 p.m. that Tuesday along with Smith. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smiths car was found burning later that day and Brice was found dead in southwest Philadelphia with multiple gunshot wounds to the head, according to police. On April 9, 2021, an arrest warrant was issued for Smith in connection to Brices homicide. Philadelphia police said on March 9, a traffic stop for expired registration by Atlanta police ended up with Smith leading officers on a vehicle chase, then a foot chase, before he was apprehended and identified. Smith is now being held on murder charges and will be taken back to Philadelphia for prosecution. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] DENVER (KDVR) A man wanted on several outstanding felony warrants in South Dakota was arrested in Lyons on Tuesday. According to the Boulder County Sheriffs Office, 45-year-old Travis Stadheim was located in the 200 block of Main Street in Lyons by the United States Marshals Service. The sheriffs office said Stadheim was wanted on several warrants from South Dakota but did not specify what those warrants were for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Several law enforcement officers, including the Colorado Violent Offender Task Force, safely apprehended Stadheim at around 3 p.m. Tuesday. During the operation, the sheriffs office said a Lyons school was briefly placed on secure status and traffic was diverted on U.S. 36 out of an abundance of caution. The Boulder County Sheriffs Office said Longmont Public Safety Department, Lyons Fire Protection District, Englewood Police Department and the St. Vrain Valley School District assisted in the operation. Stadheim was booked into the Boulder County Jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Mar. 11A man and a woman are facing charges after they allegedly kidnapped a 12-year-old and assaulted him, including pouring bleach on his face. Reka E. Jarmon, 33, of Cincinnati, and DeMarcus Pleasure, 37, of Dayton, were each indicted in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court on charges of kidnapping and abduction, both felonies, as well as one misdemeanor charge of assault. At time of writing, Jarmon is in the Montgomery County Jail. Pleasure was arrested by U.S. Marshals March 10 and booked in the Franklin County Jail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jamon is scheduled to be arraigned March 6, while Pleasure is scheduled to be arraigned March 18. Dayton police were dispatched to a house in the 800 block of W. Hillcrest Ave. at 1:37 p.m. Feb. 22 for a kidnapping report, according to an affidavit filed in Dayton Municipal Court. The boy's father told police that Jarmon and Pleasure had taken the boy by force, hitting him multiple times before forcing him out the front door and into a vehicle known to be driven by Jarmon, the affidavit said. The pair took the boy to a house in the 200 block of Lexington Avenue that matches Pleasure's address in court documents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the house, they attacked the child further and poured liquid bleach on his face, the affidavit said. The 12-year-old sustained injuries to his face and eyes, investigators said. After the assault on Lexington Avenue, someone called emergency services to say that the boy was at the residence and needed help. Police and emergency crews responded, found the boy and took him to Dayton Children's Hospital. This week marks five years since March 13, 2020, the day President Donald Trump declared a national state of emergency over the novel coronavirus outbreak. By that date, only 57 Americans had died of COVID-19 and 1,645 had been diagnosed with the virus. Three days later, the White House issued the President's Coronavirus Guidelines for America. Among other things, the guidelines advised Americans to avoid bars, restaurants, shopping trips, and social visits. They also recommended that governors in states with evidence of community transmission should close schools, bars, restaurants, food courts, gyms, and other indoor and outdoor venues. By then, the death toll had risen to 102. Sticking to peer-reviewed science and setting aside the political question of what the government should do with this information, what do we know now about how deadly the pandemic was? On Monday and yesterday, we looked at what researchers have discovered over the past five years about the efficacy of facial masking for protection against COVID-19 and the use of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin for treating coronavirus infections. Next, we'll discuss what researchers have determined about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. Today, we look at estimates of how many Americans have died of COVID-19. Some initial projections were frightening. On March 16, 2020, a team of epidemiological modelers associated with the Imperial College London published an alarming study calculating that 2.2 million Americans would die of COVID-19 if measures to stem the spread of the virus were not taken soon. A year later, a retrospective article in The Lancet: Microbe noted that "this information became foundational in decisions to implement physical distancing and adherence to other public health measures because it established the upper boundary for any worst-case scenarios." On March 18, 2020, I asked: Are we battling an unprecedented pandemic or panicking at a computer-generated mirage? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Others expressed more sanguine views. For example, Elon Musk bet $1 million with his (former) friend neuroscientist Sam Harris in March 2020 that there wouldn't be as many 35,000 cases (never mind deaths) of COVID-19 in the United States. In an interview with Reason, New York University law professor Richard Epstein stood by his March 16, 2020, article (since removed) from the Hoover Institution, in which he asserted the total number of deaths from COVID-19 globally would top out under 50,000 and that the United States we would see "about 500 deaths at the end." In an effort to gauge the pandemic's toll, various researchers early on tried to nail down the infection fatality rate for the illnessthat is, the percentage of infected individuals expected to die. At the beginning of the pandemic, no one knew crucial information, such as how fast the virus could spread, what percentage of infected people would remain asymptomatic, and whether they could transmit the virus to more vulnerable individuals. Initial infection fatality rates ranged widely. For example, an April 11, 2020, study headed by Stanford physician Jay Bhattacharya (now a nominee for director of the National Institutes of Health) calculated an infection fatality rate of 0.120.2 percent. This suggested that COVID-19 was not much more deadly than seasonal flu. This contrasts with the Lancet study, which projected a 0.9 percent infection fatality rate from COVID-19 infections. These figures compare with the estimated U.S. infection fatality rate of 0.64 percent for the 1918 influenza pandemic. Calculating deaths from epidemics takes years. More than 100 years later, estimates for the number of deaths stemming from the 1918 influenza pandemic globally still range from 17 to 100 million. So, keep in mind that COVID-19 death counts will still be contested for years to come. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition to tracking deaths attributed to COVID-19, researchers aim to account for those missed by formal diagnoses by calculating excess deaths. Excess deaths are typically defined as the number of deaths during a particular period above the usual, expected number of deaths under normal conditions. A February 2024 article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences calculated excess deaths between March 2020 and August 2022, concluding that around 1.2 million Americans had died of COVID-19. A January 2025 analysis in the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Statistics in Society Series A calculated excess pandemic mortality in the United States for 2020 and 2021 at 920,731. Interestingly, Stanford biostatistician John Ioannidis, a skeptic of worst-case COVID-19 pandemic claims, and his colleagues calculated in a December 2023 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences article that the U.S. suffered 1,220,295 excess deaths between 2020 and 2023. Notably, they also calculated that the U.S. actually experienced 3,456 fewer than expected deaths of Americans aged 14 and under during that period. Considering that all of these calculations use data from 2023 or earlier, they suggest that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's current count of 1,225,281 American deaths from COVID-19 and related causes is somewhat conservative. As a side note, several practitioners of the dismal science calculate in their March 2025 National Bureau of Economic Research study that the approximately 1.4 million excess deaths among Americans aged 25 and older between 2020 and 2023 have reduced the future outlays of Social Security by about $156 billion. What have researchers learned about the infection fatality rate for COVID-19? The picture remains hazy. A rough calculation, assuming that 80 percent of Americans have had a bout of COVID-19, suggests an infection fatality rate of 0.45 percent. A June 2024 study in Infectious Disease Modelling calculated the median pre-vaccination rate for the U.S. at 0.214 percent. This is close to the rate reported by Bhattacharya and his colleagues back in 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The upshot: Since Trump's COVID-19 national emergency declaration, COVID-19 has either been the underlying cause of or contributed to the deaths of some 1.3 million Americans. The post How Many Americans Have Died of COVID-19? appeared first on Reason.com. The Ancient Order of Hibernians will be raising of the Irish flag over Watertowns City Hall on Sunday, March 16, at 11 a.m. in honor of St. Patrick. AOH Division President William Flynn, Mayor Sarah Pierce and Members of Watertown City Council will be in attendance. AOH Division President Flynn invites all people of the Watertown Community to attend this annual tradition. For further information or questions, you can contact AOH Division President Flynn at 315-286-4984. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWTI - InformNNY.com. A bloody worm moon is headed our way? Sort of. This week's full moon will be extra special and spooky a total lunar eclipse will take place on Thursday, turning the moon orange-red. Wondering when you can see this cosmic show take place from Florida? Here's what to know. When is the March 2025 full moon? The worm moon will arrive on Friday, March 14. What is the significance of the Worm Moon in March? Marchs full Moon is known as the Worm Moon. According to the Farmer's Almanac, many believed this name referred to the earthworms that appear as the soil warms in spring. However, more research revealed another explanation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver visited the Naudowessie (Dakota) and other Native American tribes and wrote that the name Worm Moon refers to a different sort of wormbeetle larvaewhich begin to emerge from the thawing bark of trees and other winter hideouts at this time." the Almanac shares. Other names for the full moon include: Eagle Moon , Goose Moon (Algonquin, Cree) Crow Comes Back Moon (Northern Ojibwe) Sugar Moon (Ojibwe) Wind Strong Moon (Pueblo) Sore Eyes Moon (Dakota, Lakota, Assiniboine) March full moon will also be a 'Blood Moon.' Why? There will be a total solar eclipse on Thursday in which the entire moon falls within the umbra, the darkest part of Earth's shadow. This causes the moon to appear with a red-orange hue Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lunar eclipses are often called "blood moons" because a red hue can be produced when the Earth's shadow covers the moon. The coloration happens because any sunlight not blocked by Earth is filtered through a thick slice of Earths atmosphere as it approaches the lunar surface, according to NASA. "Its as if all the worlds sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon," NASA explains on its website. When is the best time to see the March full moon in Florida 2025? For most of Florida, Marchs full moon will reach peak illumination at 1:55 a.m. ET on Friday, March 14. Those in Panhandle can see its peak at 12:57 a.m. CT. The moon's phases in March are: First Quarter: March 6 Full Moon: March 14 Last Quarter: March 22 New Moon: March 29 When is the March 2025 total lunar eclipse? The upcoming total lunar eclipse will occur close to midnight on Thursday, March 13, and into the early morning hours of Friday, March 14. Will the total lunar eclipse be visible from Florida? Weather permitting, the eclipse will be visible not only across Florida but all of North America, but also in South America, western parts of Europe and Africa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you live in the U.S., the eclipse should begin around 11:57 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 13, reach totality around 2:30 a.m. EST and complete the process around 6 a.m. EST Friday, March 14. For Floridians, the time will differ between the two time zones in the state. The Panhandle can expect to see the lunar eclipse around midnight CDT on March 14. The Florida Peninsula can expect to see the lunar eclipse start about 1 a.m. EDT. What are all the full moon names in 2025? Clouds obscure the full moon known as the pink moon as it begins to set over Mt. San Jacinto in the early morning of April 24, 2024 in Palm Springs, Calif. Following the Worm Moon this month, these are the remaining full moons this year, according to the Farmer's Almanac: Pink Moon : April 12, 2025 Flower Moon : May 12, 2025 Strawberry Moon : June 11, 2025 Buck Moon : July 10, 2025 Sturgeon Moon : Aug. 9, 2025 Corn Moon : Sept. 7, 2025 Harvest Moon : Oct. 6, 2025 Beaver Moon : Nov. 5, 2025 Cold Moon: Dec. 4, 2025 How many supermoons are in 2025? A full supermoon, or harvest moon, sets over Hobe Mountain at Jonathan Dickinson State Park on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Martin County. There will be three supermoons in 2025, but you'll have to wait until the end of the year to see them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supermoons for 2025 will occur on: Monday, Oct. 6: 11:48 p.m., Hunters Moon Wednesday, Nov. 5: 8:19 a.m., Beaver Moon Thursday, Dec. 4: 6:14 p.m., Cold Moon This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Full moon in Florida will turn red thanks to total lunar eclipse NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) March marks American Red Cross Month, an annual celebration turning compassion into action by honoring its volunteers. The Red Cross helps millions of people each year through disaster relief, blood donations, and more. Lynn Fairfield-Sonn, senior regional philanthropy officer of the Red Cross Connecticut & Rhode Island, sat down with News 8s Kathryn Hauser to discuss the organizations life-saving mission and the free testing being rolled out this month. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Click here for more information on American Red Cross Month. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. NEW MEXICO (KRQE) From the day recreational marijuana was legalized, someone was out there trying to cheat the system. Thats why lawmakers imposed stringent safeguards to regulate all aspects of the new industry including licensing, lab testing, labeling requirements, and a ban on sales to children. Thats the way its supposed to work. But the reality today is a nightmare that has state officials scrambling. If you want to buy marijuana today, you dont have to go to a licensed dispensary. Visit any number of gas stations or convenience stores across New Mexico and youll find racks of candy, chips, cokes and cannabis. Its illegal. Its illicit. Whatever words you want to use, its black market cannabis, Duke Rodriguez says. Rodriguez is CEO for Ultra Health, the largest licensed cannabis producer in the state. They get away with it by disguising bootleg marijuana in packaging that falsely identifies the contents as hemp. Cannabis and hemp look alike, but chemically they are vastly different. The only way to tell the difference is by having the product tested in a laboratory. Because hemp is not psycho active and wont get you high, it can be sold anywhere including gas stations. Cannabis | KRQE Hemp | KRQE A KRQE News 13 investigation finds New Mexico being flooded with millions of dollars worth of illicit weed masquerading as hemp. For example KRQE News 13 purchased a pre-rolled hemp cigarette called Permanent Marker at the Quick Track convenience store on Wyoming. We took it to Rio Grande Analytics for lab testing. Lab Director Barry Dungan says test results show the product is not properly labeled. That is 25% THC. Its labeled as hemp. And that is absolutely not a hemp product. That is a marijuana product, Dungan says. If a child gets his hand on that product, they will absolutely get high from that, Dungan said. Pre-rolled hemp cigarette called Permanent Marker | KRQE Pre-rolled hemp cigarette called Permanent Marker | KRQE Quick Track convenience store on Wyoming | KRQE The Grass Stations Smoke Shop sells a hemp labeled product called Cheech and Chongs 8-Gelato Flower. Rio Grande Analytics lab tests show the product contains 26.5% THC which is potent, high grade marijuana in disguise. That is pure and simple cannabis. Disregard anything thats printed on the package. Its not accurate. They know it. Its being sold as hemp to skirt the entire system, avoid any kind of supervision, any kind of regulation, Ultra Healths Duke Rodriguez says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Allsups on Indian School sells a hemp labeled e-cigarette (vape) called SkyWalker. Lab tests show the product contains not only marijuana but also a substantial amount of a chemical called HHC (hexahydrocannabinol). HHC is a Schedule I substance under the DEAs Controlled Substances Act. I am shocked to find that there. That is a Schedule I substance and the fact that its sold in gas stations or can be bought in stores online is a huge red flag, Rio Grande Analytics Lab Director Barry Dungan says. Hemp labeled product called Cheech and Chongs 8-Gelato Flower | KRQE Grass Stations Smoke Shop | KRQE Allsups on Indian School | KRQE Hemp labeled e-cigarette (vape) called SkyWalker | KRQE Marijuana imposters lining the shelves of New Mexico gas stations. | KRQE One industry expert estimates New Mexicos clandestine marijuana market exceeds $200,000,000 a year which includes unlicensed marijuana imposters lining the shelves of New Mexico gas stations and convenience stores. A 2022 National Institute of Justice study analyzed fifty-three random samples labeled hemp. Forty-nine of those products tested as mislabeled cannabis. In New Mexico lab tests on 18 hemp labeled products found similar results. The testing was conducted by Rio Grande Analytics. Of the 18 samples that we tested, only two of those turned out to be hemp products. Its alarming that all the others are just unregulated marijuana, Lab Director Barry Dungan said. You can call a product whatever you want, but the devils in the details. The details say this is marijuana, says Dan Pabon, Chief Regulatory Officer for Schwazze, a licensed cannabis business with outlets in New Mexico and Colorado. This product is on street corners, gas stations, convenience stores available everywhere labeled as hemp. Its actually marijuana. Its untested. Its unregulated. Its unlicensed. This stuff will get you as high, if not higher, than marijuana products that are sold in a very strict, regulated, tested environment, Dan Pabon says. These products are cannabis. Theyre being offered for sale in an unlawful manner and they are illegal, Ultra Healths Duke Rodriguez said. The law is very specific on this matter. Its just that some individuals decided to be rogue (and) use packaging that implied something that wasnt true, and then straight up sold cannabis without a license, Rodriguez says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hemp products in New Mexico are regulated under the Hemp Manufacturing Act by the state Environment Department. Cannabis and Hemp Bureau Chief Johnathan Gerhardt says the regulatory intent of the Act is public safety. We also protect consumers by requiring our manufacturers to properly label products so that people are aware of what they are consuming, Gerhardt said. However, the Hemp Bureau Chief admits he has never found marijuana improperly labeled as hemp. For example, a hemp labeled pre-rolled cigarette called Cheetch P*** is widely available at gas station convenience stores throughout Albuquerque. Lab tests by Rio Grande Analytics show Cheetah P*** contains illicit marijuana masquerading as hemp. One notable thing there is it also failed for multiple pesticides, which is alarming, Lab Director Barry Dungan says. This is a marijuana product that has failed the state required tests (for pesticides) so its not fit for human consumption. Theyre being sold in gas stations to anybody that wants them, Dungan says. Hemp labeled pre-rolled cigarette called Cheetch P*** | KRQE Hemp labeled pre-rolled cigarette called Cheetch P*** | KRQE KRQE News 13 purchased a hemp labeled pre-rolled cigarette called Gorilla Glu at Big Moes Market on Albuquerques Westside. Lab tests show Gorilla Glu is not hemp but rather bootleg marijuana jammed with banned pesticides. Definitely nothing with pesticides at those levels should be ingested by anyone, Barry Dungan said. Hemp labeled pre-rolled cigarette called Gorilla Glu | KRQE Hemp labeled pre-rolled cigarette called Gorilla Glu | KRQE Big Moes Market on Albuquerques Westside | KRQE After reviewing the laboratory analysis of Cheetah P*** and Gorilla Glu, Hemp Bureau Chief Johnathan Gerhardt agreed the faux hemp products are not safe. However, he says the Environment Department is powerless to do anything about it. Even though the Hemp Manufacturing Act is designed to protect consumers from unsafe products, Gerhardt says the Hemp Bureau lacks jurisdiction over Cheetah P***, Gorilla Glu and other marijuana products disguised as hemp. He claims, because the products were manufactured out of state, the Hemp Manufacturing Act only regulates hemp products produced in New Mexico. We asked if the Hemp Bureau has the ability to protect the public from unsafe products sold in convenience stores? Jonathon Gerhardt responded, Not at this time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gorilla Glu, Cheetah P*** and Permanent Marker are fake hemp labeled products produced by an Albuquerque business called Nuevo Cannabis. The company lists its address at a Northeast Albuquerque residence. General Partners Michael Dingess and Alfred Kalsin did not return repeated calls for comment. Following our inquiry, the Nuevo Cannabis website was taken down. Big Moes Market, which sells Nuevo Cannabis products, did not return a phone call for comment. A representative for Quick Track convenience stores, which also carries Nuevo Cannabis products on its shelves, told KRQE News 13 he believes the hemp labeled products are legal. In New Mexico, it is a felony to manufacture, produce or sell cannabis without a license. However, dont look for New Mexicos Cannabis Control Division to start confiscating marijuana disguised as hemp in convenience stores. In a prepared statement, the Cannabis Control Division said it has limited enforcement over unlicensed businesses that peddle marijuana. If a complaint alleges a non-CCD licensed location (is) selling hemp products the contain(s) cannabis-derived delta-9 THC, the CCD is limited to providing this information to our law enforcement and New Mexico Environment Department colleagues, New Mexico Cannabis Control officials wrote. New Mexico is one of only a handful of states across the country that allow the sale of so called hemp products. That may change. A bill to ban the sale of hemp in New Mexico is making its way through the Roundhouse. Were making what was once a highly regulated, controlled industry into this open, wild, wild West experience, Ultra Healths Duke Rodriguez says. The state doesnt do anything to regulate these hemp products. Theyre untested. Theyre sold illegally. And theres nothing being done about them. Dan Pabon said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While state regulators simply look the other way, New Mexicos Attorney General has launched a criminal investigation. We have agents who are currently beginning the investigation of various locations and sales of these (hemp labeled) products, New Mexico Department of Justice General Counsel Julie Meade said. Were investigating the false advertising and or the misrepresentations in the sale of these products, Meade said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. The 12th Marine Littoral Regiment welcomed a new unit that will soon wield the services first anti-ship missile defense system in Okinawa, Japan, according to a spokesperson for Marine Corps Combat Development and Integration. The 12th Littoral Combat Team was officially established at Camp Hansen in Okinawa on March 3 to create chaos and uncertainty in potential adversaries, according to a Marine Corps release. The addition of the team to the littoral regiment marks the third and final subordinate element of the regiment, which also includes the 12th Littoral Anti-Air Battalion and 12th Littoral Logistics Battalion. Personnel assigned to the team will focus on narrowing in on areas where Marines and other U.S. troops can take advantage of enemies weaknesses while obfuscating the ability of adversaries to accurately locate American troops and disrupt their decision-making, the release stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Marine Corps force modernization efforts designed the LCT for speed, mobility, lethality, and precision, Lt. Col. Jacob Godby, commanding officer of the 12th Littoral Combat Team, said in the release. We work in coordination with our adjacent commands in the 12th MLR and distributed operations to form relevant and ready combat formations in contested maritime environments. The Marines Pacific allies are copying its littoral regiment moves Starting in fiscal year 2026, the 12th Littoral Combat Team will be equipped with the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or NMESIS, a mobile, ground-based carrier capable of firing anti-ship missiles, according to a spokesperson for Marine Corps Systems Command. The Marine Corps redesigned the 3rd Marine Regiment to the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment in March 2022 and subsequently converted the 12th Marine Regiment which was already based in Okinawa, Japan to the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment in November 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Military Times reported in January 2024 that the regiments would be equipped with capabilities designed to combat adversaries like Chinas Peoples Liberation Army. Along with the NMESIS system, the regiments will be expected to wield an MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial system, the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar system and the light amphibious warship. The regiments are slated to contain up to 2,000 Marines and sailors and are expected to carry out deployments to chokepoints along islands and coastlines. This formation didnt just stand up, it surged forward, Col. Peter Eltringham, commanding officer of the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment, said in the release. We bring this combat power to Okinawa to be able to deliver it in the eyes of our adversaries and ensure we can bring it to the decisive point on the battlefield. Hundreds filled the seats of the gymnasium at Howard Community College Tuesday night to hear Maryland lawmakers offer their support and share their efforts to respond to recent actions from the Trump administration. Attendees to the town hall forum at the Kahlert Foundation Complex heard speeches from Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and Rep. Sarah Elfreth, whose congressional district includes all of Howard County. The event was part of Balls latest initiatives to support federal workers who have been impacted by the efforts of President Donald Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, to slash the federal workforce. Please know that we are here for you. Were here to listen. Were here to understand how we can best support you during these tumultuous times, and we are also here to help you transform this economic tragedy into triumph, Ball said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ball has announced expanded resources for the roughly 40,000 to 50,000 federal workers who live in Howard County, and Tuesday, Elfreth introduced the bipartisan Protect Our Probationary Employees Act. Still, some in the audience wondered what specific steps could be taken to fight back against Trumps decisions and to form clear messaging in opposition. Lawmakers said they are working to fight against Trumps actions in Congress and in the courts. They encouraged individuals to organize in their communities and to reach across the aisle. Cheers erupted from the crowd with stomps of approval for some of the speakers, while occasional boos were heard at the mention of DOGE or other actions taken by Trump. Its a big lie, Van Hollen said, that probationary federal employees were fired due to a lack of performance. Rather, the workforce cuts were done to secure enough funding for tax cuts to billionaires, Alsobrooks said. The White House has said federal workers are lazy or unqualified, but, if you want to know unqualified, you should sit with me and sit with Senator Van Hollen when in hearings to confirm Trumps nominations to his cabinet, Alsobrooks said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aside from concerns about impacted federal workers, audience members asked questions about how lawmakers can address cuts to the Department of Education, the pause on income-driven student loan repayment, and how lawmakers can ensure accountability for the Trump administration. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for digging deep, Elfreth said. These are scary times, these are anxious times, these are unprecedented times, but apathy is not an option in these times. So thank you. This story will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Kiersten Hacker at khacker@baltsun.com or @KierstenHacker on X. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. (Photo by Sarah Betancourt/CommonWealth Beacon) Massachusetts lawmakers are free to require that all out-of-staters have licenses to carry firearms within the borders of the Bay State after the states highest court decided recent gun licensing rules for nonresidents pass constitutional muster. Massachusetts, the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) ruled on Tuesday, can enforce its gun laws even against people who are legally allowed to carry a gun in another state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The decision signals that even under a tougher standard for determining the constitutionality of gun regulations recently set by the Supreme Court, Massachusetts firearms restrictions some of the strictest in the nation may rest on solid ground. Certainly, Justice Frank Gaziano wrote, the Commonwealth has the power to enforce firearm restrictions within its own borders that are consistent with the United States Constitution. The SJC considered the separate cases of two New Hampshire men who are allowed to carry firearms back home but were charged for unlawful possession of a firearm when they crossed the border into Massachusetts without applying for and obtaining a Massachusetts license first. The court heard the cases together in September 2024, and the issue drew attention from gun owner rights groups, gun violence prevention groups, and officials from both states as they watched to see how the SJC would square Massachusetts law with the U.S. Supreme Courts 2022 decision that mandated gun laws must be consistent with the Nations historical tradition of firearm regulation. Gaziano wrote both opinions for a unanimous court, tossing one charge brought under an earlier version of the states nonresident licensing statute while protecting the current law and the underlying principle of gun regulation applied to nonresidents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In both New Hampshire cases, the men were involved in car crashes and police responding to the scene found that there was a gun in the vehicle. But the cases diverge in the details. Notably, the dates. Dean Donnell, Jr. was arrested in 2021 on suspicion of drunk driving after a single-car crash on Interstate 495 near the Lowell Connector, according to the court. Officers searched the car, finding several empty beer cans and liquor bottles, along with two twelve-gauge shotgun slugs in the cabin of the car. Inside a duffel bag, the officers found a pistol with a single round inside and several empty magazines. About one month before Donnell was charged under Massachusetts firearms laws, the US Supreme Court handed down its New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn., Inc. v. Bruen decision in June 2022. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bruen decision tossed out a New York licensing rule that gave individual officials discretion to deny carry permits essentially identical to Massachusetts law at the time because the court felt the law was not sufficiently connected to historical tradition of gun regulation. Donnell argued that because the Massachusetts statute said officials may issue a license rather than shall issue and the only reason to be denied a permit was because you posed a particular danger if approved, it conflicted with Bruen. He was right in challenging the statute as unconstitutional under Bruen, the SJC concluded, dismissing his charges. To be consistent with the Second Amendment, the Commonwealths nonresident firearm licensing scheme cannot vest an official with the discretion to deny a license to a qualified applicant, Gaziano wrote. The defendant was charged under a firearm licensing scheme that did just that. This manner of firearm restriction is no longer permissible. But Gaziano emphasized that the Second Amendment right to bear arms is not absolute and the SJCs ruling does not preclude it from requiring firearm licenses for persons within its borders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The second opinion of the day offered legal justification for doing just that. In September 2022, Philip Marquis got into an accident on I-495 in Lowell traveling from his home in Rochester, New Hampshire, to his work in Massachusetts. He told officers at the scene that he had an unloaded pistol but no license to carry in Massachusetts, for which he was charged. Marquis challenged his charges under the state gun law, amended after Bruen, arguing that the Commonwealths nonresident firearm licensing scheme violated his Second Amendment rights as a nonresident. A district court judge agreed, dismissing the case after finding that the state did not demonstrate that the law was rooted in historical tradition. But the SJC determined Marquis never applied for a firearms license under the current law, so his specific rights were not actually violated. As for the challenge to the entire licensing law, nonresidents carrying handguns are protected within the scope of the Second Amendment, Gaziano wrote, but because the Legislature updated the may issue language, the licensing statute can be compared with historical analogues rather than automatically tossed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The purpose of the law is to prevent demonstrably dangerous persons from being armed while in Massachusetts, he wrote, which more recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions suggest is similar enough to historical rules preventing those who posed serious risk of violence from carrying deadly weapons unrestricted. The court also was not convinced by Marquis argument that the law infringed on the right to travel between states a sticking point between Massachusetts and New Hampshire, which filed an amicus brief in support of Marquis. Strict application of Massachusettss firearm statutes imposes on many New Hampshire citizens, particularly those living close to the border with Massachusetts, something of a Hobbesian choice, New Hampshire officials wrote. Lay down your right to armed self-defense upon entry into Massachusetts or face felony charges that carry harsh penalties and mandatory imprisonment. But residents and nonresidents are treated equally under the licensing wrote, Gaziano noting that the burden is minimal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Second Amendment advocates have taken their constitutional grievances with state gun laws to the federal courts when possible, and the sprawling gun reform bill passed last legislative session which includes provisions on ghost guns, expands areas where guns are prohibited, and strengthens courts abilities to take away firearms from dangerous people is targeted by three lawsuits and a potential ballot campaign. The SJC has treaded carefully around Second Amendment law since Bruen, aware that the conservative US Supreme Court majority has expanded gun rights beyond what Massachusetts law allows. After being overturned upholding a state ban on carrying stun guns, the SJC struck down bans on carrying switchblades. But the SJC has found cracks in the Second Amendment armor where it can, as it did in the Marquis case. As the restrictions on firearms loosen, however, the Supreme Court will determine who gets the last word. This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Huge cuts are coming to the Department of Education. The Trump administration is laying off about half the agencys workers, a big step in the presidents plan to shut it down entirely. Education Department officials say theyre cutting more than 1300 employees and President Trump is defending the drastic downsizing. They are the number one, not showing up to work. Number two, theyre not doing a good job, said Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mass layoffs at the Education Department fit into President Trumps larger goal of abolishing the department altogether. The dream is were going to move the Department of Education, were going to move education into the states, said Trump. The Education Department distributes billions in federal dollars to schools across the country and oversees student loans and Pell grants for college. The administration says these cuts wont impact those key functions, but some advocates are sounding the alarm. Its devastating and its malfeasance, said Kim Anderson, the National Education Association Executive Director. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kim Anderson with the National Education Association says the layoffs will impede the Education Departments critical work like providing special services for students with disabilities or from low-income homes. All of the things we do to help students reach their full potential are in jeopardy, said Anderson. Republicans say the changes will just shift control and money to the local level. The funding ought to go directly to local school districts, parents, said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). Democrats say the moves will hurt the education system and the country. Life time learning for our workers. Thats what makes America strong, said Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Completely eliminating the Education Department would require an act of Congress which would mean getting at least 60 votes in the Senate which is unlikely given Republicans small margins. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. U.S. aerospace company Maxar Technologies has restored Ukraine's access to the Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery (GEGD) service, allowing Kyiv to utilize high-resolution commercial satellite imagery again, Ukrainian media outlet Militarnyi reported on March 12, citing users of the service. Ukraine has relied on such imagery for defense and strategic planning, including tracking Russian troop movements, assessing battlefield conditions, and monitoring damage to Russian infrastructure. According to Militarnyi's sources, the program's resumption means Ukraine can again access critical satellite intelligence for defense operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The move follows U.S.-Ukraine talks in Jeddah on March 11, where Washington agreed to restart key military and intelligence support for Ukraine. On March 7, Militarnyi reported that Maxar had restricted Ukraine's access to its satellite imagery, citing unnamed users. The company later confirmed the suspension in a statement to the Kyiv Independent, explaining that the restrictions applied specifically to imagery provided through U.S. government programs. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said on March 5 that the U.S. had halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine in a step seen as pressure tactics to push Kyiv toward peace negotiations with Russia. Read also: Ukraine, US to start discussing ceasefire details next week, Yermak says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The American aerospace company Maxar Technologies has restored access for Ukrainian users to the GEGD service, which provides high-quality commercial satellite images. Source: Militarnyi, Ukrainian media outlet, citing several users of the service Details: The sources cited by Militarnyi indicate that the resumption of this programme allows Ukraine to once again utilise high-quality satellite imagery for defence and intelligence purposes. Background: On 7 March, it was reported that Maxar Technologies had disabled Ukraines access to its satellite imagery. At the time, Militarnyi explained that the Trump administration, through the State Department, had prohibited American companies and commercial services from providing satellite data to Ukraine. Several reputable international media outlets, citing sources, reported that the US had suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine, including data on military targets and warnings about Russian missile and drone launches against Ukrainian territory. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! New York City Mayor Eric Adams conceded Tuesday he hasnt been formally campaigning for reelection yet, but said he would start very soon. At a Tuesday press conference, Adams fended off the suggestion he might not be actually running because he does not have much visible campaign infrastructure like a campaign manager or spokesman. I dont recall at any time that there was a predetermined list that indicates that if someone was actually running or not, he said. So, my timetable. I know what Im doing. I won before, and Im going to put the chess (pieces) in place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last time around, by March 2021, Adams had a more clearly organized campaign and had racked up some endorsements from influential unions. Now, he has the advantage of incumbency but is up against a stacked field of competitors as he faces harsh criticism regarding the Trump Justice Departments involvement in his federal corruption case. A number of his supporters during the 2021 race have switched to endorse ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Endorsements dont win races, knocking on doors do, the mayor said on Monday, adding that he is a solid campaigner who knows how to get a crisp message across. You just, you cant campaign through tweets and videos and only be in this little, confined place, come out here, he said. _____ Mayor Adams conceded Tuesday he hasnt been formally campaigning for reelection yet, but said he would start very soon. At a Tuesday press conference, Adams fended off the suggestion he might not be actually running because he does not have much visible campaign infrastructure like a campaign manager or spokesman. I dont recall at any time that there was a predetermined list that indicates that if someone was actually running or not, he said. So, my timetable. I know what Im doing. I won before, and Im going to put the chess [pieces] in place. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last time around, by March 2021, Adams had a more clearly organized campaign and had racked up some endorsements from influential unions. Now, he has the advantage of incumbency but is up against a stacked field of competitors as he faces harsh criticism the Trump Justice Departments involvement in his federal corruption case. A number of his supporters during the 2021 race have switched to endorse ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Endorsements dont win races, knocking on doors do, the mayor said on Monday, adding that he is a solid campaigner who knows how to get a crisp message across. You just, you cant campaign through tweets and videos and only be in this little, confined place, come out here, he said. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell proposed to renew the citys Democracy Voucher Program, he announced on Monday. According to Mayor Harrells office, the program sends eligible Seattle residents four $25 vouchers to then donate those funds to a candidate of their choice. Democracy vouchers have allowed more people to participate in campaign financing in our city, making the political process more accessible and inclusive. Renewing this program shows Seattles commitment to ensuring that all voices regardless of income or background can help shape the future of our city, Mayor Harrell said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Voters approved the program in 2015 and it was first implemented in 2017. The new proposal would renew the program over the next 10 years and would cost $45 million in property taxes over that span, according to the press release from Mayor Harrells office. The program has faced opposition in the past. In 2017, Seattle residents Mark Elster and Sarah Pynchon sued the city in Elster V. City of Seattle arguing the voucher program violated the First Amendment and, forced property owners to pay for the political speech of others, according to the Pacific Legal Foundation. The Washington State Supreme Court ruled that the program does not violate the First Amendment, allowing the program to continue. Mark Elster and Sarah Pynchon filed a petition with the Supreme Court of the United States but the court declined to review the case, according to the Pacific Legal Foundation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the renewal is approved by voters, the city says it will work on improvements to reach more diverse communities in 2026. For more information on the Seattle Democracy Voucher Program visit: seattle.gov/democracyvoucher A Chinese textile trade group on Wednesday called on major U.S. retailers to address international trade issues fairly and reasonably. The China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles made the remarks after it received complaints from members that certain U.S. retailers were pressing Chinese suppliers to cut prices. The chamber said it is verifying these claims and will take action to protect its members' legitimate interests if the situation is confirmed. Attributing issues currently arising in international trade to the unilateral tariff hikes imposed by the U.S. government, the chamber said Chinese and American businesses are all victims of these policies. "We hope companies from both countries can resolve shared concerns through friendly consultations and mutually beneficial solutions, and work together to deal with current difficulties while avoiding using market dominance unilaterally to disrupt supply chain stability," it said in a statement. Saudi Arabia is in the middle of a diplomatic blitz. From hosting yesterdays talks between Washington and Kyiv over the war in Ukraine to positioning the kingdom as central to the day after plans for postwar Gaza and offering to help deconflict tensions between the U.S. and Iran, Riyadh appears to be everywhere. This peace push is tethered to the political agenda of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBSnamely, his effort to rehabilitate his own image while positioning the kingdom at the forefront of Middle East geopolitics and casting Saudi Arabia as a constructive player on the international stage. At its core, this international push by Saudi Arabia is intimately linked to internal politics inside the kingdom, particularly MBS efforts to preserve and expand his own power. MBS is spearheading a new hypernationalist project designed to restructure the countrys domestic ruling bargain and transform Riyadhs global image. Almost every Saudi policy at home and abroad is a byproduct of this new project as well as MBS ultimate imperatives of regime preservation and power projection. Critical to this effort is the restructuring of the Saudi economy toward a sustainable footing in anticipation of a future of declining oil revenues. MBS ambitious economic plan, Vision 2030, is the economic foundation of his new nationalist project, aimed at establishing Saudi Arabia as the major economic hub of the Middle East and a lucrative market for international capital. For MBS, the success of this nationalist project is existential. It is the new autocratic foundation on which the crown princethe kingdoms de facto ruler who has already amassed more power than any individual in the history of the Saudi statehopes to base his authority. But the success of this domestic vision depends on more than just absolute control at home. It is intertwined with regional and international objectives, making it also the driver of Saudi foreign policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the regional level, MBS needs calm to focus on his domestic agenda. This is why he has shifted from an aggressive foreign policy, epitomized by the Saudi intervention in Yemen in 2015, toward an emphasis on de-escalation beginning roughly in 2020. In particular, Saudi Arabia has focused heavily on deconfliction with Iran, its chief regional adversary with which it had severed relations in 2016. In 2023, after a period of diplomatic engagement, Riyadh and Tehran reestablished formal relations. The two sides have continued to pursue their delicate detente since then. This should not be interpreted as a cessation of long-standing strategic competition between Saudi Arabia and Iran, but rather as opportunistic maneuvering by both parties, given the changing regional and international contexts as well as both sides increased concern with pressing domestic issues. To get more in-depth news and expert analysis on global affairs from WPR, sign up for our free Daily Review newsletter. The success of Mohammed bin Salmans domestic vision is intertwined with regional and international objectives, making it also the driver of Saudi foreign policy. Recently, concern in Riyadh over the prospects of a region-wide conflict have grown considerably in the wake of the war in Gaza and rising tensions between Israel, Iran and the United States. Compounding these heightened tensions are concerns over Irans nuclear program, with Tehran now closer to being able to manufacture a nuclear weapon than any point since its uranium enrichment program was discovered in the early 2000s. Fearful that a war between Israel, Iran and the U.S. would consume and destabilize the entire region, Riyadh is offering to mediate between Tehran and Washington, hoping that it can prevent such an outcome. MBS is also keen on asserting Saudi Arabias central role in shaping the Middle Easts geostrategic landscape. This has been particularly apparent over the past year and a half, after the war in Gaza brought the Israel-Palestine conflict back to the forefront of regional geopolitics. Before Hamas attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israels subsequent invasion of Gaza, Saudi Arabia was reportedly close to joining the series of normalization deals between Israel and several Arab states known collectively as the Abraham Accords, in return for unprecedented U.S. concessions. The war in Gaza derailed this sprint toward normalization, with Riyadh now demanding a concrete pathway toward a Palestinian state as a prerequisite to any potential deal, while denouncing Israels military campaign in Gaza as genocide. As of now, there is no indication that Riyadh has moderated its position or that Israel is about to renege on its firm opposition to a Palestinian state, leaving the prospects for normalization in limbo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Riyadhs focus has now shifted since U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would take over Gaza and forcibly remove its Palestinian inhabitants. Trump later appeared to walk back his remarks, and the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is now teetering on collapse, threatening renewed fighting. But Saudi Arabia wasted no time in spearheading an Arab counterproposal to Trumps declaration. And regardless of how conversations over Gazas postwar governance and reconstruction proceed or whether the war resumes, Riyadh has positioned itself as central to negotiations over the territorys future. Globally, Saudi Arabia is also seeking to position itself as a constructive actor on the world stage. In trying to revamp its international reputation and increase its global influence, Riyadh hopes to project an image of modernity, progress and stabilityparticularly to Washington, which remains the kingdoms security guarantor. But Riyadhs international strategy has also included increased outreach to non-Western powers such as Russia and China, amid a broader global shift toward multipolarity. This reflects the fact that, unlike the U.S., Saudi Arabia does not view the return of multipolarity in zero-sum terms. To the contrary, Riyadh hopes to leverage this changing world order to its own benefit, engaging global powers solely from the perspective of how best to advance the kingdoms own interests. Playing the role of mediator between Russia and the U.S.as well as between Ukraine and the U.S.is one way for Riyadh to curry favor with global powers while enhancing its own diplomatic clout. Critical to MBS international agenda is strengthening his personal ties with Trump. The two had a strong relationship during Trumps first term, though it was not totally quarrel-free. Saudi Arabia was Trumps first international visit after taking office in 2017, and during his time in office he showered the kingdom with advanced weaponry and other concessions, such as shielding MBS for his role in the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed in Turkey by Saudi security operatives. This time around, Trumps first phone call with a foreign leader after his inauguration in January was with MBS, and the president suggested that Saudi Arabia could once again be his choice for his first trip abroad during his second termperhaps even to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin there. Riyadhs efforts to curry favor with Trump will likely continue. Shortly after Trumps second term began, MBS announced that Riyadh will invest $600 billion in the U.S. over the next four years. Trump also maintains strong personal business ties with the kingdom, as do members of his family. Riyadh will certainly look to capitalize on these ties in pushing for greater U.S. concessions to the kingdom and positioning Saudi Arabia as central to U.S. regional policy in the Middle East. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Riyadhs diplomatic frenzy is a low-cost strategy designed to depict the kingdom as a constructive actor in the Middle East and globally. But that does not mean it is entirely risk-free. Riyadhs ability to successfully navigate the challenges, uncertainties and competing interests underpinning these various conflicts will have a profound impact on MBS agenda domestically, regionally and internationally in the years to come. Jon Hoffman is a research fellow at the Cato Institute and holds a doctoral degree in political science from George Mason University. The post MBS Domestic Agenda Is Also Driving Saudi Arabias Diplomatic Blitz appeared first on World Politics Review. WELCH, WV (WVNS) It has been quite the journey, but McDowell County students and teachers are finally getting back to school. A Hero McDowell County is lucky to have: Sharon Sagety is a #RemarkableWoman Transportation has been one of the biggest adjustments for McDowell County Schools. The start of Daylight Saving Time forced McDowell County Schools to alter their school schedule. This was done in order to help bus drivers safely drive around the county with more daylight. The official school day is now starting one hour later than normal and ending an hour later than normal to ensure students get a full day of school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amanda Peyton is the assistant superintendent of McDowell County Schools. She said they have been working closely with the West Virginia Division of Highways on the matter of transportation. We also have to think about where students stand on the side of the road. We have mounds of mud in places [because of the flooding]. So, we have to make sure we have safe bus stops for students, said Peyton. Our drivers did dry runs before we ever went in and picked up the first child. They identified where safe turnaround spots [are]. Our drivers called each and every family, that we had to alter their best route, to say, This is where we are going to meet. Do you have the means to get your child to that just until the conditions get better? McDowell County Schools applied for a waiver to officially end their school year on June 6. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McDowell County church continuing its long legacy of community service after flooding We are planning [on having] summer school, so that will allow us some extra time this summer for those students who wish to attend. The other part is making sure that we look at spring break. We are applying for a waiver from the state superintendent and one of our waiver requests will be to pull back spring break as an instructional week for students, added Peyton. In total, McDowell County schools have missed six weeks of school because of the flooding, as well as the harsh winter. Peyton told 59News their biggest focus right now is getting kids back into school and trying to get them caught up on their education. She estimated that at least 75 percent of students have returned to school since their reopening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They are currently trying to create individualized education plans for those who still cannot make it to school. Those plans are still being created with families. We are having to look to see if they have Internet. Every child has a device. [If] they do not have Internet to access, that becomes a problem. So, [for] some of those we might have to look at different personal situations. If a student is in another county [because of being displaced by the flooding], do they have Internet at that house that theyre living at? So just everything is really personalized right now, said Peyton. FEMA Disaster Recovery Center to open in McDowell County Peyton explained they are doing more of these personalized learning plans with students on the western side of the county. There are students all over the county who are currently having to use these plans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. OKLAHOMAThe Oklahoma State Department of Health reported two measles cases in Oklahoma on Tuesday. Spokeswoman Erica Rankin-Riley said the health agency isnt releasing any geographic details about where the cases are since they dont pose a public health risk and also to protect patient privacy. If there were a risk to the public, we would release the details needed to protect Oklahomans, Rankin-Riley said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With the ongoing measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico, the State Health Department has been on high alert, monitoring the situation in Oklahoma. The cases are being reported to the CDC as probable cases based on the facts that the individuals reported exposure associated with the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks and reported experiencing symptoms consistent with measles. The cases come off the heels of an erroneous report of measles in the Bartlesville School District. The individuals excluded themselves from public settings and stayed home throughout their contagious period. Measles is caused by a highly contagious airborne virus that spreads quickly when an infected person breathes, sneezes, or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These cases highlight the importance of being aware of measles activity as people travel or host visitors, said Kendra Dougherty, OSDH Director of Infectious Disease Prevention and Response in a prepared statement. Measles can be prevented with an MMR vaccine. The vaccine is recommended for children aged 12 to 15 months and again at four to six years of age. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles, and one dose is about 93% effective. Craig County reported that 89.7% of public and private school kindergartens were up to date on their vaccinations, with 2.6 % applying for an exemption. Delaware County measured 92.5% and 2.2%, and Ottawa County measured 89.7% and 0.8%. Oklahoma Department of Health Oklahoma State Department of Health Data Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If an individual has known exposure to someone with measles and they are not immune through vaccination or prior infection, they are recommended to: Consult with a healthcare provider to determine if post-exposure prophylaxis is recommended Exclude themselves from public settings for 21 days unless symptoms develop If symptoms develop, individuals should stay away from public areas until five days after the rash started Individuals seeking health care are advised to call their providers and let them know their symptoms and exposure concerns. This will help limit exposure within the healthcare setting. Measles cases have been reported in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases, and in 2025, three clusters qualified as outbreaks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Measles isnt just a rash and a fever. The disease outbreak in West Texas that continues to grow has sent 29 people, most of them small children, to the hospital. Two people have died, including a 6-year-old child. Its not yet known how many people have gotten sick in the outbreak there are at least 223 confirmed cases, but experts believe hundreds more people may have been infected since late January. As public health officials try to slow the spread of the highly contagious virus, some experts are worried about longer-term complications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Measles is unlike other childhood viruses that come and go. In severe cases it can cause pneumonia. About 1 in 1,000 patients develops encephalitis, or swelling of the brain, and there are 1 or 2 deaths per 1,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus can wipe out the immune system, a complication called immune amnesia. When we get sick with viruses or bacteria, our immune systems have the ability to form memories that quickly allow them to recognize and respond to the pathogens if theyre encountered again. Measles targets cells in the body, such as plasma cells and memory cells, that contain those immunologic memories, destroying some of them in the process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nobody escapes this, said Dr. Michael Mina, a vaccine expert and former professor of epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who has led some of the research in the field. In a 2019 study, Mina and his team found that a measles infection can wreck anywhere from 11% to 73% of a persons antibody stockpile, depending on how severe the infection. That means that if people had 100 antibodies to chickenpox before they had measles, they may be left with just 50 after measles infections, potentially making them more vulnerable to catching it and getting sicker. Akiko Iwasaki, a professor of immunology at the Yale School of Medicine, said: Thats why its called amnesia. We forget who the enemies are. While virtually everybody who gets infected with measles will have their immune systems weakened, some will be hit harder than others. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres no world in which you get measles and it doesnt destroy some [immunity], he said. The question is does it destroy enough to really make a clinical impact. In an earlier study from 2015, Mina estimated that before vaccinations, when measles was common, the virus could have been implicated in as many as half of all childhood deaths from infectious disease, mostly from other diseases such as pneumonia, sepsis, diarrheal diseases and meningitis. The researchers found that after a measles infection, the immune system can be suppressed almost immediately and remain that way for two to three years. Immune amnesia really begins as soon as the virus replicates in those [memory] cells, Mina said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The best defense against serious complications is the measles vaccine. Two doses of the vaccine are 97% effective in preventing infection. What is immune amnesia? Our bodies are constantly exposed to a variety of bacteria and viruses in the environment. Over time, our immune systems can learn to remember the specific intruders and spring into action quickly if they find something that doesnt belong in the body. Kids are in contact with all sorts of microbes, and most of those encounters dont lead to illness, said Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatrician and the director of the division of pediatric infectious disease at NYU Langone Health. The child will often recover and have memory, so if they see the same strain of a virus that causes diarrhea they will get less sick the second time that theyre exposed to it. With immune amnesia, he said, if people are exposed to the same strain of virus again, their bodies behave as if it was the first time and they dont have that robust protection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That means the measles virus can destroy the immunity people have built up over time to things like the common cold, the flu, bacteria that can cause pneumonia or any other pathogen. Mina draws a comparison to HIV, saying the level of immunosuppression in a severe measles infection can be compared to untreated HIV for years. He cautioned, however, that HIV affects different parts of the immune system and that peoples immune systems can eventually recover from measles. How does measles wreck the immune system? The highly contagious virus can destroy long-lived plasma cells that reside in our bone marrow and are essential to our immune systems. The cells are like factories that pump out antibodies to protect us from intruders that enter our bodies. Its almost like bombing a sacred city, Mina said, referring to the potential devastation of plasma cells after a measles infection. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Measles also targets cells in our bodies called memory cells, cells that remember what intruders look like so our immune systems can quickly identify and fight them in the future. Once we breathe in the virus, it gets engulfed by cells called macrophages, which act as a trojan horse to take the virus to our lymph nodes, Iwasaki said. Once there, the virus is able to bind to and destroy those memory cells, wiping out some of our built-up immunity in the process. Once [memory cells] are eliminated, we basically dont have memory for those particular pathogens anymore, so you become more susceptible to pretty much any infection thats unrelated to measles, Iwasaki said. Does the immune system recover? The way the body starts to regain its immune memory after being walloped by measles is by getting exposed to other viruses and bacteria and becoming sick again, building up immunity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While such immunity can be relearned, it can lead people to be especially prone to other infections right after measles, said John Wherry, an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania. As every parent of a daycare-old child knows, if youre building a lot of immunity in that time youre suffering through it, Wherry said. Mina compared relearning our immunity to why it seems babies are frequently sick. That sickness that babies get is not because babies are more fragile. Its just because they dont have the same immunological memory set yet, he said. They have to spend a few years to get it built up through exposure, and thats kind of what people go through after measles. How measles can cause brain inflammation More frightening is an untreatable measles complication called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a brain disease that can occur 10 years or more after someone recovers from the infection and is almost always fatal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For reasons not well understood, the measles virus can cause a persistent infection that can lead to damage in the brain, resulting in cognitive decline, coma and death. Researchers believe SSPE, once considered rare, may be more common than realized. A review of measles cases in California from 1998 to 2015 found that SSPE cases occurred at a higher-than-expected rate among unvaccinated children. The disease is progressive, and symptoms typically occur in phases, said Dr. Bessey Geevarghese, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Northwestern Medicine. It can start with just personality changes and behavioral changes, she said. In children, it can be something as subtle as worse performance in school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The disease then progresses and can eventually cause seizures and abnormal movements, Geevarghese said. Finally, parts of the brain that regulate our vital signs, like breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, are damaged, which can lead to death. There is no cure for the disease, and it is almost always fatal. Patients usually survive one to three years after diagnosis. In the United States, there are typically four to five cases every year, but that may be an underestimate, said Ratner, of NYU Langone Health. Its probably more common than we think it is, because its not necessarily always diagnosed, he said. But as these outbreaks become more common, I think we will obviously see more cases of SSPE. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com JACKSONVILLE, Texas (KETK) CHRISTUS Mother Francis Hospital in Jacksonville will be participating in a Texas A&M University program geared towards medicine students in rural areas. According to the State Health Resources and Services Administration, 94% of non-metro counties in Texas are located in areas experiencing a shortage of primary care providers. In response, Texas A&M College of Medicine created the Rural Medicine Program. PHOTOS: Chapel Hill Red Devils break ground on 2024 bond projects Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This initiative aims to bring students to rural areas by hosting them for one-week and two-week rotations at participating hospitals and clinics. Incoming students will temporarily address the shortage, however, the goal is to inspire future doctors to join or start a local practice where their profession is in high demand. Currently, 25 rural communities are participating in the program. Including the Sulphur Springs CHRISTUS location, which joined in February 2024. Good health care is vital to ensuring the health of our communities and to control escalating health care costs, Dr. John McDonald, chair of Christus Health Academic Institute said. We hope that this experience and partnership with Texas A&M will expose more students to the joys and rewards of living in a rural community and caring for the healthcare needs of the community. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com. Elizabeth Oyer, a former public defender who was appointed as the Justice Department's pardon attorney in April 2022, says she was fired last Friday because she refused to sign off on a recommendation to restore Mel Gibson's gun rights. The movie star and director, who supported Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election and was recently designated as one of the administration's three "ambassadors" to Hollywood along with Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone, lost the right to own firearms because of a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction. Oyer presents the episode as a conflict between public safety and political favoritism, and The New York Times framed the story the same way. But the incident also illustrates how difficult it is for people who have lost their Second Amendment rights as a result of criminal convictionsa category that includes the president himselfto regain those rights, even when there are no grounds to think they pose a threat to public safety. In March 2011, Gibson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge involving his girlfriend, and Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner sentenced him to 36 months of probation. Although Gibson's deal with prosecutors allowed him to avoid jail time, his plea triggered an ancillary penalty under 18 USC 922(g)(9), which makes it a felony for anyone who "has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" to receive or possess a firearm. Another provision of the same law, Section 922(g)(1), sweeps more broadly, imposing the same lifelong disability on anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year of incarceration, no matter how long ago it was committed and whether or not it involved violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett noted in an opinion she wrote as an appeals court judge, the constitutionality of the latter prohibition is doubtful. Barrett dissented from a 2019 decision in which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit upheld the application of Section 922(g)(1) to a manufacturer of therapeutic shoes and footwear inserts who had pleaded guilty to mail fraud. History "demonstrates that legislatures have the power to prohibit dangerous people from possessing guns," she wrote. "But that power extends only to people who are dangerous." The Supreme Court's 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen added heft to that argument by clarifying that gun control laws must be "consistent with this Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation" when they impinge on conduct covered by the "plain text" of the Second Amendment. In 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit ruled that Section 922(g)(1) failed that test as applied to Bryan Range, a Pennsylvania man who had pleaded guilty to food stamp fraud, a state misdemeanor that was notionally punishable by up to five years in prison. Based on similar reasoning, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit last year overturned the Section 992(g)(1) conviction of Steven Duarte, a California man who had lost his gun rights because of a nonviolent criminal record. Without such judicial intervention, "prohibited persons" like Range and Duarte have little recourse. Under 18 USC 925(c), they theoretically can ask the attorney general to restore their Second Amendment rights. The attorney general has the discretion to do that based on a determination that "the circumstances regarding the disability, and the applicant's record and reputation, are such that the applicant will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that the granting of the relief would not be contrary to the public interest." But that responsibility has been delegated to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), which Congress has barred from considering such applications. "Although federal law provides a means for the relief of firearms disabilities," the agency explains, "ATF's annual appropriation since October 1992 has prohibited the expending of any funds to investigate or act upon applications for relief from federal firearms disabilities submitted by individuals. As long as this provision is included in current ATF appropriations, ATF cannot act upon applications for relief from federal firearms disabilities submitted by individuals." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the ATF cannot act on such applications, can people with disqualifying criminal records seek relief in federal court? No, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in the 2002 case United States v. Bean. That case involved a firearms dealer, Thomas Bean, who in March 1998 drove to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, for dinner with three associates after visiting a gun show in Laredo, Texas. Before crossing the border, Bean asked his assistants to remove the guns and ammunition he had in his SUV, but they overlooked a box containing 200 rounds. Bean said he did not realize that the ammunition was in the car or that driving into Mexico with it was a crime. He nevertheless was convicted of illegally importing ammunition into Mexico and sentenced to five years in prison. Bean was transferred to a Texas prison that September and released the following month. Although he ended up serving just seven months of his sentence, the conviction meant he was no longer allowed to possess firearms, a disability that was especially burdensome in light of his occupation and especially unfair given the nature of his offense. But when Bean asked the ATF about restoring his gun rights, he was told the agency was not allowed to consider his application. And since there was no agency decision to challenge, the Supreme Court concluded, Bean could not ask a judge to restore his rights either. Given that situation, people with disqualifying criminal records have little hope of regaining their Second Amendment rights. Generally speaking, the only way they can do that is by obtaining a state or federal pardon, and the odds against that are long. Which brings us back to Mel Gibson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A couple of weeks ago, Oyer told the Times, she was assigned to a working group charged with identifying people who deserved to have their Second Amendment rights restored despite criminal records that made it illegal for them to own guns. "It was an unusual assignment for the office of the pardon attorney, which typically handles requests for clemency" and recommends candidates for pardons or commutations, the Times notes. By way of explanation, it says the project "has been championed by some on the right who maintain that not all people with criminal convictions are dangerous or deserving of such a ban." Contrary to the implication of that gloss, critics of this policy are not limited to right-wing gun nuts. In Duarte's case, for example, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) noted that Section 922(g)(1) is "an extraordinarily broad statute that does not target dangerousness or propensity to commit violence." The ACLU said the government had failed to show that the provision's "categorical application to people convicted of nonviolent offenses" is "consistent with our history and tradition." It added that the law is "a major contributor to mass incarceration and disproportionately impacts people of color." Even a left-leaning organization that is not known for defending the Second Amendment, in other words, can see there is something screwy with permanently taking away people's gun rights when they have no history of violence, based on crimes (such as growing marijuana or selling drugs) that may not even involve an identifiable victim, let alone the use or threat of force. Oyer herself evidently sympathizes with that critique. The Times reports that she came up with a list of "95 people she considered worthy of consideration, made up principally of people whose convictions were decades old, who had asked for the restriction to be lifted and for whom Ms. Oyer's office thought the risk of recidivism was low." Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's office "whittled the 95 candidates down to just nine," the Times says. Blanche's underlings also suggested an addition. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They sent it back to me saying, 'We would like you to add Mel Gibson to this memo,'" Oyer told the Times. To Oyer, the Times says, that request was "worrisome on multiple fronts." While "the other candidates had all undergone a significant amount of background investigation to measure their likelihood of committing another crime," that was not true of Gibson. "Giving guns back to domestic abusers is a serious matter," Oyer said, and "is not something that I could recommend lightly, because there are real consequences that flow from people who have a history of domestic violence being in possession of firearms." Oyer also "was vaguely aware of a highly publicized episode in 2006 when Mr. Gibson was caught being verbally abusive and antisemitic to a police officer who had stopped him on suspicion of driving under the influence and recorded at least some of the exchange." She ultimately decided that she could not in good conscience recommend restoring Gibson's gun rights, a position she says resulted in her dismissal. Like Oyer, I have no idea whether Gibson still poses a threat that justifies barring him from owning guns, and the way his case was treated is unseemly, to say the least. But it is certainly true that millions of Americansprobably including the 86 candidates whom Blanche's office nixed, all of whom Oyer thought posed no such threathave lost their gun rights for no good reason. And that injustice is compounded by a congressional dictate that effectively nullifies the promise of potential relief for people deemed unlikely to "act in a manner dangerous to public safety." Trump's own disqualification from gun ownership underlines the irrationality of this policy. He lost his Second Amendment rights based on 34 felony convictions that involved falsification of business records. Although he received no formal penalty at all for those offenses, they still triggered Section 922(g)(1) because they were theoretically punishable by more than a year in prison. The upshot is that a man entrusted with control of the nation's vast military might, including its nuclear weapons, is not allowed to own a gun, which makes no sense no matter what you think about the legally dubious case that resulted in those convictions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While the loss of that right might not matter much to someone with armed, taxpayer-funded protection, the same cannot be said of ordinary people who are legally barred from possessing firearms even though they have never done anything to suggest they are inclined to violence. The scandal of Gibson's special treatment pales by comparison with that travesty. The post Mel Gibson Controversy Highlights a Bigger Scandal: Many Americans Lose Their Gun Rights for No Good Reason appeared first on Reason.com. Giorgia Meloni is set to shun Sir Keir Starmers coalition of the willing summit because she is not convinced by the Anglo-French plan to send European peacekeepers to Ukraine. The Italian prime minister will not take part in the video conference call that her British counterpart has organised for Saturday, according to local reports. Ms Meloni has told members of her inner circle that she is not convinced by the wisdom of sending European troops to police a ceasefire in Ukraine, if it can be brokered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Senior members of her coalition including Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister, and Guido Crosetto, the defence minister, have been stating for days that they would only consider sending Italian soldiers to Ukraine if there was a broader UN mandate for any eventual peacekeeping mission. Doubts over the viability of the plans put forward by London and Paris mean that Ms Meloni will desert the coalition of the willing virtual summit, according to La Stampa and La Repubblica, two of Italys leading newspapers. Her decision will split the front that Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are trying to build, said La Stampa. The desertion by the Italians was decided after a long series of discussions and contacts with foreign chancelleries, including Washington, the newspaper added. The Prime Minister with Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron during a summit on Ukraine at Lancaster House - Justin Tallis/Getty Images La Repubblica reported: One thing is certain: Meloni will not participate in the coalition of the willing video call organised by the British prime minister. Shell distance herself from the Franco-British axis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Italian government did not respond to requests for clarification of Romes position. Italy is adamant that the Americans should be involved in guaranteeing any ceasefire and peace settlement. Ms Meloni lauded the apparent progress made between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The prime minister welcomes with satisfaction the outcome of the talks held in Jeddah between the United States and Ukraine, with particular reference to the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and the resumption of US assistance to Kyiv, her office said on Tuesday. Italy fully supports the efforts by the United States, under President Trumps leadership, towards a just peace that guarantees Ukraines long-term security. The decision is now up to Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms Melonis foreign minister said the talks in Saudi were an important step towards forging peace in Ukraine, a peace that Europe wants to help build. Mr Tajani said: We want Russias aggression against Ukraine to cease as soon as possible. We Europeans, united with the Americans, can achieve this. Last month, he expressed scepticism over sending European troops to Ukraine without a wider mandate from the UN. I dont think it is useful to send European or Nato troops to Ukraine, said Mr Tajani, who is also the deputy prime minister in Ms Melonis coalition. If we need to create a buffer zone, it is necessary to send troops under the flag of the United Nations, and in such a case Italy could be available. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Any peacekeeping force must be under the United Nations so it is neutral, he said. Giovanbattista Fazzolari, a junior minister, echoed that position. Sending European troops for a military cordon in Ukraine is a hypothesis that France has long supported. Italy does not consider it the most effective solution, he said. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Memphis Animal Services says it has to euthanize more dogs due to a second outbreak of Canine Distemper at the shelter in less than two months. MAS made the following statement on its website: The Memphis Animal Shelter is currently responding to an outbreak of Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) affecting three kennel areas within the facility. To contain the spread of the disease and protect the health and safety of both the animals and the broader community, the shelter has made the incredibly difficult choice to humanely euthanize dogs who have tested positive for the virus, along with evaluating and addressing cases involving dogs at high risk of infection. Additional measures may be necessary as further test results become available. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In January, nearly 100 dogs were euthanized at the Memphis animal shelter following another Distemper outbreak at the facility. Nearly 100 dogs euthanized at Memphis animal shelter due to distemper outbreak Mary Claire Borys said in January MAS was forced to euthanize exposed animals to prevent the disease from spreading to healthy animals and the community. The shelter allowed the adoption of a few previously committed animals based on the adopters ability to safely quarantine the dog until it tested clear of infection. MAS said that Distemper is a highly contagious and serious disease that can spread rapidly in a shelter environment, particularly among young or non-vaccinated animals. During times of high puppy intake, outbreaks tend to occur as these puppies can be carriers of the virus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Toddler dies after being hit by car in Parkway Village The animal shelter said its reinforcing ongoing sanitation protocols, continuing to isolate exposed animals, and closely monitoring the health of all animals in care. MAS remains open to the public, but they are temporarily closing intake appointments and public microchipping services until they can better control the population and ensure the safety of our animals. They are working with veterinary experts and the community to manage this situation responsibly and transparently, said MAS on their website. Healthy, unexposed dogs remain available for adoption and fostering. We urge the community to consider adopting or fostering to help alleviate overcrowding and protect the welfare of animals still in care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shelter is urging all pet owners to keep their pets safe and healthy. Heres what you need to know to prevent and spot distemper: Vaccination: Ensure your pets are up-to-date on their vaccinations. Distemper is preventable, and vaccinations are the best defense against this virus. Symptoms to Watch For: If your pet shows signs like sneezing, nasal discharge, coughing, or lethargy, please consult your veterinarian immediately. Keep Distance : Limit interactions with unfamiliar animals and avoid dog parks until the situation is resolved. Spread the Word: Please share this message to help keep the community informed For more updates from MAS you can visit its Facebook page or contact Memphis Animal Services directly for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Lyle and Erik Menendez will appear at independent parole board hearings on June 13 as a part of the brothers' bid for clemency, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced. "On June 13, we will have the parole hearing board recommendation," the governor explained Tuesday on his podcast, "This is Gavin Newsom." "That independent analysis will help guide the decision-making that my office is independently reviewing as it relates to the clemency application." The June hearings will follow the 90-day independent risk assessment that Newsom announced two weeks ago. He is ordering the parole board to conduct the assessment to determine whether the brothers pose "an unreasonable risk to the public" if released. PHOTO: California Gov. Gavin Newsom at the 2025 Economic Forecast and Industry Outlook convening on Feb. 26, 2025, at the East LA College in Los Angeles. (Damian Dovarganes/AP, FILE) MORE: Menendez brothers case: DA asks court to withdraw resentencing motion, calls self-defense claims 'lies' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor wants an assessment of "the applicant's current risk level, the impact of a commutation on victims and survivors, the applicant's self-development and conduct since the offense, and if the applicant has made use of available rehabilitative programs, addressed treatment needs, and mitigated risk factors for reoffending," his office said in a statement. Newsom stressed on his podcast Tuesday that his clemency decision will only be "influenced by the facts." Celebrity does have "an impact, but in what direction does it weigh?" Newsom said. "Sometimes it's used actually against people, because they're so high profile, they're actually held to a higher level of scrutiny and standards. At the same time, you don't want that celebrity also to influence on the other side." "Thats why I move forward with the Board of Parole hearings to independently review with a group of experts -- forensic psychologists and others -- the facts of this case," he said. PHOTO: This combination of two booking photos provided by the California Department of Corrections shows Erik Menendez, left, and Lyle Menendez. (California Dept. of Corrections via AP, FILE) MORE: Menendez brothers timeline: From the 1989 murders to their new fight for freedom Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newsom said he has not watched Ryan Murphy's fictional series, "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," which premiered on Netflix in September 2024 and brought new attention to the infamous case. "I've seen a few clips here and there on social media," he said. "I don't intend to watch these series because I don't want to be influenced by them. I just want to be influenced by the facts." "I'm obviously familiar with the Menendez brothers, just through the news over the course of many decades," Newsom added. "But not to the degree that many others are because of all of these documentaries and all of the attention they've received. So that won't bias my independent and objective review." Lyle and Erik Menendez are serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 1989 murders of their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez. Over 20 of their relatives are pushing for their release after 35 years behind bars. PHOTO: Lyle, left, and Erik Menendez sit in Beverly Hills Municipal Court where their attorneys delayed making pleas on behalf of the brothers who are suspected in the murders of their parents on March 12, 1990. (Nick Ut/AP) MORE: Menendez brothers: Newsom orders parole board to investigate whether they'd pose 'unreasonable risk' to public if released Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Besides clemency, the brothers are pursuing two other paths to freedom: resentencing and a petition to review new evidence. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Monday that he's opposed to resentencing, arguing the brothers hadn't taken responsibility for their actions and calling their claims of self-defense part of a litany of "lies." Because the "brothers persist in telling these lies for the last over 30 years about their self-defense defense and persist in insisting that they did not suborn any perjury or attempt to suborn perjury, then they do not meet the standards for resentencing," Hochman said at a news conference. MORE: Menendez brothers' cousin calls DA 'hostile,' 'patronizing,' asks for his removal from case Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hochman's decision is an about-face from his predecessor, George Gascon, who announced in October that he supported resentencing for the brothers. Gascon praised the work Lyle and Erik Menendez did behind bars to rehabilitate themselves and help other inmates. Newsom said on his podcast that Hochman's decision won't impact the clemency process. The final decision on resentencing is made by the judge; a hearing is set for March 20 and 21. Hochman is also opposed to the brothers' habeas corpus petition, which they filed in 2023 for a review of two new pieces of evidence not presented at trial: a letter Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin eight months before the murders detailing his alleged abuse from his father, and allegations from a former boy band member who revealed in 2023 that he was raped by Jose Menendez. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hochman announced last month that he's asked the court to deny the habeas corpus petition, arguing the new evidence isn't credible or admissible. ABC News' Jenna Harrison contributed to this report. Menendez brothers to appear at parole board hearings in June, Newsom says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Meta is once again facing allegations from a former employee that a growth-at-all-costs culture has caused offline harm. A new book called Careless People, published Tuesday by former executive-turned-whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams, provides a detailed account of her six years at the company, offering an insiders perspective into controversial moments in the companys history. That includes Facebook being used to fuel political violence during the genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, which the tech giant later admitted it didnt do enough to prevent. It also discusses Facebooks role in President Donald Trumps 2016 election campaign, as well as central characters in Metas business, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, former Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg and newly appointed Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wynn-Williams joined what was then called Facebook in 2011 after working as a diplomat for New Zealand in Washington, DC. She worked her way up to director of global public policy but was fired in 2017, which the company said came after an investigation found that shed made unfounded statements. Wynn-Williams implied in her book that she was fired in retaliation for reporting sexual harassment. Meta has pushed back strongly on Wynn-Williams book. In a statement to CNN, Meta spokesperson Nkechi Nneji said the book contained both out-of-date claims and false accusations about our executives and called Wynn-Williams an activist. Eight years ago, Sarah Wynn-Williams was fired for poor performance and toxic behavior, and an investigation at the time determined she made misleading and unfounded allegations of harassment, Nneji said. Since then, she has been paid by anti-Facebook activists and this is simply a continuation of that work. Meta filed an arbitration demand against Wynn-Williams, stating that the claims made in her book violate a non-disparagement agreement she signed when she left the company. On Wednesday, an emergency arbitrator ruled that Meta was likely to succeed in its claim that the book violates Wynn-Williams non-disparagement agreement. The arbitrator temporarily ordered her not to make any disparaging, critical or otherwise detrimental comments related to Meta and to stop promoting the book, among other demands, according to a legal filing shared by Meta spokesperson Andy Stone on X. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the filing, Wynn-Williams did not formally respond to the arbitration demand. CNN has reached out to her publisher for comment. Wynn-Williams is just the latest former employee to come forward in recent years raising concerns about Metas culture, practices and leadership. History of Facebook whistleblowers In 2021, former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen disclosed hundreds of internal company documents to the government, which revealed everything from the companys struggles to manage human trafficking on its platforms to its failures to protect young users. She told Congress that she believed the company put profits over societal good. That same year, former Facebook data scientist Sophie Zhang claimed that the company was not doing enough to prevent the spread of hate and misinformation, especially in developing countries, and said she had passed documentation to US law enforcement. Zhang said the company told her that she was fired because of performance issues. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then in 2023, ex-Facebook engineering director Arturo Bejar testified to Congress that Meta fosters a culture of see no evil, hear no evil that overlooks evidence of harm. He also said Zuckerberg ignored warnings for years about the damage its platforms, including Instagram, have inflicted on teens. In response to those claims, Meta has denied that it promotes profit over safety and called the documents released by Haugen a curated selection that could in no way be used to draw fair conclusions about us. It also said it has invested billions of dollars in recent years in safety and security initiatives, as well as numerous efforts and features to protect teen users. Following the publication of Wynn-Williams book, Meta pointed CNN to social media posts from current and former Meta employees cited in the book who contested Wynn-Williams depictions of the company and events detailed in the book. The company also sent a letter to Wynn-Williams publisher prior to publication, saying it had made no attempt to verify any of the books contents with Meta. It threatened legal action if the book contained any false statements, characterizations, or implications. (The publisher did not immediately respond the companys claims about fact checking, nor its claims that the book is related to Wynn-Williams work with anti-Facebook activists.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, the book could thrust Meta back into the crosshairs of Congress, which has called for tighter regulation of the company and repeatedly hauled Zuckerberg and other executives to Capitol Hill to testify about alleged safety shortcomings. Lawmakers have failed to pass any federal legislation to rein in the internet giant, even after Zuckerberg apologized to families who said their children had been harmed by his platforms in a hearing last January. Wynn-Williams account also comes as Meta has sought to gain favor with the Trump administration, including by rolling back some content moderation practices and by promoting Joel Kaplan, who is featured heavily in the book, to its top policy role. (People) deserve to know what this big, powerful company is really like, Wynn-Williams told NBC News of her decision to write the book despite likely backlash from the company. Here are three notable allegations from Wynn-Williams book, according to an advanced copy reviewed by CNN. Details on Metas new policy chief The book offers insight on Kaplan who joined Meta the same year as Wynn-Williams after serving in the George W. Bush White House that hints at why the company may have elevated him to its top policy job just before Trump took office this year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It depicts Kaplan as the architect of Metas effort to sell political ads. In 2014, after becoming vice president of global public policy, he began hiring a political sales team to encourage politicians to purchase ads, the book states. The idea is, if politicians depend on Facebook to win elections, theyll be less likely to do anything thatll harm Facebook, Wynn-Williams wrote. The book indicates that Kaplan did not vote for Trump in 2016, but supported his win because of Trumps Republican agenda, despite saying there were some things Im not wild about. However, Wynn-Williams writes that Kaplan told her that he worried Trump wouldnt go far enough in cutting Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, providing an alleged glimpse into the political views of who is now Metas top lobbyist in Washington. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement During Trumps first administration, Kaplan interviewed for a Cabinet position but decided to remain at Meta, according to the book. But his closeness to Trump allowed Kaplan to gain more power within the company and weigh in on product issues as well as policy matters, the book states. This means that decisions about political speech, content, and the algorithm all go through Joel, the book says. Wynn-Williams also alleges a pattern of sexual harassment by Kaplan and said that reporting it ultimately led to her firing. For example, she claims that while she was on maternity leave following the difficult birth of her second child after which she hemorrhaged, Kaplan asked Wynn-Williams to take weekly video meetings, which he eventually started taking sprawled across his bed rather than in his office. In one such meeting, when Wynn-Williams said she needed another surgery, she claims that Kaplan repeatedly pushed her to answer, where are you bleeding from? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A year later, at a company offsite event in California, Wynn-Williams wrote that Kaplan said publicly that she was looking sultry tonight, and later grinded into her on the dance floor. Wynn-Williams writes that she was later told by an HR investigator that Kaplan was looking at a photo of (Wynn-Williams) when he called her sultry, which she said made it weirder. Investigators cleared Kaplan but noted Wynn-Williams performance issues and fired her shortly after, the book states. Meta told CNN that its investigation took over a month and involved interviewing 17 witnesses and reviewing documents provided by Wynn-Williams and others. Meta says it determined her accusations were unfounded. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg with by Facebook's then-vice president of global public policy, Joel Kaplan, in Paris in 2018. Kaplan was promoted to the company's top policy job this year. - Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images Background on Facebooks fateful push into Myanmar Shortly after the companys 2012 initial public offering, Wynn-Williams wrote that its executives identified Myanmar as a potential source of growth, with tens of millions of potential users. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the book, she was sent there to speak with the military junta that controlled the country at the time which had blocked the platform. During the trip, Wynn-Williams had to flag down a stranger who did not speak English and mimed to convince him to drive her to the meeting because she did not have cell service or existing contacts in the country, according to the book. The outcome of Facebooks push in Myanmar, where it served as essentially the entire internet in the developing country, is now well-known: Facebook admitted in 2018 that it failed to do enough to prevent its platform from being used to fuel political division and violence during the genocide of the countrys predominantly Muslim Rohingya minority group. None of the senior leaders thought about this enough to put in place the kinds of systems wed need, in Myanmar or other countries, Wynn-Williams wrote in the book, reflecting on the crisis. They apparently didnt care. These were sins of omission. It wasnt the things they did; it was the things they didnt do. In the years since, Meta says it has taken steps to ensure the safety of its platforms in Myanmar, including building a team dedicated to the country, working with partners on the ground to remove misinformation, hiring content reviewers with native language expertise, and banning hate figures, the military and state-run media. (Meta says its recent rollback of third-party fact checking applies only in the United States, so its misinformation practices in Myanmar have not changed; it did not immediately respond to a question about the size of its workforce dedicated to the country.) Negotiations with the Chinese government Wynn-Williams writes that in 2014, Zuckerberg laid out in an email a three-year plan to make Facebook accessible in China, where it had been blocked by the government like many other internet platforms. He said the expansion was necessary for the companys mission to connect the world and called for more engagement with the Chinese government, according to text of the email included in the book. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three years later, as part of that push, Wynn-Williams said Facebook considered a strategy to enter the country that would involve partnering with a Chinese company that would censor and hand over user data on behalf of the Chinese government. Under Zuckerbergs direction, Facebook engineers began building new censorship tools for the partnership, the book states. Wynn-Williams wrote that, at the time, Facebook employees drafted hypothetical news headlines they might have to respond to if word got out about the companys work with the Chinese government. Such sample headlines included: Chinese government uses Facebook to spy on its citizens. Ultimately, the company did not go through with the plan and still does not operate in China, a point Meta notes has been widely reported. In a document disputing several of Wynn-Williams claims, Meta pointed to a 2019 speech about the companys focus on free expression, in which Zuckerberg said Meta could never come to agreement on what it would take for us to operate there, and they never let us in. Meta has called Wynn-Williams assertions either misleading or old news. But her book offers one persons perspective on the evolution of a company thats seeking to become more powerful than ever by aiming to be a leader in the artificial intelligence revolution. If we dont address what has been covered up, well repeat Facebooks mistakes, Wynn-Williams wrote at the end of the book. This story has been updated with additional developments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) Tensions were high at the Mexico Beach City Council meeting earlier Tuesday as Mayor Richard Wolff wrote a letter reprimanding City Administrator Chris Truitt. It all stemmed from Truitt allowing a city employee to sleep in a government building. Both Mayor Wolff and city council members told Truitt that he did not have the authorization to make that call and instead should have come to the council asking for permission first. The decision to reprimand Truitt came up at the tail end of Tuesdays meeting, and city staff did not mince words when it came to what they really thought of Truitts judgment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sheriffs offices on high alert for potential spring break events I tell you what is factual. What is factual is you made a bad decision having somebody spend the night on city property, and I believe that constitutes a letter of reprimand. I wrote a letter of reprimand, and Ill pass it on to the council, and I think that we ought to agree to do this, Wolff said. Mexico Beach City Council members will now meet at a later time to decide the best course of action when it comes to disciplining Truitt. Both Wolff and Truitt declined to comment further on the matter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. Michael Williams - WPTV WPTV anchor Michael Williams is retiring from broadcasting after 44 years. Williams started working at West Palm Beach NBC affiliate in 2011. He started his career in TV at WSVN in Miami in 1984 and went on to work at NBC News, before joining WFOR in 2008. Hes also worked at WTVX in Fort Pierce and at WCPO in Cincinnati. He said his first love is the environment and he plans to do some advocacy work in retirement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I really think about the fact that when Im old and grayer, my kids and grandkids might ask, Dad, what did you do to make sure we have clean water to drink?' Williams said. Its generational, and as a dad and a granddad, I think about that a lot. The station did a full on write up for his retirement. Click here to read it. Welcome to The Scoop the ultimate back-to-the-office water cooler cheat sheet, your go-to source for all things everyone really wants to know! Get the latest on everything from the political swamp maneuvering in D.C. and Hollywood drama to jaw-dropping small-town shenanigans from Paula Froelich. Subscribe to her newsletter here. (NewsNation) This week, Michelle Obama announced her new podcast, IMO (short for In My Opinion), which she is co-hosting with her brother, Craig Robinson. She also unveiled a new, sleek and refreshed look in her new headshots. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michelle Obamas Hollywood career a bust: Source I spoke with three plastic surgeons who weighed in on the former first ladys look and all agreed she had some help to look this great. Plastic surgeons raved over Michelle Obama Jon Turk, a top NYC based plastic surgeon raved over Obamas news fresh face, saying shed obviously lost some weight and added, She looks like she had some minimally invasive treatments such as Botox for the forehead, Morpheus 8 (a laser treated ent) to tighten the skin and possibly a modest amount of fillers in the cheeks and jawline for facial balancing. San Francisco-based surgeon, Corey Maas, MD, FACS, agreed with Turk (although he said Obama possibly used the Kardashian favored ultrasound/collagen rebuilding therapy Sofwave) and added: In recent photos, her skin appears tighter and more contoured, especially around the jawline and cheeks, leading to speculation about a facelift or other cosmetic enhancements. However, its also worth noting that she seems to have lost some weight, which can naturally enhance facial contours and define the jawline. Additionally, her hair is pulled back tightly in a ponytail, which can further accentuate facial features and give a subtle lifting effect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Billy Joel postpones tour dates due to medical condition Maas continued: Overall, the changes (in Obamas appearance) could be the result of a combination of minor cosmetic treatments, weight loss, and styling choices. In this attractive woman, small changes makeup and some weight loss can explain the differences we are observing. Michelle Obamas new podcast Meanwhile, I am hearing the reason Obama skipped former President Jimmy Carters funeral, in addition to some elective procedures, was she was gearing up for the podcast and taping with her brother. (She was never planning on attending Donald Trumps inauguration). The podcast, which premiered Wednesday, sees Obama discuss her relationship with her husband, former President Barack Obama, with Craig and guests like Issa Rae, Tyler Perry, Seth Rogen and Jay Shetty. Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks onstage at the Clooney Foundation for Justice Inaugural Albie Awards at New York Public Library on Sept. 29 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Albie Awards) INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA DECEMBER 13: Michelle Obama walks onstage during The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times in Conversation with Michelle Obama at YouTube Theater on December 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for ABA) KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN OCTOBER 26: Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks ahead of the arrival of Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign rally at the Wings Event Center on October 26, 2024 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Vice President Harris will be campaigning today with former first lady Michelle Obama in the battleground swing state of Michigan. With 10 days remaining, Harris continues campaigning against Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the November 5 election. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) CHICAGO, ILLINOIS AUGUST 20: Former U.S. President Barack Obama (L) greets former first lady Michelle Obama as he arrives to speak on stage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 20, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic Party supporters are gathering in Chicago, as current Vice President Kamala Harris is named her partys presidential nominee. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) FILE Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks at a campaign rally for democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at the Wings Event Center, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Oct. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) Rumors have been flying that she and Barack, who have been married for 32 years and are parents of daughters Sasha and Malia, are having difficulties (I am assured their marriage is fine and strong), but she did talk about the rough roads they navigated in the past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michelle told Craig about the first big trial when Barack decided to run for president. Meghan Markle off Netflix Top 10 after only 6 days Being married to the president of the United States [is a] thing that that none of us kind of banked on. We knew Barack was smart and ambitious, but, you know, she said, before confirming it was Craig who convinced her to support Barack in his presidential ambitions. You talked me into supporting his run, Michelle said. He was smart enough to know that he needed to come to you and sell you on the idea. Because I was definitely like, No, no way,' she said. Obamas production company, Higher Ground As I reported earlier, the Obamas have had trouble breaking into Hollywood fully. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Their production company, Higher Ground, received a $65 million production deal from Netflix, but not much has taken off. Comedian of Trump rally fame gets Netflix deal The couple produced Leave the World Behind with Julia Roberts (which reviewers on Reddit called hot garbage), and other projects such as Netflixs Later Daters, Ruston and Your Mamas Kitchen also failed to take off. Michelle also launched a healthy soda company, Plezi, shocking fans in September when she showed up at a Northern California Costco, dancing and shilling the beverage. Fingers crossed IMO does better. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmers office says the governor will make a major announcement on free pre-K for all at an early childhood center in Livonia. According to her office, last years announcement of free pre-K for all last year saved families an average of $10,000 a year while providing children with the learning foundation essential to their long-term academic achievement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) A resolution to change Michigan voter identification requirements was adopted by the Michigan House Election Integrity Committee Tuesday morning, a month and a half after it was introduced. Similar to the federal SAVE Act, the joint resolution, introduced by Rep. Bryan Posthumus, R-Rockford, on Jan 29. proposes an amendment to the state constitution that requires the verification of an electors U.S. citizenship, and modifies voter identification requirements. The goal of the resolution is to ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in our elections and photo ID is required when casting your ballot. Eighty-three percent of the population agrees that only U.S. citizens should be able to vote in our elections and 84% of the population agrees that photo ID should be required when voting, Posthumus told News 8 Tuesday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Free clinic in Kalamazoo aims to help Michigan residents get their licenses The push for greater election security in Michigan stems, in part, from an incident in Oct. 2024, when a 19-year-old Chinese international student from the University of Michigan falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen when he registered to vote and cast his ballot. That ballot counted. There was no way of knowing how big of an issue this is. The only reason why we know that happened is because he came forward and admitted to it. We didnt catch him, theres no mechanism in place to catch him, Posthumus said. Remember in 2000, the presidential election was determined by 527 votes. Every single legal vote matters and every single illegal vote should not count. The student was arrested and charged with attempting to vote as an unauthorized elector and perjury for making a false voter registration. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel previously said, Noncitizen voting is an extremely isolated and rare event. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement International student arrested, charged for voting in Michigan Still, the 6-3 passage of the resolution now paves the way for the House speaker to bring it up for a full vote in the state House, which Posthumus expects will happen in the coming months. Democrats say they plan to do everything they can to make sure the measure does not pass the legislature. During a press conference in Lansing Tuesday morning, around a dozen and a half Democratic lawmakers shared why they believe this proposed requirement would create a barrier for thousands of legal voters in Michigan. We must look at this resolution squarely and call it what it is: discriminatory. It is a disproportionate tax and a negative policy on women and especially Black and brown communities at the voting poll. This resolution sends a message to Michigans Black and brown communities that Republicans do not want you at the voting booth, said Rep. Tonya Myers Phillips, D-Detroit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Several referred to the bill as a poll tax. In our state constitution, we are allowed the right to vote and make sure that that right to vote is not burdened by excessive barriers and requirements and this resolution places those excessive burdens and requirements by forcing folks to produce documented proof of citizenship, whether that be a birth certificate or a passport, Rep. Stephen Wooden, D-Grand Rapids, told News 8 following the press conference. The resolution doesnt enumerate what that proof of citizenship is, they just say it has to be provided. Which states do not require an ID to vote in-person? In Michigan, a certified copy of a birth certificate costs $34 and a passport is $130. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ultimately what weve seen in states that implement laws like this, weve seen thousands of folks being denied the right to vote 31,000 Kansans denied their legal right to vote, 43,000 Arizonans denied their legal right to vote and on top of that, theres also no evidence to suggest that this constitutional amendment or proof of citizenship laws like these actually accomplish what they set out to do, Wooden went on. Posthumus, however, argued legislators still have to iron out the details. The legislature will determine what constitutes as proof of citizenship. The legislature will determine to what extent does the state pay for any of these documents that are needed? The legislature can provide to the clerks an administrative stamp that allows counties to provide these documents for citizenship purposes. So again, theres nothing in this constitutional amendment that says people that are serving in the military overseas cant prove their citizenship via email or digitally or via mail, theres nothing in there that says that. So these are some of the points that the Democrats and the opposition are pointing toward because they dont have an actual argument. Clerk explains how Michigan verifies voter eligibility Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Joint Resolution B would need a 2/3 majority to pass, which Wooden said he is confident it will not reach. Were going to make sure voters know what this constitutional amendment would do if it passes, he said. Postumus said there are intentions to create a citizen-led ballot initiative if the measure is not passed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. The Michigan Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Heres a look at March 11, 2025, results for each game: Winning Daily 3 numbers from March 11 drawing Midday: 4-0-8 Evening: 3-2-5 Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Daily 4 numbers from March 11 drawing Midday: 5-6-1-1 Evening: 5-7-2-7 Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Lucky For Life numbers from March 11 drawing 02-07-17-18-28, Lucky Ball: 14 Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Poker Lotto numbers from March 11 drawing AD-QS-5C-3D-5S Check Poker Lotto payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from March 11 drawing 04-18-19-21-36 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 10-21-24-25-31 Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Daily Keno numbers from March 11 drawing 03-07-08-13-17-20-22-25-27-30-41-52-56-58-59-61-63-70-71-73-75-80 Check Daily Keno payouts and previous drawings here. Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results Are you a winner? Heres how to claim your lottery prize All Michigan Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes up to $99,999.99, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Michigan Lotterys Regional Offices. To claim by mail, complete a ticket receipt form, sign your winning ticket, and send it along with original copies of your government-issued photo ID and Social Security card to the address below. Ensure the names on your ID and Social Security card match exactly. Claims should be mailed to: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Michigan Lottery Attn: Claim Center 101 E. Hillsdale P.O. Box 30023 Lansing, MI 48909 For prizes over $100,000, winners must claim their prize in person at the Michigan Lottery Headquarters in Lansing located at 101 E. Hillsdale in downtown Lansing. Each winner must present original versions of a valid government-issued photo ID (typically a drivers license or state ID) and a Social Security card, ensuring that the names on both documents match exactly. To schedule an appointment, please call the Lottery Player Relations office at 844-887-6836, option 2. If you prefer to claim in person at one of the Michigan Lottery Regional Offices for prizes under $100,000, appointments are required. Until further notice, please call 1-844-917-6325 to schedule an appointment. Regional office locations are as follows: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lansing: 101 E. Hillsdale St. Lansing; Phone: 844-917-6325 Livonia: 33231 Plymouth Road, Livonia; Phone: 844-917-6325 Sterling Heights: 34700 Dequindre Road, Sterling Heights; Phone: 844-917-6325 Detroit: Cadillac Place, 3060 W. Grand Blvd., Suite L-600, Detroit; Phone: 844-917-6325 Grand Rapids: 3391-B Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids; Phone: 844-917-6325 Saginaw: Jerome T. Hart State Office Building, 411 E. Genesee Ave., Saginaw; Phone: 844-917-6325 For additional information, downloadable forms, and instructions, visit the Michigan Lottery's prize claim page. When are Michigan Lottery drawings held? Daily 3 & Daily 4: Midday at 12:59 p.m., Evening at 7:29 p.m. Fantasy 5: 7:29 p.m. daily Poker Lotto: 7:29 p.m. daily Lotto 47: 7:29 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily Daily Keno: 7:29 p.m. daily This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Michigan editor. You can send feedback using this form. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Lottery Daily 3, Daily 4 results for March 11, 2025 Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) speaks about Democrats' plan to support parents of young children at a news conference in the Michigan Capitol Building alongside other Democrats and child welfare advocates on Mar. 12, 2025 | Photo: Anna Liz Nichols Democrats in the Michigan Senate are proposing tax credits, stipends and subsidized childcare in order to support the states workforce and grow the population. The first few years of a childs life is considered the most expensive time period in a childs life, lawmakers and early childhood development stakeholders said during a news conference Wednesday announcing a plan to offset some of the costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Building off the momentum of Democrats expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC for working families, in 2023, Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), said the new proposal includes a tax credit of $5,500 for families with children under the age of 3. When we let parents keep more of their hard earned money, theyre not only able to afford the necessities, but plan for the future and give their kids better opportunities than what they had growing up, Hertel said. It gives everybody a better chance here in Michigan to succeed and the positive effects of this extend far beyond just the family household. This is the type of policy that works to uplift entire communities. With the rising costs of living and unaffordable costs of childcare, the cost of being a parent in Michigan is unsustainable, Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) said citing Michigan Association of United Ways ALICE numbers that 41% of households in Michigan struggle to afford basics like housing, health care and food. The average annual cost of childcare per child in Michigan is about $9,000, according to Child Care Aware of America. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When families cant afford the basics, Michigan businesses suffer by having fewer customers, McMorrow said, straining the job market and cyclically damaging the states economy. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the state economy hard, McMorrow added, and families need a boost to be able to thrive. One of the major reasons families have not recovered from the devastating impact of the pandemic is because we lack the infrastructure to adequately support parenthood, McMorrow said. Senate Democrats are in your cornerBut were still up against a system that has ignored the financial struggles of parents instead prioritizing the needs of billionaires and big corporations. Democrats new plan calls for codifying the MI Tri-Share program, which splits child care costs between employers, the state, and employees, into the state budget. Additionally, Democrats are committing to expanding accessibility for new childcare centers to open. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a pediatrician, one of the hardest conditions for families to overcome is poverty, said Dr. Mona Hanna, the Flint pediatrician who helped expose the impact of the Flint Water Crisis in 2014. When babies are born into and grow up in poverty, it is a pathogen. It makes kids sick. It impacts their entire life course, it impacts their potential, Hanna said. Dr. Mona Hanna of Flint, Mich. speaks about Rx Kids at a news conference in the Michigan Capitol Building with state Senate Democrats on Mar. 12, 2025 | Photo: Anna Liz Nichols But the state has started making moves to reduce povertys sting on families, Hanna said, noting the successes of the program she is a director for, Rx Kids, which supplies cash payments to moms in Flint, Kalamazoo and in the Upper Peninsula. In Flint, Hanna said Rx Kids has distributed over $7 million since the beginning of 2024 to more than 1500 families who use the funds for baby supplies, costs of housing, transportation and childcare. The program offers $1,500 to moms during pregnancy, then $500 monthly in the babys first year of life, regardless of income. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Families are experiencing better healthcare outcomes in Flint because of monthly stipends from Rx Kids, Hanna said, adding that the program is repairing broken trust in health care and government organizations, a meaningful lift for the families hurt by the lead contamination from the water crisis. The goal now for Democrats is expanding the Rx Kids program statewide in order to break povertys far reaching impact, Hanna said. Early support for kids and families keep them healthy and able to perform in educational and economic systems. Any investment in early childhood has a massive return on investment. For something like Rx Kids, its a trickle up program. Those dollars get spent locally, so its an economic development program, but also, in the long run, you have less costs in child welfare because its preventing child welfare involvement, Hanna said. Those societal savings may not be seen right away, but any investment in early childhood reaps a massive return on investment. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX HOWELL, Mich.(WLNS) Veterans across Mid-Michigan are concerned about massive layoffs at the VA as the Trump administration is planning to slash about 80,000 workers, according to a memo reported by the Associated Press. These cuts are part of President Donald Trump and Elon Musks plan to downsize the federal government. Chad Teets, a sergeant with the Army Reserve, says he has mixed feelings about the layoffs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As long as the cuts are in an appropriate way, I would support it, said Teets. I dont know if 80,000 people are appropriate. However, Teets says some of the cuts are necessary. Perhaps were overstaffed in various different branches and administration. Ive had my own shortfalls within the VA as far as receiving service. You know, I think its like any other business, said Teets. You have your people that are really good at their job, and you have people who arent really good at their job. So, the people that arent doing what theyre supposed to be doing, I think those are the ones that need to be targeted. Teets, who has a disability, says he has some concerns about how the cuts could impact health care benefits from the VA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What happens if we go too far? said Teets. So, if we do cut 80,000 people and now our government recognizes that there is a huge impact on service members not receiving the benefits theyre entitled to. How do they fix it? Harold Richmond, a Vietnam War veteran, agrees, saying he is worried the layoffs could affect the benefits his fellow service members rely on. It creates worry, said Richmond. Ive dealt with them before, and its taking them so long now for anybody to get the benefits that they require or are entitled to, and to cut it back any further. It seems like it could make it take longer. However, Richmond says some parts of the government should downsize and that there is still a lot of uncertainty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think the cuts are going to make things more difficult for, you know, the ones that are involved with it, said Richmond. I think the VA is a good thing. I think it helps the Veterans, especially those that need it. There are currently 482,000 employees in the VA. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. Mar. 11Brandon Davis, the man convicted of aggravated murder in the shooting death of Asiah Slone, will serve nearly 45 years in prison before he's eligible for parole, a Butler County judge on Tuesday ruled. Davis, 46, of Middletown, looked back at his family as he was led out of Judge Kelly Heile's courtroom and said, "Love y'all." However, he continued to maintain his innocence during the 15 minutes he spoke at his sentencing hearing. He said he "had nothing to do with the murder of Asiah Slone," adding that his co-defendant, Perry Hart, fired the two shots into Slone's head. Davis claimed he was slandered, targeted by the Middletown Division of Police, and was proven innocent by the evidence presented at trial, and said, "For the minority, it's been guilty until proven innocent." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors said he did fire the first of the two shots that killed Slone and threatened Hart to "make sure she was dead" and dispose of her body. "He's a stone-cold killer," said Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser, adding he should receive the maximum sentence "and never see the light of day." After having found Davis as a violent repeat offender, Judge Heile sentenced Davis to life in prison on the first count of aggravated murder, and is eligible for parole after 30 years. Five other felony counts Davis had been found guilty of, including kidnapping, were merged with the aggravated murder count. Heile also sentenced Davis to two additional consecutive sentences. Davis' time in prison will begin with a 4-1/2 sentence on a firearms specification attached to the aggravated murder charge. Then a 10-year prison sentence begins for being a repeat violent offender. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The charge of having weapons under disability is a three-year term that will serve concurrent. If Davis is ever paroled, he must register with the Butler County Sheriff's Office as a repeat violent offender. Davis' attorney, Brad Kraemer, said at the start of the nearly hour-long hearing, they plan to appeal. Davis was found guilty after his five-day trial in Butler County Common Pleas Court. It took the jury about four hours to come back with the verdict of guilty of all counts, which also included having weapons under disability, kidnapping, and attempted murder. Davis took the stand in his own defense during his trial, denying his involvement and even being present when Slone was shot twice in the head on June 7 as she lay sleeping on the floor of the house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He also spoke on Tuesday for several minutes, saying the evidence presented in his trial proved he did not shoot Slone. He also said the murder was the idea of his co-defendant, Perry Hart. Davis was one of the two men charged with Slone's death, 35, who was reported missing and her remains were found in a trash can by searchers on July 1. Slone was was reported missing in June. Her remains were found on July 1, 2024, and later identified by the the Butler County Coroner's office through DNA testing two days after Hart's arrest. Slone was found in a Rumpke trash bin in the 1000 block of Centennial Avenue near Yankee Road. Davis was the first to go to trial and Hart testified against him, along with others, in the house where Slone was killed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gmoser called Davis' theory "absurd" that Hart was the lone person involved in Slone's death. The prosecutor said Hart "wasn't smart enough to concoct" that plan. Hart had faced an aggravated murder charge in addition to three counts of kidnapping. However, due to Hart's corroborating testimony against Brandon Davis in his February trial, the county prosecutor offered the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter charge with a 3-year gun specification, in addition to the kidnapping counts. Hart will next be in court at 9:30 a.m. on March 31 for a criminal disposition hearing. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) The company behind an $8.9 billion carbon-capture pipeline proposed for five Midwestern states said Wednesday it wants to indefinitely delay its plans after South Dakota passed a law limiting its ability to acquire land for the project. But even as it filed a motion to suspend its pipeline permit application timeline with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, the Iowa-based Summit Carbon Solutions said it remains committed to the pipeline. Summit attorney Brett Koenecke said the action was needed because the legislation approved by South Dakota lawmakers and quickly signed into law by the governor changed the company's ability to survey the route. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The resulting delays in obtaining the surveys mean that the timelines involved in Commission action on this application are unrealistic, Koenecke wrote in the motion. If the commission approves the motion, they can set a new deadline for the permit application. The proposed 2,500-mile pipeline would carry carbon emissions from ethanol plants in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota to be stored underground permanently in North Dakota. By lowering carbon emissions from the plants, the pipeline would lower their carbon intensity scores and make them more competitive in the renewable fuels market. The project had approvals in Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota. But in South Dakota, a new law banned the use of eminent domain the government seizure of private property with compensation specifically for carbon-capture projects. The eminent domain bill sponsor Republican Rep. Karla Lems said Summit is trying to get their feet back under them after the eminent domain ban. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Summit's move was generally good news for Frank James, director of advocacy group Dakota Rural Action, which opposed allowing eminent domain for the project. It means the work that we did at the legislature with our allies was impactful, he said. It clearly shows the citizens of South Dakota really question these false solutions to climate change. Tad Hepner, vice president of strategy and innovation at the Renewable Fuels Association, disagreed, saying stopping Summit in South Dakota would put ethanol producers in the state at a competitive disadvantage to out-of-state plants connected to the pipeline. We don't want to see haves and have-nots, he said. We want as many ethanol producers to be able to sequester their CO2 as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong said Tuesday he doesnt know how Summit will get its pipeline into North Dakota given South Dakotas eminent domain ban. Armstrong said he is concerned because officials and industry leaders were hopeful of eventually using carbon dioxide to extract oil. North Dakota is the No. 3 oil-producing state in the country, producing about 1.2 million barrels of oil per month. Summit has already spent more than $1 billion on the project, Summit spokesperson Sabrina Zenor said. Despite the South Dakota suspension, all options are still on the table, the company said. "Summit Carbon Solutions remains committed to working through this process and advancing the project in states that support energy and innovation," the company said in a statement. ___ Dura reported from Bismarck, North Dakota. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) A man reported missing from Dayton has been found. Dayton police reported Wednesday that a Dayton man walked away from his home on Feb. 14. Authorities provided an update Thursday saying the man was found and is safe. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. KANSAS CITY, Mo. It has officially been nine days since Olathe man Jordan Yust disappeared from his home, and now law enforcement is asking the public for help in the search. On Wednesday morning, the Miami County, Kansas, Sheriffs Office posted an update on Facebook regarding the latest findings on the 37-year-old father and husband. 2 people dead after a house fire in Higginsville According to the post, recent tips make deputies believe that Jordan may have been in the area of West 247th Street and Ridgeview Road about nine miles south of Spring Hill, Kansas, and four miles east of Hillsdale, Kansas as recently as Sunday or Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, law enforcement has not released explicit evidence to corroborate these sources claims. After receiving the tips, though, deputies deployed 10 specialized canines for a 12-hour search. When the search concluded, the sheriffs office said Yust was most likely in the area of 169 Highway, north of 255th Street, on Friday based on new evidence. Deputies are still looking for Yust and asking the public to release any dash camera footage, home or business surveillance, deer blinds, or trail cameras to help with any clues regarding his disappearance. On Monday last week, it was reported that Yusts car was found running on 69 Highway, near 247th Street, in Miami County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Man facing 10 additional charges connected to string of burglaries in Kansas City According to Yusts brother-in-law, Jeff Maxwell, It would be Jordan on foot, is what were looking for. We know his car was left running on the side of the highway. It was northbound on 69, around 247th Street. So, we would be just trying to find any indication of where he might be going, timestamps of where he has been. Then that will help us narrow down the search. The Miami County Sheriffs Office said the most recent updates in the case were made possible after local search and rescue teams, like the Kansas Search and Rescue Team, Missouri Search and Rescue Team, Kansas Highway Patrol Aviation Unit, and Taking it to the Streets, volunteered their time and assisted deputies in their search. Law enforcement claims that Yust may look different compared to his missing person photos. Specifically, he could have a slightly longer beard and head of hair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you or anyone you know has information about Yusts disappearance, deputies ask that you call the Miami County Sheriffs Office Dispatch line at (913) 294-3232. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. An Indiana woman who was missing for six days was found in her car Tuesday off the roadway and out of sight from traffic. Brieonna Cassell, a 41-year-old woman and mom of three, was considered missing for six days before she was found Tuesday in her car in a ditch in Brook, Indiana, by a man working in the area. The man and his supervisor checked the car and found Cassell alone, conscious and speaking, according to Newton County Sheriffs Office. She was injured and flown to a Chicago hospital. Cassells family said she fell asleep behind the wheel and veered off the roadway and ended up trapped in her car in a ditch for six days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was hearing the cars go by and hollering, you know, screaming, her father, Delmar Caldwell, told NBC Chicago. Cassell used her sweatshirt to soak up water from the creek behind the wrecked vehicle. She would suck the water out of the sweatshirt and drink it. She would take her hoodie and toss it, like shes fishing, he said. And bring it back and suck on it to have water. Cassell had compound fractures in her legs, a broken arm and broken ribs, according to her family. They are hopeful she will make a full recovery. I knew she had it in her. She persevered. She wanted to stay alive, Caldwell told NBC Chicago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shannon Cothran, the Newton County sheriff, thanked Johnny Martinez, the man who first saw Cassell in the ditch. In my book, Mr. Martinez is a hero, and we can never thank him enough for his keen eye and quick action, Cothran wrote on Facebook. Related... RALEIGH Until now, North Carolina has not had a unified way to notify the public when children go missing. Additionally, photos of missing juveniles have not always been readily available to the public. To address this need, the Missing Child Repository was launched as a public resource to assist in locating missing juveniles and identifying those unable to identify themselves. The repository includes all juveniles reported missing in North Carolina, regardless of the circumstances, according to a release from the NC Highway Patrol. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Family members can now submit a photo of a missing child to be included in the repository by emailing the childs name and case number to missing@ncshp.gov. Our hope is that this public repository will aid in the location of missing juveniles across the state, said Morrissa Ahl-Moyer, director of the NC Center for Missing Persons. In 2024, there were 8,758 reports of missing children in the State of North Carolina, according to the release. For more information about the NC Center for Missing Persons and to access the Missing Child Repository, visit nccmp.ncdps.gov. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Family and friends are wondering what happened to 47-year-old Rebecca Osmond. The Wisconsin woman last spoke to her son via a FaceTime call on Saturday, Feb. 22. At the time, she was in a train station in New York and said she was heading to Tampa. Family of missing college student asks authorities to broaden search Osmond lived in Tampa for 20 years and has many friends in the area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Patricia Schultz said her daughter is a kind and giving person. Rebecca is the kind of person, if anyone needed help any person, any animal she was right there for you, Schultz said. However, she said the last time she spoke with her daughter, something didnt seem right. She was not herself, but I didnt understand, Schultz said. She was just, was very antsy. But when Osmond spoke with her son on Feb. 22, she seemed happy. Now, her phone has been turned off and no one has heard from her. Her cell phone was her life, she used her cell phone for everything, Schultz said. Schultz is frustrated because she says Wisconsin police are doing little to help. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All they could tell me is maybe in two weeks two more weeks, thatll make my daughter gone a month in two weeks they will give this case to a detective, Schultz said. She wants police to open an investigation to obtain cell phone records and video from Amtrak so she can find out where her daughter is and what has happened. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. NEWTON COUNTY, Ind. (WGN) A missing woman miraculously survived for nearly a week, badly injured and trapped inside her mangled car along a rural Northwest Indiana road. Brieonna Cassell, 41, of Wheatfield, was reported missing last Thursday, according to the Newton County Sheriffs Office (NCSO). According to a missing persons post by family, she left her mothers home to visit friends in the Wheatfield and Demotte area. No one had seen her or her Ford Taurus since. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the NCSO, more than 400 vehicles a day drove by Cassells crashed Taurus. With Cassell unable to get out of the car or summon help, it wasnt until an employee for Deyoung Drainage, Johnny Martinez, noticed her vehicle off the roadway Tuesday that authorities learned of her remarkable story of survival. Once he made the discovery, Martinez contacted his supervisor, who happens to be a local fire chief, Jeremy Vanderwall. Brieonna Cassell, badly injured and trapped inside a crashed vehicle, managed to survive for 6 days by drinking water from the ditch she was in. (Credit: Hailey Ketchum) Brieonna Cassell (Credit: Hailey Ketchum) Brieonna Cassell (Credit: Hailey Ketchum) Martinez and Vanderwall checked her Taurus and found Cassell inside. Incredibly, she was conscious and speaking. After six days pinned inside her own vehicle, Cassell was airlifted to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Chicago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At a press conference Tuesday evening, Cassells mother, Kim Brown, said she survived by flinging her sweatshirt like a fishing pole into creek water near her crashed Taurus and wringing the water into her mouth to drink. According to her parents, another problem that kept Cassell trapped in her vehicle was that her cellphone became lodged under her seat and was out of reach after she regained consciousness. Bri had actually said to her daughter this morning, she was giving up hope, but she managed to stay alive, said Dale Brown, Cassells father. Its going to be a long road to recovery. But thank you to everyone for spreading the word and volunteering. Kim Brown said Cassell has compound fractures in her legs, but she has not received an update on any other injuries her daughter may have suffered. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shes still elated for the first opportunity to see her daughter after six emotionally draining days though. Im going to hug her and kiss her and kick her butt, Kim Brown said with a smile. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. RAYNE, La. (KLFY) Two men from Mississippi were arrested in Acadia Parish for allegedly committing a series of Facebook Marketplace scams by targeting high-value items with forged cashiers checks and disguising themselves to avoid detection. Officials said, on March 10, they arrested 22-year-old Jadariuze Kayvontaye McDaniel of Patterson, Mississippi, and 24-year-old Tevaugntae Rashad Owens of Port Gibson, Mississippi, after a local Marketplace seller became suspicious of them and contacted police. Officials said the men targeted high-value items, including ATVs, zero-turn commercial mowers and vehicles, using forged cashiers checks as payment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To avoid detection, officials said they swapped out vehicle license plates before meeting sellers and, if asked for identification, they provided a photograph of a drivers license belonging to a look-alike individual. They also allegedly used burner phones or text-free apps for communication and disguised their appearance with glasses, hats, and long-sleeve clothing. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Both men were sent to an Acadia Parish jail, with bond set at $10,000 for attempted theft over $10,000 and monetary instrument abuse. Rayne Police Chief Carroll Stelly reminds the public that cashiers checks can be forged just as easily as other documents. He advises that large transactions should take place at the buyers bank, where the check can be verified and cashed. If a buyer refuses to meet at a bank, sellers should carefully consider the risk before proceeding. Jadariuze Kayvontaye McDaniel and Tevaugntae Rashad Owens Latest news Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. COVINGTON COUNTY, Miss. (WHLT) A Mississippi pastor, who was arrested and charged with embezzling thousands of dollars in church funds, denied the allegations. Stricjavvar Strickland, the pastor of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Mt. Olive, and Deacon Armond Barnes were both charged with one count of embezzlement of more than $500. According to the Covington County Sheriffs Office, Strickland and Barnes stole nearly $90,000 in church funds. Authorities said the investigation began in October 2024 after they were notified by the finance committee from the church about discrepancies in the books and bank account. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The men turned themselves in to authorities on Tuesday, March 4. Stricklands bond was set at $150,000, and Barnes received a $75,000 bond. Strickland is maintaining his innocence. Mississippi pastor, deacon charged with embezzling church funds I dont have access to any financials of the church. I simply work as the agent of the church on behalf and in response to the wishes of the church. So, you know, it was really shocking to see that I would be called on the carpet for something like embezzlement when I dont have access to any money, he said. The pastor said a church committee approves all expenses, and the congregation is informed of any major purchases. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each check that we write at this church is typically bears two signatures, and thats how we operate, he said. Strickland believes the allegations stem from former members and others outside of the church. The three people who have been harassing and just coming against the church since I got here in June. This is not something that just started. This has been going on, and any of you to have an opportunity to go back and peruse Facebook. This has been going on since June, he said. Strickland suggested the claims were made to get him kicked out of the church. The congregation is standing behind him with more than 60 signatures requesting an end to the investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They want control they want power that does not belong to them or me. Im here to empower the people and to empower the congregation. And thats the reason why Im not concerned about these allegations because weve got a church thats really transparent, and weve got a lot of people involved in leadership that know exactly whats going on, he said. Strickland said he will pursue legal action and has no intention of stepping down as pastor. Suspects convicted in Mississippi human trafficking case This is not Stricklands first run-in with law enforcement. According to WJTV 12 News sister station, WOODTV, Strickland was sentenced to one year in Kalamazoo County Jail in 2023 for one count of knowingly offering to sell transportation services for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2020, Strickland was charged with 11 felony counts after a Michigan State Police investigation alleged he and his wife used their positions within their church and Kalamazoo Public Schools to coerce four teen boys into sex between 2015 and 2018. In August 2022, Strickland entered into a plea deal, pleading guilty to a count of knowingly offering to sell transportation services for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. Stricklands wife was also charged in connection to the allegations, but the case against her was later dismissed. The Smith County Sheriffs Office in Mississippi announced Mia Walton was arrested on Wednesday, March 5 by Covington County deputies. She was charged with cyberstalking Strickland in January 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Walton was transported to the Smith County Jail, and her bond was set at $5,000. Authorities did not comment on whether this was connected to the embezzlement case. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV. The Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis on June 24, 2022 (Tessa Weinberg/Missouri Independent). Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is doubling down on his demand that Planned Parenthood stop performing a type of abortion that its clinics arent actually offering patients. On Monday, Bailey issued a notice of an intent to serve a cease and desist letter to Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates clinics in the Kansas City metro and Columbia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its an identical threat to the one Bailey issued earlier this month to Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which operates clinics in the St. Louis metro, Springfield and Rolla. Bailey is demanding the clinics not perform medication abortions without an approved complication plan from state health officials. But clinic leadership has said they have no intention of offering medication abortion without an approved complication plan, which they have submitted for approval to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The health department has not yet responded with a timeline for approval. Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, and Margot Riphagen, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, in a written response this week to the attorney generals office called Baileys notice baseless political posturing and an attempt at intimidation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rather than urging the state health department to respond to the proposed complication plan, Wales and Riphagen wrote, Bailey has instead threatened to take action against (Planned Parenthood) for hypothetical, future medication abortion which you have no reason to believe will occur without such a plan. Asked if the attorney generals office has any reason to believe Planned Parenthood intends to start providing medication abortions without authorization from the state, James Lawson, deputy chief of staff in Baileys office, said Planned Parenthood has a documented history of subverting state law and providing unauthorized services. This cease and desist letter provides a forcing function to ensure basic health and safety standards, Lawson said. As of Wednesday, only a handful of procedural abortions have been performed up to 12 weeks gestation, and only at the clinics in Columbia and Kansas City. Wales previously said Planned Parenthoods clinics in Kansas City and Columbia are stocked with abortion medication and ready to administer it as soon as the state allows. Leadership at the clinic in St. Louis said they are also ready to begin providing the medication as soon as the state signs off on a complication plan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Complication plans are important to ensure the safety of patients because medication abortions will likely be completed at home without a physician present, Sami Jo Freeman, a spokeswoman with the department, said in an emailed statement in late February. In 2023, nearly two-thirds of abortions in the United States took place using medication as opposed to in-clinic procedures, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research group. In states where abortion is legal, medication that induces a miscarriage is available to patients in their first trimester of pregnancy. Patients typically take two doses of medication, the second of which is often taken at home. In recent years, a growing number of women have been ordering abortion medication from online providers in the United States and abroad, including to states where abortion remains illegal. Bailey is also among a trio of attorneys general who filed litigation asking a judge in Texas to order the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reinstate restrictions on mifepristone, one of two medications prescribed to induce chemical abortions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the FDA, mifepristone is safe to use if taken as directed. Cramping and bleeding are common side effects of the medication. Those prescribed mifepristone are urged to call their doctor if they experience heavy bleeding, abdominal pain or a fever. The same guidance applies to those who recently underwent procedural abortions, experienced miscarriages or delivered a baby. Since the medication was approved for use 28 years ago, only 32 deaths have been reported associated with mifepristone, according to the FDA. Bailey is also expected to appeal the most recent order out of Jackson County which allowed Planned Parenthood to restart procedural abortions. In an email last month, a spokeswoman for the attorney general said the office intends to appeal the judges Feb. 14 order immediately. As of Wednesday, the office had not filed an appeal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Should the attorney general wish to appeal, there are the correct avenues to go through an appeal, Riphagen said. Instead, sending a cease and desist that ignores both the law and the truth leads us to the conclusion that this is politically motivated. Court to hear more arguments Wednesday Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey answers questions from reporters about Gov. Mike Kehoes executive orders in January (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). Shortly after Missourians in November narrowly approved Amendment 3, granting the constitutional right to an abortion, Planned Parenthood sued the state in Jackson County arguing dozens of regulations on abortion providers were no longer constitutional. Several days later, Baileys office filed a petition in Cole County seeking to throw out Planned Parenthoods lawsuit based on a 2010 settlement agreement. The terms of the contract were plain: the state will let (Planned Parenthood) operate in partial compliance with the states licensure requirements in exchange for (Planned Parenthoods) promise never to challenge Missouris abortion licensure regulations again, the attorney generals office wrote in a recent court filing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About a week after the Jackson County ruling opened the door for procedural abortions in February, Bailey asked a Cole County judge to consider a temporary restraining order against Planned Parenthood that would halt any abortions at the Columbia and Kansas City clinics. Planned Parenthood maintains that because the 2010 settlement was made with different federal and state constitution laws around abortion in place, the AGs arguments are no longer relevant. The state is attempting to enforce an outdated agreement regarding a regime of laws and regulations that now conflict with the Missouri Constitution, attorneys for Planned Parenthood wrote in court filings. Planned Parenthood and the attorney generals office are again scheduled to meet in court Wednesday morning. The hearing, to take place before Cole County Judge Daniel Green, will address Planned Parenthoods request that the court dismiss the case or move it to Jackson County. It will also address Baileys request for a temporary restraining order. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Wales called Wednesdays case entirely about distraction and delay. I dont think whats happening in our Amendment 3 litigation is that far removed from the federal chaos she said. There is an element of creating chaos in the courts and having us respond to a million different demands and requests. Its the same approach, fundamentally. MISSOURI A Missouri bill that would ban child marriage passed the Missouri Senate and is now one step closer before going to the governors desk. Senate Bill 66, a bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sen. Tracy-McCreery D-Olivette, would ban marriage for anyone under 18. The St. Louis mayoral debate moments everyone is talking about Currently, in Missouri, 16- and 17-year-olds can get married to anyone under 21 if they have parental consent. The legislation would prohibit this act with no exceptions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Department of Health and Senior Services, between 2019 and 2021, 225 minors were married in Missouri. Roughly 75% of those marriages were girls under the age of 18. SB 66 went to the Missouri House for further debate on Monday. Note: The video above is from Jan. 29 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. GROVE, Okla. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol apprehended an individual after a high-speed pursuit through Oklahoma and Missouri on Tuesday morning. Sarah Stewart, OHP spokeswoman, said the pursuit started near Grove around 10 a.m. She said that authorities are not releasing the names of the three individuals in the vehicle. The pursuit left Cayuga Road and entered Missouri 43 about ten minutes later. Thats where Missouri troopers laid down stop sticks. Stewart said preliminary information suggests troopers arrested one person at the stop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The driver reentered Oklahoma around 10:30 on E. 188 Road, and officially stopped a few minutes later, where another person was taken into custody. OHP says the third occupant ran from the scene and has not yet been located. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Staff Sergeant Travis William Atkins was a member of the United States Army who received a posthumous Medal of Honor for his heroism in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Travis Atkins Background Atkins was born in Great Falls, Montana, on December 9, 1975. He grew up loving the outdoors and spent much time hunting, fishing, and camping. Then, after graduating high school, Atkins became restless and discontent with his civilian life. On November 9, 2000, he joined the United States Army and attended basic training in Fort Benning, Georgia. In 2003, he deployed to Kuwait, where he served as an infantry fire team leader during the invasion of Iraq. He received an honorable discharge on his return. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He then attended the University of Montana and earned a living as a concrete contractor. However, he again found himself dissatisfied with life outside the military. Atkins missed the army and enjoyed being amongst his fellow soldiers. He left Montana and re-enlisted in the army in 2006. He deployed to Iraq again with the 2nd Platoon, Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. There, his demonstrated bravery earned him his Medal of Honor. Army Sgt. Travis Atkins with his parents, Jack and Elaine, during a visit to see him at Fort Drum, N.Y., in 2006. Photo courtesy of the Atkins family Medal of Honor Action Citation While manning a static observation post in the town of Abu Samak, Iraq, Staff Sergeant Atkins, was notified that four suspicious individuals, walking in two pairs, were crossing an intersection not far from his position. Staff Sergeant Atkins immediately moved his squad to interdict the individuals. One of the individuals began behaving erratically, prompting Staff Sergeant Atkins to disembark from his patrol vehicle and approach to conduct a search. Both individuals responded belligerently toward Staff Sergeant Atkins, who then engaged the individual he had intended to search in hand-to-hand combat. Staff Sergeant Atkins tried to wrestle the insurgents arms behind his back. When he noticed the insurgent was reaching for something under his clothes, Staff Sergeant Atkins immediately wrapped him in a bear hug and threw him to the ground, away from his fellow soldiers. Staff Sergeant Atkins maintained his hold on the insurgent, placing his body on top of him, further sheltering his patrol. With Staff Sergeant Atkins on top of him, the insurgent detonated a bomb strapped to his body, killing Staff Sergeant Atkins. Staff Sergeant Atkins acted with complete disregard for his own safety. In this critical and selfless act of valor, Staff Sergeant Atkins saved the lives of the three other soldiers who were with him and gallantly gave his life for his country. Staff Sergeant Atkins undaunted courage, warrior spirit, and steadfast devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 2d Brigade Combat Team, and the United States Army. How to support the Medal of Honor mission Learn more about the Congressional Medal of Honor Society at cmohs.org or find them on Instagram |Facebook Participate in Medal of Honor Day on March 25 by sharing a recipients story Support veteran hiring and transition programs in your workplace Teach younger generations about the values of courage, sacrifice, and service Medal of Honor Month isnt just about recognizing history. Its about keeping the mission alive for the future. Observe Medal of Honor March on We Are The Mighty here. A 41-year-old mother of three was found alive in her wrecked car in Indiana after being trapped for six days, authorities said. A man was operating equipment for a drainage and excavation company on Tuesday when he spotted a car off a roadway, out of view from passing traffic, the Newton County Sheriff's Office said. He called his supervisor, Jeremy Vanderwall, who's an assistant chief at a local volunteer fire department, and the two checked the car and found Brieonna Cassell inside, the sheriff's office said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: 2 more suspects arrested after Southern University student dies in alleged hazing incident "She was very conscious, very alert, very aware of how severe her injuries were," Vanderwall told ABC News. "She said, 'I didn't think anybody was gonna find me. I thought I was gonna die in this ditch,'" Vanderwall recalled. Cassell was flown to a hospital in Chicago, which is about 75 miles north of Newton County. She is in serious condition, according to the hospital. PHOTO: Brieonna Cassell, 41, was rescued on March 11, 2025, after being stranded in her car for six days in Newton County, Indiana. (Newton County Sheriff's Office) Cassell had been trapped since Thursday night when she fell asleep at the wheel and veered off the road into a deep ditch under a bridge, according to her father, Delmar Caldwell. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She suffered serious injuries to her legs and wrist, and her phone was dead under the passenger seat, Caldwell told ABC News. Cassell could hear cars going by and she screamed, but no one could see or hear her, Caldwell said. "I'm sure that was demoralizing," Vanderwall said. "She was stuck in the car and could not get out. But she was able to reach the water from the car," Caldwell said. "The only way she was able to survive was using her hoodie and dipping it into the water in a ditch and sucking the water, or bringing the the water into her mouth from the ditch." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "To have the wherewithal to use her shirt to get water, knowing that she had to have water to survive ... just survival skills, man," Vanderwall added. MORE: DC plane crash: NTSB calls for immediate changes at Reagan airport On Tuesday morning, "she had given up hope of being found," Caldwell said. "And then, by the grace of God and the prayers and everything, she was found." "Everybody that helped to find her and the volunteers and everything ... it was a wonderful miracle," Caldwell said. Cassell is now in "good spirits" and "eating a lot," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Newton County Sheriff Shannon Cothran called Cassell's survival "an incredible testament to her will to live." The sheriff also commended Johnny Martinez, the passerby who found Cassell's car. PHOTO: Johnny Martinez spotted the car belonging to a missing woman who was trapped for six days in Newton County, Indiana. (Newton County Sheriff's Office) Vanderwall said Martinez could spot the car because he was driving a tall tractor. "I myself had traveled that road at least three to four times since she crashed and did not see her," Vanderwall noted. Caldwell said his daughter's missing person report was well-known in the area, so Martinez knew who Cassell was when he found her. "In my book, Mr. Martinez is a hero, and we can never thank him enough for his keen eye and quick action," the sheriff said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Vanderwall added, "If he hadn't seen her and hadn't pushed for me to go back and check on her, she could have laid there for who knows how much longer, and the outcome might not be the same." Mom missing for 6 days found alive stranded in car: 'She had given up hope' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A cattle roundup is pictured at Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Station near Miles City. (USDA photo, Jack Dykinga) A proposal to ban lab-grown meat in Montana cleared the House last week and will head to the Senate after this weeks legislative break. House Bill 401, brought by Rep. Braxton Mitchell, R-Columbia Falls, would criminalize the sale of meat grown in a lab. A similar bill passed in Florida last year and an injunction against the law being put in place was denied by a federal judge in the Sunshine State late last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supporters of the bill pointed to the 2.1 million cows being raised for beef in the state and questions around unknown human health effects from consuming lab-grown meat. There were no opponents in the bills hearing. I have some grave concerns over the use and production of lab-grown meat, Rep. Randyn Gregg, R-White Sulphur Springs, who is co-sponsoring the legislation, said during the hearing. The process is a fusion of dystopia. One could call it Mary Shelleys Frankenstein meets Keanu Reeves in The Matrix. The bill has more than 70 co-sponsors, mostly Republican, with a handful of Democrats joining in. The sponsors include much of the Republican Senate and House leadership. The bill passed its third reading to move to the Senate on a 64-35 vote. Mitchell also specifically noted the bill was not targeting plant-based products designed to taste like meat. Plant-based meats are usually made from tofu, tempeh, or soy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beyond any potential unknown health consequences, Mitchell said, it was also to help protect an important part of the Montana economy. The total value of the states agricultural industry is about $4 billion, according to the Montana Legislative Fiscal Division. This bill will help promote the Montana agricultural industry and keep it strong and thriving in the state of Montana, Mitchell said during his bills hearing. I think we have a unique opportunity here to put the hammer down clearly and show that we stand with agriculture and that we stand with our cattle ranchers. Lab-grown meat, which more simply is making food from animal cells, starts with a small sample of cells from a donor animal. According to the Food and Drug Administration, this can be done without harming or killing the animal. These cells are then selected, screened and grown. The cells grow in a controlled and monitored environment that supports the growth of the cells. Other nutrients, protein growth factors are added to help the cells differentiate and can assume the characteristics of muscle, fat or connective tissue. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once the cells have multiplied enough times, they can be harvested and prepared for sale using traditional food processing and packaging norms. The FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture are jointly overseeing the development of these relatively new food products. The FDA completed its first pre-market consultation of animal cell culture meat in November 2022, saying it had, no further questions at this time about the firms safety conclusion. The company, UPSIDE Foods, has sold its product in some places in the U.S. HB 401 would make selling the meat a misdemeanor, which did come up during debate on the House floor. I have a beef with this bill, a bone to pick, you might say. I dont want to get roasted here, but the stakes are just too high, said Rep. SJ Howell, D-Missoula, during a March 4 floor session. In all seriousness, this bill puts a criminal penalty on selling this kind of meat, and goes from a labeling bill to a criminal penalty bill and thats just a little too far for me. The man involved in an accident on a chairlift at Red Lodge Mountain has passed away. The accident occurred on Monday, March 10th at Red Lodge Mountain on the Triple Chairlift. One person, a 37-year-old man from Billings, Montana, was injured and transported to the hospital before being airlifted to a larger hospital in Billings. LiftBlog has confirmed that the Triple Chair does not have a safety restraint bar. The chair was built in 1983 and will remain closed while under investigation following the accident. The ski area's old Miami Beach Chair (as seen in the featured image above) did not have a safety bar either. The chair has since been replaced by modern detachable lift with safety restraints. The Carbon County Sheriff's Office later reported that the man died on March 11, 2025. Further details on the accident and cause of death have not been released. Red Lodge Mountain trail map. The Triple Chair runs from the base of the ski area to mid-mountain. Photo: Red Lodge Mountain At the time of the accident, the mountain was experiencing wind delays due to gusts over 55mph. All other guests were evacuated from the lift. POWDER extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and all those affected by the tragedy. We will continue to update this story. Related: RIP Sven Coomer, The "Forrest Gump of Ski Boots" The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that more than 1,600 sexual assault cases against Uber will be allowed to continue before a single San Francisco judge, a move with far-reaching implications for the ride-hailing app and its cohort in Silicon Valley. The decision issued Monday upholds an earlier ruling by a council of federal judges appointed to centralize civil suits from across the country. Experts said the litigation is being followed closely by home-sharing platforms, dog-walking services and other "independent-contractor" apps, which have also been hit with stacks of sexual assault liability claims, along with Uber's main competitor, Lyft. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Uber argued that a four-year-old clause in the fine print of its user agreement barred riders from joining any mass lawsuit against the platform. Read more: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Alito blasts 9th Circuit in San Jose police shooting case Hundreds of rape survivors claim the tech giant skimped on driver background checks, failed to report sexual violence to police and allowed sex offenders to drive for the company all while banking millions in "rider safety fees." The appellate court said federal law trumps Uber's terms of use agreement, which U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of California's Northern District had previously deemed "unenforceable." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Judge Lucy Haeran Koh wrote in the higher court's decision that 50 years of precedent stood against the type of reversal sought by the ride-sharing app, with not "a single instance" on the record to justify blocking what's known as "centralization." "Uber has not convinced us that we should be the first," the judge wrote. Experts said the ruling marks a legal line in the sand for agreements that app users must accept before ordering takeout, posting a thirst trap, borrowing an ebook or viewing their lab results. The lengthy waivers are unavoidable, and have become ever-more-indemnifying, experts said. "Most people don't even read those terms of use," said Lindsay Nako, executive director of Impact Fund, a social justice litigation group yet the click-to-agree contracts tightly control what happens if they're injured. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Uber did not respond to requests for comment, but in its appeal to the 9th Circuit, the platform's attorneys argued that a "non-consolidation clause" in its terms of use was actually better for plaintiffs because it ensured each case would be heard on its own merits rather than in one clearinghouse proceeding. Read more: 9th Circuit clears Grindr, dating app for gay men, in child sex trafficking case "The terms of use allow plaintiffs to have their day in court," Uber's lawyers wrote. "Plaintiffs simply agreed to do that individually." But Nako and others tracking the case said that if Uber could easily unwind cases the government binds together, other big companies would write identical provisions into their own terms of use, tangling federal civil courts in endless duplicative lawsuits making it much harder for victims to collect damages. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By blocking the clause, the experts said, the court preserved rights most users never realize they've been asked to give away. "Its a great win for consumers and a bad day for tech companies," said Kathryn Kosmides, an advocate at Helping Survivors, a partnership between victims' advocates and personal injury lawyers. "This latest ruling sets precedent around app safety. A lot of companies are very nervous about what happens [next] in this case." In one sense, the ruling is simple: By siding with survivors and the judge panel, the 9th Circuit affirmed the court's right to manage its own business. Combining alike cases saves taxpayers money, helps ease court backlogs and avoids precedent-setting decisions that may be in conflict, Koh wrote in her decision. It also is common. About 70% of federal civil action is currently adjudicated as part of a multidistrict case, Breyer estimated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's a mind-bogglingly huge number, Nako said of the multidistrict caseload. Advocates say arguing a single case in a single courthouse is easier and cheaper than arguing hundreds in courtrooms across the country. It's also good for plaintiffs, who largely seek the same sets of documents from the companies they sue. Consolidated litigation can make it easier for plaintiffs to prove the wrongdoings they allege are systemic, experts said. Companies that lose or settle such cases are more likely to have to change how they operate, rather than simply paying out. Johnson & Johnson stopped using talc in its baby powder in 2023, after a multidistrict case that unearthed records showing the company knew its ingredient tested positive for asbestos, a carcinogen, for half a century. The company says its baby powder has always been safe and doesn't cause cancer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: How Trump tamed the '9th Circus': Legal challenges to White House are moving east A consolidated suit against Oxycontin-maker Purdue, widely considered the engine of the opioid crisis, resulted in the largest award for damages in American history. In Uber's case, a loss could mean having to beef up background checks, tighten rules around who can contract to pick up passengers, drop drivers reported for misconduct, and install cameras to record every ride, among other changes. Such changes would be expensive and potentially unpopular. But they aren't the only outcome the ride-hailing app is trying to avoid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Centralized cases can unearth huge troves of evidence that would never otherwise be part of the public record. Uber has been fighting for months to avoid discovery in California's Northern District while the appellate court weighed whether the case could stay there. "Does Uber want this data they had about sexual assaults becoming public? Hell no!" Kosmides said. Now that the 9th Circuit has rejected its appeal, "there is no incentive to take this through discovery and to a courtroom with a jury, because ultimately in civil litigation, discovery becomes public," she said. "I think we will see more of those being pursued," Kosmides said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) In Portsmouth, visits by the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore a go a long way. A Biden-era executive order covered the cost of healthy proteins and fresh produce for satellite food bank distribution sites at Third Baptist Church and the Wesley Community Center. This week, that program was rattled by the DOGE chainsaw. So this would be $300,000 in funding for us, said Chris Tann, president and CEO of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore. Every year, it would be over 6,000 meals a month in produce and 3,000 meals a month in protein. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Portsmouth church offers help as the federal government pulls some assistance for food Across the country, the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, has slashed more than a billion dollars in federal spending that allows foodbanks and schools to buy nutritious proteins and produce from local farms. So if youre talking about 6,000, 9,000 meals a month, basically between produce and protein, which is the product that we want the most of, its also a very important product to us, Tann said. This isnt just dry goods, which is always important as well, but producing protein is something that we know make people healthier. So youre talking about at least 9,000 people a month that wont have a meal. Census poverty numbers tell the story of a region that has a disproportionate level of people who live in poverty. Families living in poverty Portsmouth 18 % Norfolk 17 % Newport News 15 % Franklin 19% National average 12.5 % Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From numbers to faces, 10 On Your Side shows you, up close, how food insecurity affects families. In some schools, the meals served for breakfast and lunch are the childrens only meals for the day. At Third Baptist Church, at a drive through distribution event, those who have cars are allowed to pick up enough food for their neighbors who dont have transportation. 10 On Your Side also learned of a grandmother who is caring for three teen boys whose parents are unable to care for their offspring. This mother relies on the Foodbank to feed her grandchildren. Over the last two and a half years, weve increased our produce distribution by about 50% and our protein distribution by about 50%, Tann said. So that means that, over the last two years, weve increased produce and protein distribution each by 50% because those are the things that our neighbors need to stay healthy, just be engaged in our community, to be educated in our community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because of the high poverty rate in the region, the Foodbank secured Congressional funding of more than $1 million to build a new location in Virginia. Beach. Tann says DOGE may also cut that funding from the federal budget. The Foodbank is calling on the community to help the organization help the people of Hampton Roads. So this is a facility in Virginia Beach that we were going to be using, utilizing Congressional funding to do the design and the building of the project in addition to raising a significant amount of money from our community, Tann said. And so its definitely a quick change for us that we wont have that money coming in and it will be a tough to make it up for sure. Tann said the community has ways it can help the Foodbank. He said its hard to plan ahead when they dont know whats coming next. He said theyve talked about the cuts that are coming through the local food purchase agreement, noting its for local farmers and the foodbanks to work together. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats one cut, he said. But were also worried about other cuts that might happen. The beauty of this is that through those cuts and through hard times, the public steps up. So were going to need the publics help again. Were going to have to make these meals up somewhere else. And hopefully that will be with the generosity of those who give to us. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. Nearly 350 hostages were rescued at the end of a deadly standoff between Pakistans military and armed militants who hijacked a train in the southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan, a security source told CNN Wednesday. The incident, which began Tuesday, left dozens dead. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant separatist group active in the restive and mineral-rich Balochistan province, claimed responsibility for the attack. A total of 27 hostages were killed by the BLA, the security source said, as well as one soldier. At least 35 militants were killed in the rescue operation, the security source added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Around 450 passengers were on the Jaffer Express en route from Balochistans capital Quetta to Peshawar in the north, when militants opened intense gunfire as the train traveled through a tunnel early in its journey, according to officials. Pakistans military then launched an operation to confront the attackers who used women and children as shields, according to security sources not authorized to speak to CNN. Passenger Mohammad Ashraf told CNN he saw more than 100 armed individuals on the train and that no harm was inflicted on women and children. One rescued woman described scenes of chaos following the attack, likening it to the Day of Judgement. She told CNN she fled gunfire and walked for two hours to reach safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Survivor Arslan Yousaf recalled the terrifying moment the hijacking began. As soon as the explosion happened, armed men stormed the train. They had launchers, guns, and other weapons, and they immediately started firing shooting directly at people, he told Reuters. They kept shouting, We will kill anyone who doesnt come out. Then, things took a darker turn. They began checking everyones ID cards - Punjabis, Sindhis, Baloch. They separated us into groups. Sometimes, they took soldiers outside and executed them. Other times, they targeted specific individuals. If they had a grudge against someone, they shot him on the spot. Muhammad Tanveer, who was held hostage for two days, told Reuters the hostages didnt have any food and had to resort to drinking water from the trains washroom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then, last night (Wednesday), our army arrived. By evening, they had cleared everything. They gave us protection, served us food and water, and took care of the situation, he said. The security sources accused the militants of being in contact with handlers in Afghanistan. Pakistans military and government have long accused Afghanistan of providing sanctuary to militant groups, something its Taliban leaders have denied. Passengers who were rescued from the train after it was attacked by separatist militants sit at Mach railway station in Balochistan, Pakistan, on Tuesday. - Reuters An evolving insurgency Tuesdays kidnapping is an audacious moment for a separatist insurgency that seeks greater political autonomy and economic development in the strategically important and mineral-rich mountainous region. But it also highlights the ever-deteriorating security situation there one that Pakistans government has been grappling with for decades. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Balochistans population made up mostly of the ethnic Baloch group is deeply disenfranchised, impoverished, and has grown increasingly alienated from the federal government by decades of policies widely seen as discriminatory. An insurgency there has been ongoing for decades but has gained traction in recent years since the provinces deep-water Gwadar port was leased to China, the jewel in the crown of Beijings Belt and Road infrastructure push in Pakistan. The port, often touted as the next Dubai, has become a security nightmare with persistent bombings of vehicles carrying Chinese workers, resulting in many deaths. Some analysts said Tuesdays attack marked an escalation in the sophistication of attacks by the insurgents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The larger point that the Pakistani state is not grasping is that its not business as usual anymore, said Abdul Basit, a senior associate fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. The insurgency has evolved both in its strategy and scale, he added, saying Pakistans approach to tackle the Baloch militants seems to have run its course. Instead of revising its counterproductive policies, it is persisting with them, resulting in recurrent security and intelligence failures, Basit said. The BLA has been responsible for the deadliest attacks in Pakistan in the past year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A suicide bombing by the BLA at a train station in Quetta killed more than two dozen people last November. The previous month, it claimed responsibility for an attack on a convoy of Chinese engineers, resulting in two deaths. In the wake of Tuesdays attack, Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to continue to fight against the monster of terrorism until it is completely eradicated from the country. In a statement, he said the terrorists targeting of innocent passengers during the peaceful and blessed month of Ramadan is a clear reflection that these terrorists have no connection with the religion of Islam, Pakistan and Balochistan. Analysts say such attacks need urgent attention from the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement (Tuesdays attack) has gained global attention and it will worry China, which has its investments in the province more than any other state, Basit said. A major reset of existing security paradigm is required in Balochistan. This story has been updated with additional information. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Hundreds of students protested against Senate Bill 1 on Ohio States campus on March 4, 2025. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal). More than 700 college students, faculty, and staff submitted opponent testimony against a massive Ohio higher education bill that would significantly change colleges and universities. Fourteen people testified against Ohio Senate Bill 1 for three hours during the Ohio House Higher Education and Workforce Committee meeting Tuesday morning. Committee Chair Tom Young, R-Washington Twp., enforced a hard stop at 12:10 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you pass this bill, you sow the seeds of a mass exodus of university students, leaving the economy, workforce, health, and reputation of the state of Ohio worse off than how you found it, said Sabrina Estevez, an Ohio State University student. Senate Bill 1 would ban diversity and inclusion efforts, prevent faculty from striking, set rules around classroom discussion, create post-tenure reviews, put diversity scholarships at risk, shorten university board of trustees terms from nine years down to six years, and require students take an American history course, among other things. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Regarding classroom discussion, it would set rules around topics involving controversial beliefs such as climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion. S.B. 1 would only affect Ohios public universities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, introduced S.B. 1, which passed the Ohio Senate last month. Those who testified Tuesday talked about the bills strike ban, tenure review, collective bargaining, classroom discussion regulations, and the diversity and inclusion ban. S.B. 1 is a censorship bill, said David Jackson, president of Bowling Green State Universitys American Association of University Professors chapter. The bill, full of contradictions, will leave stakeholders wondering: What can I say? What cant I say? Jackson also talked about how tenure protects academic freedom. Professors with academic freedom are the best thing that students have available to them, because it causes universities and faculty to be innovative in terms of teaching and research, he said. The chilling effect that would be caused would be bad, not just for the faculty members, but for the students whom we serve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Rep. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania, asked many of those who testified about striking on campus. Why do you think that faculty at our at our public universities can threaten to hold back students from graduating or earning their degree simply to have it as a bargaining tool in your negotiations? Williams asked. University faculty strikes are rare in Ohio. Youngstown State University workers went on strike for a few days in 2020 over pay disputes and faculty at Wright State University went on strike for almost three weeks in January 2019 over pay disputes and health care. It is the only power that organized labor has in a bargaining process, Jackson said. While strikes are vanishingly rare the existence of those nuclear weapons, if you will, makes the parties work together and solve the problems that their campuses face, and thats why strikes rarely happen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among public employees, first responders and corrections officers are not able to strike in Ohio. The thing in common that those professions have is public safety, state Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio, D-Gahanna, said while questioning Ohio Education Association Vice President Jeff Wensing. I dont believe that faculty members of higher institutions fall into the category of police and fire and protecting public safety, Wensing said. S.B. 1 is already affecting Ohio universities. Qualified, talented faculty have decided not to put their name in the hat for a search at some of our institutions because of a fear of what kind of environment they will be coming into, Jackson said. A protester climbed a tree during a protest against Senate Bill 1 at Ohio State University on March 4, 2025. (Photo by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal). John Plecnik, an associate professor of law at Cleveland State University, theorized S.B. 1 came from a faculty member or an administrator from the University of Michigan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thered be no greater way to damage Ohio State or Ohios public universities, he said. University of Cincinnati Undergraduate Student President Madison Wesley shared testimonies from concerned students. One such student, from Appalachia, fears that the ripple effects of this bill could make it harder for students like her to pursue an education, she said. A pre-med student recently expressed fears that the implications of this bill could negatively affect the accreditation of Ohio medical schools and, by extension, their future career. Wesley also talked about how the bill poses a threat to Ohio higher education. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This will diminish the value of our degrees and make it harder to attract and retain top talent in our state, she said. Ohio State Professor Erynn Beaton said S.B. 1 is pulled from the Florida playbook. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law in 2022 that affects tenured faculty and another bill in 2023 banning the states public colleges and universities from spending money on diversity and inclusion programs. I personally know several faculty who have left Southern states due to the legislative environment, Beaton said. Ohio State Associate Professor Ashley Hope Perez said she used to look forward to her two sons attending public universities in Ohio, but not anymore. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement S.B. 1 undermines every Ohioans right to an effective and complete education, she said. It also endangers students competitiveness in a rapidly changing professional landscape. S.B. 1 has faced heavy opposition since being introduced in January. Hundreds of students, faculty, staff and alumni protested against the bill last week at Ohio State University. More than 800 people submitted opponent testimony against the bill when it was in the Senate committee. Ohio House Democrats bombarded Cirino with questions about his bill during last weeks sponsor testimony. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE More than a dozen progressive lawmakers have signed on to a letter demanding the Trump administration release Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil from detention, after he was unlawfully taken by agents for helping lead anti-war student protests on Columbia Universitys campus last year. The administration has been facing growing backlash over Khalils arrest, which happened Saturday night as he and his wife were coming back to their university-owned apartment. Plainclothes Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took him without a judicial warrant, threatening to revoke his green card that makes him a permanent legal resident. Khalils wife, who earlier made a public plea for her husbands release, is a U.S. citizen and eight months pregnant with their first child. At the time of his arrest, ICE agents also threatened to arrest Khalils wife if she did not leave him and go up to their apartment. Agents would not give her nor their attorney enough information on the officers identities and Khalils whereabouts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He is a political prisoner, wrongfully and unlawfully detained, who deserves to be at home in New York preparing for the birth of his first child, said the lettersent to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Noem did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment. Protesters demonstrate in support of detained Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil at Washington Square Park, on Tuesday in New York. Yuki Iwamura via Associated Press Khalil has still not faced any charges, making the threat of green card revocation that much more extreme. A judge has temporarily ruled that ICE cannot deport him until a petition filed by his attorney is reviewed. As of now, agents are holding him at an ICE detention center in Louisiana, thousands of miles away from his home in New York. His attorney, Amy Greer, is working to get Khalil transferred back to his home state. As the Trump administration proudly admits, he was targeted solely for his activism and organizing as a student leader and negotiator for the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on Columbia University campus, protesting the Israeli governments brutal assault on the Palestinian people in Gaza and his universitys complicity in this oppression, the letter read. This illegal political justification has been stated clearly by figures throughout the administration, including the president himself. The letters signatories include Democratic Reps. Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Nydia Velazquez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Mark Pocan (Wis.), Delia Ramirez (Ill.), Jasmine Crockett (Texas), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Lateefah Simon (Calif.), Gwen Moore (Wis.), Nikema Williams (Ga.), Al Green (Texas), Andre Carson (Ind.) and Jim McGovern (Mass.). Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) holds up a white board reading, "What about the immigrants that worked for you?" as President Donald Trump delivers an address to a joint session of Congress in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4. Tlaib joined 13 other lawmakers in signing a letter demanding federal immigration enforcement release Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil from detention, after he was arrested for peacefully protesting the Israeli occupation last year on Columbia University's campus. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Some lawmakers who didnt sign the letter, like Democratic Reps. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and Chuy Garcia (Ill.), have still spokenout in favor of releasingKhalil. Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer posted more careful statements, attempting to hold the Trump administration accountable while still echoing the White Houses toxic rhetoric that falsely implies Khalil was a graduate student who led dangerous, antisemitic protests on campus. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I abhor many of the opinions and policies that Mahmoud Khalil holds and supports, and have made my criticism of the antisemitic actions at Columbia loudly known, Schumer posted, adding that it should be up to Columbia to determine how to punish Khalilfor nonviolently protesting against the Israeli occupation. The Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee also posted a photo of Khalilcalling for his freedom. Protestors march to demand the release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil on Tuesday in New York City. Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and permanent legal U.S. resident, was arrested by ICE agents on Saturday. David Dee Delgado via Getty Images Khalils arrest is an act of anti-Palestinian racism intended to silence the Palestine solidarity movement in this country, but this lawless abuse of power and political repression is a threat to all Americans, the letter by progressives said, adding that his detention is part of a greater effort to criminalize protest and quash freedom of speech. Tuesday erupted in protest as students and staff walked out of severalcolleges and universities across the country, including Columbia itself. One day earlier, New York City held a march for Khalil, while Columbia faculty and other community leaders spoke on campus of the danger that comes with policing higher education and free speech. Many of the campus protests were led by or organized with Jewish students who oppose Israels military campaign against Palestinians warning that punishing dissent under the guise of antisemitism, as Trump has claimed to do, will further endanger everyone, including Jewish Americans. On Tuesday, Jewish students at Columbia rallied with signsthat support Khalils freedom and denounce the universitys compliance with ICE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We must unite and stand with our community. When they come for Mahmoud, they come for all of us, the Columbia Palestine Solidarity Coalition posted. We remain committed to divestment and a liberated Palestine, no matter what. Were not going anywhere. Matt Shuham contributed to this report. Mar. 12For many fire chiefs, the job is much more than fighting fires. That's no different for retiring Waynesville Fire Chief Joey Webb. When Webb was hired as assistant chief at the Waynesville Fire Department, he decided to go to the UNC School of Government to take a class in municipal and county administration. During the class, participants played a budget game where they had to balance the budget as different unexpected expenses popped up. Webb, who has been a vocal advocate to the town board for his department, said the experience was eye-opening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Things move slowly in government sometimes because there's so much they have to go through," he said. Using that knowledge That experience gave Webb a chance to learn the in's-and-out's of local government and helped him down the stretch. When he became chief in 2008, the economy was in the tank. The town wanted to cut back on the already tight budget for the fire department. But the chief led his department through it and kept on rolling. In 2015, a simulated fire was run at Massie Furniture Store on Main Street. "It's better to know a building before a fire than to get there and try to figure things out," Webb said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The response times from around the county were timed. The mock fire showed Webb they needed more firefighters. He said they needed 16 and was able to get the town to approve eight with a 5-cent tax increase. Since then, they've added four more firefighters. "We did grow the department. We knew we needed to," Webb said. "That was probably my biggest success changing the direction of the department. We've added equipment and had little strides, but I think that was the biggest impact." Even just days before his retirement, Webb was campaigning for additional resources for the fire department. He's pushed to get things done quickly due to how long it takes to get equipment. He said it took almost a year to get a new hose or a new ladder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, the department needs a new ladder truck. "We have specs ready to replace the truck," Webb told the town board. "It takes so long for it to get it into production. That is our biggest concern." With Helene's aftermath it's no telling how long it will take to get the truck. "We've had to put some things on hold because this storm was very expensive," Webb said. But Webb will likely continue to push for support for his guys at the fire department. Just days before his retirement, he urged the town board to continue to support the department, even once he retires. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "You have allowed us to add to our staff, and we hope that continues," Webb said. "We still need the four. I ask you to keep investing in those folks. We have good people, they are really dedicated." Statewide leader While Webb has been a clear leader locally, he has been a leader at the state level. Currently, he serves as the president of the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs, a position he will hold until August. In his position, he helps push legislation, while providing education and tools for other chiefs around the state. He also served for a while as the president of the North Carolina Fallen Firefighter Foundation. Webb still serves as an advisor for the organization. He came to that service through tragedy after returning to work in Waynesville when a volunteer firefighter, Lt. Wayne Yarborough, passed away from a heart attack less than 24 hours after fighting a fire making it a line-of-duty death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Webb was given the job of working through the paperwork, which drew him into the fallen firefighters' organization. He successfully worked to get Yarborough's on the memorial wall in Raleigh before the organization's first memorial service was held. The name of Waynesville Chief Lawrence Kerley, killed in the great Standard Oil fire of 1942, is also on the wall. Kerley's three sons were there for that first memorial service, as well, something that pushed Webb to help with the Fallen Firefighters Foundation even more. "We were able to get the brothers down there to accept the recognition for their dad," Webb said. "The unique thing was they had not all three been together in 45 years. That was quite emotional to have those guys down there." After that, Webb got involved with the organization and served on its board and as the western director. "It was quite an experience. It was helping families through tough times. You're helping people through the worst times," Webb said. "It's a lot like fire service." A person holds a Sig Sauer P320 handgun at a Delray Beach, Fla., gun store in 2023. Since at least 2017, several law enforcement agencies in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Texas and Wisconsin have pulled the P320 from their arsenals due to concerns over misfirings. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) As safety concerns over the Sig Sauer P320 handgun continue to mount, a growing number of police departments across the United States are rethinking their use of the popular semiautomatic firearm. Released in 2014, Sig Sauers P320 model has become one of the most popular guns in America, with more than 2.5 million units sold. The P320 also has been the standard sidearm for the U.S. military since 2017. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the firearm has been linked to a series of unintentional discharges. The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission is now the latest to permanently ban the P320 from its training facilities. The agency offers training to police and correctional officers in the state. The agencys decision came after a four-month investigation prompted by an incident last year in which a police recruits P320 discharged while being drawn, injuring both an instructor and another recruit. The WSCJTCs only concern in this process is preserving the safe learning and working environment for its recruits and instructors, the agencys report states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This incident is part of a larger pattern of complaints from more than 100 people who have reported similar issues with the firearm since its release, with at least 80 injuries linked to accidental discharges, according to a 2023 joint investigation by The Trace, a news outlet dedicated to covering gun violence, and The Washington Post. Following the 2023 investigation, Sig Sauer has faced lawsuits from at least 15 more plaintiffs, and new evidence has surfaced linking the firearm to at least one death and 20 additional injuries, The Trace reported in December. Since at least 2017, several law enforcement agencies, including the Milwaukee Police Department, the Dallas Police Department and the SEPTA transit police in Philadelphia, as well as other agencies in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin, have pulled the P320 from their arsenals due to concerns over misfirings. A Georgia jury in June found Sig Sauer liable for a defect in its P320 pistol, awarding $2.35 million to the plaintiff whose gun fired while holstered. The bullet tore through the plantiffs right upper thigh and ripped out just above his knee, according to court records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The verdict marked the first time a jury has ruled that the handgun was defectively designed, The Trace reported in June. In November, a Philadelphia jury awarded $11 million to an Army veteran who was injured when his P320 discharged while in his pocket. Jurors concluded that Sig Sauer was liable for the veterans injury because the firearm did not have an external safety, like those used on Glocks and other pistols. External safeties generally prevent a guns trigger from moving backward when dropped or when indirect pressure, such as from a holster, is applied. An Oklahoma civilian in December also asked the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to revive his suit against Sig Sauer after his P320 discharged in 2018 while in a holster he was wearing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2018 a year after the U.S. Army announced its 10-year, $580 million contract with Sig Sauer a U.S. Department of Defense report revealed that during testing, the military found the P320 could discharge without a trigger pull if dropped at certain angles. Sig Sauer in 2017 modified the guns trigger mechanism. The company also redesigned the civilian version of the P320 and offered owners of older models the opportunity to voluntarily return their guns for upgraded components. Despite the rise in reported incidents, Sig Sauer has steadfastly maintained that the P320 is safe for use. The company has denied claims that the gun is defective and insists that the reported discharges are due to improper handling. The P320 is trusted by the U.S. Military, law enforcement professionals, and responsible citizens worldwide. SIG SAUER is extremely proud of our outstanding safety record and quality firearms, Samantha Piatt, the companys director of communications, said in a statement posted to its website last year. Stateline reporter Amanda Hernandez can be reached at ahernandez@stateline.org. This article was first published by Stateline, part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. (DC News Now) Graduation season is just around the corner, and for high school students, it is time to get serious about the future. In Berkeley Springs, the Chamber of Commerce is helping graduates make those plans with a career fair on Thursday at 10 a.m. Manufacturing making gains in West Virginias eastern panhandle Berkeley Springs High School graduating senior, Hunter Hook, is helping with Thursdays workforce recruiting bonanza even though he is off to Morgantown this fall to enroll at West Virginia University for computer programming. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last year, a buddy of mine went to the career fair, and he got an internship with CNB Bank, Hook said. A lot of students are excited to have this opportunity. Bob Myers, an administrator at Berkeley Springs High School, is partnering with Blue Ridge Career and Technical School to stage the fair. This fair is huge, Myers said. Every year, it gets bigger and bigger. It offers careers in the arts, finance, education, even culinary arts. Military recruiters will be on hand, and the business community is on the hunt for talent, too. Im a Berkeley Springs High alumna too, Elizabeth Morris, executive at CNB Bank, said. I remember the career fair when it was held way back in 2015, and I benefitted quite a bit from it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Manufacturing making gains in West Virginias eastern panhandle Organizers of the fair stress the advantages of staying local after graduation. There are so many opportunities here, Terri Beard with CNB Bank said. Theres the quality of life, more time at home, more time with friends, more time with family and youll find that worth more than you could ever imagine. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. The Kremlin said on Wednesday it will not comment on the temporary ceasefire proposed by the United States for the war in Ukraine until it knows all the details. "First, we need to receive this information," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz have promised to provide Moscow with all the information about the negotiations between the US and Ukraine in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ukrainian delegation expressed its readiness at the talks in Jeddah on Tuesday to agree to an immediate 30-day comprehensive ceasefire. As a gesture of goodwill, the US administration responded by lifting the temporary halt on arms deliveries to Kiev. Contacts between Moscow and Washington are planned for the coming days, and US President Donald Trump declared that he also wants to have a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly, perhaps even this week. Peskov said such a conversation is not out of the question and could be organized at short notice. However, there is still no clarity on the location and time for a planned personal meeting between the two heads of state. Polish Foreign Minister Radosaw Sikorski confirmed on Wednesday that US aid deliveries to Ukraine via his country have already resumed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "I confirm that arms deliveries via Jasionka have returned to their previous level," Sikorski told journalists in Warsaw, standing next to his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, who had travelled to Poland directly from Jeddah. Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport in south-eastern Poland and the railway line leading from there to nearby Ukraine are regarded as a key transport route for European and US military goods for Ukraine. Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian invasion for more than three years with Western help. Reports: Russian troops in centre of Ukrainian-occupied Kursk town Russian troops meanwhile continued to advance, with state media and war bloggers saying on Wednesday that they had made their way to the centre of the small Ukrainian-occupied town of Sudzha in the Kursk region of western Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Forces raised the Russian flag over the city hall building, the news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing a commander. Sudzha was the most significant population centre in the Kursk region to come under the control of Ukrainian forces during their surprise advance into Russian territory last August. Ukraine was able to capture more than 1,000 square kilometres in the border region. For months, Russia has been waging fierce battles including with the support of North Korean soldiers to reclaim the territory. Ukraine recently withdrew from several villages. There has been no comment from the Ukrainian side so far on the status of Russian troops in Sudzha. Syrians killed in Russian strike on Odessa port Five people were killed in Russian attacks on the Ukrainian cities of Odessa and Kryvyi Rih, local authorities said on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Four Syrians were killed when the ship they were on was attacked in the port of Odessa, Governor Oleh Kiper wrote on Telegram. Two other people were injured. The ship that was struck was a civilian vessel that had just been loaded with wheat for export to Algeria, he said. In the south-eastern city of Kryvyi Rih, a woman was killed in a rocket attack, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Serhiy Lysak, wrote on Telegram. Nine people were injured in the attack and damage was inflicted to the city's infrastructure, he said. Ukrainian authorities said another man was injured in the eastern city of Dnipro and there was damage in the Kiev region as a result of drone attacks. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia attacked the cities of Kryvyi Rih and Odessa with three Iskander-M missiles and launched 133 drones at the country. In terms of the drones, 98 were shot down, it said, while the location of 20 others was lost, a common indication of electronic countermeasures. Patients have their blood pressure checked and other vitals taken at an intake triage at a Remote Area Medical (RAM) mobile dental and medical clinic in Grundy, Va. Potential cuts to Medicaid would hit working-age adults who live in small towns and rural areas especially hard. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Working-age adults who live in small towns and rural areas are more likely to be covered by Medicaid than their counterparts in cities, creating a dilemma for Republicans looking to make deep cuts to the health care program. About 72 million people nearly 1 in 5 people in the United States are enrolled in Medicaid, which provides health care coverage to low-income and disabled people and is jointly funded by the federal government and the states. Black, Hispanic and Native people are disproportionately represented on the rolls, and more than half of Medicaid recipients are people of color. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nationwide, 18.3% of adults who are between the ages of 19 and 64 and live in small towns and rural areas are enrolled, compared with 16.3% in metro areas, according to a recent analysis by the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University. In 15 states, at least a fifth of working-age adults in small towns and rural areas are covered by Medicaid, and in two of those states Arizona and New York more than a third are. Eight of the 15 states voted for President Donald Trump. Twenty-six Republicans in the U.S. House represent districts where Medicaid covers more than 30% of the population, according to a recent analysis by The New York Times. Many of those districts have significant rural populations, including House Speaker Mike Johnsons 4th Congressional District in Louisiana. Republican U.S. Rep. David Valadao of California, whose Central Valley district is more than two-thirds Hispanic and where 68% of the residents are enrolled in Medicaid, has spoken out against potential cuts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive heard from countless constituents who tell me the only way they can afford health care is through programs like Medicaid, and I will not support a final reconciliation bill that risks leaving them behind, Valadao said to House members in a recent floor speech. U.S. House Republicans are trying to reduce the federal budget by $2 trillion as they seek $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. GOP leaders have directed the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid and Medicare, to find $880 billion in savings. Trump has ruled out cuts to Medicare, which covers older adults. That leaves Medicaid as the only other program big enough to provide the needed savings and the Medicaid recipients most likely to be in the crosshairs are working-age adults. But targeting that population would have a disproportionate impact on small towns and rural areas, which are reliably Republican. Furthermore, hospitals and other health care providers in rural communities are heavily reliant on Medicaid. Many rural hospitals are struggling, and nearly 200 have closed or significantly scaled back their services in the past two decades. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010, there were far fewer working-age adults on the Medicaid rolls: The program mostly covered children and their caregivers, people with disabilities and pregnant women. But under the ACA, states are allowed to expand Medicaid to cover adults making up to 138% of the federal poverty level about $21,000 a year for a single person. As an inducement to expand, the federal government covers 90% of the costs a greater share than what the feds pay for the traditional Medicaid population. States will not be able to cover those shortfalls. Jennifer Driver, senior director of reproductive rights at the State Innovation Exchange Last year, there were about 21.3 million people who received coverage through Medicaid expansion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One GOP cost-saving idea is to reduce the federal match for that population to what the feds give states for the traditional Medicaid population, which ranges from 50% for the wealthiest states to 77% for the poorest ones. That would reduce federal spending by $626 billion over a 10-year period, according to a recent analysis by KFF, a health research group. Nine states Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah and Virginia have so-called trigger laws that would automatically end Medicaid expansion if the feds reduce their share. Three other states Idaho, Iowa and New Mexico would require other cost-saving steps. States will not be able to cover those shortfalls, said Jennifer Driver, senior director of reproductive rights at the State Innovation Exchange, a left-leaning nonprofit that advocates on state legislative issues. Its not cutting costs. It is putting people in real danger. Studies have shown that Medicaid expansion has improved health care for a range of issues, including family planning, HIV care and prevention, and postpartum health care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another idea is to require able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work. That would affect an average of 15 million enrollees each year, and 1.5 million would lose eligibility for federal funding, resulting in federal savings of about $109 billion over 10 years. In heavily rural North Carolina, which has a trigger law, there are about 3 million people on Medicaid, and 640,000 of them are eligible under the states expansion program. About 231,000 of the expansion enrollees live in rural counties. Black residents make up about 36% of new enrollees under the states eligibility expansion, but only about 22% of the states population. Brandy Harrell, chief of staff at the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation, an advocacy group based in Cary, North Carolina, that focuses on rural issues, said the proposed Medicaid cuts would deepen the existing disparities between white people and Black people and urban and rural residents. It would have a profound effect on working families by reducing access to essential health care, increasing financial strain and jeopardizing childrens health, Harrell said. Cuts could lead to more medical debt, and also poorer health outcomes for our state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two of the North Carolina lawmakers with about 30% of their constituents on Medicaid, U.S. Reps. Virginia Foxx and Greg Murphy, represent heavily rural districts in western and coastal North Carolina, respectively. Foxx has supported GOP budget priorities in social media posts. Murphy, a physician and co-chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus in the House, has focused his statements on taking care of what he says is abuse and fraud in the Medicaid system. But North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein last week sent a letter to U.S. House and Senate leaders of both parties, saying the states rural communities disproportionately rely on Medicaid and that cuts would upend an already fragile landscape for rural hospitals in the state. The damage to North Carolinas health care system, particularly rural hospitals and providers, would be devastating, not to mention to people who can no longer afford to access health care, Stein wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Nebraska, 27% of residents live in rural areas, and state lawmakers are already scrambling to make up for reduced federal Medicaid funding. Dr. Alex Dworak, a family medicine physician who works at an Omaha health clinic that serves low-income and uninsured people, said a dearth of health care options in rural Nebraska already hurts residents. He has one patient who drives up to three hours from his rural community to the clinic. It wouldnt be just bad for marginalized communities, but it would be worse for marginalized communities because things were already worse for them, Dworak said of proposed Medicaid cuts. It will be an utter disaster. Stateline reporter Nada Hassanein and Statelines Barbara Barrett contributed to this report. Scott S. Greenberger can be reached at sgreenberger@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE (Getty Images) Working-age adults who live in small towns and rural areas are more likely to be covered by Medicaid than their counterparts in cities, creating a dilemma for Republicans looking to make deep cuts to the health care program. About 72 million people nearly 1 in 5 people in the United States are enrolled in Medicaid, which provides health care coverage to low-income and disabled people and is jointly funded by the federal government and the states. Black, Hispanic and Native people are disproportionately represented on the rolls, and more than half of Medicaid recipients are people of color. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nationwide, 18.3% of adults who are between the ages of 19 and 64 and live in small towns and rural areas are enrolled, compared with 16.3% in metro areas, according to a recent analysis by the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University. In 15 states, at least a fifth of working-age adults in small towns and rural areas are covered by Medicaid, and in two of those states Arizona and New York more than a third are. Eight of the 15 states voted for President Donald Trump. Twenty-six Republicans in the U.S. House represent districts where Medicaid covers more than 30% of the population, according to a recent analysis by The New York Times. Many of those districts have significant rural populations, including House Speaker Mike Johnsons 4th Congressional District in Louisiana. Republican U.S. Rep. David Valadao of California, whose Central Valley district is more than two-thirds Hispanic and where 68% of the residents are enrolled in Medicaid, has spoken out against potential cuts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive heard from countless constituents who tell me the only way they can afford health care is through programs like Medicaid, and I will not support a final reconciliation bill that risks leaving them behind, Valadao said to House members in a recent floor speech. U.S. House Republicans are trying to reduce the federal budget by $2 trillion as they seek $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. GOP leaders have directed the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid and Medicare, to find $880 billion in savings. Trump has ruled out cuts to Medicare, which covers older adults. That leaves Medicaid as the only other program big enough to provide the needed savings and the Medicaid recipients most likely to be in the crosshairs are working-age adults. But targeting that population would have a disproportionate impact on small towns and rural areas, which are reliably Republican. Furthermore, hospitals and other health care providers in rural communities are heavily reliant on Medicaid. Many rural hospitals are struggling, and nearly 200 have closed or significantly scaled back their services in the past two decades. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before the Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010, there were far fewer working-age adults on the Medicaid rolls: The program mostly covered children and their caregivers, people with disabilities and pregnant women. But under the ACA, states are allowed to expand Medicaid to cover adults making up to 138% of the federal poverty level about $21,000 a year for a single person. As an inducement to expand, the federal government covers 90% of the costs a greater share than what the feds pay for the traditional Medicaid population. States will not be able to cover those shortfalls. Jennifer Driver, senior director of reproductive rights at the State Innovation Exchange Last year, there were about 21.3 million people who received coverage through Medicaid expansion. One GOP cost-saving idea is to reduce the federal match for that population to what the feds give states for the traditional Medicaid population, which ranges from 50% for the wealthiest states to 77% for the poorest ones. That would reduce federal spending by $626 billion over a 10-year period, according to a recent analysis by KFF, a health research group. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nine states Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah and Virginia have so-called trigger laws that would automatically end Medicaid expansion if the feds reduce their share. Three other states Idaho, Iowa and New Mexico would require other cost-saving steps. In a statement on Tuesday excoriating U.S. House Republicans budget resolution, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) cited U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee data that estimates under the Republican House Budget Committees proposed Medicaid cuts, more than 260,000 residents in New Mexico which has the highest percentage of Medicaid recipients in the U.S. and one of the highest percentages of federal funding could lose their health insurance coverage, including 83,000 rural residents and 95,000 children. Medicaid is a lifeline for babies, mothers, and seniors, Lujan said, and the consequences of this bill would be devastating for New Mexico families. States will not be able to cover those shortfalls, said Jennifer Driver, senior director of reproductive rights at the State Innovation Exchange, a left-leaning nonprofit that advocates on state legislative issues. Its not cutting costs. It is putting people in real danger. Studies have shown that Medicaid expansion has improved health care for a range of issues, including family planning, HIV care and prevention, and postpartum health care. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another idea is to require able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work. That would affect an average of 15 million enrollees each year, and 1.5 million would lose eligibility for federal funding, resulting in federal savings of about $109 billion over 10 years. In heavily rural North Carolina, which has a trigger law, there are about 3 million people on Medicaid, and 640,000 of them are eligible under the states expansion program. About 231,000 of the expansion enrollees live in rural counties. Black residents make up about 36% of new enrollees under the states eligibility expansion, but only about 22% of the states population. Brandy Harrell, chief of staff at the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation, an advocacy group based in Cary, North Carolina, that focuses on rural issues, said the proposed Medicaid cuts would deepen the existing disparities between white people and Black people and urban and rural residents. It would have a profound effect on working families by reducing access to essential health care, increasing financial strain and jeopardizing childrens health, Harrell said. Cuts could lead to more medical debt, and also poorer health outcomes for our state. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two of the North Carolina lawmakers with about 30% of their constituents on Medicaid, U.S. Reps. Virginia Foxx and Greg Murphy, represent heavily rural districts in western and coastal North Carolina, respectively. Foxx has supported GOP budget priorities in social media posts. Murphy, a physician and co-chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus in the House, has focused his statements on taking care of what he says is abuse and fraud in the Medicaid system. But North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein last week sent a letter to U.S. House and Senate leaders of both parties, saying the states rural communities disproportionately rely on Medicaid and that cuts would upend an already fragile landscape for rural hospitals in the state. The damage to North Carolinas health care system, particularly rural hospitals and providers, would be devastating, not to mention to people who can no longer afford to access health care, Stein wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Nebraska, 27% of residents live in rural areas, and state lawmakers are already scrambling to make up for reduced federal Medicaid funding. Dr. Alex Dworak, a family medicine physician who works at an Omaha health clinic that serves low-income and uninsured people, said a dearth of health care options in rural Nebraska already hurts residents. He has one patient who drives up to three hours from his rural community to the clinic. It wouldnt be just bad for marginalized communities, but it would be worse for marginalized communities because things were already worse for them, Dworak said of proposed Medicaid cuts. It will be an utter disaster. Stateline reporter Nada Hassanein and Statelines Barbara Barrett contributed to this report. Scott S. Greenberger can be reached at sgreenberger@stateline.org. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) An Abilene man convicted of impersonating an officer because he was trying to help. . . out is now a wanted fugitive. Jose Cardona, who received a 5-year probation sentence after pleading guilty to Impersonation of a Peace Officer in 2023, is now wanted on a Motion to Provoke Probation warrant that was issued in February. Court documents detail the initial allegations against Cardona, saying he was contacted in April 2023 after a victim reported he was walking north on Sycamore Street near South 17th Street when a suspect, later identified as Cardona, pulled up behind him in a Chevy Impala while flashing red and blue lights and identifying himself as police. The victim then fled the scene. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Cardona was questioned, the documents state he came up with mulitple stories before saying he was trying to collect his belongings. $500 $1,000 cash rewards offered for Abilenes Wanted Criminals However, the documents reveal that when Cardona activated his lights at the officers request, red and blue lights began flashing from his windshield. The documents also state he told the officers he was just, trying to help us out. Cardona was one of the Most Wanted fugitives in Abilene the week of March 12 for his probation violation warrant. Anyone who knows where Cardona may be located is eligible to receive a $500 cash reward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Contact Abilene Crime Stoppers at (325)676-8477 with information. All tips are guaranteed anonymous. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. (WBRE/WYOU) The FBI announced a fugitive from Pennsylvania who was on their most wanted list has been arrested. On March 8, the FBI said they arrested Justin Smith after he was discovered in Atlanta, Georgia. Police say Smith was wanted for his involvement in the murder of his pregnant 21-year-old girlfriend, who disappeared in March 2021, and whose body was found in April 2021. Man accused of police chase while driving tractor-trailer Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith is alleged to have shot the victim in the head multiple times, killing her and her unborn child. Smith was charged with murder and a state warrant was issued for his arrest. The apprehension of Justin Smith is a testament to the perseverance of law enforcement and strong partnerships across jurisdictions. While his arrest cannot undo the tragedy of this crime, it is a step in the pursuit of justice for Dianna and her child, her family, and our city, stated Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. A child under 12 years old receives a vaccine Jan. 18, 2022 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. (Pedro Vilela | Getty Images) Recently, I testified before the West Virginia House Committee on Health and Human Resources about Senate Bill 460 which would weaken our childhood immunization laws for child care and school entry. West Virginia has long been a national champion in ensuring that our child care and school entry immunization laws remain strong. Naming all of the benefits of ensuring these policies remain in place would have pushed me over the 3-5 minutes I was allotted for my testimony. I would like to supplement my testimony to the West Virginia legislators and others who are following this bill with this editorial. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our immunization policies help maintain our robust herd immunity to protect those who are vulnerable. When the argument is made that if one immunizes, they shouldnt have anything to worry about if someone else doesnt is faulty. My kids attend school in West Virginia. One of their classmates was diagnosed with congenital neutropenia. This disease makes her susceptible to bacterial illnesses. It is imperative that those around her are immunized so that she remains protected when attending school. She is one example of numerous immunocompromised children that attend private and public schools in West Virginia who need and deserve protection. Thank you to her mom for allowing me to share her story. On a personal note, a relative in my family recently returned to school and obtained her nursing degree. She is now a nurse working in West Virginia. Despite receiving the immunization, she is unable to generate an immune response to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. She is on the medical front lines caring for our communitys sickest, and our herd immunity is the strongest protection she has against measles, mumps, and rubella. Thank you to my relative for allowing me to share her story. Similarly, our teachers who are caring for our kids and starting families of their own need protection when they are pregnant. Pregnant women who are not immune against rubella due to waning immunity or an inability to generate an immune response to immunization are vulnerable to passing rubella to their unborn infants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 32,000 children were born with congenital rubella. About 33% of infants with congenital rubella die before their first birthday. Since the start of 2025, three of five states that border West Virginia have reported measles cases Kentucky, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Last year, measles did find its way to West Virginia. Due to the efforts of our public health officials in disease containment and contact tracing as well as our current immunization policy for school and child care entry, our one case of measles remained just one case. Our modern day travel capabilities make everyone a target for diseases like measles appearing in our communities. If we let our guard down, it will make us susceptible to more cases and potential outbreaks. A measles outbreak is something that West Virginia cannot afford. And I mean this from a standpoint that we cannot afford the money and manpower it would take to contain and manage an outbreak. Most of all, we cannot afford to risk death and disability to those living in our great state. Finally, Texas is reeling from the death of a child from measles. This was a rude awakening by many that children in fact can die from measles. Now is not the time to let our guard down. What I love about West Virginia is how we can come together as a state when a neighbor or loved one experiences hardships. We do not want to come together and mourn the loss of a child from a terrible disease such as measles knowing that their death could have been prevented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am asking our legislators to think about the ones already born and the ones yet to be born. I am asking our legislators to understand that schools and child care settings are high-risk settings, and that our day care workers, teachers, school staff and children across West Virginia need the best protection against terrible diseases that are easily transmissible but preventable through immunization. Children in West Virginia are precious and deserve a chance at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Senate Bill 460 puts their chance at risk. It is not a risk worth taking. I ask that our legislators reject changes to our current immunization requirements for child care and school entry. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Lillian Asala, 13, of Oak Creek, was located March 7, after being reported missing March 1. The girl's mother, Luisa Asala, is now charged in Milwaukee County with felony interfering with child custody. The mother of the 13-year-old Oak Creek girl who was missing for nearly a week has been charged with felony interfering with child custody. Luisa Asala, 36, made her initial appearance Wednesday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court and had a cash bond set at $20,000, according to online court records. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 20. Oak Creek police found Lillian Asala on March 7 after she disappeared on March 1. She was last known to be headed to Abendschein Park, 1311 E. Drexel Ave., but her phone pinged to the area of South Pennsylvania and East Forest Hill avenues in Oak Creek, according to a post from OCPD on Facebook. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lillians phone was found in Abendschein Park by a citizen on March 2 and turned over to police for analysis, Oak Creek police said in a news release Wednesday. Police continued to follow up in the days ahead, including via phone records of Lillians non-custodial mother, Luisa Asala. Detectives discovered a residence of interest based on Luisas phone records, police said in the release. The Watertown address is associated with one of Luisas friends. Oak Creek police conducted surveillance of the home, the release said. While being interrogated, Luisa, who was in Racine County, confirmed Lillian was in Watertown at that residence. Officers at the Watertown residence recovered Lillian with no issue, police said. Lillian was in good health and physically unharmed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Luisa was arrested March 7 and taken to Milwaukee County Jail. Police said additional charges are being sought for anyone who may have assisted Luisa. Oak Creek police say the case is still an active investigation. Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on X @Redheadliner. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mother of girl found after missing nearly a week charged with felony A missing mother-of-three was found alive six days after crashing her car 12 feet down in a ditch in what authorities call an incredible testament to her will to live. Brieonna Cassell, 41, was en route to visit a friend in the Wheatfield and Demotte area in Northwest Indiana last Wednesday when she disappeared, according to the Newton County Sheriff's Office. The woman is believed to have fallen asleep behind the wheel of her black 2008 Ford Taurus and veered off the road while driving near the small town of Brook, around 80 miles south of Chicago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cassell crashed into a very big, deep ditch that couldnt be seen from the road, her father Delmar Caldwell told ABC7 Chicago. He added that passersby couldnt hear her cries for help from their cars. She became trapped and was largely unable to move inside the vehicle, while her cell phone had run out of battery. Pictures show the car on its side, partially submerged, below the top of the ditch. To survive, Cassell resorted to flinging her cardigan out of the back window, catching as much puddle water as possible, pulling it back in and then sucking on the cloth. Brieonna Cassell was found with severe injuries six days after she crashed her vehicle into a deep ditch in Brook, Indiana (Facebook) She was in excruciating pain. She was screaming out for help. She could hear cars going by, but they couldn't see her from the road, her father added while revealing Cassell suffered compound fractures in her legs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cassells family joined rescue teams comprised of local EMS, fire and air services and had been searching for the mom for six days when Johnny Martinez, who was operating drainage equipment nearby, spotted a vehicle on Tuesday, the sheriff's office said. Martinez contacted his supervisor, Jeremy Vanderwell, who is also the volunteer fire chief in the nearby town of Morocco. Authorities said Martinez and Vanderwall checked the Ford and found Cassell, the sole occupant of the vehicle, conscious, speaking and waiting for help. Brieonna Cassell (second from right) is due to undergo surgery on Wednesday after sustaining severe injuries to her legs, her family said (GoFundMe) That's you? I said, Your family's been looking for you, Vanderwall told the local news station. There are posts everywhere on social media. I said, I can't believe you've been in this long. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You know, it picked up the water into the shirt, and she would suck the water out of her shirt, Vanderwall told CBS News. Her survival mode just was uncanny, you know, her will to live. Cassell was rescued and air-lifted to Chicago Hospital, the sheriff's office said. Her family said she had suffered severe injuries to her legs which they claim she may lose along with her ribs and wrist. Cassell was Chicago Hospital Tuesday after being located by a passerby, the sheriff's office said (Newton County Sheriff's Office/Facebook) A fundraiser was set up by Cassells daughter, Lexie, to pay for her medical bills. The GoFundMe, which had raised about $2,000 of its $15,000 target by Wednesday morning, also said that Cassells legs and wrist are badly broken. The woman was placed in the ICU and is expected to undergo surgery on Wednesday, the family said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Her father believes that this was a case of falling asleep at the wheel. She just fell asleep, and there was a bridge there, and she just veered over to the left and missed the bridge and ended up in a very deep ditch, he told CBS News. Meanwhile, Cassells mother, Kim Brown, added, I just cant wait to hug her and kiss her, which I probably cant do. Brown also said that around 400 cars passed her daughter everyday while she was trapped, oblivious to the situation. Photograph of Johnny Martinez, who was operating drainage equipment when he discovered Cassells crashed car, (Newton County Sheriff's Office/Facebook) Newton County Sheriff Shannon Cothran praised Cassells rescuers as heroes and commended the victims resilience. You may have seen the story about a crash victim who survived for nearly six days before being discovered, Cothran said in a statement Tuesday. That alone is an incredible testament to her will to live. We are grateful for all the well wishes sent her way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He continued: Today, I watched three different volunteer fire departments come together as one, working seamlessly toward the common goal of helping a crash victim. Their teamwork, skill, and dedication are truly inspiring. First and foremost, we owe immense gratitude to Johnny Martinez, who spotted the car in the ditch. In my book, Mr. Martinez is a hero, and we can never thank him enough for his keen eye and quick action, Cothran also said. The motorcyclist killed when he rear-ended a pickup truck while allegedly fleeing police has been identified as an 18-year-old from Big Lake. The Minnesota State Patrol says Deke Sibley died at the scene following the collision at around 11:15 p.m. Monday. Sibley was a senior at Monticello High School. According to the crash report, Sherburne County Sheriff's Office was attempting to stop Sibley's motorcycle "for a traffic violation" when he crashed into an eastbound Chevy Silverado on Highway 10 in Becker Township. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The driver of the Chevy, a 75-year-old Minneapolis man, suffered minor injuries in the collision. Sibley was riding a Suzuki GSX1300 Sport at the time of the crash. Note: The details provided in this story are based on law enforcements latest version of events, and may be subject to change. If an algorithm designed a classic, big-screen spectacle for the small-screen age, The Electric State probably wouldnt be too far off the mark. This is an Amblin-inspired, big-budget adventure with dystopian, science-fiction wonder, nostalgic callbacks, well-liked stars (Chris Pratt! Millie Bobby Brown! Stanley Tucci! Giancarlo Esposito! Ke Huy Quan!) and the directors ( Joe and Anthony Russo ) behind some of the highest-earning movies of all time. In theory, it should work. A kid on a dangerous, cross-country journey with a robot that may or may not be her brother whom she thought was dead? A reluctant, jaded adult companion whos quick with a one-liner? The Electric State should be some future Spielbergs new favorite movie, the one that theyll reference in their Oscars speech as the thing that made them want to make movies. And yet its lacking a spark and a soul that might distinguish it as memorable or special. Worse, considering everything it has going for it (including a reported budget that may have exceeded $300 million), The Electric State is kind of dull. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Electric State was loosely based on an illustrated novel by Simon Stalenhag that was released in 2018 and quickly scooped up for movie adaptation purposes with Marvel veterans Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely writing the script. Set in the early 1990s, this is a world in which service robots have risen up and demanded rights and freedom. The humans respond by going to war. This four-year war is skimmed over in a montage at the start of the film and, by 1994, Mr. Peanut (Woody Harrelson) is signing a peace treaty with Bill Clinton and the remaining robots are exiled to rot in the desert. The human victory was attributed to the drone creations of a Steve Jobs-ian tech billionaire Ethan Skate (Tucci), who is soon hawking his Neurocasters to the public. They scoop it up and soon society is just a bleak wasteland of screen zombies content to let their avatars work while they relax and fantasize a way out of their downtrodden existence. There are shades of The Creator, WALL-E, Ready Player One and many, many more films in here. But no one gets mad that something is derivative if its also good. Its only when the kitchen sink references are so clear and come up so short that it becomes a real problem. Brown plays Michelle, an angry, orphaned teenager who lost her entire family not in the war, but in a car wreck. The one she misses the most is her little brother Christopher (Woody Norman, giving the best, most emotionally authentic performance in the film), a reluctant child prodigy. One day, a robot of a cartoon character they used to watch together turns up at her foster home, speaking only in the characters catchphrases. But after some gestures toward a photograph, she starts to believe that this robot is, somehow, Christopher, or at least someone who can lead her to the real Christopher. And thus starts their journey across America, and into the robot exclusion zone to figure out this puzzle. They soon team up with a war veteran/smuggler Keats (Pratt) and his snarky robot sidekick (Anthony Mackie, for your Marvel bingo card) and try to evade Espositos robot bounty hunter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The robots they find in the exclusion zone are voiced by an army of celebrities youll go insane trying to place before angrily resorting to IMDb, including Harrelson, Hank Azaria, Brian Cox and Jenny Slate. Their designs are thoughtful and remarkable and should evoke a sense of awe in the viewer at the sheer ingenuity behind this film, where many of the most impressive shots seem to be the recreations of Stalenhags illustrations of dismantled, decaying robots. The action, however, gets mind-numbingly repetitive by the end of the bloated runtime. Pratt and Brown, while fine individually, dont really find their groove as partners on this journey either. Pratt is kind of just doing his thing and gets the few clever one-liners in the script. Brown, meanwhile, seems a little bored by yet another teen adventure role. And both ultimately look like movie stars in '90s cosplay, which might be a metaphor for the larger failure of the movie. The Electric State was, of course, not made by algorithm, which is an admittedly cheap shot for a Netflix original. Unfortunately, it just feels that way. The Electric State, a Netflix release streaming Friday, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for sci-fi violence/action, language and some thematic material. Running time: 128 minutes. One and a half stars out of four. If youre hosting a dinner for half a dozen British intelligence agents with the aim of ferreting out a mole, what should you cook? For George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender), who's preparing for four colleagues, plus himself and his wife, Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett), who, like him, is a high-level operative, its chana masala with a few drops of truth serum. Will there be any mess to clean up? Kathryn asks her husband as theyre getting ready. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With any luck, he responds. So goes much of the crackling patter of Black Bag, Steven Soderberghs delicious marital drama cloaked as a sleek spy thriller. Lean and taut, the 93-minute Black Bag is more a sizzling amuse-bouche than full-course meal, but its simmered to perfection. George and Kathryn, as fellow agents at Londons National Cyber Security Centre, dont seemingly have what you might call a traditional marriage. Each has their own secret ops, leaving large swaths of their lives off limits to the other. When George asks where Kathryn is flying off to on Wednesday, she shrugs with a smile, Black bag. In the movies opening scene a slinky tracking shot that trails George into and out of a nightclub an agent named Meacham (Gustaf Skarsgard) gives him the assignment to track down the mole, with the added wrinkle that Kathryn cant be dismissed as a possible suspect. A cyber-worm device called Severus thats capable of hacking into nuclear facilities has gone missing. The fate of the world, as it so often is, is said to be at stake. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But, really, the state of George and Kathryns marriage is what interests us. Extreme though their situation is, their union is one that, like any couple, is built on trust and devotion, even if their professional lives demand the inverse. When George, lying on top of Kathryn tells her hed do anything for her, she coos, Would you kill? It's a fair-enough test to the bounds of wedded bliss, sure, but her second question matters even more. Would you lie? Over that dinner a scintillating set piece around a darkened dinner table inside their London town house we can quickly gather just how much the truth means to George. Hes renown for his powers with a polygraph. As a youngster, he even brought down his own father, uncovering his affair. I dont like liars, George says through clenched teeth. Theyre joined by Colonel James Stokes (Rege-Jean Page); the in-house psychologist Dr. Zoe Vaughan (Naomie Harris); the carousing spy Freddie Smalls (Tom Burke); and the newest NCSC recruit, cyber specialist Clarissa (Marisa Abela). Both are paired off in clandestine relationships that quickly emerge, among other secrets. More than state secrets, infidelity dominates the conversation. Fassbenders spook is an agent of precision. He wears gleaming black-framed glasses. When only a few drops of sauce land on his cuff, he immediately withdraws to change his shirt. Hard as it would seem, Fassbender has found a character almost as dispassionate and monotone as his methodical assassin in David Finchers The Killer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This time, though, he's not a loner. Blanchetts Kathryn is kept more at a remove from us. Shes mysterious and aloof a femme fatale, maybe, were led to wonder. An aroma of hostility accompanies her, Zoe tells her in a psych evaluation. Is she the mole? This is an insular film, taking place mainly in crisply composed interiors, aside from the lake George occasionally fishes for bass in. There, in a fitting encapsulation of a movie full of smooth surfaces with currents twisting underneath, the camera gently rests on the water's surface. Black Bag follows a run of agilely directed thrillers by Soderbergh made with screenwriter David Koepp ( Presence, Kimi). They are both at the height of their almost-too-easy powers; the script, especially, is peppered with delectable dialogue. Their movie adopts the air of menace and suspicion of a John Le Carre novel, yet hinges on the sturdiness of its married couple, like a super spy version of Nick and Nora from The Thin Man" or a more cerebral Mr. & Mrs. Smith. All of the supporting players while they make up a fine ensemble are ultimately playthings in their game of love. In a casting coup, a former James Bond Pierce Brosnan drops in late in the film as Arthur Stheiglitz, the head of NCSC. In his handful of scenes, Brosnan is rageful and ferocious, chomping into both Ikizukuri (prepared live fish) and the scenery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His presence both enlivens a movie already humming with the uber-cool chemistry of Blanchett and Fassbender while transforming Black Bag into a twisty rejoinder to that notoriously skirt-chasing spy. Here, Mr. Bond, is how sexy monogamy can be. While directing a satellite to peer down upon his wife on some unknown mission in Europe, George explains their mystifying dynamic to Clarissa: I watch her, and she watches me. If she gets into trouble, I will do everything in my power to extricate her. In her response, Clarissa speaks for everyone: Thats so hot. Black Bag, a Focus Features release is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for language including some sexual references, and some violence. Running time: 93 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four. Mar. 11MORGANTOWN Officials with the town of Star City said Tuesday they're ready to turn the town's water and sewer infrastructure as well as management of its stormwater system over to the Morgantown Utility Board. MUB General Manager Mike McNulty said the utility is "ready, willing and able " to take it on as soon as the two sides iron out the details. "The town council and the administration has determined that due to the small size of the town of Star City, the town is unable to generate sufficient revenue to finance significant water, sewer, or stormwater capital projects. Surface water entering the town of Star City from an uphill jurisdiction creates significant stormwater management challenges, " Star City Mayor Sharon Doyle said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She later added, "We're just at a point now where we need to start looking to the future. We just can't continue to just go day by day, and then something big happens, and we're left asking 'what do we do now ?'" The town has 945 sewer customers and 17 miles of gravity sewer lines. Its system generates $428, 000 in gross annual revenue. MUB treats all flows out of Star City at its riverside treatment facility, which is located in the town. MUB is the lone treated water provider for Star City's 945 water customers. The water is delivered through 10.5 miles of water main. Water sales generate a gross annual revenue of about $493, 000. There are 877 customers in Star City's MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If ultimately finalized, and approved through the West Virginia Public Service Commission, the arrangement would see MUB take complete ownership of all water and sewer lines and facilities. As the state set up stormwater management as a municipal public work, and not a public utility, MUB and Star City will enter into an operations and management agreement that will make MUB the operational agent for the town's stormwater system. Star City's utilities are debt free and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. "It's important to recall that we are interconnected physically. There are 22 interconnection points between MUB and the Star City sewer utility. So physically, this makes sense, " Star City attorney Tim Stranko said. "I visited with you before we talked about harvesting the economies of scope and scale. This is another perfect example of how we can drive costs down for all the customers." Literally one year ago (March 12, 2024), Stranko stood before the utility's board of directors proposing MUB acquire Westover's sanitary sewer system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stranko also serves as the city attorney for Westover. Westover and MUB currently have an operations and management agreement in place through which MUB is responsible for all customer service, billing and fee collection, system infrastructure maintenance and upgrades, service of all debt, and all other ongoing operations of Westover's system. Once Westover's upcoming Holland Avenue and pump station projects are complete, the two sides will finalize MUB's acquisition of that system. Comparing current rates for the same amount of water, a MUB customer is paying $25.44 and a Star City customer is paying $38.64. On the sewer side, a MUB customer is paying $42.76 and a Star City customer is paying $39.08. MUB's stormwater fees are $7.58 (flat rate) and $3.03 (per 1, 000 square feet). Star City's fees are $5.88 and $2.35, respectively. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) Several local private schools have expressed early interest in participating in the new school voucher program. On Tuesday, the Tennessee Department of Education released a list of 162 schools that have signaled intent to participate in the school voucher program. This includes several schools in the East Tennessee area. Clothes closet at Powell church expands to help meet growing community need Anderson County St. Marys School Blount County Apostolic Christian Academy RIO Christian Academy Maryville Christian School Knox County Annoor Academy of Knoxville Concord Christian School Knoxville Catholic High School OneSchool Global Knoxville Sacred Heart Cathedral School St. John Neumann Catholic School St. Joseph School Stanford Eisenberg Knoxville Jewish Day School Temple Baptist Academy The Christian Academy of Knoxville Rivers Edge Christian Academy Grace Christian Academy First Lutheran School Sevier County Seymour Community Christian School The Kings Academy Cumberland County Trinity Academy Hamblen County All Saints Episcopal School Lakeway Christian Schools: Cornerstone Christian Academy Campus McMinn County Fairview Christian Academy Zion Christian Academy Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The full list is available on the states website. The school choice program is planned to provide 20,000 Knoxville students with state-funded scholarships that they can use at private schools. Eviction court sees 361 cases in one day as Knox County urged to fund legal aid A quality education has the power to change the trajectory of a childs life, and Im grateful that Tennessee parents will have the opportunity to choose the best school for their child through the Education Freedom Scholarship Program, said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. I commend the participating schools for their partnership to deliver excellent educational choices for parents in the coming school year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side. COFFEE COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) A Tuesday evening pursuit in Coffee County resulted in the arrest of a woman wanted for murder, according to officials. The Coffee County County Sheriffs Office said deputies attempted to serve an indictment related to an investigation involving the death of a 3-month-old infant that occurred in September 2023. Authorities reported the infant was found to have died from acute fentanyl toxicity. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts As deputies were attempting to serve the indictment to the infants mother, identified as Julianna Leasure, she reportedly fled and locked herself in her vehicle to avoid arrest. An affidavit obtained by News 2 added she drove through her yard and failed to stop when responders activated their emergency equipment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The short pursuit started around 5:15 p.m. in Manchester, with the affidavit stating that she passed multiple vehicles along the shoulder of Highway 41N and Interstate 24, reaching speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. Police said she crossed the median three separate times and deputies forced her to stop when she tried to cross the median a fourth time. During that attempt, she struck a deputys vehicle head-on near mile marker 109 on Interstate 24, officials said. The affidavit added that during the pursuit, Leasure was observed holding her cell phone and speaking. Booking records show Leasure was taken into custody and charged with murder, reckless homicide, child abuse, child neglect and endangerment, evading arrest, assault against a first responder or nurse, reckless endangerment, resisting stop, unlawful use of a telecommunications device and reckless driving. CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime-related reports from across Middle Tennessee Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Leasure is being held at Coffee County Jail on a $74,000 bond. She is expected to appear in court on March 31. No additional details were immediately released. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Activist Mayra Guillen, the elder sister of murdered U.S. Army private Vanessa Guillen, has announced that she will challenge Texas Democratic congressman Al Green for his Houston seat after he was censured by the House of Representatives for protesting President Donald Trumps address to Congress last week. After watching Rep Al Green disrespect not only POTUS last night, but our district, state and country, I believe its time to get into the fight like I did for my sister Vanessa Guillen, Mayra Guillen wrote on X in response to Green being ejected from the chamber for heckling the president. Its time to end the propaganda displayed by these politicians, and time to help support POTUS and his amazing Admiration [sic] to Make America Great Again! Al Green Im coming for your seat. Vanessa Guillen (KHOU) Vanessa Guillen, 20, was bludgeoned to death by fellow soldier Aaron David Robinson in the armory of the Fort Cavazos military base (then known as Fort Hood) in Texas on April 22 2020. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was missing for two months before her burned and dismembered remains were discovered near the Leon River on June 30, news of which led Robinson to flee the base and take his own life when law enforcement attempted to apprehend him in nearby Killeen. Cecily Aguilar, a local woman identified as Robinsons girlfriend, was later sentenced to the maximum of 30 years in prison for her role in covering up the killing. It subsequently emerged that the victim had complained to friends and family about being sexually harassed by a superior prior to her disappearance but had not reported it for fear of retaliation. Guillens grieving family were hosted at the White House by Trump on July 30 2020, during his first term. The grieving family of Vanessa Guilllen hosted at the White House by Donald Trump on July 30 2020 (Shealah Craighead/Official White House Photo) Since the tragedy, her sister has lobbied the U.S. military to reform its handling of assault and sexual harassment cases and appears to have been considering making a run for office even before she became incensed by Greens actions in Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive been contemplating the idea of running for office Congresswoman Guillen? & if so, it will all be for you and because of you, sister, Mayra Guillen posted on X on March 7 prior to Trumps speech. While other Democrats were criticized for the perceived meekness of their protests against the president, Green was removed from the chamber by the sergeant-at-arms for shouting over Trump, waving his cane and yelling that he did not have a mandate to cut Medicaid, twice ignoring orders from House Speaker Mike Johnson to sit down. Two days later, the Republican-led House voted 224 to 198 to censure Green for his repeated interruptions, with 10 Democrats backing the GOPs position. CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) In a letter to Vice President JD Vance and NASA Administrator Designate, Jared Isaacman, 13 Ohio lawmakers proposed a move to Ohio for NASAs headquarters. The lease for the federal agencys current HQ in Washington D.C. expires in 2028. The letter was led by Ohios 7th District Congressman Max Miller and Sen. Jon Husted. NASAs SpaceX Crew-10 prepares for launch to relieve stranded astronauts Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It includes signatures from Sen. Bernie Moreno, all of the other Republican representatives in Ohio and Democratic 9th district congresswoman Marcy Kaptur. Regardless of political affiliation, this is a wonderful thing for our state. This is a wonderful thing for northeast Ohio to bring NASA home and the headquarters, and it would benefit us tremendously, Rep. Miller told Fox 8. The letter outlines several reasons Ohio would be the best option for relocating NASA HQ. It highlights Ohio as the birthplace of aviation and the space available at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Additionally, the letter states that the move would align with President Trumps wishes to move federal agencies out of Washington D.C and to cut federal spending. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It also notes the cost of living being cheaper than other prospective states, which would save taxpayer dollars. The letter lists Florida, Alabama, and Texas as other interested states. Rep. Miller noted that Ohio and NASA Glenn has the resources and would be a safe investment for the federal government because of the lack of natural disasters that some southern states see. This is Ohio. We are the state of aviation, and aerospace, and civil engineering, and we want to bring that back to the forefront and bring it back home to where it started originally, Miller said. Sen. Bernie Moreno also commented on adding his signature to the letter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I was proud to join the delegation in encouraging this administration to bring more NASA functions to Ohio. Glenn is a community jewel that should be expanded and the technology they develop should be commercialized in Ohio, he said in a statement emailed to Fox 8. A NASA Glenn Research Center spokesperson said they couldnt provide an interview regarding this story and provided the following statement: The NASA Headquarters building lease is up in 2028, and the agency is looking at options to lease a new facility in the Washington, D.C. area. NASA does not have plans to build a new headquarters. We recommend contacting the Greater Cleveland Partnership or one of the Ohio delegation members with questions regarding the letter. The CEO of Greater Cleveland Partnership, Baiju Shah, said their organization is very excited about what this proposal could mean for the region. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crop Bistro owner Marcelo Fadul Neves indicted in $846K theft of COVID relief funding Shah explained how the work being done and technological advancements already being made at NASA Glenn are already impacting space exploration in a big way. He said adding thousands of NASA employees to that would draw more businesses that support NASAs mission. We say that the path to the moon and Mars goes through Ohio. What we mean by that is you cant get to the moon or Mars, and certainly not return safely, without the technologies being developed by our neighbors that work at NASA Glenn, he said. Rep. Miller said that NASA moving to Ohio would mean nearly 19,000 employees moving to Northeast Ohio. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. When is launch day for NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 astronauts? A Wednesday, March 12, 2025, launch attempt ended in a scrub minutes before liftoff. A hydraulic ground issue at launch pad 39A sparked a scrub of Crew-10's Falcon 9, which was scheduled to lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Officials have yet to announce a new launch date. SpaceX was targeting 7:48 p.m. EDT Wednesday, March 12, 2025, to launch Crew-10's Falcon 9 rocket from Florida. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When theres a new launch time and day, crew members will take seats aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule for their journey to the International Space Station, which will set up the return to Earth of Crew-9 including Boeing Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. After soaring skyward along a northeasterly trajectory, the Falcon 9 first-stage booster will trigger sonic booms in the Space Coast, Florida, area by returning for a landing 7 minutes, 39 seconds after liftoff at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Cape Canaveral is an hour east of the Orlando theme parks. Depending on cloud cover, weather and visibility, people from Orlando, Daytona Beach to Cocoa Beach and Vero Beach might see a nice streak in the sky given the proximity to NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Space Coast of Florida includes 72 miles of coast, from Mims and Titusville to Melbourne and Grant-Valkaria. If you're not near Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral or surrounding areas from Florida's Space Coast, you can still see the NASA and SpaceX rocket launch liftoff virtually. Check back for live Crew-10 USA TODAY Network Space Team launch coverage updates, starting about 3:30 p.m. The NASA+ live webcast begins about 3:45 p.m., and USA TODAY Network's Space Team, based at FLORIDA TODAY on the Space Coast, will have launch coverage for the Crew-10 and a planned SpaceX Starlink mission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Click here for the Space Team launch coverage. What time is NASA SpaceX Crew-10 launch from Florida? NASAs SpaceX Crew-10 crew members will launch for a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station on a Falcon 9 rocket. An initial attempt at 7:48 p.m. EDT Wednesday, March 12, 2025, from launch pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida was scrubbed minutes before liftoff. For those on the Space Coast of Florida (Brevard County, home of Melbourne, Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island, Titusville), there will be sonic booms. The launch trajectory will be northeast. Live FLORIDA TODAY Space Team coverage started about 5:48 p.m. EDT Wednesday, March 12, at floridatoday.com/space. Can a rocket launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral, Florida, be seen outside of Florida? Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes. For example, readers have submitted photos or posted on social platforms pictures of Falcon Heavy, which is made up of three Falcon 9 rocket first stages, visible from Myrtle Beach. Bookmark this link: Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral Will it rain in Melbourne, Cocoa Beach or Cape Canaveral, Florida, today? Will weather cancel a rocket launch? Shown is the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows conditions in real-time for the Space Coast and other parts of Florida. How to watch NASA, SpaceX Crew-10 mission rocket launch from Florida online During NASA and SpaceXs Crew-10 mission rocket launch attempt, tune in to floridatoday.com/space for USA TODAY Network's Space Team live coverage and updates, starting about two hours minutes before liftoff. You can download the free app for iPhone or Android or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser. Where to watch NASA, SpaceX Crew-10 mission rocket launch live from Florida Countdown Timer Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Florida, we can best see this historic moment in person if you're anywhere on the Space Coast (Brevard County) or certain spots in the First Coast or Fun Coast (Volusia County) or the Treasure Coast (Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County). Pro tip: If you do watch it in person, get to your viewing destination early and prepare to stay later after the launch because of heavy traffic. How to watch NASA, SpaceX Crew-10 mission rocket launch from your phone, iPad or tablet with FLORIDA TODAY Space Team coverage When and where: Full coverage of NASA-SpaceX Crew-10 rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, including a live webcast with live tweets and updates, kicks off about two hours before the launch time, at floridatoday.com/space (you can type this on your browser on your phone). The interactive livestream will feature in-depth coverage. Ask our FLORIDA TODAY space team reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards questions and strike up a conversation. You also can watch coverage via the FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play. FLORIDA TODAY is part of the USA TODAY Network. How to watch NASA-SpaceX Crew-10 launch on TV, how to watch SpaceX rocket launch on YouTube If you have streaming services on your flatscreen, computer, tablet or phone, you can watch NASA-SpaceX Crew-10 rocket launch lift off from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This will require the FLORIDA TODAY app (see above) and the option to "mirror" from your phone to the TV. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From your TV apps, select the YouTube app, search for NASA's channel and click on the Crew-10 mission videos to learn more. Get NASA-SpaceX Crew-10 rocket launch updates from Kennedy Space Center on X or Twitter (and whom to follow!) Follow along with FLORIDA TODAY experts on Twitter: Space Team at @SpaceTeam, Rick Neale at @rickneale1, Brooke Edwards at @brookeofstars with amazing visuals from Craig Bailey at @cbphoto1. We'll link back to our live coverage at @Florida_Today and at floridatoday.com. For more updates or background about NASA-SpaceX Crew-10 launch from X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter and owned by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, follow @nasa and @spacex. Launch coverage will be available on X via FLORIDA TODAY. Can you watch NASA-SpaceX Crew-10 rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center on Instagram? For those wondering, NASA has an official Instagram account (@nasa) as well as an official account for NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@nasakennedy). Though NASA, NASAs Kennedy Space Center and SpaceX all have official Instagram accounts, there is no announcement online whether the space agency will host an Instagram livestream. Likely, those accounts will post about the Crew-10 mission on those social media network profiles. Instagram users may post Instagram Reels, posts or an Instagram Story about the NASA-SpaceX Crew-10 rocket launch if they're viewing it live from the Space Coast of Florida or just outside of Brevard County. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FLORIDA TODAY will have coverage of the NASA-SpaceX Crew-10 rocket launch on Instagram via @Florida_Today and veteran award-winning photojournalist Craig Bailey at @crbphoto1. (This story was updated with new information.) Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX Crew 10 launch time in Florida: How to watch, stream on YouTube Longtime Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Cheryl Blackburn plans to retire at the end of May, her office announced Tuesday afternoon. Blackburn had held the position for 29 years, having been originally appointed by Gov. Don Sundquist in 1996. Defense attorneys, prosecutors, judges and crime victim advocates all expressed gratitude for her career in her office's news release. "The greatest honor of my professional career has been to serve the public as a criminal court judge, and I am humbled that Governor Sundquist had the confidence to appoint me as a judge," Blackburn said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She thanked her two former bosses from her time as a prosecutor, Nashville District Attorneys General Thomas Shriver and Torry Johnson. She said the opportunities afforded her in the office "greatly prepared me to become a criminal court judge." Judge Cheryl Blackburn discusses a trial date for defendants Tarrell Gray, Mallet Meneese and Dylan Thomas Larocca during a hearing in Nashville on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022. All three men have been charged in the death of Dallas Barrett at Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row in 2021. Criminal defense attorney David Raybin said of Blackburn, "her life is the court." "She has handled some of the toughest cases in Nashville and done just exemplary work with the cases," Raybin said. Blackburn, a native of Oak Ridge, earned her undergraduate degree and master's degree in clinical psychology from Vanderbilt University. She worked in the mental health field while attending night classes at the Nashville School of Law. She graduated with her law degree in 1979. Judge Cheryl Blackburn listens during a review of the two bond companies on the Bricen Rivers case at the Justice A. A. Birch Building in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. She was hired at the Nashville District Attorney's Office the same year. During her 17-year career as a prosecutor, she handled thousands of cases including four death penalty trials, the announcement from her office states. Former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean recalled in the news release being on cases opposite her when he was the city's elected public defender. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "She was very ethical and knew more about mental health law than anyone else in the courthouse," Dean said. "A real professional." She was appointed as a criminal court judge in August 1996. Over her lengthy career on the bench, she oversaw hundreds of trials. "It is a difficult and demanding job to balance the safety of the public with the interests of those charged with a crime," Blackburn said. "As a judge, I always made sure I protected the accused's constitutional rights and afforded them a fair trial. But I also made sure victims of crime and their families were treated with dignity and respect throughout the entire process." Blackburn suffered a stroke at the courthouse in 2021. She thanked her peer Judge Angelita Dalton for recognizing the telltale signs of a stroke and calling 911. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In recent months, Blackburn's competency had been scrutinized by attorneys practicing in her courtroom. In January, a murder trial was pushed back after a tense hearing over unstated concerns. Have questions about the justice system? Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him with questions, tips or story ideas at emealins@tennessean.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville judge Cheryl Blackburn to retire after 29 years Originally appeared on E! Online Natalee Holloways mother is sharing her thoughts following the disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki. Following the disappearance of the University of Pittsburgh student during a spring break trip to the Dominican Republic, Beth Holloway, detailed the similarities between the current case and what her family went through after Natalee went missing in 2005 amid a graduation trip to Aruba. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The family is so fortunate to have an American embassy there to work with," Beth told Fox News in a statement March 11. "I did not have that in Aruba." In the days since Sudiksha, 20, was reported missing from Punta Cana, where she was staying with friends, on March 6after traveling to the Dominican Republic with a group of friends for spring breakan investigation in the Dominican Republic has been underway, prompting a search of air, land, and sea from officials on the island with the FBI and the liaison of the U.S. Embassy assisting officials on the island. More from E! Online Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Surveillance footage, shared by Dominican authorities, showed Sudiksha and the five friends who traveled with her to the RIU hotel in Punta Canaas well as two unidentified mengoing the beach area of the resort around 4:15 a.m. However, Sudikshas friends later returned to the resort without her 40 minutes later. The surveillance also showed a man who was walking with Sudiksha returning to the resort the same day without her. Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said in a March 10 press conference that one of the last people to have contact with the biology student told authorities, That a wave hit them while they were on the beach and caused some kind of situation," according to NBC News. Instagram; Courtesy Beth Twitty/ZUMA Press Wire Two days later, a spokesperson for the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office in Virginiawhere Sudiksha and her family livetold NBC News that a person on interest has been named in the U.S. investigation. But as Loudoun County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Thomas Julia emphasized, This is not the same thing as a suspect as this is not a criminal matter. It is still a missing person case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amid the investigation into Sudikshaa disappearance, the situation has drawn many similarities to Natalees casenearly two decades later. Natalee was 18 years old when she went missing May 30, 2005sparking nationwide attention. Natalee was last seen with a group of men, including Joran van der Sloot leaving a club in Aruba. . In 2023, 18 years after he was initially named a person of interest in her disappearance, Joran confessed to killing the Alabama native after she refused his sexual advances. He is currently serving a 20 year prison sentence for a fraud case involving Natalees parents, which is running concurrently with the 28-year prison sentence he is serving in Peru for the 2010 murder of college student Stephany Flores. Natalee, whose remains have never been found, was declared legally dead in 2012. For everything to know about Konankis disappearance, keep reading Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Where Did Sudiksha Konanki Travel to for Spring Break? Sudiksha Konanki traveled to the Dominican Republic on March 3. Who Did Sudiksha Konanki Travel With? The 20-year-old headed to the Dominican Republic with five friends to celebrate the Universtiy of Pittsburgh's spring break. Where Was Sudiksha Konanki Staying? Konanki had been staying at the Hotel Riu Palace Punta Cana, an all-inclusive resort. Following her disappearance, the hotel told NBC News, "We have been working closely with the local authorities, including the police and the navy, to conduct a thorough search. We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends during this incredibly difficult time we are fully committed to doing everything in our power to assist in this situation." When Was Sudiksha Konanki Reported Missing? Konanki was reported missing on March 6 after her friends returned from a beach walk without her. It is believed to have disappeared between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. that morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Did Search and Rescue Efforts Begin for Sudiksha Konanki? Following her disappearance, local officials began an investigation. Local civil defense confirmed it had begun searches on land and by sea, while a spokesperson for the Sheriff's Officy in Loudoun County in Viriginawhere Konanki was fromtold NBC News investigations included obtaining video, going through cellphone evidence and talking to people who were with Konanki. What Do Officials Believe May Have Happened to Sudiksha Konanki? On March 9, officials told ABC News they believe Konanki died by drowning. According to a police report, cited by ABC News, during the walk on the beach, most of the group decided to go back to the hotel at some point during the night while one friend remained with Konanki. The pair reportedly decided to go for a swim, and the police report notes the pair were caught by a big wave. Officials reportedly said the friends who had been with Konanki were questioned by police but had not been charged with anything. What Has Sudiksha Konankis Family Said About the Case? Following Konankis disappearance, her father Subbarayudu Konanki told CNN his daughter had been traveling before beginning pre-med studies. My daughter is a very nice girl," he said. "Shes ambitious. She wanted to pursue a career in medicine. ON FEBRUARY 7, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP fired Archivist of the United States Colleen Shogan, on the job for only 632 days, without notice or cause. By statute, Deputy Archivist William Jay Bosanko automatically became the acting archivist, leading the National Archives and Records Administration. Less than a week later, the White House sent Jim Byron, the president and CEO of the Richard Nixon Foundationone of the private nonprofit groups that builds and supports presidential librariesto give Bosanko an ultimatum: resign or be fired. Bosanko resigned, and the Trump administration has made temporary arrangements for operation of NARA, designating Marco Rubio the acting archivist (his third concurrent role, in addition to secretary of state and administrator of whatever husk remains of USAID). The president is expected to nominate a new archivist, but the timing is as yet unclear. By law, that appointment must be free of political affiliation and made on professional qualifications alone. But this has not stopped some prior presidents from nominatingor tentatively floatingindividuals clearly for their politics. And in the agencys history of eleven permanent and seven acting1 archivists, the two confirmed archivists who have been the most explicitly political turned out to be the most disastrous: Allen Weinstein and Don Wilson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If their tenures are any indication of how badly a politicized appointment can damage the agency, the current widespread alarm among stakeholders and NARA employees is well founded. The Weinstein debacle IN NARAS NINETY-YEAR HISTORY, only one other president has removed an archivist: President George W. Bush forced the eighth archivist, John Carlinwhom President Bill Clinton had nominated almost a decade earlierto resign so that Bush could nominate the already-vetted and reliable political operator Allen Weinstein. According to Carlin, the push to get him out began early, during the 200001 transition between administrations. A member of the transition staff called, Carlin told me in a phone interview. And he asked when I would resign. I said I wanted to stay. I explained the lawthat the president could replace me, but hed have to communicate to Congress as to the reasons why. I never heard back from that young man. A few years later, though, Carlin got another callthis time, from White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales. He said, Im just the messenger, but the folks here would really like you to resign, Carlin recalled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Carlin again rebuffed the White Houses call for his resignation. I repeated what Id told the transition team, about my desire to remain, and about the law. And I assumed that Gonzales would want to follow that law. So that was that. However, that wasnt that. Months later, Gonzales called him again, more insistently. Gonzales made it clear by telling me, Its starting to get rough here, John, and I just want you to know it would be a lot easier on you, no hassle, you know . . . if youd just resign. Join now When asked what he thought it meant when Gonzales said it would be easier on him, Carlin replied that he didnt know. They were already working on the person to replace me well before they asked me to resign. And it turned out that was Weinstein. They wanted me gone so they could replace me with him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More than two decades later, it still puzzles Carlin that he was, essentially, fired without cause. And it surprised him to have received such pressure to resign from Gonzales. I got along with him pretty well, Carlin recalled. We had connected personally a few times. We knew each other. It wasnt like he was calling someone his staff had to tell who I was. Carlin said that in the third call, he repeated the requirements of the law to Gonzales, and that he planned on remaining in the job. But Gonzales was firm. Then I decided they really wanted me out, Carlin said. And Id almost completed the ten years Id said Id do when I took the job. So I cooperated. The Bush administration was otherwise generally good to me. He resigned in February 2005. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When reached by phone for comment, Judge Gonzalez, now the dean of the Belmont University College of Law, said, I cant recall those conversations. And I cant remember any negative feelings about [Archivist Carlin]. Out of the blue, Id have to say he was really good. Gonzales went on to say, I dont doubt it happened if thats what he remembers. I cant confirm it, but I have no reason to believe it isnt true. When Senators Carl Levin and Dick Durbin revealed during Weinsteins confirmation hearing that the White House had pressured Carlin to resign, it made news, and caused a stir in the stakeholder community. But Weinstein, who in 1978 made his name as a historian of the Alger Hiss case, had spent the next two decades promoting democracy internationally, hobnobbing in foreign policy circles, and establishing relationships with powerful government figures. He consequently enjoyed long friendships with many in the Senate, who had lavishly praised the presidents selection. While his nomination expired, and the White House had to resubmit it a few months later, as it had done with Carlin the Senate quickly confirmed Weinstein by unanimous consent. Weinstein, who over a long career of relatively brief jobs that had ended abruptly and without clear public explanations, validated the faith the White House had in him by consistently supporting the Bush administrations positions rather than be an objective arbiter. But his tenure turned out to be a disaster for another reason: As I was the first to report, Weinstein was a longtime serial sexual predator who attacked and harassed NARA and National Archives Foundation staff (as well as women in organizations prior to and after his time in office). After intervention from then-White House Counsel Fred Fielding, the FBI and the Department of Justice discreetly ended an investigation into Weinstein, forestalling certain prosecution, and Bush allowed him to resign quietly in December 2008, citing health reasons. The Reagan search WEINSTEINS MESSY DEPARTURE from NARA was covered up at the time, but the exit in 1993 of one of his predecessors, Don Wilson, the seventh archivist, was much more of a public spectacle: Wilson resigned under a cloud of multiple investigations over his handling of the agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The story of how Wilson came into the job helps explain some of what went wrong during his tenure. Just a few months after his partys loss of 26 House seats in his first midterm election (while maintaining a majority in the Senate), Ronald Reagan was having a hard time nominating a new archivist. Rumors were circulating he would replace the incumbent, Robert Warner, with a political appointee more to the administrations liking. Warner, a former president of the Society of American Archivists and a respected historian, had become archivist less than three years earlier, just four months before Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential election. In early 1983, the White House recalled Richard F. Staar, the chief U.S. representative to the Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions Negotiations in Vienna. As word spread that Staar soon would be Reagans nominee to lead what was then known as the National Archives and Records Service (under the General Services Administration), concerns grew that the long-nonpartisan positionheld, until Warner, by career NARA archivistswould become politicized. Individuals and professional organizations wrote to the White House to protest Warners possible removal and to urge the president not to propose a political nominee. In the end, Reagan never put forth Staars name, but he didnt drop the idea of naming his own archivist. Warner retired in April 1985, when the agency split from the GSA (due in no small measure to his significant efforts calling for the change). The nomination for the first archivist to lead the newly re-independent agency garnered a lot of attention. Reagan had signed into law the National Archives and Records Administration Act of 1984, which mandates that the archivist shall be appointed without regard to political affiliations and solely on the basis of the professional qualifications required to perform the duties and responsibilities of the office. With the agency finally out from under direct political control, stakeholders were watching to make sure that the post, with its important, nonpartisan responsibilities, not become politicized. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The administrations first choice, Peter Duignan, a senior fellow at the conservative Hoover Institution, was seen by many as too political even before he was formally nominated (which he never would be, due to concerns about a likely rocky confirmation process). Are you enjoying this Bulwark story? Sign up for a free or paid subscription and youll never miss another one like it. It wasnt until May 1, 1986more than a year after Warner retired, while career NARA official Frank Burke had served as acting archivistthat Reagan nominated John Agresto. A protege of former National Endowment for the Humanities chairman and thenSecretary of Education William Bennett, Agresto also was challenged as being too political. The avalanche against Agresto was considerable. Professional organizations publicly and forcefully protested his nomination. Thirteen groups representing NARAs main records users formally opposed him. The Society for History in the Federal Government warned that his confirmation would decisively impede the aura of impartiality and professional detachment required for such a position of national trust. Agrestos contentious confirmation hearing in the Senate lasted three days. When the Committee on Governmental Affairs met in October to vote, with his rejection the likely outcome, not enough Republican senators were present for a quorum, and the Senate did not consider his nomination before adjourning for the midterm elections. While the White House vowed to resubmit his name, and even considered installing him via a recess appointment, Agresto was done. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The next choice would have to be nonpoliticalor, at least, be viewed as such. Reagan insiders wanted someone they could trust to be loyal, someone on whom they could count as much as they had known they would have been able to count on Agresto. Among the reasons they were concerned about who the next archivist would be: They were thinking ahead to the eventual creation of Reagans presidential library, and had in mind that he was the first president subject to the new Presidential Records Act. But the president couldnt afford yet another nomination scuttled due to the appearance of partisanship. So he turned to a candidate who had applied for the job the previous fall: Don Wilson, then the director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. The White House presented Wilson to the public as nonpolitical, a career NARA employee. In fact, he couldnt have been more political. His application for the jobwhich was not released at the time, nor since, but which I accessed at the Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan at Ann Arborwent out of its way to indicate to the Reagan team that he was aligned with them. It included, along with a standard resume, cover letter, and personal/professional references, three additions: a note reassuring the White House about his Republican politics; a list of political references; and a number of strong letters of recommendations from well-known Republican politicians. Even Wilsons personal/professional list, though, was full of political references, including former President Gerald R. Ford; David and Julie Nixon Eisenhower; Marlin Fitzwater, who was then the press secretary for Vice President George H.W. Bush; Lt. General Brent Scowcroft; and the heads of the private Hoover and Reagan Presidential Library Foundations. These materials make clear that Wilson knew how important the politics surrounding the nomination were to the Reagan White House, and knew it well before the Agresto nomination imploded, as Wilson had sent in his application months earlier, on October 31, 1985. In the note included with his application, addressed to the Office of Presidential Personnel, after touting his work as director of the Ford Libraryand pointing out his previous successful experience working with institutions operated through a combination of public and private funds along with affiliated foundations or boardsWilson wrote, What does not precisely appear in the accompanying material are my interests and activities in the political sector. As a college student, I became actively involved in then Republican Congressman William Averys campaign for the governorship of Kansas (successful). My father served a [sic] Governor Averys regional campaign manager for North Central Kansas. While on the staff of the Eisenhower Library, I was elected to the Abilene City Commission with strong local Republican party support. Although this was a non-partisan election, I was endorsed by the Republican leaders in Abilene and led all candidates in votes received. I served on the five member governing commission until moving to Wisconsin in 1978. Also, in late 1977 and 1978, I was an advisor and volunteer for Deryl Scheuster [sic] in his unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination in Kansas for the United States Senate. I have enclosed a substantial list of references who may be contacted and who are knowledgeable about my skills and background. I would anticipate no difficulty in receiving Senate confirmation. A number of members of Congress have already indicated support if I were to be nominated. Wilsons two separate lists of ten references were titled, respectively, Personal/Professional and Political. The latter included three sitting and two former senators, two representatives, one lobbyist, and one pollsterall Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On August 14, 1987, Reagan formally nominated Wilson to be the archivist of the United States. The Senate confirmed him without incident a few months later. Share The Bulwark Some hailed the political independence of the new archivist. At Wilsons swearing-in ceremony in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building in Washington, his predecessor, Robert Warnerwho knew Wilson well, and was aware of the contents of his applicationsaid, The installation today of a worthy candidate who fully meets the terms of the law marks the true conclusion of the Archives independence movement. Wilson promised aggressive, creative, professional leadership as archivist. President Reagan spoke at the ceremony, saying Wilson was more than qualified . . . for this high post, both by academic background and years of experience. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And to administer the oath, Wilson chose a different politiciana former White House chief of staff who was one of the sitting members of Congress who appeared on his Political reference list: Rep. Dick Cheney. The Absentee Archivist LETS SKIP AHEAD A FEW YEARS. By the fall of 1992, Don Wilsons time in the job was running short, and he badly needed an exit strategy. Instead of being the rewarding capstone to his career, his relatively brief tenure had beenat bestcontroversial. From his clashes with Congress and reportedly dysfunctional management style to his improper handling of the hiring and supervision of NARAs inspector general and his favoring of presidents in records disputes, Wilson generated more problems within and for the agency than perhaps all of his predecessors (or successors) combined. He had been investigated by, or was still actively being investigated by, the Senate, the Office of Special Counsel, the Presidents Council on Integrity and Efficiency in Government, the Office of Personnel Management, and the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services, not to mention proceedings in the courts. Government investigators had found Wilson to have failed in his managerial, administrative, legislative, regulatory, financial, and ethical responsibilities. In some cases, they determined he had acted inappropriately; in others, that he had improperly delegated responsibility and authority to his subordinates, and then failed to supervise their actions. In 1991, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs began an investigation of NARAs management practices. The probe took a year, and included the work of the FBI, the OSC, and other offices. Wilsons term was deemed to have been such a failure and he himself so missing from responsibility and accountability that the senator chairing the committee dubbed him the Absentee Archivist. (Years later, in a 2015 oral history for NARA, Wilson dismissed the characterization as just a planted story.) On the eve of the 1992 election, the committee issued its report, Serious Management Problems at the National Archives and Records Administration. It concluded, Archivist Don Wilson failed to exercise care and diligence in fulfilling his responsibilities and recommended, The President of the United States should undertake a review of the actions of the Archivist of the United States in connection with the activities detailed in this report, including but not limited to questions concerning compliance with the Inspector General Act (as amended) and the exercise of administrative and management responsibilities. Also in the 2015 oral history, Wilson said at that point he was, . . . really under the gun and, right after the election I was in this dilemma. I didnt really want to continue serving in that kind of environment. At the same time if I resigned I politicized the agency because it meant each future Archivist would have to resign under a new administration. Basically, they can interpret it that way. If I didnt resign, I was going to get a handful of trouble. The 1992 presidential election saw a Republican incumbent defeated by a Democrat who would soon take office and possibly clean house. So after five years on the job, Wilson really needed a way out. With a soft landing, if possible. It was in that climate and mindset that Wilson decided to do a political favor for a powerful figure. Late on the night of January 19, 1993just hours before the new president was to be sworn inWilson signed away important presidential records while seeking a new job. A favor and a foundation FOR DECADES, NARA HAS PROVIDED assistance to presidents and their foundations in planning their libraries. But more than any archivist since the first, R.D.W. Connor, helped President Franklin Roosevelt plan his library, Wilson had eagerly sought to aid President Bush in building his. Wilson received and evaluated all proposals from institutions vying to land the library. He paid site visits to the three finalists. He strongly influenced Bushs final choice of Texas A&M University. In fact, records from the Office of the Archivist that I obtained via the Freedom of Information Act show that, during the final phases of the process, Wilson provided A&M officials with more detailed information on Bushs personal criteria than he did the other finalists, the University of Houston and Rice University. Once the site selection had been made, Wilson offered to inform the losing candidates, so that Bush wouldnt have to make those calls himself. Wilson had worked closely with the H.W. Bush White House for years, influencing the planning and steering of the process. So it was perhaps not a stretch for the administration to reach out to him, shortly before Bush left office, to ask for one more favor. And, given Wilsons dire circumstancesif he remained on the job, incoming President Bill Clinton would almost certainly fire himits understandable, if not forgivable, that he said yes. Heres the story: Since the end of the Reagan administration, journalist Scott Armstrong, along with the National Security Archive (NSA) at the George Washington University and other organizations, together had been fighting a battle to preserve backup tapes of the White House email system known as PROFS. The most important and controversial records in that system related to the Iran-Contra affair. The tapes were important to both the investigations of the scandal and to history in general. At several times between 1989 and 1993, the Reagan and Bush administrations tried to destroy them. It was only because of the ongoing series of legal actionsrestraining orders, decisions that the emails were official records and that the White House must preserve the tapesthat they survived so long. Even in the face of unambiguous court rulings, though, the White House continued to try to get rid of them. With thirteen hours left in Bushs term, Wilson signed a secret agreement granting Bush exclusive legal and physical custody of the White House email tapes. A federal judge later declared it illegal, calling Wilsons actions, arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and contrary to law. Three weeks later, Wilson announced that he would resign the office of archivist of the United States and begin his new position as executive director of the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation at Texas A&M University. He denied that his appointment to run the foundation, at $129,000 a year (about $286,000 in todays dollars), was the result of a quid pro quo or had anything to do with the tapes agreement. Without regard to political affiliations DON WILSON WAS THE FIRST permanent archivist that a president had nominated under the 1984 law, and the last of all confirmed archivists in the agencys history to have been in fact an archivist by profession, or to hold any of the direct statutory qualifications that the drafters had envisioned. Yet Wilson left the National Archives weaker as an agency, its reputation damaged, and its credibility as a nonpartisan administrator of federal and presidential records laws in serious doubt. And he ushered in a new era of strong politicization, deference to presidents and their private foundations, and acceptance of rewritten history in NARAs museums that continues unabated today. One of the glaring ways this can be seen is that the new Trump administration has devastated agency leadership and independence, firing Shogan, forcing out the deputy archivist, the inspector general, and other agency employees, and putting Rubio atop the agency, while installing as NARAs day-to-day leader Byron, the head of the most partisan presidential foundation in the system. Another is that few now seriously believe the president will nominate anyone who meets the statutory requirements for the position, nor one who would reassert the independence of the agency and the position, and honorably uphold the law rather than fulfill the presidents desires. Anthony Clark is a former speechwriter and legislative director in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the 111th Congress (200911), he was the professional staff member responsible for oversight of NARA, the Freedom of Information Act, and the Presidential and Federal Records Acts for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. A new, expanded edition of his 2015 book on the history and politics of NARA and the presidential libraries will be published later this year by Informative.Ink. Share this article with a friend who appreciates detailed, engrossing accounts of historical events others might pass over. Share 1 To prevent double-counting, this figure of seven acting archivists does not include the two individuals who were acting archivists for a time before they went on to serve as permanent archivists. National parks reported a record-high number of nearly 332 million visitors last year, just as President Donald Trump's mass purge of federal employees hits the agency, causing concern for an uncertain future. According to new NPS data, 331.9 million recreation visitors traveled to the national parks last year. That's an increase of 6.36 million recreation visits, or 2%, from 2023. The previous record was set in 2016 with slightly under 330 million visitors. An internal memo directed at the National Park Service instructed employees to not publicize the visitor information, the New York Times reported, stating the agency would "not issue a press release or other proactive communications, including social media posts" on the visitor data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report comes as 1,000 National Park Service employees across the country were fired as part of the Trump administration's layoffs of thousands of federal employees nationwide, according to the National Parks Conservation Association. In Wisconsin, thousands of visitors explored national parks, lakeshores and trails across the state. Here's a breakdown of the latest NPS visitor information in Wisconsin, and how the Trump administration federal layoffs could affect the agency. How many people visited Wisconsin's national parks in 2024? For the second straight year, the Apostle Islands ice caves were accessible due to thick ice thanks to the cold winter in 2015. Visitors were able to traverse the frozen Lake Superior shores near Bayfield, hiking more than two miles round-trip to view the natural majestic sculptures. Located in the northern tip of Wisconsin's Bayfield Peninsula, Apostle Islands welcomed 253,703 visitors in 2024, according to the report. That's up from the previous year with a recorded 247,167 visitors. The Apostle Islands, one of the country's three national lakeshores, faces an uncertain future due to staff layoffs, which could impact accessibility at the park. Local businesses and the $55.7 million economy tied to the park are anticipating a potential downturn due to potential layoffs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The NPS data also reported that 29,711 people visited the Ice Age Trail in 2024, and 900,828 people visited Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, located in Wisconsin and Minnesota, last year. The report did not show visitor data for the North Country Scenic Riverway. Most visited national parks in the U.S. in 2024: Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee: 12.1 million Zion National Park in Utah: 4.9 million Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona: 4.9 million Yellowstone National Park in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming: 4.7 million Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado: 4.1 million Where are the national parks in Wisconsin? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For more information you can visit nps.gov/state/wi. RELATED: Summer at Lake Superiors Apostle Islands threatened by federal workforce cuts, tourism boards warn Caitlin Looby contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How many people visited Wisconsin national parks in 2024? The men who created Americas Constitution are often called the nations founders. But only one of those men, James Madison, is widely considered the father of the Constitution. Madison was elected president of the United States in 1808. He served for two terms. But many Americans remember Madison more for the work he did to strengthen the national government before he served as president. Madison was one of the writers of the state constitution in his home state of Virgina in 1776. Later, he proposed a more structured national government after the Revolutionary War. That conflict resulted in the American colonists separating from Britain. Madison imagined a three-part American government one with an executive, a legislature, and an independent Supreme Court. His ideas became the basis for the U.S. Constitution. Tom Howard has served as an educator at Madisons home in southern Virginia. He said Madison did not receive as much attention as some of Americas other founding members. Hes not somehow historically as well-known as otherfounding statesmen, Howard said. But hes certainly every bit as importantWe are not even sure there would be a Constitution had it not been for James Madison, he added. Howard noted how James Madison used his own library to prepare for the nations Constitutional Convention. He went up there and studied for months, and thats having just a light breakfast and then studying throughout the entire day before he finally took a break to rest up, to go back at it the next day. Historians say Madison took very detailed notes during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He sat behind George Washington taking notes, and trying to determine how the debates were going in discussions that he could prepare for the next day, and how he would influence that. Madison understood his notes were important not only for him. He knew they would also be interesting for historians and other people who wanted to know what happened at the meeting. He included information on speeches and ideas expressed by other delegates. After a new constitution was created at the convention, the legislatures of each state had to ratify, or vote to approve, the document. Madison and other supporters of the proposed government eventually succeeded in persuading the states to ratify the Constitution. He was then elected to the House of Representatives in the first Congress under the new government. But it was his actions in support of a strong national government and federal laws that earned Madison a place in history as Father of the Constitution. Im Bryan Lynn. Jill Robbins, Steve Ember and Faith Lapidus reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports. Quiz - James Madison, Father of Americas Constitution Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _____________________________________________ Words in This Story founder n. someone who establishes an effort or organization determine v. to discover the facts or truth about something Since his first term in office, President Donald Trump has been pushing his America First agenda, pledging to undo what he has described as U.S. allies taking advantage of the U.S. Weve been ripped off for decades by nearly every country on Earth, and we will not let that happen any longer, Trump said before a joint session of Congress last week. Trumps embrace of this ideology is nothing new. Advertisement Advertisement Back in September 1987, when he was a real estate developer in New York City, he reportedly spent about $100,000 to buy full-page ads in three major newspapers, featuring an open letter he penned headlined: Theres nothing wrong with Americas Foreign Defense Policy that a little backbone cant cure. In that letter, Trump claimed Japan and other countries had been taking advantage of the U.S. for years. Why are these nations not paying the United States for the human lives and billions of dollars we are losing to protect their interests? he asked. Now, nearly 38 years later, Trump seems to espouse those exact same views, rejecting the rules-based international order the U.S. has painstakingly built over decades. Advertisement Advertisement Matthew Schmidt, an associate professor of national security and political science at the University of New Haven, told HuffPost Trump is, in essence, destroying the idea and practice of collective security. Trump, Schmidt explained, is not just pursuing an America First agenda, but operating under the flawed mindset that the U.S. does not need institutions like the UN and NATO because it can secure itself unilaterally. The problem is that youre facing a world with those same [weapons of mass destruction] threats, only now instead of nukes, its nukes and bio weapons and artificial intelligence, Schmidt said. And the only way to rein in the proliferation and to establish norms of behavior with these weapons, potential weapons and accelerators of weapons like AI, is through collective security. Since taking office in January, Trump has said the EU was formed in order to screw the United States; imposed tariffs on U.S. allies; temporarily froze U.S. aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv; threatened to annex Greenland and Canada; claimed he wants the U.S. to take over the Gaza Strip; oversaw the U.S. voting against a UN resolution condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine; cast doubt on the U.S.s commitment to NATO; and worked to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development. Advertisement Advertisement Schmidt warned that the effects of Trumps moves to destroy structures that have kept the U.S. safe for 80 years will be felt for generations to come. If you dont have these institutions in place, the threat, the nature of the threat to our kids and grandkids, is going to be enormous, again because weve reverted to a 19th-century security model with 20th- and 21st-century threats, he added. Besides exposing the U.S. to far greater threats, Trumps foreign policy is likely to leave Americas adversaries relatively unscathed, according to CNN anchor Fareed Zakaria. We have more leverage with Canada than we have with Russia because Canada depends on us for security. Canada trades with us a lot. Its economy is intricately tied to the U.S. economy, Zakaria told The New York Times Ezra Klein. Advertisement Advertisement So you can bully Canada. But you cant really bully Russia that much because we dont do much trade with them. You cant bully China, he added. And yet Trump seems ready to make major concessions to Russia when it comes to its war in Ukraine, which could in turn also benefit Beijing. While former President Joe Biden pledged to support Ukraine as long as it takes following its invasion by Russia on Feb. 24, 2022, Trump has ruled out maintaining his predecessors commitment to backing the traditional U.S. ally a democracy invaded by an authoritarian country while openly questioning why the U.S. has spent so much to support Ukraine. Crucially, he does not appear to see Russian President Vladimir Putin as an enemy of the U.S. He regularly sides with Moscow, echoing the Kremlins talking points by, among other things, calling for elections in Ukraine, and temporarily cutting off aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv days after publicly scolding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. Advertisement Advertisement Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, writes that those who argue that inching closer to Russia could work to the U.S.s advantage by severing Moscows ties to China are misguided, adding that it would simply allow Russia to negotiate its cooperation with Beijing on better terms. Russia could thus secure a privileged position in a new strategic triangle, enjoying better relations with the U.S. and China than they have with one another, he said. Meanwhile, Trump could also end up driving Europe closer to China. William Matthews, a senior research fellow in the Asia-Pacific program at the London-based think tank Chatham House, has argued that Europe engaging with China on a peace agreement that would give both Ukraine and the continent a seat at the table would be a risk worth taking amid fears that the U.S. could sideline the two from a potential deal with Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Reaching out to China which is a greater strategic threat to the U.S. than Europe would demonstrate to the U.S. that its approach carries risks, and would also show that Europe has the resolve to act in a world of great power politics, Matthews told HuffPost. Matthews added that broadly a divergence of U.S. and European interests is favorable to China. If Europe is more concerned with Russia and cannot rely on the U.S., then it will be more likely to engage with China, he added. If Europe were to choose this route, the U.S. would effectively strike an own goal, expanding Beijings sphere of influence at a moment when members of the Trump administration have repeatedlystressed they consider China to be the No. 1 threat. Related... Graham Lee Brewer Associated Press NORMAN, Okla. (AP) In Native nations across the United States, leaders are scrambling to respond to a directive from President Donald Trump and Elon Musk to close more than a quarter of Bureau of Indian Affairs offices, which provide vital services to Indigenous communities. Trump and Musk are calling on the General Services Administration, or GSA, to begin terminating leases on all of the roughly 7,500 federal offices nationwide, including 25 regional offices of the BIA. Those offices fulfill a wide variety of rights the U.S. owes to tribal nations, and some leaders and legal experts are worried the potential closures, layoffs and funding freezes could violate those trust responsibilities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's a destabilizing action," said Mark Macarro, president of the National Congress of the American Indian. "I really have to think we have to assume the worst, unfortunately." In the many treaties the U.S. signed with tribal nations, it outlined several rights owed to them like land rights and healthcare through departments established later, like Indian Health Services. Trust responsibilities are the legal and moral obligations the U.S. has to protect and uphold those rights. Tribes go through BIA regional offices to approve things like road projects and law enforcement funding. The move to close the regional offices is part of a sweeping effort by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, led by Musk to reduce the size and spending of the federal government. Funding for the BIA, IHS and the Bureau of Indian Education represents the lion's share of the government's obligations to tribes, Macarro said, and last year those departments made up less than a quarter of 1% of the federal budget. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "They're looking in the wrong place to be doing this," said Macarro. "And what's frustrating is that we know that DOGE couldn't be a more uninformed group of people behind the switch. They need to know, come up to speed real quick, on what treaty rights and trust responsibility means." Part of those trust responsibilities is consulting with tribes on matters that affect their citizens, said Jacqueline De Leon, an attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, which represents tribes protecting their treaty rights. "In the case of BIE cuts, this type of action taken without consultation is rare and in clear violation of the law," she said. In February, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rescinded an order to lay off 950 IHS employees, hours after they had been told by phone they were being fired. A Jan. 30 order from the Interior Department titled "Ending DEI Programs and Gender Ideology Extremism" stated that any efforts to eradicate diversity, equity and inclusion in the department's policy should exclude trust obligations to tribal nations. In a letter sent Thursday to GSA Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian and exclusively shared with The Associated Press, Arizona Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly expressed serious concern about the announced closure of the BIA's regional office in Phoenix, one of the department's largest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Its closure will severely limit access for all of these tribes to essential services ranging from economic development to child social services to water system improvements," the senators wrote. "The federal government is at serious risk of failing at its most basic obligations, including breaking long-held promises to tribes." The senators asked Ehikian to explain how the Phoenix office was chosen for closure and how the government will meet its trust responsibilities if it is shuttered. A spokesperson for the GSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Vital federal departments for tribes like the BIA and IHS have been chronically underfunded and understaffed. That often means the contracts and projects those agencies are required to approve for tribal nations are already delayed, said Martin Harvier, president of the Salt River PimaMaricopa Indian Community in Phoenix. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "If they're going to start shutting down the office, that means all of us on the other end are waiting for a response, and it just delays things that we're trying to move forward," he said. "Whether it be a family waiting for a probate to happen or a family waiting for a lease so they can build a home on their lot or economic development." Harvier said he has been assured by staff at the Phoenix office that its inclusion on the list of closures was a mistake, but he and other tribal leaders he is speaking with are uncertain about the days ahead. "I think all of the tribal nations are just very concerned right now," he said. "We just don't know what to expect." (WSPA) North Carolina Governor Josh Stein will give the State of the State Address on Wednesday. This will be Steins first State of the State as governor for the state. He is expected to address ongoing Western NC recovery efforts. It is also expected for the governor to ask the general assembly to invest in economic opportunity, workforce development, public schools and public safety. Stein will deliver the State of the State Address at 7 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. NORTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) A group of North Carolina Democrats want to increase the states minimum wage from $7.25 to $18 within five years. A bill filed Monday would increase the minimum wage in increments through 2030. Rising costs were on the mind of people walking through Charlottes South End neighborhood on Tuesday afternoon. Those that spoke with Queen City News seemed in favor of the proposal. PREVIOUS | NC House bill aims to raise minimum wage starting in 2026; heres how much I definitely think it needs to be higher; again, thats over the course of years though, you cant just raise it immediately and make everyone happy but I think it, with how the world is going right now, a little bit higher, said Baylee Blankenbaker. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Bill 353 would start with a bump to $10 in 2026, then increase annually by two dollars until it reaches $18. The bill also allows for state officials to continue increasing the minimum wage depending on the cost of living. Its equity and fairness for workers. I mean, we have one of the lowest minimum wages in the country, said State Rep Marcia Morey. Morey, who represents Durham County, is the bills author. With only Democratic support, Morey acknowledged she will need Republicans to sign on for the bill to have a chance at becoming law, Oh, Im sure theyre thrilled with itwe will do our best to show this is what their constituents need, as much as ours, it shouldnt be a partisan issue. The North Carolina Chamber told Queen City News they oppose the proposal through a provided statement. Due to the intense competition for talent in our state, most NC Chamber members do not pay minimum wage. However, the NC Chamber opposes burdensome mandates on North Carolina employers that restrict their ability to predictably manage their operations. We believe the best way to ensure North Carolina remains a leading state to live, work, and raise a family is not by imposing mandates on employers, but by better aligning our talent development systems with the needs of our modern workforce to connect more North Carolinians with high-paying jobs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Hours after President Donald Trump announced to reporters that Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire, Sen. Thom Tillis and a bipartisan group of his colleagues took to the Senate floor to urge support for Ukraine. The senators confirmed reports that the peace talks between Ukraine and the United States restored military support and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to agree to the ceasefire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, said he chose to speak Tuesday to reinforce that Ukraine needs our help, Europe needs to step up and Putin is the personification of evil. He spent the next 10 minutes reinforcing those points. Tillis co-chairs the U.S. Senate NATO Observer Group with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire. He has been an outspoken critic of Russia over the past three years. Shaheen organized the group of Democrats and Republican senators to speak out for Ukraine as Ukrainian and United States officials gathered in Saudi Arabia. I think that strong bipartisan support has been there because we understand that this is a fight for democracy, Shaheen said. This is a fight to stop the overturning of the international rule space order, to stop a dictator like Vladimir Putin from going into a country and thinking just because he wants to take it over, he can. We know not only our are allies watching but so our are adversaries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shaheen reminded her colleagues that North Korea is fighting with Russia, Iran is providing missiles and China is giving support. Theyre watching what America does here, she said. We understand as Republican and Democratic senators to have a lasting peace in Ukraine, we need to make sure that Russia is accountable and we have security guarantees. The group spoke for more than an hour and included Sens. Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Peter Welch, Susan Collins, Chris Coons and Michael Bennet. Ukraine needs help Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, reminded senators that Ukraine isnt asking for manpower from the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said Ukrainians are asking for ammunition, arms, logistics and satellite imaging for intelligence gathering. We should be proud as Americans that we have helped to make a difference, Murkowski said. We have helped Ukraine push back the Russian advance. It has prevented Kyiv from falling to Russia. It has helped Ukranian defenders hold the line there. She added that every weapon system, ammunition, radar and drone has served as lifelines to the Ukrainian people. Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, added that American troops arent dying on the front lines, but Ukrainians defending their country, democracy and way of life. Europe steps in Senators applauded European leaders for stepping up and helping Ukraine following a contentious meeting between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy two weeks ago at the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But Tillis also noted that European countries were $2 trillion behind on their commitments to NATO. What would have happened if our NATO alliance was stronger, if everyone met the bare minimums for support, Tillis asked. What if $2 trillion more would have been spent? Would that have been enough to possibly persuade Putin from invading Ukraine? Tillis said Ukraine is a doormat to Europe. If he wins there, he will start chipping away at the rest of the continent. Tillis said thats already happening. Criticism of Putin There was a consensus among the senators that Putin is evil. Tillis listed off the things he blames Putin for: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 80,000 dead service members 13,000 dead civilians 400,000 wounded service members 30,000 injured civilians. Let me tell you a little bit about those civilians, Tillis said. There are 16-year-olds who had their legs blown off because Vladimir Putin ordered the launching of dumb bombs into residential areas. He allowed drones to hit childrens hospitals that we visited. This is the carnage that the Ukrainian people are experiencing every single day, 24/7, 365 days since the invasion began three years ago, Tillis added. He talked about women being raped as well as people being shot walking their dogs or while riding a bike. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The surprise to Vladimir Putin was he had no earthly idea what the strength of democracy and freedom has in the hearts and minds of humans beings, Tillis said. The Ukrainian people, in spite of overwhelming odds, numbers and weapons, they defended it. They have been defending it for three years. Finding peace Tension between the United States and Ukraine escalated in recent weeks after Zelenskyy met with Trump and Vance in the Oval Office. Tensions were already heightened, as it seemed that Trump was soft toward Putin. Vance and Trump told Zelenskyy in a meeting that he wasnt grateful enough for United States help, despite repeated proclamations of gratitude over the past three years. Following the meeting, the Ukranian leader was forced to leave the White House earlier than expected and without signing an expected mineral agreement that would have given the United States some access to Ukraines future mineral proceeds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, Zelenskyy said the meeting was regrettable. On Tuesday, officials from both countries met for eight hours in Saudi Arabia, where Ukrainian officials agreed to the 30-day ceasefire. President Zelenskyy has show time and again that he is always willing to negotiate for peace, said Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, on the Senate floor a few hours later. Putin has always been the aggressor and that is why, I believe, we must always stand with Ukraine. Ceasefire proposed Trump first announced the agreement to pool reporters Tuesday afternoon at the White House, adding that Zelenskyy would be welcomed back to the White House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine, Trump said. Ceasefire. Just agreed to a little while ago. Ukraine has agreed to it, and hopefully Russia will agree to it. Trump added that he expects to speak to Putin later this week, according to pool reports. Zelenskyy posted about the agreement on social media, saying that U.S. officials proposed a ceasefire by air and sea. Zelenskyy wrote that he sees this as a confidence-building measure that could result in the release of prisoners of war, including both military and civilians and Ukrainian children. During todays talks, the U.S. side proposed taking an even bigger first step a 30-day full interim ceasefire, not only stopping missile, drone, and bomb attacks, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line, Zelenskyy wrote. Ukraine is ready to accept this proposal. We see it as a positive step and are ready to take it. Now, it is up to the United States to convince Russia to do the same. If Russia agrees, the ceasefire will take effect immediately. A local man pleaded guilty this week to importing thousands of counterfeit car airbags into Raleigh over the course of two years. The counterfeit airbags were sold locally and online through Facebook Marketplace. According to court documents, Mateen Mohammad Alinaghian an engineer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation imported around 2,500 counterfeit air bags into Raleigh between May 2022 and April 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ALSO READ: NCDOT announces reopening of interstate closed by Hurricane Helene The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina said Alinaghian got the airbags from a supplier in the United Kingdom. The products were marked with counterfeit Honda, Chevrolet, General Motor, and Toyota logos. On Facebook Marketplace, Alinaghian used different seller profiles with the names Matt AutoParts or Medo Smith. In testing, the airbags often malfunctioned, either not fully inflating or inflating late. The Department of Homeland Securitys investigations agency (HSI) led the probe into Alinaghians business dealings, along with the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Office of Inspector General. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The investigation included a search of Alinaghian s house and multiple seizures by Customs and Border Control of in-bound packages from the U.K. containing counterfeit airbags en route to the 31-year-old. In this case, the defendant put profit over safety, acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar said in a statement. Overseas in the U.K., London police confiscated a total of 500 counterfeit airbags and an more than $180,000 in cash. Three men were arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to distribute counterfeit goods, officials said. From September 2023 to July 2024, three people in the U.S. were killed and two people suffered injuries due substandard replacement airbags, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The HSI encourages anyone who thinks they may have purchased a counterfeit airbag to consult their brands dealership or a mechanic. You can also report it to your local HSI office or submit an online complaint to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. HSI is asking anyone who believes they could be a victim of Alinaghian to call them at 919-677-6392. WATCH BELOW: NCDOT puts brakes on new EV chargers, awaiting guidance from Trump administration BRISTOL, R.I. (WPRI) The Rhode Island Veterans Home, a long-term care facility for local veterans in Bristol, has 50 vacant beds as it continues to struggle with staffing issues. Kasim Yarn, the states director of veterans affairs, said his office has been working to address the issue by hiring more staff. Prior to January, for the past two years, I have not been able to exhibit an ability to recruit and retain staff, he said. And we know that thats because of the pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 5 years later: Rhode Islanders reflect on COVID-19s lasting impact According the R.I. Office of Veterans Services, there are about 200 people on the facilitys waitlist, even though one out of every four beds is empty in its nursing area. The home also has a space for veterans who dont need full-time care and can come and go as they please. Data shows 14 of the 16 beds in that area are vacant. In January, the R.I. Office of Veterans Services hosted a job fair where it received nearly 140 applications to work in various positions. Of those applicants, 21 have been hired so far, and there are still six vacancies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yarn said he needs more employees to open up other parts of the facility to new residents. This is a first in a series of steps, he said. First step is to get the staff, which weve started. Yarn said his goal is to have the facility filled with 192 veterans, but stopped short of saying when that might be accomplished. He pointed to working with the governors office to secure additional funding. RI Veterans Home hiring more staffers so it can take in more vets Yarns agency is projected to spend about $53 million in the current fiscal year, however, Gov. Dan McKee has proposed reducing that by about a million dollars for the upcoming budget year that begins in July. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yarn said hes looking at the resident-to-staff ratio. Then I would put together a budget proposal to the governors office to submit to the General Assembly for approval for the taxpayers have, he added. The General Assembly is currently vetting the governors proposed budget and a revised version is expected this spring. In the meantime, Yarn said hes focused on making the Veterans Home a safe and comfortable place for our heroes. Im humbled to be the advocate for our veterans, Yard said. There is no better place to serve than here at our Veterans Home in Bristol. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) Sydney Jensen had scarcely taken a single day off of teaching in eight years before having her first child in 2020, often coming in sick to teach Nebraska students. She had saved eight weeks of paid leave, but as she faced postpartum depression, she felt returning would be devastating for her mental health, and the eight weeks werent enough. In truth, I felt like I would not survive it, Jensen said Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The federal Family and Medical Leave Act allowed Jensen to extend her leave to a maximum of 12 allowable weeks for significant life events, but the final four weeks came without pay, leading to financial strain, worsening her postpartum depression and creating hardships for her growing family. I thought I had done everything right, Jensen said. But it still wasnt enough. Jensen, a ninth grade English teacher, in Lincoln was one of many supporters to speak in favor of Legislative Bill 440 on Monday, seeking to establish an additional 0.35% payroll fee on Nebraska teachers, matched by local school districts, to cover long-term substitute costs for the first 6 weeks of teachers leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Bolduc to retire Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For a teacher making $60,000, thats a monthly fee of about $17.50, according to the Nebraska State Education Association, advocating on behalf of more than 26,000 public school teachers. Federal law protects workers for up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave in a year, such as for birth and bonding, adoption or foster care placement and serious personal or family health conditions. Teachers salaries and benefits are already budgeted for each year, so LB 440 would protect 6 weeks of that federal leave before other accrued paid leave would need to be used, the Nebraska Examiner reports. For less than $20 a month, were gonna give teachers the peace of mind that if they need to take this leave, they wont have to worry about the financial hardship that accompanies it, NSEA President Tim Royers told the Education Committee. No one testified against the bill. Most important industry State Sen. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha, LB 440s sponsor, said she suffered severe postpartum depression but was lucky to have an employer who covered paid leave for three months. But she and many teachers said that isnt the same for frontline teachers who are helping to shape the next generation of students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An amendment Spivey offered to the committee would clarify that school districts would still need to pay teachers their full salary and benefits during the covered 6-week leave. Payroll contributions would also be used to cover the operating and administrative costs of the program. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KCAU 9 Morning Update Thirteen states and Washington, D.C., have mandatory paid family medical leave laws, Spivey said. She modeled her bill off of similar teacher payroll contributions toward state insurance and retirement funds. Spivey noted that the union for most state employees also has negotiated 6 weeks of paid maternity leave, which takes effect July 1. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said her bill would promote long-term savings by reducing turnover costs through a sustainable, teacher-led funding model, with no state appropriations needed for the program. I would always argue that teachers are some of our most important industry and frontline workers, Spivey said. They need competitive benefits, they need this in order to be able to stay in the workforce [and] keep educating our future leaders and workforce. Any surplus in the new leave fund exceeding 20% of projected annual needs would be transferred to a separate fund to focus on teacher retention and professional development. Committee leaders weigh in State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, a former central Nebraska school board member and committee chair, asked Spivey if the bill was still needed after voters approved a minimum level of annual paid sick leave for all employees: at least 40 hours of paid leave, or 56 hours for larger businesses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward, a substitute teacher and committee vice chair, said she appreciated the program being separate from state dollars. She asked what would happen if contributions werent enough to cover the required substitute costs in a given year. More than 250 pounds of marijuana found during northeast Neb. traffic stop, NSP says Hughes noted LB 440 would increase costs on districts, which Spivey described as an investment that would supplement, not replace, local sick banks to pool leave time. Spivey said the bill was drafted with past leave requests in mind to create the 0.35% payroll but said she would confirm what would happen in the scenario Hughes had described. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Royers, as he did in January, said the legislation is the result of a fall survey of nearly 10,000 Nebraska teachers. The issue encompassed all types of leave, he said, not just maternity or paternity. We have a crisis of faith right now for teachers in Nebraska, Royers said of the survey. Just 8% of our educators feel that this body takes them into account when it crafts education policy. Teachers face guilt, regret Nora Lenz, a Lincoln teacher with more than 30 years experience, said her parents were placed in a nursing home in the summer of 2019, and Lenz was with her mother Friday through Sunday so she wouldnt be alone, 150 miles away from Lincoln. In January 2020, Lenzs father fell ill, and Lenz said it was clear he was losing his will to live, and his condition got even more fragile in the face of the looming threat of COVID-19. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Early retirement wasnt an option for Lenz, and she couldnt afford to go without a salary, needing to support her children in high school and college. Her father was hospitalized, and Lenzs heart ached to be by his side and by her mothers side. To this day, I regret not being there with them sooner, before he was hospitalized, Lenz said. Tired of the default? Nebraska has plenty of specialty license plates Lenz said she held her fathers hand when he took his last breath and was with him in the final days of his life, but told the committee she believes that had she been with him sooner, he might have lived just a little longer. Lenzs mother died 17 days later. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sheila Janssen said that she had a stroke in her brainstem on June 6, 2022, at 43 years old, and was in the hospital for nine days. She spent about five weeks in the hospital but, without enough sick leave, returned to school on the first day, on Aug. 10, 2022. I probably had no business being there, Janssen said. But I was because I couldnt do it financially. Jake Bogus of Lincoln, an eighth grade U.S. history teacher, said some families are facing scenarios almost like a Margaret Atwood novel, trying to time pregnancies to use as little paid time off as possible or asking for donated time to care for their newborn children. Other testifiers said they were stuck with a choice: family or financial stability as they or loved ones faced cancer, hip replacements, foster care obligations or loved ones in hospice care. Many current and retired teachers said they felt guilty over the choice they made. Balancing impossible choices Now at 32 weeks pregnant with her second child, Jensen has about 30 days of leave saved up from the past few years. However, she noted that one in seven new mothers will face postpartum depression, and her experience increases her future risk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jensen said LB 440 would help address a system that is forcing impossible choices and disproportionately impacting younger teachers and women, contributing to burnout and turnover. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KCAU 9 Afternoon Update Teachers shouldnt have to choose between their families or financial stability, Jensen said. LB 440 aligns Nebraskas education system with modern workforce needs and demonstrates that we value the well being of those who shape our childrens futures. The committee took no immediate action on LB 440. Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Cate Folsom for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com. Follow Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and X. This story was republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. ST. JOHNSBURY, Vt. (ABC22 FOX 44) Emergency service providers are in short supply nationwide, but in the Northeast Kingdom, the Northern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC) has a plan to face the problem head on. Kevin Adams will be teaching the Northern Vermont AHECs newest Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Hybrid Course starting on March 24. While he is a seasoned pro of nearly a decade, he says he is excited to help new students address the growing gaps in rural healthcare. Our percentage of EMS providers in the state, that are volunteers, is around 47%, which is just a lot higher than the rest of the country. And when we went through Covid we realized how dependent we are on those volunteers and weve really started to see EMS systems struggling, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Adams says the course, which costs about $1,400, will include live Zoom sessions and in-person labs at the Green Mountain Technology and Career Center in Hyde Park. All tuition collected, he says, will go back into creating future EMT training courses. If people are considering, or if theyve ever found themselves wanting a way, to help people this is the best way to do it. Its really easy to get into, the class is a lot of fun, and you only learn things that are going to benefit you, your friends, your family, your community, said Adams. Lanie Billings, a Northern Vermont AHEC Health Careers Program Director and EMT in Chittenden County, says the course will help teach important basic life support skills such as how to apply CPR, bleeding control and life-saving medications. But most importantly, she says, it will teach trainees to connect with their communities. Youre meeting these people on some of the worst days of their life, and youre the first person thats there. So being able to adapt and being able to be present for those people, while also providing care, is a gift that not many health professionals get to have. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC22 & FOX44. Coyote-killing contests have been banned in California and Arizona, but Nevada competitions are routinely organized and advertised in those states. (Photo courtesy of Travel Nevada) A multi-year effort by conservationists and others to ban what they say is the wanton slaughter of coyotes for cash and prizes has morphed into a movement to end the debate by licensing wildlife killing contests. On Saturday, the Nevada Wildlife Commission, which has rejected calls to end the contests, debated two proposals from staff on regulating the contests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first would set a season for the contests, beginning in September and ending in March, and require the organizer to obtain a special use permit, which could spell out details such as how participants must dispose of dead animals. Additionally, contest participants would be required to get a separate license from the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW). A second proposal would require people to obtain a license to kill any wildlife, including unprotected species such as coyotes, jackrabbits and squirrels. Participants who are 12 years old or younger would be exempt from licensure. Commissioner Eddie Booth suggested that requiring a license to kill any unprotected species warrants public notification. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Out in Paradise Valley last weekend, there were a number of people out there hunting squirrels on private land, Booth said. I dont know if any of them had a hunting license, or even knew that it was going to be required to have a hunting license. We never wanted this to cross over to recreational hunting, sportsman George Forbush said during public comment, adding Nevadans will not be pleased if they have to go out and start getting a license just to go out to shoot squirrels. John Hiatt of the Clark County Community Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife, which is made up primarily of hunters, said NDOWs solutions dont really address the basic problem, the fact that both the Washoe and Clark County Commissions oppose coyote killing contests. Thats the bulk of the population in the state, and in the end, from a moral and ethical standpoint, its very difficult to support the contests. Addressing this issue is akin to trying to put lipstick on a very uncooperative pig, Hiatt said. In the end, the pig is still a pig and everybodys smeared with lipstick. You cant win in this situation by just regulating it. Essentially, this issue just needs to go away. Killing contests are not supportable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Commissioner David McNinch, the only member of the sportsman- and ranching-dominated Wildlife Commission to consistently support a ban of the contests during the prolonged effort, said he is not in favor of establishing a season for killing contests but suggested theres some level of support across the board for requiring a license to kill any wildlife. Hunters who spoke during public comment, however, oppose any effort to regulate the killing of unprotected species. When cultures collide Opponents of killing contests have tried a multi-jurisdictional approach, characterized by a clash of urban and rural interests. In 2019, the Nevada Gaming Commission rejected an effort to ban the contests because they offer prizes, which critics claimed was akin to unlicensed gambling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A 2023 legislative measure to end the contests died in Carson City without a vote. NDOWs current effort is the first time a state-sanctioned contest has been proposed. Regulations without an outright ban will only send the message to the public that this Commission supports these brutal wildlife killing contests, Nevada resident Stephanie Myers said during public comment. She predicted that once the public is aware of the killing contests, through billboard campaigns, through social media, once they know about it, the contests will end. Because educated people will not allow them to continue. A privately commissioned survey of 675 Nevada voters conducted by Public Policy Polling in 2023 found 78% said the lives of individual animals have inherent worth and are deserving of protection and conservation, while 12% said they think wildlife is a natural resource that should primarily be used to benefit humans without regard to the worth or value of animals. Ten percent were undecided. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The proposed regulations are a complete joke, said Rebecca Goff of Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States, who noted efforts to regulate killing contests in Colorado and Washington failed. The states found after years of regulating contests through permits and quotas that they did not reduce the amount of animal suffering and death and did nothing to reduce the public opposition, Goff said. In 2020, both states banned the contests outright. Coyote contests have been banned in California and Arizona, however, Nevada competitions are routinely organized and advertised in those states. The Wildlife Commission intends to review proposed language for regulating killing contests at its next meeting in May. Idaho senators on Tuesday evening passed a bill to curtail the states spending on its Medicaid expansion program, sending the bill on to Gov. Brad Littles desk to be signed into law. It was a sudden resolution to a monthslong effort by Republican lawmakers, who sponsored multiple bills this legislative session to slash the programs funding or even cut it entirely. The bill that won the day, House Bill 345, was an attempt to compromise on previous proposals. It includes removing a trigger in a prior bill that would repeal the states Medicaid expansion if it couldnt clear certain hurdles that critics called virtually insurmountable, the Idaho Statesman previously reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new bill also eliminates a cap on the number of people who can be enrolled in the program, and a limit on the number of months they can be enrolled over their lifetimes. A prior version sought to restrict it to three years. This bill is what I believe to be our balance, said Sen. Carl Bjerke, R-Coeur dAlene. Its more than a balance. I think this is a great way for us to act. Looking for other ways to save costs, bill cosponsor Jordan Redman, R-Coeur dAlene, added new components to the bill, including managed care, which provides a network of medical providers and oversight of health care providers to reduce costs. He also added a requirement for Medicaid expansion recipients to report their hours worked. Opponents of the bill raised concerns that those new components would add red tape, complexity and cost to the Medicaid expansion program. They said the work reporting requirement would be costly to administer, perhaps canceling out other savings the bill could offer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am opposed to this bill because I do think its going to increase costs, Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, said Tuesday. During a previous public hearing for the bill, opponents highlighted its similarity to a law passed in other states, which proved expensive and, in some ways, ineffective. When Arkansas implemented their (work requirement), it cost them $26 million before the court said stop, Rep. Ben Fuhriman, R-Shelley, said during the hearing. When Georgia implemented theirs, theyve already spent $80 million. Redmans proposed work requirement is very similar to that of Arkansas, said Hillarie Hagen, a health policy associate at Idaho Voices for Children, in her testimony against the bill. And in Arkansas, she warned, one in four people subject to the work requirement lost Medicaid expansion coverage even though 95% of those recipients met program requirements or qualified for an exemption. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bjerke said he believes Idaho can avoid some of the pitfalls Arkansas and Georgia experienced. Gov. Little concerned about cuts to popular Medicaid expansion The Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, required states to expand Medicaid coverage to continue receiving federal funding. But the U.S. Supreme Court struck down that requirement in 2012, leaving it to states to decide whether to broaden the list of qualified recipients. The Republican-dominated Idaho Legislature chose not to expand offerings to lower-income residents in the so-called coverage gap those who earned too much to qualify for standard Medicaid but not enough for private insurance discounts. About 90,000 Idaho residents fall into that gap, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Idaho residents brought forward a successful ballot measure to close that gap in 2018, and Medicaid expansion has been in place in Idaho since then, the Statesman previously reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the cost of the program is not sustainable, Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, said on the House floor last month. Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa, said in a January hearing that the state programs expected costs went way beyond what lawmakers expected: from $32 million in projected costs in 2018 to $110 million in fiscal year 2026. Redman has focused on a need to cut the states spending on the programs skyrocketing costs, he said at a public hearing. The federal government pays 90% of the costs of Idahos Medicaid expansion. But GOP lawmakers in the state raised concerns that the Trump administration might lower the payment threshold as it targets federal spending, and Idaho taxpayers could be left holding the bag. Little in February expressed reservations about cuts to the Medicaid expansion program. The two-term Republican governor said he was all about cost control, but also said it was important to remember that Medicaid expansion was passed overwhelmingly by the public just over six years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve seen this play out: New bill to curtail Idahos Medicaid expansion moves forward Gov. Little shares concerns over Republican-led push to end Idahos Medicaid expansion One accident away from bankruptcy: Idaho House passes bill to gut Medicaid expansion LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Executions using nitrogen gas will soon be legal in Arkansas if the governor signs the legislation into law. House Bill 1489 passed in the Senate on Tuesday. Having already cleared the House, the bills next stop is at the governors desk for signature. Arkansas nitrogen gas execution bill clears House and heads for Senate Arkansas, like other states, is having trouble accessing the drugs used to execute capital offense prisoners. The bill allows nitrogen to be used as an execution method through nitrogen hypoxia, where a mask is fitted to the condemned and they inhale the gas until they succumb. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Arkansas currently has 25 inmates on death row, with its last execution in 2017. Louisiana and Arkansas look to nitrogen executions Opponents of nitrogen executions have called the process torture. Proponents deny it being torture and point to it as a replacement for lethal injections. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. An undated photo of angler fishing in the Pecos River. Amid upheaval over federal mining policies, New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard on March 12, 2025 banned mineral mining in a portion of the Upper Pecos Watershed through 2045. (Courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service) An executive order banning mineral mining on approximately 2,500 acres of state trust land in the Upper Pecos Watershed will remain in place through 2045 and takes effect immediately, New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard announced on Wednesday. Some New Mexico landscapes are just too special to carve up with aggressive mineral development, and the Upper Pecos Watershed is one of those places, Garcia Richard said in a statement. Pueblos and traditional Hispanic communities have relied on the river and its watershed for everyday uses for centuries. It is as much a cultural landmark as it is a natural ecosystem. I view it as my duty to protect state lands that are part of such meaningful landscapes. The Upper Pecos Watershed continues be threatened by mining companies and federal policies that put it in the crosshairs. As Ive made clear today with this executive order, those companies will not be welcome on these state lands under my watch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last December, the U.S. Department of Interior proposed withdrawing close to 164,000 acres in the Upper Pecos Watershed from mineral mining. President Donald Trump upon taking office issued an executive order prioritizing mineral mining on federal lands and opening the door to rescinding existing bans. The Bureau of Land Management recently postponed a meeting on a 20-year withdrawal of the Upper Pecos Watershed from mining, but will be taking comments through March 17. That order includes the possibility of updating the U.S. Geological Surveys list of critical minerals to include uranium. As Source recently reported, Cibola Forest supervisors recently told staff in a meeting that long-stalled uranium mining projects in the area are now a priority. The Upper Pecos Watershed, the State Land Office news release notes, has experienced deleterious impacts from past mining activities, including a 1991 runoff from the Tererro and El Molino mine sites that killed more than 90,000 fish in the Pecos River. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Moreover, Australian mining company New World Resources has proposed exploratory drilling in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, including at the old Terrero mine and nearby deposits. Local and state officials, farmers and environmental activists lauded Garcia Richards order. The Upper Pecos Watershed is the lifeblood of our communities, sustaining our acequias, our farms, our wildlife, and our way of life, Ralph Vigil, local acequia parciante and farmer said in a statement. We have already seen the devastating consequences of irresponsible mining in this region, and our watershed is still healing from past contamination. This moratorium is crucial in protecting our water, our lands, and our cultural heritage for generations to come. The Seal of the State of New Mexico inside the Roundhouse on Jan. 10, 2024. (Photo by Anna Padilla for Source NM) The chart above illustrates how the 2025 legislative session compares to the last five 60-day sessions in New Mexico. If the prior sessions serve as any indication, right now constitutes the calm before the storm in terms of bills passing both chambers in the sessions home stretch. Its day 48, and the House and Senate have so far passed three bills, excluding the Feed Bill that pays for the Legislature and typically passes in each sessions opening days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats a smaller number of bills passed at this point during recent previous sessions, but not by much: The Legislature had passed five bills by this point in 2023; five bills in 2021; 12 in 2017; and three in 2015. The year 2019 counts as the biggest outlier, the year of the so-called rocket docket, during which lawmakers fought back against a slew of vetoes from then-Gov. Susana Martinez by re-passing several dozen bills theyd passed the previous year in the first month of the legislative session. By day 48 that year, both chambers had signed off on 42 bills. And, as Democratic leaders of both chambers are quick to point out, not all bills are the same. The bills passed so far this year are actually omnibus bills representing months of work by both chambers and parties to tackle the states behavioral health and criminal justice challenges in multi-faceted legislation. Weve made great progress in this years session, said Sen. Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe), the Senate Majority Leader, in an emailed statement to Source NM. We hit the ground running and met our commitment to deliver a comprehensive behavioral health and public safety package to the Governor in 30 days, and those bills are now signed into law. There hasnt been early action like that since the rocket docket back in 2019. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senates next priorities include reform of the Children, Youth and Families Department, passing the budget and taking up more public safety bills, Wirth said. Hes confident that the Legislature will, come closing day March 22, have delivered meaningful results for the people of New Mexico. Camille Ward, spokeswoman for the House Democratic Caucus, echoed the sentiments that lawmakers are well on track to deliver results, noting the passage of the behavioral health and public safety packages. We will continue at a strong, steady pace in the final days of the session, as many more bills move through the final steps of the legislative process up to the Governors desk, Ward said in a written statement. Still, Republican leaders this week criticized the Democratic majority for delays and refusing to hear bills they sponsored, a tactic that is preventing real anti-crime measures from getting a fair shake. Mount Taylor Memorial Late Tuesday afternoon, the House considered a rare amendment to a memorial, which, as non-binding statements used to express the Houses agreement that something should be honored or memorialized, typically arent amended. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement House Memorial 37, titled Mount Taylor as Cultural Property, seeks to honor the mountains cultural significance and decry the impact uranium mining in the area has had on land, water and communities, particularly Indigenous communities, in the decades since uranium was extracted there. The memorial from Rep. Michelle Abeyta (D-Tohajilee) reads, in part: Whereas, uranium mining operations create environmental hazards through the transport and storage of uranium ore, increasing the risk of contamination of land, air and water resources and exacerbating the health threats already faced by Indian and non-Indian communities alike. Rep. John Block (R-Carlsbad) sought to strike that language from the memorial, which he said stigmatized the uranium industry, noting that it was written in the present tense. The industry is much safer now, he said, and could serve a vital source of energy for America and revenue for the state. I find it to be offensive to the great people of this state because were speaking on behalf of them, and what were saying is we dont want these kinds of industries, Block said. Block also said he was unaware of any pending mining activity on the mountain, which is one of four sacred to Navajo people. In fact, two long-stalled mine proposals in the area are now priority projects, the Cibola National Forest Supervisor told staff in a meeting last month, according to a recording obtained by Source New Mexico. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Blocks unusual attempt to amend drew more than an hour of debate, including from Republicans lauding the uranium industry and Democrats recounting its long legacy of harm here. Given the legacy of unreclaimed lands in not only tribal lands but in New Mexico that has devastated the people, the land, the air, the water, it is unconscionable to strip the intent of this memorial, said Rep. Derrick Lente (D-Sandia Pueblo). Blocks amendment failed by a vote of 38-23. At 6 p.m., the House passed the memorial by a similar vote. A similar Senate memorial passed the Senate earlier Tuesday. Senate Memorial 14 expresses New Mexicos opposition to new uranium projects at Mount Taylor that would threaten its cultural and environmental integrity. Bill to ban sale of PFAS products bunted back to committee The House bounced a bill aiming to phase out products with intentionally added PFAS back to committee Monday, after no Republicans expressed willingness to sponsor floor amendments. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D-Las Cruces), a co-sponsor of House Bill 212, told Source NM Tuesday the House Judiciary scheduled HB 212 for a Friday hearing to amend the bill. If the committee accepts amendments, the bill would return to the House Floor, leaving it little time to clear committees and the floor in the Senate. This is going to be a nail-biter, Ferrary said. Per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances, shortened to PFAS are a class of toxic chemicals manufactured to withstand breaking down in water, heat or other environmental conditions and are used in everyday items from cookware to carpets to firefighting foams. PFAS exposure has been linked to certain cancers, fertility issues, low birth weights or fetal development issues, hormonal imbalances and limiting vaccine effectiveness. PFAS contamination caused the euthanization of more than 3,600 dairy cows and impacted water sources around New Mexico. HB 212, if adopted, would ban the sale of items with added PFAS and carve out exceptions for essential uses, including in pharmaceuticals, electronics and cars. Weve worked hard during this session to turn HB 212 into a bill every legislator can get behind, because it affects every single New Mexican, New Mexico Environment Department Secretary James Kenney said in a written statement. The committee substitute were presenting to the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday is, we hope, the final step to achieve that goal. Bill watch The Senate Conservation Committee passed House Bill 93, which would allow public utilities to include advanced power grid technology projects in their grid modernization plans; House Bill 284, which would allow fertility control, relocation and adoption of free-roaming horses; and Senate Memorial 3, which would ask three state agencies to come up with a beaver management plan by October. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee passed Senate Bill 146, which would fix language in the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children; Senate Bill 247, which would require the Public Education Department to publish annually statewide testing results and break them down by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and special education status; Senate Bill 315, which would make tortillas the official bread of New Mexico; and Senate Bill 404, which would create greater protections for health records related to reproductive health care, gender-affirming care, mental health care, and alcohol or substance use disorder treatment. The Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 66, which would prohibit criminal convictions from automatically barring an applicant from public employment or a professional license; a substitute version of Senate Bill 166, which redefines defining harm to self and harm to others, in state law; Senate Bill 259, which would make third-party vendors helping a charitable organization raise money subject to state regulation; Senate Bill 357, which would create a framework for the state to help local government infrastructure projects; Senate Bill 364, which would allow people with work authorizations from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to work as police officers; Senate Bill 488, which would strengthen the powers of and make permanent the interim Legislative Health and Human Services Committee; House Bill 47, which would create property tax exemptions for veterans approved by voters in November; and House Bill 214, which would establish a voluntary credentialing process for doulas, allowing them to enroll as Medicaid providers. The Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee passed House Bill 11, which would create a state-administered paid leave program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senate Finance Committee passed Senate Bill 327, which would create a special lowrider capital of the world license plate; Senate Bill 377 which would create a special New Mexico United license plate; and Senate Bill 434, which would require schools to notify parents if their student has having math or reading deficiency. Cleared the floors The Senate passed Senate Bill 376, which would cut health care premiums paid by more than 60,000 state and local public sector workers while fixing a budget shortfall in their insurance plan; and Senate Memorial 19, which would ask two state agencies to ensure that at least half of the beef, cheese and milk served in public schools is locally sourced. The Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 105, which would allow licensed social workers to practice in 22 other states in a licensure compact, and for those from other states to practice here; Senate Bill 159, which would allow independent theater owners to obtain a special wine and beer license; and Senate Memorial 2, which would require the Legislative Council to study and recommend policies for avoiding and mitigating wildfires. Without debate, senators unanimously passed Senate Bill 213, which would require motorists to yield to public buses when they merge into traffic from a designated bus stop, or face a $25 fine; Senate Bill 118, which would require the Motor Vehicle Division to distribute to other state agencies organ donor application materials; and Senate Bill 221, which would prohibit insurance companies from requiring insured people to obtain a denial of coverage letter from an insurer in order to claim federal benefits, like they did during recent wildfires and floods. Correction This story has been updated since publication to correct a quote misattributed to House Speaker Javier Martinez. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Criminal charges will not be pursued against the two officers and two deputies who shot and killed a Pennsylvania resident in Canandaigua in early 2023. Just before midnight on Feb. 28, 2023, Brandon Zurkan, 31, was observed by a 911 caller driving erratically on Route 5 & 20 in East Bloomfield, headed toward Canandaigua. A second witness in West Bloomfield later reported hearing gunshots as Zurkan drove by their home. An Ontario County Sheriffs deputy chased Zurkan into Canandaigua until he crashed into a fence on South Main Street, according to investigators, who said Zurkan proceeded to get out of the drivers seat with a gun in his hand. (Footage courtesy of Ontario County Sheriffs Office) Ontario County Sheriffs deputies and Canandaigua Police officers repeatedly asked Zurkan to drop his weapon, to no avail, and he eventually lifted the gun and pointed it in the direction of officers, investigators announced. The authorities involved then shot Zurkan, who was taken to the hospital where he later died from his injuries shortly after midnight on March 1, 2023. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Body camera footage of the incident was released about a month after the shooting. RPD: Man turns himself in for Manor Parkway murder The Office of Attorney General Letitia James, which was required by law to investigate the shooting, announced on Wednesday that the law enforcement personnel involved were justified in their actions, adding that no criminal charges would be pursued. The Ontario County Sheriffs Office and the Canandaigua Police Department responded Wednesday evening with a statement: As we stated, on March 1, 2023, this was a tragic incident for all involved. The members of the Ontario County Sheriffs Office and Canandaigua Police Department who were involved in this incident attempted to engage in conversation with the suspect, offering him assistance multiple times over the course of nine minutes. Despite their repeated efforts, the suspect failed to comply then raised his firearm at the officers, leaving them no option but to use deadly force in protection of themselves and the public. The actions by our members during this entire incident were professional, compassionate and in line with the ongoing training they receive to protect this community. We are thankful for our members who work on the front lines every day to serve and protect our communities. Sheriff David J. Cirencione, OCSO & Chief Matthew Nielson, Canandaigua PD Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. Massachusetts Representative Bill Keating was involved in a fiery exchange with a Republican lawmaker over how to address the first openly transgender member of Congress. Texas Republican chair of the House Foreign Relations Subcommittee, Rep. Keith Self, started the confrontation during a Tuesday hearing on arms control, international security, and United States assistance to Europe when he addressed Rep. Sarah McBride, of Delaware, as Mr. McBride. I now recognize the representative from Delaware, Mr. McBride, Self said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement McBride responded, Thank you, Madame Chair. WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 03: U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE) listens as the House votes for Speaker of the House on the first day of the 119th Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 03, 2025 in Washington, DC. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) is working to retain the Speakership in the face of opposition within his own party as the 119th Congress holds its first session to vote for a new Speaker of the House. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) As McBride began to speak, Keating interrupted, asking, Mr. Chairman, could you repeat your introduction again, please? Self countered, We have set the standard on the floor of the House. Keating, a Democratic lawmaker who represents the Bay States 9th District including the Cape and Islands, South Coast, and South Shore, then urged Self to repeat himself. Would you repeat what you just said when you introduced a duly elected representative from the United States of America, please? Keating asked. Self again said, I will. The representative from Delaware, Mr. McBride. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mr. Chairman, you are out of order. Mr. Chairman, have you no decency? I mean, Ive come to know you a little bit but this is not decent, Keating fired back. Self responded, We will continue this hearing. Keating objected. You will not continue it with me, unless you introduce a duly elected representative the right way, Keating said. It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. https://t.co/cVcYdPWa1O Rep. Keith Self (@RepKeithSelf) March 11, 2025 Self then adjourned the meeting and took to X to defend his comments, writing, It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. McBride said she is proud to serve Delaware and wants to make the world a better place. Keating hasnt commented on the back-and-forth. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Ukraine said it will agree to a 30-day ceasefire in its war with Russia, but only if Russia accepts. The plan was proposed by the Trump Administration following hours of negotiations between the U.S. and Ukraine while in Saudi Arabia. USF, UTampa face federal antisemitism probe amid crackdown on pro-Palestine protests The deal includes ending the war as soon as possible, humanitarian relief efforts, the exchange of prisoners of war, releasing civilian detainees, and developing Ukraines critical mineral resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Well take this offer now to the Russians, and we hope that theyll say yes, that theyll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Local Ukrainian Sergiy Borysoz said he isnt too hopeful about the deal. There is definitely no eureka moment for Ukrainians, Borysoz said. He offers psychological support for Ukrainians and said this was not just a war between two armies. Were not going to have veterans who have PTSD, we have a whole country of PTSD, Borysoz said. Theyre raped still, they have no food, its a horrible condition. So if someone wants to draw line and get a ceasefire, lets stop thinking about mineral resources and land, and lets start thinking about the other side. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He believes the deal is a late step toward peace and argues there is another element to the conflict. I think Ukraine being shown the real face of the world, that the world is going to wait until its advantageous for the world to end the war, Borysoz said. People would just wait until Ukraine is really defeated, and depleted, and bloodless, and then deals would start to pop up. Rubio spoke to the severity of the situation, saying the president believes the only way to end the war was to negotiate out of it. Whats back on track here, hopefully, is peace. Thats what matters the most, Rubio said. I know everyones looking for who likes this is, this is serious stuff. OK, were not, this is not mean girls. This is not some episode of some television show. This is very serious. People are going to today; people will die in this war. They died yesterday, and sadly, unless theres a ceasefire tonight, theyll die tomorrow. The president wants that to stop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They hope Russia will agree to the terms, but its unclear when we may learn their decision. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. HENRIETTA, N.Y. (WROC) It was announced Tuesday afternoon that Ontario, Canada would suspend its 25% tax on electricity exports to the U.S. Hours earlier, President Trump announced that tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel imports would face a 50% hike, which would take effect Wednesday. As the stock market plunged, the changes to federal tariffs from Canada, Mexico, and China have increased concerns of a recession. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Amit Batabyal teaches economics at RIT and says even if the U.S. is not at the point of a recession, there are reasonable concerns that American consumers will see prices rise on products of all kinds. When explaining the ongoing trade war to his classes, Batabyal says there are key factors to keep in mind. For any American consumer talking about it from an American perspective who uses or consumes more, generally, these goods that are now subject to tariffs are now going to see higher prices. Also, any American wearing their consumer hat is going to be losing as a result of the tariffs. Americas trading partners Mexico, Canada, and certainly China theyre not just going to say, Walk all over us. Well do nothing. They will retaliate and theyre already doing so. When they retaliate, a tit-for-tat tariff trade war ultimately makes consumers in every impacted country worse off. No one really gains except for some sectors of the economy, and these are the sectors that compete with imports, said Batabyal. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst. A bill that aims to add more money to North Carolina workers paychecks is making its way through the states House of Representatives. The bill would eliminate taxes on tips and overtime pay, WRAL reports. Rep. Harry Warren, R-Rowan, is the bills lead sponsor. ALSO READ: Union County commissioners could adopt new tax rate Warrens bill would also eliminate state income taxes on the first $2,500 of bonuses that workers receive, according to WRAL. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The House Commerce Committee passed the bill Tuesday. It now heads to the House Finance Committee. There are at least 20 other states that have bills filed to do exactly the same thing, and theres a couple bills one by a Republican, one by a Democrat in the U.S. Congress, Warren told WRAL. VIDEO: Man says scammer stole $280K from retirement account, causing him tax problems on top of huge loss A brief and solemn ceremony was held in Beijing on Wednesday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Sun Yat-sen, a Chinese revolutionary and statesman. The ceremony in Zhongshan Park in the center of Beijing, named in honor of Sun, was attended by representatives from all sectors of society in China's capital city. At 10:30 a.m., attendees stood at attention, observed a respectful silence, and bowed three times in front of Sun's statue. Representatives from the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK) Central Committee, the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Beijing municipal government, and the Beijing municipal committee of the RCCK presented floral baskets to Sun's statue. Sun was born in 1866 and passed away in 1925. He is known to the Chinese people as a great pioneer of China's democratic revolution because of his leading role in the 1911 Revolution -- which ended more than 2,000 years of feudal rule in China. Activities to commemorate Sun were held in Beijing, east China's Jiangsu Province and Guangdong Province in the south of the country, said Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at a regular press conference on Wednesday. Sun was a great national hero, a distinguished patriot and a pivotal pioneer in China's democratic revolution. The Chinese people admired Sun as he devoted his life to the pursuit of national unity and revitalization of China, Chen said. Noting that the current situation across the Taiwan Strait is complex and severe, the spokesperson called on Taiwan compatriots to jointly carry forward Sun's wishes to resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence" and external interference, promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and advance national reunification and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is preparing to lay off more than 1,000 workers as part of the Trump administration's mandate for agencies to prepare "reductions in force," according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The cuts are fueling concerns that NOAA's ability to deliver lifesaving services, such as weather forecasting, storm warnings, climate monitoring and fishery oversight, will be hampered. The concerns are especially acute as hurricane and disaster season looms. PHOTO: Hundreds of demonstrators gather to protest against Department of Government Efficiency cuts outside the headquarters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Mar. 3, 2025 in Silver Spring, Maryland. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MORE: How job cuts at NOAA could impact weather forecasting Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NOAA was "already significantly understaffed, so this is devastating. This is beyond a s---show," Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Ca., the ranking member on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in an interview with ABC News. "It means we're going to be less safe. It means there will be all sorts of collateral damage." A person familiar with staffing levels at NOAA told ABC News that the agency is already down about 2,000 people since January as a result of the first round of the Trump administration's cuts, the "Fork in the Road" offer and regular retirements. In January, this source said, staffing was at about 12,000 employees, which is described as average. With an additional 1,000 cuts looming, the agency would be down 25% since the start of the year. "There is no way to absorb cuts of this magnitude without cutting into these core missions," Huffman said. "This is not about efficiency and it's certainly not about waste, fraud and abuse. This is taking programs that people depend on to save lives and emasculating them." PHOTO: Hundreds of demonstrators gather to protest against Department of Government Efficiency cuts outside the headquarters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Mar. 3, 2025 in Silver Spring, Maryland. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MORE: Yes, NOAA adjusts its historical weather data: Here's why Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement NOAA's reduction in force plan is currently in the Department of Commerce and is due to be delivered to the Office of Management and Budget this week, sources familiar said. It's unclear when exactly the resulting cuts will be announced, but sources said it could be as early as Friday. "NOAA was required to submit their cut plan today, and they were asked to eliminate entire functions, not just individual personnel. The number of terminations is more than 1,000, and that is on top of the probationary folks who've already been let go," Huffman said. "Our ability to forecast flood conditions and tornadoes is reduced, and in a matter of days, it's going to be significantly reduced, as we head into fire season, which is almost all year round now in the West. "Our ability to forecast red flag weather conditions for wildfires is significantly reduced," he added. "Literally, the people that run these systems are being terminated. The people that run these offices where these programs do this critical work are being terminated." PHOTO: Rep. Jamie Raskin rallies with hundreds of demonstrators to protest against Department of Government Efficiency cuts outside the headquarters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Mar. 3, 2025 in Silver Spring, Md. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MORE: Trump nominates 'Sharpiegate' scientist to lead NOAA Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Between the already announced and looming cuts, plus the funding battle that could reduce the agency's budget, a source familiar said NOAA "could be at a breaking point," adding that amid all the talks of reducing costs, taxpayers only pay 6 cents per day for all of the services provided by the agency. "More importantly, the services provided by NOAA wouldn't be as robust or functional -- or maybe even exist at all," the source said. NOAA braces for mass layoffs, fueling concerns about lifesaving weather services originally appeared on abcnews.go.com NORTHEAST TENNESSEE (WJHL) A new non-profit named Talon Ridge Raptor Institute (TRRI) has been established in the region to assist in conservation efforts for birds of prey such as owls, eagles, falcons and hawks. The Talon Ridge Raptor Institutes founder, John Simcox, said he looks to bring the Tri-Cities a one-of-a-kind experience where the public can adventure into the vast world of raptors and birds of prey. These birds are typically what we consider apex predators, he said. So they help control the food chain from the top down. And our, you know, ecosystems around here, especially in Appalachia, are very unique and very fragile. And so by being able to educate the public on the importance of these birds can help us continue to conserve them over time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement VOTE: Tri-Cities Best Plant Store Simcox said the organization plans to develop an industry-leading facility centered around research, conservation, community outreach and cultural celebrations. He added that raptors and birds of prey play an important part in the Appalachian ecosystem, and conserving them is vital to our regions health. Back in the 60s and 70s, the bald eagle, our nations bird, was faced with extinction. And through nationwide and most specifically community support, we [citizens] helped be able to bring the bald eagle back from the brink of extinction. And we want to make sure that were doing that with our other bird species as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Simcox added that the TRRI will not only lead conservation and research initiatives but will also operate mutual aid initiatives in the surrounding communities. A mission statement on TRRIs website states the following: At the heart of our mission is the belief that conservation and culture are deeply interconnected and mutually reinforcing. Talon Ridge Raptor Institute (TRRI) is dedicated to preserving raptors and the natural world while honoring and integrating the diverse cultural heritage of the communities we serve. We recognize that our planet is not a backdrop for human life; instead, it is woven into the very fabric of the cultural identities and traditions that we express daily. Through our dedicated efforts of both conservation action and cultural appreciation, we strive to celebrate the vital role that raptors play in our ecosystems and communities, both locally and abroad. TRRI Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. Another norovirus outbreak sickened passengers on board the cruise ship Coral Princess in February, marking the second outbreak this year on the ocean liner operated by Princess Cruises, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sixty-nine passengers and 16 crew members fell ill during the February outbreak, the CDC said. There were 1,906 passengers and 895 crew members on the ship overall. The outbreak happened during a 16-night voyage from Los Angeles, California, through the Panama Canal. Cases reported on the recent trip were considered "mild," a spokesperson for Princess Cruises told CBS News in an email. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "At the earliest signs of illness, we promptly enacted enhanced sanitization protocols, including comprehensive disinfection, isolating affected guests, and offering health guidance to everyone on board," the spokesperson said. It was unclear whether those who reported developing symptoms on the ship became sick at the same time, or at different points along their journey. The Coral Princess left Los Angeles on Feb. 21 and returned March 9 to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to the CDC. After arriving in Fort Lauderdale, crew members disinfected the ship prior to its next voyage, the spokesperson said. Princess Cruises told the CDC that crew members took additional steps to minimize the spread of norovirus once it was detected on the Coral Princess, including testing people with norovirus symptoms, the agency said. Their response to the outbreak was guided by the CDC's vessel sanitation program, which monitored the situation remotely. The program is a resource for cruise companies to prevent and manage public health problems on ships. The cruise ship Coral Princess docks at Port Miami on April 04, 2020, in Miami, Florida. / Credit: Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images Norovirus, also known as a stomach bug, is a highly infectious disease that typically causes symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting. Symptoms usually last between one and three days, but a person can still transmit the notoriously contagious virus to others for two weeks or longer after their symptoms subside, the CDC said on its website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Outbreaks of norovirus are often seen on cruise ships, in congregate living situations like jails and nursing homes, and in other places like schools where groups are gathered close together. As cases of the illness surged around the U.S. toward the end of last year, the CDC reported hundreds of cruise passengers caught the virus on three different ships in December alone. One of those outbreaks happened on a Princess Cruises ship, the Ruby Princess, as it sailed around Hawaii. The other two affected Holland America's Rotterdam and Zuiderdam on voyages through the Caribbean. The CDC said more norovirus outbreaks spread on cruise ships in December 2024 than any other month last year. In total, the agency tracked 14 norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships in 2024, several of which occurred on trips run by Princess Cruises. In December, about 100 passengers and 12 crew reported being ill during the Ruby Princess outbreak, after an outbreak on the Coral Princess in November where 55 passengers and 15 crew came down with the virus. Princess Cruises' latest outbreak is the second since the start of 2025 on the Coral Princess. In January, another voyage on the same ship saw 128 passengers and 20 crew on board develop the virus, the CDC said. Judge blocks deportation of pro-Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University protests House's short-term spending bill heads to Senate, passage needed by Friday to avoid shutdown What led up to Ukraine's willingness to accept 30-day ceasefire HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) A North Carolina man was arrested on Tuesday in Horry County for allegedly sending explicit images to a juvenile and for a separate incident involving alleged threats towards his ex-fiance, arrest warrants show. Kenny Alton Hooper Jr., 46, of Salisbury, was charged with second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, disseminating obscene material to a minor 12 years or younger, breach of trust with fraudulent intent, and telephone/unlawful communication. Between May 21 and May 26, 2024, an arrest warrant shows that Hooper asked a juvenile for nude photos. A little over a month later, on July 1, officers responded to Bluewater Road in the Conway area about a juvenile receiving inappropriate photos and requests from Hooper, an incident report said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hooper was identified by pictures of his genitals that were found on a phone in a hidden folder, an arrest warrant showed. Hooper was identified from these photos and was charged with disseminating obscene material to a minor 12 years of age or younger. In a separate incident from earlier in 2024, Hooper allegedly didnt return his ex-fiances truck to her after their break-up, and left her a voicemail on Feb. 15 threatening to kill her over money that he believed she had, documents show. According to the victim, Hooper believed that she was hiding money from him, but the only money that she was aware of was $30 in coins that he left at the property on Bluewater Road, a report said. During the relationship, the victim allowed Hooper to use her truck for about four months. Once they had broken up on Feb. 6, Hooper did not return the vehicle, an incident report says. The victim told police that Hooper left with her truck and went to be with his ex-wife, and left all of his stuff in the Conway-area house. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The report also showed that on Jan. 2, Hooper allegedly wrapped a belt around her neck before he tried to sexually assault her. The victim told police that based on Hoopers actions, she fears for her life. Hooper is being held in the J. Reuben Long Detention Center. * * * Jordan White is a Digital Producer at News13. She joined the News13 team in August 2024. Jordan, a Myrtle Beach native, graduated from St. James High School in Murrells Inlet and is a graduate of Coker University. Follow Jordan on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY, N.C. (WSPA) Deputies said a man was arrested on charges of third-degree child sexual exploitation. The Transylvania County Sheriffs Office said that the investigation began in December 2024 after receiving a tip. Rodney Lee Cooper, 62, was arrested on Tuesday. He was transported to the Transylvania County Detention Facility and is held on a $10,000 bond. Deputies said that the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation also helped in the investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. The North Carolina Senate passed Senate Bill 227 on Tuesday, aiming to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives in public education to focus on core curriculum and free speech. Senate Bill 227, titled Eliminating DEI in Public Education, seeks to prohibit the promotion of discriminatory policies and practices in public schools. According to the WTVD, the bills supporters argue it will ensure schools concentrate on essential academic subjects and foster an environment that respects diverse opinions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We do see an achievement gap between black and brown boys, said Christina Spears, president of the Wake County Chapter of the North Carolina Association of Educators, who opposes the bill. My focus is, who gets to decide what makes people uncomfortable? asked Democratic Sen. Val Applewhite during a debate, expressing her opposition to the bill. The bill prohibits schools from having a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office, division, designated employee, or any similar unit. ALSO READ: Judge blocks ending of government support for DEI programs, citing free-speech rights It is designed to comply with a Trump-era executive order, ensuring the state continues to receive over $3 billion in federal funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supporters of the legislation argue that DEI programs require students to judge others based on race, sex, or other immutable factors, which they believe detracts from academic excellence. Our children are the ones disadvantaged when DEI policies take precedent over academic excellence, said Sen. Michael Lee. Opponents of the bill, like Christina Spears, argue that DEI programs have tangible benefits for students, particularly in addressing achievement gaps. Raleigh resident Jessica Strauss expressed concern that banning DEI could harm young adults by pushing a false narrative. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration, where its future remains uncertain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, another bill in the House proposes raising teachers pay and reinstating education-based salary supplements. VIDEO: Judge blocks ending of government support for DEI programs, citing free-speech rights A Millsap Independent School District parent says her son, who has autism and is nonverbal, recently experienced physical, mental and verbal abuse by two teachers at Millsap Elementary School. The parent, Carissa Kozak Cornelius, shared the abuse allegations calling for justice for her son Alex and all special education students with a video on Facebook on Monday, March 10. The video, which Cornelius said was recorded by a teaching assistant, appears to show one teacher attempting to slap Alex across the face, but its unclear if contact was made. Another teacher on the video threw an object at him after yelling, Quit chewing on things! Cornelius told the Star-Telegram the object was an ice cream scoop. The elementary school where the incident occurred is located in Parker County in North Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The recorded incident happened on Feb. 18, Cornelius said, but she was unaware of any incident happening in her sons classroom until Feb. 28. When she was given notice on Feb. 28, District Superintendent Edie Martin did not tell Cornelius details of the incident under investigation or that it directly involved Alex, she said. This week on Monday, she said, I finally got some answers after threatening to go to Fox 4 news. In this video below you can see a small glimpse into the abuse my son endured on a daily basis, she wrote on Facebook. I was also informed my son was given a shower without my (consent) and the teachers have made inappropriate comments about my sons genitalia in front of other staff and students. They have called him names such as (expletives) and many other things. Millsap ISD Superintendent Edie Martin said in a statement Tuesday the district is aware of the allegations regarding teacher misconduct and said the teachers involved were immediately placed on administrative leave, they never returned to the classroom, and they are no longer employed by the district. She said the district reported the incident to local law enforcement, Child Protective Services and the State Board for Education Certification. To ensure a thorough, prompt, and unbiased investigation was conducted, the District utilized an outside investigator to investigate the allegations. At the investigators recommendation, the Districts review of educator conduct has expanded to include campus administration. Both the principal and assistant principal are now on administrative leave while we work through that process, Martin said. The District will continue to cooperate with and support the investigations being conducted by local law enforcement, (Child Protective Services), and (State Board for Education Certification). In addition, we are committed to keeping parents informed while respecting the various investigations and adhering to the legal rights of the educators involved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The districts efforts are ongoing. We are committed to the students we serve, helping those students achieve their dreams, and the mission of the district to inspire, develop, and educate every student in a safe environment, Martin added. An email addressed to parents on Feb. 24 from Millsap Elementary Assistant Principal Drew Casey, reviewed by the Star-Telegram, notes that one of accused teachers had resigned Feb. 21, effective immediately. More top stories from our newsroom: Sheriff blames clerical error for failure to report jail death to AG Suspect accused of killing roommate arrested after police chase Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Grief lasts for mom who lost daughter to domestic violence [Get our breaking news alerts.] Cornelius told the Star-Telegram that her first contact with law enforcement was when she reached out herself to the Parker County Sheriffs Office and Child Protective Services once she obtained the video last week and learned more about what happened with her son. On Monday of this week, Cornelius said, the superintendent informed her of other prior incidents including her son getting a shower without her permission, getting called vulgar names by staff and teachers, and receiving inappropriate comments. Cornelius said Alex has been absent from school since Feb. 18, when she was originally informed of an unknown incident in his classroom. She plans to homeschool him moving forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I trusted these people. I trusted them with my sons life, she said. I just want answers, man. And Im probably never going to get them. In the Facebook post, Cornelius calls out the teachers by name and asked what her son could have done to make them angry enough to threaten him, assault him, (and) embarrass him in front of classmates. Cornelius also said Alex was forced to stand in the hallway alone for several minutes. Also in the post, she asked Superintendent Martin why there was a 21-day delay between the incident itself and the sharing of its details, emphasizing the district had failed her son. This has left me heartbroken, outraged and fearful for his safety in a place that should be his safe space, Cornelius said in the post. I am coming here to ask for the publics help. These children, especially those with disabilities, deserve better. Alex deserved better. My son deserves justice. Please share this post. Please raise your voice for the children who cant speak for themselves. All children should be safe at school. (FOX40.COM) A Northern California diver who has recovered the remains of several people from bodies of water recently found a missing toddler in an Oregon river. Video Above: Volunteer diver helps recover missing brother in Butte County Two-year-old Dane Paulson was reported missing on March 1 in Siletz, Oregon. He was reportedly last seen in the yard of 20738 Siletz Highway around 4:30 p.m., according to the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office. At the time of his disappearance, he was reportedly playing in his yard near the Siletz River. Deputies arrest man wanted for Stockton murder in Nevada Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stockton-based diver Juan Heredia announced on March 9 that he was heading to Oregon to search for him. Ill be camping by the shore and diving as much as I can, doing everything possible to find him, Heredia said on social media. His family is waiting for answers, and I wont stop until Ive done everything in my power to bring him back. On Tuesday, Heredia announced that he found the body of a baby in the river. The Lincoln County Sheriffs office confirmed the body belonged to Paulsen. Our thoughts are with the family, who are facing an unbearable sorrow, said Sheriff Adam Shanks. We are deeply grateful for the support and dedication shown by the search teams and our communities throughout this difficult time, though we wish it was under different circumstances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40 News. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) A northern Michigan teacher has been arrested and charged with child abuse over a reported incident that happened on school grounds. MSP says its been a month since it has gotten FEMA reimbursements The Manistee County Sheriffs Office announced Tuesday that after completing an investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for 34-year-old Emily Tomaszewski from Manistee. She turned herself in to police and posted a $2,500 bond. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Traverse City NBC affiliate WPBN-TV, Tomaszewski was arraigned Wednesday in Manistee County District Court on one count of fourth-degree child abuse. She pleaded not guilty. 132-year-old shipwreck discovered in Lake Superior The sheriffs office was notified about the incident on Jan. 10. A student at Jefferson Elementary School in Manistee returned home and told their parents about the incident. Believing it to be criminal, the parents called deputies. Eventually, detectives got surveillance footage of the incident, though they have not publicly described exactly what happened. Michigan law describes fourth-degree child abuse as any intentional act that poses unreasonable risk of harm to the child or an omission or reckless act that causes physical harm. For a first-time offender, a conviction is a misdemeanor and comes with a maximum sentence of 1 year in prison. For repeat offenders, the charge becomes a felony and carries a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement 7 West Michigan schools get grants to help adults without high school diplomas The Manistee County Sheriffs Office works closely with our schools around the county to ensure we are always putting the safety of our children first, the MCSO said in a social media post. If you suspect the abuse or neglect of a child, please call the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Centralized Intake at 855-444-3911. Manistee Area Public Schools sent a letter to families in the district on Monday addressing the alleged incident and shared that letter with News 8. In the letter, MAPS Superintendent Ron Stoneman said Tomaszewski was questioned as part of an internal investigation and placed on administrative leave. She eventually resigned from her job. We will continue to focus on the safety and wellbeing of our students and appreciate the support of our MAPS community as we navigate this challenge together, the letter stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Major General Dmytro Krasylnykov, commander of Ukraine's Northern Operational Command, has been dismissed from his post, he told Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne on March 12. Krasylnykov said he was not given an official reason for his dismissal. The order, signed on March 7, places him in a reserve battalion. "I'm guessing, but I don't want to talk about it yet," Krasylnykov told Suspilne when asked about the possible reasons for his removal. Brigadier General Oleksii Shandar, who previously served as the deputy commander of the Airborne Assault Forces, has been appointed as his successor, Krasylnykov added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The dismissal follows reports of intensified Russian advances against Ukrainian positions in Kursk Oblast, where Kyiv launched a cross-border incursion in August 2024. The Northern Operational Command oversees units deployed in Ukraine's northern regions, including Sumy Oblast, the launching ground for the Kursk incursion. Speaking to the outlet, Krasylnykov said he does not see any possible reasons for his dismissal, including in relation to the developments in Kursk Oblast. "Roughly speaking, I left Kursk Oblast back in November (2024)," he said. Russian forces have entered the Kursk Oblast town of Sudzha as of March 12, according to multiple Russian and Ukrainian sources, claiming that fighting is ongoing. The Ukrainian military has not yet commented on the claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Krasylnykov had commanded the Northern Operational and Tactical Group since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. In March 2023, he was appointed commander of the Northern Operational Command. On Feb. 28, 2022, Krasylnykov was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and the Order of the Golden Star for his role in defending Ukraine's sovereignty. Concerns about the situation in Kursk Oblast have grown amid Ukraine's temporary loss of U.S. military and intelligence support after the Feb. 28 clash between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump. The support was resumed on March 11 after Ukraine agreed to a U.S.-proposed temporary ceasefire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Putin unlikely to accept 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, Reuters reports Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Maine needs to expand its transmission system in the coming years to meet the needs of increased electrification, while ensuring there is enough clean, affordable energy, said Caroline Colan, the legislative liaison for the Governors Energy Office. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Rep. Chris Kessler voted for the 2021 referendum question that created the requirement for the Maine Legislature to approve any new high-impact transmission lines. This referendum was intended to give the public a greater voice in the development of major transmission lines, Kessler said of the ballot question that drew passionate grassroots support and overcame over $60 million in opposition spending fueled mostly by international energy companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since casting that vote, the Democrat from South Portland said he has had a change of heart and no longer believes it is good public policy, as he told the Legislatures Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee Tuesday afternoon. That rethinking led Kessler to introduce LD 810 to streamline the approval process without repealing the entire policy born out of the peoples vote. The proposal seeks to clarify that when the Legislature asks for a new line to be developed, that line should not need to come back to the Legislature for approval after the review process performed by the Public Utilities Commission. In 2021, Maine voters approved a ballot question that increased legislative oversight on new transmission lines. The question was largely seen as a vehicle to stop the controversial 145-mile transmission line through western Maine known as the New England Clean Energy Connect. Despite the political and legal hurdles, the Central Maine Power corridor project is expected to be completed later this year, Maine Public reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Sophie Warren (D-Scarborough) asked Kessler and others who supported the bill to address the fact that the proposal would scale back a policy that was supported by nearly 60% of Maine voters. This is not a comfortable position for me to be in, Kessler said in his testimony, but the policy has created unintended consequences. It may be an unpopular position to have but I think its not good public policy, he added. While Kessler argued the Legislature lacks the technical expertise to sign off on the details of a transmission line, representatives from the Office of Public Advocate, Maine State Chamber of Commerce and multiple environmental organizations agreed the duplicative process can deter developers, drive up costs for ratepayers and stand in the way of meeting climate goals. Several of the groups voiced support for removing the legislative approval requirement entirely. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Public Advocate Heather Sanborn said a second round of approval for projects requested by the Legislature is not necessary. Such a requirement will have the direct effect of costing ratepayers additional money by introducing additional risk and delay that must be priced into the modeled costs of the project from the beginning, she added. Maine needs to expand its transmission system in the coming years to meet the needs of increased electrification, while ensuring there is enough clean, affordable energy, said Caroline Colan, the legislative liaison for the Governors Energy Office. Colan testified neither for nor against the legislation, but she echoed what others said about it adding financial risk and driving up developer bids, which ultimately fall on Maine ratepayers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Maine Public Utilities Commission is responsible for conducting a thorough review process for petitions from developers to construct new transmission lines capable of 69 kilovolts or more, as required by state law. The petition needs to include information about why the line is needed, why it should be built along that particular route and how it will affect public health, safety, as well as the scenery and environment, among other considerations. The commission holds a public hearing as part of the petition process and is tasked with determining whether the new line is needed. Because of the 2021 referendum, in addition to that process, the Legislature must give its approval of the project. However, Kessler pointed out what he sees as a flaw in the referendum language, which does not specify when in the process legislative approval should occur. Opposing the change, Tanya Blanchard, founder of Preserve Rural Maine, argued that if the Legislature is knowledgeable enough to propose a transmission line, it should be able to approve one. Blanchard founded the group in the summer of 2023 in response to a proposed transmission line through more than 40 rural communities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She fears that bypassing the legislative review could not only weaken public trust, but also lead to projects being approved without fully considering the effects on local people, wildlife and natural beauty. The intention is not to stop transmission lines, but get them right the first time, Blanchard said. Legislature approval can provide that assurance, she added. Other transmission proposals Kesslers bill was one of four that the committee heard Tuesday related to transmission lines in the state. LD 596 sponsored by Sen. Mark Lawrence (D-York) would provide a vehicle for the Legislature to consider the construction and operation of a transmission line to connect renewable energy resources in northern Maine with the regional electric grid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While it does not give preemptive approval, the bill serves as a placeholder in case the Public Utilities Commission moves forward with soliciting new bids for the renewable energy project and transmission line in northern Maine. The Legislature passed a law in 2021 calling for this project, but would still need to sign off. The commission selected bids for a wind farm and transmission line in early 2023, but those contracts were later terminated due to delays and other changes that increased the costs of the projects. Sen. Scott Cyrway (R-Kennebec) introduced LD 197 to direct the Governors Energy Office to study the states future electric transmission infrastructure needs with a report on the findings to be submitted by September 2026. Colan testified neither for nor against the bill, but said the office is already working on a thoughtful, comprehensive, forward-looking strategy to address the full range of long-term transmission-level needs expected in Maine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill from Sen. Joseph Martin (R-Oxford), LD 469, would require that 50% of electricity carried on any new lines originating in Canada would need to be consumed in Maine. It would also require a variety of reports and efforts to reduce costs amid increased electricity consumption. While the committee raised a number of technical questions about the bill, Martin said the intention is to control the supply and demand to benefit Maine ratepayers. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Federal funds impacting Oklahoma farmers, schools and food banks are on the chopping block. The U.S. Agriculture Department has cut two federal programs that spent over $1 billion annually to help schools and food banks buy food from local farms and ranches. USDA can confirm it has provided notice to States, Territories and Tribes that the FY 2025 funding previously announced for the pandemic-era Local Food for Schools and Child Care Cooperative Agreement (LFSCC) and pandemic-era Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement program (LFPA25) is no longer available and those agreements will be terminated following 60-day notification. These programs, created under the former Administration via Executive authority, no longer effectuate the goals of the agency. LFPA and LFPA Plus agreements that were in place prior to LFPA 25, which still have substantial financial resources remaining, will continue to be in effect for the remainder of the period of performance. AMS will resume processing claims for payment for LFPA and LFPA Plus for activities accruing prior to and after January 20, 2025. USDA Spokesperson Hunger Free Oklahoma expects Oklahoma to lose up to $30 million in funding. Really the hardest hit area is your local growers and food hubs that help sort of consolidate the products into one place that the schools and food banks can buy from, said Chris Bernard, CEO and president, Hunger Free Oklahoma. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Christina Farris, a farmer in Fort Cobb, says she is blown away by the decision. The first thing we thought was they just want to get rid of all the small farmers and just have mega farms because thats not what we voted for, said Christina Farris, owner of CF2 Cattle Company and Cowgirl Beef. The OKC Food Hub, which works directly with the farmers, schools and food bank also weighed in on the impacts. House passes bill to fund federal agencies through September, though prospects unclear in Senate Farmers will not have an investment in their farms to get food to communities and schoolchildren like starting in June, they would have had like, you know, X amount of dollars promised to their farm, now they dont, said Jenna Moore, OKC Food Hub. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oklahoma is luckier than other areas, the state has a similar program thats not going away. We still get to provide food for our kids and to share our knowledge and to reach out into those communities and start those conversations on maybe they want to be a small pork farmer, maybe they want to grow some tomatoes, said Farris. The state legislature has allocated $3.2 million for the Local Food for School Program, but making up those federal dollars, close to $30 million may be impossible. Its just such a blessing to live in a state that supportive of AG, I guess our federal government needs to get it together, said Farris. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry sent News 4 the following statement. As we learn about changes to federal programs, ODAFF will continue to work with stakeholders and partners at all levels to explore opportunities that benefit both local producers and Oklahoma consumers. Interest in local foods is at an all-time high, and it is a priority for our agency to further market opportunities for Oklahoma farmers and ranchers and access to those options for all Oklahomans. ODAFF The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma also sent a statement. We are deeply disappointed by the recent decision to cancel the USDAs Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement program (LFPA). This funding has enabled us to purchase and distribute fresh, nutritious food to the communities we serve. The loss of this program will significantly impact our ability to meet the increasing demand for food assistance, especially as more families face food insecurity. We urge lawmakers and stakeholders to reconsider this decision and support critical programs that ensure no one goes hungry. Stacy Dykstra, chief executive officer of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma Officials encourage you to reach out to your elected officials in D.C. about the cuts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. The Scoop National Public Radio dissuaded one of its most visible gay employees from attending a corporate LGBTQ Pride event, as the Trump administration and congressional Republicans put pressure on the public broadcaster. The guidance in our ethics handbook is to avoid appearances at private industry or corporate functions, the organizations managing editor for standards and practices, Tony Cavin, wrote to longtime anchor Ari Shapiro on Wednesday in an email, which was apparently sent by accident to many other NPR journalists. Because this is a closed corporate event I think it would be best to politely decline, Cavin wrote, according to a copy of the email exchange seen by Semafor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The host replied several minutes later asking Cavin why he had previously approved appearances at similar events. Every year Ive spoken at corporate pride events and youve personally signed off on them. It has never been an issue before, he said. Im curious whats changed. (Shapiro also noted that Cavin had mistakenly replied to newsdesk and international editors so the message went to pretty much everyone in the newsroom.) Later on Wednesday, after Semafor reported on Cavins emails with Shapiro, an NPR spokesperson said the news outlet would let Shapiro attend the event after all. This decision was made shortly after the original email thread, the spokesperson said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shapiro has navigated how his identity impacts his job at the organization before. The host wrote in 2023 that when then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom was briefly issuing same-sex marriage licenses in 2004, he asked his boss whether getting married to his partner would be a violation of NPRs guidelines, which prohibited the organizations journalists from participating in political acts (Shapiro said his boss told him of course he could get married). Know More As Semafor first reported last year, NPR and its member stations have become targets of an increasingly intense Republican funding squeeze, and now find themselves at the center of the new administrations attempts to put federal pressure on media organizations it sees as ideologically opposed to its agenda. The organization has attempted to make moves on the margins to placate the Trump White House and congressional Republicans, who want to strip federal funding from NPR, PBS, and their various member stations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an interview at Semafors summit in Washington last month, NPR CEO Katherine Maher acknowledged that the organization would not be hiring anyone to replace its outgoing head of diversity equity and inclusion. The organization has also said that it is cooperating with a recent inquiry from the Federal Communications Commission into whether it and its member stations have violated regulations in its sponsorship practices. But some member stations believe the key to their survival is distancing themselves from NPRs national brand. Last week, leaders of South Carolina Public Radio announced that they want to unwind their membership from NPR and focus resources on locally produced content, rather than paying to air NPR national shows. During her interview with Semafor, Maher noted that NPRs network of local stations offer a broad range of programming and local news, and said she did not mind if NPR member stations did not want to be closely associated with the national brand. Many of these stations have their local identities, Maher said. They mean something. Texas Public Radio in San Antonio is always going to be Texas Public Radio, and that is great. After an investigation into the deadly collision between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, or DCA, the National Transportation Safety Board called for immediate changes around the airport. The NTSBs preliminary report on the Jan. 29 crash that killed 67 people said current helicopter routes allowed around the airport are an intolerable risk to aviation safety, per ABC. The report was released on Tuesday. Januarys crash at the airport near Washington is the U.S.s deadliest air crash in over 20 years. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the NTSB, called on the Federal Aviation Administration to enact immediate restrictions recommended by the board. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We continue to mourn the lives lost in the tragic accident involving Flight 5342. Were grateful for the National Transportation Safety Boards urgent safety recommendations to restrict helicopter traffic near DCA and for its thorough investigation, said American Airlines in a statement, according to CNN. According to ABC, the NTSBs investigation is ongoing. Homendy added that the board will be conducting a number of simulations and additional interviews, and will also continue its examination of radio altimeters, barometric altimeters and additional electronics. A plane takes off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as Roberto Marquez, of Dallas, places flowers at a memorial of crosses he erected for the 67 victims of a midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines jet in Arlington, Virginia, Feb. 1, 2025. | Carolyn Kaster Recommended restrictions on helicopters The FAA has been asked by the NTSB to permanently ban helicopters from flying near DCA when Runways 15 and 33 are in use, per ABC. It has also been recommended that an alternative route be provided for helicopter pilots. Homendy told reporters that the existing allowable distances between helicopters and planes are insufficient and pose an intolerable risk to aviation safety by increasing the chances of a midair collision at DCA, per NBC. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Let me repeat: That they pose an intolerable risk to aviation safety. Were therefore recommending today that the FAA permanently prohibit operations on helicopters ... between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge, she added. After the crash occurred, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy quickly put a temporary restriction on helicopter traffic over the Potomac River by DCA until March 31, per ABC. The NTSBs recommendation would be a permanent restriction. Thousands of close calls happened before the crash in January Homendy shared that between October 2021 and December 2024 there were 944,179 commercial operations at DCA. In that time period there were 15,214 close proximity events between commercial airplanes and helicopters, according to NBC. The close proximity events saw a lateral separation of less than one nautical mile and a vertical separation of less than 400 feet between the two aircraft, Homendy added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 85 events, there was a lateral separation of less than 1,500 feet and a vertical separation of less than 200 feet. A vast majority of encounters between helicopters and commercial aircraft happened on approaches to landing. At least once a month between 2011 and 2024, a Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System resolution advisory was triggered at Reagan Airport due to proximity to a helicopter, per ABC. These advisories are the most serious warning, telling pilots to take immediate evasive action to avoid a collision. It does make me angry. But it also makes me feel incredibly devastated for families that are grieving because they lost loved ones, Homendy said, according to ABC. It shouldnt take tragedy like this to occur. Unfortunately, one did, and so we are calling on action, but there clearly were indicators where safety trending could have occurred. QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) An actor who was intent on revenge when he ambushed and killed a man in New York City in 2021 was convicted of murder Friday, authorities said. Isaiah Stokes, 45, of Queens, was found guilty of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in the shooting death of 37-year-old Tyrone Jones on Feb. 7, 2021, according to the Queens District Attorneys Office. More Local News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The shooting is believed to have been in retaliation for an altercation Stokes and Jones had at Jones birthday party at a club in Queens in October 2020, authorities said. Stokes was allegedly acting inappropriately toward female guests at the party, which led to the altercation with Jones, according to the Queens District Attorneys Office. Stokes refused Jones request to leave the party and was then injured in a fight with other partygoers, authorities said. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Months later, Stokes put a GPS tracking device underneath Jones vehicle, authorities said. Stokes tracked down Jones in Queens St. Albans neighborhood and then shot him multiple times as Jones sat in his parked vehicle, according to authorities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This was a calculated murder. The defendant, a part-time actor, stewed for months after being thrown out of a birthday party for his own inappropriate behavior. Intent on revenge, Isaiah Stokes placed a GPS on the victims car and tracked Tyrone Jones down to Linden Boulevard, where he ruthlessly shot the man 11 times as he sat in his car, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. Stokes was later arrested in July. He now faces up to 25 years to life in prison. As an actor, Stokes appeared in Law & Order, Power, Boardwalk Empire, The Americans, and Blue Bloods, among other TV series, according to his IMDB page. Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than six years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. RICHMOND HILL, Queens (PIX11) The family of a Queens woman remains in shock after she was hit by a vehicle that kept going on Sunday. The family is horrified by what happened and is now asking for help finding the driver. More Local News Exclusive surveillance video obtained by PIX11 News shows a woman crossing the street at Lefferts Boulevard and Liberty Avenue in Richmond Hill around midnight early Sunday. A vehicle plowed into her and didnt stop. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The daughter of the 58-year-old victim is still trying to process what happened. She spoke exclusively to PIX11 News but asked to not have her identity revealed out of safety concerns. She said her mother, who is a health care aide, was coming home from work when she was struck. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State My mom rolled on the windshield of the car and fell down. The car actually went around her and hit her left leg, fracturing her tibia bone and left her with severe injuries to the left side of her body, and essentially just drove off, the daughter said. My heart dropped. My heart broke. I felt devastated and helpless. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kevin Maraj was in the area and saw the crash happen. He rushed out to help. She was just in bad pain. She couldnt get up, so I said, Dont move, Im going to make sure the next vehicle doesnt run her over, because she was wearing all black, Maraj said. Maraj and others in the community are hoping the driver turns themself in. Its crazy, very crazy experience, Maraj said. That person got no heart. The family spent the last few days canvassing the area, trying to get video of the crash and speak to witnesses. Our goal now is to find that license plate, the victims daughter said. Im so devastated by it and we dont want it to happen to someone else. We want to prevent that and find this person and have them accountable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As for the victim, she was taken to the hospital. The mother of three is now home but has a long road to recovery. Shes truly in a lot of pain. Shes holding on. Its really traumatic. Shes been crying several times and cant believe it happened to her. She told me on the phone from the hospital that she thought she was going to die and that is something you never want to hear from your mom, the daughter said. There have been no arrests. Police said the investigation is ongoing. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. The Ocala Police Department on Wednesday plans to release new details about an officer-involved shooting. The Jan. 29 incident happened along SE 42nd Road. The agency said officers encountered three aggressive, unrestrained pit bulls. Officers claimed the dogs charged them, so they shot the animals. Today, OPD said it will share video and other details related to the shooting. A news conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Ocala. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Monitor WFTV.com and watch Eyewitness News beginning at 4 p.m. for the latest on this story. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) urged her Democratic colleagues in the Senate to vote against the House-passed stopgap spending measure, warning them to be weary of procedural games. It should be very clear to every Senate Democrat that any vote for Cloture will also be considered a vote for the bill, Ocasio-Cortez posted on social platform X. People arent going to be tricked with procedural games. They know exactly what is going on, she added. Defend Medicaid. Vote NO on Cloture. NO on bill. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The New York lawmakers words echo the rhetoric of fellow party members who have encouraged their counterparts to wipe out the Republicans spending bill, despite leeriness from those in the upper chamber so close to the March 14 deadline to avert a shutdown. It also comes after congressional Democrats unveiled their own package Monday that would fund the government through April. This is a bad bill. We did not negotiate this bill, Rep. Pete Aguilar (Calif.), chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said of the GOP-led package. They did not negotiate this bill. In the interest of our national security, in the interest of American families, they need to vote no and beat back this bill, he added. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has already agreed to back the bill, introduced by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) over the past weekend, which reduces nondefense spending by billions with cuts to health care and research grants, in an effort to avoid a lapse in funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We dont agree with whats been sent to us but, you know, if we withhold our votes, that is going to shut the government down, Fetterman told host Stephanie Ruhle on MSNBC Tuesday evening. And I think thats one of our core responsibilities in the Senate or in the government here, to not ever allow the government to shut down, he added. Rep. Jared Golden (Maine) seemingly agreed with the Pennsylvania senator, prompting him to stand as the single House Democrat to vote in favor of the spending bill. Rep. Katherine Clark (Mass.), the Democratic whip, said lawmakers vote on the bill shows a lot about their top priorities for the 119th Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is one of these votes that shows: whose side are you on? Are you fighting for the folks at home? Are you fighting for the things like public schools, for our Veterans Administration? said Clark, who is expecting a desolate vote from the Senate. So I dont know why a Democrat would look at this and decide they want to be on that side of the ledger. I think we, as House Democrats, have sent a very strong message, she added. You dont go after peoples health care. You dont go after research. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. October 7, 2023, marked the largest massacre of Jews to take place since the Holocaust, with 251 hostages taken by Hamas as well. Wendy Sachs documentary isnt about that horrific event, although it includes disturbing footage from the infamous day and harrowing testimony by survivors. Rather, it concerns what happened immediately afterward, namely the precipitous rise in antisemitism that manifested itself in demonstrations on college campuses, on the streets and in social media. For those concerned about this growing problem and everyone should be October 8 is mandatory viewing. There is certainly a strong case to be made against Israels longstanding mistreatment of Palestinians, as well as against the morality and legality of its ongoing military response in Gaza. But there was something truly perverse about the way in which anti-Israel sentiment came to a fever pitch in the immediate aftermath of the massacre, and the manner in which it morphed into antisemitism. Protests erupted on college campuses throughout the country, with Jewish students verbally attacked and, in some cases, physically assaulted. Dozens of university student organizations put out statements blaming Israel for Hamas actions, and even some faculty members joined in the outcry. One Cornell University professor went so far as to refer to the Hamas attack as exhilarating and energizing. More from The Hollywood Reporter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The film includes footage of the congressional testimony of several university presidents who had trouble explaining why they failed to sufficiently protect Jewish students from the harassment that had been directed at them and whether calls for the genocide of Jews violated their code of conduct. What does it mean that the future leaders of the most important democracy in the world are chanting for revolution and intifada? asks journalist Bari Weiss, referring to the students. What is the country going to look like a decade from now? Several university students who did attempt to counter the anti-Israel hatred are profiled, including the student body president of University of California at Santa Barbara, who put out a statement supporting Israel and received a barrage of hate messages and threats as a result. October 8 seeks both to explain the reasons behind the rise in hatred and condemn the relative lack of organized response to it. It points to the SJP, or Students for Justice in Palestine, a controversial group estimated to have some 200 branches across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another problem is that young people largely get their news not from traditional media outlets but rather from such social media sites as TikTok, where bad actors like Iran, North Korea, China and Russia are easily able to foment disinformation. The film also decries the relative lack of vocal condemnation from celebrities and politicians about the hostage-taking by Hamas, as compared to, say, the outrage expressed after the abduction of school girls by Boko Haram in Nigeria. Hollywood figures have been largely silent, with conspicuous exceptions including actors Debra Messing (an EP on this film) and Michael Rapaport, both featured prominently in the documentary. I felt completely betrayed by Hollywood, says Messing about the lack of support, while Rapaport offers an earthier comment. I know where I am on the pecking order, he says. The fact that I was the big Hollywood name other than the great Debra Messing is some real fucking disappointing shit. Among the other talking heads passionately expressing their deep concern about the rising tide of antisemitism are congressman Ritchie Torres (who has emerged as an ardent defender of Israel), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Scott Galloway, Douglas Murray, Sheryl Sandberg, and historian Deborah Lipstadt. We also hear from Mosab Yousef, the son of a Hamas co-founder and an ex-Palestinian militant who has since become an outspoken critic of Hamas and the pro-Palestinian movement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like many advocacy documentaries, October 8 does some cherry-picking of facts and draws some questionable conclusions. But theres no denying the importance of its message and the need for corrective action by political, academic, religious and civil leaders. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. MANSON, Iowa (KCAU) Officials are looking into the death of two northwest Iowans after two bodies were found inside a rural Pocahontas County home. According to the Pocahontas County Sheriffs Office, they were called to a home just outside of Manson at around 8:27 a.m. Monday morning to investigate two dead bodies that were found. Man charged with murder in connection to Woodbine womans 1989 disappearance Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When officials arrived, they discovered two bodies inside the home and had called in the Palmer Fire Department to test the home for carbon monoxide. No carbon monoxide was found. After investigating the scene further, officials found drug-related items as well as fentanyl. Officials said that they currently believe the deaths to be drug-related but are awaiting for the autopsies from the Iowa State Medical Examiners Office to be returned. No foul play is suspected in these two deaths. The Pocahontas County Sheriffs Office was assisted by the Gilmore City First Responders, Palmer First Responders, Palmer Fire Department, Pocahontas Ambulance, Gunderson Funeral Home, and The Iowa State Medical Examiners Office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. Officials are set to provide a safety update ahead of Bostons St. Patricks Day parade this weekend. The parade will kick off at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 16, following last years chaos, which saw out-of-control behavior from parade-goers. In a letter sent to college presidents and school superintendents, Congressman Stephen Lynch, state Sen. Nick Collins, state Rep. David Biele, and Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn emphasized that there would be zero tolerance for the disruptive conduct that South Boston residents experienced last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last years event drew about a million people and police made numerous arrests. According to the letter, Flynn described the anything goes atmosphere that happened at last years parade including disturbing incidents of violence, assaults that went viral, people on rooftops without a roof deck, and beer cans being thrown at parade marchers. Please show some common courtesy and respect for the residents, veterans, military families, our dedicated first responders, and our nations history, the letter urged. This years parade will be held on Sunday, March 16. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW A Tesla Cybertruck took an accidental swim in the Ventura Harbor on Monday, prompting a multi-agency response to carefully retrieve the electric vehicle from the water without sparking a toxic battery fire. Tesla founder Elon Musk tweeted in 2022 that the Cybertruck "will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes & even seas that arent too choppy." This truck, however, quickly sank in 8 feet of water, said Carson Shevitz, captain of TowBoatUS Ventura, who helped coordinate the rescue. Ventura Port District Harbor Patrol officers spotted the truck bobbing by the boat launch ramp shortly before 11 a.m. , Shevitz said. The driver told Shevitz that he meant to put the vehicle in drive after launching a Jet Ski but accidentally threw it in reverse, causing it to slide down the ramp and into the water. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shevitz dived into the water himself and attached the front of the submerged vehicle to a tow truck that hauled it ashore. He said he worked with Tesla and fire officials to plan the mission carefully because of the dangers posed by lithium-ion batteries. "When I first heard that it's a Cybertruck, I immediately thought of the batteries," he said. "It wasn't an 'oh cool,' it was an 'oh great,' because there's a lot of unknown things we have to figure out." Fortunately, the truck's electronics did not appear to be severely damaged by the dip. Shevitz's team did not spot any bubbling or hissing signs that Tesla's engineers warned could indicate the batteries were releasing gas. Damaged lithium-ion batteries are at high risk of catching fire and releasing toxic gases such as hydrogen fluoride and carbon monoxide. Exposure to salt water can also lead to battery failure and potentially start a fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once these batteries ignite, they cannot be put out using water and must be left in a secure area to gradually release gas. Read more: Lithium-ion batteries causing fires, dangers on California freeways, sparking calls for safety improvements "Tesla advised that the best thing to do was to set up a perimeter of about 45 feet of defensible space around the vehicle once we pulled it out," Shevitz said. "They sent out a couple field engineers who were able to confirm that the truck was in a safe enough condition to be transported back to their service center." The entire mission took less than two hours and attracted a large response from regional agencies, including the Ventura City Fire Department, Ventura Harbor Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Shevitz said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "It's a rare thing to see, so I'm guessing everyone just wanted to see what was going on," he said. Shevitz said TowBoatUS Ventura frequently responds to calls to rescue damaged boats and, on rare occasions, vehicles. This was the third submerged vehicle his team had helped retrieve in the last 12 months and definitely the first Cybertruck. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine gives the State of the State address in the Ohio House chambers at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. (Pool photo by Samantha Madar, Columbus Dispatch) Ohio Governor Mike DeWine laid out his vision to give Ohioans the tools to live up to their full potential and the opportunity to live their version of the American dream Wednesday in his State of the State address. Before a joint meeting of the General Assembly, the governor described the state of the state as strong and urged lawmakers to back many of the proposals laid out in his budget proposal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His speech comes at a moment of uncertainty as the state navigates the impact of on-again-off-again tariffs and sharp cuts to federal agencies. The stock market, on a tear since late last year, has now given back all those gains and then some. Amid a surge in avian flu centered on Western Ohio, the U.S. Department of Agriculture accidentally fired employees working on the response and then had to scramble to rehire them. A substantial share of the states budget relies on revenue from the federal government. Medicaid is the biggest and most obvious example, but other programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Head Start and Pell Grants depend on money from federal sources. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX But the governors speech and his budget didnt reflect that uncertainty. After attracting new businesses to the state, he argued its time to focus on filling those jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeWines two-year spending plan includes a novel $1,000 child tax credit, and access to vision care for young people as part of his effort to improve literacy. The budget proposal maintains funding for child care and a higher education merit scholarship program. In a new step, DeWine also proposes tying a significant portion of university funding to job placement. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine gives the State of the State address in the Ohio House chambers at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. (Pool photo by Samantha Madar, The Columbus Dispatch) Workforce The governor bragged about the states run of economic development successes, attracting major employers to the state. At the same time, he argued, their job isnt done yet. Weve created all these incredible economic opportunities and new jobs in Ohio, DeWine said. But now our mission as a state is to act with great urgency and intense focus on filling these jobs. DeWine made a case for expanding the scope of state workforce efforts including outreach to people with special needs, ex-offenders, seniors and those in addiction recovery. Hes tasking new Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel to lead workforce efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats in the room were particularly enthusiastic after DeWine emphasized workforce re-entry programs. He said 18,000 people are released each year from incarceration, and its in all of our interests to get them into the workforce. DeWine explained the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections is providing job training tailored for in-demand industries. Our trained ex-offenders want to work, DeWine said. I say to the employers in Ohio give them a chance. The governor also argued theres an important intersection between workforce and child care. If parents cant afford to care for their kids, after all, theyre going to have a tough time making it to work. To that end, he pushed lawmakers to maintain publicly funded child care vouchers for families earning up to 200% of the federal poverty limit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our voucher program, really an education and workforce program, is making a significant positive impact on young children and working families throughout the state of Ohio, DeWine argued. He made a similar argument for his child tax credit proposal, giving parents $1,000 for every child under the age of 7. While Democrats welcome a state version of the popular federal program, some in the governors party have expressed skepticism for his plan to pay for the credit with big increases in tobacco taxes. Youth interventions One of DeWines biggest efforts in recent years has been to push schools around the state to embrace a phonics-based teaching approach for reading. To advance the science of reading, DeWine proposed carrots and sticks. When students are falling behind, DeWine said, our budget requires districts with low rates of proficient readers to focus more of their dollars on teaching children how to read. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For schools showing success, DeWine announced a science of reading recognition program. The governor noted educational challenges arent limited to curriculum. Although every student gets screened for vision, only about one-fourth of those who need vision care actually get it. That leaves tens of thousands of Ohio children behind in school not being able to see as well as they should, DeWine argued. This is wrong. His proposed OhioSEE program would give school-aged kids comprehensive eye exams and if it turns out they do need glasses, they will get glasses. The governor estimated the program would help 33,000 Ohio kids get glasses. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DeWine urged lawmakers to expand access to dental care, too. Hes proposing a nine-county pilot program covering preventive care and treatment in places where low-cost dental care is hard to find. The governor also took a victory lap for a move last summer to restrict cellphones in schools. He argued teachers, principals, and parents have told him without phones, the school transformed before their very eyes. Kids were focused in the classroom, DeWine reported hearing. The sound of laughter and banter echo throughout the lunchroom. These kids are actually talking to each other, instead of having their heads down, buried in their phones. Following the speech, the Statehouse rotunda was packed with members of the child advocacy group Groundwork Ohio. They held signs praising the governors tax credit and child care plans and led chants to fund Ohio kids. Members of Groundwork Ohio chanting in the Statehouse rotunda following Gov. Mike DeWines State of the State address. (Photo by Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal.) Higher Ed At the end of 2023, Ohio launched a merit scholarship program to keep high-performing high school students in the state. The program gives the top 5% of students a $5,000 a year scholarship for all four years if they attend a college or university in Ohio. In the first year, the program attracted about three-quarters of those eligible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of the students eligible for the scholarship in this years senior class, an astounding 87% of them have accepted it and are remaining in Ohio to go to college, DeWine told the joint GA session. In addition to funding scholarships for high-achievers, DeWine proposed guaranteed admission for the top 5% of high school seniors. That would apply to the main campus of every public institution in Ohio and DeWine stated independent colleges have expressed interest in matching that pledge. The governor is also proposing new accountability measures for university funding. He explained schools currently get money based on how many students complete coursework and earn degrees. Our budget takes this to the next logical level by partially funding our state colleges and universities based on actual student outcomes, DeWine said, including how many students get a job after graduation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The governor said that would make Ohio the first in the nation to tie significant funding to employment. Follow Ohio Capital Journal Reporter Nick Evans on X or on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The small hearing room at the Ohio Statehouse is packed. The overflow room next-door is full, as welland both are roped off. State Highway Patrol officers in tall hats direct people who have come to oppose the bill thats on the Workforce and Higher Education Committees docket to a second overflow site set up in the Capitol crypt. So far, 80 people have signed up to fill the three hours allotted for opposition testimony in a hearing timed to spring break for many public universities. More than 700 people have submitted written testimony. Theyre all out in force against the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, which detractors say is an attack on student diversity and intellectual freedom that will destabilize higher education across the state and touch off a brain drain that might permanently and detrimentally alter the course of the states economy. If passed, the 76-page Frankenstein bill, known under its state Senate number Senate Bill 1, would prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion from scholarships, job descriptions, orientations, and trainings at Ohio public colleges and universities. It would shutter DEI offices or departments and require institutions to respond to complaints alleging noncompliance with the DEI ban. S.B. 1 would also prohibit institutions from endorsing or opposing any belief or policy deemed politically controversial, such as climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage and abortion. Schools that do not comply would risk losing state funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Apparently to ensure no one sneaks any DEI into the curriculum, the bill would also require faculty to post their syllabi online, which opponents note would make them searchable for anyone online trying to ferret out DEI in courseworkor, more broadly, would allow would-be trolls to target individual professors. While some of Trumps anti-DEI federal orders are being blocked by injunctions, S.B. 1 would codify a higher-ed DEI ban at Ohios 14 public universities and 23 public colleges, impacting over 440,000 enrolled students. By imposing processes to report complaints concerning DEI, S.B. 1 would also establish a grotesque surveillance system that would stifle classroom debate and expression. Then, as a cudgel for any problem faculty, the bill would also effectively end job protections via faculty tenure and limit faculty collective bargaining. As the opposition mills through the statehouse basementsome in suits, at least one student in what appears to be pajama shortstheres a sense that they are the last line of defense protecting Ohios public higher education. The bill, which has been defeated previously, is resurfacing at a trying time for higher ed. Ohios transgender bathroom ban, which went into effect at the end of February, requires students in K-12 schools, as well as public and private colleges and universities, to use the bathroom that matches the gender they were assigned at birth. President Donald Trumps January executive order terminating all environmental justice offices and all diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, or DEIA programs, claimed such efforts were discriminatory and illegal, and threatened to withdraw federal funds from institutions that continued to promote DEI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some universities have already scraped DEI pages from their websites. The University of Akron canceled its nearly two-decade-old Rethinking Race forum. Ohio University put a hold on its Black Alumni Reunion, citing new federal guidance and proposed state legislation. OU students responded with a walkout, and hundreds protested. OU President Lori Stewart Gonzalez promised the university would not preemptively make changes due to a bill that is not finalized (referring to S.B. 1). Days later, OU reversed course, putting a hold on a National Womens History Month event, Celebrate Women, again citing federal guidance and proposed state legislation. Days before the Ohio transgender bathroom ban went into effect, the University of Cincinnati quietly swapped out its restroom signs to read BIOLOGICAL MEN and BIOLOGICAL WOMEN. It also changed all-gender bathroom signs to single-occupancy. The outcry on campus was almost immediate, with signs getting ripped off walls or covered with handmade generic Bathroom signs. Within days, University of Cincinnati president Neville Pinto announced UC would be rolling back its DEI efforts in response to Trumps executive order. With the threat of S.B. 1 fresh across the state, capitulation by university administrators was met with vocal protest. Hundreds of students and faculty stormed a board of trustees meeting, chanting Hey, hey, ho, ho, S.B. 1 has got to go. They carried signs shaming administrators for preemptive compliance. At the end of February, Ohio State University announced it would close two offices focused on DEI, cutting more than two dozen staff positions in that closures wake. OSU president Ted Carter said he knew the changes would disappoint many. Last week, roughly one thousand students and faculty showed up to protest the universitys rollbacks and S.B. 1. It was the biggest protest seen on campus since the anti-apartheid era. Protesters swapped out the lyrics to the school song, Carmen Ohio, instead singing a lament, As Carter caves to Cirinos will. (State Senator Jerry Cirino is S.B. 1s sponsor in that body.) With OSU president Carter complying in advance, faculty are worried for students, for the state of education in Ohio, and for the impact to the states economy. Students are not interested in attending a university that will not cover basic kinds of intellectual projects, discussing what this bill calls controversial topics, said Shannon Winnubst, a professor in the Department of Womens, Gender and Sexuality Studies at OSU. Theyll go to other states. According to Winnubst, their young scholars see S.B. 1 as a kind of war on youth, bent on denying the education young people deserve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Winnubst also points to the millions of dollars that faculty researchon allegedly controversial topics like climate changebrings into the state. Between driving away Ohios brightest and repelling faculty who bring research dollars into the state, S.B. 1 essentially sends a message to new minds seeking their own place in higher education that Ohio is closed for business. Taken as a whole, Winnubst sees S.B. 1 as bringing economic wreckage for the state. David Weinberg, an astronomy professor at OSU, describes how his department has, over the last 15 years, become more representative of Ohio; its students and researchers now look more like the United States and the world in terms of gender, race, and religion. Diversity makes a huge difference in everything from approaches to experiments, views of how collaborations should be organized, and just generally, ideas about how the universe works. Weinberg says the bill will make it more burdensome and less rewarding to be a professor in the state of Ohio, but suspects the most immediate effect of S.B. 1 would be on students, some of whom are succeeding in the program but now, in the shadow of S.B. 1, are looking for an exit and wondering what other university they could move to outside Ohio. Ohio-based companies, seeking scientifically trained minds, make a habit of courting Weinbergs students. While astronomy may bring funding to Ohio due to the departments work with NASA and ground-based telescopes, the departments students take jobs in all areas of data science and technology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think that taking a hammer to the quality of the universities in Ohio is going to have a big negative impact on the ability of our universities to really power the economy, Weinberg says. For scale, Ohio State University alone contributes more than $19 billion to the states economy and supports nearly 117,000 jobs. The states public colleges and universities together deliver over $68 billion to Ohio. Destabilizing the sector is especially perilous now as the state finally shows signs of reversing a generation-long battle against brain drainin which many of its brightest young people left for opportunities elsewhere. Moreover, the brain gain that Ohio has lately enjoyed is largely due to highly skilled immigrants being drawn to the stateuniversity medical and research centers being among the top draws for this diverse pool of workers. It appears likely that S.B. 1 would also undermine some students ability to get certified in their field of study. Our profession is nationally accredited, and in order to be a licensed social worker, you have to graduate from an accredited school. Per our accreditation standards, curriculum is required to include anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the curriculum, says Jodi Whitted, professor of social work at University of Cincinnati. She says the curriculum has just been updated so every single class includes anti-racism within the DEI standards. Its not clear how the curriculum could have DEI wiped from it and still fulfill licensure requirements. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whitted says her students are very worried about what their education is going to look like should this pass. Shes hearing from speech and language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, and other medical professionals for whom anti-racism and DEI are core competencies. This wouldnt just impact social work, but this would impact so many other professions that require licensure, notes Whitted. S.B. 1 seems to be animated by this myth of liberal indoctrination, Weinberg told me. The language of the bill implies that liberal professors are foisting their personal ideologies upon students and that conservative students need to have safe spaces carved out for them. Provisions in the bill prohibit political and ideological litmus tests in hiring and admissions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the key complicating factors of S.B. 1 is that legislators appear to be falsely equating DEI with affirmative action (the latter was abolished in a 2023 Supreme Court ruling). On campus, DEI programs often include student success programs for underrepresented students, notes Sara Kilpatrick, executive director of the Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors. This might mean student affinity groups for first-generation students or a Latino Student Union, programs that help with student retention, so students who matriculate feel at home on campus and eventually graduate. S.B. 1 bans DEI scholarships, so students who have the merit to get accepted but dont have the money for tuition may not get to attend. Erasing acknowledgment of difference will make people of color, women, LGBTQ people, veterans, and students with disabilities less able to fit into campus life. The bill is so vaguely worded that it appears anything housed under the umbrella of DEI on campus would be eliminated. A lot of times, disability services, veteran services, those kinds of things are under those umbrellas, says Kilpatrick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think higher education should be all about being able to discuss and think critically about the most pressing issues that face our world, says Arianna Kelawala, an OSU fourth-year student. I do think that S.B. 1 creates a sort of chilling effect, She is concerned that faculty, unwilling to teach both sides of supposedly controversial issues, just wont teach the topics at all. An earlier version of this bill, which also attacked faculty collective bargaining and banned bias in teaching went internationally viral and ultimately stalled after Republican State Representative Sarah Fowler Arthur said she wanted students to learn about the Holocaust from both sides (that is to say, to include the viewpoint of German soldiers tasked with carrying out the Final Solution). Suffice it to say, its easy to imagine a professor not wanting to teach that. Kelawala, also an organizer with the Ohio grassroots group OPAWLBuilding AAPI Feminist Leadership, points out that tucked into S.B. 1 is also a ban on Ohio public colleges and universities partnering with or accepting funds from any entity associated with the government of China. Singling out relationships with China leaves room for anti-Asian hatred to kind of seep through here. Kelawala is applying to law school and hoped to attend in-state, but the looming reality of S.B. 1 definitely does present an additional factor to consider. Last week, another protest of about 150 medical staff, researchers, and students gathered at a park between the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and Cincinnati Childrens Hospital. (The former has a $4 billion economic impact; Cincinnati Childrens, a consistently top-ranked childrens hospital, has a research foundation that alone draws $304.7 million in external funding.) The group protested federal cuts to scientific funding and actions at the state and federal level to ban DEI. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The group was concerned about how broad-brush cuts to DEI would affect research. Kylee Ham, union president of UCs nurses union told me her family moved from Texas to Cincinnati for her husbands medical training. Cincinnati is a hub for medicine and research. S.B. 1 imperils the very workers the state has been working to attract. S.B. 1 attacks the faculty and postgraduates ability to have a collective bargaining agreement and be able to strike. A workers power is in the ability to withhold their work. Our work has value we deserve to have that power, said Kylee Ham, union president of UCs nurses union. This is one of the bills most under-sungand diabolicalfeatures. S.B. 1 rides a wave of anti-DEI sentiment and culture-war politics to cover the fact that its really a union-busting bill that will make all faculty at-will employees, says Kilpatrick. S.B. 1 threatens core principles of academic freedom, shared governance, job security for facultyincluding tenure. Faculty are not going to want to come to Ohio, says Kilpatrick, if Ohio has a reputation for trying to censure free speech at institutions and essentially punish[ing] faculty for their perceived bias, when they still havent shown a shred of proof. Faculty unions would essentially only be able to bargain over salary and benefits, not over evaluations, workload, tenure, or layoffs. That means that in a negotiation, the highest-paid faculty could simply be laid off. Whole departments could be eliminated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among those Ohio Republicans opposed to S.B. 1 is John T. Plecnik, a professor of law at Cleveland State University who also happens to be a Republican county commissioner from Lake County, Ohio. He claimed the title of the most conservative professor in Ohio, and called S.B. 1 a dumpster fire that threatens to incinerate free speech on campus. Faculty job insecurity cuts both ways. Plecnik warned that a liberal dean or administrator would be able to use two years of below-average reviews in any category as a pretext to discipline or fire a conservative professor. Arguing that S.B. 1 is unconstitutional and would weaken academic freedoms, this morning, Plecnik suggested debates like these over free speech and the First Amendment belong on college campuses. This should be moot court; mock trial. This should be a forum on campus. The fact that were having to have this discussion now shows that some people needed to spend another year in college, Plecnik quipped, and after a three-second delay for the telecast, an uproar of cheers and laughter rang out from the adjoining overflow room. More than 1,000 Ohioans submitted opposition testimony in the Senate (compared to 15 proponents who supported S.B. 1). Still, the bill passed the Ohio state Senate 2111, with two Republicans joining the Ohio Senates nine Democrats. It is anticipated to pass the Ohio House. Governor DeWine has been a big workforce development/economic development Governor, and I just cant imagine that he would want a bill that so obviously will hurt workforce development in Ohio, says Kilpatrick. But DeWine is a term-limited Republican in a highly gerrymandered state with a resulting Republican supermajority in the state legislature. If this bill had been introduced 10 years ago it would not have seen the light of day in its current form, says Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick, who also advocated against an earlier version of S.B. 1 in a prior general assembly, says many Republican legislators dont like the bill and dont want to vote on it. But they feel like they have to or otherwise they might get primaried. Ohio, like many other states, is in a vicious cycle where gerrymandering moves state legislatures to the right of their populus, extreme legislators get rewarded, moderates are punished, and the states laws grow increasingly detached from the needs of the state. Republicans are locked into power but locked out of governing effectively. Were at the point where its gerrymandering and big money together, notes David Pepper, an expert on gerrymandering and author of Laboratories of Autocracy. Those who oppose the most extreme positions fear being primaried, as happened in Texas after some Republicans opposed an extreme school voucher bill. Dollars flowed in from out-of-state super PACS, driving most out of office. The thing about gerrymandered worlds with no accountability is time is on their side. So, if they screw something up, like the horrifying Holocaust quip the last time the bill was considered, they learn from the mistake and just sort of roll right on forward, he said. As the hearing closed today, a spontaneous roar rang out from the Statehouse crypt. Kill the bill! Kill the bill! Voices echoed off the vaulted ceilings of the peoples house. Despite its unpopularity with many Ohioans, there are other forces at work that could overrule the will of the people. The Trump administration commitment to scrambling DEI, undermining scientific research, and undercutting higher education itself seems absolute. S.B. 1 may be a self-destruct button for the state of Ohio, but it would seem that the powers that be are ready to press it. But the voices of protest keep rising. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A major jump in modern medicine for Ohio States Wexner Medical Center has arrived. The hospital is among the first in the country to utilize brand-new technology that detects blood test errors instantly. According to doctors, theyre using a new blood gas system to improve treatment accuracy and significantly reduce care costs. Dr. Robert Cooper with OSU Wexners medical department said they see upwards of 230 patients a day, and in high-pressure situations, decisions need to be made quickly and accurately. He said in the emergency department setting, nurses have less time to get a perfect blood draw which can often lead to errors. The error the blood test system can detect is called hemolysis which refers to the destruction of red blood cells. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the past, it would take an hour, an hour and a half, to get that result of oh my gosh this sample is hemolyzed, these results arent accurate, Dr. Cooper said. And you just want to like hit your head because youve done all this treatment. Dr. Heather Stieglitz, co-director of clinical chemistry and toxicology, said hemolysis can falsely increase potassium measurements. Prior to the new technology, there was no way for doctors to detect if potassium results at the point of care, whether high, low, or normal, were affected by that error. The new system now provides better context for doctors and allows for quicker decision-making. The onus was really on the physicians to have to try to catch these samples by comparing the results to the rest of the clinical context, Dr. Stieglitz said. So, that inevitably would delay being able to properly interpret the results and could potentially delay proper treatment. The way the system works is quite simple. When a blood gas sample is collected, it gets brought to the lab. A probe comes out so the doctor can sample the blood, which only takes about fifteen seconds. The first thing the system does is a hemolysis check to see if theres anything wrong with the sample. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Department of Education targeting Ohio State University for antisemitism Then it analyzes the rest of the data and results appear on the screen. They would see if anything looked incorrect, if something wasnt what they were expecting it to be, and they could exclude the results at this point so that they wouldnt go to the patients chart or they could accept them and at that point the information would flow into the patients medical record, Chelsie Ross, point of care consultant, said. According to doctors, the technology is the first of its kind thats available in an instrument thats used at the point of care, allowing for more rapid decision-making. If a patient has high potassium, they could go into cardiac arrest in a matter of minutes, Dr. Cooper said. When a patient comes in, the quickest way for us to get that potassium level is a blood gas. It comes back about five times faster than a regular blood draw. Dr. Cooper said prior to this, they would sometimes inaccurately treat patients due to these blood test errors. He said unnecessary medical treatment is never good. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rather than having to guess well I think their heart rhythm is because of this potassium, or I trust that this potassium is high, and we didnt hemolyze it, now you have that accurate information, and you can take a deep breath and be like okay now I know what to do, Dr. Cooper said. Dr. Cooper said this new system also ensures the hospital isnt spending money on unnecessary medicine because some treatments for high potassium can be quite expensive. He called the new technology a miracle of modern medicine. Im very lucky to work at Ohio State that were one of the first places in the country to get this type of blood gas analyzer, Dr. Cooper said. Ive worked out in the country out in rural Ohio and the pressures on and its a lot different because you dont have access to these results and access to these devices so youre frankly probably not as accurate as a doctor when youre making those treatments. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. CLEVELAND (WJW) A statewide tornado drill took place in Ohio on Wednesday as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week. Severe Weather Awareness Week takes place from March 16 through March 22, with the statewide tornado drill on March 19 at 9:50 a.m., according to the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. Another plane incident at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport: I-Team FOX 8 meteorologists said this is a good time of year to practice your plan and know where to take shelter during a severe weather event. The Erie County Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security issued a press release to let its residents know the county would take part in the drill to test its Outdoor Emergency Sirens. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the release, sirens are activated by the sheriffs department any time a tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service or a funnel cloud or tornado is spotted by a public safety official. Emergency Management Director Tim Jonovich is also reminding residents that sirens simply mean the public needs to seek shelter and tune to your local TV and/or radio for further weather information, the release said. HAPPENING SOON: Free Cone Day at Dairy Queen Regular monthly testing of the sirens will continue in Erie County on April 1 at noon, according to the release. In 2024, the State of Ohio experienced 82 tornados, according to the National Weather Service. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. ATHENS, Ohio (WCMH) Just days after Ohio University announced that it had put the Black Alumni Reunion on hold, the universitys Lancaster campus has now paused its annual Celebrate Women conference, citing concerns that its programming may not comply with new federal guidelines. The event was set to take place on March 21, in honor of Womens History Month. People said that after the Black Alumni Reunion was paused, they anticipated other events would follow that same fate. I was disappointed, but not surprised, said Michelle Calloway, an Ohio University alum. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She believes that cancellation of the Celebrate Women event is a result of the Dear Colleague letter the university received from the federal government. That letter was released on Feb. 14 and gave public school districts and universities two weeks to stop any programs teaching about systemic racism. Womens history events typically tend to fall under DEI as well, so I think they were just kind of going down the gamut of what was next and trying to play it safe, Calloway said. Calloway said celebrating Womens History Month was a huge part of her time at the school during her undergrad days. Shes worried that more events like Celebrate Women may be paused in the future. One of our main buildings on the campus was named after a woman, a really impactful female graduate, Calloway said. We have one of our scholarships that was named after the first Black woman to graduate from the university. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Celebrate Women event is in its 19th year. Event organizers said that it has sold out the past couple of years. In a letter announcing its decision, the university referenced recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights. The OU Executive Vice President Don Leo said in the letter, We are disappointed that we need to put this longstanding event on hold, and we will continue to be committed to providing a space for accomplished women leaders to connect with and inspire our students, staff and alumni. Seeing this in this way is disheartening because I know the students really wont be able to celebrate it at that magnitude, Calloway said. Universities across Ohio have been concerned about not only federal efforts to target DEI programs but also state efforts, namely a bill passed by the Ohio Senate that would target DEI programs at public Ohio universities. That bill is now in the Ohio House. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think well see fairly swift action in the House on the bill, Ohio Speaker of the House Matt Huffman said. It is true that much of this has been litigated over the past two, or even four years, and I think there has been a change of mindset among many. A former Republican state lawmaker said he doesnt necessarily believe the Celebrate Womens conference needed to be canceled, but believes the overall issue is another way to blame President Donald Trump. Thats not the way I see it, Calloway said. I see, I think and Ill just be very honest, its been the Trump administration that has made it very clear where they stand with these events. The letter from the university said that all registration fees and sponsorships will be automatically refunded. NBC4 reached out to Ohio University for comment, but we have not heard back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Mar. 11COLUMBUS Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced there were 352,389 inactive voter registrations eligible for removal from the statewide voter registration database. This process ensures accurate voter rolls and complies with federal and state laws, removing outdated registrations while protecting active voters' rights, LaRose said. "This careful and deliberate process makes sure that every eligible voter can cast their ballot while removing outdated registrations that could compromise election integrity," LaRose said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It includes 3,653 names from Allen County, 1,341 from Auglaize County, 874 from Hardin County, 725 from Putnam County, and 863 from Van Wert County. LaRose is the first chief election officer to publish inactive registrations eligible for removal from the statewide database through a publicly available registration readiness list. The list can be viewed online at bit.ly/41UzBd4. Key points for voters include: No inactive voter registrations will be canceled before the May 2025 primary election. All potentially affected voters were sent a "Registration Readiness Notice." Voters can update or confirm their registration by voting, responding to notices or updating information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The final removal of inactive registrations will occur by Sept. 23, 2025 (Sept. 29 for Lucas County). The process uses the National Change of Address database and a supplemental process to identify outdated registrations. Removed voters can re-register at any time if they are eligible. Check registration status at VoteOhio.gov. Featured Local Savings The Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education held a work session Monday night to review the district's budget after an audit into Tulsa Public Schools found financial irregularities. "Tulsa Public Schools, their board members did not inherently not have oversight," OKCPS Board Chair Paula Lewis said during the meeting. "They didn't go in and be like, 'Hey, I'm not going to oversee the budget.'" But without clear direction of how we're going to do it and a clear understanding between the district and the superintendent, that's how that happens." It comes down to policy and internal checkpoints, Lewis added. Dr. Jamie Polk, Superintendent, and School Board Chair, Paula Lewis, the group during a special meeting of the Oklahoma City Board of Education, Monday, March 10, 2025. "That's why we're here is to really figure out how can we prevent anything [like] that happening in the future," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement About two weeks ago, Oklahoma Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd released a 60-page audit report reviewing financial irregularities in Tulsa schools. Auditors investigated financial records from 2015 to 2023, and found $25 million was spent without proper bidding, and $824,503 in fraud by a former administrator. More: Over 5,000 Oklahoma City Public Schools students doubled their projected growth in reading On Monday, the OKCPS board and administrative cabinet members spent nearly an hour discussing the district's financial management goals, procedures for financial operations and compliance with state and federal statutes. "The goal is to strengthen our financial transparency and oversight. In order to do that, we have to understand what it is as well," Lewis said. "We all come from different backgrounds, different things that we do, and we rely heavily on the district staff to be able to point that out to us. We can't trust blindly. We have to know that there are checkpoints in place and at every level." Sydney Ward during a special meeting of the Oklahoma City Board of Education, Monday, March 10, 2025. Sydney Ward, the district's chief financial officer, presented its projected revenue for its general fund through January 2025, which showed that 51.43% of the budget comes from state revenue at $185,597,743, 30.1% comes from local revenue at $108,619,248, and 17% comes from federal revenue at $62,006,641. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of the district's expenses through January 2025, 80.71% goes to salaries and benefits at $295,306,461, 10.79% goes to purchased services at $39,493,476, and 7.63% goes to supplies and materials at $27,905,346, according to Ward. After Ward presented the district's budget and expenses, OKCPS Superintendent Jamie Polk said the board can't talk about finances without talking about enrollment. "This is how we receive the finances," Polk said. Dr. Jamie Polk, Superintendent, addresses the group during a special meeting of the Oklahoma City Board of Education, Monday, March 10, 2025. According to the data presented by Ward, the district expects enrollment to be 32,859 by Oct. 1. That's 113 more students compared to October 2024, and 1,835 more students compared to October 2021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With 4,900 staff members, the district is 98% staffed, according to Jason Galloway, its senior executive director of support and accountability. Of its 43 vacancies, 19 of those are in special education. The district's teacher retention rate sits at 79.9%, which is below the national average of 84%, Galloway said. Currently, 94 staff members are enrolled in OKCPS' recruitment pipeline, Galloway said. The retention rate for staff members enrolled in the program is in excess of 95%. Jason Galloway during a special meeting of the Oklahoma City Board of Education, Monday, March 10, 2025. Each OKCPS board and cabinet member was given a copy of the district's financial policy. Polk asked each board member to review it with someone from the administration's cabinet, and submit their reflections by the next board meeting. Ward said she appreciates the feedback, adding it's important for board members to understand how the district's budget and finances work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "When I read the Tulsa audit report, I'm shocked because I thought everybody did things like we did, and they don't," Ward said. "I do think it's important that everybody understands how the process works." This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKCPS Board of Education reviews finances after Tulsa schools audit OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) The Oklahoma Supreme Court has temporarily blocked State Superintendent Ryan Walters and the State Department of Education from purchasing Bibles and Bible-based lessons for Oklahoma schools. On Monday, the court barred OSDE from issuing any new requests for the purchase of Bibles. The ruling also places a temporary hold on a request for proposals seeking a supplier for Bible-based curriculum. The ruling comes after the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services, the state agency that oversees RFPs, asked the court to issue a stay because of the concerns about ongoing lawsuits and the possibility of new legal challenges. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Budgeting for Bibles in classrooms not recommended Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Oklahoma Foundation, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law & Justice issued the following joint statement after the ruling. This victory is an important step toward protecting the religious freedom of every student and parent in Oklahoma. Superintendent Ryan Walters has been abusing his power and the court checked those abuses today. Our diverse coalition of families and clergy remains united against Walterss extremism and in favor of a core First Amendment principle: the separation of church and state. Walters also commented on the ruling on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Bible has been a cornerstone of our nations history and education for generations, Walters said. We will continue fighting to ensure students have access to this foundational text in the classroom. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) An Olean man pleaded guilty to attempted receipt of child pornography and admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse with a minor female victim, the United States Attorneys Office announced Tuesday. Officials said between September 2021 and July 2022, 48-year-old Greg Hirliman engaged in sexual communications through Facebook with the minor victim. Hirliman also made several requests for naked images and photos from the victim. On the one occasion he engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim, he knew she was a minor, officials said. The attorneys office said Hirliman was not charged with this, but he admitted to it as a part of his plea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The charge of attempted receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. Hirlimans sentencing is scheduled for July 21, 2025. Latest Local News Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is pausing nearly two dozen projects after the Trump administrations efforts to freeze federal funding. A spokesperson for OMSI told KOIN 6 News the museum paused around 20 federally funded projects that are in various stages of completion, as first reported by The Oregonian. The Portland museum is looking for pathways to fund the projects if federal funding is discontinued. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This comes as Congress approaches a Friday deadline to approve funding and avoid a government shutdown. Oregon Attorney General issues guidelines for schools amid Trump admins DEI crackdown In light of the most recent information available, OMSI has made the decision to pause most OMSI-led federal grant related work starting on March 1. OMSIs teams will reassess the pause on federally funded projects beginning on March 14th when Congress either passes a Continuing Resolution or a budget to fund the federal government and more information is available, OMSI said in a statement. The paused projects are important to both OMSI and our partners with whom were working, and we truly hope our previously awarded funding is honored, OMSI continued. We are planning multiple scenarios and continuing to advance the initiatives funded by private philanthropy and our operations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DOGE cuts to USDA, Forest Service spark wildfire concerns in the Pacific Northwest The funding freeze was first announced in a January 27 memo from the Office of Management and Budget. The memo recieved pushback from lawmakers, including Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Attorney General Dan Rayfield, who said the funding freeze impacted programs such as Head Start, Medicaid, child support, domestic violence programs and law enforcement grants. The Trump administration previously said the freeze was necessary to ensure federal spending complied with recent executive orders signed by President Trump, as reported by The Associated Press, noting less than two days later, the administration rescinded the memo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Eye on Northwest Politics The federal funding freeze still faces challenges in federal court. On March 6, Rhode Island District Court Judge John McConnell granted a preliminary injunction, which extended a block against the federal funding freeze in a lawsuit brought by several attorneys general. The Executive has not pointed to any constitutional or statutory authority that would allow them to impose this type of categorical freeze, McConnell wrote in his ruling. The Court is not limiting the Executives discretion or micromanaging the administration of federal funds. Rather, consistent with the Constitution, statutes, and caselaw, the Court is simply holding that the Executives discretion to impose its own policy preferences on appropriated funds can be exercised only if it is authorized by the congressionally approved appropriations statutes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Washington D.C., U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan also extended an order blocking the federal funding freeze as requested by groups representing nonprofits and small businesses. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) One person was hit and injured by a car in Northwest Oklahoma City, police say. According to the Oklahoma City Police Department, crews responded to the area of NW 16th St. and Rockwell Ave. around midnight on Wednesday. LOCAL NEWS: Information is key: OSDH wont say where likely measles cases are in Oklahoma Upon arrival, officers learned one person had been struck by a vehicle. The driver of the vehicle took off shortly after. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is currently no description of the driver or vehicle. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital, but their current condition is unknown. Anyone with more information is asked to contact Oklahoma City Police. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) One person was killed in a single-vehicle wreck in Spartanburg County on Wednesday. According to Spartanburg County Coroners Office, just after midnight Wednesday, coroners were called to the scene of a crash in the Gramling community. South Carolina Highway Patrol said a 2005 Ford coupe was traveling west on U.S. Highway 176, when the driver of the car tried to evade law enforcement. The driver then went off the right side of the road, hitting a power pole. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials said Rickey Levi Hyder, 22, of Landrum, was pronounced dead at the scene. The wreck remains under investigation by the coroners office and state highway patrol. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. One small step for man, one giant addition to your treasure trove of collectibles. The only photo of Neil Armstrong on the moon is heading to auction next month via Bonhams. The sale, For All Mankind: The Artistic Legacy of Early Space Exploration, will include 449 other NASA photographssome of which are previously unknownfrom the collection of Victor Martin-Malburet, a space historian who uncovered some of the rare snapshots in archives and collections of former NASA engineers over 25 years. More from Robb Report Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Taken by Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon, the Armstrong photo shows the famed astronaut standing beside the Lunar Module Eagle, which is what took the crew into space on the Apollo 11 mission. Expected to fetch between $20,000 and $27,000, the image was discovered 17 years after the 1969 historic trip made Armstrong the first man to walk on the moon. The astronaut was also behind the camera on the Apollo 11 mission. The first snapshot Armstrong took on the lunar surface is also up for grabs in the auction, estimated to hammer down for between $7,600 and $11,000. After taking that famed first step, the astronaut was supposed to collect a contingency lunar sample in case of an emergency return, Bonhams says. Instead, Armstrong decided to take the first photo on the moon. The first photo taken by Armstrong on the moon. Another notable memento up for grabs is the first photograph of Earthrise, which is an image that shows both the Earth and part of the moons surface. Astronaut William Anders took the black-and-white snapshot during the Apollo 8 mission on Christmas Eve in December 1968; its expected to fetch anywhere from to $13,000 to $19,000. The Apollo astronauts captured humanitys greatest dream through their cameras, Sabine Cornette de Saint Cyr, head of the Bonhams sale, said in a press statement. Their photographs will forever symbolize the beginning of our expansion into the universe. Today, space exploration is once again a burning topic. It was only natural for Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr to present these undisputed masterpieces of the 20th century to collectors, as they continue to fascinate and enrich our imagination. The first Earthrise photograph, taken by William Anders Alongside these historic images, other space collectors items going under the hammer include the first selfie in space, taken by Buzz Aldrin on the 1966 Gemini 12 mission ($8,700 to $13,000); the first photograph taken in space by humans, which was captured by John Glenn during Friendship 7s first orbit in 1962 ($4,400 to $6,700); and the first snapshot of a human in space, taken by James McDivitt during the first American spacewalk on Gemini 4 ($1,600 to $2,200). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For All Mankind: The Artistic Legacy of Early Space Exploration will be held online from April 14 to 28 in Paris, so you wont have to wait long to hopefully add the memorabilia to your collection. You could take some stellar space photographs for yourself soon enough, thanks to an wide variety of space-tourism programs that are on the horizon. Virgin Galactics new six-person spacecraft is gearing up to take civilians to space in the fall of 2026, while Space Perspectives Spaceship Neptune balloon also hopes to have consumers hop aboard next year. And Jeff Bezoss Blue Origin also has its eyes set on the stars. Best get your camera ready, then. Sign up for RobbReports's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. State Rep. Brad Pollitt, a Sedalia Republican, presents a bill to the House Education Committee that would require the reporting of grade-level equivalence data on statewide assessments (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). Legislation that would allow students to enroll in neighboring school districts won approval from the Missouri House on Wednesday. The 88-69 vote saw 22 Republicans join with all but three Democrats in opposition. It now heads to the Missouri Senate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bills sponsor, Republican state Rep. Brad Pollitt of Sedalia, has filed the legislation for five years in a row. It narrowly passed the House four times but has never come to a vote in the Senate. Over the years, the bill has shifted with protections added, like a 3% cap on the number of students that may leave a school district each year. School districts may opt in to accept students, but schools do not have an option to restrict students from leaving. This bill has been vetted tighter than any other bill, Pollitt said during the debate Wednesday. Supporters of the legislation commended it as a solution to make public schools more competitive during times when programs that allow public funding for private schools are growing nationwide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Rep. John Black, a Marshfield Republican, said he is perplexed that any public-school advocate would oppose this bill. Black voted against a bill passed last year that boosted MOScholars, a tax credit program that diverts general fund dollars to pay for private school tuition. State Rep. Marlene Terry, a Democrat from St. Louis, also spoke in favor of the bill Wednesday. Last year, she broke from much of her party as a deciding vote in passing the MOScholars bill. She is grateful for her choice, she said, because a student from her district was able to attend the school of his choice. Terry became emotional, saying the boy recently died. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pass this bill, she said. Because you never know what might happen. Opponents say unpredictability is exactly why the bill shouldnt pass. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX State Rep. Kathy Steinhoff, a Columbia Democrat, said future legislative sessions could remove protections in the bill. We have no guarantees that next year bills wont come forward to remove the opt-in provision, or remove the 3%, she said. And these things could devastate our communities. She pointed to the legislation establishing MOScholars, which passed in 2021 and was expanded last year. The program was written to be funded by tax-credit-eligible donations, but Gov. Mike Kehoe proposed in his budget this year to give $50 million to the fund. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its not hard to see that were taking money from public schools, she said. Democrats in opposition asked for funding for public schools instead of open enrollment. We should be focusing on the issues where the students live, said State Rep. Raychel Proudie, a Democrat from Ferguson. If schools are marked as failing and students leave, it will hurt property values and further reduce the funding for public schools in the area because of the lower property tax revenue, she said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Marine veteran Stephen Lara lost his life savings in an instant while driving through the Great Basin Desert. He had done nothing wrong, but Nevada State Police stopped his rental car, grabbed his cash, and left him stranded on Interstate 80. People concerned about lazy government workers should watch the bodycam video. The agency sniffed out a potential payday and pursued the money with passion. Details like Laras innocence did not matter. What came next was civil forfeiture, a process that allows the government to keep seized property permanently without linking it to wrongdoing in criminal court. Most states do not even require an arrest or conviction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Speculation and innuendo can suffice, destroying the intent of the Fifth Amendment, which says no person shall be deprived of property without due process of law. Once civil forfeiture cases end, participating agencies can keep up to 100 percent of the proceeds for themselves. The result is an incentive to patrol for profit. One former police chief in Columbia, Mo., called the revenue pennies from heaven. Lara prefers a different description highway robbery. Congress can help end the legalized theft with the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration Act, a bipartisan measure that has been awaiting a vote since 2015. The current version, which the Senate reintroduced in January 2025, would protect property owners from the worst civil forfeiture abuses. States could continue to pursue forfeitures under state law, but people like Lara would benefit in one important way: this would end equitable sharing, a moneymaking program that Congress authorized decades ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The scheme is cynical. State and local agencies that want to bypass their own states civil forfeiture laws can hand seized property to the U.S. government for civil forfeiture under federal law. This switch almost never works to property owners advantage because Congress provides some of the weakest forfeiture safeguards in the nation. Property owners with strong protections in places like North Carolina and Missouri can suddenly find themselves exposed in federal court. Most property owners do not even make it that far. Once the U.S. Department of Justice gets involved, 93 percent of cases end administratively, meaning property owners never see a judge. Instead, their case is decided by the very federal agency trying to forfeit their property. State and local participants get up to 80 percent of the proceeds, like a kickback. In effect, the federal government pays them to circumvent their own states laws. This is what Nevada attempted with Lara. His ordeal started on Feb. 19, 2021, during a road trip from Texas to visit his two daughters in California. A state trooper started following Lara and pulled him over when he passed a slow-moving tanker truck. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lara remained polite and answered questions truthfully. When asked, he acknowledged the money in his trunk nearly $87,000. Carrying currency is legal, and Lara had bank receipts showing legitimate withdrawals. He just prefers cash, so he brought his savings with him. None of this had anything to do with the federal government. Yet the state transferred the money to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration anyway. Lara fought back on two fronts. He contested the civil forfeiture in federal court and got his money back eight months later. And he sued Nevada in state court for violating his rights. Our public interest law firm, the Institute for Justice, represents him. His state case remains open, but a ruling on Jan. 10, 2025, adds clarity on one point. The judge held that state police must follow state law. Agencies cannot skirt state laws by using equitable sharing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other states have reached similar conclusions legislatively. Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Maine, Maryland and Ohio along with Washington, D.C. have passed anti-circumvention laws that restrict equitable sharing. Elsewhere, the loophole remains open. Congress can close it with this bill, however, which would end equitable sharing nationwide. The measure would also eliminate the federal profit incentive by sending forfeiture proceeds to the general fund rather than letting law enforcement agencies keep the money. And the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration Act would end federal administrative forfeiture, ensuring the right to see a neutral judge instead of agency bureaucrats. Lara got none of these protections. Police and prosecutors abused him, and Congress helped them do it. Congress must pass this bill to protect property rights and prevent further abuses. Dan Alban is a senior attorney and co-director of the National Initiative to End Forfeiture Abuse at the Institute for Justice in Arlington, Va. Daryl James is an Institute for Justice writer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. From a fiscal conservatives perspective, its fair to say at this point that the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has done some really good work. Sure, DOGE has many critics, but so will anyone who roots out wasteful government programs and the more waste you root out, the more critics you will accumulate. A lot of people in Washington have a living because of wasteful programs. A lot of people make a lot of money off of those programs. But thats another story, for another day. Despite the headwinds, DOGEs work is still popular. A recent poll suggests that the general concept of an agency focused on efficiency is widely popular across all Americans. That is likely one of the reasons Trump focused, in his joint address to Congress last week, on programs that many people find wasteful. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And by focused, I dont mean that he just mentioned DOGEs work. He specifically identified no fewer than 19 programs that many Republicans (and probably some independents and even Democrats) would find problematic: millions for everything from diversity, equity and inclusion programs in Burma, to LGBTQI+ programs in Lesotho, to male circumcision in Mozambique. Lots of people dont like their tax money being spent on things like that. And some of the people who dont include sitting Republican members of Congress. And therein lies the problem that DOGE has created for the administration: now that DOGE has exposed all of this wasteful use of taxpayer dollars, how could any Republican member of Congress in good conscience, vote to continue the funding? Yet that is the task facing the Trump team this week as it attempts to rally support for a continuing resolution (CR) that funds the government for the remainder of the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When Congress is functioning correctly, it passes 12 individual spending bills for the various Cabinet departments, which then go to the president one-by-one for his signature (or veto). The idea is that, every year, Congress is supposed to look at the entire government, agency-by-agency, and program-by-program, and decide which to fund and at what level (or, rarely, to not fund.) But Congress hasnt been functioning correctly since 1997, the last time it passed all 12 spending bills. Sometimes Congress makes up for this dysfunction by passing so-called omnibus spending bills, which roll some or all 12 bills into one. If you were looking for something nice to say about them, it would be that at least omnibus bills do take an annual approach to spending. They set new spending levels and new priorities for the new fiscal year. That said, omnibus bills usually weigh in at several thousand pages and nobody even has time to read them before voting. As a result, government funds, and lawmakers vote for, a bunch of things that voters and lawmakers themselves probably wouldnt like if they found out about them. However, sometimes Congress cannot even accomplish that shortcut and instead funds the government through a continuing resolution. This type of legislation simply continues funding whatever was funded last year. There is generally no program-by-program or agency-by-agency review, or reprioritization of funding. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This means, among other things, that wasteful programs funded last year get funded again by default. That puts many Republican lawmakers in a tight spot. A continuing resolution now would extend the spending that was in place under the Biden administration, which includes extending the programs that DOGE has exposed. Yes, small tweaks can be made to the CR to try to extract the sort of programs that Trump identified in his speech. Even if that is accomplished, however, lawmakers are probably right to wonder what other embarrassments they are voting for that DOGE will find next week. Omnibus spending bills and continuing resolutions put lawmakers in an almost impossible situation. When Congress passes 12 appropriation bills, and a lawmaker doesnt like a particular item, he or she can vote against that specific funding but vote for the other 11 bills. But omnibus and continuing resolution bills are all-or-nothing. Lawmakers must either vote yes on everything or no on everything. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A yes vote may mean you are voting for voter confidence programs in Liberia or social cohesion in Mali. A no vote could lead to a government shutdown. Against that backdrop, then, a full-year continuing resolution is a heavy lift for the Trump team. They may yet get the full support they need from the Republicans on the Hill this week to pass it. But the excellent work that DOGE has been doing on exposing cringe-worthy spending has had the unintended consequence of making the task even more difficult than it otherwise would be. Mick Mulvaney, a former congressman from South Carolina, is a contributor to NewsNation. He served as director of the Office of Management and Budget, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and White House chief of staff under President Donald Trump. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Elon Musk called Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a decorated Navy combat pilot and former NASA astronaut, a traitor this week after the senator expressed support for Ukraine, the country the United States supported with money and weapons after Russias 2022 invasion. Just left Ukraine, Kelly posted to X. What I saw proved to me we cant give up on the Ukrainian people. Everyone wants this war to end, but any agreement has to protect Ukraines security and cant be a giveaway to Putin. This was recently the policy of the U.S. government, and though tempers have since cooled after President Donald Trumps and Vice President JD Vances Oval Office meltdown with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy two weeks ago, our steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression is effectively over. But to MAGAs biggest financial booster and cultural icon, Kellys support for Ukraine and opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin make him a traitor to his nation. Some might argue against taking Musk seriously, but theres something happening here. Musk, Trump and their foot soldiers at the levers of power are categorizing Americans as either loyal or the enemy, and Musk is putting a decorated veteran and U.S. senator in that second category. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musk sees Ukraine as Americas adversary, and the self-described freethinker wants Americans to think the same way he does. Yes, Musk, whos on pace to publish over 500 posts just this week, is a relentless poster whos susceptible to conspiracy theories and regularly impugns peoples reputations with factually suspect incendiary name-calling. (He also told Joe Rogan last week that the fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.) But its fair to say that the special government employee who frequently addresses the media alongside the president and has an office in the White House speaks for the Trump administration. And in 2024, candidate Trump made no secret that he intended to root out and punish enemies within the United States. In 2025, any Trump apologist still clinging to the claim that Trumps words should be taken seriously, not literally, should literally not be considered a serious person. The same goes for Musk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After X had an outage Monday, Musk told Fox Business Network that there was a massive cyberattack to try to bring down the ecosystem with IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area. (Politico reported Tuesday, A pro-Palestinian group called Dark Storm claimed responsibility for the attack on its Telegram channel, but no one has yet been able to confirm the groups claim, and it appears the groups most recent channels have been removed.) The latest group added to Trumps and Musks supposed enemy class are Americans protesting outside Tesla dealerships. Citing no evidence, Musk claimed in a post on X, An investigation has found 5 ActBlue-funded groups responsible for Tesla protests. He then listed five of ActBlues funders all of them Jewish, two of them dead, one of them the bogeyman of the far-right, George Soros. Putting aside all of Musks innuendo and conjecture, ActBlues business doesnt directly fund or organize protests, though it facilitates payments to left-of-center groups that do. But in case it wasnt obvious, facts are beside the point. Musk is signaling to his 218 million X followers that shadowy anti-American Americans are astroturfing protests against him a truly great American, as Trump called him. The populist president and Musk held an impromptu Tesla car show in front of the White House on Tuesday after Trump posted on Truth Social, Im going to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Musk. Blaming radical left lunatics who illegally and collusively are boycotting Tesla, Trump also hinted that hed be open to charging anyone who commits violence against a Tesla dealership with domestic terrorism which, it should be noted, isnt a crime currently defined by federal law. What kind of action would justify this charge? Arson? Graffiti? Blocking the entrance? Boycotts? The answer is most likely whatever Trump says it is. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Musks legally questionable Department of Government Efficiencys recklessly dismantling government agencies, ending vital programs and putting tens of thousands of people out of work while his companies have reaped billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded subsidies couldnt possibly be a factor in organic rising dissent. To Musk and Trump, a nefarious, traitorous conspiracy must be afoot. A lot has happened since Trump took office Jan. 20, but this would be a good moment to remind readers that the president pardoned more than 1,000 Jan. 6 rioters, including those who viciously beat police officers, chanted their intention to murder Vice President Mike Pence and screamed Wheres Nancy [Pelosi]? carried Confederate flags and, worse, wore Camp Auschwitz shirts. He even pardoned people convicted of seditious conspiracy. As Trump sees it, sacking the Capitol in the attempt to overturn a free and fair election earns you freedom and presidential accolades, while vandalizing or disrupting a Tesla dealership could get you imprisoned as a terrorist. Were also seeing this week that terrorism can be defined as whatever Trump says it is (to be sure, all presidents do this), as in the case of Immigration and Customs Enforcements arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent U.S. resident and the spouse of a U.S. citizen. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the arrest Tuesday, saying, Under the immigration and nationality act, the secretary of state has the right to revoke a green card or a visa for individuals who are adversarial to the foreign policy and national security interests of the USA. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At this point, its not clear whether courts will accept the Trump administrations argument that Khalils involvement with a group that expresses support for Hamas murderous Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel constitutes material support for terrorism or whether the administration has any evidence directly linking Khalil to any violence or harassment on Columbia Universitys campus. (Indeed, a White House official admitted to the Free Press, The allegation here is not that he was breaking the law.) But what is clear is that two months ago, Musks position on Ukraine would be considered adversarial to the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States. If thats the standard to kick foreign-born people out of the country, its a dangerously vague and nebulous one. Youll give yourself a headache if you try to find ideological or ethical consistency in Musks and Trumps philosophies. Despite copious evidence to the contrary, they both ridiculously claim to be hard-core free speech supporters. Free speech advocates hold the principled position that short of some narrowly defined exceptions, bad speech is still free speech. But MAGAs rules about what constitutes free speech or hate speech and what makes a real American or a traitor are being revised in real time. We should take them seriously and literally that theirs is a zero-sum game. Free speech is whatever they say it is and isnt. Dissent is disloyalty to the nation. And youre either with them or youre the enemy. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com As a small nonprofit, The Policy Project recognizes policy as an incredible tool to do widespread, upstream good. And we bit off a huge task this year creating a statewide policy to address hunger in the 2025 Utah legislative session. Specifically, the hunger of students. Hunger is a pervasive issue globally and one thats difficult to solve, given the nature of bodies and the constant demand every human has for energy and calories to survive and thrive. Gratefully, Utah has lower poverty rates than most states, and hunger is not as prevalent as other places. Still, 1 in 6 children here is hungry . Thats 1 in 6 too many. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Going into the legislative session, we knew money was tight, and there were a lot of good bills that would be seeking funding. Having the right bill sponsor would be critical someone who understands the reality of the incredible good in Utah, its robust economy and strong families, but has also seen the hidden things. The things we dont like to highlight. Things like families who work multiple jobs and still come up short. Things like parents who arent able to fully care for children because of health issues, addiction or a myriad of other things. And things like kids, who cant pay attention in class because their stomachs are pained with hunger. Enter Rep. Tyler Clancy . When I first spoke to Clancy about his passion for alleviating child hunger, he told me stories from his real job as a police officer in Provo. Clancy witnessed firsthand the hidden struggles families face none more heartbreaking than child hunger. Responding to calls across the city, he saw hunger in motel rooms, in apartments, in schools. It wasnt just a background issue it was woven into nearly every crisis he encountered. One morning before leaving the scene of a call, Clancy asked if he could do anything for the children present. Their request was simple: a ride to school and something to eat. Something to eat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those words stuck with him. He couldnt shake the realization that hunger was a daily reality for so many kids in his community. He saw it over and over again children going without meals, struggling to focus in school, caught in situations beyond their control. And once he had seen it, he knew he had to do something about it. Thus the birth, and passage, of Utah House Bill 100 Food Security Amendments . The bill has passed the House. It passed the Senate and is waiting only for the signature of a supportive Gov. Cox. HB100 was crafted with the intent of targeting kids who need it desperately. Kids from families who are employed, and who do not qualify for any type of federal government assistance such as SNAP or TANF . Theyre the families we want to continue to lift toward the middle class, instead of letting them slip into poverty. HB100 will ensure that their kids, who currently qualify for reduced cost lunch at school, now receive lunch at no cost. This small step alone can reduce grocery bills for households with children by as much as 19%. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill also addresses important issues around shame and stigma preventing schools from creating markers for students who receive free lunch, like a different color tray from their peers. It also encourages schools to create share tables and ensure 15 minutes of seated eating time in order to limit food waste. No policy is perfect, nor can a single policy solve every problem. HB100 will not save all the kids in the state. It will not fix hunger during the summer or when kids are home over the weekend. And, unfortunately, it most definitely will not change life for children like Gavin Peterson, whose parents and guardians use starvation as a tool to abuse and torture them. There has been some confusion around that point. A recent article claimed that Clancy said Gavin Petersons death paved the way for this bill. It did not. HB100, as directed by Clancy, is intentionally broad and wont address such cases, whereas Senate Bill 24 Child Abuse and Torture Amendments does address such scenarios and thankfully passed. HB100 is an incredible step toward solving hunger for our students in need. This bill targets 40,000 children from families who work hard to provide, and find themselves coming up short. These children all children deserve to eat. It prevents 200,000 students from experiencing stigma related to receiving free meals. And it aims to reduce food waste for 675,000 students . Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement HB100 alone will not solve hunger in Utah. But it will ensure that those kids who need it most, in every corner of the state, have access to consistent food. Hungry kids cant learn, but fed kids can. We are incredibly grateful to the Utah Legislature for recognizing this need and for standing up for Utahs most vulnerable its children. Colorectal cancer was once considered a disease of older adults. Not anymore. As gastroenterologists from two different Utah health care systems University of Utah Health and Intermountain Health weve seen firsthand how the face of this disease is changing. Patients coming through our doors arent just in their 50s or 60s theyre in their 30s and 40s. Some are even younger. Were now seeing precancerous polyps in patients as young as their 30s something that was far less common during our GI fellowship training. In fact, many younger adults likely already have polyps by the time they undergo a colonoscopy for symptoms. This stark reality underscores the urgency of earlier screening and awareness. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The statistics are alarming. Cases of colorectal cancer in adults under 50 have risen nearly 50% in the past two decades. Many of these patients have no family history and no idea theyre at risk. Too often, young adults with mild symptoms like rectal bleeding assume its just hemorrhoids. They delay seeking care, trying home remedies first. By the time they undergo a full evaluation, some are diagnosed with advanced colon cancer. We need to change that pattern by making it easier and safer for patients to speak up about symptoms sooner. We think about the young mothers who are now being treated. One woman was diagnosed shortly after giving birth. She had no family history, no reason to suspect colon cancer and yet, there she was, holding her newborn, facing a devastating diagnosis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These stories are becoming too common. We cannot let this continue. Awareness is our first line of defense. Screening guidelines have already changed the recommended age to start screening is now 45, down from 50. But many people still dont know. Every week, we remind patients: Screening starts at 45. Too many still think its 50. This misconception is costing lives. Unlike many other cancers, colorectal cancer is often preventable. When we detect and remove precancerous polyps early, we stop cancer before it starts. Screening can also catch cancer at an early, curable stage. But if patients dont know they need to be screened or if they ignore warning signs we lose that opportunity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Too many people assume theyre too young for colon cancer. Even when they do speak up, some doctors dismiss their concerns. Its time to change that mindset. What you need to know and do: If you have symptoms like rectal bleeding, unexplained weight loss or persistent changes in bowel habits speak up. If youre a doctor listen. If you see blood in your stool, dont assume its hemorrhoids. Tell your doctor. Advocate for yourself. Dr. Tae Kim, a colorectal surgeon at Intermountain LDS Hospital, explains the new 3D modeling program to media, while his recent patient, Tom Evans, listens during a press conference announcing Intermountain Health as the first health system in the nation to use a new innovative tool that uses a 3D computer model to guide surgeons during robotic rectal cancer surgery at Intermountain LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City on Monday, July 22, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Screening is our best tool, but we must also make it more accessible. Utah ranks near the bottom in the country for primary care access, and some rural communities have screening rates as low as 35%. Nationally, we set a goal to reach 80% screening by 2018, but were still falling short. In some areas, rates are even declining. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The good news? There are options. Some people hesitate to get screened because they dont want a colonoscopy. But stool-based tests, like the FIT test, are also effective. For many, theyre a great alternative. The research is clear when people are offered both options, more of them get screened. Despite working in different health care systems, weve come together through Screen Utah, a statewide initiative facilitated by the One Utah Health Collaborative. This effort brings health care leaders and organizations together to expand access, increase awareness and make screening a priority in every community. At the end of the day, our message is simple: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If youre 45 or older, get screened. If you have symptoms, speak up. If youre a doctor, listen. Weve seen too many lives changed too many young patients diagnosed too late. Colorectal cancer is preventable, but only if we catch it in time. The Trump administration recently announced its intention to pull $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University. Details have yet to be provided, but it is anticipated that funding will be taken from multiple departments, including funds for ongoing scientific and medical research. Nine other universities are also under investigation. Columbia, however, was the only university under investigation by three separate government agencies: the Departments of Justice, Education and Health and Human Services. The ostensible justification for the withdrawal of funds is Columbias failure to adequately address antisemitism and to protect Jewish students and faculty in the wake of pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas demonstrations on campus sparked by the Gaza War. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Already on Oct. 7, 2023 the day of the Hamas massacres in southern Israel Columbias campus was beset with chants of From the river to sea. Students and professors alike spoke out in praise of Hamas. Months of protests ensued. Columbias main quads were occupied, as was venerable Hamilton Hall, the site of student takeovers in the 1960s, protesting the Vietnam War. Commencement ceremonies in May 2024 were cancelled due to the protests. More recently, the library at Barnard College (a Columbia affiliate) was occupied by pro-Palestinian demonstrators. It is beyond dispute that Jewish students were harassed last year at Columbia, many made to feel unsafe and unwelcome. Similar sentiments were expressed by those who lived in the universitys Morningside Heights neighborhood. It is also beyond dispute that the protestors were supported by outside organizations and that many in the protest encampments were not Columbia students. Claims of outside agitators are eerily reminiscent of opponents of the Civil Rights movement. But the reported evidence is that significant numbers of people arrested at campus protests were not connected to the university. At Columbia, the New York Police Department estimated that 29 percent of those arrested during the protests were not affiliated with the school, and at the City College of New York the figure was 60 percent. Sanctioning Columbia or other schools for a spineless response to antisemitism is subterfuge and must be seen as such. The Trump administrations actions are part of a concerted assault on key institutions critical to the functioning of government and democracy and, without being hyperbolic, what had been an American way of life. From the National Park Service to the Veterans Administration to the National Institutes of Health to the FBI to the Centers for Disease Control to the intelligence community to siding with Putin over NATO, Columbia is an another incident in the Trump administrations rapid-fire offensive against American institutions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Antisemitism at Columbia and elsewhere is real, but let us recall that Trump dined at Mar-a-Lago with the prominent Holocaust denier and antisemite Nick Fuentes, who was a guest of Kanye West, a self-professed Nazi who recently sold T-shirts emblazoned with a swastika. Jewish students and Muslim students at Columbia are entitled to attend school without fear and harassment. At the same time, all students are entitled to protest lawfully without harassing or being harassed, and without disrupting the functioning of the university. All students are entitled to attend classes without disruption and harassment. Further, residents of the area must also be free to live without fear of the protests and the protesters. On many of these points, Columbia failed last year. But the university took its obligations seriously. Columbia examined its responses to antisemitism and published two substantial reports on them, which included finding an urgent need to reshape everyday social norms across the campuses of Columbia University and that the problems we found are serious and pervasive. So what is the real motive here? Is this a precursor to defund universities for teaching evolutionary biology? Or for teaching climate science? Or to defund a university because its hospital center performed an abortion to save the life of a mother? Or to defund a university because of protests against the Trump administration a thought that is clearly not beyond the pale? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the proverbial slippery slope. So I say to all who are pleased about the Columbia sanctions, be careful what you wish for because it will come back around in ways you cannot even imagine. Today it is ostensibly to combat antisemitism. Tomorrow it may be to combat science or even the right to protest. Beware. Jonathan D. Strum is an international lawyer and businessman based in Washington and the Middle East. From 1991 to 2005, he was an adjunct professor of Israeli law at Georgetown University Law Center. From 2015 to 2020, he was general counsel to a graduate school focused on national security in Washington. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Since the 1990s, threats to shut down the federal government have come almost entirely from congressional Republicans. Time and again, House Democrats have provided the votes needed to avert a shutdown crisis. But on Tuesday that script flipped, and only one Democrat voted for the short-term funding bill that would prevent the government from closing at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Every other Democrat voted against it. Contrary to what House Republicans insisted while defending the 99-page bill, which passed by a vote of 217-213, the measure isnt by any means a simple resolution to keep the government open. Instead, the bill manages to give away Congress power to President Donald Trump both explicitly and implicitly, throwing the balance of powers even further out of whack. Even if it means prompting a shutdown, Senate Democrats should hold the line against its becoming law. In an appearance on NBC News Meet the Press this month, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called for a short-term bill to freeze funding at current levels, to make sure that the government can stay open while we begin to incorporate all these savings that were finding through the DOGE effort and these other sources of revenue that President Trumps policies are bringing to the table. Johnson packed a lot of misdirection into that statement, including implying that the bill up for debate would, as most continuing resolutions do, simply preserve the status quo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its true that the GOP bill would fund the federal government through the end of September with about the same amount of overall spending as in the previous fiscal years appropriations. All told, theres a dip of about $7 billion in the total, but even that topline number doesnt fully explain how this bill fails to be what legislators call a clean CR. Rather than keep spending level across, the bill would reduce funding for nonmilitary spending by billions while boosting spending for defense spending and border enforcement. The legislation would slash more than $1.4 billion from programs in the departments of Labor, Education and Health and Human Services. Another $560 million would be stripped from the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, while $1.42 billion would be added to the Department of Homeland Securitys budget. Troublingly, Republicans also inserted language into the special rule that set up Tuesdays vote. Entirely violating the laws of physics, as Congress often does in figuring out what counts as a day, the rule states that each day for the remainder of the first session of the 119th Congress shall not constitute a calendar day for purposes of section 202 of the National Emergencies Act ... with respect to a joint resolution terminating the supposed economic emergency Trump announced in February. Its that order that allows him to keep yo-yoing over tariffs on Mexico and Canada, and in effect the GOP is giving up the ability to turn off that power. As unfortunate as all those provisions are, that wasnt the line in the sand for House Democrats. Instead, they objected to the Republicans refusal to include language that would explicitly require Trump to spend the funds that Congress has passed in the short-term bill. Such language shouldnt be necessary, as the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 bars presidents from withholding funding that Congress has appropriated because they disagree about the policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration has been clear that it considers the Impoundment Control Act unconstitutional and hasnt been subtle in the ways it has tried to challenge it. Democrats, legal experts and advocates have accused billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency of outright violating the law with their spending cuts even as the contracts theyve canceled have shown negligible savings. The Office of Management and Budget rescinded its total funding freeze order that was the most direct challenge to Congress spending power but even so, it ordered agency heads to continue to root out programs that the White House feels should be choked of funding. In trying to rally archconservative House Republicans, who normally are loath to support continuing resolutions, Vice President JD Vance reportedly told members that the White House would simply not follow the bills spending instructions. Doing so would also give swing-district GOP members a chance to foist any blame for pain from those illegal spending cuts on the White House. In the end, through a major push involving calls from Trump himself, only one House Republican ended up voting against passing the bill. Pushing members of Congress to publicly support a bill the White House promises not to follow is a gross bait-and-switch that transforms appropriations from law into mere guidance. Democrats want to forestall that with a provision that asserts the power of the purse in a way that would make it hard for courts that hear lawsuits over DOGEs cuts to ignore. That may sound like wishful thinking, but as legal analyst Chris Geidner has noted, the White House hasnt blatantly ignored the courts yet. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who has written several opinions that urge clearer legislative instructions for the executive, would be hard-pressed to find a reason to side with Trump against such specific language from Congress. The GOP has set a trap for Senate Democrats, as New York Magazines Ed Kilgore put it: vote for a continuing resolution they dont like or be blamed by Republicans (hypocritically so) for causing a government shutdown. NBC News reported Tuesday that several moderate Democratic senators were watching the House vote to see whether they have any political cover to vote in favor of the short-term bill. But despite being taunted and mocked by Republicans who accused them of supporting a shutdown, House Democrats remained united, save one crossover vote from conservative Democrat Dan Golden of Maine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its now up to Senate Democrats to hold the line and oppose the GOPs turning the Treasury into a slush fund for the Trump administration. I dont advocate for a filibuster lightly. But with the Constitution under attack, Democrats should use it as a weapon. And they should explain to the American people that, as the Constitution makes clear, the decision on how to spend their tax dollars should remain with the Congress theyve elected, not with the president and certainly not with an unelected and uninformed billionaire-turned-bureaucrat looking for things to destroy. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com The 2025 legislative session concluded Friday evening. (Frank won multiple friendly bets that lawmakers would end at midnight despite their promises of an early departure.) Since your columnists witnessed the final bang of the gavel, we offer our tired, first-hand observations. Political battles were fought and passionate speeches delivered. Now that the dust has settled over the legislative session, what were the highlights and how will Utahns be impacted by what did or didnt pass? COWLEY & PIGNANELLI: Utahs 2025 political ironman known as the legislative session is in the books. Successful legislation is now being gussied up for the governor to review and sign. But parts of the Capitol resemble a crypt where ghosts of bills that didnt pass haunt the hallways. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every Utahn (now the required spelling for those in the Beehive state) was impacted by legislation, especially how and what we drink. No more fluoridated water. Soft drinks may no longer be purchased with food stamps. The annual alcohol legislation is usually uncontroversial because it was vetted for months behind the scenes, yet this year it passed only in the final hours. Bartenders can now test the quality of drinks by using the straw test. (Frank assures us he does his own testing, usually by gulping.) Lawmakers awaited the final revenue estimates before taking a paring knife to taxes rather than an axe like they wanted to. This spurred intra- and inter-party disputes. However, Utah individuals, families and businesses will benefit from a lower income tax of 4.5%, down from 4.55%. Social Security recipients who make less than $90,000 will be relieved from any income tax obligations. This was to be the year of energy, and there were plenty of energetic deliberations surrounding policies to reverse the trend of Utah importing power. The current electrical provider, Rocky Mountain Power, fought hard to protect its interests. Observers noted that the ultimate policy decisions were less monumental than some predicted, but still significant. Thus, the remaining arguments, especially around renewable sources, will be fodder for discussions into the summer and next session. Although they were quiet about their intentions prior to the session, lawmakers eventually revealed dramatic legislation to overhaul how judges are reviewed and retained. This led to a massive exchange of emails and discussions amongst Utahs legal community. Even Chief Justice Matthew Durrant, in an unusual move, sent a letter to lawmakers expressing concern. Eventually, both sides made some concessions and agreed to work on expanding the current system of judicial evaluations. This tension between the branches of government was a natural dynamic of pressure testing checks and balances. The outcome will likely foster better communications. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Legislature went until midnight the last night. Were there any last-minute surprises or drama? COWLEY & PIGNANELLI: Though the feud between Sen. Daniel Thatcher and Senate Republicans was brewing for years, his surprising announcement of switching allegiances from Republican to the Utah Forward Party dominated hallway conversations on Friday. Budget disagreements between State Auditor Tina Cannon and legislative leadership temporarily placed the auditors office location into question. Female lawmakers and activists rallied support behind the first female auditor, and on the final day, a truce was reached. The decision for her to remain in her current digs achieved the constitutional requirements of the auditor to save money by avoiding moving expenses such as redecorating and ordering new stationery. Election reform was in flux all session long and the final bill passed less than an hour before adjournment. Over the next four years, ballots will be mailed only to voters who indicate their desire to continue performing their civic duty from the comfort of their kitchen tables, swaddled in bathrobes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now that the session is over, what will be the focus of many politicos? COWLEY & PIGNANELLI: The UEA and several employee associations are set to engage in one of the toughest political efforts mounting a successful statewide referendum to repeal legislation banning unions from collective bargaining with government employers. They must gather over 140,000 valid signatures in just 40 days while satisfying a threshold in a proportionate number of Senate districts. The sheer scale of constructing a campaign this size is daunting, but having a truncated timeline immediately after the session only increases the political drama. The task before them is challenging. Yet, the UEA successfully qualified for the ballot to reverse school vouchers in 2007. Can they do it again, this time under more demanding referendum requirements? We have a friendly wager on the outcome. Select advocates, special interest groups and lobbyists whose pleas were unsuccessful with the Legislature now have another bite at the apple with the executive branch. They have 20 days after adjournment to make their case. The biggest question on our minds is whether or not this will be the year the governor doesnt veto a bill sponsored by his brother-in-law, Sen. Mike McKell. As for your two humble columnists, we have big plans to occupy our now empty schedules. Renae will be busy readying her rodeo plans for the summer while Frank anxiously awaits sitting on the patio, listening to opera and imbibing without a straw. UPDATE (March 12, 2025, 5:52 p.m. ET): U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell on Wednesday blocked portions of President Donald Trumps executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie, asserting that the firm met its burden for a temporary restraining order, NBC News reported. We have a lot of law firms that were going to be going after, President Donald Trump told Fox News on Sunday, because they were very dishonest people. His administration has already singled out two large law firms, Perkins Coie and Covington & Burling, for retribution. Last week, the president issued an executive order that banned the government from hiring Perkins Coie, prohibited working with contractors who use the firm and suspended the security clearances of all its lawyers. That order came two weeks after an order that terminated government agencies work with Covington & Burling and suspended security clearances for some of its attorneys. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elite firms like Perkins Coie and Covington & Burling are hardly hotbeds of radicalism. So what offenses, then, have they allegedly committed? Perkins Coie was guilty of undermining democratic elections a reference not to the efforts of Trumps lawyers after the 2020 presidential election but to the firms representation of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election and handling cases to promote voting rights. As for Covington & Burling, the pretext is even flimsier. Trump retaliated against the firm because it provided legal aid to former special counsel Jack Smith against efforts of the Trump administration to target him. In response, Perkins Coie has done what many who are challenging the administrations sweeping efforts against perceived enemies have done: It has lawyered up. This week, Perkins Coie hired another elite law firm Williams & Connolly and sued the administration over the executive order. Trumps tangles with the legal profession as president go back to the very start of his first administration. One of the earliest acts of his first term was to impose a ban on people from predominantly Arab and Muslim countries seeking to travel to the United States. When this affected people already on their way to the United States, lawyers flocked to airports across the country to provide legal assistance to those who might seek to challenge the ban. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Time and time again in Trumps first term, lawyers and the legal system stood in the way of many things his administration tried to do. Most notably, they served as a check on the unlawful efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the presidents unconstitutional attempt to remain in power, including the violence of Jan. 6, 2021. That campaign abetted by a few lawyers but also resisted even by some within his administration sought to destroy the peaceful transfer of power and served as an egregious and blatant affront to the rule of law. While Trump was out of power, lawyers secured hundreds of millions of dollars in civil judgments against him, as well as convictions on 34 felony counts from a jury in New York. Throughout these legal proceedings, Trump routinely ranted about the lawyers and judges who were being unfair to him. In the presidents second term, Trump and allies like Elon Musk have largely taken a proverbial chain saw to much of the government. But in striking back against the legal profession, many of the Trump administrations actions have been more surgical. In addition to the actions and threatened actions against private law firms, his supporters have purged the Justice Department of lawyers who worked on Jan. 6 investigation. The departments leadership directed the firing of anyone who would not take action to withdraw the case against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Musk, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and other Republicans have called for the impeachment of judges who have issued rulings against the Trump administration. And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the leading judge advocate general lawyers in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. Why take that last action? As law professor Rosa Brooks wrote, Its what you do when youre planning to break the law: you get rid of any lawyers who might try to slow you down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At least one law school has already drawn fire from one of Trumps most eager acolytes. Ed Martin, the acting U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., told Georgetown University last week that his office would not hire graduates of this top-ranked school until it stopped teaching its students about the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion. As Georgetown Law Dean William M. Treanor noted in his response to Martin, those principles reflect the schools Jesuit mission and the Supreme Court has continually affirmed that among the freedoms central to a universitys First Amendment rights are its abilities to determine, on academic grounds, who may teach, what to teach, and how to teach it. Particularly heartless is the Trump administrations attack on lawyers who are engaged in public service, either serving in government or providing free legal assistance to low-income and marginalized communities. One of Trumps most recent executive orders purports to scale back the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, a popular initiative started during George W. Bushs administration that provides relatively modest financial support for lawyers who go into public service jobs and earn small fractions of what they could make in private law firms. In waging this multifront assault, Trump and his allies undoubtedly hoped to cow the legal community. Instead, they are finding, just as they did in their unsuccessful efforts to overturn the 2020 election, that members of the legal profession, both inside and outside his administration, are largely refusing to bend to such acts of intimidation. But it will take a concerted effort across all corners of the legal system to continue the resistance to these threats. The entire legal community must remain steadfast in its support of those who hold fast to the rule of law. Remember, lawyers also take an oath to uphold the Constitution, not the whims of a vindictive president. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Many of Americas global competitors and adversaries are no doubt cheering President Donald Trumps plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. They know that countries who out-educate the rest of the world will out-compete it. And now brand new Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Trump want to neuter, if not completely shutter, the entity that helps give all children in the United States access to the great public school education they deserve. On Tuesday, the department announced plans to cut nearly half of its staff. McMahon says these catastrophic firings, alongside hundreds of so-called "buyouts," are about "efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers. The reality is far more cowardly. The president claims he wants the states to run education but states and local school districts already operate schools and make curriculum decisions. Nobody wants that to stop. Similarly, nobody wants more red tape or unnecessary, inefficient bureaucracy. But here, too, there are ways to achieve efficiency without betraying the promises made to Americas children. The department in its modern form was established by Congress in 1979 to level up access to education, to help working families pay for college, to boost student achievement and to pave pathways to good middle-class jobs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to its 2025 fiscal year budget summary, department grants help close to 26 million children from poor families get extra support to reach their full potential. It helps meet the individual needs of around 7.5 million children with disabilities. It provided tens of millions to help the over 5 million English learners in U.S. classrooms improve their proficiency and assimilate into our communities. And it provided nearly 9 million students with the financial aid they need to attend college or trade programs, including work-study programs. Why would anyone allow Elon Musk to steal that money, which Congress appropriated for children, to pay for tax breaks for the rich and corporations? Indeed, much of the departments total annual budget helps Americans trying to secure a college education. Why does Trump want to make it even harder for the children of low-income and middle-class families to cover skyrocketing college and university costs? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A gutted department would mean fewer teachers, more crowded classrooms and increased mental health and behavioral challenges for students. Wed most likely see increased absenteeism and decreased graduation rates. Fewer students would be able to obtain the degrees or credentials they need for well-paying jobs, meaning more students would have to settle for low-wage work or simply drop out of the workforce. And many cities and states would have to increase school budgets to make up for these cuts, resulting in higher state and local taxes. Instead, this move sends a clear message that, in Trumps America, only kids from wealthy families are entitled to opportunity. How does that help make America great? Of course, opportunity comes in many forms. The world is a complicated place, and we need to prepare students for an increasingly complicated workforce. And yet, just days after the president signed a proclamation declaring February Career and Technical Education Month, Career and Technical Education, or CTE, programs are on the chopping block. Secretary McMahon and I agree that high school cant just be college prep. We both back the engaged, hands-on learning that students receive through CTE. We both believe in the Swiss apprenticeship program I had the honor of visiting last month. In the United States and Switzerland, students graduate from CTE programs ranging from construction and plumbing to manufacturing and health care with the skills, credentials and real-world experiences they need to secure good jobs, often right in their backyards. Apprenticeship Programs are a pathway to successful careers. Switzerland provides a model the rest of the world can adapt. They employ Apprentices in 230 Occupations and most of their CEOs were Apprentices.#AmericaFirst #SkillsForLife pic.twitter.com/SDAhX9vLkx Linda McMahon (@Linda_McMahon) November 19, 2024 I taught in a CTE high school and saw firsthand the potential of these programs, but states dont have the resources to scale such transformational pathways alone. The federal government should and could turbocharge CTE to support millions of future electricians, EMTs, coders, plumbers, automotive technicians, early childhood educators and workers in countless other professions. But that wont happen if Trump eliminates the department. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These changes will inflict tremendous harm on kids futures. If Trump follows through with an eventual executive order demolishing the department, his actions may also be illegal. Im a civics teacher and a lawyer, so heres a bit of Civics 101: Congress created the Department of Education, and only Congress can abolish it. Neither the president nor Musk has the right to appropriate or eliminate funds or ax entire federal departments only Congress does. Many legal experts agree with me. The American people did not vote for chaotic and reckless attacks on public schools. Even in Nebraska and Kentucky, states that Trump won overwhelmingly, voters rejected, en masse, measures to defund and privatize their public schools. Ironically, the funds Musk wants to take away go disproportionately to supporting children in rural red states. My union will continue to fight to protect our kids and to fund their future, because it is both the smart and the right thing to do. Last Tuesday, we held over 100 events across the country to protect our kids. Diverting billions from our children to pay for tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy is a callous decision that short-changes everyone. If we want to engage kids, if we want America to be a nation of explorers, builders, innovators [and] entrepreneurs, as Trump said in his inaugural address, then logically it follows that we should be investing more in education, not less. The dreams of millions of kids, and the promise of America, depend on it. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Just a few months after the U.S. dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, it began trying to abolish these horrifying new weapons. In 1946, the U.S. government proposed decommissioning all of its atomic bombs and putting the related technology under international control if other states would do the same. (The Soviets refused.) A few years later, President Dwight Eisenhower went to the United Nations to deliver his famous his Atoms for Peace speech, imploring other countries not to go down the nuclear road. To strengthen its case, the United States offered its Cold War allies a deal: it would use its arsenal to deter their shared enemies, so that other members of what was then called the Free World wouldnt need to build their own bombs. To sweeten the bargain, the U.S. offered to help friendly states develop civilian nuclear energy programs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This arrangement was formalized in 1970 with the creation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Under that agreement, countries that already had nuclear weapons the U.S., the USSR, the United Kingdom, France and China got to keep them, but all other signatories pledged to give up their pursuit. This U.S.-led system for preventing proliferation worked remarkably well. In the last six decades, only four additional countries (Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea) have developed full-fledged nuclear weapons, although a few others (notably Iran) have come close. Even more importantly, in the 80 years since the U.S. attacks on Japan, no other country has used a nuclear weapon in war. Yet that remarkable record could soon be broken and all progress lost. With the U.S. pausing assistance to Ukraine, threatening to abandon NATO unless other members raise their defense spending to 5 percent of GDP (the current U.S. level is 3.5 percent), and walking back its pledges to protect other allies, countries around the world are suddenly scrambling to come up with alternatives. It may be only a matter of time before some of them decide to pursue the ultimate defense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The signs of this shift are already appearing. Last week, French President Emanuel Macron declaring, I want to believe that the United States will remain by our side, but we need to be ready if that were no longer the case offered to extend Frances nuclear umbrella over its neighbors. While Macrons desire to dissuade other European states from going nuclear is laudable, he is unlikely to succeed. For one thing, Paris has proposed this before, in 2020, and it didnt go anywhere. The other, more fundamental problem is that recent developments highlight the danger of relying on any another country, be it the U.S. or France, for ones own security. That is, after all, exactly what Ukraine did in 1994. In exchange for security guarantees from Washington, London and Moscow, Kyiv gave up the nukes it had inherited from the Soviet Union. We all know how that turned out following one invasion in 2014 and another in 2022, Russia now controls about 18 percent of Ukraines territory, and Washington has just suspended military and intelligence support to Ukraine. Imagine youre watching this from Japan or South Korea, which have aggressive, nuclear-armed neighbors and are themselves threshold nuclear powers meaning they lack the bomb but have the technology, know-how and material to assemble one quickly if they choose to. Or pretend youre another country with a less-advanced domestic nuclear program but the bad luck to live in a very dangerous neighborhood Eastern Europe, say. Why wouldnt you decide that now is the time to quickly start building a bomb of your own? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, thats just what Polands President Donald Tusk suggested doing in a speech to his parliament on Friday. For most countries, the calculus is not be simple. Nuclear weapons are incredibly dangerous and very unpopular. Theres a powerful taboo against acquiring them, let alone contemplating their use. Getting caught developing them can trigger international pressure, sanctions and ostracization. Some countries, like Germany, have the capacity to quickly build a bomb but probably never will for historical reasons. And some scholars question whether nukes are even that effective at protecting the states that possess them. Its true that in a few cases (Israel and Pakistan) nuclear weapons havent discouraged enemies from attacking and even invading. But its also true that no nuclear-armed government has ever been overthrown by outsiders. This is why many countries around the world continue to view these weapons as the ultimate deterrent and security guarantee. Can anything stop the outbreak of a new nuclear arms race in the coming months? The best hope would be for the U.S. to reverse course immediately and renew its defense guarantees to its allies around the world. President Trump should clearly reaffirm Washingtons commitment to NATOs Article V (which obligates all members to treat an attack on one as an attack against them all) and to Americas non-NATO allies like Japan and South Korea. He should also quickly resume robust military and intelligence support for embattled Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But even these moves unlikely as they may be might not be enough to prevent the world from going nuclear. After all, the U.S. has now made and broken such promises at least once before. Can it be relied on to keep them the next time? Jonathan Tepperman is the editor-in-chief of The Catalyst and a senior fellow at the George W. Bush Institute. He is the former editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy, the former managing editor of Foreign Affairs, and author of The Fix: How Countries Use Crises to Solve the Worlds Worst Problems. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Orange County Supervisor of Elections Karen Castor-Dentel will hold a press conference Wednesday afternoon, where shes expected to announce the recovery of millions of dollars spent by her predecessor on pet projects. At stake is the $2.1 million given by Glen Gilzean to Valencia College for scholarships named after the former supervisor, as well as $1 million given to local nonprofits for voter outreach programs that wasnt in the countys budget. The spending put a huge financial strain on Castor-Dentel just as she assumed control of the office. Based on reporting at county commission meetings, the incoming supervisor was left with barely enough money in her budget to cover her offices payroll. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As one of her first acts, her team let go of more than a half dozen staff members hired by Gilzean to create breathing room. County leaders have told Castor-Dentel to use any money recovered to supplement her budget until the beginning of the new fiscal year in October, even if it was money from 2024 that should have gone back to the county for reallocation. Valencia agreed to give the money back weeks ago, fulfilling a promise they made after WFTV first reported that the spending had not been authorized. Channel 9 will have a crew at the press conference and will bring updates this afternoon. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. An Orange County teacher is behind bars after he was arrested on an out-of-state warrant for second-degree unlawful sexual contact. Orange County deputies arrested 57-year-old Christopher Crisona on Monday morning at Andover Elementary School as a fugitive from justice. Deputies say Crisona had a warrant out of Delaware, where he is facing unlawful sexual contact charges in the New Castle County Superior Court. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Record custodians in New Castle confirmed Crisona has been indicted on eight counts related to unlawful sexual contact. Channel 9 is working to obtain that indictment. Delaware police said the case was brought forward by the state attorneys office. In the state of Delaware, A person is guilty of unlawful sexual contact in the second degree when the person intentionally has sexual contact with another person who is less than 18 years of age or causes the victim to have sexual contact with the person or a third person. On Monday, Orange County Public Schools sent a message to Andover Elementary School parents notifying them of Crisonas arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A spokesperson for the school district said Crisona is on administrative leave while the district investigates. The individual was arrested due to a personal matter unrelated to the school and will not be returning to campus while there is an open investigation, said Orange County Public Schools spokesman Michael Ollendorff. According to the school district, Crisona was hired in August 2008. He has been assigned as a teacher at Columbia Elementary, Sadler Elementary, Fern Creek Elementary, Stone Lakes Elementary Avalon Middle, Wedgefield K-8 and most recently at Andover Elementary. Channel 9 has requested nonpublic court documents related to his specific charges and is working to learn more details. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Magazines that can hold more than 10 bullets are banned under Oregon's new law. (Connor Radnovich/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Oregons second-highest court affirmed Wednesday that the voter-approved gun control law Measure 114 is constitutional, potentially clearing the way for the law to take effect after being on hold for years because of a Harney County judges ruling. Voters in 2022 narrowly approved Measure 114 to limit sales of some ammunition magazines and require a permit and completed background check before purchasing a gun. Two Harney County residents, joined by national gun rights groups, promptly sued in Harney County, and Judge Robert Raschio blocked the bill from taking effect. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A three-judge panel of the appeals court, led by Presiding Judge Darlene Ortega, found Wednesday that Raschio erred and that the law didnt violate Oregons constitution. We conclude that all of Measure 114 is facially constitutional, Ortega wrote in a 25-page opinion. Plaintiffs have a little more than a month to challenge the appeals courts decision, and an appeal to the Oregon Supreme Court is expected. Measure 114s backers also prevailed in a federal case filed by an eastern Oregon sheriff,a Keizer gun store owner and a pro-gun group. Judge Karin Immergut ruled last summer that the law didnt violate the federal Second Amendment because it doesnt protect large-capacity magazines and Oregons restrictions are consistent with a long history of firearm regulation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, whose justice department defended Measure 114, said it was time to move ahead with common-sense safety measures. Todays decision is a big step forward for gun safety in Oregon, Rayfield continued. This measure gives us the tools to make sure gun buyers go through background checks and get proper permits, helping to keep firearms out of the wrong hands and making our communities safer. Supporters of Measure 114 sought to prevent circumstances that contributed to some of the deadliest mass shootings in recent years, including the 2017 Las Vegas shooting at a country music festival, the 2016 Pulse night club shooting in Orlando, Florida and the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. Shooters in all three locations had large-capacity magazines, allowing them to keep firing bullets into crowds. The Las Vegas shooter killed 60 people and wounded more than 400 others, the Pulse night club shooter killed 49 people and the Virginia Tech shooter killed 32 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In other mass shootings, including the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown Connecticut, and a 2019 synagogue shooting in California, people were able to run or overpower the shooter when he stopped to reload his weapon. Requiring a completed background check is meant to close the Charleston loophole, named after the 2015 incident where a shooter killed nine people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. In that case, the shooter had a criminal record that would have disqualified him from buying a gun, but his background check was delayed, allowing the purchase. Lawmakers efforts to pass parts of Measure 114 through the Legislature in 2023 contributed to Republicans six-week quorum-denying walkout, and Democratic leaders abandoned most gun restrictions as part of negotiations to bring Republicans back and finish the legislative session. This year, lawmakers are considering House Bill 3075 to provide deadlines, fees and other structure to pre-purchase permit applications if Measure 114 takes effect. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A controversial gun control law has been deemed constitutional in the Oregon Court of Appeals, effectively lifting the hold on gun safety protections in the state. Oregon voters approved Measure 114 during the November 2022 election, but it was quickly placed on hold due to a Harney County Circuit Court judges ruling that the law violated the state constitution. Oregonians brought this measure to the ballot, they passed it, and its the gun lobby that brought these lawsuits forward, Jess Marks, the executive director with the Alliance for a Safe Oregon. We intend, in partnership with all the folks who have worked on this issue, to see Oregonians wishes through. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Measure 114, also known as the Reduction of Gun Violence Act, requires that someone must have a permit as well as a completed criminal background check before buying a gun. In order to receive a permit, one must complete a gun safety course and prove that they are not a danger to themselves or others. Search ends for Dane Paulsen after volunteer diver recovers body The law also limits the legal magazine capacity to 10 or fewer rounds though there are exceptions for police and the military. According to Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, this change is long overdue. Oregonians voted for this, and its time we move ahead with common-sense safety measures, Rayfield said. Todays decision is a big step forward for gun safety in Oregon. This measure gives us the tools to make sure gun buyers go through background checks and get proper permits, helping to keep firearms out of the wrong hands and making our communities safer. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KOIN Breaking News Alerts The law is expected to go into effect in 35 days. However, the laws challengers including the Gun Owners of America can further appeal the law by bringing it to a higher court. Tony Aiello, Jr., a senior associate with Tyler Smith & Associates and the cases lead counsel, said they intend to do just that. Today Measure 114 has turned millions of Oregonians into criminals because their right to bear arms has been erased by Oregons Judiciary, Aiello said. We intend to appeal this ruling to the Oregon Supreme Court and call on Oregonians for their continued support of this litigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aiello said the decision was flawed, and added that after reading the opinion it would not surprise me if the states attorneys want to appeal it as well. If reasonability is the standard for constitutional rights in Oregon, none of our constitutional rights are safe whatsoever, Aiello said. More to come, stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A 55-year-old man from Wolf Creek, Ore. was arrested on March 10 following a crash that killed his 11-year-old daughter and injured two other children, the Douglas County Sheriffs Office said. Ian Anthony Fleming was charged with criminally negligent homicide after he allegedly crashed his Ford F250 pickup while driving on the 1200 block of Tunnel Road in Glendale at about 1:30 p.m. The crash caused the pickup to roll, ejecting all three girls. The crash killed one of Flemings daughters, Caitlyn Fleming, and two other young girls were taken by ambulance to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford for treatment. Sneaker wave nearly crushes man to death with log on Oregon Coast Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The three juvenile passengers were thrown from the vehicle as it rolled multiple times down an embankment, the Douglas County Sheriffs Office said. All juveniles sustained injuries. [Ian] Fleming was able to get out of the vehicle on his own and he then attempted to get medical care for his seriously injured daughter. He used a borrowed vehicle to drive his daughter to the ambulance station on Tunnel Road. Glendale Ambulance paramedics declared her deceased shortly after. Alcohol and drugs are considered factors in the crash. According to an affidavit signed by Douglas County Sheriffs Deputy Chris Taylor, Fleming fled the scene of the crash before law enforcement arrived and smelled of alcohol when he returned to the scene several hours later. During that Interview, Ian Fleming admitted to using methamphetamines a couple of days ago, and said that he had a couple of sips of Black Velvet whiskey [that] morning, the affidavit reads. Fleming also stated that he didnt believe any of the kids were wearing seatbelts, and that he did not buckle them in. Fleming told investigators that he was using the truck, which he knew had mechanical problems, for four-wheeling on the property and was attempting to drive up a steep hill when the crash occurred, the affidavit states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Oregon gun control law is constitutional, according to state appeals court Investigators found an empty fifth of Black Velvet whiskey was found on the ground near the scene of the crash. Fleming was taken to Mercy Medical Center, where he agreed to give urine and blood samples to test for DUII nearly eight hours after the crash occurred. I have probable cause to arrest Ian Fleming for Manslaughter in the second degree in that he recklessly caused the death of 11-year-old Caitlyn Fleming by operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicants and recklessly attempting to navigate very steep terrain in a vehicle he knew had mechanical problems, the affidavit reads. Furthermore, Fleming did not ensure his passengers were properly buckled in with their seatbelts [and] he exceed the safe passenger capacity of the vehicle. Fleming is being held at the Douglas County Jail on $1 million bail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. CROWLEY, La. (KLFY) An Oregon man will be brought to Acadia Parish to face charges that he traded nude photos with a minor, authorities said. Roland Vann, 31, of Salem, Oregon, is charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile and computer aided solicitation of a juvenile. Deputies with the Acadia Parish Sheriffs Office investigated a report that a man was on social media with the minor exchanging nude photos. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He was arrested in Oregon, officials said. Extradition is pending. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KLFY Daily Digest Latest news Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLFY.com. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Amid the Trump Administrations efforts to slash the federal workforce, the Oregon Department of Education is warning that Oregon schools could be impacted after plans were unveiled on Tuesday to slash jobs under the U.S. Department of Education. In Tuesdays announcement, the Department of Education said it plans to lay off 1,300 employees, with Education Secretary Linda McMahon stating, Todays reduction in force reflects the Department of Educations commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers. After the layoffs, and some employees opting for a buyout offer to resign, the department will see a reduction of about half of its workforce, which previously stood at around 4,100 employees, as reported by The Associated Press, noting officials said the agency will continue to distribute federal aid to schools, manage student loans and oversee Pell Grants. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement DONT MISS: Oregon USDA scientist fears chilling effect after Trump admin layoffs hit Hood River research facility A spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Education told KOIN 6 News that the state agency is assessing potential impacts the layoffs could have in Oregon and as of Tuesday evening the agency is not aware of any regional job cuts. Federal funding supports critical programs, including resources for low-income students, special education, and professional development for educators. Eliminating this support would shift financial responsibility to state and local budgets, potentially straining resources and widening existing inequities, ODE told KOIN 6 News. ODE added, Beyond funding, the department plays a role in ensuring accountability, maintaining educational standards, and providing critical data that helps inform policy decisions. The loss of these functions could create inconsistencies in education quality across districts and limit the states ability to track student progress effectively. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Eye on Northwest Politics With a lack of federal coordination, ODE said Oregon schools could face disruptions. Reduced federal investment in staffing and district resources could increase workload, exacerbate educator shortages, and limit student support services for Oregon students. Without a coordinated federal role, Oregon schools may face operational disruptions that impact students and communities statewide, ODE said. The Department of Education is the latest federal agency seeing cuts to its workforce amid efforts by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to slash the workforce and federal spending leading some lawmakers in Oregon and Washington to denounce the latest federal job cuts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement OMSI projects paused after Trump administrations federal funding freeze Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee released a statement Tuesday, decrying the decision to gut the agency, saying, Families want help to get students math and reading scores up and ensure their kids can thriveinstead, Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to the Department of Education and robbing our students and teachers of the resources and support they need, so that Republicans can pay for more massive tax cuts for billionaires. Washingtons senior senator added, Donald Trump and Linda McMahon know they cant abolish the Department of Education on their own but they understand that if you gut it to its very core and fire all the people who run programs that help students, families, and teachers, you might end up with a similar, ruinous result. Students, families, and teachers in every part of the country will pay the price for Trumps slash and burn campaign to destroy public education in America. When you rip tax dollars from public schools, it is working and middle class families who suffer. When you fire the people who hold predatory for-profit colleges accountable and who help students get financial aid, it is students who pay the price for years to come, Murray furthered. Fewer teachers, less accountability, less resources for students, and more chaosits the last thing students and schools need, but its exactly what Trump is delivering. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not sustainable: OHSU, UnitedHealthcare near end of contract amid ongoing negotiations Calling efforts to dismantle the federal agency illegal, Washington Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) said this will slash federal funding for public schools nationwide, eliminate programs for children with disabilities, and cut programs that make attending college affordable. Echoing concerns about the mass firings, Sen. Jeff Merkley posted on X, Trump wants to gut the Department of Education and rip our tax dollars away from teachers and students in our communities all to fund billionaires in tax giveaways for his billionaire buddies. Hell no, I stand with teachers, students, and families. Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) noted that dismantling the education departments workforce will impact schools in high-poverty areas, posting on X, Republicans are cutting off education from poor kids, all so they can pass a giant tax cut for billionaires. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Tobias Read was elected secretary of state in the Nov. 5, 2024 elections. (Photo by Laura Tesler/Oregon Capital Chronicle) New Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read on Wednesday withdrew the scandal-marred audit of the states liquor and cannabis commission that ended a predecessors political career. My team and I concluded that the selection of the audit, the framework for the audit, and potential predetermination of its conclusions imperiled the audit from the outset, Read wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan resigned in disgrace in May 2023 after reporting from Willamette Week revealed she had taken a $10,000-per-month consulting gig for the cannabis company La Mota while her offices Audits Division reviewed the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. The commission regulated La Mota, along with other cannabis retailers. The resulting marijuana-friendly audit, titled Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission: Oregon Needs to Modernize Cannabis Laws to Help Grow the States Economy and Ensure Equitable Opportunities and Benefits for all Communities, immediately came under scrutiny. Public records showed that Fagan repeatedly pressed auditors to speak with Rosa Cazares, a La Mota owner and Fagan campaign donor, and that she let Cazares edit a description of the audit. Fagan also didnt recuse herself from the audit until two months before its release, when most work was already done. After Fagans resignation, the Oregon Department of Justice recommended the Secretary of States Office remove the audit from its website while reviewing whether it complied with auditing standards. Then-Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, a Democratic former Multnomah County auditor appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek to finish Fagans term, declined to remove it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Griffin-Valade said at the time that the audit was of the same quality as others released by the agency and should remain online. The public interest in this case is best served by independent auditors providing evidence-supported recommendations to state government, she said. Neither my review nor any other has uncovered a reason to think this report is anything short of that standard. Read, the former state treasurer elected as secretary of state in November, said in a letter explaining his decision that he knew it was proper and just to remove the cannabis commission audit based on an analysis from Steve Bergmann, the new director of the Audits Division. He added that Griffin-Valade and previous agency leaders committed to implementing some improvements to the audit process recommended by the Department of Justice but didnt do so. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The flawed selection and framework of the audit, the failure to carry out process improvements and public records exposed by investigative reporting all evidence a process that did not honor this agencys responsibility to Oregonians, Read wrote. He said the audit team will revisit an audit of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission in the future. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Oregon Senate has voted to raise the minimum age for marriage to 18 years old. Oregons current law states that a 17-year-old can marry so long as they have one parent or guardians permission. If passed, Senate Bill 548 would have Oregon join the list of 13 other states with a minimum age of 18. Oregon gun control law is constitutional, according to state appeals court Whatever outdated values underpinned the current law, Oregonians today understand how potentially abusive and dangerous it is for children, especially girls, to be legally married as minors, said Sen. Janeen Sollman (D-Forest Grove). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the Senate Majority Office, the states current policy has allowed more than 2,900 adult men to get Oregon marriage licenses with teenage girls between 2000 and 2021. Sollman, a co-sponsor for the bill, said, Our hearts break to contemplate the situations those children endured. The Senate Majority Office also shared that marriage to a 17-year-old can shield pedophiles from charges as it is illegal for an adult to have a sexual relationship with a minor at least three years younger than them, but not if the two are married. Washington sues county for illegally helping federal immigration enforcement, suit claims Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those under the age of 18 often struggle to find legal counsel or file protective orders. And in cases of abuse, the minor cannot be shielded by child protective services. This has nothing to do with maturity. No one wakes up on their 18th birthday with newfound wisdom or ability to make decisions, said Becca Powell with the human rights charity Unchained At Last. But what they do wake up with is all the rights of adulthood they didnt have the day before. The bill is now headed to the Oregon House of Representatives. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) Two New Orleans sanitation contractors are ready to get back to work in the French Quarter, but some people, including some city council members, would rather keep the company thats doing the job now. IV Waste was hired under an emergency contract in December of 2024 to take over the job for one year. I know yall declared an emergency because we hadnt resolved our differences, said Troy Henry, the managing partner for Henry Consulting. Those differences are no more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Henry appeared before the councils Public Works Committee while seated next to Alvin Richard, the owner of Richards Disposal, Henrys subcontractor. Louisiana attorney general to file motion on sentencing in Colbert case The two business owners asked that the New Orleans City Council sign the contract that would once again allow them to pick up trash and clean the French Quarter. And so, the bottom line is, were just asking for an opportunity to give the second string, an opportunity to come in and show you that we can perform as well as the one you have now, Richard said. Per the emergency contract, IV Waste began servicing the French Quarter on Dec. 23, 2024, working through the Sugar Bowl, the terror attack, the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The product being presented in the French Quarter right now is top notch, explained Councilman Freddie King. No one is complaining. Its an emergency contract set for a year. That year will be up in December. I have no problem moving forward after December. The councils refusal to award Henry the contract in December stemmed from the dispute between him and Richard. However, Henry says the two reached a solution that met both of their needs and was disappointed to hear the reluctance. We were the successful bidder. We won, said Henry. Using any excuse as an opportunity to not have the successful bidder now be able to provide the services is very disappointing and, in my opinion, unfair. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In response to the meeting, Sidney Torres, the owner of IV Waste, released the following statement: Man dies following Milan neighborhood fire We will continue to give the service that the residences and businesses have been accustomed to since December 23. As a resident and business owner in the French Quarter, it is so important that the level of service continues to the levels that IV Waste has been providing. We believe the city and council will hear the voices of the businesses and residences that are beyond pleased with the level of services we are providing. Councilmembers ended up agreeing to bring the issue to the full council for debate. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO. Oklahoma State Universitys interim president, Jim Hess, said in a letter to OSU faculty and staff this week the school is discontinuing funding for the OSU Innovation Foundation, an organization at the center of a scathing internal audit that seems to have led to the surprise resignation last month of Hess popular predecessor. The internal audit, released last week, showed misspending by the foundation of money that was legislatively appropriated for other purposes. Among the findings of the audit were that the university did not properly account for $41 million in legislatively appropriated funds between July 1, 2022, through Jan. 15, 2025, a time during which Kayse Shrum was serving as OSUs president. Another finding was that the Innovation Foundation relied on inappropriately transferred legislatively appropriated funds intended for OSU special projects to support 96% of (its) operating costs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In his letter, Hess noted the audits findings. While the financial decisions and transactions that occurred are concerning, they were isolated and do not impact OSUs overall financial foundation, which remains the strongest among Oklahomas institutions of higher education, he wrote. Hess said while addressing issues raised in the audit, OSU leaders decided to discontinue the foundations funding and the shared services and facilities positions within it. This decision was necessary as the financial structure of The Innovation Foundation is simply not sustainable. We are working closely with affected employees to provide transition support during this challenging time. The letter did not note how many employees might be affected, but an OSU spokesman said Wednesday 12 employees will lose their jobs. That doesn't include the foundations executive director, Elizabeth Pollard, who resigned shortly after Shrum. The spokesman said Hess met with the affected employees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement issued to the Tulsa World, Shrum has disputed the findings of the audit, saying regents and attorneys were aware of the transfers of money between entities and did not raise any concerns. Pollard has told the World, The Innovation Foundation followed University policy and procedures, including financial reporting into University systems. Shrum officially resigned from OSU on Feb. 2, but OSU officials kept the situation so secret the regents didnt officially announce Shrums resignation until two days later. In his letter, Hess also outlined a reorganization of OSUs top leadership. Senior Vice President for System Affairs Kyle Wray will add oversight of enrollment management to his duties leading brand management and OSU Polytech. OSU Chief Information Officer Raj Murthy will now report directly to Hess, and Hess announced that Jeff Stroup will serve as the CEO of the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Medicine Authority. Hess also said OSUs three transdisciplinary institutes which previously operated under The Innovation Foundation will now report to Kenneth Sewell, OSUs vice president for research, and that Sewell will report to Hess. OSU also hiring new chief financial and administrative officer On Tuesday, OSU announced that Chris Kuwitzky also will serve as OSUs chief financial and administrative officer and senior vice president for the OSU system, effective next Monday. OSUs main campus is in Stillwater, but the university also has campuses in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Okmulgee. Kuwitzkys appointment is pending confirmation by the OSU/A&M regents, who are next scheduled to meet April 25 in Goodwell. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Most recently, Kuwitzky has served as vice president for fiscal and administrative affairs at Langston University. Langston and OSU are Oklahomas two land-grant institutions and both are governed by the OSU/A&M Board of Regents. Before his time at Langston, Kuwitzky worked for 31 years at the University of Oklahoma, eventually serving as associate vice president of administration and finance and chief financial officer. Hes also worked as vice president of administration and treasurer at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. At OSU, Kuwitzky will oversee all financial, budget and accounting operations, long-range planning, facilities management, parking and transportation services, the OSU Police Department and public safety, and human resources. He will also provide fiscal affairs support to Langston University. These organizational changes, while significant, reflect our commitment to operational excellence and our focus on enhancing the student experience, Hess wrote in his letter. I appreciate your continued dedication to OSU and our shared mission. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: President: Oklahoma State to cut off funding for Innovation Foundation A third Claremore exit will open on the Will Rogers Turnpike this week, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority said Friday. Regular turnpike users have seen the bones of a new freeway exit assemble the past few months between the State Highway 266 and State Highway 20 exits. Lisa Shearer-Salim, spokesperson for the turnpike authority, said Friday that all the necessary exit infrastructure cameras, transponders, etc. is ready to process drivers. She said she is not sure of the exact date, but that the interchange will open before the week ends. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "That is what we are shooting for, weather permitting," Shearer-Salim said. The new interchange is part of the State Highway 20 realignment project, which will shift the course of the highway south of downtown Claremore, where it runs now. Drivers using the interchange to enter the Will Rogers Turnpike will do so via Flint Road, which spurs onto the new highway. Shearer-Salim said only the interchange and associated parts of Flint Road will open this week; the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, separate from the turnpike authority, is in charge of realigning State Highway 20. ODOT has said the realignment will be complete later this spring. "This is a joint project of ODOT and OTA, and essentially, the OTA portion there at Will Rogers and Flint Road is ready to open to traffic, and we don't want to further delay that opening," Shearer-Salim said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She said PikePass users coming from Tulsa with two-axle vehicles will pay 66 cents each to use the interchange the same price motorists pay now to enter Claremore via either existing freeway exit. Drivers without a PikePass, as they do now, will pay $2.10 each. PikePass maintains a toll calculator tool on its website, pikepass.com. OTA discontinued its cash-based toll plazas last year; the Flint Road interchange is the second OTA has built since instituting that change, Shearer-Salim said. The first opened last December on the Turner Turnpike at its interchange with State Highway 66 near Kellyville. Shearer-Salim said cashless interchanges are easier and cheaper for OTA to open. "Opening a new interchange is great for motorists, and it's great for residents," Shearer-Salim said. "... [The cashless policy] gives us more opportunity to create connections to communities without a lot of additional tolling equipment." MIAMI, Okla. Ottawa County residents packed the Miami Civic Center Tuesday night (3/11) to learn about a proposed poultry bio-processing facility. Argo Development Partners is the company hoping to construct the facility, and it hosted the open house. The facility would use chicken waste to produce a methane-based gas, and fertilizer. Plans call for it to be built off Highway 69 between Commerce and Quapaw. Tuesdays meeting addressed project engineering, operating plans, health and safety concerns, and community benefits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Company representatives also answered questions from the audience. Theres a lot of new to this, and with a lot of new comes a lot of questions, and the public absolutely deserves to have those questions asked and answered, said Ottawa County farmer, Brent Rendel. We have a lot of concerns on the smell and the waste runoff, which they tell us theres not going to be either of, but thats almost hard to believe. We already have things that produce odor in our areas, like the mushroom farm and things like that, said Ottawa County resident, Sherri Sherwood. To construct the plant, Argo Development Partners filed for an air permit with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. The permit request will be addressed at a public meeting in Miami on April 2. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Historically, discussions surrounding the EUs twin green and digital transitions have focused on mitigating the transitions negative impacts on workers whether from technological disruptions or climate policies rather than proactively shaping the future of work. Last years widespread farmer protests which took aim at environmental regulations, among other things demonstrated that the EU has often failed to get workers on side. Similar tensions also exist in more digitised areas, particularly when it comes to regulating the use of artificial intelligence systems used to make high-stakes decisions in work contexts. It doesnt have to be like this though. Robust, thoughtful labour regulation can ensure that the average European is not just shielded or compensated from the transitions fallout, but that they reap their benefits. The European Commission itself acknowledges this in its talk of making the transitions just. To quote a 2022 Commission statement, the twin transitions will be fair or will not be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is easier said than done though, as some deep-seated rigidities in Europes labour regulations stand in the way of rolling out modern working patterns. There is a clash between the desire for modern, eco-friendly work models and the stark reality of Europes outdated legal frameworks. This lack of clear legal guidance means that even the most responsible companies and innovative managers may hesitate to test out new working arrangements. The changing nature of work calls for a regulatory environment that can accommodate these shifts without sacrificing worker protection, digital competitiveness or environmental integrity. My recent working paper from the EUs Joint Research Centre demonstrates how a more adaptable legal framework could encourage innovative work models that better align with sustainability goals. It highlights three critical areas where labour regulation is failing to protect modern workers: online, hybrid and asynchronous work unconventional arrangements that diverge from typical full-time, space-dependent, standard employment the lack of participation in decision-making processes by workers affected by the green transition and digital transformation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first of these two points are closely related to the uptake of remote working and the gig economy, but they also cover a great deal of other forms of work, from farm labourers to freelancers and self-employed people. The final point hinges on workers being represented by labour organisations, such as trade unions. Leer mas: The EUs twin green and digital transitions: a policy revolution, or just Euro-jargon? The benefits of online and hybrid work Reducing and redistributing work hours can not only improve work-life balance and employee wellbeing, but also address issues like gender inequality. By adopting trust-based work schedules and environments, organisations can harness technology to better meet individual needs, and reduce workforce pressures. These models are also environmentally friendly. They shorten and rearrange working hours, thus reducing carbon footprints and resource consumption from daily, mass commuting. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, transforming working space and time can boost productivity by adjusting collaboration flows, work duration, scheduling, workload, and intensity. Research has proven that a four day working week, especially one optimised with digital tools, enhances concentration and productivity during working hours. With the right protections for workers, staggered work patterns can also eliminate frustrating inefficiencies, such as unnecessary meetings. Asynchronous work arrangements which allow more flexibility in when and how tasks are performed can help address challenges such as underemployment and excessive working hours. Decoupling work performance from linear time arrangements and fixed locations means employees can manage their responsibilities more autonomously, working at their own pace and on their own terms. If done right, flexible work undoubtedly fosters a healthier balance between professional and personal lives, and promotes a more inclusive work environment. Leer mas: More workers are being forced back to the office yet a new study shows flexibility is the best way to keep employees Protection for everyone who works Europes existing labour frameworks are built on rigid binary classifications, and therefore struggle to accommodate dynamic, modern work arrangements. In particular, the traditional (if not outdated) distinction between employment and self-employment is increasingly blurred by the rise of new technologies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our current legal schemes may therefore hinder rather than help the adoption of new work models that could reduce carbon footprints and make the most of digital tools. Workers outside the conventional time and space boundaries of a nine-to-five office job (such as freelancers, remote and gig workers), are less likely to be protected under current regulations. They may be exposed to overwork, self-exploitation and burnout, with all the entailing mental and physical health consequences. This means potentially sustainable working patterns are left vulnerable. New, more environmentally friendly forms of work do not always fit neatly into existing legal definitions of employment. Legislation therefore urgently needs to evolve to support these working patterns, without sacrificing protections for workers themselves. The biggest potential change would be for EU law to diminish the importance of contractual status in worker protection laws. This would extend rights to all workers, regardless of how their work is formally classified. Several recent legal and judicial decisions have already started paving the way for this broader protection, which recognises the rights of everyone who works. Leer mas: What a 'right to disconnect' from work could look like in the UK No transition without participation Decision-making processes overlook the fact that meaningfully reshaping work requires the input of workers. By actively involving representation bodies like trade unions in the decision-making process, we can ensure that the modernisation of workplaces is not only technologically and environmentally sound, but also socially equitable. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A participatory approach also prevents environmental and technological efforts from being treated as separate categories, which can dilute their impact. Through genuine participation, unions and other labour organisations can play a key role in supporting the green and digital transitions, and in making them fair for workers. Giving workers a voice is also vital for gaining political support. If workers feel they are being fairly represented, they will be far more likely to support new laws and measures. A wealth of initiatives are working to combine cutting-edge technological development with worker wellbeing and green objectives. These include new AI models built around participatory algorithmic governance, which treat workers well-being as a goal to be optimised, much like performance or productivity. Notably, several unions are also starting to integrate climate action and digital transformation into their objectives. They are advocating for retraining programs, the extension of social protections, and investments in sectors that provide decent work and promote sustainable development. The bottom line: get workers on side The world of work is where the green and digital transitions converge. It is also where, without careful management, they could undermine one another, creating confusion and sowing the seeds of political discord among workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Europes current legal framework lacks effective tools to protect both digital and environmental rights. However, EU labour law principles and norms provide a foundation for rethinking work structures to frame these transitions in terms that are universally appealing. The strategies discussed here are not mere temporary fixes they can make society more prosperous, inclusive and sustainable. They can also mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis, and protect workers against the disruptive effects of unchecked digital technologies. This article builds on a previous article on the EUs twin green and digital transitions, which you can read here. Este articulo fue publicado originalmente en The Conversation, un sitio de noticias sin fines de lucro dedicado a compartir ideas de expertos academicos. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lee mas: This text is written within the context of the research project on the synergies between the green and digital transitions, European Commission Joint Research Centres Directorate for a Fair and Sustainable Economy. GULF COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) When hundreds of college students descend on a town for spring break, law enforcement officials usually get a bit nervous and start making plans for any contingency. But this week, the entire Port St. Joe community is welcoming more than 400 Auburn University students with open arms. Bay Saver conservation technology to potentially be installed along West Beach Drive They do work in the community, construction work, painting yard work, pressure washing at different sites with assignments to do. We have right about 60 different sites and more that were sent to at this present time. We painted the buildings out here. We started Sunday and they painted our museum over here and the Gulf Coast Workforce Board Center here and we painted our western improvement group center here, Eddie Fields, Needs Assessment Director explains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The students are associated with the First Baptist Church of Opelika. Theyve been volunteering in the Port St. Joe community for the last 20 years. Were here at the Philadelphia Primitive Baptist church, and were replacing their wheelchair ramp. So I originally had tile on it, and it can get real slick in the rain. So were picking up all the tile, grinding all of the plaster down to the concrete and replacing it with more concrete. Or more cement on top of it to give it some texture so no one can slip and fall, Ben Higginbotham, an Auburn University volunteer says. Another group helped paint and clean-up a local school. Weve been painting these three buildings since Sunday, so for three days. And we mowed that lawn back there with a bush hog as Mr. Eddie calls it. And weve been cleaning up, and it looks really good. I mean, it was a little faded. And Mr. Eddie told us he has a lot of pride in his school, site leader, Drew Moore says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Harrison Streetscape Project construction to be accelerated When theyre not holding hammers and paint brushes, the students are distributing food at the Career Source Gulf Coast food pantry twice this month. I think its a good way for them to see ways of giving back, like you mentioned. And a lot of them are young college students, so theyre in the early stages of finding out about ways to help their community. So, you know, maybe this will spark some interest for them learning more about food pantries or food banks in their local areas and just giving them the resources that they need, Kodi Linton, Gulf Coast Special Projects Coordinator explains. 160 students volunteered in Port St. Joe 20 years ago. This year, 418 are there. They say they plan to bring even more next year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com. Over 70% of French people are concerned that the war could spread to other countries neighbouring Russia. Source: a poll conducted by Elabe and commissioned by BFMTV, a French news broadcast television and radio network, as reported by European Pravda Details: A total of 77% of respondents expressed concern that the war could threaten Russia's neighbours beyond Ukraine. Another 23% fear the war could directly affect France. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nearly 60% of French people agree with President Emmanuel Macron's proposal that France, as a nuclear power, could offer a "nuclear umbrella" to defend its European neighbours. Polls conducted in early March, following a controversial meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the US administration, showed that 64% of French people support continued aid to Ukraine and 67% are in favour of sending peacekeepers. Almost three-quarters of the French no longer view the United States as an ally. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! It was considered a public health triumph 25 years ago, when the U.S. declared measles eradicated. But in recent years, the virus has made a comeback- in part due to an increase in international travel. In areas of the world without higher levels of MMR vaccination, theyve never gotten to the point where measles is considered eliminated, said Vandama Madhavan, MD, MPH, clinical director of pediatric infectious disease at Massachusetts General Hospital. Then in places like the U.S. and other European countries, measles had been eliminated but because of declining MMR vaccination, measles became reestablished. Madhavan said that for the most part, those vaccinated after 1968 with two doses of the live, attenuated MMR vaccine should continue to enjoy excellent protection against measles. And while two doses are ideal, she said even one dose offers significant protection. Whats less clear is the protection level for those vaccinated from 1963 to 1968. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you got the measles vaccine before 1968, it may have been the killed virus vaccine version, which didnt protect as well or for as long, she said. The answer, in that case, may be to get a booster two weeks before traveling overseas. Madhavan said those concerned about their immunity levels can get measles antibody titers tested. One group at very high risk for measles while traveling are children ages six to 11 months. Madhavan said they are not old enough to get the first dose of the MMR (its usually given between 12 and 15 months) but too old to still benefit from maternally acquired immunity. Which is why we do recommend an early dose if theyre traveling to an area with measles, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And its never too late to get the MMR vaccine if it was never administered in childhood- though, again, the body requires two weeks to build up antibodies. While MMR vaccination rates in the U.S. hover around 90%, Madhavan is concerned about dropping rates -- and the dramatic rise in measles cases this year. The CDC reported tracking 222 cases as of March 7, with one fatality. The vast majority -94% developed in those unvaccinated or in those with unknown vaccination status. Just this week, Vermont officials announced that states first measles case this year -- in a child who traveled internationally. It is very possible that 2025 is the year that I see measles for the first time, Madhavan said. Its extraordinarily worrisome because measles is so extraordinarily contagious. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That is made clear by statistics from The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. It is estimated that 90% of those not vaccinated for measles will catch the virus if exposed to an infected person. Worse, infected people dont show the most classic sign of measles, a rash, for four days -- and they remain infectious four days after the rash appears. Madhavan said early symptoms resemble a common respiratory infection, so its not obvious precautions should be taken. At Logan Airport, international travelers told Boston 25 News they are aware of the risks in other countries. I have huge concerns, actually, said Isabelle Bryan, who was headed to France. My husband is immunosuppressed, so this is definitely something we worry about a lot. We were just discussing it today about going into crowds and how we dont feel we have a lot of time before this is going to become a big problem. Louise Chauncey just returned from London, where she noticed more mask-wearing than she expected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I did just see a report that people are getting on planes now and then are landing somewhere, and its possible they are carrying it and bringing it into other communities, she said. So it does make me a little concerned. While most cases of measles result in mild illness, serious, even fatal complications are possible, according to the CDC, including pneumonia and encephalitis. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW OZARK COUNTY, Mo. Another county jail has signed an agreement with ICE to house illegal immigrant detainees. Ozark County Sheriff Cass Martin says their office had been in talks with ICE in February, and the contract was signed this March. The last part of February, we were in negotiations with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE for housing and for transportation for any of the detainees that they were picking up. We had inspectors come in, look at our jail, inspect the jail and they said that our jail was up to the standards for housing and detention, Martin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martin said at the time this story was written, they currently did not have any detainees in the Ozark County Jail. We set it up for housing and transportation, which basically our jail, its the same as if we were to take in somebody that we took into custody, Martin said. Martin was unable to provide exact details on the compensation but did say the reimbursements are similar to the agreement with the Greene County Jail, which is $100 an inmate a day. Were not on either side of the fence on something like this. Will it give the opportunity give Ozark County first-rate law enforcement down the road? Absolutely, Martin said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Martin adds theyll have 20 beds available for detainees, compared to Greene Countys 300. If we have an overflow, if we get to a point where its not safe with our with the ones that we have in there, we can our guys to another county where theyre not so constricted, Martin said. Nearly three years removed from Martin having to lay off employees due to a lack of funding, Martin says this contract is actually creating jobs for the sheriffs office. We actually had to let go seven officers or we had like a seven employees from the sheriffs department, and there was nothing worse than that. There was nothing harder than telling a good employee Im sorry, we dont have the funding for you right now, and it was it was horrible. I want to be able to make sure that that never happens again, Martin said. This is just another source of revenue for us to be able to tap into thats going to be able to provide the revenue that were able to do our primary law enforcement, looking at expanding new job opportunities with this, and it has, its been able to give us the opportunity to be able to make new jobs for Ozark County, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We checked in with the Greene County Sheriffs Office for an update on their ICE detainee numbers. An official says as of Tuesday morning, they had 266 detainees, but that number does change throughout the day. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. PACE, Fla. (WKRG) A Pace woman was arrested last week and is accused of money laundering and structuring, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. An FDLE news release said Rasha Lashonda Hill, 32, was arrested on March 5. Her charges indicate she violated the Florida Money Laundering Act. Saraland High School graduate arrested in Louisiana hazing death case FDLE officials said they began investigating Hill in May 2024 after receiving information that she was involved in a money laundering scheme. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The FDLE news release said Hill is a registered agent for Glamour Palace, More LLC and Blessed Our Children Learning Academy LLC in Pensacola, Florida. FDLE agents reviewed financial records and conducted surveillance of her two registered businesses. They said the properties were not well maintained, and there wasnt enough activity to show the businesses were fully operational. Investigators learned that Hill made several large cash withdrawals at a number of branches of a local bank. According to FDLE, Hill totaled $340,000 in transfers to private accounts, wire transfers and cash withdrawals from July 3, 2023, through June 4, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement UMS-Wright hires Sam Williams as head football coach FDLE agents said the transactions were completed in a way to evade currency transaction reporting requirements. Hill was booked into Santa Rosa County Jail last week and has since been released on bond. FDLEs Pensacola office is still investigating this case. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. The president of the powerful American Teamsters union has been sentenced to eight years in jail on bribery charges. James Hoffa has also been fined $10,000 (3,570) for trying to bribe a Federal Court jury which was hearing a conspiracy charge against him in 1962. He was accused of attempting to secure an acquittal on a charge of shaking down a local haulage company owner for a million-dollar contribution to the union funds in return for 18 months of workforce co-operation. This was Hoffas first conviction although he has now stood trial on four previous occasions. Past charges include trying to bribe a lawyer to spy on a Senate Committee and tapping the telephones of his subordinates in the Detroit office of his union. Hoffa will remain free on bail pending an appeal. If the sentence is upheld, it could mean the loss of his job as head of the 1.7 million-strong American Teamsters union the nations largest. US District Judge Frank Wilson told Hoffa: You stand here convicted of corrupting the administration of justice, of having struck at the foundation of this nation. Without fair, lawful administration of justice, there would be no civilisation in this country. Hoffa replied: I am not guilty. I believe this will be substantiated when the evidence is ultimately considered coolly and calmly. Hoffa and three others were found guilty on 4 March of trying to fix a jury which could not agree on a verdict in his 1962 trial on a conspiracy charge. The other three have been sentenced to three years each. [] Grounds for appeal include allegations that US marshals plied the jury with alcohol. Staff of the hotel where several jurors were confined during the trial have supported these claims. As head of the Teamsters union, Hoffa commands a salary of $75,000, has an unlimited expense account and presides over an empire with pension and welfare funds worth $1bn. Hoffa and Attorney General Robert Kennedy have had a running feud for years. Mr Kennedy later issued a statement congratulating the prosecutors who won the conviction. Courtesy BBC News In context In July 1964, Hoffa was found guilty of misusing the unions pension funds. He appealed against this conviction as well. Hoffa was re-elected president of the lorry drivers union in July 1966 despite two prison sentences totalling 13 years hanging over him. He was also voted a big salary increase taking him to $100,000 and making him the highest-paid trade unionist in the country. He commanded immense loyalty from Teamsters members for whom he had won significant overtime and fringe benefits. The convictions against Hoffa were upheld and he served four years in prison, during which time he lost his job as Teamsters president. On his release, he began working to regain the leadership but vanished in mysterious circumstances in 1975. He has not been seen since. Investigators believe he may have been the victim of a feud within the world of organised crime. (Bloomberg) -- Follow Bloomberg India on WhatsApp for exclusive content and analysis on what billionaires, businesses and markets are doing. Sign up here. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistani security forces killed all 33 insurgents who have been holding a train and its passengers captive since Tuesday, putting an end to an embarrassing security failure for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The government also said 21 of the hostages had been killed by militants. Four members of the military were killed and 17 hostages were injured in the gun battle, and the remaining passengers more than 400 people have now been freed, army spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said in a video released by his office Wednesday. Many of the militants wore suicide vests and used the passengers as human shields, according to security officials familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified speaking about sensitive information. The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army took responsibility for the attack, and claimed to have killed 20 soldiers in the operation, according to Pakistani media. Militants from separatist groups like BLA have been attacking security forces in mineral-rich Balochistan for decades, but the frequency has increased in the past few years. The attack comes as Pakistans government tries to rebuild an anemic economy and lure investment, while struggling to control violence from militants. The train had left Quetta on Tuesday bound for Peshawar with about 450 passengers aboard, according to Ishtiaq Soomro, the deputy in-charge at the railway police control room in Quetta. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Imtiaz Gul, executive director of the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies, said seizing a passenger train appears to be a new strategy for the BLA, which had previously attacked infrastructure. This is a tactic to terrorize both common people and security apparatus, Gul said. They have scaled the ladder. The security situation in Pakistan is also an economic issue, with China, which has built major infrastructure and energy plants in Pakistan, last year urging Islamabad to provide a safe environment for its projects after militants targeted a convoy of Chinese workers at Port Qasim Electric Power Co. near Karachi. Two Chinese nationals died in the incident. China Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning strongly condemned the latest attack during a regular press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement China firmly opposes terrorism in any form, Mao said. We will continue to firmly support Pakistan in combating terrorism, maintaining solidarity and social stability, and protecting the safety of civilians. --With assistance from Allen Wan. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A military operation against militants who hijacked a train carrying hundreds of passengers in southwest Pakistan has ended, a spokesman for the army said late on Wednesday. Some 33 militants and 21 hostages were killed during the operation, the spokesman said in a television broadcast. Dozens of separatist Balochi militants blew up a railway track and lobbed rockets on Tuesday at the Jaffar Express, carrying more than 400 passengers, authorities said previously. Some of the militants wore suicide vests and were seated among the hostages, the government said, complicating rescue efforts. (Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Gareth Jones) The News A major rescue operation to free hundreds of hostages held by Pakistans separatist Balochistan Liberation Army has ended with dozens killed. Pakistans security services said late Wednesday they had rescued around 190 hostages after separatists hijacked a train Tuesday afternoon in south-western Pakistan. Officials said 21 hostages were killed, along with 33 militants. The Balochistan Liberation Army, which seeks independence for a border region between Afghanistan and Iran, had attempted to use captive passengers to negotiate the release of imprisoned group members and activists, whom they claim were abducted by the military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pakistan launched an air and land offensive to take back control of the captured train which was carrying around 450 passengers though the efforts had been hindered by the remote, mountainous terrain, The Guardian wrote. The region has suffered a spate of violence in recent years, with more than 2,500 civilians killed in terror attacks across Pakistan in 2024. Heavy-handed countermeasures against insurgent groups have exacerbated tensions between Islamabad and the region, the Financial Times reported. By Saleem Ahmed and Saad Sayeed QUETTA (Reuters) -Pakistani security forces stormed a train on Wednesday that had been hijacked by separatist militants, killing all 33 attackers and ending a day-long standoff involving hundreds of hostages, the military said. Separatist Baloch militants on Tuesday blew up the railway track and hurled rockets at the Jaffar Express when it was on its way to Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from Balochistan's capital of Quetta, carrying 440 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The military said 21 hostages and four security troops were killed over the course of the standoff. "Today we freed a large number of people, including women and children ... The final operation was carried out with great care," military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said, adding that no civilians were killed in the final stage of the operation. Before the army announcement, the Baloch Liberation Army, which claimed the attack, said it had killed 50 passengers on Wednesday evening. It had said on Tuesday that it was holding 214 people, mostly security personnel. It had threatened to start executing hostages unless authorities met its 48-hour deadline for the release of Baloch political prisoners, activists, and missing people it says had been abducted by the military. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The BLA is the largest of several ethnic armed groups battling the government in Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran. The militants have in recent months stepped up their activities using new tactics to inflict high death and injury tolls and target Pakistan's military. Baloch militant groups say they have been fighting for a larger share in the regional wealth of mines and minerals denied by the central government. SUICIDE VESTS Junior Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry told Geo television earlier on Wednesday that militants were wearing suicide vests as they sat among the passengers held hostage, complicating the rescue attempt. He said 70-80 attackers had hijacked the train. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The military sent in hundreds of troops and also deployed the airforce and special forces to tackle the militants, Chaudhry said. In the final phase of the operation, he said special forces first took out the suicide bombers before troops went from carriage to carriage to kill the rest of the militants. He did not give a number of those rescued in this phase of the operation and it was not immediately clear how or to where the passengers would be evacuated. The train driver and several others had already been killed, officials said earlier, before the army statement. Government officials had said earlier, also before the army statement, that 190 of those on board had already been rescued, with more than 50 taken to Quetta to be reunited with their loved ones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Muhammad Ashraf, 75, who was travelling on the train, said he heard a loud explosion in the mountainous area, which shook all the carriages. "We lay on the floor once heavy firing started. Shortly after, armed men entered the train and checked our identities," he said in Quetta. A security official had told Reuters that the armed men were looking for soldiers and security personnel. A woman, who said her son was among the passengers still waiting to be freed, confronted provincial minister Mir Zahoor Buledi. "Why didn't you stop the trains if they were not safe?" she said. Buledi told reporters the government was working to beef up security in the region. (Reporting by Saleem Ahmed in Quetta and Asif Shahzad in Islamabad; additional reporting by Mushtaq Ali in Peshawar, Saud Mehsud in Dera Ismial Khan and Shilpa Jamkhandikar in Mumbai; writing by Sakshi Dayal, Saad Sayeed and Tanvi Mehta; Editing by Kate Mayberry, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Gerry Doyle and Alison Williams) QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) Insurgents who attacked a passenger train carrying 440 passengers in restive southwestern Pakistan killed 21 hostages before security forces killed all 33 of the assailants, and all other passengers were rescued, officials said Wednesday. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the separatist Baloch Liberation Army group was behind the attack, and the military operation "has successfully reached its logical conclusion." He said no passengers died because of the operation, and praised the military for averting a potential catastrophe. The provinces chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, told a provincial assembly that troops killed all insurgents involved. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Three soldiers who had been guarding the railroad track were also killed in the attack that began Tuesday in restive Balochistan province, the military spokesman, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif, told local media. The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for attacking the train in a tunnel in a remote part of Balochistan. Spokesman Jeeyand Baloch had said the group was ready to free passengers if authorities agreed to release jailed militants. The BLA regularly targets Pakistani security forces and has also attacked civilians, including Chinese nationals among the thousands working on multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects in Balochistan. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said her country "will continue to firmly support Pakistan in advancing its counterterrorism efforts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some relatives of hostages were angry at Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who last year claimed that the BLA was not a threat and an ordinary police inspector could fix this situation. What happened? The train had been traveling from Quetta to the northern city of Peshawar. Officials say the Jafer Express train was partially inside a tunnel when the militants blew up the tracks, forcing the engine and nine coaches to stop. Oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistans largest and least populated province. Its a hub for the countrys ethnic Baloch minority, whose members say they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan and has long been the scene of insurgency. Separatists demand greater autonomy from the government in Islamabad and a larger share of the regions natural resources. Insurgencies on either side of the Iran-Pakistan border have frustrated both countries, whose governments suspect each other of supporting or at least tolerating some groups. Iran has sought help from Pakistan in countering the threat from the militant group Jaish al-Adl. Pakistan wants Tehran to deny sanctuaries to BLA fighters. What did the hijackers want? Members of the military frequently use trains to travel from Balochistan's capital, Quetta, to other parts of the country. In November, the BLA carried out a suicide bombing at a train station in Quetta, killing 26 people. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The BLA had warned that hostages lives would be at risk if the government did not negotiate. Analysts said the attack and its focus on civilians could backfire. After failing to damage the Pakistan Army within Balochistan, BLA has shifted its targets from military to unarmed civilians. This may give them instant public and media attention, but it will weaken their support base within the civilian population, which is their ultimate objective, said Syed Muhammad Ali, an Islamabad-based independent security analyst. Rescued passengers, including women and children, were being sent to their hometowns. Some of the injured were taken to Quetta, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) away. ___ Ahmed reported from Islamabad. Associated Press writers; Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan; Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan; and Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, contributed to this report. A social worker who tried to mediate during the height of the 2019 anti-government protests in Hong Kong was convicted of rioting yesterday in the latest case that signaled the tough stance the authorities have taken toward political cases. Jackie Chen was part of a group of social workers who often carried a loudspeaker seeking to mediate between police and protesters during the social unrest. She was freed at her first trial in September 2020, but the secretary of justice appealed and a court ordered a retrial by another judge. In the retrial, the prosecution accused Chen, who used a loudspeaker to ask police officers to calm down and not to use their guns to fire non-lethal bullets, of participating in a riot during a protest in August 2019. Chen pleaded not guilty. Judge May Chung wrote in her verdict that Chen had continuously shouted unfounded accusations against the police and suggested the officers actions involved the use of excessive force or were too rapid. Chen had used her social worker role, claiming to be safeguarding justice, to back the protesters, the judge said. Chung ruled that the only reasonable inference was that Chen intended to participate in the riot. Through the aforementioned means to gather together with other rioters, (she) thereby encouraged other rioters to commit acts that disturb social peace, she wrote. Ahead of the verdict hearing, Chen took group photos with her supporters and hugged some of them outside of the district court building. Chen told reporters that she felt peaceful because she had five years to prepare for this. Regardless of the outcome, she has no regrets, she said. I hope all the people I know they will live healthy, they will live happy because we still have our road to walk along, she said. After the judge announced the decision, she shouted that she would be OK to her supporters sitting in the public gallery. Chen is expected to be sentenced in April. The maximum sentence for rioting in Hong Kong is 10 years, but the sentences at the district court are capped at seven years. Chen could also lose her license. Last year, the government introduced amendments to the law that would allow the removal of a social workers name from the register if he or she has been convicted of an offense that is punishable with imprisonment and may bring the profession into disrepute. Chens case drew attention because of her mild role in the 2019 movement. The 2019 protests were sparked by a proposed extradition law that would have allowed criminal suspects in Hong Kong to be sent to the mainland for trial. The government withdrew the bill, but the protesters widened their demands to include direct elections for the citys leaders and police accountability. In response, a national security law was imposed to quell the unrest. Under the law, many of the citys leading activists were prosecuted or convicted. Hong Kong government insists the law has restored the citys stability. KANIS LEUNG, HONG KONG, MDT/AP BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) 17 News continues to follow a signature issue here in the Golden Empire Kerns Canine Crisis. We recently featured an in-depth look at the Bakersfield Animal Care Centers rescue transport to Canada. Through that flight, 45 dogs that otherwise wouldve been at the top of the euthanasia list made it to their forever homes. What happens to these dogs upon landing in Canada? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For these 45 dogs, it was about five hours in the air and then another four hours upon landing before meeting their foster or foster-to-adopt families. On Saturday, February 22, the lives of 45 dogs changed forever. It took the Bakersfield Animal Care Center or the BACC six weeks and nearly 30 volunteers to get these pups in the air. BACC had to give the canines medical checkups, complete a months-work of paperwork, tag them, size up each crate and finally and load up the plane fitting small, medium and large dogs. It always makes us feel accomplished because we know theres a lot of work that goes into it, said Joshua Proctor, BACCs animal behaviorist and transport coordinator. We actually call it mission impossible because sometimes we dont know if these missions are going to make it off the ground, literally and figuratively. So, were always excited when we close the door to that plane. We know theyre going to be off to somewhere safe. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Proctor followed the dogs on this transport to Canada. He said much more work awaits on the other side. In a clip he took in Canada and shared with 17 News, Proctor explained, We are standing in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We just unloaded 45 dogs that came from our shelter in Bakersfield, California. Now, what were doing is we are going through Customs, said Proctor. So, there are certain things that Customs is looking for. They are checking all of our paperwork, making sure these dogs have rabies [shots], are up to date on all their vaccines, are healthy, they are acting behaviorally or mentally appropriately. Proctor said each dog goes through whats like an assembly line getting dolled up for the much colder climate and undergoing a final medical check. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Woolworths building gets a facelift as it gets ready for future visitors From collars to kibble to veterinary care, everything is provided for the fosters. The first thing that happens for us is the dogs go straight into foster care. None of the dogs come unless they have a foster home, explained Jody Daloise, the president of BARCs Rescue in Canada. So, were always searching for foster homes for our dogs. Once they go into foster homes, they go into a ten day, what we call sort of a decompression period for the dogs, to allow them to its very, very stressful, transports. Proctor added, Its cool for me to see them on the other end, as these are dogs we know, and now theyre in Canada. [Its an] indescribable feeling You think youre saying goodbye here, and over there youre saying hello. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Remember Patches, the white eight-year-old senior Chihuahua with very big eyes? She now goes by Chloe and got adopted by her foster parents a foster fail, as they call it. I was trying not to. Like shes just supposed to be a foster, said Lindy Griffiths, Patches new family member. Tanya Cockman added, But we just, we couldnt. We couldnt part with her. Were like no, we need to follow our hearts. We had a chance to talk to Tanya and Lindy when they first met Patches. During that interview, Cockman stated, We had a Chihuahua, and he passed away just over a year ago. Definitely have a soft spot for the Chihuahuas. Saw this transport coming, saw there were lots of little ones, and just like yeah, we were like no chi chi shall be left behind. Thats my motto. So yeah, we decided on Patches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement They said Patches wants no part of the Canada snow, but she is part of a forever family. Her social skills were amazing, Cockman said in a Zoom interview with 17 News, once they adopted Patches. She was just so gentle and patient with our cat. Until the plane door closes, all the work falls on BACC. But in Canada, BARCs Rescue coordinates everything. The volunteer-based charity is no-kill. We see the value of pulling dogs from different areas and especially a high-kill shelter down in the U.S. where dogs that are a perfectly normal, perfectly good dogs, companion dogs are being euthanized at exponential rates, said Daloise. Theres no reason why they shouldnt come, because we get fosters for them, we get them out, we get them adopted, and they find loving homes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BARCs Rescue says as of airtime, more than half of the 45 dogs have been adopted. But even after the dogs make it up north, things take time. Sometimes, the initial fosters dont work out. Like with Valentino a nine-year-old Dachshund Mix. Proctor broke down why: Were also playing a huge guessing came, where were trying to match the right dogs to the right people and the right people to the right dogs. But its hard to do that when the person nor the dog has ever met each other. Daloise noted the hopeful aspect of it all. Some are starting to actually get adopted already at this point, we do give our fosters the first right to adopt all of their dogs that they foster for us, she said. So, some of them have already come forward, and we like to call them foster wins. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the end of the day, these dogs are safe. 17s Jenny Huh: Just because a dog doesnt get adopted for a while does not mean they will be put down? Jody Daloise: That is very correct When I bring a dog into the organization, Im making that dog a personal promise that Im going to give it a better life, right? BARCs has foster applications, interviews and even virtual home checks. BACC just completed a ground transport of 35 dogs to Washington state as well. The shelter says it needs fosters for two upcoming rescue operations another one to Washington in late March, and one to Canada in April. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Not having enough fosters is why these transports sometimes get cancelled Last year, we had about a dozen of them cancelled, Proctor noted. And if transports get cancelled? It means highly adoptable dogs cant make it out. Theres a high probability theyll be euthanized, especially the large dogs, Proctor said. Thats because dogs scheduled to go on transports have secured a way out. Without fosters, these dogs until they leave for transport take up kennel space incoming dogs could use. Its not just about people getting dogs and taking dogs, said Lindy Griffiths, encouraging others to foster. Theyre making sure that theyre going into good, healthy environments as well. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Again, click on this link for Part 1 of this special report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17 News. An American Airlines flight to Miami was forced to turn back after a passengerconvinced that Satans disciple(s) had followed him onto the aircraftswallowed rosary beads and allegedly kicked a flight attendant in the chest. According to the New York Times, 31-year-old Delange Augustin began yelling and shaking shortly after the American Airlines flight took off from Savannah, Georgia, on Monday night. The crew at first assumed he was having a seizure, only to discover that he thought there was some kind of demonic spirit in the cabinand was swallowing rosary beads to protect himself from what an FBI report into the incident described as Satans disciple(s). The flight was turned around but Augustin allegedly attacked crew members again as it landed back in Georgia and had to be restrained by fellow passengers. Augustins sister, who was with him on the flight, told authorities they had been traveling to Haiti to flee religious attacks of a spiritual nature. Augustin faces a number of charges, including misdemeanor battery and criminal property damage. We appreciate the professionalism of the entire crew and thank our passengers for their understanding, American Airlines said in a statement. How Pastor Ricky Floyd tried to make Memphis better MEMPHIS, Tenn. As police continue to piece together what happened, many are reflecting on Pastor Ricky Floyd and his work in the community. Pastor Floyd who was killed in a shooting at a South Memphis bar early Wednesday has been on WREG countless times about his efforts to make the city a better a place. Pastor Ricky Floyd dead, woman charged after shooting at Memphis bar Just to see the joy on the peoples faces, he told WREG in 2015 at a turkey basket giveaway. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From food giveaways to city-wide prayer events, Floyd wasnt afraid to bring awareness to the citys problem and offer possible solutions. We believe its time for the church to make its presence known, Floyd said at the first Memphis Prayer 365 where people of different denominations, different races gathered north of the downtown Tennessee Visitors Center. He was especially passionate about helping the inner-city youth. The children are the future of this city, Floyd said at the mayors prayer breakfast in 2018. Many of them, before they are even in a position to be an attribution, are being destroyed by poverty, crime and violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He launched the Husband Institute in 2013, which is a mentoring program that pairs men with boys to help them transition into adulthood. In 2017, a 11-year-old participant said its helped him mature. Ive learned how to grow up in life and then how to handle those thats not really on the exact same level as you are handle people that are having a very bad day, Eric Neal told WREG. Floyd was big on improving Frasyer. Weve got to reduce environments where the criminal will feel safe, he said. He even turned blight across from his Pursuit of God church into businesses where teens could work. He hoped to keep them out of trouble and earn some money. Over the years, he opened his church, offered aid and extended his efforts across the city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Floyd took charge of the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board. Its a group appointed to investigate allegations of police misconduct. We are a voice to the voiceless, he said in an interview in 2020. Its a dangerous combination when you have a lack of trust of community and then the fear that infiltrated police officers. He was a believer of reform and the work. I have a lot more confidence on who we are and what were doing, Floyd said. Floyds motivation also stemmed from his own stories. In 2016, he was carjacked at a South Memphis gas station when he stopped to put air in his tire. Local pastor meets the man who carjacked him Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When I stood up, to my surprise I see someone sitting in the car, he said soon after it happened. I got drug for a while, flipped over for a while. Two years later, we were there when he met the man who said he did it just before he turned himself into police. Floyd offered forgiveness. He even offered a hug and prayer. Its about liberating myself by not holding on to anger and bitterness, Floyd said. In 2020, when far too many children became victims of gun violence. Floyd told us about his ongoing efforts again. Whats happened is that gangs have become a replica for structure. The family structure that many of these boys need, want and deserve, he stated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the boys, Jeremiah Cotton, told Your News Leader the mentoring program helped him find his music and avoid a path he didnt want to be on. Frayser pastor shot Monday, same day he was featured on WREG It stopped me from doing a lot of things that I wouldve done. Probably would be in worse trouble than Ive gotten in. Probably wouldve sent me to jail or worse, Cotton said. The same day the story aired, someone followed Floyds car and shot him. They unloaded several rounds into my car. Five hit the car and one hit my leg, Floyd said. He believed he healed quickly, because he had an assignment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think God needs me here to feel the pain of the people. Its not enough for me to sympathize. Now, I can empathize with families whove experienced this unwarranted violence on their life, he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Providence Sen. Tiara Mack, right, leads the audience in snapping as Rep. David Morales, also of Providence, makes opening remarks at a speaking program on policy priorities this year for the Rhode Island Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus on March 11, 2025. The caucus announced 15 recently introduced bills aimed at addressing racial and economic disparities. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) Rhode Islands lawmakers of color unveiled their legislative agenda Tuesday, showcasing a suite of 15 bills that includes proposals to eliminate predatory loans, tweak public education funding, and protect immigrants. The Rhode Island Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian-American and Pacific Islander (RIBLIA) Caucus consists of 21 Democratic members working across both chambers of the Rhode Island General Assembly on legislation that uplifts the states communities of color and level the playing field wrought by racial inequity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This caucus, while composed primarily of people of color, is about all Rhode Islanders, Sen. Tiara Mack of Providence, who co-chairs the group, said in her opening remarks. When we uplift the most marginalized, everyone in Rhode Island thrives. The members of the caucus comprise about 18% of both the House of Representatives and the Rhode Island Senate. We are here to make sure that Rhode Island is a place where everyone, no matter of racial background, their ZIP code or immigration status, can thrive, Rep. David Morales of Providence, also a co-chair, told a crowd assembled on the top floor of the Rhode Island State House. Each of the 15 proposals has versions in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Some of this years bills are reruns from previous legislative sessions, reflecting perennial efforts like a proposal to end payday lending. The bill would prohibit the practice of these speedy loans, which are often used by people with low incomes and few financial means to make ends meet quickly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But past years have consistently seen the payday lending legislation trounced, with some observers citing Senate President Dominick Ruggerio as the main obstacle. The legislation is again led by last years sponsors Sen. Ana Quezada of Providence and Rep. Karen Alzate of Pawtucket. No Senate hearing has been scheduled so far, but Alzates version is scheduled to be heard Thursday before the House Committee on Corporations. It is no secret that Rhode Island is facing a lot of challenges, especially for residents and communities of color, Mack said. Daily costs are rising at alarming rates, and our states essential systems are struggling and being stretched thin. Other bills seek to shore up in-state protections for undocumented people living under President Donald Trumps administration. Another repeat bill, now in its fifth year of being proposed, would reduce the maximum prison sentence for misdemeanors from one year to 364 days. A single day can make a big difference, explained the bills sponsor, Rep. Leonela Felix of Pawtucket, when it comes to defining criminality at the federal level. A one-year sentence can trigger deportation or other severe penalties for noncitizens, including green card holders and asylees. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When we uplift the most marginalized, everyone in Rhode Island thrives. Sen. Tiara Mack of Providence, co-chair, Rhode Island Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus Felix gave the example of shoplifting a $50 T-shirt as a misdemeanor. For that offense usually, in the state of Rhode Island, you wont receive a jail sentence. They will suspend it, Felix said. But technically the crime could still incur a year of jail time, which would make it a crime of moral turpitude and therefore applicable within deportation law. By changing the maximum sentence to 364 days, we remove the unintended immigration consequences while maintaining judicial and prosecutorial discretion, Felix said, adding that Nothing in this bill removes the discretion of judges, removes the discretion of prosecutors to appropriately charge an individual as they see fit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Jonathon Acosta of Central Falls introduced the 364-day bill on the Senate side. It went through committee hearings and passed the floor on Feb. 25. and now heads to the House Committee on Judiciary, although a hearing date has not been specified. Another bill by Acosta would forbid public contracts or leasing of state- or municipal-owned property for immigrant detention centers. Acosta also spoke Tuesday about his bill to retool the education funding formula. The state mostly uses food stamp enrollment to determine how many low-income students are in a school district, which is then used to determine how much the district gets in per-pupil funding from the state. Weve spent over a decade trying to address some of the shortcomings in our funding formula. At this point, everybody and their mama has a plan for how to fix it, Acosta said. Sen. Jonathon Acosta of Central Falls speaks at a Rhode Island Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus event on March 11, 2025, at the State House. Acosta has introduced four caucus-endorsed bills in the Senate, including proposals to reform the education funding formula and prohibit public contracts for immigrant detention centers. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) But the number of students living in poverty is being undercounted by about 6,000 kids, Acosta said, citing data from the states education and human services departments. Thats why his bill would use Medicaid enrollment in the funding formula to better determine the number of low-income students in a district a step in the right direction, Acosta thought, even if there may be other parts of the formula that will take years to fix. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another Medicaid-related bill in the package is sponsored by Sen. Linda Ujifusa of Portsmouth, which would impose greater transparency and reporting regulations on pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, which are frequently cited as contributing to prescription drug cost hikes. Ujifusas bill specifically targets the managed care organizations that work with PBMs to provide prescription benefits for Medicaid recipients. We dont pay any attention to these middlemen, Ujifusa said of the Ocean State. But guess who does pay attention? Ohio, Texas, West Virginia, Kentucky not the most left leaning states, right? Those guys have regulated pharmacy benefit managers, and by doing so, they lowered prescription costs for consumers. A complete roster of RIBLIAs bills is available on the General Assembly website. Whats the status of the bills? Many of the bills in the RIBLIA package have been referred to committees but have not yet had a hearing date scheduled. As of Wednesday, Alzates payday lending legislation was the only bill with an immediate hearing date scheduled to be heard Thursday before the House Committee on Corporations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The only bill to have passed in one chamber is the 364-day misdemeanor bill by Acosta. On March 5, labor committees in both chambers heard their respective versions of a bill that would incrementally raise the minimum wage to $20 by 2030. The bills were held for further study, which is standard when a bill is first heard. Also heard and held in the House that same night was a bill by Rep. Joshua Giraldo of Central Falls to create greater transparency for workers paystubs. Imagine getting a paycheck thats just a single number or a single amount with no breakdown of the hours, your overtime hours, your travel pay, leaving you to guess whether or not youve been paid fairly, Giraldo said at Tuesdays event. At its hearing last week in the House Committee on Labor, Giraldos paystub bill got some positive feedback from Rep. Marie Hopkins, a freshman Republican from Warwick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive received paychecks that were obscured, that required me to go find HR and ask them what was going on, and then experience the frustration of getting no answers and feeling cheated with more than one employer, including as a nurse, Hopkins told Giraldo. It never occurred to me, as an employee, that this [should be] a right of mine I find this to be a really great topic on the subject of transparency, and Im glad somebody thought of it. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX (PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo.) The Pueblo County Sheriffs Office (PCSO) said School Resource Officers (SRO) arrested a 35-year-old man for alleged child abuse after an incident involving his child. The arrest marks the third in five days for child abuse after two people were arrested for an alleged child abuse incident on March 6. School staff at a Pueblo County School District 70 (D70) elementary school reported the abuse to the Sheriffs Office, according to deputies. RELATED REPORTING: Parents arrested after school alerts authorities to child abuse Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to PCSO, on Monday, March 10, SROs responded to a call at another D70 elementary school about a report of possible child abuse after a school employee was notified of injuries to a 7-year-old child. As a mandatory reporter, the employee notified law enforcement. PCSO said officers investigated and saw the child had visible injuries, which were allegedly done by the father, Ulysses Kropf-Castillo, who was booked into the Pueblo County Jail. Courtesy: Pueblo County Sheriffs Office The child was taken to the hospital for treatment and released to a parent. Pueblo County School District 70 takes all reports of child abuse seriously. The safety and well-being of our students are our highest priorities, said District 70 Superintendent Ronda Rein. As mandated reporters, all employees are required to report suspected abuse or neglect in accordance with Colorado law. The district remains committed to protecting students and working with the proper authorities to ensure their safety. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These are very disturbing and unfortunate incidents involving the abuse of children in our community, said Pueblo County Sheriff David J. Lucero. I appreciate and commend the school resource officers and the school staff for their work on these very difficult cases. These types of incidents are never easy. Furthermore, I want to remind people if they are stressed or struggling to call for help and reach out to resources in the community to avoid getting into an abusive situation, added Lucero. PCSO said if you are concerned about a childs wellbeing, see evidence of abuse, or witness a child being harmed, to report it to law enforcement. In an emergency, contact 911. For non-emergency numbers, contact PCSO at (719) 583-6250; Pueblo Police Department at (719) 553-2502; Pueblo 24 Hour Reporting Line at (719) 583-6901; or the Colorado Abuse Reporting Line at 1-844-264-5437. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. Pennsylvania American Water will supply clean drinking water in Dimock, Susquehanna County to replace well water contaminated by natural gas fracking, the company announced Wednesday. The project would be funded by a nearly $16.3 million settlement in 2022 between the state Office of Attorney General and Coterra Energy, a fracking company formerly known as Cabot Oil and Gas. PAW announced Wednesday it has completed drilling two test wells as a potential public groundwater supply for a new drinking water system in Dimock. This new public groundwater system, expected to be completed next year, is funded by a 2022 plea agreement negotiated between the Office of Attorney General under then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Coterra. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The water company will submit an aquifer test plan to the state Department of Environmental Protection this spring to measure the test well-water flow rates as part of the application for a new source of drinking water. Construction on a new 6-mile-long pipeline will begin this spring with completion set for the end of this year to connect lines to each affected residents home. All plumbing will be disconnected to prevent cross-contamination with the individual wells currently connected to the homes. While work has been occurring on the test wells, we also completed the design of the new water distribution system and received permits for construction, PAW Project Manager Jeremy Nelson said in the announcement. The public water supply will be treated to address potential contaminants in the groundwater and meet drinking water standards. The new water treatment system is currently in the design phase and construction is set to begin later this year, PAW said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a November 2022 press relief from the Attorney Generals Office announcing the settlement: The state charged Coterra Energy Inc. in 2020 after a grand jury investigation into the well water contamination in Dimock. The investigation revealed the companys activities associated with drilling and producing unconventional gas wells were responsible for methane pollution in the local water supply. This contamination led to multiple Dimock residents suffering from impacts to their own personal water supplies, including the explosion of Norma Fiorentinos drinking water well in January 2009. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Coterra pleaded no contest to charges related to environmental crimes in Northeast Pennsylvania. The plea agreement with the state required Coterra to pay nearly $16.3 million for the construction of a new, public water system and pay the water bills for impacted residents for the next 75 years. The agreement also covered systems to treat the homeowners water supplies and the provision of bottled water while the public water line is under construction. The groundwater contamination in Dimock garnered national attention regarding fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, in the Marcellus shale gas formation. Staff Writer Frank Wilkes Lesnefsky contributed to this article. I had never worked with mushrooms before, Luis said, reflecting on his time in Chester Countys mushroom industry. But my family has always worked in agriculture, so I like it. Im used to hard work. Luis, whose name is a pseudonym to protect his identity, is part of the latest wave of immigrant workers who have, for decades, come to Chester County to work in Pennsylvanias US$1.1 billion mushroom industry. He is a Venezuelan migrant who was granted Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, under the 2023 designation. TPS allows foreign nationals already in the U.S. to remain for six, 12 or 18 months regardless of how they entered if their home country is deemed too dangerous for them to return. In February 2025, President Donald Trump terminated TPS for Venezuelans who received protection under the 2023 expansion. According to the Department of Homeland Security, this designation had allowed approximately 348,000 Venezuelans to remain in the U.S. legally, with many eligible for work authorization. Meanwhile, Venezuelans who were granted TPS under the earlier 2021 designation can retain their status until Sept. 10, 2025. This provides temporary relief but leaves their long-term status uncertain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We are rural sociologists a Penn State professor and a Ph.D. candidate who study labor, migration and agriculture in the U.S. Our research examines how industries such as mushroom farming maintain a stable workforce. One of us recently published an article in the peer-reviewed journal Rural Sociology that highlights how Pennsylvanias mushroom industry was already struggling with a labor shortage. The termination of TPS for many Venezuelans, along with President Donald Trumps broader immigration policies including stricter border enforcement, increased deportations and tighter restrictions on work permits and asylum protections will likely shrink the pool of available workers in Pennsylvanias mushroom industry and other agricultural and food industries. CC BY-SA Kennett Square, Pa., bills itself as the mushroom capital of the world. Nolabob/Wikimedia Commons Changing face of the mushroom workforce The mushroom industry in Pennsylvania has been shaped and sustained by major waves of U.S. immigration since the late 19th century. William Swayne, a Quaker florist, is credited with beginning mushroom cultivation in Kennett Square, a small borough in Chester County, in the 1880s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, it was Italian immigrants, who began arriving in the early 20th century, who transformed Kennett Square into the mushroom capital of the world. Today, Pennsylvania produces 69% of all mushrooms sold in the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Chester County alone produced 199 million pounds of mushrooms mostly white button mushrooms in the 2023-24 season. While Chester County remains the hub of production, mushroom farms also extend into adjacent Berks County and parts of northeastern Maryland. Yet, workforce instability remains a pressing issue, as the industry has struggled for decades to recruit and retain workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mushroom picking is physically demanding. Workers in humid, enclosed growing rooms carefully harvest delicate mushrooms by hand to prevent bruising. Pay is structured around a piece-rate system, where earnings depend on speed and productivity. While this model allows some workers to earn more, it also creates instability, as take-home pay fluctuates based on harvest conditions and market demand. These factors make it difficult to maintain a stable workforce. As a result, mushroom production in Pennsylvania is highly dependent on immigrant labor. While there are no national statistics tracking the nationalities of workers in the industry, our empirical studies and ongoing field research indicate that most of todays workers are from Mexico and Guatemala. In recent years, more have arrived from Venezuela and elsewhere. Many of these newer arrivals have entered the U.S. through programs such as TPS and the Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, or CHNV. CHNV allows certain people from those four countries who have a sponsor in the U.S. and who pass a background check to live and work in the U.S. for two years. It was established to grant temporary work authorization to individuals fleeing crises in their home countries. TPS and CHNV have been instrumental in addressing labor shortages in essential U.S. industries such as agriculture. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, the long-standing Mexican mushroom workforce is undergoing a generational shift and aging out of field labor. Their U.S.-born children sometimes work harvesting jobs in their teens but are unlikely to stay in agriculture long term. Mushroom workers in humid, enclosed growing rooms must carefully harvest delicate mushrooms by hand to prevent bruising. John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images Rise of mushroom labor contractors To fill employment gaps, many mushroom farms now turn to labor contractors to recruit, manage and employ workers. Contractors typically handle payroll, workers compensation and access to medical care if someone is injured. On the surface, this system offers benefits for growers. It allows them to adjust their workforce depending on demand while reducing administrative burden and liability. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But for workers, this system can be a double-edged sword. Evidence from other agricultural industries shows that workers hired through contractors may have less job security, fewer or no benefits, and less direct contact with farm owners which makes it more difficult to negotiate wages or report workplace concerns. Some Kennett Square farmworkers we have interviewed see contractors as a source of flexibility. I had to miss work for some weeks because my kid was sick, and I lost my spot, one worker shared. But then I reached out to a contractor and was able to get another job at a different farm within a day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, that same worker went on to say that this new farm has wider harvesting beds, and I am getting more tired and have more pain because of it. In other words, while labor contractors provide continuity in employment, workers may have less control over where they are placed or the conditions they work under. For growers, contractors serve as an effective stopgap to keep mushroom farms in operation, but they do not solve their ongoing problem of attracting long-term employees. Pennsylvania produces over 60% of all mushrooms sold in the U.S. John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images Fewer workers, more expensive mushrooms With fewer workers, mushroom farms may struggle to meet the demand from grocery stores, restaurants and food processors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A reduced supply could mean customers pay more for mushrooms at grocery stores and restaurants. If retailers must source mushrooms from other states or abroad, prices could rise further due to transportation expenses, tariffs and supply chain disruptions. Without policies that recognize the industrys year-round labor needs, Pennsylvania mushroom growers will be left scrambling for alternative workforce solutions. Lawmakers have attempted to address this issue through the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021, which passed the House but stalled in the Senate. If enacted, the bill would create a Certified Agricultural Worker status, which would offer legal protection to experienced farmworkers, and expand H-2A visa eligibility to agricultural workers in year-round jobs such as mushroom farming. The bill also includes a mandatory phase-in of E-Verify for agricultural employers, a federal system used to confirm workers legal authorization to work in the U.S. For now, mushroom farms and the broader agricultural sector must prepare for the ripple effects of more rigid immigration restrictions. Without intervention from policymakers, the strain on workers, growers and consumers is likely to intensify. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more of our stories about Pennsylvania. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Hazel Velasco Palacios, Penn State and Kathleen Sexsmith, Penn State Read more: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hazel Velasco Palacios has received funding from the National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, the American Sociological Association, and the Pennsylvania State University. The views in this article are completely her own. Kathleen Sexsmith has received funding from the Pennsylvania State University, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (in 2022), and the American Mushroom Institute (in 2018). The views in this article are completely her own. (WHTM) Lots of schools across the Commonwealth want solar power. Pennsylvania school districts requested almost $90 million from the Solar for Schools grant program, more than triple the amount of available funding. The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) now has to decide which applications to approve. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now WHTM Daily Digest Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D) introduced the legislation. She says schools in the program have the potential to save millions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It really is a program that could benefit all of our schools, said Rep. Fiedler. We just need to provide the funding for it so that schools can make it happen, and then they have savings and budget predictability for many, many years to come. Rep. Fiedler says the DCED will release its recommendations for grant applications in May, and an additional $25 million for Solar for Schools is proposed in the governors next budget. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. China retaliated against President Donald Trumps tariffs with an additional 15% tax on key American farm products, including chicken, pork, soybeans and beef. The escalating trade tensions punished U.S. markets Monday as investors fearful of the damage from from Trumps trade wars put their money elsewhere. The Chinese tariffs, announced last week, were a response to Trumps decision to double the levy on Chinese imports to 20% on March 4. Chinas Commerce Ministry had earlier said that goods already in transit would be exempt from the retaliatory tariffs until April 12. Imposing tariffs on imports is a key part of Trumps agenda. He believes the import taxes can raise money for the Treasury, protect American industries and pressure foreign countries to do what he wants in a range of issues, including immigration and drug trafficking. On Wednesday, Trump is set to remove exceptions on 25% steel tariffs he imposed in 2018 effectively raising the taxes and raise his levy on aluminum from 10% to 25%. In a bewildering series of announcements last week, Trump slapped tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, then delayed many of them for 30 days. Next month, he could plaster reciprocal tariffs meant to raise U.S. tariffs to match higher tariffs imposed by foreign countries on a wide range of imports from around the world. Economists warn that tariffs raise prices for consumers and make the U.S. economy less efficient as protected American companies have less incentive to innovate. Theres also the threat of retaliation, and farmers, who are among Trumps most loyal supporters and also have vigilant defenders in Congress, make a tempting target. China also hit American farm products during the presidents first-term trade wars. U.S. farm sales to China plummeted, then recovered after the two countries reached a truce in January 2020 and Beijing promised to buy more from U.S. farmers. American farm exports to China peaked at $38 billion in 2022, then fell to $29 billion in 2023 and $25 billion last year. In January, they were down 56% from a year earlier, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. During his first term, Trump spent tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer money to compensate farmers for lost exports. MDT/AP Law firm Perkins Coie has launched a suit to challenge President Trumps stripping of security clearances for lawyers at the firm, saying it was targeted due to its past work for Democrats. Perkins Coie, which represented Hillary Clintons presidential campaign in 2016, was the subject of an executive order signed by Trump last week, citing the dishonest and dangerous activity of the firm. Beyond stripping the firms clearances, the far-reaching order also essentially blocked its attorneys from federal buildings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Order imposes these punishments as retaliation for the firms association with, and representation of, clients that the President perceives as his political opponents, Perkins Coie wrote in the suit. The retaliatory aim of the Order is intentionally obvious to the general public and the press because the very goal is to chill future lawyers from representing particular clients. Perkins Coie is being represented by Williams & Connolly, a firm with significant experience in fighting the federal government. During the 2016 campaign, Perkins Coie lawyers worked with Fusion GPS, which was connected to the Steele dossier, which contained unflattering allegations about Trump and his connections to Russia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both Perkins Coie lawyers who worked on that case, Marc Elias and Michael Sussmann, left the law firm years ago. Perkins Coie argues Trump acted outside the bounds of his executive authority in seeking to insert himself into matters that would otherwise be before the judicial branch. It also argues Trump violated its First Amendment free speech rights, as well as its Fifth Amendment rights to due process. The firm also argued that by stripping its clearance and access to federal buildings, it was crippling the firms ability to represent clients suing the federal government. The Order is an affront to the Constitution and our adversarial system of justice. Its plain purpose is to bully those who advocate points of view that the President perceives as adverse to the views of his Administration. Perkins Coie brings this case reluctantly, it said in the suit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The firm is comprised of lawyers who advocate for clients; its attorneys and employees are not activists or partisans. But Perkins Coies ability to represent the interests of its clients and its ability to operate as a legal-services business at all are under direct and imminent threat. Perkins Coie cannot allow its clients to be bullied. Trump has said he would strip the security clearances of a number of figures and has also done so for another firm, Covington & Burling, ending the security clearance for one attorney at the firm who provided pro bono legal services to former special counsel Jack Smith. He also reportedly stripped the security clearance of Mark Zaid, a national security lawyer who represented whistleblowers at the center of Trumps first impeachment. Trump also previously signed an order stripping security clearances from 50 former national security officials who had signed on to a letter casting doubt on the authenticity of a recovered laptop purported to belong to Hunter Biden. He also revoked clearances of several Biden administration officials, including former national security adviser Jake Sullivan and former Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a post on the social platform X on Monday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said she had moved ahead with formalizing the revocation of numerous security clearances. Per @POTUS directive, I have revoked security clearances and barred access to classified information for Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Lisa Monaco, Mark Zaid, Norman Eisen, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, and Andrew Weissman, along with the 51 signers of the Hunter Biden disinformation letter. The Presidents Daily Brief is no longer being provided to former President Biden, she wrote. However, some of those whose clearances were stripped have yet to be formally notified. Neither the White House nor Gabbards office responded to requests for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Updated at 4:34 p.m. EDT March 12 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Health officials in L.A. County are advising that a person infected with measles recently arrived in Los Angeles and visited at least two businesses before the virus was detected. The person is an L.A. County resident who arrived at LAX Terminal B on Mar. 5, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. They flew in on China Airlines Flight 8, which is the airlines Taipei-to-L.A. route, and were in the Tom Bradley International Terminal between 7 p.m. and 10:40 p.m. that night. Passengers assigned to specific seats that may have been exposed on the flight will be notified by local departments of health, officials said, adding that the Centers for Disease Control is assisting in the notification process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In-N-Out CEO Lynsi Snyder says her company remains a family despite betrayal from colleagues Two days after arriving, the individual went to a nail salon in North Hollywood called Cloud 9 Nails, which is located at 5142 N. Lankershim Blvd. On Monday, the person went to the Superior Grocery Store located at 10683 Valley Blvd. in El Monte. Individuals who were at those locations on the specified dates and times may be at risk of developing measles due to exposure to this individual, the Health Department said in a bulletin issued Tuesday. Two days after arriving, the individual went to a nail salon in North Hollywood called Cloud 9 Nails, which is located at 5142 North Lankershim Boulevard. On Monday, the person went to the Superior Grocery Store located at 10683 Valley Boulevard in El Monte. (KTLA) Two days after arriving, the individual went to a nail salon in North Hollywood called Cloud 9 Nails, which is located at 5142 North Lankershim Boulevard. On Monday, the person went to the Superior Grocery Store located at 10683 Valley Boulevard in El Monte. (KTLA) Exposed individuals should confirm if they have been vaccinated against measles, and if they are not, they are at risk of contracting the disease. According to health officials, symptoms typically take a week to three weeks to develop after being exposed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Common measles symptoms include: High fever (over 101 degrees) Cough Runny nose Red and watery eyes Measles rash (appears 3-5 days after other signs of illness) The virus spreads easily through the air when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes, according to LACDPH. It can stay airborne and on surfaces for many hours, even after the infected person has left the area. The infected person can spread the disease up to four days before a measles rash appears and up to four days after the rash appears, officials said. If other people breathe the contaminated air or touch the infected surface, then touch their eyes, noses or mouths, they can become infected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boy, 13, calls 911 after intruder fatally shoots father in Arcadia home Public health officials stated that all people diagnosed with measles in California to date have had some sort of international travel. The last measles case in an L.A. County resident came in February 2024, LACDPH added. Measles can be prevented with a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Officials say that most health insurances cover the cost of the vaccine; insured persons should check with their doctor or pharmacy to see which vaccines are offered. A list of clinics that provide no-cost or low-cost immunizations to children in Los Angeles County can be found here. A nurse demonstrates how a measles vaccine is administered at the Orange County Health Department on May 6, 2019, in Orlando, Florida. (Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images) This latest measles case comes two weeks after an Orange County infant arrived in L.A. from Korea with measles and amid a nationwide outbreak in 12 states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the CDC, as of March 6, 222 measles cases have been reported across the U.S. this year, and that number is likely to increase. At least one death has been reported due to the outbreak, which was an unvaccinated school-aged child in Texas who died from the virus last month. Another unvaccinated person from New Mexico tested positive for measles after they died; however, their official cause of death is still under investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) As the search for missing Loudoun County woman and University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki continues in the Dominican Republic, Virginia authorities named a person of interest in the case Wednesday. In a statement to DC News Now, the Loudoun County Sheriffs Office (LCSO) said Joshua Riibe has been named as a person of interest in the investigation. This is not at this time a criminal investigation, so to be clear, he is not a suspect, said the LCSO, in part. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the sheriffs office, Riibe is also a U.S. citizen who was vacationing in Punta Cana and may have been the last to see Konanki before she vanished. However, he was not part of the group traveling with Konanki from the University of Pittsburgh. Interpol has also released a worldwide missing persons alert for Konanki, also known as a yellow notice. PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Authorities search for Virginia woman reported missing in Dominican Republic 20-year-old Konanki, who is also a citizen of India, was reported missing on Thursday, March 6, while she was vacationing with five other female friends in Punta Cana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to a report from NewsNation, she was last seen at around 4:50 a.m. that day while walking on the beach at the Riu Republica Hotel, just north of Punta Cana in the La Altagracia district. The Embassy of India in the Dominican Republic has led the search efforts, working with the state department and law enforcement on the ground, according to the LCSO. Over the weekend, Defensa Civil Dominicana posted photos of a helicopter above the water and crews on the beach searching for Konanki. Crews in the Dominican Republic gathered to search for missing 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki on Saturday, March 8. (Courtesy: Defensa Civil Dominicana via Instagram/@defensacivilrd) The FBI has also joined the search efforts, helping the Dominican National Police conduct several interviews. A number of people have been interviewed by the Dominican National Police with the assistance of the FBI and this is continuing. Our office will have a presence on the ground today too, said the LCSO. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Family remembers 10-year-old who died from flu in Prince Georges County Police spoke to Konankis friends and a man in his 20s, who was allegedly at the beach at the same time as her, CNN previously reported. The man was also spotted on surveillance cameras leaving the beach area alone just before 10 a.m. and has since reportedly told police multiple versions of what happened that morning, saying Konanki may have been swept away by a wave or may have left when he got out of the water. He also told authorities they both went into the ocean, but he felt sick, got out and fell asleep on a lounge chair, according to CNN. Police have not linked the man to Riibe. Former federal law enforcement agents explained what could happen next in the investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If they had more evidence than that and he was detained down there, youd read him his rights, he would come in, and theyd really start taking over the investigation. they have to be very careful about that right now. You want a chain of custody for all of that evidence and for his statements to stand up in court if he makes them, said retired FBI supervisory special agent Robert DAmico in an interview with NewsNation. We just want to make sure that we can try our best to locate her, and hope and pray to God everything is okay, said LCSO Sheriff Mike Chapman in an interview with DC News Now on Sunday. DC News Now stopped by the Konanki family home in Loudoun County on Wednesday, where a friend of the family, who said he was was there with the family in the Dominican Republic, said the family is going through a lot of pain and sorrow right now and theyve been told not to speak to reporters about the situation as this investigation ramps up. Anyone with information on Konankis disappearance should call the sheriffs office at (703) 777-1021. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. Sudiksha Konanki has been missing since last week. Sudiksha Konanki/Facebook Police have named a person of interest in the disappearance of U.S. college student Sudiksha Konanki, who went missing last week during a spring break trip in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Joshua Riibe has been named a person of interest in connection with Konankis disappearance, according to the sheriffs office in Loudon County, where Konanki is from. The 24-year-old is not a suspect, however. He was vacationing in Punta Cana and he might have been the last person to see Konanki, police said. Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student, arrived in the Dominican Republic to vacation with friends on March 3, and was last seen early Thursday going to the beach. She and her friends went to the beach with two men around 4 a.m. local time. Konankis friends and one man left the beach and returned to the hotel they were staying at around 6 a.m., while Konanki and the other man stayed at the beach. The man with Konanki was spotted leaving the beach and going back to his hotel at 10 a.m. without her. That man has been questioned multiple times, according to CNN. He has told differing accounts, but translation issues may have been a reason for the differences, police told CNN. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Konankis clothing was found on a beach lounge chair, but there were no signs of violence, sources told CNN and ABC News. Konankis father has asked authorities to widen the investigation from not only the possibility of an accidental drowning, but also the possibility of a kidnapping or foul play. Its four days, and if she was in water, she would likely have been strewn to shore, Subbarayudu Konanki told a radio station. Shes not found, so were asking them to investigate multiple options, like kidnapping or abduction. Related... WAUKESHA, Wis. (WFRV) Officials in Wisconsin announced that a 17-year-old boy, believed to be a person of interest in a death investigation, was charged with driving a vehicle without owners consent and theft. Nikita Casap was formally charged with operating a motor vehicle without owners consent and theft. Casap is a person of interest for an investigation into the deaths of his mother Tatiana Casap and stepfather Donald Mayer. UPDATE: Armed man near Menasha High School taken into custody, brief lockdown Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Casap had been arrested earlier in March in Kansas after ignoring a stop sign, and the vehicle he was driving had been stolen from Wisconsin. Officers in Kansas had been coordinating with Wisconsin authorities on the incident. Detectives are continuing to pursue more leads and gather evidence, while working through the investigation. Manitowoc PD launch death investigation, person found dead in wooded area Additional felony charges are forthcoming against Casap; however, the investigation is ongoing. Anybody with information is asked to contact Detective Sam Yanke at either of the two numbers: (262) 896-8117 (262) 548-7128 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No additional details were provided. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) The International Criminal Court took custody of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday on a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity for deadly anti-drugs crackdowns he oversaw while in office. Rights groups and families of victims hailed Dutertes arrest, and the courts chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, called it a crucial step in our continuous work to ensure accountability for the victims of the most serious crimes under ICC jurisdiction. Supporters of Duterte criticized the administration of current Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Duterte's political rival, for arresting and surrendering the former leader to a court whose jurisdiction his supporters dispute. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 79-year-old former president arrived in the Netherlands on a flight from Manila, where he was arrested on an ICC request Tuesday. The Dutch-based court said in a statement that medical assistance was made available to Duterte as a precaution, in line with standard procedures when a suspect arrives. The court did not comment on his state of health. An ambulance drove to the hangar where his plane was taken, and medics wheeled a gurney inside. A police helicopter hovered close to the airport, and later a black SUV was seen leaving the airport accompanied by police. Its destination was not immediately clear. Crowds gathered outside the detention center for ICC suspects. The Philippine Embassy in The Hague provided consular assistance to Duterte upon his arrival, including winter clothing and care packages, the Philippine Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued Thursday in Manila. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Within days, Duterte will face an initial appearance where the court will confirm his identity, check that he understands the charges against him and set a date for a hearing to assess if prosecutors have sufficient evidence to send him to a full trial. If his case goes to trial and he is convicted, Duterte could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Grieving families are hopeful This is a monumental and long-overdue step for justice for thousands of victims and their families," said Jerrie Abella of Amnesty International. "It is therefore a hopeful sign for them, as well, in the Philippines and beyond, as it shows that suspected perpetrators of the worst crimes, including government leaders, will face justice wherever they are in the world, Abella added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Emily Soriano, the mother of a victim of the crackdowns, said she wanted more officials to face justice. "Duterte is lucky he has due process, but our children who were killed did not have due process, she said. While Duterte's plane was in the air, grieving relatives gathered in the Philippines to mourn his alleged victims, carrying the urns of their loved ones. We are happy and we feel relieved, said 55-year-old Melinda Abion Lafuente, mother of 22-year-old Angelo Lafuente, who she says was tortured and killed in 2016. Duterte's supporters, however, criticized his arrest as illegal and sought to have him returned home. Small groups of Duterte supporters and people who backed his arrest demonstrated on Wednesday outside the court before his arrival. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ICC investigation The ICC opened an inquiry in 2021 into mass killings linked to the so-called war on drugs overseen by Duterte when he served as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao and later as president. Estimates of the death toll during Dutertes presidential term vary, from the more than 6,000 that the national police have reported and up to 30,000 claimed by human rights groups. ICC judges who looked at prosecution evidence supporting their request for his arrest found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Duterte is individually responsible for the crime against humanity of murder as an indirect co-perpetrator for having allegedly overseen the killings when he was mayor of Davao and later president of the Philippines," according to his warrant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its statement Wednesday, the ICC outlined the technical stages of the upcoming hearing, without setting a specific date, and thanked Philippine authorities for their commitment to upholding international accountability mechanisms.'' What happens next? Duterte could challenge the courts jurisdiction and the admissibility of the case. While the Philippines is no longer a member of the ICC, the alleged crimes happened before Manila withdrew from the court. That process will likely take months and if the case progresses to trial it could take years. Duterte will be able to apply for provisional release from the courts detention center while he waits, though it's up to judges to decide whether to grant such a request. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A video taken while he was on the plane was posted to Duterte's official Facebook page. To my countrymen, just to give you the current situation, he said, combining English and Tagalog. This will be a long legal proceedings. I say to you, I will continue to serve you. Duterte's legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, told reporters in Manila that the Philippine Supreme Court "can compel the government to bring back the person arrested and detained without probable cause and compel the government bring him before the court and to explain to them why they (government) did what they did. Marcos said Tuesday that Dutertes arrest was proper and correct and not an act of political persecution. Duterte's daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, criticized the Marcos administration for surrendering her father to a foreign court, which she said currently has no jurisdiction in the Philippines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She left the Philippines on Wednesday to arrange a meeting in The Hague with her detained father and talk to his lawyers, her office told reporters in Manila. Philippines no longer an ICC member state Duterte withdrew the Philippines in 2019 from the ICC, in a move human rights activists say was aimed at escaping accountability. The Duterte administration moved to suspend the global courts investigation in late 2021 by arguing that Philippine authorities were already looking into the same allegations, arguing that the ICC a court of last resort therefore didnt have jurisdiction. Appeals judges at the ICC rejected those arguments and ruled in 2023 that the investigation could resume. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ICC judges who issued the warrant also said that the alleged crimes fall within the court's jurisdiction. They said Dutertes arrest was necessary because of what they called the risk of interference with the investigations and the security of witnesses and victims. ___ Associated Press journalists Aleksandar Furtula in The Hague, Jim Gomez, Joeal Calupitan and Basilio Sepe in Manila, Philippines, Jerry Harmer in Bangkok, and Molly Quell contributed to this report. By Anthony Deutsch and Stephanie van den Berg ROTTERDAM (Reuters) - Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was taken into custody by the International Criminal Court on Wednesday following his arrest in Manila on murder charges linked to his "war on drugs" in which thousands of purported dealers and users were killed. The ICC said in a statement Duterte was "surrendered to the custody of the International Criminal Court. He was arrested by the authorities of the Republic of the Philippines...for charges of murder as a crime against humanity". Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The 79-year-old arrived at Rotterdam airport on a chartered plane earlier on Wednesday. He will be brought before an ICC judge in The Hague in the coming days for an initial appearance, the statement said. He was transferred to a detention unit on the Dutch coast. Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, will face allegations of crimes against humanity for overseeing death squads in his anti-drugs crackdown. He could become the first Asian former head of state to go on trial there. The ICC arrest warrant says that as president, Duterte created, funded and armed the death squads that carried out murders of purported drug users and dealers. Speaking in a video shot during his arrest in Manila on Tuesday, Duterte asked: "What is the basis for my detention? What is the crime committed?" Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An official who read Duterte his rights told him that it was on the basis of a warrant from the ICC accusing him of murder, to which Duterte replied: "It must be murders," indicating it must be plural. About 20 anti-Duterte protesters gathered earlier outside the ICC in The Hague with banners, including one that said: "We demand justice and accountability, Rodrigo Duterte is a war criminal!". A protester held a big cardboard mask depicting Duterte as a vampire. "This is great news for Filipino people," anti-Duterte protester Menandro Abanes said of Duterte's arrest and transfer to the court. "I'm here to show my appreciation to (the) ICC for doing its job to end impunity." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another protester, Mary-Grace Labasan, said: "Actually, he is lucky, because he is experiencing the due process of law compared to the victims who were just being shot and killed without any due process." A handful of pro-Duterte protesters also gathered at the court building. "They handed our president to foreigners," protester Janet Suliman said. "They brought shame to our (country)." Back home, for families of Philippine drug war victims, Duterte's arrest has revived hopes for justice. The war on drugs was the signature campaign platform that swept the mercurial Duterte to power in 2016. During his six years in office, 6,200 suspects were killed during anti-drug operations, by the police's count. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Activists say the real toll was far greater, with many thousands more slum drug users, some of whom were on community "watch lists" after they signed up for treatment, gunned down in mysterious circumstances. 'BIG MOMENT' FOR ICC Lawyers and academics said the arrest and transfer were a big moment for the ICC, which is targeted by U.S. sanctions and does not have any police of its own to arrest people. "This is an opportunity for the court to show that it can deal with a big case and can have arrests," said Iva Vukusic, an assistant professor of international history at Utrecht University. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Other notable fugitives are Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is accused of being criminally responsible for acts including murder, persecution and using starvation as a weapon of war in the Gaza conflict, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, accused of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. Both deny the allegations. In recent months the ICC prosecutor has also requested arrest warrants for senior Afghan and Myanmar leaders. HABEUS CORPUS The former president's daughter Sara Duterte, the country's vice president, boarded a morning flight to Amsterdam, her office said, but it did not say what she intended to do there or how long she planned to stay in the Netherlands. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Silvestre Bello, a former labour minister and one of the former president's lawyers, said a legal team would meet to assess options and seek clarity on where Duterte would be taken and whether they would be granted access to him. Duterte's youngest daughter, Veronica, plans to file a habeas corpus request with the Philippine Supreme Court to compel the government to bring him back, Salvador Panelo, his former chief legal counsel, said. The arrest marks a stunning change of fortunes for the influential Duterte family, which forged a formidable alliance with Marcos to help him win a 2022 election by a huge margin. But Marcos and his vice president have since had a bitter fallout, culminating in Sara Duterte's impeachment last month by a lower house led by loyalists of Marcos. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His arrest "means that international justice is not just a Western construct. It's not just a Western idea. It's universal," said Gilbert Andres, a lawyer representing families of victims of drug-related killings. (Additional reporting by Bart Biesemans, Karen Lema, Marta Fiorin, Ardee Napolitano, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Bart H. Meijer and Benoit Van Overstraeten; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Alex Richardson, Angus MacSwan and Aidan Lewis) Police in California arrested an Arizona man on suspicion of renting a car and selling it to a woman for $23K in cash, warning he and another man were engaged in an "elaborate vehicle fraud scheme." The Corona Police Department posted a summary of the incident on social media, saying both men have a history of similar crimes, and "it is likely there are additional victims." The car seller had been able to rent from the online car-sharing company Turo despite an active warrant for conspiracy and auto theft, police stated. A woman responded to an ad for the car on Craigslist, receiving a title and registration from the man. The documents were forged, the woman later learned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The woman contacted police, and they found another ad online, according to Fox 11 in Los Angeles. Corona police said that department investigators arranged a meeting on Feb. 26 with the suspected seller, who soon showed up in a different vehicle he had planned to "fraudulently sell." Sebastian Flores was arrested without incident. At the same time, police stopped another man, Lasso Floris, at the scene who they believed had arrived with Flores and found he had a felony warrant for trafficking stolen vehicles, police said. Police booked both men into jail. The post did not explain whether Floris had any connection to the sale of the Turo vehicle. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Flores and Floris reportedly have addresses in the Phoenix area but have ties to southern California, police said. Online court sites in Maricopa and Pima counties did not show criminal histories for the men. The Corona Police Department did not respond to messages seeking further information, as of Tuesday afternoon. When contacted Tuesday evening, a Turo spokesperson said the men were not Turo customers but they were aware of the incident. The company later acknowledged that "these criminals teamed up with people who passed our rigorous screening process to steal and sell cars listed on Turo." Catherine Mejia, a Turo spokesperson, touted the company's safety protocols and said the rental hosts would be "reimbursed under our protection plans." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turo will work with law enforcement on the case, she added. Other incidents involving rental vehicles Selling rented cars has become easier for criminals who know how to use technology. Last year, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department arrested three men on suspicion of an even more elaborate scheme. The group rented vehicles from an online rental service, advertised them for sale on Facebook Marketplace, sold them for cash, then stole them back and returned them to the rental host. Other vehicles rented from Turo were previously in the news in separate incidents in New Orleans and Las Vegas on Jan. 1. Early that morning, an armed man in New Orleans drove a Ford F-150 he rented off Turo into a crowd celebrating hours after 2025 was rung in, killing 15 and injuring dozens. Late that same morning, a man rigged a Turo rented Tesla Cybertruck to explode outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, killing himself and injuring several bystanders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turo incidents have also happened in the Valley. On Feb. 1, three men were briefly held at gunpoint by Glendale police after the Turo vehicle they rented turned out to be stolen. Reach the reporter at rstern@arizonarepublic.com or 480-276-3237. Follow him on X @raystern. Arizona Republic reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. contributed to this story. (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix man arrested for attempting to sell Turo vehicle fraudulently Flash Pakistani security forces have killed at least 16 terrorists during an operation to rescue hostages following a train attack in the Kacchi district of the country's southwest Balochistan province on Tuesday, security sources said. The security sources told Xinhua at the wee hours of Wednesday that the military operation divided the terrorists into small groups, and an intense exchange of gunfire continued between the security forces and the attackers. According to the sources, the security forces successfully freed 104 hostages from the terrorists, including 58 men, 31 women, and 15 children. At least 17 injured passengers have been shifted to a nearby hospital, said the sources, adding that efforts are going on to ensure the safe release of remaining passengers. "Additional security personnel are participating in the ongoing operation. The noose around the terrorists has been tightened, and the operation will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated," the sources added. Earlier, official sources reported that a group of armed men opened fire on the Jaffar Express passenger train, which had about 450 passengers onboard, with several injured. Senior Pakistan Railways official Muhammad Kashif told Xinhua that the train was running from the southwestern city of Quetta to the northwestern city of Peshawar when militants launched the attack. "The attack occurred in a mountainous region where communication is severely restricted due to the lack of mobile service. In the last contact with the train, the driver reported that an explosion hit the railway track, forcing the train to stop. Immediately after, the militants opened heavy fire, injuring the driver and several passengers," Kashif said. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack on the train, praising the security forces for their bravery and professional expertise in confronting the terrorists. "Despite the difficult terrain, the morale of the security forces involved in the operation remains high. We will continue this war against terrorism until this menace is completely eradicated from the country," the prime minister said. Sharif added that every conspiracy aimed at spreading unrest and chaos in Pakistan would be foiled, and "we will never allow the evil intentions of anti-state elements to succeed." The proscribed terrorist outfit Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on a social media platform. China wrapped up its biggest political event of the year yesterday leaving one question unanswered: How far will it go to try to revive economic growth in 2025? A recurring theme throughout the weeklong meeting of the nearly 3,000-member National Peoples Congress was the need to boost investment and consumer spending. How much will be done to translate words into action will only become clear in the months ahead as the ruling Communist Party juggles priorities. What is clear is that a burgeoning trade war with the United States has left the outlook for the coming months uncertain. The meeting ended in the absence of top political leader Zhao Leji, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the Congress. Zhao, who was supposed to host the closing session, had a respiratory tract infection, said Vice Chairman Li Hongzhong, who chaired the meeting in his place. The parliament voted overwhelmingly to approve an annual government work report, with 2,882 votes for, one vote against and one abstention. Similar near-unanimous votes were recorded to pass the budget and an amendment to a law on deputies to the Congress, among other items. At stake is the health of the worlds second largest economy, a major exporter of products to countries around the world and an important market for foreign companies from Apple to Volkswagen. A prolonged property crisis has sapped consumer and business confidence, depriving the economy of its past vitality. Now, a tariff war unleashed by U.S. President Donald Trump is compounding those problems. China holds back on major stimulus The Congress opened with the announcement of an economic growth target of about 5% for this year, a level that analysts said would be difficult to achieve with the measures detailed during this years Congress. They include borrowing more money for a slew of initiatives, such as giving 300 billion yuan ($41.3 billion) in rebates to consumers who trade-in old cars and appliances for new ones. But much of the borrowing will go to supporting the housing market and local governments weighed down by debt. It is unclear how much of a jolt this budget will provide to underlying domestic demand and reflation efforts, despite the sizeable rise in the deficit, Jeremy Zook, the lead China analyst for Fitch Ratings, said in a report. The ambitious 5% growth target signaled to analysts that more stimulus may be coming. Last year, the government surprised stock markets with various moves beginning in September to push growth up to 5%, also the target in 2024. Finance Minister Lan Foan told journalists covering the Congress that the government had sufficient tools in reserve to deal with external or domestic uncertainties. Xi seeks private sectorhelp, within limits Chinese President Xi Jinping seems bent on reinvigorating private businesses, which provide a large share of growth and jobs in the countrys state-dominated economy. Years of regulatory crackdowns have shaken the confidence of entrepreneurs and other investors. The Congress reviewed comments on a proposed law meant to improve the environment for private enterprises by regulating aspects of market access, financing, competition and property rights protection, among others. The legislation was not put to a vote. Xi aims to send a message to entrepreneurs, but also to local governments and regulators, that the private sectors important and its necessary, Neil Thomas, a fellow on Chinese politics at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said ahead of the congress. Private companies will also gain access to a higher share of loans than before, and financing for private businesses raised through bond issuance will be expanded, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in the work report. Wang says the US shouldnt bully Much rides on how far Trump pursues his trade wars with China and other countries. China has diversified its export markets in recent years, but the U.S. remains a vital trading partner. The greater fear is not the tariffs themselves but the health of the U.S. economy and demand for Chinese products, said Alicia Garcia Herrero, the chief Asia-Pacific economist for Natixis investment bank. Trump has raised tariffs on imports from China twice since taking office in January. China has shown no sign of backing down. If the American side goes further down this wrong path, we will fight to the end, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao told journalists during the Congress. Asked about Trumps America First policy, Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the law of the jungle would reign if all countries adopted a my country first approach. A big country should honor its international obligations and fulfill its due responsibilities, he said to journalists at the Congress. It should not put selfish interests before principles, still less wield its power to bully the weak. A Chinese buzzword makes a comeback The government said in its annual report that it would address what it considers unproductive rat-race competition, invoking a term that was a buzzword in China five years ago among stressed-out younger workers. The government is applying the term neijuan more commonly translated as involution to companies and local governments rather than workers. A proliferation of green energy firms, for example, has led to gluts in solar panels and other equipment and fierce price wars that ultimately harm the industry. Their strategies are similar, which leads to extremely cruel competition, Chinese tech leader Lei Jun, the CEO of Xiaomi and a delegate to the Congress, told state media. The solutions are unclear, experts say, noting that government subsidies for green energy helped create the problem by encouraging so many start-ups. KEN MORITSUGU, BEIJING, MDT/AP KANSAS CITY, Mo. Police are asking the public for help identifying two individuals involved in a car break-in and burglary in Lenexa. According to a Facebook post by the Lenexa Police Department, officers are searching for two suspects who arrived at a business near 108th Street and Pflumm Road and took part in two separate thefts. Kansas City police identifies woman killed in hit-and-run near I-70, The Paseo Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lenexa PD said one of the suspects stole a wallet from a parked car, and the other used the victims credit card at a retailer near 47th Terrace and Mission Road in Westwood, Kansas. Police provided these images of the two individuals and ask that if you have information or recognize these suspects, to call (913) 825-8120. Lenexa police release images of two suspects involved in a car burglary. Lenexa police release images of two suspects involved in a car burglary. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) After public pressure from Gov. Jim Pillen, Nebraska lawmakers advanced to the full Legislature a winner-take-all bill and a separate proposed constitutional amendment to let voters alter how the state awards Electoral College votes for president, the Nebraska Examiner reports. The Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee of the officially nonpartisan Legislature advanced both proposals Monday along party lines. The chair, State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, had said in the past that she wouldnt put anything out of committee if it didnt have the 33 votes needed to overcome a promised filibuster, which could grind the Legislature to a halt, at least for a time. But that changed when the emails and phone calls came in, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lippincott making it a priority so people are speaking, and most of them said, Lets get the vote, Sanders said after the vote to advance. Nebraska teachers praise bill for 6 weeks paid family, medical leave for all state educators Still have to find 33 votes Sanders added that any attempt to pull any bill out of a committee, if it ends up in gridlock, would weaken the bill and said it should go through the committee process. State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City, who filed LB 3 and made it his priority bill for the session, told the Nebraska Examiner on Friday that he was grateful for the opportunity to try and get Nebraska back to the same rules as the rest of the country. State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams. Aug. 8, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) The Government Committee also advanced Legislative Resolution 24CA, a proposed amendment to the state constitution from State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams, allowing voters to decide whether to change to winner-take-all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nebraska is just one of two states Maine is the other that parcel out some electoral votes by the winner of the presidential popular vote in each congressional district. The approach, adopted in Nebraska in 1991, has led to Democrats claiming a single electoral vote from the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District three times in 2008, 2020 and 2024. Democrats respond Nebraska Democrats have dubbed the 2nd District the Blue Dot. The Nebraska Democratic Party has called LB 3 an attempt to suppress the voices of Nebraskans and said it will work hard to ensure this bill fails. Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb released a statement Monday calling the proposed move short-sighted. Nebraska Democratic Party chair Jane Kleeb is shown. (Courtesy of Ariel Panowicz for Bold Nebraska) We have a competitive primary for both parties in 2028, and we should all want candidates asking for our votes. That will only happen if we keep the split electoral vote system. Nebraska is unique. Lets not be like all the rest of the states. Let the other states follow our lead in true representative democracy. We urge senators from all parties to vote no on the final version of the bills, Kleeb said in her statement. Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Bolduc to retire Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement State Sen. Dave Wordekemper of Fremont said that just because he voted to advance the bill out of committee doesnt mean he agrees with the two proposals. We can have a debate on those [proposals] on the floor and decide as a body, Wordkemper said. Complicated path ahead Wordkemper said he would keep an open mind on both proposals. Lippincott said after the vote that he always feels hopeful about his bills chances. State Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston said he is still a no on both proposals. He has chosen not to support winner-take-all in the past, citing the timing of the proposals. Pillen, in a statement, said the bills advancement was great news for Nebraska, and Im grateful to Chair Rita Sanders and the great senators who voted to advance WTA. He said switching to winner-take-all would restore unity to Nebraskas allocation of Electoral College votes and strengthen our voice in presidential elections. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KCAU 9 Breaking News The states Republicans have pushed for winner-take-all for decades. The effort has gained steam since Trump expressed support for the initiative during his 2024 campaign. The latest push likely signals that Pillens political future with Trump could depend on whether he can deliver winner-take-all. Sanders said the committee would have another executive session late this week to possibly combine the two proposals. Speaker John Arch of La Vista said he doesnt know when the proposals might be discussed on the legislative floor, but it might be a bit before they do. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) An annual ping pong tournament returns to Dayton this weekend, all to support recovery from addiction. The Recovery Alliance of Montgomery County is hosting their annual Pong for a Purpose event all day Saturday. From noon to 5 p.m., the tournament will raise money for local recovery services. Anyone is welcome to come out and join the tournament, happening at the Salvation Army Kroc Center on N. Keowee Street. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Organization leaders say events like this are vital to their mission. Without the help from the community and the resources, sponsors, the donors, its hard to keep this boat afloat, said Jermaine Hawkins, RAMCO treasurer. We do need a little more help, little more support, and push from the community and from those agencies that have the resources and funds that can help fund some of these events that we put on. RAMCO is made up of four clubs in the Dayton area that offer recovery services including support groups, substance-free holiday events, after-school youth programs and more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDTN.com. GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) Pitt County Schools celebrated teachers accomplishments Wednesday through an employee of the year luncheon. The event was hosted and catered by Rock Springs Center in Greenville. It was a way to celebrate and recognize those who work with the Pitt County Schools system. Thirty-nine teachers were nominated for the 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year. Rachel Candaso won the award last year and spoke at Wednesdays lunch. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because of Pitt County Schools, Ive been able to continue this journey representing our county, the local, the state and the national level, Candaso said. Because Pitt County Schools continue to choose me, I am able to present at AVID national conference in Dallas, Texas this fall and I am representing Pitt County Schools students this summer at the AVID summer institute in San Diego. Awards like Custodian of the Year, Office Employee of the Year, Teacher Assistant of the Year and more were presented. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT. The disappearance and reported drowning of 20-year-old college student Sudiksha Konanki in the Dominican Republic is being treated as an accident, according to a new report. But her distraught father is pleading with authorities to consider other options, including abduction. Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student, disappeared on a Spring Break trip with five friends at a resort in Punta Cana. Investigators believe Konanki drowned early Thursday, law enforcement sources told ABC News over the weekend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since then, investigators have found her clothes on a bed near the beach where she was last seen, ABC News reported Tuesday. Following an initial investigation, her disappearance is currently being treated as an accident, police told ABC. Searchers look for Sudiksha Konanki (Defensa Civil La Altagracia) Police say Konanki, a permanent U.S. resident and Indian citizen, went to a nightclub on Wednesday night with her friends. Afterward, Konanki and a group of people went to the beach around 4 a.m. Konankis friends returned to their hotel room just before 6 a.m., ABC News reports, while Konanki stayed on the beach with a man. That man told police he went for a swim with Konanki, who was swept up by a big wave, ABC News reported. After he returned to the beach, he threw up and went to sleep on a beach bed. When he awoke, he said Konanki was nowhere to be found. Dominican officials search the beach where Konanki disappeared last week (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) He returned to his hotel room just before 9 a.m., surveillance footage shows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police have since interviewed him, and he is cooperating with the investigation, National Police spokesman Diego Pesqueira told ABC News. He is not a suspect in the case, said the chief of the Civil Defense in the Dominican Republic. Investigators also interviewed Konankis friends, who were also not suspects as of Tuesday. But Konankis father isnt convinced she drowned. Subbarayudu Konanki told WTOP he filed a complaint with police to widen the investigation. Its four days, and if she was in water, she would likely have been strewn to shore, he said. Shes not found, so were asking them to investigate multiple options, like kidnapping or abduction. A pilot launches a drone in search of Konanki. The 20-year-old was last seen early Thursday (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) While it is possible that Sudiksha drowned, there is a growing suspicion that there may be a crime, specifically the possibility of kidnapping, his complaint states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He previously told CNN his daughter had ambitions of becoming a doctor. My daughter is a very nice girl, he said. Shes ambitious. She wanted to pursue a career in medicine. The FBI, the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, the Dominican National Police and the Dominican Prosecutors office are all investigating her disappearance. Mar. 12Decatur is getting a new Taco Bell, but it's not a fourth Taco Bell. Instead, the company plans to replace its restaurant in the 2100 block of Sixth Avenue Southeast. It will be the third Taco Bell building to occupy that portion of Sixth Avenue. Planning Commission Chairman Kent Lawrence said at the commission's February meeting that Tacala Co. is planning to move out of its current location at 2136 Sixth Avenue S.E. after it builds a new restaurant next door. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tacala Co. engineer Wells Holladay said his company doesn't own its current location, so it is ending its lease and building the new restaurant on property that it owns. At Tacala's request, the Planning Commission approved combining three parcels, 2140 and 2142 Sixth Ave. S.E. and 1308 Fairway Lane S.E., into one parcel of 1.29 acres at 2142 Sixth Ave. S.E., so the company can move forward with its plan. Lawrence said Tacala plans to demolish the original Taco Bell building (most recently a check-cashing business) and an old gas station. "It will definitely clean up that site by taking out those older buildings," Lawrence said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The commission then approved the site plan for the new restaurant at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Fairway Lane. According to the plan, the building will be 2,800 square feet with a seating area of 914 square feet. Lawrence pointed out that egress/ingress to the restaurant will be off of Fairway instead of Sixth. City Planner Tommie Williams said the site plan does not include the additional parking required by the city ordinance so Tacala will have to apply to the Board of Zoning Adjustment for a variance. Williams said proposed new zoning ordinance doesn't require as much parking, but the new rewrite hasn't been approved yet. The City Council voted in November to delay consideration of the new ordinance until it hires a planning director and that person gets a chance to review it. bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432 A Tennessee man was taken to the hospital after he told police his dog shot him in the leg while he was lying in bed with a friend in the early morning on Monday, Memphis Police said in a press release sent to HuffPost. The man, identified by multiple local news outlets as Jerald Kirkwood, was lying in bed with his friend when his 1-year-old pit bull, Oreo, jumped in to join them at around 4 a.m., according to the press release. However, Oreo reportedly got his paw stuck in the trigger guard of a loaded gun on the bed and ended up firing a shot that grazed his owners thigh. A Tennessee man was hospitalized after being accidentally shot in the leg by his dog (not pictured.) wilatlak villette via Getty Images The friend left the scene after the shooting and took the firearm with her, police said in the release. She told FOX affiliate WHBQ that Oreo is a playful dog who likes to jump around, and said it was a combination of the gunshot and Oreo jumping that woke her up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When officers arrived, they found a spent shell casing on the floor, according to the press release. Medical responders treated Kirkwoods wounds before taking him to a local hospital in non-critical condition. Police classified the incident as an accidental injury. Kirkwood is not the first person to report being shot by their dog. The Guardian reported that in 2018, an Iowa man was shot in the leg by his pit bull-Labrador mix. And in 2023, a hunter in Kansas was killed when his dog stood on his hunting rifle in the back seat of his car, causing it to fire a round. Related... DORCHESTER, Mass. (WWLP) A Plymouth resident has struck big, winning a $1 million prize in the Massachusetts State Lotterys $2,000,000 50X Cashword instant ticket game. GoBerry n Cream to open Northampton location in April David Mulligan of Plymouth claimed his prize at the Lotterys Dorchester headquarters, where he was accompanied by his son, Joseph. Courtesy of the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission. Mulligan chose to receive his winnings as a one-time lump sum payment of $650,000 before taxes. With his newfound fortune, Mulligan shared plans to buy a new boat and treat his grandson. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The winning ticket was purchased at the Mobil gas station located at 109 Court St. in Plymouth. As a result of selling the lucky ticket, the store will receive a $10,000 bonus. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP. NEW MEXICO (KRQE) Editors Note: This story has been updated to show that PNM may consider power shutoff in Las Vegas on Friday. PNM is planning to keep a close eye on windy conditions on Thursday. The electric utility said the expected 60 mile-an-hour wind gusts could cause power outages from broken tree limbs or other damage, especially in eastern New Mexico. PNM may even consider power shutoffs in Las Vegas as early as Friday morning. Latest Weather Forecast Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Xcel Energy said they could also implement power shutoffs for some New Mexico customers, including in Chaves County. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday on a warrant from the International Criminal Court accusing him of crimes against humanity over deadly anti-drugs crackdowns he oversaw while in office, the Philippine government said. Duterte was taken into custody at the Manila international airport after arriving from Hong Kong with his family, becoming the first former Asian leader to be arrested by the global court. He was later driven to the nearby Villamor Air Base. It was unclear where he would be taken next by authorities. Clad in a dark jacket, an irate Duterte protested his arrest after arrival and asked authorities the legal basis of his being taken into custody. His lawyers immediately asked the Supreme Court in Manila to block any attempt to transport him out of the Philippines to be handed over to the ICC in Europe. Show to me now the legal basis for my being here, Duterte asked authorities in remarks captured on video by his daughter, Veronica Duterte, who posted it on social media. You have to answer now for the deprivation of liberty. The surprise arrest sparked a commotion at the airport, where lawyers and aides of Duterte loudly protested that they, along with a doctor and lawyers, were prevented from coming close to him after he was taken into police custody. This is a violation of his constitutional right, Sen. Bong Go, a close Duterte ally, told reporters. ICC probing mass killings under Duterte The ICC has been investigating mass killings in crackdowns overseen by Duterte when he served as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao and later as president. Estimates of the death toll of the crackdown under Duterte as president vary, from the more than 6,000 that the national police have reported up to 30,000 claimed by human rights groups. Upon his arrival, the prosecutor general served the ICC notification for an arrest warrant to the former president for crime against humanity, the government said. Hes now in the custody of authorities. The warrant of arrest sent by the ICC to Philippine officials, a copy of which was seen by The Associated Press, said there are reasonable grounds to believe that the attack on victims was both widespread and systematic: the attack took place over a period of several years and thousands people appear to have been killed. Dutertes arrest was necessary to ensure his appearance before the court, according to the March 7 warrant, adding that the former president was expected to ignore court summons. Although Duterte is no longer president, he appears to continue to wield considerable power, it said. Mindful of the resultant risk of interference with the investigations and the security of witnesses and victims, the chamber is satisfied that the arrest of Mr. Duterte is necessary. There was no immediate comment on Dutertes arrest from the court or the ICC prosecutors office in The Hague, Netherlands. Families of the slain celebrate the arrest Dutertes arrest and downfall stunned families of slain victims of his crackdown and drove some to tears. Some immediately gathered in a street rally to express their relief. This is a big, long-awaited day for justice, Randy delos Santos, the uncle of a teenager gunned down by police in a dark riverside alley during an anti-drug operation in suburban Caloocan city in August 2017 in the capital region, told the AP. Now we feel that justice is rolling. We hope that top police officials and the hundreds of police officers who were involved in the illegal killings should also be placed in custody and punished, delos Santos said. Three of the police officers who killed his nephew, Kian delos Santos, were convicted in 2018 for the high-profile murder, which prompted Duterte at the time to temporarily suspend his anti-drugs crackdown. The conviction was one of only around three so far against law enforcers involved in the anti-drugs campaign, reflecting the concerns of families of victims of suspected extrajudicial killings that they would not get justice in the Philippines, hence their decision to seek the help of the ICC. Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes, one of the harshest critics of Duterte who led the filing of a complaint against him before the ICC said the arrest was historic and a major blow to state impunity and tyranny anywhere in the world. This is like the downfall of an emperor, Trillanes told the AP. The next step now is to make sure that all his followers who have committed criminal transgressions like him should also be held to account. The government said the 79-year-old former leader was in good health and was examined by government doctors following his arrest. Duterte tried to head off ICC probe The ICC began investigating drug killings under Duterte from Nov. 1, 2011, when he was still mayor of the southern city of Davao, to March 16, 2019, as possible crimes against humanity. Duterte withdrew the Philippines in 2019 from the Rome Statute in a move human rights activists say was aimed at escaping accountability. The Duterte administration moved to suspend the global courts investigation in late 2021 by arguing that Philippine authorities were already looking into the same allegations, arguing the ICC a court of last resort therefore didnt have jurisdiction. Appeals judges at the ICC ruled in 2023 the investigation could resume and rejected the Duterte administrations objections. Based in The Hague, the Netherlands, the ICC can step in when countries are unwilling or unable to prosecute suspects in the most heinous international crimes, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who succeeded Duterte in 2022 and became entangled in a bitter political dispute with the former president, has decided not to rejoin the global court. But the Marcos administration had said it would cooperate if the ICC asked international police to take Duterte into custody through a so-called Red Notice, a request for law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and temporarily arrest a crime suspect. JIM GOMEZ, MANILA, MDT/AP WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland has charged a Belarusian citizen who set fire to a large hardware store in Warsaw last April with committing an act of sabotage on behalf of Russian intelligence, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Poland says its role as a hub for supplies to Ukraine has made it a key target for spies who are trying to gather information on support for Kyiv's war effort and engage in acts of sabotage. Russia has regularly denied any involvement. Prosecutors said a fire which broke out in the hardware store in Poland's capital on April 14, 2024 was the result of arson and the perpetrator was a citizen of Belarus, referred to as Stepan K. under Polish privacy laws. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Moreover, it was established that the suspect Stepan K. committed the above arson acting for foreign intelligence, i.e. the intelligence of the Russian Federation, and on the order of the Russian special services," prosecutors said. Stepan K. was charged with sabotage for foreign intelligence and a terrorist offence, a crime punishable by 10 years to life imprisonment. He was previously temporarily arrested in another case regarding espionage and participating in an organised criminal group. (Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Christina Fincher) (Bloomberg) -- Polish prosecutors charged a Belarusian citizen with espionage and sabotage for allegedly setting fire to a large construction supermarket in Warsaw on behalf of Russias intelligence services. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In April 2024, Stepan K. spilled a flammable liquid in the supermarket and left devices that could remotely start a fire, the prosecutors office said in a statement on its website. The fire burned down a part of the store, causing losses of more than 3.5 million zloty ($0.9 million). The authorities didnt disclose Stepan K.s full name in line with the Polish law. He faces a life imprisonment. Earlier this year, Polish authorities arrested a Russian suspected of coordinating acts of sabotage against Poland, the US and other allies by sending parcels containing camouflaged explosives and setting buildings ablaze. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Poland is prepared to resume the transport of American aid to Ukraine through its territory, according to Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz. His comments followed the recent developments in the U.S.-Ukraine talks, including the March 11 decision to lift the suspension on intelligence sharing and military aid. The U.S. has suspended military aid and intelligence to Ukraine after a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance in the White House that ended in a heated argument. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kosiniak-Kamysz expressed readiness to activate Polands Jasionka hub, maintaining full operational capabilities for American support. In a TVN24 interview, Kosiniak-Kamysz acknowledged that, after several days of stalled negotiations, a return to talks was a crucial and positive step. "We have to take this at face value, as an important step in returning to talks," he said. "We are fully prepared to resume American support," the minister said. Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized the importance of this development, adding that Trump could now test whether Russias previous declarations were genuine or merely an attempt to undermine Western unity and solidarity with Ukraine. He noted that, despite the positive signal from the resumption of talks, it was still crucial to approach the situation cautiously. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Do US-Russia talks on Ukraine mark a reappearance of colonial power play? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. WOONSOCKET, R.I. (WPRI) An argument between tenants living in a Woonsocket apartment building Tuesday evening ended with gunfire, according to authorities. Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas Oates told 12 News officers were called to the Main Street building to investigate reports of a shooting. Oates said the officers entered the building and found a tenant on the ground in front of his second-floor apartment suffering from several gunshot wounds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Investigators believe the victim, a 32-year-old man, got into an argument with another tenant on the third floor prior to the shooting. The shooter returned to his third-floor apartment after the shooting and locked himself inside, according to Oates. Officers tried to convince the suspect, identified by Oates as a 57-year-old man, to surrender peacefully through the locked door. Oates said the officers forced their way into the apartment after hearing a gunshot from the other side of the door and discovered that the suspect had shot himself. He was rushed to Landmark Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The victim was brought to Rhode Island Hospital where he remains in critical condition. It is believed both the suspect and victim knew each other and this was an isolated incident. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) Two parents were arrested in Addis after officers found six children living in squalid conditions inside a home filled with feces, trash, maggots, and drugs, according to police documents. The Addis Police Department responded to a welfare check at a home on Myrtle Street on Feb. 28, where officers encountered Samantha Gordon, 33, outside. According to an affidavit, Gordon appeared delusional, telling officers that the Illuminati was trying to attack her and that she was seeing people who werent there. As officers spoke with Gordon, they discovered she had recently given birth. She admitted to using opioids within the past 24 hours. Officers took custody of the newborn after Gordon became irate and attempted to take the child back. She was later transported to a local medical facility for evaluation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once inside the home, officers reported deplorable conditions, describing a strong odor of feces, kitchen counters covered in roaches, maggots, and trash, and a bathroom sink overflowing with garbage. One child was seen sleeping on a bunk bed in the den, covered in flies, while wearing a diaper. Baton Rouge drug trafficking ring busted after investigation, three arrested The affidavit states that detectives later executed a search warrant, uncovering suspected methamphetamine, two drug pipes with residue, and a lighter on a desk where the children did their homeschooling. The six children, ages 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 13, were removed from the home and placed in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the conditions, officers noted in their report that DCFS initially refused to take the children when called to the scene, even though there were prior DCFS referrals on record for the family. The agency ultimately took custody of the children after further assessment. Several hours later, Daniel Hopkins, 36, arrived at the home. Police identified him as the father of the children. Both parents have a criminal history, with Hopkins previously charged with drug and fraud-related offenses and Gordon having a history of alcohol abuse. Gordon and Hopkins were arrested, and each was charged with seven counts of cruelty to juveniles. Hopkins faces additional charges, including possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a Schedule II drug, possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of juveniles The case remains under investigation. Latest News Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) Police have arrested a Pawtucket man accused of stealing a safe from the Cumberland business where he worked. Officers were called to Jahns Metal Craft last Wednesday to investigate the theft of a safe that contained an substantial amount of cash, according to police. An investigation into the theft identified 40-year-old Basilio Andrade as the prime suspect. He was taken into custody outside the business Tuesday morning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andrade has been charged with breaking and entering into a building with felonious intent. Hes being held pending his arraignment. Police said Andrade has a criminal history that includes two prior convictions for breaking and entering. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com. HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) Officers with the Hendersonville Police Department said a man who was wanted for multiple driving charges has turned himself in. According to police, a black PT Cruiser was reported driving recklessly on Sunday. Officers said the driver, identified as 36-year-old Shane Franklin Mayfield, is charged with: Misdemeanor injury to personal property Misdemeanor aggressive driving Misdemeanor driving while license revoked, not impaired Misdemeanor driving without liability insurance Misdemeanor driving of a motor vehicle with no registration Infraction of driving the wrong way on a one-way road Infraction of failure to maintain lane control Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officials said Mayfield was released on a $10,000 bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) The Green Oak Township Police Department is investigating a homicide after an obviously deceased man was found on top of a woman in their bed. In a Facebook post, police report that the Livingston County Dispatch received a call about a possible death at Woodland Ridge Community on Shady Brook Ct in South Lyon, on March 9 around 11:13 a.m. Upon arrival, officers found a woman in her bed with an obviously deceased male on top of her. After the initial investigation, police determined the death to be a homicide. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police say the victim was hit in the head with a blunt force object several times and stabbed several times in the chest and neck. The female suspect was transported to the University of Michigan Hospital for evaluation. She was taken to the Livingston County Jail after spending a short time in care. Police say the suspect and the victim have been in a long-term relationship. Their son, who was in the home at the time of the homicide, was unharmed. The Green Oak Township Evidence Tech Team is still investigating the crime. Police have not released the identity of the suspect and victim. The official cause of death has yet to be determined. No charges have been issued at this time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. MEMPHIS, Tenn. An early-morning shooting captured on surveillance cameras at a South Memphis bar left a well-known Memphis pastor dead Wednesday morning. The victim was identified by Memphis Police as Pastor Ricky Floyd from Pursuit of God Church in Frayser. Samantha Marion, 42, has been arrested and charged with Voluntary Manslaughter in connection to the incident. Police say the two were involved in an argument before the shooting. Her bond has been set to $100,000. Samantha Marion (Photo by MPD) The shooting took place at Mommas Bar and Kitchen, 855 Kentucky St. at Crump, at 1:14 a.m. A man was pronounced dead on the scene and Marion was taken into custody, according to the MPD. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A manager at Mommas Bar and Kitchen told WREG this did not happen inside the establishment, and it happened after they had closed. According to reports, when police arrived, Floyd was lying in the road, suffering a gunshot wound. Memphis Fire Department arrived on the scene and pronounced Floyd dead at 1:24 a.m. Police said they talked to witnesses who said they were inside the business with Marion when she became involved in an argument with Floyd. They said Floyd left the business, and they went outside. How Pastor Ricky Floyd tried to make Memphis better Police say that while they were talking outside, Floyd returned and became irate and aggressive to the witnesses and Marion, which was captured on surveillance cameras. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the video, Floyd is seen throwing Marions phone to the ground and throwing a beer can, police said. He then left in his vehicle. MPD said that Marion walked onto the road and recorded his vehicle with her phone. Floyd stopped his vehicle and walked toward her, and one of the witnesses got in between them. The video showed that Marion walk toward Floyd, who began to walk backwards away from her. As he backed away, he was seen falling to the ground and not getting back up. The witness told police that Marion shot Floyd in the roadway. Pastor Ricky Floyd (courtesy Patricia Rogers) The scene on Kentucky Street at Crump Boulevard on Wednesday morning. The scene on Kentucky Street at Crump Boulevard on Wednesday morning. Photo by WREG The scene on Kentucky Street at Crump Boulevard on Wednesday morning. Pastor Ricky Floyd speaks at a rally against gun violence in Memphis in 2021. Floyd was a pastor at the Pursuit of God Church. WREG interviewed him multiple times over the years as he led efforts for police reform and shared his testimony of helping teens escape violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2020, on the same night Floyd spoke with WREG, he was shot when someone targeted him and his vehicle. Frayser pastor shot Monday, same day he was featured on WREG In 2018, Floyd told WREG that he was carjacked two years earlier while putting air in his tires at a gas station. Floyds church released a statement on social media confirming his death Wednesday, and saying that arrangements were being made to honor Floyds life and legacy. His unwavering dedication to our community and his profound impact on the lives of those he touched will be remembered and cherished, said the pastors media liaison Dr. Telisa Franklin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Memphis Murder Map 2025 Memphis Mayor Paul Young called Floyd a beloved leader, friend, mentor, and servant to our city in a social media post. He dedicated his life to lifting up others, guiding countless souls with his wisdom, faith, and unwavering commitment to our community. His death is more than a loss for his family and his congregation it is a loss for Memphis, Young wrote. The mayor also said senseless gun violence must stop in Memphis, and asked the city to stand together to make a change. We owe it to Pastor Floyd, and we owe it to each other. County Commissioner Charlie Caswell said Floyd was his pastor and his friend, and he recently rejoined Floyds church. He saw Floyd yesterday, when Floyd attended a district meeting in his neighborhood. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A respected leader in our community, both in Memphis and beyond, said MPD Chief CJ Davis. It was pastor Ricky Floyd, 23 years ago, that saw something in me when he became my pastor, that most people wouldve given up on me for, Caswell said. When I think of the impact on this city, this long outlives what were hearing today of Ricky Floyd. Toddler dies after being hit by car in Parkway Village In a statement on behalf of the Memphis City Council, Chairman J Ford Canale called Floyd more than a spiritual leader, saying he was a Pillar of strength, a relentless advocate for change, and a guiding force for hope and transformation in our city. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Canale said Floyd was a beacon of hope, faith, and empowerment, and dedicated his life to uplifting, restoring, and strengthening families and communities. We will honor his legacy by continuing the work he so passionately championed, said Canale. Memphis has lost a true servant leader, but his impact will endure for generations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Members of Macau and Hong Kongs top legislative and political advisory bodies pledged yesterday to actively promote the latest national development directions and policies outlined in this years two sessions to local communities in both Special Administrative Regions (SARs). Their goal is to strengthen the role of both regions in the nations strategic development plan. The two sessions concluded with the National Peoples Congress (NPC) holding its closing meeting after the conclusion of the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The NPC, which includes nearly 3,000 deputies from across the country, approved key documents during this session, such as the Government Work Report, the central and local budgets for 2024, and the draft 2025 budget. They also reviewed reports from the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme Peoples Court, and the Supreme Peoples Procuratorate. After the closing meeting, Chui Sai Peng, a Macau NPC deputy, noted that the central authorities had addressed Macau deputies suggestions. He promised to share the nations economic and social accomplishments with Macau society to reinforce confidence in high-quality development. Chui has also called for enhanced integration between Macau and the Hengqin cooperation zone to support the regions economic diversification efforts. The Hengqin policy framework has clear development goals, but further implementation is needed, he said, as cited in a China Daily report. The development roadmap for Hengqin through 2035 consists of three phases, with the first phase (2021-2024) focusing on establishing a framework for integrated development between Macau and Hengqin. In 2024, Hengqins gross domestic product exceeded 53.8 billion yuan, reflecting a 5.3% year-on-year increase. The zone currently hosts approximately 6,600 Macau enterprises. Further, lawmaker Wong Kit Cheng, a member of the CPPCC National Committee from the SAR, echoed the Government Work Reports focus on people-centered macro policies. She emphasized the importance of implementing measures that create jobs, ease financial burdens, and stimulate consumer spending through increased resource allocation. Wong also expressed optimism that the citys upcoming policy address, currently being prepared by the new administration under Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, will align with the key priorities outlined in the national two sessions. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) D.C. police announced Tuesday that officers arrested a Maryland man for his connection to a sexual abuse that happened at a Northwest home just over three years ago. According to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), on Jan. 11, 2022, at around 12:30 a.m., 41-year-old Verrazano Alton Porter, of Fort Washington, Md., entered an occupied home in the 1500 block of Corcoran St. Woman shot in Southeast DC, police investigating Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once inside, Porter allegedly made unwanted sexual contact with the victim before fleeing. Three years later, on March 7, officers arrested Porter under a D.C. Superior Court arrest warrant, charging him with burglary in the first degree and third degree sex abuse. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. A police officer was hospitalized after being involved in a crash at a Somerville intersection Wednesday afternoon. The officer was driving his cruiser at the intersection of Broadway and McGrath highway around 1:30 p.m. when they were involved in an accident, a Somerville police spokesperson told Boston 25 News. The officer was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The accident is being actively investigated and no other information is available at this time, Somerville police said. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Sixteen people were injured, including two police officers, as a result of the Russian missile attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih on the morning of 12 March. Source: National Police of Ukraine on Telegram Quote: "As of 19:30, police recorded 106 citizen complaints regarding damage to their property due to the missile strikes on the city of Kryvyi Rih. One person was killed, and sixteen others were injured, including two police officers." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Background: On the morning of 12 March, several explosions occurred in Kryvyi Rih. The Russians damaged an infrastructure facility, high-rise buildings, office buildings, a shop, garages and twelve cars. They launched a repeat strike on the city when rescue workers arrived to deal with the aftermath. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! DENVER (KDVR) The Boulder County Sheriffs Office provided a brief update on Tuesday about the death of 18-year-old Megan Trussell, reporting her purse was recently recovered. Trussell, a University of Colorado Boulder student, was found dead near the 40-mile-marker of Boulder Canyon Drive on Feb. 15. Police said her body was found in hard-to-reach terrain, but did not identify her immediately, instead stating that the bodys description matched that of Trussells. Father shares impact of Thornton traveling nurses death in Montana river Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The agency said that while her purse has been recovered, they will not release details about the purse, including where it was found or what was in it. The sheriffs office added that the investigation is ongoing. The agency provided another update on Wednesday, reiterating that the investigators have no reason to believe that there is or was a threat to the Boulder County community. As with any major ongoing investigation, certain details cannot and should not be released to protect the integrity of the case, said Detective Commander Jeff Pelletier in the Wednesday release. We understand the communitys interest and the desire for information, but we must maintain a careful balance. Based on the circumstances known at this time, foul play is not suspected. However, the case remains open, and under investigation. The Boulder County Coroners Office identified her body on Feb. 18. The Boulder sheriffs office said twice in its Wednesday release that the coroners office is responsible for determining and releasing the official cause and manner of death. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She was last seen at her residence hall on Feb. 9, according to a CU Boulder Public Safety spokesperson. She was reported missing on Feb. 12 after her father reportedly texted Trussell and her sister to make lunch plans, but he did not receive a response. CU Boulder police shared this photo of Megan Trussell, last seen Sunday, Feb. 9. (Courtesy University of Colorado Boulder Police Department) When she didnt respond, I texted her mom and said, Have you heard from Megan? Because its kind of weird that I havent heard from her, he said at a memorial event held in Boulder Canyon on Feb. 17. And from there, we started looking for her immediately. Its like, I feel like somethings wrong. And we looked at her phone data and found that she hadnt heard anything since Sunday. The Boulder County Sheriffs Office reiterated Tuesday that Trussells cause and manner of death will be determined by the Boulder County Coroners Office, but said we still have no reason to believe that there is, or was, a threat to the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) Rockford Police arrested Barry Barr, 35, for attempting to disarm an officer after being removed from a hospital for trespassing, according to court documents. On March 11, around 1 p.m., officers responded to UW Health Swedish American Hospital on East State Street for reports of a man who was refusing to leave the emergency room. A nurse told authorities Barr was brought in for erratic behavior but refused further treatment. When he was medically cleared, he refused to leave, according to court records. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Officers found Barr lying on the floor and refused to stand up, so police put him in a wheelchair to roll him out of the hospital. Authorities put the suspect in handcuffs, which resulted in him grabbing an officers gun, according to court documents. He was unable to remove the firearm from the officers holster, police reported. Barr is charged with criminal trespassing, resisting an officer and attempting to disarm an officer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. Phoenix police are investigating a late-night shooting that left a man dead. Officers responded to a report of a shooting in west Phoenix at around 11:30 p.m. Monday, according to a release from police. A man was found near 33rd Avenue and Fillmore Street with at least one gunshot wound, police said. He was identified as Darryl Skinner, 45. Skinner died at the scene, police confirmed. Homicide detectives have assumed the investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Authorities encourage anyone with information that could help solve the case to contact the police department. Anonymous tips can be left at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO. Information that leads to an arrest could mean a reward. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Police search for answers in west Phoenix shooting that left one dead UPDATE: The St. Louis County Police Department says the child returned home safely Wednesday morning. ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. St. Louis County Police Department is asking for the publics help in finding a missing child who was last seen in Oakville. Police say the child was upset and left home. Officials say that the child did not go missing in the park. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. An employee of a smoke shop in Westport was arrested Tuesday when authorities raided the business and reported finding several marijuana products. The search came during an investigation into the alleged sales of non-licensed cannabis products and reported sales to minors at the Savvy Smoker shop at 940 Post Road East, according to Lt. Jillian Cabana of the Westport Police Department. Cabana said the search that was carried out involved the departments Detective Bureau along with the State of Connecticut Drug Control Division. Investigators seized pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes, canisters of THC flower, THC resin products, THC vape cartridges and THC edible products, according to Cabana. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A sales associate of the store, identified as 24-year-old Mohemed Zeine Hedimy of Brooklyn, New York, was arrested and charged with illegal sale or manufacturing of cannabis. He was released after posting a $2,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in Stamford Court on March 28. Cabana said the investigation remains ongoing and that additional arrests are expected. Macaus public housing system may soon undergo significant changes aimed at improving accessibility and fairness. Several key areas are being reviewed, including the criteria for grading and ranking applicants, adjustments to the pricing of public housing flats, and the introduction of a new flat replacement system. The government is expected to announce details of the flat replacement system soon, which could allow residents to exchange smaller flats for larger ones. Leung Sin Man, a member of the Public Housing Committee, discussed the potential benefits of the system, suggesting it could help young people plan for their future housing needs. She noted that if implemented, it could free up approximately 20% of one-bedroom flats. Leung also recommended optimizing the scoring system to provide more targeted assistance to individual applicants, emphasizing that the system should consider the secondary circulation of T1 units and how to best assist applicants genuinely in need of one-bedroom flats. However, she acknowledged that implementing the system might be complex. In terms of the system, we have also considered the secondary transfer of T1 flats. In fact, how to target the points system to help applicants genuinely applying for one-room flats is key. If the application of old net housing is applicable to the small-for-large self-exchange conditions, the overall implementation and operability may be more complex, said Leung, as cited in a TDM report. Meanwhile, lawmaker Ella Lei suggested a long-term review of the net flat system, advocating for the relaxation of restrictions on the types of flats that can be applied for. She believed this could reduce the future demand for the self-exchange system. The lawmaker also recommended creating data-driven planning for the distribution of flats, considering factors such as family size and unit demand. Lynzy Valles SCRANTON A domestic dispute in a moving vehicle on Interstate 81 north on Sunday resulted in charges against both the driver and passenger, according to a criminal complaint. Tahrae Marie Smith, 25, of 121 Weston Ave., Buffalo, New York, is charged with strangulation, harassment, possession of marijuana and driving at an unsafe speed. Steven Nathan, 38, of 2900 N. Business 45, Corsicana, Texas, is charged with strangulation, harassment and criminal mischief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Both told troopers different versions of what happened. According to the criminal complaint: At about 6:30 p.m., troopers were dispatched to Interstate 81 north, near mile marker 190, for the report of a man and woman fighting in a vehicle, with the woman at the wheel speeding north and refusing to stop. When troopers arrived on scene, Smith had pulled over to the side of the road, exited her car and was speaking with officers already on scene. Nathan remained in the passenger seat and was asked to step out of the vehicle. He told officers he had been driving north on Interstate 380 when Smith began talking on the phone to another man and he felt disrespected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He pulled over and grabbed her phone, and she reacted by putting her nails in his mouth, scratching and kicking him, troopers said. Nathan said Smith reacted by grabbing his seat belt and wrapping it around his neck, choking him and causing him to black out. Nathan told Smith he would give her phone back if she stopped choking him, according to the criminal complaint. Smith then took his car keys and demanded to drive, Nathan told troopers. He said Smith was speeding and driving recklessly. Nathan said he attempted to call 911, but Smith hung up on dispatchers four times. Smith told troopers the two had been travelling back from Kalahari Resort, when Nathan became upset because she was talking to another man on her iPhone. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Smith said Nathan then grabbed her iPhone and squeezed, causing it to crack. As she was trying to get the phone back, Nathan put his hand around her neck as he was driving and began to choke her, making it difficult for her to breathe and causing her body to tingle, Smith said. She told troopers that when Nathan stopped choking her, she took the wheel. Nathan and Smith have preliminary hearings scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on March 19 before District Judge Joanne Corbett. Each remains in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $2,500 bail. A homicide investigation is underway in Green Oak Township after a woman was found with her partner dead on top of her in bed, police say. Officials in Livingston County got a call at 11:13 a.m. March 9 for a possible death in the Woodland Ridge community west of South Lyon, according to a Green Oak Township Police Department news release posted to Facebook. The community is a mobile home community, according to its website. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Police arrived on scene and found the woman in her bed with an obviously deceased man on top of her, police said. The man had been struck several times with blunt force in the head and stabbed several times in his chest and neck, police said. More: Wayne County Prosecutors Office receives warrant request for kids' deaths in casino garage More: CEO, safety director charged with 2nd-degree murder in child's hyperbaric chamber death The woman, who was in a long-term relationship with the man, was taken into custody and taken to a hospital for evaluation before being lodged at the Livingston County Jail, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two had been living at the home with a son, who was not harmed, police said. The investigation remains ongoing. Neither officials from the police department nor the county prosecutors office immediately responded to requests for additional information and comment. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Woman in custody after she was found in bed underneath dead partner, police say ANKARA (Reuters) -Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he urged Turkey to play a key role in any peace process for Ukraine during talks with President Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday. The United States agreed on Tuesday to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after Kyiv said it was ready to support Washington's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, the countries said in a joint statement. "I have given President Erdogan a clear proposal for Turkey to take on the greatest possible co-responsibility for the peace process, guaranteeing stability and security in our entire region," Tusk told a joint news conference with the Turkish leader. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We know well what we want for Ukraine, what we want for the region, what we want for Europe," he added. Erdogan said that Ukraine's decision to support the ceasefire proposal was positive. "We expect Russia to reciprocate this positive step in the same way," Erdogan said. "If the latest development leads to Russia and Ukraine returning to the (negotiating) table, we are ready to provide all forms of contribution, including hosting (talks)," he added. Turkey and Poland are NATO allies of the United States. Ankara has sought during the three-year Ukraine war to maintain cordial ties with both Kyiv and Moscow. (Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk and Pawel Florkiewicz in Warsaw, Huseyin Hayatsever in Ankara, writing by Alan Charlish; Editing by Gareth Jones) POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) A former substitute teacher at Kathleen Middle School is in legal trouble for what he allegedly did not do inside a classroom late last week. We send our children to school to learn, not to learn how to fight, said Sheriff Grady Judd. Massive great white shark pings off Florida coast According to the sheriff, a group of four girls, aged 12-13, knew where to go to fight. On Friday, three of these four girls that went into his class werent even supposed to be in the class, but they heard that he would let you fight, said Sheriff Judd. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The man who was supposed to be in charge of the classroom was Kelan Durn, 24, a substitute teacher. Sheriff Judd said it was fellow students who stopped the fights, not Durn, who is accused of telling the children to stop with a laugh. This is a substitute teacher, a contract employee, not a regular school teacher, thats watching out over the class allowing the kids to fight and thinks its funny. We dont think its funny, said Sheriff Judd. The Polk County Sheriffs Office arrested Durn on a charge of negligent child abuse, a 3rd degree felony. Of course he had the lame excuse that well, I was afraid to touch them. Thats not true. That wasnt it at all. He was enjoying watching these girls scuffle, said Sheriff Judd. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement News Channel 8 reached out to Durn on social media and has not yet heard back. Thats unacceptable behavior for any educator working in our schools. He no longer has any involvement with PCPS, said Polk County Public Schools spokesperson Kyle Kennedy in a statement. Durn was employed by Kelly Education, according to the school district, a company that provides substitute teachers to school districts. We have notified Kelly Education that this person is no longer allowed to serve within our schools, wrote spokesperson Jason Geary in a follow-up email. As I understand it, when teachers take off, they leave a curriculum for the substitutes to follow. I dont think fighting was part of that, said Sheriff Judd. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to the sheriffs office, there are video recordings from inside the classroom but videos were not made public. Durn was released from jail on $5,000 bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. The rise in support for Reform in the polls has been truly remarkable. The party has advanced month on month ever since last summer. On average it now stands at 25 per cent in Westminster vote intentions, up ten points on the partys already record breaking tally of 15 per cent in July. It is neck and neck with Labour in the battle for first place. Reforms success represents the biggest challenge to the dominance of the countrys mainstream parties since the Brexit Party briefly reached 25 per cent in the polls in the spring of 2019. That challenge was eventually only bulldozed away by the arrival of Boris Johnson in Downing St. Maybe Reform will eventually suffer a similar fate as the Brexit Party did six years ago. But in the meantime we might wonder whether the partys current poll numbers can possibly be believed? Can the pollsters who after all are not always correct in their estimate of the popularity of the mainstream parties be relied upon to provide an accurate indication of the support for such an upstart? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The question has been asked before. When support for Ukip rose between 2013 and 2015, albeit never to the heights that Reform have now reached, some of the pollsters that were conducting their polls by phone, such as Ipsos and ICM, typically recorded rather lower levels of support for the party than did those companies, such as YouGov, that were polling online. It was suggested that perhaps ardent Ukip supporters had been particularly assiduous in joining the panels of people who have agreed to take part in online polls, thereby skewing their results. And, of course, these days nearly all polls are conducted online. In the event, however, the final polls conducted before the 2015 election were collectively almost spot on in their estimate of the partys support. On average they put Ukip on 12.9 per cent when in practice the party won 13 per cent. Indeed, the final polls that were conducted by phone on average (11.3 per cent) slightly underestimated Ukips eventual support. Perhaps some people felt that backing Ukip was frowned upon in some quarters and thus were less willing to admit to an interviewer on the phone that they proposed to back the party that Nigel Farage was then leading. With online polls there is nobody looking or listening at the other end. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The polls did not do so well in estimating Ukip support in 2017; they expected the party to win more than 4 per cent when in practice it won less than 2 per cent. But on that occasion Ukip only contested three-fifths of the seats and maybe some people who answered the polls did not realise they could not vote Ukip locally. The polls faced a similar challenge in estimating Brexit Party support in 2019. Still, Reform did fight almost everywhere in last Julys election. Nevertheless, on average the polls overestimated Reforms tally a little. Collectively they put Reform on 16.3 per cent, when in practice the party secured 14.7 per cent, a difference of just over one and a half points. Even so, many pollsters would argue that you cannot expect their polls to be more accurate than that. Their key messages that Reform was heading for a record vote total, would overtake the Liberal Democrats and do serious damage to the Conservatives all duly came to pass. Other European countries have, of course, also recently witnessed upsurges on the Right. The challenges of estimating their support will vary from country to country. But the record of the polls does not suggest there is any systematic difficulty in estimating their support. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement True, the final polls overestimated support for Mme Le Pens Rassemblement National in France last summer. However, they were spot on in their estimate of the AfD vote in Germany last month, while in Austria they slightly underestimated the tally won by the Freedom Party last autumn. Maybe the polls are overestimating Reforms popularity a little exercising some caution in assessing the partys prospects would also be consistent with the record of the polls when they attempted to estimate the very high level support that both Ukip and the Brexit Party recorded in European Parliament elections. Even so, there is every reason to believe Reform have advanced significantly since the general election, that the party is eroding further support for an already seriously weakened Conservative party and that it could yet pose a threat to Labours tenure in many a parliamentary seat. In the meantime, local elections scheduled for the beginning of May will give us an even better idea of the exact scale of the threat Reform are now undoubtedly posing. John Curtice is Professor of Politics, University of Strathclyde, and Senior Fellow, National Centre for Social Research and The UK in a Changing Europe Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Pope Francis' condition remained "stationary" on Wednesday, with tests confirming his improvement, according to the Vatican. A chest X-ray performed on Tuesday confirmed improvements recorded over the past few days, the Vatican press office said in its evening update. The pope continues to undergo high-flow oxygen therapy during the day and "noninvasive mechanical ventilation during his night rest," the Holy See, the Vatican's press office, said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "This morning, after following the Spiritual Exercises in connection with the Paul VI Hall, he received the Eucharist, dedicated himself to prayer and, subsequently, to motor physiotherapy. In the afternoon, after joining the Spiritual Exercises of the Curia, he continued his prayer, rest and continued his respiratory physiotherapy," the Vatican said. The pope rested peacefully overnight as he began his 27th consecutive day in the hospital Wednesday morning, the Vatican said earlier in the day. The pope's prognosis was "lifted" on Monday, meaning he is no longer in imminent danger, but the clinical picture still remains complex. PHOTO: Pope Francis Remains In Hospital Receiving Treatment For Respiratory Illness (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) The 88-year-old pontiff will continue "for additional days, the pharmacological medical therapy in a hospital environment" due to the "complexity of the clinical picture and the significant infectious picture presented at hospitalization," the Vatican said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The improvements recorded in previous days have further consolidated, as confirmed by both blood tests and clinical objectivity and the good response to pharmacological therapy. For these reasons, the doctors decided to lift the prognosis," the Holy See said Monday in a statement. Francis' doctors said there are positive signs of the pontiff's recovery, but caution remains, according to Vatican sources. Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 and was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia. Thursday will mark the 12th anniversary of when Pope Francis was voted to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, who previously resigned. Pope's condition remains 'stationary' on 27th day in hospital, Vatican says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com ROME (AP) Pope Francis ' recovery from double pneumonia continued Wednesday as a chest X-ray confirmed improvement, two days after doctors declared hes no longer in imminent danger of death. The latest medical bulletin said the popes condition remained stable, but indicated a complex picture considering his overall fragility. The Vatican said the 88-year-old Francis again followed its spiritual retreat remotely, and resumed physical and respiratory therapy after a quiet night. He continues to receive high flows of oxygen through nasal tubes during the day, and a non-invasive mechanical mask to aid his rest at night. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His weekly Wednesday general audience was canceled since the Vatican hierarchy is on retreat this week as part of the Lenten spiritual exercises that have been a mainstay of the Jesuit popes pontificate. Francis faces important milestones this week. On Thursday, he marks the 12th anniversary of his election as the 266th pope. The Holy See hasnt said how the anniversary, a public holiday in the Vatican, might be commemorated. No medical bulletin will be issued. The former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected on the fifth ballot of the 2013 conclave that was called after Pope Benedict XVI resigned. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Francis has praised Benedicts humility in stepping down and said he might follow in his footsteps, more recently he has said the papacy is a job for life. Another milestone comes Friday, when Francis marks four weeks of hospitalization. St. John Paul II has the record for a hospital stay, at 55 days in 1981 when he underwent a minor surgical operation and then was treated for a cytomegalovirus infection. Francis is on track to equal the second-longest stay, 28 days, which John Paul recorded in 1994 when he had surgery to repair his right hip joint after he fractured his right femur in a fall, according to Gemelli hospital. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Vatican has released no photos or video of Francis since he was admitted. The pope recorded an audio message last week to thank people for their prayers, though the weakness and breathlessness of his voice made clear how frail he was. ___ AP writer Colleen Barry contributed. - Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. By Joshua McElwee VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis remains stable in hospital and a recent chest scan confirmed improvements in his condition, the Vatican said on Wednesday, in a further sign of progress as the 88-year-old pontiff battles double pneumonia. Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on February 14 with a severe respiratory infection that has required evolving treatment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its latest medical update, the Vatican said the pope's clinical condition was stable. It said a chest X-ray performed on Tuesday had "confirmed improvements observed in previous days". Francis has been described as in a stable or improving condition for more than a week, but the Vatican has not given a timeframe for his discharge from hospital. His doctors said on Monday that he was no longer in immediate danger of death, after three weeks of treatment that included four acute respiratory crises for the pontiff. Francis is prone to lung infections because he had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The pope, who has been receiving oxygen throughout his stay in hospital, has been undergoing respiratory physiotherapy to help with his breathing. He has also continued with physical therapy to help with mobility. Francis has used a wheelchair in recent years due to knee and back pain. Francis, who will celebrate the 12th anniversary of his 2013 election as pope on Thursday, has not been seen in public since entering hospital, the longest such absence of his papacy. Doctors not involved in Francis' care have said the pope is likely to face a long, fraught road to recovery, given his age and other medical conditions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Vatican has not released any images of Francis in hospital, but the pope did record a brief audio message to thank well-wishers on March 6. (Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Crispian Balmer) The U.S. State Department updated a Level 2 travel advisory for the Turks and Caicos. The agency is advising travelers to exercise increased caution due to crime. Turks and Caicos has held a Level 2 status since 2023. American travelers headed to the Caribbean should be aware of the new travel advisory for Turks and Caicos. The U.S. government updated its travel advisory for the British Overseas territory to reflect the islands laws about ammunition and firearms. Due to crime levels, Turks and Caicos is rated at Level 2, indicating that travelers should exercise increased caution when visiting the island. Most crime on the island is centered around Providenciales, an island in the Turks and Caicos archipelago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Turks and Caicos has had a level 2 status since July 2023. On March 4, the advisory was amended to include a warning that all firearms and ammunition, including single stray bullets that might have been accidentally transported in luggage, are illegal. Police strictly enforce these laws, even at the airport when travelers are leaving. Travelers face arrest, jail time, and heavy fines. Some U.S. citizens have been detained and unable to depart for several weeks or more after being found with bullets in their luggage, the advisory states. What do the advisories issued by the U.S. Department of State mean? The U.S. travel advisory tiers, issued by the Department of State, has four levels: Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) Level 4 (Do Not Travel) The penalties for possessing weapons and ammunition in Turks and Caicos are very high. Offenders can face 12 years or more in prison. Though the law allows for some exceptions and discretion, the Department of State cannot guarantee your release, the advisory says. We urge all travelers going to the Turks and Caicos Islands to carefully check their luggage for stray ammunition or forgotten weapons before departing from the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We are committed to ensuring that every visitor enjoys a safe, secure, and seamless vacation in our 'Beautiful by Nature' destination. While the advisory has not changed in its overall assessment, it reinforces the importance of our strict firearm regulations, which are in place to protect both residents and visitors," Zhavargo Jolly, Turks and Caicos minister of tourism, said in a news release. The U.S. advisory recommends checking all your luggage carefully before departure. It also suggests that travelers dont try to physically resist any robbery attempt, avoid walking alone at night, and refrain from answering the door unless the traveler knows who is there. Consular services for U.S. citizens in the Turks and Caicos Islands are provided by the U.S. Embassy in Nassau, The Bahamas. The government suggests travelers enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to get crucial alerts in an emergency. Read the original article on Travel & Leisure Shares of Tesla slid again Monday as confidence in Elon Musks electric car company continues to disintegrate following a post-election Trump bump. Tesla shares tumbled 15.4%, to $222.15. Thats the lowest Tesla shares have traded since late October, reflecting investors newfound pessimism as the automakers sales crater around the globe. The decline, Teslas steepest since September 2020, came with Wall Street in the midst of a sell-off caused by uncertainty over the Trump administrations trade policies. Many analysts have attributed Teslas sagging stock and auto sales to Musks support of President Donald Trump and other far right candidates around the world. Musk pumped $270 million into Trumps campaign heading into the 2024 election, appeared on stage with him and cheered Trumps victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in November. Tesla stock soared to $479 per share by mid-December, but have since tumbled back to earth, losing 40% of their value. Musk has become the face of the Trump administrations slash-and-burn government downsizing efforts, known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The department has promised massive federal worker layoffs and aims to drastically reduce government spending. Analysts have said Musks shift to right-wing politics doesnt appear to sit well with potential Tesla buyers, generally perceived to be wealthy, environmentally-conscious liberals who have turned to electric vehicles in an attempt to reduce fossil fuel emissions. Tesla sales are falling in California, the companys biggest U.S. market, and the company recorded its first annual global sales decline last year. Similarly, Tesla sales plunged 45% in Europe in January, according to research firm Jato Dynamics, even as overall electric vehicle sales rose. The sales numbers were particularly bad in Germany and France. The latest auto sales figure from China show that Tesla sales there have been nearly halved from February a year ago, although the decline is due increased local competition and not tied to Musks politics. Now, Wall Street analysts are concerned about a drop in Tesla deliveries in the U.S. Analysts at UBS Global Research expect deliveries to fall 5% in the first quarter and full year compared to the same periods for 2024. Our UBS Evidence Lab data shows low delivery times for the Model 3 and Model Y (generally within two weeks) in key markets which we believe is indicative of softer demand, they wrote. Tesla showrooms in the U.S. have been besieged by protesters, its vehicles vandalized and bumper stickers appearing on its cars with sayings such as, I bought it before Elon went nuts. In addition to backing Trump, Musk has also shown support for the far-right, pro-Russian, anti-Muslim party in German y, called the British p rime minister an evil tyrant and called Canada a major Tesla market not a real country. Tesla is not the only Musk-led company to run into trouble recently. His X social media platform crashed several times on Monday, which Musk blamed on a massive cyberattack. Last week, a rocket launched by Musks SpaceX exploded and broke apart over Florida, about two months after another of the companys rockets failed. MDT/AP As the northern Brazil city of Belem prepares to host the COP30 climate summit in November, a new BBC report has revealed that a stretch of the Amazon rainforest is being cleared to build a road for the conference. The report said the four-lane road will cut through protected areas of the rainforest to help reduce traffic during the conference, which is expected to host some 50,000 people from all over the world. And although the local government has said the highway known locally as Avenida Liberdade is being built with sustainability in mind (solar lights, bike lanes and animal crossings are reportedly being installed), environmentalists and some locals do not agree that there's a sustainable way to pave over the Amazon. (MORE: Lost In The Palisades Fire, Found In A Miracle) It's also hurting local farmers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Everything was destroyed," Claudio Verequete, who harvests Acai berries from trees that have now been turned into timber, told the BBC. "Our harvest has already been cut down. We no longer have that income to support our family." What Is The COP30 Climate Summit? The Conference of the Parties is an annual climate change conference hosted by the United Nations. Each year, there is a new host site, and November's conference will be the 30th annual summit, hence the "30" in COP30. The focus of COP30, according to the host country, Brazil, will be "Uniting for our Forests." It is their hope that this year's conference will be a first step to advance and unite climate and biodiversity agendas. (MORE: Why You Should Try 'No Now March') The conference will be held in Belen from Nov. 10-21. Will The United States Be In Attendance? That has yet to be determined. Traditionally, the U.S. has sent delegates at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, last November, there were 405 total registered delegates, according to CarbonBrief. Even if the U.S. isn't present at all, their presence will be felt. Because the country has announced a departure from the Paris Climate Accord for a second time, COP30 leaders say they'll need to discuss how worldwide climate goals can still be achieved without the participation of one of the world's highest-ranking countries for carbon emissions. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The City of Portland and Metro will break ground on a new affordable housing building located at 3704 Interstate Ave. in North Portland on March 12. The M Carter Commons building is named in honor of former Oregon senator Margaret Carter, who will be in attendance for the groundbreaking ceremony. Carter was the first Black woman elected to the Oregon legislature and the first Black woman elected to any state legislature west of the Mississippi. Oregon gun control law is constitutional, according to state appeals court Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Margaret Carter inspires us to honor and support the seniors in our community, Metro Councilor Mary Nolan said. In her name, we break ground today on a project that will house older adults in a safe, comfortable and convenient community. Around the country, homelessness among older adults is rising faster than any other population. This region needs housing like the M Carter Commons as demand for affordable senior living grows. When complete, the M Carter Commons will provide 62 new studio and one-bedroom apartments in Portlands Overlook neighborhood. The apartments will be given to older adults earning less than 60% of the area median income. Twenty-one units are also planned for residents earning less than 30% of the areas median income. Tenants will be chosen based on the citys North/Northeast Preference Policy. This policy aims to address the harmful impacts of urban renewal, eminent domain and historical inequitable housing practices in the North and Northeast Portland community, a joint statement by the Portland Housing Bureau and Metro states. Bill limiting single-use plastics for Oregon restaurants, hotels passes Senate Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The project was funded by both public and private funds, including $8.1 million from the voter-approved Metro affordable housing bond and a $3,000 grant from Metros Transit Oriented Development Program. Kaiser Permanente donated the land for the building, which is valued at $1.3 million. The property will be located next to Kaisers North Interstate medical campus and TriMets Overlook Park MAX Station. Northwest Housing Alternatives and the Urban League of Portland are co-owners and developers of the property. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. and will conclude at 4:30 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. (Bloomberg) -- Portugal is heading to its third early election in just over three years after parliament toppled Prime Minister Luis Montenegros center-right minority government in a confidence vote on Tuesday night. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will hold meetings with parties on Wednesday, a necessary step before he can formally call an election. Sousa, who has the authority to dissolve parliament and decide whether to call a vote, said last week that the snap election could take place on May 11 or May 18 at the earliest. The governments ouster may delay key decisions, including a plan to privatize state-owned airline TAP SA this year and investments in infrastructure such as high-speed railway links. Montenegros administration, which took office less than a year ago, also aimed to increase defense spending like other European nations. Portuguese 10-year bonds were little changed on Wednesday. The yield on 10-year notes rose one basis point to 3.41%, less than an increase of three basis points for comparable German debt. The countrys PSI benchmark stock index rose less than 0.1% as of 11:35 a.m. in Lisbon. Montenegro, 52, has led the PSD party since 2022 and says he will seek reelection as premier. It will likely be a close race against Socialist leader Pedro Nuno Santos, 47, whose party is currently the biggest opposition group. Santos, a former infrastructure minister, has been a defender of the states role in controlling certain businesses, including the countrys carrier. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A poll published by TVI on Sunday showed the ruling AD coalition leading with 34% support, followed by the opposition Socialists with 29% and far-right party Chega with 14%. Another opinion poll published by Jornal de Negocios on Tuesday showed the Socialists leading the ruling coalition by 1.5 percentage point. The importance of political stability was highlighted by Pedro Castro e Almeida, the head of Banco Santander SAs Portuguese unit, at a conference in Lisbon on Wednesday. When we look at attracting foreign investment, implementing the Recovery and Resilience Plan, representation in international or European forums, naturally having a stable government makes all the difference, Castro e Almeida said. The premier requested the confidence vote last week after struggling to put an end to speculation about potential conflicts of interest related to a company owned by his family. He will likely keep facing questions about the firm. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Minority governments in Portugal have tended to be short-lived: In 50 years of democracy, only two have survived a full four-year term. The Socialists and Montenegros center-right PSD party, which is the senior partner in the governing AD coalition, have dominated Portuguese politics over those five decades. What Bloomberg strategists say: Investors in Portugal arent unfamiliar to the prospect of frequent elections and minority governments taking the helm. Even so, should the election in May lead to an even more fragmented parliament, the spread over German securities may widen back towards the 60 level that is the median of the past year. That would also align Portugals benchmark with that of Spain, also rated A by S&P. Ven Ram, Cross-Assets Strategist, Dubai. Read the full post here. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fiscal discipline has been a focus for successive Portuguese administrations since the euro-area debt crisis, when the country needed a bailout. While in 2023 the debt ratio dropped below 100% of gross domestic product for the first time since 2009, its still at a high level and the memory of the debt crisis and Portugals bailout is relatively fresh. S&P Global Ratings on Feb. 28 upgraded Portugals government bond rating to A from A-, citing deleveraging. We would fade any further under performance of Portuguese government bonds versus peers due to this political risk, Citigroup Inc. strategists including Andrea Appeddu said in a note on Wednesday. The only near-term risk we see is that it could delay any potential rating upgrade from Fitch this Friday, but the market is likely to look through this. The government aims to post a budget surplus of 0.3% of GDP this year as economic growth accelerates. The Bank of Portugal in December raised its 2025 growth forecast to 2.2%. Despite the uncertainty generated by the political crisis, Portugals economy may grow above 2% and as much as 2.5% this year, Finance Minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento said at a conference in Lisbon on Wednesday. The government has forecast 2.1% growth for 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement --With assistance from Alice Gledhill and Greg Ritchie. (Adds quote from head of Santanders Portuguese unit in eighth paragraph, finance minister in final paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Wednesday began consultations with party leaders on how to proceed after the collapse of the centre-right minority government in a no-confidence vote. The president's first meeting at his Lisbon residence was with caretaker Prime Minister Luis Montenegro. He is the leader of the conservative Democratic Alliance (AD) and has led the government for less than a year. He then met with opposition leader Pedro Nuno Santos of the Socialist Party (PS), followed by Andre Ventura of the right-wing populist Chega and other political figures. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rebelo de Sousa is expected to dissolve parliament and call an early election, likely to take place on May 11 or 18. If confirmed, this would mark Portugals third snap election since early 2022. Montenegro was ousted by parliament on Tuesday evening following mounting pressure over allegations of a conflict of interest linked to his family business. He denies any wrongdoing. This story has been updated with additional information. About 100 people turned up at a park in Milford on Tuesday afternoon to rally against potential cuts to Medicaid, the government insurance for low income and disabled people that provides health care for about one-fourth of Michigan's population. It was the first in a series of sparsely attended afternoon and evening meetings scheduled around metro Detroit on Tuesday to focus on the passage of a U.S. House Republican-led congressional budget resolution calling for the Committee on Energy and Commerce to cut $880 billion from its budget over the next 10 years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More: House passes GOP funding bill backed by Trump. Now a showdown looms in Senate. The committee oversees Medicaid. And while the resolution doesn't specifically single out Medicaid for cuts, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the Republicans can't finance their budget cuts unless they cut from Medicaid. Organizer for Detroits Tax Justice Russ Bellant speaks during a Detroit Action Town Hall for those who have been impacted and are concerned by inevitable cuts in Medicaid and SNAP at Faith Redemption Center in Detroit, on Tuesday, March 11, 2024. The energy and commerce committee's reductions are among trillions of dollars in cuts in the budget plan that are to be used to fund an extension of President Donald Trump's 2017 tax cuts. The U.S. Senate has yet to take up the resolution. About 72 million people across the nation, or roughly 1 in 4, rely on Medicaid, according to government statistics. Around 2.6 million, or 26%, of Michigan residents rely on Medicaid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Also the budget resolution calls on the House Committee on Agriculture to cut billions in spending, leaving many concerned the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which feeds almost 42 million people will be part of the cuts if House Republicans get their way. "You may be here because you're angry. Maybe you're a little frustrated ... and perhaps, even afraid. But you're also here because you care," Sherri Masson, an organizer from Indivisible Huron Valley, which hosted the Milford rally, told people gathered there. "You care about the sick, the elderly and the children who currently rely on Medicaid and SNAP food programs for survival. We're here because President Trump, Elon Musk and his MAGA followers ... want to cut the federal budget by trillions to give billionaires a tax cut. " Attendees sign in as they arrive for a Detroit Action Town Hall for residents concerned with inevitable cuts in Medicaid and SNAP at Faith Redemption Center in Detroit, on Tuesday, March 11, 2024. Another speaker, Mindy Denton, who is 56 and lives in Milford, told the group that a cut in Medicaid would be catastrophic for people like her 25-year-old son, Jared Denton, who is intellectually disabled and will rely on Medicaid for insurance next year. Although he has worked for years and will continue to do so, it is unlikely he will earn enough to receive private insurance benefits through his employment, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Medicaid and SNAP not only advanced greater opportunity and the empowerment to succeed, they offer an investment in the health of our community, promoting broader social and economic goals thats a win for us all," she said. Later that evening, at a town hall meeting at the Faith Redemption Center Church of God in Christ in Detroit, about 40 people gathered to learn what might be next. How is it possible Medicaid wouldn't be touched, some wondered. Among those in attendance: Michelle Tucker, a 57-year-old Detroit resident, who is concerned about a number of topics regarding the Trump administration and the empowerment of Musk. They include: threats to the Department of Education, an immigration crackdown, and potential cuts to Medicaid. "It doesn't take a blind person to see this is white supremacy," she said. Gloria McCowin asks candidate for Detroit City Council Denzel McCampbell questions during a Detroit Action Town Hall for those who have been impacted by inevitable cuts in Medicaid and SNAP at Faith Redemption Center in Detroit, on Tuesday, March 11, 2024. Still, these actions will have a ripple effect and white people will be affected, too, she added. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Said Nick Clarke, 67, of Wixom: "In a country like America, nobody ... should go hungry and nobody should go without health care." Organizers of the event encouraged people to contact their congressional representatives and U.S. senators. They even put a QR code on a screen and images of legislators to contact. "In every single historical point of oppression there was a point of resistance," said DeJuan Bland, a lead organizer with the community group MOSES and a minister at Faith Redemption. Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of DeJuan Bland. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Angry, betrayed: metro Detroiters rally against possible Medicaid cuts PPG Foundation has awarded Allegheny College a grant for the colleges Creek Connections environmental education program but the grant amount isnt being revealed. Founded in 1995 as the French Creek Environmental Education Project, Creek Connections began as collaborative effort between Allegheny and six area public schools. Today, its grown into a partnership between the college and more than 40 schools in both northwestern and southwestern Pennsylvania as well as Michigan. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The program, which involves the classes of 50 teachers, emphasizes a hands-on, inquiry-based investigation of local waterways. The purpose of the grant is to help students increase their environmental literacy by studying a local waterway and become exposed to the scientific method and other science concepts by conducting the testing themselves, Wendy Kedzierski, director of Creek Connections, said in a statement. At the same time, the program allows Allegheny students to apply their knowledge as they instruct students in kindergarten through 12th grade in environmental education. The grant will cover monthly water quality monitoring and associated costs to make this routine maintenance possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement However, when The Meadville Tribune inquired as to how much the grant award is, The amount for this grant will remain undisclosed per the PPG Foundation, Penny Drexel, Alleghenys director of marketing and communications, said in an email response. A Tribune followup inquiry to the college asking how much the Creek Connections program spends on water quality testing and monitoring a year went unanswered Tuesday. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Facing a $40 million budget shortfall for year, the Portland Public Schools Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong is tentatively planning to propose a budget that cuts more than 200 positions. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek at a press conference in Salem, March 10, 2025 (KOIN) On Monday, Gov. Tina Kotek announced her support for a bill to hold schools more accountable for how state tax dollars are spent if a districts students are not measuring up. And Kotek wants more mid-year standardized testing for students. At a press conference at Roosevelt High School, Armstrong said she agrees with the issue of accountability, but said the state has to come up with the money for schools to be able to do their job and avoid further budget cuts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Kotek: Oregon students deserve more than status quo Among those proposed cuts are interventionists staffers who give extra help to students who have fallen behind. PPS is tentatively planning to slash 20 interventionists. Often people ask, like, whats really at stake? Whats the difference? You know, I want to talk about our intervention specialists for a little bit, she said. Right now, 64% of our students receiving foundational reading intervention are meeting or exceeding their individual goals. There is proof that when our students receive intervention, the needle moves. She also said testing alone wont solve some of the achievement concerns in the district. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Unacceptable: PPS to explore over 200 teacher cuts amid budget shortfall We support making sure that we have the resources so that we can fully fund our classrooms with the humans that they need to help close some of those gaps in with our learning, Armstrong said. Budget experts at PPS said there are several factors contributing to the shortfall, from rising costs in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) to enrollment decline, with school funding from the state partly tied to enrollment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Martin, also known as Ireland's taoiseach, spoke highly of the Trump administration's efforts related to the war between Ukraine and Russia. He said that "progress has clearly been made" as a result of an "unrelenting focus and effort" to secure peace. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Yesterday, President Trump held a press conference in front of the White House to promote Tesla vehicles in support of Elon Musk, who he said had been "treated very unfairly." Elon Musk and Donald Trump standing in front of a Tesla and the White House Tesla's stock price has dropped more than 40% since President Trump took office and Elon stepped into his role at the Department of Government Efficiency, aka DOGE (though it has seen a bounce back after this event). There have also recently been protests at Tesla dealerships, and Teslas have been vandalized and burned. President Trump explained on Truth Social that he planned to buy a "brand new Tesla... as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk" after "Radical Left Lunatics" tried to "illegally and collusively boycott Tesla." Donald Trump praises Elon Musk for helping America while criticizing opponents for boycotting Tesla; calls for support in upcoming elections In the past, there have been comparisons made between President Trump and another well-known right-wing party leader. A text message from JD Vance to a Yale law school roommate in 2016 discusses the impact of leadership styles similar to Nixon's on political figures Well, today, user cypher-dex pointed out on the r/pics subreddit that the Nazis actually held a similar special event for the Volkswagen back in 1938, calling it the "People's Car." A large assembly at a Nazi rally, with Nazi symbols prominently displayed and a Volkswagen Beetle in the foreground Advertisement Advertisement "On May 26, 1938, Nazi dignitaries gathered near Fallersleben in northern Germany to lay the foundation stone for the Volkswagen Works. The Fuhrer himself was present, predicting that this Volkswagen... would be 'a symbol of the National Socialist [Nazi] people's community,'" according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Historic photo of a man in military uniform near a car, surrounded by officials in similar attire, amidst a gathering of people Commenters think the similarities between the two events are pretty overt. "They say 'History Doesn't Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes' but Trump is just straight up plagiarizing at this point..." user forever_useless said. Reddit comment: "They say 'History Doesn't Repeat Itself, but it Often Rhymes' but Trump is just straight up plagiarizing at this point..." "You got to be kidding me," said user Lucky_Shoe_8154. Comment with username "Lucky_Shoe_8154" reads: "You got to be kidding me." User ginosesto100 said, "The parallels get worse and worse. Here we go." Comment saying, "The parallels get worse and worse. Here we go." Advertisement Advertisement User cb4u2015 said, "He's singing Karaoke at this point." Comment saying, "He's singing Karaoke at this point." Here are the images, side-by-side: Brandstaetter Images / Getty Images, MANDEL NGAN / AFP via Getty Images And another set: Topical Press Agency / Getty Images, Andrew Harnik / Getty Images Finally, user MiyamotoKnows pointed out another similarity: "Exact same cog image as on the DOGE logo, too. Intentionally, of course," in reference to the 14-toothed cogs in both the propaganda image and the cartoon DOGE logo that Elon Musk shared in late 2024: Brandstaetter Images / Getty Images / Via x.com, @elonmusk / Via x.com What are your thoughts? Do you think it's just a coincidence, or does it seem like a little more than that? Let us know in the comments. The White House press corps has long been governed by the White House Correspondents Association, which assigns seats in the briefing room and determined who was in the press pool that covers the president. This has changed since the White House announced in late February that it would take more of a role in deciding the news outlets that cover President Donald Trump up close. New additions to the press pool included non-legacy organizations that favor conservative viewpoints, like the Sage Steele Show and Right Side Broadcasting Network. The Trump administration has also taken a more public approach in expressing opposition to media coverage. White House press releases include statements discrediting the reliability of traditional outlets, echoing Trumps personal remarks over the years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Notably, the White House has also started to evict legacy outlets from the Oval Office and other places where only a few reporters are allowed at a time including Reuters and The Associated Press, the latter of which the White House banned for refusing to change its style guide to include references to the Gulf of America. A federal judge will rehear AP News case on March 20, but so far courts have refused to lift the ban. The Biden White House also limited access to certain reporters, cutting hard passes to 442 outlets in 2023, as Politico reported. Several of the reporters who were barred had been critical of the president. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Washington. | Alex Brandon The White House and media outlets In a press conference Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt fired back at an AP reporter who called tariffs tax increases and said they would hurt American consumers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im sorry, have you ever paid a tariff? Because I have. They dont get charged on foreign companies, they get charged on importers, AP reporter Josh Boak said to Leavitt. I think its insulting that youre trying to test my knowledge of economics and the decisions that this president has made, Leavitt said, then added: I now regret giving a question to The Associated Press. Leavitt has not given many questions to The Associated Press since the outlet was banned from the pool, limiting their access to the Oval Office and Air Force One, among other places. Traditionally, press secretaries would allow the AP to ask the first question in press briefings, a tradition that ended when Trump returned to the White House. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Washington. | Alex Brandon Trump has also lately filed lawsuits against CBS News and Des Moines Register for allegedly producing journalism that fails to protect consumers from deceptive advertising, per The New York Times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Earlier this year, Trump and Elon Musk falsely accused Politico and The New York Times of accepting government funds to write positive coverage for Democrats. That money turned out to be for subscriptions. The Federal Communications Commission also launched an investigation into NPR and PBS concerning their financial sponsors. Other close allies of Trump have either filed lawsuits or made online accusations that news sources are pursuing vendettas against Trump. The bulk of these lawsuits and accusations have had little effect, due in large part to First Amendment protections in the Constitution. Despite his public antipathy for mainstream media, research from Axios found that Trump still sources much of his information from such outlets, including the AP and CBS News. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nevertheless, he cites Fox News far more than any other outlet. How some media outlets are complying with the new administration Other news organizations have won Trumps approval in recent weeks, including The Washington Post, which is overhauling its editorial page. Restructuring follows a shift by owner Jeff Bezos (who also owns Amazon), who said he wanted the papers opinion section to reflect support for personal liberties and free markets. Several of the Posts columnists have quit and criticized Bezos choices, while the White House has expressed admiration. I would like to commend The Washington Post, who I believe is in the room today, Leavitt said during Tuesdays press conference. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It appears that the mainstream media, including the Post, is finally learning that having disdain for more than half of the country that supports this president does not help you sell newspapers. Leavitt also granted Saagar Enjeti, host of political news channel and podcast Breaking Points, the first question of the press conference. Breaking Points features a left-leaning anchor and a right-leaning anchor, Enjeti. The News Washington and Kyivs proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine will intensify pressure on Russia, but Moscow is unlikely to make concessions, analysts said. US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin may speak as soon as this week, but Western security officials expect Putin to present deliberately maximalist demands in order to prolong the conflict, Bloomberg reported. That owes in part to domestic pressures: Putins militarization of Russian society has created a huge corps of veterans, meaning he is unlikely to demobilize, one expert said. Yet not accepting the ceasefire would also create problems, potentially derailing the recent reset in US-Russia relations. It has been nearly two years since Prince William and Kate Middleton took a trip abroad together as part of their royal dutiesand it seems the public will have to wait a little longer for it to happen again. On March 12, it was confirmed that the Prince of Wales will travel to Estonia on March 20 and March 21 in support of British troops stationed at the frontline of Natos defense against Russia, The Telegraph reported. William will visit the Mercian Regiment in his role as their Colonel-in-Chief. While there, he will meet with the president of Estonia, join soldiers for a field training exercise, and visit a school for displaced Ukrainian teachers and children. Chris Jackson - Pool/Getty Images Prince William Prince William It will be Williams first trip to Estonia, and a palace source said the visit will demonstrate the close relationship between the Crown and armed forces, which is extremely close to the princes heart and extremely important in his role. Though its Williams first time visiting Estonia, Williams grandmother Queen Elizabeth visited in 2006, his father King Charles visited in 2001, and his younger brother Prince Harry visited in 2014. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The last time William and Kate traveled abroad together in an official capacity was to Jordan in early June 2023, when they attended the Jordanian royal wedding. Prior to that, the couple visited Boston in December 2022 in support of Williams Earthshot Prize, and their last royal tour was a full three years ago this month, when they visited Belize, Jamaica, and Barbados in support of Queen Elizabeths Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Prince William and Kate Middleton visiting the Caribbean in 2022 Getty Images Kate Middleton and Prince William in the Caribbean in 2022 Kate Middleton and Prince William in the Caribbean in 2022 Following her January announcement that she is in remission from cancer, Kate continues to make her return to royal life following 2024, a year that William called brutal as not only Kate but also the King were diagnosed with cancer. Read the original article on InStyle The Prince of Wales will visit British troops in Estonia The Prince of Wales will visit Estonia on Natos frontline with Russia to meet British troops providing a deterrent to aggression in the region. Prince William will tour the Baltic state next Thursday and Friday mainly in his role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Mercian Regiment, and travel to Tapa Army Base where British forces are stationed ready to defend Natos eastern flank. The British forces at Tapa are the UKs largest permanent overseas deployment and there are around 900 UK service personnel in total in Estonia. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Williams visit comes as Europes major nations including the UK prepare to step up spending on their armed forces in response to the changing world order ushered in by US President Donald Trump. Russia is seen as a growing threat in the region following its three-year long invasion of Ukraine, and the Baltic states Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia which border Russian President Vladimir Putins nation appear increasingly concerned. UK troops lead a battlegroup in Estonia and William will travel to Tapa camp to meet the military personnel from his Mercian Regiment undergoing training. British forces are deployed to Estonia and Poland under Operation Cabrit, the UKs contribution to Natos Forward Land Forces in the two countries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement William will begin the first day of his visit by meeting Alar Karis, President of Estonia which has been prominent among those giving military equipment and political support to Ukraine. He will also visit a school founded by the Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia in May 2022 to respond to the war in Ukraine, and the prince will meet teachers from Ukraine to hear about their experiences at the school, and how they have helped students settle in Tallinn and looked after their mental wellbeing. The prince founded his Earthshot Prize to help recognise and scale-up solutions to repair the planet, and he will also attend an event to learn about renewable energy start-ups. The following day will be spent at Tapa Army Base where William, a former Army officer, will meet Estonian soldiers and attend a handover ceremony as The Mercian Regiment takeover from The Royal Dragoon Guards. It comes as Vladimir Putin is facing pressure to accept a ceasefire plan drawn up by the US and Kyiv to end the Russian Presidents war in Ukraine. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Prince Williams first overseas visit of 2025 has been announcedand he is being sent to Estonia. The Prince will make a two-day solo visit at the end of next week where he will meet British troops stationed near to the Russian border. The Prince of Wales will travel to Estonia from Thursday 20th March to Friday 21st March to visit the Mercian Regiment in his role as Colonel-in-Chief and learn about how they are bolstering NATOs eastern flank as part of Operation Cabrit, Kensington Palace said in a statement today. Whilst in Estonia, His Royal Highness will also carry out engagements in Tallinn to learn more about how country has responded to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and how Estonia is innovating in renewable energy and technology. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The BBC reported that royal sources saw the trip as part of Prince Williams evolution as a global statesman. He is showing his support for the leadership in the UK and the troops we have based at the fringes of Russia, the source was quoted as saying. Operation Cabrit is deterrent against Russian forces crossing the border in the region. This will be the Princes first visit to Estonia. His brother, Prince Harry, traveled to the country in 2014 in support of the UK Government. In a speech, Harry said that he had been "privileged" to serve alongside Estonian troops while in Afghanistan. Most recently, Prince Edward went to Estonia and met troops carrying out training exercises and also visited an army base. Williams visit will begin with a meeting with the Estonian President Alar Karis. Kate will not be accompanying him on the trip. You Might Also Like LONDON (Reuters) -Prince William will travel to Estonia next week to visit British troops involved in NATO operations there as part of the UK's drive to show solidarity with its allies and highlight its commitment to the defence of the alliance's eastern flank. During the two-day visit, which begins on March 20, William, the heir to the throne, will also carry out engagements in Tallinn to learn more about how country has responded to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, his office Kensington Palace said on Wednesday. He will also have a meeting with Estonian President Alar Karis and learn about the country's innovations in renewable energy and technology, the palace said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Britain has about 900 troops based in Estonia and Poland as part of 'Operation Cabrit', the British contribution to NATO's build-up of strength on its eastern flank following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The royal's visit comes as Britain and other European allies ramp up defence spending after the U.S. President Donald Trump said other NATO nations had to contribute more to Europe's security or he would not defend them. Last month, British media reported that Baltic states were unhappy not to have been invited to a summit in London to discuss Ukraine. The Estonian visit, the first to the Baltic state by King Charles' eldest son, is not the first such symbolic mission undertaken by William. Two years ago, the prince visited British soldiers in Poland who were involved in providing support to Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The latest trip is overtly for William to visit the British army's Mercian Regiment, of which he is the Colonel-in-Chief, who are based there. His uncle, Prince Edward, also visited British troops in Estonia in 2022. (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Sarah Young) When the whole-life sentence was handed down on Tuesday, Kyle Clifford was not there to hear it. Clifford, who brutally murdered his ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, 25, her mother Carol, 61, and her sister Hannah, 28, with a crossbow last year, refused to attend court for his trial or sentencing. Speaking at Cambridge Crown Court, Mr Justice Bennathan was emphatic: for such horrendous crimes, Clifford would be handed the harshest punishment available under British criminal law. For each of these three murders, the sentence will be one of life imprisonment with a whole-life order, he said. That means a sentence from which you will never be released. So, what will life in prison be like for Clifford, with no hope of parole? He will be joining Britains most notorious criminals in serving a whole-life order. There have only been 100 issued since the system was introduced in 1983, although their usage has increased in recent years. The penalty is reserved for the most serious of crimes while prisoners sentenced to life serve an average of 16.5 years in prison, a whole-life order means Clifford will never be considered for release. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Roughly 70 individuals are currently serving whole-life orders in English or Welsh prisons. They include Ali Harbi Ali, who murdered Conservative MP David Amess in 2021; Jordan McSweeney, who killed law graduate Zara Aleena in 2022; Wayne Couzens, the ex-police officer who kidnapped, raped and killed Sarah Everard in 2021; the serial killer Rosemary West, and, more recently, Lucy Letby, who murdered seven babies at the Countess of Chester hospital and attempted to kill seven more. In accordance with the severity of his crimes, Clifford will be held in one of the maximum-security Category A prisons designed for the most dangerous offenders, at least initially. There are only a limited number of prisons that can house those who have committed crimes of such gravity it must be impossible for them to escape, says Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and senior adviser at the Counter Extremism Project. These Category A mens prisons include HMP Belmarsh, in London, where Clifford was held before his trial, and HMP Frankland, in County Durham. He has committed a crime so outrageous that escape must be made impossible, Acheson adds. A prison worker and criminologist, who prefers to remain anonymous, explains that the immediate concerns will be for Cliffords safety hell be vulnerable to assault and attack, he might have a price on his head. His medical condition after shooting himself with the crossbow he used to attack Louise Hunt, her sister and mother (the daughters and wife of BBC racing commentator John Hunt), he is paralysed from the chest down makes him especially vulnerable. Cliffords medical condition he is paralysed from the chest down will make him especially vulnerable Prison officers are going to have their own feelings about him, she explains, as he is very high-profile, particularly newsworthy [it is] a watershed case. Usually, she says, I would be arguing against over-sentencing. But for Clifford, there is no getting away from the fact that he deserves the sentence he got. Prison officers will be thinking that, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Clifford is a former soldier, although Cambridge Crown Court heard that he spent a third of his three-year military career at home, claiming to be ill. This is unlikely to have an impact on his level of risk; according to Ministry of Justice figures from last year, approximately 3.6 per cent of the total prison population are ex-servicemen. After a period of assessment and observation, Clifford, 26, will be staring down the barrel of a potential 50-plus years the rest of his life behind bars. While the serious, sexual and high-profile nature of Cliffords offences means he could be considered at risk from other prisoners, Acheson suggests he is likely to pose a more significant risk to himself. He is notorious, and has committed crimes that are absolutely outrageous, says Acheson. However, compared to the recent high-profile case of Axel Rudakubana, the teenager who murdered three children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class last year, Cliffords victims were known to him. According to the unspoken prison code, this puts him a rung above those who killed indiscriminately or who harmed children. And, in the view of some prisoners, his notoriety could actually be an asset. Hes going to be an immensely challenging security problem because of his iconic status, says Acheson. In prison, there will be warped people who will be attracted to that status. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Less than 24 hours before the triple murder, Clifford searched online for podcasts posted by the influencer Andrew Tate, described by the prosecution in court as the poster boy for misogynists. Given Clifford is likely to spend a significant period of time in a high-security setting, or even in solitary confinement, he will not be able to access Tates content, nor will he be able to socialise with prisoners who may share Tates views. Given the hopelessness of his sentence, officers will be monitoring Cliffords risk to himself. Limited research has been done on the population of people serving whole-life sentences, but in Howard Zehrs book, Doing Life: Reflections on Men and Women Serving Life Sentences, one prisoner described life in prison without hope of release as a slow, torturous death. Some look for another way out. [Clifford] is a very dark character who obviously has immense psychological problems, Acheson says. It was very clear there is no way out [of prison] for him, so the risk when a whole-life order is handed down is that [the prisoner] will take their own life. While his case will never be reviewed by the Parole Board, depending on his behaviour as his sentence progresses, he could be downgraded to a Category B prison in the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At some point, Acheson explains, he will be transferred to the lifer estate one of the prisons which has a high proportion of prisoners serving life sentences. Again, it is unclear where he will go, but one suggestion could be HMP Gartree in Leicestershire. The lower-security Category B prison is home to the largest group of life sentenced prisoners in England and Wales, and previously housed Ian Brady, who committed the Moors murders with his partner Myra Hindley, and serial killer Fred West. There is no telling how long this will take. It depends on the person, says an anonymous prison worker. Someone like Levi Bellfield [the rapist and serial killer] hes still in Frankland Prison. According to Acheson, there is no doubt that he will have to be held somewhere for many years thats highly secure. The biggest practical challenge of all could be keeping Clifford busy, and his severe medical condition will make this especially difficult. Like all prisons, HMP Gartree and other prisons in the lifer estate follow a strict day-to-day schedule. There will be work, education and training programmes which, depending on Cliffords behaviour, physical ability and level of risk, he will be expected to take part in. Nothing, however, will be able to distract from the fact that in this case, life not only means life, but death behind bars. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) Many Abilene residents live on the northwest side of town for the quiet life, riding horses on county roads or riding bikes with their families. However, life took a big turn when construction for the Lancium Project began, bringing significant truck traffic. While this has been going on for a while now, residents stress that it was only in recent months that things became even worse. The Taylor County Commissioners Court conducted a public hearing on Tuesday, March 11, to address resident concerns. During the meeting, they considered approving the installation of No Thru Trucks signage on Farris, Spinks, Hayter, Summerhill, and Shirley Roads. Additionally, they discussed setting the speed limit to 45 mph on County Roads 405 and 644. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cheryl Davis, a longtime resident of Spinks Road, lives near the entrance where trucks frequently enter and exit Lancium. She mentioned that at times, she has to wait for these trucks to clear the way before she can drive to her next destination. As a real estate broker, she expressed concerns that property values may drop due to the ongoing construction. Lancium Construction Causes Community Uproar Her recently widowed mother, who also has a house in the area, is moving in with her. Since October, she has been trying to sell her home, but two sales fell through. She believes this is due to the publics unawareness of the future developments in the area. Ive had two sales fall through because nobody wants to buy this beautiful home that has one of the prettiest views of Abilene youve ever seen because they dont know whats going on out here. They see the trucks go up and down the road. They dont know whats going to be built across the road. So now the money that I was counting on to be able to help support my mother in her old age, whos worked her whole life for, I have a house I cant sell, explained Davis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Davis is one of many residents speaking out against the negative changes construction has caused. People used to ride their horses, they ride bikes. Our way of life has stopped completely. So, we kind of feel like prisoners in our own homes, added Davis. Lanciums potential impact on AISD: Taxpayers could see reduction due to eye-popping numbers Other residents worry that the large trucks have caused potholes, damaged private property, created traffic, and more. Taylor County Commissioner Precinct 2 Kyle Kendrick represents, lives, and works in the area himself. I run a bunch of cattle and farm, and I travel those county roads and see it on a firsthand basis every single day, just other than my day job. So, I understand what theyre going through, added Kendrick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He immediately took action to find a solution after multiple residents contacted him and other court members. He was happy to see a large turnout at the meeting. Its a great feeling to have the support of the community behind you because theyre the ones who elect you to do this job. All along its been nothing but about public safety. Thats what Im here to do, is to provide the best public safety and county roads for the citizens that live in my precinct. So, this all started about a year ago. We had trucks starting to run and set the speed limit at 45 miles an hour in an effort to try to slow the trucks down and to make things safer, shared Kendrick. Kendrick reported that one resident said they observed more than 72 trucks passing in front of their home on a very narrow street within a span of just 12 hours. He emphasized that this is only one example of how significantly traffic has changed. As a result, the commissioners have approved the proposed changes, with the new rules set to take effect on Saturday, March 15th. Roundtable: The opportunities & challenges of Abilenes new AI data campus Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lanciums vice president of project and site management, Jason Marshall, traveled from Houston to attend the meeting and address resident concerns. Ill reiterate, projects are temporary endeavors, right? So, we dont anticipate that this is your life for the rest of your life. But were in the business of getting this done as fast as possible, as fast as possible. So, well continue down that path, added Marshall. Commissioner Kendrick hopes this change can continue the friendly neighbor relationship with Lancium and make the area safer for residents. Lancium is set to begin construction in three weeks to construct a road for their trucks to use. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Executive producers Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Mindy Kaling and Dev Patel are lending their star power to global impact campaign #StandWithHer, inspired by director Nisha Pahujas Oscar-nominated documentary To Kill a Tiger. Launching on Wednesday in New York City, the campaign aims to combat gender-based violence worldwide through a partnership between Pahuja and NGOs Equality Now, Equimundo and MenEngage Alliance. More from Variety Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gender-based violence is a global crisis, yet too often, it remains hidden in the shadows, Chopra Jonas said in a statement. I am honored to support the #StandWithHer campaign, inspired by Nishas powerful documentary To Kill a Tiger, to help drive meaningful change. The documentary, which is streaming on Netflix, chronicles the story of Ranjit, a farmer in Jharkhand, India, who fights for justice for his 13-year-old daughter after she is sexually assaulted by three men. Despite facing social ostracization, death threats, economic hardship and caste prejudice, the family perseveres and ultimately secures a landmark ruling. The #StandWithHer initiative has established three key goals: empowering survivors of sexual assault and gender-based violence to seek justice; creating a culture of shared responsibility that encourages men and boys to become allies; and preventing gender-based violence through education and social narrative change. The campaign will kick off with a U.S. screening tour of To Kill a Tiger, spanning major cities including New York, Chicago, Dallas, Austin, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Washington D.C. A screening in New York will coincide with the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in partnership with UN Women. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pahuja, whose film has won 29 awards including recognition at Toronto, Palm Springs and a 2024 Oscar nomination for best documentary feature, shared her vision: As filmmakers, we understand the power of story, especially documentary, and its singular ability to unite people around an issue. The eradication of sexual violence and GBV needs the commitment of all of us. The campaign will collaborate with over 60 partners and aims to create educational initiatives that will reach 1.2 million students across 25,000-50,000 U.S. schools within two years. Patel said: This is one of the most important stories in modern Indian history, and with this campaign, we can really start to see and understand its capacity to empower and serve as a catalyst for change. Added Kaling, This campaign is one crucial step towards a world free from gender-based violence, a world we deserve and will fight for to see in our lifetimes. Best of Variety Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A pro-independence, sharply anti-Trump party has won a surprise victory in elections in Greenland. The center-right Demokraatit Party, which has pushed for Greenland to gain independence from colonial power Denmark but rejects U.S. President Trumps goal of taking control of the island, took nearly 30 percent of the vote, compared to just 9 percent in the election four years ago. More from The Hollywood Reporter Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Demokraatit leader Jens-Friederik Nielsen said the result should send a clear message to Trump that Greenland is not for sale. We dont want to be Americans. No, we dont want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders, Nielsen told Sky News. And we want our own independence in the future. And we want to build our own country by ourselves. Trumps interest in Greenland last week he told a joint session of Congress the U.S. would get the island one way or the other has put a global spotlight on the local elections. The country passed a law last month banning foreign political donations over fears about potential interference in this weeks vote. Naleraq, a nationalist party that is pushing for rapid independence from Denmark, also saw a surge in support, coming in second with nearly 25 percent of the vote, more than double the 12 percent it won in 2021. Some members of Naleraq have said they are open to negotiations with the U.S. government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The two parties of the current governing coalition, Inuit Ataqatigiit and Siumut, saw their support slump. Nielsen will now be charged with trying to form a new coalition government. Greenland is an autonomous and self-governing region of Denmark, which colonized the island 300 years ago. Denmark still exercises control over Greenlands foreign and defense policy. The island, with a population of just 56,000 people, straddles the strategically important region between the U.S. and Russia and is home to vast supplies of rare earth minerals needed to make everything from mobile phones to renewable energy technology. Opinion polls indicate that most Greenlanders support independence but show little interest in becoming part of the U.S. The U.S. has maintained a military base Pituffik Space Base, formally Thule Air Base on Greenland since 1951. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen congratulated the Demokraatit party on its victory, telling Danish broadcaster DR that the future Greenlandic government would likely have to deal with massive pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the Danish government would await the results of coalition negotiations. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Trump administration border czar Tom Homan on Wednesday called Mahmoud Khalil -- the pro-Palestinian activist arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement -- "a national security threat," citing student protests at Columbia University that called for the institution to cut ties with Israel over its war in Gaza. "When you are on campuses -- I hear 'speech,' 'freedom of speech,' 'freedom of speech' -- can you stand at a movie theater and yell fire? Can you slander? Free speech has limitations," Homan said during an appearance in Albany, New York. "Coming to this country either on a visa or becoming a resident alien is a great privilege, but there are rules associated with that. You might have been able to get away with that stuff in the last administration, but not this administration," Homan said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At a hearing Wednesday afternoon, a federal judge set an expedited briefing schedule for Khalil -- who possesses a green card and has not been charged with a crime -- saying, "There is some need for speed here." Khalil is set to appear before an immigration judge on March 27 in Louisiana. PHOTO: Protestors gather to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil at Foley Square on March 10, 2025 in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) Khalil's attorneys said the former Columbia student is a lawful permanent resident with no criminal record, but they declined Judge Jesse Furman's invitation to immediately argue the merits of the case. Instead, Khalil's attorneys said they would file an amended petition by Thursday evening. The government said it would argue Khalil's petition should be heard either in New Jersey, where he was taken after his arrest Saturday night, or in Louisiana, where he is being held. PHOTO: The legal team of Mahmoud Khalil, Ramzi Kassem and Baher Amzy speak to the press outside of the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse, where a hearing is underway regarding Khalil's arrest, in New York City, Mar. 12, 2025. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images) PHOTO: A person holds placards, ahead of a hearing on the detention of Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, in New York City, Mar. 12, 2025. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters) With activists like actress Susan Sarandon looking on in court and protesters chanting outside, the judge ordered a phone call be arranged for Khalil on Wednesday after his attorneys argued access to their client is "severely limited." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We have literally not been able to confer with our client once since he was taken off the streets," Khalil's attorney Ramzi Kassem said. Khalil is currently being held in Louisiana after being detained in New York earlier this week. His legal team is asking the court to order the government to return him to New York while his legal fight plays out. Khalil's wife, who is 8 months pregnant, said the couple have been excitedly preparing for the arrival of their baby. "Mahmoud has been ripped away from me for no reason at all. I am pleading with the world to continue to speak up against his unjust and horrific detention by the Trump administration," she said in a statement to ABC News on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Six days ago, an intense and targeted doxxing campaign against Mahmoud began. Anti-Palestinian organizations were spreading false claims about my husband that were simply not based in reality. They were making threats against Mahmoud and he was so concerned about his safety that he emailed Columbia University on March 7th. In his email, he begged the university for legal support," she said. PHOTO: Protestors rally in support of Mahmoud Khalil outside of the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse, during a hearing regarding Khalil's arrest, in New York City, Mar. 12, 2025. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images) She said Columbia University never responded to that email and he was arrested a day later. MORE: 14 House members demand release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil after arrest at Columbia President Donald Trump's administration has alleged that Khalil -- who was a leader of the pro-Palestinian encampment protests on Columbia's campus -- was a supporter of Hamas. Baher Azmy, one of Khalil's lawyers, called his client's alleged alignment with Hamas "false and preposterous." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Setting aside the false and preposterous premise that advocating on behalf of Palestinian human rights and to plead with public officials to stop an ongoing genocide constitutes alignment with Hamas, his speech is absolutely protected by the Constitution, and it should be chilling to everyone that the United States government could punish or try to deport someone because they disapprove of the speech they're engaged in," Azmy told ABC News on Monday. Authorities have not charged Khalil with a crime and the administration has not provided any evidence showing Khalil's alleged support for the militant group. PHOTO: Protestors rally in support of Mahmoud Khalil outside of the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse, during a hearing regarding Khalil's arrest, in New York City, Mar. 12, 2025. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) The Trump administration said it has the authority to remove Khalil under the Immigration and Nationality Act. "Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the secretary of state has the right to revoke a green card or a visa for individuals who serve, or are adversarial to the foreign policy and the national security interests of the United States of America," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday. "Mahmoud Khalil was an individual who was given the privilege of coming to this country to study at one of our nation's finest universities and colleges and he took advantage of that opportunity, of that privilege, by siding with terrorists, Hamas terrorists." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Activist Mahmoud Khalil asked Columbia University for legal support day before ICE arrest, his wife says PHOTO: A demonstrator holds a sign during a protest at the University of California Los Angeles, following the arrest by U.S. immigration agents of Palestinian student protester Mahmoud Khalil, in Los Angeles, California, on March 11, 2025. (Daniel Cole/Reuters) Attorney Amy E. Greer said Khalil's detention in Louisiana is a "blatantly improper but familiar tactic designed to frustrate the New York federal court's jurisdiction." Khalil's arrest has prompted protests calling for his release. Fourteen members of Congress have also signed a letter demanding his release. Khalil will have to show at the immigration hearing on March 27 why he should not be removed from the U.S. ABC News' Armando Garcia, James Hill, Laura Romero, Ely Brown and Mark Crudele contributed to this report. Border czar calls detained Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil a 'national security threat' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The Columbia University student who faces deportation from the US over allegations that he led activities aligned with Hamas held a senior position at the British embassy in Beirut, The Telegraph understands. Mahmoud Khalil, who spearheaded pro-Palestine protests on the prestigious Ivy League campus, worked as a Program Manager at Britains Syria Office for more than four years. He also led the Syria Chevening Program, the UK Governments prestigious international scheme that offers fully funded scholarships to people who show potential to inspire, The Telegraph can disclose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the programme, individuals can apply to study in Britain for one year on a fully funded masters degree course. After completing their period of study in the UK, scholars and fellows return home. Mr Khalil, who the US was previously investigating as a possible national security threat, also managed taxpayer-funded projects with a focus on accountability, justice, and gender equality in Syria, according to his LinkedIn profile. The discovery comes after Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, claimed Mr Khalil had distributed leaflets on campus bearing the Hamas logo. Mahmoud Khalil was an individual who was given the privilege of coming to this country to study at one of our nations finest universities and colleges, and he took advantage of that opportunity, of that privilege by siding with terrorists, Hamas, terrorists who have killed innocent men, women and children, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is an individual who organised group protests that not only disrupted college campus classes and harassed Jewish American students and made them feel unsafe on their own college campus, but also distributed pro-Hamas propaganda flyers with the logo of Hamas. We have a zero-tolerance policy for siding with terrorists, period. Protesters marched on campus against the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil at UC Berkeley - San Francisco Chronicle Demonstrators also protested at UCLA - Reuters Mr Khalil was employed as local embassy staff, and not by the British Foreign Office, The Telegraph understands. He arrived in the US on a student visa and later got a green card after marrying his wife, an American citizen. Speaking on Wednesday morning, Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, said of Mr Khalils detention: This is not about free speech. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is about people that dont have a right to be in the United States to begin with. No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card, by the way. Mr Khalil, 30, a lawful US resident who was a graduate student at Columbia until December, was detained on Saturday by ICE agents in New York and flown to an immigration jail in Louisiana. But his deportation was blocked by a judge on Monday who ordered that Mr Khalil not be deported while the court considered a legal challenge brought by his lawyers. Mr Khalils detention drew outrage from civil rights groups and free speech advocates, who accused the administration of using its immigration enforcement powers to squelch criticism of Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Protests over the students arrest took place across New York on Tuesday. He is the first person known to be detained for deportation under Mr Trumps promised crackdown on anti-Israel protests. Protesters flooded Washington Square Park in New York - AP The president warned on Monday that Mr Khalils arrest will be the first of many to come. Following my previously signed executive orders, ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a radical foreign pro-Hamas student on the campus of Columbia University, he said. This is the first arrest of many to come. We know there are more students at Columbia and other universities across the country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump administration will not tolerate it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In their legal filing, Mr Khalils attorneys accused the government of retaliating against him for his constitutionally protected advocacy on behalf of Palestinian human rights. Typically, the government has to meet a higher bar to expel a person who has permanent residency in the US, such as showing that someone has been convicted of a serious crime. Born in Syria to Palestinian parents, Mr Khalil entered the US to attend Columbia in 2022. He subsequently got married to an American citizen, who is now eight months pregnant. Mr Khalil emerged as one of the most visible activists in large protests at Columbia last year, serving as a mediator on behalf of pro-Palestinian activists and Muslim students. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tricia McLaughlin, the Department for Homeland Security spokesman, said: On March 9, 2025, in support of President Trumps executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism, and in coordination with the Department of State, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student. Khalil led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation. ICE and the Department of State are committed to enforcing President Trumps executive orders and to protecting US national security. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Red states may be hardest hit when the European Union retaliates against U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum. The E.U. has said it will issue retaliatory tariffs in two phases, with the first wave taking effect on April 1, affecting 8 billion euros worth of goods. A 99-page list of products that may be taxed by the second wave of tariffs which goes into effect on April 13 and targets 18 billion euros worth of goods has already been made public. In total, over the two phases, the E.U. will impose 26 billion euros worth of additional tariffs. It remains unclear how the tariffs will be structured. The E.U. is currently speaking to consumers, companies, and policymakers before it finalizes the list of goods. The 27 countries in the union are likely to strike crops in the Louisiana district represented by Speaker Mike Johnson, in addition to Nebraska and Kansas livestock, as European officials aim to target politically sensitive areas that could force the U.S. to the negotiating table. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Maros Sefcovic, the E.U. trade commissioner, met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick last month in an attempt to prevent the tariffs. On Wednesday, he said the trip to Washington made clear that the E.U. is not the problem. I argued to avoid the unnecessary burden of measures and countermeasures, but you need a partner for that. You need both hands to clap, he told reporters. The European steel association Eurofer has said that the union could lose as much as 3.7 million tons of steel exports, as the U.S. is the second largest market for E.U. steel producers, making up 16 percent of all European steel exports. Shipping containers are stacked high at the Port of Long Beach on March 4, 2025 in Long Beach, California. The European Union is set to retaliate for U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum (AFP via Getty Images) According to the E.U., the annual trade volume between the union and the U.S. is about $1.5 trillion, or 30 percent of global trade. The E.U. has an export surplus in goods, but they have noted that the U.S. has a surplus when it comes to services. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These are some of the goods which may be hit in the second wave of tariffs. Bourbon, boats, and motorcycles The initial tariffs will be placed on goods that were affected during the trade war in President Donald Trumps first term. Whiskey and Harley-Davidson motorcycles face tariffs of as much as 50 percent. The head of the Distilled Spirits Council, Chris Swonger, said that the actions from the E.U. are deeply disappointing and will severely undercut the successful efforts to rebuild U.S. spirits exports in EU countries, according to the AP. The E.U. buys significant amounts of American whiskey, and the exports increased by 60 percent in the last three years as previous tariffs were removed. Mowers, washing machines, and refrigerators The E.U. tariffs may target household appliances, both large and small, as trade bureaucrats attempt to hit the U.S. where it hurts. Outdoor gear, tents, and tools Some tariffs may be interpreted as direct attacks on American pastimes. The European Commission revealed their two-stage plan on Wednesday, which goes much further than the trade spat from Trumps first term in the White House. Plant machinery and snowplows Heavy machinery may also be targeted as American industry is scrutinized. Meat, poultry, fruit, vegetables, beer, and wine The taxes on imports may be placed on beef and poultry from Republican states such as Kansas and Nebraska. Some blue states may also be hit, including Illinois, the top U.S. producer of soybeans. Wood products Alabama and Georgia may see their wood industries targeted by the tariffs. Chewing gum, communion wafers, peanut butter, and nicotine products Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said in a statement that the union will always remain open to negotiation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the U.S. [is] applying tariffs worth 28 billion dollars, we are responding with countermeasures worth 26 billion euros, she added. We firmly believe that in a world fraught with geopolitical and economic uncertainties, it is not in our common interest to burden our economies with tariffs, she added. Handbags, jeans, shirts, and womens negliges Von der Leyen went on to say that Jobs are at stake. Prices will go up. In Europe and in the United States. We deeply regret this measure. Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and even worse for consumers. These tariffs are disrupting supply chains. They bring uncertainty for the economy, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union said that the U.S. and E.U. tariffs will only harm jobs, prosperity and security on both sides of the Atlantic. The two sides must de-escalate and find a negotiated outcome urgently, the chamber added Wednesday. Prominent Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil will remain in an ICE detention facility in Louisiana for now following a procedural hearing in New York, days after he was arrested by federal officials at his Columbia University residence in an attempt by the Trump administration to deport him. Khalil was arrested and detained on Saturday over his role in protests against the Israel-Hamas war at Columbia University last spring. His green card was revoked by the Trump administration, his lawyer said, but New York federal Judge Jesse Furman blocked any immediate effort to deport Khalil until his attorneys and the federal government appear in court. In court Wednesday, Furman ordered that Khalil be allowed at least one call Wednesday and one Thursday with his counsel as they prepare to meet briefing deadlines, after his attorneys asked the court to help them gain better access to their client. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We literally have not been able to confer with our client once since he was taken off the streets of New York City, Ramzi Kassem, an attorney for Khalil, said. He was taken by US government agents in retaliation, essentially, for exercising his First Amendment rights, for speaking up in defense of Palestinians in Gaza and beyond, for being critical of the US government and of the Israeli government, Kassem said outside court following the hearing Wednesday. Khalils move to Louisiana was further retaliation, Kassem said, for exercising his constitutional right to file a habeas corpus petition. Department of Justice attorneys said at the hearing they will attempt to move the proceedings out of New York to New Jersey, where Khalil was initially taken after his arrest, or Louisiana, where he is currently detained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Supporters and observers packed the federal chamber during Wednesdays hearing. Several of them had lined up hours before, hoping for a spot in the gallery. The crowd, made up mostly of young men and women, included some who wore keffiyehs, traditional scarves that have come to be identified in particular as a symbol of Palestinian identity and resistance. The case, seemingly the first of its kind, sets the stage for what could come as the Trump administration ramps up its targeting of foreign students and pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses. Brandon Waterman, the attorney for the Department of Justice, said in court that Khalil is not in immediate danger of deportation while immigration proceedings continue. President Donald Trump had touted Khalils arrest and vowed to find and deport others like him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here, Trump said on Truth Social on Monday. The White House has not provided evidence to support accusations against Khalil and it is not clear if he has been charged with any crime. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt at a news briefing Tuesday accused Khalil of organizing group protests that not only disrupted college campus classes and harassed Jewish-American students and made them feel unsafe on their own college campus, but also distributed pro-Hamas propaganda, flyers with the logo of Hamas. Khalils lawyers argued in court documents his removal from New York City to a detention facility in Louisiana in retaliation for his protected speech and advocacy is unconstitutional. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement His attorneys filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the validity of his arrest and detention, one of his lawyers said Sunday. Protesters gathered ahead of Mahmoud's hearing in New York Wednesday. - Shannon Stapleton/Reuters US border czar Tom Homan called Khalils arrest justified while also threatening to increase the number of ICE agents in New York and other sanctuary cities during a wide-ranging press briefing on Wednesday. Its a direct violation of our foreign policy objectives. When you hand out leaflets, incite violence on a college campus, thats illegal, Homan said while flanked by Republican lawmakers in Albany, New York. The government has provided no evidence that Khalil handed out any leaflets or flyers during his time at Columbia or at protests. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump administration lawyers will not agree to bring Khalil back to New York without a court order, according to court filings. Attorneys for both parties filed a joint letter in federal court Tuesday, telling a judge they were unable to reach an agreement to return Khalil to New York, setting up Wednesdays showdown in court. Trump administration lawyers filed a motion to transfer or dismiss Khalils habeas corpus petition late Wednesday, arguing that the Southern District of New York is an improper venue and has no jurisdiction over Khalils case. The administration argued that because Khalil was physically present and detained in New Jersey at the time the petition was filed and the court did not acquire habeas jurisdiction over this matter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The motion also explicitly states that if the judge considers transferring the case to New Jersey, the administration respectfully preserves the right to argue that Khalils case be transferred to Louisiana. Khalils defense has until midnight Friday to respond. A rare application of immigration law The Trump administration had based the arrest on a provision of immigration law that gives it broad authority over who can be subject to deportation, according to a senior Homeland Security official. The district court judge cannot order or approve Khalils deportation, John Sandweg, former acting director for ICE, said in an email to CNN Tuesday. There was a police presence outside the courthouse Wednesday as supporters gathered ahead of Mahmoud's hearing. - Shannon Stapleton/Reuters ICE and the Justice Department would still need to file a case against Khalil in immigration court, he added, and an immigration judge would decide if he should be stripped of his green card. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At Tuesdays briefing, Leavitt said Secretary of State Marco Rubio has the authority to revoke a green card or a visa for those whose activities in the United States would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences to the country. This is not about free speech. This is about people that dont have a right to be in the United States to begin with. No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card, by the way, Rubio said Wednesday in his first public comments to the press on the matter. Using those immigration law provisions to deport a green card holder is rare, Sandweg said Monday. They are typically used if ICE alleges a person was providing direct financial or operational support to a terror organization, he added. Noor Abdalla, wife of Mahmoud Khalil, holds an ultrasound photograph as she sits for a portrait in New York City on Wednesday. - Caitlin Ochs/REUTERS/REUTERS It is far less common for ICE to allege that political views or speech renders a green card holder deportable under the terrorism grounds as that raises significant First Amendment concerns, Sandweg said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a statement on Tuesday, Khalils wife Noor Abdalla a US citizen who is eight months pregnant referred to him as her rock. US immigration ripped my soul from me when they handcuffed my husband and forced him into an unmarked vehicle, she said, while also noting his arrest came as the couple was returning from an iftar dinner, the meal Muslims eat during Ramadan to break their fast. Instead of putting together our nursery and washing baby clothes in anticipation of our first child, I am left sitting in our apartment, wondering when Mahmoud will get a chance to call me from a detention center, said Abdalla, who was in attendance during Wednesdays court hearing. Noor Abdalla, wife of Mahmoud Khalil, holds a photograph of their wedding day. - Caitlin Ochs/Reuters Khalils supporters and his legal team have launched a fundraiser that has amassed nearly $280,000 in donations as of Wednesday afternoon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Support for Khalil is a testament to his character and to the deep injustice of what is being done to him, reads a statement shared by his attorneys on his wifes behalf. CNNs Sabrina Souza, Maria Aguilar, Jeff Winter, Mark Morales and Chelsea Bailey contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The chaos at the Inglewood CarMax unfolded like a scene out of a movie. A customer suddenly, and erratically, turned and reversed his SUV into the dealership showroom on Saturday afternoon. The suspected driver, 25-year-old Andrew Jesus Arroyo, injured an employee and several customers in an episode of vehicular carnage that left at least one person paralyzed, according to court records. On Tuesday, Los Angeles County prosecutors charged Arroyo with multiple felonies including attempted murder with a special allegation of causing great bodily harm, increasing any potential prison sentence he may receive if convicted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement An Instagram video from the dealership showed a gaping maw where the vehicle reversed into the building. The SUV whipped in reverse amid screams and the sound of crunching glass. Customers and CarMax employees leaped out of the way as tires screeched in the showroom, the vehicle knocking over office furniture and careening toward the other end of the building. The vehicle then sped away. Arroyo turned himself in to authorities, Inglewood police said. Eight people were injured in the chaos, and two were taken to trauma centers with critical injuries, according to authorities. Before the crash, Arroyo had had his vehicle appraised by CarMax employees; he then went outside and viewed the inventory before returning, where he became "erratic," according to a company statement provided to The Times. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Read more: Eight people injured after angry customer at Inglewood car dealership drives into showroom "According to accounts from employees who interacted with the suspect that day, he did not complain about the offer and even spent time looking at our inventory for potential purchase," the statement said. "Employees share that they observed his behavior turn suddenly erratic, but they did not perceive it to be related to the appraisal offer. We continue to review all information available to fully understand this incident." CarMax said the injured employee was treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and released. The company is cooperating with investigators. We are deeply saddened by this event and our hearts go out to everyone impacted," the company said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A Times employee who was shopping for a car at the dealership before the incident said he saw the customer yelling at staff, who tried to calm him down. The customer waved a metal water bottle, then ran outside and jumped on the roof of a car. The Times employee and his wife became uncomfortable and left. Arroyo was also charged with assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run resulting in injury to another person, vandalism and additional charges with special allegations of causing great bodily injury on six people named in the criminal complaint. Arroyo remains in custody without bail, according to jail records. At his arraignment hearing on Wednesday, Arroyo's attorney declared a doubt of his client's mental competency. He's scheduled to appear in mental health court April 2. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Officials are warning the public to avoid all Los Angeles County beaches due to high levels of bacteria caused by a heavy rainstorm arriving this week. The ocean water warnings will remain in effect until Friday, March 14 at 4 p.m. Due to significant rainfall, excessive bacteria, trash, debris and chemicals can seep from city streets and mountain areas to contaminate ocean waters, especially around discharging storm drains, creeks and rivers, explained the L.A. County Department of Public Health. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The warning also includes any runoff that may flow onto or pond on the beach sand. People who enter the ocean during this time could become ill, especially children, the elderly or those who are immunocompromised, officials said. There are also added dangers from wildfire debris including tangles of branches, twisted metals, and chunks of building materials. Dark, ashy material on the sand can hide shards of glass, rusty nails and other sharp objects that can cause wounds. Rain advisories remain in effect for 72 hours after rainfall ends. Once the rain advisory is lifted, an ocean water advisory from Las Flores State Beach to Santa Monica State Beach will be in effect until further notice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Beachgoers may recreate on the sand but continue to be advised to stay away from fire debris and to stay out of the ocean water during any posted ocean advisory, county health officials said. The storm advisory may be extended depending on future rainfall conditions. The health department tests ocean water bacteria levels regularly and advisories will be lifted once the levels meet standards set by the state of California. For a map and the latest information on beach closures and warnings, check the L.A. County Department of Healths website or call the countys hotline at 1-800-525-5662. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Lockport residents can voice their opinions on a draft zoning plan and map at 6 p.m. today at a public hearing at city hall. The hearing, which caps off a lengthy process of zoning evaluation by Colliers Engineering, the city corporation counsels office, the common council, and stakeholders, is meant to preserve the character of neighborhoods across the five wards, correct inaccurate categories, and provide a framework for future development. We have some very outdated restrictions on some things like sheds, and driveways, and chickens, said Alderwoman Margaret Lupo of the 5th Ward. This will help building inspection and code compliance do their jobs. I have heard from some residents, and they mostly want to make sure the integrity of their neighborhoods remains. If zoning creates restrictions, residents may wonder what good it does. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anthony Serianni, the citys deputy corporation counsel, who has been deeply involved in the draft zoning plan, said it creates communities with common priorities. Its largely a tool to protect the interests of the community as a whole. It protects the ability for people to have a right to quietly enjoy their homes without interference from outside property owners. America is approaching the 100th birthday of zoning. Back in horse and buggy days, property owners had the unrestricted right to use their parcels and plots however they wanted. This created the popular image of small town main streets, with stores, workshops, and homes mixed together. Someone lived next to the bakery, and someone else lived next to the blacksmith. In a 1926 case, the US Supreme Court decided that zoning laws promoted the publics health, safety, and welfare, and were legal under the governments traditional police powers. The underlying rationale for zoning laws at that time was to separate industrial uses with their noxious smells, effluent, noise, and intensity from residential neighborhoods in order to provide a cleaner, safer, and more healthy environment, said Christine Neal Westover in the National Law Review. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The result has been districts or neighborhoods with distinct uses. It keeps where you go to work and where you live in two separate areas, Serianni said. It ensures that when you go home and decide to relax, youre not going to be bothered by the ongoing impacts of industrial or commercial activity. It helps create an appropriate environment for activities. After decades of zoning implementation, Serianni said people now place a certain intangible value on the character of communities. While mixed-use zones, that allow businesses and residences together, can have their conflicts, other people gravitate to such walkable neighborhoods with services and products available within a few blocks. The dream of the mixed-use community is where you have boutiques on the first floor and upper-level apartments, Serianni said. So then if you need to get your groceries, you walk downstairs, and it can eliminate the need for a vehicle. That vision only works in an area where you have those relatively densely populated residences. The closer you get to downtown in Lockport, the closer you can get to having the mixed-use vision implemented. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Serianni said its important to recognize that not all neighborhoods have the character of downtown. Many Lockport residents have agreed, communicating to the city council what they want to be included and excluded in their neighborhoods. Some people have concerns that they want to keep single-family houses single family, Lupo said about discussions to allow conversions to duplexes. Lupo said homeowners have expressed worries about absentee landlords and a lack of on-street parking. I think its mostly residents who are paying a very high rate of property tax. We need to listen to the people who pay high property taxes because thats where we get the bulk of our money in Lockport. Community members can find the proposed zoning plan and map online at https://bartonloguidice.mysocialpinpoint.com/city-of-lockport/document-center . COLUMBUS,Ga. (WRBL) Columbus City Manager Isaiah Hugley was a topic on the public agenda at Columbus City Council meeting on Tuesday. Columbus residents made their arguments in favor of and against Hugley continuing in the role of Columbus City Manager. Click the video players below to hear the arguments that were made in favor of the city manager. Click the video players below to hear the arguments that were made against the city manager. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These arguments were made as Hugley is expected to retire at the end of the year. Hugley did not respond directly to what was said but drove home that Columbus has strong momentum. Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson says the search for Hugleys replacement is already underway as the city is considering a number of candidates. Newly appointed nominee Councilman John Anker told WRBL he would make the motion to fire Hugley if the opportunity ever came. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, left, tells a House committee he worked with the Louisville Water Co. on amending Senate Bill 89. Clay Larkin, an attorney with the Kentucky Coal Association, sits next to him. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Liam Niemeyer) FRANKFORT A bill that would limit state regulation of water pollution in Kentucky picked up an amendment in a House committee Wednesday morning, but opponents say the changes dont do enough to protect against groundwater contamination while small streams and wetlands would still be stripped of state environmental protections. That bill gained House passage Tuesday afternoon along party lines. The minority of Democrats echoed concerns from environmental groups and the secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet who said even with the amendment the measure is very concerning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The bill threatens the water quality of many Kentucky rivers, streams, and tributaries and, as a result, would significantly compromise Kentuckys groundwater, impacting the water quality of more than 31,000 private use wells and at least 156 public water systems, Secretary Rebecca Goodman wrote in a letter to House members. Audrey Ernstberger, an attorney and lobbyist for the Kentucky Resources Council, told the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee on Wednesday the amended Senate Bill 89 exposes rural communities to pollution risks that could devastate local economies and health. Senate Bill 89 sponsor, Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, and Rep. Jim Gooch, R-Providence, the chair of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee, said they worked with various groups to add an amendment to SB 89 after fielding concerns the legislation didnt adequately protect against groundwater pollution, leaving private water wells vulnerable in particular. Madon, speaking before the House committee next to a lawyer representing the Kentucky Coal Association, reiterated his reasoning for SB 89 arguing that industries from farming to manufacturing to coal mining would benefit from a limited definition of what waters the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet can regulate. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The more I learned, the more I realized this isnt just a coal industry issue. These issues are affecting a wide variety of businesses and job creators across the Commonwealth, Madon said. Madon pushed back on criticisms that the bill would threaten groundwater, saying he worked with the drinking water utility Louisville Water Company on changes to the bill. Vince Guenthner, a senior utilities consultant for the Louisville utility, told the Lantern he worked with Senate President Robert Stivers, Gooch, Madon and Kentucky House leadership on changes to SB 89. Guenthner said he believed the changes protected Louisvilles water supply along with a vast majority of public drinking water supplies in the state. He said his conversations with lawmakers did not discuss private drinking water wells. Rep. Jim Gooch, R-Providence, suggested the limitations on regulating state waters could be revisited in the future. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Liam Niemeyer) The amended SB 89 passed the House committee with all Republicans except one voting in favor of the bill. Democrats opposed the bill, citing concerns from environmental groups that the bill could harm the private drinking water sources of rural Kentuckians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gooch said he met with the Energy and Environment Cabinet on changes to the bill but that it was his understanding the cabinet believed the changes did not go far enough with water protections. The secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet in a letter dated Wednesday expressed she still has grave concerns about the amended version of the legislation. Energy and Environment Cabinet spokesperson Robin Hartman in a statement said SB 89 fails to protect drinking water sources for families and farmers and that the state, under SB 89, would become the only state in the nation that has handed over its authority to regulate water resources to big business and outside interest. As Audrey Ernstberger with the Kentucky Resources Council so aptly stated, this bill is an irresponsible, dangerous and deliberate choice to cater to a few at the expense of many, Hartman said, referencing Ernstbergers testimony to the legislative committee. When asked about concerns from environmental groups about the amended bill still not adequately protecting groundwater, Gooch told the Lantern lawmakers would be willing to revisit the issue if a well is not being protected, especially private wells. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Too many people in the state depend on those, and well be looking at that, Gooch said. It might be in a couple years we may have to come back and tweak something. Gooch characterized one environmental lobbyists testimony as hyperbole during the Wednesday committee hearing. Changes dont alleviate environmental groups concerns Environmental groups and a representative of a Letcher County nonprofit law firm in Eastern Kentucky in testimony honed in on strong concerns they still had about the bills impacts on groundwater and the states water resources at large, asserting the changes didnt go far enough to protect Kentuckians from potential water pollution. The amended version of SB 89, like the original, still changes the definition of waters of the commonwealth by removing all rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, ponds, impounding reservoirs, springs, wells, marshes, and all other bodies of surface or underground water, natural or artificial. The state definition is changed to instead mirror the federal definition of navigable waters. The bill also still sets bonding requirements for coal companies seeking permits for long-term treatment of water leaving mine sites. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2023 that drastically cut the federal governments ability to regulate bodies of water and wetlands led to the Biden administration weakening federal rules on water pollution. Litigation over how expansive protections are under the Clean Water Act has continued over decades as various federal administrations have tried to define waters of the United States in more broad, or restrictive, terms. The bills amendment expands the definition of regulated state waters beyond the weakened federal standard in specific, limited cases, though not in ways that alleviate concerns from environmental groups. The amendment would add to the state definition sinkholes with open throat drains; naturally occurring artesian or phreatic springs and other springs used as water supply sources; and wellhead protection areas, which are surface and subsurface areas surrounding a water well or wellfield supplying a public drinking water system. Ernstberger in an interview with the Lantern said the specific examples included in the bills amendment dont account for the variety of geological features involving groundwater such as karst aquifers. In testimony before the committee she said tens of thousands of agricultural wells along with private drinking water wells in rural Kentucky remain vulnerable to pollution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement SB 89 also excludes off-stream ponds, reservoirs and headwaters. To say that none of these water resources require the same level of protection as our rivers and lakes is not just irresponsible. This is dangerous, Ernstberger said. Nick Hart, a water policy director for the Kentucky Waterways Alliance, in testimony called on the legislature to preserve the existing definition of regulated state waters and instead take time to study the economic and statutory impacts of SB 89. Rebecca Shelton, the director of policy at the Letcher County-based Appalachian Citizens Law Center, told lawmakers about how she uses a filter for a water well on her Eastern Kentucky property because the water contains heavy metals and bacteria. She said shes paid thousands of dollars to install the filter and maintain it and worries how SB 89 could impact other private well owners. Im fortunate to have had these choices and the ability to pay for them. Yet I know there are still areas of Letcher County that do not, where households do not even have the option of hooking up to the public water system because the lines dont run to their house, Shelton said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Bobby McCool, R-Van Lear, the only Republican to vote against the modified bill passing the committee, cited concerns about private water wells and impacts on utilities for his opposition. McCool represents Martin County that has for years dealt with infrastructure woes with its public drinking water utility. I certainly appreciate the efforts in trying to help with the coal industry, McCool said. I just cannot take the risk of hurting the water system. He said he wasnt confident concerns about private wells were taken care of. On the House floor, McCool was one of seven Republicans to join the minority of Democrats in opposing the bill. The House passed the measure 69-26, sending it back to the Senate to either concur with or reject the House changes. Rep. Chad Aull, D-Lexington, on the House floor repeated what Goodman, secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet, wrote in her letter. Kentucky would be the only state to cede its authority to define its own regulated waters, she said, which in turn could cost it primacy or the right to manage federal regulatory programs. This is not where Kentucky needs to be the exception, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Aull said, We put at risk our drinking water supplies for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of our people. This bill fails to consider how Kentuckys water chemistry is dependent on the entire watershed including those seasonal streams, and that underground and interconnected waterways will lose protection. Gooch responded by characterizing Aulls comments as hyperbole similar to how he characterized the comments from an environmental lobbyist earlier in the day. There are people who we could not write an amendment that would please all of them, Gooch said. Rep. Suzanne Miles, R-Owensboro, who voted in favor of the bill advancing, said the amendment came about from multiple people working on the changes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think its very important for all of us to recognize we all want clean water, and that is the intent of amending and just reassuring that weve protected the water, Miles said. This story has been updated with the House vote, a letter from Kentucky Energy and Environment Secretary Rebecca Goodman and a statement from an Energy and Environment Cabinet spokesperson. Energy and Environment Secretary Rebecca Goodmans letter to House members SB 89 Concerns Letter to House Members Utilities dependent upon groundwater sources_draft3 Domestic use wells impacted by groundwater Domestic Use Wells Impacted by Ground Water (PUEBLO) A Pueblo Transit employee saved two houses from burning down when he quickly jumped into action. This role is far from his normal duties of driving a bus for the City of Pueblo, and its not how he expected his morning to end up. The driver, Paul Trujillo, noticed heavy smoke coming from a neighborhood in Pueblo and pulled over his bus, carrying more than 20 passengers eager to get to their destinations. He immediately dialed 911 to report the fire but realized there was no time to waste. People in the area now say his heroism saved the entire neighborhood from going up in flames. Before I engaged, I didnt really think about it; I just jumped into action because there was nobody outside, said Trujillo. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On March 1, Trujillo began his day like any other, beginning with his first route around eight in the morning. Shortly into his drive, he began to notice smoke coming from a neighborhood not far from one of his stops. After deciding to follow the smoke, he saw large flames and a fence between two houses on fire off Chestnut Avenue. The situation needed to be addressed, so, there wasnt really time to wait for something to happen, he said. He said his main focus was to get people out of the house. We began knocking on doors trying to wake up the families in the homes; both families were asleep when we got them up, he said. Once Trujillo alerted the family, he grabbed a fire extinguisher from the bus and was able to put out the flames with help from neighbors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once we started banging and screaming, everybody throughout the neighborhood got up and brought their fire extinguishers. People collected hoses, and everybody helped out to get this fire out, he said. He said that despite all of the adrenaline, it felt like everything was moving in slow motion. It seemed like forever, I mean just pounding on the door seemed like it took an eternity to wake them up, but realistically [it was] maybe a matter of five minutes that it all occurred, that it all went down, everything from jumping out, calling for help, putting out the flames, he said. The two houses adjacent to each other belong to Evelyn English on the right side and her daughter, Terri Roberts, on the left. Roberts told FOX21 that she was taking responsibility for the incident. What had happened is that I had my ashes from a cigarette in the trash can. Well, it wasnt all the way out. So, when I left to go out of town, it started a fire in the trash can, and it was burning the fence, said Roberts. That morning, she was in a rush to get to a hair appointment in Colorado Springs, which resulted in her quickly tossing her cigarette into the trash can. She said it was full of dry leaves, making it easy to catch on fire. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since the incident, she said she has learned her lesson to never walk away from a cigarette again. She said she usually tosses them into the toilet but did not because of her rush that day. Dont put cigarettes out in a trash can where there are leaves and stuff, and if you do, make sure its out because I didnt think this would happen to me, she said. Despite her mistake, she says she is incredibly grateful Trujillo did not just drive by. God bless you, Paul, and thank you. We are so grateful that my children are safe. Thank you so much, she said. Trujillo said that often, when people see something terrible happening, they tend to overthink and become bystanders. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you second guess yourself, then all kinds of thoughts are going to come through, you just have to do it. I mean, thats just what happened, said Trujillo. After his quick pit stop that morning, he said his job must go on and people need to get to where they are going. They still had jobs in their lives to get on to. We were able to get all back in the bus, and we remained on time; no one was late for any transfers, he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. Mar. 12The Bible verse from Jude 1:22 is one that retiring Waynesville Fire Chief Joey Webb has always kept close to his heart. "I always felt like that was my driving force to have compassion regardless of people's backgrounds. They're human. They're somebody," Webb said. Jude 1:23 continues to say, "and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire." For the last 47 years, Webb has dedicated himself to having compassion for his neighbors and pulling folks from fires. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The good Lord has blessed me with a good career," Webb said. "I want to feel like I've made a difference in people's lives. For 47 years, I've served the community and served the town. I raised a family. I had such a rewarding career more than money. It was just being able to give back. That's what I've always wanted to do." The chief's interest in firefighting, like with many in fire service, goes all the way back to his childhood. "I was like most kids," Webb said. "I loved to see fire engines coming through with the lights going and sirens screaming." In 1967, Webb was in fifth grade at Junaluska Elementary when the school burned. His family was in a parking lot on Russ Avenue that night, watching the school go up in flames. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Getting started Webb began working for his dad's service station as he got older, but his love of the fire department never faltered eventually leading to him join the Waynesville Fire Department as a volunteer in 1977. "Every time the fire truck came down the street, I always watched to see which way it was going," Webb said. "So, I decided I'd try out as a volunteer." That decision to join the fire department came just about a month after he married his wife. Family and fire Family and firefighting have been intertwined for Webb ever since. "It has been a big part of my career," Webb said. "My wife was very supportive. My children grew up in the fire service. I feel a little guilty sometimes because I spent so much time away missing birthday parties, getting up in the middle of a meal to fight a fire or whatever." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Webb passed along his love for helping others to his three kids. His daughter, Melissa, worked as a volunteer at Jonathan Creek Fire Department and works as an emergency medical technician at Harrah's Cherokee Casino. His other daughter, Emily, is a teacher. His son, Joey Jr., works for the county, but was a volunteer firefighter in the past, serving for 19 years. Growing up, his son was always interested in fire-fighting service, as well. "He was one of those when he was young, he'd cry 'Daddy, can I go with you? I promise I'll stay in the car.' I always told him, 'When the tones go out, you got to get up and go,'" Webb said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Now, the two plan on running some calls together as volunteers after Webb's retirement. "His kids are kind of grown now," Webb said. "I've always said I have 47 years in fire service. I'd like to get that 50-year pin before I totally hang it up. So, he and I, hopefully, are going back to Clyde to volunteer some and spend some time together running some calls. I'm really looking forward to that." Granny's scanner When Webb began his firefighting career in Waynesville, he and his wife rented a home in Hazelwood from a woman named Louise Brown, who Webb knew as 'Granny.' Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "She kept a scanner going all the time," Webb said. "Granny would hear it come across. She always looked out to make sure I was going. I parked at the front of her house. She'd look out the window and point that finger and say 'You be careful.' I could read her lips." The Benfield blaze A year after starting as a volunteer, Webb accepted a paid position as a fire engine driver. Then, in 1982, he faced the first big fire of his career. The fire at Benfield Industries, a bulk chemical mixing and packaging plant in Hazelwood, made national headlines. The fire was so hot that, at one point, it lit a nearby house on fire just from the radiant heat. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The building also contained countless chemicals that firefighters didn't know were in there. "The unknown was the scary part," Webb said. "There were so many chemicals we didn't know. Inspections in that day weren't great. Hazelwood didn't have an inspector." Off to Clyde The following year, Webb left the Waynesville Fire Department. At that time, the pay wasn't great, so he went to work for a local dairy company driving a milk route. The new job wasn't going to keep Webb away from the fire service. "But immediately when I left, I went to Clyde," Webb said. "I stayed with Clyde for 23 years as a volunteer, eight of those years as chief." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While serving as Clyde's fire chief, Webb was hit with another major challenge 2004's tropical storms Frances and Ivan, which at the time broke records for flooding along the Pigeon River. "It was quite a challenge," Webb said. "I've never experienced anything like that." He remembered how, Freeman Gas had an 18,000-gallon tank sitting across from the Clyde Fire Department. Webb called the manager of Freeman Gas at 3 a.m. to let him know his tank was floating away. He also remembered one call in particular from that time from a pregnant woman who lived near Hyder Mountain. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "She said 'I can hear water, but I can't see it,'" Webb said. "We sent a truck up onto Interstate 40. They stayed on the phone with her." The firetruck ran its siren until the woman could hear it and let firefighters know she heard it, allowing them to locate her. Rescuers then went down the bank to save her and her daughter. Back in Waynesville Eventually Webb would find his way back to Waynesville. "I always wanted to come back. I actually applied one time, but the money just wasn't enough at the time," he said. In 2006, Captain Mike Warren died from pancreatic cancer. Warren had been in line to be the next Waynesville fire chief. The town began a search, fielding 44 applications. Webb was hired as assistant chief. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Waynesville's new chief In 2008, Chief William Fowler retired, and Webb took over as Waynesville fire chief. It wouldn't be long before Webb was facing another major fire this time one much closer to his heart. "One month after I became chief, we had the Barberville Church fire," Webb said. "I was raised in that church. That was the church where I gave my life to Christ. I can take you to the spot in the sanctuary." The fire began in the education section of the building, where someone had broken in. The thief believed starting the fire would activate sprinklers and cover his tracks. Unfortunately, the church did not have a sprinkler system. Firefighters found the first fire in a supply closet and were able to fight it down. At that point, they thought they were done, but Webb noticed more smoke from elsewhere. He sent his guys upstairs and was able to give them detailed directions on how to navigate around his home church. Saving the sanctuary The fire required mutual aid from around the county. There was one hydrant on Bradley Street that a ladder truck was connected to, but the town had to call for tankers, which they filled off of Richland Creek. "Pretty much the entire tanker brigade from all of Haywood County came," Webb said. "We ran Maggie's ladder truck off of a tanker shuttle and saved the sanctuary," Webb said. "The rest of the building was pretty much written off, but we were determined that we were not going to let the whole church go. We fought hard to save the sanctuary." While serving as Waynesville's chief, Webb led his department's work in assisting neighboring communities, particularly Cruso, during flooding from Tropical Storm Fred. Webb's rescue and leadership skills then faced the challenge of a lifetime last September, when flooding and landslides from Tropical Storm Helene inflicted major damage on his town and stretched his firefighters thin assisting in rescues. 'Taking care of folks' Being a fire chief calls for more than putting out fires, Webb said. It's supporting the community around you. "What we're seeing more nowadays are citizen-assist calls," he said. "We have a lot of elderly that are still trying to live at home. They don't have family. They're not in a skilled nursing facility. They're trying to do the best they can. Sometimes, they'll fall, and we have to help them up." Webb has gone to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a diabetic. He's had elderly folks going through depression come into his office to just talk and have a friend. "We do what we gotta do," he said. "It's just taking care of folks. We're glad to do it. That's why they call a fire department for everything. We may not have the answer, but we'll sure try to help find it. It's kind of rewarding when you know you've made a difference in someone's day." Volunteer response Webb has also tried to encourage volunteerism, something that he sees is on the decline. "We've got great fire departments in Haywood County. We're blessed. We're in good hands, but they all struggle sometimes in the daytime to get help," he said. He also pointed to how things have changed since he started in the fire service. In the early parts of his career, the firefighters only really responded to fires and wrecks, but now they're often the first on the scene for a medical call. Additionally, the materials being used have changed. "Today, with all the plastics and the electronics and lithium batteries, it's a lot more dangerous," Webb said. "Even in the automobiles, there's shocks on the hoods. There's shocks on the tailgates. Those can build pressure, and they become missiles at times. It's a dangerous operation, but it's a rewarding operation." Attitudes toward equipment, as well as the quality of equipment, have also changed. When Webb began his career, Canton had the only breathing air compressor in the county. "Things have come a long way," Webb said. "We've made a lot of improvements. We now know there are a lot of things that happen with cancer that affect us. Back in the day, we thought we were tough if we could eat smoke. We had air packs, but we were told not to use them because they were hard to fill." What the future holds While full-time firefighting is now behind Webb, he's far from done supporting the community. "I want to be active doing something. My dad retired in his 70s and went home and basically sat in a recliner and his health deteriorated," Webb said. "Why not do something where I can still give back?" Webb plans to continue responding to some calls out in Clyde with his son. He's also planning on doing fire inspections for the town. He was a level I inspector and recently completed a class to become a level II inspector. "(Fire marshal) Darrell (Calhoun) is working as hard as he can, but there's a lot of places we haven't been able to get into and inspect," Webb said. "Fire inspections has an enforcement tool to it, but that's not the whole reason behind it. It's to educate people." Most importantly, Webb plans to take some time to savor the moments. "My wife is self-employed and has a hair salon. She's hoping to cut back a little bit. We hope to travel some and have fun while we can just stay active and enjoy life," he said. KEWASKUM, Wis. (WFRV) A driver was arrested for their fourth OWI offense after a pursuit that reached roughly 80 mph ended in Fond du Lac County with a crash into a ditch. A release from the Kewaskum Police Department states that on March 11, officers were warned of an erratic driver by a witness. The witness spotted the vehicle heading north on Fond du Lac Avenue in Kewaskum and believed that the driver may have been intoxicated. Authorities seek suspect vehicle in Wisconsin hit-and-run that hospitalized one Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A responding officer caught up with the vehicle on Fond du Lac Avenue and reported that it was all over the road and hit the curb several times. A traffic stop was attempted but the vehicle reportedly sped away at speeds that reached roughly 80 miles per hour. The driver continued north on Hwy 45 into Fond du Lac County before spinning out and crashing into a ditch. Officers say the driver was not hurt in the crash and was subsequently arrested for Fleeing and Eluding, OWI Fourth Offense, Driving on a Revoked License, and various other traffic violations. Two suspects arrested after vandalizing church in Wisconsin Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Criminal charges were requested with the Washington County Sheriffs Office and the Wisconsin State Patrol was called in to help the Kewaskum Police Department with the investigation. No additional information was provided. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. (NewsNation) As Ukraine agrees to a 30-day ceasefire proposal brokered by the United States, experts remain skeptical Russian President Vladimir Putin will reciprocate without adding demands that could derail peace efforts. Putin does not want a ceasefire. He wants to take more Ukrainian territory, John Herbst, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, told NewsNation Tuesday following the announcement of the agreement reached in Saudi Arabia. President Donald Trumps administration announced it would immediately resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after the ceasefire agreement, reversing a controversial freeze implemented in late February. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Boris Johnson: I knew Trump had a plan for Ukraine Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, The ball is now in Russias court, but military experts caution against optimism. He could agree to a ceasefire but then continue to fight, said retired Gen. Wesley Clark, former NATO supreme allied commander. There could always be accusations of provocations by Ukraine. Theres no one to monitor the ceasefire. Lot of games until Putin agrees to ceasefire deal: Ex-NATO commander Clark outlined several potential scenarios where Putin might undermine the agreement, including demanding substantial Ukrainian territorial concessions or using the pause to rebuild Russian forces. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He could say yes and then put some really tough demands on the table, like Ukraine expected to give up the rest of these oblasts provinces, Clark said. The ceasefire announcement comes after Ukraine launched its largest drone attack of the conflict, with approximately 90 drones targeting Moscow, reportedly killing three people. Ukraine agrees to US proposal for 30-day ceasefire Trumps Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Russia in the coming days to present the ceasefire proposal to Putin. Trump said he hoped that an agreement could be solidified over the next few days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ive been saying that Russias been easier to deal with so far than Ukraine, which is not supposed to be the way it is, Trump said later Tuesday. But it is, and we hope to get Russia. But we have a full ceasefire from Ukraine. Thats good. Herbst suggested Putin may try to probe some Ukrainian weak spots during the ceasefire period to test American resolve in enforcing the agreements terms. The United States can push back on this, Clark said, noting that sanctions relief could be a powerful bargaining chip. The question is, will we do so? The Associated Press contributed to this report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation. President Vladimir Putin has unexpectedly visited a command post in Kursk in the war zone in view of the successful counteroffensive by his troops in the Russian-Ukrainian border region. Putin ordered Russian troops to expel the remaining Ukrainian units from Kursk, the Russian state news agency TASS reported on Wednesday. Pictures of the meeting with Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov showed Putin in camouflage uniform. The exact location was not disclosed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement TASS said it was the first visit to this part of the front for the Russian president. In August 2024, Ukrainian units had unexpectedly invaded Russia, thus shifting the war to the enemy's territory for the first time. After the Ukrainians were able to hold this bridgehead for a long time, they have had to retreat ever more quickly in recent days under Russian pressure. On Wednesday, according to Moscow, Russian troops occupied the district capital Sudzha, which had been the backbone of the Ukrainian advance for seven months. However, the area has not yet been completely cleared. The Ukrainian leadership had occupied the area as a bargaining chip for possible negotiations with Russia, the chief of staff explained. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, the seven-month advance was intended to tie down Russian forces. "But these intentions of the enemy have failed completely," Gerasimov claimed. Gerasimov reported that 430 Ukrainian soldiers were allegedly captured near Kursk. Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than three years. Bloomberg has reported that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is likely to accept a US-proposed ceasefire in Ukraine but will seek to delay its implementation to negotiate terms that benefit Moscow. Source: Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the matter, as reported by European Pravda Details: A Bloomberg source believes that Putin is likely to agree to a truce with Ukraine but wants to ensure his own terms are included beforehand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The source added that the Kremlin considers the ceasefire framework agreed upon by the US and Ukraine during their meeting in Saudi Arabia on 11 March to be "unacceptable". Among other concerns, it does not address the parameters of a long-term settlement to Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, which Moscow had previously insisted on as a condition for a ceasefire. Another Bloomberg source suggests that the Kremlin may also demand an end to arms supplies to Ukraine as a condition for the truce. Background: Meanwhile, Russian sources told Reuters that Putin is unlikely to accept the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. Following the talks in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on 11 March, Ukraine said it is willing to implement a 30-day ceasefire, provided that Russia also adheres to it. In light of the US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova remarked that Moscow's position would not be shaped abroad and suggested following news from Russia for further developments. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 12 reportedly made his first visit to Russia's Kursk Oblast since Ukraine's incursion into the region began in August 2024. Putin, in a video released by the Kremlin, reportedly met with military leadership in the region while visiting an undisclosed command post in Kursk Oblast. The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the details or location of Putin's reported visit. The Ukrainian military has not publicly commented on the claims. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reported visit into the region comes amid a renewed Russian offensive in the region, with Russian troops reportedly having regained control of more than 86% of the territory in Kursk Oblast captured by Kyiv. Russian troops have entered Sudzha, a key Ukrainian-held stronghold in the Russian border region of Kursk. In the video, Putin is seen donning military attire for the first time since Russia's full scale invasion began in February 2022 instead of the suit that he typically wears for meetings with military personnel. The choice in attire mimics that of President Volodymyr Zelensky who has refused to wear a suit throughout the war symbolizing Zelensky's wartime leadership. Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on March 10 that there is no immediate threat of encirclement as Ukrainian forces are repositioning to "favorable defense lines." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Syrskyi added on March 12 that Ukraine will hold the defense in Kursk Oblast "as long as reasonable and necessary." Ukraine launched the cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, initially seizing around 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory. Since then, Russian forces, reinforced by North Korean troops, have steadily pushed back against Ukrainian forces. Over seven months of fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Russian losses have reached nearly 54,900 personnel, with over 22,000 killed, Syrskyi claimed on March 12. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Kyiv ready to fight in Kursk Oblast as long as necessary as Russia claims to retake over 86% of seized territories Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Editor's note: The article was expanded with a statement from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov for the Russian media. Russia is unlikely to agree to a temporary truce in Ukraine proposed by the U.S., feeling it has the upper hand on the battlefield and viewing the ceasefire as a trap, Reuters reported on March 12, citing undisclosed Russian sources. Any ceasefire agreement would have to take Russia's battlefield advances into account and provide "guarantees" to Moscow, sources told the news agency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine agreed to the U.S.'s proposal for a 30-day truce during talks in Jeddah on March 11, after which Washington resumed military and intelligence support for Kyiv. The U.S. is expected to discuss the proposal with Russia in the coming days. In the past, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top officials have ruled out a temporary ceasefire that would freeze the conflict along the current front lines. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov gave an evasive answer when asked about the U.S. proposal, explaining that the topic must first be discussed with the American side. "Look, you are getting a little ahead of yourselves, we don't want to do that," Peskov told journalists, according to the pro-state outlet Kommersant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Russia continues to occupy roughly 20% of Ukraine's territory and made steady advances in Donetsk Oblast in late 2024. While Russia's advance in Ukraine's east has reportedly stalled earlier this year, Moscow's troops seemed to have made rapid gains in Kursk Oblast, the Russian border region where Ukraine has been fighting since August 2024. One source told Reuters that a ceasefire could weaken Russia's position, as the West could pin the blame on Moscow should it fail to end the war. Russian nationalist voices and pro-war bloggers have already denounced the ceasefire proposal. Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the international committee in the Russian Senate, said that any deal should be hashed out on Moscow's terms. Read also: Russias history of violating ceasefire agreements in Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has visited the western Russian region of Kursk for the first time since Ukrainian forces seized some territory in the region. Appearing on Russian state television dressed in a pixilated military uniform, Putin visited a control centre in Kursk region used by Russian troops. "Indeed, in the shortest possible time is to finally defeat the enemy entrenched in the Kursk region and still conducting defensive actions here," Putin said, addressing Russia's top military brass. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Putin heard a report from Valery Gerasimov, head of the Russian General Staff, who told him that Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region were now surrounded. "Its systematic destruction is underway," Gerasimov said. Putin said Russian forces should completely liberate the region from the Ukrainian troops as soon as possible, the news agencies reported. Putin said Russia should treat Ukrainian soldiers captured as prisoners of war in Kursk Region as terrorists. "People who are in the Kursk region, who commit crimes against civilians here, who oppose our armed forces, law enforcement agencies and special services, ... are the people we should certainly treat as terrorists," Putin said, adding that Russia does not intend to extend the Geneva Conventions to foreigners fighting on Ukraine's side. (Reporting by Reuters) Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that the Russian side has been carefully studying the statements following the talks between the US and Ukraine in Jeddah and hinted that Moscow could quickly organise a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. Source: European Pravda with reference to Russian newspaper Kommersant; Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency RIA Novosti Details: Peskov said there was no need to rush ahead on the 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US and agreed to by Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Look, you're getting a little bit ahead of yourself, we don't want to do that," the Kremlin spokesman said. Peskov said that the US side had promised to provide the Russians with detailed information about the essence of the conversations that took place in Jeddah through various diplomatic channels. Quote from Peskov: "We have to get this information first. We also have scheduled talks with the Americans for these days, during which we expect to receive complete information." More details: Peskov also said a telephone conversation between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump could be organised quickly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Quote from Peskov: "We do not rule out the possibility of a high-level call being required. If such a need arises, it will be handled swiftly. We can accomplish this rather fast thanks to the established channels of communication with the Americans." Background: Following the talks in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on 11 March, Ukraine said it is willing to implement a 30-day ceasefire, provided that Russia also adheres to it. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow would form its position in light of the US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! William Penn Statue atop of City Hall in Philadelphia. (Getty Images) By Christopher Fee I belong to a tiny Quaker Meeting in the rolling hills of South Central Pennsylvania just north of Gettysburg. Our meeting house is surrounded by acres upon acres of apple orchards, and our community is an agricultural one. While no place is perfect, there is plenty here to love, and not least amongst all that I love here are our hardworking and helpful neighbors, many of whom are now terrified that they might be deported or might lose their birthright citizenship. Some may even fear to send their children to school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our bucolic existence has been rocked to its very core by policies generated just a hundred miles away in the White House. These policies have little foundation in knowledge of who produces the food in this country, what the realities of immigration today entail, or of who and what actually Made America Great in the first place. According to the American Immigration Council, immigrants, both documented and undocumented, are estimated to make up around 9.7% of the states total workforce, according to 2022 data. The immigration advocacy group says Pennsylvania is home to an estimated 155,000 undocumented migrants, with some 30,000 of them approximately working in the states agricultural sector, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Moreover, the policies and practices of the current administration fly in the face of the history of my religious community, which is based upon universal love, speaking truth at all costs and acting with integrity. Quakers, or the Religious Society of Friends, founded the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but we form a tiny minority here or anywhere. Few we may be, but right is right, even if everyone is against it, as William Penn is reported to have said. Traditional Quaker values may seem quaint to some, but all Pennsylvanians should recognize that our commonwealth was founded upon them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Working with other Faith traditions, Quakers have filed suit against a change in ICE procedures that would allow the agency to enact immigration raids in our Houses of Worship, and a judge has recently blocked this change of policy. The administrations new policy, if allowed to stand, would violate three core aspects of our beliefs. These include treating all who enter a meeting house as equal in the eyes of God; following the leadings of our faith and and practice by offering sanctuary and sustenance to the persecuted and oppressed without question; and forbidding weapons in a space dedicated to peace and love. Quakers have long been at the forefront of social movements against slavery, for equal rights and against hatred and violence. These are not simply political positions for practicing Quakers, however. These are core spiritual tenets that lie at the heart of our faith community, of our individual identities as Quakers, and of our ability to see that of God in each and every one of our neighbors, regardless of any other factors. Radical love is fundamental to Quaker faith and practice. George Fox, the founder of Quakerism, taught us to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one. Quakers therefore must endeavor to love all, even those with whom we disagree, and even those who might be incited to hateful speech or acts by these very words. Quakers have always been most especially concerned, however, with showering love upon those who, in the terms of Matthew 25:35-36, lack food, drink, or shelter, or who are ill or imprisoned. Moreover, we very much take to heart the lesson of Leviticus 19:33-34 regarding accepting immigrants. Quakers especially embrace the notion that no one is foreign to us, for, in the words of early Quaker and ardent abolitionist John Woolman, Gods love is universal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Furthermore, it is a crucial tenet of Quakerism to speak truth, and notably in the current context where hatred against our neighbors is being stoked by fear, especially as significant numbers of Americans believe false and misleading claims about immigration particularly those who get their news from Fox and conservative outlets. In this regard, we especially must speak truth to power, confronting courageously and in plain words those in authority who cultivate and nurture harmful misconceptions. As Bayard Rustin, a Black Quaker and the principal organizer of the March on Washington, put it in 1942, the primary social function of the religious society of friends is to speak the truth to power. When it comes to immigration, at best the White Houses data use is misleading. At worst, it stokes hate and rationalizes aggressive and unnecessary policies. The world can seem a terrifying and hate-filled place, but that is no excuse to wreak terror and spew vitriol. Quakers dont teach our children not to feel grief and sorrow at all the terrible things going on in the world; rather, we expect them to step up to such challenges and to try to alleviate them. Such active love is our entire reason for being. Quakers see our mission precisely as the imperative to provide protection and relief to the most vulnerable at the worst moments of conflict and despair. We are committed to continuing this work. We invite all Pennsylvanians to join us in our task of Making America Love Again by repudiating hate and offering love, seeing that of God where some might see only reflections of their own worst fears. Christopher Fee Christopher Fee is a member and former clerk of Menallen Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and currently serves as co-clerk of the Northeast Regional Group of the American Friends Service Committee. Fee is also the Graeff Professor of English at Gettysburg College, where he is a member of the Eisenhower Institute Campus Advisory Council. ELKINS, W.Va. (WBOY) Randolph County is in for an inspiring evening as Quint Studer, author of Building a Vibrant Community, returns to the area as the guest speaker for the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber of Commerces Annual Dinner and Awards Wednesday night. This years event, A Vibrant Celebration 2.0, will be held at the Myles Center for the Arts on the Davis & Elkins College campus. The social hour begins at 5:30 p.m., with dinner following at 6:30 p.m. Studer, who first visited the area in 2020, returns as part of the Chambers Building a Vibrant Community 2.0 initiative. Karrah Washington, Executive Director of the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the progress the community has made since Studers first visit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Randolph County staff starts to receive RIF notices after failed consolidations Its important to recognize the community members, businesses, and individuals who help make our community vibrant, Washington said. Some of the progress weve made includes the opening of the Tygart Hotel in downtown Elkins, a boutique hotel, as well as plans for riverfront development. Were also working to bring an event center to downtown Elkins, near the railroad. The conversation continues on Thursday, March 13, when Studer will lead A Vibrant Conversation 2.0, a workshop from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at the Myles Center for the Arts. The workshop will provide an opportunity for community members to engage with Studer and discuss ways to strengthen and grow Randolph County. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com. (COLORADO SPRINGS) A familiar face will be coming back to FOX21, joining the anchor desk with Scott Kilbury. Rachel Saurer, a former multimedia journalist and weekend anchor at FOX21, has spent around a year at our sister station FOX31 in Denver, joining the station as a multimedia journalist in March of 2024. Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe Courtesy: FOX21 News Chief Photojournalist Dez Rowe Saurer graduated from Colorado State University, joining her first station in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where she spent a couple of years doing political reporting and learning about Wyoming. Saurer then joined the FOX21 News team, where she found a love for covering stories about veterans and her community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Saurer is expected to return to the anchor desk sometime in April. She is replacing Taylor Bishop, who signed off after ten years at FOX21 to spend more time with her family. Welcome back, Rachel! Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. Rahm Wants to Run. Yes, that Rahm. And, yes, for that office the presidency. Ive only been back two months, I have no idea what Im doing, Rahm I. Emanuel, operative-turned-politician-turned-diplomat told me before adding his stock line since returning from serving as ambassador to Japan. Im not done with public service and Im hoping public service is not done with me. Ignore that evasion. Rahm Emanuel is voting with his feet. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since coming home in January from his stint in Tokyo a job he repurposed to be American envoy to all of Asia Emanuel has been as visible as any other Democrat. Never mind that he currently holds no office and hasnt been on a ballot for a decade. Name the political podcast and Emanuel has likely been on it or will be shortly. He immediately snagged a CNN contract and regular Washington Post column, no small accomplishment for a former official at a moment of retrenchment for news organizations. He's also hitting the lecture circuit, appearing for paid and gratis gigs before audiences such as the Realtors and the Chicago Economic Club. Emanuel is pointedly avoiding Ivy League campuses and later this month will make his first stop on a service academy tour when he speaks at West Point. Just as striking is to talk to anybody in high-level Democratic politics who knows Emanuel which is to say most everyone and hear how matter of fact they are about the inevitability of his candidacy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The biggest Rahm-may-run tell, though, is that hes already road-testing the first outlines of a stump speech, or at least an issue he can make his own. I caught it last month when he came to Washington to appear before a conference held by Democracy Forward, a liberal group helping to lead litigation efforts against the Trump administration. I am done with the discussion of locker rooms, I am done with the discussion of bathrooms and we better start having a conversation about the classroom, Emanuel said, drawing applause as he alluded to a new study showing more than two-thirds of eighth graders cant read at grade level. He kept coming back to the study and eventually and explicitly tied the policy to the politics, in Rahmian fashion. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We can lead a discussion and force a topic onto the agenda of this country thats worthy of having a debate about, Emanuel said about the dismal student data. Unlike, say, the fate of a heretofore obscure federal agency, whose demise dominated elite coverage in the first weeks of Trump's presidency. The New York Times put crumbs all the way to the front door of the USAID headquarters and we just walked along back there, he lamented of his party. Shortly after his trip to Washington, Emanuel dashed out to Los Angeles to appear on Bill Mahers show, where he went even further for a less sober audience. In seventh grade, if I had known I couldve said the word they and gotten in the girls bathroom, I wouldve done it, he said. We literally are a superpower, were facing off against China with 1.4 billion people and two-thirds of our children cant read eighth grade level. There it all was, in two appearances. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There were the assets. Emanuels gift for finding a towering issue hidden in plain view; his tactical skills for grasping the political benefits it could confer, delivered with a snappy sound bite to elevate statistics off the page; linking domestic policy to geopolitics and sending a message about another, more controversial topic; and not merely urging Democrats to move on from trans youth issues, but using them as a vehicle to shift the conversation to ground he, and most in his party, would prefer to fight on. Gavin, are you listening? There were also the liabilities. Emanuel can also come off more as the tactician he was than the politician he was, sound glibly dismissive about people (USAID workers, the trans community) and generally exude a brusqueness that may obscure his talents in places such as, well, Orangeburg, South Carolina. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Which brings us what many of you have probably been thinking since the first sentence: Really, Rahm for President? 20 years ago it would have been an article in The Onion, cracked Doug Sosnik, who worked with Emanuel in the Clinton White House and now thinks the pugilistic man may meet the moment and that no other potential contender is nearly as qualified. David Axelrod, a longtime friend of Rahm, has also warmed to the idea. Who has more relevant experience? Axelrod asked, adding that Emanuel has two other alluring assets for his party right now. He understands how to win and speaks bluntly in an idiom that most folks understand. Ive wondered if Rahm may land on a White House bid since seeing him in Tokyo shortly after last years election, when he was still ensconced in the onetime home of Douglas MacArthur but inserting himself in all manner of post-mortem stories by retailing good quote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the weeks after Democrats lost the presidency, Emanuel was like a lusty knife-and-fork man eyeing the buffet laid out before him. He wanted to dig into it all: DNC chair immediately, Illinois governor in 2026, the states maybe-soon-to-be-open Senate seat held by Richard J. Durbin the same year, Chicago mayor in 2027 and yes the presidency in 2028. However, the party chair contest became a student government race among committee members, Gov. JB Pritzker is widely seen as seeking a third term, Emanuel surely doesnt want to risk ending his career losing a primary for a Senate seat he doesnt crave and hes already been mayor. Theres something larger than the musical chairs, though. Presidential races are about timing, and if ever there was a period where Emanuel would be viable, its now. Democrats are as demoralized as any time in modern history, their voters desperately want to win and were open to untraditional candidates even before Trump (see Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg) and the new attention economy favors the pithy. Oh, and theyre also dying for somebody who can wield a blade and take it to Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who, Democrats want to know, can break through like Trump and put the opposition on their heels? Well, Emanuel offers two important traits: relentlessness and ubiquity. He has, as they say in sports, a motor. Didyaseemyoped? (Translation: Have you read my recent column, which until he signed on with the Post could be on any number of topics and in any number of publications?) Hes so full of ideas, angles, proposals and one-liners that in the pandemic days of 2020 a year removed from city hall and already itching he called, texted and emailed former President Joe Bidens campaign so often that aides had to eventually assign pollster John Anzalone to also handle the Rahm account. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement By the end of Trumps term, voters may not want to see the president on camera every day which the president seems determined to be but its hard to imagine another Democrat who could find a way into seemingly every issue. I joked with colleagues that there should be a profile of the poor State Department official on the Japan desk who had to monitor the ambassadors Ohtanian output in word and deed. And that was when he was, ostensibly, focused on foreign affairs. For all of his affection, and consumption of traditional media, Emanuel is well-suited to a TikTok campaign, in which provocation is all but imperative (and you wonder why Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris struggled with changing consumer habits). Yet Emanuel is also unlike Trump in important ways. To borrow the formulation of Axelrod, Rahms longtime friend and (not literal) rabbi, Emanuel could be the remedy, not the replica, of a president with little interest in governance and the chaos that flows from that. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres not another living Democrat who hasnt already run for president whod better grasp every dimension of the job. In fact, this side of Leon Panetta, whos even close? Emanuel worked on campaigns, including a presidential, was a senior aide in two White Houses, did a cameo in high finance, served three terms in Congress, was a big-city mayor for eight years and then envoy to one of the worlds largest economies for nearly four. And hes only 65. He has longstanding relationships with many of the leading figures in politics, diplomacy, military, business, the media and, thanks to his agent brother, even Hollywood. Plus, yes, the donors. It's easy to understand why Emanuel would think, well, why not me? The Republican analogues are James A. Baker III and Dick Cheney, both of whom ended their careers in public life with enviable posts. Which gets to what may be the most logical reason why Emanuel may, and perhaps should, run: Even if he loses, he still may elevate himself to lock in a similar such closing act, whether at the State Department or Pentagon. (Would any nominee dare make Rahm vice anything?) If you run for any other office, you win or lose, as Axelrod put it. But if you run a smart, spirited race for president you can elevate yourself. So why not jump in the pool? As one of Emanuels friends reminded him not that it hadnt occurred to the ultra-competitive Chicagoan hed be crushed if he ran for any other office and lost. Even in these early days, Emanuel was curious to know how his potential competition fared at the Democracy Forward conference, Im told, and was asking people present how Pritzker fared in the room. Emanuel has never been defeated and he kept that unblemished record intact by not running for a third term as mayor in 2019, a race he may have lost. He had ferocious clashes with teachers unions in Chicago and infuriated liberals over his handling of the killing of Laquan McDonald, a Black teenager who was shot as he walked away from a police officer. Yet if there's a group who'd be more unhappy with him representing the Democratic Party than the left, it's Republicans, who fear he'd tug his party toward the center. Rahms Republican peers admire his skills and moxie and he wowed a younger generation of lawmakers in both parties who came through Tokyo expecting a jerk and instead found gifts in their hotel rooms. Rahm Emanuel is the best all-around player for the Democratic Party,'" said Rep. Tom Cole, the Oklahoma Republican who served with Emanuel in the House. "Who else has been as successful as a political operative, a party leader, an elected official, a high-level staffer and a diplomat? Democratic primaries are not, though, determined by the likes of Tom Cole. Few names and as with Cher and Madonna only the first is necessary trigger such visceral contempt on the left as Rahm. Hed face loud and determined opposition from progressives, both over his more centrist economic views in an era of ascendant plutocracy and over his eagerness to tack to the middle on culture and identity. Yes, I know, those far-left voices are somewhat muted now. But will they be three years from now? And even if progressives are diminished, the voices of Black voters, the ultimate deciders of Democratic primaries, will not be and its an open question if Emanuel can win them over. Im not sure people in South Carolina know or care who Rahm Emanuel is, Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a longtime South Carolina Democratic lawmaker told me. His connection to Barack Obama is decades old. Were in a different time. Indeed, politics moves ever more swiftly. Consider the period often likened to the present, the aftermath of 2004. Who thought the way to reclaim red states like Indiana and North Carolina remember the Jesusland map? would be to nominate a big-city liberal with African roots and a Muslim name? Not the conventional wisdom crowd, they were eyeing white Southerners. A white male pushing 70 whos delighted to pick fights with the left and speak hard truths about the Democratic brand seems sensible now, but it could be fighting the last war after three years of Trumpian rampaging. Emanuels biggest challenge, should he run, may be what his longtime friend James Carville memorably said about George H.W. Bush in 1992, as captured in The War Room documentary: He reeks of yesterday. As Emanuel concluded at the Democracy Forward conference, a middle-aged attendee sitting behind me muttered sarcastically: Bring back the DLC, yay, I feel like Im in high school again. If Democrats as they did in 1992 and again in 2008 are ultimately guided by wanting tomorrow over yesterday it could doom Emanuel. Of course, he found prominent roles with both next-generation Democrats who won in those elections. And he likely would again. The only question left is does he feel its essential to first run or could he ascend without going through with a campaign, same as Cheney and Baker who both considered but never pursued bids. Yet that's to assume he wouldn't run to win. Nobody, Rahm told me, looks at a presidential campaign and does it to say, Well, well see what this feels like. Raiffeisen Bank International's (RBI) Russian assets manager continues to hold and promote investments in sanctioned Russian companies and government bonds, according to a joint investigation by the BankTrack NGO and the B4Ukraine coalition published on March 12. As of January, Raiffeisen Capital held around 31.7 billion rubles ($365 million) in shares and bonds in entities sanctioned by the U.S. and the EU for their role in supporting Russian aggression in Ukraine, the report said, citing financial documents. This sum is only part of the overall value of 70.9 billion ($818 million) rubles reportedly held across 10 funds. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Austria's Raiffeisen banking group has been long scrutinized for failing to exit the Russian market despite the EU sanctions imposed at the outbreak of the full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022. The investigation highlights that these assets included roughly 2.7 billion rubles ($31 million) in state bonds issued after March 9, 2022, a cut-off date past which the EU banned trade in any transferable securities issued by the Russian government. The asset manager's other investments reportedly include about 1.6 billion rubles ($18.5 million) worth of shares in the Russian state-owned bank Sberbank and 2.2 billion rubles ($25.4 million) in the state energy giant Gazprom, both under Western sanctions. Raiffeisen remains the largest Western bank still operating in Russia, despite pleding in July 2024 that it would "drastically" scale down its business in the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "We must call these investments what they are: war profiteering with reckless disregard for the Ukrainian people and for European efforts to sanction the Russian war machine," said Max Hammer, a human rights campaigner at BankTrack. "RBI must address and be made to answer for these violations, and it must provide detailed information on its financial links to the Russian war machine. If it fails to do so, European authorities should not hesitate to respond appropriately." The authors of the report argue that Raiffeisen Capital's investment activities may contravene European sanctions legislation. "RBI has previously claimed that its Russian business is subject to rigorous due diligence and sanctions compliance checks, but these due diligence procedures have clearly not been enough to prevent the bank from investing in key sponsors of Russias war of aggression," Nezir Sinani, the executive director at B4Ukraine, said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "The time for RBI to decisively sever its relationship with Russias wartime economy is long overdue." Raiffeisen Capital has not responded to the Kyiv Independent's request for comment at the time of publication. Read also: US Chamber of Commerce in Russia readies proposals on sanctions relief Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCT) An employee at the NC Department of Transportation pled guilty to selling counterfeit car airbags. Over the past two years, Mateen Mohammad Alinaghian, 31, imported thousands of counterfeit car steering wheel airbags into the Raleigh area through Facebook Marketplace. Information presented in court showed Alinaghian imported around 2,500 counterfeit airbags between May of 2022 and April of 2024 in the Raleigh area. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The steering wheels imported from a supplier in the United Kingdom had the makings of: Honda Chevrolet General Motor Toyota In testing done by Honda, General Motors, and Toyota of the steering wheel airbags sold by Alinaghian, they were often malfunctioned, or not fully inflating. This could pose a serious risk of injury to the driver. Airbags are critical life-saving devices that are designed and produced to protect motorists, Special Agent in charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte that covers North and South Carolina, Cardell T. Morant said. Counterfeit airbags pose a serious threat to the safety of consumers. HSI actively collaborates with its law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations that seek to exploit global commerce and threaten legitimate supply chains. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT. Mar. 11ALPINE Although he was searching for deer, a hunter at the O2 Ranch, a privately owned ranch in Brewster and Presidio counties, found something very different and a little puzzling. Could it be a mammoth tusk? In West Texas? "I was skeptical when a deer hunter showed me a picture of what he thought was a fossil," O2 Ranch Manager Will Juett said in a news release. "I figured it was likely just an old stump, but imagined how great it would be if he was right." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Juett says his great working relationship with the Center for Big Bend Studies (CBBS) at Sul Ross State University in Alpine spurred him to immediately reach out to CBBS Director Bryon Schroeder and CBBS Archaeologist Erika Blecha. The researchers contacted graduate student Haley Bjorklund from the University of Kansas, a CBBS collaborator specializing in environmental archaeology who is interested in studying ancient animals like the mammoth. All three, plus anthropology professors Justin Garnett and Devin Pettigrew, met up at the ranch as soon as possible to explore the discovery further. "It paid off big time," Juett says of their visit. "When they confirmed what they had uncovered, I couldn't believe it." Schroeder says the researchers quickly verified that it was indeed a mammoth tusk, a very rare find in West Texas. "The tusk was located in the drainage area of a creek bed," Schroeder says. "We realized pretty quickly there was not more to the skeleton, it was just an isolated tusk that had been separated from the rest of the remains." Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The researchers then spent two days plaster-jacketing the tusk covering it in strips of plaster-covered burlap for protection and building a frame to transfer it to Sul Ross State University for further study. "A local [who subsequently wrote his PhD dissertation on it] found one in Fort Stockton in the 1960s," Schroeder says, noting that it's the only mammoth tusk in the Trans-Pecos that was carbon dated, as that process began in the 1950s. "There was a big range of error back then. Now we can get it down to a narrower range within 500 years." Carbon dating results will be available in the next few months. While researchers study the new find with newer technologies, the discovery sparks our imaginations. "Seeing that mammoth tusk just brings the ancient world to life," Juett says of the find that created a buzz of excitement for everyone involved. "Now, I can't help but imagine that huge animal wandering around the hills on the O2 Ranch. My next thought is always about the people that faced those huge tusks with only a stone tool in their hand!" Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio isnt thrilled about President Donald Trumps escalating trade war. Looking at historical patterns, the billionaire investor has made a chilling parallel. Speaking at a CNBC (CMCSA) conference in Singapore on Wednesday, Dalio invoked 1930s Germany to highlight his concerns with the current trade war, including growing conflicts among nations. He compared the trade war to Germanys situation in the 1930s, citing debt write-downs, tariff hikes to drive revenue, and efforts to strengthen domestic industry, Bloomberg reported. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Be nationalistic, be protectionist, be militaristic. Thats the way these things operate, he said. Dalio warned that these tensions could escalate into conflicts between countries, though he clarified that he wasnt necessarily referring to military confrontation. He also noted that there could be significant opportunities for nations that remain neutral. Think about the US, Canada, Mexico, China, Dalio said. There will be fighting and that will have consequences, and I think thats the main thing to pay attention to. He emphasized that he is remaining politically neutral and is just making an observation like a mechanic or doctor would. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In contrast, Trump has defended tariffs as a key driver of U.S. economic dominance. Tariffs are having a tremendously positive impact, Trump said at a business roundtable on Tuesday, March 11, adding that they could go even higher. Trump pointed to companies building plants in states like Michigan, Indiana, and South Carolina instead of Mexico. He stressed that the ultimate goal isnt just generating revenue but also creating U.S. jobs, arguing that tariffs help prevent job losses. Still, uncertainty surrounding Trumps shifting trade policies has rattled markets, contributing to an extended sell-off and fueling fears of a recession. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since taking office in January, Trump has imposed and at times delayed tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico. Most recently, he announced a 25% tariff on global steel and aluminum imports. In response, Canada, China, and the European Union have retaliated with their own tariffs on select U.S. goods. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. (Bloomberg) -- Billionaire investor Ray Dalio invoked 1930s Germany to illustrate his concerns about the global implications of the current trade war, while highlighting how countries that are neutral will fare well during such conflicts. Most Read from Bloomberg Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dalio was speaking at a CNBC conference in Singapore on Wednesday, when he was asked what will ultimately happen as a result of the escalating conflicts over rising tariffs. Subscribe to the Bloomberg Daybreak podcast on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you listen. The Bridgewater Associates founder said what the world is witnessing is an extension of the patterns of history. He cited Germany in the 1930s, saying there was writedown of debt, a hike in tariffs to drive revenue and a buildup of its domestic base. Be nationalistic, be protectionist, be militaristic. Thats the way these things operate, he said. So I would say lessons from the past of what that looks like, and the issue is really the confrontation of all of this, the fighting of all of this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dalio stressed that he was politically neutral and that he approached these observations more like a doctor or mechanic. All I want to do is to try to convey the mechanics, he said. Its up to others to make the choice. So Im not an ideologue. He said tariffs could lead to fighting between countries, while clarifying that he wasnt necessarily referring to military confrontation. Think about the US, Canada, Mexico, China, he told the audience. There will be fighting and that will have consequences, and I think thats the main thing to pay attention to. He added that neutral countries will fare well, potentially benefiting from a flow of people and capital. He cited Singapore as an example, saying if it can remain neutral and keep operating the way it does, it can be a great opportunity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There will be a world situation that Im concerned about, Dalio said. But theres also these other worlds that get through it and are not involved. --With assistance from Ruth Carson. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2025 Bloomberg L.P. A year and half ago, a small group of House Republican hard-liners ousted a speaker for the first time in history. His hanging offense: passing a continuing resolution, or CR, to fund the government for six weeks. Fast-forward to Tuesday: Not only did many of those same hard-liners back a GOP speakers CR this one for six months, not weeks but the hell no House Freedom Caucus even endorsed the move, with many members voting for a funding extension for the first time. For those of us who have covered Hill Republicans for years, its like up is now down and down is now up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres only one explanation for this topsy-turvy new reality in the Capitol, and its President Donald Trump. Seven weeks into his second term, Trump is redefining GOP orthodoxy in so many ways its difficult to keep track. He has shattered Republicans long history of muscular globalism in favor of an America First posture, sidelining an entire wing of the GOP. Hes leaned into protectionist economics in a way Republicans have long shunned and somehow convinced longtime free market champions to defend his policies as smart negotiating. But the turnabout on the House floor has been especially stark. Without much drama at all, hes convinced even the most skeptical Republicans to extend a spending deal negotiated in part by Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer making them swallow the kind of long-term patch that both fiscal hawks and Pentagon cheerleaders have railed against for years. Its just the latest reminder: Its Trumps party, and what he says goes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement "Normally I wouldnt support the CR because I think it shows Congress is not doing our jobs, conservative Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) told ABC News. But this time? Trump is behind it. Its not that Trump gave conservatives nothing. Many got face time, or at least call time with the president like Burlison, who praised Trump and his staff for listening to his concerns before he agreed to get in line. And when I ran into Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), one of the eight Republicans who ousted McCarthy, he pulled out a piece of paper to explain that the current bill cuts $7 billion in spending over the prior year. When I pointed out that was a drop in the bucket compared with the $1.6 trillion in discretionary spending that lawmakers would be extending, he sighed and agreed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats not a lot of money, but its a start, he said. So if not the $7 billion, what got him to yes? Take a guess. Hes never lied to me, Burchett said about Trump, citing a conversation where the president promised to continue making cuts through his Department of Government Efficiency initiative. There were through-the-looking-glass moments pretty much everywhere you went around the House on Tuesday. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) showed up to a leadership news conference and said he was 100 percent behind this continuing resolution this from the leader of a group that made its name opposing GOP leaders spending deals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is not your grandfathers continuing resolution, Harris said, pointing to provisions that fund deportations, defense and veterans and allow DOGE to slash away at waste. Hmm okay. It didnt stop there. Republicans also on Tuesday almost unanimously approved a discreet provision tucked into the rule setting up the final floor vote on the spending bill. It effectively snuffed out their own ability as lawmakers to stop Trumps emergency tariffs tariffs that many of them railed against for years and, as they voted, were driving massive losses in U.S. financial markets. Republicans argued the move was aimed at Democrats, who had filed privileged resolutions to terminate Trumps emergency declarations, blocking them from being able to hijack the floor to force votes on the issue votes that could force many swing district Republicans into an uncomfortable spot. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But by blocking Democrats, Republicans also willfully neutered their own authority, as Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) was all too happy to note on the floor. They slipped in a little clause letting them escape ever having to debate or vote on Trumps tariffs, McGovern said. Isnt that clever? I couldnt help but think back to the Republican National Convention last July, when I asked Speaker Mike Johnson about how he, as a self-proclaimed free-trader, could be okay with Trumps tariff threats. At the time, the Louisiana Republican suggested Trumps threats were a trial balloon aimed at sparking debate. I don't think that's President Trump's plan, he said at the time, promising a lot of thoughtful discussion and a vigorous debate that we'll all have about trade policy. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some debate: Aside from McGoverns diatribe, the tariff provision was barely mentioned on the floor Tuesday before Republicans approved it. Johnson earlier in the day defended Trumps economic policy to reporters, saying the tariffs are needed to start the process of repairing and restoring the economy. You got to give it time, he said. Yes, were only about 50 days into Trumps second term, but this much we already know: With every passing moment, power is going only in one direction. And one day congressional Republicans might sober up and realize its not ever coming back. EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) A familiar face will again make a run for Wisconsins 3rd Congressional District. Rebecca Cooke announced that she will be running in 2026 for the seat Derrick Van Orden holds. Cooke narrowly lost the 2024 race to Van Orden by less than 2% of the vote and outperformed top-of-the-ticket Democrats like Kamala Harris. Cooke says she is running for Congress to represent working-class Wisconsinites and rebuild the middle class. She says she comes from a long line of dairy farmers and knows how recent tariffs are impacting people right here in the state, I think having someone with an agricultural background uniquely prepares me to be an advocate. Because of what were seeing right now, no one is thinking long-term, you cant take a hatchet to these policies, people are planning their crop seasons based on a lot of these policies and you have someone coming in with a hatchet to this. So, I think if we want to change things we need to be more thoughtful to take a little scalpel for government efficiency than the way this is being handled. The Wisconsin GOP responded to the announcement. Chairman Brian Schimming says, two-time loser Rebecca Cooke is making a 3rd attempt at running for Congress after losing to Derrick Van Orden. 2026 will be no different. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We also reached out to Congressman Van Orden directly for his comment. We have yet to hear back. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX2548 & WIProud. Are you still facing a coronavirus offence case in the courts? Did a lockdown fine affect your life? Get in touch at money@telegraph.co.uk When Xen Watts organised a snowball fight on Facebook he never imagined it would turn his life upside down. It was January 2021 the start of the third and longest Covid lockdown in England, and the 23-year-old Leeds University student created the event out of boredom. It was meant to be an ironic joke, poking fun at how restricted everyones lives had become. Unfortunately for him, more than 100 people gathered on a snow-dusted Woodhouse Moor the next day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Later that week, the police knocked on Wattss door and summoned him to the station for an interview. As evidence, they presented a screenshot showing that he had created the event. The officer wrote down the number 3,600 on a piece of paper and slid it across the table, Watts says. He asked me Do you know what this means, Mr Watts?, and I said I dont know. He said, This is the number of people who have died from Covid-19 since your snowball fight, how do you feel about that? Watts was issued with the maximum possible fine of 10,000 and the threat of a criminal record if he didnt pay. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I didnt take it seriously. I didnt think Id done anything wrong, so I didnt pay. I thought that justice would prevail. The fixed penalty notice (FPN) saddled Watts with crippling debt but also the stigma of being a Covid rule-breaker. Certain friendship groups stopped speaking to me. I stopped going to lectures. My mental health was in a dire state. Im not going to whine. I live in a first-world country with many privileges, but this fine derailed my life and made me hate the system. Watts is one of the nearly 120,000 people to be issued FPNs for breaking lockdown rules in England and Wales during the pandemic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Almost half 48pc of these fines were issued to 18- to 24-year-olds, even though they account for just 8pc of the population. Between March 2020 and July 2021, there were three national lockdowns when attending gatherings, leaving home or failing to wear a face mask could all result in a fine or prosecution. Almost half of all Covid fines were issued to 18- to 24-year-olds like Watts Non-payment of an FPN is not in itself a criminal offence but if it remains unpaid, the person receiving it may be summoned to court for prosecution for the original offence. A defendant can then receive a criminal record if convicted. The Covid rules led to over 29,000 people being handed criminal convictions because they either contested or did not pay the fine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Among those to receive a criminal record were an 18-year-old student who attended a party during a lockdown, a 35-year-old man who hosted family members on New Years Eve and a 72-year-old woman who travelled back from Kenya without evidence of a negative Covid test. Criminal convictions can prevent people from working as teachers, social workers or police officers, as the police can pass these details to prospective employers if they are deemed relevant for criminal background checks. Convictions must also be declared when applying for visas to visit countries like the US and Canada, both of which reserve the right to permanently ban anyone who fails to reveal one. Ministry of Justice data shows that the 29,000 criminal fines issued by magistrates totalled 26m more than for any other type of crime since the start of the pandemic, apart from motoring offences and TV licence evasion. A further 8.2m was paid by people who were handed FPNs. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watts refused to pay the fine for two and a half years despite repeated letters and threats of prosecution, in part out of principle, and because he hoped it might get rescinded. He eventually decided to settle in late 2023 after his debt was transferred to a debt collection agency and bailiffs started making regular visits to his home. As a result, he has avoided getting a criminal record. He chose to pay the fine in instalments, scraping the money together from bank loans and his work as a DJ and promoter. It was so stressful, so horrible, he says. Financially, its been crippling. Covid fines sloppily drafted Nearly five years on from the first national lockdown, there are still 114 outstanding coronavirus offence cases making their way through the courts, according to the Government. In June, Robert Buckland, the former Tory justice secretary, called for an amnesty for those handed criminal convictions for breaking Covid rules. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lord Sumption, a former Supreme Court judge, said that criminalisation for rule breaches during the pandemic was ridiculous and a miscarriage of justice. Sir Keir Starmer has failed to back calls for an amnesty. Penelope Gibbs, director of the charity Transform Justice, believes the legislation granting police powers to issue Covid fines was sloppily drafted, rushed, and poorly scrutinised. She adds: Some of the fines are incredibly high and difficult to pay. These penalties were disproportionate and a lot of people incurred them without being fully aware of the law. If you have vague legal wording and rules that keep changing suddenly, people interpret it in different ways including the police. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Official data shows that some police forces were more inclined to issue fines than others. Almost half of the court-issued fines worth 12.4m were raised by just five forces: the Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire and South Wales. Behaviour could have been changed without a heavy-handed legal approach, according to Ms Gibbs. It was a misuse of the law. The apparently arbitrary nature of the fines is another injustice that supporters of an amnesty point to. Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, who were then prime minister and chancellor, each received a 50 fixed penalty notice from the Metropolitan Police for attending a gathering in Downing Street in June 2020. Both paid the fine and apologised, but rejected calls to resign. Four years after Watts was issued his fine, its this hypocrisy that rankles most. The police took five minutes to decide to issue me with a 10,000 fine. And then Boris gets 50 and a slap on the wrist. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It makes me feel a complete and utter loss of trust and hope in the system that I used to hold in high regard, he says. I regret that I made that Facebook event, but Im not ashamed of what I did. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Flash Photo taken on March 10, 2025 shows the Sir Adam Beck Generating Stations of Canada in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. [Photo/Xinhua] The United States on Tuesday reversed its plan to impose extra 25 percent tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, after the Canadian province of Ontario dropped tariffs on electricity exports to three U.S. states. "After President Trump threatened to use his executive powers to retaliate with a colossal 50 percent tariff against Canada, Ontario Premier Doug Ford spoke with (Commerce) Secretary (Howard) Lutnick to convey that he is backing down on implementing a 25 percent charge on electricity exports to the United States," White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement. Earlier on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media that he would impose an additional 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum from Canada, raising the total tariff to 50 percent, in response to tariffs on electricity exports from the Canadian province of Ontario. Shortly after, Ontario agreed to suspend its 25 percent surcharge on electricity exports to three U.S. states. According to a joint statement from Ontario Premier Doug Ford and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Ford will travel to Washington on Thursday to meet with Lutnick and discuss "a renewed USMCA ahead of the April 2 reciprocal tariff deadline." Previously, Trump announced the imposition of a broad 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico, which took effect on March 4. However, just two days later, Trump reversed his position and adjusted the tariff measures, exempting goods that meet the "United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement" (USMCA) preferential conditions from the tariffs, effective until April 2. According to NBC News, a senior U.S. government official estimated that about 38 percent of goods imported from Canada to the United States qualify for the exemption. On March 4, the Canadian government announced that it would implement a 25 percent tariff on U.S. goods worth 155 billion Canadian dollars (about 107 billion U.S. dollars) in phases, with the first round of tariffs on goods worth 30 billion Canadian dollars already in effect. In retaliation to the broad tariffs on Canadian goods, Canada's Ontario government on Monday officially applied a 25 percent surcharge on all electricity exports to three U.S. states: Michigan, Minnesota and New York. Desai also said in the statement that pursuant to Trump's previous executive orders, a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum "with no exceptions or exemptions" will go into effect for all trading partners at midnight, March 12. On Feb. 10, Trump signed proclamations to raise tariffs on aluminum from 10 percent to 25 percent, aligning them with the existing tariff rate for steel. He also decided to eliminate duty-free quotas, exemptions, and exclusions for steel and aluminum tariffs. The Daily Item A record 376 nonprofits are registered for the 30-hour online fundraiser Raise the Region, which kicks off Wednesday night. The First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania and longtime partner Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships will host the annual 30-hour online fundraising event beginning at 6 p.m. The online drive ends at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. Since its inception in 2013, Raise the Region has raised more than $19 million for local nonprofits, showcasing the incredible generosity of the north central Pennsylvania community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Raise the Region was born out of a vision to unite our community in a powerful way, by harnessing the generosity of individuals to support local nonprofits, Erin Ruhl, director of Community Engagement for the foundation said. What started as a bold idea to strengthen our region has grown into a transformative 30-hour giving event, empowering organizations to continue their vital work and making a lasting impact on the lives of those they serve. Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships have pledged a $175,000 contribution to stretch donations made to participating nonprofits. This years event continues to offer an opportunity for donors to make a significant impact by supporting local nonprofits that serve Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Tioga and Union counties. We are thrilled to see such a strong showing of local nonprofits, and we are deeply grateful to our presenting sponsor, Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships, for making this event possible, Ruhl said. Raise the Region would not be possible without the incredible support of our sponsors. Their generosity amplifies the impact of every donation, empowering nonprofits to serve our communities in meaningful ways. Preregistered nonprofit organizations will be featured on the events platform, raisetheregion.org, where donors can make tax-deductible contributions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In addition, donors can help nonprofits qualify for $125,000 in monetary prizes sponsored by organizations. Notable prizes include a $5,000 Grand Prize for the nonprofit with the most unique donors and a $1,000 Sleepwalker Prize for the nonprofit that raises the most money between midnight and 5 a.m. on Thursday. Donors are the heart of Raise the Region, Ruhl said. Their generosity fuels the mission of local nonprofits, turning passion into impact. Every gift provides vital resources and hope for those in need. Together, donors make it possible to build a stronger, more vibrant region for all. Groups of mourners gather for a prayer vigil after a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis in 2021. Indiana is one of 21 states that have a red flag law, which allow police and family members to petition a civil court to remove a firearm from someone who may be a danger to themselves or others. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images.) If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting 988. Adriana Pentzs brother could be alive today. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In 2017, Luc-John Pentz was 30 years old and starting to struggle, burdened by lifes stressors and trying to cope by leaning heavily on alcohol. Adriana soon found out he had purchased a gun months earlier. Of her three siblings, she had the most in common with Luc growing up they were both academically driven and competitive swimmers. They remained close into adulthood, with Luc supporting her when she became a mother. So, when she noticed his behavior starting to shift, she was immediately troubled. I was scared when I found out that he had a gun, she said. I know that it offered him a sense of security, a sense of protection, which he felt like he needed at that particular point. But my siblings and my mom didnt feel comfortable that he was not in a good place, and we knew he had something at home that was dangerous. Her brother died by suicide May 23, 2017, in the woods near his home in Wallingford, Connecticut. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What Adriana Pentz didnt know at the time was that Connecticut had a law that would have allowed her, her family or police officers to petition a civil court to seize his gun when it was clear he was a potential harm to himself or others. In 1999, Connecticut became the first state in the country to pass what is commonly known as a red flag law, which allows family members, law enforcement and sometimes health care workers, friends and co-workers to file what is often called an extreme risk protection order. After considering evidence and hearing from both the petitioner and the gun owner, a judge may temporarily take a persons weapon if they deem the gun owner to be a potential danger to themselves or the community. Orders usually last one year. Now, 21 states and the District of Columbia have such laws. Voters in Maine will decide in November whether to join that list. The use of extreme risk protection orders has surged in recent years, with petitions filed across states that have such laws jumping by 59% in 2023 over the previous year, according to data collected by Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control research and advocacy group. Luc-John Pentz, seen here with his sister Adriana on her wedding day, died by suicide in 2017. (Courtesy of Adriana Pentz) But the laws effectiveness relies on their implementation, supporters say: Law enforcement and judges must be trained properly and the public needs to be aware that the law exists. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The challenge in this is that too many people, too many law enforcement people, too many families, are not aware that there is an extreme risk law in their state, Sarah Burd-Sharps, the senior director of research at Everytown, told Stateline. A Stateline analysis shows the usage rates rose from six petitions filed per 100,000 residents in 2022, to 10 per 100,000 in 2023. The analysis used Everytowns petition data and U.S. Census Bureau population estimates for the District of Columbia and the 19 states with active red flag laws in 2023. In 2023, there were 46,728 gun-related deaths in the United States, including suicides, murders and accidents, with a national rate of 14 gun deaths per 100,000 people, according to the latest data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicides accounted for nearly 6 in 10 of the gun deaths. Recent research on the protection orders impact estimates that one suicide is prevented for every 17 to 23 petitions filed. Based on this estimate, nearly 990 lives could have been saved in 2023 for every 17 petitions filed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Pentz feels her brothers death every day. It was a horrible, horrible, horrible moment in our lives to have lost him, she said. I know for sure that if it was something that I was aware of in 2017, I would have petitioned to have my brothers gun taken from him in that moment of crisis. I do believe it could have saved his life. Training the police As retired detective Christopher Carita travels around the country to meet with law enforcement agencies on how to better use their states red flag laws, he consistently hears one concern: Is this a gun grab? Law enforcement, were gun folks, said Carita, who worked for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department in Florida. Theres always this hesitancy when it comes to risk protection orders and removing firearms that needs to be overcome. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So, when he designed his training, he emphasized due process protections embedded in these laws: Gun owners get ample notice about the petition, and they have the right to defend themselves in court through multiple hearings. The laws are based off long-held domestic violence and other civil orders and are backed by the U.S. Supreme Court. More often than not, the respondent understands, said Carita, who works with 97Percent, a gun safety organization focused on including gun owners and non-gun owners in the conversation around policy solutions for gun violence. Even if theyre hesitant at first, he said, ultimately theyre appreciative that their family member cared enough to intervene, and that that intervention is something that is temporary and affords them some time and space away from the most lethal means to get the help they need. Carita encourages officers to build better relationships with their local Department of Veterans Affairs agency and area nonprofits, so they have someone they can refer the gunowner to when theyre removing a firearm for suicide risk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even before New Mexico imposed a red flag law in 2020, some law enforcement officials opposed it, citing concerns over Second Amendment rights and potential government overreach. In its first two years, police in the state filed only 23 petitions. Then in 2022, Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham established a task force to raise awareness and improve enforcement of the law. The number of petitions has increased significantly, rising from 47 in 2023 to 96 in 2024, according to court data. More than half of last years petitions were in Bernalillo County, the states most populous jurisdiction and home to Albuquerque, the capital. In February, the New Mexico House passed a bill to streamline the process. The bill would clarify more clearly that police officers can directly file petitions and would remove the 48-hour waiting period for firearm relinquishment, addressing concerns that the delay could pose unnecessary risks. The legislation is now in the Senate. Gun violence experts say the goal of red flag laws isnt necessarily to increase their use for the sake of numbers, but to ensure they are applied in the most dangerous situations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have to be realistic about expectations that [extreme risk protection orders] arent going to prevent all forms of firearm violence and lead to huge decreases in gun violence, said Stephen Oliphant, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention at the University of Michigan. !function(){use strict;window.addEventListener(message,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[datawrapper-height]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(iframe);for(var t in a.data[datawrapper-height])for(var r=0;r